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

                                                                 collections and gifts The Standard Bearer would long
                                                                 ago have ceased to exist.
                  E d i t o r i a l s                               Now, of course, there is nothing to be ashamed of
                                                                 in the fact as such, that our publication is supported
                                                                 by collections and free gifts.
                   What Is Wrong?                                   But the sad feature about it all is, that there would
                                                                 be no need of these gifts of charity, if it was not for
       Recently I attended a meeting of the local R.F.P.A.       this lack of interest on the part of a large number of
  convening in the basement of the First Protestant Re- our people.
  formed Church of Grand Rapids,  Mich. What im-                    The question forced itself upon me that evening:
  pressed me most deeply at that meeting was the ap- what is wrong?
  parent lack of zeal and interest,  .both locally and gener-       The Standard Bearer  is the chief means we have
  ally in all our churches, in the cause for which  The for the development and propagation of our Protestant
  Sta&rd Bearer was. originally called into existence Reformed principles. It was created for this very
  and  .for which it still stands.                               purpose. To establish and publish a magazine for this
       It was not the meeting itself nor the men that were purpose the R.F.P.A. was organized. In fact, the con-
  present there that caused this impression, but rather stitution of  the R.F.P.A. speaks of other means, such
 the absence of the men that should have been present,           as lectures, books and pamphlets, for the propagation
  and the reports concerning the condition of our publi- of the truth. There was courage and enth'usiasm,  there
  cation that were presented by the secretary and treas- was zeal and fervor in the cause of Christ as we repre-
  urer of the R.F.P.A.                                           sent it, in those days ! We were of one mind and
       The meeting was widely and repeatedly advertised. heart, united by love for the cause.
  Besides, on the Sunday evening previous to the date               Is it this that is wrong with us, that we have lost
  of the meeting undersigned called  the attention of our first love?
  his own congregation to it, and urged all that were               The Standard Bearer  certainly has earnestly sought
  able to attend to be present. He reminded his people to attain to the purpose for which it was called into
  that it was not very encouraging for those to whom the existence, now for sixteen years. It is true, the work
  publication of the paper is entrusted, if only a few of the editorial staff was far from perfect. There was,
  are left to bear the burden, and he exhorted them earn- no doubt, a good deal to be criticised.  There still is.
  estly al1 to cooperate. Yet, only a handful of men But let us not forget that our powers were very limited,
  were present. By far the majority of those of whom and that your editors were  -men whose schedule of work
  we might expect that they wouId  show their interest was more than crowded every day during all these
  were absent.                                                   sixteen years. Yet, it is safe to say, that anyone that
       And the reports that were delivered revealed the will peruse the sixteen volumes of our paper that were
. same lack of interest, not only in attending the meet-         published thus far, will have to admit that a deter-
  ings, but also in our publication itself. Ok course, I mined and largely successful attempt was made by the
  am not now speaking of all our people. There is still staff to make The Standard Bearer wholly subservient
  a considerable number that are always faithful, both in to the purpose for which it was originally intended.
  reading and in financially supporting  The  Staxdard           It faithfully propagated and defended the Protestant
  .Bearer.   Nevertheless, the picture that was drawn            Reformed truth. And under God's blessing our publi-
  by the reports was rather gloomy and discouraging.             cation has been of far greater influence, both in our
  Only comparatively few of our people are members own circles and without, yea, even in the land of our
  of the R.F.P.A., although there is no question in my fathers, than we possi*bIy couId expect or dared to Ihope
  mind that many could well afford to be. A consider-            when first the R.F.P.A. was organized.
  able group of our Protestant Reformed people are not               What, then, is wrong?
  readers of our paper; or, if they read it, they do so              Can it be that the gloomy picture that was drawn
  without paying the subscription price. I was surprised, <by the 1ocaI board of the R. F. P. A. must be taken as
  sadly surprised, to hear the treasurer state, that only an indication that many of our people are no longer
  very few of our members in Redlands' church were interested in being instructed in and in propagating
  subscribers. Others are negligent in paying their sub- our Protestant Reformed truth through the medium
  scription fee, and seem to pay little attention to the of our paper?
  matter, though repeatedIy  they are asked to meet their            In that case I would seriously suggest: let us dis-
  obligation in this respect. The result was the  The continue The Standard Bearer! Perhaps, a paper like
  Standard Bearer closed the fiscal year with a deficit,          Our Church News will meet all our needs and wants
  and that in spite of the fact that the board received           in this respect. If there reaIly  is hardly a place any-
  several collections and donations.                             more for a publication like our paper in our circles,
       It became very evident that if it were not for these       I will be the first to welcome the day that we stop


                                                               r

                                      T;WE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                 29

publishing it. It is not an easy task to edit a paper of                    Nieuws Uit Nederland
this kind, year after year, especially if one is more
than occupied with other work. It requires consider-                We ontvingen den  volgenden  brief uit Nederland :
able time and effort. And this time and effort I gladly "Geliefde  . . . .
give and spend, as long as the Lord gives me strength,              Onlangs, toen er gelegenheid was brieven te zenden
as long as our people really manifest that they are naar Amerika via Ital%, heb ik al een paar keer  wat
serious about wanting the paper. But if the present gesohreven,  maar het is waarschijnlijk niet bij jullie
attitude is not changed, I would rather use my time aangeland, want kort na de verzending is Itali6 ook
and put forth my efforts in other directions, and dis- mee gaan doen. Daarom zal ik maar beginnen met te
continue The Standard Bearer.                                vertellen,  dat wij, Gode zij dank, er  goed  door  ge-
   Some people are not ashamed to make the excuse komen zijn. Natuurlijk hebben wij een  moeilijken
that they cannot afford to pay the subscription price tijd door .gemaakt  `en het is nog lang niet zonder  ge-
of The Standard  Bearer.  But I would like to ask            vaar, want nu we van de Duitschers geen bombarde-
them in all seriousness, whether they are really so poor menten   meer te wachten hebben, zijn de Enge'schen
that they,  cannot afford to pay four cents a week for ermee begonnen en dat heeft al heel wat menschen-
this worthy cause!                                           levens gekost in ons land en ook we1 vaak in onze om-
    Others object that there is too much D,utch  in the      geving.      De Engelschen hebben de gewoonte  nogal
paper. Others say that there is too much English.            om `s nacht te komen bombardeeren, hoewel ze de last- --
But, apart from the fact, that they can certainly derive ste dagen ook overdag aanvallen, vermoedelijk omdat
a certain measure of benefit from  The Standard Bearer ze dan nog ,beter  $unnen  zien of ze de juiste plaatsen
for themselves by reading whatever they can of it,           raken en er niet naast gooien, wat vanzelf `ook nogal
do not those brethren forget that they have an obliga- eens gebeurt. Het is veelal `s naehts een geronk van
tion with respect to propagating our cause through jewelste in onze Hollandsche vreedzame luchten, en
this publication of ours? Surely it cannot  $be the sole wie het zenuwachtigst is, heeft daar  natuurlijk  de
question, how much we can merit by the cause we sup- meeste last van. Zoo is. . . . al  hee1 gauw haar bed
port ! We also ,have  a duty to perform!-                    uit, als  ze een vliegtuig hoort. De  anderen volgen
       No, the reason for  this lack of zeal must not be meestal eerst, wanneer er vlak in de bum-t door het
sought in lack of money. Nor is it in the language           luchtafweergeschut   geschoten  wordt en de  scherven
question.     It certainly must be sought, let us frankly van de granaten op ons dak en in de straten en tuinen
confess it, in the sad fact that we have forgotten om ons  heen  neervallen. Dat zijn geen prettige  oogen-
former things and lost our first love.                       blikken,  maar je went aan alles, &k dat!  Jullie hebt
       Let us frankly face the question: what is wrong? zeker we1 gelezen of gehoord, dat de bezettende mo--
And also this other question: shall we discontinue gendheid  zich verplicht heeft gezien allerlei nogal  in-
our papey?                                                   grijpende verordeningen uit te  vaardigen,   o.a. het
       TO~ this last question you, perhaps, reply with an verbod van luisteren  naar andere dan Duitsche  radio-
emphatic negative.                                           uitzendingen. Jullie kent de nuchterheid van de Neder-
       Well, I hope you do.                                  landers in dat opzicht wel. De geschiedenis is niet
       But then I would have you face this personal ques-    voor niets geschreven. Wij zijn  Ihier natuurlijk niet
tion, too: are you one of those that are to blame for pro-Duitsch. Daarvoor hebben we in den laatsten tijd
the present situation? 4nd if you are, will you repent? teveel meegemaakt. We. begrijpen hier evenwel  goed,
Will you "remember whence you are fallen", and wake dat de Duitschers ervoor vechten, dat Engeland  hen
up, and reveal some of your "first love" and former          nog niet eens opnieuw zal kunnen uithongeren, zooals
zeal ?                                                       tijdens en na den wereldoorlog.  Aan den anderen
       Perhaps, many of those that are most in need of kant zijn we hier al  evennmin pro-Engelsch, omdat we
reading this article, because they are chiefly to blame,     de Engelschen ook uit de gesehiedenis  kennen. We zijn
are no longer subscribers and readers of our paper.          hier pro-Nederlandsch, en dat zullen we hier  blij-
       May I, then, ask you who read to bring the paper ven, ondanks alles wat er  nu gebeurt, en ook de  Duit-
to them and ask them to read, to repent and to put schers zullen ons dat niet euvel duiden, want zij weten
their shoulder to the wheel and bear the burden with zelf veel  te  goed, wat nationaal gevoel is. Jullie  be-
us?                                                          hoeft  je over ons niet bijzonder ongerust  te  maken.
       If we all cooperate, the work will be pleasant and Natuurlijk, wij verkeeren een beetje meer in gevaar
the burden will be light.                                    dan als het niet oorlog is. Daar staat tegenover, dat
       And then The Standard Rearer can easily be self;      er haast geen ,auto's  rijden, omdat alle ,benzine  opge-
supporting and close the next fiscal year with a vorderd is, en er alleen voor hoogst noodige vredesdoel-
balance on hand.                                             einden gebruikt  mag worden,  om zooveel mogelijk voor
       Let us labor while it is day, ere the night cometh    den oorlog te kunnen sparen. Het gevaar op straat is
in which no man can work!                     .H. H.         dus geringer dan bij jullie b.v.! Wat het eten betreft,


                                          T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                35

             About The Fall Of Babylon                       dard Bearer.       Hence, the delay.  Excusez,  si  VOLE
                                                             plaise !
                        (Contribution)                           I am not sure now, whether I correctly understood
                                                             the brother's view. From his last letter I did receive
        Mr. K. Heersema of Redlands, Calif.,  writes us:     the impression, that the fall of Great Britain to him
        Many thanks for your answer about Babylon's fall.    was the fall of Babylon. In this letter, however, this
I write to comment on it in as far as you conciude  that view seems to be abandoned. The chief distinction the
I reason that Germany will win the war.                      brother here seems to make is that between the "Baby-
        I see Babylon strictly as standing in the sign of lon of merchandise", the capitalistic system, and "the
                                                             Babylon of force".
merchandise as Tyre and Sidon in t,he Old Testament.'
As a  fulfillment  of Scripture the fall of the British          Now there is no question about the fact, that in
empire is not needed.         The fall of the capitalistic Rev. 18 Babylon is pi,ctured to us as a great and rich
system fulfills the Scripture and Britain is going fast city, carrying on a busy commerce with all the world,
in that direction. Was Mammon-capitalism, the system a picture that is derived from similar Old Testament
of money, not an international world-power really uni- pictures like that of Tyre and Sidon.
versal, I question in your answer? You want to see               But. I do not believe that Scripture warrants the
this becoming still more universal before you see the        separation of the "Babylon of merchandise" and the
fulfillment. I think the w,hore Babylon is pictured in "Babylon of force", the latter represented by the "ten
the sign of merchandise in the foreground with great kings". In Rev. 1'7 Babylon is presented as a unity,
Babylon as the `background standing in the sign of though there is a distinction made between the central
force. I agree with your answer in as far as you want        power of Babylon and the ten kings that give their
to see a more universal and greater Babylon before her power to the beast for a while and afterwards destroy
fall in as far as this applies to great Babylon in the her. In my opinion this distinction must rather be
sign of force. But concerning the Babylon in the sign applied to the difference between the central antichris-
of merchandise I see no reason to agree that it was not tian nations and the nations of heathendom or Gog
universal and international.                                 and' Magog.
   And so, in short, another question arises! Is it              It is also true, of course, that one period in ~history'
against Scripture to see in Rev. 17-18 a Babylon like is typical of a next period, so that also in the present
Tyre and Sidon, standing in the sign of merchandise,         upheaval we may undoubtedly see a beginning and
destroyed by the Babylon of force represented by the partial fulfillment of what will ultimately take-place in
t e n   k i n g s ?                                          full. But  1 nevertheless believe that Scripture pre-
   That would make room for the Babylon of merchan- sents the final fall of Babylon as one event. Babylon
dise to $a11 into three parts, as it is falling in three     as a whole shall ultimately be destroyed completely.
Monroe doctrines-groups, Europe, Asia and the Ameri-             Feeling somewhat uncertain as to whether I clearly
cas.                                                         urrderstand  the brother, this is all I have to offer just
   You see, I am still pondering in the same direction now, giving the brother full liberty to write again.
and ask whether the scope of Babylon is not much
greater than generally explained, as every fact has to                                                             H. H.
*have its proper place: the universal world-power of
capitalism, the lamentations over the fall of merchan-
dise, the false prophet, the universal world-power of
force, antichrist, the great persecution, the great fall-
ing away from the faith, Gog and Magog, Armageddon
and the fall of Great Babylon.                                                      IN MEMORIAM
   I agree that in times like the present we are easily
tempted  i to determine what time it is on God's  world-         The  Con&tory of the First Protestant Reformed Church
clock. Also, I am not going red hot. Therefore I ask of Grand Rapids, Michigan hereby wishes to express its he&
what Scripture has to say against these views, with- felt sympathy to our brother elder, I). Van Alten  in the loss of
out taking them as solid facts as yet.                       his father
                                 Your brother in Christ,                            .I. VAN  ALTEN
                                          K. Heersemal           May the Lord of all grace comfort the brother  isnd his
                                                             family in this their  beravement.
   I am sorry that I could not publish this letter, which
was written the third of July, earlier. But  it  reached                    The Consisory of the First Prot. Ref. Church
me in Maine, while I was on my vacation, and when I                                               Rev. R.  Veldman,  Pres.
returned there were two special numbers of the  Stan-                                             Mr. G. Stonehouse, Clerk.


                                           T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                          39

                                                                    ed by the earthy, that God has instituted all the various
          The Shepard Of God's People                               relations such as parents and children, king and sub-
                                                                    jects, husband and wife, brother and sister, house and
           "The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not  want.   He        foundation, entrance and exit, shepherd and sheep, etc.
           maketh me  to  lie down in green  pastures: He  lea&&    They all tell in varied language of the one central
           me beside the still waters."                             theme of time and eternity: that God is the God of His
                                              Psalm 23:1,  2.       peop!e in Christ Jesus His Son.
   There is a poet of olden times who has called the                   So also here.
twenty-third Psalm the nightingale of the psaltery.                    God is the Shepherd.
   I,can  well *believe it. It is of a homely feather and              The first question is: what is a shepherd. What
shyly it sings out of obscurity. Among the large characterizes him?
bundle of Psalms it sings to us in few words, but, oh                  The very first characteristic of a good shepherd is
how sweet they are. It has given solace and rest, com- that he knows `his sheep. It was the custom in the
fort and courage to a veritable host of God's children. eastern countries, for several owners to entrust their
It has illuminated hospitals and when read to the dying sheep to one shepherd. And in the evening ail the
it has loosed his chains and brought him to the shores sheep of the various owners would be lead into one
of everlasting bliss and contentment.                               common fold. And when in the morning the shepherd
   It is like a pilgrim, commissioned of God to go appeared he would know which sheep were given into
singing up and down the earth, employing every  Ian- his charge. He knew his sheep.
guage of the children of men, and bringing its Divine                  Secondly, a good shepherd would have to know the
message of gladness and joy to millions of miserable right pasture for his sheep. He would lead them to
and indigent people. And it shall continue its journey green pastures where the sheep could eat their fill.
until the last of God's saints is safe and time ended. And daily he wou,ld  Iead. these sheep to the grassy
And then it shall be sung as never before by the host slopes of the hills and let them feed to their heart's
of heaven attuned unto the heavenly state; it shall con- content.
tinue to stress the message of salvation in its completed              Thirdly a good shepherd would know the enemies
victory, singing of the shepherd who leads his people of the sheep and he would have the power and the
along the very still waters of the stream of the waters willingness to protect them. He would employ a dog
of life. It will make heaven musical forever.                       to keep them together and watch for the wolf and the
   I have tried to give in my own words some of the lion, who would aIways lie ,in wait to snatch a sheep
sentiments of that poet. For it is a beautiful Psalm. away from the flock.
In the rich imagery of the east it tells us of the won-                 And, finally, a good shepherd would have to be very
drous salvation of God's own. Yes, there are storms patient and longsuffering with his charge. For a sheep
and tempests around the pilgrims that travel to Zion. is a very foolish animal. It will endanger itself con-
But through it all they are comforted. He suffers no stantly and but for the watchful loving care of the
man to do them wrong. No one can lay anything to shepherd, they would certainly fall into the clutches of
the charge `of God's elect. In all these things they are the wild beasts or-be lost in its wandering away from
more than conquerors. AI1 things work together for the flock in the desert places and on the wild slopes
good unto those that love God. Nothing goes really of the mountains. Constantly the shepherd is called
wrong. It is all, the sweet counsel of their God. Their upon to watch for this inclination to foolishly wander
tears, their blood and their suffering are the necessary away, and employ all his patience in weaning the
`pasture. It all must prepare them for the glorious                 wandering ones back to the safety of the flock.
place they  shal1  fill when time is ended and the King-                Now all this you find in the highest degree in Je-
dom of God shall be  fu,lly revealed.                               hovah, for that is the `loving name employed in the
   Out of this Psalm  1 have chosen the introduction. text.  ,Covenant  Jehovah is the Shepherd par excellence.
It contains the complete story of redemption. It tells                  For He knows all His sheep by name. Not one
us of:                                                              escapes His  omnicient  sight. He knows them with the        ,
             The Shepherd Of God's People                           knowledge of love from before the foundation of the
                                                                     world.    There He determined them in His loving
   Under this theme I would like to dwell on three thoughts of peace. He has known you, beloved, even
thoughts : The shepherd, the sheep and the pasture.                 before you were born. Before the mountains were
   The Bible, as you know, is full of imagery. And                   brought forth or the fountains were heavy with water,
my text is an example of this use.                                   He k&w you. In that knowledge of love He has known
    We will have to enquire first of all into the idea your home where you would dwell, the character which
of the shepherd.                                                    would distinguish you from all the rest of the sheep,
    The earthy is a figure of the heavenly. It is for your friends and enemies, he knows them all.
the express purpose that the heavenly shall be  portray-                He also knows what is good for you. He knows


20                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
      _  -.  ._  _  _
your pasture. He always had in mind the grassy slopes            He  also knows the enemies of the sheep.
 where you would feed to your heartrs content. And the           He knows all the enmity of the world and He over-
 Bible calls that pasture the  counsel  of peace, the cove- time it. The worId was judged by Him and the world
 nant of grace.          Its  eontent is the Iove of God, the will be judged by Him unto everlasting perdition. He
 friendship of Jehovah God.                                   protects His sheep against the world by His indwell-
      He knows that if you may have Him for your              ing of word and spirit. When the world would swallow
 heart and soul and body, you shall be satisfied forever.     us up, He is there to lead us out of the world unto the
 And although your life and flesh here below will often safety of His bosom. When the world threatens with
 shrink from this pasture, because of the fact that it her false science and philosophy then He gives us the
 comes to you under the guise of suffering and misery, faith of the fathers and we overcome the world by our
 it is nevertheless a wonderful pasture as we will see faith.
 better somewhat later on.                                       Certainly He knows the enemy and He walks ahead
      This good Shepherd also knows your enemies and          of Zion to protect her. He knows the wrath of God
has the inclination and the power to protect you against against sin Eind the fury of hell against the sin of the
 them. Be knows that the world would like to swaBow           elect, because He Himself is God,  bIessed  forever. And
 you up. He is finally acquainted with the wiles of the       in order to overcome that wrath of God He goes and
 devil who would take you for a spoil, but He is there stands in the place of Zion in order to suffer that wrath
 to protect you.                                              even though it sends Him into death eternal. And He
      And most of all, He knows the enemy of sin and          empties the bitter cup of that wrath to  the.last  drop.
 guilt that would burn you in everlasting hell. And R! And when He returns on that  ,first sabbath morning,
%ertainly  protects His flock against all of them             the sun of the love of God that was  <behind the clouds
                                                              shines forth to the cherishing and flourishing of the
      And all these characteristics of the Good shepherd church forever. Yes, and He bruises the head of the
 are  centrabzed  in Jesus Christ the Lord. Listen to         devil, He overcomes the arch-enemy of the church so
 Him : "I am the Good Shepherd and I know My sheep. that  all the enemies are gone forever, never to return
 AIdo this:  And I lay d&n My life for the sheep.             unto our hurt.
  I yes, Jesus knows His sheep.                                  And the longsuffering and forbearance of which
      What wonderful and comforting language. Just we spoke?
 think, you that read this or that Iisten to it: Jesus           Ah, listen : "Ned shall lead His ff ock like a shepherd,
 knows you, has always known you, -has known you He shall gather the lambs in His bosom, and shall
 before you were born.            Jesus knew you from all gently Iead those that are with young."
 eternity when the Father gave also your name to Jesus
 to ,keep you and protect you and bring you to gIory.            Longsuffering?
 And never has Jesus forgotten you. For He gives                 Do you not remember how you strayed away from
Ris life for the sheep.                                       the flock and began your wandering onto forbidden
      Jesus knows the church by name and all the love paths? It seemed as though you were Iostgagain.  You
 of the Triune God for His children is manifested in found darkness with its subsequent suffering and sor-
 Jesus. We read that Jesus loved His sheep to the very row. You were as it were Iost again. But He followed
, Xast, when He went under in the terrific suffering of you and brought you back. Longsuffering? Do you
 the cross.                                                   rP"z-tlcmber  how you wept about your sins and iniquities
                                                              in the watches of the night and how He came softly
      And Jesus certainly knows their pasture. When -nd tenderly to dry your tears and sing of His ever-
 He appeared upon the earth He would point to HimseIf         lasting and forgiving love.
 and say: I am the Bread of Life. And : I am the water                                       Oh, remember the woman
                                                              who stood behind His feet weeping.
 of Life. Come unto Me and drink. The water that I                                                   In the whoIe  story
                                                              she did not utter a word. How  couId  she? She was
 will give them shall become a fountain of water spring-
 ing up unto eternal life. He tells us to eat and drink guilty. A great many words were spoken about her
                                                              and many were the words that were not spoken in the
 Him spiritually unto blessed communion of life.              deep heart of her accusers. But Jesus? He turns and
      He is the pasture of His people in that He is the       says : Thy sins which are many are forgiven thee. Go
 Word of God. The thoughts of the heart of ;God are           in peace ! Remember your own case?
 your and my food. They are the reflection of that               Yes, Jesus is the Good Shepherd.
 which dwells eternally in God Himself. They are the             But how about the sheep?  W'hat constitutes a
 praises and wonders and virtues of God. Oh, when sheep of Jesus?
 they come into my dry soul, I am satisfied. Then I              Jesus says : "and I am known of Mine."
 am alive, then I can breathe and bless and sing unto            Yes, that is true of every child of God. They know
 heaven's glee forever.                                       Jesus. Come to think of it, it is a great wonder. Know
      Jesus certainly knows the pasture for His sheep.        Jesus? Yes, but He went away so many years ago


                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEARER                                              41

  and I am told that He is now in heaven. Know Him? der to the desert places, very often you turn away from
  But He is so far away.                                      Him and His loving care. `But He continues to dwell
      And yet every one of His sheep. knows Him. And in you, call you, invigorate you and quicken  YOU,  so
  remember that this knowledge is not merely intellectual that you con+antIy  appear as a sheep in the midst of
  knowledge. It is not merely the knowledge that we           wolves from whom you are very clearly distinguished. .
  gain from hearing the Bible read to us. There are `I'here  is as much difference between the sheep and the
  thousands that hear and read about Jesus out of the wolf as there is between night and day. Many times
  Scriptures that nevertheless  faiI to know Him.             you must confess: I wandered far away from God, but
      Honestly I cannot explain it to the full. It is mys- as often you also continue : but now  1 am coming home.
  terious. It is spiritual. The spiritual man discerns the And that must be explained from the faithfulness of
  spiritual things. I can employ biblical language and the Shepherd who never fails His sheep. And who is
  say that Jesus Christ  dwelleth  in us. That we are always ready to go out of the way to seek His own that
  baptized in Him, that we are risen with Him, that we are lost again through their own folly.
  are one plant with, Him. But it is surer than that 2           Finally, the true sheep 4it.s in with the Shepherd.
  see the blue sky above, that I know my Saviour. I Therefore the children of God are called Christians.
  know Him as the day is Iong. I know Him in the night. They are and they walk  like Christ.
  I shall know Him forever.                                      Oh yes, I know that this is only true in principle.
      And the true sheep hears the Shepherd. That is And there is a throb in my heart when I say it.' Would
 also true of the sheep of Christ. Listen to Him: My that we were more filled with the Christlike virtues of
  sheep hear My voice.                                        the Christian. No, we are not completely like Christ
      What does that  mean? It means that we hear the in our heart and conversation. And yet, it is plain to
  Bible for thrqt is the voice  of Christ. And it makes no all that we are like Him to some degree. His speech is
  difference whether you hear  the Old or the New Testa- ours and His love is ours. He loves the Father and
  ment: it is all the speech of the Son of God.               so do we. He always goes toward the Father and. so             '
      But more must be said here. @`or so many that are do we. When worst comes to worst, we will really give
  really wolves afso heq the written,. read and preached everything in this Iife that is dear to us for the sake ,'
  Bible. And yet you couId  not saythat they hear Christ.     of God and His Christ. History is the witness.
  I have before my mind the Word of Christ as only He            And that Christlike spirit is on the increase. No
  can speak it. It is the wondrous, vibrant, living Word one  will see God that does not  walk in sanctification.
  of God as He speaks it in my heart through the Holy         It is another earmark of the Christian. It often seems
  Spirit. Its contents is the written Word, but its power different. Sometimes it seems as though we go back-
  is the HoIy Ghost. And when 1. so hear the Word I ward. But that cannot be. They go from strength to
  listen and recognize my Lord.                               strength says the Bible and the Bible is aIways true.
      And the true sheep will follow.                            How must this be explained?
      So also the child of God. When -they hear Jesus            Well, one of the characteristics of the sheep is that
  they follow. They will never  folIow  the Iie, not con- through the light of the speech of the Shepherd they
  sistently. They  -know that the voice of the hireling see the blackness of their sins. The more that light
  is false and they will refuse to -follow  even though it shines in our souls the more we see and abhor our old
  may cost them their earthly life. They will hear the        nature. And it stands to reason that in the same de-
_ voice of Christ and they will follow even though. that gree we cling to the light of tI+e GhristIike  virtues.
  voice leads them through the fire of the stake.                That is the reason why an old Christian thinks less
      Yes, the true sheep loves the shepherd, trusts Him of himself than a young Christian. The more we know
  and follows Him.                                            Christ the more we hate ourselves. So that seif-con-
      A11 that is expressed in the confession: The Lord demnation grows with the years in your Christlike
  is my shepherd. When you say that you have said all walk.             So what seems retrogression is really pro-  *
  that I have tried to enumerate above, and more.             gression.
      Now mark you, you do not say that by nature. By            And happily the end is heaven where we  shah
  nature  YOU  have wandered and are  Iost. But .after the nevermore wander away, but where we shall reveal the
  shepherd has found you in the desert and brought you complete nature of I sheep of Christ: loving, hearing,
  to the flock, after He has cIeansed  you and regenerated trusting and following Him to the Father who is
  you, after He dwells in you with the power and the blessed forever.
  Iove of God, after He calls you with the effectual call-       Now a few words regarding the pasture for the
  ing of His living voice, do you know Him, love Him,         sheep.
  hear Him, trust Him and follow Him. Then you are a             Our text speaks both "negative and positive Ian-
  sheep of the Good shepherd.                                 mwre.
      Not as though you are entirely so; for much is Ieft        First of ail, if I am a sheep of Jesus I shall not
  of the old nature. Many times you would again  wan-         w a n t .


42           -                           TtHE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

  Want is terrible ! Want is hell.                               And that portion is illustrated in the text. Listen:
        Suppose that a sheep would never again eat grass He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He lead-
or drink out of the quietly streaming waters. Well, the eth me beside the still waters.
end,is certain. This sheep would suffer grievously and           Oh, how beautiful !
die. That's all.                                                 Yes, that sounds and is beautiful, but it is also
        And you may' carry this over into the life of the strange to our ears without proper explanation. Be-
Christian.                                                    cause some of them "had trial of cruel mockings and
 I My want is my God.                                         scourgings, yea, moreover, of bonds and imprison-
        Take God away from me and I die a terrible death. ments. They were stoned, they were sawn asunder,
        And here I must qualify.. Because man is no mere were tempted, were sIain with the sword: they wan-
brute whose life depends solely on a  few' blades of dered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being desti-
grass and a drink of water.                                   tute, afllided,  tormented ; (of whom the world was not
        Man is made into the image of God. That means         worthy) they wandered in deserts and in mountains,
that his essense  depends on the virtue of God. Give          and in dens and caves of the earth."        .
God's virtue to that creature and I assure you that this         And if that is not enough to make you wonder I
man will be happy. Then he will be beyond all want.           would like to take you by the hand and bring you to
<He wants God in the sense that he must see His glor- yonder castle of the rich. I do not know his name
ious and benign face. He must bask himself in His for Jesus did not tell me. But his earthly name must
smiles and good pleasure. He must be near unto Him have been on many lips, for he was rich. And there
in order to live.                                             at the gate I would like to point you'to Lazarus. He is
  I Moreover, he must have His knowledge, righteous- almost naked: a few rags cover his body in part. The
ness and holiness in his heart and soul and mind and dogs have no trouble to find his sores that cover him
spirit in order to be happy. Having these virtues he from head to foot. And they lick him. The brute
can shine and be  ,gloriously  happy. Then be  fuhills        has  <been more kind than their masters.
the purpose of his God. Then he is a mirror in which             When the banquet is over in the castle, the servants
God may behold Himself. In a creaturely manner he bring- the scraps to the dogs and-look, look ye well,
resembles God in order to be used for His praises.            Lazarus takes his place with the dogs and he scrambles
        Take that away from a man and he will be really among them to get the crumbs that fell from the
in want.                                                      rich man's table, for he- desired them, remember?
        Then he becomes very unhappy. Oh yes, he may             Now let us sing Psalm 23: The Lord my Shep-
laugh and mock, curse and swear, he may lower him- herd-holds me, within His tender care ! And with
self like the brute and lower still, but I assure you that
                  ..,                                         His flock He folds me, no want will fmd me there!
he is in want.                                                   Do you see the problem?
        He is such .here on earth already where he may eat       And here is the answer. Yes, you may safely sing
and drink and stuff himself with. nonsensical folly as Psalm 23 at the side of suffering Lazarus. Especially
the day is long,, His cry resounds not only from the          the Lazaruses among God's people. They understand
battlefields and hospitals but also out of the saloons        the Psalm best of all. Lazarus will say in the midst
and the homes of the wicked where they have a so-             of his groaning: Yes, brethren, you are right : I shah
called good time. They are very miserable. They are           not want. He will tell you the secret. He will say:
in want. For they miss God.                                   my name will give you the answer: Lazarus means:
        And it will become more terrible still when they He-that is helped of God. He will telI you with glow-
die.                                                          ing eyes that God loves him and saves him, that this
        Then they will realize their want as never before. way of suffering is his pasture and that only through
They will groan and cry and weep and gnash their that `way he can become ripe for eternal salvation.
teeth in utter despair. For God in His smiles and             Besides, he will say: I get crumbs three times a
goodpleasure, in :His love and friendship is far from day.
the wicked.                                                      Oh, beloved, let us sing Psalm 23 sometimes and
        It is the want of eternal damnation.                  think of Lazarus and be ashamed of ourselves, for
        Listen to the rich man in hell and shudder: Have God is good. .Good  for you forever in Christus Jesus,
mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip          the Lord. Amen !                                 G. V.
of his finger in water and cool my tongue for I am
tormented in this flame !                                                               NOTJCE
        Ah, the poor man is in want. In want of God's         Owing to the continual financial shortage the 1st divi-
cooling streams but he shall never get them.                  sion of the R.F.P.A. has decided at its annual meeting
        Well, the Christian, the sheep of Christ shah not to raise the subscription fee of the Standard Bearer to
want.                                                         its former price of $2.50.
        No, that is clear. For God is his portion.                         The Publication Comm. of the R. F. P. A.


                                         T,H'E ST,ANDARD  B E A R E R                                        .43

                                                            true that is, and nature itself testifies of this inex-
              In The Collection Plate                       orable law of order. Our offering is not lost, wasted
                                                            or dead if we give in the Lord, but it becomes a matter
                         .     (11)                         of seed sown. As less as seed when covered  .with
    Not only is the collection or offering of the saints    ground is to be computed dead, so less must our giv-
 itself rich and meaningful, but in II Cor.  8 and  9 Paul ing be computed as in vain, for it is a seed  sown:,
 also goes on to show what great and far-reaching And in due time we will reap if we faint not. And
 effects of blessing these offerings have, both for them with this fact the saints shall many times have to
 that cgive as well as for them that receive, and above console themselves for not infrequently the gift they
                                                      .
 all what glory to God it arouses.                          give is repaid with ingratitude and it seems their
                                                            gift is dead. But not dead says Paul, it is seed sown,
                       The Givers                           and he who sows abundantly shall reap  plentifudy.
                                                            The reaping however is not fist in terms of material
    The Lord certainly does not want us to give liber- things. Paul further deliberates on this matter in
 ally with the hope of a rich reward in return for our      9:fO  explaining that God multiplies the seed sown and
 giving.    Beautifully Calvin expresses this when he increases the fruits of your righteousness, i.e. your
 says : "It is indeed the saying of a heathen-`what righteousness bears fruits in your works. The bless-
 you have given away is the only riches you will have' ing the giver receives is the joy of abounding fn the
 but the reason is that `whatever is given to friends work of the Lord, the happiness of being worthy to
 is placed beyond all risk'. The Lord on the other bear the image of the Son of God the Great and Merci-
 hand (quoting Calvin still) would not have us in-          ful High Priest. And  "blessed'.are  the merciful for
 fluenced by the hope of a reward, or of any remunera- they shall obtain mercy";
 tion in return, but, on the contrary, though men should       The giver himself experiences a blessing. As says
 be ungrateful, so that we may seem to have lost what Calvin elsewhere : "The more beneficient  you are' to
 we have given away, He would have us, notwithstand- your neighbors, you will find the blessing of Cad so
 ing, persevere in doing good. The advantage however much the more abundant poured out upon you". Pity
 arises from this-that `he that giveth to the poor the miser who of all his wealth cannot spare a dime for
 lendeth to the Lord'." (Calvin, II Cor. p. 291).           others, pity HIM, how shall he know Christ Who  WM
    Scarcely is it necessary in this connection to remind rich, yet for our sakes became poor in order that we
 you of the practices of the Pharisees. When they might be rich? Pity him that niggardly gives for how
 gave  liberalIy(   ?) they did it with a view  to what can he know Christ Who freely gave Himself for our
 benefit might accrue to them for their generosity,         sakes ?
 being careful -in the meantime to limit their gifts to        The sum of the matter therefore is that if we are
 likely prospects only. Perhaps sometimes we too give abundant in the work of the Lord, He causes us to
 with a view to net returns. Some view their giving taste His blessing and the Law of the Kingdom holds:
 as an insurance for their own protection should they as we sow we reap. Be not deceived,  .G-od is not
 themselves ever become  .needy. Others ascribe to their mocked.
 gifts. magical qualities of compounded interest, ten
 dollars given away will net ten fold in the years to                  1    The  uSain.ts  That Receive
' come. Some even tell stories of the more they gave
 the richer they became.                                       And how blessed for the saints in need is this
    It is quite needless to re-affirm that our giving, if offering of mercy. From the closing verses of the
 it springs up out of such motives, is very impure. ninth chapter it is evident with what great gladness
 It ceases to be genuine giving.. For the giver seeks the needy saints received the offered gift. The needy
 self, not others, and the quality of mercy has changed saints did not blush with shame and fret at the recep-
 into self-seeking. God condemns in us all selfishness, tion of that gift of mercy. Nay, but the saints ex-
 of whatever form or shape.                                 perienced the mercy touch of their sympathetic High
    Although, therefore, we  aie not to give with a view Priest, and in that gift they tasted the glorious word
 to a likely return, Scripture does teach that the giver of God's blessing.                         5
 himself receives a blessing when he "lends to the             In  9:12 we read that that gift "supplieth the want
 Lord". This fact must surely not be overlooked, and of the saints". That first of all `was the effect -of the
 Paul more than once uses this truth to incite the liberal gift collected for them. The need of the saints
 Corinthians to liberality.                                 was real and pressing. They could not survive the
     In II Cor.  9:6 Paul remarks that he who sows          famine with an "depart in peace,  ,be warmed and
 sparingly  shaIl reap sparingly and visa-versa. Offer- filled", but the saints .were in need of cash, food and
 ings are likened to sowing.           Give sparingly, reap clothing. They needed mercy in the very practical
 sparingly ; give abundantly, reap. abundantly. How         form of food and clothing etc. With anything  less-


 44                                   T H E   i3TANDAR.D  B.EARER

 they should have to die. No amount of fair speech              How careful we should be when we have  th'e
 can fill our  nee"ds, when we are in dire straits we' collection-plate passed. Whether'we  give or whether
 need mercy-money.       So it was with the Jews at          we receive it shall be "thanks be unto God for His
 Jerusalem. And now this gift of collection was cal-         unspeakable gift". . . .         .,
 culated exactly to  fit their needs. And it did, for                                                       M. G.
 they survived the famine. The abundance of the
 saints in one part of the church provided for the
 need of the saints in another part of the church.                                       -
       And so it is today. Time and again a saint falls
 into deep need, they need help. And from the saints              .        Thou Shalt Not 
                                                                                     ._..           Kill
 elsewhere comes. . . . not an assurance that they
 would  like to help if they only `were a little better                       "Thou shalt not kill."  -  Ex. 20:
 situated themselves', nor a promise that if it be-
 comes convenient they will sometime consider a collec-         It requires some careful thinking to gain a cor-
 tion for them. . . . but from the other saints comes        rect insight into the meaning of this command. The
 a bag of money, food and clothing.             Practical    mistake can easily be made of seeing too much in this
 mercy.                                                      command, of making it cover acts which according to
       A second result or fruit of such a gift is marked     the mind of God it does not cover. The pacifist makes
 in 9 :14, when Paul states that the saints which re- this mistake. The pacifist is one who is opposed to all
 ceive the gift begin to pray for and to long after war, who regards war as such, sin, a trangression of
 their benefactors. In other words, this gift arouses        the command, "Thou shalt not kill". For this com-
 a feeling of intimate fellowship with the other saints. mand, so it is held, forbids all killing. The taking of
What so deadens the ardor of fellowship as indiffer- life is thus wrong under any circumstance and for
 ence to the needs of them that are hard-pressed? whatever reasons. The magistrate has power but not
 How can there be fellowship when saints allow fellow over the life of the citizens of the state. Murder is a
 saints practically to starve? Where is the tie that         crime not to be punished by death. For the law of God
 binds when one saint is indifferent to the suffering reads, "Thou shalt not kill." Such is the view, and We
 of the fellow saint?     But, ah,  ,how genuinely they one extreme. But if there are some who see too much
 feel that tie that binds when they receive help in in this command, there are others who see too little
 the hour of need. The saints that received were  wer- in it. I think now of the defenders of suicide and the
 joyed at the feeling of such fellowship, the more exponents of so-called mercy-killings-killings done to
 because it went from Gentiles to Jews. They p,rayed         put an end to the earthly existence of such to whom
 for their benefactors, amid their prayers they long- life has become unendurable on account of suffering
 ed for them because of the abounding grace of God in that has reached the limit of what a human can bear.
 Christ Jesus.                                               Killings of this character the sixth command does not
                                                             concern. Such is the view and the other extreme.
                   The God  Of  All Glory                       Let us, concentrating on this command, lay hold on
       The paramount result however of this gift to the      its meaning. It is hardly  necessary  to say that it is
 needy saints is observed in 9 :Il-13 when Paul asserts      man; God's rational-moral  ,%,creature,  that may not be
 that in the matter of this gift many thanksgivings go kiied by  msp. Long before God said to His people
 out unto God and God gets all the glory. In  9:12 Israel; assembled at Mt. Sinai,  `YYhou shalt not kill,"
 Paul emphasizes that the gift not only supplies the         He said to Noah, immediately upon the latter's leaving
 needs of the saints but it arouses many thanksgiv- the ark, "Whoso  sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his
 ings unto God. In 9 :13 the saints that receive the blood be shed." But we must be more definite. He
 gift glorify God for the grace in them that gave whom the Lord had before His mind, when He said,
the gift. At the reception of this gift therefore "Thou shalt not kill," is one's neighbour. The truth
there goes up a volume of thanksgiving to God. Paul of this statement is borne o-ut by certain instruction
 thanks God when he sees the readiness to offer in of Christ and by ,the way the tenth command reads.
his spiritual children ; they that give thank God that Said Christ to the lawyer who asked which of all the
they were counted worthy and made able to give,              commands .is the greatest, "Thau shaIt love the Lord
 while the  ryeivers  of the gift thanked God for the        thy God with all thy heart. . . . This is the first and
grace in others and His mercy over them in their great commandment. And the second is like unto it,
hour of dire need. How great a volume of thanks- Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." And then
giving therefore has swelled out of that rustic co+- there proceeded out of the mouth of Christ this signi-
tion plate.                                                  ficant statement, "On these two commandments hang
       Out of Him, through -Him' and unto Him all all the law and the prophets." Th,us the sixth com-
 things. .                                                   mand is suspended to the command, "Love thy  neigh-


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B'EARER                                            46

 bor. . .  ." If so, the creature that may not be killed bor the blow that results in his spirit departing from
 is precisely the neighbor, That it is specifically the him, so that, as to the body, he returns to the dust and
neighbor, one's  feltow  creature, that the words, written is no more. But that is not saying enough. If the sin
 on the second table conkern,  is plain from the tenth * forbidden by the sixth tommand is to stand out in our
 command, "Thou shalt not covet thy  aeighbor's   wife". minds in all its hideous sinfulness, it must be viewed in
    It was not really necessary for the Lord to say to the light of the intention of the killer, of what he would
 you or to me, "Thou shalt not kill that Chinese in far do to his victim, to the butt of his attack, were he able,
 away China." Why should you want to lay hands on and of what he actually does ,to him in his heart. The
 that creature. With thousands of miles between him killer's depriving his victim of life, actually springs
 and you, he moves not in your world. His path and              from the desire to deliver the blow that will send him
 your path therefore do not cross. His interests and to eternal hell. The killer wishes his victim removed
 your interests do not clash. He stands not in your             from the face of this earth not merely, but he very
 way, is no hindrance to your success, is not the one by actually wishes him in the place of everlasting torment.
 whose superior skill or cunning you are being over- Some one may ask,  ,Can this be? This can be and is,
 reached or defeated. You have nothing to do with him however unlikely, at first thought, it may seem. Think
 or he with you. As far as you are concerned, he does           of the violent quarrels between persons. who fear not
 not exist. Why then should you want.to  do that crea- God. Such quarrels often if not usually end in ,blows.
 ture any harm? There can be no reason. But there But before this end is reached, the parties to the quar-
 may be a reason why you should want to kill the neigh- rel have already damned each other  tp the greatest of
 bor. The two compounds of the word  neighbor  are all torment-the torment of hell. And while the quar-
 the two words  sear and dweller. The neighbor is he relers mix in combat, each bldw'that is dealt is accom-
 or she who dwells near or next to one, such as one's panied by a curse. Verily the killer whom the Lord
 husband or one's wife, one's son and one's daughter,           had before his mind when He said; "Thou shalt not
 one's employer or employee, one's competitor in kill," wishes  this victim in perdition. It is the blow,
 business, one's father and mother. The husband may the killing, springing from this wish, the killing to
 be unreasonable. The wife may be a woman irrespon- which has been given the name of `murder, that forms
 sible or faithless as a wife, The son and daughter may the sin to which the sixth command in the first instance
 be thankless and rebellious. Parents may be provok- has regard,
 ing. That employer may be a man without a heart,                  Once more, the blow that is dealt is intended to re-
 e.xploiting the people who work for him. That em- sult in the vi&ii's disappearing in hell. Certainly the
 ployee may be a lazy and unreliable person. And the murderer *does  not wish his victim in heaven. If so,
 competitor may be blocking your road to achievement. he would not fall on him and beat him with his fists
 The believer has trials peculiar to himself. There is to but would pray for him and bless him. But the mur-
 him the neighbor that reviles for Christ's sake. There         derer blesses not but durses, and his wounding his vic-
 is reason then why the Lord said-said, mark you, to tim in combat is representative of an attempt on his
 His people-"Kill not thy neighbor," That neighbor part to answer his own prayer-a prayer in which he
 is your  fellow  . man. You have  shim daily on your invokes against his victim the greatest conceivable evil
 hands.    You rub elbows with him in the home, in -th.e evil that is the portion of the damned. However
 the factory, in the office, on the farm, in the church if the extreme sinfulness of the sin of murder is to be
 and in the state,. in a word, in every sphere. He and clearly perceived, regard must be had firstly to the
 you have one little world in common in which you both reason why,a  man will murder his neighbor and second-
 plan and struggle and strive to achieve, And you both ly to the creature murdered. The murderer kills his
 are sinful, by nature, grasping, selfish and self-cen- fellow man solely out of consideration not of `God but
 tered. It is true, you are a child of grace. Yet in you, of himself. The man stands in the killer's way and
that is, in your flesh there dwelleth no good thing, so must therefore be destroyed. The sin of murder is at
 that, if the neighbor gets in your way,' which he is           bottom inordinate self-love. The murderer worships be-
 bound to do, you are tempted by your flesh to kill him. fore the shrine of his own ego. And the fellow-man
 But kill not thou thy neighbor,                                who will not worship with him, he destroys and thus
     What is it to kill a fellow human? The Hebrew considers not that this man was created in God's image,
 word for to  t%i.ll  is derived from a root form, the mean-    is thus God's creature, brought into being by God to
 ing of which is to break, crush, destroy. This meaning worship Him. Created in God's image was man. Yet
 is identical to the sense of the English verb to kill.         this man, who should live that he, as God's  image-
 The old English is guellen  meaning to crush. Thus to bearer, might serve and adore his Maker everlastingly,
 kill the neighbor is to crush, destroy him. Now this the murderer,  as to  his  intention,  utterly destroys and
 may be done in deed or solely in the intention, object- silences forever, because Ihe stood in his way, or was
 ively or subjectively, in the outward theatre  of life or not serviceable to him.  That the murderer can only
 solely in the heart. To kill in deed is to deal the neigh- destroy the body of his victim does make the sinfulness


46                                      T H E   ,STANDARD   B E A R E R

of his deed less sinful. _ In judging him the Lord has in unbroken continuity, destroys God. All his thoughts
.respect to his heart, to motive and intention.                   are that God is not.
      There are differing degrees of intensity of the sin            Now the reason that hatred is the wiI1 or urge to
of murder, corresponding to what it is that induces, OF destroy is that to hate is to abhor, detest,,abominate,
constrains one to, actually deprive the fellow-man of loathe. To <hate is to be i&lamed  with extreme disIike.
life. King David was afraid that he would be found                   Now hatred, the wiIl to murder and the murderous
out, if Uriah, whose wife he had  defiled,  were per-             thought, cannot remain hidden in the heart. It must
mitted to live, and so he killed him as driven by fear. become manifest and so it does through such organs of
It perhaps should not therefore be maintained that the the body as the eye, the throat and the tongue, the
taking of life, forbidden by the sixth command, is with-          countenance and in particular the brow, further, the
out exception the expression of a conscious wish and hand and the foot. The throat of the hater is an open
burning desire that the victim be damned forever. Yet sepuclchre  ; with his tongue he uses deceit ; the poison of
murder and cursing go hand in hand. And the im- asps is under his lips; his mouth is full of cursing and
pulse under which sinful man murders is carnal  Ihatred.          bitterness ; his feet are swift to shed blood ; destruc-
Now it lies in the very nature of this hatred to be satis- tion and misery are in his ways; the way of peace he
fied with nothing short of the victim's being overtaken knows not, there is no fear of God before his eyes.
by the greatest conceivable evil. And this evil, as was           (Rom. 2:13-18). The most violent manifestation oc-
said, is everIasting  death. When Uriah, after having curs when hatred, leaping upon its victim, delivers the
returned from the field of battle stubbornly refused to bIow that kills. But hatred rarely will go to this ex-
go home, David's anger, it must be imagined, kindled.             treme. Man lives too much in `dread of  `the conse-
And this anger was the stirring of his flesh, of his quences of such deeds of violence. He usually goes no
carnal, wicked self. It sprang from the principIe  of sin further than to confront the hated one with the signs
that operated in his members. It was certainly not and tokens of the murder that lurks in his bosom,-
holy indignation. Herewith the sin of murder has such tokens as the clenched  fist, the frown, the murder-
been fully e-xposed.                                              ous look and gesture, the spiteful word, the aloof man-
      Regard must now be had to the soil in which mur- ner, the cold reception, the studied indifference, the
ders grow and from which they spring. This soul is frigid politeness ; or,' arming himself with the weapon
the human heart. For out of the  theart proceed  evi1 of, sIander,  he tries to destroy the hated one through
thoughts, murders, adulteries,  fornications,  thefts, false striking at his good name and reputation. As to these
witness, blasphemies  :. . .  ." (Matth.  X:19).         The signs and tokens, just mentioned, they, too, are murder.
heart is the center or seat of  ethica life, the spring of            Sinful man destroys his fellow human in thought,
a11 our purposes, volitions, thoughts, and actions. Thus which he can do in that he has been endowed by his
the moraI life of a man partakes of the character of his Creator with the faculty of imagination, with the
heart. As this heart is,' so the thinketh.  For from out power to reproduce an object of sense previously per-
of the heart proceed evi1 thoughts, murders. ; . .                ceived and aIso to recall a mental or spiritual state that
      This raises the question how a man murders. He has been previously experienced. Because man  has
murders first in thought. "For out of the  <heart   pro- this power he can and. does first live inwardly, in his
ceedeth evil thoughts. . . ." and, such is the meaning mind. the life that he lives before the eyes of his fellow
of this scripture, of these thoughts one is murder.               mer. In the morning, while he st?lI lies upon *his bed,
Mark you, the very thought is already murder. This Cc  b:lsiness executive produces before his mind's eye
corresponds with the teaching of 1 John 3 :15, "Whoso             his walk or life as he plans it for the day. In his mind
hateth his brother is a murderer. . . ." According to he is at his desk in his office, reading his mail, dictating
this word, he who  lhateth  his brother commits murder replies, holding conferences, meeting clients. In
not merely but is as to his nature and the heart of his           the state of righteousness, this image-producing faculty
 disposition a murderer. .Hatred then is murder: and of man,  called imagination, man yielded as a weapon
to hate ,& to murder, to destroy the one hated. Hatred of righteousness unto God. But lhe now yields it, to-
however, is murder as it riots in the heart and its hid- gether with al1 hi& endowments, as a weapon of un-
 den recesses and in the conscious emotion, will and righteousness unto sin. In the orb of his imaginative
mind of man. Hence, the desire, the will, to destroy a life, he is wholly consecrated to sin. In the words of
fellow-human together with the murderous thought, by the prophet, he devises iniquity, and works evil upon
which is to be understood the mental act of destroying his bed (Micah 2 :la) . This language is descriptive of
 in the mind, imagination,-this is conscious hatred,              the walk of life of the wicked, as they run it inwardly,
 which in turn is the crystallization of the soul's energy within themselves. In their minds even they work the
 or capacity for thought and  voIition as vitiated by the evil previously devised. The statement has respect
 principle of sin that operates in it. Man is by nature solely to mental action. "When the morning is light",
 a  `l-&er of God and the neighbor. In his s&conscious            so the prophet continues, "they practice it, because it is
 sold,   there in the heart of his disposition, he continually    in the power of their hands". So, too, the murderer in


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                         .' 47

  particular. He devises iniquity against- the hated one holily to love and thus also holily to hate. But man,
 and works it upon his bed. He reproduces before his subjecting himself to sin and consequently to death,
  mind's eye the ,image of the hated one and his heart corrupted his whole nature and thus also the nature of
breathes out threatenings and sIaughter  against him. his love and his hatred. If he formerly hated darkness,
  In his mind, he beats him with his fist, tramples            the lie, he now hates truth, light, God and loves the Iie.
 him with his feet and damns him to hell. So are most And his hatred of truth is love of the Iie. However, if
  murders committed, namely, inwardly, within the he be regenerated  by'the Spirit of Christ his hatred and
 soul's imaginative life.                                      his love, again partake of the nature of God's. There
     Fallen man is by nature a murderer. But what is is then also a hatred that is holy.
  to be said of the true believer? Scripture teaches that,        So is there also a curse that is holy. God curses His
  by virtue of his being regenerated by the Holy Spirit, enemies. And the saints, being at one with God, will
  he is delivered from the dominion and the slavery of &at He curse. And to this will they  also give expres-
 sin in this life, yet  only in principle. For Scripture       sion in their prayers. "Let their eyes be darkened,"
  also teaches that the believer continues to lie in the so prayed the prophet of God, "that they see not; and
 , midst of death until the moment of his passing from make their loins continually to shake. Pour out thine
  this Iife and is  still inclined to all evil. And the indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take
 apostle's confession is to the effect that sin dwelleth in hold of them. Let their habitation be darkened and
 him, that he finds a Iaw, that, when he would do good,        let none dwell in their tents. `Add iniquity to their
 evil is present with him, that he sees another law in iniquity : and  let them not come into thy righteousness.
 his members warring against the law of his mind and Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and
 bringing him into captivity to the law of sin which is        not be written with the righteous" (Ps.  61:22-28).
  in his members (Rom. 7). And the fact that the               Essentially the same prayer Christ put upon the lips
 apostles were constrained by the Holy Spirit to direct of His disciples, when He taught them to pray, "Thy
 to God's believing people even exhortations such as kingdom come," that is, "Rule us so by thy word and
 this, "Wherefore laying aside  a11  maiice, and all guile,    Spirit, that we may submit ourseIves more and more
 and hypocrisies, and envies and all evil speakings," and to thee ; preserve and increase thy church ; destroy the
 this, "But now ye also put off all these: anger, wrath,       works of the devil, and all v&&n.ce which wouldi  exalt
 malice, blasphemy. `. ." the apostles' so exhorting God's itself again& thee; and also, all wicked counsels devised
 people, implies, certainly, that these things dwell in against thy hoIy word ; tiI1 the full perfection of thy
 believers despite their being regenerated. Malice dwells kingdom takes place, wherein thou shalt be all in all".
 in them, that is, in their Aesh. And anger and wrath.         (The construction placed upon this prayer by the Cate-
 And malice is a species of hatred. And hatred is mur- chism)  . FinalIy, in the book of Revelations, chapter 8,
 der. Still inclined to all evil is the believer; thus in-     the Lord appears as overtaking the wicked with His
 clined also toward murder. And when there is severe judgments in response to the prayers of  a11 saints.
 provocation, the murder that still dwells in his flesh be-    The smoke of the incense with the prayers of the saints
 stirs itself. It begins to riot in his mind and will. It      (all the saints, vs. 3) ascend up before God out of the
 fills his eyes, and extinguishes the light in his counten- angel's  ihand. And the angel takes the censor and fills
 ance. Then'the  believer is aware of his members which it with the fire of the aItar and casts it upon the earth.
 are upon the earth, of a heart that breathes  threaten-       And there are voices, and thunderings and lightnings,
 ings, of a mischief planning mind, of a mouth .fuIl of        and an earthquake.
 the bitterness of slander and cursing, of a deceit-using         There is then a hatred that is carnal, depraved, and
 tongue, of an eye that kills by its look. These are the a hatred that is holy. So, too, is there the curse that
 members that are to be mortified, that is, killed. These is holy, and the curse that is sinful. Whereas now sin-
 *are the works of the flesh to be crucified.        God's ful hatred is murder and seeing that the believer must
 believing people do so by His mercy. As' constrained          hate darkness and by virtue of his being a lover of
 by God's love, they cut off the offending hand, pluck         truth, light, and God Who is the Truth does indeed hate
  out the offending eye, and cut out the offending tongue.     wickedness and the wicked, it is pertinent to ask how,
  They suppress the urge and curb the desire to kill.          when his soul fills with hatred and his anger kindles,
  They purify themselves, their mouth of its curses and        he may know whether his hatred is of the flesh, carnal
 the mind of its mischief. They put on bowels of mercies.      or of the Spirit and thus at least in principle holy and
     The observations thus far made have respect to whether his prayer that God bring evil upon the wicked
 hatred that is sinful, depraved. There is aIso a hatred is carnal or holy. The answer to the question ,here put
  that is holy, a wrath that is just and an indignation        must  `be taken from Scripture.      Carnal hatred and
 that is righteous. God hates, abhors the wicked ahd           anger and the carnal cursing have their marks by
  hating them He destroys them. And He is Holy God. which they may easily be recognized and known. And
  And as to man, when he left God's hands, he did so as        likewise hatred that dwells in the Spirit and is holy.
  a creature endowed by His Maker with the capacity This hatred, too, has its marks. Let us discern these

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

 marks. The man who hates carnally, hates because the as they so pray, they must be constrained by the love
 object of his hatred hates him, speaks evil and rises up of God and their souls must be bowed down under the
 against him, is this his enemy. The man who hates                weight of the heaviness of which Paul spoke when he
 holily hates not his but God's enemies. Better said,             said, "I say the truth in Christ. . . . that I have great
he hates the one who does him evil because the evil-doer heaviness and continual sorrow in  my heart. For  I
 is God's enemy, who strikes at God by striking at His could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for
 .people.  He hates him therefore as God's enemy but my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh." So
 loves him as. his enemy. Further, the man who hates far shall the believer be from praying the prayer WE
 carnally, commits himself and his case to self instead all saints as constrained by malice, that `he shall do
 of to God. Instead of making room for God's wrath, what Christ bids, namely, .bless  those who persecute
 he must avenge self. And so he does. He does his him, pray for his enemies, pray for their salvation.
 enemy evil. He forms against him schemes of mis- Not that God's believing people pray for the salvation
 chief. With his slandering tongue, he pursues the of the reprobated. But the one vc"ho persecutes may be
 object of his hatred into every nook and corner of that an elect. We think now of Paul.
 world where he and his victim move and have their be-                But besides the curse that is holy, there is the curse
 ing. He kills his victim if not outwardly then inward-           that is carnal, the curse that springs from a hatred  th&,
 ly, in his thoughts. This, certainly, is not the behavior is murder, thus the curse that is cursed, in that it is a
 of hatred kindred to God's. Committing himself unto prayer of the wicked that God destroy solely for his,
 God, the man who loves holily,  does well to and blesses         the wicked one's sake and pleasure, the object of his
 such who revile him. Further, holy hatred both in God            carnal wrath.
 and in His people is ti loathing of sin and thus of the              When God says, "Thou shaIt not kill," he commands
 reprobated wicked on account of what they are, name- us to love our neighbor as durstilves.                      Love is the ful-
 ly, wicked ones, loathing holiness, the Holy One. Hence, fillment of the law.                                        G. M. 0.
 he who Ioves  holily will and `must Ioathe also himself
 as to his members which are upon the -earth and by the                                        -
 mercy of God he turns against these very members to                                WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
 mortify, kill, destroy them. There is therefore with a
 man who hates  holily no respect of persons in this re-                                     1900  - 1940
 spect. It is plain that when a mad sets himself to ap-                On October 25, 1940, D. V., our dear parents
 praising his hatred, wrath, indignation, he should be on                                  BEN PASTOOR
 his guard against the deceitfulness of his own heart.                                            iand
 One may conclude that it was  the wickedness in a fel-                            ALICE  PASTOOR nee Hoorn
 low human, neighbor-that stirred his anger, while in hope to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary.
 reality what riled him is not the wickedness in that                  We heartily co.agratulate  `them on this happ'y  occasion and
 neighbor but the mere circumstance that the neighbor thank God for the blessings we might together enjoy these
 in his wickedness did  evi1 to his, the angry one's, per- rmsny,  years. May they ever experience God's presence and
 son.      It is a rather remarkable phenomenon that favor as their  yesrs  increase.
 wickedness  iiz a fellow human does not begin to trouble                                          Their  gratefu1  children
*-us to any extent, until that human assails our person.                                            Mr. and Mrs. John  Klaver
 How we then rage and foam. And w'hen  the storm has                                                Mr. and Mrs. Sidney De Young
finally subsided, we begin to prate about our holy wrath                                            Mr. amd  Mrs. Wm. B. Pastoor
 and righteous indignation. But when we  are again                                                  Mr. and Mrs. John A. Pastoor
 ready to be honest with ourselves and examine that                                                 and 7 grandchildren,
 wrath in the light of God's Word, we cannot find an                   Gnand Rapids, Michigan.
 atom of holiness in it. Carnal wrath and `hatred is
 like an intermittent spring. It wells up only now and                                             -
 then, when their is provocation. For its concern is not                                   IN  MEMORIAM
 sin but personal injury ; but holy hatred is a flame,
 steady and unquenchable as love.                                      Op den 17de  van  Sept. heeft het  onzen   hemelschen  Vader
       And as to the holy curse, what is to be understood sbehaagd  uit ons midden  te nemen  oln'ze geliefde breeder  ouderling
 is that this curse as uttered by the prophets of Scrip-                                 WIEBE  KAMSTRA
 ture is the word of God to the effect that God will save          in den ouderdoln  van 75 jaren. In vrede mocht  hij zijn eeuwige
 His people also through the destruction of His and rust  ingaan.  Moge de Heere de bedroefden  troosten  met Zijn
 His people's adversary. Only if this sinful opposition Woord en Geest.
 be destroyed, can His kingdom appear in glory. This                         De Kerkeraad der Prot. Geref. Kerk te Orange City.
 ;being true, aJ.I the saints, the saints of al1 ages, pray                                               J.  Blankespoor,  Pres.
 for the judgments of God over the world. But as often                                                    C. Pals, Scriba.


