     VOLUME XVIII.                                            DECEMBER 1, 1941                                                       NUMEER   5

                                                                             woqden,  -dat hun zaak de zaak is van den Zone Gods,
                                                                             die alleen de overwinning mag hebben !
                      MEDI'P`AT-IE                                               Die strijd is  `de strijd des  Heeren   !
                                                                                 Maa-r   dimen  strijd strijdt Hij in de wereld door het
                                                                             volk, dat van Z.ijn  ,partij  is.
                                                                                 Hij Zelf berei,dt  hen tot dien strijd, maakt hen als
                       De Strijd Is  Dek  Heeren                    .'       tot de`wapenen, waarmede .Hij  s<ijdt.
                                                                             Hij  Z,elf stelt hen in slagorde tegenover de wereld-
               . .      `Als'&   Mij  Ju.da   zal   gespamen,  en Ik  Ef-    macht.
                      ruim  cl&a boog gevuld?  xal hebbm;  en- Ik  uwe           Hij Zelf strijdt voor hen en door hen in den strijd.
                      kindereh,  o Sion! zal verwekt hebben tegen                Hij beschut hen, zoodat  ze niets hebben te vreezen.
                      uw kinderen, o  Grieke;nla?ud!   .en u gesteld            En Hij geeft hun de overwinning !
                      zal hebben als het  zwaarcl  van eene held.  ,Erz
                      de Heere zal over henlieden   vmchijnen,  etc.            Gods  wapenen zijn Zijn volk!
                                                   Zach.       9:13-15.          `Zoo  immers wordt hier gesprbken van-  Juda  en
         Altijd is de strijd des  Heeren!                                    Efram.      ;J)  .fi,.
-        Ook  al is het, dat  d,e kerk in de wereld door dien                    Zeker,  o,ok  hier wordt allereerst bedoeld, het volk
     strijd  ze'f  "-de  strijdende kerk" is, blijft de strijd toch          Israel, want immers de profeti,e  beziet den  strij,d  des                 .'
     Godes.                                                                  Heerren  uit het oogpunt van het moment der profetische'
         En  da,arom  is het  zoo  eeuwig zeker,  ,maar  daarom              verkoediging  :  d,en  tij,d   n-a  de  balhngschap.
     dan ook  *volstrekt  alleen, dat de kerk in haren strijd de                 En  iln d,en strijd, waarvan hier- gesproken- wordt,'
     overwinning, de besliste en volkomene overwinning zal                   is heel  Gods  volk  vereemgd.  Het is niet alleen Juda,
     behalen.                                                                die den strijd des  Heeren  strijdt, maar ook Efram.
         Dubbel; zoo  was de belofte (vs. 12) ; zal Ik u we.der-             Nooit was  de-.afscheuring   der> tien stemmen, van  Ef-
     geven. En dit hield zeker niet slechts in, dat ze uit                   ram, door den Heere erkend-als  gew,ettigd.  Was het
     den kuil, waarin geen water is, zonden  wordeIn   .uit-                 nit  eene scheiding van Juda, van het huis van David,
     gelaten; dat ze bevrijd zouden worden uit de  overmlacht                van  ~Christus   ? Maar hier zijn Juda en Efram  vei--
     `en  ver,drukking  der vijanden, terwijl voorts  di,e vijan-            eemgd.  Reeds vr de ballingschap  hadd.n  `zich  elez
     den vrijuit  zou.den  gaan; maar het  w,il,de  ook zeggen,              menten  uit de tien stammen bij Juda gevoegd, en met
     dat ze, teruggekeerd zijnde tot de  Aerkte,  den strijd                 Juda waren ze naar het land  der' vaderen teruggekeerd.
     des  Heeren  zouden  strij,den  ten einde toe, in dien strijd           Maar, ofschoon de strijd des  Heeren  hier bezien wordt
     .de vlkomene overwinning ,ovr  hunne vijanden, over                   uit het  o.ogpunt  van di,en  tijd, toch ziet ook dit woord
     de booze weoeldmacht  zouden zien, en door de wrake                     der profetie, zooals alle profetie, vooruit op de nieuwe
     over hen volkomen en openlijk zouden worden  gerecht-                   bedeeling tot het' einde  .der  eeuwen toe.
     vaar,digd.        Het leed  Gods  volk aangedaan, de  verfdruk-             De  strlijd  is  im%mers  een strijd  all,er  eeuwen.
     king, waarmede de booze  werel,dmacht  hen had ver-                         De vormen, di,e deze strij,d  aanneemt, mogen ver-
     drukt, het bloed, dat door de vijanden van Gods  zaak                   anderen  ; de slagorden mogen verschillend worden ge-
     was  gestort,-dit alles  was niet .in een hoek geschied.                steld  ; verschillende wapenen mogen in dien strijd wor-
~Integendeel,  een schouwspel-`voor -heel  de wereld was                     den gehanteerd,-altijd is het dezelfde strijd des  Hee-
     Goiis  volk geweest. Hun verlossing kon en mocht ook                    ren de eeuwen door.
in het. geheim niet geschieden. In het publiek, voor                             En in dien strijd wordt hier Gods. volk voorgesteld
     het oog der  gansche  schepping, moet het openbaar                      als Zijne  wapeneq die Hij hanteert! Immers wordt                     '


      9           8                           T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

      Juda.hier voorgesteld als` de boog, door den Heere ge- Gods  pijl en boog en Gods  zwaard, als van eenen  held.
      spannen, en Hij vult den boog (zet den pijl er op)                   Hij heeft haar verkoren, geroepen, gevormd, door Zijn
      met  Ehlam  ; want dit  s d,e   letterlij.ke  beteekenis  van      Geest en Woord, door wedergeboorte en roeping, door
      den tekst. En bovendien stelt Hij immers Zijn volk geloof en inwoning en heiliging, om den strijd des
      als het zwaard van eenen  held. Zijn  volIk  is dus Zijn             Heeren  te strij~den; En Hij voorziet hen van,  en.maakt
      .wapentuig.  En dit mag zeker niet  zoo  worden ver-                 ,dat ze aandoen, de volle wapenrusting  Gods,  en Hij
      staan, dat in den strijd des  Heeren  d,at volk lijdelijk is         doet hen strijd.en  den goeden strijd des geloofs tot het
      als  doode  instrumenten. Integendeel, ook als pijl en einde toe!
      boog  en.zwaard  in de han,d   .des Heeren  blijven ze be-              De strijld  is de Heern  !
      wuste,  redelijk-zed,elijke  instrumenten, die den strijd               En Hij stelt ook de slagordef
      des  Heeren  strijden met geheel hun verstand en geheel                 Zoo  immers staat het in den tekst: "en Ik uwe kin-
      hunnen wil en geheel hun hart en alle hunne krachten.                deren, o Sion!  .zal verwekt  hebben  tegen uwe kinderen,
      Ze zijn aer gewillig op den dag Zijner heirkracht.                  o Griekenland! en u gesteld zal hebben als het zwaard
      Maar het is wel de bedoeling van den tekst om zeer                   van  eenen  held."
      nadrukkelijk te zeggen, dat  ,de strijd altj#d  des Heeren             Ook hier s bedoeld, allereerst, de  Grieksch-Mace-
      is `en ,bltijft.    Slechts als medewerkers  Gods,  door Hem ,donische  wereldmacht, en de boze  wereldmacht onder
     geformeerd, door Hem geroepen, door Hem ook ge-                       de  Seleu.cidtin,  maar dan toch weer als tijdelijke ver-
      hanteerd in den strijd, kunnen wij strijden.                         tegenwoordiging  `en  openbaring van de  antichristelijke
           Gods  wapenen zijn wij !                                        wereldmacht, zooals deze altijd in de wereld s, en zoo-
           Letterlijk ziet de tekst  -blijkbaar  op den tijd der als ze vooral ook tegen het einde der eeuwen tot open-
      Makkabeen, toen de strijd des Heeren,  zooals  zoo  dik-            baring zal komen.
      wijls in de oude  bedejeling,  toen God Zijne  $erk  als eene            Maar God stelt de slagorde  -. De  strijsd  is geheel
      natie temidden der  werel,dvolkeren  stelde, den vorm Zijn strijd.
      aannam van een werkelijken oorlog tegen de wereld-                      `t Moge anders schijnen in de historie. Uit  ,wereldsch
      macht van het  Grieksch-Maoedonische             rijk.      Tgoen    oogpunt is het immers altijd zoo,  dat de wereldmacht
       spande God den boog en zette den schicht er~op,  toen               aanvallende partij is. Zij doet  Gods  volk den strijd
       bereidd.e   #Hij Zijn volk, in letterlijken zin  al,s het           tin. Zij haat en smaadt, zij verdrukt en vervolgt, zij
      zwaard van een held, niet alleen door hen n physischen tergt en vermoordt de kerk des levenden Gods  en gunt
      zin te bekwamen tot den strijd, maar ook door hun ge-                haar geen plaats in het midden  d,er wereld. En zij
      loofsmoed en  gel,oof.skra.cht  daartoe te schenken.  ,.             valt aan op den Christus Zelf, bindt  Hem,  besehimt  en
           Centraal vond dit wloord  zijne vervulling in Chris-            geeselt  Hem, hangt Hem aan het  schandhout  en werpt
      tus. Hij is  Gods  boog en Gods  pij.1, door  H,em  gespan- Hem de wereld uit:
     nen en door Hem gevuld,. Gods  zwaard, het zwaard als                     In de werkelijkheid  ishet  echter anders.
      van  eenen  held, die volkomen tot den strijd bereid is:                 De posiitieve  partij, de eenige partij, de alsles beshs-
     Want Hij  stre,ed   <den  strijd des  Heeren  ten  eindfe  toe,       sende  partij is de partij des levenden  Gods,  vertegen-
       zoo  zelfs, dat de strijd door Hem ook langs de geheele             woordigd door den Christus en Zijne kerk in de wereld.
      linie beslist  wermd,  en de overwinning door Hem werd               Haar  zijn alle dingen beloofd. Zij is erfgenaam der
       behaald. En Hij werd tot dien strijd gevormd, ge- wereld. Zij valt op die werelcd aan, ontzegt  haar.alle  *
       roepen en bereid door den levenden God, `den "God en                recht, overwint haar. . . .
       Vader van onzen Heere Jezus Christus". Hij verordi-                   . En rust niet tot alle dingen harer zijn !
      n,eerde  Hem tot dezen strijd vr de  grond.legging  der                De  strij.d  is  Gods!
       wereld, en stelde iHe!rn aan de spitse van de slagorden                 Godes  alleen !
       des  Heeren.   H,ij  zond Hem in de volheid des  tijsds  in
       de wereld; om  geheel  alleen den vijand te ontmoeten.                  Godes   b.lijft   de strijd! .
       Hij bereidde Hem in den schoot van Maria, en formeer-                   Ook in dezen zin, dat Hij Zelf den strijd  strj,dt,
       de Hem  ,om Immanu,el,  God met ons, te kunnen zijn., ook al is het dr Zijne kerk n Christus. En strij-dend
       Hij opende Zijn oor en Zijnen mond om getuige tezijn                dr Zijn volk  b'ewaart   Hijs  hen in den  strijd  door
       van den levenden God, en Hij. maakte Hem  gewiMig                   Zijne almogende. kracht.
       en b,ekwaam  `om Knecht des Heeren  te zijn, om Zich te              ;. Hij verschijnt immers over en aan Zijn volk: "De
       vernederen tot in den dood, ja, den dood des  kruases'!             Heere zal over henlieden verschijnen, en Zijne pijlen
       Hij gaf Hem de volkomene overwinning, toen Hij Hem                  zullen.uitvaren  gelijk de bliksem; en de Heere HEERE -'
       uit de dooden  opwekte, en Hem eer en heerlijkheid gaf              zal met de bazuin blazen, en Hij zal voorttreden met
       `aan Zijne, rechterhand  1                                          sto.rmen   uit het zuiden;  DeeFTeere  der  heirscharen  zal
           `Gods  zwaard als van eenen  held ! :                           hen beschutten. . . ;
           Maar nog altijd wordt dit  woord vervuld, ook in de                    Ach, awat  zou het in dezen strijd al baten, zoo  het
       nieuwe ,bedeel,ding.,  Want ook de: Ke-,k,.l,~n;.ChsiStus.  is XQ&  al aandeed. de  volle  w~.penrusting   Gods; en met  in-


L


                                           T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R   -  .'                                           99

  spanning van alle krachten worstelde, indien de Heere             tegen Zijnen wil en zonder Zijne kracht!
  zelf niet streed Zijne eigen strijd? Niet door kracht,                Ze- worden bewaard door het geloof, zoodat die
  noch door geweld, maar door Mijnen Geest! Wat  be-                kracht:  Gods,  waarin ze bewaard worden, niet buiten
  teekende   Israel  in de oude. bedeeling tegenover de             hen om gaat, maar door hen heen, zoodat ze  zichzelven
  machten der wereld rondom haar,  zoo  God Zelf niet aan           in den strijd vastklemmen aan den levenden God, als
  de spitse trad en voor haar en met haar ten strijde               ziende den Onzienlijken.
  trok? En wat zou de Kerk der nieuwe bedeeling toch                    Ze worden  zoo  bewaard, dat de vijand hen noch
  vermogen tegenover de machten der duisternis, indien              overwinnen, noch  beschdigen  kan! 0, zeker, hij mag
  God de Heere niet werkt? De kerk kan  pr,ediken,  `het            hen doen lijden naar het vleesch  ; doch uit het  oo.gpunt
  Woord bedienen, getuigen, waken, worstelen, maar                  van den strijd moet dit slechts dienen tot hun verster-
  wat beteekent dit getuigenis, ook  ,al  is het  volkomen-         king !
 ~ lijk naar de Schrift en dus in dien zin het Woord  ,Gods,            En in den strijd en tot deze beschutting van Zijn
  zoo  God  Z,elf Zijn. eigen Woord niet spreekt en door            volk, staan alle dingen Hem, den Heere der heirscharen
  Zijn  G.eest  de prediking maakt tot een machtwoord?                                                              __
                                                                    ten  dienste.
  Wie zal  Gods  rHu#is  bo,uwen,  als God niet bouwt? Wie              Hij treedt immers voort met stormen  u.it het zuiden,
  zal  Gods kerk  vergader.en,  als  `Hij niet vergadert? Wie       de zwaarste stormen, die ooit woedden.
  zaJ de wereld overwinnen, als Hij Zelf niet de over-                  En-die stormen vertegenwoordigen hier alle dingen
  winning geeft?                                                    in de wereld, alle schepselen, zooals ze moeten mede-
       `t Is alles i  j,del  !                                      werken ten goede voor Zijne zaak en Zijn volk, en
       Nimmer beteekent ons werk ook maar het  allerge-             tegen den vijand, . . .
  ringste,  zoo God Zelf niet Zijn eigen werk daardoor                  De machtige HEERE der heirscharen, de God der
,,,oet  !                                                           gansche`aarde, in Christus, staat aan de spitse!
       Maar Hij treedt aan de spitse! Hij is,  als aan de               D'e  str,ijd  is den  Heeren!
  spitse tredend in den  strij<d  des  Heeren,  over  Zijrrvolk
  verschenen, als den God hunner zaligheden  d'en God                   Zijner is daarom ook de overwinning!
  des Verbonds, van Wiens partij zij zijn, in Christus                  En  dli overwinning is beide zeker en  vo8omen   !
  Jezus, den oversten  Leidsman  en Voleinder huns ge-                  En in den dag der overwinning zal  Gods volk daarin
loofs, Die leed en streed  -en overwon, die opstond uit             ingaan,  ,blijde  en verheugd, omdat  Gods recht  vo,lkomen
  de  dooden, en gezeten is aan de rechterhand der kracht           is geopenbaard !
  Gods,   het- Hoofd  {boven  alle  d.ingen,  staande aan de            Nog.altijd  stelt  de tekst het voor als de overwin-
  spitse  `van  de legerscharen  ,des   Heereen  HEEREN.            ,ning in een  lett,erlijken   oorl.og,  behaald door boog en
       Hij -blaast met de bazuin. En dit wil zeker zeggen,          spies en zwaard.       "Zij zullen eten nadat zij de  slin-
  dat Hij Zijn vo`k ten strijde roept. Hij- roept door              gersteenen  zullen te ondergebracht hebben; zij zullen
  Zijn Woord, hen vormend tot Zijne legerscharen, hen               ook drinken, en een gedruisch  m.aken als de wijn; en
  opw,ekkend om aan te doen de volle wapenrusting  G,o,ds,          zij zullen vervuld worden, gelijk het  b.ekken,  gelijk de
  en om  te-strij.den  den goeden  strij,d  des  geloofs,  opdat    hoeken des altaars."
  niemand hunne kroon neme ; hen bemoedigend door                       Hier,  zoo   meenen   s,ommigen, is een wreede Oud
~ hun oog te vestigen op de zekere overwinning,-  p  de            Testamentische  wraak-theologie aan het woord !
  kroon des levens, die hij ontvangen zal,  dlie getrouw is             Er kan immers geen  twijfeel aan bestaan, of die
  tot den dood. En  .Hij roept door Zijnen Geest,  kracht-          "slingerst,eenen"  zijn hier de vijanden, waarschijnlijk
  dadiglijk, onwederstandelijk, Zijn roepend Woord in-              zoo  genoemd  ,omdat  ze als slingersteenen in de`slingers
  gang doende vinden in het diepe hart, trekkend,  ge-              van  Gods volk  zull,en worden weggeslingerd. En als
  hoorzaamhei'd  wekkend. Maar dat  !Hij blaast met de              hi,er gesproken wordt van  et,en  en drinken en vol wor-
  bazuin, wil ook zeggen,  ,dat Hij Zelf aan de spitse is           den als het bekken en als de hoeken des  altaars,  dan
  getreden en door Zijn volk Zijn eigen strijd strijdt. . .         wil dat zeggen, dat men het vleesch der vijanden zal
       Hij doet immers Zijne pijlen uitvaren als de  blik-          eten, en het bloed der vijanden zal drinken: men zal
  sein !                                                            vr.eugde bedrijven over hun volkomen ondergang!                In
       Snel, zeker, onwederstandelijk !                             uiteindelijken zin : vreugdebedrijf  -ver den eeuwigen
       En eerst door Zijn eigen  strij:den  wordt de krijg          ondergang der vijanden!                 -  i
  der' kerk in de wereld tot een wereldoverwinnenden                    Doch, ofschoon de vorm hier metterdaad wordt ver-
  strijdt. En in den strijd beschut Hij de Zijnen.!                 klaard door het standpunt der profetie in de oude  be-
      ,Zij worden bewaard in de kracht  Gods,  zo leert            deel.ing, de werkelijkheid blijft:  Gods volk bedrijft
 `ois  de Schrift. En die kracht  ,Gods,  waarin zij worden         vreugde over de eeuwige verwoesting der vijanden!
  bewaard, is eene almachtige kracht.  Godes is  alle                   Het.gaat  immers om God, Zijne zaak, Zijn recht,
 kracht  ,en  macht  ,en heerschappij, ook. die des vijands,        Zijn eer!
 zoodat  ook de  ma.&   der:  wereld zich  met  kan roeren              Zijne  eeuwigci   o%Pwinnihg   1                  la lx
                                  m


1 0 0                                                                                         T H E   STANDA'RD   B E A R E R


                                 The Standard Bearer
            A PROTESTANT REFORMED  SEMI-MON&ILY                                                                                                                                                  IAkS
                                                           Published by
                         The Reformed Free Publishing Association
                                             1101  Hazen  Street, S. E.                                              -                                               Revival Of The Common'Grace
                                      EDITOR  - Rev.  ,H. Hoeksema
       Contributing editors-Revs. J. Blankespoor,  A. Cammenga,                                                                                                                    Diyussion?
       P. De Boer, J. D. de Jong, H.  De Wolf, L. Doezema,
       M.  Gritters,  C. Hanko, B. Kok, G. Lubbers, G. M. Ophoff,                                                                                                  AcdoFding  to a  review  in the  Culvin   Forpm   the
       A. Petter, M.  Schipper,   J.   Vanden  Breggen, H. Veldman,                                                                                        theory of Common Grace was given an  -airing  in a
       R. Veldman, W. Verhil, L. Vermeer, P. Vis, G. Vos,                                                                                                  meeting of the Calvinistic Philosophical Club, held at
       and Mr. S. De Vries.                                                                                                                                Westminster Theol,ogical  Seminary  on October 8, 1941..
       Communications relative to contents should be addressed                                                                                             Dr. C. Van Til, who had recently`returned       from spend-
       to REV. H. HOEKSEMA, I.139 Franklin St., S. E., Grand                                                                                               ing a sabbatic year in truly sabbatic Redlands, Cali-
       Rapids, Michigan.                                                                                                                                   fornia, was the speaker. And his subject was supposed
       Communications relative to subscription  s_hould  be ad-
       dressed to MR. R. SCHAAFSMA, 1101 Hazen  St., S. E.,                                                                                                to have been: the bearing of common grace on  non-
       Grand Rapids, Mich.  All Announcements and Obituaries                                                                                               theistic  ;thinking.    But the time was too `limited to do
       must be sent to the above address and will not be placed                                                                                            justice to the whole theme,  hence  he discussed the
       unless the regular fee of $1.00 accompanies the notice.                                                                                             questi,on  of  "com.tion   g.&ce"   paper.  He divided his
                                           Subscription $2.50 per year                                                                                     subject into four parts: 1. Methodology. 2.  Ku-$per
            E n t e r e d   a s   s e c o n d   c l a s s   m a i l   a t   G r a n d   R a p i d s ,   Michigq                                            on Common Grace. 3. The Common Grace Contro-
                                                                                                                                                           versy. 4. Suggestions for Solution of the  Pr,oblem.
                                                                                                                                                           We tiould like to have a cozy bf Dr. Van Til's speech,
                                                                         .                                                                                 in order that we might review it and take part in this
                                                                                                                                                           interesting  discussion  khthrough  the  Stafidard  Bearer.
                                                                                                                                                           Cannot Dr. Van  Ti1  or someone else supply LW with a
                                                                                                                                                           copy ?
                                                           CONTENTS                                                                                                In  the meantime several points in the review of
                                                                                                                                           Page            the speech we found rather striking. The reviewer
MEDITATIE  -                                                                                                                                               writes : `"Particularly pertinent was Dr. Van Til's
       DE STRIJD IS DES HEEREN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97,contention  that Common Grace must not be view,ed  as
              Rev. H. Hoeksema.                                                                                                                            an isolated problem. Rather, it  must  be regarded as
EDITORIALS  -                                                                                                                                              one aspect, an important aspect, of the whole problem
       REVIVAL OF THE CO.MMON  GRACE DISCUSSION?....100                                                                                                    of the  `philosolphy  of history." Some such cont,ention
       HOW I S THE GOLD BECOME DIM! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  101                                           we made years ago in "Van Zonde ,en Genade'!,  though
             Rev. H. Hoeksema.                                                                                                                             I personally would rather prefer different  tersms  and
?THE  TRIPLE KNOWLEDGE  -                                                                                                                                  not speak of "the philosophy of history" and of "look-
       AN  EXPOSITION OF THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM 103                                                                                                      ing the Absolute in &he face" in our present life in this x
             Rev.  H: Hoeksema.                                                                                                                            wor1.d.  Just see "Van Zonde en Genade" p. 169ff. And
                                                                                                                                                           let me remind  ihe-reader of the following from my
       ELIJAH A N D ELISHA-A COMPARISON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 speech in  th,e Pantlind: "The problem of so-called
             R&x  G. M. Ophoff.                                                                                                                            common gra'ce  concerns the question of God's attitude
       THE REFORMATION.AND                                               THE RENAISSAN,CE                                        . . . . . . . .  ..llO    over against and influence upon the w*hole  of created
             Rev. G. M. ,Ophoff                                                                                                                            things in their mutual connection and development in
       EEN LIED D E R LIEFDE ..,,..............: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 time, in connection and in harmony with God's counsel
             Rev. G. Vos.                                                                                                                                  in general, predestination with election and reproba-
                                                                                                                                                           tion, the realization of God's eternal covenant, grace
       GIJ WEET ALLE DINGEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
*                                                                                                                                                          and sin, favor and wrath, creation  anct  redemption,
              Rev. W. Verhil                                                                                                                               Adam and Christ, and it inquires' into the place and
       MAKINlG FRIENDS` . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
                                                                                                                                                           calling of God's people in and over against the. world.
     ,.Rev.P.Vis                             ~           ,,                                                                                                Viewed thus it is a questi&  of great importance with
                                                                                                                                                           respect to both, doctrine and life". I do not  mea6  to
      CHRISTIAN  DBSCIPLINE   IIN EDUCATION . . . .  ..I...............  119                                                                               suggest that Dr. Van Till in his speech before-  t&Cal-.
          -R&v.  A. Cammenga                                                                                                                               vinistic qhilotiophy  Club agreed with this dgfinitibri-of
                                                                                                                                                           the problem, but  I do mean to bring out  ,tliat  wheri he
                                                                   r.....*.   .  .  *  .  .  .  .  es"                    _,.    ,..
                 -.       `                                                                                                       .


emphasized the  fac.t  that the problem of common grace                  How Is The.Gold  Become Dim!
must not be viewed as an isolated problem,  he reitei-
ated  what we said years ago. In so  fay,  at least, he               Of  this exclamation of the lamenting prophet we
agrees  with us.                                                  were reminded when. we read  the answer by Prof. L:
   Another interesting point that drew our attention Berk,hof  in The Banner of Oct. 31, 1941, to a question
in the review of Dr. Van  Til's  speech was that  liDe            by a member of the Christian Reformed -Churches
Gemeene Gratie, Kuyper's chef cl'owre, next came up               c.oncerning  the  cetisurableness  of a Church member's  _
for a thorough overhauling".  W'ell  a thorough over-             be1ongin.g  to the C.I.O. The standpoint of the re-
hauling" of this work of Dr.  Kuyper's  can also be               ply is that membership of the C.I.O. and, of course,
found in "Van Zonde en Genade" pp. 85-168. In fact,               of any worldly union is a relative matter: one may
I consider it questionable whether  anyoee  can give              belong to such organizations, but it is better,  ,be-
De  Gemeene  Grutie   a more thorough  overhaulitig.  It cause it is less dangerous, not to belong to them ! And
is, of course, possible to differ with the contents of            when we compared this weak and  color;iess  reply to
                                                          our
critical evaluation of Kuypers work, to give it another           what the same professor said and wrote in 1916, ,we
overhauling. But it seems to me, that this could hardly naturally were reminded of the text from  Lamenta-
be done without giving a criticism of the overhauling             tibns  4:l:    "How is the gold become dim".
we gave that "chef d'oevre"  of Kuyper's. And I am                   But. let  -us  get -the details.
`wontiering  whether Dr. Van Til took the trouble to do              The question .asked  was, whether the statement in
this. Interesting it is, too, to notice that an "overhaul- the  Forin for the Lord's Supper, that "all who seek to
ing of Kuypei's  De Gemeene Gratie  is quite pbssible  in         raise discord, sects and mutiny in Church  ,or State"
1941, although it was  ,considered   pr,esuimptuous  in  1922-    ghould  abstain from the Supper of the Lord, does not
24. That it can be done now, that the work can even               apply to members of the C.I.O. "inasmuch as this
be criticized, and that such criticism can meet with              organization is doing just that". To th.is  the professor-
evident favor, I consider a change for the better. We             repllies,  first, that "if members of our Church who
are advancing.                                                    belong to the C.I.O. make themselves  practicalZ~   guilty
                                                                  of su,ch  sins, the injunction, of course, applies to them
    Especially did Dr. Van Til subject to his critical as well as to anyone else". This seems to be a meye
analysis,  a,cco?ding  to the reviewer, Dr. Kuyper's commonplace, a truism. The professor seems to inbend
conception of "sphepes"  of life, of different "territories       to say here, that  the--statement  from the Form  fop  the
or dimensions", and of his "realm-between" in which Lord's  Supper, applies  to anyone that makes himself
"God%  people must vie with the children of the world             guilty.of  those sins, whether he is member of the  C;LO.
for the glory of the world." The reviewer writes :                or not : it applies even to members of the C.I.O. ! But
"Dr. Van Til  searc~hingly  analyzed Kuyper's language            he feels that this does eot really answer tile  question.
on t,h&se matters, langwage  which inescapably appears            And so, he comes to the point: is one 
to teach. that there  is's  `neutral area'  which  Christians                                             pwxticaZZy  guilty
                                                                  of raising discord- and mutiny if the C.I!O.  does "just
and non-Christians,have      in common arid ili w!iich God        that", merely by being a member- of that organization?
can be'glorified by both." Also to this point we called           Her,e   .the   professoi  makes a distinction between com-
attention repeatedly. Only, we think that it is also munal and  individuabl   respQnsibility  and guilt. It is
inescap'ablle  for anyone  niho teaches common grace              the professor's -view that communal- guilt is  incrured
to create such a "neutral  re'alm"  or sphere. And we             by a member of the  C.I.,O.  only if the officers of that
never saw any "solution' ' of the problem of  comnion             union or of any union "initiate, abet, and actively seek
grace that avoids creating such  `a common  groutid  of           to raise mutiny in Church or State" without protest
oper&ion for the Church and  the world.                           on the part of such member. It seems that the pro-
    In making his suggestions  f,or a possible solution fessor thinks that it does not matter what the member-
of the problem the speaker stated that  w'e must think ship or a large part of the membership of the. C.I.O.
concrretely  on the problem, and that  &uch   elelnents           does,, as. long as it is not initiated. or abetted by its
as "the glorious  absolut'eness  and self-consistency  0:;  - officers. Well, in that case such a member must  pro-~
God, the titter sJnfulness  of-man"  must be fully honor- test, and if his protest is in vain, he ought to leave the
ed, while the question of  "realnis' `or "territories"            organization. Evident&,  the professor is of the opinion
"detiands thorough re-axamination".                               that it is possible to be a member of the C.I.O. without
    Needless  to say that we are all' interested in this doing violence to one's Christian conscience. This is
di&ussion.' And once again, I `would kindly ask.. Dr.             weak  and colorless  .enough.  He evidently believes in
.Vah  Til ,&ether  he could not let me &aye  a copy of his        the  prin,dple-of  "neutral"  .organizations.  For, if neu-
addr.ess.  Then we can more fruitfully discuss it than trality is impossible, in the sphere of labor, it is sin
on thk basis of a  mepe  review.                                  to  jois the C.I.O. Not-so according to Prof. Berkhof.
                                                   H. H.          `But he makes the matter still worse. Evidently afraid


           102                                      THE   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

          that the  read'er  might draw the conclusion that such                in their essential character ! That is language we' can
           "communal guilt" of a member that fails to protest                   understand!- But listen how.he  talks today: "This does
           against the  _evil doings of the C.I.O. is censurable-in the -not  mean, however, that their `guilt is  iecessarily  us
           Christian Reformed Churches, he hastens to add:  Q%&,,,  etc. He is not su,fficiently  acquainted prith  .the
           -"This does not mean,  .however,  that their guilt is  neces-        C.I.O. to  pass   judgment  cn it.      He  i,s not greatly in
           sarily just  as  <great  in the  :case  of such corporate action,    love with it, he writes!  & the whole it would seem
           as it would be if they were personally guilty of the sins to him that our Christian people would do best if at
           committed." In ,other  words, it is the opinion of Prof.             a!1   Fossible  to steer clear of the C.I.O. in view of the
           B,erkhof  that discipline does not have to be applied dangers to which they expose themselves! 0, really, it
           even if a member  of_ the Christian Reformed Churches made me sick at heart when I read it!
           belongs  $0 the C.I.O., that organization raises discord                Let me quote from the stronger Berkhof once more :
           and mutiny in,  Church   aor  State, and that- member                `(Conditions being as they are, we can  only   co,me  to the
           )does  not even protest! The profess,or  closes by saying            conclusion that our  Ch.ristian   labor,ers   mufst  organize
           that he is not sufficiently acquainted with the C.I.O. separately, if they feel constrained to take an active
           to pass judgment on it; he *does not want to be, under-              part in the industrial struggle. We say  this advisedly,
           stood as condemning that  organization. But "on the fiotwithstanding                    the position recently defended in one
           whole it  ,w'ould  seem to  me that our Christian people             of our Church papers, that a Christian may join `an
           would do best, if at all possible (sic !) , to steer clear                 .
                                                                                orgamzation  in the sphere  df  natural life that doe's
           of it in  vi.ew  of the dangers to which membership in               not officially name the Word of God, and  is therefore
           it exposes them."                                                    neutral in  r&g-ion'.    For our contention is that the
,                 Conclusion : 1. Membershi$p  of the C.I.O. is not sin-        general labor unions are not neutral and cannot,  strict-
           ful : join if you. cannot avoid it (i.e. let the bread ques- ly speaking, be neutral".                           s
           ti,on  decide). 2. If the  C.LO.  does something wrong                   A n d   f u r t h e r :
     _     ybu  must protest, i.e. if it does something evil officially.            "Now, as we already  pointed~  out, the spirit that
           3. .Even  if you don't protest and condone all the C.I;O.            actually expresses itself in the unions is -prevailingly
          does, you need not become subject to discipline. 4. One  = a spirit of unbelief. .  -.  .                  In-  the main unions are
          of the leaders in the Christian Reformed Churches has frankly revolutionary and humanitarian, arid  conse-
           not taken the troubl,e  to find out  whether the C.I.O.              quently do not believe in objective norms. And as we
           is to be  cbndemned.  5. But for danger's sake (not  for             already pointed out, they have but  slight  regard for
     -' principle's sake, of course) it is better-not to belong righteousness and personal liberty. Hence we  reneat
           to the C.I.O.                                                        that we should -have Christian. labor unions". (idem,
                  This is the opinion of .Professor L. Berkohf in 1941. pp. 29, 30). .                          -
                  IH,OW  different it was in  1916!  Then he said and               And well I remember the beautiful close of that
           wrote : "Finally the question arises : What should lecture, which I here quote:
           our Christian laborers do in view of the anti-christian                  "In their (the Christian unions) struggle they
           character   (I underscore, HJH.) of the general labor should ndt place their reliance on strik.es and bovcoti
           unions?  Shall  we  say  that they ought to join the                 and the closed- shop, `chose  shortdcut  revolutionary
           existing organizations and attempt to reform them? -methods,  but  ore  collective bargaining, joint agreement,
           From what  `w,e  said in  the foregoing you can easily arbitration,  an-d  efforts  at'better   lsgislation.  And if
          infer that we do not intend to give any such advice.                  in this way of doing  the&  Christian  d&y,  -of  regulating
           It is our  firm conviction that the idea of such reforma-            their life by their Christian principles, they meet with
           tion is purely illusory, for it would not merely mean                derision and  qpposition  and even personal loss. they
           the  co&ection  of a few abuses,  but-a  radical change have  the blessed assurance that it is the cross of Christ
           in  th,e essential character of the whole labor  move-               that is resting on them, which they as consistent  Chris-
           men'?.       (The  .Christian  Laborer in. the  `In&~&&al  tians cannot and do not desire to escape. Strong in
           stmgg1e,  p. 29) *                                                   the sense of doing the will of God they will then press
                  What a differerice  ! How  we!1  Professor Berkhof on, ever mindful of the words of the Saviour:  `Btit
            at that time knew that the labor  union,s   .were   anti-           seek ye first the. King@om  of God, and his  rigluteo&-
            Christian ! Today, he does not even know the C.I.O.                 ness  : and all these things shall  -be  added unto-you?."
            well  enough  to pass judgment on it! How well he                       All this  i.s now forsaken by Prof. Berkhof. He has
            was convinced that attempts at reformations of the liow  himself taken the-position he condemns above, at
           tunion  are illusory! Today he advises the laborers to               that time taken by the Rev. J. Groen. Wholly he
            join and protest ! How positive is his language in the repudiates his former stand! His stand today is  de-
            above-quotation: he has nti intention to g&e any such               termined by utilitarian principles.
            advice.  H,e has a  "fir&  conviction'? on the matter!                  God's  people will  .have  to struggle on without him!
            The general  labor unions would need a radical change-                  ,Row is the gold become dim !                   H.  H.


                                                                                                                                      I
                                           T H E   ~STANDARD                  B E A R E R
                                                      _                praved  that we are wholly unapt to any good, and
                                                                       prone to all evil?"
   The Triple Knowledge:.                                                 As  to  .t&   contents of this third Lord's Day,  it
                                                                       first' traces the origin of the depravity of our human
                                                                       nature  ; and, secondly, it describes the extent or degree
                                                                       of  thait  depravity. The  conterits,  therefore, are very
    An Exposition Of  The Heidelberg                                   important. Many fundamental questions are implied
                         C a t e c h i s m                             in this Lord's Day, which ought to be discussed rather
                                                                       thoroughly and &nswered  as clearly and definitely as
                                IV.                                    possible. A line drawn in the wrong direction at this
                                                                       point is bound to have a disastrous effect upon the
                        `LORD'S DAY III                                entire system of doctrine. And it is, therefore,  -ex:
             Qti,  6.  Did God  then  create  -man  so wicked and      pedient fos the preacher that expounds the truth im-
          perverse ?                                                   plied in this chapter of the Catechism, to take his
             A. By no means; but God created  &an  good and            time and proceed carefully. Rather than to  sca,n  the
           after his own image, in true righteousness and holi-        surface of  tihe doctrine, he can `better  devote  two  OF
          ness, that he might rightly know God his Creator,            three  sermoni  t,o  a discussion of its contents.
          heartily love him- and live with  hi-m  in eternal happi-       Our instructor introduces the subject matter here
          ness to glorify arid praise him.                             by a bold question: "Did God then create man so
           Qu.. 7. Whence then proceeds this  depravi.ty  of           wicked and perverse? ' I say bold, because it broaches
          human nature ?                                               the. problem of sin and evil with relation to God, the
             A. From the fall and disobedience of our first            problem of the theodicy. Or rather, the question  iritro-
          parents, Adam and Eve, in Paradise;  herice-  our            dates  one aspect of this problem. How can there be
          nature is become  -so  corrupt, that we are all con-         evil in the world in view of the truth that God is God,
           ceived and-born in sin.                                     and that He is good? God is surely sovereign. To
             Qu.  8.  Are we then so corrupt that we are wholly        attribute independent existence to the forces of  si!n
           incapable of doing any  good and inclined to all evil ?     and evil is to deny that sovereignty of God. He is the
             A. Indeed we are;  excepts  we  .are regenerated by       Almighty, and He  .certainly   could  have created a world,
          the Spirit of God.                                           in which sin had no place and cou!d  not f&d  entrance.
                                                                       And not only is,, He the  almighty  Creator of all things,
                                1,                                     f'who  of nothing made heaven and earth", who calls
                                                                       the things that. are not as if they were, but  He- is
                After The Image Of God.                                also the sole and supreme Governor, without Whose
   The  text-  as it is found .in our psalter of this third will nothing eyer  happens, and Who, therefore, could
Lord's Day gives a good. translation  bf the original                  surely have prevented evil- to  inake  inroads into His
German. The English version made in the name and                       creation. But this is not all. God is  not  only the
by the direction. of the German `Reformed Church, to                   absolute Sovereign,  W.ho   bath  done whatsoever  bath
which we  referFed  before, differs from  &rs in a few                 pleased Him, but He is also just and wise and good.
minor details. The most important of  thes,e  is, per-                 tie  is a light and there is no darkness in IHim.      Evil
haps, the insertion  df  "that is" in the  answ&r  to the. cannot dwell with Him. He is too pure of eyes than
sixth question  bet.ween  "his  .?wn  i,mage"  and "in  tru&           to behold evil. How, then, can the presence of evil be
righteousness -and holiness". This is  ,in accord with                 explained?  .Suoh  is the general problem of the  `thee-
the  original German text: Nein: sondern Gott  hat  den                di,cy,  i.e. of the justification of God in connection With
Menschen  gut and  nach   sein,en   Ebenbild   erschaffen,             the fact of sin and  &l in the -w,orld.
das  ist, in wahrhaftiger  ;Gerechtigkeit  und Hei.ligk&t".               -And various answers have been given to this ques-
And-  the insertion  +s  tiot  without significance as it tion. Some have tried to solve the problem by po&u-
serves to express clearly and definitely that, according               latinlg  a septiate  source of -sin and evil, next to God,
to  the  Heidelbepi Catechism, the  imag&  of God con-                 the Creator and Ruler of the Universe. The material
sisted in the  origjnal  integrity of man's nature. We                 from  which  this world -is formed is inherently evil;
may also note that the German text of Question eight is hence,  when  God created the  ,world  `it was inevitable
very emphatic on total depravity: "Sind wir aber der-                  that evil should- express and reveal  itself. However,
massen   -verd,erbt,   das  wir  &xn.z  and  gar  katiichtig  sind God is combating the forces of iniquity and death, and
zu einigem  Guten  und  geneigt-zu   allem   B%en?" This will surely overcome them in the erid. Or, sin has its
the English version authorized by  the Synod of the                    ultimate origin and explanation in fhe sovereign, free.
German Reformed Church of the United States  men-                      will.  of the moral creatures,  ancgels  and men. When
tiotied  above renders rather weakly : "But are we-so de-              God  created a moral being, it was inevitable that He

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

 shbuld  leave the destiny of the world to a large extent       the preservation of Adam  .in  -first  paradise-. (as; no
 in his  hands.  Whether he should remain  i:l   :lis  state doubt, it must be granted that- He.  could have done),
 of integrity in which he was created or choose against but  He willed to permit it, does this "permissive  w,ill"
 God, righteousness and truth `and thus ifitroduce  evil        theory  e%$ain  how God is not the author of sin any-
 into God's handiwork, was entirely contingent upon the more than the view that God willed it? It ought  to-  be
 sovweign  choi,ce  of, his will. God had nothing to do         e;iident  to a!1  that it does  no,t.
 with it, neither did He control it. And thus the  ulti-            Now, strictly speaking, the Catechism does not
 mate source of all the evil, sin and suffering and death,      introduce this  prob!em  in all its  impli-ations;  it refers
 is the devil. This dualistic solution of  the  probEem  is     to only one asp&t of it: is God the  C%eator   of evil?
 really no solution at all. Rather does it  remolve  the        It is, therefore, not necessary to `go into the problem
 difliculty  and destroy the problem by denying the             here. But we wish to make a few reniarks about it,
 sovere$gnty  of the Most High in relation to the forces nevertheless. First of all, it ought to be  emphasized   .that
 df  darkness. Others, realizing that  .the existence of we cannot and may'not and need .not  call,God  befo--e
evil cannot very well be entirely separated from the the bar of our human judgment in drder  to determine
 will and sovereignty of God, have. tried. to go a step .whether  He can be justified in His work or not. We
 further,  rath,er  carefully feeling. their  `way,  and ex-    cannot, for  He-  is God, the Holy One of Israel,  th.e
 plain that evil is in the world by God's perlmissive  will.    incomparable One: by whom or what shall we liken
 They dare ilot say that God willed the entrance of evil ,God,   or what standard of judgment could we possibly
 into His creation, for it seems to them that this would        apply to  /Him?      He is absolute goodness in Himself.
 be.tantamount  to makin'g  God the author of sin, which        We  may  not, for He alone is Judge of  .heaven  and
 they justly abhor. On the other  hand,  they try to earth,  and to call Him before the tribunal of our
 maintain God's sovereignty as far as possible, realizing human judgment would be the hei,ght  of presumption:
 that independent  existmence  cannot be ascribed to the "wh,o  art thou,  -0 man, that answerest against God?"
 pow,ers  of darkness and death. And tliey  flatter them- And we need'not, foi-  God justifies #Himself.            He juati-
 selves that' they have found. an answer which is satis-        fies Himself in the cross of Jesus Christ, in the con-
 factory in the view expressed by the term "God's per- sciences of His people. through faith, and ih the don-
 missive will." However, it should be apparent at once, soiences  of all men  ; and He will justify Himself, i.e.
 that this conception fails to maintain  the sovereignty'       He will clearly reveal  thZt  He is the absolute Sovereign
 of God, while it doses not succeed  to avoid what is, from and at the same time acbsolutely  righ&eouS  and just, in
 their viewpoint, the error .of making God the author `the day of the revelation of the righteous judgment of
 of  sin.~  F'or, on the one hand, the term "permission'" God. Hence,  zoe do  noit  have to solve the problem.
 pr.esupposes  that there is a power outside  of-the one `The only question that remains  fo.r us to answer is:
 who permits, th6t  can operate-  independently from the        whak  does God reveal of Himself  wit.h  respect to His
~ latter. With application to the subject under discus-         relation of sin and evil in the  wbrld?  An'd  then, two
 sion, it `means that there was some pokier  0-f evil  that     truths seem to be very clear in the Scriptures: that
 had -energy to  tiork  apart from God and outside of           God is strictly sovereign also in relation' to sin and
 Him. The  aperaticm  of this power God might have              suffering; and that He rules in righteousness and
 `prevented, but [He  chose not to do so; instead He per-       judges in  -equity,   th+t  He is a  Iright  and  th&re  is no
 mitted that power to do its evil work. In so far, then, darkness in Him at all. This is not the place to quote'
 the view- expressed-by the term  "pertiissive  will" is texts in proof of these two  statemenits;  but they can
 dualistic, denies the sovereignty of God. O,n  the other easily  be f.urnished.           God hates sin, yet it is here, not
 hand,~  it does not  su,cceed  in explaining how God can       by  His permission, but according to the will of His
 be said to have no responsibility for the presence of sovereign counsel  and by His own providence. And it'
 evil in the world. If a child is on the verge of drown-        must serve His purpose. Sin and evil always have
 ing, and I have but to put out my hand slnd  grab it`in        been' and always will be strictly subject  to Him. Also:
 order to save it, but I choose not to do this, but permit with. regard to it, He hath d&e  whatsoever he  bath.  _
 it to drown, am I  not'virtually as responsible for the        pleased. So that we understand the  Scniptures'   to.,-
 child's death, as if  .I had actually. thrown it intd the      teach  us  this: Without ever becoming  the  author-  of
 ,water?~  If I know. that down the t+Ck along whi,eh  a sin and evil, and wi.thout  ever taking pleasure in -in-
 train is speeding- there  3s a washout and a bridge was inuity,  yea.  so: that He always hates sin and judges
 destroyed, and I have the opportunity  tq flash a danger it to-condemnation, God has nevertheless willed that
 signal to the engineer, but  I choose not to do so, but        sin should enter lint0 the .wiorld  to-serve His own holy
 permit the Gain to. ,rush  td.  its certain doom, am I not     purpose.
 responsible for thte crash and its results? -And if God            And this is in-full `agreement with the teaching of.
 could  have  prevented the entrance of evil into the world ollr  Catechism in as far as it broaches this question:
 through the resitraini?g  of the pricle  of -the  devil and    "Did God then create,  pan so  wjcked   and-  perverse 7,


                                                                                             __



                                          T H E   S'l!ANDAR-D   B E A R E ` R `   -                              I  .'                      105

 By no  mea.ns; but God created man good  aad  after His               in man.
 own image, in true righteousness. and holiness, that he                   Of  -more  importance, however, is the question: just
 might rightly know God his Creator,  heartily~love  Hini              what  .belon@  to this image of Gbd in man?                  And this
 and live with Him in eternal happiness to glorify and                 qc:estiion  is riot always answered in the same way.
praise Him." Bold though the question may be, it  fo.-                 Augustine, too, made a  distincti,on  between "image"
 lows here  nat:-laily  enough. The last answer  ip the                and  `I likeness" and explained that the former  con-
preceding Lord's Day "stated that -we  -are  "so wicked                s-`sted  especially in the knowledge of the truth, whiie
 and perverse" that we  a:e wholly  conitrary  to the law              the latter implied the love of  Virtue.   -Later,  during  the
 of God, so  tha't,  while it demands that we love God                 time  of-  Scholastiicism,  the image was  explaieed  as  re:
 `above all and our  neigghbour as ourselves, we hate Him              ferring  to mere natural attributes of the soul, such as                     t
 .and  one another. And the Catechism had stated that                  reason and knowledge, intellect and  Gil!   ; while likeness.
 this hatred of God and of our neighbour is not a matter               was  % spiritual,  .ethical  concept including, righteous-
 of a  si.nful   cleecl  only, nor does  it-arise  from a sinful       ness and holiness and true spiritual knowledge of God.
 habit  we  h&e formed, but that it arises  fr,o,m the per-            This led later to the Roman Catholic distinction be-
 versity  and   wick,edness     of our  nn&re.       We are by         tween man as he is  natural&  good, and man with the
 r@u.re prone to  h&e  God' and the neighbour !                 But    adcZtiona1 gift `of the likeness  ~of  God,  .according  to
 we  .did not make our own nature!           How, then, is it so       which he is  ab1.e  to  stick` the higher, spiritual things  .of
 corrupt?     iNhat  was more natural than to put the ques-            God. Man, therefore, can' lose the image of God and
 tion in  l&is.form:  "Did God create man so wicked and                still be naturally good, although he is no longer able
 perverse  ?"                                                          to perform  spiKitua1  works. Others  idefitified   3mage
     And the answer is an emphatic denial:  f'by  no                   and likeness, arid taught that the image of God in-
 means." IAnd  this is followed by a statement  concern-               ch&d both  natur$l'endown&&,               such  as man's ration-
 i$  man's  original   state  as he came from the hand of              al and moral nature, his conscience and  w'lll,  his  fv*ee-
 his Creator :  `<God  created man good and  after`his  own            dom and  "immdrtality",  and  inan's   o&ginal  righteous-
 image."     He created man good. In this connection                   ness and  .holiness,  his conformity to the  wlill of God.
 this  means : without corruption and sin  ; and, positive-            $ome even  went  to  ihe.  extreme, especially among the
 ly, so that man could reach the purpose of his existence              Greek theologians, of letting the image of Gbd consist
 in  re!ation  to God and to all things. And this  goodn,ess           excl_usively .in the natural gifts of his rations! and
 of  Oman in  t.he  stat&  of  his  original integrity consisted       moral nature. Remonstrants. and Socinians identified
 in this; that he was made after the image of God.                     the image of  God.in   man.with  the dominion God  gav,e
 The  question  is: what does this mean? What is im-                   him over all  !he  edu'thl-y  creation.            The -Reformers, it
 plied in the  image'of  God?  -                                       seems, were inclined to liinit  the  image of `God to man's _
     The general meaning of the phrase "image  oi" `God"               original. integrity;  his- true knowledge of God, right-
 is clear  enocgh.      It signifies that man was so. created          eousness and holiness. -Especially   L u t h e r a n   theolo:
 that there was a creaturely likeness of God in him,                   gians  are very  .exp&it   on this. point. They deny that
that there was a  r,eflection  of the perfections  of God              the `"rational soul" of man as such is part of  the.image
 in man.     Thus we must understand  tlie  statement of               of God. And  .th,ey  argue that man's reason and will
 $cri&ture  in Gen. 1%: "And God said, Let us  make                    as such cannot  ,be  lost, while plainly,, according to  t+e
-man   tn our image, after our likeness."              About the       Bible, `man lost the image of  Godi whence it follows  .I
 int&pretation  that  w.ould  read this text as if it in-              that the former  canhot  belong to  tihat image that-was
 tended to make a distinction" between "image' `and *l&t. It is  sonietimes  suggested  that  Calvin included
 "likeness" in such a way that "image" refers to the                   more in the image of God than what belonged to
 body while  `lliken.ess"      refers  to- the soul of man,  we        Adain's  original  r&ctitude,  because he speaks of the
 need not say  mu;ch.  This  distitiction  is rather  .arbi-           image as being nearly wiped out after the fall :  "`prope   ~
 trary. It is much more natural to understand  that                    deleta".    But this is, to say the least, very doubtful.
 "likeness" is  Imeant as a  fu&her  definition  .of  "image",         For, in his Institutes, Book  I,.cap. XV, `par. 4 he writes
 so  @at  the text  means:  "let us  m&e  man in our image             as follows :  "Howeve?,  it appears  thz$  no complete  defi-
 in such a  way that the image is  also a likeness".            A11    nition  is as  .yet.,  g,ivep  of  .that  image,.  ufi!&s,  it  -be  set-
 images  are not likenesses. There are  ,images  that only             forth more  c.learly in which  factilties   ma+'  excells  by
represent the  objects  for which they stand. Thus,  foL:              which he must be  considered;,3  mirror of, thk glory of
 instance, the images of  .the cherubim in the holy of                 God.  N,ow  this  cati.  ,be.  known,  bel$&r   fro:ti&-`other
 hqlies  were representative images; but-not necessarily               source  tshan   frqm'the   qestoration.   ofthe   eorrsipt  nature.
 meant   to-be likenesses of spiritual beings. But man .is             (Id  vero  non aliunde  meliug  quam ex  `re,par@tioiie   cor-
so made  in the image of God, that the, image is  also  a              ruptae`   naturae   ,co,~Osc~   pot+)   fit Apd later  in  -the
 likepess,:sq  that his very nature reflects some of  ,God's           same  paragraph,  Calvi$.   refi$'   $0  the   .~ont@+   df `this
 0w.n  .peifections.    There  is  a  or~tnrely.llikene~~~f     God    restored  Trn%g&   by-`@otiti@ from  Cal.  g:10  -8nd  Eph.

     .j                           _.


1 0 6                                                         TH'E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

424,  and he expl,ains:  "Whence it appears what Paul
comprehends chiefly under the image of God. In the                                              Elijah  And Elisha,  .A Comparison
first place he mentions knowledge  `(Priore loco ag-                                     --
nitionem ponit), and further true  rigl$eousness  and                                          In this writing a comparison is drawn between
lloliness  (alter0 autem  sinceram   iustifiiam  et  sanctita-                         these two prophets of God as to their task, character,
                                                                                      ' and significance for the tihuFch.
tern) ; whence we gather that in the beginning the
image of  IGod  was conspicuous by the  .light  of the mind,                                   The  two  forti a class by  khemselves.    They stand
the rectitude of the .heart  and the soundness of all the                              alone among the great prophets of the Old Dispensa-
parts (unde colligimus initio in  lute  mentis, in cordis                              tion. They did not, as the school of prophets to which
rectitudine,  pqrtitimque  omnium sanitate conspicuam Isaiah belonged, predict the exile of  Judah  or the
fuisse  Dei imaginem.) " And  as  concerns  the  "prope                                permanent dispersion of the ten tribes. This was not
deleta" (well-nigh wiped- out), the phrase  occurs  in                                 their task.  T'heir  prophetic `labors  concerneg   theil
the  .following  sentence : "since  then  the image of God                             present. Speaking generally, their task was to witness
consists in the original excellency of the human nature                                for Jehovah against the wicked in -the land throuyb
(integra natusae humanae praestantia) ,  -whit&  shone word  und  deed,  mircdes  and judgments. They proved
forth in Adam before the fall, afterwards however is                                   through signs and wonders that not  Baa1   bnt   tb.at
so corrupted and nearly wiped out, (vitiata et prope Jehovah  is the Gocl in ol*der  that the apostate nation.
deleta), that in the ruins there is pothing left than                                  engaged in filling its measure of iniquity, might be
what is confused, mutilated and infected by filth (ut                                  without excuse in the day of the Lord's vengeance by
niihil  ex  ruina   .nisi   ,confusum,  mutilum, labeque  <n-                          which the ten tribes were soon to be overtaken: The
f.ectum   supersit)"  etc. Calvin may have taught that specific  task  of Elijah was to set on fno; a movement
the image of God was not entirely wiped out through                                    that would result in the-uprooting and destruc.tion`of
the fall,`but  he certainly tells us here in the strongest                             the  Baa1   w,orship  in Israel and the-extinction of Ahab's
lapguage  that what is left is  noDhing  but miserable                                 house. The  clefinite  task of Elisha was to continue
ruins and corruption.  And  that also man's  body'and                                  this movement until these results be obtained. With .
his rational soul  as such belongs. to this image' cannot Elijah and Elisha a new pe?iod  in Israel's prophecy is
be f.ound  in the Institutes.                                                          ushered in. It  is now plainly revealed that the nation
         Later Reformed  theologitins,   hiowever,  made a dis-                        in  jts totality will  b'e detroyed, and that in the remnant
tinction, that has  fouicl a way into the Reformed                                     the nucleus will -be saved, and that  this salvation is
Clhurches  through preaching and instruction, and is                                   to be realized through judgment. Let us make good
rather generally accepted as belopging to  Refdrmed                                    these statements.
do.$rine.  I am referring, of course, to the distinction                                       On the accession  df  Ahab, the  kingdom  of Israel
between the image  of:God in a wider and in a narrower                                 was steeped- in idolatry. Jeroboalm  had set  up  golden
s&se.                 To the former then belong man's rationality                       calves for a-political end, but Ahab built a temple to
and  morality and immortality  ; to the latter his true                                 Ba&l, the sun-G'od,  the chief deity of the Phoenicians,
knowledge of  God,-  righteousness and holiness; the                                    and erected an altar therein for pagan sacrifio,es,  thus
former implies all. that' distinguishes man from the                                    renouncing Jeliovah as the  .supreme  and  only   cod.
lower animals, the latter is his original state of right-                               The established relrigion-  was now idolatry in its most
eousness.                    The latter was lost  &rough the fall ; the                 hide&s form  ; it was the worship of the powers- of
former. however; was `retained. Man still  poss'esses                                   nature, under the  supervisioti  of Jezebel, the Phoe-
the image of God in a wider sense, though he Cmore                                      nician wife of the king-a woinan guilty of every vice
possesses  .his original- integrity.                                                   and completely dominating her husband. Jeroboam's
                                                                                        sin had been great: but; according to Scripture, the
          How  is to be judged  .of this distinction?                                   sin of Ahab was greater.
                                                                    H .   H .                  To please his wife, Ahab added to his royal resi-
                                                         -                              dence a summer resort  called  Jezreel. It was of great
                              . .               .   .                                   beauty.       It contained  ,within its grounds an ivory
                       NOTHING  SHlALL  OFFEND THEM                                     palace of great splendor. Amid its gardens and parks
                    "Great peace have they which love  thy'law,.                        and all the luxuries then known, the kinlg and  queen
                            And nothing shall offend them"; .                           and attendant nobles abandoned  themse&es  to the
          ' Thy  iS;oodn&s  and Thy mercy  .too,                                        pleasures of sin.         '
            .._.            Shall constantly attend them.  -                     '
         `_.          :.                                                                       The queen was an incarnation of pride. and sen-
                    They have no fear when swelling tides
                                     `S  . .                                            stialiity.    Besides, she was a religious persecutor of the
                            Of evil rage  srou.nd  them  ;                              first rank. she was  w$olly  deydted  to  promotiing  the
          .,They,.know   in.:phom  they have believed;                                  ends of her  .pagan  worship. She feasted at  ,her  `own
                            Apd  &thing  shal!   cgnfound  them,                        table   at  Jezy$,  four hundred priests of  Baal,  besides


  four hundred and fifty others at  Samaria.  The few            dust  f from  ,heaven  it shall come down upon him until
  prophets of God  ifi  the  kidgdom  hid themselves in caves    he be destroyed."
  and in deserts to escape her murderous fury.                      So the Lord had spoken. And so the prophet has
     The fearful  apostacy  of Israel, whi.ch.  had been or;     now prayed-prayed that it might not rain, that the
  the increase for sixty years under wicked kings, had           heaven that is  oper  the apostate nation might be brass,
  now reached a point which called- for special devine           and the earth that is under them might be iron  for.
  judgments. So God sent a prophet,-a prophet such               want of rain. So the prophet has prayed. For the
  as had not appeared in Israel since  Sa,muel;  more people have forsaken the Lord and are using His gifts
  august, more terrible than he; indeed the most unique          in the service of Baal. Let then the hand of-the Lord
  and imposing character in Israel's history.                    be upon them, as He has spoken,  that  as  chastized,
     Almost nothing is known of the  early history of            they `may forsake their abominations and return to
  Elijah. The Bible simply speaks of him as "The Tish-           God. But if they be unwilling, let them  <perish.  So
  bite",-one of the inhabitants  of Gilead, at the east          Elijah prayed. For  he-  is a righteous man. The ieal
  of Jordan. He evidently was a man accustomed to a              of God's house-the house that  the wicked in the land
  wild   and  solitary life. He was clothed with a mantle have destroyed-consumed him.
  of sheepskin or  hzir-cloth,  and carried in his hand a            Elijah mysteriously dis.appea&  from the  royal-pre-
  rugged staff. His  firsf appearance was marked and             sence  as suddenly as he had entered it, and  n6  on@
  extraordinary. Suddenly and unannounced he stands              knows whither he has fled.  .So   the Lord  wi.11   have  it;
  before Ahab, and abruptly delivers his awful. message.         `"Get thee hence,-such is now His word to  the pro-
  He was an apparition calculated to strike with terror phet-an,d turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the
 the boldest of kings. He makes no set speech, he                brook Cherith, that is before Jordan." Amid the clefts'
  offers no apology, he disdains  all  forms and cere-           and the.rocks that niark the deep valley, does the man-
  monies  ; he does not even render the customary homage.        of God, hide himself frdm his persecutors. He does  not
  I3e  utters  only  a few words, preceded by an oath:           escape to his native deserts, but remains  near   the'
  "As Jehovah the God of Israel  live&, there shall not          capital in which Ahab reigns  ,in a  ,deeply  secluded  spot;
  be dew nor rain these years but according to my word."         where he  quefiches  his thirst from the waters of the
  What arrogance before a king! Elijah, an utterly un-           brook, and eats the food which the ravens deposit amid
  known man, in a sheepskin mantle, apparently a                 th.e  clif*f.s.   For this most undaunted man in Israel
  peasant, dares to utter a curse on the land without must live on until his task-the oprooting and the
  even  deign`ing  to give a reason. But the conscience  of      destruction of the worship of Baa&-is completed.
  Ahab was telling him that he could not.with impunity               It is now the rainy season in Canaan. Rain is con-
  introduce idolatry in `Israel.                                 fidently  expe,cted.    But no rain falls. The streams
                                                                 from the mountains are' dried up; the land, long parch-
     "But   according  to my word. . .  ." The utterance         ed by the summer sun, becomes like dust and ashes.
  of the prophet  .rings  with . conviction. It is frought Even the sheltered brook failed, from which Elijah
  -with power. The prophet knows whereof he speaks.              drinks.    The Lord. therefore sends  .him  to the last
  But  how   Goes  he know?  ?3e has  played-so James            place in which his enemies will naturally search .-for
  tells us-that it might not rain for a space of three           him,  ev'en  to fhe city of Phoenicia, where the worship
  years-prayed  aocording  to the revealed will, pro-            of  Baa1  is the religion of the land.  - There the Lord
  nouncements of God. Speaking through His servant               has commanded a woman to sustain him. He raises
  Moses, the Lord had said to Israel, `encaniped in the          the woman's son,  and  she exclaims that  now  she
  wilderness, that if  Bis  people  will hearken unto His        knows that he is a man of God and that the word of
  voice, blessings shall come upon them.        Among the        the Lord in his mouth is truth.
  many blessings mentioned is also that of copious rain             Meanwhile  the abnormal drought and consequent
in season, "And the Lord shall  make, him (Israel)               famine continues. People and king are'redeced to de-
  plenrteous  in goods. . .  `. in the fruit of his cattle, and spair. So dried. up are the wells and exhausted the
  in the fruit of .hkis  ground, and in the land ivhich  He      cisterns that even the king's household  begi.ns  to
  sware unto the fathers` to give him. The Lord shall            suffer,  -and.  it is feared that the horses of the royal
  open unto him His  gbod  treasure, the heaven to give stable will perish. In his dire need the king himself
  rain unto the land in his  s&aspn,  and to bless all the       sets forth from his palace to seek vegetation -and  water
  wokk   .oY  his hand."                                         in the  ,valleys,.while  Obediah,  the governor of the house
     But on  the"`@thei   &nd, "it shall come to pass, if -and.  a secret  i:.worshipper  of Jehovah, is sent in an
  Israel will. not  ,hcarken  u.nto  the voice of the Lord his opposite  dire,$ion   for a. like purpose.. On his way
  God.  ._.  . the heaven that is over him shall be brass,       Obediah meets Elijah, .who  has come forth -from his
  and  the earth that  is. under  hi& shall be iron. And         retreat in obedience  to thq  word of, the Lor.d  th$ has
  the Lord shall make the rain of his land powder for            come   td him in the third year of the famine, saying,


          108                                    THE STANDARD BEARER                                                              '

          "Go shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain  npon           Jehovah, he is the God  !" At the. command of Elijah,
          the earth.." Having been informed of Elijah's arrival            the  proihets  of Baa1  were slain. His triumph is  com-
          by his servant, Ahab goes forth to meet him.  ,Once              .plete.    He has performed his task, which  was precisely
          in his presence, he addresses the prophet as the author this: to assent through action the majesty of God.and
          of national calamities, "Ant thou he who troubleth               to prove to the  apostate nation the power of Jehovah
          Israel?" Elijah fearlessly replies, "I have not troubled         and thus to provide it with the clearest evidence that
          Israel, but  I%OLI  and thy father's house, in that thou         Jehovah is God, in Israel, and that being God, and none
          hast forsaken the commandments- of `Jehovah, and                 else, He will consume the sinners out of the land -and
          hast followed Baalim." Without first making mention              save His people for His name's sake. Such, certainly,
          of the' rain that was about to be sent, he orders  tlie          was the speech that rose from the divine fire falling'
          kin,g  to assemble all his people, together with the eight from heaven and consuming both the sacrifice and the
          hundred and fifty priests of Baal, at `Mount Carmel.             water by which it was drenched.
                 The representatives of the whole nation are now                Elijah is now threatened by Jezebel and flees to
          assembled at Mount  Carmel,  with their idolatrous Beersheba. In the wilderness; being weary of life,
          priests. The prophet appears in their midst. He ad-              and desiring therefore to die; he is confronted  by
          dresses the people, who, though they have no firm                an angel.  IHis  strength and courage return to him.
          convictions  ,are  not  .yet hopelessly sunk into the idol-      In agreement  .wiith his task, which was not merely to
     _    atry of their rulers.  3&w  long", cries the preacher,           announ'ce  and predict judgment but to  aotually  reveal
          with a loud voice, "halt ye between two opinions?                (instrumentally) the wrath of God from  heaTen  over
          If Jehovah be God; follow him; `but if  Baa1  be God,            the apostate nation, he is sent  ,by the Lord to anoint
          then follow him."  : The  neople  answer not a word.             Hazael, the scourge of Israel  ; Jehu, who was to ex-
          He reminds the people that he stands alone in opposi-            terminate the house of -Ahab; and Elisha, whose task
          tion to eight hundred-and  fifty  idolatrous priests under       it was to be'to follow in Elijah's footsteps, his work,
          the protection of the king ,and  sueen.  . He proposes to        to continue the movement which he had begun,-the
          test their claims in, comparison with his. Let them              movement  th&  resulted in the complete destruction of
          call on the name of their .go.ds,  and he will  ,call  on the    the worship of Baal. Accordingly, Elisha, .no.t (E'ijah)
          name of Jehovah : ,and  the God `that answers by fire            actually anoints -Jehu, the exterminator of Ahab's
          for the  consumtion.  of the sacrificial bullock on the house and the slayer of, the Baa1  priests that had not
          altar, let him be God. And all the people answered and died on Mount  Carmel  by,  the sword of Elijah.  .And
          saimd,  It is well spoken. .The priests of Baa1  call on the     through `Hazael, whom he also anoints, he-Elisha-
          name of their God fr,om  morning even until noon, but            scourges the sinful nation, makes it to actually suffer
          there is no answer. They leap upon the altar, and, as            the curse of the Law; the wrath of Jehovah, on account
          prov.oked  by Elijah's grim sarcasms,--ICry  with a loud         of its  apostacy.
          voice!" said he, yea, louder, yet louder  !~ For he is a
          god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is on              As was said, these two prophets stand alone. Es-
          a journey, or  peradventure-  he sleepeth and must be            sentially their task is one.' As to Elijah, he not merely
          awaked-they cry aloud, and cut themselves after                  announced the .judgments  of God but actually called
          their manner with knives and  lancets,  till the blood           them down upon the northern kingdom,  sent  them upon
          gushes out upon them. But the fire does not descend.             this,  peo)ple  through prayer. Of all the prophets,
.         Elijah alone is calm, as he stands by the ruins of an            Elijah is the only one who prayed for-the actual and
          ancient altar. With his own hands he takes twelve                immediate  opertition  of the curse of the law in the
          stones, according to the number of the tribes of Israel,         people's fields. And of all the prophets, Elisha is the
          builds with them an altar, makes a treech around the             only one by whose appointment` a pagan was set on
           altar which he  fi.lls  with water, cuts a bullock in pieces    the throne of a pagan state, that as the agent of' God
          and lays it on the  w,ood,  and then offers this prayer          he might scourge God's peop1.e.      I now have reference
          up- to the God of his fathers, "Lord God of Abraham,             to Elijah's anointing Hazael Zing over Syria.
           Isaac, and Jacob, let it be known this day that thou                  And herein precisely lies the significance of Elijah
           art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and               and Elisha. He of all the prophets, vindicated the law,
          that I. have done all these things at thy word. Hear             the majesty of Jehovah, through his making the curse
           me, o.Lord, .hear  me,. that this people may knocw  that        of  the law  actual  in the life of the  apostate  nation and
          thou art the Lord  God,.and  that thou hast turned their         through his following the penitent with its blessing.
           hearts back ,again."    The fire of the  Lord now falls.        This explains his presence on the'mount  of transfigur-
          and consumes the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and                ation. His presence there was a  deciaration  to. the
          the stones and the dust, and licks up the water that is           eSFect  that the curse of the law had to be born-born
           in the trench. And when the people see, they fall bv  one who could  so* bear it as to free men from it ;
           on their faces and cry aloud, "Jehovah,-he is  t':e God.!        that salvation could come only in the way of right and


                                        T - H E   STANDARD   B E A R E R                                                          109

 through  judgment and  witl;  all the demands of the law          firstly in order that the  apost_ztes,  they who refused to  --
 fully satisfied.                                                  repent-and turn to God and His prophet, to  knJw  his
   Bu,t  there is also a  dizerence  to  -be   noticei  between    will..and to seek his  salvation,  might be  witho- t  euzuse  ;
 Elijah and Elisha: As  tb the former; his being  taken            and  s&oiidly  that in those evil days there  rnig'.t be  ior
 up  by a fiery chariot into heaven, bespeaks his sur-             God's people a place of refuge. And the  da-7s  were
 passing    greatness as a prophet.         His person was         evil,  .also  during the time of Elisha. There was draught
 au,gust and remarkable.         He lived alone in  so2itary       in the land then too, lasting not  three  but  se-<en  years.
 companionship with God.          Seldom did he appear in              -Yet, as was  saicl, of the two Elijah  iwas  the sterner.
 public.                                                           Especially   he. was the prophet of judgment. The
     As  to Elisha, he was the son of a farmer.  Aft.er            theophany at Horeb-the  gr.eat and strong wind that
 Elijah  ha,d  gone to heaven, he became a man of the city         r&t  the mountains, the earthquake and the fire, the
 and had a house in  Samaria.      He dwelt in the midst of        symbols of divine  jedgment-  and wrath-were  indica-
 his people and thus  ~rendered his person  accessible  to         tise of the  ineans   by  which he would turn the hearts
 theni.  If Elijah is. stern and severe,  he is  gentle   anld     of his people to God. He appears, and the judgments
 affectionate.    He  sen,d   av&y his enemies-the Assyrian        of God are  proclai,med  as with a voice of thunder.            In
 hbbles-as  satisfied with  `bread.       When he beholds          him burns the fire  of. divine zeal, and still there is in            I
 Hazael and is mindful of what his people will have to             this fire also the glow of iove. Elisha  is.   l,ess  fore-
 suffer at the hands of  th%man,   w.hom  he  ,must  anoint        boding.  Elijah  preaches that God is righteous. With-
 king, he bursts into tears.  CHis  isnfluence  extended far       out detracting from this in the least. Elisha shows,
 beyond the borders of Israel. Benhadad in sickness                through his miracles of healing, that  God is also
sent to him to be healed. Elisha, too, was stern. Yet              gJ?acious.    The work of both  fornis  one divine work..
 it `is not amiss to say, that in  hi& doings  es8ppeciallg            Finally, though  .Elijah  was the greater, it was he;
`the` mercy and  c,ompassion  .of God- shown forth,-yet            and not Elisha, who sank to the lowest depths- of  de-
certainly, also His righteousness and justice-and that             spondancy, on account of the apparent failure of his
 Elij,ah,  through his labors a.nd manner of life, showed          great zeal to  *bear  fruit. When Elijah heard that Jezebel
 forth the avenging righteousness of  Go.d-yet   also his          had ordered him killed, he  wag  greaily  discouraged.
 mercy. SOne  of the most remarkable doings of Elisha              The boldness of the woman completely unnerved  him
 was his sending away his captives--&be Syrian genera's            This can be explained. Having been  pr,ovided  with the
 -as satisfied with bread.  -Me  here translated into              evidence that Jehovah and  no!  Baa1 is God, the  people
 action the teaching of Christ, "Love your enemies. . . .          had returned to the Lord. Their slaying the priests of
 and ye  shalil be sons of the Most High: for He is  ki.nd         Baa1 was to the prophet certain indication that their
 toward the unthankful and evil."                                  courage  hald revived and that they are now filled with
    Though there were these  different-es, the task of each new boldness. He felt certain that the queen had ar-
 had so  much-in   colmmon  with that of the other as to           rived  tat a similar  conclusian  and that she would there-
 justify  otir  saying that they `were one  anId the same.         fore  understan,d  that  u.nless  she desist from persecuting
 Both through the wonders  whi,ch  they  instrument%lly            God's prophets, her life was now in peril. But the
 wrought were  the  preachers of the truth that Jehovah            queen in her  furore  determines to make away with
 is God, not Baal, not  men's  i,dols,  but Jehovah. The           Elijah. She  sends  fdrth her henchmen to apprehend
 one outstanding doing  ,of  Elijah's entire career-his            him. And the peopie, who had so recently shouted
 callinlg  down from heaven through prayer the fire of             "Jehovah is God" do nothing about it. Was there not
 ,God  that  eons2med  the burnt offering---&as- calculated        one true prophet among them ready to defy the queen?
 to drive home this truth. And  all the  ,wonders wrought          Acparently  not. In. his gloom,  whi'ch  was profound,
 b;i Elisha signified the same truth. As healed by the             the prophet complains, "and I, even I only am left;
M-aters  of the Jordan, Naaman, standing before Elisha' and  they  seek  my'life  to take it away." But the Lord
  exc!aimed,  "Behold, now I know that there is no God in          replies that he had  l&f&  him a remnant-the seven
  all. the earth, but in Israel." And if Jehovah is God            thousand-all the knees  .which  had not bowed unto
  t`leil  it must follow  thai;  he through whom Jehovah           Baal. This remnant cannot otherwise be saved than
  \v:rought  was His prophet, that thus there was a  pro-          through jndgment. Therefore it shall come to pass
  rhet  of God in Israel. Both wanted men to know this.            "that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall
  `"Let it be known," so  Elijah  prayed, `"that thou art          Jehu  s!ay  :'  an,d  him that escapeth from the sword of
  God in Israel and that I am thy prophet, and that I              Jehu shall Elisha  slay",  mark you, Elisha.
 have done all these things at thy word."         Said Elisha           Now this contrast of flowering faith and pro-
  to the king of Israel, "Let him-Naaman-come now                  foundest gloom was seen only in Elijah.
  to me, and he shall -know that there is a  crophet  in                                                .:
  Israel.'  ' There had to be conclusive evidences of this,                      1                                  G,M.   0..


                                                                         Augsburg  (15555)  ; in Switzerland by the death of
   The Reformation And The  Renaisspnce Calvin in 1564; in France the outward progress was
                                                                         checked  by the massacre on the eve of St. Batholomew
       The Reformation proper was a apiriiual  movemebt,                 (1572).;  in Bohemia a %nal  solution. was found only
  that stood for an action that consisted in exalting the iwith the battle of the White Hill in 1620. These dates
   Holy Scriptures as the sole infallible source of doctrine             may be taken as the formal consummation of  the
   and truth. According to the literal meaning of the                    Reformation in the countries specified. In England the
   word, the Renaissance was a re-birth. It is needful                   movementwas  decided by the proclamation of Wi'liam
   to ask of what it was the  re-b.irth.  Some  vse  the                 III, Staclholder of the Netherlands, and T\"ary,  as joint
  tel-m  to denote the entrance of the European. nations                 sovereigns of England in 1688. With the "Peace of
   upon a fresh state of `energy in general.               Others use    Wes'cphalia"  the period of the  R.eformation  on the
  the term to signify only revival of natural intellectual               continent of. Europe may be (considered closed. With
   activities that were stimulated by the recovery of the                this peace the German Calvinists secured full rights.
   ancient,  ragan,  learning and culture of the  Graeco-                With the Lutherans they were .regarded  as one party
   Roman world, and its application to the arts and                      over against the Catholics.
   literatures of the people of this modern world. . The                    As to the Renaissance,  so the Reformation; it can-
   former definition of Renaissance makes it denote  the-                not be confined within strict limits of time.          The
   whole change which came over Europe at the close of                   several nations that `bore their share in it, did so
   the Middle  Aages,  also that represented by the Reforma-             at different epochs . England-was still medieval when
   tion. The other confines it to what  is known as the                  Italy had socially and mentally entered on the modern
   R,evival  of Learning, by which is meant that ndw zeal                stadium.    The Renaissance must be viewed as an
  -fpr- the  rpagan,  classica. literature, learning and art             internal development-development of sin and the lie
 s -which sprang up in  I-taly  toward the close of the                  -whereby the depraved spiritual  energi<es  latent in
   Middle Ages.            This `is correct. The term must be the Middle  Ages  grew into actuality and formed a
   applied only to this  litterature  and learning. Yet, the             mental habit of the  modern world. Tlhe  process began
   Revival ,of  Learning must  be regarded as a function of in Italy, and gradually extended to the utmost bounds
   that energy that sbrought  this modern civilization with              of Europe, producing similar results in every nation
   its `new and pagan conceptions of religion and  science,              and establishing a common worldly, pagan civilization
   with its manifold inventions  .and  -discoveries.             The     and  cultuure.   ,Tliere  are dates which can be selected
   Reformation, however, must be separated from it.                      as the starting point of the Renaissance. The first is
   Of  it: the Reformation was no product. The two  .move-               the year 1453, when Constantinople fell into the hands
   ri?ents   ,differed.     They  diRered  as to  `the  time  which      of the Turks.       The  shaddw   ,of  what had  been.  the
   each occupied.           Each movement had its own  fore-             Eastern  Empire now passed suddenly  away.  At the
   runneps.      They differed' further as to e&&se,  nature             same. time the Holy Roman  Etipir'e and the papacy
   a n d   a i m .                                                       sufXered  great  tioral em$eeblement.    It became evident
                                                                         `&at  the old order of society had seen its -day. There
   The. time which  w-wh   ocsupiecl.                 .                  were forces at work in state  ,atid  ,church  which sub-  _
       (ralqen  within its broadest limits, the period of the            stituted a confederation of rival European states for
   Protestant Reformation is identical with the period the earlier  ideal  of a universal monarchy, and separate
   that makes the transition from the Middle (800-151'7)                 reli.gious  constitutions for the previous Catholic unity.
td the Modern Era (1517 to the present). Taken                           And there was nothing to check these forces. The fall
   within its narrowest limits,. it may, be  _  regared  as              of Constantinople caused a great migration of Greek
   commencing in the  .year  1517 and as attaining to.  .a               scholars to the West. So many of the exiles took up
   ce&&n  constimmation  in the year 1545. In the former their residence in Italy, that it was as if Greece had
   year,  Luther,  through  his   Apu+lication  of his theses,           migrated to Italy. These fugiti+es  tbrought  with them "
   initiated that direct. and, open renunciation of medieval many  m&nuscripts  unknown to Western scholars. The
   heretical  doctrine that forms one of the  elemel?ts  in              new learning was  gladly  received by secular and spirit-
   the  keformition.  In the latter year,  the,  cqtincil   of           ual potentates  .alike.
   Trent again ,sanctioned  and. proclaimed. that .dqctrine                  k  seeon&  date of  importanie for  .the  `Renaissance
and thereby erected an inseparable  ,barrier   ibetween                  w&e the years 1492-1500. In these years the leading
   Rome   and   i&e  .churches  of the  ReforFation:. From               nations of Europe began to strive among one another
   that time on each communion possessed .its distinctive for the possession of Italy, and learned meanwhile that
   organiation .and  creed, and the struggle that fdllowed               culture which It$ly  had perfected. In these years the
 -attempted to bring about on the part of each the ex-                   seculariiation of the Papacy  tw.as   ,compleied  by Alex-
   tinction of the  opposed  form of faith. In Germany                   ander VI. The same period  was  marked by the dis-
   this  strtigile  was formally  ended,mby   t& peace of. covery of ;America  and the exploration of the Indian


                                          T
                                               T H E   STANDARD   B E A R E R                                                        111

  Sea.       It also witnessed the defusion of  knowledge              before God. The Renaissance had its beginning in
 through printing and the invention of gunpowder, and                  Italy for the reason th+at  here in the great Italian city-
 the revolution of  cosmoldgy  which resulted from  the-               republics there was nourished a pagan  politilzal,   in-
  Copernican discovery. Thus the half century between                  tellecl&l,  and artistic life like.that  of the pagan cities
  1450 and 1500 may be termed the culminating point of ancient Greece. Florence became a second Athens.
  of the Renaissance.                                                  A second circumstance that contributed to make Italy
      A third decisive date `was the yeas 1527. In this                the-  birthplace of the Renaissance was the  fa&  that
  year  tooB place the sack of Rome.               It closed the in Italy the break  ,between  the old pagan civilization
  Renaissaece  for Italy,-the land where it had found                  of the Graeco-Roman world and Italy was not so
  its ,nommencement.                                                   complete as it was in other countries of Western
  Each movement  hacl  its  forerunrwrs.                               Europe. The Italians were closer in language and in
      The forerunners of `the Reformation  were  Wycliff               blood to the old Romans than were the others nations.
  in England and John Huss in Bohemia. As translated The  cities themselves were remnants of. `the old Em-
  into action .the  doctrines of both would spell the over-            pire.
  throw of Roman heirarchy. Both insisted that the sole                                        (To be continued).
  infallible  s'ource  of doctrine is Scripture, and that in                                                             G. M. 0.
  any and  a11 disputes  ,about  truth and moral the  questior!
  in the final andysis is not, What sayeth the pontiff of                                               o--
  kdme or the councils or' the doctors in the church,
  but what sayeth the Scriptures. The striving of both                                      ANOTHER' GOSPEL
  was to lead `God's  peOople back to-the Script&es and to
  bring them under the authority of Holy Writ. Both                             "Another gospel  !" Why will men
  prea,zhed  that the pope cannot forgive sin but can only                           With cunning sleight and hardihood
  proclaim forgiveness to the penitent.' Both attacked                          Pervert, distort, arid mutilate
  the corruption among clergy and laity alike. Both                                  "The gospel of the grace of God"?
  declared that the church  needs no visible head (mean-                        They, "thieves and robbers", one and all,
  ing the pope), that Christ guides His church without                               His gospel, shunning to obey,
  s.lch  monsters of supreme heads  ,by means of His true                       Would seek an entrance to the,fold
 `disciples scattered through all the  tworld.   Bobh   main-                        By climbing "up some other way".
  tnined that the  po,pe  rules not by immutable  and  divine
  right, and that the true church is the community  02                          "Themselves professing to be wise",
  tl:c  elert  only.                                                                 As with"`great s,welling  words" they speak,
     . The  forerminer of the  Renaisgance  was Dante. H e                      -"The  way of peace they have not  .known"-
  was  ,born in Florence in 1265. He was  exciled  in                                God keeps  (His  kingdom for the meok  !
  1302 and died in 1321 at Ravenna. His tomb there is                           Their noisy boastings are in  -vain;
  a place of pilgrimage today. It was during the years                               They build  their  hopes on  treach'rous  sand  ;
  of his exile that he wrote his great poem; the Divine                   Their trust is in a spider's web;
  Comedy. It is an epitome of the  lif,e   and.  thought                           They  ,in the judgment  .shall  not stand.
 -of the church of the Middle Ages.                Still he is  re-
  garded as having been in a pr'ofound  sense a prophet                         "Another  gosae!"--not  the true,
 . of the new age which was approaching. He had a                                    Which tells of God's redeeming  graze
  strong feeling for  classicalY-  antiquity. He speaks                         In yielding  ~rp   His Son to  clie-
lovingly of Virgil as his master and teacher. His                                    The Sinless in the sinner's  place7
  attitude towards Graeco-Roman culture was modern                              Lead captive our captivity,.  -
 as  i,s `evident from his free use of the works of the                              Remake His image fair,
  c!assi.cal,  that is, pagan writers.                                          Bring  "imm~rtdlity to  light"-
          But the first and the greatest of humanists  is                            What gospel could with this  compa?*e?
  Tetrarch.        His enthusiasm for the ancient writers
  bordered on worship. His enthusiasm for the  Iclassical                       "Another gospel"? There's but one!
  authors was contagious. He started .a moveinent that                               In earth or heaven,. one only  name
  coul.cl   not be checked.                                                     Whereby dead souls may -live again,
  Each movement had  its birthplace.                                                 The blood-bought gift of.  parddn  claim.
          The  bii-thplace  of the Reformation  was  a monastary                0 glorious- gospel! Speed thee on
  in Germany. Rightly considered, its  birthplaTe  was                               In  hearts  aflame, on tireless feet,                  `-
  the heart of a child of God, disquieted. on account of                        Till all  m&  everywhere have heard-                      "  .'
  his sins  and  wanting  to  know   how   .he  could be  just                      Until-  His Body  is  ,campjete,


        112                                      *HE  S T A N D A R D   BEARER

                          Een  Lied Der  Liefde                                Staan we dan  ein,delijk  in `t volle licht van  ien
                                                                          ander Huis dan komt de roepstem tot ons: "Vergeet
                                                                          u-w  volk en uws vaders huis'!"                         Dat  d,uurt dan  a!!e
                           (Psalm 45, Tweede Deel)                        dagen.  Elken  morgen  komt  de stemme van den Held
            We zagen, dat het een lied was der liefde, van de             tot ons : Vergeet uw volk ; vergeet uws vaders huis !
        lief de  Gods.                                                    Wiens hart duister is komt niet tot de  hemelxhe   ge-
            Die eeuwige liefde is  geopenbaqd  in den Zoon:               zeliigheid van dat andere Huis, hetwelk Jezus bouwde
        Xij wordt hier God genoemd. "Daarom heeft U,                      en oprichtte op Zijn bloed. Doch wiens  hart  herboren
        o God, Uw God  gezal?d  met vreugdeolie. . .  ."                  is en bekeerd tot God'mag gaarne die  opwekken'de   s$em
            W,e  hebben Hem gezien, dien Jezus van  Nazareth,             hooren.       Zij mijmeren er over:  -Hij  wekt mij alle
        in al  Zij31 schoonheid,  rijd,ende  voorspoediglijk op het       r-Torgens.                                   -
       Woord der Waarheid. Hij was veel  schooner  dan de                     We moeten vergeten.
        menschenkinderen.  Genade is op Zijn lippen  uitge-                   -Vergeten is iets heel vreeselijks.  Vcor  wien ver-
       `stort. Als Hij Zijn zwaard  aan-de  heup gordde hoor-             gat bestaat het -ding niet meer; Vergeten is vreeselijk.
        den we  r.poorts van vreeselijke dingen verhalen.  Vreese-        a!s  het ding goed is.             Zoo kan men God vergeten.
        lijk, want er zit de  ee.uwighei.d  in dien strijd.  I3et         Dan is onze naam: Godvergetenen. Alle hunne ge-
        was  een  e&wige  toorn  Gods over de zonde en het was            dachten zijn  da.n  dat er geeri God is.
        een eeuwige dood dien Hij overwinne6 moest.  '                        Doch hier in dezen  .ps%lm   worden  we opgeroepen
            Doch Hij rijdt  voorspoe@lijk.   .Er  komt, er kwam           om ons vroeger volk en om  onzes  natuurlijken vaders
        een zege die  de.  keelen  zal doen  or?gelen  tot in eeuwig-     huis te  vergete,n. En dat mag en dat moet. .
        h e i d .                                                             Geliefden !  elken  dag wordt ge geroepen. om de
            Het laatst wat we tot  nogtoe   zagen   ,was  de Konin-       hiat  G'ods  te vergeten, om  xooit  meer te denken aan
       gin, staande aan de  rechterhand  van Jezus.'                      het lasteren van den Allerhoogsten. Die den  Naam
            En dat is de Kerk van God-van alle eeuwen.                    des  Heeren  noemt  &a af  -van  ongerechtigheid !  VeT-
            Voor die Koningin  leeft  deze psalm nog een                 geet liet  goddelooze  volk. Keer ze den rug toe en
     w o o r d .                                                          ondervindt de kracht der genade  ,die spreekt: "In de
            Hoor, o Dochter! en zie, en  neigLUw  oor!                    vergadering der boosdoeners kom ik niet!" Verlaat
            We hebben dien tekst eens bepreekt ter gelegen-               stad Verderf en spoedt U naar de  sta'd  des  grooten
.       beid van een tweetal jongedochteren die  vc`or  de  g.e-          Konings.
        heele  gemeente het goede geloof beleden.                             Op dien weg liggen  de  hemelsche   tafereelen  waar-`
            De tekst veronderstelt een rede en een schoon,  .ver-         heen ge moet staren met een  ooig van ver`angende
        rukkelijk  schouw~yel.                                            lieifde.  Op dien weg staan d wegwijzers van  de?
            0, als we maar  hooren  kunnen en zien!         Er is  zoo    Heeren   Wooxd.  Daar is de  Bijbel,  niet  als letter die
        nvextelpend   T-eel  te zien en te  hooren.        Er is een      doodt, doch als het Woord  Gc&  dat God  eigendomme-
        s:houwsrel  hetwelk door de  dinlgen en door het Woord            lijk spreekt. Hij zal U morgen  wek&en.  Ja, ge zult
        geschiedt, dat de  Engelen   Gods doet zingen tot in              wel  geduri.glijik  bestraft  worden,  zelfs  elken  morgen
        ee:wigheid.       Het  schouwspel-  namelijk van. de voor-        met  Asaph,  doch het is  groote   zalighei'd  om door God
        gnagde  verzen. De boodschap van den overwinnenden                berispt te worden.           Zelfs het schelden  Gods is zalig-
        Vorst  Gods.      FIet is al  het-  schoone dat God openbaarde    heid. 0 Heere, straf mij, doch te  midden  des toorns,
        van Zichzelf en dat is Jezus . En` Hij roept en roept             o gedenk des ontfermens !
       .en roept ! [Hoor  dan, o Dochter, en zie !                            Doet ge dat,  geiiefde  lezer,  zoo  zal de Koning lust
           Van  nature   Is er niemand die acht slaat op de bood-         hebben aan uw  &hoonheid:  dewijl Hij uw Heer is,  ?oo
        schap  Gods en het Kruis, het heerlijke -Kruis van                buig U voor Hem neder!
        Golgotha. Van  nature   zi.en  we niet "Jezus met eere              0 ,   d a t   k l i n k t   zoo   ~wonderlijk,   zoo   v r e e m d .   Lust
        en heerlijkheid gekroond, de held van Psalm 45."                  hebben aan  mijn   schoonheid? Hoe  .zit dat?  hoe kan
            Van  nature  liggen we in de duisternis ter neder                                                               ._
                                                                          d a t ?
        en luisteren  ,naar  de boodschap, de  leugenen  van                  `t Ligt in dat verlaten van Uws vaders huis en in
      Satan. Van  nature   .xhUwen  we naar  `cie afzichte-              dat vergeten van Uw volk.                `t Zit in dat buigen voor
        lijke dingen der zonde die in  Gods Woord gruwelen                God in  verplettex?ng  des  geestes  en in `t breken van
        heeten.                                                           Uw hart. God  beeft  berispt en gescholden:  zoo  veel
            En  al die leugens  en al die  afzicht.eliike,   afszhuw-    van dat oude volk en van dat oude huis openbaarde
        lijke  dingen  zijn de dingen  van  ons  vucer's huls.  -         zich in  Uw leven. En ten heeft God gescholden op  U.
           Ja, er  is.een  huis van onzen natuurlijken vader.             Ook hebt ge het  veeltialen  gehoord. Hij oordeelde
           Dai is het samenleven, het wonen van, het  thuis-              over U en Zijn oordeel  donde?de`U  in de  ooren, neen,  _
       voe!en in het  godde!ooze.  De bouwer  was Adam- De                het klonk in `t diepe hart.
       architekt  was  Satan?'  .De stijl is helsch.                         `In  al, die dingen was er de liefde  Gods in  `t harte.


                                          T               H           E                 STANDARD-BEARER                            1       1    3
                                                     .
 En toen ge beseftet,  dat.  ge tegen zulk een  lieflijk  God               En  di stoet klimt den berg des  Heqren  op onder
 gezondigd  had  en toen ge het oog van bestraffende                  het gezang en het gerei.           `t Is net als in de gelijkenis    -
 liei"de  wan  Jezus U zaagt doorboren, toen is Uw  hart,             vn  den verloren  ion. Kwam hij thuis,  zoo  werd  `t ge-
 langzaam aan aan `t breken gegaan.  :`Toen gingt gij                 meste kalf  ge.$lacht.  Die oude morrende  ~0x1  hoorde
 buigen voor God. Toen hebt ge U dagelijks bekeerd in                 het gezang en het gerei en moest mokkend vragen wat
1  ouvr e  En tranen. Toen was daar  d?e   kla'cht,  die bittere      dat toch wel zij. En `t antwoord  *zal  voor  eeliwig  zijn:
 bittere klacht :       0 God, wees mij, de zondaar,  ge'             Deze  schoone was dood en leelijk, doch zij heeft haar
 nadig !                                                              oude volk en  `s vaders natuurlijk huis vergeten. Ze
         Dat breken, dat  .verpletter,d  zijn, dat zuchten der        is getoqid geworden mt `t lieflijke der deemoed en
 berouw  ,hebbende  liefde, die ootmoed en deemoed en                 ootmoed. Ze ziet nu de ware verhoudingen: ze -geeft
 dat tranend staren naar den troon is Uw  szhoo&heid.                 hulde aan haar Goddelijken Gemaal. En ze is op
Toen heeft Jakob overwonnen; Hij gedroeg  .zioh   rors-               reis nar `t vaderland daarboven.
 telijk  met God in den strijd van den  Jabbek.  Hij                        Nu kan `t niet  and,ers,-  nu moet zij zingen en gal-
 overwon met  weenen  en  smeekingen.                                 men  van  heilgenot. Ze gaat al zingende naar den
         Dan zegt God: Wend Uw oog van Mij af, mijn                   hemel.       Ze wordt tot den  Koning  geleid met blijdschap
 duive !      Dan zegt Jezus : Wees welgemoed mijn doch-              en verheuging. Ze gaan voortdurend in in `t  pa!eis
ter, uwe zonden zijn  U vengeven.           Dan heeft de  hoer        van den Koning. De een voor en de ander na. Ze
 achter Jezus  `aan  stillekens geweend en met haar tranen            zingen op hun sterfbed en met breekende  oogen hoor-
 Zijn -voeten gewasschen.         Simon, mag voorts vloeken,          den het  ,de   geliesden:  Ik ga naar Jezus! En terwijl
 doch Jezus heeft een welgevallen aan die ho&, die                    `t  doobztieet  van hun aanzicht leekt, zongen'we:  `k Zal
 geen hoer meer bleef. Ze is  -de   Konin'gin,  gekleed               eeuwig zingen van  Gods goedertierenheen !
 in `t fijnste goud van Ophir. `t Zijn de  rechtvaardig-                    Och, de vaderen hebben  -ons verlaten: Eliah is
 makingen der heiligen, verdiend door Jezus en ge-                    niet meer onder ons en  Jesaja  is in  deti hemel; Jakob
 schonken dor `t  gel,oof.                                           heeft  ,zijn tranen gedroogd en David is de zoetste
         0, ik mag symbolisch spreken, en `t U aanzeggen :            zanger van hemelsche  kooren.  We zouden  zoo  gaarne
 al dat zuchten  ,al die liefde  Gods in `t verlangende               eens praten met Petrus en  Jhannes  en  .Paulus.           Doch
hart, al dat buigen terwijl-  `t  herte   brak--%  zijn al de         z zijn weg, ver weg.  -De  vaderen hebben hun plats,
 gestikte kleederen der jonkvrouw;  zoo  werd immers                  die ze voor een wijle vervulden onder ons, verlaten.
 des- Konings dochter geheel verheerlijkt inwendig?                   God heeft  al die vaders weggeraapt.
 Hare kleeding was dan  voor'ts  van gouden borduursel.                     Zull,en  w e   h i e r o v e r   weenen?
 Al die gestalten van ware bekeering is de schoonheid                       Neen toch. Want In de plaats van uwe vaders
 van Koning Jezus, op `t kruis  verdien#d,  door den                  zullen  uw6  zonen zijn.           Ge zult ze stellen over de
 Geest geschonken. Door die kleeding zijt ge inwendig                 gansche aarde tot vorsten.
 z schoon, dat de Heiland eens  zeide:  Er zal blijd-                     Wat is  die Koningin rijk geworden. Zelf is ze een
 schap zijn in  ,den   Bemel~  over slechts n zondaar  zoo          dochter des Konings, vers 14 ; ze staat aan  ,de  rechter-
 hij  zich bekeerde, meer dan over de  negen-en-negen-                zijde van Jezus  en is Koningin, vers 10  i en hier  zegt
tig. . . .                                                            ons de tekst,  dat  haar kinderen vorsten zullen zijn.
         Mag-  dat gebeuren, dan is alles wel  met  die  Knin-       Een  kied  yan   `God,  de bruid van Jezus `en  `kinderen-
 gin.      lAlles  zal  ,voorts   zi6h uitputten om die  Schoone      voortbrengen op wier slapen de  vorsttinkroon  rust.
te dienen, opdat zij haar Koning dienen.                              Wat onvergelijkelijk6 -rijkdom vervult de Kerk  van
         D,e  dochter van  TYFUS,  de rijke stad van koop-            Christus ! \
handel, de rijken onder het volk zullen haar aangezicht                     In de plaats van Jesaja is Uw  zoon, mijn broeder;
 pet  geschenk   smeeken.  De- hemel en de aarde  zuPen               Uwe kinderen mogen vorsten  Gods geheeten, mijn
zich opmaken om de  kerjk te dienen. Alle  deze dingen                zust,er !     De zusters onder ons mogen zalig `worden
 ziin tegen mij,  zeide  Jakob. Doch het is niet waar.                in `t baren van kinderen. Zulke rijkdom was `nimmer
 Alle dingen wenken mede ten goede. Alles dient tt                   in  `t oude diensthuis der zonde.
 de openbaring van steeds  hoogere  schoonheid van de                       Zoo viert de kerk hare triumfen. Over de  gans&
 Kerke  Christi.                                                      aaDde  wordt de kerk van Christus ge-institueerd ver-
         Welaan dan. De Koning zagen we geheel heerlijk               klaard.       Oade professoren en  groote  leiders van de  i
 efi vol `van majesteit. Ook was er de Bruid, de Kerk,                kerk zijn gestorven.             Doch Uwe kinderen werden
 de Koningin. Zij is door de genade schoon  geword,en.                getrokken, veranderd  ,omgezet  en met heerlijkheid
 Nu zal ze dan ook tot den Koning geleid worden.               E r    bekleed. Sommigen  oeder ons mochten zich tooien
komt een  gro&e  bruiloft. Er is een stoet van  staats-               met het kleed der Reformatoren. Zijn  Uw;  zonen niet
 dochteren  rondom haar. `t Is de kerk uit het oogpunt                -onder de Vorsten van.  Juda?
van de individueele belijders. De schare  ,die niemand                     En over de  gans&he,aarde.   `%  Zal zelfs z  schoon  '
tellen  kan  wordt  gteeds  tot den Koning geleid.                    .worden; dat de kennisse  Gods een  nieuwe  aarde  be-


  114  I                                T H E   S T A N D A R D   BARER

  dekken-zal, gelijk de wateren den bodem der zee  b&
  dekken-.  Ook zult ge zeggen:  d,eze  en die is dr ge-                         Gij  Weet Alle Dingen
  boren !    Zouden dan  de speellieden  achterblijyen  en        :                                       1 Joh.  2-:20,   27a.
  de zangers zich versteken? We  zulln  jubelen uit een
overstelpt hart.                                                       De  genle&e   van onzen Heere Jezus Christus is de
      De  pstilmist  is rustig geworden.  " t Perkament dat       zalving-  vn  .den  Heilige deelachtig. Zij heeft dus die
  bedekt is geworden met zijn lied  .der  liefde is bijna         zalving als een geestelijk  heilsbezie.       De vraag is, wat
  vtiltooid.  Hij werd stil met de rustige stilte des             is het eigenlijke, van de  za.lving?
  yredes.                                                              Het zalven staat in nauw verband met. het ambt.
      `t Kan wel zijn, dat hij de tolk is van-den  grooten        >Ve zien alreeds de  zaTving toegediend aan  Ksnifigen,
  Koning, van den Held met Zijn zwaard, Zijn victorie.            Priesgers  en soms ook aan Profeten in de Oude  Be-
  Misschien is het laatste vers een uiting van den geluk-         deeling. De daad der zalving bestond hierin, dat
  kigen Gemaal die Zijn  bwid  aanschouwt met een oog             iemand uit het volk  tier&  afgezonderd, om in een
 `van teedere  1ieYde.                                            spe-iaal  werk bezig te zijn. Door deze  ter%ijde  stel-
      Als dat  zoo  is,- dan spreekt Hij dat vers uit als         ling tot het ambt, werd dan aan  zoo  iemand een hooge
  een belofte tot Zijn  Eilgen  God en Vader.  D'an  zegt         en bijzondere macht geschonken.
  Hij : Vader in den Hemel : Ik zal Uwen naam doen                     `Met het oog daarop werd hij dan ook met sierlijke
  gedenken van elk geslacht tot geslacht !                        kleederen omhangen, werd hem, benevens het  purper-
      0, we hebben Jezus begrepen:  .Zulk een eindelijk           gewaad, ook nog een kroon op het hoofd gezet. En
  spr,ek&  is het einde,-het doel van allen godsdienst : De       bij die  schoone  kleedij werd dan nog gevoegd het
  l,of des  Heeren.                                               gieten van den zalfolie, heerlijk van geur en schoon
     Tevens is het  <de zaligheid van  $en  mensch die naar       van glans, op het hoofd en over de kleederen van hem
 Gods beeld  -geschapen  werd. 0, als ik  maar~aan  mijn          die gezalfd werd. Als het ware, de geheele persoon
  God mag  .denken   deti  gansohen  dag; als ik maar.  aan       onderging, zij het clan op symbolische wijze, een trans-
  Gqd mag denken in de nacht waken. Als ik Hem                    formatie.
 maar met `mij mag  hebberi in mijn smart en  ell&de,                  Negatief beduide dit, dat de gezalfde persoon in
  doch ook in mijn vreugde en blijdschap.       Als ik maar       zichzelf  geeti heerlijkheid, geen bevoegdheid, noch
mag wandelen mt God. Dan ben ik zalig.                           bek%aamheid  bezat,  tot  den dienst en den taak, waar-
     Aan God gedenken? Door Jezus werken voor'mij,                toe hij geroepen werd.           Dat dsnietegenstaande,  ?l
  en door mij? Dan ben ik  ialig zelfs in  mijn.`bitterlijk       Heere hem echter riep en hem op een bepaalde plaats,
 wenen. Zult ge ooit vergeten hoe David zong,: `k Denk           voor een bepaalde taak, temidden van Zijn  vlk  en hen
  aan  U, o God ! in `t klagen-uit  ,den  landstreek der          ten  xbehoeve  wilde gebruiken. Tot dat einde werden
  Jordaan ! ?                                                     zelfs de  goddelooze  koningen geroepen, denk slechts
      Wij allen, wij zullen. naar God gaan  een  aan. Hem         aan den eersten Koning van Israel,  Saul.
  denk&  totdat geen maan  me&  schijnt. Aan God                       Positief lag er in de zalving, naar de idee, de aan-
  denkende.komen  we uit de groote verdrukking met een            stelling tot het ambt en de bevoegdheid, zoowel als
  ziel  ,die  vermoeid is,  een geest die verbrij-zelde en een    de bekwaamheid, om in den Naam des  Heeren  ambte-
 hart  ,dat brak.  &ch  geen nood: de  tranen  mogen U            lijk op te treden en dus ambtswerk te  ktinnn  ver-
  uit de  ,oogen  `geperst  .worden--Hij  zal ze afwisschen.      richten.      H,et  was, in  tegen'stelling  met wat Dr.  Kuyper
  De wolk die Uw oog verduisterde  worclt door  d'e liefde-       wil,  niet.  iets dat een overblijfsel was van de oor-
  volle hand vn God weggestrekn.          En op dat voor        spronkelijke  schepiingsidee,  maar een speciale op-
 hoosd wordt gegrift eeuwige  blij,dschap.     Jes. 36 :lO.       dracht,  Voor  een speciaal. volk, waartoe de ambts-
      En wat volgt dan?                                           drager  geroepen  werd, door God Zelf. Hierdoor  alleen
      Hoe.kunt  ge. dat vragen. Als  Jezus  ons aan God           is het te verstaan, dat ook Israel gehoorzaamheid schul-
  doet denk& van elk geslacht en tot geslacht, dan kan            dig bleef, ook al vreesde de Koning God niet. Daaruit
 het niet anders, dan zult ge God loven eeuwiglijk  en-           is ook de zalving van den Koning  Satil   te  verkjl,aren.
  altoos. Als ge aan  #God  denkt denkt ge immers aan             Men meent,' (alles  wordt  tenslotte onderworpen aan
  Zijn volmaakte  deugd&?      `k Noem er maar n: Zijn          het  leer+uk  der gemeene  .gra$ie)  dat  Saul  een schoon
  onbegrijpelijke  liefte  tot mij, de ellendigste aller zon-     begin had, nadat hij tot Koning over Israel  wtis uit-
  daren !    Zouden- we dan niet zingen en verblijd zijn?.        geroepen.'      De man was  zoo  vervuld van zijn  eigen
 -Zouden  we dan niet loven den naam van  onzen  Vader?           onwaardigheid (moet natuurlijk onbekwamheid zijn),
      Dat is het einde  van  den psalm, dat is het einde          dat  hij   zi!ch  achter de vaten verscholen had. Was hij
  van elke. uiting der. genade, opwellend  guit  `t diepste       nu  zoo  doorgegaan, dan was alles wel terecht gekomen,
  hart.                                                           hij ware dan een goed koning geworden en zou  Gods
      Dat is de hemel, daarboven bij God!                         gunst, in  ,plaats  van den vloek, hebben genoten. Daar
                                                 G-.   V .        is natuurlijk absoluut niets van aan, want  .ge  vindt


,  -  <*-   !-
 i-                                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEARER,                                                  1 1 5

voor deze voorstelling geen enkele grond in de Heilige                           een heiligende werking in al de heiligen voortdurend
Schrift. Saul is juist het geschikte voorbeeld, hoe                              aanwezi,g is.
iemand, die gansch onbekwaam is tot de taak  waytoe                               Die Geest van Christus wordt in de Schrift met
hij geroepen werd, toch door den Heere werd  geroepen                            versch&nde  namen genoemd. Hij is de  groate   Para-
en door Hem van het  nroodige  voorzien, om over Israel                          kleet, Die tot  ons  spreekt,  -de  gemeente troost, Die
te regeeren.           Let er slechts op hoe het ambt van                        voor haar  s.preekt; bidt  ..en  haar  heili'gt.    Hij is de
Koning, bij Saul niet paste, in geen  ,enkel  opzicht.                           Geest der Kennis, der Wijsheid, de Geest der  Waar:
Niet uit geestelijk oogpunt, want hij had aangaande. h e i d .
Samuel in  h,et  geheel geen kennis, noch ook uit natuur-                           Zijn eerste werk is, dat der wedergeboorte. Hij
lijk oogpunt, dat is uit het oogpunt van moed en tact,                           zet het ik in  Gods  volk  om, zoodat in plaats  ,van den
onDbrak  hem de eerste  .vereischte  om het Koningschap                          dood, het leven te voorschijn treedt. Dat is allereerst
op zich te nemen en zich behoorlijk van zijn taak te                             de groote hoofzaak, die dan ook verder-de oorzaak is,
kwijlen.   IHet ambt paste bij hem in  tiet  geheel niet.                        van al hetgeen in de kinderen  Go,ds  tot stand word
Hij zelf wist  dat  maar al te'goed en de vrees bekruipt                         gebracht.  Het  Ik zelf wordt vernieuwd, zoodat het
hem, dat dit wel zeer spoedig tot openbaring zal komen.                          op een andere wijze gaat werken, anders  cl&&   anders
Wegschuilen en zich verbergen is, dan ook in dit geval,                          wil,  begeert,  en  doet.
maar  het- beste.          Na de zalving echter wordt  -de  Geest                    A-1s de Trooster spreekt  iHij dan tot  rriij,  zoowel als
vaardig over hem en ontvangt Saul al de eigenschap-                              voor mij en in nauw verband hiermede, leidt Hij de
pen en gaven, die noodig waren om over Israel te  re-                            gemeente in alle Waarheid iri. Hij schenkt dan ook
,geeren.          Ambtelijke bekwaamheid en bevoegdheid                          verlichte  oogen des verstands, zoodat ik Christus ken
werden hem geschonken en de zalving was er dan ook                               en belijd als mijn Heer en mijn God. En door  Chris;tus
 de  beves$iag  van.  _                                                          leidt Hij mij tot God, tot  G.ods  Verbond-der gemeen-
        Deze  oad Testamentische zalving vindt haar eind-                        schap, zoodat dikwijls  cie kennis. te `wonderbaar is.
punt en  voPe verwerkelijking in de zalving van den                              Daartoe  bedien.t Hij Zich in hoofzaak van het Woord,
Zoon, Die door den Heere  geza1f.d  is van eeuwigheid.                           hetzij dat dit Woord  word,t  gelezen in de woning, of
 "Ik toch heb  Xijnen  koning  gezalfd,over  Sion, den berg                      gepredikt in den  eer,edienst,  in de gemeenschap der
Mijner heiligheid".               Van' eeuwigheid is in.  ,den   Raad            heiligen en het gebruik  dr  Sacramenten-het  is de
 des  Heeren,  de Middelaar de Gezalfde  Gods.                                   Geest,  Die de menigerlei-middelen gebruikt, waardoor
        Gods Zoon, maar,  `dan  als de Middelaar in ons                          er opbouw en wasdom mogelijk  is.~                    .
vl.eesch  en bloed, is van God verordineerd en met den                               In nauw verband  hi'ermede,.  doet Hij de gemeente
 Heiligen `Geest gezalfd tot onzen hoogsten Profeet,                             dan ook alle  ding&  zien  bij  het  lichst  van  Gods  Woord.
 eenigen Priester en eeuwigen Koning.                                                Dat nu, kan niemand u  leeren,  zelfs de geleerdste
         Dat houdt  allereerst  in, dat de Ambtsdrager bij                       en meest gevierde prediker bezit die macht -niet.          Goed
 uitnemendheid iets ontvangt en in den weg der gehoor- .verstaan,   z  (bezien is het waar, dat de gemeente geen
 zaamheid Zijn ambt bedient, waardoor Hij van de                                 leeraar  van noode heeft, alsof zonde deze in staat zijn,
 Oud Testamentische ambtsdragers  oxxderscheiden is.                             het  gees!elijk  goed der genade uit Christus  hxar  te
        Het verschil tusschen de Oud  Tes&mentische  ambts-                      schenken.    Neen,  ,duizendmaal  neen ! ! Schoon het tege-
 dragers en  #@en Christus,  dat  de  Symb6lische  zalving                       lijkertijd waar blijft,  dak  de  G,eest  den dienaar, den
  (met  olie) bij den laatsten wegvalt  ,omdat   _ Christus                      dienst des Woord en het geheel der genademiddelen wil
 den Geest zelve ontvangt zonder mate. Alle drie zij-                            g&ruiken,   tot  den bloei van  ,het lichaam van Christus,
 den- van het Ambt, Profeet, Priester en Koning, zijn                            en de  gemeente daar aan bindt.
 dan ook in Hem volkomen.                                                            Hieruit volgt; dat het  daarom  ook zeer  zeker  waar
         H i j   sfpreekt  a l t i j d   Gods  WoC>rd.   H i j   wij,dt  Zi&h    is, dat de wereld de gemeente  niet,leeren  kan. Johan-
 altijd den  H,eere en de Majesteit van  het  koningschap                        nes wijst, in nauw verband met  d*e  anti-christen, die
 i s   i n   V o r s t   M e s s i a s   e e u w i g .             .  _          van hen uitgingen, daarop. Het lijdt immers geen
         Als Hoofd der Gemeente heeft  iHij dan ook, als                         twijfel, dat zij- voor hun heengaan getracht  hebbex;
 resultaat. van den arbeid Zijner ziel, de Geest. ont-                           hun  -valsche leer, aangaande den Christus, ingang t  2
 vangen, Dien Hij uitzendt in Zijn lichaam.                           En de      doen vinden in de. gemeente? Doch dit  gelukte  niet.
 Geest blijft eeuwig in de gemeente wonen.                                       De  .gemeente  bezit de potentie, de macht en het ver-
         c&Iij.  is in har uitgestort en  vindt  in haar Zijn                   mogen, om alle dingen te beoordeelen bij het licht  d.er
 arbeidsveld.. Als de Heilige verbindt Hij op mystieke                           Goddelijke Waarheid. He geslepen de  valsche  leer
 wijze het Hoofd aan het lichaam, zoowel als de leden                            zich ook moge voordoen en hoe  schijtibaar-die.leer  ook
 onderling. Daarom  .is Hij dan ook de grootste gave,                            op de Waarheid moge gelijken, doordat de Geest het
 het  s@hoonste  bezit der  .heiligen.                    Dit kan nader  om-     uit het Woord onderwijst, haar gestadiglijk zalft, zij
 Fchreven  worden;  als de gave des  Geestes  waardoor er                        aijn in staat; om alle dingen te. beoordeelen en de


  ii6

  juiste conclusie te trekken-beide, voor leer  en-  le-           een  ,ongebroken  macht, uitziende met een heilig  vei-
  ven.                                                             langen- naar den dag, wanneer  hui   Hoofd zal  terug-
          Centraal beoordeelen zij alle dingen in het licht        @eren   en zij met  Hem   zullen   regeeren  over de werken
  aangaande de belijdenis van den Christus en Zijn werk.           van  Gods  han,den:  de nieuwe hemel en de nieuwe
  Van God en Zijn Verbond en het werk des  Geestes.                aarde, waarin gerechtigheid  wnen  zal.
  Van wat Waarheid en leugen is. En nimmer kan dat                        Zij nemen toe in kennis, groeien in de  heiligmaking
  Geestes-werk door eenig schepsel verbroken worden.               en  heersehei  over  de zonde, door ,de  genade des  Geestes.
         Meer nog.                                                        Dat  beteeknt  dan ook, dat die zalving des  Geestes.
         Die Geest blijft hen gestadig onderwijzen, zoodat         die in hen blijft, daarom ook een werking is, die naar
  de gemeente hoe langer hoe meer ziet. De Kerk werpt              haar  karakter  vrijmakend is. Het is een vrijmakende
  -zich  tenslotte met alle  l!evensvragen  op het onwankel-       werking, want  d  ware vrijheid, mogelijk alleen door
  baar getuigenis des Woords. Haar kan geen.  wereld-              den. band des  Geestes, wordt gekenmerkt, doordat de
  sche wijsheid bekoren. Daar, in het Woord, ligt voor             gemeente  giybracht  wordt onder- de gehoorzaamheid
haar de vastheid in de beoordeeling van alle dingen.               van Jezus  Chri'stus, dat is, de gebondenheid aan het
  Daaruit  heeft zij geleerd, om met en in  allIes,  bij God       Woord  Gods alleen. Dat alleen is de ware  .vrijheid.
 t'e beginnen. En zij leert aldus zien, dat Hij het is,            Steeds wordt  Zij door die zalving meer en meer verlost
  Die alles werkt in en door Christus, naar Zijn eeuwig            van de zonde en haar trekkingen, rijker in de kennis
Raadsbesjluit.  Daaruit heeft zij ook geleerd en neemt             en in de genade, sterker in haar willen en denken  .en
  in die kennis hoe  langer  hoe  me&  toe,: dat, zooals  aller    begeeren,  machtifger  in haar overwinnen van de zonde.
  dingen uit en door  iHem zijn, ook alle' dingen zich                    H.oe  lang?
  ri,chten op Hem, -waarom  dan'ook  Zijner  de heerlijk-                 Totdat de Heilige den Heiligen volkomen geheiligd
  heid  ,en  de kracht zijn tot in alle eeuwigheid.     Ga  mi     heeft.
  maar eens rondom  u zien, gemeente van Christus of                      Totdat de volmaaktheid bereikt is.                  -
  er in de  ,wereld iets of  iemand  is, die  u  leeren  kan.             Nu  nog  het  Woord, de Ambten, de Bediening, de
  Wat van beneden is, richt zich nooit naar boven, wat             Sacramenten-straks` volkomen in het eeuwige konin-
  van de aarde is, blijft  altij,d  in het aardsche en ver-        krijk, als God zal zijn alles  eg in allen.
  gankelijke hangen, het kan tot den Eeuwige niet op-                                                                         w. v.
klimmen.  En wat uit de duisternis is, kan nooit  u
  bren-gen tot het licht.  Alles  is ook in dezen absoluut,
  of men het wil of niet.
      Daarom, en daarom. alleen, kan niemand  u  leeren
en zult gij er dan ook nooit de noodzakelijkheid van                                        U N D E R N E A T H   _
  gevoelen. Veeleer huivert de gemeente, als men  haar
  wil wijs maken, dat zij, voor de waarachtige kennis,                       1 need  xiot fear, since  On;  is with me
  de wereld van noode heeft..                                                    .Who  can quiet  al1  alarms   ;
      Gelijk we zagen, de heiligen hebben den  Heili'ge,
  die hen zalft, als een heiligend bezit. Hij  onder.wijst                   1 ned not fear, for  undernbath  me
  en kan alleen onderwijzen. Doch dit bezit is ook  blij-                        Are  ?he  everlasting  arms:"
  vent  v2.n duur.
     ' Hij  blijft  in  u.                                                   Always the  arms  are  there;  outreaching,
      Daarom is er in  u een onafgebroken,  zoow'el  als  .een       :            Strong to  succor and uphold,
  onderhoudende, werking van den Geest van  C,hristus
 Jezus. Die Geest,  xho&  Hij wel bedroefd kan worden,                       And,  shou,ld  ,I fall, would bear me  upward,
  gaat' nooit meer uit  -u weg. Het eens begonnen werk                            In their warm embrace enfold.
  wordt  onaf&ebroken'   .voortgeaet.  Hij maakt ons hoe
  langer hoe meer  profet,en, die  Gods Woord spreken,                       What comfort does this  thought   afford  me!
  liefhebben, bewaren, uitdragen naar buiten en  dat in                       Wehat  assurance, to believe,
  tegenstelling met het woord van  mensche~.  den duivel                     When  my frail arms  can hold  no.  longer,
  en de wereld. Hij maakt de kinderen  Gods hoe  langer.
  hoe meer priesters, die den  Here  en Zijn zaak  gewijcl                       His are waiting to  receive!
  zijn,  alle dingen in Zijn dienst stellend `en zich met                    Eternal God, Thou art my refuge !
  a!le dingen den Heere  heilifgen.  Het wordt hoe langer
  hoe meer een volk dat wandelt in goede werken,                                  Mine is now the rest of faith.
  jagende naar  ,de  volmaaktheid. En zij worden dan                         For whatsoever  can  -)efall   me;
  ook hoe langer hoe meer koningen, over wien de duivel
  en  in. wien de zonde niet `langer  meer  heerscheh,  als                    Thy   stEon@   a r &   a r e   nderiieath.             -


                                                    +I'HE  STANQARD   B E A R E R                                                   ,117

                                                                           nevertheless, is  rea!ity.    F,or  it is true there are many
                       M&i&   Friqds                                       ungodly men that are capable of giving us a friendly
                                                                           smile  +iild  t\.  ,warm  reception, and that seek our co-
      Such is the brief topic assigned .to me  f& this                     operation in the different  sph,eres  of life. Apparently
  essay.    However, though the tolpic  is brief, it `is  pteg-            they have our advancement at heart. And frequently
  nant with meaning. For  "making  friends" is a beauti-                   they  also  appear eager to  be:ome intimate with  `CLS
  f  ul  acti   i;ity  but also a very difficult art.                      and to reveal to us the secrets and thoughts  of their
      To see this it is  ne-,essary  that we have a correct hearts. Seemingly they are our friends. But, even  SO,
  c&ception  of what constitutes a true friend. Who is                     we must  not  be misled, the appearance of things is
  our true friend? What  charazterlzes  him? First of                      often very deceiving. Our highest good the natural
  all he resembles us. In a sense he is our equal. There                   men  wi.11  neyer  seek. To do so never enters his mind,
  is  affinity   k`etween  him and us. For, "Can two walk                  for of it he is an enemy. He seeks only himself, every-
 `together except they be agreed?" Amos  3:3.  And                         where and always. Hence, though outwardly he pre-
  this affinity betweep  us and our friend is ndt merely                   tends to be seeking our good, inwardly he is seeking
  l;sychol.ogical,   but-  above all spiritual. Spiritually we             self. And of this he can never rid himself. Moreover,
  live  act of the same  principle,  we fight the same enemy               even  though he-is willing to confide in us and make
  and we have  the same goal.                                              known to us the plans and secrets of his heart, his
      Moreover, our true  .friend  also loves us.  For of                   doing so can only be an evil influence in our life,
  Jonathan a genuine friend of David, we read, "Jona-                      for his heart  iB  evil,  filled with  .erimity.  Therefore
  than loved David as his own soul". Friendship with-                      tillat  which proceeds from his heart must needs create
  out love is  inconceivab1.e.        And this love of- our friend         an unhealthy atmosphere for our souls. The conclusion
  does not consist merely in this, that he feels  atta:hed                  can, therefore, not  ,be escaped, by nature  we. are friend-.
  to  I'S and has a certain affection for us, but it is ,a                 less. Friends, to be sure, must be made.
 spiritual bond which reveals itself in that he. seeks our                     iwow  can this be accomplished? Only in one way.
  highest  good, which is heaven. Never is he that seeks                    This does not mean, however, that the attempt is
  our downfall our friend, regardless whether he does                      never made to establish a friendship in any other way.
  such intentionally or  uniqtentionally.                  Everyone that Fact is, also the ungodly has his own peculiar concep-
  seeks our ruin and helps us  along  on the  road  to  de-                tion of a friend and the manner in which this friend
  strucjtion  is  always  our- enemy. Oar friend is only he                must be made. He  ,also,  seeks a friend, though it  i's.
  that has as his goal our eternal good.                                    true, he does not seek a true friend. The reason is                   - -
      Finally ,our  friend reveals to us edifying thoughts                  evident. Man was originally created a Covenant crea-
  out of a pure heart. For again we read that God, Who ture, in &he  image of God, in order that he might live                               _
  is the Friend of His people, reveals to them His secrets.                 in  f'ellowship  with God  atid  his neighbour.     To this
 Gen. 19  :1'7, 18; Ps. 25  :14.                Thus it is also with our life of fellowship his entire being was adapted. Be-
  hrman friend. To us he makes known the thoughts of cause of this, also natural man seeks companionship.
  his heart which he would reveal  t,o none other.' And                     It is true, of course, the Fall has greatly changed his
  these thoughts which he reveals to us are of an edify-                    nature, but not in such.  a way that man became an
  ing nature. They are not vain, filthy and evil, for then                  independent creature desiring to live alone. Rather
  they  woulcl  be detrimental to our  soul  and he would not               it left him in a formal sense a friend-seeking creature,
  be our friend. But they  arti  thoughts which proceed                     but it made him  blind for the value and need of a true
  from a heart that is pure and, therefore, by them we                      friend, so that instead of seeking friendship in- the
  are greatly benefit&d.                   I                                sphere of light with God and the righteous he seeks it
       Since the nature -of a true friend is such, it is -evi- in the sphere of darkness with Satan and men of un-
  dent that to have such friends is an invaluable privi-                    righteousness. But  ihe   co,mpany  of others he must
  lege and a power for good in our lives.. For such                         seek. That lies in his very nature. Moreover, the
  friends we  have  a crying need. However, according                       natural man  al;0  realizes that to exist and maintain
  to our subject, if we are to have such friends, they                      himself  h,e  is in need of others. It is his desire to
  must first be "made".             Thi.s  suggests that we live enjoy life, to increase his goods atid  to make himself a
- in .an unfriendly world, a world in which we have no                      name. If this desire is to be realized, however, he
  friends by virtue of  OUT   natural birth. And such is                    must- not live independentl:r,  for he is in need of the
  very truly the c&e, by nature. you arc1  I stand with-                    help of others. Hence, realizing this  and.  feeling to
  out a friend in the world. And  nyt  only  are  oithe&                    home only in the company of the  un,god!y,  he seeks
  not friends in regard to us, but neither are we friends to establish a friendship with men of da&ness.
  ill regard to  otheks.          By  nat&e we are  enemi&  of                  But the world strives to accomplish this in a
  God and enemies of one another.                                           foolish and evil way,  -for in their attempt to  make-
      I know, it does not always seem.that  way, bd  such,                  friends they refuse to reckon with God. As  .in all
                                 . . _-               .  ,.I  .


 118                                      T H E   STANDAkD  .BJZARER

 things, so also in their striving for friendship, the hearts, for also they by  natur.e   ar'e  enemies. Except
 world refuses to confess that salvation is from God               God do &ch,  all effort on our part to make  them  our
 alone.     It is their desire to make friends without God         friends will be in vain. God does this by His Spirit
 and without Christ. Therefore they ignore the  fact               and Word.
  that, so long as. man has enmity in his heart, it is                 This  work-of -God has as its fruit that in principle
 impossible to make  fri!ends  and that this  heart  can           we love one an&her, we  seek..  one another's eternal
  be changed  .only  by  the.  grace of God. The result            good and it is our delight, to  kxchange  with  on&  an-
 is  +hat  with war in their hearts they set out to make           other, edifying thoughts out of pure hearts.                 In prin-
 friends in their own strenigth.       But they soon discover      ciple it  becpmes  our desires to have and  to make tru?
 that; if  *hey  are to be successful to any extent, the           friends. This does not mean, however, @at, thus per-
 enmity in man's heart must be restrained and con-                 fection has been attained, and that, henceforth, we
 cealed. Hence, in the  atteml;t  to curb this enmity,             shall always be  perfect friends. Rather the  co,ntrary
  they  use various artificial means, and in the  ,effort          is the case. Fact is, only  in principle has enmity been
 to hide it, they display a false smile, they pretend to           dethroned and replaced by love. And  w&h  this small
 bless, and they boast that they. seek their neighbour's           principle of love in our hearts we live in a world
 good.                  _-   *                                     whi,ch offers us our old friendship at the  exr,ense
                                                                   of the new. Hence, if by the grace of God we are not
        Because of this deceiving outward appearance, nat-         on our guard, so that  wse  live out of the new prin-
 ural-man oft succeeds in temporarily establishing so-             ci.ple  of love and walk in the light, we will not ex-
 ca!led  friendships 2societies  and various organizations.        perience the joy of the fellowship of saints. In the
 Yet, even so, his friend-making must be appraised as measure that we are unfaithful enmity and disorder
  being a total failure, for  -these  friendships often are shall be f&nd  among us. Therefore we must fight
n o t   1astin.g.    They are bonds uniting self-seeking men,
 therefore as soon as this selfishness comes to the fore,          against  the.   old  principle of enmity, in ourselves, in
                                                                   our  friend,  .in the world; and we, must. walk in `the
 these friendships suffer shipwreck. And the result is             light out of  the principle of love. And our weapons?
  more enmity and divorce, murder and  war.. Moreover,             They  must  not be our own, but God's, namely, His
 .these  friendships of the world, even while they last,           W o r d   a n d   S p i r i t .
  are but a sham. True friendship is characterized by                  And the  ou$come?              Will  tmhis  way of makin,g  friends
  love, but enmity characterizes the friendship of  .the           prove successful? It  will  not, so far as making friends
  world, for ea,cd  seeks  his own advancement and unto            with the world is concerned. For if we seek to make
  that end the cooperation of  his neighbour. Hence,               friends in this `way only, the ungodly will reveal  then?-
  the fiery heart of friendship is lacking in the friend-          selves as being ollr  enemies. They will hate and de-
  ships of the world.. Lastly, these friendships  hav`e  an        spise us and possibly even  persecute  us. Is 
  evil  influ,ence  and so become a means unto death.       I n                                                             our   methsd
                                                                   then not.  dece,ptive?  No, this proves that  i; is right.
  these various  friendshiTs  natural  man-  is given  the         For we live in a world  in which God has willed and
  opportunity to reveal  the.   evil  and corruption of his        placed the antithesis.  Hen&,  when the children of
  wicked heart. This he does and so contaminates the
  life of his  neighbour..  Thus the friendships of the            light  wa1.k in the light, the children of darkness always
                                                                   reveal themselves as being dafikness.  Therefore, since
  world become a means to advance man on the road to               this way of making friends will also bear this fruit,
  eternal doom. Hence, the necessity that Israel dwell we have the assurance that it is God's way ,and God's
  alone.                                                           way is always right. But the positive fruit will be
    It is evident, therefore, that the world's way of that we will  be,  united  Yn  a  bond  of true fellowship
  making friends is deceiving. What may then  be- the              with the people of God. Disorder will then  d,eerease
  true way? How may we be successful? If we are                    among us and we will enjoy a sweet  for'etaste  of the
  ever to succeed at all, it is first of all necessary, that       perfect  fellmowship  of saints. And, what  iseven  more,
  another friend first make a friend of us. By nature,             we will enjoy the favor of our God, for where love
  we ourselves are enemies and, so  lonlg  as enmity reigns        abides the Lord commends His blessing.
  in our hearts, we are incapable of even desiring to                                                                         P.              v.
  make others our friends, this enmity must first be de-
  throned and replaced by love. This we qurselves are                              BEFORE I SLEEP TONIGHT-
  not  able to do, another friend must do it for  us; and
  $he  only Friend able to do it is God. `He first, as our                       Before I sleep,.  toni.ght,
  Friend, must make  us His friend, before we can make                                 I must review the  day-
  others our friends.  But  for that same reason, if we                          If I have erred in any wise,
                                                                                       For  sod's  forgiveness pray ;
 -are to make others our friends, God must first make                       *    I must be clean in His pure sight
  t&m  friends also by dethroning the enmity in their                                  Before  .I sleep tonight.


                                                                                                                                 I



                                         T H E   S T A N D . A R D   BE,ARE'RiV1  ~                                       il9

      Chri&an   Disciplitie  In Educakm                           which men unite to effect certain desireable ends, an
                                                                  organization seeking the advantage of its members."
-  ~-  It is with some diffidence that I undertake the  task      Therefore;  I?. M. Morehouse writes in his book, The
 of discussing the question of  di.scipline  in the field of      Dis'cipline  of the School, quote : "it, (the state) has
                                                                  taken over the business of formal education from the
 education., For this subject is the most serious, the
 most comprehensive in its range, of all the problems of          home. . . . because the state can do the work more
                                                                  effectively and more economically. . . . and we call
 eclutiation. Discipline is by far  -the most important.
 element in the education of-  ou:  children.                     this department of the state the School System." Pro-
                                                     We can
 conceive of a school without buildings, without  e#  ;uip-       perly speaking, the public school is a part of the state.
-merit,  without books; but we cannot conceive of a true          Further, he goes on to say: "Therefore the parents
 school without discipline. Besides, these are days when          have no inherent right whatever to dictate to the
 we are not only told that the problem of discipline has          school what its methods shall be. Teachers. are re-
                                                                  sponsible, not to the parents, but directly to the
 been completely and finally solved, but one is laughed
 at when mentioning discipline,  particulariy  when we            state."                                                 .T.
 extend the connotation of the world to its severest                  From this reasoning of Fran& Morehouse we may
 terms.                                                           easily  con,clude  what he establishes as the  picr?lose
     We live in days of so-called "self-expression" which         of the school. We read in the same book, quote: "This
 practically-eliminates all  discipine.  The child may ex-        world of the school is organized  by.  society for the
 press himself as he sees fit and reap the bitter or the          benefit of the children, that they may be able to benefit
 s'weet   lof his actions, which in turn is- disciplinary.        society-in turn, and be themselves  hap,pier  for what
 Absolute authority'is definitely unknown and positive-           they learn there. The teachers are in the school for
 ly unwanted. They, on the other hand, who may as                 the purpose of helping them to become intelligent,
 yet still cherish the idea of authority, exercise some           happy, helpful. All that makes boys and girls intelli-
 form of discipline following the so-called "`Mode of             gent, happy and helpful in the school is  righ%$   c&d
 Appeal to Personal Interest", or the more modern                 tkerkfore  permissable."      (I underscore, A. C.)
 "Mode of Social Consciousness", which at best  are                   How thoroughly unchristian, how absolutely con-
 purely humanitarian, and at heart are  .governed by              trary to all Scripture is this reasoning. First of all
 the evil motive of self-gratification.                           this conception of  ,government  is unscriptural. At this
   _ Christian discipline, on the other hand, may not             time let it be a sufficient reminder that, "there `is no
 and can never be motivated by selfish or humani-                 power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of
 tarian interests. It is in no sense related first of all         God." Rom. 13). Tlhe rulers are no servants -of  so:-
 to man, but to Christ, for it is  CHR:ISTian  discipline,        ciety,  .but  of God, to Him they are responsible.     This
 and through Him to God, as will  become evident in the           error of the author of said  Ibook  naturally leads to the
~cliscussion  of this subject.    From the  .outset it is well    second fallacy, namely, that the source of authority is
 to bear in mind that the motive and purpose, the very            vested in society, the majority of mankind, the great-.
 heart of all that which is Christian is GOD. There-              est number of sinful men.          This philosophy is, of
 fore, the motive and purpose of all Christian discipline,        course, rooted in : "ye shall be as gods, knowing good
 too, is God.                                                     and evil". Thus man dictates what is right and what'
    In treating Christian Discipline in Education it is           is  wronfg,  and usurps the throne of God who alone is
 pertinent to the subject, to understand with some                sovereign, who alone is the source' of all authority.
 degree of exactness just where education stands as a             Such  faulty  r.easoning  can only mean that all discipline
 force in the world. In other words, the nature and               in such school systems is thoroughly  wi,cked,  no matter.
 extent of school's authority can only be determined              which mode they may choose to adopt.
 by the relation of the school to the child, to the home,             How diverse in character will Christian discipline
the church, the world  ,an dabove all to  IGod.  More             be to that of the world when educating the child. The
 s'mple  still, what is the purpose of the school? Upon           Christian  `cannot  and will not concede the school, the
 this point depends the whole question of school author-          education  of his child to the state.    He maintains the
 ity, and this authority determines school discipline,            school as a branch of the home, for the child does not
 for the latter is rooted in and empowered by the form-           be!ong to the state but to the parent.      Since the child
 er. Hence, the relation of  the. school to God and man           is of father and mother, they alone are responsible for
determines' its discipline.       Y                               its education.
    The educators of the public school system  unhesi-                Accordin.g to Christian principles this responsibility
 tantly teach that -the school finds its authority in the         o,f the parent can in no wise be transfered to other
 state, or government.       If asked, what then is the           sh  c ulders.    This shifting of responsibility is impos-
state, the answer is: "It  isi an  .eeonomical  device by         sible because the parent is not sovereign owner of the


       SC-..                   !                                ___~~~--                             -~-.    ___. --__
--       .12p  , --                                     - T H E   S&QNDARD   B E A R E R   :---  '
                -
         child.      In the truest sense of the word the child is                  For the teacher this means that she  m&y   not_   .2on-
        God$ child, His sovereign- property. Therefore the                      duct her school  dn the basis of appealing to the  Per-
         relation  of the parent  td  G&l  and to the  -hiId is that           -sonal interest of the child, nor by  makineg the child
         of stewardship. Hence, God gives  His.children  to the                conscious of his social obligations.- Neither may she
         care  .and  kee&g,  `to the education and training-of the             permit  the.child  to express himself in words. or  a&i&s
         parent, who in  t&n   .is always responsible, not to the              as he sees fit and leave the results of these actions
         state,  `but to God.                                                  become  cliscipljnary.        But  ~ she must hold before  the
                In giving these children to earthly  parents  God              c.?+ld his-divine calling in relation to  God,  to man and
         calises  the child to -become a part of the world, a unit             a!1   things  . She  n&t  prompt the child to learn  and
         .of  His creation, of whinh Scripture testifies: `"The                realize the seriousness of this calling.  : She must equip
         Lo.rd   ha&h  made  all things for Himself". Hence, the               him so that he may be able to discharge his duties.
         relatioqof  these children to all things, as well as the              faithfully.      She must demand  <hat the child accept this
         rklat,ion  of all things to these children is the honor and           teaching  atid  be disposed to being so taught She  mu&
         glory of  our   Sovereign God. Therefore, the  re!ation               call him into -account for his performance of  tliese
         of the  parent  to the child, and  thttt  of the school thru          &lties  and faithfully reward or punish him, as the
         the parent, is one grand relation of glory  and  eter-                case may demand.
         nal- praise to God. This is quite a different story  than  :              This task of the teacher is not an  easy one. Were
         "This  world  of the school is organized by society for               the child  ,one of a pure, holy nature `her duties would
         the benefit of the children, that they may benefit                    be simplified, then her teaching would  merely.  assume
         soci,e%y  in turn,."                                    -_            the form of leadership and -guidance.             But now the
                The responsibility, as well as the right and power             child she deals with is one conceived and born in sin.  '
         which God gave to the parent to train the  child,  and                -perverse by  nature,  hating God  and  His laws.  :  The--  :
         thus promote the glory -of- God, is all expressed in that             result is that the teacher will always again collide' with        ~
         meaningful  ana  beautiful  word, "authority".                This    the child's obstinacy. Because this  obst@necy   -is sin
         word is derived from the noun,  "au&or",   sfgni5ying                 the teacher may not compromise, but demand obedience
         one whose duty it is to promote the growth and pros-                  and compel the child to obey. . Never may  she use the
         perity of a  ce+tain  cause.  - Our word, "auctioneer" is             hit-or-miss method, whereby she casts about aimlessly,
         derived from the same word, `denoting one  tiho  must                 trying first one remedy and then  anobher,  in the
        1 promote the increase of  ,bids  on property. Hence, from             vague hope -that' she may find one  pleasintg  to the
         this we glean that one in authority-is a person who                   child.. She may use but one method and `that only,
         has the legal  ?nd  rightful power to promote the  pros-              namely,  -"thus  saith the Lord".
        -perity  of a cause by means of command. Such a per-                       This  does not infer that the teacher be cruel or
         son has a four-fold duty: firstly, he must see to it                  harsh  .and inculcate fear into the child. When a child
         that the cause is brought under way; secondly, he  mu&                is frightened into obedience two evils have occurred:
         assign to everyone related to that cause his or her                   the child has lost sight of true obedience and the
         specifi:  duty; thirdly, he must call the last named                  teacher  &as  lost love to  anger;. But it does mean that
         into account; finally, he must reward the faithful and                in.true Christian love to  #he   child,  which is the bond
         p u n i s h   t h e   u n f a i t h f u l .                           of perfectness, she hold before him; with firm resolve
                This discharge of duties, on' the part of the one              and determination, the keening of God's law, for, "His
         in authority, is called, "discipline".  The root of this              commandments are not grievous and in keeping them
         word  litepally  means, to teach, to instruct, to order.              there is a great reward".
         From the root of-this word, tdo, the noun, disciple, is
        derived, denoting one who  is. taught or receives  in:                                                   -                    A. C.
        .structibn.  When we extend the connotation `of the
         word discipline to its -severest terms it denotes control
         which is gained by enforcing  obedience-and  order by
         means of chastisement. These duties of authority or
         discipline, relative to the child, God has laid upon the
         parent and  upon  the parent only.                                                      LORD, WRITE THY LAW
                When speaking of Christian discipline in education
         we do not mean  that  the authority of the parent at
         home is transferred  @the  teacher in school . Author-                              Lord, write Thy law upon my heart
         ity is not transferable. In school,. too, it is still the                              In letters deeply  graven,
         parent who has authority, but here he exercises it
       through the teacher, Hence, the-teacher is responsible                           So_  Thy great  peaice  shall e'er `be mine,
                                                                                      .-_
        to  ihe'parent,  and through  the  parent to  God:                                      And greater  peace   ..of  heaven.
                                                                                                                          . .


