  - 196                                                       T H - E   S T A N D A R D  .EEARER                      :           --:     7.
   Hij heeft hem Zijn werk getoond, het werk, dat Hij                            the difference between the Romish and Protestant con-
   werkt in het  midden  der .jaren.                          Hij heeft hem het eeption of Scripture.
   betere einde, het eeuwig  ,betere  .einde,'  de onverderfe-                       Yen  are sick and need medicine. You go to the
 lijke, onverwelkelijke en onbevlekkelijke  erfenis   ge-                        drug-store in order to `obtain the necessary drugs. But
' toond . . . .                                                                  in the drug-store you cannot help yourself. There is
        -En heeft in zijn harte de hope gewekt door de op-                       plenty of medicine, there are drugs of all kinds, but you
   standing van Jezus !                                                          cannot  perpare  your own concoction, and have not the
           Wacht dan, ja wacht ! Verlaat u op den Heere  1                       authority to help yourself to what you need. The phy-
           Het einde aller dingen  is nabij !                                    sician must prescribe and the druggist must fill the
        I Het betere einde!                        '                             prescription. This is. the Romish view of' Scripture.
                                                                                 The Bible is the drug-store full of  medi@ne  for all the
                                                                                 ills of the people of God. But they have no access to
                                                                                these drugs. The'priest  is the doctor and druggist that
                                                                                 prescribes and prepares for the laity from the Word
                                                                                 the medicine they need.
                                                                                    Again you are sick and-your medicine closet is well
              Oh Bibles and -Bible Reading                                       provided with medicines all prepared `and clearly
                                                                                 labeled. You are acquainted, moreover, with the nature
           Before .the Reformation of `the sixteenth century of your sickness and' able to select the. right medicine.
   the.  doctrine that the `Bible is `really a closed book as                    You need no doctor and druggist. You help yourself.
 t far as: the laity' is concerned, that it needs an :inter-                     Such is the Protestant view. Again the illustration
   preter with-authority to speak, and that this authorita- sharply brings out the difference, but cannot be wholly
  tive interpretation  can,be  givenonly by the clergy, had applied, because it does not keep in view the organic
   been developed and rather generally accepted.                                 life of the Church as theBody of Christ.
           And over against  .this dangerous error of the                            What, then, is meant by the perspicuity of' Holy
  Romish Church, the Reformers maintained the/per-                               Scripture?
   spicuity of Holy Writ.
                               _.. .-.-. ___. -                                     Literally it means that Scripture is lucid, trans-
           What is really  .the difference between the Romish . sparent,  intelligible, clear.
   and Protestant views?                                                             Clear is what sense? And `clear to whom?
           The difference has been likened to that of an open                        Certainly, it does not signify that there are no
   or locked door.                                      ,'                       depths in the Word of God that are not easily pene-
           Sev.eral  persons approach .a house. The door is trated. Everyone that earnestly strives to understand
   locked. Only one .of the group that would enter has a the Scriptures very well knows by experience that the
   key. They ask the one : open `the door; please, that we very opposite is true. Scripture is not impenetrable,
   may enter and inspect the inside of the house.                               but it is unfathomable, it is not closed but it is pro-
   ,     Again, several, men want to enter a `house and the found. In fact, this constitutes one of the unique fea-
   house is open. The. door is not locked. They are all tures of Scriptures. Any book of man is soon ex-
   equally abIe to.enter  the house and inspect its interior. hausted. If you read it a few times, you feel that you
           The first illustrates the Romish"conception  of the                   are through with it, that you have fully Ientered  into
  `relation of the Church to Holy Writ. The locked door                          the sphere of thought of. the author, that you have
   is the mystery of. Scripture, the man with the key is                         penetrated his mind. Man's mind can be fathomed.
   the priest, the clergy, the pope. The others without                          Not so with Scripture. _ The more you turn to it in
   keys are the laity. '                                                         faith, approaching it as the Word of God, the more yen
         The secondillustration is supposed to represent the realize that you' are not dealing with a word of man,
   Protestant view ,of this matter. And it does so in part, but with the Word of God and that there are depths in
   though the  .illustkation is partly misleading.  Par it Scripture which `you never yet penetrated and which
   would give us to understand that  the'protestant  .vieiv seem to grow more  unfathom&ble as you try to under-
   is individualistic : each one must read the Word of G.od                      stand them. And yet, on the other hand, you feel that
   for himself.  .And this was never the case. .Protestants you need not fathom in order to understand, that in. the
   did not lose sight `of the fact; that the Holy Spirit is the .process  of entering' more deeply into the riches of
   real Interpreter of Holy Writ; that He is given not to Scripture you somehow understood the Word of God
   a number of individuals but to the  Churtih. Only they all the time !
   had a different conception of the Church. It is not the                        Such is the marvel of Scripture.          -.
   ilergy but.. the Body of Christ, the gathering of be-                            In this the Word of God is absolutely unique. Man's
   lievers and their children, for the well-being of whom word can be easily fathomed, but you do not always
   Christ has instituted the offices.                                            easily understand it, nor do you really understand it
        Another illustration `has been used to make clear                        until. you have fathomed it. God's Word can never be
                i
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                                          ~r13'i3  ST~ANDARD   .BEARER                                                                  .         197

      fathomed, yet `it  can readily be understood by the be- Church in the world; Him the Lord will use for the
      liever,  nor does he  liave to fathom that Word in order upbuilding of the Church.
     to understand it.                                                  But even the word of. that minister the Church may
         This is the reason  why you may read the Word of not accept except in as far as and because of the fact
      God every day, morning, noon and eyening,  study it that she recognizes in his word  the Word of God.
      for your society, listen to  i$s exposition on the sabbath       And woe'unto  the minister that begins to imagine
      and not only never g&w weary of reading and hearing, and reveals  the imagination in his attitqde,  that the
      but experience that your interest deepens and increases       congregation is bound to accept his word, because it
      according. as you studjr  the Scriptures more diligently, is ke, the minister, that speaks !' And .woe, too, to the
      earnestly and  praysrfully.                                   congregation that accepts this attitude of its minister
         And that is also the reason  why the Scriptures do cas a. matter of fact, and simply allows' him `to become
     tioi address a certain -class of people only, but speak a little pope? whose word is with authority. And, again,
     to every believer, be he child or adult, laity or clergy, woe to the group of churches or denomination, that ac-
     uneducateg  or leakned.                                        `cepts this attitude as assumed by  counc'il,  clas$is  or  `.
         Again it is thi? reason, too, why all the believers to- synbd.           I                               .
      gether, learned and unlearned, of the past and 0% th?             The Bible is the sole source of light  for the be-
: present,`have  not exhausted the treasures of Holy Writ lievers in the world.
      and that aft& .c'ent&es  of reading. and. interpreting          The Word of God is the oniy  authoritative Word.
      we may still find unexplored depths in the Word of                No word of man, not even if it is.ati  ihterpretatibn
      God.      `?                                                  of the Word of God, has any `authority whatsoever.
                                                                        And the, believers `may never  accept the word of
I        And, finally, it' is'also  the reason why it is possible man as atithoritative. He must ,always  judge the word
     in the Church of Christ to have' officebearers,  ministers of man in the light of the Word qf God.                                      j
      of the Word, whose special task it is to, interpret the           But if he is to be able to pass thi.9 judgment upofi,'
      Word of God, to be busy in the doctrine of it, to. exi        every word of man, it stands to reason that the prin-
      pound it  .to; the Church, to the believers, though they ciple must be strongly maintained that every believer
     understand and interpret Scripture the-elves.                  is able to read and to interpret Scripture. as a member
         If you take all these elements together, you may           of the Body of Christ and partaker of the Anointing
      have a rather fair notion of what our fathers meant           of the Holy One.                                               \
     when they spoke of the perspicuiti of Holy Writ.                   This truth is maintained by the doctrine of the per-
       I `They did. not mean that every believer ought to spicuitjr of the Bible,
     read and  interprit Scripture for himself.                       It leaves to every `believer his right and pri&leges
         They did not intend to teach that all believers had as a member of the body of Christ.
     an equally&& and profound insight.  in- the mysteries             But it also carries with it great resppnsibiliiies  for
     o? the  gbspel, revealed in Holy Writ.                         every child of God.                                                           .
         .They certainly. did- nbt despise. the-o&es instituted       _,_ To` these I- hope tc call your @e~n~~~  another. time_-
                                                                                                       .               `.
     in the Church, Particularly that of  the/ ministry of the                                                                          H .   H .
     Word.
         But they did purpose to maintain,' &er against the
     Romish contention that the Church is the  clei-gy,  that,
      on the contrary, the Church is the organism `of the
     . Body of Christ, that the Holy Spirit, Who only leads                      ,An  Importad  Change
     ,in all the truth is given to that Bddy and' not to a few
      individuals, nor even to all the members  .& individuals,        A change that may prove td be.`&nd,  &doubted&,
      and that,. therefore, to every believer in the fellowship will be of great importance for the future of our paper,
      of that Church the Bible is an open book, from which has .been  brought &bout.  in .the _ editorial staff of the
      every child of God may, indeed, receive all the spifitual     Standard Bearer.
      nourishment  hecessary  unto salvation.                          It is, indeed, not the, first change the personnel of
         No man, learned or unlearned, minister; elder or our editorial staff has undergone. Id'the course  of our
      deacqn,  priest or pope, council or synod, is absolutely history editors have c6me'and  gone. The only mem-
      necessary' for `any believer or group of believers in' bers of the staff that worked  for the publicatidn from  _
      order to understand the Word of God unto salvation. the beginning and throtighout,  the'teiz  ye+rs of its ex-
         Ye all have  the unction of the Holy One, *rites the istence, are Rev. G. M. Ophoff and the undersigned.
      apostle Jdhn, and..you  have no need that any teach you. For a time, in fqct, they werf?  ihe whole staff.
         Indeed, it is a blessing for the Church that Christ           Yet, I do not believe that ever a change was brouglit                                     1
      has instituted the office of the `ministry of the Word. abotit  that will affect the future form and `content of
      Through him  Chri$ will instruct and build  up.  his our Standard Bearer as deeply as the `alter$ion  that is                                                   I
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        198                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

        now contemplated and has, in part, al&eacly  been ac- by the original editors. Also this is a change for the
        complished.                                                     better. The original editors, who haire many duties to
           In the first place, according to a  dec@ioR which the        perform in school and in their cdngregations,  will be
        board of the R. F. P. A. passed some time ago, the edi-         considerably relieved. And with so many editors and
        torial staff at their meeting of Jan. 9 decided to ap- co-workers the contents of the paper will be much more
        point our present associate editors, the Revs. G. Vos           divbrsified,  while the principle of its contents will re-
        and W. Verhil as regular editors ; and to appoint all our main unchanged.
        other ministers as associate editors of the Standard               And, as variety is, undoubtedly, the spice of life,
        Bearer. As a -place in our staff is not a mere honorary I believe that our paper will become more popular, will
        position but, naturally, involves obligation,. the stafy be read by a greater number of people and will in-
        also decided that henceforth the space alloted  to our crease its list of subscribers.
        former associate  editors.in  our paper is to be doubled,
       ,so that henceforth they will fill about four pages each                           A New Proposition
        instead of two and that the present associate editors              In connection with the change mentioned abode the
        shall be. asked to write two articles each per year, one        question arises, whether the time has not arrived to
        in the Holland and one in the English language.                 alter the entire character of our publication, and, in-
           Besides,. the board of the R. F. P. A. also requested stead of the semi-scientific theological paper it origin-
        the staff to consider the appointment of five men as            ally aimed to be, to offer the public a paper of a `more
        "news-editors", that will occasionally refresh the popular and practical nature, somewhat like the  well-
       hearts and minds of our readers with a bit of inter- known church-papers.  -
        esting news' from their own vicinity.            The staff         There are many  copsiderations  in favor of this
        decided to act accordingly, and from California, Sioux change.
        County, the Pella district, Chicago vicinity and Mich-             First of all, for some time voices have been heard
       igan, men have been chosen to serve in that capacit?.            persistently that demand a change. The present
           These changes are of importance for more than one Stalidard  Bearer does not  fill the needs, does not meet
        reason.                                                         %th the demands of many. The articles are too long,
           In the first place, until the present  the final decision    and to deep, and too impractical. They are not read.
        regarding the contents of our Standard Bearer rested Requests have come in for the publication of news,
        with the editorial staff. At present this matter is  m- church-news, society-news. Others have suggested to
        decided. A proposition regarding this matter was `run a continued story in the Standard Bearer. The
        brought before the meeting of the R. F. P. A. last fall,        question has been asked repeatedly whether the  Sun-
       .but the society could reach no decision. But even  if           dayschool lesson could not be explained in our paper.
        this matter should be left unchanged, the`editorial  staf?      It has been suggested  that the League of Men's
        will no'longer consist of a few men, but will have six- `Societies be given a page or two in our publication. All
        teen members with the right to vote. This is, no doubt, these remarks, requests and suggestions seem to in-
        a change for the better. It is no small task to edit a dicate that our Standard Bearer  `has had its day. Its
       `paper--like ours and bear the responsibility for its  ,ap=-` -days are numbered. .--                                   . ..- ._._.__
        pearance twice a month. It is a relief for the present             Secondly, it must be admitted that there is room,
        editors that so many others may bear the responsibility that there is need of a paper resembling the church-
        with: them. In the beginning of our history as churches         papers, that our present paper does hot at all purpose
        it was inevitable that a iew should bear this burden.           to fll that need, and that there is really no room for
        We  simply  had no men that could assist. Now we two papers in our churches. .
        have a number of ministers that are able to write-and             Thirdly, with the change in the staff we have al-
        bear the responsibility with us.                                ready far departed from our original purpose. The
           But not only from the viewpoint of responsibility S. B. certainly serves no more the purpose to be a
        for the contents in the formal sense, also materially the medium for the publication of the views of the Revs. 1
        burden of the original editors, especially of Rev.Ophoff        H. Danhof and H. Hoeksema nor of the latter and Rev.
        and myself, has been considerably decreased. Originally G. M. Ophoff.
        the R. F. P. A. was organized to make it possible for              Fourthly, the  change  in the editorial staff certainly
        the Revs. H. Danhof and H. Hoeksema to publish their demands a different organization. There will be six-
        views. In the course of our development this was so teen writers, besides the "news-editors". If unity is to
        changed that the S. B. was a medium for the publica-            be maintained, all these writers cannot be allowed to
        tion of the views of Rev. Ophoff and myself. Thizis;  is write at random. Different departments ought to be
        no more the case. If our present plans fully material- assigned to the various editors and associate editors.
        ize, all the appointed associate editors accept their ap- There must be a definite division 02 labor.
        pointment and the "news-editors"-  do their duty, no               I would like, therefore, to hear the opinion of as
        more than ten pages of our paper will have to be filled many of our readers as possible  for the plan outlined


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                                                 T H E   S.TANDARD   B E A R E R                                           199

below. They may write to me personally, or briefiy  ex-
press it in the Standard Bearer. If the  pla;l meets                                The Eighth Plague
with rather general approval the proposition  ought  to                 ?he eighth plague has come and gone. The flax
be brought to the attention of the central board of the and the brfley were smitten; but the wheat and the rye,
R. F. P. A. and through them to the next annual meet-                being still in the ear, escaped without injury. Pharaoh
ing of the association.                                              has witnessed another demonstration of divine wrath.
                                     Proposed Plan                   His heart has been troubled. Fear had taken hold of
                                                                     him. With emphasis he had declared that the people
       1. A paper to be published containing the follow- should go and should stay no longer, if Moses would
ing departments :                                                    only entreat for him. The entreaty had been made. The
              a. A short meditation.                                 mighty thunderings and hail have ceased. But Pharaoh,
              b. Editorials.  I                                      now that the  .sun again shines in the heaven, ressures
              c. A department: Our doctrine.                         himself. The old resolve to resist to the end, to persist
              .d. Happenings in the Church-world.                    in defying Jehovah the God of all the earth, again as-
              e. The Sundayschool Lesson.                            serts itself and is now  stronger in him than heretofore.
              f. A Young People's Department.                        "And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither.
              g. A Children's Page.                                  would he let the children of Israel go ; as the Lord had
              h. News From Our Own Churches.                         spoken by Moses."
              i. An Open Forum.                                          Moses however must not allow himself to be dis-
  ,2. This paper to be bilingual, the space to be couraged by Pharaoh's persistent and amazing stout-
equally divided between the Holland and English heartedness. What he is to keep in remembrance is
languages.                                                           that Pharaoh is being raised up by the Lord, that His
       3. This  paper  to be published by our present name may be declared through all the earth. The Lor&
R. F. P. A.                                                          therefore says unto Moses, "Go in unto Pharaoh:  for  I
       4. This paper to be entirely under the control of a have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants,
central board to be elected annually by the association :            that I might shew these my signs before him: and that
              a. The board shall control. the contents of .t~he      thou mayest tell in the ears'of  thy son, and of the; son's .
                  paper.                                             son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my
              b. The board shall appoint the  editois  for the signs which I have done before them ; treat ye may
                  different departments.                             know that I am the Lor&."
              c. The board shall control the finances of  the            The brothers again do as bidden. Once in Pharaoh's
                  publication.                                       presence, they say unto him, Thus, saith .the Lord God
       5. The board shall give an annual report of the of the Hebrews, "How long wilt thou refuse to humble
general condition of the paper to the ,association;                  thyself before me ?" Pharaoh, as held in the grip of an
       It is, of course, very important that I hear, if pos- bverpowering fear, had again crouched at Moses' feet,
sible, from all our readers what is their opinion'of this
                            . .._                     -      _.-  _-_ begging for respite. But from the ground on whish he.
propositiop.                                                         had been cast by the terror of God, he had risen, un-
                                                           H. H.     changed as to the heart of his dispositions, and thus
                                                                     again ready to set his.mouth against heaven. The pride
                             A PRECIOUS GRACE                        of his heart had not been thawed out by grace, but
                    Faith! - `tis a P;recious  grace,                had merely been rendered inarticulate, struck dumb
                       Where'er  it is bestowed                      by fright and this fright had thereupon spoken. It had
                    It boasts of a celestial birth,                  actually j.ustified  God. But there had been no sorrow
                       And is the gift of God.                       for sin, no contrition of heart, no Jonking,  for recon-
                     Jesus it owns a King,                           ciliation. The spirit of the man had not been broken,
                       An all-atoning Priest; ,                      his will had lost none of its  petierseness  and his mind
                     It claims no merit of its own.                  was as disposed as ever to bargain with the Lord for
                       But finds it all in Christ.                   his life. He had conceded that-God  is and had trembled.
  ,                                                                  He had declared himself to be  unrighte&s,  but felt no
                     To him it leads the soul,                       horr& for sin. His face had not covered with shame.
                       When fill'd with deep -distress ;             His confession therefore had been without moral worth,
                     Appropriates his precious blood,                for he had not truly humbled himself. His  self-de-
                       And trusts his righteousness.                 nounciation had been an abominable act.
                   ' Since `tis thy work alone,                          How long will he refuse to truly humble himself
                       And that divinely free ;.                     before God? .As long as he has breath. Of this Moses
                     Lord, send the spirit of thy son                 is aware. For he is a vessel of wrath, fitted  to destruc-
                      To work this faith in me:                      tion. He can therefore only will to taunt God. Yet the

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

 question `LH~w long" .must be put to him, in order that fore, annoys them. Prudence demands, so they reason,
 he may reply, `I tyill to persist in my. unbelief, an+ by that he let the people go. Certain of this, they cannot
 so replying again assume responsibility for the woe by hoId their peace. Pharaoh must be told to hearken unto
 which he is about to be overtaken.                           the voice of Moses' command.
     "Thus saith the Lord, Let my people go, that they           But how will they tell him this without incurring
 map serve Me. For if thou refuse to Iet my `people go, his wrath. His entire dgmeanor, the dark frown that
 Behold, tomorrow I bring Io&sts  into thy borders : and furrows his brow, the wicked, hard, gleam in his eyes,
 they shall cover the face of the earth, so t'nat one shall his set jaw, his silence, warn them that he is in no
 not be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the mood to listen to any such suggestion as they contem-
 residue of that which is escaped, which is left to you of plate making. Pet he must be told. But in selecting the
 the hail, and shall eat every tre which groweth for yon      words  .a.ncl phrases that are to convey to him the
 out of the field; and they  sh$l  .filI thy houses, and the thoughts  of their heart, they must exercise great care.
 houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the        Such expressions as would even remotely imply or
 Egyptians, as neither thy: fathers, nor thy fathers'         suggest that the fault lies with him, that the hand
 fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon smiting him is the hand of Jehovah indeed, that in
the earth unto this day."                                     holding out against Moses and Aaron he kicks against
     Egypt, in all  lik&lihood, had been invaded by these     the pricks, that thus he can do not better than clo admit
 insects before. Authorities tell us that in the Old defeat and do as requested,  - must be  studibusly
 World, the vast sweep from the cape of Good Hope to          avoided. Besides, they will not even admit to them-
 Norway, and  from  China to the West Coast of Africa;        selves that E,gypt groans under the hand. of the He-
 but especially from Arabia to India,, and from the Nile brews' God. Thus in framing their advice, they are
 and the Red Sea to Greece and the north of Asia guided by their pride as much as by their fear of the
 Minor,~is  exposed to their ravages. Their legions have king. So, by avoiding the  r&al issues, `they  succeed
 been known to cross the Black Sea and alight on the          remarkably well in telling `him what they think he
 fields of Poland, and to pass over the Mediterranean         ought to hear without wounding.his soul. They say to
 and fall on the green plains-of Lombardy. Always ad-         him, `SHOW long shall this man. be a snare unto us ?
 vancing in a straight line and leaving behind them the       Let the men go, that ihey may serve the Lord the&
 countless germs of future swarms, they devour ever-          God, knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed?"
thing green that comes their way.                                Mark the godless implications of this speech of
    But the invasion announced by Moses is to be an           these servants, "How long shall this &an be a snare
 unheard of phenomenon. They shall cover the  face of unto us ?" Consider that a snare is a contrivance by
 the earth, so that no one shall be able to see the earth.    which a bird or other living creature may unawares
 Thus they will descend unnumbered as flakes of snow, be intangled and brought into trouble. Thus to snare
 and hide the ground. Behind them, they will leave the is to bring into unespected  evil, danger or perplexity.
 land of Egypt  a dreary wilderness. They shall fill the         Moses a snare, the incorporation of deceit, a man
. ,houses  as never -before has been seen.                    bririging  Egypt-unawares  in@. unexpected evil?. How,
     Having delivered his message, Moses turns him amazingly false, this contention of these servants. Has
 about  and'goes out from Pharaoh. The latter makes no not every plague, with the exception of two, thus far
 effort to detain him. It may be `imagined that anger, sent, been predicted? Has not every stroke been pre-
 mingled with dread,  fills his soul. But he holds his        ceded by a solemn warning? Has not in the predic-
 tongue and reassures his troubled soul with the lying tion even the d&ails of the particular plague been  re--
 reasoning that though the Lord has again spoken by           vealed to Pharaoh ? Has not Moses time and again
 the mouth of His servants there is nothing to fear as of warned him that if he persists in hardening his heart,
 the plagues that had rioted in his land and even in his he will be overtaken by disaster, that he had no claim
flesh and in'  the- flesh of his people He was not the        whatever upon the people whom he had brought under
Author. So does Pharaoh continue to harden his heart. his cruel yoke, as this people is God's son, that there-
 However, his stolid indifference in the face of another fore the least he can do is to grant it respite for serv-
 impending doom is exasperating even. to his servants. ice? Has not Pharaoh been supplied with most con-
 At the hearing of the announcement of the specified clusive and abundant evidence  that Jehovah is God in
 plague,  they have trembled. And the evidence that the midst of the eartti  and thus the Author of the evils
 Egypt is being smitten by the hand of the' God of the chat have overtaken him? Is not this. evidence being
 Hebrews is too overwhelming to allow them to con- rejected with contempt by the Egyptians and do they
 vince themselves that their'fears are groundless, that not continue to say in their heart, "Who is the Lord?"
 the word of Moses will not be made to, come to pass.         How then, in advising Pharaoh, can these servants
 In spite of themselves, the conviction forms in their refer to Moses, as a snare? What perversity of mind
 soul that, unless Pharaoh yields, Egypt will be over- and heart! What horrible perversion of truth, dis-
 taken by new  .calamity:  Pharaoh's behavior, there- tortion of reality! Moses has ensnared, deceived, be-


                                           T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                         201

guiled us (so they reason). The fault lies  with him              when declaring to Pharaoh the will of God, he has
and we, thou, 0 Pharaoh, are with excuse and thus                 rendered  himself,  so they reason, insufferable to him.
blameless. Know theref&e  that in urging thee to let What monarch, with any kingly pride in him, could
the men go, we mean to cast no reflection upon t_hee  as for an instant- endure such a man. How `can he be
if thou canst  be held accountable for the disasters by blamed for reacting as he did. Why does Moses not
which we have been visited. ' No, not thou, but the man behaved toward Pharaoh as it behooves him ? Why
Moses is the culprit. Thou  art blameless. Therefore does he not show proper respect? Instead of humbly
be thou not angry with us. Know that it is love for asking Pharaoh to let the people go, he demands; in-
thee and thy people that prompts us to speak.' What               stead of pleading with him, he threatens. And why
these servants fail to do is to explain how Moses snared does he deliberately insult Egypt's deities by his refer-
them, in what his deception consists. And Pharaoh ence to the Jehovah of the Hebrews as the God of all
chooses to make no mention of this failure of theirs, the. earth? And why pose as the spokesman of such
as he is in the need of no explanation. For he knows a God?  Why? Because, so they must have reasoned,
in his heart, his reason tells him, that.his  servants lie.       he was resolved, by his taunts and insults, to provoke
  But herewith the corruption embodied in the speech Pharaoh (and his servants) to anger that he, as driven
of these servants has not been fathomed. In this speech to distraction by Moses' impudence, might in the heat
the  pltigues  are brought in connection not with the of a fierce resentment taunt the Hebrews' God and
Lord but solely with Moses. He is the snare. So do                curse His people. Pharaoh having taunted and cursed.
they reason. Thus. all the thoughts of their heart con- M&es could with a show of plausibility point to the'
tinue to be that Jehavoh is not the God in the.midst              plagues as vengeance of His Gdd and threaten Pharaoh
of the earth, that thus the wheels of adversity are with destruction if he persisted in his refusal to let the
not controlled by him. They therefore say to Pharaoh, people go.  Such  was Moses' resolve. And in agreement
.jtot "Knowest thou not yet that the land of Egypt is             with. this resolve he laid his snare, consisting in his
destroyed by Jehovah?" but they say "Knowest thou taunting Pharaoh. And into this snare Pharaoh and
not that the land is destroyed?"  _ This, certainly his servants have innocently and in spite of themselves,
Pharaoh cannot deny. It  belofigs  to the category of unawares, as it were, stayed. As provoked to anger,
facts that eyes can'see. Thus only the fool, the idiotic, he denied Jehovah, increased the burden of His people,
among them would maintain  that- the Egyptians and persistently refused to grant them respite for wor-
dwelt safely. And Pharaoh is no imbecile. He will                 ship. But the fault lies with Moses who' snared him
not be angry with them for their directing his mind               and them. Had the "man Moses behaved as it becomes
to phenomena attested to by his very own senses and one in his station when transacting with a prince,
by the senses of every inhabitant of `his country. But Pharaoh would not  .have  reacted as he did.
what eyes do not see is that the author of the plagues               So these servants reasoned. They thus blame Moses
is Jehovah. Hence, the denial of this will cast no re-            for Pharaoh's rebellion, insist that the responsibility
flection upon `their rationality. To the contrary, it             of Pharaoh's doings rest squarely upon him. They
wculd be the .height  .of irratiqnality  to mair$ain_  tha_t-     do not mean  to eqncede  that  the pre_diction  of :%-o~e:,
their torments ar,e the revelation.of  divine wrath. Why last made, will be fulfilled. Yet they fear. And they
vex Pharaoh with the suggestion that he is being smit- realize that their fears are too well grounded to be sup-
ten by the Almighty? There is no God. In tracing the pressed. So they say to Pharaoh, "How long shall
woes that overtake  them,.  Pharabh  need go no further this man be a snare unto Us?" It must have been out
than Moses. Yet they mean not to intimate that the                of consideration of Pharaoh that they refrain from
plagues are the product of his wonder-working skill singling him out as being the one ensnared by Moses.                         .
as `if he as to this skill towers above Pharaoh's ma-
 . `.                                                             `The man Moses,' they give Pharaoh to understand,
gicians. This cannot be.for then all Egypt were at his            `has been a snare not merely to thee but to u& all. HOW
mercy. The man Moses  snareti  Pharaoh. But how? long shall we allow him'to continue being a snare unto
This, as was said; they fail to make plain. But it is us? "Let the men go, that they may serve the Lord
tiot difficult to surmize *hat, according to the servants, their God: knowest thou not yet that Egypt is
this snare, this deception is. This snare is the saying destroyed  ?,' The servants tremble. It is the first time
of the man Moses that he faces Pharaoh as the spokes- they voice in Pharaoh's audience their distipproval  of
man of Gdd, his `contention that the Lord God is the his policy. Their audacity may have taken him by sur-
author of the wonders, his insistence, that these won- prise. He understands that if their agitation of mind
ders have been placed in his hand, and willed be worked were tibt great,  they would not have asked him whether
to the ruination of Pharaoh and his  land if -the pedple          as yet he has failed to perceive that Egypt is destroyed.
of Israel are not given respite for worship. The snare There is s'&casm  in their question. What would they
in a word is Moses. By his commands. and contentions, have him do? Let the men go, not with their young and
his attitude and disposition, his boldness,  fearle$sness,        `old, with their sons and with their daughters and with
aid reserve, the imperious tone in which he. sp,eaks
                                                    :             their flocks, but alone. That they so advise him, shows
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 that they are as reluctant as he to harken unto the May the Lord be with you 1 . ." Mark you, he pray&
 voice of God's command, and as capable of insisting for the Hebrews. Does this prayer'rise from a fleeting
 that the Lord settle the matter between Him and them resolve in his soul to yield? Is he, as mindful of the
 by mutual concessions. As  PharBoh, they, too, have          rioting of the plagues, for. the briefest moment decided
 but one concern, narinely, their well-being.                 to do as bidden? Or is this prayer sheer sarcasm. If
        Ph+raoh  refrains from  remons$rating  with his ser- so, Pharaoh mocks and .blasphemes.         What Pharaoh
 vants. He commands that Moses and karon be brought actually says. we have regard now merely to the `form
 unto .him again. This is the first time he negotiates of his speech, may be  periphrased,  thus,, "So be it.
 with the brothers between the announcement and the And let the Lord be with you, as I will let you go. And
`sending of the, specified plague. But he must appease well may He be with you. For conside'r  (see) that on
 his servants. So he  says to Moses, "Go, serve the           your journey, you  virill be beset by many dangers
Lord your God . . . " What? Will the inflexible and which you will not be able to escape. Thus you will
indomitable Pharaoh allow himself to be turned from all perish in the way." If now Pharaoh's prayer or
his selfprescribed line of action by his servants? Nay, rather the first section of his reply is sarcasm, ironical
he is not the man for this. Ma& his speech, "Who are speech, he means the very opposite from what. he says
they .that shall go ?' The question is quite superfluous and the construction to be placed upon these  words  of
as he  kizows the mind of the Lord and of Moses. The his is, "So be it not. I will not let you go."
 question springs not from need of information.                  However these words of Pharaoh need not be taken
Pharaoh is still rssolved  in hi? heart to tie the Lord       as the vehicle of a purely `sarcastic sentiment. Mind-
down to his terms. The question is merely to serve as ful of  the.havoc  wrought by the plagues, hard pressed
the. introductory phrase to a speech setting forth these      by the opinion of the court, and fearing that perhaps
terms, and as the instrument for- prodding the brethers his policy of dogged resistence  to the God of the He-
to restate the commazld  of the Lord that there might         brews, is meeting with general disapproval, Pharaoh
be occasion for the utterance of this speech.                 for the moment is decided to yield. Yet he hates with
    Moses replies, "We will go with our young and' with       all the intensity of his being  the resolve that now forms
our  olg, with our sons aid with our d:`ughters,  with        in his heart, so that, even while he expresses his will-
our flocks and with our .herds  will we go ; for we must      ingness to let the people go, his soul seeths with anger.
hold a feast unto the Lord."                                  How reluctant he is to relax his hold'on the Hebrews !
    Thus Moses is adament. He will concede nothing. Mark that in the next breath he advises against their
All must go dr none, Fearlessly and  unflinChingly  he purpose of leaving. Many dahgers  will beset them in
tells Pharaoh so. The ring in his voice betokens rock-        the way. Well may the Lord be with them. .T@is prayer
like firmness. So Pharaoh again perceives that he'has         to be sure' springs neither from faith in Jehovah nor
to do with a man that cannot be moved. The thought from love for His people. It is uttered merely with a
of this infuriates him. His contempt for Moses knows view of bringing the brothers under the conviction of
no bounds. .`He is vexed beyond  words. In framing a the extreme foolishness of their contemplated under-
retort that will adequately express what he feels, he         taking. The prayer therefore is, rightly considered,
clisc6vei$  that his  stokk  -df phrases  faii him. So he     blasphemy, an abomi&&-in  the ears of God. When
raves and mocks and' blasphemes,' for his mind is too `Pharaoh  perdeives  that his attempt to intimidate Moses
agitated and his soul too Violently moved for deliberate is futile, he is seized by. a violent fit of anger and he
and cog&t speech. &tend to his repiy (I quote here            cries, "Not so." That is, `I will not let you go one and
the original), "So be it. May the Lord be with you, as        all.' "Go now ye that are men, and serve the Lord; for
I will let you`go, and your little ones. Look to it; fou      that ye did desire." Pharaoh's wrath is contagious.
evil is before you. Not  so: 90 now ye that are men           General confusion reigns. The conference comes to an
and serve the Lord ; for, that ye did d&ire."       Wha; abrupt end. Pharaoh will waste not another word upon,
have we here? The jargon, t@ confused and incoherent          the brethren. At his bidding, perhaps, the servants
ramblings of a madman. Pharaoh is manifestly be- drive them  .out from his presence.
side himself with rage. This the retort plainly be-              Pharaoh is now more than before  without excuse.
tokens. The thought that stings his soul to the very He has forcibly and in all likelihood violently driven the
core of its quick is that, after all has been said, he is     servants of the Lord out from his presence and thus
still in the power of the Hebrews' God, that thus the         cut short the negotiation. His blood therefore will be
1man Moses, whose likeness he is cursing, holds the ser-      upon his  own head.
pent by the tail. `Try as he may, he c&not suppress              And Jehovah says unto Moses, "Stretch out thine
this thought permanently. As often as it rises in his hand over the land of ,Egypt for the locusts, thsit they
soul, reason tells. him that the thing for him to do is to    may come upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb
obey the Lord. But this he cannot will to do, for his of the land, all. that the hail hath left." And Moses
heart is being hardened.                                      stretches forth  .his rod over the land of Egypt,  .and
   Does Pharaoh `m&~tielZ.  %&en he says, 90 be it ;" Jehovah drives an east wind upon the.land all that;- day.


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                                              T H E   S T A N D A R D .   `B.EAti.ER                            .'    ?          ;203

       and all the night; when it is inorning, the east wind think they shall be  heard  for their much speaking. Be
1  ,"rings  loctists.  And the locusts come up upon the lahd not ye therefore like unto them; for your father'
       of Egypt, and rest in all the borders of Egypt + very knoweth  what things ye have  he&d of before ye ask
       grievous,: befor them there were no. `such locusts as: him." So it is. The Father.knoweth  and b determined I
      they, neither after them shall be such. And they cover by Himself to `hear, to bless ,and to save, before His
' the face of the ,whole land, so' that the land is darkened ; children' ask. They therefore do and cannot induce him
       and they eat @very herb  of the land,. and all the fruit, be their earnest supplications to  come to their aid. Is
     of `the trees which the hail has:left  : and there remains it necessary fpr your child to indtice  jrou by its plead-.
      not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the ings to &-ive it bread?                ;
     ..field,  in all the land of Egypt.                                  "Forgive my sin only this  .once .  T  ." Pharaoh
_             ,The plague. is laid in th& heart of Pharaoh. A `great prays. Just this once. Pharaoh's.  reasoning is plain :
      fea?  again creeps  over his soul, renders speechless  his       `Mos&;I have sinned. Yet not so that the Lord as yet
, pride and' catits him to the earth at. Moses' feet, where' can in-justice destroy me. I. am still sufficiently worthy
      he again wor&ips. .He calls for Moses: and Aarod in `to  beTspared.   T,hus the Lord,  wotild He be fair, must
      haste ;. and he says, "I, have sinned against Jehovah pardon me. `Failing in tl&, He sins against love and
      your God, and against `you. . And now forgive, I pray truth and justice. Moses, intercede for me. Call `His
     :thee, my sin only this  6nce, and entreat Jehovah your attention. to this.'              How Pharaoh blasphemes God !&
      God. that he may' take &vay froth ine this death only." Though `he has piled up his sins mountain high, he
              How the Lord has again huml$ed  him. But w+at            still deems himself worthy ti be spared. There is `still
      are we to' make of this entreaty of his? Mark you, he pardon for him, a pardon reposing on his own merits..
      flings himself  bn  the dust before God. He  cries,' "I And this phrdoti  God is in dui$ bound ,to grant. Justice
      have sinned - sinned. against Jehovah and against and love, which Pharaoh in his mind. sets over God  a$ .
     , thee." He pleads for pardon. `1s this the sto&hearted so many necessities holding Him down to right action,
      Pharaoh, the man. prepared for destruction; with a demand that He  forgi+e  him.
      measure of iniquity nearly filled? He prays ! I have                "Forgive my sin . . .  ." So he prays, not with
      sinned . . . .  Forgive .  `. . Can this be the behavior         his eyes fixed upon the numerous sins committed but;
      of a man destitute of g+ace?                         I           upon the lone sin of the hour.
              Be not deceived by this prayer. Know that it plainly'       Further,  it is plain that. Pharaoh imagines that  he
      bears the mark of corruption. It is a prayer as foul. Bin`s solely because he wills, that thus  ,he is sovereign
      as'the  ftiul soul from which it rises. And  &is of neces- in his sinning and if he so chooses can, &ase from sin
                                                                                                              . .
      sity. Doth a fountain send  forth at the same place h e r e a f t e r .
      sweet water and bitter? Can the same mouth bless                    Finally,. what- man truly brouiht under' the con-'
      and curse God?                                                   viction of sin, and truly hungering for rightedusness
              Pharaoli$ not concerned about the one sin that he will .pray for the blotting out of the lone sin? How the
     `wishes  pardone&  much  .1&s   $botit  his sins. His sole Lord must loathe the prayer of Pharaoh, of the wicked; .
      grief is the. havoc wrought by the plague. His sole con- Moses goes out  from Pharaoh, and entreats the  .Lord.
      cern is the well-being of himself, of his people and of And the Lord turns a  migh'@  strong west wind, which
      his land. Through` his prayer, he actually in his heart take away the locusts, and cast them into the Red Sea;
      drags God  ,from  His throne. This ought to be clear. there remains  tiot one  1ocuSts in  all the borders of
      Mark the words. "Forgive tiv sin only this once . . ."           Egy&. Thus, the abominable prayer is heard ! Indeed
      It is plain that he means his prayer to be a heart-rend-         but unto Pharaoh's own  destrutition.  For we read.
      ing'plea  through which he purposes and thinks it  pas- "But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he
      sible `to move the Lord to tears, so to say, to induce would not let the children of Israel  `go".
      Him by  earnest entreaty to grant the, desired pardon.                                                               G. M. 6.
      Thus his prayer springs from a thorough pagan con-
:  ception,  the concept&, namely, that the Sovereign.
      On& must and can be moved or induced  by an outside
      influence to pardon sin. Thtis  in petitioning' for re-             Drietal  te, Oskaloosa,  Iowa  :
      mission of sin, Pharaoh actually changes the glory of               Dss. J. De Jong, R. Veldman en G. Vos.'
the  uncorruptible  God into an image made like unto
      corruptible man.  GFd as man must be  $eased  and
      coaxed before he will act.  O&y' after having been
      driven to distraction by the  tearzprovoking  and heart-
      rending pleas of his creatures, does he hearken unto                       ATTENTION,  CONSPTOBPES
     their  cries. It is against this view of,prayer  and.of God          Please, send all the official news  - trios, calls ex-
      that Christ warned when he' said, `"But' when ye pray, tended;  accepted and declined to the &itor-in-chief  of
use. not vain repetitions, as the heathen. do: for they our paper.  -..H. H.
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                                                                    country at least intellectually capable of defining righ-t
                               T h e   >`School  .-                 conduct for the agriculturist, merchant, employee and
         The  Consistories'  shall see to it that there are good    employer,  .the parent and the child, the husband and
      Christian schools im+hich  the parents have their chil-       wife, king and subject; the priest, the  common  Israelite,
      dren instructed  according to the demands of the cove-        .and the worshipper at the temple. In all these scien&s,
      nant. Art. 21                                                 he, as to the moral principle pervading them, if well-
     The Christian school is as ancient as the' true re-            formed, was versed. But consider that. his entire in,
 ligion, and this of necessity as the school is the instru-         struction was truly religion, as it was linked up with,
 ment for the perpetuation of the covenant in the gen- Jehovah. If he were asked, "To whom do& thou be-
 erations of' the sons of God. It is this as it trains the long,". his answer would be, "To Jehovah my God, for
 child to walk in the ways of the covenant in the various by Him I and my people were ,brought  out of Egypt
 departments of life'it enters, when attaining to the sea- with a mighty hand. He therefore has a `claim upon
 son,of manhood (or womanhood). Hence, the covenant me.. Under his yoke therefore I belong." So this youth
 calls. for  .the school, so that the date of the establish- had, been taught to answer. If he were asked,, "Whose
 ment and proclamation of the former is at once the date ,land dost thou till?" His anwer would be, "Jehovah's"
 of the founding of `the latter.                                    If he were asked, "Who is thy` lawgiver ?" His answer
     In the Old Testament theocracy,' the school was the would. be, f`Jehovah."              If he were asked,. "Who made.
 home and the. schoolmaster the father of the .family               thy  glori.ous  history ?" his answer would be. "Jehovah."
 and this according to the ordinance of Jehovah. In the If he were asked, "In whom dost thou end as to all thy
 book of Deut. we come upon exhortations directed to                engagement ?" his answer' would be, f`In .Jehovah  my
 parents that read: "Only take heed to thyself, and keep God."' If he were asked, "What principle dost thou live
 thy soul diligently, lest thou' forget the things which            out of, as argriculturist,  as employer or employee, as'
 thine eyes, have seen, `and lest they depart from thy merchant, or son, as-father or as husband? His answer
 heart all the days of thy life : but- teach .them thy sons,        would be, "Out of the principle of the fear of the Lord."
 and thy son's sons ; especially the day that thou stood-           If he were asked, "For whom dost thou exist," His
 est before. the Lord thy God in Horeb, when the Lord answer would be, "For Jehovah my covenant God to '
 said unto me, `Gather me the people together, and E praise his name forever." So he had been taught.
 will make them hear my words, that they may learnto                   Thus the entire instruction of the Israelitish youth
 fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth,          reposed,upon"and  was permeated by religion. Yet this
 and that htey may teach their children..' "' .And .again :         instruction, though religious, was not, as religions in-
 "And these words which I command thee this day shall struction, one-sided, narrow. How could it be? Con-
 be in thine heart: And thou shalt  tea& them  diligentl;           sider that true religion is all inclusive. It holds in its
 unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou embrace heaven and earth, time and eternity, life and
 sittest in thine house,. and when thou walkest by the , death, things present and things to come. God man
 way, and when thou  liest down, and when thou risest  ' and angels and all creatures. It addresses itself to
 up . . .  `.  .    And when thy son asketh thee in time to         every man, of every degree, of every station, of every
 come, saying, What nleans the testimonies . . . Then walk, of every nation, family and tribe.. It cIaims  for
' thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh's  bond-             itself the whole man as to all that he is `and possesses.
 men in Egypt; and the Lord brought us out of Egypt                    ,The aggregate of precepts of the Lord, to return to
 with a mighty hand . . ., . " Deut. 4:9, 10 ; 6 :`7,. 20.          them, as well as the history that God had made:com:
     It is to be noticed that these injunctions turn on the prised the glass through which, be it darkly, the Israel-
 words of Jehovah, that thus these words, precepts, that ite saw the glories of Jehovah. For these glories, the
 mass of legislation promulgated by Jehovah through saints of the old dispensation had an eye. And of
 Moses  - the civil, ceremonial and moral law of the ten glories they would speak to their children.
 commandments together with the mighty works that                      But now the law of Moses, it is to be considered, is
 Jehovah had wrought in behalf of His people, formed comprised exclusively of moral and religious precepts
 the contend of the instruction that had to be given.               that turn on right ethical conduct. This law is thus
 Tnus this instruction had as many sides to it as their no text on the technic of farming or building, or on
 are sides to life. It was in the right sense broad; It             what is known as the natural sciences. The law, Holy
 spread itself over the entire field of `endeavor of the            Writ, is' a spiritual guide. Moses, therefore, does not
 Israelites. It bore on every'department  of life and in            instruct the husbandman how to til his soil. He sheds
 each of these department it marked the way that the' no technical. and natural light on the various trades
 child had to go. It did this (the instrujion) as the               and crafts and arts and sciences. Not once in his public
 word, precept, law, that formed its content, bore on addresses does.he  exhort the parents to shed this light,
 every phase of existence, so that the well-instructed to impart unto their children their technical knowledge
 Hebrew youth, upon attaining to the season of man-                 of earthy pursuits of life. Nor was this necessary, as
 hood, entered. upon his career as  citizen`  of `God's, parents intuitively as instructed by the Lord knewthat
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                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E ' A R E R                                        211

their duty was to impart this knowledge. We as pair- Lord, all his technical, natural skill is to him a curse.
ents instinctively feel that our children should be Yet this technical, natural knowledge, this practical
taught how to read right and spell. A father realizes ea@hy  wisdom, is as indispensable to a man, to the be-
.that his son should, learn some trade, or train for some liever, as his rationality with which this wisdom or
profession, that the daughter should be taught how to knowledge may be identified. A man unable to com-
manage a home. How does the parent know this? The prehend that twice two `are four is an imbecile ; like the
usual answer is that his reason or edmmon  sense tells man who wo~dd attempt to drive nails with a saw. But
him so. Consider that this answer is thoroughly ration- this  k&wledge,  skill, practical wisdom has worth only
alistic if what is meant is that of this knowledge or if sanctified and placed in the service of Heaven. This
consciousness of the duty to prepare the `child for some the child must be told.
natural pursuit reason or commdn  sense is the source.           Needless to say, the Israelitish parent felt it his
We should  know that the sole source of all knowledge         duty to impart also this knowledge to his of%pring.
is ,God. He it is %vho instructs every husbandmati  how        What has thus been established is the' following:
to till the soil. He it is who arouses In the parents the In the Old Testament theocracy,  the school was the
eonscidusness of their  duty to impart their technical home and the schoolmaster the parents. What was
knov+ledge unto their  of&pring.  Scripture plainly taught is (1) the glorious history of redemption that
teaches this. In tl?e prophetic book of Isaiah we come the Lord had made: (2) the precepts or words of
upon a passage that reads: "Doth the plowman plow             Jehovah, the whole duty of the Israelite as a citizen 01
all day to sow'? Doth he open and break the clods, of God's country, the way that he as a citizen of the king-
his ground ? When he hath made plain the face there- dom  6f Heaven should go, which is the way of the
of, doth' he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the covenant ; (3)  technical,  natural knowledge.
cunnnin, and cast in the principle wheat and the ap-             Let LIS now pass on to our own Christian era. In
pointed barley and the rye in their place? For his God the early ,Christian  church and especially in the church
doth instruct him to discretion, and dotli teach him.         of the middle ages, the school was in the  htinds of the
For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing in-         church, and was used principly  as an instrument for
strument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon Christianizing the people. Church and state schools
the cummin; but the fitches are beaten  out with a staff, were established by Charles the great. In the 14th and
and the cummin with a rod . . . . . This also come$h          15th centuries schools were established in many places
forth from the Lord of hosts, which is wonderful in by the city governments. The branches taught were
counsel,  and. excellent in working." Isa. 28 :24-26, 29.     reading and writing. The Reformers acquiescing in
   The point that the prophet makes is that all natural       existing conditions, urged the state to establish and
and technical knowledge is of the Lord, and is put in wainiain  good schools where children might receive
man's heart immediately by him, that is, it is not re- instruction in the service and fear of the Lord. Besides
vealed  in, him  a@, incorporated  iri precepts, through in- the church schools, there were also diaconate and
strumentality' of the spoken word. He instructs man to orphanage schools, but their number were few. The in-
drive nails with a hammer and-.to-  split rails- with-an ax. struction was almost entirely..-in the hands of the state.          .._
Of himself man knows not  this: Rightly considered, it           The Reformed churches, conscious of the great im-
is the Lord who teaches the child to read and to write portance of the instruction of the youth, ruled upon
not the schoolmaster. How `Utterly dependent man is their  synods that the cofisisistories shouid see to it that
upon his Creator in every conceivable respect. Still al! there were competent school teachers, capable of giving
the thoughts of the wicked are that there is no God. instruction in languages and the free arts and especially
Yet if God tionld not instruct them, they'would  be lack- in the doctrine and the truth. The Synod of 1574 in-
ing in the sense  and the ability to even co&t their dol- structed ministers of gospel to see to it that in every
lars, and to teach his children to read, and to write.        place school teachers were appointed, $0 request the'
   That  Holy Writ is the infallible record df that work government to provide for good salaries, and to require
of God consisting in His reconciling the world unto the teachers to sign the confession of faith and to sub-
Himself in. Clrist, and thus the incorporation of the mit to the discipline of the  &urch. The following
knowledge of what Scripture terms the things of the synods followed this line of action. The synod of Dord-
Spirit, that the pages of the Bible radiates the light        recht  in 1619 ruled that the  cons&tories  should see to    .'
or wisdom that is spiritual - a light sown for the right- it that there were capable school teachers to teach the
eous only - shows that this knowledge, .this light, children to read and  to. write, to give them instruction
wisdom, is all-important. A man  may know how to in languages and in the arts but also in godliness and in
till his soil to the  yery best advantage. But if this the catechism. The Church Order stipulated, that the
man fails to discern spiritually that he  should.labor  as    church visitors inquire  whethe;  the schools were being
God's servants, that he works God's farm  atid that the maintained and attended. The synod also ruled that
proceeds of his labor belong to the Lord, if, in a word,      the instructors be required to sib the Forms of Unity.
he refuses to labor from the principle of the fear of the Finally it was decided to request the States-General to


                                                                         `,





            212                                        TI-IE  S T A N D A R D  REiREh

            draft a general School Order in order that incompetent
            school teachers might be barred and unity in the in-                  Kort Historisch  Overzicht  van de
            struction be promoted.                                                    Gemeente te Roosevelt Park
               It is plain that article 21, according to its historical
            meaning, does not assert that  tie  cogsistories  shall             (Voorgelezen  op het jaarfeest van onze Nannenvereeniging)
            appoint school teachers but. that they shall urge the                 Ik heb mij voorgenomen om in dit  a+onduur  een
            state to  appoi-nt  instructors in  which  the training kort overzieht te geven  van het ontstaan, de worste-
            of the youth could be entrusted. As such, @hurches  had ling en groei, van onze gemeente hier te Roosevelt
            no supervision whatever over the schools. These schools Park. Haar ontstaan was bemoedigend, ha& worste-
            were state institutions, maintained and governed es-               ling was menigmaal zwaar en moeilijk, en haar groei
            elusively by the state. As these  chdrches  were officially was, Gode zij dank, gestadig. *
            called public churches by the. government, they re-                   Den S&ten Mei, 1926, werd er een verzoek geribht
            ceived from the government the right of supervisioa                nan den kerkeraad van de Eastern Ave. Prot. Ref.
            over the schools. In these schoois were taught the Ten             Church, waarin  20 huisgezinnen met 54 gedoopte  kin-
            Commandments,  the Lord's prayer and the 12' articles deren en 5 enkele belijdende  leden,  verzochten om tot
            of faith, the institutions of Baptism and  oi" the Lord's een  zelfstandige   Proteiteerende  gemeente  georgani-
           . Supper, the morning and evening prayer, the prayers seerd te Borden. Dezk bri?f was dodr de volgende per-
            befor.e  and after the meals, the Heidelberg Catechism.            souen  onderteekend :
            `Ihus it appears that the schools of the Reformed wing                 J. Ditmar en vrouw met 11 gedoopte kinderen
            of `the  Xeformation,  were Reformed State Sehoois.                    J. Wiltjer en vrouw  met 1 gedoopt kind
      1         The French Revolution abolished revealed religion.                 9. Miedema en V~OLIW met 5 gedoopte kinderen
            In the Nethhexlands  the tie betwe&  church  and state                 H. Wiltjer en vrouw
            was severed, and the church  lost all supervision over               5.  Ebuma en vrouw
            the school which thereupon became an instrument  :for                  J. Knooper en vrouw met 1 gedoopt kind
            the instilling of Revolutionary principles. Pet the                    P. De Vries en vrouw met 2 gedoopte kinderen
            school was supposed to be neutral. Ir, the 19th `century               J. Kool en vrouw met 1 gedoopt kind
            the. Christian parents ia the Netherlands protested                    L u c a s   T i e t h o f
            against the Neutral state school. At present the  Chris-               D. London en vro~nv met 1 gedoopt kind
            tSa= schools in the Netherlands proceed from and are                    P. Knooper eti vrouw met 4 gedoopte kinderen
            maintained by societies.                                               A. Grifiioen  en vrouw  met 11 gedoopte kinderen
 \                 Let us now face the  qtiestions: il) From  ivhom                T. Elhart en vrouw
            should the school proceed? (2) What should be in-                      Bernard  Elhart
            structed? (3) What must be the relation between the                    C. E. Haan en vrouw met 10 gedoopte kinderen
            school a2d the church ? (4) What i,s a Christian school ?              Wm. Qitmar
            (5) What should be its basic principles ? (6) What is                  3. Pols en vrouw met 2 gedoopte kinderen
..-  ._     its purpose?                         ..                             Clarence Pols            - --
                   These questions will be answered in a following                  D. Ondersma en vrtiuw
            article.                                                               J. Grif'i?oen  en vrouw
                                                                 G. M. 0.           G. Bouma en vrouw met 1 gedoopt  kind
                                                                                    EeFj: Boomsma
                                                                                A. Bruggema en  v`rouw                         #
                                                                                    D. Boomsma  en vrouw met 5 gedoopte kinderen
                                     I    N         MEMORIAM                      Deze  30 huisgezinnen, waarvan 9 ons alweer hebben
               ?Thereas  it has pleased cur heavenly Father to take unto       verlaten, werd den 12den Juli, 1926 tot een Protestee-
           : Himself his beloved &id and one  of our fellow member's wife,     rende Gemeente georganiseerd. Op deze vergadering
                                     MRS. J. EZINGA,                           presideerde Ds. H. Hqeksema  en Ds. H. Danhof hield
                                                                               een predikatie  over Heb. 2 :13 het laatste gedeelte, "Zie
            We, the members of the English Men's Society of the First Prot.    daar, Ik en de kinderen  die mij God gegeven heeft."
            Reformed Church of Grand Rapids, Mkh.,  do hereby express our
            sympathy to the bereaved family.                                   Op deze vergadering waren er 21 stemgerechtigen te-
               We hope and pray that the Lord will strengthen and  corn--      genwoordig. Tot ouderlingen werden gekozen:  J.  Dit-
            fort them and sanctify  this sudden loss unto their and our        mar, T. Elhart en D. London en tot diakenen, J. Kool en
            hearts.                                                            C. E. Haan. Deze ambtsdragers werden door Ds. G. M.
                     English Men's Society of the First Protestant Reformed    Ophoff in  hul? ambt bevestigd. Staande werd de  ver-
                          Church,                                              gadering'toegezongen, "Dat `s Heeren zegen op u daal,"
                                                                               en Ouderling S. Bijlsma  sluit de vergadering met dank
                                               0. Van  .Ellen,  Pres.
                                               Sydney De Young, Secy.          aan God, waarna Ds. H. Hoeksema den  zegen  over de
                Grand Rapids. Mich,                                            pas  georganiseerde  gemeente uitspreekt.  ZBer spaedig


     . .                                                                                                                                             -.
!  /         .I216                                     T H E   STANDARD.BEARER

            :                                                                   to a Protestant Reformed Sunday  school  that has a
                             SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON                               distinctive system peculiar to ourselves. These  `are
                  As Protestant  tieformed  laymen, witliin  Ahe bosom matters that certainly,lie  cl&e  to the hearts of our Re-
             of $he church of Jestis Christ, having the cause of God:s formed loving People.
             covenant, at  heart,  it' behooves  u;s to write this ar-             Modernism is attacking us on  .every  side. The
             ticle, on a subject, with which many of us are not ac-             Christian School, its  circumst&nces,  we all shudder
             quainted. Yes, often tinies do not like to` talk about.            when we t,hink  of thein. The Beast stands round about
                 For over a year a number of delegates from the us as angel of light, ready to entice ,our generations
             various Sunday Schools, of our Protestant Reformed upon the broad ways of modern religion, humanistic in
             Churches, in Michigan, have been laboring, toward a form. In number we are small and  in&nifi&nt.
            `lesson system which would be. distinctly, .suited' and Should we not fortify every  orga&ation, in. our de-
             adopted to bring out our rich heritage and. truth; as nomination and churches with systems and facilities
                                                                                to train our covenant  yout$ in our own peculiar way ?
,            this lies in the right conception of God's covenant with
             His people.                                                        Is it not our calling to be consistent:,in.  our di&inction
                                                                                as Protestant. Reformed Churches? : Should we not
                  Building upon the  pinciples so  ably set forth by apply the antithesis. in every. sphere of our domain ?
             Rev. Kok, lecturing to the Association of the Sunday               Brethren, let us lay aside the technical bjrriers,  and
             S,chool  Teachers (which has been published in  ,the with our children fight the `good fight of faith, trai-ning
             Standard Bearer) these delegates have zealously them in the peculiar heritage revealed &to us, in every
            labored toward reaching` a goal whereby our Sunday sphere, in the covenant way. In God's grace we have
             Schools would become a real benefit toward helping the victory.
            .. promote, and inculcate into the minds of our covenant
             youth  the riches of this ,heritage.       These principles at                                                   .J:  B.  .Kortering
             o&e require a new system of lesspn  topics to be ip har-               Holland, Mich.
             mony with the general thought -structure  .of the cove-
             nant as this lies in the Scriptures. We are all convinced
             that the  systeal  of  lessdns set up by the International
             Council of Sunday Schools is wholly inadequate to
             realize this goal. This beautiful line of the covenant                                 MY BOW IN THE CLOUDS
             running `through the S&ptures, from cover to cover,
             as a. whole is not  fotind. in the International System.
             Thus a committee, including Protestant Reformed                                    At thundering Niagara
             Pastors, has been.  appoi&ed,  who willingly have                                    In sunlight's radiant glow,
             labored in presenting to the Sunday Schools, for adip-                             We stood above-the cataract
             tion, a schedule of lessons, out of both Old .and New                                And watched the mists below;
             Testament, for a cycle of one year.  ,This system is
             especially  compiled for the purpose  .of dwelling on the                          Although they veiled the torrent
             riches of ,our Reformed truth, tile covenant from .dif-                       *      God sent a beauty new ;
             ferent viewpoints.                                                       :         The clouds that hid the  roaripg flood
                      The deleg+tes'  .board  in its regular official mamler                      The rainbow brbught to view.
             has presented this system to the various Sunday
             Schools for adoption. But now, to come to our point.
             -To our utter amazement, questions gre being raised by                             His voice !  - I turned to listen - --
             some of the Schools as to- the advisability of making                                A word spoke in my. ears:
             this change. We still hear'the echoes of a clamoring                               "My greatest, glory is not seen
             for the  Inter.national  System. They reason, &tain  the.                            Save through the mist of tears.
             system, giving it our own explanation.. But they fail ta
            `see that the riches of th.& precious heritage, the line                            "I spread the shadows o'er thee,
             of God's covenant, is not found. in that system.                                    So  than may'st find it true
                      The question naturally comes to our minds, is it                          That when 1. bring thi clouds o'er, earth
             wise to `leave to the judgment of the youth the nature
             .of the spiritual food.they  shall receive, as this now per-                         I send the rainbow, too:
             tains to our Sunday Schools. Is it not our duty, that in
             the  mornipg  and evening, everywhere, and all the                                 "Until  - 0 blessed moment  -
             time, we `train the covenant seed in the covenant way.                               My" children, gathered Home,
             Is it not our duty to avail ourselves- to every oppor-                             See, in that `morning -without  Clouds',
             tmiity,  including the possibility of, sending our' childrq
                                   ,                                                              The rainbow round the throve."  -          -


                                     Rev.  R.  Veldman.

                                                   FEBRUARY 15,1935


                                                                 ment of, the eternal Mind, his finite .words  are the
                                                                 v'ehicles of eternal' Rea&,  purposed to quicken- in the
                                                           .     h6arts of theti,that  have,ears  to hear the consciousqess  '
                                                                of, everlasting love, full of joy and  tranquil  peace :
                                                                 Gracetoyqu!  . . . . .       ,`..
                                                                       .Hark  ! church of His. choice !
                                                                       Yo.ur God is speaking, 0 Zion!

                                                                 constant, unchangeable, eternal  !.
   Hark ! churbh of God !                                              What ,yqu read in these words is but a revelation of
 1 Saints that are at Philippi  ; elect of God, called to the  word  ~~  speaks   ete~a~y:   @ace  to  you  !
be sailits  in the midst of this present world, believers              That which you hear in. these  hum& sounds of  -
                                                                 iortal  mouth is the omnipotent word of Him that calls



                                                                       Amen,  .yea, amen!

                                                                                                      .               ,





                                                                       Grace is the very beauty of, God and His divine





                                                                 beauty, is `attracted to Himself, contemplates Himself;
                                                                 finds delight in the pleas& beauty of His perfectibn,              ;
                                                                 is gracious to Himself fro-m  eternitjr  to. eternity ! . . . -
                                                                       Grace is the bejuty of aGod as it is feflected  in !he
                                                                 ,.


                        perfection of His people as  Be knew them and -knows                                                          Unspeakable joy !
                        them with a divine, creative, causal knowledge in His
                        eternal cotinsel..  `. For, *God  foreknew  His people ; not as
                   we.foreknow  butxas  He foreknows, with the creatively                                                             .f                                                                         -
                        d&ign+g knowledge of. the' absolute Artist; `He en-
                        graved `them  :in both the palms of His hands ;  tind as -  G r a c e !
                        He `knew them and knows them with an eternal knowl-                                                           The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you!
                        edge the children of Zion shine with a perfection of                                                          Always it is the g?ace of the Lord JeSus Christ .that
                        beauty that is a reflection of His own; they are con- is pronounced as God's blessing upon His people.
                        fotied according to the  v&y image of His' Son. And                                                           And always, whenever the blessing of  this grace is
                        as He is eternally contemplating His own beauty in pronounced, the Mediator of. that grace  s`tands  before,
                        Himself, so `He is eternally graciously inclined to the us in al! the significance expressed by this threefold
                        beauty of Zion's perfection. Eternally He spiaks the ' name: the Lord Jisus Christ.                                                                                                                                                          f
                        Word to the -saints as He beholds  the&m in His eternal                                                       Seveial -t&es in Scripture this very sake f&m of
                        Mind: Grace. to You.! The grace of the Lord Jesus                                                       blessing occurs : The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ -be
                        qhrist  be with you all ! . . . .                                                                       with you all. Or, with a slight change: The .grace `of
                             That eternal Word of  grnce He reveals and writes the Lord Jesus  Chrisf be with ydur spirit. Or again:
                        for His people upon the pages of history !                                                              The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ`and  the love of God.
                             He speaks the Word of grace and the Eternal ap-                                                    and the communion of th6 Holy Ghost be with' you all.,
                        pears in time, the Lord of heaven descends into the                                                     Or, as. the salutation in the beginning  if the epistles.
                        lower parts of the earth, God comes in the likeness of                                                  often  reads: Grace to you and peace from God the
                        sinful flesh. `He speaks the Word of grace and the                                                      Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. And again: Grace,
                        Light. seeks the lowest depths of our darkness, Right- mercy, and peace from God the F.&her and the Lord
                        eousness becomes the bearer  of all our iniquities, Life Jesus Christ.
                        is &allowed up by the  atigry billows of our death, the                                                       But, whatever form the blessing may assume,
                        Beloved. is.  consutied  by eternal wrath. He speaks. the always it is  the grace of  Cilrist that is bestowed upon
                        Word of grace and the mountains quake, the rocks are the church and ahvays He stands b6for.e  us in  .these
                        rent, Hades opens its gates, -and the Light breaks                                                      blessings in all the fulness of I&s names. He is Jesus,
                        thrdugh  the darkness, Life breaks the bonds of death,                                                  JehovalT-salvation  ; He is Christ, the anointed  S&ant
                        heaven through hell, glory through shame and `the over all the house of God ; He is the. Lord, Who pur-
                        Risen God in the glory of the resurrected life speaks                                                   chased Us in love, to Whom we belong with body and
                        words of grace : I am the resurrection and the life ; He                                                soul. Through Him the grace of the `Father flows to-
                        that believeth in Me, though He were dead, yet shall wa?d  us, into us, is with us.                                                                                               _
                        he live ; and he that liveth and believeth in Me ihall                                                        For, you understand, not another grace is the grace
                   nevel- die!  ;  ; . .                                                                                        of the Lord Jesus Christ than the grace of God the
                          The Word of grace  He speaks and Immanuel ascends                                                     Father.
                        to His Father and our Father, to His God and our God,                                                         It is the grace &f God, the grace of the Fathe?,  of
                        ascends, till in glorified human nature He has found                                                    our Father and His Father, of the Triune God. He is
                        the bosom of the Fathe+,  ascends `till His position is at .the eternal Source of all  grace,  the inexhaustible
                        the pinacfe of all created things and He is seated at the Fountain-head of all the blessings of grace, of forgive-
                   right hand of God. The Word of grace He speaks and ness and righteousness, of redemption and sanctifica-
                        the Lord of glory received the promise of the Spirit,                                                   tion, of perseverance and final perfection, of light and
                   becom.es the quickening Spirit Himself and, in the                                                           iife and glory, of wisdoin and the knowledge of God,- of
                  ,Spirit,  returns  dnto  I$s own, to carry the Word of' faith and hope and love, of regeneration and calling and
                   grace  into their very hearts ! . . . .                                                                      the resurrection, of the eternal beauty of the inherit-
                           The eternal. Word of grace He speaks and, in the                                                     ance incorruptible and undefiled  land that fadeth not
                   hearts of the sinful brethren light and liberty is                                                           away. !He is the.Author,  the sole Author of the eternal
                   wrou"ght  ;. the shaikles of sin and death are broken  atid                                                  Word: Grace be with you, all! Yet, this grace in all its
                   drop away, the burden of an awful unrighteousness. implications of blessing is bestowed on us through  our
                   rolls away,  the enmity against God is changed into love,                                                    Lord Jesus Christ. He is the reservoir into which the
                  a mduth full of cursing and bitterness becomes,an  in- Fountain of grace flows first with all its riches, thence
                  stfument  of praise . . .  ;                                                                                  to fill all the `hearts of all the saints with life and glory,
                                                                                                                                righteousness and peace. It is the grace of God the
                          Giace He speaks and the darkness becomes ligl$, Father bestowed on us through our Lord Jesus Christ.
                  d.eath  is swallowed up of life ! . . . .                                                                           That grace be with you !
                        ' Hell yields up its children for heaven !                                                                    Sometimes, usually in the salutations at the  begin-
                        ..  Hear the Word, 0.  Zion: Grace  !                                                                   Iling of the epistles, the .for,m is : Grace td. you !
                           _.     ,                                                                                                                                    I
                         .:
"<\.  :..  :
       (;,                             _a.\                 .*           //,                                                                       `.                                                                         ,(
 ,.
!.         ",     ,_                                                              .,.:           :      .I           :                                                                   !     '                                    .`.
                                                                                                                                ,,          :'     ,.     `1     i          L,     :;               ;.         `.:     z+     1            ;    __      .,:.<%"           _.     :
 `i : ;     :,.`:   ;.;.   i:.,   ,;`:  .;,<  :.  ::-  ,-:  1.  :;  .-.,  ..,  .:  .:  i  /  "  .  .          .'          .:


      ,a        .:..
         .!:I:,: I"`;&&. there is a difference. Tile forger presupposes blotted them out in boundless @ace ! Hear My Word
             &e latter. There must be grace to you bef0r.e there when you hunger  and thirst after' tighteousness  and
               can be grace'with  you, just as there must be an ejectTic                know that ye shall be filled ! He&r  My eternal Word of
`.             current.  condu&d  to, your home `before' there can be                   Grace tihen darkness surrounds you and, fear grips
 ,. light with  you in  you> dwelling..                                                 your hearts, wheti  the  suff&ing  of this  pres&t time is
                   Grace to you is the current' of divine blessing from upon you and the shadows of death reach out for you:
      _ the eternal  Go$ of  grac,e>  through Christ Jesus' into The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you !
       k your  he&t,                                                                            Hear and be assured that you are more than COU-
               Grace with you is  ihe  constapt  light of life that querors through Him that loved you !
               shines in  you& heart; that surrounds you in  $he dark-                          My` grace be with you now!
               ness  of. the way through the world, that accompanies,                           My grace be with you  Forever and ever !
               you in your pilgrim% joulney, that never leaves you,                         Amen,  yea, `amen !
                                                                                                     ._
               that is the strength of your life, that sustains you                                                                                                      H. H.
               whe? the way is `steep and treacherous, th&t strength-
               ens you to the battle; that' comforts you in all your                                                                                                                /
               sorrow, that affords you peace, in- all your -&rest,  that
              assures you of righteousness in all your sin, of' life in'                                                    MISTAKEN SOULS
               all your death, `of a living hope in all ypur despair . . .
                        The lovingkindness of our God in the .Lord  Jesus                            Mistaken  souls  ! that dream of heav'n,
               Christ be with yoti ail,. accompany you- in all .the way !                                        An'd make their  lmpty boast
                        The power that' transforms  you  from  darkness into                         Of inward joys, and sins forgi&, '
               children of light abide in you !                                                                  While they are slaves to lust..
                        The divine strength that is able to `fceep  you even
              `unto  thk end and give you the victory sust& you ! !
                        The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with  jrout                            Vain are our fancies, airy flights,
                        With  you all, Amen!                                                                     If  faith  be cold and dead:.
                                                                                                     None, but a living pow'r,' unites                              .
                                                                                                                 To Christ the living head.
                                                                                                                                                               P



       . .                                                                                           `Tis faith, that changes all the heart;                                             _
                        Hark ! Children  of. Zion !                                                  ~ `Tis faith, that works by love,                                         _
                        Hear the  W&d,  for, your God is speaking: Grace
               with you !                                                                            That bids all sinful joys depart,
                        Hear, for this fleeting breath of `a human word is                                       And lifts the thoughts above.
               God's revelation  $0.  `you  of an ahnighty and eternal
              Word; which He speaks uninterruptedly, from eternity                                   `Tis faith,  that conquers earth `and hell
               to eternity upon them that fear Him.                                                              By a celestial pow'r  ;             ,
!                       For God is not a'man that He should lie.                   :                 This is the grace that shall prevail
                        And..the  .f7vord  of God is not a mere sound, uriable to,
               perform what it @ls.                                                                              In the decisive hour.                                   _.
                        Nor is. there with Him any variableness or shadow
         of turning. All His works are eternal, even as He is                                        Faith m&t obey her `Father's will,
               eternal. Wheti He speaks He speaks eternally.                  :                                  As well  .as trust his grace;
                        And, th&efore,  when He inspired His' servant to                             A pard'&ng  God is jealous still
              write to His people in this world of sin and darkness,                                             For his own holiness.
               of Sorrtiw  and strife of suffering and death, of fear and
              trembling: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with                                 `I
 . ybu all, He ,revealed  to` you His eternal attitude to,Zion's                                     When from the curse he sets us free,
               childreh,  .His. ahnighty power to save them to the full,.                                        He makes otir natures clean ;
              ,His eternal Word of grace which He speaks forever in                                  Nor would he send his Son to be
              His  counsel;  which reached out  for. yen through Jesus                     "                     T h e   miriister  o f   s i n .              .                    Y
               Christ, which  sh?ll tiever return to Him, btit be divinely
              -spoken   over  .you  forever and  ever!.                                              His Spirit purifies our frame,
       ~_               MY plessing  is upon My people !
        ::         I; `Jehovah,..say  `: Grace be with you ! Peace,-be still j 1                                 And seals our peace with God;
        % "-.  H&k!  : Hear My  etern&l Word and  ttirn  tinto Me                                    Jesus aqd hii- salvation came ' ,
 ,,,`. wit& all your sins and iniquities an8 kndw that I have .' i                                        By water and by blood.
      .;  2  .'          :     L.                                                        .:i  I
        _  ,,,            :                                                                                                                               a
                                                                                                          .,          .:         :.                                                           .  :
                                                                                                                                                                                                .:


                                                                                                                         Education (Opvoeding)
                                                                                                                In the thirteenth chapter of the first epistle to the-
                                                                                                            Cokinthians,  we come upon a passage that reads, "When
                                              A  Firstling                                                  I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child,
                                                                                                            I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put
                  To my request fbr the opinion of our readers con-                                         away childish things." There `is, to be sure, a differ-
              cerning the  propo`sed  change in our publication. I ence between the infant child and the child full-grown,
              already received one reply.                                   ._                              the man, between the 1, the human soul atid spirit in its
                                                                                                            infancy and the I, soul, spirit in its manhood  (wonian-
                  It is by one df`our young men. . Here it is :                                             hood). The child soul thinks as a child, imagines, loves,
                       D e a r   R e v .   H o e k s e m a : -   ~                                          wills,  ,desires,  as a child. Its reactions are that of a
                                                                                                            child. Its power of apprehension and comprehension
                  .This  >noon I was home for lunch and I picked .Up                                        are that of a child.' It views the'  things  of its yorld
        _ the Standard Bearer. As I was reading I ran across through the spectacles of a child-soul.` It apprehends
              the article which explained the prbposed  change in the the meaning of the things  *with the mental grasp of a
              contents of the Standard Bearer.                                                              child-mind. And of many things it forms no .cqnception
                                      _  -                                                                  at all.
                I really think the young people have not been taken
             into very much consideration in. the past. Therefore,                                              A very young child of let us say, twd or three or
                                                                                                            even six years old, can have no notion of the magnitud.e
              I was' very much surprised when I  read, this article and                                     of space and time. Explain  80 it. the principle of
              want to thank you for the opportunity to express my- motion of a steam engine and it will be ione the wiser.
              self.                                                                                             Morally, too, the child is not the man. It has no
                  Kindly list me with those that are in favor of the `endizring  convictions, no set notions of things. It `is no
              new proposal.                                                                                 moral rock, incapable of being-moved. It sketches ant
                                                                                                            for itself no course of life. It is without an abiding
                                              Very truly yours,                                             singleness' 6f purpose and aim. It sets before its eye no
                                                                                                   G: S.    goal to which it consciously and permanently moves.
                                                                                                            It is irresponsible and without a sense of duty.  .Its
                  I hope that this may be a firstling, the premise of likes and dislikes are changeable.  I& loves and hates                                               '
              a veritable harvest of opinions.                                    '                         lack depth. But its soul is remarkably impressidnable.
                                                                                                            Its memory is strong. I speak now of a normal child.
                  Don't fail to send in your ideas.                                                         The child easily believes. Its confidence can be easily
                 Let  tie  khow  definitely, whether it is your purpose `won. But the child. lacks  indep@ndence.  It is in the
              to have me publish your contributions  br whether you need of someone to lean upon,  .someone  to whom it can
              desire to have them considered as personal correspond- turn and in whom it can confide and hide itself.
              ence.                                                                                             But the man, on the other hand, puts away childish
                                .                                                                           things. The man speaks, thinks, and understands as a
                  Be  iure to  ptit your opinion black on white. Some man. He apprehends the meaning of things with the
              have expressed  i themselves. orally to me, for and mental .grasp  of a man. His mental engagements are
             agaimist.  But that is not desirable.                                                          that of a man. His powers of penetration are that of
                                                           ._
                  If you send your letters as personal, correspondence, man. His conceptions are that of a man. He concen-
                                                                                                            trtites upon things of which the child can have no
              don't write in a form that expects an answer. You will notion. There is depth to his insight and strenght to
              not receive an answer. My time would not allow me to the impulses under which he a&s. He walks spiritually
              send  personal  replies.                                                                      with a firm step. He knows his mind. There is diree-
                  But it-is essential that we hear from as many as tion to his life. He has a  iyell-defined  notion of God
              possible. Don't think that the other fellow will take                                         and man, and a fixed view  of life and the world:- He
              care of it. We want  @~.4r opinion.                                                           feels himself responsible and his sense  of duty  is-now
                                                                                                            k e e n .
                  It is preferable,  ,of course, that you motivate your                                       This  differ&e  between the child-soul and the  man-
             opinion. Give your reasons  for or against the plan.                                           soul, what else can it mean but that the soul of the
                  Now, then, let the abode be a firstling.                                                  creatur6 that God calls man is capable of growth, de-
                  I am waiting for the Farvest.                                                             .velopment  and actually does grow as well as his body.
                                                                                                            The whole man is born a child and it is the whole child
                                                                                                   H. H.    that through a process of growth must attain to the
                                      -
                           .
                                                                                                                                    _
                                                                           ;.                                                                                    -
        :                 -      '             `_                     :                ..     :
>`.            ,`.                                   _           .                                                          .:;-                    I'     ,.


     stature of  the: measure of man both physically and and thinks and speaks. as a man. But  besides  this,
      spiritually.                                                     every child, man, experiences in addition  either,.  a nega-
          This raises the  qL!e,stion  whether the child, spiritu- tive-spiritual or a positive-spiritual growth, develop-
      ally, mentally, can grow without mental, spiritual, food ment. To experience a negative-spiritual development
      and light and exercise. And the answer: The soul of a is to grow in sin and to attain finally to thk measure of
ehild as well- as its body will grow only if fed. The                  the stature of the fulness of a matured sinner. It  is
       growing soul is in the need of nourighment,  quite as the sinner,' permanently destitute of saving grace who                      *
I    m&h  as the growing body. The unfed soul. can no so grows. On  th.e other hand, to experience this posi-
       more grow and attain to inaturity  thati the unfed body. tive-spiritual development is to grqw in grjce and in
        Consider, finally, that the child can as little attend knowledge and thus to eventually attain to the mea-
       to the feeding of its soul than to the feeding of its body.     sure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. Only the
       There is a theory of education that insists that the child people of God, they possessing the life  of-regeneratioh!
       should be thrown on its own resources and be allo-sed  to so grow. Needless to  say, the scriptures that I quoted,
       feed itself  w&h food of its own choosing. How fool- have a bearing on this negative-spiritual and this posi-
       ish the notion. The child is born helpless. It is quite tive spiritual grovSth. Now, only that child or rnsifi who
       incapable of caring  f& itself. It must be  fed.  And undepgoes  this positive developmetit,  tiuly grows.
       even when capable of feeding itself, it does not dis-              In this essay, I concentrate particularly upon this
       tinguish between harmful and wholesome  goods.  It true,   positive-spir&al  g&wth.
       will hold out its hand for the .one as .soon'  as for the           Let me commend `now no the term education. It
       other.' Its mental food,  too, must be therefore selected       means to lead out or up.. The Holland term'for  educa-.
       for  it. And with this food its  s&l must be fed. And           tion is  f`opvoeding". `I prefer this latter term as it ex-
      -if fed the soul of the child will eat and grow. Thus            presses  e,x,actly what true education consists in, to yit,
       the child is in the need of the nurse, who can feed its. in feeding the soul of the child with proper spiritual
      soul, in the need of the educator: the parent, &he               food, with the kind of food upon which its  so$ can
       teacher, the' pastor. The edueator. of the child is God.        thrive. The educator is in truth a feeder of souls. True
          The notion that the soul is capable-of growth and is         education consists in feeding the  ~0.~1  of the child with
       in the need of food for growth is thoroughly scriptural.. the food  i! needs. Let me say in passing that the child
       I think now of Peter's exhortation that  r&ads, "Where-         I have before my mind is the covena&  child in .whose
      .foue laying aside all  malice and all guide and hypo-           heart has been shed abroad the love of God, thus a :
       cracies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn potential believer, by nature dead in sin yet possessing
       babes, desire: the s,ihcere,  milk of the word; that ye the principle of everlasting, life in .its soul. Thus true
       njay grdw thereby." Then there is that word of Paul to          education -cogsists not in making but in fee.ding  this
       the Colo,ssians, a word that reads, "being fruitful in child. The child passes under the tutelage of the ed-
       every woik, and increasing in the knowledge of God; ueator as made  - made as to its mental powers, its
       strengthened with all might . . . .  " Consider, too, distinctive  nature, disposition and attitude, his capaci-
       that the belieier  appears in `scripture as a tree, plahted     ties for good and evil, if a child of special grace. It is
       be the rivers of  .water,  tllat bringeth forth his fruit in    the educator who  refus'es  to  deriv.e  his principles of
       his season. And as to' the wicked,. they spring as the pedagogy from God's word, who prates of making the
       grass and do flourish. But it  is that they may be              child, of building character. But this educator should
       destroyed forever.            '                                 know that there is no such thing & "character build-
           It is exactly this abiiity of the soul to grow and this ing", if by this engagement is meant, making the child.
       need of the growing soul for food that makes pos-                Consider that the character of the child is the nature
       sible and renders absolutely imperative the action or common to all men  individbaliz'ed  in the particular
       engagement known as education..                                 child, that character is thus the di&inctive  nature or
           In this essay I call your attention to the idea of true     traits `of the  %.child.    Can  now the educator build in or
       education. There are three questions that I raise and impress upon, the being of the child its distinctive  na-
       answer:                                                         ture ? He cannot. With its distinctive nature the child
           1. What is true education.          a                       is born and goes to school. If ti child devoid of sa@ng
         2. What is its aim.                                           grace, it passes under. the jurisdiction of the. school-
           3. What are  its'a&omplishments.   b                        master solely with the sinful nature of our first parents,
           You realize, to be sure, that we are to distinguish Adam and .Eve. This nature cannot. be  .changed  by the
       between the natural intellectual and moral growth of human educator, much less eradicated and another                                  `.
       the  soul.  and its spiritual growth.  .Every  normal more likely  nattire  impressed upon  the. essence of the
       child, be it saint or sinner, exp&iences  a natural, in- child's being. True, the child can be trained to-behave;
       ,tellectual  and moral growth. The evidence of this is He can be made to see that it will pay him to swing his                         .'
      that, .a& was said, the child thinks atid speaks a& a child,      conduct, in line with common' and recognized laws of
       thit the child, now a man, puts away childish thzngs descency.   --He can be compelled to form  ivholesonie\
                                                                                                                                `.  :


                                                                                                                                                    --I


 habits of life. But ihe child's nature cannot be'changei: the true goodness increated by the `Savio&  in the be:
  And the resultant character that the educator imagines ing of those for whom He  layed down His life. The
  he succeeded in building is but so much veneer, a green unprincipled pedagogue,insis$  that every child sets out
  foliage of proper habits that springs from the` principle upon its career with a .clean heart. or at least with a
  of sin. I  rep&at,  the educator does not make but merely better self that can be dealt with and, that if properly
  feeds, leads out or up, trains, the child. And as a re-         appealed to, will arouse itself and rjsing to its feet, will
  sult .of this feeding, the 6hild glows, develops. .If the reach out for the  beahtiful,  the true, and the good.
  child be a potential good tree, and if the ins&&ion  be There may be some corruption lurking in the` child's
  truly Christian, the child grows in grace, On the othe?         bosom, but even this is virtue  iri disguise. It can there-
  hand, `if the child be and remains a potential bad tree, fore be sublimized and led into proper channels. Others,
  it grows in sin and the instruction, though Christian, as was said, &ill prate of the pqssibility of engraving
stimulates this growth. `Who among sane thinking character upon the essence bf the child's being. Views
  people. would maintain that the nature. of a bad tree seem to differ. We need not be struck with wond&  .at
, will change, if only the tree be planted in good soil and this reasoning of'the world. The'njtural man will not
  set out in a place where it will be exposed all the day have. the  tputh.  But  what  may surprise  US is. that
 to the light of the  sun? Consider that we have to do these views are beginnings  to raise their head in our
  .here with d'ivine ordinances in  lower c$eation.that  re- Reformed circles. Pray, what is that theory uf cornman
  flect perfectly the spiritual processes under  consideral       grace other than a practical denial of the doctrine of
  tion.  .Th.e natural is truly a figure of the. spiritual. man's  to&l  depravity ! What is  ihe implication of this
       Now the principle of education, I  here,  annunciate theory other than that throdgh the operation of this
  is `thqrotighly  scriptural. Let me  quote Paul, "And he, grace there was preserved in man some of the original
  gave some, apostles ; and some, prophets ; arid  so&e,         goodness of our first parents so tha$ there is Yesident
  evanbelists  ; and some, pastors and teachers; for the         in the being of every man  a better self. that under
  perfecting of the saints, for the  work.of the ministry, proper training developes into a member of society so
  for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come       usefL;l, so good, so qrtue-loving that it is quite. safe
  into the unity of faith, atid  of the knowledge of the Son     for the children of the lig&t.to !ock arms with him` and
  .of God, unto a perfect man, unto ihe measure of the with his indispensable cooperation wo& for the "re-
  stature of the  fulness  of Christ."                           formation and the moral uplift of this sin-sodden and
       Consider that the apostle addresses saints, believers,    doomed world ! What is this theory of common grace
  in whose being had been implanted a principle of new at bottom other  ,than sheer modernism.  The principle
I life. As a result of this action of God, &here was hidden      of education I here present is so lintollerably  narro6-.
  in the inner rec&ses  of the -being of these saints a new It only allows the drafting Qf a.l%ogra&  of action that
                                                                 ties one down to the despicable effort, consisting'in sav-
  man, renewed in knowledge after the image of `him
  thatlcreated  him. This man is the potential saint. And -ing out of the world 8 %ew elect. I5 The big heart of man
  it was  with-a. view  to this man, that the Lord gave and does not allow him to keep  himself to a program so,,
  still gives unto his redeemed- teachers and pastors. disgustingly narrow in its scope.  .So  ;be  ,h$tches  out
 And the business of these teachers is to feed, lead  outs for himself a scheme for winning the world for Christ.
  and up, traiti, this man, that he may grow in grace and And he insists that the school be an instrument for the
 in knowledge and thus co&e  unto the measure of the             coming of the kingdom of man. Indeed ! But  ket these
-stature of the fulness of Christ.                               heroes consider that they b&at the air.
       What. the Lord thinks of the engagement, hen call'                            (To be continued)
 character building, is evident. from an  exclatiation                                                         G. M. 0.
 found.  iti the  prophet%  book of the prophet Jeremiah.
 It reads, "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the
 leopard his  spbts? then i-nay ye also  dti good, that  ar.e       Het aanziei  de,+ Heereri  in liefde en genade niaakt
 accustomed to  do.*evil."                                       het hart week en doet het o6g ween&.  En dat moet
       Now you realize that the  prin&ple of education I het  tech zijn om  tdt  wederoprichting  te komen uit
 l@ar present is not at all p6pular. It is a hated notibn.       elken val. De  war`e  bekeering is eene hartelijke  droef-
 The world, as can be expected, will  h&e nothing of it.  ' heid, dat wij God doo'r onze Tonden  vertoornd,  hebben;
 It mocks with the conception that the schqol  must be           Dat God ons straffen  moet, dat doet ens, zeer, dat is
 an instrument' for feeding the new life of the elect,           zielepijn; die gedachte verteert, verdroogt ons  levens-
 for leading out and u.p the new man of the choosen  of          sap, doet onze bkenderen verdorren. Maar dan' zi.en
 God.' The world will not concede that humanity divides          onze` schreiende oogen ook op tot onzen  God, of we
 into two classes, the. elect and reprobate and that the         Zijn oog weder ontmoeten mochten, en of wij in dat oog
 sole spiritbal  accomplishment of any educator consists , kunnen lezen: Ik vergeef, Ik heb u liefgehad..met  eene.
 either.`in his reviving the latent corruption that slum- eeuwige liefde, en daarom trok Ik  .LI  met koorden van
, bers in the bosom. of th& depraved or ip his drawing out . goedertierenheid.
.I'                                                .                                                               `I


                               FarizeErs,   we1 begrijpende, dat men tegen den ma&i-
                               gen, dverheerscher  niet veel ken uitrichten  tot bevr+               God 9s People --- An Other People
                               dihg des volks, een jdeaal, dat iedere Israeliet vervulde,       (Spoken at a recent  Rally  Day of our  IocaI Christian School)
                               beschouwden  het nu hun taak en werk, om Mazes' Wet                                               1
                               met hand en tand te,v.erdedigen  en zij hadden het er op             A God-given privilege it is to be numbered among
                               gezet,  .die vaderlijke traditie te bewaren en het laatste the supporters of the Christian School. It is to,me.'  I
                               bolwerk tegenover  allen en alles te verdedigen. De              see on the on6 hand the stately structures of the Public
                               naam van l&ozes  lag hen' als op de lippen  bestorven  en School system. I regard the questionable activities,, the
                               in  hml.ijver  deden zij voor de Zeloten nietonder,  doch carnal programs, the silly plays of the Public. Schools.
                               omreisden land en  zee,:  indien zij slechts  &5n  enkele        I see how they are the places where the great majority
                               proseliet konden, maken.  Van dien ijver der Farizeen            of children are prepared  ior their place in life. I con-  -
                               heeft de Heiland'zelf getuigd en Hij heeft hem in de sider their colorless,  truthIess, carnal, humanistic
                               sterkste bewoordingen veroordeeld.  `Waren  de  Saddu- aspect. I note on`the other hand the meager  structures
                               ..c&!n de koude en ojngevoelige  ari&ocratische  partfj, de that are invariably the Christian Schools and consider
                               rationalisten in Israel  - immers loochenden zij het be- the. thin stream of covenant children, who there are in-
                               staan van geesten en Engelen, alsmede de  opst&ding              structed in the way in which they should go, ,passing
                               der dooden? - de Fatizegrs  waren  de Qeraars voor by the stately for  the meager, the great for the small.
                               den godsdienst  ,d& vaderen  en achten zich geroepen, om arid I thank God,-thank `Nim that it may .be my privi-
                               van alle menschen te moeten  eisehen, dat zij in de hoo-         lege to support the latter, ta love the Christian ,School,
                             , gere ,sfeer ban bet stipte en  h&t strikte-  onderhouden to pray for it, to fight for it, to pay for it, to have my
         .,                  -~ de: geboden, zooals zij die opvatten, moesten leven.Kon         children instructed, within its walls at .the time ap-
   :;.,                        dan Jeruzalem niet langer verdedigd  tegen de onbesne-           pointed., Why? Because the Public School is  the -in-
. .                           denen,  4". `Wet' zouden .zij. dusd&ig beschermen,  dat zij .stitution  of the -world, of the flesh, of dar&ness, of the
`:..                         een niet m te nemen vesting bleek;  waardoor alles wat
`>  ..,  -'                                                                                     lie, of the. devil. The Christian School is the institu-
_.                             Jood was, bleef saamgesnoerd.                                    tion of God's covenant, the place where our children  are.
                                      Paulus werd in de leer van die secte opgevoed. Zijn instructed,  at least should be instructed, in the fear of
                               ,vader was een FarizeBr,  die ,hem met de geschiedenis           the ,Lord.
                               `van het Oude `Testament, van al wat Jehova  voor Iskael            For this reason it follows, to support the institu-
                              I had .gedaan  bekend maakte. Zijn later getuigenis iti:          tion of the Christian School is also our Godlgiven  duty.
                              x ."En ik in het Jodendom$oenam  boven velen.van.mijnes           No, it is not a question for you and,me to determine,
  :                          _ ouderdom.in  mijn geslacht,  zijpde oveivloediglijk  ijve-       whether or no our cfiildreti  shail have Christian instruc-
  I  .'                       `rig voor' mijne vaderlijke inzettingen" (Gal.  1:14)  .          tion. But too many in our' day `entertain this alto-
                   .:*  ,             Eli. Saulus  -van Tarsen heeft zich in de oogen van gether false notion. The restilt is inevitable.' As soon
                        ;
              :               zijn &e&e  en gansch het'volk een naam ,gemaakt,  toen            as conditions become somewhat depressing and money
                               hij,  blazende  en dreigde en ,mooTd tegen. de diseipelen less  pl.enteous or something occurs that is not entirely
                               des Heeren beraamde, tot den Hoogepriester ging en to their liking, many lose interest, withdraw their
                               brieven begeerde, om ook in Damascus,  indiep hij  vol-          moral and financial support, akd actually consider this
                               gelingen van- Jezus rdocht vinden, -deze, beide mannen to be their privilege.  ,,Yet  nothing is farther from  t&
        "en.vroutien,   na&  Jeruzalem   z o u  
                                                                         btiengen. Geen der
  .I                                                                                            truth than that the question of Christian instruction
                             Apostelen heeft ooit zooveel ijver  getooid voor het should be ours  $0 decide. The very thought .is wicked..
                               Judaistie  dan  Saulus. Zijn leermeester Gamaliel heeft          It is carnal Conceit to imagine that we `can do `with
        <:: ' zeer zeker met w.elgevallen `op. dezen echt-Joodsckien God's children as we please. Christian instruction is a
         .`, jotigeling neergezien, die bij zijn enthousiasme een God-imposed obligation. Is it a question whether my
                               feergierigheid  aan den dag. iegde, waardoor er van hem children shall have the best of hourishment for their
                               veel te -verwachten  vi.el.                                      physical existence? Could it ever be within my rights
         I                                                                         w .   v .
                                      t                                                         to give them a stone for' bread, a serpent for a fish?
        `.i                                .                                                    Certainly it can be no question whether they shall have
              ,                  \                                                              the  best,of foods spiritually and. mentally. And all
         ..;:,                                  1
        T...                                                                                    that is not positively Christian in instruction is  stqne.
                                :: Voor  de wereld moeten  wij in alle tucht  en eerbaar-       The question after all is not whether we shall give our.
         .                    :&eid.lev&n;  ioodat de menschen  niets  over ons te klagen
        j'_ . ..>                                                                               children. Christian education, but how  .we can best do  I
                   :           hebben : want zillks behoort  in dit leven bier op aarde. this. Christian instruction is a  matter  of principle.:
              . .Do& wanneer het tot fhet toekomende  en eeuwige  leven To adhere to principle is never arbitrary. Wherever
                               komen..zal, zeg d,an : ik, houd mij, aan den Man Christus        principle is involved  mortal. man has  .but one course;
                        _ eri,aan Zijne lieiligheid, die Hij mij in den Doqp,  in het           Consequently, not we decide, but God has decided for
   -.                          yc@rd ,en, Sacrament belooft  en schenkt  : daarbij  wil ik LB,  that the  Christ&n  School is the place where we
~ :.  ,-  ,mij;,lafen  .&nd&  &s  een  arti wormpje.                                            must instruct our seed in the way of God's covenant.?
,4.`;,!,,`                                      :          .:
,`(                              `..`. .I             t           ,.      (`,..                                      I      _
                                                                                                                     -.:                   ('


             Again it follows, that for the sincere child of God Him, Who hath  call.ed  .you out of darkness into His
       Christian instruction is also a spiritual necessity. Spir- marvelous ,light".          Notice, this God has done. Salva-
       itual life, demands it. It. is indeed an evil omen when tion is not a huma.n.product.             God makes us other. He
       in any given community Christian instruction is on the alone forms us unto a peculiar people of His own. This
      ,wane. Our zeal for the latter to a considerable extent God realized eternally in His everlasting, sovereignly
       reveais the temperature of our spiritual life. I main- free, unchangeable decree of election, that "eternal.
       tain: given the new life of Christ ; given an understand- good pleasure of God's will to save some men through
       ing of the  rudim.ents  of Christian instruction; the pro- the means of faith in Christ to eternal glory." God's
     . duct will be Christian Schools. Why? Eecduse God's people are therefore eternally other. "Ye are a chosen
       people' are simply different from the world. They are people." This implies, that God, in sovereign good-
       an other people entirely, They are unique in the midst pleasure, has eternally chosen His own to be His pecu-
     of the world. They are other.in principle; in needs, in liar treasure  ; to be the body of our Lord Jesus Christ,
       desires and in their entire walk of life.                        "the  fulness  of' Him that filleth all in all", Ef. 1:23 ; to
       5'    I use this occasion to call your attention to this         be the people of His covenant and heirs `of life eternal.
       thought  i. God's People, an Other People. Let us briefly Spiritually God makes His people other by the irresist-
       notice, that they are : other in life ; other in walk ; other    ible power of His grace. These chosen ones He regen-              '
       in the matter of instruction.                                    crates. Their dead hearts He quickens., He grants
             With a view to the matter now occupying our atten- them the life of the resurrected Lord. These regen-
       tion the thought is basic: God's people is principally,          erated He calls by His Word and Spirit, causing that
       spiritually, thus essentially different from the world. new life to manifest itself  in*`the midst of a world of
       This is obviously the root, the deepest necessity of all         sin. Thus we become also spiritually other. Notice, we
       Christian instruction.                                           are other than the world, having an other life, an other
             Ey nature, it is true, we .and the world are one.          Father, other ideals, an other goal, other desires and
       Together we are steeped in sin. That world was created           a s p i r a t i o n s . .
       good. Man was formed in the image of God, in true                   This other life' reveals itself antithetically. The
       knowledge, righteousness and holiness. He was God's operation of God's grace does not take His people out
       friend; His prophet, priest and king. He loved the               of the world. Remaining in the world, we are no more
       light, loved the truth, loved God. Eut. man fell. He of the world. Historically one, both dwelling for a time
       forsook God, transgressed His command, desecrated in the same sphere, the world and we are nevertheless
       His covenant, chose for the devil. And the results were          spiritually `differ.ent.  , Thus it is life on a background
       disastrous. From that very moment man became the                 of death, light on a background of darkness, truth over.
       object of `the wrath of a holy God. He.became  guilty against the lie, prophets and priests and kings of God
       and totally depraved. God's image in man turned about versus prophets and priests and kings of Satan. Thus
       into its very -opposite.    Spiritually-ethically it was de- we also understand our glorious calling in the midst of
      strayed.      Man became ,darkened  in his understanding ; the world. We must .x-even1 God's wonders and show
       an enemy of God ; a servant of the devil; a prophet of forth His praises, yet, but in and over against a world
      the devil, his priest, his king; -a. lover of unrighteous- that loves darkness and hates light.
'      ness, of darkness, of the lie, of sin, of death. Such is            .Eeing other in life, these.  people of Gocl are -also
      the spiritual condition of the world; that world, which other in their entire walk of life. Also this  princip1.e is ,
       supervises and expresses itself in the Public School.            basic to the subject of Christian instruction.
       To that world also we belong by nature. As such we                 The world walks as the world is. This is inevitable..
       are not merely in the .world, but also .of the world.            "They that are after the flesh do mind the things of . .
       With that world. we fell in sin with all its disastrous          the flesh",  Porn.   35 This the'world does in every
       results.     Ey  ,nature  we are spiritually-ethically one sphere of life. In all its reereation, its entertainment,
       with the world, one in our adherence to sin and its              its business, its politics, its art, its culture, its science,
       father, one in .our implacable hatred for God and His the world "minds the things of the flesh." In its every
       kingdom..                                                        thought, every word, every deed the world is carnal,
             Ey grace, however, this has become different. God seeking the things that are below. Consequently, in all  c
`      makes His people an other people. This is taught us              these spheres of life the world walks in sin; "The carnal
       on every page of Scripture. Particularly we are re- mind is emnity against God: for it  is'not  subject to the
       minded of this in' passages such as we find in I Peter           law of God ; neither .indeed can be", Rom. 8 :7. In all
       2:9. There, in distinction from them "which be  dis- things the world seeks darkness rather than light. It
       obedient" and "which stumble at th,e word, being dis- seeks satisfaction and contentment in the things below.
       obedient: whereunto also they were appointed", the It is carnal, this-worldly, -natural, devilish. It hates
~ apostle speaks to the church:  .",Eut  ye are a chosen God, excludes His Christ, rejects His Word. God is not
      .generation,  a  -royal  priesthood, an holy nation, a' pecu- in all its thoughts. It seeks to maintain itself in sin
       liar people ; that ye should show forth the praises of and iniquity. It pursues the riches,.. the name and                         s

                                                                                               I


                    fame, the vainglory, the honor and reverence, the posi-                                                               What is the result? The instruction of the Public
                    tion, the greatness of this presetit time. The things                                                      School is vain, void of all piety *and fear of the Lord,
                    of God's kingdom are deliberately and malignantly ex- con;;equ.ently  wicke.d.  All instruction minus God is prin-
                    cluded from all that pertains to the present existence                                                     cipally out of hell.          Its entertainments are carnal,
                    of the world.                                                                                              empty,  ,frequently   exceedinly  silly, intended to satisfy
                            Other is the  walk of God's people. This is necessj-                                               the flesh. God has no place- in" the system, neither
                    tate$ by that ne)? tife. We are different fi;om the world.                                                 prayer,  nor Scripture, nor faith. No place for God in
                    Hence; our walk is differeht,  from that of the world.                                                     history, in geography, in science, in speaking, in sing-
                    "They  that are after the Spirit mind the things of the ing. The Almighty Creator and Sustainer of all things
                    Spirit", Born. 8  5. `?hi$ does. not imply that thi? Cl&s-                                                 is systematically excluded from the works of His own
                    .tian desires to isolate himself in a local sense of the                                                   hands and maliciously robbed of the glory and praise
                    word, nor even that we feel constrained to withdraw                                                        that should ,only be His. The child .is. instructed in that
                    from Any particuldr  sphere of life. We` do .not crave                                                     which is purely carnal and earthlY,  not to, mention tile
                    physical, local isolation. This is not our calling; We                                                     wicked life of the world and the foolish and pernicious
                    are .not Anabaptists.. We do, not desire to' evade the                                                     philosophy that is instilled into the minds of the man
                    battle and. to escape all contact with the world. The                                                      atid woman of. the future.
                         Christian `is  n6 coward; He is content to dwell in one                                                          .Thus understood, the .&hooi system is indeed the
                         sphere with the children of this world. This difference greatest instrunlent  in the development .of the kingdom
                     in walk. is a spiritual one eve`a  as our difference in life of Antichrist. That kingdom is.the power of the world
                         is spiritual. This other'walk concerns every sphere of in its highest  possible manifestation, minus God. It is
                         our present life. It embraces our recreation and en&r-                                                the world wherein every line of endeavor shall have"
                     tainment, our business and politics, our art  aid  %cience,                                               reached the  acme of -earthly  developm&t.  It is the
                    our thoughts and words and deeds, our singing and                                                          world wherein sin shall manifest itself completely; the
                    speaking. And it impliks  that in these all  we seek                                                       world which, impelled bjr peifefed hatyed of God and His
                    -God's  fellowship and glory; we strive to live the life                                                   Christ, shall ultimately use all its means to hound the
                    of our Lord Jesus Christ, Whose  meat it was to at all                                                     people of God until death. Th& development of that
                    times do the will of the .Father  ; we seek.to  adhere to                                                  kingdom is largely' attained, not by movie  or dancehall,
                    OLU   calling, namely, ."to  show forth the praises of Him,                                                not by dens of vice and shame, but by  the educational
                    Who:`called   LIS  out  of. darkness into His marvelous                                                    institutions of today. -In its schools the world devtilops.
                    light.", Antithetically it implies that we condemn and                                                     not in the places of filth and hilarity. The Public School
                    forsake all tliat is sinful  and is Goid of tile positivg  love                                            lies upon the line of false prophecy. It knows, but not
                    of God.                                                                                                    God. It speaks, but not of God.
                            In, the sphere of this othevl  walk we also find ihe
                            .
                    matter of Christian instruction,, that other instruction                                                              These things we must Understand.  We. m&t know
                    than that of the world.                                                                                    the world to  soniewhat  appreciate our position. We  _
                            The Public School is the world's sihool.  It also is                                               must  f@el that our position is  diametrically  opposed to
                    as the world ,is. It is in fact the world's outstanding all that shuns God. Be  atsured, all elevation of the
                    institution, for in its schools the world expresses itself,                                                world, all compromise with the wgrld,  all extolling of iis. ..-..
                    reveals  itself;develops  itself more than in any other of                                                 so-called beauties and  virtues,  all. toleration of that
                    its institutions. The Public School is governed by the which ignores God is the death of Christian instruction. .
                    -\vorld.  Its teachers teach  tliere.                                       Neither do the few After all, Christian instructioti  is not something better.
                    Christians  &ho may be found in the faculties of Public It is different.
                    Schools alter this rule. I a.m convinced, that such are                                                               Eecause  of our other life and waik we`also  demand
                    not at all in their proper place in an .ins'titution  where other instruction for our children. We feel the need
                    God and His Word .are systematically excluded and of expressing that new life of Christ in our entire daily
                    where the blood of ,the covenant is trodden under foot.                                                    existence.. We desire  Q impress upon the minds of  .our
                    The. camp of the foe is not the place where.we  must                                                       children the basic truth, that though in the world. they
                    fight the battle of  God.`s covenant. I also fear that                                                     are not of the world. ' We aim to prepare our covenant
                    such so-called Christians in a Public School hide what- children for a covenant life by means pf coven&t in-                                                                                       /
                    ever light they have under a bushel for the `sake df                                                       structidn; They must be taught  .from  day to day that
                    salary and position;.  that instead of permeating their they must seek God and know Him in all things.
                    instruction  wit&  the principles of God's Word they,  to                                                             Therefore  ,we have our Christian Schools. There
                    all practickl purposes, actually permit themselves tcr be we may instruct our children, something'the world can-
                    used as teachers of the world. However this may be, not do. There we may  det'ermine  upon teachers who
                    the above stands, that the teachers of the world teach themselves, confess the name of the Lord. There our
                    in the Public School. And its childi-en are instructed children may be reared daily in a life of spiritual isola-
                    there.                                                                                                     tion for God's sake. There we may. strive,to  teach all
                                                                                                                                                                    ;

       ,                                                                                                                             :
              .:                                                                                                                                     ._       -          .'       .,            ;
            .  .                 .      ..'          ,~                                             I                                                                    ,.,:I                       ._.  `.
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      -..           .                                                                                       `,`.      `,...     :                                                                               ..I
                                                                                                                                                      .                    .`.           ,I  ._.  ~
                                        `.   .`\y  ..:  :,  -.;                   `_
:.I  I.  1.   ..;.i`;:.  ._  .".  .:                               .  ..>.  ,-


 ,, things in the light :of -Scripture and the sound Re-
 formed faith.                                                                                                                                               DENSATANOVERGE~E~'
         Let  up  thdn also  here  be willing  td be an other                                                                 D. d. B. van G. R., Mich., avra&gt  :
 people, walking according to the calling wherewith God
 has  callpd us. I know that  `much  in our Christian                                                                     ' Hoe moet ik I Tim.  I:20  verstaan  in  vergelijking
 Schools is' not as ,it should be. `There is too nz@  of                                                         tiet I Cor. 5 :5. I Tim. 1,:20 spreekt van Hymengus  en
' the world in our `own midst, in our teachers, in our in- Alexander, die den Satan zijn overgegeven, opdat zij
 struction, in our schbol life ; too much i@ta$ion of the                                                        niet meek  zouden lasteren. En in I %o?. 5 :5 le&n we :
 world; too much aversion to being peculiar. Yet here                                                                 "Denzulken  over te geven den Satan, tot verderf  des
 is the place where we  tiust &rive. Jerusalem may be- vleesc,hes,  opdat, de geest behouden moge worden  in
      come unfaithful, and sur.ely  she has, but this is not yet den dag van den, Heere Jeztis."                                                                                                                         Zou men,  menschelij-
      a God-given pass to Babylon. Jerusalem remains the kerwijze gesproken, niet denken,  dat als iemand den
 place where we must stand and fight the good battle of Satan werd overgegeven, hij dan juist zou lasteren,
 faith. There we may at least demand adherence to the                                                                 want het id  `iqmers   juist  Satans werk om Gods  ge-
 faith that is dear' to us. .                                                                                    meente te lasteren?  Tech   staat  in I Tim.  1:20 het
         &deed,   livilig other than the world may involve us t~genovergesteld~:  om  niet meer te lasteren. En  fills
 in difrculties. The world will despise us, will deride.us,                                                      we dan in .I Cor. 5 :5 lezen van een v&derf des .vieesches
      will deny us its fame, its glory, its support.                                                                  opdat de geest behouden,moge  worden  in  den dag van
         This;however,  may never be forgotten, only in &is -den Heere J.ezus, moeten'we dan  daarbij .denken aan
      way will the victory be ours, also in the matter of een toe&and zooalg  die v,an Job; die 00k gedeeltelijk  den
      Christian  initruction.  Refuse to be  distinktive, pecu-                                                       Satan werd overgegeven,, maar  die dool" den Geest ver-
 liar, and the battle is lost. Strive to live that other life sterkt werd en  bewaar'd  bleef?
 and Christian education will remain. We will have the                                                                        Antwoord  :
 victory through Him, Who loved. us. Let us  "bje faith-                                                                                                                                                         *
 ful unto de&h,  that nq one take our cro-wn."                                                                                1. We hebbeti  het in beide gevallen  ongetwijfeld te
        I thank you for your attention.                                                                          doen  lnet een bijzondere  apostolische  tuchtoefening.
                                                                                                                 Net de. gemeente als zobdanig  .oefent  deze tucht uit,
                                                                                    R. Veldman                   maar  ze  wordt  uitgeoefend door bijzondere  apostoli-
                                                                                                                 sche machi. De gemeente hekft'de  macht van excom-
                                                                                                                 municatie. Daarom draagt de apostel dan ook aan de
                                                                                                                 gemeente de taak op, om dezen booze uit hun  midden
                                                                                                                 weg  te doen, I Cor. 5:2, 13. Doch inzvs.  3. spreekt hij: '
                                                                                                                 over hetgben  hij zelf beslbten heeft  te doen..  We lezen
                                   TOTALLY DEPRAVED                                                   I          immers, vSs. 3,, 5 : Doch ik, als we1 met het lichaam  +f-
                                                                                                                 wezen<,  maar tegenwoordig.  zijnde met  d& geest, heb
                           Otir nature's totally depraved  ;                                                     alreede,. alsof ik'tegenwoordig ware,  dengene,  die dat
                            "The heart a s@k of sin ;                                                            alzdo bedreven heeft, besloten, in den naam van onzen                                                                                                                              .
                         _. Without a change we can't be saved ;                                                 Heere Jezus Christus, denzulken over te geven den Sa-
                             We inust be born  again.                                                            tan tot verderf des vleesehes, opdat de geest behouden
                                             r                                                                   moge  T;vorden in den dag van- onzen  Heer6 Jezus Chris-
                                                                                                                 tus. Hetzelfde geldt ook van I Tim.  1:20.  Ook  daar
                           That, which is  hop of flesh, is flesh,                                               zegt de apostel, dat hij Hymen&s  en Alexander heeft'
                             Atid flesh it will remain;                                                          overgegeven aan' den Satan, opdat zij. zouden leeren
                           Then mai"@  not that Jesus saith,,                                   ,'               niet meer te  lhsteren.  -Het gaat dus niet over eene
                             "Ye must be born agairi."                                                           tuchtoefening door de gemeente,  maa?  .over bijzondere
                                                                                                                 apostolische tucht. Dat de apostelen daartoe de macht
        '      \                                                                                                 hadden blijkt we1 uit de gev;allen van Ananias  en Saf-
                           Spirit of life, thy grace impart,                                                     fira en van Elymas den toovenaar.                                                                                               :                         '
                            And breathe on sinners slain:                                                                    2. Wat deze' tuchtoefening inhield is uitgedruk;  in
                           Bear witness, Lord, in every heart                                                    de wool-den : "den Satan overgeven" en  ."den Satan  over-
                           That'we  are  bou'n again.                                                            gevefi  ,tot verderf des ile&sches". Dat dit oak een tiit-
                                                                                                                 bamiing  uit de gemeente .uati Christus  inhield, ligt we!
                           Dear Savior, let                                                                      in den aard  de* zaak. Tech lag in dit overgeven wan
                                                           us  now  b&in                                         den Satan ongetwijfeld-ook  meer. Het was een daad,
                             To trust .and `love thy word,                                                       waardoor de overgegevene in bijzonderee zin door  den
                         And, by forsaking every sin,                                                            Satan kon  worden  aangevallen  en geplaagd,  en; zooals
                             ,Prove we are born of God.                                                          we1 duidelijk is uit de woorden "tot verderf  des vlee-
                    \                                      \.                                              L.                                                                                                                                                        '
:              .                                  :                      1;'                                                                                                                                          .I                 /
                              '         "                                 C'..,                                  \              ,                                                                '.
              . .  ,..  i                         ,' ,'          .:                  ., . . .  ,,  .;..,                                                                                                                            _                                                    :  ;  :
         ,I  ..:; .  _  ,'  "                                          ..I.  `:.:                                                                                                                                                                                                          !.  '
                                      . .  " !.  .:  '  .`.  (,                            .;..  `. : ./L
                                                                                .:  .:: I. , y, I._ ,:; .                                               i                               '.                                                                                              .:_   :.'
                                                                                                                                     _.i,      ,.                                             ,-:   ;..   :,          ,.  :  ,.  ,;.?   ?.   ..;:.,                 ,:            1.
                                                                                                                      ._ :  .A"'.   _.  ,.  .:..     ..-.  .'..   /-  ;  .:  ,., : :.dr-,'               ,      .%               ,  ;  ::  ,.L,$   .-;   ,,.._.   '.  ., . . . . _,: ':. .I .:: t 1
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    r, .,;*rii..


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                                           T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                           229

      sches", waren  lichamelijke plagen zelfs niet  buitenge-
      sloten. Het woord "vleesch" heeft in de laatste woor-                                Divine Love
      den  we1  niet de  beteekenis  van  "lichaamj'.  Het blijkt        The dreadful silence of that "certain man" has
      we1 uit de tegenstelling met "opdat de geest behouden always  s,eemed  strange to me. Imagine the scene: sr
      worde", dat de apostel het bog heeft op "vleesch" in younger son demands of his father the portion of goods
      den ethischen zin des woords. Niet het vleesch moet that falleth to him, while his father is still living. And
      v.erdorven,  maar  het vleesch der zonde. "Echter  blijkt we read : "`And he divide'd unto them his living". That
      oak- uit heel bet verband, dat dit vooral ziet op een be-       is all. We would imagine that such a father would
      paalde zbnde,  die in he-t lichaam geschiedt. De bedoe-         storm and rage at  th.e ingrate, or perhaps that he would
ling  $er wool-den is  dizs zeer  waarschijniijk:  "opdat break down in tears and sighing at the callous exhibi-
      door middel van lichamelijke plagen het vleesch der tion of this unnatural son, but no: he divided unto
      zonde  .in dit opzicht'verdorven'moge  worden".                 theni his living.
         3. Het doe1 van deze tuchtoefefiing,  zooals  bet doe!          Dread?Jl  silence.
      van alle tuchtoefening behoo&  te zijn, was e'chter ,h&
behoud van den aldus  getuchtigde. Dit blijkt in I Car.                  I do not think that it is necessary to prove to you
      5:5. uit de woorden: opdat de geest behouden worde; en that this "certain man" in the parable is our Covenant
      in, I Tilli. 1:20  uit .de woorden : opdat zij zouden leeren    Jehovah, neither is it necessary to point out that the
      niet meer te  lasteren. Broeder d. B. dbet de vraag, of two sons are children who are born` in the church of
      wij niet juist bet tegenqvergestelde  zouden verwaehten,        God. And it will also be clear that the urge of this
      daar tech iemand, die. den Satan wordt overgegeven .younger  son to  have.`the  portion that falleth to him
      juist zou leeren  om te lasteren. Dit laatste zou we1 het must mean that he determined to be free of all the ties
      geval zijn, .indien namelijk de woorden zouden beteeke-         that bound him in the church of the living God.'
      nen een overgave ter verharding in de zonde. Do& dit               Oh, of course, he viras lorought up in the fear of the
      is niet de bedoeling. .De overgave  aan den Satqn is in         Lord ; his parents sent him to Christian School and the           .
      dit geval allereerst uitbanning uit de gemeente; in de catechism classes. He also found a-place in the family
      tweede plaats ook een overgave, waardoor de zondaar pew on Sunday. From morning till night he heard the
      de wratige  vruchten zijner zonde plukt of proeft. En,          glory of the Lord extolled by friend and lover alike.
      indien de overgegevene metterdaad een kind van God is, All things in his youth smacked of that glorious name
      zal`hij door die tuchtiging tot boete en bekeering ko- of the Lord; He had a covenant .eductition.
      men, zoodat hij door de kastijding `leert niet meer te             But he' was more than sick of it. His impatient           ,
      lasteren en zijn geest behouden wordt'in den dag van question: his calldus  preparation for that far journey
      Christus. .                                                     - it all `witnesses of his loatbing for Father and
                                                                      /Father's house with its Bread and to spare - he must
                                                          H. H.       have no more of it; he is more than sick of it. Oh !
                                             8                        that beautiful far country was beckoning; he heard in
                                                                      his imagination the -sweet  music. of the dance and the
                                                                      timbrel, the carefree atmosphere of the godless world.
                                                                      Heigh-ho ! Here I come ! Make ready your banquets
                                                                      and your instruments ! Here I come ! At last I am my
                       ADAM IN PAlbUU5E                               own boss. My father has divided unto us his living.
               Adam   m Paradise was  r~lac'd.                        I have'lordship over self.
                  Ou$.nat'ral  and our fed'ral head ;.                   And feverishly he gathers all his belongings to-
                                                                      gether and leaves the house of the fath.er. To a fal
               With holiness and wisdom grac'd,                       country. The world and its wickedness.
                  In his Creator's image madei                           And heaven is silent. Oh, that dreadful silence of
                                                                      Jehovah in our sinning. I read: "These things hast
               Bless'd with the joys of innocence,                    thou done,  avd I kept silence ; thou thoughest that I
                                                                      was altogether such an one as thyself: but, I will re-
                  Uuright and happy, firm he stood;                   prov.e  thee, and set them in order before thine eyes"
               Till he debas'd  himself to sense                      (Ps. c;o :21).
                  And ate of the forbidden food.                         Yes, God is silent during our `sinning, but He does
                                                                      write the things down in His book of remembrance. So
                                                                      also here with this younger son. And they will come
               His soul at first, a holy f-lame,                      home to roost. At least for a while. And the things,
                  Was kindled by his Maker's breath  ;                the wicked, godless things, shall call forth the bitter
               But stung by sin, it soon became                       tears of repentance.
                  The seat of da&Fess,  strife, and death.               No, it needs no stretch of the imagination to knqw


                +
230                                  T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

that this far country is the world. It is far. Far from longing for His virtues, for God and His virtues are
God. In the world all their thoughts and words and           one;
deeds are that there is no God. They have even mur-             And he arose . . . .
dered God in the imaginations of their wicked hearts.           When the love of God begins to work in the heart,
We live every day in this far country. But thanks to it forces itself through. in the spoken word of confes-
God we do not feel at home in it and we do not ,seek it sion; and when the heartfelt and true confession is
with the new'man, that dwells in us. It is a far coun- spoken the selfsame  love works through in the deed of
try for it is alien to all the virtues of the Father in      repentance. Then we return to the  %ather.  Th.en we
heaven. There dwelleth no good thing. All that they forsake the wicked world and the wicked worldlings
think and speak and do in that country is absolutely         and all that is within us stretches forth, yearns for the
contrary to God's adorable  .perfections.                    home of the Father, for the Father Himself and His
   And notice that the younger son casts himself in Bread.
the midst of this godforsaken world to live riotously.          But when he was yet a great way off, his father
   Cruel world !                                             saw him . . . .
   When he has nothing left they leave him. When a              Oh, beloved, Father never lost sight of his son.
fanune'comes  they offer him who is a Jew to herd the        Great is the love of God, so great that even in all
unutterable flesh : swine.                                   eternity, and that is, so long, even then you will  never
   Small wonder. For the prince of  that*rotten  world be able to thank Him enough for His great love to-
is the devil. And he is a murderer of men ,from  the be- wards us, His undeserving people. When he was yet  a
ginning. This younger son experiences the .program           great way off . . . what does it mean? Ah, we are so
of the devil: love them and leave them. Bring them to great bunglers, we know not, we are of yesterday and
desperation and mock in their,anguish.         Swine for the know nothing. We' do not even know how to act prop-
Jew. Devilish sarcasm !                                      erly in our conversion.
   But, oh, heavenly God, how lovely art Thou !                 Can you not see the scene?
                                                                -The more he approaches the home of his father the
   I see the real author of .that famine. It is the lov- more ashamed he becomes. His feet feel like lead, he
able Father, who uses this famine to bring that son to walks ever slower, ever slower.
himself. It is the nearness of God  .which will teach           But Father, oh his loving Father, who never ceases
him that the world is cruel and never satisfies.             to love him, beholds him afar 08 and notices his ever
   It is in the days of fasting that he is brought to slower approach. And then father has compassion on
himself by his Father.. It is the Holy,Ghost Who comes his son, he runs to meet him and does not .even give the
and draws a picture of Father's House in the heart of boy a chance to confess the misdeeds but restores him
this son. He is among the souls that are numbered to the former state by falling on his neck and kissing
from all eternity and so he cannot stay in that far          him, him the ingrate. What adorable picture of the
country. It is time that Father bring him home. And love of God.
he beholds in the eye of his mind a picture of that
                                             -  .               Oh, ye-s, we yearn for our own children, we who are,.
glorious church of Jesus. Notice that he hungers for         sinners. And also we, when our boy would go wrong,
the bread that is cut in Father's House. That bread is would never cease to love him. We also would run to
the communion of love with Father. That Bread is the meet him and kiss him, but . . . . God is God. We, in
heavenly Bread. That ,bread  is Jesus Christ Who is our love for the child of our bosom, we are but a very
given for the hungry hearts of the chosen children of weak. shadow of. the `.tenderly  loving God in Christ.
the Almighty; Glorious. event in the life of the younger Never can a son sin against us as we have sinned
son. Glorious event, even though he bows' down and           against God. N.ever can we show. our 1oQe to. our own
sheds bitter tears far out in the wilderness of the          children as God has done to His children in the giving
world. Glorious event, for the hungry ones for Father's of His own Son on the accursed tree. Unending is the
bread are blessed. Blessed are those that hunger and love of God . . . .
thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.           .Harken:  . . . Father, I have sinned ; Father, I am
   Does not that boy thirst and hunger- after' right- no more worthy . . . . .
eousness? DG  yen fail to see that Divine attribute             Ah, what wonderful melody. When once this speech
operating in him? Listen to his piteous cry: I. will         is translated into heavenly language, the very angels
arise and go to my father, and will .say unto him, I         sing for joy. Joy with the holy ang.els  over one sinner
,have  sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no who repents in dust and ashes. It is the work of the
more worthy to be called thy son: make .me as one of loving Father Who works this repentance in the depth
thy hired servants.     The hunger for righteousness of the regenerated heart.
speaks loudly in this confession. He condemns himseif           Notice also the sweet inconsistency of the erring
and expresses his longing for the father. And the son who returned: Father, not worthy to be called Thy
Father is the righteous One. Longing for God is also son . . . but he says: Father.1 It is the yearning and


!                                                                   .,

                                             TME  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                     251
      -
      lhc groanings  of the Holy Spirit .Who constrains him to            ness where  reigns the anger of the devil against all
      say: Abba,  Father. The SDirit of adoption unto sons.               the merry works of Covenant Jehovah.
      Holy ,wonder of God !                                                   Father, we are not worthy to be called Thy sons!
            And what is the answer of the Father?                             Eut give us Thy heart of forgiving love.
            How is this, my son, do you say that no longer you                For we would make merry with Thee.'
      ought to be a son of mine ? Here is my answer: Come                     In heaven, for evermore !
      on,. you servants, bring the  ,robe of priority and put it             Amen,  and Amen.
      on him! I will judge of your status: you will be in a                                                                G. V.
      higher state than ever you were before in  tlzis My
     '  1lOLlS~.
            Yen say that you are no more worthy ? Bring here
      the ring of worthiness and place it on his finger. He                          DOINGS OF THE L.. I?. R. &`I. 5.
      that sees the ring of mine will know that this my son
      is received once more within my bosom.             I                   It goes without saying that all those who have the
            A hireling you would be, my son, in this my house 1           cause of the Protestant Reformed churches at heart
      God forbid. Bring hither. the shoes as ti sign of power             are interested in the doings of the  .organizations  in
      and preparation of honorable service as the son in his their midst. The League of Protestant Reformed Men's
      f a t h e r ' s   h o u s e .                                       Soeieties is 6ne of those, organizations. That it is active
            And now,' bring forth the fatted calf. ,We shall have atid alive was again borne out by our last meeting
      a feast of feasts. Listen, ye seraphim and cherubim; which was held in the evening of  the 17th of January
      give heed ye hosts of heaven! This my son, was lost in the Creston Protestant Reformed church.
      and was found again, this my son was dead and is alive                  The attendance on this occasion was not large how-
      again ! Th.ere  shall be joy  su'ch as the halls of the. ever, which was to be expected. The roads and streets
      heavens have never seen ; there. shall be m&c and were very icy, and not at all inviting to drive on. The
      dancing: make ready the instruments and the ban- societies represented were  Creston, Roosevelt Park,
      quets, tie shall begin to make merriment; it shall be Hudsonville, Fuller Ave. English., and Fuller Ave. Hol-
     the merriment of the eternal covenant life of the land.
      Father.                                                 I              The meeting was opened by singing number 123
            But, strange, iv-hat means that' skulking figure in from the Psalter, jfter which the chairman read II Cor.
      the darkness ? Be quiet, he grumbles, he speaks in 6; and  offer.ed  a word of prayer. The subject of the
      angry tones  i Come hither, $.e servant: what means all evening was : "yrotestant  PLefornied  Principles, their
      this merriment? And the answer : Oh, lord, thy -4ppiication  in Practical Life." This subject was chosen
      brother has come; thy father has killed the fatted calf, Jo refute the charge df Anabaptism  against us, and was
      and no wonder for he  iS safe and sound. And the anger treated in two essays. One was written in the Holland
      increased. He would not come in.                                    lan.guage by a member of the  Hudsouville  society. This
            Then father comes and  .entreats   him,.                      paper `was well worked out, interesting and instructive. -.-
            Oh, horror! What wickedness this older son reveals :          The other essay was written in English by a member
      He is angry with the work of repentance; he is self-                of, the Creston society. In this essay the Protestant
      righteous so that h.e has no eyes for his sins: .neither            Reformed principles were admirably defended,  `and
      transgressed I at any time thy commandments  - the inany good points were brought out.
      dirty liar. But more, and most grievous of all: he                   We sang Psalm  84:3, 4, in Holland,. during which
      criticizes the father for His love unspeakable  in the re- singihg a collection was taken to defray expenses. This
      ception of this son of His bosom. He frowns on the, concluded the first part of the program and we had
      merriment of the heavens. (See Luke  15:1, 2.)                      recess.
           But God condemns the selfrighteous son by the                     We were called down in the basement where a won-
      words of. his  own mouth. My son: All that I have is derful treat was in store for us. Coffee and doughnuts
      thine. That is your own confession: we have God for                 aplenty. Three young ladies of the  Creston church
      a Father. Well this repentant son is mine  and. there- donated their services as waitresses.
      fore thine. But . . . if this is true: it was meet that                After twenty minutes the program was resumed.
      we should make merry and be glad: for this thy brother We sang Psalm 25:2 in Holland, after which the sub-
      U~LS  dead and is alive ngch; and was lost and is found. ject of the evening  was discussed. The  di&ussion
            Terrible condemnation ! It was meet, that is, it proved the need  bf such meetings, and the discussion of
      would follow  as a matter of course, that when you  are this particular subject. To the fact that; Protestant
      really my son, and his brother, you would join in our Reformed principles are applicable to practical life all
      merriment  df heavenly glee. Eut you do not and hence agreed, but how to apply them in certain specific cases
      you condemn yourself and you are where you belong: proved to be a knotty question. The question was
      outside, skulkilig in the darkness. In the outer dark- brought up if one should offer  prayer if requested to do


      232                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEARER
*
      so by a meeting of public school supervisors if it is                           TRE  STANDARD BEAREIK
      known that those men c&e not for God and his Word,
      but merely have prayer for the sake of formality. The               &en tiental  jaren  rolden daarhenen sinds  "T\!e
      pros  and cons were equally divided. The pros held that Standard Bearer" in het leven werd geroepen door wak-
      it offered a splendid opportunity to let one's light- shine      kere. kloeke manneri, om bet, "Protestant&h Gerefor-
      in the midst of the world; to testify of the  ITidleS  of  .meerd"   s&eepke  door  de  branding  der  onstuimige   ba-
       God's grace, and the blessings of salvation; to show ren van ongeloof, van hierarehie, verkeerde wereld- en
      that we really are a peculiar people, living from a dif-         Godsbeschouwjng, van Arminianisme en Pelagianisme,.
      ferent principie, the principle of a new life in Christ          een weg te banen. En ge zult het me moeten  toestem-
      Jesus. This would have to be brought out in the words            men, `t heeft  goed koers gehouden.
     _ of the prayer, the manner of praying, and an attitude              "The Standard Bearer" werd in het jaar 1924 in het
      017 childlike simplity toward  G,od.                             leven geroepen, en is tot op den huidigen dag het eenig- i
             The cons were equally outspoken in their condemna- ste blad in de Amerikaansche kerkenwereld hetwelk
       tion of offe&ng  prayer on such occasions. They con-            de lijnen der Heilige Schrift scherp en zuiver  trekt.            I
     sidered.  it mockery and casting pearls before swine,                Er worden  nog altijd kanonnen afgeschoten - die i
       contending that whereas prayer is the expressions  of gemaakt zijn in het kruithuis van Gods Woord - en
       the sohl's desire to God as our Heavenly Father, and            die de fundamenten van een vrije-wil-huisje  doen
       considering that the person praying is supposed to ex-          schudden en omverwerpen.
       press the desires of those whom he leads in prayer, and            Dit blad w.erd uitgegeven omdat  er behoefte werd
       knowing that that particular group of men mocks with            gevoeld onder ons Protestantsche volk aan leiding en
       prayer, and are Fpemies  of God and' His Christ, and onderwijzing op  alle terrein van het leven.                          '
       have no soul's desires to express to Him, it is plainly a          In  "Thr: Standard Bearer" vindt men dan `ook niet
       case of mockery, and should not be done.                        een bijeenrapen van  alles en nog wat, maar  we1 een
             It was also pointed out that if we consistently ap-       goed  ddordachte were& en Godsbeschouwing,  en daar-
       plied oqr principles to this life we must not look for aan hebben we  meer dan ooit te voren behoefte  omdat
       success in this world in a worldly sense. We must we leven in een wereld vervreemd van God.                           '
       never make ourselves believe that we will ever achieve             Dit is echter  nog niet het ergste. De kerke Gods
       greattiess in anything we undertake in any sphere of in haren breeden omvang is n&t alleen  `t spoor kenne-
       life. Etit consistant we must be just like the Socialist lijk bijster, doch ze is opgezwolgen in e&n broederschap
       party, who knowing they will not be Victorious, never- aller menschen,.  en er is dientengevolge dan ook geen
       theless always put up a pregidential  candidate. In this sprankje van geestelijk  leien kenbaar.  Doch ook  ic
       they are at least consistent  in their principles more so kerken die gekenmerht  willen worden'als goed  gerefor-
       than many  so-called Calvinists are in theirs.                  meerd is het goud zeer verdonkerd. Men ziet velcrleI
             The program was closed by singing Psalter number zonden in andere kerken, doch tien is blind voor de-
       368 after which Mr. Steigenga, president of the Creston         zelfde ongerechtigheid nu, en in het verleden bed&en.
       society closed with prayer.                                       ,. .Q,it..kwam  nog weer  ..duidelijk  uit;in een  schrijven         _
             %is~is the gist of' the program, and fi%ti  this. r'e-    van de hand van Ds. J. Bruinooge. De geachte  schrij-
       port the readers of the Standard Bearer will get a fair ver hkft een klaagzang  aan in "De Wachter" van
       idea of what is going on in our L. 9. R. M. S.                  Woensdag, 9 Januari, 1935, over het onrecht dat Dr.
             Mr. A. C. Boerkoel, chairman of the League; re- Machen werd aangedaan, en die moet veischijnen voor
       quested me to write a report `of this meeting for the           de classis van New Rrunswick,  en zich aldaar heeft te :
       S. B.                                                           verdedigen.
                                                         G. Borduin       De Ds. vraagt,  waarom  is dit  alzoo geschied? Or&
                                                                       dat hij ontrouw is geworden aan ,zijn belofte die hij
                                                                       als bedienaar des Woords heeft afgelegd? Omdat hij
                                                                       den Christus  der Schriften en het kruis van Christus
                               ATTiNTPON                               uit zijn prediking en onderwijs heeft verwijderd en
                                                                       menschelijke meeningen  er voor in de plaats'heeft  ge-
             On Wednesday evening, March 6, at  7:45   p.  m.,         steid?  Omdat hij zelf verleid zijnde, anderen  tracht
       their will be a Social League membership meeting in af te voeren van het pad des rechts  en der tiaarheid  ?
       the basement of the First Prot. Ref. Church, Grand              Omdat hij onder vromen schijn een ander evangelie,
       Rapids.                                                         een evangelie naar den mensch, bedektelijk heeft  trach-
                                                                       ten in te voeren ? Neen, zegt de Ds., om geen van die
             Speaker for the evening will be Rev. P. De Boer of dingen: maar omdat hij en degenen die hem terzijdc
       South Holland, Ill.                                             staan, meenen  te  moeten  buigen voor God en zijn
                         Prot.  R'ef.  `Men's League,                  Woord. Dal te moeten  staan voor de waarheid en hst
                                                 C. Hager, Sec'y. ,    goddeliik  recht tenenover hen die de waarheid  verdon-


.       -53          .,                     ,.  T H E   S T A N D A R D  EtiARER

       door de diepe wegen, `als hij bij onze graven moet staan, fourth heads- of the Canons of Dordt. He quotes Ar-
       Want ook zijn  -verwjchting  is  alleen  van zijn  hemel- ticle IV even in its entirety, ,something  that the Synod
       schen Vader., Daarom gaan wij nu vol moed verder,                              of  1924. failed for some reason or other to do. This
       vertrouwende  op Gods beloften. Hij die in ons een article reads : "There remain; however, in man since
      -goed werk begonnen is, zal het  001~ voleindigen' tot op the fall; the glimmerings of natural light, whereby he
      den dag. van  onzen  Heere Jezus Christus.                                      retains some knowledge of God, of natural things, and
           Ten slotte nog een woord  van dank aan onzen  con-                         of the `difference between good and evil, and discovers
       sulent, Ds. De Eoer, die altijd bereidwillig was om  ons~ some regard for virtue, good order in society, and for
       met  raad en daad te dienen en  aan onze predikanten en. maintaining an orderly external deportment. But SO
       studenten, die ons in onze'vacature getrouw het-Woord far is this light of nature from being sufficient to bring
       he&en verkondigd. En onze wensch en bede is, dat him,to a saving knowledge of God, and to true conver-
       wij  als kleine kerkengroep  moedig   voorwaarts  mogen sion, that he is incapable of using it aright even in
      gaan, worstelende op  naar Sions top,  ens, benaarstigen-'                      things natural and civil, Nay further, this light, such
       de.te blijven bij de zuivere leer, opdat God in Christus                       as it is, man in various ways renders wholly polluted,
       moge zijn a&s in allen.                '          ,                            and holds it in unrighteousness; by,doing  which he be-
           Namens den kerkeraad der Prot. Geref. gemeente comes.inexcusable  before God." ~
                te Oak La.wn,         I                                                  Having quoted these articles, the reverend continues
                                                                                      as follows: "Such then is the Calvinistic conception of
                                            R. Regnerus, &ribs                        man, of human nature, of human  .life, apart from the
                I                                                                     operation of divine  .grace in the hearts of the be-.
                                                                                      lievers . . . .  "
                                                                                         After informing his readers that he is suspicious
                                                                                      of Utopias, `promises of an almost perfect world from
                      More Strange Reasonings,                                        the viewpoint of social security, after  raising,and com-
          In "The Eanner" for Jan. 25, 1935, appears from menting upon the question "Has Capitalism served its
       the pen of Rev. G. Hoeksema  a writing remarkable `for day ?" the rever.end  continues : "In a word, the Cal-
       the evidence it contains showing that the attempt  `to vinist does not expect  a very $&feet  &rid. How can
       swing the theory of common grace in line with the. he, when he confesses that every unregenerate unit
      truth in Christ Jesus is futile and that the mind at-                           in  .that social system is vicious and wicked in heart and
      .tempting  this becomes so confused as to be altogether will ? How can he when he confesses that, even the
       incapable of cogent thought.                 '                                 glimmerings of natural light left in-man, he in various
          Tlie  &icl.e appears under the caption  "What do ways  renders'wholly  polluted and that he is incapable
       you think of man?"                                                             of using it  aright even in things natural and civil?
                                 The writing is meant to be a de-
       fense .of the proposition that Calvinism is applicable                            "However, all that we have said must not be under-
                                                                               _ _
       to our. social and political problems. The author then stood to mean that the Calvinist, holding such a dark
      `has problems, social and political, questions which he .siew of human nature,, is not vitally interested in all
       proposes` for solution. What may these `questions be? sound efforts to improve economic conditions, or that
       The writer brings forward at least two of them. The he considers all reform impossible. He is not a pessi-
       first of these receives a statement in'the following  es-                      mist withdrawing himself from'the mass of his  fellow-
       cerpt. I quote: "Now, and. this is the lesson, the. only men, in their titanic struggle to alleviate, the burdens
       way to apply Calvinism (to our social and political prob- of a suffering humanity."
       lems,; G. M.O.) is to b.egin  with it, to state clearly and.                      The problem or qu.estion that stood out before the
       believe fully and confess boldly our Calvinistic faith,, reverend's mind when he penned down the above lines
       or some particular phase of it, and then try to see  its is plainly this : Is it' possible for- a world, comprised in
       application. to the pressing problems of. theseturbulent the. main of men and .women  totally depraved, W~IO
      times. We. aim to give one particular illustration of render even the glimmerings of natural light in them
       this general idea in  ,this brief article. ,                 -                 wholly polluted and are incapable of using it aright
          "It will be agreed to at once that the doctrine oi                          even in things natural; is a world comprised of such
       total corruption of man is one of the cardinal Christian beings capable of reforming, itself, .improving world
      truths that receive strong .emphasis in our Calvinistic conditions and thus allevjating'.the  burdens of its suf-
       system. However, let                                                           f ering humanity:
                                  us  not content ourselves with
      .the mere phrase, `the total corruption of man,' or with3 :                        The question is, what is the nature of the improve-
       some vague notion, of its meaning. Let LB see what our ment that the reverend had before his  eye; `There was
       Confessions have to say on the subject." :,                                    a time when the mass of working people, then called
          `The reverend now quotes Article XIV of, the Eelgic                         serfs, lived in straw `or .grass huts, unfurnished and
      ' Confession and. Articles I, III, IV under .the third and with no other floor.that the bare ground. Eut the con-
                                      .-                                 `,                                                        ., .'
                                                              :.                                                     .
                                                                                           -        .'      ..\I.                  !
                                                                                                                          .      .'         .,


                                 `.         T             H               E                 STAN.DARD   EE'ARE'R  ~
                                                                                                                             239

       dition, of life of this class of men has improved. They lation. It, is as plain as can be that what the reverend
       live in houses now built of wood. Many of them possess had before. his mind was these spasmodic triumphs of
       radios and ride `in automobiles. Yet the condition of         truth and righteousness in the life of a world com-
       life of this human strata has not improved  essenti&.         prised of reprobated men.
       The reverend admits this  for.in his writing is found the        What then, rightly considered, is the `reverend's
       expression "burdens of a suffering  hum,anity". His problem, question ? It is this : Can a reprobated world,
       article speaks of .the titanic struggle of the mass to        comprised of men totally depraved, who' render even
       alleviate these burdens. Thus though the slaves of the glimmerings of natural'light in them wholly pol-
       ind.ustry of this day in distinction ,from the slaves of luted and are incapable of using this light aright even`
       the soil of yesterdays live in furnished houses, ,a11 is in things natural, - is such a world, comprised of such
       not well with them.                                           beings, able to truly reform itself, effect a real,  essen-
         From certain statements occurring in his writing, tial, improvement of world conditions and thus attain
       it is evident that the reverend had before, his mind to a relative, temporary perfection  ,in response to the
       real, genuine reform, an improvement of world condi- divine mandate, "do righteousness" ?
       tions that is the fruitage  of an action consisting in men       The only conceivable answer that can be given. to
       responding to the divine mandate "Be holy, for I'the this question is: Surely, no. Such a world cannot pos-
       Lord thy God am holy" an action that as completed sibly truly set its house in order. However, this is not
       actually spells at  Ieast temporarily if not permanently the answer of the reverend. No indeed  ! He is a. Cal-
       the triumph of truth and righteousness over the forces vinist and thus refuses  .to succumb to the enervating
       of iniquity, and thus relative perfection.                    effects of pur!e pessimism. Even this reprobated -world
          The token  ,that.  the reverend `was, thinking of `the of men is capable of real self-improvement. :There  is
       possibility of real, actual improvement of `world condi- th,erefore  hope also for this,world.       To quote the reve-
       tion is the statement: "He (the Calvinist) does not rend: "He (the Calvinist) does not merely say, for in-
       nzaralg say, for instance, that the regeneration of the       stance, that the regeneration of th.e individual is the
       individual is the only hope of the world.!' Otherwise         only hope of the world . . That is true, of. course . .
       said, it is not true that the world lying in darkness will .Eut it would be a n&take  for any Christian to limit his
       not get busy setting its house in order until after the social message `to that one truth . . . . To say there:
       Lord has regenerated the-great majority, or total  num- fore, that the regeneration of the individual is the only
      ber, of humans. ,"Nor,"  wrote the reverend, "do we hope of the world, and to say nothing more, is to have
      expect that  this.,wi'll  ever be the case." There is, then, `at best a  .very incomplete social message."
       besides regeneration still an other hope. "To say," (I           What, according to the reverend, may that other
      = again quote) "therefore that the regeneration. of the hope for the world be. Attend to this from his pen:
       individual-is the only hope of the world, and to say          "First, he (the Calvinist) believes in the glimmerings
       nothing more; is to have at best a very. incomplete           of' natural light, as we have quoted from the Confes-
       social message." I ask, what can be the implication of sions. And by virtue of these glimmerings, there are
      this reasoning- other than that the benefits accruing many social. movements and  pdlitical currents  w.ith
       from this other hope, principle of'life and action, have which he can heartily cooperate, even though they did
       as much worth, or at least the same kind of worth, not spring' from regenerated minds and hearts."
       morally; politically, ecqnomically  and socially, `as the      So, then, the hope of the world is  Cqmmon  grace.
       benefits that would spring from the principle of regen- This grace. will at least temporarily do for the world
       eration if it pleased the Lord to reclaim from spiritual what saving grace would `do for it if ,it pleased the Lord
      ' death all men. It is evident that the reverend was in- to regenerate-all men. By tliis grace, the world is ren-
       deed thinking of true, actual and essential improvement dered ethically capable of initiating movements of true
       of world conditions, an improvement that, though it reform and social betterment, movements that, as they
      springs not from the principle of regeneration, is never- spring from the principle of a common grace have true
      theless identical to it as to kind. That I correctly gauge moralworth in the sight'of God. So the exponents of.
       the reverend's reasoning is also plain  yrorn  a. statement this theory insist.
       (occurring in his writing) that reads : "He (the Cal-            Now  what I desire to emphasize in this particular
       vinist) believes there  is work to do, that there are bat- comment is that if Rev. G. Hoeksema (and those  like-
       tles to be fought, and victories to be won, even though minded as he) insist on cleaving to his unscriptural
       he is fully convinced that the ultimate outcome' of view of man and the world that he then remain  ,at least.
       human history will not be the triumph of truth and rational in his unbelief. ' This he does not. Consider
       righteousness, but the failure of a perverse and cor- that he insist with the fathers of Dordt that even the
       rupt humanity to set its house in order." In other -glimmerings  left in natural man, he in various ways
words, truth .and righteousness will triumph a;t times,              renders wholly polluted and that he is incapable of
: but these triumphs will not be permanent. In the end using it  aright even in things natural and civil. How
1 the sin-sodden world will disappear into. an eternal deso-         then can the wicked by virtue of these glimmerings

iI

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

       initiate or even join truly right movem&ts  of actual           Now further. According to the reverend there is
       and true betterment of conditions of life. Cor&ider  that hope for the reprobated  wo@d.  (There  was certainly.&
       right movements of act& betterment of world condi-           need of stressing the point that there is hop& for the
       tions must of necessity consist solely in the demand elect world of men. The reverend innst therefore have
       that righteousn.ess  be done. Can it be expected that        lvd before his mind the world of reprobated men.)
`the ungodly by virtue of the glimmerings  that they This hope is the glimmerings of natural light left in
       render wholly polluted can and will work for the man. It appears, howeirer,  that the reverend  expects
       coming and the establishment .of righteous regimes in absolutely nothing from these glimmerings. Attend to
       the various departments of life?                             this fi;om his pen : "1Ie (the Calvinist) believes that the
          Attend now to the statement: "He (the Calvinist)          gov&nmeht  has a real task - the task, namely, among
       does not merely Say, for instance, that the regeneration other things, -to curb and control the vicious' selfish
       of the individual is the only hope of the world."            corrupt  natuke of man. And therefore, in the present
                                                                    social crisis, he could not `possibly  giv.e his adherence
          What the reverend meant to  :ay is that he (the to.a President or party that put forth no effort to estab-
       Calvi'nist)  does: not. merely say that only in the event lish greater social justice,' and a more equitable dis-
  the Lotid  had;resolved  to regenerate all meri (head for tribution of wealth." So, then, a strong government
  head)  .wouZcl there be hope for the  .world.  The Cal- is needed to control that vicious, corrupt, natural man.
       vinist-does not merely say this, as in this case there ,That vi&us man with these glimmerings (the hope of
  would be no hope for the world for the-reason that the            the world) is in the need of a strong government to
  Lord is not resolved to regenerate all men head for. hold him to right action. by swinging. a club over his
  head. ,  _                                                      1 head. After all, then, th.e reverend pins his hopes not
          But what now are we to make' of this stjtement            on  these glimmerings but on this club. This I would
  from the author's pen: "This is true  df couTse." Whz$ .call sensible.
  is, of course, true?  .That regeneration would  be  She
       or& (mark you, ,O&ZJ) hope of the wbrld.  But if this           However, perusing the article, .the discovery is made
       be. true, how then can the reverend speak of still an- that the reverend expects no more froth  the big stick of
       other hope. And this he does. After affirming that the government than from the glimmerings. He fears
  regeneration`is the only hope of  the world, he goes  on          that stick. Wrdte he: "On the other hand, as we see
 to inform his readers that besides regeneration there is the powers of the government extended ever f&ther
       still another hope of the world, to wit, the glimmerings throughout th.e world, we sometimes shudder. We can-
 .of natural light left in man. How tin this be, if, accord- not forget, that  till  the tremendous powers now in-
  ing to the reverend,  regeqeration  is the only hope?             vested in the state must be exercised by men who, ex-'
                                                                    cept for the grace of' God, are selfish and viciqus .and
          But now further. The reverend not only afirms             corrupt . . . .  "
 `that it is; of course, true that regeneration is the  o&y
  hope of the world, he even goes on to maintain that                  On what or whom is the reverencl-then actually' pin-
  this truth is great `and fundamental that' with its `con- ning his hopes? Attend to this from  his pen: "S&all
                                                                                                                _
  fession or rejection  Cli~i:sti&&y  stancis   & f&s. Well,        wonder that the Calvinitit  hati ever thr&ghout history
  then, let the reverend consider that he by his insist- been the cha?pion of. democracy, of, constitutional gov-
  ence that besides this only hope, there is still another ernment ; and the enemy both of Marxian  socialism and
  hope, denies that  `this o?zZz~  hope is the only hope, and autocracy. kor frail corrupt human nature cannot be
  thus rejects "this great truth" So that in his mind: at trusted  with too much power."  '
  least, arid according to  his very own reasoning Christ-             So, then, the hope  if the world turns  o6t to be the
  ?anity  falls. The reverend, therefore, according to his demos,  the people. But are not the. people as corrupt
  own statements is `without Christianity.                          by nature as  the autocrate? What then can be expected
          Eut there is more. The  ieverend wrote: "That is of the people? Or .were these glimmerings -of natural
  true,  of, course," namely, that regeneration is (mark light left in th& people only and not in the autocrate?.
  you, ,l:s) the only hope of the world. Consider that the But autocrat& are people, are they not?
  copulative  is,. is indicative, so that what we have here            Let me tell the reverend something. The' hope of
  is the statement of a fact, the fact, namely, that it $he world that God loved (the elect world) is Christ.
 :actually  pleases the Lord  tb regenerate all men, head Christ is the only hope.there  is. Besides Him there is
  for head,. that thus there is actually hope for the repro- no hope. The. ungodly therefore are without hope.
  bate world.  Y& a  f.ew lines further we read: "For the This is  somid   Biblital  truth and true Christian op-
 Tact is indisputable, that the mass of mankind do not timism. If the reverend would keep himself to it, he
  appear to be  recipie& of the regenerative grace of would not fill a whole page of "The Banner" with sheer
  `God. Nor do we expect that this will eyer be the case."                                                                   .
                                                                    jargon.
  ,So the reverend overthrows what  he 8irst established
  ?n$ this in the same breath, so to say.                   ,.                                                       G. M. 0.  "


