V O L U M E   X X I I                NOVEMBER -1, .1945 - GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN-                                              NUMBER 3

                                                                               des Verbonds  [doen deelachtig  worden. Dan kwam
              ME-Di`i%fION  -`- immers dat Verbond met ons nimmer tot stand.
                                                                                     Neen, het Verbond. is  Go&q Zijns alleen.  "
                                                                                     En Hij is in' de  realizeer.iag -van Zijn Verbond
                                                                               volkomen souverein; Hij is Zijn  eigen  ipartij.  SEn
                                                                               Hij  ma)akt van Zijn partij, wie Hij  ,wil,.
                                                                                     Immers is Gods Idlee .in ,dit Verbond, dat IHij alleen,
                 `.

                  Dewijl  wij  Idan  &xe  .beloften hebben,  gi- maar dan  ,ook werkelijk alleen,  alles doef, wat tot de
                  liefckn!  la.at 08s itiselve?z reinigen  v&L alle ,realizeexing  des Verbonds noodig  `is. Want  immers; .
-                 .besnzettin~en  de,s.  wleesches  in  Ides  geestes,         "als wij  gedoopt  worden in  `den: naam  ides  Va,ders,
                                                                               zoo betuigt ,en verzegelt ons Go,d de Vader, dat LHij met
     -           voleinchigeniile  de  heiliigmaking in de `vreexe eons  :een  eeuwig verbond der  lge'nade.,opricht, ons tot
                  GOCLS.                        .     I I   co?-  7:l          Zijne  kinderen en erfgenamen aanneemt, en daarom
                                                                               van  alle  goed ons verzorgen, en  alle  kwaad van  on8          -
           Deze beloften !,
          Dawtjl  wij  deze  lbeloften  hebbm. . .  i .                        we&n,  ,of ten  onzen beste keeren  wil., En als wij in
                                                                  ~
          Zoo laat  .ons onszelven  remigen,  ,de  heiligmaking                den naam des Zoons  gedoopt',worden, zoo  betuigt en
                                                                               verzegelt ons de Zoon, dat Hij ons wa.cht in Zijn bleed
voleindigen in  de  ware  vreeze des Heeren.                                  van  al1.e  onze zonden, ons in de  gemeenlxhap Zijns
          Het eene  behoorit- bij het andere, het hebben  v"an doods en Zijner wederopstanding inlijvende, al,zoo d&
     de beloften; en dat w'el met nedr.uk. van d.oxe beloften,
 *en het reinigen van  onszel.ven', om aldus onze heilig- wij van onze zonden bevrijd en rechtvaardig voor God
     making ta voleindigen. Deze *twee-zijn onafscheidelijk ,gerekend   worden. Desgelijka als wij gedoopt worden
     aan elkander verbonden.                                                   in  eden naam des Heiligen  Geeste.s, zoo  verzekert  oris
           Innners, zoals in  alle  verbonden, zoo zijn  er  .-oak .de  IHmeilige Geest, door  .dit heilig Sacrament, dat  -Hij
     in  Gods, Verbond;  we1 geen twee  partijenl (hoe                         in ons wonen, en ens tot lidmaten van Christus heiligen               .
                                                                       zou
     tech een nietig mensch partij zijn in betrekking tot den `wil, ons  toeBigenende:hetge,en  wij in  Christus hebben,
     levenden God?), maar tech twee cleelen begrepen, een tiame1ij.k de afwassching onzer zonden, en de dagelijk-
     deel van (den bet Verbond realizeerende Verbonds-Gold, sche  vernieuwing onzes  lever&  totdat wij eindelijk  _-
     en een  deeI,-niet van-den nog in  ldat Yerbond op  te onder de gemeente  Ider uitverkorenen  in,  bet  eeuwige
     nemen  mensch;--maar  van den reeds in dat  Perbond lreven onbe-i;?ekt  zullen  gestel,d worden."'                            0
     werkelijk opge'llomen,:en aldus door den God ,des Ver-                          Dat is Gods deel  dexs Verbonds. .
                                                       -.
     bondn begenadigden bondeling.                                                   Dewijl ,wij dan mdeze beloften hebben!
           Deze twee deelen mogen, maar kunnen oak, nimmer                           En  rdeze beloften zijn immers beloften  Go;&!
     gsscheiiden  worden.                 _-                                         En  `daarom `zijn deze beloften  ldan  oak geen  on-.
          Ze mogen  ,ook nimmer  `worden  voorgestekl  ldsolf zekere,  voor-waardelijke, van des menschen  *wil  af-
     bet  twee, elkander  aanvuliemle,  "deel&  waren, twee hankelijke  ,toezeggingen ;  -of ook  altgemeene   aanbie-
     deelen;  tdie synergistisch  elkaader'  ontmoeten,  en door dingen van genade en zaligheid aan allen zonder order-
     de  ontmoeting  waarvan   nu eerst  Gods,  Verbond tot scheid. Ach,  Iaan wie  zou  toqh,&e   Heere God iets  aan-                         .
     stand- komt. Ookmag de  verhouding  met,  zo,o  wdrd8en bieden in- den zin,=dat  de-ayerkelijkte schenking er van
     voorgesteld,  idfat het  tweede deel,  ,ons  deel,  #e&e  voor- zou afhangen van  ,des.  mensihen  toestemming  of  in-:.
     waarde is, waiaraan wij moeten voldoen, zal ,God `Zijn williging? Hoe  zo,u  tech de alieen Souvereine  ietis:
Verbond met  -cons  oprilchten, en  ,ons al  `.de weldaden beloven;  dat Hij Zelf  niet tot het einde toe alleen  ver-.
                                                                              -_     :


 50                                   )*-i-THE          STANDARD             BEARE.R

 vult? Of, hoe zou de Getrouwe, IdIe Amen, de Waaraeh-                Zijn  dee! in ons heeft vervuld. , . .
 tige,-Die  niet  lieg+ kan, het  objectieve  recht  op al de             Zoo  Lat ons onszelven  reinigen. . .  ._
 weldfa.den ,des heils kunnen schenken aan hen, aan wie                   De heiligmakin.g,  voleindigende!
 Hij niet  ,bedoelt   dat recht  oak te  verweikelijken?                  Ons deel!
       Neen,_Godj   belojften   zijn  eeuwig Ja en  Amen.'                                      -     -    -
       Zijn  bel:oft:e  iq Zijn goddelijk  Woondl, Zijn heilige                                                               '
 eed, gezworen bij niemailld  minder dan Zichzelven, dat                  Deze beloften !
 Hij Zijn  Verbond zal oprichten,  cdat Hij den  erfge-                 I Maar  da;1 ook  metinadlru'k juist  deze beloften.
 namen der belofte al Zijn  <hei za!l  doen toekomen,  niet               Dlat de beloften Gods ons  yerplich<en,  maar  oak,
 op eenige  voorwaarde, maar ,dnvodrwaardelijk ; iliet om-            dat het hebben  dier beloften een grond kan zijn en is
 dat deze erfgenamen die belsoften aarmcmen ien inwilli- voor <de vermaning om onszelven te reinigen, ja zelfs,
 gen, maa~, z&5, dat 006 <die aannemin&.len Idie inwilliging          dat  geze beloften in  01x: een drang  wovrd!en om onze
 <do&r Zijne souvereine genade alleen tot sty& komt.                  heiligmaking lx volmaken in de vreeze Gods,-dat ligt
       Dat is het deel van den God. des Verbonds. _                   immers  geheel en al  aan.het  kana.kter en den inhoud
       Ea als God  Zij'n  deel,. dat  Wil.  Idus zeggen geheel                                                                           0.
                                                                      van dexe beloften.
 l%  Verboild,  aan ons en iri onls heeft gene!a,lizeerd, dan             bch,  ds  .de  beloftlen   God.s niets  and'ers `inhielden,
 hebben wij "dege beltiften."                                         dan dat we straks nsa.r een schoonen  hemel tgaan, naar
       Want ook het  hebben  dezer beloften wil  immers               eene stad met paarlen poort,en en gouden straten, naar
 maar ni,et zeggen, d1a.t wij #ergens eene algemeene aan- een uitwendig  a,choon en  heer1ij.k  Ea<nd, "waar doorn
 bieding  id;es heils, of eene voorwaardelijke toezegging, noch distel groeien," en "wtiar `t hart geen angst, geen
 hebben gehoord,, en' dat wij nu yeten, dat wij gebru?k kom%mer kent, noch pijn;" ze zouden niet metlnnerlijke
 mogeri maken v&n eene door God aangekonldigde  rechts- no&endigheid ons dringen om onszelven te reinigen
 schenking aan alle menschen, of ook aan alle "kinderen               van alle besmetting des gee&es en des vleesches, en de
 des vleesches," maar ldat God` Zelf door Zijn evangelie heil,igmaking te voleindigen in de vreeze Gods.
 tot ons persoonlijk heeft gas.proken, ons bij name heeft                 Zeke?, in  Idlen  hemel  ie het  &boon.
 g&YoOemd en geroepen uit de duisternis tot Zijn wonder-                  De beloften Gods geven ons uitzicht op e,enen nieu-
 baar  liohht,  ens het  gelodf in het hart heeft  gewrbcht,          wen  .bemel, en  eeene  nieuwe  aarde, God maakt straks
,en door  ,dat geloof ons die beloften heeft  gesch&ken,              alle  ,dingen  nileuw.
 zoodat  ze ip ons, voorzoover ze in deze bed'eeling kuil-                En in die nietiwe  schepping zuljlen de'vorige dingen
 nen  worden  ger,ea.lizeerd,  zijn  verwerkelijkt, vervuld ; niet me,er worden !gidla.cht. Daar is alles xhQon, heer-
 en; voorzo'over  deze belorften  op har&volkomene.en pit- lijk, vol van hiemelsche glorie, harmonie, pracht. Daar
 eindelijjke  vervurling wachten, ze in ons  wordsen eenei groeit doorn  nloch  Id:ist,el. Daar is  de`dood   &e,t meer,
 kraeht sder levende hope idloor  de opstandi3.g  van Jezus noch  .rouw,  noch gekrijt. Daar zal God alle tranen
 Christus,  uit de  doqden.                                           v3.n de oogen  arfwisrachen.
 ,.. Dewijl wij dan deze  beloften hebben. . , .                 *        Zeker,  oak in uitwendigen zin is het Vaderhuis
       0, en de beloften, ,en de vervulling der belloften, en
 Idie schenking der beloften, en het hebben ,der beloften, schoon.
bet moet  altegader  worden toegeschreven  aan de                        ,En tech, indien Gods beloften niet .rneer inhielden,
 gcaadige beschikking van den God des Verbonds.                       zouden ze geen grand of idrang in ons kunnen zijn tot
       Het. is  Zijli  ,deel!    '                                    het vervullen van ons "deel" in Gods Verbond. Dan
       Marax dan volgt odk ons ideel!                                 zou zeker eene nieuwe gedaante, een nieuw kleed we1
       Niet om aafi Gods deel ook maar iets toe te vb'egen.           gewenscht zijn, ,om ons in harmonie te brengen met die
 Neefi,  rnatir. om la:ls  Gods' re;delijkfzeldelijke  schepselen,    nieuwe en  rijkte  omgeving; we zouden ons  miscchien
 Zijne  ge?iefde  kind&en, nu  Zijn deel met  bewustheid              wat  nileuwe- gewoonten en  nieuwe manieren  moeten
 tot openbaring te brengen, Zijn Vepboad! te houden, van aanwennen, die bij onze nieuwe, schoone  woning pas--
 Zijn partij te  zijn  in:het  middlBn der wereld.                    sen.  Mla,ar  dnszelIven reinigen van  geestelijk-zecl!elijke
       Ox& deea. is.*de' vru&t,- de openbaring in en door ons besmettingen,  en de  heiliigmaking  voleindigen,-neen,
 van Zijn  di&el;                                                     dat zou `uit  `de  vertiachting  eener  nieuwe,  uitwendig
       Immers is ons deel "eene  ti.ieuwe  gehooraaamheild;           schoone  omgeving niet met noodwendigheid volgen.
 ntimelijk, dat wij dezen eenigen God, Vader, Zoon, en                  $, Doch-we he&en dexe beloften!-
 Heilige  Gee&  ,aanhangen,  betrou-Sirfrq  en  liefhebben               En van de!ze bel,often hard! Gods Wooed gesproklen in
 van ganscher  harte,.  vans ganscher  zielte, van ganschen de laatste verzen van bet  vor;ige hdofd&uk: "Want gij
 gemoede' en met  die- krachten. , . .             ,                  zijt de tempel des levenden  Gods; gelijkerw@  God ge-
       De  wlereld  verlatei,  onze  oude natuur dooden. . , , zegd heeft:  Ih zal in hen  wonen,  en  Ik zal  onder hen
       En in :een nieuw, goldzalig levien wandeien."                  wandelen;  en Ik  .zlal  hu4n God zijn,  ien zij  zullen  Mij
   f  Dewijl wij dan  `deze  beloft,&  hebben,-omdat God tot een  o&k  Bijn. .  ,. . En Ik zal U tot e@n Vader zijn,


                                     T - H E   STANDAR.D  .BEARER                                                          .a

gen Gij  zult Mij tot zonen en  do&e,ren zijn,  zegt de er van in ons, als wortel en vrucht, als .oorzaak en ge-
Heere,  die Almachtige."                                         volg.
     Dat zijn ,de beloften !                                        Door  ,de:n drang dtezer  beloften immers wordt er in
     Dat is Gods Verbond!                                       ons geboren het maehtig verlangen nss:r God, naar den
     Hij wil bij ons  wonen, onder  oils wandelen, als te iijn. En .zoo wordt dan one deel in -Gods verbond,
kinderen ons in Zijn.huis opnemen;tot  ons Iqxeken als sdat we den Heere onzen God liefhebben en vertrouwen
een vriend met zijn vriend. Hij opent Zijn hart  voor eil aanhangen van ganscher harte en met d onze kuia'ch-
ons,  `IH`ij  openlbaart   Zijlille'geheimen  la:an ons, Hij  doet ten, onze.oude  natuur doodlen, de wereld verlaten, en in
ons Zijn liefda smaken, Zijn aangezicht aanschouwlen,            een nieuw godzalig leven wandelen.
Hem  kennen,  zooals wij ook  gekend zijn. Want Gods                Dewijl wij dan deze beloften hebben,-door Gods
Verbond is ,een levende betrekking van eeuwige vriend: deel. . . .  _
&hap, niet  sslechts een  ve&ntenis, verdrag, of,  over-            Zoo  la& ons onszelven reinigen van alle  besmet-
eenkomst. En lals God Zijn V&bond met ons bevestigt, tingen des vleesches en ides geestes, volein,digende  in de
Id,an doet Hij ons ingaan in Zijnetente, opdat we naar v r e e z e   G o d s , -   ens  ,deel.
de mate  `van het  s&epsel Zijn eigen drie-eenig  Ver-              Besmettingen des vleesches en. des geestes.:  dat zijn
.bondslePen  zouden smaken, en d&arm ferkennen, dat ,de de overblijfselen, der zonde in or&, in ons verstand en
Heere  goed is.                                                 in  onzen wil, in de leden van het lichaam.dezes!  doods.
    D e x e   b e l o f t e n !                                  En die  overblijfselen  der zonde, die "besmettingen,"
    Ik zlal in hen, wonen, `en Ik .zal onder hen wandelen ! xwerken nog altijd' na, en  worden  alzoo t`bewegingen
    En  als we  &eze beloften  hebben  ,als! ze ons levend der zonde, ,die in onze Ilaeden-zijn." En als we Gods be-
deel geworden zijn, als  ze in  ens hart  zij,a gegrifd, loften in beginsel bezitten, en wandelen in de levende
zoodat we ze in b,eginsel deelachtig zijn, .en in `beginsel hope op de uiteindelijke vervulling dezer beloften, in Idle
Gods  verborgen omgang gevonden hebben, en zoodat begeerte naar God, om Hem te  zien  ten Zijne liefelijk-
we  on&r den  :&rang dezer beloften met  v,erlangen   uit- heden te.  laansohouwen  in Zijnen tempel; en we ver-
zien  .naar  `,de  `vervullinlg  er- van, de  uit,eindelijke   very staan, dat  zonder de heiligmaking niemand den Heere
vulling,  dla,n is het voorwerp onzer  hobe, ja,  we1 een       zilen  .kan,  Id!an  worden ons  ,die bewegingen der zonde       i
sohoone  hemel, een  rijhe woning, eene nieuwe  scbep-          in onze  leden tot smart en  ,rouw, en dan  hat,en we  ze
ping, zonder doorn of distel, zonder  zonlde en dood, met een. volkomenen  haat ; maar dan nemen ze ens tech
zonder  rouw of gekrijt,  zonder  lijlden  ,en smart; maar dikwijls nog gevangen, verleiden ze ens, geven we onis-.
dan concentreert  zich tech al die praoht en heer&ijkheid,      zelven  aan haar over, vliggen we ten onder. . . ._
al Id!& rijkdom en schoonheid, al dat geluk en die zalig-           En daarom hebben we altijd `weer behoefte aan het
heid,  .in ,den levenden God Zelf. . . .                        Woord  `Gods,  rdlat  0,178 toeroept: Laat ons onszelven
    Dan is die schoone  hemel een Vaderlhuis, een tralber- r.einilgen !
nakel Gods bij de menschen!                                         En, och neen, dat wil niet zeggen, .dat wij -oak maar
    Dan  zingen we, door den innerlijken  Idrang dezer &en  smletje der  zonde van onze natuur kunnen  afwas-
beloften, die `we hebben, gedreven :                            schen, of  dat wij met den Heere  meewerken tot onze
                                                                geestelijke  h&l&making. Onze  mnerlijke  vernieuwing
             `t  Hijgend  hert,  die  jacht  ontkomen,.         is Gods deel in Zijn  verbond!.  En bovendien gaat die
             Schreeuwt niet sterker naar `t genot,              oude natuur immens. met ons mee naar het graf !
            Van de  frissehe  waterstrooinen,                       Maar het wil we1 zeggen, dat we "onze, oude natuur
             Dan mijn ziel verlangt :nala:r God!                 dooden," dat une den ouden mensoh afleggen, Idat we de
             Ja, mijn ziel do& naar den Heer ;                  zonde  haten en vlieden, de  ,wereld verlaten, en in  ,een
            Gold  sdes levens ! ach, wanneer,                   nieuw, godzalig leven wanid!elen.
            Zal ik naad'ren  voor Uw oogen,                         tHet  wil  wea zeggen, dat we Gods deel, de  heili,g-
             In Uw huis Uw naam  verhoo.gen?                    making, VOLeindigen, en vol-EINDIGEN, door in ons
    Dewiijl wij `darn, deze- hel,often hebben.             1    leven tot openbaring te brengen, wat God  ,de  Heilige
 Deze  b e l o f t e n !                                         Geest.in  ons  wferkt. Werkt uws zelfs zaligheid; want
                                                                `eGcd is het, Die iln u werkt!
                                                    :
                             -                                      In de waarachtige  vreeze Gods, het verlangen om
    Gods  gdeel. . .  .ons  deel!                               Hem ,welbehagelijk  te zijn !
    Ja, dan  i@ het  `we1 duidelijk, dat  ldeze twee  onaf-         Soli  D e o   Gl'oria!
scheidelijk  -aan  elkander zijn  verbonden.                                                                   H .   H;
    Verbonden,' ja, als  welldaad en  verpliclitmg,   maar
Id!a:n als verplichting,,die  liefdedienstis &word&. Ver-
bonfden als onweerstandelijke genade en de openbaring               Zie toe, dat gij niet  wanhopi,g  wordt.  W,a.nhnnn.
levenden  God, de beg&&e oak, om Hem welbehagelijk- is  een gruwelijke  zo&e.  Zij  malakt God tot leugenaar.


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         .



          52 .                                                                                                               T H E   S'TANDARD  - B E A R E R ,
                                                                        I

                                                  1~eStandu.rd&arer                                                                                                                                        -.  EDI!l?O~IALS
                             Semi-Monthly, except Monthly  in July and A&St                                                                                                             '
                                                                                     Published by`.                                                                                                                                                      I
                                         Thi!  Reformed Free Publishing Association                                                                                                . .
                                                              1463 Ardmore Street, S.. E.                                                                                                                     The Liberated. Churches
                                                            EDITOR  - Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                                                             In `P'h6 NetherPads
               Contributing Editors:-Rev. G. M, ,Ophs!pff,  Rev. G. Vols, Rev.                                                                                                                        In our  disc&sion  ,`,of the decisions of  the&  Syr-od
               R. Veldman, Rev. H. Veldman, Rev. H. De W.olf,,Rev. B. .Kok,
               Rev. J. D. De Jong, Rev. A. Petter, Rev. C. Hanko, R&. L.                                                                                                                            of  khe Reformed Churches of  the Netherlands, we will,
             Vermeer, Rev. G. Lubbers, Rev. M. Gritters, Rev.`J. A. Hseys;                                                                                                                          for $he moment; pass by those that concern the problem
_.           Rev; W. Hofman.                                                                                                                                                                        of "common grace", .in order to focus our attention at
                  ComximnIcatioes  relative to contents should be addressed                                                                                                                         once upon the declarations concerning the doctrine of
            to REV. II. HOXKSEMA,  1139 Franklin St., S. E., Grand                                                                                                                                  the  cobenant of  ,grace.
         ~ Rapids, Michigan.  _                                                                                          `
                                                                                                                            .                                                                           We do this,. not because we are,  not. vitally  in-
                  Ccommunications  relatjve to subscription should be addressed                                                                                                                     lterested  in the former, but because they received little
           to MR. GERRIT PIPE, 1463 Ardmore.St.,  S; E., Grand' Rapids,                                                                                                                             attention in the Netherlands  ; while the latter became
,           Michigan. All dnnouncements,  and Obituaries must be -sent                                                                                                                             -the bone of contention, and the cause of the dissem:ion
            \`o the above address and will not be plac-ed  unless the regular
            fee of $1.00 actiompanies  the notice.                                                                                                                                                  and schism.
                                                                                                                                                                                                        Let us consider these ,decisians point by point.
                                                 (Subscription price  $2.50 per year)
         `Enterid   a> Second Class mail at Grand Rapids,                                                                                                                                               The first  po,int  Ideclares:
                                                                                                                                                              Michigan.
                                                                                                                                                                                                              "T,he.covenant qf grace. is of su,ch funda-
                                                                                                                                                                                                         me.ntal  silgnificance  -for  the  lif,e of faith that
                                                                                                                                                                                                         the preaching as well as1 all-other wo& ,of the
                                                                                  CONTENTS                                                                                                               ,Chur& must proceed from it,  ,ahd  that, in
                                                                                                                                                                                                         presenta,tion or practice, `everything .must be
          MEDLTATION   -'                                                                              -                                                               -.                               -avoided that minimizes the  significamoe of
          DEZE -BELOFTEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  ..a.. 49                              God's covenant."
                             Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                                                                                           Nolw,  th&e  ,will be few, if  tiny, Reformed be-
- - .                                                                                                                                                                           --                  lievers- that will  ,deny the truth of this statement;
          EDITO&IALS                                                         -                               :                      -                                                               Nor is there any  difgerence of opinion on this score
          THE LIBERATED CHURCtiES  IN THE NETHERLANDS..52                                                                                                                                           between. the  "slynoldical~' churches of  the Netherlands
          EXPOSITION OF `THE HEIDELB&G C&TECHISM . . . . . . . ...55                                                                                                                                and the  "li$berated"  chuutches. The fact  t&Q  it; is
                                                                                                                                                                                                    exactl_y  ,on the doctrine concerning the  convenant  that
                     Rev. H .Hoeksema                                                                                                                                                               the controversy  s&here hinges, and that it is because of
          THsE  CHANIGE IN PUBLIC WORSIiIP IN THE NICENE                                                                                                                                            ,cert,ain declarations made by synod in  regand to that
               AGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..i *.....*.............  i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58      doctrine that many churches dissented! and separated
          THti WAR AGAINST BENJAMIN ..: . . . . . . . ..I. . . ..I..............  . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 themselveq is sufficient proof that both  `sidks agree
                     Rev. G; M. Ophoff                                                           t.                                                                                                that the doctrine of  #the covenant is  importis& for the
                                                                                                                                                                                                    faith and life of the Church.
          iION, DE GEBOORTEPLAATS.  DER VOSLKEREN  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ;63                                                                                                                But notice, too, that no`doctrinal truth is, expressed
           R e v .   G .   VO:~                                                                                                                                                                     in this first  declarati,on   & all.- It speaks about the
          OtiFi  SGH6OL   ISSUE                                                                                                                                                                     signifi'cance  of a  aer;tain  cdoctrine, that  ,of the covenant
                            _                                            . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . T . ..I... . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..i . . . . . . . ..a...................... 65 of grace; it prescribes that it  nidst `have a central,
                  Rev.  H?  ?eldm+n                                                                                                                                                                 fundamental place in the preaching  an& in the  w,ork
          T           H               E                   CONFEREN,CE
                                                                         . . ..*....... **.* .,..,..............,*,*,.....;  . . . . . . . . . . . . *...*,**..... 67                               of  th~e Church; it  warnis against minimizing the  signi-
                     Rev.                     WI Hoffman .                                                            _~                                                                           rficanlce  09 -this doctrine ; but it  ofgers no doctrinal
                                                                                                                                                                                                    definition or declaration.
          FROM' HOLY  `WRIT `-.
                                                                      .,.*..... ..,,,,... `,.,?...,.`..... . . . . . . . . ..*. . . . . . . . . ..*.`..*`.f........ 69                                  I$ expresses no `opinion  concerning the covenant
                    Rev. H. Veldman                                                                                                      .-                                                        of  grace itself;  _  No,definition of any kind is offered.
          -.STEAtiFA&NEBS  AND OUR  YOUNIG  PEQPLE'S   '                                                                                                                                               &&her  do& it  se& to  proceed. from the  -tire-
               BOGIETY ,,,,.........*..........,..............,.........................  . . . . ..1.....1....1....
                                                                                                                                                                                        71          supposition  thrut there is general agreement on this
                                                                                                                                                                                                    moist fundamental .point.
                    Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                                                                                                    And in view. of the fact that this. statement is
          __ _.._                ._... ..- _. _.. . ..-. -.-                                     .~. .                                                                                            rather. a practical exhortation to the  Rleformed
                      .                                                                                           i.                      `
                                                                                                                                                 .


                  :
  -.                                    TH@  STANDARD  BEARER                                                                                    53,
                                                                                                                          .-.

 Churches represented by the synod to hol!d the doctrine                                                                              .
                                                                    with `the one  ,only baptism' th&y have  -o&e.  re,ceived;
 ,of the` covenant of grace, in esteem, the presulpposition         and morever condemn the baptism  of  the. infants;
 ,on which it is bas,ed would necessarily have to be that whom we believe oulght to be baptized and sealed with
 the1 `doctrine of  .the covenant  o,f  lgrace  ia an  aclcepted    the sign of the covenant". . .*. Here, again, the idrocltrine
 dogma, defined in the  .Reformed"Comfessions.                      of the covenant is mentioned,  ai:ld that, too, in con-
  ~This appears to have been the tacit assumption on nection with infant baptism; but just  tvh%t' is meant                                                        -
 the  pa,rt of  the synod, all the  mo.re,  beea@& also the by -the covenant is not expressed. -                                                 :
 subsequent points adopted under thia head  fail to de-                 And the  sam,e.`is, true of the Canons of  Dondreehtht;
 fine `the `doctrine of the covenant.            -     '            Here once  m.ore the covenant is mentioned  in.  `%~a-
 &d let me add that  -this' lack of  ldiefinition of nection with- the salvation of infants in the sev&teenth -
                                                                                                                                                 _..
 the covenant itself also characterized the free dis- articl,e of the first head of doctrine as follows:  I`Since
 cussions on this point prior to 1939  in. papers :and we are to judge of the will of God  from'His  ..Wor3;
 p&mphlets.                                                         which  testifielsl  thlat the  chilldren   ,of believers are  holy':
         There  was! a good deal  ,of discussion and  contro- not
- versy centering  around this  d'octrine. But tbe dis- I                by nature, but in virtue of the  covena& of' grace;
                                                                    godly.parents   ,have 60 reason to doubt of the election
 cussion always concerned itself---with see-ondary ques- and salvation of their children, whom it pleaseth' God
 tions, questions that can  -really- be  successfully to call  .out of  #this-  lif'e in their  infan-y." It might  ,be
-answered only la.fter the idea and meaning of the cove-            possible, perhaps,, from this statement to  deduCe an
 nant have been definitely established. The questions answer to the question  just what our fathers  under:
 concerned,  nbt the covenant; but  rat.her the "parts? stood by the assertion that the  ..children  of believers
 or "parties" in the covenant; the seed of the covenant, are holy,  anld "sanctified in  Chirst," in view of the
 the problem as to  ,who are in' the covenant. The  `disk fact than on this  ,hol&ess they base the  !assertion that
 cussion  usually concentrated  arounmd  th'e Form  ~for the we have  :no reason to doubt their  .election and  sal-
 Administration of  .Baptism to the little  chiltdren of vat+. But here, too, a definition of the covenant                                                              .
 believers, and around the question. concerning the is, wholly wanting.
 ground of infant baptism, and the spiritual state and As-far  las the Reformed Confessions are, concerned;
 condition of the  .b,aptized infants. Is the covenant therefore,  we may  slay that they mention' the doctrine
 e:ltablishled only with the elect, or with Abraham,  anld of the covenant,  usual1.y in  connecltion  with infant                                                 .
 all his seed? Are the children baptized  ,on the  Isis baptism and the. question  orf! the  &&&ion of  the
 of their presupposed regeneration, or- on the  ba& of children of believers ;  `but it cannot be maintained
the promise of the covenant? Ever sinoe 1892, when that there is an  .offiacially  .established   {dogma  of. the
 the churches of the  "Afscheiding"  -and- those. of the covenant.                                                                                      .-
 "Doleantie"  slynodicall)y united, and especially  ,agaiin           The Netherland  Synod,.therefore, would have done
 in the-years immediately .pnece:ding i939 and the synod well to have  ,defined this  Idoctrine, before it made any
 of Sneek, these questions were being warmly  idis- declaration  lconcerning  its  imiplcrtai~ce,  and issued an
 cussed. But always it was tacitly assumed that the exhortation to all the churches to the effect that  thi+
 doctrine of the doctrine was well 8etiablishe.d, and was doctrine must be given a central place in the  `preaching -
 in no need of further definition.                                  and -activity of the Church.-
  ~ I consider this a  f.un&amental error.                              This is all the more urgent, in view  ,of"the fact.
        .  Ear it simply is not true that there  is. an o-fihcially that such a doctrine  las "the covenant of works" is
 established and adopted doctrine of the- `covenant, for- not even mentioned- in the Reformed Standards;                                                      -
 mulated in the "Three Forms of  unity," the Heidel-                    Fact is that this doctrine belongs, dogmenhistori-.
 berg Catechism,  .the Netherland Confession,  arid the ca!lly, to a period subsequent to the period- when- our
 Canons of  Dond%echt.                                              confessiqns  w e r e   f o r m u l a t e d .                 -
         As to the Heidelberg Catechism, it  m.entions the              Not until the Westminster Confession w&s, composed
 co,venant  #of  ,grace in `answer 74,  .wherei it states that and adoptel8,. Le. in the middle of the seventeenth. ccen-
 infants "as ,wel#l  as the' adult are included in the cove- tury, do we find mention, officially,' of  thie  %oven&t
 nant and -church of God" ; and in  laJnswler 82,  w!hi.ch          of works."
 denies that  ;Dhe table of the Lord is  t.o be opened to               The covenant  ideas `was applied, first, to the re-
 those who "by confession- ,anld! life declare themselves1 liaition between God  -and  III&S people in Christ; and,                                                _
 unbelievi.ng  and  unsgodly,"  becauee  "by this,, the cove- considerably later, to the  relati,on   betw(een  Go& and
 nant of God would `be pr.ofaned." These : expressions Adam in the  state  $of rectitude. .                                                ..                           X
 again do, indeed,, presuppose  Ia. doctrine of the cove-            - Our  Confe&ons, do  not. speak of it, nor -even                                             ~
 nant,. but they do in no wise.  Idefine it.  ."  :                 s u g g e s t   i t .                                                  ,.
        U-The Netherland Confession declares that "we  ,de--           -An16 this  is1  -all  ihe more striking, because our
 test  :the error of the Anabaptists, who are  not content R)efor?ned  -fathers, from  th'e time when  thesle confess-


                                                                                                                .
   54                                      THE  .STANDARD  BEARER

 ions were' adopted were, Igenerally sipeak,ing, Greatian- make  `a covenant is an act of  frienldship.  Heyns finds
 ists. They believed that each individual soul is se- the essence 6f the. covenant in the `promise -"I will abe
 parately created in  (every individual  chilld that is born. your God". Besides, there ti difference of opinion with
 1.t would seem, then, that they were in sore need of regard to the question  ,whether we should speak of
 tlie doctrine of "the  oovenant of works," according to            "parts', or -of.  `@arti&" in the covenant; whether the
 which Adam was the federal head of the, centire human covenant is  .established  with Christ,  yvilth the elect,
 race, in order to explain the doctrine of original  slin with "Abraham and his seed," or with the `(offend-
 and guilt.                                                         ing sinner", whether the covenant is unilateral, bi-
         But what an important place this `(doctrine of lateral, or both ; and whether the  p&urn  sa&&s is
 the covenant of works,' is  given. in present day- Re- to be  ,identif(ied with the covenant of grace or to be
 formed preaching  anId teaching! It is clearly  and.l&e- considered as its basis in eternity.
 (finitely described. It is  .said  .t.o- consist in a promise,        In the light of all this, there is a Igood Ideal of room
 a condition,  .and a penalty : the  .pr,omise was eternal          for  thle  qnes$on: just what did the  ,Synod of 1942
 life,  th'e  ,condi&,ion was  .obedience to  thie probationary mean  .when it exhorted  Iall the churches to give the
 command; the penalty ,death. When the-synod of 1942 "covenant of grace" a central place in the preaching
 in the Netherlands exhorted -the churches to  .givle a and work  #of the Church, and  warn& against mini-
 central, place to the covenant `of grace in the teaching mizing this important truth?
 and work of the Chuaeh, did it also have, in mind this                Bef,ore they proceeded to express themselves on
 lclosely related theory of "the  ,covenant of works?" secondary questions that are related to the doctrine
 If  .so, what right did  .it have to  elevate  .this  extra-       of the covenant,  the  del,egates to synod should have
 ,confessional   theory to .a  do,gma'?  .But it,  ,evidently,      faced this question aquarely.
 did  no such thing. It. considered it lslufficient to speak
 of the  %ovenant of grace" -as if this were  Ia* clearly              Not, .indeed, as if it is my opinion that they should
 ,defined land  offi.cially- adopted dogma.                         have given a definite answer to the question. Even
         More `elaborately, as might  b'e  expected,  our Form if they  coubcl have reached agreement on  thilsl point
 6or the -Administration of Baptism speaks of the among themselves, they would, by offering an official,
covenant of grace. It describes it as "an eternal  ,cove- synodical. interpretation of the doctrine of the cove-
 nant  #of  Ig&ce,,, emphasizes that "in all covenants, nant,  `only have imposed another opinion on the
 there ar,e contained two parts,". and defines our "part" churches.
 in the  `covenant as an obligation "unto new  obedience,~             And we have enough  ofrficial~ "opinions".  -
 namely that we  cleave to  th,is one God,  Fat,her, Son,              Our Reformed Standards are sufficient as a basis
 an;d  Eoly Ghost; that  wle trust in him, and love  .him           of unity for the Reformed, churches. We arc  ia no
  with all  our. hearts, with  all. our souls, with all our need of  `?i?hree  Point&' or other official declarations
 mind, and  ,with. all our strength ; that we  fors&e the by  hierarchial. `synods. They limit one's freedom
 world, crucify our old nature,  ,and walk in a  .new and within the Confession too m&h, and cause dissension
  holy life" ; rdieclares that we -must' never  deepair of an&schism. 1924 here, and 1942' in the  Netherlan~ds
  God's mercy if we should fall into sin,  .nor,  contin:ue are glaring illustrations of this  .fact.
 therein, "sin'ce  ,baptism  is a seal and undoubted testi-             No, but the Synod of -1942 in the Netherlands should
 mony that we have an  et.ernal covenant of grace with ha1.e confronted this fundamentai question concerning
  God." And it teaches us that children  .are entitled to           the  idela of the covenant,  in  order that their  eyes.
 the sign and sleal of baptism `las. heirs of the kingdom m'ight have been opened to  the,  t&et that they" were
 of God and of his-covena&."                                        not  pr,epared to  .make. any (definite declarations on
         All this is, indeed, important. And yet, even here, this  .point whatsoever, and  that they could far better,
it is not stated just what is meant by the idea of the and much more safely, to'be sure,. Ias the outcome has
  covenant  ,of gna$oe.       ,                                     proved, leave the matter to the free discussion by
         Nor can it be said that there is  .perfect agreement theologians and  .laymen,. for  a  ,long time to  <come.
  among Reformed theologians on the  idoctrine  of the                I most -definitely cannot agree with the  .covenant
  covenant.                                           0             view now presented. and strongly emphasized by the
         Usually, it is true, it is described, as Ian ."agreement," "liberated" churches.
 or as a "pact,`. Generally, the  lcovenant  is  .not  con-            -Nor-do I  !agree with the  `Conclusilons  of  Utre&t"
 sidsered :as an end in itself; but as la. way .of -sal,vation, .or with the  irdeolarations  -made  .by the Netherland
 a means to tan end. Yet,`eaen o~nthis  point they do not           Synod of `1942.
all speak the same language. -`Some call it -`an agree-                But I deplore. that -they had. the courage to make
 ment, ,others  an ,alliance, still #others la way of salvation.    any #doctrinal declarations,- or .express ~official synodioal
 Bavinck, in -a oertain piace, is bold. to call the covenant "opinions".  about matters that  weae not ripe for such
 thle very essence .of religion.  Kuyper declares that to .ddgmatical  decisions.


                                                                                                                .


                                          THE STANDARD  -BEARER

    In my  ,opinio.n, the  .Netherland Synod acted very secondly, ask and answer the -question : Who is He
 rashly in this matter.                                          that. was raised from the dead  son the third day?
     And this opinion is -based, not only on the ground              In answer to the first question, concerning the
 that matters were not ready  .for a  synodical &cCunz, meaning of the resurrectionj we must insist, first of all,
 but  aklo on  other' grounds.                                    that' it  was!  reaccl. The.  aes,urre:ti,oi? of Christ was
    Howevler, befoae we discuss these, `we must continue resuryectCoin  of the body.  -It  .was not a mere  glorifi-
 our consi~.deration `of the doctrinal. decisions .on matters Ication of the,  spirit; nor was  ilt a new creation. The
 relating to  thme covenant of  ,gralce.                         empty. grave, the place where the Lord lay, the linen
                                                H .   Hi         clothes, and the  brie/f resurrection message- from the
                                                                 angel's  mouth,:h,-all these are sufficient evidence of
                                                     _ _         this  t,ruth. ,"He  is.  `not here, rfor he  is risen,"--such
                                                                 ,was  .the -gospel of the resurrection that was  pro-
     The -Triple 3ibMndedge `claim:& by the heavenly messenger to the women that
                                                                 visited the -grave in the  `early  .morning of that  mar-
                                                                 vehous  third  `day. What  .t,ook  plsoe in the  resur-
 An ExpsitiOn Of The Heiddbe& .rect.ion of  C.hrist  ,dare not be divorced  from~ that
                                                                 empty -grave, cannot be correctly explained without
                      Catechism                                  taking cognizance of the fact that the body of  the
                                                                 Lord was  Iin the -grave no more. His body had been
                           . Part Two.                           stored away in the  sepubchre  of Joseph, carefully em-
                   Of Man's  ,Redemption   '           8         balmed, though in haste, wrappe*d in linen .cl,othes ; but
                                                                 on the  t:liird. day it  was there no more,  beCause  He
                    LOBD'S DAY XVII                              was raised. The resurrection of Christ, therefore, was
                                2    .                           bodily resurrection. God's holy  One. did not see  car-
                                                                 ruption in Hades:  H,is body `was  alnatched from the
            The Idea of Christ's Resurrection.                   power of corruption  `ancd  dceath by the resurrection.
    The resurrection of  Jesua' Christ on the third day The human spirit  ,of Christ, which, at the moment.
. is of central significanoe for the economy of salvation.       of His `death, He had committed into the  haads of
     Even in the brief answer of the  IHeidelberg  Cate- the Father,, united with a `very real, even .though alto-
 chism concerning this glorious truth, though it views .gether  idiff,erent  (dirfferent as -to form and  .condition)
 Christ's resurrection- entirely From .the. aspect of our body. Besides, even `though the body,  l&rough  the'
 profit, this is expressed. For-, according  t.o  ,the  Gate- ,wonder of the resurrection,  wa31 changed, it was
 chism, the resurrection is;-prin&ipally,  the victory over,     essentially the-same body in which Be ha'd been cruci-
 the swallowing up of death ; it is the realization of fied, and that had  ,been stored! away in the grave of
 our righteousness,  thle righteousness `of which He Joseph's garden. In  ,other words, the wonder  ,of the
 m.akes us partakers  ; it is  .the power of a new life  fo.r .resurrection  was performed upon that body, in  whlich
 all that are His ; land it is the sure pledge, while it is      our Saviour  ,ha,d walked among us in "the  days of
 the beginning, of our  gloritius resurrection.                  IHi& flesh." That this is true, is evidenced `by the fact
    But to this we may add that  thae resurrection on t,hat the disciples recognized Him when He appeared
 the third  #day is the beginning of the new creation of to' them during those wonderful forty days between
 God, the regeneration of all things; and of the eternal         Hlis  resurreotioD and -ascension ; and, moreover, by
 perfection of  Gord's covenant  ,of friendship, of the the -fact. that He bore-the signs of His suffering and
 tabernacle `of God with men in heavenly glory.                  crucifixion  e;ven in  Hial resurrection body. Not  Ia6
     In the light of  t.he resurrection of our Lord, we resurrection apart from the -grave, and apart  /from
 begin to understand' Go,d's eternal purpose with re- the body, that was  .buried,  does Scripture teach,  ..but
 spect to  ,a11 things.                                          very clearly,  a' resurrection of and in the body. Thus
    For that resurrection has cosmological si&ificance.          we must conceive of  thse reality of the resurrection
     The idea of the resurrection .on  thle. third day is on the third  -day.
 that it is the glorious revelation of the firstborn  .of            On the other  .hand, however, as was mentioned in
 every creature, and  thlat, too,  as the first begotten of the  preoeding chapter, -after  idue emphasis  hmt been
 the  dear& The risen Lord is the image of the invisible given to the reality of the bodily resurrection, it is
.God  in its highest  possiblle, glorious, heavenly neali- no less important that we try to  conoeive,  in as far as
 zation.                                                         this is possible in the  light of Scripture, of the com-
     To understand this tremendous significance of plete "otherness" of the resurrection of our Lord.
 Christ's resurrection, we  -mus%;  `:ffirst `of  all, try to        For  Ch-rist's resurrection is not  ia return to the
 est@lish the. meaning- .of .the resurrection as su,ch ; anid, old: -it  .is  &mething strictly and absolutely new. It


                                                                                                                                          -.
                                                         -
           .                             ,      -
 56             '                              T H E   S T A N D AR.D  B E A R E R
                                                                                       ..
 is the revelation. of the last Adam, of .the s.econd man,               resurrection of Christ, death: is completely swallowed
 the Lord from heaven. It is the  realization.  of  ,the up  gin!  victory, and this  corru,ptible  has put on  in)cor-
 image of  thle  heavemy.                                     `-         rupti,qn,  this mortal `has put  ..on immortality. And in
     . Needless  to. say, the resurrection on the  third day. the Risen One the image of the invisible God has been
 was not  -a. return to us., In the  .incarnation, the Son raised to its highest possible perfection, on the plane
 of God had assumed the l&eness,.of  sQ-&d flesh, though or' heavenly glory. Yet, it is -not superfluous. that it
 without sin. In  t.hat likeness of sinful `flesh, He was be.expressly stated : the risen .Lo?d is not for a moment,
 of the  lea&h earthy, and lived our earthly life, and to  be' compared to the first man Adam,  `even in his
 moved about in  all our earthly. relationships, had state of original righteousness ; nor ,dare it be said that
 earthly neecls, could hunger and thirst and grow weary. Adam  coul~d   have attained to the  state  .of glory that is
 IIe  game. eating and,, drinking. He was born  .a~: a now realized in the resurrection of the Son of God.
 child, increased in stature  an;d  .power of soul and                   &the, contrar.y, -it--is necessary .-t-hat this -be emphat,i-
 body, grew  up as .a child, into  a&oles?ence.and  man- eally stated, in order to prevent the notion that, in
 hood. Moreover, he was subject to suffering, sorrow; the resurrection of  Christ from the dead,  Go,d repaired
 ,death. He `was tempted-in la.11 things! even as we ,are. what. was spoiled an;& marred by the first man Adam;
 Al'1 that the Word of `God teaches us  conceirning that or that through the amazingly deep and marvellous
 wh$h is buried of man at his  Ideath,' is true of Christ way  .ofthe:death and  resurrecion  of the Son of Gad,
 in His human, nature in `"the li,keness of sinful flesh,' :             nothing higher was  atGained than what might have
 "It  `is sown in  corrupti,on,  . . . in  ~clishonour, . . .  .in been  aticomplished  through the first man had  .he only
 weakness, . . . It is sown a r&&al body." But through remained obedient.  -
 the resurrection -He became ,entirely  other. . . All `that                Salvation is no repair work!
 belongs1 to the likeness of sjnfd flesh is removed.. No                    Nor does God devise the awful way of the ,death of
 longer is  .He subject  to..corruption, sorrow, suffering, the Son of Go:d.lwithout a--view to something higher and
. death. And  Hfe is become  immortal, not in the sense. far more  glorious than  ,could possibly have been
 in which  phi180sophy is wont  to. speak of the  "im-. attained' through the first man Adam.
 mortality  ,of the so~ul," but in the far  ,deeper land richer             Through sin and grace, through the-death an'd resur-
 a&se, that  #death  ,has-no more dominion over Him, rection of our Lord Jesus Christ, God realizes His
 that' He has entered into  `:eternal life" ;in the  quahta- counsel. That counsel was not frustrated or thwarted
 tive sense of that Scriptural. term. He is  .above  Ideath. through `the  temptat.ion and fall of the first man in
 Death  car no longer reach Him,. He  is. the  Resur- Paradise. On' the contrary sin' and death are strictly
 recti,on and  the Life, the Living One. But even this subservient to the realization of that counsel.  '
 does not fully describe the wonder of the. res@reotion.                    The first world was;indceed;  good on its own plane,
 For through that resurrection also  the  irnbxge of the .but  it. was not the final realization of the counsel of
 earthly was removed, to. be  replace,d  .by, or changed God with respect to  lall things. And the counsel of
 into. the. image of the heavenly. Christ  .assum&,  .in God will, not be fully realized until the new  heaven&
 His incarnstion, the' image of the .earthy : He was>. of .and  the. new  .:earth  .are formed, the  .N,ew Jerusalem
 the earth earthy  ; but through His- resurrection He Ehail come down out of heaven from God,  an@ the
 became revealed as the Lord from  .heaven ! And  .a11 tabernacle of `God shall be with men ! i
 the apostle  ,writes, in the same  chapter  .hom  whi.oh                    Of that world the risen Lord is the Firstborn ! _
 we quoted above (I Cor. 15  :42ff.), about that  w&h                        The  .resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead
 is raised in the resurrection. of the dead, is true,. first1 is the  nealization~ and revelation  o,f the Firstborn of
 of all, centrally,  principalsly  of Christ:  "It,  iB raised every creature:!                  _ . .            ,,
in  incorulption,  . . .  .I in  _~glory, . .  ,.  ~ . in `power,           T,hat is. the ide.a of Christ's, resurrection.      1
     .  .`. . it is raised  I+ spiritual body."                            We find this  tr.uth most clearly.  an&  .direetly  ,ex-
        But, and it is  nlecessary that this,  ,too, be  sail& .-pressed in that' profomld and marvellous passage of
     Christ's resurrection was not `only no return -to  IHis S,cripture that may be found in the first chapter  of-
 former. state in the  likness .of  .sinful flesh, the  RiseI?- the epistle to the  Colossians, verses fifteen to twenty:
 Lord also far transcends in glory and power the  fir& "W,ho. is the.,image .of the invisible God, the firstborn
 ,man Adam in  .h.is original state of rectitude,, and any of every creature: .For by him wer.e dl things created,
 state that first. man  A,d!am might. have  !adtained, or that are in heaven  ,and that are in earth,  visibl,e and
     might not have attained. From what is sai,d above ,about invisible,  ,wh&her they be. thrones,,  or dominions, or
 the resurrection of  Chr.ist  this is  al&eady.  auffi.ciently principalities, or powers  :' all things. were  cre:ted! by
 evidlent. Adam, *also in his stat.e`oK' rectitude, was of the h$im and for him: And he  ia before all things, and by
     earth-,earthy. Mbreovk, althougkhe was not under the him  all.,~things  consist.  _ And he is the  h,ea.d of the
 actual dominion  of. death, he was  not,  immo&al,  buf body,.. the:church:r..who is the beginning, the first,born
 most ~emphatically ,mqrtal : .he could,.die,  .But with the .
                                        _  ~-  -.  .'                    from the. dead.;. that. in.. all. things he-might heave the'
                                                                    .
i


                                                                                                                                             ,
                                           -THE.JTAN'DAR.D  B E A R E R   -                                                                  57
                                                                                                              .I
  preemj,n&n,ce.~ For it  pleased,:the Father that  tin him torical  ordler  o$ things is: creation, the fall, the  in-
  all  fuln&s should  idwe.11,; `And  having:  mad6  `peace ,&rnation, the  cr'oss,  t$e resurrection, the outpouring'
  through the blood of his cros!~`, by him to relconcile  s.11 ~of the Spirit, the salvlaltion of the church, the iarousia
  things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they  .be and the new heavens and rearth in whi,ch the tabernacle
  things in earth,  02  +hia,gs  iti he&en."                   I       of God shall be  wit.h men.                 ' .
  "  Glorious,  all-embracing  conoeptioll!               .               But just- as Buyely, God'e.coun.sel is supra-Bapsarian.
    .Here is a "world-and-life-view," a truly divine phiI&                What is  last  ia the realization of God's purpose,
  sophy, `if you, please, as  .you could never  expect to is first in order  in the  codnsel of God.
  1;1rise..in   thle heart of man !                                       Wlhen you  b&d a  house, you  Brst  dirg for the
       But here, too,  .you, have a  sapra-lapsarian  pre- `foimdat$on,   -then the foundation is  &id, thereupon the
  skntation of the counsel and ,ebernal puflpos  of God, the euperstrncture. is raised, the  .house is finished land
  equal of which is,  `perhaps, nowhere to be found  i,fi fur&shed ; aed SJastly, you. make it your dwelling place,
  S c r i p t u r e !            I                                     your home. But  w$en  you planned  it, you  .first pur-
  -.  :  .chri& is  the  Fi&tborh   ,of every  cl;eakure, and posed to Jive in a. home, you ,conceiveid  of your needs
  that,  too,...as the Firstborn from the  I$ead, and as  the land comforts, of room for your furniture and utensils,
  Head of +he. Church!                                                 accordingly  jrou  pllanned  your, rooms, their size and
  W h a t   d o e s   i t   mejan?                -                    relative position, the size  of the, house that  woul,d be
      Y,ou  underst&nd  at once, that this  pasrs:age  ,does not requilled,  and, finally, the depth  ansd  strength of the
 speak of the Son  dd  -God in the  dlivine nature, but of founldations   t& must bear  the house  was  pba+ned.
  the incarnated. Son of God. In His divine  nature  He What is first in the realization, was last. in the  iplan,
  iS not born, but  l&ernally  begotten  .of  God'..  Morel land vice versa.                   ._
  over,  ,a11 other attempts to explain this  teti to  the                Thle same is true of God's Counsel.                        ,- :
 contr.ary,,. the phrase *"firstborn of  ,every creature"                 Only,  .you mu& always remember that, when we
  certaihly  r&l&  -Him with  thg creature, and it would speak of order in the eternal purpose of God,  of  first
  be sacrilege to classify the  Son of God as  SIX~J with and last in God's  `cpunsel,  we  are. not,  and!. may  `not
  creation.  B:esi~&s,  &s the Christ He is the image, the think of succession in time. God's counsel does-.-hot
  visibbe  ima,ge, of  $he  invi&ible God,  in.  His divine' `belong to time.' It belongs to  le+erfiity. And  eternity
  nature  .H.e is- the  essential,  person&,  its6lf  in+isi.bEe, ila not time. We  idlo things in the  ,order of time,  fir&t
 bmage'  of, the  Fatber.8  Again,  -Only  .as  the  incarnat.ed one part, then another, until the whole is  finistied.
  Son  of Go< I&! is. the  firs&orn of the `dead, and the              And even in our plans  anjd `purposes  theFe is  tige-
 Hea.>d of the  ,Church..  /Hence,- the Word become  .flesh;           ord&. We conceive, first of  orie  th,ing, then  bf  &n-
 the  He&d of  .the  Church, the  .Risen Christ, is  thie other.. And  `we reason step by step. Not so  wi$h  `the
 fii"stb$n               ,of          every creature!                _ eternal counsel of God. There is no time  orde?, ho
    _. But what does this mean?                                        suocessi,on  of moments in  the- divine decree;  :The de-
   Especially  two  t,ruths are  impli'ed  .in the  noition-elf        creeing  Ga@ is eternal.  A&d the  deepee. of God  .is the
 fin&born. `-First of all, it expresses the idea of priority ,dlecre&ng God. Hence, when we speak of  cirder, of
  in  titie  in relation  tq  the, brethren that follow,  taarid,      first  aed last in the counsel-of God, we  ar$ thinking
 as suich, ,of being the prejpar,er of the way into existence of a logical ,order in and betwken the difrferent moments
 for these brethren ; tinid, secondly, it implies t.he notiori         of the divine  conception  of all  things<. We ask:  wha-t
 of preeminence, of  lo&hip  `over  t.he-  bnethre,n.                  is  purl3ose" and what is means,  wh1a.t has  ,the pre-
      Now,  iti.what   sens? can  this  b& applied to Christ; eminence and what- is subordinate ?                              .:
 and that, too,  .as the  fins&born of the dead?                          In that  sense, the risen Lord is  the Firstborn of
      dei%ainly not in the sense that Christ is the first- `every  creature  !                                .-
 ,born of every creature  -historiaa.lly,   ;in time.  Histori-                                               _                H. H.
                                                                                                         .
  sally, He is not the first but the second man, not. the
 first, but the last  Adam. In  t,ime, Adam is first, and                  _
 ,he  may  be called the firstbbrn of every creature in  -  ~
-  r&latiop to the  (first creation.
      But  .Christ is the  fin&born of  every  creatgre,  of.                    STANDAR,D  BEARER BINDINGS
 all that was formed  ifi  thse-`beginnaing,  and of  all,-that
 ever- exists in time, in  .hkaven  la,& in  ,earth,' angels .            Do  yoti want your  Staaclar,d  .Bearens, bound?  Ilf
 and principalities and powers,  godd and  ,&il,. sin. and so, send in copies  Iwi%h  your name  iti&&&.ly to:
 ,death ; and -of the  1  .everl&ting world of  .the new
 `creation, in the counsel of God, in the divine.  ,coili                       Mr. N. L.  I%odenhouse                    _
         -/
  ception,   will land purpose !                                                  154 Lo& St., N. W.
      .,History  ,&I  infra-lapsarian,  df course. The his-                         G r a n d   R a p i d s ,   M,ichigan               .


 58

                                                                                                                                                                                                     a@tual: sins, c.ornmi~$te& b,&$or~e~3ba$tisni  and, %positively
                                                                                                                                                                                              i.i
  ",                    `".  ,                      /                 `;:,i,-"            . .                         :,            ~          I            _,)      .I       ,i_(
                                                                                                                                                                                                     !a~:  the tieam-gf the ihfulsJolii of a g~ace:..that,:r~stol*e,d
`:,i:`,,                 ,(      T~jgJfZj(3~:~~~~~~.                                                                                            A&IS:.:                       l~:~"s~,f:
                                                                                                                                                                                                     the.  $&ei~2will. -&weakeq&d .in  .A:dati: And i  se$ertil, cer&
           I.           i       i,.         :!            i     j      `,.      ",       .-,      `,!,      :                   .",I                 ,I        1       `!a    :;      !,      j.l

 :_!                                                                                                             .    `    I
                                                                                                                                                                                                     moni&   w,etie i congqcted  "with l$ptisrn~. : The candidate
                                                                                                                                                                                                     was freed from'the-devil .bg ,adj;utiation ; .breathed .updn
                                                                                                                                                                                                     in token of the! communic&c&of. `the- SpiTit ; hiS ..ears
          .,
  .-, .                                                                                                                                                                                              `were: to~~,ce'ci:for.~thk.~;o.rpening. .aE-, his sp+r;itual litider-
                                                                                                                                                                                                     @sadi-ng; $he. eigri!:of the>. cross1 .:-wa$. made `.upon&is
 :*.  J                       I_,  ,;`, ,:  ::                                          !;9"  .,.~i;;-  ; `,I;.  ,i  l`s,,  r,  (  ,-;:'                                                             forehead aniti breast, la:nd tl-&;ma&ed&ini as!thesoldier
 I,,  `I&  matter.  `to  be:z&alt  ,tiiith~"in,thisi.,a~d,  +h~!&l.jo$-' of: &her ,ogoss-:, ,he;:was given: salt,. :a.s ,the emblem: of the
 ,ing e;ss$y: is :the mighty eh`a.nge by ,which %h'e:Christian ,divise,;woL?d.;.: and he ilreceived !a:in.ew n&-r&. :But. -this
 ,llublic ..:wdi;ship;; or icultnpe;`-was, e@$ct&l I in :t!heipe,p$&d wa+`.@ot  .a!l.vi:W$hi ..his .face:., to!wa?d:; thei west;: *: he
 .undel:;, .i consi,der&ion,  .(3;11-5901) 1:: >Th:is .`chang& `!was renounced  Slatan;  isacing  the east, he  votied..  :to.:  be
 .fr,om  sim$city  :to  m8ultipl~+.3ty~   aM  complex&jr.   -&.l~d ifaithful:$p Cllrist;,am~`reo~fess'ed~his faith in the IZune
 from:.  `a  non-sp'endrouslto   8:"splen\d!rous' iagpearahc6. $Gsd.. ). l&q ,was- ;theni :bapti.$ed <arid ."twice i anointed with
 Zhe Eor.mer..vSTas..ef gectedrby! the !inci:etis-e@ the%i!ai-nbe~ the consecrate& oil, whereupon thiei,veil-`tvhi~h~!co~e~ed
 <of Church ,f&i~+ &lld! ;bk dt,hei  fnt&-Ju&&y #of i I~`~&~- his head, in token of his  "spiritulal;  majority;::`was
 .be$ *of c:eustoms `,a;nd:: cepm@ies.I$ :tl& ,i&&-$~`bfi:; j&k q,rnc&$, ,+pc& &e .~ygsj ,@c$&& in ~~w~hi~e !g@qent~y be-
 &a*&:  :in;  &he  .Eegal   as,d  so&l   :p&i;iti.ol$   !of  :  &r&f&&                                                                                                                               speaking.,+?.  st&el,?,f  ,,~eg,qq$iqn,  lpu~rity;;  awl,ifwe-
                                                                                                                                                                                                     I  2  ".I
 ityi ,qvi~th:  Eeferetice: to the: tefiporal power:' $$oth,j :it: 9% .$,qm.., I !T@esq. 1 c,er~qqi~~ c$y i tepded.: $0.; ,~bsqure the
 worthy  *of  tioti,ce, went  hqnd in  hand.`.firit&J  t,;h'e  j-d&                                                                                                                                  TV& ,rre?q$g~ ,qf , ,&p$$q  $qp$ism ;?)T~s .,fo&low& by
VdOpmeht  of  `ch@~hiarac%h$~   `:  -. .,.I  I>  ..)  ,!f'j.,.L.  *iSi(`                                                                                                                             ,qggf iIpy$jqp,: ql+$ +q@s@d  ..in, : ?&q ,!a.qoiqtiqgZof  the
`1, i, In,: the, rt&e,: ~of:! the lrapostle$. pitbslii: :worship  ' ;was fq;r&ggl, k$e9.~psg,, t&e Z,eq,i.and, .@,e:.+reqqt .yvi$h; &he
simQdi.2, .I&$ i several : part~v..wej.7e a$ f&k&g f, "<;I),' :The                                                                                                                                   pg~qqtgd~  @&;.! a&.@ $h$ Isy+g, top 0.Z: &$3~ of ;?3e
 preaching. .sof, the 1 gospel, ,of fwhioh=i-  thte~&$tr`e IW$S !Dtie &qgym,an. .Jhq ~@qs,;sigq+fi~~  x+3, the cMiecr;$tio.Q
 cr&f$d  Snldrrisen`~Y,ist...~  a$  thisip&~it&e;;   Ckr&&&                                                                                                                                          .o$ j UJ~: : ,@o;te i rn'aq 2 $0; -,spi;r$yql; p.~ie&hopd:~ _&cd 6 the
 ~lieachin~,,several-~ex~mpl~s-are~~p~es~l~~~i  in';&ec:A&k                                                                                                                                          c~@$.$catiqi  o~;`Ghe,.;HslJr:!$pirilt  for  .t+:iGhristiaa
 oft  $he:t&&tles;,i   ~he;rEpiiStles::a;I~o,,~re',~~   be  .$&q&cd ~+?i.@.~ (i `: :- >.`, : i _ 1 .`;:. ) - I :, e                                                                                                                            i:.:i A:.lz;:,,. .,,j:.  :: -,j  I"  `.,`;`I;,
 AS  1  ber&om   ~$$-Jsess&j                                                                           to. ! bel.i\ev&s;  :anrJ : `desi@e&J+o                                                        ; : :A& &to :the saqaqmt .d:.t@e Lor,d?s,*Suppen, .in pro:
 perfect; amd! : `edi,fy-,.,the * :cliu~ch: :which.J is 1 the! >bod$ `,df ,cqs `of., tim-e, I it ,became &ra:~form'~d~. int:a the &ctr.ifie
 Christ.  I  `(2)  T.h&ireadin&  of!-portion&   from-&e  S&r@& of $he ,s,acrifice ofi thq,, mnss,, !Accordifig %OI this' ..do&
 ttilr& ww,it.h.  ex@-&job acd :. a&$ication~:  *f (5) I pr&p; tripe,: I the.: bl!ead., of; :Holy ! C,oinmd;$on;' :a$ it :lies~ up&
 iti  its:,-v.arious  lfortis :, 03 i'.!fieti+iion,`~  .in~~gc&s,$i.&:~~&&                                                                                                                           t,he altar, is -a sacrifice,  &ld;:;as~,sucl+:,an,  tinblood~:.+&
 tllan~&~i~g:,  ,!(4).:  &l&gj  i:ytich  : is.;&' ,f-oim O'fg.hgir&yer:                                                                                                                              sition of the at,oning  saCuif&e of i !Ghr,ist by %he, ,p?iest
 45) : .C6n;fession-*of, 2Faith,i .the first: .o'f; w.hich~ was'4,he So~l.~~e~,sa!~~tion;.~~~,itlZe   l&gi  iqql,$&  dea.d,-,so;that
 %,timony `,of ,Peter, , that 1 Je~sas,:.w& the' .Ch&;t,; the \lp:,~.odYj~.Qf: (3-lrristi ils:,$r@y;: ?r$, l@e@&.  bffqeh. qppq
 sob! ofill&~ living. iG~~.`!-469;:  ,~he`,adi4linfsta~i,~n~ :-of:&& @q; altars 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  , ,,*a., `: &rth~..,s,a~3e. time
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 .'    1 F&q .tqq--s&ni$iCqnce
 sac~aments.*4 (71) : Ble+%ing  ,atid `the .E%tiedXctidn:  j Ag w'ill q$! ,$h;% ,,,Jq@,s., &pp,ey ~iqsr-,q .,F$.anq:i pf.. g$s.ce, $9~ ,,t&
 berleeen; ,the',~~l~...~erBmijnyf  leontainedi iin thisliyors'hip                                                                                                                                   F.e$iag .;c$ .K$$& p~o~!ys,.;a~cl:  .f,q: fi&. qt.rengtbenislg
 are:  the'  saci,ameh;t;s of:: bjs:ptibti : .:bnd ! !of: +h@ i.no%d'& of fai3&.q& ;Bls. ,Rv.p& J ~e$il;+:$eh@$., kh& q&fice;
 Supper. It was  thus,-a:wb'rsMp.~ha~:~as  Ular&cte~i;zed y$$@l Is, ,@pd$, ,byi the .@,eg& Jpr.@el .go,qqp chqches
by utrnbst: 3implici6y:  *,&id: .so./ it &tid t;b! `be. ~:F&,i:~th ' the coalgregation. 8 $he:,$@$@, .@-$eqd ,,of i ea@ng &be.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                       ..Ir,Yii  .I,`  1  I
 the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the  ,,iymbdEcal-                                                                                                                                                $o#s. ,@!vppq!, ;-+rq q9r.e .,s;R@J$o~s  ;of .$hi,s ;sq$ficial
typic211 ctiltus  :of the Oeld Testament Dilspenslat,ion  bsd +.ct., I. @d ..+ i $$e g~.~~~S] -l$. this,.lpq~qte$  ,i,ti.novatio,n
 waxed old and  vanishted. away and the church  m.ust
                                       -                                                                                                                                                             sqq dis~co2~~~~b&i,~
                                                                                                                                                                                                             ;`,;:.                   +q ,~rJiQpg+,of $4~ qlqqh Fatheil-s.,
 now serve God in spirit  aa16 in truth.  -And for a  ser- T& yp$iqe ,qS.;t?~e'.~~ap Jwyp, ,thy qmtre q$ ppuk+
vice of this character  God's-  beiieving  peoplme are also ~~~or$l@.  i. j@$,ef.i $hha , qe@qm?pc~ ! ,of ,thc! <erqonies
spiritually qualifted. Yjet in the Nicene age, the church cdnnected   with  it, there  was,,!l~~e.~ti~rl~,f~Eo.r:  ppeaching,
 exchangrt&  ;&ii* Jj$jjjtc$J Y&qjlicitk I&f :fi&-`$~&h~p for                                                                                                                                        .b  .,  Ir,ortkiisliexEessjve~ce,esembny   iMa-%:joined:a  dplendi-ous
a richly colored but- unscriptural multiplicity, in its l:iB~rg&%& I ,eestuXyj! : afl@ ,r_tkre 1 ie$mpl.e . . df .the :jei?riS'h;
i;v'ay "&` ;$~r~ll!iq$ .a& the i &&-lif@, of higH civil r&ars pl$i&&o& $Fhle v;e_stmen:ts; cinr!the.- LatSn church ;*ace
and  a&.  ;i~p,+g  as:  &e~f,@pi$c~fid   hi,eygr&f.  ilr.. .+::. the, Mlolw;ing i,: A ilinep .;cloth.cwhich. .the! prile& I WDFB
            We. may begin here with the sacrament of baptism.                                                                                                                                        about :his necki;i~,~hlte:l~nen,.r~be.;~h~ch hangs frofil
As  to the true  `meaning   of'!b&t&m;j  it:  &srS'$don  .cor- ihe.,neoki (to >tfie $.&e@;fPa Iineti:rgirdle:~$dr  :holdin&&
rupted. Baptism came.  toi!b&+egXrded  ti&tively as place this robe  ; a napkin  f  .whi&.  ch&ngs  [`on;  the,:  jest
the means of the fa@v.eness  ~~o&.o.rQin~l  p sin; and of IaFni  of:`itheL,p&&   ;`!  :a  ,Jimi~..  p&trnenb  hangingz;mfbom


      both. shoulders,;  ,a:  :mass,  ye&me&  $hat~~~~c,ov&:~   t,he the. indestrujctible . temple of God,. th.e d?@ling pl.a&                             -
      whole .. bqcly-; an, overgarment ;of, r costly :mate&l ; `-a of .the. Holy, Trinity, .the paraidise -of the r-~econd..Adamj
      breast@oth., worn .by, bisho~~~a.ni~r,arch-bishops  and #per- the:.bridge from God to man,  :  the- loom of-the incar-
      l,+$ps corresponding $0: th.e.breast-plate , of&he-, Jewish ,i?ation, the.  septre  oif orthodoxy;' through her the
      h&priest ;-.a ~head,,dr,es4s; after th4e type: o&the Je&sh trinty is :glorified, `then: devils -`and ,demons Iare -put to
      mitre. The color of these garments. was at..first  `white flight," the -nations converted, :and the. tf'allen ereat,ure
      but gradually, five  ,cdlors..  Camlel-,.into  -:use;.  :  ;  :'  `,  ; ;raised to  hle~$ven.   In. the  .fifth  :`centdry began the in-
       Then; there is the  exQess`--into  whi,ch,,.the  church vocation:  .of-  iMary  ,-and  from`- that` time `numerous
     began to run with respect  t,o  the,!churcih  year.  `"  The          churches-s  and altars were `-erected `tom her. -Images of
     la.po&olic  church observed  n,o annual -festivals; but in her  .were  .womhi.pped   ,atid  iare  -report&~ to have  pert
      the second century we meet with  th,e general  ob- formed  many,mirades: She was. held to participate in
e     servanlce of Easter  .,andPentecost,~ and in the fourth all-the #power in&heaven and.on earth. In~the Middle ages
     Icentury the Christmas festival was  ad,ded. But  with she became t-he centre of worship and ta'rt and the sym-
     these three feast cycles-  thle  an&& church was not
                              .I__ - -A -. ^_^_ I_ ._.-                    bol of-power and [glory. The gospel narratives certainly
      ~;`t';&--y&y&  Y-&$y c&`~b~yz7~h ~~~~~ju.~.~~~~h~--~~~-~bel give, no support to this : Mariolatry. They even warn
      was  iecr&ed  by:  the_ addition of the feasts  .of Mary, against. it. On, .more than one occasion Christ put her,
      of- the,, aposi&s, of.&&yrs,. and, of. saints.: By- d!egrees in  .a -class ,with all the :other fernAle di:;ciples and sub:
     the number became so large that finally  <every day ordiiQat.ed  the: natural,  .kinship  .of mother and son  :to
      of the :churph ,year bebame   ;sacfed.+o~ the memory of the spiritual  ,kinship of the doing of  the. Will  .of His
     a  particu.llar martyr or  saint.  `Soon these festivals be-          Father.              j-            :
      came  %.&he   occasi.on,   for-. the  : sensual,  .exc~ that         .-" r-This pagan:  :worship- of  Mary' fastened  .itself on
     Icharacteri~~d:!~~~~pagan,feas~~,:s~c~~.si public -para-des; the public worship in B number of "Feitivals  OIP Mary:'
     &&dour &f. dress;' `banquetings,,  and:,drin.king. revels; that ran parallel `with--the festivals' of -the .birth, : re-
     But this abuse of, the festivals ,:did not: go ,unQensure,d.          surrection, and  ascension of. `Christ; There was  (1).
     `Such things,"; says Greg,ory Nazila.nzen! ,`.!-we ,Mll. l,eave
            I  /-.a                                                        T.he Annunciation of ,Mary in ,memory of the announce-
     k.@e .Gr&e@, x&b won&p their gods with the belly.; ment . ..of. the birth. of Christ by the `archangel Gabriel ;
     but _ $;eL'. &ho ., adore the &e&l 1, ko,rd,) .wili: find &r          (2) The  .purifination  ,,of,  IMary commemorating  .the
     ,only s;atis,faction~.  in the .yo$l. a:nd : the: di:vine- lgyv, ,,and purifidation' of. the Virgin forty  ?.ays after the birth
     in the, contemplationi of&e holy :obje+ .of$ our-feast.`! ,of  .,Jesus ;, (3) The :&scension  oil -Mary,. in memory of
     After Pope., Gregory I, .the .Ca$holic. church.  even w,ent what  ,was' believed  ,tb be her translation like  %noch's
     s,o far as : to.:.$ristianize  , @e *, he,athe~~l  forms,! .of. w.or? land.Elijah's.  In the Middle Age -yet other feasts  oP
     ship , a,nd festivals,~  and .,therefore:, m~ust, be. held: ! co: Mary arose;  "2he .-Nativity' of Mary, after  650; the
     @ponsible  ,for  the,,.pagani,zi.ng,, of Christianity, in the Presentation  of, Mar-y; after the ninth century; for
     Middle -age. This doing i :of the ,church la8:counts, -for it,  was.:believed, that after the  :birth  ,of Christ Mary
     many  custo'ms (of,  -,p~agan.  ,origin)  .of. the.,  .`Christmas olpent;.the next `eleven: years in .-the `temple in Iascetic
     season,  1 ilike i .thte giving,.`, of `presents, . . the c lighting- of discipline.;  and1 the feast of the Immaculate.  Coneep-
     candles;  land the  ere,@iqn.  of~~@&&n~~!   trees..  : . r tion,, in. lcommem,oration of what~,was, believed to .have
          To--these "festivals were. joined a ~mulituder of.: s~ib-
                                                              .*  0.       b.een~.the:sinless  c o n c e p t i o n   o f   M a r y .   ,.'  .'  i:
     ordinate feasts,, the  chief of  .-which~  `was the festivals          Asto  the.system:of  saint-worship,  it was  :developed
     of: t,he holy V.ingin: Mary,"revereldl as queen of the army at  theEla:me   itime  with the  worshipt  of Mary.  The,
     of, saints. :,It, may::be granted that the s Gospels- pay to          saints,* selected for worship formed  ;a. peculiar,.  classi
     Mary, a sh&h respect en. aqcount ofTher inner:connect,ion             a  spiritual,-raristoicracy of  the-  &h&h.  All"baptized
     w$h.:,fhe holy mystery.:.of. the Inoarnation of the`Son               and  .converted.  Christians  tiere not called  nsiints and
     of God.: Elizab,eth; greeted; her. as rthe f`m&her ,.of the wonshi-pped  as'. such.  Y,et,. in the  "  `Neti Testament
     Lord"- ,,and: the, angel. as the .Ifhighly favored" an'+.the          Scripturesj  the.expression'sa&t  is used of all true be-
      "blessed `,` among ,.,vomen?:!!;,Z-There -are :!grouads in : .the lievers. . Almost  ; all -the. Catholic saints are of the
     goFpe1 narratives for:.  esteeming~,#her   !,las  .a.  .model  *. of higher `clergyand belong- to the monasti'c  .life.- -At-the
     female. purity,, love;.,an,d, ,piety.,.But  the, Cathoic:  church hea;d:.of :thb?Iass stands Mary: Then come.the-apostles
     especially -after the:middle of-the:fqurth-century,  went anld~evan.ge;lists'  ,who  `were  kUed on  `ac`count of their
     far.beyond  this. The -ffmqther 1 of, the .Lor;d"' was trans- good:  ieonfession,the  martyrs of the' first three  ten-
     formed, -&to.: a- mother. of, God,, queenof t [heaven, an:d tdries;  the patriarchs and  -the- prophets of the Old
     a. &Qessly ;.holy i oo-redeemer: She~was~acquiited   f,irst Testament including : John the ~Baptist;: and lastly the                                  *.
     of factual sin- and~;after~ards~  of original, and :the veni :outstaniding -hermits .and' 4nonks; mi,&onaries,`*theolo-
     era,tion  ,of :Mary &generated intothe~~wonship  of., Mary: .gians; bishops  -an#d in' igeneral; all  tho&e  $&ho  di,stin-
     The-,Alexandrians  : .could+carcely~ find,,;words :-enough guished themselves in virtue,  the.,measure. of  Which                                -
     to describe he~,g~or~;:~,~:h~.pa~~~hei~~o~wn  of. :virginit,y; `was ascetic  selfqclenial,  The'angels,  `:too;. `were  `*or:

                       .


 66.                                    THE'  sTANb.ARD  BEARER`  _

 shipped. It is God's will that his believing people be of the saints are on a  l&%1 with the merits of Christ,
 esteemed and thlat their memory be honored after thefir as a ground for  t,he acceptance of our prayers.
 decease.  Ee, Himself, has them graved in the  .palms            This saint-worship expressed itself -in a  se.ries of
 of his  -hand, and  th'ey are ever before him. In the religious festivals. The  :Most important  sai,nts' days
 first three centuries, Christ was worshipped  an& the are the following:  (1) The-feast-of  PAeter and Paul;
 lsaints loved and honored as disciples of Christ. But in        (2) the  feast  of. John', the apostle and- Evangelist,;
 the Niaene `age, the  chur,ch began to invoke the saints' (3) The feast of Stephen  land of John-the Baptist;
`as our intercessors before the throne of grace.                  (4). The feast of All Saints ;  .(5)  T,h,e: feast of the
 Churches and chapels came to be built over their Arkhangel  M i c h a e l .   _  '
 graves in which people laid their sick that they might                                                         G.  M:O.  -  `..
 be healed  an'd  ,on whose  wallef they  hung:sacred  gifts                                                                           `i
of silver and gold ;  la:nd the graves of the martyrs                                                              _,                  1..`..
 were more  spl'endedly  adorned than the  .palaces  of-                                       -
                                                                                                                          . . . . .

                                                                                          ;


 kmgs .                                                                                                                        ._.

  It is hard to see in this saint  womhip ought but
 the hero-worship of the pagans, a -reintroduction  .of                 TimDAYOFSHADOWS  .:
 p'olythei.sm and  m!onotheism. Nor  need this incite
 wonder. The `great mass- of  membem of  then church                                                                                         . .
                                                                                          . .
- came-fresh from  heathendom without true  conversi,on.                 The War Against Benjamin r'
 Many of them, doubtless, were truly converted but not
 thoronghly so and  Oherefore  clave to their old  notions-          It will `be recalled.  that a .heinous  spin had *been com-
 and  :customs. But the, fault lay not  aloae with the mitted  at Gibeah, Benjamin. A wayfaring Levite .with
 half converted masses of people but with the eminent his  conlcubine had retreated for the night into the
 theologians and preachers of Nicene  land post-Nicene shelter of the home of a ,resident of this ,city. When it
 age as well. The worship of the saints found  vindi- was  ,dark, "sons of wickedness,,  assaulted1 the  (house-
- cation and -encouragement in them. Ephraim  Syrus- and shamefully avowed their; pederastic parposes.
 prayed to the departed saints, in general, i.n this, sense ;    The Levite they' would  `compel to co-operate wit;h"them
 "Remember me, ye heirs of God, ye brethern of Christ,           in committing that lustful abomination at which Paul
pray to the Saviour for me, that I through Christ may strikes in,  R,omans I and that formed the  -curse Of
 !be  adelivered from him  .who  lassauts   me- from day to heathendom.' Sparing `himself, the Levite led  .forth
 day." Gregory of  Mazilanzen addressed to  Athanasiuub          his concubine land the wantons  lwere.  sjatisfied.  They
 who had but recently ~died!, this-prayer : "iLook gracious- abused her all night till  #daybreak' so that she died.
 ly down upon us, and dispose this, `people to be perfect The Levite cut the corpse into. twelve pieces .anld' sent
 worshippers of the perfect Trinity ; and when the times! them in every direction an accompanied by the neces-
 are quiet, preserve  us:when, they are  trou-bled,  re- sary message. The tactics of the' Levite had"& effect.
 move' us,  an'd take us to thee in thy  felllowship." There was a great wave  o'f popular  indlignation.  All
 Chrysostom exhorts his-hearers to beseech the saints were agreed that the criminals should be made to. atone
 for their protection : "For they havle .&eat boldness not for their crime, the result being that  --`!a11 the children
 merely during their life but also after death, yes,              of Israel went forth from Dan to  Bleersheba,  ,with the
 much greater after death. For they now bear the lanld of Gilead unto the  Lord at  Mizpah.   ' The Levite
 stigrnata of Christ, and  ,when they show  these, they also was at hand and told his hideous  story,`-;-The
 can pursuade the King to do anything." Ambrose of people of Israel now took  ,action. 40,000 men  `of%&
 Millan promoted the  w,orship of saints. There is this tribes  mlarched against  Gibeah.  Besides, messengers'
 passage : "May -Peter, who so' successfully. weeps for wlere sent throughout the tribe of Benjamin, who  de-
 himself, weep also for us,, and.t,urn upon us the friend- ,manded to know, "What wickedness is this that is
 ly- look of Christ." "The angels, who are appointed {done am@ng you.".' They  demandedi.   ISI.S was said, that
 to guard us, must be invoked  rfor  us.;  the martyrs, to the Benjamites disown the deed by surrendering
-whom  interceemsion   `we have claim  ,by the pledge of t h e   g u i l t y .   Inst,ead  o f   ..complying  t h e   Benj,amites
-their bodies, must be invoked. They who have wiashed were defiant  ,and prepared for war. Their reactions
 away their sins by their  owin-.blood,  may pray for our show that they were indifferent to' the  orime
 si,ns. For they are martyrs of God, our highpriests, t h a t   h a d   been.  -perpetnated  a t   Gibeah  a n d   t h a t
 spectators of  ,our  &ife and our acts.  W,e  ineed  not  blush .they were  too proud to allow themselves  t,o be
 to use them as intercessors f,or our weakness ; for, they told to' root it `out.  -Rather than hearken unto the
 also Bnew the infirmity of the body when they Igdned voice of their brethern; they. ran-the risk  .of war,
 the  vi,ctory over it." According to Leo the  Great and and  thue shielde!d the .sinner,s in, Gibeah.  As : was re-
 Pope Gregory-the  Gr,eat, the merits and  intercessions          marked; the reaction. of this-tribe,' shows' to `what  a


                                       T-if&+        :s~.-~~Ii`:&.fi'i&            .:&EARER              _       _      --$i

 pass conditions-political, social; and  spiritual&hs!d' ,cou'ding to .@an, they `caused a great pillar ,of -smokd to
 come in the n,ation.                                              rise  ,out  of. the city; such as could, not be mistaken.
     Thi Beniamites had cast  The die fdr war and it This-.OwaS the appointed sign !for the divisions at Baal:
 was war  thlak  th'ey now  had:  W.e  `mui& follow the tamar to join battle with the  pursuidg  Benjamites,
 progress  ,of this  conflict  $.hich  turned  -out-`most  dis-    The latter were ama@d bjr this sudden surge of cou?age
 astrously for the tribes and  `endied   .in the near  exterh on the part-of the adversary. But seeing the pillar  df
-  ,mination  of Benjamin.  The children of Israel went  up smoke,, they understood.  ,They had been tricked.  Ev'il
 to the  ganctuary  to.  tiu$  ,&m&i  `of the Lord.  ThejT         was upon thlem.: Gone `tiari; their will to resist; Turnid&
 wtinted  to  know which  ,of the tribes should  t&e, the their backs `upon the tien of Israel, they -fled Snto th?!
 leasd in this  war against the brother tribe. They re- wilderness, but were overtaken by. the battle: P&Sing-
 ceived' as an answer that  Jud&h  $hoiM go up'. first.            i,n their  dlight through the cities  thS;t laid  in  tlYeir
 So the following mornilnjg the 40,000 encamped against coqrse,  they  w.ere  attalcked  by the  - inhabitants of
 the. city of. Gibeah. The  Benjamites `$ent forth out  ob these cities, who arose and  s)lew the  fugit,iv&-in their
 the  `citj; and in the ensuing battle  killed  and wounded m i d s t .   Thus  w e r e   the-  B,enjamites   indosed   Found
 twenty  two.  thousa.nd  Israelites. That  ,was  a. defeat. about.  N,ot only was  the  hostil,e  l+.rmy at their  he&l&
 ai terrible as it was unexpected. It caused the children but they met with enemies everywhere. Only the wild;
 of Israel to  consilder. They went- up and -wept  beifdre         ertiss offered safety. But before they could arrive
 the Lord until even; asking  couila'el of Him whether: there,  niany of  thIefi  `were cut-off.  .Still the pursuit
they again should  do  <battle with  the Benjamites.' Atid: continued, unrelentlessly. In this way they  w.ere.
 +&in  <they  .receive$ answer that  thiy should.  E;n- (driven until they found themslves  i;n the  qilderness
couraged, they reorganized their  s`cattered' forces `in east  of- Gibe&h.  Alreajdy eighteen thousand. of their'
 the same place, where they. had suffered defeat  `the, twenty six thousand. and  Emeven hundred had  :fialien.
 previous Iday. But once more they w'ere smitten. Wh,en But the thirst for their  blfood  cont,inued  .unabaied.
 the battle was, over, eighte:en#thousand' of their number So, with the  pursufers  still  haad at their heels, they
 lla>  wounded   ,bf dead  upoln the  battt1e field. Humbled turned and fled to a place  cal!ed Gidom,  arri$inff`
 and crestfallen, they again repaired to Bethel, where there with their, ranks reduced by seven thoueaind mpre;
 they spent the day in weeping,  fasting,   ,and offering slain  in the highways. -Still the  carn?ge  `contintied.
 peace and  @burnt  offerings.  Also they asked whether A&in turning upon the  Benjamites!, the  tien of Israel
 the war against  Beniamin   shoyld be continued. "Go. smote theti men and beasts,of every' city, aed all that
 u p , "
       was the Lord's  alllswer,"  jfor  t,oniorrow  I  .will. ea.me to hand. And they set on fire every city they
 deliiler  them into thine  han&d."- The men of Israel came to, ch.  20:21. This notice seems. to imply-  that
 now  maide use of a stratagem. Though the text here ,nearly the whlole tribe of Benjamin-ma,, won-&, `and
 is  a;mbigtious &t places,. the  mia.in features  tif. the  bat- children-was  extertiiiaated,  What lends  suppo& to
 t1.e that now  toGk place stand out clearly. The  Isra,el-, this  vi'ew is the  `n&ice  of the  Ecape of the six  pun-
 ite% posted a  part of their forcesthere  `were iri  alI. dred men, who saved themselves by turning  aed flee-
ten thousand men chosen out  ,of all.  Isya,el-in wait,. ing  & the  wilderws unto  the'rock Rimmon, in which
ioncealed-`in the meadows of  Gibeah for the purpose of they abode four month, and that for this remnant
 &t&king the city by surprise.  &her divisions  openljr -there were no -wives to be had- from their  ow,n tribe.
 marched against  Gibeah as at other  times;  while   s&l1 .It was thus a war amazing in its toll of  life. The
 ot.h&s. took up  la position at  BalLtamar. The  Ben- figures are  thm,& : Israelites 40,030 ;  Beojamibes,
 jatiites,  `.encouraged   :by their former  suCcesses,  went 25,100; Tbtal,  65,130. This number does -note `include
-foi-th to battle, and  th.us left  thir city unprotected. the, sb.in women anid chilcdren of the tribe of Benjamin.
 This  wars  the purpose of the  st&Mgem of the  men of So had the nation been overtaken by a  castastropl-@
 I"srae1. The Benjamites  ,advanoed along two  highways of  the. first magnitude.                       '  -
 -oneleajding  to Bethel, `the other to  "Gi,beah-in-thti-           We  mu& now try and  u.nderstand  this  ..terrible
 field"-and  slew thirty men  with'sutih  ease that they history.  -(The-  tee of the occurrence  `og  these  events!
 said, "They are smitten  befo?e  iis as at the  ifitiit:?'  But. is  In~did?tegl by the notice that "the ark of  the cove-
 they knew not that the reason of their initial success n&t of  God.  was- there-in Bethel-in those days,"
 was, that the men of  IsY;ael~  o?fered.  saamcely any re-. an'd that.  Pl&nehas, the son of Eleazar, the son  otf
 sistance but  volunt$rily  retreated to thereby allure Aaron,  stood  bs&ore- it." Phinehas for  manjr years
 them farther and, farther' away  fr,om the heights and was a contemporary of Joghula:, so that the war against
 the city. When  tke men of  Isliael  rea?hed Ball-tamar, Benjamin  Must have taken place shortly after the
 ihey  came to a- halt  atid  were joined by  t,he other death. of  Joshua-  an,d  ndt long after the-  cess&ion,  bf
 i&ivisions,   .,atiaiting  t h e i r   -coming.  The  -tr?ops:  con- mil$ary operations for the conquest  o?  Cahaan of-
 c&ed  -`in' the meadows tioy rushed upon `the defense- tihicli we read in the second' chapter of the book of
 less city  .and  sm.ote  all..-& inhabitants. Further,  ac- the- >udg&. This is also deducible :.frbm `the- -fact.%hat-


  62                                               T:$E-  &~~:p.  N~Qj&R,:D.:  ,~$$;~  RiE&
   .c A------- -.-- ----.- ---- --.. ...i..-_-_L ____A. a .- ____-__ _-- ..-.....- __._i4 _.__ __-_-______  ~___ _. . . ___ .__~._  __,___.__   _-.-.. .
  the~..~.rk-;w,~.  st$l.:in. l++el .and ,tha;t; &e: exqdq+from                 an&her `, w+r:: tii$h $&el.  T-hey  ,were  ..a--.  conquer@
  @gypt ; ~3s. still -living,.. in the ,-memory., of th.e ,~e~op~e,             people, who kept. themselves to the@&r~ngh$ds,,.pre-
  C$  19  t30.,  rrhat  -&he  .ter$$e  eve&  ,,y.ith.,.whichl.we                par~d$.defe.~d t@i,r -cities:,withi~w~,ose. s@ls~ they, had
  new.&al+the,~  @me, at Gibeah, _ the ,refys;all, 9E. ,B:e,q-                  $ptren&q  the$?s&l.vFs.. `-Thus .$be: tas'kj that., remained $I
  jarnip to root out, the,,e$,! the, Fe.sul&nt War ,~~gaipst the <in?. :an$, Ia:: half tribe:: -east, :p.f ..the: Jordan, .w.as tp
  this  trike  with  .its  _ great, toll  of,  .life. which  ..certainly        p@secu$e,,,$he .coequest, .by freeing. their TeFpe&@e a&
  must  be  .r$g$nd'ed  as ,&vine  judgment  overta$ipg ;#e: !Q,tm,e$s  ;fro+  +$-  remnantq  ,of  .thes,e  $eathe@+tribe&
  ~ati~n-shQu1d.  ba,ve> .taken .p!ace, in 6 that,+elarly. period, I$$  ,,the  .&a$  was  ey+Qed.  I, In  .violatiog of  ;the~  COT-
  may, -at first  gjance, #g,en,deT   ,s.@p@se. <For, it p?as,  t@, man&:  bf  ;,God (Duet.  ?. :  lff)`,  $,he  1  tribes con&&d a
                                                                                -: ,,         _..
  period Y concerning which..it  .is s&l,-. Jo,&. ?4:,3L,. ,anl,' coyepL+@ wSt$ the J~Capa~.niteo~,aed,.  aq$or$ing .to ;t&
 `Jpdg. 3,  :7  .:.  ,.,:`Ahd  $he  peap!e  served  Jehoyah  all*  :  t& &ti~cle~~ j a$`,. tliis.. yoyenant, spayed, $h.$r `lives and_ la:l-
                                                                                  .:.` ; 1
  ~dlays/ of.  JSoshua,.  and  ~11  ;t&e  ,dla.ys  of,  .t.he  .qlders.-&hat    Iq,yed  th?,$  to  cqntinue in' .the  poss&sion of their
  Jehovah,,  -whiph ,  IhF  ;Idid  ,$or  IDrae!.," What is. ,  rn,o,re,         cities  @-I  th'e  `..cbti$$on, that.  t$ey  pry them  tribute:
  the.  &g~pr~estYP8hineh~s-bp,  *whom  &he ,nation,  \xas x&t,, is k&&, ;`!bey' ,co@snecl ,t@r paga:? ., religidn,
 &ad.,+d  .in  : tba$~ ,period;_. :disi&gQ%he$ ,h@seQfLI , .@y and: permi&d th{rn to .F?etinue  in t&e.. publ$ wom:hip
  gqeat ~31. It XVZLS he -w-l;lo. sllew:tjhe,,,~i.nn,ing .&ra+.te; i;n ~f~..tl& @lolf: : WC+ !earn -$ll ; l&S. from $he ,com,plaint
  the :teryi$oryr of ,$Koab and by ,this. act ,s.ti:yed;thre p&ue of-the  :qpgel,  .@  ,the  i&$  cc$tai-nbd  in `the.  seeor&
  from. the&il,dren  of Israel, while he was. zealo.us~f&th.e c$$&$. The: $g$l ,di,& ,not .,a,c$J;s&  the:b, of. j.oining  t&e
  LpFd  ;amoDg  %hem,  ,wihey@fore;::the Lord,  lgrave,him the h$$h+.F:  ~i'~`;`$-$~i  p&$n  w.tir+ip:  $@d* of  mak$g mar-
  cov.e~U .of ;pea,ce, : Mum. -24 :7:$2.In tke wa.r against F!lyges  Yw~~$,,.th~$.  It  -was,. not  ,until  ,@+r  the  passing
  l&&an, by whom Israel&ad been seduced <i&o beathen C$  `fhe<;,$d  getiera,tiofi, that  .t$e'..peqple.  of  Israel  ~fell
  pr#tices,  &`~zv sent virith, the t;hpll.sand of every;tribe                  $6  $ese  orp<s  $r&. Th,a$-  .Israel,  .a$&  conclurclipg
 %$th the, ,holy: &$r;uments,. a_nd with. the, .tyu~pet~ +o                     ?, "yvFn;t"t: ~$$&\$@+ h>eath,F$ for a $img .ref $ned I f ram
  bloti  in,his hand,  .Num;.  31~6. It  wa.s  again:  Ehinehas,                w-~rshQ$@g,   $b,eir  ..ido@  must  ,-be ascribed  .doubtless
  who-1 w-as .~p$ with the &en. .princ$s :by : the- &rib?; : $0 $  lthe.  r,&$+$-$  %fluence'  df  $h'e  :ol,der  generatio;
  @tioniSh   the  two-  and  .a  ,half  .&~ngoydanic-  .-tribes: $!a$ ..$ad ~9: ,Y+ ygolly .,&d. ..out:i                                                 1.
  Thee tribes, we. learn  !  fvpm .  ..Joshg+  *?2,:  bad  built                rT  :$his,,  i$iQrF,  op  t&!, art  ,olf"  $he  &$bes  ,to  comple$e
  $hegse!,vies an-, altla.r, and the -ch>l@en .oIP% &rqel. : t;his <he. , Fpnqllae!$ ., !ofl ,.gan+p yas " a. ,seriqus i of.fenlce and
  side of: the Jpqdan thought ,it was+ntsn.ded.
                                                   / .  _ .  ..I  for Idol?- &me wQU!di V4cco.ynti:, $or :.the I .revelation .of ,I@vine dis-
- trous  -.purposes.   j  They  ,c+me.,  ,$oge,ther  at  $bi!oh,  ,.%nd #e,asyre $&rough the disaster.,.that-  o@rtook.  the .natjon
 t&gght: ,to take:. action, .ag&st ,fthe, suppqsed $nnerS,                      in $: wqs .<with ?enja+n.,  I But. .the ,people #of --IqTae!
  But  $isst thjs  embasgy:Zwas, sent?  :;Thfe-,&dr;ess  w:@h in the .period u.g.der: con,si:derat,ion were censera?&,for
  Phinehas m&tie ..to "the, supposed ,apo,$&es, -yas. in $he still ol&rF~+%sons.. Qqubt@ss fit wasin ihi$ same.peFiod
  spirit  +of  the  .@i.qg.   .c$etermi,nnsd  ,ggain,$  @er&+min.   ;           t&t .$tic+h a&&.dy had, erected his ~.pur$u+ san$uary
        It was .in,that  period ,of religious zeal:gnd covenant                 +pd.nothing w&,;done about&Dan, aswe saw,-founded
  fidelity that the  nation  .`was scourged.  ..by...that  &+s- shor$ly. S ther:eafer, Z an. .idoltr~~ue worship p in ,,;o@hern
 ,tropihic.  war with Benjamiri.. .Why shquld  the-hand  ~of C$GS.?,~:  $ ,o.r$er so& to lose .his ,triabe .copsciqusness,
  God. have rested so heaMy .upon the nation in. such. a ansd  ,,$$e  ,Ype~.pJe  of  Isra&  @ok no  .a.ction. And.  Ben:
 -period,?.  !Che question.  is,.  pertbent in view of  :,  the- jar@: $ef&e.4 .$ `pa$hj the .sir@m8 in Gibeah. After
  fact -.th&, :;zccordi:ng to God's `promise, to.,Zsrael:; n.a- $+d+th   of  Jo@-+.the   natio:..gradualiy  .ceas,ed to
 tiorial  well-being and covenalit fidelity ha,& to go; hand e%@se  fa&.$ .&$@yah ;. Its tirC$ was in $he `armof
                                                                                                                                                   .I
  i.n l hand. But the  -pation  -of this.  .period  -.s&rved-  t2;le flesh, `in -,mili&ry ,powerr "This. aczcountis for the : ces-
  Land la:nd r&aped a; national calamity:- ;Thej only explan- s&ion. orf. ,militaryF gp,er,ations for the; cqqpletion /of the
 ation of this is, that, though lhe.;peorple .of Israel..were                   conquest; of  i  Can?+--  after  the  .,d,eath of Joshua. It
  still  serv$g- the Lord  ,and :vere. not prostrating them- accqu.$,s $or `ihe ;milit@y exp$tion l.of, ,D@q. ?gaigst
  selves before the .shrineF I of Jdols, I t@r ,&arf;s- `yere tka$  ,i.n@ggif$&,   cglony of.  qidonians.  I  .in northern
  not.,rilght with God. The  ,firs,tZ-ehaptere  of  t&.&c& &paan, sI It ,e~pllains the courage: ,Qf. -the .men ,of I+rael
' of the  Jvdges  :beveal  `that  .this was  actually  .the  m:e. to,t,ake  a.etion against, the tribe ,of B.enj@in+ If need
  `&ey,.reveal,".do   ;these, chapters,: ,t&at,  despite:  ,its cqnr be!` they cqu18&oppose .to $enjaminb: ,$%,OOO. and :aprny of
  f ormjty to the.precepts of the law,. the,.nation  :yas lack- 4OO;O~O~  : ,I"$ :ii @lain i &bait .;the .pation ,:deeerved-, ,#@
  ing: :in, true zeal : and, love, &.:;the c&use. of. $&l.~ F.or +$+:,~~T;he   .~,na*i&  ?was: carnal.  ,I&,  $td@n&tion   ..at
 the facts. ,,of- .the,. matter, .,+re$,h+se. `I .T$e .people,,of, I,sr+e! &@n~of;the crime peipetrated  -in, Gibe&h was Gartial:
  of i&e;p.eriod,.oP the.,,waF -with :Benjla.min:,h~rcl ~:.ub,du@ .$$,d., it,,,$ieea.I sgi$Qd &he- men gf .,.@+el' f&,t ,:w?uld
 ~~l,~der,-~~h'e-:~e!eqdership, +f Joshua,,  the : Cana,anit~s,,~.$@~           haye  $yrqetj  t,oF$herflselyes and: :  Tep,ente$.:of  and  .~on+
 is, haSd,so :cyippled:,th,eir  ;milita~y  might ,tl@ Qey,:?-+d f.~~s&t&i~ .o~n,sinsZ.,$+d  .bgfpae-@king, acti,on:~g&&
 .q&her.,l$he: ~c~~ur-~ge  rmo~-:~.the, ,,manTpQ,%er .t~$$ti$.e                 l+nia@n,,-~:t~ey~ first.~~o.u14 $ape, oZ&ed:?&e rec&Fed


                                                                      q
                                                                          j.$
                                                                                g
                                                                                     L&
                                                                                            j.:
                                                                                                 *
                                                                                                      f
                                                                                                        $
                                                                                                             fj
                                                                                                                   k
                                                                                                                         g
                                                                                                                          j6
                                                                                                                                ::
                                                                                                                                &$A
                                                                                                                                        &
                                                                                                                                          d
                                                                                                                                               &                                                 63
        ..-. ?-,_Z 7 _ .._. _.._. :,  __~.___ _5 .i ._.--_ ..__,._ -__._ ._.- ii.---C,----?--.-i--I-`-.~-?-=------.-.-- ._.?~___ _ _ ..~~.i~ _ . . .  .-  _-i ; - =_ -i ,.-
                                                                                                            0
     bjjpnf i ana p&& dff&&f( &j d&&&i' &n~&s&j  : Q& a&,  wie  za;l  &n  bestaan  ?" Daar h&t :&$ ' l$$t ! ..Z&
     th@ytoo `w&r&, uti,-J&Te, ~$i~~,e.i;s-!,$,~  ili-deB$s+ifig;`Ya~  ,tH$$
     j&thre~lyet~~&a~e-j  glel,j@ij~.t~& ,&&."$.&& `jji&$~`of.
     their  `&y$i&ice;' .  But. th@j;i`  h$d "c&..ifi$i&  bf ;tti&  &bG&
     m&t...fd~,:~~$;  w&i: ri~ht&u~-z$a  KM&$ hi&i' s'i~~t.:,;rh~
     si,nners  among  them  were  -&
                                                             ~~
                                                                 .B&
                                                                       j&&
                                                                              it&J~
                                                                                            i.S~~~"-~&
_  their:  frame  of  heart  and  mind:i~~.~~i,ch:t~~~j:com-
     ~~yic~d  ,t~~~* Ian;  Th~~ef~,re': th~",~~~tle3'St   ~fi~~~~,~was
     ti~~,n~d `a~~ii~t;t:  it~~m  !~O itl~~c i 4o;o~o~ of `;~~~i~`~~~,~~~                                                     Ja, ook we1 eeuwige verdoemenis," doch 66k &?wi~6
     case d~s~~bjre,~,"  ddu;n! ? t6: ' tie j g~~~i~,a ! This  J~J+&  thk,  &&d~",$  $r&'  en  &b&&d&  mTjer~&j~i~&'  tbt!  in  ,de
     Lord's   do,ing.  Al~d`  tl~~y;  vi;e;pt;b~fbr~:  `C~~~`:~~rd~`i~~a   hibo~~~,.  ~~~~~eil,!  `.  ~  .`.  .I'  "                                             .'  !        "         "            `I
     &$bi$i&,d burht voffe~i~~$,Z. ,$dd; ~e~,Ge'~~~~i-ili~~~."`.Then                                                   -' :I : Ed `licit eeuwigeI ve~~d~~eiii~,  viol f me :~erw,o;;~~-
     Be  delivera+ Benjamin into their, hand:  IF&  `I&j& ,`l.,  I*  .:~.:  :.  ,,I
                                                                                                                       nen.               !::: < '  /, -.` :    ,;.,.:         F,.'           .:.
     jifiifi,h
                     ,a
                          ,,d
                     1
      _  ._I,  -`..f.  ,.'  I-  ii,.?                                                                                                                                .:`,  ,.  1  I  "ii!,           :
                r..::,
                ?           I  _I  I,`;.:. ):  ,j,"ir  "J  IilL,  :.;I  ii
                                                             !J{.>  :iJ;j!  `,*f(,i;.,.;.,ll  `t',,.:
      t  `! ;;~;  :i ::.:  #'  "_  *`2<`,  ~:  ..I
     -  l-7  ;  ., "`3: <.,.Cj  i  L,:>;>  i.:  ,,.,:  d',)ji. ,>s' _  !,Zil  :."::  1';:  :  ,`.`.                                                                        .,i;  :`,.  I  i  t"*  /,,I.'
                                                                                                       `.  -,.                Die openblaring  van li$de en gen+x&`niar lk'gaarne
      r,,`:  .,  ...,  lsFI'O;N,T,~Fi  ~.`~,~,~,~."~.N.:;~r,l:   "1.  yi6eiin~~.i':~~`a8~~.~kil~~`Go.d~i',  G~d'!bo~~`Zi-cEi"~an;uit

                                                                     .`,I  !  J:`,<.`.I  Jll;  `.! J _ ;.:j.!r,!,..
     >:.,i  /( , !r,: .`." ' :'(:,  ;:..:,  I.;:,  `,I  :il,!,.'  ;  j  ,:'  ..;:,  :  j,!!`.,.;.
         ~.,





'


                                                            - .      .-          _.

   &I!                                         THE  S T A N D A R D - B E A R E R
   "         .                                                                   _"
                                                                                            ._

  Eigen heiligheid.                                                   ge&ten zou zijn, is er voor U bereid, dat Jezus in Uw
    --Het wil  z&&en, dat ge het  `g&&t bekijken  ktint ! h& .ga,at:wonen. In plaats &n dat ge zoudt ,beg&ren,
e.  Aan het einde (onmogelijke idee i hoe -~a1 er ooit een zondilglijk   begeeren, het  kwade en het  verfoeilijike,   ~$1
  einde  komen  asn de arbeid van het  besrchouw,efi  van  - .-de Geest van  Christus er voor iorgen,  `dat  ge  gaat
  Sion?) aan-het einde zult ge zeggen: alles dan dit Sion verlangen  na1a.r God ! Is er iets, dat  lieflijker  ils' dan
  is heilig, dat  ilsb  afgezonderd van  .het  j<wade en toe- het h&k&en  aaslr .God?.
 ge@eild aan God, aan de Heilige God. Alles,is schoon,                     Hleerlijke  dingen !                   -
  lieflijh,  bevallilg,  schitteren'd  schoon, en aantrekkelijk            Wat is  bet  eigenlijk?  Vertaal het  bovengenoe:mde
  ip  Sian.!                                                         i`n theologische klanken en dan iijn Idie hee;li j!ke ding&
          En vanwege  ~fde  f&x& die ik U boven aanhaalde, ,dit:  ,d,e trouw van God, Zijn  liefde en genade,  Zijn
  blikt de Heere met  ongekeade  li8de neer  ,op dit Zijn gaarllie  vergeven,  Zijn,ha,rt  voor  U.!
  Sian. Het wil  ze,ggen,  .dat de. Heere  gea.rne  $e  aard,e-            Zeer heerlijke  dingen  worden  v~l'il' U gesproken, o
  aanraakt.  l&j  bemint de  poorten van dit Sion meer                                                 .-
                                                                     s t a d   G o d s !
  `da3  all-e  .woningeq Jakobs. Hij mag gaarne  neerzien                  R,oept- hei Selah er ,over uit : we &eted mediteerend
  op U die dit leest. Hij heeft gendt van al I& woningeq rusten  van. het aanschouwen  iall.  zoovee4  schbo&!
  Jakobs. Waar  oak  Zijn  .volk  to! aanzijn komt,  daa? Selah, mijn hart, zwijg .s%il in groote bewonde&ng!
  wdolit   de  !iefde- Gods. Evenwel, de Heere  bemint de                  Zeer  ,heerlijke   dingen!
  openbaring  vati Zijh Zoon  aan het  vr&eselij.ke  K&s
                                                            _a             Vertaalt het  in de  ta.al der  @elschisdenis en ge zult
  bo%n U             alleen. .      _     :      *                   het met mij zien: Rahab  keat God! Is het niet  beer-
          0, we  iullen  dit  vreemde  `vers beter begrijpen  .in    l i j k ?   .=..
  Id-en hemel.                                              -        `.    Rahab beteekent : de trotsche, de hoovaardige. His-
          In den  hemel is alles  geco&%ntreerd  om het Lam. torises  `is  h e t   E g y p t e .
  Dat Lam is in het midden van ,den'troon. Exi  die  Drie-                 Welnu: de heerlijk'h&d! van Gods werk alp Golgot& -
  eenige  Go.d ziti op dien. troon. Dus ii3 (dat Lam h$ bin-. is  edit :  tde hoovaardige en trotsche  zdndaren  hebben
  lie&e van God.; dnat Lam is Zijn hart. Nooit te voren zich tot  .God  gewtied  en zijn voor Hem  neer$eva.llen,
  heeft God  Zich  266 schoon en  lieflijk  geopenbaard als  _ al  zingende :. `t  IHijgend  hert  dir  jacht  bntkomen
  toen Hij Zijn hart liet  ,zien in den  blocidenden,   lijden- schreeuwt  niet  sterkend naar `t  genot- van de  frische!
  (den  eri stervenden Christus.                                     waterstroomen, dan  ,onze ziel verlangt  naar God!  .Zij
    Hij  bemint  .de  pool%en   v& Sion boven alle  wonin: kennen Gold. Eil  .het in .liefde kennen va'n God  isI dat
  lgen  Jokabs.                                                      :ge U  met alles  w!a.t ge hebt heeriwendt tot  He$]tiej
          We zi6n er iets .van.                                      grdot  verlangen.                                 I  '
  - Ja, o ja, "zeer  heeelijke  Idlingen  worden van U  `ge-               Heeplijk, :want bet is- ,de trekkting va.n God die-Zijn
  sproken, o  &ad  Gods'!  Sela."                     em             voorwerp van eeuwige lliefde vindt en tot Zich buigt.
          Wilt ge iets daarvan hooren?                                     Doch we zullen ook vermelden van Babei.
          Luistert dan  rraar  de stamelende,  brekende  &em - Babel is de  werelId,, het  wereldgezinde. hart, de
  van UIW eigen'hart, het we.lk een echo is, ge&k$  door mensch maa,kt van ,den tegenwoordige tijd en .de ldingen
  den  Gee@ van Christus, van  bet' Woord,  bet,  heilig van de la.arde, 10s van God.
  Wsoord van Gbd.  Ltiistert naar  ,de klankem die het                     Do& het van God  gekende Babel,  Jrucht  v&n de
  Kruis van Golgotha U aanbrengen, U  ra.anvoeren door verkiezing. tot  zaligheild',  wendt  zich tot God  len wordt
  de wind  daa' Heiligen Geestes, en ge zult een muziek behouden.
  hooren  tdie hemelsch is.  Ziet naar de  tafereelen van                  En-zoo vergaat het  *de  Filistijn, de  Tyri@r en den
  de Hoofdschedelplaats, en ge zult jubelen:. Hier weidt ' M                o          o    r     .          I
  mijn ziel met een verwonderend hog !                               -. De Filistijn is de wreede vijand van Gods  arm6
          Zeer  heerlijke  dingen! komt  aan,  1aa.t er ons iets volk.           D,oI& het van God beminde  Fiaistia zal  zich
  van zeggen.                                                        buigen voor Hem neer en I8a.n zullen ze het den anderen
          Die  .stad  f&tert mij toe in  d+qen  nacht van Tan Zijn koninkrijk vertellen: we hebben Hem` lief.
  schrijend  verdriet:  Uwe  zond,en, die de  he1  vlevtdiend              .De Tyrigr is d& ingezetbne van' koophandel, nijoer-
hebben,  zijn geheel.  ei~ al vergeven! Waar gij  elgen-. heid en groot-industrie. Zij. &jn het rijke volk. Doch.
  lijk in verband &et alle goddeloozen en `duivelen  weg zij  ,zullen  ,de  vensmaadheid van  Christus grootere  rijk-
  zoudt  moeten  zinken. in  d'e poel van vuur  en sulfur, dom achten dan al hun ee,rdere schatten. 266 werkt de
  moo&t' ge nu  naar den  hemel.               Engelen  wo$&n U k`racht van Sion en Sion?s God.
  dienaars ; volmaakt rechtvaabdigen  Uw gezellen! God                     En dan die  `aqne Moor die  achteraan komt. Dat
  heeft U lief,`met een eeuwige lilef,de aen daarom w&dt ge is Cham. Dat zijn  ,de dommen,  `de  onopgevoedlen,  de
  getrokken  met %efidekodr.den : het `einde is een plaatns achterlijken. We zien 0, zoo veleti van dat volk in Sion,
  v66r d& troon. Inplaats van  bet-ba.nge  en nare feit, bij het kruis, voor den troon jn den bemel.
 ,dat  Uf hart een woonplaats der  Ndtiivelen  en onreine                  Die arme Moor! Hij  ,wordt  266 ontzettend  ver-


                                                                     .
                                                T H E   -STANDARD  B`EA&ER

   ,acht. Wie wil nu tech met hei onedele te doen hebben?
   Wi& wil omgang hebben met hoeren en tolle&reti,`met
 Icironkaar8ds en  @even, met het geboefte. Wij  gas.?                                   IN HP-s,FEAC
   aiever om met het weldenkendie -de&l!
       Doch Jezus  warrdelde het liefst in het perachte
   Naftali en  Zebulon;.  Hij  vertoefde gaarne bij het meer                           -  silr  School  Issue
   van Galilea. Visschers  waren zijn  gezeljen.  S&&s
   weent een arme, vuile, zondige vrouw. in Simqn's huils,. It's' Necessity-
   D,e schaamte is oorzaak,  d& we niet  66% woord van
   haar in  `den bijbel  hetbben. .&a.ar- Jezus (en  Id&at is  ,de          Our  -own Christian  schobl is necessary, first  oif all,
   Goddelijke kracht  vlafi Sion) draait  Zi.ch om en  glim- :in &he light..of the- history of `,our P.rotestant  Reformed
   lacht tegen een hoer.                                                  Chureh~~+.  We. must remember that the origin of  .the
       .Ja,.  de van-  zoede  zwaste  M/roar  akomt ook  i,n  Sian; latter is inseparably connected  with. the theory of
   Hij mag ook naar den  hemeL                                            C o m m o n   G r a c e .   Y
       Trekt Uw neus niet op voor de  apmen, de minder                        Common. Grace is that theory  .which would  teach
   lbegaafden, de ellendigen, de zondigen, het minder ge- us  that  concord,  a&%em&nt between the church and
   achte in  UIW  ,midden. Veel van dezulken  heeft God the  worl,d is possible in all things earthly  gaa.nd  .civiil;
   liefigehad. Ik  tdenln, dat  atls het er  tip  aan  komt; de It  is-the bridge which  span,s  the gulf which otherwise
_ Heere  zeer veel geprezen zal  worden, als  dezulk@                     exists between. the Church and the world. It-speaks
   66k  binnen komen.                                                     of a restraining operation of the grace of God  upa'n
       En waarom ?                                                        the hearts of men, checking evil and sin; not  only. in
       Het geheim zit hier : `{dez< is aldaar gqbor?Fn !"                 the sphere of their external deportment but also within
       Daar zit alles in. De Rahabiet,  BabelLbewoner, their own  hea.rts and lives.' This theory also speaks
   Filistijn,  Tyri&  en die &me Moor-man  zijti  vJak bij of a positive operation of  ihe;  s$irit of God  upon the
   Golgotha geboren. IHet Bloed, ldiat beter  dingen s;preekt hearts of men rendering them able to  Idlo in things
   dan bet. bleed van Abel, heeift zijn vrucht gehad. Dat civil that which is good before God. The  tlheory  08
   bleed  vaia,gd.e de  trotschheid,  de  wereldgezindbeid, de Commqn-Grace  1a.uds Athens and speaks of the
   wreedheid, de  geldgierigheid  en de  dommighei'd weg. children of darkness -and of the  <world as putting the
   En bracht `daarvoor in de plaats alle Christelijke deugd. children  of the light, the  ckil'dren  of  God, to  shade;
 _ (En  Poor allen heeft dat bloed. vergeving  Ider zonden; it wipes out all lines of  demarca@n  between the
   vrede met God en ingang in het hemelsche Jeruzalem Church and the World ; it nullifies the antithesis,
   gekocht.).                                                             destroys our distinctiveness and  defends, and nurtures
     Als er sprake is van  Sian,  &an  zal God  z,eggen:  Sian a worl'dy-mindedness  which is the death of the church
   is dit :  de%e  en die is  `daarin geboren ! Deze Ien Idie ! of ,God in -the midst of the world.
   In het Hebreeuwsch  staat er : Een man en een man !                        It is because of this  issue. of Common Grace  th!a.t
   En dan wordt van' "$e drie woorden voor  man het we tolclay constitute t;he Protestant Reformed Churches.
   wooed gebruikt,  dat ons den  menlschql,a& zien in  zijn It i,s true, of coursej  that also the error of Arminianism
   groo,theid..  Dus de Heere ziet hen  in, de  heerlijkge- was involved.. The `Three Points  ,are indeed a mix-
   maakte kerk.  Doch de Heere zegt van dat  schoone ture of  Common Grace and  Arminianism. But we
   volk: zij zijn geboren in Sion. Dat wil zeggen: bet is are  al-1  awa& of. the fact,  th@.lt  p~ac;ticcdly   the  .issue of
   alles geschied door  ~Mijn  aanraking; en  #die  atirakitig worldly-mindedness lay at the root of th.e  cOnflict. We
   iS  he:f  bloedi  vati Golgotha, of ook:  *de eeuwige,  onbe- know that pears before 1924 this spirit of  broad-
   g r i j p e l i j k e   l i e f d e   G o d s .                        mindedness was already present and working in the
       Als straks de vdlkell' vooi God verschijnen,. dan- zal churches. The  Jana,en  controversey merely  serv?d to
   God  rekening  houden"met Zijn  lwonderwerk  in  Sian.                 accelerate the issue and uncover  the.  t?emendous  tdif-
   Komen  Fe  ,dan  aan,  Idan zegt God:  deze is aldaar  i?  ' ference of thought land conception ,which existed. And
   Sian geboren.  IHij is mijn werk in Christus. En ze it is-because we held -to the .view that Gold's people are
   zulllen beginnen  vroo1ij.k  te,zijn..                                 a distinctive  ,p'eople, with  .a, distinctive calling, that
       ,O  j a ,   da;n  zullen   ze  Foolijk  z i j n .   I k   hoor  v+n we today are compelled to stand alone. It is  th&
   zan.gers en speellieden. `k Zal eeawig zingen v+ Gods principle which constitutes the heart and fibre  <of our  -
   goedertierenheen !                                                     chur&s+it alone is_ our hope and zighi #of existence.
       We zingen als alle nooden vervuld zijn. Als .ge vol, Ilhis, in brief,  ,expl,ai& the birth of  our  PY'otestant
   zalig zijt. Dat zdige is in God. God  aa;l alles en in Reformed  C h u r c h e s .
   a&n zijn.  Go&s fonteinen in U.                    -      _               .Now it is true,  is it not; that the school is  exaztly
       Wat wopdere, lieflijke, hemeische gedachte!                        that sphere where the teaching of Common Grace is
                                                           G .   V . most  pr&al@nt   and  `4anigerous.   -I need not  ,dwell at


6%                                   THE STA~DAftD  $K~~ARER

this time on the purpose of the school in the Reformed of. His Son; He walked with them and He talked with
system. The purpose  bf all instruction within the them;  IHe.dwelt in their  hearts so that they tasted His
church,  snch as eafchetical  .instr~uction, is to prepare, love. a?d mercy ; He blessed them and was to them the
the  swd  <of the  chunch to assume their place within Go'& of their  sa.lvation. It is for  thils, reason that the
the  chmch  an'd  $e able to partake of the means of Iansd of Canaan  coul'd also be such a terrible land.
grace, the preaching of the Word and the holy sacra- God's fellowship with his  owp is possible only on the
ments. This  expll&ns  why  in this  instrnztion all em- basis of His holiness and righteousness. When Israel
phasis  is,  l&id upon doctrine and the holy Scriptures. therefore refused to walk in the ways of their God,`.
 The  schooll, however, prepares the same child  or` turned their backs upon Him and their  fiaces to the
 children  for their place in  ihe  miadsi of the world. i'dols `of the nations round about tb,em, this land would
 The Christian- School and the' tiheory of Common become a la& oif drq_ught and famine, a land in whilch
Grace are mutually exclusive. The one is the  ,dlenial they woul'd be harassed Iand tormented. by the heathen
of the  tither.  Christianity is distinctive ; Common nations round about them.               hrael. must therefore
Gra.ce embraces the world. It is therefone of the ut- hearken to the commandments, of their God and `do
most significance that we  .teach our  chil,dren in  such them if  the+ are to live and possess this land which
.a  way. that, in  the world,  t,he$ may be a distinctive th'e God of their fathers  had. given them.
people,` an wholly other people, walking in  .the. world.        The same truth applies to. us. This  passage from
but as not of the world. Our history, therefore, our the book of Deuteronomy certainly refers to the
beginning  an,d  existan,ce  las Protestant  Refoymeld entering  ,of ourselves and  our.  c;hildren into the
qhurches demands of us  tl&  allso the  innstru!ction of heavenly  ci,ty, the heavenly  Canam, and  .th&fore to
our children in the school be distinctive. If we ignore our continuance as God's covenant  peopl!e. This is
this matter the cause which we represent is  `,doomed. true not  ,only `subjectively. To be  sure, the truth as
What  can it profit  us if  wee as churches maintain, the we  loye  an,d procbim it is indispensable as far as my
pume  pre&hing   o!f  the  W,ord but permit our children salvat.ion is concerned. I cannot taste the assurance of
to `absorb the doctrine of Common Grace in the school? life eternal unless I stand on the principle of the
-W$at  Ido+ it  Iprofit us if we be  :di;tinctive on the sovereign grace of our God. But this is also true ob-
Lor'd's Day but  rej.ect that principle during the week? jectively. If Israel of sld  (did not hearken to the  co,m-
The peculiar nature of the origin and  existence of mandments ,of the Lor,d. and neglecte!d to Ido them they
`our  chunches  demands therefore our own  schoo!.            woud  .not go in and possess the land  which the Lord
      Secondly, our own school,  .procl,aiming  to our df their' fathers gave  .them. And if we neglect our
.children that our God  .is one God, is necessary  be,- calling with r@pe&t to the instruction of our .chiPdren ;
caus,e the continuance  ,of  -God's covenant in the world if we fail to  hol:d before them the  ,blessed truth that
is  insepla.rabl,y connected with the truth that Jehovah G;od is one,  but allow them to drift along with the
is God .alone, and the knowled!ge  :and strict maintenance ti,de of Common Grace; if we  fail, according to  Dteut.
of that truth. W,e read in D.eut. 4 : 1, 2 : "Now hearken 4:2, to teach them the Word of God in  !a111 its purity
tfierefore 0 Israel, unto the statutes and unto the and  add to. or  ,diminish  aught from the Word of  the.
judgments,  whilch I teach you, for  .to do  them, that ILord, we too will fall short df the land &which  the Lord
ye may live, an,d go in and possess the land which thehe, God of our fathers giveth us, and $timately our name
Lord God of your fathers giveth you.  Y,e shall not a?d place will  disappelar  from the ranks of those with
ad'd unto the word which I command  you, neither whom the Lord  &tabli&es  His  cbvenant in  -the line
shall ye diminish aught  from it, that ye may keep the of continued, generations. God realizes His covenant
 commandment of the Lor'd your Go'd which I commaad only. in the  sphlere  oif  ,the, truth.  .Certainly, we as
you". Notice in this passage, that we  rea.d  in. verse 2 churches cannot hope to  coat,inue to exist, ultimately,
thhat  wte are not to add  u&o the  w&d which  .Moses         in this `way.
 commanids  us, and in verse 1 we read that we must
hearken unto these commandments and do  .them in Its Pmctical Enf oroement
order thlat we may live and-go in and possess the land           Now the question is.not .whether our chilldren  musit
 which the Lord of' our fathers  lgiv`eth us.                 have Protestant Reformed instruction. There is no
      If  `we apply `this passage to Israel of the Old .difference -of opinion  among us on this point. None
_ Dispensation we may  `observe, `first, that the signifi- among us is satisfied with the instruction  ~EZI given
 cance of Canaan lay in the fact +a it -was the lgnd of in  our schools today. Nleither  is it the question among
 God's fell'owship; --to be sure in a. typical sense, with us whether we must have Protestant ReformEd ?chools
 his people. The heart of Canaan in the days of  ol,d         for our children.  Oin this,  too, we agree. But the
,must be sought in the temple.  .on Mt. Moriah. In that question Is whether we should st,rive to have. our 0~
!aefi the  Lor,d  excer.&ed  commgnion  with his  -people;    schools now; -Have we come to such a time?
 He forgave them  thein sins through  the typical blood          On'-this point much  tiae been  said-  arud who  ain I


                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                   67

 to add to previous discussion except for the purpose children is concerned. Then we may be  .sssure& of
 of  ,discussi.ng  thie matter here? However, I  wbuld ;the'continued blessing of  the, God of our salvation
 observe that as pet we have no schools! of` our own. and the continued realization of His covenant  abo
 In the meantime another generation is being  traineld .with the children whom the Lord has given us.
 in a  Clhristian  Reformed atmosphere and in  Christila-n                                           H e r m a n   Veldm.an
 Reformed teaching. This is alarming. The instruction                (From the speech delivered by the Rev. Berman Veldman.  a.t
 <of a child is `a very grave matter. What has  .been                the recent conference  .of our Protestand Reformed ministers)..
 ,done for  th!a,t child  ii  it.3,  chi,ldhood can never be
 utidone. We might learn  a lesson from the Roman
Catholic Church's understanding of the importance
 of the  instruct,ion  of the youth. Any evasion of this
 issule  o,r postponement of distinctive  Protestalit   Re:                             -                                                    6
 formed  educatiofi  for our  child>en  aimply  mleans that
 another generation will pass which was not instructed                           ' PERISCOPE
 in the fundamental tr&hs of the Word of God.
     Second@,  if we have the  ca!!ing to improve  our'
 present day Christian schools what are we doing about
 it? `Let us frankly ask  ourselvesl this  questioin  and                             The Conference
 answer  i,t.  Jf it be unethical to turn our backs upon
 them  Chr'istian  schools of today because  `we should The, Conf irence
 attenipt `to improve them, what  arle we doing along                    Si.nce the complete proceedings of the  Comference
 that line?                                                          between  .the ministers and students of the Reformed
     Thirdly, our -schools of  todiay are certainly ,Church in the U. S. and the ministers  anld students
 ChrBtian  Reformled. It is, of course, true  thalt our of the Protestant  Reformeld Churches  twill be pub-
 schools are not church schools in the sense that they lished, we intend to  Igive only a brief  resume  elf the
 :are  under. the direct influence and control of the meetings. Our  ,own Churches were well represented
 church. Our school system is private, not parochial.. by all the ministers, except one, and all the students,
 This  does not alter the fact, however; that the  s&hools plu~~a~everal consistory members and visitors from our
 of  today are Christian  Reforme,d. An (article in  `the' various Churches. The Reformed Church in the U. S.
. Banner some time ago from the pen of  President also had a  sinable  .representation of ministers and
 Schultze of Calvin College should remove any doubt an especially large  numbler of lay members present.
from our minds  on,.t&s point. Apart -from  the  facet The average  attendance throughout  t.he two days of
 that a very few  sch8001s  of  $&day have Protestant meetings,  was  ,around 100. The  large& audience was
 Reformed members on their teaching  stia,ff& we may present on  Wedn~esday  <evening to hear the lecture of
 certainly say that the  .teaching staffs  .of  thle present the Rev.  -H. Hoeksema. On this occasion the  ~Hall
 schools. are Christian Reformed. Besides,  the;  -Union             auditorium, in. which all the meetfngs were held, tias.
 of Christian  Stihools, is definitely  Christian  Reiformed f i l l e d   t o   c a p a c i t y .
 and  their literature- bears the  Chriati~aa Reformed                   The Conference was officially opened on' Wredaes- #
 si5am.p.                                                            lday morning, October 10,  thy the Rev. H. Hoeksema,
     Finally, what  can_ we do? The issue whether our who had been appointed Moderator by the committee
 `lchil,dren  are to  b,e instructed in -the distinctive  tetich-    in  [charge of arrangements. After the  .o@ening  pmper
 ingsof lthe Word of God was settled in-1924 and 1926.' the Moderator read from the fourth chapter of Paul's
 I repeat, our schools  .are not -church  .schools. We are episltle to the Ephesians. In his  `epening  remarks,
 aware  of. that. But it. is -also a fact that  our schools based upon the portion read,..the chairman pointed out
 are controlled by the parents. These parents are that the basis  (of our gathering  `was the unity of the                              .
 members.of a chur&h. As members of a certain church wonder  -df grace, for there was  nothing'from  an ex-
 they ar,e obliged to uphold the.dootrine of their church. ternal point of view that would  br:ng us together.  _  _
 It.wmoul,d be rather unethical on our part.to expect any- Proceeding, he briefly developed this `idea of unity by
 thing else of them. These  perents  are  preponderantly pointing out tihat it .was not the work of man but is -an
 Christian Reformed. In 1924  t,he Three. Points were. inherently exisiting unity in  -the Body of  Chr&t
 officially adopted by the Christian. Reformed Churches. khrough His Spirit. Hence, it  is, an exclusive union
 In  ,J.926  our.  Opyotest -was  offici!a$ly . rejected by those `tihich cannot be established`,by  amalgamation of organ:
 churches in their  synodical gathering held-at  Engle- izations but has already been established by Christ,
 wood, Chicago. In  1926,-therefore, we stood  -olfficially in Himself. Because that essential  unde~lping  unity
 ,on our-own. May God  ,give us the-grace. that we  ala,0            ia, in  Chri,st through His Spirit the -standard  qf the
 stand on our  .own as far  -Ias  -t,he instruction  -of-  .our Woncl :of God mnst be Lapplied. to-determine wh.ere that


 68                                          T-Et~-jl;:     STANDARD               BEPRER            :     ~-

union and communion may be found in this world.                          cussion  followed. .
,Hen)ce, the purpose of  thle  Cohference is to determine                   Our first speaker on Thursday was the Rev. R.
whether that  unit,y  exists among us, the speaker said. Gpossman  of  thle Reformed Church- in the U. S. His
Thils, &I ,only be determineld  by applying that s&ndard iaizeigned  -tdpic was : "Imputation". In his exposition
-the'-Word Of God. Upon the  basis  ,of that standard the speaker pointed out  that everything  the believer
ye had  cbme  togeehe?  to (discuss  t$ Truth, to edify is and- Bas is  i.mputed  UYI~O him of God. He  defified-
one. another- and work  tolw&ds the realization of the imputation as  .$he act of ascribing vicariously. In
pu;posi  whi&  Plaul expresses in the' pa&age read :                     dleveloping  his theme the speaker called  attentiori   to:
the unity of  Ifaith.  -The moderator  closeld his opening God as the One who ascribas, or accepts that which is
ITemarks with a plea that  brotbherly  10~6 continue and                 ascr'ibe!d  ; Man  u:;to whose benefit or advantage this
rule: Thus  th#e Conference  was bff to a good-start.                    tiscription -is  ;. Christ  iyzlo accomplishes, all  requP$
       bfter a few matters of business had been dispensed, ments of  imputati'on   ;  Righke&:aess, Satisfaction and
wi%X.the  Rev.  G;  Lubbers  lTresent&d   hiS  plliper  on.  the         Holiness  !a,s the  bendfits achieved and applied in im-
subject: "Tahe  &la$ion   betweeni  Justifilcation  a n d putation. Discussion of this  nlaterial  follo'wed a re-
Sanctification"; In  developement  he, called attention cess period  <during  whi,ch a picture  wm taken  (of the
toXh2`  -iSSg@S- inyolved,  the. diigmatic-historic&l con- members  anI!, visitors of the Conference:
struction of the  term, and the Scriptural  paesentaition                  - During the Thursday  afterno& session  thi Rev.
of this truth. Very  .ably the speaker pointed out that                  G. M. Ophof spoke on the topic: "The Fundamental
Scri.ptur.e  and'. the  ConfessSons teach that there is a Principles of Reformed Church Polity". Our prqfes@or
fa&h relationship between  justificatioli-  and  saactifi-               veiy clearly pointed out th1a.t the prin,ciples  which must
cation  and  tihat though they  lare distinct  operationLs< of be maintdned and which  underly true  Rlefbrmed
&raoe  .they are  -both out of and by faith. The  If'irst Church polity are: 1.  The Kingship of Christ; 2.  The
morning session  closed with a discussion of  the, Divine Authority of the Officebearers  j 3.  .The Auto-
address.                                                                 nomy of %he Local Congregation; 4. The Priesthood of
       Dinner@;  suppers,.-and   refneshmen$s  at recess per- B.elievers;  5. The Limited Authority of  ~Classis  and
iods,.. ,weTe served' in the basement of the Hull. Church Synod. It  waBl revealed that these principles  are  thory
to all members  land.visiltors.   .These periods afforded  a ou,ghly Scriptural  and hence  are to  be, maintained and
splendid  opportunity for making new, and re-newing *practiced  by t,h& Churrcrh which wishes to be Reiformed
old, ,?cquaintanccs. .-Some `use,d a portion of th.io# -time             in -its Church Polity.. A brief discussion dosed the
to visit  6ur other  Churtihes  in  the. vicinity  la.ad one afternoon session of the second' ,day.
noon hour was spent visiting  We&em  Chr.istian  Z$igh                      At the' fin%,1 meeting of the Conference on  Thulnsr
School in Hull where  ,one of our  ministers had been day evening the Rev. D. E.  Bosmaf,  elf the Reformed
a,sked to lead chapel devotions. Right here  we should Ch%rch in the U.  S.; delivered a public lectune. He
pay special compliments to our  hostis!, the  Hull..C&- spoke on the  subjsect,;  "The Confession". The Rev
gregation, for their  sp1endi.d  services and meals which Boima pointed out that Confession is to say with the
added:  greably to  tihe success of our  glahheirings. Con- Word of God what God sayIs of Himself and all things.
gratulations, to all those  who- aided in performing a Anything  wh&h cannot  -be found  andi proven from
large task !  Wlel.1 done !                                              God's Word cannot be confessed by  a child of God
       The Rev.  w. E.  Kor"n, of the Reformed Church but musit be denied: The Church is always ,cd.led u,fion -
in the U. S., &liv~re&  an address ,during the Wednes- to confess the Truth and must ever testify in the mEd!st
day  .aftereoon meeting. His topic  wss: "The Blessed                    of the  world of sin  and judgement, the speaker said.
Assurtince of  -the Elect". The speaker. developed thils, Since  it was necessary for the moderator to leave  im-
thought as it is found in Romaks 8 :29-30. This com- .mediaitely  after this  &dra's, the Rev. G. Vos. led the
prehensive passage was well worked out and  appli,ed                     Idiscussion of this paper. Rev.' Vos also -closed the
asI  ,the  besseld  assurrance  tihat  the.  peo,ple   orf  Gold have    Conference meetings  with  appropriat,e remarks. He
for time and  ebernity'.  ,O,nce again a `spirited  dis`cus-             thanked  all  -members for their  cooperatioti and all
sion followed the ' address.                                             others- who wene in any way  respqnsible-  for the suc-
       The Wednesday elenintg  session was taken up `with                cess of our gatherings. The  meeti$ng  wa$  clo,se:d with
t,he public lecture of the Rev. H. Hoeksema,. who -spoke singing and prayer of thinksgiving.
,oti the theme: "The Idea of the  Covena&".  True to                        During the first  sess$on of the Conference a com-
form the speaker Ids'is;ided  his subj.ect into three points Y mittee had been appointed to make  arrangemetits   for'
The Covenant Relation,  Thle Covenant Basis and the another meeting of  t.he  Conference.  `I?&~ committee
Coven& Realization. `For  al&&t  .two hours  he,  hel,d reported of  T*hursday  tiaad brought the  rfollqwing  -re-
a large a)ud.ie&e intieyested as the'truth of God's- Word ,co&endations  whi,ch- were adopted by the  .Con-
wm  developeh  and applied in- relation to  <he subject. ference: 1. That another Conference meeting be held
Since. the  ,hour was  .late only a: brief  period of  -dis; on  Wedfiesday and Thursday of the week prior to the


                                       THE                     S,TANDARD BEARER                                            -                               69

 September 1946 meeting' of  Classis   W&t, in  ~Hull,
 Iowa; 2. That the-committee appointed choose a theme                                       FROM HOLY-WRIT.
 a..nd assign  :s,ubjects for lecture  an'd  discussion  i  3.,
 That the  brethr&. R. Steabe, E.  Buebrer,  of  the Re-
 formed Church in the  7J.  S.,O and H. Hoeksema,  H;                                           .Eph.  1:1-2:-"Paul,  an  apastle   o f   J e s u s   Christ
 Veldman and L. Doezema be appointed  5s speakers                                           by the will  ,of  -God,  to the saints, which  ane at
 aed J.  Howerzyl, be appointed  -as  genera.1,  alter(nate   ;                             Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ. Jesus: Grace
 4. That the expenses be defrayed by offerings  froin                                       be- to you, ,and peace, firom G.od our Father, and
 bot.h -denominations.                                                                      from the Lord Jesus Chkt.!`-
    The' Conference alc'o decided to publish 1000 copies                                                                        _,
 of the slpeeches and accompanying- discussions to sell                              The time .$d place of th.e writing of -Paul's epistle
 at fifty cents  #each. The discussions `were  recordeld                         to  thk  Ephes.ians  is approximately the same as of the
 -by ,our ,two competefit  secretaries the Revs. Grossman epistles to the Colossians,  P.hilippians,  and Philemon-
 and Van Weelden, who will aso compile the' material: this is generally accepted. These epistles were written
 for publication. We would  unge all of our  reader,s  to `during Paul's impr&%men$ at Rome.                                                     1
 purchase a copy when they  be:o,me  av&a$le.                                     Of interest i's  ,a  comfia.rison between the epistle  to-
  What  wals8  accompishecl?  This question is  i  un: the Ephesians  and that to the  Colossian+  A careful
 doixJ$edly left in your min,d. I,$ should be remembered reading of them will reveal many points of. similarity.
that this was an  unoffical gathering and hence,  pothing The difference between them, however, must ,be borne                                                   -
 official was intended or,  pur,posed nor resultant. We in mind. Both epistles  Feit forth the glory of the  ex-
 believe, nevertheless, that many worthwhile Yesults are al'ted Christ. But, while the a;postle in his epistle to the
 obtained  from'our  gatherings. Very likely our Editor Colossians describes. the glory of  the  Chmch  `of God
 Iwill  diocuss these  in his  ,depa.rtme$ but we  ,wis'h `to' as  being in Christ, in his' epistle to the  Ephesians he
`pen our owil,, impressions. In the first place,  we have                         dwells upotis  ,the glory of Christ as being in His @ti~rch
 become better acquainted' as men and brethren, which In the epistle to the Collossians the glory of the Christ                                                       _
 is always necessary to any succeslsful  union. Secondly, is set, forth; the epistle to the Ephesians  emph&zei
 a great dea.1 of light has been shed upon the positions the  &hes of His Church, `who is His body. And the  1
 of the two denominations regarding the  Truth of two epistles together, therefore, preseot a glorious .
 God's Word and  especi~ally  las it relates to the  ques-                        unity.
 tions discussed. Although' there  are  *points of  dif-                             In verses 1-2, -which we ,dis&s in this article, we
 ference, mainly  bf emphasis, both  gr.oups revealed have the apostle's customary  :salutation  t;o the church
 that  t&y are always ready  an,d  wil1i.n.g to submit in whom he addresses.
 love to the criterion of the truth-the Word of God.                                 Paul introduces  him&f here' as  "an apostle of
 `Finally, therefore,. we believe that  -&he  Conferenlce Jesus  Chr& by the will of God." Paul was an apostle.
 moved delfitiitely in the directi0.n of finding `that unity An apostle, according to the literal meaning of the
 o!f faith concerning which the moderat.or  spoke, in hits word,  refers,to one that  "wassent", He was sent by
 opening remarks. P.ersonally,  we believe that  con- another to carry out a  defi&e commission or man-
-tinuing in  the spirit of  trtith and  love that marked date. Hence, this wopd implxies, first.of all, that *a: per-'
 ;the proceedings of the Conference, the expression of son was  sent to perform a  ddfinite task. Secondly,
 unity in the faith through Church  u,niFn is  `a definite. he  `w&~ appointed,  received authority to perform that
 future possibility.                                                              task.  Atid, finally, he was qualified, enabled to  per-
     We close `with s6pcere thanks and ,hearty congratu- form  tha,t  work.                                                                           :
 ations: to the committee ip charge of arrangements the                              The requirements of the apostleship,- according to
 `I&s.  W.  E.  Kern  and  .G.  Vos. We left  Hull  .a!d our Holy  ,Writ,  are three-fold.  F&t of all, an apostle
 meetings with  earnest.  p'tisyer that  .God would, bring must be  .calle.d  adirecty by the Christ  IHimself. This
 forth fruit from our  feeble  efforts.to  I&s glory. May appears from the fact that the apostles always  in-
 ,that be our prayer t,o the King of His Chunch until we trodnce themselves as called by Jes:us Christ. Besides,
 me.& again !                                                                     the  calling,of the twelve by Jesus Himself is recorded
                                                        W.          H..          bin Holy Writ. Secondly, an  la:postle  rnklst be an eye--
                                                                                  witness of the re3urrected Lord, and also, i.i particular,
                                                  I.
                                             .I                                   of Christ's walk among  us,while He was in the flesh.
                                          . :'                            _      .This  appears from Acts  1:21-22.  And: thirdly, only'
          Mmren maakt  `d$e  `v~alcht  ni,+  lichter,                *            he could be  tin apostle who was infallibly  in&j@& by
          Geloof alleen. vermindert  lhaar.  -                 .               _ the Holy Sptrit in his sp;eaki<ng and writing. I need not,
          Neem  .uw  kruis  .op,  wat het  %ija moog'                            -in ,this article, quote honi the Scriptures to yerify this
          God weegt niemands krui%  te zIwaar.                                    statement.


                                                       .


  `70  ,.                               TH-E  S T 'A N D A R D   B E A R E R

     The  neces@y for this three-fold requirement of sly as repetition. The term  "b$ievers" explains the
 the apostleship is not ,difficult to understand. -Fact is, term "saints". God's people are saints because they
 their task was a tiniquk task.' They `stood `in a `wholly are  beli.evers, united with the Christ through faith.
 unique relation  .to the Church of  Go,d.  .They were Their holiness. is `rooted in this faith.
 called to lay the  foupdation  whe'reof  Chriit is the            Paul in this text is. not addressing a certain ele-
 chief  8cornerstone,  upon which  t.he body of Christ ment in the church at Ephesus, the  particularly  pious
 rests, a foundation which  coujld  imposisibly arise in element- which  haid already advanced a considerable
 the mind of mere man. This foundation must .b.e God's distance on the way of sanctification. Neither is it
 Word, not a human word, `the infallible  testimcmy  of true  $ha:t,  t&e  .conten& of-this salutation is  meam,t  rFor
Goti  Hi.mself, completely  depenldlable  and, trustworthy, `everyone there, head of head. Paul here is ta:dclresiing
 which-  woul,d. speak with Divine ,certainty. The Scrip- the  chunch, the  ,entire church at Ephesus, young as
 tures must be the Word of God, the only te&imony*of well as old, children as well as adults. Only, he is
 truth in the midst olf this world  Iwhich  lieth.  i& dark- calling then-i by their spiritual  name, or rather by the
 ness and in the lie.                                          name which expresses the essence  of: the "church" at
     Notice that Paul  is.  ap apostle of Jesus Christ. Eiphesus. Even as a tomato plant bears the name of
 We need not I&well at length oli the name, jesus Christ.      i& essence in its kernel, so the entire Church of God in
 Jesus Christ, as is evident from the names, Jesus  an,d general and every church in particular bears the nap&
Christ, is the Divinely  ap,pointed  and qualified Head of its  ispiritual kernel,  .the  *elect people of God. This
 of Zion, glorified at the Father's right hand, thrbugh is  a1so'tru.e in this text. Pad is speaking to the entire
 the. bitter and shameful. death of the cross, Who ,saves church at  Ephesus. They all bear the name of saints.
 His  p!eoPle from  all the power  pf sin and  <death and But  they bear this  same because of their spiritual
 leads them into everlasting  gl,ory. That- Paul is an.. kernel. *Consequently, grace and peace are enjoyed
 apostle of such a Sender surely implies that hi,s: work o.nly by the people, of. the aiving God.
bears the sam,e :s,aving cha:racter as that of our Saviour.        God's people here are called "saint  +Ui faithful
 Paul  ,is Jesus' apostle because the Jesus sent him.           (believers) in Christ Jesus". They are saints, holy.
 J&us called him while he was. on his way to.Damascus .%`he word implies that  God's, people are a  .peculiar
 apd  ,allso at Damascus through a certain Ananias. But peoplle, separated from sin and  fdedicated to the Lord.
 he is also Christ's apostle because he was  spirit,uaUy       God's people are saints. Hbliness  cha:racterizes them
 set aside  .and qualified unto  th,e apostleship  shy Jesus ,essentially.  They are saints because  t,hey are faithful;
 Christ through His Spirit. Yea, for three years  Pa:ul -or believers, in Christ Jesus. We are faithful be-
 was  instructeld  by the Spirit of Christ Jesus. And lievers in Christ Jesus because,  b$  fia:ith, we are in
 also now he speaks, in this epistle, as Christ's:  am- Him, engrafted into  IHim, spiritually united with Him,
bassa,dor,  through the  S:pirit of Christ  Jestis.            one `plant and body with Him.
 Mor,eover,  Paul is an apostle -by the will of God.               Paul directs the salutation of' this text to this
 This means that the will of God is "the all-det(ermining      people of God at  EphesLts,  aaid to the people of  Go$  '
cause of Paul's apostleship. The  willa  elf God is  God%      throughout the ages. This lies in the natune  :of  the
eternal  ana? sovereign good&pleasure, the cause of all case, This  i:alutation is intended only  tfor the people
 things, the counsel of His good-pleasure. The text of  Gomd. It is  true that all men may  anI& must be com-
 would not teach that Paul  .is an apostle  `aad of Jesus manded to repent and forsake their evil day. One can
 Christ and by the `will of God, btit that he is an apostle    nevlel- excuse  hin-&elf  when he  #walks in sin. But the
 of Jesus. Christ, through  t,he wiU of God, In the sense salutation of `the apostle, "Grace be to you, and peace"
 that .t.he will of, God not only determined his apostle- i;s sureiy  ap:plioalble  only  t,o the saints  an'd believers in
 ship  bu.t also that he should  be an  apostl,e of, by Jesus Christ Jesus. It is quite  i,mpossible to declare that the
 Christ. God therefore willed apostl,eship  of Pa.ul.- God grace and peace of  God- is upon the  wi'cked. It nests
.determined  and realized Paul's qualifications for the only upon the people of the Iliving God.
 office. And God willed  tha.t  he should be an apostle            "Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father,
 of  Jesus Christ. For it was by the will of God that and from t,he Lord Jesus Chri&" The concept "gnace"
 Jaus  Chfist suiffered  an,d  .died, rose again, was glori- in Scripture is a very rich concept.  The word "grace"
fied at the right  haad of power, and called  P&u1  unt.0. mearis  literally  "beauty, attractiveness". Today this
his exalted office.                                            concept  is generally understood as merely referring to
    Paul is an .apostle of Jesus Chrilslt by tile will of God a:n attitude  #of God,  uameriteld on our part, and then
 "to the saints which la,Fe at Ephesus, and-<to the faithful as extending to all men. However, God Hinus,elf is the
 in Christ  Jesus."  - It' must  be.  evi,detit that  P&l, in God of all  gra'ce.  Tliis  signifies, objectively, that the'
this text, is not  addiessing  tXwo  groups of  p&ple in Lord is the  Bo,d of  &I beauty, and,  Bubjectively,  that
the church at Ephesus, saints and believers. On the He is  &ernally  attracted to Himself.  God is also the
 other han!d, these `words must not be understood mere-        Gold of all grace -far His people. Without at thils! time


                                  \
                           0


                                       T H E ' S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                71

entering into details here, we  by safely assest that
the term  ,"lgra,ce" in  thils text  reiP& to the  sum-totial.          Stedfastness and Our Young
of.  dl the blessings of God which  ;the  Lor,d bestows                         Peoples' Societies *
upon  Hii people, whereby they become holy and  at-
tractive  eien,&s God Himself  -  is  hqly.  T.he gifts of             Considered  ,in  this! light, --as a gift of  grgce, our
justification, love, hope, faith, peace,  `etc., are  im.plied stedfastness consists in the fact that we are rooted in
in this term.                                                       Christ. Christ is the sure ground of our stedfastness.
   -We also  reald of "peace". The gift of peace  must He Himself was stedfast in  th& covenant of God, and
not be  selparatecl from that of  gpace. Peace is in- He endured even to the extreme. All,  t,he powers of
eluded in grace, is one of the gifts of grace. That idarkriess  Iwere ever gathered against Him, but  Ee  re-
Paul mentions  .this  ,one gift of grace, after he already  main&d the  faithful witness, the stedfast  representa-
had  menti,oned grace in his  salutatioil, is because the tive of .the party of the living God in the cworld. The
church OIP God needa particularly the blessing of peace. reproach and ,fury of men were heaped upon Him, but-
Pmeace is that  gift'of grace whereby we have peace of He never wavered or deviated from  the path of  Go&s
heart and  soul with  God and  th(erefore   `with al.1  thitigs. covenant. The wrath of  Gold was poured  oSer His
It gives u`s the asgurance that all is ,well between God's head for our sins and iniquity and for the  righteous-
people and God,  aed  also that, whatever may betide, ness of God, .yet He willingly descended into the depth
aI,1 things  warp together for our  go,od.     9                    of death and  `hell for the sake of Gold's everlasting
    The  :s,ource of this  qrace  anId peace is "God our covenant. He  iis the faithful witness. And He  over-
Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ".  W,hat the  apostlle  .came. He has the victory. God raised Him from the
meaans to say here we may  eipress .thusly :  Gracle be             deard. And He is stedfast for  ever. Death and all the
to you, and peace from God, our Father, and grace powers of Idarkness have ho dominion o&r Him, cannot
be to you anI3 peace from the, Lord Jesus Christ. God, " even touch IHim any more. He is exalted at the  right
the  l?ather, -is the Triune God  ii1 this text. Jesus hand of God, (clothed with all power and authority,
Christ is referred to as the Mediator, the glorified also with the auth:ority rand pawer to lead +hle sons of
HeaId of  th'e  elect, according to the human nature.               God, for whom He died and ra%e again, to everlasting
The text does not direct  us to two sources  .of our glory.                 And He received the promise.  oS the Spirit,
spiritual blessings, God and Christ. God, the Father, and through that Spirit He  awells in us, and bestows
is  ;the source.  Jesus Christ is the medium `through upon us all the  s&itual  blessings of  salvn.tion. He
Whom God, the Fpther, blesses us. God is the source.                gives  US the true faith, and keeps it, so that it can
For that reason He is called' our Father, because the  nev,er be lost. .And by that faith,  which, He  besto\irs
idea of "Father" is primarily  thak of- source. But on us,  and which is preserved and constantly  mliz-
God, our Father, blesses  ds through Jesus  .Christ,  our tained-by Him we are steclfast, and can nevermore be
Lord, Who suffered and died -for  ,us,  rose again and moved  fr.om the (ground of our confidence.
was gloribed, :%Zimsellf received the Spirit beyond mea-               .voes this mean, then, that we become wholly  pa+
suye, and through  a,nd put of Whom we receive the sive, and  tha.t  put,  f0rt.h no effort whatever to remain
blessings of grace and peace.                                       stedfast in God's covenant, and to cultivate this spirit-
    Fi~nally, what is  the  i.mplication  of this  SalUtatiOU?   Ual  y:irtUe?   ,Are  we  `l&e-  bl$&S,  l&e  "Sto,&  a;:[1
Does the apo&e  here merely express a person:a:l wish? blocks,l' or like  trc& that remain  stedfastly rooted  iq
We must  beraT in mind that, he is an apostle by the  th.e soil  -%ithout   anyconscious effort on their  part?
~$1  of God  and that he therefore  d&ares   the  `will             Go,d forbid ! NoTgifts of grace ever violate our ratio,nal,
of God. First of all, Paul here  tdedsres a  fsd.  It moral nature. No gift of grace ever renders us  pas-
is God Who  declar'es through him that His grace and sively indifferent. On the contrary, grace always  ren-
peace are upon His people. And, secondly, these words de& US'  :co&&iously  .ahd willingly  active. Repentance
also  rexpress  th'e  ,a)postle's  prayer,  whic?h  f&t. the same  I is a gift of `giace, and the result is that we repent! and
time constitutes for us an  urge@  ,aTdm6nition.  We `%e cultivate repentance through the  %Vorcl of God.
possess this grace and peace only in principle  aed `we  F&ih is  .t,hhe gift;` of God, but so that we now believe,.
walk in them only `in principle. Therefore  the apostle and  we se&-the  Woad of God for  the increase  and
pca.!ys that the Church of God  may ever receive grace strengthening `of our faith. -Hope is wrought. in our
and peace, :&row in these graoes, and coesci:ously walk' 1learts  ,by the grace of the God of our  jsslvation,  but
in them.      .       -                                             so  that  we  perform the act  qf hope, and  eeek to  co+
                                              H     .         V.    firm and `q&ken it through the Word of God. A n 3
       I..
                                .--                                 so, we are rooted in  Christ, ,and our stedlfastness is in
                                                                    Him. He preserves  uisl, and no one can ever pluck us
   \  Wie met  ,Christui  gestorven  ;is,  ~21  :ook met Hem out of His hand,, but  ;th& result of this  grace of  spi&ual
 Ieven.                                                             stedfsstness  is.that we now stand, anld in the mid& of;


       I


                  :                                                                              `*
                                                                                                        D

 72                                         T - H E   STAINDARD  `-B.EARER

 the. forces of pppositioi `use every means which ,Gdd world entices them, seeks to lead them astray. Espec-
 has given. US, "ind .which He hm promised us to- use ially to the young people the temptations of the world
 ,Himself,  to cultivate. and strengthen that stedfastness, are often especially adapted and mtide to $ppeal. Hence,'
tl-& we'may  be able to stand and to withstand in <he they must be filled with the knowledge of Ch?ist, and
 evil Iday. The relation, therefore, is not such that the that,  `too,  with appl.ic&ion to their whole life. ii1 the
 knolwledge'of  our being for ever ssitedfast  in Christ .ren.       world.  _ And unto t.h& end  !a!lso our You;;g. People's
 ders us careless and passive; but .rather such that on]:            Societies may serve as an important means. Of course,
 principal stedfastness ' in Chr.ist renden;! us. anxious it should he remembered that. they are societies. ~-As
 :and eager to become  more stedfast,.  to use the God-. such they  belong to the sphere of the church  as. an
 given means unto the cultivation of that stedfastnes.;,             organ&m. They do-not belong to the Church'institi~te,
 and to put on t.he whole arm&r of God, with prayer with its ministry of the Word. The latter is and re-
 and supplication that we may hold {fast that which we mnains t/k means whereby .it pleases ,God to build His
 have and over@ome  in the sbattle  of faith!            -.          Church, and to establish the saints in the faith. Iti
            And this means that we will turn to the Word of place can never beItaken by our societies. One canriot
 .IGod,  and study it, thst wemay increase in its, knlolw- wit&impunity  negl&t the preaching of the Word,  an4
 ledge, in the Bnowl,edge of faith. Even as by the gift catechet.ical instruction ,!and `let the @pciety take their
 of faith we are. rooted in Christ and are principally place. Moreover, for that very  reasbn, pur societies
 stedfast  in Him, so we must know Christ ii all His ful- must be under the supervision-of the Ch,urch as an in-
 ness in order  that we may be consciously stedfiast  i::            stitute, and always t,hey should co,nform  to its instruc-
 the truth, that our mind may appropriate and be con- tion. x Nevertheless, in the sphere of the organism
 vinced of the truth, that ,our will, may confide and be of th Church, they have !a.n important place, and may
 establis,hed  in the truth, that dl our desires~  ma.y bo serve a significant purpose, that of the mutual edifica-
 motivated by the love of the truth as it is in Christ tion of the. sain.ts and their buildi,ng up in- the truth of
.. Jesus our Lord.. To be r,ooted  in Christ we must knom the Word of `God. I
 Him. To do the will of Christ we must have knowledge                   It stands to reason, however, that &to this end oul
 of that @ill: To follow after Christ we must-know ,the              Y'oung People's Societies must themselves continue -in
 `way of Christ. To realize the calling wherewith  w,e are the apost,les'. doctrine. They must not degradate into
 called-we must under&nd  that .calling. And tie must social clubs, must not seek their purpose in an evening
 Iknow the fulness of Christ pith regard-to all our inner of entertainment. Nor must they copy the superficial
 life, and with application- to all our walk aed conver- testimonial meetings and prayer meetings of the Chris-
 sation, in every department q-z iife, personally !and in tian Endealvor, or imitate such `wild movements as-the
 .the `home, with respect to marriage and divorce, wit?h `_`Youth  For Chri&.Movement"  of ,our day. They must
 regqr,d  to our calling iri church and society and. state, find their chref ~calling in the' study of the Word of God
 in order that  %ve  ma;y  disc&n the  w&y  clear@  and              according to our Protestant Reformed Faith. And
 stedfastly virali therein. To be stedfa&,-and to c#ivate thEy must endeavor to let the light of that Word shine
 thbe spiritual virtue of sted-fastness, we mu@ "co&hue upchlz' every aspect and department of life, and in that
stedfastly in the  apo&l&J  d&triae, and ever increase light `evaluate and j6dge all that is contrary to that
 in the knawledge of the Woyd of God. Then we sly2ll W,ord in doctrine and life. And they must exhort one
 be able to distinguish light and dauikness, the truth a~ntither to maintain the good confession, and to `walk
 fnom the lie, -the lust of the flesh from the way of God's w,orthy of the calling  wher,ewith  God  has called  us.
 commatidments.          We ,Thall be stedfast and untioveable,      In that way, but in th.tit way alone, if all the memb,ers
 not being tossed about with every wind of ldoctritie,  but coopera@ according to their ability,  aa>n our Young
 al.ways  IaJbounding in the work of the Ford!                       Pedples' Societies be a means for the cultivation of the
            It `is h&e that our Young People's Societies may be spiritual virtue of stedfastness, and- help to prepare
 co-instrumental in the cultivat.ion oI the spiritual virtue their members $0 take their stand !and remain firm in
 of stedfastness:, They are` s&ieti+ of young people. the  cobenant of our God.
 And young people are in the springtime of life. This                   The times are deeply serious: More and more diffi-
 implfies many things.           It  also means that, from  a `cult it will become to-remain faithful. The effort, to
 natural  vietipoint they  ,are  .nof pet mature.              And become more rooted in the truth of Christ is, therefora,
 tl+e same is true with respect `to their spiritual *life.           very  iinportaht. And let  us, all heed the  eirhortation
 They are Christian young people, more particularly, of the Word of Gold: Be ye therefore stedftist;  unmove--
 Protes$ant  Reformed Christians.. - ,But also their spirit- la!bIe, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for-
 ual Xfe is still immature.- They mu&be form&d. They asmuch BS ye know that your labor is not vain in -the
                                                                                            .
 mu+t become stable in  : their  consciqus  ,convictions.            Lord !                                          H. H.
They -must become  prepsred  to  -&and, and to fight * Address delivered at the Convention of Pnokestant Reformed
 the battle of faith in the midst of the world. -And that Young- Peopl&' Socjeties, Aug, 30, 1945.

                                                                               .-


