                        .  -Heeren gediend  heeft,. moet hij sidderende  leeren;   da\                       Dr. Wezeman-  reveals'in  these notes that he is a tho-
                                 God  alleen'  God is en  voor `t  oog der wereld Hem een                    rough student; an able pedagogue ; and a diligent worker.
                                -hms bouwen en  Sian bevrijden !                                             During the years of his labors as instructor in the High
                                       Opdat men het wete!                                                   School of Chicago, he did not waste` his time.
                                : `t Is het beeld van alle  machten dkr wereld !                 .!             Secondly,:  hoswever, it must be admitted that it im-
                                        En  als' alles  He-m  straks heeft gediend, en  willens  of         presses one rather unpleasantly to read that, after the Chi-
                                 onwillens;  bewust of  onbewust,,  Zijn  welbehagen   _ heeft              cago Committee offered its-criticism and before the notes
                                 uitgevoerd, dan zal alle  knie  zich buigen  en erkennen, dat .wei-e submitted to the Michigan Committee, Dr. Wezeman
                                de Heere God is!                                           .'               took advantage of the criticism offered  and.expurgated
                           E n   .niemarid   `meer   !                                  H.H.           ~
                                  I.                                                                        his notes rather thoroughly of  all  undesirablle*efements,  as
                           :                                                                                much as was in his power.
                         . .                                                                                   The impression this naturally. makes is that Dr.  Weze-
                                                                                                            man  was well aware of the truth of the Chicago report
                                                                                                            and of the `elements of. modernism in his instruction, and
                                                                                                            that.  hewas  afraid to present them  .in their original form
                                                                                                            to the committee in Michigan.. What he presented to the
                                                                                                            committee in Michigan was, `therefore, an edition of his
                                                              .III;'            .`-       ,,.               notes that had been twice purged.
                         I shall not call attention to all the critical remarks                                It cannot be said that this method testi&es  to Dr. Weze-
                         that are found in the report of the Chicago Committee,                             man's straightforwardness, not to use `the word honesty.
                        :on the notes  of Dr. Wezeman and which is reprinted .For, in the final edition of the notes, which I also have
                                in'the *pamphlet of Dr.  H:  Kuiper.  .-          .-                        in my &session, Dr.  .Wezeman  does not submit what in
                                `. 
                          I-. :This would be superfluous, first, `because what we                           the  past he  h&  bee?<  ten&&~,  but rather what he pro-  :'
                                quoted in our last article viz., the two prayers or "Quiet                  poses and promises to teach in the future. And, to be
                                Momeilts", and the citation from the, Notes on' Amos                        sure, if  Dmr.  Wezeman himself felt that his instruction
                                would in my opinion. be  srficient to prove that Dr.                        in,  the  past  had not been in harmony with the standard
                        Wezeman's instruction certainly is not  .o:f such- a nature                         ,of a Christian High School, the only straightforward
                        . that it is desirable or could be tolerated in a' Christian                        way would have been to. admit this openly and to promise
                           .High School; second, because  1 do not `consider all  the> amendment.
                                remarks of. the Chicago Committee as `being to the' point,                   ' It must  b#e remembered, then, that the notes  I- have in
                                -some of them  must. undoubtedly be attributed to a                         my possession and will briefly discuss in this article are
                                hypercritical  ,attitude  on the part of the committee, while               `not a reflection of Dr. Wezeman's actual instruction as
                                there are even some remarks which I could consider                          investigated and criticised by the Chicago committee,
                                erroneous ; thirdly, because I have in  tiy possession .a set               but the very same set as submitted to the committee in
                         of  .notes  by Dr. Wezeman himself and rather call the                             Michigan.  ,On.the  one hand this is to. be regretted, for
                                attention of our readers  to them.                                          it confused somewhat the issue between' the  .two  com-
                                        When one peruses these notes and makes a rather                     .mittees,  the one in Chicago and the one: in Michigan,
                                careful study of them, he begins `to  understand'.how  the                  that  exl&essed  an opinion on the notes. On the other
                         -Michigan Committee to which  .the notes were submitted                            hand, it seems to me, we are justified in critic&ing  the last
                         -for critical investigation  coklld write `in their report :                       edition of the notes all the more severely and proceed
                                "There is a thoroughness and an extensiveness.. about                       from `the assumption. that they reflect the very best Dr.
                           these notes that  .call for a word of  appr.eciation.   A@-                      Wezeman can offer, and that only when he is closely
                         charently neither  .time-nor effort has  been's$red   td make                      watched and constantly criticised.
                          these notes answer their  $&pose  of an `effective. Bible                           `In their "Appreciation,' the Michigan committee makes
                           course for high school students. The obvious interest                            the statement : "The notes reflect, in our, estimation, a
                         and  enthusiasm'reflected in these notes add an  imperative                        spirit  .&at is sound,`.
                         `-element to the profession of successful  Biblle teaching . .  :                   W i t h   t h i s   s t a t e m e n t   I   c a n n o t '   ` a g r e e .
                         .`The'committee  would also commend these  .notes for the                             I do-admit that  in'many  passages `the last edition of
                           method  .empIoyed  in them. This is calculated. to  compel                       Dr. Wezeman's notes reflects the orthodox and even the
                           the student to `search the' Scriptures,.  T.he Bible  -must                      Reformed mind. To some of these passages the com-
     :;--.,
     -y.+                be  used by,  the,&udent  as  his,  indi'spensible,  source  .book.                mittee' calls our, attention in its report.,
     .:,..'            . `Any method that forces the student to- make first-hand                            : I also admit that "it is, of course, too much to expect
                           contact with the Bible deserves unstinted praise of ,every-                      this voluminous work `to be without error"";- though I am
                         -one interested in promoting genuine  B.ible  study."                              ihclined to add : but it might be expected to be-well-nigh
     ii-.                                                                                                   without error,  ;consideririg  it is the `third edition and
     f..  -'                           .,This appreciation is true; every, word of it.
     +;..--._
     ;.;; . . . .,l
     ;q~::.;;.                                                                                                                  _`.                            :
L                                                \                                                                                                        ..`...       :


                                                                                                                                      I

                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                  197

that it was submitted under the pressure of severe criti-            These notes were severly  criticised by the Chicago
cism -of .former editions. But, in general, we may well            committee, because originally Dr. Wezeman presented
admit that a sound work may  be' marred here and there             the evolutionistic view of the higher critics that in the
by errors. Perhaps; it may even be granted that in the             prophecy of Amos for the first time the conception of
work  of. a man, who is of an orthodox spirit there could          ethical monotheism is attained,  the view, namely, that
be tolerated "traces of the position of higher criticism           Jeho~vah alone is God and that He is righteous.           Na-
here and there that should be avoided,`, as the Michigan           turally, I turned with special interest to the expurgated
committee  admits~  there are to be found in the notes of          notes on Amos, wondering whether notes that were so
Dr. Wezeman, although this. is rather difficult to con-            principally corrupt as these  co~~lcl  be  changecl  into a Re-
ceive. It all depends whether such "traces"' concern               formed presentation of the truth.
the principles of higher criticism or whether they are               And it must be admitted that  th,ese notes contain.
mere errors of the mind, lapses of the pen, due, perhaps,. many passages revealin,m that Dr. Wezeman made a
to the fact that the author without thinking consulted             serious attempt to amend them. It would not be diffi-
and borrowed a statement from the work of a higher                 cult to select many of the paragraphs and sentences which
critic.                                                            Dr. Wezeman must have inserted when he was amending
   To this' latter class of errors might even be  .reckoned,       the notes. And in these passages he very  emph.atically
with a little  gooclwill on the part of the critics, the           opposes the view of the higher critics. In justice to Dr.
otherwise rather serious mistake to which  aIs0 the com-           Wezeman I will quote one passage at length.              It is
mittee refers,. that Dr.  * Wezeman classifies the Great           taken from "Project Studies in the Book of Amos, I. 6:
Day of. Atonement with  ,the post-Mosiac feasts.          One      The Ethical Emphasis of Amos". Dr. Wezeman writes:
might pass the charitable judgment that this  classifi-              "Our  stucly thus far has already shown how the high,
cation, which occurs in the notes on  X. T. I., was a              pure, true,  .revealed  Jehovah worship was debased, di-
mere slip,  .especially  in view of the fact that Dr.  Weze-       luted and intermingled with pagan Canaanitish elements.
man does not make this error in other passages of his              Not advance and progress is taking place in the religious
notes `that likewise speak of the Day of  ,Atonement.              life of the people of God, but degradation and deteriora-
  And the same charitable view one might be inclined               tion. This debased. type of false religion had its neces-
to take of other errors and "traces of modernism".                 sary effect upon the morals, the individual and social
  But  far.more serious the matter becomes if the notes            conduct of  tl3e people. It bred dishonesty, immorality,
should contain statements that effect the very principle           injustice. To stem this tide, to correct, reprove, warn
of revelation and. inspiration  o.f the  Script&es,  and that      and woo Jehovah called and equipped his chosen servants
could not possibly be made by a scientific person writing          A.mos was one of such. Jehovah sent `him to open the
in the consciousness of the faith that the Bible is not            eyes of the people to the qualities of holiness, right-
the work of man, but the inspired Word of God.                     eousness and omnipotence in the Being of their cove-
                                                                   nant God. Many of them had begun to think of Jehovah
   And I maintain that this is, indeed, a fact.                    in terms of the Baa1  gods.
   For a  ,verification of this statement I might call the           "The message of Amos brings `God anew as He had
attention to the title Dr. Wezeman chose for those vol-            always been made known to  them  and their fathers, as
umes of his notes that treat of 0. T. Sacred History:              a God of justice, of purity,. of mercy.          This ethical
"The History and Literature of the Iraelitish People,`.            quality in the  bein g of God, vitally related to His holi-
This is not to be classified as a  .mere slip. It, is a title      ness and righteousness, is emphasized in Amos. I t   r e -
which no Reformed writer would think of employing,                 ceives  `renewed emphasis because there was gross failure
b,ut  .which   o'n th.e other hand, is very intentionally pre-     hy the people in his day to think of this or to reckon
ferred by the higher critics. The title expresses; to say          with this. With this in mind, and in this sense, we can
the least, that we must approach the  0. T. with an  un-           properly say that there is in the book of Amos an em-
biassed mind, as we would any other pieces of literature           phasis on ethical monotheism.  That, is, Israel's god is
or historic records. And Dr. Wezeman knows right well              one,  indeed  the one and only God of the universe, in
that this is the meaning and the suggestion of that title.         distinction from the multiplicity of the Canaanitish gods.
Fact. is, that the Bible is not the literature  oQ the  Israel-    Then, too, Israel's God is ethical, that is, He acts with
itish people at all. To me this title simply reveals Dr.           justice and in- equity,. in distinction from the  Baa1 gods
Wezeman's viewpoint and attitude  (to Scripture.` It is            who are unjust, dishonest and immoral.
the viewpoint of higher critics.                                     "Those who hold to  th!e evolutionary conception of
   But let us pass even this.                                      Israelitish history, so contrary to our revelation concep-
   After all; a title is easily changed! And, perhaps, Dr.         tion, think of ethical monotheism as a high view of God
Wezeman would be willing to change it.                             finally arrived at, grasped by and taught by some pro-
   Let  us, however, turn to the notes on Amos.                    phets. notably Amos, and as something coming forth out


198:                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

of the religious development of the Israelitish people.               te diep was). In elk geval, hij heeft  een  "zaak"  met  den,
This is contrary to God's revelation of Himself from                  leeraar. En over die zaak praat hij veel voor een langeren
the very first pages of Genesis onward. It is also  con-              of korteren tijd (maar niet met den leeraar), totdat de
arary to the picture we have of the  popz~lp*   religion of           leeraar het .eindelijk ook me&t, dat de man bezwaar heeft.
Israel. This was  .not one of `progress' but, as has been so          Dan wordt er op  huisblezoek  eens over  gesproken,  en de
frequently. stated, one of deterioration. No, not ethi-               leeraar doet vriendelijk zijn best, om den broeder te
cal monotheism in the sense of national religious de-                 overtuigen, dat zijn  "zaak"   geen   grand heeft, of  geen
velopment, but in the sense of an emphasis by Jehovah                 "beginsel-zaak" is, of hij belooft den broeder, dat hij
Himself through Amos His servant on the qualities of                  zijn  winst zal  doen met de opmerkingen door hem.  ge-
justice and mercy, morality and reliability in His being,             maakt. Maar niets  he@. En de man met zijn "zaak"
such a god demanded of His people like ethical conduct,               gaat er eindelijk toe over om te protesteeren, indien hij
righteous dealings in the court, in the marketplace, every-           niet eerder wegloopt. Inmiddels blijft hij  onrust, stoken
w h e r e ,   m o r a l i t y ,   r e l i a b i l i t y " .           in de gemeente, en  tracht hij ook anderen voor  .zijn
  `The reader will  ,easily recognize the strong attempt              "zaak"  te winnen.
on the part of Dr. Wezeman to state the orthodox po-                     Of de wegloopende protestant heeft een zaak van
sition on revelation and to oppose the view of the higher             p r a k t i s c h   belang.
critics.                                                                `De  doming heeft niet  goed gehandeld. Of de kerke-
  And we might quote more passages of a similar nature.               raad heeft onrecht gedaan. 0.f. er is iets besloten op de
   Yet, I maintain that the notes on Amos :                           ,gemeente-vergadering,  dat niet  deugt. Of hij is, zooals
   1. Are after all a presentation of `the view of the                ook meermalen gebeurt, zelf onder behandeling en dat
higher critics  anwded.          They clearly show that it is         we1 zeer onrechtvaardiglijk. En hij  protesteert   tegen
impossible to  nr~z.estzll!  the ethical monotheism conception        den leeraar, of  tegen  de  "goddelooze"  handeling van den
in such a way that the result is the Reformed view.                   kerkeraad, of  tegen het "onkerkrechteli jke" besluit der
  2. Contain many a passage that clearly reveal how                   gemeente-verga~dering:  Ondertusschen  praat hij veel over
Dr.: Wezeman forgets these orthodox statements and                    de zonde van den leeraar, of over de onrechtvaardige
lapses back into the modern view of the Bible.                        handelingen van den kerkeraad, waar hij maar een  ge-
  Both these statements I will prove in another article.              opend oor kan vinden en waar de leeraar of de kerke-
                                                        H. H.         raad of de  leden  der gemeente die  we1 beter met de zaak
                                                                      bekend zijn, hem niet  kunnen  hooren. En hij doet  dat
                                                                      soms ook op  "vrome" wijze. Hij bedroeft  zich over het
                                                                      onrecht om der gemeente wille !  0.f : wat moet er  we1
                                                                      van Gods kerk terecht komeri, als  er.  zulk goddeloos  on-
  Een. groot verdriet in het kerkelijk leven zijn, wat we
mogen noemen die wegloopende protestanten.                            recht gepleegd wordt ! Of :x daar kan nooit zegen op rus-
En niet zelden ook een groot kwaad.                                   ten !
  Wie, die een beetje ervaring heeft  opgedaan'op kerke-                 En hij  gevoelt   zich  "gedrongen" om te protesteeren.
lijk  t&rein,  kent.,ze niet?                                            Doch ziet, hij  loopt weg. eer hij den weg van protest
                                                                      ten einde toe heeft  bewandeld!
In den korten tijd  .van ons bestaan als kerken hebben                   Als het zij  eigen "zaak"  gold en  hij onder  censuur
we hen reeds meermalen ontmoet. Het  zijn menschen,                   stond,  vraati hij. eer den  weg der  censuur  tot het einde
die eerst protesteeren en dan wegloopen, of die al  protes-           toe met hem kan worden  bewancleld, om zijn "papieren".
teerende  Weg~OOpUlj   of die eerst wegloopen  en- dan  pro-             Als  bet een  za.ak   veldt  -tepen leeraar of  kerkeraa.d,  en
testeeren. Soms  bestaat het wegloopen  `eenvoudig  daar:             hii  vinrlt   geen   voldoenin,a  bii den  kerkeraad, heeft hij den
in,  datmen uit de kerk weg blijft; soms ook (in den regel            moed niet om  ziin  "zaak".voor  de  classis te leggen.
zelfs  ; en het  loopt  er,  tech altijd  old uit) daarin, dat men       Hii  k a n   tech  Teen  "recht"  kriigen   !-"
bewijs van lidmaatschap  opvraagt  en  zich aansluit bij                 De kerkeraad weet de.zaak  tech we1 zoo voor te stellen,
een andere kerk.                                                      dat  hii hoegenaamd geen kans heeft om zijn zaak te
  De wegloopende protestant heeft een  "zaalc".                       .winnen  !
  Hij is het  niet. eens met den leeraar. Deze preekt   `td  on-         En hovendien. de  cla.ssis  zal  tech den leeraar of den
derwerpelijk of te voorwerpelijk (gewoonlijk het laatste  :           kerkera.ad   we1 de  ha.nd bnven het  ho&l houden.
hij is te leerstellig of te praktisch (gewoonlijk het eerste) ;          Hij  mo'et  clan ziin  paaieren  maar hebben!
hij geeft teveel  of niet genoeg voor het gemoed) in den re-             En  als  hii dan  ziin  blewiis  van  lidmaatschap  heeft. en
gel het laaste)  ;,hij preekt de verkiezing niet of hij  maant        dus alle  recht  on  nrotest heeft verloren.  Paat  hii nog
niet genoeg aan tot biekeerinp(van  den ander gewoonlijk) ;           steeds rond bii  "vriend" en viiand, om  zich te  beklacen
hij is te diep of te  ,oppervlakkig  (ik heb een verstokten           over  bet  onrecht  Fern   aanaedaan  en over dien  "`podde-
slaper-onder-den-dienst  gekend, .die klaagde, dat de preek           loozen"  kerkeraad. En, `t is droevig genoeg, maar  tech


                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                203

zoodra zij  echter  wil regeeren  buiten  eigen kring, met
name `op het terrein der Kerk,  zich keert tegen  Christus
en  Zijne zaak, beweegt ze  zich in een kring, waarin ze            One of the paragraphs of my  preceeding  article on
geen gezag heeft of kan hebben, is zij met m,eer  overheid,       Sinai, reads in part, "We should carefully distinguish
maar eenvoudig mensch, en is het beginsel van  toepas-            therefore between the two statements, "Blessed are they
sing: men moet  Gode meer gehoorzaam zijn dan de                  that do his commandments, that they may have right
nzerm-hm.                                                         to the tree of life", and, "The  r&n that doeth these
   Zoo. zeiden het dan ook de  apostelen   blij monde van         things shall live in them". It is the latter statement only
Petrus.                                                           and not the former that is incompatible with the doc-
  Zij zouden voor den Raad, die hun ernstelijk  aange--           trine of justification by faith of Christ. St. Paul lit-
zegd had; dat zij  met zouden  leeren  in den Naam van            erally says this, "Now the iaw is not of faith, but the
Jezus. En hun  antwoord was niet, dat zij Gode meer               man that doeth them shall live in them (Gal. 3  :12). But
gehoorzaam moesten zijn dan de  `ov&eid,  iets, dat in            the same apostle elsewhere said,  LrHonour  thy father and
strikten zin onmogelijk is, daar de overheid  als overheid        thy mother . . . that it may be well with thee". Consider
regeert door het haar van God opgelegde gezag (lang niet          that to live in the commandment is to live not in Christ
altijd by de  grntie Gods)  ; maar : "men moet Gode meer          but in God. To one living in the commandment, God
gehoorzaam zijn dan den vne~schen".                               and Christ is the creative source of life and blessedness.
   Opmerkelijk is dan ook het antwoord van Johannes               It is therefore the perfect man who never knew sin, who
den Dooper op. de vraag der krijgslieden: "En wij, wat            may live in the commandment. But as to the ill-deserv-
zullen  wij  doen  ?" We  moeten  we1 voor de aandacht            ing sinner, the justice of God demands, that his sole
houden, dat de  prediking van Johannes tot inhoud had:            source of life and bliss  b;e  PChrist.    Now the fact that the
"Bekeert u, want het koninkrijk der hemelen is nabij              aforesaid requirement nowhere appears in the writings.
gekomen". De vraag der-krijgslieden beteekent dus : wat           of  the.apostles  as mandatory is so much more evidence
is onze  roeping   als bekeerde krijgslieden? En het  .ant-       that Christ delivered His people from the curse  o,f the
woord van Johannes is niet : verlaat den dienst  ; of : ga        law". Thus far.
bij  elken oorlog nauwkeurig  na of hij gewettigd en  recht-        Rightly considered, the two statements, "Blessed are
vaardig is. Neen, in weerwil van het feit, dat zij in             they that do his commandment, that they may have right
Romeinschen dienst soldaten  waren,  en het zeker niet van        to the tree of life", and, "The man that doeth these
Rome gezegd kon  worden,  dat zij altijd of ook in den            things shall live in them", are one and the same as to
regel alleen rechtvaardige oorlogen voerde, bepaalt  zich         meaning. The latter is no more incompatible with justi-
Johannes  tech  alleen tot die  dingen,  die hun persoonlijk      fication by faith of Christ than  :the former. True the
betroffen en gaat dus van de veronderstelling uit, dat zij        apostle Paul does say, "Now the law is not of faith but
met aansprakelijk kunnen  worden  gehouden voor Rome's            the man that doeth them shall live in them", and, `Christ
oorlogen  als zoodanig : "D'oet niemand overlast, en  ont-        bath delivered  us from the works and the  .curse of the
vreemd niemand het iijne met  bedrog,  en laat  u  verge-         law". But in the same epistle in which these. statements
noegen met uwe bezoldigingen".                                    are found, we come upon a Scripture that reads", Bear
   Het behoeft niet nogmaals te  worden  gezegd, dat dit          ye one  anothers burdens, and so fulfill the  Znzpr   of  C/W&
alles niet beteekent, dat de Kerk als zoodanig en de Chris,-      And the 13th chapter of his epistle to the Romans, con-
ten persoonljk geen  zedelijke  roeping heeft ten  o,pzichte      tains a passage that reads, "Owe no man anything, but
van den oorlog.                                                   to love one another, for he that loveth another hath  ful-
                                                                  filled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery,
Ook  bedoelt  het geen verdediging te zijn van den  oor-          Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt
log,  noch ook van elke oorlogsverklaring door de  over-          not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there
heid.                                                             be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended
   Doch het bedoelt  We1 om het gezag en de verantwoorde-         in this saying namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as
lijkheid in betrekking tot den oorlog te  laten,  waar  deze.     thy self" Here the apostle recites to his readers the
naar de Schrift  behooren.                                        law. And as I remarked in a former article, much of
   En dat is  bij de overheid, die het  zwaard  draagt.           the practical sections of the epistles of' the apostles, are
                                                          H.H.    largely comprised of admonitions that as to their sub-
                                                                  stance turn out to  b'e many commands to walk as children
                      Of every day:                               of the light,  thus  to obey the law of  SChrist.      Thus the
                    They cannot hurt my soul,                     statement, Christ hath delivered us from. the works of
                    Because, in His control :                     the law and from its curse", can only mean that what
                    I leave to Him the  Whole,-
                    His children may.                             believers have been freed from is the ceremonial law
                                                   L. Gedicke.    (the prophesy inhering in it Christ fulfilled) and the law


204                                   ,THE  S T A N D A R D - B E A R E R                                                              -
of the ten commandments as it stood in juxtaposition              .seat of the scornful and is therefore doomed to  destruc-
to Christ. But this same law (of the ten commandments)            tion.       How  well the psalmist David understood this.
returned to believers `through Christ, `and impressed itself      Said he, "Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who
upon their hearts and mind and will,  ~tpon their very            walk in the l.aw of the Lord . . . They also do no iniquity:
being, and projected itself before their eye as their rule        they walk in his ways  _ . . 0  that my ways were directed
of. faith and conduct. Thus the law, as we possess it             to keep thy statutes ! With my  whole'heart have I sought
in Christ is a gift of grace indeecl. What we here have           thee : 0 let me not wander from thy commandments . . .
to warn against is the pernicious doctrine of the  anti-          I have rejoiced in the way  o,f thy testimonies, as much
no,mian,  the notion that in every conceivable respect,           as in all riches . . . I will run the way of thy command-
faith frees one of all the obligations of the  moral'law  of      ments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart". Ps. 119.
God. And  this-.notion  has taken root in the, hearts                     The saints do  ancl ever will choose the way of  tnLth
of many. The evidence of this is  all those groups of             nlzd  live.  But the  proud  who err from God's command-
Christians who refuse to read the law in their meetings           ments are cursed. So the justice of God requires. It
for public worship.                                               cannot be otherwise. Examine the action consisting in
                                                                  running the way  pf God's commandments.                    The  man
   Such declarations as, "Blessed is he that keepeth his.         who walks in the law of the Lord' rightly knows the only
commandments", and, "If  ye. obey my voice indeed and             true Gocl  ; trusts in him alone' with humility and patience
keep my covenant, then you shall be a peculiar treasure           submits to him  ; expects all good things from Him only;
LilltO   me", and,  "Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and     loves, fears, glorifies him with his whole heart and re-
my jud,ments  ; which. if a man do,. he shall live in them",      nounces and forsakes all creatures. Need believers not
are the embodiment -of, an eternal principle that Christ           fear and love Jehovah? Does a man who loves not God
did not invalidate. Certain it is that only that man whose        live? Will he live if he perishes  : in. his  .hatrkd?  The
delight is in the law of the Lord' shall be  Ike a tree,          law of the ten commandments is as binding upon believ-
planted by the rivers of water.                                   ers in Christ `as it was upon our first parents, Adam and
   Let  us examine these statements and lay hold on their,, Eve. As long as they walked in His law, they lived.
true meaning. "Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and, Believers in Christ cannot depart from His law (as could
my judgments ; which if a man do he shall live in them".          Adam)  ancl thus live forever.
This statement is commonly taken to mean, "If a man                       The above teaching is, must be, in perfect harmony
do  my,-,statutes,  keep my commandments, he shall by his         with Paul's doctrine of justification by faith. of Christ
doing merit for himself life eternal. So  ,Charles   Hodge'i,     and thus with such statements. from his that read,  "For
It (the Mosaic covenant) contained, as does.' also the            as many as are of the works of the law are under the
Nqw  Testameqt,  a renewed proclamation of the cove-              curse: . . . And'the law is not of faith: but the man that.
nant of works". Now it is certain  .that the declaration          doeth  them shall live in them. Christ  hat11  rec?eemed   trs
under consideration was no renewed proclamation of the            from the curse of the law . . . Christ  bath deliverer?  LIS
covenant  o'f works (we find no `such covenant in Scrip-          .irom the works  ,of the  law".           There is perfect agree-
ture) and thus does not mean that if a man do God's               ment between these statements and the above teaching.
statutes, he merits by his doing life. No  SLIC~I  declaration    This will be made plain in a following article. G.  14. 0.
can come from God, for reasons that need  .not again. be
given here and now. If the declaration in  .question meant  -
what it is commonly held to mean, we.  woulcl  be driven
to conclude that the  -Mosiac  covenant was one of works,
which it was not.       Consider the  p,rologue  to the ten         It pleased our Heavenly Father to take unto Himself on the fifth
commandments' "I am the `Lord thy God, which hath                 day of January, after an illness of  a!most three years
brought thee out of the land of  E,&rpt, out of the house                            ALBERT THOMAS DE WOLF  _,
of bondage", Otherwise said,  .I am the Lord thv' God              . _
which  .hath redeemed thee". Can the Lord be  held to Husband, father, eldest son and brother, at  .the age `of twenty-eight
have demanded of the people whom He had redeemed,                 years. Though our  loss.is great his gain is incomparably greater. We
                                                                  may believe from his own testimony. during his illness and death that
that they too, after having been redeemed, merit, their           he. now. rejoices before the  throne'of  God. And so the Lord comforts
redemption by their doing His statutes?  :  1          "          our'hearts. May we ever learn to pray, as he did, `Thy will be done.
  What then can he the meaning of the. declaration in                                        The Family,
question? This that the keeping of God's command-                                                  Mrs. A. De Wolf, Widow.
ments and life go hand in hand; that the law of God is                                                Gerald, Albert, Son.
the very and sole way of life' that the man therefore                                              Mr. and Mrs. G. De Wolf.
who. runs not in  this way walks in the counsel of, the                                            Mrs. Elizabeth  Bos--De  Wolf.
ungodly, stands in the way of sinners, and sits  iti  the                                              Hubert, Magdelene,  Adriana.


                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                   205

                                                                      or brethren, or sisters, or father,  o,r mother, or wife, or
                                                                      children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an
    Dr.  Kuypt$s  teaching  on this subject is, so I wrote,           hundredfold,  .and shall inherit everlasting life;" and that
  decidedly unscriptural.     Kuyper's contention that Holy           cannot mean that eternal life itself is the reward of
  Writ teaches a "reward of grace" is, as  showli,  entirely          grace for his (the believer's) bearing the  crass, as it
  correct.     But his conception of what constitutes this            was  ,not the cross that he bore after Jesus, but the cross
  reward is thoroughly Romish. This conception is found               on which the Mediator Himself died that  b'ecame to him
  in that well-known work of his, entitled "E. Voto. The              the cause of eternal life". So far Kuyper.
  fifth  ch.aptei-  of the exposition on the 24th Lord's day            Let us pause here to comment on this. What we have
  (vol  2) contains paragraphs that read (as translated  >  :         here is Romish doctrine of the purest wool. The view
    "ConCeniing   the. fact  thzit Holy Writ knows of a re-           encountered in the above excerpts is  i The reward of
  ward not only in the covenant of works but also  in; the           grace is one; eternal life another. The latter was merited
  covenant of grace, there can be no difference of opinion.          by Christ  ; the former (the reward of grace) is gained
  Scripture speaks too plainly and  too repeatedly on. this          by believers themselves by the doing of works of ex-
  point.      But an entirely different and more important           ceptional moral excellence. Thus there is a good to be
  questioli.  is liow this reward is to be  coilceived  of in the    had in the kingdom of heaven  that has not as its  me&.
  covenant of grace ; the more  in that what is meant  ,is the        torial.   source  the satisfaction  and  the  righteowness   of
 ?ecdmpense  of the reward" and in that what is spoken               Ch:tist.  So Kuyper taught. And yet, in his delineations.
 of is an appearing before  the  judgment seat of Christ             on the matter of the reward, he refrained from  unequi-
 to carry  away  what we have done in this life, be it good          vocably stating that the  reward is not the  fruitage of
 or be it evil.                                                      Christ's merit. But the doctrine is there nevertheless.
  "In connection  hereltitlz distinction must be made at             Consider that in Kuyper's delineations, the contraries are
 the outset between `eternal life' itself  alld the special          efti&  life  and the reward  of  g~~:ce, that what is repeat-
 honor or enjoyment in this life eternal. Without this               edly emphasized is that eteinal life was merited by Christ,
 distinction, it is  impossble  to  Froceed  one step forward.       but that nowhere in his treatise did Kuyper assert that
 If it is certain that Christ merited  fo,r all His redeemed         the. general reward of  grace is likewise a boon merited
 life eternal and if a few only `receive in addition a reward        for believers by the Saviour.        But what this treatise
`of grace;-then it is evident that this reward of grace              does repeatedly affirm is that the reward of grace is to
 cannot be the same  .as eternal life. For all receive life          be viewed as a recompense  `for good works done by
 eternal  ; but this  reward of. grace is given only to those        believers.    Attend to this from Kuyper's pen, "What
 who have a ,claim   LI~OII it.. Life eternal is essentially the     Christ  ;lierited for all  Hb own, is then that they free'
 same for all; but the reward of grace differs for each.             from  gUilt  will not  b!e the victim of an eternal want and
 The child that dies in its infancy  recei&  eterrzl life,           an eternal death,  b:ut that they will eventually enjoy the
 if it be an elect;  but it does  no,t receive the reward of         the perfect satisfaction of the good which they by virtue
 grace.                                                              of their predestination are  susceptable  . . . .
    "This'  diffes!ence  must be kept in mind: the  ,rewar'd of         "Altogether different on the  iontrary is the  yew&
 grace is never  .eternal  life itself, but something added to       oi  ~GCE, that appears as a recompense (vergelding) for
 eternal life.                                                       the good works, that God's children do through faith . . .
    "But  herein   also is drawn  th.e double line that keeps           "C+ example of this Christ gives. His apostles more
 separate the covenant of works arid the covenant of                 th.an the others had endured the heat  df the day; for
;grace. The requirement in the covenant of works is,                 this there awaited them a "recompense of the reward";
 "DO this and thou shalt live". In  that covenant eternal and this consisted, not in eternal life, that Christ would
 iife  ~8s the only  thitig that  could'be gained. But in the        merit for them by His death, but in this, that they would
A covenant `of  `&ace  \+e receive eternal. life for nought,         sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."
 without money ; and yet notwithstanding it is said to us,             Was it Kuyper's view then that  ihe yood works  of
"L&y'  `up  -  fo;' y&&elves treasures in heaven, for                beliezws   form the  mvitorid   so,zwce   of the  rem.&  of
6here   >-our  .treasure is, there will your  heart be also".        gl?ace? The answer' to this is the following from his
.`l%ie'?he   reward  of `grace  `qomes to its  own.                                            i
                                                       ..  -         pen :
   "Now this: distincti-on is simple, for  every  one  under-          "In the  cbvenant  of  wofks the children of  men are
 statidablle  and clear. What Christ merited for you is              hirelings (huurknechten) who work for wages, and
`eternal life.  .What you as a treasure lay up for yourself          who, if they give their services, can demand their wages
* is not eternal life, neither an increasing of this life, but a     as  a right; in as much as the Lord God  gave  them the
 reward of grace that is added  to' life eternal. The only           right. But it is altogether different in the covenant of
 Scripture that raises a doubt against this is Mat.  19  29          grace. In the covenant o.f grace the redeemed of Christ
that reads, "And every one that  ha& forsaken houses,                appear not as hirelings but as children of one family.


 206'                                    1'HE  S:TANDARD   B E A R E R
                                           -

 To grasp the  di%erence   betweefi  these two, one has             the furitage of the good works of the believer. Fact
 but to notice the difference in his own home between               is, he did not. The  reward of grace is a boon merited
 a. maid-servant and a child. The' .maid-servant receives           neither by Christ nor by  blelieirers.       Should believers
 her reward. With the child of the family the situation             work  .for the reward, they `would deny their  sonship.
 is  altogetJer different.      Such a child also works; but So Kuyper taught. And yet he at once maintained,
 simply  b'ecause father and mother have given it that              as appears from the above citations, that this reward
 work and because it is a  pleasur6  to the child to co-            is to  be conceived of as the treasure that believers,
 operate with father  and. mother.       Though children  re-       through the doing of good works, lay up for themselves
 ceive  .no reward (wage), they nevertheless work.          In- in heaven. The conception then is this : some believers,
 deed, should they work for a reward, their child-h&or              through their doing works of exceptional moral  ex-
 would be gone, and they would have lowered themselves              cellence in the sight of God, lay  u$ fbr themselves a
 as if they were maid-servants. But because they work               treasure in heaven (the reward) not merited for them
 not for  reward,`they  do not sit with their hands crossed.        by Christ.     But would  not these believers,  were this
 On the contrary, their duty is to do the work of their             true, be  WQ&&Z~ for reward,  like  meritirig for themselves
 mother, even  though,they  receive nothing extra for their         this treasure? They  stirely would. `In the above  con-
 labors. And if father and mother nevertheless promise              ception,  the idea signified by the phrase "laying up treas-
 them something, either to encourage  them  or to `honor ures in heaven" must necessarily stand for an action
their devotion and  love, they do  not work for the  re-'           that consist5 in  vuterit&g  at least a  ,part  .of  salzmtion.
 ;ward, but exert themselves the more, in  ord& that they           Thus what we have here is the  Rpmish  doctrine of the
 may not fall short of love on their part in the face of            "meritoriousness of good works" pure and simple. Yet
 so much `richer revelation of  love'  on part of their  par-       Kuyper would deny that this is what he taught at least
 ents.                                                              meant to teach. And indeed, he also affirmed  (in the
"And so it is with the. "reward of grace" in `the                   above citations) that the children of God merit nothing
 kingdo,m  of heaven.         A redeemed one is no longer a         at all,  they being His sons.        What then did Kuyper
 hireling, but a child home with Father.           Such a  re-      actually mean to teach ? This. :
 deemed one does not therefore say, "I will sit still and              (a.) that the children of God merit nothing;
 and work not',`, but all that `the Father  commands  and              (b.) that they work not for reward but' simply under
 lays  upon him he does with his heart, as to the Lord.             the  im@lse- of a desire to  sho\V their Father in `heaven
 He works as a child in the house.  .Not  3. few hours as           how  g&eful  they  are to Him ;
 the servant but perpetually. Not to be  dorie  .with his           (c.) that  this- reward is not a  &c&d merited by Christ
 work, but because his delight is in it.         .No#t to merit     fdr His  peaple   ;
 something  but because it appeals to him, and because his             (d.) that this reward is bestowed simply as a token
 Father  in `heaven asks it of him.                                 of God's great appreciation for what believers do.
    "Even without the "reward of grace" this work  of                  (e.) that not all believers gain this reward but only
 the child in the home.  would always,  coritinue,  and if  .a11    those who in this life engage in works .of exceptional
 !`rew&-d  of grace"  would be cut off, the work of God's           w o r t h ;
 ti-ue children would be less in nothing because of this.              (f.) that eternal life is one but that this reward is
    "But now God promises a reward of grace. That  another.
 is to say,  as `a  moth&   sayi to `her daughter and' as a  '
 father says to his son, "The  doing  of this and that work            (g.)  ihat the good to be merited  by  the  s'ons of men
 requires  special exertion.      If you do these  lvorks real      in the covenant of works is eternal life; but that,  where-
 well, I will give you this and this extra"; so, too,  your as this. life has been merited by Christ, the good to be
 Father in heaven says to His children on earth, "This              gained in the covenant of grace is the reward, that
 and that  sacri'fice   are.  heavy.    The accomplishing of        treasure added to said life as an  -encouragement  to  be-
 them requires much exertion. If. you complete them lievers ;
 right well and joyfully carry Christ's cross after Him;               (h.) that this reward is to consist  .in  .a higher bliss,
 I for this will give you  out.od free grace a glorious  re-        fo be  added.  to life eternal; and that said bliss is "the
 ward.                                                              treasure in heaven,, to  .which  Christ  di.rects.  our  atten-
    "This is to be explained  %hus : The more a child of ' tion in His sermon  I& the  mount;
 God on this earth gives himself to God, also through                  (i.) that Christ provided His people  with, a double
 the bearing. of cross  .and grief and scorn, the deeper the        standard of morality represented by the two commands:
beddirig in his soul is dug out, and the greater his  ca-           (1)  believe   and  be patient in  triMa!ion  (and thou shalt
 pacities  for enjoyment become". SO far Kuyper.                    receive eternal life)  ; (2)  L-,e!iere and be patient in  tribu-
    In this excerpt we have the answer to the question              lation  exceptionally  z&l (and thou shalt receive the
 whether  Kuyper conceived of  the  rerarard  of grace as reward of grace).


                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R  .-                                           207

  The aggregate of these eight propositions may be                   of the hidden manna, and will give him a  whiite stone,
taken as a correct and exact formulation of  Kuyper's                and in the stone a new name written, which no man
doctrine of the reward of grace. The reader may, verify              knoweth  saving he that receiveth it".
th,is statement of mine by examining the  abosve-cited                 "And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write,
excerpts.                                                            . . . I know thy  works and charity, and  serqice and faith,
  Now this view of the  rezelctvd   of  gra.cc is from be-           and thy patience, and thy works ; and the last to be more
ginning to end thoroughly unscriptural. When examined                than the first.    Notwithstanding I have a  few  &ings
in the light of Scripture, it turns cut to be a plain denial         against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel
of justification by faith of  Ch,rist and consequently of            to teach . .  :. And I will kill her and her children  with
the meritorious worth of the satisfaction and  i-ghteous-            death. . . But unto  ydu I say, and unto the rest in  Thya-
ness of the  Saviour, thus a negation of His vicarious               tira, as many as have not this doctrine . . . I  wiil put
atonement. Let  tis show this by examining these propo-              upon  YOLI none other burden. But that which ye have
sitions one by one in the light of the true doctrine  `of            already,hold fast until .I come. And he that overcometh
Scripture. Doing so, we will at once be placing over                 . . . to him will I give power  orer the nations .  : . even
against  :this. view the true conception of Holy. Writ.              as I received of my Father. And I will give him the
  Let us now first  examine proposition under  f  : eternal          morning star".
life  is'one; the reward of grace another.                             "And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write, . . .
T h e   p l a i n  teachin,0`  o,f Scripture is that eternal life    Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not
and the reward of grace are one and the same. The very               defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in
Scriptures to which Kuyper appeals in support of the op-             white for they are worthy.       He that overcometh, the
posite view prove this. The Scriptures are the messages              same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not
of  #Christ  to the seven churches,  messag&s  contained in          blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will con-
the  bzook  of Revel&ion. Wrote  Kuyner, "And he Who                 fess his name before my Father  apd before the angels".
reads with.care the seven missives of  Chirist  in the Reve-          .."And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write,
lation of John to the seven churches in Asia Minor, will             I know thy works  : blehold, I have set before thee an open
perceive.  that Christ offers to each of these churches a            door.. . . Behold I will  .make `them of the synagogue of
peculiar crown,  and. depicts for each,  04 the `seven con-          Satan to come and worship before  thy feet . . . Because
querors a. peculiar bliss". According to Kuyper these                thou  hast kept the word of my patience, I will also keep
seven crowns and these seven  kilids of `bliss constitute            thee from the hour of temptation . . . Him that  over-
not eternal life and its attending rights but reward of              cometh will. I make a pillar in the temple of my God,
grace that some believers gain for themselves through                and he shall go no more out . . .
their patience and suffering. Let us now set these mes-                "And  untg the angel  of) the church of the Laodiceans
sages  before'our eye  and perceive how altogether  untrue           write, I know thy works that thou art neither cold nor
this contention of Kuyper is.                                        hot .  .`... Behold, I stand at the door  .and knock: if any
  `To  th;e church of  Ephesus Christ wrote, "These things           man hear my voice and open the door, I will come -in
saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand . .  :'      to him, and will sup with him and he with me. To him
I know  thy works, thy  labo,ur,  and thy patience . . .             that overcometh I will grant to sit with.me in my throne,
Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou              even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father
hast left thy first love . . . repent . . . To him that  over-       in his throne . . .  " These are the messages.
cometh will I give to  cat of the tree of life . . .  "               The good Works enumerated in the  agqrgate of these
   "And  unto the angel of the church in  Smyrtia write,             messages are:  hieing  faithful  ,unto death; holding fast
. . . I know thy works, and tribulation,. and  poyerty,  . . .       Christ's name  ;. overcoming the world  ; not denying
.behold  the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that          Christ's name  ;  .loving,  serving, believing; being patient
ye may be tried  ; and ye shall  have  tribulation ten days  ;       in tribulation and thus bearing one's cross, denying self
be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the                for the sake of Christ, suffering  His reproach. Now
crown .of life . . . He that overcometh shall not be hurt            according to Kuyper, these are the good works of  ex-
of  the second death,`.                                              ceptiqnal  virtue-works hone by some believers  only-
   "And to the angel of  .the church in. Pergamus write,             that beget for the door of them the reward of grace
. . . I know thy works, and where thou dwellest,  even               that God gives to men of exceptional virtue. But the
where Satan's  .seat is : and thou holdest fast my name,             cruestion  arises : what may be the good  w&ks done by
and hast not denied my  faith;, even in those days when              believers of less virtue who receive not the reward of
Antipa: was my faithful martyr, who was slain among                  grace but merely life eternal? What is left to. a man
you . .  * But I have ,a few things against thee . . . ..because     in the  wtiy of good works who  do& not  holdfast  Christ's
thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam . . .          name, overcome the world, love, serve, believe, deny him-
Repent . . . To him that overcometh will I `give to eat              self and take  up  his cross ? And the answer: nothing


208..                                        TH.E  .STAN,DARD  B E A R E R
 ..-

whatever.        The  ma!1 not loving, serving and believing,            the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with `all thy soul,
 the man  un&lling to suffer the reproach of Christ is                   and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. Thou
 destitute of grace and is thus  a child of the devil.            I t    shalt  lo,ve thy neighbor as thyself,`. All believers are
is plain  %hat  Kuyper's doctrine of a double standard of
morality is thoroughly unscriptural. There is but one law                commanded to serve God perfectly and with all their
 for all believers1 And so there is  b&t one reward given                heart. Yet Kuyper asserted that believers have of God
                                                                         two such commands. Attend once more to the following
to all God's children, and this reward and life eternal
is one and the same. This, too, is most evident from                     from his pen, "So, too,  yotur Father in heaven says to
                                                                         I&s children on earth, `If you  do these  work?  right well
the above-cited messages to the seven churches. Con-                     and joyfully carry Christ's cross after Him, I for this
sider once more what is promised to the faithful, to                     will give you out of free  ,grace' the reward'  ". Where
those, who, according to Kuyper engage in works of  ex;
ceptiolial  moral worth and thus gain for themselves `the                does Scripture says this? Nowhere . .  _
reward  of  brace.       ChriSt~will  give them the crown of               Let me bring forward more proof that the reward of
life (mark, the crown of life, namely, the crown that is                 grace and life eternal is one and the same. What,  .ac-
life)  ;  &ey  wiil not be  .hurt of the second death; it will           cording to Scripture, is this reward in the central sense?
b e  '
        given  them to eat of the hidden manna  ; they will re-          And the answer: God in the, face of Christ.          Said the
ceive a white stone, and  .in the stone a. name written;                 Lord to Abraham, "`Fear not, Abraham : I am thy shield
they will  ble  giGen the morning star; they will be kept                and thy. exceeding  g;eat reward". Gen. 15  :l. Now if
from, the  hour of temptation; they will be made a pillar                the reasoning. of Kuyper were correct, if eternal life
in the temple of God and will  .go  ~10 more out; they will              were one and the reward another, `some believers only,
sit with Christ  in His throne. If all this  good is to  be              come into `the  poss&sion  of God. But we know that
conceived of as forming the  mewa:rd  of  grace to be given              God in Christ is the exceeding great reward, of all be-
only to believers of exceptional virtue, what remaineth to               lievers.
the others  7 And the answer : absolutely nothing. Ad-                   Let us now examine the prdposition under c. It reads,
cording to Kuyper,, believers who excel in virtue, will                  "This reward is not a good merited by Christ for His
receive the crown  Qf life. But will not all receive  the                people',. If the proposition under  f  is unscriptural,. this
crown  ? If eternal life is not this crown, what, prey, rriay  , proposition must necessarily be (unscriptural). And so it
it be? Will not all  have right to the tree of life. Will                is. The plain  teaching of Holy Writ is  ihat the reward
it not be given to all to eat of  t'he hidden manna?  - Will             of grace is  the  fruitage of the  satisfaction.and the right-
not all receive a white stone and in the stone a name                    eousness of Christ. Attend to this from the pen of  .the
written? Will not all be given the morning star? In-                     apostle Paul, "And if children then heirs; heirs of God,
deed?`. Must the believers of  common virtue look  for-                  and joint heirs with Christ  i . . . What shall we then say
tiard to being hurt by the second death? Indeed not.                     to these things  ? . . . He that spared not His only Son,
Will i-t not be given to all to dwell everlastingly  wi&                 but- delivered him up! for us all, how shall He not  s&h
God in His temple ? Will  not  all.sit with Christ in His                Him also freely grant  US all things?" Rom.  8:17a$  31a,
thr,one.  Indeed they will. For not merely some  ht all                  32.    Here it is stated that `the believers heir in con-
believe and love and serve, are patient in tribulation,                  junction with, as joined  to,. and thus as included in,
deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Christ.                  Christ. It means that the inheritance  they receive was
They not doing so, are no children of God.,                              merited for them by the  Saviour. That the inheritance
        But some may say, is it not true that some believers             includes the reward of grace is the plain teaching of
exhibit more love and are more patient in  .tribulation                  verse 32. According to this Scripture, God freely grants
than others? Does not our  Catechism speak of most                       Llnto. His  people  all  things   again with  Chist.,  which
huly  men? Will the state of the apostle Paul  iti heaven                must mean that He  merited for them  n,ZZ  tl&~.s. Now
be the same as that of the murderer upon the cross? This                 all things, certainly, must include reward. Yet, according
is a matter to be dealt `with in its proper place.             The       to-the view here opposed, what is freely granted believers.
point, upon which the argument here turns is that Scrip-                 ~UJZ%~   C%ist  is all things minus the crown of life together
ture-  knows of but one standard of morality  .for all be-               with all the, attending rights and privilege:.            But
lievers and that the reward' of grace and life eternal                   nil  2  things  minus this crown  and' these rights and privi-
with all its attending privileges are one and the same,                  leges is not  cdl  things,  but, rightly considered;  noth&g.
that thus the contention to the effect thit.to some only.will            Then we have that passage in  th.e- epistle to the  Col-
be given the reward and that the others merely receive                   ossians, "And he is the head o-f the body. the church:
eternal life,  1 is wholly -unscriptural.     W e   h a v e   not-&f     who is the beginnin,,
                                                                                               0 the firstborn from the dead  ; that
Christ two commands :  b'eliez&  and  believe   well.  There             in all things  .he might have the  @reeminei$.ze.      For it
is from the point of view of quality but one command                     pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell :
coming. to ali .bdiev'ers. And it  ,reads,  "Thou shalt love             . . . Col.  1:18,  19. All fulness must include the  reivard;


                                           T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                   209

so that this reward, too, dwells in Christ and was thus                    and His body, the  Neqv Jerusalem, the New heavens
merited by Him, for all His people.                                        and the New earth. The redeemed one  lo,ves the breth-
        How could the works of believers beget them apart                  ren because  he, sees in them God.      Because the heart
 from Christ a reward, if all the best works of the holiest                of the believer goes out solely to Him, he must love
 of men are on account of their  b'eing polluted with the                  every creature in whose countenance His  .virtues can be
issues of the flesh, nothing but filthy rags in the sight of               seen. In fact, God, is known and seen and loved only in
 God. Such works beget not bliss but eternal doom. But                     the face of the instruments of the effulgence of His
even if these works were unstained by sin and thus                         glory. Therefore  J_ohn could say, "No man hath seen
perfect, they could not possibly beget for  the-  doer of                  God at any time. If we love one another, God  dwelleth
them a reward not  mqited by Christ, as these works                        in us, and his love is perfected in  us . .  _ If a man say.
 as well as the reward are the  fruitage  of  ,Christ's  right-            I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he
eousness.                                                                  that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can
        Let us examine the proposition under  b, "The children             he love God whom he hath not seen". I John 4  :12, 20.
of God  wol;k not for reward but simply to testify by                         Let us pass on to the  propo.&on under  g,  ?tn the
the whole of their conduct their gratitude toward  God                     covenant of works the  cilildren   Gf men merit eternal
 for His blessings".       True it is that believers by their              life; but whereas life has been merited by Christ, what
doing-  good works do not  ~zcrit  reward as the reward                    believers beget for  themselv& in the covenant of grace
1~~8   becjh  wrwitd  by Christ. Xnd it is equally true that               is the `reward".    The fallacy of the thought-structure
they do good works to  .testify their gratitude toward                     that the term "covenant of works" stands for has been
God for His blessings and that  `%e may be praised by                      exposed so often in this  magizine,  that `nothing need be
us; also that every one may  be assured in himself of his                  said here and now of the sentiment we come upon in the
faith, by the fruits thereof; and  that,  by our godly con-                proposition last quoted.
versation, others may  b'e gained to Christ". `Catechism,                    The proposition under a reads, "The children of God
A.  86. But this cannot mean that believers do good                        merit nothing". True it is that they merit. nothing  .bi
wo,rks   withimt   nlty  yqgr".~rd to  th  c  rcw&, that the at-           themselves. Yet it is to be considered that God in His
titude they  a&me `toward it is one of complete in-                        infinite love chose them in Christ unto life eternal and
difference. Of Moses we read,  "By faith Moses, when                       thus legally included them in Him so that with Him their
he was come to years, refused to be called the son of                      Saviour they were crucified, buried,  rqised  from the
Pharaoh's daughter , . . esteeming the  repl-oath  of Christ .dead and set in heaven. With the Saviour therefore
greater riches than the treasures in Egypt:  for  he,  hno?                they also heir. In Him the reward is legally theirs. To
respect  mto  `the  ~mrom~!e~~ of  tke  pmwtI.  And even                   it they have an indisputable right. This is what Kuyper
of `Christ we read that  for the  iojo  that  `~~"0s   set  before         denied. The view encountered  iii his delineation on this
H~PIL,  He endured the cross, despised the shame, and                      point is that the reward was not merited by Christ.
is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Heb.                   The remaining proposition reads, "The reward is be-
12 :2b: Upon the reward, believers have their affections                   stowed merely as a token of God's great appreciation
set.      It is to them the priceless pearl of great price.                for the good works that believers do,`. True it  is  that
Finding this pearl the);  sell all they ha\-e a&l hy it. They              God delights. in His people.. They are the creations of
keep the comman@ents  of their God that they ~TJI JZGV~                    His sovereign grace and thus exhibit His virtues. But
right to the tvee of 6f e. This does not mean that they                    the view that the reward is given merely to testify ap-
have their heart set  on some object other than God. The. preciation is thoroughly unscriptural.                        This view is
reward, the hidden manna of  n:hich  the redeemed mill                     actually a negation of the doctrine of the reward. For
eat, the tree of life to  which they have right, is -God in                if the reward is merely given to betoken gratitude, it
Christ. Eternal life is to know Him, the only true God,                    is nothing more than a present or gift  &at God can also
and Jesus Christ whom He  .has sent.  Jol?n 17  92. He                     rightfully withhold.    Parents certainly are not under
is their  i-eward,  exceeding great.       Him do they seek.               the necessity of giving presents to their children to
Said the' prophet, ~~TVh~in  have I in heaven but thee?                    testif) to them  .their appreciation for what the children
and there is none.  upon earth that I desire beside thee.                  have done. The reward then is more  .than a  mere pres-
My  flesh and  my  heart  faileth,  but:Gqd is'  &6 strength of            ent. It is a. reward indeed, a recompense (Moses had
mp heart,  a&  n&i  p&ioi~  f o~&x,+l".     P.S.   7 3   :25,  26.  T o    respect  unto the recompense of the reward)  .for work
contend that eternal life is one and that the reward is                    done not by the elect but by the Saviour for them, a re-
another is to aver that  b~elie~~ers  can have as the object               muneration that He begot for Himself and His own
of their affections something beside God. This they                        through the travail  o'f His soul.    if the reward were
cannot. What they feel themselves attracted to is solely                   merely some good not merited by Christ, such state-
God and, to be sure, the  things in which they see God,                    ments as "Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and
the instruments of the revelation o-f  .His.  glqries  :  ,Christ          persecute you . . . rejoice and be exceeding glad, for


                                                     . .


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

            great is  yotrr reward in heaven" could never have been                               "UC  BEN MET  U, AL DE  DAGEN"
            uttered by Christ. For, I repeat,  the.  reward is in the                            Al dreigden wolk en wervelwind
            above Scripture recompense indeed, compensation, an                                    Des Heeren Kerk te slopeu,
            equivalent given in return for labor, an earning.                 Now                Al  stand der Waarheid, `s Hemels kind,
            the only one who could earn with God is Christ. The                                    Geen beedlaarshut meer open ;
            very fact that Kuyper conceived of the reward as a mere
            present, is so  m-u& more proof that he set this reward                              Al lag het puin in `t rond  gespreid
            before his mind as a good not merited by Christ.                                       In rookende woestijnen :
                                                                                                 Tech blij ft de Heer der heerlijkheid
              The reward, then, was merited by Christ and is be-                                   Een Herder voor de Zijnen.
            stowed as a gift of grace upon His people. And yet,
            Holy Writ also- plainly teaches that Christ shall reward                             `Hij houd; ze saam', Hij voert ze voort,
            .His people also according to their very one works. Mat.                               Met  Englen  tot geleide,
            16  :27; Rev. 2  :23; Rev.  20:12  etc. This raises the  ques-                       En uit de korrels van  Zijn Woord
            tion how the reward can be a gift of grace' merited by                                 Zaait Hij een groene weide.
            Christ and at once a good that believers receive according                           En  lagen   ze ook in `t zand  gehuisd,
            to their. own good works. If the latter be true (and it                                Het dorre  wordt gezegend:
            is, of course, true) it, would seem that the, reward is                              Hij wenkt de rots-en `t water ruischt,
            not of. grace but of works. This and other matters                                     De  walk-en  `t manna regent!
            connected with the subject under treatment  will,  .be dealt                         Hij  .geeft  den uitgeputte kracht,
I           with in a following essay.                           G. M. 0.                          Den weenende, gebeden;
                                                                                                 Den zwerver,  psalmen  in den  nacht
                            DE  KNECHT  QE  HEEREM                                                En  starren op zijn  s&eden.
                                                            (Jes: 42  :l.)                       En  wierp men  alle' Bijbels ook
                                                                                                   Als  stoppels in den oven,
                      Tot eer van Hem, Die `t luchtruim spande,                                  Zoodat de flarden met den rook
                    Aanbidden wij Gods Uitverkoren,                                                Ten hoogen  Hemel stoven:
                         Die leeft tot in  -alle eeuwigheid,                                     Tech  ZOLI  Zijn Woord de dwarrelwolk
                    Die eeuwig was en  - werd geboren,                                            Zeehaftig overleven :
                      Onzondig in Zijn  Godd'hjkheid!                                            De Godsbeloften staan Zijn volk
               Aanschouwt en eert Hem, al' gij  v&en  !                                          In `t heilig hart geschreven !
                    Hem, Dien Zijn liefde tot  u  bra&t,                                         Reeds daagt de  morgen-hebt   geduld,
I                   Gedaald uit  ,s Hemels hoogste` wolken,                                        Gij Aarde en  Hemel  samen!-
                      Vol van ontferming en van kracht !                                         Die ze altemaal op-eens vervult,
i                                                                                    .             Op zijn almachtig "Amen  !"
                    Hij is,  als  Middelaar  en  Koning,                                                                                    S.
                    Gezeten  aan Gods  Rkchterhancl,.                                               ATTEi?mON  CONSIST~RIES!
                    En slaakt van uit  Zijn  heil'ge   waning
I'-                                                                                       At the last  `Curatorium  meeting, it was decided to pub-
                      Het zwaarste juk, der zonde band  ;                            l&h and notify  the: consistories of their duty, in respect
                    Hij stelt  gebondenen  in  vrijheid,                             to having the Curator of the below mentioned consistory,
                      Die  slaven   waren  en. verkocht,                             visit our Theol. School and come at the following  Cura-
                                                                                     torium meeting with a- written report of this School visi-
I                  En  geeft  aan `t harte vreugd en  blijheid,                      tation. The following schedule was adopted:
     I .              Dat `door de smart was overmocht.                                    a. For February: Kalamazoo and Fuller Ave.
                                                                                           b. For  .March:  Hope and  Creston.
               -Last de aarde van Zijn lof weergalmen                                     c. For April: Byron Center and Holland.
                      Van Oost tot West, van Noord tot Zuid,                              cl. For May:  Rudsonville and Roosevelt. Park.
                    Met stille  bede en  dankb're   psalmen,                                                                     L .   V e r m e e r ,   S e c y .
                      Verzeld van  orgel,  harp en  hut;
                    Tot eer van Hem, Die `t luchtruim spande,                              Fuller Ave., Grand Rapids: Trio for Classical Mis-
                      En de aard deed  rusten   op de zee  -                         sionary : Revs. P. De  Bou,   R. Beldman, G. Vos.
                    Die van Zijn Aanschijn nooit  verbande,                                 Los Angeles,  Calif. : Extended : Rev.  B. Kok.
                      Wie daar het  leven zocht en  -vree.                                  Declined : For Los Angeles,  Calif.; Rev.  B. Kok.


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                              215
 ==

                                                                  imaginary danger-line by the urgent appeal of a preacher
                                                                  who begs people to  acce$pt   Jaus  and be saved.
                                   Bellflower, California.'          Reformed people hold, on the basis, of Scripture, that
                                          January 6. 1936.        in  our salvation as it is applied to  us the following ele-
   Esteemed Editor :                                              ments are involved : regeneration, calling, faith, conver-
   In the issue of the S. B., December 1935, there  oc-           sion, justification (in our consciousness) sanctification,
 cured a notice by a reader signed A. F., requesting some         and glorification. How in the light of this is it possible
 clarification on a proposition expressed in a talk given         that we were saved at some past time when we heard a
 at the Dedication of the Bellflower Chr. School and  sub-        stirring sermon or read a particular passage of Scripture,
 sequently  appearing in the S. B.                                and how can we afterwards have at readiness  th,e re-
   `For some reason several subscribers in California have        mark ; "this or that does not effect my salvation", or,
 not received their December 15th issue, hence I have not         "we must not think that only Reformed people get to
 the exact words of A. F. before me.. Yet if I recall he          heaven".    The living Christian replies with vexation
states that he cannot, after repeatedly reading the article,      "every thing effects our salvation", and with him it is
understand the expression, "unless  GUT  .children  receive       not a question of who will somehow get to heaven, but
Christian Instruction they  camlot be saved".                     a matter of ever  mo,re zealously seeking heaven and
                                                                  even now having his conversation in heaven.
   Now A. F. will of course realize that I was not re-                                                               The sal-
                                                                  vation which Christ has merited for us is unspeakable in
quested to develop a theses but that I was asked to give          its beauty and the  iChristian's  ruling desire is to enter
a 15 minute talk on the question assigned : Why should            into it- to the full.
Christian parents give their children Instruction. And-I
desired to improve the few moments given me by em-                  We can present this more graphically with a type from
phasizing the principle that only when we devote our-             the Old Testament, David and Solomon, we know, `were
selves wholly to the Glory of God are we'really blessed.          types of Christ. The deliverance which they wrought for
And to apply that principle to the question of education          Israel typifies the deliverance which Christ wrought for
I chose the expression referred to.                               us. When they break the yoke of Moab, Ammon and Phil-
  That some hearers might possibly not understand did             istia they typify the victory of Christ whereby He broke
not to me seem serious  ; that none  n~o~~lcl  misunderstand      the power of the devil and of sin. But that is of course
I was confident. In fact several hearers have informed            not  all. They were  also' types of Christ in the glory of
me that they were in agreement with the general content           their kingdoms, the  b!eauty of their. palaces, the riches
                                                                  of their possessions, the great extent of their domain,
of  my talk but had discussed among themselves the pos-
sible meaning  0.f the statement in question.       Evidently     and the unsurpassed wisdom of Solomon.
that which was not understood was more instructive                  Now what  wo~rlcl  we think of an Israelite,  clelivered
than the things that were readily understood, because             from  Moab or Ammon who would complacently accept
of their familiarity.                                             that deliverance and further never concern himself about
  In my talk as it appeared in the S. B. the reader will          the glory and welfare of that kingdom? What would
see that after first submitting a few  possiblle  reasons for     we think if a  bro,ther Israelite, his face beaming  .with
`Christian instruction which a serious minded Christian           joy, would say to him, "how I love to go  up  to the city
will surely reject, I returned to the                             of God to see the beauty of our king and the glory of
                                          Glle  I had proposed
namely that it is a' matter  o,f salvation.     Our children      his palace and how I pray that Jehovah may prosper
cannot be saved without Christian instruction.                    His anointed", and he should reply, "I feel this way
  A. F. will surely agree with me when I say that the             about it, these things do not concern our deliverance".
man who always has at the tip of his tongue the evasive           Or if a brother tried to arouse his interest and enthusi-
`and deadening reply "that does not effect  .our salvation",      asm in the far-famed wisdom of God's anointed over
or  "dat  raakt onze zaligheid niet", is  `a lazy Christian,      Zion, he would say, "I really cannot devote much time
who cares more  ab.out his own ease than about the king-          to those things, for after  all they are secondary and do
dom of God and may well question whether he has sal-              not concern our deliverance".      Would we not spon-
vation in the Scriptural sense.                                   taneously say "ungrateful  creat;u-e  stay `in your alien
  For salvation, being saved is, as I stated, being de-           bondage and die there" !
livered from the deepest misery to the highest  good-               Yet that is exactly the way the New Testament teaches
to the right, the ability, and the desire to love God with        us to  coasider salvation. Salvation is a process, some-
all we are and  ,have.  We must strive to be delivered            thing for which we must strive all of our lives, and into
fro,m the conception which we, through the preaching              which we enter more fully day by day. In Scripture
of Arminian  "Evangelistics"  have acquired.  .\lSG  we           the work of salvation is viewed  from  Several  aspects
IGllg  conceived  omf salvation as getting  pullecl  over an      and  we must of course here confine ourselves to those


216                                    T H E   S'l'ANDA.RD   B E A R E R

passages which speak of our attaining salvation. And              of the body of Christ: till we all come to the unity of the
when we view salvation as a process then we may state             faith, and to the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a
thdt it is questionable whether Scripture ever  usei the          perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the  ful-
past tense in which we use it namely of someone being             ness of *Christ.* We are to desire the sincere milk of the
"saved" at such a time or place.                                  word that we may grow thereby. 1 Peter 2 :2. His divine
  Further there are some passages which refer to our              power has given us all things that pertain to life and god-
salvation as future, such as  Heh-ew   9':25,  "He shall          liness through the knowledge of Him who called us to
appear a second time unto salvation". Again, Romans               glory and virtue. 2 Peter 1  :3.
13  :ll,  %ow is salvation nearer  t&m when  we first be-           So the  qlan of God is  th.oroughly  furnished unto all
lieved". And so in Romans  8:23-25.                               good works.

  But there are a large number of passages which  l'efer            The fatal result of neglecting Christian Instruction is
to salvation as something we  are..  coiltinually attaining.      much more evident when we think of that result as it  he-
For example, I Cor. 1  :X3, "to  us who, are saved (being         comes manifest organically in the future generations. I f
saved) if ye hold fast that which I preach unto you.              parents  are too little concerned about their children to
I  Car. 15  :2; again in Phil. 1  :19, the Apostle rejoices       give them a Christian education, what instructing do
knowing  that  tlic preachin,0' of his  ambitious  competitors    their children receive in their indifferent family life? The
shall turn to his salvation. So the Apostle admonishes            children of these indifferent parents suffer neglect in both
Timothy to continue in the doctrine for so doing he               spheres of home and school. And what is  the result of
shal! save both himself and them that hear him, I Timo-           such a nurture for such children?' Very little spiritual
thy 4  :16 ; and the writer to the Hebrews  as,surks his          knowledge. And what will be the result for a following
readers that he does not think of them as  ti field yielding      generation. No spiritual knowledge at all! Gone is the
thorns and briars and near to being burned,  b,ut he is           Church, is Christianity, is the kingdom of God as far as
persuaded of things that concern salvation for them.              we are concerned.

  F&ally in the 1st epistle of Peter we have several very           I trust it will now be somewhat clearer what I mean by
clear passages. .In I Peter 1  :15, he tells  xs that we are      the conclusion I expressed and which  ,I now repeat with
kept  by the power of  Gocl unto a salvation ready to be          renewed confidence : Unless our children receive `Chris-
revealed in the last  time> and in verses 8 and 9, he tells       tian Instruction they cannot be saved.
us that by. believing we are receiving that salvation,  ob-         *We are to receive with meekness the ingrafted word,
taining it and carrying it away as it  we& `In all these          which is able to save our souls. James 1 :21.
passages salvation is a present,  c&tinuing  process.                                                        A. Petter
  But there is  ano,ther  element which we must in this
connection emphasize, this namely,  !hat we receive that
salvation in the way of a constant struggle to learn and
do the will of God. "Strive to enter in at the straight
gate" says the Saviour, and the servants to' whom the                   In  doubrt and darkness long I wandered,
pounds were intrusted are commended and rewarded                         My will beyond control,
according, as they were diligent in using the pounds.                  `Till Jesus came and-  blrought  the glory
Luke 19  :l l-27. Recall to your mind the zeal of the                    Of sunrise in my soul!
Apostle Paul. Work out your salvation with fear and
trembling, Phil.  2:12; and again,  not as though I had                The  cloucls  were rifted in a moment,
attained neither were already perfect but I follow after                 I saw them backward roll,
that I may apprehend that for which I am also appre-                   And Oh, the beauty of the morning!
hended of Christ. Reaching  fo'rward to the things that                  `Twas sunrise in my soul!
are before, I press to the mark for the prize of the high
calling of God in Christ Jesus. Phil.  3,:12-14;   and again,         .I$e satisfied my longing spirit,
I endure all things for the elect's sake  that they may also             He sweetly' made me whole,
obtain the salvation which is in Christ. 2 Timuthy  2 :lO.             And all  the day my heart is singing.
  And how,  finally  do we attain that salvation? Through                `Tis sunrise in my  soul!
the  knowlecige  o$  6od. For "this is life eternal that they
should know Thee the only true God." John 17 :3.                       When earthly toil and care are ended.
  From  Ephesians  4:10-14  it is plain that the purpose                 And I have  reachecl the goal,
of offices which Christ bestowed on the  chuych are fdr                I  kno.w that morning will forever
instruction, for the work of the ministry for the edifying
                               _*                                        Be sunrise in my soul.


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                                                                                      Always you and I stand before the  trit&al of God, and
                                                                                      always we are judged righteously by the Supreme Lord
                                                                                      of heaven and earth! . . . .
                                                                                         Arid to be justified by faith on Him that raised up
                                                                                      Jesus Christ from  the dead, signifies  tl+t we stand be-
                                                                                      fore Him, consciously, aware of the awful reality of His
                        brow  it was  not  writtevt  for his. sake  alon.e,  that
                      it  was  imiwted to  ?kna.  But-for   ats  also, to  whom       just judgment! . . . .
                      it  shall  be imputed,  if  we believe on Him that                 It implies that we are. accused from every side, from
                      raised  140  Jesus  ow Lord  from  the dead.
                                                                Rom.  423.  24.       within and from without, so that,  tihenever we look, our
     0, wondrous grace!                                                               dondemnation  must seem certain.                From within our
                                                                                      conscience accused us that our sin is' very great. From
     Righteousness is imputed to him that believeth on Him                            without the law of God indicts 
 that raised                                                                                                                us   and loudly testifies
                 up  Jesus our Lord from the  dead!,                                  that we did not abide in all that was written in her. The
   Righteousness is reckoned to him that  bath no right-                              world in which we lived, the enemies we hated and the
   eousness ! He that is guiky is justified ; he that is .worthy                      friends we loved, the city of our habitation and the
   of being exiled forever- from God's home is adopted as                             home in which we dwelled; the wife of our bosom and
   His son; he that should be  swallo&ed  up in waves  Of                             the child of our own flesh and blood  ; heaven and  earth
   everlasting wrath, is pronounced worthy of eternal,                                as the scene  bf our activities; the ear with which we
  heavenly glory !                                                                    heard or did not hear, the eye with which we saw or did
     Justified is the sinner that believeth on  Him, that                             not see, the mouth with which we spake or'did not speak,
   raised up Jesus Christ from the dead!                                              the light of day and the darkness of night,-all things
     Wonder of` wonders!                                                              with one accord testify against us . . . .
     It implies that we stand before the supreme tribunal of                             And we plead guilty!
   the Judge  ,of heaven and earth, in Whose favor  is life,                             And guilty of what  7 Guilty that, perhaps, occasionally
  .Whose  `wrath brings desolation; Who judges righteously -we transgressed, while at  othe? times we walked accord-
   and  giveth to every man according to his works; with                              irig to the commandments of the Most High? Guilty. of
I, Whom there is no compromise or perversidn of  judg-                                having'violated some of the precepts of the Judge `of
   nient and Who shall by  no, means clear the guilty  ;                              heaven and earth, while others we faithfully kept?'  NO,
  Whose verdict  is  final and from Whose sentence there is                           but guilty of having transgressed every one of  God's  "
   no appeal! And  0,' do not conceive of this  jud,gment  as                         holv commandments and of having kept none `of them:
   something remote and abstract, as a possibility in the                             of having corrupted our  tiiy, of  having  s&en  tihen we
  .future rather than. as a present reality, for such vain                            should not, heard when we should not, spoken when we
   imagination could arise oniy in the heart of `him in all                           should -have kept silent  ; and failed to see and  to hear
  `whose  thoughts God is not! For, this judgment of God                              and to speak, when we should have seen and heard and
  is an eternal reality ! Even though there shall be a  day                           spoken. Guilty of a foul fountain of corruption, always
   of the rea.&tion.of the righteous judgment of God, when                            bringing forth iniquity and evil, wanton enmity against
  we must -all  @pear  before the judgment seat of Christ,                            God Whom we sliould love with all our heart and mind
  the fact remains that God's judgment of you and me is a                             and soul and strength. Nay, what is worse, in the hour
present   r e a l i t y . God judges constantly, for He is God.                       of' justification by faith tie stand before the supreme
  in Whom. there is no  variab'leness  nor shadow of turn-                           tribunal of the Most High in the miserable consciousness
  ing.  gis court is  noi  occassionally  in  ;session, so that                       that even at the moment we still transgress God's holy
  you may be summoned, be judged and be dismissed.                                    law  in thought, word and deed! . . . .


~    218                                          T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                               -

        And the Judge applies the infallible and unchangeable                Does not this imputation of righteousness to the sinner
     criterion of His perfect righteousness  I                            that stands accused before the tribunal of the Most High,
        And according to that most  perfect standard of  jus-              imply that he has actually no righteousness whatsoever?
     tice He pronounces His verdict!                                         And if he is not  righteou?, is not God's own judgment
        And His verdict, so pronounced, according to strictest            of him that he is unrighteous? Indeed, such is the  impli-
     j.ustice,  upon that sinner that is so accused from every  dation of this imputation ! And for  a, right understanding
     side, that has so corrupted his way and still confesses              and proper appreciation of this imputation of  right-
     that he transgresses all God's commandments, is that the             eousness, and for the personal appropriation and  enjoy-
     accused is perfectly rightkous  ! . . . .                            ment of this grace of our justification, it is  indispensible
        So  ri&teous  that the verdict could  -not be different           that we should understand and fully consent to this  im-
     if the accused had never had or committed  .any sin, yea,            plication.  Judged by ourselves, on our own' merits, we
     as righteous as he that always and perfectly kept the                are sinners and nothing more ; our accusers are right,
     precepts of the Most High!                                           our conscience is right; we are, indeed, damnable before
        Nay, still more!                                                  God and worthy of eternal desolation. And imputation
        The sentence is that he, who was indicted of every                of righteousness  does, indeed, imply that the Most High
     conceivable  sin; is so righteous, that it is as if he had reckons unto  LIS  a righteousness that is not of  our own
     fully satisfied for all his sin by an act of profoundest             works, that. cannot be explained from any personal,`  indi-
     love and absolute self-negation, and so became worthy of             vidual  merit, nor from  &ny natural relation we sustain
     eternal life  and glory! . . . .                                     to the race of which we are a member.
        And the sentence silences all the accusers !                         Yet, the righteousness that is imputed is real!
        And the Word of the Judge carries the divine  sen-                   And the imputation of this righteousness to him, that
     tence  into the inmost heart of the accusecl!                        believeth that God raised up Jesus our Lord from the
        God is greater than his heart  j  and. He knoweth all             dead, is according to strictest justice.
     things !
     The accused  beli.eves  on Him Who raised  -up  Jesus                   He. Who will by no means clear, the guilty, does not
     our Lord from the dead!                                              deny Himself when  .He justifies the ungodly !
     His own conscience is silent and condemns him no                        And this is His Word, which He spoke in the  resur-
     more !                                                               rection of Jesus our Lord from  the dead !
        He is justified and has peace with God, the peace that               Golgotha is the hour of  jud,ment; the resurrection
     passeth all understanding !                                          is the divine sentence, that God justifieth the ungodly
        Marvellous blessing of grace!                                   according to irreproachable  jPstice  !
                                                                           * For, indeed, Christ died according to the Scriptures.
                                                                          And His death is the satisfaction, the full and  .perfect
        It is written!                                                    satisfaction for sin, the satisfaction that actually  justi-
       .But what? A Word of God is written. The only                      fies  the sinner, and the satisfaction that makes the indicted
     Word that matters, it being the sole Word that is  .aMe              sinner worthy of eternal life. What, then, is  satisfac-
     authoritatively to inform us of the sentence of the Judge            tion? What.  may,`indeed, atone  fo? the transgression of
     of heaven and earth.                                               the sinner and remove all his guilt, at the same time  giv-
       And what is the authoritative information of this                  ing  hiin a right to eternal glory? Is it the mere bearing
     divine Word? That God imputes `righteousness! It is of  the'punishment of sin ? But this is quite `impossible,
     written on account of Abraham, who believed God, Who                 for sin is wanton and active hatred of God, and the
     raises the dead and calleth those things that are  not'as  if        passive bearing of His wrath cannot justify supreme  jus-
     they were ; believed in hope against hope ; believed when            tice and atone for sin. There is a bearing of God's wrath,
     all things that are seen militated and  loudly.  testified           a suffering of eternal  desola&on  that never atones. It
     against that Word of God which  he believed, the Word                is the utter despair of hell. Atonement must be  sat-
     of promise that Sarah should  have a son; believed when              isfaction, and satisfaction must needs be an act, the
     he was  dead-  and the mother in Sarah was dead.          It is      expression of purest love, the willing self-surrender of
     written that God imputed his faith to him for  righteous-            complete- obedience, the desire to be consumed for the
     ness.                                                                holiness of God's house, the will to die for sin on  ac-
       Tliat is the contents  df this Word of God.'                       count of God's righteousness, the deliberate entrance
       BLIP  ma+&; for,  it was not  written.on account of  Abra-         and descent into lowest hell for God's sake,' there to say :
     hain  alone,  but also for us, -for all. that believe on God         "Even here, where I drink the  cup  of Thy wrath to its
     Who raises the dead and call&h the. things that are -not             dregs, I love Thee! . . . .
     as if they were, and Who now manifested this divine                     Such is satisfaction !
     power by raising  up  Jesus. our Lord from the dead.!                  That satisfaction effects atonement !
       God imputes righteousness !                                           In that satisfaction there is the blotting out of sin,
       But how? Does God, then, reckon what-is not  7                     the righteousness for sinners,  the  marvellous  power to


                                      THE  S T A N D A R D  BEAR.ER                                                           219

lift him  out.of the awful misery of eternal desolation i&o      i&o a corporation by God's eternal decree, cannot be
the glory  .of eternal life!                                     s e p a r a t e d .
  And such is  Golgotha  !-  .For,  it is Christ that died!         His judgment was their judgment; God's  resurrection-
He, Who -knew no sin, neither was guile found in. His            verdict was the verdict over His Church !
mouth  ; He Whose meat it was to do the Father's  ivill,..          The hour of judgment is passed! Zion `was redeemed
even "though that will should lead Him to the lowest hell;       through . justice !    God's irrevocable sentence sounded
He, Who was- consumed by the holiness of the Father's            from heaven, when He raised Jesus our Lord from the
house; He died. He  t&ted as no  man could taste it, for         slead : Justified !
His death was the death of the Son of  G6d in our  flesh
and blood. He,  iri the hour of  jud,ment,  which was the           It is written!.
hour of Golgotha, stood before `God's terrible tribunal             Blessed Word !
and received sentence.  1 He stood there, of His own
voluntary choice. And He loved God  iti the hour of His             For us also!
wrath against  siu, so loved Him. that He `chose rather             For Abraham it was written, on account of him, with
to descend into lowest hell than to see that righteousness       respect to him, that his faith was imputed to him for
impeached.  ,4nd  thus He descended, down into death,            righteousness.
doivn into darkness, down into the  lawful  desolation"of           He believed that God fulfilled the promise thotigh
wrath, whence He cried out.: "My God,  my God, why all things were against him, and never faltered, knowing
hast Thou forsaken me  ?" . . . .                                that God raises the dead and that He, calls the things
  It- was the hour of judgment, not' for Himself, but that are not as if they were!
f&r the Church, chosen unto eternal life, given Him from            And so it is written for us also.
before  the foundation of the world.                               )Only,  all is now realized! God did call the things
  In that hour He must needs stand  .alone,  yet  repre-         that are not, when He sent  Hi$  otily begotten, Son into
senting His Body.                                                the flesh, when He called `light out of darkness, right-
                                                                 eousness out of sin, life  dut of death, eternal glory  .out
  And He finished !                                              of the depth of hell into which His Servant had de-
  He was declared righteous by. the supreme Judge of             scended!  It is finished!
heaven  and earth !                                                 And we believe on Him!
  For, `God raised Him from the dead!               ,'              It is written in  order"that  we might know, and know-
That resurrection is God's verdict  %ith respect to  .HiS        ing might believe, and believing might trust in God as
servant, as He stands at  the head of His own, that.  l&gal      .He revealed Himself in the resurrection  of., Jesus,  c&r
corporation, established in God's eternal  coutisel   which      Lord ! And  trtisting  in that God of our `salvation, might
is His  Body!                                                    receive the sentence of God's justification in our hearts  :.
  And that verdict is twofold. It is that His descent            "That righteousness I impute to you, who believe that
into the  low&t  parts of the earth was, indeed,  satisfac-'     I raised Jesus your Lord from the dead!" And re-
tion for sin, and, therefbre, atonement; and  it is, that        ceiving that sentence in our hearts,  we. have peace with
in so descending and performing the act of profoundest           God. through our  Lord Jesus Christ, knowing that the
and. purest love and most perfect obedience, the Son of          hour of judgment is passed, and that with our Lord
`God in human nature had merited the highest conceiv-            Jesus we emerged from the terrible billows' of wrath into
able glory  a.nd had become the rightful heir of all things!     the  .gl@ry  of His  ,eternal and heavenly tabernacle!
  That is `the reality of the righteousness there  is in            It is imputed!
Christ for sinners!                                                 Faith is reckoned as righteousness! No, not because
  It is a righteousness that makes `us'  le&l citizens  of,      God reckons  3vhat is not.       Faith is no  sublstitute for
heaven !                                                         righteousness. Nor because'-faith is the  .work of right-
  ?%& is the' testimony of the  resurr&tion of Jesus             eousriess by which we are justified:. Nor even because
Christ  ,from  th& dead.  F&Y,  &at resurrection was no          by faith we may again `bring forth-fruits  of  fighteous-
return  i&o the  world that  lies'.&der.  `G&i's  jii`dgkent;    ness.  B&i  ,Christ  is  our  righteo&Ge&,   &d by  .faith  <ve
noi.even a  &turn to the  sta~e~`&-&$&   &hteous&ss              are united' with Him,  appr$&ate`  3%~  `r&&e Him,  are
in paradise ; ljut 2 lifti@ ii,. g $&-$o;n  ifi& &e `&her        incorporated into  ,Him, so  t$&  %ti&:~igl-&$ou&ess  is ours !
glory of cter&l,` heaverili   .lif$ in' G&l's  tabe&a&!`
                                                     .              ?y faith  Gpd's,  r~suyre&io&s&te&e   b@mes  ours !
  !l%e resurrection is God's  W&d, testifying  tq the               And though all the things.  th& are s&en  and. experienced
reality  df that righteousness  !                                may testify against us, we  know  that it is  .written  :
  And it it imputed!                                                God imputes righteousness to them that believe!
  Itiprited, not arbitrarily, but according to strictest            Written, for us also.!
justice! For, `Christ and His people, the elect, formed             Hallelujah !                            .           H.H.


        220                                          T H E   STA.N.DARD   B E A R E R

                                                                                    gods,  btit many were convinced that they lived and ruled
                                                                                    in those countries. This worship of one god accom-
                                                                                    panied by the belief in the existence of other gods is
                                                                                    called  nzonolatry.".
                                                                                      I think these quotations  su&ciently prove the  truth of
                                                                                    1. Israel at the time of Amos was laboring under such
                                       I V .                                        a  low  notion of God that they merely considered Him one
                                                                                    of the gods.  -They, therefore, needed instruction in the
           At the close of my previous article I made the state-                    knowledge of God.
        ment that the notes of Dr. Wezeman on Amos as they                            2.  .This false  conception  of Jehovah, prevalent at the
        were amended are after all  a??zended   moderni.sqm.                        time of Amos was the cause of their corrupt practices.
           Then, too, I stated that Dr. Wezeman does, indeed,                       Their sin was not a wanton departure and rebellion
        emphasize thd truth of revelation, even more  strongly                      against Jehovah, issuing forth from their wicked heart,
        than we would expect from one who proceeds from that                        their love  of unrighteousness and hatred of  righteous-
        truth.      In several places these strong  ass&tions  leave                enss, but a practical error following  from the intellec-
        the impression of being intentional, rather than spon-                      tual error of their false conception of God. For proof I
        taneous.      But after all, at other places he forgets that                quote (Project Studies on Amos; I, 4, g) : "A further
        he believes in the Bible as the revealed and inspired Word                  downward step inevitably followed. To those who had for-
        of, God,  &d lapses into the modern view on this point.                     saken Jehovah for the Baalim  He was a god, like unto
          Both these statements I shall proceed to prove from                       these, indifferent to justice and mercy. This vital element
        the notes themselves.                                                       in Hebrew religion was  consciotlsly or unconsciously
          .How in the  final edition of the notes Dr.  ,Wezeman                     surrendered. In place of moral requirements, of con-
        repudiates the view of. the higher critics, that with Amos                  duct conformable to the will of Jehovah, of an inner
        for the first time  the  prophets of `Israel attain to the level            spiritual  life of joy and peace in the service of Jehovah,
        of ethical monotheism, we showed by a quotation in our                      and communion with Him, religious practice became for
        last article.,                                                              tiany merely of  ceiemonies and sacrifices.          And these
          This time I am `going to prove: that,  tliis conception of were the ceremonies and sacrifices which were part of the
        the moderns was  m&rely   afa.elzded,  not radically. changed.              baalim ritual, although some identified all this pagan
                                                                                    practice with Jehovah, thinking He had ordained these
          In the amended notes Dr. Wezeman offers.  the follow-                     and that it was all leasing to Him. There was a lament-
        ing view of Amos  and his prophecy:
`.:.                                                                                able,. confusibn an% mixture resulting  in the general  di-
           1. The people, many of them, a majority of, them,                        lution  .of the Hebrew worship to its detriment".
 had gradually forgotten that God, their God, is One and                             Again I quote  (idem,  5, a) : "Many people of the time
        that He is righteous. The true conception of  ,Jehovah                      of Amos believed that the pagan gods they were serving
        had, been lost. They  confused Jehovah with the  Baalim..                   were righteous-but this always was a righteousness
        They could no more distinguish between God and the                          %lualified,  modified by other elements-for instance, the
        gods of the nations.       They placed them on the same                     whims, fancies, petty, selfish desires of the  gods. It
        level. The sin of  Isrtiel was, therefore, after all a matter               was not a reliable righteousness-and, therefore, afforded
        of a  conceptiolz. of God. For proof I quote (Project                       to the people no basis, no starting point for the ethics
        Studies  iri the  Bo.ok of Amos, The Religious Emphasis                     of their conceptions of justice.        The `justice' of the
        of  Amos,  e,, f, g.) "For those Hebrews who neglected                      people  could  be, just as arbitrary, as self-serving  as that
        Jehovah and adopted  the  Baa1 worship the thought of .df their gods. This may help us account for the lack of
        Jehovah's superior power was lost . . . . This conception                   justice and mercy in many of the foremost Israelites".
        was, of course, lost  bly those Hebrew-s who served the                       3. Amos' task, therefore, is especially to teach the
        Baalim. Jehovah was looked upon by them `as. merely                         people, that Jehovah is God alone, and that the gods of
        another  god, one among many, to be served  or not ac-                      the other nations are no gods; thus to emphasize. that
        cording  to.the whims, fancies, interests of the people . . . . Jehovah  iS righteous and holy, strictly ethical  ; and thus
        Sole worship of Jehovah as had been commanded was no                        to  .lay a  n&v, basis  again for the practice  pf righteous-
        longer heeded  by niany,  si.nce He was  c@sidered not: to                  ness"  a+l.truth  and mercy among the  ,pedple.  I quote
        be any  bet+ than  the  bsalim."               :              ..'           Pifijki<  Stiti&s`i.n  fhc  Robk of Amos, I, 5, `a, b,) : "The
   A g a i n   I   q u o t e  (Ihem,  5 ,  b)  " I n   t h e  `days   o f   Amos    rigliteousness of  C%d'.is  reasserted  atld emphasized . . .  :.
        many people regarded  JehoGah  as only one of the many                      In  Amos the superiority, the sovereignty of Jehovah is
        gods. Although they  b:elieved  that  .He was the true                      clearly taught. He is  tEe  only living God, there are none
        god  df Israel, they also recognized  Be1 and  N+bu  as gods                beside .Him . . . . Israel's God is sovereign  over Zion, but
        of the Babylonians ; Chemosh as the god of the Moabites,                    also over Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, Moab.
        Dagon as the god of  the,Philistines, etc. Of course, a                     His rule is universal. Why then futilely and foolishly
        loyal Israelite was not to worship any of these strange                     continue serving other gods that do not exist?               His


                                        T H E   STANDARD   B E A R E R                                                        221

 `standards of justice, therefore, should be regarded `by           could by vigor and originality of his genius set a standard
  the Israelites' not `those of the other gods.  .Jehovah's         of literary expression which has been  equalled  by few.
 ivill for social conduct supercedes that of any other deity.       His imagination was one of extraordinary vividness.
  Jehovah  is. more than simply one of the gods, He is the          The opening sentence reveals this: `the words of Amos
  supreme God. Jehovah is not  merely national, the god              . . . which he saw'; `the Lord showed me' ; `I saw the
  of the universe".                                                 Lord standing by the altar.' His writings are vital be-
     Now,  $1 this is thoroughly corrupt..                          cause he was divinely led to draw  .directly from his own
     Do not  ccnfuse this  vie with the well-known truth            experience and `that. of his people".
 that religion is" the  bcasis  of morality and immorality  fsl-       I consider' the above statement incompatible with a
  lows up irreligion. With this it has nothing in common.           sound conception of  prophgtic  inspiration. The literary
  For. Dr. Wezeman's instruction here is  not that the              expression Of  .Amos  is  explained from the "vigor and
  immorality of the Israelites was the result of  a@&~~             originality of his  getiius"; the visions which he saw are
  from Jehovah; but of a  false  coftcefitfon  of Him. And          drawn from Amos' extraordinarily vivid imagination  ;
  this is surely;  uhtrue  and  .also. corrupt. They forsook        and, in general, his tiritngs have their origin in a divinely
  Jehovah, Whom they well knew, because they hated His              guided drawing from his experience  -and from that of
  righteousness and loved iniquity. This is so  em&at&              the people.
  ally `true, that they. refused to hear  o,f Jehovah and His          If this is true, there iS  nb  m&e the Word of God in the
  precepts, stoned the prophets and killed them- that were          book of Amos, than in John Bunyan's  P&$I~+   Progress.
 sent against them.                                                    And this conception of the real  orig$.. of the book of
     Nor can Dr. Wezeman deduce, any such theory con-               Amos is maintained throughout the notes. Dr.  Weze-
 cerning Israel's ignorance of Jehovah and' `consequent             man only sees the human author. This is plain  from,an
 immorality from the  b+ook `of Amos. On the contrary, .expr&sion as the following  (The  Book of Amos, Section
  from beginning to end the book presupposes and pro-               II, ch.  7-9:15)   : "Here we find fine visions, whereby
 ceeds from the assumption that it is addressed to a. people        Amos seeks to emphasize the `certainty of the judgment
 that know Him. But they are rebellious and love in-                whereof he previously spoke". Dr. Wezeman, perhaps,
iquity.    "They gave the Nazarites wine to drink;  and.            does not feel that one who proceeds from the faith in
 commanded  the prophets saying,  .Prophesy not". 2  :12.           divine revelation of the Word of God, stumbles over
    Again, it is not true, that in Amos there is any special        such expressions. They, however, evidently convey the
 emphasis,  kither  on the oneness of  Jehot-ah or on His           thought that Amos  &etitiowl   fdkxxted  &se  vi.sh.s
 justice and righteousness.      Dr.  Weieman thinks that           out of his extraordinary vivid imagination, for the pur-
 these truths receive new emphasis, special emphasis  .in           pose of emphasizing the certainty of something he said
 the  b,ook  .of Amos. But anyone that will compare this            before.
 book  with. other books of  Holy Writ, will have to admit             I must, in justice to the notes of  Dr.`.Weieman,  how-
 that this is not true. All the  ltiw and all the prophets          ever, insert a remark in this connection.
 emphasize this and that. no `less than Amos.                          If you ask Dr. Wezeman point blank whether he be-
    How, then, must all this be explained?                          lieves that the prophetic visions were the product of the
    There is only one  ariswer  :  Dr: Wezeman originally           p?ophet's  `imagination, he will answer negatively. In his
 taught  the view  of  modern higher criticism, that. of, ethi-     notes, as has already been stated, we find many emphatic
 cal monotheism. In the final edition we have  ethitial             statements defending the orthodox conception of in-
 monotheism  a?lz.elz&d,   which is still far from' the true        spiration and revelation. `I find the following definition
 teaching of the. Bible.                                            of a vision (Notes on Jeremiah,  Section  `II, Project I,
    Thus it comes about, that `according to the presenta-           ch. 1, 7) "A vision is a given, an immediate insight into
 tion of Dr. Wezeman. Amos.  preaches,   tiot to  the  pedple       the being, the purpose,.the will of God, a direct communi-
 of God, that know Him, and His precepts but `that are              cation of divine truth". Of course, I  .realize that this
 wantonly ungodly  ; but  td a  peopie that are ignorant as. definition does not specifically. define the peculiar na-
 the heathen, look upon  jehovah as a national' god, a one          ture of  a  vision. The point  is,  however,  that Dr.  Weze-
 among many gods and who think that they can do as they             man  he& acknowledges the specific divine origin of the
 please that Jehovah cannot and will not  ptinish  them,            vision.
 just  becalise  he is their national deity.                          And I want it clearly  uriderstood,   t&t in the notes one
                                                                    may find  man? of such statements, defending the truth
    As to the second point. to be considered, namely that           of divine revelation and of the inspiration of the Scrip-
 D.r. Wezeman  occa&onally forgets that Scripture is God's          tures.
 revelation, I call attention to the following  l&sage `from          On the other hand it -seems to me, that one who believes
 the notes  6n Amos, III, 2: "The more one' reads this              in  the divine inspiration of the Word of God will not
 rema'rkable   coilection, the more  oile wonders that' this        easily.be induced to write the following sentences : "Laws
 herdsman,  living in a  country  so barren, with,  ,a literary     are commonly dry reading, `but this author has touched
tradition upon which to form his taste.& p;itifully meager,         the  dry bones with the magic of. a vivid imagination.


 222                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D  .BEARER

 In this book we have something unique . . . . law flaming             die  neiging wordt bij ons  allen gevonden,  nietwaar?
 with personality, the spirit of the law  speaking  .in ca-            Tegen die neiging  hebiben  we  allen  voortfurend  te  strij-
 dences of great music; the statutes luminous with spirit-             den.  DUS  is het oordeel, dat daarin  ligt,  niet  zoo scherp.
 ual passion. Law has' become literature, the literature                  Gij  hebt  die verzekering van mij omtrent  uw  Gerefor-
 of power'.  DeuteYofio~~?zy  is  o+se of  flze  worlck's  .wmster-    meerdheid  geloovig aanvaard, en daarmee is dus ook dit
 pieces  in prose". (I underscore, H. H.)  Old Testament I,            incident feitelijk afgedaan.
 U n i t   V .                                                            Maar gij wijdt  no,gmaals  een `halve bladzij  aan  een
    How to explain this contradiction, that remains in                 paging,  om te bewijzen, dat  fk U in dat bewuste  artikel
 Dr. Wezenian's notes even after they have  been severely              tech  we1 waarlijk  reden had gegeven. om  uw  beklag
 criticised?  And after they have been twice expurgated?               daarover in te dienen.
    The explanation  mtlst needs be a theory.                             Dat nu kan ik nog niet inzien.
   .And  my  theqry is that there is in Dr. Wezeman's soul                Zelfs  uw  syllogisme onderaan op bladzij 149,  tweede
 a strain of modernism that needs constant watching and                kolom, dat zoo dwingend schijnt, overtuigt mij  niet, dat
 that reveals itself spontaneously when it is not restrained.          gij gelijk hadt in uw  conclusie.
    I have still more criticism.                                          Waarom niet ?
    In the meantime I want make two remarks :                             Om de eenvoudige  reden, dat  uw premisse niet  deu<gt.
    1. That Dr.  Wezeman, if he so desires has, of course,                Gij  leg ook ditmaal weer iets in mijn  woorden,  dat ik
 the privilege to correct me and defend himself. He can                niet bedoeld  noch geschreven  heb.  Gij  onderstreent   nu
 have all the room in our paper he wants for that pur-                 het woordje de in mijn zin: `fVoor  ,deze beide dwalingen
pose. It is not my purpose to misrepresent him, but to                 bleven de  Gereformeerden  bewaard  door hun leer van
get at the truth of the matter.                                        wat  Calvijri noemde de  g?r&cz  cq~~~.~~~t~is,  de  algemeene
   2. That I reserve my criticism of the pamphlet by Dr.               genade of gemeente  gratie."  De cursiveering van dat
 Kuiper as to method  and'contents  to the last.                       woordje is niet van  rqij, maar van U.
   I am'  ifraid that  Classis Illinois is busy working itself            Dat moge een kleinigheid schijnen, maar  tech moet ik
into a hopeless' muddle.                                 H.H.          U het  recht ontzeggen, om in  mijn gezegde  dat woordje
                                                                       te onderstrepen.
                                   s. D. zwier                            Gij  zult  moeten  toestemmen, dat het heel wat verschil
                                                                       maakt, of ik zoo in het algemeen zeg: de Gereformeerden,
                                                                       zonder  aan mogelijke uitzonderingen aandacht te  schen-
                             Holland,  Mich., 22 Jan.,  1936.          ken, dan  we1 of ik zeg: de Gereformeerden, met  allen
Rev. H.  Hoeksema,                                                     nadruk op het woordje de.
Gland Rapids,  Mich.                                                      Ik stem toe, als het  mijn bedoeling geweest was, in
Waarde Broeder  :       .                                              dat bewuste artikel een  polemiek  met U  op te zetten, ja,
   Neen,  niet  or+te debatteeren, maar omdat ik er  prijs             dan zou ik me nauwkeuriger hebben  moeten  uitdrukken,
op  stel, dat we elkander  goed begrijpen,  klop ik  nogmaals          om ruimte te laten voor U op de Gereformeerde lijn.
bi j U  aan, in de stellige verwachting, dat gij  mij  odk                &faar dat was het geval niet. Gij vindt in heel' dat
ditmaal, evenals in uw nummer van 1 Jan., 1936, de goede               artikel geen' enkel woordje  aati  LIW adres gericht. Ik
ontvangst waarvan ik bij .dezen  in dank vermeld, audientie            schreef zonder eenige polemische b'edoeling, tot  onder-
zult  willen  verleenen. De vrijmoedigheid daartoe  ontleen.           wijzing  .van het  FP'&zt~~-lezend   publiek.
ik  aan  uw  bsroederlijke  uitnoodiging  aan het slot van  uw           ,Het kan  tech niet  worden  ontkend, dat de  Gerefor-
kepliek.          I                                                    meerden, nu in het algemeen  genomen,  van de dagen
   Uw beide  peccc&`s   &em ik gaarne  aan. `Ik ben  niet,             van  Calvijn  af hebben geloofd  aan zoo iets  als  $X&Z
zoo lichtgeraakt, dat  zulke  kleinigheden  bij  machte  zou-          cona.+~~u$s,  de algemeene genade, de gemeene gratie, of
.den zijn, om de goede verstandhouding te verstoren.                   hoe  ge het ook wilt noemen.
Daarover dus geen woord meer.                                            Zoover mij bekend, is er in de vier eeuwen lange  ge-
   Er zijn  echter een paar  punten  `in  LIW repliek, waarop          schiedenis, die het Calvinisme gemaakt heeft, nimmer  in
ik  nag  wel-   &en  .terug wil  komen.                                Nederland,   noch  i n   S c o t l a n d ,  noch  i n  Amerika,  noch
   In  de eerste plaats u.w redeneering, waarmede Gj tracht            ergens  elders, een  groep  Gereformeerden geweest, die de
te bewijzen, dat  $j mijn artikel in Da  Wu&er   vail  16              algemeene genade heeft geloochend en Gereformeerd is
ok,  1935,  we1 nauwkeurig  hadt  gelezen  en  terecht  daar- gebleven.
uit de  conch&e  .mocht  afleiden,.  dat ik U  bij  de  Ana-            Of het  uw groepje gelukken zal Gereformeerd  te
baptisten  onderdak had gebracht.                                      blijven. staat nog te  bezien.
   hTu  heb  ik U in mijn vorigen brief reeds verzekerd, dat             Gij  `% ik zullen  we1 niet  lang genoeg leven, om dat  te
ik  betere gedachten van U koester en U gaarne  onder  de              kunnen  beoordeelen.
Gereformeerden een  splaatsje  wil toekennen, zij het dan                Maar in elk  geval,  vergeleken met het groot  aantal
ook,  om  nogmaa!s de bekende synod&e uitdrukking  te                  Gereformeerden, is uw  groepje zoo  klein,  dat we in  een
bezigen, met een  neiging  .tot eeazijdigheid, Maar  och,              algemeen overzicht,  zooals ik  ga.f in dat  bewuste   artikel,


                   2 3 0                                                             .                                      T  3-I  E .S  X `A N D  A R D B E A  R E  R  -

                   en verlossing,  .oti Zijns  grooten.  Naams  wil.  En  aan  .di$
                   alles-beheerschende   be&it  zijn alle d&en van. Gods ra3.d;
                   den:  Christus en.  zijne  gemeente, de'  verkorenen  en de                                                                                               ' It ought to be plain from  -the  S&ptures  already  cited
                   certioipenen, de schepping en den  $11 betreffend;  volko-                                                                                               that eternal life and the  re-~ara  of  &&e is one and  the.
                   men  onderge&hikt. Daarom zijn  tille  dingen  uwe; en zijt                                                                                              same and that thus the latter, too,  ;S` the.  fruitage  bf  the
                   Gij van Christus;  en is  Christus Godes. Daarom  we&en                                                                                                  satisfaction and  righ[eousness of Christ. I wish to
                   alle   dingen  mede ten goede dengenen,  die God liefhebben,                                                                                             quote  one more Scripture in proof of this, "And whatso-
                   kan, niets ons scheiden van de liefde van  Christus en zijn
                  wij meer dan overwinnaars door Hem, Die ons heeft  lief-                                                                                                  ever ye  .do, do it heartily, as to the Lord,' and not unto.
                                                                                                                                                                            `men; knowing that of the Lord  ye shall receive the  re-
                   gehad  .Dat.   is de vastigheid des  Vefbonds.  vet: rust in                                                                                             wurd  of  th,e  inheritance  : for ye `serve the Lord Christ".
                  den-diepsten zin des wooids,  door het besluit des verborids                                                                                              Col. 3  24. The expression "`the.-kezuayd  of the  ipheri-
                   of den  raad  des vredes  heen,   in, Gods  eeuiirig,   verbonds-
                   Ieven als de  Driecenige.  God. Het weet van  geei-wan-                                                                                                  tan& means ; the reward, namely, the inheritance. Here
                   kelen, omdat  Gpd Zichzelven  niet.ka.n.ve&oche.nen.:.Qaai                                                                                               then  the reward is identified with the inheritance. Thus
                                                                                                                                                                            to prove that the inheritance is of Christ is to prove
                   ok zijn de genadegiften en is de verkiezing  &erouwe-                                                                                                    that the  -reward   is of Christ. Now the plain teaching
                  lijk. "En  dqarom   i's.  het godslasterlijk te stellen, dat er                                                                                           of Scripture is  thati the inheritance  ,i`s of Christ, is thus'
                   een afval  der heiligen zou  zijn..                                                                                :                    H.H..            the  fruitage  .of His suffering and death."  %ve read, "That
                                                                                                                                                                            in the dispensation of the  fulness  of times  he might
                                                                                     LECTURE                                                                                gather together in one all things in. Christ .  .' . . in  @`konr
                  -`.-; Rev. P.  ,fie Boer  .will deliver a lecture in the koosevelt                                                                                        also we have obtained  an  in,&er&*zce  .'  ..'  ) Eph. I  :10, II b.
                   Pai-k Protestant Refornied Church, Grand Rapids,  D,.  ,V.,                                                                                              And.ag$n,  "By faith Abraham,  &henyhe  was called to go
                   Feb. 20. Subject  :' "Esther".
                                :'                                                                                                                                          out into  a- place which he should after receive for -an-
                              :  _:,_.                  =.       ;                                                      , o -id..  -e.  -_                       .  s..     inheritatice, obeyed  ; . . . Heb. II  18. The place which
                                                                                                                                                 `.             _"          Abraham received as an inheritance is in the final instance
                                                                 iN'MEMORI&i                                                   .-          _,
                                                                             .  _                                                                                           the new earth to be inherited by the  me.ek.  The new
                   ._  op  Za&dag  morge&  den  2.&6  $&a&  .b&rleed   tot onze  diepe                                                                                      `earth certainly is a gift accruing from the  &ath of
                   droefheid, in  zijn Heer en  l?Ieilaxid,'  &ze  .geli,ifde echtgenoot. en                                                                                Christ.. Another Scripture, "That the God of our Lord  -
                   der  kinderen  zorgdragenden yader en behuwd  Vader..  -_                                                                                                Jesus Christ, the Father of  .glorq',  may  $ve  .ynto you
                                                               CORNELIUS   JACdBUS   I&N--                                                              -:I*               .the, spirit of wisdom and revelation in. the  knowledge  of
                                                                                                                                                                            him`: The  eyes  of your understanding being  enlighteped   ;
                                                                                                                                                                            that ye may know what is  the  hope of his  c$ling;.  atid.
                                                                                                                                                                           what the riches of the glory of  ,%s  .(  Chdst'sj  inh'etita%ce
                                                                                                                                                                            in' the saints  ; . . . And. hath put all  thiqgs under his
                                                                                                                                                                            feet, and give him to be the head over' all things  i&the
                   -                                                                                         Mr. and Mrs. Jacob  Door?,                                     church, which is his body,  the  fu.1ne.s.s  of him  thast  ful-
                             :  `.                                                                                      Chicago,. III.                                      j2letk a.11 in XV'. Eph. I :. 18, 22, 23. The  teaching of
                                                                                                             Marie  Doom
                                                                                          .     "                                                                          this Scripture' is that Christ's inheritance (consider that
                   1.":.                                                                                   .H&y  D o o r n
     -                                                                     ;:                               ..
                                                  ,            _'                         :                                                                                 the-inheritance  of' Christ is. His .rewarci) is in. the saints:
                                                                                                                        G&d Rapids,  `@%hig&   '  '
.-                                                                                                                                                                          and  f&her that the  c+ch,  .-His body, being  filled by
                                      ^                                                                                                                                     Him, is  His"fulness.  Thus  a!1  :fbe-bles.sedness  that fills
                                                                           HN. MEMOIi1A.M                                                                                   the church is first  .in Him.
                                                                                                                                                                                        .-....                            .-
               . . .                                                                                                                                                         _ If the  reward and the inheritance ark" the. same, so,
.                             On  .January  13, it pleased the Lord  ;o fake  &to Himself, after
.-                 prolonged suffering, at  the `age' of 80 years our dkar mother  &xl                                                                                      too,:  i,hi  inkzerita%ce  and  kfepke+vml..               j,  q&-&   `"A&-J.
                g r a n d m o t h e r ,                                                                                                                                     every- one that hath forsaken  ho&s, or  br&ren;  .or
          '                                                      M'RS.'  CORA 1 WILDEROM                                                           ~                        sisters, . . , . shall inherit eternal life".  Mat.:  1929.  He
          `_
                              Although our hearts are grieved we do not mourn as those:  &o                                                                                .th& o.vq- cometh shall inherit all things ; . . . . Rev... 21:7 a. -
7 `*              haire. no  liti$e for we have her testimony  $nd   :the  asSurance  in  .o&                                                                               W@reas..ete~nal   li'fe is.  inherited,  it.  bs must'  be,:  the. in-
                                                                                                                                                                                                            . . .!               -       _
:.                       ,
                   hearts that she died  in  The  Lord.                                                                                                                     heritanqe.   A n d   -&  th$zgs   inheriTed   b;u  h i m   ii&i  over-
                   ..  -  `!In -all these  .thin&  we., are.  moie  : than  co!qverors  through  FinI
                   .                       .            _                                                                                                                   comi.th must include the  in&ritance..  `Thus  :thk  con-
          t       h             a            t      loved  .us."            . .                      _            _.                                                        c&&on ?d which-&-are,  &-i,& 1;; $I$. t&.,q-e&ard, .the..in-
                       .:                                                                                                                                                   . . . ._
                  :-'                 "                                                                      Mr. and. Mrs.  Petei  `Decker.                                 keritance  and life stew&  are one. a&i' the same. If this
                                                                                                                         T h e   g r a n d c h i l d r e n .
      :                                                                                                                                                                     is- not the plain teaching of Scripture, words have no
                         Also  mourved by  us in whose lives she filled  the place of a mother.
:                                                                                                                                                                           meaning.                                        _
                                                                                          "                 Miss Minnie Provoost
     `.,           ;                                                                                        Mr. Peter  Piovoost                                             The reward was merited by  Ch+st,  is.thus the  f-uitagc
                   ._                                                                           -Mrs.:  N e l l i e   K n o p e r                                           of His suffering and. death: And  y@t,  Hbly  Writ  alsd
,:.                    "              ,_,                                    _'                              M r s .   Ma?y  VanderWee!c                                    plainly  teqches  that Christ-.  will  _I  :reward `His  `peapIe   `ac-
..-
: `....,
_.i:`.                         . .                                    I


                        I.                      ,        '
                        I
                        `. /                                                                 .T:--H'.E:  .S T  A:N"D`A  .R  D       B E A R E  R'                                                231.
      .: - "cdrding to  their very  i>wn' works. It  `was to `the  C~WYC~ li&ers in their` bodies, is  ,a reward of grace, a free,  UP
                                            in':Thy&ira  that Christ said,  " . . . and all  the  .churches `m$ted gift. It  is this  6f necessity,  as these Works
                                            shall  &bw "that I-  a& he `which searcheth the  reiiis`  and                 theniselvds  (works done-. by believers)  tie  a free gift,
                                     '  ."th&  Ji&rts   :,  htid  ..f  zc/;lJ  ..i@x'  unto  h,&~i  .oize  qf  jk  ti-    they being  the  flower  iri  the.  belie&s  ,of  &e  fr&`grft   tif
                                                                                                                                                                              _
                                       `+o&ng  td  your  wwksc'.  Rev. 2  :23  b:  Every  mem&r`  of t h e   rfghteoustiess  o f   Chri&  '
                             the  `chti$h,  thbs-`alsb   t h e   t r u e   beli&ers,  will  receive   `ac- `In fine,, the  ne`cessary   itiplaction`  of Paul's `teaching
     ,'                              -  :?;ditig%  to  his  woyks. This raises` the qu&tiori;:hgw  "the                   that  every  one will receive the things  d+  iri his body
                                            rewa_rd  of grace  can.be  a  .gift `merited by  Christ,`and at               is, that  every   klect of God  will  receive   accbrding to  +lie
                   : ,`o'rice  -2  gobd that believers receive:  accofditi,O  to their' Goi-ks that  Christ did in His  bddy:  `But as to the repro-
                   ,L,                      +$i  .oG  wo;ks. `It is to be noticed  ,that  the works`  ac- -bated wicked,  they will stand before  :the  trib&al  -of
                                            cordihg to  which  believers receive'  i?e  the very works                    God  .,as' robed in, their  very own vile works, done in their
     1  :                              -ifi  tihich  .they walk in this life.  .,.The.:apostfe   P&l made                 body,`and receive therefore ihe reward  dr. et&r&  4eath.
                   `_                                                                                                     T h e   righte&ness   o f   C h r i s t   fl6weis  i n   t h e   believeis
     ~                          1           t$is plain wh&i he wrote, "For we must all  appear  before
                                      :`the  judgment seat  of-  Christ   ;' -that.  eV&$  one may  re-                   as good works. It does so as the meritorial  &a&e  of thkse
                                            -ctive  the things  (done) in (his) body; according  to that .woiks,  and  not'of'  these works  onljr  tiut  bf `the believeid
                                            3~. h& dine, whether good or bad. The words  doize  and -complete redemption,  iiti  a word,  bf all fullness  to  .which
                                      .,%s"  al'e not found in the original- text.`  `Belie&-s;  too,                     th$  fall heir with Christ. But `this,rigl&&t%3s  of Christ
                                            &en will be given according to  the. works they do in                         in which `believers are robed is  not. one  and  He another.
                                       ~ Oh6 body. Bvt if so,  Jwiil  not they, tdo,  `reap   de&h? We Fact `is that`this robe is Christ  Hjmself  and  thus cannot
                                      ask  .this question  in- view  `oG  jhe fact that the' holiest of                   be  sep&-ated  frorri Him. If to this be  ac&led that all ftilness
                        "                   men  h&e` but a  .&all.  .beginni'ng   .of, true obedience  anfl              aiso  `dwells in Him  blodily and that -He  by His Word  :df
                                                                                                                          1~f& also gives  untd His  people  th&  life-He  merited for
~  -:, F  &tis' daily` poIut+  their. way before God. E$ it is  &-be
I                                           consideted that  belie&s,  being included in Christ, their                    them,  it will be seen that He, is not  oniy the  meritor:lai
                  i  -. .`S%oUr,.  are' robed in His  satisfacti&   atid righteousness,                                   bt;`t also the efficient cause and `the  very seat' of eternal
                                            and are `thus being  ,accounted  guiltless and' positively                    life  &d of all the ble"s&gs  `of' tlie kinidom; that He thm
                                     righteous before the `tribunal of God. Ndw whereas                                   of God is  made  u&o us  .ntiw' `and  &&  tiisdpm, right-
                                            be&iers, being legally  ircluded  in Christ, are witliout eousness, sanctification and  cotiplete redemptiori.. It
                                           g&t,  though in this  liie  they'&  con&ally, and where-                       nieans   that if He  were ever to  withdrtig   ,Himself   <from
                  ..                        as' the good  works  they  perform   .&e  npthing   elsk  th&                 His  pedple  by the laying off of  His.;human  natitre, they
                                     ihe  fiowe?, the, blossoming, in them of the righteousness                           at`that very instant, even as redeemed  and saved to the'  _
                                           ..df Christ, it is, must be, according' to their  godd  tioiks                 uttermost would lose their  ri&t&~usnes~,~  again stand
                                            and thus ,not according to  theil;  evil works,' that they will
                                                              -  __._~.                                                   before  %od in `all their sins  a$ die.'  He  is`thus'their
                   I_                  -.receiVe.  And whereas  the'righte&&ess of Christ  `Is theirs ` b r e a d   o f   l i f e   e t e r n a l l y .
                                            (it being imputed unto them  a4 a `free gift) and as their                       But to return.        Every man, the  b&eveis` as well  ,as
                                            priceless possession also flowers in them as good-works;                      they'  who. perish in their  siris, will receive according  10
                                      it  also  caz in truth. be said,  that they  receivd according their `works. Christ  cometh.,  And His reward  i$, with
                                       to.. their very.  ov$  works: It  *is to. be considered that                       Him  `to' r&cier to &very man &cc&ding  t0 his deeds : "To
                             - the. phrase "according  to his (the believer's  j  good works,                             them  who by patient' continuance in  ti.elT doing seek for.
                        _                   is' to be construed as  meaning not that the  good `works                     gloiy and honour `and  cmmortality,-eternal  life: but
                                            .bf  believei-s  merit but  as'  meanin:' that what is given                  cnto them that are contentious,  a`nd do not obey the truth
             ,v.                            ,`(lif&  eternal) fully agrees, is in full  a&-da&e   witl;Tthe               buf dbey  unrighteousness;l-indignation  and wrath, tri-
             :r,-.r :,b&e+er's good works and holy strivings. The  re&%`l is bulation and anguish;'  upon every soul df man that doeth
                  .   . Christ's..  He merited it. What`  He* begot  and  bes&ws                                          evil, . . . . but, glory honour`and peace to every  man that
             I                             .upori His people,  iS in'perfect  harmony `with their  wq:ks.                 workete  gobd . . .  ." *Thus  the believers will' receive  exi
     ._,:                                  -,Ebr  this  reason the-gift of  :ete&al life` is, also as, viewed             actly what  they- in this, ljfe long and ask for  z&l seek.
           I\. from the angle `of the believers' good works.,  truly  a                                                   And what will be given them-the reward of life eternal
           !.  - ..rew&rd. But on the other hand, whereas their  g&t- Lakrees  with their works.                                                                       .                    '
           : ._                             .lessness  is Christ's a&d' their good works nothing else than                 The question is  no+' in' order  whether'thk  reward-
           \.'
           :`.:                        > the blossoming `in, them of  His righteousness; the  as-                         the gift of  `life  eterna17will  be  the same for all, will
           i. -s&i&  -that they will receive according to their good ileGate,  as possessed, all  to the  &me  $nna&  .?f  .glqry
           :.1.                             wo?ks  is  tantamount  tb the `saying  that they  recei%  ac-                 and spell for all  t!he same measure of bliss.- Let us  dis-
           jI.  `-`cording to the
                                     :.                                kood works  (the'  rigliteousne.&)  of the         cover the teaching of Scripture  dn this  .point.              In Holy
                                            Saviour  w i t h   w h i c h   t h e y   a r e   c l o t h e d . `   :  `*    Writ the aggregate of `redeemed-the church-appears
           ;t                         I
                        :                    r Now` as seen  from the point of view of Y-e good works                     as  .$orining  a oneness. And the oneness of the church is
                             .: :done:by Christ  ifi His body, the `gift. of  kternal  life is a                          t`hat of `a body, `temple, family, race, house; The. beliepers,
           ii::. ..ietiard'of  .meiit  fdr  C%+t; but'  this  same life (eternal)                                         being many, are bne body in Christ; and,  e+e+y  on&  mem-
           ti' `. ' ~~-+ew.e&  ff6rn the angle' of the gooa`vjorkS  &r&by be- .be<s one of another,  Rain. 12  :5.  : They  ai-e- a  .choSen
           L                          ..                                                                                                              _           .

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

 sgeneration,  a  .royal priesthood,  ati holy nation, a peculiar           pound had gained ten pounds, was given authority over
 people  ;, that they should show forth the praises of him                  tdn cities ; and  the servant whose  pound had gained five
 who hath called them out of darkness into his marvellous                   pounds was set over five cities, Luke 19  :13 f.           Just
 light;  I-P&.  .2  9.     They also,  `as living stones,  arti built how the promise of these differing privileves and honors
 up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up will be made to materialize on the new earth, has not been
 spiritual sacrifices,  .acceptable  to God  by Jesus  ,Chtist,             revealed; But that there will be diversities of honours,
 I Pet. 2  :3. .The oneness' of the church  ,iS that  .of a city.          privileges and operations, also in the kingdom  .of heaven
 The  church is Zion, the city of God that is- now and that                 as fully come, is stated plainly enough. But this multi-
 God first  etel'nally  ha.d with Him in His counsel. The                  plicity of difference will not spell for some inferior  and
 church has salvation  %nd righteousness  ;destined  to go                 and imperfect and for others perfected glory. The New
 forth as bl-ightness  and to be seen as a burning lamp, Isa.              Jerusalem, as to all its parts, is a thing of pure  `and ac-
 62.:1, 2.  `Now the church, being a body, a city, forms a                 complished beauty.      Diversity in this case cannot spell
 dn&ss, as does also its  gldry.  But  a.s this oneness is that            imperfection.
 of a body it must rest-in diversity, in the. distinctness of                 What now is the reward of grace? If there is `to be in
`the  b&g  of the body's  m'embers,  in the unlikeness  of                 thd kingdom of heaven  as fully come a  multiplicty of
 the temple's stones. And so  `it does. The members of `difference, the reward of grace will of necessity have. to
 the body of Christ are not identical. They cannot be ; for,               consist in a distinctive good for each member of Christ's,
 in the words of the apostle, if they were all one member,                 glorified body. And this good will have to be  the  dis-
 where were the body ? So the  b,ody of Christ is not one                  ,tinctive  joy, bliss, honour, privilege,  duty, right, calling,
 member` but many.           And all, the `members of  ~the one            place and station in the kingdom'  ai?d  functon in the
 body, being  .tiariy,.  are one' body. There is then diversity            body,-layed  away  fo,r each individual believer. As
 and oneness and the  iatter~rest  in and rises from the for-              was pointed out,. each- redeemed one will receive a whjte
 tier. In agreement herewith the redeemed in the  resur-                   stone'in which will be.  writien a name, expressive of the
rection will  `rkdeive white. stones with  naties written in               distinctiveness of his being as a perfected and glorified
them, expressive  o$  each redeemed One's distinctiveness.                 saint and thus of the distinctiveness of all his engage-
 This same  miltiplicity of difference is  seen in  the  church            ments and of his hollowed activity in that particular
 ;jn earth; differences of  admirations,'  diversities of opera-           place in the heavenly  .alloted him. Each believer there-
 tion>.    To one is given by the Spirit the word  bf wis-                 fore will receive his very own distinctive reward. And
 dom; to another  the.word of  knotiledge;  to another faith               of this reward the white stone with the name written in
by the `same Spirit; to another the working of miracles.;                  it is the token. The coming into the possession of this
to another  the.  gift of  `healirig;   to, another prophesy; to           distinctive  good is, must  &, at  -once a  coniing into the
another divers-kinds' of  tong-u&;  to another the interpre-               possession of God and  ,of all things: the new heavens
tation of  tongues.        These  dissimili&des of natural  atid           afid the new earth, the holy  `cityt the blessed society of
 spii-itual  gifts,  atid'  ptirsonalities  will  -abide   and, as per-    811 the redeemed, perfection, immortality,  gloi-y   atid life
 fected reappear in  the'glorified  tihurch in `a manner. con-             eternal. For what is enjoyed is good in Christ and  all.the
sistent with the  st&tt of  ,glory  ,of the redeemed family!               heavenly  :in the face of which the glory of Go  -1' is seen.
Atid also the glory of the  one-memb,er  of this family will               ,Strictly speaking, there is but one reward common to all
differ from'that of the other. This is suggested by John's                 the redeemed. But this  o,ne reward will be possessed by
descriptioti  of  :the  beauty  of the New Jerusalem. The                  each individual saint as a distinct good. And it ought also
building `of the  wall.of it was of jasper: and the  city.was              to be plain that the reward is not a thing added to, but  is
$ire `gold, like unto clear. glass. And the foundations                    life eternal, as for each saint this life will consist in his
of' the walls of the city were garnished with all manner                   knowing God in a measure in `keeping with his distinctive
of precious stones. Arid the  welve gates  .ivere twelve                   capacities for knowing. Thus in the' central `sense, the
pearls : and the street'of the ci:, was pure, gold, as it were             reward is God in  .Chr&t as distinctively possessed and
transparent glass. And the  ridiance  6f the one part of                   .enjoyed,  and praised and adored by each individual be-
the city blends with the radiance of  al! the other  parts                 liever,
to form the one glory of Jerusalem. And Jerusalem's                          That the reward, the inheritance and life eternal are
glory is  Christ's.       The  .full brightness. of Christ will be         one and the same; has been conclusively proven.            God
s`een  not in the face of one  member  but in the faces of  all            Himself said that He  is  the reward  df His people,  ex-
the members of His glorified body. The true  pluri- `ceedingly great.                          And the Scriptures speak of the re-
fdrmity of the church is this multiplicity of difference in                ward of the inheritance and further declare, as has been
the-redeemed and perfected family of God.                                  shown, that what believers will inherit is life eternal,
   There is even ground in Scripture for  ,saying  that the                and that what will be given to them is all things. It
prMeges  and  bgnour to.  bs6 enjoyed by the citizens of `means, as has `been pointed out, that Scripture identifies
the kingdom to come will differ.~The  wall of the heavenly                 the reward with the inheritance  2nd the inheritance in
Jerusalem had t+,relve' fomidafio'ris, .%nd in them the names              turn with  God in  Chiist and with all things.' But it is
.of the twelve  -apdstles   `6.f' the  latiibt.. The servant whose         also the plain teachings of Scripture that  this one  reward


                ,
                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                          233

 is.p.ossessed  by each believer as a distinct good; that thus        each' redeemed one will in `Christ come to his own to
 tc each will be given his very own reward.         Wrote Paul,       God.`s glory in that place of the heavenly, prepared for
 "I have planted,  Apollos watered  ;  butGod giveth the              him.
 increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing,                In setting the eternal inheritance  -before the eye of His
 neither he that watereth; but God that  @veth  the in-               people as a reward, the Lord deals with them as with
 crease. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are                ethical, responsible beings.            He commands, exhorts,
 o n e   :  a.&  ezrcry   plaza95   slzall   rece&  1LiX  oZ&o?z   rew&  flc- threatens, beseeches and admonishes His people, and to
 cord@ to  his  &our.  I Cor. 3  68. From Scriptures                  encourage them comes to them with the promise of re-
 such as this, it was concluded by many that the reward               ward, assures them that the reward will be according to
 is a good  adde,d to life eternal, to the inheritance. It was        works, that. thus their  labours will be honoured and
 reasoned that since every believer will' receive his very            crownecl in the presence of the angels in heaven and in
 own reward, the reward cannot be the inheritance, eternal            the sight of all men. And the reward, as possessed, will
 life, as this is the same for all. What was overlooked               be unto the redeemed the eternal token and pledge of His
 is that the gift of life eternal will take on a new dis-             abiding love and esteem.                               G. M. 0.
 tinctiveness in every individual member of Christ's  glori-
. fied body.                                                                                          4-a"
   The question remaining is whether the reward will  bg
 in keeping with the faithfulness of the believer in this
 present time; and with the good works that he performs                  What here follows is a  rep&-t  on  tbe emeritus minister.
in this present life. The teaching of Scripture is that it            adopted by our Protestant Reformed churches on a recent
will. Attend once  more to the Scripture last quoted.                      .
                                                                      meetmg of the  Classis.  OUT  churches therefore have
 Every man (here every believer) shall receive his own                made the principles set forth in this writing their own.
 reward according to, that is, in agreement with, his  la-            Thus the report (written in the Netherland language
bour. The servant whose pound had gained ten pounds, .and translated by the  undersigriecl)  is of interest to all
was given authority over ten cities ; and the servant whose           the members of our churches.             So we take the liberty
pound  ,had gained five pounds was set over five cities.              of publishing it in this magazine. .
The names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel                        .  ,.
are written on the gates of the New Jerusalem  ; but the              What  is  `a%  emeritm   mhister.   .The word  eme&tis   is
`names of the twelve apostles of the Iamb are in th.eXwelve           derived from the Latin verb  emeyeri   meaning  having
 foundations of the city,  Rev..2.1  :12, 14. Said'  I%fei-:to        serveil  .out a term of  oflice, retiyed, a0 longer  ifi office.
Christ, "Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed: thee ;           The  Remans  used the word for discharged soldiers and
what shall  we,.have.  therefore.? And Jesus  said unto them,         public..  @icials.:. In.  the..b:eginning..of-  the: 17th century
Verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed me,                in  the.Netherlands,  the word came into use as a designa-
in the regeneration when the Son of man shall  .sit in the            tion of ministers of the Gospel who by reason of age
throne  .of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones,         and sickness' were freed from the duties of their office
judging the twelve  .tribes of Israel". Mat. 19  27,  28.             but retained the honour and title of ministers.
But'the reward, once more, has been merited for the                      `The  chura,cter   of  tFzs  emeritus. Emeritus is  a discharge
believers by Christ, and therefore is- not of merit but  bf           of the performance of official duty, with retention of tit e
grace. It `could not be anything. else, considering that              and honor of a `minister of the Gospel : "shall neverthe-
the believers are God's  iyorkmanship, created in Christ              less retain the honor and title of a Minister". A Minister,
Jesus-unto good works, which God hath before ordained                 who. by reason of age or `sickness, is rendered incapable
that they should walk in them; Eph. 2  :10. Their works,              of performing the duties of his office, is given his
their  pIace in  the. kingdom- here below, their  r&Ural and          emeritation. According to Art. 13, he retains the rights
spiritual gifts, `their zeal love and devotion are as well            connected with his office (the right of ministering the
as the. reward; the  fruitage  of  .the suffering and death of        Word. and `the  Sacrements),j  but is -relieved from the  or-
their  Saviour,  the blossoming of His satisfaction and               dinary  .duties of his.officea He retains his seat and voice
riihteousness.   .Both in this  lift  &id in-the world to come;       in  : the consistory and may appear  upon  tie,  meeting of
the  redeemedlive.  move and  ha.ve their `being Christ. He           classis .  .wi.th advisory vote. This has always been the
is. and ever. `will be, their  ..bread  of life; `the very sphere     vii@:::.  of  -our  :.  Reformed:,  fathers.  .-'  Almost  .a11  &&al
ijf  .~~&f:.~&$,&~ce. -Of this  truih the  tearlfiing.   that. the    and pr-ov.incial'-  rules stipulated, -be it not everywhere with-
r&le&ed  will `be  rewarded'   according` to their works can          out `certain. restrictions,: that an emeritus' minister who
be `no negation if only it be maintained that the reward is           continued to reside in the church where he was emeritus,
of grace. That the believers will be given a reward,                  was a member of the consistory and of the  classis and
simply means that they will all come in the  unity. of                could be chosen as member of the synod.                  It was in
faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto                   latter years, under the influence -of colleqialistic and revo-
a perfect man, unto the measure of the; stature of tiie               lutionary principles, that emeritus ministers were de-
fulness of Christ. It means, rightly considered, that                 prived of this right.


    Tk emeritus  ~mi&.ster   &ail be  Fconolrably  provided  for       poor are named. The law here quoted, had respect to
 i~i, his needs., Art  13 requires also this, the revised  Article,    them only.        Nowhere do we read,  ."If there be among
  that together' with the other articles  of our Church Or-            you a poor Levite or a poor priest of one of thy breth-
  der form the basis of  o,ur church formation, as well as             ren . .  _  ." or,  " And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard,
 the original article of Dordrecht.          This ought to be neither shalt  th& gather every grape of thy vineyard;
 certain for us all. We need not argue about. this. A                  thou shalt leave them for the  podr Levite and for the
 congregation may not allow its needy members to perish                poor priest . . .  ." Nowhere in the Old Testament Scrip-
  from hunger and want. Well now, a minister is a mem-                 tures is a Levite or a priest called poor. The only possible
 ber  o$ the congregation.                                             explanation of this is that the priest, as far as his legal
    The care of emeritus`ministers and that of the widows              status in the church was concerned, was not classified
  or orphans of ministers is not a work of mercy but a                 with the  poor; even though he might be ever so poor as
 support to which they have a juridical right, except in .far as his condition was  izoncerned.  Consider that  a
 those cases in which, according to their own judgment and person is poor in  a  juridical sense, who possess nothing.
 according to the judgment of the church assemblies,-they              Now the priests and the Levites of the Old Testament
 `cannot assert in a juridical sense their  .right to support          Dispensation did possess something, namely the tenths
  for themselves and their families. The emeritus minister is          as inheritance. Num.  18:21 reads, "Behold I have given
 thus no object of mercy. The support gjven him is no `fhe children of Levi  a11 the tenths  in Israel for an in-
 alms. Also respecting this point there is no difference               heritance, -for  t&e service of the tabernacle of the `con-
 of opinion among the Reformed.                                        gregation". In this same  cha;pter  we read, "Thus speak
   According to this principle, the care of the emeritus               unto the Levites and say unto  them,  When ye take  of
 ministers and their widows and orphans reposes  upoil                 the children of  Is'rael the tithes which I have given  y~ru
the'same ground that  the care of the congregation for the             from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up a
 supFort  of their pastors in active service rests upon.  .And         heave offering of it for the Lord, even a tenth part of.
 ,this ground is that the minister of the  gospel, because             the tithe. And this your heave offering shall be reckoned
 of the character of their office, cannot themselves. provide          unto you, as though it were the corn of the threshing-  '
 for their support in that the churches have claimed them              floor, and as the fulness of the vinepress  ; . . . . And ye
 as to their persons, gifts and powers for the entire span             shall eat it in every place, ye and your households: for
 of their lives. And from `this  & `follows  ,in the first             it is your reward for  your service in the tabernacle of
 place that the churches according `to the  apostolic. word            the congregation". The question is  whether  the Levite
 must  provide  `for them  &nd their dependents, and in the            received  this reward during  the period of his active  ser-
  se&+  place  that,  virhen  the ministers can no longer per-         vice only or during his entire life? The latter. I n   t h e
  form the duties of their office, they  ret+n:their juridical         words of Moses, the Levites had to go in to `wait upon
  right to their support of themselves' and of their de-               the service of the tabernacle of the congregation from
  pendents as  ,long as this support is  .needed.        `Consider     twenty and five years old and upward; but from the age
  that ministers of the Gospel do `not receive a hire in the           of fifty  years they had to cease or turn from the warfare
 `ordinary  sense  bf the word, that their service  ii not to          of the service and might serve no more. Num.  8:24, 25.
. be classified with vocations, productive of gain  but that           No& the Levites, as retired, retained their reward. No-
 they simply  receive  3s much as plain living requires. For           where do we read that they were deprived of this reward
  this reason the  suppo,rt  of the ministers does not cease           after their retirement.     But Holy Writ does implicitly
when their active service terminates  bit extends itself               state, "And behold, I have given the children of Levi all
  over the time during which they cannot properly perform              the' tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their `service
  the duties of `their office, also to the widow and orphans           which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle':.
 ,as'  lc%g as the latter  cannot care  foi- themselves.  I  Let me    Levi. 18  :21.     And the eleventh verse of this chapter
  proye this from Scripture.                                           reads, "All this is thine; the heave offering of their
    ,C&sider   ?hat in  Israel the Levites and the priests on          gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of Israel:
  one hand and the poor on. the other hand, comprised two              I have given them unto thee,  .and to thy sons and to
  distiyct  and disparate groups  ,economically.  The proof            thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever . .  ." This
 .if  t&s  is that in  the Mosaic code of laws we come upon            inheritance was  pot taken away from the retired  Levite
 one group of precepts that turn solely upon  the'support              and `priests. How could it be? It  was legally theirs,
 of `the. Levites and  -priests  a.nd,,another  group  teat turn       by a -statute for ever. Even the  ,priest,  who by reason of
 solely upon the. support  of the poor. When the Israelites            this or  thit physical defect could not- serve,. nevertheless
 reaps the harvest of  his land, he shall not wholly'reap              ate. of'the  altar. Nowhere do we read that such a priest
 the corners of his field. He shall not gather the glean-              was reckoned as belonging to the poor as far His legal
 ings of his harvest. He shall not glean his vineyard,                 status was concerned.
 neither gather every grape of his vineyard. He, must                    This then is the case. The Levite might have no part
 lace them for  %he poor. Lev. 19  :9,  10; 23  :19;. 25 :25-          nor inheritance with his brethren. Therefore the Lord
  28 ; Deut.  15 :  7-11; Ex. 23  6. In these precepts the gave to the children of Levi the tenths. as inheritance,


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                    235

 as a reward for their service.      The legal right to this       you, the law) ?  rior it is written in the law. of  aoses,
 reward was theirs until the very hour of their death . .          Thou shalt not  nmzzle  the mouth of the -ox that treadeth
 Thus it also remained theirs during the entire period of          out the corn. Doth God take care of oxen? Or saith
 their retirement. What was the reason for this? And               he it altogether for our sakes. For our sakes, no doubt,
 the answer, taken from God's word,  "(Dem.   IO%, 9) At           this is written  ;'  : . . . .If we have sown  unto.you spiritual
 that time the Lord separated the tribe of Levi, to bear           things, is. it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal
 the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the          t h i n g s ?   1   C o r .  9:7-U
 Lord to minister unto him, and to bless in his name unto             The apostle could also have written, "If we have
 this  day: Wherefure (I am still quoting Scripture) Levi          sown unto you spiritual things, is it so great a thing if we
 had no part nor inheritance with his brethren . .  ." This .reap your carnal  things  that is, retain our legal right to
 last clause, "Wherefore Levi had no part nor inheritance          our support, when we. having become old, can no longer
 with his brethren . .  ." implies, "Therefore the Lord gave       labour  ?
 unto Levi the tenth as a reward for his service", and,               A married woman has a legal right to' the material
 "Therefore Levi retained his legal right to the reward            support of her husband as long as she lives; also when
 all his life".  .Therefore.    Wherefore? The Lord sep-           she as incapacitated  biy age or sickness can no longer per-
 arated. the tribe of Levi; to stand before the Lord to            form her household duties. What would we now say of
 minister unto him, . . . Therefore, namely, for the very          this husband if he said to his wife who by reason of
 same reasons, the minister of the Gospel retains his  re-         sickness or age could no. longer take her place in the
,.ward for his service his whole life. Why? Because he,            family, "Wife, it is true, you have for  .many years now
 same as the Levites of old, stands before the Lord to             faithfully given yourself to me and the family. But by
 minister unto him, and to  bdess in his name  ; because as        reason of sickness, you have become a disabled woman.
 the Levite of old he follows no ordinary pursuit of life,         physically. As far as your status in our family is con-
 productive of material gain  ; because as the Levite of           cerned, you are now poor. Regard therefore, the support
 old this is forbidden him.       To Timothy Paul wrote,           that you henceforth receive of me as alms". The hus-
 "Thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of              band who so speaks to his incapacitated wife and affords
 Jesus Christ. No  .man that  warreth entangleth himself           her such treatment, actually dissolves the marriage tie.
 with the affairs of this life, that he may please  him- who       One of two, that wife is the wife of that man also in
 bath chosen him to be a soldier". 2 Tim. 2  :3, 4. The            her sickness and she in this case retains her legal right
 minister. of the -gospel, further, retains his juridical right    to her  husband's_  support in that this support is affixed
 to his reward, because as the Levites of old he must give. not to her active service but to the relation she sustains to
 himself exclusively to the service of the Lord and must           her husband; or the marriage tie was dissolved by her
 permit the churches to possess him as to his  person and          sickness and if so she lost her legal right  to. her hus-
 all his  gifts'and powers for his whole life. Now if the          band's support. Not the former but the latter, of course,
 ministers of the gospel as the Levites of old may follow          is true. Consider that Christ gave unto his church pas-
 no earthly pursuit productive of material gain  ; if this as      tors and teachers. The congregation is in duty bound to
 the Levites of old is expressly forbidden them.; if the           provide for  &hem.            Further, we have proven from
 ministers of the Word as the Levites of old,  do, not go          Scripture that this support has been affixed by the Lord
 (I Cor.  8:7-g) a warfare any time at his own charges?            not to their active service but to their office. (The priests
 must. eat of the fruit of the vineyard he planted, must           and Levites possessed their reward also as retired ser-
 eat of the milk of the flocks he feeds, how could it be           vants of the Lord): As long as the minister is in office
 explained that the retired priests and Levites retained           therefore, he cannot possibly lose his legal right to the
 their legal right to their reward, if ministers of the gospel     support of the congregation. Thus as far as his legal sta-
 must lose it? How could the parting of the two lines at           tus  is concerned, he can never become a poor man, as long
 this point be explained? This could not be explained.             as he is vested with office. He who maintains that the
   Let us  no-t say that the law has been  ablrogated  and is      support tendered a minister of the gospel'by the congre-
 thus no longer in force.       The law has been abolished         gation is alms, actually deposes him from office. The
 according to its form but not according  to. its essence.         minister according to the ordinances of Christ, retains
 The law is the incorporation of eternal principles  to. the title and honor of a minister. He therefore retains
 which regard must be had and out of which we must                 his legal, juridical, right to his reward. `This reward
 live. Jesus therefore said that he came not to break the
                -.                                                 can be taken from him and he be allowed to starve. Then
law but to fulfill  It. That also the apostle Paul had under-      he is a poor man according to his- condition but not ac-
 standing of this, appears `from what he wrote to the              cording to his status.
 congregation in Corinth, "Who  goeth  a warfare any                  Why do we place so great emphasis on this matter?
 time at his own charges? who  planteth  a vineyard and            Because we regard it a disgrace for the minister of the
 eateth not of, the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock          ,gospel  to be classified with the poor also concerning
 and eatheth not of the milk of the flock? Say I these             his legal status ? Of course not.  This `is the point. God
 things as a man? or saith not the law the same also (mark         wills that. the minister retains his legal.. juridical, right

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

  to his reward or support. And what God wills, we as een speciale  openbaring des Geestes, waardoor hem duide-
 churches must also will. Otherwise  we`come  to a sorrow-          lijk'weid WIE Gods, vijanden zouden geweest zijn, en
  ful end.                                            G. M. 0.      op grond van het feit dat het  b$ginsel  der  Prot. Geref.
                        (to be continued)                           kerken--" you  fellas"-praktisch  niet uitwerken kon. Er
                                                                    zou stellig  niets van  bet  heidetidom  gekomen zijn indien
.;  vreem                                                           Paulus in zijn zendingswerk bezield ware geweest met
                                                                    onze zienswijze.
                                                                      Ten derde,.  dat hij, voorts, zoo overtuigd was van zijn
   - Ter inlichting van het lezencl  publiek  diene het  vol-       kijk op de zaak en zijn beschouwing van het  Evangel5
 gende, gegrepen uit de jongste geschiedenis der kerkelijke         (en dit reeds  jaren geweest was) dat, wat wij ook  hier-
 tiereld in de  0,ranje Stad.                                       over mochten schrijven, hij van zijn standpunt niet  ZOLI
   .Eenige maanden  geleden   werden   wij, als  belangstel-        veratideren.  Hij gaf  oni bovendien de verzekering dat
  lenden  in de  zaak van  Christelijk Onderwijs, in  bet  kerk-    het overbodig zou zijn hem een copie van het geschrevene
 gebouw der Eerste  C@.risteli  jke  Gerefbrmeerde gemeente         toe te laten  zenden, daar hij het waarschijnlijk  to& niet
 van  Orange  City?  Ia., vergast op een toespraak door Mr.         onder oogen zou nemen.        (De VAANDELDRAGER
 11.  Fakkema  van Chicago. De inhoud dezer  rede,,  zoowel         moet  zich natuurlijk door dit gezegde niet van zijn goede
  als onze waardschatting  derzelrc in bijzonderheden,  kun-        gewoonte en pers ethiek laten afschrikken maar  ga gerust
 nen hier achterwege blijven. In dit  overzicht der  geschie-       met zijn tasch naar het adres van Dr. Bronkema. Hij
denis  willen  wij  letten  op wat voorafging  aan en  volgde       zal, zij het dan misschien ietwat bedektelijk, den inhoud
op die rede en  06~  de. geschiedenis zooals die  zich `daaruit     van des Vaandeldragers  taschje  we1 nasnuffelen) .
 ,  ontspon.  De voorzitfer, Ds. M. .Vander  Werp, las Psalm          Ten slotte, dat  toen wij er  o@ aandrongen om een  be-
  139; Dr. R. Bronkema opende met  dankzegging; en  on-             slist antwoord te geven op de vraag of zulks bidden
 dergeteekeride  sloot de vergadering met,  gebed.   Toen  wij- "laster" was ja dan neen; het antwoord luidde: "Ik  hen
 het Schriftgedeelte hoorden voorlezen  k&am  de hope in            er van overtuigd dat het BIJNA laster is ("almost blas-
 ons op, d-at wij gewezen zouden worden   op onze roeping           phemy").
 het.leven der antithese te openbaren ,ook op het gebied van          Over het hier bovengenoemd standpunt meenden wij
  onderwijs. Daarvan, kwam,  echter, hoegenaamd niets in            allereerst te  moeten  schrijven : VREEMD. Want  vreemd
 de rede,'  noch ook werd  e; met een enkel woord van  ge-          is zulk een  bseschouwing   der zaak nit meer dan  CCn  oog-
  rept  in"het   "openend   danken"   vaq Dr. Bronkema.  Onidat     punt. Vreemd allereerst van  uit.  geestelijk zedelijk  oog-
 wij, nu  meetlden,  dat juist in  bet cp den  achtergrond-         punt van iemhnd die belijdt &n te zijn met dat volk welks
 schuiven van de antithese HET gevaar dreigt voor de                zekerheid van veiligheid juist  ligt in geestelijke isolatie.
  Christelijke.  School, hebben wij in  011s  geb,ed de bede        Dat,  nemen  wij  aan, is  tech ook de belijdenis  vati Dr.
 uitgedrukt, dat God ons als verbondsvolk de genade Wilde           Bronkema  -als lid van de gemeente  Christi. Naar die  be-
 geven' om de lijnen scherp te  trekken ook  .op  bet terrein       lijdenis moet hij als getrouw soldaat reeds strijden tegen
 van onderwijs en de wereld te beschouwen als onze vijand           de legermachten der duisternis en kan hij nooit, zonder
 en haar met hare inrichting te  haten  met volkomen  haat          zijn  belijdenis te verkrachten, ook maar in het  allerge-
 als vijand Gods en Hem vijandig.                                   ringste de vredevlag opsteken of met den vijand gemeene
    Er gingen eenige  weken  voorbij waarin wij  &et  veel          zaak  maken.  Dat dit onmogelijk is  ligt in wat beleden
 vernamen van den indruk in het "genoegelijk  .avondje"'            wordt van  ,Christens  wege, maar in  bet eigendommelijke
 nagelaten. Inmiddels,  echter, `had de  leeraar der Eerste van het leven der wedergeboorte. Dat leven is immers
 Chr. Geref. kerk (Dr. R. Bronkema) zijn  catechesatie- bet leven van  onzen verheerlijkten Christus. En dat leven
 klas voor jongelieden gewaarschuwd voor  de  "verderfe-            kan onmogelijk de lijnen verzachten want het is het leven
 lijke leer van  Hoeksema" en, om  k&lit  aan zijn  waar-           der volmaakte Godsliefde. Zoo bezien moet men  conclu-
 scbuwing bij te zetten, er op gewezen dat het verkeerde            deeren,  dat  iemand  die  gemeene  zaak met den vijand
 van die leer  we1 uitkwam  in het  ;cebe<  van  ondergetee-        maakt  (en de  opheffers  der antithese in leer of praktijk
 kende, daar hij  zich daarin schuldig  hid  gemaakt   aan          doen juist zulks) naar die mate het  leveti  Christi derft,
 laster (blasphemy).      Dit kwam ons NATUURLIJK                   Vreemd is dus zulk een  bleschouwing uit het  oogpunt  van
 tweederhands  ter  oore.   O&I het  i-echte van de zaak onder      Christelijk soldaat zijn. Wat de  zaak  in  dit geval  ver-
 oogen te krijgen hebben Wij den Doctor over die geruch-            ergert is het feit dat Dr. Bronkema geen gewoon soldaat
 ten  aangesproken  en ondervraagd  naar zi jn standpunt.           is die onder leiding en commando van anderen  zou moeten
 Deze gaf ons het volgende te kennen:            "                  strijden, maar zelf een  officier is, en dat nog  we1 geen
    Ten eerste, dat hij ons  standpunt--"the  view of  you          onder-officier ook. Er prijken immers voor zijn naam
 fellas"-goed verstond, ook inzake  bet  haten der  vijan-          de letters DR.! Nu is het niet clan diepe ernst wanneer wij
den Gods.                                                           Zeggen  dat het  vreemcl? onbetamelijk  i's zulk een leer te
    Ten tweede, dat hij dat standpunt  meende te  mo@ten            handhaven, voor iemancl  in`zulk een positie.' En die posi-
 veroordeelen op grond van de  veronderstelling dat David ,tie verdiept obk  uiteraard  clen  graad  van het  vreemde
  die bewuste bede of uitspraak  ken  uitspreken  alleen na         nit  leerst&ig  &gpunt. .Immers, indien iemand, dan  zou


Die weg is: het  volstandig en onverschrokken optreden                                      This is the real  tieaning  of the  ccmmand under  con-
o n z e i   school-vereenigingen   d o o r  bun  school-bqards  i n                         sideration when taken by itself.
den eisch dat vooeaan  geen andere toon geduld  zal worden                                    Now, Adam, being created in the' image of God, came
dan aangeven in :"Wij zullen   haten  .die U  haten,  o,  onze- into being as' standing in the way of the. commanc&nent  of
God!  :.  . geef,  genade  om te  haten met een  volkornene,                                God, prepared to  run,and  to live in it. But he soon for-
heilige  haat". Want ook dat is slechts door  souvenein-                                    sook the  way of life and died, he and all his  descendents.
vrije  .en machtige genade, daar het de  openbaring is van                                  The latter, being legally included in him, reaped his
de keerzijde der eeuwige Godsliefde in  onze  hart&  uit-                                   guilt and thus also his death. All men therefore must
gestort  docx den Geest der wedergeboorte. Dan is  er                                       now `come into being in Sin, and  thus. as running poten-
hope. Dan alleen ! Israels veiligheid is  uitsh6tend   ver-                                 tially not in the way of the commandment but in  the way
zekerd in  zijn "alleen  wonen".                               .        H.  H.  K.          of sin and death. Yet God continued to require of man
                                                                                            that he  .walk in the way of His commandment and live,
                                        0:                                                  It was  tiith this  requiremept  that the Lord came to His
                                                                                            people Israel. At Sinai Israel passed under the law.
   _...  ".                       Sinai .
    .                                                                                       &d the Lord said, "Ye  shall therefore keep my statutes
                                                                                            and judgments ; which if a man do ,he shall live in them"
  Sn our former, article an  &emit was  be&niade  to                                        and "Cursed be he  that'confirietli.  not all the  wdrdd of
establish the meaning of the Scripture, "Ye shall there-                                    the  law to  do. them". Thus  the' pkople of Israel  inust
fore keep my statutes, and my judgments ; which if a                                        walk in the  way of the  comman&e&   .of God would
man: do,  Fe  &all live in them; I am the Lord".                                    This    they  l&e and be blessed. It means that apparently their
de&ration.; when  takeri  by  itsetf  (mark  you! I say  whtin                              doom is sealed, as they are a people -by nature.dead in sin
taken by itself) cannot  .possibly mean, If a man keep my                                   and thus only capable of walking, in the counsel of the
statutes and  `my judgments. he shall by so doing, merit                                    ungodly and of standing in the way of sinner, capable
life. The.unmistakaMe  proof of this is  that  Chyist,   LOO,                               therefore only of, transgressing.  the. law. And in ihe way
said,. to His people  substanti&y  the same  ihing. As `has                                 of sinners  they must, according to the righteous  jtidg-
been pointed out, in the  hook of the Revelation of John,                                   ment  of God, stand and run, as they have offended in
we  dome upon a statement that reads,  `IBlesSed  are they                                  Adam and daily increase their debt.
t!+at keep his commandments, that they may have  r'ight                                       Consider the plight of fallen man. God says, "Keep
to the tree of life". The  stitement  is from Christ to His                                 my commandments and live".  HoFvever  only the living
people.  And by the, mouth `of the  apostle   Pau!, Christ                                  have power to  .walk in the way of the  dommandment.
said, again to His  peo$e?.   :"Children obey your parents in                               Walking in the commandment presupposes life. Can  no&
the  L&-d,  for: this. is right.  '  .Honour  thy father and thy                            man, dead in sin,  &part unto himself life? Nay, it is
mother  ;' which is the  fir&  dommandment  with promise ;                                  God  ivho  gives life and immortality. But this is  no:
tb.at it may be well `with  thee;   &d thou  .mayest live long                              all. Consider that fallen man is dead because he must
on the earth". As was said, the.word   ewth in this promise                                 be. Hence, before life can be imparted unto him, his
denotes the earthy Canaan but in  thy  ,final  instance the                                 guilt must be atoned for and he delivered from the curse.
new earth -to be inherited by the.  rr,eek.                            So  then what        It means that the command of God "do and live" as .com-
ivvk have  h&e coming to  tis from Christ is, "Keep  tiy                                    ing  to` fallen man, by nature dead in trespasses and `sin,
commandments that thou  mayest inherit eternal life"; places him under the fourfold necessity  of  atbninc for
Now if  the. command (Of Levi  18.) "Ye  shall'therefore                                    his guilt, of delivering himself from the curse of the
keep  tiy sta$tes,'   ;., :.I  ,`<.which if a  man do, he  Shall live                       law, of imparting  unto'himself  life  atid if he would-beget
in them  `.  `. .  " meti&  ."If a man  -keEp'my statutes he by                             `for himself -the glory that Christ begot for His  peopl&,
so doing m+&t.s life,, we `are driven to the conclusion  tliat                              of  ,meriting for himself life' eternal.  -If fallen  .man can
.Christ,  tbo, says to His redeemed people;  ."Keep  .my  corn-                             do all this, he can keep the law. How utterly lost  man.&!
mandments  and merit by thy doing  &eTnal  life':. . To                                     How  hopelessly.incapable  he is  03 keeping the command-
this conclusion` wti` w&id .bd: .d&& %$.t&  tw6 `.&teine&s                                  ments and  df living in  them ! EjY3jy  imperative it ls, .fiat
"Bl&s$ are.  they that. do  -h~s-.6omm~nd~knts~that  Ahey                                   he- be  deliyered  from the  J?yja  i.f  be-.:would   five.   -That
have, right%  ,tbe  %-&F   of'  Zf$, and  %,he  ti&@~$x;  -&eih                             the xhurch  .might have kno+&lge  ,oifJthisi it was:x&gl~t
tj?ese .thing$  shall, 1i.v; ~~,,-?@$,~.~~~~~~~~ `%$:.flii$  sa&e. as                       &&~-the  law for a season.-  ..Qu$. of. the law is *e kns&
                                                                                                 - . . . .
to' meaning.                       ._ _              . . .  _._  ._          ._.
                  -,      _ __                `.
                         -  _  -  _.                :I                                      edge .of sin. `It is from the. latv. a? ..cgping to. dallen man
                                                                                                              ._      ..-..
W&t  th&  &ay  b e   the...&&&  o f   the`   -declaration..`ii                              that the aforesaid-  ol$gations   spring..   -
questidn?  -.This  that.  - the. keeping of God's command-                                   It  .is from the law as to these obligations that  C&St
tients and life go  .hand  in  hand  ; that the law of  God:  ,is                           freed His people. Unlike His people,  Ffe  as  to His hu-
the very and' sole way of life,  that  the man therefore                                    man nature,  canie  into being without sin  atid  thus  with
`who runs not in this  way  walks  in the counsel of the  un-                               right and strength to walk in the way of the command-
.  g?dly, stands in the way of  simmers and sits in the seat `ment:  With the weight of God's, wrath against the sins
 of the scqurnful and is therefore doomed to destruction.                                   of  His. people upon Him, He walked in this  way, and

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

as walking in this  way atoned for the sins of His  people,                                 Pngezonden                             a
and merited. for them eternal life.           He. thus delivered
them from the law, that is, from the above-cited  obliga:                                 Al  ware  lzet  dat  ik de  tales dcr  mcmchen  en
tions of the law. As included  hi Him,' His  peopl&  for                                dcr  cngelen   sprak,  m de  liefdc  Get had,  zoo  zclaTc
                                                                                        ik eelz Blinkend nletaul of ktidende  schel gewordew.
whom'He  travailed, are freed from the necessity of  aton-                                                                        I Cor.  13:l.
ing  for their sins,, and of meriting  for. themselves by a             1. Dat  Paulus de liefde zoo  hoog: verheft, geschiedt
walk in the way of the commandment  life. Being ,omdat God de liefde  zelve is. Zoo hoog nu God te prijzen
robed in His righteousness, they  ha,ve  the. pardon of  all         is, zoo  houg is ook de liefde in God te prijzen. Want er
their  .iniquities  .and  life..everlasting.  They are therefore     is geen grooter deugd, in God  noch in de menschen, dan
raised by Him, their Saviour, from the dead  and  trans-             de liefde.
ported from the way'of sin and destruction into the way                2.  Matir er is  tweeerlei  liefde bij de menschen, een
of His commandments, the way of life; As His  .work-                 ware, .levende, reine zuivere, ontbevlekte liefde en een
manship they walk in  godd Works which God before  or-               valsche, onreine,  bevlekte  lie.fde:.'  De  yein<,`.jzuivere  liefde
dained and in Him their  Saviour have right to the tree             heeft de vele eig&s&hacp&  en vixichien,'  `gelijk wij Paulus
of life.  Thei are therefore  b,lessed. The  requirement             die hoorden beschrijven. De valsche,  dnreine, bevlekte
of Christ "keep my commandments  and live" `has  lost liefde is die welke in alle  dingen,  in  wborden,  werken en
all  in its terror for them, as `they do live. Thev are meet gaven, haar eigen roem, eer en voordeel  zoekt,  en heeft
for the  .Master's use, prepared unto every  go& work.              we1  den schijn  alsof God en de menschen daardoor  ge-
                                                                    diend  worden,  maar is in den innerlijken grond niets dan
   It  is plain now how the apostle Paul could write  to  , eigen eer, eigen' nut, eigenliefde. En wat  `uit dezen  `gron$ 1%.
                                                                                                          ~.
his  f$llow  Christians  that  ,Christ delivered them from the      voortkomt,  dat  komt niet uit  God maar uit den.  duivel                         ?
works  atid curse of the law and at  cnce exhort them to            vOort, en is e& vergif cJat alle goede  :werk& en alle goede . .  i!,
keep the commandments  6f. Christ that. it might be  '  well        gaven  verderft,                                                                            !
with them. What Christ delivered His people from  ir                   3. Geiijk eene bloem, waarin, al is' zij nog zoo heer-
the'law as to it dreadful obligations; and thus as it stood `.lijk  aan klkuren, reuk en smaak,  tech een verborgen ver-                                   .
in juxtaposition  +h Him.         What  He  merits foi His          gif  steel+   (zooals er menige gevonden wordt) met hare                          _ _
people is life and thus the strength to walk in His com-            heerlijkekleur en geuren den mensch niet  all&en  tot  niets
mandment.  The  law therefore returns to the  .believers            nut, maar  h6ogst schadelijk is,  alzoo  zijn een mensch
through Christ as the royal law of  libe'rty.                       ook de  schoonste gaven, al  waren  he? ook  engeIen-gaven.
                                                                    indien hi j daarbij vol hoovaardij, eigen  tier en eigenliefde
  That  the' law from which  belie-crers  were' delivered is        is, niet alfeen tot niets nut, maar ook hoogst schadelijk.
the law as  it stands in juxtaposition with (oyer against)             4. Want alles wat  goed zal zijn, moet  zuiver  en rein
Christ is the plain teaching of Scripture. Wrote  Pair&             uit God ontspringen en  in God  eindigen.  Heeft het een
"Wherefore my brethren, ye also are become- dead to the             anderen oorsprong en  einde, dan kan het niet  goed zijn.
law by the body of Christ; that ye  should be married to            Want God. is de oorsprong  alles goeds.  Wat  goed is, dat
another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that              kan  alleen  uit God  afkomstig   zijn ; alleen datgene wat
we  &ould bring forth fruit  m& God". Rom. 7  :4.' In               God in  uw hart  werkt,. dat is  alleen  goed. Wat  echter uw
this Scripture the `law (the entire law) stands over                eigen eer,  ,eigenliefde, eigen roem en eigen nut in u  werkt.
.%$ainst  `Christ. To  Ch&t, believers, having  become              e? wa&toe het u bewee&, d& kan ni& goed zijri;  want het
,dead  tci the law, are married. Christ  in: His body ful- komt niet  ui't God. God  alleen is  goed.  .(Matth.  19  :17)  .'
filled the law with the  result that those included in Hini         God is  echter. de liefde. Daarom` ge wordt den naaste
ticome  by  H% body- dead to  .the  ,h. However, a. dis-            alleen uit de liefde  alles goeds, gelijk God  zelf liefde is.
tinction must here be made  betweeri  the  ceremdnial  law             5. Daarom  heeft een heilig man  .gewenscht;  dat hij
and the law of then ten commandments. G.  M-;/r. 0.
 .,                                                                 datgene voor den  goeden God  zijn  mocht. wat hem zijne
                                                                    hand was. Dat is :  zooals onze  handen iets tot zich nemen
                                                                    en weder weggeven, zonder  zich daarvan roem of eer toe
                                                                    te eigenen, want zij zijn  eenvoudig werktuigen om tot
                                                                    zich te nemen en weder weg te geven,  alzoo  tioet een
                                                                    n%nsch in  &oote   eenvoudigheid  voor den  liefdevollen
                                                                    G&l zijn, en hetgene hij van God ontvangt, moet  hij in
  peacons'  ,Convention will  be, held D. V. Wednesday groote eenvvudigheid, zonder eigen roem en eer, uit  reine,
e;ening,   Mqch 1  lth,  at the  Creston Protestant Reformed        zuivere liefde' en goedheid weder  wegg:ven. Want  `daar
Church. Subject for discussion  will be the Deacon's  duty          hij het  alles  van God ontvangen heeft,  kan"hij er  zich-
toward the `unemployed poor .in distinction  from widows,           zelven  niet, op  beioeken. De  roem behbort  `dien  alleen,
oTph&s  and  a-ged  poor, to be introduced by Rev. B. Kok.          van wien hij het ontvangen  k;eeft;  alleen  aan God  komt
       .   .                                                        .dti eer toe; wij zijn slechts zijne  werktuigeh, eri ontvangeh
                                              The Committee.        de gaven van God, om die weder mede te deelen.
                                       `.         .'
                       . .


