                                                                                                                                  T H E   STA:N.D:ARD   B E A R E R                                                                                                                                                                    1.51

                                                                                                                                                           :
                                        Storm                                                  The Windy  City  - drew  up a report, in which. they  reyealed their findings
                                                                                                                                                                                     and advised, that Dr. Wezeman be asked to purge his
                                              The' Windy City is [Chicago. The term. is to be taken notes. LThis'report  was signed by Dr.; Wezeman himself.
                                      literally, not figuratively.                                                                                                                 He agreed, therefore, with the investigation committee.
                                                                                                                                                                                     And the report  `was, adopted. by the Board.                                                                                         This  .in
                                              The  .S?o~t~z  is figurative. It centers in the Christian. March 1934.
                                       High School  .of that City.                                                           ~                       `,
                                      .,..                                                                                                                                                 `The same committee, the Revs.  G. Hoeksema, H.  Kui-
                                         . Full details. of the storm and the havoc it is raising                                                                                    per and Mr. A. Blijstra was continued. to supervise and
                                      and  Zhreatens to raise the reader may find in a-pamphlet                                                                                      review the revision.                                       Wezeman purged his  notes,-
                                       recently published under the title : "The Chicago  Situa-                                                                                    partly. Then quit.. The committee reported again to the
                                       tion.`, It bears the sub-title : "A word of warning to _ Board.
                                       the Churches." >It is written by Dr. Herman Kuiper,
                                      of  .Roseland IV.                                                                                                                                    The Board paid' no attention. to the complaints and
                                        The  .title seems to suggest that the "situation" is, not                                                                                    grievances of the- committee, but `simply  r&appointed
                                      entirely unknown to the  pubhc. When we write about :Dr., Wezeman. Thereupon the Revs.  G.  Hoeksema and
                                      ;`Tl&. Chicago Situation" it -seems that  .a11 know that `H.  ~Kuiper,resigned  as board-members..
                                      there is, at least, a situation in Chicago, about which the                                                                                          The Board, however, felt that something ought  ta
                                      writer of the pamphlet furnishes further details.                                                                                              be done to vindicate. its stand  `aqd' action in the matter.
                                              And the sub-title, "A word of warning to the                                                                                           They  .asked   a "neutral" committee to investigate. the
                                      Churches" implies that, in the opinion of. the author notes of Dr. Wezeman and express their candid opinion.
                                      the "situation" is of more than local concern; as, in fact, .The  commmittee  that served for-this purpose consisted. of
                                      is also presupposed by the publication of this pamphlet.                                                                                      profs. C. Bouma, H.  Schultze, of Calvin,  S. C. Nettinga,
                                     _ I purpose to inform our readers about this  `Cstorm."; A. Pieters of Hope, and W. Stuart of. the Christian
                                              For, I think that the forecast is : "thunderstorms."                                                                                   High School in Grand Rapids.,
                                                                                                                                                                                         ;The report of this committee in brief  :' Very good
                                                                                                                                                                                    notes, consistently biblical and Reformed; here and there
                                       What is the situation in  bsrief   ?                                                                                                          deviations that ought to be corrected.
                                              Dr. F. Wezeman,. well-known as a strong  .`,Janssen-                                                                                        First committee claims: Dr. Wezeman presented  d%
                                      man" in former years, is principal. of the Christian High                                                                                      ferent notes to  this  last- committee  from those we  re-
                                                                                                                     .                                .                                                                                                                                                                             . .i
                                      School in, Chicago.                                                                                                                         . viewed. He first purged  them:                                                                                                             <
                                              For- some time he was strongly suspected of modern-                                                                                     And what shall we say about this storm?                                                                                           H.  H:
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   .
                                      ism in his instruction. This I gather not merely from
                                      the pamphlet, but, also from rumors that were doing. the                                                                                                                                                                                                                .
                                      round in certain circles in Chicago for some time.                                                                                           Critkke  Span$ngeh   In  De  Gerefor-
                               .-             He finallv was accused of modernism.
                                          He was, `however, in spite of a motivated indictment                                                                                               meerde  Theolgie  In  Ned&nd
                                                                                                                                                                                                                          :
     '                                re-appointed  and `maintained by-the Board of the High                                                                                                                                                            .'           -..
                                      School.                                                    L                                                                                   . . over  bovenstaande  zouden we nog eenige  opmerkingen
                         -:
                    i  `.
               :                              A number of ministers in that vicinity were not  satis-  "aken.
          1: __ fied,.
                    I                             And Dr. Kuiper explains, and defends. the position  Y                                                                                   Aliereerst mijn  verontschuldiging aangeboden, dat -die  .'
          i                           of these ministers in the above named pamphlet.                                                                                               leelijke  drukfout. mijn aandacht ontsnapte "Crietieke" ;
:                                         -The  .pamphlet is endorsed by the ministers.                                                                                             en  ook voor  .dat nog leelijker GENAADE.
                                                                                                                                                                                          Wat  bet  verslag'  over de rede van Dr.  9:  INoordm-ans
                                                                                                                                          ._                         .              &n&at, zij het nog kens  gezegd,  ,dat  het.moei1ijk.i~   uit
                    4.  `.              What  is. the history of this  ."Chicago Situation"?                                                                                        ken%ort  courantenverslag,  zich  een,  volledige~.voorstelling
                                       .It` started with  rumors;  circulated  for'some-  time&&out                                                                                 te  vor&n van hetgeen de" spreker in  zijn.  .red&ntwi.k-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           ~_. - . . .-.                       . .  1  .
               i  t h e   e r r o n e o u s   i n s t r u c t i o n   ` o f   D r .   ,We-?eman:  "`,;.                                                                             kelde. En  het,komt  r%j voor, of het  aan  den  sprekey-of,
     .i'                                      These rumors  .first took definite  shape,.  when.  a  com-                                                                           aan  den  .verslaggever--ligt,   kan  ik-nattiurhjk  met%e.oor-
     :.:  `.                          n&tee.  of- `the  : Board  .was appointed to- investigate" the                                                                                .&&n, &t b& `in .&t geva. `We1 "i,i&`$rg -r&$1@::<&  6~
     .(.. principal's instruction. This committee sought and  ob- achter het verslag, zich in des sprekers rede `in te denken,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          I
          (i  ,__. tained the advice, in the matter of three Chicago  min-                                                                                                            "  .Enkele  punten   staan   echter  we1 vast., ,
               :  ,,  ; .  .-
               :_                     isters.           They investigated at. that time. the. notes of Dr.                                                                            In de eerste plaats is  het..duidelijk;  .dat er  `onder -de
               . . Wezeman on  .Amos. They found them wanting..                                                                                                                     Gereformeerde  Theologenin  Neclerkirid  wfijving is; ern-                                                                                                         _
                         :  _.. -The committee further investigated all:. the  Bi,ble Notes .stig..verschil.  van,-gedachten  oversommige fmd~amenteele
               :."._,. . ..ii. I: . -:of .the. prmcipal. of: the Chicago- .Chr&.iati -Hi~gh..:School.
               :.>                   .,_...,      `.                                                                                                                              `. stukken  .,der, waarheid.  . Als `.&en spreekc; v$ ' "Crifieke
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           : ,.---i- _ _-
               igq:--Then   :mo.re
               I"  .,.<,,..  <  .;-  ;::  i:.."`.rl. alarming things!. were : :&sco;;`ered:;  .*i ..: They
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                                                                                                       T         H               E              `STAND-A:RD   BEAXER  .`.  :'  - 1 . 5 3
                                                                                                 .
                                                                   .                .    SINAI  -.  .,  "              '              had deliver&  from' outward  o,ppression: It could be
                                                                                                                                      dxpected  therefore that- as often as- they would  hear
                           .  .  .  .          -.~
                                                              :         _.     3          .                                 1
                            ,...                           `&at  .the law had served as the schoolmaster to  &j&t                     Ch;ist delineate  upori His kingdom `to come, `and upon
                                         means,' so  I~`~wr6~e,`.&t   ihroigh the law (as  transgtiessed                              Himself  as the Saviour of His people,. this earthy,  Is-
                                                                                                               ,._.  .,
                                         and thus as,,  calling for  :.  the. nation's                          d o o m )   ljn       raelitish  commqliwealth with  .its  -typical  deliverers would
                                                                                                                                      project  it&if before their mind and obscure  their.  &i&
                      :                        conjunction with the promise, the  Lgrd had, worked in
     .                                         t&  bosom, of . . His church,  the  propei- expectancy and                             so that they saw nqt the Christ.' And they understood  _
                                .;  ;: yearning for salvation. Now salvation, it is  tri:e  (so.  1.                                  not that what they would. then be gazing at  *as a  corn-
                      `.  '  .'  c&inued)  w&  b e i n g  contem$ated  ,almost   exclusiveljr                                         plex of shadows. Even.`today  t h e r e   are  thoysancis,   ( I
                                                                                                                                      think now of the-  premillennialists)   wl+ do  r&t under-
                       .i .'  -;perhaps as  .deliverance  :from  foreign oppression. This,
     ,                                    :
                                     as,  .:  was..`pointed  out,  can  '  &.  explailied. Rightly': con-                             stand this. . . . .  "                                 . .               _
                                                                                                                                                                                                    .'
                                     ._ `.`side,red  ,it could  not very well be  otherw&. In the past                                   Hpwever, their conceiving of God's things  as,they  d&
                      .:                        ..,
                                               salvtition  had'  as&med  this  form.' When they forsook
~  .'                                                                                                                                 cannot be  eldused,       God  by. the mouth `of the  .prdp&ts.
I                                    `Him,  :`His  wrath would  b&-n against them. And the                                            had'  spoken plainly enough. The'kingdom  td  c o m e   had
                                     tokeh  of.  `th&'  was that' the  adie&ry would prevail in                                       been made to emerge from the discourses of  @is pro-.
                      .' 1  :r  ~`~~thkir'  borders.'  ..  But as'  o.ften as they would `r&urn to phe&, a redeemed and universal  `brotherFood,   iti which
                                _              `Him, He would  receive  .and  foi-&t-e   them  and  free  theni God is all  &d in  $1,  .a. heavenly commonwealth  whc$e-
                                               from  the-foreign.yoke. `This would  L-e to  them the token                            tra&cendent glory is the effulgence of  `righteousness'and
                                               t&t.  they wall&d in, the  ,light of. His countenance.                                 .salvation that goeth forth  Bs  `brightyess  .and  as  a.  lam-b1
                                                That the  ciufh approached thk gospel  agein the con-. that burneth, thus a city. whose  beauty  iS  ndt. of  1  thi's;
                      :.                  `victioti  that the expected salvation  &as  -to consist in -its. earthy earthy and  tihose  aphearancF> therefore. spells  `new
                           ' I ,beihg  f;eed  f$niXthe'-yok& of  the Roman,  .and  .in  t&i                                           ,$eavens and a new earth, where  the wolf dwells  wit&.
                                         ' restoration of the nation to  .its pristine  glory,  must  ndt                             the lamb and `&here they h@ not nor. de&oy in all .His :
                 i  : __  ble  taken to indicate that it,,  .the  true church,  Jvas not holy mountain. in that the earth is  fuli  ,of the  know&
                 ,
)  .,, ;t;otibled   aboutits sins,  felt,not the weight of God's hand                                                                 `edge of  ihe Lord, as the-waters  cover' the  s&                   -
                                               that was  resiing heavely  .upon   .tbe sinful nation,  and                             "For, behold," the, Lord. had  Said, by the  mouth  of
                                         tfiirsted not  alter His pardoning- grace, longed ,not  tq Isaiah," For behold, I create.  net+ heavens  and,  a new
(  :' :  :he:,d&vered.   from. the  .curse that was  -stalking through
                           I                                                                                                          earth  ; and the  form+  ihall  not be  rememberid; nor . .
           :'  *; tke  `@id arid  .t6-b6   r&&i-ed  to  the favor  of  Jehov$., It                                                    corn6 into  r+d.  .`&t be ye  ,glad.,and   fejoice for ever
                                         .,did  ce`rtainly.'   Co&dei-`,`jhat   Qrist came. to deliver a                              in that  vhich I  cr'eate  : for, behold,  1. create Jerusalem'  -
`.                                             pe;o$le   &at had. been trained  u&o Him by the law, which                             a  rejoicini,  and her `people a joy:" Is. 65  :17,18,  The
                                               means,  if--it means  anything  at all,  ihat this people was                          churdh,  liowever, arrived at  the entrance  o'f the. New
                                               teirorized.in their hearts by the curse from `which He                                 Dispensation still remembering the former, and bringing
                                               `was to. tieliv&. them. What was hoped for, so I wrote,                                it into mind:  - The disciples did not rejoice in'that  whi&
                                               is  .a  S&i.our through whom Jehovah would once  ,more                                 Jehdvah  was about to create.  Though  a> schooled  i&to
                                               del$er  Ris  ,pe,ople  and delivering  them once again. pro-                           Christ by the  law' they  ..w&ited for His  salvition,   whit
                                               vide.them  $ith  ihe evidence that He  was  th+ God.                                   the? expected and set their hearts upon is  ~4, restoration
                                                           It'& true that the  conv&sations  of the disciples .of  ,the o f   t h e   former. Yet, as was said,  .the fault lied  :with
                                i              Lord,, leave: on  6s the  imprtissidn  the disciples. were not                         t&m. God had spoken by the  meuth of  `His.  proph&
                I  .
                :                    I @thbut  carnal ambition, men aspiring to chief  `@.ces in                                      also of the Saviour, of His person  ,and work, of  His
      .i -  .a  king@g-the   kjngdom  of Christ-that they  &re not                                                                    cross, of His vicarious atonement, `of how He  &as  ?o
                .'                        `able-to  imagine other  than e&thy. Yet, with the  excep-                                  ,be wounded for the transgressions  of His people, bruised
                                               tion to Judas' the  traitor, they were reborn men with  af-                            fpr their iniquities, of how the  chas@skment  `.of  iheir
                                     ,,  fection  springing from the principle  of-new life in them.                                  peace  %as to be upon  Hi&; and of  ho% by His stripes
                                               and set:  on God's things : His mercy, pardoning grace,                                they.`were  to be  healed.  Is:.-53  5  ; The  substance.   df
           ,                             . . kingdom and Saviour.                              But their  coqception of the           these  probhesies, Christ while with tlieni reiterated  tie,
           ;                         :Savipur  arid  H+  kingdoti  and salvation was earthy. In and  -a,gain  in  $eir hearing'  But  io stupified  vi;ere  they
           j  .`.
           ,                                   this~..~on&ptibn   their flesh could also  inierest itself.                            by the influence of their bwn  .e&th$cor$eptions  and  Bm-
           :                                   -,- . . Their conceiving of  God's  things as they did, can be bitions, that hearing they  `ticlerst.dod   not. This,,  ho+
                                         explained  th6ugh not excused..                              The, -only kingdom of           e&r,,  ht partially  explailis  ,the failure  df the  disCipl&
                      ...'
           i:..  `. God  th,at -they knew  od, was  that earthy, theocratic  com-                                                     to- properly respond to the  teach+@ `of Chiist  on.  the
           i.                        :: mbnwdalth of, which  ,they.   foi-med  a: part.  Arid- the `de-                               `matter of  H&  cross? They saw  not the  necessity of  .tlie.
           f::'  :(  .;`-.liirere& that "ros,e   befoe  `th& mind's:: eye,  ,.as'-`.ofteri%.%s   `.  QOSS;
                                                      ~                                                                                        True,.  -jt  ,had-  b,e'en  irnpr&sed.  .tipon  thcS mind.  of.


       . .  ..I  .l$$.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             .'
                                                                                                                                                        "T,k.E..;-.S,TA.~-D.A~R?,                                                                            BE.A.RE~
                                                          (._'
.                                                         And blood.  hacl flown  incessently. There was therefore                                                                                                                     ized. by the  iaw,.they made  Him, the God  of'mercy,  their
                                                             forgiveness, consisting in Jehovah not imputing sin.                                                                                                                     dwelling-place and  obtaitied  .&itneis that they  -were
                                                             David, experiencing,  ..the blessedness of divine pardon,                                                                                                                righteous  ancl would  .be clothed by  ,Him `with salvation.'
                                               declared; Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord  im-` So, throughout the Old Testament Dispensation, -the
                                                             putet%,  not iniquity . . . . . "
                       _(_                                                                                                                       .-.Bitt what was- not  manij-                                                        Lord was driving His people into His  .everlasting arms
                            -                              :fested.  to  1 him  is that the Lord,' would provide for: His                                                                                                             of redeeming love `through the  cursings  of the law.. And
                                                          ..,people a- forgiveness that. is the  fruitage of the work of
                                      :  :.,                                                                                                                                                                                          because they took refuge  to'  .these. arms" they were and
                                 . .                        a  Savour born of a woman consisting in His taking away
       -                                                                                                                                                                                                                              could be saved. For what they were made- to  see is : (a)
                   .   . ., sin. through the, travail of His soul in obedience to the                                                                                                                                                 that man by nature is  .totally depraved and thus- by  him-.
            `.                                            "will of  Gad,:a   fqrgiveness, therefore that is  justifica-                                                                                                               self hopelessly lost  ;' (b) that by  .the very precept in
                 ,..:
       _...  .,
                   ,,..`i'                                .'  tion" consisting in God imputing `unto  :His people the                                                                                                                 which he would live, the,, motions. of sin  .are;  (c) that
                            :  ~`.                          satisfaction and righteousness of the` Holy-  one who
       ,._.                                                                                                                                                                                                                           without the shedding, of blood there,. is. no, forgiveness
                            AL..                           .would..-merit.^for  His own  biassed  a n d   e t e r n a l   `life.                                                                                                      of sin ; (d) that a man lives because  -he is accounted
      .., -`."'
         ;   "'  The'Old.Testament  scriptures contain not a single state-
                       .:  `._
                  :                          . .                                                                                                                                                                                      righteous not on the, ground of his  o.wn works but by a.
            . .                                             ment. showing that  b,elievers of`  the., Old Dispensation                                                                                                                living faith of the God of truth and mercy., What
                 . . _'                                   understood, this. Justification by faith of Christ Jesus                                                                                                                    could withhold God from saving men. so disposed and
                                      _'                  %.an element in salvation that  a.s  n&&~tcly   aafolded                                                                                                                   in whose heart dwelt `such truths?  ) Examining. the con-
                  .                          `:`.`: first  came to  us  through, the apostle Paul. Yet the  be:.                                                                                                                      tent of. their  .faith, we discover that it did not  -differ
      `. -.  ..,,:.$evers  -of old obtained witness that they were, righteous,                                                                                                                                                       essentially from ours. Consider, that the entire  ,, scheme
                                 ~
            :                                       `.: ~  that is,
                                                             ;_..,             .accounted. righteous,  ' before the tribunal  .of God                                                                                                of redemption is designed to elicit  fr.om  believers the
                                            ..  not:to  be sure -on the basis of their own moral  exce.llen-.
     `.-`:                                                                                                                                                                                                                            confession that God is  .God, that. He  Iis `all and. in `all,
                 1, .  ..'
                                            `,  :.
                       "  ._.' ties but by faith of Jehovah, that is, by a faith the flower                                                                                                                                          that His people  by. nature dead in  trespassess  and  :sin,
      _'                         : ,.' of.  ,wh-ich. tias~~aetion~ that co&isted  in these saints, cast- but-  .saved by  grace and through  f&h-of Christ to. the.
     . . .._.  .. . `..  ing.' themselves. `wholly upon -the mercy.  of' their God- uttermost are the eternal possession of Him Who is
                                                          because they `were taught to dispair of self.. Of -Abel                                                                                                                    worthy-to receive all, honor, and glory and praise.'  .Now
                                                            we::read that by faith he offered unto  :God  a more  ex-                                                                                                                this was essentially the. confession. of believers of the.
     :...*  _ cellent~,$acrifice  than Cain, and  that- by his faith he  ob- -Old Dispensation. `All the truth that forms the content
                                                            tamed witness that he  WC&  Y~&L~,~ou~.  ,Thus,. the- be-                                                                                                                of a saving faith, they possessed, only `as undeveloped `as
                 ,  _  ' lievers- of old. sang. of the blessedness of  .the man, unto                                                                                                                                                partially unfulfilled and as set forth. by  type' and.  s-ymbol.
                 _'                                        whom the Lord does not, impute sin.                                                                                        %
     . . ..I.                                                                                                                                                                                                                              And still, the church  arrivedL&+'  the entrance  :of.-  the,
                                                    -        -        ..:
                                      `.                           How' the  ,Lord can justify the ungodly without in-                                                                                                               Gospel age without understanding' that. the promised Sa-
                                                            fringing  .upon  .His  .righteousness, Old Testament  believ-                                                                                                            viour whose appearance it awaited  (.the church was
      .I                                            ers, seemed not `to understand. That  -the pardon  .and                                                                                                                          again walking in intense darkness) was `also  the true
                                                            salvation, granted were just and  the;pardoping  Jehovah                                                                                                                 Lamb who by His suffering and death would, atone for
                                                          righteous,  they;well  know. And the knowledge of this                                                                                                                     the sins of His people and thus deliver. them from the
                                                          was to -`them source of unspeakable comfort.                                                                                                        H o w                  curse of the law. Of all the prophets, Isaiah-only ex-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    claimed, "The chastisement of our peace was upon him ;
                                                          `in  .song and  prayer they would extol His justice and the and with his stripes are  &e healed . . .  7  But. these
                                                           rectitude. of  ..a11 His dealings with  .theni  and. with the                                                                                                             statements did not  .impress as the Spirit was not yet
                                                           sons of  men in general ! :God&,  righteousness, they said,
     ,.                                 -...
      .,  `.                                                                                                                                                                                                                         there to lead into all truth. ___  1.  I
                                                    is.,like. the great  ,mount.ain; His judgments are a great
                 .' ._ deep..' His throne  is' forever. and' ever. The sceptre of                                                                                                                                                          But also the glass  `. (the Old Testament  Scriptures>
     I:  :,  ; His kingdom' is a right sceptre. He loves righteousness,                                                                                                                                                             through which the mysteries of God were then seen. was
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    darker than that through which  .we now  ,see.  : And the
      [::y  `. : and. hates  .wickedness" therefore-God thy God hath                                                                                                                                                                token of this obscurity was the thick cloud upon mount
                       :                                   anointed thee  wiwth the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Sinai (Ex.  2O:lS).                                           Now this cloud was  tirst dispelled
                       .  .: Fhe:Lord.loveth'judgment,  and forsaketh not His saints ;
                                 :. `.the,y:`are  preserved forever. The meek shall inherit the                                                                                                                                     by the Spirit of  <Christ  poured out upon the church on
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    the day of Pentecost. rt was unto `this.. darkness  a.$
      ;"                                                   ear&";-.:Fss%. 36 :5,  .6; 37 28; 29; 45  :7, 8. So did God
                                 :                                                                                                                                                                                                  blackness that  .:the church. came after being delivered
                                      I .: speak in and through  ,His prophets, to the church. They
                  ~                                                                                                                                                                                                                 from  the:bondage  of Egypt (Heb. 13  :18).'
      ;  ._ "-- knew,. as taught by' the-spirit,. that the righteousness  -of
                                                    . .  -.Goa'spclled  for-them-eternal bliss. But what was lacking                                                                                                                       In.the  light of -the  .above observations, itican  be. under-
      ~.                              `, a  :,to  :thcm::is,   `an -adequate conception  .of  ,the mystery. of,                                                                                                                     stood  that'when finally the church was brought  face to
      :,  ;
      .;:  .: -`Salvation..  `.Yet: they.. embraced it as a perfect good,, as                                                                                                                                                        face with  Chris&,.   and. heard Him say. that He. was the
      ; .:
      ;:  ;.:,. ::,- ...  `a  gfft.:.of  spotless  :pu.rity,:-   prep&ed~. for  :them;  1 how. they good Shepherd- who  lays..down- His  .life-I for His. sheep,
                                       ,, r:`..'
      $y$i  LL:-
                                      7.  :%nderstoodj~ not,: by  ;thelis-`redeemer-Go.d.,   ;`.,Thus.. as  con:-:, they-knew.  not;-whereof He  `spake..   ..Of;these:and   :similar.
                                                                                                                                                                          .:;,:..  `__  -.  _.
;>;  `...  >,y...
      ~~F';,;:;.,;.~  ::scrous..;of :.their ~tter~~mo~~~~~~~~l~~ssqes~~~.?~~,,as:te~~~l- yt i-l;ann~u.nceme,~~sj':~the.  disciples
                                                          : ::.- .-,-ii ,Yc ,, _ ,`.. _ .I: _ . . 1  .;. .  `:"                                                                                                                                                                                                            simpiy  `.`.took  no<- notice.: as
                                                                                                                                    -y".&c ;y.-:  ..;,~,`.`:=;`-.I  L`;                                                                       ,.._,                                ,i..
                                                                                                                                                                                             .,,,. y-;,;,.;;. I.-..;, . . . . >.;L- -.. I, -. ,_ :,:q.. `-                                     1  ., .  : .._                                                    .`I       .  -.
      &$y;;: ::::~-z:...;-:~;~.  i:`:;y 7 .I:.: j:.:;;;, ..; :j _~;~~;.I?  :j, ,:;-.f :- -;: ;. ..`j `?,,.I.,"  :..: .;y.+:                                                                                              :,.: .i 1. : .' . . -i `.<X'_ p; `: - : : . . :; ; *;~y`:;  `. : ; -. .- :,:                                                      ., .                     ;.                  :
      ~:~,:izc>:~`-;  . u* .:: : ;.;:. z,..: . ..i _I ,-_ ..".-  ._                                                                                                                         ._, -; yv;-::-  ..,`: ;.                                                                                                                        ., :,;r.. * :.$-.~;`y;.  ,>>. ::. ~&jyJ,+-  - :'
      v. i. 49:;"  -;-* . .__.__.
      +&y&T  .._. r:>:::`. & .$ :~.,*c.<- _ II. :z.::-- : ._.  -7  `,`;.                                                       ,                                                                              .>,  ::..,  -t,:+?.&.,,.TT.   `-  _,,-  `_`.i  1;  .-  `-%,,
      ~-~.~:~~~,-~-~~~`;:`:~-  `5. : >.I.`... _ _...
                                                                             .:,  . 
                                                                                .:.<, ..ii3%                    .'  r:.::z;,  `.. `. ,. __ .i,:& L-z.: :.. .:,;r~i-;: .yc.. ,L' /,... :-;y `. c
                                                                                                                                        ::, ..i-< .::.z zr'r-- ,.,... -.t. i ..Y .~?"~rl;..  ,. ,,1 ,iiET .: -.`..a,~.::y.z;:;; ,.; 2.;: .,) .T-:-`;:.-s  ,_ ..;11': `. : .: j,
                                                                                    ..,__. .~ _ 1..
                                                                                                ..::`:.)c.`- yr _._. ,.~~ - ,;'                                                                                                                                                      -I' :p--., 5: :i.. I . . . 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  ._..,  .,-,__,,, ,.  /         ., ..;. ;" ~.,.".~,~,-:r.~~-..";"~~i'.-.  ., 7
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    %.>I .,__                                .`..  *.-,  .;_ .:;.;e.,.-`..'
      b-xL..-~.~~.   L  .,<.i  .-=.  p;..~-..&.,~  _
      Q&&r:**.- c~~-.~.- .."p*.  i.,~:..r;`-~?..~~:~~, _. ~.--..~..~~~,~~.~,;~.-  -~.~~sl'F-:.;i.,.C,.1-`i::> T.2 .::;;y  ~~..:.~;~.~~~~`..~.~~.~._:i.                                              x, =-.(* ~.:;4:;~~~~.+=~   -,:_
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Lo,;;&  ~-^
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             j..   .-, . 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   _I. %A .c..I-,y.z.;-r;..  _ ., i .-...`.C -..:l:ii .-.., + `:f `":.-`;,!.,.
                                                                                        _ :  ;x.                                                +: , i :
     .-_. _z,r.&,- A- I                                                                                , .L.. ___ LT.. *c:c -.2.-y < ._i . . . . . . . . . h.% .-.a-.7
                                                                                                                                                            ...c .I   ..__
                                                                                                                                                                  4->-  _ .,_,, &+& :<~.~,:~::.~.~~~~~~.  ,... .y> ..& & _.. ._ a:,. /, .: _- ..-, ___,_  ._ ,,. ,,.r:.-~~.~.~.:.~.--~*.~.,~.;::~....~~.-.~  "_ 2% _- .::: ;-i.~,~;`.-:..;*:::.~  ,,.. .::: . .._.: ,: ..;,y-z.e `.,,,.,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 r,-.b.">.l:,   <..>.A  .I..  i.  .-i-.                      _.
                                                                                                                        -


                                    .:

       ",;.   -.
       :-.;.  3!he' truth  .&orporated  in these  -state&z&  was too  far.  re-                : So, with His.  hop6 fixed  `upon   ihe joy set before Him
                                                   -
                  .``,:  -&oved.. from  the' channels. of thought  in which their             and with the prayer  In  I&s pure  .he&t,  "Lo, I `come, in'
                   . . m;nds' we:; : ma&g.                 Wheti  `they therefore Saw thk     the-volume  of  the book it is written of  me, I  delight.to
                                                                                              do. thy will,  0  mj,  6o.d.: yea, thy law  .i? written in  niy
            `,  3. I  "(
                          avio'ur  .`li&ging  fro& `a cross; they  .knew not  .what  to       heart.  ._ . .  " He steadfastly  set  His- face-toward  Jeru&-
            ~-`i~`.`&ik. It- means  t&i  `Christ  h,id walked alone,. a  conun-               lem, whep His hour was upon: Him.  - And the  c?oss  Intel
      .  ._:  .d$im:td   His friends and an object. of scorn to  His,&
                                  .'  :-                                                      endured, despising the Shame and  .is set down at the
                   .versaries;            What  the'y  had+ set  their hearts  upon, was      right  hand of  the throne of  God:                 :
                     the  earthy. What  He presented  to.them as the. priceless                  There are now therefore good. tidings to  the meek!
      ::.  .@earl  tias  the  he&enly. `What they expected Him to  .do                        Th&r broken heart can now be bound  up; The. tiaptives
             ., is'  i-e..$cke:&gain to Israel the. kingdom  3s `they  knew it,
                                            :                                                 now have  liberiy, and- to the bound thkre  -is the opening
 1  .`.  aid  ,thtis,-deeli$ei  froti outward oppression. Now  there                          of the prison. And upon  H&&he  .exalted  Christ+ . .
 : . . . Il$d*been  several such deliverances in  the,  past. But the the Spirit of the Lord is to "give unto them' that- mourn
       curse.  .had.  `neirer been removed, deliverance  frofi  the
                    .:                                                                        in Zion, beauty for  a&s, the oil  of' `joy  for mourning;
  :.                 transgressed law effected, the strength  o,f the law broken,             the garments of praise for the spirit of.  heavifi&s'  that
                     the  wrzith of  God appeased, guilt taken away, the strong-              they may be called trees  bf righteousness, the plaiting t
  .;' . 5olds  .of  &irkness  .invaded and the devil cast from `his                           of the Lord, that He  may be glorified."
 : l:+~,&one  `into `the:bottotileSs pit, sin condemned in the flesh,                            Christ hath `redeemed  us from. the  curse of the  -1ak -.
      ,'  `:&e  k@s  _  6f. death  .and  heir retrieved from the clutches                     And  the,  unmistakablg   .token  (,of this  is,..that His, people
 ._ :d'&:S$tari  by  Him. who  -s.wallow&d  tip death unto  victory,                          no longer stand before the closed. door of His sanctuary.  .'  -
 `.;F &ath  deprived of  $.s sting, and the grave rendered  a                                 as at `Sinai  atid- throughout the  Oid  l%pe&ation.   `@or                     .
                  I;.  `corridp;r   `df  .heaven. Hence, the spoilers  would' return.
                            .'                                                                Christ  bath consecrated for them  F,  .s@v  a&d  hying `way
                    ..Tl$eq'.   wei-e`  &$in   iti the  `land;  ,when the church stood in
 :                                                                                            through the veil, that is to say' His flesh.  ,.A?d He, is
      the'  &trance of  the  go.$el  agk;. And they prevailed  ;1                             their highpriest' over  ,the house of  .G$.   Hjs.  Sanct>aTy
                     Israel's borders. and were `again  .being served in  htiger              is now  accesible  to them. And  God.no  more remembers
                  _  and in  ,thirst,  .in nakedness  atid in want. And the Lord              their sins  &tid  iniquities, for their  sir& have: been  r&  -
             ~litid~.~g,aiti  made the `plagues  of: His people wonderful;                    mitted,  their  being no more  offe&ng -for-sin. . Let them
 .-..                                                                                                                                                  _...
,: "`IFT6rn'   &tement& found in the  gospels;&  bearing on the                               therefore have boldness to  enter.the  holiest by `the b&d
,:                   -healings  .&f Christ'  it. is evident that  &very sickness  `a;nd       of Jesus: I.+ them draw near with  a true heart in  ful!.
                     every  gla&e  had- been brought again upon God's people.                 assurance of faith, having their hearts  sprinkled  from
 "i  AMever   .since  their.  return from the exile, they had been                            an evil conscience, and. their bodies  washe'd with  pure
                     a playball.-of. the nations.                                             water. So shall  thejr come as. only  ,the pure of heart  can
                    I y&-i&, `the:  people of God must. be delivered from the                 be with Him in His sanctuary and see  Him_.in  the. face'  .'
                   &&se  `o@ the .law, `if there is  `to be  for them permanent               of Christ. But let  theti consider that  theit:  1 righteousness
                    `relief.-  Sin  htid to be completely taken away, `so that it             and purity of `heart is  not- of themselves' but of  Him,
                     no .: ionger .`existed.            But  `of this even the  t&e  Zion,    who offered one sacrifice for sins forever and that  they
                   `:  bdwed  ddwn in `grief' and pinning after God, had' no                  come as drawn and urged by His irresistible. love.  that
                     ad&,qilaie   tinderstar$ng. What they expected Him to do                 He shed  abrogd in  their hearts. And let them also  know'
                     is,  to-  r&toi-e  ;i&ain  to Israel the kingdom as they knew            that the only way `that leadeth to His  .sanctuary and to
            -.       it: and thus deliver  fro+  outward oppression that they $Iis heart is  the.way,  living and new; that  3% dedicated,
       :            `tiight.-agairi   be.  in'the  p&s&sion  of the evidence that             the way that leadeth through His' flesh.  iind within
"" `they  were- His people and  .He their God. But what He                                    ihat veil  are all things that He  giveth unto His -people,
                                                                                              all fulness,  SD that they, shut out of  .His  sancttiajr, can..
`.::                 had,  c&e to  db is  to deliver not  tierely from political
:. ..pbndage but from the curse  of the law by  w@zh this'                                    reap nothing but death and doom  ifi this life  and  .in the
                     b&i{age-  an&  311 the nameless' woe that is the  poi-tion  of           life to come. From that throne  af `His `issue  ali  the
;..the'  .:dbmand  $as  `.beiQ .geidered, that they  inight be- sirearns  `of. grace. And from these, streams only.  they.,
             . .  truli,  e'verla$ti'kgly  z&d superbly free.                                 delivered `from' the  &se of the law  do and may drink..
:`_                                                                     But of the. magni-
       . .  ,tiidti,of  Hii: task, `He and `He  otily had full understand-                    Such is the plain teaching..of God's -word, so  tliat' the
i.                   i&.  Fi$  upon-Him "the Spirit of the Lord rested,  the                  contention `that grace is  conimon to all is the figment'  df
I. `.
:  :  ~;S@i%i~  of  :&<e&ta$i.tig,  the Spirit of counsel  and..+ight,                        .a  tind willingly ignorant of  thy truth.                 :     ., .     :     '
;-'p :- `j:  :.~h&$&-~~~@-f  knowledge and the fear of the-Lord  ; .  i .  "                     The word  l&d, we: have been using as  .the  signifitiation   `.
                                                                                              of the  .&tire  mas.s of legislation  gitien by  .Moses,;.:-(a)   :
                                                                                              the.  ten  .-word3  o?: the  -la&  of-  the..  t&n  com&ancbnent&$`~~.~   (`11


                                                                                                                                                                                     .-           ,.             .     .                                              .:. 7; ,..`.,_  `,-:           ..i  ..,.   -..   .._,   ,.
                    _                                                                                                                      `.     .:.       ..      _,    :  ..;            ,,                               .`.,     .*-.  ,-;;:: -:
                           :.                 :            `._           :        ;    j     ,...            ".
                                                                                            :  ,,                            `.."     :             ,.'                                                                                                                                  ;                ;           .I  .  .  .  ..__
                                                                                                                                                                                                         ..I.
                                                                                                                   _.  _'                                                      .-                                                          ._            ,                 `.                 `.               _         .-.:        :
I./,'                                  -'             .                                      -.:                                                                                                                                                               .-.                                                           `,
,1:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                - \
                         .  .  .  _                                                                                                                                                                                                   _'_._`_
                          :                           1%'                                    T H E   .,STANDAR'D-  ?..EARER                                                                                                                                                                          :

                                                    eild or fulfillment,  from the curse of  .which He delivered                                           they could not endure  that which  was  comm$ilded. And
        ;  '                                  His-.people,  and that'served as the  schoc$m&ter  to Christ.                                                if  &much as a beast was  to. touch-the mpuntain, it shall
                                        The ceremonial law brought into being all thqse `typical                                                           be stoned,-or thrust through with a dart : and so  terri-
                                       ; institutions that foreshadowed the.' work of redemption                                                           ble was the sight,. that Moses said, I exceedingly fear.
                                         in all its  phase%  : the vicarious  .atonement  of Christ,  @is                                                  and quake  :) `-but ye are come unto  uount  Zion,,iand
    :                                  death,  re.+ur&ction,  iscension into Heaven, His entering                                                          unto the city of the  livirig- God, the heavenly Jerusalem,
                                       the sanctuary above through His own flesh  and obtain-                                                              and to  tin innumerable  company of. angels,: to  thi gen-
                         .                     ing for. His o&eternal redemption. They, foreshadowed,                                                      era1  assembly and the church  of  tlie  .firstborn, which are
                                              &ese institutions,.  the subjective deliver&e of the people                                                  written in  heaven,  and to God  the Judge of all,, and to
         -.                                         for whom He shed His blopd. Thus the ceremonial `Spirits of just men made perfect, and to  ,Jesus the  Medi:
                                                    jaw (and not the  la\v- of the ten  com&iandm&ts)   was  a                                             ator of the New  covenatit, and `to the  bilood of sprinkling,
                                               propheticType  of -redemption and  as- such called for the                                                  that speaketh better things than that of  Abel..:'                                                                                                   -.
                                               death of the  S&iout;..   ., By answering this call,  l$.e  fui-                                              An exhaustive treatment of this meaningful scripture
                         ..'  '  filled and thus  abirogated  also this (ceremonial) law.
        .                                                                                                                                                  cannot be given here and now. Let  us  lay hold  bn the
                                                    But this. law too, as well as the  tCn  words was  tra&-
               _                                                                                                                                           heart of the matter.
                                               gressed. It, too, therefore cursed. And from this curse                                                      Israel of  did, after its deliverance from  Egypti&  '
                           j  :.                    also,  to! be sure, thk people of God had to be and were                                               bondage,- came to Sinai, the mountain that might be
                                              .`deliyeredl  Thus the Saviour delivered from the entire
   :  .,                                                                                                                                                   touched,  layed. hold  tin by earthy, physical sense  organs,-+
                                        law through His being made a curse for, His people and                                                             thus the shadow, the type, the  tiepr,esent&ive of the ag-
                         `..  .,               through His `fulfilling all righteousness and all the pro-
          :                                                                                                                                                gregate  of all the  Oldi Testament' types and symbols  and-
                                        phesy.'  inhering in the law.
   .:                                                                                                                                                      as such the earthly -replica of the heavenly realities,, skt
                                                      Lets  us now  sirigle out the ceremonial law and ask:                                                before  &, in  tl!e scriptures and to -which-we have come
                                       ' How and  ii1 what respect did this law serve as the school-                                                       L-realities of whose existence we are  neve&eless  assured.
                                         riiaster to Christ  ? This question raises others such as :                                                       To this mountain they came, namely to the  mountairi that
                                         h&v,  did.;the  typical sacrifice and thk types in  genkral                                                       burned with a fire that formed the robe.in which He, the
                                               spkak to the Old Testament church?  What was  the real                                                      Lord, set Himself before the eye of  ,-His people as ever-'
                                               f&tion `of this sacrifice and what spiritual benefit  did                                                   lasting burning, with Whom only  just men  made perfect
                                               the  ..tTue church  derive. from it? The answers to these                                                   cana'abide. They came  to'blackness  and darkness, to the
                                               questions are `to be taken from Scripture. But with this thick cloud, the  token of the  .dbs&rity  that character-
                                               we `must wait until we  ark come to the ceremonial laws                                                     ized the Old Testament revelation. They came to. tem-
                                               of the  .book.of Leviticus.                                                                                 pest : thunclkrs  atid  li&tnings and a quaking mountain.
                                                     -Let  .LIS  `now consider the warning contained  in the                                               the tokens of wrath, judgment and doom! They came
                                  ' Hebrews (Chapter 13) and coming to the sons. of the                                                                    to the sound  .of a trumpet, by which sound they were
                                               covenant of this New Testament Dispensation.                                          They                  summoned to' appear before His presence  to..hear His
                                               are to see to  it that they  refitse not Him, the Lord God,                                                 voice of words (the law), which voice they could not
                                               vt'ho now speaketh to.  them, not  from the summit of                                                       hear and endure and thus disobeyed, they being  sciritu-
                                               Mount Sinai-out  .`of the  midst of the burning  fire, but                                                  ally impotent. Thus they  were.,vile in His sight by
                                               frbm  oui  of His sanctuary in heaven, the  Jerus$lem                                                       themselves and were therefore  glade. to  ,$tand afar off.
                                               above; through Christ Jesus. For if they, the  r:pro-,                                                      Shut out were they from His  ,pre~ence.                                                                                    .Hqw that
                                               bated'Israe1. of Old escaped  ndt for refusing Him, the                                                     terrible r&elation of His majesty and His voice of words
    .-.,                                      Lord,  tj-rat  spake,oq earth, much more shall we not escape,                                                .in their hearts  .rnacle them all  trerrible.  .They thought
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              .I
             ..'                              if-vi+ turn away from Him, Jehovah, Who  now .speaketh                                                       their doom was -sealed.                                                                       :
                                         fro& out. of Heaven. The contraries here are Sinai,                                                                       Now to  ?&is mount, to  th&k`  terrible  exh&%ons'of His
                                              the sanctuary on earth, and the  .heavenly Jerusalem  ;  .the                                                glory, to these tokens of wrath and doom, to such an
                                              speaking of  .God  from:the  summit of Mt.  Siani through                                                    assembly of. men,  filled.with the  drea&of God and  shu$
   :                              ., Moses and His  speaking from out of the  Heaseiily   sanc-                                                            out from His presence because  .of  their'sinsj  we  have
                                              tuary through Christ' Jesus and His  - prophets and                                                          not. come.
                                              apqstles.                                                                                                            To  the contrary, we have come to heavenly -real&s,
                                                     W& shall certainly not escape if we  refuse"Him  now.                                                 and thus to a most marvelous depository and revelation
                                              The reason for. this is given." For  jre `are  not. come  u'nto. oi truth, mercy and redeeming grace.  .We `have  cc&e
    I                                         the  .mount that might be touched,  aJid that burned                                                         unto.  mount Zion the heavenly, with. its  sahctuajr., now
                                              with-  ,' fire, nor unto  bla&iess,   an.d darkness, and                                                     accessibde  to all  I+ people,: they  ~11  having  .be@n  .made  :
    :                                         tetipe&,  and  the sound  of a trumpet, and  t$e voice  of.  : kings  atid  p&sts.  unto their God. We  &-$I  coine  6 the
                                         -words   ;  .whi&  v.@ice. they that  hear.d  .intreated that' the city  ..of the living'  God;  the!  heavenlp   Jeru~a%rh,  v&h  .its
    !: 1.
    ::                                        w&-d should-not'. be  -spoken  u&o:therri.any   .mdre  :` `(Fir.
                                                                                                      .:.                                                  streets. 6f .gold-and. its :gates. of -.pea;l~and--~~ith.-`its.:fbji~.~~.:  ,.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            ,-                                              >.                            .`:"


                   .;.
                   i        .  .  .                                 :                                         .  .
                   :                   ,                     __                    `.                .
                   :,.                                                                   .,                                                                                                                                                        157
                   i,:`:.                                           "                                          ,       TI$ti   `S+A.,q?:;`;RD.   B'.EARER                                       ,_
                                  -_I                                                                                                                                                                  in              `.,,;Z:;
                   !`.  _.                                                                                                             *..
                   I .                                                        .                                                                                                                                                          :
                   j,  '
                   : : da&&'  garnisbecl with all manner.  ;of precious  `.stoneS, is His word, the word of, God, of Christ. To refuse
                   f!. . a city-  having no.  lyeed of the sun nor  .&f the  :&oon  to this  \yord.is.`to refuse Him, is to despise the heavenly,
                   ;  :  ;.  shiti.e   i$ it, as  tl+  Lamb.  is';Clle  light thereof.. ..We have                                                       His  iedemmg,  i&e  (for  His  pebple) and  .all the marvels
                   /  ;
                   ;.  .,. &ne `to an  .-innum&abfe' company of  aniels  with whom                                                                      of  His  mercy.  `TQ   refuse   Him is' to  drucify   afregh the  ;
                   1'. the `people of'  God  ark reconciled in Christ.  k;d: they Mediator of the  Neti  &Covenant,   is  to.  slay God  iti our
                   ;  ;                i&&it  the  Holy'  City  and..we   come to  `&em as  &i  -fel-'                                                  hearts as he is now seen in the face  `of  Christ.                                    .                         .'
                   ;.
                                                                                                                                                        f' See  that ye refuse not him that speaketh.  `.For if
                 . .                   low-citiz'e&.  They. and all  Hi<  people  form  one  I;ody,.
                                       whereof.  `Chi-ist  is  head,'  .They and. `all the  rec+eed  .' `they  .escaped'  not' who  refused him  t&at  spake on earth, --
                   `.~.:. %orsl$ God  ' and Christ.. ,There. is therefore  Iperfect m&h  mo.re:. shall we' not escape,  if we  tu& away  froti
                   .              re&nciliation   now,  beftieen the  angels and  the: church.                                                          him that `speaketh from heaven."                                   _-
              'j   ' ..By  Christ, the redeemed have blessed access to  `this  in-                                                                        .It is this.  comparison. that we  firici in  the Hebrews,
             i .,,, numerable"  `&&pany of angels. And they,.  to&  `now  bet$een the earthly. Sinai  and. the  : heavenly,  that-, opens.  `.
              ;- `I `.
             i.                        d\+ell in  1  l%s sanctuary. We are come to the general  `-`,. our  eyes to thk truth of Paul's  stateme&,".  Fdr if the.' :
             1  :' assen&ly of redeemed in `heaven, the seat  of praise  and.' ministratidti   of condemnation  be.`gl&y; much more  cloth,
             !  ._
             1:                  joy;  we `are  cotie to the church of the firstborn, whose                                                             the ministration of  righteoisnes: exceed in  :gloyy.  .Y&                                                      .:.
            i . . &mes  `are  .in  hetiven; that is, to the whole  cdleqti&  of  `. as was said, the law showed forth- Christ... The  .min&raL
            1i'. elect beli&ers in. `the w&Id at any dtie time, `the" church tion' of condemnation was a revelation. of  `all' the glories .G_
                                       of  the,  fir&b&$  with a  right to  alr  that.  the. L&d hath  .;  of  `God;  .,of  all His virtues.                                                          B u t   t h e   minis&-ation   o f
            i                    `@-ovided'  and -to  tihqm  `therefdre is  giveti' all  `things,                                                       righteousness. exceeds in  glee;                Sinai and- Zion above'
        :.!                       `thus  c&heirs` with Christ  alid. -heirs of  .dod.  "  : Their' form no  .antitheses:                                                                                      ;.                    ,,G M                          .                   
                                                                                                                                                                           .'
        ii -r&&s  -`are. in heaven.  Th& are  `. the'  chq%en  One& in                                                                                          .                          .
        i.                       ;-Christ unto  ti&  eterbal,  before the  .world's, foundation.                                                                                                                                                        -'
        /..                                  .                                                                                                           ,'          :
        :                     ?~e  `aye come  .unto' `God: . To; Him believers-.  have                                                                                                                         `,,'
                                                                                                                                                                                     DeNaim,,                            ;                                   :.
        1"  '  "@&e&   i n   :Christ.  T h e y   h & e   i t   u n t o   H i m   a$  J u d g e   o f   .a&                                                            '
        I..                            Who justifies His people  .and sets them  at.`libert$  but.  :  1,  Hec  msg.  ierust een  w&der Gods  geheet;en,  d& we
        ,:                             $tS  .in  His just  wrath destroys the wicked.                                                         -:'      als  Protestantsche  Gere f  ormeerde  Kerken tot openbaring
                                       :  .XVe-are come to the spirits of just  .men  &ide']@erfect,                                                    kwamen' en, tot  openbaring   gekpmen zijnde,  zoolang  ,.
                                 `~9, the "souls  o'f  departed  -believers, accounted  j&t in                                                         reeds mochten  be&aan   ;' en ook,  Jat we nog steeds,  ov&...
 .: `Christ;aq,di@rfected.                                                                                They have perfect deliverance  .and  " het  alg$meen geno%en, belijden wat we beleden in  1924.:  `.
 :                          .'  ai-e..in  the-.enj&ment   df their  just  ,ieward:  .  :                                                                  Een  woqd&  Gods,  Watit  Van-,   alle zijhen  word& we
~ `(.                                   ,,. .We &come  to. Jesus `the  &&liatoi  of  the  Neti  Cove-                                                  bestookt  :`  v a n   r o n d o m   e n   van'binnen  tiii.                                           I.
                                       nant; thus  n6t to Moses,  thi:  law-svef,  and  the  .mediator                                                  " Een  wond&  Gods, want het gaat  natuirlijk  weer over
 .ij ,:,.  Qf  th&-  $31$  &Genqnt,, but  @  Jesus  the'  S&v~o~~? W4lp. den  :Naa& die. b&en  allen naam is:
      ; . .
      .-                               of&Ted   Himself  unto God  foi our sins, to Jesus  iti'tihom  .'  . Nog.`niet  zoo heel lang  geledeti  hoorde ik ken Leeraar
                                  a                     l                l                       fullness  dwel&:
                           `.                                                                                                                        - in Israel  zegge.?: Ik  v&lies mijn geduld met  j$lie, want.  ..
                             :  W&
                                        `..                    are  corn6 to the  bl6od. of.  .$&kling, the  ..blood. sje. wilt. in  elke'predikatik'  spreken van verkiezing en  ver-
.:                           that' cleanses from  &ill  gin'. and from  which. spying  all                                                              werping; waarom  preek  .je niet `den  Cl-qistus?                                     1
      -ti&  blessings of  the `covenant... And  3'3s.  the blood of                                                                                     Dat-  kwam  uit  d&  mend  +an `eenen die  Hebreeuwsch
      ,.'  :
.I:  ,:  "  s~&lding~  ,,so' that  ?!l the blessings of  the.  covenant  are  `.. en `Grieksch stucieerde en d& .weet .wat `de `namen van. `den.
 .;i                                   in the:  &tLial,  possession of  ,His  peopie. And  -this blood  .'  C&ri@s  beteeitenen.  En  `al  was het  `oak,  dai hij  die.
`j. . . Speakefh   getter  thingi  than  &at of Abel for it  C&S  -hot                                                                                 or@neele  beteekenis van de vreemde  ivoofden niet kende,
      1.                         for revenge..,  but. for  the, salvation of the  .ihos&n  on&.
                                                  :                 _                                                            ..                    zelfs' de'vertalingen in  onzen Hollandschen  Bijbel  laten
                                  .;To.  these realities  -of unspeakable `glory,  ta  i@,s mar- geen..%@mte `over vooi- tweeErlef `gedachte : "&ant  Hirj zal                                                                                                     :
 ,: . . feloq  gxhibition and revelation of  .His  +ondrous  '.Iov~ zijn  yalk  `.ialigmaken van hu&  zonden!`.  Preeti daar
        _... &nd  (I  saving   &-ace w.e.  -ha%e come: `$.nd ..Ch+t : now. .nu, e&s over zonder  de verkiezing en verwerping  bet  ,een.
  i  "`..  speaketh.  td us, says  ihe  .apostle.l  :  Theye,  .is a word,  &at                                                                        .en het al te  maken  van  `uwe  verhandeling?,                                             :
      ."  $,Fceedet.l?  from.  the.  heavenly  sar&uary.   ,'  .This'  w?rd.  i                                                                        s Wat zijn  we.`toch  onge&enaard  doti,  dwaas en boos  !,
  :  .,`I!@  Scriptuies. It is  a,wo.r& that presents to us  t&T ;Temidden  v a n   d i t   dam-dwa&  e n   booselijk-vqkeerde,
 j.  ,:.@eavenly'jq   all:,+ glory; all the  marvels  qf  His.  gate by                                                                                wtit  ken wonder,  dat. er  .in  deze booze eeuw dan  tech nog
.:.:  `: ,wk;ich   the'.heavenly  was  b?ouiht into being. It..&.  `also  `e&  goepje  kerken. gevonden  w&-den, die het  htirt  zagen                                                                                                                                        :
 :                               &fdrd: that  comr&nds  every  one to whom. this  h&&enly                                                              der kerk en  bet';  nag, steeds  durven  bielijden:!
                                                                                                                                                          `k.  vi1 het wel.  bekennen:  .ik  ,per.wticht elk  oogenblik,
                                                                                                                                                       &at  .er. weer- verslapping  kbm&  za$.:een' terugtre+en;,k6n
                                                                                                                                                                                 de  termen,  eeti  .verl&,agen.l   yan den na- .
                                                                                                                                                                                         van; het .Heilig I&d  %ezus  ! `Men  ]                                                . .
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        :


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                                                    162                       >...                        :.                               r                   :T.H'E,   STA,N.fiARD..   B E A R E R

                                               woord-  Zi.jner waarheid  @I God! Om  Zijn  Naam ! Om                                                                                                                                                            :           . .  :
                                               .Zijn  Gloric, opdat geen vleesch  roeme  vdor Hem,  daartoe Ccitechism
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                ._                        And  ~Msre  Catechism..
                                               is dat  .Woord Zijner waarheid.  aangelegd:  ;                                                                                                                                                                        This  evening  from seven to eight. o'clock  tile  ,pastor
                                                     -.,:?ai  W&&d Zijner  Waarheid  is onze  \Vaarh&d; `de  (oi `the elder)  tatiglit. `catechism.                                                                                                                                                                                                                           T h e   catechtimens
                                                    le& dei  :Fiot.  Geref Kerken!'                                                                                                           . .
                                                       _.  :                                                   .-                                                                                                    ,.               .'         .`.- took  their'.c.atechism books along.  Qu&tions   wei%.askid
                                                                                                                                                     9                                                                                                 land answered  ancl  a few minutes' were given to  dis-
                                                     i Hoe  tieten  ..$j-  '  dit!  .Ten  eerste;  onidat  onze  l.eer  op  -  cr*ssion
                                               g*sch' dat  Woord' `Gods is gegrond.  :En- ten tweehe,  `,                                                                                                                                                                                      Fro& eight,  o'cIo&, to  :nine  ,o'(31ock   ,the same
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 .
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       pastor  had a. bible study hour with the  yomig people.
                                                    omaat de  w&rheid  zoo&  God die  tin ons  heeft  toever-                                                                                                                                          Together the Bible. was discussed  and the pastor in-'
                                                    trouwd op `dat leven der`  wedergbboorte  is  aangelegd;  en `.str&ed in the truth of the:  .>V&d.
                                               .,tiUeen dat  -le.ven  raakt.  Onze waarhkid  i-aakt  bet  natuur-                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Now. then. The
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       first. meeting was called  `!tatechism"-  thd  second-one `is
                                                    lijk  zonaig hart niet,  !?laai-  verhardt het. Het  raa,&t  alleen                                                                                                                                called. a .tieeting. Catechism is official instruction  in'  .the
                                     h&t  hai der  gedergebooite  en  doef  d& hart  >met  "L&tin ..truth. .The question  carinot be  suppr&sed  :'  was,  the  first
                                                    tintelen   en  zich  openbar&  zoverednkomstig   bet  wizeti  lvan rneeiing more  official than the. second? Did the pastor
                                  : het leven der wed+-geboorte, namelijk, God  c&es,~   e+a  den
                                                    &tens&                        "riets:.                           ~                                                                                                                                 carry `his office with `him in  that first  -nieetirig,:  but  hop.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 it in. the second.  Btit if  both arq  offici?l, why  .$ho&d
                                   `_                    Die  1'  W6o>d,   ..die waarheid  moeten   wij,  hebben !  I' In                                                                                                                              we call  the, first `one  c`cat&hism"  the second  on& simply
                                               eig?n  k&g,  voo~:'  eigen  le$en, op `t  %&re  "zetidingsveld                                                                                                                                          a `meetind' ?
                                          ' &de; `de blind&e  `heideneni maar ook, en daar .eerst,  onder.                                                                                                                                                           This  isbenough  to.  cause  Us  .to  a&' o&-se&,  what  di.
                                               Gods  volk, dat  yer van', die  waarhei.d  &wale$e   is:  .'
                                               -                                                                                                                                                                                                -  we understand by  `Cat&h&m?,
                                                    ..  ..D'  :`.,  1.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     . . .
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              ._
                                         .'                    le  ,lvaarheid  allden zal  +obr  -.Godi  kind, op. "t ..verre :. What is.  catecl$sm?  We,  fkel  sur&  th_at   `.your answer
                                   ie&@ngs.veld  en..in  eig& kring, tot `&en heerlijke  verze- will  rea.d about. as  .follows :  Cateihism  is  of&i&~  adtiin-
                                               &ring  zijn;  `get wordt  hem. een  licht  op zijn pad  & ekn                                                                                                                                           `istration  Of the Word to. the youth of the Church. This
                                               lamp voor..$jn vo+ W&t zie, die waarheid  ii de Spiegel                                                                                                                                                 allSW:r  is  C%XTeCk                                              But it  iS  O$Y.  p&t   .of the  ZUISWerL
                                     ,  _, d.& @ma&e vrijhe.id; Alleen die  waarheid ina&&  prij ! By  catechism most  of. us understand that  h?ur:per-week
          _.                                   :%ymt  iv-eer.  bet  .verlichte  -oqg   .,der  w&dergeboo.rte  v o o r   :
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       function of the  Xhurch, whereby `it instructs youth' in
.                                              .$e  `Spiegel  d e r  waarhei'd  komt.,  t e   sta$tn   da;  ztij  ,de  `.ie- the way of truth.  : And this  -is  .an  err&. Catechism is
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     .
                                         -,fiTct;e   yan  die.  Spiegel het oog en  hart  raken; Want,  h -much  `more. The 1 Scrip&ral-1 i_dea. of : Catechism .is So
                                         `die,  -Spiegel  -zulleri   !v& een vreeselijk  beeId/  aanschouwen,:                                                                                                                                        `m&h broader than this, that I  fer$  s&e we- have `not. the
                                     --hi*  beeld.  v&i  .ons eigen'.  aangeboren   aqgezicl+, dood. .right .to. define  catech?s,ism,   aid  G&i.&  .it the  tiay.  we,.+.
                                               .verdo.rven, gansch  verdoemelijk,  onb&waam tot eenig                                                                                                                                                 Not.  ofily do we limit it thus  &  o& definition,  .but also
                                          ..go&l  -en'  -geneigd  tot alle  .kwaad.: Z o o   onszelveh.   aan-  a  iti  pyactice* That  "`hour-per-week!"  is for  -matiy of us
                                     `.scfiouqvende   loopen wij  iliet van  -die  Spiegel  keg,  maa;,   _ a  certain'sacred,   inexplainal$e,   my&@  som&hing  which
                                               +j blijven  voor  `die  Spiegel  stain;   :In  dig  ,spiegel.  zullen                                                                                                                                  so transcends everything `else that  `till, other  -i&truction  ..
                                          1  tye blijven turen  om- t6 zien:  o'f die, Spiegel  ogk mogelijk' .*:$  .negligbly inferior.                                                                                                                                                                                     &kJ this is in: error. .'  We. do not
                                               genezing   weerspiegelt.   266  .turende  efi  z&&end+, in  die  : :.say  :this to-  make.`ti   aitack:,upon   our  precio& heritage
/.         "                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        +-!hg  "hour+er-week"  catechism, we  do:  not'  .?ay,  tl!&  so
`.                                        &$egel  ,der  y'+arheici wordt die  spiege!.  tips.  oak..  toi.  e&  '
                                     .:$cht,-  niant het openbaart   ens het beeld Gods: in  Christ&                                                                                                                                                  you  `%i6ll  lower  your conception. of  catechis&.  .Q@+y
._
i.  "                                          Jeius  ._,  W,eleer  Te, dan  dat,  heerlijk  beeId aanschouwen `,this  b.ecause  w.e  ..are  for Catechism  and  m&e.  ca~+ismi
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    ..: .  .!,,  ._
I:
;..                                      j ,.dat:oyereenkomt
                                                 .C                                           met .het' beeld .;Crail, he! wezen..der m;ede& .' ` ` ; L;ek us .  ..se&  ihen  what' the  -$ipture   means  `&hen it'
.i  .  .
1                                    :  geboorte.in  `ens,  din blijven we zoo lang  voor,  Idie  ,spi,eg&l..  $?~$~,$.  .  if`  `&kkhisni                                                                                                                                                                                            1'  `-                                                    -. -__ _._._ `--.
i'              .     .                        &a&  tot&t  -dat  beeld'ban`  Christ&  obk  Ons  beeld wordt  :I.:  ;T$+++
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    "cat,echism"-&elf.   likeiy  corn&  -from _, the
;!.  .,                                        -door de  verkoi&$g ,dat wij, door de  gro.0t.e  f&-m&&g-.  -:F?rc$s.  .ti~%@$`.`fo 
,  .,                       :. :,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           SOL&.'  &tvb."'  And  thi's refers  to
                                                                                              tus  ingelijfd  zij.n, door  "Zijn  l$oecl,z@ ..so&~~~.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       t ,. __                         a&&&$  the PI&for&  a&i .souriding.do~~.~~ti-
i                                    .~g~~e&i&d,,  en  .`Gods'.k&&en   zijn,'                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Thrti&t  in;. -S~cr@%
i, .:,..;                                                 i                                                                                                                             .;;  ..  -'  `.  ,                                       I  $ruc3$%to   &s&   gatheFe$  about;
j  ;  `,_.Z'                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        -the .: ~~~;i...."cateChism"-  r.+l< means,. .td: ii:rn@i%  .~$I+
:                                                      Dan en dan alleen  keeft de  arme  zondaar   f~oi%~$&t.   ...  -  z-i----   ... i  .
:                          .!.                                                                                                                                                                                                                      ..Fatio% to  grve  .spirit%l   ir+u$.&~  to  :&hi  ;g;g;g;g;g;g;g;g;g;g;g;g;g_fQ   .$2&e
                                     :de,  zekerheid   der  zaGgh+l   bdr&   .&et-  `ok  `-`s:  men&hen                                                                                                                                                              -=-               -..
*  `(_-                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              others .cbnv&&&t  in ihe `t&h. @hi&h ~.~?l!i~`~ chiirch hoI&.
                                  ' *we& zooals .bij de  &ijewi.ls.  jeer; maar op .lout&,  eeuwi-
.i ! ;.
\  ,.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             So:  much, for  .;he word itself. YOU find  thel,..&rd.  e.g.
:.,                               "&,  s&v&-eine  g&ade. Gods.,. Het is'  van  be&in tot einde .
:.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   rn-F Car. :I:4 :I9 where'it is translated `<Yet, in the Church,
                             `lie!  @Crk   ban.  Hem, die  ..zich  nimmer berouwt  &er  .bet  li
;..  :                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               I had  rathei-  `spe?k five  words  with--  rnF. understanding,
                                   ":@yrk   Zijser'   handen;   `Die  diet liegen  kan;-  ;Wiens' Woord
                            :.                                        ._                                                                                                                                                                             t&t 
..  :                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     I n$gbt. catechise'.  (teach) o&er$ also.`!:.. Here. cate-
     ..`.`.  .,,  : :  j$:  &  aFen  2,  lomdat  Hij,  d&  onyertiderlijke  yerbonds- $hism .simply ye&s.  to Paul's tea&&g. and- greaching.  .in
!                                              .God!;iS  $. de$euwige Jeh$a.
ii  .`. :  `:  .:  _  ,..  :  2, . .                                                   ,       _.                                                                                       ,`. ,                :,"              `.
:_<                                                                                                                       .:.                                  "                            :
C-`...  `,,  ,.e.>;,:;:,                                                                                                                                                                                             :  ";  _                  .`. the  church.  ..Again.~n...Rom, 2  38 where  :P@ says-  tl$
;p.:  . .:...  .::,:-I&  &d&~zij:   I&e..  e&!,  -_.  ;IT.`,;  ,l,"`;  ,:;-  ;  ,:-
I:$  1,::.7,.;  .,  ;  _.,:.  -  ,.  .:  .,- ,  :  .;                                                                                                                                                                &Cl;  ,:`;. 3+e~.,$wc$yqfe.  c&echi&ed  ;, (ir@~~~&).  ,Futi-.af the.: L.ay
%:"-' L . . ...-.' : ,_,  ,,-._.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    _. .  ,,.;  .:z..                                                               :  :  ,"  i.  ..:- .  :
$ .:.+,.`~,~  : ..,                                                         i..  `.                  .                                .                                ;.                   :                 -.            `L.                                             .'  .g.$.  .                                _ .,..                                                                                     .- . .
;k;:yy:-.y;"  ;`L, i                                           .,;
                                               -if.;.::  `2  i .  ..T' I.  -.._. .  .-  ~, . . , .:                                                                            : "_                                                                                                                                                                                                      : . .
                                                     .: . . . . . . . . y>, ._ " .;.: ..; "f i _ .: I                                                               ,.-.             _.  .:  ,!  ::-.  -.:...                       .__. .--.  (`-/.-  _  ,.'
                                                                                                                                                          ::r'.               -.           ~:....?,`.                .`L.. ::                ,.,  ..:  `..  .:,2;
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       .L.  :`..,.  i;...                                       (..,_  :-.:;,`::-  .,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             .,e>:.":i' `I..: ..r .,... Lk`                                            : ,..,,. `                  1        .'           _             _,                          ._
b..i:q.3 ._,. -:.--l,., .  i                                                                                  . ._
`.S;`$ i&;.f.i>y~:,q  -....L .:"`-.;:,
                                                    -' .`- L* - :.i. << .y. ,rt. ,, ,. .:zT.--`-.   .....  ..y  ;..`_.  .:  .i...                                                                            . ?, ., ; .-..
                                                                                                                                                _
la' i :*i ,` i r::;: .-., ;..:-.(,*y" :.~~;:-`.~~..~~..:i:3:.~  ;.,. I i ; `: .<,.. ..>.`-=;                                                              __ ,c Z.`._ .; .i .:, ._;. ;-Qz~ -* \+:-.-. `.. -:,~+;.::..::;.  I 2; 1 .I ".                                                         y:.. --. .= -::. ._ _:-
                                                                                                          2. `..>-; . . >`.`,(.. ,.f&..; _,_. ._, `: ::.- >j;r( :..;.,                                                                                                                ,;-.. ,. I,;.. .i.. .,>-"' -:.y,.. -. __ `:
                                                                                                                                                                                                         -&.- ,.._, _,.. ~~.~~~;.`a..-..~~~~:. :.cr;.l :1.,..;. .`_,.. ".,                        ,.y.,.`- .i"?,>:  . . . . :.,,:.. .-:.+. : --:.  y.  -:                                         `-<  -.....  .._:.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              i
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     -:,.             --I;,.:,  : ., ;--;,.; -..-,. :.i.' ,, ,::/ : a: :_ ;: ;.:A.;:;.:;.;; `-..L
     .~~_& . . . . . _                                                                                                          .,


                And  `,the word, catechism refers to all' that spiritual            must catechise in Bible Class,  Me&' Society, Ladies'
                 : training -which the Jews as nation received.  I$  yuc11          Aid, yea he must lay hold on every good means to  cate-
                 the' same way it  `@pears in Gal.  6:6 "Let him that is            chise  the.grown-ups. .`And the grown-ups in turn have
           :  i  c&echised (taught) in the word  :.communicate  unto him            a calling. T h e y   .must  .attend  c a t e c h i s m .   I f   n o t ,   h o w
                 : `that  teacheth."* Again catechism  appea&s as spiritual         should..they catechise their children? If not how should
                  in&&.fon,  which has for its center the  Word..of  Go.d.          they demand of their children to attend catechism when'
                  $n  .Acts.   21:21 we read . . .  " and they have been  cate-     they themselves refuse to attend? Nay,  but. let us
          `.- chised (informed) of thee  that. thou dost teach all the              attend.' That' we  may grow in; the knowledge of the                                in
                :- Jews . . . to forsake Moses." Here  ,Catechism merely            Son- of God and come to the perfect man.
          L means  to- pass  .&formation;           In all the.  ab.ove mention        Then. we  .get catechism and more catechism. And
                  of' catechism we see that it means  .instruction  in spiritual    we need it. For  -our own spiritual life. And stand in
                .things,  arid`pertains.alike.  to old and to young. Twice the
          ,'                                                                        the midst of  apostacy.
          :.' word appears having. a more specific meaning. Once                       Now for catechism and more catechism for the  youth,
          ". in Acts  18:25  we read about  Apollos that he "was  cate-             o u r   .children.
                  chised (instructed) in' the way  .of the Lord."' Meaning
                  that he had been personally taught the way of truth.                 Our present system of catechism' springs from our
                 And, once again in Luke  1:4; where Luke writes to                 covenant conception. God's Covenant- is with believers
                  Theophilus and says `that thou mightest know the  cer-            and their seed.  IThis is God's promise to, Abraham'  ,and
                 tainty of those things in which-thou hast been catechised          of it we have an  &dubitable  pledge in Infant Baptism.
          ( i n s t r u c t e d )   .".                                             But well we know that God's Covenant  .runs. only there                             L
                                                                                    where His truth runs. Just therefore,  a church  .which.
           :.      From all this we may safely conclude: that Catechism             leaves the line of the truth is a dying church  .as far as
                  is_essentially  the imparting of spiritual instruction to         bringing `forth covenant. seed is concerned. Since' then
                 `the. Church in order that .it may come to the manhood             the  ,Covenant  is with believers "and their seed" and that `-
          : of the faith. `And it embraces both' old and young.. It                 covenant is with  them'only inasfar as the. truth is  w,ith
                  includes the  ractual  Sabbath preaching' of the Gospel but       them, the church of God upon earth has ever  .felt. that  -
                  it. proceeds beyond it to embrace any and all official'           the seed  0.f the Church must  b,e taught, instructed and
                  personal,  private training in the truth of God's Word.           catechised in the Covenant truth,                 Of course in this
          And that this- element was present already' in the 0. T.                  matter the..church  ,may not and' cannot take the place  o.$                   _
          .=  .i,s, plain from the office of the Priest (cf. e.g.  Lev.  10!:10'    the. parents. The command stands  `ancl ye fathers, pro- .
                ' 11) as well as from the mention of "master (him that              voke not your children to wrath, but bring them  LIP  in
          -..waketh  up) and the scholar (him that  answereth)" in                  the nurture and. admonition of the Lord". The church,
                  the tabernacles--of Jacob' Mal. 2 :12.                            may not  b'ecome Papal and take' the place of  the..fathkrs.
                  _. God's Church rightly holds high the office of elder.           But. diligent fathers are called upon to use the function
                  `An&$ the `various gifts-  ,which God has given the               of Catechism,. in. order that they' may be true to  I their
                  ~Church, says Paul in Eph. 4, -God gave also the office           baptism promise and they may do all, in their power
                  of elder. The elder is preeminently called to be a teacher.       to  .see the covenant realised. And on the other hand
                  And as elder' the pastor is chiefly called to be- "pastor         the Church  realises that the catechism' `of the  ,preaching
     !  ,. and teacher". Yea, from numerous places in  God%                         of the Gospel on the Sabbath Day is not adequate to the                                   '
     :            -Word'.  it appears that the function of catechising' the  y growth  of. the seed of. the.. Church.
     i                                                                                                                                    T h e   e l d e r   .(the
     i  church. is centrally the high calling of the  e!der and                     pastor) must appear upon the scene. The  seecl of the
                  pastor. This certainly does not mean that no one else             Church must, be catechised so that it may come to the
                                                                                                                                                                                   :
     ! . . in the church  ,may say anything to edify the others, or                 manhoqd  of faith. And the elder (pastor) is duty
                  that' `there may be no other instruction going on  what-          bound to officially administer the Word to. the children.
     i;_ `ever except that of the elder. We all know better.  "  .That that appear within the fold of  the..Church.  It was in
i                 would kill meetings, discussions, societies  etc, within the      observance of this fundamental:  t&h that'. Calvin can
i'                church and give us the Papal  stamn. But that is not              write, after he had delivered catechism from the slavery  :
i                 the, issue. `here at present.    The elder is preeminently        of'  :the Papacy by writing his  Genevan Catechism "It
                                                                                                                                                                                   .
:  `, "called to teach.  ,And if the pastor., understands his. high                 has ever been the`practise of the Church, and  one"care-
!..               calling  he- must be catechising "in season and out of fully attended to, to see that children should be duly
I                 season",' both old and young. And by way of conclusion            instructed in the Christian  relirrion" (Calvin's Tracts,                           c
i.                of what was said above we can make a two-fold  appli-


                            `.  __`.   :;
                      .  .  .  .  ;..
                               . I                                &.                   .'                :_                 ,_
           ..                                                     .'                                                                                                     ,.I~-HE`;.S.TA.N?A'PD                                                                                         BE.A.RE-R                                                -,                             -.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       . .  j                           i             ._..         _  .                                .
                      ..:
                              _.                             (
                                                           `.' The trend today is : catechism  :a.nd.  less. catechism. In                                                                                                                      Difficult.                            Of course, but. everything  :is. difficult. An
                                     \_*,                         .proof `of  .this. notice the following.  two.`.facts.  In the                                                                                                              attitude. however on the part. of our people cherishing
                                     :                    5rst place we  have. narrowed  down. the true conception                                                                                                                            `%atechism and, more catechism"  would be one big-help
                               ._                  .               of `catechism to such- limits that embraces but  a. brief,                                                                                                                to remove the difficulty.                                                                                       .,
                                                                   hour-per-week function.                                                        That hour-per-week is  cate-                                                                      And all  thi$`only thru the grace `of  .OL&  Covenant God,
                                                                   .chi.sm,  of the highest quality, but it is not all the:  cate-,-. prayer and diligence.                                                                                                                                                       -  '                                                   M .   G.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     c
                      _.                                     cl&m..  No. pastor. may  consider  his catechism work                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   .
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  ,:.
                                     `.  r .- -finished. `in an hour7perrweek  business. His  official  labor                                                                                                                                                                                 _- :. . .  -
1                                          :-                     `!with the youth  .must reach further. In the second  .place
                                                                  .we, have  .narrowed down our catechism to a `eight-or-  '  ,
                      :
                                          . .      . .            `nine-months-per-year-afaair.                                                                    W h o   w o u l d   .hind&i  .me- The time, then; will come when  ."the'.wicked  shall be
                                                          `-from narrowing. it down to a  seven-months-per:year                                                                                                                               silent  in  darkness"   ;  and.  6cthat,   every  mouth   may  b e
                                                                                                     Vacation  :,is perfectly in order and proper, s t o p p e d . "                                                                                                                                                                                                                 . .  ;
                                                                   psychologically. and physically.' It seems to me' no  .con-
I                                                                 :sistory  `can. object to some vacation. But on the `other                                                                                                                        Still, it seems.. that  the. wicked shall  have many words
                                     %                             hand it  .seems to.  `me. that no consistory can give proper                                                                                                              to  utter. against the Almighty.  -It  s&ems.  when'  listen-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             ing to the wicked now, that they will  upbraid-H&  for-not
     1'                                                            account: to  -God/ of its duty, if it have vacation four
                                                 . . :                                                                                                                                                                                       warning them sufficiently of  the doom that is prepared
                                                                  months out of  :the twelve.                                                                                                                                                for them ; and also for `the seferity  of. their punishment :
                                           . . .'  Katechism  and more catechism.
     ~,  !                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   according to them the punishment  does'not   `&the  crime.
                 :  :.                                            -:.;Ro+i                                                        _                                                                                                                - N e i t h e r   a r e   t h e   w i c k e d   a l o n e   in"this.                                                               `..
                 , .  ..' s  "  :`*$$$e  pastors:   .musi  -give  great  diligence  `$0  the'  weekly
                                                             `. ,i.:: . . ., -                                                                                                                                                                      There hangs a picture in the. dogmatic  salons~`of:.the
                                                           . .  x$it..,ehism.  %ut. strive for  "&3~e catechism".
     , `I . ..'                                                                                                                                                                                           Shoul@`t : church of. Christ  which:does-  not ,  fit its  .' pendant,  -its
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    .
                 i  ~                            .'  ". `~"you   officially'instruct'  and administer the'  W-or-cl  in Young                                                                                                                counterpart. of burning pitch' and blistering  sulphur.
                                           .
     1.;.                                        ." People's;  m&ings, Societies ? Isn't. a  _, Boys' Society or                                                                                                                             Hell-does not fit the walk and conversation of the  w:icked,
                 /                                        .  "a  YYoung  -Mens' Society glorious opportunity for the
                 j  `;  ::.  ,.                                                                                                            a                                                                                                .that is, as this `walk is, evaluated  `by the common grace
                                                             pastor to have  .."more catechism". Isn't. a Bible Class                                                                                                                        enthusiasts.
     lj"..                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           The god of common grace  which  is&$ted
                 , . . .`.                                        (maybe you call it Sun ay School' incorrectly) official
                                                                                                                                         d
                 :  `,                                                                                                                                                                                                                       as bowing  .down in love.. and `favor `towards humanity in
                 i.                              .`G' . ..wh&' `an `eldey; (the pastor) conducts it  ?; And isn't that  '
                                                  i,  ..- .  ..)  .,.-_. .  i                                                                                                                                                                general is .not at all. like the  ter.rible God  of judgment
     I-i. -
                 j                                  --.:.
                                                 ,-_ .ptech+n   accorfiing  to  pad's  .defiqiti!f)n  Of  tee  word                                                                                                                         to come from- Whose face the earth and the heavens
                                                                  given. above. -`None of these functions shall take. place
      1  ;,`.                                     ,,  ;  ..,                                                                                                                                                                                 shall flee so that no  p,lace will be found for them. The,
                                                                  or  :fn  ,the  .least'.infringe upon our dearly beloved weekly benign countenance of this god  bf common grace'  is,not
                 i'                                ...-. cat&hi&~-work.  But we  have- not the right to' despise                                                                                                                             at all like the. face of  the-  terrible,,God~~of  Whom the
                 j                                        .:. such  omcial',work.  It  simmy means you want catechism                                                                                                                        wisked will say : Mountains and  hills. hide  .us from. the
                 j  _;                                    `. and less catechism. Rather let us make use of these things,
                                                                  , . . . .                                                                                                                                                                   face of Him that sitteth  -on*. the throne and from the
                                                                  and have. catechism with more catechism. Besides that                                                                                                                      wrathoftheLamb!-                                                                                    -                                                  `,
                 ._'                                    `. the~,$$,rents   also must  be taught that they may not  de-                                                                                                                              Pray, if  the greater part  :of the life of Sodom  .is  40
                 :`~.  _' `apise  .these  .fundtions but must use them in their effort                                                                                                                                                       lovely and good'  wh&will we, what can we do with
                 _'                                       ,: to "see' these. children when  corn-e to years of discretion                                                                                                                    its hell-fire? Then punishment ill -befits the crime.
                      ,i                                     i,nstruct&l and  b,rought up in the aforesaid. doctrine,  ..                                                                                                                           Nay, it -seems  .that the Lord  will have to `issue an
           : ,                                                    ,.or  `HEI.P  or  CAHSE  them to  b& instructed therein,                                                                                                                   apology on. the "lake `of fire." l%less hell and, its in-
                 /                                  30  THE.  U T M O S T   0.F  Y O U R ,   POWER%                                                                                                                        See. habitants are allowed to `everlastingly reproach. our
                 I),.  :,                                         therefore that your children give all diligence" to the
           ;:  _ . .  :-:-                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Father for. a, rigor, too harsh, too bitter  ; a rigor; -per-
                 I  .,                                    weekI?' catechism, but teach them also catechism and                                                                                                                                                                                 '                                                . .                      -.
                 p.                                                                                                                                                                                                                        .haps, unjust !
                                                 . .                                                                                                                                                             .I
                 !_                                               more catechism.
                 f-  `.:                                                :  `.                                                                                                                                                                ,,'  But attend ! "They  .have Moses and the prophets ;
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   `.
           L                                                 -  I  ,,  And..as,   for.  our  rvacations.. Have them.  But,.:les\  of                                                                                                         let them  hea,r &em."'                                                                                                ._
                                                                  it would  certainlv-be  in&d.er. The vacation period  can.be "' Oh, that -we would cease from.  re&lin,g~..the  ]life `of
                      i.`  ,
                 I'                                     . `shortened (not too abruptly however) so that the weekly                                                                                                                           Sodom  `by.`the "ignis  fatuus" of. Grecian- fools:,  .i These
           c  `,.-
                      :,.  ..`.                              catechism  `can assume proper'  broportions.' No one  has._ "Will-o'-the-wisps" lead us in the quagmire of  :`,folly
                 [;.                                              the  ri.ght. to. sav `that he considers  the. weekly catechism                                                                                                             and  deceit:'  .Their so-called light is very.  darkness., And
                                                                  tc,be of equal impRrtance to the preaching uf the. Gospel, : if,.we,  have. dulled `our spiritual perception through. such
                      i::i :  .:                                  then  turn,. around  -and announce four months vacation.                                                                                                                  `folly-we. become aliens  to_the testimony  of.`our God, that
                      .:.c                                        It:  J.can't:  :`. Consistence demands,, more catechism.  I The  _  .comes.  `by.  Word, `and Spirit. Then  we..<are  not".&..-the
                                                             vacationperiod   .can..be shortened. And at the  ,same time                                                                                                                     inspired::  p&ts who  J sang:, "The: transgression  :of  .: the,
                                                                  _  s.ome::.phase.-  -of- the  l'more  :  catechism'~; could  .cont&?e.                                                                                                    `wicked  saith  within'  my. heart, -that  there,?is.1.no. fear of
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             .__. *. -is- ..-. ;- ::.-
                                                                                                 have`yvacation   $a. the  weekly:`catechismi.  .:  I.;-Jz                                                                                                                                                 -"- `Instead .o.f --that ~.s,crrptural .$estr-
                                                                                                                       :                                  -j  ._  .(,  _                        ., . . ,) b'                        `:  .:,.i,-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Giocl; .%,fqre:.  I+. .eyes,
                                                                                                                                           _  :  ..  .3--                                                                                   -1  .-.  :::..  ,`:.  ,"-  ;`I  1.  ;                   -.c       ._ . . 1.          `j.; `-I .-,,.._ -ff.y.:' __.,::-. `:.` .;-,.
                                                                                                                                                                                                         .-                                                                                                                                __ :-..,:;:..Z?.. r:,:I.,:.                       ..:
                      ~~:-:.`,....L-.,`.                                         ,. . . `j . . . . 1 ._;.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 <..
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  .*.x2                  i      1,       .          ,               ;.           c.  :.;       ;     :.;              .-
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                                                               '


                                              ,.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               :
                         ..                                                                                                      T H E   STAMDAR.D   B E A R E R '                                                                                                                           165
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           ._.;.
                          mony we will say by the light of Plato : "The good that  '                                                                                                                     `And it went from bad to worse. Lot  ,dwelling  -inthe
 )                             -..sinners do  puts me to shame."                                                                                                                                 shadow, of him who is called the friend of God is happy
              j                           Indeed, the Lord hath not let Himself without witness!. indeed. But Lot, away from the `wholesome, censure `of
              .i `There is the `awful history of Sodom `and Gomorrah, of                                                                                                                         the eye of Abraham takes unto himself a wife of Sodom
                   ~.  Admali  `and Zeboim.                                                                                                                                                      who-will  Feveai  her wicked heart in the glance backward,
                   I                    -nd. this history of  wicknedness  and doom is  reiter-                                                                                                 "a glance that must have been indicative of her longing
                                ated through the ages : we find it referred to in 17 books                                                                                                       heart for the  city,.&d.  its  pIeasure: And `a wife.  that:>-  :
                                of the  .Bible. Sodom is God's witness of hell and Lot brings forth Soddmites, which `are already  betrotheci'to,.
             .is God's witness of the escape from hell.                                                                                                                                          Sodomites  to' raise still more `of the brood of `the  ahder  _.
             :  '               `Sodom's overthrow in brimstone and fire from the                                                                                                                and the  .basilisks.                         How otherwise can you explain their                                                           '
                                Lord out of heaven is the partial fulfillment of Noah's                                                                                                         callous sin of incest with their- father ? Or how can `you                                                                                  ,
                                curse, for the inhabitants of the. cities of the plain. are `explain the daughters' association with young men that
             h  .Y  `the  descendants'of  Canaan, the son of Ham.  (`Camp: Gen.                                                                                                                  mock with a testimony from heaven?
             j ..:9:23  ,and  lp-:19)
                   I  .I                                                                                                                              _.                                                       Also, on Lot, that righteous man, is the stamp  `of,
             `,  - Although the cities of the plain comprised Sodom,  "Sodom. He' lingered `and lingered' even `in the  : face ;of
                          " Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboim and Zoar; the firstnamed                                                                                                                     such dire warning as is sounded by  the. angels. These
                               -seems to have been the cradle of `their unnatural lust. messengers of God must needs `grasp his. hand and the
                               .It is often mentioned alone as the unholy  representa-                                                                                                           hand of his wife and the hand of his daughters.                                                                            _
                                tive of  the.heinous sin of  pedemsty,   although Gomorrah                                                                                                                     What is the end for Lot of all  this, fertile  v&ey: and,  `.
                                seems  to.`  have been  a. close second in the unholy race of all his possessions? He looses all he  Chad.. He brings
                                for unnatural lust.  -                                                                                                                                           forth through unnatural associations enemies of  .Gb-d?s
                                       Not  to, mention any more, than is absolutely necessary                                                                                                   people. Israel and `dies in obscurity: his name  is.men-  i.
                                about this sin which ought to be, divorced from the' mind' .tioned no more and the day of his death is not mentioned.
                                even, may we Say that it is characterized by  this,. that,                                                                                                                     .And, yet; how great is the love of God!                             ..  -  -1.  .
                         "  eve.ry  relation of the sexes is turned into'  its. very  op                                                                                                            For Lot escaped the conflagration of Sodom and  $he _.
                   _' posite. This much ought to be said; however, -for only                                                                                                                     blistering heat when the  .`cities of, the plain were over-
             . then can we understand how that the church  of.  G.od `thrown.                                                                                                                                                           `,
                                is, often called by the name  .of Sodom  ,and Gomorrah.                                                                                                                        For  .Lot. had a righteous soul. And. he had enough of
                               (Cf;  Deut.' 32:  $2, Isa. 1  :lO, 3  :9;  Lam.  4:6;  .Ezek.                                                                                                     God's  .spirit in him to be vexed continually  ,with.`all. the
                                16:46.   j The sin of Sodom  spirituallv  is the breach of                                                                                                       rotten deeds. of the  worldlings.~ So that Lot is even ,`a
                   r the bond, of `the covenant that binds  the. church to,  .God.                                                                                                               beautiful figure  -in all  .the places where he is mentioned                                                                         .'
                        Very unnatural it was  that Jerusalem` would crucify, afterwards. And he is even mentioned as' the type of.                                                                                                                                                                                        `.
             1 Jesus  :. He came unto His own and His own received God's people who shall remain unto the  end: We may
                         % `Him not, but threw Him without the city and `crucified                                                                                                               even say that Lot did not remain silent in'  ~,o&I'IK'~  `It is
                               Him. Reason why we' `read in Rev.,  11% : "And their clear from the rude  conv,ersation' of  the  `Sodbmites.  be-
                                bodies shall` lie in the street  pf the great city  which is fore his  .door that he.  .must have,  judged$em  .and  con:'  `.
                               called Sodom: and Egypt,. where. also our Lord was cru-  dehned them. They  sai of  Loti he will needs be, a  s.
                                cified."                                                                                                                                                    j u d g e !                                                     <'     `.
                                        In that city Lot resided.  -                                                                                                                                Great is the love of God Who saves  IKfis people, from  ,I  1.  `1;.
             -.                          Now he had no business being there at' all. He was `the doom `to come. Attend to this. speech,of.  the  .angeIs !
                         the  son! of  Haran,  the grandson of Terah, the nephew of                                                                                                             Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do anything till                                                                        :
                                Abraham, the chosen  of' the Lord.                                                                                                                              thou be come thither! The Lord even does. more. than  _'
                                But,  Lot.`as  resident of Sodom is `representative of                                                                                                         ?He promised to Abraham. The.Lord would not destroy __
                               the people of God who seek the world. Lot had lifted _ the just, with the wicked even if He would  .find.  but:ten  ;`-
                                up  his.eyes  and beheld all the plain of Jordan that it was                                                                                                    righteous  dwelling,& Sodom. And God  f&n-d but. one.
                               we11 watered there before the Lord destroyed Sodom                                                                                                                And this one must `first be. taken out of  ,Sod,om  before`                                                               _.
                               `and  Gomorra%j even  as. the' garden of the Lord, like the                                                                                                      the angel can destroy.                                                                                    :  `.  :
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      .
                                land `of Egypt, as thou  comest unto  Zoar., And, the                                                                                                                     A n d   n o w ?                                                                           ;-.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           .'
       /                        result was' that Lot pitched his tent' towards Sodom.
                                                         ,. . . .                                                                                                                                              What means `Sodom to us?  _                                                                 ;.                    _.%._
(  : '  .And here again' we see that if we once set our foot on                                                                                                                                    God tells us that  His church which, has become  apes-.  :  _.
                                forbidden  ,soil; walking in dangerous paths, we go from                                                                                                         tate earns that name spiritually. Isa.  1:9;  `10;  Ezek;,   .._  '
                                bad. to worse. Did he first only pitch his tent, the Di-                                                                                                         16. 4649 and Rev.  1.1-23;                                                                                      .
                   vine Committee of destruction finds him in a house.                                                                                                                                         That church `is married historically to God  in. Christ.  -I  :`-:  ;
       `.                      `Was he first only pitched toward `Sodom, this same                                                                                                               They are married to heaven in `their generations. B u t                                                                    .  `.
       :. 7                    `committee  ,.finds him within the walls of this `den  of.. they  turn' to: the earth and  Bre  t-akjng,  the "earth. and  ..'  .'
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            And. this' unnatural al-: : $, _. _.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              z


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       .-  . . ..:-
                       ,.               ..                                                                                                                               . .                                                                                                                                                                  '
                                                              `.                  :                                                                                                             -                                                                                     .I
                   ._...'                                           ,.                                                                                       :
                                                                                                                     .

                   .:..                        -                          I.($                       -.     .                                 y              T'H'E                        STAN.DA.RD.                                                BEARER                                                                                                ?~ ,  ._
                                                                                                                                                                                '                                                                                         ._
      t. _                                      liance  alw>ys  ,goes  ha&in hand with hatred for  -the bituminous matter,  &it  wi-th,.a fire. that  shall' never be
.:  .;                                                .f.ormer  .rdations,  hence, they repeatedly crucify  the.Lord                                                                                                            quenched.. With the fire that burns in the lake  of..fire.
       :  "                                          .'  Jesus. ,  :; .  ._                                                                                   -                                                :                The second death.
                                                _, `That,  is.,  the. reason why Sodom shall. condemn the
             i                                        .                                                                                                                                                                            Oh,: heloved,  hunger not, lust not :for- the world !. And
      .'                                .                  Pharisees  .in  ..the day, of judgment. Sodom.. sinned `this
             `.                                                                                                                                                                                                                 do not make an apology for Sodom.  `Do not. Call, the
      .-                                              Siui,   &f unnatural  aliiar&es  ._ in a physical sense. But :the                                                                                                         spiritual Sodom good in the sight of God. God is even
                            . .                      `Ph&isees   and?,.with, them unbelieving;' Israel committed
                      ,  - .-,_  "  <*:                                                                                                                                                                                         now counting, the righteous Lots.. He is reckoning the
      ;  _  .(
.I                                                   ,l:.thls unnatural sin in  .a spiritual sense : they crucified the                                                                                                         time.of His impending visitation!                                                                                  .,            '
      _.                                        `I bridegroom of Israel which is abomination to  God.-.                                                                                                                           ,And let us not  &.&u-selves  with  Sodomites., Fathers
      .;;                                                    . And spiritually,' Lot is left in this Sodom.                                                                                                   .,.               and mothers ! Are your. son-in-laws mocking when `you
       . .
             ..'                                            I'.,For such is -the situation. Isa.  1:8. The `true kernel
              . ...`.'                                                                                                                                                                                                          interpret the angels' testimony? If they  are_.you are
                     LL                                    is called, the. cottage in the -vineyard; the lodge in  the-                                                                                                         in dangerous company.: Depart.!
                                               :  -,:garden'  <of. cucumbers,  .the besieged city;                                                                                        1.            !'
              . .                                                                                                                                                                                                                  And let us. long for the coming of the messengers. of
                                                                   The  .rBricle) of Christ hates "the Word of her  groom-                                                                                                      Abraham's great Friend.                                                                                            _...-; . .
                                                           and.:;:pollutes   it; She makes after worldly  3overs and
,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Methinks, I- hear- the rustling of their  wings  !                                                                                                     .
                                   :
                     _ _                              ;becomes   `thru the ages .the great whore.                                                                                                                                  Woe to Sodom of all the ages!                                                                                                      ._'
`.._                                           `. .., : :And all -this ve&s ,the souls of the,&ots of all the ages.                                                                                                                But, blessed Zion!                                                                             ,A     :'                `:
                                                           ..  ln`the-midst of all this the unnatural alliances threaten                                                                                                           B l e s s e d   L o t !                                                                               I'                   ._-.  :G."iC'
j  ;  Jq..":  ..,.  :  :  1..  :..                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          e:                                        -
        >._.                                  `. ::...God  .comes to the Lots of  :His choice and tells them :                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  .I
              -. . ..'                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      i
                                                     `. &me.,out'  of `her my people that `ye be not partakers of                                                                                                                        Ai  To  Catechetical'-In$rructisn
             .' .. ._ +&er:Si.ns   and that ye receive not of her plagues.  ;Be in
                                                      :$he world but not of.  .the. world. Travel continually aut
                                                                                       *                                                                                                                                          `It is notmy habit to reflect on articles written by other
                                                     .J$.  `So'dom-  and escape the conflagration that'. is coming.                                                                                                             e&ors  or associate editors  .of our paper.,  :.,
                              :. ~~&e&her. -is . this separation only spiritual. Many. times                                                                                                                                     `All the- editors and  ..associ.ate   editors   .are  .individually
i                                                     Lot:'  is,&led upon to very concretely separate. himself.                                                                                                                 responsible. for their own'productions and no one is re-
                              . . -  f@m  the-.+domites. He may not  `marry a Sodomite, sponsible for the productions of any  oE the other mem-
                                                      ..:@ther  may'he  allow it that his daughters, marry  Sodom2                                                                                                              bers of the staff:                                                   .1                     `.           :-,                           :                       ,
                                                           .it&+.  . .  %Ie.  may,:not  raise Sodomites for the hell. that is                                                                                              But even though the staff-members  a'i-e  hot-editorially
             :'                                       &j&&&   J.&  mug  raise seed of the `Covenant. .
        .:_  :                                                                                                                                                                                                                  responsible. for one-another's,  articlesj there. is also such
                     `..                             i. j . . ..$&o'inhisvery  concrete business and .economid life he                                                                                                          a thing  a.sLmoral  resp&sibilit$.
             , :."y  must--remain  a1oo.f. from the Sodomic influences:, The                                                                                                                                                    ' And it is because of this  -fact and from the sense of
                                                           less he entangles himself with the wives and son-in-laws                                                                                                             moral responsibility that this time I make an exception
1:                                                         of Sodom,  .with  ,sodomite partners and business  al-                                                                                                               and reflect. on the article that appears in this issue  under-
                                                     :  lia,!nces,  the less he will be inclined to linger  -when  Di-                                                                                                          t h e   h e a d i n g :   C&ec~a&n   a&  more  Catechtina.
j "                                                   .vi.ne. Committees will come to bid him. go to heaven.                                                                                                                       Only. the conviction that the, S. B.  should at  alitimes
                            .-
              . .                              :.For  the. cry from heaven will resound in our ears' pres-.                                                                                                                     give. sound leadership to  *our people and churches ;  and.
             .._  . ently : Escape from  \ hell, -My beloved ! I cannot do .the further conviction that the article of. our esteemed
             `._
        ,."  `-.:.'
                       .;
                     :  .' .: . . :,anything until thou. art safe. in the. midst- of the angels                                                                                                                            `and beloved brother Gritters leads  us:exztctiy  in the wrong
                              _' and. the perfect righteous ones in the house  Oi the                                                                                                                                           direction; though such is, of course, not the intention of
                                                -Father.                    :               .
                   -.                                                                                                                                                                                                           the writer at all, prompts me to  .write this editorial.
        . .                                           .
                     :  :.-                                  And.;J%esusj  finally, has painted the final `picture of `Lot                                                                                                        My  f&t objection is that our brother  .belittles  cate-
                              :and,.Sodom.~~                                                        ,,                    ,..                                       _                                                           chetical instruction.                                                                                                `_
                                                     .'  ;  .:This world  shall. be spiritually as `Sodom in the last                                                                                                            .-He  ,does this at once in the first paragraph:  %he*`cate-
                                               : day. And perhaps  also'.physically, for we notice  ,,that                                                                                                                      chism-hour is presented as consisting of asking. and
              ..'                               :the  ..intelligentsia are more and more . . condoning  : the                                                                                                                   answering the  .questions and a few  wi&tite~  discussion.
                                                     -.hellish  sin.  df *homosexual `relations..  The. end of this                                                                                                             But after  .that an  en&?   hour  &ems  to.  L-e-given   insome
             -,- .:-                                 `;world. shall  be'~rotten  to the. core.  ,And  t.he- Lots shall                                                                                                          society or  Sunday,school  class.  t.o `bible  s.tudy.  This rep-
        ,..:. :.be.still there. Oh, how they shall vex  their.souls!                                                                                                                                                            resentation. of catechism.  isnot  .t&ej  and' wherever it is
        . . _.  ..:  : But the  La&. shall be the corks on which the God-,
                                        ..;                                                                                                                                                                                     true the pas@r  ought to be severely &it&&d fo? v&k&g
       ~'                                      . . .f.o$&n. ,world shall `float. Until the last` second. And                                                                                                                    so littli if ~ate&s&.                                                                                         -                            I
        : ,.' . .
             .`_. .  :-  ,.-then.the angels shall once more come  and,`by miraculous                                                                                                                                             I have larger. classes  -than any  -oi'.our ministers.. .In
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                `                                                                                                                     ".  _.
                       :                              ,p&er  Gqd shall transform the Lots  as.`in a moment,  in-


      :  :               :       :
       .Gritters . ought to have almost. the  `.entire hour  .left  for.                           and the church institute and, evidently, wants to bring
 discussion in his  -much smaller classes.                               .:                        all the life in the church under the wings of the latter
                       -How -1 manage this ?                                   -, . .             in the strictest sense of the word. Only in that-way can
       .-., Just try this out. `Prepare for every class.  Make:an. he get  I`more catechism.`: The Sunday school, the Ladies'
    . . outline of each lesson in your study., Before. the  *class                                 Aid,-,the Men's Societies and Young  Men's' and Young
           / starts. take twenty. minutes to.  \?rrite the outline on the .Ladies? Societies, all- are "catechisms" and  ,ought to be                                                   .
                     .board.  ,If you have no blackboard make mimeographed                         "cathechised"  by the pastor or by an elder. All this, in
      " lessons. Ask each pupil one question from the book, not                                   harmony with his generalization of the term catechism
      : in the  orde_r in which they occur in the book, but  prornis-                              the brother would place  -on the same level and call'  cater                                   -
   Ii:, cuously. Do not allow the younger catechumens  (uIp to                                     chetical instruction. Now, first of all, it may be remarked
   ' .:, : sixteen years of  age) `to take their books along and if                                that  .this would be quite impossible for any pastor except
   ! they do collect them on your desk.' Train them to have                                        in cases where the church he serves is very small  ;. and
   r.' their answers at-their fingers'  end: And `you will find                                   ,even in that. case I  would consider it unnecessary and
   ..I.  :that   vvith. a' class even as large as forty  : you may have                           .detrimental  for the  Eastor so "to put his nose into every-
      .,.:-forty minutes of -the hour for discussion of  the, outline                              thing". But, secondly. it is a mistake to bring all the.                   .
                                                                                                                                                              .
                     you  have  preljared   &d on, the board. Then., occasional13                  organic life of the church under the. church: institute.
       .: take a written test, and your catechetical instruction Will                              Societies do not  :belong -to the church institute. but to                                ,
     .,,i:"&  :faf .-different from' the description- of it in the first                           the church organism. They are not organized  ,,by.:. the
   -paragraph of the article on which I am reflecting.                                      `I
      :                                                                                            con'sistory, but they organize themselves,  .freely, and. they
   ..  ,.`-`The  brother  writes  : "That.hour per week is for many                                have the right to disband if they so desire. They elect  -'  `.
                ..:  :of us  .a~.eertain sacred inexplainable, mystical  somethin.gi               their own . officers and  .these cannot. be imposed  -upon
--  ,.  tvhich  s.o far transcend anything else that all  .other  in-                             them. by the consistory. They `may elect their  p&or'&
            ~,.,,&.t.uction'  is negligibly inferior. And. this  is-. an error".                   president, which I would deem  advisab!.e.  only  in cases
~ `:.  ::&oiy!  `in the  .first place, I know no people for whom where they can find no other man-or woman to  function
   >.  &`fe&is&   is "a, certain sacred inexplainable, mystical                                    in that  c+acity,.or they may `not They  -may:ask pastor
   s o m e t h i n g " . We. are not suffering from an-overdose                                    or elder to lead them in Bible-discussion or they may  -
  ,;  `ofrespect for catechetical instruction. And never. in my                                    refuse to do so. And they may meet in `the  church-b&d-  '
  ..knowledge has. catechism-hour been presented as  &ZW-                                         `ing  orsomewhere  else, `if they so desire. And also the .
  ;t-  `,  $la&a&ie  and  nay@icc& But that, for  the.  .instruction in                           .Sunday school is a society.' The Church `institute may
  :  :`  .the&ruth and the  doctrine'of-the church and for  pre@a.+                                supervise these societies to an extent, but they proceed
   : .`..
            .,:.mgjthe youth  for- their place in. the Church, it far  `tran- not from the institute but from  the,  free'life  of the organ-,
                .:&ends any other institution, that is  no.;error..  And it
           -                                                                                       ism. And it would be fatal, indeed, to all  society'li.fe,
       : should not, be presented as an error. For, this `belittles                                if they were brought under the church-institute. That
   " t h e   v a l u e   o f   cattihism.                                                         would certainly be "papal'!; But just. because of this  .^  .
                     _  .My second  objection"is, that the brother  lgeneralizes                   clear' distinction these societies, the Sunday -`school  m--
    `,-.the  .idea of  .catedhetical  instruction  so`as `to include all in-                      eluded, cannot  e.ven be compared with  Cathechism;  `which
      .. struction given, in the  ,Church : "It includes the preaching .proceeds from the church-institute pure and simple:.                                             _
    .-  `.  -of'  the,  goS+l  b&t  it proceeds beyond `it to  embrace~`.any                         And, lastly, the brother makes the error of failing
      ;.-.  and  al;11  .official; personal; private `training in the truth                       to distinguish between an officebearer and  anoffrce, and
    '  '  ;f-`  ,god$  m&d";                                             i
                                        He arrives at this conclusion: by way                      seems to think,. that, no matter where a pastor or elder
 `r-~...gf,.~~easo-ning'  merely  .from the `meaning of,  the..word-  for                         appears and instructs, he always functions in the capacity..
;-. `-:'  ;;f.`~Q.,catechise"  in  S.cripture,  which cannot be done.. Even                       of an officebearer. This mistake is evident. from the
  -.  .: in `the `word  -of. God. "preaching"  -is not the same as `to very first paragraph. -The brother., writes : "The first.
       .                                                                                                                              ,;;?g&l:  j
                     :c&echise", as everyone- well knows, nor is the  shepherd;                   meeting is called `catechism',  the!sFond one is just called
  ::  .:
    . .  . .izing of the flock  .identical with  catechising. But, besides,                       a  .meeting. Catechism is  official-%struction   in  V-e truth :
  :.  :  ;.ths  :generalization. of  >,catechism is contrary. to. usage .in                       The question ca.nno.t  .be suppressed : ,was the first. m-etine                  :
  ;  .: `Reformed circles;.:
                ,                         .The  word  "to.catechise'?  in Reformed, more official. than the  .second  ? Did, the pas'or  ca-ry his  1
  ; i;`. churches, has been and still is Wholly appr.opriated.  by .the                            office with him- in that first meeting but drop it  in, the  -.
`t _1-`-  ~cifficial  instruction in. doctrine of the seed of the cove-. second?. But if both are official, why  ~should we. call the
  >`.  :;.  _
  -;,- . ._,  nant.:by `the $zw+;.  that is through the consistory. That first  one'.`catechism' and the. second simply a meeting?? ,
  *"T-  and  that.only  is catechetical instruction. And the brother `And- it is evident from  the entire. subsequent  ar?-ument~
 ~~~l-,:,,h~s-no';~r~ght   to'give. a new denotation to a word that
                                                                                _  -  _.          that-the brother. imagines that the character of a  meetino;
5:.  :+:has,++,   so? long time in use to  .indicate a  very-deinute.                              changes  .-because the pastor carries  his.  .office   &ith him  .z:`  :
 $;~$stitutib;n   >in `Reformed churches.                            '  .:l  ;  1: . . .          into the meeting or the elder leads  the. discussion.            T               :


                .                                    ,,l@3                                           _  :    ,,      :T.H-E'       `S:TAN.D'AtiD'.   j3.EAl$ER.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   ..-
                                                     his official'capacitji as minister of thk `Word, even though
                :                                     he  `ddes ndt  ."drop  his:office".  When `he enters his  how:
                                                     ,and`.greets his  &ife- he dqes not  `provise  th.e  benedict&                                                                                                         )
                              _'                     -tipon   her,'  thotigh he should  tise  .th& very words  bf                               __ .  ?`I.  J-. of  ,G. R.,  Mich.,  asks the question:.
                                                                                                                                                .            .._
                                                     ` t h e   benedict&  tised  - i n   t h e   c h u r c h .   Wheti  h e   in-                      ."How must John 3  :13. be  etiplained, where we read :
                       .:-,                          .structd his  childr+ in' the ho&e, `he is still pastor; but                               "And no man hath ascended  zcp  to  .heaweglz,  .but he that
                                                    "rhis   instruction.`is  not official by the Church; he merely `came  dqwn from heaven,  even  the  Soti of  .man,  whic$
                                                     -in&ructs as `father.  .' When he is  .`prizident  of the                                               :
                                                                                                                                               is: in heaven'."                                                  .-;.-
                                                     .&&es  Aid  he.  dertainly  does'not'  cease to be pastor,                                                                                                                    I.
                                                     `but: in the Ladies' `Aid he  fun&&s   .as president and                                                                 i-
                                                     `not as  p&or;.- If- he instructs the  teachers-meetin?,  he                                      .'                                                                                               .,:
                                                                                                                                                     An&+-er:`
                                                    '  &es.`not  function as pastor officially.. Anyone. else  can                             .7                                                                                              ._
                                                     `take  his..place  `and`,fur&ion just as well as he  can. And                              The context of the  wqrds  shows that Jesus-means,, to
                                                     that is true of his  pl&e in  the  Sunday  school.  `By accept-                           `say *to Nicodemus :-I a& the' only ohe that' is abfe  to tell`
                                                     ing'& cali fo the church he does not become Sunday school                                 ?hee'.of heavenly things, for  2 was in heaven  and.rio other
                                                                                                                                                                                    .-
                                                     teacher,`-and if thd Sunday school is  opposed  to  ,having                                                                                          a.:
                                                                                                                                                mati' evei: `was..
                                                     their  p&t&   a&  a` teacher, he  cannbt even become,  one.
                                                     .W&n   ,he  accepted the, call he did not become leader of                                        The underscored  words'.in,)he question  "h&h ascended
                                                     Xl&  societi&;;nor does he have to become their leader.                                    up  to  heaven"   have been' the occasion of.  mani different
I                . . :(j.                            A64 therefore,' it is- a mistake to  pr&ent the -matter as if                              interpretations. The  difficult? ,+-ides.  ,from   the  fa&, that
i                                                    the  .$eYsoq  .of  a;  .officebearer makes. the  inetruction  of-                          J&s `does not say hu&`be& &a h&a&n, but hath~ckcended
,  /:                                                f@&  `,lt  &kes  tie particle of difference,  ,wh&her the                                                      .
i                                              :                                                                                               'LIP  to heaven. Tliis  w&ii,  see+ to,  expr&s  that  J&s
                                                                                                                                                                                                ._
           I  -.                                     <a$tor,  `,an elder or' a. common member is superintendent
           i                            :.          :o,rj  tcacher.in  the Sunday school, it still is no official  in-                          even at, that time in some way had already  ascended.,up
           1                                                                                                                                    tb heaven, say; spiritually,. or because of His.  pei-s&a?
           :                  `.                    .,struc&n;'  th$t is; the Sunday school does not function
           )                             _           ,&`r&@i  the  Chiist-ins`tituted offices.  -                                               union with the divine -nature.  However,  it must  66 evi-
                                        :                  "             :                                                                      dent `that this is not  & all  ..the  nieatiing'of  the Saviour.
                              I'  i!                       And do not imagine that this makes little differende !
           /  `.'                                                                                                                               For; in&e rest of  th6  te%t,   tie  n&;only  deck&&at He
                                                       There  cerfainly `is difference between the  Freaching  of' c&e.  d&&n   &om  heaveri,  &t  &d.s6~  &at He at that  Ve'ti
                                                     &. Word and  +he' instruction  thrtiugh the  of&es  a?ii  h                               -r&ment  is in heaven.  Suiely,  if  fhe Words h&h  iwended
                                                     mere  talk`by  ati$one. And  the.difference  consists exactly
      /                                                                                                                                         up  to  heaven   are to be  $plik'd   .iit&aJ14;   tb'  Jesus; they
                                                     `ifi. this,` that  Christ,  Who instituted. the offices for the                           r&.&t .be applied in thk same Se&e iii $h?ch `He cawie"dozim
                                                     wCll-b&~.6f   H?s  churdh on  earth, will bless His church
           /                                                                                                                                   `$oh .hea&ey; and this is imp&ibie, ,for ,H& ivas "`at that
                                        :.           thrqugh these `offices  as'  He  ~21  not'  blesi  h,er in any.                           moment  speaking with Nicodemus.
                                                     ot%.ei-,                       Gay!        '                                                                                         ..;             .       . .  _                        .i -
           1.                                                                 ,.                                                                      ,The  k e y  .of  t h e  interpi-etation,  .therefore!   I&X$  b e
                                                           And, therefore, it is iny conviction  that  .the brother                             Fought  iti the last- words :  .&o  is.  iul-  &men.. The  Lord
                                                     k.oints  us  in- a  wrdng  ,direction,. which  r-r&t not  be.  fol;                       means `to say: because I am in  l+zav&;  according to  niy
                                                    ,lo<-ed at  ,till.  _.`.                                                                   divine nature and the personal  &ion of the human  nattire
                                         .-
                                                     `The ultimate result of following the brother's advice                                    \?;ith the divine, therefore, f ,can sp+ of heairenly things.
                                                                                                                                               However, since  He. begins the  Sentence by] speaking  df
                     ::            :                 w&d not' be -"mote Catechism", \ but no. catechism zl'. al!.
                                                                                     .                                              H.H.       .no  *&za~z,  and  since man. would have  .to  mcend  i.tito.heaven
                              `.                           ._                                                                                  in  .order to  be there  or  to  kuzne  Qn                                          .the Lord  does
                                                                                          ~.  BEKENDMAKING-                                                                                                         thi&,  
                                                                                                                                               not say : no man, is' or hath been, but hath ascended.  up
                                                       Classis-verga&&g   s&t; D.V., te  ./  wdiden  ,gehouden   Wocs!cflag.                   to.heaven. .                               _     :. . .                       -            .
                                                    g  Jz&ari, -1936,  om  negen'uur in  den  voormiddag in de Fuller  -4ve.                                                              .
                                                    .Pr&;-  Ger. Kerk te Grand Rapids;  Mich.                             .                     . Paraphrasing the  text, therefore,  we.  miy  retid& it
                                                       `.           .                     -.                        M.  VanderVennen,  S.C.    as foilows  :`  ?&nd no mari hath ever  asc&ded up  -:6*
                                                              -                                                                                heaven';'  b&  ;tbe  Son  of-  rriati; who  ca&e  down from
                                                                                                NOTICE                                         heaven, ' ;;S: in %e&veF                               ,  -  '  -                               H:H.            -.
                                                      .A.  spewh will be  giveri  by Rev.' H. Hoeksema, Thursday, Jan: 9,                                                .    .I:                                    .                    :
                     : ,.                           `in. the Fuller Avenue Protestant Reformed Church.  His topic, will.                                                                                                   . . . .
                                   %.               be,. "The Vaunting Axe".:                                                                         I.  .
                                   :                       i  .:  .-
                                                    .'             ,.
                             .I                      The  writey,,of the obituary notice of Mrs. T. Elhart, in the  i&t


                              A  R e f o r m e d   S e m i - - M o n t h l y   M a g a z i n e
             PUBLISHED  BY  THE REFORMED FREE PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION, GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.
                                             "                  E D I T O R I A L   S T A F F   \
                                                    Editors--Rev. H. Hoeksema, Rev. G. M. Ophoff,
    scription  should be addressed  to                      Rev. Wm.  Vqhil, Rev. G. Vos                          should be addressed to
           R.   SCEAAPSMA.                 Assochte Editors-Rev. A. Cammenga, Rev. P. De                           R E V .   H.  H O E K S E M A ,
                                                    Boer, Rev. M. Gritters, Rev. C. Hanko, Rev.  B.            1139  Franklin  Street, S. E.,
                                                    Kok, Rev.  .G. Lubbers, Rev. J. Vander Breggen,                `Grand Rapids,  Mich.
                                                                  ReV.  R.  Veldman.

Vol. XII, No. 8          Entered  as second class mail
                        matter  at' Grand Rapids.  Mich;       JANUARY 15, 1936                                   Subscription Price,  $2.50

                                                                              Omnipotent in the weakness of human flesh ; the Lord
                                                                              of all under the law!
                                                                                 Him she wrapped in. swaddling clothes and laid in
                                                                              the manger !
                                                                                 Him! The Ordained from eternity, the Sent of the
                                                                              Father, with the most glorious mission ever man was
                   .  .  .  .  . and wrapped Hint  iu  srwaddliug clothes     called. to fulfill; the Saviour, come to crush the head of
                   and laid H~?Iz   &t a manger.             Luke  2%.  ,:    the serpent, to overcome the power of sin and death, to
  Could greater paradox be imagined?                                          lead His people to eternal glory and establish God's
  Him they wrapped in swaddling clothes!                                      everlasting tabernacle with men, to unite all things with
  Could more confounding shame be conceived? Him                              the Father in Himself, the things that arc  .in heaven and
she laid  in. a manger.                                                       the things  ,that are on the earth, the Lord of lords, the
  Him ! Her firstborn son ! Firstborn in every respect !                      King of kings ! . . . .
For, to  ble sure, He was the firstborn in Mary's family                        `Him they wrapped `in swaddling' clothes and laid in
and not the only child the mother of our Lord would                           a manger!
bring into the world  i but He is also the Firstborn among                    Amazing paradox!              Confounding shame !
many brethren, accordin,0` to God's everlasting .covenant ;                      The Lord of lords born without any earthly possession
and He  is- the Firstborn of every creature  ;  .and He is                    except a few swaddling clothes to cover. his nakedness !
the firstbegotten of the dead . . . .                                            God in the flesh laid in a place where ordinarily brute
                                                                              beasts receive their fodder!
  Him she wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in
a manger!                                                                        No home, no guest-chamber, no room for, Him!
  Him! The mystery of godliness, God. come in flesh!                             There is a time . . . .
For, that mother that wrapped Him in swaddling clothes                           And there is also a place for all things under the sun!
and laid Him in the manger knew not a man to con-                                And both time and place for all things are not
ceive Him ; and that man, who with her sought shelter                         determined by accident or fate, but by the living God.
in the  stabmle  in that night of nights,: is not the mother's                   He came in the  fulness of time, ordained by the Father,
husband and is not the child's father. The  Holy Ghost                        and at no other moment could the heavens have rent
came upon that virgin-mother and the power of the                             to make way for the Son of God to come into the flesh.
Most  ,High overshadowed her, and that Holy Thing  ihat                       He came at the time when the decree of mighty Caeser
is ,born of. her is called the Son of God ! . . . .                           led Joseph and Mary to the city of David, at a time when
  Him she wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in                            the litttle town was overcrowded with visitors, in a
the manger!                                                                   night, when there was no room for them in the inn! . . . .
  Him! God come in the flesh! For, mark you, He  is                              Thus it was ordained from before the foundation of.
our God.       The, incarnation is no metamorphosis, no                       the world!
change of the Godhead into manhood, but the dwelling                             Not accidentally was David's city crowded and was
of God with us ; He that is wrapped in &addling clothes                       the inn filled to capacity; not accidentally was He born
and laid in the manger did not leave the bosom of the                         in the stable and wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid
Father,  but. is in the divine  btosom from everlasting to                    in a manger.
everlasting, yet came to tabernacle in the flesh  ;s He did                      But -the city was crowded and the inn had no more
not lay aside His divine glory, but He is the, glorious                       room, in order that He might be born in that stable, in
One. The Infinite in  finitude, the Eternal in time, the                      those abject circumstances, outside of human society.


 Ii0                                     THE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

    @or,  was it not a sign, a divinely ordained sign, this       God  in Jerusalem  ?     Remember, then, that the high
 manger and these swaddling `clothes, that  I-Ie was, indeed,    priest would not give  FIim room  ; that  all the people were
 the Saviour that is Christ, the Lord?                           proud of the temple made with hands  ; and that He came,
    That  stablIe  and that manger are His proper place!         not to maintain that temple of marble and gold,  but to
                                                                  leave no stone upon the other and to rebuild it in His
    According to wisdom divine !                                 glorious  .body.   Tlz&   temple He would not perpetuate,
                                                                 His  temple they did not desire! . . . .
 And  wllere would you have laid Him?                               The  stabile, the manger, the swaddling clothes!
    Or where would you, in all the world, find a place            They are the sign of His birth !
 `more proper for the Lord of glory  t!latl  this stable  ad        And paradoxical though it may  appear; there is  b.ut
 this manger  ? Where would  you~fincl   royil  purple in all    the  perfeCtest  harmony between Him and the sign!
 the.world that would befit Him more harmoniously than              Nowhere else would He fit!
 these  l>oor and hastily improvised swaddling-clothes  ?           For, He is not of this world! And though He be the
   Whither, now that He is born, would  you  move Him?           light of the worlcl, the darkness  comprehendeth  Him not!
    Is there, then, in all the world a more suitable place          And, mark  yen well, the sign does  ndt proclaim to
 for  @im of FVhom  it may be said that He is in the worlcl, you and to me and to all the world, that somehow on
 but not  ate all of the world  ?      Indeed, if, you should    dn that Christmas night they did not  -~j~&e  room for
 search for a place, soon you would discover. that He            Him, and that, had they only known Him all the world
 be&s nowhere except in this stable!                             would have opened its doors' wide for the God of our
   Would you have Him born amid the royal purple  of             salvation. On the contrary, its meaning is exactly, that
 mighty .Caeser and think it proper that His cradle should       there  k no room for Him.
 be- in the  pala'ce of the emperor  bmzfore   ivhom all the       YiJe  will not make room for Him.
 %tions   tremblled?  But would it not sopn become ap-             We cannot prepare a place for  Hiti.  `We cannot will
 parent that there is but sharpest  c&flict between' the         to give Him room. For, we are by nature enemies of
 mighty head  of the  w&Id-powel: and Him Whose king-            God and of His Christ.
 dom is not of this world? Would you seek for Him a
 place among the wise men of this world, men of keen               0, it is easy to visit that lowly manger and grow pious
 intellect and profound scholarship, considering that His        in our corrupt imagination. With a certain delight we
 name is Wisdom?         But  would not the worldly  wise- contemplate those  miserabe  circulnstances  of the babe in
 refuse to receive Him,  >Vhose wisdom is not from below         the  maliger and feel sure, that we would gladly offer
 .but from above? Would you call on the rich  of this            Him our home,.  our bed, our all ! Even of God's most
. world to receive  H&n Who came that we might, be  ;f;ade       humiliating signs our sinful minds can make objects of
 rich?  But would they not  soon despise Him, Who                sweet humanistic cogitations: All the world is somehow
 counsels'men  not to seek earthly treasures that are cor-       attracted by the humble stable and sings of that sweet
 rupted by moth and rust, but the spiritual and heavenly         `baby in the lowly manger. Yet, the sign of the manger
 riches of the Kingdom of God? . . . .                           and the swaddling clothes are God's testimony that with
                                                                 us there is no room for Him!
   And would you, then, not return, weary of your search,
 and leave Him in the stable  and the manger?                      And again, men will even tolerate, yea, listen with a
                                                                 certain delight to the testimony that there is no room
   Indeed, His proper place!                                     for  Him, no room  .in the world, no place in our hearts,
Or, would  you  consider  the, possibility of seeking a          because the carnal mind is enmity against God and loves
 place for Him among His own? But is it .not written             the darkness rather than the light, as long as  you  leave
 that He came unto His own and they received Him not  7          them the power to make room, to open the door of their
 Would you, perhaps, think it but proper. for the King of        hearts, to will to receive Him! . . . .
 Israel that He should  ble born in the palace at Jerusalem,       But even this is not the truth!
.in.  t:he very shadow of the throne of David? Ah, but
 remember,                                                         For, you are hopelessly from below and this Babe is
               that  throne of David He never intended to
 raise out of the dust;  ancl                                    from above. You  and I are by nature of our father the.
                                  the  throne of David, which
 He. came to  establish, His. own did not desire ! Or think      devil, and He is the Son of God. We are of the darkness
 you that' He should have a place in' the schools- of the        and He is of the light. He will speak'of God and we will
 doctors, the wise men of Israel, the scribes and phari-         not and cannot hear Him . . . .
 sees?  BLit would He  not. raise a rebuking finger and            And we cannot make room for Him! . . . .
 cry out : Except your righteousness exceed the right-           Weep, then, not over that Babe in the swaddling
 eousness of  .the scribes and  pliarisees, ye can in no wise    clothes and in the manger!
 enter into the kingdom of heaven? Or, finally, would              Search not in the world to find a more suitable place
`~0~1 try to gain for  Him a place in the,  very House of        for  Hikn!


                  /'.'.                                                                            T H E   $TANDARD  BEARER                                                                                                                                                                                                               vi
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     _
                        .,
                  ;  _,__  .--:The `stable and the manger and the swaddling  cldthes  !                                                                                   ing. frame and they cast `Him  out,. a  &w&&,   a good-for-;
                  :.:::  ' A proper sign !                                                                     .
                  :5,                                                                                                                             I                       ;lothjng, that is not  WoJthy of a  .placti   -in  .all the world'!
                  .I.-._ . . .
                  t...:  .                           . .              ._                                                                                                          And still, that cross  ,is but  His`&-ep$  place!
                  .t, ..-,
                          ,.-   -TJe  s&addling clothes -and  the. manger  i                                                                                                     -For the  ~foolishn&s- of God  iG"$&r.`thati   &en,  ani
     -`-`JL.  1 -The only  Proper  sign, humiliating man, glorifying                                                                                                     .the. weakness of  Goi  is  str6+&`3han   meti.!..   ,u.That-   &
                  /.Iji;`:God.!                             .,                        ;                                                                                   flesh should glory in. His presence. For, `chat %abe I&t
                  :  _`..._
                  i..:.-                 For,._thus.it  seemed good in  God!s  sigl&  .that  11; flesh                                                                    be  GOCI'S   Christ, not thk world'.                                                             And the  &lvation
            .'  `.  \Should-glory  in His  bresence.  ,.-  .,                                                                                                             wrought through Hini  mtist  be- God's'  salvation;  tioi
      -  :  `:
                  .' . .                 Hath.  not  Go'd.  chosen the foolish things in the `world                                                                       Man's: And the glory of that salvation  .must in no wise.
                 :..   .:ib  c&f.ound   t h e   +isk,?. Ha& He not  .ordained  .to use `be Man's but God's  orily and  forevet  !
       :....-:.  -. the weak  thin& of  .the  wqrld  ,to confound the strong and
      :  `._                                                                                                                                                                -This Babe for whom  th&e is no room; will  make room
     :-:.rn;ghty?                                  Is it not `His good. pleasure to employ the  $or  Himself!                                                                                                                _:                                                                '                        .                            `.
             i.: `things that are despised by  the work+, things that in their
                               ,.. ,.
                 I.,                                                                                                                                                              For, God  raises  Hiti,  .for  Whorii  the  ltiorld had no
             8 ..' ,estlmation are nought, in  .order that He might  blrifig  tr)                                                                                         pldce',' from the dead and  gives.   Hi'm power and  glory. at
                              . ..ilought the things that ai-e ? . . . . .                                                         .'                                     His right hand. He gives Him the throne o-f His' father  .'
      ::.                      .- The foolish; the  weak,things'of God are in that manger David,  not in  ,eqrthly splendor, but  iq  :heayenly* glory,
                                                                                                                                   `*
       .,. -  ' and in those  .stiaddling clothes,!                                                   '                  =
                        .'
                  . .                                                                                                                                                     and  .giires Him. a- name that is.  ,al&ve all. names, that in
                                 `: Presently  the, world  wiil fully. realize'  that sign of the                                                                         the name of  Jesus every knee  &&id  bow in  heay&:and
~(~-1  i'::.  Christ-child in the stable of Bethlehem !
     ::.:,:                     `.                                                                                                                                        on: ear&, and every tongue `should confess that'.  J&us
            : ., .i.
     ..I                                 0, let the `world  .restiairi   its. self-righteous urge, to                                                                     christ.is  Lord!                            And  He  ,re+ves  the. pro&$ of the.'                                                                                                                       _
I-.:  ~"`~j~.~..ap~roach  the  Babe  in the manger with expressions of
             : L                                                                                                                                                          Spirit! And by  Hjs  S$irjt  a&l'Word   .Ee  rn$kes room,
                                sym&thy   -and avowals  to  offer  Hi%  .its gifts.  `For, far                                                                          `where there is no room,  in'the.hk$rts   df  all-&is brethren,
             !                 :`-frdm'   revealing that it. is Willing  to make  ro,om  for,Hiti                                                                         given  -Him  of,  the  Father.!                                                            .-
             ; .L                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   .-
                                          .   .                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              :                             -
                        -` &td to  `receive  Hini, it  will  sooh manifest  that it does                                                                                          He casts the  thrbne of the  devil-in& the  d&t!  -                                                                                                                                  .               e
I i  -1  not  &en  toleraje  H& in that matiger, that it cannot leave
             <' . .. Hi*  i n   po&ession  o f   thqse  swaddiing   dlothes.                                                                                                      He demolishes  '  the temple of idolatry.!  1. .  ;
                                                                                                                                                       For
I                       :  from..`the very edge of the world He will  s@ak  of. the                                                                                               He. establishes,  fiimly'  atid  .fgrev$r,  the"  t&d&  of His
                 "..' living  God,  al>Gays  of  Him ! When  ,He speaks  `of;.fight- righteousness and the tabernacle. of God. .  Aid. goes
                              eousness He speaks hot of the  righteou&,ess of man but                                                                                     forth,  conquering  and'to  ~on&e~,   Vlict&  qyer  c&&h arid.                                                                                                                                     _
     `. "T"' of:  Z&d/.  -VVl+p He`  @eiches  the Kingdom, He testifies                                                                                                   hell  and all the powers of darkness. And presently' He.
~ .`.  ndt of `the  glory and pdwer of. the  world, `but of the King-                                                                                                     will  +$e. again `with seat  .p@e,r .`arid   glory,., to  snatch
             .. .. dom of God.  Wheti.He   sbeaks.the  truth it is  hot  `Man's:                                                                                          even  f.r6ni the grave its  vi`ctoryi  to  .unite `all things  iri
I  :`-. but God's truth. And  wh?n.  86  `brings glad  tidings- of                                                                                                        heaven  &d  .in earth  unto  .-Himself,  and  iti  the  glqrious
             _:                 s'alvation it is  G&l's  salvation, in  Goa's  way,:.biy'   Gs.3'~                                                                        Kingdom' eternal  t.o reign with Hi`s people  .forever and
             j, .-                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            ".
     1  t                       power,  to'.  G  3'  j
                                                    o  .s  glofy,  .for God's  peohle,  .that is  the                                                                     qer             !                                                               .                            .-
             ',..',.:!Frne of His message !. Of God, always  of.  God,  Qf the Then `. the foolishness of God shall-. be manifest as
     1 r:. -.vng God Who is' really GOD; He  ivitnesess.!-  . . . .:                                                                                                      ev.er1astiF.g.                              wisd.om:                                . . . .                                                                     :
                                         And His  testimtiny  `becomes unbearable !                                                       `.                                     The,  %eakness   of- God shall be  r&ealed.in  all  the.p&+er
                              'For  &Jan:   ,$I   n&t  hear'  of  'God!:   ,_                                                            '  'f.,  -. .  .Of-   +eterIld   SdVatiOIl.                                                        . .                            "                        ._                              '-...  ',i
                                           '
                                         And the  -sC`hi$tmas`  `expressio&  of  &mp&hy   ,. and                                                                                  And His shall be the glory forever!                                                                                .'                             .'
                                av0wal.s of goodwill  atid piety change  i.ntv furious.-cries . .  _:                                                                                .  ,..,  ~                                                               ._                       .,                       :.
     '  ' ""
     .,:..  `if  hatred `and bitt&enmity  i                                                      ": .  .,.I:  :  .,  _,  :-`;  ,..:,:::   .,$:I.   ,:  --..:;                                                                              ;  -"
                 I-'                                                                                    . .                                                                               j        :            '       '                                       ..                     :                  "                  ._                            :
     1 ;  :  ,-Ah, if He would  blut  have  Ibecome:$heir   Ct;rist$  &a$&:   z,. a1-.-`:*.
                                                                                                                                                                            :k,L&.&  .th&  gq to  ..&thlehem   !-                                                                                                 :.
                                                                                                                                                ~ <`. ,L.-; =Gi.  ,.`.,. .->c
                                .Ch&!.,' If He  wOuld  only,ha?e  left.  rooin.`~&`1   Ma$j@.;:4~;:~ot!   inC!eed,' to find a nice  `and  l&ly   .Bab,e;: for in-
                                ri`ghteotisntiss! Gladly would they-have  lifted  H&&jf$$.3(1:...  .
                                                                                                                                                                        `fiiiitel    .Y.
                                                                                                                                                                                        1oVeIy  though:He   be,  He.  js.such  for,yo~`and~fol:,,-.
                               .t?$ mangy. atid. `changed- His swaddiing cloth&. f+-;e+al-W iij$.n@- in. d&r 0ti.q estjqti~,~ .of..Him,. but dp!y,..th.~~&
                                                                                                                                                                                          I_                                                                                                                                        -
     1,  i  ~;+~qle!  ,They would  haTie  offered Him an  &duc&on  in  Fis  m%`elloug   :gr:ce  !  ,I ..  .-  ..-i  :.I-,.  ..                                                                                                                                                                            .:.                                   ._
                              .. the schools, of the wise ; they would  llave made  rdonj  &jr.                                                                                  . Not to ,.please `o,uui im.agmary.  piety and .vain self-right;. -
     &j.. . . ..`r-..-...-...`.:.;:.--g.._
                                Him in. the kin  den& and
                                                                   ,,.t ::,:   on thrones of
                                                                            .-..:. . .._ -                           
                                                                                                 . . . . . the 
                                                                                                                         ,.- world!-T+ey : @&tie&.  ~fid'$,$ &&re  -Hi;;;~&,`o& :&illin$-&s!  $6 `i+ke
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          . . . -__.
            i`, ;;\:: :: -w&ld. have covered X&n with glory and -honc$ `of all. the .q&m~~.f~~ `Rim; &&G.inoLlr hea.&,&&  &&$ &`the w'drld:
     ,`,i,,  wqrld.  A n d - t hey would have rallied to. His  $anner':&d                                                                                                         BL$ to. see  ihe  sign.! The  matiger   ,and the swaddling
            I  helped Him to save the  world!                                                                                      .                                      clothes!..                     .,                  ..                    ..                            ..
            :                    ..-.  But  H e  woulcl  n d t   !
            I  I..-  :-                                                                                                                                                           And-.seeing  the sign to  l+unMe ourselves. in dust and
            :k  .-                                                                                                                 .-                                                                                                                                                        :..
            ;,                        And  they would-  Him not !
                               :'                                                                                                                                         ashes, because .of .o& sin -and- ,shame.!
             c.                  :.. And presently  they change-.His  man:ger into  fhe  bloddy                                                                          _. .&n&.to   @re  g l o r y   to.GO&!-  .'  +.-                                                                                    .H"                                                   H
            i'i:`i,..  `tree and they tear the swaddling clothes from  His suffer-                                                                                                S a v e d   -by  gra?e !  .*
                                                                                                                    _                                                                                                                      `:           :                  '                   ., .                                            _-
                                                                                                .-.-                          _                                                                                                                                                                                   `.
                                                                            "
                                                                            -__..          :                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        ..
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    .;.:;-..:   .f  ..-  _.__  ::  -:.:.,:.  ::  ".I                                                                            :.:               _


                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                      173

  En hier raken we eigenlijk de  moeilijkheid  in de heele         teacher of my children, until it had been clearly proven
kwestie.                                                           that he had been converted.
  Moet een Christen altijd blindelings gehoorzamen en                Or, attend to the following extract from a program
als de Staat roept, optrekken ten strijde?                        `prepared for a Junior  #College  Assembly Service:
   Of zijn er  gevallendenkbaar, dat hij zal weigeren  mede          "The Quiet Moment: Master divine, we bring to thee
te strijden -in den oorlog door de overheid verklaard?             the tasks of this day above all the great task of being
  Doch daarmede  zijn we gekomen  aan de kwestie, welke            the men thou woulclst have  us  to be' of fulfilling thy
de  roeping  zij van den  individueelen  Christen ten opzichte     ambitions for us. Grant unto  us  a zeal to work with
van den oorlog.                                       H.H.         thee, to co-operate in  .thy purpose for our. lives. W e
                                                                  know that for each one of  us  thou hast a great and  glori-
                                                                  OLlS  future in store, if only we will permit thee freedom
                                                                  to work  out  that future in  us. Help us therefore to give
                                                                   thee  full.scope  in our lives, that in serving thee and in
   In general we are convinced that the men that pro-             serving our fellow-men, we may  f&ill thy ambitions
tested against the instruction given by Dr. Wezeman in            for us".
the Chicago Christian High School had abundant reason                Again I say that no Reformed person could conceive
to be alarmed.                                                    of  such prayers. He who can utter such prayers and
  We:do not have in our possession a copy of Dr.  Weze-           teach others to utter them does not merely err in doc-
man's purged notes.* But in the pamphlet published by             trine, but is thoroughly  imbuecl with the modern spirit.
Dr. Herman  Kuiper on "The Chicago Situation" the                 To me it is blasphemy to speak of  God's.ambitions  for
notes are rather elaborately quoted and there is no dis-          us which we must fulfill, for Gcd has no ambitions but
pute about the genuineness and correctness of these               purposes and He fulfills them through us by His grace.
quotations. We may' therefore, assume that in the above           To me it is blasphemy to stand before the living God
pamphlet the situation is correctly pictured and the in-          and  ch~llc~t,ne  Him to  zwork  oztt His  future  ilt  ~ZIS  if  WC
struction given by Dr. Wezeman in the last few years              nri!l   II o t  p~~~~zit  Him.    I know that: this is putting it
is objectively presented. We are, therefore' rather safe          rather plainly, but it is only tearing the mask of devotion
in forming opinion on  the'bssis  of that  b,rcchure.             from what is essentially sacrilege. And sacrilege it is to
  Ad  then, we repeat, our conclusion is, that in gen-            me,. just as it, evidently, is deep devotion to Dr.  Weze-
eral the protestants certainly were right in sounding             man. And this is exactly where the trouble lies. A man
alarm in this case.                                               that  wo~~lcl  teach my children to utter such `prayers"
  Read, for instance' the following extract  frcm one of          would not teach them another clay.
Dr. Wezeman's programs for a Chicago Christian High                  Public instruction is far to be preferred above-  SLIC~I
School Assembly Service :                                         "Christian" education !
  "The Quiet Moment: o Spirit of Jesus' we need thee.
Every morning, noon and night we need thee.                TO        Or again, imagine a teacher who in an Assembly Serv-
change this world out of its wretchedness into thy glad-          ice  co~zld   exhort: "Let  us  remember Jesus who believed
ness we need thee. Oh' come with Thy great power.                 in men to the last and never despaired of them".
It' was to the great hearts, the worldminded, that Thou              Does not -this imply that Jesus was confident that in
didst promise Thy  ,presence.  `Go ye into all the world          the worst of men there is an element of innate goodness.
Tho~z didst say' `and lo, I am with  you  alway'.  Save           which can be developed and employed? And is it not
us from ourselves, from cur narrow nationalism, from              just as  t.rue, that Jesus exactly did not believe in men at
mere churchianity  ; save  us  for Thy kingdom. Save  US          all, because He knew what was in man?
for. thyself.      Save  LIS   to be stewards of Thy grace. In       As to the notes the following passage is quoted from
His name".                                                        Dr. Wezeman's notes on Amos :  `.`If the central quality
  It is `inconceivable that a Reformed man, who knows             of Yahweh was' righteousness, then he had to be om-
the Reformed truth and is also acquainted with current            niscient and omnipresent to enforce that righteousness.
Modernistic  terminolo,T,  wo~~lcl  utter such a prayer, that     Amos saw the nations around Palestine subjected to the
he would substitute "Spirit of Jesus" for "Spirit of              same punishment' for violating the justice and righteous-
Christ", that he could conceive of a calling to change            ness commanded by Yahweh.                 Besides indicating the
"this world" out of its wretchedness into  .that Spirit's         impartiality of Yahweh's justice, it also pointed to Amos'
gladness; that he would pray "save  us  from ourselves,           belief' that the moral will of Yahweh had finally  super-
save us from our narrow  ~nationalism, save  US  for the          seded the will of all the other gods. Yahweh is more
world-wide brotherhood".                                          tllall simply one of the gods-he- is the supreme god
  To me it  ~~OLIICI   make absolutely no difference  110~        Yahweh is not  simply national, but god in the sense that
willing a teacher that is able to utter such a  1~`ayer  might    we now understand it. With this step ethical monotheism
be to purge his notes; I  woul:l  never trust him as a            had been attained".


174                                         T H E   STA,NDRRD   - B E A R E R

   Now, in the first place, we may well ask the question:                     Niet als rechter vermeten we ons,  op .te treden. Want
 what place has instruction of  this kind in a Christian                   we hebben in deze brochure onze  informatie van  C&e
 High School or even in a Junior  CoI!ege?  It properly+                   zi jde.
 belongs to a course in the `History of Revelation in a                       Maar waarom zoo veel' reeds  geschrevCn  ? Waarom
 Theological School.                                                       cleze brochure  niet'  aan  de& schrijver teruggezonden
   But this  in passing.                                                   en zelfs melding er van niet liever geweigerd? Ja,
   The point is that, according to the above passage, ethi-                waarom, zoo zal menigeen  misschien vragen, waarom
 cal  monotheism was not attained till the time of the                     heeft Dr. Kuiper zijn  brochur'e niet liever in de pen
 prophets. Israel did not know  bf the one true God till                   gChouden? Hebben we anders al geen ellende genoeg?
 Amos. And Amos discovered this truth rather by way
of reasoning from what he observed concerning the im-                         En  tech _ . .
 partial justice  and. righteousness of God. There was,                       De "Situation in `Chicago"  gaat  -011s  allen  aan.
 therefore' no clear revelation of the one' true God from                     "M6clernisme  binnen eigen  kerkelijken   kring" ! dat
the b&inning, but a gradual development from polythe-                      is, feitelijk de waarschuwing. Eene waarschuwing  aan
 ism to  moliotheism, from the belief in many gods to the                  al onze kerken.
 b,elief in one God. This is, of course, quite contrary to
 Scripture and in harmony with schools of higher criti-                       E&e schoolzaak, waarmede  d? kerken eigenlijk niets
 cism.                                                                     te maken hebben ?
  We may remark, too, that it  js not difficult to discern                    Laten we ons niet vergissen. De kerkeraden hebben
 whose disciple Dr. Wezeman is. He was, even when                          tqezicht te houclen op het  Ch&telijk,   .Schriftuurlijk,
 still in the seminary, known as a strong defender of Dr.                  Gereformeerd  karakter  op:  onze  scholen. Bovendien
 Janssen. And his instruction reveals that he did not                      Dr. Wezeman,  de beschuldige is  CCn onzer  geordende
 change in  thislrespect.                                                  bedienaren  cles  Woorcls..
   In the "majority report" in  the Janssen-case, a report                    Hoe zeer  we `t ook betreuren,  da; de "situation in
 which, by the way' was composed entirely by  the  kev.                    Chicago" niet in Chicago tot een  goed einde kon  wor-
 H.  .Danliof  and undersigned. we called attention to this                den geleid en voor  `t  publiek moest  worden  gebracht.
 very element in Dr.  Janssen`s notes. In these notes we                   we mogen ons niet met een lichte beweging van de
 found the following statements : "Throughout the cen-                     zaak afmaken, alsof ze ons,  baiten  Chicago, niet  aan-
turies to exile the Israelites clung to  Semi-n!onotheism".                gaat. Laten we kennis nemen van de zaak, ook al
 And again: "Proves a  relative monotheism. But does                       moeten we ons uit den aarcl  der zaak van beoorcleeling
 not prove that you have no gods besides the true God.                     vooralsnog onthouden.
 This also the idea of  Israel the prophets". And once                        Het  onderwijs van  clcn  pril?cipal van  6&l  onzer
 more.: "Moreover his appearance  (that of  Amos)  signi-                  Christen High Schools is, om t' op zijn zachtst  te  zeg-
 fies the  daivn, of a period of a  higl?er ethical and religious          gen,  onder  verclenking. En onder verclenking van
 consciousness, especially in the progress of their concep-                Modernisme!! Daar  staan in dit gecling tegenover
 tion of God and their duty to Him. This reflects itself                   elkander  m&tens zestien onzer  predikanten  en de
 in various ways of thought.  hmos is the herald of higher                 Board der `School 
 and better things".                                                                                 plus  de Association?  `En natuurlijk
                                                                           kan het geschil onder  bet  volk,  clat zijn school lief
   It is a noteworthy fact, to which we-shall have occasion                heeft, niet uitblijven.,
 to refer again, that the opponnents of Dr. Wezeman now
 sound the  alarm about the very things to which we                           In  "cler  minne  schikken,"  van  "beicle zijden wat
 called the attention of the  &m-&es fifteen years ago.                    toegeven" en zoo het geschil  bijleggen,  dat schijnt in
                                                            H. H.          dit geval onmogeli jk. De aard van het geding is er
  *Since   we wrote this we obtained a set of Dr.  `VVezemall's   11&S.    niet naar. Zoo maar voortsukkelen, zoo  goed en kwaad
                                                                           als `t wil, dat  gaat nog minder. De school  zelf  ZOLI  &r
                                                                           de dupe van  worden, indien  niet nog meer dan de
                                                                           school.
   ZOO  schrijft Ds. Keegstra in  De  W'cdzter  van  18                       De zaak  zal  we1 uitgestreden  moeten worclen,  naar
 Dec. 1.1 in  verband met den strijd, die ontbrandde in Chi-               `t ons  voorkomt.
 cago en omstreken over het onderwijs,  clat door  IX.
 Wezeman gegeven worclt  aan de Chicago Christian High                        Het zij zoo, als de booze hartstochten maar  onder-
 School.                                                                   drukt  worden en het welbegrepen  belang  der  School
   Nadat hij' een revue heeft geboden van den stri jd,                     niet uit het oog verloren en uit het hart verbannen
 geeft hij het volgende oordeel:                                           worde.
                                                                              En wij  buiten en ver van Chicago  behoeven en  mo-
          "Geen beoordeeling van  bet gecling in bijzonder-,               gen geen ledige aanschouwers  blijven.
    heden kan het  zijn.                                                       H      e         t      gebsed!


 .I75                                       T - H E   S,T,ANDA&D   B E A R E R

                                                                    prophets, were after all but so many motions of sin by
                                                                   ,the very  la% in which that reprobated and self-righteous
    It was  by the law  in conjunction with the promise, that       I.&e1 of Christ's day thought to live. Yet whb Christ
 the  dhurch  mas schooled unto Christ. Then, when yearn-           told this Israel the truth about itself and in His dis-
 ing                                                                courses .set Himself before its eye as the lamb God  that
          was  .deep,  sd  I, wrote, and hope lively,. and when
 expectation   .raa high,. God sent forth His Son, made of          taketh away the sin of the world, as the light of the
 a  ivoman, made under the law. Upon Him therefore the              world, as the true bread and the living water, it, this
full burden of God's wrath was  rolled. And that burden             Israel, became furious with Him and began to  $of  His
 He  blare and so  deIive.red them under the law from the           death.
 law and  its- curse-the curse of Sinai-that they might               It is this Israel that the' apostle sets before  OLIN  mind
 receive the adoption of sons.                                     in his epistle to the Galatians as the Jerusalem `which is
    It  W&S,  to be sure,. the true church only, the aggregate      on earth and is in bondage' with her children", in bondage,
 of the  elect of God,  that was delivered from the curse           the captive of `the  &se and the  willihg slave of sin and
 of the law. It means that Sinai's curse continued to               of the motions of sin by the law.           It refused the
 pm-stie the reprobated Israel until it (this curse) worked         b3essings  of Abraham thrdugh Christ and the' promise
 itself out, so to say, in the destruction of Jerusalem.           of the Spirit through faith. Despising the redemption
   `This (reprobated) Israel was servant. Its place was            of those under the law (the  true Israel) it chose to abide
 under the law. And under the law it also chose to remain.         in bondage under the elements of the world-the  n-law.
    It spurned the liberty wherewith  Clirist made free His.       It thus `also reaped the full curse .of the law, then when
 pePpIe.: Its abidin,0 ambition was to live in  -the com-          the measure of its iniquity was filled.
mandment and to  estab:lish  its  own righteousness before            It-was against  this Jerusalem that Christ directed  ihe-
God. And apparently it was also  succeksful in this.  It           scathing speech preserved by  Ma&he+ and forming the
brought  a  ~multitude   of sacrifices unto the Lord ; burnt       twenty-third chapter of his gospel.        Those addressed
 offerings of  rams,' the fat of fed beasts,  .the blood of        were the scribes and the. pharisees. From this address
bullocks, lambs, and he-goats, It, this Israel, appeared           it agpears that they failed  to. practice the very  ixecepts
before the Lord and tread His courts,--brought oblations,          so diligently taught by them  ; refused. to move with
burnt incense, kept the new  mqons  an'd the Sabbaths,             their fingers the  heady and  griedous  burdens they laid
`called -assemblies and  sqlemn  meetings, observed  neti          upon men's shoulders  ;- shut up the kingdom of heaven
moons and the appointed feasts; spread forth its hands             against men ; made long prayers for a  plretence : forgot
and made  many prayers (Isa.. 1  :11~1,5   ) , compassed sea       the weightier  thing% of  the law; cleaned the outside of
and  land to make  one%proseyte,  swore by the altar,  payed  ' the  cup,  and were thus like the  sCpulchre$  which, indeed
.tithe of mint and anise arid  ~curr@n,  strained at a gnat,       appeared beautiful outward but were within full of
builde'd the tombs of the  .prophets, and garnished the            deadmen's-  b!ones  ancl of all uncleanness. `Such  was
sepulchres `of the righteous and said that it if had been in       Christ's appraisal of them.                                 :
the days of their fathers, it would  npt  have been  partakei-s       Were the  scribes and pharisees with us. today,  they
with them in the blodd of the prophets. However, of                would be regarded as men of.. real piety by many. So
thk  weightie'r matters bf  the law, of, mercy, faith,  paver!?    they were adjudged by their  contemp&aries.   .Yet they
in spirit,  contrifeness  _  qf  .heart; of meekness, it,  this    were bad trees bearing  c&-rupt fruit. Though they built
reprobated Israel, had no knowledge!, Yet as robed  in             the tombs  o'f prophets and garnished the sepulchres of
the foliage of its legal righteousness, it had the appear-         rightebus, they sought  ts'kill the  prophkts of the Lord
ance of a  fruitb,earing  tree. So the.  Lord sought fruit         of their own day. Therefore their house was left  u&o
thereon, but found none. Instead of faith, He found                them desolate. Upon Jerusalem came all the righteous
unbelief;  instezid of humbleness, pride; instead of love,         blood shed upon the earth from the blood of the righteous
hardness of  hearf; instead of poverty of Spirit, a  proud.. Abel  mlto the  blood of Zacharias, whom they  slew.be:
self-sufficiency.     &. a word, the Lord  pei-ceived that         tween the temple and the altar. The apostate city could
what He had to do with was  a'-planting  that when  ex-            not escape. It had refused Him, Jehovah, Who  spake  on-
amined  turned  out: to be a hypocrite, devouring widow's          earth  from the summit of Mount Sinai and in addition
houses and shutting up the kingdom of heaven against had turned `away from. Him, the Judge  .-of  all,. that
men  ; a child of the devil, making the proselyte for which        speaketh  ,through His Son, Christ Jesus, from heaven.
he compassed sea  and land  two.fold  more the child of            It had  .thus -despised the glories of God  55 reflected by
hell than himeslf,; a  .blind guide, a fool, only`  outwardly      the  lgw and as seen in the face of Christ. It  had cruci-
`righteous and within full of  hypocricy,  and iniquity.           fied the God of Sinai  and,- what is  far worse, also  the.
Thus,. all  tha;  treading*of God's courts,  thit  bripging of     Christ  of'the- celestial Jerusalem. So the curse of Sinai,
multitutdinous and multifarious sacrifices, that making            now proceeding  froni the heavenly, sanctuary,  agajn  and
of many prayers, that tithing, that compassing. sea,  `and         for the last time came upon  .the apostate city. Its high
la&  to make proselytes, that. building of the tombs of the        and fenced  walls came down never again to be built.
                       :
    ./
                                      .-
                                                           _.                    ,_/      _                     -.  -'
 .:        ._


                                       TtiE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                    179

How, the anger of God burned  aild consumed its inhabi-             houses. The contention that one who journeys to Jerusa-
tants is well described by Josephus.  Tilis time the human          lem in Palestine on the Mediterranean sea, visits  Je+-uga-
instrument of divine vengeance was Titus of Rome. The ' lefts  is preposterous. Rightly considered, it is very wrong
seige by Titus commenced on the 14th day of  Nisan,                 to call those Jewish colonies in Palestine  Jeya.dem.
70 A.D., and ended on the 8th of  Elul, a total of 134              Jencsalens is above.
days. None of the calamities that had happened to the
city are to be compared with this siege. "In none had                 Let me now in  conclusiqn answer questions previously
the city been so magnificent, its fortifications  -so power-        stated.
ful, its population so crowded. It was Passover' time,                In the Old Testament Dispensation, Israel, the church,
but in addition to the crowds assembled for this event, was under  the law, was pursued by the law's curse and
vast numbers had hurried there, flying from the  advanc-            &eloped by the fire  o,f God's anger, so that even the
ing `Roman army." The number of those who perished                  true church found reason to complain, "We are con-
by famine was prodigious. The miseries' they under-                 sumed by thy wrath . . .  " So it had to be, I wrote.
went were unspeakable. If so much as `the shadow  of                Before Chrst could come to take away the sins of His
any kind of food did anywhere appear, a war was  born-              people  @y the bearing of the full burden of God's wrath
,nemckd presently; and'the dearest  ,friends fell a fighting        against sin, the weight of that burden had first to be
one another about  .it, snatching from each  other the              felt for centuries by the church, Zion had first to be
most miserable supports of life.        Nor would men be-           covered with a cloud His anger for a season and `the
lieve that those who  "were dying had no food  ; but the            stronghold of the daughter of Zion thrown down in His
robbers would search them when they were expiring,                  wrath, that Jacob,  ,as harassed by the  fire.of His jealousy,
lest any,  qne should have concealed food in  their.bosoms,         might learn to stretch out his hands to Him, the promised
and counterfeited dying. The  hmlger was so intolerable,            Christ  as his only hope and to love and yearn for His
that it obliged -the  famishecl  to chew everything. They           appearance.     Then when yearning was  .deep and -hope
gathered such things as the most sordid animals would               lively, God sent forth His `Son, made of. a woman, made
not touch, and endured to eat them. At length they did              under the law: Upon Him the full burden of God's
not abstain- from shoes  ; and the `very  leathei which             wrath against sin  was rolled, and through the bearing
belonged to their  sheilds they pulled off and  gnaived."           of it He delivered those under the law from the law and
In  additioil  fo  .this, the city was  be>iildered  by internal    its curse.
wars between `various parties, so that the' miseries of                But, so it was  asked, Does not sin  `still abound in the
the, Siege  and the destruction of life and property were           church? Is not Christ today being crucified and put
at least, as much the work  -of the Jews themselves as  oi          open to shame by the apostate church? Has not every
their  conqudrors. On the. 105th day, the temple and the            believer as much reason as the believers  of old to com-
lower city were burnt,  an< `the last day found the whole           plain,  `We  are being consumed by `thine anger, and by
city  in flames. After the fire  had~  burned itself out,. the      thy wrath are we, troubled"? Is the believer today not
whole. city was dug  -LIP  to its very foundations.                 being' plagued  all the  day long and chastened every
   Christ had foretold the  de&ruction  of the'temple and           morning? Are we not in.  heav'ihess  through manifold
had  alsp said that the tribulation of the apostate Israel          temptations ? What then is the actual difference between
would  be such as had, not been  since the beginning. of the        the condition of the New Testament church and that
world. How  ftilly  this' word of the Saviour was  made             of  the Old?
to  cotit to  pass. And the result  ,of the  comiyg-to-pass            There is a difference which is actual enough  and which
of this word was that the  .giory of Jerusalem which is             springs from the circumstance  that'the  true church has
on earth. forever departed: So  ,it had  ,to be, as the             beeti  delivered from  &e  lati and its curse. And it is this
Jerusalem which is above had come into being. And this              difference  that so clearly betokens that this deliverance
Jerusalem is  free and is the mother of  LIS  -all. As to the       has actually been effected.
Jerusalem- which was on earth, its  disapperance was                   Let us attend to this. `What has meaning here is that
meant to  &and out before our mind as the token of the              the Old Testament Dispensation in distinction from  .the
`operation of the  law's `curse in  t,he lives of  *men who         New was the period of shadows, an age in `which the
thought  themselves capable of living in the  comfnand-             spiritual and heavenly things of the  .c&enant were set
-&nt  and thus turned away' from Him  .that riow speaketh           before`the  mind  df the church in type and  ~ytihol. -The
from  .heaven.      1                                               Israelitish   n&ion, its land, its institutions, its form of
Let me emphasize that  .Tcr~~.s&~~,  the city  of' God,             government, were shadows cast  by the heavenly. To
disappeared from the face of the earth,  nct~stlly.  The            the  shadoFs,   matetial prosperity and material adversity
modern Jerusalem is not  Jcnrsnl~~~z.,  the city of God, the        alsd- belonged. And the former formed the blessing and
religious center of the kingdom,  blut merely a collection of       the latter the  cur$ing of  the law. Israel, the church, was.
various classes of poverty-stricken non-Christian Jews,             told of this at the beginning of its career, was told that
living for the most part in mean cottages and ugly alms             there were to be either blessings or  cursings  of the  law;

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

 that the blessings, if sent,  ivould consist in a temporal         about".    These complaints plainly tell us that also the
 alld  a marvelous material prosperity and physical  well-          true church  o`f the Old Testament Dispensation lived
 being'and that the cursing-s of the transg-ressed law would        out its career with the dread of Sinai in its  soul.  And
 come upon the nation in the form  of an equally re-                there was reason for this. As was pointed out, Israel
 markable and amazing physical and material woe and                 p:as under the law, and still  had to be delivered from the
 disaster. We learned this from the book of Deuteronomy             law's curse historically. And in agreement herewith, the
.in which these blessings and curses of the law are                 Lord during this entire period held His people at  aims
 enumerated.      It cannot escape, our notice, that these          length so that it stood before the' closed door of  His,
 blessings, when sent, constituted a material good of               sanctuary. But these are matters that have already been
 great magnitude and  that.likewise these curses,  .if realized,    delineated upon.
 would form a veritable ocean of  namelesi' woe. If                   What now may be -the difference  b,etweeri the con-
 Israel will hearken  &to the voice of the Lord,  bjlessing         dition of the church of the Old and that of the church
 shall come upon  hi,m and overtake him. Blessed  shall             of the New Dispensation ? Otherwise said, What is the
 he be in the  city and in the, field . . . The Lord  s,hall        token that Christ delivered from  the curse of  the law.
 cdmmand  the blessings upon him in his storehouses, and .Exactly this that the church ceased to be the province of
 in all that he sets his  halid unto . . . And the `Lord shall      that  t~rpicd operation of the curse of the law. And this
`make him plenteous in goods, in the fruit of his body              means that material riches-rain and sunshine, rich
 and in the fruit of his cattle, and in the fruit of his            harvests, the  kine and the. sheep, bringing forth thou-
 ground, and in the land which the Lord  sware--unto  the           sands-ceased to be the certain evidence of the favor of
 fathers to give him . . .                                          God and that likewise poverty and disease may no longer
  But it shall come to pass, if Israel will not  jlearken           be regarded as the unfailing signal of the operation of
 unto the voice of the Lord his God; to  obseyve  to do all         the  .curse in the lives of men. We may not say of a
His commandments . . . that all the following' curses               congregation comprised of poverty-stricken members
shall come upon him, and overtake him : Cursed shall he             that it is being pursued by the curse of God, and of a
 be in the city and in the field, Cursed shall be his basket        congregation whose members are rich and have superb
 and his store . . . . The Lord shall make the pestilence           healtli that it for this reason enjoys the special favor of
 cieave unto him . . . . smite  hi& with consumption, and           heaven. `We may not say this of churches  ;nor of in-
 with  fever and with  inflati~ati&,  ancl with an extreme          dividuals nor of nations. The contention that if only
 burning, and with the sword,  &d with blasting, and                our  nation would repent and turn to the' Lord, it would
&th mildew; and they shall pursue  him`.until he perish.
                                     .'                             again prosper materially, is sheer folly. If  to be blest is
..These are-`only some of the. blessings and  cursings              to be  rich and if to be cursed is to be poor in worldly
 mentioned. I need not enumerate them all, as this has              things, the conclusion could not be escaped that the  *
 been  doile.    How evident that we should allow these             wicked, who prosper are the blessed of the Lord and
 blesssings and  cursings  to rise. before our mind as              that the curse of God is in the house of His `people.
 shadows, the former, of the great  s$-itkal  good that is          But the fact is that all  things-trib+ulation,  distress,
 the portion `of the citizens of Christ's everlasting king-         pers&ution,  famine, nakedness, peril, sword, herbs, grass,
 dom; and the latter, of the unspeakable misery .of hell.           rain, drought, fruitful and barren years, meat and drink,
   As to the curses. of the.  law,. they all  kventually            health and sickness, riches and poverty-work together
 materialized. They did  so, as sin, taking occasion by the         for good to them that love God. But as to, the wicked,
 commandment  `b,oldly wrought in Israel, the church.               they spring as the  .grass and all the workers  of inquity
 The result was that Israel, the church  ev&tu+lly  became          do flourish; and it is  tha2 they shall be destroyed for-
 the province of a most remarkable and typical demon-               ever.
 stration of the operation of the curse of the law and of             The matter deserving attention is that in the Old Dis-
 the anger of God against sin.             How keenly. aware        pensation the  kine and sheep bringing forth thousands
 the true people of God were of this! And their com-                formed the positive side of a typical `salvation, the
 plaint  was, "For we are consumed by thine anger and               nether side of which was the deliverance from Egyptian
 by thy wrath are we troubled.". In their capacity of the           bondage, This accounts. for it that the saint of  that
 .c$osen of, the Lord, the true people of God were not              day would pray, "Save now I beseech  thee;-0 Lord,  I
-touched,  pursued  by the curse.. Nor could they be. But           beseech thee; send  p+osperity". What prompted this
 by  $zntz~~  and as forming  togather with the reprobated          prayer was a great hunger not for things earthy as such
 Israel one family, they, too, were under the curse of the          but for the signals of the mercy of God.          The Old
 law. It was` against this  family.t$at  the anger of God           Testament saints sought the heavenly in their prayers
 burned. It therefore also burned- against the elect in their       as well as we. But whereas the heavenly was set before
 capacity of  membsers  of' this family.`      Well therefore       them in the earthly  ,wpe, it was upon this type that their
 mi& the prophet Jeremiah lament, "And He burned                    attention was necessarily fixed.       Now these earthy
 against Jacob like a flaming fire, which devoureth round           depictions of the heavenly fell away.        We therefore


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                181
                                                                                                                 -

IlOw  have the heavenly as the direct object of our vision.        and their confidence toward Him so strong, that the
The heavenly therefore we directly seek and set our                outstanding theme upon which  .their prayers and songs
affections `upon. So Christ commands  us.                          now turn is that great redeeming mercy of the God and
  But there are still other tokens in Scripture that Christ        Father of their Lord Jesus Christ. And though they are
delivered from the curse of the. law. It is remarkable             in heaviness through manifold temptations, they are at
that nowhere in the epistle of the apostles do we come             once glad, knowing that the Father chasteneth the  son
upon the lamentation, "For we are consumed  by  thine              th& He loveth. And they rejoice in the inheritance
anger, and by thy wrath are me troubled. Thou hast                 incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away,
set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light       reserved in heaven for them. And they sing,  LiBlessed
of thy  counteance. For all our days are passed away .be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Which
in thy wrath . . .  "  (P.S.  90) or the lamentation,  (`How       according to his abundant mercy  hat11  begotten  us again
hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion  w\iith a cloud         unto a lively hope by the  resurrecti& of Jesus Christ
in I-Iis anger . . . aild remembered not his footstool in the      from. the dead". It is also this new note of joy and confi-
clay of his anger".    What `now is the explanation of the         dence found in the writings of Christ's Apostles that so
absence of  Such outbursts of grief in the writings of the         clearly betokens that Christ  deli\-erecl His people from
apostles of Christ ? Christ has delivered from the curse.          t&e curse of the law
The heirs of the promise are now spiritually matured                 There is yet other evidence that Christ delivered from
sons. S&z is the testimony of God's Spirit with their              the law its curse.       Consider, once more, what, the
spirits. And they dwell now not in the shadow of the               Lord said to  Lsrael  of old, "Ye shall therefore keep-my
mount that burned with fire but in the sanctuary of the            statutes, and my judgments; which if a, man do he shall
God and Father of their Lord Jesus Christ. And they                live in. them". ' This declaration is not' found in the
receive witness that they have been justified  by faith            epistles of the apostles. The book of Revelation (chap.
and thus have peace with God through Jesus Christ.                 22) does contain a statement that reads, "Blessed are
And with Christ they have been set in heaven and there             they that do his commandments, that they may have
blest with all spiritual blessings. They have received             rig-ht to the tree of life". The revised version reads,
historically the  adopticn  of sons. And because they are          "Blessed are they that wash their robes . . .  " Most com-
sons, God  bath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into              mentators content that there can be no doubt that the
their hearts, crying Abba,  Fatlier. They know  them-              reading in the revised version is correct. Not only, they
seh-es as co-heirs  \vith Christ and as heirs of God.              say, "is it sustained by a great weight of authority, but
  It must not be supposed that .the new joy of believers           it is far more in accordance-with the whole teaching of
is a kind of shallow dptimism that springs, from ignor-            the  Xew Testament' than that which stands  $11 our
ance of what they by  themsel\-es are. They  ha-ie deep            Authorized Version.      `Blessed are they that keep his
knowledge of  t&s.  They know that when the  lqv was               commandments, that they have a right to the tree of
added  to, the promise, sin abounded, and realize that by          life'. carries us back, so it is said, to the  old law, and
nature they are carnal? sold under sin,  ancl that in them,        has no more hopeful a sound  .in it than the thunders
tliat is. in their flesh, dwelleth no good thing. And they         of Sinai . . . It is relegating  us to the dreary old round
mourn and shall therefore be comforted. Their fresh
                                                         .         of trying to earn Heaven by doing good deeds and it  -
joy springs from a profounder  knowleclge  of the mys-             is making the cross of Christ of none effect?`. So they
teries of God and from a new confidence that with  body            reason.
and soul both in life and death they are not their own               The  sentinient  here expressed is untrue. The state-
but  b,elotig  fo their faithful Saviour, Jesus Christ'; Who       ment, "Blessed are they that keep his  commandrqents,
tvith His precious blood hath fully satisfied for all their        that they may have right to the tree of life"; is in  SUI,
sins and. delivered them from all the power of  -the devil.        stance found even in Paul's epistle to the Ephesians.
The church now sees God in the face of Christ.                     I quote (chap.  6). "Children obey your parents in the
  Yet it must not be supposed that the prayer of the               Lord, for this is right. Honour thy father and mother  ;
prophet of  01~1.   %e.`ar&  cotisumed by thy wrath" does          which is the first commandment with promise;, that it
not-at all become New Testament believers. It does. Con-           may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long  011
sider that they are by  itntzbve children of wrath,  having        the earth". The word  e&l; in this promise denotes the
in times past their  coi&e+sation  in the lusts of the flesh,      earthy  XZatiaan-.   atid in the final instance the new earth
fulfilling the desires of  .the flesh and of the mind. Eph.  2.    to be inhabited by the meek. So then, what we have
From the point of  view of what they in themselves are,            here in substance coming to us from the apostle Paul
it is also true of them that all their days are passed away        is,  "Keep  the commandments of Christ that thou  mayest
in His  wrath and that they spend their years as a tale            inherit eternal life". In the epistle of James we come
that is told. But  wherkas they now have Christ as the             upon a scripture that reads, "But  whoso looketh into
direct object of  their.vision,  their  understdnding of how       the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he
the  l&e of  .Gocl redeemed and saved is  so, deep and clear       being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the  work,

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

 this  mm  shall  be blessed  in his  cleecl.  This same apostle        in both New and Old Testament Scriptures. The  song
declared, "Ye see then` how that  by works a man is                      of the psalmist David, the sweet singer of old,  "0  how
 justified, and not by faith alone". Are Paul and James                 love I thy law !        It is my meditation all the day. Thou
 relegating  us,  to the dreary old round of  trying  to earn           through  thy commandments hast made me wiser than
 heaven by doing good. deeds? Surely, no. What we                       all mine enemies : for they are ever with me . . .  " is the
 must be careful to distinguish between is on the one hand              song of all the saints of God. The law of God is the
 God. and the law as these stand in juxtaposition with                  incorporation of eternal principles of truth.                    It could
 Christ and on the other hand God and the law as we                     therefore not disappear. The law is the rule of faith
 pOssess   them `both in Christ and His cross,              Iii the     to all  bselievers of both the New and the Old  covenant.
 former position, God is a consuming fire to every man                     SO then, what we have been delivered from is the
 including the elect. But as God and Father  `of, Christ,               law as it stands in juxtaposition with Christ. Now the
 He is their God and Saviour. It is from God and the                    requirement of the law in this  positon  was? "The man
 law as standing in juxtaposition with Christ, thus from                that doeth them shall live in them". This requirement
 the law as demanding of us that we live in it and as                   Christ fulfilled, and by so doing freed  us  from it. He
 driving the `impotent  simmer into  lidl,  that  be!i&ers  have        lived in the  ,Commandment. But as to His people,
- been delivered. But to the law as it comes to them through            they live in Him and in Him as their sphere of life,
 ~Christ to whom they -have been joined by  a. living faith,            walk in His `commandment. We should  car:>fully  clis-
 they are, to be sure, being held.  The.  plain  evidence of            tinguish therefore  b,etween the two statements, "Blessed
 this is that the practical sections of the epistles of the             are they that do His commandments, that. they may have
 apostles are largely comprised of admonitions that as                  right to the tree of life", and, "The man that doeth
 to their substance turn out to be so many commands to                  these things shall. live  iiz  t,&e&`.  It is  ,&is latter state-
`walk as children of the light. And the rule  .of this                  ment only and not the former that is incompatible with
 walk is the law of Christ. Consider that the law as we                 the doctrine of justification by faith of Christ. St. Paul
 possess it in Christ is a gift of grace. It is this as in              literally says this, "Now the law is not of faith: but,
 the hearts of believers God has shed abroad  I-Zis love.               The man that doeth them shall live in them (Gal. 3  :12).
 The law to them is the  mould in which the life`in them                But this same apostle elsewhere said (as I have shown)
 is to  be  cast, their guiding star,  the'lamp for their feet          "Honour thy father and thy mother . . . that it may be
ancl the light  upon  their pathway. `And the doing of the              well with thee". Consider that to live in the command-
 law is in them the glorious flower of the righteousness                ment is to live not in Christ but in God. To one living in
 of Christ in which they are robed, and thus at once the                the commandment, God and not Christ is the creative
 lovely blossoming of a living saving faith. `So, when                  source of life and blessedness. It is therefore the per-
 John on Patmos declared, "blessed are they that do his                 fect man  z&o  ?iezreY  knew  .siw,  who may live in the com-
 commandments, that they may have right to the tree  pf                 mandment.           iBut as to  tl\e ill-deserving sinner, the
 life", he said in  sulxtallce  not  that what the Lord requires        justice of God demands that his sole source of life and
of His people is that they merit their salvation by good                bliss be Christ.            Now the fact that the  aforesaid-
 deeds, but that every man in  whcse heart and life this                requirement nowhere appears in the writings of the
 said blossoming is not found, is a dog, a sorcerer, a                  apostles as  mandafory is so much  mere evidence that
 whoremonger, a murderer, an  .idolater, a liar, and may                ,Christ delivered His people from the curse of the law.
 not therefore enter in through the gates of the celestial                                                                       G.  311. 0.
 city, is thus doomed to eternal destruction. We also
find in John's Revelation the announcement to the effect
 that Christ comes quickly to give every man, thus `also
believers, according as his work shall  be;              There is         Den lste Jan. 1936 behaagde het den Heere van leven en dood
 nothing in this announcement that should startle the                   0111  uit  ens'  midden  weg te nemen  onze  innig geliefde  echtgenoote
 believer, considering that, as to the heart of his dis-                moeder en grootmoeder,
 positions, he is a lover of the law of God. As his love                                     MRS. GOSSE DE VRIES
is the flower in him of the righteousness of Christ with                in  den ouderdom van 75  jaLar, 4 maanden  er, 7 dagen. Wij  troosten
which he  .is clothed,  John's announcement is tantamount               ens.  in.. de: volle verzekering dat zij thans juicht voor God's Troon
 to-  saying  that  Christ   will_ give  His people-  ,according  as    waarzij zelf  .getuigde   .dat haar redder God  -was.
 His very own righteousness is. And the righteousness                                                 Gosse De Vries
 of the  Saviour is perfect and complete and begot the                                                Reinder De Vries
 reward of eternal life. And this is the reward that                                                  Rev. en Mrs. Andrew De Vries
 will be given believers.                                                                             Rev. en Mrs. Jacob De Vries
   Gods  people.are lovers of the  1a.w of Christ.  They                                              Rev. en Mrs. Frank De Vries
                                                                                                      Thys John De Vries en 5 kleinkinderen
 are this for the very reason that they are justified by                                                      714 Franklin St., S.E.,
 faith of Christ. And as lovers of the law they appear                                                        Grand Rapids,  Mich.


                uit genade gegeven in de zaak  des.  Heeren Christus,  niet-
                alIe& in Hem  te  gelooven,  ma& ook met Hem te  lijhen.                            Heavenly  Gospel  Herald
                Doch zij is in dit  all&  meer  dati overwinnaar  door. Hem,.             Perusing the narrative of the  Great Nativity of our
                Die haar heeft  lie&had.'  Want  noo,it  zal iets  ha&- ooit           Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ we note how that  911
                meer kunnen scheiden van de liefde  .Go+, die daar is in               incidents are truly  pivinely appointed.                      Alsp here we
                Christus  Jezus  onzen Heere. En  .straks  wordt haar de               see that God's ways are higher  than  oqr ways  atid God's
               volkornene overwinning geschonken.  M$nt  in  -bet  `h&is               thoughts higher  than our thoughts. How differently  .we.
                                                                                       would have planned the
                des Vaders zijn  tele woningen en Hij is  heengegaan  om                                              glorious advent of Him  Who.
                                                                                       was to renkw  all things,  Who would be the Firstborn of .
                ons  plaats te  b,ereiden. En Hij zal wederkomen en `ons an entirely new, because heavenly commonwealth.
               tot  Zich  hemen, opdat  wij ook zijn mogen,  waai Hij is.
                Joh.  14:1-3. En  stralq  komt de  nieutve  .hemel en de                  So also here.
               nieuwe  aar.de,.als de eerste  hemel en de eerste aarde zullen             Who  ar.e the  happy  beings that are privileged to be
               zijn  voorbij  gegqan en de zee niet meet  `zijn zal. .Dan              the first hearers  of. Christ's birth? Are they perhaps
                daalt de heilige stad, het nieuwe  Jeruzalem,  neder van               the Doctors of  .Divinity  that  are always busy in the vine-
               .God uit den  hemel, toebereid  als  een  biruid, die  &or              yard of God? Are they. perhaps  -the princes of Judah?,
               haren man  versierd  is., En .dan  `wordt.  hetL woord  der'            or the rich and powerful among the people? Will the
                 .  _  _.._         _`.
               ,elndell  Jke realizeering  van  Gqds  verbon'd   gehoqrd : "Ziet,  ' announcement not come in'  blroad   diylight `and in the
                de  tabe&a&el C$ds is bij  Ge menschen,  en'. Hij  zal bij `n%&t of a great  .throng at Jerusalem,  so. that a  great
               hen  wonen,. en zij zullen Zijn volk  iijn, en- God  Zelf zal           impression may be made of the coming of the King unto'
               bij hen zijn en hun God  zijn. En God zal alle tranen van               His  o&t?  .
               hunne'  ooges afwisschen; en de dood zal  niet,meer zijn  ;                No, nothing of             this.     "
               ndch rouw,  noch gekri jt,  noch moeite zal meer zijn  ; want              Outside-the. small town  of Bethlehem, in  dark&t night,
               de  eei-ste  dingen zjin  weggegaan".   Openb.  21  :l-4.  .,,'         unto humble and lowly shepherds. What  an&limax,  we
                    .
                .'  Ult  dit.  alles,  ,,dat metterdaad de' diepste  gedachte der we would be tempted  to.say.
               Schrift   weq-g&ft;  de  fundameilteele  lijn  der" Heilige                But, oh, when once  heav+r$y  light has shined in our
               Sch?ift   ,vertegenwoordigt,   blijkt   overvltie&g  dui(elijk,         hearts--how superbly fitting and appropriate !
               dat  Gqd&   verbond  niet is een zekere overeenkomst tus-                  Indeed, it  ~QJ  nighL  or$ the face of  &e  earth.
               .&hen twee partijen, maar  dat  bet in  den vbllen'zin  Goaddes            And this night was more  atiful than the  night  .wtien
               is.' cio& ligt ,zijn.wezen  niet in een iesloten overeenkomst,          darkness was upon  the. face of the' deep on  .cr&aGon's
               masir in `de  levende en' intieme gemeenschap  .dei  vriend-            morning. It was night in the  -spiritual  sense so that
               schap,  bet  opgenpmen  worclen  in: het  vriendschapsleven             the light  oLGod's  iove was hidden behind the threatening
               Gods,`-dat  Hij als de  DI-iegenige in iichzelven  eedwig-              clouds of. sin  an+ guilt.
               lijk leeft.  V& dat verbondsleven  Gbds is Gods verbond " It was the night in Bethlehein. Fitting  -type  of the
               met ons in  Christus de  hoogsie en schoonstk  o@enb8aring.             night of sin and misery.
               En  in  die  @enbaring  Gan Gods  verbiondsleven  heeft het               And the lowly shepherds indeed must  be the hearers
               tevens zijn  d&l.. Want uit  Hem en `door Hem.  ea tot of, this glorious message of `deliverance.                                      Was  it- not
               Hem  zi jn alle  dingen, opdat Hem iij de heerlijkheid in               foretold in various ways that Christ, `the Messiah,  .wot&d
       ;.-
:.:            alle  eeuwigheid.  Hieruit  zal,  tcvens duidelijk  zijn,  dat  \ come to the poor and the humble, to the miserable-throng
       1
.              Gods verbond niet mag en kan  worded  voorgesield  als  .`. that sat in darkness and the shadow of death?                                         Did
      .:.
     -i.       e& weg ter zaligheid of ten leven, maar als de  `hoogst' `Christ not reveal later on that  He- did not come to the
j;:            `mogelijke  vor&  van alle leven en  zalighkid zelve.  Daay-            high and mighty but to the lost sheep of the  ho,use of
               om is Gods verbond dan  .ook. een  eeuivig verbond. En                  Israel  ?    How  wondeTful!y fitting that He sent His
               zullen we spreken van het verbond der verlossing of. den.               angels to the . lowly shepherds.                                    ,
      `;.:I    raad des  vredes,  d.q is het beslist  noodztikelijk,  d& we  :            These shepherds  then were believing shepherds;  rep-
               deze  idee des  verbqnds  .niet uit het oog  +erliezen. Want   ..resentativ&  of those that longed for Israel's  Redcetier.
               ook  irtdien raad' des  vrkd&. kan het  +ei-bond  `niet  wordeh In the first place this is plain from'the  <ery.pe?son%l
               voorgesteld als  iets  %ijkotistigs;   xniar',m&i  Bet  -&orden         .&esSage  they receive. A message from the  @eat white
                                                                                                                          . . . . . . . -
               gezi&  a l s   h e t  hoogste  doe1  de?  ,op+.nbaring`Gods,  waaiom  throne                                                  :  ;     .._. . . .
                                                                                                                                                      1. . I.
               alles  coticentreert  en waarop  alles is  aangelegd. H.H.         *       That they are  oi.the believing, spiritual seed  must be
                                                                                       ,plain `from the fact that they received this' comforting
                               1                                                       message at all. Would heaven  conv'erse  pleasantly and ,
                                                                                       joyously with children of the devil? God forbid'!  ..I:
                  Eindeloos  grooter liefde  wordt  er vereischt om niet               I `And notice also that they `are recipients of the glory
               ve&itterd  te  worden,  en te verdragen, dan. om uit te `of the Lord that shone round about. them even making
               deelen en goedertieren `te zijn.                                        them  sore afraid.


                          ,  ,:,  1  I."   _i  `,...,,.   -.  `..  -  `  ..,.            .  .  ;`.    -  `;  `I'.                                                                  c           ..`",                                                          .i           1      ._                  _            ?      "
                           ,.-,          .:...                                                                     ,.     .;.                   i     `.`-.,
                                                                                     T.`.g             :                                                                                              ,_  .;  .  .                                .                         _                               ^                    .                __             :-                               .  .  (           .-,  :               ..
                                 .;:                 .`.,-   ,,`I  ,.                                                                ._                                                                                                                              :.                  .,;                       .-                                                  .:.              ;                                  ,1                                                  :                                            .`.
     ~                     ; r ;;A"  - -                                                                                                                ;                           ,                          .:,_`.                    .-  .
                                          :., :               .'                     .:.                    1.                                                         ,                 .:.             _,,                  -.                                     ..;                                     .'                                                                    I                          :                     .`:                         -,.-
                           _.              -.                  .l.                                                                                                                                                                                                         a
                                                                                                                                0                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           :
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            ,
                                 .,'                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        \  -
                                  :                                                                                                                                                      T                H                   E                     S.TANDAR.lj  "B'EARER                                                                                                                                                                              :                                    1                   5                      7
                          %                     ..-`I

                                                      But the  n&sage itself  removes  all doubt as to their                                                                                                                                                                              he& the song of Bethlehem  atid say.: I hear  iti.&e air
                                                                                                            -.
                                  :  $ritual  s&us.                                                                                                                                                                                                     `.                                neath' a  c&n&y-b&e;.  Sweet notes'of  a'Name,  mo&  ie-                                                                                                                                                                           ;
                          ." :.  : Hark!  : The Angel  qf the  L0r.d is speaking! .  `_                                                                                                                                                                                           Splendent and true  ; And  hearing these  heav'enly  .,strains
                          ?.',.  `; Fear not, I bring  yozl good tidings of `great joy. Unto they will believe and believing, have life in that glorious
                           1'  yxi is  bor!i . . . This will be  a sign  ur$o  ~OZG  .  :  ;. And : Name of                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    ,Jesus.                                                   _                                            "
                             `.  `ce  slialf%nd   the glorious Babe .  :  .,:`_                                                                                                                                                     .                                                                  .They are the  men.of good-will,  gbod-will of- Almighty
                                 .'  Al1  indicat`ive  of. their personal faith in God,' the God                                                                                                                                                                                          God and Covenant  Jehocah.
                                  `.`.of.  IsrBel.  `.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 How utterly brief. is the  heavenly  sermon that is
                     .`.  :  ._                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           chanted over. a  thounsand  hills !
                     ;                               They knew the  &or& for -ot$erwise it would  be  strange
                     ,                   langGage  in.their mouths' when later they testify.: Let  `US                                                                                                                                                                                                ,For unto you is  born..this  da? in the  city..of David '  :-
                     is                  go see this tli+g-which  has come to pass, which ee Lord. , a Saviour, which is  Chr&t`the-L&d:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       ,:                    _
                     ;.  `&s made  knowki, unto  us;. They' knew `and loved the                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Divested from the necessary  elements  &f  :-&tie  tin'd
                     ,                   Lqrd,` Whose, messengers they received, heard and be-                                                                                                                                                                                           place, the message.  turris  on..  three.  (n@es : Saviour,
                     <..' lieved.                                                                                  .                                                                                                                                                                     Christ, the Lord.                                                                        .'                                                                                          .I
                     :.                              Immediately after the heavenly  messehgers  have  .flown                                                                                                                                                                                          How  short, but ah, how  `l&g!  Iq it  .is an`  &e&y of
                                `- to  theqalaces of  heairenly light, their faith speaks:  L'et, glorio+  s i n g i n g .
                            `_:  us  ~ZOW go  evkn  uhto Bethlehem  and see this thing . .  ;                                                                                                                                                                                      `I `Dear-shepherds  !-  Beldveg of the  cord  .God;-,h&rkeri   1,
                                         They do not rekson. They do not ask : What will become                                                                                                                                                                                     -unto  us,  heavenly messengers ! There  i< born  .unto you                                                                                                                                                                                   '
                          ;:  .of -the  ea&h!y treasures that are in our keep? Watch-                                                                                                                                                                                                    fi& of' all;.  Jesus  ! Saviour  !`  jehdvah   S&es !.  :i                                                                                                                                                             %
                           :. . r&n they  are of the very  Saluable sheep, but the  earth.. And~tihai  th@n is  the  joyfill  story  df'  that first Name?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        -
                          I :'  -&nd earthly  things  Must  take the lesser place  .when  fa$h                                                                                                                                                                                                  :  This :  You. are "lying in  y&-  .sin.  atid guilt.                                                                                                                                 YOU
                    :  ._ commands. And  faith does  -co-and in -their flaming have  :dared to  attack  .the,  .v)ery   holiness!`tif'  God in your
                    .' 1: - i%arts.of he. Let Us now  go;`let Us ieave the  sheep. The  `. representative father Adam. Because  of'ihis  rddt-sin.you  .
                                         Lord  .o'f Heaven is worth  i&nit&y  more than all the                                                                                                                                                                                          are guilty, guilty unto eternal  CL&  .and doom. T&s                                                                                                                                                                                     *
                    .*                   sheep in the world.                                                                                     They,,  do not  reaso,? and say.:                                                                                                       gililt will burn until you  ai-e utterly  cansumed  with
                    Wonder if it all is true ; wonder if it was not a dream,                                                                                                                                                                                                             terrors ; atid: in utter  &sumption  .you  will never  ble'.
                                         a  fata  morgana;  .wondey if there will  be anything to -annihilatecll.btit  contihue   t o   s$f&-.   i-n  e t e r n a l   p a n g s   `of
                                         see  : . . Nay,. dear reader,  fajth speaks: We  wi!l  gd  and                                                                                                                                                                                  horror  2nd  abloinination   !-  -.Sudh, oh dear shepherds,  is+
                                         see this thing . . . They have the very substance of  the y&r  `n&ial state.: But  Jestis,'  S~yiour  !  Jeh&h  S&es !                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   '
                                         thing
                                 . .                                      hoped  .for  ; the evidence -of  things  not. seen,, for                                                                                                                                                 .That means that all your guilt is  im@ut&d unto  `This-
                                 ,   t h e y   ,have;  f a i t h .                                                                                                                                                                                       :  ,                            Savipur and `that. He.  shall:annjhilate  youi guilt, that
                                          , And then their deeds ! What  powerful'-deeds of faith !
                                                                                      -  ..-                                                                                                                    .:                                                                  He  sha!l pay the, price in  terri,ble'q:suffering.   `He Saves!
                    . .                 : .They leave the sheep; they hasten  to Bethlehem;  tl;.ey                                                                                                                                                                                      And having `tasted  death;.  &emal death  .for  yoti,-, He.
                                :.. see and recognize the' sign ; they tell it abroad.; overnight'                                                                                                                                                                                       shall be raised  ori  accomit  .of.  your justification, He
                                  `.becqming servants of the Word of God; and they praise shall clothe  YOU in purest white.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   `.
                           and. glorify  the Lord!  :                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 YOU are;- moreovef-,  in ,.the  `bonds- df.' death, even `now.                                                                                                                                                  --
                                                -.%rely  .the' message  cam& to believing Shepherds...                                                                                                                                                                                   YOU  are  ,uhder the' -awful  powe?  whicti-  causes   you.  to  '                                                                                                                                                            .
                            .!I                 .`As  such  they are the representatives of  spiritu4 Israel inclease that  ,awful burden. of guilt.  ' Being born  &pure
               ;: :                      of all, time;                                                                                                                                                                                                                            you  ark  impurer  stili   I'..  tl-+ process  .g+es` on. Un$l  :.yo" ;:
               /                                     They certainly. knew Moses  .and the prophets. Other-                                                                                                                                                                         `shall  hav'e  gompleted the  .measure of individual  +d
               ,, `i ,wise the message  a&l their subsequent  b~havi@-   Kould                                                                                                                                                                                                      collectke impurity in  t&e   inan of sin, the antichrist.
                                        hardly` make sense.                                                                                                                                                                         ,.                                              That  filthy,bro6,d of the.  de&                                                                                                `1'                  *                     ,.                                          I
                           ._                        An4  With them therk were  ai all  times the  se+&,                                                                                                                                                                                              V(ith  teriible  -bonds.   you are united to `that filthy or-
                                        thousanG of the  Lord that  &re reserved  and kept  by the                                                                                                                                                                                       ganism.
           t power  ,of  thC  Lord"`through  `-faith.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 ,But `Jesus is born. jeh&ah* sayes !                                                                                          -
                                                     There was an Israel even  ,in those. terribly' dark  days                                                                                                                                                                                        This.  `mea& that He' shall go  into your death  -ar,d
j                                        that  k&w,  ,the promises and- that looked and  longed for swallow death `in  $ictory. He  shall  `overc?me  the devil
           _  ;>he  Hope of Israel.                                                                                                             They were the Mary's  ar+d   tl;le                                                                                                  who  .,  haa the power of death over: you  and.  ,He shall
          ii                             Joskph `s ; fhey  w&-e  the Simeon's and the  Anna's, the, wash  ybu  from all  .your `filthy corruption  an&loose   YOU                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    .  ..
          :: ;:Elisabeth's  `and.the  Zachariah's ;  ihey are the wise  tien. out of the power of death so that you  shall be gloriously :
                                         fro& the East.                                                                                                         ..                             -                         ;
          I  ._                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          free and you shall be  2s though you had -never sinned
                                         And that `Israel shall be resdrved and' kept  .untd-  ,the
          ip                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        against                                                                              God1
          :                             IAlinigl$y in  all. ages  and- in all climes. For the  bi?tli                                                                                                                                                                                                 He  `;htill  &ve. you eternal life and all its beauty in
          :.  . of the Saviour. is. unto all the people.                                                                                                                                                                                                                            thk  .&t&ring jewels  qf `the Covenant of God. He will
           :;  --`.  -i
          j.                            _- The Church  Un.iv&sal, the  spiritual.,Seed,   th'e  Israel                                                                                                                                                                              wash all the stains of  pol&tion  f&m  your  SOUR   `now
          I-                            "0-f the.  awes, out` of all lands, shall at  the, Lord's time
          [. .                                                      .,a                                                                                                                                                                                                             and  preskntli  also  frFm  yotir corrupted body, raising                                                                                                                                                                               ..
                                                                                                                                                                                         . .                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     :
          k.:                                   c                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            :                               _.               ,-.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       .i
          ~-,.;:                         `_              "                      .                                 `.      .                .                                                                                                                                                                                                 :                            .
                                                     .:             .      .                                                                                                 :           ,      .        .        .           -.-:_,                          ,y,...                            T                        ._           .-.                :  _             .-      : i                  .`.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  _v,.              :,         `.:,             ;-     `1.                ;,,.       ..     ,__,      :

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

 you through  the power of His Spirit, so that you shall          shall be unto everlasting, under God Triune,  SC that
 be whiter than snow !  .Jehovah Saves ! Angelic. song            God may be all and in all.
 of joy!                                                             And that Head, that Lord  ii the Head of the Church,
   And  SO  it goes ever higher to the city that hath             their only Lord and Potentate.         It shall  be the sub-
 foundation which is prepared for you!                            servience of love itself.
   Moreover He is Christ!                                            On Christmas morn and henceforth thruout the ages:
   This means that He shall give  you  of His anointing.          Lord, oh my Lord and my Redeemer!
   While  &e no more know the God of our salvation,                  That exalted Personage is born.
 He knows Him for He-is in the  boso,m of the Father.                And He is born unto you, men of goodwill.
 And He shall  fulfil His promise that He made to the                Hie  you  to Bethlehem.        To the city of the King,
 Father in Psalm 22: "I will declare Thy Name unto                the heavenly Jerusalem,  the Mother of  IIS  ali.
 My brethren". That is the glorious work of prophecy.                What message of glory, of  beauty,`of  everlasting love!
 Christ shall  hake us prophets,. in that He shall give              Jesus ! Christ ! Lord !                           G.V.
 US  the Spirit of His Own anointing.          And  &en we
 shall know God, even as also we  are' known. And this
 knowledge is life everlasting.
   He is the Christ!  That means that He shall, make
 US  priests unto God. Thru the. destroying power of                 What  Emrings  me to this subject  js my delineations on
 sin and death. we hate God and Godly  things,  but`              the law. Question 63 of our Heidelberg Catechism
 through the sanctifying power of His Spirit He shall             reads, "What! do not  our  good  tiorks  merit, which yet
 teach us' to love God and His kingdom. `Then we shall            God will reward in this and in a future life? And the
consedrate ourselves' in connection with all  we have             answer, "This reward is not of merit, but of grace."
 unto  .the God of our salvation.      So  also Christ  !. In        Wrote Dr. A. Kuyper (E. Voto, Vol. II, p.  337))
 Him we  find the expression of holy love of God. In              "(I translate) Herewith we stand before the vital
Him we  fitid  the  ful'fillment of Altar, Sacrifice and          question of reward, that without a doubt has  beeri
the Priest: it is all the  love of explicit obedience. , And      neglected by our Reformed writers.         The reason for
this is the  Evangej : He did so vicariously, in our  stead  !    this was a fear for the Romish doctrine of the "meri-
; And  Jvorks  such love in us, evermore !                        toriousness of good works".  Undei- the impulse of this
   He is Christ! That means that He shall thru the                fear the Reformed of the past  kave accustomed them-
 Spirit of  .grace make us  jnto a Royal Priesthood. We           selves to silencing this question into oblivion.     By so
.shall then no longer desecrate and  niismanage  the things       doing they have dulled the  sbur to true godliness that
-of the earth unto the service of sin and the devil, but          the Scripture offers  us in the rich and  .manifold promises
on the very contrary,  we shall consecrate `all things. and       of  the  re-&ard!.
bmring  them under the dominion of God and that right
early. Christ the King shall make us kings with Him,                 "Now this is wrong. A good Reformed Christian
to rule over all  ,God's new creation  f.or ever and ever !       does not deem himself free to  neglect any portion of
   He  is our Christ!       He is  the glorious, Prophet,         Scripture.. He does not permit his  contro$ersy  with
Priest and King Who shall labor diligently in                     Rome to  re&late  his life-view but brings it  in'line  with
                                                        God's:
v+ineyard until all the  elect` shall be consecrated to the       the content of Scripture. His only  rul: of faith and
Father and He shall hear their cry: "We love Thee,                conduct is the word". So far Kuyper.
Lord; for Thou dost hear our plea: forgiving all"!                   Whether the charge that  Ktiyper here lodges against
  ,And again, and this for the third time: Here is the            Reformed writers is true, I  amnot in a position to ade-
third Name that is heralded by Angels  dn Christmas               quately determine. With his contention that the matter
morn : He is the Lord!                                            df  the+  re~~-~~~ is a vital one, I agree. But I do  not at
   What wondrous story of power and great strength.               all agree with Kuyper's teaching on the matter. This
It means that' this Babe in the manger shall wrest all            teaching is thoroughly Romish, as will be  made plain in
things from the power of the devil, through His Suffer-           the `sequence. Stange to say, the, very error of Rome
ing,` death and resurrection, so  that all  thing& shall be       forms the essence of his view.
His by right. Yea, even the wicked He shall receive  is             Kuyper's contention that Scripture teaches a "reward
an heritage and He shall smite them with the Breath               of grace" is, of `course, entirely correct. Also  to our
of His  mduth..                                                   Reformed fathers, Scripture spoke of. the  rema&  of
   And having wrested all things  fro& this devilish              gmcf?.      The doctrine receives a statement also in the
power the Lord shall exalt. all things to heavenly                Belgic Confession. Art. 37 of this Confession reads
heights.: for He shall be  the glorious Head of the re-           in part, "Finally we believe, according to the Word of
newed creation. He  &all unite all things in Himself,             God,. when the time appointed `by the Lord (which is
a wonderful Kingdom of God, And King and Lord He                  unknown to all creatures) is come, and the number of


                                         Till3  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                    I.89

  the elect complete, that our Lord Jesus Christ will come            may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret
  from heaven, corporally and visibly, as he ascended, with           shall reward thee openly.
  great glory and majesty to declare himself judge of                     "And when thou prayest, `thou shalt not be as the
  the quick and the dead  ; burning this old world with               hypocrites are : for they love to pray standing in the
  fire and flame to cleanse it. . And then all men will               synagogues  and in the corners of the streets, that they
  personally appear before this great judge,  bloth men and           lnay  be  seen of men, Verily  I say unto  you;  they  tie
 `.women  and children, that have been from the beginning             tlzekr   muwd. But thou when thou prayest, enter into
  of' the world to the end thereof, being summoned by' the            thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to
  voice of the archangel, and by the sound of the trumpet             thy Father which is in secret;. and thy Father which
  of God. For all the dead shall be raised out of the                 seeth in secret shall reward thee  openly",   Mat  6  :1-G.
  earth, and their souls joined and united with their proper             "Blessed are ye, when men shall- revile you, and  perse-
  bodies, in which they formally lived. As for those who cute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you
  shall then be  Ii&g, they shall not die, as the others, but         for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad ;  for  great
  be changed in the twinkling of an eye, and from  cor-               is  YOWV  rezvwd  in  h,eazfens for so persecuted they the
  ruptible become incorruptible. Then the books (that is              prophets which were before you", Mat. 5  :11,12.
  to  say, the conscience) shall be opened and the dead                  "And  ev4ry one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren,
  judged according to what they shall have done in this               or sisters, or father, or mother, or children, or lands, for
  world, whether it be good or evil. Nay, all men shall               my name's sakC, shall receive a@ hundredfold, and shall
  give an' account of every idle word they have spoken,               inherit everla&q life", Mat. 19 :29.
  which the world only counts amusement and jest; and
  then the secrets and the hypocrisy of men shall be  dis-               And now this from the apostles. "Anh: whatsoever ye
  closed and laid open before all.          A n d   therefore  the    do,  do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not. unto men ;
  consideration of this judgment, is justly. terrible and             know&y that of the Lord ye &Sal1 receive the reward of
  dreadful to the wicked and ungodly, but most desirable              th!e  i&&tatices  for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he
  and comfortable to the righteous and the  ele$ : because            that doeth wrong  &all1  receioe. for the wrong which he
  then their full deliverance shall  b,e perfected, and  t?zere       hath done:  and there is no respect of persons", Col.
  they  s.$ull  receive  the  fmits of their  I&r and trouble         3 :23-25.
  which they have borne. -Their innocence shall be known                  "Cast, not away your confidence, which hath great
  to-all, and they shall see the terrible vengeance which God .YecO~@~~~~e  Of  r~z~~~d", Heb.  10  z3.5.
  shall execute on the wicked, who most cruelly persecuted,              "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for
  oppressed and tormented them in this world  ;  and..who             he that  cometh to God must believe  tha%  he is, and that
  shall be convicted by the testimony of their own  con-              he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him,`, Heb.
  sciences, and being immortal, shall be tormented in that            II  :6.
 eTi/erlasting  fire, which is prepared for the devil and his             Of Moses we read, "By faith Moses, when he was
  angels. But on the contrary, the faithful and elect shall           come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's
 be crowned with glory and honor; and the Son of  God                 daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the
  will confess their names before God the Father, and. his            people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a
  elect angels; all tears shall be wiped away from their              season  ; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater than
  eyes; and their cause which is now condemned by many                the treasures of Egypt:  .`for he had respect  t&to  the
  judges and magistrates as heretical and impious, will then          ~eco~zpe?~se   f.  the  rema&,,,  Heb. II  :24-26.
  be known to  be. the cause of the Son of God. Aad for                   "Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment
  :z  gracioziS  ,ye-ward,.  th,e Loud will came tktm  to polssess    of. God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom
i.  such a glovy, as mzmr  e,z-teved  itzto the h.eavt  of mm to      of God, for which ye also suffer: seeing it is a  right-
  conceiz'e.. Therefore we expect that great day with a               eous thing with God  to recompense  tribzclatiow  to them
  most ardent desire to the end that we may fully enjoy               that trouble you",  11 Thes. 1%.
  the promises of God in- Christ Jesus our Lord . . .  "                  To the church of  Thyatire'Christ  wrote, "I am he
     Let us now  -trace this doctrine in Holy writ.  -At-             which searcheth. the reins and hearts  f. and  I will  gve
  tend to the following Scriptures. "Take  .heed that, ye             wto  1 every  ime  of you.  accor&ng   `to  his works",  Rev.
  do not your alms before men, to'be `seen of them: other-  22.:12;
  wise  ye  hawe no  reward   of  yotir Father  which is in               And John tells  L~S, "And I saw the dead, small  and
  heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not                great stand before God; and the books were  opened  :
  sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in                and another book was opened, which is the book of  life:
* the  synagogues  and in the streets, that. they may have            and the dead were judged out of these things which
  glory of men. `Verily I say unto you,  they have their              were  .written in the books,  accord&g   to their  woyks,`,
  yeward. But when thou doest alms, let not  ,thy left                Rev.  20:12. And the exalted Christ John heard saying.
  hand, know what thy right hand doeth : that thy alms                "And, behold, I come quickly; atid  vrzy reward  is  tit?!  me,
                                                                                                          .


 190                                        THE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
-            -                                                                                                                -
                                                                        Och  al-me! wat  armzalig!
                                                                        Schijnt   bet niet  alsof er een bange  schaduw rolt over
     The four  and.twenty elders,  which sat before God on           het tafereel  Iran licht, glorie Gods en de van blijdschap
 their seats, John heard pray, "We give thee thanks, 0               stralende  aangezichten  van Engelen  en herders ? Wat een
 Lord  God  Almighty, which art, and  `yeast, and art to             treurige  omslag van glorie tot  armzaligheid  ! Wonderlijk
 come ; because thou  hast taken to thee thy great power,            contrast van  Engel en  arme  Davids-kinderen   ; de Engelen
and  hast reigned. And the nations were angry, and thy               komen bij den grooten God vanclaan,  doch de herders
wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should            moeten naar een  stal, een  beestenk6oi. Wat groote  woor-
 be judged,  a&  tkat  tlsozt   s~oulde~t  give  reward  mato        den: Zaligmaker, Christus, de Heere! En  claar  tegen-
 thy  sewants  the  /wop'?#s,   mcd to the  sa&ts,  and  thew        over: een kindje,  hulpeloos en in  doeken gewonden en
 that  fear thy kmze, mm11  amf great;  aud shoukfest  de-           dan nog  we1 neerliggende in de  plaats waar  beesten  zich
stroy the earth",  Rev.  11:17,   18..                               zat  vreeten, in een kribbe.
     The fact is indisputable that we find in Scripture the             Hoe vreemd  ;  wat mag  clit  tech  we1 zijn ?
teaching of  the  rewcwd.                          G. M. 0.             0,  geliefden,  daar  mag in Bethlehem niets zijn,. dat
                                                                     den natuurlijken  mensch bekooren  zou.   Naar  luid  der
                                                                     profet;ie zal een ieder zijn aangezicht verbergen voor den
                                                                     van God Gezondene. Er was dan ook geen plaats in de
                                                                     herberg.            -.
                                                                        Waarom  tech  niet,? Wel, een  teeken is een  zichtbaar
                                                                     iets van een onzichtbark zaak.        8
     `t Was dan  licht geworden in den  nacht te Eethlehem.             En dit is het onzichtbare: zonde,  scl~ulcl en ellende.
.Of,  lie.\Ter, in de velden buiten het kleine Bethlehem. De         Dat  aIlereerst.
`heerlijl~heicl  `des Heeren had de herders  omscheneli, zoo-           Dit  heilig kind Jezus  kwam in onze plaats.  `.
dat zij vreesden met groote vreeze.  Doch de groote  af-
.gezant van den God des hemels en der aarde, de  Engel                  En  wij  zijn van God  verlaten  en doodarm  ge\<orden
des Heeren, had hun toegeroepen,  clat zij  niet,  zouclen           vanwege qnze  zoncle,  schuld en  cloem. En dit heilig kind
vreezen,  doch  biijde  zijn, omdat  hij een groote  blijd-          Jezus  komt ons  op zoeken en wordt  onzer gelijk!  en
schap  bun te  verkondigq   Aad : de Zaligmaker,  Christu;,          hoewel de zoncle  uitgenomen  wordt,  hoewel hij nooit
de Heere was geboren in de  stad  Davids, in' Eethlehem.             geen  zonde gedaan heeft,  noch  bedrog in Zijne  mend
                                                                     geweest is, wordt Hij  t&h zonde voor  011s gemaakt. En
     Doch luistert  !                                                clat. beteekent,  dat Hij  once  schuld  der zonde op  zich
`.&e.  0ngeEvknaard  vreemd !                             `_         neemt.` En  CIM  moe't  beteekend.  Daarom is er,  mag er
     Eeli  teeken. En wat een  teeken  !                             geen  plaats zijn  moor deli Heilige Gods.
     Zal er clan al een  teeken  z?jn, zoo  zouden we eenigzins         En dat  zal erger worclen.
verwachten,   dat de glorie Gods er in  gezien wordt en                 Direkt  bij Zijn geboorte worclt Hij  verwezen naar den
dan een glorie die  schittert en pronkt en praalt ! Een              rancl der  wereld in een  beestenstal,  doch straks misgunt
teeken, zooals de  mensch dit gaarne  zich voorstelt.  Ecu           men Hem zelfs de weinige  ruilnte voor het holle van
teeken is  immers iets zichtbaars,  hetwelk   eeT1'  afspiegeling    Zijn voet en hangt Hem als een  spektakel  aan het  Kruis.
is van een onzichtbare zaak, in  dit  geval: een  zichtbaar             En  clat  worclt al erger. De aarde wil Hem niet en.het
`i&s  van de onzichtbare  liefde en glorie Gods ? !                  schijnt  alsof de  Hemel  Hem ook niet wil. 0, wat een
     Welnu clan,  d  Engel des Heel-en!.  Wat zal het  teeken        vreeseli jk  teeken. Geen ruimte  voor  Jezus. Zelfs niet
zjjn? We  zullen zeker  we1  Ons  moeten spoeden naar een            in het hart van God  ? Hoort  tech hoe Hij straks klaagt :
`der .schoone  pal&en van de  prinsen   vap Jucla? En  clan,         Waarom,  o.  >$.ijli  God. hebt ge  Mij  x:erlaten? Het is de
in een pergulden  wieg, met purper en  zeer.  fijn  lijnwaad,        vervulling van den beestenstal. In de kribbe. Hij worclt
.z&&i wij dit  Koningskind  vi&en: En  Zijne moeder is               erger  behandeld  dan het  gemeenste  uitvaagsel. 0  .vreese-
tech  we1 de allerroemrijkste in de  gesiachten  vaxi  Vacler        lijk uur; wat hitte doet  Mij  branden:  .als  was  .door  `t
                                                                                                                        ._
`Datiid, den  grobten   Koning  Israels? Het  za!  we1 moeilijk      vmi!
`zijn  qm  ielfs  `tqegqg te  verkrijgeil  tot de  `sponde van       En  iat is onze plaats. +o  staat  h{tJ   er.  b'ij,  v&raleer
%&a  en `de wieg van  het  he&g'  Kind  J&z&, de  &ni-qg             -$d!elijke  ge&ade  Zich'.&er   bns  o&&tit:.  iqqzij!?   `Fe
                                                                             .._  _                     ~ . __ . . .
.cler Koningen en de  -Heere  .der heeren? Wat  een"m&sa             van nature.  V-d&aleer   j&l?'   `bnie piaats  &eemt en. in
zal  zich  we1 gehaast hebben om Hem  hulde te  bewijzen             de stal, in de kribbe, in de he1 gait liggen voor ons. Voor-
en hoe zullen zij  eikaar verdringen om  tech iets van Hem           .&leer? Wat zeg ik ? Dit is van  eeuwigheid.  In dezelve
te  ?ien  ? Wat, o wat zal het teeken  van-zobveel  hemelsche        is de eeuwigheid, opdat we behouden wierden.
~choonhe~cl en glorie zijn ?                                            Van eeuwigheid heeft God  Zich gegeven in den  Per-*
     Wel, hier is het  teeken: "gij zult  bet kindeken vinclen       soon des  Zoons, en van eeuwigheid is .dit  vreeselijk  Erirp-
in  doeken gewonclen en  Iiggende in de  krib.b*e   !"               grarn opgesteld,  om de rerkorenen te redden, om  te  open-


