                                            T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                          295
                                                                                                          - __
         The Institution of the  qassov&                            the month., Its blood must be struck on the two side
                                                                    posts and oti the upper door post of the houses, where-
          And the blood  shal1 be to you for a token upon  `ihe     in they shall eat it. The flesh is to be roasted with fire
I       houses where ye are; and  w&en   I'see the blood, I will    and eaten with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs
        pass over you . . . .                        Ex.  12:13.    in the night of their going forth - the fourteenth day
        The 1,ast of the ten sttokes  has been announced to of the month. Thus it may not be eaten raw nor sodden
Pharaoh. About  m'idnight the Lord will go out into at all with water, but roasted with fire, its head with
     the midst of Egypt : and all the firstborn in the land of      its legs, and with the purtenance thereof. Nothing of
Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sit-            it may remain until the morning and that which re-
teth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the                mains of it ,shall be burned with. fire. And they shall
maidservant that is behind  the mill; and all the first- eat it with their loins girded, with their shoes on their
born of  beasts  . . . The proud tyrant had  .heard  and feet `and with their staff in iheir hand. They shall eat
maintained his silence as Moses, the announcer of the `it with haste : it is the L&d's Passover. For the Lord
plague, passed out  ofhis  presence. For three days, a will pass through the laad of Egypt this night, and will
terrible night had reigned supreme in Pharaoh's  land.              smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man
And in its blackness he, too, had sat motionless, tast- and beast; and against all the gods of .Egypt he will
ing, feeling and living the` death that  is now to be his execute Judgment. And the blood shall be unto them
.portion,  experiencing its horrors in his soul that as one         for a token upon the houses where they are; and when
having tasted' he might deliberately choose. death and              the Lord sees the blood, He will pass over them, and
thus be tiithout  excuse. &nd death he was made to ,the plague shall not be upon them to destroy them,
choose. When the veil of that night lifted, tlie com- when He smites the land of Egypt. And this day shall
mand went forth from him that Moses be sum-                         be  unto them for a memorial ; and they shall keep  .it a
moned in his presence. With the terror of that awful feast unto the Lord throughout their generations. They
night still in his soul he had said, "Go ye, serve the              Bhall' keep it a feast  by an ordinance forever.
Lord your God, only let your flocks and your herds be                  To understand the significance. of what Israel is
staid : let your little ones also go with you." He would here bidden to do, regard must be had to the meaning
tie the people of Israel down to Egypt  bi retaining of the sacrifice; for the passover  was a sacrifice. Here
their herds as hostages. So he had again declared that again, Scripture is to be our only guide. From the
he would not rel;?ase  his hold on God's son and had thus declaration of the Lord to the effect, "when I see the
continued to say in his heart, "Who is the Lord?`: But blood, I will pass over you and the plague `shall not be
Moses was again adament. "There shall not a hoof be upon you," it is evident that the truth and fact that
ieft behind ; for therefore must we take to serye the               called for the action consisting in the congregation cov-
Lord our God ; and w'e know not with what we must                   ering itself with the shed blood of the slain lamb is that
serve the Lord, until we come thither." Such had been the children of Israel, the  Lord's people, are  .by them-
Moses' reply.         Upon hearing this, Pharaoh's wrath
         ._                                                         selves .as ill-deserving and condetinable  and thus as
z&in becomes ri$hty ifi him. In @*eat heat of anger, worthy'of  death as  the'%gyptians  whose-firstborn are
he had shouted, ,"Get thee from me, take heed to thy- - tu be destroyed, that the people of Israel `are .sparecl
self, see my face no more; for `in that day that thou solely because the Lord has respect not to them  l&t to
seest  my face, thou shalt die." Before departing, Moses the blood struck on the posts of their doors, that thus
predicted in the hearing of Pharaoh the tenth stroke.               the reason that they in distinction from the' Egyptians
All the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die. And i do and wiil live is !o be sought not in their superior
Pharaoh had responded in his heart, "So let it be." He. virtue  - they are altogether destitute of virtue by
accepted for himself and his people the death that  `he. themselves - but ih the sovereign good pleasure of
had tasted. Thus he is without excilse.                             Jehovah, their God.
       But before the tenth blow falls, the word of the                So the truth that calls for' the Passover is that
Lord comes unto Moses and Aaron. . In the tenth day                 being sinful Israel deserves to be oppressed and killed
of this month (the month in which they are brought up by the tyrant Pharaoh, that thus before the Lord can
out of Egypt, which month is to be unto them the be- in actuality' deliver them and enter with them into the
ginning of months, the first month in the year) the rest of Canaan, He in His sovereign righteous love
congregation of Israel shall take unto them every man rriust by the shed blood of the Passover lamb redeem,
a lamb, according to the house of the fathers, a lamb purchase them, from the power of Pharaoh - the type
for an house. If the household be too little for the and representative of the prince of darkness, the devil,
.lamb, it is to be taken by the household and the next with the kingdom over which he holds sway- and thus
neighbor, according to the  mimber  of souls. The lamb atone for their  sins and by this atonement merit for
.must be without blemish, a male of the first year. It them the rest of Canaan; that thus the people of Israel,
is to be taken from the sheep, or from the goats, se- if they are to leave Egypt at all, must leave as a people
lected on the tenth and killed on the foufteenth  day of redeemed from all their sin, as a congregation whose


, 2 9 6                               T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

 deliverance and promised rest comprise the fruitage of from the house of bondage: and it came to pass, when
`an atonement.                                                  Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that the Lord slew all
         The price by `which the purchase is made - the the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of
 blood of God's lamb - is not paid to Pharaoh but to man and the firstborn of beast: therefore I sacrifice to
 the Lord. For Christ by His own blood entered in once         the Lord all that openeth `the matrix, being males ; but
 not into the abode of -satan  but into the holy place,        all the firstborn of my children I redeem. Ex. 13.
 having obtained eternal redemption for  us. The bond-             Thus the firstborn of man had to be purchased from
 age was  .deserved  and imposed by a righteous God            death by the blood of the sacrifice. This had to be
 through the agency of  .Pharaoh.  Yet in oppressing           done, because the Lord slew all the firstborn in the land
 Israel, Pharaoh was moved not by a desire to serve of Egypt. It is clear that the foregoing precept is to
the counsel of the Most High but by motives that were          be paraphrased thus : "Because the Lord slew all the
 wholly sinister. He thus sinned grievously and reaped firstborn of Egypt and because you my people are by
a deserved destruction. How true therefore that Zion ,thyself  as worthy of death as the Egyptians whom I de-
was redeemed with judgment and her converts with stroyed in my sovereign wrath, you, your firstborn
righteousness.                                                 (the firstborn are to be regarded as the representatives
         Now before the congregation of Israel could be        of the whole nation), if they, you, will live, so tiy right-
actually delivered from the clutch of Pharaoh, it must         ousness demands, must be purchased from the death
also be  made to confess the whole truth symbolized by and damnation of which you are deserving by the in-
the Passover. The congregation itself is therefore com- nocent shed blood of a lamb who dies in your stead."
manded to slay the lamb and to strike the blood upon               The firstborn as redeemed from death by the shed
the posts of its doors. Through this action the people blood were also sanctified. unto the Lqrd, that is, sepa-
con&&s, "We, too, are guilty, unclean and death&de-            rated from the people and devoted wholly to the serv-
serving" and pray, "0 Lord, behold us in the, blood of         ice of the Lord. LBter,  as a result of the apostacy  con-
thy lamb; redeem us from all our transgressions.               sisting in the worship of the golden calf came to stand
Pardon our iniquities and save us to the everlasting           in the place of the firstborn to perform the service.
praise of .thy name." Thus  it can be understood that                                 (To. be continued)
the Israelite who refuses to cover hin&elf  with the shed
blood of the Passover will be destroyed. For such  a                                                               G. M. 0.
one declares in his stinking pride that he can stand in                                                       .
the judgment as unsprinkled by the blood and that the
blessings of the covenant are his by virtue of a merit
of his own. He thus crucifies Christ afresh.                                       ECHTVEREENIGING
    Thtit the children of Israel are brought up outof             Den 25sten Maart  kochten  onze geliefde Ouders,
Egypt as a people -redeemed and  thus by itself as                             HENDRIK VAN DER  MAAS
worthy of death as the Egyptians, tis a people therefore                                     en
that must know itself as the issue of the sovereign love                          JASPERINA ISRAEL,
of Jehovah, is a truth that will continually and perpet-       gedenken, hoe zij  voor 50  jaren door den band des  huwelijks
ually be brought to its remembrance by the spoken werden verbonden.
word, by the perpetuation of the Passover, by all the             De Heere spare hen nag menig jaar en verlichte hun levens-
other sacrifices and  4astly  also by its repeated  aposta-    avond met den glans Zijner Genade!
ties.                                                                             Hunne  dankbare Kinderen, Behuwd- en
    By word. Sai,d Moses to the people, "The  Lord did                                                 Kleinkinderen.
not set His love upon you, nor choose you, because ye             Grand Rapids, Mich.
were more in number than any people ; for ye were the
fewest of all the people: but because the Lord loved
you, and because he would keep the oath which He had                              .ECHTVEREENIGING
sworn unto your `fathers, hath the Lord brought you                             1905 - Dertig Jaar - 1935
out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you  OLZIL of  ,the         Den lsten Maart  herdachten onze geliefde Ouders,
house  bondmen,  from the hand of Pharaoh, king. of
Egypt".                                                                            M A R T I N   DE  JAGER
   By the perpetuation of the Passover in the redemp-                                        en
tion of the firstborn. Said the Lord at the time of the                    GERTRUDE DE JAGER-Siebersma,
institution of the Passover, "And all the firstborn of hunne  dertig-jarige echtvereniging.
man among thy children shalt. thou redeem. `And it               Dat de Heere hennog menig jaar voor elkander en voor  ons
shall be when'thy son asketh thee in time to come, say- mope sparen,  is de wensch  en bede van
ing, What is this? that thou shalt say* unto him, By                                               Hunne  dankbare Kinderen.
strength of hand the Lord brought us out from Egypt,             Orange City, Iowa


                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R '                                           301.

                                                                     the concept light comprehend? We feel. immediately
          `The Light  Of the World.                                  that light as to the idea moves in the sphere of knowl-
                       Ye are  the light of the world. A city        edge. Light is the requisite for our existence,  OUI
                     that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither life in the realm of the natural. Without it we have no
                     do men light a candle, and put it under a perception, no knowledge and therefore no contact with
                     bushel, but on a candlestick  ?nd it giveth     the outside world round about us. This is plain for
                     light unto all that are in the house.
                       Let your light so shine before men.           example when we stand in front of a beautiful piece of
                                                Matt.   5:14-16a.    sculpture, in the evening. It is daY'k and because of
                                                                     darkness its beauty is hidden from us. The same is
   Tnis is the second description of the church  jn the              true when one is called upon to pass judgment in a
sermon on the mount.  The Lord hath said, "Ye are                    certain case. He does not know anything, about it or
the salt of the earth", and adds, :`Ye are `the light of             perhaps knows very little of the facts, so that the
the  wdrld". The question is: are these two metaphors cease is not clear to him, .in other words such a one
`identical ? Is it not after all the one and the same                needs light on the subject  in order to pass proper judg-
thing  cdncerning  which the Lord speaks? Earth is ment. While he is in darkness, light alone can give
that part of creation wherein man dwells. The world, him certitude and clearness in the matter confronting
the  ilace wherein he  .lives. The two  .are often used              him. The same is true when. in the late hour of the
promiscuously in Scripture. On the earth the child of evening someohe is walking on a dark road. He wanders
God is a pilgrim and stranger, and in the world he shall from right to left and soon is lost because the light
hav6 tribulation.                                                    necessary to see the right direction is missing. Where-'
   Is there any difference between these two?                        fore, light is a type of that which is revealed, of truth,
   Earth as .we pointed  odt (at least tried to, explain)            of knowledge and of certainty as it .rules  our life. Of
in a former article is the most important place of crea.: course not of life itself but the requisite.
tion from the point of view of God's counsel. `On earth                  Thus Scripture speaks of it. God is light and in
that eternal counsel is realized. Scripture often speaks Him there is, no darkness. God knows;  He, comfire-
of the relation between that counsel and the earth. It hends Himself with absolute certainty. Nothing is hid
also speaks of the relation between the earth and man from Him. The Logos is light, in Him is the light en-
and the latter is the crown of that particular part ,of lightening every, one coming into this world. This is
creation. Not of all creation. .Think of heaven and the the basic condition for the knowledge of men. The
angels. Man's sphere, his domain, is the earth. Of same is also true of the incarnated Word; He is the
the earth he is the salt, signi<ying  the covenant rela-             light  .of the world in the absolute sense. To be en-
tion. That is the relation between God T&me and His lightened by Him is to know Him who sent Him. Even
Church. A savoury people witli whom He has covenant                  as light is indispensable in the sphere of creation  thus
fellowship. As such they are the representatives of the              light is also necessary morally, spiritually and ethically.
creatures and that particular part of creation. In the               Without it there is nothing else but darkness,  foolish-
main therefore the relation between- &he -%ord and His-,- -,tiess and ignorance,  etil and  fal%hdod,-`Sorrow  and
people are pictured in the salt of the e&th, by implica-             death.    Light is then just the opposite, truth and
tion the spiritual-moral. purity of the"covetiant  God and knowledge, joy and safety, goodness and life con-
His covenant people as the basis  tipon which covenant  ., tinually.
fellotiship  is possible.                                              The Lord says: "Ye are the light of the world".
  . "World" as used here (for its different uses are                 To answer the question who  are meant is not difficult.
`m&ifold&  See Trench on the Synonyms of the New                      The Lord is speaking to the church of which He had
Testament)  is not identical with the earth. It `is con- said:. "Ye are the salt of the earth". Unto the church
fined to the world of man as is plain from the text &nd               knowledge is given and in her shines the light of the
the context. Man in his full manifestation:  ,`A11 the Word and the means of grace. Here is the light of the
floating mass of thoughts, opinions, maxims, specula-                 Spirit of tlie Risen Lord. Fellowship does repose upon
tions, hopes, impulses and aims' and as such the world mutual knowledge. Hence, the Lord cannot and Will
of tien  living alienated and apart from God, as opposed not havel'any  communion with all that is of .darkness.
to Him. In the midst' of that world the church of                     His very being excludes every one from His presence
 Jesus Christ is the light. Hence, it is a mistake to                 because there is in Him nothing that has' affinity to
read in the word `world' all creatures, but it is confined            darkness. But in the church He delights.
 to man as he is without light and therefore without                     Therefore, it follows as a matter of course that
 spiritual illumination, filled with ignorance.                       the church  and its members must never t&n to the
                                                                      world for light, truth, knowledge, certitude or safety.
                                                                      All the discord, disharmony and wrangling in every
    W$en  the church is called the light of the world the sphere of life is to be explained from the fact that it is
 first question that must be attended to is: what does                caused by darkness. The' tottering world of today


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       shows more and better than words can describe how Through sin man lost the light and gropes around being
       true it is that the world, is enveloped in darkness. Is in the. midst of darkness. Darkness is found in his
       darkness itself.                                              innermost being; in his heart, mind and will. And
           The warning implied is: Do not seek after worldly therefore, darkness he reveals in all his actions. He
       wisdom and knowledge of natural man. The truth is does no longer  know the way and when the way is
       not known to her and if you do expect help from her           pointed out to him, he will not walk therein. He de-
       all that you will receive is darkness and foolishness.        sires darkness, he loves falsehood, he delights in evil
       On the other hatid do not misinterpret the text. We           and he ends in death eternal. Because through sin
       pointed to the fact, when  ,writing  on the preceding the light disappeared and `man became darkhess. Sin
       verse that it is o-ften explained as if it read s&t the       brings separation, death and desolation. No ! man does
       w&h, so  also here some try to make of it: Give ye not become like unto a stone and he is not dead as a
       light to the world. ,The tendency of our day is to let doornail, neither did he become `een stok en een blok'.
       the church be used as a means to benefit the world.           He remained a willing, thinkirig and desiring creature.
       Under many  pretences,  rather all kinds of excuses we But his will is no longer subservient to God's will,  hi;
       notice an amalgamation of light with darkness and a mind does not think after God and all his desires sho;c
       deinarcation  of the boundaries that separate the chil- that the brilliancy of light is no longer his. Cdnsciously '
       dren of light from. those of darkness. The idea that he seeks not after God .and he cannot will and does
       we have so much in common, that we can work nicely not desire the light, but to the contrary he delights in
       together, works more havoc than we are willing to con- darkness and all that darkness stands for. Intellectual-
       fess. The moment we begin to say that there is so ly light is the symbol of truth, that is to know the
       much we have in common with darkness, that same truth to love it and to live it.. Morally light is expres-
       instant we admit that light is not absolutely light and sive of holiness. It means that in our inhermost  being
       darkness is not absolutely darkn&s.  The one always there is the life of light and in our outward manifesta-
       and in all things excludes the other. For a denial of tion our ways are directed accordingly. No man has
       this fundamental truth is a denial of the teaching of that light as he is by nature. When the Lord says:
       Scripture  that God is light, absolutely pure and glorious    "Ye are the light of the world" it does not mean that
       and that there is no darkness in Him.          Whosoever the church had in itself some latent power which she
       teaches that the church and the world have so many somehow developed. That she is the light of the world
       things in common, such a man denies the absolute an- is because the light is given her. Zn himself the Chris-
       tithesis. Besides, the text does not say that the church tian is darkness, but he is light in the Lo?d.
       must give light, but that she is light. The property of          Christ is the light. He is the light as the eternal
      light is not to give itself away. It cannot be imparted Soli. All the light is in Him. He is the expressed
      to someone else, but  its very nature and property is to image of the Father. He knows the will of the Father
      radiate, to shine.                                             and He lives the life of light unbounded and absolute
                                                                     pure. Therefore, He is the light of the world and .of
                                                                                               E_. --.
8.                                                                   creatic)h-,%Xitit  the wdEld 1s a revelation of God. "Day
I         The reason that the church, the sum total of be- unto day utter&h  speech, and .night  unto night shewetk
      lievers, is the light  of the world must be explained knowledge". Creation is originally and  principaily  the
      from man's creation and is in harmony with the pur-            embodiment of God's eternal thoughts. Creation speaks
      pose of the creation of man. Man is created after God's of Him because the Eternal Word dwells in it. Sut
      -image. It means that his will and mind, his heart and also as the Mediator, the Son of God is the light  in our
      soul were cyeated  in such a way that he cannot simply         nature and in our behalf. He paid for our' darkness,
      know and will, but that he can know and will God. foolishness, corruption and sin on the cross. He enters
      That he can have communion with God and that out- through His Spirit into the Church and renews the
      side of that communion all is darkness. For whereas heart of God's children. They receive eyes to see, ears
      he is a creature he does not possess that knowledge            to hear and minds to discern. Their will is to do His
      apart from God. The fountain of light is not in him. will and they know and enjoy God's fellowship and they
      He needed from moment to monient the light of God's alone understand His revelation, because He trans-
      selfrevelation and the light of the illumination of His formed them and made of the children of darkness the
      Spirit.. He needs that for himself,  for. creation round children of light.
      about him, both as to the cause and the purpose ; in              Thus the church  ap'pears in the world. She be-
      his relation to God `as well as in connection with his comes conspicuous, even as a city upon an hill. Her
      place in creation and his entire conduct. He possessed prototype was the Jerusalem of old who for her situa-
      it in the state of rectitude and retained it as long a,s he    tion was the joy of the covenant people. That city
      kept covenant fidelity and thus did not separate him- could not be hid. The church is the spiritual realiza-
      self from the  source  of light.                               tion of that city in the midst of the world. The world
          Sin is the separation of the  F&mtain,  of God.            is darkness. Darkness as to her life and her mode  of


                                      T H E   STANDAIZD   Bj3ARER                                                  303

living. Darkness wherever  YOLZ  turn  your eyes: in             We are light in the Lord and. in union with our
school and state, in social and political life - darkness Lord Jesus Christ we share of His illumination. Un-
in the all comprehensive sense of the' word. If there         broken communication with Him through His Word
was light in the world, it would be impossible to see the     and Spirit alone make it possible to manifest that light.
light of the church.         '                                   Let your light shine that those who are in the house
    "Ye are' the light of the world".                         may enjoy it, delight in it and glorify the Father with
                                                              us. And let the world through that same action be
    The church as the  .light  of the world received that     revealed to be darkness indeed and that for the sake
light not  ' for its own sake.           Is it impossible of that same glory of your God.
that she can extinguish that light? Onr answer                                                               w .   v .
is :  th&t is impossible!         The light of the world
cannot be extinguished. and the text as to the admoni-
tion does not say that. The Lord says: do not hide the
light. The Savior uses  v&y simple and therefore very
plain  1;znguage.  Says He: "Ye are the light of  th2
world; men do riot light a lamp and put it `under a                  Editor of the Standard  Bearer:-
bushel". The  very nature of light is to shine. That. it         In three recent numbers the S. B. carried a .writing
is placed in such a position to illuminate and manifest by A. D. in which he quoted some English writers on
itself over against darkness. Darkness disappears the so-called "well meaning offer of salvation". Ac-
where the light shines. It is ag?inst the very idea and cording to the author, these quotations would "show
purpose of the light to be hid, it must be seen. An           the decided stand these men have taken against this
earnest conviction of the truth and knowledge of the          view". It was the "opinion of the Society that it might
light demands expression. It will not suffice to say be of interest  to, the readers of the S. B."
we have the truth, but when the truth takes hold of LIS        That these men have taken a decided stand against
so that it becomes a living reality, an intense convic-       this view cannot be denied. That it was of interest to
tion, one cannot help but express it, reveal and `fight the readers of the S. B. I cannot judge. I, however,
for it. Yes, it is true that we and our imperfect found it interesting - clecidedly  so.
br&hren  do not let the light ,shine  to the full in thr         Is it not interesting that after a ten-year search for .
midst of a thorough sin darkened world and that the material, Al D. emerges from his task with excerpts
light is never seen in all its magnificence in our lives. from writings by men of Baptist, Episcopalian, Con-
It is and shall remain a small principle. However,            gregational and other persuasions: offering them as
even the small principle of that which ?ightfully  can be proof for what he believes to be a Calvinistic teaching?
demanded as absolutely complete, shall  and. is seen by       In his ten-year search did not A. D. come into contact
those who are in' the house. The Lord does- not speak with any writers who were unquestionably Calvinistic?
65--i&e  principle as we live and reveal it, but He speaks    I'm sure he could -have found them-had his intention
of the hiding of it.                                          been to refute some of the other views held by the men
   First of all in the  chLirch  itself. Her knowledge        he has quoted on the  "offer of salvation".
and therefore the instruction given by her, is given to          Aside from the fact that A. D.`s efforts in gathering
her in the Word. Scripture itself radiates that knowl- material were so meagerly rewarded, I contend that `the
edge concerning God and all things in their mutual practice he has resorted to is quite objectionable.. I
relatipn. Does the church. let that light shine or is she have reference to the practice of appealing to men of
afraid of the world? Laxity in sound doctrine, mixing any and all  persuasions  for support of @is views. By
the Word of Gcd withethe  vain ljhilosophy  of man is         doing so, does he not recognize them as nien of author-
equal to hiding the light and placing it under a bushel.      ity? If he does, why not accept all their teachings?
The chtirch  must never receive her light from the woild      That at least would be more consistent. For, even
for that world has none and any mixture in this respect though  the& men individually have taken a stand
has proven detrimental. to the church. There cannot against "the wel-meaning offer of salvation", they were
be any allowances made in this matter. Either-or, the by no means of the same opinion concerning this view,
church is the light of the world or she is not. Not so, nor can  they be consistently quoted' to support the
the world has some light although she is at the same          Protestant Reformed view.
time darkness and the church has `more light, hence,             For example, .on page 113 of the S. B., A. D. quo&
let us live together in twilight. There .is no light in Philpot  in his review of the Erkines brother's books
the world, no knowledge and truth.                            where he says: "But as this defect in their, ministry
   Neither does the Lord demand of us to &part light          (offer of salvation) . . . did not affect the grand fun-
to the world.. His work it is to draw man from that           damental doctrines of the gospel, or the experience of
dark, ignorant and foolish sphere and. that whosoever the saints, . . . and do not involve vital truth, he can
He wills.                                                     pass them by . . . "

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

    `However, in 1924 it so "afEected  the fundamental
 doctrines" and so "involved vital truth" that it was Jerusalem's Peace, the  Excl&ive Aim
 impossible to  "pass  them by" and it was judged impos-               of the Christian Missionary
 sible to enjoy fellowship with any church-group pro-
mulgating @is doctrine. Does A. D. agree with Phil-               A strange people, we Protestant Reformed! Ec-
 pot?                                                         centric to our very day and age. Rare exceptions to
        On page 139 A. D. quotes Dr. .Hawker  as follows :    most every general rule. Always different. Seldomly
 "the preachers of the gospel find no authority what-         accordant with the present day ecclesiastical activities,
 ever to make offers or invitations in an indiscriminate      and especially so in regard to those activities of the
 manner to sinners in general ; neither do the scri$tures     church wherewith our present  day.and  age is teeming,
furnish a single instance, where Christ and his apost- namely, missionizing.
les have ever made offers but to the people of God."             Our age has the missionary complex ! That this is
    Does A. D. agree with Dr. Hawker? He should true is certainly  *an indisputable fact. There has not
know that the Protestant Reformed view is not that            been an age in which so much mission work has been
"offers-must not be made in an indiscriminate manner performed as in the age wherein we live. The statis-
to  sinriers  in general," but  that grace is not offered     tics, furnished by our government, respecting this work
 even to the elect.                                           are, astounding. Of the United States alone, according
  ,  SQ it is with other writers A. D. has quoted. `Their     to these statistics, there were in the year 1931 8,389
point of view was different than that of the Prot. Ref. missionaries, stationed in eighty-eight foreign coun-
churches regarding this subject.                              tries. In China alone United States is represented by
    A.  I?. `has been gathering mateiial on this subject.     1,978 missionaries, while in India there are 1,524. The
I would like to. offer some material I have gathered          so-called Morman  Church,  seldom thought of in our
from the works of some Calvinistic writers..                  Reformed circles, numbered 836 foreign missionaries,
    The following quotations were translated from  the        exceeding the Roman .Catholic  by a number of 295. In
Holland language :                                            the year 1926 American church& sacrificed as mhch as
    P. Immens, 1688-1720, in his "`De Godvruchtige $150,?97,167.00.  for missionary activities only.
Avondmaalganger", p. 76-I: "Ask: Do you want                     From this point of view it is nqt strange that people
God and the Lord Jesus as he offers Himself?"                 .think  it very evil that  we as Prot. Ref. Churches have
  I B. Smytegeld, 1689-1739,  in his "Des Christens           never devoted as much as one American dollar for
Eenige Troost",  p. 360 says : "Oh, Lord, they say, Thou foreign Missions. Even stranger it appears because
hast given me to believe. How can it be used? `. As a there is no indication that we are at least contemplat-
.means  to embrace the grace that is dffered."                ing on doing so in the future ; that we never mention
    M. Gargon, 17th century, in his "De Eenige Troost'!       the fact of sending a man to foreign fields.
p, 139 says : "Miserable people, who in the clay of grace        But, on the other hand, we are much more evilly
heed- nqt sq great 3 salva@~.wlQc~ is no>y r.eyealed  and     spoken of because in .the little mission  .work.-which   we_  -... __
ol%ered te LB".                                               have aone we .have  chosen the church itself, or more
    W. Eversdyk, 17th century, in his "Messias'  Heer-        particularly, the realm of the  .Reformed  people as our
lijkheid, tweede deel, p. 474, says: "Still God wills to      mission field. From these activities of ours people
give you this most precious gift, He  offers  it to you."     generally conclude: 1. That we are angry, filled with
    W. Brake1 in his  "Redelijke  Godsdienst," eerste r;evenge,  and aim to ruin the church. 2. That. we con-
deel, cap.-XXX-XII-7 says, "If Christ were not offered sider tliose opposing our doctrine as heathens, as if
to those  who remain unbelieving, it would not concern with the three points of 1924 they cannot be saved.
them, they had nothing to do with it and their unbelief       3. That we preach only for the elect of God. That this
would not be sin".                                            is not merely a conjecture of the writer but uppermost
    Calvin,  "Institutie,"  III-Z-6 : "Therefore. this is the in the minds of our opponents became evident in a con-
`real knoivledge  of Christ that we accept Him as He is versation with one of the clergy of the opposing circles.
offered and presented to us by the Father,  namely,           This clergyman gave the three reasons mentioned' above
clothed by His gospel".                                       for odr preaching` and laboring in Reformed circles
    "Canons of Dordrecht", third and fourth heads of rather than in such places void of Christian Churches.
`doctrine, Art. 9 (I  qu6te  part of this well-known ar-         As a result of these accusations one oft times places
ticle) : "It is not the fault of the gospel, nor of Christ, oneself before the question: Why do we, Prot. Ref.
offered therein, nor of God, who  ~$11~ men by the Churches, not as yet have foreign missions? Why do
gospel, and confers upon them various gifts, that those we not at least contemplate doing so ? Why, in our
who are called by the ministry of the Word, .refuse to present mission activities have we chosen the Re-
come `and be converted; the fault, lies in themselves ;       formed circles as our field of labor?
etc.".                                                           To answer these questions we must place ourselves
                                                  M. M.       before two other questions, namely; What, according


                                             T H E   ,S,TANDAR,D   B E A R E R                                          305
                                                  c
to'  S&ipture,  is a missionary? And, what, according missionaries or evangelists, but we must have them.
to this  ,same Word of God, must be his sole  ,aim, what For SO the Lord has willed it.in giving this ofice to the
may  b& his only purpose?                                        church. But, and this is the point, they must ai all
    According to Scripture the missionary cannot  nor times be His, that is, Christ's missionaries. As such
*need be a "Soul  Winner" for Christ as it i,s often por- they may only do His bidding. Perform that work for
trayed in  OUP  present day. That he  cannot be such which He gave them. For they belong to Him and
is evident from the conversation of Christ with Nico-            never become the property of mere man or of the
demus and other portions of Scripture wherein we are church in general.
taught that salvation belongeth to the Lord. That the                What then is their work?  Qr, why has Christ
missionary  n&?d not win  souls is obvious, for Christ giv.en  them? Dbes not the apostle state their purpose
wins His own souls.                                              in the twelfth verse of Ephesians four? Most assuredly!
    From  the entire Scripture we gather  this  one. thing Does he there speak of their work and purpose as that
in respect to the Christian missionary, and that is, that        of winning souls  for Christ or filling heaven to its capa-
he is a peacemaker. And being a peacemaker, which city? Certainly not! But first of all, says the apostle,
is only possible through the regenerating operation of for the perfectiny of the sa+nts. Notice, not to malce
the Spirit of God, he can never be a missionary in the           saints, according to our modern missionary ideas, fol*
modern sense, namely, that he seeks the- peace of the            saints' they already are and ever were, even before the
world by civilizing the heathen. To seek the peace of foundations of the world according to the sovereign
the world .is certainly not the spirit of Christ, but Of. elective grace of God. But to.perfect them, which, ac-
the anti-Christ  who is of the devil. But Christ .at ,the cording to the original, means to render them fit, sound,
.head  of all the prophets and saints of old sought the          complete and to equip them.  Secoridly,  these evangelists
peace of Jerusalem. And that same Christ filling the             are for the work of the ministry. Not for the ministry
hearts avd lives of His saints in this day, calling and          of man, but God's ministry. Administering the Gospel,
sending his faithful servants, seeks the same even to- with the purpose, and this is their third work, yea, the
day, namely, the peace of Jerusalem. .The peace of: that ulitimate purpose of th'e minister of Christ, namely,
Jerusalem is the only object of every saint,, whether of that the body of  Ckrist: may be edified. Notice how
the lay or clergy, whether in foreign or domestic fields.        distinctly the apostle speaks. Not to edify the world
   The.question may arise, can we with the view to the           should be the purpose of the minister or missionary.
peace of Jerusalem, honestly and correctly speak of Neither the edification of China, Japan, or Africa, but
mission work? Is a person so engaged rightly called              that of the church, which is Christ's body, whereof He
a missionary ? The answer to this question depends is the Head according to His eternal ordination in the
entirely upon one's conception of missions or mission- counsel of peace; in which counsel also that body with
aries. Generally the term is applied to those whom               each member individually was chosen and foreordained.
the church has appointed and sent out to preach the              Thus ,it iS plain from Scripture that all ihe activities
Gospel to those living in the darkness of heathendom.            of every office in the church, whether of prophet.
                                _ _ . . . . -.
In. the modern  circies, the  ultlmati:  purpose,.`of   .sUch    pastor or -`evangelist, should center about; and-. be
activities is to civilize the uncivilized,' to &ake the world focused upon the Zion of God, the eternal Jerusalem.
a better place to live, to heavenize  the earth. In short, That is Scripture!
to have peace and joy apart from God in the way of                  The church and not the world must be edified! This
sin and iniquity. The more conservative idea and also, edifying, or as our Holland version has it, "opbouwen",
sad to say, the so-called "Neo-Reformed" idea, is to win         does not mean that we must endeavour to bring and
souls for Christ, to fill heaven to its utmost capacity,         add a great deal that does not belong to the body. The
to pull for God's side !                                         latter never edifies, especially not in regard to a body.
   Scripture itself never uses the term'  missionc&?"y.          The beauty of a body is destroyed as soon as its organic
In Scripture we read only of prophets, apostles, evan-           unity is tampered with, either by removing or affixing
gelists, pastors and teachers (Eph. 4 31). But with              an additional member, however apparently insignificant.
none of the offices, instituted within the church by             The same may be said of a beautiful structure which
God Himself, do we read of the modern idea connected             is complete and beautiful in itself. The skill of both
with missionaries or evangelists, namely, to convert the         architect. and builder are destroyed as soon as one be-
heathen or uncoverted,  to win souls for Christ, nor to          gins to increase the greatness of the building by  .add-
persuade men by means of the Gospel to see the neces-            ing load after load of bricks and building material to
sity of choosing for Christ.                                     the already finished product. And this is exactly the
 May we then not call anyone a missionary or have                desire and aim of the Arminian and Pelagian with re-
such an ofice in the church? Most assuredly we may, gard to the church or body of Christ. To the eternally
for in .the healthy sense ,of the word a missionary is           finished product of the great  Artificer and  Euilder,
nothing  dif-Yerent  than an evangelist. As such  the:;          desire and aim of -the Arminian and Pelagian with re-
become messengers sent out with the glad tidings of              modern missionary views attempt to add loads after
the Gospel of peace. Therefore we  may not only have loads of souls judging that therewith they add to its

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

   beauty and splendour.. However, with all these  Pelagian     peace in the modern sense of that word. To be a peace--
   and modern efforts we are not busy in the construction       maker, according to the accepted idea of that word, is
   of a beautiful edifice but are actively engaged in the       absolutely no honor. A modern peacemaker is one who
   creation of a city dump, which can by no means be has a peaceable character, that is, one with whom it is
   edifying. To edify means to bring every member to hard to pick a fight, one who is so nice that it is simply
   its particular place and establish it there, in order that impossible to quarrel with him. Not only does he mani-
   the body, the building, may be complete and its glory fest this peaceableness when someone mocks and
  may be revealed in the completed lines of its structure.      slanders him, for then it would be honorable, but even
  The latter certainly is the intention of th.e apostle when when one mocks and  blasph.emes his God. SLldl  a
  he writes about the edification of the body of Christ,        person is not a peacemaker and has no place in `Jeru-
  The divine purpose, therefore,  whether in prophets,          salem for he is only at peace with the powers of dark-
  apostles, pastors, evangelists, or teachers .is to bring ness and is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Neither is he a
  every member of the Church to his or h.er particular peacemaker' who is forever silent and never voices his
  place in the body of Christ and consciously establish         opinion whether things go right or wrong, whether
is there.                                                       justice or unjustice is done. Far less is he a peace-
         This, of course, does not mean that we must not maker who for the sake of avoiding trouble and caus-
  and cannot go to the heathen lands. If that. were our ing a stir surrenders his convictions. Such a person is
  intention we would not be in harmony with the word of truly a coward and is a curse for both society and the
  God, neither in accord with the direct and personal xhurch. Therefore, from the point of view of. the three
  charge of Christ, the King of the Church, shall.be built      ideas given above we never hope to become peace-
  with stones from every tongue; tribe and nation; and          makers.
  we may never be wiser than Scripture. But this is                OuU: hope and prayer is that we may ever be peace-
  certain, that all these stones out of every nation do not makers from the point of view of Scripture. This
  and may not serve the purpose to fill heaven to its .peacemaking  has essentially the same idea as edifica-
  capacity, but to edify, complete the body of Christ; or tion as the apostle uses it in Eph. 4:12. First of all
  as the Psalmist of Psalm CXXII says ; "for the peace then, it means to make healthy, that is, that all that
  of Jerusalem".                                                which is evil may be put away, all that which is sick
         Therefore, the edification of Christ's body, the may be healed and all the scum and dross may be
  peace of Jerusalem must at all times be .our aim ! Yea,       drained off in order that a pure and holy condition may
  our or& aim ! All our efforts, whether in the church exist in the .church of God. Secondly, to make peace
  or in the world, in the home or by the way, in foreign or     means to bring to full number, that all that which
`* domestic lands must be centralized round about the goes for the making and complexion of Jerusalem
  eternally elect of God, who ultimately are to the praise may be brought together, that the imperfect may be
  and glory of the Lord our God Who called  us.  This           made perfect, the ungathered may be gathered. Doing
  was the aim of Christ Himself, of all the apostles, of this we have this result, which at the same time is the
  all- the prophets throughout the Old Dispensation, of  all -highest realization of. peace, to wit, that all is made
  the saints, of the Psalmist. when he says : "Pray for the     safe and secure, every stone, every member consciously
  peace of Jerusalem."                                          established in its particular place ; and that to the
         And this is our aim as Prot. Ref. Churches!            glory of the Builder ,and Artificer.
         We would see Jerusalem's peace! And for  our              When this all has taken place then, and then only,
  brethren and companions' sakes we will now and ever there is peace. As long as a sickly condition remains;
  more say to Jerusalem: "Peace be with thee'.                  evils and iniquities have not been removed, if scum and
         But this our aim, as Pro-t. Ref. Churches, our only    dross still cover the gold Jerusalem suffers. On the
  desire is always denied by the opposing circles who have other hand, as long as her number is not complete
  placed themselves ever against us as bitter enemies. Zion's beauty cannot shine forth. Then all safety and
  "You edifying the body of Christ?" "You seeking security are unknown and in Jerusalem all is unrest.
  Jerusalem's peace  ?" Thus  the enemy often approaches           Is not Jerusalem  in. this state and condition to-day ?
  us.     Slanderously we are called : "Scheurmakers", Is the heart of the daughter of Zion at ease? Is it not
  "Kerkj.espelers",  "Oproermakers", etc., etc. How, they true that the church is filled with unrest? No, not far
  ask, can ~JOU  contend to seek Jerusalem's peace and          off China or India and Africa; but right here at home?
  the edification of the body of Christ?                        Is not Zion full of sickness and putrifying sores? Do
         Judging from the common and most generally ac- not all her children complain. of her many imperfec-
  cepted idea of the word peace it is no great wonder that      tions? Is it not becoming more evident from day  to
  the enemy sneeringly asks us if we contend to be peace- day that she hopelessly grasps for safety and security?
  makers. Certainly, according to the general modern Oh, how Zion complains ! How oft times she still re-
  idea of the word "peace"  we cannot be called peace-          sembles the old Adam! How close she dwells to the
  makers. Neither do we ever intend or, hope to make earth ! How little her walk is in heaven ! HOW few


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                        307

the songs of victory that swell from her bosom! What answer is, that this is not our pzhrpose although it may
little hope for the glory hereafter!                           be the result. But even then, whatever the expense
         Shall we then just stop our ears for the woeful       may be, we  cannot refrain and we  mazy  not refrain;
cries of the Jerusalem that is pining away round about for we seek not the church, neither Prot. Reformed,
us  ?     It is utterly impossible ! We mazy  not neither ~~72 nor Chr. Reformed, neither any other Reformed, but
we. For it is God Himself that is making  Jerus&m              we seek Jerusalem's peace. "TO the intent that unto
hungry. It is the Spirit of Christ Jesus that is calling principalities and powers in heavenly places might be
Zion to the reality of her spiritual poverty. Must we made known by the church the manifold wisdom of
then not feed? Is it not the testimony of these hungry God, according to the eternal purpose which He PUT-
souls when they hear the .truth, as explained by the           posed in Christ Jesus  our Lord  !"
Prdt. kef. Church, that now again they are being fed  ?            Come then what may, we shall preach for Zion's-
         A glorious task, our task!                            peace !
         Certainly, it sounds nice to do mission work in         E'en though we must. have peace as by fire !
foreign fields. To be filled with ardent zeal to preach
the blessed Gospel to the blindest heathens. But let us                                               A. Cammenga
remember this one thing : rnissz'on, work begins a~ home.
Starting in Jerusalem and throughout all Jude& and
Samaria the disciples preached the Gospel even unto
the uttermost part of the earth. Therefore, as long as                                 INGEZQNDEN
God's people are pining away round about us because
of lack of spiritual food, lacking nourishment that can                   Gelief de Redacteur !
build them up in the knowledge and grace of Christ we
eanxot  and we  may not go elsewhere. This being the              Ik haast mij om mijn vol gemoed te verlichten aan-
condition at home we can honestly say, with respect to         gaande de  verandqing  die men wil brengen in ons
the labors in foreign fields, "but the Spirit suffereth dierbaar blad de S. B. Wel, 3 of 4. jaar geleden  gin-
us not". Walking in this way we are assuyed  that we gen er al gedurig stemmen  op in onze bestuursvergade-
shall not be without a blessing for also-in this case the ringen, waar ik destijds ook lid van was, de S. B. moet
word of God's servant is true: "to obey is better than veranderd  worden. Het moqt een kerkblad worden,  net
sacrifice, to hearken better than the fat of rams." als The Banner en De Wachter; Onze jonge menschen
    How shall we do it?                                        lezen het ni'et. De stukken zijn te lang en te diep. Toen
    How can we make peace for Zion?                            heb ik er altijd tegen geprotesteerd `en ik doe het nog.
    There is but one way ! To proclaim that Christ is Laat ons dat blad houden zooals het is. Wat een zegen
the Prince of Peace. In  oth.er  words, a proclamation en kracht  -gaat  er van dat blad uit. Wat rijke,  leer-
that in man himself there is no peace because he is zame, geestverheffende stukken vindt men er in. Zijn
always and forever at war with God Who is the  Foun- de meditaties te lang en te diep ? Kunnen onze jonge
            .-...                       s _.-. . ..-.
ta& bf all peace: That therefore; all that which is of menschen dat niet- verstaan? Zijn- .de--beschrijvingen
man must be put away, that bjT grace through faith van de wonderen  van Egypte door Ds. Ophoff te lang
all peace must be found in Christ in Whom Zion is              en te diep? Zijn de stukken die uit de vaardige pen
justified and has peace with God; the peace `which vloeien van  onzen leeraar uit Redlands  te lang en  te
surpasses all understanding. And this is only possible         diep ? En dan die waardige en eenvoudige beschrij-
in the way of humble humiliation and contrition of ving van de Apostelen door  onzen  bedaarden Kalama-
heart.                                                         zoo leeraar ? En vooral niet te vergeten, de leerzame
    Then will Zion find rest !. Then all will be ,safe and     stukken van Ds. Hoeksema? Ik vraag  LI in allen  ernst,
secure ! For  .in this  way,  the way of the Gospel which kunnen onze jongelui het niet verstaan? Laat ze het
is the way of the cross, nothing is of  man but all dan twee- of driemaal overlezen.
things  are of God. All things being of God: "we are              Maar  daar knijpt de schoen  &et.  Er  moeten   ver-
confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun halen in voor de kinderen  en voor onze jongelingen en
a good work in                                                 jongedochters. Een romannetje (Christelijk  natuur-
                       LX  will perform it until the day of
Jesus Christ", while all work of man must fail.                lijk)'  een beetje "love", wat geheimzinnig, een beetje
   Our mission is to testify!             i                    avontuurlijk, enz., en als onze jongelui dat gelezen heb-
    "Preach the Word  !" "Being instant in season and          ben, dan wordt het blad  am de kant geschoven, en het
out of season.`,       "Doing the work of an evangelist,       degelijke en ernstige wordt door hen doodeenvoudig
making full proof of our ministry." And this all over wiet gelezen. (Natuurlijk, de jonge menschen zijn niet
against the church, and that at any cost. For in the           allen gelijk.) En ik denk, wanneer de halve S. B; daar-
Gospel  and not in the chwch is peace.                         voor gebruikt  wefd,  zij het niet te lang zouden vinden.
    But, you ask, is there not a danger that in this way          Ik bid u, broeders, verander de S. B. tech niet, al
we will disrupt churches and cause much grief? Our             de' vrije-wil  huisjes zijn nog lang niet omvergesehoten,


       308                                 THE  ST.ANDARD   B E A R E R

       en er zijn nog heelwat  kogels in het kruithuis  van on-
       zen God, die ook nog afgeschoten moeten  worden. We                                The Door
       willen  onzen  Yaandeldrager  tech niet  achter in het          The eternal power of God and the Godhead of God
       leger hebben, i:; het wel? Neen, vooraan in den strijd. . are clearly seen and understood by man.. Such is the
       Zullen wij het ,"Proposed  Plan" opvolgen, dan komt hij testimony of God's Word in Romans 130. This truth
       achteraan, en als dan onzen  Grooten Generaal meent,         is further elucidated in a verse following. The minds
       dat zijn Vaandeldrager naast Hem  `staat en hem niet of men, of godless men, were *darkened by God's judg-
       vindt, en omziende,  een klein stukje vah `t vaandel ziet ment over them. For knowing Him they refused to
       wapperen heel achteraan, clan is Hij bedroefd, en  da'i glotiify Him and thank Him. Wherefore a  judgnlent
  moet niet. Wil men tech dat plan uitvoeren,. gebruik              of God passed over and upon them, resulting in vanity
       dan een soort oijTioegse1  waar men al dat nieuwe in lean    and darkened `hearts. The eff'ects of such vanity and
       plaatsen, maar ontsier de S. B. niet.                        darkness of heart is that the wonderful voices in crea-
          Een paar opmerkingen zou ik  willen  maken  aan-          tion, testifying of the invisible virtues of God, are
  gannde Punt 4 a en b. Daar lees ik: a. "The board shall           heard and understood in a lesser and ever lesser degree.
  control the contents of the paper." Als ik dat goed  be-             However, the voices of creation are still speaking
  grepen  heb, kan de board de inhoud, van het blad goed-           and singing and chanting of God's wonderful virtues.
  of afkeuren, ergo, de  boafd  moet al cle stukken lezen. The heavens continue to declare the glory of God and
  Ik zou zeggen, de board neemt aardig wat verantwoor-              the firmament sheweth. His handiwork. Day unto  da7
  ding op zich. En als ik het verder goed begrepen heb, continues to utter speech and the night unto night
  krijgen we voortaan geen meditaties; meer van Ds.                 sheweth knowledge: knowledge of God, to be praised
       Hoeksema; maar van de board, en zoo natuurlijk van forever.
  al de schrijvers. Laat mij het bestuur aanraden om                   Therefore it is so beautiful when Christian re-
       dat aan de redacteurs over te laten.                         ceives the purer light of the knowledge of God in the
          b. "The board shall appoint the editors for the dif- written Word of. God and when this Word is broughi;
  ferent departments." Ik zou  denken,  dat de editors home to his'heart, and when he through the spectacles
       zelf het best weten voor wat department zij geschikt         of the Word looks unto and into the created things
  zijn.                                                             around him. Beautiful, for through such added illum-
          En dan nog een enkel woord over Punt 1, e. The ination he hears the speech of God on all sides. They
       Sundayschool lesson. Toen  ik vroeger jaren  Zondag-         all sing of a future that is only light and life, eternal
  school onderwijzer was in de Chr. Ger. gemeente van 1iIe and eternal light. The song of created things is
       Oakdale  Park, Grancl Rapids, maakten  wij ons eigen a song of hope, of blessed hope, The sum total, the
  Zonclagschool rooster. Er werd een commissie van orchestra of the varied voices of so-called nature is as
  twee onderwijzers benoemd die dat moesten doen. We it were an earthy prelude to the song which John heard
  miakten  eeti  rooster voor een geheel jaar vooruit. VOOY on the isle of Patmos. The song that was sung by the
  elken  Zondag werd een les opgegeven en waar die lea four and  tiYenty elders, the four beasts and  the count:
----te vinden was-volgens de Verbondslijn. Een psalmvers 1es& thro& of the redeemed.-`-Ailthese  heavenly things
  en een tekst werd uitgekozen voor de kinderen  om van of God's eternal Kingdom that is fast' nearing, are
       buiten te leeren.  .Op elke teachers vergadering werd        shadowed before and symbolized in the things that now
  de les uitgewerkt door de onderwijzers. Toen hadden               sing around us on all sides.      And their song and
       wij het druk, er moest gewerkt worden,  dat beloof ik testimony is twofold. They tell of His wondrous works
       u,   tiaar nu  krijgt men de les uitgewerkt in  handen.      and they sing of the salvation of God's own. But there
       Het is net als met de bakkers, ze verkoopen het brood is also a testimony of the awful darkness of utter desol-
  yesned&. Zie, zulk &en rooster zou niet veel plaats in- ation. The voices of nature tell an antithetical story,
  nemen' in  bet nieuwe blad.  Last  mij ten  slotte  nag           The night and the poison and the hateful birds in the
  even zeggen: verancler onze geliefde S. .B. tech niet.            desert as, well as the storm and the whirlwinds with
                                                   M. Faber         typhoon and tornado tell in varied language of the com-
                                                                    ing judgment of the wicked with its subsequent outer
                                                                    darkness and desolation. All the fulness of antithetical
                                                                    bliss and curse, heaven and hell, song and weeping are
                                                                    shadowed before in this our dispensation and its
                            I M P O R T A N T                       testimony is in your ears. To state one very clear
  '       Please, look at the date on your  address on the          example, note the husbandman in his p?eparing  of the
  front page. If it does not indicate the correct date,             field, his sowing and cultivation of the ground, his
  `-please remit the delinquent money. We are in need waiting and his harvesting. His separation of the grain
  of it.                                                            and the chaff with the weeds. His storing in the gran-
                                                .R. Schaafsma       aries of golden grain and the burning of chaff and
          524 %Ienry Ave., S. E., Grand Rapids, Mich.               weeds. This picture which abounds on every side and

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

of outer darkness, they heard the voice of the Bride-           entered in and we shall also enter. When your soul
groom: I know you not. Is not a shut door terrible - and my soul  shall have completed its earthly pilgrimage
when you stand outside?                                         and weary and spent you lie down you? head, your eyes
    This is the awful experience of the foolish: they           will close. But then the liberated soul shall soar up-
shall seek to enter in and they Will seek in the wrong ward.
way, the human way of deceit and iniquity. Many of                 Oh! There are the pearly gates of the New Jerusa-
such shall seek to enter in. And then? Listen again:            lem! With the everlasting heads.
"When once the master of the house is risen up, cbr&               But Jesus shall never leave you. He through His
bath SJLZL~  the door, and ye begin to stand v\rithout, .and    Spirit shall cause you to break forth in rapturous sing-
to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us ; ing: "The glorious gates of righteousness - Throw
and He shall answer and say unto you, I know you not            open unto me. And I will enter them with praise !
wh.ence  ye are." But they will persist and continue to Oh, Lord my God to Thee  !"
knock on the heavenly doors and say: "We have eaten                The everlasting Door. Jehovah salvation !
ancl drunk in Thy presence, and Thou hast taught in                Terrible  fo; the wicked! It shuts out. Leaves
`our streets". But the answer of finality shall come eternal desolation.
through the shut door. "I tell you, I know not whence              Blessed for God's own. It safely includes them in
ye are ; depart from IYIe, ye workers of iniquity !"            blessed communion with our God.
    And note Jesus' application: "There shall  be weep-            Nevermore to stray.  Amen.
ing and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham                                                            G. V.
and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets, in the King-
dom of God,  and you  yourselves  thrust out."  Again
the ,idecb of the closed door.
    There is only one door. And that door is Jesus.                                 INGEZQNDEN
And there is only one way of entrance through that
door and it is the narrow way. And also that way is                    Geachte Hoofdredacteur !
JeXus. And there iS only one strength to walk on the               U hebt onlangs een beroep uitgebracht op de lezers
way and to go through the gate into the city and that van .de S. B. om hun gedachten te geven inzake het
strength is Jesus. And there is only one will to walk           voorgestelde  plan in betrekking tot de S. B. Het  komt
and to go and that all is Jesus. It is salvation of the mij voor, dat is nog niet zoo'n gemakkelijke  taak. Wan-
Lord. For no honor or praise shall go to mere man.              neer men  zich de werkelijkheid der dingen  indenkt,
God is God.                                                     schrikt men  wat terug. Onze hoofdredacteur wil iets
   Faith' is the key that fits the lock and that faith is       positiefs.. Als men verandering wil moet.men  gemoti-
the gift  df God, given through grace. The potentia veerd  te  werk gaan. Er zijn twee factoren, die onze
and the will is the gift of the Spirit of Jesus.                aandacht vestigen. Ten eerste, de S. B., en ten tweede,
   And then ? Listen again: "Blessed are they that              hare lezers. Bij het eerste doen we best, ook de schrij-
d?j His commandments; that they' may have right 4% VI% in te  slu&nl;  -`-Orn nu iets positiefs hieruit te ddeii
the Tree of Life, ancl 71~~y  eater  in through  tFLe gates geboren worden,  moeten we de feiten, of de weikelijk-
into the city".                                                 heid der  dingen,  even onder de oogen zien. Daarbij
   The door. And the door will be shut. But the wil ik niet  vlei&d te werk gaan. Zooals de  heden-
saints are on the  right side. They will be eternally claagsche S. B. gepubliceerd wordt, kan men het bijna
safe. `For that is the positive idea. They are shut. in         een  "thcologisch  tijdschrift" noemen.    De. inhoud is
in the city of God. Safe from all harm and danger. van zeer leerstelligen  aard. Doorgaans nog al diep, en
   The Apostle John, on the isle of Patmos, saw the             de gemiddelde lezer moet er  .zijn verstand bij hebben,
heavens opened. And the words which he  employs~ om het geschrevene zich toe te eigenen.                     Men moet
brings us the same idea: "After this I looked, and be- eigenlijk zoo'n halve student zijn, om den inhoud te
hold, a door was opened in heaven."                             snappen. Met andere woorden, het practische, het per-
   And  thv'ough  the door he saw marvellous things.            soonlijke, ontbreekt. De +houd  is niet vreemd, maar
Things that will make you sing, ye saints of God ! He het is zoo hoog gemikt, zoo idealistisch. De .werkelijk-
saw the four beasts who have,  oh, so many eyes: they heid van het leven is zoover verwijderd van het  be-
are regenerated creation. He saw moreover the four oogde doel. De tegenstelling is te groot.
and twenty elders: they are the church. Sum total  oft             Aan den anderen kant hebt ge de lezers. Nu leven
old and new testament. But in the midst of the heavens          wij in een tijd, dat onze menschen weinig orthodoxe
was a throne and He who sat on it. God, blessed for- boeken lezen. Vooral de jeugd niet. Men speelt wel,
ever.                                                           de magazines worden trouw gelezen, men luistert  naar
   That God of our salvation ,provided  that opening schier  alles was over de radio verzonden wordt, maar
in heaven, that Door, His Son.                                  onze dierbare beginselen gaat men koud voorbij. Een
   That Son when He completed all righteousness van onze hoofdkwalen op kerkelijk gebied is "grenze-


                                            T H E   STA,NDARD   B E A R E R                                                 309

       has  Spoke11 in every language for all the ages and climes        And the only  reason is that God is holy  2nd
       is explained in the Eible by the word of Jesus, to tiean      righteous and love and light and life;  - and that we are
       the harvest of the world by the great Husbandman. unholy and filthy, unrighteous and crooked, very hatred,
       The grain  aie the elect, according to Jesus and the chafl    darkness and death. That is the reason for the door
       and the weeds that are burned are the reprobate. And being shut in your and my face.
       as it is with  th6 entire  pr.ogram  of the earthy farmers        List`en ! The inspired poet of the Lord is singing !
       so it is with all things around us in the world, heaven       "Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord ? or who
       and earth included.                                           shall stand in His holy place?" And you will  under-
          Sometimes one object in creation speaks by itself stand that between the ascent of the hill and the stand-
       this  double language.  '                                     ing within the holy.  place are the doors of the Divine
          Such an .object  is the door.                              Palace. So I may freely say that the inspired poet in-
          The idea, the  twofoId  idea which God has embodied eluded: Who shall' enter in through the doors into the
       in the door  is- both unspeakably horrible and  unutter-      city ?
      ,ably sweet.                                                       Here is the answer, in accents sweet  a'nd heavenly
       ' There is a horrible language in the door. You know          rythm:    "He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart;
       ihe clool, can shut you out. Just outside the door. So        who hath ,not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn
       near and yet so far.                                          dece;tfully."
          This terror you may' find described  in' God's Word            Go to now,  ye race of Adamites! Look at your
       in many places.                         .                     hands and forget not the inward glance to the heart,
          And this terror of the door that shuts  out. is of         that  cesspoo1 of  .filth.  Are not our hands dirty? And
       course the terror for the wicked.                             our souls vaiiz ? And the speech of the lips abominable?
          Even though the name dooq" is not used,' you find          Poison of asps and the adder!
       its idea in the very morning of creation. After the fall:        Ah me! I could not enter !
       The  eati-ante  to the beautiful  gard?n  of Paradise            The hands of the gates of heaven  will not be lifted
      is shut. And the caretaker, the doorkeeper, stands by          UP and the doors will not open. They are called eve?;-
      the  do&.   A  .flaming  sword is in his hand. It shuts        lasting doors. Therein is all our woe.
      man, sinful man and guilty, from that first communion             And there is no way of entrance in God's eternal
      with God. No more may he have access to the Tree communion through our own strength or acumen. Or
      of Life and live forever. Man must die, ,has died. And         good  tirorks.  For they are not.
      it is symbolized by that shut door to the garden.                 Now this is the everlasting Gospel, thqt when the
,I        Eut God remembers His eternal covenant. Noah doors, the eternal doors, were shut and no one was
      finds grace in the sight of God.                               found who had the right to enter in through the gates
          With a view to that saIvation  of the Lord Noah is into the city, the Lord's own arm brought salvation
      commanded to build an ark for the saving of his house.         unto him ; and His righteousness it sustained Him.
      He shall be saved by the water,. of theflood.                     And the glorious result?                           __ _-..
          And the specific command from the Lord is  that he'.          Listen ! Jesus,-the 3on of G&d. is speaking :' "1 am
      shall fashion a door in the ark. That door has terrible the Door: by Me if any map enter in, he shall be saved,
      significance for the wicked millions that swarm  aroulid       and shall go in and out, and find pasture."
      the oppressed church of God.                                      That is the everlasting Gospel.
          That terrible significance is brought home to us ip         His hands are clean: His heart is pure: His soul
      the sober  phrase: and the Lord shut hind in. In the is pregnant with righteousness and holiness : HiS nlOUth
      Holland translation the terror is more evident: En de is full .of grace. Man marvels because of the gracious
      Heera  sloot   cd&r  1ae7n toe. Expressive of  `t  eewwig      words that He speaks. He is the Redeemer of all that
      nacl&dot.                                                      Jehovah gave Hitiz.       .
          No, cease your hammering against the door, un-                Jesus is the Door. Ile is the only means of  en-
      fortunate, miserable throng ! It will not avail that trance in the house of God where man may find sweei
      your scream and shout on the top of your vdices, crying communion with Him Who is the very Fount of all that
      out to Noah to open up. He cannot  even if he.wished.          is good and blessed.
      The L&d shut him in and that means that He shut                   Eut all do not enter. Man has found many imaginary
      you outside. Outside in the whirlpools of the flood.           doors  l&rough  which he thinks to enter into the  King-
          I ask you, dear reader, is not the language of a shut      dom of God.
      door a terrible language?                                         You may find many instances in God's Word
          When. you stand on the outside of that door?               where you will find a description of such folly. Think
          Beloved, the guarded gateway in Paradise, the door of the foolish virgins. The Bridegroom came  ; entered
      iii the ark and every blessed door in creation is' pro-        the halls of banqueting and Divine frolic: and - the
      claiming  in accents clear the awful truth that we are door  was shut. And their sad cry resounded: Lord..
      shut out from God'.s communion as w& are by nature.            Lord, open to us ! And standing in the gathering gloom


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                           311
     $

 100~~  oppervlakkig2icid".    Dan komt men' Zondags in.                        SOUTHERN  CALIFORl!?Ii
 de kerk. Alles  is zoo'  vreemd  en  `mme3  is  bijna  e&
 vreemdeling   tcgeEover   bet geestelijk voeclsel, dat in           There is considerable activiiy  ori this far Weste%n
.doorsnee,vati  dcgelijken' aarcl 4s. Dan krijgt de. predi-       f r o n t .
 kant dc  schuld. Maar de  hobfdoor?aak  is te `vinden               It may be' considered a sign of the approach  oE
 bij het kcrkelijk publiek. Hier nu hebt ge he! con-. Spring.
 flict. De mazsa bekommert  zich weinig om beginselep.
Dat wreekt zich natdurlijk in het leven. Men weet de                 The Spring season. revkals  things coming out of the
 weg  niet, en het  zal zcker noodlottige  gebolgen  hebben earth;  thin& which have  seemingly'been  dormant and
                                                                  inactive during the months of winter.
 voor de toekomct van Gods kerk.                  .
    .En wat nu te doen? Voorwaar, vdor mij is  bet een               `In this section of the country nearly everything
 probleem. Dit staat voor mij v&t, wanneer  men het speaks of this new season of fruitfulness ; the trees
 interessant   wil  maken   voor  allen,  dan  m&t de  3. B.      sprouting forth with new foliage, the budding of the
 hzar doe1 en beef zijn beteekenis verlorefi.' Wanneer            fruit.  trees, the green hillsides, the fragrant desert
 men uitbreiding wil, ten koste van' degelijkheid,  dan is flowers.
 jlet betcr maar  wat minder  lezers. Voor mij is bet tiog           Everythifig  speaks of life. .
 een vraag, wanneer de verandering doorgaat, of men                  Of course these events are in the realm of nature.
 dan begint  te lezen. 001~ zie ik geen heil wanneer nien            And these things are not strictly.  n&u.
 Jan, Piet en Klaas  maar  aan `t schrijqen  zet. Publiek            We look for them, we expect these things to happen,
 kchrijven is moeilijk en lang niet ieder mans werk. Als, and would be perpl.exed  if tliey did not. make their ap-
 lezer verlangt men  naar  iets nieuws. Danrom erken pearence  about this time of .the year.                     .
 ik bet betreurenswaardige  .van den toestand. Ook in                And yet  - what is the reason for our expectancy ?
 verband hiermee is het besluit niet noodig' `om -door             ' .The feason for ouh expectancy is not found in .the
 middel van de S. B. onze buurlui te becritiseeren. We mere fact that the seasons' follow one anothbr with un-
 kunnen wel-. op eigen erf blijven. Ik heb het oog op failing regularity.
 het beicven van beginselen. En  toch meen' ,ik, dat cle             That .would  not be the basic reason. When we look
 thans fungeerende staf iets van h;n hoog standpunt for the reason for our expectancy we take our stand.
 tioet afdalen. Niet  wat het beginsel betreft, maar  we1         upon  tlie. Word of God and find in these unmistakable
 de vorm. Dat het wat  meer genietbaar is voor al onzc .evidence'  of the approach of Spring, the fulfilme?t  of
 menschen. Ook  up  intellectutiel  gebied gaat  de-  wet `that passage in Genesis 8:9, wheie we read: "While
 door, dat  er zijn van vijf en  ti&n  talenten.   .Iets  `wat    the'  earth remaineih,  seedtime and harvest, and cold
men  oak. Zondags  niet t& veel iit ,het oog moet v&u;lie-        and `heat, and summer and winter, and day and night          _
                                                                                                  h
 zen. Daal"oM  zou ik onze redac'teuren  het volgende.  in shall not cease."
 overweging. wilien geven. Persoonlijk lees ik gaarne             "It is evident that we are still living in time.
Kuypers werken. Ze zijn zoo bevattelijk,  gelijk ik op-              `One of the i&vitable cons.equences  of Time is the
 langs `nog  tegen mijn vriend zei) "Een kind kan  bet            &ang$ its b&ings .about ?ii t2ie world wherein tie dweil.
 me1 verstaan." Wanneer  men iets  Tan dien aard in                ' Time brings changes in all things human.
 dien  vqrm in het licht gaf, blijft bet probleem, maar              And we live in time under the pyovidence  and grace
 het  klagen.  hield vrijwat op. Ik besef. het, allen  kunt of God.                                        <     .
 ge niet zoo schrijven. En  to& geloof ik dat onze  leer-         The changes of time have also been manifested in
 sar op dat gebied zijn talent we1 wat in e&n zweetdoek-          our midst:
 verbergt. Het is in dezen misschien een kwestie van               During the last few months our people have been'
 clen wil. B. v. om maar  iets te noemen. Een artikelen-          visited with sickness to such degree that .our pastor
 reeks aan te vangen als deze "Mannen uit de H. S., van .was constantly employed looking after the sick of the
 Adam tot Johannes op Patmos toe." Niet ~600 leerstel;            congregation. It seemed that when the one was' able
`lig,  maar  voor het praktische leven der  geloo6gen kon to again attend the services of  wbrship.  then someone
 zoo iets van onschatbare waarde zijn. Ook voor het else was taken sick.
 nageslacht. Immers het verzwaard den arbeid zoo wan-                In our small group these  thipgs are forcibly placed
 need men voor lof, klagen inoogst.                               before ou,r .minds.
     Met dank voor opname.                                           Always face to face`with the fact that life is but .:x
                                  \                    A. F.      span, a handbreath,- to&y we are here, tomorrow we
                                                                  are gone.
                                             '                       Under such conditions it is coinforting-  to observs
              Dicht bij Jezus is mijn leven;                      the soundness of spiritual life within the congregation ;
              Diehi bij Jezus is ,mijn lust ;.                    to realize  `che essential one-ness of the people of God.
              Dicht bij Jeztis is mijn sterkte,                      For then we shall observe that the me.mpers share in
              Dicht bij `Jezus is mijn rust.                      each others joys; that they bear each others sorrows;


1,  1  .312                                                              T H E   S T A N D A R D   ` B E A R E R

 .'                     that.they  are patient with one another ar&dst the trials meetings was conducted  .through  the Los Angeles  con-
                        6f life as these have their b&ring upon each individuai              sistory and  piovided  for  extensive  publicity through
                        member.                                                              the medium of posters in &ore  windows, and a good
                           As a result of these conditions we shall find .each               size advertisement in a local  paher widely read through-
                        member,  `!Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit               out this community.  1
                        in the bond of peace".                                                  The work of canvassing interested parties was car-
                                Thus we travel along the path of life.                       ried on by the ministers now present in our vicinity.
                                In mani respects the' jdurney has been pleasant.             The success of this work cannot how be measure,d  but
                                                                                             will undoubtedly manifest itself before many days have
                         During the winter months the congregation en-                       passed.       9
                        joyed the visits  of friends from our churches and  from
 . .                                                                                            The-attendance at the meetings has been a mixture
                        other churches. What made their visits particularly of people from Redlands,  Lo,s Angeles, Bellflower, North
                       2 pleasant was that `they felt  .at home with our people,
  : ..,                                                                                      Long Beach, Artesia and other cdmmunities  within a
 ,-,I             both socially and in the services of worship.                              short distance from Bellflower. The  .high mark in at-
                            The various societies in our congregation are well tendance  was reached at the meeting held the 15th of .
                        `attended ; their respective programs of stu'dy are  prdv-           March when abdut 100 people were present; and most
                        ing of great benefit; leading to a better understanding of them from the surrounding districts.                       .
                        of.  the fundamentals of our  faith   aid bringing about a              During their stay in Califirnia,  Rev. Hoeksema and
                 deep& interest in the  :things  of the Spirit,  .besides   rel family are lodging in Redlands, arrangements having
                       , suiting  iti a more consistent and' more intelligeni study been mad.e to secure a private home. This makes their
                        of Scripture.                                                        stay more enjoyable and more convenient.
                                Taking. all things  in consideration it may be said             The  tr;ip to Bellflower can be made conveniently in
                        that we. are growing. spiritually under the preaching a couple hours and may be considered relaxation from
                        of  `tihe Word and the administration of  the Sacraments the strenuous speaking program arranged by the Com-
                        as also through the studies of the societies individually. mittee..
                        .And (what is oft-times overemphasized) we are mak-                     The opi&on  h& been voiced that `this little trip to
                        ing  &me  progress  numericalljr.                                    California was .primarily  for work and not f&r recr.ea-
                            Yesterday (March 17th) the congregation wit- tion. Consequently  $he family has had little  opp&-
                       ,. nessed the confession of faith of a. brother and sister            tunity for sight-seeing, most of their efforts  being con-
  ::                   - who:  had visited our services for soin@ time. Through fined to view the mountains from the vicinity of Red-
                        their affiliation five ,souls were added to the congre-              lands, taking a little side trip to Palm Springs and a
                        gatiori.
           i,                                                                                drive to the beaches with a tour of the shopping. dis-
                            We jo+ upon such. events as blessings upon our                   trict thrown in for gdod measure.
                        work.                                                                   In the course of the  ,meetings  now conducted in
                            Blessings from God.                                              Bellflower, indications have appeared which show that
                            They encourage everyone ; pastor, cortsistory,  and
  .              -         _                                 --.                             in other places-along the Pacific- Coast there is-a de-
                        congr&$a%ti.'  ---                               __.                 finite interest in our cil'rlse.
                                In a way such evidence of spiritual awakening is                These indications `are strong enough so that, if
                        looked for within the congregation proper, we  lhore or time, would allow, some profitable work might be done
                        less extiect  it; but when such indications come to us in these places.
                        from `outside the congregation, we are elated.                          Like in Nature, so in  this. spiritual work,  the seed
                                Of these we may.also  speak:        ,                        must first be sown, the ground cultivated, before we
                         As our readers may know, for some time the  con- may even expect to see the very smallest sign of 
                        sistory has conducted services of wdrship in the Bell-                                                                     SUC-
                                                                                             cess upon our work.
                        flower area. These have b,een  conducted for slightly                   Once the spiritual qualities and interest have been
                        over a year. In the course of this time the .thought                 revealed we may expect that this interest will be 
                        had b.een. expressed that it would be much better to                                                                       SUS-
                                                                                             tained until such a time as it may b.e organized into
                        arrange for services on Sunday ; considering the pos- concentrated effort.
                        sibility of &ra&ing  a greater `number of interested
                        people, leading to more rapid growth and, perhaps, the                                                    James Zoetewey
                        organization of  `a congregation in that district.                      Los Angeles,  Calif., March 19, 1935
                                After considerably study, consultation and delay
                        it was arranged to have Rev. Hoekesma hold a series
                        of lectures and conduct services `on .Sunday at times
                        must convenient for the people in that district.                                        CHANGE OF ADDRESS
                                                                                                The address of the Clerk of the Los Angeles, Cal.,
                           'At this writing we have entered the last week in'
                        which  these. meetings shall be held.                                congregation is now: Mr. H. Maat, `746 E..Slst St., Los I
                                The  ~ preliminary work in connection with these Angeles, California.
                                                  i.  `._


                                                                 A  Rkfokned  Serrii-Monthly  Jkgaz'ine                                                             _-'
                                          PUBLISHED BY THE  R:EFOFMED  FREE PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION, GIRAND RAPIDS, MICH.
                  Is1
 : i..                                                                                             c EDITORIAL STAFF
                                                                                   Editors-Rev. H. Hoeksema,  Rev.`G. M. Ophoff,
,'  i                                                                                             Rev. Wm. Verhil, Rev.  G. Vos
     `4,          It .Communicatiotis  wlative to subscription
                         should  he  sent   to  C.  J.  Doom,   906
i  j                     Dpllas   Ave..   S.E.,   Grand   Rapids,   gich.         Associate Editors--Rev. A. Cammenga, Rev. P. De
                         All~money   matters   shouid   he  ziddrksed              Boer,  Rev. M. Gritters, Rev. C. Hanko, Rev., B.
                                                                                   Kok,  Rev. G. Lubbers,- Rey.  .I.  Vauder  Breggen,.
                                                                                   ,Rev. R. Veldman.

 ,i::
     .f,  Vol;  XI,  Nd;i  14  ,Exitered  as  second  class  mai1   :                                      APRIL  15:i935                               Subsciiption  Price, $2.50
      P                                            matter   at  Grand   Ranids.   Mieh.
_:..f<-                                                                                   I                                                                                            -
                                                                                                                     calls'her chicks. to seek refuge under theni. But as she
                                                                                                                     would gather them together. atid  `the chicks. hear. .her
                                                                                                                     `calling voice and would run for safkty  under.,the`pro.-.
                                                                                                                     tection'of  mother's wings, a  third  ,party  steijs  in  be-  _
                                                                                                                     tween the chicks and their  .calling mother and scatters
                                           &rusalem's   ` D e s o l a t i o n them, would not that they should flee for refuge under
                                                          0 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, th& that killest the protecting wings of their mother. A$ the latter
                                                    the prophets and  .&o&t  them.`which  are                        suffers, certainly not the suffering of a wounded love
                                                    sent unto thee, how often. would I have                          of. that enemy that prevents her from gathering to-
     1.;  :                                         gathereg  thy children tog&her, even as a                        gether her young ones, but of an awful anxiety lest
     ?'            :                               -hen  gatherethiher  chickens under her wings,                    her chicks b.e destroyed !    '
                                                    and ye would not!  Behqld,   your  house  is
                                                    left unto you. de$olat&          For I  say.unto   you,             Such is the suffering expressed in this pronoun&
                                                                                                                     ment ~ of, woe and desolation over ,Jerusalem.               I
     c                                              Ye shall not see me henceforth, till  ye shall
.                                                   say, BIessed  is he that cometH  in the `name.                      For, the Speaker is pictured in th.at hen, that would
     1                                             of the Lord;                                Matt 23:37-39.        g&her together her own chicks under her wings.
     p                   O-Jerusalem !.                     '                .
,                                                                                                                     -nose chicks are the children of `Jerusalem,'  the
                         Jerusalem, that.  k$llest  the prophets !
          t                                                                                                          brethren of the Speaker, His own, Whom the F&her
          1!  Jerusalem, whose chief characteristic is
                  .,                                                                                $hat  thou gave Him, whom He, would gather together because He '
          i stonest them that are send unto. thee !                                                                  loves them and, is anxious over them; as the hen is
                   @&en,.  very often, .SuSiCientlg  often to seal thy dam-                                          anxious,  over her brood.
          i  datioti,:  have  1. willed -to, gather thy children and thou                                               And Jerusalem is the enemi. that interferes and
:  vrioti&t not, that I should gather them, still less
; :                                                                                                                  would not that the children  of Jerusalem shotild  be
__:,.:.iYo&dest  thou be iristrumental,.  as was thy sole calling, gathered together under the wings of the Messiah!
.;  .tp  l&.-Me gather  $hy%children   !                                             ;                                  Therefore she killeth the prophets and  sioneth  them
                         ,There is, ipdeed, suffering pn thepaj of the speaker fhat are sent to. her!
     in this  out&-y of  teirible  woe over Jerusalem. But it                                                           And for this she shall be left desolate!
     it not the  suffering  of wounded and rejected love, as                                                            The cup of her iniquity  isfull!
               >t$ey  erroneously present the matter that  would see in                                                 Vials of wrath are about to be poured out over her!
               I' tE;rese'words  proof that the' will of man is victorious in                                           0 Jerusalem!
               J*i!
                I !s8 opposition to the will of God. How could it be  pos-                                                                                                 `..
                                                                                                                            :
     ;.  sable that. God would  gather and man successfully. op-
 .:.;                    p&e              Him?              -
 _:I
 .,:.:                   Nor is such the.meanin& of the text.                                                           Jerusalem !
i                       For; the nature .of the. suffering that is, here : ex-                                          City of God!
               `, pkessed by the Lo+ is explained by the figure,of the                                                  Often it occurred that I would gather thy children
               1  niother-hen  and her chicks. Her brood is scattered and thou didst oppose!
               1 ail about her, peacefully picking  its feed, unaware of the                                            Taken in, its literal and narrowest `sense Jerusalem'
               dknger  that  is  lurking in the near vicinity. l.But the simply i,s the city, the capital of the land. of Canaan,
               i ~,tchful;  mpther-hen  spies the enemy that is -about to
                              :;.                                                                                    in no respect different from any other city, from the
               i d&troy her i&ng ones, and she &,sea  her Mpgs- and
          ; ,                 ,:,.,5',;:..`,      :..       :                                          _ _ _...,d    capital of any  other country. And according to this


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 31&  '                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

 conception of Jerusalem her children ape simply her                        They are not  mereljr the citizens of Jerusalem,
 citizens  that dwell within her walls.                                 neither are they children because they dwell in the
    This, however, can hardly be the Saviour's meaning. Holy City.                                                         .  .-
 Ii is not a mere apostrophy when He addresses the ,city -                  But Israel they  are,. the true. Israel of  -God, the
 as the  one.that killeth the prophets and  &oneth  them `Holy Seed according to the promise, the brethren
 that  .are sent. unto her. And certainly He does not mean whom the Faiher had given to Cl.+t,  they that hoped
 to refer to a frequent attempt on His part to gather the in Jehovah and watched for the coming dawn in ihe _
 citizens of Jerusalem within the city's walls.                         `nlidst  of the darkness.           .
    But Jerusalem.is  far .more' than a mere city. 1; is                    Them Christ would ga&er together, for them He
 the very center of the Church of the old dispensation. loves.                                                   I
     It is the Old Testament Church Institute!                   . .        Aria it is the Father!s.will  that He shotild  lose none`
     There was the throne of David, typical of the ever- of them !
 lasting throne Of the Chris't that was to come, afid its                   How often had He willed  to"gather  them together I
 king a; shadow. of Him that would rule in rightevusness                    As the hen with uplifted  wings calletli her chicks,
 over the,,house  of Jacob forever. The?e'was the temple, so. He had alWays stood in Jerbsalem,  in throne &d
 where God dwelled between. the cherubim, a  .shadow  of temple, in altar  ?nd sacrifice, calling from all over the
 better things to, come  whitn the way into the Holy land the children of Jerusalem together  -unto  Himself,
 .Place  would be revealed and prepared, sprinkled  -with               through the ministry of kingship' and priesthood and
 the blood of the everlasting covena?&.`%  There'was  thti              coming unto them through the voice of the' prophets:
 ark of the covenant, with the lath unde&he mercy-seat, finally, appearing among them in person, the Soli. -of.:
 upon  i?rhich iiras. to be sprinkled the bldod  of atonement God in the flesh and' calling unto Jerusalem's children  :'
 Once a year for the sins of the people. There stood the "Come unto  Me,  $1 ye that labor and are heavy laden,
 golden altar from .whicha  the prayers of God's people                 and I will give you rest !"
 were to arise in the incense that was kindled upon it.                     And still He  wi!l gather the children of Jerusalem I
 And there was  the great altar, upon which were offered                   -For,   when He: is gone up into heavenly glory He
 thr: daily sacrifices, that the people might, be holy unto returns in the Spirit, and  threugh the instrumentality
 the Lord. .                                                            of His Word He gathers all that the Fathei- gave .Hirn. ,,
     Arid there, too, was the prie&hood,  whose calling i?; out of the world.
 was to minister in the sanctuary in behalf .of the                         He gathers them through the ministry of' the
 people.                                                                apostles and evangelists !
     And, the king, who re&ned over God's people in His                     He gathers them through the ministry of the
 Name and according to His precepts,                                    Church of the new dispensation.
     Thus there was, at Jerusalem always the shado& of                      For, -even as it  tias the calling of Jerusalem, of
 Chiist. Of  Ch&t the royal priest,' that came in the official Jerusalem, as the Church Institute of -the old
 name of the Lord; under `whose wings there was `bless- dispensation to minister the Christ of the shadows unto
 ing, atonement for sin,`forgivenegs of all transgression, the children of Jerusalem, `so it is the sole. calling of
 wisdom and light of the truth, holiness and consecra- the Church of the New Testament to minister Christ'
 tion to Jehovah, deliverance from corruption and death, crucified alid raised unto His br.ethrerl.
 the hope of eternal life and glory. There `in Jerusalem                    Jerusalem, Jerusalem; I have willed all through thi
 was Jehovah-salvation  !                                               old dispensation to gather your children together!                                 !
     And always Christ would gather the children of  `th&                   I, have come personally and' often .declared  my $1
 Jerusalem  together unto Him, that they might bk saved unto you to`gatller-  your. children unto Me !                              .           ;:
 from sin and death, that  .th&y  might walk in His way                   _ I still. will to gather them through your  mini&f!
 and be secure in the midst of a world of darkness and                      As a hen gathereth her chicks !                                     [  j,
 idolatry,  that in Him they might rejoice in the hope of                   0, Jerusalem !             I                                        ;;
 last&g victory and eternal life. Through  thrcne and                                                                                         I 3
 temple, through altar -and sacrifice, through all the                                                                                   `-.;  j  j
 shadows of the old dispensation He stood in the midst                                                                                          1
 of Jerusalem, calling Jerusalem's children  togeth&                        And ye would not.!                                                  .;  )
 unto Him, even as a hen gathereth her  chicks  under her                   Terrible indictment against Jerusalem that.  wa$  `i
 wings f                                                                called to serve this very purpose !           .                         j
   And Jerusalem's king and priesthood and prophets                         Ye would not ! Not! How often would I gather y.ozi, !
 had to minister unto this Christ of the shadow&`that                   but: How often would I gather your  &U&n!  .Notj:   1
 the children of Jerusalem lnight come ~$6 Him and How often would I gather you, Jerusalem, and  y&  /
find rest for their souls.            `\`             '                 would .not come ; but : How often would I gather.your
     For, the children of Jerusalem `aje th&seed  of the                children and-ye would not thtit I should g-atheF:thed!
 c o v e n a n t .             `:              `,          _'               For, the Lord is addressing wicked, apostate  Jerd-


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:*..                                                        ,                   :

        t                .'
        1`

             i                                                                T H E   ` S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                          3 1 5

      `!,               salem,  whose spiritual, ntirrie is Sodom and  Gomortiha  ! of the Kingdom of Heaven. Apd He called upon' them
             '            , Not all is Israel that is called  Israel  !                                td repent. And they would not!
                                 There is .always'  chaff with. the wheat as it grbws                         They would not enter themselves, and they would
.!I- up. There is always the carnal seed with the true chil- prevent  the children from entering in!
             !          d&n of JerusalGm. ' And"oft'en  the chaff is more than                                And of those whom they instruct&d   they,made  two-
             i the ,wheat, the tares  thre&ten  to choke the good  ,grain,                             fold more the  children  of hell than themselves !
        .j the  car;nal children increase mightily and  are in the                                            John had come and they had killed him!
`: ; maj'ority in the midst df Jerusalem of the old dispensti-                                                Christ had  &tie and they would Crucify Him !
  ! tion as well' as in tlie Church'of the` New Testament.                                                    Their wicked will.. would prevail also against -His
      `1 And being  strong in number it is easy for them to gain human flesh!
 ::I positions of power and @flue&e,  to occupy Jerusalem'S ,                                                 For, surely,' it is -not of l&s divine will that He is
 j 1 throne  and rule as the representative of Hini that was speaking, when He cries. out that He would often gather
      .i to come; to minister  in the temple; to  bccupy  the pul-                                     tind` Jerusalem would not let ! As the last of the
        ,(. .pit from the which Christ must be' administered `unto prophets and .ticcording,  to His human will He sieaks.
                        J&ruBal&qYs  Chirdren.`.                                                       As such ,He suffered in the prophets and as .such He
             !
:.:.i                           And thus Jerusilem  becomes  Sodom and Gimorrha  i suffqs .personally in the flesh on account of Jerusalem's
 ;                               And always  its` wicked kings and , priests and obstinate wickedness.
             *                                                                                                0 Jerusalem !
 .- i ,proph$s  take away from the.children.of  the covenant
  -4                                                                                                          Wicked Jerusalem ! Apostate, adulterous, godless,
 :: , the Christ of the Scriptures!
  .;                                                                                                 reprobate Jerusal.em,  whose name is Sodom ahd Gomor-
 ::`I                           Always they would  *prevent  the  chickens  to  find -rha!  .
  .' `: I refuge under the wings of their  anxiously  calling                                                 Jerusalem, that killest the prophets and stonest
        !  m o t h e r !
                   .                                                                                  them that are  `sent unto thee!
                                `They trample under foot the holy  things. of Jehovah ;                       Often. would  I gather Jerusalem's children !
                        they. introduce the abominations of the heathen intd                                 And ye would not!
                        the very temple of God ; they corrtipt the testimony ;
        I               they `offer the children stones for I bread; they deny
        i  `ihe Christ,' His blood, His `power to redeem, His re-
        i. surrection ! . . . .
  ,i;                                                                                                         Behold, your house is abandoned utito you !
 `; !                           And they scatter the children, so that often they                             It shall become  utterly desolate in its abandonment
  :i groan- and: weep in captivity, `refusing to sing one of unto your good pleasure!
      .: Zion's .songs  !                                                                                     For, to be sure, the children of Jerusalem will be
        5                       Such is apostate Jerusalem.!
        !  ,                                                                                          gathered together unto Christ.. The opposition of
                                It is. Jerusalem that is chiefly characterized by the apostate and. rebellious Jerusalem. cannot prevail
        i fact that she killeth all the .proph&s  and stoneth all again& the will of the Father. No reprobate city; no
        i them that are sent unto her! For, when the king would                                       apostate ihurch, tie devil and his host, can prevent the
        j r;ot reign.in  righteousness, and when the wicked priest- gathering of Qie Church unto the Lord. But that does
        :. ,hbd would refuse`>0  ininister  Christ unto the children not excuse Jerusalem's wickedness !
                        0,  Jqrusaleh  and would hail all the abominations of                                 Your house shall be abandoned' unto you !
  :.\'                  f
                    ljeathendom.within  the walls of the holy city, the Lord                                  For,`your house  iq'no longer God's house, it is em-
      .:1  y.ould send unto them prophets to testify against phatically your house, a den of robbers ! To your will
      -i ?lcke$ Jerusalem and say : Let me gather My brethren, _ it shall be left. Unto your .good pleasure it shall be
                  ; the children of Jerusalem'! And they would not! And abandoned.. And thus abandoned it shall be made deso-
             : dhen.,Ch   * 
                                      ~1st in- the prophets' persisted nevertheless, late even to utter destruction.
                  &ey- would hate  them, with  a. furious hatred, "would                                      No more shall ye see me!
             ! t&e&en them into silence, would persecute them, would                                          As ye did with all the prophets, so  shall' ye do with
                   &!upr&on  them iri holes- and dungeons,' would kill them, me. Not willing that `I should gather Jerusalem's child-
                               on& them, saw them asunder! . . . . .                  .'       -     refi; ye shall call me.accursed  and crucify Me. And even
                                The' will of wicked  Jehsaleti  prevailed against the so ye' shall, in spite of your wicked  purpo&,  serve the
                                 of the prophets .t                                                  salvation of the children of Jerusalem. And,they  shall
                                And now Christ `had come, the Son 3n the likeness see Me in My glory, but ye shall see Me no more, until
                                                           of  `ihe prophets and the fulfil- the day come, when ye shall  call Me blessed and
                                                                                                     acknowledge that I come in the name of the Lord !
                                     He witnessed against Jerusalem's folly  !.                               For, thus it must be! And,,even  wicked Jerusalem,
                                And  He made knowri untd them His Will to gather `shall bow bef'ore Him in fear ! -
                                                           as a. hen  gathereth  her chicks                   Every knee mu& bow ! Every tongue must confess
                                                    He preached unto them &he nearness that Jesus  is.L&d!


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                                                     .                     .                   .            .                      .                               _..                     ,.          -.     ;_     .     .     ,:.,          ,.`._ `.  ;
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     8:
                                                                                                                                                                                                              ;.
                                          ,                                              `*

     316                                             T H E   STANDARD  B E A R E R

       ' Even they that cursed Him must call Him bless'ed !                                                                                  den eerstvolgenden Zondag aankomen, en er  001~  eenigs-
            Only to see in His blessedness their own desolation! zins op tijd zijh om dien Zondag te kunnen  prediken,
       1 Fbr, while the children of Jerusalem are blessed  .in dan moesten we, ongev&r  vijfhonderd n$jleti. of acht
His blessedness, to  the.&etiies  I& blessedness will be honderd kilometer per dag  afleggen.
     judgment and eternal woe !.                                                                                                                      En `t was dien morgen van den 25sten Febl;u+-i  bar
.        Yet, even so, heaven and. earth and all hei1 shall weer !                                                                                                                    `\  \'
call Him blessed !                                                                       :                                                          .Den avond tevoren  begon  de sneeuw te vallen in
         Hini, that cometh in the name of .the Lord!                                                                                         Grand Rapids, eerst zachtkens, maar gaand.ew'eg  ont-
                                                                                               Iif. H.                                       wikkelde er zich een sneeu+vstorm,.  zooals `we den gan-
                                                                                                                                             schen  winter niet hadden gezien,  zoodat ler tegen den
                                                                                                                                             mqrgen reeds een`dikke laag  snkeuw  lag en deze op vele
                                                                                                                                             plaatsen hoog was bpgejaagd.
                                                                                                                                                      `t Was eigenlijk .geen. weer om weg te gaan.,
                                                                                                                                                    qoch wat zouden  we doen?  Indie we voor Zondag
                 Onze Arbeid' In Bellflower                                                                       )                          ter bestemder plaats zouden zijn, dan was het. de  bood-
                                                                                                                                             schap om niet te aarzelen.:
                             , 1. De Reis                                                                                                            We bevalen onszelven des Heeren. bescherming  aan,
         Voor de derde maa, werd onderg.eteekende  geroepeh                                                                                  troostten  ons met de gedachte, dat we `t Zuiden irigin-
     6m enkele weken  in Californi&  te arbeiden.                                                                                       g'en en dat we spoedig  den storm acht&den rug zouden
        -Eerst  kwam er, op `t aller tinvemachtst  een stem hebben, schepten  .de diepste  `sneeuw van vobr  .onze
     uit Redlands. Eli we volgden haar op, predikten en garage w&g en v.ertrokk&n  om vijf uur in den. inorgen.
     hielden  lezingen, leerden publi,ekeli  j k en .vafi . huis tot                                                                                 We dachten                                         aan:                              J
     huis. En de Heere zegende den arbeid. Er kwam  eene                                                                                             "Heemskerk, die dwars door ijs en ijz& d.urfde
     Protestantsche  Gereformeerde  gemeente tot stand.                                                                                                    str&en". .
      Niet lang  daarna .kwam .er een sooltgelijk verzoek .
     uit Los Angeles. En weer gaven we gehoor. De arbeid                                                                                             Stiel konden  w.4 niet  gain.
     was daar moeilijker. .De belangstelling was daar be-                                                                                            `$ Werd er in de eerste paar uren ook niet beter op.
     perkt tot een  kl&in aantal broeders en zusters. De kerk Een fijne stofregen begon  te vallen, en daar het terzelf-
     van Christus is ook zo\o  diep gezonken in `t wereldsche                                                                           `der tijd vroor;werden  de ramen der auto al spoedig be-
     L.  ,A;! Doch  ook daar was het kleine aantal  overtui'gh,                                                                              dekt met een dikke laag ijs, die het uitzicht onmogelijk
     dat het des Heeren wil was  bm .eene  gemeentk  te  voi= -maakte,.  en die ons noodzaakte om elke halve mij! te
     men. Er kwam ook in Los Angeles eene gemeente  tot stbppen  om met een met zout gevuld zakje het ijs van
     stand; die thans door. eigen leeraar mag  worden  bkar- de "windshield" te  verwijdeyen;  Bovendien  6erden   oak
     beid.                                                                                                                                   de wege;, waar de sneeuwploegen er door gewerkt had-
         En thans, ,n& ruim twee `ja&e'n, kw&m  er door L,os                                                                                 den, met ijs  bedekt,  zoodat voorzichtig' rijden de  bood-
     Angeles een verzoek- op de. laastgehouden vekgadering                                                                                   schap was. We besloten eindelijk..een  -poos te stoppen,
     der  classis, om mij nogmaals. in  CaliforniB   te  !aten totd`at het zou hebben opgehouden te, regenen. Geluk-`
     arbeidpn,  .ditmaal in Bellflower, een der voorsteden van kig duurde dit niet,lang. En na een paar uren vervolg-
     Los Angel&, ongeveer twintig` mijlen van  Jiet  hart der` den we de .reis..                                                                                                                                                                                        I
     groote wereldstad gelegen. Er  werd:  door de  classis                                                                                          De weg .voerdk  ens recht het zuiden'in,  en hoe &cl)-
     besloten om mijn ke'rkeraad  te verzoeken mij voor eeni- ter,we  bij Kalamazoo kwamen, hoe minder sneeuw wk
     ge.weken  tot dat doe1 +f te staan. En de kerkeraad gaf zagen en toen we Kalamazoo achter  den rtig hadde$,
     toestemniing.     Besloten werd,  `dat ik zou  gaati, zoo waren de `wegen schoon.
     spoedig als het huisbezoek zou  zijn: afgewerkt.                                                                                                We schepten moed en-zetten den ga& er in, zoodit
        Op Maandag, 25 Februari, werd de reis naar het we dien avond, ofschoon we niet den afstand aflegden,
     zonnige huidwesten  van .ons ujtgestrekte lan& aarivaard.                                                                               <ien we  on&  hadden  voorgesteld, t&h nog Terre  Hautk
        In twee opzichten reisden we dithaal  anders dan, de bereikten,  dat o<geveer  drie honderd en.vijf& mijler
     beide vorige  malen.                                                                                                                    afstands van Grand. .Rapids geIegen  is.
      Toen gingen- we telkens alleen; thans  .ging  mijn                                                                                             Vandaar;  ging het den volgenden  morgen weer h&
     huisgezin mee.  Toen reisde ik  per  trein,; thans per . zuiden in, door Illinois, Missouri  .en Arkansas, om' dan
     auto.  I                                                                                                                                in westelijke  richting door Texas, New Mexico  `en Ari-
        `t Is een lange reis van Michigan naar CtiliforniB !                                                                                 zona  CaiiforniB  binnen te rijden.                                                                                   I
        Langs de zuidelijkste route, die van  .Michigan door                                                                                 .:' We  haalden  de  schade  in:
     Indiana,. Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas; q.:Texas, : ,New  . . :_i De laatste dagen gin2 het over bergen  en door dalei!.
     Mexico en Arizona naar Califc&iB poeti,  ;is.,de afstand. : :I* Reeds vroeg op Zaterdagmorgen bereikten  w!e
per auto ruim 2700 tiijlen of ongeveq  45O@ikilome$er.                                                                                       Blythe,   Californi&,   oti  vandaar.  weer  noordwaarts   de
Zouden we qus, als we des Maandags vertrokken v&r $jden op  Redlsnds   aan,'                                                                                                                      1
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   I
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                                                           !          d                                                .'                                                                                                                                          I


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1.           `.

!                                                T H E   -$TANDARD-   ` B E A R E R                                                                  I 3             1              9
I
        &lied, wsarin de eleinenten  zullen smelten en heel- de                            overgebleven, die door bovenstaande verklaring niet
       `gedaante dezer wereld,voorbij  zal gaan. Centraal  is dit zijn beantwoprd. Indien de vrager zoo vrij wil zijn ze
       reeds geschied in de opstanding van onzen  Heere Jezus. dan op. te z&den,  zal ik nog een bogi& doen.                                                              I
       Christus.  Maar: nog eenmaal zullen bewogen  worden,                                        `t Xan ook zijn, dat er ook thans-nog  leden van de.
       niet  alleen .de aarde, maar bok den hemel. En dan,zal                              minnenvereeniging  zijn,.die een andere verklaring heb-
       het  alles zijn geschied.. Gods welbehagen heeft zijn ben.
        einddoel bereikt. Wij zullen een  eeuwi$ en onbewegelijk                                   De Standard Bearer staat altijd open voor vriende-
        konilikri j k ontvangen.                                                           lijke discussie,:zooals  ge we1 weet.          ..,.  .
                              ,
                   `Welnu,  en hoer komt de S&rift  weer op de verma-                              En ik vind het een  goed teeken,  dat men  03 onze
        ning terug, waarmee ze  in  he&l dit gedeelte begonnen' mannenvereeniging  over deze dingen kin en wil debat-
        was,,`waar  dit nu zoo is, waar we een onbcwegelijk  ko-                           teeren.                                                   H. H.
       ninkrijk  ontyangen,  een koninkrijk, dat naar zijn aard                                                                     .,
       ,nooit meer bewogen kan worden,  laat bxs de .genada                                               *
        vasthouden, door dewelke `wij welbehagelijk Gode  mo-                                      ABOUT THE SOULS OF DEAD THAT WERE
       gen dienen, met eerbied en Godvruchtigheid  ; -want  onye                                                       ' RAISED
        God is (ook) een  veyterend  vuur.         (Dit "ook" b'ehoort
       er naar het oorspronkelijke  in, H. H.)                                                     .The lksther  Societzj  of the First Prof. Ref. Church
                   De woorden "la& ons de genade  vasthquden" zijiz                        of Grand Rapids,  Mich. sent in the following question:                                  c
        niet een erg  ,juiste vert'aling Van het oorsprotikelijke                               a_ "Can one's  s?ul,  if it goes immediately to  heatiepi
             .rrreksch.  Letterlijk staat er: "laat ons  geyade   heb-                     after  death;.`be   ,reunited  with the body and brought                                      .
        hen". .Zooais echter  6el bekend is, komt het'woord  ge-                           back to the earth? Can the soul leave heaven?  E,xz
        nade  ook voor in den ziti vari dank. Als we b.v. in de plain in regard to those who rising after Christ's re-
        Schrift lezen:  Gode. zij dank, dan staat er letterlijk:                           surrection, went into the Holy City And made their ap-
        Gode zij genade. E,n dat is.hier  ook de beteekenis. Niet pearances." . .                                               Respectfully yours,                            -
                                                                                                                           .
        alleen gee@ het geen zin om te zeggen: ,laat ons genade                                                                           A.         `13..     ..
        hebben, of: last ons genade vasthouden; maar ook is                                                            Secretary,  E.sther Girl's Society
        dit duidelijk de beteekenis van den tekst ;hier, beide met                                 Let me give a threefold  answ-er:                  . .
        het.oog  op de uitdrukking zelf en met het oog op het                                      1: In general, as is clear from several passages  ,of
        verband,  waarin ze voorkomt. Daarom, alzoo  wij een Holy Writ, the  souls of the saints after de&h are  gldri-
       onbewegelij k koninkrij  k ontvangen, &at dns  dankbaar                             fied and with Christ in heaven. It would be quite in-
        zijn, of dankbaajrheid  hebben, door dewelke wij welbeA                                 conceivable, that after they had  ihug been glorified
        hagelijk Gode .mogen  dienen  met e&bied  en Godvruch- `they would be reunited with the body of sin and death
       :Ilgheid.   Ep  di& laatste, "eerbied en  godvruchtigheid"                               and return to the world of iin. Nor does this  eier take
        wor,<t  dan weer aangedrongen  door het laatste vers:                              place.
        Want onze God is ook een Verterend  vuur. Hij is we1                                     2. In. those cases of the raising of  th6 dead that are
        genadig.  en barmhartig,;,_laekm?edig  en. groot..yan  goe-                             characterized by the deceased's ?eturning-to-his  `former                                     ---
       dertierenheid,  maar Hij is ook een verterend  vuur. Hij                                 state, to his corruptible and  mortal  body and this evil                                     '
        is de Heilige, Die alle ditigen  doet om Zijns Zelfs wil,                               world, as the' cases of the ybung  .rnan of' Nain, the
        Die Zijn eigen heerlijkheid en eer zoekt, Die Zijn eigen daughter of Jairus, Lazarus, and others, the soul cannot
        Jo% zoekt en Die daarom altijd verteert  alIe& wat Hem ha+ been glorified first. Seeing it was God's purpose to
        `de eere niet toebrengt,.  die Hem  toekdmt.  Daarom nioet                              raise ihem again and c&use them' to `return to their
        !de gemeente  iti het dienen  des Heeren nooit +ergeten,                                former state, it is certainly plausible' to suppose  ,that
        dat God GOD.  is, de'geceel  Eenige, en zal h&t waarach-                                special provision was made for the? soul in the inter-
        `tige dienen van Hem, het dienen Gods op een Hem wel-                                   nge'diate  state. I am in&tied  to think that those souls j
        behageiijke  wijze altijd gekenmerkt zijn door diepe  e;                                were in a state of unconsciousn&s  till. the moment of
        .kmderlijke  vreeze. Zooals de  ,apostel.   Paulus  aan de their resurrection.
        gemeente  te Filippi schrijft: werkt-uws zelfs zal&h&d                                     3. With regard to thbse that were raised from the
        `met vreezi  en- beving,.  want God is bet, die `in u v?erkt                            dead and appeared in Jerusalem after?he  resurrkctiqn
        h,et  willen en  bet werken  naar Zijn welbehagen; zoo                                  of Jesus, it must be s&d, that their case was quite dif-
        &oept de Schrift  hier de gemeente van den nieuwen dag .fere@. They ,were raised to glory with Christ, did not
        koe: Dient den Heere met  eerbied  en godvruchtigheid,                                  return  to  th&r  former state of imperfection, neither td
       , kvant onze God is ook een ve&erend  v&r !                                              fellowship with the .present  world, even tllough they
        1          Ik heb hiermede  naar mijn beste weten -voldaan aan                          appeared in the Holy.City.  Their state was like untd _
        het v&zoek  van deri irizender der vraag,  en hoop, dat                                 the glorious state of the risen Lord, Who also appeared
              ijn poging niet geheel vruchteloos mag zijn.                                      to His disciples after the resurrection, without return-;
                   Ret  kan zijn, dat er vragen, die in den loop van de                         ing to His fbrmer  fellowship even with them.
             iscussie op de  maqnenv&eetiiging  opkwamen, zijn                                                                                       H. H.
        I"


  320                                     ` T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                 . .

                                                                  shall indeed see sorrow and sorrow that beggars de-
            The Testimony of `the Temple                          scription. In one hour shall her bereavement come.
  , `It is good `ind pleasant' for brethren to dwell tOi                And from  that awful spectacle the Lord calls
  gether  jn unity !                                              through His Spirit and  warns   .His own that they shall
         That is the  testi,Fony  of  .the Temple of the Lord flee'from it so thatthey partake not of her sins so that
 our God.                                                         they receive, nc$ of her plagues.
         Of course, by reason of tiuch evil within and around       And indeed it is good to  heed that voice.
  us, there is also  another  testimony.  One could voice               !!Jhere are dainties in the House of God that cannot
 it in the text: "Flee fornication !" And then w.e do not be compared with all the filth of the rotten world.
  mean bodily fbrnication  so much as spiritual fornica- What is there in the world that can be weighed in the
  tion. And even bodily fornication, is a wicked  fruit of balances against the sweetness of' God's comniunion  `!.
  spiritual fornication.                                          What can' the world set over against the peace. that,
     Fornication is breach of covenant. Man .was cree$ted         passeth all understanding. And the boon that we are
  a covenant cr&ature. That is, we are created in a rela- heirs of God?
  tion of friendship and unity with God. And sin, all sin,              It is good that the brethren dwell together in unity I
  is in a spiritual sense fornication. It is the breaking               That is the pbsitive strain  pf the song of the Temple
  asurider,  wantonly tearing apart of. that which God of God.'
  j o i n e d   t o g e t h e r .                                       Would ydu like to see a picture of this biessed truth ?
  But  Gdd. remembered His eternal Covenant and                         Go with me to `Chronicles, the second ,boolf, chapter
  calls. That eff,ectually.  calling voice calls the fornication 5 :13,14. There we read : "It came even to pass, as the
to His bosom and with these called creatures He will              trumpeters and the `singers were as one,  `to make one
. dwell in unity. Under His roof.                                 sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord ;
     That company `of called creatures have' not entirely         aiid  wheli  they lifted up their voice with the trumpets
 ieft  behirid   them  the folly. of fornication. Only in         and cymbals and in&rum&s of music, -and praised
  principle are they  &ash&d.and cleansed from the filth the. Lord, saying, For He is good ; for His mercy en-
  of whoredom. Many are the marks that remind them                duyeth  forever:. that then the house was filled with a
1 continually of their former alliance with the devil. For cloud, even the house of the Lord ; so tl$ the priests
that -reasqn  the Spirit Who builds the Temple of God             could  inot stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for
  through the ages is continually c&lling to the Church the glory of the  L&d had filled-the house of God.".
 `of Gqd : Flee fornication.                                            It` is the testimony of the Temple of God. A testi-
         But there is more.          "                            mony of sweetest harmony  arid `unity.
         They. live' in a world that is completely filled with          Music is so beaptiful.
  spiritual fornicators. And these fornicators are not                  All the earth and the heavens are filled with music.
  sati&d with their own. whoredoms i they needs. cannot Man. and beast ; the rustling, boughs  .and murmuring
  rest until all men offer with them the sacrifices of filth. brooks ; but also the terrible elements in thunder and
  `Therefore they surround  .the church of God and entice
                                              .-._. .___ - .      storm: they a11  are so many notes in the song of
                                                                  -.. _. . .                                 __  .-...          I.
  h&r'memiij&s to do as they  .d&`, In many  gmses   tl-5         creation.
  world sings her song of unholy love. Ali things of the                And. God gave wisdom, to make instruments: the
  world,' all her wisdom and philosophy,' all her gifts and cymbal, the harp, the violin, the sound of the organ and
  talents, all h&r money and possessions are so many what not. And then we  have in our. throats the vocal
  lures that are used to, draw the church of God from             chords and we can warble of Janguishing  love.
  under the roof of God Who dwells with  His own in                   But there is also the discord.
  security and unity; Hence, the call of the Temple of                  It  grates  upon the ear, nay, th& soul  .and makes us
  God : Flee fornication ! Do not walgamate with the shudder. By all means make music but let your music
  world ; be ye not unequally yoked with unbeli&ers  !            be harmonious. Sing and play as one. And make one
Depart from aut of the midst of her, Mjr People and. I sound. Then it is sweet.
will. receive you ! Do not touch the unclean thing !                    It is the first  th.ing we note in that throng of God%
  Love .not the world, neither the $hings of the world ! people in the temple. They are as one to make, one
  If any man `love the world, the love  of. the Father sound.                                                                         1
  dwelleth not in hini.         '                                      .That,  beloved, is di:eciy contrary in the world.. 16
     It is well to heed these' voices of tib Temple ,of God.      may seem as though they command a certain harmony/
  If not, we shall be destroyed.with the world.. For hel; but it is false. In reality it is the `discord of hell. They
  sins have reached unto -heaven,  .and God hath re- are not one and make not one sound.                                              I
  membered her inqtiities.  For even thdugh the world                   You know, the song is not born in the vocal
 , tore herself away from her legal husband she persists but in the deepest heart. It is untold misery if ou
  iri saying: I <sit a queen, and am no widow,  and shall heart weeps and the lips warble.
see no sorrow. But it is no more than $eluSion. She Temple was so wonderful,
                                                                                                                           I


     -          :,~        ,~     .:          I     :     I     ,.,.     _    i                    `.i                                                                               :.-           ._.
                                                                                                                          ,      '     _r,      "                                            `      ,,
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                                                                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                      321

                     they were one before the Lord. They loved the Lord. in heaven with Him. Shall they not sing that His
                        See there the first requisite if you are to make merry mercy endureth forever?
                     on the trumpet and the cymbals. And when your heart                                      I assure you that if they sing not that the very
                     .is filled with the love of God and when you,note  that stones would cry out for shame.
               others around you are in like state you will further note                                      ,But they do sing and their song charms the heart
                     that you make one sound. Then,:there  is sweet har-                                  while singing. They do sing  .and the angels join in.
                     mony.               :                                              r                 their chanting cries. They.do  sing and the God of their
                           Secondly, note the very purpose of their harmony.                              salvation responds in blessing to more songs. They do
                     It is to`praise the Lord and to thank Him. All. other                                sing and the house is `filled with smoke at the voice of
                     song is really contraband. The world has no business him. that cried.
                     to languish her love upon herself and warble and sing                                    Now notice, that even on  .earth the resulting glory
                     of devotion.  '                                                                      is so great that the priests could not stand to minister
                          Lately we had occasion to listen to the songs of the                            by reason of the, cloud. They  must give way to the .
                `world for quite a spell and we found that. the ever re- glory of the Lord. The cloud filled the. house of God.
                     curring theme is : Oh, how 1 love you. It is all love and                              _ Ah, when all the wicked discord of the sin-soaked
                     devotion, but the purpose is love and devotion of the                                earth shall be no more; when the worship of  Baa1 and
                 world,. of self. It makes the present day radio pro- Astaroth  shall be forever swept away in the pit of fire
          ' grams so abominable.                                                                          and brimstone: How glorious shall then be our song.
                        But the purpose and the end of the singing and You will not be able to stand to minister. The cloud of
                 music of God's saints is praise and gratitude toward                                     the glory. of God shall fill the heaven of heavens. And
                     God. "It is good to sing Thy praises ; And to thank                                  all you will do is look, behold, be satisfied with His
                 Thee, 0 Most High, Showing forth Thy lovingkindness glorious image. When the eternal.mystery  shall be re-
                 When the morning lights the sky. It is good when vealed and no more. the warning cry resound: Flee
                night.is  falling, of Thy faithfulness to tell, While with fornication ! But when th.e chants of the saints shall
               ' sweet, melodious praises, Songs of adoration swell !" mingle with the songs of the angels and the earth shall
                                                                                                          answer in ever rising Hallelujah's !
                          Compare that with the songs  and,the  music of the                                 Therefore the eye heavenward, beloved ! And listen.
                 world and you will turn from them with disgust. That sharply: faintly we heart these halleluj&h's,  they come
                 is when the heart is one with God !                                                      ever nearer. Until the Son of Man come on the clouds.
                          Thirdly,. we note the content of the music and sing- Bringing His redeemer saints with Him.
                 ing. It is : For He is good ; for His mercy endureth                                        Then; then shall be fully realized: `How good is it
               forever !                                                                                  and how pleasant that brethren dwell in unity !
                          The song.and  music of the saints of God is never                                                                                          G. V.
                forced. They. cannot but sing.  No. matter where they
                look: everywhere is manifested that goodness of God.
               ,It is in the golden light of-the sun, the silvery rays of                                                       THE: PROPOSED PLAN
                the moon at night. It is in the twinkling star as well Rev.  Herman  Hoeksema,
                as in the blue firmament., It is in the earth so that                                        1139 Franklin' St.,  S; E.,
                the plowed furrows are drunk with His goodness and                                           Grand Rapids, Mich.
                the increase of the fields chant of His love. The mur-                                              Dear Editor :-
                mur of the-wind is a lullaby of lovingkindness and it                                        We, the teachers of the First Prot. Ref. Church
                sings us to sleep ; the concert of the birds of .heaven                                   Sunday School, wish to express our hearty approval of
                are a paean of happiness.                                                                 the proposal to have our Sunday School .Lessons ex-
                         More so in the Word of God. Oh, when heavenly light plained in the Standard Bearer.
               enlightens* then they must sing of His. goodness. It                                          It. has long been our desire to have our Protestant
               tells of His mercy that endureth forever. Even while Reformed ministers provide us with truly reformed
               they. have forgotten the Lord; He never forgat. He material for our lessons of the International Lesson
               remembered them in Holy Love. He saw them from all System and this. proposal fills us with hope that our de-
               ,eternity and sang of their beauty. He saw them in the sire will be realized.
               Ipalms of His hand and beheld them as images of His                                           The appearance of such a new feature in our Stand-
               `dear Son. He search.ed  for them when they were lost ard Bearer would not change its present theological
               i.
               im the highways and byways .of sin and finding them character but instead would greatly increase the value
               `He clasps them to His bosom. When they are guilty as of the Standard Bearer for all Sunday School Teachers
               ;hell, .He comes down from the, heavens to their help                                      and also be instructive to all Standard Bearer readers.
               ,and assumes all their guilt, paying the awful price of                                                                     S i n c e r e l y ,
               righteousness on the accursed tree. He cleanses and                                                                                   A. Van Tuinen, Supt.
i              ibeautifies  ; He justifies and glorifies, `until all are saved                                 r
i  j                                                                                                                                                 John A. Heys, Sec'y.
                                                                                                                                 ,

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

ligen is de  arke des Verbonds, het  altaar waarop eens zag geenen Tempel in haar, want de Heere, de Almach-
per jaar het Bloed gesprend  werd.                            tige God is haar Tempel en het Lam!"           '
   En zegt God geduriglijk: Daar zal Ik met IJj mijn            Doch die God is  d&n alles en in  allen en daarom:
volk,  wonen.                                                 "Want gij zijt de Tempel des levenden Gods,  gelijker-
   Doch ook zelfs die openbaring van de eeuwige  idee         wijs God gezegd heeft : Ik zal in hen wonen en 11~ zal
van het  wonen Gods moet verdwijnen. De Tempel wordt          onder hen wandelen, en Ik zal hun God zijn, en zij zul-
verwoest en het Heilige der Heiligen ontheiligd. De len Mij een volk zijn."
Arlre is weggevoerd. Zal ook nooit gevonden worden.                  001; werd ons hart overstelpt in het binnenste van
   De Woonstede Gods in den Geest groeit door de              ons !                                               G. V.
eeuwen  heen.  .'
   Er is een volheid des tijds.
   En dan kwam de9 vervulling. En die vervulling is                             THE PROPOSED'PLAN
Jezus. Ach, is er weliets in den hemel of op de aarde,        Rev. Hoeksema
dat ge kunt vergelijken met de schoonheid van die ver-                  Dear Brother :-
.vulling?  Spraken wij niet van een woonstede Gods?              The following is to inform ,you that 1 ai heartily
En was de  idee niet, dat de liefelijke God met den' in favor of the proposed change in the S. B. as outlined
mensch wil wonen, Zijn dak over hem uitbreiden? Wel-          in the Feb. 1 issue.
nu, dat is Jezus, die liefelijke Naam !                              My main  ,reasons are as follows.
   Hoe innig woont God nu met den mensch. In  eenig-                 It is' of `great importance that we have our own
heid d&s Persoons van den Zoon van God, woont de God-         system of Sundayschool-lessons and that these appear
delijke en menschelijke natuur te zamen. Negentien, in the S. B.
bijna twintig eeuwen hebben de godgeleerden vromelijk                That  we,have some edifying material for our young
getrabht  om ons tech een klare voorstelling te bieden people, especially for the younger children that cannot
van dat eeuwige wonder; en tech? Hij klaagt: %ijn derive much benefit from our paper as w.e now have it.
God, Mijn God, waarom hebt Gij Mij verlaten?" En                     Also to have closer contact with our sister churches
tech is Hij al het welbehagen des Vaders. Hij roept:          and to be fully informed as to what is `taking  place'in
0, wat heb Ik  tech een vreeselijken dorst ! Doch  mach- the Church-world round about `us;
tig, almachtig, zegt Hij : Heden zult gij met Mij in het.            And "last but not least" to retain a prominent place
Paradijs zijn ! 0, wonder van genade. God- en mensch for "Our Doctrine" in order that the truth may shine
vereend. Wonende te zamen in  66n  -gestalte:  Is Hij         forth in all its beauty.
dan niet de vervulling van die verrukkelijke  idee  ?                Thanking you for the opportunity to express myself,
Eeuwig bij Hem  te zijn. Waar'nimmer tranen vloeien.                                  Yours in Christ,
   Hij woo&-bij  God, is in de boezem des Vaders. Doch                                               H. Windemulder
wij zijn van Hem. En Hij schaamt Zich -niet om ons                   Holland,  Mich.  I
broeders te noemen. Zijn menschelijke natuur is de
natuur .der kinderkens. Hij nam het zaad Abrahams
aan.                                                          Rev. H. Hoeksema,
       Daarom vergadert Hij .ons door de eeuwen heen.         Grand Rapids,  Mich.
Is Hij het fundament, wij zijn de  steenen  die geestelijk      \       My dear Sir:-
zijn. Is het een woonstede Gods in den Geest? Hij                    Concerning your request for opinions from various
start in ons, Zijn Lichaam, dien Geest uit en dat niet readers of the Standard Bearer about the proposed
met mate. En het gebouw, bekwamelijk samengevoegd change I hereby wish to express a few of my ideas.
zijnde, toont de lijnen van het fundament. Het Woord            A few months ago this very same `thing-was the
des Heeren. bezielt ons, is ons Brood en ens Water.           topic of one of our family conversations. I long have
Verzadigt en verfrischt ons. En doet ons groeien.             felt that. a change in the publication of our church
       Roept dan dat Woord tot allen uit ! De uitverko-       paper was necessary, and therefore I highly approve
renen zullen het zeker hooren. En hobrende door den           of the idea and change stated in the Standard Bearer.
Geest,. zullen ze vervormd worden,  van de gedaante                  To my opinion the new plan will make the maga-
des duivels tot de schoonheid van het Beeld des Zoons.        zine of interest to old and young. I also feel a dire
En ze groeien door de eeuwen heen.  Het gaat van heer-        need for practical discussions about things of our  day-
lijkheid tot heerlijkheid.                                    The youth, I think, then will have a special interest in
       En het einde ?                                         our paper and will arouse the interests of many.
   Daar komt een algeheele realisatie in de einden der               Let this only be' a personal correspondence. Hoping
eeuwen. Daar komt dan ten slotte het moment, dat de that the plan may be carried out, I remain
visioenen van Patmos vervuld zullen worden.                                           Yours sincerely,
       Ziet ge dan weer  eens naar den hemel der hemelen,                                           .John Blankespoor =
dan  zult ge zien en met Engelenstem bezingen: "En  ik               Boyden,  Iowa


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                                               T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                            327

                                                                  I)
                         THE  PRoPOSED   PIiAlai                                             CONTRIBUTION
                 The board of the. Reformed Free Publishing Asso-        Pride and Self-love Corrupt the Best and  Sublimest
        ciation, Division No. 1' wishes hereby to express its                                      Gifts           ST
        opinion concerning the proposed plan as. wassuggested
        by the Reverend Hoeksema in the February ,lst.`issue                Lest any should wonder why St. ,Paul sets forth
        of our  Stindard  Bearer.                                       the virtue of charity with so many high and eminent
                 In the first place it is our conviction that the pro- praises ; "We are to consider," says a pious divine,
        posed change is not at all in harmony with the purposes         "that God is Love; and that, consequently, the same
        and `aims of the Reformed Free Publishing Association, praise belongs to both: nor can there be a greater vir-
        as we find them expressed in Article 3 of the Constitu- tue in God or man, than love."
        tion, "The purpose of this Association. is to propagate            But our love is twofold : the one true; living sincere,
        the  .Reformed.  Principles, applying them to every `phase `and undefiled; the other false, polluted, hypocritical,
        of life, along the fundamental lines of sin and grace,          and selfish. The former of these  .St. Paul has most
        opposing all views repugnant thereto." The new pro- amply described, and exhibited a distinct catalogue of
        posed.plan  certainly does not have this purpose in view. all the' fruits ancl properties that attend it, of which
        If it be true, that there is a great demand `for such a we have already spoken. The latter kind, which is
       , popular and practical paper as has .been  proposed by one false and polluted, may seem, indeed, to promote the
        of our editors, then such a paper should be published glory of God, and the profit of mankind,; yet inwardly:
        by .our churches, distinct from or in conjunction with `and in the heart, is seeks nothing either in word or
        our Standard Bearer. The purpose of the Reformed deed; but -private honor and interest only. Now what-
        Free Publishing Association  has. never been to publish         ever .flows from' this fountain of false love, proceeds
        a church paper, but  `a monthly or semi-monthly maga- not from God, but fro-m the devil; for it is a poison
        zine in which our leaders might propagate `our Re- infecting the very best of works, and the most excel-
        formed principles, and it is our sincere desire that the lent gifts conferred on man.
        association will, by the grace of God, be able to continue         As a flower,  th&t in sight, taste, and smell, is most
        in this necessary and worthwhile work.                          sweet and beautiful, is rejected with hatred if it con-
                                                                        tain secret venom, because it is hurtful to man  ; so
                 In the second place, we would call the attention of though a man be adorned with the most exquisite parts,
        our readers to the important change which has already and the very gifts of angels themselves, if he' be void
        been brought about., (See also February 1st. issue.)            of charity, and full of avarice, pride, self-love, and self-
        Upon suggestion of  th.e board the  staff has appointed honor, then all these gifts not only-prove of no effect
 .I several of our younger ministers to the editorial staff, before God, but become pernicious. to him that pos-
        in order that from time to time they might regularly sesses' them. For whatever is really good, always pro- .
 contribute worthwhile articles.  And.besides  this, the ceeds from God himself, so as to begin and end in him.
        staff has also appointed five men as "news `editors" to
.._                                                                     Whatever deviates from this beginning. and end, can.
        supply us-with interesting bits. of. church news: The. never be really good, nor acceptable to the Lord. That--
        board agrees with the editor, when he expresses his which this good God works in thy heart, is truly good,
        opinion concerning this change as follows: `:Also this and only. good: but it is quite otherwise if self-love,
        is a change for the better. The original editors, who self-honor, and self-interest, bear the sway in thy soul,
        have many duties to.perform  in school and in their con- and influence the actions of thy life. All that it `flows,
        gregations, will be considerably  reliev.ed.  And with so corrupt and defiled, sinbe it do.es not proceed from God
        many editors and co-workers, the contents. of the paper as from its original cause and moving principle.
        will be much more diversified, while the principle of its
       contents will remain unchanged. And,, as variety is,                It is said, that it was the wish of a certain saint of
        undoubtedly, the spice of life, I believe that our paper old, that he might be of no other use to God than his
        will become more popular, will be read by a greater             own right hand was to himself; an instrument, ready
        number of people and will increase its list of sub-             to give and to receive what was. fit, and this in the
                                                                        manner directed by the soul  ; arrogating neither honor
        scribers.`,'                                                    nor profit to itself. And, indeed, it is right we all
                 The board of the Reformed Free Publishing Asso- should be of the same temper. For as all things come
        ciation heartily endorses the change -that already has freely from God to us, we should return all things
        been made but cannot approve the "Proposed Plan".               freely to our neighbour, from a principle of pure love,
                                The Board of the R. F. P. A.            and in true singleness of heart, without any desire of
                                                                        glory'or  self-interest. For as God alone is the author
                                     Division No. 1,                    of what is good; so it is but just that all honor and
                                     Bernard Kok, President             glory should be given to him alone. Man is but an in-:
                                   F. Pipe, Secretary                   strument, made fit to receive and to deliver' what God


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         _ 328                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   :BEARER                   %`a

          bestows upon him. Now if a man be without this sin- come from beginning to end his renovation. In order to
          cere and pure love? he is, notwithstanding all his gifts this, the Son of God took the form of a man upon him,                        I,
          and endowments, a mere nothing, and of no account in thereby to renew our nature, that, being regenerated
          the sight of God. "Though he speak with the tongues by him, in him, and from hin, we might become new
          of angels ; though he prophesy, `and know all mysteries, creatures. For as in Adam we are dead both bodily
          and have such faith as even to remove mountains ; and and spiritually, so we ought to rise again in Christ, and
          though he  shouId  moreover bestow all that he has be renewed both in spirit and body. And as by a carnal
          among the poor, and give his body to' be burned"; all birth we entered, we must be justified, and enter by                       ,
          .this will avail him nothing at last, and stand him in no faith .upon his righteousness, as upon .our own inherit-
          stead when he is to have his trial..                        ance:  .And as we readily draw our sin from Adam,
             The reason in plain. Self-love, self-honor, and  self- especially self-love, pride, and ambition ; so from Christ,
          `interest, are of the devil, who thereby procured his own by faith, and by the Holy Ghost, our nature is to be
          downfall from heaven. For after God had created renewed,. cleansed, and sanctified. All  selfilove,  pride;
          Lucifer a most glorious angel, and adorned him with ,and ambition, `are to die in us, in order that we might
          the most excellent gifts of wisdom, light, and glory,  h.e attain a new heart and spirit from Christ, in exchange
          began to pride himself in his gifts, and to love, honor, for the old one which we receive from Adam. And with
          and exalt himself. This self-complacency proved the         reference to this new birth in us, Christ is called
          very first step  to' his ruin. He turned'his love from      Father, and the everlasting Father.
          God to himself, .and was deservedly driven from his            Hence it follows, that all the works of a Christian,
          principality, together with- all such as adhered to him,    together with his gifts and talents, ought to proceed
          and whom he had infected with the same pride and self purely from' the new  creature,if  ever they be acceptable
          love. Not contented with his estate or principality, he to God; that they ought to spring from faith, from
          aspired too high, and lost all which the Creator had        Christ, and from the Holy Ghost. Wherever this prin-
          conferred upon him, according to that of  St. Jude:         ciple is wanting, there the most excellent parts, and           .
          "The angels kept not their first estate.`,'                 even miracles themselves, are of no account at all be-
                  But the same sin which had effected his own ruin, fore God. So with respect to our neighbour, all things
          Lucifer attempted the ruin of man, namely, by divert-: ought to be done in Christian  charitjf,  without any
          ing him from the love of God to the love of himself.        view to private gain or honor; as a pattern of which
          Hereby ,self-love.  and self-honor began to act in man,     God has set his Son before us, in which there was no
          and influenced him to affect equality with God himself.     spot of. self-love or arrogance; no desire of profit or
          Hence. he was cast out of Paradise, as Lucifer had been praise ; nay, in whom nothing resided but pure and un-
          before, cast out of heaven, leaving to us .a11 the heritage defiled,love  and humility. He is inwardly to live in our
          of pride and- self-love. And this is the fall of Adam our hearts by faith, and outwardly to be expressed` in
          which all men in themselves repeat ; and which is trans-    our whole life and conduct. It is then, that. all our
          mitted from one generation to another.                      works, words, and knowledge, wholly' proceed from
                                                                      Christ, as from their original source. Without this
          --The `medicine by-which' a. thorough cure may be divine-principle settled .within the:.mind,  all our gifts                                -
         wrought in fallen man, is `whol1.y to be sought in the       and works; be they ever so high and angelical, are in-
          precious merit of Christ apprehended by faith. By this significant trifles, and of no worth. Wherever self-love
          we are renewed, in Christ, and the flesh is crucified, sways the soul, there must be a hatred of God ; where
          with its sinful desires. Then we love ourselves, no more, pride rules,. it engenders a contempt of God ; and it is
          but on the contrary, hate and displease ourselves. We utterly impo,ssible  that works springing from so viti-
          do not honor or extol, but, deny and mortify ourselves. ated a principle, should be ever acceptable to. the Lord.
          We no more seek our own glory and interest; but deny- ,        Let us,  therefore,.most  fervently beseech the Lord,
          .ing all we have, .we withdraw our pleasure and trust `to give us true faith and sincere love ; a love defiled
          from everything whatsoever it be, and manfully fight -with no desire of vain honor, profit and glory. When-
          with flesh and blood, our spiritual enemies. Whoso;         ever this divine temper is obtained and established in
          ever refuses to comply`with these terms, can in no case the heart, it is followed with this happy effect, that
          be a disciple of Christ; since this is the only means by thereby not only great and illustrious endowments and
          which the natural degeneracy of our heart is to be sub-     works are .made acceptable to God, but also the least
          dued, and a sound conversation is to be effected.           and meanest of all, even the gift of a CUP of cold  water.
                  Since it was utterly impossible that man, by' his For a. small work proceeding from sincere love and
          own natural strength, should restore himself, (for of humility, is far more excellent than all the splendid
          himself, he can, do nothing but love himself, boast of works that are raised on  ,no other foundation than
          himself, and seek his own ends and interest; `or to sum prid.e and self-love.
          up all in a word, sin ;) God in his infinite mercy, was
          *moved to commiserate man's fallen condition, and to be-                                                  M. J. P.
                                                                                             _


                                                 T H E   S T A N D A R D   , B . E A R E R                                                331

,                     -THE PROPOSED  P&AN  .'  __                                     Geachte redactie  :-
                                                                                 Naar mijn inzieht is het voorgestelde plan tot  ver-
Rev. H. Hoeksema,                                          '                  andering der Standard Bearer overbodig. Wij hebben
        Editor of the Standard Bearer.                                        het blad van het begin af gelezen en zouden het we1
           D e a r   S i r : -   r                                            eens per week willen hebben. Ik las nog niet zoolang
        The Talitha Society,  of. the Fuller `Ave. Protestant geleden  het boekje getiteld "Langs Zuivere  Banen'l  en
Reformed Church at its meeting held .March  12, dis- in het `Voorwoord werd ook melding  gemtiakt van het
cussed the proposed plan for the change of the Stand- plan om een maandblad uit te geven, om alien, die  be-
ard Bearer, `and after a general discussion decided lang-stellen in de ontwikkeling der waarheid der Heili-
untinimously in favor of the same.                                            ge Schrift naar vaste echt Gereformeerde lijnen, zonder
      ._ The reasons given were many, among those pre- begeerte naar  allerlei afwijkende zijsporen, te onder-
sented were :                                                                 wijzen en voort te helpen op eenvoudige  en bevattelijke
        It will create  .more general interest also among our manier. En dat is ook altijd gedaan in-onze S. B. En
young .people  to have articles of a more varied nature.                      als men dan het boekje leest "Drie Scheuren in het Fun-
        We need more news from our churches to stimulate dament der Gereformeerde Waarheid," dan kan dat
interest in our own denomindtion.                                             niet na tien of elf jaren  doodgezwegen worden,  om er
       . We would also highly recommend .a "Book" ,Review                     dafi iets aantrekkelijks voor het jonge geslacht  voor in
Department".                                       .'                         de plaats te stellen. Want wat jong is wordt ook ouder
        However, it was not the idea to exclude entirely en als er dan door Gods genade'beginsel in zit, hebben
articles, as we have been having them but think they ze geen behoefte aan die lichtere &of. Want beginselen
might often be. abbreviated.                                                  werken door. En daarom `geen'verandering.                       '
        As a society of young people we .would very much                                                         Mrs. Albert Ten Elshof .
appreciate the change in our paper and feel that it .will                         Coopersville, Mich.
be more beneficial to both young and old.                                I           . .
                            R e s p e c t f u l l y   y o u r s ,
                                               Joan Snyder, Sec'y.                    Dear Rev. Hoeksema:-
                                                                                  In reply to your request to hear from all the readers
                                                                              of the S. B. about the proposed change  .in  `our paper,
            Geaehte'redacteur;-                                               I wish to say that I am one hundred percent in favor
        U verzocht de lezers van de Standard Bearer om of it. For myself I can read the paper with pleasure,
hunne gedachten uit te spreken over het plan  .om  ons but for my family, a group of ten boys and  &rls,  I
blad eenigszins te yeranderen. Nu, dan  zult u  we1 een think the proposed change will prove very profitable,
menigte. brieven  krijgen. Mijn gedachten zijn, dat- de I also would like to have it changed into a weekly in-
Standard Bearer, zooals die  nu  verschijnt'  door de stead of a semi-monthly, as I can hardly wait two
meeste lezers met veel genot gelezen wordt. Ik heb nog weeks for it.                                               ,
van,niemand
            .._  _-   gehoord, die 
                  __.  -               da&t dat verandering noodig                                     Respectfully. yours,    ~. .  -
was. We1 hoort, men zeggen door tegenstanders, dat                                                                      Geo. Vander  Weit
men veel te veel aan het'vitten is op andersdenkenden,                            C h i c a g o ,   I l l .
maar dat  Kan.men  ook zeggen van sommige.  kerkelijke
     bladen. Het heeft mij vaak verwonderd, dat onze re-
     dacteuren met hun weinige helpers het al die jaren  heb-                          Geliefde Ds. H..Hoeksema:-
     ben BunnerYvolhouden  om het blad te doen  verschijnen                       Ik wil bij dezen ook mijn gedachten zeggen over
     en  o,ns zoo geregeld zooveel  onderricht.in  de waarheid het voorgestelde plan ter verandering van onze S. B.
     te ,geven. Ik hoop, dat ook in de toekonist de Standard                      Ik moet zeggen, dat het mij bedroeft, dat ons volk
     Bearer altijd zal blijven g.etuigen,  .dat.de leer der alge-              de S. B. anders wil en wel, dat ze de stukken, die er in
     meene genade in strijd is met de duidelijke uitspraken voorkomen  te zwaar  vinden.,  Ik zie niets liever dan
     der Heilige Sehrift.  Daaraan is voor' de jeugd zeker dat ons blad zooveel mogelijk blijft zooals het thans is. ,
     ook  we1 groote behoefte. Als men in aanmerking neemt, Nu ben ik er niet op tegen  om het kerknieu`tvs  er in te
     dat niemand in de Chr. Geref. Kerken verontrust hebb.en, en ook niet, dat de andere leeraars oak eens
     schijnt te zijn over de stukken, die van wijlen Prof.                     wat schrijven, om u wat te verlichten. Maar ik hoop,
     Heyns in De Wachter verschenen,' dLan is het m. i., we1                   dat u het leeuwenaandeel'behoudt en'dat onze Standard
     noodig, dat onze leiders het onschriftuurlijke  .van de B.earer voor verslapping moge bezwaard blijven.
     leer der algemeene genade altijd door blijven aantoo-                        Hiermede meen  ik mijne gedachten te hebben gege-
     nen. Wil u mij meetellen met  degenen,  die  tegen  de ven.
     verandering zi jn ?                                                                                 Broedergroetend,
                                                         H. D. Mulder                                                          Nick Buyert
        RockValley,  Ia.                                                          Sioux Center, Ia.


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                                                           s.     :.     `,            :_.:
                                                                                                  i.                                                                                                      _:
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               `.                  ;     `!                                                                                                                       .'
                                                                                .,        -.            :


                                                                                                                                            .                                                  I

        *                                                                                                                                                                                                        c
 332                                           .  THE  ST.ANDARD   BE.ARER

                             THE  PRQPOSED,PLAN                                                         Dear Rev. Hoeksema:-
  `.
                     G e a c h t e   Hoofdredacteur:+.                                                       I am in f&or of the proposed plan as outlined ii?
                                                                                                        our previous Standard Bearer? I feel that this would
             Wil U het volgende stukje plaatsen? Dank dan voor
                                                                    \                                   make it more interesting for the general group of
 de plaatsing.                                                                                          readers. I refer especi&lly  %o the Sunday s&o01 lesson,
        `In verband  met de voorgestelde veranderingen in pnd children's page. This would keep our children in-
 onze Standard Bearer, wil ik gjarne voor ens .,lezend                                                  terested and give them the reading. they should have.
 publiek.  uitspreken, dat  i& sterk tegen de verandering                                                                                 VeYy truly yours,
 ben. Gevraagd zijnde doQr anderen waa&m niet ik en                                                                1                                                                    S. Van Harn
 de anderen als "Associate Editors" in ons blad schrijf,                                                     Grand Rapids, Mieh.
 is het antwoord dat wij  we1  benoemd  werden,  maa;:
 deze eer weigerden. Mijn  persoonlijk  antwoord was
 dat ik niet associate'editor  kon wezen,  indien dit oar:
 zaak gaf dat onze twee vroegere editors, Dss. H. Hoek-                                                            Ds. H. Hoeksema :-.
 sema en` Ophoff, nog minder mqesten schrijven dan
 voorheen. En dit minder schrijven van onze eerste                                                           Na&r  aanleiding  van `uw "Proposed Pltin" in de S.
 twee editors was natuurlijk begrepen in de  voorgestel-'                                               B. neem ik de pen op, om u .eenige-letteren  te schrij+en
 de veratidering  van ons blad. Mijn hoofdbezwaar tegen                                                 en we1 om u te laten weten, dat ik niet gaarne eene ver-
 die verandering is dan ook dat we nu minder krijgen andering zag zooals voorgesteld. Of de S. E. niet voor
 pan die mannen,  watirvan  wij eigenlijk mgerr moesten verbetering vatbaar is,. is een .andere vraag, maar zulk
 hebben. En het  g&olg kan niet uitblijven, of ons  blad, eene  ,radikale   verandeting   zou  m. i. een  verlies  zijn
 zal ook achteruit gaan, beide wat inhoud en invloed  be-                                               vo& de  keik  van Christus.
 treft. En ik houd mij er van verzekerd, dat indien er                                                       Uw broeder in Chris&s,'                                          L
 naast een eigen kerkbode waarin schier een ieder onzer                                                                                                                                        J . '   E u i t e r
 predikanten schrijft, ook nog daarbij een  verkleind                                                   ' Palos Park, Ill'.
 theo!ogisch  tijdschrijft verscheen, waarin onze begin--
 selen werden  ontwikkeld,  dat laatstgenoemde .veel  meer
 ifivloed uitbefenen'zou  en de interest  van ons Gerefor-
 meerd volk zou  hebbed. Ook hebben `we hei nu reeds                                                                                             IN MEMORIAM
                                                                                                             ._
 gehoord  van verschillende zij'den, `dat  de.S. B. van de                                                   In  den vroegen, stillen morgen om 3% uur; kwam tot mijn
 laatste paal* maanden niet kan opwegen tegen de vroe-                                                  dierbare   vrouw   (NENKIEN HOLLANDER, 64  jaar oud) een
.I gere S. B.                                                                                           Engel  die  riep: "Kom hier op!" (Openb.  4:l.) En ik hoorde
             Echter moet men nie! meenen dat ik teg.en  alle veri                                       een stem'uit den hemel,  die tot,mij zeide,  schrijf:  "Zalig zijn de
 andering ben. We1 kon b.v. Ds. Ophoff in beide talen dooden, die in den Heere sterven, van nu aan;  j& zegt de Geest:
 schrijven, en dan zou qeteefi het &5ne .groote  artikel. opdat  ,zij  rusten  mogen van hunnen arbeid en hunne werken
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 . _.- -_ __I-
 van hem  worden  ingekort. Gewoonlijk zijn zijne  ,arti-                                               qiilken  met hen,"  Openb.   1$:13.
 kelen te lang. Laat hem ook een artikel in h.et Engelsch                                                    En ik stond er bij en zeide: "Heere! Uw doen  is altijd gocd.
                                                                                                        Amen."
 schrijven voor de jongelui. En dan een klein depart-
 ment voor kerknieuws, zou ook van interest zijp. Maar                                                                                                                                              J. Kuiper
 verder `last de S. B. blijven een blad, dat vroeger liefde                                                             .ouR  &OTHER   AND  GRANDMOTHER
 had van de vrienden  d& waakheid  en meteen vreeze  in-                                                                      Our burden she did share,
 boezetide  bij den vijand.' Ik vrees dit z&l niet meer het                                                                   rn mother's care, on wings of prayer
 geval zijn na de "proposed change". NIijns inziens is                                                                        She bore her family heavenward.
 het geschreeuw ,voor die veranderingen een slecht  tee-                                                                      Amid all life's  fae and  iyoe
 ken, en het doet mij I eenigszins vreezen voor de toe-                                                                       She in faith her Saviour saw.
 komst van onze kerken.                                                                                                       When on her death-bed she was cast,
             Nogmaals dank voor de plaatsing.                                                                                 And there in seriousness was asked,
                                                                                                                              Our  &&her, hast thou any fear
                                                          L. Vermeer                                                          Before thy Father to appear?
                                                  . .                                                                         The `answer calmly came with joy,
             P. S. E&n predikant van de Chr, Geref. Kerk dacht'                                                               "My Saviour guided all thru life,
 dat de yerandering de `5, B. zou verrijken.  I&. I&`---                                                                      He will also lead me safe thru death,
 L. .y.                                                                                                                       So peaceful in my Father's rest .
                                                                                                                              F o r e v e r   I   a m   b l e s t . "
             H~til,' Iowa                                                                                                                        Children and Grandchildrely  Kuiper.
                                                 . .                                                         Grand Rapids, Mich,,  30 Maart  1935.                                      _.           `


                                                                                                                                                                         L


                                                .,
                                         T H E   WlYANDARD`   B E A R E R '                                           333
&
         The` Sect and  the, Sectarian                        first in conventicles thereafter also in the church forma-
                                                              tion  ; indeed, according  to some even in the vaccination-~
     Wrote the Rev. I. Van Dellen.in  "be J$aehter"'  for     war. It would require no effort to.  track  down  more
March 27,  i935: ," (I translate, G, M. 0.) I just I'D-. such specific principle' of the `Afscheiding'.  ?  .
ceiled a l.etter  from a brother. whom I. disappointed.          `None of these points was ever brought forward
Well  *this  occurs more times. Not everyone ,is at ,a11      by the fhthers.  of the `Afscheiding' as the specific poinl
times agreed with a writer. In passing I may remhrk on which they in their conception concentr&ed.'                 `The.
that I appreciat6  criti'cism of the right kind. One can orator proved. further that a `specific principle' belongs
often learn from such -criticism. And it remains true to the Beet and not to the reformation of the church.
that time and again we- all have a tendency to be one-        `Only he who in the main looks away from the alter-'
&led or to  exljress  ourselves thus.                         native of `specific principle' versus `specific. principle'
   `,The disappointed brother was not agreed with me and is  cif a mind to return to the Scriptures is worthy
respecting  .what I  wrote about the "American  .Revised      the name of reformer in the  church'.*
Version" and the "Psalter Hymnal," just. published. I            "That is it - a r&urn to the Bible.
will not pow examine his objections . . . .                      "Examine the sect as to its essence and. you will al-
     Now the brother brings both matters in connect&n         ways discover there something apart, a certain banner-
with the "Afscheiding'" of 1834. Among other things: motto. by `which  they swear. There is  &' certain point'
he ivrites, `I. thought,  is this ,Rev. van. De&n, who last abQut which everything groups itself, a certain slogan.
year, was to the Netherlands and there attended the           that is raised... Is it necessary to prove this? Have
feast  commetiorating  that the, "Afscheiding" took we not witnessed it  .in the schisms  of. our day and  .in
place a hundred years ago ?' - I received the impression our circles that it' waS about something particular, a
that the brother meant to say. that it is altogether out      pet       notion?"        1
of order for a true son of the "~fscheiding"  to ,write          `The true .Reformation,  also in, -the 16th century,
more or l&s favorably abo&  the induction of hymns  in ' does not rise to the defence  of something s.pecific,  some-
our churches. Well can. I understand that the broiher         thing new but of the old, of that wliich from the be-
so judges. .Eut let him listen fo what Prof: K. Schilder,     ginning  yeas in and of the church itself.' "The re-
about whose oration, given on the occasion of the com- formers  .`placed  no pet notion over against the
memoration of the "Afscheiding" in  Qctober  of the           heresies of the popish church but called the attention
past year I `last week already wrote, in  this mqgis-         of the church to `what she herself possessed : the  r&e-
terial  prod&ion  says of the  pl"ificiple  of  t@e  "Af- lation, the word of God, with. a view to again bind, if
&heiding'.`.  Ptirhaps  that then there will arise for Jim    possible, th" church tb this'.
and others  .a light over what  occurrkd  at the "Afschei-       "Now the `Afscheiding' did  reduce  finally its  re-
ding". Much th& in this matter wCas  not plain to mc, ' forrriation:demands  to one cry dr slogan : `back to Dord-
for my consciousness became clear through this oration.       cecht,' "but this does not alter' any what was presented
     Prof. Schilder remarked that  his subject was given above, for this is exactly What Dordrecht  wanted
liim for treatment. He was thus not responsible forthe        (161%19).,!'                         '
formtilation;  Tlien he contends that there is no sense;         Van Dellen  concludes : "I  cannot.  further quote
in. speaking  of a specific (eigen) principle of the "Af- from this masterful word of Prof. K. Schilder. The  :
scheidirig". Frankly, I did not' know any too well what oration can be found, as I  wrote.last  week in the com-
to niake  o$ this statement. Yet I felt somewhat what memoration-book "Van  `s  Heer,en  Wegen".
the learn&d  orator was steering at. ,And yet - were             "But think on this!
not the men whom God in the year 1834 and in the'                "He  who `would say : ytiu are a son of the `Afschei-
year following raised up for the reformation .of His .ding' a@ therefore yqu must set yoprself  foursquare'-
church, men of .principle ? And do they not readily against the, singing of  hymns  in the  meetings  for
speak in the Netherlands of Reformed principle, that public. worship  - reasons not in the  .spirit of the
alsd the fathers of the  "Afs`chtiiding"  understood? And fathers of the Secession. Such a one places a specific
then the "Afscheiding" without a specific (e'igen)            principle on the foreground.  He is in danger of  be:
principle? `How are these statements, the one with the coming sectarian.
other, to be harmonized?                                         "Let  US be careful! He whi, fights for a pet notion
  "Dr. Scliilder directs attention to the fact that this; by virtue of tradition or disp.osition  can so easily come
so-called specific principle of the `Afscheiding' has been to schism (scheurmakerij) .
sought in' many things, `for example, in the mainte-             SO, by such tactics, does the reverend rid himself
nance of the  doctfine  of predestination, or in the strife of a brother, who `.in his communication to him ob-
against what in the `literature of the `Afscheiding'. is jected to the induction of that' new hymnal into the
commonly called: `The idol of @`free  8 will', or in  n;      Christian Reformed denomination of churches. In-
specific view of baptism, `or in the attacking of. the stead of examining and replying to these objection, the
`Evangelische Gezangen,' or in the so-called separatism, reverend  ignores them and ther$up~n  &tempts  to CQ~-


334.:                                  T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

fuse his  &tic by false alarms and to frighten him into truths, its comprehensive doctrine, to wit, the truth in
silence by dangling before his eye a  bugbear   - the          Christ Jesus, contained in the Holy Scriptures and set
bugbear of sectarianism - all the more fright-inspir- forth in the Creed or Confession. The true reforma-
ing, so the reverend seems, to have thought, for its           tion, finally, .has its settled rule of action, which is, the,
being derived from the storehouse of that magisterial          seeking of the truth and the true church. This is al-
oration of Dr. K. Schilder of the Netherlands.                 ways the settled rule of action of the true reformation.
    .The reverend loves the critic and can appreciate his This phase of the matter, I feel certain, is brought for-
criticism? Nay, he fears him. If it were not so? would ward and duly explained in the oration (of doctor
he frighten him away with false alarms and "Schrik-            Schilder) . The excerpts, found in the article of Van
beelden"?                                                      Dellen, indicate this. The statement occurs (in one of
   " His own circles bear him out in this.                     the excerpts) : "The Reformers . . . . . called attention              ,:
    The above view of Van Dellenis wrong. `This can of the church to what she herself possessed: the Reve-
be .shown. Let it, be clearly understood however that lation, the word `of God, with a view to again bind if
he whose view I now purpose to examine is not that possible the church, to this."
of Dr. Schilder but that of Rev. Van Dellen. True, in             Now we may consider the question -whether the re-
order that his view might have the weight of the .great formation has a specific (eigen) principle. Our answer
authorit-y  of  a, celebrated theologian and Christian must be : yes and' no. Consider that the true  reforma-
thinker,. the reverend reinforced it by citations from tion faces both the true church  .and xthe ,world, the
the orationof Dr. Schilder. But in quoting from this heretic, the'sect. As facing the church, the believers in
oration, he naturally selected those passages useful to the church, the reformation has, of course, no specific ,
him,. so that it` may be that in these excerpts  .we have (eigen) principle. To maintain this, is tantamount to
not at all the nucleus of the argument but merely be- saying that  the  reformation in distinction from the
hold a cornice or gable of the doctor's thought-struc- true church acts and lives from the principle of regen-
ture. Now it is impossible to gain a right conception eration, adheres to sound doctrine and seeks the truth
of the building from one of its`gables. Nor should .final      and the peace of Zion ; is thus tantamount to saying
judgment be passed on the gable as disjoined from the that the true church does' not live and act from the
structure to which it `belongs. A  thought-fra,rrment,         .prineiple of regeneration, is not out of God, does not
by itself faulty, may turn out to be truth when seen in        love and adhere to the truth, and seeks not the peace of
its place in the structure. I therefore examine the en- Zion. Now to say thi,s is to say that there is no true
tire content of the reverend's article as  .having  origin- church. .
ated with him and thus hold him only ,responsible  for             But consider that-every  true,reformation  also faces
the view this article sets forth. Dr. Schilder's oration,      and. must face, is driven to face and contend with, ,the
by the way, cannot be had in this country.                     world, with the sect (the sect is the world. The sect
     As was said, the reverend contends that the mark is out of the devil). It is-the will of God that the tr'ije
of the sect is its specific (eigen), principle, that thus      reformation also face, confront the world, the lie, the
the Secession of 1834 had no  such,principle.
--.-.--           . _ _.. _-.                                  devil, darkness.,. .with the truth-and in. the audience of        -
     I do not as yet challenge this statement but ana- the world confess the truth and condemn the lie. Now,
lyze it. The question must first be put, what are we to as facing t`he world, the sect, the devil, - the true  re-
understand by principle. The term may mean several ,formation  does indeed have a specific principle. And
things and therefore ought to be defined. I feel certain the'reverse is also true. As facing the church, the true
that  in.the  oration of Dr. Scmlder,  the term is defined.    reformation, the world, - the sect, satan, too, has a
Principle signifies  .among  other things :  `.                -specific principle. The church acts and.lives out of th'e,
     1)    Beginning, commencement  ; source, origin, that principle of regeneration ; the world, the sect, out of
f  ram' which anything proceeds.                               the principle of sin. The true reformation champions
     2 ) A fundamental truth or tenet ; a comprehen- `the truth; the world loves, embraces and propagates
sive law or doctrine.                                          the lie. The true reformation, as was said, seeks the
     3)  *A settled rule of action.                            truth and the church, begins and ends in God; the sect,
     Let us now next ask not .whether  the Secession and the world,  seeks not'the truth, not the church but itself
the reformation (all true reformations in the church and the lie, begins and ends in self. Also to this matter,
from the, beginning of time) has a specific (eigen) .I feel certain, `Dr. Schilder called attention in his ora-
principle but whether it had (has) a .principle at all. tion. To the question, Does the true reformation have
Our answer to this question must be, Surely, yes.              a specific (eigen) principle, he did' not reply with an
     The source,. origin of the  trzte  reformation is God.    unequivocable no. If he did, he must have further ex-  '
In the reformation, that is, in the men of God in whom plained his position. He must have made it clear to his
the true reformation takes on flesh and blood; so to say,      audience that what he had before his mind is the true'
this source, origin is the life of regeneration. Further,      reformation as it faces not the world, the sect, but the          .
the  true reformation also has its fundamental truth or
             I                                                 true church.
                                                                   ..


  .*                                          I

                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R -                                      3 3 5
                                                     ,
        But these matters do not become plain in the article he did. It-was upon a particular truth that the `mind
of Van Dellen. Herewith I have brought forward the of `the church  was concentrated. So. in all, the con-
true earmarks of the sect. The mark of the sect (I say troversies that followed. Consider. that there is no
`this with a view to Van Dellen's article) is not that in       essential   cliff erence between  .these  controversies and
distinction from the church it has ,a specific (eigen)          the reformations in the church.  Examining.Luther's
principle, but that it begins and ends in man, seeks self 95 theses, the discovery  iB  ma,de that `these theses,
and rises to the  defence  of the lie,  ,and'. puts  itsel:f    taken as a whole, turn on the one proposition, "To hope
again& the true church from which it has separated              to be saved by indulgences is a lying and an empty
itself. Every now and then someone of the clergy in             hope, although even the commissionary of indulgence,
the denomination of Christian Reformed churches of nay, further, the pope himself,- should pledge their
Anlerica will appear.in  print with the mark of the sect.       souls to guarantee it." No one of course, except the
Let them heed these comments and they will know                 pope  .of `Rome, would think of branding Luther a
what the mark of the sect actually is.                          schismatic or a sectarian.  A study of the literature of
        Rev. Van Dellen quotes Schilder as saying that this the Secession brings to light that the fathers of the
so-called specific. principle has .been  sought in many `Secession  ,in their opposition t-0 the lie, did emphasize
.things,. for example in .the maintenance of the doktrine       not some truth to the exclusion `of others but some
of'predestination, `or in the strife against what in the        truth more than others. They did so because the truths
literature of the secession is commonly called `the idol        or. dogmas stressed were the truths directly assailed.
of the free will,' or in a specific view of baptism, etc.       Dr. Schilder of course made this plain to his audience.
"None.of these points.was'ever  brought forward by'the             Van Dellen  again quotes' Schildei  as saying, "The
fathers of the Secession as the specific point on which reformers placed no pet notion over against. the here-  ~
they in their .conception  concentrated.`: It must be           sies of the popish church but called the -attention .oP
that what the doctor made plain to his `audience is that . the. church to what she herself possessed : the word of
the fathers of the Se&ssion  did not stress any one of          God." By pet notion, of course, is meant the' lie, the
these doctrines Jo the exclusion of all the others. To plain lie and not a fresh restatement or development
do this is to deny all the doctrines of Scripture wit].: of some truth such as Luther's restatement of the doc-
the exception of the one singled out and stressed. The, trine of justification.
fathers  -of the Secession, certainly, did not make them-          Then there is finally this statement from the pen' of
selves guilty of this. Besides, the truths of ,Holy Writ Schilder:. "Only he who: looks away from  .the alterna-
are so closely interrelated that to emp.hasize any one of tive of `specific principle' verses `specific principle and
.them is to emphasize them all. He who preaches abso- is of a mind to return to the Scripture is worthy of the
lute predestination is by that very act also preaching name of reformer in the church." Consider that in
(by implication) the total depravity of man and the the excerpt the term specific (eigen), principle seems
vicarious atonement of Christ, etc. Hence, as often as to signify a particular dogma or point of doctrine.
the brethren in the denomination of Christian, Re-              Consider once more the `statement, "This so-called spe-
formed churches preach -absolute election and reproba- cific.principle of the secession has been sought in many,
tion, they by this .very  act of. theirs deny the three         things, for example in the maintenance of. the doctrine
points.                        .                                of predestination  ; . . . " If the term specific (eigen)
        `The fathers of the Secession, to return to them,. cer- principle signifies a point of true doctrine, some dogma
tainly brought forward all the foundation truths of, of the church, the statement, "Only he who looks away
Scripture. But this of course does not mean that in' from the alternative of specific (eigen) principle . . .
their opposition to the,false  church, they did not stress may be. construed to mean." Only he who looks away
one truth more than another. It is to be considered `from the alternative of the doctrine of let us  say.sove-
that the devil is assailing the truth-structure of God's, reign predestination versus the false  doctrine?of  pre-
word, strikes then here than there. Such is the'lesson destination based  .on'foreseen  faith or unbelief and re-
-of history. A few examples of this. Arius maintained           turns to the truth of God's word is worthy of the name
that the Father alone is God and thus robbed. the Son of reformer in the church. But it cannot be that the
of divine essence, The entire Arian controversy there- doctor meant  to.say  this, as the statement so construed
fore revolved upon, the dogma of the essential. deity of        does not make. sense. Just `what was meant cannot be
Christ. This was the one matter :emphasized  by the known from the article-of Van Dellen.
true orthodox  Party. But we  do-not   for'this reason             Rev. Van Dellen labelled the oration of Dr. Schilder
call that party a sect, but we call it the church nar- a "magisterial production." And without any doubt it
rowed down to its nucleus. The  Apolinarian   `con-             is this. Magisterial and sound. All of what is now
troversy is concerned with the question whether Christ' somewhat hazy' in the excerpts would become clear, it
with his human body and human soul assumed also a               is certain, if we were in a position to examine these
human spirit. The true orthodox  party.in  the church           excerpts in the light of the entire  firoduction.  Van
insisted with its eye upon the .page of Holy Writ that Dellen should have refrained from carving out of the


c            .           ..I..                    ,:.,     ~                                                         `.;       _-                  .      .          .L     ,,     _.           .     .     .     .                                                                                  >          :
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         I     :...          :.::>,        :
                                                                                                              :.                                                                                                              i                            :.                  .                     .,
                                                                                                                                    . . .    /
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               .-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     .
                    3              3                  6                             T H E   STANDARD.BEAR.BR

                    oration' an' argument useful to him as a big stick for                                                                                                                                  IN  MEMORIAIyI
                    beating a'critic in silence. In doing  so'he brought the
                    oration under a                                                                                                                      Het behaagde den Heere, den 25sten  Maart,  op het  onver-
                                                                clo~zd  ,and was not fair with his critic.                                   wachtst,  een onzer  leden  door den dood tot  Zich te nemen,
                    Why did he not leave that big stick where  ,it:was  and
                    reply to his critic's objections. Why scare the poor man                                                                                    I                               `MRS. VArj `DER VELDE,/
                    out of his very wits with bugbears  and false alarms. in den `ouderdom van 67 jaar.
                    What is more, Van Dellen's  logic runs riot. Consider',                                                                              Baar heengaan-was vrede, zij mocht  door Gods genade z&h
                    once more this from his pen, "He-who would say:                                                                          weten  het eigendom te zijn van haar `getrouwen Zaligmaker
                                                                                                                you
                    are a son of the Secession and therefore'you must set Jezus Christus, haar G.oiil en Verlosser,  en wij mogen gelooven,
                                                                                                                                             dat zij is ingegaan  in.de rust die er overblijft voor het volk
                   : yourself foursquare against the singing of hymns in Gods, Hebr.  4:9. De Heere troostte de. bedroefde  faniilie.
                    the. meetings for public worship, reasons not in the                                                                            Dat dit sterven ons moge leeren  om bereid  te zijn, want wij
                    spirit of the fathers of the Secession. Such a one places weten  deure en de dag onzes doods niet.
                    a specific principle on'the foreground. He  i,s in danger,                                                                     Namens de Hollandsche  ,Vrouwenvereeriigeng   "Weest Een
                    of  becoming1  sectarian." The foolishness of this rea-                                                                                     Zegen" van de, First Prot. Ref. Church,                                                          I
                   .soning becomes apparent if we place in the' room. of                                                                                                                   I                                 Ds. D. Jonker, President
                    "hymn singing" some, such .vital doctrine as the essen-.,                                                                                                                                                Mrs. J. Cammenga. Seer.
                   ,:  tial divinity of .the Son of God or -predestination and'
                    affirms,. "He who would .say : you- are a son .of the
                    Secession "Afscheiding" and therefore `you must set
                    yourself foursquare against the denial of the doctrine
                    of the essential divinity .of the Son of God; or of the                                                                                                                                 IN                       MEMOItIAk                                          c
                    `doctrine of His vicarious  ,atonement   ,A reasons not in                                                                      On March 20, it pleased the Lord to take `from our midst
                    the spirit of the. fathers of the "Afscheiding". Such's                                                                  unto Himself our dearly beloved Father and Grandfather,.
                    one places a specific principle, that is, a specific dot-                                                                                                                   ABRAM ROSKAMP,'
                   ,trine on the foreground. He is in danger of becoming at the  age  of 73 years
                    s e c t a r i a n ; "   -.
                              What nonsense ! Would not a irue son of the "Af-                                                                      Though we miss him  ,we are comforted with the blessed
                    scheiding" set himself against the denial of the  essen- `assurance that our loss'is his gain.
                    tial. divinity of Christ? Would he -be a true son of the                                                                                                                          The sorrowing family,
                   "Afscheiding" if he  .did not? And is he a schismatic                                                                                                                                               Mrs. Abram, Roskamp
                   .and a sectarian because he does so?- Was the ancient                                                                                                                                               Mr. and Mrs. Robert Whyte
                   church sectarian because it set itself against the Nest-                                                                                                                                            M r .   Ray`Roskamp
              .' orian, doctrine of a dual personality in Christ? Ac-                                                                                                                                                  Mr; and Mrs. Claude Roskamp
                    cording to Van  Dellen's  reasoning it was. Nay, not                                                                                                                                               Mr. John Roskamp
                    one who champions the spe&ific  truth denied or sets                                                                                                                                               Mr. and Mrs. Henry  Roskamp
                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Mr Louis  .Roskamp
                    himself against the,  p-articular  heresy maintained,, is -.                                                                                                                                       Mr. and Mrs. Earl Donahue  ~. -- ----
                    the schismatic and the sectarian. The schismatic is                                                                                                                                                Mr and Mrs. Richard Bolt
                    one wlio embraces the lie, opposes true dotitrine,  pits                                                                                                                                             '  .ll grandchildren.
                   ' himself against the true church by helping to- depose                                                                        Grand Rapids,  Mich.,  826  Oakhill  St.
                   from office faithful officebearers. I doubt very much
                    whether Van  Dellen grasped the real argument of Dr.
                   Schilder.`s  orations. It is certain he did not.                                                                                                                                                                                   I
                          The fathers of the Secession were opposed to
                    hymns, to. their. induction into the churches. Not be-                                                                                                                                  IN MEMORIAM
                    cause the singing of hymns as such is wrong but for                                                                            Bet behaagde den Heere om op 7 Maart  1935, door den dood
                    other reasons. So did Van  Dellen's  critic.  Let him tot  Zich te nemen  onzen   geliefden.Man,  Vader, Grootvader en
                   `examine and reply to them, to his objections.                                                                            Overgrootvader,
                                                                                      :
                                                                ,                          G .   M .   0 .                                                                                            JOSIAS DE KRAKER,
                                                                                                                                             in  den  gezegenden ouderdom van 74  `jaren.
                                                                                                                                                   Wij treuren  om het verlies,  maar   zijnvertroost  omdat wij
                                                                                                                                             mogen gelooven dat, hij inging in het huis met vele woningen.
                                        \                  MISCELLANEOUS  PRdiXtAM                                                                                                                     Namens de familie,
                              The Choral Society of the  Hudsonville  Protestant ,                                                                                                                                                   Mrs. Josias De Kraker
                    Ref. church will render a miscellaneous program at the                                                                                                                                                           Kinderen, Kleinkinderen
                    church, auditorium, Tuesday, April 16; 7  :45, p. m. Mr.                                                                                                                                                  en Achterkleinkinderen.
                    George  Yanker,  director, Mr, J.  Heys,,  accompanist.                                                                        Budsonville,                                                         Mich,~.


