VOLUME XVIII.                                               SEPTEMBER  12, 1942  :  ,:                              NUMBER 22

                                                                      is tthe purpose `of it all, in order that He .alone  may
                              I `H'.A-qlj/.:k p;T                     be glorified . . . .                                    _
                                                                        _- Therefore remember:!.'
                                                                           Never forget your past!  -  `,                     ;
                                                                           .Bear constantly in mind from what depth of
             Far  Offd. . . Brought Nigh                              darkness and hopelessness you have been saved and
                                                                      delivered into -your present state of liberty and hope
                     Wherefore rem.eniber  tha:i ye being in times    and joy!
              past Gentiles in th.e flesh, who a+e culled Un-             Let nothing of yourselves ever enter into  Ithe.
              circumcision by that which is called the Cir-           work which was purely a r,evelation `of God's mercy !
              czcmci.Go~ in the flesh rnude by `hands; that                Let it be perfectly clear before your `conscious-
              at that time ye were without  ,Ch,kit,  being           ness  that, when God saved you, your salvation %las
              a,liens from the commonwieakth. of Israqel, ,ar&        impossible as far as you were concerned !
              strangers  from  the  covenants  ,of  promise,               And, too, never forget the deep- Pisery of `your
              ha&g no hope,  land  wiithout God in the                condition in  lthat'former [state!
              worlld.  Buf  now in Christ  J.esTu `ye  wlho                In or,der that the glorious grace of God may be
              somctinies were far  off  we  made  nigh by             extolled !
              the bl~oci of Christ.                                        For by grace `are ye saved . . . .
                                                  Eph. 2:11-13.        . . Wherefore remember !                          9
                                                                                              .
      Wherefore remember !` . . . .
                                                                                                                   .s
      Because ye are save'd by pure grace 1 . . .
      `Because it is no!t of works, lest any~man should                    Far off ye were !
boast . .  .,  .,                                                          0, hoti' far : absolutely separated!
                                                                           Even your flesh wiitnessed to the -fact that ye were
      Because ye were `dead through trespasses and sins               far off, for in the flesh ye were Gentiles, uncircumcised.
*herein `ye  wall&d  according to the. course of  thii                  ' And  lthat which is called the  Cir&mcision, and
world, according to the prince of the power r:f ~the air,             which is m'ade by hands; which, therefore, was' also
the spirit that now  work&h in  the~child.*~n  of diso-               in-the flesh, even that despised you and expressed your
bedience . . . . .               _                .                   despicable state by calling you the Uncircumcision !
      Because there was nothing on your part that made                     Far off ye were from the commonwealth of Israel,
you worthy before `God of anything but. damnation,                    and from. the covenants of promise, .aliens and stran-
while you- walked in the lusts of the flesh; and ful-                 gers ye  Iwere to that  donimonwealth and to those
filled the desires of the flesh- and of the mind, so that             covenants; having no part in them what,ever!
by nature ye were mere chil,dren of wrath even as all                      Such was. your legal lstate.
men . . . .                                 -.         _                   For God had established `His covenant with Israel,
      Because -it was the revelation of the ,~rich mercy              exclusively .- . . .
of:,God,  -and of His great love wherewith He 1,oved  us                   The covenarzts,  the apostle writes, in the plural.
even rthen, when we were ,dead in.sins, that we were                  Not, indeed, as if there were many covenants, for the
quickene.d together With  .Christ; and raised up  .to-                coveqant  is one.  .There is only one God, and one
gether; and placed together  ..wi&  Him in heavenly                   Chris&,  and one, covenant of  Go:d with  <His people ;
places; and because. the revelationW  of this exceeding               and this .is the everlasting covenant of friendship of
great kindness and grace toward us in Christ Jesus.
                                      ~-                              God in Christ Jesus our Lord. But this one covenant


     490                                    T`HE           STANDABD                        BE.ARER

     is revealed repeatedly `and in different forms through-        looked with  ldisdaiti upon the Uncircumcision. But
     out the ol,d dispensation. It is revealed as a covenant        even in the old dispensation no flesh had any reason
      of friendship even in Paradise, when God  pgpmises            ,to glory-in the presence of God. The children of the
     that He will set enmity between the seed of the ser- pr&niseonly  were counted for the seed. Y,et,  the law
      pent and  the. seed of  th.e woman.  It is revealed to        of circumcision was exclusive. All that  ,belonged to
     Noah, who found grace in Ithe eyes of the Lord, -and           ,the commonwealth of Israel received the sign of cir-
     `who walked with God, as a covenant that will be made          cumcision in the flesh ; aed all that lived ouctside  of
     with all creation, embrace every creature, and that will       the scope of circumcision were aliens from the com-
-     continue in the line of Noah's seed. It .is revealsd to       monwealth of Israel!
      Abraham, as the covenant hhat will continue in the                 This, then, was the state of the ,Gentiles  before
     line of, and that will be definitely fulfilled in his seed, they were brought nigh. by the blood of Christ.
      so that  i.n him all the nations of the earth will be              No right had they to the circumcision.
     blessed. It is revealed to Isaac and -Jacob, to Israel              No part did they have with the blessings of the
     at Sinai, where the seed of Abr,aham is constituted into       consjtitut,ed  theocracy.                                     ,
     the "commonwealth of Israel," it is revealed to the               j The covenants of promise did not concern khem !
     king after God's heart as "the sure mercies of, David"`;           AbsoluMy separated from it all were they !
            It is finally realized in, Christ!                           Far off, indeed!  --
            One covenant frequently "covenanted".                     .  -Far off!
        And they are "the covenants of promise'! The                                               c
      covenant is called a covenant of promise, not because
     the essence of the covenant is the promise, the reali-              Far off!
     zation of-~which  would be contingent on our acceptance             An,d, 0, the misery- of it!
     of it. For the essence ..of the covenant of God is the              The Ephesian Christians  .knew  historically what
     fellowship of friendship which is a reflection of His ,it meant.lto be aliens from the commonwealth of Israel,
     own glorious triune life of perfect communion. But,            strangers from- the .covenants of promise ; for rthey had
-    in the  first place,  .the apostle is writing about the        ;been Gentiles in the flesh.
     ,dispensation  .of the Olld Testament, when reality had             .In that historical sense, we, who are. born in the
     not yet come, when all the blessings of salvation, when        line of,the  covenant of God and thus, from our infancy
     the covenant ,itself -still existed in the form of shadows,    by God's grace, brought nigh -through the blood of
     and the-people of God looked forward in hope for the           Christ;cannot  remember this state of-alienation. But-
     realization of all things. The covenant was a matter           we, too, can remember! For we know what we are by
     of-promise. And, secondly, even though God's covenant          nature : dead through trepasses and sins. And we
     is centrally realized now, in the new dispensation,            know the spiritual misery and hopelessness of it all.
     Ithrough the blood and in the Spirit of our Lord Jesus             - W i t h o u t   C h r i s t !
     Christ, with a view to the final revelation of the                  Having no hope!                                  _
     2blessedness  and glory ,of that covenant it still remains          Without God in the world!
     a promise, and will remain such until the heavenly                  In these` three phrases lthe apostle sums up the
     commonwealth shall be realized, and rthe Itabernacle of        elements in the miserable, inexpressibly sad and des-
     `IGod shall be with men !                                      perate condition of those. that are aliens from the
            That covenant had been  establishe:d with, and icommonw~ealith  of `Israel.
     limited to the generations of Abraham!                             Without Christ,  separalted from' Him, having no
            And it had been very definitely circumscribed and       !connection -with Him, no claim on Him. This is men-
     exclusively defined by the law!                                @oned first, because it is basic. Of course, Christ, the
            ,Of that definilte limitation circum'cision had been    Messiah, is the-promise par exdlence of the covenant
     the sign!                                                      of ,God width His people. And if Ithe .covenant is hmited
            No, indeed, not as if all that were children of         by the law of circumcision, ,Gentiles  in the flesh have
     Abraham according to the flesh were also children of           no- part with this covenant of promise. And if they
     the promise. `Such was never; and su,ch will never be          are strangers to this covenant, they are strangers to the
     the case. There were, indeed, those that were Israel-          promise: they are separate from Christ. They cannot
     ites in the flesh only, even as by. the absence of cir-        reach  !Him, embrace Him, believe on Him, hope in
     $umcision   the,- heathen were  IGentiles in the flesh.        Rim. And to be without Christ means Ito be outside of
     And many there were who boasted of this circum- the sphere in which the blood of atonement and recon-
     cision made by hands, as if their carnal relation to           cilialtion is valid, outside of the -sphere  of the Spirit
     the commonwealth of Israel had any saving signifi- iof Christ; the sphere of life, the s,phere of redemption
     cance. And it was this "so-called Circumcision," that          and of resurrection. , . .
     -which  is called Circumcision made  ,by hands, that           Without Christ!                          :.
                                                                                                           t:, &`! \ (                 .
                                                                                                                          F. ,


                                                                       -


                       :             T       H    E         STAND,A'RD   BEA'RER                                               491
                       -
  And, therefore,  without hope!                                            - 0 ,   43ie  7riiserjr !
      0, the unspeakable misery  expressed in that brief                                .
  phrase : without hope ! `For notice,  It.hat  the  apastlle          5
  does not specify the expression. He  Id&s  m&%&y:                  ..  ..EJut  io.$! . . . .
  without the hope `of eternal life ; or simply: without                     Ye who were so far off are made.nigh!
  tlz,e hope. No, he leaves ithe matter unlimited: with-                     Ye, who- were aliens ,from  the commonwealth of
  out hol:e. He that is an alien fr,om the commonwealth             Isrkel  in the pa&, nww have been received as citizens
  of Israel, a stranger ito the covenant of promise, and' of the kingdom of heaven !
  who is, therefore,- separated, from Christ, whak hope                      Ye, who were strangers to the-covenants of prom-
  has- he? He has no hope at all'! .There is no hope, no            ise, now have been included in the number of those
  ground of  hope, no possibility of hope, no room for              With whsm God establishes His everlasting covenant
  hope in this world without Christ!                                of friendship. ,And *he promises, which in t?mes past
                                                                    were limited. tb those that were comprised w&h& the
      It may seem different.                                        law of the  circumcision,  nbw have been extended to
       Or rather, the ungodly, hk that is wilthout Christ,          vou!`.
  may simulate hope, may act. as `if he, too, is full of                     Ye, that w&e wilthout God in the world, now may
  hope, "`Hope springs eternal in the human breast." call Him your Cod, and IHe will not be ashamed t He
  We are children of time.  And always we move  on-                 is for you ! His friendship embraces you ! His saving
 `ward. In the present we cannot rest. And becauseeof               love encompasses you ! He is the God of your salvation
  that very faot, and because ,death is in every moment             in the midst-of this world bf darkness, sin atid `death !
  of our  life, is always in the present moment,  the               And you  seek'l$m,   and. thirst after `Him as a hart
  present never satisfies. .And so man always looks for-            panteth after water brooks!
  ward in time.  !He stretches Himself to  some'future-                      Ye, that were without hope,, now  have,  b'ecome
  moment. And always, whenever that future moment                   heirs of the -incorruptible, undefilable i&&i&%e~~  that
  has become present, it-distippoints:  in it, too, is death.
       3                                                            never fadeth away,  through.hhe  resurrection of Jesus
  And again he looks toward';tlle future to bring him the_          Christ from .the dead ! The darkness js passed- and the
  desired rest and satisfacltion.         He hopes and always       light of -hope that maketh `not ashatied  no% shin& !
  lives iii expectation. . J .                                               From afar ye were brought nigh.; from  $rang&s
      But in vain!                                                  ye- were made citizens; from children of wrath ye
     `For that death, thart is present in every moment of           were transformed into dear children- of %od's' mar-.
  his existence, compasses him abouit on every side!                -vellous  love ; from death ye were called i&o everlasting
      There is no way out!                                          life ; from darkness ye were translated into light ; from
      The only way  out  1 is the. resurrection  ,of Jesus          the despair of.. hell ye were lifted to the heights of the
  Christ from`the dead.                                             -hope of eternal glory!
      But he is without Chrisit !                                            All in Christ!
      His expectation perishes, always perishes when it                      0, yes, He is Abraham's seed, the Seed of  Ithe
 `it seems to be realized  ; perishes finally in death, prqmise, the IHead of the commonwealth of Israel, the
  eternal ldesolation !                                      . .    cetiltral realization of the covenant .of promise. In Him
      Wilthout Christ. . . .wilthout hope'in the. world !           all the promises of *Gqc are Yea and Amen ! To be in
     Withouk  God !                                                 (Hi&m  means to be reckoned in Him,,  &td to have a
      No, indeed, not without a god the Gentiles were in            right to all the blessings of [the covenant. Anld to .be
  the world. They were not Atheists in hhe strict sense             in (Him signifies, too, to become one plant with Him,
  of (the term. Many @ere the gods they had invented,               to be ingrafted into Him, $0 live out of Him, to be-
' and in whom they attempted to  purt  their  tr.ust.  But          come partakers .,of all His benefits. In `Him we are
  .without  `God,  withouk   {the  living  :God, were they in       brought nigh  $0 the covenant that was established with
  the world. And again, without ,Gpd they- were, nolt in            Abraham and his seed, for in Him we tire indeed, the
  khe sense that anyone'.will ever be able to rid himself           seed of Abraham, and children of the. promise ! . . . ;
  of God. He  ii everywhere.  IHe encompasses  bus. He                       And ;throu&h  His blood !
  meets us. He demands  th& He shall .be acknowledged                        For in -that  blood there is the -end of the law of
  as  IGod, glorified and feared  width thanksgiving. He            circumcision, and the reconciliation of all whom the
  surrounds us in His wrath. He is our terror. A con-               Father gave <Him from before the foundation of the
  suming Tire is He.. . . .                                         world, nolt only of the Jews, but also of fhe Gentiles!
     Bult without the God of..our salvation; separated                       Wherefqre- iemember ! Lest flesh. should glory in
  from [His favor in which there is life!                      .    His presence !
     With& His saving help!                                                  By grace are ye saved!
     And l&at, too, in this worlid?  full of sin and death!                  Soli Deo  gloria!                        H:H.      I


                               -     -


492                                                                                     T H E   STANDARD  B E A R E R


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          Semi-Monthly,  e&pt Monthly in July and  Augcst
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                                         1101  Hazen  Street, S. E.                                                                                                     Aangaande  Onze.Zending
                               E D I T O R - Rev. `H; Hocksema
  Contributing editors-Revs. J. Blankespoor, A. Cammenga,
  P. De Boer,  J. D.  `de Jong,  H. De Wolf, L.  Qoezema,                                                                                                   Het is thans misschien nieit een ongeschikte tijd,
 .M. Gritters, C. Hanko, B. Kok, G. Lubbers, G. M.- Ophoff,                                                                                     om i&s te schrijven over onze zending, en met name
  A. Petter, M.  Schipper, J.  Vanden  Breggen, H.  Feldman,                                                                                    over. de beste methode om ens zeedingswerk  te ver-
  R. Veldman, W. Verhil, L. Vermeer, P. Vis, G. Vds,                                                                                            richten. We hebben op bet. oogenblik ge& zendeling
  and Mr. S. De Vries.                                                                                                                          1:eeraar  in het veld, en of  Da,  V,sg de  roeping  zal
  Communication& .relative  to contents should  be addressed                                                                                    aannemen, we& ik op di% oogenbiik  nog niet. We kun-
  to REV. H. HOEKSEMA, 1139 Fra_nllin  St., S. E., Grand                                                                                        nen dus schrijven zonder gevaar te  loopen,  dat onze
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  Gi-and  Rapids,  Mich.   AI1 Announcements and Obituaries                                                                                     verkeerde  motieven te worden  verdacht, zooals  anders
  must be sent to the above address and will not be placed                                                                                      zoo gemakkelijk het geval is. Des te gereeder  vind ik
  unless  the regular fee of $1.00 accompanies the nptice.                                                                                      annleiding' om thans ieits over deze zaak, die ons ,ais
                                       SubscriBtion  $2.50 per year                                                           .:                kerken natuurlijk allen ter harte gaat,  iets te schrij-
       Enter&   88   s e c o n d   clam   m a i l   a t   G r a n d   R a p i d s . ' M i c h i g a n                                           v$n, omdat Ds. Kok in de Star&& Bearer van 1 Aug.
                                                                                                                                                11  een program van  actie  aanbeval, waarmee ik  h&
                                                             -                                                                                  niet eens .kan zijn. Het laat zich khans gemakkelijker
                                                                                                                                                verstaan,  cl+ dit  arttiM  geen  kritiek   bedo&  te  zijn
                                                                                                                                                op den arbeid, die in de laatste vijf  jaren door  ge-
 9          ._                                         CONTENTS                                                                                 noemden leeraar werd verricht,  doch o@ hat program,
                                                                                                                                    Page        dait hij in genoemd nummer van ons blad voor de toe-
MEDITATION -                                                                                                                                    komst  aanbeal. En dan heb ik bepaald het oog op
  .FAR  OFF . . . . BROUGHT NIGH . . . ..a.................................489                                                                  bet punt den tijd  betreffendei,   -dien de zendeling-
            Rev. H.  iXo,eksema.                                                                                                                leeraar op een bepaalde  plaats zou  .moeten   werken,
EDITORIALS  -                                                                                                                                   eer het tot organisatie eener  gemeemte   zou mogen
  AANGAANl3E ONZE ZENDING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 492                               komen, zoowel als den tijd, dien de zendeling na `de
  VOOR ALLEN  DIE`,IN   HOQGHEID ZIJN                                                                                                           organistitie  nok op dezelfde  plaa,ts iou  moeten  werk-
                                                                                                        ..I..................... 494
            Rev. H. Hoeksema.                                                                                                                   zaam zijn. Ds. Kok  sordeelt  het "advisable for the
                                                                                                                                                home missionary to labor in a certain comtiunity from
  EXPOSITIqN OF THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM  .:..495                                                                                               Six  moatihs  to a year before organizing a new Pro-
            Rev. $I.- Hoeksema.                                                                                                                 testant Reformed  collgregation." En hij heeft  daar-
  THE DREAM AS A MEDIUM OF REVELATION . . . . . . . . . . . 498                                                                                 voor hoofdzakelijk twee redenen: "In the first place,
  LUT$IE#R%  DEFENCE BEFORE THE DIET OF                                                                                                         this gives  hiti an  opportuni.ty  to discover any' tin-
  W O R M. .  S
                            ..l...............................................................  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .501    desirable members, who -because of ulterior  motives
             Rev. G. M. Ophoff.                                                                                                                 seek to be organized as a new Icongregation,  and se-
                                                                                                                                                condly  iit gives him time to instruct and indoctrinate
  JTHE  VALUE OF SERIES  P~RE'AC31ING . . . . . . . . . . . . ..*....*....... 504                                                               those  who truly love our Reformed truth, that  (ta.
             Rev. J. Blankespoor.                                        .                                                                      Whom ? H; -%I.)- we as Protestant Reformed Churches
  CHOOSING A VOCATION.*.*...; ..*.. `...:`........................,...  i . . . . . . . . 506. must make our appeal!`, Ds. Kok  acht het dus  aan-
             Rev. R. Veldman                                                                                                                    beveliegswaardig,  dat wanneer de zend,eligleeraar  een
                                                                                                                                                geopende deur vind op eene zekere plaats, hij. vdaar min-
       CURRENT EVENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,.,...,,...,, . . . . . . 509     atens van  een. half jaar tot een jaar zal werken, en
- Rev. H. De Wolf                                                                                                                               zijn arbeid tot dien beperkten  kring zal bepalen, eer
  NIiUWS VAN ONZE KERKEN.... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 510 het tot het organizeeren eener gemeellte IkaQ komen.
             Mr. S. De Vries.                                                                                                                   En ook oordeelt hij het aanbevelingswaarding "*hat
                                                                                                                                                the home missionary stay with the ne"wly organized
  INGEZONDEN ,.............  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :..; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 512 congregation for some. time" nadat de gemeente tot
             Mr. J. B.  Vand&Wal                                                                                                                stand  kwam.
                                                                                                                                                            N.u is het natuurlijk. onmogelijk om te bepalen,

  -..


                                         .THi         STBN'DARD.                BEARiR                                   493

   hoe lang de zendeligleeraar op een bepaalde plaats en           zoo. En waar zulk een. toestand bestaat, daar moet
   in eep beperkten kring  zal arbeiden.  .~Dat  hangt af          m.i. eene gemeenlte  worden  geinstitueerd. In de vierde
   van de omstandigheden. [Het kan zijn, d& :hij zichpijn          plaats, `behoeft  het ook geen half jaar of een jaar te
   arbeidsveld ziet aangewezen in eene omgeving, waarin            nemen om hen te ontdekken, die uit  ver.keerde  moti-
   hoegenaamd geen conltact  met ons was, en waar men              even zich zouden willen aansluiten. In de meeate om-
   van onze zaak niets afweet. En in zulk eene omgeving            gevingen zijn  dezulken   we1 bekend.  Ebn  sldten  zich
   kan speeding  eene geopende deur den zendelingleeraar           er ten slotte  tech bij de gemeente aan, die niet mee-
   worden  geboden, of het kan zijn, dat men hem ,hoe-             gaan  ui!t beginsel,  w&u, die  worden  later ook  we1
   genaamd geen plasm geeft. Het kan ook zijn, dat in              ontdekt en gaan weer  heen. Dat mag soms eenige
   de omgeving,  wax de  zendelingl,eeraar  begint  ite  ar-       moeilte  veroorzaken..   Doch dat is  altij,d zoo geweest,
   beiden, menschen gevonden worden,  die meer of min              ook bij de gemeenten, di,e `door midldel van den apostel
   met onze zaak op de hoogte en haar toegedaan zijn.              Paulus tot stand kwamen. In de vijftde plaats geloof
   En zelfs kan het zijn, dat er van eene zekere groep zelf        ik ook niet, dat een zend,eligleeraar  geruimen tijd na
   de actie uirtging om den zendeling ite laten komen, om          de organisatie in eene gemeente'moet blijven. Het is
   in haar midden te arbeilden.  A.l.deze~verschillende  om-       ,te verstaan, dat er sentimenteele redenen zijn, waarom.
   standigheden zull,en natuurlijk heel wat invloed heb-           zulk eene nieuw georganiseerde gemeente de zendeling-
   ben op den tijd, die noodig is om tot het organizeeren          leeraar liefst geruimen tijd.in haar midden houdt. Er
   eener gemeente te komen. Oak is het zeker eene al               zijn banden gelegd. Maar er is aan zijn -blijven in de
   te dwaze gedacbte (zoals  ik.  ergens  meen  gel,ezen  ite      gemeente geen behoefte. Hij toeve tot hij aan de ge-
   hebben), dat er van  onzen  zeedeligleeraar  verwacht           meente raad en hulp heeft verleend oM op gang'te
   zou kunnen worden, dat hij ongeveer elke vijf of zes            komen ; maar indien mogelijk make d,e gemeente aan-
   weken eene gemeente zou organizeeren. Deze  ge-                 stands een  drietal en beroepe een leeraar, die haar
   dacht its zelfs zoo dwaas, dat het noemen er van zelf           verder  kan onderwijzen en fundeeren in de waarheid.
   d w a a s   i s .                                     .  /I j In de zesde plaats meen ilk, dat dit ook naar de Schrift
        Maar aan den anderen kant meen ik, dat we zeker            is. De verschillende zendingsreizen van den apostel
   niet als regel moeten stellen, en als program van actie         Paulus b.v. liebben slechts betrekkelij,k  weinige jaren
   m&en aanbevelen, dat de zendelingleeraar bepaald                in beslag genomen, maar vele gemeenten kwamen er
   van een half j,ar tot een `jaar op eene zekere plaats           door zijn arbeid tot stand onder den zegen d,es Heeren.
   zou  moeten   we&en,  eer:.  het tot de organisatie eener            Menu versta mij niet verkeerd. Ik heb. bet over
   gemeente mag komen. En ik heb hiervoor ook mijne                een  regel van  arbei:den. Het kan  Jbest  zijh, dat met
   redenen. In d,e eerste plaats geloof ik niet, dat het tot       den meest .getrouwen  arbeid door den zendeligleeraar
   den arbeid des zeedelingleeraars behoort, om eene ze-. er in geen  jaren nieuwe gemeenten  worden   geinsti-
   kere groep -door en door te indoctrineeren in de Gere-          tueerd. Maar daar gaat het  niet over.  Doch dat  w,e
  - formeerde waarheid. Dat is een blijvend werk, dat              als  regel  moeten- stellen,  d& geene gemeente kan
   moet  worden  verricbt door den predikant, die den              worden  georganizeerd, totdat de zendelingleeraar een
   zendelingleeraar  opvolgt. In de itweede  plaats geloof         half jaar of een jaar in den te organize&en kring heeft
   ik ook niet, dat dit noodig is, eer het tot organizeeren        gearbeid, dat wil mij niet aan. In geen geval vin,d ik
   eener gemeente skan komen. Wat we1 noodig is, is, dat           het aanbevelingswaardig om  zulk een  regel vast te
- zij, die  itot eene gemeente  georganizeermd   worden,-  heit    stellen.
   verschil duidelijk zien tusschen de gereformeerde L-L,  ,.  (  ..;  - .                                        H.  `H. .
   waarheid en de Drie Punten. In de derde plaats wil
   het mij niet  aan, dat het van een half jaar tot een
   jaar vereischt, om menschen, die de gereformeerde
   waarheid liefhebben en du's kennen, dat verschil duide-                                N O T I C E ,
   lijk te maken.  Het is best mogelijk, dat ten tijde der
   organisatie eener gemeente niet allen in gelijke mate              The annual meeting of the R. F. P. A. will be held
   de  dingen verstaan, en dat meerderen eerst door verder         Thursday, September 17, at  7:45 P. M. Two  -board
   onderwijs door den leeraar, die door zulk eene  ge- memberswill be chosen. from the following nomination :
   meente wordt beroepen en bediend, een heldsr inzicht A. Wychers, Wm.  Kosrter, A. Dekker, R. Newhouse.
 erlangen in de dwaling der Drie Punten. Doch hierop               Please. assist the agent who will be there at 7:15 by
   behoefit de organisatie eener gemeente ni.et te wach-           paying your membership or. subscription fees at this
   ten. Er zijn in een zekere groep altijd leidende gees-          meeting. Rev. H.  IHoeksema will address  us. with a
   ten, die aanstonds de waarheid verstaan, en die daarom          short speech. All members and subscribers are urgently
   ook leiding geven; en anderen, die de, waarheid we1             requested to attend this annual meeting and show their
   liefhebben,  -maar uit  leerstellig   oogpunlt niet  bscherp    interest by being present. Rev. Jonker and 0. Faber
   aijn, en ,die due achter de leiders .aan.komen,  Bat blijft
          .                                                        were appoi&d Auditing .Csmmittie,            The Board,


      494                                       `tH-E,  S-TANPAJKf.3  ,BEAR'ER'.                                             /

 I           .Voor A'llen Die In Hoogheid Zijn                              nuar o&e 2:aste drc?duiging ook nog zoo, goddeloos. Bell
                                                                            ik ,dus een Amerikaan, `dan bid ik voor onzen president ;
             In een "Ingezonden"' brengt Mr. VanderW<a$:.van                bell-& eenDuitscher, danbid ik voor Hitler ; ben ik een
      R,edlands ,de dikwijls besproken kwestie ter sprake van               I&s,' dan"bid  it voor Stalin; ben ik een I.taliaan, dan
      de  roeping van den Christen om te bidsden  voor "de                  bid .ik voor Mussolini ; ben ik een bekeerde Japanees,
      hooge overheid". Nu is er  ,misschien niets, dat  ge-                 clan bid ik- `voor den hemelschen Keizer. .En als ik .
      makkelijker `toit allerlei versehi van gedachten, maar                voor  ,Hitler bid (niet om zijne bekeering of afzetting
      ook tot praktische  moeilij.kheden  leidt, clan de kwestie            natuurlij8, `maar om kloekheid en. wijsheid als over-
      `van het gebed, dat "hoogste stuk der dankbaarheid," heid), dan bid ik tegen Roosevelt en Churchill, en bid
en vooral,  wanneer het gaat  ov,er een publiek gebed,                      ik voor de laatsten, dan bid ik tegen de Axis. En ben
      ,dat  Ben voor  allen moet uitspreken, en voor bet- oor               ik in  .deze dagen een Holland&, wat dan? Moet in
      der gansch.e wereld.  Persoonlijke overwegingen, pri-                 Holland de Kerk in het publiek bidden voor de "hooge
- vate aangelegenhcden, menscholijke.   opini.es  en over-                  overheid", in Berlijn of in  Loeden?  Nu zou ik zulk
      tuigingen, beide van den  liturg, die het gebed  uit-                 een'gemeene  graltie gebed zeker in Duitschland voor
      spreekt, en van de h,oorders, mo.eten  in zul>k `een gebed            Hitler  (om. hem  nu maar als voorbeeld te noemen)
      worden  uitgeschakeld, om zich alleen te houden aa.n                  nooit kunnen doen. Maar dan deugt het hierboven  uit-
      datgene,. wat  na.ar den  Woor,de  `Gods  vaststaat ten               gesproken beginsel ook niet. M. a. w. dan kan onze
      allen tijde en in alle omstandigheden.                                .nationaliteit  ,den inhoud van ons gebed niet moge
         Nu heb  .ik persoonlijk met I Tim. 2:1-4 (vs. 4                    bepalen. .
      ho&t  er bij)  -geen moeite. En vooral  met, zooals  bet                  Art. 36 schrappen? Ik zou  .daarmee maar een
      door gereformeerclen  in den regel werd lverklaard. Im-               beetje  voorzichtig zijn. Over dit artikel is het laatste
      mers beteekent "alle mensch.en" daar -niet allen hoofd                woord nog niet gezegd, en ook niet zoo gemakkelijbk
      voor hoofd, maar "alle klassen van menschen". Naar                    te zeggen. In elk `geval gaat het in dat artikel over een
      die  verklaring nu wordt in het tweede vers niet op                   beslist Christelijke overheid, die niet  neuitraal  staat
      bepaalde personen, uoch o,ok op eene bepaalde over-                   tegenover den godsdienst, nog veel  Yninder de kerk
      heid gedoeld, maar .op de klasse van menschen, die in                 ruitroeit,  maar die de hand houdt  aan "den heiligen
      hoogheid zijn.  Er  staat dan ook  ni.et  "voor den                   Kerkedienst, om te weren en uit te roeien alle afgoderij
      ,koning",  niaar "voor koningen". In onze dagen sluit                 ,en valschen  godsdienst" (en dat was alles,  wat niet
      Idat in keizers, koningen, presidenten, dictators, etc. En gereformeerd was, vooral oak RIome) "om het rijk des
      als drangreden  voor zuik eengebed, dat ook koningen,                 antichrists te gronde te werpen en bet Koninkrijk van
      presidenten, dictators en wat dies meer `zij, insluit,                Jezus Christus te doen vorderen ; bet- Woor,d des Evan-
      wordt dan in ve. 4 gezegd; hat God wil "<at alle men-                 gelies  overal te  doen prediken, opdat' God van een
      schen zalig.worden,  .cn tot kennis der waarheid  komen".             iegelijk  gee&d en gediend worde,  gelijk Hij in Zijn
      We- zouden dus near I Tim. 2 :l-4 kunnen bidden als                   Woord gebiedt". .Het laat zich denken, ,dat men onder
      volgt : "Heere, wij bidden u voor alle klassen en rangen              zulk eene overheid, zulk een gereformeerde overheid,
      van menschen, niet alleen `v'oor schoenmakers en vrach-               zou kunnen bidden, niet slechts "voor  !k.oningen  en
      -trijders  en fabrieksarbeiders  en straatvegers, ma.ar `ook          allen, die iqhoogheid zijn", maar ook "voor onze hooge
      voor koningen en kelzers en dictators en presidenten,                 overheid," dat ze getrouw moge b1ijv.e en ons haar den
      al zijn ze, nog zoo- diep gezonken, want wij gelooven                 Wdord,e Gods moge regeeren.
      Uw Woord, dat Gij uit die Blassen van menschen'uw                         Men moet ten slotte aan het einde `van zijn gebed
      volk roept en  Uwe  kerk  vfergadert. Wij bidden voor                 Amen kunnen zeggen. En Amen wil zeggen: "Het zal
      de zaiigheid van die allen, .en voor uwe ontfermende                  waar en zeker zijn, want mijn gebed is veel
      genade over hen, cpdst wij niet bekend mogen staan                    zekerder van God verhoord dan ik in mijn hart gevoel,
      als haters en \`erwerper,s van koningen en o!verheden.,               ,dat ik zulks van `Hem begeer." En dalt wil maar niet
      maar als d.ezulken,  die hun w,ezenlijk  heil zoeken, ,`en            qeggen,  idat  God.  mij  we1 het een of het ander zal
      we een stil en gerust lcven mogen leiden".                            geven; maar dat ik zeker ben, dat- Hij mij precies zal
             Maar het wordt  veel moeilijker als het gaat over              schenken, wait ik van Hem vraag.
      o&c overheid,  en  over  onzen president,  `en  vo?ral,                                                             H: H.
      wanneer we ook een bepaalden inhoud aan zulk een
      gebed  zoxden  willen geven. En daarover heeft' .M.r.
      VanderWa.1 het naiuurli j k. Willen-we hier een grond-
      slag hebben,  en een beginsel aanvaarden, dan zou bet
      dit moete. zijn :. .`.)t? kc?/; <most bidden .owz wijshkl, eta                            CLASlSIS  EAST
      kicling en  genade  (gemeene  gratie)  2)oor  cle  overhei$,          will meet in regular session Wednesday Oct. `7 at 9
      die  yegeert   Z;n.  ket.b~@sal~e  Iad,  wctar  eene  bepndtk         A. M. at Fuller Ave Church.
      lcerk  rich  basx:?ldt,  e??,  dad, al is die  bepnakLe  oue?iu&zl                                     D; Jonker,, S. C.


                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                             495

                                                         --    11:33-36.  After all, rthe self-revelation of God and {His
    The Triple Khwledge glory is the purpose of all His works, even also of the
                                                               .wo.&  of.Fegemption.  And, therefore, it must become
                                                               fdii evid&t, that it is His work, and that what He
                                                               performs is impossible with lthe creature. From this
 An Exposition Of The Heidelberg                               viewpoint questions l'3 and 14 OCCUPY a `very proper
                                                               place in this connection. `They must not be considered
                  '                 C&ech?sm                   an `illustration of scholastic hair split&& or mere men-
                                                               tal gymnastics`. Presently, in ithe next Lord's Day, the
                        P A R T   T W O                        Catechism will .speak of- the mediator, the revelation
                 OF  M.AN'S  REDEMPTION                        of God in.lthe  flesh. But before this can be done, .i;t is
                                                               quit,e proper to set f,orrt,h the im,possibility  of salva,tion
                          Chapter  I                           by your power or`wisdom, in order that it may become
                        LORD'S DAY V                           evident that this mediator  of  *God steps in only to
                                                               accompli,sh  that which is impossible w&h man.
       $3                     2.                                    "Can we ourselves then make this satisfaction?"
             The  Irn-possibility of Satisfaction              And again : "`Can there be found anywhere, one, who
                                                               is a mere creature, able *to saltisfy for us?" Thus the
      In questions and answers 13 and 14 the Heidel-           ,Catechism  asks. And to both these questions it gives
 berg Catechism, demonstrates that, as far as we are           a negative answer, and furnishes the reasons  .for
 concerned, ,our wor#k, our efforts, our good indentions,      these answers, Of course, there are other elements
 the way is al+solutely  closed : through our own efforts      in the work of salva&ion,  besides satisfaction, that are
 we can never escape punishment and again be received          impossible with man. But satisfaction is basic.  .Satis-
 i&o favor ~3 ith <God. This must become quite clear,          faction must be made before man, the sinner, can even
 before we can even begin to speak of a &inely wrought         escape eternal Idamnation, and .be again received into
 salvation through  our mediator Jesus Christ. God will        the favor of God. All the rest of lthe work of salva,tion
 give His glory to no other. He does noti step in ito save     hinges ,on this work of sat&f&on. If satisfaction can-
 man as long as there is any possibiliity  that man can        not be made, it is of no use to investigate further
 merit and bririg about his own salvation. His work            into  :the possibility of salvation. And, therefore, th&
"~i;S alkays His work aad must be acknowledged as such.        Catechism ce&ers on this question of satisfaction, and
 His glory .must be revealed, not only in the work of          asserhs  that it is quite impossible for man to make
 creation, .but also, and even on a higher level anld Ito a    this satisfaction  himsellf,  or for any. creature, a mere
 more  marvellous degree in the work of redemption.            creature, to make this  s,a*isfaction  for him. And to
 His work, therefore, is always in the sphere and on &he       appreciate this instruction of our. Heidelberger, to .see
 level  where it is impossible for man to  wonk. The           clearly  ho&  urtterly impossible  ijt is for man or any           '
 camel must go through the eye of the needle. That is          other creature to make Satisfaction for sin, it is neces-
 impossible, indeed, with man; but what is impossible          sary that we keep in mind what in the preceding section
 with man is possible with God. `And  ilt is exactly           we said about satisfaction. Ilt is not t;he mere passive
 through the accomplishment of the humanly and crea-           bearing of the punishment. Suffering of the punish-
 turely impossible that He  betomes revealed as God            ment for sin is, of course, quiite possible for man. He
 who is really GOD, who as Barth would say  iS  the            will suffer that punishment forever, anless he is saved.
 "wholly other." He is `the eternal I AM, the infinite,        It were even conceivable that some  olther creature, or a
 the Almighty, the All-wise, the absolutely in'dependent,      group of crealtures,  woulld suffer .that punishment for
 self-existeti  God. "To whom. then will ye .liken me, or      man, if the demand <of IGod tha,t `His justice be satis:$ed
 tihall I be equal? saiith the Holy One . . . Hast thou        were not so immutable. It is difficult to see, for in-
 noit known? Hast thou not heard, th&t the everlasting         stance, that salvation could not be rthrough  the suffering
 God, the Land, the Creator of the ends of the earth,          and death of an animal, if ;the only reason for such
 faint&h not, neither is weary? There is no searching suffering is that God would teach us thsllt we are worthy
 of his understanding." Isa. 40 :25,28.. "0 the .depth of      of such ideath, and thus would bring us Ito the acknow-
 the riches, both of lthe wisdom and knowledge of God !        ledgement of His ,ri`ghteousness  and to sincere repen-
 Now unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways              tance. But God will have  (His justice  satis,fied.  And
 past finding out ! For who bath known the mind of the         &is justice requires (that  we fulfill His law.. And His
`Lord? Or who hath been his counsellor? nor who hath           law is not that we shall ,do [this or that, that we shz&
first given to him, and it sha!l be recompensed unto him       bring this or that. offering, *that we shall do something
 again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are           for IHim; irt is not eveli that we shall suffer and die: it
 all things: to whom be  .glory forever. Amen." ,Rom.          is that :we shall LOVE HIM ! Hence, satisfaction must


                                                     _w      1     .-;          .     >.
                                                                                            _~





                                         THjE  .$TAADA,Rb.   BEARE:R
                                                                                                          -        -_
 be an act of I,ove, of the pure anld perfe:c  love of God!               dag. By all this  .he could  nev@r satisfy God's  jtistice
  We must love Him as He is, in His eterzal perfections                   He would still be under the wrath of God.. ,He still
  df righteousness and holiness. And since o;ver ag&st                    w&Jd'not: be received inito.God's  favor. iHe still would
 us sinners, IHe reveals Himself in IHis T-Jrath;a%d"`His                 h&ii&to.  &perience' the wrath of God in eternal death.
 wrath is expressed in the curse, we must be able-to  love                And in eternal death, in hell, there is no. possibility for
 <Him in His wrajth,  and to bear the curse and the sufier-               mere man ~bo satisfy the justice of God. There God
  ing of eternal death in love, <n the pure love of God!                  takes His own satisfaction, but man has nothing to
  He  w'ho can  voluntarlily, in the perfect obedience of                 bring. There all is passivity, a being crushed by the
 love, bear the wrath of God and suffer the curse to tKe                  wrath of Him who is a consuming fire!.
.very end, fulfills the -demands of the Jaw of God and                       But how absurd is the above supposition!  For.
  satisfies ,God':s justice with resp& to sin. This w& must               where, then, is the sinner that even approximates the
  bear in mind in order to understapd fully the instruc-                  likeness presented of him in the preceding paragraph?
 tion of our Heidelberger on this point.                                  Where is lthe sinner who, for.a time in his life at least,
       Can we ourselves make  -this stit.isfaction?  `This                is sincerely sorry for his sin, and lives in perfection
  question now has come to mean: can we ourselves ac-                     for the rest of his life? There is-no Buch man among
  tively bear the wrath of God against sir, in perfect                    them that are born- of women. The Catechism%uts off
  obedience of rthe pure love of Go                                       the v&y possibility of harboring the notion of such a
                                        4.7 How  impo4ble!
  The  Catechisq is most emphatic  ,on this point. By                     possibility by adding to ilts emphatic negative answer
' no means, it says,  can we  ma'ke  Ithis  satisfaotio+ In               to question 13 : "but on Ithe conltrary we daily increase
  no wise, by no power of -our own, by no conceivable                     our debt". Let us remember  what we learned about the
  method or means, can w.e make this satisfaction. We                     sinner from the third Lord's Day. He is so depraved
  have neither the power nor the will to make this satis-                 thalt he is incapable of doing any good $nd inclined to
  faction. Suppose that a man had the desire &o be again~                 all evil.  IHe does not love  God,  butt is by nature in-
  received into favor ivith God. Suppose that `iri his early              clined to hate him. He is coru%upt in heart and mind,
 .childhood, as soon 9.s he-came to self cor&iou,sness, h?                darkened in his understanding so that he cannot know
  deplored his  silzful  condition,  and was filled with a                whait is good, and perverse in his will so that he is
  trues  sorrow afher Gqd. Suppose that in [this true sor-                incapable ever ito will tlia4 which is in accord will11 the
  rbw- over sin he weat in sackcloth and ashes, deploring                 will of God. He will not, he cannot, he cannot will to
  before God and men his sinful state and condition.                      love God. He chose against- God in paradise, where
  Suppose that, he wept. bitter tears day and night, and                  he was surrounded by the abundance of God's goodness
  that all his life he perfectly kept the law of God and                  every day ; he does not love God in this world, in which
  lived in  perfectiqn   beyore  Him.  A11 this is, of course             things have not yet reached their final and-eternal oon-
  for many reasons absolu8tely impossible, but let us sup-                sumation, in with he still eaks and drinks and is merry.
  pose  this  impossi.bility.   Woul,d  this sorrow and  @hese            How, then, shall he ever be able to bring the sacrifice of
  tears, would this lifbe ;.,f perfection satisfy tthe justice            IoiTe  to the living God, and satisfy His justice? How
  of God with respect tc: a ,$ingle sin he may have cbm-                  shall he be- able even to conceive of the' possibility
  mitted even  ,before  1~~  :aee to  se1f:consciousnea.s;   or           of willingly offering-himself up to the eternal wrath of
  would it atone for the sin in which hk was -born? Of                    Goa? You see how impossible it is. He does the very
  course not! If a person trades wilth a, certain grocer                  opposite: daily he increases his guilt. Every step he
  and for a long ti&ti. makes his purchases on credit,                    takes on life's path (and he must take "thait step, h&
 . and accumulates a aebt which he cannot pay; and if                     canriot atop !)' defiles his way; &very word he speaks
  after a certain period, he begins to buy cash and pays                  (and he must speak that word, he cannot be silent !)
  for whatever he purchases; and if, besides,  every- time                testifies- against him; every work of his. hand (and
  he makes a new purchase he bewails and deplores the                     work he  must, he cannot be idle) is  to his  condem-
  .debt thalt is still qti the grocer's books ; does that debtor,         na;tion,  every thought of his mind, every desire of his
  .by his wailing apd by his paying for what he buys                      heart, every s'ecrti inclination in his inmqst soul (and
  of that brocer,  pay one single c& to wipe out his d&t,?                he can never sto,p thinking and desir.ing)  makes him
  -Of course not ! No more cGuld any sinner by rendering `increasitigly  guilty before Gold. If (say (this were pos-
  to God what is God's for fifty or sixty years what he                   sible) God would blot out all his sins up to a certain
  owes Him every momenlt,  and by bewailing that he eve;-                 moment-"and  give him complete forgiveness, the next
 refused  ,to love and obey Him wilth all his  h.eart and                 moment he would surely have plunged himself once
  mind and soul and  &en&h, satisfy the justice of                        more hopelessly into the state of utter condemnation.
  God with respect to sin. Her 0we.s that love, that obe.                 (How; then;  shall,`that sinner ever bring` the  lFrfe&
  dience, Ithat perfection, that repentance `over sin, thar               sacrifice of- love to God, that he may satisfy His un-
  weeping and wailing, that- going about in sackcloth .changeable justice?  M is impossible. As far as man
  and ashes, &very day of the tieek, every moment of tj&                  is concern&d the way is closed,'


                                      T H E   STAN.D'AR'D   B E A R E R   _                                           497

     We daily increase our debt! What does that                 sin of man? 3. Can a mere creature, one who is noth-
mean? It means that our life in this world `is never            ing else than creature, bring such satisfaction as is
anything else; and never can be anything else [than a           -required  $I deliver us? The first of these three ques-
piling up of treasures of wrath for ourselves!  ~.For           tions. is `not Idirectly answered by the Catechism, but
every day, and every hqur, and every beat of our heart,         the question is suggested by the answer to question
we are working, thinking, willing, dhoo&ng,  de,eiding,         12: "we must make this. satisfaction eiither by our-
speaking acting, And with all this inner and outwarld           s elves, .or another." We, therefore, make the satis-
activity we stand in the  midst of the world, God'&             faction, even though it be through another. -If, then,
world, in which we find the means to live and move              that "other" is a mere creature, % must be a creature
and act. And with all these powers and means, witth             -that we bring to God, ithat we substitute. Now, again
all this activity of our soul and body, our -mind and           it must be emphasized that this is unthinkable as far
will, we constantly face the demand of God's living             as man's willimness and spiritual capability to briug.
law : love Me ! And a thousand times an hour  -we               such a substitme  is concerned. %or such a substiitute
say: I wi!l not! We increase our deb&, each one of us           he must bring to God in perfect love and in true re-
individually, so  that,? if a man live and  sot eighty          pentance. One who daily. increases his  guillt is in-
years he piled up for himself much greater treasures of         capable of substituting any: creature as a sacrifice of
wrath than if he had .been taken away in infancy. But           love.  But,  secondly, we cannot substitute any other
we also increase our .debt daily collectively, organi-          creature, for the simple reason that we have no crea-
cally, as a human race. For six thousand years men              ture to substitute. Where in all the wide creation shall
have increased their debt  wi!th God, and the trea-             we find a creature we can so call our own that we can
sures of  wraith are  pile:d astoundingly, alarmingly           offeer   ilt to God in  our  stead? I may owe a man five
high in our present time. That is why it will -be more          thousand dollars, and if I have not the money. but
tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of                  own a house, I.may of%er him the house as a substitute.
`judgment than for Jerusalem and for Capemaum; and              But what shall I bring to God? Shall I offer Him all
it will be-more tolerable for the latter in that day than       my goods? But what goods have I that are not His?
for  Ithe final  antichristian  world. For  wee increase        All  ithe silver and gold are  IHis!  AnId, besides, I am
our debt` through the centuries! And as the debt in-            worthy of hell ! Shall 1.,kill a lamb or bullock and ask
creases the wrath -,of ,God increases, even the wrath of        Him to accept it as a substitute for my life? But the
God that is. revealed from heaven upon our present              cattle on a thousand hills are His! I have no creature
world ; and as the wrath of God increases we are given          that I ,can substiitute to make satisfaction for my sin.
over into  grezter sin and corruption! Terrible, you            And, thirdly, I have not the Tight to determine upon a
-say? 0,  but indeed, it' is terrible to fall into the          substitution. This is even true among men. If I owe
hand of the living God ! But the point is that rthis            a man one hundred dollars, I have no right to {decide
dreadful condition is hopeless. For, before we even             that he-shall take my old car instead. And surely, man
have the  .right to be  ,delivered   -fr.om it, satisfaction    has no right to determine that God shall be satisfied
must be made. And we can never bring the requited               with another creature, even if there could be found
satisfaotion.  ourselves; The way is -closed !                  such a creature, to atone f,or man's sm.
     But how about the possibility of substituting some              And do not. say that all this is mere abstract
other creature to satisfy /the justice of God in our stea.d?    reasoning, quite out of  houch with real life, for the
The Catechism had referred ito this possibility in the          very  .opposite  is true. Always sinful  .man attempts
answer to the twelfth -question : "we must make this            to impose a substitute upon God to satisfy for his sins,
full  sa&sfaction either by ourselves;  or by  anoth,er".       It.0 take the place o-f mercy and truth and righteousness.
And in the fourteenth question it investigates this pos-        The old Pharisees felt that they did God a favor when
sibility ,of making full satisfaction by another: "Can          they brought their bulls and goats to the temple, and
there be found anywhere, one, who is a mere creature,           when they gave tithes of all they possessed. And
able to satisfy for us?"'Ursinus in his "Schatboek" ithe fundamentally corrupt notion that we can bring
explains that the reference in lthe questi.on  to one, "w:ho . something to God is still very general. A man gives
is a `mere creature", is intentional. "In the question          a million dollars to some charitable institution, and
there is. added: `mere creature', in  ,order that the           in his heart he tries to feel that by Ithis deed he is
answer may be completely negative. A creature must              giving something to God that will make LIP for many
satisfy for the sin of the creature ; bult. not necessarily     a sin he may have committed in the past. He is trying
such a.one who -is nothing else than creature, for such         to make God accept a substitute of his own. Or he
a one could noit possibly, satisfy, as will be shown." We       will give large sums to missions to bring the gospel
face here a threefold question: 1. <Can we satisfy the          to. lthe poor distant heathen, and- probably attempt. to
justice of. God by substituting another creature? 2.            smooth his conscience and feel that God may accept
Can another creature, who is-not man, satisfy for the `this sacrifice as a substitute for th.e evil he does to


                       I
498                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R - E R

his neighbor, next door, or for  (the hire of his employees
whose wages are kept back by him through fraud.                            The Dream As. A Medium O'f
Yes, indeed, this notion of substituting another .crea-               -,.  qs-  _          R e v e l a t i o n
ture, even though it be `not by killing bulls .and `goats,
is a `very popular one- with sinful men.' Missions have                              (`Continued from last week)
been established, hospitals have been built, *theological            The significance' of dreams. Dreams do have signi-
schools have been endowed with large sums, in order            ficance. They bespeak the state of the soul and the
that men might make satisfastion to God through an-            trend of its thought during walking hours. Now if
other, creature! The' heart in man is deceitful more the trend of thought of a man during his waking
than anything ! Iit is desperately wicked ! For if it were hours is in the way of the Lord's commands, then the
not, man would -understand that such a sacrifice of trend of his thought will be in. this way when he is
.the wicked is an abominati.on  ,to the Lord of heaven         asleep and in his dreams, too, he will have fellowship
and earth. If a man is in debt to the amount of one            with God. On the other hand, if, during the waking
thousand dollars, which he never cares to, nor is able         hours a man's thinking and willing are under the do-
to  .pay;  and if, then, on Christmas he brings to his         minion of the law of sin, his dream-life will necessarily
creditor a dollar necktie, art the same time revealing in                                          _-
                                                               b e   c a r n a l .
his entire attitude that he feels that his cr,editor  ought          Yes, our dreams `do have significance. When a man
to be ever so pl,eased with him, is he nolt a fool? And        dreams he is turned inside ou.t,`:so  to say, so that, if
will `not his creditor utterly despise him? `How abom-         he is able to recall his dream-experience, he may learn
inable,  ithen, must man be in the sight of  God,~ the         what ordinarily goes on there in his subconscious
sinner; who owes to God the infinite debt of love, who         soul. Dreams show in what strange and frequently
is worthy of eternal damnation, and who tries to sub-          unwholesome paths our minds will stray, when freed
stitute some of  ,God's  own silver and gold to make           from the shackles of the will, ,and what our' unbridled
satisfaotion for his sin! If, itheref,ore,  the question is    fancy is capable of in- the way of sinful dream con-
.put in this form: can wie bring a substitute to God to        struction. Certainly, th.en, we are  moral,ly responsible
make full satisfaction for sin.? The answer must be            for our dreams.
.negative. We cannot and will not make such a sub-                   For the rest, our dreams have no more significance
stitution in the love of God ; we have no creatur.e that       than the thought-processes of our waking moments.
we can' possibly substitute and bring to God, for. all         They ares no mediums by which God today reveals to
things are His ; and'we do not have the right to. deter-       men the mysteries of then kingdom that are not re-
mine upon' our own substitute and expect Ithat God             vealed in His word. For when the canon of the Scrip-
will accept it.                                                tures was closed, special revelation ended. Dreams are
                                            H .   H .          no unveiling of the future; Still we are told that it
                                                               does happen that dreams come true. The predictions
                                                               that a man makes when awa#ke, may also come true.
                                                               In the event they do, we. do not. say of the man that
                                                   :-..
                                             .&  t             he has received a-special r&elation from above. So
                                                               much for ordinary dreams.
                                                                     II.  The prophetic dream. .The number  ,of times
            -                                                  that the-Lord used the dream as a me:dium of special
                            NOTKE             :                revelation- is rather small. There are, not counting
                 0                                             -the visions, but sixteen such dreams on record in th.e
                                                               entire Scriptures. Let  us  list them, so that we  Mayo
       The Theological School  C,ommittee  will hold a .have them before our eye.                        -
special meeting on Tuesday evening, October 6, in the                   Abraham's deep; prophetic sleep in which he sees
class room of the First Prot.  R,ef. Church of Grand                    himself overtaken by a. great horror of darkness,
Rxapids,  for those young men who have  defmite  in-                    anticipating, according to the explanatory wo,rd
tentions -of entering our `Theological School within the                of the Lord, the terror of ,darkness,  which, ,with
next few years and must obtain deferment from mili-                     the Egyptian `bondage, should rest upon his seed.
tary service in orderto complete their p&theological                    !Gen. 15 :X&21.
studies. Such young men are requested to appear at                      Abimelech"' dream of the night in which the Lord
this meeting with a recommendation from their con-                      transacts with him by the spoken word respecting
sistory  and  `a  stateme*nt_  of  healxth from a reputed               his `sin of taking Sarah, Abrams wife, into his
p h y s i c i a n .                                                  -. harem.  IGen. 20  :l-8.
                                      .C.-Hanko,  Set,  -       :        Jacob's dream  `.of  th.e`lar&&-and  of  the Lord's


                                       T H E   STA-&DARD  BtiARE'R                                                             4 9 9

     blessing him. Gen. 37 :5:9.                                            to the stream of impressions flowing in from h.is sur-
     `The dreams of the butler and the baker inter-                         roundings through`the sense ,organs. Thus the dream-
     preted by Joseph. Gen 40.                ;_         1  :a ,_-          images,~that  rose before his mind are not to be ex-
     Pharaoh's dream interpreted by .Joseph; G& 41:                         plained by, the action of,-external  obj,eots  upon the
     l-7.                                                                   sensory organs of sight, yet they were as vivid as the
     The dream ,of the Midianitish soldier for the en-                      ext,ernal  impressions conveyed  `to the soul by the
     couragement of Gideon. Ju.  7:13.                                      avenues of these organs.
     Sol,omon's  dream by night in which the Lord com-                         T-hen, the prophetic ,dream,  had also this charac-
     muned with him respecting what He .should give                         teristic- in common with the  .ordinary dream that
     the king. 1~ Kings 3 :1-14.                                            though resembling waking experiences in some respects
    -Nebuchadnezzar's dreams of the great image and                         it never exacltly reproduced and` was in some cases
     of `the great tree, Dan. 2, 4,                 .                       j ar from reproducing the order of these experienres.
     The four dreams of Joseph, the husbaed  of Mary,                       '  acob's dream of the ladder; the butler's dream of
   the mother of Christ. Mat  1:20,21; Mat. 2  :13;                         a vine with three branches, as though budding and
     Mat. 2:2O.                                                             shooting forth blossoms and ,of the clusters bringing
                                                                            forth ripe grapes, and of him taking the grapes and
     The dream ,of- Pilate's wife. Mat. 27.                                 pressing  them in Pharoah's cup and giving the cup
   Though Scripture makes mention `of sixteen such                          in his hand ; -the baker's dream of the birds, eating out
propheltic  dreams, the'number of persons who ser\cred                      ,of the uppermost of three baskets poised on his head,
as the mediums of this species of revelation is but                         the meat for Pharaoh; Pharaoh's .dream of the seven
twelve and of this number seven were heathens; `well-favored kine that came up out of the river de-
namely, Nebuchadnezzar, the. Midianitish soldier.                           voured by the seven  ill-favlored  kine  ; his dream  of
Pharaoh, the butler, the baker, Abimelech; and the wife                     the seven good ears ,of corn consumed by the seven thin
of  Pilat,e. Tl e wife of Pilate and  Abimel.ech,  ho,we\v:er               ears; Nebuchadnezzar's  ,dreams of the great image
may have been ,true ~beli,evers.  Thus the dream was                        and of the great tree-all these dreams differed,. one
used when God had something special to say- also to                         mor- :`an anoither,  from ,evenlts known to the dreamers
heathens. --                                                    ._,.  1:    in tht bwaking  life. The reason is `that these dreams
  We must al.so notice that thte prophetic dreams divide' bore- upon the future and had reference to the my-
into three olasaes  : 1. the visual ; 2. the auditory ; and                 steries of the kingdom of ,God. Yet they also,`one  more
3. the semi-visual and the semi-auditory. Visual are- than another, resembled waking experience. This,
the dreams of Joseph, the baker, the butler, the midi-                      too, was no meaningless aspeot  of the prophetic dream.
anitish man, Pharaoh, and Nebuchadnezzar. These                             The communication from heaven had to be conveyed
dreams are purely visual an,d thus symbolical, #engaging                    in a language of which the recipient had understanding
t&e eye only' and not the ear, be,eause  no words are                       and thus also in connection with symbols-the-dream-
spotken  by the revealer. They are thus dreams that                         dmages  `were this, namely symbols-that bore some re-
call for an interpreter.                                                    sembjlance to objects that  wiere  already familiar.
  Auditory are the .dreams  of Jos'eph,  the husband of                      - Further, the explanation also of this ,dreaming  in-
Mary. These dreams engage only the ear yet also the                         cludes the negative condition of the suspension of the
eye as the heavenly messenger actually appears. Solo-                       will.  It was more or less involuntary thinking. ,The
mon's -dream is solely auditory it seems. Tile dreams                       ego was no longer active but had become receptive.
of Abraham and Jacob are  semi-auditory.`and   semi-                        Attention, the will, instead of dominating the thought-
visual.. Tfhey ,engage both the ear and the .eye. Further,                  images that presented themselves, was  itself dominated
in all. these  dr,eams  with the exception of two,  `the, by them. Yet, this dreaming, no more than the ordi-
mediums are passive. They hear or see or do both                            nary dream, is  :to be regarded as purely the functioning
but they do not ,engage in speech. The two exceptions                       of some spiritual faculty. IHere, too, the correct doc-
are Abimelech and Solomon.                                                  trine is that both the body and the mind were involved.
    The prophetic dream. occurred also in sleep, and                           There are still ,other  resemblances. Pharaoh and
 here, too, there was a greater or less ,degree of,`un-                     Nebuchadnezzar, like man who dream `ordinary dreams,
 consciousness due to _ t-he same- cause that produced                      could nolt recall their dream-experience. In their ease
 ordinary sleep and productive .of' the. .same results.. tthis was due to a special working of God while in the
The n,ervous system passed into a state of inactivity,                      case of all ordinary ,dreaming  it is due to the transi-
As a result, the intelligence was  >obscured  and the torines of the dream-impressions.
special senses depressed... All contact between the mind                       The prophetic dreams had also variable features,
 of the sleeper-the organ of revelation-and his en-                         the same as ordinary dreams. In. some of these dreams
vironment was lost. His sleep isolated #him -from the                       the dreamer was merely a passive spectator. So Ne-
world of his waking hours, through. closing his soul buchadnezzar in his dreams. In other of these ,dreams


F!gs                                    T H E   STANDARD  ~BEAR-ER'

;the dr.eamers  were active. They talked and moved as            terials that entered into the make-up of the dream-
they were wont to do in their waking hours, as for               structure or vision? They were present in the dream-
example the bakey and the butler. and algo So@on                 eti,%-  soul.,-  @ving been previously put  there by God
in their dreams. The other respects in which:-these              H&&elf `dbth by the working of His providence and
dreams differed amongst themselves has already been              by special revelation. So, the material's from which
indicated.                                                       iHe formed the- dream-stmcture were taken from the
        Though the  propheltic  dream and the ordinary           dreamer's apperceiving mass. What was new ia the
dreams had much in common, they differed essefttially.           dream is the' dream-structure  or vision  as a whole.
`The former  belronged  to the category of miracles. It          This structure was the very word of God, a special
is' thus not to be ascribed to the ordin.ary  working of         and infallible revelation, in the production of which
divine providen,ce  but was the result of a special and          God used the whole man as He had prepared him.
exkraordinary  doing of God, for  the  b,enefit of His              In the auditory  and semi-auditory dream, the dream-
people and with the  .design to promote the ends  of             er was spoken to either by the Lord directly  br by
His kinlgdom,              `-  -                                 the L,ord.  through the agency of an angel. In ordinary
        But we can be more specific.  Iti the ordinary dream,    dreaming the speech that is hear.d -is nothing else: than
the dream-structure is the prod!& ,of the faculty ,of            the thoughts of the dreamer's own heart which  iti sleep
the imagination or mind. But what is here supplied by            he hears as a living voice. In the prophetiic  dream the
the  imaginatibn was, in the prophetic  dream,  sup-             speech .that wlas heard was the thoughts of God, :whis-
plied by a special working of God. The questions, in             per&l into bhe spirit of !the dreamer by God Himself
what respect and to what extent the. Lord, in fash-              and -which this dreamer too was made io hear. as a
ioning the dream-struoture,  made, use of the mind of            living,  au:dible voice. Yet there was no such voice,
the dreamer must remain unanswered. But  this is                 as it was Itruly a dream-experience.
 certain, no more than the pattern of the tabernacle                The mere fact that the dreamer had dreamed. and
 originated 3n Moses own mind but was' shown him                 in his dream had seen visions and heard voices_was
 on the mourilt, no more did this  ,dream-structure ori-         not allowed to constitute -the evidence that the .+eam
 ginate in the dreamer's ,own fancy, was it conceived            was of God and that the dr.eamer was God's pirophet.
 6f  _and  COhStrUCteCj   by his  own~mind.  .Ift was God's      The word  of the dreamer had to be tried. The standard
conception, His workmanship, and was made to rise                that had to be  appl,ied  is set forth in the  folloting
before the mind of the dreamer by His special wonking.           Scripture : "If there arise among you  a. prophet or
 Further,  lthe prophetic dream was not, as  is the              dreamer of dr,eams,  and give a sign or a wonder, and
 ordinary dream, conditioned or caused by antecedent             the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake
mental Ior physical stat,&. But it `does see& Ithat these        @co thee saying,  Let  us  go  after other Gods, thou
 states did aid in preparing the dreame; for. the re-            shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet or
velation that -was to be made. There was connectioh,             that dreamer of  <dreams ; for  lthe Lord your God
so it seems, between Pater's vi&on and his antecedent            prpveth you, to know whether ye love your God with
 bodily hunger. The sacred narrative tells  us- that             all your  he&% and with  all your  80~1". And again,
 "P`eter went up upon the housetop to pray about the             "And if thou shalt say`& thine heart, lH,ow shall we
 sixth' hour. And he became very Bungry and would                know the word which the Lord ha&not spoken? When
have eaten : but while Ithey made ready he fell into a           a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing
trance. And saw heavens opened and a certain vessel              foL1ot-v  not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which
 descending unto him . . . wherein were  .a11 manner of          the Lord :h@h not spoken". Thus the ,genuineness  of
 fourfooted beasts . . ." fiere God seemed to link His           prophecy and the prophetic dream could be kndwn only
 revelation `of .the. most vital truths of Christianilty  to     by ilts results and by its character.
the most elemeiltary craving of human nature. We feel                                                        G. M. .d..
 warranted to conclude that any bodily or mental                                                  -
 emoltion  led on to +he required state. But the dream as
 such, the voi,ce heard in it,. revealing the higher truth,                                -
 were effected by a special working of God..
        .There was *also a' moral preparatison of the dream           "Am I  Thy-. friend?
 as well rls t,here was ~a moral preparation of special               And canat-  Thbu count on me,
 revelation in general. Mebuch&nezzar's  dream--of a                   Lord, to be true to Thee?
 colos~-d man.seemed  bu t the projection into 8 figure                Canst Thou depend
,of his .great day-dreams of a universal empire. Jacob's               On sympathy and  help of mine,
 dream was, no doublt prepared by his loneliness aad                   In purpose; aim,
 by his need of a helper.                                              Or work .of. Thine,
   Then there is this question; Whence came tlas: ma-                 .And tr@;e_me with .tbe hgor .of Try narqe 1"


                                                  T H E   STANDA.RD  B E A R E R                                         501
  ___  ._.__  _  -  _.  ._  ^  _  .--  _    -.
                                                                 addressed him in the following language: "Martin
              Luther's Defence Before                       I  - Ltiiher, his sacred and invincible imperial majesty has ~
                    the Diet of  Works  _-  .'                   cited. you before his thr,one  to enquire you to answer
                                                                 fti,o&esti&s~; first, Do you acknowledge  these books
      With Luther's ideas in cir,culation  th-:ou&out the        to have been written by you. Secondly, Are you pre-
empire and also rapidly taking Eoot in the. hearts of            pared to retract these books and their contents ; or do
men--&he mass of humans that f,orr&d western Christ- you persist in'the opinions you have advanced in them?"
end,om-the  edifice of the pope, with all that pertained         The titles of @he books having been read tso him, Luther
thereto, was tottering on its foundation ,and seemed ai-         acknowledged ai his the, booaks  that were named. In
ready doomed to extinction. The people's attachment              reply to the second question, he entreated ,the empero;
tto the Romish superstitions was fast diminishing ; and          to allow him time for reflection t;hat he might answer
at the same- time Luther's reputation increased day               without offending against the word of God. A day was
by ,day. The people in great numbers-turned to ,,hirn             given him, and on the next afternoon he was again
as the defender of truth and liberty.  ,The dominion              before the assembly and delivered in its hearing an
of the priest and monks w,as being'shaken by his word,            address first in IGerman .and then in L&in w.hich  in-
for the  influenlze of this word was  immense.. The               part  r,eads as  foll&vs:
Rominists  were frantic. Even shortly after the posting              "Most serene emperor, illustrious princes, gracious
of the 95 theses, the-pops, under pressure  `of the monks         Lords, I appear before you this day, in conformity with
and th,e theologians, commissi.oned  the legate De Vio            t.he order given me. yesterday, and by God's mercies
to summon L&her  before him  and to prevail upon                  I conjure your majesty and your august  `highneises
him--to. retract. SShould he persist in his obstinacy,            to listen graciously $0 the defence  of a caus'e which I
and if lthe legate could.not secure his person, he was            am convinced is just and true.
aubhorized to -outlaw him in ,every part of `GerMany,                 "Yesterday twlo questions were put. to me on be-
to banish, curse, excommunicate all those who were                half of his imperial majesty: the first, if I were author
 attached to h&. Luther obeyed the summons but did                of the books whose Ititles were enumerated; second,
 n@  retra,ct.  On Oot. 31 he fled  fr,om Au&burg and             if I would retract `or defeed the doctrine I ,haad tanght
 thereupon appealed from Wittenberg to a  futur,e                 in them. To the first question I then made answer, and
 general council. Rome responded by condemning                    I persevere in that reply.
Luther in a papal bull, whi'ch was issued on June 15,                 "As for fhe second, I have wrjtten  works on many
 1520; and burn,ed  by Luther, with t47-c approving pre-          different subjects. T.here are some in  which I have
 sence of students an,d lcitizias of Wititetiberg,  and with-     treated of faith and good works, in a manner &t once
,out. oppositison  to the civil authorities.                      so  piIre, so simple, and so scriptural, that <even. my
      In 1520 l!hc newly chosen emperor, Charles v, came          adversaries, far from finding anything to censure in
 t,o Germ.any, and to regulate ,his government in that            them, allow that (these  works are useful and worthy of
 bnd, had called a diet to meet in Worms in November.             being read by all pious men.. The papal bull, however
 Among the`.business  to be transa'cted  was also the de-         violent  it may be, acknowledges this. If therefore I
tekmination of Luther's c$se. Tfhe papal representative,          were to Petract  these, w.hat should I do? . . . Wretched
 Alexand,er,  wanted him  ooedemned  unheard. He in-              man ! Among all men alone should  ,abandon.  truths
 sisted that since Luther had already been condemned              itlhat friends and enemies approve, and I should oppose
 by i?he pope, the sole duty of the .diet wa.s to make that       what the tv;ho!e world glories in confessing. .
 con,demnation  effective by approving it.- But Luther's              "Secondly,. I have written books against the &&cy
 ruter, Elector Frederick the Wise and other nobles,              in which I have attacked those who, by their  .falsl
 beli,eved  that' he shoul,d be heard before the diet pre-        doctrines, their evil lives, and their scandalous ex-
 vious  Ito action by that body.  T.he  r,esult was  ihat         ample, afflict the Christian world, and destroy both.
 Luther was summoned to Worms under the plrotection               body and soul. The complaints of all  wiho fear God
 of an imperial saf,e-conduct.  `On April 17, 1521 he ap-         are confirmatory of ,this. Is it not ,evident that the hu-
 peared before the diet and gave a faith.ful `witness for         man doctrines  atid laws of the popes entangle, torment,
 the truth in Christ Jesus. Wth a courage that d,eeply            and `vex the consciences of believers ; while .the cry-
 impressed the august .body before whom he stood-the              ing and the perpetual extortions of Rsome swallow up
 `emperor and the princes and nobles of athe Holy Roman the wealth and the riches of  Christiandom, and es-
 Empire-he defended a cause of w,hi:ch he was right-              pecially of this illustrious nation? . . . . .    .
 f.ully convinced that it was the cause of God.                       "Were I to retract what I have said on this sub-
      It is this defenCe of Luther that forms the subject         ject, what s"noL4d I do but lend ad,ditional strength to
 of &his essay.                                                   this tyranny, and open athe flood-gates to a torrent of
 n     The chancellor of t)le archbishop of.Treves speaker        impiety? . + . ,
 of bh$? di,et pgisted Luther to a -row of. bsoks and then            6%~~tly, .I have written books again& individuals


       502                                   THE  S T A N D A R D   B E 'A 'R E R

        w,ho ,desi#red  `to defend the Romish` tyranny and -to -states of the empire will consult'what course to adopt
1       destroy *he faith. I fran!kly confess that I may have against an incorrigible heretic." `The monk replied,
        attacked them  wit(h more acrimony than  i!-  becorn-        ."!@ .God, be my helper; flor I can retract nothing."
        ing my ecclesiastical profession. 1  ,do-  &tT&~#ide~ %~-`.Su&"then  was Luther's defence. There is so much
     myself a saint; but I  ,can.not  disavow these  writings,       in it to warm the heart of all such con.secrated  to the
        for by so  ,doing I  should  sandi6n the impiety of my       cause ,t,hat  he, by the mercy oft Gsd, so zealously champ-
        adversaries, an,d they would seize the opportunity of        itoned.
       oppressing the people of God with still greatei cruelty.          There are the expressions  that bespeak the humility
              "Yet I am but a mere man and not God; I shall          of the man. He is but a mere man, dust and ashes,
       therefor,e  defend  myse1.f as Christ  di'd; `If I have       one whs may so easily'go astray. He is thus ready ,to
       spoken evil, bear witriess of the evil,`,  Jlqhn 18  :23,     receive all men as his teachers. He asks but one'thing,
       said He. How much more should I , who ,ani'but dust           that. it be shown him from t,he holy Scriptures that
       and ashes, and who may so easily go astray, desire            he erred.  Thou&h he  well knows that any  such at-
       every man to state his objectisons to my doctrine?            tempt will end in failure, he is very sincere in giving
           "For this reason, by the mercy of God, I conjure          utterance to this sentiment. There burned in the soul
       yon,`most serene emperor, and you, most illustrious           `of the man a fire-the fire .of God-that the adversaries .
       princes, and all men of every degree, to `prove from          of the tr,u*h  could not comprehend. Yet he was cer-
       the writings of +he prophets and the apostles that I          tainly no lover of contenltion, one of that class of hen, .
       have erred. As soon as I am convinced ,of this, I will        who look upon even theology and religilon, as a m'eans
       retract every error, and be ,the first to lay hold of my      ,of -acquiring a worldly reputation. He had ,desired no
       books and-throw them into the fire.  -                        quarrel  with-  Retie. It  was  wiOh so  ,muoh fear and
           "What I have just said plainly shlows,  I hope; thabt     indecision that -he "had attacked the indulgence that
       I have car,efully  weighed an,d considered the dangers        he was later ashamed of it. So he, himself, oonfess,ed.
       to which I expose myself; but far from being  dis-            A full year after the posting of his 95 kheses,  he had
       mayed, I rejoice to see that the gospel, as in former         actually agreed ho keep silence until ai enlightened
       times, a cause of trouble and dissension. This is the         bishop, appointed by the pope, investigated his matter,
       charactei-,  this is the destiny of the word .of God.' I-     and pointed- out the erroneous articles that he shoul,d
       came not to .send peace on- the earth,- but a sword,          retract. If th'ey proire to him ,his er.nor,  he will recant.
       sai,d Jesus Christ'. M&t. 10.34. . . . ."                     In a letter he wrote at this time to the pope, we come
          Luther's address drew f,orth from the speaker of           upon statements such as these: "W*hat shall I do, most
       the diet tie f.ollowing indignant reply: "You have not        holy Father? I cannot bear the lightnings of your anger
       answered the Question put -to you. You were not sum-          and I know not how to escape them.' I am called upon
       moneei  hither to call in question the decisions of coun-     to retract. I woul,d most Y'eadily do so, coild that lea,d
       cil,s.,  You  &re  requir.ed to give a clear *and precise     to the desired result . . . A recantation would only
       answer. Will you or will you not,  retract?" Lather           still more dishdnor the church of Rome . . . Most holy
       replied : "Since your most serene majesty  aed  y?ur          father, I declare i.n tihe presence of God, and of all flis
       high mightiness require fr.om me a clear and simple,          creatures, that I never desired, and t.hat I never shall
       and precise answer, I will give you one, and it is this:      desire ,to infringe, .either by force or by stratagem, the
       I, cannot submit my faith either to the pope or to the        power of the Rboman  chulroh.or of your holiness. I con-
       counc.ils, because it is .&ar as the day that +hey have       fess that nothing iti heaven or in earth should be pre-
       frequently erred and contradicted  each other. Unless         ferred above that church, except Jesus Christ alone,
       therefore I am convinced by the testimony of Scripture.       the Lord of all." So he spake at a time when he had
       or by tihe clearest reasoning-unless I am persuaded-  by      noi reachled.bhe  full light. Yet there is no fundam6ntal
     me&s of the passages I have quloted, and unless  th,ey          idiscrepanicy between the man who stands before us in
       thus render my conscience bound by the word of God,           this epistle and the Luther who declares before the
       I cannot ,and I will not retract, for it is unsafe for a      imposing assembly at Worms that he cannot &bmiti
       Christian to speak against his co&science.  H.ere I           his faith  e&her to the pope or to the councils. We
       stand, I can dlo no other; may God help me. Amen".            should notice the closing clause of this missive: "Jesus
          In the words of one  wri&, "Thus spoke a.monk              <Chrisit alone, the Lord  "of all".  This truth and fact,
       before the emperor and the mighty ones of the nation ;        dwelling, as it di.d, in Luther's heart, was the essential
       and this feeble and despised man, alone, but relying on       cause of  the Reformation. All that this letter helps
       the grace of the Most  ,High, appeared  greater-rand          to'prove is teat Luther desired not tumults and reirolu-
       mightier than them all . . . this is the weakness of God      tibns but that he was thrown in the mid& of thiem by
       which is  ,stronger  than man."                               God Himself, Who pushed him forward, carried- him
          The speakler  of the diet had still a word for L&her :     away. The Reformation, as concentrated in Lubber's
     `_ "If you do not rebtract," said he, "the emper'or  and the    SOL&   was not a movement  repreeentatjve  of a quest


                                       THE               hA.NDARD                      BEA'RER                         503
                 ._.
 for worldly fame. It was not the working of pride but .helper,  ~the source of his  stren&h.  Hence, he  cannot
 of a living faith. Faith, the love of  Go.d and of the          be  moved. For he abides in that place-the secret
 Gospel- of Chriat, was its subjective principle.                places of the Most ,High-where  the warriers of God
    Something more must be said about Luther?; d,&l&             are xi$pleni$h,ed with the strength that is needful `to
 ing that he cannbt submit his faitih either to the pope         war His warfare even to the death. -
 or to the councils and that utiless  they render his `con-         The Romanist will not reason with Luther from the
 science bound by the word of God, he camot and will             Scriptures.  They demand of him simply that he re-'
 not retract.  The Scriptures, he wants his judges to            tract. The  fruilts of his pen fill them with a great
 know, are supreme. Coulncils and popes can err but              dread. This can be explained. The issues that these
 not so the Scriptures. They are moreover, all sufficient,       wr>itings raised tiece vital; They were issues such as
 as they fully contain the will of God' and whitsoever           this: Who forgives or  remi'ts sin, i.  ,e., frees a man
 men ought to belie~ve unto salvation. Thus they form            fqom the condemnation of  ,God  and imputes  tp him
 the o&y rule of faith. So let them jbdge his works by           t.he righteousness and +he satisfaction of Christ, God
 `the Scriptures. Let them prove from the Scriptures             `or the: pope? And, who justifies a man before the
 that he erred and he wiB retract *every errnor.                 bar of his conscience, God through the gospel of
 The Reformation loved the Scriptures.  .It emanci-              Christ as preached by His servants or the pope through
 pated- the Scriptures from the reign -of dogma and              sfome such pronouncement as, "I absolve thee"? Not
tradition and subjected both to the reign of the Scrip-          the pope,  answered.Luther,  but God. The pope  (aed
 tures.  -                                                       the priests) had put himself in the place of God to
    To Luther's request that his judges prove from the           efficaciously bless or curse whomsoev& he ,would an.d
 Scripturles that he erred,  tiheir only response was,           as he chose. And in his fierce anger he had assigned
 `Xetract, retract." This the  Riomanists had  be&n              Lu:ther  to the place of eternal torment because one of
 screaming `in his ear; from the day of the posting of           the propositions he refused to retracrt  is that the pope
 95 theses three years an:d five months ago now. They            has not this power-the power of  ,dispensing  at his
 cquld not prove from the  Scriptuires  that he erred,           pleasure the merits of the Saviour. And because men
 so  they simply,demanded  of him that he retract.               had oome `:o believe that Christ had aotually del,egated
    But Luther was firm. He  s#tands  immov:abl,e like           to him this power, they trembled when he threatened.
 a rock. .He will retra,ct,  nothing. He iyil.1 yield not t?he Rat.her  than risk a conflict with the pope, hen chose to
 breadth of a hair. To the threat  ,of his judges that hearken to his voice,- to honor his pronouncements, and
 they will kill him, if he continueA obstinate, his only         `to subject themselves to his will ; f&or they feared his
 reply is, "May God be  .my helper; for I can retract            curses, as when he `cursed it was to them all the same
 nothing". Obstinacy,  they called it. But we` know              as when God curse.d. As long as this belief iin the false
 that it was .determination  born of sancti%d conviction.        claims of the pope persisted, his hold on the consciences,
 Conviction  of what? From wher,e  did the man derive            of men was secure. On the other hand, the. destruction
 his strength? Listen to him pray in the quiet of his            of this belief w,ould be cel%ain to result in the breaking
 retrea,t  betw,een  the two sessions of the diet, .and you      of this hold. Now it  +s precisely at men's belief in
 wi.11 know. "0 Almighty  an,d everlasting God, how              this. usurped authority, thus at this very authority,
 terrible is this worl.d!  Behold, it openeth its mouth to       that Luther struck. "The pope's indulgences," said he,
 swallow me up, and I have so little trust in thee . . .         "cannot take away the .smallest sin, as far as rregards
 How weak is the flesh and Satan how strong! .If it is           the guilt or the offence." `(Thesis 76 of the 95 theses).
 only in &h,e strength of this world that I must put my          `:Elaery christia% who truly repents of his sins, &joys
trust, all is over. . . . My last hour is come, my con-          an  edtire remission both of  the penalty and of the
 demnation has been pronounced . ; . . 0 God, 0 Go,d             gui,lt, without eeed of indulgences" (Thesis 36).
 . . .  ._ do thou help me gainst all the ,$sdlom of the            In these writings of that  humbl,e  and despised
 world, Do this ; Thou shouldest do this . . . . thou alone ;    monk, the Romanists had come upon passages also such
 for this is not my work, but thine. I have nothing to           as this: "The Roman's have raised ar0un.d  themselves
 do here, nothing to content for ,with these great ones          three walls to protect t*hem against every kind qf re-
 of the worl,d.  I should desire to see my days flow on          formation. Have they been attacked by the temporal
 peacef.ul aed happy. But the &use is thine.. and it is          power? they  have asserted that it has no  au'thority
 a righteous and eternal cause. 0 Lor,d help, me! . . . .        over  them,  and that the spiritual power was superior
 Thou hast chosen me flor this work. I know-it well . . .        to it. `Have they been rebuked by the Holy S!criptures?
 Act then, 0 God ; . . . : stand at my side, for `the sake       they have repli,ed  -that no one is able to interpret it
 of thy beloved Jesus Christ, who is my' def,e.nce,  my          except the  pop&  Haire  they been threatened with a
 shield, an,d my strong tower."                                  council? N,o one, said they, but the pontiff has author-
    The cause-is God's. God chases him for this work.            ity to .invoke one." And then this: "First of al.1 we
 He knows because God tells him, ~Apd the Lord is his            inust expel from every German state those  papal


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  504                                      T        H               E        sTAN'D~u~I~BEARER

  legates, with their `preten,ded benefits  whi& they sell
 ,us at -Y.heir weight ,in gold, and which are down?ight                          The Value of Series Preaching
  ,impositions.   T.hey take our money, arid  f'or  .+at?
 ltjo legalize their ill-begotten gains, to absolve &@-I all               ;?  .-2I'h'@ ..&ry subject of this article suggests that it
  oaths, to teach us to be wanting in fidelity, `to instruct               deals with'lthe means of grace, and more particularly
  us how to sin, and to lead us'direct' to hell. Hearest                   with the-most important means of grace,-the preach-
 thou this, ~0 pope, not most holy, but most sinful pope?                  ing of the Word. To be still more specific it treats not
  May God from  IHis throne in *heaven  soon hurl thee                     the preaching itself as to  idea;,  requisiltes,  methods,
  from thy throne into  `the bottomless pit." Aed then                     etc., but the.`method  and manner in respect to the sub-
  finally also this: "Now after reading-all the subtletiies                ject matter of the preaching. Series preaching. And
  on w$hich these gentry have set up their idol, I know                    the  purDose  ,of this  a&icle is to show the value of
  that  the papacy is none  other than the  kingdo&?  of                   such preaching. This indicates that the first question
Babylon,. and the  yiolenoe  ,qf  Nitirod  ,the  mighty                    is not how tie like series preaching. but what .is' its
 hunter;"            -                                                     value, its spi&ual value. Only too .often do w6 evaluajte
         In `those works, which he is asked to retract,.l%ther.            things accor.ding  to our likes and dislikes, tastes and
 breaks down those three walls.' He attacks .the abuses                    distastes, nolt taking into consideration their benefit <and
 and the corruptions of the Roman hierarchy and also                       value.  Buit the all important question in respeot to
 lthis hierarchy as such. He commands the pope and all                     matters as these is-what is its import for the militant
 the  l.esser dignitaries-archbishops and bishops-to                       church upon  ,earth?  Theref,ore   such must be  :our
 r&oun,ce  their positions and `tile wealth and worldly                    criterion.
 glory that goes with them, and become humble elders,                          The first. Question that arises is: what is series
 pastors and deacons in the `chunches.  In a word; .he                     preaching? We presume that m&t of us have a general
  demands of the hierarchy nothing. less than that it                      idea. Therefore we will not take up too much space
 destroy i'tielf, lay itself level with the ground.                        in answering tihis question. We can say in passing that
         N,eed it surprise us then that the pope demanded of we have va!cious kinds of preaching, such as preaching
 the diet that it render his condemnation of- Luther                       on passion texts; preaching for special occasions &oh
 effective?                                                                as funerals, weddings, and olthers. But these have no
                                                   G. &`I. 0.            _ direct relation to series preaching. To state  it ne-
                                                              `,           gatively series  -pi-caching is the very opposite of
                                                                           preaching  on texts of Scripture which are chosep at
                                                                           random. The very opposite of%hat which in the hol-
                                                                           land.l%gutige is. called "vrije  stof" preaching.
                                                              -,              To state it positivkly  series preaching  is successive
                          : HIS PRESENCE                                   preaching on a certain book for character or concept
                                                                           of Scripture. The  minislter  6hen has a  series..of  con-
                                                                           nected successive se&ions on that one subject. The
          I met God in the morning                                         most  commoa  series preaching is  Ithat on certain
           .When the day was at its best,                                  books of Scripture. Butt it is also possible to preach
          And His presence Caine like' glory . .                           a series on certain characters `of Scripture, such as
           Of  t&e  smrise in my breast.                                   John  Ithe Baptist, Elijah, Moses and others, or on
                                                                           a prevalent concept of God's Word,  such as  -faith,
          All -day long the Prese,&e lingered,                             God's jud,qents  or the return of Christ.
            All day long He stayed With me,              -                  qreaching on the Heid'elberger Catechism really
          And  we sailed  ifi perfect  [calmness                           is series preaching  too.. But plain it has become that
    .O'er a very troubled sea.                                             series -preaching stands directly opposed to  "vrije
                                                                           stof" preaching.
          Other  ships were blown and battered,                               In ouy last article we wrote on the value of exposi-
            Other ships were sore distressed.                             Itory preeching.  In it we tried to show that expository
          But the winds that seemed to drive them,                         preaaching  is exegetical preaching, preaching that ex-
            Brought to  US a  peace and  ,rest.                            poses the detailed meaning of the text. But now we
                                                                           must not distinguish series preaching from the latter
    And I think I know the s&ret,                                          nor confuse it wi,th d, nor. think that .series priaching
            Learned- from many a troubled' way:                            st,ands pext to  .expository  preaching. Far from it.
         You must seek God i,n the morning                                 The very opposite is true. Series. preaching is ex-
            If you want Him through i;he d:ay;                             pository preaching. Exegesis is absolutely essential
                                     -  R a l p h   C u s h m a n          t6 series preaching. In reality  series preaching is


                                       T H E   STAN-DARD  B E A R E R                                                  505

  successive expository preaching on one subject, being          damental truths: By .means of -series preaching, how-
  applied Ito the congregation.           -.                     ever, .he is bound to the subject treated, and there-
     But, shall we see  .and know the value of such              fore. must preach on all the truths expressed in it
  preaching, we must keep before our minds&e f&d&-               in .donnectio.n:  with the whole of the Word.
 mental element of Scripture. And that is that Scripture            Series  pr.eaching  also presents the Christ in all
  is a unity and that there is a unity in [the diff.erent        His riches, boundless grace and unfathomable love.
parts of Scripture. Scripture with its many different            Each book.and.each  subject centers around that `Christ,
  kmds of books, historical, poetical, prophetical, evan-        viewing Him from its own peculiar  viewpoi,4t.  And
  gelical, and epistles is one w.hole. It is the one complete    no more than we can see the beauty of a  paieting
  revelation ,of God. In Scripture there is a unity, and         without seeing the whole, no more can we see that
  ail the different books tend to reveal that one revelation     Christ in all his glory in that subject without series
  of God in Christ Jesus. But there is also a certain            preaching.
  unity in Scripture. `Various books and groups of books            In the thir.d place the unity of Scripture aykd of the
  form a unity by themselves. And these ,diff erent unities      subject treated is shown to the congregation. It gives
  form that one grand unity. Quite plain it is;e. g. that        the congregation the impression of its unity but also
  the first five books of the Bible, called the Pentateuch       shows her what'that unity is. And in close connection
  form a unity, so also the four Gospel narratives, and          with `this we can say that such preaching drives home
  also that individual books teach one main idea, e. g.          the one prevailing idea of the subject treated, .be it a
  the epistle to the Romans, the Ephesian.s, etc. In these       book or a oharaoter or some other subject.
  the apostle has m mind one main idea and that he                  We must all admit that we forget much of  tha.t.
  treats from various viewpoints. But  Ithe  con,cepts  of       which we hear in church, even most of it. To turn the
  Scripture are one too.-  Faith,blove, judgments of God         question about ;, how much do we really remember?
  we find mentioned in many, many different places and           And. the answer is really nothing short of appalling.
  connections. Nevertheless each one when all the dif-           But series preaching, by means ,of its'necesary repeti-
  ferent passages are expbieed in the light of Ithe .whole       tion and emphasis of the one idea of the subj'ect at
  convey to us one main idea.                                    least drives one thought home and quite likely will
- Series preaching, then, is a preaching `on one of              make an indelible impression upon the attentive
  such unities, treating it from beginning to end: A             listener. Such we do with our ohildren.  ~ When we try
series on the  who1.e of Scriptures,  whmh is quite im-          to teach them many t,hings at one time they are very
  possible, would reveal $6 us the one idea ,of Scripture,       apt to forget all of them. Better  Bt is therefore to
  the one unspeakably  gloriaous revelation of `God in           dwell on o,ne point at a time. `Then w% can be quite
  Christ Jesus. Such we d'o have, however, in a com-             sure of some lasting fruit upon our work. In that
  pendium, n.1.the treasure of the Heidelberg Cate-              way. a congregation  after many years of frequent
  chism. But so series preaching on an individual sub-           series preaching will retain and know something about
  ject of Scripture also exposes  the. one main idea             certain subjects or books of Holy Writ,. w.hich  "vrije
  and truth of God embodied  i&n  ilt.                           stof"' preaching  would~ not give her. Let me make
     Seeing that we must admit that series. preaching            a very plain .and concrete comparison. Suppose that
  is of incalculable value for the church. (We say of            there are two congregations, both with ministers of
  value for the church because, we presume that such is          somewhat equal qualities. The one for twenty years
  the intent of- <the subject given us. Series preaching         has had series preachmg at many times on various
  also -has mu,ch value for the preacher, but since the          books of Scripture, say on' the epistle to the RIomans,
  value for the church is meant here, we will pass ,that         Ephesians, the book of Revelation and a few others.
  byI.                                                           But in the  o.ther  #he minister or ministers have
     First of all, by means of it the church maintains           preached no series at all, but for twenty years on
  the truth. We do not mean to say that other preaching          texts chosen at random. The former, beyond a shadow
  can be, of no value or relative value. $t certainly does       of doubt, will have mor'e  lasting benefit and profit than
  have. But we do think it safe to say that without any          the latter.
  series preaching whatsoever,  includi.ng that of the              I,n the fourth place series preaching edifies the eon-
  HeBdelberg -Catechism, the church will soon wand,er -gregation as no other preaching can do. Each congre-
  -away from lthe truth and be found drifting in dan-            gation has its own weaknesses and needs. Such was
  gerous waters. Series preachmg expounds the truth              true of the seven churches of- Asia Minor, and .also of
and certain truths `of God's Word which the church               those to whom the apostles wrote. The church at all
  can receive in no other way, If the  minist,er from            times is still far from the stage of perfection. Now
  ,Sabbath -to Sabbath and year to year preaches, on             it certainly must be admitted that the mi.nister doesn't
  text's chosen at random these is a real ,danger that he        always see those peculiar needs and weaknesses, ,even
  will ,centainly omit some and most prob&ly many fu&            with the beat attempts, Therefare without any series


  506                                    T H E   S T - A N D A R D   BEARE.R

  preaching he is  ap,t to overlook or forget some and
  leave some needs in dire want. Another factor that                            Chbosing A Vocation
  enters here is that the minister himself also,:h-as his             .
  own tastes and distastes for texts, and without  any             "`.`,lTher$comes  a time in the life of every person when
series preaching he is  -apt to preach. on nothing                 he or she must choose a vocation.
  else but `the things that please his taste. But by d.oing          For various reasons this is necessary: A living
  so all the time he-very likely will build up the congre-         must be earned and a settled occupation is simply the
  gation only in part, leaving much unstrengthened, and            accepted manner of d'oing this. Besides, definite and
  possibly  without necessary admonition; But series               steady employment, whether in or outside the home,
  preachng  tends to build up and strengthen and supply            is essential to man's happiness.' Without t.h,e .former
  from  .a11 viewpoints. Not  th.at the minister `who              the latter wou'ld be impossible for one who has been
  preaches on. series much of the time will strengthen             created an active creature. Therefore a prisoner in-
  all the weaknesses, and .a11 the needs, omitting none,           variably prefers to pound *rocks day by day in the pri-
  but will certainly do more than if there is no series            son yard to ,being placed in solitary confinement, w:here
  preaching at all. It gives a better "balanced diet" he is deprived of every opportunity to be active. There-
  with all the necessary "vitamins". Besides. Scriplture           fore most men, though wealthy  `or aged, seek some form
  lends itself to this. As mentioned, the churches spotken        .of physical or mental activity. Moreover, there are
s of and to in the New Testame$nt  also had weaknesses.            countless human needs, of, the individual or the family
  Now it is not accidental that the apostles wr,ote  to           or society in general, physical or mental or spiritual,.
  justthese churches and not to others. These churches            which must be satis!fied. We need houses wherein ,to
  in their weak.nesses and needs aed conditions are the           live, food to eat, clothing to `wear, means of trans-
  pi&ire of the one church of all ages. Many similar              portation, recreational facilities, spiritual guidance,
  weaknesses an.d conditions can be found today. There-           education and numerous other ithings.  All these can
  fore God determined the apostles' to write them, not and must be produced, maintained, provided in the
  only for ;their`ben.efit, but -for the benfit of the clhurch    only possible way of-WORK. Finally, the  ,Christian
  of all ages. An'd so series preaching on some of. these         realizes. that he is made f,or a purpose and that he has
  epistles can also be of much value to us.                       been endowed  with gifts and talents and is given
      Not that the congregation will always like it. Some         strengt.h `and opportunities in &der that he may be
 members prefer series preaching, others not. Each                a!ctive, to the advantage of himself and others, and to
 has his likes and dislikes. But so do our children.              the gl,ory of the God, Who created him. Whence the
 They don't like spinach, or many `other substantial              necessity, in .due time, of seeking a definite vocation.
 foods, which are less palatable. But it isn't a question            Now the vocations from which one can and `must
 what we li*ke (at least shouldn't be) but what we need.          choose are numerous and various. The United States
 That sh80uld be our attitude in respect Ito the kind of .Census  Report for 1930 lists no less than 557 occupa-
 preaching our minister gives us.                                 tional groups which, in turn, could be  .divi,ded into some
     And finally by means of series -preaching the con-           20,000 specific jfobs. Today this number is ,even greater.
 gregation knows from week to week, before each Sun-              As lifre develops ,it becomes incr.easingly complex and
 day what the minister is to preach on. When he                   specialized. There was a time when occupations were
 preaches at random such is impossible, for one SLIP-             comparatively few in number and each family provided
 day may find him in Paradise and tthe next in Rev:.-22.          for. most of its own needs. That was the -age of the
 But not so with series preaching. And this know.lodge            Jack-of-all-trades. Think of the days of our early
 means much to the attentive church attendant. IHe                pi'oneers. The man was carpenter, mason, tool-maker,
 wants to know, want to learn and gr,ow.  Th,erefore  he $unter,  farmer, soldier, sheep-shearer, butcher, tanner
 by means of this is enabled to read and study the text           and' Iwhat not. The woman, too, had to be adept in
 to be preached on at home, I know, in general this is            many things, which today she can leave to others. Life
 clone very little, even where it is possible, but its real       then was simple and individualistic. All this, how-
-benefit is undeniable. As it is necessary for the child          ever, has changed. Today society functions more as a
 to' know the arithmetic problem b&ore it can under-              unit. The. age of the Jack-of-all-trades is past. The oc-
 stand the soluton given by the ,teaoher  so we mustreally        cupational iworld has become so. complex, that one can
know the text, shall we understand it and have lasting            hope to become expert in only ,a fraction of a single
 btenefit.                                                        field of human endeavor. Our age is one of speciali-
                                                  J. B.           zati,on aed mass production of single commodities for
                                                                  society as a whole. In this system each individual does
                                                                  not do many things for himself, but each seeks the PO-
                      . .                                         cationwherein he. can make his small contribution to
         ,God never .hastens,  .and He never tarries !            society.as a whole, Thus each member of society works


                                        T H E   STAflDARD' BEARER                                                                  5oi
                                                                       .                      -
 for all the others, and all the others work for him. Ig                    avoid this error so' many make. Here is one reason
- this way those 20,000 or more jobs, listed in the 1930                    at least for all the discontent in the occupational world
 Census Report, came in'co existence.           . .  ._,  :.~+.:  :         of-ogi--b?y.  -,In this way we get an army of misfits,  who
   From $his .great number and variety of occup~iiti&s                      skip.*fr6mejob  to job and eventually contract a distaste
 it follows, that our pursuit of a speci& vocation  should                  $or all manner of profitable' labor in general and  -
 be for us a matter of careful and  ,deliberate  ch.oice.                   their o,wn specific occupations in particular. Let our
 This-it must be for alsd another reason. Think of the                      choice of a vocation, therefore, .be the fruit of calm
 great ,difference  in the people themselves, `the ,diver-                  delibertition.
 sity  #of gifts and  tale&s and  apti;tudes in them  w,ho                      In this matter of choosing a-  vocation  there is
 must be busy in these various vocations. ,Obviously,                       usually need of guidance by others, older and more
 all men are not fit for any and all occupations. Each                      experienced than `we are. As a rule this choice must
 person has his own peculiar combination of physical                        be made at a comparatively tender and inexperienced
 and  mental capacities: Also herein great diversity                        age. `Parents, th,erefore,  must shoulder tlieir responsi-
 marks the  Iwork of  ,our Lord, Who has endowed all                        :bil?t,y  in this matter and strive -to aid the child as
 men according to His infinite  ,wi&dom.           Some are                 much as possible in the selection  of a life's. `vocation.
 phy&ally  strong, oth,ers are weak; some are brilliant,                    You must  n'ot choose his  ,occupz!tion for him, for in
  others are mentally inferior; some have the gift for                      the last analysis the person Xmself must make the
 musi:c, others have propensity for drawing, etc. Thus                      choice..-  You must  adirise, give sane and loving guid-
 the need `of being careful and deliberate in our choice                    ante. That adviccesh,ould  be motivated by the desire `to
  is doubled.                                                               seek the good of the child, not your own convienience
     IHOW <important that this choice be a wise one and                     aed temporal advancement. The Christian parent does
  that each man spend his few  y&ars on earth in a                          n,ot seek to- g,et qut of his children w(hat he can, but
  voca'tion  fey w.hich he is best fit! Now more than ever                  he .aims to prepare the (covenant child for .his place
  this is necessary. The crushing competition of  `our                      in life.
  present age aild the `ever `increasing ,difficulties  ,on the                 Th,e school, too, should recognize the crying need
  way `of success make it more imperative ;than ever that                   of giving our growing boys and girls sound vocational
  we labor with all the enthusiasm and energy, whiseh                       guidaece.. What a service the  C&G&an school dould
  iS possible only when `we are doing the kind of `work                     render here ! The school as an institution has failed
  we de&e `to do and for which our native capacities                        misersbly until now in `this respect.  Y,es, here  and
  and acquired abilities. best qualify us. Besides, think                   there, especially in the Vocatibnal schools, courses are
  of how much  more hinges on  a. right choice of  PO-                      offered in  v&rious (vocations. Even then, however,
  &ion. On it depends your .entire life, your welfare                       lititle or nothing is ,done to help the individual student.
  and contentment in life as well as those of your de-                      make a wise choice and to dd the in,dividual in seledt-
  pendents. Whether you face each new ,day with joyful                      ing .a vocation for which he is- fit. Overburdened though
  anticipation,  mtorbid  indifference, or  posi%ivfe  drea,d               our school curriculum.may be, nothing could be more
  depends to an appreciablfe Iextent on the type of w&k                     desirable and, more ,in harmony with the purpose of
  you. must ,do each and every day. Hence, much de- the school, than a comprehensive, Christian course.`in
  pends on a wise choice of vocation, and the latter you                    Vocational Guidance, which would  treat  the  w-hole
  make only when there is the necessary harmony be-                         problem from  &he viewpoint of the Word of God.
  *ween  the requiremetits of the `occupation you select                    What a concrete,' practi,cal p&pose the school would
  and your .personal talents and aptitudes.                                 t h e n   s e r v e !
      One must choose,, therefore, sanely atid deliber,ately.                   Which, now, ar,e the thitigs  to be consideyed by the
  Let tie one permit this viital ,issue to be decided without               school, the parent and  .in the last analysis  th,e one
  due  consi.dera%ion  of everything involved. Know the                     choosing the vocstion? Which .are some of the factors
  difference b,etw,een  merely hunting a job and choosing                   to  b,e considered ,in selecting one's `oscupation?   ;How
  a Ivocation. And beware of the tendency 80 simply al- must we go about this?
  low yourselves to .&rift. Many plunge blindly into the                        We might begin by mentioning some things we
  first job that presents ictself. The folly and danger of                  should not do when seledting our life's vocation. Don't
  this m&hod lies at the `surface. Such people sel,dom                      choose-a certain occupation. merely because one of your
  succeed in the work they have selected. More often                        friends has chosen %hat field. DCWL'~ ,drift from job to
  than not they drift from one job to another. Doing so                     job,`,but map out a specific plan an,d pursne it. Doin
  they never become ,established, never attain to any de-                   enter a field of empolyment without securing essential
  gree of proficiency in  z&y specific  line of endeavor,                   information concerning all it involves. Don't permit
&en find- themselves unemployed, usually remain in your future to be determined by the wages offered $:t
  cthe low wage bracket aed invariably derive a mini- the  ,&art.  Look ahead. Many jobs look promising
  mum of  satisfactioli  from' tihe work they do.  Let"tis                  <enough  at the beginning1 but offer no opportunity ior


   s&3                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B-E.AliER

  advancement. Doln't select work for which ybu hatie ni            `only in the way of- careful self-analysis. :But, this is
  liking at all. Seek your field. Never let some single             liot all.
  siperficial and incidental factor *influence you @ward            :a.;.z~,we must have.  vocationzC1  knowledge, as well as
  a certain occupation. Generally speaking,  `d&t let Bnc&ledge"of  self. Know somethi.ng  about vocations in
  any. single  fact,or  de!termine your `choice, unles that
    :~                                                              general. Ymoung people are often woefully ignorant of
factor: .be so .vital that nothing else matters. One may            the vast number and  vari&y of vocations open to
  certainly decide on a certain vocation, like the ministry them. In one  .school  66% of the boys  Eonfined  their
 o$ teaching or mission work, because he feels himself              choice. of occupation to *only five vocations.. They sim-
  tailed by God to enter that field. Even then, however,            ply left thousands of oCcupations  out of considerat.ion.
  one's abilities aed gifts must be considered. If avojd-           Know all you can learn about the vocational world in
  able, dqn't seek a field that is overcrowded. Last but            general. Then study in  ,detail the three or four  vo-
  tio:t  least, don't choose a. vocation  +hat will be detri-       cations you have selected as a possibl'e choice. Know
  mental -to your spiritual welfare, by involving you in the conditions under which  YOU must  ,work.  Know
 practices  .and associations that are  contrary  to  Ithe          wehat these vocations require of a person, physically,
  Word of God, by depriving you`of your Day of Rest                 physiologically, mentally, economically. Ascertain what
  or by robbing you of the preaching you are convinced              is needed in the way of education and special ,training.
  you should have. Whatever vocation you select may                 In short, know the advan:tages and disadvantages, the
  never stand in the way of your calling Ito glorify your           pi;easures  and the hardships involved. Know above all
  God above all and to seek fir.st, always first, the king- what is ,invol+ed  spiritually. Must we work on Sun-
  dom of God  an,d its righteousness. Parents, teachers,            .day? Must  & belong  .to worldly unions or associa-
  impress %his on the minds and hearts <of our covenant
                              1                                     tions? Are we separating ourselves from our church?
  ch.il,dren  !                                                     etc. All this shou1.d be ascertained before hand.
          In  choosieg a  Ivlocation four things  &re essential.      Working along these. lines, as parents and teachers
  F+rst,  you must study yourself, so that you may know             aed children, we may hope to find a vocation, where-
  your individual qualificatibns. Then, you niust obtain            in  w& can be happy in our .daily work, wherein our
  some acquaintance with the  _  Ivocational world in               spiritual life can prosper and God may be glorified also .
  general. Seek, by reading and observation, a bird's eye           in the sphere ,of our vocation.
  v$w  o f   t h e   occnpational   warjd. Thil diy, - study                                                       R .   V .
  thdroughly the specific  ,occupations  you have selected
  for a final  choice. Finally,  compa.re your personal
  qu@ificatioris  jvith the requirements of the vocation
  y?u finally- chose as your life's occupation.
    L. First, theyef,ore,  knqw` yourself. Know your likes                       What though the way may be lonely,
and dislikes, your ability  to do a certain work, your                               And dark the shadows fall;
  natural aptitudes,~  yours interests, your resources, but                      I know where'er  it leadeDh,
  also your  limitatipns.  Know your character, disposi-                             My Father planned it all.
  tion, and Temperament. Al!  %s is  nelc&sary  even
  where one  f'eels himself called by  Go.d Himself to a                         The sun may shine tomorrow,
  specific work. There is something about being called                               The shadows brea,k and flee;
  to the ministry or the mission iield that. is different                        `Twill be the way He chooses,.
  than with ordinary vocations. One feels that he has                                The Father's plan for me.
  no other choice. Yet, also then we must examine our-
  selves and determine in a measure at least wlhether                            .He guides my halting footsteps,
  th& calling is being verified by the qualifications God                            Along the weary way,
  ha% given us. This self-knowledge must and can come                            For well He knows the pathway
  to us only in *he way of carefill self-analysis. It can-                           Will lead to endless day.
  not be gathered -from things we did when we were
  babes. Don't be like `the father who decided his son                           A day of light and gladness, _
  should be a chemist, merely because as a little boy                                On which no shade will fall,
  h,e had been fond of pouring water from one bottle                             `Tis this at last awaits me-
  into another. Neither  can. this  k,nowBedge  `of  self be                       My Father planned it all.
  gained by examining the shape of +he head or the size                          I sing through shade and  su,nshine,           _
  of the skull. Because one has a large head one is not                              And trust  whrvt'er  befall  ;
  ye:t. brilliant, Many criminals arid imbeciles have large                          My Father planned it all.
  heads, Qao, No, trui knowledge of selfxan be gathered                          His way is best-it leads. to rest


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I

                                          T H E   S T A N D A R D   -B.E-ARER                                              5a9

                        Current Events                             `may cast all their burdens on .Fim and that we as His
                                                                   children may have our expectation of Him alone.
         I                                                         .-.  ..~.
               sqpose  it is almost -expected of anyone Who           1.1        `i =;;,
     writes ,on curient events that he write abo& the war            ?@6$ -s&tie  time tihere has been much talk on the pa&
      or matters rela:ting @I it. At the same time it must be      of many so-called religious leaders about amalgamating
      apparent that it is extremely difficult to write about       the various religions into one national chuTch, or even
      something that is subj:ect to sudden. change as is .&is      a wol;ld church. It stands to reason that as Pro testaiit
      present 2conflict. That is especially difficult when one     Reformed people we have no sympathy with such :a
     must write weeks in advance.                                  movement but would, if necessary, feel constrained -to
         There is, however, one thing that Iwe -might corn,        oppose it  ,with all our might. Apart from the  fa&
     ment on and thtit is the me&-talked-about necessity of        that it would undoubtedly be a thoroughly  mod&n
     a secon'd  front. It seems as though the Russian army - church in which man would beg gl,orified, it would in
      is in a worse condition  than  ;the general public has       any case be impossi,ble  -for us to take such a step. :.
     been led .to believe by newspaper ;epor@. There are               But that we  tiay someday have to face such  ah
     many who are oZ the opinion that Russia can> keep             issue dbes not at .a11 lie in the realem  of the impossible
     on fighting indefinitely but recent  reports from Mos-        or even the impr,obable.  It seems to be entirely in ha;-
     cow plainly state that this is not  -the case. Due to         mony with the plans of the Antichrist to have sur.?h
     the destruction of the war Russia facei starvation in         a church. It could be very useful to him especially with
     the coming winter. I%s grain fields have been burned,         a view to his ,work of deception and persecution. In
     many of its coal mines Bave been destroyed,`while  most       the light of such a church he could make it look v&y
     of its great industries have been crippl,ed. Moreover         foolish and unnecessary to maintain a separate church
     Russia is, not receiving any vast amount of war mate-         organization and with the power of +he government on
     rials from the U. S. anId Britain. In the light of these      his side he could make it well nigh impossible to do db.
     facts it is very well possible that Russia will be forced        .The movement at present is very weak but who
     to make a separate peace with  thie Axis. The only knows how rapidly it may gain impetus in the post-war
     way to relieve the R.us$ans is to' begin a secoad front       period? Let us be on our guard constantly that we be
     somewhere in Europe,, thereby f,orcin.g Hitler to move        not dleceived  by the power ,of darkness.
     many of $16 troops. It seems also to be highly nrgent
     that such a second front #be `established very soon be-          ,Considered  from a human point of view, it is too bad
     fore Russia has become. too. weak to continue..               that the Church in the world is always regarded  in the
         Per,haps by the time this article appears in print        light of the modern church and its leaders. ,I.t is no
     such a front will have become a reality.                      wonder that the Church is evil-spoken `of and is
         Of course we all understand what this wou1.d mean.        mocked as powerless and a big failure. More ,than once
     A second front can be establishe,d only at a tremendous       we have. `come' across an article that dealt with the
     coat of human lives. Not only does that mean that all         church as a great failure because of its inability to
     our young men, for many of whom ithe war th.us far            give its members anything stablie to  which they may
     has simply meant a period of training, will beg called        hold. And no  doubt that is' correct. The modern
     into action but there will also .be many more called,         church is as a church  nothin,g  .hut a failure. It  chas
     first the younger ones and then possibly seven those who -cast aside .tihe only Hope, it denies the only Power,
     have. families.                                               it is without any true Comfort and it misses the only
        Ev'en now the Allies have started an offensive in          Purpose of all thlings.'
     the Pacific. And it is possible that the Allies will             `Too bad  &hat  _ also  %he true Church `must bear
     choose to make this a second front. It is still a question    that  scorn.  '
     just where the  gr.eat   ol?ensive will be launched but          For as people  of God we know that that is not true.
     that. it mus:t come is inevitable. There can be no <doubt     It is true that the church has of itself  hothing to
     but what we faoe  very serious times and -we may              give its members but it is also true that t,hrough His
     prepare ourselves to hear much "bad news".                    Church oui- Lord Jesus Christ givca them all ,things;
        `What a comfort it is f.or the-Christian to know that      We know that- it is not vain to serve God. We know
     all ltlhese things are under the control of ,our-heavenly     that it is the  ,only thing that gives us tiny comfort
     Father  and. that not, a hair can fall from our head          and :hope.
     without His will. In that comfort we  arti also as-            Of course the  world  `does not  understan,d this. It
     sured +ht He causes all things to work together f.or          classifies all chur'ches alike and .-so we -must suffer
     our good. May God give yus grace %hat we may look             that reproach.
     unto Him by  faith in Jesus Christ; that our young              But may it never be true in respect to us!
     men niay be strong in the Lord and. that our parents                                               H .   D .   W .


                                               c


`. 510                                     T H E   S T A N - D A R D   B E A R E R

                                                                     Vaandeldrager  hebben als onze vriend. Dit is goed voor
                 Nieuws van onze  Kefken                             pns geestelijk leven, scheeve dingen worden  er in recht
                                                                     :,c&; en het helpt ons ook ,dat we de vaste spijs van
   De Stc~mda~d Bearer                           :      :~i
                                                _-     .-..     _    ,:8,ods %&%ijcd beter kunnen verteren,  en niet meer met
          Zooals ge weet lezer, gagtde jaargang van on? blad         melk behoeven .te wcmden  gevoed. Laat er b'ij ons een
   van af  Olctober  tot October.  .;Ook dit  jaar  mocht de         streven zijn `orn meer gefundeerd te worden  in de waar-
  Vaandeldrager geregeld verschijnen; en bet heeft ook               heid, die leidt tot de ~godzaligheid.
  in dit afgeloopen jaar weer gezegende vruchten  voort-
  gebrecht  -lroor  de lezers, die waarlijk  meeleef'den,  en
  onze  zbeginselen  liefhebben. Dit kan,  dunkt me, niet
  uiitblijven. In de verscheidenheid van schrijven kwam              @rue toekomstige School
  tech altijd weer uit  .de  66nheid van  ,gevoelen  ;en  het-           Daar mag nog  we1 eens een klein  w0ardj.e over
  ging altijd om `de eere Gods, en het welzijn van Zion,             worr'en .gescheven  in ons blad.         .
  en zoo ook slleen is `t altijd goed, en zal het onder ons              Ge herinnert zeker n6g wel, dat in het Borte ver-
  mqeten  blijven  zullen we een Gode  -aangenaam  yolk              leclen tierd besloten om land te `koopen voor dit doe1
  mogen worden  genoemd.                                             Er was een  perceel'  grand. dat  ,kon  swor,den  gekdcht,
        Het .is voor xhet welzijn van ons blad dat de laats-         en  di.t lan,d ligt-zoo on&veer  3/4. mile ten  Zuiden van
  :gehou,dtin vergadering heeft besloten. ,drn onze R,edak-          onze Fuller Ave.  `kerk,  en het kon  worden  gekocht
  Iteur weer te benoemen als _ "dictator-redakteur," en              !coor  de som van $4000.
  .dat hij de benoeming aannam, en het volgend j-aar, zoo               : De "Board" beraam,de clan ook een plan om dit geld
  d&  ,Heere  wil, de Standard Bearer weer  ial  redi-               bij  66%  te verzamelen door  inteekening  kaarten. Er
  geeren.                                                            waren tot zoo ver 45) personen  die hunne kaarten heb-
   .    Het  ,is zeer  goed dat de "Board" b&ldot   .om ons          ben ingezonden ; en het bedrag. was de .magere  som
  blad te ien.den naar de verschille~nde  kampen, alwaar             van $1200. Zoo ongeyeer  de helft er van deden hun
  onze j,ongelingen hun intrek moesten nelnen als soldaat .plicht_  en  betaalrden   ,de  inteekening   semi Als er  nu
  om  zich  `voor. te bereiden voor  `s lands  diensten.  Ze         400  personen   waren die deze gemiddelde  soti  be-
  oPtv8ngen ,dit gratis. Het is dan &3k de wensch, dat er            `taalden .zou dit het bedrag  zijn van $12,000.
  vlijtig gebruik van wordt gemaakt, en da;t ook door het              De  "Boa&"  hgeft  {e  vrijmoedighei ddan ook nog
  lezen vail de Standard Bearer ze beter geschikt mogen              niet gehad om deze loten te koopen. !Hij is van oordeel
  zijn als strijders voor .`s H:eeren  Naam.                         dat  er niet genoeg enthusiasme  w0rd.t. gevonden voor
        De "Board" meen,de   er ooh  even:tjes  Op. te  moeten       dit doe1 i,n onze kerken, ,en .dit is zeer jatimer en niet
  %wijzen  dat  bet.-  envelpp  systeem  goed werkt.  Lezers,        prijzenswatirdig.
  die vergaten om hun  leesgel,d  te  betalen,   kunnen dit           De  6&i weet U te vertellen  ,dat het niet de tijd is
  nu meer systema&& doen. Het kost een niet geringe                  vo& e&n onderneming als deze, in kretieke dagen ais
  som om  ,qns blad  twlee  maal per  maand te  doen  ver- ,de  onz_e. Weer anderen zijn van oordeel dat de  bes-
  schijnen,  maar met de collecten die er in al onze $kerken         taaede  Christelijke  scholen  :vol,doende  zijn voor onze
  zoo ,nu en dan worden  gehouden, besta&  de mogelijk               kinderen ; en weer anderen zijn met vreeze bevangen
 heid  e r   toehi  '    -                                           dat ge met deze onderneming, indien ge ,er in slaagt, een
        ,De  `<Bdard"  klaagt  .ook telkens  we,er  iat er geen      sc:hool b.v. als Balrter .&Feet  in Grand Rapids er door
  genoeg "Subscribers" zijn. Ieder huisgezin  moest                  verwoest.
  inschrijven op  ,onze Standard Bearer. Er  w.erdI dan                 11~ ben echter een beetj.e  bang dat die redenaties
  look een plan beraamd om ook vooral ons j&g-ge-                    niet opkomen uit een ziel die brandt voor on&e Prot.
  trduwde volkje  ,te  bereiken, en  ,de  versichillende   ker-      Geref. school beginselen. Het :houdt me geen steek.
  keraden worden vriendlijk, doch tevens dringend ver-               Mien is  goed  Prot. Gerf.  Dit lijde geen twijfel,  doch
 _zocht  om de behulpzame haed te bieden. Zend s'.v;p.               ,op het gebiedt dey school worden  de lijnen scheef ge-
  al de adressen van  -.deze  j,onge-getrouwden   naar R.            trokken.
  Schaafsma. De `!Boar,d" is `van p!an, om hen `die nog                 Ik meende a1tij.d dat huisegezin, 58choo1 en kerk niet
  geen b,etalende  lezers v&n ons blad zijn, -de St%,ndar.d          van elkander kunnen en mogen- worden  gescheiden.
  Bearer half jaar gratis te sturen, met de stille wensch            Te behooren  ,bij elkaar en er  m+g niet  aaln  worden
  dat  zoo% j.ong paar er op ,in zal schrijven. He& mag              getornd.
  redelijk  worden   verwecht, dat  dit- ook diet zal  uit-            ,& werdt tech plechtig beloofd,  toen het kleine ver-
  blijven. Zij  -die Protestant  ,Gereformeerd   zij-n  willen       bondskindeke  het zegel des heiligen doops ontving, ook
  tech ook gaarne kennis vergaderen,  en hiervoor is ons             dat  kindje  te- onderwijzen, of te  doen  en' te  helpen
  bla,d zeer geschikt. Dit zal door vriend  en vijand we1            onderwijzen in de leer die is begrepen in het Oude en
  niet  kunnen  worden  ontkend. We moesten  alleil  de              Nieuwe. Testament, en in de- artikelen des Christelijken


                                      .


                                                                                     `




                                     TH.E  STANDAR.D   B E A R E R                                                             511

geloofs, in de Christelijke kerk  alhier geleerd. Nu               gewerkt, ook al was het dan ook niet bepaald werk
deze Christelijke kerk is vcor ons ,de Prot. Geref. kerk           van noodzakelijkheid waaronder `tdefense" werk wordt
en deze leer de onvervalsi;hte leer van Gods genadever-
                                                . . ,....`.  ::    ger$e-nd. -Zoo ging het teminste op de fabriek alwaar
bond met  ens..                                                    mijn-:per&on  werkzaam is. Op .dien  bepa&len dag
  _ Men verandere dat heilig doope ja-antwoordft dan. werkten er dan. ook vele Christenen, `die, terwij.k ze
oak niet in een ondag neen orakeltaal, ons als Christen
                                                             .c    er op werden gewezen, dat ze dien ,dag doorbrachten
ouders met: waarclig en Gode onteerend. '                          in de  mzo'nde,  he:t  .ongeloovig  woord uitspraken: we
                              ,.                                   willen ons job niet verliezen, alsof at van de grootste
                     - ----                                        beteekenis is. Er was oak iemand die vervelend-vroom
                                                                   zeide toen hij op dien bepaalden dag moest werken:
Defense  en  de  Chk&n                                             `t gaat  yoor ons goede land om Gods  wil,  doch het
                                                                   bl,eek  echter dat `t ging om de dollar, en om zijn zelfs
    Defense: dit woord is  tegenwoordig zoo  niet op               wil. Hij rekende dien ,da,g niet met God, ook niet met
aller clan tech we1 op veler lippen. Niemand neme het~ zijn goede Vaderland, anders was hij zeker met Gods
iemand  daln ook  kwalijk  dat hij spreekt over deze volk kerkwaarts getogen. Wanneer een Christen
alomvattende dingen in de tegenwoordige zame$eving.                echter word gevraagd  of geboden om Zondags werk !te
Velen, uit ,de verschillen.de- natien der wereId:  spreken         verrichten- dan diem hij er goed van overtuigd te zijln
`din oak in den gee@ ,dat de overwinning de hunne moet             dat het noodzakelijk "defense" werk is. Danmoet $hij
zij;n.  Y Is echter zichtbaar duidelijk,  dun& me,  det.           er we1 van overtuigd  zijn ,dat het "Government'.' :,dit
de  koninkrijken   ,der aarde de  maat der  ongerechtig-           van hem eischt, en niet een fabriek-eigenaar die zijn
heid hebben vol gemaakt, en ook ons land zal met                   eigen beurs er mee smeert, en er tenslotte ook nog niet
dien. maat moeten worden  gemeten, ,alhoewel wij zeer              om geeft of het al of niet noodzakelijk is  voor het
godsdienstig zijn. .                                               welzijn van `s werelds zamenleven.
   .Nu, we maken ons bier in Amerika zoo langzamer-                    Het is ook  mijn  gedachte  dat een Christen niet
hand gereed voor "defense werk," en .de tij,d schijnt              alleen mag, doch moet werken op Zondag wanneer hem
met ver meer of te zijn dat alles- word gecontroleerd _dit van Governments wege word opigelegd.  Zoo goed als
door de Regeer.ing,  en- men dui.de ,deze' dit niet euvel.         de. soldaat op Zondag moet werken is er ook"noodza-
I&let  .is zeker niet vaderlandlievend, maar  we1  com-            kelijk werk .te verrichten op dien dag voor de gewone
~munistisch-goddeloos,  dat ook nu nog in ,deze kretieke           burger.. Als het nu zoo ver komt, laat' ons dan dit
dagen de C. I. 0. en de A. F. L: hun ver niel,end-laag-            werk biddend doen. Dan blijftde dollar er we1 buiten,
werk verrichten. Ierwijl  d.e  geheele  wereld schreeut want daar gast het ook heelemaal niet om op Zondags
voor  werk tot eigen behoudt, port men  aan tot                    "defense" werk. Dit moet  goed  duidelijk  zijn.
"&rikes". De Christen lette hier op!       '                           Ik ben er we1 wat bevreesd over ,dat we de zaak een
    IHet is jammer ,dat over het algemeen niet word                beetje   te  licht  0pneme.n.  Er word  dikwijlsieredeneerd
begrepen wat het eigenlijk inhoudt om defense werk                 als volgt: De  kerk  last Zondags werk toe wanneer
te verrichten. Er word `uitsluitend over gesproken                 dit noodza$kelijk is; en men doet niet eens de moeite
in  verband met de -dollar. Het meeste  meet   worden om het uit te vinden.
betaald ; en wat meer uren wat beter,  want over de                    Staande.echter  opde Christus-Rots zal `t we1 -gaan.
40  uur is een extraatje, en meer verdiensten spelt meer           Dan lijden we geen schipbreuk op de zandgrond Ivan
vermaak. Ook de Zondag geeft men er gaarne  aan                    eigen zondig denken.
op maar meer geld to verdi.enen. Ik zou zeggen : laat                                                          .s.  Ii.  v.
 de  god.delooze   were1.d  maar werken. Dit is  jteminste
beter dan in all,erlei -yitspattingen  zich te bezondigen.
Het wordt  echterrmeer dan ooit duidelijk dat de                                                                                    c
                                                                                                                               `
                                                                                                                               :.`
                                                                                                                                         :;
wereld van  onzen dag materialistic. is en hier alles                       Beyond thy utmost wants,
aan op offered.                                                                His power can love and bless;
    Ge hebt er zeker we1 van gelezen in de &gbladen                          To trusting souls IHe -1,oves to gran.t           .'
dat eenige weken geleden de groote generaal Knudson                            More than they can express.
 de`zondag  gang deedt  om te inspecteeren hoe het eigen-
lijk  we1 ging met ons defense werk?  Werdt  er  we1
genoeg gewerkt? Hij deedt de rondgang natuurlijk
op Zonclag. Dit kon niet anders  worden  verwacht.
 Zaterdag voor de Zondag werdt  dail ook een ieder                           "Let thy soul. walk softly in thee
 aangezegt om op dien bepaalden dag te werken. En                               Like a sai'nt in heaven unshod,
 het wer,dt n&t' toegepast alleen ,op' "defense" werk.                        For to be alone with: silence
De .generaal  moest ziea dat er ook op Zondag werdt                             Is to be at home with God.`"


                                                                                                                             -
I 512                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                .-
   ~.  _.                   Ingezonden                                  WE MAY FORGET; GOD DCES NOT! i :
   ~_1  .:                                                                --
    Mijnheer
     --. . .           de Redakteur :-                               God's time is never wrong,
        a .Mag ik s.v.p. een klein platsje voor_ondersta$nde         Never too `fast nor too slow; .                        _ . .
    l&:voorbaat  mijn dank.                                          The planets move tog its steady pace
     .?I                                     -.                      As the `centuries come and go.
   -. `zn .deze ernstige tijde komt nog al eens de vraag                                                                          .
    naar vor,en, "Zal men ook in `t openbaar gebed in %
    midden der gemeente bidden  voor onze hooge  over-               Stars rise and set by Ithat time,
    h&d ?`?                                                          The punctual  comets  come back
                                                                     With never a second's variance,
            Wanneer de tijden normaal zijn, en alles zijn ge-        From the round of their viewless track.
    wonen  .,gang gaat, dan gevoelt men er zoozeer geen
    behoefte aan, dan is er in hen kerkelijk eleven vaak             Men space their years, by the sun,
    iooveel dat `de aandacht en ,voorbede  vraagt, ,doch nu          And reckon their months by the moon,
    de tij.den zoo ontzettend ernstig zijn, en de task onzer         Which never arrive (too late
    regeering zoo ontzachlijk zwaar is, en de  verant-               And never depart too soon.
    woordelijkheid groot is in deze dagen is bet, dunkt ons,
    niet meer ,dan roeping en plicht ook hen te gedenken             Let us set our clocks by God's,
   --in onze gebeden, en dan we1 in de eerste plaats onze            `And order our lives by His ways,
    P r e s i d e n t .                                              And nothing-can `come and nothing can go
             Temeer  daar het een bevel Gods is. We  lezen           Too soon or too- late in our day.
    immers in I Tim. 2 :l-2 : Ik vermaan voor alle dingen,                              i                      -A. J. F.
   dat gedaan worden  smeekingen, gebeden, voorbiddin-
    gen, dankzeggingen, voor alle men&hen.

      , `Voor Koningen, en allen die in hoogheid zijn,. opdat
    wij een  germ en  stil  leven  lei,den  -mogen  in alle
    Godzaligheid  eneerbaarheid.   ._  -                                                     __  _
             Waar wij nu als -Gereformeerden  gelooven in de
    onfeilbaarh.eid van Gods Woord, en altijd de  voile                                CORNERS
    nadruk leggen  op. het: "Zoo Zegt  de-Heere", zal het
    tech een vanzelfheid zijn op grond van Gods Wodrd                  This morning, Lord,. I pray
    ook onze overheid .in* `t openbaar te gedenken i.n onze            Safeguard us through the day,
    g e b e d e n .                                                  Especially at corners of the way,
             Nu  weten we  we1 dat  .vroeger  in Nederland het
    bidden voor de hooge overheid zoo gemakkelijk gi.ng,               For when the `way is straight,
    Nederlpands  koningin is een  belij,der,  en er is een            i We fear no sudden fate,
    tijd  gewleest,   dat  haar Cabinet  vocx een groot deel         But see ahead the ,evening's open gate.
    bestond uit  stoere~  Calvinisten,  doch dat neemt
    tech niet weg, dat  Paulus woordgeschreven is voor                 But few and. far between',
    alle tijden en landen.                                             Are days when all is seen
             En dan was het ook niet zoo dat in Paulus dagen         Of what will come, or yet of what has been.
    de  overheid  zoo `vroom  was, en hij het sdaarom  voor-
    sch.rij.ft : Integendeel, Pilatus was een rechtsvqkrach-           For unexpected things
    ter, Herodus, een  kinder-moor,denaar, en de  Keizer,              Swoop down on sudden wings
    van Rome een Christen vervolger.                                 And overthow  us with their buffetings.
             En vocrr die overheid moest men bidden.
             Wat staat ons nu te doen, hetnalaten in `t mid&n          And so, dear Lord, we pray,             I -
    der gemeente ? Noodwendibg zullen we- Art. 36  uit                  Control and guard this  d,ay
    onze geloofsebelijdenis ,dan ook moe&schrappen. ~                Thy. children `at the`corners of their way.
                                                                                 :
                                            J. R. VanderWal:                                          - M .   G;  L .
                                                                                                         ,.           "


