:    344                               -  \  TH.E  -S.T-AN.~ARD   E.E.AR:ER

                     Education  (Opvoeditig)   o                   read, write and spell. He should know something of
                                                                   the science of numbers, of the art of computation by
            We must now-take up the matter of the .kind of food figures. He should be equipped with some historical
      with which the soul of the child, must be fed. This knowledge. He should know the geography of the
     food is mental, spiritual,-in distinction from material. world, especi,ally  of his country or at least of his own
      Bread, material, was created for'the body  pf man. But place of residence.  *It will do him no harm to know of
      the bread of the soul is the idea, the concept, the word how many bones his mortal frame is comprised and
      in which the concept is incorporated. And the word how his `vital organs function. : He should be made to
      is Christ and He only. Christ is the soul's food, the learn a trade, train for some profession or at least be
      soul's bread of life, living water, wine, milk. The prepared for some .kind of useful work. This knowl-
      saint eats and drinks Him,. `His fresh  and blood and edge, I would say, is as indispensable to the child as his
      therefore lives. "Except," said He, "ye eat my flesh rationality. Ignorance of letters, inability to read and
      and drink .my sblood, ye have no life in yourselves." to write is, ,certainly,  a great handicap. What sense is
      Christ is the sole bread of the soul; Let me prove by there in placing a Bible in the hands of a m&n who can-
      quoting from scripture that I now, too, thread on scrip- notread?.                               1
      tural ground. Wrote Peter, (I quote the original) "As            Now it is the task of the school and`thus not of the
      new born babes long ye after the mental., genuine milk, church to impart unto the child this technical, prac-
      that. by it ye may grow . . . " Consider that Christ is tical, earthy knowledge. The sole task of the church, as
      the milk. But does the believer actually drink Christ? was said, is to preach the Word. Now Holy Writ is no
      He does, but not in the Romish but in the Scriptural textbook on the technic. of farming and building. It
      sense. Know that Christ gave us a pure, unadulterated sheds no technical light on the various trades and
      revelation of Himself. There. is therefore a word, h crafts. The Bible is a spiritual guide, the lamp for the
      doctrine, of Christ through which we, see- perfectly believer's feet, the light upon his pathway of life. It
      though darkly Him; the Christ, the fulness that dwells cannot therefore be the task of the church to teaeh.the
      in Him bodily, Him .we see, His person, His natures,         child how to read and to write .and to spell. This is
      the works He wrought` .in. behalf of His people, His the task of the home and of the~school. The exclusive
      glories. We see His face and. in His face the glories task of the church is to attend to the spiritual-moral, .
      of God. Because there is perfect agreement between the religious training, if you will; of `the believers and
      Him and .the revelation `He gave us of Himself, the their seed.
      soul of the believer eats  land drinks Him through eat-          But; the task of the school is, as was said, to equip
      ing, `imbibing His self-revelation, so that the  exhorta-    the child with that technical knowledge of the earthy ,
     tion of the apostle, "Let. the word dwell richly in you"      that it needs to make its .way,  sis the friend of God,
      that `is, `eat the word' is tantamount to the saying of through this life. However, this is not the sole task
      Christ, "Eat my flesh and drink ye my blood" and to, of the school. I must express myself even stronger and
      the exhortation of Peter, -"Long  ye' after the genuine, say that this is not  the  `tcLsk  of the school, but to truly
      .mental   m i l k . "                                        feed the child that itmay grow, spiritually, morally, to
            Thus, if the, question be put: What is the only, food lead out and up the child. But consider that to truly
      for. the child's soul? The answer must be  ; The Word feed the child consists in something more than to teach
     of God. `From this it follows that the school, as well        the child-how to read and to write a,nd to spell, consists
     as the church and the home, must feed the child with in something more than to fill the child's soul with
      the Word of God, as this Word is the only food that, the     mere historical. and geographical knowledge `of his
      soul of the child can thrive upon;     ,-                    country and of the world. Does anyone suppose that
            But this presentation  .of the `matter raises a ques- a child will grow if its soul' be made to feed exclusively
      tion. If the school,, too; feeds the'child  withthe  Word, on mere numbers and dead letters and cold historical
      how does `the school as an instrument. of training differ    data? Dead letters and cold facts are not the soul's
      from the church? Let us reply to this. The feeding of food! The acquisition of earthly knowledge and.
      `the child with .the Word is the sole task of the church. natural,' technical skill,`does  not result in true growth.
      Its exclusive calling is to preach the Word, to lead, as A man may be ever so skilled in, some profession, trade
      the mother of believers,, her children in the green .pas- or craft and still be a dwarf. The child needs some-
      tures of the Word.. Now the school, too, feeds the child thing more for its soul than this'kind of food, if food it
     . with the Word that.  .it may grow spiritually and can be called; if it is to truly grow.
      morally,` trains the child to walk in the way of the             Consider that the child (I speak now of the regen-
      &oven&t.  But the task of the school in.`distinction  from erated child) is. a spiritual-rational, moral creature,
     that of the church, is also to provide the child, with endowed with the  holy capacities to spiritually know,
     `that technical mental equipment it needs for the fol- discern, will, desire, love, esteem, venerate worship
     . lowing of an earthy pursuit in `the structure of `this and serve. Such a -child will truly grow intellectually
      earthy.  .The child certainly must. be taught how to         and morally in the positive-spiritual sense, grow social-


                                      ,THE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                            245

   ly and religiously, when it is made to fix its eye upon and many more, for the world has many gods, idols,
 .and to feed its soul with, the imagebf another rational 1 are the gods of the world.        And upon the images of
  moral being, that is infinite perfection, the inclusion of these gods the world feeds and grows not in grace but
  all that is true, beautiful, and good, a being, therefore, in sin. It is the images of these gods that the ,world
  whom'the  chiid can contemplate with all the exalted de- sets before the eyes of its children, that the worldly
  light of  .which it is capable, and whom it can love,       schoolmaster sets before the eye of his pupils. Do not
  revere., adore, magnify and praise, worship and serve imagine for a moment that our public schools are
   with- all the strength of its holy devotion. Only with neutral. These schools have their gods as well as our
 such a being before its eye, can and will the soul of the Christian school has its God. The worldly school teaches
child unfold, grow and come to its own. To such a and enforces moral and religious principles and ideal-
   being only, will the heart of the child go out and will    ism as well as we;.for  the world realizes that if it fails
   the child feel itself drawn. Only upon the image of in this the child cannot grow. Hence, the worldly
  such' a being will the soul of the child in the power of school in a purely formal sense is religious as well as.
. its Redeemer feed. And this being is the true God as our school.. `But consider that its religion is not from
 revealed in the face  of. Christ Jesus. Therefore  Christ above but from below, `as. the idealism it inculcates is
  only is the true bread of life and the living water.        the love and the service of the gods of this world. T h e
      Know, that what I here present is not so much pious world realizes that without idealism life is vain, that
   chatter.  ,Also the world is saying that the above-given instruction not permeated with `moral-religious prin-
  .conception  is, in a formal sense (mark you, I say in a ciples and idealism is quite without any worth.Consider
   formal sense) true. The world knows as well as we that the world through its system of schools aims to
  that the social-religious, the positive-spiritual growth serve as an instrument for producing good and useful
   of the child d.eserves  the emphasis. The world no more people, as well as we.
  than we, feeds the souls of its children with dead let-         But now contemplate with me for, a moment the
   ters  and. cold facts. The world .knows as well as we abject foolishness of the world. The world imagines
  that if the child will truly grow it must be made to  fix that it can produce, through the instrumentality of its
   its eye upon the image of a rational-moral being of schools truly good and useful people by  fixing the eye
  perfection, a being that is all to the child, a being there- of its children upon the images of its idols, of its false
   fore who will lead the child out and up, whose very gods. But this imagination is vain. Fix- the eye of the
  image arouses in the child its slumbering capacities child upon the image of the idol, and the true God will
   for love and service and hero worship, a, being whose see to it that the child, unless it pleases Him to `inter-,
   very image, whose accomplishments and achievements, vene by His saving grace, `develops morally-spiritually
  good deeds and excellencies  are's constant inspiration into a monster of wickedness and ungodliness. Con-
   to the child and will draw the child out of itself. The sider that I now again thread upon scriptural ground.
   world knows as well as we that the moral-spiritual          Consider' this notice, taken from the epistle to the.
   nature will awaken and grow. only when brought in Romans : "Because that, when they knew not God,
   contact.  with the moral-spiritnal, that, to illustrate, it they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful  ;
  is the suckling child nestling on. the mother's breast but became vain in their imaginations,and their foolish.
   that awakened the maternal love and pity that was heart was  dar.kened.  ., Professing themselves to be wise,
   slumbering in her being, that thus it is the mother in they became fools. And changed the glory of the un-
   her that clasps the child to her heart.                    corruptible God into an image made like to corruptible
      But what the world, the natural man, dead through man, and, Paul might have added, fed their souls with
   trespasses and sin denies, is that the rational-moral be- the image of this corruptible man. But consider that
   ing upon whose image the child must feed. if it is to       God `is not mocked. The men of whom Paul speaks,
   grow, is the true God as revealed in the face of Christ. the heathen, actually ended with prostrating them-
   But consider that the world and its children has, must selves before `birds, and four-footed beasts and creep-
   have, its god or gods upon whose image it feeds that it ing things. And what was the final outcome? Harken
   may grow. This god is the worldling himself if he be once more unto the Word of God: "For this cause God
   thoroughly ~self-centered  as to his conscious life or, if gave them up to vile aff e&ions . . . And even `as they
  ,he be an altruist addicted to the principles that in- did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave
   volves the sacrifice of self in the interest of others, his them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things
   god will be humanity at large. The gods of the world which are not convenient ; being filled with all unright-
   are `the Lindberghs, the Fords and the  Rockefellers,  the eousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, malici-
   Washingtons and the Abraham Lincolns, the great ousness, full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malign.
   benefactors of the race, the men of scientific and indus- ity ; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful,
   trial achievement, the men of supposed moral proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient
   grandeur, the Socrates and the Platoes of ancient days, to parents, without understanding, covenantbreakers,
   the Washing-tons, and the Lincolns of our day. These without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful . .  "


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      2 4 6                               T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

         Does not this picture that Paul here hangs before handiwork the firmament sheweth. Let him in his
      our eye,  reflect perfectly the state of things in `our     physiology class say with the psalmist of old: "I will
      world of today? God is not mocked. Let the child . praise thee ; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
     feed its soul with the image of the idol and he  de- and that my  soul knoweth right well. Thine eyes did
     velopes into a monster of wickedness, whatever that see my substance, yet being imperfect; and in thy
     idol majr be. Do not say, my f@ends, that the  wdrldly book, al.11 my members were written, which in contin-
     schools are harmless because they keep silence about uence were fashioned, when as yet there was none- of
     the true God of heaven and earth revealed in the face them." Let him, the schoolmaster, tell his pupils that
     of Christ. The pedagogue.in  the worldly schools breeds God makes history and that through all the events of
     moral monstonsities, despite his efforts to train the time He moves toward a certain goal and that this goa
     cUd to walk in the way of moral excellency. There is is the appearance of Zion in glory to the everlasting
     no moral excellency in %he world. For the world pros- praise' of His name. In a word, let the entire  instrue-
     trates itself before the idol and it teaches its children tion be a glass through which the pnpils may see the
     to do so. The world takes its beginning in man, in the glory of God in the face of Christ. Let him, the school-
     creature. And in man it erids. This is the idealism of       master, therefore in all his branches feed the child
     the world, of the natural man, the idealism taught and with the likeness of God revealed in Christ. Let him
     fostered  bY: the schoolmaster, in the worldly school. The teach and enforce the ideaIism of Scripture which is
     -moral excellency in the world is therefore an abomina- the fear and the love of the Lord and the love of the
     tion' to the Lord.                                           brethren in Christ. Then will he, the Christian school-
         So we see that the only fqod of the son1 is God re-      master, be performing his task. And the regenerated
     vealed in the face of Christ. And with the likeness of child will grow spiritually also through his instruction
     the true God the souls of our eject covenant children in grace and in .knowledge  and eventually attain to the
     must be fed, if they are to truly grow. But how then measure of the stature of the  fulness  of  hrist.
     dces the task of the school differ from that of the             And, finally, what will be the fruit of such instruc-
     church? Let me say a word about this. ks was said, tion in the- regenerated child? True culture.' The be-
     the sole task of the church is to preach Christ, to feed     liever need not go to Athens for culture. He.has  culture
     souls  with the Word. The school, on the  other  hand,       that is true. Consider that the basic meaning of cul-
     equips the child with that cractical,  technical knowl- ture is to till. Hath the believer culture? Let us
     edge it needs for making its wa'y  thr&gh  life. But I take our answer from the allegory of the wine. Cul-
     again hasten to add that this is not the task  of our ture calls for a being capable of rational action and
     school. The &&c of the school is to feed the child that for an object that can be acted upon. In the spiritual
     in the strength of his Saviour it may be able to walk sphere the Cultivator is God. My Father, said Christ,
     in the midst of the world as the friend of God, worthy is the husbandman. The object cultivated is the vine
     of the calling' wherewith he is called. But how is the and the branches, Christ and His people. The term
     school to accomplish this task if it must teach the child    culture, further, also signifies the fruit of the labor ex-
     how to read and to write and to spell? Teaching the pended.            The `divine Cultivator God cultivates the
     child how to read and to write and feeding the soul of branches of the true vine Christ. And,the fruit of this
     the.child with the Word are two distinct engagements. labor is the fruit borne by the branches in Christ;  and
     Knowledge of letters and numbers is not as such this fruit is the believer  himself,  engrafted by the
     knowledge of Christ. True, but consider that numbers divine  Husbindman  into Christ, the. true vine, the be-
     and words or symbols are  creatur`es  of God and there- liever himself, his hope, faith and love, his works of
     fore must and do reflect  something  of His glory. It        love, his praise; hi? prayer and thanksgiving, his affec-
     means that all things earthy of which knowledge is tions, set on things above, the new man which is re-
     imparted unto the child  n&t be connected in the child's zewed in knowledge after the image of Him that called
     mind with their Creator, G6d, as revealed in Christ,. him. The fruit is the bowels of mercy of this man, his
     that the earthy upon which the. child must concentrate kindness, his humbleness of mind,  I-&` meekness, his
     must be set before its eye as the image of the heaven&, longsuffering and forbearance. And he shall be like a
     as the medium for the revelation of His glory. Let the tree planted  ky the rivers of water, that bringeth forth
     schoolmaster impart unto  th& child geographical knowl- his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not whither;
     edge of our earth. It is wel2. But let him not fag $0        and whatsoever  he doeth will prosper.
     tell the child that the earth is God's. Let him study           Consider that a Christian school~that  is truly Chris-
     with the child the planets that roam the vast  extend  of tian and that thus knows and performs its task  ti the
     space above our heads, but let him at once declare  in only institution of true culture on the face of the earth.
     the audience of the child that the ordinances of the But the culture of the  wprld  is  fruitage  of sin and
     stars and the moo& and the sun were given by God. therefore an abomination to God.
     Let him, the schoolmaster, direct the mind of the child         Let us then have Christian scho& that are truly
     to the glory of God that the heavens declare and to His Christian.                                        G. M. 0.


                                                 T H E   S T A N D A R D   BE.ARER                                                  249

                     Testing The  Ttiied Faith                               their hope, their expectations. Peculiar is the sch.eme
                                                                             of their life.
                              Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now             This is so, because they are begotten unto a lively
                            for a season, if need be, ye.are in heaviness    hope, through the  ,resurrection  of Jesus Christ. They
                            thrbugh  manifold tempt&ions: That the           posses the life of the resurrection  .and in that new life
                            trial of your faith, being much more preci-      of `their Lord, who is in heaven, their hope is fixed upon
                            ous than of gold that perisheth, though it be
                           tried with fire, might be found unto praise       an inheritance; perfect  ,and complete salvation.
                            and honour and glory at the appearing of            The apostle comforts them that this inheritance is
                           Jesus Ch&t.                                       kept for them and as it is with the inheritance so it is
                                                         I Pet.  1:6,  7.    with the pilgrims,' they are kept by the power of God,
             It is a general custom when a letter is written and through faith, unto salvation ready to be revealed in
         sent, that the address is plain and concise, so that no the last time.
         more than the necessary eler+ents  appear on the &nvel-                They are kept by God's power and through faith.
         ope. When a letter is sent to a professional man who Not so, that God's power is one of the means for. the
         has many titles, his titles, the name of the city, the              assuranbe  of their safety, and their faith another
         street, the state and the country and also the continent means ; but God's power  works through them and
      are abbreviated.                                                       makes them believe, so that they become active and
             The' Apostle Peter deviates from this rule in his look forward to the final revelation of their salvation
         epistle which is sent ,to God's people in the dispersion. when t+ey  shall partake of the inheritance reserved for
         He addresses them as strangers, elect and regenerated. them.
         We could say a very peculiar letter to an equally pecu-                Finally; we find ' a peculiar joy mentioned in the
         liai peop1.e.                                                       words of this text: Ye rejoice now, while you are in
             According to the apostle they are elect to be heaviness, be it  .only  for a season,, if need be, through
I        strangers, they are born again and they  vLish to be manyfold  temptations. How can a man rejoice while
         strangers. Not so, that they are strangers, aliens, in surrounded by many temptations? He can, says Peter,
         the purely natural sense of the word, as some explain, .if he has faith. It is possible if he knows and under-
         for that is well nigh impossible.                                   stands the, character and the purpose of the tempta-
                                              They are not Jews by
         birth as this would imply a contradict&. For, says tions. He rejoices if he does see their purpose. The
         the apostle in the next chapter verse ten: "Which,                  latter is expressed in the words : "That your tried faith,
         (speaking of the strangers), in time past we6e not a being much more precious than of &old that perisheth,
         people, but are now the people of God: which had  not though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise
        , obtained mercy, but  &w have obtained mercy".                      and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ".
             Moreover, even if they were Jews, as p.erhaps.  some
         of them  were,  that country  ahd people were no longer
         the object of the divine revelation, for the church of
         the new dispensation had, in harmony with Christ's                   The apostle compares'the testing of our faith with
     _ _ _ -command (Matt.  -28 : 19) the end o$ the earth for its           the purifying- of -gold. And, says  -he, .in, as far as the
         boundaries.                                                         process is concerned, both must go through fiY;e, but the
             The word strangers is only in `this connection ap- character .of the one differs radically from the other.
         plicable in the higher, that is the spiritual sense of the The first question we must answer is: Why does the
         word. Strangers because they are elect, from the  poirit            Lord send so  m&ny temptations to His children? For
         of view of `God's counsel ; strangers bedause they are it is either-or, the Lord does it or He allows someone
         born again, from the point of `view of the nature of else to do it. No matter which way we prefer to ex-
       the new life they received. Even as God destined them press ourselves, after all it is the same thing and means
         to be  strang.ers,  so they also desired; through their the same. We must never be afraid to say it positively
         second birth, to be  &angers and pilgrims here below. that it is the Lord, who sends  the temptations. Thus
            Iti order to be strangers and pilgrims men must be it was in paradise, so also with the affliction  of Job,
         born again.  They are. The natural birth is an abor- with David and others. If we leave out the idea to
         tion, a spiritual miscarriage. Whosoever 6' both but drag a man to sin, as is often implied in the word
         once, cannot and will not be a stranger or pilgrim in  &he          temptation, it will be plain that God does not become
         earth. We .know the world will call it superfluous, silly the author of man's sin. He tempts no one and no one
        `and nonsensical, but Peter, who d,oes  not niind what- can tempt Him with evil. Hence, the word temptation
         ever' the world may say, puts that name On the letter, means simply trial (beproeving). This is also in har-
         and he could not make a mistake.                                    mony with the comparison used in `the text. Faith and
            In the second place, as it is with the' letter. and              gold are both tried, are sent through some kind of a
         those `to whom it is written, so it is .with their life, trial.


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   Does the Lord perhaps try the faith of the pilgrim the character, that it is able to stand the test, He, the
to find out whether or not it is genuine? If that is the Lord, is not afraid to put the pilgrim through the pro-
purpose, why then is it that time a&d time again the             cess of purification that his faith may become mani-
Lord sends temptations, often seemingly without fest to possess the tried quality.
measure, fbr does not the apostle speak of manifold               As to gold' and its testing it is done  fdr the sole
te;mptations? We feel at once that such an explanation purpbse of separating the dross and the fire serves the
is impossible. The Lord does not need to send trials in pprpose  to make the pure `metal glow in its lustre. It
`order to find out whether our faith is of a true char- will make the gold gleam and the precious stones corus-
acter. He knows without any trial all about it. He is cate and flash. The gold .ore as it comes from the mine
well acquainted with it for He is the Omniscient, the has value because the purifying process of the melting
all-knowing and all-comprehending God. Is there for pot will take care of the necessary separation. There
Him, who created the eye and planted the ear, anything is therefore no other way except by means of fire to
He  does  not see and hear? There is not  on6 thing hid make this possible. Through this process of purifica-
from .plim !                                                     tion the genuineness comes to light and its magnificent
   Secondly, in regard to the stranger of whom the               beauty shines forth. Thus it is necessary and profit-
apostle speaks and to whom he speaks, is it not Go.d             able to apply the test.
Himself, who is the author and the finisher of his                   It is not different with our faith. Faith has also
faith? It is the humble confession of the pilgrim that the quality to be tried, btit it is also,surrounded  by the
faith is a gift of grace, `given him in the moment of re- impurity of our sins, often so much that it seems as if
generition  and of which he becomes conscious when the the gold of faith is lacking. Hid often in the inner
Lord draws him from darkness intq His glorious light.            man and only glimmerings of it are seen in our lives.
Therefore, it is God's own work, prithout  any help from This is especially true in times of prosperity when tine
man, and that from beginning to end. Neither is it               desire of the flesh can be fulfilled, when it does not take
true that God tries His people to find fault with them. any effort to be called a member of the church, and the
When we try one another it is often done out of impure church is at peace with the world and both the world
motives. How often is it not done because we do not and the church differ only in name. How different it
trust because of the simple reason that we do not love. was in the days of the apostle ! The Lord sent the
We look not for the good but for the worst.                      manifold trials as the process through which He puri-
   Would God then be like unto sinful man? He does fied the church. He did not hesitate to let the pilgrim
not try the  $aith of the believer for any such purpose.         de thrown into His melting pot, for He knew that, not
Besides, it will make it rather difficult to explain why the dross of the natural man, but the faith, the pure
the apostle speaks of faith and gold being tried. There gold of His grace could stand the fire of trial. Through
must be  .after all some kind of similarity between the the way of manifold temptations, before the eyes of all
two.                                                             the adversaries, He I brought to light. its beauty, its
   Let us  attsnd  to the question: Why is gold tried  01" stability, its genuineness. Therefore, the true char-
tested? Is it perhaps to make sure whether it is gold acter.
or not? Or is it for  .an altogether different purpose?              Not so, as if it always stands in need of trials or
Gdld `& V@' laow is- f Oii?%3 `irm .the mifi&`~btit~  it is hid in manifold temptations, as- we  :shall see  -presently,  -but  -.- --
the ore; When the owner is sure that the ore found               only in as far as the Lord deems it nebessary to bring
contains  gold, he is not afraid to have it cast into the        out His own work in us.
melting pot. The  reason why he is not afraid to' do so              And finally Peter having drawn the comparison as
is, that he knows that it is the only process whereby he to the means and purposes of the trials of both gold
is able to separate the foreign elements and thus  gurify and faith, concludes, that, in regard to faith, its char-
the gold. On the other hand he, knows that only gold acter is far more precious than of gold. Gold, accord-
can stand the trial. Why then should he be afraid to ing to the apostle even after the most severe and best
let it pass through such a  fire test? He knows that test, will perish. It may have a tried character for a
these elements must ,be divorced from the gold. He time, but it is not of eternal duration. With all other
also knows that the precious metal has in itself the creatures it is subject to the teeth of time. In time it
character of being able to be tried. No matter how hot will again turn to dust and disappear. The beauty of
the furnace' may be, gold will be able to stand it. I& it fades for as a creature it is subject to corruption.
will not evaporate. It can stand the test. And it must               Not so with faith. It is the fruit of the resurrec-
be tried for its own sake.                                       tion, not the product of below but from above. There
    Thus it is with the faith of the  elect pilgrim. Per- are tie trials, fires, creatures or powers who can de-
mit me to say, although this is impossible, the Lord stroy.it. It cannot decay for its origin is in the Risen
would  not  test the faith of His people if He  knew that Lord, who Himself is not subject to the  things  that
their faith could not stand it. But whereas He is the shall perish.
author  aud finisher of it, and whereas He also knows                Time cannot wear it  out nor make it disappear, for

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

it will remain forever. All things will fade away and although we would like to have it different, yet we in-
                                                                      -
disappear, but while all is subject to change and cor- stindively feel and somehow know to say the least, we
ruption, faith, living faith remains.                          would like to see matters changed, but as we cannot
                                                               change the circumstances we  wili try to make the best
                                                               of them. It surely does not take manifold temptations
                                                               to create such a condition, especially if one learns to
  It does not surprise us that the apostle utters such know how much he pities himself. What is wrong with
a jubilant cry when he says "Wherein ye greatly re- such a condition is, that it lacks the joy, the firmness
joice". Rejoice in what? Rejoice because the process to stand, the power to say: Thy will be done and . . :
of purification in itself is a reason for our hearts to we know that all things wor'k together for our good
rejoice? Many temptations surround the pilgrim, ob- ,because  they are sent by the hand of a loving Fatller,
stacles that often make it impossible to live in this who watches over us, guides us and prepares for the
world. When the enemies breathe out threatenings final, complete and perfect salvation.
snd slaughter against the church is. that a cause of              Besides, Peter does not say: !`Wherein  yc? shall re-
great joy? The strangers `to whom Peter wrote must joice, but wherein ye rejoice now while in'heavinesn
have been in the.midst  of tribulation. The early church t h r o u g h   m a n i f o l d   t e m p t a t i o n s " .
and also the church of all ages, passed thrbugh fire,             Rejoice now while the temptations are truly painful
both in the old and. new dispensations. Look at the            for the flesh, now while tears are being shed and the
record of the church from this point of view as it is          pilgrim is surrounded by enemies stronger than he,
handed down to us in Hebrews eleven. And in turning I?OW,  while according to the appraisal of the flesh, their
back the. pages of history a few centuries, is not our         cause seems to be hopeless. Not as Stoics of old, whose
`statement vindicated, that every age has seen the suf- pride forbade them to feel the affliction and therefore
fering of the elect pilgrim?  T@ir tears, sufferings           despised `it, no, for the stranger feels the heaviness
and  hun$liations  werk their portion in the days of very keenly and that in harmony with God's  purposr.
their pilgrimage. Is it  .necessary  to relate that in But while in heaviness, yet he rejoices. Does he then
Peter's days the faithful served as burning lamps, in do both at the same time? He doss! The cause of the
the arenas of Rome? Think of Nero. And what is joy is radically different from the cause  of the heavi-
true of him can be said of a great  nmnber  of the ness. The heaviness is caused by the enemy and is felt
Ceasars. It will  s&ice us to say that the blood of the. through the flesh and in the  flesh, while the joy is
elect would make a stream flowing throughout the cen- caused by that lively hope and its object, pamely,  t&e
turies. True it is, that it was not always in the same         salvation or inheritance ready to be revealed and now
measure, yet it is not principally different with  the         reserved for them in heaven. That hop6 is a lively hope
church and the child of God today when again, we wear          as it is the fruit of a living active faith. True it is,
the pilgrim's robe and, are willing to be strangers in the sorrows are present, the  afl-lictions  many, yet they
the world.                                                     do not despair in their tribulations, .for no enemy, not
    How then is. it possible that Peter wrote to the           even all the enemies combised,  however strong they
church `,`In which ye greatly rejoice"?                        may seem, can touch or destroy that hope. That joy is
    Some .of. the  -best knows-e?@ii%itors  explaiii these now, because now they have-the ey& -of .faith tied-upon
words as referring to a future event and read: In the ultimate salvation. and whereas this is so unspeak-
which ye shall rejoice greatly! And the child of God ably, overwhelmingly great, the expectation itself fills
lives and expresses himself exactly the same `way. Ppt-        them with joy. It is a joyful suffering that cannot be
ting the temptatiqns, the heaviness of them on the one found anywhere.                             ..
side of the balance and the future joy of salvation on             Proof?
the other, he will say : Now we suffer, but presently we           History itself gives us an abundance of proof. Did
shall rejoice, the road to our final goal is hard to tread, they` not sing psalms while in prison? Have not the
but after all it comes to a quick termination and, for martyrs sung of God's grace, and did `they not joyfully
the salvation in store for us, it is worth while to suffer testify when they  were burnt at the stake? Did not
now. This suffering is but for a mbment, our joy will the writer of this letter together with the Apostel John
be eternal ; let us therefore patiently suffer for it is give praise to the Lord, because they were deemed
soon ended. How often is that the frame of mind of worthy to suffer for His Name? And did not Stephen,
God's child?  ,Yet, such a condition of wanton spiritual the first martyr of the Apostolic church, while in heavi-
insight does not speak well for us if w.e rightly con- ness, pray for his enemies? A few stones did not make
sider. If we carefully analyze it we find not a `sub-          any difference !
missive spirit as might be expected at first glance.               Turn for a moment to your own lives. Wcas it all
Neither can it be explained in such a way that the             sorrow  and heaviness, tears and pains when the Lord
will is made subservient unto the will of our heavenly         sent the manifold temptations to your door? It was
Father but much rather finds its cause in the fact, that,      not, was it? We may well bear in mind that the loss


  252                                       T H E   STAND.ARD  B E A R E R

  of our pie and cake, as we have to do without it today,          lowing verse, where in a summary the two are in-
  is not meant in this text. That indeed is  worldiy-              separably connected. The pilgrim has not as yet seen
  mindedness pure and simple, and not worth while to the glorified Redeemer, neither is the tried character of
  waste our breath for. But even in the midst of the the faith of the redeemed yet seen.
  tribulations, mentioned by Peter, the church should                  In that day the Lord shall appear in all His glory
  look forward to the inheritance reserved for her.                and with Him He brings the inheritance. Even as
         Still more. .The apostle does not say, "wherein ye        Christ was hid from our eyes so it was with the inher-
  rejoice while always in heaviness", nay, but he limits itance, the object of the lively hope. The trials were
  the  manyfold temptations with "if need be". Evidently manifold, but will end then and there. That in itself
  pointing to the necessity, but also to the brevity of the shall be a sufficient reason for the eternal joy. In the
  suffering. The meaning is clear. The Lord does not .third place there shall be praise and honour and glory
  ,always  send affliction. He does not cast us in the melt- on account of the tried character of our faith. Some
  ing pot continually. Our heavenly Father does not say, that the believer shall receive all  this. The Lord
  chastise us at random, nor without measure. He did will welcome the pilgrim with: "Come, ye blessed of
  that only once. In all of history there was one who              My Father, inherit the Kingdom which is prepared for
  was chastised without measure. All of hell and of you". The reward shall be given unto the faithful
  earth, yea even heaven itself did afflict that One, that servants; One of the reasons is that the trials sent
  Holy One, God's Own Son. Even so much,. that in the unto them did not make them waver or fall by the
  hour of darkness, He cried out as no one has done be-, wayside. They carry their faith into eternity.
  fore nor ever will again: "My God, My God, why hast                  Could it be that we shall receive the praise, the
  Thou forsaken  Me?`? To us He sends the manifold honour and the glory? We shall receive salvation, the
  trials, for, the sole purpose of cleansing us as it is           inheritance. But on the basis of what? Of grace? Of
  fitting our peculiar condition, and in harmony with our          course! But is it then possible that in regard to our
  peculiar needs of our faith, to bring out the genuine- faith, or better, our faithfulness throughout the mani-
  ness of His own work of grace usward,  but He never fold temptations, we made the Lord indebted to us?
  takes away that, hope. Therefore, with wisdom and Praise, honour and glory' given to us ? Was it after all
  out of tender love.                                              our faithfulness, were we the authors and finishers of
     Therefore, the suffering of this present time, the tried character of our faith? Did we possess, after
  through various ways,  .even death itself.                       the Lord had regenerated  LLS  and we became pilgrims
  . But remember only in as far as  need be.  Neve,                and strangers, `some inherent power apart from God,
  more.                                                            so that we remained steadfast bringing our difficult
                                                                   road leading to the inheritance to. such a wonderful
                                                                   end ?
                                                                      It was the Lord, His gift of grace, the fruit of the
     The final purpose of this testing of the tried char-          resurrection, His work from beginning to the very end.
  acter of our faith is, according to the apostle, that it.            Therefore neither the believer nor the church can
  might be found unto praise and honour and glory at for that reason receive the praise, the honour and the
.-.--the-appearing of Jesus Christ.                             .- .glory. Furthermore, praise and. honour- and glory as
     The time of this appearing is plainly revealed. Jesus         used in the text is the praise and honour of the rational
 `Christ our Lord is to appear in the last day of history.         creature given to God, while the glory is the radia-
 A glorious day indeed, for it means the consummation tion, the emanation of the workmaster or author given
  of all things as it shall usher in the eternal morning unto Him by those, who look at His work.
 when night shall be'no more. It means in the second                  In that day the tried character of faith shall in all
 place, that the end of all trials which were  .sent  to the its beauty appear to be the work of God Triune
  church has come. That day is the day of which we through our Lord Jesus Christ. Our shall be the salva-
 may sing:                                                         tion, His the honour and glory and praise.
                                                                      Therefore, greatly rejoice `mow!
         `Mid toil and tribulation, and tumult of her war,
           She waits the consummation of peace for evermore;          For that same purpose in heaviness through mani-
                    Till, with the vision glorious,                fold temptations.
                      Her longing eyes are blest,                     For that purpose tested as by fire, but only if  rneed
                    And the great church victorious,               ` b e .
                      Shall be the church at rest.                    In order, that at the appearing of Christ Jesus,
     The question is first of all : What shall be revealed?        God through Christ may receive our praise and honour
 The answer is twofold. In that day the Lord shall be and we may see His glory, for it was His work alone
 revealed and the tried character of our faith shall be- from beginning to end.
 come manifest to the full. This is plain from. the fol-                                                          w. v.


           i!                                                                                                        Grand Rapids,  M&h., Feb. 2, 1935.
            ;'  \.                                      CQNrnHBUrnQti
!                                                                                                  Editor-in-Chief, "Standard Bearer,"
            i                       To the Editor of                                               1139 Franklin St., S. E., City.            .
                                      - The Standard Bearer.
                 i             :"'                                                                           Dear Mr. Editor:-          .               .
                                       I       DearSir:--          \     '
                 j  s.                                                                                It was with considerable interest that we read the
                 !                                                                                 recent editorial "An Important Change." The issues  "
     .i'i                               Witll respect to your article under the caption "An involved were in our opinion fairly stated and the
                                    Important Change," I' wish to ask a couple of ques-
     :  :                                                                                          advantages and disadvantages were given their proper
                                    tions and make a few remarks;                                  value. In order, however, to gain the con-census of
                                        To begin with'. I want to ask: Is  this "Proposed
      ,.                                                                                           opinion of the subscribers, the editor has kindly invited
                          / Plan" a'definite plan of the Staff, of the B,oard of the               comment ahd criticism, that the desires of the majority
                               11. F. P. A., or is it a'plan resulting from the co-opera- might be ascertained.
                 3,.                tion of Staff and Board 1 This is not clear to' me. It           Our denomination is small - ,comparatively,  very
                               ..seems,  to me,, when reading your article, it is even small - this fact has its advantages. .There is a closer
                 :i. possible that it is a mere `suggestion, a plan suspended touch; a more int_imate  relationship ; which `is so- difh-
'                                   in the  .air.#  I certainly `would appreciate a definite an- cult; to;attain  in a large group.` Therefore also, there
      :                             swer  so. that we may know what's what.                        is among the members of our group a great `interest in
                               .' Furthermore, a few remarks in connection with what is taking place among ourselves. Our "Standard
                                    your article.                                                  Bearer" at present is not filling this need, as the a&i&        -
                        .,.
                                        In the first place we personally  wo.uld like to see the also fairly stated.                                         ,               *
                                    Standard Bearer keep its present character, namely, a             It is also undoubtedly a fact that our children and
                                    paper of a, what you called,. semi-scientific theological young `people do not read : that is, thoroughly read and
                                    character.                                                     understand  our Standard Bearer in its present from.
                                                                                                   It is not enough to passively overlook this matter or to
                                        Secondly, if this is to remain the' character of the, lay the blame entirely at their door. It should rather
                                    Standard Bearer, we certainly cannot favor the tre- cause'us  to seek ways and means of satisfying this  '
                                    mendous change`in the editorial staff. It seems to me deficiency, and strive to furnish suitable material of\
                               if this is carried out the character of the paper' is sound and practical contents, that is simple and easily
                                    changed and we get an altogether different paper, both digestible.
                                    `as to character and  cont.ent%                                   For our more mature subscribers, food of a solid                  '
                                       (Thirdly, we would favor the publication of. another and so-called deep nature is very beneficial, for it calls
                                    paper, as to. form somewhat like the well-known `Ban- for meditation and study, and awakens our passive :
                                    nerand   Wachter.'  I certainly believe there is not only minds. to action.
                                    room for such a paper, but here is a need. And, as                It is by no means our purpose or desire to plead for
                                    was said, our present paper does `not at all purpose to cheap, supercilious or shallow material with which to
                                    fill that need. Therefore, would it .not be possible to fill our paper, but in view of the'fact that there is un-
                                    have `two church papers, both semi-monthly papers?, doubtedly' no room for two papers -in our gronp it is
                                    One week we could have our Standard Bearer, the next           desirable and also necessary to revise the present paper
                                    week this new church paper, in which we- could  &d a so that it may more thoroughly fill the needs of all.                     1
                                    place for many of the things mentioned` siri the "Pro-,           As to the contents of the paper as outlined by the
                                    posed Plan". I even would favor to  cut. the size of editor, we feel that one department,' (and a very im-
                                    our Standard -Bearer in half if the financial side would portant one, especially for our denomination, is' a
                               be too big a burden to carry, rather than change the "Book Review Department". It should answer these
                                    character of the Standard Bearer. Let the `editorial, questions: What is being, or has been written, &at we
                                    staff decide about the contents of the Standard Bearer should read? What can we  recom&end  for our chil-
                                    and let the Board of our"R. F. P. A. decide about our dren's demand for sound reading material?
                                    other church paper.                                               `It might be advisable to consider the- idea of a
                                     ' Finally, if it should prove to be impos&ble,  either weekly instead of a semi-monthly paper, provided the
                                    for financial or, other reasons, to have two church cost would not be exorbitant. In order to `do this, it
                                    papers, let us make  some changes in the Standard' might also be advisable to use a less costly paper-stock.
                                    Bearer, but let us not go to such extrenies'as  put forth         We believe the plan as outlined would work to the
                                    in the  ."Proposed-  Plan".                                    mutual advantage and* blessing of young and old and
                                                                                                   cause the "Standard Bearer" to enjoy' a rich future.
                                                        Respectfully yours, .                                           Yours in our Lord,
                                                                                      J.     D.                                        Sidney De  Young~   -
                               I                                                                        _


                                       .  .


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                          257

 these  hou,dt  in dat geloovigen en ongeloovigen niet bewaren. Dat we Protestantsch Gereformeerd  zijn, in
 slechts samen  zijn, maar dat ze samen wonen en stre-          al onzen levenswandel. Dat we daarom, indien immer
 ven, op een gemeenschappelijke basis, hebbende ge- mogelijk,  ook onze eigene scholen hebben waar onze be-
 meenschappelijke belangen, hetzelfde juk dragende, om ginselen verkondigd, worden. Gods verbond wordt  be-
 hetzelfde te lusten, te begeeren, en te zoeken. Synthese vestigd, al blijven wij als kerken niet getrouw. `Maar
 houdt in dat er een levensterrein is,  afgedaeht  van de het zal van ons worden geeischt wat wij met dat pand
 wedergeboorte,  waar  Gods kind en het kind der  duis-         hebben gedaan. Daarom: laat ens strijden ten einde
 ternis heel genoegelijk met elkander kunnen wonen.             toe, opdat niemand onze kroon neme.
(En dit is onmogelijk. De goddelooze openbaart zich
 altoos  als goddelooze, en de' geloovige moet  zich altoos                                             H. Veldman
 als geloovige openbaren. Indien de geloovige zich altoos
 als zoodanig openbaart, dan is strijd onvermijdelijk.
 De goddelooze doet met den geloovige niet mee. Maar
Gods kerk kan ook niet met de ongeloovigen meedoen.
 De geloovige mag met den ongeloovige nooit schouder                                  OF BOOKS
 `aarrschouder  staan, noch wat zijn idee van het huisge-                     EVOLUTION REFUTED, by David
 zin betreft,.  noch betreffende  sociale verbetering. We                       Dexter, B. A.
 zullen met de wereld nimmer`meegaan  in haar streven,                        Paul C. Clarke, 922 Clancy Ave., Grand
 hetzij voor wereld-verbetering, of wereld-vrede. We                            Rapids,  Mic.h.
 zullen niet haar juk aandoen, in eenige.werklieden-ver-
 eeniging, hetzij in de. stad of op het land. Want op-           This book, which is an exposition of the various
 .merkelijk  is het, dat, in den grond der zaak, er tech theories and philosophies of evolutionists, especially
 nooit sy&hese is, in den zin nu genomen van vereeni-           since Darwin and, as the title suggests, a refutation of
 ging van  Christus en Belial,  licht en duisternis. De these theories, we heartily recommend to our readers,
 basis is altoos duisternis, het zoeken der dingen die especially to our young people.
 vergaan. Wat kerk heet gaat eenvoudig over naar de                The author reveals himself as an able scholar, who
 wereld.  Echter  Gods volk strijde slechts den strijd is thoroughly versed in the subject material he pre-
 des geloofs, overal  en altoos, verkondige slechts den >sents.  The various theories of modern evolutionists are
 eenigen vrede van Christus, getuige slechts tegen de fairly presented and their weakness and untenableness
 ongerechtigheid der wereld, handhave  slechts de be- are clearly exposed.
 ginselen van Christus en Zijn rijk - wij verzekeren               Above all, the author is a believing Christian and
                                                         LI,
 dat de wereld er voor zorgen zal dat er alsdan .geen           considers all  things  in the light of Scripture as the
 synthese zal zijn.                                             infallible Word of God.
                                                                   The style is lucid. The book is written, not for
    Gods volk dus  openbare   zich antithetisch. Met scholars only, but for anyone who is interested in good
 alle bewegingen, die niet -den Naam  van Christus belij-       reading material.
 den, moeten ze niet meegaan. Als pelgrims  moeten  ze             I do not agree with the author's view on "in. the
 wandelen, niet zoekende het aardsche,  noch vrienden beginning", found on- pp. 122, 123 ; nor with the con-
--zijnde met de ongeloovigen. De. philosophie en kunst clusion he reaches with respect-to the creation days on
 en wetenschap der wereld (let  we1 : de wereldsche we-         p. ,125; nor with the statement on p. 164 that the
 tenschap) moet Gods volk niet in' alle aanbidding  be-         "principle of uncertainty" is far better than the posi-
 wonderen, maar bestempelen met den waren  naam, als tive denial of God's `existence. The statement that God
I eene poging der .duisternis,  om in en door alle dingen,      foresaw  the marvelous inventions of the past, present
 de waarheid Gods in ongerechtigheid ten onder`te hou-          and future on p. 159 is, perhaps, a slip of the pen.
 den, en daardoor eene wereld in het leven te` roepen              If the book may enjoy a second edition careful
 zonder God of Zijn gebod. Gods volk moet het Godde- proof-reading ought to obliterate some errors.
 lijk licht, hun alleen eigen, uitdragen in het midden           On p. 129  "emanence"  must certainly be "imma-
 van een boos en verdraaid geslacht, alom handhaven nence".                                                   H .   H .
 de zaak van Gods verbond, en wandelen met het hoofd
 omhoog, zoekende de vernieuwing aller dingen. Gods
 volk moet ook op het terrein van onderwijs, het onder-
 wijs der wereld niet het hunne  maken, ook niet hunne
 kinderen  laten onderwijzen in de school der wereld,                         CHANGE OF ADDRESS
 maar antithetisch wandelen, in afzondering van de                 The address of the Clerk of the Oskaloosa Prot.
 wereld, die in het booze ligt.                                 Ref. Church is : Mr. Gysbert Ryken, R. 1; Oskaloosa, Ia..
    Deze antithetische beschouwing, vooral  als in  ver-           The address of the. Treasurer of our Missi.on Board
 band met alle  dingen,  is het pand ons door den Heere is: Mr. S. G. Schaafsma, 933 Watkins, `S E., Grand
 toevertrouwd. God geve dat we dit pand trouw mogen Rapids,  Mich.

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

                                                                         with regard to both: Hallelujah ! Both are  to the
                 The H&-token Of Salvation                               praise of His  glory. Both are the manifestation of
            If you wduld ask of me to tell you where one could Virtue, the Virtue of God. It is Love that placed me
        find the elect and the reprobate I would give answer in heaven before the Countenance; it is Love  that
        that in gen,eral  you would find the elect of God in His placed Judas in hell. Only (and that is the root of all)
        church and the reprobate in gmeral in the world. Yoti            it is the `Love of GOD. It is the love whe?ewith  God
       -`will notice  that we do not answer this question abso- loves Hirnsdf that places you in heaven and Kain in
        lutely and the reason is clear. No one knows the elect hell.
        that live on earth by number and no one can point out               And if He, if that awful God reveals thus that He
        even one reprobate.                                              hardens whom He pleaseth and showeth mercy unto
            W,e say "in general" for some of the church mem- whom He pleaseth, would you then dare to open your
        bers are reprobates and some  personS  that dwell in mouth and call Him to account before y&x, a worm?
        the wicked world todav as
                                "      being of the world will  ulti-    Would I, who am so insignificant and stupid that I
8       mately be drawn by God from out pf that darkness                 know noihing  of ,a11 the riches of creation t&thin and
        unto His light.                                                  around me, would I, who am also so abominably  filthy
            There is only One that knows absolutely and that that angels hide their faces, would I then open my
        One is the living God Himself.                                   mouth to the eternally glorious God and find fault with
            Listen to His testimony: "The Lord knoweth them Him? I will say: 0, the depth! And adore Him.
        that' are His" (II Tim. 2) . And : "But the proud He                And this is the tender mercy of ou- Shepherd that
        knoweth afar off" (Psalm 138).                                   He has given you and me a revelation of the way along
            And our God has provided us with many more test&             which He works  otit His decree of election. He does it
        monies of His absolute knowledge regarding this  mat-            by placing a cross of ink on your for.eheads,  by paint-
        ter. This awful and terrible matter. He has described ing your doorposts red with blood, by setting  the. seal
        the way `of election and He has described the way of of our God on your brow and my brosv,  by writing the
        reprobation.                                                     Father's Name on your forehead. Look it up for your-
            Now, please, do, not misunderstand me. I  .do not selves in your Bibles : Ex. 12 :13 ; Isaiah 35 :lO ; Ezekiel
        mean that we  work,  out our own election and  reproba-          9 :4 ; Rev. 7 :3 and 14 :l.    (1,s that the reason why we
     tion in-the sense that we,  as it were, elect ourselves ' baptize the babes and sucklings on the forehead?)
        unto eternal happiness or eternal desolation, for that is           And  you  receive the cross of ink, the bloodbrush,
        a lie of the devil  and his wicked servants. W'hen  I the. seal of God and His Name on your forehead, be-
        speak of the way of election and .reprobation  I mean cause He makes you to behave in a very strange way.
        the way alohg which God leads His own unto glory gnd When you are  one of the elect you will sigh and  you
        the way along which God leadsthe reProbate  to eternal will cry because of the abominations that be done in
        hell. For such is the case. God leads to heaven and the midst of Jerusalem. Be sure and read Ezekiel
        God leads to hell. He leads His people along the way IX :&.
        of.  grace unto His own bosom and He leads the  repro-              Let us look into this historical niatter more closely.
        bate along the way of sin unto .eternal desolation and              And then we ask first of all: what are these  abom-
      woe   .._.  .Soften   .these_a:vful  truths.  cxer so  little and I inations? You will find the _ansxer in Ezekiel. -VIII.
        assure you that you loose your God. And in His stead The abomiliations  that were done in Jerusalem were
        the miserable creature  ,is  >God; which godless  cari- fourfold.            There   `was an image of jealousy in the
        cature  we throw from us like so  much poison.                   . temple in the days of the `prophet. An image that
            And by far the clearest and most lucid passage of provoked God to.,~jealousjr  and no wonder. It stood
        God's Word that speaks of just this matter you will closer by  the altar of God. Instead of serving God on
        find in Romans IX:22 and 23. There you find the the right altar the people of Israel and Ji-tdah  bowed
        vessels of wrath and of mercy, the former fitted to de- themselves before the  Baa1 and the Asteroth.  Manasseh
        struction and the latter  afore  prepared unto glory. placed one of these images in the temple in his day.
        And.both  are the handiwork of the Eternal Potter and II Kings  21:7. And Israel knew from the Ten Com-
        you are %he impotent clay.                                       mandments that especially with respect to images the
            Any other view is a caricature that is unholy. For Lord their God is a "jealous God". The second  abom-
        instance, suppose that it is not of Him that showeth, ination  was the worship.of every form of abominable
        mercy ; and what would be the result,? This : that -you beasts and creeping things by  70 of the ancients of
      , would say eternally: I will eternally bless  my  lu&y Israel and a person of note among the elders was
        stars for being so wise to believe in time! And if the among theti. Every one of them had his tenser  in his
        reprobate are not destined by God to eternal desola-             hands and a thick cloud of incense went up to the
        tion, but if their sin is the  sole determining factor,          heavens. Peculiar to this abomination is that it reveals
        then I would Say that it is an eternal pity that they their imaginations. They think abominably before the
        also are not included in the Blood. But now we say Lord.' And the summing up of it is, that they love the

                                                                                                                                 -


                                    T H ' E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                         259

rotten `things of the world while they say : The Lord          sent by God to wreak havoc in Jerusalem. Still there
does not see us doing it. He has  forgotteti  it. The          is a difficulty with this interpretation. F&pecially  with
third abomination is that the women of  Jerusalem.are          a view to the sign of the cross on the forehead of those
mourning for Tammuz. This will take some explana- that sigh and cry. For we notice that they are exempt
tion. Tammuz was a Phoenician deity, (afgod) , the from the avengers. And were the elect ever free from
Greek Adonis. There was a Babylonian myth con- the chastising hand of God? Did not many of the elect
nected with this idol. This Tammuz was then repre-. Israelites die in Babel? Was not Jeremiah in Egypt
se&ed as. a beautiful shepherd boy who was slain by and Ezekiel and Daniel in Babylon? Did not the elect
a boar. Hence the mourning for him.  ,But there is cry at the rivers of Babylon, hanging their h?rps on
"also another .explanation  and tl@t is that the death of the willows in the midst thereof? No, I think that we
this god typified the long dry summer of Syria and his must interpret the six avengers to mean that they
coming to life again the luxuriant spring with its             cause Israel to go under in spiritual death which is
gentle rain. This mourning by the women among the intensified when  waiking  along the abominable paths
heathen was accompanied by filthy and degrading rites, of sin and every wicked work. It is the working out
loathsome  in its licentiousness. `And applied tq the of reprobation here on earth.
text under discussion it showed the decay of the peo$e            And the elect that cry and sigh?
of Israel. What could ,be expected of the rising gen-             Before the avengers do their avengisg wbrk  there
erations with regard to the love of God and the love of is another servant of God who go& through Jerusalem
His  sta'iutes when the mothers  join&d in heathen idol- and he is bidden to place a cross of ink on the fore-
atry and p.agan licentiousness?. The fourth and final heads of all those who grieve in the midst of the abom-
abominations we find in the 25 priests who turn their inations of Jerusalem. And that sign constitutes their
back to- God and bow down before the heavenly bodies. salvation. When the avengers see the sign  of. the
A reverence. of the creature  wit+ the back turned to the Hebrew letter Tau on the foreheads of some in Jeru-
Fount cf all things created in the heavens and  ofi the salem they pass them by; They are saved by the mark.
earth.                                                         Remember in this  conn&tion  the bloodbrush in Egypt.
    In. the midst of all this  sqbominat'ion   ther&  are a Also there are the avengers of God. Represented by
few that sigh and'cry.                                         one Angel. And at the sign of the prophetic blood of
    The reason for their sighing and crying is clear, the Lamb he passes by.
when"compared  with the Word of God in other places.              And when we compare this prophecy wit,h'Rev.  7 :3
These few had the loye of God in their hearts. They            (Please, read it a moment) then we see that the final
loved Him with the love wherewith God loves Himself.           fulfilment  is found in the terrible destruction and ulti-
They would like to see universal praise of the Almighty. mate salvation of the last awful day. Then the former
And secondly, they themselves were not altogether shall fall on the heads of the reprobates and the latter
 clear of these abominations., No one is at any time. shall be the portion of the elect.
An'd hence they did not glory in the shame of Israel              Applying it to our present day, I would like to say
but wept unto God.                                             that such double action of the servants of God is oper-
    This blessed behaviour is not inherent in  every           ative now and all through the ages.
 man. Neither  can you  &tarn%  And  fop the-sake of               The Lord- knoweth them `that are His: -and they .._ _-_
 God do not try to learn  it  either for if ydu do you         aho are marked. Of course, we do not see the Tau of
 become a miserable hypocrite. There are people like ink on the foreheads of the elect. But to our comfort
 that. They can sigh and groan and pull their face in and blessed consolation we groan  atid  sigh and cry be-
 all manner of woebegone contoctions. "Zij hebben  ver- cause of the abominations. Blessed are those `that
 stand van klagen"; But they are the worst of all. It mourn. Strange beatitude !
 is better to be cold than to be of that sort, they are the        And there is ample reason to mourn for the elect.
 lukewarm that are spewn forth: of God. Remember More reason than in the days of Ezekiel, woeful though
 Laodicea.                                                     they were.
    It is the free gift of grace that begins $0 dwell in           The image of jealousy  iS in the temple of God today.
 us at the moment of regeneration and which becomes That was the general practice of the people of Israel.
 conscious through conversion and faith.' Then God It  is also the general practice of the church today. The'
dwells in you and God cannot dwell with wickedness             hearts are divided between the God-provoking worship
 and every abomination. Then you begin to groan forth- of that which is no God and a remnant of outward,
 with. You cannot help but Sigh and cry.                       traditional clinging to the altars. The imagination of
    The prophetic vision reveals further that God is           the ancients is corrupt., They breed out adders and
 an&y with..all this wickedness .so that He calls forth basilisks. Prophets, Doctors of Divinity,, Professors,
 the avengers. It would be rather tedious to begin to Ministers : the leaders of  Israels  have abominable in&g-
 guess as to who were the avengers. They may have inations  in their minds. They lead the people of God
 constituted the Chaldeans from afar, who would be into depths of impiety by teaching doctrines of men,

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

 doctrineti  that are not found in the Holy Scriptures.                     EENHG   NPEUWS VAN  H&LA  EN
 Think for instance of the doctrine of so-called Common
 Grace. They dilute the beautiful doctrine of Divine                                   OIMSTBEHEN
 Grace, which is so glorious and so lovely and they               Een paar  weken  geleden ontving ik van  U,  TV&i-
imagine so long until all that beauty is turned into the       beer de Redacteur, het verzoek om eens' wat  nieuws  te
sallow, tawny drabness of  deat'n. T&y teach a love of schrijven voor de Standard Bearer van Pella en om-
 God for those that are not cleansed and made beautiful        streken. Ofschoon U dat niet  schrijft, vermoed ik
 by the Blood. They make a worship in the  ,depth of tech, dat U in hoofdzaak bedoeld kerkelijk nieuws ;
 the wall (Ezek. 8  :7-12)  that is a worship of  filthy       wat er zooal  omgaat in de beide gemeenten Pella en
 beasts  and creeping creatures.                               Oskaloosa. Nu ben ik geen couranten-schrijver van
       And the women mourn for Tammuz. Indicative of beroep ; couranten-artikelen heb ik zeer weinig geschre-
 the loose morals in the church. In dress and behaviour ven ; en ik dacht bij het lezen van dien brief van U :
tlnere, is scarcely any difference between the God-for-        de Redacteur had dit verzoek ook  we1  aan iemand  an-
 saken world and the daughters of the King. And they ders kunnen  richten,  die  er  beter geschikt voor is dan
must inculcate the Word of God. They must lead the ik. Maar 6m U niet teleur te stellen, zal ik trachten
tender youth unto the Cross. .Oh, for pious and God-           e4n artikeltje op te  stellen  bevattende al het gemeente-       -
 fearing women ! And girls.                                    lijk nieuws van Pella en Oskaloosa, voorzoover mij dit
       Avd the priests have their backs turned unto the        bekend is.
 living God. There is plenty of worship but it is the             Beide gemeenten hebben sommige dingen  gemien
 kind of worship that turns from the Creator to the            en we1 dit : dat ze beide klein in getal  zij.;, en hunne
 creature. In our day you find the priests of Jerusalem leden'niet behooren tot de rijken ,cler,aarde. Beids  ge-
on their knees before the Sun-god of humanity. Man is meenten zijn. klein begonnen, iijn nog klein, doch bei-
 on the throne. Man. ids exalted above the Creator. And den zijn gegroeid. Pella organiseerde nu bijna 7 jaren
 you find the beginning of it in the church of Christ of geleden  met 7 huisgezinnen, thans telt ze 20. Oska-
 our day. The good works that the reprobates do( !)            loosa organiseerde  tiet 10 of 11 huisgezinnen en heeft
 are measured and studied through the microscope,              er nu 25. Als `men ziet  .op al de  duizenden  menschen
 They mu& be recognized and exalted. Even while God die hier in en rond deze beide steden wonen,  dan zijn
.thunders  into our ears: `"together they have become deze getallen  voor de beide gemeenten verwonderlijk
 filthy".                                                      klein; maar gelukkig, Gods gemeente gaat niet bij getal
       Should we not sigh and cry? We cannot but g-roan.       of gewicht en de kleine  getallen  ontmcedigen de beide
       And the angel of God walks the earth as of old with kleine gemeenten dan ook niet, wetende te gelooven en
 the  inkhorn  by his side.                                    te belijden de aloude Gereformeerde waarheid en de
       Did you and I receive the Tau of ink? Is the blood schare die zich daaraan'houdt is altoos klein. Vrede,
 on the doorposts? Did  you,receive the.seal  of God upon liefde en eensgezindheid heerscht  er in beide gemeen-
 your foreheads ?                                              ten.
       Then the angels with the slaughter weapons cannot          Het is nu ruim vijf jaar geleden,  dat we gezamen-
 h&m you. Then the awful curse of intensifying death           lijk onze eerste leeraar ontvingen in.Ds.  L. Vermeer.
Kill not be your portion.. They are .passing  you by. --- -R-uim twee en- een- half jaar heeft D;. Vermeer  de bei- .-
       And the mark of electing love shall grow on you de gemeenten gediend, en we mogen ook we1 zeggen,
 until I see you returning to Zion with everlasting joy hij heeft in beide gemeenten met zegen gearbeid.
 upon your foreheads. (Isaiah 35 :lO.)                            Toen  in het `begin van 1932 bekend  werd,  dat er in
       The mark, the seal, .the bloqd, the name of God upon    den loop van dat jaar weer  eenige  calididaten  van onze
 your  broth bursts from your hearts and flows from school zouden  promoveeren;  dachten we, dat het betel
 your lips : Hallelujah ! Oh, our God ! Thou only art voor de gemeenten zoude zijn, indien iedere gemeente
 worthy to be praised forever! The earthly cry and haar eigen leeraar had. En zoo werd er besloten. Oska-
sigh is t-ranslated  in heavenly glee.                         loosa mocht het genoegen smaken, dat ze Ds. Vermeer
       Are you ready to say' it, to sing it? . . . Amen!       kon behouden ; en Pella maakte` zich gereed, om ook
                                                               een eigen leeraar  te beroepen. Eerst bra&t ze .een  be-
                                                  G. V.        roep uit op Ds. J. De Jong, die echter  meende deze roe-
                                                               ping niet te mogen opvolgen ; daarna bracht men een
                                                               roeping uit op Cand. H. Veldman, en de gemeente  was
                                                               o, zoo verheugd van hem te vernemen, dat hij onze roe-
                                                               ping wenschte op te volgen.  Ds. Veldman is hier nu
   ATTEN~ON,   EDHTOBS  AND  CQSHTBIBBTTORS                    bijna twee en een half jaa?,  en heeft hier in dien tijd
    ' Please, send your copy for the March 15 and April        met zegen gearbeid.
 1 issues of the Standard Bearer to Rev. G. M. Ophoff,                 De opkomsten in de geineente  zijn zeer goed,  indien
 Byron Center,  Mich.                             H. H.        weer  en wegen het toelaten, en er geen ziekte aanwezig


                `.5@           r.           :                                                                                   .,
                                                          Ttiti  `S'TA.N.4DAR'D.BEARER
                                            I                              `,
                                The Ninth Plague                            ence  of their enemy ; for consider that in Goshen, the
                                                                            land of the temporary abode .of-`His people, there is
                   `The plague of the locusts has  beefi removed.  I The light and life. Thus what may be known of God
                Lord turned a mighty strong West wind that took ihem through the things made and done are knowq by Ph&r-
                away, ?nd cast them into the Red sea ; there remained aoh..  And the physical blackness -that he now feels, is
                not one locust in all the coast of Egypt; But` the Lord     being made to speak to his soul of judgment, doom, .
                `hardened Pharaoh's'heart, so that he would not let  the death and hell. Thus. Pharaoh, too, sees in  his  night
                children of Israel go.                                      God, beholds His glories. But unto him it is ndt given
                    And `the &ord said into Moses, Stretch out th.@e        to know the mystery of  the kingdom. He sees that he
                hand toward heaven, that there'may  .be  darkness  over may see, and n@ perceive ; and'hears that he may hear
                the land of Egypt, that  oni may feel darkness.             and not imderstand. The light of heaven that he with
                  And Moses stretched forth his  hand,toward  heaveh ; his rational eye. beholds is in him  darkriess.  For against
                and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt. reason, he insists that  the brightness, of God is moral
                three  days : they s%w' not one another, neither rose any dimness ; His wisdom, foolishness ; His righteousness,
                from his pltice for' three days,: but all tile children of sin; the matchless purity of His being,  immorality.
                Israel, had light' in their dwellings.                      ,AFd he continues to say to. the eqd that God is not.
                    This sea df darkness has engulfed Pharaoh too aid Thus the blackness of  his  qight is. not natural feeble;
                compels him  td keep .to his place in his palace. And ness of mind, men call imb'ecility, but perverseness of,
                the plague is being laid  oi? his heart. So-the Lord had heart. He in his sin.is not a beast without understand-
                said. The speech that rises  fro; `this blackness is in ing but a human. who perceives that God is and must
                Pharaoh's ears and in his heart. What may this speech be served. But what he lacks is an eye that can behold
                be? Consider that the un;timely  night that has settled the Lord with. delight; for his: eye is evil, his heart im-
                upon Emt is in the first instance the `etiblem  of the 4 Pure. He hates and theref&e insists that God `is ifi-
                night.  of` sin .in which Pharaoh and his servants h&e glorious. Sd even the light that is iti him i$ darkness.
                walked. And how dark this night! How Pharaoh has How great therefore. this darkness ! `And `of this spirit-
                set his  mouth'against  heaven,' defied the living God,  ual  nitiht  that  springs from  his  very  oy? soul and
                slain his people ! Ho%   he has  raged!   How. vain the  flo0d.s every recess of  hi{ wicked heart, the sea of
                thing that he imagined ! How  he and his wise men set physical darkness, perceptible even to his touch, and
                themselves and took counsel  tog&her  against  the Lord flooding-his  palace, is the fitting emblem, as he walks
                and His anointed. It' is the counsel of the- ungodly in in a moral night` whose darkness is absolute. For,
                .which  he has`walked, the -way of the sinner  ,in which though in his night the light,stil  shines and will for-
                ,he stood, and the &at of the scornful in which he ,sat.. ever continue to shine,' that light  is  UntO'him  a  bright- .
                    Hoti  intense the darkness of this night if sin has ness that pains his.eyei'-and  sears his soul in that his
                become ! After every fresh demonstration of the  po.wer eye and soul are evil. It is a light therefore that was
                of Jehovah through the specified plague, l?h&aoh  mut- and is being sown for his destruction. So he walks
                tered with ever  greatey  vehemence,  "who is the `Lord`?" in darkness; for  tlie light he shuns.
                How the evidence that Jehovah is the God in the midst            Continuing to love darkness rather than the light,.
                of the earth has  accumulated'  before his very, eye! he has filled his measure  of iniquity. And the fulness
                Yet  in the face of .a11 t$is evidence, all his, thoughts of this measure now cries for judgment, for hell, for'
                have, eontinued $0 be that there, is no God. SO he has his banishment to that place of outer darkness  wh&e
                persisted in hardening his heart, multiplying  his  sins, . the doomed wail and  -gnash  their teeth:  I But before he
                stacking up his transgressions until they rose  `moun-      (and his servants) may be made to disappear in that.
                tain high before the eye of God. Ii means that the, bottomless- pit of unquenchable fire, where the worm
                darkness of the night of sin in which he walked .has: never dies, he must have opportunity to first taste $nd
                deepened into an impenetrable blackness. The darkness. fee1 and live that death, to experience  its horrors  in
                that has  endircled his  soul  is  now absolute.            h,is soul in order that as one  havink  tasted he may de-
                    Btit is the moral darkness of l?haraoh's  night not liberately choose death and thus be `without excuse.
                being pierced by a single shaft of light from Heaven ? Thus, -before  the destroying.Gpgel  .unsheaths  his sword,.
                It is. Jehovah, who is light, still shines in his dark-     an inpenetrable  and tangible sea of darkness - the em-
                ness. What may be known of God through the plagues blem of ,approaching.  death - fills the land and en-
_'   ,:         has been revealed in him and he sees the power and. gulfs Pharaoh `in his palace. How mysteriously and
!
/               wisdom of `God: and the goodnesi  and mercy of the L?rd- swiftly it formed. It put out the .sun in the heaven.
                that follow the people of Israel in'  Goshen  all the days `It flls the whole land, envelopes every object so that
                of their life. He behdlds the green `pastures, the word , the Egyptian ,now. dwells solitary and in his awful soli-
                of truth, eomfort and hope, in which the Lord makes tude thinks on death and trembles, and in his fright is
                His people to lie  dobn, the still waters beside which He  ~&ill and silent as the inhabitants  df  thc3 grave.       The
                leads them, the3able'He  prepares for them in the bres- Egyptians, so it' is recorded,  se&  not one,  anbther,
                                                                                                         .

                                                                                       I

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  neither does' any rise from hi's place. They  all are hind ; for therefore must we take to servk the  Lord our                   '
                                                                God ; and we know not with what we must serve the :
  motionless as tile dead, so that it is as if Egypt has
" been .iurned into a vast tomb. Pharaoh, too, is corn- , Lord, until we come thither."
  pelled to :keep to his seat in his palace.                       Upori  hearing this, Pharaoh's  &ath again  becomes
     For three days this terrible night reigns suprenie in mighty in him. In great heat of anger, he,shouts,  "Get I
  the land. And Pharaoh, too, as well  as the others, thee from:  me, take heed to. thyself, see. my face no'
 "abides  alone, enshrouded by the  v&l of  deathtin token more; for .in that day that thou  se'est my face, thou
  that his hour has struck. And this plague, too, is laid shalt die." This is the fir& time that ,Pharaoh  threat-
  upon his heart. Consider'that  in such dense darkness ens to slay..Moses.' The threat is significant as reaveal-
  there can be no sense of time; so that .to the mind of        ing that the process of hardening is now completed,
  Pharaoh the  hoursipass  into ages and the ages stretch' and the measure of iniquity filled. By forbiddingMoses
  themselves'out  into an eternity; filled  witll the horrors under p'ain of death to again cross the thresshold of his
  of hell. His mind returns to his past once and again          palace, he shuts,  him  out and bolts the door after him
and the record he has made now stands out befdre his so5 that henceforth he will  :have no more access  to *his
  mind as comprised of a chain of doings as black as the person. $0 has Pharaoh now permanently closed the
  flood of blackness that has engulfed him. And his heart way to his person that heretofore, he had permitted to
  tells him that God `is not mocked. The thought strikes remain open. - It mea&  that he deliberately chooses               ~
, terror `to fiis soul. It is as if he can feel t@e frowli  of ndt -life but the .death that he has been made to taste.
th& Lord.  H6w  utidefinably dreadful those vague  ap- For  the Lord hardened his heart.. He is therefore
 prehensions that fill his soul ! His heart melts because without  excnse. His blood is upon his own head. Phar-
  of trouble. Compassed is he by the sorrows of death, aoh's hour has thus struck and therefore Moses re-
  seized by the terrors of hell. Trouble is his portion. plies : "Thou hast spoken well, I` Xvi11 see `thy face no
  Pain. takes hold of him as oft ? woman in travail. Verily, more".
  he tasted beforehand the death that is to be his uor-            But  before  Moses passes  from  the  p&s&e  of
tion. And the pride of his heart is again for the Pharaoh, he adds to the sign of three-day darkness the
  inoment,st+uck  dumb and rendered inarticulate by the explanatory word, SQ that Pharaoh can never say that
  terror of the Almighty. So the fleeting resolve forms the speech: of this sign was.not understood by him.
 `in, his soul to. let the people go that he may live.          Moses  declar& in the  audcence  of Pharaoh, "Thus said
     What soul, submerged in this sea of blackness, does the Lord, About midnight I will go out into the midst
  not breath, "Watchman, what of the nigh!?" A sigh ,of Egypt : and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt
  of relief escapes every breast when finally the opague shall `die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitt,eth
darkness begins to lose some of its  inscrutibility  and hpon his throne, even unto tine firstborn of the maid-'
 the veil again  be&n-s  to lift. Behold ! the day dawns. servant that is behind the mill ; , and all the firstborn
,/Of all the occupants of the palace, Pharaoh is perhaps of beasts. And there shall be a great cry throughout
the first to  --bestir  himself  now that it is again light. all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it,
  He speaks! The  @omrnand  goes-forth from him that nor shall be like it anymbre. But against any of the.
. Moses be summoned into his presence. Presently Moses children of Israel shall not a dog move his. tongue,
  appears and. P.haraoh  calls .untq him, "Go -ye,-serve  the against man ?r beast : that ye may know -that- the Lord            --.
  Lord your God . . . . 7 So he declares';  fo,r the terror doth put a difference between the  E,gyptian and. Israel.
  of that awfill night is still `in hi-s soul and seemirfgly    And all these thy servants shall dome down unto me
  renders his impulses generous, for he adds, "only let and bow down them&lves  unto me, saying,. Get thee out
  your  F,ocks   and your herds be stayed: let  your  littls tvith all the ,people that follow thee: aqd After that I
!  ones, also go with'you . . . .  " So he  would  tie them will go out". Having thus spoken; Moses'goes  .out from
  down to `Egypt by .retaining  their herds as hostages. Pharaoh in great, heat of anger. So shall the firstborn,
  Only with their cattle in Go&en  will they return when the representatives of the E,oyptian people, die.. And
  they  .have done serving Jehovah in the desert. How thereupon will Pharaoh and his hosts be drdwned in
  reluctant he i.s to release his hold upoi God's people. the Red, sea. Such was the @eech of the ninth plague.
  And how evident  that he still says in his heart, "Who Pharaoh his heard. But he retains, his silence and per-
  is the Lord that I should' let His peopl& go ?" He again mits Moses to pass from his presence. So does he.con-
 goes to ,bargaining  with the Almighty, insists that the sciously choose the impending doom.
  matter be settled by mutual concessions,  ,sets  the con-
- dition on which he will deign to yield. What pride! .                 `*                                  G. M. 0.
   But. Moses is again adament. He points out to
  Pharaoh the  tinreasonableness  of his request: "Thou
`must give us also  s&rifices  and burnt offerings, that
  we may sacrifice unto the Lord our God. Our cattle               /          DRIE'I'&  TE  RWH  VALLtiY,   Ii.
  also shail go w;ith us; there shall not 5 hoof be left be-       Dss. De Jong, B. Kok en G. 70s.


        .:
       I.               264.     '                                          '~T~H~.'~TABJ&ARD   G'IZA.RE.R

                                                                HOPE                                             Word of God to the  c,?&regatioti  from Sabbath to Sab-
                           Hope. A small word of only four letters. Yet a bath. ,So,-in  the month of August, 1934, the consistory
                   word full of meaning. For without it no one  .can live. ( decided to call a congregational meeting for the pur-
                   How often do we not hear some little girl say, "I hope pose of'  as.king  Candidate (now Rev.)  ,H. Kuiper to.
                   ; daddy will buy me a doll for my birthday," `and some labor in our tiidst. The brother accepted the appoint-
                   little boy Say, "I hope daddy will buy me a sled for ment with the understanding that in' case he received
                        Christnias".                           j.5:              I                               a call from .elsewhere  as minister; he would `have the
                           Hope is  &solutel.y   &se&al.   k person who has liberty to accept such a call. Our congregation rejbiced.
                   given up  ,hope has no  Gour&ge to go  forwsrd.  Many But our rejoicing was `of short duration. For before
                   there are who have lost all hope and resorted to  self-                                       he entered upon his  lab6rs in oui- midst, he  receiGed  a
                   destruction or `become.  insane..-   '                                                        `call from Orange City,  Ia., to become pastor of the
                           Hope is essential. `&is has &so been the experience congregation there. He accepted;
                   of the Hope Protestant  Reforlmed congregation. This                                             Now opr congregation: had to experience again  i&e
                   small  c.ongrtigat,ion  has livid through many a period truth of the Word of God, "My thoughts are not yo&r
                   where hope wds absolutely. essential, when, for in- thoughts, nor ape -my ways your'ways". What to &
                   stance, .in 1925 we were thrust out of the Christian now? A  cohgregational  meeting  was.again  called.  it
                   Reformed  Chtirch. It was then when as-a small group this meeting it was decided to ask Mr. J. Kobistra to
                   we were without a roof over our. head, and without a labor in our midst. From a financial standpd'int.  thk
                   penny to our name. W'hen  we were members of the appointment.  was not an attractive one. Mr. Kooistra
                   Christian Reformed Church we had a fine little church,                                        regarded the appointment not from that,' standpoint,
                   a-good  parsdnage,  and six hundred dollam in the bank. and felt constrained to  accept. It, h& now been about
                   All this was taken away from us as if we had never                                            five months that he labored in  oixr midst. We as a
                   coniributed  a nicked toward it. l&haps some :people congregation: have `reasons to rejoice: From `Sabbath
                   think that we had not. But we challenge,  any one to to Sabbath we are led in the green pastures.  of Gsd's
                   proire.  that they have done more or even as much to-                                         Word, so that we go home strengthened in our faith.
                   waid the building of church and parsonage and  to-                                            that God makes  all* things well in His time. But was
                   wtird  the upkeep of the same as.thos`e  who were thrust all this due to the consistory or the congregation? Let
                   out.                                                                                          the following speak for us :                                      2
                           We were thrust gut,` but God provided for us, so                                                      A.lle  roem is uitgesloten,
                   that `we could gather in  the,Blair  schoolhouse where we                                                        Onverdiende zalighe'en
                   held our regular services for about  four,years. But in                                                       Heb ik van. mijn God genoteq
                   the meantime our minister, Rev. G. M.;Ophoff,  received-                                                        !k `Roem'  uit vrije gunst alleen.
                   a call from Byron Center, which call he accepted;  There                                                      Ja, `eer  ik nog was ,geboren,
                   we stood; a little group. No shepherd, no place of our                                                          Eer Gods hand dit alles  schiep,
                                                                                                                                 Iets uit niets tot aanschijn r&p,
                   qwn for worship. We still clung to the little school-                                                         Heeft Zijn liefde mij  verkoren.
                   house, until  the desire for a little' church of our own                                                     `God is liefde, 0, Eng'lenstem,
                   became so  strong  that the consistory decided  to; call,a,                                                     Menschentong verheerlijkt Hem.
                   congregational meeting for the ppu?rp6&  of building a                                         And now if we look back ab& ten years, we can
                   church of our own. But as our small group was riot, truthfully say that the  little congregation of Hope has
                   financially able to bear the burden, we called on our. not hoped in vain. We must  confeSs  that God has
                   sister congregations for a little help; `which call was so made all things well, and that He has not forgotten
                   liberally answered that we `could go ahead' and build a: His heritage, and that He is the keeper of His covenant.
                   church of our own.. Then for about four  `yeafs'  we Our congregation is not large. About twelve families.
                   sfruggled  alang  without a pastor to lead. us as a  flock                                    Gideon,did,not  havera big army, but he was strong in
                   in the green pastures. of the Word of God. Although the Lord. May God  &rant that the congregation of
                   we were supplied with students and  mini&e& by das-                                           Hope may never-give up hope, a`nd that it can truth-
                   sical appointment, yet we quite often h+d reading serv- fully say with  the Dutch poet:                                                          .
                   ices.  These,eonditions,  of  course,,were  not ideal. And
                   having had a steady minister for about four years, ,w'e                                                  Die `hbop  moet al ons leed verzachten,
                   experienced what is express`ed  in`the `Dutch verse :                                                      Komt, reisgenooten, `t hoofd omhoog.
                                                                                                                            Voor hen die  `t heil des Heeren wachten
                                        Ieder woe&  hier om verandering,                    .                                 Zijn berg en vlak.  en zeegn  dr&g.
                                        Hunkert  naar  hetgeen hij zien zal,                                                0,  zaligheid  niet af  te  meten,
                                        En  betreurt  ze dag  aan dag,                           .                            0 `vreugd, die alle smart verbant.
                                        Wenscht terug `t geen  Gj eens zag.                                                 Daar is de vreemdlingschap vergeten,
                           So it, was with our congregation. `We were wishing                                                 En wi j, wi j zi jn in `t Vaderland.
                   for what we once had; We wished for a preacher t;o                                                       In the.  name of the Consistory,
                   take Care of our catechism classe?, and to p$each  the                                                           $`l
                                                       5                                                                             3 ,:                         Isaac Korhorn
                                                                                                                                           -
                                                       .; .

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                                              i  ,'
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                                          -A  `Ref  o'rmr!d..Sexi4-Monthly  `Magazine  ..
                                                                                                                            RAPIDS,;MI&





      ,     Vol.  XI,  No,  12  Entered   as  second   class  mail  %          MARCH 15, 1935,                           Subscription Price, $2.50  .'
                                  squatter  at  Grand   Rapids.   Mieh.


                                                                                           ples by washing their feet, an %ct that was prophetic
                       RI  E  jl  31  T,A T
                                                    . . .   -IO  Pi.. II of that greatest of `all services He would .accomplish
                                                                                           .for His brethren on the cross. Already he had clearly
                                                                                           stated that even so they were not all clean.  ' Was not.
                                Fbrcing. The Issue                             ;           one of them a devil? Now the Lord became. troubled in
                                                                                           spirit,' a trouble that must have been visible in His
                                       When Jesus. had  t&s'  said,  he was                countenance. It is of "the hour" He is thinking. And
                                    troul$ed  in  spirit and  testiCed,  and  said,        the trouble is not now caused by'anticipated anguish  .of
                                    Verily,"7erily,  I  say unto  you that one of soul as it was a few days before this, but by the fact
                                yo,u  s h a l l   $etra$   m e .                           that the traitor is still  ,present,  though according to
                                                                           John 13 :21.    the Father's time he has but a few hours at his dis-
              Traitor, now or never!                                                       posal in which to accomplish his satanic work!. . . , .
                Your hour is not my `hour, but my hour is at hand                             And still there is no intention in Jdda's  mind and
            and my hour is the Father's hour ! At that hour,. of my heart to betray the Lord that night !
            Father `I must lay down *my life that I may take it                               The plans of the enemy were quite different from
            again! Therefore, Sudas, thou child of the devil, -ap- the determined counsel of God!
           "pointed for this purpose, go. now ! . ., . . i                                    @or, first of all, the enemy had no intention to.bring
               .Rush  on!. That thou  doe&, do quickly!                                    Jesus to death in the way of a public trial. They would
                Your way is not my way. But my way is the way. not. pass a judicial verdict upon the Lord, not by the
            of the Father, not your way, I will travel even to the `Sanhedrin,  stil less by the world power as represented
            end, as the obedient-servant. Itis the way of the cross, by the Roman governor.- On the contrary, they would
            the way of the bloody.tree  on the which God shall in take  him\ by subtilty, secretly, would come upon Him
            Me reconcile, the world unto Himself, not.. imputing unawares, perhaps while He was sleeping the sleep of
            their trespasses unto them ! Therefore, Judas, thou  son. the righteous and stab .Him to death;.. then to remove
            of perdition, go now and tarry not ! This, not tomorrow, His body so that no one might know what had become
            is thy hour and the hour of the power of darkness!' Let of Jesus of Nazareth ! "They consulted that they .might
            itnotpass! . .  :.                                       .                     take Jesus by subtilty and `kill Him!" How this. was to
               Not until thou shalt have gone, rushing forth into be accomplished they did not as yet know. Definite
            the night to accomplish  -the darkest of deeds, can my plans were not formed. But kill him they would. ,And
            troubled spirit find rest in the assurance that my secretly murder him they must, for still the Rabbi of
            F&h& is glorified through Me  I                                                Nazareth was very popular. And, secondly, in insep-
                Such is the significance of the dismissal of the arable connection: with their plot to murder Jesus
            traitor by Him Whom he should betray;                                          secretly stood' this other  determin&ion  that it should
               One of you shall betray  .Me ! .                                            not be done on the feast day, lest the matter should be-
              The words were spoken in an upper room in Jeru- come public after all and there should be uproar among
            salem, perhaps in the house of John Mark, where Jesus the people. And thus, with a view to their plans we can
           . was assembled with His disciples; They were  cele-                            understand that Judas, the traitor, could play an im-
      ' brating. the last possible Old Testament  -passover. The portant part, and that, now two days ago, they had
           Lord was aware  that-His hour was approaching. He rejoiced. greatly when the son of perdition. had offered
      ,*., :had, just performed the act of a slave upon His disci-.
 -_,                                                                                       his dark services for thirty pieces- of silver ! . . . . .    ,
/              -         `.                 i                     _'


                                                                                   ,

                                       ,Their  hour was not the Father's hour!                    so, they would take Jesus by subtilty and not on-the '
                                       Not ori the feast day ! Yet, on the. feast day, on the f e a s t d a y ! . . . .   .
                                    morrow it would all be accomplished!                                  And now, at, the table of the `last passover  Jesus
                         . . . .
:                                      T@eir way wcas not the Father's Wa$!                       takes the matter? in hand!               :
        ,.                                                                                                He also knoivs the Fathei's  hour and the Father's
                               _       Not the way of a public trial and condemnation, but w a y !
                                    that of secret  murder! Yet, a public, the most public.        ; And He is aware of the secret -plot of the, enemy!
                         I trial by all the world, the way of the cross it was to be,                     Yet, the. Father's way, at, -the Father's hour, the
                                    that  in the condemnation of Jesus all the world  might       way of the cross, on the which He  will voluntarily lay
b e   c o n d e m n e d   !                                \                                      down His life for His sheep, He will travel  to the end
      .                                ' The, Son of man would go, indeed, but not in their ,as the obedient. Servnnt !
                         way, but as it was. written of Htrn.!                                            Had He not forced the issue .& tti,s tioment,  nothing
                                       Thin only :can we understand  the @art of Judas' be- ~would.have  happehed. Quietly the ti-aitor plannetj  to
,.                                  trayal,  when  we see him, not in the light of actual' spend the night in the company 6f Jesus and the djsci-
                              events, but  ifi. the darkness of the enemies' plot ! After ples, for it was to be "not on t&e feast day". Quietly
                                    all, considering th& ca;pture and crucifixion of our Lord the `Lord would -have gone to Gethsemane and then?. . . . '
                             ; as they actually took place, Judas.seems'to  play btit an                  The Lord is troubled in spirit, knowing the Father's'
                                                                                                                                                                     )
                                    insignificant part. Could  noti the enemy have obtained hour!
                          the band of soldiers, have discovered the. place where                   And Judas is rudely shaken out of his consciousness'
                                    Jesus-was, have taken Him captive and condemned Him of safe  security   .by the' sudden outburst from that
                                    without Jud&s, if it had, been their plan to try  Him troubled spirit: "Verily, verily, I say unto you that
                                    public&? But if they would murder Him, take Him by one.of y&i shall betray me!"
                                    subtilty,' Judas would. be of great value! He could                   `The Lord is forcing the issue'!
                                    sneak away from the `company of the Lord and :His                     No. one, not eveh  the son `of perdition, though he
                                    disciples in the hollow of the night,`lead  the enemy .to must serve as the instrument `of `the devil and .' . . . .
                                    Jesus,  perhaps, while He was asleep, and they might          of God,. can take His life from Him !
                                    overpower Him,  .even  kill Him before He could. awake                Voluntarily He `chooses the F&her's way ! The way
                                    t,o .defend.  Himself! Then, $00) we can understand the, of the cross-! . . . .
                                    great confusion qf that night of Jesus' betrayal and                  Judas, thou son of perdition, go' now and tarry not i
                                    capture and trial  ,before the Jewish tribunal. They are       -What  thoti. doest ,do quictiy  !
                                    not at all prepared!.. They capture Jesus and know not                For; the hour is at hatid !.
                                    how to. proceed ! They have no. accusation, they have          It is :` now or never !         :  *
                                                                                                                          ,                          +'
                                    no witnesses,. they know not ,what to .do! _. . . .
              .I                        Their .hour,  was not the Father's hour !       :    .                                                             ,
                                                                                                                                                I
                                        Their way wti quite contrary to the Fath&`s  way,!                                                           I
                                                                                                    .       1
                                       And matters are taken out of their;  hands, in drder
        -_- ~ that Jesus may..travel  the way of the cross, and it may _                                  Dismissed,.yet  not  expos'ed   !
                                    become perfectly `evident, that although  .m.en  are the       .. That is the marvel of the w& in: which `the Lord -
                                    means, the Lord lays down' His life  of.Himself  and no send.  a+ay  $he.son  of perdition.!`
                                    .one`takes  it'from.Him!        ..       .I                           `Traitors have  been.exposed'&ten.   it  h& happened
                                     1 ' Matters had been somewhat hastened beyond  the that  :a traitor `was- publicly exposed in  .the* Roman  ~
                                    `control df the enemy and these had become nervous and -senat& But he was not dismissed. N&v&r tias he sent
                                    irritable especially during the last fewldays;  Partic- awa&vith the message t'hat & s&ould'  hasten to accom-
                                    ularly the de&h.and  raising of Lazarus had ur&ed.them        plish what he ha&conspired to do. &ways the purpose
                                                                                                                                                                .
                             to hurry the matter of  ..Jgsus'  de.+&   -The-humor  of .was' t% ellpose  `hini in' order .thh&t'  his treacherous mten-
                                    the raising of Laza'rus  had spread far and wide. When tions might be brought. to nought.
                                    Jesus had been at supper  in the house of .Mary and                   How easily the Lbrd might have exposed Judas tb.ls
                    1               Martha in  Bethany,  Lazarus had also been there, and night of the betrayal!
                                    many had gone from Jerusalem to Bethatiy,  not only to. "             Had He not the power in\Hitiself  to nail ,him to the
i<,'                                see Jesus, but also become witnesses, of  the, raising of very divan on which he was &clitiing, to paraliie his
                                    Lazarus and they believed and pqblished the fame of `every muscle  and nerve so that  he could not. stir from
                                    Jesus. _ The result was that when Jesus had. come td his place, He that raised Lazarus from the dead?
                                    Jerusalem, the whole world follow&d Him and in help-.                 Or, knowing the secret of the son of perdition, could
                         less despair the Pharisees and  c&msellors  had cried He  no% have exposed his  dark  plot to the disciples even '
                                    out: "Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing?" And they at this hour, and would ndt  ,`thk disciples, already
                    , .had decided, not only, to kill Jesus; .but Lazarus also ! troubled in heartbecause  df a vague anticipation qf $he
                                    The Dower  Gf darkiess  had become excited. Yet, e&n awful things that were to happen, have shrunk from,


                                                                               TH'E  STANDdR"D   B E A R E R                                                                                      2 6 7
                                                                                                                                                                         -                          -
                                    hh as. from a viper? Would not, had Judas been ex-              j He is dismissed ! Not exposed ! For, He must go
                                    posed before that solemn assembly of. the disciples, to &complish  his dark plot!                    .
                                    Thomas, who  wasso ready to  die. with the Lord. have            The Servant of Jehovah here forces  the. issue !
                                    cast himself upon the son of the devil and torn him Jtidas, it is now or never.!,
                                    to pieces? And would it not have been easy, then, even - And Judas. decides :. now !-
                                    at this hour to prevent, the plot of the enemy, to make I        `Go, then, thou son 02 perdition, for `I'rnust do the
                                    futile the dark plans of Judas, t@ prevent the cross? 1; . Father's will at .the Father's hour abd in fhe Father's .
                                    -  -But it must not be!            ,                         Gay !
                                        Such was not the will of the Father!                         Go, and tarry not!
                                   . This hour was not an  ,hour of sheer power  !' The              What thou  do&t do quickly!
                                    question that  was to be decided was not who was the .' Dismissed  !-
                                    strongest; it was' the awful, the terrible question of
                                    the tputh, of the righteousness of God ! And the Lord
                                    is the obedient  Ser+t  to settle that question  foiever                                                        ,-
                                   :`andever!....               :,                                   Now is the Son of man glorified !
                                        He will travel the.way  of the cross !                       And now is God glorified in the Sdn of man!
                             _'         For, the world must be condemned ! And from the              How well we understand `this, outbur&  from Jesus'
                                    .world the elect, His brethren;must  be saved, redeemed, .spirit after the traitor had been dismissed !
                                    in the way of, righteousness.. Zion is to be redeemed            For, now the Way to the cross is prepared !
                             .: by justice. He must  Jay down His life` for His sheep!               Apd on that cross, which now -was evidently  not
                                        I-Ten??,  the marvel ! The traitor iS dismissed, yet the way of the  ejnemy.  that would have killed Him
                        ( hot exposed ! And when he sallieS forth-into the darkest- secretly; but the way of the Father; and the way, tob,
                              of night .to  accomilish  the darkest of all deeds, the which was manife&ly'chosen  by His- obedien'c Servant,
                              disciples, except the silent John, know hot why he the glory of the Father would be maintained over
                                    1s digmissed,  think that, perhaps, he' must buy some- against all the world! .  : .  1                                                              .
            i                       thing for .the f;?ast,  or for the poor !' . . . .             bn that. cross  atqnement  would be inade,  clearly;
                                       ' Dismissed, yet not exposed !
     !                                                                                           manifestly; For, atonement is satisfaction and satis-
*                                      `Possible this was because of the arrangement of faction is the voluntary descension  into lowest  hell, for
                             Jesus and His disciples at that last  passoveptable.  It God's righteousness' sake, from the  volu&ary prin-
                                    must, probably, imagined to have had the. shape of a ciple of peifect.  obedience,  fro& the motive of the love
                                   horseshoe,- around which, , on the outside, the  `.divans     of God, the perfect answer to -G&d's: "Thou shalt love'
     .,  :                         @ere.  placed, thirteen in number,: on which Jesus and
     :  i                                                                                        Me"! By. the dismissal of the traitor the Servant
             I                     His disciples reclined, the open end of the hors&hoe .chooses,  not His own way, but the yay of the Father.
                             being used. by him that served  & table. In the light of Men, sinners, Judti, the Jews, the world, the dowers
                                   certain data it is most probable that the arrangements of darkness,  - these are, but  instrtienti  to make it.
                                   of the. company on that last. night of ,Je,sus'  life. w&e possible for .Him to lay down His life ; put. He lays it
                                   such, that, facing the op& end of the horseshoe;shaped.       down ,of Himself and in the Father's way ! ,. . 1 .
                                   table, we `find  ,John reclining on the first couch to our       Judas, thou. son of perdition, know that I  an? forc-
                                   left, then Jesus, then  Judas, the  litter on the place of ing ,thei issue !
                                   honor. ,.To our. right, ..directlg opposite from John.  we       Go, a-nd prepare my way to the cross! @en unto
      _,: :                  `, see ,j?eter. When the Lord, troubled in spirit, announces Me `the way to- the .depth  of hell,. that I may voluntarily
           `,           .
      .:.                          that. dne of them should betray Him, the itiediate  re-       taste the wrath of God and love  Htifor  it!. '
             :  ._. sult .ii general consterga@on,  expressed in the question                       Open the way to Me, that all the,world may be con-
          .I                                                                                                                                  .
                                   asked by ali : :Is. it I.?. Peter, .@owever,  whispers across demned !
                                   i&e table to John : Ask Him who it is ! The ..+est of the        That my brethren  may-& redeemed!
                                   disciples,  filled with amazement know -riot of Peter's          Now is the Son of .Man glorified!
                        .; query to John, nor of the latter's question to Jesus !                 AndGodinHim!                    *                        ..
                                   .I And, the'&ord  answers by the giving of the soti !                                   .,           `.                               ,H. H.
                                       No, but the purpose is plainly to dismiss the traitor                                                                                        I
          _. !                     without: exposing him to the company of the disciples.
      _I:                          He does so by means of a token that would attract  nb                           .              N+TCE~
                  _ .`: a&&ion  whatsoever, that none of the disciples except                       On March 20, 1935, at 7 :45 p. m.,. the Rev. G. M. Op-
                  ;  7'." 1 $pn' w&d understand. For, Judas, sitting tin the glace               hoff will give a lecture in the Protestant Reformed
                        .,.of  ho&or, .would  naturally receive the sop first, when Church at Holland,  Mich..  `.                                                            -'
                        ,: `&$u~  h@l dipped it! B$ that sop, then,. Judas is pointed               Topic: "The First Point. o$ Synid`and.  God's:Right-
                  1  `.. out, `tiot  to the disciples except the disciple whom Jesus eotisness."                                                          . . . . . '                    .,  -
                        `,, ~,:lQved;-  b&`tb:.him&lf.!  . . . .
                                          . . .
                  i.-"'   `.  `.                    .,..  :_                              \        . .                                             ..Tht  Co,,itt,~
                  .:                                                        4  :                                                                                                                    y.


                                       THE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                          271

                                                               His  priest among the nations. He possessed the  in-
          With God No Unrighteousness                          ,heritance of the Father, the blessings of the promise:
        j$ow  the wicked taunt God ! How they insist that Canaan, the covenant fellowship of Jehovah. To him,
with Him there is unrighteousness! How evident from according to the words of Paul, pertained the adoption,
their attacks upon Him that they are' moved by sheer and the  &lory, and the covenant, and the giving of the
ma&c, that thus they concentrate upon His blessed law, and the service of God, and the promises. Thus
doings with eyes filled with beams, with hearts is, he, to all the nations, the  channel of grace, the
poisoned by prejudice and are thus constitutionally in- tent in &ich Japhet &ill dwell, the good olive tree into
capable  .of appraising these doings  aright.   Considel       which the wild branches, cut off `from the wild olive
the criticism that Floyd L. Darrow in his "Miracles, tree (the heathen nations)  are grafted. In Abraham,
A Modern View" brought to bear upon God's dealings in Israel, in Christ, all the nations of. the earth are
with Pharaoh as recorded `in the book qf E%odus. In blessed. For Israel is God's firstborn son.
this work  one comes upon the statement: "Were these              Some four hundred years previous, this. son took
miracles true and the incidents associated with them up his residence, as a pilgrim and sojourner, in Phar-
just, consider what a picture they would paint of God!         aoh's country, with the understanding that he would
..Moses and Aaron are told, according to  the command- again  be' allowed t6 get him up out of E,gypt  at the
ments of the Lord, to deliberately falsify. They are opportune time. But a new king, the Pharaoh of the
told to.request  of Pharaoh a `three days' journey in the oppression, arose over Egypt, who knew not Joseph.
wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God,.' $1 wh+t heinous crimes does this Pharaoh now impli-
when the real purpose is to leave the land of Egypt catk himself! He kidnaps, carries off by unlawful force,
forever. They are told to rob from their masters and seizes and detains Jehovah's very firstborn son. Over
`spoil the Egyptians'."                                        this son he sets himself up as lord and master. Ancl
'       I will reply to this. blasphemy and justify God.       what a eruei master he turns out to be ! He curses
This I do, not in the expectation that the mocker, see- this son in his heart, makes him serve with rigor, de-
ing his reasonings overturned, will cease his railings spoils him, oppresses and afflicts him in his ovens, casts
and hush up. The profane cannot be silenced. Hating his infant children in the river and orders the breath
 God, they, against .better  `,knowledge,  misinterpret His of life to be choked out of them at birth. Such was
 doings that with some' show of plau'sibility that may         the reward he tended this son for his faithful services,
slander His name.                                              this son, who through Joseph had saved the lives 0.f
      ' However, there are also believers, who, though Pharaoh's people by a great deliverance.
they know and believe and whole-heartedly affirm that             The Father, the God of this son, arises to reclaim
with God there can be no unrighteousness and that all and deliver His son, to take him to His heart, to bring              .
His work is honourable and glorious in that He is the him into His good and largs land, that. this son, as re-
 Holy One, have difficulty with the  Exodus  record now deemed, might walk before His face in that land and
     under consideration. It is for the sake of these that praise His--name forever.
     I write.                                                     Now it is true that Jehovah does not say to Phar-
        True-  it is that the purpose of -God was -to bring aoh, "1 am come down to `deliver my son out of.`thine
 forth His people out of Egypt permanently. But was hand and to bring'him up out of thy land into a good
 for this reason the Lord deceiving Pharaoh in com-            and large land flowing with milk and honey. Therefore
 manding hiin merely to let tlie people go three days I command thee to let him go  .permanently." But the
 that they might hold .a feast unto the Lord  in the wil- Lord says unto Pharaoh, through Moses, merely:
     derness? How unjust the contention!                       "Let my people go,  tlnat they may. serve me."  BL&
        Consider that Israel is God's son, His firstborn.      can it in truth be said that the Lord through .Moses
     For Israel, the spiritual Israel, is born'of God, the issue falsified because He failed to add that the departure
     of  the will of Him Who by His creative Word calls the was to be permanent? A contention of this kind is
     things. that are. not as  thougli they were. Of all the `<as preposterous as it is blasphemous ! Consider that
     nations of the earth, so I wrote in a former larticle,    Israel was God's son and thus belonged exclusively to
     Israel in  Chulist (centrally viewed Israel is  Christ Him, that therefdre  Pharaoli had not the slightest
     is God's firstborn. Now the firstborn possessed cer- claim upon this people. Add to this that Pharaoh hhd
     tain rights. He was head over the brothers of his not merely seized this son but in addition had brought
     tribe. Thus he had the pre-eminence. He.also  received him under a yoke so grievous that his.cry came np
     a double portion of the inheritance 6f the father. The unto God by reason of the bondage. From the very
     right of the priesthood was his and the blessing'of the nature of matters, 3 fbllows therefore that the force
     promise, which included the possession of the land  of of. the command to Pharaoh, "let my people. go," must
     Canaan, the covenant fellowship with Jehovah and the be, "Let my firstborn son go permanently," that thus
     progenitorship of Him in whom all the families of the the command is to be circumscribed thus: "Pharaoh,
     eal:th were to be blessed. Israel, God's firstborn, was this people that thou'hast seized' and claimed for thy-
                                                    .

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

  self and so grievously oppresseth is the firstborn son was at no time made. How could it be? What is
  of 8$e, the God of all the earth and thus also thy Maker       more, the command as framed by the Lord and as
  and Master. I, ,thy Maker, command thee to perma- uttered by Him in Moses' ,ears is, "Let my people go,
  nently waive thy claim upon him who is exclusively that they may serve me." The  sole essence of the
  Xine, to release thy hold upon him and let him go              matter is that Pharaoh must release his hold on God's
  that he may serve Me to whom he belongs." Pharaoh,             son and set him permanently free., Jehova could com-
  lying, said, "Israel, God's son, is mine." But in com- mand nothing less than this.
  manding Pharaoh to let the people go, the Lord saicl,             Imaging this. Some kidnaper has gained possession
"Nay, but  Israel   is, Mine. Therefore restore him to of an only child. The parents send the criminal a
  Me." How altogether true, this contention of the Lord !        notice that reads, "Let the child go that it  may be
  How altogether within His rights He was in so com- mine." What sane  mbrtal would contend that what the
  manding Pharaoh ! How then can He be accused of parents mean is that eventually the ehild.will  again be
  falsifying? The necessary, plain and `natural implica- restored to its abductor because the. notice did not
  tion of Jehovah's command must be, "I come to per- specify that what! was requested of him is that he part
  manently claim and deliver  niy son." To deny this is with the child permanently. And who would think of
  to maintain that the  implitiatiofi  of God's command to       accusing the parents of falsifying because they failed
  Pharaoh, `"Let my son go that. he may serve Me," is to stipulate precisely that they were-of a mind, to keep
  that after a brief season, the Lord would again restore the child. Yet what the wicked would be sure to define
  His son to Phar&oh  and thus again lead `him under his as an altogether  lawful and non-perplexing failure in
  cruel yoke. The contention of the slanderer whose man, induces them to rail at God.
  criticism we consider is exactly that the Lord not                The Lord certainly was not in the least obliged to
  merely by  impiication  but in plain words had actually enter with Pharaoh into the details of His redemptive
  tendered  Pharaoh'  this promise. "They are told," wrote purposes. What He intended to do with His people
  this person, "to request of Pharaoh a `three days' jour- after the service in the desert had been brought was
  ney in the wilderness . . . .,' when the real purpose is       at all of no concern to Pharaoh. Israel whom he op-
  to leave the land forever." It is plain that according pressed was God's son and not his. Had the Lord so
  to the person whose slander is here being examined, willed, He could in justice have cut him off from the
  the words of IUoses  to Pharaoh, "we will go a three           earth without any previous warnings. This he had
  days' journey into the wilderness . . . " must be con-         deserved. But instead of laying the tyrant low by an
  strued thus, "The request of the Lord is that we be            initial and decisive stroke, the Lord, before the final
  gone  three days and no longer. And I assure  you,  0          blow falls, reasons with him and repeatedly warns him
  Pharaoh, that after this brief period of respite the           that in refusing to obey he  COLUI~S   certain disaster.
  Lord will restore His people td you and again place            What human would be capable of such forbearance?
  them under your cruel yoke." What Moses means by, Yet men will accuse the Lord of falsifying because He
  "We will go three days" journey in the desert," is plain refrained from disclosing to Pharaoh matters with
  from the context. All the land of Egypt had been cor- which he had nothing to do.
  rupted by reason of the swarm of flies. Pharaoh,  call-           Only if the Lord had told him that after the feast
--ing for Moses;. s&d to him, "Go ye, ssicrifice  to yciur had been helcl Hl6 -would pe'rtiCC?&ly  restore to him
  God in the land," that is, in the land of Egypt. To            His people, could it be said of the Lord that He enter-
  this Moses retorts, "It is not meet so to do ; for w@ shall tained a purpose (the  pdrpose  of effecting a permanent
  sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the Lord deliverance) that conflicted with His promise to the
  our God; . . . we will go three days'  journe; into the tyrant and thus falsified. But as was said, no such
wilderness  and.sacrifice  to  the Lord  our  God. . . . .  "    promise was made. How could it ha+e been?
      The meaning of Moses' words is plain. Phar&oh  in-            That Pharaoh, too, plainly perceived that. the pur-
  sisted that the sacrifice be brought in the land. This,        pose of the Lord was to effect a permanent deliverance,
  says Moses in reply, is not allowable. Besides, sacri- is evident from all his reactions. When the land was
  ficing before the eyes of tlie Egyptians, we will be           corrupted by reason of the flies, he consented to allow
  stoned. Necessity dictates therefore that we worship the people to sacrifice to their God in  hii  Znncl. When
  far  beyorid  the range of vision of your people, at a dis- Moses insists that they will go three days:  journey in
  tance froni the border of your land equal to a three the desert, he yields, providing they go not far. After
  days' journey.                                                 the  .announcement  of the plague of the locusts, he con-
      Such is the plain meaning of M&es'  assertion, "We sents to let the men only go and thus would detain the
  will go thee days' journey  into the desert .' . . " and       wdmen and the children and  the cattle. After the
  thus not, "After an absence of three days, we will have        plague of three days' darkness, he again consents to
  returned and `again will be slaving in your ovens, 0           let the people go with the exception of their flocks.
  Pharaoh." Nothing is said of a return. The promise After the departure, the heart of Pharaoh  tdrned
  that the Lord would return His son"to  the oppressor, agailist the people and he said, "Why have we done


                         a           T H E   S T A N D A R D   BtiARER                                             273  :

this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?" And thing of which he is most eager to rid him. By so
he pursued after the children of Israel. Why this doing he deliberately throws away his imaginary and
insistence on the part of Pharaoh that the people sacri- false claims upon God's son and thus declares that he
fice to the Lord in his land ; `that they go not far ; that is of a mind to part company with him for ever. Such
the men only go; that they all go with the exception is indeed the implication of his action consisting in his
of their cattle? Because he well understood that the thrusting the people forth. He who casts aside a thing,
departure was meant to be permanent. Therefore he proclaims, that with that thing he has done and can
feared to, permit them to pass out of his sight and            thus never again say with justice, "The thing is mine.
afterwards thought to compel the men, in the event             I claim and will retrieve it." Thus the. son that the
they went forth, to return by detaining their wives, Lord brings forth out of Egypt is one whom Pharaoh
children and cattle. And l&tly he thought to tie the has cast from his person and out of his land. What
congregation to. his person by detaining their cattle.         Pharaoh thrusts out, the Lord now gathers, takes to
Also hi: taking after the departed hosts of the Lord           His bosom and brings into His  house.  And so it  is
was done in the well-grounded fear that they had went through all time. The very people that the world
forth never to return. It  i& plain that the purpose of spews out, the Lord retrieves and brings home. For
God was known  to Pharaoh.                                     they are precious in His sight, they being the issues
                                                               of His redeeming and beautifying grace. Of these the
   Consider further this word of  the Lord, "Then the world 1s not worthy `as they are the blessed of the.Lord
Lord  s&d unto Moses, Now `shalt thou see what I will and as the world that persecutes them is cursed and
do to :Pharaoh:  for with a strong hand shall he let           doomed. Hence, the Lord calls them out of darkness
them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them into His light, separates them from the ungodly and
out of the land?' (Ex. 6 :lj . *his notice `was again re-      takes  them to Himself. But that sin may appear to be
peated by the Lord between the ninth and tenth plague, sin, God's firstborn, Israel, Christ Jesus, must be
"And the Lord said unto Moses, Yet will I bring one            delivered into the power of Pharaoh, of the wicked,
pla&le more upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; after- that by them, God's own may be- oppressed and finally
wards he will let you go hence : l+hen  he shall let you go    thrust forth. So did Pharaoh thrust out the people of
he shall &rely thrust you out hence altogether" (Ex. Israel. How can the action of God consisting in taking
11 :l) . And when Moses for the last time stood before to Himself the people that the wicked tyrant  cast out
Pharaoh, he said to him, "And all these thy servants be branded deceptive.
shall come down unto me, and bow down themselves
unto me, saying, Get thee out and all the people that             And can the Lord be accused of ordering His people
follow  thee  . . . .  " The prediction is then that Phar- to rob the Egyptians?, Can God steal if the earth and
aoh atid his servants will not merely permit the people its fulness, if the Egyptian together with his jewels
of Israel to go but will actually thrust them out of the of silver and jewels  -of gold belong to the Lord? Has
land. Mark hoiv the prediction was fulfilled, "And it He not the right  to! disPose  of that which is His as He
came to pass, that at midnight the Lord smote all the wills, to take away these jewels from the oppresSor
firstborn in the land `of Egypt that sat on his throne         and to give them to His people? Consider that these
unto. %he --firstborn of the- captive that was in the-- dun- jewels are the Lord's, _,-Cag.He not do' with, t-hat which
geon; and all the firstborn of cattle. And Pharaoh rose is His as He pleases? Consider, too, that Israel had
in the, night, he, and his, servants, and all the Egypt- slaved for Pliaraoh in his ovens for all these years,
ians ; and there was a great cry in. Egypt; for there          that for these services Israel had reaped from Phar-
was not a house were there was not one dead. And he aoh's hands oppression and death, so that when the
called .for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise Egyptian again of his own accord turns over to  .God's
up, and get.you  forth from among my people, both ye son jewels of silver and  jewelq  of gold, he for the first
and the children  of Israel ; and go; serve  the Lord as       time restores to this son his hire. But the text as it
ye have said. Also take your flocks and your herds, reads  iri the translation is misleading. It reads, "Speak
as you have said, and be gone ; and bless me also. And now in the ears of the people, and let  ev,ery man borrow
the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they of his neighbor, and every woman of her  aeighbor,
might send them out of the land in haste  ; for they said, jewels of silver and jewels of gold." The translation,
We be till dead men."                                          it is to be noticed, has  borr;ow. This would seem to
                                                               call for an eventual returning of these jewels. Fact
    Consider that  by thrusting out Israel, Pharaoh not is, however,  thatl  the jewels were  never  returned: But
merely releases his hold upon God's son, and concedes consider that the word found in the. original text is
that he ,belongs  to. the Lord, - by this action of thrust-    not  borrow,  but  request,  dmamd. And the result  of
ing them out, he literally declares that he will no longer     tb& asking or requesting is that the  E,&yptians  be-
have them in his country. He thus not merely permits seech them to take  from their hands the proffered
bqt actually commands the people of Israel to leave, jewels and be gone. Thus the Egyptians are not robbed,
yea, casts them from him as some vile and fearsome that is, stripped off their goods by violence. To the


                                                                                                               .
274                                    T H E ' S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

contrary they deliberately turn over to the people of
Israel their jewels.                                                             Een Donkere Schilderij
       Pharaoh, it is to be considered, sinned grievously
when he thrust the people of Israel from his land.                      Een donker beeld teekent ons H. V. in het Fkxxh
What he  should have done instead is to confess all his Ksrkblacl van 25 Jan. 1.1. van de kerkelijke  toestanden
enormous sins, openly renounce his false, claim upon in het oude vaderland, de Gereformeerde  Kerken niet
God's son, expresses his need for the cleansing power uitgezonderd.
of the blood of Israel's sacrifice, and sent Israel away                Hij verhaalt ons allereerst van een boekje getiteld
honorable and with his blessing. This he does not do, "Arbeiders in Zijn Oogst", geschreven door Ds. Both,
but in his great fear and carnal excitement, thrust Gereformeerd predikant te Arnhem, waarin deze "met
Jehovah's people from him  and thus adds to his guilt.              dankzegging en gebed tot God voor het werk der Ox-
                                                                    fordgroep" de Buchman-beweging (waarover we later
                                                  G. M. 0.          meer hopen te schrijven, zoo de Heere wilj aanprijst.
                                                                    of althans met waardeering beoordeelt.                        --
                                                                        Dat is reeds erg genoeg.
                         CREATION                                       Het schijnt bovendien, dat deze beweging, de  leider
       Ere  tile blue heavens were stretched abroad,                waarvan onlangs enkele dagen in Ned&land ye`rtoefde,
        From everlasting was the Word.                              ook onder  Gereformeerden in het oude vaderland op-
       With God he was ; the W.ord was God,.                        gang maakt.
         And must divinely be adored.                                   Over den aanhef in  bovengeno&id`  boekje, "met
                                                                    dankzegging en gebed tot God voor het we& der Ox-
       By his own power all things were made  ;                     fordgroep", schrijft H. V. dan het volgende:
         By him supported, all things stand ;
  . He is the whole creation's head,                                    "Afgezien van de vraag, wat  Ds! `Both  aan deze
         And angels fly at his command.                             groep zelf te danken  heeft,-acht  ik een'dergelijke uit-
                                                                    spraak tech we1 wat ondankbuur  en vluchtig.
       Ere sin was born, or Satan fell,                                 "Ondankbcmr  tegenover de kerk, waarvan de schrij-
         He led the host of morning stars:                          ver zelf lid is en waarin hij bedienaar des Woords mag
       His generation who can tell,                                 zijn.
         Or count the number of his years !                             "Tegenover deze kerk als `ops aller moeder' past ons
                                                                    to&. we1 zeer groote dankbaarheid.
       But lo, he leaves those heavenly forms:                 -        "Wat er van de christenheid over zou zijn zonder
         The Word descends and dwells in clay,                      de geynstituteerde  kerk op aarde, is moeilijk.te  zeggen,
       That he may converse hold with worms,                        maar zeker niet veel:
         Dressed in such feeble flesh as they.                          "Ik durf gerust beweren, dat ik den Heiland, dell
                                                                    Koning in Zijn schoonheid heb  leeren zien door middel
       Mortals +tli- joy beheld. his-face,        _      ._         van Zijn kerk. ,.
         Th' eternal Father's only Son:                                 "Nooit heb ik daarvoor de. groepsbeweging  noodig
       HOW full of truth, how full of grace,                        gehad en zal die nooit noodig hebben.
         When through his flesh the Godhead shone!                      "Zoo  zij.n er duizenden met mij.
                                                                        "Zelfs  zij, die tegenwoordig  schouderophaiend   te-
       The angels leave their high abode,                           genover de kerk staan, en aan, de kerkmuren brokke-
         To learn'new mysteries here, and, tell                     len, leven tech eigenlijk bij de gratie der keqk.
       The love of our descending God,                                  "Met de talrijke zegeningen  yan de kerk en het
         The glories of Immanuel.                                   Verbond met zijn zegelen voor,  oogen, kan ik het maar
                                                                    slecht hebbefi, dat een gereformeerd predikant &en boek
                                                                    schrijft `met dankzegging voor het werk der Oxford-
                                                                    groep'.
                        KERKNIEUWS                                      "De auteur zal misschien ook we1 dankzegging heb-
              Bedankt voor `Oskaloosa, Iowa :                       ben over het werk Gods in Zijn kerk, maar hij noeme
   Ds: J. De Jong van Hudsonville, Mich.                            het in elk geval met ge& woord.
                                                                        "En daaraan hebben we tech,  meen  ik, in onze tijd
                Drietal te Oskaloosa, Iowa:                         van kerk-critiek en afbrokkeling van kerke1ij.k besef
  Dss. Gritters, Veldman en Kok.                                    behoefte.
                                                                        "Ik  noem dit opschrift ook  yluchtig.
             Beroepen  te Rock Valley, Iowa:                           "Want de Oxfordgroep is nog zeer jong, en al ont-
  Ds.  B. Kok van Roosevelt Park, Grand Rapids,  Mich.              kent niemand dat er zegen door is verspreic?, moet in

                                        -.                                                                          .,..    .'
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                                                  T H E   S T A N ' D A R D   B E A R E R                                                       279

       den er geen 8000 "Banne& gedrukt en gelezen? ?&is-                                     THE PROPOsED CHANGE
       schien, we1 veel meer.
           Doch, zeg nu eens, dat hij geschreven heeft uit over-                  Dear Mr. Editor of `the Standard Bearer:
       tuiging? Dat hij welbewust  .die woorden  neergchreef,                      You asked for the opinion of many rejders  of the
       wetende, dat hij daardoor in conflict zou komen met de Standard  Bearek  .-about   the proposed change of  OUT
       daartoe "bevoegde kerkelijke autoriteiten"? Dat hij, paper. I have talked to several readers abopt this
       als `t ware het con&t  uitlokken Wilde? Wit dan?                         change but very few care to write about it, so I want
           Dan hoop ik van harte, dat hij mag blijven staan to express a few ideas, I am one of those readers who
       waar hij stond toen  hij deze schoone,  Bijbelsche belij-                always has been proud of our Standard Bearer. .Never
       denis  neerschreef. Dat hij  zich nooit dat geschreven in niy life have I read a paper that I considered of so
       woord sehame. Dat hij dat ware en mensch-vernede- much v%lue as our Standard Bearer. Most of the ar-
       rende woord gestand doet ook door een weg van ver-                       ticles I  .read not only once,  ,but several times. I con-
       &izing en smaad. Want dat  zai dan zijn pad zijp.                        sider. it a paper that instructs us, both young and  did
           En  eindelijk,   dat, hij  zich beroepbaar  stelle  voor - the yoting in the English language, if they cannot
       de  Protesta&sch&  Gereformeerde Kerken. Want daar read the Holland, and the old in both English. and Hol-
       kunnen ze zulke mannen gebruiken. ,Het spreekt ,als land, in sp far +s they can read both languages.
       vanzelf, dat hij dati metterdaad die andere twee pun-                       There is no other paper that will take the place of
       ten wegwerpt, zooals hij .het virtueel deed in zijn ge-                  the Standard Bearer. All  &her papers are filled  with
       tuigenis ,van  .22 Februari.                                             all kinds of trash - advertisements, and what` not. The
           Ja; het heeft me werkelijk  veel genot gegeven  oin                  Standard Bearer iti a paper filled with instruction in
       zijn Meditatie te lezen. Men lees! ido weinig van die regard to things spiritual and iti regard to the things
       f&-me, stoere,'  Gereformeerde. taal. Wat zou he! een df th6 Word of God. Therefor.e,  The Standard Bearer
 zegen zijn als alle leiders der  Chr.  .Ger.  .Kerken   ioo `r-is the'.odly  paper that is .woith-while .keeping, so. that
       ferm voor den, dag kwamen als hij da$ deed. .                            ititen  years I .have all the issues of the S. B. bound into
           Dan zou de mogelijkl@id  nbg: bestaan, dat meli rnct ten wonderful books, and I wohld not trade them for
        algemeene stemmen  die God-onteerende drie punten                       any other books.
        wegwierp. En belijdenis deed voor den Heere voor het                       Perhaps the time has &me  for our present  Stand-
       vertroebelen deer wateren  van God,s  Heilig Woord.                      ard Bearer to disappear. If that time is he& now, T
           Laat dit tevens een les zijn voor allen  die denken,                 hope  tp be content with it, but not without a warning.
        dat wij niet ,kunnen waardeeren  wat de breeders  voor                  If the so-called long articles of instruction, are to be
        goeds zeggen en schrijven in den kring waar'wij niet replaced by `short, snappy ,articles that are pleasant: to
        meer  mqgen  wandejen.  Vergun me het nog eens te read, I would `consider th& a big loss for both young
        zeggen, dat Dr. De  Jong. een mooie Meditatie schreef and old. The young men have not been considered,
        en wij  .erv+.n   genoten.'  Met uitzondering natuurlijk M. Editor? (Standard Bearer, Feb. 15) is 50 percent
        van die paragraaf die op zoo malle .wijze de Getieene                   English not considering  thhe young? Or do they, per-
        Gratie Wilde definieeren. Want dat was misselijk en haps, object to long articles? If our young people don't
        mal.                                                                    learn to read a fairly long article of spi?ititial  instruc-
           Hij  &af  overmnat  van  e&de;  doch Rev. Ghysels tion in their young years, they will never become strong
        deed te kort aan de leugen. Li,ever en beter gezegd:                    men in the spiritual sense of the Word.' The young
 hij  vwwierp de leugen. En dat strekt hem tot lof..                            must be +nstructed,.  and if they take. to instruction
           Slechts dit: hij schrijde voort  6p  d&t pad. Op  dat when they are young, they will want more of it when
       pad wandelt onze  VerbondsGod.                                           they  get old.
                                                               `6. v.               Once more, give me the old Standard Bearer for our
                                                                                young  and our old both. The many I have talked to'
                                                                                agree with me.
                                                                                                                                 J., Buiten, Sr.
                                IN BEPROEVING                                       827 Dunham St.                I
                Geef, dat mij'n hart in U beruste,                   `.
                      Geduldig drage druk en smart,                                                             IMPQRTANT
                Opdat. Uw macht  daaruit bewerke
                       Een zegen-voor  mijn zieI en hart.                           Please, look at the  date on your address on the
                                                                                front pkge. If it does not indicate the correct date,
                Laat mij in U slechts zijn geborgen,                            please remit the delinquent money. We are in need
                      ' Leer rriij stil voortgaan aan,..Uy, hand,               of it.
                van daagt in `t duister tech de morgen:                                                                         1. R. Schaafsma
                      `Een straaj uit `t hemelsch'  Vaderland.                      524 Henry Ave., S. E., Grand Rapids, Mich;

                                                                                                    =-:                . . .
                                                                                                           I
"~,'  _          :
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                                 284                                                              T H . E   STANDARD  BE.ARER                                                           I

                                Christus. Daartoe dient gansch het  plan der  zalig-                                       preaching  disrobf&  whosoever may hear it, of. all
                                heid,  zoowel als ons leven van de wieg tot aati het g&f.                                  hum?n philosophy or excuse or vain imaginations, and
                                Daarom   `heeft Hij het  `volk gewild Hem gewijd en is conducive to `mold together those who love intensely
                                wordt de heerlijkheid der gemeente  dienstbaar,gesteld.                                    the pure reformed truth, and are by the grace of God
                                Daartoe dient hit veisehrikkelijke  hellevuur, zoowel desirous to belong there where an unbiased and un-
                                als het zoet-z&lige  van den  hemeL `En die openbaring adulterous knowledge and attitude  are  taught and
                                Tian Gods Zelfliefde moet het Israel, beide van oud en nourished towards doctrine and life. You see, reader,
                                nieuw verbond, diep in de; ziel worden  gegr'ift,  opdat                                   in this manner God is left to give the increase, and
                                het het niinmer vergete. De  &ne,  allesomvattende  gs-                                    to judge the quality of it. In this wise you may expect,
                                dachte: Dat Ik God ben en  dat er  nevens  Mij, geen sound growth.
                                                                                                                              z
                                goden  zijn.                                                                                       Thirdly; no worldly  afiiliations  are tolerated in the
                                                                                                          w .   v:         South Holland Prot. Ref. church, as worldly Unions,
                                                                                                                           etc. So you see it is not merely a  high standard of
                                                                                                                           do&fine  which is reqtiired. There i.s also a official and
                                                                                                                           sincere striving $0 have the practical life `of its mem-
                                                                                                                           bers conform unto their professed belief. To live an
                                                         NEWS FROM SOUTH H.QLLAND                                          antithetical life, to testify witness and to sacrifice unto
                                         The Protestant Reformed congregation of South and for the truth delivered unto them. Their's are
                                Holland is growing. It has jtist lately instglled  32 new some examples, of great forfeiture of money  and prest-
      _.i                       seats and has enlarged her church building to suit.                                        ige, and the test has been witb.&ood.            So you see, dear
:  .
:..:                                     What a remarkable development. Just a f;w iears. `reader, a lax or worldly-minded Christian would be
7`
i:.j                            ago this congregation was organized comprising seven greatly discouraged from joining this congregation.
        i  3.
        :                       families, professing the reformed truth, minus common                                              Again tLe Spirit of our Mediator is left unhindered.
                                grace and it now accommodates approximately 150                                            Strong.Christian  devotion is induced- and nurtured.
                                persons: And let me add; there are none too many                                                   Now lastly, you  will.understand  that if this is true
                                seats.                                                                                     of this congregation in this day of modernism and
                         . .             And mfhen  I say the congregatidn  is growing, I have apostacy,  those Christians who are anxious to assume
                                no reference to a mere addition of membership, or                                          all this are few ano far between. So the consequelit  re-
                                some material improvement of property, which after. sult is that the territory of this congregation comprises
                                all may' be induced by various doubtful attractions. I many miles. So you s`ee the final difficulty which one
                                refer to the prevailing condition of this congregation,, is called upon to assume is this physical handicap, of
                                so. as it complies with the requirementi  of the Word of traveling great distances in order to hear  th& preach-
                                Gqd  &d its rules for the maintenance and conduct of ing in this church and partake in congregatidnal  ac-
                                the church  02 our Lord Jesus' Christ. Only if this can tivity.
                                be said of any congregation ban we speak of growth,
                          in the `sound organic sense. Only if this be true has                                                    So again I would conclude that those reformed
                                the congregation sound reasons  for its past, from the                                     Christians who shoulder this hardship are very likely
                                which it may draw courage for the present, and  3 well to  b& sincere in motive a@d devotion  to the cause of
                                based hope for the future, come.what  may. For man God's  Kingdom as it is manifested in this small coun-
                                may build and add, but only the Lord can give in- try congregation. They constitute not merely an addi-
                                crease, can cause growth. And I  .take  the liberty to tion but an increase.
                                state that such is the case in the Prot. Ref. co&rega-                                             Ih this way we can congratulate the congregation
                                tion of South Holland. Let me explain.                                                     of South Hqlland  in her expansion; For now the occu-
                                                                                                                           pants  df thdse additional  seats  represent a well devoted
                                         In the first place this cong%egation  offers nothing
                                to man in the external way, except a manifestation of past, a secure present, and a well grounded hape  fo?
                                the intensive carrying on of' the church as institution, the future. She Fas sown- and watered but has left
                                with its various activities. Nothing is found there in the increase to the Lord. Therefare  I report no addi-,
                                the way of carnal or vain inducement. Only those who tion here, but a growth. I will not finish my narrative
                                value this institution highly and appreciate the fruit for South Holland has not only grown, but is growing.
                                of its living executioh,  and are willing to assume their And we hope and pray that  she may continue to labor
                                full covenant obligations which this involves, would  be in th6 power and spirit of the Lord, so that the increase
                                                                                                                           inay be solely of Him.
                                inclined to  cbnnect themselves with this body.
                                         Secondly, the preaching of the Word is of such                                            For then . . . I am assured we will be called upon
                                caliber, that it dissolves all that is of carnal and sinful to record many more unfinished reports about her
                                man, exalts the sovereignty of `God in the church. and prosperity.                                                 '
                                the world; In repfobation  as well as in election. This                                                                                     A. Hoeksema  i
                                                                                                                                                                            :
                                   .:
                 3.                                                                         .'                                                                         I
                  __I:.-                         -       _.            `.,.,
                 .,,             .,       v.           ,_      .,:       ,,     :"    `.                    .
                                                                                            .-:-  _._'  .'  .; `,  ,.,  ,:_ .  ):'              .,`. .           ,.


                                             T H E   ..:S-TAN;DA,,R.D,,   -BEARER                                                                                      ,287

 gunstgenooten zullen U zegenen." Ik vraag U, Doctor,                                                              C. A department: Our Doctrine. This is of great
 lo&n de verworpenen God oak? En zegenen de god-                                                           significance; But it seems that some of the  S-.  B.
 deloozen God ook?                                                                                         y,e:eaders do not care for doctrine.
    Ten &sde,  ziet U niet Doctor, dat David `in bet niid- ;:                                                      d. D. and, h. can be united as they both have refer-
 den van het Koninkrijk Gods staat,  in de tente Gods, ence  to.church-news.
 en dat Hij den Koning looft  vanwege Zijne weaken  in `>                                                    :.e.  The  Sandayschool  lesson is also an important
 Sion? Lees nu eens aandachtig dien geheelen  Ps&lm  subject if worked qut .in the proper way and not by a
 145 en g6 zult zien,  dat de goddelooze verworpenen er few outlines.
 slechts eenmaal  .in  genoemd   worderi en dat is  .in vers                                                       f.  ,.& Young People's Department is also an  im-
 20.  Daar staat : "maar Hij  verdelgt  alle godi$$Joozen"..                                               portant  matter, but it should be written in an W-to-
    Ten zevende, mag ik U vriendelijk verzoeken om cl+te style.snd  not too deep..
bier eens op terug te komen?                      `-               .                     `;                        g. : A Children's Page is- of great value to the youth-
                                             .                                G. V.                        ful, mind if written in a form which they can under-
                                                              I          .                                 @and,   yet with proper. content.
                                                                                                            ., i. ,An Open Forum is convenient and for the bene-
                                                                                   _.
                                                   :.                    `_                    iit  o f  IqaJly:.. .                      .,'
                   The Proposed Plan                                                           :,                  .I.]r.,.*   ,This paper  eo be bilingual, the space to be
                                                                                                           egu.ally.   -&id@, between  .the Holland and the English
                            pli z.qld; cm                          "                                       ianguages.
                                                                    :                                ,.
    I received the following contributions r&arding the                                                     . .I? this, possible?:,  `Under the proposed plan e. f. and
 proposed change in the conten&  and management- of .. g. must be edited exclusively in the  Edglish  language.
 the Standard Bearer.                                                                           __  And,in,each  issue of the paper there. must appear two
                                                                                                           Sundayschool  lessons. .This being. the, case `it is my
        Esteemed Editor:-                         i. .             ..' . .                                 opinion that the.Holland  will be crowded out somewhat.
    It must have irieved the editor-in-chief  &&&~hat                                                      .-III.   "$his  paper  should not be ppblished by our
 that  114 wrote about the "Proposed Plan" in our Stand-". pves& R. F. P. A. As I see it their work is done. The
 ard Bearer of  Feb: 15. And it was ,$mall woi&&&at                                                        Churches through their major bodies should take care
 he invited the readers to express their` opin&til&out  of this.                                                                  . .            _.
                                                        . .  ..-  ,I,'  '
 this matter.                                                                                                      IV.  y  can subscribe to a., b. and c. under 4  pro-
    For ten years he was in the fro&`,.ratik$  "a&l  ihe vid&d  that the Church rules in this matter.
 \+ork was appreciated. And now it'seems  that the work                                                            V. This can be omitted for as I see it there is no
 is wanted no more.,                                    - . . (`9.  I  ,,                                  place for an association to rule a Church-paper.
    Hear him lament: "It seems th&t ' the S&$.&d                                                                   There  are many Standard Bearer readers that are
 Bearer has had its day. -Its days ?u;e nuiizb&%3'"$`,&cl  .,. nqt,in..fFvor  of, the change. Ho\;vever.,  if it be for the
 this outcry finds its echo in the hearts of many retid&s., goo.fl of our churches at large, let us submit to it; also
 IS it not true that many  redders love  our  `23;  `B.  .and  $l&  editorial  staff, that  they  may  continue faithful in
 that its contents are food for theiti  we&$ s'o&?  `Many l&r .duti&.  I realize that the. proposed  plan does mat
 a child of God will testify  to this. I,$  `i<T%t  .`t&lz!   $.%k  of`  &'  &l&r&-paper,".althou,gk.  to the best of my  -  -  ---
 credit of the feaders  if the articles are fitit`&&-  `Are ; "kn&&dg6 it..is &&.voidal&.
 we babes that we cannot digest solid'!&l? -& `&ere,                                                         `.. Lkt it also become evident  in our miclst that w&love
 something wrong? God forbid that we &o&d ev@?be- .. `Zio; and see&,&  good of her children.
 come lukewarm ! And if we should ever see the timeMy closing line *is that I regret the change of the
 that we must have a continued story in' he.`p$per,  I Standard   Bearer  for  a church-paper.
 express the wish: may this be the end of our Standard                                                                                                         S. D.  V.  .
 Bearer!           `,                                                                                              Grand Rapids, Mieh.
     The editor, however, is in favor of the change, now
 it becomes evident that the days of our'paper  are num-
 bered and its contents are `no loliger want&d  by a cer- ..                                                              .`.     :
 tain group of readers. He proposed a plan. td have a.                                                      . .           Dear Rev. H. Hoeksema:-
 church-paper; Let us look into this .plan and express                                                             I surely `agree with I&. G. 5. in the 23: B. of Feb.
 our ideas about it.                                                                            -15th and cannot see yet why this -most necessary change
    I...: A paper to be published containing. the follow-                                                  was. not brought about some years- ago. As  young
 i>ig departments :                                                           .                            peop;le  as a rille.do  not like the S. B. in its present form,
     a. A short meditation. This should.read:  ..A  medi-` not only in our bwn chtii%he$;  but outside as well, I
 tation;  not too short.                                                                                   think the change should be made.
     b. Editorials. They certainly have a place in a                                                               . .                                   0. Monsma
 church-paper.'                                                                                                    Grand Rapids,  Mich.   '

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

                       Geachte Redacteur :-                                      voedsel ontvangen. De prediking  d&  Wobrds  is voor
                   Ik las in de S. B. van 1 Febr., een artikel onder het dezulken over het algemeen te zware kost, ep3; vooral in
            kopstuk: "Een Belangrijke Verandering". En daar u die  jaren is het zoo nbodig, dat ze iets meer ontvangen
            vraagt, dat ieder zijn gedachten  zal openbaren, wil ik clan; zeg, hoogstens twintig a vijf en twintig uren cate-
            dat bij dezen doen. Mijn gedachte in dezen i]s, dat het cwsat?e  pel jaar.
            een stap in de goede richting  is en dat vooral met he<                     Daarom  juist was het zoo verkwikkend in de S. B.
            oog op onze kinderen. Het zou h& aantrekkelijker ma- van 1'Febr.  uw antwoord op de vraag van A. F. en het
            ken voor ons jong geslacht. Zoo is het tenminste,  bij               stuk van Ds. Ophoff over de school, alsmede de stuk-
            mij in huis. De Banner wordt daar nogal gaarne ge- k&n van Ds. Ophoff en Ds. R. Veldman in de S. B. van
            lezen, meer dan, de Standard Bearer. En dat is eigen- 15. Febr. te lezen.
            lijk tegen mijn zin. Ik lees de Standard Bearer kaarne                      Onze  .ouders   moeten voorbereid  worden voor een
            en wil ook hebben, dat mijn kinderen  het blad lezen.                eigen Pmt. Geref. School.
            Ze lezen er ook we1 in, maar niet met zooveel belang-                                                                            3. Cammenga
            stelling. Hoe dat komt, of de stukken te dogmatisch of                      Grand Rapids,  Mich.
            te lang zijn, weet ik niet, maar het feit is daar en zij
            juichten het toe, toen wij lazen, dat er verandering zou                    My dear friend in the Lord, Rev. H. Hoeksema:-
            komen. En ik voor mij denk ook, dat er ruimte voor                          I noticed  "Yhe proposed change in the Standard
            en behoefte aan zulk eene verandering is, vooral met Bearer. I think there is very much to say against it.
            het oog op ons jonge geslacht.                                       But because I am not a member of the church-denom-
                   Zooals het plan wordt voorgeqteld  lijkt het mij goed         ination you are representing, I will not oppose those
            toe, met een weinig  verandering. Ik  zoil zeggen,  dat that are in favor of a change in reading matte?. Per-
            wij er geen Zondagschoolles in moesten hebben, maar haps it will be more according to the taste of many
            daarvoor jn de plaats: Beschouwingen en Critieken.                   people. But on the other side, the paper as now edited -
            Met deze.verandering  lijkt mij het plan goed  toe. De by you and Rev. G. M. Ophoff  will lose much power and
            Zondagschool lijkt  niij de dood toe voor de kerk en dat influence, for your insight into Scripture is very im-
            moeten wij niet in de hand werken. Misschien  druk ik port&t-and many people are edified by your writing.
            mij wat sterk uit, maar de historie bewijst het.                     Another thing is, that your writing does more good
                   En hiermede heeft u. mijn gedachte.                           than you, perhaps, realize and it is not right to think
                                                         A. Poortenga            that many put the paper aside without reading it, ex-
                   Lansing, Ill.                                                 cept some of the worst enemies. Through your `paper
                                       -        -                                many are not only convinced of the truth, but we are
                                                                                 enjoying the truth, especially your meditations, edito-
                       D e a r   R e v .   Hoeksema:-                            rials and  remaiks  of all kinds, as well as your dog-
                   I have read about the important change in the matic articles. And Rev. Ophoff is a  very good
            Standard `Bearer and the proposed plan and as you are "Gravamer". I don't like to miss him, for he is a man.
            looking for a harvest of comment, I thought it neces- that can distinguish between truth and untruth. Now,
            sary to give my view also. I  a%  wholeheartegly  in
_...                                                                             for the great-love's sake which I have for your writ&g,
            favor of%h&change, not t:+*at  we do not enjoy reading and because I am always blessed by its contents, I
          ' the S.  B. in its present form, but for our children's express to you both my wish that the paper may re-
            sake. They can only digest very little of it and there main as it is.
            is a crying nee$  for Prot. Reformed reading m&ter  for                                          \                                     I. V. H.
            our young people:                                                           Kalamazoo,  Mich.
                                                            D. Bloem
                   Grand Rapids, Mich. .                                                Brother I. V. H. of Kalamazoo,  Mich., did not
                                       -        -                                designate whether he desired to have his opinion pub-
                        Geachte redactie :-                                      lished or not.
                   `Naar mijn inzicht is het voorgestelde plan tot  ver-                I received some more correspondence, both pro and
            andering van onze S. B. "just what we need"! Gaarne con, which are not intended for publication. Thanks.
            zag ondergeteekende echter  nog een rubriek en  we1                         Let me make one more  reniark.
            voor Christian Instruction.  Dat is dunkt me  vootial                       As I read `the above articles, the thought entered
            wat we noodig hebben, zal onze jeugd menschelijker-                  my mind that some contributors niight, perhapq  be
             wijze gesproken de toekomst onzer Prot. Geref. Kerk strongly tempted to reply to some of the other contrib-
             zijn. Vooral op eig@n school moet de nadruk worden                  utions. Don't. Your debatings wiil not 68 published.
             gelegd.                                                             We want opinions, no wranglings.
                   Het valt immers niet te ontkenqen,  dat onze kin-                    Now, everybody write !
          deren, zeg van 12 tot 17 jaar, o, zoo-weiliig  geestelijk                                                                                      H. H.


        ,.  .,.,  .- . .  ;                                              . `.                           `_  ._  :- . .  -.. :. : .., :< j       _.,`.,,-j_~ . . . . . . . . . . ..`.,
                                                                                 ._      -..:     -.


