               ,                            a
                                      T H E   S T A N - D A R D   BEARER                                                      455

volgende verzoek gericht  aan ds. K. Schilder: "Ook                    Het ware dan ook juister geweest, indien de  recen-
hadden  we gaarne, dat hij ons artikel `Laf Werk' in           sent in  plaats van "Amerika" geschreven had: "The
De Reformutie  geheel of gedeeltelijk Wilde opnemen.           Zondervan Publ. House".
n/rij dunkt, dat dit niet meer dan billijk is, het feit                Overigens, ofschoon ik mij er  we1 voor  zal wachten
overwegende,  dat hij hetzelfde deed met een artikel uit het oordeel uit te spreken, dat  Barths theologie  Gere-
de  Maus- en Scheldebode, zonder dat hij (ds. K. S.)           formeerd is, kan ik geen genoegzame grond vinden voor
zelf wist of dit artikel waarheid sprak of  niet".'            de felle tegenstand, die zijn beschouwing bij sommigen
   Het nummer van de S. B., waarin  dit verzoek .aan in Nederland ontmoet. Voor mij is het  slog een vraag,
hem gericht werd, is hem ook toegezonden.                      waar Barth zal aanlanden.
   Doch er werd in  De Reformstie  nimmer een woord                    In dit opzicht komen wij misschien we1 wat  achter-
van gerept.                                                    aan !
   Commentaar is hier overbodig.                                                                               H         .         H    .
   Het woord is thans  aan Prof. K. Schilder. H. H.
                                                                       Time and Change Are  Busy Ever
                    Geen Hooge  Dunk                              Thus, we thought when the news reached us that
                                                               on one Sunday two Christian Reformed ministers occu-
  Heeft  Prof. Schilder van "Amerika".                         pied the pulpit at the different services of the Protest-
   Van de Zondervan Publ. .House  te Grand Rapids ing First Christian Reformed Church of Kalamazoo, of
had hij een boek ontvangen door dr. Barth beschreven which the Rev. H. Danhof is pastor.
en door Douglas Ho&an  in het Engelsch vertaald onder                  `Such an event indicates that a considerable change
den titel : The Word of God umd the Word of `Maw.              in attitudes and relationships must have been effected
   Ondermeer  schrijft Prof. Schilder hierover het vol-        since the year 1924.
g e n d e :                                                            A change on the part of the Christian Reformed
   "Overigens zal voor Nederland deze vertaling van ministers that spoke the Word on that particular sab-
                                                                                                                    ,
`Das Wort Gottes und die Theologie' niet behoeven te bath.
worden besproken. Niet alleen zal men hier Barth in                    A change, too, on the part of the Christian Re-
`t duitsch willen lezen, maar  ook heeft men hier we1 op formed Churches, if, at least, they leave the two min-
gelet,  dat in Earths ontwikkelingsgang dit boek' reeds        isters unmolested. I distinctly remember the time,
als verouderd heeft te  gelden.  .Trouwens,`het  titelblad when another Christian Reformed minister preached
geeft het jaartal 1935 plus de vermelding,.  dat Barth the Word from the Eastern Ave. pulpit, shortly after
professor is te Munster . . . . Intusschen is het leven the consistory of that congregation had been deposed
reeds verder gegaan, en hebben we reeds twee Prolego-          and its pastor suspended ; and that this sermon became
mena  plus een algeheele omkeering van de 12 artikelen. . . . his last show of suppoti- of our cause,-when  the Classis-. _ . .._
in bun-tegendeel  be&f&-  Amerika komt*wel  wat a& irebuked  him and he bent a penitent knee to confess his
teraan; men is er wat nuchterder dan hier; ondanks             sin.
vertalers verlangen van het tegendeel bewijst reeds                    Lastly, it also marks a change on the part of the
de aankondiging van.  dit boek, dat hij tevergeefs  voor       Kalamazoo congregation unto which they ministered
de groote  massa zijner  en&elsclie   lezers  hoopt, dat the Word.
`their experience parallels that of the continent' !                   Necessarily so.
   Ja, Amerika komt  we1 wat aehteraan!                                For, I suppose that the services were conducted in
   Men kan het .dr. Schilder eigenlijk niet euvel duiden,      the usual manner. The consistory of the Protesting
dat hij den indruk krijgt, dat wij hier  .in Amerika           First Chr. Ref. Church had the lead and the super-
Barth eigenlijk alleen'in `t Engelsch lezen, en dat wij        vision over the whole service. They invited those min-
nu pas eens een begin maken met een boek, dat reeds isters to preach for the congregation. They watched
enkele  jaren oud is, als men zulke boeken ter recensie        over the doctrine when the ministers preached the
opzendt met de vermelding, dat de schrijver professor Word. And when the minister had finished he shook
is te Munster.                                                 hands with the consistory and they with him in token
   De zaak is natuurlijk, dat de Zondervan Publ. House of doctrinal agreement.
dit boek nog eens heeft uitgegeven, ofschoon het reeds                 I am rather safe to suppose, further, that the  con-
lang geleden vertaald werd.                                    sistory did not, before the service exact a promise of
   Ik stel er echter  prijs  op, dat dr. Sehilder dien in-     the two ministers that they would preach no common
druk niet blijft houden.                                       grace and would not proclaim a doctrine that harmo-
  Hier in Amerika lezen wij Barth ook in `t Duitsch nized with the three points. This, naturally, marked a
en we zijn waarlijk niet meer bezig met zijn "The Word significant change on the part of the consistory, as well-
of God and the Word of Man".                                   as on the part of the congregation that listened without


       486                                            T H E   STANDA`RD  BEARE,R

       protest.        The Protesting First Christian Reformed
       Church is really not a protesting church at all any-                     W aalcom Protestantsch  Gereformeerd?
       more.                                                                                         Een Getuigenis
              On the other hand, the two ministers, I suppose,
       had no scruples to preach under the supervision of the                      WJat,  mijn broeder of zuster, die dit leest, weet gij
       consistory of the Protesting First Christian Reformed van de. Protestantsche Gereformeerde Kerken?
       Church and thus to acknowledge them in their official                       Hoe zijn ze tot stand gekomen? Wat is haar  ge-
       capacity. They forgot or ignored or refused to acknowl-                  schiedenis P Op welken leerstelligen en kerkrechtelij-
       edge the fact, that according to the judgment of their ken grondslag staan ze ?
       own church denomination there is not really a Protest-                      Misschien hebt ge we1 eens. iets gehoord van die
       ing Christian Reformed Church at all, that its'  con- kerken en haar geschiedenis.  Want er wordt genoeg
       sistory is not really a consistory, its members being gepraat en veel te veel laster verspreid. Het kan .zijn,
       deposed from office, and that the real First Christian dat ge we1 eens gehoord hebt, dat de Protestantsche
       Reformed Church and the real consistory is at, South                     Gereformeerde Kerken een groep menschen zijn, die
      Burdick  St. They actually took a stand against their enkele jaren geleden uit de Christelijke Gereformeer-
       own Church and professed by their deed that the action de Kerken zijn getreden, scheuring  hebben   veroor-
       of 1924 was to be condemned.                                             zaakt, onder leiding van enkele predikanten, die hun
              And if the Christian Reformed Church does not zin niet konden krijgen. Of misschien heeft het ge-
       call their ministers on the carpet for this misdemeanor,                 rucht  LW  oar  we1 eens bereikt, dat die Protestantsche
       their attitude has undergone a considerable change Gereformeerde Kerken een verkeerde, god-onteerende,
-.     since the time when they humbled another minster for zeer gevaarlijke leer voorstaan? Ze  maken God tot
       a similar offense.                                                       auteur van de zonde, stellen Hem voor als een vreese-
              Time and change  are- busy ever, indeed !                        lijken tyran, loochenen de verantwoordelijkheid des
                                                                    H. H.       menschen, prediken alleen voor de uitverkorenen, geloo-
                                                                                ven niet in de zending,  hebben nooit een woord VOOF
                                                                                "onbekeerden", etc., etc. Zelfs is het niet onmogelijk,
                                                                                dat u verteld is geworden, dat die Protestantsche Gere-
                                  KERKNIEUWS                                    formeerde K&ken  eenige jaren geleden  "drie punten"
                                     Drietal te :                               hebben opgesteld, waarom ze uit de Christelijke  Gere-
                                                                                formeerde Kerken zijn gebannen.
         Hope, Riverbend, Mich. : Dss. M. Gritters, J. Van                         Dit alles kan u verteld zijn, want het wordt meer
       der Breggen, Cand.  G..J. Kooistra.                                      dan eens zoo verteld.
              Kalamazoo,  Mich.: Dss. A. Cammenga, B. Kok,                         `t Kan ook zijn, dat welwillender mond  LI  vertelde,
       Cand. G. J. Kooistra.                                                    dat het eigenlijk jannner is, dat de breuke geslagen
              Rock Valley, Ia. : Dss. Cammenga, De Jong en De werd tusschen de Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerken
                                                                             - -en"ons,  dat hette  betreuren  is, dat wij de ChristelijlR  -.
                                    Beroepen te :                               Gereformeerde Kerken hebben verlaten, daar wij  we1
              Kalamazoo,  Mich.: Cand. G. J. Kooistra.                          goed Gereformeerd zijn, maar dat het de stijfkoppig-
              Reek  Valley, la.: Ds. A. Cammenga van  LOS                       heid der leiders was, der leiders der tegenwoordige  Pro-
       Angeles, Cal.                                                            testantsche Gereformeerde Kerken, die het onmogelijk
                                                                                maakte om de scheuring te voorkomen. Er is overi-
                          4                                                     gens eigenlijk geen beginsel-verschil tusschen de Chris-
                                                                                telijke Gereformeerde Kerken en ons!
                               WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
          On `September 6th, our beloved parents,                                   Als ge dit alles of iets dergelijks  we1 eens gehoord
                                                                                hebt, dan hebt ge de leugen beluisterd.
                                JOHN WM. PASTOOR
                                           and                                      En als ge  aan zulke geruchten geloof hebt gehecht,
                                ANNA  PASTOOR-Bolt,                             dan ligt de oorzaak hier dat ge de zaak niet hebt on-
       hope to commemorate their 35th wedding anniversary.                      derzocht.
          We are thankful to our God for the blessings He has given                 Wij, Protestantsche Gereformeerden, zijn niet uit
       us in them and pray that they may be spared for each other               de Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerken getreden, wij
       and for  ns.                                                             zijn er  uitgeworpcm!
                                Their  gratefur  children,
                                         Mr. and Mrs. Edward Kuiper                 Wij hebben geen scheuring veroorzaakt, maar  heb-
                                         Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Pastoor             ben alles gedaan, wat in ons vermogen en met onze
                                         Mr. and Mrs. Edward Yorker             conscientie bestaanbaar was, om scheuring te  voorko-
                                         Mr. and Mrs. William J.  Pastoor       men. De Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerken hebben
                                         Raymond Pastoor                        scheuring gewild en scheuring gemaakt !
                                            And 6 grandchildren.
          Grand Rapids,  Mich.                                                      Wij leeren geen God-onteerende, gevaarlijke leer,


                                         T H E   S T A ` N D A R D   B E A R E R                                      491

           The Marvel  Qf Divine  Grace                         out of it. They remain in their narrow straits and
                                                                their narrow straits become ever more narrow. And
    It seems as though the eyes of John the Theologian the culmination of their tribulation is indeed when
 reveal the wonder that fills his soul at the spectacle of they shall rather be crushed by the splitting rocks and
 the innumerable multitude who, arrayed in white robes, mountains than to enter the  place.that  is prepared for
 throng around the great white throne, singing and the devil and his fellows.                  _
 making merry. For we read that one of the elders .an-             Descriptive of this tribulation is the ever repeated
 swered, saying unto him: "What are these which are Woe, Woe, Woe of Jesus and His angels in the.Book  of
 arrayed in white. robes ? and whence came they?" It Revelation.
 reads : answered. But John had not said a word at all.            But these souls that John sees in his vision have
 And .surely the question was not put to John for the           come out of the great tribulation.
 reason that the elder did not know. For, firstly, John            What is its meaning?
 says : "`Sir, thou knowest". And, secondly, the elder             Ah, that is a great question !
 gives him in the following verse the answer to his own            And the answer is equally great. It is the tribula-
 question. He knew it all the time. Hence, it seems             tion of the ages.
 that  tl.ie elder saw the look of the wonder in John's eyes       In order to find the correct answer we must con-
 and interpreted' it in his question.                           sider first of .,a11 that these souls are very particular
    A n d   w h a t   a n   a n s w e r !                       persons. They are, as is very clear from the imme-
    The answer of the elder gives in a few words the            diate context, the elect of God. Because we read in
 .whole history of redemption. The throng that are be- the beginning of this 7th chapter that they are sealed
 fore the great white throne have come out of the great         by God's servants out of the tribes of Israel and they
 tribulation ; they are cleansed by the blood of the            are a great multitude of all nations, and kindreds, and
 Lamb ; and they are consequently arrayed in white              people, and tongues. They are not all of Israel as it
-robes.                             .                           has appeared and does appear in history. Only so many
    Hence, it is the manifestation of the Marvel of and no more are sealed by the willing workers of God's
 Divine Grace.                                                  heaven. They are not all the nations and  kindreds
    And how marvellous !                                        and people and tongues. Oh, no, they are the sealed
    They have come out of the great tribulation. For            only.
 so the translation ought to read. It is the great trib-           `Secondly, we note the purpose of this sealing pro-
 ulation. That little definite article  the  ought to be re- cess.       The final hurt wherewith God will hurt the
 tained. It marks the tribulation as the one outstanding world cannot come while they are in their midst. It
 tribulatiqn  of all-other woes.                                is a  ,seal that protects them from real hurt and harm.
    There is a tribulation for every creature that exists.      It is a negative way of saying that they shall be
 Especially clear this will be when we consider the mean-       blessed indeed. Blessing is in store for them. It is a
 ing of that. word. It means to. be in narrow straits.          seal of  .blessedness.   And-an-other  Scripture tells, me
 To be in a place that is too small for us. Not neces-          that too. Paul tells us in II Tim. 2 :I9 that the founda-
sarily in the local, physical sense, but more in the tion of God has this seal: The Lord knoweth them'that
 spiritual sense of the word. To be in tribulation means are His, and: Let everyone that nameth the name of
 to be cramped on every hand from the point of view Christ depart from iniquity., The latter tells me that
of our spirits. To be free and in the open spiritually the former is true. True in ,me,  that is, that the loving
 means to be in the loving arms of God and to rest in knowledge of God has found its purpose in a Godly
 His bosom. That is the very reverse of tribulation. walk in me.
 And' the awful fact is that man is far from that loving           And, thirdly, it is because of this seal of God that I
embrace. He is in the claws of the devil. And that              am in the great tribulation. And it shows also that
 works to his untold misery. God, instead of embracing only when the love of God dwells in me do. I know of
 him in untold affection, curses him as the day is long.        t.his great tribulation.
 For the curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked.          You see, the soul that is loved by God from all
    I will admit, however, that the worldly man and eternity receives the birth from above. Through it he
 woman do their best to counteract, that awful tribula- becomes a new heavenly creature. I say purposely
 tion. They try hard but all to,no avail. And although          heavenly  creature. His. life is from above. That is,
 they laugh and scream of the great fun they have, it the life of the new man in him. And his  inner  desire
 all is but a .very hollow sound. The more they fight is henceforth to live that life on the earth in the midst
 their tribulation the more miserable they become               of the godless world. It is his meat and drink, in a
 through the ages. There is a great tribulation in the measure, to do the will of God aZways.  For the love
 world among men and there is a great tribulation of God dwells in him.
 among the devils that is unutterable.                             And that, my friends, brings with it  the great  trib-
    And the worst of it is, that they will never come ulation.


492                                  ` T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

   From the moment that the new heavenly, spiritual image of Jesus.: the heart of the Father's love. `Eeu-
life comes to the fore in his consciousness, thoughts,       wige goedigheid  !"
words  aid deeds, from that moment on he, that is, the          Attend, that when these saints were born `and fell
new man is killed all the day long. You may be sure in the mire of sin; when they w.ere lost in the wilder-
that he is counted as a sheep for the slaughter. From `Iless, He loved them still and never lost them out of
that moment on that he appears on the stage of his-          His sight. He loved us when we were still sinners. Oh
tory, all things will try to put him in a place that is the depth!
altogether too small for him. He wants to be in the             He loved us when we hated Him and sent the seek-
unadulterated atmosphere of endless perfection and the ing Shepherd. He desired to have 9s come out of the
love of God, but finds himself in the midst of the  god-     tribulation of  the misery of sin. And he found us.
`less and the devils, in the midst of the very atmosphere       Marvel of Divine Grace, for He regenerated us and
of hell. The very air is laden with the cancerous            doing so. He made contact between` our inner heart and
stench of sin and iniquity. That stench and that devel-      His own heart.  % And we call that contact Faith. And
ish, hellish, godless atmosphere spells stiffering  such as that Faith works by Love and  that, Love is spread
cannot be described. And they say: Flee as a bird to abroad in the heart through the Holy Ghost of Christ
your `mountain !                                             Jesus.
   Yes, indeed, flee as a bird he would, if he could. But       And there the great tribulation began. Then a pain
the Lord's solemn statement must' be lived: My dear was born in the inner heart that beggars .description.
sheep, I send you in the midst of the wolves.                Then a grief was felt that tears as it bites as it de-
  But, God be  bl.essed,  they all come out of it.           vours. All the powers of darkness war against my re-
       And I assure you. that it is no wonder that John generated and converted soul. Yea, I hate myself; I
the Theologian marvels at it. So do you.                     war against myself; I am my own greatest enemy. I
                                                             love God but listen to Satan. I strive for the entrance
       Or would ydu not marvel when you notice that after of the pearly gates, but my feet are leaden and im-
all things are down and said you are ushered in heaven- potent: so often I tread forbidden paths that lead to
ly piaces ? Suppose, dear reader, that you fall dead this hell. I find in my mouth sweet strains of songs of
very instant, and you open your eyes in heaven: would redemption: yet there also lurks the bitterness of sin,
you not marvel ? Your ears have almost become accus- poison of the adder, the asp. And all things around
tomed to the sw.earing,  cursing, ranting brawl of the me, both visible and invisible tend to draw me to the
wicked throng; would you not marvel if, all in a mo-         devil and to sin.
ment, you were to hear nothing but the niost wonder-            But through it all Jesus prays for me that my Faith
ful singing and chanting? If you were to hear the fail not. He strengthens it by His Word and Spirit.
ever-recurring theme, accompanied by heavenly music : He nurtures it when I am spiritually sick and makes
Thou art worthy, o God, to  receibe,  honor and blessing me healthy again. When I would wander, He upholds
and thanksgiving, and majesty ! ?                            me through the medium of Faith: it is the cleaving
  --But there  ism,much more cause to marvel than  tl$s.                                                       _  -.-.
                                                             iove of God td `the Word Div& That bond of F&?h
       You, who know the misery, the be&uwdheid,  be- is made ever stronger acd draws, draws me to God.
cause of your rotten nature ; you, who know what it             Therefore, you may freely tempt me with the riches
.means  to swim up against the current of the power of of Egypt: I am going to `choose the deserts with its
sin, that dwells in you and that always  will draw you fiery serpents and the wrath of Amalek, the children
to sin and deceit and darkness ; I ask you, would you        of the devil. For Faith draws me to His Word. And
not marvel, when all of a sudden that current disap- in Canaan I must come. He beckons  me through the
pears and you find yourself so clean and so pure and wild waves of Jordan to the other side of peace and
so holy? And when you notice that for once all within harmonious singing.
you bless His holy name?                                        So travels my soul in a sinful body, amidst fierce
   Ah, yes, the believer is scarcely saved.                  tribulation to peace, to God. So travels the, Church of
   Marvel of God's grace.                                    Christ through great, through  the  great tribulation to
   You see, the Lord our God has a very firm hold of where the fountains are ever flowing.                '
everyone of His saints. When they were not as yet;              I will admit that you will keep my body under the
when the world was .not yet; amid His glad song of the power of death: it is but for a short period. After all
Covenant in the  millions of years of eternity before        God's people have died in faith and inherited the prom-
there were any creatures at all (therefore there were ises, God shall quicken our mortal bodies through the
no years at yet: foolish notion of me) ; from everlast- same Holy Ghost that dwelleth in us.
ing to everlasting, oh how long, long ago: He saw them,         All this has made me a sadder but a wiser man.
He knew them, He loved them, He grasped these Divine         So, I would kindly ask you to leave me the character-
Thoughts  in the palms of His hands ; He willed them istics of the pilgrim. I am a stranger as my fathers
with an everlasting will to become conformed to the were. Indeed, I am a pilgrim and I am a stranger; I


                                                 THti23TA'NDARD   B E A R E R                                                   493

           `can tarry; I can tarry but a solitary night. Do not de- very significant and characteristic warning, "Such
           tain me, for God's sake, do not detain me for I must' propaganda we must not have." In another place the
           come out of the great tribulation. God beckons me,             presentation of our principles on a parent-teacher
           His angels would serve me on the way; Christ's voice meeting drew from many the evil threat, "If such  ien
           I hear and His sweetly calling voice sounds ever more aYe `asked t6 speak for our school we will withdraw our
           urgent: I must go home!                                        support."* Consequently, the instruction in our schools
               Never more to roam.                                        is lukewarm, colorless; vague, unsatisfactory, if. not de-
                                                             G. V.        cidedly Arminian and Modernistic. Frankly, what more
                                                                          are our Christian schobls today than public schools,
                                                                          that open with prayer and teach the Bible? In a
                                                                          measure it is our salvation, that many teachers are
             Our Protestant Reformed Truth and                            ignorant of their own Christian Reformed doctrines,
                         the Christian School                             neither care to see them applied. Yet this affords but
                                                                          meager  comfort. After all, ignorance itself leads in-
           MGxed   En&hnsiasm.  .                                         evitably to Arminianism and its nearest relative, Mod-
               Do I support the present day Christian schools?. I ernism. How   per,mi\ated  our schools are with these
           do. I have no patience with the idea of deliberately .evils  is too  gpparent  from  praye'rs that are offered,
           ignoring the Christian schools, even as they are todey,        songs  thtit are taught, programs rendered and instruc-
           and sending one's children to the institutions of the, tion given. Fl*>nkly,  the reason we still patronize the
           world. I know, nominally this is done for principle's          schools we have is that we are too weak, I fear also
           sake. Are not the Christian schools far from ideal?            spiritually, to have schools of our own.
           In reality, however, the reasons in too many instances            What must take place, you ask, before you can
           are convenience and finance. The public schools, par- again s~lpport  the Christian school with unmixed joy
           ticularly in rural districts, are usually nearer home.         and enthusiasm? Just this: the principles we defend,
           They are less expensive. And the Christian schools for which we were expelled from the fellowship of the
           are far from ideal. why then not send the children to Chr. Ref. Churches even though these principles are
           the schools of the world? This I resent. To my mind based upon Scripture and our Reformed confession,
j          the present day Christian schools are to be discarded must again be maintained and applied throughout.
           only when we are ready to follow in the footsteps of Only upon the basis of the Protestant Reformed truth,
           our brethren in Redlands.                                      the truth as we maintain it, can and will our Christian
              Do I support the present day Christian schools with         schools survive and prosper. This is, true with respect
           unmixed joy and enthusiasm ? I do not. There is very to the instruction given. This is equally true with re-
           much of a damper on  my enthusiasm, I must confess.            spect to the very existence of  bnr schools. Apply and
           "Now  more than ever my heart can sigh, `.`Would they live the truth, and the cause is saved. Common grace
           were more as-they should-be?`,The reasons for-this pes- corrupts the very heart of Christian instruction. Con-.  ,----..
           simism are apparent, are they not? Are we not more or tinue on this way and the day will come when even the
           less strange in the institutions we love? Are not the          schools will be no more. We may say, that we have
           Christian schools of today in the power of the Chr.            Christian schools because it is the duty of the parents
          Ref. Churches, the church& that cast us out, or what to instruct th&ir children. We may reason, that our
           is infinitely worse, cast out the truth so dear to us?         children must have a better environment than the pub-
           You argue, "Yes, but the Christian schools are unde- lic ,schools  afford. After all, these considerations will
           nominational. They are not of the church but of the            not assure the success of the institution. Only Re-
           parents." This is an ab,straction.  This means nothing,        formed instruction will save the Christian school.
           except  that the Christian schools are not officially The Truth' Inv&ed
           founded on the "Three points." `Reality is, that the
           Christian Reformed people are in power. Their young               It is particularly with the Chr. Ref. Churches that
           men and  ,women instruct there. As the instructors             we are at variance in the matter  before us. Only they
           are, so is the instruction, - and so is the school. .Hence,    and we are concern&d with- the Christian schools we
           our ideals and doctrwes  are not taught there. They have. . The Reformed Church has become too lax and
           are not desired. More and more they are regarded as carnal `to  even   eonce'm itself with the principle of
           so many dangerous heresies, to be avoided at all cost.         Christian instruction. With the Chr. Ref. Churches,
           The clergy warns against the pernicious conceptions            th.erefore,  and the heresies they have adopted, we have
           6f the Prot. Ref. Churches. The @hr. school teachers           our controversy.
           avoid our fellowship in s,o far as this is at all possible.       Officially the doctrines in which  we differ have been
           Commenting on a speech given by the undersigned be-            embodied in the nefarious "three points of `24." Our *
           fore the Federation of Chr. schools in this locality, one Christian Reformed brethren maintain, that man, with-
           of our local Christian Reformed ministers issued the out the regenerating grace of God, can do that which
     .


         4          9      4                                  T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
  i
.-
i'                  is good in the eyes of the Lord. In things natural and churches that emphasize predestination. At the best
 . :                     social and civic he can piease  God. In his personal and       this "car  eccl.esia"  is relegated to the so-called hidden
                         social life, in business and politics, in `art and science     will of God. The doctrine of particular atonement is
 ,:                      he does much, that certainly cannot be called sin. The         involved. Yes, but the Chr. Ref. Churches believe in
                         Prot. Ref. Churches contend, that man is depraved and atonement only for the elect ! I know. But again, how ?
                         thoroughly wicked in all his ways. Without God's re- Also this doctrine is silenced more and more. Logical
                         generating grace he can in no respect do good in the thinkers will never be reconciled `to the idea that par-
                         eyes of the Lord. The very inclinations of his soul are        ticular atonement and the  o&r of salvation to all can
                         hatred toward God. His every thought, word and deed            ever` be harmonized.` They will discard one or the other.
                         proceed  f&m the principle of sin. In his business and And again, particular atonement must suffer. In the
                         politics, in: art and sciehce, in his .personal  and social    consciousness of the people, also in the Chr. Ref.
                         life he is enmity against God. They. teach, furthernlore,      Churches, this .doctrine  too stands out as peculiarly
                         that this good of the natural man is the result of God's Protestant Reformed. No, the doctrine is not yet gone
                         restraining grace in the hearts of the wicked. Never from the Chr. Ref. Churches. But it's going! Would
                     .was man permitted to actually become  totally depraved.           that these truths were realize& The doctrine of total
                         From, the very beginning there was a restraining oper- depravity is involved. The wicked do so much good
                         ation of the grace of God, whereby remnants of the             even as the righteous still do much sin. It does not
        `.'              good man possessed in Paradise were retained. We be- live in the consciousness of the people that man is
                    , lieve, that there is no restraint of sin, though God              totally depraved in all his ways. The C&r. Reformed
                         checks the sinner in behalf of His people.         In the      Churches are too w.eak on this point to even antagonize
                         measure all earthly life develops, sin develops until all the world. Total depravity stands out as a doctrine
               I         things earthly  and  sinful  shall have reached their peculiar to the  Prot.  Ref. Churches. There is a difler-
                         climax in the man of sin, the Antichrist. The Chr. Ref.        ence in  .our conceptions of sin, of the fall, of God's
                         Churches contend, that God is gracious to all men, the providence and eternal counsel, especially in the prac-
                         reprobates as well as the elect. There is love. for all.       tical presentation of these truths. It is peculiarly Pro-
                         He desires all saved. The Protestant Reformed con-             testant Resormed  to present all things as the product
                         ception has it, that God loves only the elect. His bless- of the providence of God, by  which: He realizes His
                         ing is upon His people. God chose His own in eternal eternal counsel, always along the line of election and
                         love  and only them He saves throughout the  ages.-  W.e       reprobation. Again you can appreciate what this all
                     feel, do we not, what a tremendous effect these differ- means in re the matter of instruction. No, the school
                         ences have upon  our conception of instruction, both           is not the place to. teach all these doctrines as such.
                         prim&y and secondary. They flavor the songs that are This is the work' of the, church. But no instruction is
                         sung, the prayers that are offered, the instruction that given without them. They form the basis for all educa-
                     is given. They determine the impression left upon the tion. They suggest the interpretation of all things.
                     minds and hearts of our covenant youth.                            They point us to the way in which we must return to
..-.-..  .-_                In a broader sense the `cliffere%t$  b&&n  "us con-
                                                                                -.-' `--`God in all- the -works of His hands. ,-Neither are ?Ne . -- --- -
                     tern the entire line of Reformed thinking. So often we both in the right, Only the Protestant Reformed truth
                     hear, "Those points of difference need not be stressed.            can be the basis both for the existence and the instruc-
                     There is so much more that we have in common. The tion of the Christian  schools.
                     aforementioned doctrines need not cause dissention or Our Truth and the Existence of the
                     anxiety in the sphere of instruction." Such reasoning                Christian School
                     testifies of nothing but superficiality and ignorance.
                     These points cannot be ignored.  `Every  teacher brings               Upon the basis of common grace the Christian
                     them in, whether intentionally or involuntarily. The               school must become a  matter/of expedience, Christian
                     "three points" are but so many lines of thinking, and              expedience, if you will, rather than of absolute neces-
                     all lead to their inevitable conclusions. They affect all sity and duty. The conclusion seems to me inevitable.
                     .Reformed  thinking. The doctrine of predestination is Place the truth of the absolute antithesis on the back-
                     involved. You object,  that t$.e Chr. Ref. Churches be- ground ; believe in the good of the sinner without
                     lieve in election and reprobation. I know. This doc-               Christ, the restraint of sin by an operation of the Holy
                     trine still distinguishes them from many other Spirit, and God's love to all; deny that all of natural
                     churches. But how! More and more the silencer is                   man is indeed sin  ; place the doctrines of predestination
                     being placed upon this  fun$amental.  doctrine of Scrip- and the development of sin until the measure of iniq-
                     ture. This is jnevitable.  Reprobation and the offer of uity is full, on the background ; the result must be that
                     salvation to. all will not remain side by side. Level-             you cause the very foundation of the Christian school
                     headed thinkers  ptrill discard one or the other, and pre- to crumble. You may, still have a better school, where
                     destination is being discarded. There is a reason why the children are placed in a better environment and
                         even in the Chr. Ref. Churches we are known as the             where you may open with prayer and read the Word of


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                                      T H E '   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                       495

God. But after all, according, to' the common grace must seek to read and reveal unto the children God has
adherents God's grace is also in the public school; also        given us. That should be our sole purpose. Let our
it is good to a great extent; also its instruction in every Christian school teachers think upon these things and
phase of life is good before God. As an institution it develop  th.e details, applying the principles to the
is based upon God's common  grace. Is not, then the various subjects that must,be  taught. All things that
difference between  t$e Christian and the public school are of God also reveal God, this much is certain. I am
a matter of degree rather than essence?                         convinced that even mathematics with its infinity of
    Upon the basis of the absolute antithesis this is numbers, its striking immutability, its marvelous com-
not so. Ethically we have nothing in  coIyllllon  with binations, reveals God more than has usually been cm-
the world, though the facts we instruct may be the              phasized. It is itself a structure so infinitely grand
same. The public school is the school of the world.             and perfect and wonderful, that the more we  delGe
`It is "the house of the wicked" where only God's curse into the  intricasies  and depths  of this subject with
dwells. There the youth of  the, world is instructed by hearts that seek and love God, the more we will be
means of- the remnants of natural light mati has re- brought to acknowledge and adore the greatness of our
tained after the fall. With these the world develops            only `Adorable God. Even here is a field worthy of deep
art and culture, intiention  and science, searches  `;he and serious study. Entering into other subjects, as
heavens, we,ighs the' stars and explores the very re-           e. g. history, geography, science, civics, the field be-
,cesses of the earth. But with all this the public school comes- even richer. Neither must we have merely
is the'school  of the world, worldly in all its  interpreti-    Christian  in&u&on. In  our day this expresses too
tions. God is not in all their thoughts. There no at- little. Our instruction must be distinctively Reformed.
tempt is made to see the light in .God's light. There The truth,. therefore; as we defend it as Prot. fief.
God is not Creator and Sustainer, Cause and Purpose of Churches must be our guide, our basis, our criterion.
all things. There the Cross is ridiculed and Scripture
is antique. There man in all his worldly wisdom pro-               Let us remember, it is not a small matter whether
ceeds from the principle of iin. On the other hand, the the instruction-in our Christian schools is permeated
Christian school is the institution of God's covenant. with the doctrines officially adopted'by  the Chr. Ref.
It is the school of God's grace, His one and only grace,        Churches or whether the Reformed truth as confessed
His grace in the face of the Lord Jesus ; the place by our Prot. Ref. Churches is the basis of Christian
where in antithesis to the world God'& @lessing  rests. instruction. In the sphere of common grace we so fre-
    Only this absolute antithesis, loved and lived, con- quently hear, that the develdpment of the world as
fessed and adhered to, can. provide the basis fo? the woi;ld also serves positively to glorify the Lord our
very existence of the Christian school. Let us know God. It has a positive place apart from the develop-
our place over-against and in the midst of the world to ment of the covenant of God. The nations of the
assure success.     Common  grace admires the world, world have a purpose in themselves. They glorfy God
glorifies the public school, envies its accomplishments,        in all their greatness and giory, and we may glorify
   ~.,. .-_. __.
`extols  its virtues  and magnificence.    Thus it is the them:-  .-Are they not beautiful and great; ever so much
ultimate death of the Christian school.                         more  hiihly developed than the Kingdom of God  Zion1
                                                                the very dawn of history? And is not this all due .bo
Oar Truth iand ClhTistfan Instruction        .                  God's comrnon  grace? They reveal God in a way that
    These same principles, which for the sake of dis- God's people do not. The result is that history is
tinguishing I have Called our Protestant  Reforined             taught in our, schools much as the institutions of the
truth, must also permeate all the instruction given in world teach it. My history course in high school left the
the Christian.school.  Because they are Scriptural, Re- impression upon me at the time, that God's people were
formed, they provide the only interpretation of things.         but a despicable and slovenly lot compared to the more
Indeed, God must have a place in all the instruction of glamorous and .cu,ltivated nations of the world. The
our covenant children. Has He not made all things history of the world and that of the people of God as
unto His own glory ? Have not all. God's creatures the `such are separated entirely. Is it not true that all
sole purpose of magnifying and revealing the Creator? things in the world center about the people of God?
Are not all the wqrks of God`s  hatids  the embodiment Do they not exist solely for the development of the
of divine ideas, wherein, God's name is praised and His Kingdom of God? Then surely, history should strive
virtues are revealed? Are we `not blind to. all reality to interpret the dev.elopment  of the world throughout
as long as we in all things have not learned to see the the ages in connection with the church and the people
name and greatness of our covenant God? I know of God. Certainly it makes a world of difference
that we creatures can do  th`is to a very limited extent whether in instruction we proceed fro& the lie that
only.  We are so, insi,tificant, so  inlinitesimall$  small natural man, without the life of regeneration, can do.
compared to God,  ?he Incomparable._ Besides, we are much that is good also before God, or whether we be-
by nature so sin-darkened and, corrupt. `Yet, God has lieve that all the works and ways of man by nature
written His name upon all His woiks,  and that name we are sin and enmity against God. Upon the basis of the


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.,                  :                    .     .     .:                                            `_                                     _'                            ..                   ._i
                                                                                                                                                      :                                                                     ,





4             9          6                                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEARER
                                                                   -a
former, w.e glorify the world and the things of the
world. How wonderful is man! How great are his                                                                                             He-t Wonder  v2.n Gods  Genade
achievements ! How glamorous are their heroes ! How                                                                                Ja, en het wondere ervan hebben we aangetoond in
noble are they who are nevertheless enemies of God! . een andere plaats en in  etin andere taal. We  zagen
Our children who are thus instructed leave school with toen, dat de Christen naar huis moet en dat hij thuis
precisely the same evaluation of the world as the world gehaald wordt door God door de  trekkende  kracht des
has of itself. How altogether different is the truth!                                                                        geloofs in hem. En dat die kracht des geloofs werkt
The world must be condemned, because it in all things door de liefde van God, omdat de Geest van Christus
refuses to seek and adore the One and Only Gdd. In ons gegeven wierd.
its art and science, its business and politics, its devel-                                                                         Johaqes hoorde dit nadat hij het gezien had in een
opment and inventions, the world, however polished
and humanistic it tiay be, it lives in filthy sin before hemelsch visioen. Hij zag de verzegeling van Gods
God, because it does not seek to know and praise His uitverkoornen. En hij hoorde het hoe zij  allen   geko-
name. Surely, it is not difficult to see how all these men  waren  uit de groote verdrukking.
principles must color our instruction. It will make a                                                                              Doch  dit wonder der genade schittert nog meer en
vast difference whether we maintain in our schools nog verder doordat hij het hooren tiag, dat die gezalig-
that God restrains sin, so that we daily teach our chil- den hunne lange witte kleederen gewassehen  hebben
dren to marvel at the fact that the world is s$ll so `in het bloed des Lams ; en zij nu voorts wandelen ge-
good, or  tihether  we teach that all the efforts and de- kleed in lange witte kleederen.
velopment of the world minus God simply lead to the                                                                                Wat  tech een eigenaardige uitdrukking :  gewas-
establishment of the kingdom of the Antichrist. That                                                                         schen in bloed.
world, whose prowess is now adored, will erelong use                                                                               Wij zouden bijna zeggen:  wat een afgrijselijke uit-
all its means in a final attempt to exterminate the                                                                          drukking. Wij  worden  er zoo gewoon  aan, want `in
people of God and demolish the kingdom of the Son of duizende gezangen en in honderdduizende  redevoerin-
God upon earth. It will.make  a tremendbus.  difference gen hebben we het gehoord, zoodat het schokkende
in our instruction if we believingly proceed from the ervan ons niet meer zoo toespreekt als wanneer we
truth that all things are the product of the work of het nooit eerder gehoord  hadden. Wie,  zich wascht in
God's providence, through which God realizes His bloed wordt veel vuiler dan hij ooit was.                                                                                                                         -
eternal counsel unto His own glory and the salvation                                                                                En dan een kleed, dat  gewasschen  is in bloed  I De
of the elect, or whether we refuse to believe and teach Heilige Schrift  gebruikt het soms om iets vuils, iets
this or are reluctant to do so. And I .ask: how many afzichtelijks erdoor aan te duiden. Als de profeet  jnze
are instruct&g in our Christian schools today who gerechtigheden vergelijkt met  een wegwerpelijk kleed,
actually proceed in all their instruction from this prin- staat  er  eigenlijk: een bebloed kleed.
ciple? God is God. He does all. In all things He                                                                                    Ge kunt gemakkelijk begrijpen, dat de Heilige
realizes His counsel in the reprobates as. well as in the` Geest zulk een wasschen in zulk bloed dan ook niet be-
elect, and as -p&fectly  in the-.one-as  in the other. -Then-                                                                                                                                _-.  _.  _.                -. . .
                                                                                                                             doelt.   O&  zeBs niet  h&t  wassclieti in  h&t;   l&terhJke
.we have a place for sin as it also reveals itself in his-                                                                   bloed des Lams, d. w. z., van Christus  Jezus. Al hadt
tory, for wars and rumors of wars, and all that' takes gij al het bloed van Jezus, hetwelk Hij in Zijn gezegend
place in the flight of life.                                                                              >                  lichaam gehad heeft, het zou U tech geen nuttigheid
              I close with a question. In view of all this, what                                                             geven.
must we now do as Prot. Ref. Churches in the matter                                                                                 Wat bedoeld wordt is het bloed als drager van het
of Christian instruction? Must`we be content with the leven.
schools we now have and the instruction bur children                                                                                Het leven, ,ook het leven van Yezus, ,werd gedragen
now receive ? Certainly not. This is impossible for door Zijn bloed.
one who lives the doctrine as we  defetid and proclaim                                                                              En  toen het bloed van Jezus wegvloeide, vloeide
it. Must we then forsake the cause and join ourselves Zijn leven weg. En dat leven nu was het leven der
to the world? God forbid ! That is even more im- volstrekte  gehoorzaa&.heid  aan Vaders wil. En bij dat
possible for one who truly lives and loves the truth. he gewillige overgeven van Zijn Ieven, bij het sterven  dus
confesses. My answer to this question is twofold. Let van Jezus, bij het wegvloeien, het geven van Zijn bloed,
us strive for what we now have, revealing otir colors                                                                        heeft Iiij, omdat Hij ook God was, een eeuwige waardij
and insisting wherever it is,necessary  and possible that bij dat bloed bijgezet. Dat  maal&  Zijn bloed zoo  on-
the truth be maintained. Meanivhile,  let us hope for                                                                        uitsprekelijk dierbaar. Wie  zich  baden  mag in het
something better and pray that we may have strength                                                                           bloed van Christus, baadt  zich in Zijn gehoorzame
and conviction to labor for that which only can and                                                                          leven, dat Hij plaatsvervangend  uitstortie  in den dood.
may be our ideal: Protestant Reformed Christian                                                                                          Nu zien we ook het  verband  tuss&en  de  eerBte
Schools.                                                                                                                     .phase van het wondere gezicht op Patmos en de tweede.
                                                                                       R. Veldman                            Ik bedoel bet verband  tusschen  bet komen uit de groote
-..


                                                     .-                       -      :
                                                           .
 is beeld van het hemelsche..  En ook zijn. er'  we1 voor-                                                                          .-;
        beelden, in de Schrift `van. Zoo vindt ge dat er vier Dear  Mr.-Editor  :-                                                                    -ti.
                                                                                                                                    ,
        paarden .uitgezonden  worden  door ,God i? deze.  wereld.         In my final reply to M. M. I shall be very brief. .i
       op het  verbreken  van evenzoovele  zegelec;  en die  paar-     The discussion in regard to the well meaning offer is , _-r.
       den hebben vier verschillende kleuren.  Die.  kleuren becoming'fruitless.  ? shall not attempt to defend nor  '  1
        hebben zeer duidelijk beteekenis.  Als God `verschijnt         criticise  the writers quoted by me in my original paper, -;; :`
        aan Zij$ dienstknechten  verschijnt Hij op het blauwe as the reading was merely given to show the concep-                                      :; =/it
        als een achtergrond, het blauwe  Fian den saffier. Denk tions thes'e'men  held with regard to this point. I main- '  `@
       odk in dit  yerb&d aan den borstlap met de twaalf edel- tain that` their views in many respects. are quite  ' $
        gesteenten; alsmede de vele  malen,  dat de kleurige  edel-    similar to ours and differ widely from the ddctrine  of                          1
        gesteeriten  genoemd worden  in- de Openbaring van Jo- the Chr. Ref. Church. This is very &dent of Hawker, ' ?
 hannes.                                                               and by the way he is the only one of &he men' quoted
           .Dat  kleuren beteekenis`hebben `heeft de mensch ge- who speaks of an offei-, and then only to God's people,                                i
        vat, ook de goddelooze  mensch:  Niemand denkt  eraan          whereas the Chr. Ref. Church speaks of a well meaning.                          .;
        om. de maagd die trouwt een vuurrood .kleed  aan. te b&r to all people (including the reprobate) to whom
        .doen.; en als hij van liefde kwijnt  zing-t  `hij van het                                                                          -  4"
                                                                       the gospel is preached. M. M. should rkalize  there is`                          j%
        blauwe  v&geet-mij-nietje.  Zoo zingt hij van het groen a vast difference between offers to God's' people and the-- : ki
        der hope en veroordeelt hem die gee1 werd van-naijver          non-elect.
        e n   j a l o u z i e .                                                                                                                       "!.
                                                                          For M. 1~. to bring in Calvin, Augnstine,  Dart,  Ed-                         i
            Zoo is het wit het inbegrip  Tian alle kleuren en over-    wards, etc., has no bearing, on the point of issue. These  :`- !'
 gebracht op het volmaakte leven hierboven bij God,  be- writers were quoted to show that men 05 various de-                                           f '
        teekept  he! zeker, dat de gezaligden het volle beeld van      nominations,  .while differing in minor points, can be !"
        Christelijke deugden mochten ontvangen.                        Calvinistic. Hbwever,  it is a Question in what sense                     -  i
            Doch ei zit nog meer in. Wit is 00-k de Meur van these men used the word "offer". In most cases it is :i.
        rust en vrede. Denk hier bijvoprbeeld aan den witten           quite obvious that the term "offer" was `used, not in                            1  :
        vlag, ten teeken,  dat alle oorlog stop gezet wordt. Voor-     the sense of accepting or rejetiting  salvation, but that - :j
        61 tegenover `het bloedroode van den vlag die teeken is        God, through his Holy Spirit, working in the hearts of               :
        van alle anarchic  en bloeddorst,  spreekt de `witte vlag      his people, makes them willing to accept Christ in the                           :
        klaar en duidelijk van het feit, dat alle gewoel en  oniust    day of his power. Moreover, I would like to call M. M.`s,            :
        een einde vond.                                                attention to the fact that the word "offer" was used in ,                         ;
            Overgebracht op hen die door Johannes gezien wer-          an entirely different way during Calvin's time and the                          +,.i
                                                                                                                                                 ;
        `den in het  hemelsche  visioen, beteekent het, dat zij in-    Synod of Dordt, and even later. This `is made very                               is;
        plaats van te woelen  tegen zonde en verderf, den %luivel, plain by Rev. H. Hoeksema in his "Calvin, Berkhof and . -&
        en `zijn gansche. rijk,, ingegaan zijn in den volkomen H. J. Kuiper, a Comparison." On page `53 Rev. H. -' : &
        vrede van Gods kodnkrijk. En zij mogen rusten van says, "Let me explain in passing, that in Calvin- the 1 i'
        hunne werken.                                                  word offer does not convey the meaning it would seem .! :
            En dan geen rust die ledigheid wil, dock;' de rust .to express in our present day English. It is a transla-                                 "
 ' Gods, dat wil zeggen,  ze zullen ingaan in het volbrachte tion of the Latin : offeye, which means : to set forth, to 1~' -::
        Middelaarswerk..  Ze  zullen   nooit  m,oede  of mat  wor- bring,to the attention of someone." Art. 9 would than                                 1
        den, orn den Heere gedurigiijk  toe te brkngen alles wat read : "It is not the fault of the gospel, nor of Chr;ist, 1' fig
        Hij waardig is: Heilig, heilig,. heilig is de Heere' der prtisented'therein,"  tc.                                                 `,  li
,heirscharen           !                                                                                                                                 :T3
                                                                       Furthermore M. M. is  &ihappy  in his quotation                                 4"
            Dat' is het hemefleven,  dat is het wonder der genade, ffom  Philljot. .I think the  PY;ot. Ref. Churches are  "F
        dat is het toppunt  van liefelijkheid, daarboven bij `God! entirely in accord with this paragraph.' M. M. confuses :  .!g
                                       ,'                  G. V.       the words "offer" and "invitation". To deny that God- :. `I
                                                                       makes invitations to his people is unscriptural. When .. `i
                                                                       Isaiah says, "Ho ! everyone that thirsteth, come ye to._` :..i
                                                                       the waters," "Come now and let us. reason together,
            God geeft niet  naai de mate, wijze  en tijd, die'men saith  the Lord, though your sins be as scarlet, they  ] . -i
       Hem in .het  gebed voorschrijft. Hij wil ongebonden shall be as white as snow," etc. "Incline your  earunto `&  12
        zijn; Hij hoopt  de m&at op, en schudt ze, gelijk Chris- me and live  ; hear, and your soul shall live,"  and'. .  "g
 tus.  zegt..                                                          Cbist in Matt. 11 says, "Come unto me all ye t&t...  - ,. `e-
                                                                       labor and are heairy laden, and I .will give you rest". :' ;
                                                                       What are these but gra'dious  invitations and promises .--: -j
 `.         Hit is  onmogelijk,  de  werken  van het geloof te td those who have come to know their undone condi-                                       !
,. scheiden; ja, zoo onmogelijk als brand& en Ii&t geyen               tion,  and their need of a Saviour.
        van het vuur kunnkn gescbeiden  worden.                                                                      A.     D.      _ `. $.;
                                                                `,                                                                                     . .


                ;-                           :            -.          ,
                             .:'                                                    "THE-S!L'AND.ARD:                      BE`ARER,                        :    .:$99  :
          ,,.L                      .,.           `.       ..
         ,. :, .. -                                                                                                                                                      ~
          r:  ..
               ; . . . I.                    >                                                          terpretations with the purpose of criiicising  and re-
         i ,__
         .,  `:  f
         .        .     -
        ,: ,")                                                   The,`Task  of `the  Minke$
        .;i ,(`.I                                                                                       jecting them, but should rather adduce one or two
._. ,>\.2:.;.;.<~-  -                                                As An Exegete                      distinct and representative ones unless, of course, the
                                                                                                        treachery of an interpretation lies precisely in its close'
;&+  $;  '                          _,
&%,J.   :-".
:q.-                                                      (Conclusion  from  Atigust  1st. issue)       distinction and subtle departure. And finally he must
      g :'                                        We have emphasized this third factor,  nainely, the beware of purely analytical treatment, and must disci-
        `I ..                             spiritual, because  6f the proneness of  6ur  carnal  mind pline himself in the use `of a .thorough  analyti&al+yn-
        .y.                                                                                             thetical method. . His only purpose in picking the text
,'                                        (as the schools of historical criticism have so abundant-
.-. ,.A                                                                                                 apart is that, seeing the parts clearly he may the better
        . .                               ly shown) to read Scripture as the writing of  Fame
        ,_"F                                                                                            see the whole, the deep and rich meaning until Scrip-
i_  I.                                    great and noble ancient men, who were nevertheless
&, .I.: :                                 fallible and subject to our criticism and correction for-, ture becomes for  him one grand whole reflecting to us
                                                                                                        the. Christ. Positively, he may wlien he has so labored,
&,  i`                                    getting that the one, and same Spirit of God is speak-
: h                                                                                                     appear before the congregation not only with the re-
Jj  ,i.                                   ing to us in every word of it. An unconditional faith sults of his labour, but also with the process by which
 ,*;\.                                    in the infallible inspiration .and above all a childlike
Wdl!                         `.. submission to &very  word are indispensible requisites. he attained to  that result. He may do this on the basis
                                          to an understanding of God's Self-revelation to us. The of the perspicuity of Scripture, namely, that  !he entire
                                          word  of the apostle to the Corinthians is appropriate membership can read and interpret God's Self-revela-.
                                    - here (though speaking primarily of  l&self)  .: Now we tion. And although he does not of course suppose that
                                    have received . . . . the Spirit which is of God ; that the congregation is acquainted with the original lan-
                                    we might know the things that are frekly  given to us               guages of Scripture, or with technical exegetical terms,
                                          of God. But the natural man receiveth not the things yet he does assume that she is interested ,in all the
                                     of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him;              light that Scripture as a whole sheds upon a given
                                          neither c&t he know them because they are spiritually passage.
                                          discerned.                                                        From this policy he will reap abundant fruit, for
                                                  With these models of  in.f?llible exegesis before him first of all he inspires the hkarers'  confidence in him
                                          the minister of the Word approaches Scripture, as an when they oloserve that he has  applied`himself  to base
                                          exegete. He will determine first by  painstakiqg,  com- his teaching on the searching of Scripture ; further he
                                          parisons the meaning of each word of his passage in will, by presenting the process by which he derived his
                                          the light of other  passages, the meaning of the word-        message from Scripture, greatly aid her in retaining
                                          forms and combinations, as also the shade of meaning, what the Word of God teaches, and, finally above all,
                                     -whether literal or figurative in the light of the con- the congregation will also herself be taught to read
                                          text. He will further .seek to determine the character, and interpret the Bible s$stematicalli  according to the
                                          position and circum&ances  of the speaker or writer, models of the holy interpreters of God's Word, atid so
                                          and of his hearers or readers. And through these              he and the Church of Christ will be assured of an in-
                                          means  he will prayerfully seek  the meaning of the fallible guide on their pilgrimage to Zion above and be-
                                          Spirit - the word that the Spirit is speaking to the holding the glory  of. the Lord in His Word will be
                                          church about the invisible God. So applying himself transformed into that same image from glory to glory
                                     he will arrive at a unified thought, a clear concept, and          as by the Spirit of the .Lord.
                                    combining this with other concepts'of Scripture he will                                                           A. Petter
                                          be  brought nearer and nearer to. the knowledge of the
                                          ope Word which God has spoken about Himself in
                                     %hri&, the one all-embracing' Concept, Who-  alone can
                                          tell us God's name (John  1:X? ;  17:26 ; Heb. 2  :12).
                                     When the minister so  fulfils  his task he may appear be-
                                     fore the congregation of Christ trusting that by God's
                                          Spirit she will become conformed to the image of His             The Theological  Se&o01 of our Protestant Reformed
                                          S o n .
                                                  And now we face the que'stion: what then distin-      Churches will open for a new Schoolyear,  September
                                          guishes'the task of the minister as an exegete from 10, 1935, in `the class room of the First Protestant Re-
                                     that of the exegetical specialist? Certain things may formed Church of Grand Rapids,  Mich.
                                     `be pointed out with a view to his immediate obligation
                                     to the congregation of Christ. Negatively, we can say                All students are expected and requested to be  pres-
                                     that he should not habitually depart to review the  bis-           sent at the devotibnal services  to be held"at  ni.ne o'clock
                                     tory of the interpretation of his text, though he may do of- that morning.
                                     so with profit when the text has taken an important
                                    .part in the theological controversies of the church..                                   The Curatorium,
                                     Further  he should not adduce  tab many departing in-.-                                                L. Vermeer, Sec'y.


            I;-             -.                            T H E   S+ANDi,tiD  B E A R E R                                                    501

                         Marah and the Wilderness of Sin                           must not be imagined that their hunger and thirst were
       1                                                                           past endurance. The heat would not strike them as a
                         The pursuers of the children of Israel  have been blast from the furnace. For the Lord knew t.heir  fr&me  ;
              -       shaken off in the Red Sea by Jehovah. After a few remembered that they were dust. He pitied them as a
                      days, it must be, the Hebrew camp, breaks up, turns father pitieth his children. When He went forth be-
                      toward the wilderness and moves  -on, following its          fore His people and did march through the wilderness,
                      leader toward the south. On their right, across the He sent them a plentiful rain and thus confirmed. H&s
                      narrow strip of blue sea, through which they had just inheritance, when it was weary, Ps 68.
                      recently passed, the Ataka mountains urge their wild            So does the Lord throughout the ages keep His peo-
                      peaks heavenward. It is the l&t glimps they are' to ple on the way to His eternal  ,habitations. He  is. with
                      have of Egypt. On their left a low range of bare lime-       them. His rod and His staff comfort them, when they
                      stdne hills of wall-like steepness, and shutting out walk through the valley of the shadow of death, so
                      from them the land of proinise,  limit their vision. Thus    that they fear no evil. His mercy and goodness follows
                      the wiidern&s  that extends from the base of these hills them all the days of their life until they dwell in the
                      they accordihgly  call Shur, meaning wall. The track house of the Lord forever. Their feet, as shod with
                      followed must be one still used for caravan&from Sinai the preparation of the gospel does not swell. The
                      to Cairo. It leads them at some distance from the sea,       spiiitual   armour,  which they take' unto theniselves  -
                      amidst the glowing heat of skies without a cloud,, over the truth with which their loins are girded about; the
                      a desert hard to the feet and strewn with sharp flints.      breastplate of righteousness ; the shield of faith,  ivhere-
                      Valleys mostly dry and with no drinkable springs are with they  are able to quench all the fiery darts of the
                      crossed. Everything here is dreary and. barpzn.  The wicked ; the helmet of salvation - does not wax old
                      only living thing that meets the eye is perhaps a raven,. upon them. And He pours out upon them of His Spirit.
                      a beetle, or a lizard. . A day near this track of the         Bit to return. For three days, the host of the
                      Israelites has been described thus, "At dawn it is mild      Lord toil `on, relying on the stores they brought with
                      and balmy as the Italian spring, and inconceivably them from Egypt and from their last camping place.
                      lovely in the colors it sheds on earth, air and sky. Bit For as many days, they come not upon a spring. Their
                     presently the sun bursts up from the sea, a fierce enemy own supplies of water must now be exhausted. They
                     that will force every one to crouch before him. For two       are fatigued, depressed and thirsty. At last, however,
                      hours his rays are endurable, but after that they be- they reach a place, which was called Marah,  bitter.
                      come a fiely ordeal. The mourning beams oppress you Here they find water, but it is too bitter to drink.
                   ,, with a felling if sickness, their steady.gloiv  blinds your "Therefore the name of it is called Marah."
                      eyes, blisters your skin and parches your mouth, till `_        Why does the Lord bring upon His people this ex-,
                      you have only one thought - when evening is to come. perience? The matter, raised by this question, must
 I                    At noon the heat, reverberated by the glowing hills, is      be dealt with in conjunction with their hungering in
                      like the blast of a_limekiln. The .wind sleeps on the        the wilderness of Sin. -.             ..-  --.~-  -...    -_.-. --.
                      reeking shore. The sky is a dead white. Men are not             Taking their journey from Mara,  they come to Elim,
                      SO much. sleeping as half .senseless.    They feel as if a two hours further on. It is now the fifteenth day after
                      few more degrees of heat would be death."                    the second month after their departing from Egypt,
                         This, then, is that terrible wilderness into which Ex. 16 :l. The name Elim means trees. It took this
                      Jehovah fouhd them. It is certain, however, that the name from the "seventy palms" which also mark the
                      host of the Lord suffered no such agonies  as. those de- presence of no fewer than twelve springs. This spot,.
                      scribed above. For in the words of the prophets, the         so inviting to the Israelites, was suitable for a long
                      Lord did a new thing. He made a way for His people encampment. So here by the waters of Elim they
                     .in the wilderness. He led them about, kept them as the remain quite a month. Then they again take up their
                      apple of His eye, spread abroad over  them:His  wings, journey. The way now first leads through what today is
                      took them, bore them on His wings,  ,Deut. 32:lO. This a comparatively  pleasent  valley "sprinkled with  tama-
                      imagery signifies an action that *implies  His special risks, bushes and palms, with the dwarf trunks and
                      care over His people also when on the march. There shaggy branches peculiar to their kind in the stony re-
                      was the pillar of cloud, His wings,  $a*  shieldeg them gion" and thereupon, some miles further, through a
                      f?om  the sun. Its oppressive  be&s, therefore, did not succession of plains shut in by naked hills and rocky
1                     blind their eyes,`. blister their skin and parch their walls of sandstone.            There is little verdure here.
                      mouth. They were miraculously kept on the way in "Mount Taijibeh, however, varies the landscape, rising
                   sound health. Their foot  dig not swell. and their in sloping beds of differing colors." Here, on the edge
                      raiment waxed not old upon them, Deut. 8:4. They of the Red Sea, the children of Israel once more pitched,
                      toiled ndt on, half senseless of the heat, a few more Num. 33 :lO. After a brief stay of how long we know
j,;:*                 decrees of which would have killed. them. They were not, the journey is again resumed. The road from the
$                   __ weary after a march but not  to. the point of death. It seashore  encampment leads for some distance along
i.'


1.
`_.
       5 0 2                                 T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

         the coast. The Hebrews now enter on the plain of the What a shameful imagining! They have the promise
         wilderness of Sin, "which runs along the strand - a that He will bring them into the land, He swore unto
         desolate expanse of flints, gravel and sand, nearly their fathers. And the abundant evidence is theirs
         destitute of vegetation, broken froth  time to time by       that this promise will be kept. Yet, instead of wait-
        equally desolate wadys opening on it from the interior.       ing upon Him, they carry on as if their doom is again
       `: There is hardly any more dismal tract in the whole          fixed and murmur  yvith  the very wings of God spread
         peninsula. Even in. winter the heat is indescribable         over  them. What shall we drink and what shall we
         during the day, and it was now approaching the middle        eat? . Their question is a declaration, "We shall not
         of the year." Says Palmer, who explored the region, eat and drink at all. Our doom is sealed." A few days
         "From about nine till eleven in the morning of a bright previous, they saw Him cast Pharaoh's chariots and his
         day, when the sun's power is not yet tempered by a           ho& into the sea. And they, these murmurers also,
         cooling sea breeze, travel is almost intolerable, es- sang, "Thou shalt bring them in and plant them in the
         pecially to the new-comer. Heat is everywhere present mountain of thine inheritance . . . . " Now they fret
         seen as  weil  ,as felt . . . . The sky,  also beautifully and complain as if they can actually perish from thirst
         blue, is clear, hot, and without a cloud ; the soil of the. and hunger. The assumption from which their com-
         desert is baked and glowing.",                               plaint arises is that the Lord now proves  unfaithfu1.
            To add to  the general distress, the stores of wheat,     Let Him now, by coming to their aid, prove that their
         flour and foods of various kinds, brought from Egypt. assti?ption  is false.  So do they, in these very first
         now fail them ; for it is six weeks now since they crisis in the desert, tempt God. The plight that should
         crossed the Red Sea. Water failed them at  -Mara.            draw from them the confession, "The Lord is our
         Now it seems as if famine threatens them.                    Helper; we shall not want," brings over their lips -
            Again we raise the question, Why does the Lord            over the.lips of the carnal Israel  - murmurings that,
         bring over His people this experience? From the point as time goes on, will at length gather a terrible  cuma-
         of view of nature, it seems as if their doom is again        lative strength and finally burst forth in cries of
         fixed.. Why does He  sufEer them to hunger and to            fiercest rebellion. These murmurings, occasioned, it is
         thirst?  ,And the answer: (taken from Deut. 8  :3, 5)        true, by the trials of the flesh, spring from a dislike for
         That they might consider in their heart, here, at the        God, from an indisposition to hearken unto His voice,
         very outset of their journey through the wilderness,         to live by the word that proceedeth out of His mouth
        that as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord chastens - the promise, the law of .Jehovah,  the self-revelation
         them, that He humbles them, and suffers them to              of God (the soul's true bread) in the face of Christ
         hunger (and also to thirst) and thereupon feeds them Jesus - thus to interest themselves in the things of
         with- Manna -which they and their fathers know not,          God. Canaan, conceived of as a land where God is to
         that He might make them know that man does not live tabernacle with His people redeemed, has no attrac-
         by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out         tion for them. What they set their affections upon is
         of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.                      merely Canaan's figs and pomegranates, Canaan's milk
            The  `Lo& chastens them.  ?Chis they deserve and          and--honey, the material good for which Egypt- has
         are in need of. Though redeemed and delivered, they,         been quitted. But this good, so they reason, is no com-
         as we, have but a small beginning of true obedience.         pensation for the hardships which they  are now made
         They daily polute their way before Him. The natural to endure. They hunger and thirst. And good food
         inclination of their heart is to hate and forsake God can be had in Egypt. There they can sit at Aeshpots
        .and to place their trust in the arm of the flesh,  to say    and eat  .to the full of garlic, and onions and leek. So
         to'bread, Thou art our God and our life. Such is vir- they reason and thus bring themselves forward as a
         tual1.y their reasoning at Mara and again in the wilder- people whose affections are set not upon God but upon
         ness of Sin. At  Mara they say, What shall we drink?         bread that perishes as if this bread were man's God by
         And in the wilderness, of Sin, the whole  congregatipn       which He lives.
         of %he children of Israel murmur against Moses and              The Lord, at  the.very  beginning of their residence
         Aaron in the wilderness. They say unto them, Would in the wilderness, qesolves  to provide them with the
         to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land       uncontrovertable evidence that their imagining is
         of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and when we vain. So He first makes them to thirst and to hunger.
         did eat bread to the full ; for ye have brought us forth They are now in dire need. Natural bread, such as the
         into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with soil yields, is wanting to them. Judging from  things
         hunger." These murmurings find their. true  explana.-        seen, their doom is fixed. And the carnal Israel and
         tion  ,not in the physical discomforts caused by the also they of the spiritual  Is_rael who stand not in their
         momentary lack of water and bread but in the circum- faith so judge. They ask, What shall we drink and
         stance that they wjll to imagine that bread is their God     what shall we eat? Yet, although the sacred record
         and thus as indispensable to them  as God, so that, lack-    says nothing of this, it must be that there can be found
         ing these  natura1 means, they must now needs perish.        in this vast murmuring assembly true sons of the


                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                         503
-.

covenant who pray. and in their prayer voice seriti- thing that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." But
ments such as these, 0 righteous and merciful cod, we we learn from the discourse of Christ that all or every-
bewail our sins before thee and acknowledge that  ~-we     thing must be rendered every word. That man lives
deserve, shouldst Thou enter into judgment with us,        on this word clearly means that man's true life is not
by reason of our sins, to perish in this wilderness. 0     perishable bread but God, so that life apart from Him
Lord, forgive us  our transgressions, for. which we        is death. It means that he who cometh  to Hirq shall
heartily repent and work in our hearts a greater never hunger and that he who believeth on Him shall
measure of sorrow for them, th%t we may, fearing Thy never thirst but will have everlasting life and will be
judgment, hearken unto Thy voice. For then, as to          raised up in the last day.
live is to fear Thee, Thou wilt save us, how we know           Man's true bread is God. Upon Him man lives be-
not, from the plight of this hour and eventually enter cause there proceeds out of His mouth words. What
with us, Thy people,.into Thy rest.                        are- these words? Firstly and in the final (and thus
   The faith of which this prayer is the expression not in the first) instance, the word by which He in
is not put to shame. "Then the Lord said unto Moses, His love calls into being His people and keeps them in
Behold I will rain bread from heaven for you . . . "       His pdwer,  the same word by which He eventually will
"`And  in: the morning the dew lay  aroung  about the make all things new and cause to appear in glory His
host. And when the d&w that lay was `gone up, behold church whose iife is now hidden with Christ in. God.
on the face of the wilderness there lay a small round `Secondly, we are to think here of. the word of truth,
th.ing, as small as'the hoar frost on the sound. And the law,  the. promise, the gospel, the self-revelation of
when the children of Israel saw it, .th&y  said one to     God  ,in which the children of faith possess God's true
another, it is manna:. for they wist not what it was.      likeness. And this likeness is Christ as the revelation
And Moses said unto them, TZhis is the bread which the     of God is in His face. He is the ever.y  word that pro-
Lord hath given you to eat."                               ceedeth out of the mouth of God on which `man lives.
   So does He humble them. He leads' them, as was In and through Him the Father speaks the word that
before said, into a region of deserts, waterless table- ,effects life eternal. The express image of the Father
lands, barren mountain chains and valleys were is He. The effulgence of His glory. In Him dwelleth
streams run dry, a tractless waste, a wilderness. Thus the fulness bodily. He is the resurrection and the life,
by taking from them every natural resource (water the power of God unto salvation. Therefore He could
and bread such as the soil yields) by raining for  thbm    say, "I am the living bread, which came down from
day by day bread from heaven, He compels them to live      heaven :. if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for;
consciously out of His hand ; by His mouth, and to com-    ever . . . .  "
mand their souls to wait daily upon Him. Thus does             Of this word of God's mouth  the manna of  %e
He humble them, silence the voice of pride. in their desert period was the special and fitting token. It'was
midst that is wont to boast,  16rny power and the might this because it was a neiv thing (The Israelites living
of my hand h&h got@? me this weqJ$h.". To what pgr: _ on it knew it .not. Neither did their fathers know) and.
Fose does He bring them, His people so low? That thus so palpably the product not of man's labor but
He may make them know tllat man doth not live by of the word of God's mouth that to live on it was to
bread only, by the bread that the soil yields, but by the consciousness of the Israelite like living directly
every word that proceedeth ont of the mouth of God.        on the very creative word of God. What is more, the
   There is also to this notice a depth of meaning that manna as compared with ordinary bread was plainly
cannot be fathomed. Yet if it be examined in the light a food of surpassing excellence.            It was capable
of Israel's condition of life in the wilderness, its mean- of sustaining life as no other ordinary bread could. It
ing can somewhat be grasped. The notice makes men- was a perfect fodd that rendered all other foods super-
tion of two kinds of bread, the perishable and every fluous, so that the Israelites living on it had full and
word of God's mouth. That man lives not on the former superb health.  `From  these observations it follows
but on the latter signifies that the two must be con-      that .the manna, too, in conjunction with the word of
ceived of as contraries, so that the word  of God's        God's mouth by which it was prepared, must be thought
nzozcth  cannot denote His inspiration in the ofdinary of as forming the contrary of ordinary bread. The
bread with which we nourish our mortal frames. To proof of the correctness of this reasoning is that in the
maintain this is to miss the point in the argument.        discources  of Christ, the manna reappears as the
What the sacred writer in the  final instance wished to    typical designation of Him, the true bread of life. Thus
bring out is not that man derives no nburishment from by the word of God's mouth on which the Israelites
utinspired,  perishable bread but that eating this bread lived we are to understand in the first instance also
he lives for a season only and eventually dies, so that the manna that God rained for them from heaven.
the true bread of life is every word of God's mouth,       But this earthy manna was a  ,type and nothing
which, if a man eats, he will live forever.                more. Though food-of exceptional virtue, it nourished
   The Hebrew text reads, "Man lives on all or every- man's body only. "Your fathers," said Christ to the
                                       '


 Jews of His day, f'did.eat  Manna in the wilderness-and- thirst for God and consider that the present sufferings
 are dead.. `This -is. Ithe bread that cometh  down from are not to be compared with the glory that awaits them
 heaven, that a.man  may eat thereof and not die." The in God's country. But the others, the carnal Israel,                                     `j
 true bread.,from  heaven is Christ. Whoso  eateth His          who have no interest in the higher things of the cove-                           j
-: flesh, and drink&h His blood, hath etemz&  life ; and He     nant, will persist in choosing to disobey His voice                        j
-will raise him up at the last day. But this is a matter and thus continue to bring themselves forward as a
 that the Israelites of the period of the wanderings,           people that prefers sickness and death to life and well-
 who had not Christ as the direct. object of their vision, being on the condition of faith and obedience. It will
 could have no eye for. Yet the action of God consist- thus appear more and more that the deep cause of their
 ing in His suffering them to hunger and in His feeding murmurings and rebellion is  .not the hardships of the                        '
 them with manna  which they knew not, could not fail desert journey but their dislike of God and of His prom-
 to drive home to their consciousness a vital truth  - the      ised things. Thus it will become known what is in
 truth namely that God only is man's life that`thus to          their heart. They will continue to say, in every emer-                .
 live is to cleave unto Him as the only expectation, to         gency, as often as there will be need and the need will
 hearken unto His voice and to keep covenant trust,             not be immediately supplied, - they will say, "Where-
 that therefore the man who forsakes God and says to fore is this that thou Moses hast brought us up out of
 bread, Thou art my God, is doomed.                             Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle?"
     And this, too, is in substance the very message that       And they will persist in asking, "Is the Lord in this
 comes to them at .Mara in connection with their thirst.        place ?,' Such will continue to be their outburst with
 Finding `the waters at Mara unsuitable for use, they the promise of God to deliver them in the. day of
 utter cries of importunate agony. They carry on as if trouble if they call upon' Him, in their ear; with His
 their hour has again struck though they posses Him the         goodness and mercy following them in every place, and
 very Creator. of water.                                        with all the tokens of His power to save fresh in their
     But the Lord now makes a beginning of proving              m e m o r y .
 them to discover the real cause of their murmuring,                                                           G. M. 0.
which is not their thirst, not the physical discomforts                            (To be continued)
.-attending  the march through the desert, but their in-
 disposition to humbly trrrn to Him in their need, to
 hearken unto His voice, their lack of interest in His
 things. This, to be sure, they would deny and insist                                       N O T I C E
 that the only reason they complain is their thirst. But           The annual meeting of the R. F. P. A. will be held,
 the Lord will prove them, discover them to themselves. the Lord willing, on Tuesday, Sept. 10, at  `7:45 o'clock.
 So He first supplies the immediate need. "What shall             .Three  boardmembers must be elected from the fol-
 we drink." Moses with the people murmuring against lowing nomination :
 him., cries unto the Lord. And the Lord shows him a                                                                             i
 tree, which when he casts it into the waters, the waters        ---  -.                 H. Bastiaanse  -.
 become sweet. Then we read, There he made for them                                      Rev. B. Kok
 a statue and an ordinance, and there he proved them,                                    W. Koster                          f
                                                                            -
 and said. "If thou wilt diligently hearken unto the                                .F. Pipe
voice of the Lord thy God, and wiit  do  that_$iih is                                    R. Schaafsma
 right in his .sight, and wilt give ear to his command-                          - R. Timmer
 ments, and keep all his- statutes, I will put none of these        Other important matters will come up for discus-
' diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the             sion, such as, the proposed plan of our Standard Bearer.
 Egyptians : for I am the Lord that healeth thee." Thus         The agents will be present at 7:15 o'clock to receive
 the healing of the.waters of Mara become unto them a           membership or subscription fees.
 sign and' a pledge that life and health will be their                              _
 portion, if they will cleave unto the Lord.                                                                  The Board
     So it is plain that from the Lord's doing at Mara
I and from -His doing in the wilderness of Sin rise two
distinct messages.. The former is: I, the Lord am the
 Healer of all they diseases and the preserver of thy               Aan het Woqrd Gods mag geen meester, noch  rich-
 life. The latter message is: I, Thy God, am thy life,          ter, en zoo ook geen beschermheer gegeven  worden,  dan
 the. true bread of thy soul,                                   God zelven.
     But this double boon is the portion of them only
 who give ear to His commandments and keep  .a11 His
 statutes.. And these are His people, with sins covered             Gods Woord alleen blijft eeuwiglijk; maar de dwa- -2
 by His blood and in whom His Spirit dwells. They ling gaat altoos  naast hetzelve op, en ook weer onder.


                                                        r
                                                                                                     '  EDITOBiAL:   `@?AFF                              Is I
                                                                                            `,Editor+R&. H. H~eIwen&  Rev. G. M. Odhoff,                 I! `.communications relative to contents ill
                     mlou,(l   ae   sern   TO  ti.`   `4.  LKlorn,  Y"D                *            Rev: Wm. Vethi&:  Rev: G. Vos            -                 should be `addressed to
                       Dallas Ave... S.E., Grand Rapids, .Mich.                  ('                                                               I'.
                                                                                                                                                                      REV: H.  EOEKSEMA.
                       All money matters should: be addressed .                        Associate  Editera-Rev.  A.  Cammenva   Rev  P  &
                       to R.-Schaafsma,  524 Hem-y  Ave., S.E.,                             Boer, Rev.  M. Gritters, Req. C.  LLlllnv,   IbCiw.  -.                                  _,
                     .:`Grand  Rapids,  Mich.'  `..  .'                    ll               Knk.  R.c=.vs   G.  -Tmhh&x  Rtiv:&.T.   V&&w.  Rr~um.n. 1)          ,-...."
                                                                                                                                                                       Grand Rapids, Mich.



@;~;y~~-J,  Xi, No. 22 Entered as second class mail                                                      SEPTEMBEB'15,  1935                                        Subscription  P&e,' $2.50
                                               matter at Grand Rapids.  Mich.
;@,. .; f
-2";  . ,
>g$:.
                                                                                                                        fessed it. Little, `however, they as. yet  u.nderstood  the
                                                                                                                        implications of that confessidn.,  The name Christ for
                                                                                                                        them was synonymous. with glory and  power,  ascent'  .to
                                                                                                                        the mighty throne of David, a .way :of victory and con-
                                                              `..                                                       quest ; and discipleship' was: by th,em.%onsidered  from
                                   A Threefold  `@qtiiremeirt;                                                          the  Iviewpoint  of the question: `who shall be the
                                                                                                                        greatest? . . . . .                                  .`.      ,
                                                                                                                                                                            -;, .                 -;
                                                                                                                         .~>`The `conflict, was inevitable !                And just now it had '
                                                                                                                                                         ,                          .  :
                                                                                                                        been begun !
                                                                                                     Matt. 16:24.
.L.,n i ..,. ::;.                                                                                                           The words the Lord had spoken concerning Himself '
:~~~~-&f~.I_ . . Then. said Jesus !                                                                                     had  ;clashed  with their own illusions about Him! For;
                        And,when  He spoke,' Who ii;" the Word,of God come He" had pictured the way. that lay before Him as one
                                                                                                                        of ;suff ering and shame. and reproach, ,even: of. death ! -
                                                                                                                        To. be sure,.`it  was a way of glory, of ascent,' of life;
                                                                                                                        but the- glory was to be .reached only throughthe.  midst
                                                                                                                        of shame, the.ascent  must needs be pre$&ed by a dark
                                                                                                                        descent,  .,the life was the life of resurrection,. to be at-
                                                                                                                        tained only through death ! . . . . . z .., r                                    `I
                                                                                                                            And littie they had been prepared to:abando'n.  their
                                                                                                                        illusions and exchange them for this stark~r&iity  !                                             `-
                                                                                                                            Flesh. had rebuked the Spirit.! The%&e.  after,
                                                                                                                        the things of men had asserted itself over against the                                                           .
                                                                                                                        striving. after the things of God. The darkness had
                                                                                                                        made a. fierce attempt to.  mamtain itself over against
                                                                                                                        the Light. And  `the Light had, struck back,  mercii
                                                                                                                        $%3ly . . .  :  .                                                                         -..
                                                                                                                            Lord, this shall not be unto thee!
                                                                                                                            Get thee                          .behind me, Satan!                                               1
                                                                                                                           . Then said Jesus unto His disciples !                                        .,              *
                                                                                                                            At  .that  psy&hological  moment, when  the, `disciples
                                                                                                                        stodd:`abas;hed,  stunned by the clash of their-  iilusio&
                                                                                                                        with reality, when it appeared that they as yet littIe
                                                                                                                        understood the implications of "coming  ,`after`  H~I$,
                                                                                                                        then He spoke!                                                      ._
                                                                                                                        `. Severely  .th'ey  had been rebuked. Like a cobweb
                                                                                                                        their carnal. notions had been swept .away.'                               `.
                                                                                                                        .;  .: Now it was the momentforfurther-instructions.  - *
                                                                                                                        ._ .;&rd:no.w he spoke, I.                                                              -.                  i


              Wduld  I come-after Jesus?                                      To hear and receive and heed that Word in the
              Are you, am  I; clearly convinced, that it is not niidst of the world that lieth in darkness, is to come
   _' ifier an illusion of Him, not after a Jesus of our owli after Him.
          imagifiation,  but after Himself, the Christ of the Scrip;          If any man will come after Me! . . . . .
          tures that we would come?                                           Who is he that so wills?
              Are we prepared to leave  l&m- as He is, to take Him            No man be nature. The will to come after Jesus is
          -at His own word concerning Himself, then to the fruit of His own almighty giatie. For the natural
                                                                           man is carnal, loves darkness, hates the light, loves the
          follow Him? The question is a profoundly serious one
          and ever again must induce introspection,  `s'elf-examina-       world and seeks not the things of the kingdom of `God.
          tion in the light of the threefold requirement the Lord To come after Jesus. He must call, efficaciously, ir-
          here announces as inbvitable  : denial of self, `assumption resistibly call : "Folloti  Me."
          of the cross, following unconditionally !                          And paradoxical though it may sound, he that will
                                                                           come after Jesus is already after Him!
             -The will to come after Him could be characterised               That will, then, to come after Jesus, is it yo!rs, is it
          by nothing less.                                                mine ?
              For, to come after Him, which is, you under-                   Ever again we may ask the question, and in the
          stand, a figurative expression, means to be His dis- light of the question examine. ourselves, our way and
          ciple ; and to be His disciple implies that one hears His our walk: will we come after Jesus?
          Word `and, receives it, that he hides that Word in his              For, many there be that say : Lord, Lord ! yet .never
          heart and allows it to be the controlling and guiding will to come after Him.
          principle in all his conversation and life.                         And even though w.e do will to come after Jesus
              His Word!                                                    as far as the deepest choice of our heart is concerned,
              His. entire Word !                                           there ever remains much within us  .that wills not follow
              Not merely that part of it which may appear ac-             Hiin.
          ceptable to us, so that after all we change His Word of             Besides, it is necessary and salutary to learn in an
          truth into our lie, but the whole, awful Word of ever deepening sense of the word, what it means to be
          Christ, the Word of God?                                        His follower.
              The Word of Him Who is the Truth ! `The Word                    Would you, would I, come after Jesus?           ,
          that mercilessly tears away all the righteousness of n,=c-
          Man in order to establish the righteousne'ss  of God ;
          that closes the kingdom of heaven against al! whdse
          righteousness does not exceed the righteousness of the
          scribes and pharisees, because it demands a righteous-              Strange requirements !
          ness that is inward, of the heart, and perfect, flawlessly          Let a man deny himself, let him take up his cross,
          in har$otijr  with the righteousness of God. The Word let him follow Me !
          that must  ever condemn the world, not only because it              How directly, contrary to the spirit of the world!
          declares that it ha& not this righteousness, but also be- How utterly without inducement or encouragement to
          cause it insists that it cannot attain to it, that declares the natural man is the call to come after the Son of
          that ye are guilty and undone, worthy of death and man !
          damnation, th&t,  we are corrupt and wholly inclined to             The world needs men that have ambition, self-ambi-
          all evil, that leaves us no hope in self, &o ground of self-     tion to spur them into  &tivity, ambition to gain (one-
           righteousness on which to maintain  ourselves. The self a position, to make oneself a name, to heap riches
          Word that reaches down to us in our hopelessness  `only,         upon riches, to operi the.gates  bf pleasure ; and it offers
          to declare unto us a righteousness which is of God, these to its children in order to induce them to follow;
          through the death and resurrection. of  Jesus  Chk-ist           Christ offers no inducement to the self-ambitious ; on
          from the dead, a righteousness  th& is perfect, that is the contrary: If any man will come after Me, let him
          ours as  an eternal gift  qf @ace, that is imputed to us, deny himself! .  : . .
          that is also wrought in us through His Spirit,. that                The will to come after Him is first of.all and chiefly
          justifies us freely and sanctifies  ni  wholly, that makes characterised by the  retidiness  to deny oneself!
          us .new creatures in an ,old world, light in the midst of           And mark you well, the word is: let him deny him-
    `. darkness, citizens of Jerusalem in the midst of Babylon. seZff!  ,Comparatively  easy it would be had the Lord
          The Word that demands of them that are thus justified            said: Iet him deny something to  himself!  This one
          atid  sanctified that they shall be holy even as the Lord may find iilustrated  dften even-in the world. Men will
their God is holy,' in all manner of conversation, that deny  themselv.es  many things for many reasons
they  fprsake the world and its  lusts, fight the good principably for their own sake. They will deny them-
     * fight `and be of God's party. in all their speech and selves food and drink they otherwise crave and relish,
. . walk . . . . .                                                        _ if their own health is at stake, They will deny unto
                                                  I
: .:-.            .,          `.         I


                                                                                                                       *
                            . . .    .:.         .'

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                                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                  507

       themselves leisure and rest if the  obpect  of their own              Follow,  not lead, he must. He must  obey, not com-
       ambition is involved. They will deny themselves the mand. Listen he must, not speak.
       world and the things that are in the world, in order                  And when the Lord instructs him about His o&n
       the more to gain of the world. But the Lord's require- cross as well as about the cross they must bear that
       ment is absolute : let him deny himself! It is the  v.ery          would come after  Him, he must not  assert his own
       opposite of maintaining oneself. It is the willingness notions and insist : Lord, this shall not be unto thee ! . .
      `atid readiness to'become nothing, not to insist on one's              He must follow, silently, submissively, willingly,
       name  .and honor, on one's right and position, on one's trusting that all is well; though the path appear rugged
       means and possessions, no, not even on one's very life.            and steep.
       It is the readiness to loose all things for Christ's sake,            Renouncing his own judgment to the Word of the
       to have oneself wholly set aside, pushed out of sight, L o r d !
       trampled under foot. To deny oneself before God is                    Denying his own will to obey His !
       not to insist on one's righteousness before Him, to                   Follow, where He leads !
                                                                                              L
       confess that one is  utterly lost in sin and must be
      clothed with the .righteousness  of God in Christ; it is
      the desire to be nothing before Him in self, to be all in
      Hiti! And to deny oneself befqre  men is not to seek
      the praise of men, but to be always ready to suffer re-                If any man will come after Me!
      proach and shame, prison and death for His name's                      He must be thus equipped!
      s a k e !                                                              No mighty arm or mental acumen,  $0 armour  of
          If any &m will come after me, &t him deny himself ! steel and keen-edged sword, no record of fame and re-
                                                                          commendation of men, no righteousness of the law or
          Utterly impossible it is to do the one. without the wogthy  deeds, does one need to come after Jesus!
      other! And under a very deceptive illusion labors he                   No ambition to become great and mighty in the
      that imagines already to be after Jesus and finds him- world, no pledge to conquer the world for Christ, to
      self wholly unwilling to deny himself!                              prophecy in His behalf, to cast out devils and do many
          For, . he does not come after Jesus to snatch                   mighty works, could possibly characterize the will to
      a crown in the `world, but a cross !                                come after Him !
                                                                             He must deny himself!
T:        `He is required, not merely to bare a cross, but to
      take it up !                                                           He must take up the cross, that cross which is but
          And how shaI1 one willingly assume the burden of a the reflection of His!
      "cross, unless he is willing to d&y himself? For, the                  And follow unconditionally and with whole-hearted
      cross he is required to  sissume is always centrally and surrender !
      principally His cross. Not of suffering in general, of                 And,.then? . . . .
      the suffering of this present  time as it is inseparably               Must this be the last word? Shall,. then, the wicked
      connected with existence even in the w&Id,  is the cross prosper, always prosper and be dominant aid have the
      an emblem. The slogan : "ieder huis heeft  zijn kruis" victory, and heap malice and hatred upon them that
      is not true. All true crosses are but slivers of  ,3Iis             come after Jesus, and rage and be furious against them,
      cross. His-cross and the cross we must take up are re- and crucify atid kill them that walk in'the light? Shall
      lated. Not, indeed, when  you consider His cross as the shame and confusion and defeat be their only' reward
      emblem and' means of atonement. Then it  stands                    who,  follow Jesus? Is there no reward, no hope, no
      severely alone. Then He died that we might never die outlook of final victory, when the denial of self shali
      but have everlasting liffe. "But as the ultimate ex- have an.end,  when the cross shall be removed from the
      pression of the hatred of the world against God and bleeding shqulders to be .exchanged  for a crown, when
      against His Anointed, His cross is ours. They hated patient and unquestioning following of Jesus shall ter-
      Him because He is of G'bd and they tvere of the world, minate in the recompense of the reward ?. . . .
      `because He is the Light and they are of the darkness.                 Let him deny himself, let him take up his cross,
      And the servant is not greater than his Lord. If they iet him follow ? . . . .
      hated Him they shall also hate them that will. come                   ' Is it the very last that can be said?
      after  Him, for He is in them and becomes manifest                     It is, indeed, as far as this present time is con-
      through  thim.  And His cross is still reflected in the cerned ; it is if your anxiously questioning.gaze  ,would
      crosses they bear that would follow Him! . . . .                   fain look for escape from the .cross in this wurld;  the
                                                                         cross means death; be ye, therefore, faithful even untb
          Cross-bearjng  is, therefore, .inevitable !                    death !
          If any man will cdme aft& Him, that will must be                   Yet, rkjoice and be exceeding glad!
      characterised  by the will to assume the cross!                        For, though you may find no reward in and with
          And bearing his cross such an one must follow Him ! the world, that men revile you and persecute you and

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-233                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D .   B E A R E R

speak all manner of evil against you falsely, for His scheiden leven en tijdelijk ook beter gescheiden blijv.en.
name's sake, great is your reward in heaven!                        En het zou de broederen in Kalaniazoo, naar ik
        If it were not so, you would, in coming after Jesus,     vrees, slechts verbitteren, zoo ik nogmaals en in den
be of a!1 men most .miserable !                                  breede de geschiedenis naar waarheid  verhaalde, die
   But He is risen! He Whom you follow, endured, aanleiding-  is geworden van het  alleen-leven  der  ge-
indeed, the cqntradiction  of sinners even unto the bitter meente aidaar.
end. Him more than any man the world hated and re-                  Goede vrucht zou ik van zulk eene bespreking niet
viled and upon Him they performed all their evil will!           verwachten.
Him they denied a place in this world, made an outcast,             Ik ben hierin nog versterkt door het lezen van de
trampled under foot, made the object all their fury `fNadere  Toelichting en Beoordeeling" door Ds. H. Dan-
until they had apparently vanquished him. And He hof in  bovengen0emd.e  Bulletin. Want hetgeen daar
denied Himself and took up His cross. B$ his shame tot toelichting wordt aangeboden is op zichzelf  we1  .
was changed to glory, His death into life, Iiis cross into waarheid, maar het is tech verre van de waarheid in
the c~,own, and He is seated at the right hand of God deze zaak. Het is we1 waar, dat ik onlangs over de
forever!.... .                                                   door de Gereformeerde Kerken van Nederland  aange-
        His glory is yours!                                      boden samenspreking met de Christelijke Gereformeer-
        If you .deny  yourself, He shall confess you and eon-    de Kerken aldaar schreef zooals de "Bulletin" mij  aan-
stantly pray that you may also be where He is!                   haalt, maar de vergelijking van die zaak met de onze
        If you bear the cross, He shall prepare you a crown! gaat in geen enkel opzicht 6p, zooals het mij niet moei-
        If you follow, He will lead you to glory!                lijk zou zijn aan te todnen. Het zal we1 waar zijn (ik
        Glory, heavenly and eternal!                             ben met de bijzonderheden hiervan  niet bekend) wat
                                                     H. H.,      in de "Nadere  Toelichting"  geschreven wordt over  h&
                                                                 door Ds. H. Danhof van de Lezingseommissie der Fuller
                                                                 Ave. Mannenvereenigingen ontvangen verzoek om met
                                                                 een onzer leiders te debatteeren  over gerezen verschil-
                                                                 len, maar dan is de tendenz van de uitlichting van dexe
                                                                 waarheid uit het historisch verband  totih van dien aard,
                                                                 dat ik haar met alle vrijmoedigheid een vicieuze on-
                                                                 waarheid noem. De schrijver had niet moeten  verge-
                                                                 ten,  dat hij "gerezen verschillen" in de  Woodman  Hall
        De meesten onzer lezers zullen misschien weten,  dat te Grand Rapids reeds op zijn eigen wijze had pogen uit
 op onze laatstgehouden classis-vergadering de kwestie te stallen voor het publiek, dat mijn verzoek aldaar pu-
 ter tafel  w& en  besproken  is of het wenschelijk zou bliek gedaan om het woord ook te mogen voeren en hem
 zijn de vereeniging te zoeken Van de Protesteerende             te antwoorden, mij werd geweigerd; dat ik toen  naar
 Eerste Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerk te  Kalatiazoo,          Kalamazoo ben getrokken om in een  publieke  vergade-
Mich., met onze kerken.          --.      ...---                 ring Ds. Danhof in zijn aangezicht te weersprkken.  en
  Een bnzer k&k&aden  had hierover reeds aai den                 dat ik hem toen het woord heb aangeboden hetgeen
 kerkeraad dier gemeente geschreven, zonder kennis, van door hem niet werd aangenomen!
 de overige kerken in ons verband. En hij had van dien              En zoo zou ik meer kunnen noemen.
 kerkeraad ten antwoord ontvangen, dat hij  we1  gewil-             Doch  ik wil deze bedroevende geschiedenis laten
lig was "om door eene samenspreking elkander te  zoe-            rusten.
 ken, en indien mogelijk kerkelijke eenheid tot  stand.te           Sleehts  op &n punt van misverstand Wilde ik wij-
brengen, met wie dctri ook, de Prot. Ger. Keykengroep            Zen.
 +nbegrepen,  (cursiveering van mij, H. H.)  zoolang men            In de meer genoemde "Nadere  Toelichting-  en Be-
 op redelij ke gronden welslagen  #ken  verwachten."             oordeeling" lees ik het volgende:
 .(Weekly  Bulletin, Prot. First Christian Ref. Church,             "Men had onzen kerkeraad echter  &en in kennis.
 Number 427.)                                                    moeten  stellen  met het besluit, dat de Classis nam ten
        In bovengenoemde "Bulletin" wordt het antwoord opzichte van het bewuste verzoek van Roosevelt Park.
 besproken Idat door onze Classicale scriba aan den ker-         Bij dat besluit  der Classis tech had onze kerkeraad be-
 keraad der gemeente  t6 Kalamazoo verzonden werd en lang. Het ware netjes geweest, indien men ons daar-
 waarin dien kerkeraad het besluit dier classis w.erd van een  letterlijk(e) afschrift had  doen  toekomen.
 meegedeeld.                                                     Dat is &geAijk'de .goede  gewoonte in de kerkrechte-
        Ik ben niet van plan, om deze zaak in breede bespre-     lijke wereld, en elders. Het korte berichtje van de
 king te nemen  in. ons blad.                                    Classis  aafi het adres van onzen kerkeraad daarentegen,
        Daarvoor is ze eigenlijk te bedroevend.                  dat zij niet verantwoordelijk was voor de corresponden-
        Er  kunnen ook andere redenen zijn dan leerstellige tie van Roosevelt Park, had best achterwege `kunnen
 en kerkrechtelijke, waarom in de wereld. kerken ge- blijven als vanzelf sprekend en daarom geheel  overbo-


                                               T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                         509

d i g . Doch  de zaken zijn niet anders. Omdat het  be- is toegezondeti  en dat onze Classis  zich metterdaad niet
      sluit der Classis,  waarbij wij belang  hadden, ons geheel heeft vergrepen  aan nette manieren en goede  gewoon-
      onbekend is, kunnen wij het toelichten  noch  beoordee-      ten.
      len".                                                           En hiermede is, wat de Standard Bearer betreft, de
         Dit lesje in nette manieren en gqede gewoonten, in z a a k   a f g e d a a n .
      kennelijk ironische stijl  onzen  `kerken   gegeven,  had                                                     H. H.
      achterwege kunnen blijven. Als iemand zijn na&e de
      les wil lezen, moet hij eerst goed  zeker zijn van de
      zaak. En vooral, als dit ook nog geschiedt op ironische
      toon. Er is niet veel, dat beschamender is, dan dat
      men op een ironische toon iemand de les leest eti dan                On Bibles and Bible Reading
      tot de ontdekking mdet komen, dat heel de gelezene les
      op  misverstand berustte !                                      For a correct understanding of the Scriptures it  is
         .En dat tech is hier het geval.                           also necessary that we read it in the fellowship of the
          De schrijver van .de "Nadere Toelichting" schreef people of God.
      uit de veronderstelling dat aan den kerkeraad  te Kala-         The Spirit of Christ is one. He is not poured out
      mazoo niet het geheele desluit der'Classis  werd m+ge:       into a number of individuals, but  into the Church as the
      deeld  en dat zij daarom b.ehoefte  had aan een lesje in Body of Christ. Nor do all the members of that Body
      nette manieren en goede gewoonten.                           receive the Spirit in the same measure  and partake of
          Die veronderstelling, praarover  de schrijver overi-     an equal measure of grace. For, #all the members  do not
      gens  ge?n'enkele  giond had, is misverstand.                .occupy  the same place and .do not serve the same pur-
          "Het korte berichtje", dat'door  den stated clerk aan pose in the `Body. There is difference of graces and
      den kerkeraad der Prot. First Christian Ref. Church gifts, but it is the same Spirit that' bestows these  '
      w.erd toegezonden, is metterdaad het geheele besluit der graces upon the Church as a whole and upon the
      classis in deze zaak voorzoover het Kalamazoo's  kerke-      members severally.
      raad  betrof.,  Er is absoluut niets anders  besloten;          Hence, there originates the  communi6n  of saints.
      waarbij die kerkeraad belang  had. Onze Classis  heeft          This communion of saints is a  fact whether you
      geen  samenspreking  met den kerkeraad van Kalama- acknowledge and exercise it or not. Many, when they
      zoo's gemeente geweigerd, noch ook tot zulk eene sa-         read in the,  Apostles'  Creed :  ."I believe the communion
      menspreking besloten. Er is geen enkel ander  be&it          of  s;lints", understand these words as signifying : "I
      gevallen.                                                    believe in exercising the communion of saints". This
,I        De gehekle zaak staat, wat de Classis betreftj  nog is a mistake. The meaning is: "I believe that there is
      precies zoo als v66r hare laatste  vergaderirig.             a  .communion of saints". Communion of saints is. a
          Nu kan de schrijver  van de "Nadere Toelich'zing"        reality before we exercise it. In fact, as a  reality  it is
      dit  "korte  berichtje" geheel overbodig achten. Dat is the basis of our exercise of saint-fellowship. Just as
 .-zijn- zaak.,                                                    there is a communion of the various `members of our              .-  -
          De Classis dacht  hierover anders.                       physical bodies, because they are organisms in which
          In.de eerste plaats tech zal het duidelijk zijn, dat, the members occupy their own place and all serve their
      indien  .de  Classis dit "korte berichtje" niet  aan den own purpose, all serve the whole and in serving the
,. kerkeraad te Kalamazoo verzonden had,. deze dan in whole serve one-another, so there is a communion of
      `t geheel geen antwoord zou hebben ontvangen. En de saints, the members of which. are the' people of God,
      Classis  meende, dat dit tech met nette manieren en donstituting  the spiritual.Body  of Christ. And in that
      goede gewoonten niet  we1 bestaanbaar was. Zij gevoel-       organism of  the Body of Christ the members function
      de, dat de kerkeraad een antwoord van ons verwachtte.        in their divinely ordained and appointed places, serve
          In de tweede plaats zal de schrijver van "Nadere         the glory of the Body, the glory of Christ, and in serv-
      Toelichting" waarschijnlijk we1 tot de ontdekking ko- ing that purpose they ser've one-another.
      men,  dat het  "k&e berichtje"  tech niet zoo geheel            No Chtistian  can with impunity separate himself
      overbo$ig  was, als hij oppervlakkig sehijnt te meenen, from the actual, conscious excerise of that fellowship.
      en dat het ook niet geheel zonder inhoud is, indien hij         A child of God who develops the  btid habit of living
      het slechts wil lezen in verband met en in het light van     alqne, of  .severing  himself from the rest of the people
      den inhoud der correspondentie in het bewuste  "ko&-e        of God "met een boekje in een hdekje" as the Dutch
      b e r i c h t j e "   g e n o e m d .                        express it, does not enjoy a healthy and vigorous
          Dan valt er misschien ook nog we1 veel verder toe spiritual'life.
      te lichten  en te beoordeelen.                                  As saints in Christ Jesus we need one-another.
          Hoe dit ook zij,  .tiij verzekeren den kerkeraad  Van       This must also be applied to the reading of the word
      Kalamazoq's  Protesteerende Eerste ChristeGjke Gere- ,of God.
: formeerde Kerk, dat hem `t geheele  besltiit  der Classis            The Protestant principle of the perspicuity of the


 510                              1    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

 Word of God does not imply that each one ought to read helpful in reading and understanding the Word of God.
 the Word by himself, outside of the fellowship of the                There is the Sundayschool and there are various
 saints.                                                       societies that. devote themselves chiefly to a study and
     On the contrary, the Spirit being the Interpreter discussion of the Word of God.
 of the Word and that Spirit dwelling in the Body of                  The Sundayschool might, perhaps, find a place of its
 Christ as a whole, the individual members in reading own, next to the catechism (and also next to the Chris-
 and interpreting  *Scripture will seek as much as tian School) if it would conceive it as its specific task
 possible the fellowship of the people of God.                 to teach the children to read the Bible and to learn as
     What this implies in a practical sense will be much as possible of it by heart.
 evident.                                                            And the various societies in the Church  inay, indeed,
     To begin with one's own immediate environment, it be an influence for good, a great help unto reading and
 means that one will diligently seek the fellowship of understanding the Scriptures, if they are conducted
 his own chirch. In that fellowship he will, first of all, rightly and, especially if all the members take an active
 find the services on the sabbath and, on special oc- part and prepare  themselves,for  the discussion of that
 casions, on week-days. And the main element of those part of the Word of God which is to be the subject in
 services is and ought to be the preaching. And the            the society. Membership of one of the societies serves
 preaching must be interpretation and] application of as an incentive to regular and systematic bible study.
 the Word of God by a ministry that is instituted by                 Besides, of course, in the fellowship of the Church
 Christ and through which we may, therefore, expect one  also finds reading  matter in  the form of  papers
 a blessing from the Lord. The child of God that would and books `and pamphlets, the study of which will prove
 grow in the knowledge of Christ and in the under-. helpful in the correct reading and interpretation of the
 standing of the Scriptures will not easily separate him- Bible. Our Standard Bearer should not only be in
' self from the fellowship of the saints as exercised in       every Protestant Reformed home, but should also be
 divine worship. He-&l1  attend a,s regularly as possible read and studied from the first to the last page, in the
 and will listen attentively. As- a general rule, which, language, tit least, we are able to read.
 of course, is  ,not without its exceptions, that he or she          All these helps may never take the place of the
 is best at home in the Bible,. and is most able to read Bible.
 and interpret the Scriptures correctly, who, all other              But they certainly are important as means to guide
 things being equal, most regularly and diligently at- us in reading the Word of God.
 tends the preaching o$ the Word of God in the Church.               And one carmot  neglect all these means with im-
 One who readily finds excuses to be absent from the `impunity.
 services, whether it be in the weather'that it is too cold          The fundamental reason being that the believer is
 or too hot, or in some slight real or imaginary physical but a member of the Body of Christ and can function
 inconvenience, or in circumstances, is usually a poor and spiritually flourish only in the exercise of the com-
 Christian, poor especially with respect to his knowl- munion  of  saints.
 edge. of lthe Word of .-God..                                                                                             .-_ H. H.
   `But this is not all.
    In the fellowship of his church one also may enjoy                         I
 the instruction offered in catechism. As long as one is a
 child he is simply sent to the catechism class by his                                 ECHTVEREENIGING
 parents ; when the child grows up to young manhood or               Den  llden  September  herdachten we met  onze geliefde
 womanhood he or she must voluntarily seek the in-             ouders,
 &ruction  thus offered, whether before or after con-                                       IiERMA&  HANK0
 fession of faith is made. And here ag,ain  you will find                                            en
that, as a rule, the parent that himself is faithful in                             JENNIE HANKO-Burmania,
 attending the services and has a clear understanding hunne 40-jarige Echtvereeniging.
of the truth is also  mu& faithful in sending his chil-              Met dank  aan  *den Heere voor Zijne genadige bescherming
 dren to catechism and in insisting that they know their en geschonkene zegeningen op hunnen levensweg is het onze
                                                               innige bede dat Hij hen ook verder zegenen en  leiden'mag in
 lesson. And all other things being equal that youth Zijne nabijheid.
 enjoys, a most healthy growth in the knowledge of the          ,                    Hunne  dankbare kinderen,
-Scriptures who most diligently attends catechetical  in-                                          Mr.  en Mrs. N. Bolt
 structiori, not only by attending the clatis, but also in                                         Mr. en Mrs. P.  Kladder
 preparing himself for the lesson.                                                                 Mr. en Mrs. R.  Helder
    Thus one.learns to read the Bible in the fellowship                                            Mr. en Mrs. C. Van Dyken
 of the Church as instituted by Christ.                                                            Mr. en Mrs. B. Woudenburg
                                                                                                   Mr. en Mrs. 0. Van der Woude
    But  also as an organism, apart from the instituted                                            Rev. en Mrs. C. Ha&o
 `offices, the Church offers many means that  kill prove                                                   En 28 kleinkinderen.
                                                                                      .       _


                                              ..,


                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                          511

    Marah and the Wilderness  of Sin                          morally free to choose  ,or object the right and  that-
                                                              whether He will bring upon them the diseases brought
    .The doings of the Lord, described above, have            upon the Egyptians or keep them in sound health, will
 also a meaning for us. And the behaviour  of the Israel- hinge on the character of their choice. True, ac-
 ites in the crisis that overtook them at Mara and in cording to the manner of speech found in the sacred
 the wilderness of Sin, should remind us of what we all record, health will be theirs on the condition of their
 by nature are capable. The Israelites in the desert          resolve to keep His commandments ; but it is to be
 were not the last of the sons of the coven&t to utter consider.ed,  that the condition here set, He and not they
 the cry, What shall we eat and what shall we drihk ?         fulfill, that what He demands,  H? also gives ; that
    .Let us direct our attention once. more to the bitter     thus the implication of the notice, "If thou wilt hearken
.waters  qf Mara.,  From the notice, "There he made for unto my voice, I will heal thee," is none other than that
 them a statue and an ordinance, and there he proved faith and health go hand in hand and that, whereas
 them," and from the promise that follows, "If thou faith is His gift, He purposes in His sovereign love to
 wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy heal His people only, that, on the other hand, they who
 God, and wilt do that which is right. in his sight . . , I according to His good pleasure choose not to fear him,
 will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have will be held accountable.
 brough: upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that             That He made this. purpose to .heal them that fear
 healeth thee," it is evident that Mara's  bitter waters Him and to destroy the revilers of His word and name
`are to -be taken as the emblem of the moral diseases of a statute and an ordinance for them, is a matter that
 His people by nature dead through sin and of the de- we do well to contemplate. The term statute and or-
 vastation wrought by the curse of God on this earth dinance jointly signify a resolve, forever fixed and from
 though which the curse stalks and in this world in which He can and will never depart and that therefore
 which sin-cursed man occupies as the fallen king. the without fail will continue to project itself in the life of
 central `place. Man by nature is a fountain from which the sons of the covenant as a tied, customary and
 gushes forth waters that are bitter. This world in man, right action, an unalterable divine law of the kingdom,
 its mdral rational fallen crown, is a veritable  Mara,  a setting forth the  trutli' that, God can befriend His peo-
 spring of moral pollution. The fruit that he yields is ple only-they that fear Him-chosen unto life eternal
 poison to the soul of every one that eateth thereof.         in Christ Jesus and that upon the others not included
    It was upon the emblem of  .this man that the  chll- in  Him and who, according to His determinate decree,
 drefi of Israel came in the, wilderness; They found a will not hearken unto His voice, He in His eternal
 spring. whose waters could not be drunken because of sovereign wrath will bring. all the diseases which He
" their bitterness. But instead of allowing this sp&ing brought upon the Egyptians ; that thus the only man
 to  speak to them of their total moral worthlessness in whom He can bless and allow to ascend into His holy
 the sight of God, they in great vexation of spirit broke hill and to stand in His holy place is the man with clean
 out.in bitter complaint, and said, What shall tie dirink?    hands  - cle.an in Him - and with a pure heart, the          *
                                                                                                    I__. _
 Thi mind frOm which this cbtipiaint  sprang was the tian who has not lifted up his soil to vanity and s&orn
 same that denies man's moral depravity and insists deceitfully; that thus this. man only shall receive the
 that the waters that flow from man's belly are sweet blessing of the Lord and righteousness from the God of
 or partially so. But the waters of  Marah were bitter. His salvation. The truth here expressed .is vital and
 And God's healed them, so that the spring at Marah fundamental and was therefore re-stated time and
 with its waters made sweet by the wonder-working again by the prophet_Moses,  and by all the prophets
 power of God in the tree now stands out before our           that came after. It, this truth, forms the nucleus of.
 eye as the sign and pledge of the healing of His people the speech that rises from the typical sacrifice and
-and of the final restoration of all things by the wonder-    finally from the cross. And yet they will prate of a
 working power of God in Christ. And the tangible grace common to all.
 evidence that He will  bririg it to pass is every man in        He will heal them and nourish their souls u&o life
 whom the waters'that Christ gives is a well of water eternal. For He `is iheir bread of life. This, as was,
 springing up unto everlasting life.                          said, is the message of the manna that he rained for
    He  will heal all their diseases, the diseases of them them from heaven. But we, too, as they are so prone
 who believe in His name, heal them according to a            to say to the bread that perishes, "Thou art my God."
 statute and an ordinance He made for them.                   How we cleave to bread, how our hearts are set on
    This last clause is significant. The'statute  and the things below, how by nature we are indisposed to press
 ordinance made for them is plainly His `revealed and on with God to Canaan is evident from the deep con-
 abiding determination to heal their deseases, if they cefi, the unbelief, that fills our soul and from tlie.mur-
 will diligently hearken untd His voice. This must not muring that escape our. lips when these perishable
 be taken to imply that their resolve to either hearken things are taken from us and we are cast solely upon
 or  to `turn a deaf ear to His voice will be made by a will His care and asked to consider that even though we
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`.       \                                                               -."                                                      i





        512                                   T.HE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

        perish from the want of bread and thus lose this life,                       ple, for then they would have reason to return to their
        we still live as Christ, the true .bread, is our portion,                    fleshpots in Egypt.
        live and come into the actual possession of all things.                                  These murmurings He hears. "And it came to pass
                                                                                     &s Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the
              There is still another notice in the record of the                     children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilder-
        history that Israel made in the wilderness of Sin that ness, and, behold, the glory `of the Lord appeared in a
        is worthy of our careful attention. We read. And in                          cloud, And -the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
        the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the Lord ;                       I have heard the murmurings of the children
        for that He heareth your murmurings against the Lord of Israel: speak unto them saying, At even
        Ex. 16 :7. That they when He suffered them to hunger ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled
        for the moment .murmured against Him instead of mak- with bread; and ye shall know that I.am the Lord your
        ing known to Him in humbleness of spirit their need,. God. And it came to pass that at even the quails caine
        is repeated no less than three times, "And Moses said,                       up, arid covered the camp, atid  in the morning the dew
        This shall be, when the Lord shall give you in  the                     lay around about the host. And when the dew that lay
        evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness
        full ;  for that the Lord heareth your murmurings                            th.ere  lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar
        which ye murmured against him: and what are we? frost on the ground. And when the children of Israel
        Your murmurings are not against us but against fhe                           saw `it, they said one to another, "It is manna." *
        Lord. And poses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the                                       So does He provide them, these murmurers, with
        congregation of the childr.en of Israel, Come near be- the indisputable evidence that their reasoning are vain,
        fore the Lord : for He hath heard your murmurings. . .                  that thus He light (and they darkness), the God Who
        And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, I have heard keepeth covenant trust, the Redeemer of His people
        the murmurings of the children of Israel . . . ." Ex.                   and their ever present Helper.
        16:8," 9, 11, 12. How heavy this sin of theirs weighed                                   And they know now, are made to admit that it was
        with Him! And how dreadful the notice that He gives not Moses who brought them out from"che  land of
        them bread to the full because they murmur and thus Egypt (so they had said) but the Lord, to keep them
        not because in this hour ,of dire deed they abhor them-                      as the apple of His eye in the wilderness and to bring
        selves  oh account of their sins and, as confessing that them, as He promised, into His habitation. '
        th.ey  deserve to  .perish,  cast themselves upon His                                    Thus do these murmurers receive a double sign of
        sovereign mercy in the conviction that He, being their His gracious presence in their midst, to wit, the manna
        God Who brought them  for&h  from  the land of Egypt, that He rained for them fro& heaven and the radiant
        will now, too, keep covenant trust and provide for them. splendour of the pillar of cloud now again appearing,
         They murmur against Him. Let us know this sin yonder, toward the desert - a splendour visible to the
        as to all its hidious implications by listening to its mut-                  eye and that betokens the spiritual glory  .of the Lord
        terings. The thirsting and hungering sons of the cove- of which it is also the effulgence - the glory of the
        nant  .of the desert period said, "Wh& shall we drink?" Lqrd, His goodpesa  and mercy, now seen by us in t& __ _
        "What shall we eat  ?" meaning, "We shall not drink and face of our Lord Jesus Christ.
        eat at all but shall perish here in this desert." Said                                   The spectable  awes them. Their murmurings die
        they not to Moses, "for ye have brought us forth into                        on their lips. Condemned are they by the voice of con-
        this wilderness, to kill this whble assembly with science. And on the morrow they eat to the full of the
        hunger?" Thus these  &ul"murers  challenge the will- quails and the manna and know that the Lord is in this
        ingness of Jehovah to keep covenant trust, deny place. So by thus responding to their murmurings
        the goodness and mercy of God  toward His                                    does He vindicate in them the glory of His name
        people and declare, be it by implication, that                               against which they offended. But they are not thankful.
        He, under the cover of a Bimilated love lured They  dd not decry their sins before His face. I speak
        them by promises that were not meant to be kept                              of the carnal Israel. Their rebellion, .-now  dorment in
        into a tractless wilderness and thus to their doom. 0, their b&om  (they eat bread to the full). will at every
        the horror of it! The murmurer tempts God. The new trial of faith arouse itself to crucify the Son of
        assumption from which this complaint rises is that                           God afresh and to put Him to open shame. It means
        Jehovah, Who is infinite perfection and `as such the that the demonstrations of His mercy toward His
        reward of His chosen, is capable of all the atrocities of chosen is and will continue to be to them the sons of
        an evil. diety. If the assumption is false, Iet Him prove darkness a savor of death unto death according to His
        it by. giving bread. So  do.es the murmurer slay in his good pleasure. And as in His wrath He gives them
        heart Him, whose, very name  is, Faithful, and denomin- bread, so in His wrath will He sware that they shall
        ate Him darkness. It would please tllem, these chil- not enter His rest.
        dren of disobedience, should He now bring Himself                                        Let us not imagine that the murmurings of these
        forward as one unworthy of the confidence of His peo- sons of  dtirkness  do not riot at any time also in the


              /                                           THE  S T A N D . A R D   B E A R E R                                        513

                   bosom of the true sons of Abraham. Such an imagin-            the manna, lessons  may'be drawn for the interests of
        :           ing is at variance with the testimony of scripture and       our temporal life.
                   experience. Did not one of the greatest saints of all             Though the manna of scripture could not have been
        - .j time complain, `"For I am carnal, sold under sin. For               essentially .a new creature, a kind or species of food
                    the good that I would, I do not, but the evil that I         then for the first time called into being, but must have
        would not,  th&t I do. 0. ,wretched  man that I a! who                   been a miraculous increase and modification of some
                   shall deliver me from the body of this death?" But it existing species, it was nevertheless a new phenomenon,
                    is with the spirit of these mourning ones that His           a food especially prepared by the Lord; a product of
                    spirit testifies that they are God's sons. Their lamenta- His wonder-working power that no  .eyes had  ,ever be-
                    tion therefore ends in a song of triumljh,  "I thank God fore seen. "And He fed thee with manna," said Moses
             ` through Jesus Christ our Lord,"                                   to the children of Israel on the eve of their residence
                       The Israelites of the period -of the  .wanderings         in'the wilderness, "which thou knewest not, neither did
                    were deprived of every natural resource and asked to         thy fathers know . . . ." It fell each morning with the
                    command their souls to  Waite daily upon Him. How dew of heaven and was thus so palpably the gift of
                    utteily  impossible.from the point of view of nature to      Jehovah as to compel the people of Israel to consider
                    do just this ! What a trial of faith! Ahd the reasons? that they lived daily by the very word of God's mouth.
                    Consider, firstly, that our treasures (so we imagine)           The *description given us of the manna itself is that
                    are the things on this  earth, that therefore on this earth it was of a consistence that rendered it capable of
                    our heart is, that we seek these things in that a &an in-    bejng used for bread, that it melted when exposed to
                    variably will seek his treasures, Hence, to be deprived the rays of the sun, and tasted  like wafers made with
                    of these things and of the prospect even of succeeding       honey or like fresh oil. Further, it fell, as wa$ said,
                    in gathering them, to thus be relieved of these things .with the dew' and  OP the ground  ;is well as on plants,
                    and required to consider that our treasure is in heaven,     bred worms. if kept beyond a day, came in, double por-
                    that the height of folly is to love this world and the       tions on the Sixth day and thus fell not on-the seventh.
                    things out of it, in that this world is due to pass away,       The manna was obviously a. food not for the soul
                    - meets of course with the stern disapproval of the but for the body. It was given for the support of a
                   flesh.                                                        life that was fleshly and that ends in death. Thus it
                       Then, too, bread is our God in which we trust, so         was not the true bread that cometh down from heaven ;
                    that when this idol of ours is destroyed,before  our very    "Your fathers," said Christ, "did eat manna in the wil-
   :                eye and we are asked to rely on God alone and to con-        derness and are dead.".
i  J                sider that the soul's true bread is Christ, the feeling         But even when viewed from the angle of its being
                   takes possession of us (I now speak of the natural man a` food with which the  people of Israel nourished their
                   "in us) that our doom is surely sealed,                       mortal frames, the events and doings that group them-
                       Finally, our natural pride will not allow us to daily selves about its receiving have mea&g  for us apart
                    live out of His hand. We by nature crave for the op- from what typical reference  th?y may have to the
              portunity to boast, "My power and  the might of my higher things of the gospel.
                    hand hath gotten me this wealth.`?                              Thus we read, "This is the thing which the Lord
                       What a wonder therefore that there can be found           hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to
                    among the chil'dren  of men such who pray, ?My soul his eating, an omer for every man, according to the
                    cleaveth to the dust i quicken thou me according to thy number of your persons ; take ye every man for them'
                    w&d. I have declared my ways, and thou heardest me:          which are in his tents. And the children of Israel did
                    teach me they statutes. Make me to understand the            so, and gathered, some more, some less. And when
                    way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous         they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much
                    works . . .  ." It is the wonder of God's redeeming had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no
                    grace !                                                      lack ; they gathered every man according to his eating."
                       There are still other and larger aspects to  ,Israel's    This  sc?ipture has been variously explained. ObviousIy
                    residence. in the  desert,  to his being deprived of every the thought conveyed is this: according to the com-
                    natural resource and to his living daily on bread rained mand of Gold each man, as assisted by his able-bodied
                    from heaven, which will be considered in connection dependants, went forth to gather manna for them
                    with Amalek's fighting with Israel in Rephidim the which were in his tent (wife, children and servants).
                    following station.                                           Now some (men, heads of families) gathereamore  than
                                                                                 they might retain (an omer for each man of their re-
                                                                                 spective tents) and also had need of and some less.
                      Let us now examine those scriptures descriptive But what each unit (family) had gathered  was. mea-
                    of the manna as such, of its giving, of the man&r of sured out and if it was found that a man had gathered
              .its distribution and of the appointed way in whi@h it more than his alloted share, the surplus was distri-
                    had  +o be gathered. From the giving and receiving of buted among those families  who had gathered less and

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                                .

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

     therefore had lack. Thus even in spite of themselves the rest of the holy sabbath unto thk Lord :-bake that
     they all gathered every man according to his eating. which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seeth;
        From this transaction the will of God is clear that and that which remaineth over lay up for YOU to be
     those of the househol,d  of faith who have, even in con- kept until the morning. And they  laid it up till the
     nection with their own industry, received from the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink and
     Lord more of this world's things than they have need neither was there any worm therein. And Moses said,
     of, are in duty bound to use their abundance for the       Eat that to day ; for to day is a'sabbath  unto the Lord :
     amelioration of the condition of life of their poverty to day you shall not find it in the field. Six days ye
     stricken brethren. I Thus Paul in stirring up the church shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the
     at Corinth to a liberal contribution for the-poor saints sabbath, in it there shall be none."
     at Jerusalem could quote from the above-cited record          The Sabbath is an institution already given in
     of the manner of distribution of the manna to re-in-       paradise the same as the typical scarifice. By resting
     force hjs injunction. Wrote he: "Now therefore per- on the seventh day - a day of twenty-four hour.s  -
     form the doing of it . . . . for not that other men be from all His work that He had made and by blessing
     .eased  and ye burdened: but by an equality, now at this and sanctifying this day  "bee&se that in it he rested"
     time your abundance for their want, that their abun- the Lord set an example which His people vust have
     dance also be for your want: that there may be followed. Thus from the silence of scripture respect-
     equality, as it is written, He that had gathered much ing its observance by the church in the dispensation                 .
     h&d Eothing  over and he that had gathered little, had preceding the Exodus it cannot be concluded. that in
     no lack." II Cor. VIII.                                    the wilderness the  church.for  the first time in its career
        Then further it is stated that no man might leave remembefed  this day. Even for the view that all re-:
     of the manna till the morning. Notwithstanding they collections of the Sabbath had been lost by the church
     hearkened not unto Moses : but some of them left of it during its sojourn in Egypt and the church in no con-
     until the morning, and it bred worms and stank. Who ceivable respect sanctified this day in this period, no
     on reading this, does not think of the mandate of proof of a positive character can be found in scripture.
     Christ, "`Lay not' up for yourselves treasures upon True, there is .the record of the surprise of the people
     earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, .and where        of Israel at the' spectacle of the double portion of
     thieves break through and steal, but lay up for your-      manna that fell on the sixth day and the explanatory
     selves treasures in heaven, where neither moth or rust word of Moses to the people. given when they
     doth not corrupt and where thieves do not -break told him what they had discovered.                         .At first
     through and steal f for where- your treasure is there glance this word seems to compel us to assume
     will your heart be also," Matt. 6 :19-21. That hoarding that the Israel that left Egypt had no knowl-
     of the. manna by some of the Israelites sprang from the edge of the sabbath and in no respect what-
     same  carnal  ambition that riots in the bossom of him,    ever observed it.      Said Moses to the elders, "To
     who, setting his affections on the things below, lays up morrow is the rest of the Holy Sabbath of the Lord:
                                                                bake that which ye shall bake to day . . . ." However,
.    for himself treasures upon earth and thus shuts his
     evey to  th&~ need of poor brethren whom the Lord          a careful exammation of this sc?ripture  brings to light
     places upon his pathway of life. Small wonder then that the new element brought forward is not the`idea
     that  n/Ioses was wroth with these hoarders of the         of the Sabbath but the precept that called for its strict
     Lord's gift.                                               observance corisisting in the cessation of all manual
        We read further that the manna fell with the dew, labor.' And so. insistent was the Lord that there be
     thus in the morning, that in agreement herewith they this day of complete rest; that He performed two
     were compelled to gather it in the morning as, when miracles every week to make it possible: He provided
     exposed to the heat of the sun, it would melt. This His people with a double portion of the manna on the
     early activity respecting the receiving of the provi- sixth day and preserved that portion for the seventh
     sion of the Lord was plainly meant to impress upon our day when kept beyond the usual time.
     minds that what He requires of each of us is faithful-        Insofar as the above-cited restrictions  for. the Sab-
     ness and zeal in the calling wherewith we are called. bath formed a part of a symbolical-typical apparatus,
     Of Moses and the prophets who came after and even          they lost their force with the coming of Christ, the
     of Jehovah himself it is stated that they rose up early body and the fulfilment of the law. But the principle
     in the morning to deliver their messages.                  that they were designed to inculcate abided. And this
            The notice respecting the provision made for the principle is that God's people, in the words of the Cate-
     Sabbath deserves careful attention. We read, "And it chism, cease all the days of their life from their evil
     came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice works, and yield themselves to the Lord, to work by
     as much bread, two omers for one man." When the his Holy Sfiirit in them : and thus begin in this life the
     rulers of the congregation tell Moses he said to them, eternal Sabbath. For their remaineth a rest for the
     "This is that which the Lord hath said, To morrow is       people of God on the new earth, a rest that will be


                                                                                                                                                                          i
                         entered into fully at the appearance .of Christ. Then
., :I::" :.the race set before us will have been run .by all; the                                                        De  Vastigheid  Des  Verbonds
     t ,.
i.  =journey
     >                                        made, the fight .of good faith fought and the                          Qok vele der andere Schriftuurplaatson,  behalve  die, .
    .;. `: :
    .:  .) -.saints  made perfect. Then they will rest from. all
    `..                                                                                                           welke we reeds bespraken, die gewoonlijk  worden  aan-            :
 ,`. . . :::;,,`;:their. labors to behold with heavenly sense organs and gehaald ten bewijze van een Verbond, des Vredes of
:,  1'
         ,,,. ,I :.in the face of ,Christ  the glory of God Who is in.Him-                                        der Vedossing tusschen den Vader en den Zoon of tus-
     :  `> ,:,self is rest eternal and to be satisfied with the likeness                                          schen de drie Personeri  der goddelijke driegenheid,  zien
    .'`.  ,: of Him who is .also the source and giver of all true rest. op het Verbond, dat de Drie$emge  God met Christus                                                               '
         :s.  ._'                       But from this it follows not. that the church  milit-                     en de Zijnen bevestigd heeft tot in eeuwigheid. En
           `:  ,a& is not under the necessity of sanctifying one of                                               men heeft eenvoudig met - ,onderscheiden  tusschen den.
         _;
.:  2  !  : seven days of the week and of ceasing from its earthly eeuwigen Zoon in de'Goddelijke  natuur  en den .Xnecht
     .`... "
    `.,                   .pursuits  on this day. It is under this necessity. True                                des Heeren, het Hoofd  der Zijnen in het Verbond der
               >.`:
           . . -.;I it is that not merely on the Sabbath but that on every ' genade.                                                                                           I
    >-._
    :,-. 1. ::z,dayl'  the believer rests from his evil works to walk                                                Zoo is het met de bekende pericoop uit Ps. .89 in
    j                          worthily of the calling wherewith he is called in what
 :.  F.. ,  .;                                                                                                    verband  met II Sam. 7 :X2-16. Gewoonlijk worden  deze
                               ever place of this earthy he may occupy, so that, plaatsen aangehaald om daarop de leer van een eeuwig
    "."'
    5;   `irightly  considered, his earthly engagements form a
    :.                                                                                                            Verbond tusschen Vader en Zoon  op te bouwen. Doch
    &`:
    I'   :.' part of his religion.
                        ,,,                                              On every  .day he wars the warfare wie deze plaatsen eenigszins nauwkeurig  .onderzoekt,
1  ij-:.,                      of His God. But for this very reason, t.he believer is                             komt spoedig tot de ontdekking, dat hier geen sprake
;i&                                     "
                          sorely in the need of the spiritual refreshment which                                   is van een Verbond tusschen de Goddelijke Personen,
+  i&, : .`the Lord provides for him on the sabbath in the house
    :;.                                                                                                           maar van een Verbond Gods met Christus  en de Zijnen.
     ;..;  .`. 
                 . . . :  sf prayer to which he; the spiritual warrior of the                                     In II Sam. 7 lezen we van het bekende voornemen van'
     T-`. -. `Lord, `retreat to seat himself at the table, that the Lord                                          den koning David om den Heere een huis te bouwen.,
                 i  .: prepares for him in the presence of his enemies. And
      .;I  :                                                                                                      De Heere had hem in zijn koninkrijk bevestigd en hem
      ..' &it -follows from the very nature of things that, though                                                rust gegeven van al zijne vijanden rondom. En het
    ::.I.  : ;l' this `cessation of the ordinary pursuits of life is not an
     ,'  "_'                                                                                                      voornemen komt in hem op, waar hij zelf in eene cede-
                               end. in itself, there must be leisure' for frequenting the ren huis woont en de ark Gods nog aitijd temidden
     . . I church of God, to hear His Word.
    :I -_.                                                                                                        der gordijnen woont, om den Heere een vaste  waning
     :.L<,,                     i' But they with. affections set upon the things earthy
                       `. : .,,."                                                                                 te bouwen te Jeruzalem. Als hij zija voornemen aan
 .:.i; ;..:`  .count it all loss to cease from their ordinary pursuits
   .!."  '                                                                                                        den profeet  Nathan bekend .maakt, stemt deze eerst
     ..:`::.: of life-on the Sabbath day. As the people who went
     ::.                                                                                                          met hem in, doch in dienzelfden nacht komt het woord
     .: ; `forth on the seventh'day for to gather manna but found des Heeren tot den profeet,. hem zendende tot David om
    :" ..                      none; they. refuse to keep the  Lords commandments.                                hem te  verbieden   aan zijn voornemen  uitvoering te
 : *: .`.,, But the lesson that comes to us through the action of
     :.                                                                                                           geven. Dit woord des Heeren, waarmede Nathan tot
     I.:<                      the. Lord consisting in His providing His people of old David wordt gezonden, is echter  rijk aan de belofte
     ;:. `. with a-double portion of manna on the sixth day, is, des verbonds, dat God tot in eeuwigheid met hem en ,
     7 :
d. `:,\:`;, jthat we get as much by our `six days labor as we need,
     ::,.                                                                                                         zijn zaad zal bevestigen. "Wanneer uwe dagen ver-                                ,
     :- : that on the Sabbath day we may avail ourselves of the vuld zullen zijn, en gij met uwe vaderen  zult ontslapen
 .:cl :." spiritual refreshments that the Lord provides for His                                                   zijn, zoo zal  Ik.uw zaad  na u doen opstaan, dat  uit'uw
  $  .>"  peoplk.                                                                  ,
                                                                . .
 :  5.  _'                                                                                                        lijf voortkomen zal, en Ik zal zijn.koninkrijk  bevesti-
 7$                            : But it is to be considered that the sabbath of the
     i `,                                                                                                         gen. Die zal Mijnen Naam een huis bouwen; en Ik zal
                               ten commandments in distinction from the first Sab-                                den stoel Zijns koninkrijks  bevestigen tot in eeuwig-                      .
                1 I.
           .' ,                bath (the rest of creation) the Sabbath of Joshua, and heid. Ik zal hem tot eenen Vader, en hij zal Mij tot
      ` c:
      3.. `.,.in the final instance, the rest of Christ that He entered                                           een zoon zijn; dewelke als hij misdoet, zoo zal Ik hem
     `>,I.
      $. with His people.                                                                                         met eene menschenroede en met plagen der menschen-
      ,I'.  _.  .
      :.                                                                                         G. M. 0.         kinderen straffen. Maar  Mijne goedertierenheid zal
      $+.`..                                 -.          .
          ;;  : . . . . ~                                                                                         van hem niet wijken, gelijk als Ik die weggenomen heb
         i                     `. , .,I
         ,i                       .,                .                                                             van Saul, dien Ik van voor uw aangezicht heb weggeno-
   .:i,,.  $,'
         G.                                    I
               ."                                                                                                 men. Doch uw huis zal bestendig zijn, en uw konink-
   : `.
         2:.  .. -.Het  .is duizendmaal beter .te  -1ijden om Christus' rijk tot in eeuwigheid, voor uw aangezicht; uw stoel
         :;:..;;i..  i wil, die -011s'. troost .en hulp in het .lijden heeft toegel zal vast zijn tot in eeuwigheid".
          t:,?.  ! zegd; dan om  dei  duivels  wille te lijden, en zonder                                             Verschillende elementen verdienen onze aandacht
           8.5.;  -
          t                    troost en hulp te'.vertwijfelen  en te verderven.                                  in  deze  pericoop. Allereerst zal  we1 duidelijk  Wezen,
           r>
  !:!.. 7..                                                                                                       dat Hij, die hier spreekt, niet de eerste  Persoon  der
         p,:,                                       I  :
         i6  '  ,,  ,`,,I                                                                                         Goddelijke Driegenheid  is, maar  de. Drie-eenige God.
          f'. :                  ?:.`Geen
         V_.(                                                 Steen, staal, diamant, ja, geen  ding, op aarde,    Hij is het, Die Zijne verbondsweldadigheden hier be-
           ._.I . . ,*
           y.                  IS `zoo:`hard  als. hit hart van een onboetvaardig mensch.
                                  ,  .'                                                                           iooft  en bevestigt. Reeds dit maakt het.  onmogelijk
                                                                                                                                                         .           .


 `_F                          _.                                                                                                                                                                            .. .
 \.                     :           ::      ,,     .     .    ;
 . . .                                                                                    ,THE`,STANDAR,D   B                            E           A               R      E    R              *                              519 .
                   ._
            ,"..                            .,                                                                 .,            .s
              :          " zijn intrede  in de wereld, wezeniijk de eeuwige Zoon
 `-  .: %ods  is. Hij is eerst en eeuwiglijk de Zoon. Hij is de                                                                                      T h e .   D y i n g   P e n i t e n t   _
  ,,.:T  `Eeniggeborene,  daarom wordt Hij ook de  Eerstgebo-                                                                      No mortal man nor angel of light was' present in,
 `.-`-
      /   '
        .' ' rent.  Door Hem is de wereld gemaakt. Hij is het Af- the council chambers of the Almighty when He planned
 :. ,._ schijnsel  `v&r des .Vaders  heerlijkheid in de heilige' tri-
 ,_.  -                                                                                                                the Way of salvation. It took' place in-the  inaccessible
  :  ,.t.'2:. .
                          i  ..- niteit, ' het eeuwige uitgedrukte Beeld van des Vaders light of eternity.
  `=:;..
  .:  zeifstandigheid. Hij draagt alle dingen door het Woord                                                                  Still, that this wonderful way was planned up `io
.:  *. .`Zijner kracht. Zijn Goddelijk en eeuwig Zoonschap is its minutest detail, we know.
, .`. : de noodzakelijke achtergrond voor al wat Hij in den                                                                        It is so clear from the Word of God.
 "::, tijd wordt. Omdat God eeuwiglijk zegt: "Gij zijt Mijn                                                                        First, the whole Way is pictured in the. Old  Testa-
I:~ >: Zoon, heden heb Ik U gegenereerd, omdat Hij dit bin- ment, both in the des&iptive  word and the lives of the
 .;-i  `:;  : nen de Goddelijke huishouding zegt als Vader tot den. suffering  prophets.
I. is :Zoon, daarom kan dit ook tot Hem gezegd worden  in                                                                          Second, Jesus, walking the  .v&  dolorosa,  time and
 :`ti,!`.  den tijd; tot Hem als den Knecht,des  Heeren, Die over again so does and speaks : fhcd the Scr+ptures might be
 :.Kc' `, Gods Huis gesteld is als .Koning-priester  in der eeuwig- f&filled.
`:  heid.
                   i                                                                                                               Third,. Jesus, after His glorious resurrection, in-
  . `_'a  .' Zoo. verstaan nu, mogen we bij het woord van Ps. structs the Church out of all the Scriptures just how
  _:I
..`,  z 2 i7 het beeld van drie cirkels voor de aandacht roepen,                                                       He .tiu.sf suffer and enter into His glory.
 ,.' `- die alle `bun centrum  hebben in den Persoon  des `Zoons.
  L                                                                                                                                And that  .includes  everything in connection with  _
;I, ;;-* `!Gij zijt ,Mijn Zoon, heden heb Ik U gegenereerd" heeft this dreadful .Way. Even the wanton act of the divi-
.. ."  dan zijn binnenste cirkel in het eeuwige Zoonschap van
  ..t.                                                                                                                 sion of His garments by the hard atid callous Roman
-:..i!( den tweeden `Persoon  in de goddelijke triniteit in be-, soldier was prophesied before and happened according.
`:(,"F; trekking tot den eerstcn  Persoon. Van eeuwigheid tot to the plating of the AlrYrighty  from before the found-
              :.' eeuwigheid genereert de Vader den Zoon,  zegt  IIij tot ation of the world..
              1:' den Zoon: "Gij' zijt .Mijn Zoon" en zegt deze tot den                                                            So we may rightfully conclude that in these eternal
                   ,. ._, Vader ; "Gij  zijt Mijn Vader". Ditzelfde woord  heeft .halls  of the counselling  God the question was discussed:                                                                                           -
 !* : dan zijn tweede cirkel in het heilig Kindschap van.
I~                                                                                                                     How shalt Thou, My. tenderly beloved  Son, how shalt
I...'                                Jezus, Die ingebracht wordt in de wereld, tot Wien God Thou leave this woeful world that W.e planned? When
:: ._.-zegt:
                    .                        Gij zijt  Mijn Zoon, in Welken Ik  Mijn,  .welbehaA                       Thou shalt go the Way of indescribable suffer&g.of  the
,. .`.`."!`. gen heb.
  .i                                                               Het is het Zoonschap des -besluits, gereali-        Cross, how shalt'Thou  hang on that Cross? Shall there
              :  L. s,erd in de menschelijke natuur van den Christus, ,ten
              I. I ~                                                                                                   be a companion in suffering, or two or.more  ? And the  ,.
:`.. 1' 1: voile geopenbaard in de .opstandi-ng  en verheerlijking Almighty, Triune God must have planned to  have
         "  5 van dit heilig Kind  aan de rechterhand der Majesteit
            ._                                                                                                         Jesus hang there  in the midst  of two malefactors. That
                                     in.`de hemelen. En eindelijk heeft het woord van Ps. 2 He was crucified between them is the choice of God.
                                     een wijdste cirkel in het typische koningschap  van Da-                                       Equally certain it is, that God decided in His plan-
              vid, die  ,als theocratisch koning gezalfd is over  Sian; ning to have one be the representative of the elect and. _ _
        `3                           den berg van Gods heiligheid, en tegen wien de  heide-                            the other the representative of the reprobate.
                                     nen woeden.                                                                                   What avenues are opened here for adorable worship                                                             `%
  :`-  . 1 En wie zoo-Ps. 2 leest,. zal moeten toestemmen, dat of the God. of our salvation!
            .-!' : het verbond,  waarop daar gezinspeeld wordt, hetzelfde,:
;  :                                                                                                                               On the one hand of Jesus we see the terror of death,
  _...`,I'; is als dat; hetwelk genoemd wordt in Ps. 89. ,Het is of spiritual death, of wanton hatred of God. The male:
            ..-                      niet het verbond tusschen Vader en Zoon als Goddelijke factor, `man, hangs there, `He hangs there justly. Even
.i .  Personen  in de triniteit, maar het Verbond, dat God . the, godless Roman world testifying to the fact.. "We
                        i openbaart en bevestigt in Christus en de Zijnen. Ook indeed justly" is the testimony of guilt, of guilt of man
 ,.:                                  in Ps. 2 staat de Zoon in de menschelijke natuur  voor before the God of heaven and earth.
 .`-                                  het aangezicht des Drieenigen Gods als Zijn Vader.                                           And, oh horror, next to him hangs the only Way to
 .a:: -. Maar .tevens  zal dan ook worden verstaan, dat dit ver- forgiveness, to redemption,. to deliverance from what is
:                                   `bond Gods in Christus, niet slechts rust in den diepsten `so terrible for man, namely, death, eternal death in hell
 :.. ., zin dee"woords  in de eeuwige driegenheids-betrekking
  ,._                                                                                                                   and.outer  darkness. That Way was preached before his
                                    ..zelve,  maar nader nog in een verbondsbessluit,  waarvan very eyes. He saw the suffering Servant of Jehovah, .
 "%                                   in. Ps. 2  .wordt verhaald. Doch hierover later.                                ' Who even in the pangs of death reveals His Mediator-
                                                                                                      H. H.             ship: Father, forgive them for they know not what
                                                                                                                        they do! He knew of the preaching of the Christ-for
                                                                                                                        he says : If thou I be. the Christ, save thyself and us !                                                           .
      ."                                           Het adres van den Scriba der Eerste Protestantsche                   giving witness to his unbelieving. and hateful heart,
 . -   . Gereformeerde  Gemeente  te Kalamazoo, Mich., is voor- for he means to say: Thou art of course not the Christ.
 LC `1 faan:: 806 South Rose St., Kalamazoo, Mich,                                                                      Thou art a deceiver,  fit to be railed at and  spit- upon.                                                          I
                                                                                                                                                          !                                     .
                                                                                                                        .                                            I.
                                                                                                                      .-..I  5.  `.                                                    _.,           `.                   .
                                                                                                                                              _,               :           (., __     -.       .`.,;.. :            . . . . .1    :

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

     The very core and centre of the Gospel is before his              The lifegiving Spirit regenerates and converts him
     very eyes and yet he believes not. If' ever a man had in the twinkling of an eye. And that same  Spirit.ap-
     received the preaching of the Gospel it was this `railing plies the word of God. He turns his head and reads
     and `cursing bandit. It certainly is a strong testimony his small edition of the New Testament: This is the
     of the impotency of natural man to believe.                    king  of  the Jews.    That same Spirit intrprets the
        .And note also the dreadful silence of Jesus under  .a11    awful Cross of Jesus as well as the few words that flow
     this railing and cursing. It reminds us of the words of from the mouth of the Lamb of God. Pictures from
     the Psalmist: These things thou hast done,  and'I kept his early youth of a godfearing mother or father or
     silence. The Lord Jesus knew that his day was coming:          rabbi, reciting the wondrous past, and the promised
     "I tear you in pieces and.there be none to deliver." Ps.       Messiah are illumened in his soul. He understands it
     50:22b.  The Lord Jesus knew that this cursing male- all.
     factor was the representative of the reprobates of                And even though the whole world rejects the
     whom God said.: "The Lord hath .made all things for Saviour: he must confess Him. Listen, the Angles
     Himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil."            are hushed and listen oh so gladly : "Lord, Lord, Lord  !"
     Prov;  16:4.   '                                               Oh, Jehovah, Salvation ! listen to me. I `have such an
        Note also that reprobate man nowhere reveals more utterable longing to confess Thee here in the midst of
     of his hateful hate than when coming in contact with all this cursing and railing.: I must speak, that I may be
     the Way. Then he invents the bitterest words and the refreshed. Should I be silent, I would be like wine
     most refined mockery of God and His Anointed is his            which. hath no vent. My belly is like new bottles,
     delight. "If Thou be the Christ!" it smells of sulpher which would burst if no opening is  mad.e. There is an
     and fire ; it reveals'the  tongue of wicked Satan.             urge within me that I cannot account for. But, I must
        And that must be revealed.                                  speak. Lord, Oh my Lord. Listen to me, unworthy
        Therefore we said that behind this awful spectacle one !
     is the eternal counsel of the Lord. God must be justi-            He speaks well of Jesus. "This man hath done
     fied when  `He judges. It must become manifest that nothing amiss." He is the unspotted Lamb of God. -
     when God places the best He has before the sinful man,         But we, we suffer righteously. I am undone. I am an
     he does nothing.but vomit forth his hatred of God and unworthy sinner.
     thus reveals his wicked heart.                                    He rebukes. sin. B.e still, thou child of the devil
        But oh, how sweetly beams the.mercy  and forgiving and rail not against the Lord.
     grace of God in the other malefactor..                            He beholds the King and His entrance in the eternal'
        First, we note that he also is a malefactor.` And he Kingdom. And he longs for the God of his salvation.'
     admits it. The Roman world of farfamed  justice ad-               And he is meek. Oh, what meekness there is in the
     mits it -and crucified him. He certainly is a fitting re- elect when grace is poured upon their lips. It has
     presentative of the elect of God as they are by nature.        graced the lips of thousands upon thousands. Dear
     We are all worthy of eternal damnation because of the Lord, remember me, poor me. What grace, what
     evil we have done. Our name is malefactor.                     beautiful revelation of the heart of the child of God.
        Secondly, we note that Jesus,begins  to work in him.. Father, I am not worthy to be called Thy son. But, -.
        Certainly the Lord must have worked in him by remember me and make me as one of the least of Thy
     His Holy Spirit and Word. For he was a malefactor. servants. Oh, King, I can see Thee entering Thy King-
     Ready to pay the price for his evildoings. His  be-            dom, and when I shall be I do not know where, then
     haviour on the Cross is in direct contradiction to his         remember me when Thou are sitting. on Thy throne.
     life. His b.ehaviour  is .very unusual. The meek picture Let one solitary through be fore me and remember. It
     he presents on the Cross; his courageous words against is  th,e selfsame  meekness of Jesus, reborn, reflected
     his fellow-malefactor; his beautiful testimony of the in the spotless new soul of one of the redeemed. Blessed
     Redeemer ill befits his  .former life. It does not fit.        are the pure in heart. They shall not only be re-
     .The cursing of the other one would have been a fitting        membered, they shall see the Lord, the King in His
     sequel to his terrible life of sin. Curse Jesus and die!       Kingdom. Blessed be the pure heart of the malefactor
     would have been an appropriate advice.                         on that awful cross. Wondrous antithesis of grace re-
        No, something supernatural must have happened.              vealed in the wicke'd, making the wolfish nature lie
        Lo and  b.ehold,  all men curse Jesus, all mock Him,        down and resurrecting the new born lamb of the flock
     all wag their heads and spit forth their venom. Even of Jesus. Wondrous meekness: Remember me, poor
     the disciples are silent. No one dares to confess Jesus. me!
     Peter had gone to see the end. John stands silent. All            And what answer is to the dying penitent.
     are offended in Him. And shall we then expect a jail-             Look, Jesus turns in the midst of His awful suffer-
     bird, 51 murderer, a malefactor to confess Him? No,            ing. While all the billows of God's wrath go over His
     what we hear from his. lips is the revelation of beauti-       tormented soul, Jesus takes time to save. Jesus takes
:    ful grace of God.                                              time out to comfort. While He is pouring out sorrow


   :,i           1,.         `.,
    .  .  .  .                                         `1,
   .i'$.   i  -.  L                                           \                           .     .            : T.8  E   .I  S   T.A:`N   D   A   R-0  .B'E-  A   R   E   R                                             521
   ::`:.j:
                                                                                                                                                                   .     .        `.
   :% i;`. like water He is drying the tearstained soul of the. child
  %?~yI;  `of f-J& F&hers                                                                                                                                 "  H&  Borkvapen   D e r   Gerechtig+eid
   +::.., : :I `, ,.
   i$;<::j.:yi:::;j.  While' Jesus experiences the pangs of hell'.He opens                                                                                    Het beeld liier door, den Apostel gebruikt is ont-
  ~~$.$;,t~e'  portals of beautiful Paradise. While the storm leend aan de wapenrusting van den Romeinschen.  sol:
I,,..$$$::`gathers  in cursing humanity and devils gnash their daat, Het is misschien wel, omdat de Apostel ,op dit
`.. .:&`;j\:  teeth over Him, He recreates calm, blessed calm in the                                                                                      oogenblik geketend is aan een der soldaten, die hem
~  ,:iTfj'.'   he&d  of  Es  sheep,.
    .;.                                                                                                                                                   moesten bewaken,  dat, deze omstandigheid middel is,
     .  .  :.
 `,  ;.,7.  i.  i
  . . . . .`,                                       Listen, listen: Verily, I say unto thee! What awe- om hem te herinneren  aan het soldaat-zijn van den
  :..I.* 
          . . 1 inspiring words of assurance. Amen, Amen, I say unto                                                                                      Christen. De werkelijkheid biedt  een  schoone   verge-
 `.:?:i. thee. They plight is awful; thou hast earned hell anl. lijking, waardoor hij de  Efezi&s kan  wijzen  op  bun
  `X~`:~
  \:.;.;..  "damnation. Hell
                    :                                                         .would -almost `open..to  swallow thee up.
 `.,&  _  `,'  _'                                                                                                                                         soldaat-zijn, strijdend onder Koning Jezus .en voor Zijn.
 .$.~,~.~ou  hast seen already the awful ju.dgment  seat of the zaak, de zaak van den-levenden  God. Hij wijst hen op
  $$~~!Q%.h@ghty.  F Thou hast seen the tire that would burn de vijanden; die hen aanvallen  - vijanden  niet all&-
 $$`:; ;and "burn' to everlasting agony. But thou art repre-  ! eerst van vleesch. en bloed, ,doch  de geestelijke b,ooshe-
 :$$.:,.  sentative-.of  all the brands that, are plucked out of the. den in de lucht, de eigenlijke machten,  die wereld en c
f.J;`.'i fire. .Listen,  my dearly beloved, Amen, Amen; I say un eigen vleesbh als .bondgenooten  gebruiken.  En hij wijst
 ,,,:,:.:i!:.  itto,  thee. Not only will I r.emember  thee; I will .do more, hen op de middelen, die ter verdediging  moeten   ge-
  $,a;  :-.,oh,`much  `more than that: When My weary soul shall bruikt                                                                                                         worden.         _           l
 $?&:presently  be liberated from this awful hell and when                                                                                                 ,. - Het gaat er dus om, het oog open te hebben voor
 :$$  ~`:.&llions  of angles `shall beckon  and, sing in beauteous  ' gansch den-strijd, die zij tegen de vijanden hebben te'
"  %$.:`$&,:   you  shall  be   .my   compa~~n.~   you  and  J  we  &au,
 .$T,.,.:*.   ;                                                                                                                                           voeren en die zij voor den Heere en om Zijnenlwil'moe-
 :;z$f,f, .  :  :
 ~~~~~~~:`be.together  in Paradise. And you shall `be singing
                                         ;'                                                                                                               t e n   s t r i j d e n .  :,              .            '
 3,$ :`.with  Me. When I proclaim  of the. Name of Jehovah                                                                                                   Hij was hiermede alreeds' begormen  in het dertiende
  @?.unto My brethren in Paradise, you shall mingle your vers. De  Kerk. van  onzen Heere Jezus  Christus moet
  !$.;:~:.voioe  with the elect. You shall be heralded as the
  .:.                                                                                                                                                     aannemen.`of  aandoen  ,de  geheele.   wap.enrusting  Gods.
 ,.$-." co-sufferer with the glorious Son, shalt be known as he Het staande blijven in den strijd wordt door .het aan-
 ::$i .' who defended the Christ in His utmost agony, shalt i doen van die wapenrusting bepaald: Zonder deze is de
 $?~~~~ be. known as the malefactor who confessed the King                                                                                                strijd onmogelijk ,en alreeds  verloren, nog aleer. hij is
 &%:"
 &~~`~.~~:;.:.   .`Imhen
                               : _                    He was dethroned by God, man and devil. Thou.'
 $S?;:  &a;lt -be h                                                                                                                                       begormen. In het .eerste gedeelte van dit verswijst. hij
                                                                         own imto  .everlasting  as the representative. op:,het voornaamste  deel van de geestelijke wapenrus-
 62.1  `of all
 j&.  1  -                                            the. elect, who were malefactors and had earned ting, waardoor` het geheel pas waade krijgt. Voor -den
 --:..  _.., death, but who are  saved  by grace.                                                                                   1             . .
  ..i',  `x.                                                                                                                                              soldaat was.het den gurdel, die vastheid gaf aan zijn
  ._' . .                           And Christ  .did remember him. And he was uniform. En de .bedoelirig.  is duidelijk:. `Deze geeste-
  z ;,..,? :. `ushered into the halls of the new Jerusaleti.                                                                              And he lijke strijder moet rijk,zijn in de kennis der Waarheid.
  "":"'
   c :  has sung these. twenty centuries with Jesus and His
  : : :?.                                                                                                                                                 Zoodat de  vijand de wapenrusting diet kan  rooven.
   i.                    sheep,                                                                                       '
  `;;,.~\..~"..   -.                                                       -..                                                                                In het laatste gedeelte van ditversbegint de -APO&
  g:$.                                              Jesus choose and  ,lovedand- redeem the murderer tel met de'bespreking van de afzonderlijke stukken van
 .:<: ,_. i
 .t?j :`oti the Cross.-
 . ..y..._* .'
  ?p:..                                                                                                                                                   de geestelijke wapenrusting. Het. allereerste. onderdeel
 :gei                               ' .`. `..Hc&  inexpressibly wonderful in comfort.
  q.;;:"
 :$,-;'   .,                                                                                                                                              is het borstwapen der gerechtigheid. De gerechtigheid
  S! :`                             . . How comfortable for me.
  ";; ;+                                                                                                                                                  staat altijd  tegenover.de  ongerechtigheid. Aldus is er
                                    ". 1 For then He may remember me,.even  me !.,.'
  .y.. -i
  p  .,                                                                                                                                                   alreeds een  schoone  harmonie tusschen  die gordel en
   ?+z,`..,.   " O h ,   L o r d ,  ,remember   m e   !                                                                                                   dat borstwapen;               De gordel der waarheid, de waarheid
 I$>-                         Amen and Amen.                                                          ,,        .'
                                    :                                                                                                    G .   V .        van Gods Woord tegenover den leugen van `s men&en
                                                                                                                                                          woord. In de gerechtigheid hebt ge .de antithese der
                                                                                   IN                ItTiEMOXIAM              `.                          ongerechtigheid. De leugen heeft  betrekking  op  .ons
                                               Het behaagde den. Heere, Wiens doen'enkel  wijsheid is,. den.
  `$:l-,.l   i9sten Augustus wederom op het  onverwachtst,  een onzer leden                                                                               verstand, op ons kennend  leven, teiwijl .de, ongerechtig-
  ?$y
  ~~~ : ~ `;.dOo~ den dood tot Zich te nemen,                                                                                                             heid. de uitvoering is van den leugen. als  actie van den
  .ce.                                         i
  yj.::. .                                                                        M"Rs..mlq)*;                             . .                     .-*    wil: De  uitwerking  `en  doorwerking.`van  den leugen.
   j$..:  "' iri.fden  ouderdom van 64 jaar.. Wij mogen gelooven, `dat zij die
  .p.:                                                                                                                                                    Deze  .beiden,  de Ieugen  en de ongerechtigheid zijp de'
  ..: ..::
   c*.                         in Jezus ontslapen zijn, het  Ieven  hun  Christus  was, hun het
  Y.,,  .                                                                                                                                                 wapenen waarvan de ,vijand zich bedient en waarmede
   i:. ,'
    :!`a-,                     sterven   gewin  ial. zijn. Zij zijn overgebracht in de  triomfee-
   :.:                                                                                                                                                    hij den christen-soldaat  bestrijdt..  Het doel`hiervan  is
     .ii                       rende k&k. De Heere trooste .de bedroefde  famiIie  en geve ons
    :                          de ,genade,  dat wij onszelven  burgers mogen weten  te zijn. van                                                          doorzichtig,  Hij wil Gods kind van de waarheid beroo-'
  ]'.,y 1 het Jeruzalem dat boven is, en onze wandel zij in. de hemelen. ven en aldus hem zijn gerechtigheid te doen verliezen,
   Z;. : .- Fihp.  3 :20.                                                                                                                   .        .
                                                                   ._                                                                                     om  hem. aldus ten onder te brengen. Is hetwonder dat
  :.*.                  i
   ..:u                             ,'  Namens  de  Holl.   Vrouwenvereeniging   "Weest   e e n   Zegen,:'
    . . . . .                                                                                                                                             de Apostel  bet staan in  .den strijd verbindt  aan het
   .,`i . :  -van.de.  First Protestant Reformed Church,  _
   &  `(  :                                                                                                                                               aa?doen  v a n   d i t   b o r s t w a p e n ?   ,
    zr:.,z,,  y-.:  .::                                                                                Ds. D.  Jon&r, President.  .`.                        .. We zullen allereerst  even stilstaan  bij de idee van.


:. 1
             : J;                   boven neerpenden. Niemand  stemt toe, dat hij  ver- Staande lop den tweesprong van dag tot dag, vragen ze
iI:  /
;-,".
: g ~-Tr                            moeid is, omdat hij God l&ijt is, dan alleen hij of zij, geduriglijk: Heere, wat wilt Gij, dat ik  doen  zal ? En
#LC.~ I                             die ,door God wederbaart wierd en aanvankelijk be- de Heere onderwijst hen in Zijn Woo&d  hoe te wande-
;+? 7 keerd.
F                                                                                                       len.
<.,,I.;>:                                                                                                       Ook stort Hij in hen  uit..meer  en mekr de ware
,J.  `.                                      Zoo nu is het ook met het belast-zijn.
.$j                                                                                                     kennis;gerechtigheid  en heiligheid, zoodat zij God gaan
.I!
," -                                         De geheele wereld torst het centenaarsgewicht van
f --.>                              hunne zonden.                                                       kennen, Hem lieven en regeeren over de werken Zijner
             1 .                                             Een iegelijk is onder den tobrn Gods,
  `, `.                                                                                                 handen die in hun bereik zijn;
     :- ,                           die op hen blijft. En  .die  toorn, Gods wordt  geopen-
   `.                               baard van den hemel. Tech zegt de verharde mensch:                          M. a. w., ze gaan hun schouders zetten onder het
-I&,_                               Ik ben rein en ken geen overtreding.                                juk van Jezus en ze arbeiden nu voor. Hem.          -
                                                                                                                En dat is rust.
 .. . .                             Doch Jezus roept de belasten. Dat wil zeggen, hij
     .                                                                                                          Ze ervaren het, dat zij als God rustend  arbeiden
                                    roept hen die dit toestemmen, die bij het hooren van
`..  '                                                                                                  mogen en arbeidende  rusten.
,-:,:1: `:                          dien naam zeggen : Dat is mijn naam : ik ben  belast  met
                          ;         zonde,  en schuld en het gaat naar de eeuwige verdoe-                       En dat is het beginsel van het eeuwige leven in den
                                    -m&is  als ik geen vergiffems  erlange.                             hemel,  daarboven bij God.
bj:  .*                                                                                                                                                          G. V.
                                             De geheele wereld staat schuidig voor `God, doch
             .                      niemand is er die ooit uit  zich zelve zal antwoorden op
         ,                        het roepen van Jezus : 0, ge bedoelt zeker mij ! Neen,
         .-                         al&en  dan, wanneer Gods- Geest ons wederbaart en be-                                           Just So
?-:--.. keert, en door de.verlichting  des Geestes en des Woords
,+\,                                ons laat zien wie en wat we zijn door de zonden en                          In The Bctn~er for July 12, one may read this from
                          .1                                                                            the pen of Rev. H. J. Kuiper (The Bunmar's editor-in-
             :                      `overtredingen, alleen dan roept de ziele uit in treuren
                                    en  klages:  Ik ben vervaard geworden en mij is zeer chief) :                                            >
i-`-  .._
,.'  Ii_ bange ! Ik ben belast met nrijne zonden, ik ben beladen                                                "The usual conception of right living is that it in-
                                    ,met  schuld voor God.
                           .-                                       0 God! wees mij arme zondaar volves and requires nothing more than morality.
   ,!  `-                           genadig! Alleen dezulken worden  door Jezus geroepen
  `i                                                                                                            "It is true, of course, that morality means right liv-
                                                                                                        ing. It is no error to identify these two provided
t
     f                              en dezulken alleen.
                      `/                     Stelt het maar eens op den proef. Gaat  maar. eens morality is not confined to the proper behavior to one's
             `__ --
&.                                  naar de openbaar goddeloozen toe en zegt : Gij zijt  dood-          neighbor. Much less should it be narrowed down to
 $.-r                               moe, omdat al uw leven ijdel is. Gij zijt God kwijt en sexual purity. Morality, in the widest sense of the
 $5 i
 .i',y,`!                           daarom kunt ge niet rusten. Gij zijt beladen met vree- word, consists of the inward and outward observance
zs- _. .* selijke schuld; en die schuld zal, als het u n&t vergeven                                     of the entire law of God, the first table included.
                                    wordt, u doen  branden  in de buitenste  duisternis. Er-                    "We speak of the ten commandments as the moral
                    .
b-.L kent ge dat ootmoediglijk, o zondaar? Wilt ge we1 toe-                                             law of God. The moral life, therefore, is such's con-
                           P' stemmen dat dit wezenlijk uw naam is, namelijk, ver-                      dUct toward God' and man which answers to the re-
                                    moeid en beladen? En dan weet ge wel, dat hoewel  alle quirements of this law and which, at least in principle,
         :  ../' antwoorden verschillend zijn, ze dit met elkaar gemeen conforms  to, the summary of that law: `Thou shalt  .,
`s'                                 zullen  h.ebben:  Ik ben `niet vermoeid  vanwege mijn love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and mind and
             `:i+:                  .ijdele leven en ik ben met  belast, met zonde-schuld voor soul and strength, and thy neighbor as thyself.'
;i_,- God. Dat is mijn naam met.                                                                                "Two arresting facts are thus brought to our` atten-
             .                              1 Daarom vraag ik u in den gemoede: Hoe zou dan tion.
                  i..:                                                                                          "The first is one that the non-Christian usually for-
 q&  .Jezus   dezulkeq   roepen?
                                             Doch gaat nu naar de ontdekten, naar hen die door gets ; namely, that it. is impossible to lead a truly moral
 i  :: God zelf verlicht zijn en hun  toestand  hebben  leeren life merely by <doing the right thing toward our neigh-
 `:,..  _`.  i inzien.
                                     .,             En zegt tot hen:. Gij zijt vermoeid, doodelijk      bor. This is a attitude of  god-lesmess.  It ignores
             `.                     vermoeid omdat gij in uw ijdele leven God  niet steeds God and the claims. of God. Moreover, it also ignores  ~
         .'                       . diende. En  gij zijt  beladen vanwege groote  zonde-                the fact that  one,can  not truly love his neighbor unless
   F ..( il schuld,
         B,..'                                      die vergeven moet  worden,  zal het ooit  we1 zijn h e   l o v e s   G o d :                            I
                          ) `_
         I;
 2  .,'                             mnet  u,! En de stakkerds  zullen  bet  u direct  toestem-                  "The second fact is one which the  ~Christian easily
                  .2. . . men'% zeggen: die naam vermoeid en belast past pre- loses sight of. .He recognizes God's claim to obedience
 $.- `ties .bij mij.
             i- _:,                                                                                     and service. He does not make the mistake of identify-
 ,a                                        Hooren zij dan ook het liefelijke roepen  van Jezus,         ing right living with a just and kind treatment of one's
                          : 1. dan spoeden zij zich direct naar  Hem heen en worden                     neighbor. He knows that to love God is the first and
                                    verlost.                                                            great commandment. But he is in danger of `!forget-
                          `_ : (
  ,.s:.                                      Hij,. gaat Zelf in hen wonen. En o wonder, dan komt. ting that true morality  ,or righteous living requires
   `. . . / er een-beginsel van ieven-dat  juist tegenover ijdelstaat.
   5                                                                                                    love. Our deeds may be of the very best outwardly,
  ;J - . _
             1 ,                    Dan gaan ze arbeiden den Heere  en niet den menschen,               we may app.arently  render great service to, God and
             ,;$
     :.i .: : . .                                                                      _'
                                               .                                                                                          :  I  .


                       man, but unless we: love God and love our fellowmen, ference  to God and lack`of interest in the neighbor . . .
                     we are fundamentally immoral still.                            How can we live a good life, as long as the light of a
                           `.`There  is no worse immorality than lack of love. genuine and warm love does not radiate from our per-
                       There is no greater sin than cold indifference to God sonality and from ali  its* manifestation? . . . . Here
                                                                          \         is a most pertinent question . . .     How much real
._I ..!                and lack of interest in the neighbor.
                          "When we consider, for example, how much `envy,           Christianity do I possess when I test my life by the law
                       spite, hard feeling, backbiting, and selfishness there is of love?"
                      .among  men and even among Christians, we begin to                  Now Kuiper shall have to admit that any work that
                       realize how little morality is found on earth.               savors not of true Christianity is sin. So I say again,
                           "How can we live a good life, a moral life, as long as in the article in which these statements occur, Kuiper
                       the light of a genuine and a warm love does not radiate said,  "The good works of the unregenerate are sin and  ~
                     ., from our personality and from all its manifestations? nothing but sin in the sight of God. But place along
                           "Here is a most pertinent and searching question side of this,' the answer found in his booklet: It is
                      `for every one who professes Christ: How much real this: "Our answer is yes." Yes, the unregenerate can
                     Christianity do I possess when I test my life by the law and do perform works that are actually good in the
                       of love? When I examine it. in the searchlight of the sight of God.
                       words of Paul: `If I speak with the tongues of men                 Consider further these statements from his booklet
                     ~ and of angels, if I know all mysteries and all knowl-        (p. 35,  The Three Points  of  Common Grace)  :  "He
                       edge, if, I have faith so as to remove mountains, if I can perform deeds which, as deeds, are' in conformity                            _
                       bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my       with God's law. He can do good to his fellow men.
                       body to be. burned, but have not love, I am nothing'? He can be honest in his dealings, true to his promise,.
                           "Of course, that love which is the core of right liv- faithful to his `marriage, vow, kind to his neighbor,
                       ing, is more than sweetness. It may be stern. It may `temporate in his habits. It will not do to say that all
                       be called upon to expose and fight unrighteousness. `this is sin and nothing but sin-in God's sight."
                       It is the friend of truth and often manifests itself as            Will this writing of mine embarrass Kuiper? Not,
                     holy hate against falsehood and' unrighteousness. in the least. By playing with words, he will clear him-
                       Nevertheless its. darts are always shot from the bow of self of the charge that he recently denied what he
                       love. - love for God and for Iylan."                         formally affirmed. He will say, that I did not read
                        `So  ,far Kuiper. Upon reading this there. was a with sufficient caution what he wrote. He will call the
                       voice in my heart that said, "Just so." For it is plain attention of anyone who might approach him on this
                       that the tenor of this reason is that without true love matter to the fact that when writing his article he was
         *             -the love that springs from the regenerated grace of careful. to distinguish between real Christianity (spiri-
                       God  - the good works of man. are not worthy of the tual good) and natural Christianity (natural good),                   ..
                       name and- are. thus sin in the sight of, Gomd. Yet this between spiritual love of the true believer and natural
                       same Kuiper could write in a booklet  o,n common grace : love of the unregenerate and  that when he penned down
                     -"Those who deny Common Grace freely admit  .that              the statement, "There is no worse immorality that a
                       there,is,.civic  righteousness. But they deny that it is lack. of love, he, had reference to the true love that
                       righteousness.  .in. the sight of God. In God's sight,       springs from regeneration so that the implication `of                            :
                       they say, it is sin, nothing but sin. But that cannot be
   (_                                                                               this statement cannot be, that the natural man is sin-
                       true, if God enables the. sinner, by the general opera- ner only in that he is destitute of, this love. No, Kui-          `.
                       tion of His Spirit, to perform such righteousness.           per will say, the natural man; though he .be devoid of.
                           "This then is the question : Is everything which the `true, spiritual love, has natural love from which
                       unregenerated does sin and nothing but sin in the sight springs a civic righteousness that has true moral worth                   '
                       of God? (Indeed, this is the question, G. M. 0.)        Or in the sight of God. So Kuiper will reason. He will
                       can we say that the sinner is still able to preform works    say further that what he wrote in that article in The
                       which are relatively good . . . Is it thus that man calls    Banner is that the natural man devoid of true .love,         . .
                       them  goold while God calls them nothing but sin? To is fundamentally (mark you, fundamentally) immoral  !-
                       put the question still'more pointedly: Does God in His but not immoral as to his outward' manifestation. So ,  -c
              `i       .word ever .speak  of anything which the `sinner does by playing with words the Rev. will help himself out of                           ";:
                       as' good (that is, as having real moral value in His         the. difficulty.                                                           f".
                                                                                     -
         1                                                                                                                                               Z'..
                       sight, G. %I. `0.) "                                               But  `some. may say, this reasoning with which he  ..:`"
                          In the excerpt taken from his article in The Ban-                                                                            .,;.
                                                                                    will arm.  himself if approached does not make sense.                           `i.
                       ner, Kuiper answer is virtually an unmistakable, "No,                                                                      :;
                                                                                    To be sure it does not. But it is nevertheless being used                  c;;.`-`
                       Everythihg  the unregenerate does is sin in the sight        and, `sad to say, with apparant telling  sucCess.  It  5~.
                       of God and nothing  .but sin."     Consider statements       seems that there are too many in the church who can                        "-'
                                                                                                                                                         e: +\-;
                                                                                                                                                               x-i
                       -such as' these, ."There  is: no worse immorality'  than
                    :  -  -  -~


