                                                        `.                                         I
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                                                T H E   S T A N D A R D '   B E A R E R                                                                  3 4 1

 hen positief te ondel%ijzen  in de kennis onzer begin:
 selen.                                                                                                  The  Institutiofi of the Passover
     In Bellflowkr  was het niet anders.                                                                As has already been noticed, the truth that calls for.
     Men'heeft  we1 rond gestrooid,  d@ de  troebelen,  die                                      the `Passover is that being sinful Israel `deserves to be
 aldaar in de Christelijke  Gereformeerde'Xerk  ontstaan
 whren,  aanleiding ~waren tot on?e komst.                                                       oppressed and killed by the tyrant Pharaoh,, that thus
     Wij mogen, zoo meent men dan te mogen opmer-' before the Lord can in actuality deliver them and enter
                                                                                                 with them into t&e rest of Canaan,.He  in His sovereign
 ken, gaarne in troebel water vissch.en.
     Ieder kan weten, dat dit niet waar is.                                                      righteo!ls  love  jmust by the shed blood of the Passover
     Lang aoor d,at de bedoelde troebelen ontstonden  was lamb redeem, purchase them, from the pow& of Phar-
 er reeds besloten om niij te verzoeken  iri Bellflower op aoh  - the type and representative of the prince of
                                                                                1           darkness,`the  devil, together with the kingdom of dark-
 te treden'en  te werken.
  `: Dat ik niet eerder ging had alleen zijn oorzaak in                                     ness over which- he holds sway --`and thus atone `for
                                                                                            their sins `and by this atonement merit `for them the
' `het feit, dat het huisbezoek  in eig& gemeente .,eerst  af rest of Canaaq ; that thus the people of Israel, if. they
.moest. '         '                                           ,                                  are to leave Egypt at all, must 1,eave ti .a people re-
     Er was ook in Bellflower een arbeidsveld,  meendeti deemed from all their sins, as a congregation -whose
de broederen  in. L.  A'.                                          :  \                          deliverance and promised, rest cotiprise  the fruitage
     En de uitkomst  h&e!3 bewezen,' dat` hunne meetiing of an atdnement. This the congregatidn  of Israel must
 j u i s t   w a s .                                                                             also be made to confess. It is therefore  co&&anded  to
                                                              H. H.                              slay the. lamb aid to strike the blood upon the posts
                                                                           :                     of the doors. Through this action the people confess,,
                                                                                     "We,  too, are guilty, unclean and  death-deseyving;"
                                                                                                 ,And.they  `prayed,. "Lord, behold us in the blood of the I
                                                                                                 Lamb, red&em  us from all our trans&es&ons. Pardon
                                                                                                 our iniquities and save  us'to the everlasting praise of
                        .TPIE LAW OF GOD                                                   Thy name.".                                    .
                                                                                                        `Regard must now be had to details.
             The law of God is just,                                                        '           The matter  that deserves first to be emphasized is
               A strict and holy way ;                                                           that the lamb hid to be eaten as well as its blobd struck
             And he, th$ would escape the curse,                                                 upon the posts of'the doors: Passing from'the shadoiv
               M&t  a l l   t h e   l a w   o b e y .   ,                                        to the body - Christ Jesus, the true Passover - we
                                                                                                 observe that it is with His precious blood that believers             '
             Not one vain thought niust. rise,                                              [are redeemed  from their vain conversations and that
               Not one unclean desire ; *                                                        He is at once the bread'of God that cometh down from
             IIe must be holy, just, and wise,                                                   heaven and giveth  life unto the world; so that if any           ,
               Who- keeps the law. entire.                                                       man. eat. of- this bread, he shall I-ive forever. .And this                      -.-
                                                                                                 bread is His flesh' which. he gave fol" the life of the
             If one point he fail,                                                        ' J world. For, His flesh is meat indeed and- His blood is
               In thought or word or deed,                                                ' drink indeed.
             The curses of the law preiail,                                                             But let us  .dot'faii   Lo  notic@ that the la&b was  .$re-         `,
               .And rest upon his head.            ,                                             pared for food to those otily.i,$ whose behalf its blood
                                                                                     '           was. shed and accepted ; and that, conversely, only in
             I tremble and confess ;                                                             behalf of those to whom the lamb was prepared for
              0 God ! I `am accurs'd :                                                           food, was 3he blood of the lanib shed, that for those
             Guilt`y,  I fall before thy face,                                                   only did the shed blood procure a  kedemption  from the
              `And dwn thy sentence just.                                                        -curse of the law and from the avenging justice of God.          ,
                                                                                                        We stress this point in opposition to the' false view
                                                                                                 that maintains that tde objective atdnement ivai un-                       '
             But  do&  the curse still rest  '                      `.                    .limi.t&d and thus consisted in Christ incidentally
               Upon  my guilty head? -                                     I                     making'  possible salvation for  every  man and thus  ex-
             No - Jesus - let his name be blest!'                                                tinguishin.7  by His sufferings every man's guilt and  I
               Hath borne it in my stesld.                                                       meriting for every man (including the reprobate) the
                                                                                                 ri&ht to possess all the, fruits  of His death; that re-
             He hath fulfill'd the law ; '                                                       demption, on the,qther  hand, is limited and  cons@s in
               Obtain'd my peace with God ;                                                      Christ placing the peculiar fruits- of His death  -
             Here doth my soul her comforts. draw,                                               pardon, reconciliation and life eternal  - in the actual
               And leave her heavy load.                                                         possession of the elect only; that nevertheless Christ


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1                     342                                 T H E   `STANDAR.D:BEARER                                                                 -
                      died for all men as` well, that His doing so is to be                  be wasted. It had to be roasted with its head and its
                      defined as an act consisting in His laying down His legs and even with if;s purtenance so that what was
     !               `life with the intend of incidentally extinguishing by dished up to be eaten was an entire and unmutilated
                      His sufferings every  ,man's guilt, of meriting for every lamb. This. condition in. which .the lamb -had to be
                      man the right. to. possess both the peculiar and the                   eaten had a typical significance and  was therefore
                      temporal fruits, and with. the intend of actuctll~ be- prophesy of which the condition of the body of Christ.
                      stowing upon all these temporal fruits (the blessings' in  the hour of death was the fulfilment. In this hour
                      of common grace) ; that on -the basis of this unlimited                His body, too, was preserved free from mutilation and
               : atonement; God sincerely offers the peculiar fruits, of violence. "Then came the soldiers," so we read, "and
                      Christ's death unto all men, reprobate and elect; and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was
                      thus earnestly wills that all men come into. the actual                crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus, and
                     possession of these fruits ; that the evidence of this is saw that he was dead already, they brake not His legs :
                      that He endows the reprobate wicked with a common                      but one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side,
                     grace  bjT ,which  He capacitates them to believe unto the and forthwith  .came there out bldod and water' . . .
                      eternal salvation of thei? immortal souls. Such has For these things were done, that the scripture might
                      become   -the prevalling conception even in some Re-. be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken." Con-
                      formbd circles. But if this conception be viewed .in sider in connection herewith that  thr?ughout  the
                      &he. light of. the zequirements  attending the keeping of period of death the bqdy of Christ was preserved whole
                      the first Passover, it will be seen to be  thoroughly                  and was thus not given over to dissolution. So the
     ,.  ._           false. Consider that the particular transaction that                   voice of. prophesy had dictated, "For thou wilt not
                      foreshadowed the objective atonement of Christ, that leave my soul in hell ; neither wilt thou suffer thine
     I                work of His that consisted in His laying down His life Holy One td see. corruption," Ps. 16 90.
                      for His sheep, `- was the slaying of the typical lamb                     Christ's bones were not broken'in death; neither
     I,             . and the  sheddin'g.  of its blood by  the priest in the `was His fles'h  wasted in the grave. Such are the facts
               L  _ . household, the Israelitish father (Levi,, had not yet
     i-'                                                                                     gleaned from the scriptures.
                      been balled). Consider that these several priests were                    There can be no objection to the view according
                     bidden to shed the blood of the Passover lamb not for                   to which the preservation. of the lamb and in the final
                    the Egyptians but for themselves and their families,                     instance of the body of Christ in death betokens $e
                     -for the congregation of Israel, only. The word of the                  completeness of the redemption procured. There are
                      Lord that  cam& unto Moses reads not,  "Speak ye. unto however statements contained in the Psalms that point
                      all  the congregation of Israel and unto the  Egypt&s,                 to still another meaning. It is evident that the >vorci
                      saying, In the tenth day of the month they shall take                  bornes in the prayer, ."Have  mercy upon me, 0 Lord ;
               '  .'to them every m&n (every Egyptian and every Israel- for I am weak: 0 Lord, heal me: for my `bones are
                      ite). a lamb; according to the house of their fathers, a vexed . : . "' Ps. .6:2, denotes not only the frame of
                      lamb for a house," but the word reads, "Speak unto the                 the body or the entire body, in all that concerns the
                      congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this feelings of life, but also the entire man 9s a sensible
                     "month $h$y--gma  take to them every man a lamb . _ t "
               .Ir__-   -                                                                    beilig. So,_to.o,.in the prayer, .`%ll my bones shall say,
                      The blood of the lamb was shed for the-congregation of Lord, who is like  unto thee, which delivereth the poor
                      IsraBi, for the covenant people of  Gocl, only. This from him that is .too strong for him, yea, the poor and
                    - shadowy objective atonement was limited to this                        the. needy from him that spoileth him?" Ps.  35:lO.
                      chosen race. And in agr'eement  herewith, the benefits                 Then there is the prayer, "Make me to hear joy and .
                      accruing from  t&e death of the lamb  - r&conciliation, gladness ;-that the bones which thou  bast broken may
                      pardon, communion with Jehovah; life with `God in rejoice," Ps.  51%
                      Canaan  - were placed in the' actual possession of this.                 That in these scriptures bones appear as capable of
                      race only. The blood of  the'lamb was struck on the religious-rational speech and .emotions  means that in
                      doorposts` not of the Egyptian but of the' Israelitish the mind of the inspired writers of these scriptures
               ,      dwellings ; only the firstborn of Israel were spared ; bones stood for the entire man, more particularly, for
                      the lamb was prepared for food not to the Egyptians                    the soul or spirit of man in spiritual or ethical and
                      birt to the Israelites ; and while' Pharaoh and his hosts              religious relations and expressions of life. Thus it is
                      w.as  drowned in the Red sea, Israel passed through this plain that in Holy Writ the expression "broken bones"
                      sea qn,dry ground +nd.eventually  came into the poss& also signifies a broken, wasted and dissolate spirit.
                      sion of the promised land of its abode.                                that` is, a spirit that in many afflictions is scattered
                       That the objective  atonement  as well as the  subl                   and wrecked by dispair and rebellion. That the ex-
                      jective redemption is limited to the people of God is                  pression "broken bones" actually has this meaning we
                      evident. from all the other details of the transaction may learn from a scripture fqund in Ps. 34 that reads,
                     now under zonsideration. Consider th%t the lamb had "Many are the afflictions of  th& righteous: but the
                     to be preserved entire. It had therefore to be roasted Lord delivereth him out of them all. .He keepeth all his
                     with fire as, if boiled with water, its substan,ce  would               bones : not one of them is broken. Evil shall slay the


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       3         .                 .       THHE  STA.,NDARD   B E A R E R                                                343

wicked: and : they that hate the righteous shall be . kept frame of the Saviour is also to be regarded as the                     : i
desolate. The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants  :, visible. token and pledge that the Father would and
and none of them `that trust in him shall be deso1at.e."            did not leave His soul in hell `nor suffer -the Holy One
      * The psalniist is here spealiing  of the righteous in to see  cprruption.                  :
general. Thus the utterance, "He keepeth all his bones:                Only a lamb without spot or biemkh  might be se-
not one of them is broken" in the first instAnce  cadnot            lected-for the sacrifice. Perfection  o&y can `atone for
be made to apply to the frame or bones of the body as               sin. Having passed through death,  ha&g `(typically).
the bones of many a. righteous one  have been broken                atoned for' sin by its shed blood, the lamb was dished'
in' persecution. "They   weie  ptonep,   thiy were sawn up for food.  And the unbroken state of its' frame
asunder, were tempted, were slain with.the sword . . .  "           betokened that what they who sat at the table of the
`The expression, "He keepeth all his bones" must there- Lord partook of was the flesh of a lamb still perfect.
fore, signify `an act of God consisting in; His keeping             So do we feed our souls with the flesh and blood of the
the righteous,. their souls or spirits in many afflictions Lamb, Who emerged' from that  ocean  of woe in which
so that these; spirits are not dissipjted  and wrecked by           He had  voluntcirily submerged Himself with a soul
dispair, unbelief and rebellion. (So dissipated, these still consumed by a perfect  and holy  .zeal for God's
spirits' would give evidence of being devoid of the life house. And so upon the sacrifice that He had made,
of regeneration  snd would therefore perish.) To. the the Father impressed His mark of perfection. And
contrary, as kept `by the Lord the righteous in their               that mark, we say it again, was His unbroken b&es.
tribulations cleave unto God and resting their case Now the perfection of His sacrifice of necessity spelled
with Him await  His salvation. And their song is, "The its completeness.
Lord redeemeth the soul of His. servants : and none of                .. Thus `did `He continue as the lamb without spot or  X
them that trust in Him shall be desolate."                          blemish throughout His entire  se,yon of suffering.
            As to Christ, as bearing our curse, He waS a r&         "For such an high priest bec+me us, who is holy, harm-
preach  of men  and. despired of the pkople. All they less,.undefiled,  separate,from  sinners, and made higher
that saw Him laughed  H,im to scorn. `Bulls  compastiecl            than the  heavr?ns." Holy was He in all the travail of
Hi&t.  They gaped upon Him with their mouths, as d His solzl. When.therefore  His body,hlmg  lifeless .from
ravening and a roaring lion.. In the' words of the that cross the' Father also separated Him from the
Psalmist, He was poured out like water, and all His                 sinner at His right and from the sinner at his left by
bones were sundered. His heart  was like wax. It was so arranging His providence as .to keep  entire  His, the
melted in the midst `of His bowels.                                 Saviour's,  bqhes.
-           But in the midst of His troubles, God kept Hiti, all    In connection: herewith, mark `now once more `that
11;s bones, His spirit so that even when standing  on', this perfect lamb must be wholly eaten. by the people of
the very bottom df the infinite oce& of wie and suf-                Israel only. If the household be too little for thb lamb,
fering in  wliicli He had been cast, he cried, "But thou it is to be taken by the household and the  next neigh-
art holy,`0 thou that inhabitest  the praises of Israel.            bor, according to the number of souls. Nothing pf it
.But be not far from me, 0 Lord: 0 my strength, haste may remain until the morning and-that which  remains
thee to help me. S&ve-me'fr651  the !ion's'mouth  . . . . .         of it  shall be  b&ned  with%?+    The -slain` lamb, pre-
I will  declare  thy name unto my brethren." So was                 pared for food and perfect and complete in' iti being
His spirit kept in trouble and the Lord delivered Him               set before the congregation to be eaten, poir&s  to the
out of them all; Of this keeping of the soul of CliAst              resurrected, Christ in whom the fulness of  the. bless-
in afliction,  the. preserving of the frame of His body             ings of the covenant dwells bodily. That the whole
in the hour of dea$h both on the cross and in the grave,            lamb must be eaten by the people of Israel  6nly, what
was the token. Thus this preserved frame signifies His else can this designate than that all the benefits a&u-
perfection, holiness,  .His  perfeet love of God and  trus't        ing from  the suffering and-death of Christ and that
in Him in the hour of afflictions and `trouble, His per-            now dwell in Him bodily are given by Him to  His.
fect surrender of self to the flames of `divine wrath,' chosen family and to this family only, so that for. those
His perfect obedience and devotion to calling, His  -per'-          not belonging to the redeemed household, the Lord has
feet and thus complete sacrifice. In a. word, the kept              not a single blessing, that' such therefore can  reap.
bones form  th& mark of the  Lamb's  -sustained perfec-             nothing but curse and death. St. Paul was made to
tion in suffering and thus the token that  whdt   be-               understand this. Said he in his epistle to the saints at
liev&s,   seated  at the, table that Jehovah prepares for Rome,  "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered.
them before the face of their' enemies, ,quench their him up.for  us all, how shall he not with him also freely *
thirst and appease their hunger' with is .the blood and grant us all things?" Rom. 8 :32. Is this "all things"
the flesh of a perfect lamb who  proeurhd  for them not embracive of every' conceivable.  ,blessing that
through His perfect `obedience a perfect and complete was merited by Christ ? Can there be any blessing not
redemption. And eating Him, they are nourished ?nto                 included in this "all things"? And does not the "ful-
a`life that spells  bternal  and perfect glory. Thus that ness" iq Ch@st likewise include the whole good that
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       3       4      4                                                                                         .
                                            T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R . .

       was prepared for the chosen? And if %I1 things" are they are and continue ,to be pilgrims, that ,the pilgrim-
       placed i4 the$r po&%ssion  only, how than can anyone                 staff .may  not be laid aside until the  Fath&`s  house be
       still pr+te of a grace-or favor sh6wn  also t'o such a$ are          entered:     Let them consider; that the Lor& prepares
       not included in Him and of blessings  bestowed  by for> them His table in tlie presence of their enemies,.
       Heaven upon the reprobate? The entire lamb was eaten that thus the Full and complete `rest cannot be enjoyei
       by the congregation of Israel only. for. whom its blood              until, the journey, has been made and the battles &F
  .had also been shed. .Dea,th  was therefore the portion                   Jehovah fought.
o f   E g y p t .
            So sacred wsqs the typical lamb, and so',exclusively               The Passover therefore must be eaten in haste. .
       the portion of,  l&ael,  that  absc2utely  nothing  ?f it There was a reason for this. The congregation, of Israel
       might remain until the morning (even its uneatable is in Egypt, the house of spifitual  bondage, the emblem
  parts such as its head; bones and purtenance had to be                   of the world with its oppre?sion  and pleasure's of sin,
       burned with fire) to be eaten by the O&lean  or to b2               with iti i$olatry  tind opposition to truth.,and  righteous-
       desecrated by their unholy touch.                                   ness, with its wicked? who set themselves against. God
                                                                           and His anointed and imagine a vain thing, who..,thus
            The  Jamb  might not be  eaten raw but had to be               do not understand and seek after God, whose mouth is
       roasted with fire. This fire pointed -to the flame' of full of cursing and bitterness and in whose way th&ir is
       divine wrath by which the true Lamb, Who is the Life,               destruction and misery, to whom the way of pehce  is
  was enveloped but `not consumed and in which He bore                     noi known  an&  over whose unrighteousness the wrath
  with a perfect devotion our curse so  .that what be-                     of God is being revealed continually. Israel therefore
  lievers `eat is the flesh of Perfection who passed                       mdst be `eager to leave Egypt .with its bondage and.
. &rough the fire of affliction unscathed ana who thus                     corruption and crave  to press on  tb God's country and
contains in Himself and for  all. those brought in a                       to enter with Hiti intd His rest. Thus the command
  living connection with Him a complete redemption: de-                    "Eat My  passover  with haste" :is  tatitamount  .to the
. * liverance from and forgiveness of, sin,' thq heaiing, of               command, "Be zealous to quit the hotise of thy bond-
  all diseases and.a  blessed immortality.                                 age. Crave to press on to the land that I prepare for
            The children of Israel must eat the Pass&er  with thee and where I with you my people redeemed and
' their loins girded; their shoes on. their feet, and their                perfected  will everlastingly tabernacle and where you,
 staff in their hand ; and they shall eat it with haste :                  will walk before My face to the `eternal praise of My
  it is the Lord's Passover. Ttie feet `clad with shoes,                   name."       To partake of the  passove?   @ile in Egypt
the girded  Join,  the hand holding the staff  dksignates                  with leisure would indeed betoken  ti wrong disposition
  and forms  $he- mark of the pilgrim. This the Israelite?                 of mind and heart. Of the holy zeal and craving, this
' are. Egypt, the house of bondage, is about to be                         eat&g the  passover  with haste is, the emblem. To par-
  quitted Gnd the journey to Canaan undertaken. And -take of this sacred meal while in' Egypt with leisure
 the way will lead through a terrible desert, the emblem                   would betoken a wrong disposition of mind and heart.
  qf this world through, which the believer, God's pil-                    He doing  so gives evidence of not being  sen.$ible  of his
grim and warri& on his way from ihe house of bond-                         bondage and of being ihe- possessor,. of a heart 
                                                                                                                        .-  _.--_ .that    _I
  age to the Fai&r's house must pass and doe>-p& with cleaves unto Egypt with its fle&pb& Such a one wiIls
  h.@ loins girded about with the truth, having on  `ihe                   not to  bk saved.  But. true Israel is sensible of its
  breastplate of righteousness, and with his feet shod                     bondage. It  loaths Egypt with its  coyruption.  It is
 with. the preparation of the gospel of  pea&e,  taking sensible of the f,zct th& if it tarry in Egypt, it will be
  &bove  all the shield of faith wherewith he is .able: to                 overtaken by the wrath of God and be destroyed with
 quench all the fiery darts of the wicked ; and taking.                    the ungodly. It is eager `to be on  its way to God's
 the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, I country and to fight the warfare of Jehovah, eager to
which is the word of God. But by himself this pijgrim                      run the race set before it, to strive for the mark of
 may not leave Egypt to press on for Canaan. He is                         the high calling of God. Hence, it eats, must eat, its
 destitute of both the right and the power. He must passover  in ha&e with shod feet and staff in hand.
 first therefore be redeemed `and in him mu& be in-
 stilled life and power for the journey. And the dreary                       And so, during his whole earthly pilgri&age,  the
 desert' yields neither food nor drink thus nothing true believer eats his  passover  in haste. His  @ire
 wherewith hi&life can be sustained. so the Lord pre- pilgrimage is a continuous going forth ' out .of Egypt
 pares for His people,  .His spiritual pilgrims, the pass-' and a pressing onward to the promised land of  his.
 over-Christ,  the Lamb, which is,made.unto  them wis-                     abode. It is exactly this action by which he is known
 dom,  righteousn$ss,  sanctification; and redemption.                     as the true pilgrim-warrior of God in distinction from                '
 And His flesh is meat indeed and His blo6d is. drink                      the carnally-minded who, loving the pleasures of sin
 indeed. So does the Lord prepare for these pilgrims a and unmindful of their bondage, will not leave Egypt.
table. But let them consider that they, eat standing,                      It is the spiritual Israel, the true  sons ?f the covenant
 with their staff-in their hand, that thus in their eating that are called by the Lord God out of Egypt during all
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                                        P           TtiE  ` S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                        34.5

             the time bf their pilgrimage. And they eat their pass- judgment of God that, at the very time when they were
             over in haste.  '                                              partaking of the lamb that had been prepared to-them
                It is not difficult to ske that the bitter herbs with for food and thus participating in the goodness and
             which the passover  had to be eaten betokened the'grief mercy of God, was awakening all around them the wail
             and suffering that they, who flee for refuge to lay hold of sorrow; thus an earnest desire to be deliver&d from
             upon the  hop& set before them. are made to experience. the  oppre&or  with all his concomitants, sin and death
             We are to think  .here first of the bondage.  Of this and to be empowered unto a walk in the way of' Jeho- j
             bondage the true Israel only was sensible. In the mind vah's covenant. And walking in this way, they who
             and heart of this Israel only did the `conception of it `partake of the Passover, have many tribulations. The  -
             dwell as bitter herbs working sorrow and pain and a world reviles and persecutes them for ChriSi's sake.                         s
             Crave for deliverance. We now have respect to  the             Self..must be denied. Friends and relatives hated for
             spiritual aspect of the bondage. It is to be considered the sake of the truth. There is thus for every  partaker
             that the oppression was of a composite character, that of the passotier  a cross that each must take upon him.
             there were both physical and spiritual elements of suf- And of this cross the bitter herbs niust also be the
             fering that entered into its composition. There was token. And these herbs must be eaten. This cross
             tl-ie.element  of purely physical suffering that had to be must be borne. These sufferings must be accepted and
             endured, and from which also the carnal Israel would become pati and parcel of the experiences of the fol-
             long  to be freed. The children of Israel were being lowers of. Christ. For His name must be confessed and
I :          afflicted  with bondage, made to serve with rigor in His truth witnessed for. But let these witnesses con-
             Egypt's  oveds. The&  .infant males  were being drowned. sider that  ldsing their life, they save it.
             or the ,breath-  of life choked out of them at birth. Their       But if the herbs are to be eaten, the c&s accepted
             officers were being beaten be&use it was discouered            and borne, the old leaven must be purged. out. The in-
             that ,the tale` of bricks had diminished. All this abuse junction as contained in the Exodus record reads,
             formed the more physical side of the Egyptian oppres- "Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread ; even the
             sion. But the bondage had still another  aspect to-it,         first day (the ,day on which the passover  was slain,        .
             intolerable to the true Israel. There. was no oppor- prepared for food arid eaten) ye shall put away leaven
             tunity for public and joint religious expression'and for out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened                            \
             a drawing near' unto the Lord. The sacrifice was not bread. from the first day until the seventh day, that
             tolerated. The Sabbath could not be kept. Even the soul shall be cut off from Israel." The leaven is the
             request for a brief respite for holding a feast to             token of the impure, sinful, principle of life, `of car-
             Jehovah in the desert, Pharaoh in haughty pride had nality, of the body of this death, the old man of sin.
             refused to' grant. So did he claim Jehovah's people Of this, the partakers of the  passover  purge themselves
            with body'and soul. It is this aspect of the E&pti&' in the strength of the Lamb. Earthly members must                                      ,
             oppression that renders it a striking type of  our.spir-       be mortified. The old man of sin with his.works  must
             itual bondage. That especially these privations weighed be put off. The redeemed of Jehovah must sanctify
             heavily with Jehovah is evident from His command to themselves perpetually. And as sanctified, they eat of
             Pharaoh. What the Lord said to him is not, "Cease  opl                    _-. ._
                                                                            %he uiileavened  bread, .desir& the unadultered milk, the
             pressing my people in thy ovens," but He said, "Let my waters of life, the truth, the pure Christ. For those
             people go that  they,  may ser,ve  .me." It was also this who do  not so sandify themselves have not the love
             aspect of the bondage that grieved the true Israel. `In of the Fathef abiding  ifi them.  They  are haters of
             a very actual sense they were in the power of the              God and the Lamb, and though they partake of the
             tyrant with their soul;         That  :which  they did, they elements betokening  His body and  .blood,  crucify Him
             allowed not;  fir what they would, that they did               afresh.
             not, but what they hated that  &ey were compelled to               So shall Jehovah's -people purge themselves and
             do. It was also because of the spiritual privatibns  in feed their souls with Christ, the pure  bread; for in this
            which the bondage implicated them that they groaned.            selfsame  day did the Lord bring their  arm& out of
             But. the carnal Israel could cry only by reason of the         the land of Egypt, their spiritual house of bondage and
             physical torment that had to be endured.                       redeem them by the precious blood of His ltimb, from
                It is in the first instance of% thi$ spiritual element the power of Satan and sin. Let them then consider
             in the bondage that the bitter herbs iB the token. But that they were purchased with a great price unto their
             these herbs must be .eaten. The children of 1,srael  must God.
             partake  of the passqver,  eat the. flesh of Christ and                                                    G. M. 0..
       c     drink His blood as sensible of their spiritual bondage,
`.           with the conception of this bondage residing in them
            .ras bitter herbs' working in them profound gri?f, - a.
            &ief  f?om  which springs the confession. that the bond-            Als een zwak menseh  toekomstige  moeilijkheden
             age on  a&ount of sin is deserved, and the earnest de- wil ontwijken, kiest hij gewoonlijk een weg, waarop
             sire and prayer to be redeemed from the righteous hij ze alle &tmoet.
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                                             T H E   STANDAR'D   B'EARER                                                                       349.

          .AjPLEA TOREJECTTHE  PROpOSEDpLAN                                                Therefore, one last arrow-at the new plan. . R. F.
                                                                             P.  4. stay in the old path. It led  ,us safely for ten
                    Dear Editor :-                                           years, and will surely lead us insthe future by God's
                                                                             grace... Youth, set  yourselves  to know the  tr.@h,  and
            All ttie readers of ,the S. B. for the past ten years            the S. B. will aid you in its. present form. But yod
        must testify that this paper has brought to light, what mdst have  a? appetite for spiritual food.
        its name signifies, to bring unto God's people-the re-                        I submit this to the readers of the S. B. that 1 am
        formed truth of the .forefathers  in a more clear light              not neutral to the new plan, but  ati enemy of it.
        than ever before. That. this is an undeniable fact is
        clear from the contents of the S. B. . Throughoilt  its                                                                A. J. Kuiper
        existence it has undauntedly defeated all its foes. it
        has  given..courage-  to  ihe soldier  df the Cross. In it             `-Grand Rapids, %ieh., R. `R.. 5
        we find the unadulterated food  afor the soul, to build up                                          -.
                                                                               .                                          I
        a sound life of faith'in the Son of God, beside Whom,                  I
        there is no other.                      c-                                               I \                 .
          The S. B. has survived a period of ten years of
        spiritual enthusiasm. There was no. guide given us of                              -.
        God more true to bear .fo+h His truth as it- finds its                                          THE  PROPOSED  ~kfw  '
        harmoniqus  melody in the blessed Word of our .Cove-                        8 Waarde Redacteur :-                          -
        nant God: Father, Son and Holy Ghost.                                _ Aangaande het plan tot  verand,+ng van  de Stand-
            I ati convinced in. my soul .that the S. B: must be ard Betirer  het volgende.
        contimied  in its present form as long ai'there is a de-                      Ik ben bet. aardig goed' eens met J. Buiten Sr. en
        sire to know that God is God, indeed yesterday, today,               anderen. Ik be? .bang,  als we eens beginnen te veran-
        and tomorrow, from eternity to;eternity.                             deren, dan is er geen houden aan. wat is eigenlijk de
            Is it a small matter to heed the aspirations of the              &den,  dat ey reeds lang zijn geweest, die niet tevre-
        proposed plan? .' Superficially it may seem so.  Btit                den waren met onze Standard Bearer, zooals die tot
        what  is that which underlies it all? If the present form n6g `toe is geweest ?
        is not fit for the need& ; if the youth `does not under-'                     Men wil iets geheel anders, iets radikaal verschil- _.
        stand, and does not  recei+e spiritual nourishment, lend van wat we thans hebben. Het jonge volk leest
        whose fault is it? I &sure  you, that if you give the de Standard Bearer niet, eti The B+nner en.De Wachter
        youth books according to their aspirations, I care not we1 ? Welnu, dan zou ik zeggen : Lees The Banner en
        how deep, high, or wide they may bi?, they will. chew De Wachter, liever dan een "Banner" of "Wachter"
        and chew +il they have pulverized them to their un- van de Standard Bearer te maken.
        derstanding. Why  not, do this with th.e reading matter
        of the S. B.? You need not have volumes of bo6ks.  to                         Het spr.eekt  we1 vanzelf, dat &' niets tegen is om
        receive spiritual food. If  your ymind                               kerkelijk nieuws, `enz., te vermelden.
                                            ___.   is too'
                                                 :.               weak to
        digest4he  whole S. B. the meditatiops  will be sufficieit                    Ik voor mij zou we1 wat meer een. uiteenzetting  van
        to give good health., Of course, you must have an ap- practische  eti  maatschappelijke  zaken  willen  hebben  ;
        petite. For, only those that hunger and thirst shall, be             een beschouwing over de toepassing onzer  `beginselen
        filled.          '                                                   oi, het dagelijksch  l&en, en, de maatschappelijke  toe-
            The aspirations of the new plan are, to my mind,                 standen, alhoewel ik we1 begrijp dat dit niet gemaklre-
        as degenerating as a losing of the desire for truth. lijk is. Maar hiervoor behoeven we tech geen radikale
        This.is  based on history. What has  the Wachter in verandering.
        The  Banner  and many other papers been at one time                           Stel u voor, inen  leest &e Standard Bearer niet en
        as witnessess of the ,truth, and what are they today?                nu moet het blad veranderd naar .de smaak van hen,
        In order to m&et  the aspirations of th& youth, they be-             die het thans niet lezen. Ge begrijpt wel, alleen de vorm
        gan' to feed chocolate candy with poison in it, until they dat zal niet  baten.
        are. almost living'on it.                                                     Zeker, ik weet het maati  al te goed  dat vooral het
          Now this is terrible. Do you realize it, people- of jonge volk niet leest,  tien  leest in het geheel niet, alleen
        &od? The idea  is, serious. Shall we,. a% R. F, P. A.,               wat nieuws en remans.
        adhere to the vile aspirations for an adulterated  tryth?                     Neen, ik ben bang voor zulke verandering en ik wil '
        This would certainly be the end of it all. Whether we lie'fst de Standard Bearer behouden en daarom is ook
        are cdnscious of it or not, history  h& taught `this. Shall mijn slot niet zonder waarschuwing.
        we deceive ourselves.with  siren music so charming to
        the flesh  ?. We are by nature wicked, even as those                                                                   P. De Young
        gone before  us have gone astray, whose end is destruc-
        tion,                                                                         1909 Silver Ave., Grand Rapids, Mich.

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   i50                                              T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                                                                     1.
           . In the Midst of the Throne                                        It is the heavenly culmination, of the deep way of
                                                                           borrows  that John views when standing as it were by
      If you stood by  the. side of the pearly gates and' the side of the  pe'arly gates. No longer is the fierjr red
  would look towards the centre of `heaven, you woUld  see on the woolen fleece a token of present suffering. From
a strange spectacle j strange to yotir earthy vision. Is                   then on it &II be the token of honor, power, but also
  it not strange. that millions of saints and the four adoraiion.                         For in it we see somewhat of the unutter~
  beasts as well as millions  .of  .angels are singing in able love .of God and His manifold wisdom.                                       a
  beauteous melody about a slain  lambkin?                                    The  Lambkin  stood in the midst of the throne..
      On  earth we &ad that the foremost of God's saints                      That tells me`that He is God. For the throne John
  had determined to  itnow  nothing but the Cross of Jesus. speaks of is the throne of God.' And properly no one
  But it seems as if that Cross will be the sum total of can be in the midst of it than very God Himself. That.
  a d o r a t i o n   tn  heaven>  a l s o .   -                           truth was evident even on earth. Standing on two feet
      We read that a throne was set in heaven,. and One                    with two  &ms,  that is, while in the likeness `of inen,   I
  sat on the throne.. And.He thjt sat was to'look upon hear Thomas pray : My Lord and my God ! That Lamb
  like a jasper and a sardine stone : and there was a rain- is,. God revealed in the flesh. And that God-man had
  bow  routid  about the throne like unto an emerald.                      &me through  `the way of terror such as no man or
     I would say,. that .there  we have a, beautiful picture.              angel,  shall ever taste. He stood as slain. All the fieiy
 It. would be worth our while to see it. But a bleeding darts of the devil and devils were aimed at Him and
  latibkih, its woolly fleece painted red because of. the                  these darts had found their mark. All the taunts and
., cruelly slashed throat! How passing strange it seems                    jibes of puffed up humanity were and had been His lot:
  to us that the throngs would sing and sing `again, re- and He bowed .the head: received them all. -All the
  peating in every chorus: Oh  Iambkin:  Thou art burden of the wrath of God pressed Him down to the
  ivorthy.  to receive blessing, honor, glory,' power.                     very bottoni  df hell and standing, nay, crawling there
     I glean the strange `vision from the Revelation of in the dust of death, He s;Lid: I love Thee so, My on&,
  Jesus Christ. whikh God. gave unto Him, to show unto Father ! "As it  .had been slain". But in the midst of
  His servants things which must shortly come.  to pass ;                  the throne.      Because `He humbled Himself He ,was
  and He sent and signified it by His angel unto His                       highly exalted. And according to His Divinity He be-
  servant John. You may read of it in Rev. 5:6. That                       longed in that throne. In the very tiidst of it.,
  is, a portion of the text. And I beheld, and lo, in the                    Secondly, He is in the midst of the throne. It tells
  midst of the throne . . . . stood a Lamb as it had been Jrne that. the whole program of untold and eternal suf-
I slain .  ; . . It is not e&n.a  lamb, for the original calls ferings of that, woolly Lamb were Through God, to be
 .I it a lambkin; in the Greek it says: "een lam-metje".                   praised forever. No, my brother, do not  co?ztinzle to
      Let us--visualize it if we can. Suppose you saw a &are  at weak Pilate, pompous  Herod,  raving Pharisee
  little lamb with its throat cut. The blood has saturated and wildly seething mobs of Jews. For they all are' the
  its crinkly woolen fleece. The wound is open, showing agents, even though willing agents, agents still  of'.the
 its,cruel..slashing.  And there..it stands. Are you  going                Triune.  G.od who counselled. "For of a  t&h against
  to sing? They do  .in heaven. Why not you ? I seem                       Thy holy  Child.Jesas,   Whom.Thou  hast anointed, both
  to see a look of. pity on your face. Why,  we would                      Hero& and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the
  .almo&  weep when viewing  suCh a picture. Is it pos-                    people of Israel, were gathered `together, for to do
 '  sible to paint a picture that will portray in more  poig-              whatsoever Thy hand and Thy counsel determihed be-
  nant lines very ihjured innocence? Yes, we can imag- _ fore to be done". The Lambkin  stood in the midst of i
  ine that you woulcl-  weep, but sing,? Nay, it seems more                the throne. It `stood there also as to its idea while the
  than strange : it seems an abnormality;                                  howling mob cried into the ears of Pilate: Crucify Him,
      Yes, the mind that is of -the earth earthy will weep                 crucify Him! For by His h&d and by His counsel the
  about  that slain Lambkin  ; while the heavenly minded                   things happened. It is the threading forth of that
  will sing because of it as the day is long. "Weep not counsel which you saw in anno 33 or 34. Alid the Lamb
for me, ye daughters of  Jerusdem   !"                i                    was fully conscious of it. "Weep not, ,that is, weep not
     And why ,not ? BecaLise  that slaifi Lamb is God re- i for Me, oh, ye daughters of Jerusalem! Because of R/Ie
  vealed in the flesh ; because it is  Immanuel, Jesus                     in My suffering, the angels have  sung in tlie fields of
  Christ the Saviour. He is not  the object of pity but  `.Bethlehem. At last they have undekstood  the wonder
  the fitting-object of admiration, of wonder, of adora-                   of the mercy; seat. Peace on earth  ttiard  men of
  tion. It is the strong Arm of the Lord.                            eternal  go?dwlll  ! Weep not ! And if you are to weep
      The Apostle John saw this little  lainb in the heavens               at all:- weep for yourselves. For ye are sinners. 1 am
  but he had  als'o seen Him on earth, bleeding out of                     in the  midst  of the throne, standing as I had been
  many wounds. "As it had been slain" is the heavenly slain. I am a Divine wonder of love and goodness. So
  echo of earthly Calvary, the accursed tree, where Jesus lovable and so good that throngs such as ,cannot  be
 bled and poured out His soul unto, death.                    '            numbered  shall  $ing and play eternally: Oh Lamb,

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                                                                     T H E   STAND'ARD   B E A R E R  
                                                                                                                                                *                    351

                         Thou art `worthy to receive power, riches, wisdom,                               and  pours  His love and lovingkindness in their hearts
                         strength, honor, glory, blessing. (5 :12), When Jesus                            so that they by irresistible grace begin to weep because
                         cried out : Why, o w&y  forsakest  Thou Me, My Father? of their filth and crookedness. Then they receive eyes
                         then the Father must have said : I slay Thee, ,My .Lamb,                         to see the `bleeding Lamb and they begin to see that
                         because I will glorify Myself in the throng of redeemed                          He bled for their sin and guilt. And behind the Cross;
                        children.           I forsake. Thee, in qrder that I may draw beyond  ,$he kill of Golgotha  they behold the Love of
                 ,       nigh to Thine  own sheep. Indeed, tGe .Lamb `is in the                           God. And they begin to sing with  tremtilous lips:
                 ,       midst of the throne.                                                             "Unchanging is the love of God !" He loved us even
                               Thirdly, it is in the midst of the throne. That is, `it while we were yet sinners. Christ died in that sense
                         is  in the very heart and the mind of God.  .Now   wti                          for the ungodly.' ihnd He did so as the realization of
                         know  ,that the throne was. set  in heaven `and we also                         the  Divine Idea of the bleeding  Lambkin.  For He
                      know  thtit God sat on that throne. But God, Triune                                stood in the midst of the thrbne  as He liad been slain.
                       God,. cannot  be.comprehended  in the heaven of heavens.                             ' Finally, He is in the  kds$ of the throne. That is,
                         Proierly speaking, God  .cannot even  \ dwell in the eternity shall never end. So that He'shall continue to .'
                         heave& that shall `be born again. F6r. He inhabiteth stand there. Always, oh always, we shall be able to
                         .eternity.                                                                      sing alid singing we shall ask: Why are Thy robes so
                                     Our Father had this slain Lamb with Him even  iti                   spotted with the fiery color of blqod? And singing the
                _        eternity.  It is the mind  ,and the will and  t]le heart                        Lamb will answer: I am the bleeding heart of love of.
                         of' the Father to so reveal aimself as John saw it on the Father.. Alone, all alone I. have trodden the wine-
                         Patmos. That Lainb  w&s slain from the foundation of press.. Alone I went down, ever downward in the pit
                         the, world. Always, yes, always even in the wakes of that burneth of fire and brimstone. For there you.
     :                   that still`eternity before the mountains weie brought were, My.sons and My daughters. &nd coming there
                         forth  0~  ever the fountains were  heavy',with water, in  your captivity I gathered you in eternal arms. Un-
                         did God delight in that  slain Lambkin. For He is also derneath are the everlasting arms. Is it then a wonder
                         the very Wisdom of God. When God counselled (&dl that the arms of Jesus are very safety? But dc$ng it
                        when was3his ?) He co%selled  the best and the most                              I gave My blood. It is the good pleasure of My Father
                         glorious Way to reveal Himself `unto sons and, daugh- to shed My blood for all of you and you and you. An<
                        ters. God knows that He is lovable and good. Btit He His loving.eyes  will see you. Although there  are mill-
                         wished to reveal it unto sons. Adam did know that                               ions, He will know every one of us.
                         God was good, the'  very songs of created things fold                              And when all is said and done the elders will fall
                        him so. His own heart thrilled to the Di,$ne  touch of                           dotin before the throne of God and while' the four
                        love and lovingkindness. But ,Adam did not stand by beasts say: A&en, they shall worship Him that sits
                 " the side of the, peirly gates to vieiv the Lambkin  as it                             upon the throne and He holds in His bosom the bleed-
                        .had- beeti- s&in. Oh, for God so loved the world . . . . . .                    ing Lamb.
                               -,The Lamb is in the midst. of the thk;otie  with all His                    If. you  stood by the side of  the pearly  gates  you
-  __..  wounds 
                         -_              and ..all..His  blood. It `is a regelatidti  of. lgpe would `see a lovely and glorious spectacle in the centre
                        thit will be the  cause.of  rapturous singing. The bleed- of. the heavens.'  -You would 3% `a*tllrone and He that-
                        ing Lamb tells me llow lovable and how good God is.                              &s upon it. And seeing Him you would see the etetial
                                Imagine the throng of the sons &d daughters of version of Golgotha. And, no, -you' will no  lollger pity
                        God  as they have become  thi-ough  sin and guilt. They the  Lambkin  whose woolly fleece is  .red. I notice .that
                      .' ,afc all ugly,.. all. filthy: abominable tliings  are in their your lips open to the song that is b&n  in your heart. :
                        vessels; Speak to them of God, nay, I warn you, do And as  the, beasts and the elders and. the angels vie,
                        it not: they will  rend you. They have become enemies                            in heavenly song, you will vie with them. ,Herein~ you
                      of God. Is that God revealed to  them, I mean to the                               agree with them: no honor or majesty is too high for
                        `elect as they are born in sin and deceit, if they may s'ee                      such love.
                        God in the works of: His hands or in the Holy Scrip-                                Aqd we that are on the earth ? We are p+vileged                 '
                        tures, then they will go to the trouble to .send m&-                             to cast a shadow qf that, Calvary in the midst of a
                        sengers  to Him and say:  Dejpsirt from  us,  for in the pack of ravening wolves. When we are curs&d we will
                        knowledge of Thy ways we have no pleasure. If God                                bless ; when we are reviled we will not revile again, we 1
                        persists and shows Himself  in the garb of a weak and                            will do good unto them that despitefully use.us. Doing
                        .defens'el&ss  &an; they will turn out of their way 2nd'                         it we shall be bearers of the eternal Idea of the Suf-
                        &ucify Him. And in the midst of the roaring, cursing, fering Lambkin.
                        blaspheming throng of  the,ele&,  God says in the Lord                            "Zoo- reis ik  getroost  onder `t heiligend Kruis !
*                       J&us: Father, forgive them for they, know not what                                  "Naar  `t erfdeel  daarboven in `t Vaderlij k Huis !"      '
                       they do ! Can you grasp such love? And yet they do
                        not list&. So, against their will, He regenkrates'them                                                                         G .   P.


. `352                                 T H E   ST.AND.ARD   B E A R E R

               U&rof itable ,Servants                                posi*ively  means `useless, good for nothing'.  ' Not as if
                                                                     Jesus  would assure us that we have even `begun to do
     Man is God's  se&ant,  set in the midst of God's all those things which are commanded us, (for who is
creation to devote himself to his .God with his whole                sufficient for these things?), but even if it were pos-
 mind, his whole  soul, his whole heart and all his                  sibie for us to do all, even then the confession befits US :
 strength continuously. He is duty-bound to use every we are unprofitable servant&! &sum&g  the  ierf best
moment of his life with all that lie has in the  absolute            `to be true, as was the case with Adam in paradise and
 and devoted service of the. one and only true God in                as it will finally be in perfection in heaven, -the fact re-
heaven. Even then we have not expressed ourselves                    yains that we are unprofitable servants.
                                                                                    ..s
 strong enough. `Man is not only a servant, but he is                    Be it granted at once, that  man  w`as created as
also an unprofitable servant. When, and if, he has done friend of the living God, so that he was privileged to
all that is demanded of him, he is still of no added va;lue          live in covenant,fellowship  with God in the inner sanc-
to God nor has he deserved any merit whatsoever. Man tuary of paradise. Be it also granted that he could
has riever been of service to God, has never helped Him %alk and talk with God as a friend speaks with  ,Z
nor in any way add&d  to the riches of God: He has  noi;             friend, seeing face to face and tasting of .the infinite
even  obliged  God, so that he can  expel no word of                 riches of God's blessings. The fact still remains that
thanks. or appreciation, ,muc& less can he expect the                man is created to be a servant of the living God. Let
slightest reward. Nay, more, it is  ,even  then our duty us  even  grant that we have received the Spirit of .
to continually confess: we &re unprofitable servants,                Christ, not as the spirit of bondage  again  to. fear, but
we have done that which was our duty to do. Our `God the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry i Abba, Father.
delmands  of us that we humbly .bow before Him in love,              Or even that we are God's party in the midst of the
desiring and longing -to serve Him perfectly,' always                world; enriched with the blessings of God's grace and
tionfessing  that we have no merit, nor even have                    the hope of Salvation, so that we shall eternally rejoice
labored for merit, but have done all dut of eager desire in the reward of eternal life and the'glories  of'the beau-.
to do our duty in the service of our God. We desire                  tie%* of our "God.. It nevertheless Petiains a fa& that
no appreciation, expect no thanks, will nothing for our- we are unprofitable servants. God h&s created us with
selves and anticipate no  freedoti to do as our own                  all things with. the one, single and sole purpose that  +e
hearts should dictate. We delight only in the service may glorify His Name eternally. He never had an-
of our God and gratefully acknowledge the privilege                  other purpose or sub-purpose than that His Name
that we may be ~~nprbfitable  servants in Hi's s&vice.               should  receiye  the highest  glory. Man is set as the
    This is very evidently the teach&g of the parable of highest creature, the highest product  of His `hands, in
the unprofitable servant as we find it in Luke  i'7:7-IO.            the midst of this earthly creation with a  min& to know
Jesus refers .to a servant who, as was very common Him, a heart to love Him and a hand to serve Him  as
in His  dLy,- is completely owned and possessed by his               viceroy on earth. Therefore it is  our. calling to con-
master. He is nothing mope than a slave and yet, at sciously tind willingly devote ourselves and all things
the same time, a very willing and obedient slave. This to Him in love. Even though it is true that we by
&!v%t either  $l?%s- ?ti the fi&d -6P- grazes  the cattle            grace have learned to .glory  in. the -privilege of the----
all day long; a% long as he can possibly be bus-y in the service of God, it nevertheless is our duty; And only
field. Corni&  home the thought does not occur to him then, when we willingly serve Him. in love can He be
t&at he might be invited to sit down at his master's satisfied with our service. He despises all service that
table and be served, but he immediately. prepares the does not flow freely from the heart and all subjection
supper and girds himself that he can serve at his                    that is not based on humble and obedient love:.
master's table. Only then, when all the work is finished                The basic reason for this must be found in the fact
without as much as a word of thanks he partakes of his that God is God. It is only because our wicked hearts
own simple repast and retires only to recuperate and always rebel against Him,' refusing to acknowledge and
g& neyv strength that he may be of further service serve Him as God, that we complain that the  demands
to his master. He readily acknowledges that he is a of the kingdom of heaven are too difficult to maintain
humble servant of a rich and mightly .lord. He belongs and too absolute `to be strictly obeyed. The conceit of
to his master with his whole life arid his whole body, our proud hearts brings us in open rebellion against
with all his time and strength and he assures himself Go< or even causes us to entertain the notion that we
that he is an unprofitble servant, who  cannot and will are obliging  %od with our services and  He  is obligated                    j
not ask for wages, nor for a day off, nor eveii for a                to reward us accordingly. The fact is: God iS Gbd, the
word of praise and thanks. And Jesus goes on to say: Infinite One. Almighty and eternally Self-sufficient.
So likewise ye,  ,when  ye shall have done all those things          In His perfect Being  He  is eternally glorious, the
which are  conimanded  you say: `We are  unprofittible               highest Good ; in knowledge, incomprehensible; in wis-
servants, we have done that which was our duty to do.' dom unsurpassable ; in His eternally perfect covenant-
And Jesus uses a word for `unprofitable' which very                  life enjoying infinite bliss. Can we add to infinity?

                                                               .-          ".                   I
          i


                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D  BE.ARER                                                       -1353

       And even though God has willed in His perfect wisdom this very moment and to live all the rest of our lives
       to reveal and reach the highest manifestation of His holfiy  devoted to God, we could not make up for the
       glory ,by creating a creature in His' likeness. which verjr smallest sin that we have, committed. That which
       would eternally stand before him and be: enriched with we  dd in willing subjection is simply our duty, so that
       the fulness of His beauties, the fact remains that noth, by the deeds, of the law no flesh shall be justified in
       ing is added to the .riches  of God; He can'and will be God's sight.' The only thing that remains for the de-
  1 obligated to nothing and no'one.  -He is perfectl$  able          shairing  sinner, who by grace has come to the knowl-
       to reach  His eternal purpose without the least assist- edge of his misery, is to.cast  himself upon God with the
       ance of -any creature. With whom took He counsel,              anxious cry : 0 God, be merciful to me, a sinner !'
       and who instructed Him, and taught Him knowledge,                 God  .Hirriself  has performed for us the only merit-
       and shewed  Him the way of understinding  ? All n&ions         orious work of salvation through the gift of His Son,
 before Him are as nothing; and they are counted  t6 Who  g&e Himself freely for us, taking on the form of
 Him  l&s than nothing and vanity.                                    a servant and obeying and suffering for us, even' unto ,
          Add to this the single fact, that this God is our the death of the .cross. Christ is the Son of. God, a
       Proprietor and we are.His  servants. He called  us into seriant  Gho had  nd obligation and could  merit for
       being, made us what we. are and set us in th& `par-            those given Him by- the Father. His work in our hearts
       ticular place in which He would set us  iTi the midst of ,restores  in us the image of God, making us willing,
       His creation. Our task is th'e work which He has laid obedient, devoted  serv6ants,.  that we may walk faithful
       upon us. Our strength is .the strength that He is will- unto the calling  whereby God has called us. `We are'
       ing to give us in His sustaining power, All  th+t we           obligated to live by grace, destroying `the work of the
       have, eyen the hairs of our heads which are numbered,          flesh and continually confessing that we are unprofit-
       are  solely>  His possession. He. entrusts these things in,, abie servants. And finally we shall appear before  God
       our care that we may use them consciously,  `tillingly         to receive our eternal reward; the reward only bf grac!,
 devote@y  in His service toward that one single purpose not of works, as a rewakd  .of Christ's work in us. Even
       unto which all things are set, namely, the glory of @is then, when God has glorified His Church and ,given  His
       Name. We  cannot   touch  one-thing that is not the saints a place in the kingdom of heaven; our glory will
       Lord's. We have not one  second.  to live which God has be in His grace and our delight in extolling His virtues.
not entrusted to us. We `cannot stir one member of                    God's eternal glory- will fill the heavens and. will be
       -ouli bodies without His power. AI@ when' our life is perfectly reflected by His saints, only to return to Him
       ended and our task completed we  .are to give account untp the praise' of His Name. No flesh shall ever glory
  ;of our stewardship to our  onQ-Master   atid Proprietor, before the Lord. Of Hini and through Him and to Him
       our God, who has privileged us with this service.              are all things; to whorl? be glory for ever!
. I       Therefore,  ,regardiess  even of the fact of. Bin, man          .        .                                       C. H..
       is  ati unprofitable servant. As Adam stood  in paradise
       it was his calling to be a friend-servant' of the living
       God, who created him and set him as king in. the midst
       of the earthly creation. By ,car@g for the, garden and
       using all things in the service of His God Adam did I$
 more than was his duty. It is true, to this duty God
 had bound the life of fellowship and blessed friendship,                                 BjWiNDlWAKBNG
       which, would not end as long as Adam did his duty,. but           Het  Curstoriuni  van onze  Piotestantsche  Gerefor-'
       the fact remains that there was  nd possibility of earn- me&de Theologische-School zal vergaderen, D. V., Dins-
       in& any reward. He simply could not earn <eternal  life dag, 4 Juni, des namiddags om 3:30 in een der lokalen
       in heaven for at all times he did no more- than was
       his duty to do. His glory could only be in the  &on-           van de Or&ge City Prot. Geref. Kerk.
       fession  of his own~nworthiness  unto the praise of his'          Alsdan zullen  adspifanten,  die  -begeerig zijn  aan
       Maker.                                                         onze School de  studign waar te nemen,  ge-exakineerd
          As to the sinner, who is born in' sin and conceived
- in iniquity, it is impossible that he should ever make              worden. Men moet voorzien zijn van een getuigschrift
       up for the &vi1 that he does. One unfaithful thought,          en  b&vijs  van lidmaatschap in een onzer Prbtestantsche
       one rebellious desire, one disobedient act makes us            Gereformeerde              kerkeri.             '
       guilty and .indebted  to ouq God. And even though ~6
       should strive to place any number of faithful deeds               001~ zullen op deze vergadering de eind-examens
       over against our sins, it yVould not only be so, that the      worden  afgenomen van de twee te promoveeren Studen-
 I evil deeds would outweigh the good and leave us  hop.e-            ten, A. Petter en J. Kooistra.
       lessly lost in sin; but even so, that all those good `deeds                      Namens  h& Curatorium,
       could not make good the default of our sins. Even
, though it were possible-for' us to cease from  `all' sin at,                                           L. Vermeer, Seer.


11'.                               `.                                                                                    ,
     j;.                                                                                                                      .
                        3 5 4   5                             T H E   STANDAR'D   B E A R E R
1. :              I
I L                                                                                   church publish a church-paper with departments  su&
I i                                             THE PROPOSED PLAN                     as:  Children's. page, young people's page, Sunday
~1           ."                    `Geachte  Redatiteur,!
'                                                                                     school lesson, etc. Let this be worked out, and let ias
     ,..                Ik  dacht  ik woa mijn  gedichten  ook eens  zeggen           not by this method of destroyirig  our S. ,B. try to get
     `\      (         met betrekking tot `de  veiandering  in `de  Standslrd         what we think we need.                       \  .
                  t Bearer. Ik heb met zorg in het hart gelezen dat onze                 This change is too great a price to be paid for 3
                                                                                                                   ,.
                       Standard Bearer  .zij,n dag  gehad  heeft. Als dat' waar       church-paper.
                       is, dan moet er tech ieker een radicale verandering  .ko-         With the celebration of  .Martin  Luther and the Re-
                       men. En misschien ben ik we1 mis, maar  mij dunkt,             formation, one of the leading men of today wrote six
                       dat kan ook net zoo  goed  van onze  Prot. Reformed articles on Luther and the' Reformation and ended in
                       Churches gezegd worden,  dat ze hun .dag gehad hebben. this way: "The doctrines &nd truths for which Luther
                       lk wil niet zeggen, dat er miischien  geen verbetering and Calvin stood and which were at the  bottoti of the
                       kan gebracht worden  in de inhoud d&r stukken. Maar Reformation, have  long,ago  been lost to remembrance,
                       in  wezen moet het hetzelfde blijven, zoover als  ik`k&       and .abandoned,  as small wares, and offensive to the
                       zien. Als ons jong volk van kindsaf aan onderwezen well-bred Christian."                                                 I
                  wordt in de leer van onze kerken, dan moeten  ze bij                   In so far as this is the truth` in the church in gen-
                       16 of  ;17 jaar dat  we1 kunnen verstaan en als dat niet eral to this extent our S. B. atid we as Protestant Re:
                       .naar him smaak is, dan is er wat verkeerd met het formed as a people are set forth by God to be as it were
                       ~onge volk, ,.en moeten  we dat, dunkt mij, niet in het a spectacle unto the world and the chur,ch in general.
                  :gevlei  komen. Voor  kinderen  weet ik niet  wat da&                  Let us then kee$  this home-fire burning, and let the
                       van. te zeggen. Een verhaal kunnen ze overai  we1 lezen. minor change of  news-editors  be sufficient for the'
                         ,' Mij dunkt, het is ook voor  kinderen  beter,  dat er present.                r
                       wat inkomt dat naar bun bevatting is en dat de ouders                                                          S. .B.
                       er voor zorgen, dat het gelezen wordt. Als bet er als
                       kind niet inkomt, het kdmt .er niet meer in' als men oud         Grahd' Rapids, Mich.
                       is.
                                                             Mrs. J. Veldman                                  .
                               Chicago, Ill.                                                Dear Editor :-
                                                                                        Having read with much interest the pro and con
                                                                                     opinions. of the different writers as to the .prdposed
                       Rev. H. Hoeksema,                                             new plan of our Standard Bearer paper, and as an oral
                              Editor-in-Chief of our Standard Bear&.                 expression of our views on this matter is not desirable,
                                                                                     we wish to make an attempt t.o express our `personal
                       D e a r   B&her:-                                             @inion as requested.
                               We `are to give our opinion as to the proposed           First, let us state th& tie group of different depart-
                  -change to be made ip the conten$s  -of. the ,$. B. an-a,@- ____ F$nts  sugg@c$,.are  sure to cro!vd  t,@- capacity of t;@e. _ _
                       is  .my opinion the change is too radical. The work. of nut shell and the results might be very disastrous for
                       the editors, H. Hoeksema, G. Ophc&  and the two  asso-        the kernel. For' from the kernel ire the issues of life
                       eiate   edit,ors is greatly  appreciited  by me and I  be-    and so too the very original character of our Standard
                       lieve  most of our readers. And as we receive the paper Be$rer,   napely, the  expounding  of the fundamental
                       and read 4he different articles we receive for our heart      truths of God's word, give light and life to God's child,
                       and mind something which a church-paper cannot give. whether old or young if there is an earnest prayerful
                       The variation of subjects, and the way truth and error desire to be edified and built up in the most holy faith.
                  are distinguished give food for our hea& and mind.                    Considering. the peculiar circumstances we have
                              I regret this change of mind on the part of the        been placed as a church should never be lost track of,
                       edit,orial  St@. We must all please our neighbor, for but ought to be impressed upon our minds  continqally,   .
                  his good, to edification but if the neighbor's claim, iS           we and our'children, "Lest we Forget," in order that we
                  tha,t  the articles are too long, then it is my opinion that       may defend our standards and be able to `withstand the
                  the  length  of one everiing's radio-entertainment is              darts of our opponents, and to testify to the t&hs.as
                  ample time to read either the English or Dutch, half o-f           it is unfeigned and unadulterated proclaimed in our
                  our magazine. The problem of proper reading for our Standard Bealyer.  May its,contents  remain such an in-                         '
                  young people, I realize. We would like to see them all strument .to keep us awake and alert as to the dangeTs
                  read otir S. B. but remember this, that this is not the. of the modernized'tendency of our day.
                  problem of our editors; nor of the R. F. P. A., but is                Permit us to briefly summariie  a few suggestions as
                  and remains one hundred percent the problem of us as to this  nclW proposed plan:` Our doctrine, meditations,
                  parents.                                                           and editorials should remain intact, with simplified
                              My opinion is, if we need a church-paper, let our      articles for our young people, interesting and eduea-


                                              i                 T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                          355

                       tional as to Christian schtiols, `with the English lan-        uit I Cor. 15 vers 58: "Zoo dan, mijne geli,efde  breeders,
                       guage predominating so it may be understood by the             zijt standva&g,  onbeweeglijk, altijd overvlok@g  zijn-
                       young mind.                                                    de -in het werk des Heeren, als die weet dat uw arbeid
                           The keeping in touch with dur churches as to their niet ijdel is in den Heere." Hiermede  was zijn bedie-
                      welfare.  is needful to create the bond of fellowship and ning onder ons ten einde gekomen; en moge de  Heere
                       prayer for one another, causing us to rejoice when we          Ds. Hanko ,tot rijken zegen stellen voor de gemeente te
                       hear of theirspiritual growth.                                 Oak Lawn, zooals hij dat geweest is te Hull.
                           `i'he open forum can be. very beneficial tb old and           Gaan we nu stiizwijgend heen over `t afscheid ne-
                       young, and in conclusion let us be very careful in our         men van Ds. Hanko en.gezin en het keimis maken met
                       final decision' as to the changing of our Standard Ds. Vermeer en gezin, dan komen we bij Zondag, den  8
                       Bearer, for by so doing we eventually may weaken its           1'7en  Feb'.,   toen  onze nieuwberoepen leeraar in den mor-
                      structure' and thereby  -undermine  its fundamental gendienst verbonden werd aan de gemeente door den
      ;i               standards. Let our prayer be that our God may lead             consulent Ds. R. Veldman,  naar  aanleiding van I Pet.
                       us in the way we should go also in respect to our Stand-       2 vers 2 : "En als riieuwgeboren .kinderkens  zijt zeer be-
       .+              ard Bearer paper.                                              geerig naar de redelijke, onvervdschte  melk, opdat gij
       .:                                                  ,
                 i
                                                           Mrs. F. Bertian            door dezelve moogt opwassen." Thema:  Zijt zeer be-
:.  :                                                                                 geerig naar de redelijke, onvervalschte'melk. Het'voor-
                           Grand Rapids, Mich.                                        werp,.de wijze, de .vrucht.
                                                                                         Des namiddags deed Ds. Vermeer zijn intree aan de
::                          -_                                                        hand van Lukas 17 vers 21, het l&a$ste gedeelte,  deze
`_
. .                                                                                   woorden : "Het  Kodinkri  j k Gods  `, is  binnen ulieden."
,:  !
      .I I                             IETS UIT HULL, IOWA                            Een eigenaardige tekst voor intree, maar  tech zeer @-
            1                                                                         past.
                           Het is 6iet  dikwijls dat uit ons midden  iets in' de         Zoo zijn we dan, door des Heeren -goede  hand over
                       Vaandeldrager versehijnt. Naar het  ons- bijligt is het ons, na slechts  drie Zondagen vacant te zijn geweest,
                       reeds ruim vijf  jaren geleden  dat bet laatste @euws          we& in het bezit van eigeil herder en leeraar.
                       van hier werd opgestuurd. En d&? we1 in betrekking                Stelle de Heere Ds. Vermeer tot uitgebreiden zegen
                       tot Candidaat C. Hanko, die de  roeping  van Hull's  ge- .in ons midden en vervulle Hij de ledige plaatg  te Oska-
                       meente opvolgde. Zijn intree.  in qns midden  was aan de loosa binnenkort  met den man. Zijns raads.
                       hand van Ps. 122 vers 9: "Om des huizes des Heeren
                      .' onzer Gods wil, zal ik het goede voor u zoeken."                                 Nam&s  den Kerkeraad,
":;                     - Dat Z.Eerw.  dat ook, zooveel als in zijn vermogen
      .+                                                                                                             Ed Vander We*, Scriba
.i                    ' was, is nagekomen, behoeft in ons  midden geen betoog.
                       Dit heeft zijn in- en uitgaan  voor ruim vijf jaren onder
                       ons  we1 bewezen. En dat  hij ook met zegen en vrucht
                       alhier mocht arbeiden, blijkt uit hef feit, da$ ook nog
                       een achttal jeugdige broeders en zusters belijdenis van
                      . huti geio%&gd6n ko& &or zijn vertrek.                                         THE PROPOSED PLAN
                        ' Echter  een roeping van de gemeente te Oak Lawn                 Dear Editor  :-
                       ontvangen hebbende, zag hij  lzich  na ernstige  overwe-
                       ging genoodzaakt, om dat beroep te  moeten opvolged.              Am sending you this in response, to your request for
                       Dat die roeping  niet gezocht was noch  door `den -leeraar,    letters. We are still satisfied with the Standard Bearer
                       noch door de gemeente, bleek duidelijk, toen hij dien in its present form. We would like more &i the English
                       roep aangenomen had, tot ons  sprak naar `aanleiding language, but this change wo;ld not be fair to du$ older.
                       Zondagmorgen,  toen afgekondigd werd dat hij het be- readers. We believe the language problem is taken care
                       van Ps. `73 vers 24 : %ij zult mij leiden door uwen raad,      of evenly, and are not in favor of the proposed change.
                       en daarna zult .Gij mij in heerlijkheid  opn&men."                                        Johanna  Veldman  Schermer
                           Intusschen had de kerkeraad  6ok niet stil gezeten
                       en werd er diebzelfden  Zondag reeds, het gestklde  drie-         Chicago, Ill.
                      ' tal afgelezen, n.l., Dss. De Johg,  Kok en Yermeer. Op
s !                    de gezette tijd werd gemeentevergadering gehpuden  en
:!                    7`: kreeg Ds. Vermeer de.  roeping der gemeente. Op den-
                      zelfden Zondag dat Ds. Hanko zijn afscheid predikte,
                       liet Ds. V&meer  weten dat hij de roeping  aannam.                Wij zijn niet tevreden met te leven in en voor  ons-
                           Den 2Qsten Jan. was de dag waarop  Ds.. Hank0  ~001"       zelf; we willen  leven v&jr aideren  en in de gedachf;en
                       de laatste maal als leeraar  onzer gemeente vo&!  ons op- van  .anderen.           Daarvoor geven we  onzen  arbeid,  ge-
                       `trad;  Ofschoon het bitter koud was, was de opkomst troosten ons moeite en inspanning, offeren  ten slotte
 ,                     to&h zeer  goed. Zijn tekst  als  afschkid was genomen bet eigen ik.


                            .                                   _r                                                             -
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     358                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

     Ho&tsema doolr blijven werken in zijn gewonenarbeids-            future.-. It is this kingdom for whose coming the be-
` k r i n g .                                                         lievers pray. They know that God  olily causes it to'
      Voorloopig zal ik het hierbij  laten.  Maar voor dat come.
     ik het punctum  zet, iets over de onkosten verbonden                  Praying for the, coming of this kingdom, they at
     aan het onderhouden en het uitgaan van zulk 6en zen- once pray for the destruction of the kingdom of dark:
     deling. `k Ben bang dat dit misschien  het eerste en het ness over which Satan holds sway.. There is such a
     laatste woord wordt. Laat dat tech niet voorop staan ! kingdom of darkness: Its type was the city that Kain
Het mag niet voorop. Eerst de .vraag,  Is er behoefte ? build. . It is a kingdom  btijld by man and for man. It
     Zoo `gaat het ook in veel van onze gemeenten. Dat is bears the mark of the beast. Its domain at present is
     er. Dan eerst de vraag, Kan het ? Liever zou  ik wil- the whole earth. Its corrupts every institution, riots
' len vragen, Hoe kan het ? want ik voor mij ben per- in every department of man's life and pervades every
soonlij k overtuigd.  dat het niet bij de  onmogelij+den              sphere o$ his existence. We cannot be lovers of the.
     behoort.                                                         kingdom of God and of the kingdom of this world. We
        Hier kan het &&turn  statin.                                  cannot seek both no more than we can serve two
                                                 P. De Boer:          masters.
                                                                           L&t us pray for and seek God's kingdom. Let us
                                                                      show that we love this kingdom `by preaching it and
                                                                      by seeking its righteousness. Let us oppose the king-
                          R e p o r t                                 dom of darkness by our testimony.
                                                                           So did the speaker draw the lines. The word he
            Our League of Men's Societies has again met on brought was instructive  ,and edifying.
     tie eveliing  of March 17 in the church parlors of the                After a brief intermission, during which refresh-
     Fuller Ave. Prot. Reformed church in Grand Rapids, ments were served, opportunity was given for discus-
     Mich..                                                           sion. Questions were asked in connection with the
            The -meeting was well attended.' Even the societies theme of the address. These questions occasioned a
     of South Holland and Oak Lawn, Ill.,  iYere  represented.        rather lively debate that was not  finistied when the
            A profitable and pleasant evening was spent. The time had arrived for the melting to adjourn.
     speaker for -the occasion was the Rev. M. Gritters of            .    The meeting was closed by the Rev. Gritters.
     Holland,  Mich. His subject was the prayer, "Thy
     Kingdoti  come." I here now ret follow a  synops? of                                                                   G. M. 0.
     the reverend's  tiddress.
            The wbrld,  too, dreams of' a kingdbm  of near per-
     fection to appear not on the new but. on this earth, -                                   SALVqTION                -
     a kingdom that will be the fruitage  of man's own effort
     and his own achievement.                                                  Salvation ! 0 melodious. sound,
            This kingdom is not from above but from below.                          To wretched dying inen!
     It  is.the kingdom of the Antichrist and thus forms the                      Salvation, that from God proceeds,
     dark `reverse of the kingdom of heaven that will ap-                           And leads to God again.
     pear with Christ in glory.
            It is this latter kingdom only -that believers love                   Rescued.. from hell's  etel"na1  gloom,
     and seek. This kingdom is within them. Of it they                              From fiends, and fires, and chains ;
     are the citizens. Its laws are written on the tables of                      Raised to a paradise of bliss,
     their hearts. For the realization of this kingdom they                         Whel;: love triumphant reigns !
     pray.
            The coming of this kingdom Spells the destruction                     But may a poor bewildered soul,
     of the kingdom of the Antichrist.                                              Sinful and weak as mine,
            I direct your attention to the prayer for the coming                  PresuFe   td raise a trembling eye
     of this kingdom -. the kingdom of heaven.                                     -To blessings so divine?
,           This kingdom for which we pray,. is God's kingdom.
     It was conceived and is realized by Him alone through                        The  lusts% of so bright a bliss,                 .
     Christ Jesus. This kingdom therefore is also Christ's;-                      My feeble heart o'erbears ;
     Its citizens are His sheep for which He laid down His                        And unbelief  almost  perverts
     life. Its glory is the reward of His obedience. The                            The promise into fears.
     symbol of this kingdom was paradise ; the type, the
     Israelitish commonwealth of the Old Testament dis-                           My Savior God, no voice but thine,
     pensation.                                                                     These fainting hopes can raise ;
            This kingdom comes through the preaching of the                       Speak thy salvation to my soul,
     Word. But its appearance in-glory lies in the distant                          And turn my prayer to praise.


                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                             359

                                                                   say that the sad "fact .is that the state as it takes on
                           Questions                               flesh and blood in the wicked magistrate is of necessity
                                                                   as debased'and  vile as he and exhibits all the wanton
         The address of Rev.. M. Gritters, delivered on the        corruption of which he is capable.. God's things by
last meeting of the League of Men's Societies, -raised             themselves,are  not vile. But these things become vile
some questions. As was said, the speaker directed the              as a result of being handled by depraved man. So it is
attention of his audience to two kingdoms, the king-               with .the state, with government.
dom of heaven and that of the antichrist. The latter
was identified by him -with  the aggregate of worldly                 May the Christian hold office in the stat/e? If this
states. So it was therefore asked by some of the hear-             question be put with an eye on what the state as to
ers in the hour given to discussion whether, if matters            its origin is - a divine institution - the answer must
stand tlnus, a Christian may hold office and whether he            be.: to be sure he may. It is the  <Anabaptist'who  main-
can pray for kings and governors, in a word, for the tains the contrary. Tlie office of the magistrate is by'
government personnel.            These questions occasioned itself honorable enough. Rightly considered it is only
debate that owing to a lack of time was not brought to the Christian who should be vested with it. We there-'
a complete issue. As these questions have some weight, fore need not quibble about the question whether  ,the
the brethren, .I trust, will not object if I take the lib-         holding of office in the state is as such sin. We know
erty of  attempting.to  provide these questions with an- it is not..
swers.                                                               The question that we should a&ourselves is whether
                                                                   a Christian should seek the.offi&e..  Seeking office in our
       y May the antichristian power in this world be iden- land  is- an action that consists in a man attempting to
tified with the worldly state? And`the answer : Scrip-             persuade his countrymen to elect  him,.to the office. May       .
.ture  does so. The image seen by Nebuchadnezzar in his            this'striving-  be his? I would not say that he may not.
dream, the beast with seven heads and ten horns that               But then let the Christian know that in the endeavor 3
John on Patmos saw rising out. of the sea, and that                to persuade his countrymen to give him their vote his
other beast that came up out of the abyss (hell), be-. calling is to inform them that he stands upon a plat-
token the antichristian power in the world as it' comes form constituted of a program of a&ion that truly
to a head in the worldly state.,That  these beasts repre- roots in the fear of the  .Lord and is thus expressive of '
sent kingdoms appears from the notice that the horns               right principle, that he if  .elected  will in the execution
of the first beast wore crowns. Unto  this'beast  w,as             of his office adhere strictly to this program. His run-
given a mouth speaking great  thir?gs  and blasphemies.            ning for office will' then. be an action that consists in
And.he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to witnessing for the truth and in championing God's'
blaspheme his name and his tabernacle and them that cause in the midst of this world. And this is what it
dwell in heaven. Of the second beast it is said that he            (running for of&e) should be. But let the Christian
eserciseth all-the power of the first beast before him,            consider that if as a seeker of the office he openly takes
so that these two beasts are one. This agrees with' the his stand upon a platform that is of the God of Scrip-
description of the behavior of .kings  found in'Ps. 2. The         tures, he runs on `a ticket' that is neither Republican
Psalm reads: "The kings of the earth set themselves.,                                        -6 --'
                                                                   nor Democrat but Chrfstian.in  the true sense, that thus
and the rulers take council together, against the Lord, he brings himself forward not as being of the Repub;
     and against his anointed saying, Let, us break their lican or Democratic party (these parties are not Chris-
bands asunder, .and cast -away their cords from us. He tian. Their platforms root not, in the fear of the Lord)
that sitteth in the heavens shall .laugh : the Lord shall          but as being of the party of the living God.
     have them. in derision . . . " That this. depiction of            Now is there any serious minded Christian who'
the conduct of kings (magistrates) is true to life, every thinks that if a  ,man comes before  .his countrymen `as
     earnest  student of history` and every observer of what being of this party, he will be elected to the office he
     now takes place in this present world, of ours, well          seeks? Consider that it, is the world whose support
     l~no?I~s.                                                     must be solicited and gained if the seeker of the office
\         But is not the state a divine institution?  ,Indeed  it .will, gain his objective. Will the world be served by a
`is. The state is an institution increated by God in the           man who as a holder of office adheres to and acts from
     organism of this earthy. It is therefore divine as to         true principle? It will not.' The heathen rage and the
     its origin. Another such. institution is the family. people image a vain thing (Ps. 2). The food of the
     But consider that what we. always deal with is not the worlcl is not the bread that proceedeth out of the mouth
     state as such (the state as such is an  abstractio-n)  but    of God but the bread that perishes. The men of the
     the state as it takes on flesh and blood, so to say, in world live for the belly and for pleasure. `Their cry is
     those who establisheth themselves in it and carry on          not for God; but they cry, "Give LIS bread and games." __
     its business.     I think  now. of kings, presidents, .When  Mr. Roosevelt set out on his. career as president
     judges, members of congresses, governors, etc. Now of this our United States, he was an extremely popular
     the sad fact .is that the state and the earthy in general     man. The men of the world thought that he would
     - industry, science, art,' commerce and the like  -  I prove himself capable of giving them bread. He also
                                                                                                       .


  360              "          -           T     H        E          STANDARD  BEARER

tried hard to do the  thing expected of him. But of                                                       IN MEMORIAM
., s.`course.he  fails. And men in ever increasing numbers
 .now cry, "Away with the man."                                   I            The Bible Classiof Hope Prot. Ref. Church was send a 
  1                                                                                                                                               call
       , So the answer. to the question, "May a Christian                   March 36, 1935, that this earthly`house will not forever stand,
enter politics, seek and hold office?" must be, "He may                     in the death of
  certainly, if this being in politics be an action that con-                                         MRS. NETTXE KUIPERS,
  sists in witnessing for truth. But doing this he will                     at the age of 64 years.
  get no' where. So what sense is there, someone -may . As her son  `and member, with the Bible Class,  her faithful
  ask, to a Christian entering politics. There may be                       Rresence  as member, and  Christlike spirit  sl~own,  her place is
  much sense to it. .Bringing himself forward as a man her6 now vacant, and missed, but riot in our, hearts, for her
  who stands on a platform that is comprised of right works follow her. And we may believe that she is now in the
  principle, .he witnesses for God and against the lie and joy of the Lord, according to her own testimony. May the  Lord
 ' the devil. And this, after all, is our sole calling in this comfort the. sorrowing family;
'  `world* Ringing himself to the fore, as being of the
 truth, `the Christian. politician will not make headway                                       Pro%.  Ref. Bible  Classof  Hope,
with the men of the world. The world will not know                                                                    John Kuipers, President
  him, the office he seeks will not be gained. The light                                                                Stephen Kuipers, Secretary
 that he sheds will be shunned by the wicked. His wis-
  dom - the wisdom of God - will be made sport of and
be denounced as vile foolishness.  Yet.let this  Chrid-
 tian politician -consider that he is a real `success. For                                               I       N              MEMORIAM
  the truth that he champions, will  trumph. It already                        Whereas it  pieased  Almighty God to cast into sorrow' one
 has the, victory., The. world and all that is out of the of our fellow-members,' Mr. James Kok, .because.  of the death
 world will pass away. p There will be' new heavens and of his mother,                           ,
 a new earth upon `which righteousness will dwell.. Then                                                  M R S .   W .   KOK;
 the whole earth will be covered by the knowledge of
  G o d .                                                                      We, the English Men's Society of the First Protestant  Re-
       The Christian must then not go into politics with a .formed  Church of Grand ,Rapids  express our sincere sympathy
 view to reforming this world. (The men of the world to the bereaved.
 cannot be improved. They are dead in sin and love                             May God comfort l%m abundantly by means of the gracious
 not `God) but, with a view to championing the truth -promises of His Word.
 that already has the victory.                                                                                        0. Van Ellen,  Piesident
        We as Christians should form a political party                                                                Sidney De Young,`Secretary
 whole--platform  is of God.          We  -would always re-
 main small and despised, I know. Our candidates for
 office would never be elected. But what of this? So
 organized;-we could jointly witness for a truly Chris-                                   :                       -."-  .'
                                                                                                         IN     GEMORIAM            *     -.'
tian State Polity. As members .of one or the other of
existing political parties, we .exert  no influence. For                       On Saturday morning, March 30, 1935,  ,it pleased God in
 .these  parties are not Christian. As  .members of one His infinite wisdom to take unto Himself from the midst of our
 or the other of these parties, we must stand on a  plat-                   congregation a faithful member,
 `form that is not of  Godpr leave the party or hush up.                                MRS. J. KUIPERS-Nettie  Hollander,
 As members of' one or the other of existing political                      at the age of 64 years.
 parties, we help put in office men of wrong principle.                        May the bereaved husband and children experience in a rich
        The other questions will be answered in a following measure the sustaining grace and consolation of God's Spirit.
 article.
                                                     G.  M. 0.         '                       The Consistory  of Hope Prot. Ref. Church.




                         BEBENDMAKING'                                                Dood is leven, `t eind begin,
        Classis-vergadering staat,  D. V., te worden  gehou-                          Last wordt lust,  verlies  gewin,
 den Woensdag, 5 .Juni 1935, om negen uur in den voor-                                `t Scheiden. is- wat ons vereent,
 middag in de Protestgntsche.  Gereformeerde `Kerk te                                 Waar de smart heeft uitgeweend;
 Orange City, Iowa.                                                                   Dorrend groen geeft  vruchtbaar zaad,
                                   M. Vander Vennen, S. C.                            Voor tYie.`t pad met Christus gaat.
          . .


                                     . A   R e f o r m e d   Semi-yonthly  M a g a z i n e                                                          .
                           PUBLISFlED BY THE REFORMED  FRE&PUBI;ISHING   ASSOCiATION;  GRAND  RAPIDS, MICH.                                                                           ;
                                                                               i
                                                                                    E D I T O R I A L   STAFF
                                                                 I&o&-Rev.  18.  Hoeksema, Rev. G. M. Ophoff,
                                                                       .;     Rev. Wm.  Verhil, Rev. G. Vos
              I+llas  :Ave., S.E., Grand   Rapids. Mic       A&&ate  Editors-Rev. A. Cammenga, Rev. P.  .IPe
                                 s should  be  addressed
                                 524  Hemy,Ave.. S.E.,,          Boer; Rev.  M. Gritters, Rev.  C.:,Hanko,  Rev.  3.
                                                                 KL&,.  Rev.  ,G.'  Lubbers,  Rev. J.  .Vander Breggen,.
                                                                Rjv.           R::Veldman. ,                  1


        Vol   XI.  No.   16  Entered   `as  se&&  class  niail
                 -         ,                                                                 MAY 15,1935                                 Subscription Price, $2.50  '
                                  matter   at  Grand  Rapids.  Mieh.

                                                                                                                                                                      :     "

                                                                                                           Hardly had the church entered upon its existence
                                                                                                     in the midst of the world, called through  -Christ Jesus
                                                                                                     out of darkness into the marvellous light of God, when
                                                                                                     it appeared as if she would sink back at .on$e into the: ..
                                                                                                     mire of corruption from. which she had been powerfully
                                Unmoveably  Stedfast  ,                                              delivered. F'oul  sins becamemanifest in the`iife of the                                              I
                                       Therefore,  iny beloved brethren, be ye                       saints, .were  even practiced, were tolerated by the'con-
                                   stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in                         gregation. And the apostle had reminded  .them that
                                    the  wdrk  6f the Lord, forasmuch as'ye know                     once, indeed, they we're under the power of and polluted
                                    that your labor `is not .vain  in the Lord..                     v&h sin, but they had been  rediemed,  cleansed and
                                                                             I Cor.  15:58.          sanctified through the blood and the Spirit of Christ
         My beloved brethren !                                .`.-                                   Jesus, their Lord; And he had admonished them to
                Church of Corinth ! Cliu&h  in'the world and of all purge out the old leaven and .to put the evil one out of
I  iages  !-                                   '                                                     their midst.             ,  ;  ,
           . Be stedfast, be unmoveable, in the truth, in the good                                         is he, then, not also now, as he is nearing the end of
       `tonfession, in all your faith and conversation !                                             his epistle, referring back to this relapse into. their
                How often  -are ye tossed to and fro, like a- reed former conversation, when he exhorts them to be  sted-
        shaken by the wind, like a ship on the tempestuous sea, fast and unmoveable, .always ab.ounding  in the work of
        a plaything of the  :fierce  storm, victim of the an&y                                       the Lord? . . . . .                                 . . . . -
        billows!                              -_.,  _.                .~                                   And  .how severely had the  congregation of Corinth  `-. y-
               Thus: indeed, it was in the congregation of Corinth ! been shaken with regard to the truth as it is in Jesus !
                Scarcely had the church been organized through the There were those that denied the resurrection of the
 labors. of the apostle Paul when it had been well-nigh                                              dead! And the apostle had explained to them how  '
        rent to' pieces by an unholy' partisanship, a spirit of                                      serious  was the error. He had shown them, that if                                                    .
        divjsion  and strife, of wrangling and debate, by which                                      there were no resurrection of the dead, then is  .Christ
        one claimed that he was of Apollos, another that. he                                         not risen, And if Christ  is-not risen; then all `is vain.
       was of Cephas, a third that he tias of Paul and a fourth Then our faith is vain ; then we are still in our sin ;
        that Christ was the head of his particular party! And then we are without hope in the world and of all men
        the apostle-had rebuked them severely, had reminded the most miserable. But Christ is risen! The historic                                                                                    .,
        them that Christ could `not be divided, that Paul nor fact of the resurrection of Christ is established by the
        any man was crucified for them  ,and that in the name of testimony of `many faithful witnesses. He is risen !                                                                           '
       ,Paul they were not baptized; had.instructed  them anew And He arose as the firstfruits. There is not merely a
  in the glorious truth that  all'things are theirs and they resurrection of the dead in the `abstract, but the re- .
 are Christ's and Christ is  God's                                                                   surrection `of the saints is become `historic reality in                              '
                Now. approachmg  the end of his epistle, he is un-. the resurrection of the Lord.                                            1
                                                                                                      .
        doubtedly thinking once more of this evil spirit of                                                He is risen and we shall be raised with Him in glory
I`: ., division, through which the church would become an in the day of His coming ! Raised incorruptible,  in%  :
_ `easy prey of the devil, and also- with a view to this he                                          mortal, in glory, and strength,. in the image of. the
~admonishes: therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye                                                   heavenly !
,. ; stedfast,.  unmoveable ! . . . . .                                                .-       1
.' . . . j,: `, , _.                                                                                       Peath is swallowed up ! Hell has lost its `victory!. _. ., -.'
i i                        ,
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              362.                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R   ."                                         l



                    Therefore, my beloved brethren, your labor is not precious to him, more precious than all the world, yea,
             vain in Him!                                                           : than very life itself, so that he would rather give up all
                    Be. stedfast and unmoveable!                                      the world, his life and liberty than move an inch from
                    Abounding in His work !                                          his position in the truth!
                   .Always  !             t.                                             For, the exhortation is that he shall be unmoveable !
                                                                                         And the powers of darkness that will assail him in
                                                                           -         his position are many and strong and their methods of
                                                                 -.        . `.       attack are manifold ! .
                    Be unmoveably `stedfast !                                            Shrewdly and deceitfully they will approach him
                   Thus we might paraphrase the exhortation of the with the doctrines of men, the philosophy of this world,
             Word of God here.                   k                                   garbed in the cloak of truth, yet instilling the very lie
                    Stedfastness and unmoveableness are closely re-                   of the. devil'; pretending to teach Christ, yet in very
             lated in sense. The one merely expresses the notion of fact denying Him; appearing'like the Lamb, yet speak-
      .      strength to stand; the' other emphasizes this strength, jing as th.e Dragon. And he'must be able to discern
             as it is  tested.by  opposing forces. The former has its sharply light from darkness, the truth from the lie,
             figure in the mere rock, `suddenly rising from the plain ;              righteousness from unrighteousness,  .Christ from
             the latter is pictured in the same rock, but now stand- Belial!
             ing in the. midst of the ocean, battered'by  the roaring                    .Luringly  they will entice him with the  .treasures of
             waves.                                                                  this world, offer him the world's favor, `honor and glory
                    .Be unmoveably stedfast! Be so stedfast, that no                 and power, pleasure and' joy, if he will but be persuaded
             `powers of opposition are able to remove you' from your to leave his position in the truth as it' is in Christ and.
             place, that all the forces of darkness, of the devil, of the follow in the way of unrighteousness !
             .world,  of the lie, attack you but in vain.                                Or the world will frown on him, threaten him with
                   It presupposes, of cours& that you have a place to                her terrible disfavor, hatred, fury; cast him out, make
             stand: And this place to stand is the truth as it is in                 him the object of her derision and shame and mockery,
             Christ. For, that truth is. not something vague and                     count him with the transgressors, open for him the
             indefinable, so that it is impossible to discern it and to doors of her prison, kindle for him the fire of her stakes,
             distinguish it from the lie ; nor is it something indif-                sharpen her dreadful sword of persecution!
             ferent, so that it is a matter of no import; whether you                    And he must stand!,          -
            embrace the one or' the other view.                It is  deflirite,         Unmoveably stedfast must he be !
             `sharl2y to be defined, readily discernible, easily dis-                    He must not be enticed by the siren's song of the
             tinguishable, and of basic importance for your entire world. He must not be terrified by the frown of the
.I         , faith and walk and conversation in the midst of the                     power of darkness.
             world;  -  -                                                              All `things he must count but dross for the excel-
                   Such is the place, the sharply defined. position in lency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord !
             which you are admonished to stand.                                          Therefore, my beloved brethren !
              Be ye stedfast!                                                          .. Be .-ye stedfast !
           ,.Unmoveably   s t e d f a s t   !                                            Unmoveable !
                   Know the truth as it is in Christ !- Be convinced of
             the truth as it is in Jesus ! Carry that truth in your
             heart and love it! And,. when the power of darkness
             assails you, when the vain philosophy of the world
             entices-you, when false doctrine of men would lead you                      And be always abounding !
             astray, stand without wavering! For, how shall you be                       Abounding in,, the work of the Lord!
             stedfast if you do not know the truth and are not ac-                       And be sure.that  it is the work of the .Lord in which
             quainted with the very place on which you must take                     you abound. Not your, work must abound, no matter by
             position? Surely, the Christian must thoroughly know what pious name you may call it. It is not the work of
             the truth.          He may not `be content with a general               your own imagination and invention, nor the work of
             gospel. He cannot afford to be satisfied with a super- man and for man, nor even your work for the Lord,
             ficial  acqaintance  with. the doctrine of  szdvation.  He that is meant in this exhortation.
             must not be indifferent to the fundamental principles                       You must abound in the Lord's work. And the
           of the truth. He must know them. But mere knowl- Lord's work is His and His alone.
             edge is "not sufficient. For, in order to be  .stedfast, ,                  It is the work which He do.es,- in which He .grants
             unmoveably stedfast, he must be rooted in the Christ you of grace to abound, and for the which all the glory
           revealed in that truth. The knowledge of the truth                        and thanksgiving belongs to Him only.
             ,must be spiritual, must -be a living principle in his in-                  It is the work .which  He merited, for you by His,
             most heart, controlling his life and walk, dominating                   work. For, we by nature were dead through trespasses
             his inmost thoughts and desires. That truth must be                     and sins. We were wholly unfit for the work of the
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                                        .                                                                                       .
                                                   THE/STANDARD.   B E A R E R                                                       363

      i    Lord, perverse and unwilling to be instrumental for His           But wherefore ?
,.j * w&k, neither did we have the right. td b;kar  the fruit                Becaus;  the Lord is risen ! He th`at was dead livet'n
           of aood works.      But He, the Lord our  Redeemer,            forevermore. And because he liveth you may know
           worked His work in our behalf,`th?ough  His death and that your labor shall not prove. to be vain in that living
                                                                                                                           \
           iesurkection  and merited for us the unspeakable pri- Lord !
           vilege that we might .bear much fruit.' It is the work            Indeed, were He not risen, your woik in the Lord                    '
           which He works in us by the power of His grace and would be vain. Ye would of all tien be most miserable.
           Spirit. For, He arose and was exalt&$ and became the, For, not only &ouid it be mere, vain imagination that
           `quickening Spirit and returned in that Spirit to dwell
                                                                   `.     your  ?vork is the work of the Lord if He be swallowed
           in the Church and to abide with them forever. He 1% UP of death, but also will your labor prove to have been
           is that quickens y&l unto a new life, delivering you           fruitless  .and hopeless in the `end.
           from all the power of the devil. He illuminates you to            Often, indeed, the work of the Lord in' you and
           discern spiritual things spiritually; He changes ,your         through you brings you labor and toil, suffering and
           will so that .your delight may be in His precepts; He sorrow. For, if ye be &edf&st  ~~d'unmoveable,  disdain
           dwells in you and lives in y'ou, so that you may confez&:      the proffers of worldly honor and  favbr, refuse. her  '
           I live, yet no more I, Christ  liveth in me ! And He al- frie'ndship and shun her evil ways ; if your light ybu
           ways works His work in you and causes, you to bear cause to shine and the darkness you condemn; if the
           much fruit.                                                    truth you profess apd the lie you expose ; if thus you\
              He is the V&e.and  you are the branches.. And t$e           abound in the work of the Lord and put to. shame the
           branches do%ot bear fruit for the Vifie, but ihe Vine          &&%itful  work of darkness, the world will surely hate
           bears fruit in the branches.                                   you even as tid because she hates Him Who works
              And. thus  -the work is  ,always  .the Lord's,  liever      His work in you and manifests His grace..in  you. And
           yours except in as far as He deems you,worthy to`be the        your work will become toil, and your toil will become
           `manifestations of. His grace, willing  madfestsitions,        suffering, for of grace it' is given you, not only to be-
           conscious bearers of His ,f-uit,  `co-workers  with Him, lieve in Him, b@ also to suffer in His caus`e ! . . .
           that He might be glorified in you and .you, mig@ be               And if He be dead and not.r.isen,  your labor must
           thankful.                                                      surely be Sain in that dead Lord y& profess!
              In that work of the Lord abound !                              But He is risen ! Oh, remember in all your toil and
               Let it overflow in `your whole lif.e, in your inmost sorrow that Jesus Christ, your Lord is risen. from  $he
           d&ire and outward conversation, in your singing and dead ! .He,was  dead, but He liveth ! He swallowed up
           praying,  Four speaking  .and acting, your seeing and
:;.i                                                                      death and hell by His suffering and agony on the ac-
:`j        .hearing,  in your liome and in the Church, in your shop       sursed tree, and He was iaised ! No, He did not return
           and on the `street, in fellowship `tith thq people of God      in the likeness of sinful flesh, but He went on, He went
           tid over against the  powers  of darkness, when  go,* before `you into glory.: He arose in incorruptibleness
           retire and when  $0~ .awake  . . . .                           and immortality, in glory and strength, in heavenly
              A l w a y s   a b o u n d i n g !                           beauty and majesty. He  tirose the final victor over all._  --.-_
               On the day of the Lord, but  a!so in your daily life.      the pow& of &ath. He is the resurrectiofi  and the life ;
               In public worship, but also thrtiugh' your daily call- he that believeth on Himishall  live though He were
           ing whatever it may be.                                        dead and He that live@ and believeth on Him shall
--            ,.Const&ntly~  abounditig`in  the work which  the Lord never die! . . . . .
           works in you atid through :you  !                              y For, He  arose as the firstfruits !
               And for this it is an indispensible  condition that you        In His` resurrection the resurrection is an accom-
           be stedfast and unmoveable. A-doublehearted man is plished fact. That resurrection of the Lord on the
           unsteady in all his ways, but never abounds in the work        third d-ay is actually your resurrection and you. are             -
           of the Lord. Now he  s'e`ems to belong with the people raised with Him as surely as if already you were par-
           of God, joining in their worship, their  songs  and  their takers of His blessed and glorious body!
           prayer, with them receiving the-Word of God and tast-            0  &$ath, where is thy sting? 0 grace  where.is  thy
           ing that the Lord is good; and now he is attracted by ,victory  ? Thanks be to God, which giveth us the tic-
           the things of the w&d and the ways of sin, a friend of tory through our Lord Jesus Christ!
           the world that is accounted an enemy of God.                    And soon the  victory  shall be ours. The glorious                         ,
             Be'  ye,  thereforei  stedfast, my beloved brethren!         and blessed reward of grace on all our toil and sorrow!
               Unmoveably stedfast.                                           Therefore, my' beloved brethren, be stedf@t and
             For, so ye shall abide in Him Who  .is the Vine. unmoveable !
            And abiding  in Him ye shall bear much fruit.                 Always  abpunditig in His work.
               Abound in the work of the Lord !                               For, the Lord is risen indeed !
                                ,  1
            .-                                                                In Him is your blessed reward !-
                                                                                                                           H. H.
               Therefore, my beloved, brethren !           ,


izijj,--                _-i-----         ,     .---`:-            --. _
                                                          -7'                 ,                                :       `..      .        .1             1".  s::.,  :  >-.`,I  xi  I  :"  .
                                                                                   :                                                              c_                                                :
                                                           ./.                            `I     j                                             -:  ,.;.  ;.`-(::.,"   -'  (,  :,
                                                                                                                                                                    :                          2
         I                  368                                            !  T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
         iI
                                                                                                      be made . . . . for all classes of men as to the elect
              ,                                                                                       nucl&s of these classes and thus also for kings and for
         I                            The other question that Rev. Gritter's tiddress gave all those in authority, for God will have all men, that.
         :                  &se to is "no\!  fEhe Christian can pray for the govern-. is, the elect of all classes of men, be saved.,"
       .-j                  ment if the state- or government is to be identified with                       This  _ explanation was also Calvin's.  ' I quote  :%  '
         !                                                                                            I`
                            the Anti-Christian opposition. May we pray for t&s                                       for the apostle simply means; that there is no
                            violence? Before this question can be answered, it is,                    pebdli.&d  no rank in'the woild that is excluded from
         I_
        .:                  to be. considered that government. apart from  .the salvation; `because God  .wishes that  .the gospel should
                            gbvernnient  offi'cials does not exist except as an idea in               be proclaimed to .a11 without exception . . . . But the
                            the  mind.- It is the persons of the government `officials                present  di$ourse relates to classes of men, and not
                            that give to government its being. It is in'and through to individual persons ; for the sole object is, to include
 .i
:  .i
 :  :j                      the iovernme& officials that government becomes a in this  number  princes and  foreigd nations . . .  ."
 :  I                       thing th&`can be seen and bandled  and dealt with. And                    So far Calvin.
              i             the snme must be iaid of the Anti-Christian opposition.                         But  &hy should the apostle in his exhortation have
                            It makes no flesh and blood in the wjcked  rdlers of :ihe                 singled out kings?  Eecause,  in  ihe  -words  of Calvin,
                            earth. The question "May we pray for the govern-' magistrates more than others wight be hated by Chris-
                            men?' should therefore be recast and  formillated  thus tians. All the magistrates who existed at  @at time
                            "Can we, in'view  of the fact that it is through the un-                  were so many sworn enemies of ChTist ; and  therefbre
                            godly magistrate that the Anti-Christian  power takes this thought might occur to them, that they  ought not
                            on concrete existence, pray for, kings and for, all that, to pray  fop, those who devoted all their power and all
                            are in authority?" That such is the "will of God is their wealth to fight against the kingdom .of Christ,
                            certain; Wrqte  Paul to Timothy, "I exhort therefore, the extension of' which is above al! things desirable.
                            that first of all, supplication, .prajrers,  and interces-                      Thus what.`khis  scrij?ture under consideration do&
                            sion and giving of thanks, be mide f&r ail men, for not teach is, .that it is ,God's will to save every king and
                            kings, and  .for all that are in authority ; that we may                  every one in authority. This is no more His will than
                           live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and hon-                  it is His will to ,$av&  every individtal  of all the other
                            esty. For this is good and acceptible  iti the sight of classes. But `it is His will to save His elect (e&t hirigs,
                            God  our Saviour, who will have all men be saved and  to                  elect subjects) only. What the apostle therefore ex-
                            come unto the knowledge of the truth," I Tim. 2 il-4.                     horts his .readers  to do is to make prayers for the elect
                           `This scripture was quoted on the meeting.                                 of God of all classes of men, that thus no class should
                                   The will of G6d  iS evident from this scripture. We be excluded from  th& prayers. That we do not know
                            must pray  foi-  all.men  and thus also for kings and for who the elect  magistr@es':are  does not render it impos-
                            all that are in authority, .thus for all township, county,                sible for us to pray for their salvation. The only re-
                            states  `and United States (of America) officials and for quirement is that God know. And He knows.
                            state  oficials   .the world over; for presidents, kings,                       If some one objects to this limiting the prayers for
                            judges, governors, mayors of cities, members of con- all men to the elect; let him consider that the scriptures
                           gresses; pdlicemen;  sheriffs, constables, justices `of the here being <explained require  this limitation. The nZZ
                            peace, in a word, for all those in authority. But con- , mm in the clause, "Whd (namely  God)  will have all
                           `sider that the will of God as it is known from the                        men be saved," denotes tee elect. No one among us,
                            above-cited scripture is not that-we pray for this group certainly, would care to maintain the contrary. This
                            of persons indiscriminately, that is, head for head, but resolve' of God to have His elect saved is brought for-
                           for this group as to its elect nucleus. From the fact ward by the apostle as the reason for the making of
                           that the state always appears in history as the organ prayers for  all mm. Hence, the terti all men in :ih&
                            of the Anti-Christian power in that the great majority                    clause, "I exhort that prayers . . . . be made for all
                            of state  @icials are unprincipled men, it does not men," must likewise be taken as the signification of the
                           follow that in this group (the group, government of- elect, that  is, of `the  elect of all classes. To apply the
                            ficials) God does not have His elect. He does.. And it                    term  all men in the last-cited  clatise to  all mm head  fey
                           is for these that we pray. This, too, is evident from the lzead  and to at once concede or insist that the term  all
                            scripture under consideration, in particular from the men, in the clause, "Who will have all men saved,"
 .  .  ;
 :.     .          o       two clauses, "I exhort therefore that prayers be made inust be made to apply to the elect only, is to convqrt
._       j
                           for all men,,, and "for kings and for all in authority."                   this exhortation of the' apostle, into abject nonsense.
                                 The question is what construction we are to place For then it should have to be made to read thus, "I ex-
                           on the adjective  dl. IIt is plain from the context that hort that prayers . . . . be made for all men head for
                           All  is the signification not of all menhead  fqr head (so                 head and for every individual k@g because the resolve
                           maintains the Pelagian) but  of.all classes of men, that of God is to save not all men head for head and not
                           is, the elect of all these classes. The meaning of the ex- . .every `individual king but His elect only." Otherwise
                           hortation is then, "I exhort therefore that supplication said, Pray for all men  ,head for head, because it is the


                                          ;,        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                    3 6 9

          will of God to ' save `His elect only. Consider that' to apostate Christian church. It is the latter that John
          make prayers and supplication for men is to petition            on ,Patmos  saw in his vision a woman, seated upon a
          God to actually and truly bless .them,  to endow them scarlet  coloured  beast, full of names of blasphemy,
          with that wisdom of which the fear of the Lord is the           having seven heads and ten horns, Rev.  1'7:4.  This              *
          beginning, to save them unto life eternal. Only when beast is again the godless state. And, upon it the apos-
          the magistrate be endowed with this wisdom will he              tate church (the woman) is seated.. The two are
          endeavor to perform  .the duties belonging to his office        ethically  one: As a result of this conjunction, the
          to the glory of God and the actual well-being of His            apostate church prospers materially. Consider  that
          church. Only if the magistrates be believers, will the the woman that rose before the eye of John was ar-
          people of God  condinue   to lead quiet and peaceable lives.    rayed in purple and scarlet colour,  and decked with
          So the prayer that the apostle exhorts us to make for gold and precious stones and pearls. But the golden
          all men, for kings and magistrates is, must be, a peti- cup'that she held in her hand was full of abominations.
          tion for true  `l&&sing,  and not merely for life and and filthiness of her fornication. And she was drunken
          natural capacity for  ,work.          How, now; could the re- with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the
          solve of .God to save His elect only serve. as a reason for martyr-s of Jesus.
          a prayer that God bless all men head for head, that is,               To pray, `Thy kingdom come" is to pray also for
          save them unto life eternal. The exhortation of the the destruction of  thiS, opposition. Mark jrou, the be-
          apostle must therefore in the final instance be construed lievers do not take the sword to inauguarate a revolu-
          thus: whereas God is resolved to save His elect, pray tion, to gain by violence the ascendency  over the vio-
          for these. Pray for kings knd for all in authority as to        lence that persecutes and kills and sets its  mouth
          the elect of this group or class.                               against heaven; but they pray for its destruction, &be-
             May we then not pray for the salvation  `of- the in-         ing the meek of the earth, they rest their case with
          dividual magistrate respecting whom -we know not                God who judges righteously and in all their sorrows
          whether it be the will of God to save him? The be:              and persecutions, with uplifted heads, look for Christ,
          liever prays that God save the individual, be he king or        who has removed all curse from them; to come as judge
          subject, if hq, be an elect. Now to so pray is to give ex-      from heaven: who shall cast all His and their enemies
          pression to the  .desire that God save His elect.               into everlasting condemnation, and shall translate them      j
             The prayer, "Save this, or that individual, if he be with all His chosen ones to Himself,`into.heavenly  joys
          an elect" is no cold and feelingless prayer. He who             and glory (quoted from the Catechism). And in the
          takes this petition upon his lips, if he understands what interval they war a spiritual warfare, that consists in
          he. prays and truly loves the sentiment to. which he            confessing His name, in witnessing for His truth and
          gives expression with his mouth, prays `exclusively for thus in testifying against the unholy rioting of the
          God's eternal counsel; declares that this counsel is all to violence that knows not God. And they take comfort
          him  and, that therefore God realize it. In addition,           from the truth that God reigns.. In Him do they place
          this petitioner, so praying, gives expression to a senti- their firm trust that nothing shall separate them from
          ment like unto the sentiment to which the apostle Paul His love ; since all creatures are in His hand, that
          gave.   expression7vhen  he said, "I say the truth in without His will they- cannot so much as move. And
          Christ . . . That I  have,  great heaviness of heart and they, the believers, are subject into- the higher `powers,
          continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that unto the civil magistrates, also unto the wicked and
          myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren,               froward, knowing that there is no power but of God,
   ::     my kinsmen according.to  the fiesh." .Rom. 9.1,2                `that the powers that be are ordained of God (Rom.
             As to the Anti-Christian power together with, the 13 :I). Yet they obey God more than man and pray
          (reprobated) ungodly in and through .whom it assumes for kings and for ali those in authority.
          visible and tangible being, the believer prays that It           \
          may be destroyed. "Which is the second petition?" so                                                         G:M. 0.
          read question 122 of our Catechism. And the answer:
          `Thy kingdom come`., "that is, rule us also by thy word
          and Spirit, that we may submit ourselves more,  and
          more to thee ; preserve and increase thy church; de-
., ..:    stroy the works of the devil, and all violence which
          would .exalt itself against thee ; and also, all qwicked
          counsels devised against thy holy word ; till the full
          perfection of thy kingdom take. place, wherein thou                             SOUTH HOLLAND, ILL.
          shalt be  all, in all." Mark the clause, "Destroy the                 The address of the new clerk for the. South Holland
          works of the  .devil, and all violence which would exalt congregation is: L. Lanting, Lansing, Ill.
          itself against thee." What is this violence other than
          the antichristian  opposition as it comes to a head in                The address of the treasurer for the South Holland
          the ungodly, in the worldly state in league with the congregation is :' Wm. Terpstra, Oak Glenn, Ill.               1


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                                               T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R ,                               -                  :, 375

                              F o r g i v e                             sweet counselling will stands before you in 10 words
                                                                        of God, the literal translation of Decalogue: the 10
                It is Peter, the Apostle who asks the question; and commandments.
        it is the same Peter who receives that strange answer:              Yet, the number 10 brings no mere addition to the
        "I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until  ; number `7. Their unity lies in the love of God. The
        seventy times seven.."                                          plagues are the expression of the holy Self-Love of God
           Well, that is only 490 times. Not very much indeed; that burns in wrath; while the  Deealogue  is expressed
        if we may have a long life on earth and- live in the same in one word : Love God and thy .neighbor  as thyself.
       place so that `we have  oppor?unity  to rub elbows with              Therefore, the number  `70 adds to the  fir,& thought
       the same set of people for say 60 years.: We are all             this element, an element that belongs to the divine idea
       miserable creatures ; but then, there are exceptionally of forgiveness: it is the expression of the counselling
        troublesome brethren among us, so that it ought not will of Jehovah. Restfully and peacefully, from-the
       to be long before we have opportunity to exhaust even heart you forgive because'it is the Life-throb of God's
       the number 490.                                                 , will. It is so unutterably glorious to forgive the
        _ And finally say to the oft-erring brother: T h e r e   ` b r o t h e r !
       now, that is the, last time I forgive you : on the author-          Moreover, yoursforgiving  is `70 times 7.
       ity of Jesus Himself: I am quits with you. The next                  What additional thought lies in the idea of multi-
       time you trespass against me, Iam *going  to hit you Piication as such? .That  we in a finite way find the re-
       over the head with a big stick. Fitting the offense, I will .dtant fib.@e 490 ? \                                  '
       mete out punishment to you.                                          God forbid !
          `We feel at once that our ideas of multiplication do              .How  monstrous would `that idea be. Then there
       not fit here. `_ And the reason is clear: we are earthy, .would be an end of love and friendship. Then there
       and the Speaker is the Lord of heaven. `We have here would be-an end of grace.
       a multiplication table that i,s.divine,  heavenly, spiritual     : No, a  thousand'times  no, beloved. That is not the
       a n d   e t e r n a l .                                         t heavenly, divine, spiritual, eternnE idea of multiplica-
           The number 7 ought to have told us this.                    tion. Peter will place your and my feet on the right
           Seven is among numbers the nicest. In one word : it way ** "Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied."
is expressive of heavenly glee with God's countenance                      When God multiplies, He never ceases; His multi-
       above and before us. It is the essence of rest and.peace. .plication continues and continues forever. The third
                                                                                                          ' ,                  :'
       For it is the number of God's covenant. It is the,cnlmin-       thoL'ght   is eternity-
       ation of all creation and recreation. Seven brings you              He&e,  your forgiving is characterized by loving
`I to church, where you sit with faces that shine of hap-              peace : you restfully, and from the heart forgive ;
       piness, and souls that warble like the sweetest song-           sedondly,  you do so consciously as the expression of the
       birds. Seven cuts you Ioose from the..devil  and his god-       counselling will of God ; and, thirdly, you do so continu-
 less mob ; it refreshes and quickens your drooping ally, eternally, without ever ending. Will  YOU please
:`- spirits.. Man, mere man, is but six? the week minus- .:.--..-,
                                                                       find its counterpart, or its semblance in:.the worId  for
       its sabbathic  crown ; the earth' without heaven ; Fil-me beloved ? Nay, do not attempt,- for it is not. There
       istia minus Canaan ; man without God-and.  hence, `with- you find : No. 1, The unrest of hatred ; No. 2, The will
       out rest and hope in the world. Seven, however, is  corn;       of the devil ; `No. 3, Narrowminded finality of mercy,
       pletion. It is complete rest. The rest of salvation.            which is cruel. Their ,forgiving ( ?) has an end.
       The weary desert traveler breaking forth in rapturous               "Therefore, is the Kingdom of heaven. likened unto
       singing when the hills of Judah are in the .offing.             a certain king, which would take account of his ser-
          Therefore,. your forgiving must be characterized by          vants  :  *  * .  -  "
       the number 7. It is a restful forgiving. It is the for-             Therefore, for that reason . . . . .
       gi,ving  that springs from the Covenant love and friend-            The Kingdom of heaven may be near at hand, it
       ship of God Himself. Expression of the sweetness of may be "even. as to its principle within us, nevertheless
  -the Love of God.                                                    it is not yet fully come and realized.' So there is room
 `_       The number 70 in the multiplication of the Lord of and necessity  .to teach by this parable.  -
       heaven adds a wonderful thought. The number, 10 is.                 And what a parable !
       multiplied with the number of  Divine.love  and friend-             There ye three scenes : 1. The mercy of the reckon- '
       ship.                                                           ing King; 2. The, hardness of the unmerciful  ser-
          What does lO`tel1  us?                                       vant ; and 3. -The terrific punishment with its warning
          The number 10 is the will of God, according to His conclusion*
       counsel. When God counsels that Egypt must .be pun-'                By nature we owe so much to the Almighty:
  `ished,  that counselling will meets Egypt in 10 terrible                Oh, .when  He begins to reckon the sum we owe is so
       plagues. When that same God counsels the walk of great!
       life for His creature that is moral and. rational, that             It is only a parable and we have need to remember
                                                                 -
                                               -.


        376                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R  '                                                :

        it so that we will only apply that which'is essenticbl  in tween the sinning against God and the sinning against
       `the parable to the issue at hand ; but even then the              our fellozus. God is the wholy Other.
       .ambunt is very great, "For my sin is very great,!:' We,              Secondly, note  .the difference in the debt.' The
L ..even  sing of it.                                                    first is reckoned in talents ; the second in pence. A
               The servant `owes the Ring. ten thousand talents. ' :penny  ..is only one six-thousandth part of a talent..
        Even when we figure the amount on the basis of the                Moreover, the first debt is ten thousand talents ; the
cheapest talent the sum amounts to  $11,250,000.00.                       second debt is merely an hundred pence.
        That is .lll/, millions of dollars!. We notice that the              Thirdly, notice' the manifestation of the devil: he
        intent of, Jesus is to compare our debt to a sum of               takes him by the throat: Pay me that thou owest.
        money which we have no ability to pay.. Indeed, if .T             Do you not see that this.man was a liar? He never was
        would `owe that much money I would never be able to               an object of mercy. The first scene in the parable
       ~ satisfy my creditor. An endless debt it is.                      simply describes him as he confesses in words to `be:
         I And so it is with God and us,:as we are born. When a child of God. `Without the truth'in the inward parts.
        we lie in the cradle<that  debt is on the account books in
      * heaven.                                                              Small wonder, that when the King -hears `of it, he
           It  .is endless. So endless that no, one can reckon it.        proceeds to tear away the mask that hides `the devil
                                                                          behind it: "Shouldest not thou also have had compass-
        Only God is able to evaluate it.         '
               Someone will say, that we indeed can evaluate it, ion on thy fellowservants, even as I had pity on thee?"
                                                                          The testimony of this spirit is: My Lord forgave me
      namely that our debt  is  equal to the heart's blood of
        Jesus.                                                 _          all that debt, because I desired it of Him. But his life
               Indeed, that is true. But would you kindly tell me:        gives the lie to it: forgiving grace never entered his
                                                                         h e a r t .
        Just how dear an how precious is that Blood?' In the
        words of Paul: Can you tell the height and the breath,               Hence, beloved, the matter does not stand .thus,
        and the letigth and .the depth of the love of God ? For `that because we forgive; God forgives us ; but in this
        you. will readily agree with me that the Blood of Jesus way and order': when we experience the eternal mercy
        is the expression of the eternal Love of. God.                    of God in the forgiveness of our great debt, we will,
               What a chain! There is the endless debt of our `show forth that same merciful spirit of God in our
        guilt. .It calls for its exact price in the account book of dealings with our fellowservants. That is the order in
        God: the Blood of Jesus. And, in its turn, that Blood the parable ; that is `also the order in our experience.
        is the loving heart of God Triune.                          s     This manleft the presence of the'Almighty,  but nothing
           .Hence,  ,we .are at a loss to `rightly evalate our debt. . was changed in. his heart ; ergo, he took his fellow-
        It is endless. So -we sing : "Endless is the love of God !" servant by the, throat.  a
.`             Now this is the situation in the Church of God that           An&  t&s is the warning: if we do not forgive every
        there is  -a spirit of hardness extant which indeed owns one from the heart his brother their trespasses, and in
        unto itself the love, the forgiving grace of God, but             that way show that we still have the devilish hardness
        which shows that it is a lie.                 ' ,                 of heart'in us ; then the Lord will likewise hand us over
               First -of-all, they are-the Pharisees and Scribes that to the -tormentors, that. is, -hell.         1     .__
        are always like buzzing bees around the Son. of `God,                But, if we forgive from the he.art,  that is, if Divine
        annoying Him and tormenting Him. But `also you find mercy flows through that heart to our fellowservants
      ' that evil spirit  in  the real children of God. Hence,            than sin against us, we will receive greater mercy.
        Peter!s  question. And we should eschew that evil spirit Blessed are the merciful, for they. shall obtain mercy.
        like we es_chew  the pest,                                           To err, they'say, is human; it is Divine,to forgive..
               The Lord Jesus shows us in the parable of Matthew I will\ add to this, that it is blessed to forgive.
        18 the evil working of that spirit.                                Try it once, but no, I may not ask this of you. I
          In the first scene of the parable' the Lord pictures will say .it in ,another. way.
        the Pharisee as he claims to be : an object of the mercy             Do you not know that time when you would not
       `of God. God is his Father and Abraham is his father: `forgive, but .when you cherished that ,hatsed  in your
        His debt., is forgiven. And now the unregenerate heart for a length of time? Do younot  remember that
      8 Pharisee will have to admit that the debt is'll1/ mill- you studiously avoided your ,brother  in Christ?, Will
      ions: that is, it. is endless.                                      you not recollect how you showed him `a cold face and
         ' Behold him ! He is. strutting fo.rth ,from the pres-           sombre eyes, because you were sinned against? Many
        e&e of Almighty God. Just. a moment ago he was times you assured yourself how yours was a righteous.
       grovelling in the dust. But according to his own testi- indignation : he was to blame and not  YOU  !
        mony: he received grace.                                          Yet, you grew sadder by the day. And small
               In the second scene this same man finds one of his wonder. You were given over to the tormentors. There
        fellowservants. Notice the difference. It shows us was no blessedness in that state of mind, but on the con:
        that God  rightly accounts and reckons. We merely trary : there was heaviness of spirit. Your song -was
        find our debtors. There is such a,terrible  difference be- silent,. because it was not.

                             '     I


                                                                                            -5                                                                       t..
                                                                                            .",I

                   i                                              ` T H E   S T A N D A R D   - B E A R E R                                                                                 3 7 7

           And all the time you went in your inner closet to                                                                                         C O N T R I B U T I O N   '
God, Who knows and sees all things. And again: Oh,                                                                                                                                    .:.
God, be ,merciful,  be merciful to me?! Ah, .it cannot Dear Mr. Editor:-                                                                                                                     -.-
be done!
           But God  said:.- Your debt is 10,000 talents and his,                                                                   Perhaps it' is not out of place to make a few re- '
your brother's is only 100 dinars. Get thee'out  of My marks in regard to M. M.`s criticisms of recent date
sight ! Yes, but I am sinned against, Oh, God ! Go to with reference to the "well-meaning offer." I am sorry
thy brother. Yes, but he ought to come to me! Go                                                                            to say that M. M. is not a careful reader, and as a re-
to thine brother.                                                                                                           sult continually is drawing wrong conclusions.
                                                                                   /
           And you went.                                                                                                           First of all let M. M. be  cassured.  that the results of
           And the -angels began to sing.,                                                                                  my so-called "search" for material were far,more ex-
           And returning, your heart picked up the strain of tensive than he supposes and could have been extended
your former songs. You were happy again. No, you                                                                            indefinitely, but, for the time limit. of an after-recess
were happier than before.                                                                                                   paper, and setondly that. if he had borne in mind the
           .You received more mercy.                                                                                        fact. that the article was given with the sole`.intent  of
                                                                                           G. v.                            presenting the personal views of the authors quoted
                                                                                                                            and not to `substantiate our doctrine, his article un-
                                                                                                                            doubtedly would have been left unwritten. In fact,
                        :      :           ,                                                                                our views need no substantiation, for they are Biblical,
                                                                                                                            but it undoubtedly is of interest to find men who had
                                                I N   MEMOiUAM  `.                                                          conceptions similar to ours. s Cf course this does not
          Het .heeft  den Heere behaagd om na een kortstbndig lijden                                                        mean that in all details we are able to agree, but in re-
van ons weg te nemen, ons geliefd dochtertje,                                                                               gard to fundamentals, I venture to say we are safe
                                                ._  .&EN-`&                                                                where they lead the way.
                                                                                                                                  However, for the sake of argument, I will take
in den ouderdom van 11 jaar en `7 maanden.
          Haar leven was in harmonie met het blij getuigenis: "Ik ga                                                       M.,  M.`s standpoint that these articles were written to
naar Jezus;  naar het land vloeiende van melk'  en. honig!"                                                                bolster up our position, and then' it strikes me that his
                                                                                                                           chief objection is that these men are not "unquestion-
          Dit lenigt onze smart.                                                                                            ably Calvinistic" in their teaching; hence of no value to
                                                       Bert `Middel  '                                                      substantiate our views. And let me say, right here is'
                                                       Alice Middel-Vissia                                                 the weakness of M. M.`s argument. He hears the words
                                                  L o u i s   J o h n
                                                       John Herman                                                         "Baptist, Episcopalian", etc. and concludes, "These men
                                                                                                                            are of any and all. persuasions and therefore objection-
          Barton Ave. and South Nevada St.,
           Redlands, California                                                                                             able". If M..M. is acqainted  with the `writings of these
                                                                                                                            men he should prove to us that they are not Calvinistic
                                                                                                                            in doctrine. I think, however; it `can easily be proved
                                                                                                                            that these men are sound, and pray, how could it be
                                                                          .-.-
                                                                                  .._.     --       .     .         --.--._      --_      .
     "                                                                                                                      otherwise? They  certainly  are not  Arminians.'  The  .---
                                                I N   M E M O R I A M                                                       well meaning offer is not a plant "of Calvinistic but of
          On April 23, it pleased the Lord to take from our midst unto                                                      Roman Catholic and Arminian soil; If we study the
Himself our dearly beloved schoolmate and pupil,                                                                            writings of the men I quoted and compare them with
                                                LENA MIDDEL,                                                                the% five points of Calvinism, viz., total depravity, un-
                                                                                                                            conditional election,. particular redemption, effectual
at the age of 11 years.                                                                                                     calling and perseverance of the saints, we cannot but
           Alth.ough  our hearts are sad, we praise God for we are                                                          come to the conclusion that they are Calvinistic in
confident that she is present with her Lord, to serve Him per-                                                              their teaching., In fact the Particular Baptists of the
fectly throughout all eternity.                                                                                             present day are strongly Calvinistic and the Church of
           God's will be done as He has revealed His ways in  His                                                           England in the past has had a noble army of Calvin-
Word:- The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart:                                                              istic divines and even today they are:not  lacking.
and merciful men are taken away, none  `tionsidering  that the
                                      :                                                                                          Parks in his `Calvinism :  ,Why unpopular?" says,
righteous  .is taken away from the evil to come. He shall enter                                                             "Many great and gifted men  ,have believed ,ahd de-
into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in                                                              fended Calvinism  - Augustine,  Zanchius,  the learned
his uprightness, Isaiah 573,  2.                                                                               i            Witsius, the deep thinking Archbishop Usher, the in-
          May.  this death teach' all of us to be prepared, for we do not                                                   trepid Knox,  Toplady, Gill,  Hawker (of  whom Irons
know the hour or the day of our death.                                                                                      was ,a disciple), Owen, and a whole host of stars of
                         The children of the First iReformed  Christian School                                              minor magnitude. Here we have Augustine, of the
              I               of Redlands, Cal.,                                                                            early Christian Church, Reformed, Episcopalian,  Bap-
                                                      Peter R. Zuidema, Principal.                                          tist, Presbyterian, Puritan, listed among the greatest
                                                                                                                                               -1
-                                                                           . .                                                                                `,           I
                                                                                                                                                                                       ,


f          .;
                                                                          `\                          ,,.                                             `.                      -1.           .y,               ,,.
                                                                                                                                                                        .      .          .;             .
                                                                                                                                    w
                                                                                        `,           4%
i                      3         7    8                         T H E   ` S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R .                                                                            _.

                       lights of Calvinism. Nor need I be afraid to include              `.`Het Evangelie" wherein this subject has been most
                  the Congregatiomdist,  Jonathan Edwards. Besides if ably treated.                                            -
                  M.  M.. brings to memory that the delegates from Eng-                                                                                           A.  D..  *
           .      land to the Synod of Dordt were Episcopalian, surely
                  his horizon must be extended to include men of other                          P. S. In connection with the above article it might
                  climes and  bountries  besides reformed Holland. I be an interesting study for one of our ministers to trace
                  would also call his attention' to the present day Sover- `the controversy about the "Well meaning  Offer" in. both
                  eign Grace union, calvinistic in doctrine, including men the Chr. Ref. Church `in the Netherlands in the  1850's
                  of various denominations of Calvinistic persuasion. .                 and the Chr. Ref. Church in America in the 1880's ;
                                                                                        also whether or not this question had any bearing on
                            The above, I hope, has silenced M. -M.`s criticism as the Secession of the True Dutch Reformed Church and
                 to these men not being `Calvinistic in doctrine.  T This the Chr. Ref. Church in America. This in connection
                  does not mean that' we accept  the teachings of these with the note on Page. 185' of Van Eyck's "De Landpa-
                  men without reserve. We call Dr. A. Kuyper a great len der Gereformeerde  .Vaderen"  where he says : "Het
                 ,Calvinist,  but do not actept  ,his Common Grace theory; is opmerkelijk, dat in het dispuut tusschen de Afge-
                  we call. Brakel,. quote'd  by M. M. a Calvinist and a be- scheidenen van 1822 en de' Gereformeerde Kerk,, de
                 loved writer, but certainly do not agree with his com- kwesties voorkomende uit het leerstuk der algemeene
                 mentary on Revelations ; we  call' Philpot   ~ a Calvinist,            genade, het eenige struikelblok vormen. De.  Afschei-
                  but do not, accept his stand on Infant Baptism; we call               cling van 185'7 in het  Westen  was, in leerstellige  pun-
                 Hawker  ,a Calvinistic, but do not accept the Episcopal ten, gebaseerd op die van 1822, zoodat de Afgescheiden
                 from .of Church Goverment nor their ceremonies which kerk van het Westen,  in haar `besluit  te Kalamazoo in
                 smack too much of  Boman Catholicism.                                  1924 het standpunt harer vaderen  van 1822 en 1857
                                                                                        verwierp en dat van de Gereformeerde -Kerk van 1822,
                            In regard to  Philpot,  M. M. has missed the drift of alsmede dat- van Dr. Van Raalte en de Classis Holland,
                 this criticism completely: What  Philpot  means to bring tegenover de Afgeseheidenen, tolkomen innam.? D. .i
                 out is "I differ widely from these, old Puritan writers,
                 as for instance when they make their offers of grace,                                                                                 .                                                :
                 etc., but I can ,bear with them, for they were rather                                                       ANNIVERSARY
                 errors of the head than of the ,heart,  `but they do sadly                                                                                                                _  1
                 grate upon my mind, but I  cannot  bear with, nor pass                                                      1885 - 1935
                 them by in the present day writers, who claim to be                           On Tuesday, April 30, our beloved. parents,
                 followers  and.who profess..they  hold the same views as                                                JOHN VAN WINSHEYM
      :          the old Puritans, for since the church of God h`zs, at                                                             a n d
      "          the  .present  time more light than the old, writers and                                  JENNI  VAN. WINSHEYM-Sietsema,
                 since we have a purer, clearer and more thoroughly                     commemorated their 50th wedding anniversary.
                 gospel sound in the' latter days, since the immortal                         .May our heavenly Father who has been with them and blessed
                `Coal heaver' expounded the way of God' more per- them in the past, be also with them in the future, and fill our
      .-`  fei?tly; there
                            _           isabsolutely  no  -excuse for  .them  coming hearts as children with gratitude -for-  the blessing -bestowed
                 with well-meaning offers". Applying this critidism  to upon them, is the wish and prayer of their children.
                 1924, we can readily see that Philpot would not be Able                                                     Mr. and Mrs. Kryn Jansen
                 to'enjoy fellowship with the Chr. Ref. Church. How-                                                         Mr. and Mrs. John Van Winsheym,  Jr.
                 ever, M. M. does not quote the 1924 controversy,  cox-                                                      Mr. and Mrs. Bert Kett
                                                                                                                                                 And 5 grandchildren.
                 rectly.  At that `time it was the  Chr. Ref. Church,                                                                                                                              -
                 gathered in Classes and Synod, who thought. the denial                        Grand Rapids,  Mi+.                                                                                 Ip
                                                                                                                                                                                           25.'
                 of the well-meaning offer of so much importance that
                 they were unable to. enjoy fellowship with the Revs.
                 Danhof, Hoeksema, Ophoff and in consequence hun-                                                            IN MEMORIAM
                 dreds `were thrown out of the church and robbed' of,                         _  Cp Goede Vrijdagmorgen, den  19den  April,  behaagdex  het  *
                                                                                        den Heere een onzer leden,
                 their places of worship.                                       .                                       MRS. W. WILLEMSTEIN,                                         .
                       i In conc1usion.I  can assure M. M. that he can find door den dood uit ons'midden weg. te nemen in den ouderdom
                 these well-meaning offers not only in the writings of  so-             van 71 jaren.                                                                                                                \
                 called Calvinists who like H,upton  so' aptly remarks,                        Moge de Heere de  harten der bedroefden vertroosten door
                 "in a moment drop from their high Calvinistic Zijne genade, die ons in Jle omstandigheden genoeg is, alsmede
                                                                                        door de heerlijke gedachte, dat zij die heenging hare hope had
                 eminence into the quagmire of Arminianism when they gevestigd op dat "blij vooruitzicht dat ons streelt."
                 begin to advance their offers and overtures" but in the                                   Be Vrouwenvereeniging der Prot. Geref. gemeente
                 writings of all Arminians who treat this. matter. I                                                  te Sioux Center, Iowa,
                 would like to refer M. M. to the last two pamphlets of                                                                  R. Veldman, President
                 Rev:Hoeksema  "Een Kracht Gods tot Zaligheid", and                                                                        Mrs. B. Eaart'man,  Seer.
                                                                                                             . ..-                                                                            '  .

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                                       ,.                                                                                                                          -..       .._.
                                                                                *
      *
                                                                    - T H E '   ST.ANDk.RD   BEABER                                      :                    379

                                             THE .PRBBOSED PLAN                                    The English Men's Society of the First Protestant
                                                                                            ReFormed Church of Grand Rapids; after having care-
                             Geachte Ds. Hoeksema;-                                         fully  considered  and thoroughly discussed the pro and
                   *  Haar mijn  inzicht hebben we  .heelemaal   geen  be-, con arguments in regard to the "Proposed Plan" out-
                 hoefte om onze S. B. te veranderen.                                        lined in the Standard Bearer of Feb. 1, 1935, respect-
                     `De, S.`B. wordt met groote belangstelling gelezen,:                   fully submits its conclusions :                         ,
                 zooals men dan ook schrijft. En het is ook volkomen'                               W-hereas, there is a .difference  of opinion among the
                 waar, naar mijn inzicht, dat  wij er ook groote-behoefte                   subscribers .of the Standard Bearer as to whether it
                 aan hebben om opgebouwd te  worden  in die  waarheid.                      shall be continued in its original form or whether its
                     En nu vraag .ik : wat moeten  die kinderen  anders complexion shall be radically altered ; atid  where<as, it
                 hebben? Ik  dacht als het beste niet te  goed  is voor , seems desirable to reconcile this divergent opinions
                 onze `kinderen, `dat die leer onze kinderen  moeten heb-                   without jeopardizing the future of the Standard
                 ben. Wat moet daar nu voor ingevoerd worden?  Eeh                          Beaier as a theological publication, the following  sug-
                 be&je  kerknieuws of een. Zondagschoolles? wat helpi gestions tend toward a solution:
                 dat? Of een beetje van de'mensch  er bij? Och ja, dat                              1. Retain the S. B. in its original form and coh-.
                 hoort we1 mooi  misschien, maar ik geloof niet dat *we ' tents:
                 dien weg op  moeten. Daar zijn we net af.  Moeten we                               a. Publish the S. B. monthly.
                 daar nu weer  heen?  Laten  %' God bidden, dat Hij ons  b*  To  contain   24  pages*
                 daarvoor beware, dat we niet  `van die weg mogen  af-                              c. Edited by Rev. H. Hoeksema and Rev. G. M.
                 gaan, geen zijpaden  mogen inslaan, m?ar dat wij als                       Ophoff*
                leera& en ouders  sa'men niogen werken,  de  kinderen                              2. Publish a diversified "Weekly".
                 mogen onderwijzen zooveel als in on's `is,.`met  al .onze                          a. To contain 4 pages (the size of  t&e present
                 krachten, dat ze die leer mogen verstaan meer en meer.                     "Ho1land  Home   News")  -
                 Eh.ddarvoor  is immers de S. B. tech zoo goed;                                    b. Departmentized as outlined in the' "Proposed
                     Ik weet  wel, wij hebjoen `een harde taak, .want  die P1an"*
                 oppervlakkige weg is "veel  gemakkelijker. En dat zit'                      c.         Edited by- our younger .ministers.
                 in ons jonge volk maar veel te veel. Ja, misschien in                             d. Printed on cheaper paper.
                 OILS zelf ook wel.                                                                e. Carrying advertisements.
                    j Want zie, als men opgaat naar Gods h&s, en men :                             3. The subscribers would receive both public&ions
                ,_ laat de ,heele huishouding maar thtiis, hoe kan men-dan                  for a single subscription price, thus tending to over-
                 een zegen verwachten,  als men niet in den. weg der ge- come the possible tendency of subscribing for either
                 hodrzaamheid leeft ? Ik .beschouw  het zoo, dat %ve op paper individually-
                 zullen gaan met onze kinderen. Wij kunnen we1 be-                                 4. Thti weekly containing the Sundayschool lesson,.
                 gberen voor onze,kinderen;  maar alleen  in den weg des                    to be.su&gested  as the official publication to be distri-
                 geloofs wil de Heere dat `we zullen wandelen. Wil men buted to all the Sunday  School pupils insiead  of the one
                                                                                                         .
                 nu wat voor die kinderen  anders dan de S. B., laat -men                   now usea.
                 dan de Btinfier in-huis nemen maar' laat dan de-&-B;                              5. -Both -publications to be  bi-liagual  (Holland and
                 met `rust. Wast no,gmaals  is die S. B. zoo goed  voor Engligh) .
                 ons, dan ook zeker voor onze kinderen,  maar  dan ook                             6. Both papers to  .be published by a committee
                 b,eslist, geen andere weg. Ook geen  an&r blad. Dat . consisting  .of five members; two  members  from  tlie
           : is mijn' gedachte.                                                             classis en three  membres  from the church at large.                       .-
                                                                    Mrs. S. Boomsma                              Respectfully submitted,
                     South Holland, Illinois                                                          &glish Men's  Sot.,  First Prot. Ref. Church,
                                                                                                                                    Sidney De Young, Se'y.

                             G    e           a    c      h    t    e      Redacteur:-
           .       De  Tjrotiwenvereeniging   `fBidt  en Werkt"  der  Pro-
                 testantsche Gereformeerde  ,gemeente  te Orange City                                                  ANNIVERSARY
                 laat  u door dezen  weten  dat zij  geeq  verandering  in                                                          .         .'
                                                                                                   Den 29sten Mei,  1935, hopen onze geliefde Ouders,
                 onze Standard Bearer  wetischt. Wij gelooven, :dat.  de
                -Standard Bearer, ook zooals hij nu  iis;  we1 ten zegen                                          SIMEON'VANDER KOOY
                 kan zijn voor onze jeugd en dat wij;allen.ve&l  verliezen                                                    en
                                                                                                      HENDRIKA T. VANDER KOOY-Schravesande,
                 zouden  met het nieuwe plan oni de Standard Bearer te
                 veranderen. En daarom, als het  u belieft, geeli veran- hun 40-jarige  echtveree$ging te  Ferdenken.
                 dering.'                                                                          Dat de Reere  hen nog vele jaren  voor elkander en voor ons
                                             Namens de vereeniging,                         moge  sparen,  is de wensch en bede van hunne  dankbare   kinde-
                                                                                                                                                         1
                                                                                            reri en kl,e+kinderen.
                                                        Mrs.  v. De Jager, Secretaresse.           Grand Rapids,,  Mich.
                    Orange City, Iowa                                                                 743 Bates St., S. E.                                    .

:     ,

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                                                                                                                                                                             ;               ,....
     ,                                                                                                                                                                            .'                                `_
                       3 8 0                                             T H E   S T A N D A R D   Bl&RER

                                                THE PROPOSED PLAN                                      Geref. predikanten zeer we1 weten,  en sommigen ook
                                                                                      -'               bekennen.  Doch om er openlijk voor uit te komen,
                                       Geachte Redacteur :-                                            daar hebben ze den moed niet toe. Ze zijn den men-
                                   Naar aanleiding van. uw Proposed -pltin' en de S. B. ~schen meer  gehoorzaam  dan God. En nu  heeft God                                                                                *
                                                                                                                ~.                        .              ~                                                ,
                       wenschen wij als kerkertiad  ons uit te spreken. En we1                         aoor zlJn eeuwlge  genaae ons nog mannen  gegeven als
                       in` deze voege, dat wij, sterk tegen de verandering zijn.                       Ds. Hoeksema, die pal staan en geen duimbreed  wij-
                       Wij zijn van meeking  dat onze k&kengroep,  er schade                           ken,  als ,het er op  aaiikomt;  want ze zijn Gode meer
                       bij zal lijden daar @r nog we1 terdege behoefte is aan                         gehoorzaam dan de menschen. E~v wat'nu een ?s. uit
                       de zuivere, diepe verklaring van onze Prot. Geref.                              de Chr. Geref. kerk noem! verdorven  leer van Hoek-
                       w a a r h e i d .                                                              sema,  willen.  wij die  z.g. verdorven leer  maar altijd
                                   Laat ons onze beginselen niet verslappen in  ens weer hooren en meer .van hooren, en zoo hooren, dat
                       blad, qaar zeer waarschijnlijk gevaar voor is, als.wij wij duidelijk het v&&hi1  kunqen.  hooren.
                       de ztiiaerheid van onze beginselen wat zwakj&  begin-                              Zwijgt u niet stil, Lis. Hoeksema C en ook &lle andere
                       n&n vobr te stellen. , pnze  meening is daarom,  dat cr                        Prot.  Ref. domine's) maar  laat ohs altijd weer hooren, ,
                      geen  veranderinrr'moet   k o m e n .   '                                       dat de Chr. Geref. kerk dwaalt, en waar ze in dwaalt,
                                   Natielis  den kerkeraad  der Prot. Geref. gemeente  te zo.od+t  het opgroeiende geslacht het niet mag vergeten.
                                       Oak Lawn, Illinois.                                            Het is maar een klein'groepje dat zich schaart  om u,
                                                                                                      Ds. Hoeksema, en last dat'groepje dati nog.maar  klei-
                       <.                                                                             ner worden,  maar ,houdt u tech nooit op met uw stand-
                      Rev. H. Hoeksema and Associate Editors and Readers punt v&t te houdenj  want het is uit God.
                                   ,of' the Standard Beare?.                                              En wat al die verandering betreft  ian de S. B., het
                                                                                                      is uit. den booze. De  .menschen   moeten   vat nieuws
                                      Dear Brethren :-                                                hebben; het begint hun te vervelen..  Precies  zoo met de
                                   After having read all the comments both pro and                    Zondagschool. Al is de kerkeraad en het `grootste  ge-
                      can on the proposed change of -the S. B. I ati becoming. deelte van de gemeente er  o?k tegen, dan komt er nag
                      more and more convinced that tie  s%otild not change it. een Zondagschool.                                                     Onze. Geref. vaderen  hebben altijd
                      and in view .of this I ask :                                                    gezegd, dat de Zondagschool niet goed is. En tegen-
                                   1. If our children do not read the S. B. enough is                 woordig in Amerika is het de dood voor de kerk.
                      that the`fault ,of tlie S. B., or is that my fault arid your . .                    Geliefde Br. en Zusters, laat ons  tech waken  e?i
                      fadt ?                                                                          bidden dat niemand onze kroon neme, en  .God  danken
t                                  2. Has not the S. B. in the past been a wonderful                  dat hij ons nog manhen  geeft die nog leeren .dat God
                      medium of defense to us?                                                        God is, en dat Hij, de levende God is. Laat ons  stand-
               .(                  3. Has not the S. B. always been ,read to edifica-                 vastig zijn en blijven bij het oude. Al die  nieuwig-'
                      tion of the brethren and by  our foes  atitithetically?                         ,heden  brengt ons  yan God  af., En als er br. en zusters
                              And such it must Stay. Its contents must be so                          zijn die hun kirideren  aan de Chr. Geref. Zondagschbol
                      positive, so emphatic as to leave no doubts in the minds toevertrouwen, `kunnen ze ze ook  we1 aan de kerk  toe-
                      of-  its- readers. And I --feel that  the. proposed change vertrouwen  ; en als xe bun kinderen'pq. de kerk durven
                      would not help maintain, that standard of publication.                          toevertrouwen,  kunnen ze er zichzelf ook aan toever-
                                                   S i n c e r e l y   y o u r s ,          .         t r o u w e n .
                                                                                                         U                 g         r          o       e     t    e    n    d          ,
                                                                        P. T. Kelderman          '                                                                      $. J. Meelker
                      Lansing, Illinois                                                                 ,, Rcdlands, California                               '

                                                                                                          `.
                                      Geachte Redacteur :-                                                                                                                                    i:               :
                                                                                                                                                                                              /;          :

                     Er wordt  tegenwoqrdig  heel wat geschreven  ovex                                                                         A N N O U N C E M E N T
               , de  S. B.                               :                             ^
                              De een is voOr veranderiqg,  en de andere  is tegen.                       The Annual meeting of  tlie'Gr&d  Rapids Christian
                      Wat ik echter' .niet  begrijpen kan is, waarom  velen ver-' High School Association will be held in  tile school
                      andering  willen.  .                                                            building .on Thursday evening, May 23, 1935, :at 8 :00
                             Is de S. B. zoo&ls  ze nu is geen kostelijk %lad, yvaar-            p.  M.
               .in wij een schat van. kennis kunnen opdoen ; en waar                                     Election of Bodrd Members, Adoption of the Budget
                      Gods  woord naar de zin en  me&ing van de Heilige .
                      Schrift,  en zooals wij dat  willen  hooren wordt  ver-                    and such other matter as may' prqperly  cdme before
          I           klaard? En wij  willen  daar  nu.  tech zeker geen  licht  this  meeting.
                      kerkblad van  hebb&? God heeft ons  uit de Chr. Ger.                               May we have a full attendance`, thereby showing
               .' kerk getrokken, die dwalende is,; wat de. meeste Chr. that we are interested in this cause.


                             ..                                                                                                 .


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           ,'                            T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEARER                                                      381
    -
                   The Tenth Plague                       j..          to `riot in the  very night  `and hour  &at Moses has
                                                                       stipulated. Its spread is sudden, amazingly swift and
       The instructions of the, Lord, bearing OA the.pas&haI           restficted  as has been predicted to the firstborn of men
   lamb, have been obeyed. The bloo&  of the lamb  ha;s                and  beast to whom it is also without 3 single exception
   been struck, on the two side posts and ,ori the upper               fatal. Pharaoh and. his people in spite of themselves
   door  posts'of  the houses. The children of Israel  tire            must be anticipating the blow.  What evidence that
   thus secured igainst the `tivenging justice of God. And the visitation'is  of the Lord atid  that-He is the God in.
   this'justice now strikes. It is midnight and the Lord the midst of the earth.                            ., .
   smites all the firstborn in the  land of Egypt, from the             Pharaoh must in spite of himself be anticipating
   firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto `ihe the blow asthe very hour in which the.Lord will strike
   firstborn  of ,the captive that was in the dungeon ; and has' been announced to him. Yet in that  fatefil night
   all the firstborn  bf cattle. Not one of ,the Egyptians, he (and his servants) seeks his bed as usual. T,o .be
   be he prince or pa;uper,  poor or rich, a n& of high or            up and,  -watching   w&Id indicate that the  : word of
   a man of low estate, criminal shut up in prison, or a `Moses is troubling -his soul, This he. is too proud- to
   "just .one before Egypt's law, escapes, if he be'a first-          admit. So when the time" arrives at which it is his
   born, Even the  firstbdrn  of  cattle are doomed.                  custom to retire, he lays him down to rest. But $may
    -,' The Egyptians  for& a commonwealth, a distinct. ,,be do,ubted  whether  sleep Comes to him. He thinks .of
   household, a family, nation..  Every creature, be he the threatened. doom. And he fears. `So, in all likeli-
   man' or beast, that occupies a place in this household, hbod to ascertain whether it has come to pass, he rises
   that is in any way related td this .family,   connecteft           up in the night, he and all his servants, and all the.
   with this race, is smitten, if he be a firstborn.. flow            Egyptians. All find their firstborn dead or  .dying.
   imperative therefore that the, children .of -Israel  sepa'- ?hus .it is again, brought horn&! to their- hearts, this time
   rate them from this commonwealth, get them out of with'terrible force, that the Jehqvah of the Hebrews  is
   its land, and' flee for refuge to lay hold on the hope             the, God. Th@ Egyptians are panic-stricken. `There is
   set before them.                         . .                       agreat cry throughout .a11 the land of Egypt such as. '
     .. After the fifth  stroke,  the Lord said to Pharaoh,           there was  nolie like  it,`nor shall be like it anymore.  ii:
   still puffed up. with pride and exalting himself against is the cry of grief occasioned by the loss .of dear ones
   His' church, that He would smite, him and his people mingled.  with.the  fear that before the day dawns all
   with pestilence so that he would be cut off from `ihe              will be dead ,men.
   earth. The smiting of the  firstborn  is the  fulfilment-              How this plague is laid by the Lord on the hearts of
   of this word, So that what now. riots amo&&he  Egypt- all' the Egyptians! Pharaoh'even  orderi  &hem  out of
   ians is a noiSome  pestilence sent by the `Lord.                   his country. Previously he more than once had con-
       This is not thBl&t time in the history of the church           sented  to their leaving but always with certain speci-
   of +he old dispensation that we reacl of the Lord de-              fied reservations. With the swarms in his land,  he\  .+
   `stroying through a pestilence. Being angry with Israel,           first had suggested  that they sacrifice to  t.heir  God in
   the Lord  .aIso- to  .punish--David   for. having numebered the land. Then he  &d,.when.Moses insisted. that they
   the people, sent a pestilence upon I,&ael. And `there              go a, three. days" journey, I will let you go . . . only
   died in 6ne day `seventy thousand  men. But'this  de-: .ye shail. not `go far. Between the announcement and
   struction is at once presented as ,being  wrought by the           the sending of  thp plague of locusts, he bade the men
   .out-stretched  harid of the angel, "And viihen the angel,?'       only to leave and thus would: retain their sons and
   so we read, "stTetched  out his hand upor% Jerusalem. to           da&hters  and their -flocks and herds as hostages. As
   destroy it . . .  `. " II Sam. 24 :16. In. this notice. no , terrified by the three  ,days" darkness, he again consents
   mention is made of destruction by pegtilence. I It is  .yche I to their 1eavin.g  b.ut now `with their flocks and herds
   context that speaks of the Lord destroying through dis-            stayed. So had he all along in his collossal pride  dis-
   ease. So, too, is it the. context of the notice .in the            puted with'the Lord and insisted that the matter be-
   Exodus record that the Lord .slew  `I,srael's"firstborv,           .tween  .him and the Almighty be settled by mutual con- ;
   that yields the inforination that  the  ,.Lord  smote. cessions. But the ,discovery  that .there  is dot a house
   through pestilence. Pestile'nce,  it is said, "nas -had its' where theye  is not on& dead, enervate,s  him completely,
   chief seat in Egypt from the oldest time&  to the pres-
                      s.                                              debilitates and renders speechless his pride  And  stim-
   ent day. The !se&on in which it is accustomed to ap- `ulates his fear which now  .becomes  mightier in him
   pear in Egypt is given as December, February and than at any. time before and stirs him to action. And
   March.  In'aticordance with  these  facts, if facts they the one  thdught  that races through his mind is
   are, the  series  of plagues ends with  the pestilence,            that Jehovah is God in the midst of the earth. Gone
   which generally lasts until the Nile inundation. But               is his dispo&tion  to dispute with the Hebrews God.
:\ there is something remarkably startling and uncom- His active rebellion now as never before gives way to
   mon also about this particular visitation. Its appear-             a &ssive obedience. And he thus calls for Moses and
   ance' is the fulfilment of Moses' prediction. It begins            Aaron and he says, Rise up, get you forth from among

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               382     )                            T H E   STA,NDARD   BEA.RER                                                             u.
               .my people, both ye and the. children of Israel ; and go,     loot in his heart' and still cleaves with  a!1 his being to
               serve the Lord, as ye have said. Also take your flocks the things  df which he is forcibly being relieved. But
               and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone and bless if the thief on his own initiative and as moved by fear,
               me also. So does his knee and the  Rnees  of all the          awakened by the thought of what the strong man is
               Egyptians now bow at fhe name of Jehovah. and. his            capable of doing to him, returns the loot, pays tribute
               tongue confess that he is God. So, finally, in the  lash; .to the strong man's might, begs his forgiveness and
               day of judgment, shall at the name of. Jesus every knee       pleads that no h&m be done to him, he,`the thug, hon-
               bow, of. things in heaven, * and things in earth, and         ors the strong man and declares by  .his behavior that
               things under the earth. Then shall every tongue, thus the dominion of the strong one has been set_ up in his
               also the tongues of the wicked, who now blaspheme and         h e a r t .
               crucify' Him afresh,. confess that He is Lord, to the
               glory of God the Fat$er.    Thus the behavipr  of Phar-           The Lord does not wrench His people frqm the grip
               aoh, his yielding to the `commands of Moses, the obei-        of Pharaoh by force with him boasting of a-will that
               sance which his servants pay Moses - they bow down even the Almighty cannot  bend and of a heart incapable
               themselves to him - is prophetic and thus calls for of being overawed and plagued even by the terror ,pf
               that day on which all men will lie prostrate at the feet      God. `After  the first refusal of Pharaoh to let the
               of Chfist to the glory of God.                                people go, the Lord could have destroyed him instantly
                   Pharaoh the Stoic honors God. The marvel of it!           and set `His people free. But this He refrained from
               The disposition and the speech of .the Stoic are known.       doing. Before Pharaoh can be destroyed, ,he Must be
               ."Outward  circumstatices,"  said Epictecus,  "are not our humbled, his will bent, his heart must melt with fear,
               masters ; where a man can live at all, he can live well.      and be made to confess that Jehovah is God. As moved
               A  ,wise in&n is out of the reach of the gods, and at-        by the terror of Gocl, he must express a willingness
               tempts upon. `him are no more than Xerxes arrows ; that the command of Moses be fully obeyed and in his
               they may darken the day, but they cannot strike the           consternation, thrust the people out of his land.\  He.
               sun. I must die, must I die lamenting? Tell me the            may not go down `in defeat in Stoic indifference and
               `secret which you. possess.. I will not for this is  tiy      defiapce. Before the waters of the sea close in on .him,
               power. But I will put you. in chains. Man what are .he must know and confess that there is nqne like the
               you talking about ? Me in chairis? Yau may fetter my H&rews' God in all the earth. And such becomes his
               leg, but my will not even Zeus himseif can overpower."        confession as a result. of thk plagues being sent  tipon
               Such'is the speech of the Stoic. He is'one who sets his his heart. His command that Moses and Aaron rise up
               niouth against  heairen, when smitten by the Almighty and get them forth from among his people, both they
               and declares, "`Thou Gqd canst tear and wound my              and the children of Israel, tbgether  with their flocks
               body, thou canst crush by the agents of thy fierce            and herds, betokens that now for the first time he for
               wrath my fi;ame, but know that my will not even thou          the moment releases his hold upon  God% people, so that
               -canst overpower. My soul disdains thy  wi:ath  and it is now time for the Lord to bring'them out from the
               thus lies beyond the reach of thy rod. Wi'th the storm land of Egypt. Pharaoh confesses that Jehovah is
               of. thy indignation-spending its-forxg-  all about--me,-I-    God `and begs for His, blessing. Yet though so con-
               am sirene, placed and unruffled. Smite thou me, and           fessing and besee&ing,  his heart  is h.&rder than at any
               rising above the pain of my wounds, I will. laugh in time previous. .Fact is that the process of hardening
               my tribulations.                                              is now completed. Though'confessing  and praying, he
                 - This on previous occasions h&d been  the speech of is ripe for judgment. His measure of iniquity is filled.
               Pharaoh's heart. _ With the marks of God's rod upon His obedience has no moral wdrth,-for  it is passive and
               his person and  up& his land,  he had continued to set        springs from a fear that as to its heart is hatred.
                                                                                                                    ,
               his mouth against heaven and c&tempt God.                         Pharaoh in the first encounter had declared that for
                   Though the Lord has already humbled him, his              him Jehovah did not exist, when he. said, "Wh? is the
               spirit is now for the first time completely broken. The Lord, that-1 should obey'his voice to let the people go?
               Stoic is .now in the dust. His mind, though as dark I' know not I the Lprd.," Pharaoh in his colossal pride
               as ever, now thinks God's thoughts ; his perverse will        had asserted furthee that though Jehovah did exist for
               reaches out for God's command. His tongue under him, he would not let the people go. Pharaoh then had
               which still lurks the poison of asps, confesses that, called into- question God's ability  t6, enforce His claims,
               J&ovah is God.                                                to  enduce Pharaoh to relax his hold upon God's people,
                   Pharaoh now,  too, wills that  Jheipeople  of Israel to avenge Himself upon Pharaoh for his pride and in--
               get them out of his country with all their substance.         solence, for his refusal to obey the Lord's command,
i  '
   !           And his parting word to Moses is, Bless me also. A for his persecution of God's people. Pharaoh, in a
               strong man begets him no honor in a thug who is word, had requestecl  that God gave ,hirn a demonstra-
   :     .,    a physical weakling rfuom  whose' grip the strong one tion of His power, supply him with the evidence that i
               &%nches  some stolen valuables. `As he feels his hold         He, Jehovah, is the God of His people and the Lord in
               slipping, the thief denounces the rightful owner of his the midst of the earth. ' This-insolence was of the Lord.

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                                                                  :        . .
     1.:                    `.
     I                                                                 T H E - S T A N D A R D   .BEARER                                                383
               ,                   Pharaoh's shameless, intentionally disrespectful re- thtis held accountable for his- rebellion. Though harcl-
                           quest has now been complied with. The Lord has dem-                   ened  by God, ,he sins as a free moral agent.
                           onstraied  unto him that He is God in  the. midst of                     In  His dealings with Pharadh, there is no unright-.
          !                the earth. The revelation of divine power took piace                  eousness with  Him. For Pharaoh is but clay by him-
                           in fhe realm of the physical creation through' eleven                 self, impotent, lifeless,  witho&  power  $0 make any-
                           physical signs, ten of which were at  orice plagues and thing of himself at all, either a vessel unto honor, or
                           thus judgments. Thus it has become evident that God a. vessel unto dishonor. Pharaoh cannot  as much as
                           reigns supreme in the p"hysical creation.               ~             harden himself, except the Almighty harden him. In
                                  ' However what the record of the Lord's dealing with           God he has his .being. Of God's will he is the issue.
                           Pharaoh teach in addition is that he is  also sovereign               Eden as a sinner he comes forth out of the  womb  of
                           God `in the ethical wdrld and reigns: supreme  in every               God's providence. By himself Pharaoh is clay.  &d  '
                           man's heart, that the sole `and supreme factor. and                   the potter `hath right over the clay, of the sa+e lump
                           cause in the ribellion  of wicked men is His wjll. And                to make one vessel. unto  honQr and another unto dis-
                           ehis teaching comes to us in the n&ice, oft repeated,                 honor. No one among men would challenge the right
                           "And God hardened Pharaoh's heart."                                   of  .the potter over the clay.
                                  .. As was remarked in a  former  .al-ticle,  this scripture
                           has betin variously explained. Accordipg  to one view
I . . the word hccrden  means to treat harshly, to, punish.
I                          Others maintain that the  phrase,merely  represents God
Ii  i  .,' as, doing what incidentally results from His agency.                                     The Egyptians were urgent upon tlze people,  that
                         Another explanation has it thai God is said to do what                  they might send them. out of the land in haste ; for they
               ; '         H`e .permits  to be done. All th&e views are .one through * said, We be all dead men. And &he people took their
                           the conceptidn that God did not harden Pharaoh's dough before it was leavened, their kneadin&tr&ghs
                           heart, that thus. Pharaoh by himself  m disjoined from being bound up ,in their dlothes  upon their shoulders..
                           the will of God hardened his heart, and that therefore So they did according to the word of Moses ; and they
                           his will was the sole and sovereign  fact& in. his borrowed  of the Egyptians jewels of silver and  jetvels
                           harclening. Aside from the fact that. this view robs                  of gold and  raiment. And the Lord gave the people
                           God of His sovereignty, one armed with it will find                   favdr in the sight of tile Egyptians, so that they lent
                           himself at loss how to answer the questions,. why  Phar-              tint0  them such  things as  they required. And they
                           aoh hardened his heart .and this placed his ncLzj over                spoiled the Egyptians. And the children of Israel,
                           against God's yen and yet during the process of the                   journeyed from Ramases to Succoth, apout  six hundreg
                         ,, hardening at times consented to the people's leaving                 thousand on foot that were men, beside children. And
                           and finally urged, them out of `his country. .If his fear a mixed' muititude went  up also with them ; and flocks
                           be brought forward as the supreme reason for theSe                    and herds and even much cattle.
                           changes  in his attitude, it remains to `be explained' why               So were  the people of Israel prepared for  .their
                           his fear was ,sufficiently.  s;trqng-t9  him to ge-nd-hirn~ to        suclden .-departure, and-for entering on a tent-life-in the
                           Moses for respite only during  tile process of  tlie work-            desert, like that of their  forefath'ers.  Their training
                    ._ ing of most  of.these  plagues `and not of `all. : Consider               in the arts and occupasions  of Egypt secured them the *
                           further that the evidence with which the Lord pro;irided              elements `$f a higher civilization than that of `mere
                           Pharaoh  .that He is God in all the earth is so over-                 shepherds, and fitted .them  for -their destined part as a
                           whelming that his persistent rebellion. amazes. Take                  settled community in `Canaan. As  .Moses had been
                           his heart out of God's hand and he cannot  ,be. explained.            trained at the court of Pharaoh for' his life task, so
                           It ,means that the only final solutiori for all &is. reac;            the people of Israel ' had been trained in Pharaoh's
                           tions is that God hardened him and sent His plagues country for a higher ' civilization. But their humble
                           upon his heart. Pharaoh is.the  one personage in sacred               position in Goshen  and throughout Egypt, especially
                           history who was made to demonstrate. through his  be-                 for the long  period  of their  ,slaverly,  left  them  un-
                           havibr  that there are vessels of. wrath raised up by `provided with adequate means for their religious .incl
                           the Lord and prepared by him for destruction.,                        social wants  & a  con+munity.  They  were  now  about
                                   Yet though hardened, Phafaoh  was ihe subject of to set out on a great religious .pilgrimage  to Sinai and
                         :`$  .his rebellion, and behaved in agreement,  with. his               then enter on an independent life as a nation ; and this
                           nature. With such freedom did, he sin, that he denied demanded, among much else, due provision of robes,
                          %he existence of God. If one should have asked Phtir-                  ornaments and ,yesselsj  .for the service of Jehovah at
                           aoh  wh$ he `continued to. say no  to the Lord, his the tabernacle. And the Lord saw to it that they were
                           answer would not have been, "God hardens me," but,                    provided with the means  ,of which they were in need
                           "I will not believe. I  @ate God and refuse to hearken by their very masters for whom they had slaved with-.
                           unto His voice." Pharaoh, though hardened and  fitted                 out pay.  ' Thus are they on the eve of their departure
                    .      for destruction by God, is at once inexcusable and is abundantly remunerated for their services. The Lord-


  384 `                                            T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R ,

, gave  !hem  favo? in the sight of the Egyptians. And                        legden  het in een bed van specerijen, .omwonden  het
  they depart, laden with spoil.                                              met fijn lij'nwaad en bsgroeven  het  toen. in een nieuw
         The number of the, TIebyews  in Egypt may be ap-, graf, dat in den hof van Jozef in een steenrots was uit-
  proximately gathered from the repeated,statement that gehoutien.  Ook dit  behqorde  tot de vernedering, des
there were  among them 6OO;OOO men able to bear arms                          Heeren. *ij is  begraven  geworden  .om  -daarmede   te
  - that* is between twenty  and sixty years of age. This                     betuigen, dat Hij waarachtiglijk gestorven is. Ook in
  would imply at least a total of 2,000,OOO  bf men, women                    dit opzicl$  ,is Hij nedergedaald in de nederste deelen
  aild children.                                                              der aarde. In Zijne begrafenis is ook onze  budk
        ESerything  had,been  prepared for the final moment,                  mensch  met Hem  begraven,   det al zijn zonden, zijn
`. and now the Egyptians, filled -with terror, prged  the                     schuld, zijn  verderfenis  ; opdat de booze  lusten des
 ; instant departure of the Hebrews. Nor did" the long-                       vleesches in ons niet  meek zouden regeeren. Het graf
 `&slaved multitude delay. Summoned in the midst of is nu, voor de geloovigen, niet slechts de  "eindpaat  van
 &he Passover' feast, before  t&e,  dawn of  ;the 15th. of verdriet en nobden,"  %naar ook de eindpqal  der zonde.
  the month of Abib, every father hurried, by the light `Die gestorven is, is gerechtvaardigd van de zonde.
 of the full April moon, with his wife,  and children, to
, I the appointed place of departure - to put .himself un-                       Deze vertroosting  staat tegenover al de verschrik-
  der the leaders of his tribal division, his little ones and kingen  des doods ,en des grafs. Onze natuur huivert
  the sick in the saddles of the asses, his cattle driven .er van. Als we een doode zien, en we denken dan: ook
  before`him, the unbaked bread, in the family .&neading-                     ik zal eenmaal zoo  nederliggen,  ontroeren wij. Niet
  trough, wrapped up on his -shoulders.                                       alleen jeugd en kracht,  maar  ook gaven en talen, alles
 ..  The march of the people of `Israel swelled as they                       is dan voorbijgegaan. Het oog ziet niet meer, de mond
  touched town after town;and  were joined not ohly by spreekt niet meer. Somtijds  is $t lijk,. reeds voor .de
                                                                                                                                      `-.
  fresh crowds of. their own race, but by' sherpherd  I begrafenis,  .niet  meer  toblibaar. En na de begrafems
  tribes  of Goshen, and -multitudes bf slaves. From the zien  we niets meer, dan alleen in onze verbeelding. We
  South and all  th&,coutitry  between frdm the West and verbeelden ons' het geheele ontbindingsproces der  door-
  from the North, they pressed south-west to Ramases. knaging. De wijze en de dwaze, de  &anzienlijke  en de
  Three o'r four days after the morning of tlie 15th would                    geringe, de vrome en de goddelooze,  ze zijn daar allen
  find all gathered at the  comq?ri  cedter  ; separated                      Ben. Daar verdort de mensch als het graf en vergdat
 roughly intq their respect&* tribes, with what arms hij als de  beesten des velds;  zij,ne heerlijkheid kent
  they  `c6uld muster, and arrayed  fbr -the march.                           men niet  meer.       r~
       The vast.host  presently started from Ramases, un-                        Tot in deze  diep'te  des grafs `moest ook onze Heere
 der  M,o&es. These tens of thousands of freshly liber-                       en Heiland vernederd .worden. Gods Heilige is qok
  `ated slaves, followed their leader, glad to escape from nedergedaald  in het graf. Die gedachte  tioost ons en
  the lash of .the drivers ; put only to murmur at their                      maakt da6 wij, ons baf in het l&lit van het graf vtin
  first difficulty on the morrow.                                             Christus beschouwende, de vrees  en de ontioering  voe-
                                                         G. M. 0.             len  wijken, doordien wij nu  geloovq dat wij,  -%&t
             -.. -.. .-....
  .                                                                           Christus  -.gekTuist,  gestomen  -en begraven zijnde, oak
                                                              1               met Hem zijn ohgewekt.
                                                                              `)  tieed&  in die  rij.ke begrafknis des Heeren ligt het
                                                                              begin Zijner verhoogjng. Gij zult, zoo had de  profeti-
                                                                              sche  dichter  gezegd,  .@jne ziel in de  he1 `(het  ,graf)
                               IN EEN NIEUiV GtiAF'                           niet  vergeten;  Gij zult niet toelaten, dat uw Heilige de
        Onze Heere Jezus is gestorven  &a$ de Schriften. verderving zie. Dat woord  wijst.op de opstanding des
  Uit dit oogpunt leert ons de apostel Paulus het ster-                       Heeren en op de overwinning van dood en graf. Neen,
  ven  des Heeren beschouwen. De boosheid der, Joden                          Gods Heilige heeft geen verderving  gezien. Opstaande
 ,en. de  wereldliefde  en menschenvrees van Pilatus  heb- met het weder levend geworden lichaam heeft Hij
  ben onbewust  den raad God gediend. Er kon niet an- niets van het oude,  .verderfelijke  meegenomen! Het
  ders voor onze  zonden  betaald   worden  dan door den lijnwaad.  bleef in het' graf  achter.   ' Alle zonde,  ,alle,,
  dood ,des Zoons Gods.                Dat getuigden de Schriften.            schuld, Llle ellende, alie rouw, droefenis en dood is in
  Men  denke  slechts  aan Jesaja 53.                              \          het graf onzes Heerep voor eeuwig'  begraven. Geen 2
  4 En `zoo  is Hij ook  begraven  naar de  Schriften,                        overwinning  meer voor het graf.  _  Christus  heeft de
  Niet bij de goddeloozen zou Zijn graf zijn, maar bij de overwinning behaald, en daarom mag zijn gemeente
  rijken zou Hij in Zijnen dood  wezen;  Hoe dit woord van overwinning spreken en zeggen : "Uwe dooden zul-
  Gods vervuld is, verhalen ons de Evahgelisten.                              len leven, ja ook mijn dood lichaam, zij  zullen opstaan.  * -
        Na, verlof van. den  Stadhouder  verkregen te heb-                    Waakt op en juieht, gij die in het stof woont, want  uw
  ben nam& Jozef en Nioodemus het lichaam des Heeren                          dauw zal zijn als de dauw der mdesk`ruiden,  en het land ,
  van het. kruis, reinigden  het, naar de wijze der Joden,                    zal zijne &erled&nen  uitwerpen,?  Jesaja 26 :19.
            ,%        I:                      :
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