                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                                          - I____ .__I.._....I._  - . ---- _.._..._ "._"-_-         -    -               ..__.
                                                                   law of human nature, Both the body and the mind
                                                                   become exhausted through being constantly and for
                                                                   any length of time busy at the same task. They crave
                                                                   a change, and the change will afford rest in a pleasur-
                                                                   able way. If one is physically occupied during the day
                On Card Playing                                    he will probably seek recreation that is entirely or
                                                                   mostly free from physical strain. On the contrary, one
   Before we answer the particular question whether that is mentally busy all day long will set aside a time
or no card playing is to be condemned and on what                  for physical exercise. One that finds his daily work
grounds it ought to be condemned or not to be con- within the walls of a factory or office, will seek recrea-
demned, it is probably better to turn to the general tion in the open air, while one that is out in the open
question that lies at the basis of it.                             all day long will probably seek diversion inside, at home
   I refer to the question of amusements.                          or elsewhere. But, whatever form this amusement or
   What are amusements?                                            recreation may assume, it certainly is based on a law
   The word is of distinctly heathen origin. It is never of human nature, that man seeks it.
used in Scripture.                                                       Nor can it be considered sinful that such recreation
   What, however, is understood today by the word?                  is sought as can afford pleasure and delight. And free-
With us the term amusement is employed to denote all dom of pursuit may be considered in harmony with
those states, occupations, engagements of the body or man's nature and creation after the image of God. So
mind, that afford pleasurable emotions and are free                 that it cannot be considered a contradiction in terms to
from the burden of constraint, being the object of the speak of Christian amusements, if you prefer, of Chris-
pursuit of our own free choice.                                    tian recreation.
   True, the word gradually acquires a narrower mean-                   The question whether amusements are good or evil
ing in the popular mind. Yet, in the proper sense  .of depends on their ethical-spiritual content.
the word all amusements may be brought under the                         They are either good or evil, according as they de-
above definition.                                                  rive their form and content from the carnal world of
   An amusement certainly is an engagement or occu- sin or from the regenerated heart. The question is,
pation of some kind. It is distinct from our daily of course, whether they are after the fashion of this
labors, but not in the sense that it consists in being world or in harmony with the Word of God. How are
idle. We need rest, recreation, diversion. We cannot we occupied in our amusements? Wherein do we find
always labor under the strain of our daily work. Yet, our delight when we seek recreation? What is the
this rest does not always consist in doing nothing.                 motive, the character, the purpose and aim of our
Idleness, sleep is not the sole way of resting. A change amusements ?
in work, in the character of our occupation also affords                 If amusements are occupations, they belong to our
rest, releases the strain, brings relief. This is true w o r k s .
both of the body and of the mind. And therefore, an                      And it must be self-evident that there is no other
amusement is always a state of being engaged, criterion for those works of ours which we call amuse-
whether actively in diversion and recreation, or more ments than for those which belong to our daily tasks
passively in being entertained. Even in the latter case and calling.
we are bodily and mentally engaged.                                      Fundamentally our calling remains the same, no
   Naturally, amusements are such occupations as matter how we are occupied.
afEord  us pleasure. Although, for instance, in may be                   If this principle be accepted and followed in prac-
a pronounced diversion from our daily routine, yet no tical life, it will not be difficult to settle the question as
one considers it an amusement to sit for' a half hour or to proper and sinful recreations. The trouble with the
so in the dentist's chair.       Hence, the. element of much discussed amusement-question has been, that it
pl.easure,  delight is essential to what is considered an seemed as the same standard of good and evil could not
amusement.                                                          very well be applied to both: our daily calling and  ou!
   And, lastly, amusements are engagements that are recreations. In our daily calling we did not hesitate
free from the constraint of necessity and the burden of to apply the criterion that our whole life must be to
toil. They are diversions from our daily task. Amuse- the glory of God, proceeding from the new life of re-
ment is properly the pursuit of free choice.                        generation and from the principle of faith and, there-
   Understood in this sense, as recreation, amusement fore, in harmony with the precepts of God. But this
is in itself neither good nor evil, may be either good or           standard of good works did somehow not seem to apply
evil. It is possible to speak of Christian as well as to what we called our amusements. With respect to
worldly amusements.                                                 these the bars were removed. What the Heidelberg
    Diversion, recreation, a change of occupation, Catechism mentions as the essential requirements of all
either mental or physical, is simply necessitated by a good works was forgotten as soon as we indulged in our


*       s                                               THE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                  359
      -..._-.  -..----  ..-. "."..-"             ___--_l_-_l                                -^  ..-.......   - -                -....  - ..-.-
 diversions and recreations. What are good works  ? And he has new delights and new pleasures. He does
      All those that proceed from a true faith, are done ac- not delight in the glory of'man, in the lust of the flesh,
 cording to the law of God and to His glory and not such the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. On the con-
 as are based on human institutions or our own  imagina-                     trary,  the works of God are his delight. To study them
 tion. Yet, with respect to amusements it seemed that and see their marvelous beauty and glory; to reflect
 they must necessarily be based on human institutions them and imitate them to His glory; to search. out the
 and that we must allow our imagination free play.                           wondrous virtues of his God in all the works of His
             It is evident, however, that no double standard can hands, that he may praise Him, - that is the delight
 be applied for the simple reason that no double cri-                        of the child of God according to the inner principle of
 terion exists.                                                              new life in Christ that is wrought within his heart.
             Always we live and work before the face of dad.                    From this principle he also fashions his  amuse-
 Always our relation to Him determines our calling.  ments. And with these he stands in sharp antithesis
 That calling is always the same, whether in daily toil to the world that lieth in darkness.
 or in recreation,. whether during the week or on  Sun-                         He is in the world, but not of the world.
 day. Be ye, therefore, holy, for I the Lord your God                           For his delight is in the law of the Lord !
 am holy! Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,                         How, then, about card-playing?
 acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.                                                                            H. H.
 And be not conformed to this world, but be ye trans-
 formed by the renewal of your mind, that ye may prove
 what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of
 God. Whatsoever ye do, even whether ye eat or
 whether ye drink, do it all to the glory of God. And                                               MURMUR NOT
 whatsoever is not of faith is sin.                                                   Did you ever stop to reason
             If this principle is not accepted  wholehe&tedly  and                      With your anxious, longing heart,
 rigidly applied also to our amusements, there is no solu-                            How, in all His grace and wisdom,
 tion of the so-called amusement-question. Then we do                                   In denying you a part
 not want a solution. We simply desire to follow the                                  Of the blessing you were seeking                *
 dictates of our sinful flesh. Then we may, perhaps,                                    That your Father knoweth best 1
 hypocritically ask whether we may do this or that.                                   Then, if he withhold the  gtierdon,
 But we will never find a satisfactory answer.                                          Cease repining  - be at rest.
             However, if this principle is accepted, the problem is
 virtually solved.                                                                    None can understand His wisdom
             For, then, we are able rather plainly to distinguish                       And your needs today may prove
 between worldly and Christian amusements.                                            For the morrow unavailing.
             The carnal mind is enmity against God. It finds no                         Then be still, and trust His love.
 pleasure in God and His service. It has no delight in                                Know that He who feeds the sparrow,
 the law of the Lord. It is motivated by  the flesh. It                                 He who hears the orphan's cry
 seeks the Iust of the flesh and the lust qf the eyes and                             Will, when you are strong and ready
the pride of life. And it fashions for itself  carnal                                   For the answer, give reply.
amusements.                             And such amusements as have their
origin in the carnal mind of man, have the carnal man                                 No good thing will He deny you !
for their object and purpose and aim at satisfying his                                  Ev'ry day but proves His care;
cravilig for pleasure,  are worldly amusements. The                                   You have health, and food, and raiment,
world is full of them. I need not point them out. One                                   And of all good things a share -
can hardly walk the streets of our cities without having                              More, perhaps, than is your portion,
them pr.esented  to his eyes. They are of a coarser or of                               If compared with many another's lot.
a finer nature. But essentially they are all the same.                                Then be thankful for the blessings
And from these carnal amusements the Christian will  '                                  Daily sent, and murmur not.
keep himself unspotted.
             On the other hand, the child of God is renewed in
mind and heart. The Lord Jesus Christ lives in him
through His Spirit. Although he is not perfectly de-
livered from the old nature of sin, yet in principle, in                        ,                         NOTICE
his inmost heart he loves the Lord his God with all his                         uur annual Field Day is to be held, the Lord wiil-
heart and mind and soul and strength. And as he has ing* July 4 in Johnson Park.
a new head, he has a new aim, the glory of Him that                             Please, keep this date open to meet with `us.
called him out of darkness into His marvelous light.                                                                Field Day Committee


 l                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                         39.7
--^--..--^-   "-                               _--_-             ..--.. _l_- -.......-.    -.-...-  -.-  II__
                     Book Review                              tidings that may be brought to every man, reprobate
                                                              and elect alike, is not that Christ died but that He  is
      "The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination" by dead, for every man. Of this conception, Boettner's
Loraine Boettner.                                             view of the atonement appears to be an exact reproduc-
      In my previous article I inserted a lengthy excerpt tion. Let me make this plain. According to Boettner,
from Boettner's book, to show what he teaches on such the atonement made the salvation of every man object-
points of doctrine as the "atonement" and "redemp- iveIy possible. What else can this mean than that
tion". The reasonings found in that excerpt 1 reduced Christ extinguished the sins of every man and merited
t*o some ten propositions.                                    for Himself and for the Father the right to bestow the
      According to Boettner the objective atonement was fruits of the atonement upon every man and for the
unlimited.                                                    latter the right to also possess these fruits. If it is
      True doctrine : The objective atonement was limited possible for God to save all, He may and if He may He
to the elect only. This certainly is the only doctrine has the right. And if it is possible for the reprobate to
t.hat can be gotten out of Scripture. Said Christ : "And be saved or, as Boettner has it, to save himself, he may,
I lay down my life for my sheep" (John 10 :X5). And and if he may, he has the right, the right to lay hold on
Paul : "But God commendeth his love toward us, in             the fruits of Christ's atonement, and if he has this
that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."         right, he legally possesses these fruits as well as the
The pronoun "us" signifies the elect, the  stteep.  Where elect. Possibility here must imply, unless one is playing
do we read in Scripture that Christ's death had an in- with words, legality and thus that also the reprobate
cidental reference to the reprobate. Nowhere ! The are just men in Christ. That such is indeed the con-
doctrine of an unlimited atonement is a man's inven- ception is evident from such statements from Boett-
tion, that has nothing more to rest upon than a bit of ner's pen as : "The non-elect  mny accept if they will,"
suttle reasoning.                                             and, "The reason why God does not apply this grace
      The nucleus of this reasoning, when put into words, to all men has not been fully revealed," p. 150. Here
reads: If many more, or even all men were to have             the author admits that he has created for himself a
been pardoned and saved, the sacrifice of Christ would problem. And so indeed he has. If the fruits of
have been amply sufficient as the ground or basis of Christ's atonement legally belong to  all men, how is it
their salvation. Salvation is indifferently adopted to to be explained that some perish? The only explanation
the salvation of every man. Conclusion: Christ made is that God fails to keep covenant fidelity and is thus
the salvation of every man objectively possible. All          unjust or that He wills to save all but cannot. To re-
men may be saved. Such are the teachings of Boett- ject either of these solutions is to be compelled to prate,
ner's book.                                                   as does Boettner, of a problem.
      Now it is true that the Reformed school of theology         Herewith I have shown that also according to Boett-
has always said that the death of Christ, as taken by ner, the sacrifice of Christ possesses a legal sufficiency
itself,  w&d he abundantly sufficient to expiate the  sina    also for the reprobate. The same conception is found
of every man ; that, in the words of Boettner, "the in Hodge's Systematic Theology  -from which work
sacrifice of Christ  would  have been amply  sufficient as Boettner seems to have derived all his views. T quote:
the ground or basis of their salvation". The unex-            "It (the sacrifice of Christ) is the ground on which
pressed condition is, ,"if the Lord had so willed or de- salvation is offered to every creature under heaven who
creed. But as the Lord willed otherwise, the death of hears the gospel; but it gives no authority for a like
Christ is actually sufficient to expiate the sins of the      offer unto apostate angels. It moreover secures to the
elect only. All were agreed on this. Some of this             whole race at large, and to all classes of men, innum-
school went further and maintained that the death of erable blessings, both providential and religious. It
Christ is actually sufficient to expiate the sins of every was of course, designed to produce these effects; and
man head for head. Opinions were therefore divided. therefore He died to secure them. in view of the
Some held to the former view, some to the latter. There effects which the death of Christ produces on the rela-
is still a third view to be taken into consideration here,    tion of all mankind to God, it has in all ages been cus-
the one hatched out by James Hog of Carnock, Scot-            tomary with Augustinians to say that Christ died"
land. Hog published his views in 1718. The work bears sufhciently  for all, efficaciously for the elect only. There
the title, "The Marrow of Modern Divinity", discusses is a sense, therefore, in which He died for all, and there
the doctrine of atonement, and aims to guide the reader is a sense in which He died for the elect alone. The
safely between Antinomianianism and  Neonomian-               simple question is, Had the death of Christ a reference
ism. The work teaches that the sacrifice of Christ pos- to the elect which it had not to other men? Did he
sessed a legal sufficiency for all men (head for head)        come into the world to secure the salvation of those
and thus comprises the ground for a well-meaning offer given to Him by the Father, so that the other effects of
of salvation; that' therefore  all men may believe in His work are merely accidental to what was done for
Christ as God gave Him to the whole world, The glad the attainment of that object?"


894                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
-.-_                          -  ._....," ..." ..__- _ll_l.__- .II__ ..-.____II.          _"~"..."   -    ---_._            -__..--
       Let us now view this  "s&cient-for-all"  conception 2:ll. He has children that God has given Him. And
of the atonement in the light of Scripture. It is to be whereas the children were partakers of  i'lesh and blood,
considered as already has been made plain that this He also Himself likewise took part of the same ; that
conception has in the past centuries asserted itself in through death He might destroy him that had the
three forms which may be formulated thus:                                power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them,
       (1)    The atonement as to its intrinsic worth would these children, who through fear of death were all
be sufficient for all if God had decreed to save all.                    their lifetime subject to bondage, Heb.  2:X3-15.   .A11
       (2)    The atonement from the point of view of its                that the Father giveth Him shall come to him; and
intrinsic worth  is suficimt for nil; from the point of them that  cometh  to him, he shall in no wise cast out.
view of right it is sufficient for the "elect only.                      For He came down from heaven, not to do His own
       (3)    The atonement is, from the point of view of will, but the will of the Father who sent Him. And
right as well as from the point of view of its intrinsic                 this is the Father's will that of all which He hath given
worth, sufficient for all.                                               Him, He should lose nothing, but should raise it up
       It is in this last form that the conception meets us again the last day. And this is the will of the Father
in Boettner's work.                                                      that send Him, that every'one which seeth the Son,
       Before appraising these modes of thought, let us                  <and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life: and
get before our eye Scripture. Christ is the head and He will raise him up the last day, John 6 36-40. God
His people His body both in the juridical and in the                     gave Him power over all flesh, that He should give
mystical sense. In Him are they included and chosen                      eternal life to as many as the Father had given Him.
unto eternal life before the foundation of the world.                    For them He prays, not for the world, but for them
God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love where-                     which the Father gave Him, for they are the Father's.
with He loved them, even when they were dead in sins,                    And He wills that they also whom the Father had given
quickened them together with Christ, and raised them Him, be with Him where He is; that they may behold
up together, and made them sit together in heavenly His glory, which the Father had given Him. For the
places  wih Christ Jesus, Eph.  2:4-K Through the                        Father loved Him before the foundation of the world,
offence  of one many be dead, much more the grace of John 17:2, 9, 24. The church He purchased with His
God, and the gift by grace, which is `by one man, Jesus own blood, Acts 20:28. He spared not His own Son,
Christ hath abounded unto many. For by one man's but delivered Him up for us all. And with Him He
disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedi- will freely give us all things, Rom. X:32. Christ our
ence of one shall many be made righteous, Rom.  5:15,                    passover  is  sacrified  for us, I Cor.  5:7. In Him we
19. Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it;                     have redemption, through His blood, the forgiveness of
that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing sins, according to the riches of His grace, Eph. l:?.
of water by the word, that He might present it to Him- Through Him we have access by one Spirit unto the
self a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or                   Father. In Him we have boldness and access with con-
any such thing; but that it should be holy and without                   fidence by the faith of Him, Eph. 2 :18; 3 :12. We have
blemish, Eph. 5 :25-27. Christ gave His life a ransom a high priest which can be  .touched with the feeling of
for many, Matt. 20:28. His blood was shed for many our infirmities, as He was in all points tempted like as
for the remission of sins, Matt. 26  :28. He brings many                 we are, yet without sin. We shall therefore come boldly
sons unto glory as the captain of their salvation per-                   unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy,
fect through suffering, Heb. 2:lO.  He was offered to                    and find grace to help in time of need, Heb. 4:14-16.
bear the sins of many ; and unto them that look for                      We have a high priest, who is set on the right hand of
him shall He appear the second time without sin unto                     the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, Heb. 8:l.
salvation, Heb. 9 :28. His name was called Jesus. For                    How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through
He saves His people from their sins, Matt. 1~28. He the eternal Spirit offered.Himself without spot to God,
gave Himself up for us, that He might redeem us from                     purge your conscience from dead works to serve the
all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, living God, Heb. 9 :14. In the dispensation of the  ful-
zealous for good works, Ti. 2  :14. `He offered Himself ness of times He gathers together in one all things in
up once for the sins of His people, Heb. 7 :27. That He Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on
might sanctify the people with His own blood, He suf- earth; even in Him: in whom also we have obtained an
fered without the gate, Heb. 13 :12. He is the great inheritance, being predestinated according to the pur-
shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the ever- pose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel
lasting covenant, Heb. 13 :20. He is the good shepherd of His own will; that we should be to the praise of His
that giveth His life for the sheep, John  1O:ll. As the gIory who first trusted in Christ, Eph. 1 :lO-12. And
Father knoweth Him, so He knoweth the Father and hath put all things under His feet, and gave him to be
He lays down His life for the sheep, John 10 :l5. He the head over all things to the church, which is His
is not ashamed to call them His brethren, for He that                    body, the fulness of Him that  filleth all in all, Eph.
sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all one, Heb. 1. :22, 23. Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath


                                                          T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEARER
___l-._l___  --" .--- ^.. -..^__-_ ^" .-........  I-..               ^.---."."               _- ..__ - ..-.
made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the fed, buried, risen and set in heaven, where they were
saints in light; Who hath delivered us from the  power.                           blessed with all spiritual blessings.
of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom                                  (7)    The chosen, just in Him, He ingrafts  in Him-
of His dear Son : in whom we have redemption through self by a living faith so that they also in the mystical
His blood, even the forgiveness of sins; . . . and He is sense are altogether one body in Him their head, He
before all things, and by Him all things consist. And the vine and they the branches. These He justifies
He is the head of the body, the church: who is the                           through faith. Upon them His members He pours  out
beginning, the firstborn from the dead  ; that in all heavenly graces. Thus they partake of Him and of all
things he might have the pre-eminence. For it pleased His riches and gifts and employ these gifts for the
the Father that in him should all fulness dwell, Eph. benefit of one  onether.
3 :12-14,  17-19.                                                                     (8) The chosen and they only are risen with
     Let us make a few observations. The aggregate of Christ, and seek those things which are above. When
these scriptures comprise a cross section of Holy Writ.                           Christ who is their life shall appear, then shall they
It is to be noticed that without a single exception each also appear with Him in glory. Unto them He will
scripture associates the atonement exclusively with the give all things, which things are even now legally
congregation, the people of God, His sheep, His breth- theirs, they being joint heirs with Him and heirs of
ren, the children of God, those given Him by the God.
Father, the elect, His body, the church, the believers.                              I challenge anyone to derive from the aggregate of
Point me to a single scripture in which the reprobate scripture, above quoted, or from the whole of Holy
appear as having either a legal or a mystical interest                            Write, a doctrine other than the one I here present.
in the sacrifice of Christ. There is none. The repro- It cannot be done.
bate are the objects of divine hatred exclusively. Said                              I may now answer the question: For who was the
the Lord, And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and                            atonement legally  sufhcient?  And the answer: Only
his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.                             for them who with Christ were buried, crucified, risen
Whereas Edom saith, we are impoverished, but will re- and set in heaven. And these are His elect ones,  the
turn and build the desolate places thus saith the Lord church, His body, the sheep for who He laid down His
of hosts, They shall build, but I will cast down; and life, those given Him by the Father.' The atonement,
they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and                               therefore, is, `must be, as limited as is the subjective
The people against whom the Lord hath indignation for redemption ; for only the elect were with Christ on the
ever, Mal. l:l-4. To this scripture numerous others Cross and in and through Him their head atoned foe
could be added expressive of a like sentiment. Not their sins and merited life eternal. These, therefore,
once do we read of  God. assuming toward those are the only men God may, has a right, to save. Only
abandoned to eternal damnation a contrary attitude. upon these may He bestow both the peculiar and what
How could this be? Is God a being at war with Him- some men are pleased to call the "common benefits" of
self?                                                                             the atonement. These only can and may God love and
      Let us now concentrate upon those scriptures, in any sense whatever bless. These only have a  right
above quoted, that turn on the elect. The doctrine that to be saved. For the others there is nothing but curseI
circulates through them may be briefly formulated and wrath and death and woe eternal. What remains
thus :                                                                            of the doctrines of common grace, of an unlimited
       (1)      God in His eternal, unchangeable and sove- atonement, of the conception of a well-meaning offer
reign counsel hath chosen in Christ Jesus some unto of salvation unto  all (head for head) ? Nothing what-
eternal life.                                                                     soever.
       (2)      Christ and the chosen are eternally united by                         For the reprobate God has not the smallest conceiv-
a tie juridical as to character and thus comprise an able blessing. For them He has nothing. He gives
eternal and indissoluble oneness of which He was ever them rain and His sun and talent and riches and the
the head and they the body.                                                       like, but in His wrath, not in His love and without
                                                                                  shedding abroad in their hearts His love. Thus the
       (3)      This oneness was ever with God in all His wicked cannot will to praise Him the adorable God, but
heavenly perfection and glory.                                                    can only will to end with God's good gifts in them-
       (4)      They chosen appear in time as a race of men selves. They convert for themselves things by them-
fallen in Adam and thus by nature dead through tres- selves good, the good gifts of God, into a curse. And
passes and sin.                                                                   so God wills.
       (5)      To this people, chosen and beloved, He gave                           As was said, for those condemned unto eternal
 His only Begotten that believing in Him they might                               death God has nothing in the way of a blessing. Wrote
 have life eternal.                                                               Paul, He that spared not His own Son, but delivered
       (6)      He being their head, and they His body in the Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him gram
juridical sense of the word, they with Him were  cruci-                           us all things, Rom . 8 *:x>
                                                                                                         ..dY. He gave unto `His people all


396                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
-.." .._..._..  - .._                 -." .._^^ - _. _.-           " -...... "...^...^-    ---.-""  ._..........._    - - -
things. Is there anything besides this "all things"?             f.our-footed  beasts, and creeping things. Man is not
Nothing whatever. God gives unto the wicked health, satisfied with God. He wants in idol.
talent, riches and the like. But these things without                 That in the past ages voices in the church were
sanctifying grace in the heart of the recipient are van-         heard who cried, "the atonement of Christ, from the
ity, nothing. Such is the point of view of Scrip- point of view of its intrinsic worth is sufficient for all;
ture.                                                            hence, God loves all, wills to save all,' the blessings
           The doctrine here presented is terrible? So let it    of the covenant may be offered to all" may- be taken
be. But only if a scripture can be produced in which             as the token that the manufacturers of the idol were
the reprobated wicked appear as crucified, buried, risen at work. But the haters of the idol said, Not so. The
and set in heaven with Christ, may this doctrine be set          atonement of Christ zcould be sufficient for all if God
aside and that common-grace theology with its con-               had decreed to save all men. Actually the atonement is
comitants be placed in its room. Now every earnest sufficient for God's people only. The former view pre-
student of Holy `Writ knows that there is no such vailed. However, it  was not incorporated in  i&3 en-
scripture. Hence, this "terrible doctrine" shall have            tirety in any Calvinistic or Reformed confession. These
to be received if one wants God and His word. It is confessions go no farther than to state that, "the death
nothing short of a crime, it is a great sin, to impose           of the Son of God is of infinite worth and value,
upon Holy Writ one's own philosophy, label this phi- abundantly sufficient to expiate the sins of the whole
losophy "truth" and send it into the world as bearing            world," Canons of Dordt, second head of the doctrine,
this label. Boettner did this. And many do likewise. art. 3. But even this statement need not necessarily
It is noteworthy that Boettner, contrary to his custom,          mean that the death of Christ was of infinite worth for
failed to adduced a single scripture in support of his           all men head for head. However this may be, none of
conception of an unlimited atonement.                            the aforesaid confessions assert that Christ may be
           But isn't the atonement from the point of view of offered to all and that God wills to save all. None of
its intrinsic worth sufficient for all men? Supposing them teach the heresy of common grace. It may not
our answer be that it is? What of this, if the benefits          be said, therefore, that these conceptions are confes-
of the atonement cannot possibly extend to the right or sionally Reformed. Whether they are tradionally Re-
to the left beyond their legal sufEciency. Why raise the         formed is a question.
question at all? Scripture is silent on the matter. Fe               But men cannot be satisfied with saying that the
therefore must turn to our own reason for the answer. atonement from the point of view of its intrinsic worth
But since all men are liars what real worth has an               is sufficient for all and that on the basis of such an
answer derived from reason. And supposing the Lord               atonement the good things of the covenant may be
would throw some light on the matter, would our life offered to all. Reason divorced from faith insists that
be enriched? What benefit could the rejected wicked              the "all" can derive no benefit from an atonement lim-
derive from an atonement that from the point of view             ited by a legal sufficiency. So the next step in the
of its intrinsic worth were sufficient for all but that direction away from scripture is to provide the con-
legally is sufficient for th.e elect only? So why dispute        ception of a well-meaning offer of salvation unto all
about the matter? Yet upon this very matter theo-                with a legal basis and thus to prate of &I atonement
logians have been controversing  for ages. It is certain         legally sufficient for all. Boettner is one of those that
that this strife finds its explanation in the circum-            took this step. All man, he maintains, may be saved.
stance that true doctrine is always insufferable to many         Christ died for all. It means that he is thoroughly
and that therefore throughout the ages the many at-              Arminian in his conception of the atonement though
tempts to wrestle themselves loose from the truth by an          he still insists that the redemption is limited. But he
apparently pious and thus vain philosophy. It is a               may soon be taking the final step that consists in so
sad fact, but a fact nevertheless, that the majority of widening the redemption aIso that its scope, like the
preachers of the past and present time insisted and do scope of his objective atonement, takes in all men.
insist on throwing God's pearls before the swine. The            Once we relax our hold upon Scripture and set out
conceptions of a Christ sufficient for the elect only, of a in a direction away from truth there is danger that we
Divine love that through the cross seeks and saves none          rush on until all the various stages - Arminianism,
other but the chosen, are so disgustingly narrow. The Pelagianism, Modernism, Ignosticism, Atheism  - have
ambition of the flesh is to save the world, all men head         been passed and we  pIunge  headIong  into the abyss of
for head. Hence, a Christ sufficient for all is what is a blank despair. This is the lesson of history. But
needed for the contemplated program. But the Bible Boettner stands not alone. As was said, no less than
yields no such Christ; so men simply fabricate the kind thirty Reformed leaders of thought lauded the work  I
of a  saviour that is needed. The heathen of whom                now criticize to the very heavens.
Paul spake did this very thing essentially when they                 The present condition is described by Mackintosh
changed the glory of the  uncorruptible God into an              (art. Universalism in Hastings, Diet. of Christ,11  785)
image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and as follows : "In point of fact, the CaIvinistic limitation


                                      THE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                        397
--..-.--  -  .                     __- - ._.." ..." .._. -_^ ll_--"...____ -."-.-" ..__....     __ -.--...... ..- - --... - ..- I__
is little heard of now in Great Britain, except among earnestly offers His salvation to all men (including the
some of the Evangelisms in the church of England and reprobate) is to say all that Boettner says in his book.
some of the Baptists. And few would now rank it a The brethren in the Christian Reformed church ma)
burning question. The controversy has gone to sleep." take this to heart. The only difl?erence  between these
Bavinck remarks : "The doctrine of the particular brethren and Boettner is that the latter is consistent
atonement was -first weakened, then rejected in Eng- enough to openly concede that a sincere  offer  of salva-
land by Daniel Whitby,  in America by Hopkins, Em-                  tion unto all men indiscriminately and a common grace
mons, etc., in Germany by  P. Volckman, in the Neth- must have a juridical basis. to repose upon. And hc
erlands by Venema." And then follows this significant supplied this basis. He postulated: Christ died for  all
statement: "At the present time the doctrine in gen-                men head for head. It won't be long before the breth-
eral has been cast aside. Only a few still defend it."              ren in the Christian Reformed church will also openly
The statement to the effect that the Reformed world                 be saying this (rightly considered they already say it)
of today has sunk away into the mire of Arminianism and finally end with saying things much worse. There
is not too strong.                                                  is no such thing as a standing-still on this, path - ~1
   Let us now place alongside of the professor's theo-              path that leads to out and out Atheism.
logy the true doctrine of Scripture.                                                                                G. M. 0.
    (1)    The atonement is limited to the elect only.
   (2)     The atonement consisted in Christ purposely
extinguishing by His suffering and death the sins of
the chosen ones only and in securing for them by His
obedience the right to life eternal. Christ thus died
for His chosen people only. For the reprobated wicked                                          TIME
nothing was merited. These God eternally and ex-                          I am not a king as kings are known ;
clusively hates. All they posses they have received in                    I boast not the pomp of a human throne ;
His wrath. He is against them and thus all things
work together for evil to them.                                           Nor ermine of lords, nor velvets rare,
    (3)    The actual redemption is limited. It  cons&s                   Nor purple, nor monarch gems I wear.
in Christ placing in the actual possession of His elect
nZE the benefits of His death.                                            I am not a king, as kings are known ;
    (4)    The atonement is as limited as the actual re-                  But monarch and emperor each must own
demption, for Christ must actually save ail those for                     My power to hold undisputed sway,
whom He died.                                                             And bow as I sweep their thrones away.
    (5) Grace is special and is bestowed upon the
elect only.
    (6) The elect, God irresistibly calls and thus                        I am not a king, as kings are known,
capacitates by His grace to obey.                                         But when into centuries shall have grown
    (7) God offers not His salvation to His people,                       These seconds of time, I yet shall reign
much less to the reprobate. In the preaching of the                       In power and might, over land and main.
Word He indiscriminately presents His salvation to all
and commands all to believe. He capacitates only His                      I am not a king, as kings are known,
elect to obey and thus places in their actual possession
the content of the promise made unto them only, in this                   But, throughout the mouldering centuries flown,
life the first fruits and in the life to come the fulness.                I've numbered the years and the months, and days, *
    (8)    He hardens through His command the repro-                      And wielded the sceptre creation obeys.
bate.  TJnto them the Word is a savor of death unto
death according to His sovereign good pleasure so that                    Iamnotaking-yetIamaKing!
they crucify the Christ afresh. Thus does He fit them
for destruction.                                                          Through unbounded space do my mandates ring!
   A concluding remark. My impression is that Boett-                      The myriad worlds shall obedient be,
ner errs in good faith in the sense that his is the only                  And crumble to atoms at my decree.
conception he ever encountered, the only conception he
knows of, a conception with which he may have left
the seminary. It is certainly true that what he dished                    Yes, I am a king! and my reign began
up and tilled his book with is what has become the con-                   Long before the birth of man  ;
ventional theology in Reformed circles the world over.                    But there comes a day on Omega's shore,
To prate of a grace that is co&non, to say that God                       When even Time shall be king no more.


       4 0 0                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                            -                                                   _._ - ___...-_  -...-.--.    _       -___-.__
      natuurlijkerwijze ligt bij hen, die de ambten bedienen
o     (Kerkeraad) met de medewerking der gemeente.                                 Things Worth Observing
           Eij het lezen van wat onder punt zes voorkomt in              Everybody wants to go to heaven? Don't you
      het schrijven van Eroeder Bos, konden we een glimlach believe it. Surely everybody wants a heaven . . . the
      niet onderdrukken. Hij  vraagt  ons welke de namen philosophy of all ages bears this out . . . . but the
      zijn van de geslachten der kinderen Israels in Openb. heaven of Scripture? Natural man is not only not at-
      21:12.  Het is we1 duidelijk wat Johannes op Patmos tracted by it, he detests it and has the courage even to
      zag, namelijk, het Nieuwe Jeruzalem nederdalende  uit warn us against believing in it.
      den hemel en het had eenen grooten  en hoogen muur . . .           This is, in short, the conclusion one must draw after
      en namen daarop geschreven, welke zijn de namen der             reading an article in a recent issue of the  Literary
      twaalf geslachten der  kinderen Israels. Hoe nu  oak            Digest (Mar. 3, 1934) in which a certain Prof. Betts
      mijn antwoord mocht zijn, dit zou aan de vraag of Mat-          tells us that he `sent a  cluestionaire  to a great number
      thias  Apostel  geweest is niets af of toe  doen. Ook zou of Protestant ministers of Chicago and vicinity. This
      men er niets mee kunnen doen, gestel dat we als ant-            list included Lutheran, Congregational, Episcopalian,
      woord naar Openb. 7  :4-8 verwijzen, waar enkele namen          Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian ministers. The
      der:"   stammer1  ontbreken, om dan te concludeeren (dat central question was, "What do you think should be
      de ontbrekende namen  moeten gevoegd bij  de  daar ge-          taught to Sunday school children and what should be
      gevene) , dat er tlldus zuel den naam van Matthias mag eliminated from the teaching?" Compiling the answers
      worden toegevoegd bij die der Twaalven.                         received Prof. Betts tells us that "forty-one percent,
           We kunnen des broeders bedoelen ons we1 verkeerd were sufficiently doubtful of the existence of heaven
      voorstellen,  is dat het geval, hij beschouwe dit dan  als to `ask that it be eliminated from the Sunday school
      niet geschreven. De vraag heeft onzes inziens geen teaching".
      beteekcnis voor het punt in het geding. Niet alsof zulk            Fprty-one  percent (almost half) saying that we and
      een vraag niet  op zijn plaafs is in  onzen  Standard our children must rid ourselves of the notion of  A
      Bearer, dat heeft ze wel. Alleen maar dan behoort zij scriptural heaven. In fairness to the denominations
      bij den Hoofdredacteur thuis en niet bij mij. Het werk concerned we must add that the Lutherans held fast to
      is zoo verdeeld, dat vragen van algemeenen aard, door belief in heaven, but the rest stood as~,follows:  of the
     . hem  worden  beantwoord, gelijk de lezer kan weten.            Congregationalist 43$%,  of the Presbyterians 28%, of
           We eindigen om nog de vraag te beantwoorden ons the Episcopalians  26$%, of the Methodists  35%, and of
      gedaan onder 2 c : Is dat gebed (van de vergadering the Baptists 22% said they believed not in the exist-
      daar tegenwoordig) dan ook niet verhoord  ? Ons ant- ence of heaven.
      woord is: Jawel, maar anders dan men het zich voor-                 This is worth observing.
      stelde, want  Paulus werd door Jezus aangewezen.                    It shows us first of all how exceedingly material-
                                                         w. v.        istic natural man is. He lays all emphasis on the carnal,
                                                                      visible and temporal things. Next he rears and supports
                                                                      institutions and universities which shall instruct the
                                                                      students to seek and how  to  seek  material  things, and
                                   -    -                             finally he chooses himself from among these so trained
                                                                      students to be pastors and ministers. The ministers
                                                                      preach "there is no heaven" and the people would have
                                 ANNOUNCEMENT                         it so.
                                                                          But you ask: why should anyone object to believing
           The  Curatorium  of the Protestant Reformed Theo- in heaven, the heaven namely of Scripture?  -Ask him?
      logical School shall meet, D. V., on Tuesday, June 5.           And he will tell you that he does not want the people's
       1934, at  3%) p. m., in the basement of the Protestant attention called to a future "something far away". If
       Reformed Church of Oskaloosa, Iowa.                            the people, so he will continue to say, are told about a
                Any student desiring admission to the School will future heaven the danger e;xists  that they will become
                                                                      less interested in the present material. things. No
       have to appear at this meeting, in possession of:              heaven, he will preach to his people, so make heaven on
                (1)    A certificate of membership in one of above    earth. Seek the earthly things, enjoy yourself, have
       mentioned churches ;                                           money and possessions, goods times he will say, for
                                                                      heaven is what you make of it on earth. Carnal mate-
                (3) A recommendation of his consistory to the rialism.
       Board of our School.                                               Do you see what the "depression" has done? Indeed
                                  The Curatorium,                     by God's grace the "depression" has impressed upon
                                                                      the children of God to seek the things which are above.
                                              L. Vermeer, Sec'y.      But that same "depression" has resulted in increased


                                                T H E   STA~NDARD   B E A R E R                                              401
-.._....--_..........-  - _...._._ -.- ..- --. ..^I                               -.... - .          ..".-"-^ .-     -.-..._      -
materialism in the natural man. Both prosperity and                 Finally, how distinct is therefore the calling of
depression are grace for the child of God, neither are God's child in this world to seek the things which are
grace for the natural man, he grows more carnal in above. The old nature within us is materially inclined.
both. And that materialism isn't so far from us as we The age `is carnal. Round about us men seek earthly
are by nature, is it? Haven't the past years plainly things and they cry out to us to follow them.
proven how carnal and materialistic we are by nature ?              Thru the grace of regeneration we are begotten
Mustn't we all complain that we have too much sought again to a lively hope. Crucify therefore material and
the things which are below? The question is, has there carnal thoughts. Thru prayer resist the onslaughts of
come a change ? Often you hear the remark "Well, the             the age. Fight the good fight of faith. Use the earth
`depression' has taught me that if I will have it good and earth's things to seek heaven's things. And our
here I must make better investments after this". So hope is unshakeable.
speaks the forty-one percent.                                                                                        M. G.
    It shows us secondly how truly hopeless the natural
man is. Yes, he speaks as one that has hope, he acts and
preaches as one that has hope, but the fact is that this
man has nothing but material things, he  ,is one (Eph.
2:12) "having no hope" and that because he is "with-
out God in the world".. He has put the thought of                                    THE CHRISTIAN
heaven away, and, of course, he has done this because                 I stand before Thee, Lord, shamefaced stand,
God is in none of his thoughts. Yes, he detests Scrip-               For, though thy blessings fell on every hand,
ture's heaven just because God is there, He has noth-                And therefore I most grateful should have been,
ing but material. For a time he may possess earthy                   1 see my way before Thee filled with sin.
things. But even in the possession of them he is not
happy. Possessing still more does not increase hap-                  `How often sinful words my lips have passed
piness, in fact it more often increases unrest. Then he              And thereby on thy Name dishonor cast;
loses his possessions. He is in despair. He jumps over               And when I should have witness borne for Thee
the edge of the cliff. And is in hell. There is for him              My lips have silence kept. 0 shame on me !
no heaven. Hopeless indeed. His fellowman grows old
in material things, and when he is grown old he dies.
As the Rich Fool, he leaves everything behind, and                   Men call me Christian; but my heart oft fears
like the Rich Man, contrasted with Lazarus, he opens                 But little Christ-likeness in me appears.
his eyes in hell. There is for him no heaven. Hopeless.              Although I gladly boast: Christ lives in me,
His carnal brother becomes sick. All his wealth will                  `Tis not the Christ most people in me see.
not cure him, it will not even bring him one moment
of ease. He dies. And he goes to hell. There is for him               I'm called to be a saint, all holy be,
no heaven. Hopeless. The natural man has had the best                From sin delivered, set aside for Thee ;
the earth could give him, the best it gave was unrest,               And still, dear Lord, most humbly I confess
and now . . . what awaits him? Only remorse and                       I have so little of thy holiness.
agony. Hopeless. For the child of God heaven is the
fmal, eternal place of rest, peace and covenant fellow-
ship. Thru the death and resurrection of Christ he has               An heir of heaven I claim to bc by grace ;
been begotton  again to a lively hope, and his one hope              `But as men watch me, as with hurried pace
is heaven, fellowship with God. The materialist is with-             I strive for earthly things, methinks they will
out God, without heaven, without hope.                                Deny my claim, and count me earthly still.
    Thirdly it shows us how antagonistic and hostile
the natural man is. He is not our friend. We may hail                And so, my Saviour,  at thy feet I lay
him as our friend, we may join ourselves  to. his mate-               The burden of my many sins, and pray
rialistic organizations and call him our friend. But he is            That Thou wilt blot them out, and cause thy face
in reality our enemy. Our greatest foe is not the man                 To shine on me in thy forgiving grace.
who takes from us material things perhaps robs us of
a few dollars and cents. Our greatest foe is this natural
man, who would take from us our fondest hope. By
means of deceit and lies and a multitude of tricks, he
will rob us and our children of heaven? He will take
from us our hope. And from our children ? If that                   "Spreken is zilver, zwijgen is  goud," vooral  voor
natural man gets his way he will make you as hopeIess            menschen, die door spreken hun domheid  aan den dag
as he is.                                                        leggen !


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                                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
 ~-___                                                                                                                                    403
                   --...........  -.- ._._ ^ .._
                                Questions                                      be regarded as without doubt. But then it may also
                                                                               be accepted as the only possible interpretation of the
        1. The Men's Society of the Prot. Ref. Church of same expression in  385'. However, there is no reason
Los Angeles,  Calif., sent in the following question:                          at all to interpret that "the morning stars" is but an-
        We read in Job  38:4-T  inclusive concerning the other and figurative expression for the same "sons of
morning stars and the sons of God that they sang and God". In fact, in the book of Job the stars are the
shouted for joy when the foundations of the earth were `heavenly luminaries. I take it, therefore, that in the
laid. , Can we use these texts to prove that the angels literal sense of the word the stars are meant in the first
were created on the first day of creation with the part of vs. 7.
heavens or were they created on the sixth day with                                The stars, however, are created on the fourth day.
the first man, Adam, as some people believe?                                   This excludes the interpretation that vss. 4-6 refer
                                                                               only to the first day or to the very first beginning of
        Answer.                                                                creation-week. For this reason I rather understand
    The`passage of Scripture mentioned in the question the verses 4-6 as referring to  creation'in  general as a
here follows in full:                                                          laying of foundations for all the rest of work of God in
        "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the,. earth.
the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who                               But if this is the correct interpretation,  there'is  no "
hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or proof in these verses for the theory that the angels
who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are were created on the first day of creation-week. In fact,
the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the                              there is no indication at all as to the time when the
corner stone thereof; when the morning stars sang to- angels were created in this passage. Nor is there any-
gether and all the sons of God shouted for joy?"                               where in Scripture.
    From this passage many have drawn the conclusion                              The conjecture (for it is no more) that they were
that the angels were created on the first day of crea- created on the sixth day is deduced from the fact that
tion. Others have inferred from it the more general in the week of creation the creatures are formed in the
theory that they were created before the creation of way of an ascending scale. The lower creatures are
man. Still others maintain that the passage warrants formed first, then the higher, finally man. If we con-
the conclusion that the angels were created even be- sider that the angels belong to the higher creatures, it
fore the  first day, long before "the beginning" of Gen.                       is not impossible that they were created on the sixth
1:l.                                                                           day. However, more than a conjecture this is not. The
    Let us look a little more closely at the passage fact,is, that we cannot determine with certainly when
itself.                                                                        the angels were created.
    Verses 4-6 speak in highly poetic and figurative
language, comparing the created world to a building,
with its foundations, corner stone, measures, line, of                            2. I received the following communications:
the work of creation. Although it is true that the lan-                           "By the  S. B. of April 1 I see that you cannot pub-
guage leaves the impression that the reference is espe:                        lish our question about `The Black Prophet' unless  1,am
cially to the beginning of God's creative work, yet there willing to have my initials signed to it. Well, this is
is no reason at all in the text to draw the conclusion perfectly  alright  to me, in fact, I expected that you
that only the  first day of creation-week is meant. In would do that. I am rather shy about having my full
fact, in my opinion this is excluded by what follows. name in print in the S. B. as I know it goes from coast
The interpretation is not impossible that the reference to coast and also, I am only asking in behalf of others.
is to the entire work of the creation of the earth, and                           "However, the question as it appears in the S. B. is
it is presented as a laying of foundations, the corner not quite correct. When I mailed the letter to you con-
stone, etc., with a view to the relation between the taining the question as to what you thought of the
work of creation and the subsequent work of God in                             book `The Black Prophet', I also included a clipping
the history and development of the world.                                      from the S. Bulletin containing a question which was
    Vs. 7 speaks of the morning stars and of the sons put to Dr. B. about the book and also his answer. What
of God. There is no doubt that by "sons of God" refer- you have in the S. B. is the question the other man
ence is had to the angels. This is evident from Job asked Dr. B., not our question. No doubt, however, you
1:6 ; 2 :l : Now there was a day when the sons of God                          can rectify this if you are going to publish our original
came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan letter.
came also among them. And again:' Again there was                                 "Thanking you for your willingness to oblige us in
a day when the sons of God came to present themselves this matter I am,
before the Lord and Satan came also among them to                                                   Yours respectfully,
present himself before the Lord. That in these verses                                                         V. V. D., Gr. R., Mich."
                                                                                              I
the expression "sons of God" refers to the angels may


4       0       4                          T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
-.-.-_                       -                            -"-  ..-.--      ~.~.-                                                   --.-"- .-^."
     "I  am  a resident of Cleveland, Ohio, and when visit- acquainted with the doctrine and  practices  of  the
ing my sister here' in Grand Rapids I always enjoy read- Roman Catholic Church is to turn to their own sources,
ing the S. E. I noticed the question about the book compare their tenets with the Word of God with the
called `The Clack Prophet' and am very much  interesteil help of Reformed writers, and acquaint oneself with the
in knowing your viewpoint on this. Therefore I am history of the Roman Catholic Church and of the Re-
writing to ask if you will give your ideas even if the formation.
man who first sent in the question fails to answer you.                                                                               H. H.
I am quite sure this will interest many of our readers                      P. S. Found  the  original   question.   Is  the  book   fit-  for  2
as the book in question is, no doubt, very frank and Church   Library?   Not  unfit.  But   better   literature   can  be  found
if not suitable for our people to read) we ought to know and   should   be  placed   in  the  library   of  a  Church. Such,  e.  g.,  as
it. .                                                                    suggestkd   by  the  last  paragraph   of  my  answer.
                      Yours very truly,
                                                Mrs. E. R."                                           Vragen
     Answer.                                                                        1. Nog Eens: Aangaande Den Doop
     Sorry I copied the wrong question in the issue of                            Geachte Redacteur  :-
April 1. Cannot lay my hands at present on the orig-                         Nogmaals dank voor de plaatsing van  -mijn vraag,
inal question, but will try to give my opinion of the en tevens  ook voor uw antwoord.
book. If I do not touch the real point of the question,                      Uw antwoord echter  deed bij mij een,,andere  vraag
please, let me know and I shall try again.                               opkomen. Is het te  veel gevraagd, dat ook deze vraag
     It is several years ago that I read "The  Elack beantwoord wordt door middel van "The Standard
Prophet", and my remarks must needs be based on the Bearer" ?
supposition that my memory does not fail me. The                             U schreef in uw antwoord, dat het gebed voor "deze
book is an exposition, in the form of a novel, of the                    kinderen" beter te beschouwen is als de oprechte be-
abuses, evil practices and doctrinal corruptions of the geerte der gemeente, indien het des Heeren wil is.
Roman Catholic Church.                                                       Het is altijd de oprechte begeerte der gemeente, dat
     I have no reason to doubt, that the evil and immoral de Heere Zijn wil doet. En ten opzichte van dit gebed
practices that are pictured in the book are real. It is het de oprechte begeerte der gemeente, dat  "Gij. deze
seems to me that the author of the book would have                       gedoopte  kinderen  met Uwen Heiligen Geest altijd wilt
been sued for libel if the horrible story he tells of these regeeren" ; dat deze gedoopte  kinderen  "Uwe Vaderlijke
abuses  were  not in harmony with truth. Besides,' the goedheid en barmhartigheid, die Gij hun en ons  allen
history of Roman Catholicism corroborates the story bewezen hebt, mogen bekennen" ; en dat deze gedoopte
told in "The Black Prophet".                                             kinderen "den waarachtigen God eeuwiglijk zullen
     On the other hand, I think we ought not to overlook loven en prijzen".
the fact that a book like "The Black Prophet" is writ-                       Volgens dit gebed hebben deze gedoopte kinderen
ten for the very purpose of exposing the evils of the van God goedheid en barmhartigheid verkregen en dan
Roman Catholic Church, and, therefore, from the very we1 Vaderlijke goedheid en barmhartigheid. Dus zijn
nature of the case is one-sided. We would make a mis- zij kinderen van den Vader. Dan is God heilig verplicht
take if we would find in that gluttonous and drunken om deze oprechte begeerte der gemeente altijd te  ver-
priest of St. Andrew's (is not his name Dahro?) a true hooren, omdat het ongetwijfeld overeenkomt met Zijn
representative picture of the rank and  file of the pres- wil. Want God wil zekerlijk Zijne  kinderen  zaligen.
ent day Roman Catholic clergy.                                           Hij wil, dat Zijne kinderen Zijne Vaderlijke goedheid
     There are, if I remember well, a few chaptersin the en barmhartigheid bekennen, dat zij altijd door den
book in which not only the practices, but also the doc- Heiligen Geest geregeerd zullen  worden  en dat zij Hem
trines of the Roman Catholic Church are exposed in eeuwiglijk zullen loven en prijzen.
the form of lectures by an apostate priest. Doctrines                        Nu de vraag. Indien het de wil des Heeren is en
such as that of the mass, the infallibility of the pope, daarom ook de oprechte begeerte der gemeente,  uitge-
purgatory, etc., are severely criticised.  I believe that sproken in Christus' Naam (door denzelven Uwen  lie-
these chapters are instructive. After all, the tenets ven Zoon), waarom wordt het met altijd positief ver-
of the Roman Catholic Church have not changed and hoord ? En zoo het niet de wil des Heeren is, dat  alle
what the Heid. Cat. says about the mass is still true: deze gedoopte  kinderen  door den Heiligen Geest  gere-
it is an accursed idolatry.                                              geerd zullen worden en Hem eeuwiglijk zullen loven en
     If we remember that the book emphatically aims at prijzen,  wat is dan die Vaderlijke goedheid en  barmhar-
exposing the abuses of the Catholic Church and that it tigheid, die God bewees  aan deze gedoopte kinderen, die
is not a complete and representative picture of that verloren blijven  ?
Church, it can very well be read.                 1                                                Geheel de uwe,
     However, a better way to become thoroughly                                           Martin Meulenberg, Grand Rapids, Mich.


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D B E A R E R                                            407
                                                                                 ^..            " _._ - ..-. -.-._^ ~ ____
    Once More: The League of Men's                          speech to save some strength for the Sunday'following
                                                            (the meeting was on Friday evening). This was almost
                         Societies                          necessary whereas it was the thirteenth time in three
  " Undoubtedly several of you know that the League weeks that he was speaking ! Whether the speaker
of Men's Societies sometime ago  - to be exact it was       succeeded. in hoIding  himself in rein or not, I'11 leave
the evening of April 20  - held another of its member- for him to judge; as far as the audience was concerned
ship meetings. This time it was not as usually in the no one missed anything of his usual enthusiasm and
vicinity of Grand Rapids but in the vicinity of the         vim. As far as the contents of his speech itself are
great metropolis of Chicago, in the church edifice of the concerned, they were based on suggestions offered by
Prot. Ref. congregation of Oak Lawn, Illionis. Quite the passage found in I Chron. 12:33 f.f. First of all our
carefully had the Men's Society of the Oak Lawn con- attention was called to the necessity of having in our
gregation for some time laid the plans for this event, midst men, who as the men of Issachar of old, "had un-
so that the delegates might spend a pleasant evening in derstanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to
their midst. Not only had they made the arrangements do". Imperative it is to know the calling of God's
necessary to provide sleeping quarters for their people in the midst of the world at the present time.
visitors, but they had also, with the assistance of the Only the Scriptures, the speaker pointed out, can teach
l,adies to be sure, provided refreshments. These were us it. And not only the preaching of the Word from .
served after the meeting not only to the delegates but week to week but also the discussion in the societies
to ail that had gathered together for the evening. The must clearly point out to God's people their calling.
half hour spent in partaking of these refreshments The understanding of this calling, with application to
offered an opportune time for a "social hour" together. the times in which we live  - such is the first charac-
I believe the delegates enjoyed the evening, but I think teristic of "mannen  van stavast". Further, even as the
no one can accuse me of speaking an untruth if I say        men of Zebulon were men "not of double heart" but
that the people of Oak Lawn enjoyed it more. Not that men with an "onwankelbaar  hart" so "mannen  van sta-
the delegates did not enjoy it there, for judging by vast", according to the speaker,  are men not of a double
their speech they most certainly did ; but the people of heart. That of course means that  "mannen  van  sta-
Oak Lawn considered such an event a special treat. vast" are men who like the men of Zebulon of old arc'
Such meetings rarely occur in this vicinity. Not often strong in the faith. Not only do they dogmatically
is there occasion to get into contact with our people know the calling of God's people but they also love it.
from the vicinity of Grand Rapids. When the oppor- and know themselves invincible in the Lord. Finally
tunity does come we can enjoy something out of the our attention was called to the fact that  "mannen  van
ordinary. So the evening of April 20 represented espe- stavast" are men prepared to the battle, the battle that
cially for* the congregation of Oak Lawn an especial is the Lord's; They do not shun it, but are prepared to
treat, I assure you..                                       wage the warfare of faith against sin and darkness. In
   The program prepared by the board of the league his concluding remarks the speaker emphasized that
for that evening proved to be a very interesting as well such men, men with these characteristics, were made
as instructive one. Of course we had expected nothing by the-Spirit of the Lord. Therefore such men should
else - was not the honorary vice-president, Rev. H.         be the object of our prayers.
Hoeksema to be the main speaker? No one was disap-             Such was the general development of the subject.
pointed, I'm sure.                                          Of. course I have not given you the wealth of detail
   The president, Mr. A. Boerkool, opened the meeting there was present in the presentation of the subject.
with prayer. In his opening remarks he briefly out- I could not if I would. But as usual it was present.
lined the purpose  of the league. Amongst other things In brief let me say the speech proved to be inspirational
he also made mention of the fact that the board was and instructive as well as interesting. Not in vain had
making study of ways and means to obtain somehow anyone come to `hear this address.
material that could serve as a guide for the Bible study       The chairman of the evening, Mr. A. Boerkool, gave
of the several societies. A fine thing. if only we do not expression to the gratitude of the league as well as of
attempt to stereotype the work of the various societies the visitors of the evening, whereupon the writer of
too much. The latter would certainly not be conducive these lines closed the meeting with thanksgiving to
to the betterment of the  individGa1  societies.            God. Although the hour was rather late all remained
   After the opening remarks the speaker  of. the eve- for the refreshments that were served after the meet-
ning, Rev. H. Hoeksema, was introduced. Whereas the ing, and so had opportunity to make or to renew
language of the evening was the HolIand,  the `speech acquaintance with one another. Thus another hour of
was naturally also delivered in that langue. The fellowship drew to a close.
speaker"s  subject was  "Mannm  van  Stavmt".  He be-          May God bless the league in its labors, and may it
gan by remarking that he would try to hold himself in be a means for the preparation of "Mannen  van Sta-
check a bit more than usual in the delivery of his vast"  !                                           P. De Boer


 408                                                  T H E   STAND~ARD   B E A R E R
 __ll____^l ..." .-..                   ..-.__ - . --.--"^^ ..." -.... --"" ._ ^"...                ~_._-"                  _-_lll           _I._ "-_ z-
                                                                                         the people in bondage here appear as having difficulty
                           The Third Sign                                                in believing the speech of these signs. The opposition
           And it  shal1  come  to  pass,  if  they'  will   not  believe                is powerful. The oppressed people are utterly unable
        also  these  two   signs,  neither   hearken   unto   thy  voice,                to break its iron grip and free themselves. This they
        that  thou  shalt   take   the,water   of  the  river,   and  pour  it           realize. Then they are a people condemnable, by  them-
        upon   the dry land: and  the water   which thou  takest  out                    selves as deserving of death as the oppressor. But the
        of  the  river   shall  become   blood   upon   the  dry  land.                  Lord will deliver them. He can, for the strength of
                                                                    Ex.  4:9.            that grip by which they are being held, is His. The
        The water shall become blood ! The third of the                                  serpent, wonderful to say, will as the instrument of
 three signs that Moses was to work in the presence of Jehovah, be made to work its own ruin. .And He will
 the elders of Israel and before the  face  of the  op-                                  save them for they are His people, the objects of His
 pressor.                                                                                redeeming mercy in whom He beholds no inquity. The
        The rod became a serpent when cast to the ground hand of Moses has been cleansed.
 and turned into a rod again in Moses' hand. This was                                       But how will he deliver? The answer is the water,
 the first sign. The rod of Moses, the stretching forth taken out of the river Nile, that when poured upon the
 of it, is the token of the might of God, smiting Egypt.                                 dry land, will become blood. The transformation of
m But the rod became a serpent and the serpent turned                                    the water taken from the Nile into blood is a sign from
 into a rod again in Moses' hand. That serpent is the                                    which arises a threatening speech. And this speech is
 hostile craft and power of the Egyptians, the enemy                                     that, if Pharaoh refuses to hearken, the Nile will be
of the woman's seed, the old serpent now operating                                       converted into a stream of death. Thus this third sign
through Pharaoh and afflicting God's people. But the signifies the first of the series of ten wonders. And
 power and talent of this dark opposition are the issues                                 these wonders are judgments so that this third sign
 of His will and thus an ax, a saw, in His hand. And                                     stands for the judgments with which He will deliver
 the rod, as inclosing the serpent, will be stretched out                                His  People.
over the land of Egypt. Thus the serpent, too; will be                                      Zion then is to be redeemed with judgment, and her
 made to work for the salvation of the seed of the                                       converts with righteousness. God had judged Pharaoh
 woman and the Almighty will, through the serpent; de- and found him guilty. His guilt was that he had laid
 stray  the  serpent. Such is the message of the first hold on a people that belonged to Jehovah, and claimed
 sign.                                                                                   it as his own and afforded it a treatment as he pleased.
    , But what of this people  - the people of God? To this people Pharaoh had no right. Some four  hun-
 Are they not by themselves as ill-deserving and con- dred years previous, this people had taken up its  resi-
dcmnable,  as worthy of death, as the opposition? There dence in Egypt with the understanding that it be  per-
 is none among them righteous. And their deliverer, mitted to return to the promised land of its abode
 Moses,   is'one of them. He, too, is by nature a child                                  when the call should come. Besides, from this people
 of disobedience, conceived and born in sin, a man by had also come Egypt's deliverer. Pharaoh knew this.
 nature, wicked, perverse, and corrupt in all his ways.                                  Yet he held on to this people, he at once feared, and
At the Lord's bidding he puts his hand in his bosom ;                                    therefore sought to render harmless by oppression.
 and when he takes it out, behold his hand is leprous. This was Pharaoh's great sin. And Jehovah judged
 white as snow. His bosom is the seat of corruption.                                     him and pronounced him guilty. The ten plague are at
Impure  is his hand and all its works. Can the Lord be once the expression and the crystallization of God's
 with that hand when stretched over Egypt? He  can  appraisal,   judgment-                                               These pleagues, expressive of
and will. Moses puts his hand in his bosom again; the judgments of the infahible  and holy divine Mind,
and he plucks it out of his bosom, and behold, it is                                     are righteous, the righteous doings of God.
 turned again as his other flesh. Moses' heart and hand                                     The children of Israel cannot be delivered except
 have thus been cleansed by the Lord. Through that                                       God set forth the Egyptian as the exhibition of His
hand, therefore, the Lord will work His wonders and vindicative  righteousness
save His people. For this people too, He has cleansed                                                                                      G. M. 0.
from all its inquity. Mercy He hath upon His people,
 included in Him of whom Moses was the prefiguration,
 .-.- Him, Christ Jesus, by Himself holy, harmless, un-                                            Some murm&  if their sky is clear,
defiled, separate from sinners, and therefore not in                                                     And wholly bright to view,
the need of cleansing as was Moses, the shadow. And                                                lf one small speck of dark appear
Christ is the gift of His sovereign love. For He hath                                                    In their great heaven of blue:
mercy upon whom He will have mercy and whom He                                                     And some with thankful love are filled,
 will He hardeneth.                                                                                      If but one streak of light,
        "And it shall come to pass, if they will not also  be-                                     One ray of God's good mercy, gild
lieve these two signs . . . " Think it not strange that                                                  The darkness of their night.
                                                                                                                    ,
                                                                 * ^ .; . . . .    .:


                               A   R e f o r m e d   S e m i - M o n t h l y   M a g a z i n e
               PUBLISHED   BY  THE  REFORMED   FREE   PUBLISHING   ASSOCIATION,   GRAND   RAPIDS,   MICH.

                                                                                                             CommunIcatiom   r e l a t i v e   to  c o n t e n t s .
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                                                                                                                        R E V .   H.  HOEKSRMA.
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   to  R  Schaafsma.  524 Henry Ave., S.E.,



llll...-l"-".---                                                         __^^_-   _.....--.   - - - -                                                         _.-
Vol. X. No. 18                                                      .JUNE  15, 1934                                  Subscription Price, $2.50

                                                                                   things in respect to which you are otherwise minded
            M E D I T A T I O N                                                    shall gradually disappear, for God will reveal them
                                                                                   unto you.
                                                                                       And, then, be guided by the company of them that
                                                                                   with you walk by the same rule, pursue after the same
               Marking and Following                                               prize !
                                                                                       For, you are not a lone, solitary runner in the race.
                           Brethren,   be  followers   together   of  me
                         and   mark  them   which  walk   so  as  ye  have         A veritable host is aspiring to the same prize through-
                         us  for  an  ensample.       For   many   w&k,  of        out the ages. As far as your vision reaches there is a
                         whom   I  have   told   you  often,   and   now  tell     cloud of witnesses that pressed on before you. You are
                         you   even   weeping,   that  thky  are  the  ene-        also encompassed by a multitude of them that press
                         mies   of  the  cross   of  Christ.   Whose   end   is    forward to the goal at the same time with you.
                         destruction,   whose  God   is  their  belly  and
                         whose  glory  is  in  their  shame,   who  mind               You are in the midst of a mighty stream of saints
                         earthly   things                   Phil.  3:17-19.        pressing toward the mark, rushing onward . . . .
                                                                                       And, naturally, you are inclined to follow the
    Mark and follow !                                                              stream.
    As many of you as are perfect have been appre-                                     Only, among them that profess to press toward the
hended of Christ Jesus to face in the direction of the mark, for the high and glorious prize, there are those
goal, final perfection.                                                            that mind other things, that would lead you astray if
     And as you are running in the race and pressing inadvertently you should follow in their direction.
forward to attain to the prize of the high calling                                     Let them not be your leaders ! . . . .
in Christ Jesus, it is essential that you do not deviate                               Be imitators of me, of us, and keep your eye on
from the right course, that you keep running in the                                them that so walk as ye have us for an example.
same direction. Whereto we have attained, let us walk                                  Mark them and follow!
by the same rule. True progressivism is true con-
servatism.                                                                             Many, indeed, walk differently.
    Always be thus minded. Never mind anything else.                                   They walk from a different principle, in a different
Constantly set your mind on the goal and the prize.                                direction and to a different goal!
Let your heart not' be seduced, while you are running                                  Professing to be friends they are enemies; avowing
in the race, to set its love upon whatever enemies might to have their mind on heavenly things they mind earth-
throw in your way. Love not the world, neither the ly things ; boasting that they have their glory in the
things that are in the world, the lust of the flesh and cross of Christ, they glory in their shame ; pretending
the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. Forget them to press toward the mark for the prize of the high
and press on ! With one heart, one purpose, in one calling in Christ Jesus, they are actually rushing for-
direction, your eye on the goal: the perfection of the                             ward to destruction . . . .
resurrection from the dead !                                                           Thus it was when the apostle wrote these words
     Then, by the grace of Cod that is in you, you to his beloved saints at Philippi  ; thus it had always
will make progress. Your efforts will bear the spirit- been before; thus it is today. They are not all Israel,
ual fruit that in an ever increasing measure the various                           that are of Israel. And there are men without a wed-
phases and details of your life will be dominated by                               ding garment !
this all-controlling aspiration ; as you are running those                             Follow them not!


410                                  T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                                         -_-_- ~.-..                                          -_    -._^_l--
       In a wrong direction, in a direction opposite from it is also the ensign of shame and humiliation, of re-
that which ends in the heavenly goal, they would lead proach and suffering, of the enmity of the world
you. For you seek the heavenly prize, and they seek against Him and' His, of self-denial and renunciation
the things that are earthly ; you mind the things that of all that is of the world. But these carnal seekers of
are above, they the things that are below; your aspira- self mind earthly things. Friends they are of the
tion is after things that are spiritual, theirs after the      world. They hate all that is of the cross of Christ.
things that are material; your emblem is the cross of          And while they profess to be saved through its blood,
Christ, theirs the crown of the world ; your end is the they refuse to take His cross upon themselves. They
resurrection, theirs is destruction!                           deny Him that bought them. Enemies they are of
       Know them, then, by this one mark: they mind            the cross of Christ . . . .
earthly things !                                                  Beware of them!
       Earthly things! Not, indeed, as if these were in           Their influence is always dangerous. The apostle
themselves corrupt and sinful, for they comprehend told the church before, now repeats is, even weeping:
all our earthly life, our body and soul, our wife and they are enemies of the cross of Christ!
our children, our calling and occupation, our name and            Avoid them !
position in the midst of the world, our means and pos-            The'ir  example is so easily followed! It is the ex-
sessions, our friendships and various relations,  - all ample that opens the way of least resistance, of the
that lies within the scope of your present existence.          world, of the flesh. And they will defend their own
Nor is it sinful to pay proper attention to them, to           walk and life ! Can we not stand in our Christian lib-
care for them, to be diligent and faithful in our calling erty? Must we go out of the world? Must we not
with respect to them. But the mark of those whom even be the salt of the earth? . . . .
you must carefully avoid to follow is : they mind earth-          Shun them as poison !
ly things. They set their heart on them, seek them,               Follow them not !
not as a means but as an end. They delight in them,               Their end is destruction ! For, as the direction is,
pursue after them, forsake their heavenly calling for so is the end of our walk.
them, because for them they are but a means to satisfy            Their way tends to hell !
their carnal cravings. They mind them, because their                        .
god is their belly. And these words express but a                 Be followers of me !
category, a class, by mentioning a group of their most            Mark them that walk so as ye have us for an ex-
distinct representatives. A part for the whole. The ample.
concrete for the abstract. The general name of this               Three groups, therefore, are plainly distinguish-
eategory of men is: seekers of carnal satisfaction.            able : "me" and "us", they that walk according to our
They vary in detail of delights and pursuits: some             example, and you that mark them and follow.
literally delight in eating and drinking, others crave            Follow me !
after money and possessions, others seek honour and               Presumptuous it would be, indeed, for any man so
glory, others the friendship of the world, others power,       to exhort his fellowman, thus to admonish the Church
others the delights of the finer things of earthly life,       of Christ, if he should so speak merely as man! No
others pleasure, lust, debauchery,  - essentially they man could possibly have authority so to speak. Nor
are all alike, seekers of the lust of the flesh, minders of    could any man be our example. One is our Master, even
earthly things !                                               Christ. One is our Lord, even He Who died for us
       Beware of them as you run the race !                    and rose again and purchased us with His own blood,
       They may confess Christ with their mouth, they redeeming us from this present wicked world. One is
are enemies of His cross !                                     our example, even He Who also gave us His Spirit
       You may easily discover their duplicity and hypo- and grace to walk even as He walked. One only has
cricy. For,  while they profess to be of Christ, they authority to exhort us to follow Him, He that has the
glory in their shame. The things they ought to be testimony of the Father: This is My beloved Son, hear
ashamed of as believers in Him, Who died and rose Him! . . . .
again, of them they boast.                                        But the apostle is not thinking of himself as man.
       Of the cross, emphatically of the cross they are        Hence, the me becomes us in the very next clause, re-
enemies.      Not, indeed, according to their own pro- ferring to the apostles. Be followers of me, not as
fession. They boast that they are saved by the blood man, but as the apostle, called by Jesus Christ to-
of the cross, that the death of our Lord is their life, gether with all the apostles, to whom God had revealed
that by the blood of atonement they are purchased unto         the hidden wisdom, which no eye hath seen, nor ear
liberty. But enemies of the cross they are according heard, nor ever arose in the heart of man, through His
to the emphatic judgment of the apostle. And the rea- Spirit that was given  them,  that searcheth all things,
son is easily discerned. For, that cross of Christ is even the deep things of God. Me and us, as wc speak
not merely the emblem of our salvation through grace, the Word of God, as Christ speaks through us,  be-


                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                 413
__II -..-.. -_.._l_---_ll_--.__                              ..-....."  __.-_................__
comes manifest in us, in our word and in our walk, fol-        fallibly guided by His Spirit, you have a concrete illus-
low, so that in following us, ye follow ultimately and         tration of a walk after the Author and Finisher of our
really the chief Captain and Finisher of our faith,             faith.
Jesus. Be imitators of us, that ye may be imitators                  The Church of Philippi, the Church of apostolic
of Christ, that ye may be imitators of God! . . . .            times, as they saw them and heard them, had the
   And that example is directly opposite from that of          apostles of the Lord as an example in their midst.
those, who mind earthly things !                               And the Church of all ages has the apostolic example
   Follow me, us, as we press toward the mark for               in the Word of Holy Scripture as an infallible criterion.
the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus !         Know that Word ! For, the more intimately acquainted
   It is the example on which the apostle had elab-             you are with the testimony of the Spirit through the
orated in the context. The example according to which           Word, the closer contact you will have with the ex-
there is nothing more precious than the excellency of           ample of the apostles in running the race!
the knowledge of Christ ; that counts all things but                  And the better you will be able to heed the exhorta-
dross and dung for the possession of that knowledge ;           tion: mark them that so walk as ye have us for an
that seeks not the righteousness of man, of works, of          example !
the law, but the righteousness which is of God in                     Mark them ! The apostle employs the same term
Christ out of faith; that strives to know- Him and to          he used before when he spoke of pressing toward the
know Him more and still more, until perfection of mark for the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus.
knowledge is attained, to know Him in the power of             The mark is that which you keep in view, upon which
His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering; you fasten your eyes as the final goal that must be
that keeps in mind and before the eye as the ultimate          attained. It determines the direction of your running.
goal the resurrection from the dead as the ultimate            But it is distant and many are the influences that
perfection of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord ;         would divert your attention from that mark, as you
that forgets what is behind and stretches itself to that       run the race through the midst of the world. And
which is before, in singleness of heart and mind press-        even among them that profess to walk in the same way
ing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling          with you and to press toward the same mark, there
of God in Christ Jesus . . . .                                 are those that mind earthly things, whose god is their
   The example of them that are perfect in Christ belly, whose glory is in their shame, whose end is de-
Jesus, that steadfastly face the  final goal, running on- struction . . . .
ward in the same direction, minding the same thing                    Is there then, no one in your immediate vicinity
and walking by the same rule.                                  on whom you might keep your eye to aid you in run-
   Clearly distinguished are they from those that walk ning in the right direction?
differently.                                                          Far ahead is the Captain ! He paved the way and
   For, the latter mind earthly things and are en- attained the goal. He calls : follow Me !
grossed in the t.hings  that are below and, if their ex-              Nearer are the apostles. They touched the Captain
ample be followed and they be allowed to lead the and followed Him and left us their example. And
Church of Christ, the latter will be swallowed up by they e,xhort : be imitators together of_ us ! And their
the world ; the former mind the things that are word and example reaches down to us as the Word
heavenly and, following in their direction, the Church of the Captain, sure and infallible.
will keep its garment clean and have no fellowship                    And still nearer, with us, around us, are they that
with the unfruitful works of darkness.                         so walk as we have the apostles for an example. Mark
   Those are enemies of the cross of Christ and in them, in distinction from those that walk differently
their walk carefully avoid that cross, making it of and whose god is their belly, who mind earthly things.
none effect rather than to bear it; these have all their Keep your eye on them. Let them be before you, as
boast in that cross and have received grace in the cause you are running the race, in such positions that you
of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer      can easily keep them in view.          Let them be your
with Him.                                                      pastors, your leaders, your elders and your deacons,
   Avoid those! Follow not in their path! Their end your instructors and the instructors of your children.
is destruction !                                               Let them teach you, exhort you, rebuke you, admonish
   Be followers together of me! Of us!                         you, warn you, comfort you in sorrow, point out the
   And of those in your own midst, who walk so as ye           way to you in darkness, direct you in view of the entire
have us for an example !                                       Church in the world . . . .
   Mark them and follow!                                              And then follow! Guided, not by men, but by the
                                                               Word !
   Mark them !                                                        Pressing on and on for the goal and the prize!
   You have, brethren, the apostles for an example                    Till perfection is attained in the day of His coming
and in the example of these servants of Christ,  in-                  The resurrection from the dead !           H. H.


412                                              T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
._ll-.                 "-__--_^---  __...  -~- ._--.-                 .-.-.."  ,_.. .._- --l..l-l_ll -___..  - ^
                                                                    the fewer these games will be; the more his spiritual
                                                                    life develops, the smaller those gaps will become which
                  E D I T O R I A L S                               he would  fill up by playing a game.
 -. "..".-"-"-.l_-.-" ,-..                           "_.__-_-          Finally, all games should be games of skill.
                                                                       The distinction which was made of old, especially
                              O n   C a r d   P l a y i n g         by Reformed writers, between games of skill and
                                                                    games of chance is a clear-cut distinction and will
       Recreations or amusements, even those that are nor; stand.
in themselves sinful, are to be distinguished as of a                  So-called games of chance are morally corrupt.
higher or of a lower order.                                            The reason to my mind is, that they always bear
       The spiritual and mental recreations ought at all the nature of gambling.
times to have the preference above the purely physical.                I hardly think that the argument will hold, that in
       Physical recreation, walking, running, swimming games of skill the outcome of the game depends on
and all sorts of games in which physical exercise is                our own ingenuity, ability and effort, while in games
predominant, surely have their place in as far as they of "chance" it is determined, or considered to be de-
serve the purpose of recuperation and making us                     termined by mere chance, fortune or good luck. A
physically fit for our calling. But they certainly do               Christian does not believe in fortune or chance, and
not deserve the place that is given them in modern even when he plays a game of "chance" he does not
"sport". In modern life these games, especially the necessarily attribute the outcome to blind fortune.
ball-game, have become an end in themselves, are not                   Neither do I believe, that the distinction will stand,
subservient to spiritual ends but rather interfering that in games of skill we determine the outcome by our
with these and taking their place. This must surely own power and intellectual acumen or physical ability
be regarded as sinful. And that a professional ball- and adroitness, while in games of "chance" we leave it
player is a moral and spiritual corruption needs no                 all to the providence of God. We know too well, that
proof among us.                                                     God's providence overrules even our skill and that
       For the Christian the spiritual recreations, such as every move we make, for instance, on the chess-board
study and reading of good literature, song and music, is ultimately determined by Him. Nothing is excluded
Christian fellowship and conversation, when we are from the providence of God.
together as family or as friends, should always have                   But games of chance are always gambling, whether
the preference. Those pursuits in which he is the or not you play for money or any material benefit or
imitator of God, and is able to glorify Him in all His              n o t .
works, ought to be his delight and afford him true                     Man is created in the image of God. To this belongs
pleasure.                                                           that he is called to be king, to rule over all things, to
       For that reason, mere games must surely have the have all things serve him, that he may serve his God.
last place. And they can have but a small place in the This image of God, lost through sin, is restored in the
life of the Christian. This  may be said regardless of child of God through Christ. He partakes of Christ's
the question, whether they are games of skill or so-                anointing. He is prophet, priest and king. Prophet
called games of chance.                                             to know God and to discern all things, priest to conse-
       It is a sad sign if, when the family is together, or         crate himself and all things to the service of God in
a group of friends would spend a sociable evening, they love, king to rule over all things and to use all things
know of nothing better than to play games, whether as means to determine the end for which they are
they sit over the checker- or the chess-board, play a made, the glory and service of God. He is God's co-
game of cards or any other game. The vanity and worker, imitator.
emptiness, yea, the wickedness of the growing habit                    This he  is also in those free pursuits which we ca!l
of playing games is self-evident. It simply reveals amusements or recreations.
that the spiritual life of such Christians, if Christians              But in games of chance he willingly abdicates and
they be, is at very low ebb. They evidently have noth- subjects himself to the things with which he plays,
ing to talk about that is worth while, they have no de- rather than to rule over them.
light in spending an evening of conversation about                     He sells his soul and agrees that he will let the
spiritual things and they gradually become so spirit- things outside of him determine the end, that he will
ually poor and dead, that they cannot discuss the things            let them rule over him.
of the Kingdom of God.                                                 That is gambling.
       This is true of all games.                                      If it involves money the element of greed is added.
       Merely for the purpose of recreation they can have Rather than earn his possessions by earnest effort, he
a place in our life, but the place is necessarily very             abandons himself to the turn of the wheel or the fall
small. Above all they must never have the rule over of the cards or the cast of the dies. He is no more
US.     And the higher the life of the Christian becomes,          king, no more God's co-worker. He is a slave. He ab-


                                              T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                       413
z!rzzz?--.^. ...............-~~- - - - - -                                                      __.--. .....I___-. ......"--.-
dicated. This is immoral. And all the passions that are             Doch  de macht, die zulk eene vereeniging ontwik-
aroused in the pursuit of such games are equally im- kelt, is eenvoudig de macht van den sterkste.
moral. They are all the passions of a slave. The blind              En die macht van den sterkste zal zij dan aanwen-
things, over which he should rule but to which he will- den om verbetering aan te brengen, af te dwingen des-
ingly submitted himself, actually lord it over him. noods, in de economische toestanden en dat we1 ten
And he responds with the slavish passions of delight             bate van een zekere groep, de arbeiders, feitelijk
or disappointment, of anger and wrath and the like. slechts van haar eigen leden.
And not infrequently the things to which he subjected               Een Christelijke werklieden-vereeniging zie  daar-
himself and sold his soul lead him to suicide.                   van af. Zij stelle zich geheel  niet ten doe1 om kracht
    You object that you do not play for money.                   te ontwikkelen en door geweld of dwang van den sterk-
    Essentially this makes no particle of difference. ste hare eischen te zien gehandhaafd.
You play. And you play not for any physical or mental               Dit geldt ook van wat in ons land heet "collective
improvement, but you play to win. That is the delight bargaining" of het  collectieve  arbeidscontrakt.
in playing the game. You rejoice when you win. You                  De C. L. A. is daarvan een sterke voorstander.  Zij
tire disappointed when you lose. And this end which roemt er zelfs op, dat zij als vereeniging den werkgever
you have in view, you agree to have determined, not zal kunnen dwingen, om langs den weg van het collec-
in the way of your own skill and effort, but by things tieve arbeidscontract met haar te onderhandelen. Zelfs
with which you play. The result is that, even though kan ze in opzicht met de A. F. A. samenwerken, zooals
it be in a minor measure, all the passions are aroused           blijkt uit een artikel in de Standard  Bulletin van 23
by these instruments of the game to which you sold Maart, 1.1. van een harer leiders. In dat artikel wordt
your soul, which are aroused when you play for a prize. de A. F. L. onder handen genomen, omdat ze het nlleen
And these passions are surely immoral.                           te zeggen  .wil hebben en optreden wil, alsof zij  alle
    There are many other objections to games of arbeiders op een zekere fabriek zou kunnen  vertegen-
"chance".                                                        woordigers in het stellen van de voorwaarden  aan de
    But this is my principal objection.                          werkgevers, waaronder de werknemers zouden moeten
    The card-game, I am assured, is largely and prin- arbeiden. En de schrijver wil klaarblijkelijk, dat ook
cipally a game of chance.                                        de C. L. A. zal worden  erkend. Zeg op een zekere fa-
    You can draw your own conclusion.                            briek arbeiden werklieden, die lid zijn van de A. F. L.
                                                       II. H.    en anderen, die behooren bij de C. L. -4. (De niet-ge-
                                                                 organiseerden laat schrijver buiten bespreking; die  be-
                                                                 hoorden er niet te zijn; ze hebben zijn sympathie niet.
                                                                 En daarom rekent hij hen maar niet mee). Stel ver-
                                                                 der, dat er tweemaal zooveel van de op die fabriek  wer-
                        De C. L. A.                              kende arbeiders behooren bij de A. F. L. als bij de
                                                                 C. L. A. Dan zou, ingeval eene commissie van drie
    Uit alles, wat we lazen aangaande de  C. L. A. blijkt, met de werkgevers over een mogelijk arbeidscontrakt
dat zij is en bedoelt te  wezen  eene vereeniging van zou onderhandelen, zulk eene commissie moeten  be-
Christelijke werklieden, die de maatschappelijke  lots- staan uit  &n  verte.genworodiger  van de C. L. A. en
verbetering zoekt van hare  leden  en dat  we1 door  mid-        twee van de A. F. L. Er zal dus in zulke  gevalle>
de1 van de macht en den invloed, die zij als vereeniging samenwerking zijn. Dat men overigens sterk  voor het
zal kunnen uitoefenen. Wat men als enkeling niet collectieve  arbeidscontract is, met al den aankleve van
vermag, dat zal men als vereeniging tot stand brengen.           dien, is  we1 duidelijk uit een zeker artikel in hetzelfde
De vereeniging bestaat hoofdzakelijk, omdat men sterk nummer van de Stan&r&  Bulletin over een geschil tus-
wil zijn, niet geestelijk, maar physisch sterk.                  schen werkgevers en werknemers in het schildersvak.
    Hierin ligt niets Christelijks.                              De werkgevers boden 55 cent per uur, maar de  commis-
     Dat wil de A. F. 3;. ook.                                   sie van de C. L. A. vroeg 90 cent, hetzelfde, dat ook de
     Daartegenover nu zullen wij onzerzijds  hand- A. F. L. eischte. En dan lezen we:
haven, dat eene Christelijke arbeidersvereeniging  we1               "Some collective bargaining will have to be done to
mogelijk is, geen  contradictie  in  3erminis  is, maar dat bring the parties concerned together.
zulk eene vereeniging van meetaf van alle poging moet                "Of course bargaining excludes that either party
afzien, om als vereeniging macht te ontwikkelen en has adopted a set scale and now by force of argument
door die vereenigingsmacht betere toestanden te schep-           or stronger methods tries to bring the other party to
pen.                                                              agree.. This is not collective bargaining, that is no
     Macht  in den zin van gezag kan zulk eene  vereeni-          bargaining at all. That is the method of before 1929.
ging niet bezitten, dat spreekt wel vanzelf.                      But time has changed all that. Now we, working-people
     De  machten,  die er zijn, zijn van God en erkent            sit around the same table with the employer and we are
elk Christen.                                                     all frank in discussing the merits of our work, its


 416                                T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                                   _" ._._. "l^^"l_l-.".--  _-...-.  ~ - -___--..-  -___             --e-P ___ -_
                     Book Review                                   Under its benign influence ethical culture and social
                                                                   service have greatly advanced in the world, and the
    "The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination" by moral standards of the nations are much higher today
Loraine Eoettner.                                                  than when the church was first planted here.
    Boettner is a post-millennialist, which is the same               " `Already the Church has penetrated every con-
as saying that he is an evolutionist as to his doctrine tinent and planted itself on every island and  flung  its
of the church and of the last things.                              outposts around the equator and from pole to pole. It
    Under the caption "The World is Growing Better" is now the greatest organization on earth, the one
 (p. 140) one may read as follows : "The redemption of world enterprise. And it has results to show that
the world is a long, slow process, extending through the are not unpromising. In our own country Christian-
centuries, yet surely approaching an appointed goal.               ity has grown at least five times faster than the popula-
We live in a day of advancing victory and see the con- tion. One hundred years ago there was one profess-
quest taking place. The struggle between the forces ing Christian in every fifteen of the population, and
of good and evi1 present many problems which we do                 there now is one *in every three, and excluding chil-
not fully understand; yet we may be sure that as seen dren, one in every two. In the world at large the re-
from the Divine standpoict  that work is going forward sults are astonishing. In 1500 AD. there were l.OO,-
on perfect schedule.                                               000,000 nominal Christians in the world ; in 1800 there
    "There are periods of spiritual prosperity and                 were  200,000,000,  and the latest statistics show that,
periods of depression ; yet over all there is progress.            out of a total world population of 1,646,491,000  there
Looking back across the two thousand years since are now 564,510,OOO  nominal Christians, or about  one-
Christ came, we can see that there has been marvelous              third of the population of the globe. Christianity has
progress. This course shall ultimately be completed, grown more in the last one hundred  years  than in the
and before Christ comes again we shall see a wholly previous eighteen hundred.'
saved world. And as the human body is put off at                       "Only within the last one hundred years have for-
death and a glorious resurrection body is later given, eign missions really come into their own. As they
so the old world is to pass away and there shall be a              have recently been developed, with great church organ-
new heaven and a new earth.                                        izations behind them, they are in position to carry on
    " `The true way of judging the world,' says Snow-              a work of evangelism in heathen lands such as the
den, `is to compare its present with its past condition world has never yet seen. It is safe to say that the
and note in which direction it is moving. Is it going present generation living in India, China, Korea, and
backward, or forward, is it getting worse or better? Japan, have seen greater changes in religion, society,
It may be wrapped in  gioomy  twilight, but is it the              and government than occurred in the preceding two
twilight of the evening, or of the morning?. Are the thousand years.                        And when we contrast the rapid
shadows deepening into starless night, or are they spread of Christianity in recent years with the rapid
fleeing before the rising sun? . . . . One glance at the           disintegration that is taking place in all other world
world as it is today compared with what it was ten or religions, it appears very plain that Christianity is the
twenty centuries ago shows that it has swept through future world religion. In the light of these facts we
a wide ark and is moving toward the morning.'                      face the future confident that the best  is yet to come."
    "Today there is much more wealth consecrated to So far Boettner.
the service of the church than ever before and,  inspite               The view or doctrine to the defence  of which Boett-
of the sad defection toward Modernism in many places, ner rises in the above excerpts is: The world  - nom-
we believe there is far more really earnest evangelistic inal Christianity - is gradually growing  ethiically
and missionary activity than has ever been known be- better. The earth reaches out for heaven; man for
fore. The number of Bible schools, Christian colleges, God with increasing earnestness. Thus humanity is
and seminaries in which the Bible is systematically gradually approaching the appointed goal of its per-
studied is growing much more rapidly than the popula- fection so that when Christ will appear, the kingdom
tion. Last year over 11,000,000  copies or portions of of God, through a process of moral evolution, will have
the Bible in various languages were distributed in the come. Everywhere does Boettner see signs of this.
home and foreign lands by the American Bible Society There is much more wealth consecrated to the service
alone  - a fact which means that the Bible is being of the church than ever before. The church has de-
broadcast over the earth as never before.                         veloped thousands upon thousands of Christian
   "The Christian Church has made great progress in churches. Christianity shows a wonderful numerical
many parts of the world, and especially during the last growth. Foreign mission have come into their own
two or three centuries it has developed thousands upon within the last  one  hundred years. But the question is,
thousands of individual churches and has been a power- what is the character of this consecration of wealth, of
ful influence for good in the lives of millions of people. the Christian enterprises to which this wealth is being
It has established innumerable schools and hospitals. consecrated. What is the foundation upon which these


                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                            417
                    --.- ------.--~-  ..-.                            ---.----  -.-. --"---               _-^ .._.. ".l__l
  thousands upon thousands of Christian churches re- forth its hands and made many prayers (Isa. I : 11-15))
  pose respectively, that of the prophets and the compassed sea and land to make one proselyte, swore
  apostles ?    What is the foreign missionary doing, by the altar, payed tithe of mint and anise and cummin
  preaching the wisdom of man or the wisdom of God? strained at a gnat, built the tombs of the ,prophets,
  What is the present state of affairs in the Christian garnished the sepulchres of the righteous. What a
 church? Is it such as will allow us to say, Truly, the noble aspect this luxuriant dress of good works gave
 world, nominal Christianity, is growing better? He to the tree. It might be expected surely that this foli-
 who says this, views the church (on earth) through age was the cloak, the bright and splendrous effusion
 spectacles of a pet theory. But if we view the church of true piety, of the weightier matters of the law writ-
  (on earth) through the glass of God's Word, we see ten in the tables of the heart, of mercy, faith, poverty
 it as a community of men that evolves not into a king- in spirit, contriteness of heart, meekness, hunger and
 dom of eternal perfection and heavenly glory, but is thirst after righteousness.
 ever at work  filling its measure of iniquity. So the          So the planter of this tree- the Lord God  - came
 church appears in the discourse of Christ on the "Bar- and sought fruit thereon in the season of the tree's
  ren Fig Tree" : A certain man had a fig-tree planted fruit-bearing. But He found none ! Instead of faith
 in his vineyard ; and he came and sought fruit thereon      He found unbelief; instead of humbleness, pride; in-
 and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of the stead of love, hatred ; instead of mercy, cruelty ; in-
 vineyard, Behold these three years I come seeking stead of contrition, hardness of heart; instead of pov-
 fruit on this fig-tree, and find none: cut it down; why erty of spirit, a bold and vain ego that vaunted itself
 cumbereth it the ground? and he answering said unto         in its heart,. a. heart full of dead men's bones and of
 him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig    all uncleanliness, extortions and excesses. So did the
 about it, and dung it. And if it bear fruit, well; and if Planter discover that the appearance of the tree belied
 not, then after that thou shalt cut it down." Luke its true nature; that He had to do with a planting that
 12 :6-9.                                                    was a hypocrite, devouring widow's houses and shut-
     The argument here turns in the first instance upon ting up the kingdom of heaven against men ; a child of
 the church of the old dispensation - the Israelitish the devil, making the proselyte for which he com-
 commonwealth. This commonwealth rose before the passed sea and land twofold more the child of hell than
 penetrating eye of Christ  as a fig-tree that bore no       himself; a blind guide, a fool, only outwardly righteous
 fruit. This it was in duty bound to do. The Lord had and within full of  hypocricy and iniquity (Mat.  5).
 chosen Israel to be a special people unto Himself. He Astounding ! This splendrous foliage, this treading
 had brought them out with a mighty hand and re- of God's courts, this bringing of many and various
 deemed them out of the house of bondage, from the sacrifices, this making  `of many prayers, this tithing,
 hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. God's fig-tree was this compassing land and sea to make proselytes, this
 Israel. He therefore should bear fruit for God; exist building of the tomb of the prophets, - was a mass of
 for Him. For by the Lord he had been planted. His glittering sins.
 ground he cumbered  ; upon His soil he fed.                    Boettner had an eye for this as is evident from the
     Israel, God's fig-tree, thrived as the Lord's planting. following from his pen: " . . . The unregenerate man
 He grew fat and was covered with fatness. But he can never know God except  in, an outward way ; and
 bore no fruit. He took all and gave nothing. Though for this reason the external righteousness of the
 not his own, he was a tree devoted to self and thus scribes and Pharisees is declared to be no righteousness
 failed to realize the purpose of his planting. He forgot at all".
 God which made him, and lightly esteemed the rock of           To return to the church of the old dispensation,
 his salvation. He provoked the Lord to anger with this church, God's fig-tree was barren. It bore no
 strange gods and with his abominations. He sacrificed fruit other than a shame piety, iniquitous and abom-
 unto devils God's things, placed the gifts of heaven in inable. So when upon one of His tours Christ came
 the service of strange deities. What an abominable upon the symbol of Israel, the barren fig-tree, He, dis-
 tree !                                                      covering that despite its green foliage, it bore no fruit,
     Israel was also a lying tree. Peculiar to a fig-tree is cursed this tree. And its subsequent withering was
 its foliage betokening that it is laden with fruit. Israel prophetic of the judgments of God that were soon to
 grew a rich foliage and thus took on the aspect of a overtake Israel, God's barren fig-tree. For three years
 fruit-growing tree. Israel brought a multitude of Christ, the Dresser of the church, had labored with
 sacrifices unto the Lord, burnt-offerings of rams, the this tree,  e,xhorting it to repent, calling it to the serv-
 fat of the fed beasts, the blood of bullocks, lambs and ice of God, and setting before its eye the kingdom He
 he-goats.      Israel tread the Lord's courts, brought was about to merit and establish and Himself as the
 obligations, burnt incense, kept the new moons and the `Redeemer of His people. He had performed many
' Sabbaths, called assemblies and solemn meetings, ob- miracles and had thus supplied this tree with the undis-
 served new moons and the appointed feasts, spread puted evidence that He came from God. But His words


418                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
II__ ....I.__........  -- . ..____ - .._           ..-_-             -- ..." -.-....- -_.--_--.-.._"  .._---__
and deeds found no response in Israel's heart. They think now not of a certain denomination of churches,
despised and rejected Him and esteemed Him not and but of the church as it is spread over the whole world,
finally in their fury atKxed  Him, the Lord of glory, to nominal Christianity, the Christianized world, that
the cross. This was the climax. Then said God to               world of which Boettner  said  that it is growing better
Christ, the Dresser of the vineyard, "Behold these and thus especially at the present time rapidly evolving
three years I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree, and into the kingdom of perfection and glory, - know that
find none; cut it down ; why cumbereth it the this very church, world, Christianity, is openly and
ground  ?"           But the Dresser of the fig-tree said, boldly denying Christ, challenging in the name of rea-
Lord, let it alone this year, till I shall dig about son every doctrine of the Christian religion. They who,
it and dung it. And if it bear fruit, well; and if in the words of the sacred writer, were once enlight-
not, then after that thou shalt cut it down. Thus the ened, tasted the heavenly gift, were made partakers of
tree, Israel, had to be spared for another reason. the Holy Ghost, tasted the good word of God and the
Though Israel according to its reprobate she11 was of powers of the world to come, are in amazing numbers
course permanently barren, this shell housed an elect falling away and thus crucifying to themselves the Son
nucleus, a remnant according to the election. Some of of God afresh and putting Him to open shame. It be-
these were already present. Others were still walking gan to do this openly and boldly during and shortly
in darkness. Still others had yet to be born. It was           after the Reformation. About 1650 there occurred an
for the sake of these that the Dresser, Christ Jesus,          eruption of unbelief that became more and more violent
petitioned the Lord of the vineyard to spare the tree with time. Christianized paganism, nominal Chris-
for another season. And as a result'of the labor that tianity, the Christianized world, then began to shed its
would still be expanded upon this tree, the seed of            Christian shell in which it had retreated during the
evil-doers  - even now most ill-deserving  - would be reign of Constantine the Great, and the beast from the
without excuse in the supreme sense.                           abyss came forth. The subterranean stream of unbe-
       So for a season, the exalted Dresser through His        lief left its dark cavern then and continued its course
servants the apostles preached to Israel Christ crucified above ground.                 The children of darkness, nominal
and resurrected. And as many hearts as the Lord                Christianity, became outspokenly wicked. Worldly
opened heard and believed and were saved. But the philosophy raised its foul head everywhere, became
others continued to ripen for judgment to come. Finally loud-mouthed and began to challenge in the name of
when the Israelitish nation had filled its measure of reason the claims of the Christian religion. This con-
iniquity, Jerusalem was overturned, the Israelitish na- vulsion is known in history as the Enlightenment
tion, the fig-tree, in its capacity of type, was destroyed. which I here again define as that movement in history
The shadow tree was cut down and the race of men by that consists in the washed paganism, nominal Chris-
which  it had been corrupted perished forever. And tianity, returning like a sow to her wallowing in the
the church - the true fig-tree - as shorn of its typ- mire.
ical dress, lived and will live forever on the new earth          The Christian church, the Christianized world, the
as God's fruit-bearing fig-tree.                               world of which Boettner said that it is growing better,
       Such is the history of the church of the Old Testa- is openly crucifying to itself the Son of Go-d afresh.
ment dispensation as recorded in the Scriptures. So            It is a bad tree. It bears no fruit. It is a veritable
far from the truth it is that this church evolved into a sepulchre, filled with dead men's bones. Yet it covers
kingdom of perfection that throughout its career it itself with a luxuriant foliage of good works that are
did nothing but add insult to injury and ended with vile. There is this same bringing of many sacrifices,
crucifying Holiness (the Christ) itself.                       treading of God's courts, the making of many prayers.
       Does the church, the nominal Christianity, of this Nominal Christianity consecrates its wealth to the
new dispensation, do better? Surely, no. The history church, establishes innumerable schools, builds hos-
made by the Jewish nation of the old dispensation is pitals, engages in social service and the church pene-
repeating itself. Let us show this: The true church is trates, in the words of  Snowden  (quoted by Boettner)  )
now in heaven. Jerusalem is above. But there is still          every continent and plants itself on every island and
the church on earth that, as to its elect nucleus, mani- flings its outposts around the equator and from pole
fests  the Jerusalem above. This church, nominal               to pole, or in the words of Christ, compasses sea and
Christianity, is spread over the whole earth, and is land to make one proselyte and when he is made, they
comprised at any one time of all those who lie within make him a twofold more child of hell than themselves.
the scope of the dragnet that is being drawn through It is this foliage that caught Boettner's and  Snowcen's
the generations of men. It, too, is the planting of God. eye. And they said, How beautiful. Surely, the world,
Set this fig-tree of the present day before your eye and Christianized humanity, is growing better, evolving
perceive its moral resemblance to that typical tree at into the kingdom of perfection. But the question is
the time when the Planter came seeking fruit but whether this foliage is the effusion of true piety, of the
found none. Know that the Christian church, and I weightier matters of the law written in the tables of


                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
.--_..-."  ..-                                  "-
the heart, of mercy, faith, poverty of spirit, contrite- A common grace by which sin is being checked is a
ness of heart. It is not; for the modern church, nom- figment of the imagination. Nominal Christianity, the
inal Christianity, crucifies to itself the Son of God world, is steadily and rapidly filling its measure of
afresh. God seeks fruit but finds none. Instead of iniquity, and thus ripening for judgment to come. Such
faith, He finds unbelief; instead of humbleness, pride ; is the reality.
instead of love, hatred ; instead of mercy, cruelty. The        But Boettner may say that what he had in mind
church, the modern Christianized humanity  fills, as when he asserted that the world is growing better is
Israel of old had done, its measure of iniquity, ripens not reprobated humanity but the true church exactly,
for judgment. How far from the truth it is that this the remnant according to the election. Then why did
humanity is making true moral gains and is thus evolv- he not plainly state this. Why did he so write that
ing into the kingdom of perfection and glory! Its the only conclusion at which the reader can arrive is
foliage of good works are glittering sins.                   that what he had before his eye is not the true church
    Herewith I do not deny that the apostate church but the world at large indeed. And so he did write.
holds, as a shell, an elect remnant, a body of true con-     Consider once more the following from his pen : "Espe-
fessors of God's name.                                       cially during the last two or three centuries it (the
    Mark you, I do not look at this Christianized world, Christian church) has developed thousands upon thou-
nominal Christianity, through spectacles of a pet sands of individual churches and has been a powerful
notion, but through the glass of Scripture. It is the        influence for good in the lives of millions of people.
plain teaching of God's Word that the anti-Christ and It has established innumerable schools and hospitals.
the power he stands for, a power that now is and is to Under its benign influence ethical culture and social
come, is a fusion of the godless state and the worldly service have greatly advanced in the world, and the
Christian church, that the two combined comprise that moral standards of the nations are much higher today
Babylon, of which John spake when he said, And I than when the church was first planted here."
saw a woman sit upon a scarlet  coloured  beast, full of        This certainly was written with a view not to an
names of blasphemy . . . . And the woman was ar- elect remnant but to a nominally Christianized human-
rayed in purple . . . having a golden cup in her hand ity. Or is it Boettner's contention that only true be-
full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:      lievers build hospitals and engage in social service.
and upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery,           Yet, whereas the mercy of the saints only has any
Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and abomina-        real moral worth, it may be that Boettner had before
tions of the earth. And I saw the woman drunken his mind the true children of God exclusively, and that
with the blood of saints, and with the blood of martyrs      his contention therefore is that true believers of the
of Jesus .  L . Rev.  17:4-6.                                past two centuries especially are much more merciful
    That woman is  tile worldly Christian church, nom- then the people of God of the apostolic church, let us
inal Christianity, the Christianized world ; the beast say, or of the age of Abraham, and that the evidence
upon whom she is seated is the godless state. It is this of this is that believers of today in distinction from
combination that sets its mouth against heaven and Abraham build hospitals and serve society. If this is
persecutes the true followers of Christ, the remnant the view Boettner holds, he holds a view that he should
according to the election ever present in the church.        relinquish. True it is that there are dispensations of
But Babylon is to be destroyed. fn His vision, John          grace, that as the church continued on its course
saw this city as fallen. The fig-tree will be cut down through the centuries, it was lifted by a miracle of
when all the elect will have been brought-into the fold.     God's grace to ever higher vantage points. But this
Then Christ will come and cut down the tree. But this certainly does not mean that the people of God of the
tree as to its elect heart is imperishable and will ap-      present time are much more merciful than Abraham
pear in glory with Christ on the new earth. The              because in distinction from him they build hospitals.
world that will finally be made to appear before the         If Boettner has an eye to the people of God only, this
judgment seat of Christ to be judged and sentenced to certainly must be his view, namely, that the remnant
the eternal abyss is a world that was  Christianized,  in according to election gradually evolves, through suc-
the outward sense, a world that crucified to itself the cessive stages of moral betterment, into the kingdom
Christ that was preached to it afresh and put Him to of perfection, that through the ages this remnant con-
open shame. For when Christ returns, the gospel will tinues to make such moral gains that when Christ will
have been preached unto all creatures.                       appear it will have attained to heights of moral
     Wrote Boettner, "There are periods of spiritual grandeur that spells perfection.
prosperity and periods of depression; yet over all there        Boettner in his book plainly teaches this. He liter-
is progress." He should have written, There are periods ally asserts that the world is growing better.           He
of spiritual depression only, one after the other; the quotes  Snowden  freely, and  Snowden  was a theistic
shadows are ever deepening into a starless night. Over evolutionist respecting his doctrine of the last things.
all there is progress in sin, in corruption and unbelief.    I want to say that the conception of the kingdom of


420                                  T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
' .--.---  ._-.-.           .-._---.-__- -            -                      _.. -._lll.       -- ..__ _ ..-..__.
perfection and glory - the kingdom of God  --.. coming
into being through a gradual process of moral-spiritual                         God Regeert
evolution, cannot be gotten from Scripture. The church         De hemel  van koper !
on earth  possesses.the  first-fruits. But to the day of       Dag op dag schiet  de brandende zon hare stralen
Christ's return, the church will continue to bear the over  bosch en beemd, mensch en beest, tevergeefs  ont-
image of the earthy. Its complaint will continue to be koming zoekend  aan haar vuurheeten  gloed,  doen  hij-
that it has but a small beginning of true obedience. To gend en snakkend  naar  verkwikking.
to very end of time, the saints on earth will feel the         Tevergeefs zoekt het spiedend  oog van den  land-
necessity of confessing before the face of the Holy man naar het wolkje als eens mans hand, dat weldra
One that they do what they allow not, that what they zal aangroeien tot het de aarde bedekt en  zich ontlast
would, they do not, but what they hate that they do.        in een verfrisschenden regen.
And the prayer of each will continue to be, 0 wretched         Het land treurt. Het  gras verdort. De vruchten
man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of verschroeien.
this death.     I thank God through Jesus Christ my            Wat gespaard bleef van het aan de a&de  toever-
Lord.                                                       trouwde zaad en opschoot, wordt door de sprinkhaan
       This of course does not mean that the church of afgevreten.
the latter days (the new dispensation) dwells on the           De heete wind jaagt zon-verduisterende stofwolken
same spiritual plane that the church of the old dis- honderden en nogmaals honderden mijlen ver over het
pensation dwelt on or that the church of the day of land, met zich voerend het nauw ontsproten  tarwe-
Isaiah dwelt on the same plane that the church of the       zaad.
epoch that ended with the flood dwelt on. The church           Het vee komt om. Van heinde en ver haalt men
that on the day ofpentecost  attained to spiritual major- water en voeder. Op andere plaatsen brengt men het
ity was in the old dispensation a spiritual minor. There vea uit verschillende stallen  tezamen, om ver van eigen
are successive planes of differing heights and upon beemd en stal weide te zoeken. Duizenden bij  duizen-
each of these the church was successively made to dweli den runderen zullen moeten  worden  omgebracht, zoo
for a season. But the point is that the church rose not er niet spoedig verandering komt.
from the lower to the higher plane by a gradual process        Reeds staat het vast, dat de ,graanoogst  grooten-
of moral evolution but was suddenly lifted to the           deels een mislukking is. Meer dan een millioen bushels
higher elevation by a miracle of Divine love, by a new tarwe  gaat er elken  dag verloren door de droogte en
dispensation of grace. Each successive dispensation brandende hitte.
consisted in a new  fulfilment  and expansion of the           De thermometer  staat op negentig, honderd en
promise accompanied by an action of the Spirit that honderd en tien  graden  Fahrentheit.
consisted in His capacitating the prophets of God tcl          En de mensch, de machtige machtelooze, is rade-
appreciate and interpret what had come to pass. Such loos.
miracles of grace were the flood, the calling of Abra-
ham, the bringing up of Israel out of Egypt, the con-
quest of Canaan, the exile, the return from the exile,         Zoo meldden het ons de bladen gedurende de laatst:?       -
the incarnation, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit by       weken  der maand Mei.
the exalted Christ on the day of Pentecost. The final          Zoo was de toestand  in de mid-westersche staten
miracle of grace will be the return of Christ. Then van ons land, in die Staten, vanwaar ons land zijn
the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the graanoogst hoofdzakelijk moet verwachten.
elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also          Zoo s&reef men uit Illinois en Wisconsin, uit Ne-
and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Ac-      braska en Kansas, uit de Dakotas, Montana en Iowa.
cording to the promise there will be new heavens and           En zelfs in Michigan zag men de zon schuil gaan
a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Those achter een gordijn van stof, een bleek schijnsel nog
whose life is hidden with Christ in God will appear gevend door een akelig  gee1  floers, stof, dat, door den
with Him in glory. But Satan and his henchmen will verzengend heeten wind werd opgedreven uit het verre
be cast into the bottomless pit. Thus the kingdom of Westen,  duizend mijlen ver !
perfection and glory that already is will come, I say
it Lgain,  not through a gradual process of moral evolu-
tion, but by a final miracle of God's grace.                   En de machtige mensch? . . . .
                                                G. M. 0.       Hij gevoelt zijn onmacht. Hij verschrikt door de
                                                            stem des Allerhoogsten.
                                                               Doch hij bekeert zich niet. Hij verhardt zich. Hi5
                                                            herstelt  zich van den schrik. Hij gedenkt, dat zijn ziel
                                                            heeft opgelegd voor vele jaren. De schuren zijn nog
       In alles God te vinden is ware rijkdom.              vol.  We1 mag de oogst voor dit jaar een mislukking


425                                                   T H E   S,TANDARD   B E A R E R
-...-.-_- -.--.-_l-..-_--  _.... --                                                  _-.._ -~.- _..__
                                                                                  Hebrews, who in the twelfth chapter of his epistle, ad-
                                I So Run                                          monished his readers to run this race. A careful study
                                                                                  of the surroundings of this exhortation brings to light
         Know   ye  not   that  they   which  run  in  a  race  run  all,         that this race is the aggregate of all that the child of
       but  one  receiveth   the  prize  ? So  run  that  ye  may  ob-
       tain.                                                                      grace experiences in this hostile world on account of
         And  every   man  that  striveth   for  the  mastery   is                his confessing the name of his Saviour and of his wit-
       temporate   in  all  things.  Now  they   do  it  to  obtain   a           nessing for the truth. This race, is a way or course
       corruptible   crown;   but  we  an  incorruptible.                         of cross-bearing, of suffering with Christ and for the
         I  therefore   so  run,  not   as  uncertainly;   so  fight   I.  not    sake of His name, a way of trial of cruel  mockings  and
       as  one  that   beateth   the  air;                                        scourgings, of bonds and imprisonment for some; for
         But  I  keep   under   my  body,  and  bring   it  into   subjec-        others, of being stoned, sawn asunder, tempted, slain
       tion:   lest  that  by  any  means,   when   L  have   preached   to       with the sword, of wandering, about in sheepskins and
       others,  I  myself   should   be  a  castaway. I  Cor.  g-24-27
                                                                      .      .    goatskins, of being destitute, afflicted, tormented. For
                                                                                  all it is a way of suffering. For it is a way of witnessing
       I so run, declared the apostle. He refers to the race for the truth, of being strangers and pilgrims in the
set before him and his brethren by the Lord. To bring earth, of keeping His commandments. But for this rea-
this race into sharp relief, he avails himself of a figure son it is also a way of walking with God, of walking
taken from the Greek game of running-match. There in the light of His countenance, of fellowship with Him.
are in a purely formal sense certain points of con- of being kept by His power and thus a way of spiritual
vergence between the Christian race and the aforesaid triumph. For consider that by faith the walls of Jer-
Greek game. The Greek athlete ran with a view to                                  icho fell down. By faith some in this course subdued
obtaining a crown ; so, too, the believer. During some kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises,
months that preceded the race, the Greek athlete would stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of
be temporate in all things. The believer keeps under                              fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness
his body and brings it into subjection. Only one of all were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to
the athletes who participated, obtained the prize. Only flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their
some of those who run the Christian race obtain the                               dead raised to Iife again; but  - others were tor-
crown.                                                                            tured  f . . .
       This agreement however is purely formal. There is                              This then is the course set before us. Did Christ
an essential difference between the Christian race and not say, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny
the race of the Greek athletes. He of the latter, who himself, and take up his cross and follow me? This
gained the mastery, received a corruptible prize. The cross is the symbol of suffering. We take it up and
crown, which the believers obtain, is incorruptible. follow Him. Whither? To the Father's house through
There is essential difference between this preliminary                            fire and water.
engagement of the Greek athlete - an engagement                                       The running of this race consists in living in that
that consisted in keeping under his body - and the                                particular place of this earthy where the Lord stations
same action as done by the beli&er. It all means that                             us, from the principle of faith and in agreement with
the Christian race is the reality.                                                His word. Every one occupies a place in this earthy,
       "I so run . . . .  " Consider that the apostle was                         in the state, in society, in the church. The place of
a minister of the gospel, the shepherd of sheep. With the minister of the gospel in the congregation of Christ
great boldness he can admonish his brethren, the                                  is that of servant of the word. And the will of God for
sheep, to so run that they might obtain, as he so runs.                           him is that as constrained by love of Christ he declare
So then, what we have to do with here is an admonition                            the full counsel of God, properly divide the word, take
of a pastor who can say that he does the thing he bids                            home to his own heart the truth he proclaims to others
his sheep to do, that he wills to be bound by the word and thus crown his. confession with a godly conversa-
with which he comes to them. He is a shepherd, there- tion. Doing so, he confesses Christ name in the circle
fore, who can direct the minds of the sheep to his per- of his flock and thus runs the race that is set before
son and say, Do as I do. So run that ye may obtain. him. The minister of the gospel must know that for
Let us now direct our attention to the manner of Paul's                           him, too, the only way that leads home is this course of
running.                                                                          cross-bearing. He, too, must suffer for the sake of the
       As has already been suggested, the apostle has be- truth for which he witnesses. How could it be other-
fore his eye the race, set before us by the Lord. What wise. Consider that he is pastor, keeper of the sheep
is this Christian race? Wherein does the running entrusted unto his care, that thus he is in duty bound
consist? Can this race be known,  singIed out and  de-                            to station himself at the head of his flock and run the
fined? It surely can or how could it be run? This                                 race. He therefore leads the way and is thus the first
race can be known as it is set before our eye by the                              to encounter the thief who cometh to steal and to kill
Lord in His word. It was the sacred writer to the and to destroy. And if he be a good shepherd, he fleeth

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

not when he sees the wolf coming, but holds his ground       the race on the course that leadeth to the celestial city
and lays down, if need be, his life for the sheep.           but on a way of corruption that ends in eternal night.
    It was with a view to this race or course and the           But seemingly they run. And as far as men can
 running in it that the apostle wrote to his brethren at judge, they run well, like the Pharisees of Christ's day,
 Corinth, Know ye not that they which run in a race run  \ who made long prayers, compassed sea and land to
all, but one receiveth the prize? Of all those who run, make one proselyte, cast their gifts in the treasury of
 there was one who first reached the goal. He only re- the temple, payed tithe of mint, made clean the out-
 ceived the prize. The reason for the failure of the side of the cup and the platter, built the tombs of the
 others was that they had not sufficiently exerted them- prophets. How well apparently some of these men `at
 selves. The race had proven to exacting. Some had           first do. They hear the word and anon with joy receive
 dropped exhausted by the way. Others, losing heart, it. They say, Lord, Lord; prophesy in His name, in
 had voluntarily given up the strife. In a word, these His name cast out devils, and do many wonderful
 others, for whatever reason, had not run properly,          works. They are enlightened, taste of the heavenly
 had not so run as to obtain.                                gift, are made partakers of the Holy Ghost, taste the
    With these failures before his eye, the apostle, pass- good word of God and the powers of the world to come.
 ing in his mind from the figure to the reality, exhorted    And yet they obtain no crown ; for they do not so run.
 his brethren to so run that they might obtain. This             It was with these runners before his eye, that the
 exhortation must imply that not all who run in this         apostle directed to his brethren the exhortation, Ye
 true race, obtain. Someone may ask, is this possible? know that they which run in a race run all, but one
 In view of the fact that all who run are children of        receiveth the prize. Likewise they who run in the
 God, must not all receive a crown? Would not failure spiritual race run all, but only some receive the crown
 on the part of anyone of these mean that an elect one incorruptible. So run that ye may obtain. The apostle
 perishes? But the saints persevere. Hence all obtain. here addresses himself to the true children of God,
    Now it is certain that all the elect receive a crown, the real spiritual athletes. These, as was said, must
 which means that all these persevere to the end. There obtain. The certainty of this, however, does not render
 is a prize not merely for the lone runner, but for the the exhortation with which we here have to do super-
 many. And they all must obtain. Consider that the fluous. These true athletes have need of this word.
 incorruptible prize forms the content of Christian For though they must obtain, they can derive no com-
 hope, of the promise; that this hope, as an anchor of fort from this blessed necessity unless they know that
 the soul, lies burried, so to say, in the unchangeable they are truly Christ's. Will they know, they must so
,, counsel of the Almighty. The crown was merited by run; for it is only in combination with their hallowed
 Christ for all true Christian athletes. All without a efforts that the Spirit of God testifieth with their spirit
 single exception must therefore obtain. The crown is that they are His children. Hence, they must so run
 theirs. To it they have a right that cannot be dis- would they have this assurance.
 puted; for with Christ they were crucified, buried,             But even the true spiritual athlete does not always
 risen and set in heaven where they were blessed with so run except in principle. For he has but a small be-
 all spiritual blessings. This crown is theirs so that ginning of true obedience. Sin still worketh in his
 they run not to merit but to obtain. Their grant upon members. When the ego joins the principle of sin, the i
 it is a gift of grace. And they run in the power of their body of this death prevails and the race is not being
 Saviour.                                                    properly run. This occurs. And though it is God who
     But is there not danger of any of their number be- causes them to depart from His ways, for God doeth
 ing destroyed by the wolves among whom they are sent all things, yet are they held accountable for their de-
 before the race is run and the goal reached? Have no flections. The admonition is thus needful and proper.
 fear. Even the race is a gift of grace. It is one of the The true athlete hears. As invigorated by grace he
 treasures merited ; for unto them it is given in the be- runs with new zeal.
 half of Christ not only to believe on Him but also to           So run therefore. The running must be properly
 suffer for His sake, having the same conflict. Hence no done. It must be accompanied by a certain self-disci-
 wolf may kill before the race is run ; no wolf can kill     pline and frame of mind and heart if it be properly
 before the goal is reached. For the power of the done. What is this frame of mind? Wherein does this
 adversary is Christ's Without His will, it cannot de- self-discipline consist? And the answer of the apostle,
 stroy. When the destroyer kills, the race has been run, I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as
 the prize obtained and the spiritual athlete is trans-       one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body,
 lated into a blessed eternity. It is utterly impossible      and bring it into subjection . . . .
 for these not to so run that they obtain. However not           I so run, not as uncertainly . . . He who so runs
 all who run are true children of God. There are the is uncertain whether he would run at all. A firm re-
 sham athletes whose running is not true. Rightly con- solve is lacking to him. His frame of heart is that of
 sidered they run not at all ; neither are they truly in doubt. We know from ordinary life the behaviour of


428                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
ll_llll_..-^_.-   -...                    "^...^  _.".."--  ..." -....- - ---.- ^--^^-.-  .-.-. -                --_l_"  .-..
a man who walks or runs in this state of mind. The counted loss for the excellency of the knowledge of
man is on his way, let us say, to the home of some Christ Jesus his Lord for whom he suffered the loss of
friend and the journey is perilous. So he is undecided all things and did count them but dung, that he might
whether or no to pursue his way to the end. Hence his win Christ . . . . if by any means he might know Him
walking is sporadic. There is no spring to his step. in the power of His resurrection of the dead . . . .
His feet lag as if of lead. He slackens his pace. From                            He ran  La+s certainly  ; for he was decided. The one
his mouth proceed strange mutterings. His visage be- thing that had captivated his hallowed imagination
tokens a soul filled with reasonings. The man debates                      was the crown. The only interests that pulled at his
with himself. And the issue debated is whether or no heart were the interests of God. The only treasure he
the journey shall be continued. The man cannot make possessed was in heaven. The only master he loved
up his mind, so he finally comes to a complete standstill and served was Christ. There was a spring to his step.
and lies down beside the way, a bundle of conflicting His feet had wings ; for the reasonings of his heart
sentiments. The outcome is that he finally rises to his                    were, I must so run that I may obtain. So he ran with
feet and makes for home. It is reasonable to assume patience the race that was set before him, looking unto
that the behaviour of this man finds its explanation in Jesus the Author and Finisher of his faith and con-
the circumstance that the home of his friend did not sidering that He for the joy that was set before Him
sufliciently  attract, that there were other interests that endured the cross, despised the shame and was set
pulled at the strings of his heart, that this pull was so down at the right hand of the throne of God.
strong as to have completely broken down his morale;                              The apostle so ran. Yet it must not be supposed
that mental state and moral condition which renders a that he was not a man of like passions as we, that
man capable of endurance and of exhibiting courage in there was not to him a body of this death with which to
the presence of danger. This man walked as uncer- contend, that thus he was a saint of such near perfec-
tainly and the sub-soil of his manner of conduct was tion that he fell completely outside our class. Sin also
his double mind.                                                           worked in his members. There was also to him a body
    So there are spiritual athletes who run as uncer- that had to be kept under and brought into subjection.
tainly. They are the people of whom James wrote, the But the excellency of Paul the Christian consisted in
double minded men,  un&abIe  in all their ways, the this that with all the hallowed vigor that was his, he
men with two faces and two hearts, who think it pos- set himself against the man of sin in him. The reason
sible to serve two masters, not considering that only he so ran and ran so well is that in the power of God
one of the masters can and is being actually loved. And and by the grace of his Christ he disciplined with ever
the master loved is always mammon, the world. And increasing earnestness that body of his.
the things upon which the affections are being set, are                           "But I keep my body under and bring it into serv-
without exception the things on earth, not the things ice." The  body is not the same as the old man of sin,
above. Rightly considered therefore they are men with for the latter is not brought into service but must be
only .one heart, a heart whose treasure-house is this put off; nor are we to think here of the flesh as it, too,
world. Is it to be wondered at that tlnese men, though must be mortified. However, the connection between
seemingiy in the race, do not so run, that the deceitful- the body that is to be brought into service and the old
ness of riches choke the word, so that they become un- man of sin is so close that when the former is buffeted
fruitful; that when tribulation or persecution ariseth                      the latter is being put  off. The body of which the
because of the word, they are offended and take to                          apostle here speaks is the soul with its faculties to-
cover and at the first opportunity rush back into the gether with the body and all its members through
world and return like a sow that was washed to their                        which the soul functions. The soul sees through the
wallowing in the mire?                                                      eye, hears through the ear and casts its thoughts in the
      The apostle was not one of these. He walked as cer-                   framework of a human language through the physical
tainly. In this race, he exerted himself,  bended every organs of speech. Now the entire man, according to
effort, strained every muscle. Forgetting those things soul and body, is a slave to sin. In all the members qf
which are behind, he reached forth unto those things this man sin operates, in the mind, will and affections.
which are before and pressed toward the mark for the Through the physical organs of the soul sin attains to
prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. For self-expression. Therefore it is written that the throat
he was a man with one heart and the affections of that of man is an open sepulchre, that with his tongue he
heart were set on the crown. His treasure house was uses deceit, that the poison of asps is under the lips,
the sanctuary above. What things were gain to him that his mouth is full of cursing and bitterness, that
- his having been circumcized  the eighth day, his be- his feet is swift to shed blood, that destruction and
ing of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an                    misery is in his way, that the way of peace he knows
Hebrew of the Hebrews, his being a Pharisee as touch- not, that there is no fear of God before his eye.
ing the law, his being blameless as touching the right-                           But the apostle keeps under his body and brings it
eousness which is in the law, yea all things  - he                          into service. It means that he smites these members,


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                                                       129
--"".-.-.                 _ _                         _.._. --..........._         -       --.-  -......... r - -...-  - ..___..........................ll..__l .^^ :....-
his eye, his ear, his hand and his feet and his will,                    This spiritual exercise, certainly, forms an import-
mind and affections whose organs these physical mem- ant element in this buffeting of the body.
bers are and thus through the smiting of these mem-                      In the battle he waged with his body, Paul did not
bers m&tines  his flesh, the old man of sin in him, with           fight as one that beateth the air. So the children of
the result that sin's grip weakens so that these mem- the world fight. .For consider that, as has already been
bers, as released, the whole man as to body and soul,              suggested, they, too, run in a race on a course that
are now set by the renewed person of the spiritual ends in death eternal. It is the course or way of sin,
athlete as instruments of righteousness  to'God.                   of worldly ambition, of a serving of the flesh and the
    Wherein does this buffeting consist. Not certainly devil, a way of worldly pleasure. The crown that they
in Iitei-ally  smiting the ear, the foot and the ear, but it       who run this course set before their eye is a crown
consists in saying to the eye when it would behold sin, corruptible ; wealth, honor, earthly renown and the
to the ear when it would hearken unto the voice of sin,            like. And how some of these children buffet their
to the mouth when it would curse, to the tongue when bodies, discipline self, that as runners they may be fit.
it would sting, to the throat when it would emit the               As Paul says, they are temporate in all things, tem-
filth of that hidden sepulchre, to the feet when they              porate in their eating, in their drinking, in all their
would swiftly run to shed blood, it shall not be. It con- enjoyments. How they steel themselves to curb their
sists, this buffeting of the body, in the new man setting appetites. Knowing that they cannot achieve without
himself against and crushing the evil thought, desire, the aid and goodwill of their fellow men, they bridle
inclination and affection. But to this something must their tongues and their tempers and throw off any
be added. Consider that, irrespective of how earnestly habit that stand between them and success. They are
the spiritual athlete buffets his body, his complaint con- gentle, kind and engaging, liberal and big-hearted.
tinues to be, For I know that in me (that is in my                 They flatter, praise and conjole all in the attempt to
flesh) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present work their way into the good graces of men. They
with, me ; but how to perform that which is good, I adorn their visage with a permanent smile. How well
know not. For the good that I would, I do not: but                 they succeed, while achieving, in keeping under the
the evil which I would not, that I do. Such was the body.
complaint of Paul. If there are holiest men, this is                     But they are ever beating the air. They love the
the kind of a saint that he was. This complaint of his very man they bind. Even in binding this man, they
is the evidence that he knew self; and this self-knowl- set their members as instruments of unrighteousness
edge was the fruit of earnest, heart-searchings. He to self. Self they seek. In self they end. Self they
knew his thoughts, his desires, the impulses of self, exalt. Before self they prostrate themselves. For
the motives from which actions spring. He was aware self is their God. They therefore do not, rightly con-
that his most hallowed thoughts, his loftiest desires, sidered, buffet the real self, the sinful self, the body of
his noblest impulses and best motives were so con-                 this death, the man of sin. This man they love. They
taminated with the contagion of sin, so mixed with the thirst not after righteousness and God. They do not
issues of the flesh. Knowing self as he did, it was a therefore combat the real foe but for selfish reasons
way with him to repent constantly in dust and ashes, merely curb for a time a few of its accesses. They
to hide himself in his Saviour, to petition the Throne             therefore beat the air.
for power to carry on as spiritual athlete, to buffet                    Their combat is therefore vanity. All is vanity
ever more' tellingly his body and to bring it into sub-            here: the course run, for the way of the ungodly will
jection. And we can imagine him resolving, `I will perish; the crown obtained, for the world and all that
hear the work that Thou hast wrought, My eye will be is out of the world will pass away; the running, for the
continually upon Thee. My tongue shall declare thy course run is a way of death, a slippery place upon
righteousness and thy praise all the day. With my which the Almighty casts them down into eternal de-
feet I will walk in wisdom's ways. I will lift up my struction ; the runners themselves, for all their
hand to Thy sanctuary. Thy righteousness will be the thoughts are that there is no God.
girdle of my loins. With thy gospel will I shod my                       But as to Paul, as to the true Christian athlete, it
feet. Hope will be my helmet, and righteousness my is the man of sin upon whom he rains his blows. His
breastplate.' So did the Spirit of Christ resolve through desire is to be delivered of this man, for he loves God
him.                                                               and knows that only the pure of heart can see God.
    We1 did Paul understand that Christ strove through Hence, he sanctifies himself. He therefore beats not
him, that if his deliverance had to come forth from self, the air. For Christ who combats through him will de-
he was doomed, that his hope therefore was Christ. liver him from the body of death, when the course is
The same man therefore who complained, 0 wretched run.
man that I am ; who shall deliver me from the body                       So run that ye may obtain - a crown incorrupt-                                                       J
of this death? also joyed,  I thank God through Jesus ible. Bring into subjection the body. It is reasonable
Christ our Lord.                                                   that you do so. For you run in a race. Even the chil-

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     430                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                   - - - -          ..--                                             -_                 -"--
     dren of the world are temporate in all things to obtain der Filistijnen wederkeerde ; en zij ging uit, dat zij
     a corruptible crown. Will we not buffet our bodies to tot den Koning riep, om haar huis en om haren akker.
     obtain the incorruptible prize. Such is the apostle's           De koning nu sprak tot Gehazi, den jongen van den
     reasoning.                                                      man Gods, zeggende: Vertel mij  tech al de  groote din-
        I so run . . . lest that by any means, when I have gen, die  Elisa gedaan heeft. En het  geschiedde,  als
     preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. The hij den koning vertelde, hoe hij een  doode had levend
     irony of this, should it occur. But it could not occur gemaakt, zoo riep de vrouw, welker  zoon hij levend ge-
     for Paul was Christ%.  This he himself knew, because maakt had, tot den koning, om haar huis en om haren
     he so, run and thus made sure his calling and election. akker. Toen zeide Gehazi: Mijn heer koning, dit is de
                                                      G. M. 0.       vrouw, en dit is haar zoon, dien Eliza  levend gemaakt
                                                                     heeft. En de koning ondervraagde de vrouw en zij
                                                                     vertelde het hem. Toen g-af de koning haar een kamer-
                                                                     ling, zeggende: Doe haar wederhebben  alles, wat het
                                                                     hare was; daartoe alle inkomsten des akkers van den
                   Gehazi `s Melaatschheid                           dag af, dat zij het land verlaten heeft tot nu toe".
        Vraag :                                                         Ret is uit dit  verhaal  we1 duidelijk, dat op dat
        Als Naaman, na genezen  te zijn door Eliza, terug- oogenblik Gehazi niet melaatsch was. En dat niet
     keert naar zijn eigen land, is het een ergenis in de alleen, maar hij wordt ons ook nog voorgesteld als de
     oogen van Gehazi, dat de profeet  geen geschenk aan-            jongen van Elisa den profeet. Hij dient nog Elisa.
     neemt van Naaman, waarom hij hem dan ook achterna                  Nu zijn de werkwoorden in de eerste beide verzen,
     gaat, II Kon. 5:20. Onder een leugen vraagt Gehazi vertaald in den voltooid verleden tijd: Elisa nu had
     om een talent zilver en twee wisselkleederen voor twee gesproken ; de vrow had zich opgemaakt ; zij had ge-
     zonen der profeten, vs. 23.            Gehazi ontvangt twee daan naar het woord van den man Gods ; zij wa,.s ge-
     talenten  zilver en twee wisselkleederen en bergt het in gaan en  had als vreemdeling verkeerd in het land der
     een huis, vs. 24.                                               Filistijnen. Het verhaal grijpt dus terug op iets, dat
        Thuis komende vraagt Eliza : vanwaar Gehazi? En reeds eerder geschied was. Van den honger in het land
     het antwoord is: noch herwaarts noch derwaarts ge- verhaalt  reeds II  Kon.  4:38 vv. De tijdsorde der  ge-
     weest en de vloek wordt over Gehazi uitgesproken:               beurtenissen moet dus ongetwijfeld zoo gedacht, dat
     Daa;om  zal  u de melaatschheid van Naaman aankleven de genezing  van Na8man  plaats had nu de zeven jaren
     en uw zaad tot in eeuwigheid, vs. 27.                           van honger in het land, en oqk na dit voorval van de
        Naar II Kon.  3:4 spreekt de koning Israels tot rechtspraak des konings over de bezittingen der Suna-
     Gehazi: Vertel mij tech al de groote dingen,  die Eliza mietische. Zoo verstaan is de vraag ook beantwoord,
     gedaan heeft. In vs. 5 wijst Gehazi de Sunamitische want dan was Gehazi nag nice melaatsch en was hij
     vrouw  aan en                                                   nog bij den profeet  Elisa.
                       haar  zoon, die door Eliza was levend  ge-
     maakt.                                                                                                         H. H.
        Nu, volgens de wet  mocht  geen melaatsche  verkee;
     ren in het midden des legers. Num. 5:2.
        Nu is de `vraag : hoe kan dat ? Want Gehazi mocht
     noch kon verkeeren in de gemeente als melaatsche en,                                    NOTICE
     ware hij  genezen,  dan had de vloek van Eliza niet van            Our annual Field Day is to be heId, the Lord will-
     blijvende kracht geweest.                                       ing, July 4th in Johnson Park, located near new bridge
        Antwoord :                                                   at Grandville, Mich.
        II Kon. S  :l-6 verhaalt van de uitspraak des konings           Please, keep this date open to meet with us.
     in zake de bezittingen der Sunamietische, die wederge-                                         Field Day Committee
     keerd was van haar vertoeven in het land der vreemde-
     lingschap gedurende de zeven jaren  des hongers in het                                                    6
     land  Kansan. We lezen daar als volgt : "Elisa nu had
     gesproken  tot die vrouw, welker zoon hij levend ge-
     maakt had, zeggende: Maak u op, en ga heen,  gij en uw                     GIJ ONDERHOUDT MIJN LOT
     huisgezin, en verkeer als vreemdeling, waar gij ver-                          Ik heb een veilig leven,
     keeren kunt ; want de Heere heeft eenen honger geroe-                         Ik leef uit  `s Heeren hand.
     pen, die ook in het land zeven jaren  komen zal. En                           Wat zou ik dan nog klagen
     de vrouw had zich opgemaakt, en had gedaan naar het                           Op reis naar `t Vaderland ?
     woord van den man Gods; want zij was gegaan met                               Hij, die mijn haren telde,
8    haar huisgezin en had als vreemdeling verkeerd in het                         Bestuurt en leidt mijn lot -
     land der Filistijnen zeven jaren. En het geschiedde met                       Geloofd zij mijn Beschermer,
     het einde der zeven jaren, dat de vrouw uit het land                          Mijn Koning en mijn God !

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