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

     niet omdat wij ons onderscheidden, maar om  Zijns well was a premillennarian and his election would
     Naams wille, eeuwiglijk  behagen in ons !. . . .           reassure those who felt that premillennarians were
            En in die menschen des welbehagens werkt Hij not welcome in The Presbyterian Church of America".
     Zijnen vrede!                                                  And Dr.  Machen  in his speech, as retiring modera-
            Naar en door Goddelijk vrije genade!                tor, to Dr.  Buswell,  stressed the point once more "that
            Daarom is `t eeuwig einde van ons lied: Eere zij the presence of premillenarians in the ministry and
     God!                                                       eldership and deaconate had never been opposed in
            In de hoogste  hemelen!                             any way, shape or manner by anyone in the church."
                                                    H. H.           Wisely, under the circumstances, the  assembly're-
                                                                jetted  a proposed amendment "that the Presbyterian
                                                                Church of  ,America  does not interpret any part of the
                                                                Westminster Confession of Faith or Catechisms  .as
                  E D I T O R I A L S                           being opposed to the Premillennial view".
     2                                                              Did the commissioners, who proposed this amend-
                                                                ment, perhaps, feel that such an interpretation of the
      The Westminster Standards Adopted                         Westminster Standards, opposed to Premillennialism;
                                                                is, indeed, possible, even probably correct?
        The Presbyterian Church of America held its second         Again, I am convinced that The Presbyterian
     general assembly in November of this year in the Church of America is unfaithful in the maintenance
:    city of Philadelphia. We are informed that the assem- and application of its own adopted Standards, because
     bly adopted the Westminster Standards as its official it refuses to discipline Free Masons and leaves this
     Confession and rejected, therefore, the revision of matter to the individual conscience.
     1903.                                                         Does not The Westminster Confession teach us as
        In this we do rejoice and because of this we con- follows  :
     gratulate the newly organised Presbyterian Church.           "A lawful oath is a part of religious worship, where-
        Our joy would be full if we could also be assured in, upon just occasion, the person swearing solemnly
     that the Presbyterian Church of America actually calleth God to witness what he assert&h  or promiseth ;
     maintained one hundred percent the contents of its and to judge him according to the truth or falsehood
     own adopted Standards ; and if we could feel that it of what he sweareth.
     purposes to apply them and uncompromisingly bring             "The name of God only is that by which men ought
     them into practice.                                        to swear, and therein it is to be used with all holy fecr
        But of this we cannot be sure. And for this we and reverence ; therefore to swear vainly or rashly
     are sincerely sorry.                                       by that glorious and dreadful name, or to swear at
        On the contrary, as I have expressed it repeatedly, all by any other thing, is sinful and abhorred." ? ch. 22.
     I am convinced that the new Church is not honest over         And does it not give the keys of the kingdom of
     against herself and her Confessions. Premillennarian-      heaven to be exercised to the officebearers of the
     ism and dispensationalism, even though the extieme         church in ch. 30 ?
     dispensationalism of  Scofield may probably be avoided,       Now, then, I wil1 quote one of the oaths required
     are not in harmony with the Westminster Standards.         to become an apprentice of Freemasonry:
        Yet, The Presbyterian Church of America takes              "I?--? of my own free will and accord, in the
     the stand that there is no. conflict between the two, presence of God Almighty  n&, this  worshipful  lodge
     and that Premillennarian brethren can very well be         (I underscore, H.H), erected to Him and dedicated
     office-bearers, ministers, elders and deacons on the       to the Holy Saints John, do hereby and hereon (Master
     basis of the Westminster Standards.                        presses his gavel or hand on candidate's hand) most
        At the meeting of the general assembly even a little solemnly and -sincerely promise and swear that I will
     friendly political gesture was made to assure the Pre- always hail, forever conceal and never reveal any
     millennial brethren that everything was peace and of the secret arts, parts or points of the hidden mys-
     harmony. Dr. Van Til nominated the Rev. J. Oliver teries of Freemasonry which may have been here-
     Buswell of Wheaton  College for the office of moderator tofore, or shall be communicated to me as such, to any
     of the assembly. The  Guu&Xun informs us that Dr.          person or persona whatsoe~;er,  except it be to a true
     McIntire, the same who was incensed against the am-l lawful  brother Mason, or within the  bcdv of a
     Rev. R. B. Kuiper because of his statements in con- just and lawfully constituted lodge of Masons, nor
     nc. tion with the examination of certain students on unto him nor them until by strict trial, due examina-
     thr  ir stand regarding Premillennialism, understood the tion or lawful information, I shall have found him or
     ge- ture and emphasized it by stating that he "rejoiced them as lawfully entitled to them as I am myself.          1
     that he could second the nomination because Dr.  Bus- furthermore promise and swear that I will not write,


                                           T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                           149

print, paint, stamp, stain, cut, hew, mark or engrave
them on anything movable or immovable, capable of                           Samenwerking Met Rusland en
receiving the least impression of a sentence, syllable,                                Gemeene Gratis
word, letter or character, whereby they may become
legible or intelligible to any persons under  the canopy                  `t Klinkt  we1 wat wonderlijk, dat samenwerking
of heaven, and the secrets of Freemasonry be thus un- met Rusland in den "strijd der geesten" zou kunnen
lawfully obtained by my unworthiness.                                 worden  bepleit op  gro,nd van Dr. Kuyper's  Germeene
    "All this I most solemnly and sincerely promise Gratie; maar `k las hierover een enkel woord in De
and swear, with a firm and steadfast resolution to keep Reform&e van 27 Nov. 1. 1. in de rubriek "Stemmen
and perform the same, without the least equivocation, Uit Onze  Kerken".
mental reservation or secret evasion whatsoever; bind-                    De verzorger dier rubriek, W. d. Z., haalt een para-
ing myself under no less penalty than that of having                  graaf aan uit "De Groene Amsterdammer",  geschreven
my  throa,t  cut from ear to ear, my tongue torn out door Prof. Dr. Ph. Kohnstamm. Deze schreef over
by its roots and buried in the rough sands of the sea, de vraag : "Godsdienstige bezwaren tegen de erkenning
at low water mark,  where  the tide ebbs and flows van Sovjet-Rusland?" Hij had blijkbaar eerst onder-
twice in t.wentpfour hours, should I in. the least kmozc- zocht of er in Rusland op godsdienstig gebied  eene
i?zgly  or  .u%wittingly   ,violate  or transgress  this my verandering ten goede kan worden geconstateerd. Doch
Entered Apprentice obligation. (I underscore, H.H.)                   de argumenten, die voor een bevestigend antwoord op
So help me God and keep me steadfast. (In token of Jeze,. vraag  worden  aangevoerd,  hadden Dr.  Kohn-
your sincerity of purpose in these solemn  engnge-                    stamm niet kunnen overtuigen. En dan volgt de para-
merits, `YOU  will kiss the Holy Bible, now open before graaf, die in De RefQrmatie  werd weergegeven:
you.)  "                                                                  "Maar gesteld  au eens, dat wij hier slechts met
    There are worse oaths than the above quoted.                      een schijn-bekeering hebben te  doen ;  diem  dan de
    But what think ye, must it be&t  to the individual niet-erkenning op  grand van onverzoenlijke  tegenstel-
conscience whether a man shall be a member of the                     Iing van wereldbeschouwing en geloof te worden ge-
Church and at the same time a member of the Church Bischt?  Wij raken hier  ian een bij uitstek moeilijk
of Jesus Christ, and, perhaps, a minister of the Word theologisch vraagpunt. Het is  niet minder dan dat,
in that Church?                                                       of er zoo iets bestaat als  een `natuurlijke moraal', een
    And does not The Presbyterian Church of America `natuurlijk recht', of-om in de taal van Dr. A.  Kuy-
openly refuse to apply the Westminster Standards! per te spreken-of er een `gemeene gratie' naast de
she adopted, when she allows Freemasons to be mem- `bijzondere' te onderscheiden valt. In meer algemeen
bers and officebearers, and fails to discipline them?                 bekende termen  kan men zoo ongeveer zeggen: is er
    Rev. Van Halsema, knowing the facts, piously een gebied, waar Christen en humanist eikander  ont-
writes in Ds Wachter  of Dec. 9:                                      moeten en  steunen,  en waar zij in een  gemeenschap-
    "Een kerk, die leeft, strijdt.                                    pelijk front staan tegenover de aanhangers van het
      "Zij het jonge zusje moedig als een leeuwin, op- Geweld, van den Oppersten Machtsmensch? Ik meen
recht als een duif, voorzichtig als een slang".                       inderdaad-zonder dit hier nader te kunnen argumen-
    Nice words, indeed !                                              teeren-dat dit het geval is! Ja, ik ga verder, en
    But not really brotherly to "zusje" !                             ben overtuigd, dat in de eerstkomende halve eeuw de
                                                        H. H.         groote strijd der geestenen naar te vreezen is  niet
                                                                      v'an de geesten all&&- zich in deze formatie zal vol-
                                                                      ,trekken"."
                                                                          De lezer zal  merken, dat, indien  zich de voor de
                          IN MEMORIAM                                 deur staande strijd der geesten  zich  aldus  zal  vol-
     Den  19den  December,  ,on,sliep  in  haar  Heer en  Heiland     trekken,  dat Christendom en schijn-bekeerd  Bolsje-
onze geIiefde  Echtgenoote, Moeder, Grootmoeder                       wisme zich zullen  aaneen sluiten, om op te trekken  te-
                         MRS.  C. MEYER                               gen  Fascisme  en Nationaal Socialisme,  en dat we1 in
in den ouderdom ,van 72 jaren                                         naam en op grond der  "gemeene   gratie",  dan staan
    Ons verlies was  haar  gewin. Haar  begeerte  was  on&            wij buiten dezen bond en ook buiten deze worsteling.
bonden  en  na bij  Christus  te  zijn.                               Wij zullen dan waarschijnlijk den aldus gevormden
                                Mr. C. !Meyer                         bond  moeten bestrijden.
                                Mr. and Mrs. Bert Dyk,                    Wat zou ook zulk een "worsteling der  gee&en"
                                                 nee-Groeneveld       beteekenen?
                                Mrs. and Mrs. John Groeneveld,            Intusschen zal het o.i. moeilijk  aan te toonen zijn,
                                                      nee-Doornbos    tenzij  men zou kunnen bewijzen, dat God Zijn  "ge-
                               Twee  Kleinkindereu                    meene gratie" geheel van Rusland onttrokken heeft,


156                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                                                                Christ, but also with respect to our manifestation in
              Anniversary Reflections                           the midst  uf the world. The church is the city of
                                                                God. It is the place where the temple and altar of
       It is Nov. 22, 1936, a significant date for our small    God are to be found. There is the people blessed of
though growing congregation, because it reminds us God. In Zion God's Name be praised ; His virtues are
that today we have reached the tenth milestone of proclaimed ; His glories are sung. Such is our place,
our congregational existence.                                   our privilege and glory. Because of this her glory,
       One decade ago a meagre group of ten families the church, the city of C&l, has numerous enemies.
were organized into the Protestant Reformed Church Inevitably! The church is of the light, the world is
of Sioux Center, Iowa. Where have those years gone ! of darkness ; the former is of the truth, the latter of
Ten years ago ! The occasion merits some earnest re- the lie; Zion is of God, the world is of the father, the
flection and meditation.                                        devil. And these adversaries desire the destruction
       The nature of our reflections might possibly be of Jerusalem and the spiritual death of her children.
predominately retrospective. The past has much to Therefore, we must be strong. Our city must be en-
say to us.                                                      closed by means of a strong wall. Zion's children
       It first of all commands us to confess our numerous must remain inside the city ; those that are not of us
sins. Have we, since the day of our inception, done must be kept outside. Thus our strength and integrity
all we could and should in the work of the Kingdom as church of God can and may be sought in the truth
of God? Have we "always abounded in the work of                 only. God's truth is Zion's wall. Not any doctrine!
the Lord"? Have we exerted every possible effort to             There is no safety, no strength, no assurance in the
be established in the glorious truth for which we               lie. Every deviation in doctrine or life is a breach
left the Chr. Ref. Churches? Have we during this in Zion's wall through which the foe can invade the
past decade done all we might have done to instruct city: Only the truth is our security, our wall. In the
our children in "the aforesaid doctrine", which we measure we believe and practice the unadulterated
"acknowledge to be the true and perfect doctrine of truth of Scripture we and our children will be spiritu-
salvation"? An honest answer to these questiuns  must ally secure.
be an unconditional: NO. Thus the past enjoins us to               But,  clre we strong?
humble ourselves and confess our sins. "Lord God,                   The church as a whole is not. It is an exposed city.
how faithless we have been, how lukewarm oftentimes, It reminds one of the earthly Jerusalem during the
how carnal ! Forgive,-and forget."                              time of the illustrious Nehemiah. Its wall is broken
       The past, too, exhorts to gratitude of heart. In- down. It and the world have amalgamated. For spirit-
deed, we also were called to taste the sorrows of life.         ual restriction one seeks in vain. Where in the church
Some, whose names were numbered among them who today is genuine knowledge of the truth? Where is
organized with us, have deserted us, thereby joining church discipline exercised according to' the mandate
the company of those concerning whom it may be said, of God's Word? False doctrines and carnal practices
 "They went out from us, but they were not of us ;              are rife in the church today. Zion is no more an
 for if they had been of us, they would have continued          isolated people, a safe retreat, an impregnable for-
 with us: but they went out, that they might be made tress. Jerusalem's children cannot be said to be se-
 manifest that they were not all of us." Others  our cure within the wall of the pure, unadulterated truth
 Lord has taken to Himself in glory, inflicting wounds of Scripture.
 which even now have not ceased bleeding. Yet, how                  The Christian Reformed Churches are no more
 abundant have been His blessings ! The Lord has de- the safe retreat they once were. On this, our anni-
 livered us from the pernicious errors of 1924 and versary, I cannot refrain from reflecting upon this.
 has granted us to know and propagate the Reformed Do they not claim to love the truth? Is not their
 doctrine of sovereign and therefore particular grace. boast that they are laboring. to build up the wall of
 The Lord has prospered our way, enhancing our know- Zion, to establish its foundation, to erect its strong
 ledge of the truth not only, but adding, too, to our towers, to found their children in a confession  an.d
 numbers.                                                        walk that is according to the Spirit? Indeed, they do.
        Much as the past may have to say to us, however, But, while they apparently labor to build Zion's wall
 our retrospection must terminate here.                          they place their heavy artillery in such a position that
        It is the future upon which we wish to reflect at the muzzles of their cannon are pointed directly to
 this time. What is our task before us? And what the wall they feign to build, and for these last twelve
 shall be our end as church and churches ?                       or more years, particularly since the Synod of 1924,
        We must be strong in the grace and knowledge of our Ghr. Ref. brethren have shot at Zion's wall until
 our Lord Jesus Christ. We must be a safe retreat, its very foundation has been destroyed, its towers
 an impregnable fortress, a spiritually isolated people.          have tumbled in ruins and the wall itself has crumbled
 This we must be, not merely as the mystical body of              in many places. They have distorted the  most  funda-


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                                           -.--_I_
mental truths of Scripture. What has become of the must not confine the field of our endeavors to some
strong towers of God's sovereignty, of divine predesti- heresies that must be refuted. Our calling is one
nation, of particular atonement, of God's covenant, of more positive than this. The development of the en-
man's total depravity ?      How rapidly these blessed tire truth must be the object of our study; the prac-
truths are fading in the consciousness of the people tice of the entire truth the object of our Christian life.
of God ! Moreover, in the doctrine of common grace This is the calling of all. Our leaders must develop
they have devised a convenient bridge to the world, and proclaim the truth. However, Nehemiah alone
a sphere in which church and world are practically could never have built the wall of Jerusalem. We all
one. And, as must be expected, with Scripture's truth have an "unction from the Holy One". All must walk
goes Zion's safety and glory. A situation. to make the worthy of the calling wherewith we have been called.
Christian hang the harp in the willows and weep.              We must strive to know the truth ourselves. We must
   And when you weep, weep for yourselves also. read and study it; testify concerning it; make it the
But  `a little introspection is required to bring us to the subject of our conversations more than we often do
sad realization, that we too, are far from being an and utilize every means God has given us to this end.
impregnable fortress. Our children, too, are far from We must teach our children the truth, instructing them
being secure within, the wall of the pure and un- ourselves and causing them to be instructed. Only
adulterated truth. Officially we have the truth, I know. in this  way  will we be strong and will a wall of truth
The years can only establish me in this glorious con- be erected, that will insure us a definite  and abiding
viction. But this does not yet make our church as separation from the world. Follow another course,
a walled city. The official stand of our churches, how- and we are doomed to perish.
ever necessary, does not yet assure our safety. Do               This task is a difllcult one, you say? I know it is.
we  krtow  the truth? Do our. young men and young The foe will exert every effort to frustrate your pur-
women, our boys and girls,. &now  the truth? Do we pose and destroy the fruit of your labors. Satan al-
all appreciate the truth, desire it, study it, meditate ways goes about as a roaring lion. In the measure
upon it, live it, rejoice in it? If not, we are weak ; we are more faithful the enemy will become increasing-
we are in doctrine and practice at the mercy of the ly hostile. Be indifferent to your calling, conceal or
foe  ; we are  doom&.      If you think yourself secure, distort the truth, cast covetous eyes toward the things
beware! Also our wall is still full of breeches. Dan- of the worid, preach a Christ pro omnibus, etc., and
ger is imminent even now. Wh4xt   cam it profit us if the foes of Zion will tolerate you. Continue on this
somewhere in the  urchives   of  our  Prot. Ref.  churches    way and the tolerance of the world will develop into
rests the record of the  pu7re,  Reformed  t;mLth,  when love, worldly love, satanic love,  iove  of Hell, which
this pure truth.i.s  not part amd parcel of our personal before God is hatred in its worst form. Walk accord-
confession  ati  wa.lk.2   We are not what we must be. ing to your calling, labor to make Zion a safe retreat,
Therefore. . . .                                              condemn the world as you should, emphasize the eternal
   We must build. We must labor to be established truths of God's Word, and the foe will unmask him-
in the glorious truth of the Word of God. Wherever self. You will be hated, ostracized, reviled, persecuted,
the truth has been tampered with, we must proclaim even as "the Master" Himself was hated. Never fear,
it in all its purity and beauty. A new and holy en- these tactics of the foe will not avail him. His hatred
thusiasm must replace whatever indifference may have is neveras sinister as his love. Zion is strongest when
crept in. The cardinal doctrines of Holy Writ must the enemy is most bitter and aggressive. Then more
be studied and propagated with renewed vigor. I than ever Zion's children are welded into a gIorious
have in mind the doctrines of the covenant, of divine unity with determination to perfect Jerusalem's wall.
sovereignty, of eternal election and reprobation, of             More to be feared than the foe without the gates
irresistable grace, of particular atonement, of total de- is the enemy within our own hearts. Love overcomes
pravity and of the calling of Zion in the midst of the all obstacles, and wholehearted conviction is a power
world. Study, discuss, believe, live them.  In, as far all the world cannot overcome. But where these are
as we have sinned with respect to this calling, let us lacking any cause will defeat itself. A dead builder
go home and sin no more. Neither is the mere return is the best assurance that a wall will never be erected.
to these truths sufficient. We must not be morbidly Does love for the truth fill our souls as it should?
conservative. Along the lines of the proved Reformed Do we live from the conviction that the truth is God's
standards the truth must be developed, in order that truth; that our cause is God's cause; that our calling
we may be enriched in the knowledge and love of God is from above? If we did we would not be so spiritu-
through Christ.  Our  safety  and strength, our glory ally lazy; we would put our shoulder to the wheel
and victory lies in the conscious knowledge and prcw more than we do; we would not  compIain so easily
tice of the truth.                                            that our burdens are too heavy and the cost too great;
   This is our task as church and churches. We need we would sacrifice more than we do and with more
not Icwe ourselves in refuting the "three points". ,We joy in our hearts.


158                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                    . ..__ -                                   ~_-
       On this tenth birthday we pause, therefore, to con- ardent love. Then our course, also for the future, will
sider our calling and the only way in which it can be made plain. We will fight the good fight to the
and must be carried out.                                       end. We will build on Zion's wall. We will do all we
       We must continue to battle all the foes of Zion,        can to be founded in the truth. We will instruct our
this much is certain. Our building must proceed in children in the "aforesaid doctrine". We will sacri-
the sign of the sword. The Scripture is applicable             fice, if sacrifice it should be called. If we read of the
to us  .also,  *`For the builders, every one had his sword experiences of them -who builded under Nehemiah,
girded by his side, and so builded". Building Zion's the hardships they had to endure, the sacrifices they
wall has always been in the way of bitter struggle. This had to make, we will refrain from speaking of the
remains, our calling also with respect to the church,          little we are required to do and pay as "sacrifices".
which cast us out. There is a definite danger that we, With this conviction and love we will seek the King-
after ten years of warfare, weary of the battle and            dom of God, first and last, and more than man or
lay aside our weapons of combat. This must never be. wife, young man or young woman will be required to
Polemics must never be our chief purpose. To develop move us from the rock on which we stand.
and practice the truth is our supreme vocation. Never-            It is glorious, friends, to work in the work of the
theless, to fulfill this highest calling we must continue Lord ! To build Zion's wall ! To fight the battles of
to fight, also against the Chr. Ref. churches, not because Zion ! To learn and live the truth ! To know and re-
they cast us out from their fellowship, but because they ject the lie! To be Reformed! To be Prot. Reformed!
cast out the eternal truths of God's Word. Is there To know, too, the peculiar doctrines so dear to us !
then no possibility of armistice or peace? God forbid Because it is all of God, and it is given us of grace
that we should take the one and forsake our principles that we may work. and fight in His work and His
and church to swear allegiance to the lie. The only            battle. Therefore, there is reward in the very work ;
other possibility is, that the church, which so  god-          victory in the conflict itself. For God's way. brings
lessly cast us out, unequivocally retract the heresies rest to the soul and the peace that surpasseth all under-
it adopted and turn about its heavy artillery to face standing.
the citadel of the world and the lie instead of the               Be faithful and true, and our future is secure, also
bulwarks of God's own city. We may recognize no as churches. The truth, loved and lived, is our only
other basis for peace. Shame on those who could sign security, our bulwark and defense, our weapon and
an armistice and return to the fold of the Chr. Ref. offense. By that truth, irrespective of its cost.
churches for any other reason or upon any other                   Let us watch and pray that we may fall not into
basis. Shame on those for whom the truth and the temptation !
church is always a minor consideration ; who make                 And, God! Bless our churches.
church and truth contingent upon their own personal                                                   R. Veldman.
considerations instead of having the latter determined
by the former. Shame most of all on leaders who can
and have done likewise, forsaking the battle of the
truth in order to "return as a dog to its own vomit                           Onze Geschiedenis
and as a sow to its wallowing in the mire", selling their
souls for filthy  lucre ! Until the Chr. Ref. churches           (Uitgesproken ter gelegenheid van het tien-jarig  her-
decide to build where now they destroy there is but            denkingsfeest van de Prot. Geref. Gemeente van Sioux
one alternative,-the sword.                                    Center, Iowa.)
       In this our labor and struggle let us be inspired by        Het was reeds v&jr de Synode van 1924, dat onder-
a firm  con.viction  and ardent love. We must believe          scheidende broeders en zusters destijds  leden  der
that we as Prot. Ref. churches have been divinely              Tweede Chr. Geref. Gemeente te Sioux Center, het
summoned to the task now confronting us. The prin-             niet meer eens waren  met de leer hunner kerk. Toen
ciples for which we stand are the truth of God. The            dan ook de leeraren H. Hoeksema en H. Danhof hun
"three points" with all their implications arc! the lie        boek "Van Zonde en  Genade"  uitgaven,  alsook  ver-
of Satan. To learn and love and live the truth is our schillende brochures schreven, werden deze aangeschaft
calling collectively and individually. Thus we must be         en naarstiglijk onderzocht. En  toen  destijds ook onze
convinced that we could follow no other course than            Standard Bearer werd uitgegeven werd door genoemde
we did when in 1926 we drganized  into a Prot. Ref.            broeders en zusters op dit blad ingeschreven. Met volle
church. We could not compromise. We could not instemming werd hetgeen door de leeraren Hoeksema
keep silence. We could not remain in a church that             en Danhof geschreven werd door vele leden  der ge-
forsook the path of truth This must be our con-                meente gelezen.    Ook hoorden we in die dagen de
viction. We must be convinced that our cause is a redevoeringen van  bovengenoemde  leeraren,  betrek-
question of principle and of maintaining the Reformed king hebbend op de "drie  punten"  en de leer der
confession. With this firm conviction we must possess souvereine  genade Gods,


                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                 163
                                                               "  .._._                    -     -      .._  ----..---
 Er is dan we1 werking, doch niet door het kanaal van
 den will des menschen. Dan zou natuurlijk de mensch
 onder een soort hypnose verkeeren, was  zich  niets  loo-
wust, begeerde noch dacht, en dat zou dan bet burger-
 lijk  goed zijn, dat Gods wil door  d&n mensch  heen                      The Reception of The Word
 we&t. Of, want de laatste  gedachie is  imruers  onzin,
 als het  clan  tech zoo is, dat  "oak dit burgerlijk goed                  By Mankind - John 1:1-18
 te  danken  is  aan Gods wii,  nie:  aan den  wil des                          Lesson for January 3.
 menschen, en, het zoogenaamde burgerlijk  goed  vindt              Verses  l-18 is an introductory passage in which
 zijn verklaring in de werking Gods algemeene  ge- John summarizes the content of his gospel and outlines
 nade", is dan die daad der burgerlijke gerechtigheid the history he is about to relate. The reception of
 gedaan, om Gods wil en dies Hem welbehagelijk,  om-          the eternal Word by the world and by His  own is
 dat het gedaan werd naar Zijn Wet? En ook dat is the theme brought forward. And on this theme his
 onzin, want zoo stelt ge de daden  van den natuuriijke       entire gospel turns. As to the world, it knew Him
 mensch gelijk met de  daden van Gods kind, zooals hij not, despite the fact that He was in the world and
 deze verricht door de vernieuwing des harten.                the world was made by Him. As to His own, they
    Behoeven we dan in het duister  te blijven omtrent received Him not. But they, born of God received
 deze  dingen? Wat zegt onze belijdenis? Allereerst, Him and to such He gave the power to become the
 dat in verband met het licht der natuur (niet gemeene sons of God. And when He was made flesh and dwelt
 gratie) de natuurlijke mensch  zich niet  alleen niet among them, they beheld His glory, the glory of the
 kan bekeeren, maar, "dat hij ook in natuurlijke en only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
 burgerlijke zaken dit licht niet  recht gebruikt", en And of His  fulness  they received, and grace upon
 dat ten spijt van alle geschrijf over de gemeene gratie. grace. It is plain that the point here purposely made
 Waar dit nog bij komt," ja,  ,veel  mar  datzelve,  hoe- at the outset is that mankind, every man, is thorough-
 danig   bet  oak xij, op  verscheidenide   wijxe  gsheel   be- ly obdurate in heart and mind, hardened in feelings
 xo&lt  tm in  ongerechtigheid ten onder houdt;  en  de- against all moral influences and that thus the sole
 wijl hij dit doet, zoo wordt hem  alle verontschuldiging reason why the gospel triumphed in the lives of some
 soor God benomen". Leeregels IV, 4.             w. v.        is that with God there is power to save.
                                                                    There are four sections to this introductory pas-
                                                              sage. The first of these is comprised of  verse one
                                                              and two and concerns the Word as to His pre-temporal
                 IMPORTANT NOTICE                             existence. The second section extends through verse
    In this issue of the Standard Bearer, there begins 10 and has for its theme the Word as to His presence
 an explanation of the Sunday School Lessons by the in the world. Verses 11-13 constitute the third divi-
 Rev. G. M. Ophoff, which will now regularly appear sion. Here the thought that predominates is, the com-
 for the benefit of our S. S. teachers. This we feel ing of the Word to His own (the people of Israel).
 sure, will be good news for all those who are interested     The fourth section, that ends with verse 18, especially
 in Sunday School work, and that it will be of great has regard to the Word incarnate, received by those
 benefit  to the teachers and also for many of the older      born of God. These sections are intimately related.
 scholars.                                                    The doctrines contained in them form a single, co-
     This explanation is in connection with the Sunday herent thought-structure.
 School Messenger, which is published by the Sunday                  The sacred writer sets out with directing our at-
 School of the First Protestant Reformed Church. We tention to the Word, Who in verse 17 reappears as
 would like to have all of our Sunday Schools avail           Christ Jesus and in the following verse as the only
 themselves of the use of this paper, since it can be had begotten Son.
 for a very nominal sum. Since we now have a Sunday                  Section 1. It concerns the prae-temporal existence
 School paper of our own, edited by our own ministers of the Word, the mystery of the everlasting, inherent
 and also the explanation in the Standard Bearer, we relation of the Father and the Son before any external
 feel sure that most of our Sunday Schools will avail revelation. This was a relation of infinite and perfect
 themselves of an opportunity of this kind.                   knowledge and love, in the Spirit,-a relation that
     We will be glad to send samples upon request, or sprang and eternally springs from that act of the
 if you wish to start with this paper you can communi- Father consisting in His begetting the Son and that
 cate with the secretary of the committee, Miss Helen joint act of the Father and the Son consisting in their
Ezinga,  1050  Dunham St., Grand Rapids,  Mich.               breathing the Spirit,-a relation finally that spells a
                The S. S. of the First Prot. Ref. Church fellowship in the divine being so perfect and so com-
                                 A. Van Tuinen, Supt.         pletely satisfying as to render God as a social being
                                     J.  Sytsma,   Sec'y.     sticient to Himself.


164                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
              - -..- -.-".-".                                l__l_____.--                          - - -         - - -
       Verse 1 brings forward in three short sentences, with God as God (and the Word was God). Now the
three grand truths: the eternity of the Word (in the Word as was said, is thought uttered, -expressed, is
beginning was) the personality of the Word (with God)        the bearer of thought.    Christ then is the full and
and the essential divinity of the Word (was God).            complete expression of the Father in the divine being
       As in Genesis (vs. 1 of chap. 1) so here, the be-     as the personal Word as well as He is the express
ginning signifies the first creation of all things, their image of the Father as the only begotten. Now God
initial coming into being. In this begining the Word eternally utters the Word and is thus the cause of the
already  was. Thus He was from eternity. And this existence of the Word in the divine being. Secondly,
implies in turn that He was the creative principle, the He expresses Himself  through  the Word in the Spirit
beginning of the beg&n&g,  the Alpha, the first of the in creation and re-creation, called into being again
first., so that, before the mountains were brought forth,    through the Word in the Spirit. Thus creation is
or ever He had formed the earth and the world, even the word, the expression of God as creature through
from everlasting to everlasting, He is God. Hence, The Word (Christ) in the Spirit. The church is the
the Word became not, was not made, before, but *u?as         word,, the utterance of God as the new, heavenly
in the beginning.                                            creature, through Christ in His Spirit. But Christ is
       "And the Word was with the God (in the original the Word of God as God.
God appears with the definite article) God absolute,            All things were made by Him;  that is.,  through,
as individualized in the. person of the Father. With in Him, the Word, and thus came into being as so many
God was He, as distinct from and over against Him,           images and reflectors of the thoughts in God's heart,
yet in direction toward Him and in intimate and in- of His wisdom, of His glories, came into being as bear-
separable nearness and closest communion with Him, ing the impress of the mind of the Word, through
toward the very bosom of the father, thus with Him whom they were made. Therefore do the heavens
as the personal Word, as the Friend-Son, the only now declare the glory of God, and does the firmament
begotten.                                                    shew His handiwork.       Therefore, in the words of
       And the Word was God. Here the name God ap- Paul, are the invisible things of Him clearly seen from
pears without the article. Yet the expression is not the creation of the world, and understood by the things
to be interpreted in the sense of a God or second God.       that are made, even His eternal power and godhead.
God without the article denotes the divine essence, Therefore, in the words of the Confession, is the whole
so that what is here affirmed is the essential divinity creation before our eyes as a most elegant book, where-
of the Word.                                                 in all creatures, great and small, are  as so many char-
       A?Etd the sume was in the begiwning with Go,d. The acters, leading us to contemplate the invisible things
expression to receive the emphasis is the same in the of God.
original text  this. The meaning is that  this very Word        And without Him was not anything made that
and no other was with God.                                   was made, so that all things without a single exception
       Now that He Who was with God and was God is           were made by this very  Word. And in Him was life.
called the Word signifies on the one hand that He is Being the Word of God a=s God, He has life in Himself,
spoken of by God as the Word and is begotten by God so that in Him is life, that is, the creative principle
as the Son, that thus to Him the Father communicates of all things, which principle was (and is) also the
the entire divine being, so that He, the Word, the Son, life-element of all things, which means that in Him,
is the image of God us God, the Word, the Son ab- the Word, all things live and move and have their
solute, the whole, all-embracing, personal manifesta- being. And  fhe  life  was  the light  of men. In man
tion of the Father, the brightness of His glory, and this life was kindled into rational and moral nature
the express image of His person. That He Who was and consciousness, that is, into the ability to compre-
with God and is God is called the Word means on the hend the self-revelation of God through the Word in
other hand that through Him God reveals Himself creation. It means that God created man in His own
in creation and in re-creation. The extype of this           image, in true knowledge, righteousness and holiness,
is the word of man by which he expresses himself so that what may be known of God was (and is) mani-
and communicates with others, reveals the thoughts fest in man, for God  shewed  it unto  ,him. Now before
and intents of the inward self.         Hence, the word the fall, man's heart was pure and his eye good. Then
bears the impress of the man, is the organ of his the light, the self-revelation of God through the Word,
mind and soul for self-expression and leaves him as shown in man's sinless heart and mind. But man fell.
pregnant with thought, purpose and feeling. Such is By sin, "he separated  kimself  from God, who  was
the word. As to the Son, He is the personal, living his true life, and corrupted his whole nature. And
Word with God, the second individualization of the being thus become wicked, perverse and corrupt in
entire divine being.                                         all his ways, he lost all his excellent gifts", lost his
       In this scripture then, Christ appears as the Word power to spiritually discern the light, the self-revela-
with God (and the Word was with God) and the Word tion of God in creation, to discern this light with a


                                   THjE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                165

mind and heart. that loves. Negatively expressed, man Him not.  Again, the shame of it! Rejected was He
from then on hated and dreaded the light. The Word by His very own. When the time was at hand for the
became to him an eye-sore, the blessed God a hated W70rd to become flesh, the Israelitish people had nearly
being. It means that all the light that was in man was      filled their measure of iniquity and were ready to
turned into darkness.     Man's eye became evil and crucify Him. Thus the whole world, Jews and Gen-
man began to insist that the truth revealed in him is tiles alike, lied under sin and were from the point of
a lie. Thus the  light  (emitted by the Word) now view of man, hopelessly lost. The pure light from
"shineth in darkness; and the darhmess  comprehendeth       heaven had only revived in fallen mankind sin. The
it  not?.    Yet there remain, however, in man since heathen had changed the glory of the incorruptible
the fall, the glimmerings of natural light whereby he       God into an image made like unto corruptible man,
retains some knowledge of God, of natural things,           and to birds. . . . And the Jews had all along crucified
and of the difference of good and evil, and discovers the Word as communicated to them through the pro-
some regard for virtue. . . ." But this light, the know-    phets.
ledge of God as retained, man in various ways renders           But  CM  ,many  as received Him, to them  ;yave He
wholly polluted, and holds it in unrighteousness."' Thus    power to beeome the  soxs  of  God,  eve+n to them that
man, now dead in sin, did not lose through the fall the     believe  orb  His name.  That some received Him was
ability to  rationally  know God, revealed in the Word. due not to any goodness inherent in them, but solely
But so far is this ability from having true moral worth to the power of God to save; for they receiving Him
that it simply leaves him without excuse before God. are born of God, brought into being by His almighty
Seeing, man sees not. And he hears without under- creative Word, by the very word, spurned by mankind.
standing.                                                   Hence the rioting of sin that John here depicts, has
                                                            in truth the will of God as its sovereign necessity.
                                                            Thus the purpose of this depiction is to set forth man
    There was a man, sent from God whose name was as a complete failure, and God as a perfect success.
John (Jehovah is merciful).  The same,  that is this To those who received Him, He gave  po'lcter,   right  and
very John, cclme for a witness to the light. A  witness ability to become the sons of God. That is, to these
was John and not a mere preacher of the Light, as it He gives the testimony in their hearts that they are
was given to him to behold with his very eye the incar-     His children. These He empowers by His grace to
nate Christ. He came  that  cull (God's elect) through purify themselves as He is pure. These He saves to
him, through his witness, might believe. He, John,          t,he uttermost, these, born not of blood, nor of the
was not the (in the original, the) light (The light was wil1 of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
the Word),  but was sent to  bear witness of the  light.    Flesh and blood here signify human nature in its
Was the true light that  Eighteth  every  man, coming frailty and sinfulness. Natural generation and con-
into the world. The light is the Word. Being the ception involve the will of man. They are acts of the
Word with God as God, being the only begotten, He           will.
hath light in Himself as in Himself He hath life.               And  the  word  9cas  ,made  fl  f'lcsh,  (I&  tabernacled
Light is He-spiritual, moral and intellectual light. cl;mong  US. In the Old Testament the Word  taber-
In Him there is no darkness at all. Holy God is He. nacled  among the children of Israel in. and through
Being the light, He lighteth every man, He reveals in the Pillar of Cloud and.in  the Law. But in the fulness
man what may be known of God, He being the Word.            of time the Word became flesh, assumed our human
He PL'&S  in thr world  by His almighty sustaining power, nature, personally united Himself with a human body
and in the light He diffuses, and the world was made and a human soul and spirit. And through this flesh,
by Him,  o.nd (but) the world knew Him not. The             human nature, the Word gave visibility to His glories,
horror and shame of it! Knew Him not with a heart His grace and truth, and John and his brethren in the
and mind that loves.                                        Lord also beheld His glory, the glory as of the only
   He came unto His own, the people of Israel of the begotten of the Father. They saw it in all the gracious
Old Testament covenant, here called His own in vir-         words that he uttered and in all the works that He
tue of their being the covenant people, His own, here performed.
in contrast to mankind in general. Not to mankind,              And John  bare witness of Him, and  crlcd,   sa.yiny,
the heathen world, but to His own He came as the            Thjsr was He of whom  I spake, He that  comcth after
luord of truth and grace, thus as the Revealer of the       me  is preferred before me; for he  wns  before   me.
Triune Jehovah,  the God of grace and mercy. He             That is, my successor in time has come to be my prede-
came to His own, during the entire  o1.d testament dis-     cessor in rank, as He was before me. And of His ful-
pensation, through the agency of the prophets, through      ness, have all we received, and grace for grace. The
the  word they brought. which  wa,s  His word, in all       full measure of grace and truth, merited by Him for
the types and symbols of the Old economy and finally His people, dwells in Him, in His human nature, upon
in the assumed human nature. And His  own  r~c&~~d which the Father first poured out the Spirit. Hence,


166                                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
       -..........._.  ___- .--..-.  -.-                      -..-ll_l...-~  -....._ -_._-_ - -.-..._               I_-_
He is the true vine and His people the branches. ln mention of this circumstance. Yet Nicodemus must
Him they abide and from Him do they receive, and not be put down as a hypocrite who came to spy upon
grace for grace, that is, grace in an ever-increasing Jesus under the cloak of simplicity. It would have
measure, grace as multiplied.                                                  required considerable courage for a man of his rank
   For the law  `was   given by Moses, but grace and and prestige to publicly show an interest in Christ.
truth  ca*me by (in and through) Jesus Christ.  The                            To do, so would have been to flout his colleagues to
law is here contrasted to grace and truth. For the their faces and to lower himself in their esteem. Yet
law is the binding commandment. It can and did not there was too much in Jesus that appealed to him to
give life but by its demand worked the death of the                            permit him to remain away altogether. So he came
sinner, revived in him sin, either unto salvation or by night. And the Saviour bore with his weakness
eternal damnation. The  law also stands against truth and received him at this unseasonable time. And he,
as the law is the type (it called for the type, the sym- an educated man of age sat as pupil at the feet of
bolical expiations of sin, etc.) and  as the truth stands a young rabbi.
for the reality of salvation. Grace here spells salva-                             Rabbi, we (not I), know, said he to Jesus, "that
tion with all that it includes, the free gift of Christ, thou art a teacher come from God," as if the conviction
His meritorial work, His communication of Self to he voiced was that of all his colleagues. This it was
His people, the complete ,salvation  of the latter, the nqt. Yet in all liklihood there was found in his circle
renewal of all things. Grace then signifies the free spirits kindred to his. The miracles lhat Jesus per-
love of God as it reaches His people through the cross formed had awakened in his soul the certainty that
and saves and beautifies them, so that they show forth he had to do with one-a teacher--come from God.
the virtues of their God.                                                      For no man could do these mirac'les that Christ did
   No  mmn  bath   seen. God at any time;  the only be- except God be with him." Thus he was not one of
gotten Son,  zuhich is in the bosom of the Father, He those who, under the  imp&e  of sheer malice, sought
h&h declared Him. God can be seen by His people for the secret of Christ's power in the circumstance
only in His self-revelation, that is, in the face of the that, as they said, he was in league with Satan. It
Word communicated, the only begotten, who as the may have been a true faith that for wont of more
Word, reveals God through the assumed human nature. knowledge and better insight, here esteemed Christ as
                                                                               a prophet Be this as it may, Nicodemus' approach is
                                                                               respectful. He addresses Jesus as Rabbi and thus
Christ Instructs Nicodemus - John 3 A-1 7 puts Him on a level with Himself. This is significant,
                                    Lesson for January 10.                     as the title was denied to him by many. Yet to this
                                                                               according to the Lord the dignity of Rabbi, not to
   But (in the original) there was a man. But points much significance mnst perhaps be attached, as the
back to the last three verses of the preceding chapter Lord has as yet not aroused the ire of the sect to
that assert that when Jesus was in Jerusalem at the which Nicodemus belonged by His exposure of its
Passover, many believed in His name, when they saw hypocracy.
the miracles which He di,d,  but that Jesus did not com-                           Yet, however, respectful the approach may be, their
mit Himself to them, become intimate with them, be- animates from Nicodemus' speech a certain boIdne?s'
cause He knew all men, and needed not that any  shouId                         and even pertness (so it seems to me) that makes it
testify of man, as He knew what was in man. The                                rather easy for us to recognize in him the self-sufficient
pariciple  but may signify that of Nicodemus Jesus                             pharisee. Christ, capable of knowing what  Is in man,
makes an exception and commits Himself to him as                               sees through him. And knowing that he has no know-
in him He discovered a true disciple in disguise. Christ ledge even of the first rudiments  of the true religion,
reveals the secrets of the kingdom to His friends only. knowing too, that in common  *.:-ith his kindred spirits
Nicodemus was a man of the Pharisees, and a ruler of he entertains a pureIy  carnal conception of the king-
the  Jews. Thus, coming from the pharisees and being dom and its King, Christ immediateIy without a mo-
a member of the Sanhedrin (he was ruler of the Jews)                           ments delay begins to discourse upon one of the great
he was a man of position and influence in the common- cardinal truths of the kingdom-a truth that from the
wealth of the lsraelitish theocracy. He was of the sect nature of things is the first to which He must direct
of the zealous Pharisees, a sect that had no knowledge the attention of His pupil. "Verily, I say unto thee-
of the mysteries of redemption and in particular of Nicodemus must understand that what he now hears
the mystery of regeneration and that sought to win this Rabbi say to him has great weight. Mark, too,
the favor of  God, by a self-made holiness. In  Nico- that in responding, Christ avoids the title, rabbi. The
demus  then there stood before Jesus a man and in all earnestness that animated from His person and speech
likhhood  a believer from the cultivated world.  The renders the observance of polite forms in the use of
*ame came do Jesus by  night. This doing of his was titles incongruous. Mark, too, that Christ places over
a mark of weakness as appears from the particular against Nicodemus we lcnow his I no2u say, 1, not we.


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                           167

This  1 :;a~ betokens conviction and courage and the man, thus in crucifying our members which are upon
consciousness on the part of Christ that He alone of the earth, in setting affection on the things above, in
all men knows. Finally, mark also that over ag:&inst            seeking these things, in denying oneself, in taking one's
Nicodemus' "Thou art come  frame  above  *ilid  `ihere-         cross upon him, in renouncing the world and the
fore art a teacher (from the kingdom)  ." Christ places things out of the world; it consists, in a word, in all
His, "A man must be born from above if he would those spiritual exercises that spring from the life of
as much as see the kingdom of heaven.                           regeneration. Entering the kingdom is equivalent to
     To be  born  from  tzbova  or  anew.  How should this striving to enter in through the narrow gate, to fight-
birth be described? As a radical, fundamental change ing the good fight of faith. Entering the kingdom
in man (the elect sinner) of which God is the author; is a life-long engagement. Wow utterly impossible for
as the coming into being of a new man, a heavenly any one not born from above to enter the kingdom.
creature, the spiritual man; as a coming forth of this              Christ gives the reason why such a one cannot
creature from the almighty creative will of  Goa;  LT(~ possibly enter the kingdom. Such a one is born from
the implanting of a new  ,an.d heavenly principle of life the flesh. It is his only birth. Hence, he is flesh.
in a man, dead in sin and as the flowering of this life in For kind always and invariably produces kind. Now
him. The man born anew has heaven in his soul and flesh certainly cannot, will not, neither may not, enter
in heaven is also his walk of life. He only can see the the kingdom of heaven. Flesh here signifies the entire
kingdom of heaven, of God, of the God and Father of man, not born anew; his spirit (demoralized through
our Lord, Jesus Christ, spiritually discern it, feel him- sin and therefore under the dominion of the sinful
self attracted to it, t.ake it, regard it as the sole ,good,    lusts of the lower nature of man) soul ,and body. Only
expect it, hope for its coming, seek it, prize it and he, born of the Spirit can enter the kingdom, as he so
count it all joy that of this kingdom he may be a born is a heavenly creature, again by virtue of the
citizen. Only the heavenly can see the heavenly. Thus fact that kind produces kind. He born of the Spirit
to a man, not born anew, this kingdom is a hated is Spirit.
entity  ; its light pains his evil eye. Because of his             Marking Nicodemus' perplexity, Christ continues,
antipathy to the kingdom, he cannot know it, spirit- Marvel not that I say unto thee, Thou must be born
ually discern it, recognize its glory, evaluate its worth. again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou
For he is earthy, sold under sin; and can mind carnal hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence
things only.       Consider that evil brood, that pitted it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that
itself against Christ. In their ignorance-an ignor- is born of the Spirit".
ance that had its roots in their hatred of Christ, it              The wind in nature is the symbol of the Spirit.
saw not, could not see Him, see in Him the Saviour, The points of comparison are three: a. The absolute
behold His glory, as the glory of the only begotten independence and sovereignty of the wind, (it bloweth
of the Father. And in their wilful ignorance they where it listeth, not where nzan listeth. Thus, sover-
crucified Him, the Lord of glory. In truth, except a ez'ynty in contrast to man, not to God). b. Its effect,
man be born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God.             (Thou hearest its sound). c. Its incomprehensible and
     Nicodemus is perplexed, confounded. "How," he mysterious operation, (Til0.u  canst not tell whence it
.W.IiS,    "cm  a man be born when  h.e is old? Can he cometh) . It was necessary that Christ stress the ab-
enter a second time into his mother's womb and be solute sovereignty of the movements of the Spirit of
born?"       To Nicodemus -the demand is as unreason-           regeneration in the hearing of Nicodemus.          From
able as that one should enter a second time into his            his reply, "Can a man enter the second time into his
mother's womb, as unreasonable and as impossible. mother's womb and be born," it is evident that he
But Christ is insistent. What to this ruler is impos- conceived of rebirth as somehow contingent upon the
sible must come to pass.        Jesus answered, "Verily,        free will of man. The Spirit begets a man if he wills
verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water to yield himself to the Spirit. This, by the way, is
and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of               also the view one comes upon in Arnold's commentary.
heaven. Water (baptismal) the sign of the washing Christ therefore affirms that the Spirit renews, re-
away of sin by t,he blood of Christ, here points to the         claims from death, whom He will. How can the will
Spirit of Christ, in and through whom He renders the of the sinner, dead in sin and who thus does not exist
fruits of His meritorial labors, effective in His people. spiritually, consent to being brought into being. The
Seeing the kingdom and entering it, go hand and hand. absurdity of it!  Does a man choose to be conceived
To see it is to spiritually discern. The expression and born in the natural sense?
to et&r the kingdom, refers more to the action of the              Regeneration is a work of God in which the sin-
one born anew, consisting in true pentinence,  contri- ner is necessariIy  absolutely passive, and of which he
tion  of heart, in the continuous confession of sin, in         is not at all conscious. Only the effects of the re-
being holy, in purifying oneself  as, He is pure, in            newing operation of the Spirit in a man are discern-
laying off the old man of sin and putting on the new able. The sound of the Spirit is heard, His fruits seen,


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  II                                                           ..-            _____"  I.I__--.---.  -.- ._... "- -..---....  lll_..-.-_l___l__
 the good works in which He causes the one born anew the work assigned to Him, He accepted His cross and
 to walk, lie within the range of observation. And said, "Lo, I come to do thy will. . . .!' And in all His
 how incomprehensible this work of God in man ! How terrible suffering, He, the son of man, was in heaven,
 mysterious? How it defies man's .powers of penetra- with God. Not once did He falter. Ever had He God
 tion! But let Nicodemus not marvel. Let him not before His mind's eye. It was ever His meat and
 take the stand that only that which can be compre- drink to do the will of the father. His conversation
 hended, is to be received as truth, as fact. Let @,m            in all those dark hours was ever in heaven. Not once
 consider that in whatever direction man may turn, did the disposition form in His soul to repudiate the
 he encounters the mystery, God. But, the sound of Father and the things heavenly, because He willed
 t,he Spirit can be spiritually discerned, the kingdom not the cross. Now whereas the son of man, who
 seen and entered, yet only by the one born anew.               came down from heaven went up to and is in heaven, He
    Nicodemus still does not understand. "How," says knew absolutely and infallibly, God and the mysteries
 he, "can these things be?" He should ask t.his, `he, a of the kingdom. Let Nicodemus therefore, receive His
 master in Israel? "Art thou a master in Israel and              witness.        For He is man's only infallible, reliable,
 knowest thou not these things?" Jesus continues,                willing and able teacher and  Saviour.
 "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do                   He came down from heaven. And as Moses lifted
 know, and testify that we have seen ; and ye receive up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son
 not our witness." Christ, as the only begotten of the of man be lifted up. The serpent was lifted up be-
 Father, knows and sees God, the mind of God in the                   fore the eyes of all for the perfect healing of those
 Spirit. As man, too, Christ knows and sees, being bitten by the fiery serpents, namely for the bitten ones
 instructed by the Spirit {who shows Him all things')            who believed, who fixed their eye in faith upon the
 given Him without measure. We can distinguish here raised-up serpent. So must the son of man be lifted
 but cannot separate. Christ, being what He is, utters up before the eyes of all men for the healing of His
 instruction respecting the mysteries of the kingdom jjeople,  for those who believe, lifted up, affixed to the
 that is absolutely reliable. `His knowledge of the mys- cross, lifted up in heaven, on the throne, at the right
 teries of the kingdom, of the secrets of God, is cetiain.            hand of the father, to there draw all men to Himself.
 And these secrets He communicates unto His friends, Whosoever believeth in Him will be saved. Whosoever,
 His own. Hence, ZOC! speak. . . . Pet Nicodemus and every man, without exception, who believes, namely
 his kindred spirits receive not Christ's witness. Still His elect. Whosoever, never signifies in Scripture all
 he asks, "how can these things be?" To this Jesus men, head for head, but always every man who be-
 replies, "If I have told you earthy things and ye believe lieves, the elect.
 not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of things heaven-              Christ here turns to a new subject, namely, that
 ly?" The earthy things are the eternal mysteries of re- of His atonement. He must he lifted up. For God
 demption (the cross and its  .benefits seen in the  peopIe           so loved the world. . . ." Christ here gives the reason
 of God) as realized on earth before the eyes of men ;~:hy the Son of man  must be lifted up. The reason
 and thus as seen by them, by Nicodemus. Yet though is, God so loved the world  ; that is, in the manner
 he sees, he believes not. The heavenly things are these spoken of, in the way described, in this manner,
 same mysteries as eternally present with God in His                  (outoos,  the Greek) thus so, that He gave in His eternal
 counsel. The things heavenly therefore cannot be seen counsel His Son, gave Him, that is, lifted Him up for
 by ma%. How  t.hen shall Nicodemus believe, if Christ the healing of the world, (His people). Therefore
 tell him of the' unseen heavenly things, if he believes              must the Son of man be lifted up +a time.
 not the things seen? Impossible. The things seen are                    The world He loved is not the world that lieth in
 the unseen things revealed. Christ's testimony is also darkness. How could this be if this  worl,d is destined
' revelation of these same things. Can it be expected to pass away. But the world that He loved is the
 of a man that he will receive the latter, if he reject world He eternally possessed in His counsel in Christ.
 the former? A man must be born anew to receive                       He gave. . . . that this u;orld might have life, eternal,
 Christ's witness, as well  as he must be born anew heavenly, imperishable life, this world, that as a his-
 to believe when he sees the things earthy.                           torical phenomenon is lost and must be saved. Thus
        "And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he                it follows that Christ sent not His son to condemn
 that  came down from heaven, even the son of man the world, ,th.is  world, but to save it.
 which is  `in heaven." Thus there is only one man,                      Note---Regeneration, as described above is the im-
 who has ascended up to heaven, to wit, Christ. He                    planting of  t.he new principle of life. The anology
 ascended up to heaven, that is, He received the Spirit               of this in nature is conception. To regeneration as the
 without measure and by this Spirit was lead into all                 appearing of the new man corresponds birth in nature.
 truth, so that he clearly and perfectly came to                      `It is the new principle of life as developed, the new
 know and to see the things heavenly and to love th.em.               man taking on visibility in the fruits of the Spirit,
 And there being with Him a perfect will to perform that can be seen and heard.                                              G. M. 0.


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                                                                                          had spent in lonely mourning for a beloved husband,
                                                                                          she must have exceeded the age of the very strong
                                                                                          by about one score years and ten. She had outlived
                                                                                          her own age. And also in this respect she was a true
                                            Anna                                          picture and representative of the old dispensation;
                            And there ~zom one .&nna, n prophetess, for, it too, so it seemed, should have died long ago,
                        the  dmgh.ter of  Phcmuel,   of  the tribe  of but could not, quickened  &s it was by the spirit of
                        Aser; she was of  CL  0rea.t age,  and  had prophecy and buoyed up by the imperishable hope
                        lied with  L%%s husband seven years  from of the Promise. . . .
                        her  virginity;  and she  WCLS   a widow of
                        nbout  fmwscorc  nnd                                                 Of that unshaken faith in the Scriptures, of that
                                                         four years, ,which de-
                        parted not  fi'om  the  temple.  but served undying hope, and, therefore, of all that looked for re-
                        God with fastings and prayers night and demption in Jerusalem Anna was a true representative.
                        da,y. And she coming in that instamt  gave                           The hope of the Promise was her heritage in gene-
                        tlmnks   I;L'keu:ise  unto fhe  Lwd  nlzd  spa,ke
                        of  Hint  fo  all  them  that looked  for  TV-                    rations.    For, she belonged to that tribe of Israel
                        dcnzption   in  Jemsnlenz.                                        whose women the books of the wise appraised as
                                                                        Lu. 2 :~[)Lj'g    especially beautiful, the tribe of Aser, one of the ten
       Anna, the pious!                                                                   that had been swallowed up in captivity. Had not her
       Who of those that dwelled in Jerusalem or that generations in times long gone by, when Ephraim had
  came to the City of God from every part of the land separated itself from Judah and walked in the ways of
  and even from distant countries to celebrate the holy Jeroboam who cause Israel to sin, incorporated them-
  days with the festive throngs of Cod's ancient people, selves into Judah, and had they not, turning their
  did not know Anna?                                                                      backs upon the abominations of the golden calves,  d-
       Year by year, as  ,the multitudes travelled from ways worshipped in Jerusalem and clung to the temple
  every direction toward the  HoIy City and met  one- as the symbol of their hope? Had they not, when
  another in the way, they would make mention of her, Judah had followed in the way of her adulterous sister,
  the old prophetess, and wonder whether they would followed her, finally,  also  into captivity, mourned the
  see her again, whether she would still be in the temple lost estate of Cod's people at the rivers of Babylon,
  courts, speaking to the assembled crowds of the re- hanging their harps in the willows and refusing  to
  demption of Israel and of the Redeemer,. Who, very sing one of the songs of Zion as long as Jerusalem was
  soon now, would come to His temple.                                                     a spectacle and  Go.d's house lay in ruins? And had
       For, very old was she and the sorrows of many they not obeyed in gladness of heart when the sum-
  years had left its deep furrows on her shrivelled face, mons was sounded forth to return and to rebuild the
t,hough a buoyant and still youthful spirit reflected walls of the Holy City? The hope that Jehovah would
  itself in the glitter of her dark eyes, especially when still realize the Promise, would remember His holy
  she would speak of Him Whom her soul  expected  and covenant with Abraham and the sure mercies of David,
  Whom she longed to see before she would die. The would redeem Israel from all his iniquities and
   Word describes her to us as being of a very great troubles, would  ,restore  the throne of David to its
  age; and if in the light of this emphatic statement former glory, yea, exalt the mountain of His house
  we interpret the other, that she  was a widow of about above all the mountains of the earth, had never died
  fourscore and four years, as denoting the period she                                    in the generations of  Phanuel, whose daughter was

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

     Anna, and in that hope they had never failed to keep            For, "in that instant",-and, indeed, only an in-
     their genealogies. A blessed distinction, indeed, it stant it was !-she came and recognized that her Lord
     was in those days of  apostacy  and unbelief, of con- had come to His holy temple !
     fusion and indifference, that she could be known as             Oh, perhaps, that "instant" was quite different
     Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser.        from the way in which she had often attempted to
            Yet, Anna was mourning!                              visualize it as she meditated upon the Promise, as
            Bemourning indeed, she had been and still was, the she was fasting and praying; but nevertheless, there
     loss of her husband with whom she had been privileged could be no mistake, this was, indeed, "the instant",
     to live for only seven short years, upon whom she had the moment for which her soul had yearned all these
     bestowed all the love of a woman's heart, so that there long years, the moment that constituted the reason
     never could be room for the love of another. In widow- why she had never departed from the temple, the reali-
     hood she  woilld end her days But bemourning she zation of her hope !
     also was the state of Jerusalem and the ever increas-           She recognized in that "instant" the Redeemer of
     ing spiritual indifference, cold formalism, hypocritical Israel !
     `superficiality,. proud and mocking rationalism, carnal         No doubt, in recent days and weeks her hope had
     worldly-mindedness *of her people and its leaders, of been quickened by many rumors and reports that had
     Pharisee and Sadducee and Hellenist, of Priest and          filled the City of God. She must have been a witness
     Scribe. Surely, this was no time to marry and to be t.o the amazement and strange behaviour of old Zacha-
     given in marriage. Rather would she cling  cIose to rias, when he returned to an anxious multitude from
     the temple, that only silent symboI  of her hope, with the holy place, where he had been burning incense
     its  aItars  and sacrifices, and serve Jehovah with fast- unto Jehovah, and somehow she had known that all
     ing and praying, fasting, indeed, because of the mourn- this was related to the approaching realization of the
     ful state of God's covenant, yet praying in the im- Promise. She must have  ~heard of the wonder-child
     perishable hope of the Promise, that yet the Lord that was born to Elizabeth in her old age and of the
     would come to His  hoIy temple. And never did the marvellous  things that had been predicted of that
     silvery notes of the priestly trumpets announce to an child. Had she, perhaps, not also heard of the visit
     awakening Jerusalem the time for the morning sacri- of the virgin that was with child to her cousin Eliza-
     fice that Anna had not waited for it; nor ever did beth and of the wonderful things that had been said on
     the smoke of the evening  ,sacrifice  peacefully rise that occasion? But surely she had heard the report
     heavenward in the blue azure of Palestine's firmament of the ange1  in the fields of Ephrathah,  preaching the
     that Anna  "was  not a worshipping witness, praying for gospel of great joy to the shepherds abiding in the
     the redemption of Israel.                                   field,`and  of the multitude of heavenly hosts that sang
        For, anna was mourning in hope!                          praises to God in the highest and of peace on earth
        A prophetess she was, not only in her mourning in men of His good pleasure ? And she had heard of
     and fasting, but aIso in that she ever spoke of Israei's    Bethlehem and of the "babe, wrapped in swaddling
     redemption and pointed to the hope of the Promise?          cIothes  and lying in a manger". For, the shepherds
        Not necessarily does this imply that she was favored had not kept silent, but had made known abroad the
     with speciai  revelations concerning the coming of the saying that was told them concerning this  chiId  ? . . .
     expected Messiah, though it  wouId  seem that, like             Jerusalem was tiled with strange rumors!
     gray-haired Simeon, she had received the assurance             And Anna knew and understood.
     that she wonId not die until her eyes had beheld the            Tn recent days her expectation had been tense.
     Lord's Christ.                                                 Yet. she had not gone to Bethlehem; yet, she had
        But, surely, it means, that to her was given a clear not departed from the temple ; yet, she prayed  a11 the
     insight into the Scriptures of the Old Testament, that more fervently: would not the Lord come to His holy
2n a sense, she understood the promises of God better temple? There, then, she would abide the Lord's time.
than Priest and Scribe.                                          There she continued to fast and to pray and to worship
0       And, without doubt, it signifies that of that Pro- and to prophesy of Him that was to come, soon, very
     mise she spoke to them that dwelled in Jerusalem and soon, indeed! . . . .
to them that wouId visit to worship in the temple.                  And she was not put to shame!
        And her instruction and consolation would buoy up            For, "in that instant" she saw  Iiim  !
the sinking spirits and support and confirm the hope                Strange instant! For, now the Lord came to His
against hope of all those that looked for redemption temple as a babe, in the arms of His silent and medi-
in IsraeI  ?                                                     tative mother ! The Redeemer came to Jerusalem to
        Anna, mourning in hope!                                  be redeemed! The Lord is presented as the Servant!
                            -     -      -                       The price of redemption is to be paid for Him, that
                                                                 is to pay the supreme price for the redemption of His
        Anna, justified in her hope !                            people.


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                             171 .
                         "-.                                            -    -
    Yet, thus it was but proper that all righteousness            In that "instant" she came to Him!
should be fulfilled.                                              She came and beheld ! The redemption of Israel !
    For, was He not the First-born? Indeed, He was                It was the moment for the which she had lived!
the First-born of Mary, one that "openeth the womb",              The realization of her hope!
that prepares the way for His brethren and that shall
have the preeminence and be Lord over them. And,                  Anna, the prophetess!
as He is of the tribe of Judah, and as Levi took the              Prophesying still, prophesying now, indeed, with
place of all the first-born of Israel, yet, these must still more zeal and greater joy than ever!
he considered holy unto the Lord, He must needs be                For, now she may cast off the robe of' mourning
redeemed. And as the first-horn of Mary  .He is' a and, with all Zion, put on her beautiful garments.
t,ype of Himself. For, He is indeed the First-Born The Light is come !
in a unique sense of the word, the First-born of Whom             Prophesying, first of all, in thankful praise before
all the first-born among Israel were but types, without God. For, thus it is but proper. In that instant she
Whom there could be no first-born that are holy unto gave thanks unto the Lord! Such had been the sub-
the Lord. He is the. First-born of every creature, unto ject of the song of Mary ; such had been the theme of
Whom in God's eternal good pleasure, all creatures in the praise of Zacharias  ; thus the angels had sung in
heaven and in earth, are adapted, Who is the First the fields of Ephrathah; thus the shepherds had re-
that breaks through the .womb  of the counsel of the turned from seeing the thing that had come to pass,
Most High, and Who prepares their way and has the the sign of the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and
pre&ninence  over them as the Lord of all ! A Saviour, lying in a manger; thus had Simeon poured out his
which is Christ, the Lord ! `He is the First-born among heart in joyful thanksgiving before the Lord, Whose
many brethren, and He prepares their way into the salvation he had seen ; and thus Anna, in that "instant"
everlasting heavenly tabernacle of God's fellowship, prophesying, gave thanks unto the Lord ! . . . .
through sin into righteousness, through wrath into                And thus it is proper!
favor, through darkness into the glorious light of God's          Look at the babe, see the sign, by faith; recognize
countenance. And He is- the First-born of the dead, Him,-and your next glance will be to heaven, from
that breaks through the womb of death into the whence  cometh this salvation!
glorious life of the resurrection, preparing the way              And, again, having recognized the Lord's salvation,
into glory for all them whom the Father gave and having poured out your heart in thanksgiving to
Him! . . . .                                                   the God of your salvation, you must still speak of Him
    How strange, yet how proper that He should come to them that are round about you.
to His temple in order to be redeemed !                           Thus did Anna, the prophetess  ?
    In that "instant" she came and recognized and  re-            She spake of Him, of Him Whom her eyes had be-
j oiced !                                                      held, Whom her Spirit had recognized, always of Him,
    She had witnessed the joy of recognition in to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
Simeon's eyes and the expression of profound peace There were, indeed, others in Jerusalem, and Anna
reflected in his features, as he lifted the babe in his knew them well. There were in Jerusalem the modern
arms. She had seen him lift his face heavenward and Hellenists, seeking the world and the things that are
heard him speak the words of thanksgiving: Now  let-           below, selling their birthright for a mess of pottage ;
test thou Thy servant, 0 Lord, depart in peace; for my there were the cynically sneering Sadducees, cold
eyes have seen Thy salvation !                                 rationalists, always ready to argue that there is no
    Then, too, was there not something special about resurrection of the dead, no redemption for Israel ;
this Child?                                                    there were the proud Pharisees, honoring Jehovah with
    0, to be sure, He came in the likeness of sinful flesh!    their lips, while their hearts were far from Him And
He was like unto His brethren in all things, sin ex- to them she did not speak of Him. Why should she?
cepted !                                                       Would not the Hellenists kill Him if they knew? Would
    Yet, must we not remember, that this "flesh': was not the Sadducees sneer at Him and laugh Him out of
the tabernacle of the Son of God? And would it make court? Would not the Pharisees hate Him because
no difference, even in the outward appearance of this they loved the honor of men rather than the praise
Babe, that the corruption of sin never touched and of God? . . . .
marred this "flesh", that He is holy, undefiled, separate         But to them that looked for redemption!
from sinners ? If the babe Moses was a beautiful                  To the waiting souls, that believed the promise,
child, was not our Lord much rather fair?                      that expected salvation, that were fasting and praying.
    And, then, finally, there must have been in that              For, to them is the gospel: I bring unto you the
"instant" in Anna's heart the testimony of the Spirit gospel of great joy!
of prophecy, witnessing and assuring her that this                Redemption, your redemption has come ?
was, indeed, the Lord's Christ!                                   Glory to God !                             ET. H.


180                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   R E A R E R

vergadering  behoort aan die kenteekenen te worden
getoetst. "Indien  zij die ordening heeft, die de Heere                     Blessed Suffering
in het Woord en Sacramenten heeft  aanbevolen,  zoo                                            Matth.  5:11,   12.
zal zij ons niet bedriegen; laat  ens gerust haar de           If we compare this verse with the one im-
eer bewijzen, die ware Keken toekomt ; maar indien mediately preceding, it seems as if the one and the
zij daarentegen  zich zonder Woord en Sacramenten same thing is spoken` of. That verse speaks also of
aandient, zoo hebben wij ens voor zulke begoochelingen      persecution and of the blessedness so closely connected
immers te wachten 266 zorgvuldig, als mij ten opzichte      with it. There the blessedness is connected with the
van het andere, lichtvaardigheid en hoogmoed hebben suffering for righteousness' sake, here, with the suf-
te nrrijden."    En eene Kerk, die deze kenteekenen ver- fering for His, (Christ's) sake. Does the Saviour refer
toont,  mag niet lichtelijk  verworpen, ook a1 gaat zij to, and does He mean the one and the same thing?
overigens aan vele gebreken mank. Dit geldt zelfs To our minds we must differentiate between the parties
van ondergeschikte punten in de leer, zoowel als van He speaks to. In the beatitudes, He spoke of the
iets gebrekkelijks  in de bediening der Sacramenten. citizens of the heavenly kingdom in general and very
"Want  a&  hoofdpunten  der leer zijn niet van eenerlei pointedly mentioned the peculiar characteristics of
gehalte"  (par.  22).      Als  Ben van zulke  punten  der each and every one of them and that in close connection
leer, waarom de eenheid der Kerk niet mag worden with their blessedness. From this genera1 discourse
verbroken, noemt hij, dat "de eene, zonder zucht om te the Lord turns to the disciples. It is no longer they,
twisten,  zonder halstarrig hare meening te  willen         but from now on ye. Ye following me. Ye in the
doordrijven,  van gedachte is, dat de  zielen,   zeodra     midst of world that will never receive you with open
zij de  Ii&amen   verlaten,  terstond ten  hemel  varen; arms, if ye reveal yourse1ves  as followers of me.
en de andere  niets  zekers durft bepalen aangaande de         These verses mark a sharp distinction between the
plaats, waar zij henen gaan, maar tech vaststelt, dat people of God and the children of the world. They di-
zij den  Heere leven" (par. 12). Maar in het blijven vide all of mankind into two parts. On the one hand,
bij de. Kerk, die de kenteekenen der ware Kerk ver- we find the Church as it. was then and is now, on the
toont,  moet onze "toegeefelijkheid"  zich nog "veel  ver- other, the world. It is never any different. Because
der uitstrekken,  als het gaat om de  onvoImaaktheid        we are either for or aginst Christ Jesus and a third
des levens. Van de beschouwing der Katharen en class of people is simply inconceivable. Men are found
Donatisten en sommige Wederdoopers, die  met  meen- aon His right and are therefore' persecuted and hated,
den te kunnen rusten,  eer ze op aarde eene volmaakte or they belong to those who persecute. Grace and sin
.Kerk  hadden  gerealizeerd moest  Calvijn niets hebben. will never mix, not even for one single moment, and
Want: "indien de Heer  verklaart  dat de Kerk tot op        those without grace are enemies of God and His
den dag des oordee1s  van ,dit kwaad zai zwanger gaan, Church, now and forever. sowever, the disciple that
dat zij met de vermenging van  boozen  zal  bezwaard        is persecuted is comforted. Intense is the suffering
zijn,zoo  zoeken zij tevergeefs een Kerk, die met geen as far as the flesh  is concerned and he needs the
vlek bezoedeld is".                                         comfort or the  suffering would become unbearable.
                                                 H. H.      And it is not so that he shall be comforted, although
                                                            that is dso true, nay, but he is comforted now. He
                                                            has reason to rejoice and be exceeding glad. He must
                                                            and will leap for joy if his suffering finds its cause
                                                            in the fact that it is for Christ's sake.
                       GIFTS,  S~im'tual.                       We must take note that the Lord in His discourse
                                                            does not speak of a remote possibility. He does not q
           Could I command with voice or pen                say perhaps or if ye are persecuted. He deflnitely
           The tongues of angels and of men,                states when ye are persecuted as a matter of course.
           A tinkling cymbal, sounding brass                P,ersecution  for His sake is always to be expected in
           My speech and preaching would surpass :          this world at all times. True it is, the world does
           Vain were such eloquence to me                   not always use the same method and mete out with
           Without the grace of charity.                    the same measure, but it makes not  s.uch a great deal
                                                            of difference whether the one or the other method
           Could I the martyr's flame endure,               is used, neither is it important how severe the world
           Give all my goods to feed the poor;              takes hold of us. After a11 the most important ques-
           Had I the faith from Alpine steep                tion is, why so often is the Church persecuted? What
           To hurl the mountain to the deep,                seems to be wrong with her? Has that world changed
           What were such zeal, such power to me,           or become better, since these  ,words  were spoken?
           Without the grace of charity.                    The world will not object if the Church does not live


                                 T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                            181
-..-..-  _-_~..~-           .lll ..--.     _."-                   -1.-..__4-.1__- --.."-"_ ..- -.-___            --E=Z
according to her high calling, whatever the confession ful man to action. As it is in regard to salvation, so
may be. When we are at peace with her, it surely is it is in connection with God's demand of righteousness  ;
not because the children of darkness take a more sinful man must have none of it. Is it not plain then,
favorable attitude toward us, nay, but rather we did that there is not an essential difference between the
not maintain our elevated position. We are on the prophets of the Old and of the New Dispensation?
decline and make common cause with the world, as                 When the Lord holds the gruesome picture before
is the case today. Hence, the blessedness whereof the His disciples, He at the same time illustrates the dif-
text speaks is no longer a matter of experience.              ferent forms  ,of persecution. First of all, men revile
   The history of God's people proves that according you, bitter and hateful words shall be spoken to you.
to the measure they were faithful, the world  revealed        How could it be otherwise? Man void of grace cannot
its hatred. So it was at the time of the apostles and speak graceful words to anyone that professes the
the record of the Church as given to us in Hebrews            Lord. God's people speak God's Word and the world
11 proves it beyond any doubt. Thus it was the ex- will speak the word of their god, that is the devil. And
perience of the prophets mentioned in our text. Who it does not matter whether or not their words are
were they and why were they persecuted? The Lord couched in rude, uncouth language or in refined, polite
says, the prophets that were before you, namely, the or cultured terms. Be not mistaken. The latter are
prophets, who before you spoke the Word of God. Of often sharper and strike deeper than the former, even
course, not the prophets who pretended to speak in as the whetted sword will pierce deeper than the dull.
the Name of the Lord. Paralel with the line of the               The Word of God will  find opposition whenever
true prophets we find the line ef the false teachers and wherever it is spoken. The children of light ret
and preachers. And as a rule they were in the majo,*.         joice in the light, the children of darkness will reveal
ity. Theirs was not  +ne lot of  pers:  cution,  for their their hatred. God and the devil, darkness and light
preaching was adapted to the carnal mind and sin- can never dwell in harmony together. When the truth
ful  flesh. Any man, who brings a gospel for man of God is spoken, either in word or deed, the devil will
as he is by nature and in harmony with sinful nature speak his and so do his chi1,dren. Was that not the
will escape reviling and persecution and will not make experience of the prophets? In their day there also
enemies. `People will speak well of him, honour him, appeared the line of the false prophets. Pretending
and his popularity will be without limits. No, but the that they spoke the Word of the Lord, they preached
faithful servants of Jehovah, as they appeared in the a certain man-made righteousness to apostate Israel
Old Dispensation, were the objects of all kinds of and thus opposed the true prophets, branding them
cruelty, of all the text speaks of. The only reason for as liars. And the false prophet proclaimed that there
this hatred is to be found and must be explained from was not an evil day at hand, that righteousness was
the contents of their preaching. Now then, my wit- replaced by love, that, therefore, the wrath of which
nesses, in so far as you are faithful, look forward for       the faithful had spoken was not to be harmonized
the same hatred and antagonism. The Church of the with Jehovah, who was a loving Father of all and not
living God through the ages is dealt with as depicted of only a select few. Is it different today? Speak
here. The world will not tolerate you, but be of good .and live by the Word of God and the devil will send
cheer, you are in good company. The prophets are the prophets who speak his, with the result that the
your brethren and you with them, belong to the as- world seems to have the better of the Church.
sembly of the elect of all time. The same road that              Hence, it is plain, that this speaking is done in
led the prophets to heaven, the road marked by blood falsehood. After all, wherefore is the child of God
and suffering, leads you to the same reward.                  persecuted? Is it not for the good that he speaks and
   Looking at the text more closely, especially from does ? Certainly, we find a warning here by impli-
the point of view of the context, we find something cation, the warning that we must not be persecuted
more definite as to, what they preached.           Generally as an evildoer. There is not anything so distasteful,
speaking their preaching centered around the Name than a Christian who is rightfully scorned. Scripture
of Jehovah. More specifically, it concerned the right- presents us the examples, for our warning and instruc-
eousness of their God. Righteous art thou, 0 Lord, tion, of men who were ridiculed and mocked at because
was always their t.heme.    For their speech was not they turned to sinful ways. Think of David, Solomon
simply to defend a certain cause or idea of their own. and others. We must always remember that the sins
that would exclude the persecution. For if God's of the covenant people  :Lre always an occasion for the
righteousness is left out of the preaching, the world world to ridicule.
will be tolerant and praise you for it. But God's right-         No, but as one who is opposed to the lie, sin and
eousness, the demand to be conformed to His very corruption. When in word and deed it is revealed that
Being, His Word and Law, to preach that righteous- we love righteousness. When our hope is in God and
ness alone is the basis for peace everlasting, will in-       in His work. When in principle we live the life of
evitably arouse all the power, at the eommanQ  of nin- righteousness by a living faith in our Lord  Sesus


182                                 T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R .
                                                                   I_-
Christ, and base our salvation alone upon His perfect .&it, contradictory as it may seem, the citizens of the
sacrifice. Then, when persecuted, we are blessed. It Kingdom can and do endure to the very end. No, not
is true, thait does not stop the -world from trying to of himself, not on account of his own strength, but
kill us. But remember the prophets were sawn asun- only through grace-that same grace that wrought the
der and the bodily harm brought upon many of them trust and knowledge in him to believe. What was
caused unspeakable suffering.     For, ever since the given by grace is able to stand the most fiery trials
blood flowed of the righteous Abel, that first trickling and is that not a reason for joy and rejoicing? That
of blood became as it were a flowing river. Indeed, is the reason for joy unspeakable for the disciple of
the servant is after all no more than his master and Christ Jesus in the midst of persecution.
all that will live godly will suffer persecution. And we       `1'0 this is added, that great shall be the reward in
might as well make it a point that the future, perhaps heaven. Whether or not we explain this by way of
the immediate future has the most severe persecution comparison  adoes not make much difference. `Most
in store for us. The signs of the times do not point to expositors take it to mean that the sutiering  must be
rest as far as the Church is concerned. And to be pre- looked at in the light of what is to come. And as
pared for it is imperative.                                 such, there is no objection to this explanation. It is
   What then is the blessedness whereof the text indeed true, that even in our daily lives we do not
speaks? Can it mean, that while the Church is perse- think much of a serious operation compared with the
cuted she must look forward to the final result? So         result it brings. Many of us had that experience.
it is often explained and thus we often live. Now we How intense pains are suffered to continue the span
are in the midst of suffering and misery, but presently of our loves  for only a  few more years. Who thinks
our sorrow and tears will be changed for joy unspeak- of pain after he is well again? Still we believe the
able. Hence, let us suffer patiently, because the suf- text means much more. The Lord said that they had
fering cannot be compared with the glaory that is to done the same things to the prophets before you and
come. If we consider it in the right light we will find they went by the way of  suffermg  to glory. It is a
that the suffering is looked at as some unavoidable great privilege to be in such august company. Not
evil, We would like to change it, but as it is not in       with Cain, Saul, Judas, the Worltd  and the devil, but
our power to do so, we try to make the best of it. The to be with all the saints of the preceding ages, who
result is, that a certain part of our life, of God's way, are no more here, but entered into glory.
is shrouded in the darkness. While it is true, that the        And above all, the ones thus persecuted are in com-
glory and joy to come are much more than the suffer- ,,any with the very Son of God and shall be with Him
ing of this present time, even if one has to suffer all in the house of His Father.
of his life, it is not meant in the text. Once more,           There is the reward awaiting them. That reward
it is t.rue that forty, fifty or more years of suffering are is something besides salvation? Nay, but salvation
nothing compared with  the eternal bliss. The text itself. For all of them in the same measure? Our
speaks of the blessedness of this present time first. answer is no, but as was the suffering, so also shall
The-blessings are now, while they are persecuted. And be the measure of glory. And we must not forget that
that blessedness does not find its cause in the suffering, the experience of the manifold sufferings will make
for suffering is never a reason for rejoicing. And false the experience of salvation so much more blessed.
mysticism alone will pray for suffering. Yet, the joy What was suffered once will never be experienced a-
and the leaping for joy are now. Why? Well, first of gain, for heaven excludes all suffering. Nevertheless,
all, the manifold persecutions are as so many unmis- that does not mean that it will be forgotten. Even as
takeable  signs of grace. Of God's work in us and sin serves as the background for grace, so also, shall
His love for us. That is, they prove that God's work it be revealed and confessed that the persecutions en-
is present' in the one so dealt with. Does not the apostle able us to taste the sweetness of the reward in a much
tell the congregation, that it is given to her in the greater measure. Thus the disciple can rejoice and
behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also leap for joy.        From the point of view of the end
to sufler for His sake. To believe is to know and to reached and the road that led to the end the salvation
trust in Him, Who spoke the Word of Truth to you shall be appreciated. It will then clearly reveal God's
and in you through His Spirit. The suffering for own way of unsearchable wisdom and infinite love.
His sake then, is the fruit of what He has done in His      Every tear shed, every false accusation born for His
children. If seemingly all are against you, He is for sake, the manifold persecutions endured were possible
you. He  dwelIs  in you and even while it all seems because of His grace. The disciple was able to re-
to be so contrary of what might be expected, the main steadfast. The genuineness of His work became
reality is, because His work isin you and is manifested manifest and all the fiery darts of the world, Satan
through you, therefore y.ou are reviled, evil spoken of and hell were not capable to annihiliate God's work.
and persecuted. In the second place, it takes grace            Lord, let us see it and believe it and joy and re-
to suffer. Without grace we are not able to bear it. joice in it.                                         w. v.


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                             x35
                                                                                                       ^^  _          _.."___
                                                                  than our father Jacob, which gave us this .well and
                                                                  drank thereof himself, and  hti children and his cattle?
         Sunday School Lessons                                    `Art thou a man of some extraordinary power, a pro-
1-e phet perhaps, who can by a miracle open a new source
 Jesus The Water Of Life; John 4:7-26' of refreshment?' This  question of the woman reveals
                                                                  a considerable degree of national pride and interest
   In this section Christ, sitting on Jacob's well in             in religious matters. But Jesus waives a direct reply
weariess of body, yet with an ever fresh willingness              and with increased earnestness says, "Whosoever
to tell the mysteries of the kingdom, to those capable drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but who-
of hearing, discourses on the living water with a dis-            soever drinketh of the water that I shall give him
reputable, semi-heathenish, yet spiritually alert and             shall `lever thirst: but the water that I shall give
susceptible woman. He knows the dark spots in her him shall be in him a well of water springing up into
career, but also discerns the deep and slumbering everlasting  life:'
longings of her soul for righteousness and when she                  Let us pause here. What are we to understand by
gives expression to her penitence and faith, He re-               the liv,iny  zurr&zrl  If it be considered that water (and
veals to her the truths concerning the true -worship meat) are not for the dead (the dead eat and drink
of God. If this woman, a deeply fallen character, not) but solely for the living, that the living only ex-
were totally indifferent to spiritual interests, Christ,          perience thirst, it will be seen at once that the water
Who never cast His pearls before the swine, would                 given by Christ is that which the spiritually living
have passed her by.                                               crave for, to wit, grace and truth,--.crmce  as the in-
   T h e r e   cameth   ik  ~wamun  f r o m   Samnricr,  to  draw clusion of all that is promised to the children of God
u&r. . . . It was not merely a physical thirst but                (forgiveness of sin, righteousness, strength, the adop-
above all the desire to open to this woman a fountain tion of children, the redemption of the body and the
of true spiritual refreshment that brought over the               appearance with Christ in Glory) and buth, the self-
lips of the Saviour the request, Give me to drink.                ,revelation  of Christ (Who is the truth) together with
The immediate occasion of this request is the circum- all that He revealed concerning the benefits of the
stance that the disciples are gone into the city to buy cross.            This is equivalent to saying that the living
meat. Christ is a Jew. This the woman knows by                    water is Christ Himself: for He is the truth; in Him
His dress and speech. Pet as one willing to be in-                dwells all fulness, bodily, that is, of all the blessings
debted to her, He asks a favor at her hands for which, of the kingdom He is the meritorial source so that
if His looks do not belie Him, He will be grateful. they can be had by those only who appropriate Him by
Not as one unwilling to grant the favor, but surprised a living faith. For He not only gives,  but is our wis-
at its being asked, she answers, "How is it that thou dom, sanctification, justification and complete redemp-
being a Jew, asketh drink of me, which am a woman tion. From this it follows that in the last instance
of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the the living water is the Triune Jehovah as revealed in
Samaritans." The question of the woman illustrates the face of Christ. .Said the Lord to Abraham, "I am
the hatred that then prevailed.                                   thy reward, exceeding great." And the psalmist prays,
   "How is it that thou being a Jew, asketh drink of "My soul thirsts for God. . . ."
me, who am a woman of Samaria. . . ." The supposed                   Water in this discourse of, Christ, signifies not  Gfe
haughty Jew surprises her. His thirst and fatigue itself, but presupposes life, as only the spiritually liv-
of travel must be great, so she thinks, to force Him ing thirst.
to ask for water. Leaving His thirst, Jesus now stirs                Now drinking Christ is a spiritual act of the one
up her curiosity by telling her that if she knew the born anew, consisting firstly in his receiving into his
gift of God and who He is that saith to her, Give me              sanctified consciousness and heart Christ's self-revela-
to drink, instead of stopping to inquire why He had tion (including  all that He told us, thus, the  wh,ule
asked water of her, she would be asking it of Him,                truth) and secondly in imbibing, as one poor in spirit,
and what she asked He would certainly have given the grace of which Christ as the true vine is full.
her. Living water !-superior to that which she had But this drinking is but the other side of that act
in her pitcher.  But  how could He get such water? of Christ consisting in His everlastingly communicat-
By  g&g down deeper and getting nearer to the                     ing of His fulness to the members of His body.
bubbling spring beneath? Or was it water of better                   Now this water (grace and truth) is in the reborn
quality from some other well than this of Jacob to one a living spring, springing up into eternal life.
which He had reference.          Her reply springs from This water then forms in the believer not a stagnant
ignorance and confusion but also betokens awakening pool, but a well springing up. But this well is not in
interest and increasing respect. "Sir", says she. "Thou him a thing apart. He is the well, not in himself, but
flu.& noticing to drclllv  u$JL, tind Ehe ~~21 (is deep : from    in Christ, through the Spirit. The believer himself,
whence  hast thou that living water? art thou greater 000, springs up. Out of his belly flows rivers of living


136                                 T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
.===!!z-...I---------                         -..-l_-.l               -."_-_l...-             __---._        - - -
water (John  7238).     He springs up heavenward to           I&. US 110~ briefly comment on Christ's reply. In
God, the Source of his life. He confesses his sin in the Old Testament dispensation Jerusalem was the
the conviction that there is for him pardon, as he is      O~Y  place on earth where God could be worshippe,d.
a son. He crucifies his members  ,which  are upon There in the holiest place of the temple stood His
the earth, witnesses for the truth as walking in the throne. There is still but one place where the Father
way of God's precepts, praises and adores his God and can be worshipped, to wit, at the Jerusalem above.
blesses His name. And the Father also seeks  <him and But on this earth, the Father is served in every place
satisfies him with His likeness. And his fellowship where the body of Christ comes to manifestation in
is with the Father and with the Son. Now to so know the congregation of the Lord assembled with its  office-
God and the Son and to be so known of them is life         bearers for public worship. But it'is to the Jerusalem
eternal, that is, the only life of unspeakabIe  blessed- above, that the faces of all worshipping believers are
ness. So does the water that Christ gives spring up turned. The Jerusalem on earth was the type, which
in him, who drinks, into life eternal. And he shall with the advent of Christ was made to disappear.
never thirst, not in the sense that he, having drunken Only to the people of Israel and thus to no other people
to the full, is `now permanently satiated, and thus did Jehovah reveal Himself. Salvation therefore, was
turns away from Christ as one who has no more need solely out of the Jow,s. But the Samaritans bad been
of Him, but in the sense that he born anew, drinks         unwilling to recognize this. So, instead of receiving
not at intervals, but without ceasing, everlastingly, the Jews as their channel of salvation, instead of ac-
in unbroken continuity and thus is unceasingly satisfy- cepting from Israel's prophets Jehovah's .self-revela-
ing an undying desire after God. Or to express it tion, they pitted themselves against the Jews and set
otherwise, the living water in him will everlastingly up their own worship in one of their mountains, and
spring up into a most blessed and completely satisfying thus served not at Jerusalem. Though they thought
and imperishable life, so that he will never thirst.       to  Gerve Jehovah there in their mountain, they had
       Attend now to the woman's reply, "Sir, give me      no true knowledge of Him. Thus, rightly considered,
this water, ,that I thirst not, neither come hither to they worshipped, they knew not what, the same as the
draw." This is not sn ironical, sportive request, but as heathen in general. Here Christ indirectly asserts
appears from the next words of Christ, a serious ad- that at the time when He was speaking, men could
dress that springs from an inarticulate longing after serve the Lord at Jerusalem only. But the time cometh
the living water, righteousness and God. Christ's when the true worshipper shall worship the Father
discourse had awakened in her-a woman with a in Spirit and in truth. This is equivalent to saying,
troubled conscience-the presentment of something that the time is at hand for the disappearance of
higher. But before this longing can be satisfied, Christ Jerusalem on earth, of the type.
must bring this woman to a confession of her sin              Serving God in Spirit and in truth is here in con-
by directing her attention to the dark spots in her trast to serving Him merely in the letter, that is, in
career and secondly He must provide her with a sign the type and symbol,. in the typical -symbolical insti-
that will set Him before her eye as the Messiah, in tutions of the Old Testament Dispensation The be-
order that her confidence may be exclusively in Him. lievers of the Old Covenant served God in the latter
The sign is His perfect knowledge of her private life way (though of course they, too, served in Spirit and
of shame, which after five successive marriages cul- in truth essentially) as the prophecy (the types were
minated in her present unlawful relation. Through shadows of Christ) contained in the types was not
the giving of this sign, this shameful life is held before grasped by them in that the Spirit was not-the Spirit
her eye. The woman's reactions clearly indicate that
she has been brought under the conviction of sin. In- who leads into all truth.
stead of becoming angry with Christ, instead of im-           The Old Testament believers (mark you, believers)
mediately departing under the false promise to call kept the ceremonial law, brought sacrifices and burnt
her husband in order to be done with Christ, she re- incense through their consecrated representative, the
plies first, "I have no husband," and secondly, "Sir, priest, without fully grasping the true import of their
I perceive that thou art a prophet." This, "I have no doing, without apprehending the prophetic idea, of
Ihusband," may be taken as a renouncement of him which the doing was the expression. This  typical-
and thus as a confession of sin. Her next words, "Our symbolical apparatus of the Old Testament covenant
fathers worshipped at this mountain and ye say, that was therefore to the believer no instrument for the
in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship," conscious expression of divine truth and thus not an
may be taken as betokening a need for a covering of instrument for self-expression. It means that the wor-
sin. This need brought to her mind the question: ship rendered was more or less outward. It was thus
Where is the right place of worship. Her question not a serving in spirit and in truth. What is here
does not spring from a thoughtless,  indiRerent,  flip- said of the  Old Testament believer was especially true
pant spirit.                                               of the Samaritans.


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                       185'

      To serve in spirit and in truth,  .what is it?  In
   explaining this expression, we must set out with the                            The Miracles
   observation that the word,  Crutlt is to be taken as                        John  5%9;  fi:&-15
   signifying the realities of salvation-in the central
   sense Christ-to which the symbolical-typical institu-            This lesson deals with two miracles. The teaching
   tions of the Old Testament pointed and of which they of this lesson requires some understanding of the
   were the shadows. Worshipping in  spirit  and in  truth miracles. Let us inquire after the marks of the won-
   is firstly an action,consisting  in fixing the eye of faith ders and after the purpose of their being wrought. We
   upon these realities as set before us in Scripture, in cannot go astray if we begin with God and take as
   spiritually discerning the truth concerning them, in our lead the proposition that a  `u~ondor  is IL ,work of
   living this truth, in possessing it in the inward parts. God. Turning to Scripture, we come upon numerous
   Serving in spirit and in truth is secondly an action of passages that tell God's works. These passages are of
  the spirit of the believer consisting in his declaring, two kinds. The ,one kind concerns the works of God
   uttering the truth, in giving expression to it before that in these Scriptures are called new, uncommon,
   the face of God  5'0 in  such  n  `zoay that he, the  wor- unheard of,  zwonder-inciting.   Let us quote some of
  shipper, at once communicates to God his very inward these texts. Exodus  XxX111: 10: "And he said, Be-
  self, his spirit, heart. When the true believer declares, hold I make a covenant: before all thy people I will
  "Lord thou art God an,d none else," he worships and do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth,
  this worship consists in uttering, declaring, what God nor in any nation: and all the people among which
  first revealed in him-the truth-and secondly in pro- thou art shall see the work of the Lord: for it is a
  jecting his entire soul, self, spirit, in his word, praise, terrible thing that I will do with thee." Read further
  confession, so that it leaves him to return to God Ps. 78 :12 ; I Sam. 3 :ll. Isa. 43 : 9 reads : "Behold,
  whence it came as laden, surcharged, with all the love I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth." Re-
  of  ,his heart.     So God will be served. "Son, give sides these new works of the Lord, holy writ makes
me thy heart." So  mast  God be served. For He is mention of divine works that it does not call new, to
  spirit; a holy, rational-moral, non-corporal being of wit, the works of creation and providence.               These
  infinite perfection. Being what He is, He can be satis- works form the theme of the first chapter of Genesis
  fied with nothing less than a worship of this nature. and of Ps. 104. There are, of course, many other pas-
  Thus there can be worship in spirit and in-truth, only sages in Scripture that deal with these works, which
  if there be love and a saving knowledge of God. If in distinction of that  ~L?W work of the Lord may be
  there be love and insufficient knowledge,  (a,~ was the called old and first. There are then works of the Lord
  case with the Old Testament believers) there can from that are first and old and works that are new and
  the very nature of things be no serving in spirit and second. It is this new  work  (these  new works) to
  in truth. If there be no love, but merely a theoretical which Scripture gives a name (or names) of which
  knowledge, the worship if rendered will be outward, our words  wonder  or  miracle  is the translation. Won-
  material, carnal and thus abominable.                          ders are they, marvels, that attract and astonish, and
      Thus the implication of the announcement of Christ that, as they have "not been in all the earth," are new
  that believers would soon be worshipping God in spirit indeed.
  and in truth is not certainly that in the New Dispen-             The question is now in  .order: what is that new
  sation there would be no need of outward form (the work (works) of the Lord and why, for what purpose,
  foolishness of this contention! Can thought, truth, be is it wrought? We read of these new works in Ps. 78 :
   expressed with out the physical word or action?) but "Marvelous things did He. . . .He divided the sea,
  that the Spirit of Christ would soon be leading the and caused them to pass through ; and He made the
  church into all truth and secondly that then the wor- waters to stand as on a heap. In the daytime He also
   ship would no longer consist in keeping  the ceremonial led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light
  law.                                                           of  fire. . . . He  clave the rocks in the wilderness,
      Now those who worship in spirit and in truth, the and gave them drink as out of the great depths. . . ."
   Father seeks, that is, such He justifies in their hearts ;       From this Psalm it is plain that the  `Izew work
  to such IIe gives the testimony that they are His child-       (works) of the Lord, the wonder, the miracle proper,
   ren. With such He dwells. Such He satisfies by His consisted in the Lord's delivering His people through
   Iikeness. Such He saves to the uttermost; such, born His out-stretched arm and in bringing them to the
  of Him and capacitated by His grace to worship Him promised land of their abode.                  The miracle then
   in spirit and in truth. It is plain that worshipping in spells redemption and, to use a borrowed expres-
  spirit and in truth must also form a service that is true, sion, betokens the breaking through of grace. But
   real and genuine.                                             the redemption from Egyptian bondage, the conquest
      Christ ends with disclosing Himself to the woman of Canaan, God's entering with `His people into Ca-
   as the Messiah.                                               naan's rest, the rest of  -Canaan,  were but shadows,


188                                               THE  S T A N D A R D   BESRER
 ~I_ ..-... "-.""        _--^^" _"_-.."  ...-." ..."-    - __ .-- --..--              -."_._ _-..  -
the body of which is the heavenly (in the central sense ing His Sonship, and His power to save and together
Christ) again brought into being by the miracle. In with this testimony formed the one divine speech, set-
the final instance then, the miracle is a new work of ting forth the things of the Spirit.
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ consist-                        Were these symbolical miracles in every case acts
ing in His redeeming and freeing this earthy, in the of mercy on the part of God in respect to those on
central sense His people from the bondage of oorrup-                 whom they were performed? Not in every case, but
tion and in  &thing it with  h~avcrmly,  (not earthy)                only in such cases in which the one healed (physically)
salvation and glory.                                                 was the possessor of the spiritual power to praise God
    The miracle then spells redemption. It makes all for his healing. In all other cases the miracle was only
things new and thus brings into .being the heavenly. a sign and seal of God's mercy to His people. There
Thus to deny t.he mracle is to deny that, God through was, of course, the purely human compassion of the
Christ, the incarnate word (the miracle) saves  IIis man Jesus, always aroused by the spectacle of  sufrer-
people from all their sins and prepares for them  a ing.
heavenly kingdom, whose final appearance in glory will                      The view of most commentators (also of Arnold)
spell the destruction of the wicked and the passing is that "the idea that an angei went down and troubled
away of this world. The wicked, the mockers of all the water was evidently a popular superstition." So it
ages, deny the miracle.           They say, "where is the is maintained on the ground that" these words, and all
promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell of verse 4, are not found in the earliest manuscripts,
asleep, all things continue as they were from the be- and are almost (for this reason, so it is said) certainly
ginning of creation."                                                not a part of the original text. They were added later
    Miracles were not all of the same kind. The typi- to explain why the people were waiting at the
cal miracles of the Old Dispensation (such as the ten pool."
plagues of Egypt) brought into `being, not the reality                      However, this reason for the rejection of the verses
as such (the true heavenly kingdom) but its shadow. in question is not valid. To say that these verses are
(The  Lsraelitish  commonwealth was but a type, a net found in the earliest manuscript, is saying much
shadow). The typical miracles were thus prophetic of too much. All that ban be rightfully said is that these
better things to come. Such miracles performed by verses are not found in the earliest manuscripts in the
Christ as the making whole of the impotent man at possession  of  l3@iblical  scholars.  The fact that  t.hese
the pool of Bethesda should be called symbolical as verses are found in latter manuscripts may (and also
they effected merely a physical healing and were thus must) be taken as the evidence that earlier manu-
signs, pictures and seals of the true healing consisting             scripts, not known to scholars, did or do contain them.
                                                                     _
in Christ's making  whoie the spiritually impotent  sin- Besides, would this lame man on the basis of ~popular
ner. It is then not the typical nor the symbolical, but superstition remain in the vicinity of the pool for some
what must be called the  trv,e  miracle (the incarnation, thirty years with the hope in his bosom that if he could
the cross of Christ and its fruitage, to wit, the  re-               be the first to reach the pool after the troubling of the
generation of His elect, their spirtual healing, the re- waters he would be healed? The superstition that
generation of all things) that brings in the heavenly there was healing in the troubled waters of this pool
reality.                                                             does certainly not explain the presence of the sick
    Thus, as was said, the making whole of the impo- at  the pool . The only rational explanation is that
tent man at the pool must be taken as a sign, (the cures had all along been affected.
miracles of Christ actunllv bare the name of &MU in
the gospel and this for  -the aforesaid  reas.onj and                       The feeding of the multitude with five barley loaves,
token and thus as a seal, a guarantee, of the spiritual and two small fishes. This miracle, too, was wrought
making whole of God's people (the elect). By nature in the sphere of the physical creation. It was natural
His people are dead in sin and thus without strength bread that Christ here ~mult,ipZies,  but does not wetrtc.
to walk in the way of God's covenant. Blind and deaf The miracle is therefore a sign and points to Himself
and halt are they. Also their feet are by nature swift and to what He accomplishes in the realm of grace.
to shed blood. With their tongue they, too, use deceit. He, as He Himself says, is the true bread. And He
Their is poison-the poison of asps-also under their is sufficient for all His people. No matter how great
tongue.      But the Lord restores them to life, makes the multitude of redeemed may be, all find in Him
them whole. ,4nd they rise to their feet. Their mouth an abundance of life and grace that instead of diminish-
opens and praises God.            They again see and hear ing continues to multiply itself, so that the need of
spiritually.                                                         each new addition to His body is fully satisfied. And
    The (symbolical) miracles then, were indeed signs in Him there is abundance. The fragments gathered
-signs of the presence and the coming of the kingdom after the multitude had been fed filled twelve baskets.
of heaven, They verified Christ's testimony  concern-                                                              G. M. 0.


                                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                      189
--- 111__  .--..-- -_--- _...-.__- - ^ __........._ _ ".-.----."-~".1-._.I  ..- __.-" ..-. "_" ___.__."     -.^  "._.    -..-     .       .____I_--
                  The Book Of Numbers                                                       be counted after the house of their three ancestral
                                                                                            fathers, Gershon, Kohath and Merari, and after these
     We now pass on to the book of Numbers. Between ancestors arranged into families. To the Gershonites,
the contents of this book and what precedes, there is under their leader Eliasaph, is assigned the task of
again  a most intimate connection. The first chapter bearing (when the host of the Lord marches}  the'
of Numbers sets out with the notice that on the first "dwelling-place," or rather, "t.he tent" ; and "the cover-
day of the second  .month  in the second year after ing thereof"  ; and "the hangings (or curtains) for the
the children of Israel were come out of Egypt,  t,he door of the tent of meeting; the hangings of the court
Lord commanded Moses in the wilderness of Sinai,                                             (the outer court)  ; the curtains of its door", and of
in the tabernacle of the congregation, to take the sum all the cordage necessary for these hangings.
of the congregation of the children of Israel, after                                              The  t.ask of the sons of Merari, is  to. consist in
their families, by the house of their fathers, with bearing, under the supervision of Ithmar, the son of
the number of their names, every male by their polls; Aaron the priest, `tthe pillars of the court round about,
from twenty years old and upward, all that were and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords, with
able to go forth to war in Israel. The command was all their instruments, and with all their service."
executed and all those that were numbered were
603,550. The Levites were not numbered with the                                                   Finally, the service of the Kohathites is to be the
others as they were to be appointed over the taber- bearing of the furniture and vessels of the tabernacle.
nacle. The connection between these instructions and But it is Aaron and his sons and not the Kohathites,
what precedes is again most intimate. The covenant who shall take down the sanctuary and cover it to-
has been concluded. Through its ratification the child- gether with all its vessels and furniture with skins
ren of Israel have been formed  into's theocratic state. and cloth. After this, the sons of Kohath  may come
The instruments that are needed for the maintenance "to bear: but. they shall not touch any  h.oly thing,
of covenant fellowship have been provided. Thus the lest they die."
time is now at hand for the people of Israel to be                                                The age and time of the Levites' service is "from
on their way to Canaan, to war the warfare of Jehovah thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years
until the newly formed state be founded and the festi- old. . . .  "
vals of victory be celebrated in the promised land.                                               The numbering brought out that there are some 273
Accordingly. instructions are now communicated that more  males(  from a month old and upward} in the
have regard to the conscription and order of  t,he eleven tribes, than in the tribe of Levi. This surplus
e:tmp,-instructions,  that, as followed, bring forward is redeemed by the taking of "five shekels apiece by
the army of the Lord.                                                                       the poll, after the shekel of the sanctuary". The
     As one of the factors that contribute to the suc- money is given Aaron and his sons.
cess of an army is a well-ordered camp, the Lord next
communicates to Moses instructions that concern the                                               According to the instructions of the Lord, also the
order of the t+ribes in their tents.                                                         Levites in their tents are to form a square, round
                                                           These  tents:  so it
appears from chapter 11, are made to form a square about the tabernacle. In this square the eastern place
around about the tabernacle. In this square the eastern is to be occupied by Moses, Aaron and his sons. The
place is to be occupied by Judah, Issachar and Zebulon. southern place is assigned to the Kohathites, the
The southern place is assigned to Reuben,  Sirneon                                           western to the Gershonites, and the northern to the
and Gad. The western place is to be held by Ephraim, Merarities. Thus the camp of Israel is made to form
                                                                                             a twofold square about the tabernacle-a design that
Manasseh and Benjamin. Lastly, the northern place
it to be occupied by Dan. With Dan are  Asher and appears in all its completeness in "the city that lieth
                                                                                             four-square" of the book of the Revelations of John.         .
Naphtali. The standards of these four divisions are
to be born by Judah, Reuben, Ephraim and Dan.                                                     Let us now pass on to chapter V-10; 1-14. The
     As the journey is about to be resumed, provision directions contained in this section are for the purifi-
must be made for the bearing of the tabernacle. Thus cation and consecration of the army of the Lord. We
the instructions contained in chapter 111, IV concern find here instructions for the removal of the unclean-
in the main the service of the Levites and related the leper, every one that hath an issue, and whoever
matters. Moses is commanded to bring the tribe of is defiled by the dead-out of the camp ; for the resti-
Levi near and to present t.hem  before Aaron the priest, tution in trespasses: for the trial of jealousy-a trial
"That they might minister unto him, keep his charge to be undergone  by the wife suspected of adultery-and
and the charge of the whole congregation to do the for the Nazarites in their separation. The last section
service of the tabernacle," in the first place of the first- of chapter  VT is the form of blessing to  be pronounced
born.       Not being regarded as forming part of the by Aaron on the children of Israel. "On this wise ye
host. they are first to be counted, "every male .from a shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them:
month old and upward." The children of Levi are to                                                The Lord bless thee, and keep thee :


190                                                  T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
-.-_.                           _^ _......."  ..-                                          1_-__."".           _.
         The Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and other for a burnt-offering, unto the Lord, to make
            be gracious unto thee:                                        atonement for the Levites."
         The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and                      The next section (chap. IX  :I-tl) returns to  t.he
            give thee peace.                                              institution of the Passover. The command is that it
         Chapter VII is the record of the Offerings of t.he be kept in his appointed season, in the fourteenth day
princes. These offerings were made immediately after of the month: "according to all the rites of it, and
the consecration of the tabernacle, "And it came to according to all the ceremonies thereof." Certain men,
pass on the day that Moses had fully set up the taber- defiled by the dead body of a man and who for this
nacle, and had anointed and sanctified it. . . .that the reason could not keep the  passover  on the day ap-
princes of Israel. . . .offered.  ,4nd they brought their pointed, complained to Moses and Aaron.                         Moses
offerings before the Lord. . .  ." The presentation of brought their case before the Lord, Who commanded
these gifts occupied the mornings of thirteen days. that a man prohibited for such a reason or for the
On the first day they brought in common, six covered reason that he be on a journey afar off, should keep the
wagons and  tweIve oxen. "for the conveying of the passover  exactly a month later, but added that anyone
tabernacle during the journeyings of the host of the guilty of wilful, that is, unnecessary neglect should
Lord. Two of these with four oxen were given to the be "cut off from among his people ; because he brought
Gershonites; the other four and eight oxen to the not the offering  of the Lord in his appointed season."
sons of Merari. The sons of Kohath had to bear the                           The second and last section of chapter IX (verses
service of the sanctuary belonging to them upon their 15-23) concerns the guidance of the divine army di-
shoulders.        During the remaining twelve days the rectly by the Lord, through the Pillar of Cloud. When
princes offered successively, each the same gift, to wit, the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, the child-
a silver charger, the weight of which was about four ren of Israel journeyed and in the place where the
and a half -pounds,  a silver bowl weighing about two cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their
and a half pounds, both of them full of fine flour mixed tents. Thus at the commandment of the Lord, they
with oil for  a cereal-offering, and a golden spoon, journeyed and at .His command they again came to
weighing a third of a pound, fulI of incense. Each gift rest, so that the length of bot.h the rest and journey
was accompanied by burnt, sin, and peace-offerings. periods was determined solely by the movements of
The  evi,dence  that these gifts were accepted by the the cloud. This standing, miraculous sign, however,
Lord is that Moses heard His voice speaking to him did not render superfluous the knowledge of the desert
from off the mercy seat that was upon the ark of the                      of Moses' brother-in-law, Hobab.     "Leave me not,"
testimony.                                                                said Moses to him, "forasmuch  as thou knowest how
                                                                          we are to encamp in the wilderness. "
         Chapter VII contains the directions for the lighting
of the seven lamps of the tabernacle: the consecration                       The above sign for the army of God was supple-
of the Levites, their age and service.                                    mented by the signals of the trumpets (chap. X :1-10).
                                                           The  seven-
branched candlestick with its burning lamps, was a These `trumpets were made of wrought silver, and
symbo1  of the church and betokened Israel's calling were kept in the holy place of the tabernacle, were
as consisting in letting its light shine into the sur- symboIs  of prayer and might be blown by We priests
rounding dark and sin-stricken world.                                     only. They were first used to signify the will of the
                                                                          Lord respecting "the calling of the assembly", and
         As to the Levites, they were not hallowed as the "the journeying of the camps", but afterwards when
priests had been, but only cleansed for their ministry. the  chiIdren of  IsraeI  went to war in their land "a-
This consisted in their being sprinkled with "water gainst the enemy that oppressed them." At such times
of sin" in token both of the defilement of sin and its their peal signified that the army of God would be re-
removal; in their being made to shave off their hair membered before the Lord its God, and would be saved
and in washing their clothes. Being thus "unsinned" from the enemies. Finally, they were to be  blown
symbolically, they were dedicated to their work. For "also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn
this purpose they were brought before the tabernacle days, and in the beginning of your months. . . .over
of the congregation, bringing with them two young your burnt-offerings, and over the sacrifices of your
bullocks-the one for a burnt, the other for a sin-offer- peace-offerings." Then they were to the children of
ing, and each with its cereal-offering. The children Israel for a memorial before their God. The use of
of Israel now put their hands upon them and through the trumpets during the period of Israel's wanderings
this doing const.ituted  them their substitutes and repre- in the desert was as follows: If both trumpets were
sentatives. Then Aaron waved them before the L0r.d blown, all the assembly "assembled themselves to Moses
for a wave-offering of the children of Israel, that they at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation."
might execute the service of the Lord, after which If only one was blown, then the princes, heads of the
they laid their hands upon the bullocks, which were thousands of Israel, gathered themselves to him (verse
then  ofFered  by Aaron. "one for  :I sin-offering, and the 4). If they were blown in a prolonged peal, then it


                                                             T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                  191
~ -.......- -~--._..._^ ..-... ..-..- ^^ ".." ..-.." ..-.                    --___II  ..-           ----  "--" __._      --.. ---." "_-
was the signal for departure. At the first peal, the clefts seamed, like scars, the hideous face of the earth;
camps that lied on the east (the banner of Judah, with here they widened into dark caves; there they were
his associates) went forward. At the second peal, choked with glistening drift sand."
the camps that lied on the south (Reuben and the                                   The historical incidents of this part of the journey
tribes with him) departed. Then came the tabernacle are found recorded in chapter 10, 1%. At Taberah,
and its guardians, next, the western (Ephraim, Manas- the first station, the people complained. The anger
seh and Benjamin} and finally the northern part of of the Lord was kindled with the result that His
the camp (Dan, Ashur and Naphtali) .                                            fire burned among them and consumed the uttermost
      The army of God having purged itself and wholly part of the camp. Then the children of Israel loathing
consecrated itself to the Lord, all the instructions the manna, fell to lusting after flesh.
called for hy thg march  have been communicated, "it                                                                     And there went
                                                                                forth a wind from the Lord and brought quails from
came to pass on the twentieth of the second month, the sea. And the people stood up and gathered. But
in the second year, that the cloud was taken up from while the flesh was yet between their teeth, the wrath
off the tabernacle of the testimony. And the children of the Lord was kindled against them and they were
of Israel took their journeys out of the wilderness of smitten with a very great plague.
Sinai ; an,d the cloud rested in the wilderness of Paran                                                                "And He called
                                                                                the name of this place Kibroth-hatavah," meaning,
(chap. 10:11, 12."                                                              "the graves of gluttony".
      in the sections of the book of Numbers thus far
examined, there is wanting  here  and there that out-                              This murmuring of the people had so vexed Moses
ward unity and connection. `Yet there is a  funda+ that he complained, "Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy
mental thought, a ruling idea, binding all these sec- servant? and wherefore have I not found favor in
tions together. This thought is the civil and political thy sight, that thou layest the burden .of all this people
constitution  of Israel or the external and internal                            upon me? Have I conceived all this people? have I
organization of the tribes as tFle cr,rmy  and the congre- begotten them, that thou shouldest say to me, Carry
gation of Jehovah, as this was determined for the them in thy bosom, as a nursing mother beareth the
present by the journey towards Canaan. The one cen- suckling child, unto the land which thou swarest unto
tral fact around which  all the above legal material,                           their fathers? Whence should I ,have flesh to give to
(and in truth the legal material of the whole book of all this peopIe,  for they weep to me, saying: Give us
Numbers) are grouped is exactly the  mrch of the                                flesh, that we may eat. I am not able to bear all this
army of God.                                                                    people alone, because it is too heavy for me. And if
      As the host of the Lord set forward, Moses uttered thou deal thus with me, kil1 me, I pray thee, out of
these words of prayer and praise:                                               hand, if 1 !have found favor in thy sight; and let me
                                                                                not see my wretchedness." In response to this bitter
            "Arise, 0 Jehovah, let Thine enemies be                             complaint, the Lord bade Moses to gather seventy men
                     scattered  :                                               of the elders of Israel and bring them to the tabernacle
            Let them also that hate Thee flee before                            of the congregation. Then the Lord came down and
                     Thee."                                                     took of Moses' spirit and put it upon them, that they
      Chapter X:1.0-14  gives the history of the journey might bear with him the burden of the people. Shortly
from Sinai to Kadesh. This section is uninterrupted after, the whole number broke out into prophetic en-
by any legal material whatever. The region through thusiasm, under the influence of the Spirit of God.
which the host of the Lord now marched was that To Joshua, however, this seemed an  abnormalty  to be
"terrible wilderness" in which travellling  today is de- checked,                            "My lord Moses," said he, "forbid them."
scribed by a certain archeologist thus, "Above, through But he only received the noble answer, "Would that
a sky terrible in its stainless beauty, and the splendors all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord
of a pitiless blinding glare, the simoon caresses you would put His Spirit upon them."
like a  Iion with flaming breath. Around, lie drifted                              From Kibroth-hattavah, the children of Israel
sand-heaps, upon which each puff of wind leaves its journeyed to Hazeroth.                                      Here "Miriam and Aaron
trace in solid waves; flayed rocks, the very skeletons spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman,
of mountains; and hard unbroken plains. . . .                              We whom he had married", referring to a second marriage
travelled  five hours through a country fantastic in its that Moses had contracted after the death of Zipnorah.
desolation-a mass of huge hills, barren plains, and From what they said, "Hath the Lord indeed spoken
desert vales. Even the sturdy acacias here failed, and only by Moses? Hath He not spoken  aIso by us?" it
in some places the camel-grass could not find earth is only too evident that the underlying cause of the
enough for root. This road wound among mountains,                               mutiny was their jealousy. The Lord now vindicated
rocks and hills of granite, and over broken ground, His servant by  a  public declaration of the uniqueness
flanked by huge rocks and boulders, piled up as if of  this prophetic office and by smiting Miriam with
man's art had aided nature to disfigure herself. Vast leprosy. She was  isoIated  from the camp, and not

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

      until after the seven days of her separation were past, chapter 15, 17, 18, 19. The history in these chapters
      was the journey resumed.                                    concerns the thirty seven years of wandering in "the
          From Hazeroth, the army of God advanced north- wilderness of  Paran" with Kadesh as the rallying
     east, through a wild confusion of narrow valleys and center. In this wilderness, Israel for a generation led
     hills, to the higher level of the Desert of the Wander- a nomadic life, passing from place to place, as pastur-
     ings, then known as the wilderness of Paran  or Zin age invited. The men who had come from Egypt
      (chap. 12  :I@, or, to specify the exact locality, Kadesh gradually passed away, and their sons grew under the
     barneah (chap. 13 :26). This region in which they tutelage of Moses into a strong and vigorous nation.
     were destined to spend thirty eight years approximate-
     ly "is a series of limestone plateaus, ascending in suc-        Let us first attend briefIy to the historical occur-
                                                                  anties of this period. The first is that of a man found
     cessive giant steps,  Cram the peninsula of Sinai to gathering sticks upon the Sabbath day (chap. 15:X&
     the hill country of southern Palestine. The southern- 41). He was put in a ward, and his case immediately
     most of these plateaus extends about eighty miles north brought to the L&d, Who directed that the offender
     from the point, where the cliffs of its lower edge should be put to death. So all the congregation brought
     pierce the Sinai Peninsula like a broad, blunt wedge. him without the camp and stoned him, so that he died.
     Only a few isolated hills vary the surface, which is No precise date is given by which to fix this offense.
     generally flat, and there are no signs of ancient  dwell-
     mgs, nor any ruins." This region, Moses made his                The other event is that of the rebellion of Korah,
     headquarters, expecting to pass on to Canaan present- Dathan and Abiram, with certain of the children of
     ly. But his great `heart was doomed to a fresh dis- Israel, two hunderd and fifty princes, against Moses
     appointment.     In obedience to the Lord's command and Aaron. Their grievance. was, that the two took
      (from Deut.  1:22,  it would seem that the proposal to much upon them, seeing that all the congregation
     originated with the people), Moses sends out the was holy. why did they then.lift  up themselves above
     twelve spies, to search the land of Canaan. Returning the congregation. It was  plainIy a protest against
     to Kadesh, after an absence of about six weeks, they the divine ordinance, whereby the people had access
     brought in their report. They could not dispute the to God solely through the new priesthood and thus a
     fertility of the land, but they gave such an account demand for the restoration of the old order of things.
     of the fierceness and size of the inhabitants, and of When Moses heard of it, he fell on his face. The
     the strength of their fortresses, as to throw the whole next day would show which side was right. Let them
     camp into despair. The people were  paralized  with present themselves with lighted  censers.  The man
     fear. All the congregation wept that night. The de- whom the Lord should choose would be holy. Dismiss-
     moralization was too great, to listen to the reassuring ing them for the time being, Moses summoned Dathan
     words of Joshua and Caleb. They demanded to hmow             and Abirim to appear before him. Instead of  compIy-
     whether the Lord had brought them into "this land"           ing, they repelled the command with reproaching
     that they and their wives and children might fall by Moses, "It is a smal1 thing that thou hast brought us
     the sword. They  were for returning to Egypt im- up out of a  Iand that floweth with milk and honey,
     mediately under the  lea.dership  of a captain, other to kill us in the wilderness, except thou make thyself
     than .Moses.    The Lord again threatened to destroy altogether a prince over us? Moreover, thou hast not
     them and make of Moses a greater nation. Moses brought us into a land that floweth with  miIk and
     pleaded for the lives of his people. His prayer pre- honey, or given us inheritance of fields and vineyards ;
     vailed. But they were to wander in the wilderness as ivilt thou put out the eyes of these men? We will
     many years, as the days that the spies had searched not come." God now acted. As Moses predicted, the
     the land. Not one was to enter the land of promise           ground  clave  assunder  and swallowed them up and
     of all that generation which hed come out of Egypt,          their houses, and all the men that appertained unto
     at the age of twenty and upwards. The carcasses Korah and al1 their goods. As to the two hundred and
     of all of these were to fall in the desert, with the         fifty men that offered incense, fire came out  fr~om the
     exception of Caleb and Joshua. ,4nd the other ten presence of the Lord and consumed them.
     searchers died by the plague before Jehovah. These                                                     G. M. 0.
     occurances brought the people to a sense of their guilt.
c    So, with a view to undoing their wrong, they went up
     to the attack at once, though the ark of God remained
     in the camp with Mosm.       The attempt led to failure.         May heaven endue thee with a wise desire
     They were smitten and discomfited by the Amelekites.                For good and  hoIy living! May the fire
     The record of all these events is to be found in chapter         Of earthIy  passions ne'er lead thee astray,
     :1s,  14.                                                           But die out slowly on thy Heav"nward  way!
         Chapter 15-20 $3 again formed a distinct unity. Its          Then shall thy happiness through life increase,
     contents is historical, interrupted by legal sections in        And thou shalt breathe an atmosphere of peace.


