 VOLUME   XVIII. . .                                       OCTOBER 15,1941                                                  N U M B E R   2

                                                                            Always! For he ceases not to give thanks and to
                                                                        mention them in  hi,s  prayers!
,jEE                                                                        Wonderful intercession !
                                                                                                   -             -
                         -intercession                                   Unspeakable  Piches!
                    Wh,erefore  I  ako,  after I heard of your              For these the apdstles  pray  in behalf-of the Church.
                  faith_  in the Lord Jesus,  and love unto all             For  those  things, he prays, which  .eye  hath not seen,
                  the saints, cease not to give thanks  for you,        and  ear hath not heard, and that have never arisen in
                  maicing   mention  of you  in my  pwyers;             the heart of man. Nor could thei  possibly be  seefi or
                  th?at  the God  of our Lord Jesus Christ, the         heard or arise-in man's heart. They'are  not the proper
                  Fathe?.  of glory, may  give  unto  yo.u  the         objects of !perception.         They do not belong.to  the world
                  Spirit of  -wi.xlom   awl   revelatiom  in the        of our earthly experience. They lie beyond our present
                  hnowiedge   .of  him  :. `the eyes of your under- horizon; on the  .other  side. . . .                    *
                  standing being  entightened;  that ye may                Riches of hope and riches of glory ,unipeakable!
                  know  what is the hope of his  ca&ing,  and               Hence,  ,with a view to these riches, and earnestly
                  what the riches.of dhe  glory of his  inherit-        longing that the church may lay hold upon them and
                  ance in the` saints.      i?,ph.  1 i15-IS.           possess them, the apostle prays that  the God of our
     Striking intercession !                                            Lord Jesus `Christ,  the Father of ,glory,  -may give them
     Strikitig from the, viewpoint of the  <intercessor:                the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the' knowledge
-I   a l s o !                                                          of Him, and that thus the eyes of their understanding
     For the  apo$le himself is suffering in the flesh.                 m i g h t   be  enlightensed.
 ,He  experiences  ih$  it is given him in the cause of                     For, to be'sure,  in order to apprehend the spiritual
 Christ, not only tq belieye  on him, but also to suffer in             things. of the. kingdom. of  ,God,  one must. have the
 His behalf. For  $he   Worth  of  God  and  the testimony              power of  spikitual  perception: the eyes of his  ander-
 ,which  he had, he is in bonds in Caesarea. As he writes               standiing,  not-  of his natural but of his spiritual under-
 these word&  there is a chain about his wrist. . . .                   standing must be enlightened.                 That it is to this
     Might it not be expected, then, that he would be                   spiritual  uq-derstanding  that the text refers  is evident
a  so-.  oppressed. by his condition that his own needs were            from the  original,  which may, be' rendered literally:
 uppermost in his mind,  .and  that he would request                    "the.eyes  of your heart". A man has eyes of the body,
 th'e church of Ephesus to intercede for him, to pray alid  the light of the body is the eye ; but with these he
 the Lord for a speedy release, perh?ps  ; or, at least ~for            cannot perceive the things of the kingdom `of heaven :
grace that he might be strengthened to bear  the cross?                 they are adapted to the things `chat are seen. He   has
     But very remote  f?om his mind ale his` personal                   eyes of the natural understanding, and these are .the
 sifferitigs.  No word of complaint escapes his lips. He light of his  soul  : the `remnant of natural light; but
 learned to be content in w.hatsoever  state-he might be.               with these he cannot  awrehend the spiritual riches
 Earbhly  things sink into oblivion. His personal con-                  of salvation, for even. they  are-   of the  -earth   ,earthy.
 dition does not  ,weigh  heavily upon his  .soul,  Nay                 But a man by nature  doesnot   h&v?  "eyes of the heart".
 more, he knows how to rejoice in his sufferings for `The natural man  does not understand the things of the
 Christ, and to glory also  fin  tribulation. .                         Spirit.    They. are spiritually d'iscerlied  ; and they are
    `[And  so, he is mindful of the church.                             foolishness .to hi.m. Hence, in order to know and to
     It is in behalf of ,her  that his prayer ascends to the            possess the ,spiuritual  riches of grace; the  eyes of one's
 throne of grace.                                                ._.    heart  must be  enlighteneg,                   .


         26                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEAR"ER                                                :
  . .          And  *who shall  enlight& the  eyes of our spiritual           His   God,. too, is  (&id!                               ?
         understanding except the Spirit of God?                              IGod  ordained Him from  before'the  foundation of
               He is the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation. The          the' world ; God formed Him and sent Him in the ful-
         Spirit of all wisdom is  He: :He  searches the depths of         .ness   ,of  time ; <God delivered Him up on the `accursed
         God and knows all things. With the Father and the                tree ; God raised Him from the dead and exalted Him
         Son, He is the eternal  co;author'of  that adorable wis-         into the highest  glr,ry  in-heaven; God made Him Christ
         dom, according to which all things  were  made unto              ,and  Lord;  an-d  God gave Him the` Spirit  .of  promise;
         and through Christ, Who  is the image of the invi'sible          making  ,Him  the quickening spirit. . . .
         God, the firsbborn  of every, creature and the firstborn             IHe ,is the God of our Lord Jesus Chfist !
         of the dead, and the eternal purpose of which is to                And as such He is the God of our salvation, Who
 unite all things in heaven and on earth in one, that is                  is able and. purposing to `bestow unspeakable riches
         Christ. And, therefore, .He  is also the Spirit of revela- upon His Church !
         tion, that  ma,kes known the deep thin& of *God which                For He is the Father of gIory,  the implidation  of all
         He searches out, and imparts them  ,unto  whomsoever             infinite  .per$ection,   th.e shining forth of which is His
 H e   wtills. And as the Spirit of wisdom and revelation                 glory; Who purposes from eternity to impart His
         He operates in the sphere of the knowledge of God,               glory unto a ,people  that shall show forth His praises!
         the knowledge that is eternal life, operates eternally,              The  ,God  of  ,our  Lord Jesus Christ;  Me  Father of
         divinely, infinitely,  ,within  the relationship of the          glory  ; the  Go.d  of  .our  salvation,-He is  the Giver of
         Trlinity;  operates  as the Spirit of promise in the glori-      the Spirit of wisdom and ,revelation  in  tlie  knowledge
         fied Christ, the "quickening  spirit"; and operates as           of Him. To that God and for that Spirit the apostle
- the Spirit of Christ in the Church,-always active as                    prays in behalf of the Church !
         the  Spiytit  of wisdom and revelation  iri the sphere of            0, indeed, they had that Spirit, and they did possess
         the knowledge of God, and imparting the deep, things             enlightened eyes of the heart. Did they  ilot believe?
 T of God to the `believers, taking them  oirt of Christ                  Had they not heard and embraced the W&d  ,of  God?
 ,(through  the Word), and making the believers recep-                    And were they not sealed with that holy Spirit of
         tive for them, capable of apprehending them, en-                 promise, which is the earnest of our redemption?. . . .
         lightening the eyes of their understanding!                          Yes, but, first of all, that Spirit  .is  ti'c~nstaint   gift,
               Wonderful Spirit of Christ, of  wisdom and  revela-        must continuously- be given, if'rhe  Church is to par-
 tion in the  know.ledge  of God!                                         take of His grace. .
               And the a,postle  prays that he ma:'  .oe  given to the        And secondly, -it is the  a.postle's  desire that the
         Church, to the believers at Ephesus, to the saints of            believers may increase in light of spiritual  ,under-
         all times.                                                       stan,ding.
               For He must  be  given. He proceeds,  wjitnin  the             That more and more they may possess the unspeak-
         divine Family of the adorable Trinity, from ihe .$aiher          able riches in Christ!
         and from the Son: from the Father to the Son 8s the                  Through the Spirit of wisdom and revelation.
         Spirit of the Father; from the  Son  to the Father  aL               Blessed Spirit of Chu?ist!               *
         the Spirit of .the Son. And  He proceeds, too, from  tne                                   -       -    -
         Triune  ,God   .t( the  glorified  Christ, as the Spirit of          Blessed hope !                     `I
         truth, of life, of grace, of all the blessings of salvation ;        For an object of ho$e  are these unspeakable riches,
         and from Christ into the Church, to Impart  all the ful-         the things ,which  eye hath not seen; and ear h&h-  not
         ness  of `Christ to her.                                         heard, nor have arisen in the heart of man!
               The  #Giver,  therefore, is the Triune God,  -9~   tk;e        And  it is to that  obj:ect  of the Christian  hape  that
         God of our Lord Jesus  Chr&,  and, -emphatically, as             the text refers in the words: "that ye may know what
         the Father of glory !                                            is the hope of his calling". And the glory and great-
               For, indeed, Christ is personally the  Son of  c:Q.~,      ness and unspeakable ,blessedness  of that hope is fur-
         and as such He is very God, co-essential and  cti,-eternal       ther  describei  in the words : "and what the riches  of
         w.ith  the Father and the Holy Spirit. He is very God            the glory of his inheritance in the saints".  _
         Himself.  An.d   !God  could not be said to be  .His  God            Words are accumulated, human  language  is, as it
         in  ,I-Iis  eternal divinity.  But  He is  alsd  the Christ,     were, exhausted, in order to impress on us the g&at
  $he  firstborn of every creat,ure  and the firstborn of the             blessedness of this "hope of his chilling"  which is- ours.
         dead, the incarnated Lord, Who was sent into the                     It is his inheritance, God's inheritance, that con-
         world, Who ,died  on the cross, Who was raised on the            stitutes the. dbject  of the believefs' hope. It  !is a pre-
         third day, and Who was, exalted at the right hand of             cious possession,  which   `God has  or.dained  for them that
         the majesty elf.  ,GoNd  ; Who is the head ,of  His body, the    ,love  *Him,  which He has prepared through and in
         Chur;ch,  the  Saiiour of His  ipeo&,  the head of all           Christ   Jesus  our  "Lor.d,  which in Him He has stored
         things, the Lord Jesus Christ! . . . .                           zttiay  unto "`the last time", whell  it shall  be.revealed  in
                                                                                I  .'                                                       5     `;


                                                3    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                            --`-                             27

            all its fulness and  given',into  the actual possession of              `For it is all the work of God. He  0rdaine.d   ther-1?
            the saiqts.  It is his inheritance "in", or rather, "among          unto this hope. He prepared for them this hope. He
            his saints". For the saints are those that are in Christ redeemed them unto this  hotpe.                               And  #He  also called
            Jesus, that are given to Him before the foundation of               them u&o this hope, unto the riches  .of  the glory of
            the  worl&  and  tha.t  are ingrafted into Him by the faith His inheritance among the saints. He called them by
            which is the gift of God. To  them,  the inheritance is the preaching of the gospel, and that gospel as well as
            lprdmised.  To the  iphere of the saints it is limited. its preaching is His. And, emphatically,  He,  not Paul,
            Outside'of Christ and His saints this inheritance  Lis not          called them-through that  pre&iing.  By His almighty
            found,  nor  will ever be revealed. Already it is among Wor.d,  through the Spirit, He caused the Word of the
            them, for they possess it in principle, and they have               gospel to resound  irresisti-bly  in their hearts, so that
            the earnest of it in the Spirit : they are  saved.by  -hope.        they weye  translated out of darkness into His  marvel-
            And soon it will be realized unto them, when their                  lous  light. And they were called unto this hope. For
            adoption -shall be finished through the redempt,ion  of             outside of the sphere of this calling there was no hope,
            the body.  ;. . .                                                   no  .prospect, no inheritance, no way out.                    But  ,God
                 Such is. the object of the Christian hope!                     called them into his inheritance, so that they laid hold
              It is.  glpry  !  :For the apostle speaks of "the glory           upon it, `became heirs of it, <were  saved. . . .
            of his inheritance in the saints."                                      The hope to which they are called !
                 Glory  ii always glory of God. For God alone is                    The hope to which was given  th.em the right,  .of
            glorious. I$is  is all the glory, whether it is in  Hiti            which they became the heirs  thiough  this calling.
            or whether it is found in the works of His hands.                       ,Glorious   h     o     p    e      !
            For God ,is good, the only Fount of all goodness,, the
            implication  @ all  inficite (perfection. And  glory is the            ~ That ye may know! .  `. . .
            radiation of that divine goodness, of .&finite  wisdom,                 That is the apostle's earnest desire: that they may
            krmwledge,  truth,  rghteousness,  holiness, mighty power, know  what is the hope of their calling, and w?nt  the
            mercy, grace; love. He is a light, and there is no  da&             r&es  of the glory of h.is inheritance in the saints.
ness in Him at  all.   And  his inheritance among the                               That is the purpose, the end, and, therefore, the
            saints is, centrally, this glory  ,of  God, bestowed through        contents of his rprayer.
            Christ on them, so that they may be -partakers  .of,                    But do they not know?
            reflections of His own glory ! For they shall be like                   0, indeed! Had not the apostle written to them,
            .Him  ! Righteoils  as He is righteous, holy as' He is that they were  bles,sed  with all spiritual blessings  in.
            holy they  shal1   .be   ; they' shall know as they are known, heavenly places in Christ ? Had they not obtained  the
            and thus they "shall see  Him.  as He is", face to face             inheritance? Were they not called  upto  the hope of
            in heavenly beauty !         '                                      the riches of the glory of God's inheritance among the
                 The glory of his inheritance in the saints!                    saints.?    And were they not sealed with the Holy Spirit
                 Yes,  ,but  even  so, the subject is not exhausted.            of promise, -which is the earnest of our inheritance
            Or rather,---for how could the subject possibly be                  until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto
            exhausted-the language that may somewhat describe                   the praise of His  glorjr?   .How,  then, could it be that
            the object of this  *hope  is not quite exhausted. And              they did not know? . . . .
            therefore, it must be added :  `<the   r-iches"  of that glory !        Still more !
            For God  is-  unspeakably  rich in glory, and  -so  is the              The very fact that they did obtain the inher'itance,
            glory of his  inheritan&  among the saints. He is One, that they were sealed with the Holy Spirit  anti1   the
            but manifold are  ,His   perfetions,  and, therefore, His           redemption of the purchased possession, and the very
            glories as revealed to us. And when the inheritance fact that they manifested in their walk and `conversa-
            shall  be realized  and   sully  revealed to them and in            tion that they were quite conscious of the hope of his
            them, `it shall shine- forth in millions upon millions of           calling, is the basis of the apostIe's  thanksgiving, and
            saints radiating with the manifold glory of God.  ; . . motivates his prayer for them.                                  Does he not say:
                 Riches of glory of the inheritance !                           Wherefore. . . . having  heard  of your faith in `the
                 That is the hope, that,,&  the object of the hope of Lord Jesus, atid  love unto &llI$he  saints"?
            their calling !                                                         The fact that they k&w--gave  the apostle courage
                 Hope in Scripture may and.  often does denote the              to pray that they might know!
            grace of hope, the activity `of hoping on the part of the               Might know always, constantly,  &o&h  the Spirit :
            believer`s; it also n&y  denote the object of. this hope,           for only by the constant gift  of. the  Spi+it  could they
           the thing hoped .for. The latter is the case here. The               know.
           "kiches  of the glory of God's inheritance is the hope of
. . . .                                                                             And might know more and -more; always more!
           ~%pheir   cal.ling.                                                      Until the  day  of full redemption!
           ;`."  "`Of His calling !                                                 A n d   o f   p e r f e c t   knolwledge   !         Nr  H    .
           : .;-  :_.                                                                                                         .


   28                                                                                                           YTHE   STANDARD   BEARE~B   3  -                                                                                                            _     -

                                                                                                                                                                                                                 rubriek door n of door meer onzer leerarenzal wor-
                                 The  Sfandard  Bearer                                                                                                                                                           den  verzorgd  . Voor dit nommer heb ik hiervoor nog
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                                     EDITOR - Rev.  ,H. Hoeksema                                                                                                                                                 vn deze rubriek. Tevens kunnen we .dan het onder-.
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         Contributing editors-Revs. J. Blankespoor, A. Cammenga,
         P. De Boer, J. D. de Jong, H. De Wolf, L. Doezema,                                                                                                                                                      wenken geven ten opzichte van eene -mogelijke  ver-
         M. Gritters, C. Hanko, B. Kok, G. Lubbers, G. M.-Ophoff,                                                                                                                                                @eling   -,der  stof, die in deze rubriek behandeld moet
         A.  Petter,  M. Schipper, H.  Veldman,  R.  Veldman,   W.,                                                                                                                                              w o r d e n .
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         Communications relative to contents  should be addressed                                                                                                                                                breed.                  _'
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                                                                 CONTENTS                                                                                                                                        verklaring zou willen zien `in "The Standard  Bearer".
                                                                                                                                                                                                         Page          Heel de Schrift is eigenlijk moeilijk te verklaren.
      :  M E D I T A T I O N -                                                                                                                                                                                         Exegese van  Gods  Woord is altijd een moeilijk
   INTERCESSION                          . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 [werk,  dat inspanning van krachten  vereischt.  Ik be-
               Rev. H. Hoeksema.                                                                                                                                                                                 schouw de verklaring van de` Heilige Schrift dan ook
               EDITORIALS-                                                                                                                                                                                       altijmd nog als het voornaamste werk  van  een bedienaar
   AANGAANDE MOEILIJKE  SCHRIFTUUI&PLAATSEN........28
               Rev. H. Hoeksema.                                                                                                                                                                                 des  Woords. Van den tijd, dien hij aan dit werk
   EEN ANDERE  BASLS?                                                                                                                                                                                            besteedt, zal het hoofdzakelijk afhangen of hij al dan
                                                                  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
               Rev. H. Hoeksema.                                                                                                                                                                                 niet een goed predikant zal  izijn  of worden.  ,Hij  `kan
   THE TRIPLE KNOWLEDGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . - . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32                                                                         wel met een meer of min grondige kennis van de
               Rev. H. Hoeksema.                                                                                                                                                                                 ,dogmatiek  van school komen. En die kennis der dog-
   .MELCHISEDEC                         A N D ,CHRIST                                        . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .       36    matiek kan en mag hem ook wel dienen in de prediking
               Rev. G. M. Ophoff.                                                                                                                                                                                des Woords. Maar zal hij op den duur frisch  blijven,
   0 GOD, MIJN  GOD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 en denrijkdom van Gods  `Woord in de prediking laten
               Rev. G. Vos.                                                                                                                                                                                      schitteren, adan  zal  <hij  zich moeten zetten t,ot ,grondi<ge
   THE DIVORCE                        E V I L ,........................,.... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 exegese  ,der  Heil@  Schrift. Hij moet dan niet in het
               Rev.  H.-  Veldman.                                                                                                                                                                               begin der week zijn tijd verkwisten met allerlei bezig-
   EDUCATION AZMONG ISRAEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 heden, om tegen den  Zo,ndag  een tekst uit te zoeken, om
               Rev. G. Lubbers.                                                                                                                                                                                  er in der haast een preek over te maken. Ook moet hij
   HOW A N D WHAT                              TO READ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  :..: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  43
               Rev. M. Schipper                                                                                                                                                                                  zich niet laten verleiden om maar aanstonds naar com-
                                                                                                                                                     ,,
   CONTRIBUTION                                                                                                                                                                                                  mentaren te grijpen, en te vertrouwen op het werk van
                                         . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
            P. Alphenaar and B. Hoppenbrouwer.                                                                                                                                                                   anderen. Hij moet uit de bron zelf putten. Nog veel
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 minder moet hij zich vergenoegen met het werk, dat  lhij
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 reeds  verr.icht  heeft in het verleden, en dat in oude
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 preeken  belichaamd is, die hij in andere gemeenten
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 reeds heeft  ,gepredikt.   .als het goed staat met hem,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 dan zal hij na verloop van. enkele  jren-dieoude   pree-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 ken niet meer kunnen  preeken,   zooals  ze daar`gereeL.
* Aangaande Moeili jke'schrif  tuurplaatsen liggn, juist omdat  h,ij zelf verrijkt is in de kennis
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 der Heilige Schrift. Hij moet  w,erken.  Hij moet met
         Een der rubrieken,  ,die,  zoo  de Heere wil, in ons blad de Schrift zelve werken. Zijn hoofdtaak als bedienaar
   zal worden verzorgd onder de nieuwe regeling voor                                                                                                                                                             des Woords blijft altijd exegese. En de verklaring
   dezen jaargang, heeft tot kopstuk  :"Moeilijke  Schrif-                                                                                                                                                       !der  Heilige Schrift vereischt veel inspanning, geeste-
   tuurplaatsen".                                                                                                                                                                                                lijke inspanning,  bEd.dend  werk.
           Het is  op dit oogenblik nog  :niet  zeker of deze                                                                                                                                                          Want heel de Heilige Schrift is diep, en daarom'is


                                           `THE   STANDARD.   B E ` A R E R                                                        29
-.-
de Yerklaring  ,er van altijd moeilijk.                           hem te kunnen volgen. Daar zijn bij hem  din.gen
    Weligwaar  hielden onze vaderen tegenover Rome                %waar om te verstaan".                 Maar bij Johannes is dat
vol, dat de Schrift gekenmerkt is door "perspicuitas",            heel anders. Hij redeneert eigenlijk niet. Hij  be--
d.w.z., dat  zei doorzichtig is. Ze bedoelden  daar&&,            sehrijfi   <maar wat hij van de waarheid ziet. En als
dat ieder  ,gloovige,  in  verba@d   Fet  het lichaam van        ge hem  ,doorgelezen  hebt, dan zegt ge: wat is die
Christus,-  d,e Schrift kan lezen en verklaren. Want ' Johannes toch helder en eenvoudig !
allen hebben  (de   iallving  van den Heilige, en in dien zin           Maar ge leest hem nog eens, en nog  eens. En het,
hebben z  niet  van noode, dat iemand hen  leeie.      Rome      wordt anders. [Ge  merkt, dat ge hem, ja  wel. had ver-
leerde, d&  de "leeken"  eigenl.ijk  de Schrift niet konden staan, maar ge had toch niet begrepen over welke ge--
verstaan. Ze onthield dan  ooik  ,den  bijbel aan  <de  ge-       weldig diepe dingen hij eigenlijk schrijft. Hij ,schrijft
wone kerkieden. Alleen "de kerk'!  kon .de Schrift ver- maar over licht, leven, liefde, over een wandelen in het
klaren, en de leden  geloofden de waarheid, zooals .deze          licht en gemeenschap met elkander, over het Woord
hun door  cl&  kerk  werd verklaard.  En  daartegenqver           des levens en het leven #Gods, en ge begint te vragen:
handhaa$d&n  de reformatoren weer, dat de Schrift wa't  beteekent dit alles? Wat 2s eigenlijk licht? Wat  _
doorzichtig'is  voor  ieder  geloovig:                           is liefde? Wat beteekent het eigenlijk, dat  ,God  liefde.
   En  ,wezetilijk   `is dit ook  zoo.  Wat tot  de zaligheid     is, en dat alle liesde  altijd uit God is? En zoo'  gat  ge
vati  noode is te weten, kan-ieder geloovige metterdaad maar door. En ge -komt  teri sloti tot de erkentenis,
wel uit  ,de  S.chrift  putten.                                   dat Johannes wel doorzichtig is; maar dat ge hem toch
    Maar  ;dit- wil in de eerste plaats niet  zeggen,  dat        niet gemakkelijk drziet!                        .
onze  vaderei'  nu de uitlegging  ,der   Schr.ift  maar aan            En  zoo  is het  ,eigenl.ijk  altijd.
ieder  persoon.lijk  bedoelden over te laten,  Is  van de              Er blijven altijd diepten in de Schrift,  di&  we  nog-
ambten en de bediening des Woords. Niemand komt                   niet hebben gepeild.              _
individualistisch tot de Schrift.           Hij zou het niet            En  .dat verwondert ons natuurlijk Iniet.           Want de
kunnen, al  zoLi hij het ook bedoelen. Ieder geloovige            Schrift is niet het woord eens menschen, maar het
staat in organisch verband met het lichaam van Chris-             Woord  <Gods.  _ Het is geen philosophie, maar open-
tus,  en -gaat  i& den  arbe.id,  die door de Kerk in  het        baring, kennis  *Gods.  Daarom kunnen  `we  dan ook
verleden aan de Schrift werd besteed, en door de Kerk             de Heilige Schrift altijd weer  .opnieu&  lezen in onze
in het heden nog altijd wordt verricht tot verklaring             gezinne?,  driemaal daags, Van  IGenesis   tot Openbaring ;
der  Sclnrift,  in:`                                              we  kunnen haar verder bestudeeren en met elkander
    En  `deze  "doorzichtigheid"  qbeteekent,   .in de tweede     bespreken op onze vereenigingen ; we kunnen jaar in
plaats, ook niet dat' het gemakkelijk is om aanstonds jaar uit naar de prediking luisteren van Gods  Woor,d;
de  .$Ieilige  Schrift tot op den bodem toe te peilen, en         en we worden het nooit zat. We Izouden  dit eens moe-
`dat er geen  ,diepten  zija in Gods  Woord, waarin men           ten  probeeren  met eenig geschrift van menschen, al                    .
slechts door ingespannen  arbeid  kan afdalen.                    was het ook nog zoo  diep ! Het zou ons  ten slotte  de
    D Schrift iS doorzichtig, maar ze is ook diep.               keel uithangen ! Maar met  ,de Schrift is het juist
    De bijbel  is'  door,zichtig,  maar  ,ge ziet er niet  ge-    andersom.        Hoe meer ge haar  .ijVerig  en  bid:dend
.makkelijk  dr.                                                 ,onderzoekt,  hoe rijker ze wordt.
    Zelfs is het  wa,af,'  dat Schriftgedeelten, die op het             Zou iemand dus te hooi en gras naar "moeilijke
eerste gezicht  htit-  eenvoudigst, het  meest  doorzichtig       Schriftuurplaatsen" zoeken, dan liggen ze maar voor
schijnen, en ook zijn,  hoe langer zoo  ,dieper  en moeilij-      het grijpen.
ker blijken te,  zijn.,  hoe meer ge ze onder?oekt  en op-        :     DoCh dat is de bedoeling niet  va  deze rubriek.
lettend leest.                                                    Ze bedoelt niet tegemoet te komen aan luie  Ipredikanten.
    Ik weet niet of ge die ervaring ooit hebt opgedaan            Die hebben we  dan  ook in onze kleine kerkengroep
met hetgeen door den apostel Johannes in ,de Heilige nog niet.                         -
Schrift werd geschreven. Maar stel de proef'  tiaap                    - Maar in de eerste plaats  zij.n  er toch verschillende`
eens-  oti  ,de som.  !Ge leest zijn brieven, en ge vindt,        teksten in de Heilige Schrift, die moei!ijk te verstaan-
dat hij t,och `zoo  heel eenvoudig kan schrijven. Zware           zijn, niet zoozeer  `om  de diepte van gedachte, maar om
taal gebruikt hij niet. Groote woorden zoekt ge bij               andere oorzaken., hetzij dan de constructie  van  de
hem tevergeefs. Als de student eerst  Gri,eksch  begint zinnen,  ,of  ofibekendheid.  met  de-omstandighed,en,  waar-
te lezen, laat ge hen  eerst de brieven van den apostel op ze in .de eerste plaats betrekking hadden; of omdat
Johannes vertalen.        Dat is  gemakkel.ijk   .lezen.  In-     de woorden  meer'dan  ne  beteekenis kunnen hebben,
gewikkeld is zijn zinsbouw ook  niet.  Het is  bij-  hem          of iets dergelijks. Denk maar, b.v. aan 1 Cor. 1l:lO  :
heel anders dan b.v. bij Paulus. Die redeneert maar               "Daarom moet een vrouw een niacht  op het hoofd heb-
,door. Bij  hem   v.ind$  ge lange,  samengestel'de,   inge-      ben,  m der engelen wil'.`.             Of-  aan:  1 Cor. 15 :29  :
wikkelde zinnen.        Het ne  bouwt  hij maar op  het         "Anders,' wat zullen zij  doen,   ,die  voor de  dooden   ge-
andere.  .Ge  nioet  al uw verstand r bij  he'bben,  om          doo@- worden,  indie(n  de  `doaden   ganschelijk  niet op-  -


  30                "                          T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
        -
  gewekt worden? waarom worden zij voor de  dooden                        schijnbaar strijden tegen de waarheid  "der- Schrift,
  ook gedoopt?" Of, om niet meer te noemen, neem b.v. zooals die door  ,Gereformeerden  wordt gehandhaafd
  Filipp, 2 : 6 : `"Die in de gestalt,enis  Gods  zijnd, geenen          tegenover allerlei andere richtingen,  .Luthersclien,  Bap-
  roof geacht heeft  Gode  evengelijk te zijn".                           tisten,  Pelaigianen.
             En  zoo  zijn er veel meer teksten, beide in het                 En eindelijk zijn er teksten, !die  met een schijn van
  Oude en in het Nieuwe Testament.                                        recht in de laatste jaren tegen de waarheid der Schrift
   .         In de twee'de  !plaats  zijn er teksten, wier beteekenis     zijn ingebracht, zooals  de,ze door de Protestantsche
  oppervlakkig wel duidelijk  schij.nt,  maar wier  sch.ijn-              BGereforme1erd5e  Kerken wordt beleden.
  bare  beteekemis ons niet aan wil, omdat ze dan strijden                  Op  ,deze   ,wijze  zouden de schrijvers systematisch
  tegen de  reguln   Sctipturne,  d doorloopende leer der kunnen werken,  en.hun  werk zou niet van belang zijn
  ,Heilige   S c h r i f t .                                              ontbloot.
             Soms  schijnenzulke teksten juist heel  .duidelijk  en           Ze kunnen  natuurlijk.wel  een ander  schema.  volgen.
  zeer. gemakkelijk te verklaren. En het zijn ook juist .Bovenstaande  is slechts een suggestie.
 ;zulke  teksten; waarvan ketters van allerlei gading                         Maar welke verdeeling van de stof ze q'o;k  de voor-
 fgaarne-  gebruik maken, om hun verkeerde leer te ,keur  mogen geven, hoofdzaak is en blijft, dat de ver-
  staven.                                                                 zorger van deze rubriek in ons bld veel kracht en tijd
        Maar goede uitleggers gaan uit van het beginsel,                  bestede aan het volbrengen van zijn taak.
  dat  ,de Schrift eene eenheid is, die ge maar niet te                       Want exegese is geen gemakkelijk werk.
  ho'oi en te -gras kunt aanhalen, alsof ge een woorden-                                                                    H .   H .
  boek voor  u hadt, maar die gelezen moet  w,orden  in
  haar eigen licht en in haar eigen  verban#d.              De Schrift                                -
  ishet  Woord  (Gods.          Ze is de ne openbaring :Gods in
  Christus. Ze spreekt zichzelve niet tegen. Ze leert
  niet  nu eens  d.it, en dan weer precies het tegenover-.                                 Een Andere  Basis?
  ,gestelde.  Is er dus een tekst, die schijnt in  -de   drui-
 .schen  tegen de doorloopende  .leer der Schrift, dan is                    In dit  n.ommer  van ons blad komt een ingezonden
  een goede uitlegger verzekerd, dat die schijnbare be-                   stuk voor van de broeders P. Abphenaar  `en B. Hoppen-
  teekenis de rechte niet is, dat  hij den tekst niet goed                brouwer, leden van de Protesteerende Eerste Christe-
  verstaat, en  d.at hij zich dus moet inspannen om die                   lijke Gereformeerde Kerk te Kalamazoo,  Mich.   .Het
  rechte verklaring- te vieden.                                           stuk bedoelt te  ,zijn  eene apologie `of schuldbelij,denis
             Vooral  geref.ormeerde  Schriftverklaarders stonden          van cie bro'eders  aan Mr. J. Hendriksen, ouderling bij
  sterk op  ,dit beginsel. Ze lieten zich door het aanhalen               dezelfde gemeente en scriba van den kerkeraad aldaar.
  van enkele losse teksten, zooals nog niet lang geleden                     Ik heb ,dit stuk geplaatst, omdat ik overtuigd ben,
  Ds. Zhwier  b.v. deed om te bewijzen, dat Gods  goedheid                dat de schrijvers het goede  .zoeken  voor de kerken, met
  algemeen is,  n.iet  uit het veld slaan.                                name voor de gemeente, waartoe zij behooren.'  :  Z1e
             En ook zulke  teksten;zijn er niet weinige.                  begeeren  ernstiglijk `de vereeniging van hun gemeente
             Ik vestig de aandacht thans alleen maar op 1 Pet.            met onze kerken.
  4:6: "Want daartoe- is ook ,den   dooden  het evangelie                    Overigens meende ik, dat het stuk als  ,schuldbelijde-
  verkondigd geworden,  opdat  zij wel zouden geoordeeld                  nis eigenlijk  ni,et  op zijn  plats  is in ons  bl,ad.  De
  worden naar den  mensch  in het vlees&, maar leven                      grond voor deze meening  is, dat ik mij niet kan herin-
  zouden naar  ,God  in den geest".                                       neren, dat de broeders ooit in het publiek, dat is in ons
             Om wat systeem in de bespreking aan te brengen,              blad van Mr. J. Hendriksen gezegd hebben, dat hij
  zou men deze groep van moeilijke Schriftuurlijke klas-                  ageerde, `om  d,e  gemeente te Kalamazoo terug te leiden
  sen kunnen indeelen.                                                    naar  ,de Christelijke `Gereformeerde Kerken. Indien
             Allereerst zijn er zulke plaatsen, wier oppervlak-           dit in het verleden wel geschied is, dan spijt het me,
  kige beteekenis zou strijden met de leer der  Schrifti                  dat het mijn aandacht is ontgaan, en dat het gezegde
 Izooals  die  ,door heel de Christelijke Kerk. wordt aan-                in ons blad insloop, want persoonlijkheden, tenzij ze
  vaard. Denk maar aan die  plaatsen  in het Oude Testa-                  ,om  wille van de zaak moeten geopenbaard worden,
  ment, die  .schijnen  te  .leeren,  dat het graf het einde              dienen te  w,orden  vermeden, ook in ingezonden stukken.
  van  all'es  is.                                                        D,och  ik ben tamelijk zeker, dat ik in dit geval gen
             In de tweede plaats zou men hieronder zulke plaat- abuis heb. En dan behoort het stuk `eigenlijk niet in
 sen kunnen  beh.and,elen,   wi,er schijnbare beteekenis                  ons blad. Schuld moet beleden  wor.den,  waar en tegen-
~zou  ingaan tegen ,de leer der Schrift, zooals die door ,de              over wie de zonde werd bedreven, in dit geval  tegen-
 kerken van de R,eformati,e.  wordt verstaan tegenover                    overMr.   Hendrik.sen   ,en-in  den kring, waarin  bven-
R,ome..                                                                   staand'e  van hem werd verteld.
             In de derde plaats vallen hieronder die teksten, ,die          Doch, zooals we zeiden, we weten, dat het den


                                          TH.E  S-TANDARD   B E A R E R                                                            31

 broeders om  die  zaak te doen is. Daarom stelden we              die schuld te belij,den.
 hen niet gaarne teleur.                                               Onzerzijds betuigden wij, dat wij gaarne door  Kala-
    Bovendin  houdt hun schrijven toch ook meer, in               mazoo   .wilden  gewezen worden ,orp   eenigg  schuld,, die
 dan eene apologie.                                                volgens hun `overtuiging op onze rekening  :zou  moeten
     Er  ,w,or.dt ook gesproken over de door de broed'ers          word#en  genoteead.
 begeerde. vereeniging van de Kalamazoo gemeente met                   En tevens  betuigde31  wij onze  ,gewilligheid  om in
 onze kerken.  -En   ,zelfs  wordt de mogelijkheid uitge-          den  w'eg van belijdenis te "vergeven en te vergeten".
 sproken van een anderen weg  .dan  die tot dusver werd                W,e  liet,en  den kerkeraad van de gemeente te Kala-
 bewanclel~d,  om tot die vereeniging te komen.                    mazoo weten, dat we eene commissie hadden benoemd,
     Het laatste komt voor in de ,sl$otparagraaf  van het die,  bijaldien  de kerkeraad zou mogen willen wandelen
 ingezonden stuk. En `het is daar,om  `op  die paragraaf,          in den door  olns aangewezen weg, met hem, den  kerke-
 dat we meer in  h.et  bijzonder willen  ,wijzen  in dit ra'd,  verder zoou kunnen conf,ereeren.
 artikel. Dat we dit in het  Hollandsch   do'en,  ofschoon             De kerkeraad li'et ons weten, dat hij. hoegenaamd
 de  br.oeders.  in het  Engleseh'schreven,     vindt zijn oor-    niet van plan was  ,om  den d'oor-  ons gekozen weg met
 zaak  ion   het:feit,  dat de hoofdartikelen voor dit nummer      ons te  ioewandelen.        Hij deed geen poging  o,m zijn
 in de taal  der vaderen geschreven  mjoeten  worden.              schuld te ontkennen, of te <bewijzen,  dat onze beschul-
     Ik  vertal-dus  de bewuste paragraaf als volgt :             digen niet  ,gegrond  waren.  ,Hij  wees ook met geen
     "Veronderstel, `dt  de heele zak eens uit een ande-         enkel  w'oord  *op ,een.ige  schuld, die wij mochten hebben
 r,en  hoek wordt benaderd, en dat van beide zijden eene in de zaak. Maar hij.  .eischte   eenvo,udig,  dat wij die
 commissie wordt benoemd,  olm een schriftuurlijke en beschuldingen  `zouden herroepen. Alleen op die vor-
 wettige basis uit te werken.          H,et  moest toch niet waarde wilde Kalamazoo  bo.oren  van pogingen tot  ver-
 moeilijk zijn voor Christgeloovigen om te vergeven en             eeniging.
 te vergeten, en het schijnt ook ni,et  al te moeilijk om             =Z.oo staat thans nog  d'e zaak.
 een weg te vinden. Wj hopen, dat  ,de ouderlingen                    Nu willen  <de broeders, die het  : ingezonden stuk
onlzer  gemeente hun plicht mogen verstaan, en den                 schreven, een  ,anderen  weg inslaan.
 moed hunner overtuiging  mogen  hebben, zoodat wij en                 De vraag is dus allereerst: is er  wel  een andere
 onze kinderen behouden mogen blijven  vo'or  de Pro-              weg, die  werk.elijk  tot het gewenschte resultaat kan
 te&antsche  Gereformeerde waarheid."                              lei,d,en,  en die in  8overeenlstemming  is, met de Heilige
     Tot dusver #de  broeders.                                     Schrift ?
    Nu wil ik in de eerste plaats  nitspreken,  dat ik het             M'en   zou  verder kunnen vragen: indien er zulk
 goed eens ben met ht streven van de broeders,  oin%              een weg zou  zij,n,  is die weg beter dan de tot  ,dusver
 vereniging van hunne kerk met de Protestantsche                  bewandelde?  D,och die vraag is  eigenhjk  overbodig.
 Gereformeerde  .KIerken.  En ik  kan,  het ook wel ver-           Indien de weg door de broed'ers  aangeduid S,chriftuur-
 staan, dat hun ernstige begeerte er hen toe dringt om             lijk is, dan is er feitelijk geen andere weg.
 te zoeken naar  `een  anderen  weg-  dan die tot dusver               Welken weg willen de  broedIers.  inslaan?
 door ons  wer,d ingeslagen, en die immers dood liep.                  mals  we hen goed verstaan, dan willen ze  ,onvoo,r-
     Dat zal toch hun bedoeling zijn. Als ze gewagen               waardelijk, zonder  `eenige  voorafgaande belijdenis van
 van een benaderen van de heele zaak uit een anderen               Kalamazoo, een commissie benoemd hebben van beide
 boek, ,clan bedoelen ze een anderen weg te ki'ezen  dan           zijden, die dan de zaak bespreken en een basis zoeken
 die door onze synode werd gekozen.                                vo,or   vereemging.
     Welk$e  is die weg, die door onze synode in  .d,ezen              Nu mogen  -we  zeker  w,el allereerst opmerken, dat
 werd  bewaedel,d?                                                 zulk eene commissie  eeker  niet zou kunnen worden be-
     Wij waren overtuigd, dat de oorzaak' van het  .ge-            noemd vr den zomer van het volgend  j,aar.   .Onzer-
 scheiden leven van de Protesteernde Eerste Gerefor-              zijds bestaat er zulk eene  ,commissie  niet meer. Ook  ZOLI
 meerde Kerk te Kalamazoo moet worden gezocht in ,dle              ni'emand  haar kunnen benoemen behalve onze synode,
 :zonde  van -haar  leeraar,  die daarin werd gesteund door        die echter ni,et  weer vergaderd tot- Juni 1942, zoo  ,de
 zijn kerkeraad. Kalamazoo  h.eeft   `ons   ,opzettelijk,-*zon-    Heere  wil.
 ,der  eenige reden, die ze voor God zou kunnen verant-                Doch dit is slechts een bezwaar van. tijd.
 wloorden,  verlaten, toen wij nog minder krachten had-                Ik heb bezwaar van principieelen aard.
 ,den  dan thans, toen ze de zaak  Gods,  zooals wij die             En mijn bezw,aar  is, ,dat zulk eene co'mmissie  de taak
 vorstaan,  ,ernstige  schade kon berokkenen, all.een  om-        zou   hebben,  `om  naar  <een  Schriftuurlijke basis voor
 dat Ds. Danhof  c.s; hun zin niet konden doordrijven,             vereeniging te zoeken, terwijl de eenige grond, `waarop
     In die zonde alleen ligt de oorzaak. .De schul'd  ligt we zouden kunnen `en mogen vereenigen zoo  :duidelijk
 bij Kalamazoo.                                                    lis, in het licht ,der  Schrift, als de zo,n  aan den hemel.
     Op,-die  schuld heeft onze synode Kalamazoo ge-                   Hetgeen de broeders voorstellen, zou' zin hebben,
 wezen,    En ze heeft de-.gemeente  aldaar vermaand om Undi,en  de oorzaak van het  ,geseheiden  leven van- de  Pro-
                - -


                                                                                 f'
     32.                                             T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

     testeerende  Eerste  Christelijke Gereformeerde. Kerk te                          Het is mijn  ,ervaring,  niet zoozeer, dat  .het  moeilijk
      Kalamaaoo  `moest worden gezocht in eenig punt van                        is om te vergeven, wanneer iemand  `oprecht  zijn schuld
     verschil de  b,elijd,enis   *of de  kerkenordle  betreffend.               belijdt,  8ofschoon  ook dit nog soms  .op allerlei  moeilijk-
      Dan immers  zo,u  er hoegenaamd `geen reden zijn, waar-                   hed,en  stuit; maar dat het  ntzettend   m,oeilijk  is om
      om men niet  br,oed,erlijk   zou   kunnen samenspreken, en                iemand tot  opr.echte  schuldbelijdeis  te brengen. Ook
      zou er alle  redTen  bestaan om te zien of het  confessi.oneel            al overtuigt  omen  iemand van zijn schuld, zoodat hij
     `of kerkrechtelijk verschil niet uit den weg kon worden                    alles zal moeten toestemmen, dan wil dit nog volstrekt
     geruimd,' en  ,of  we geen gemeenschappelijke basis zou-                   niet zeggen,  ,dat  hij zich nu  ,ook oprechtelijk veroot-.
      den kunnen vinden.                                                        moedigt  ,en   zzijn schuld voor God en de broederen  -be-
             D.och  dat is hier niet geval.                                     l i j d t .                                                         -                        -
             we  zijn het over  di'e basis  <wel  eens, voorzoover ik                  Diep treurig, zegt ge?            `;              I                        `~
     weet..'                                                                           Ik stem het  LI  toe.    Maar werkelijkheid is- het.
              Confessioneel is die basis de  G.ereformeerde  Be-                       En ik ben tevens overtuigd, dat dit ook  .het  .geval is
     lijdenis, bestaande in  *de Drie  Pormulieren  van  Eenig-                 in de onderhavige zaak.                                                  :-`I
     heid, met verwerping  (tegenrover  de Christelijke  Gere-                                                                           ;?H.H.                                   .
     f6rmeerd.e Kerken) van  ,de  "Drie Punten".
            En  kferkrechtelijk  staan  ,onze  kerken op den bodem
   van  .de   .Dordtsche  Kerken,or.de.
      `,  Dat  is dus de zaak niet.            ,                                                                                                    ,/I     .           .
             Het is`hier een kwestie van zonde. En laat ons elkan-                               T h e   T r i p l e   Knowledgb   -
     der toch  #goed verstaan : het is onze-onwankelbare over-
     tuiging,. dat die  zond,e  alleen bij Kalamazoo gezocht                    EXPOSITION OF THE HEIDELBERG CTECHISM
     moet worden. H'et-  is  d'e gemeente  .te Kalamazoo, die                                                    11.
     gescheiden leeft,  dime  zich om zondige oorzaken  vanons
     afgescheurd  heeft.  `Bij ons is  ,daar  geen  twijf,el  aan.                                        LORD'S DAY             1.            -
            D,aarom is het  o,ok   o,nze vaste overtuiging, dat de
      Schriftuurlijke weg in dit geval duidelijk is,  ,en   ,dat  het
      de weg is, die  d'oor   ,ons werd-ingeslagen.                                       The Contents Of The Christian  Comf,ort.
             En daarom kan en mag  .er  ,ook geen  commissi,e
     w,orden   ben.oemd,   #die dan zou handelen  ,alsof die weg                       The  question  now is : what is that  great  good,  the
     niet  ,duid,elijk  ware.                                                   kn'owledge  and oonsideration of which is  sufficient  to
             Het is natuurlijk mogelijk, dat de kerkeraad van                   be a true and sole comfort in life and  .in death?                                                The
      Kalamazoo niet overtuigd is van schuld.: Laat  .hem                       Heidelberg  Catechism  answers : "That  ,I~-with  body and
      dan de zaak onderzoeken. Eene commissie onzerzijds                        soul, both in life and death, am not  rny.  own, but  blong
      is  ,daartoe  niet noodig. De  ,officieele  stukken spreken               unto my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ." Here, too,
      duidelijke taal. En bovendien zijn er ook te Kalamazoo                    one might  easily be tempted to elaborate so as to
     nog  w,el   bro'eders,   di,e  wel (weten, dat de  ,zaak   zoo  staat,     anticipat,e  practically the  entir,e  contents   ,of  the  Cate-
     als ik haar voorstel.                                                      ehism. He might set  out to explain the meaning  of-
             Maar  overi,gens  is  ,d  weg : schuld belijden en ver-           "my faithful Saviour", and to set  forth  in detail what
  geve6                                                         .-              it implies to  bel'ong  to  Him,   how  None becomes His
             Een andere weg is er niet.                                         property, that  `God  has given  th,e  elect to Him from
             Zlouden we toch. een anderen weg zoeken en inslaan,                eternity, that  :Christ  purchased  US- to be His own by
     we  zod,en  den zegen  ,Gods  moeten derven.                              His  precieus   baood,  and that we  ar,e  united. by faith
             De broeders schrijven,  ,dat  het toch  ni,et moeilijk             pwith that faithful Saviour.  But,  evidently, this is not
     moest  zijn  v,oor   Chrisbgeloovigen,  om "te vergeven en                 the purpose  ,of  this first  Lords   Day.. It  intends  to be
t e   v e r g e t e n " .    Ik wil dit  zoo  verstaan,  ,dat  ze dit in        introductory, and as  such  it must be treated. And,
     den rechten  .zin.  bedoel,en : die der  schuldabelijdenis,                therefore, the centra1 idea must  be-   cl,early  grasrped; it
     waar schuld is.                                                            must  receive   al1 the  ,emphasis  in  `our  exposition, and
      .,     En  ,dan  is het  w,el  waar, dat  h,et  voor  Chr.istge1800vi-    al1  the.  d,etails  that are  mentitoned  in' this  first-answer
      gen niet moeilijk moest zijn om te "vergeven en te ver-                   must be used  `o'nly in as far as it is necessary  to set
     geten".       H'et  is  ,ook war,  ,dat  het voor Christgelo'ovigen       forth that centra1  th'ought in  al1 its significanee. And
     fals  xoo~danig   niet moeilijk is  o,m  dat te doen.                      that   o,ne idea is this:  the   fact that 1 belong to  C.hrist
             `Maar ach,  d,e   werklelijkheid  is dikwijls  ZQO geheel          .is an  al1  suffi!cient  comfort to me in  life  and in death,
     `anders ! Ik bedoel nu met de werkelijkheid : het  l,even                  a comfort beside which no other comfort is either
     oed'erling  van Christgeloovigen, die nog in het vleesch                   necessary  or conceivable ! To  belang  to Christ  means
     zijn!  -                                                                   that  al1 is  well.    He that is conscious of this  relation-


                                              T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                        33

  ship to  ,Christ  considers all things,. in life and in death, seems that your punishment` awaits you every morning.
  in the light' of it, and evaluating things in that light,                There is  `tdepressi,on"      in the land, a,gd  in va.in  do yo,u
  is quite- surfs  that the evil of this, present time, includ-            walk the  st?eets  ,of  the  ,city  to find employment that
  in,g  death, must-be subservient to the attainment' of a                 you may provide  %or your family. Whatever savings
  great good that could not otherwise be realized !                        yo,u  were able  t.6  lay up for such times are  sqon  `c,on-
      Clearly and fully you realize the evil  <of  "life and of            stirned.  You lose your home.  Y,ou  are  forc,ed  to `live
  death". You do not close  four eyes to reality.  You                     `on  "relief", or on charity. W.hat  is your only comf'ort?
  keow that  `-ii$e  and  ,death"  are both  "d'eath".  And                That soon the evil days may be  mover  and prosperity
  there  is no way  `out,  as far as you can see. You realize will return to the land?  N'o,  but that  you  belong to
  y o u r   s i n
               You . know that, there is a 1,oad of guilt, in-             Christ! Sickness attacks your frame and  `day  after
  creasing day by day, that make you damngble  in the-                     day, week after week, month, after month,-  you travel
  sight  df  `God,  worthy of `eternal  desolatilon,   Y,ou  ,know         a way  !of   suRering.      What is your only comfort? That
  that you are hopelessly in the power of death and cor- there are physicians and `means to alleviate your suf-
  rupti,on,  so that sin has  d,ominion   ,over   you;  and that           fering; or that you may iook  forwar,cl   to, recovery?
  you can  never  liberate yourselves  froin that slavery                  No, but pour only  consolati,oti  is that  yo'u  belong  to
  of sin. You know, too,  that God is righte,ous  and just,                Christ ! Death enters your, home and takes  away   a
  and that He  is angry with the. wicked every day.                He      #dear  chil,d,   teariilg it from your  very heart.: And
  :will  nev,er  `excuse you ,or acquit you when pou  appear               again, your  o,nly,  mark  you  well, emphatically your
  before Him in judigrnent.         YOU  realize that He judges `only  comftort  is that you are not your own, but belong
  you every day, every moment  bf   -your  life, and that to pour faithful Saviur Jesus  ChriBt!  War rages in
  His sentence is always: `cCur,sed  is every  #one  that the world, and the very foundations  ,of  the earth alne
  abideth not in  311 things  ,written  in the law., to do                 shaken;  .Perhaps  you are called to. take  np  arms, or
  them  !" And you say.: "My solie  oomfort  over against                  yoijlr   solis  are sent to the  battl,e.  What is your  com-
  this crushing evil is that I  be1on.g  to Chr-ist  !"  Atid              Sort  irr the  tiidst. of all  thi&  confusion and  suffePing
  presently  ybu  lie  ,on  your  `deathbed.  Y,on  feel how               of  thi,s  present  t.ime?  That the `war may soon cease
  impotent you are in pour struggle against that  .last                    and peace ,be reBtore,d,  and.  your sons  r&urn from the
  enemy.     But what is  mor,e,  you  4early  uhderstand                  battle in saf,ety?  50, but your o.fily  comfbrt .in  211  this
  that even death is  ,pf  !Go#d.   Ytou'   ,do not merely die             is, that  you  belong to Christ!  Y,our   relationship  to
  someh'ow,   ,acoordi:ng  to some "law of  nature",  perhaps.             Clirist  is always sufficient!
  No, death is the  hand,  of  `God!  God speaks in  aed                       But why is this true ? How is this possible?  Whati
  through death. And  He  s.peaks  the language of wrath : then,  is there in this  relatio,nship  to Christ that causes
  "By Thy wrath  we pine  a.nd  #die".   An,d  in  .that   hst             it  to, `be the source of such an all-tiomprehensive  com-
  moment of struggle and anguish, when the chill hand                      f,ort?  Who is this Christ,  t,o  Whom  to belong means
  `of ,death  chokes you, and the cold sweat  `of suffocation              that all  .is well?
  is upon your brow,- the  "murd,er(er  `from the  be&&g",                  He  is the Christ! That, in `brief, (explains fully
 `the devil, that "accuser of the brethren"`, jreminds  you                why `it is a  comf,oti,   w,hy  it is the  `only  possible  com-
  of  ,a11  your sins and  transgressi,ons,   an.d brings them             fbrt, why it is an all-embracing comflort,  to belong to
  i.nto  causal  oonnectilon  with the fact of your `death.                Him. He is the Christ of God ! He is the image  Qf
  .He.  impressed  upon your  minld  that death is indeed,  the            the invisible God, the firstborli of every ,cr,eature.          B y
  hand  #of   Go,d,  and that it is the punishment for sin.                Him  -were  `all things created, that  aye  in heaven arid
  He  bri,ngs  you before the tribunal of  ,God,   a.nd  shows             that  are  in the earth, visible and  &visible,  whethgr
  you that you will never be able to stand  bef#o?e  Him.                  they be thrones, or  domini,ons,  or principalities,  -or
  S'orrows   ,of  death are compassing  yoti  and pains of                 pow'ers  : `all things  were  icreated  by him, and for him.
  hell get hold upon you. And you do not try to mimi- And he is before -all things,  :and  by him all things
  lnize  the seriousness  ,of  the-evil. Y,ou   !d'o  not  ,appeal  to co,nsist. And he is the head ,of  the body, tile Church,
  extenuating circumstances.  Y,ou  make no  attempt  to                   an,d   ad such he is the  beginrling,  the firstborn from
  dimi.nish  the  greatnless   `of pour sin.  %ou agree with               the  dea,d,   that  in  a;11  things he  might,  have.  th@   pre-
  the tempter,  that,jrou  are,  i.ndeed,   damnab]&  But you              ,eminence.      Par it pleased the Father that in him
do not `despair. Facing the full r,eality  of the. evil that sboul~d--  all the fulness dwell  ; and having ma,de  peace
  engulfs you,' YOU say  triumlphantly  : -"But  this, is my thr,ough.the  blood `of his cross, by h'im to reconcile  all
  ,otily and all sufficient oomfort,  thsat I  bel'ong   to  Christ   !" things unto himself, whether they be things in earth,
      Y,es, an ,only comf80rt  in "lif,e  and i.ti death"  it .i,$ that    or things in heaven ! Col.  1:!5-20. 0, but don't  y&u
  we belong to our faithful Saviour Jesus Christ!'                         see, why it  is an all  cdmpr&ensive  c'o&ort  to _bel&ng
      It%  your answer, too, in all circdmstances `of your                 to  Hirri?  He  ,is Christ, the Lord!  ;H,e  is the  LoFd
  present 1if.e. For life, too, "is nothing but a co,ntinual               of heaven .an#d  of ,earth  ! Go8d'@`L6rd  is .He,.  the Christ,
  death".    All things seem  -to-  go against you, and it *ordained  by  Hiti   fr6rn   `b&m   the   Soundati6n   of  the
                                                                                                                             . .


  world'.  He  is the firstborn of every cietiture,  and `the             yourself.  Y'ou are  outside  of that whole, of that com-
  finest  begotten of  the  d,ead   !.. All things were created           munion, in which  Christ  is the Lord. And still there
  with  a  vi,ew  to Him, to His  -revek&ion,,   ti -His final            is "life -and death".         Still  ther,e  is the  l'oad   `of  guilt
  gl,ory  and victory !        He is the Alpha, and also the w.h&h you can never pay. Still there is the dominida
  ,Omlega  ! Nothing exists that does exist, nothing moves of the devil  an,d  of  corrtiption  from which you  can
  th&  `dloes  mlove, nothing  ldevelops  that  `does   devel'op,         never liberate  yours'elf.      Still  there  is death  emxmpass-
  nothing happens  thh&t  ,does  happen, whether light. or                ing you ,on &every  side. And  in the midst of it all  YOU
  darkness, whether sin or grace, whether the sdevil  or                  are your  &own   ! Y'our  lord .is the devil, your gold  is yonr
  antischrist,  whether life or  *death,   w.hether  sickness  09         belly, your way is  oorrupti,o,n,  your end is destruction.
  Bealth,  whether prosperity or adversity, whether  j,oy                 An'd  you have no answer to anything, no solution of
  or sorrow,  wjhiether  war or peace, whether angels or                  the problem of :existence,  no tiay out of $death,  no Mom-
  pri.ncipa18ities   ,or   .polwers,-ntithing      iii he&en. or  in f,ort  in `either li$e  or in `d'eath  !
  earth `or in hell exists `or acts but $or Him ! T*he very                   But I am not my  ow,n!
  w!oYild  ,is  tipheld  by Him,  .gov&rned  by  #Rim.  All  the              I belong to Christ, the Lord! And that means  %ha%
  lines  `of history  ooliver$e   i,n  Hii^n. He is the center of He is  my Lord in  eivery  sense of  .Me  wDr-61.                   It  mearis
  all things, the reason for all thi.ngs,  the pivot on which             that  H,e  ,ow.n.s  me, and. that I  am  His  p?operty,  with
  all things turn, in ,ord:er  that  ,in  an,d through Him all            body' and  SOLID,   in life and  iiz death,  ftor   time  ahid
  things might be to the praise of Him that created them!                 eternity. It implies that  He  is responsible for me, f?or
  No,  "things   ape   cot what they  s,eem."  They may                   my body and for my  Soul,  for my all in life and in
 seem a ho'peless  chaos, vanity  `of`vanities,  encircled by             death;  responsibl:e,  -that  .is, for me as part of  th&t
  ,death,  from which  there is no way ,out.           But in Christ, whole of  w)hich  I!Ie is the  appoiilted  Lord, and which
  Go,d's  Christ, the Lord  ,of  life and  ,of death, th:e Load           He  must keep and presepve  and lead into the eternal
  df  all, they have their  reas'on  and their unity.  A:nd               glory  `of  ,His  kingdom. It signifies that Be is ordained
  in Him all things, yes, .abs,olutely  all things must  an,d             to rule  ,over  me, and that He  actually   4oes  have do-
  d!o actiually  tend to the final and eternal state of glory,            n&ion over me,  8over  my body and  ,over  my soul, my
  in which all  ,things  shall be united  in Him and God                  rnin'd~  an,d .my w.ill,, ,omejr  all  t&t I ati.  and have, in life
  wi'll  be ail in. all. For such was the  go&  pleasure                  and in death, in time and in eternity ! `Ch.rist,  the
  which  G'od  has purposed in Himself., that  .in th,e dis-              Lord,  ,is my Lopd!       It  means that all things are mitie;
  pensation of the fulness  &f times he might gather                      wheiher  Paul,  or  Apollos,  ,or  Cephas, -or the  woEId,
  together in  `one  all things  .in  Chri.st,  `both which  aye          or life, or  ,dGath  (yes,  indee,d,  even death!), or things
  i.n heaven, and  w.hi:ch  are on earth. Eph. 1  :lO.                    present,  `or  things to come,-all things are mine. F,or
      Christ, the Lotid  !                                                I  ati  Christ's ;  an,d Christ is -God's! I Cor. 3  :22,  23.
      `The  firstb,orn   ,of  every  clyeature   ;  aincl  the  first- .It  implies, too, that I am  mbre  than  conquerok,  through
  begotten of the ,dead!                                                  him that-loved us, for neither death nor life, nor
      0, but do you not see that  to' bel'ong  to that mighty             angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things pre-
  Load, Who was  revealbed  as Christ, the Lord, in  th,e                 sent, nor things to  come,  nor height, nor  md,epth,  nor
  ful.nes's   lof  time ; Who came  il'ito  the world as  Ch.rist,        any  ,other   creatnre,   sh,all  Be  abk to separate tie 5rom
  the  LoPd;   Wllj~o   sjpoke.  as Christ, the Lord  ; Who  suf-         the  l'ove   ,of   -tGo8d,  which is in Christ  J,esus   my Lord.
  fsered   a.nd   *died  a,s  Christ, the Lord  ; Who was -raised         Rtom. 8  :37-39.       Hoiv   ~coul~d'  My?     Are they  n,ot   Al
  from  th'e   ,dea<d   aoil  the  thi.Ed  day as Christ,  the"Lord  ;    Christ's? Do  they  not all  beXon.g  to that scheme  oj
  Who ascended into the highest- heavens,  and.   i,s seated              things that is created unto Him,  anId  that is all ar-
  `at the  .right  hand  of- the  M,ost  High, as  Ch&,  the              ranged to cooperate to the final revelation of Him, as
  Lolyd  ; Who has all, yes, absolutely all power in heaven               my  Lor.d,  in glory?
  and  ,011  :e+rth as Christ, the .Lor,d  ; .and   W.h,o will come           Y,es,   i.ndeed,  a  sure   coinfort it is that I  bel,ong   t,o
again  i,n-   !due   timme  to  jndge  the quick and the  &ead,           Hjm.    F,or the fact of  my  relat,ionship  to' Him as my
  as Christ, the Lord ;-that to belong  to-  Him, 1. say, is              Lord is not- my  ,work,   nob. of my choosing. It is of
  absolutely your  qnly.   com%oct  in life and in death?                 grace, of  s,ov&eign  grace, and absolutely of grace only.
      Xf  you do nlot belong to ,Him,  you are, in a sense,               It is a relationship that is rooted in eternity,  in the
  your own, with body and soul, in life and. in death.                    unchangeable good pleasure  ,of  the almighty God Him-
  In a sense,  $alr  still you are God's, and strictly you                self. For He is the God and Father ,of  ,our  Lord Jesus
  havle  nothing  you  can call your  ,own.  To Him you                   Christ. He  ,ordained   Fiti  Lor,d of all. It was  ZIis
  ,owe  your very breath and existence. And  still He  d,e-               good pleasure th$ He should be the firstborn of every
  ,mantds of  you  that you shall  Iolve  Him with all your               creature, and the firstborn of the  <dead, and that in Him
  heart and  soul  and strength, that you glorify Him                     all the fulness  sh.ould   dwell.  It is He, too, that  pr.e-
  and  be thankful. But you are your own  i,n  that you                   `destinated  His  .own  to be  conflormed  to the image of
  stand  a180n1e,  at your  Town  responsibility, `left to help           His Son, that He should.be  the firstborn among many


                                                                                                                                 I

                                            THE-  STANDARD   B%ARER                                                                   35
                                 '     _



 brethren. He gave me to Hi-m.  *He  is my  L'ord  from thel;efore,   #outside  ,of  this way the only comf,ort  in life
 before the f'ounda.tion   ,of  the world. H,e it was, Who an<  in `dea+h  cannot be my conscious possession.
 sent His Son into the likeness  ,of  sinful flesh,  afid                  I$: is this -conscious possession ,of  the `only  comf,ort
 Who caused Him to d%e  fmor  me, an ungo&y  in myself,               in life  an'd   ,&ath,  to which the  H,eidelberg  Catechism
 in due time. And my Lord purchased me at the price re$er,s  in the  seoond  question and answer of this. Lord's
 of His own  precious  blood.  Hue  it is, that established           Day : "How many things are  .neoessary  for thee to
 the unity between Him and me, by ingrafting .me into                 know, that thou,  enioying  this  comf&t,   (#or:  in this
 Him by a living faith through His Spirit. And so I                   comfort) mayest  -live  and die *happily? Three  ; the
 am assured that I belong to Him,  a.nd  that  nobhing                first, h'ow  gr.eat  my sins and miseries are ; the second,
 can' separate me from His love. Christ,  th,e  Lo,rd of how I may be d'elivered  fr,om  all my sitis  and miseries ;
 life and of ,death,  is my Lord forever; to Him I belong +he  third, how I shall express my  ,gratitude   f,or such
 with body and soul. And that is my all sufficient, and               deliiveranoe".    It  .is, indeed, possible.for  one to, possess
 only cotiort in life and in ,death  !,                               this  comgort  in  ppinciiple,  without  "enj,oying  it"  con-
     The Heidelberg Catechism  ,enumerates  the  impli- sci,ously,  ,or  rather, withont  having +his  comf.ort  as the
 cat6olis   ,of  this  .relationship  somewhat  ,in  .detail.  He,    deep, motivating  principle  `of his whole life in the
 Christ the Lord, is my faithful  Saviour,  who ,with  his            world. ~H'ow .often  are we, in our  actual  Xfe,  far bel.ow
 lprecions  blood  hiath  fully satisfied for all my sins, so         the  standand   th&t is set  up. in the  fir&   `questibn  and
 that He is my only comfort  `over  against the present answ,er   ,of  the Catechism! Yes, we are Christians, and
 evil- of my guilt  and  damnableness before Go'd  : I am .we   b$on:g  to Christ. We confess it, if we  sue asked,
 jnstifi,&d  ! He deliweced  me from al-l the power  ,of  the more .or  Iess hesitantly. And we believe that we have
 devil, so that  he'is no long&  my lord, I am no longer              a comfort in <death,  that is : we hope fo have a aco)Efort
 hi,s slave, and sin bath  ,no more do,mlini,on  ,over  me. He wthen  we die. But-what becomes of "living and `dying
 preserves me according to the will  *of  my heavenly                 in this comfort" ? Where is the manifestatioqof  this
 Father,  `even  -so -that  n'o  hai,r  can fall- from my head        "happy iiffe-and-death"  in <our  ,tivery  ,day  walk and con-
 without  `His   ,wilI,  for He is my  Lord and with body             versati,on?  Where is it, when we move about in the
 and soul .I  beloag   to Him ! Nay more,  .ge  so governs            w'orld,  in our s'hop  ,or  office #or   ,on the street; where is
 me and all'  things,-fjor  He is  Lou:d  of all-that,  th,ey         it in sour  home lif,e  ? Is the Lordship of Jesus Christ
 must be subservient unto my `salvation ! All things !                really  the dominating factor in  our  life? You know
 Life and ,death,  siri and grace, heaven and ea,rrth, the            better. If it  wetie, that which is really the  ,only  com$ort
 wo$d and thie `devil, suf?ering  and ,so&w,  angels and              in  `lif,e  and death, that we bel,ong  to Him, would also
 principalities and powers,-all  +hings  must  w9ork  to-             actually  0;cCupy  the only place in our consciousness  ;
 gether for my good, because I belong to  C&ist,   my whil,e  now the reverse is often true: we  ,have  many
 Lord! And so, this Lord of  lif,e  and  deaDh,   Who.  is th4e       comfotis,  and the ,only comfort is allowed to sink into
 firstborn of every creature and firstborn of the dead, ,oblivi,on,  below the threshold  ,of   ,our  believing  conscious-
 asseres  me .of  eternal life ! Even in this life which is           n,ess.    If it were, we  would  surely  -seek   %he  kingdom
 nothing but a continual death, He assures me  ,of  lifie             vaf  God and  -His  righteousness first, always first, believ-
 seternal  in  .everlasting  glory and  perfkction  through           ing that all things  aze  ours; while  now   w,e are  o&en
 His  I-My  Spirit ! What a comfort! In the midst of foolish and  .seek  the things that are below. If it were,
 guilt and oondemnatilon  I am justified; an'd  know that w,e would surely be more than conquer:ors,  while now
 there is  no   condemnatiXon   fo'r them that are in `Christ         w,e often suffer- defeat, and are afraid that the worlld
 Jesus ! In the midst `of my present sin and eorru-ption              will  frow,n  upon us ! What, then, is necessary for thee
 I know  Ohat I am delivered from all the  dominilon  of to kno'w  ?
 sin and all the power  `6f the devil! And  .while  I still               Yes,  oomf.ort  is also knowledge. Hence, we may
 lie in the mi#dst  of death, I am assured of ,eternal  life !        be instructed in this comfort, instructed by the Word
     And  gladly  I acknowledge  Hi,s  lordship!  Indteed,            ,of   Go.d,  and  thrqugh  instruction we may grow in the
not'as a response  `on  my part to what He  did-   $or me, conscious  an,d  full  posses&n  of this comfort. in life
 but as the fruit  ,of  His  ,bwn   w'ork   Ear me  and   .withiti    and death. %hree  things we must-  know:  the Catechism
 me. For He it is, too, Who as my Lord makes me His                   teaches us, know with the spiritual knowledge of faith :
 subject, and constantly makes me sincerely willing to our sins and miseri,es,  and the -measure of them  ; the
 l i v e   unto'   .Him!                                              way  #of   our   *deliverance  ; and  :the   ,expression  of our
                                                                      gratitude  accordi.ng  to  $he  Word and will of  ,God.  Do
                                                                      not  misunder,stand  the intention of the Catechism here.
                                                                      It  .does.  not  mean that  w,e must  fist  learn to know all
     It  foll,ows  that  ,only in the way of this willingness         about our sins and miseries in *order,  then, to com'e  to
 $0  serve Him with a thankful heart, I can be conscious the knowledge ,of  our salvation; and,  when the latter
 of His lLor,dship  and ,of  my bbl.onging  to Him, and that,         is finished,  e,nter  into tl?e knowledge. of the expression


           ._
 36 .                                           T H E - S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R   ~

 of ,our  gratitude. The three things we must know do                       according to the law, that is, of their br.ethren,  though
 not  succesively  replace one another  ; they are  simultan-               they come out  ,of  the loins of Abraham: but he whose
 eous.           The Christian possesses this knowledge in its'  ,descent  is not oounten from them received tithes of
 threefxold   fulness.            Always he must know `his sins Abraham, and  bl,essed  him that had the promises.
 anId miseries  ;; always he must know Bow be is  ,de-                      And without all contradiction the  l,ess is blessed of
 livered  ; and always he must know how he may  ,express                    the better. And here men that die receive tithes; but
 his thankfulness to -God for such deliverance.                 They        there he areceiveth  them, of whom it is witnessed that
 are  th.ree  indispensable elements of the one  keowledge;                 he liveth. And as I may so. say, Levi also, who  re-
 They are "the  tripl,e  knowledge". And until the day .ceiveth  tithes,  payed  tithes in Abraham. For he was
 ,of  his  ,death  he must increase in this  threef,old  know- - yet in the loins  lof  his  fathler,  when Melchisedec met
 ledge.  Th'ere  is  n,o  end  to. it in this  .lif.e.   Hle   nev.er       him" `(vss.  4-g).
 graduates. And the more he grows in true spiritual                            - The substance of this reasoning is that Melchisedec
 knowledge  al,ong  the triple line of sin,  dleliverance,                  was the better as  compar,ed  with Aaron in that A,aroB
 gratitud,e,  the m0r.e  he will approximate th,e high &an-                  (Abraham) was blessed by Melchisedec and in that
 `dard  set  up  in the first question  anId   answe,r  of this the latter received from the' former tithes.
 Lord's Day  an,d be able to say triumphantly: "This                            The unexpressed conclusion at which the writer
 ib  my ~only  comf'ort  in life and death, that I belong to arrilves  is that whereas the priesthood  of Melchesedec
 Chris6  my Lord !"                                                         was "the better" perfection could not possibly be by
                                                         H.  H:'          . the  Levi&al  priesthood. According to the sacred
                                                                            writer, the further  Iproof  of this is the very fact that
                                        -                                   an,other  priest rose after the order of Melchisedec a&
                                                                            not called after the order of Aaron. In the words of
                 h                                                          the writer, "If therefore perfection were by the Leviti-
                         Melchisedec and Christ                          - cal  priestho,od  (for under  ,it  .the people received the
                                                                            l.aw)  what further need was there that another priest
     In this essay will be brought out the  excellenlcy  of shoul,d  rise after the order'of  Melchisedec, and not' be
 the  ~priesthood   ,of  Christ  (as  compared first  tvith  that            called after the order of Aaron." And this is what
 of Aaron and second with that of Melchisedec. It will                      took 1
                                                                                  p ace actually, the `sacred' writer means to  $ell  his
be made cl.ear  also that the. priesthood of Melchisedec                    reaSders.    Another priest actually did rise after the
 was `a mor,e excellent  .type  of the priesthood  ,of  Chr:ist             or,der of  -Melchisedec.  Thus the priesthood of Aaron
 than the priesthood of Aaron. As the performance was changed,-changed  becaus'e   perf,ection  was not
 Of this task GonSistS ill attending .to, the argument of                   by   .i,t.   It   was   transfesr,ed   from  Aar,on   to him  who   rOSe
 the  writ,er  of the epistle to the  .Hebrews  concerning                  aft,er'  the ,order  of `Melchisedec. And "the  priesthotod
 the above mentioned priesthoods, it is to this  argumelit                  being ch.anged,  "there is made of necessity a change
 that we again turn. Brief.ly  stated, it,is this :                         also of the law" (vs. 12).
     Jesus was  ma,de  an high  &est after the order  of                        In this verse the apostle .declares  what he intended
 Melch,esedec   an,d thus, such is the  impli~cation  of this by "the law" in the foregoing, which "the people re-
 statement  ,of  the writer, not  aft,er  the older  of Aaron               ceilved  under the Levitical priesthood". It was the
  (chapter 6 :20b)  ., The sacred  w.riter   gees  on to  give  whole  "law of commandmentscontained in ordinances"
 the reason. The  p+esthood  :of Melchisedec as  corn-                      or the whole law `of Moses-in so far as it was the rule
 pared with that of  Aar,on  was  `"th,e better" (chapter `of worship and obedience unto. the church:                                   That law
 79).            In what respect?  1.n  the  folltowing  (vss. 1-3,         it  was.-that  followed the  f'ate   o,f the  priesthoo,d.         A n d
 ,of  chapter 7)  :: "  (Fo,r)  this Melchisedec, .  .,  . (being).         herein lies the moment of the controversy which the
 without father, without  moth,er,  without descent, hav-                   aposile has with his readers, the Jews. The question
 ing neither `beginning of  day.s,  nor  en.d  ,of   lif%e; but was whether the law  of Moses was to be the  -rule  in
 made like unto.. the son of God  ; ab.ideth priest  continu-               the church while it was to continue  ins  the world.
 ally."               The.  meaning plainly is -that Melchisedec is         In the preachi.ng   ,of  the gospel, that which ,most   pro-
 without father. . . . and has neither beginning of                         voked  the Jews is that there  &as  `inferred thereby a
 Idays   ,or  `end of  We  and thus abideth  p.riest  continually. taking  away  of the typical,  M.osaic   instituti,ons.  This
     `The writer goes on to nrovide,his-,readers           with still       it was that enraged them. Even those"who  were con-
 other evidence `that Melchisedec, as compared  with verted to the faith  ,of  the gospel continued obstinate
 Aanon,  was the  bett,er,  "NOW consider how great  t:iis                   in the  pursuasion  that the law of Moses was yet to
 man was, unto whom even  -the   `gatriarch  Abrah.am                        continue. in  force:- The writer wants- to show them
 gave the tenths of the spoils. And verily  Ihey  that are that they  ,do-  wrong. This is the matter he enters upon
 of the sons of Levi, who  receive the office of the-priest-                 in the 12th verse  . That which he hitherto has insisted
                                                                                            ,.
-hoSod,  have a commandment to take tithes of the people                     on in this  ,chapter,  is the excellency of the priesthood


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                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                               37

 of Melchisedec and thus of Christ, above that of  _                                     The Priesthood  of  A.wor?.
 Aaron and thus of the  l'aw. In pursuing his argument,                     Aaron was priest but  not king. In Israel the priest
 he  prolves  that the  ,priesthood  of Aaron  wtis  to be edi,d  not rule and the king  was  not  d.lowed  to give
 abolished, because, after its  insti.tution,   ther.e  was a attendance at the altar.
 promise of the introduction of another, wherewith it                       Aaron, the priest in  Israel; was with father and
 was inconsistent. An,d  herein he -proves  that the law                mother, with descent, having both beginning  of days
 itself was to be abolished, on account of the strict con-              an#d  end of  lif,e.  This means that- the names of his
 nectison  between the law and  the .pri~esthood  and their             father and-mother aed  the names of the  persoti  that
 mutual dependence on one another.                                     . formed the genealogical  lithe to.  wh+h he belonged, and
      Ths6  w&er now shows that the change of the  priest-              t;he day of his birth and the day of his death were `de-
 boo,d  necessarily  resul*ted  also in the change of the law, `scribed and entered upon record. The reason was that
 that, in other  wor,ds,  the rising of another priest, Jesus,          the priest.hood  of Aar,on  depended upon descent. Only
 after the order of M,elchisedec,  spelled the abrogation t.he sons of Aaron might give attentance  at the altar.                                .
 of the law, of the  Mosairc   itistituti$ons.       "For he of             -Furth#er,  the Levitical  [priest  was'ma.de  priest after
 whom these things are spoken, Ipertaineth  to another                  the law ,of  a carnal  comtiandment,  and thus not after
_  tl"ibe,  of which no man gave attendance `at the altar.              the power of an endless  1.if.e.  What is  mea& is that
 For it is  ,evident  that our  Lol:d  sprang out of Juda ; Me  prtesthood.  of Levi was of a kind  imp.osed  upon
 of whi,ch  tribe.  Moses spake nothing concerning priest-              those who bore it by law. Whether the priest was
                                  _
 hood."                                                                 spiritually qualified, whether he loved- God and His
      The' writer  he>reupon  conclusively proves  that  there service, the truth symbolized by   th<s  service,  was  not
 actually  di(d ari,se  a priest after the ord,er of Melchise-  _ inquired into. Being  a son of Aaron, he was compelled
 dec. His proof is ,God's  own ~declar&ion  by the mouth                to be priest,  and  to acquiesce in his induction  in60  office.
 ,of  the prophet  (Davi,d)  ,  "Tl~~ou   &rt a  pr;iest  forever       His will was  .not   consul$ed.  He was not "priest by
 after the  .oirder  of  Melchised'ec  (Ps. 110  :4),.  In the choice. In truth,  he was tiade priest "aft&  the law of
 woads  of the writer, "And it is yet far more evident:                 a carnal  commaedtient." Many  -of  these priests were .
 for that after  the  &imilitude  of Melchisedec there godless  nien,  hating and desecrating the service. "For
 ariseth  .another  pr;iest,  Who is made, not  aft@r  the-law th.e law maketh m&n  bighpriest-which have infirmity."
 of.  carnal commandment, but after the  power of an                        Aaron further was linade  $est. without an oath.
 end.less  life. For he testifieth, "Thou art a priest for-                 .-Then; h& was not suffered to continue by reason of
 ever after the  ordel;  of Melchisedec." `Thus the  com-               (death.
 mandment was amlulled  indeed "for the weakness and                        Finally,  perflection  was  not'by the Levitical  pniest-
 unprofitableness     thereof.", "Flor  the law  ma$e  nothing hoo.d.  It  could  not  pos&bly  be,  as the blood of  bull,s
 perfect, but the  bringing   .in  of a better hope; by the             <and  <of  goats,  an#d  the ashes of an heifer sprinkling thge
 wh:+ch  we ,draw  nigh unto God.                                       unclean, sanctified to the punifying of the flesh only.
      The writer concludes  hi.s   argume&  w&s cdncen-                    Ai to Mellchisedec;  the following is recorded of him.
 trati.ng  on the excellency of Christ in  -co&rast to                  He was priest  ,of  the most high God. H,e was priest.
 Aaron.       "And  iti as much -as not without an oath he              In this  .a&erhion,  two things are  inclu,d&d.  First that .
 `(Christ) was  ma,de  priest. For those pries&s (of  th:e              he was  trully and  really a man, and -not  an angel, o,r
 2aniily   6f  A.arloti)  were  mad,e  tithout  afi  oath; but this     the appearance of  ,the   Son  if  Go,d,   pred.ictiive  of  H_is
 with an  ,oat;h.  by him that  sai,d  unto  ,him,  The Lord            incarnati,on.    For "every priest  i,s taken from among
 sware and will not repent,  `Thoil   art  a priest forever men", Heb.. 5 :I, of the same  commo,n   na;ture  with
 a&  the order of Melchisedec. .By  so much more was ,other men.                         So `was' Melchisedec a man, called out
 J.esus  made a surety of a better covenant. And they from among men,  ,or. he was not a  prtiest.  Second,
 truly  were   mlatiy  priests, because they were  not   suf-           that he .had  a call to his  ofice ; for 6e  must fall under
 feyed  to  c.ontinu#e  by reason of  Ideath:  but this man,            that  ot.her  rule  ,of  the writer, "No man  takteth this
 because  he  c0ntinuet.h   ,ever,  hath an unchangeable  hcmour  unto himself unless he is called  ,of  God,"  Heb.:
 pries&hood.      Wh6r'efor-e  he is  able  to also~~sme  them to 5 :4. Two things are ceri&n of him negatively. First-.
 the uttermost that  coin~`.ti~to   tid by  him;   `set&g  he  .that  he  barnme  not to his  offi& by  suoceseion   unto,   ant:
 ever  liveth  to make  inter,eoession  for them." Such is that went before  him, as ,did  the Levitical pr.iests  &fter  :
 the argument.                                                          Aaron. He was not of any certain order,  wh&ein  wei-em
      Let us now  tur,n  first to the priesthood of Aaron,              a  se,ri,es  of priests succeeding one another. Second,  -
 second  to that of  Meltehisedec,  and third to  th,at  of he was not'  caUe,d   ,or set  apa&   to,  hiis  $Ec& by  solemn
 ,Chrfist.    Dd'ing  this, it will appear that the priesthood consecrations,  f'or   Christ  had none of these.  `.                 -.
 sf Melchisedec  w,a,s  superior to that -of Aaron an,d  that               He   was-   priest  "tinto  the  -most  high  God'!.  This
 theresore  Melchisedec was a more excellent type. of is the first time that this` title`  i,s given to God in the
 Chri$t  than was Aaron.                                                Scriptures. .The majesty, power, and authority of. God
                                                                                                     .~                             ,.  :


3 8                                         TBE   S'TANDA.RD   BEAR&B

are intended. The most  #hi&  God is the glorious God                 Christ was not of the line of priests, neither as to the
with whom is terrible  majesty.                                       father  ,or mother or genealogy. But in this type of
       He met  Abra>ham   and  blessed him. The  bensdiction          his, the s&Ted  writer shows that all this was so to be.
is fully expr,essed  at Gen. 15 :19,  20. "And he blessed             Christ  .had  neither father nor mother from whom He
him and said, Blessed be Abraham of the most high might derive the ri,ght  to his office ; and this excluded
,God,  who  `bath  `delivered thine enemies into thy  h,and."         him from any intellest  in the Levitic.al  priesthobd. He
       `The  secon,d  exercise of priestly  powler  ascribed to       had no genealogy on the priestly lipe. He, was not .
Melchisedec, is that he received tithes of all,  ,"To whom            made priest after the law of a carnal commandment
also Abraham gave the tenth of all." The expression but He was made priest after the power of an endless
"of all" is limited to the' spoils which  Abra.ham  took              life and by an oath. As the incarnate Word, He is
from the enemy.                                                       the eternal  and  creative  saurce  of the life of His human
       Besides being priest,  lVIelchi,sed~ec   wlas also. king.      nature. As. to this nature He is the eternal recipient
The apostle argues from both  i&e name and the title                  of grace, life,-a life by the  power of which He is
,of  this  tperson, "Fipst being by interpretation, King              priest-the priest who in  love  and as laden with the
of  rigfiteousness,  and after  that   a*l,so  king of Salem,         sins of His people, sanctified Himself to God, through
wihi&  is King of peace," The apostl'e  f%rst has r.espect            His obedience unto the :death  of the cross. Being `the
to  hi,s  proper name,-which is  Melchisedec,  and second             kind of priest that He  islpriest  by the  pbwer  of an
to his title,-which is King  ,of  Salem. This is by                   endless life-He  ,abideth  priest forever. `The Levitical
interpfletation,   icing   o f   peace.    This name and this         priesthood was  ane  of s&cession,  transfer.red  from
title signify that he was a righteous  an,d peaceable                 f,ather  to son  ;  necetisarily   so; as those  priests were
king,  #one  that ruled  rigbteoasly and  liqed  peace-               not suffered to  &ntinue-  on account of  `deat.h.             But
ably.  Further,  he,  MeUisedec,   t@d  not derive his                Christ, in that He continued forever,  bath  an  un-
right to  zbe  priest from his father or mother. It changea.ble   priestlmod.  Therefore he is able to save
means that he was not  m&de  priest after the law of                  "to-  th'e  uttermost that  ccmie unto God by Him. We
a carnal  comm~andm~ent  but that he  Wats  made psiest               needed, says the apostl'e,  just such a priest, one who is
after th'e  ~power  of an endl,ess  life .and  by an oath, that       priest by the power of an eti(dless  life, that is, one who
i&, by the right and power of  the life of  r,egeneratioa             is holy, harmless, undefiled,  separat.e  from sinners, and
implanted in his bosom. -His pri.&thood  thus rooted in               made ,h.igher  than the heavens.
redeeming  gr.ace  is  6hhus   +he  "priesthood- of all be-               But if Christ was priest,  l3e  was also king. In
lievers".      Thus,  MelchiseNdec  the  priest-king was  the him  the  prresthood  and the kingship are united. He is
new  cre,ature,  God's workmanship, created in Christ king-priest. For -He is seated at  th: right  hazd  of
Jesus. This creature, spiritu)ai  man, is  withlout  begin-           God  an,d -is clothed with all. power in heaven and on
ning of days and end of life.  T,his  man  abideth   a                earth. He is the highest king in heaven  and on earth.
priest continually. Said Christ,  "H,e that  beli'eveth   i.n         King of kings is He aad.Lord.of  lords. And He is the
me; though he were dead, yet shall he live: A.nd  wh,o-               ,only  highpriest.  in God's house. Because .Ke  is priest,
`ever  lilvetih  and believeth in me  sh$all never die."              one who in love wills to consecrate all to God, .He  may
 Being the kind of priest he was,  M-elchisedec   con-                be king to rule over all God's works. And all His
tinned  h'ad  an unchangeable priesthood.                             people `partake of His anointing, through which they,
       Comparing the  pzi,esthood  of baron with that of .too,  became a kinlgly  priesthood. In the  saactiuary  of
iP5eltclhised,ec,  it is plain that  *he  latter was a fuller an,d    th.eir  hearts they consecrate  `themselves  anId  all   th,ings
more perfect type ,of  the priesthood ,of  Christ.                    unto God. Christ is `the King  ,of  righteousness. He
But Christ had a genealogy. He was with father                        fou&ed  His kingdom and merited it in the way of
land  mother. His  .descknt  was  recorded.  The "role of             right through His off,ering  Himself up ujn60  Go'd  as the
his  pedigree" is  Ideclared  by two evangelists,  tihk  one          Lamb without spot or blemish. He is  +hus  also the
trlacing  it t,o  Abratiam,  the other to A,dam. F,or it was author, cause, -and  dispen,s:er  of righteousness. .He  is
:necesaary  to bring out the truth of his human nature the righteousness, sanctification, wisdom  and  redemp-
and  t,he  faikhfulness.  ,of  God in fulfilling His promise.         t,ion  of His people. And thus He is' also the king of
Further Christ as  to' His  `human  nature  .had  both                peace. He  made,  peace in  ,His  blood, peace with God
beginning  ,of  days and end of life,  an.d  both are re-             and peace among His brethren.                    G. M.  ~0.
corded.  How.ever  it is not of Christ absolutely that
the writer treats but with respect to his  office of priest-
hood. And  h'e?ein  all the things  sai.d of  i%elchisedec                                        NOTICE
apply  to Him. It was a new truth to the  .Hebrews                        All announcements such as Obituaries, (Weddings, Anni-
that the  Lor;d Christ was  thlk only high priest of the              versaries and the like must be selit  to the Treasurer, Mr. Ralph
                                                                      Schaafsma, with the. fee'charge of one dollar else  they will not
church,.  so that  all other priesthoods must cease. To . be placed,
them  it  w.as, cctntrary to  the law;  an,d thus because                                                           THE  BOARD.


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                                         TI-I   S T A - N D A R D   BEARER                                                          39

                    0 God  Mijn God                                  wille. Later, veel later, zou Petrus zeggen: zulk lijden
                                                                     is geen  zaligheid!
                                                                          David kenschetst zijn  vijanden  als het  ongoeder-
                           (Psalm 43)                                tier&   volk; en meer in het bijzonder  <denkt  hij, aan
    Sommigen  d,enkeC,   <dat  Psalm 43 een  voortzetti,ng  is een bedriegelijk en on&chtvaardig mensch.
van den 42sten Psalm . De  red,en  ligt voor de hand.                     De  eer,ste trek toont ons den harden mensch, de
Ze gelijken meel op elkaar. Er zijn uitdrukkingen di,e               mensch  `die  goddeloosheid gieriglijk bedrijft. Ze heb-
in beide psalmen gevonden worden. Er zijn zelfs ver-                 ben  s&ik  Van hun kwaad, ook  dan:  wanneer het  slacht-
zen in -die ,geheel  en al of ten `deele  gelijkluidend zijn.        ,o?er   zich  kromt en schreien moet. Ze kunnen lachen
    Men getuigt,  flat  in sommige handschriften de twee ,als ,de broeder door hun goddeloos-w,oelen.in                     de- diepte
psalmen als n psalm voorkomen.                                     komt.       D,e  Duitschers   noemen   d a t   schu&nfre&e.
   .I& zou niet verder  wil,lei?  gaan,  dan  het beweren,           Iemand `die  schadenfreude  heeft is een ongoedertieren
dat beide psalmen door  :denzelfden   ,dichter  gemaakt mensch.
iij.n.  Taal en stijl van beiden zijn gelijk. En als                     Die  krek verraadt. zijn helschen oorsprong.  Zoo
Psalm 42 duidelijk zijn  ,oorspr,ting   aLsvan   &uvid  ver-         doet ook  .de duivel. Hij is niet alleen een  menschen-
raadt, moeten we ook houden  ,d& deze psalm door dien                moorder van den beginne, doch hij heeft  sehik  in zijn
Godsman gedicht is.                                                  moorden. En het- vergaat zijn kinderen  dzoo. Ok
   -Psalm 43 is  sch,oon.  Als een  God:d&ijk  kleinood              zij lachten als hun slachtoffer kreunt van smart.
schitte& hij  tussehen  de lofzangen  Israels.           Eng  de         De vreeselijkste openbaring daarvan beluisteren
schoonste  glinstering bewonderen we in den kreet  `die              we  rouidom   ,het   vloekhout,  op Godgotha's  krui,n  op-
een oneindig verlangen vertolkt en welke we ook boven                gericht. Een schaterend Ha! Ha! weerklinkt als JezLts
dit opstel verhoogden  i 0 God, mijn God !                           zweet,  bloedt   ,en   schreeuwt  in oneindige smart..
    Davi,d  is in  nood;   '                                             D,e  twee'de  trek is bedrog. Sprak ik  zo.oeven  van
    Hij heeft een twistzaak. Hij wordt omringd door                  den duivel ?  W,elnu,  wie denkt niet  direkt aan dat
het ongoedertieren  rvolk   ;  en,   meen  in het  bijaoeder,        vreeselijk wezen als ge van bedrog hoort?  Beclpog  is
heeft  hij het te- kwaad- met  eein.   neer bedri,egelijk  en        het eigen werk des Satans. Zoo  ook zijn handlangers,
on-rechtvaardig  mensch.                                             David's  cvijandn.
    We weten  niet  wanneer dezen psalm gedicht is.                      Men heeft over David gelogen  ; men heeft een
`t  Z,ou   ku.nnen   passen  op  ,de  periode  toen  Davi'd  door    fundament gelegd in hetgene dat niet is, in hetgene
Saul vervolgd werd. l?l?sschien  ook op- de periode boen dat  ,een  verwringen is van  .het   ware  en het goede.
hij vluchten moest voor het aangezicht  rvan Absalm,                Voorts is men- op  dat  bedriegelijke  funclament   gaan
zijn zoon.                                                           bouw,en.  Men  ri,chtte  eea zaak op tegen  David.  En
    In elk geval  b,eschrijft  het een periode wanneer               zulak  den,  eulk   kswalijk  bouwen, zulke  acti,e   alp  de
hij ver van het heiligdom des  Heeren  verwijderd in                 leugen .is .dan onrecht, cie derde trek Nan  `t goddelooze
,ellende  om  yoest   zwenven.-  Hij wil teruggeleid door            volk.
God naar Zijn tabernakelen.                                             -Dat  kan niet anders. Dat moet dan wel het einde
    Ondertu.ss&en  moet  *hij  veel lijden in een  twist-            zijn  va.n  zijn geknoei. Onrecht is het kromme, het
zaak.                                                                van  Gods  wet afwijkende. Zijn huis wordt dan een
    Hset  goddelooze  volk heeft het op hem  _ gemunt.               verwrongen spektakel.
Door liegen en `bedrog heeft men  oarecht  gepleegd                      Doch  Dvid lijdt ervan. Er kwam een twistzaak.
tegenover hem, de,n geialfde des  Heeren,.                           Van  zijn zijde  bl%nkie  oprechtheid en van  de zij,cle   cler
   Ook is  Davi.d   ,er van overtuigd; dat hij onschulldig           on~dtirdrukkers  : bedrog  ,en  onrecht. Het resultaat
is. Dat  is o+elrduidelijk,  want hij durft zijn twistzaak           was  tweerl'ei:  aan de eene zijde, een schreiende, lij-
`aan God voorleggen ter  onderzoeking-,en  oordeel. Meer             dende knecht des Heeren  ; en aan  de andere zijde, het
nog  ; hij is z overtuigd van het recht zijner zaak,               ongoedertieren volk, of: de lachende en spottende ben-
dat hij zijn twistzaak herkent als  ,de  twistzaak   Gods.           de rondom hun slachtoffer.
Ze is z rein, #dat  hij er zijn God VCJOT-  spannen durft.             D,o,ch  David spreekt  yan  sterkte. Hij geeft de
   Een heilige jaloerschhei,d  bekruipt ons bij het zien             red&  aan, waaro,m  hij verwacht dat God zi&i  aan zijn
van z grobte  eerlijkheid en oprechtheid. Wat zuiver               zij,d,e zal sIcharen.    Die yeden  is :i,Gij,  o God, zijt immers
hedoelen, wat  schoone  en blanke oprechtheid lag  t,en              de Gd van mijne sterkte?
grondslag aan zijn stqwen!-                                              0, dat is God aangrijpen ter overwinning. Als
   Wij spraken van  cizwven   ih'verband  met David's ge z moogt arbeiden en z moogt bidden, dafi  moet
roepen.  E,n  terecht. 0, we weten het:  zoo  vaak is                God Zich gewonnen  en ocv,erwonnen  heeten.           Denkt aan
,onze  zaak een strijden voor onszelf, of erger  n$g   :             Jakob!. Hij vermocht tegenover God en heeft Hem
een  woelmen  IITan   goddelooshei,d  en  dwaash,eid.       Dan      overwonnen.
lijden we ook, doch het is niet om der  gerechtigheid                    David wil zeggen: Heere, wat ik gedaan heb  kwam


 40                                        T H E   STANDA'RD-   B E A R E R

tot stand door Uwe sterkte. Het was Uw Heiligen getrokken relatin  en  betrekkingen waarin Hij Zijn
,Geest  en de wijsheid van Uw Woord hetwelk in mij                   volk vond is Hij aan `t buigen en wrikken gegaan,
gistte tot uiting.  T,oen  heb ik gedacht en gesproken,              an `t vervormen en bouwen, totdat er een ander funda-
gewrocht en gedaan. Nu valt men mij daarom lastig,                   ment kwam,  d,an wij gelegd  ,hadden  in de leugen en het
doch het  is  U.we  zaak! Daarom die  wondere  bede:                 bedrog.        .'
Twist dan ook.mijn twistzaak, want ze is vrucht van                      Doch `t kostte Hem Zijn leven: De waarheid zijnde
Uwe sterkte. Ze is Uwe!                                              heeft Hij, naar `t vergen van het onkreukbare recht
 Doch nu komt David tot  ,een,+erkeerde   conclusie.                 Gods,  Zijy1  ziele  uitgestort in den dood. Doch `t funda-
Hij spreekt voorts: Dat ioo zijnde;  ~waarom  ve-rstoot              ment werd gelegd in Zijn hartebloed.
Gij mij  dari?  Ik heb toch niet anders dan  uw zaak                     Daarom vraagt David. Zend, Heer, Uw  licht   ,en
voorgestaafi  ? D;e 1iede.n  die het  r&j  &n  doei zijn Uwe         waaThei,d  neder !
 vijand~en.  Zij haten mij en bespotten' mij  omclat  ik                 En als dat mag  gebeureti  aan David, dan zal `t gaan.
UWe  zaak  be-leit   .heb.  Maar  waar,om  openbaart Gij             D,an zullen zij hem gaan leiden.
U clan niet tegenover mijne  wedeppartijders? Waaiom                     Dat  zit  zoo  : dat'  leiven,  van Gods  lief,cle'  en gunst,
ga ik in het zwart  vanwege  des vijands onderdrukking?              genade en ntSerming,  alsmede de waarheid, de juiste
Zie, Heere, hier is mijn moeilijkheid : Ik doe het go&de             betrekki+ngen  tegenover God en menschen, worden den
en wordt verdrukt! En zij doen het goddelooze  en zij                st&velingen   g&chonken,  door middel van Geest en
lachen ! Waarom, 0 God, doet Gij zulks?                              Woord.. Vorts vervullen die hen;  bruisen. en werken
 '  En.  dat is verkeerd van  ,God  oordeelen.                       in hen tot openbari<g  van de vrucht der gere&igheid.
  Straks zal David zichzelf bestraffen als hij  lieer-               Ge kunt geen  leven en waarheid. in U hebben en niet
blikt op zijn terneder gebogen  zi,el.   .Hij  zal zichzelf          uitbreken in de goede  .w,erken.           Dat `leven en die waar-
bestraffen en aanmanen ,om  op God te hopen.                         heid zullen U onwederstandelijk leiden. De  psalm-
  Doch  ,cerst  wat anders.                                          berijmers spraken immers van'een  `fgereeder"  geleid
       Nad,at  hij  h,et  #den  Heere verwijt van  zoo'  vreemd      worden?
te handelen, gaat David aan `t bidden. 0,  -hij  weet                   En,  wond& van genade, wat gaat  het. dan voorts
wat hij behoeft.                                                     `van  kracht tot kracht! Let maar  alp  David; Hij weet
       "Zend He& Uw licht  en waarheid neder !" Ik kan hoe ,h'et dan met hem zal gaan.
best begrijpen, dat de psalmberijmers er an  toege-                    Eerst,  l,even  ,en  -waa&ei.d  zullen;hem  leiden tot  ,den
vogd hebben straks : "dan klimt  mija bange ziel  ge-               berg  van   Gods  heiligheid!
reeder,  enz."                                                          Berg is  ook figuurlijke taal. Elke berg heeft  ,een
       David had tot  ,dusver  benauwing en onderdrukking            duidelijke sprake, een dubbele sprake. Een berg is
genoten. Het was donker voor zijn  zielsoog.   Daar-                 een profetie. De, bergen vertellen het ons  ,als in een
tegeaolver  vraagt hij den Heere om licht en waarheid.               lieflijk lied, -dat de Heere ons  .met  de aarde en den
       Des  Heere:n   .licht  is het inbegrip van alle Zijne         hemel zal verhoogen tot in het nieuwe Jeruzal,em  toe.
deugden, het volle deugderibeeld.  T'e spreken van licht Van  die verhooging is nu nog maar een klein beginsel
is figuurlijk. Het beteekent leven,  ,eeuwig,   glorius,            bij ons. Alles was  tiu  gezien'wordt, alsmede alles in
verrukkelijk  leyen  met God. Daarom zingen `we  zoo                 den hemel die nu  i.s moet straks vergaan  m  plaats
(vaak  van het levensli8cht.     "Het licht ,dat van Zijn aan-       te haken  `voor de vervulling yan  alle'bergen.           De -ber-
z i c h t   s t r a a l t ! "                                        gen  -roepeh  het U luide toe, dat God ons  in eeuwige
 En  ,die atmosfeer wordt alleen  -de  onze door de                  armen omhoog zal. trekken, om ons tot in alle eeuwig-
waarheid.  A.lleen  als de zuivere  relati%  en betrek-              hei,d  dicht bij Zich te hebben. En opdat wij een erve
kingen door  Go,d  om en in onze ziel gespannen worden,              van God zouden zijn. Opdat wij Hem eeuwiglijk toe-
albeen  dan leven we. De  w,aarh,ei,d  zal U vrijmaken! geweid zouden  zijn. Daarom is het een berg van  Gods
Alleen als het kromme recht gemaakt wordt, het  hob-                 heiligheid. *Heilig wil zeggen : toegeweid aan God !
belachtige tot  ,een  vallei  ,en het bergachtige tot een            En, tweedenq.  de heggen  spreken U toe van `t onwan-
vlak  ireld,  alleen dan is  ter sprake *van leven met God.          kelbare di,er  verhooging.           ..
Die'door  de  vlak&,v@lden         rijdt; Zijn Naam is  He'er           David zegt  avoorts  dat hij `dan geleid zal worden tot
,der  Heeren  !                                                      Gods  woningen.
       lD?ar  vraagt  Davi(l   o,m. Als hij  ,geleef,d   h.ad  in       ,God  woont ,eeuwiglijk.      Men woont waar men thuis
onzen dag, zou hij gebeden hebben:  Hekre,   ge&f mij                is, waar men rust, waar men geniet. En nu heeft .God
Jezus of ik sterf! Johannes heeft immers gehoord,                    gewild  om iijn Eigen Huis voor, ons open `te `zetten,
dat Jezus  zeide  : Ik ben ,de weg, de waarheid- en het              zoodat  wij met Hem mogen -,wonenl
leven?                                                                  En dan op dien berg en in die-woning  is zeen  altaar.
       David heeft behoefte aan  iezus. Want het is Jez-s            En dat spreekt ons van <het  Offer, van het Bloed, van
-die  het  vrienbelijk  +angezicht  is van God, door middel          onuitsprekelijke liefde en gehoorzaamheid ; dat alta&r
van de waarheid gewrocht,              Ingaande in de krom `spreekt   ons  van Jezus, het Aangezicht van God. In die

       - ,


                                                  T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                                `41

 Jezus  schittert  hlet  zooeven   vermelde  Deugdten,beeld,                          not be discussed at  leng&h  in this brief article. Reno,
 Al' het lieflijkee-in God  straalt van dat  Aangezicht.                              Nevada, is fully as notorious as are Crown Point or
 Ziet  ,daarom  &&rk:  Op  J'ezus  !                                                  Valparaiso in Indiana.
  En,  get.  er- op, dat altaar is -Gods altaar . .  Hjet                                 .However,  we, would emphasize  ~the evil  inse:>arably
 schaapje+:-dat  op dat altaar bloedde is het Lam van connected with this divorce situation. Fi.rstly,  what
 LGod.  H.et   schaapj,e   d'at op dat altaar bloedde is het                          is principally the divorce? What constitutes its sin?
 Lam van  &God.   :God  heeft Zijn  eeuwige  liefde in dat                            Before we discuss any evil results let us discuss the
 schaapj'e  i&alr  ohs  laten zien.           Wi.lt  ge het  svan liefde              evil itself.  P.rincipally,  the divorce is a godless denial
 zingende  .:hart  van God zien, dan moet  &e sterk op                                of the Divine i.nstittition  of marrage.         A holy marriage
 Jezus  zien'.  Hij heeft ons immers Hem verklaard?                              '    punposes  the glory of God and the development of His
     En nog  steed,s  leiden het  l&en en de waarheid  onzen                          covenant. It acknowledges the Scriptural truth that
 s,chr@endeti.   po5et.                                                               man may not  par;t  asunder what God hath joined
     Want   nog--is  het einde pi&.                                                   together. This. Scriptural axiom must be understood
     Dat  Ieven  en  <die   waarh&d.   brac,hten  hem  op  dea                        not only  i.n  the sense that the Lord brings a  young.man
 berg,  i.n  het Huis' Gods  en   dtond  hij  v&jr het altaar                         and a young lady together. It means  mor,e.   The
 Gods.                                                                                m.arriage  between two persons (we refer now-to  a hply
   Nu komt een troongeest siellijk  gevlogen om  Dalvid                               marriage) is a work of God. The Lord hath  joined.
 een gouden harp te  geven.   iDat  moest, want  Davids                               ;them. Fact is, a happily married -couple are adapted
 hart is tot  berstens  toe vol, lijn vingeren tasten  naar                           to  leach   other.  This adaptation is not only physical
 d e   snare%   :                                                                     bu.t  aiso   psychi,cal   (a,s  pertaining to  the soul). Not
     En hij  begon  zeer vroolijk te zijn.                                            any Christian young  man can be the husband `of any
    -De  psalm.-;noemt   bet  blijdschsup   c+r  lverheuging   .en                    Christjan young lady. The mutual affection between
het  leven  van  <God.                  /                                             them is rooted in a  ,wcmderftil  adaptation to each other.
     Blijdschap  der verheugind  : wat opeenstapeling  van And this adaptatioa is-a matter of Divine creation.
 termen!,   Blijsdschap  en  verheugi,ng  is de uiting van                            Hence;  i.t  is true of a God-fearing marriage .that  the
 zalighe.i.d,   geliefdep.    Het  is die staat, waarin de Lord hath  joli5ed  together. A true ma.rr.iatge  must and
.diepste  nooden  van,Uw  weze!n   vervuld  zijn. Hebt ge                             shall  cetiainly acknowledge this fact. Besides, God
 we1 een  ,gehoord  van spijze  en  vroolij,khei,d?  Ja, als                          hath created man, male  and female, with  the obvious
 ge gegeten hebt, vol  ,zijt  en Jerzadigd,  dan plooit  zich                         purpose of the  bri.nging  forth of children.  Atid it is
 het gelaat,  ,dat  trekken  de  &ee&els  van  spiereti  en surely the calling of matrimony to bring forth children
 zenuwen, dan wordt er een cglimlach  op Uw gelaat ge-                                an,d  i.nst&ct  `them in the fear of God's Name. The
`tooverd.    Straks  w-ordt  Uwen `mend  lvervuld  met la,chen.                       dwelopment  of  Gsod's  covenant must therefore be
     En wat mag .dan we1 het thema  zijn van  al die blij,d-                          uppermost  in  outi  hearts and minds. The divorce is
 ,&hap   der verheuging? Hoe  komt   bet,.  dat  de  blijd-                           certainly a repudiation of this Divine  instituton  of
 sclhap  in `t  harte  de  vrucht   `geeft   yan   ..veKheuging  orp mfl.riage.                      It simply denies  its Divine  charadter   and
 `t- gelaat  ,en  den jubel  in `den $ond?                                            purpose. .lt recognizes  marri?ge merely as a  mgans                    '  -
     ,Het  antwoord verklaart  .o$k  den titel dien  we kozen                         u&o the satisfying of carnal  lust&  and desires.  MaIn-'
 voor   di,t  stukj,e.  Het  thema  is 0  Go:&   mijn  Go,d!                          would use-the  Lord's own institution for his  owi  sike.
     Nu  moeten   ye nog even  met,   sch+amte  in `t  hatie                          This is, of  course,   the  evil of  ,div&ce.
 onze ziel  bestraffen  : 0, mijn  iiel wat buigt  ge U  qeder   ?`                       Secondly, the immediate result of the  .divorce  is
 Waartoe  zijt ge  in.mij  ontrti&t?                                . .               the  ldis.rutption  of the family  uh.it  and, inseparably
     N'og even mij zelf bestraffen om dan weer  te ein,di-                            connected with  %his,  the  ,crushing  of all sense of
gen : want God zijt immers n$jln  God-!                                               authority and  respo,nsibil.ity  as  ftir as the children
     Het  thema  der liefde `t  wblk  Jezus   meenam  in den                          ,are  concerned. The- casting adrift of the  childrefi  by
 diepten der hel: IvXijn  God, l$jn God!                        cf.   v.              `either one or both parents will always  remain  one of
                                        i                                             the tragedies of any  divorce   a&on.  And  .this must
                                                          -.
                                        /                                             invariably lead to  lthe  ,destruction  of  #all   sen$e  of author-
                        `.                                                            ity and  respo,nsibility.       Fact is, the parent  &s the
                      The  Divotice   Evii                                  _         Divinely appointed  tierson   to exercise anthority  bver
                                                                                      the child. This lies in the very nature of the case. No                   .
     The  ex&ence   pf  -the divor:e  ,evil,  partic&-ly in our                       one knows -the ,child  better khan  `its parent.          B&ides,
"$emocratic"  country  (,demo@ratic  also in a spiritual &e.receive   0u.i   &hi&en  froth  <cod.                                  Hence, th&  root of
sense of the wor`ct)l  , .aeed  not! be established. It is an all authority is the home, $nd the fifth cb,mm&clment
indisputable fact. In   some   circl,e8  givorce  is almost as                        which de@ with authority is addressed to the children
 comm0.n  as marriage.  A.n.d  i't  can be  obtained  on  al-                         and, by  impiicati'on,   also  to  the parents.  If'theti the
m&t  any  conceivable,ground,i                This fact as such need parent shuns  this  .&alling,  engages in a divorce q%tion,


42                                       T H E   S.TANDARD   BEeARER

 thereby repudiates his responsibility to govern his tural  princip1.e  that what  .God  hath joined together
 child, the inexorable  result must be. the disregard snd           &an  may not part asunder. On the other hand we
 ridicule of all authority  aed  obedience.                         h&e   those  who  a,dvocat~e  Free Love, who  would  view
  .Thir.dly,   inasm$h as the divorce is the wicked marriage as a, contract whi,eh  can be made or broken
 denial of the Divine  in&itution   of marriage, it must            as  man  himself sees fit to do so. It is well that we
wreak havoc  .with  mankind. Of course, also from the understand this correctly. We perceive here the spirit
spiritual vie&point  bf   the development of God's cove-            of the  gospel  over against the spirit of revolution. And
nant, the divorce is disastrous, because  in its sphere when we speak of revolution we refer tom revolution in
the  deve,lopmen,t  of Go,d's  coveeant  does not take p!ace.       the profound,. fundamental sense of the wor,d  as over
The. Lord does not exercise. covenant-fellowship with               aga.inst  God.      On the one hand we have the people
an  adulterou,s  generation. But, it is also disastrous of the livinrg  God, who ackriowl,edge  the so.vereignty  of
fsor mankind  and  society  iti general. Adultery, and              Jeho,vah  also as it deterniines'the relationship of mar-
fornication, the uncontrolled satisfying of the lusts Cage. They profess the principle that the .Lo,rd  hath
and  passio,ns  of  ~the  f.lesh  wo,rk  destruction  alSo  upon    j,oined  together, that God jo,ins  man and wife together
the   bo!dy.-  Th'                                                  $or  the purpose of the glory of  H.is   Name  and the
                 1s needs no further elucidation. And <ho
twill  foresee and  deDermine  the havoc which it must              d~eveloptienit  of His covenant, and who would therefore
`wreak on socicety  !                                               `s:ubject   thei.r  natural  admtati,on   to, each  &her   t,o   th,e
                                                                    senvice  of God and the  ,glory  of His Name and `cove-
      Already the attempt has been made to nullify even             nant.     This  undoub.tedly   charaoterizes  a marriage
`the necessity of obtaining a  divo,&e.  We undoubtedly             which  i.s  eon,cl,uded  in the fear of  Goid's  Name, irre-
remember  thai  not  1o:ng  ago  cotipanionship     ma.rriages      spective of that other Scriptural truth that  ,our  mar-
were advocated, permitting one  ma:n  to have three                 riage must serve as  ,a picture of God's cove&n&-
"wives", finally choosing that one  who  most  apiealed relationship with His people in  C?hrilst  Jesus. 14~  would
to him. Why then not  discazd  the  entire  institution maintain the cardinal truth that of God and  through
of matrimony? What  .no,w takes place secretly an~d  i,s.           God an?l  unto God are all tfiings,  thlat  we ar,e  creatures
regardNed  as transgression must take  @ace openly,                 and therefore  s'ervants  whose sole  calling  it is to be
bef:ore   ,every  eye, without being viewed as transgres-           w.i&esses  and the party of  the living God. Directly
sion of the law. The inevitable consequence  ,of  this ,opposed   t,o  this  princip1.e  is  i&e law of  3in.                     Sin is
wila'  be that marriage as such will no longer- exist.              fund&mentally rebellion against  Jehovah.  It is  man's
,Gocvernm&   %hen  shall take all  child.ren   under  its           wilful  refusal to ackllowledge  any other authority and
protection. And the r.esult  must be the extinction of sovereignly than his own. It refuses to be servant and
the independent  fami>ly  unit and that men  anId "women would be lord. It refuses to be engaged exclusively in
will exist as animals, doing tshiangs  which are <unheard           the  ,obedience  of the will of God, and purposes to
`of even in the. animal world. Abolish the restraint seek self and the satisfying of  hi,s own carnal lusts
which the Divine law of matrimony now places upon `and  desires. And the natural man applies this godless
the passions and lusts of. men,  alnd they will reveal prin,ciple   alalo'  to the  relati,onship  of matrimony.  ,He
`themselves in a,11  their unbound'ed  passion f'or  the lusts      rej.ects  that God has joined together. He would have
of the' flesh. This was true, ages ago, in the Roman                all  thin,gs  revolvle  about the'free-will  of man. He wilT
emtpiire.    We  n'eed  but be  remin#ded  of the  apos;tles,       take as his wif,e  wlhom he pleases. :Ee  wiU  marry her
*words  in the first  chapter of his  epist1.e  to the Romans.      excl,usively  for h'is  &own  sake, merely to satisfy himself.
And is it not true in  Germlany   to'day  that men and              And tFie result will be that, having married her for his
women are  urge,d  to  b,ring  forth. children  withoat   re-       own sake, he imagines  .it to  -be  h-is privilege also to
,gard  for  `,the  institution of marriage, and that the reject her if such action be  convenient  for him. His
government  ass.umes control of their training and in-              own  wil(l,  we note, is  f,or  ,him the sole determining
struction? Disregard  anId  abolish also this law of God,           factor., This is the root, the basic principle of the
and who i.s  abl!re  to describe the chaos  whi,ch  must  i.n-      ditvorce  evil.
evittibly   f o l l o w ?                                               How'ever,  we  woul,d  also point to  ,evils  which are
                                                                    present in the church   09 God, and which in principle
                                                                    are not to be distinguished from this evil so common
                                                                    in the midst of the  wor18d.1  To be  sure,  the divorce
      What may we safely assume to be the root of this              as such  c&not  be regarded as a  threateniag  danger
evil of `the ,divo,rce  ? What  is the spiritual principle within our own churches. `The  prieciplle   that  man may
which dictates this unbridled godless course of action? not- part asunder what God has joined together is
We  sho,$d  bear in mind that two streams of thought                &rely  olbserved  and  ,maintained  among us. Yet- it be-
al'e  in  violtent   c&flict  here with each' other.' Oh the        hooves us,  i,n  the midst of thk  adulterbus   &rld  wherein
one hand we recognize the  mai.ntaining  of the Scrip-              we halve a name and place, not  to adopat an  attitude


                                                T H E   S T A N ' D A R D   B E A R E R                                                    43
                                      .
of  smu&  complacency and  slelf-sati&ectio,n.                    Let  us    rather  strulggle  against this  eve?  increasing menace
who  a&of  tl&   da,y walk as  +ildren  of the light also                    and not become  entangled in the divorce. evil to w&h
in  corirn&tion  tii;th  this phase of our Christian calliag.                we all in  printiple  are exposed?
Besides,"there  are evils  to,  which   als,o  we are  continilally
exposed and  agaiest which  ,we must ever be on our
*guard.       The godless  princi&e that marriage is  con-                       How can we successfully combat this evil ? Firstly,
,dlurded ndt  $or  ;the sake of  dad's  Name and His cove-                   we  caln be preserved from this menace only  -bjr  -the
nant but to satisfy `ourselvesj  in so.me form or another blood `and Spirit of our Lo,rd Jesns  Christ. The sane-
is, I  fea?,  in greater or  sm.&ler   de'gr:ee,.  also present' tity o,f the marriage bond can d!ominate  our heart  and
in the ch.urch  of Gqd. And,  &rely, we are not immune life  drily   throagh   grce.  Only then, when we have
to it.         -                                                             I,earned  to sacrifice ouTselves,  to  view  ourselves  as'ser-
    There  5,  f,or example,  theidanger  which our  present                 vants  ,of   Goid, have therefore  leaFned   to bow  the  k&ee-
national defense program  prksents  to us; It cannot be be&ore  the  living God  oui   df   Wholli  and through Whom
amiss at  ihis point to be  r,eminded   ,of  the  statemrent                 and  unto  Whom  a?e all things, is it  pdssible  to fight
of a cer8taih  judge in our Iadd  who predicted  tha;t  our                  against  -our   own   lusts   atid   de&es  and  sufbject  them.
present   tibbilization would  i  r,esul+, in a tremendous                   ito Him Whom to know  is life  everlasltiDg.   hql, in
increase  in'divorces. Young men &ecide  to marry with                       connfecti6n   M2i  this, we must bear in mind that  t&e
the avowed intention of  es&ping the draft.  Tlheir                          str:erq$h   bo continue in this  stk"uggle'  is ours `only
marrimage   viias therefore  ha&y  and superficial.                  ThLe    through fervent prayer. Fr@n God alone must be our
result will be that they will rid  thekselvks of  thi.s                      ,expectation.
b&d   as hastily  a.nd as  sup'erfi,cially  as  irt was con-                     Sec80tidly,  let us  apply  this  true  principle  @f the
&&d. Let us not fall into  Ithe   salme   er.ror.            If it be marriage bond to our  :own  family life. This- implies
the  wil#l of Gold tlhat  we be &Tasted,  let us `believe that that we shall bring  up  our  chil,dren  in the fear of
God will also keep us  ia camp. Never may we  .use                           God'i  Name, train them in an  atrriospliere  where the  I
the  ,Ldrd?s   .pwn  institution inerely as a means  un$o                    spi.rihual   developmtint  of God's covenant  i's   predcimi-
our own end.                                                 w
                                           I                                 nant  And, although -Cve  dahnot make one'child  of God
  There is  sitill  another  evil  to  .whi,ch  I would call                 by  instru&ing  him in the  knowled(ge  of  t&e  Lord, we
attenthon,  which, I  -believe,   ! follows in principle the                 have  Htis  pro,mise  that  l3e  will  op&ate with His Spirit
pattern  of the `world.. It will happen that young mar-                      where His Name  iS reverenced. The Lord wild then
ried coupl,es  place  their own ka.rthly  needs  and'lux.uries               establish His  covena,nt  with our children. And in-
&bove  the development of  Go.d's  covenant.  ,Covenant                      structing them in these things, in the  measure  of
yonng   meri and young  wo,m@n  enter  then   into  matri-                   course tha.t  they come-to years  ,of  discretion, al& they
mony. The understanding h&s  been reachkd,  however,                         will  view  these matters as  %hroti.gh  the grace of God
that  they  shall  not have  chiidreq  for some time. It and assume tlie marriage vow in  h.umble  trust and
is advisable, so they  concl$d'e,-  that they first  "get                    dependence upon the living God.  `Th!us  our  coven%ut
ahead" in this  worl'd  . The $oulng  lady as  wel.1 as the                  s,eed  will be preserved, God's  covenant   wile1  be  estab-
younlg   man  continue to  work:  They have  PO  int&tioa                    lished, and God's Name will be glorified.
of  Betting  up a  home.   Th,ey  draw up a  lis,t  of-  %he                                                                     H.V;`.
things they  pr'esume   fo  nee(i   and  must first obtain.
Quickly, howwer, the "neecisi'  on this -list are replaced                                                                                      1..
by luxuries.            Furnitu.re  and a  fri(gidaire   shbuld  be
secu.rled   f?.r~t-bf c:ourse,  the &west   an  most  m_odern.                         Educati_on   Among  hrael
Then they set their hearts  :on  a car and possibly a
hbme.        And in the meantime;.  the caluse  of God's cove-               Definition of the Subject.
nant  aed  church `must wait.!  Childpen  involve us  in                         It is  but  proper that at the outset our subject be
eespense.           Alto in a  decided;.   cukltailment  of  our.  own       defined. The  iabject  as it- reads is already  Ii&ted.
personal likes arid  enj,oyme&s.   Would  it not be  ad-                     In this essay  olur  subject says  w&  will not  treat  of
vi&&e  an,d spiritually more: honest  to.  remai,n   sing1.e                 `%du&ion"   generally,  but  of  ,edtucati'on  as this his-
rather  th:an   inter into  t&e   &ate  of marriage  befor'e                 torically existed and as it was' an instituition  in Israel.
God and then proceed to'nuilify  its true significance?                      True,  even thus  d'efined,  our subject has  si'gnificance
Doing so, it surely  camlot   b+  sai'd  of us  thart  we pre-               for the  genera concept "education" and for the  pY;ac-
serve  -the  saactity  anId  purpqse  of `the marriage vow,, tical  task  ,of   educating   onr'   children in  on?   day and
that we  ,;consid;er  the'  dle(velopment   ]of  God's  .c&enati             wor18& This we hope to point' out in its. own proper
iour   solemn-.obliga,tion   beiouk   God:   .Are   we then  nok
                                                  .  _.                      piace.
drifting-.sonff  wit:h  the`tide %hich  is continually grow-                     Speaking of "Israel"  one  `can think of the whole
ing stronger  r,onnd  about us?                 And should we  not           chlurch  of  IGod,  both in the Old and New Testament


  4 4                                       &HE.   STANDARD'BEAR,E.R
  -
  c&pen&ion.  Thus Paul speaks in Gal. 6  :16   .of   th'e                 This does not-mean- thai  Scripture is' an' .&cyclo-
  "Israel of  ,God..  It here refers to the church of God              pedia oft the ed'ucaitional  courses giqen in Israeii~  What
  as to its elect nucleus. But  the term also has-a-some- we  keow `must be gotten from  passa,ges  specifically
  what different application in  Scricprture,  and  then.refers        teaching us these ma.tters,  and from passages  &d the
  to  the Dheocratic nation of Israel, called  o,ut of Egypt           joint-tesbimony  of `Scripture from which  le`gitimate
                                                                                                                           :..
  under Moses,, an'd  established in Canaan, the land of-              inferences can be  made.  .
  promise.                                                                 This nequires.  a comparative, synthetic study of the
         Thus defined "Israel" can be and has been viewed              data of Scripture. In as far as others  ha+e  left us
  in the  difXerent  stages of its national existence. In our the product of their endeavours along these' lines we
  sQudy  in this  (essay  we wish to ignore this distinction, `can and should make use of them, and  &.LIS   be&fit
  and look at Israel in its entirety as it lived andmoved              from their lsbors.
  in the dispensation of the types  and  shadows under the
  reivelatioti  of God's Covenant.                                     E,ducation's   Form.ati+e   PBa,ce  in Israel.
         A second element in our  subj,ect,  which must not               Up&  collecting  the data having  bearilig on the
  be overlooked, is the term "education". Educati,on  has subjsect  under. consideration, we could not  &cape the
  been defined  "as   th,e sum-total of those  process'es  where-      conviction-that "education" had a most  impostiant  place
  by society transmits from one  genera;tizon  to the  n,ext           in  I&ael.  Iandeed  it was of cardinal,  prim8ry.import-
  its  a&umulaied  social, intellectual and religious ex-              ante  in their religious, national-theocratic ljfe.
  perience and  he&tag&  (Dewey). There are elements                       The  e&eating  of the children  ,a&  yoti&h  in Israel
  in this definition with  whi'ch  we disagree, and  thlere  are       was directly an institution  df  Jehovah. This is  ini@ied
 also elements lacking, when  viewled  under Biblical  per-            in what we read in Gen. 18  :19   .where  God's  Word-
  spectiy&. But in the  main  .th`is  definition will serve            speaks of Abraham's relation to. his children and pos-
  our  pur.po&  as a working principle.                                terity as a patriarchal teacher. Thus also is the i.Epli-
         ,Having   ,det!ermined  the meaning of  "educati,on"          catilon  of the Lord's  injunctiion  to Moses as recorded
  we believe it in order to call attention to the following            in such passages as Exoidus  10 :2 ; 13 :8-10  ; D`eut. 4 :9 ;
 <elements  which are present in all  e'ducation.  `(1) The            11:X3,  19. Further this is evident from-many.  &rip-
 subjsect   ma;tlter.. (2)  T,he  Educator. (3) The Educated           ture passages  sttiessing  the importance of iXns.tructioa,
  (the pupil).       (4) The technique of the actual  impart- rteaching  and  teacliers. Instruction is  vahled   as one's
  in:@  of education. In this essay it is  mjore pa&cularly            gife, Prov. 4:13; 6 :23,  and because of lack of instruc-
 to"the  "subject matter'? that we wish to call attention.             tion and wisdom one dies,  job.  4:21.  Again Scripture
                                                                       emphasizes that it is the truth that makes  rnai  free.
 Method   of  Acqwking  the Data.                                      J.0h.n 8 : 32.
         Before calling attention further to the subject                   Above all else, Israel  migh%  not live by "cunningly
  proper, we feel that a word is in order as to the                    #devised  fables" as  dild the heathen, listening to the
 r&hod  of. acquiring the data. There are only  tpo                    tales  and  folk-lo.re  of their fathers. Neither might
 ppFsibl,e   sou.rces.  The one is by the way of empirical             soroery,  exorcism, witch-craft  guide  and influence
 re;search,   s%udyipg  the  hi,eroglyphics  etc. of  that  day them  iti  lifce.        To prevent them from  being   car`ried  to
  &d  aage.  `The  ;other  is that recorded in the inspired and fro by &ery  -wind of doctrine positive instruction
 W,ord   o,f God.                                                      `w!as the onder of the day . Except folr  this instruction,
         The former of these  ttio sources yields  liktle  or Israel would sink  away  in the  botto,mless  mire of
 nothing for  .O~U.IT  purpose. We do not believe that to be stiperstition   an'd  idolatry. Through the  God-instituted-
 the Go.d-ordained way for us  to arrive at knowledge                  e.ducational   sunctionaries  Israel must learn the mean-
 of  t&e  education in Israel. The- `(`education" that  w,e in,g  and implication of its worship,. types, symbols,
 are studying lies  beyon,d   the  pale of secular. history. history ; must lea,rn to appreoi'ate  its own peculiar piece
 Parchti+ts  and the citings  on stones and other ob-                  ill the worl.d,'  and its relation to God;
 .jects  yield next to  nothiillg.  At  best they are, scanty              Consequently there  .was   np  room in Israel for
and fragmentary, and can only' aid us when  they  are                  "private interpretation",. None  might  serve God in
 "cpmpared  with,, and explained in the  l+gh;t   ,of   the  Scrip-    his own chosen way. Eve,r and anon the call- is : to the
 tures. Were  wle to take  thes,e  fragmentary  no*ices  as            l.aw  and-the testimony. If they speak ndt according to
 ,sources,   and  had we time to study  &em, they- would               this word, there is no morning for them. Is. 8:20.
 at `best have inferential value, and wo,uld  lead, &con-
 trolled by Scripture, to thi! wildest  spe&ation.          P.roof     Subje&  on  Ismel's.  E$ucatio'nal  Curriculum.
 of this we  haire   -in  t.he Critical Schools of the 19th                Speaking of the  "curriculm"  we do not  mean  to
 ,cent,ury.                                                            imply that Israel had a  ousrioulum  in the modern tech-
         We dlo  well,` and ar'e  on safie  terrain only' when we      nical. sense of the word. `It is extremely difficult, if not
 go to the Scriptures, the written Word of God.                        ;wholly  impossible! $0.  determine in how far the educa-


                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   B - E A R E R                                             45

  tional material, was classified in Israel. It is doubtful           The course, in "history" which could be given in
  whiether  they had any in the sense in which we have            Israel, was from the very nature of the time in which
  i t   now;;:                                                    they lived, not as broad in scope and rich iXn  data as in
      This does not mean that  a~  careful  stu.dy  of the        our  d,ay.  In secular history we speak of ancient,
  Scriptures would not allow us to .conclude  which sub- ,medieval  and  mo.dern  history. In biblical history we
  jects were definitely taught, when this same material have the history not only which Israel studied, but also
  is cast under the  tech'nical  educational headings of our      much which at that time belonged to the future. .These
  day. Doing this latter we are confident that the fol-           they. could not study, but rather they could only look.
  lowing  subj,ects  must have been taught in Israel : Read- forward to them in holpe.
  ing,  writi-ng,  history, music,  symbolics  or typo-logy,         The history that Israel studied was that of their
  hygiene,  ethi,cs  and civics.  It. is also possible to add     own fatherland. ' They studied in this connection the
  astronomy to this list. We do not pretend that this             birth of their nation and the unique character of their
  exhausts the list; hut we believe that it quite well theocratic commonwealth. History study must have
  covers the, field.                                              been for them not the mere  knowltedge  of facts, but
      To begin  with "reading" and "writing" permit us to         the  unfolidieg  of the plan of God  ; the bringing into
  remark,.. that we can safely infer that this art -must review of the mighty deeds of Jehovah in which He
  have beeniquite  general in Israel, even though not as          saved them as a people, and gave natio,ns  in the place
  ,gener,al  ,as, in our day. In fact, this must have been .of  their  soul. The true and pious Israelite cou1.d  listen
  emphatically-.the  case i.n  the tribe of Levi. These had to this history with the pride of theocratic patriotism,
  the work of writing the law, and teaching the same to           and with fear for God's majesty lest he "fall out"
  the people. There wer,e no print&g  presses, an.d books         because of  unb!elief.
  were scarce. Paper was not yet invented. `This made                 Then there `was the subject which we have  &ap-
  the art of  writinlg  necessary. Of this there can be little    tioned  "symbolics".      Israel lived under the law con-
  doubt.                                                          tained in ordinances. Its  lifte  was full of  symbolii:
   An interesting incident showing the scarcity of the teaching.               Think of the Passover, circumcision, the
  book of the law we have recorded in II  Ch.ron.  34 : 14-21.    cand,lestick,  the altar, the priest's  clothiZng,  the Pillar
      It may be well in this connection to remember that of Cloud,  Man,na,   w'ater  from the Rock, the  rainjbow.
  Israel was not an uncultured horde. Though children             Th!us  there was the symbolislm  of colors,  ston.es, num-
  of their time, they were of high  civilizati,on.      Their     bers, dimensions. And all this  ha.d to be  tau.ght  and
  life in Egypt must have been influenced by the. "learn-         understood in its God-given  mea:ning.
  ing of Egypt". It  .was in Egypt that "writing", (thus it          All this was not so much dead data, but a living
  is commonly held)  w.as first  devleloped.  Fairbairn in        integral part of their spiritual  reli,gious  life. T!here
  "Typology"  Vol, II, p. 190 ?nas  the f,ollowing  interesting must  -have  been' a close relationship between Israel's
  notation : "How  a,lphabetical  writiag was invented, or        "history" and the  "symbo1ic.s"  that was taught.  ;.The
  by whom, or whether it was not transmitted from the             symbolism was  inte.rwoven  with the mighty deeds of
  ages before the  fl,ood,  and  might  consequently be claim-    God in the past, present and also the future. TJhis is,
  ed by each of the more eminent races or nations, that           by way of example, very clearly seen in Exodus 13:8-
  afterwards arose, as their own,  these  are still un- 10. Here Gold explicitly  .declares  that the symbolism of
  explored mysteries and likely to remain such. The the "passover" may never in their minds be disjoined
  opinion is now very prevalent, that the inventing               from the historical last  plag,ue  of God upon Egypt's
  belongs to Egypt and grew out of a gradual improve-             firstborn, and from the "passing-over" of the  .angel  of
  ment of the  origi:nal   hierofglyphic  or picture-writing." death  ,over  Israel,  Go'd's  firstborn son "called out of
    Since one hypothesis is as good as an other we feel E,gypt".             More instances could be cited, but space for-
  free to submit the f,oB.owinig.    We feel that the various bids.
  languages all originate not from before- the ,flood,  but          "Music" must  .also  have been taught.  -Proof  for
  from the time of 13abel. And that Moses, evidently the          this statement is hardly necessary. Israel was a sing-
  first `to write in the Hebrew characters, and schooled          ing, victorious people.      Their song and praise was
- in all the learning of the Ejgyptians  was able to write        expressive  ,of  Jehovah's mighty deeds. Scripture leads
  in characters in the Hebrew language.                           us  to believe  .that  there was a great development in
      However this may all be, the consideration of the the field of music. It was  ,especially  David, the  "sweet-
  liti$ed  supply of books and writings sheds some light singer"_   i,n  Israel who did much in this field. The
  on the method of teaching ,employed  in Israel. It was          singing  bn  the temple, both vocal and instrumental was
  in all probability oral teaching. A great  d,eal of mem-        raised to a high plane.        And why not? Was this
  orization ~mhst  have been required of th,e children and        singing not typical of the singirrg  of the true Israelites
  students. Naturally those who received oral instruc-            before  the. throne of God in the heavenly house not
  tion did not need to learn to  read&and  write.          -
                                              -.                  made with hands? The  fa,ct that there was progress
                                         .

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

   in this field, does  not  prec.lude  the,fact that'lsrael  `also
   sang  aed  had instruments  whtn  they came out of                                                  `How And What  To-   Read-
   E,gypt.     Think of marching and singing @racl -.(l?salm                              .  . fin a country where-illiteracy is rare and education
   68) in the dlesert at the Red Sea, and at the walls of                                 is-not only within th,e grasp of almost every child but
   Jericho. This was music not  tierely f,or euphony and                                  even literally forced upon them, it might seem super-
  ,?y.mljhony,  but for the praise of God. Psalm  150.                                    fluous to suggest, as my subject does; that there not
         "Ethijcs" and "hygiene" were also taught. In Israel                              only might be but actually are  some,  yea many, who do
  `&&e  subjects were closely connected. The former was not know how to read.
  the motive of the latter. This is a `point, the import-                                     One need not be necessarily illiterate to know not
   ance of which. cannot be easily overstressed,  an,d should `how to read. In fact, the.majority of psople  who read
   by  a!l.means  never be lost sight of. The hygiene taught have never mastered  the art. Most every one  isable to
  ..in  Israel  was not based on empirical-scientific research.                           pi& up a book or newspaper and assimilate its con-
  .Cleznlinees  and  garity  of body was part of the  cere-                               tents, but not everyone knpws  how to read.
. monial  ordin.ance  and was  requ,ired  for Gad's sake.                                    Reading is an art. Ernest  LegouvB,  a -French tea-
   Thus  "hygi&.e" was a principle, ethical matter, and                                   cher and lecturer on the subject, asks and answers the
   fiat  a  mat&r of utility and other humanistic motiives.                               question as  f,oPows   : "Is reading an art at  al,1  ? Many
   T,he  bo,d.y,  to ptit  it i.n  New Testament language, is "the                        doubt it. Some deny it. My dpinion  I gi:ve%ithout  the
  temple of the Holy Spirit". For a further study of                                      slightest hesitation. A  caref.ul   stgdy of the question
the  cotinection  between ethics and-hygiene see Lev.                                     for at least thirty years, aided by  numberl,ess  and
   12%5;   15:.  2, 3, 16; 17:.  15; 18:6-18;  19:22;`22:8..                              vari,ed  exp&iences,  -has  convinced me that it is an art,
         "Civics" also was a  su,bject  taught-in Israel. This                            a real art, but as difficult as it is real, and as  usef:ul
   covered quite a wide fielid..  The laws for civil life must                                                                  . .
                                                                                          as it is difficult."
  have been taught and known by the people, else their                                       Reading is an art "which entails the powers `of
  .whole   nationad-theocratic          existen,ce  would mean  notlz-                    sharing and  un,derstanding  the thoughts  and  sympa-
  ing. These laws we find recorded in the Pentateuch.                                     thies of great men and women who have  left books as
  con/cl~io~ns.                                                                      -signposts on the road of  cul%ure,  to  gui,de  those who
         In the fiTs+, place we wish to remark, that our con-                             stumble along tihe way." (Henry Guppy on the Art of
  ,clusion  will not be wider than                                                        Reading).
                                               our  discussion. Such
  conclusions having bearing on the parental character                                       I shall have occasion in the sequence to call your
  of teaching, will fall outsi'd,e  ,of  these remarks.                                   attentiop to the  fact that `these "sign-posts" must be
         1. It is  very  .evildent  from this brief and sketchy true sign-posts for  us  or  we had better ignore them
  study. of the subject, that all teaching  i,n  Israel was                               altogether. But the fact remains nevertheless that as
  ,theocentric.  It  all ended i-n God. History dealt with                                far as  %he  art of reading is concerned, it consists
  God's mighty  dee,ds.             SyFbolics  dealt with the form chiefly in the ability to grasp and share in the thought
  of God's revelation of His covenant.                  Music  was  the                   of the author of the material to be read. Did it ever
  medium of expressing. God's  pr,aises.  Cleanliness was strike  you  that on the  shellves of a library which is
  elevated to the notion of ethical purity.                                               worthy of the name  you*  will find that the secular
         2. Education was not an end in itself, but was sub- intervals of time are  ,abridged  and that generations
  servient to ,prepare  the children for their place, their                               of men meet on a single  shelf. Then if you look more
  pecdiar  position in the world, in the service  of God.                                 cl,osely,  you shall discover -that all  the leading facts
         3. As such education was a child of its time, but iti.                           of life are there, the differences between men and men,
  its ground-work it is the pattern according to which                                    with all the differences between the ages and ages of
Christian education  to,day  should still be conducted.                                   the world. If our minds are  pioperly  attuned, we shall
If this latter has in some measure become clear we                                        hear  th'e  laugliter and the sobs of mankind, and we
  feel that this essay has not been without positive fruit.                               &all  understand as perhaps never before, something of
                            ,                             G. C. L.                        the labors of mankind!  of their  succe$s&,  of their use-
                                                                                          less sacrifices of which  there  are so many  in'history,
                                  IN  MEMO.RIAM
         The consistory of the Protestant Reformed Church of Bell-                        of the, idle dreams with all  their mischiefs.
  flower, California, hereby wishes to express its  sympathy to o&                   a At the same time we shall  discern  something of
  brother, Elder John  Buma,  in the loss of his wife                                the  power  of hooks to, as it were, annihilate spa,ee  and
                                 LUBERTHA BUMA                               \            t&e,  and, like a  "tiagic   c&pet"  transport  us   -i&o
  mother of seven children, at the age of 38 years.                          :.b
         May the Lord of all grace comfort the brother and  his-                     Jregions  the most  remote.        It  fs pos'sible  by their aid to
  children in this iheir  bereavement.                                               `witness unharmed  the great  catastrophies  of  the'wor1.d.
                   The Consistory of the Bellflower -Prot.  Ref. Church,i                 It. may be even that  thou&h   yoq  are  defirived  of the
                                           L. Doezema, Pres.                      :`!~pportunities        of  .travel   a;nd exploration and yet through
                                           Jl   Bekeidam,   Vi&,  Pres.           Bilp' the medicm of -books be  p&iletied  to rove the dark
                                                                                    ;:
                                                                                                             `.


                                           T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                                 47

   continent of Africa --with the Scottish explorer, David           chologist, in his observations on the subject of the  pace
   Livingstone, or with Johanna  Veenstra into the heart at  w&h  we read remarks that many, perhaps most,
   of the Sudan.                                                     people read too. slowly, and could  -by  a conscious `effort
       The world of  .books  is our common heritage, but  be-        speed up their reading by something like  507g.  And
   fore we can enter into it, we must gain possession of             paradoxieal  as it may appear, quicker reading is more
   the key  ,that   m-docks'  it, and that key is the art of efficient. The quick reader understands and remembers
   reading.                                                          better than  .the   sl,ow   re,a.der.  Quick reading leads to
       It is hardly reasonable, therefore for anyone to  al,e@ness  of mind.                            Tests have. been made and have
   expect to be able to pick up a p&e of work, the result            shown that the qui,ekest  readers are best at answering
   of years of thought and experience, and hope to `find             questions on the subject-matter of their reading. Mas-
   in it relaxation for idle hours. Anyone who  inteeds              ters in the,art of reading also exhort to reading aloud,
   to read in the real sense of the word must first ri.d  his        The  re,ason  for this is that the ear as well as the eye
   or her mind of .thle  idea that reading is anything but col,laborates  with `the mind in the activity of reading
   a strenuous exercise of the `brain,  cal.ling  into action all    and serves to aid us in  r,emembering  what -we read.
   the appreciations of mind with the faculty of imagina-                         Moreover, the art of reading is not yet perfected
   t i o n .                                                         unless you are also able to read -critically. Funda-
       And this art of coinciding your thoughts and' your            mental as it is to enter into the spirit of the author,
   understanding with that of the author whose literature. this does not mean that one' slavishly mumble the
   you read is an art that needs to be cultivated. Nobody            words of the author and. cry `amen' to his every 
                                                                            _-                                                                con-
   cares for it to b,egin  with unless he is a prodigy. It is        cmsion.             The only Author to whose Word we shall say
   never too late to begin.       I have-talked with people          `Amen' is God alone. Though you may  exegete  His
   about-  the matter of reading the  Standar,d  Bearer or           Word and with  fmite  minds seek to analyze it, you
   other good literature. A very common ,ex,pression  you -may never hold that Word in  suspicioa. But for the
   hear amongst otir  aider  people is, "I have no desire to         `rest the artful reader will inquire with, a free exercise
  `read because I  can.not  read. If I had only started  whten       of his mind. You should therefore read good literature
  .I was younger, I might-have acquired the habit." Now "with the admiration of intelligence and -not with the
  it is true that the great readers of the world began  wo,nder  of ignorance." The result will be  that  your
   very early, and that what we read in early life  im-              art  -of  reading will broaden into the refined accom-
  presses the mmd  more .deeply  than wh'at  we read later.          plishment of `skipping and skimming'. By this we
  ,Nevertheless  a real love of reading may  come--late  in          mean, you will be ,able  to detect the useless and unin-
   life. It is related of a man of affairs, who had wanted           teresting and corrupt literature  w.hic3-i  is swamping
   all his life to read, and had collected a fine library for        the markets.- Many people read a book principally
   the time when he should have leisure to enjoy it,. that           with the object of getting through it.. They reach the
   he found to his  dismay,"when  the opportunity for which `word `finis' with the same sensation of triumph as
  he had long waited came with his physicians order to               bhe  Indian felt when he had added a fresh scalp to
  take a few years rest from business, he could not rea)d,           his belt. This is not proper. The aXecomplished  reader
   because  he.  had never learned  .how,  and was unable to         is he who  speeldily  detects and chooses the material
  keep his mind fixed on the page. He had thought that he really. des,ires to read.
  man ,could  read just as easily as he coul,d  walk, but he           What  i,s it that we should desire to read? But
   discovered that it was an art, and with shame he had              isn't also this question superfluous? Should this ques-
  to confess -that he had never cultivated it.  T,he  tools tion be asked- of  peopl,e  whose world and life  v!iew
  were within his  re.ach,  but he could nolt use them. If.  is  -generally   reforme,d  and  parti&arly  Protestant  Re-
   we wish to care for reading, we must begin to read' formed?                              -._
  and `go on reading until we really  `car:e. for it.,    '                       I believe .the.  .question.:is  not  -only proper but also
      However, when we begin to read we should read                  timely. We `are: .c,oming:<into.,that  -season  of the year
  slowly and deliberately, just as a  pedestri,an  setting out when 
                                                                       t           -more   th2ia.n  any  other:   i$eZ   :hav%~.time.  and occasion
. on a long journey starts at a moderate pace,  quicl~enin~-,::tq-.~~a~~~   `T.helong   winter~nights~   keep-  us, inside and are
   iit as his muscles get into  f~xll  play,  aed as his limbs more opportune for' reading .-and'  study.  `than the hot,
  become accustomed to the exercise. This suggestion sultry  clays.  of summer. Church:society life is sliding
  mlay  not be favor.abl:e  to rapid reading at first,, but it       `into full swing, and  demandirjg  preparation through
  ,will  insure thorough reading. It is not the multitude breading  and study. And not only does the season of
  of books that gives wisdom,  it is not how much we read            the year lend itself to the justifiability of the question,
  that should concern us, but how much we retain. O n                but the time in general in which we live, the time of
 the  :other  hand, it is true that  the-  more. you read the great world events and a time of much difference of
  faster. you should read, and good readers are quick opinion and creed.
  readers. Accordingly, professor Cavanaugh, the  Psy-                            In times  such  as  ,these  there is noticeably also much


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                                             T&E  S T A N D A - R D   BEAB.E+                            ,' . .

 literature  .to~be  had. Literature that is  goo,d  and bad.                                Contribution---
 `Sign-posts' that are true and  false. Books and papers
 also that present deceptive mixtures.                                An Apology to Mr. J.  Hendriksen,]   ' . -. .. :*!i-.
     What shall tie read?  W,ell,  +he  reformed man knows                We express our regrets  for  havigg   said:$hat   Mr.
 the answer. The covenant  yoting  man and woman also                 Hendriksen was searetly  working. for a uhio7q  %6th  the
 knows the answer. _ The little' children of God's cove-              Christian  .Reformed  Church and  hereby   &.ke  public
 nant shonld be instructed in the answer if they  do not              the  applogy  offered-to him-by  -us . Mr.  J.,.$~e~driksen
 already know it.              5`     '                               is  scriba  of the Protesting  Chrixstian   @efI   Chu?:nuh  of
: We shall  .read  with joy  otily  that with which not               Kalamazoo, and it was especially for the fact  t&t h?
 -only our minds  atid   understahding   can coincide with            as  scriba  of this ,congregation  has put two mini&rs  of
 the author's, but also our  hea?ts.         That literature only the Chr. Ref. Church and a student of Calvin  &:n&ary
 we will see!;  `to read  w&h  shall  buibd  us up first of           on the pulpit in. the absence or d+ability:af  the`minis-
 all  si;iri'ically &cl then  int'ellectually.  And though            t.er  of said congregation, that also w;&  wer&of the opin-1
 we canriot  help  but read much of the "stuff" that floods           ion that he was working towards  leadi&g,*us  -back to
 the  .mart,  concerning that we shall say: `my soul                  a denomination with whom we differ iti $&iciple  and
 loatheth  it'. And-my  childrren  shall have `bread' and             consequently cannot unite.  Mr.   Hendrtiks;en-has  with
 `not  &ones'   t.0   eat.                                            Mr. A. Woltersom also an  ,elder.   and.   ~~~l,c;ss in  fully
     For you realize that  we  have not said enough when              agreement at the home of, P. Alpherraar  %greecl  to the
 we described the art of reading. Reading for us is not' fa,ct  that we, as the congregatiofi-  of Kal&nazoo,  being
 merely a natural, int,ellectual  Activity  of the mind and           doctrinally and spiritually one tiith the Protestant Re-
 eye, mouth and ear whereby  we assimilate the thoughts               formed churches, should be united  and,sQuld seek this
 of  &hers  and criticize them.: But reading  -for  us `is            reunion on a scriptural and  l,egal  basis.
 also. a spiritu,al  matter. The unregenerat'e  reader may                These statements were made in the capacity of an
 be intellectually of  worl,d   renown  but  spirittially he          elder on official business. We, were ivery  much and
 rej,oices  in corruption even when  he reads. T,he  child            happily  surprised  by  `this  `attitude and we are  -very
 of God reads  also   intelli~geritlp,  and devel.o,ps  his intel-    hopeful that this reu&on  will be -accomplished, for we
 lectual powers but spiritually-principally he rejoices               kinolw   *hat   bhe  other elders take  the  same stand and
 only in the good. Should he `neverthel,ess  still find a the  congregation  with  very few exceptions, has long
 delight in the corruption, it is not he that  does so, but been hoping and'pr,aying  5or this, and only recently a
sin that  dwel&$h  in him. From this sinful delight he Ipetition  to thds  end, signed by sixty-two members in
 must be  conv.erted  and  repen%.  In respect to this we             full  communion was presented to the consistory. Pray,
 shall all have to be admonished:            ~                        who or what is staridincg  in the way then?
     It is therefore proper not c&y to ask the question :                 Zs  the  cloor  still open  2s far  -as  the Protestant  Re-
 whtat   shall   wfe  read? but it is also proper to  answer  it      f  ortied Churches is  conc&rned?
 by pointing once more to  bhat   which  is good. `That                   Suppose that the whole affair be app;oached  from
w.hich  is supremely good is the Scriptures which are                 a different angle anld that a corn&t&e  from both sides
able to  enllighten  the mind of our understanding to                 works  out, a scriptural and legal basis. It shouldn't
 such a degree  th,at  all other litdrature will be  judgeld  in be  difsicult for  Christ-b&vers  to  forgive and forget
 its light. And he who delights. himself in reading the               and. it doesn't  -seem too difficult  to.find  a way.                We
 Scriptures will also bme  interested in developing, in the           hope that the  elcders  of our  cong&g&op  may know
 truth as it  has  been formulated in our creeds by `the              their duty and have the courage of tion$cticm,  so that
 Church-  in all ages. The *good  reader, Reformed yead-              we and our children through the grace  of God may be
 er, will apply .the principals of reading,described        abo:ve    presemed,for  the Protestant  R&omned  Truth. .
 also to these. Need I remind you also how beneficial                                     Y,ours   ,for  true Christian Fellowship,
 it is to +ad  our Church periodicals, the many books                                                         B. Hoppenbrouwer.
and pamphlets of  delfghtful   readin,g  materials ?                                                    -        9.      Alphenaar:              -
   Most naturally, for us, first things come first and                                                 -
 therefore we should also  fol.10~  the order just as  `we                                   .--IN   MI~V~~RIAM   -
                                                                          Thk  Co&istory  of the Prot4stant   RkfoFmed  Church of Bell-
 prescribed it above. Only then,  w.hen  there  is time               flower, Californiaj  hereby wishes to express  its sympathy to our
 waiting on our hands should we broaden out in our                    brother, Mr. Dangermolid,  in the loss of `his wife,
 field:of  reading materials. Then no harm is done or                                       MRS:  DANGERMOND
 evil perpetrated if we peruse a history  boq,k,  a re-                   May the Lord of all grace comfort the brother and the ,
 commended  fiovel  or even ,a magazine, the possession               family in this their bereavement.
 of which will :not cause you to blush when your minis-                            The Consist&y of the-B&lower Prot. Ref. Church,
                                                                           -        ,-                        `L. Doezema, Pres. .
 ter or elder comes for a visit. .                _,    M. S.                                                 J;  Bekendam, Vice; Pres.


