VO L U M E   X V I I I .                                NOVEMBER 1, 1941                                                                   NUMBER  3

                                                                              E!  alloti   z'al   H i j   regeaen   !                       /~
          `iMEDITAT.lE   .-                                                   Van zee  tot  zee, en  van~de rivier tot aan de einden
                                                                         der  aaqde  zal Zijn heerschappij  &jn;
                                                                              Laat Sion zich dan  vsrbetigen-!
                                                                              Want  in dien dag zullen ook  al  de-gevangenen   Sions-.'
       Bevrijding Van  Sions  Gevangenen                                 door Hem worden  bevrijcd!                                -  -
                                                                              Bevrijd  uit  een  hopelo:ozen   kiil,  om van Hem dub-
                 U ook aangaande, o Sion! door het bloed                 b e l   t e   o n t v a n g e n !   -
              uws  v&bonds  heb Pk uwe  gebondenew   uit  `den                Gr,Oote  blli j,dschap !
              kuil,  daar geen water in+, uitgelaten. Keert
              gijlieclen  weder tot de sterkte,.  gij   yebonde-              Uwe gebondenen!                     '     -     *                   -
              tien, die  dam hoopt! ook heden verkondig Ik,                   Sion? gebondenen in een kuil, waarin  geen-w&t6r is !
              dat Ik ZLW dubbel xal wedergeven..                              Letterlijk;  tin  naar  den vorm der  prtifetie,   wo-dt
                                             Zach.  9:11, 12,            hier  gedoelid op  kiijgsgkangenen.  Het  tijti hier geen
       Verheug-u  -er,  gij dochter  Sions!                              gevangenen, die om de een of andere  mi3daad  in boeien
       Want immers, uw Koning komt tot u, Hij,  Djen  ge                 geklonken en in de gevangenis geworpen waren.  Nee&
lrang  verwacht  hebt,  naar Wiens komst ge met ver-                     gevangelijk weggevoerden van Sion worden bdoeld,
langen hebt  u&tgezien  de eeuwen  d,osr   !                             di'e  verder  a1.s   &laven   waren   verktocht en nu Zn slaven-
       &.j is arm en nederig van gedaante, zachtmoedig,                  dienst  moesten zuchten.
-ri$len@ op een ezel, en  otp  e&n veulen, een  j,ong der                    En het zijn niet- de  ballitigieri   in'Bab61  alleen, of
ezelinnen.      Maar alleen  zoo  zal  Hij  tot  u kunnen komen          zelfs in de  eefsrte   plakti;  die hier worden bedoeld. Zq
en  -den  `strijd aanbinden tegen  Sio.ns   vijan,den,  en  alleen       vex-staat tien den tekst wel, doch zonder veel  redeti::
zoo.-zal  hij kunnen overwinnen  !                                       Weliswaar   waren  er ook na de terugkeer nog een  lx&$Y
       Want.  Hij is  ?echtva+ig;          daarom is Hij een             Joden in  Babylonri. `t Was immers slechts een  arnee@%
H&land  !                                                                tig  hoopsken,  dat  geho,or   h,ad  gegeven aan den  oproep?:
       Alleen.in  den  weg van  -Golds  recht zal Hij  wille%            van Cyrus en teruggekeerd was naar het land der  es
strijden.  Gods recht zal Hij handhaven ten einde toe, vaderen en de stad  Gods. En de  achter,geblevenen,   Y
zelfs tot in den bitteren  d,6od  des  `kruises.       En in den         hadden wel de vrijheid om terug te  keeren.  Maar ze
weg van dat recht  Gods zal Hij de  overtinning   tiehalen               hadden geen begeerte en gevoelden geen behoefte om
en van den  Heere;  Zijnen God, het koninkrijk  onitvan-                 Babel te  yerlaten.             Ze  -hadden  het. in Babel goed naar
gen. Een "nieuwe  orde", een nieuwe  wereldorde   ~1                     dn zin. Ze deden goede zaken. En in Kanan moest
Hij `tot stand brengen, een  urde  des vredes, want "Hij                 het wel armoede en  lijd'en  worden. Jernzalem  lag  in
zal de wagens uit Efram uitroeien, en  de.  paarden uit                 puin !
Jeruzalem  ; ook zal de  strij,dboog  uitgeroeid worden".                     D,och  vele  ander   gevangelien   @ons zuchtten  nog
vs. 10. Waar  H.ij Zelf kwam  nonder   wereldsche   mscht,               in den kuil !
arm en  rijidende'op  een ezel, en waar Hij Zijn  rijk                        En deze worden hier bedoeld. Immers waren daar
stic.ktte  o?p` de grondslagen van  Gods recht alleen, daar              altijd nog de  ge$angenen  van  Israel,  de tien stammen,
cal  er in  ,dat  rijk geen  behToef$e  zijn aan wagens en              weggevoerd door de  Asyrische  wereldmacht lang vr
paarden en  strij,dbogen.           cn  rijk des  vred,es'  zal het ' de  Babylonriscbe   wegvoering.  En ook  EfrarY1  wordt
zijn.                                                                  hier toegesproken, zooals duidelijk is  uit   het verband.
       I$i heel de wereld zal in dien vrede  deelen   !                  Zelfs  `wprdt  het  " Sion"  ii-. den  oiorspronkeijken  tekst
~. Want-ok den Heidenen  zal Hij vrede spreken.                      _ niet  gev0nde.n.           Het   `g  das  niet  nmogeK.jk  om bij het
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           56                                          -THE  S T A N D A R D   BEA.R.ER

           "ook  u" zelfs uitsluitend te denken aan de tien  stam-                                Gebondenen zijn ze van  nature  : ze liggen midden in
       `men.         Ook zij waren immers besprengd met het                                   den  dolo,d.    Maar burgers van het hemelsch en eeuwig
           bloed des verbonds! Maar afgedacht van deze  weg-                                  Kanan zijn ze naar de verkiezing en door de genade
           voering der tien stammen waren er nog  vol an-                                    G,olds  over hen. BalglRngen  zijn ze, ver  van+  hun  eigen
           deren, die door invallende vijanden waren wegge-                                   vaderland, ver van  Gods Huis,.  va*n  tempel en altaar,
           voerd uit het land der belofte en onder een vreemd in  zichzelven  verbannen van  Gods verbond en gemeen-
     - juk in slavernij moesten zuchten. Ach, had- men                                        schap der vriendschap.  Gebon,denen.  zijn ze' in .een
           Israel  niet benauwd van zijn jeugd aan? Hadden                                    kuil,  waanin   .geen water  ,is  ; beladen  met:  een schuld,
           de  pl,oegers niet op zijn rug geploegd, en hunne                                  waaraan geen betalen is; onder de heerschappij  Van
           voren lang  .gemaakt?        Had niet Syri reeds Gilead met eene  zondemacht,   waar,aan   geen'o,ntkomen  is ; zittende
           ijzeren,   d'orschwagens gedorscht ? Am.  1:3.   En.  hgdden                       in. de duisternis der  schaduwe  des  d,ood,  waaruit geen
           niet  de  Fil~istijnen,   daie aartsvijanden. van  Gods volk,                      uitweg is  ;  beho,or,encle  tot eene wereld, die onder den
           reeds de schande begaan, niet alleen om van. Israel                                toorn  God,s  ligt, die niet af te weren is. . . .            .-
           gevankelijk weg te voeren, maar erger nog, om ze als                                   Geestelijkgebondenen. . . .                          ,
      -`slaven aan dom te  verkoopen?  Am.  1:6.  En had                                       Maar  behoarende  tot het volk, dat God Zich ten erve
           niet het rijke en  wulpsche  Tyrus. handel gedreven met                            verkoren heeft, geliefde kinderen  !.
.          de kinderen des verbonds ? Met eene volkomene weg-                                     Daarom worden ze  d.an  ook, in de  profe&,  vertegen-
           voering hadden ze  Gods  volk overgeleverd  aay! Edom,                             woordigd, niet door de Joden alszoodanig, niet door
           Am.  1:9  ;, om hen  m&ar verre van hunne  landpa.le  te                           alle gebondenen zelfs, zeker niet door die ballingen;  dlie
           brengen,  hadiden   Tyrus  en  Silon  ze zelfs aan de Grieken                      het rijke-"Babel  vrko&n  boven het in  nutin liggend
           verkocht. Men had om  Gods volk  gedlobbeld, het lot                               Jeruzalem ! . . . .
           over hen geworpen, een knechtje  gegeyzen   voor een                                   Maar  doo,r  de gebondenen, die-daar  hooplten  !
           hoer, en een maagdje verkocht voor wijn  1. Jol3  2, 6.                              Die zagen op  .de  belofte, en die in het midden van
                 Ach, letterlijk over heel de wereld waren deze ge-                           een uit menschelijk oogpunt hopelooze ellende uitzagen
           bondenen van Juda en  Efram   Y.                                                  na&r  de vervulling!
       En ellendig, ja, hopeloos was hun toestand!                                                Wi,er  oogen  verlengden om des  Heeren  zaligheid te
                 Er scheen geen  uitweg.           Uit menschelijk oogpunt zien !
       1~s   verllo&ing  en terugkeer onmogelijk.- `Ze waren                                      Gebondenen, die voorwerpelijk in  Sions  Koning een
           gebonden als in een kuil zonder water, waar niemand                                vaste  ho:pe  hadden.
           meer  .eenige aandacht aan wijdt, dien ieder voorbijgaat                            Die straks ook,. door de genade  Gods;  op Hem  zou-
           zonder een blik er in te slaan, waar ze dus niets anders                           oen  leeren  hopen!                          :
           konden verwachten  (dan  dat ze van honger en dorst                                    Hopen op de volkomene bevnijding !  D
       zouden omkomen !                                                                           Sions  gebondenen !
       .   .Hopellooze   t o e s t a n d !
       Zoo  z i j n   d e z e   gebondeeen   n a a r   d e n   letterhjken                        Heerlijke vrijheid !
       : vorm  `der  profetie, die zich altijd aansluit  .bij den                                 Des te heerlijker, omdat het eene dubbele verlos-
      ,-  werkelijken toestand van  Golds  volk op het moment,' sing is  !~
      `..   .:waar80p   .de   lopenbaring  werd gegeven en de profetie
     _-                                                                                           Uit den diepen kuil naar den.  hoogen  hemel! Uit
     ::-.. werd. uitgesproken.                                                                eene  hopeloo'ze   gevangenlis  tot  in.een  staat van hoogste,
                 To,ch  moogt ge  hier.niet  bij  bllijven.              Deedt  ge het        eeuwige vrijheid !
       ..w,el,   ge:  zoudt  immers  d,e  schaduw  v,erkiezen  boven de                           0 zeker, alweer rekenend met den letterlijken vorm
       werkelijkheid, en bij de schaduw blijven zitten nu de                                  dezer profetie, en ons plaatsend op het standpunt van
       werkelijkheid reeds gekomen is. Vergeten we het toch het historisch moment dezer openbaring, kunnen we
       niet,  dat deze belofte van bevrijding der  ygebondenen                                slechts  zegge,n,  dat  ,hier aan de  Joodsche  slaven, die
       in onmiddelijk verband staat met  de~.lEomst  van  Sions                               onder de heerschappij van vreemden  zucht.ten, beloofd
           Koning, arm en rijdende op een ezel, en op een veulen, wordt,  .dat ze  uit  hun slavernij zullen worden verlost,
           een  jtong der ezelinnen. Door Hem  immrs-zal  deze                               en dat hun nu wordt toegeroepen, dat ze zullen  weder-
           bevrijding tot stand komen. In Zijne dagen zal ze                                  keeren  naar het land Kanan, naar de Sterkte, Jeru-
           ~werkel~jkheid wor,den.            Maar dan zal Hij den Heidenen                   zalem, de, stad  Gods.
           ook van vrede spreken. .Dan zal er  gee.n.onderscheid                               D.och  bij dien  profetischen.  vorm mogen we niet
           meer zijn tusschen Jood en Griek.                Dan hebben de                     blijven staan, `eenvoudig  omldat de Schrift ons noopt
       ,,schaduwen  uitgediend, dan is de  w,erk&jkhe@   ge-                                  urn  verder te zien..
       .-komen.        Dan is  ,Sion  boven en Jeruzalem in den hemel.                            1s.. het niet de vrijheid, die bewerkstelligd wordt
           En dan zal God  .dojor  dezen Koning  alle Zijne ge-                               door  Sions  Koning, waarvan  ,hier sprake is? Is Hij
           vangenen. wederbrengen, ja, ook uit  Efrarm en  -.Juda,                           het  niet;-D.ie   -als;  Knecht des  Heeren  de opdracht. had
       .maar  ook uit alle volken der wereld!
                       ,_.            *:`.`.                        :
                       .  :                                                     `-:
                                                                         ::            .._    om. deze gebondenen  uit  .den  kud  te laten, en Die Zelf

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                                                T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R   --'   .   .   '                      -                .  KJ.

     van  d,eze   opd.racht  spreekt in Jes.  61:l:        "De Geest des    der hel niet kan worden overweldigd !
    .Heeren   HEEREN   .is op Mij, omdat de  Heer'e  Mij ge-                   En  l,et -wel  :~ Hij is het, Die roept!
     zalfd heeft, om  eene blijde  bood,schap   te.  brenge;_   ben           .,-,.Bn;    wonder! als Hij roept, dan vallen de banden
     zachtmoedigen; Hij heeft Mij gezonden  omste  vrbin-                  van de  geb&&le  polsen, dan worden de enkelen verlost
     den  ,d,e   gebrokenten  van harte,  `om  den gevangenen  vrij: uit de omknelling der ketenen,, dan komen de voeten
     heid uit  te roepen, en. den gebondenen opening der                    uit  deqstok.  . . .
     gevangenis"  ?-                                                           Dan klimmen de gebondenen uit den kuil. . . .
         :Of  zeide  dan de Kon-ing  Si,ons,  toen Hij nog pas was           -.  En dan  keeren  ze weder tot de sterkte !
     gekomen, het  Z,elf niet te Nazareth: "De Geest des                       Wbonderlijke  verlossing!
     Heeren  is op Mij,  .dsarom  heeft -Hij Mij gezalfd; Hij
     heeft Mij gezonden,  o'rn den armen het  evangehe  te                      Souvereine   g e n a d e   !
     verkondigen, om te- genezen, die  .gebr,oken  zijn van                   Heel deze vrijmaking wordt immers bewerkstelligd
     ha-rte  ; om den gevangenen te prediken loslating, en                  door het bloed des verbonds !
     den blinden het  gezich& om den verslagenen heen te                       En het bloed des verbonds spreekt -van niets anders
     zenden in vrijheid". . . . en, let wel: "Heden is deze                 dan eeuwige, ongehoudene, souvereine Goddelijke ge-
     Schrift in uwe  oo,ren  vervuld"?                                      nade !
         Neen, `neen, niet  -bij  eene  aard'sche verlossing van               Want het is alles  G,odes!
     4lichameli j k gebondtenen mogen we blijven staan !                     Het verbond is  .Godes.  0, zeker, de tekst spreekt
          Van- waarachtige,  geest,elijke,  eeuwige  v,rijmaking            van het bloed uws  verboeds.          Het  verbo:nd is ook onzer.
     spreekt  dittwoord!                                                    Maar dan toch altijd  zoo,  dt het ons verbond wordt,
        " Van eene vrijmakting, die  eeee  dubbele weergave in-             doordat God Zijn verbond aan ons schenkt, en met ons
     houdt, eene dubbele vertroosting over de gebondenheid                  olpricht, aan ons bevestigd, met  ,ons houdt.  Ander&
     in den. kuil, -getuigt deze belofte. Het is de  verlossinlg            zou het niet kunnen. Want het  verb.ond  !is  Gods eeuwige
     uit diepten van ellende tot in hoogten van hemelsche                   vriendschap met ons in Christus. Hij maakt het. Hij
     blijdschap en heerlijkheid  ; uit  eenen  staat van nimmer             richt het  o,p. Hij vervult alle "voorwaarden". Hij
     te delgen.  schul,d  tot dien van eene nooit meer te ver-              geeft het ons met alle geestelijke zegeningen in den
     liezen gerechtigheid  ; uit de slavernij van de machten                hemel in Christus. Hij schenkt ons ook alles, wat  noo-
     der zonde en ongerechtigheid tot de allerhoogste vrij-                 dig is, om in dat verbond te staan en te volharden ten
     heid der heerlijkheid der kinderen  Gods; uit den druk                 einde toe!
     des toorns  Gods en  ,der  verdoemelijkheid tot de genie-                Vrije genade!.
     ting der eeuwige gunst en gemeenschap der vriend-                         Rustend alleen in eeuwige, soevereine verkiezing !
     schap; uit bange duisternis tot het "licht dat van Zijn                   Want ook het  bl,oed  des verbonds is  `Godes!
   aanzicht straalt" en, dat de blijdschap ten hoogsten                        0, zeker, ook hier is het bloed des verbonds, als we
     toppunt  .doet stijgen; uit banden des doods tot het                   gaan staan op het standpu.nt van den tijd dezer  prufe-
     eeuwig zalig leven in  Gods tabernakel  ;  it-  de verdruk-           tie, nog  a1tij.d  niets  aeder,s dan, het bloed,  eclat voort-
     king dezer' wereld tot de eeuwige gelukzaligheid en                    durend en  altijld  weer opnieuw onder en voor Israel
     heerlijkheid van het Nieuwe Jeruzalem, d nieuwe                       gestort werd, het bloed van stieren en bokken. Met
     hemelen en de nieuwe aarde!                                            bloed was het volk besprenkeld bij den berg  Horeb.
        Ook heden verkondig ik het u, o, Sion !               -.            Met  bloedst,orting  ontvingen ze op den achtsten dag
          Dubbel zal Ik  u wedergeven!                                      alxlen het  teeken  des verbonds. En door bloed alleen
          Hij, de  Koning..Israels,  zal het  .doen   !                     konden ze  altijsd opnieuw in  `Gods  verbond ingaan, en
          IHij zal het doen,  u uit den  ,diepen kuil, waarin geen          ging de  Hoogepriester  op den  grooten   ver.zoendag  het
    ,watier  is, o.ptrekken  tot in de~alierhoogs&  denk,bare  heer-        heiligdom binnen.
    `lijkheid,  door Zijne almogende genade. Want Hij zal                      Doch ook dit was slechts schaduw.
    Zelf van de aarde worden verhoogd, door de diepten                         En de werkelijkheid  kwamdoor   Sions  Koning, arm,
    van het  krui,s tot in de hoogste  hemelfen,  en dan zal Hij            zachtmoedig,  rijldende  op een  ezel]:rechtvaardig  en een
    allen tot Zich trekken, trekkend  u door Zijnen Geest,                  IHeiland  ! Hij kwam met het waarachtige bloed des
    wederbarend, verlichtend, heiligend,  bewar,end, altijd .verbonds, en stortte het, gehoorzaam, in liefde,  %ods
    trekkend de  ho,ogte  in, tot Hij  u uit' den kuil des grafs            recht betrachtend, aan het hout des  kruises;  het bloed
    trekt in de eeuwige heerlijkheid -der  ,opstanding.                     des verbonds, omdat in dat bloed  Gods recht voldoening
          En Hij doet dat door Zijn `Woord.                                 kreeg. . . .
         Want Hij roept den gebondenen gevangenen toe:                         Gods bloed !
    Keert gijlieden weder tot  de, sterkte, gij gebondenen,                    En  d'oor  dat bloed des verbonds alleen worden de
d i e   d a a r   h o o p t !                                               gevangenen bevrijd !
         Komt tot de sterkte, tot Jeruzalem, de stad  Gods,                  En staan ze in eeuwige vrijheid !
    de Kerk, die sterke vesting,  -die.  zelfs door de poorten                 Om `t  euwig  welbehagen!                         H .   H.
                                                                                                                  -,
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.52                                                                          T H E   STAN'DA.RD   B E A R E R


                         The  Standard~Bearer
          A PROTESTANT REFORMED  SEMI-&ION%&% .-
                                           Published by
                  The Reformed Free Publishing Association
                                 1101 Hazen  Street, S. E.                                                                                                                  - The Biblical  Viewpoitit
                            EDITOR - Rev. ,%I.  Hoeksema
       Contributing editors-Revs. J. Blankespoor, A. Cammenga,                                                                                                         Iri  this world, especially the modern world, with its
       P. De Boer, J. D. de Jong, H. De Wolf, L.  DoezeFa,
  M.  Gritters,  C. Hanko, B. Kok, G. Lubbers, G. M. Ophoff,                                                                                                       flood of-literature in the form of magazines and news-
       A. Petter, M.  Schipper,  H. Veldman, R. Veldman, W.  _                                                                                                     papers, and  .its incessant  ra,dio   broadca&,  it is very
       Verb.&  L. Vermeer, P. Vis, G. Vos, and Mr. S. De Vries.                                                                                                    easy indeed  t,o  become acquainted  wibh  the  world's
       Communications relative to contents should be addressed                                                                                                     viewpoint with respect  to anything at all. Predomin-
       to REV. H. HOEKSEMA, 1139 Franklin St., S. E., Grand                                                                                                        antly that viewpoint,  &Z  viewpolint  of Man, is being
       Rapids, Michigan.                                                                                                                                           presented of any  %opic  that is being discussed. A@.  it
       Communications relative to subscription should be ad-                                                                                                       is not  easy  -for the Church  and.   .for the individual  ;be-
       dressed to MR. R.  SCBXAFSMA,                              1101 Hazen  St., S. E.,                                                                          lieqer  to escape the danger of adopting this viewpoint
       Grand Rapids, Mich.  All Announcements and. Obit&ries                                                                                                       and to maintain his own, or rather Scripture's view-
       must be-se& to the above address and will not be placed
       unless the regular fee of $1.00 accompanies the notice.                                                                                                     point with respect  t6 the same realities, and events
                                                                                                                                                                   that are evaluated by the  worlsd.  Before we know it,
                               Subscription $2.50 per year                                            ~-                                                           we are. under the spell. of  the  worki's  presentation of
          Entered as second  &as  mail at Grand Rapids.  .Michigan                                                                                                 matters, fall  incline  wibh  it, adopt its standards as our
                                                                                                                                                                   own, and speak the same language as  mere Man,  w.hose
                                                                                                                                                                   wisdom is always  fr,om  below,  ,earthly,  devilish, because
                                                -                                                                                                                  he refuses to live by the higher light of the Word  -09
                                                                                                                                                                   God.
                                                                                                                                                                       An example of  This   we  have in our discussion of the
                                                                                                                                                                   present European conflict.
                                           CONTENTS                                                                                                                    It is but natural that it is the topic of. the day and
                                                                                                                                       Page                        even of the. hour. It is uppermost in men's minds, for
MEDITATIE  7                                                                                                                                                       they all  .realize  that it deeply  effect3  their earthly
       DE .BEVRIJDING                V&N SIONS GEVANGENEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 destinies. tid it  occ;upie;s  the chief place in the news
           Rev. H. Hoeksema.                                                                                                                                       that reaches us over the radio and through  the daily
                                                                                                                                                                   paper and tihe var&.nus  magazines that are  o#e&d  for
EDITORIALS  -                                                                                                                                                      sale on the~news~stands.     And it is made the subject of
       THti BIBLZCXL               VIEWPOINT                . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 discussion by many a news- analyst and cLomme.ntator.
           Rev. H. Hoeksema.                                                                                                                                       Opinions on the subject are offered several times a
       A N APPARENT CONFLICT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 day by war  experts and economists, by university p.ro-
           Rev. H. Hoeksema.                                                                                                                                       fessors as well as by  l&&r  lights.
       THE TRIPLE KNO  W.LEDGE                           . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54        Anid   lovervvhelmingly,  if not almost  extilusively,  the
           Rev. H. Hoeksema.                                                                                                                                       viewpoint taken in all  these opinions, evaluations `and
                                                                                                                                                                   discussions is that of  *the world, of mere Man. The
       JOHN I;IUiSS A N D TYEIE REFORMATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
           Rev.  G. M. Ophoff.                                                                                                                                     matter is  presented  as if there are mere earthly and
                                                                                                                                                                   buman  interests  ,at stake, such as  th*e  question of a new
       %HE NAZARITE _..__....................................................;
                                                                                                                    . . . ..I . . . . . . . . . . 61 world-order, or new European order, or whether we
           Rev. G. M. Ophoff                                                                                                                                       shall  be able to do business with Hitler, or  that   df
       DE KERK IN SMART . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 democracy vs.  Na.zism  and Fascism, or of "the  f&r
           Rev. G. Vos.                                                                                                                                            liberties", or the important  questi'on  of interventionism
       GIJ WEET ALLE DINGEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I................: . . . . . . . . . . 66 ahid  isolationism,  the question. whether  `our  country
           Rev. W. Verhil                                                                                                                                          shall be kept out of the war, and wh.ether  our boys are
                                                                                                                                                                   going to be- sent into the conflict, -the  question of.  our
       H'OME   INS~RUICTION                  -  BASIC . . . . . . . . . . 
                                                                              . . . .*. . . .  -_
                                                                                                    ,.... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 8
           Rev. R. Veldman                       1                                                                                                                 own  self defenie,  of taxes, pro~duction,  training, equip-
                                                                                                                                                                   ment, sending supplies to Hitler's opponents, etc. etc.
       NEWS FaROM O U R CXIURCHES                                  . . . . . . . . 1.: . . . . . . . . . . . . :....::~.:.:.:;.:::.70
                                                                                           -                -                                                      I~po+nt.   ,q~~$+s these `are,. no doubt, but  arlways
           Mr. S. De Vries-                       _.                                       :                             . . '                                &hey,   coti&@  mere &arthl$,  hum&,:$emqoral            &p&&s.  of
                                                                                                                                                                   the  pies&  war..:  @esides,`the  question   &  td  -the   pos-


                                                                                                                                         _
                                                               y_-

                                              T      H    E        ,STANliARD   BEAREai                      j :     
                                                                                                                    .~                  53

   sibility. of Hitler's becoming ultimately victorious and is prepared only when the sixth angel pours out  .l&s
   dominant in Europe, if not in the- world, is considered vial upon the river Euphrates to dry it up. Rev. 16.
   from the same human and worldly  standpoint,,_,~~he                The- nations. that live on .the four corners of the earth
   powers (number of men, equipment,  efficiency,   Z&)               arise- for war  o.nly  when Christ releases the devil.
  on both sides  ar.e  compared, the possibility of  Am&&s            Rey.  20. God is the Lord also of war. Things proceed
   being able ultimately to equal and to surpass Germany according to His plan !
   in producing implements of war and in training an                     And. this viewpoint is more important than the
  army, the -pro.blem  that faces the German dictator of              philosophy of mere Man. In the light of this higher
  keeping the conquered nations in the occupied territory viewpoint,  even-  Hitler is only an instrument in the
   of Europe under his  thum:b,-all   these  factors are hand of the Most  Hi,gh,  "the rod of His anger",. and
  taken into account and  disclussed  pro and con. And                we may well talk about other than mere utilitarian
  again, they are, ind,eed,  essential and very important             interests before we reach the conclusion that we dare.
  questions, but always it is the human factor; and that to stop or have the right to stop this "rold"  in the hand
  factor alone, that is being considered.  Aed even the               of God. And,  as- believers, we know, as we stand in
  important question whether or not. we shall enter the the  light. of this  Scri5ptural  viewpoint of the present
  wa.r  on the side of England is being weighed only, or              catastrophe, that  al!1  things must work together unto
 almost  excl~usively,  from the utilitarian point of view,           the coming of the day of the Lord. We have, Christ's
  th!e~.  viewpoint of our own national benefiit. We are                      s .-
                                                                      comnmmque  : "things proceed according to plan."
  made to feel that this is Man`s war, and that, althuugh             And we know that all  is-we&.
  it may be a question whether it is Hitlser  or Churchill,                                                                    H. H.
   Great Britain or Germany,  th&t   will  ultimately hold the
  :reins;  Man is in contnol  of this  confli.ct.                                                -
      Such  is the predominant note in all the news we
  hear, in all the discussions that  reach  us through radio
  or through the printed page.           -                                            An. Apparent Conf li$
      It is the spirit of the world that is explaining things
  to us. land it is exceedingly difficult to escape the spell            The  "Ameri,za  First Committee", in a brief pam-
  .of  this spirit.                                                   phlet recently distributed by them, r,eminds  the Presi-
      Yet, there is certainly a higher viewpoint. And it dent of the United States, and the American people, of
  is equally certain "Dhat  it is .the  calling of the Church         some "solemn and sacred pledges" Mr. Roosevelt made                          _
  and of the individual believer to maintain this higher              during his 1940  &e&ion  campaign. He said:
  vi(ewpoint  and to give expression to it in the midst                  "We are arming ourselves not for any purpose of
  of the  wiorld.  It is the  vi,ewlpoint  of Scripture. And          conflict or  intermntion   +n foreign  d&p&es. I repeat
' this viewpoint is that' God is the Lord, that Christ is             again that I stand on the platform of our party; we
  exalted at the right hand of God, and that this is God's            wial not participate in foreign wars and will not send                  -
  war;   ..It is the viewpoint that things do proceed "ac-            our  Army,  Naval  or  A+  Forces  to fight in foreign lands
  cording to plan", indeed, but not according to Hitler's ontside.  of the Americas except in case of attack.
  plan, but according to the counsel of the ody Potentate                "It is for peace that I have  laboaed;  and it is for
  of potentates, the Lord  of:  Ilords,  the King of kings.           peace that I shall labor all the days of my life".
  It is the viewpoint that the present conflagration was
  kindl,ed,.  indeed, by the fire of Man's ambition, lust,               This was declared in a speech,held  in Philadelphia
  pride, covetousness, malice, hatred and de&e  to dtom-              on Oct. 23, 1940.
  inate;  but  that  it is, nevertheless, a  eatastrop,he,   a           And again he sai$d:
  judgment sent  in.to  the world by Him that sitteth upon               "We look at the old world of Europe today. I t   i s
  the throne of the universe, and Who laughs in the                   an ugly world, poisoned by hatred, and greed  an.d  fear.
  heaven at all the -vain raging of puny man against                  We can see what has been the inevitable consequence
 Him and against His  Aeointed.                                       of that poison-it has been war.                     .
      That  i.s  the viewpoint of Scripture throughout.                  "And we'l,ook  at this country, built by generations
  According to this viewpoint Hitler is nothing but the               of peaceable,  friendily  men and women who had in
  rod of  G,od's  anger to chastise the nations, the axe their hearts faith-faith that the good life can be ob-
  wherewith He.  heweth;  the saw  wh&h  He draweth.                  tained by those who work for it.  -
 The red horse of Revelation 6 -takes its course through                 "We know that we are determined to defend our
_ the world only when- Christ opens the second seal. The              country and with our neighbors to defend this hemis-
  two hundred million of triple monsters appear only phere. We are strolvg  in our defense.
  upon  the--kommand  of  the~.J%ice  from the four horns                "The   first  puypose  of `our   fol"8ign  policy is to keep
  of  the.altar.   `Rev..  9. The way ,of the kings of the east our  courztry  out-of war."


        This was in Boston on Oct. 30, 1940. And in the                     We  are thinking of the arming of our merchant
same speech Mr. Roosevelt committed  himse1.f  to a ships.  -
very definite pledge :                                               . . And we are thinking of the steps  tak'en  to repeal the
   "And  w#hile  I am talking to you,  fathers,  and                Neutrality.Act.
mothers, I give you one more assurance. I have  s'aid`                 .Does  Mr. Roosevelt really believe that he is pur-
this before, but I shall say it  u~a&z,  and  ag&,  and suing  thesurest  way to keep our country out of war?
again,  $our  boys are not  going-  to be sent  iinto   uny                 It cannot be denied that there is an apparent  co,n-
f  orecign.  wars.                               .                  flict between the President's campaign pledges of 1940
        "They are going into training to. form a force-so           and almost every step 6e  has taken since that time.
strong that, by its very existence, it  wil.1 keep the                      But also Mr. Roosevelt's heart is in the Lord's hand
threat of war far away from our shores. Yes, the                    "as  rivers of water".
purpose of our   defsense  is defense."
   .                                                                        That is our comfort.
                                                                                                                               H .   H .
   : In New Y'ork,  on Oct. 28, 1940, .the  President ex-
pressed  himself as follows:
        "1.n 1935 in the face of growing danagers  throughout                                        -                  . .
the world, your government undertook to eliminate
the hazards which in the past had  lIeed  to  wa.r.   We.
made it clear t+t ships flying the A&e&an  flag co&d
not  cavry   muktions to a  belligerent;   and that  they             ,The  Triple. Knowled&  -
must  stay out of  wgar   x0We.s".
        And in Brooklyn, on Nov. 1, 1940, Mr. Roosevelt
declar,ed  :                                                                   Exposition Of The Heidelberg
        "I am fighting .to keep this nation- prosperous and -                                  Catechism                                     _
at peace. I  a)m  fighting to keep- our people out of
foreign wars and keep foreign conceptions of govern-                                                  III.
ment out of our United States."
                                                                                              LORD'S  DAY II.
                                                                                                                   0
                                                                                                      .l.
   These are strong statements;                                                           The Law As  N,orm.
  IAnd  we like to believe that'  o'ur  President. was sin-                       Q. 3. Whence knowest thou thy misery ? Out of
cere when he made them,  alnd that they  wer,e not mere                           the law of God.
campaign pledges, which  are too frequently made and                              Q. 4. What doth the law require  -of  us ? Christ
violated  f,or the people  to.believe.  It is also true that           _          teaches us that briefly Matt. -23:37-40,  "Thou shalt
our boys have not yet been sent into foreign- wars, nor                           love the Lord thy God with ,a11  `thy heart, with all           . .
has war been `declared by our Government against the                              thy soul, with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.
axis powers. Perhaps, the President is convinoed  that                            This is the first and great commandment; and the
his foreign poli8cy  is the only, or at least the surest and                      second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor
safest way to keep war away from our  olwn  shores.                               as thyself. On these two commandments hang  .a11
It is even possible that he can judge of the situation                            the law and the prophets.
better than anyone else in the country.  Or,. perhaps,                            Q. 5. Canst thou keep all these things perfectly ?
for our President is also a mere human, it is possible                            In no wise; for I am prone by nature to hate God
that under the force of circumstances, Mr. Roosevelt                              and my neighbor.                                 ..
is  cdmpell~ed  to change his. policy and to eat his own
                                      -
words of  1940;                            `_                               Proceeding now from the standpoint that true com-
  :`. Yes, we do like to believe that  ~Mr.   R,oosevelt  is fort, also true Ch&ian comfort, is not a mere matter
sincere..                                                           of the emotions, nor of inexplicable mystic experience,
    `But the fact remains that  .his   &tuai  policy makes-         but is also a consideration of the mind, of which one
`it very  ldifficutlt  for many Americans to  beli,eve  that is ab1.e to give an"intelligent  acco,unt  and in which one"
he is  pursuing.the  right course to  remain  true to his may be instructed, the Catechism asks the question;:
pledges.                                                            "Whence knowest thou thy misery?"  -.  .Three  things,.
        We are thinking now of our marines  i.n   leeland.          we  recall,  one must know in order to live and. die
  - We are having in mind our  Preside.nt's  order to happily in this true comfort. And the first of these
"shoot first".                             .`,..>,.           _(    was  :. "how great-  my sins- and miseries are".             Upon a


 discussion of this part of the.. Christian comfort our of your trouble?
 instructor now enters.                                               And thg question Is  very ~important.         Fbr   %t  stands
    We must clearly understand the meaning and. pur-              td  r&aeqn   &hat   $he  kind, of remedy you seek depends
 pose of the question.  Th,e  question does not mean upon-the  knowledge  you have of your misery, and the
,the  same as : "how knowest thou that  tihou  art  miser-        latter  again  is certainly determined~  by the norm you
 abl,e?"  This~  would have no sense. That man is miser-          mply.  Atid,  in the case under consideration:  $be
 able is simply a matter of universal experience. The misery of man in "lif,e  and death", there are only two
misery of "life and Ideath"  is -too   real  to be in need of'    possibilities in this  resp.ect  : either you find the  norm
 verification. Every individual man can testify for  l$m- to be applied in  lman  himself,  `or  you apply-a norm  from
 self that he is awar,e  of a good deal of evil, of suffering witho,tit.  Whence  know,est'  thou thy  mis.ery   3 -What
:and   s&row,  of "misfortune" and adversity in life;, norm did  you,and   `do you apply to determine its nature?
 and he knows  that he is  ennclppassed  by  death on-all         In the  wor;ld   m&n  is always measured  by   .hims$f.
sides, so that there is no way out. Man may attempt Vari,ous  standards are put up and  applied,  and acodrd- -
to. drown the oonscioueness  of his misery by drunken             ingly,  ,different  remedies  are  tried  t,o deliver humanity
 revelry, like a man that enjoys his last feast in a  death-      from  i$s misery of  `%fe and de&h". Sometimes  the."
 cell  ;. or he may try to find the golden mean of modera-        standard of the philosophy of  ,evoluJion  is applied,
tion in  sinful   plea+r,e and indulgence in order  to.           a:ccording  to which man constantiy  ascended the steep:
eIicit  from life the greatest possible amount of enjloy-         and difficult slope of -pY;ogress  from a very low  st+te.*
ment  ; or he may  proudly  steel himself  IJO endure suffer- And. when this  .critecion   Is  applied as the  "norr@`,-
 ing  wit,hout  complaint or show of emotion, like the the result  is ra%er sa;tisfactory  and flattering,to man.
 Stoic&he fact remains that the consciousness of After all, the misery bf life and  de&h is quite.norm$. _
misery is universal. To ask a man in this world how Already the  progress  .man has made is really amazing.
be  knowa   That  he is miserable would be  quite~  super- And there is a w,elJ founded hope that  in course of time
fluous.     That there is something wrong,  s0meth.in.g           he will advance to perfection ! Or, perhaps, 8 certain
very  serious!ly   def,ective  with the  w,orld,  yea, even       standard of living is applied and  we   speak   o$  f`the
,that  man is sinful, morally corrupt to an extent, every- abundant life" (ratier  profanely !) as the normal state
body knows from his individual experience, and the                for  w.hich  to striqe. In that case, it is conditions,
report of it  reaches  him every day through his news-~ environment  &at are to  blame  for  ;the  misery of  life,  1
p&per  and  `over  the radio.  IOr what note  is more             at least, not  to speak now of death. Or the s&da&d
.dominant  in the tumult of the world that reaches your is found in man's conscience, ,or in intellectual attain-
(home  through  Ihe air or by the printed sheet, than             ment, and we set ourselves  to `<build  characcter" or to .
that  of  hpman  corruption and human- sorrow and                 improve education to. overcome the misery-of man. and
death? But it is not the purpose of the Heidelberger to eliminate etil from the world.
to' inquire as to whether arid how we are aware  that                 Wh,ence   knbyvest  thou thy misery?  .&he   instructor
we  are  miserable. But- it would instruct us  wjth .re-e         a&s (of  the Christian. What is your criterion? _ What
gard to the true nature and seriousness of our misery,            determines for you w.hat  is normal? And. thk.  answer   _
and to realize this' purpose it inquires after the source ris  placed   u,pon  the  lilps  of the pupil: "Out  .of   the   .lav-
of our  kgowledge   : "whence knowest thou thy:  misery?'         of God". The law is  "nom@". Whatever is  in  agTee_
    It must be  admit&d that  .&he  Catechism here applies ment with the law is  "nor$mal".              And wh&ever  departs
the correct method $0 arrive at true  knolwledge  `of our         or is in  oonflict  with the'  law  of `God. is  `labnormal.`:,-,
misery., It applies a standard, a criterion, whereby to and, therefore,. miserable!
determi.ne  the red nature and cause, as  well  as the               What, then, is that law of God?                _  '  `_  `1        '
greatness and extent of our ,misery.          It proceeds from        `In  general, law is the will of God  concerning   the-.
the assumption that misery is something abnormal nature, position an'd  relationship, op&ation .and move-
and that  in ,order  to discover just what is the chajracter      ment  an~d  life of any  cr.eature.  We  ;~l?ust;_not   .thi&
`,of  the  abnormality's  norm  must be applied. Ab,normal        of law as a, code, as a rath,er  -arbitrary  set of precepts,,  ._
is that which departs from the standar,d,  the norm. A rwhi?ch  one  may. obey  :or  clisregar;d   witho@   .any   neces-
man-may, in a genetial  way, realize that  his  6ondition         sary evil  r,esult.  Thus it is  Iwith  laws of man.,  You  _
is abnormal, tihat  there is something wrong .with  him,          may  viol&e  them  with impunity as long as there'  is  ;
but only when  h'e  ampplies the proper criterion and no representative of the  1a.w  to arrest.  you.                    But `the
,gauges  his condition with it can he  know   tmhe  char-         law. .of  God is the living will of. God, of the in@naneut  !,
acter and seriousness  *of,  the abnormality; It is this God, Who  .is  pres'ent  in all creation and  Who.   always   _
trut'h  that  is implied in  tihe question that introduces        maintains  .and  executes His will, and deals  with  the
the  di,$cu&ion  of dur  lrii&ry in this  second  Lord's Day creature  a:ccord&$ly..  YOU `canriot  -escape   ii:.  .It  besets. :
of  .the-,   Hei,delbe?g   ,Catechism.    The  question means:    you from every side.  .It:,is  a power.that   blessses  you as
wh&`noim  `db you .apply  I%  find out what is the natule         long as you are and act  in  hati&?  with iti  &it t&at7


      56                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   BE-AI&R

      crushes  and curses you, the moment you transgress.              sphere of that law, and curses him when- he trans-
      Nor is the law. of God an arbiirary  expression of the gresses.                .
      will of God concerning the  creatur.e,  something that             -I What is that law of God?
      bears  n,o   relation  to the  `creatu&s nature.  -  &i  -the        -The Cat@hism  answ,ers  this question by quoting
      contrary, God's law for each creature `is in harmony             t-he-Lord  Jesus Himself: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy
      with the nature of that creature,  th,e one is adapted God with ali1 thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all
      to the other. Arid to be and  oper5te  in agreement with thy mind, and w!ith all thy strength. This  >s the first
      the law  is "normal"  f,or every creature. Disagreement          and great commandment  ; and the second is like unto It,
      with the law of God is abnormal and results in instant           Thou  ~shalt  love thy neighbor as thyself. `On these two
      misery.                                                          comniandments hang &li the law ana:.  `the prophets".
             Thus there is a law for the fish that  it shall be and `The quotation is from Matt. 22 :3'7-40.  `.The  context of
      move in th.e water; th,e nature of the fish is formed so the passage  i,n   &.tthew  is  interestin&.  We read:
      as to be in harmony With this sphere of its. law.          To "But when the Pharisees had heard that he` had put the
      transgress this sphere of the law- of God-means dmth.            Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.
      There is a law for the bird in the air for the tree in           Then one of t&m,  wliich was a lawyer, asked him a
     the soil, for the course of the sun and moon and stars question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is .
      in the  fimament,  for the-temperature of your blood, the great commandment in the law?"  The Saddecees,
      the count  ,of  pour pulse, the digestion of your  food,         the rationalistic sect  amo;kg  the Jews,  who did not be-
      the breathing of your lungs. And  always  that law of            lieve that there is a  resurrectiqn  of the dead, had
      God is "normal", and the transgression of that law first tempted the Lord and tried  to.entrap  Him by their
      means misery, destructritin,  death. For the law  of God         sophistry.    They had concocted a subtle  story~  about: a
      is the living and mi!ghtjr  will of God, within the sphere woman that had been the wife sucoesively of seven
      Iof which He  .created,  and within whose bounds. it             brpthers   ;and they were wondering how the Lord could.
      pleas.es Him to bless the creature.                              possibly solve the problem as to whose  .wife  this woman
            -And  so there is a law of God for mati  as ti volitional was  sulpposed  to be in the resurrection. The only pos-
      and intellectual being, as a rational, moral  -creature,         sible solution would  seein  to be that  of,polyandry.       A n d
      as a personal nature, a free agent, who thinks and               the Lord had  put them to shame by pointing out their
      tills and s,peaks  and acts as he is motivated from with-        fundamental error which concerned. their conception-
.     in, from the heart, by the determination and choice of           of the resurrection itself. "For in the resurrection
     his mind and  wi,ll.  For thus man was created.  Be they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but
      was formed from the dust of the ground, and  Gtid                are as the. angels of God." vs. 30. And at the same
      breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and th&           time the Lord had atteeked  them.in.  the very purpose
      man became a living soul. Indeed, he is a living soul for asking'  the question  and  concocting the  story: to
      and as such he is related to the animals.        But in dis-     refute  the whole idea that  there'is a  resurrectieon   :.`!But
      tinction from the  animals  God  formed  hini  as to his         as touching the resurrection of-  the dead, have  ye not
      physical organism, and by  H!is   S$irit breathed-  i&o          read that  which was spoken unto you by God, saying,
      him,  so that he became a personal being, standing in a I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac,  and
      definite relation to God and to all creation. The issues the God of Jacob?  .God  is not the God of the dead,
      of his  life are fro:m  his heart. He is capable of moral but of the living." The Sadducees had been put to
      self-determination. And it is of the law of God  fdr             slilenoe.
      this personal, rational and moral nature of `man, the                well, the Pharisees  had  a double interest in this
      law  that is in harmony with this free agent and that  Is        incident, although their interest did not concern the
      "normal" for him, that the Catechism speaks in this              truth at all. On the one hand, they could only rejoice _
      second Lord's Day, and which it designates as the                that-  their enemies, the Sadducees,  had been overcome
      source of the knowledge.  of. our misery.  Qemember              in argument and had been put to shame in public, But
      that also this law is not a mere code of precepts.               on the other hand, they must surely regret the fact
      Its essence  is not the two  ston_e   tables  which Moses that it was Jesus of Nazareth that had scored  this-
     brought with him from the mount. It  is,not the "ten victbry over the Sadducees, for `Him they hated. They
      words" of the Decalogue. These are merely  i&s  ex-              have a conference  .about  the matter. And they decide
     pression, the revelation of the contents of the law` of           that now they ought to make an attempt to ensnare the .
      God. No, also this law is rather to be conceived as the Lord in  H&  own arguments. And they `delegate one
     living will of God, which is quite in harmony with the            of them, a theologian of first rank, to  m%ke  the at-
     being and  nature of man, God's will  concerning man's            tempt. ' Hence, he %ppr,oaohes  the -Lord with the ques-
      will and life in  r@lati,on  to  Hi.mself  and to all things;    tion : "which is the great  commandment of the law?":
     the law which God always maintains and aocord&ig  to                  The learned theologians of that time had developed
      which  He always blesses man if he moves within the              "the law" into  minute&  detail. When they spoke of


                                                                                         . .
      the' law, they referred to a body of hundreds of pre-                every side, from which there is no escape, according
      cepts, But they made a distinction between more. or                  to which the living God deals with man. And it  con-
      less important commandments. They were even divided
                                                              5. .:I. .    terns-$he   : whole man.     It is not satisfied with any
      among themselves on the question whi.ch  of the. pre;                outward performanoe or  ., show of goodness in the
      eepts  were to be regarded as essential and imlportant,              spoken word or the visible act: it lays hold on the
      and `which might be relegated to the category of,,no,n-              hea$of  man. It does not merely- prescribe what man
      essential commandments.         And when they come to                shall..do  or even -what  he shall think or what he shall
      Jesus with the question concerning the "great com-                   contemplate, purpose or--desire: it expresses what he
      mandment", they see a possibility to entrap  Him,  to                shall be, that is, what he shall, be from a spiritual,
      compel Him to select one of all the commandments as                  ethiloal  viewpoint; For love is a  matters  of the heart,
      of sole importance, and thereby to characterize  the-                and the heart concerns- the spiritual, ethical status of
      rest of the law as of minor significance. And in the                 man's whole nature. His own heart he does not con-
      eyes of the  publi,c  he would  -be  branded as a liberal,           trol: the'heart controls him. From the heart are the
      a modern!' But in .His  answer the Lord again proves                 issues of life. As the heart is, so are man's inner
      that the question is based  uSpon a very fundamental desires, thoughts, purposes, motives, aspirations, words
      error. They do not understand the law. They have no                  and deeds : -as the heart is, so is man ! And, therefore,
      proper conception of the essence  and.true  nature of the            this great commandment involves the whole man: all
      law.      They think it is a code of many precepts, and his heart and mind and soul and  str'ength.                    "Love God;'
      that they can distinguish mechanically- between "the                 means that youlove  Him for His own sake; with your
      great"  commandment,  as one of many, and less im-                   whole being, with all your thinking and willing, with
      portant precepts. In this they err. If you want to all your strength, every moment of your existence, in
      discover the "great commandment", you cannot  ap.ply                 every relationship of your life, with all that you .pos-
     the method of selection from a code  ; you must rather                sess. Love of God is  all-inolusive:  It is either that
      search for the root of the whole law, for the essence                or nothing, or rather: it is either love God or hate
      of every precept, for `that `which touches `not the ex-              Him !  IHere  you cannot divide or compromise. Y o u
      terna  forms of life but the inner motives of the heart.             cannot serve two masters. The great commandment  s
      If you do this, then there is,  ind,eed,  a "great command-          inexorab1.e  in its absoluteness. It. brooks no competi-
      ment", but then it is one that governs all other com-                tion. God is a jealous -God'!  ~'
      mandments  od  IGod,  and from which all are derived. It                 And, mark you well, it is the great commandment.
      is the commandment of the love of God !                              The Lord, in His reply to the tempting lawyer, does
              Love the Lord thy God! Yes,. indeed, that is the             not evade the issue. The question was not concerning
      one great commandment, beside which and apart from the greatest commandment, as if there w,ere,  indeed, a
      which there is none other! For the love of God is                    comparison possible, as if starting from the greatest
      emphatically the love  .of GOD ! To love Him means there is a descending scale of precepts down  .to  the
      perfection. For God is good. He is the implication of very least of. them all. No, the Pharisee had inquired
      all infinite perfections. He is righteous and holy and               definitely after the one great commandment. And the
      true, merciful and just, gracious and faithful. He                   Lord takes him up. He is notq speaki,ng  of the greatest
      Himself is love; the  bond49f  -perfectness. And you                 commandment.. Nor does  He  reply that there are
      must love  Him!  You must not make or conceive a                     really two great commandments, a great and a greater,
'     God of your own imagination, that is like yourself, in               the latter requiring the love of God, the former the
      order to love that idol. No, you must love the living rlove  of the neighbor.  mO!n  the contrary, there is. only
      God, Who is GOD  ind'eed.   .You   .must  learn humbly               one first and great (not greatest or greater) command-
      from Him Who He is and what He is,`  an,d love Him                   ment, and that is: "thou shalt love the Lord thy God'!.
      for His own sake, just because He is God and because                 And if you remark that the Lord, nevertheless, speaks
      He is good. And you must love Him. Your  wh.ole                      of two &ommandments,  we must call your attention to
      life must be motivated by an intense desire to be in                 the fact, that -Christ also declares that the second is
      harmony- with Him, your mind with His mind, your                     "like unto the first". And this cannot mean that there
      will with His will, your desires with His desires, your are after all two separate commandments of equal
      word'with  His Word, your deed with His deeds; to be value and force, or that you could just as well. say that
      pleasing to Him, so. that He looks upon you in divine the first commandment is like unto the second. It can
      favor and you taste His goodness j to seek `and to find              o,nly  mean, that the second is rooted in the first, or,
      Him,  -and  to live in perfect fellowship of friendship if you please, that the second, requiring love of the
      with, Him.                                                           neighbor, is also principally love of -God! You must
         Yes, that is the great commandment. From this love the neighbor with the same love wherewith you
      all  .possible  precepts must be derived. It is their root.          love God ! You  ,must  love the.  :neig$#or   ,a~..   zjou~s@f,
      Lt  empresses  the  l'ivixg  will of God  that- besets  man on       be&&se  also yourself ydu'may  not love otherwise'th'an


                                                                                          ~_
  5             8                          T H E `   S T A N D A R D   BEARER

 with the love of God and for God's sake!  Ydu  cannot                      "The sufferings and merits- of Christ were  lddked
 love yourself unless you love God. You cannot love                    upon as an idle tale, or as the fictions of  Homer.
 the neighbor as yourself unless the love of Go.d  is the There  was no thought of  faith  by which we  beco'me
 mbtive  power of your life ! Yes, indeed, the love of                 paptakers  of the Saviour's righteousness and of the
  God. is the one great commandment !                                  heritage of eternal life. Christ was  looked  upon as a
        Take it away and everything falls into ruins! For severe judge, prepared to condemn all who should not
  "on these two  ,commandments  hang all the law and                   have resource to the intercession of th'e  saints, or: to
 the prophets" ! And "the law and the prophets" denote the papal indulgences. Other intercessors appeared in
 the entire Scriptures of the Old Testament. So that                   his place: first. the virgin Mary, like the Diana: of
we may safely say: the  whdle  Bible depends on these                  paganism, and then the saints, whose  nutibers  were
 two commandments. For the law is norm. If you dis-                    continually augmented by the popes. These mediators
 tort the norm, you distort everything. If the  plumb-                 granted their intercession only to such applicants as
 Pine is not  nor,ma&  your whole house in every  line of              had deserved well of  the orders founded by them.
 it is abnormal, and  th'e  whole city in  w.hich  you live            For this it was necessary to do, not what God had
 stands awry. The love of Cod is norm. Take it away                    commanded  ih ,His  Woid, but a number of works, in-
  or  distor"t  it, and everything tumbles down: the law               vented by  tiotiks and- priests, and which  brought  money
 and the prophets, the sacrifices and the shadows, rei to the treasury." These works  ~were  the chanting oI'
 pentance  and redemption, sin and grace, Christ and                   prajre$s  and the making of pilgrimages (for `which
 the .cross  a?td  the r.esurrection,  yea, God Himseilf  !            tlieir were as many r&orts  as their were mountains,
        0, indeed, the law of God is norm, and if you want             forests, and valleys) and giving money to the con-
 to know the real nature, and the extent of our misery,                vents and priests.
 the very  love  of God must give us the  amazi,ng  audacity                -Such  were the penitential works that had  to: be
 to apply that norm to ourselves!                   H. H.              done in order to  obtain%alvation.               This  penance-*he
                                                                       doing of these works-was regarded as punishment to
                                                                       which one had to submit in order to  be forgiven.  -It
                                                                       was thought by this worship, man  rendered   himself
          II                                                           deserving of grace and  .life.  These penitential  woiks
       John Huss And The-Reformation .                                 continued to be multiplied in the Ichurch  down to the
                                                                       thirteenth century. "Men were required to fast, to
       John Huss was one of God's faithful  witge$ses                  go barefoot, to wear  no linen,  etc.; to quit  .tiheir  homes
 -a man who, on  account  of his protest against the                   and their native land .for  distant countries, or to  .re-
  wickedness in the church and his exaltation of the nounce  the world and to emlbrace  a monastic life." In
  Bible as the one infallible authority and the sole                   the eleventh century there were added to..  these prac-
 criterioli of life and doetrine, died a martyr's death;               tices voluntary whippings. Nobles. and peasants, ,old
        It is said that the Reformation had two'forerunners            and young, even children of five years of age, went in
 and that one of these was John Huss,.  The statement pairs, by hundreds, thousands, and tens of thousands,
  is true in the sense that through his witnessing  he                 thr+gh  towns and villages, visiting churches even in
 contributed  tq the sum and total of those agitation that the depth of winter.                         Armed with whips, they flogged
 resulted in the Reformation. If the. truth pf `this con-              each other mercilessly.                    .
  tentlon  is to appear, regard must be had first  to the                   Such .was the burden that men had to  blear  in order -
 state of the church at the time in  which   Huss  lived,              to  be   saved,  and for the  .deliverance  of  .which  they
 second to his career as priest, and thirdly to the abuses             were sighing. It was  therefore  to ease -this burden
  i$ the church which he denounced.                                    yet without losing their usurped power over the people;
                                                                       that the priests invented that system of -barter that
  The' state  of  the church.                                          *as given the name of Indulgences.                     *AAn  Indulgence
        It had ceased  to be true that the free gift of grace          was (and still is) a written remission of the temporal
  is obtainable only through Christ Jesus,  the  sol6                  (usually purgatorial) panishment  due-  to God for sins
  mediator of God and  man,  Superstition, fear, and                   whose eternal punishment had been remitted on the
 alarmed imagination' had devised numerous other                       ground  of the sacrifice of Christ; it was a remission
 means,-saints and mediators who had gone to  their                    granted to the penitents from the treasury of the
 -reward and whose duty it was said to be to make inter-               superabundant merits of our Lord Jesus Christ,: of
  cession in heaven for men on earth. And the  earth                   Mary .most holy, and of the saints. As this  tem:poral
  was filieu with pious works-such as sacrifices, ob-                  punishme+ consisted especially in penance, that  is,- in
  servances, and ceremonies  of. divers kinds-on  th6                  the doing of the works specified above, the Indulgence
grounds of which salvation had to be  obtained.  `Such                 freed   ,the recipieht  .from the   @ligation.  qf  performing
  tiras! the  religign  of this period, .                      .,_.
                                      .                                thetie   WOrksi          It  goon  ,becaFe  `customary `t?.  gTa?t an
                                                                       .             .            . .                  . .        . . .


Indulgence-a written iemission of sins-could thus with labor and privation. He studied philosophy and
such as the giving of lands or of a sum of money. An           theology at the university'of Prague. `He received his
Indulgence-a  wwritten  remission of  sins-co$d   !$ti`s       tiaster's-degree  in the year 1386, and began himself
be bought. As the Inclulgen,ce  also freed fyom  the fire to.-leizturk  af-the  university. In 1401. he was ordained
                                                                         `.
of purgatory, the priests, to ,encourage  the sale of the to the  prlesthood,  still maintaining a teaching con-
written remissions, would depict in horrijble  colors-the nection with the university. The following year he
torments inflicted by this fire on all who became its          was appointed preacher at the Bethlehem chapel, to
prey.                                                          hold forth the Word of God on every Sunday and festi-
    Somewhat later there was invented the renowned             val day in the Bohemian tongue. As his sermons were
and scandalous traffic of Indulgences.         It remitted aglow with the fervor of love  from which they sprang
from the punishment of the sin of  incest for five             and were backed by an  exbmpbry life, they made a
grdats. There was a stated pri.ce  for murder, infanti-        powerful impression. People  gladly  heard him, and
cide, adultery, perjury, burglary, etc. In 1300 Pope           soon he was surrounded by a community of warm and
-Boniface  VIII promised to all who made a pilgrimage          devoted friends.' A new Christian life started forth
to  Rome'"a  plenary Indulgence. From all parts of             among the people. In his sermons he dwelt with grow-
Europe people flocked in crowds., In one month two ing earnestness upon the subject of holy living and with
hundred thousand pilgrims  ,visited  Rome, bringing            unfailing severity attacked  the prevailing vices of his
rich -offerings. The coffers of the pope were replen-          time. So long as he rebuked corruption among  the
ished.                                                         laity, he had the support of the  archbishop,~  ZbjTnek  ;
    It can be expected that  s&h corruption of thi doc-        but on account of his criticism of the clergy, this
trine of the church  should  result in the decline  of         favor gradually turned into opposition.
morality. The doctrine and sale of indulgences. were              .In the meantime Huss had read many of Wikliff's
powerful stimulants to sin among an i'gnorant  people.         writings. What attracted  him  to these writings was
Though the indulgence, according to the church, co&l the "realism" that they set forth, the spirit of reform
benefit only those who truly repented, all that was            that animated from them, and the inclination to adhere
seen in them is that they licensed men to sin  &h              to the Scriptures  as the only source of doctrine, and
itipunity.  The  pr<ests   were  the first to show the ill     the -striving after a renewal of the Christian life in
effect of this corrupting influence. In many places the the sense of apostolic Christianity that they revealed.
people were'at ease because the priest kept a n&tress,         Let us hear the words of Husks himself on this matter :
that the married woman might be safe from his seduc-           "I am drawn to him (Wycliff) -he says-by the repu-
tions. The houses of the clergy were `often dens of tation he enjoys with the good, not the bad priests of
corruption.    Priests, in company with disreputable the university of  Oxford,,and  generally with the people,
characters, frequented' taverns, played at dice and            though not with the bad, covetous, pomp-loving, dissi-
climaxed their drunken revelries with quarrels and pated prelates `and priests. I am attracted  ,by  his
blasphemy. Both the, lower and the higher clergy               writings, in which he ex.pends  every effort to conduct
was sunk in ignorance.. They had no need of studying           all men `back to the law of Christ, and especially the
the sacred scriptures. It was not a question of ex-            clergy, inviting them to let go' the pomp and' dominion
plaining the scriptures but of granting indulgences.           of the  wbrld  and live with the apostles according to
The foundation truths of `the Bible were entirely dis-         the life of Chri,&. I am attracted by  tl>e love which he
appearing and with them  t,he life that forms the es-          had for the law of Christ, maintaining its truth and
sence of true religion. In the  defence  of the tenets         holding that not one jot or title bf  it Icould  fail." T,heo-
of Rome, `the appeal was made not  .to  the scriptures         logically Huss is held to be a disciple. of Wycliff. True
but to-the pronouncements of the councils and of the           it is, that in common with Wycliff, he taught, and cor-
Pope and to the teachings of the doctors.                      rectly so, that the true church. consists of the  .elect
    Yet there was the true church., And this `church           only, of whom the true head is not the pope but Christ,
,was  not the Pope `and the corrupt clergy, but the faith-     and of which the sole law is the will of Christ as
ful servants of Jesus Christ, the true protestants of  ihe     revealed in the New Testament Scriptures. He divides
truth. Their joint witness was the light shining in the        the entire body of the clergy into two classes: the
darkness. They were found everywhere, in the hum-              clerus   Christi  and the  elems  adi.ichrWi.      "We must
blest convent, and in the remotest parish.                     regard-says he-the clerical body  ras  made up of two
    Such a witness  was  John Huss. Huss was born on sects: the clergy of Christ and those of antichrist.
the sixth of July, 1369. iHe  thus appeared upon the           The Christian clergy lean on Christ as their leader,
stage of history one  hundred.and.fourteen     years before    and on his laws.       The clergy of. antichrist lean for
Martin Luther.  (H-is  birthplace was Hussinet, a Bo- the most part or  &olly so on  human  laws and the laws
hemian  villlage,   lyifig toward the border of Bavaria.       of antichrist; and yet pretend to be the clergy of
Descended froni a poor family, he was  early  acquainted       Christ and of the church, so as to seduce the people


      80                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R   `.
                                                                               . .
      by a mere cunning  hypocricy.  And two-sects which                   Huss  ,opposed.    He contended that the secular sword
      are so directly opposed, must necessarily be governed belongs not to the priests, but to the worldly profession
      by  two.opposite heads with their corresponding laws.             of arms. The pope must contend spiritually, not with
      The priests of Christ preach against the vices. of a the -secular sword, but with prayer to almighty God.
      corrupt clergy.. How can there be anything more                   He insists that it is not permitted to the pope and
      senseless than a clergy giving themselves up to the               the clergy to contend for secular things. The laity
     .dross  of the world, and making mockery of the life               therefore must not comply with the requisitions of
      and the teaching. of Christ? For so exceedingly  car- the bull. As to the indulgence, he argues that every
      rupt are the clergy already, that they hate those who             one who receives it will actually enjoy it just as far as
      frequently preach, and frequently mention the Lord                he is fitted to do so byhis  relation to God!
      Jesus Christ; and, if -a man ventures to quote Christ                The pope's bull was burned by the people.  Huss
      for himself, they say with scorn and bitterness,  -Art            was once more excommunicated and Prague was placed
     thou Christ? And, after the manner of the Pharisees,               under the papal interdict; Time drew near for holdihg
     they trouble and excommunicate those who acknow-                   the council of `Constance. It  ,could  be expected that the
     ledge, Christ."                                                    disturbance in Bohemia was certain to demand its  con-.
             It  `can  be expected that these `sentiments, set forth    sideration. IHUSS  was asked to attend with the assur-
     in his De  Ecclesin (on the church) and freely aired               ance of a safe conduct from the emperor, .Sigismund.
     in his sermons, aroused against him the bitter hatred              Huss needed no such invitation. An opportunity to
      of the worldly clergy.  )He  was accused  of.  being in           defend himself from the charge of heresy, to give a'~-
      essential agreement with Wycliff, which, of course,               count  of his faith in the'presence of the representatives
      was true. This was a serious indictment; as the writ-             of all western Chrisendom and to testify against-the
     ings of Wycliff were held in disrepute by the secular              corruption of the church, was what he desired. The
      clergy in Germany and Bohemia: Already in 1402,                   emperor did not keep his promise of a safe conduct.
     thus the year following  ;Huss's~  ordination to the priest-       Shortly after his arrival in Constance Huss was  im-
     hood, the Wycliffite views were condemned by the                   prisonedq   Many-were.  now the bitter charges brought
     majority of the university of Prague. And in 1409                  against him  #by  his enemies in Bohemia, formerly his
     Pope Alexander V issued a bull against what he ,held               friends. He was accused of denying the doctrine  :of
     to be the Wycliff heresies and preaching in private transsubstantiation, of holding  Wycliff's doctrine,  -of
     chapels. Huss now openly defen,ded  several doctrines              promoting insurrection among the people, of creating
      of Wycliff and on this account was' excommunicated by             a schism between the spiritual and the secular power.
     his archbishop Zbynek. But even already now he was                 Huss was given three hearings before the council.
     resolved to defend the truth to the death. Says he, "In            The propositions, taken from his  De  E.ccZesia,   and
      order that I may not .make  my self guilty, then, by my           which his opponents found especially heretical are the
     silence, forsaking the truth for a piece of- bread, or             following :
     through fear of man, I avow it to be my purpose to                      `Dignity, choice  ~of man,  visi,ble  signs, make no
      defend the truth which God has enabled me to know,                     one a member of the church but predestination
     and especially the truth of the Holy Scriptures, even to                alone. Thus a  repr0bat.e  is no member of the
     death; since I know that the truth stands and is  ~for-                 church.
     ever mighty, and abides eternally ; and with  herthere                  "If he who is called the vicar of Christ copies
     is no respect of persons. And, if the fear of death                     after his life, he is his vicar; .but  if he takes the
     should terrify me, still I hope in my God  .and  in the                 opposite course, he is a messenger of `Antichrist,
     assistance of the Holy  Spirit,~  that the Lord' Himself                stands in contradiction with Peter and Christ,
      will give me firmness. And if I have found favor in                    and is a vi.car  of Judas Iscariot.
     .His  sight, He will crown me with martyrdom. But                       "`The ground tone of life is either love or selfish-
     what more-glorious triumph is there than this? Incit-                   ness. If the former, a man does  ,everything  to
     ing his faithful to this victory our Lord says, Fear not              p God's glory; if the `latter, he does everything in
     them that kill the body."                                               alienation of God.
            ..New  causes of dissent arose. In 1412 Pope John                "The church needs no visisble  head (meaning the
     XXIII issued a bull of crusade and indulgence, against                  bwd  . Christ guides His church better without
     - King Ladislaus of Naples. The bull -proclaimed a                      such monsters of supreme he-ads, by  means.  of His
     crusade of destruction against this king and his party               - true disciples scattered through all the world.
     and a full forgiveness of sins to all who took part                     "The hierarchy rules not by immutable and divine
     in the crusade. The bull offered a like indulgence, to                  right.--  The true church is the community of -the _
     those also who would give as much money as they                         elect only."                     -
     would have expended by actually engaging in the
      crusade for  then  space of one month.                               Especially the proposition that no reprobate was



L


                                        T.HE  `STANDD.ARD   Bl?AR.ER                                                         61

  a true `pope,  bishop, king, was an error, the mainten-         eucharist  was. taken from his hands with these words':
  ance. of which was considered madness. It was  ref              "We take from thee, condemned Judas, the cup of sal:
  garded insurrectionary, leading to the overthrow .of            vation.,,    Huss  said, "I trust in God, my Father, the
  every civil constitution  ; because no one knows whether        almighty, and my Lord Jesus Christ, for whose name
  he belongs to the number of elect or  rep'robate,   .and        I bear this, that he will not take from me the cup of
  because we all offend in many parts of our duty.                salvation ; and I have a firm hope that I shall yet
  Several other charges connected with the Hussite move-          drink-of it today in his kingdom." He thereupon was
  ment in Bohemia-charges, many of which were false               turned over to the executioners of justice to be burned.
  -were laid before Huss. No means was left untried               The ashes of his burned body were cast into the Rhine,
  to procure his  .condemnation.  When all the charges            in order that nothing of them might remain to polute
  had been, brought forward, he was addressed -by the             the earth.
  council as follows, "Thou hast heard that two ways                  From the above materials, it is plain that Huss
  are proposed to. thee,-first that thou shouldest public-        and Luther were  .kindred  spirits. As translated into
  ly renounce those doctrines which have now been  p.ub-          action, the doctrine of sboth  would spell the overthrow
  licly condemned, and submit thyself to the  jud,gment  of       of the Roman hierarchy. Both insisted that the sole
  the council; which, if thou doest; thou wilt experience         source of. doctrine is the scriptures, that in any and
  t,he mercy of-the council. .But if thou  dost  persist in       all disputes about truth an&morals the question isnat
  defending thy opinions, the council will no doubt what  sayeth  `the pontiff of Rome or the councils or
. understand how to deal with thee according to law."             the doctors in the church, but what sayeth the Scrip-
  To this  ,Huss  replied, "Reverend fathers! I have al-          tures. The striving of both was to lead `God's people
  ready often said that I came.here  voluntarily, not for         back to the Scriptures and; to give the Scriptures back
  the `purpose of defending. anything obstinately, but of to God's people. Both said that the pope cannot for-
  cheerfully  su.bmitting  to be taught better if in. any-        give sin but can only preach forgiveness to the .peni-
  thing I have erred. I  .beg  therefore that opportunity tent. Both opposed and attacked what every regener- -.
  may be allowed me .to explain my opinions further.              ated  and spirit filled man opposed and attacked. The
  And if I do not adduce good and true reasons for them, movement of Huss in Bohemia and that of Luther in
  then I will gladly,  :as  you require, submit to be in-         Germany was, as to kind one and  the. same.  .! This
  structed by you". Several attempts were now- made to being true, HUSS, in what measure it is impossible to
  induce ~HUSS  to recant, .but  to no- avail., He was re-        say, prepared. the way for Luther.
  solved not to recant till  convieced  of  .his errors  ~from                                                 G. M. 0.
  the Scriptures. After what he had heard expressed at
  the council, he had nothing  ,else in prospect. but the
  stake, and nothing to wait for but- the decision of his
  lot, He ,wrote  to ahis  people-in  Prague to whom he had
 preached the Word of God, "I write this letter in prison                              .The  N a z a r i t e
  and in chains; expecting on `the morrow to receive my
  sentence of ,death,  full of hope in God, that  1,shall  not        The Nazarite, as the name that he bore denotes,
  swerve from the truth, nor abjure errors imputed to was the  sepFrn.te  one. The name is explained at Num-
  me by false witnesses.       What,  a gracious God has          bers 6 :I,  "When either man or woman shall `separate
  wrought in me, and how he stands by -me in wonderful            themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to  separ&e
  trials, all this  you will first understand when we shall       thZemselves  unto  the  Lad."   Let us see what is im-
  again meet  together,~  with our Lord God; through his          plied in this separation.
  grace in eternal joy." .                                             First,  "He shall separate himself from wine and
      On the 6th of July,  Huss  again appeared before the        strong drink  ,anid  shall drink no vinegar-of wine, or
  assembled council. He was officially charged with be-           vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any
  ing a follower of Wycliff and of having disseminated            liquor or grapes, nor eat moist grapes or dried. All
  Wycliffite doctrines. Various errors were ascribed the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is
  to him, and he was pronounced an obstinate,  incor-             made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the
 rigible,heretic.    Hearing, he said, "I never was obstin-. husks.`"          It was a prohibition, we notice, -not  .only  of
  ate ; but as I have always demanded, up to this hour,           wine and of all-spirituous, strong drink, not  only-  of
  so now I ask only to be informed of what is better from         flat wine, wine or other vinegar, but even of grape
  holy scriptures; and I confess that so earnestly do I juice. The -prohibition is intensified by forbidding the
  strive after truth, that if with a word I could destroy         enjoyment of fresh and even dried grapes.
  the errors of all heretics, there is no peril I would not            Second, "All the days of the vow of his separation
 willingly incur for that end." Now followed his de-              there shall no razor come upon his head : until the days
  gradation from the' priestly order. The cup of the              be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto


   the Lord, he shall be holy,  and  shall let the locks of -of Christ  and   Hii Spirit, thus. of the grace that: He
   the hair of his- head  grow."                                   merited for His people-and that He impar-ts  unto them
       Finally, "All the days that he  seoarateth.  himself        by His Spirit. To be more definite, wine is the symbol
   unto'the Lord be  shall come at no dead body.. He  shall partioularly of the heavenly gladness that floods `the
   not make- himself unclean for  his.`father,  or for  his        soul  of  therman  in whose heart the Lord works the
 mother, for his brother  & for his  sister,  when they            assurance that He is Christ's. The foundation  of.  the
   die: because the consecration of God is upon his head."         view here exPressed  is :the  very- word of Christ, ":For
      On the prohibition that the Nazarite drink no wine, this is my blood of the New Testament,. which is shed
   Fairbairn delineates as follows: "A like  abstinance            for many for the remission  of"rsins.   But  I say unto
   was imposed upqn the priests when engag,ed-  in sacred          you, I will  not  drink  liencefortih  of this fruit of  .the
   ministrations. Like the ministering priest, the Nazar-          vine,  until  tliat day I drink it . . new with you in my
   ite was peculiarly separated to the Lord; `and  .in his father's kingdom (Matt. 26  :28,  29).
   drink, not  -less than other things, he was to be an              But now on the other hand,  it, is plain from  other
   embodied lesson regarding the manner in  \ihich  the            passages in Holy Writ, that wine; in its  pow&r  to stupe-
   divine service was to be performed. This  service-              fy, dull and denumb  m&n's  senses, and  even  to  paralyze
   such was the import of that part  df  the Nazarite insti-       all-his faculties, which it does if indulged `in to excess,
 tution-requires a withdrawal and separation from is Bso the symbol of the principle of si.n, as it operates
   whatever unfits for  aictive  spiritual  employment-            ip the essence of man's being, vitiating all his mem-
   from everything -which stupefies and  benumbs  the bers,  -and  stupefying his spirit  &o  compl&ely that he
   powers of divine life,. and disposes the heart to. carnal is wholly incapable- of discerning spiritually, not ration-
   ease  .and  pleasureable excitement rather than to sacred       ally, the things which are  of  the  Spirit of God.
   duty.  Such withdrawal certainly  involvsd  a careful There is  ih.is  scripture at I Thess.  5:6-S   I "Therefore
   and becoming  r,eserve  in regard.  to  -the   means  and       let us not sleep, as do others; but let  us  watch  hn,d
 occasions of a literal intoxication. . .  ."                      .be  sober.    For they' that sleep sleep  in.  the  night   ;
      The substance of this language is that because wine          and they that be drunken are drunken in -the night.
   is the means of ifitoxication  and thus, if not  used  with     But let us, who are of the day be spber,  putting on'the
   moderation, renders unfit for spiritual  servi,ce,l  the        [breastplate of faith and l,ove  ; and for -an helmet `the
   Nazarite had to separate himself from it.  In.  this .hope  of salvation." In this passage literal drunken-
   delineation, wine and literal intoxication appear not ness is a plain symbol of the spititual  insensibility of
   as symbolical but as representative of all that is in- the natural man. Like a person whose  mind is dulled
   jurious to  spiri&l  life such as "the-love of money,           by strong drink, the natural man, in a spiritual sense,
   the eager pursuit of worldly aggrandizement,  o.r  the          is dead to God and to the heavenly: IHe therefore sp-
   deliihts of a soft, luxurious ease," so that the prohib-i-      pears in the surroundings of the above-cited. scripture
   tion that the Nazarite abstain from wine was, rightly           as one  for whom the day of the Lord will  come  as a
   considered, an admonition to the effect  that  he separate      thie'f  in the night, that is, unexpectedly.
_ himself from the-vice, of indulging in intoxicating                  As a forbidden drink for the' Nazarite, wine had
   drink and from all these other unholy strivings.                this latter symbolical  significanc&.  In its power to  in-
      Though this reasoning need  not be set aside as in-          to%i,cate,  it  was  the  symibol  of the principle of sin in
   correct, it nevertheless raises questions. It seems to man,  thus-  of the belly of this death, of  `the   ~members
   proceed on the foundation that the reason the Lord had          which. are upon the earth, of `the flesh and all its
   in placing the Nazarite under the  -obligation-  of separat-    works,  sech `as, fornication, uncleanness; inordinate
   ing himself from wine is not that He actually` objected aff  e&ion,  evil concupiscence, covetousness, which is
to' a moderate use of this drink on the part of His idolatry, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, "filth-y com-
   servant, but to his disqualifying himself for the  per- munication out of the mouth". Because wine had also
  `formance  of his vow through excessive use of it.        To     this symbolical significance, the Nazarite was com-
   make it easier for  the  Nazarite to escape this  vi,ce,        manded to separate himself from it and al all strong
   the Lord commanded him to abstain from all strong               drink during the period of the performance of his
   drink. What the Lord really  struck  at is the sin of vow. This is a`t least one of the two  .reasons  of his
   drunkenness and not the moderate use. of wine as                being placed  under  this obligation. As  faith&l  to his
   such.                                                           VOW, he brought himself forward  among  his people,
      What may be the truth about the prohibition in               as the symbol, the living emblem of the true child of
   question. If  i?his  is to be seen, we  should,know.  that      grace, pitted, by the mercy of God, against sin, as it
   wine,  according to Scripture is a creature of God with .xiots-  in  `his   flesh,  crucifying, by this same mercy  all
   two symbolical  meaning.     Wine, in its  power  to stimu- the works of the flesh, laying dff the old man and his
   late the soul of man, or in the language bf  Scripture,         deed, and positively, putting on ihe  new' man which
   to make glad the heart, is, on the one hand, the symbol is-renewed in knowledge, after the i-magem.of  him'that


                                                       :.          :.  ,_  -.                    -.
                                                                        _          -. .    -

                                           T     H           E         STXNDA'RD   B-EARER                                                          63

created  him." The Naearite, to be  sure,  had  also  to
bring,  himself forward as the reality signified by his                                                   * De Kerk In  Smar$
symbolic  d.oing  (his separating himself  from'   W@L)                                                  :  .
And this  real&   was   the Nazarite, so  walking   ar@@                                                              (Psalm 44)
h'is  brethren as to be to them an example of true  $%lii-                                       Dit  is  een van de vreemdste psalmen in den  ge-
ness.                                                                                      heelen  psalmbundel. En dat uit meer dan n oogpunt.
    However,  there is more to say on  th.is  point. The                                         Hier wordt geklaagd en gekermd vanwege de el-
Nazarite had to abstain even from the moderate `use                                        lende en den smaad zonder dat er ook maar -nmaal
of wine. And he did so. He was and had to be  wholly                                       gerept wordt van de zonde en de ongerechtigheid.
free  from  t.he slightest influence of strong drink. As                                        Integendeel, in dezen psalm wordt het met  ndruk
such  he was at once and firstly the type of Him  who                                      gezegd, dat  alle-  smaad en schaamte om Godswil hen
"`is  holy,  harmless, undefiled, and separate from  sin-                                  overkomt. En ter-andere zijde, Wordt het keer op keer
ners and made  higher  than'the  heavens,-Christ  Jesus. betoogd, dat er niet dan b8oote  oprechtheid gvonden.
                                                                                           werd in de keyke  Gods.        -
    The next th&g demanded f the Nazarite was that                                             En vlak aan het begin zouden we willen  zegge&
he  sees to it that no razor come   upon  his head al1 the                                 dat er hier sprake is va een zeer bijzondere sinart  en
days of his `separation; If he defiled himself by  acci-                                   ook  sprakeevan  de kerk uit een heel bijzondr'oogpunt.
dentally  contacting an unclean thing,  hi$  vow was Dat lo& ook de moeilijkhtiden  op.
broken..    In this-case  al1 the days that  already   had  been                                 De psalm kan verdeeld in zes  deelen.
given to- the pursuance of the course of service were
lost aed  he had to onsecrate himself anew. This he                                             Eerst vinden we een getuigenis van de'  herkorrist
                                                                                           der kerk in de verzen een tot vier.  God   heft   haar
did  ,by again shaving his head on the seventh day  after geplant   e n   g e e n  tiens&h.                                               .
his  having  defled himself and further by his bringing                                         Ten  tweede, eenige verzen van roem en prijs van-
one  turtFe  dove for a  sin-offering.          Thti,   when  the days                    wege zulk een planten der kerk, van vers  yijf tot
of his separation were fulfilled, he shaved his head at                                    negen.
the-  door of the tabernacle and burnt his hair as a
sacred  thing  upon  the  `altar.                                                                Ten derde, een beschrijving van het feit,  dat  God
                                                                                           haar in den smeltkroes  der ellende  stortt,e,  in d verzen
    This element in the Nazarite institution has been tien tot zeventien.
variously explained.  According to  ene view, the lone                                           Ten  vierde, een wondere  beschrijving van de trouw
hair  was the symbol of the power of God under which                                       der kerk, niettgenstaan,de  het feit, dat  God haar in de.
the Nazarite stood, and thus a sign of his subjugation                                     ellende bracht, in de verzen achttien tot  twee-en-
to the  autliority of  Go&               There is seemingly some twintig.
ground for this explanation at 1 Cor. 11  :lO. Here  the                                         Ten vijfde, het  ne vers, waarin de kerk de diepe
apostle says of the  woman  that her long hair was                                         oorzaak der ellende weergeeft, vers drie-en-twintig.
given her by  nature  for a  covering  and as a sign of                                    Dit vers is het hoogtepunt van den geheelen  psalm.
subjugation to her husband. But the man, having  no                                              Ten  zesde, een hartstochtelijk gebed om verlossing.
earthly superior, should have his hair cropped. Hence, Hartstoc'htelijk,                                          want er wordt zelfs gewaagd van het
it was counted  a shame for the man to grow long hair.                                     onmogelijke: God wordt voorgesteld als Die slaapt of .
But, it is said,  "Th? Nazarite,-  who  gave himself up                                    als Die Zich verbergt'; van. vers vier-en-twintig  -tot
by a solemn vow of consecration to God, and  who                                           h e t   e i n d e .
should therefore  ev$r  fee1  the authoriti  and the power                                       Wie de dichter geweest is en welke periode van
of God upon  him, most` fitly  wore big hair long, as the                                  Israel  er. beschreven wordt weten we niet. Het is
badge of his entire and willling  swbjection  to the law  of                               ons niet geopenbaard. Er zijn verschillende gissingen
his God.. By the-wearing of this badge he taught the                                       bij hen die dezen psalm verklaarden, doch we zullen
church then-and the  Ghur:h   indeed  of  Lil1 times-tht                                  U  er niet bij ophouden.  fret is onze overtuiging, dat
the natura1  .power  and authority of man,  which  in                                      de Heere met opzet zulks voor ons verborg. Deze
nature   is so apt to run out into self-will, stubbornness psalm slaat op het leven der kerk van.  alle eeuwen en
and pride, must in grace  yield itself up to the direction                                 daarom moest elke beschrijving van den historischen
and  suppr&macy  of Jehovah". (Fairbairn) . There are                                      achtergrond verborgen blijven.            -
stil1 other explanations,  such   gas  that, according  to                                       Dat is dan ook de reden, dat Paulus; zoovele  eeqven
which  .ihe  long hair was the  symbol.of  strength  and                                   later, den sleuteltekst van. psalm 44 aanhaalt om de
abundant vitality. It  wil1 be shomn in a following                                        smart af te malen van Gds  keFke  aller eeuwen. Die
article that these explanations are not the right  ones.                                   uitspraak in het drie-en-twintigste. vers mocht niet
                         (To be continued)                    j                            door Gods  volk teruggebracht worden op eeti enge his-
                                                                                           torische gebeurtenis, doch zij moest  leeren,   d%t-  die
                         .,    .   ..            -.          G.  MMt  0.
                    .                                                        -.            schreeuw de hare is v&n  eeuw tot eeuw,


                                                     .  .
I       ._
I     64                                           TBE   STANDARD   BEA.RER
            Later, veel later, neemt Jezus die schreeuw over. de schaamte der kerk beschreven. God verstoot de
      en vervult hem. Ik weet wel; het is een vrije, editie            kerk  e.n  maakt haar tot schande  ; Hij doet hen vlieden
      van  .dien tekst, doch feit is, dat Jezus het dieper dan         vo-or   h&aangezicht  van de God-haters. God wordt
      eenig  menschbeseft  heeft, dat Hij leed om  G&  wil.           voorgesteld als Die Zijn volk als schapen overgeeft
      Beide in Gethsemane en op Golgotha moet ge psalm 44 tot spijze. Hij geeft ons over aan `t geweld!  God  is
      vinden, want ik verzeker U dat hij er is.                        het Die Zijn volk verkoopt in de handen  -der   godde-
            L a t e r   m e e r   h i e r o v e r .                    loozen; ook schijnt de prijs te goedkoop. Er komt
            De. psalm beschrijft in het eerste deel de planting
                                             -                         een  bende  rondom de arme kerk, spotters en smaders
      der kerk. (1-4)                                                  die hen omringen. Men lacht en spot, men schimpt  ,en
            Die planting was een Goddelijk wonder. De dichter          hoont; het hoofd wordt geschud in groote verheuging
      heeaft  er van gehoord. Er was een rijke traditie ge-            over dat arme, malle, bespottelijke volk, dat zich noemt  -
      weest:  ,de  vaderen hadden het aan de navolgen-de ge-           naar den naam  `Gods.
      slachten verteld.                                                   -Die  smart wordt diep -beseft. En weer valt de
            En dat wonder  kwam<hierop  neer, dat,  eerstens,  de      psalmist in het persoonlijke terug. Hij  proeft  als
      verkiezende liefde  Gods geopenbaard was. Verkiezende            `t ware al die smart als zijn eigene: "Mijn schande
      diefde, want de heidenen waren verdreven uit Kanan,             is den ganscchen dag vr mij'!" Let vooral op dat
      terwijl Israel geplant werd. De goddeloozen werden               "den gansahen dag".         Later  hooren  we daar  .meer
      geplaagd, doch het volk  Gods mocht voortschieten.               over..
            Met nadruk  wor,dt  er van gezongen, dat zulk plan-           En nu komt het vreemde vierde  ,gedeelte.         Vreemd,
      ten n `nat maken geschiedde alln door  God.~  Israel          want nu komt er een getuigenis dat wonderlijk aan-
      had er part nooh deel aan. Zij waren geheel lijdelijk            doet.
      geweest. Er kwam geen zwaard aan te pas. Het                        De psalmist vertolkt het leven  .van de kerk  te:
      middel was de sterke rechterhand en arm van God                  midden van al die smart  en'al die ellende. En in `t kort
      en het  lizcht  Zijns  aanschijns.                               zegt hij : dit alles geschiedt ons en toch hebben we
            En de grond was het eeuwig welbehagen  Gods.               U niet vergeten! Wij hebben niet valschelijk gehan-
      Er was niets in of aan Israel hetwelk God noopte om              deld tegen Uw verbond!          De psalmist spreekt hier
      hen te planten. IHij  werd  gedreven door Zijn Eigen             stoute  taal; Hij beseft dat ook en daarom voegt hij
      verkiezende  lief.de.                                            er aan toe: Ja, en Gij weet  dathet   zoo  is, o mijn God!
            Dus  `er is hier sprake  .van-  de kerk zooals zij door    Gij zijt tooh alwetend? Zouden wij een vreemden god
      (God  geplant wordt.  ,Gij moogt zeggen, dat het de              aan kunnen roepen, onze handen uitbreidende, en  zoudt
      wedergeboorte der kerk is. Gij kunt die verzen zelfs             Gij  het. dan niet zien?
      persoonlijfk  toepassen  ,op  elk kind van God.  .Hij komt          -Hij gaat zelfs z ver, dat hij getuigenis geeft
      en wordt geplant en schiet voort; omdat God een wel-             van de trouw des harten. De kerk is z trouw ge-
      behagen aan hem  heeft.               Hij doet de goddeloozen weest, dat zelfs hun hart niet achterwaarts gekeerd is.
      doolen  en zuchten, doch Zijn volk zegent Hij. omdat Hij         De vijand heeft gelachen en gespot; de vijand heeft
      eenvoudig `een lust aan hen heeft. Dat wordt hier als            gemoord en geplunderd  ; de vijand heeft ons geslacht
      een feit gekonstateerd.                                          en gegeten  ; doch' ons hart bleef U achterna kleven;
            Nu komt het tweede-"gedeelte. En kan ook niet              Heere! En Gij weet, dat het  zoo  is!
      uitblijven. Dit is het gedeelte `van roem en prijs;                 Machtig, wnderlijk, vreemd getuigen !
            Ik  zei,de   .zooeven, dat men het ook persoonlijk mag        =En  dan komt die schreeuw tot God,  dewelke  het
      toepassen. -Nu,- dat blijkt hier ook  wel; De psalmist           antwoord, de oplossing is van de  moei1ijkhei.d.  De
      die de kerk moet besohrjven valt tweemaal uit den               psalmist lost hier zijn eigen moeilijkheid op: Wij lij-
      meervoudsvorm in het enkelvoudige persoonlijke ik.               den smarten om  Gods wil. Dat is het antwoord.
            Hij heeft beseft dat God moet geloofd en geprezen             Maar om Uwentwil worden wij den ganschen dag
      om  zoo  groote  goedertierenheid,  dat zij kinderen des         gedood, wij worden geacht als slachtschapen!
      Allerhoogsten mogen geheeten. Gij, 0 God, zijt Zelf               Machtig getuigenis !
      mijn -Koning ! Zal er overwinning komen tegenover                    De phrase  cEen   gwnscheit   clag  heeft diepe beteekenis.
      hen die ons haten, moet God Zelf  verlossen,`dan  moet           De slachting van  Gods volk geschiedt van eeuw tot
      Hij de  haters  der kerk beschaamd maken.  Zoo is er             eeuw en onophoudelijk. Daarom kan Paulus hetzelfde
      een eeuwigen roem. In'God  roemen wij den ganschen  - (zeggen als  -deze-  psalmist, zoovele eeuwen, later. En
      dag: En des  IHeeren  Naam zal tot in eeuwigheid ge-             heden is `t nog  zoo.
      loofd worden. Dat wordt hier eenvoudig als -een feit                De slachting van  Gods volk geschiedt om Godswil.
      g e k o n s t a t e e r d .   Wondere   p s a l m ? .   -        He zit dat?
            Doch, o' wee ! Nu volgt het vreeselijke, derde  ge>-          Dat  .zit z: de kerk is en openbaring van God
      deelte  !                       :.                               Zelf: Doch dan moeten we `de kerk bezien uit een
            Hier wordt de  smart  en de ellende, de  schar&!  en       zeer bijzonder oogpunt.        Uit  biet  oogpunt, namelijk,


                  .                             ;     ..     ?


                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEAIhR                                                   65.
  van de wedergeboorte, als vrucht van Zijn  rechter-             haten.    Indien ge van de wereld waart,  zoo  zou de
  hand, Zijn arm en het licht  Zijns   aangezichts: G a           wereld het hare liefhebben. Doch ge zijt niet van de.
  maar terug naar de verzen 1-4. Zoo  is het ook duide-           wereld en.  -daarom  haat zij U. Doch weet dit, ge-
  lijk, dat de kerk haar onschuld durft  beiijdeiz   ijx"&        liefden;  ze Bebben  Jezus vr U gehaat.
  verzen  10-17.  De kerk uit  het-  oogpunt  deT  wedergi-          Ge- begrijpt nu den sleuteltekst van `dezen  ,y.choonen,
  boorte  is onschuldig en doet de zonde niet.  it   dat-        wondershtionen  psalm, niet waar?. Het zit alles in
  zelfde oogpunt  .beechijft  Johannes de kerk als  hij. dat drie-en-twintigste vers.               Om  God?  wil wordt ge
zegt: "Die uit God geboren is die doet de zonde niet".            gehaat. Men  haat God en daarom haat men U. Daar-
1 Joh. 3  :9a.  Van de kerk uit dat oogpunt zegt God:             in ligt  ook UW zaligheid. Zalig zijt ge als ge vervolgd
  "Zij zijn immers Mijn -volk, kinderen die nit -liegen          wordt  om Jezus' wil.  Zalig zijt ge als ge lijden moet
zullen?" Jes. 63  :8. En Jezus zegt van de kerk : Zalig           om der gerechtigheid wil. Zalig is Abel  ~1s Kain  hem
  zijn de reinenvan  hart. . . .                                  doodslaat. E waarom sloeg  Kain  Abel dood? Omdat
     Z i& de .kerk een openbaring van God. Al  Gods   Abel's   werken  rechtvaardig waren en de zijne  onrecht-
  deugdenbeeld wordt de kerk in `t diepste hart ge- vaardig.
  schonken. En dat diepste hart is de nieuwe mensch.                 Zalig in het lijden om Godswil? Hoe zit dat?
     En overal waar die nieuwe mensch zich openbaart Dat zit z: gij wordt altijd overgegeven in den
  wordt hij geworgd, geslacht, beschimpt, gehoond, be-            dood om Jezus' wil, opdat ook het leven van Jezus in
  spot, vertreden. Ja, zoo  wordt de kerk van  ,alle  eeuwen      Uw sterfelijk lichaam  zoude  geopenbaard worden.
 den ganschen dag gedood. En terwijl dat geschiedt Zoo  staat het in 11 Cor. 4 :ll.                     En als ik er aan denk
  wijlkt  ze geen duimbreed van de wegen  des .Heeren.            en  diep  diepte  tracht  te peilen, dan duizelt mijn verstand
  Zij is de openbaring van  Gods  eigen- verbondsleven. en kan ik er niet bij.
  En God staat in voor Zijn Eigen werk in haar.                      Feit is, dat God den diepen weg van het vreeselijke
   Nu is dat nooit  schooner  tot openbaring gekomen              kruis gewild heeft om door ontzaglijk lijden van Jezus
  dan in Jezus Christus den Heere. Waar er slechts  een ..*de  heerlijkste hallel's te hooren  als Jezus Zijn Eigen
  zeer klein beginsel van dat  onzondige,   s'choone,  niet lied zingt, het lied van Mozes en het Lam. Feit is, dat
  liegende en reine leven in de kerk is .van  alle eeuwen,        ons vreeselijk lijden om Jezus wil ons een gansch zeer
  ypont  de Godheid in Jezus  volkomen.                           uitnemend gewicht der heerlijkheid  werl@.  Let er op,
     Daar.om  wordt Hij dan ook den ganschen dag ge-              het lijden werkt heerlijkheid. 0, de diepte! Hoe  on-
  dood. En dan met een dooding zooals nooit door de naspeurlijk Zijn  Gods'wegen!
  kerk geleden werd. Zij hebben Hem gehoord en gehaat                0, ik weet het, als  die  verdrukking van wereld,
  zooals  er nooit een heilige voor Hem of  na Hem  ge-           duivel en vleesch aanwezig is dan zingen we psalm 44.
  haat werd. Rondom dat kruis brak de hel los.  Dniye-            Dan zingen we: Waarom, daar wij Uw bijstand  ver-
  len en menschen wetijverden m te spotten, te  hooqq,           gen, zoudt Gij Uw aangezicht verbergen? 41s  we ge-
  te smaden en te schimpen.                                       dood worden is er een zuchten hetwelk de Geest alln`
     Om Godswil werd Hij  deti ganschen dag gedood,               vertolken kan in zuchtingen die onuitsprekelijk zijn.
  en geacht als een slechtschaap. Denk aan. Jesaja 53.            Doch weet, dat Jezus oneindig veel meer.geleden heeft.
     Hoeveel te heerlijker het deugdenbeeld van God in U Een lijden dat ook Hem psalm 44 deed zing&, al is
  woont, hoeveel te meer gij geworgd, geslacht, gedood het dan ook een eenigzins andere editie. Een andere
  zult worden.                                                    editie doch het waarom bleef hetzelfde: Waarom,
     Dan komen de  duivelen,  de wereld en UW  eig&               o Mijn God hebt ge Mij vei.laten?       Ik heb niet  valsche-
  vleesch  op dat reine hart af om U te tergen en te              lijk gehandeld tegen Uw verbond, o  Mifn  God!
  smaden, om U te'-benauwen en U te doen  zu,chten.                  En ja, dan schijnt. het alsof God slaapt. We kun-
  Vreemde strijd 8an  Romeinen 7. Ge ziet dan temidden nen het den psalmist wel vergeven, dat hij zulke taal
  van wereld en  duivelen  een andere wet in Uwe leden, bezigt.             Jezus zegt toch ook: Waarom hebt Gij Mij
  welke strijdt tegen de Wet Uws gemoeds en U  ge-                verlaten? Z wordt het be1eef.d  in `t aangstig hart.
  vangen  neemt. . . . -.En   .de macht hoort Uw  smarte-            En dan is dit Uw troost, geliefden   : God~  komt ter
  lijke klacht: Wie zal mij verlossen it het lichaam Uwe hulpe `zoo  spoedig als `t kan. `t Is wel waar, dat
  dezes  doods?  1.k  haat dat lichaam en bemin de  deug-         ge  den.~  ganschen dag gedood moet, doch er komt een
  den  Gods  in `t diepe, reine hart!                             einde aan dien dag en dat  dooden.      Jezus werd  omhoog
   DeieXde   klatik  hoort ge in  11   Cor. 4  :11   ei 12. De    gebra.cht  naar de zalen van `t eeuwig paleis en is  BU
 -dooding  van den Heere Jezus  dragen  we in-het  lichaam-       zalig, zaliger dan allen.
  om. Wij worden altijd, let op dat altijd, in den dood              En straks breekt het duister van Uw tegenwoordi-
  overgegeven om Jezus wil.                                       gen nacht om plaats te maken voor `t zonnegloren van
     En waarom die gxtwelijke haat, waarom dat spot-              Zijn lieflijk aangezicht.
  ten en hoonen  Van de reine liefde Gods?                   .       Het is of ik in de verte een ander lied hoor: Ik  zal:
   Dat komt omdat duivel, wereld  en-  vleesch God                nu ik mag ademhalen, na zooveel bangen  tegenspoed,


al  .mijn geloften U betalen, U die in nood mij hebt                bijvoorbeeld de vraag van nabij -bezien, of de gemeente
b e h o e d !   _                                                   dan ook. niet buiten een voorganger het  redden   kan,
     Het bange, het vreeselijke kruis, de dooding van               iets: waar vooral Calvijn zich in zijn verklaring tegen
den Heere Jezus, werkt een heerlijkheid waarvan we                  kert  en daarom opmerkt, dat de Apostel dit niet
slechts stamelen kunnen.                                            bedoelt in den  breeden,   doch  in den  engeren   zin'des
    .Het is de hemel,' daarboven bij God!                           woords..  Hij beperkt het daarom (dit weten van  alle.
                                                 6.  v .            dingen) tot het verband en den inhoud van dit hoofd-
                                                                    stuk. Juist het tegenovergestelde van  w.at  Meyer wil,
                                                                    die meent, dat de Apostel hier het geheel der waarheid
                                                                    op het oog heeft, waardoor de gemeente in staat is het
                                                                    onderscheid te zien tusschen de waarheid en de leugen,
                     Gij Weet `Alle  Dhgeti                         terwijl hij dan met oog  ,op  vers 27 spreekt van, een
                                                                    verder onderwijs van wat -de geloovigen alreeds be-
                                     I Joh..  2:20,   27a.          zitten, waardoor hetgeen zij alreeds bezitten, helder-
     Alles of niets.                                                der in het bewustzijn wordt geprent.          :
     Wanneer w deze woorden der Schrift. lezen, dan                   Z nu bezien, valt  .er wel wat  critiek  uit te bren-
bekruipt -ons het gevoel,  .om  met alles wat in ons is,            gen op dit woord van den Apostel. Oogenschijnlijk
dit Schriftwoord tegen te spreken.                                  althans, bewijst de praktijk des levens juist het tegen-
     Het staat er dan toch maar,  & dingen weet ge.                 overgestelde.
Waar.nog  bijkomt, dat er onmiddelijk aan toegevoegd                 Maar z staat het er toch?
wordt, "en ge hebt niet van noode dat iemand  u-leere".                 "Doch gij hebt de zalving van den Heilige, en gij
Het is alles in duidelijke en voor geen tweerlei  uit-             weet alle dingen.     En de zalving, die gijlieden van
-legging  vatbare taal geschreven. *Ge  liunt  -er met geen         Hem ontvangen hebt, blijft in u, en gij hebt niet van
mogelijkheid om heen redeneeren.                                   -noode  dat iemand  uleere".
     We vinden dan ook in deze woorden juist het om-                   Johannes,  zoo  is wel eens gezegd, ziet meestal. de
gekeerde van wat we in het dagelijksch leven  hooren                dingen bij intuitie . Hij ziet ze en zegt ze. Daarom
en ervaren. Het algemeen getuigenis des levens is, dat vindt ge dan ook in zijn. brieven weinig betoog over een
we  zoo  weinig weten, dat het schier onmogelijkis, om              stuk der Waarheid, gelijk dit het geval is bij den
zelfs een  fl.auw  bbegrip  te. vormen van vele dingen.             Apostel Paulus,  die. soms geheele hoofdstukken wijdt
Er is  zoo  ontzettend veel, dat buiten den  gezichts  kring        aan een enkel deel der Waarheid. Denk slechts aan
ligt van een "average" mensch.                                      zijn brief aan de Romeinen, in verband met  de.   Recht-
    ,Het eenparig getuigenis is, dat een mensch zijn                vaardigmaking des  geloofs.
geheele leven door leert of  leeren  moet, dat hij  iederen             Vervolgens wordt dan daarbij zijn schrijven ge-
dag met  nieuwe  probleemen moet worstelen, terwijl de              kenmerkt door een innige en  teede?e  wijze van spreken,
 oude nog niet opgelost zijn.                                       wanneer hij zich tot de gemeente van Christus richt.
     Alle dingen -weten?                                           Telkens weer spreekt hij haar aan als de  "kinder-
  Vraag dat eens aan den student, die aan de voeten                 kens",  de geliefden, mijne geliefde kinderkens. En
van zijn leermeester zit.                                           hij verbindt schier iedere gedachte met den Christus.
     Weet u  zoo  ongeveer alles ? Als hij een "goed"               Soms, met den Christus als de Messias, Die de Zoon
 student is, dan  .zal zijn antwoord zijn: Ja, ziet u, ik           van God is. Dan weer met Jezus de Christus, Die in
 meende al heel wat te weten toen ik pas begon te                   het vleesch gekomen is. Van den Christus,  den' lij-
 studeeren en nu ben ik al enkele jaren op School en                dende Borg, zoowel als de Christus, Die nu de  5Ieere
 men heeft mij allereerst geleerd,  .dat  ik eigenlijk  zoo         der Heerlijkheid is, gaat hij uit in geheel den brief.
 goed als niets wist. Met mij werd dan ook -niet het                    Daarom beziet hij dan ook de belijdenis aangaande
 orakel geboren toen ik ter wereld verscheen..              Met     den Christus `uit verschillende oogpunten. Hij  be-0
hard ploeteren heb ik nu aan de eerste beginselen wat               handelt zijn onderwerp uit het oogpunt der tegen-'
 houvast `gekregen van sommige dingen.  -Ik  houd er                stellingen.. Tegenstellingen waarvan hij  eer&  geheel
 mij van overtuigd, dat ik lang. alles niet- weten zal,             in het  algemeen'spreekt  wanneer hij zegt, "Die daar
 wanneer men mij het leven instuurt.                                zegt: Ik ken Hem en-Zijne geboden niet bewaart, die
     En de man  fi  onderwijs verstrekt zal  u weten te            is een leugenaar,' en in dien is de waarheid niet." Omge-
 vertellen, dat de meeste zijner studenten het nooit                keerd:  "Wie  Zijn Woord bewaart, in dien is de liefde
 verder zullen brengen dan  d,e   -6average",  tenzij men           Gods-  volmaakt geworden. Hieraan kennen wij dat
 zich op den arbeid met allen ernst zal werpen . Hij                wij in Hem zijn". Diep en  tch  `duidelijk-verstaan-
 heeft zelf niets geleerd, dan door  .den  weg van harden           baar. En' van het algemeen-breedere keert de' Apostel
 a r b e i d .          . .                                         ziCh  tot de gemeente en wijst haar op het  feit,   -dat  het.
     Zoo zouden we nog wel wat voort: -kunnen gaan en               de laatste ure is en de  AntiChrist  komt en voegt er


dan, als `in n adem, aan toe, dat zijn komst alreeds          ontvangen en -blijvend goed.       In verband hiermede
zitihtbaar  wordt, doordat vele antichristen zijn ge-           moet  de vraag gesteld worden, wie is hier de  ,Heil.ige?
worden, waaruit wij kennen, dat het de  laatste.   ure          Is  h& God, Christus, of de Heilige Geest?  Ve?volgens,
is.                                                        _ : zuliiin.   v- oqk  inoeten  weten wat het wezen is van de
       Hij herinnert er haar vervolgens  aan,  door  ei' op     zalving waarover de Apostel spreekt. En het volgt als
te wijzen,  <dat  deze antichristen ook in  Get   midden        dan vanzelf wat de werking is van den Heilige door de
der gemeente aanwezig waren.. Er gingen er immers               zalving, die van Hem uitgaat. Wat is haar karakter?
van  ns uit? Zij hebben zich afgescheiden, om de               En  eindelijik,  want de tekst `zegt "En de zalving, die
eenvoudige reden, dat zij van ons niet waren,  a&ers            gijlieden van Hem  .ontvangen  hebt, blijft in u", wat
waren zij bij ons gebleven. Wel te verstaan, dat deze-          is haar duur of duurzaamheid, zoowel  !s haar vrucht,
afscheiding niet direkt plaats greep; doch pas nadat            namelijk, dat zij een bezit is, dat  u vrijmaakt, waarom
de-   menschen  getracht hadden de overige leden acht&          "gij niet van noode hebt dat iemand  u  leere".    Ge hebt
zich te-trekken. De antichristen  loopen  z maar niet ldoor  die zalving geen behoefte aan iemand, om   te
weg. Neen, maar het  was en is hun doel en toeleg               onderwijzen. (Alleen aan den Heilige, Die daartoe
anderen te verleiden door hun valsche leer aangaande Zijn eigen  middlen  wil gebruiken).
God en Christus, het werk des  Geestes  en dat van                 Het is opmerkelijk,  dat- de Apostel telkens weer
den'  M,id*delaar.  Daarom moet dan ook de  .Kerk  de spreekt van gij, ons, wij. Dit staat in nauw  ver.band
geesten beproeven, vooral als die  geesten  met de pre-         met den Heilige wiens zalving de gemeente deelachtig
tentie optreden, dat zij den Christus belijden. Toen            is. Weliswaar,  ,de  Heilige wordt hier niet verder om-
als  nu, komt men van zulke  dwaalleeraars  niet ge-            schreven, maar  ~het is niet moeilijk te zien  waarom
makkelijk en in een oogenblik af. Was dat het geval,            Johannes dit niet doet. De Apostel heeft hier niet
dn  ware deze reeks Van vermaningen niet telkens weer          het oog op een enkele  geloovig,  doch hij richt zich tot
herhaald door den Apostel. Neen, maar tot het uiter-            de gemeente van  .Christus.    Van die gedachte gaat hij
ste toe hangen zij als klitten den geloovige aan. Met in  geheel  zijn brief uit. En Christus lichaam is een
allerlei voorwendsels trachten zij ingang te verkrijgen         heilig  li,chaam. Heilig allereerst, omdat de  leden  des
in de gemeente des  ,Heeren. Het zaad van den Booze             lichaams  in het Hoofd begrepen zijn. Alszoodanig
heeft geen rust,  totdat  ook anderen worden  afgtrok          werkt en woont de Heilige alleen in dat lichaam, in
ken en meegevoerd door allerlei  leugenleer  en  bedek-         tegenstelling met de wereld. En omdat zij in Christus
selen der ongerechtigheid,  di een  schijt   van waarheid      zijn, van God den Vader van alle eeuwigheid daartoe
hebben. In dat opzicht gelijken zij sprekend op hun' vepkoren,,  zalft de Heilige, de door God verordineerd.
vader, de leugenaar van den beginne. 0, indien het heiligen. Niet zooals zij in  zichzelven  zijn, want dan
mogelijke  wrare,  zij zouden niets liever. dan de ge-          zou de Apostel  geen  tegenstelling kunnen maken  tus-
meente -verwoesten. Wie kent niet het zoet  gefluit  van        schen hen en die van hen uitgingen,  doc?h   zooals  zij in
di&  vogelaars? Wat is er ellendiger voor de gemeente           Christus hun Hoofd zijn. Dezelfde gedachte bespreekt
dan juist dit, dat de leugen, onder den schijn van waar-        ook de Apostel Paulus-wanneer hij tot de Corinthiers
heid, ingang vindt of tracht te vinden, in  `s  Heeren          sprekt. "Want de Zone  Gods,  Jezus Christus, die
Kerk! Pas dan,  waneer  het hun duidelijk wordt, dat
            `.                                                  onder  u door ons is gepredikt, door mij en Silvanus en
men Christus Bruid niet kan verleiden, gaat men heen            Timotheus, was niet ja en neen, maar is geweest
en worden zulke menechen als leugenaars openbaar.               ja in Hem. Want zoovele beloften  Gods als er zijn,
Zoodat zelfs onvaste zielen het kunnen zien.                    die zijn in Hem  j-a, en zijn in Hem amen,  Gode tot
  Daarna  `pas,.  als dat  Iailes  hun duidelijk  wopdt,        heerlijkheid door ons. Maar die ons met  u bevestigt
scheiden zij zelf af.                                           in Christus, en die ons gezalfd heeft, is God; die ons
       (Heel  eenvoudig en de gemeente geruststellende zegt     ook heeft verzegeld, en het onderpand des  Geestes  in
Johannes, zij zijn het bewijs, dat niet  allen  uit ons         on.ze  harten gegeven";
zijn. Tob -er maar niet over kinderkens,  het  is een ge-          Dus als heiligen of geheiligden bezitten zij deze
zond  .ver.schijasel   als.  ge zulke  menschen  ziet heen-     zalving. Aldus is zij het bezit der gemeente. Van de
gaan.                                                           gemeente  onder  haar Hoqfd, Christus. Dan mogen
       .En  `aldtii  komt de Apostel tot de positieve ver-      sommigen vervolgens  er'over  verschillen of de Heilige
klaring, doch gij hebt de zalving van den Heilige. en           Geest God is, of dat de Apostel hier Christus bedoelt,
weet  all. dingen. Die zalving blijft ook in  u en  daar-      of het bepaaldelijk de Heilige. Geest -is zonder meer
oni.hebt  gij  niet'van  noode dat iemand'  u leere.' Het       -Ihierover  bestaat echter geen verschil,  wanneer  ge-
allermi&.  deze pseudo-profeten.        Hoe  kou  het ook       vraagd wordt, hoe  krlij;gt het lichaam van Christus .
kunneti?   :Wie  zou buiten den  Heilige  de heiligen  kun-     ,deel  aan de weldaden van haar  Hoofid?  Daarop is
nen-zalven?   Hi;  wij& dan in  deze  tekstwo6rd&,   -wat       sleclhts  n antwoord mogelijk: Door Christus. Het
d  :hofdz&ak  .  betreft;  op' datgene wat `de gemeente       Ieven-   van  het  ,Hofd is  `het leven van en voor het
be&.  Zij  -bezi.i  die  ialting van den  Heilige  als  een    Lichaam.    Als Hoofd  van   Zijn~Lichaam  heeft Hij dan .


68                                        P     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

      ook den Geest,  als Zijn  Ge&t  ontvangen. Het  aller-          do. We must ask:  What  clo they  receide?
      -duidelijkste  bewijs  .vinden  we in de Handelingen der                And  a!tiays  home instruction is basic, not only for
      Apbstelen,  hoof,dstuk   twee,  de verzen  &wee-?>-.de+ig       ~11  tl-&;.instruction  the child receives, also in  church
      en. drie-en-dertig : "tiezen Jezus heeft God  o&ewekt,          s$ s&%1; but for its entire life'and conduct until the
      waarvan  v$j   allen  getuigen zijn.  tHij  dan door  de        day  it closes its eyes in death.
      rech,terhand  Gods verhoogd  iijnde,  en  de   beloft?   des                    e          -
      Heiligen   Gee&es   ontv,angen  hebbende van  den   Vader,
      heeft  dit' ui.tgestort dat gij nu ziet en hoort".                      If, as one well-known educator remarked recently,
        -Het  iijdt  dan bok geen twijfel, dat hier bedoeld           the `end iti the. field of education is the beginning, we
      wq?dt   lde Geest, die  als Geest van den Verhoogden            do well to ask at once: wherein must the child be  iti-
      Middelaar, haar (de gemeente) de zalving waarvan                strutted? How extensive` must that home. instruc-
      gesprokkn  wordt,  .deelachtig  maakt. Het is de  Geest,        tion be?  -
      die de door Christus  verworvene weldaden toepast  aan                  Our baptism form speaks of the "aforesaid doc-
      Zijn lichaam. Hij  ,is haar Levensverwekker,  Levens-           trine". That doctrine it  contim%  to define as "the
      bezieler  en Levensonderhouder, die  bij-  haar zal blijven doictrine'eontained          in the Old-and New Testament and
      tot in eeuwigheid.                                              in the articles of the Christian faith and taught here in
          In dezelfde taal  spreekt ook de belijdenis, wamieer        this-  Christian  church".       Hence, the entire doctrine
      op de.  .vraag,   waarom   Christus   Gezalfde.  wordt  ge-     of salvation is meant.
      naamd  en Gods kind een Christen, geantwoord.  wordt:                   Scripture, too, is very broad on this subject. Solso-
      "Omdat   Christus  van God den `Vader verordineerd  is          mon says, "train up a ,ehild  in the way he should -go."
      en met den  Heiligen   Ge&,t  gezalfd tot onien grooten         This refers to his entire life with all its complexities,
      Profeet en  Leeraay,  tot  onzen  eenigen Hoagepriester ,which   shouid  be the way ,of  righteodsness, of sanctifi-
      en  tot onzeli  eeuwigen Koning, die ons met Zijn Woord         cation, of God. It is the way that is pleasing to God in
      en Geest regeert", en, "ik wordt een Christen  gentimd,         every  respect.  Moses   ,in Deut. 6, speaks of "these
      omdat ik door het  geloof een lidmaat van Christus  en          words".        What words ?       "The  comman.dments,  the
      alzoo  Zijner zalving deelachtig ben."                          statutes and the judgments, vcnhich  the Lsr,d  your God
                        (Wordt  v e r v o l g d )   _                 commanded to teach you, that  `ye  `might do them in
                                                         w .v.        the land whither you go to possess it". vs. 1. "Thou
                                                                      shalt love the Lord thy God with.`all  thine heart, and
                                                                      with all thine soul, and with all thy might". vs. 5.
                         _                                                    In general, therefore, -the home curriculum includes
                                                                      all the  chil,d  must know  -to   take  its place in life  -as  a
                 Home Ir$truction  - Basic                            true  child of God's covenant.
                                                                              The child must. be  instru.cted  in the  *B?ble  itself.
         "My father and mother were none too religious,- According to its .age and mental capacity, of `course,
      and you  know  what that means for the children."               but early in life,  neve&heless,  it must be taught the
      Thus, not many w&eks ago, spoke an aged brother of              history of God's Covenant in  the world. It must be
      more thm fourscore years  in explaining the compara-            acquainted with the Bible as such. For this phase of
      tive indifference of his teens and early twenties.              home instruction we consider a trustworthy Bible
         Yes, we know both from Scripture and kxperience              Story Book, sdch  as that of Catherin.e  Vos, exceedingly
      what it means for the child when the hotie fails in its         help&l. No home with children should be w&out
      God-given calling and  the parent is negligent with             one.
      respect to the instruction of the covenant seed. Here            Home education must-include "the aforesaid doc-
      eSpecially  it is true : what men sow  men'must  expect  to     trine". Doctrine, in.  a reasonable form, can be incul-
      reap.                                                           cated even before the history of the people of God is
         Always the home instructs. It is not a matter of             taught the child. Of course, the diet should be light at
      parental choice whether or  not  they shall instruct  their     first  and  should be increased  ac'cordipg   to the  mensal
      children. It is inevitable that they do. As  long  as           capacity of the student. Our children should be taught
      the child has eyes to see, ears to hear, the faculties of       about God; His names, His essence, -His  persons, His
      touch and taste and smell; it will be instructed. Like-         works and attributes.           They can and  mtist  be told
      wise, as  ldng  as  ihe  child is at home with you, you do      about the goodness, grace, love, justice, knowledge,
      the instructing, whether you will it so or not, whether Wisdom,  eternity, omniscience, omnipoteece  and omni-
      your  &truction  be direct or indirect,  int&ntional  or presence of their God. All these must be held before
      unintentional,  oral or by way, of  examtile,-  positive or our children as a source of comfort ,and  joy. You say:
      nebative,  good or bad. The question is not:  do your these things are too-profound f,or a child! They  m&m
      children receive instruction at home'? Invariably they          nothing to him!. . You are mistaken. That  `wcjuld  be


                                       T H E '   ST.AND'ARD   B E A R E R                                                                     .69

  true if you were to lecture to a child&s a professor of instructed "in the way they should go". All `these cb'z?d
  Dogmatics in a seminary. In a home these things                be discussed more in detlail,  but the space allotted .me
  must be discussed in `an appropriate manner,. as               makes-,this  :,imp&sible.              You will observe that in
  parents with their children. Then even little child&n          ma&of  thesa  `things church and school simply cann3;
  will understand and these same doctrines, made to fit          begin to properly train the child.
  them, will impress them profoundly. Remember, the                   With respect- to all these matters the child must be
  child is vividly conscious of the reality of the.  unseen.     irbstructeicl.     instruction is not a mere, formal imparta-.
  H.e  is highly receptive and.  deeply aware, of his help- tion of bare facts and judgments.  `It is more than
  lessness and dependence. Consequently, he is pleased mere assimilation of cold data and the `ability to re-
  to hear about God. He finds comfort in the fact that produce it upon examination.                                 Instruction, implies
  God is omnipresent, that his God has power to do all more than that. The word itself means : to  build in.
  things and care for all his needs, that His heavenly           Hen&-the  contents of the instruction must be  b&lt
  Father sees all things (even though it be pitch-dark in into the child.                 It must become part of the child's
  his bedroom at night), and that all wisdom belongs to          mental and spiritual makeup.
  the Lord, Who therefore always does what is best for                                           -
  His people. Also, the justice and holiness of God can               In- this colossal work the home, as  ybu must have
  and must be appealed to when admonishing our `child-           felt by now, is of primary significance. Thus it was
  ren from ways of sin. This, too,, they soon under-             from the beginning. At one time the home was the
  s t a n d .                                                    only educational  instituti,on  in existence. Even now,
      In like manner our chilaren  must be instructed in         though school and catechism have augmented home in-
  the doctrine of man, creation,  provi,dence,  the fall,        struction, the latter is first, that is, basic.
  si,n and its results  ; the doctrine of Christ, the need of         Scripture is clear on this point. To whom is it
  Him, His names and natures and offices and states,             said, "Train the  chil,d in the way he should go  ?"
  His birth, suffering, rejection by men, death, burial,         Parents, to you.  To whom does Moses say, "And thou
  resurrection, ascension, return to judgment; the doc-          shall teach them diligently unto thy children?"  `.,To   ZJOZL
  trine of salvation, its author, regeneration, conversion,           That home and parents should be primary and
  calling, etc.; the d,octrine  of the soul, the resurrection basic in the matter of child education represents a
  of the dead, heaven and hell. A fatal error here would beautiful arrangement `on the' part of our covenant
  be to say:  these_  things are not for the  .child.  He        God. The children belong to us, do they n.ot? We love
  cannot understand. If only you present them  ia his            them more than~Miss  . . . . . . . . . . . . or the Rev. . . . . .  .._.... could    .
  l a n g u a g e .                                              possibly love them. We are most interested in their
      Then, there are attitudes to be assumed. It is vital       spiritual welfare. We know them best, and are in
to the child's spiritual welfare that these be right.            the best position to give them individual attention. .
  He must be trained in the proper attitude toward cate-         We are with them and they with us from the moment :
  chism, the Christian' school, church attendance, the they `are born. We have their confidence and. love.
  preaching of the Word, the  world  and the things of           If not there is something radically wrong in the rela-
  the world. A love of that which is of God and a loath-         tion between parents and children. That  .the  home,
  ing of  t.hat  which is evil must be cultivated in the         therefore, should be of  .primary  significance throughout
 `child. Negligence on the part of the home in these             the life of the child  is. wholly in accord  *with   .the
  things is fatal.     In the cultivation of attitudes no divine ordinances of creation and providence. .`.-`y  ".`.
  church' or school can begin to take the place of the                You, then, parents, are the first and main teachers
  Christian home..                                               of your children. The most determinative aspect of,
      To all this must be added that great sphere of             their training you must, and do give.
  practical  Christianity . Our children must be taught               What a tragedy, then, that the home has been and
  to take their pr.oper  place in life socially and morally.     is disintegrating to  such  a grievous extent! Once it
  They must know how to live right with all men in was the social, economic, educational and religious
  all things, as employers or employees, as magistrates center of the Christian's life. This it is no more. Too
  or subjects, in business and culture. In the language          many extraneous interests have made their inroads.
  they speak, which should always be to  the glory of Many of the fathers and older children are home so
  God; in their conduct, which must ever be determined little that the ,latter  has become only a place to lodge.
  by the will of God ; in prayer and the. reading-of the         Many' mothers have so many foreign interests' to keep
Word of God, in obedience and reverence, in honesty              them busy, that their children, for the greater part,
  and sobriety, in Sabbath observance'and spiritual  isola-      must be cared'  for  by  non-interested strangers.
tioh,  from the  x world, in dress and reading material,          In this  gigan&'  task `of home training especially
 in choice `of .f.@ends  and entertainments, in these .and       our indirect instruction  .is basic.. Remember, deeds,
  many more things our covenant children must be                 also here, speak`louder'  tlian'w&ls.  * A'good eiaxipik  is


7 0                                       T H E   STANDARD:BEARER'
                                                              .:
worth more than vain, pious conversation.  .We  must it is hard for this reason, church news in the Stand&l
live ourselves as  .we  teach our children to live. Poor            Bearer is necessarily old news.
conduct on the part of parents, conduct inconsistent                   The reader -must also keep in mind  the'incapability
with our direct instruction, invariably nullifies the lat-          of a common layman, to write in a paper like the
ter and stamps us as hypocrites in the minds of  our                Standard Bearer. And last, but not least, the Rev. H.
children.       Bear in mind,  the,  child learns  -first and       Hoeksema made the  .statement'in  his outline remarks :
best by imitation. As we live, they live ; as we speak, -.(S.  B., Aug. 1) "the success-of the present scheme will
they speak ; as we dress, they dress  ; what we read,               depend entirely on the aticeptance  by each `of us of the
they read ; what we love, they love ;- our interests are            task assigned to him and  on'  faithful and thorough
their interests  ,our  delights are theirs.  :How  essential work.".
then, that our daily manifestation of life be as we                    Now, to `be faithful'in this respect is not so difficult,
would have our children to live. In all  basic home                 but to do thorough work is a different story.
instruction, therefore, this in turn is most basic: that               .Is  it not also true that some men are born preach-
we ourselves know and study the Scriptures, that we ers ; some born singers, or artists  ; and some are born
ourselves love and live sound doctrine, that we our-                writers? But I have "none of these qualifications; and
selves assume the proper attitude toward church and above all, my inferiority complex also stands in the
school and catechism and world, that in language and                way to make these church news articles a success.
prayer an d reverence and honesty and -Sabbath iHowever,,  it is also an honor to be in  oompany  with
observance and choice of friends and entertainments .learned  men, and I thank the Editor-in-chief that he
we ourselves live circumspectly and exemplary.. Our has  d,eemed  me  wort.hy  to write a few  articles'in  this
direct instruction may be ever so vital to our zhildren,            our paper in this coming year.
home atmosphere is even more so. Never expect to do                    The Third Annual Convention of the Protestant
one thing and teach your children another.                          Reformed Young Peoples' Federation was again held,
                                     -                              and, as I read about it, it was with m.uch success. The
       Home instruction is basic. Indeed, it is!                    committee selected a beautiful and proper theme, (in
       It is basic, because we always do instruct our the words of our Editor-in-chief) in t.he subject, "Thor-
children and they always learn from us. If the home                 oufghly  Equipped".                         _
is not busy training "in the way they should go", it-is                The different speakers made it very plain that in
doing so in the way they should not go. It is im-                   the midst of this world our  cOvenant,  youth must be
possible for home and parents  `not  to instruct.        -          thoroughly equipped  ,indeed,  for we wrestle not against
       It is basic because home instruction lies at the root        flesh and blood, but. against- principalities, against
of all instruction. The latter can accomplish nothing powers, and the rulers of darkness of this world. And
for' the welfare of' the child without the former.                  II Tim.0 3 :16,  17 speaks of the man of God, that he
Wherefore it is always the home that is judged. by                  must be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto every
the child. When children are recalcitrant,  i.n&orrigible,          good work, in order, that he may be a good soldier to
vulgar and diso,bedient  and worldly, who receives the              fi,ght  Jehovah's battles. This soldier must maintain
blame? The church? Not usually. The school? No.                     the truth, and this  Jmeans  for a Protestant Reformed  '
The home! You!                                                      soldier that he must maintain the absolute sovereignty
       Let us, then, be faithful in our calling as covenant         of God, over against the tendencies that deny the
parents.                                                            divinity of Christ. This youthful soldier must live
       (And  our child?    "When he -is old, he will not depart an isolated Christian soldier life, and must never follow
from it."  _                                        R. V;           the blind leaders of the blind:    He should not be seen
                                                                    in places of the world, in theaters or dancehalls, but
                                                                    must live an isolated Christian life.  IIe  must also be
                                                                    watchful in our peculiar times, and he must  have-
              News From Our Churches                                knowledge to be a thoroughly equipped Christian. He
                                                                    must know that in the midst of the battle he has the
       Under this heading, it was assigned to me by our victory. .
Editor-in-ohief to write a few articles in the Standard                Our  R. F. P. A. again held their annual meeting,
Bearer. Now, to write news from our churches for                    and judging by the attendance we are hopelessly lost,
our paper is not an easy task ; as the- readers can                 and should stop all our activities in connection with
easily understand. In the first place it is not easy                the publication of our .S.  B. The first  m.eeting  of this
for the simple reason that all the news from  our                   kind was attended `by. approximately 350, and at this
churches is written in  Ou,r  Church News,  t;he small,             meeting there were only 29. Where are the  300?
weekly paper which. is well liked  $y  old and  .young,  and        They had various reasons for not being there, J sup-
whose Editor is a capable  %man.  In the second place               pose? ,

                                                                        -5


                                         T H E   S T A N D A R ` D   ` B E A R E R   '                                    Ti

      The Rev. M.  Schipper  spoke a good, well-chosen walk of life was a sinful walk? Because common grace                     .
 word. His theme was: Jehovah our Banner. In Exo-               stood in the way. Yes, that good-for-nothing grace is
  dus we read, as you know, that Moses, Aaron-and               no good.:  -With it you depose good reformed ministers.
 Hur were upon a high mountain and Israel was in the of  the..gospel,  and you have to keep worldly-minded
 valley fighting'the battle of Jehovah against the  Amale-      doctors in your  churches.  In  t.he dogma. of common
  kites. Moses was instructed by the Lord to lift up grace the fundamental. principles of Reformed truth
  His staff on high in order that Israel might win. With are done ,away   wit,h.  Then God is no more God. Sal-
 the, help `of Aaron and Hur he succeeded and Jehovah           vation is for everybody, which means nobody. 0 yes,
 gave the victory. Under  that Banner of Jehovah-nissi          it is very easy for the flesh, but God is dethroned,
 the battle was fought. We also, so the speaker goes on,        and man is king. God forbid that  `we  `as Protestant
 must fight that  batt1.e of Jehovah our Banner, and our Reformed Churches should ever adhere  to.such a man-
  Standard Bearer as a banner of the truth must  and-           made dogma.
  does fight the warfare-of our King.                              I am sure that you agree with me when I make the -
      I. suppose all the readers of our S. B. know by this      statement that it is good news for every Reformed
 time that the consistory of the First Church `decided to       thinker that the Rev. H;  Hoeksema now- speaks over
  make a little change in our English services. Instead the radio, and promised to do so, D. V. for a period of
  of the present doxology `("Praise God from Whom all           39 weeks. Remember, the time-every Sunday after-
  blessings flow") we sing Psalter No. 197, both stanzas.       noon from  4:15 until 5  :Od, over station W L A  V  ,
  The last doxology we now sing first, as soon as the           1340 on your dial. This radio hour is sponsored by
  minister rises and `stands on the pulpit. Something. the Young Men's Society of the First Protestant Re-
  new, you say, yes, but  -whatof it? It is all to the glory    formed Church.
  of our Covenant God, and as I see it,  forthe  betterment        It is in place here to thank the Rev. Hoeksema for           _
  of our church services. Some say: We fall in line with        his willingness to cooperate with the Young Men's
  the Amerioan churches round about us, and this is             Society in this worthy  cause,  and also to thank the
  (so they say) the first step in a wrong direction. Now,       Young Men's Society. for t.heir many labors connected
  we shall take notice in the future.                           with this work . Also those who contributed have
      By t.he grace of God we are sound in doctrine how-        d,one  well. But above all, our Covenant God must re-
  ever and have not deviated from the truth since 1924,         ceive the honor and the glory that, as Protestant
  the never-to-be-forgotten year, when' we were expelled Reformed Churches, we may be co-workers with Him
  from. the' Christian Reformed Church ; and are now            in the spreading of the gospel of Jesus Christ as it is
  named Protestant Reformed, and of that name we are found in the Scriptures which speak of a sovereign
  proud, we like; it, and love it, and fight for it, and if     God and of totally depraved men.
  necessary die for it.- The Christian Reformed Church             Our second Pastor, the Rev. R.  Veldman  was willing
  does  snot  fight anymore.. You say, give proof? Here         to give up his evening services, and he did this in
  it is ! In 1924 these churches deposed a minister (to. full accord with the consistory. The Rev. Hoeksema
  mention only one) of whom they-witnessed that he was preaches every Sunday evening and Rev.  Vel,dman
r Reformed.       In 1941 these same churches gave an           every Sunday afternoon.
  honorable discharge to a minister `because of worldly-           If I may do so, I would advise the Rev. Hoeksema
  mindedness. The former was in a holy mood, and to be dear in his speech, explain. the truth thoroughly ;
  warned these-churches not to depart from the  Reform?         for, remember, your audience is not used to Protestant
  ed truth. The latter felt at  .home  in the movies of Reformed speaking, outside of our churches.
  Hollywood. The former pleaded with them  .to  abide              I  .would  also, and first of all, advise the Christian
  by the truth and reconsider their actions. The latter Reformed people, with their leaders,  .to.  tune in and  _
  ignored the assembly of the wise. The former did not listen attentively. After all, for this truth, this
  want  ,to leave. The latter boastingly sneers, "I re- speaker was expelled from your churches, and it left
  s i g n   !"                                                  a scar  which.  is painful and sorely felt even today.
    T h e Synod of 1924 at least made a sinful attempt             We-  also consider this to be Mission work: Your
 to abide by the truth. In 1941 there is silence in the. churches do not like our Missionary, and consequently
  court.-                                                       `not this kind of  wor.k,  although we are  gllad  that at
      Are-there no more watchmen upon the walls of              last the  day-  and the hour arrived for  the'  Prot. Ref.
, Christian Reformed Zion? You were warned breth-               Radio Hour, and according to my opinion, it will be
  ren for the dogma of Comlmon  Grace! You never find of great importance for those  w,ho  love the Reformed
  a Holy God in sinful, ungodly Hollywood, operating truth.
  with  IHis  Spirit, and an actor is not pleasing in His          At the appointed time, in a clear voice, the an-
 .sight..            ..'                                        nouncer, Mr. W. Hoffman, introduced the Rev. H.
      Why did not your Synod tell  Dr,  Pousma  that his        Hoeksenia,  after the  Chdir'  in  harmonious unison`had


sung No. 308 of the Psalter: "Not unto us, o Lord of                  present, then we come to the concltision,  that there is
`heaven, but unto Thee be glqry  given". . . .                        not much life in our Societies. However, there-.was
    As  .the  last tones of the singers faded away  :, much  life in the speech- of the speaker . He treated
`a  cor$ncing  voice was  he&  in the words, "God  is                 his subject in distinction from the Church.
-God!"                                                                    qociety.life is different from church life. The  church
    What-a -difference! Usually we hear of man, and                   is a  livillg  &dy  with living members,  alid  she must.
-of his mighty deeds. The speaker made it very plain                  preach  the living Word by ordained preachers, chosen '
in  his entire speech, that God is God indeed. And that of God, and by the Church.. That minister .must  know
,!He   is-God  ana  God alone means salvation  for-  His             ttie  truth as it  is revealed and given to ihe c.hurch,  in
`people. Much is heard in our days about man, about order  that  His people may grow- ih grace and `know-
                                                                                                                   .
his goodness, about man's  salvation,  a salvation after ledge of Him.
his  own  heart. They speak. of ,God who is good and                           A Socidty  is a group of members out of .that  living
gY'acious,  `but they forget that He is also the God of              body,  and   they_  come together from  tieek to week, in
`writh, according to Scripture.                                       order- to have mutual  fellowship with each other, and
    The Church~must  speak God's hard,  and that  Word                study the  Wor.d  of God; and that Word  -must  be
speaks: I  abrn  God; God is ndt the God of our  imagina-             studied prayerfully. We must also take time to study,
t i o n .                                                             and never forget to read it in the context. ,and  in its
    It.$as  made  very plain:  thai  the  Church  is God's            eniirety;
witness, `and she  does tiot speak  ,?f herself. She  hea&                     Scripture explains- -itself. However, this does  not
the Word of God; wonderful in `power,  and proclaims                 mean  t.hat  we may not use commentaries  ;  .for  God also
that God eatin&  be likened unto us, for we are mere                  gave us  `men   iri the  p&t  who were  mighty in, the  Scrip:
rrian:..  He is the Creator .and  we are :creattires.     He is tures.   `And   `also  in  boc&  ahd  in  magazines-  we find
light, and  we are darkness  ,and no one can show us m&h what is beneficial for our -Society life,  alid   our.
the way out of that  darkriess  and death.        The Church          Standard Bearer, cannot be missed. :
-speaks a testimony. `She has no-choice in the matter,                         The Reverend believes in a literal inspiratioh.  This
and she always  must  and does say: God is God.  It                   was made very clear- in the after recess discussion.-
becomes `a fire in her bones.  She  witnesses of the                  God inspired the writers of I%019 Writ that they wrote
Word she hears. The Church speaks through revela-                     exactly  word for word what He spoke and  thus  the
tion. The word that diminishes that God is God,  is                   Bible became a harmonious whole.                     ,.:           .'      `?
d a n ' g e r o u s .                                       .-:_.              It was made very plain : that God had the beginning
    The speaker closed  his  .speech  by saying,  t,hat  the          and the  efid of  IHis   pIa%  .im His  eternal  mind and He
people who-know that  ,God  is God indeed ; and  knowimig            made  knoti  that plan unto meri who Were  tioved by
Him as  tiheir  Godi  that people is blessed.. Then they the Holy  Sbirit.
talk with Him, and walk with Him, and in that sweet                            Now, God created these men at the appointed$ime,
communion taste that He is good and  .so  have life                   and made them ready for the task to the which they
eternal.                                                              were appointed. A Jeremiah was  ohoS&  to  .be  the
    As it always is, some liked the speech, and others weeping preacher of Israel, and  had no choice in the
 did not. There were also Borne who did not  uiider-                  matter, but also so that he tias a willing instrument.
statid  it, others complained t6at  prayer was lacking.               A Peter could not  take the-place of the Apos& Paul,
   Now, what shall we say about this..  As a Protestant               and David was given the God-ordained place to become
people we  are very distinctive,  and  that holds also                Israel's battling- King.
in this matte?. I would like to ask this question: Does                        I thought by myself: so it is. Looking at it in this
the audience  as a  whol'e  bow  their heads in  pyayer?              light, we see that little David lkadifig  the sheep to the
You  know better. The one laughs, some talk, and .green  pastures and thus he was made ready to lead
others pay no attention whatsoever. So you see, it is.                Israel in due time, and fought their battles in Jehovah's
not so unwise after`,all  to omit  it.'                               Name: He fell in sin, and hecame  a penitent confessor,
    Well; the Word Yvas spoken; and we leave it to our                in order that he c6ul.d  write the Psalms, so comforting
 Covenant God, and we feel  at ease, knowing that -He                 for the people of God in all. circumstances bf  life.
will do His work through us, in order that His Name                       -Also a  Mpses  was prepared to lead God's -people  otit
may receive the honor and the glory for  e_ver  and ever.             of  the house of-bondage to the Canaan of  *est.                   He was
    One more item  in.  connection with "News of our                  their. intercessor. It became evident that- he was  on13
~Chur~hes'~,  and' then I will close. It is about the                 a type of that true Mediator Jesus Christ.
-League  of our Men's Societies which was held in.  Etiller                    Well, I have tried my best to write a few lines, and
Ave. Church. That evening the Rev. H. Veldman of                      I leave it to the readers to judge if thk writing- was
,,Kalamazoo  spoke for-us  on the subject : "S.pciety  Life."         according to the plan  assigned to nie  by our Editor.
 :.. Now.if   w:e:`mus$  judge  accoGdifig  `to the  sma&group                                :
                                                                     -.h.'           -.i..               . .  _         a.  s       .            
                                                                                                                                                t.
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