    VOLUME XXII                    NOVEMBER 151945  - GRAND. RAPID.S, MICHI~GAN.                                          NUMBER 4

                                                                               overcome all His. enemies' and the en~emies #of Israel,
                                                                               that He should appear from heaven with the glory of
                                                                               a n   archangel?  .   .   ;  :
                                                                                   How, then, could this Jesus of Na#zareth, mark you
                                                                               well, of. Nazareth that was notorious for ~~ev~er pro-
                                                                               ducing any, good .thing; this Jesus, Whose father and
             .A` Ntxessarf Likeness                                            mother everyone knew, who .appeared  without f---m
                                                                               or comeliness? -without beauty to make Him  de-
               Wherefore  &a  a.El things it  behowxd him sirab1.e  ; this Jesus,' Whose face  wals marred more
             to be made  J&e unto  his brethren, that he than any man's and Whom-they had finally nailed to
             might be-a mewiful  and faithful high priest the tree ,of shalm.e- and of the curse,-how oould this
             in things pertaining t,o God, to make recon- Jesus possibly be the Messiah?
             ciliation for themsins of the peop,Ce.
                                              Heb.                                A lowly Christ was a contradiction in .terms  !
                                                            2217.                  Yes, indeed, to the Jews an'offense . . . .
    It behooved rHim! . . . . .                                                    But also,: to the Greeks, the wise men of all ages,
   ' Al:1 ,emphasis this thought has in this part `of the                      who seek after human wisdom and power, after a
 World of God.                                                                 human solution for the ills of the world, to the pr'oud
    It  .w!ae  necessa,ry, it was entirely.  proper,  it was mind of  th,e natural man, this  lowllg  ,Christ, Whose
 cmite inevitable, that the Christ, the Messiah, exactly end to all appearances is the cross, is foolishness.
 in order to be thle Christ, and to frmdion  in that capac-                        Yes, but the divine Wisdom stands in  Idirect op-
 ity, should, be made liike unto His brethren.                                 `position to the  wicsdom of the world.  F'or He will
   T'he text is, first of all, addressed to believers from destroy the wisdom  .of the wise,  and will  ,bring to
the Jews, to `Christians from Israel; Who had "made nothing the understanding of the prudent.  - How
 the transition from the old dispensation, with its sha- otherwisle  could it be revealed that He' is  GOID, the
 dows and ceremonies, its visib1.e `and -tangible temple, LORD, Who cprickeneth the ,dead, and calls the things
 servitce  and  sacrilfices,  with its  ,expe&ations  and tra- that ar.e not as if they were? tHis foolishness i&wiser
 ditions, "`into the new, with its invisible land spiritual, than men ; His w'eakness is stronger `than mea. He
 service of the living God;. to -Jew&h Christians, t.oo,                       chose the foolish things of the world, to confound the
 who had not entirely forgotten. the `visibl,e glory and wise, -the weak .things  of the wor1.d to confound the
 attraction of the old; nor been. able to rid t.hemselves mighty things, things that are base, and despised, and
 wholly of the traditions `of the fathers ; to Christ,ians,, which. are not, to confound the things that are . . . .
 .moreov;er;  who, undler the stress -of persecution and                         That no flesh should  tglory in His presence!
 -suffering for- Christ's sake,  rqealed   a.  tendendy  to ,.iThis in general:
 succumb  aqnd to return to the-old:  -                                   .        In this .general scheme of thi,ngs' that pertain to
 And to the. Jews `a lowly Christ, -a Christ that was                          God, the tradition of a humanly glorious Christ, or
 in all things like unto His .brethren,  was an! offense. of a mighty  philosapher,  ,does not fit. The  di,vine
   Must, not the Mlessiah-ibe.`glorious  ?             .             .         lolgic  ,pertains to a  dilfferent  scheme, belongs to a
   Was it not proper for the ,Ch,rist, -Who was to sit different world,- than that of the offended  Jlew, or
 on the throne of David, and Who would raise mount of the contemptuous Greek, to the world in which man
 Zion to the top 6f the mountains, Whom all the `ends is nothing and God is the LORD!
 of the earth would honor, and Who would finally                                   Hence, th'e ,conflict:  man decrees that the ,Messiah
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      74 .                         i              `.             _ TkE  ST,A'NDAR.D  BEARER
                               .^ . _ . - .,_ I =. ., ..-. _.    .< .  - ,, -. .--, emi-... -. r--_-s--~..-  ..--
      must appear' in power- and ,glory from the start, that to Him, in leading many sons unto glory in that deepest
      men maiy gl'ory in Him ; divine Wisdom, ,on the con- wag, trhat He should make the Captain of their salva,
      trary, declares from heaven: It  behoved  Him to .be tion perfect through suffermg?'
      ,..inade like unto His brethren in all things! . . . .                                                   O,, and if:-this Captain of their salvation was to be
                  The foolishness of preaching!                           .'  `-                         made. perfect.  through suffering, and if, in this pro-
                  0, God ?. who hath believed our report? . . . .                                        cess of  ,becoming  the perfect Captain of their sal-
                  Y,es, but even- if no -man. `believes, the logic of the vation;  He.- was-to be the  blalmeless Servant of the
       divine Wtisdom  is inexorable :                                                                  Lord, it was, above all, and first of all, necessary that
      It behoved Him!  -  ;                                                                              -He should be a faithful and merciful high priest in
                                                                                                         things pertaining to God. He must be high priest,
                                                                                                         the only high priest ,over the whole house of God. And
                                                                                                         `a.8 such He m$ust build the house of God, the evklast-
                  `It was -proper !                                                     : .              ing tabernacle- of God with men, in the whi/ch the sons
                  Such is the ,divine MUST, the `eternal necessity of of Gold, His brethren, given Him of God, may attain to
      the divine logic of the living God.;                                                               the glory God designed. for them;
       .          For the deepest motive of the divine logic is that                                           And as high priest Ee must- be faithful.
       God  ,will  b,e glorified as God; and  t,hat He may be                                                 -A  faithful,.high priest  tHe must be. For as high
      glorified  iHe  wi'll  reveal  Hi.m~ebf  as the LORD.  ;  an3 -priest He stands in a definite relation to God: He is
      that He may become revealed, not as a Lord amo,ng                                                  the Servant of Jehovah. He is under a charge; And
      others, not even as the supreme Lord. above all others,                                            in  .that  relati,on He must  ,be tree to Him that sent
      lbut as  the  LORD,  b.eside Whom there is no other,                                               Hi.m. He .must will His will, and do His work. In that
      the creature, even man, must become N&OTHING, and relatio,n He must remain constant and stedfast to
      must -be brought `into- a position in which he will- cry the very last, no matter what it may require of Him,
      out of the depths unto Him. . . . .                                                                regardless of the question0 whither ,the way will lead.
                  All flesh is grass, and the goodlirress thereof is as And faithful, a faithful hi,gh priest, IHe must [be, also
      i&e flower of the.field . . . . . .                                                                in relation to His brethren, the sons whom the Father
                  The grass withereth, the flower fadeth  . . . .                                        will lead to glory.
                  But the Word of our God shali stand `forever!                                                The. things "pertaining to  GoI$,  He. is called  t,o
                  And in that  ge,neral  scheme  ,o-f divine logic  a&o                                  accomplish !
      the Messiah,- the Christ of God, the Servant of Je-                                                      They are ,the things that pertain to the salvation
      hovah, yea, above all He, must descend into the depths,                                            of the sons of God, His brethren, the realization of.
      and must cry out of those depths unto t!he living God;                                             God's eternal covenant. They "pertain to God," they
      Then, and then only, thus and thus only, can He be-                                                are "toward God," they have respect unto God, they
      come perfect as the eaIptain  of the salvation of many concern the glory of His name, the revelation of all
      sons of God.                                                                                       His infinite perfections, His love and grace and-mercy,
                 Ounce before in this  chapt,er,  the  W'ord of God His righteousness and justice and holiness, His wis-
      employed that same word: it behoved, or it became,                                                 dom and knowledge and exceeding great power, the
      it was proper, then with application to God Himsel,f :
                                           :                                                             revelation that He is God,, the LORD.
      "For it became him, for whom ar,e all things, and by                                                     In the -accomplishment of these things He must be
      whom are  ,a.11 things, in /bringing many sons unto faithful even unto death.
      .glory, to make the captain of their salvation  .per-                                                    The death of the cross!
      f ect through suffering." Vs.  19. Are not all things .  :- For He must make reconciliation for the  sins  _
unto  Hi,m and through Him? And must, then, not of the (people, iHe, the high priest.
all things reveal, and that, too,  i,n- the highest pos-                                                       Propitiation He must make, a covering for sin.
      sible sense that He is God, the LORD? AndI b: it not And a covering for sin can only be made by an act
      aroper,  then,. proper, now, to God Himself, tha.t. He of perfect obedience that completely -counterbalances,
      choose the deep way to glory{ the deepest ,way to t$e or more than counterbalances. the a& of rebellion and
      highest glory, in order that, where man has  con,                                                 wanton disobedience, that is the sin of the people. And
j fessed that the situation is become impossible, and this required that the hitgh priest, the Captain of our
      where all  gl'orying of man ceases,  IH~ may reveal salvation, willingly, `in perfect obedience of the love
      Hiinself  as the-One that calls t:he light out of darkness, -of God, should descend into deepest- death and hell,
      that brings righteousness -out of unrighteo.usness,  that there to .be still faithful in the love of God. . . . ,
-_ quickeneth the ,dead? And is- it ,not plain, then, that                                                    Such were the things "pertaining to Gold?`.
      He, in `leading many sons  .unto  glory,.-  MU'ST, with                                                  But, how evident it Is, thatkin this divine ,economy
      divine logic, decree upon the deep way, t.he deepest? of'things it was neoessary that He should become Eke
                  *And  d,o you not see, then, that it is also proper                                   unto His brethren in all. things!
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                                              T ,H % S T A-N D .A R, D. B E "A R E R                                                                              75

        How could He have assumed His place as "High                nacle  ,b-f God's friendship, eternal ri,ghteousness  and
     Priest, and how could -He have made .reconciliation            life in heavenly -plaies . . . . . . .                  ..
     for the sins of. the people, had He ,+ppiared  in t,heI             Such was-the mind  of: Christ !
     glory of Gabriel or' Michael?                                       And who was `ever merciful as. our merciful Christ?
        Their  [glory would have been of no  a&l for the Merciful He was. to us, while we were yet enemies!
     things Ipertaining.-to God.                                    And' do not hastily Ipass over these tremendous words !
        The ;lowly Christ He must be.                               For that we were His enemies means t.hat we made.
        In all.things like, unto His brethren:                      Him feel our hatred ;- and. that He was merciful implies
        Thug it behovkd  IHim!                                      that -He delt our enmity against Him as our misery,
                                                                    and  IH~ pitied us, and  Eought our deliverance! We
                                                                    str,uck  Him, spit upon Him, scourged Him,  mocked
                                                                    Him, contradicted Him, poured  contempt upon Him,
        Glorious divine necessity !                                 -and in it all He experienced the misery of our sin,
        For, and this is the most specific point in the and pitied aU our woe ! T'he more utterly we despised
     divine program of the things pertaining to  Godi on Him, the more Ideeply He pitied `our lot; the, more pain
     which this Word would center our- attention, now He we inflicted upon Him, the more fully He felt the
 must be merciful!                                                  misery of our wretchedness; the harder we struck
        And to be merciful- it' jbehoved.  Hi,m to be made Him,. the deeper became His longing and determination
like unto .His brethren in. all things'!                            to deliver -us from that wretchedness that made us
        That this is, indeed, the chief thought is eviden ,
                                                             `d strike Him. More merciful He became as we became
 first of all, from the text  .itself, which should be more  hatefu'l;, until  as we  nailed1  the- cruel spikes
 rendered : "`that he might`ibe  mercilful,  .:and thus ,be a through His hands and feet, he cried ,out in prayer:
     f-aithful high priest  i,n things  -pertaining to God'.`. "Father, forgive them, for they know not what .they
     In other words, mercy was required, was  inrdli;sipen;         ,do !"
     sable  o,n. His part,  in order to be `a faithful high             Adorze mercy of Christ, `our Lord !
 priest. Had He not been merciful, never could He have                  Unfathomable mercy `o,f the God of our sal,yati,on,
 been faithful as high priest .in things pertaining to revealed in the mercy of ,Chri8st !.                                       -          -
     God, to make recbnciliation  for the sins of the people.           Depth ,of wisdom and knowledge o!f the divine pro-
 And, besides, that this:is the truth that must have gram, that leads us to worship such boundless mercy
 the emphasis, is clear, too, from what follows im- from  su~ch   hopelless depth of sin and shame !  -.
 mediately : "For in that he- himself hath suffered,                    It  behaved  H,im! . .  .1 . .
 being tempted!, he is able to succour  them that are                   0,. yes ; now wle see a little of the divine logic, `of
 ternpitied." .                                                     the propriety ,of the lowly Christ, of the necessity that .
        Ad80rable  divine necessity !                               He should become like unto His brethren in al+ things.
        It behoved Him!                  .                              For what: does it mean that He became like unto
        To be the Captain of the salvation of God's sons,           His brethren, the sons God would lead to glory, in all
     He must make reconciliation for the sins of the people,        glory? ~0, yes, it means that the eternal Son of God
 aad be- made p'erfect through suffering.                           be&me.  weak and mortal man, that `He assumed -our
        To make reconciliation He must be faithful as high flesh. and blood, and that, too, the likeness of sinful
     priest to the bitter end, to t,he depth of hell. _             flesh. But, and this is the point here, it signif8es that
        To be .faithful Ee must be merciful.                        He lived our life, that He thought ,our thoughts,. that
        And to be merciful lH!e must be made like unto His IHe felt our desires; our emotions ; that He entered
,brethren in all things, the lowly Christ! .           _            into our world, under the curse of God ; that He was
        Merciful, 0, how merciful He must be!, Mercy is mortal as we are mortal,' corruptible as we' are cor-
     an aspect of love, and Christ loved His brethren. ruptitble ; that He suffered all our sorrow, that He felt,                                                       -
     M'ercy is that .manifestation of love acoording  to which as we could never feel, the misery of .our sin and death :
 onis longs to render the obj eet of his love `as blessed `as       all without sin! . . . . .                                                    _
     possible; and Christ desired to lead His brethren into             He felt our misery before the face of Gods!
 the highest, heavenly bliss of God's eternal covenant.                 And thus He could be merciful, our sympathizing
     Mercy, for that very reason, shines in all its, virtue a.nd high priest                                  !,                       -'
     power, most gloriously, where it finds the object of
 %ove in idleepest misery and now dIelivers it ,out of that             And, being m'erciful,  .He could endure our enmity
     misery to lead it to supreme Iblessedness.;  and ,Christ ,and the wrath of God !
     found His. brethren- in the.. depth of thle ,misery of sin,        Faithful unto the end!                                                         .
     and wrath, anid damn,ation, and rebellion, and death,              0; my God  !-
and He raises them to the highest `glory of the taber-                                                                                            H. H.
                                                  I                                                                  . .                                    _(


                                                 .           s


      76  *                                                                          T-HE  S T A N D A R D '   BEA.`Ii,ER

                                     The Stazzalard  Bearer                                                                                                        `I  ._  EDITORIALS
                       Semi-.Monthly,  except Wnthly in July and August
                                                                  Pnblished                  `dy
                              The Reformed Free Publishing Association
                                              1463  Ardmore  Street, S. E.                                                                                            The Liberated Churches
                                             EDITOR  - Rev; H. Hoeksema                                                                                                    In The Netherlands *
        Contributin,g   Editors:-Rev.  6. M.  Ophoff,   .Rev.  G,  Vos, Rev.
        R. Veldman; Rev. H. Veldman, Rev. `H. De Wolf, Rev. B..Kok,                                                                                                In the second  [point  "concexxing   t2le covenant  of
        Rev.  J.' D. De Jong, Rev. A. Petter, Rev.  C. Hanko, Rev. L.
        Vermeer, Rev. G. Lubbers, Rev. M. Gritters; Rev. J. A. Beys,                                                                                        grace", the  Netherland  Synod of 1942 came very ,close
        Rev. W. Hofman.                                                                                                                                     to expressing th,e truth, due, no doubt, to the fact that.
            Communications  relative to contents should be addressed                                                                                        they adhered closely :to the.language  of Scripture. For
       `to REV.  I-I. IIOEKSEMA, 1139 Franklin St., S. E., Grand                                                                                            there. it .declares  :                    .r
        Rapids, YMichigan.                                                                       .                                                                     "T,hat in the promise .of the covenant the
            Ciommunications  relative to subscriptioti  should be addressed                                                                                          Lord undoubtedly pIedges  to be the' God, not
        to MR. GERRIT PIPE, 1463 Ardmore,St.,.S.  E., Grand Rapids,                                                                                                i only of believers, {but also of their seed (Gen.
       Michigan. All Announcements, and Obituaries must be sent                                                                                                      17  :7) ; but that  Be reveals no `less in His
       10  the above address and will not be placed unless. the regular
       fee of $1.00 accompanies the notice.                                                                                                                   ,      Word that they are not all Israel that are of
                                    (Subscription price $2.50 per year)                                                                                              Israel."
       Entered as Second Class mail at Grand Rapids, Michigan.                                                                                         :           It would seem that, in virtue. of  the. "but" that
            .._                                                                                                                                             connects the two parts, of this sentence, the meaning.
                                                                                                                                                            of this declaration is that the promise of the  loovie-
                                                                                                                                                       anant is. #only for the "seed of the promise," the spirit-
                                                             CONTENTS                                                                                       ual,. the elect seed.
                                                                                                                                                                   However, in the third point under this head, Synod
     MEjXFATION                                 -                                                                                                      contradlicts  this position, or, at least, draws a con-
                                                                                                      :                                                     elusion that wouId seem to be `#entirely unwarranted:
     A NECESSARY LIKENESS . . ..*..*...*...*...... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73                                          "`that therefore-in accord with the  de-
                    Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                                                                 clarations of the Synod of Utrecht 1905 (Acts
                                                       _                                                                                                             of Synod 1905)-`in virtue of the promise `of
     EDITORIALS -                                                                                                                                                    God, the need of the covenant must be con-
                                                                                                                                                                   - sidered  regenerated and san'ctified in Christ,
     THE  LIBSRATED  C'HtiRCsHES  IN THE NETHERLANDS....76                                                                                                           until 2s they:grow  up, the opposite appears';
     `EXFOS'ITION OF THE HEIDELBERG  CATE,CHI,SM . . . . . . . . ..Tg                                                                                               -although the Synod rightly adIdled that this
              Rev. H .Hoeksema                                                                                                                                       does not at all mean to say that, therefore,
                                                                                                                                                                     each child& truly regenerated.' "
     POPE LEO,  TH.E  GREdT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  :.s2                That this statement, considered as a  ,qonclusion
     THE  TWC  0ATH.S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . c . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  85 from the  seoond point, is  illogilcal and wholly  un-
              Rev. G.. M. Ophoff                                                                                                                       warranted, is obvious. Yet,  a&,  snch  a. conclusion it
                                                                                                                                                       presents itself,' as. is evident from. the -conjunction
     GROOTE VERLATENHEID .*.....**.*.......*........*....  :; .*............*........  87                                                              "therefore,, . That the reasoning here is confused and
              Rev. G. Vo:s                                                                                                                             ,illogicall is evident from the following:
                                                                                                                                                             1. The last declaration, point 3, clearly. speaks, of
     THE FEAR OF `THE  LCRD . . . . . . . . ...* . . . . . . . . . . a.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
                                                                                                                                           ?O & the  -children of believers when it declares that
              Rev.  R.- Veldman                                                                                                                        "the seed of the covenant must be oonsidered regen-
                                                                                                                       - .                             erated and sanctified in Christ".
     FROM  HdLY.  WRIT . . . . . . . . . . ..~~...........~...............................,......~~..,, $2                                                         2. Hence, taking the two statements, point .2 and
              Rev. H. Vsldman'                                                                                                                         3, together, we may paraphrase them as follows:
                                                                                                                               ^                       "&cause  the promise of the covenant is only for the
     PERISOO.PE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..~............................ .1.1111.1.11.0..0,,,,,,.,,. 94                   spiritual,  elect seed, therefore we must `consi,der all
              Rev. W. Hoffmanv                                                                                                                         the Ichildren  of beljievers as:segenerate:d  and sanctified
                                                                                                                     _.                                in Christ until the opposite appears."
/                                                                                                                                                                  Logically, the statement `should, have read as fol-
          .-..          -.--.  ..--..  I--  ..-                                                                                              D


                                      T H E   $T.ANDA,RD  BXAAE'T).                                                    i i

lows : "Since the promise. of the ,covenant is <only for      against the decisi,ons of 1942 are not without grounds.
the spiritual seed, and not for *ali the chidren  o!f be- Let us  consilder  the following:
lievers, therefore, `we can express no judgment con-             1. The Synod of 1942  didi  -not' simply and  ver-
cerning the individual children of  ibellevers, neither bally .adopt th'e Conclusions of Utrecht on this point.
concerning their election, nor concerning their re- The latter declare (I translate) :
generation, u.ntil, as they grow up, they reveal .them-
selves in co,nfession  anld walk."                                   "And, finally, as to the fourth point,' that
   It is  ,&ear,, then, that the Synod of  194Z'ldid  n;ot        ,which concerns "supposed regeneration," the
mean strictly to maintain and to apply the truth                  lsynod declares that, in accord with the Con-
expressed in the second point, that the promise is               fession of our  Churces,  the seed of the  cove-
only for the spirit,ual. seed; but that. there was, on            aant, in virtu,e  of the promise of God, are to
its part, a tendency, to say the least, to establish that         be considered as regenerated and sanctified
all the children of beli,ever,s  are true, spiritual seed,        ,in Christ, until, as they grow up, the opposite
regenerated and  sanctifi.ed.  Mark you well,  liteaal.ly         appears from their walk or confession (doc-
they ,do not declare this. `On. the contrary, in the last         trine) ; that, however, it is less correct to say
statement of point 3 they (deny this. But, neverthe-              that baptism  is; administered to children on
less, the tendency is clearly there to ignore `or belittle        the ground of their supposed regeneration,
th,e presence of the carnal seed in the Church, to, con-           because the ground of baptism is the com-
sider that  all the `children of believers are regen-             mand and the `promise of God ; that, further,
erated, and thus to establish the Kuyperian theory that           the judgment ,of love, according to which the
children `are (baptized ,on the basis of their supposed            Church considers the seed of the coivenant as
regeneration.                                                     regenerated, does not at all mean to say that
   This is the objection that is voiced unanimously                for that  rea,son  each  chzild is truly regen-
by the spokesmen for the "liberat,ed  churches" against            erated, because the Word  `of God teaches that
the third point. They claim:                                      they are not all Israel that are of Israel . . ."
   1. In spite of the fact that ostensibly the declara-          Notice the following points of difference:
tions of 1942 simply repeat the Conclusions of Utreoht,           a. The Conclusions of Utrecht conta,in  a #statement
1905 on this matter, .they give a new accent and a which. virtually condemns the theory, of "supposed re-
new meaning to these Conclusions, and virtually adopt Igeneration" as ,a grormd  of baptism. The decisions of
the Kuyperian view of "supposed regeneration?' as 1942 do not contain this statement.
the &gma of the Reformed Churches.                                b. The Conclusions of Utrecht characterize -the
   2. While the  Co,nclusions of Utrecht were never considterati,on  of the seed  `of the covenant  8s  regen-
considered more than an agreement., a compromise, lerated as a. "judgment of love"; the decisions of 1942
in which both sides  ,of the-  .then  .existin,g factions ,omit this statement also.
might find satisfaction; and while, therefore, they              c. The Conilusions of Utrecht  .definitely state
were never considered a dogma!, binding for all office- that the command and promise of God are the ground
bearers and members ; 1942 has raised them, with of  lbaptism ; 1942 does not mention this.
their neyw, Kuyperian accent, to a ,binding declarati'o,          d. The decisions of -1942 give all the. prominence
which no one dare criticize, and thai;l which no one and emphasis to the one statement o!f the Conclusions
is permitted to teach anything else in the Reformed of Utrecht that "in virtue of the promise of God, the
Churches, i.`e. anything that is contrary thereto.            seed `of. the covnant  must be considered regenerated
   These are the objections. of the "aggrieved!," the and sanctified1 in Christ, until, as they grow up,, the
"bezwaarden";.                                                opposite appears." It presents what follows (that this
   Are  .they well founded?                                   in. no wise means to say that, therefore,. each child
   Synodilcal spokesmen deny this. Unanimously they is truly regenerated) -as  somethmg  "added" and,
claim that 1942 adopted nothing more than what therefore, subordinate. But  thiu is not honest. Es-
was agreed in 1905. Prof. Dr. Aalders,  in his letter pecially, if one remembers  that the Conclusions of
which appeared in the`Missionary M'onthly, made the Utrecht were meant to .be a compromise -between two
same claim.                                                   ,opposing   factio,ns, a compromise in which each op-
   And in this way, they  pictu.re the "bezwaarden" posing faction (headed by Kuyper and Lindeboom)
as very unreasonable people, .who now vehemently op- meant to express its own view, and which, for that
pose what they :a;lways accepted.                             very reason, is full of contradictions  (thoegh they
   Yret, I belBeve that the matter is not quite so simple. are somewhat camoufl,aged) ,-it tbecomes  all the more
Although I cannot possibly agree with the covenant evident that a declaration that eliminates many es-
co,nception  of the spokesmen for the. liberated churches sentiid elements from these Conclusions,  anid\  gi.ves
(about which later), I  Ibelieve that  t.heir objections prominence  tto one, cannot lay claim to being still


             78                -                    T$E'$TANDARD  B E A R E R   .   .
                                       .
             the same exp,r.ession  of doctrine, even though-bit quotes perian theory ,of "@upposed  regeneration" as a church
             the  Conclu,sions  li,terally.            .                   do,gma ; and that the spokesmen for the liberated
                     e. The decisions of 1942 evidently meant -to em- churches protest against this on reasonable grounds.
.            phasize that regeneration and sanctif,ication in Christ           And Prof. Dr..  Aalders,  though he did not  lie.
           must be considered :as preceding baptism in the elect Ziterully in his letter in the Missionary Monthly, never-
             children of the covenant,; but this was  condemne:d theless, gave a false presentation of the position of
             by the Conclusions. of Utrecht in the following words :       the liberated churches, .;and `of the real situation in
             "In the meantime the Synod is of the opini,on that the The Netherlands.
             proposition that every elect child would therefore be             How about it Dr. Beets? W,ould it be too much to.
             regenerated even before baptism, cannot be proved, ask that you; of whom it is reported that you had- a
           neither on the basis of Scripture,  n!or on the  ibasis of printed copy of "Pre-advice I" in your  poscket  ever
             the  Confessi,on, while  ,God fulfills His-  Ipromise   ac- since .1939,  woulld; merely for the sake! of truth, give
             cor.ding to His  sover,eign  `good pleasure, whether it the slbove material a place in your widely read paper?
             be before, or .during, or sifter  baptism, so that" it is         If you would do so, you would rise still  highfer
             peremptory to express'oneself circumspe&ly  about this,
     .-                                                                    in m-y esteem.
             and not to be wise above that  which God has re-                                                                   iH. H.
             vealed unto us."
                    2. That `the decisions of 1942 meant to favor the          Since we do not intend always~  to r.efer to specific passages
            .idea of "supposed regeneration" is also suggeste:d by in pamphlebs and papers, we here offer .a list of literatuare  which
             various expressions in the "Pre-advice o!f Committee I" sFT!es as the sou.rce of our information:
             and the "Explanation" (Toelichting)  .which,  indeefd,
             are not a part' of the offilcial ,decisions, but which the        Copie van de Biesluiten der Synode inzake de "lrieenings-
             Synod decided to send to all the churches as an ex- gsschillen, X942; Afschrift Brief van Dr. K. Schilder aan den
             planation of th,ose decisions: The spokesmen for the, Raad der Geref. Kerk te  Kampe.n; Afschrift Correspondentie
             liberated  ~churches repeatedly call attention to this Tasschen Dr. K.  S,childer en Prof. Dr. H. H. Kuyper;  Af-
             fact, and, I think, correctly so.                             schrift  brief van Prof. Dr. H. H. Kuyper  aan Ds. H. V&&amp;
                    3. Attention is also called .by these-men, again and Acte van Vrijmaking of Wederkeer; In Den Chaos, door Ds.
             again,. to the fact that candidate H. J. Schilder (a IC. Veenhof; De Waarheid Luistert  ,Nauw,  door K. C. Van Spron-
             nephew of Dr. K. Schilder) was  vked to subs.tribe sen;  Waar Het Om Gaat, door Ds. J. Dijk; Het Gezag In De
             to the statement that the sacraiments seal actually pre- Kerk Van Christus, door Ds. L. Oranje; Is de tegenwoordige
             sent- grace. (aanwezige  genade) in those that. partake. strijd over de  -Wedergeboorte   D&r  Kindle'rkens   we1 noodig?
             ,of them. If this is applied to  balptism it  ,e;vidently-     door Ds.  C, Vonk;  Kerkscheuring,  door Dr. J.  Ridderb0.s;  De
             m,ean,s ".suppqsed  regeneration." And this is certainly Nie.uwe  Inspiratieve Beweging in de  ,Geaefiormeerde  Kerken,
             contrary to the conclusions of  UtrechL                       door J. E. Van  Buuren;  Antwoord  o,p de publieke uitnoodiging
                    4. That the Conclusions of Utrecht were a mere van Prof. H. N. Ridderbos tot een Openbaar Godsdienstgesprek,
             compromise statement, and never considered as be- door D. J. Buwalda; Ope'n Brief aan Prof. Dr. H. N. Ridderbos,
             1,onging to the -bind&g Confessions .of -the. Church, is, door D.  J. Buwalda;  Neen! door P.  Jasperse;  H&den Voor
             evident,  <not only from the introductory statements Wedergeboren, door C. Vonk; Eenvoudige Toelichting,. door
             to these  Concl.usions, in which the Synod of' 1905 Ds. J. L. Verlare; Wat is Vreeselijk? door C. Vonk; Brief van
             p)ainly stated that it was not proper to make  any Antwoord, door  Dr.... S.  Gre  yd,anus; De  Sehoasing  Getoetst,
             doctrinal ,declarations  concerning the matters in dis- door L.  A;  Hartman,  e.a.;  .Sohriftelijke Verklaring  aan de
            pute,  `but also from the  ffact that officebearers were Synode,  door Ds. D. Van. Dijk; Gehoord, Ja of Neen, door
             never required. to sujbscrilbe to them, as well as from the P.  J<aspersef De  &horsing Van Prof Schilder,  door-6%.  Joh.
             fact that they were always. freely criticized and even Rietberg en  B,. A. Bos;  Reformatorisch   of  Revolutionair,  door
             contradicted, vvhilch is, not dif,ficult because they con- A:  VandlerMeulen  en G. Hormann;  `Korte Bespreking van het
             tradict `themselves. Think of the Rev. Diermanse's Praeadvies van Commissie I, door- Da. S.  Greydanus;  Snelle
             continued<-agitation on this point. Spokesmen for the Afloop als  der  Wateren, door Dr. S.  Greydanua;   Aan de  Kerk-
             liberated churches, howevelu, repe.atedlly complain that eraden  en  leden van de Geref.  Kerken in  .Nedarland,  door het  -
             now -the decisions` of 1942,  wlhich  #are, besides, a moderamen der Synode; Twee  Leden, Brief  aan den Raad der
             onesided version Tof the Conclusions. ,of Utrecht are Gereformeerde Kerk `s  Grave&age Oost; De Verklaring Van
             made binding. No one may teach anything contrary Gevoelen besproken en gehandhaafd, door Ds. J. P.  Vander-
             to them. And Cand. H. J. Schilder was. not admitted Steel, Jr.; Actueele  Vnagen,  door Dr. S.  Greydanus; Is Dat
             to .the mi:nistry, because he refused- to b,e bound- by Nu Zoo Erg? door H. J. Wijn; Verslag van de  vergadering
           . these. decisions.                                              der  Class&. Zwolle, 17  Mei, 1945; Opwekking  ,of Ophitsing?
                    I `conclude, -therefore, that the.: Synod of 1942. door A. Vegter; "Dat Ik Niemand Lichtelijk En Onverhoord
             plainly moved in th direction, of establishing the. Kuy- Oordeele;" door Dr.  S; Greydanus; Enkele  Opmierkingen  Over


 De Brandende  Kwesties In De  Geieformeerde   Kerlcen, door             All' things  ii  $ke.  must serve the  ,re%zatio;n   of.
 B. Roorda; Zijn dan deze  dingen   alzoio  ? . . . Hoort  toe,  doi+  - this firstborn  of every  creatdl"e. They have their
 Dr. S. Greydanus;  Afschrift' van een schrijven van  Ds; F.-A.       ultitiaite  rri@ning in  Him.
 den  Bogft,  gericht   aan den kerkeraad der Gereformeerde              In- the Y'evelation  of the risen Lord,  tie- se@. the
 Kerk van Kralingen;  Kerkve&ond'len   Kerkverband,; Rede door        light of the wisdom of God.
 Dr. K. Schilder;  Verslag van. de Vergadering van Bezwaarden             He is the s,olutio_n of all thirigs.
 te Den I-Iaag,  11 Aug, 1944; V&lag van het Eerste Kerkelijke            In His light, in relation to Hilli, all things lnust be
 Congres der Gerefdrmeerde Kerken  (vrijgemaakt  naar Art. 31         seen  atid  inteypreted. Only  whtin  perceived  and  iewlal-
 D.. K. 0.) ; alle  nommers  van De Reformatie vanaf No; 46,          uated i:n that relationship can we rightly utid&bt&$
 2Me  Jaargang; benevens  kleinire  geschriften  van lokalen aard.    the fir&- c%aitionj the first paradise, the first tree-of
                                                                      life, the first man Adam; but also `the  tree of the
                                                                      knowledge of good and evil, the  prolbationary com-
                                                                      mand, thq temptation of the ,d!evil, the fall of our first
                                                                      parents, sin and death, the incarn&ion and the cross,
                                                                      ihe deep ways of God  un.to, the realization:  o!f  His
 . The Triple Knowle&e everlasting  covexant.  :
                                                                        Apart from Him, the risen L,ord; as- the firstborn
                                                                      of every creature; we dare not  &tempt to `explain them.
                                                                          If  we do, we only conceive of the first creation
  An &&3siti*n Qf The HeideUHQg a,$ a; frustrated attempt on' the part of God to reveal
                       catichismn                                     Himsjlf and attain to His .glory in the works of' His
                                                                      bands ; then, sin and death, the d,evil and all the-powers
                           P a r t            T&o.                    of `darkness can only be seen as `iso mariy forces over
                                                                      against the Lord  .of heaven and earth, existing and  h
                    Of Man's Redemption                               operating, p&haps, by His permission, yet really stand-
                     LO,RD'S   D A Y   X V I I                        &g in opppsition tmo Him arid, td an .,extent,  successful
                                                                      though ultimately they are +anquished ; Christ then
                                2                                     becomes an afterthought, designed to  repair the
       The Idea Of Christ's' Resurrection (Cont.)                     damage wrought by  B&tan  atid  ~;.i.:~, to save what:
                                                                      ever may be'salvaged from the wfe:zkage  ; and next to
   -In the  <eternal  counsel  of God, the resurrected this line of salvation, there runs the line of "commori
 Christ,  thie first begotten of  tihe dead, the glorified gra'ce" according to which the present history ,of the
 Soin- of God in the flesh, stands,  l,ogically first,. In world is ati interim, designed to realize the "original
 th'e divine decree He is  con!oeived first, and He creat,ion ordinalice" of God in spite of. the attempts of
 "openeth `the-.womb" for every cr;eature.  A11 the w,orks            the devil to the contrary.
 df. God are sulbsenvient  to the glory .of this "image of              How different `al-l  this is, when,  in. the light of
 t$e  `itivisible  G o d . "They are conceived after  IHim,           God's own Revelation,  we b,ehold  all things in relation
and untp Him, so as to be adapted to Him. And .in the to the firstborn of ,eiery *creature,  the risen ,Lord!
 perfect, finished works ,of God, as conceived in the                     Then we  ufiderstand that, when God  cresaed  the
 divine good pleasure, He has the preeminence, the' first world, -good .dnd finished- though it was .in it-
 firstborn among many brethnen,  their Lord ; and the self,  H,e had in mind the  secotid  world, in which. all  =
 firstborn of every  creaturei their  :everl&sting  Head. +hings  c6ncenkrat8e  `in the glorified Son of God. Theri
 Hence, it is "the mystery  .of his will,  aiccording,to we  a& that first  Wofl,d as an image of  things to
 hit;  [good pleasure which  he hath purposed in him-. come,  the' firgt iJar%dise-  &s an image o;f the paradise
 self :That in the dispensation of. the fulness of ti,mes of God in the new creation, the first man Adam as
 6e might gather together, in one all -things in ,Christ,             a  figtire of Him  that was to  conic. Then we do not
 both  which aire in heaven,  ana which: are bn, earth. place .the fol"c'es of darkness, the dwil, .Isin, and Ideath,
 Eph. 1 :lO. And again, He revealed unto us "the.-ex-                 du&listically  in opposition to the Most Qigh, %ut how
 ceeding.  greatness   `of  )  his power to  usward who be-' that they are  stibservient to His purpose ; and  bhat
 lieve, according to the working ,of !his niighty power, -God chose the deep way -sin and grace. because He
 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from had  "proirid'ed  some b&tel; thing for us." :Heb. 11.:40.
 the dead, and set hi.m at his ,own right  hanI& in the Then iYe begin to understand that "it became him, for
 heavenly places, Far above all- principality, and pow&, whtim  Iare all things, alid by whorri are all thinlgs, in
 and might, and every pame  that is named, not only in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the cap&in
 this  world,  .but  also, in  th&t  whi,ch is to  corqe." Eph. .of their  sal%ation perfect through suffering." Heb.
 1:19-21.                                             -.              1'  :lO.  %dr' we  &de  J;estig,  the  firstbbrn  of- every  ekea-.


$0.                                        T H E   STA-NDARD  B E - A R E R

tuk;e,  and the first begotten of the dead, "crowned p&s' the saying `that is written, D.eath' is. swallowed
with. gl,ory and hoDour'."'                                      ,Up in  victoyy."
  L Then the revelatioti of the risen Lord  `metis. that             And al'though the more com.prehensiv,e sense is not
we ane more than conquerors through -Him*tliat` l.oved extiluded from the words of the  Qaiteohism, yet, it is
us!                                                     . , -    the intention of ,our ins&&or to emphasize the truth
       The resurrecti,on  o:f Christ is the revielatitin `of the that Christ overcame de&h in Himseljf, that thus He
firstborn of levery creature.                                    is the living Bead of His body, the Church, and that,
       That is the idea of the resurrectioli  of Jesus. Christ as the living Lord, He its ablfe to make us =partislkers of
from the dead!                                                   the blessings o$ salvation.
                                                   H .   H .         We\ must remember that  Christ is not only the
                                                                 mediator  df our redemption, in the juridical `sense of
                                                                 the word, but  also the mediator of our  ,delilv;erance,
                                                                 through Whom ri,gh$eousness Iand lifie actually are be-
                               3                                 stowed- upon axd nealized in us.
            The "Power bf Christ's R.esurrection                     As the mediator of our redemption He `lpun;hased" . -
                                                                 all  t&ngs for  LE..  IHe nepresented us in all His suf-
       The Heidelberg  Cat&hi&,  as  wlas remarked  b.e- fering and death. He took our place iln the jutdi@ent,
fore,  conside'rs  the  resurre&ion  of  our. Lord  solely of God. Our sins He took upon Himself. He assu,med
from the vi,ewpoint  expressed in the question: "What responsibility for our- guilt. In that capacity, He be-
doth the resurrection  ,of Christ  profit us?" And  it came obedient unto death, yea, unto the `death of -bhle
answers : "First, by his resurrection he has. overcome cross.` And by His perfect ,obedience, Hle, `the Son of
death, that he might make us partakers of that pight-            God in the flesh, blotted out the guilt elf our sin, and
eousness which he -has purchased1  for us by his death ;         merited for us eternal righteousness and `life. This
,secondl.y, wle are also by his power raised up to i `new' part of  thie work of salvation is finished. All  th&
life ; and lastly, the. resurr&tion of Christ is a sure are in Him have redemption in His blood, the for-
pledge of our bleslsed resurr.ection."                           giveness of `sins, the right to ehernal  life, to all the
       The dominating thought in this answer. is that, blessings of salvation.
through His resurrection, Christ is become `the living             But how  !&I we obtain this salvation? .
Lo?d,  and thalt, therefore, He is able to impar,t all the-          Does th,e finished sacrifice and .obedience  of Cl&i,&
blessings of salvation  whi'ch He  merited..   ,fcjr His xl?ean that all His work is accomplished?,, Does God
Church unto all whom the Father gives unto Hini.                 bestow the blessings of salvation upon His people with-
       This is, no doubt, the meaning of the words ".bi out Christ's mediation?
his  resurnection he overcame death." The thought                    Indeed not. -Christ is the mediator through Whom
is':  He  overcamei  ,death  iln  iSm&elf,   and thus He is      God accomplishes ;His whole purpose and counsel  of
become the l&ing Lopd.                                           salvation,, sot only with respect t:o ,our redemption,'
       This might be understood  in a more comprehen- but  aas. as  %gards  .-our actual deliverance from all
sive sense  : Hi? overcame nil dea;th, the po'wer  of die&h the power of sin and deabh,  and our ultimate perfe@-
itself,  Ijhysical,  spiritual,  and  <eternal. Principally tion. Just as, within  th6 Holy T%.ity,  Goid's eternal
and centrally,  this is  true. In' the  &!surrection  of covienarit liife ,of friendship ils, of the Father, +hrough
Chri.st, we may and do behol'd the. resurrection. For the Son, an:d `in. the Holy Ghost ; and j,ust as the work
it is not CL man that ialro!&, a mer,@ individual among of dreation is "likewise of the triune Gold, but so thtalt
meti;  *but the  .,second man; the last Adam. By His it is of th& Father, through the Son as the eternal.
death He removed the sting of death, silli ; &Cr `-His           Logos, and  in* the  .Spirit; so  the whole work of  &al.-
resurrectian  is, indeed, the  revelati~on of  th,e victory
                                    .,.  _. .:.                  ,vat$on is of the triune  -aGod, but. again so that it
o v e r   d e & h .                                              is through the  Son in  the!  flesh, and in the Holy
       Yet,  althou,gh this is true  principla!Ny, the final     Spirit as the Spirit of Christ.  Al,1 the benefits of
aooompli&ment  and revelation of this power of  +he aldvation  `are `in Christ. From Him we must re-
resurrection of Christ must wait  d&l the pay&&a, ceive  t&m. He must `impart Himself to us,, incor-
the  second advent, for "the moment" of which the porate us into Himself, quicken us, make us pa$takers
Wor,d of God. speaks in I Cor. 15  :52, when: "the of His death and resurrection, `bestow upon us His
trumpet shall sound, and the dead  shaU be raised rig,hteousness  and- life, preserve us unto the final re-
incorixptible, and we shall be changed. For this devpticvn,  and receive us into  HUE `glory.
corrupti:be  must put on incorruption,  apd this8-mortal            Hence,  I$& must be the  I.iving Lord.
must put  on immortality. So when this corruptible                   Suppose it had ,been possible (whjch, of course, it
shall have put on- inoorruptiop,  and this rnortiai  shall is not!) that, by His  perfiect   olbedience  .in suffering
have put on  .immorta.lity, then shall  ble  bu:ouight to land death, Christ  had  meritced for us the fulness of
                                                                            /`               *


                                            T H E   STANDARII.?  B E A R E R                                                  8%

stilvation, but that, in ,doing so,, H:e Himself had been           own as long as .hc, obeyed, the righteousness Christ
swallowed up of death, t&n `the purchased regemption                5estow,s,   upqn  .us is  never our own, it is always the
could never  ha& become ours.  There would be  PO                   rig&eousness of,  Christ,  "`a  gift of grace. It is  lqot
channel  through   wliich  the blessings of  graoe  Fould
                                                             - .    based. on our ob&ence, but on Christ's perfect work.
reach us.                             `.                            It never -rests in ,us, but tadways in. Christ. The right-
 _ But Christ is risen!                                             eousness of Adam was  amisizible,   liable to be lost;
    He  overcame   d&h! The bonds of death  aid hell the righteousness Iwhich we'have ii?: Christ, having its
could not hold Him.  l3e  ,broke  bhrough the gates of gr6uin.d -ax&-souroe  only in. Chridt, the Son of. God.in
hell into the ,glorj, of His resurrection life. `Apd as the the fl,esh, is :e&blished former: it can never be lost.
risen done, :He ascended up on hi,gh, leading captivity Adam we8 cre'ated in the s6arte and condition of right-
captive, that He  miight bestow all the gifts of.  sail-            eouspes,  and. it  .s+as sufficient to  xustain him  ia:  his
vation -upon  m&l. And  u:ato the end  %hat  ~Hie, the earthly position and life; the righteousness of Christ
glorious Lord, milght irnp1alr.E IHimself and all the bene- is light out of  darkness,  justification out of  condem-
fits of gra,ce  to His people, the Church, He received natibn, life from the dead, iand it' makes us worthy of
the ~promise of the Holy Spirit,. and in that Spirit..Ee            that. higher `:glory which Scripture &lls eternal life.
returned unto  and into  Hils  -(&urch,  t,o  dwell.  inz.  heE,    For`.it `is a righteousness which the Son-of God merit.ed
quilck& her, and abide with  her  forever.  "The first for Us  by  descenditig  -iInto deepest death and lowest
man Adam was made a living soul ; the last --Adlati was hell. .
ma6e a  qu&enin,g Spirit."                                             Of this righteousness  the resurrection  of- Jesus
    This is the thought the Catechism means-X0  ,em-                Christ from the  ,dead is, first -of all,  the divine re-
phasize  wheil it teaches  is  Dhat "by his resurrection velation, the testimony of: God.. -                    -
he has  ouerc&e   dleath."                                             For Christ is risen, but He is also raked.
    And thus. the profit of Christ's resurrection for                  When the Scriptures  d(eclare that He is  rigen, it
US,, as the Catechism sees it, is threefold.                        devotes thie resurrection as an act of His own, of the,
                                                                    divine Son, Who by and through His resurrection is
    First of all,  Re arose "that He might `make us                 powerfully set forth  as. the Son of God, the  riesur-
partakers of  that  ri!ghteousness   which he has pur- rectioa and `the.> life.
chased for us by his  d,eath."                                         W!heln*, however, -the BiblIe teaches urs that Christ
    This is first because the bllessing of righteousness is y&se{, it coKsiders  the r&urrection o% our Lord EU
is  fundame&&  basic  <or all the other blessings of                an act of  Gqd with  respebt  to Christ in His  hu.man
salvat*ion. God. loves. the righteous, but His face `is nature. And as such it is the' Word bf God concerning
!against them that .do evil. His favor is upon them that our justification_ For "he was  delivelred for our of- .
are righteous in  -His sight, even as His wrath  i.s f&ses,  an'& was raised  agajin for our  ju&.ification".
upon the wicked. Rightedu.sness,   theref,ore,  is our He had assumed the responsilbility  f,or our sins, though
great and fundamental need. For we are by nature He was personally without sin and guilt. According
and in ourselves, sinful, corrupt and guilty, and for to that responsibility of' our Mediator, He was war-thy
thaQ  veiy  fleason, children of wrath, worthy of dam- of deajth,  though again, as far as His ipensonal  relation
nation, that is, et+rnal Idieath. We have no ri;ght t,o be to God was concerned,  IHie:  was  the object of  Goldfs
set at liberty, to .be delivered from the power of cor-             favor. With  the  Ioad of  t,his  responsi.bility for  -our
ruption and death, as iong as our poisition `before the sins u.pon ~fiis mighty shoulders, He stood before the
tribunal of the righteous J&dge  of heaven ' and earth tr?bunal- of God .in.the hour of judgmenk,  and willing-
is. that of guilt.  Bbefore all  +hings we must have ly dlescended  in&o the darkest depth ,of death, where
righteousness.  gO#ur  pixition  b:efor!e   God's bar of jus- He suffiered  all the pain and agony in body !alnd soul
tice, our legal status.  in. God's judgment must be that its. caused by the wrath of God against the workers
changed from that of guilt and condemnation into thliit             of' ini`quit,y. Out of that ,depth  of death there was only
df `righteousness a$ justification.              .                  one w@y: su_ch perfect obedience %hat God could declare
    This  righteocsness   .Christ purchased for us: By Him, as Mediator, and, therefore, With ~regard  to our
lH%is perfect sacrifice on the cross, by all l3is ob,edi;ence .sins, perfectly justifi,ed.  For just'as sin and death, SD
as 0~;; Lord and Head!, He qerited for us the forgive- also righteousness aed, life aqe' inseparably coxeected
ness of sins, Iperfect. justification in -God's judgment, in the judgment of God. When, therefore,  G6d raised
the right also. to be dlelivl~~ed  from the .dominion-.and          Him from the dead, He thereby declared Him, and                  //
corruption of sin -and to- be made. ethically, spiritually that, too, as mediator, worthy of eternal life. God
right,eous, and the right to eternal life.. ,Let us note set His iseal upon the pyerfect sacrifice of *Christ,  and
that this righteousness- whitih Christ purchased .f,or us- declar&d  -that -He, the media!tor, had perf&tljr satisfied
i,s. not  .the same as the righteousness  .of  _  Ad!am  iin for ail `the sins- H! had borne upon `the' cross, that is,
the state. of recti_tude.  Adam's r@hteousness  was his f o r   ,qur  t'ransgressions.  IHe  w a s   r a i s e d   f o r ,   on
                                                                                                                               .


                            \,s.      T,HE            STAN-DA.R.D              BEAR.&R
 82


 account of, our justification. The resurrection of ,Jesus- stead of caring, for the poor-a task which was more
 Chrilst from the d'ead is the gospei of *God declarifig us and more appropriated by the ,bishops-they baptized;
 ri,ghteous, :rnd worthy of eternal life'!      -             .distri!buted  the sacramental cup, said the church
                                               IH.  %I-.      pFaye$s,  not seldom- preached, and were confidential
                                                              advisors to the -bishops ; but they were the legal in-
                                                              feriors of the priests. As to the office of ruling elder,
                                                              it ceased to exist, as the .dnties that ,belonged to tliis
                                                              office,  w;ere taken over  %by the  monarchial  bishop. In
                                                              this bishop was  seei the  highpriest of the Old Dis-
                                                              pensation, .and the Priests and D.eacons  were held to
                                                              correspond to the LeJiti,cal. Priests and t.he common _
             pope ]Leo;. The Great                            Levites respectively.
                                                                 Sti$ll:  other ,offi.ces   wlere invented and instituted,.
              _       ._                                      namely the following. 1. Sub-de&o& or under helpers,
       W.e learn from the  New Testament Scriptures, a$ assistants to the deacons. 2. R,eaders,  who read the
 that, ii1 the apostolic church, thus -in the :beginning,     Scriptures, in fihe meetings for public worship and had
 the bishop in the church was a. common minister of charge of the church books., 3. The  Acolehs who
 the gospel. But he did not long-remain this. At the atte!n!ded  the  lbishops in  +heir offical duties and pro-
 close of the Second century we find every Christian cessions. `4. Exorcisti  -who by prayers and the laying
 local chu-rch,  including the ministers of the gospel and & of ha&s cast out evil spirits from the possessed,
 the elders, an'd aaso, of course, the deacons, :ruled by' a and often assisted in baptism. 5. Janitors or sextons.
 new d&nitary,  who alone bore the title of bishop. It They took care of the reli&ous  meeting-rooms and' at
 means that the bishop was now an office  %bearer   iin a later period also of the church yards. 6. Catechists
-the church vested with legal power over the-ministers who  tiaulght the  catezhumens or assisted thenein. `7.
 of the  ,gobpel. In the church of Christ, `legal power Interpreters; But  $he interpret&ion was usually  Gone
 is. Bey power, th$t is, the. right or authority to ad- :by the Presbyters, deacons or readers.  :These  were
 minister the word and the sacrament,% and esp#eeially. all inferior offices and they formfed with the deacons
 the, right to  ,excummuni,cate out of' the Christian and the priests: the Lower Clergy, the H&her Clergy
 Church. At tile beginning of' th,e l%econd century, this thus including-the bishops ,and; all the higher digni-
 power was- more and more being exercised only by taries.                              `.
 the bishops in contradistinction. to the ministers of the       Rut we must now concentralte  on the bishops. `In
 gospel, who were now the legal infe.gors  of the bishop. the .first period -they had jurisdiction tily over the
 This was a strange.and  lamentable departure from the local consisitory;  bu$ at length the territory over which
 cehurch Policy laid. down by C,hrist in t,he New Testa-, the church had spread itself was .divided  into districts
 malt Scriptures. These Scriptures. plainly teach the or`clerica?  dioceses and in the chief city of each district
 .&al parity of those whom it callIs:  bishops, teachers a ,bishop was established, whence the city was called
 .and  .past,ors,   :+rs,  an,d `presbyters. They  k~w of the see-from the Latin sedes mean&g seat. In cotirse
 no bishops vested with  .,-legal power also` over the of time the district or dioceses assigned to the first
 presbytery or consistory.  This new. power, *hotie. ap-. bishcnp became too  populoti~s, whereupon they were
 pearance was the beginning of pa-pacy !aad the foun- subdivided and a seccmd bishop selecfed;  and so bis-
 adation thereof, is known in history as the qonarchial hops and dioceses were `multiplied according `to the
 br hierarchical ,bi&op, and the government by such waits of the ,ck;urches. Meanwhile the bishops ,of the.
 bishops was  igiven the  .aame. "episcopate" from  the- new sees grouped themselves iround the bishops of
 Greek- "epi-skopeoo", meaning to dverseB Sim.ultan- the anlcient  sees; S-o did the bishops fall into differ-
 eously, the.  Lord% Supper  ,becam)e  transformed into ing ranks according to the ecclesiastical and political
 the sacriafice  of the Mass. According to the doctrine of import&e of their several seats' of authority. On
 the. Mass thee bread` of.holy communion, as it lies upon the lowest level stood the  Ibishops   ,of the  ,country
 the Communion T&e or Altar, is a sla!crificej and a-s churches; who had* j~urisdiction omer all the churches
,. s.uch an unbloody  repititioe of the sacrifice of Christ. located in their respective districts. The next highest
 The duties of preaching. and teachin.g.  were m&e and rank was  occupied by the city  :bishops.  Ammeg  the
 mo$e appropriated by the m,onarchi!all  bishoips,  a.nd the latter -towered the bishops of the ichief cities of- the
 task of the ministers of .the, Gospel became sacrificin,g ciiil  Iprovinces of the-  R,oman empire. In  the East
 the M&s, sod on this account the-Minister% wenq cal.led- theywere called metropolitans-from the Gneek, metra
 priests, which was now  thleir offical title; but they mother and po%is city, hence #mother city- in the West
 continued to bi called presbyters. To the ,dieacons, too;~ archbishops:  They  had  jurisdicti,on over the other
 were qigned. new tasks, strange- to thei~r- office, Ins bishops of the province; ordained them, `called .the


                                      THE  ST"A,NI~ARD   BEARER                                                     83
    '            :
 Imovincial  synods and .Eresided;  in such synods. Upon best of its. domain. So, that to which we now have
 them devolved the care ,of all the churches of the whole regard is the rise and the decliae of the papacy in the
 province. Above the metropolitans stood the five -pa-
                                                        :-    countries of Latin Christianity. These Lountries are :
 triarchs. They were the sbishops of the four great capi-     The British  .Isles, the Lowlands (Belgium and the
 tals of the  empir,e, Rome, Alexandria, Antioch,  an.d       Netherlands) Gaul (the modern France). Germany,
 Constantinople, to which was added the  bishorp of Italy, and Spain, that the papacy did not advance its
 Jerusalem. Their joint rule extended over the lwhole         authority in the other countries of the Eastern Hemis-
 Christian church. Each `patriarch  .had  jurisdictior        phere was not `due to the fact that it had set a limit
 over a number of di'oceses,  ordained1 the metropolitan to its ambitions. Could the popes have gotten their
 bishops, rendered the final decisions in church con- way, they would have ruled the world from pole to
 troversies, ;presided in the ecumenial councils, published pole and  womd  <be ruling. the world. from pole to
 the decrees of the coluncils,  an,d thus united in them- -pole in this day and age.
 selves the supreme legislatilve and executive .powers           The papacy, its ambitions and strivings, is of the
 in the church. This was the episcopate in its com- earth `earthy.  .As  t,o the idea of world dominion in
 pleted fo&-a form whi.ch ,it attained bby the fourth church and state, it was conloeived  and born in carnal
 century. It may be compared to a .buildmg,  rising from lust of power. It is not according to the pattern for
 the lower clergy as..its #base, through rank upon rank church `organization lai'd down by ,Christ in the Scrip-
 of  Ibishops  of  aalways greater  {power  and  _ topped; by tures. True; its  erectian took place  aocordmg  to the
 five spires or steeples-the five pat.riarchs  ; or it may determinite counsel of God. Undoubtedly, not a few
c-be compared to a body with five heads. In this con- of the popes through whom. it became flesh and blood
 ception the lower -clergy forms the feet, the Qishops of were true `children  `of God. As do all things, good
 differings ranks the legs and the torso, land the patri- and ,bad, it worked for tgood.  to God's believing people.
 archs the five heads,of the body. In a previous article It performed useful  .ldeeds.  Throu%gh it `Christ pro-  *
 it was Dointed out that what contributed to the develop- moted the ends of his kingdom in the same sense
 ment of the episcopacy was the commendation it that he advances the cause of His Bingdom through
 received from the hcurch fathers, especially from all things good and Ibad. Thus it served God's counsel,
 Ignatius, bishop of Antioch and Iraneus.                     as do all things. But  :for all this it was  and is an
   . Thereupon the idea was conceived..that  the patri- Lmscriptural institution. `It  borle fruit after its kind
 arch or the :bishop of Rome ,enjoyed  a universal juris- and this fruit was evil. The apostles, whose sucessors
 diction over the whole (Christian church,. laity and the popes claim to be, did not strive after. worldly
 clergy alike including the ,ot,her four lpatriarchs.  But power. They did not lay claim to  jurisdi,ction `over
`* this is not all. In process of time, the bishop of Rome, all things in the state. But they warned the pastors in
 who took the name ,of pope, laid claim to a jurisdiction the church against entangling themselves ih the affairs
 over all the kingdoms  off the earth as  .wel!l. Church of this life.. I Tim. 2 :4. True, the office after which
 aild state iwere conceived of as forming two sides to the popes aspired does exist; ,but it exists for Christ
 the kingdom of Christ on earth, and in this kingdom only. He, as seated at the right hand of God in the
 the pope claimed to be th,e supreme judical power,, thus highest heavens, is King of Kings and Lord of lords
under Christ, the head over all things in the church and as such the' head over -all things in the church.
 not only "but the Lord of ievery earthly potentate as Bu,t nowhere, certainly, ,do the Script.ures  teach that
 well. It is through the pope, such is the conception, Christ exercises this dominion on earth through the
 that Christ exercises His dominion on earth in state {pope of Rome.
 and church.. These were amazing claims. Still more              Since the papacy had no army ,of its own to fight
 amazing is the fact that, at times and in a measure,' for it, the question is pertinent how it succeeded even
 the papacy actually succeeded in realizilng its claims. partially in realizing its ambition? The question is
 Its success in this `direction, the how and the why of, to be answered thus. The temporal rulers would come
 this success, makes an astounding story full of intri- to the assistance of the papacy with their armies in  *
 gue and carnal tactic. This story I now purpose to           exchan,ge for favors sought from  ai1.d granted them
 tell. In a series pf articles I .purpose  to sketch the rise by the popes. What is more, somle of the popes them-
 and decline of the papacy in its struggles with the selves were skilled in the arts of war and went forth
 rulers, in church and state for  wirld  dominion.~           to battle at the ,head of troops recruited from their own
          As has just been observed, the claim of the papacy estates. Secondly, all men, including the mightiest
 to such universal jurisdiction has <been- realized but kings, feared the pope's thunderings. For the belief
 partially. Greek Christend,om has never acknowledged became general that the keys of the kingdom of- hea-
 it and Latin  .Christianity-the church of Western :ven -had  {been  pjlaced  :by Christ in the hands of the
 E:urope-acknowledged  it for a time only. In the Re- pope so that he had the power to set ,men in heaven or
 formatioq.  the papacy  was deprived forever. of the send them in everlasting desolation as he chose and
            .
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        84                                      THE~.STAND~XRD                      BEA,R.ER           :     ,..
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       8s convenience dictated. The preaching by the church African church ; severely `rebuked the j&shops of Italy-
       so registered .in men's minds that this was ihe conclu- for their laxity  `in' purging their churches of the
       sion that was zbeing drawn. And the fault lay with the Manich&an and Pelagian `heresy  ; confirmed in his
       teachers in the church; They  #obscured  the truth by o%ice: Anastacius,` bishop of Thessalonica, npon the
       the vain philosophies of tien. Thus through the use latter's request;  "$nd extended his  jurisdictitin  over
       of these two instruments- the sword power' and the all the  Illyrian bishops, but reserving to them  the:
       key :power+he pap&y went far in fastening itself up- right of appeal in important cases' from the provincial
       on the"state  and the church. It went far in-this respect synod to `the hope. The African, Illyritin,  and'- Italian
       also through the use even  `bf the sword power and bishops &cknowledged  his authority -and likewise the
       this despite the fact of Christ's reply to Pilate, "My @ani&  `  mchur'ch; which besought  his intervention
       kingdom is not of this world : if my kingdom. was `of agiinst'.tihe P?iscilliariists, whom he refuted point <by
       this world,  then would my servants fight, that  .. I ptiint.  `Bti$- in Gaul' he  succeeeded  .but  pa&ally in
       should not be  ldlelkered  to the  Jews:  !but now is my edtablishing his authority, and in the East his effort
       kingdom, not from  hen&e," John 18  :26.  Truly,`  ths in this direction  fabled  comlpletely. By the twenty
       p&pacy is an Ievil institution,, and this despitti.  th& fact    eighth canon of khe Council ,of Chalcedon,  the` bishop
       that it p&f,or,med useful things, and also IdFspite  the of Constantinople w&s raised to o5ficial equality with
       fact that  mope  than one pope-we  cannot.  *otherwise           Leo, and his earnest ljrotest against this decree  was
       jud,ge-was a true believer, bearing fruit worthy of futiie. . . .                                      ".-.,
       reptikance.                                                         Leo's  success in carrying  .the `id&  ,of the  .papacy
          The first pbple to lay claim to dominion in the whole into effect can `<be explained, Firstly, hie was a  maa -.
       &hurch-mark  you; in the church not iti the state as of  unusud ability. Justly  does he-bear the title `of
      yet-this came later-was Leo I, the dates of whose "The Great" in the history of the Latin hierarchy.
     `. pontificate are 440-461. Thjs ,claim he founded upon In -acuteness .and #depth of thought, ,in energy of will
       his  ,qwn erroneous  intenpretation of Matt. 16:  l'8,19. an!d  spirit, he  suutpassed  a?1 his predecessors and
     In his  conoeption, Peter is  tlie rock  u.pon whom the
-                                                                       successors down to pope Gregory I. And during the
       Lord built His  chuurih. To him especially.  the. Lord time of his .@bntificate, he was the only great man in
       gave the keys of thie kingdom of heaven ; to the othei the R,oman empire. Nowhere  was there a powerful
       apostles only in' a general capacity. Peter therefore is Ibishop :ziY divirie; like `Athdnasius or Augustine in the
       the prince Lof ' the whole church. -- This primacjr  `(bf fbi?ner  generation. fie' `was 3% directing infl.uence iti
       Peter) was  transferrable and  a&ually was  trans- the second stage of  t,he `Christological controversy.
       ferre'di to the bishops of Rome arid to them only, who,          The wholIe substance of the doctrinal form&a by which
       in consequenae thereof are, as the successors of, Peter, this  contrtiversy was concluded, was taken from his
       the pastors bf the whole church. :The fallacy of this letter to Flavian bf ,Constantinople.  . H& to+ a leading
       interpretation is seen from. the statement, that the part in all the affairs of the church, doing battle with
       church `universal is built, according to th'e Scriptures, the -heresies of his time such as the Manichaean, the
       upbn the foundation of all the apostles and probhets             Pricilianist,   `and  the. Pelagian.  BesideIs shaping  the
       and. upon Christ as the chief .oorner  stone. Thus the doctrine and the polity of the .ch&ch, .he saved R,ome
       function of them all was to lay, through their -in- froin destruction by venturing into  the camp of the
       fallible teachings,  tlie  foundati'on of the church for Huns, whb were'threatening the imperial city. As sub-
       all the ages to come, so that -with the- death ,bf the dued by his reinonstrances and as-awes by his vener,al$e
       last apostlhcirca loo-this function ,ceased..ahd  with appeara&e;  `,the; :heathen  actu&ly  changed their pur-
       it the-office of the aljtistles,  so that the ap&%l& were p&e;   Xi?6  wg;`  a`..`.great map.  Afid  -his feelings at the
       without successors. They continued to  func@on through assum,ptioil of  his office, which  he;:himself, describes
       %he word of God that Christ, through their agency, in &iti of his sermohs, ,bespeak `in him the true Chris-,
       gave- to the church. This  mu& be  ma&ntained  in tian : "Lord `I have heard yo.ur -voice (calling me, and
       opposition to the fundamental idea of the `papacy as I  was `dfraid; I considered  the work enjoined and I
       set forth with un.precedent&  clarity for the d&t time trembled. For what proportion is there between the
     ' by pope Leo I. With unprecedented  cleann,ess. `This  - burden -assigned to me and my  weakness,  this ele-
       is the correct way of stating the matter, for the see& vation; an;& my nothingtiess? What is more to #be feared
       of the papal idea  ane discoverable  in. the writings-of than exaltatiQn .without  merit, the iexercise  of the most
       a!11  .the` leading church `fathers.  AccoY;ciing  to Leo, holy' &r&ions being `intrusted to one who is, buried
       obedience to the pope is` necessary to salvation. -So            in `sin? -Oh, $0~. have laid upon. me .this heavy bur-
       did he wholly  identify the  kin.g$om`of  heaven with `dfen, bear it with me, I beseech you ; be ybu my guide
     the -Roman hierarchy, in particular with the papacy. gnd.my support.`! On a whole, the popes of the ant&
       And he `was -bold to make good his claims. ,In  -the             Nicene:  and early  post-Ni,cene  periods  were. earnest
       tone  .o$  overloPdi,  he  admoni&ed the bishops- of  `the men. For the papacy- had not yet begwa to strive after


                                             :`T :~~~~?~ `;ji&~ &I::$ D A R D B E:+P, `-E R                                  _     $5
                              . . .                                                                                          _-.-.-
  worldly power and it: Was still withtiut it& "States-of              cause of God. It became -plain that the  &tion  de:
 the  C?&&h,X. Hen&,. it ,had llot yet b&come-' the .co-Ve-            s@rved,that` stroke, for it was carnal. This also acebuntS
  ted prize ,of wicked inen and tfie' playball of' politicitil for it that before takicg action against Benjamin,`Lhe
  facti.ons. The popestwere  still ecclesiastics, the'olo'gians men of -Israel neglected to  .offer the  requited   burnt
  and shepherds, .be it %hief shepherds, &&pied,with the amd peace ,offerin& to thereby confess that they, too,
  affairs  of  the  chqch..  '  `,  "  i  1:.                          were undone &nners as ill-d<eser@ng as `their brethren
            In -explaining the success which L&o ,tia!d-iti'hdvanc-    -the Benjainites--and  thus spaned solely for the sake
  ing papal authority, there are @`I1 other factors to *be of the .blood  of their sacrifice. But they had no need-  df
 consider'ed.  There `was the importance ,of the Roman the atonement, for they were righteous iti their' owri                               -
  :church. It was the `only church, in the West that was si*ght. Therefone  the battle first was  turnejdi  &gain&  :
  thought to have beeti founded by apostles, khese apos- them so that 40,000 of their number were !!lestroye$
  les being Peter and Paul. And the latter had, died' at before the Loyd gave B'enjamin into .their hands.                             '
  Rome; In Rome the early p,ersecutions  `had belen the                   FoUowin,g this history  I% the  .end, we come  -Upon
' s&erest and the chuach there $ad (endured1  with vigor. still mor,e  evidence that the men #of Israel were `carnal
  The  R'oman church  was famed for its generosity to                  and that the amazing zeal with which they prosecuttdd
  poor churches and for its resistance; `and this success- that war against Benjamin rose larg@ .fr6rri%inful
  fully; to heresy, so that. already at `the `close of the .-flesh. Firstly, the sword was not  returried-   to its
  second century  the feeling  tia+~~g%neral  that. every scabbard until thb whole tri,be was nearly extertiinated.
  church should agree with the church at, Rom& Lastly;                 The fleeing B#enjamites  -were pursued; otieY+akaj  and
  this church-  was the  lar,gest   sin& congregation in killed and only six hundreid of their nlumber were able
  Christend&n and it was located in the :capital: of the to save themselves by hiding in the  rock Rimmon.
  einpire.                                                             Benjamin's cities were Iburned  and their inhabitants
                                                     G. M. OF          -men and  ,beasts-Ipi& to the sword.  Though'tihe law
                                                                       demanded~the  taking of these-extreme fieasu-re;-thou&h
                  :                                                    Benjamin deserved this stroke, the men'of Ispael mi&hti
                                                                       have tempered their zeal with mer,cy.  The I%?d Him-
                                                                       self had set them several examples in the Q%s .-of t&the
                                                                       p&t. That the .nation still existed was  idue ,-s&&---Eo
  :`:  T'E  %)Ay  ~(-jJj':Sfi~D~%@                                     the mercy of the Lolld. For over and ,over it h&%&?~
                                                                       its,elf  gworthy' of complete extermination through.??
                                                                       spiritual -whoredoms  and rebellions against the I+$.
                                                                       And even now! as was shown, th'e men of IsfaeI were
   .,  1               `- The  Ll?wap  Oathi,                 .-.
             .                                                         just as worthy of the severe punishment that wtis iti;
                                                                       flitted  tipon the brother trib,e. True, th@  -had brotiglit
            :We. saw that in the war against Benjamin, the the burnt and peace offerings and thereby 6~e%il~d
  Israelite nation was oveftaken  by a ;catastmphe of the their sins before God and .sought His forgivenegs  %tit                                .
  first magnit&e.  The number slain 2nd wounded, b&h oinly after 40,000 of their ?tumber had been`:destrojied.
  Benjamites and Israelites,' reached the staggering sum This should have. disposed them t@ consider thalat `th&e
  of 65,130, and this numb& does not include the slain                 was also for&veness for Benjamin in the. tVajr -of k"e;-
  women, children;anZl old m@n of the tribe od Benjamin. p&tance in that Chri,st was among them.' Th&t' B&i-
  As' was pointed- out, it was in that' `p.eriod concerning jamin, too, now that it had been defeat'ed--on the field
  which it was said that the people deriie'd Jehovah all l2+e of battle, might have turned his thoughts `to `.%d, anld
  days of Joshua and al'1 the days of the elders tlLat,saw if so conId be spared as well as they had been `spaired,
  the great works, which jehovah did ,for Is-lzael. It was, seemed not to occur to them. Anid so the carnage c&i-
  in that p,eriod  of covenant fidcelity that the nation was tintied. The sacaed narrator frowns upon thei? ,`doing,
  scourjged by that catastrophic war with Benjamin. Why for this  wholie' terrible history he  incloves   b&veen'
  should the hand of God have rested so heavily ulpon- the statem,ent  as twice made, "And in those days there
  the nation in such a period?. As wag said, the question was no king in Israel : .every man did that which :was
  is pertinent in view of the &ct that, according to ,God's            right in his own eyes."                  -     -       i        -
  promise to `Israel, national well-being and covenafit                   When it was all over, .the men of Israel stodd&ghast
  fidelity' had to go hand in hand. We  found that the at their own idoing. But thley seemed to stand fir&-fn
  only explanation of this `is that, though the people of the conviction that this was precisely whit the- cord
  Israel were still serving the Lord- an& were not -pros- had required, namely that they ,obliterate  the` ,@hdle
  trating thetiselves  <before  t he shrines of idols, i their tribe  ,of Benjamin, and not that they  fopbear:-%&&
  ,hearts. were not right  iwith God:  Severa. examples haSing inflict& punishment  upon  the  tribe'  c&  `ihe-.
  were given of this lack of true seal and Ieve for the field of battle. What the, Lord had, said't~o thGrn.inc r&
                                                                                                                      . .


  5%         _.                          T    H     E         ST.ANDARD   B-EARNER                                _. .
  ply to their question, "Shall I yet again go out to battle that i;hat,ever community should not come up to Miz-
  against the children of Benjamin my brother <or shall pah to the Lord  .to fight against Benjamin, shouid
  I cease,"-What the Lord had said iti reply to` this is, surely be put to death. In their predicament, their
- "Go  up for tomorrow I  wily, deliver them into thy minds suddenly. reverted to this oath. `The keeping of
 hand." Certainly  .Benj&min must  .be  putnished,  and it was th.e way out of their difficulty. So they wanted
 therefore he was  Igiven in Israel's  hanid. But it was to  know `now whet,her thei.e was in Israel such a re-
  still an open question  just how far the mien of Israel calcitrant community. They numbeped  the pedp'le end,
 must  `go in chastising the  brot,her  tribe. The tribe behold there was none of the inhabitants of Jabesh-
 was exterminated, or nearly so. Is t,hat &hat the Lord gilead there. That was the solution to their problem.
 had  commande~dl?  -It floes not necessarily follow from $0 they sent thither twelve thousaG men of the most
 His reply. It must b,e held against the men of Israel           valient with the  commanp, "Go and smite the  ifi-
 that, before proceeding to that, extreme .Feasure,  they habitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword,
 failed to inquire of the Lord. Also this failure in- with the women and the children. And this is the
 dicates a wrotig disposition on their part. And now thing that ye shall do, Ye shall utterly destroy every
 that their blind zeal had spent itself, they bewail what male, and every woman that hath lain by man." It
 had taken place as a national calamity, -a visitation of was tiot necessary for them to -add that the virgins
 God. An'd that-it was's punishment inflicted on the should be spared, that there might :be wives for the
 whole nation through their own blind  zeS1. So they six hundr& refugee Benjamites  in hiding -in the cave
 went to Bethel  and  albotd? there till evening  ab,efore       of Ri-mmin. This  SW&.  well understood. They re-
 God, and li:fted .up their voiloes and wept sore ; and said,    frained from making mention of +his because doubt-
  "0 Lord God of Israel, why is this come" to pass in less none of them wanted to admit either to t&eImselves
 Israel, that there should be today one tribe lacking in         or to one another the true purpose of this expedition,
 Israel?" The question  was  scip'erfluous. They could which was not to inflict punishment updn a sinful com-
 know why, discover  the  reasolns,  if only they would munity in Israel that God might be feafied #but to obtain
 face the truth about themselves. Their hearts were not wives for the six hun.dred Benjamintes to prevent the
 right  w&h God as  was evidenced, for one thing, by loss of a tribe.  They needed that tribe for military
 their ,unwillfngness  to bring to conclusion thle war with defense. The narrative does not state that the com-
 the remnants of the Canaaaites. So their question re- mand that the inhabitants of  .Jabesh-Gilesd be  de-
 mained ,unanswer&d.  The "Lord did not reply, and they,         stxoyed  was carried.. out. For -that was `not the 3eal
 cc+s8cious  of their national sins, ros'e early and b:uilt pullpose  of the -mission. But the narrative does assert
 there an altar, .and pffer&  burnt offerings and peace +-hat "they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-
 offer&$. And they a7so repented for Benjamin their gilead four hundred young virgins, that had known
 brother. They said, "There is  ,one  tritbe cut off from no man ,by lying with any male; these they brought
 Is&e1 this ,dfay." .Also this lamentation of the-men of theti unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in the' land of
 Israel shows that exceedingly few of the brother tribe -Canaan." Then they sent ,messengers  to proclaim peace
 *had escaped the carnage. The consideration of the to the six hundred  Blenjamites  in hiding. And they
 *loss of this tribe caused them deep grief. They re- came forth and received  for wives them "which had
 pented, suff;ered  a change of he& and mind. It means tbeen saved alive of the women of Jabesh-Gilead."
 that they wished they hadn't gone to that extreme,              The implication- of this statement, is, that the rest were
 and decried the zeal that had driv.en  them. A&l so they destroyed: There is a stran\ge-  inconsistency that is here
 set.their  minds hard at work devising ways and means           encountered. `If the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead-had
 for rehabilitating the, tribe. For they knew that they made themselves worthy of death, how could the ,lives
 had not acted under  .the neoessity of a  ,diirine com- of these virgins be spared ; and how could they spare
 mand. but rather under the impulse ,of an indignation them -without violating the oath?
 that wa`s anything ,:but righteous. Certainly, it could            .But now it was  discoveaed that there  w&e not
 mnot <be t,he &ill of Goib that a-tribe in Israel be blotted enough wives to go around.  "Then the  elders  of the
 out. But in their  bEnId zeal they had made it very #congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them
 difficult for themselves tb do anything-at all for Ben- that ,remain, seeing the women ase: destroyed out of
 jamin. First, they  -weBe  detered  by their rash vow. B,enjamin?`" -Also from `&is statement must.be  deduced
 In Mizpeh they had sworn not to  ,give anya of their that the slaughter among the `non-combatant  Ben-
{daughters to  th,e escaped  remnant--the  600 refugees jamites had !been truly appalling. All the women ha,d
 in hiding in the rock .o,f Rimmon. Instead of repenting .been -destroyed  .out of Benjamin. That those of the six
 of this oath,' which they ,should  .have done, they re- hunderd-  kefugee Benjamites who  were+ill without
 solved to keep it; yet  actually broke  it through cir- wives might be- supplied, the elders in Israel resorted
 cumventing it iln the following way. In their- zeal they to a most lawless  exp&lient,  and to an amazingly
 had made stil another great oath. They also had,sworn `sophi&ical-r'easoning, thinkingthat  ,by such means -they


                                       T H E   STANDAR,D  BEARtiR                                                          87

 could supply the wives that w.ere still lacking without
 :violating  their oath. There  9 was a periodically  re-
occurria!g  [feast at  Shiloh at which  thae maidens as-                      SION'S  ZANGEN
 sembled  .from the surrounding regions and executed
 dances at this place. The Ben.jamites  were commanded
 to lie in.wait in the vineyards and batch him every man                         G r o o t e   Verlatenheid'  -
 his wife of these maidens and return with his prize to
 the land of Benjamin. The exact  ,description  of the                                      (Psalm 8%)
 situation of  Shilo,h serves-to show that it was peculiarly
 adopt&+  for the  eiecutioill of the  advi,ce  Igiven to the            H&t is  .uitierst moeilijk iets  ovep dezen psalm. te
 Benjamites. Vinehills enclosed the dancing place. schrijven.                     We zien moeilijkheden van alle  zijden;
 There they were to w&t, concealed in the thickets, Wie is die Heman? Er worden  er twee genoemd in de
 until thle maidens appeared. Btit the `Benjamittes must IBeilige Schrift.  Waarin bestond zijn elleade?  J&h-
 have recoiled fFom such a tactic. They. feared that the amelijk? Was hij een melaatsche, zoodat dit ,de reden
 ill-will of fatheres and brothers woixld be engendered `was waarom  alle zijn vrienden en bekenden hem ver;
 by such an  exploit. The elders quiet  theiF fear, and lieten?                Of was zijn ellende van  I'neer geestelijken
 say, "And it shall be when their fat&&s or their bre- aard? Waarom wij dan ook lezen van Gods verschrik-
 tkren come unto us to con+en.d,  that we will Say unto           .kinlglen die over  zijn ziel  %omen als water. Dan zijn
 them, Be favorable unto them for our sakes: beca;use             er ook afzonderlijk probllemen in vele uitdrukkingen
  we took not to each man his wife in the war: for ye die zeer- sterk zijn, zooals Doodbrakende, afgezonderd
  did not give unt,o the% at this time, that ye should ,be        onder de dooden, in den ondersten kuil,liggen:, tot, een
  guilty.! `This verse has experienced several interpre- grooten  gruwel gesteld zijn, enz.
  tations. But the  matter is clear. The thought con-                    Daar  komt dit bij : de meesten ader kommentaren
  veyed is  doucbtless this: Their  ifathers  an'd  Ibrokhers     zien hiei een puur mensclh&jke' smart, afireken niet
  will come unto us to contendto us men of Israel,. ,vlan het vooruitlijden van Messias. Het wil ons voor-                        "
  For it will be (evident that we are responsible ii+ that, ko&n'alsof we hier te dden hebben met een van de
 without  .our permission, you, Betij,amites,  wou1.d not duidklijkst?  profiti& van den lijdenden Christus, in-
  have dared to engage in such `lawlessness. Henc,e, they dien xliet de duidelijskste  van allen. Vrage : waar vindt
. will reproach us and their great grievance will be that - .ge in de geheele  Hei,lige Schrift een lijden geteekend,             _
  wle, brough them under ihe- curse of having violated dat  di"l lijden van  Heman  .&enaardt? En waar de
  their oath tiot to give of their daughters to Benjamin.         Schrift in het Oude  Testam&  zee,r  vaak.  bet' lijden
 Then shall we say unto  th,em (the fathers and bro- der heiligen beschrij`ft  als het vooruitlijden, profetisch,
  thers) : Be gracious untd the Beiijamites for-ou,r sakes ,vian Christus' iijden,  zou  ,dan de Heilige  Gee&  Zich
 , We did not take thy  dlaughters-  in war, that is, by van het  mindeu;e  bedienein  in  verwaarldozing  van dit  I
  violenoe.  We purlposely refrained from this as other- geheel eenige  lijden van  Heman?  Dit komt ons als
  wise we would have involved ourselves in the curse of zeer  onwaarschijnlijlk   voor; Gedenkt  nag weer eens
, a -broken  oat,h. But  these:Benjamite& had to be pro- aan  P,etrus,  die ons door  God.s Geest leert, dat "van
  vided with wives. So we allowled  them to seize- your           welke  zalilgheid ondervraagd en-  onderzocht   hebbea  a,
  daughters. But no curse `can comti upon you, fpr you de profeten, die geprofeteel;cl  hebben. van de genade
did not give your `daughters to them.                             aan u geschied, onderzoekende  op welken of hoejanigen
      This, doubtless, is  the- thought  ,conveyed.  #So,. by tijd-de Gee& van`christus,  die in hen was, b:duidcle en .
  such means the men of, Israel thought to gain their te voren getuigde' het lijden dat op Christus komen
  el!ds without violating their oath. They seemed not to zoude, en de heerlijk'heid daal?navolgende."  I .P,et.  1 :lO,
  u.n:erstand..  that in spirit the oath was vio'lated indeed.    11.      Of  gedenjkt  oak  '  Jezus' eigen woorden tot de
  The  childrea. of -Benjamin di,d- as they bad' been ad- Emmaus-gangers : "0  oilverstandigen   en tragen van
  vised, and "they went out from thence `every man to hart om te gelooven al hetgeen de profeten gfsproken
  his inheritance". .For the times wepe lawless. Every hebben! Moest de  Christus niet deze  dingen lijden,
  man did that  whisch was right in his  own eyes.  For en ,alz66 Zijne heerlijlkheid  ingaan?" Lucas 24 :25, 26,
  there was no  .king. in Israel. With, this  not&~, the                 Daar komt  nolg bij, dat  vele van die  vfeemde en
  sacred- writer closes his l&tory.            -                  onvferklaarbare  uitdrukkingen in  dezea. psalm juist
                                                    G. M. 0.      verklaard  kunnen worden  als men den lijdenden Chris-
                                                                  tus hoort klagen in psalm 8%.            1
                         --                                              Deze psalm wordt  een lied genaamd. Da&r:. zit een
                                                                  les in. Ge  moogt   zingen van Uw smart. God  heeft'
      Chrisius,  de  Gekruisitgde,  maakt-  ilcht- het; kruis gezorgd; dat er psalmen zijn- waarin ge zingende van
  van' den C.hristen.                                             Uw ellende getuigt als een smartelijk gebed-  tot den


88                                         FHE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                _i                                                               . .
.God ,Uwer.zaligheden.  Een lied, een tr.eurzang.
                .-.-.                                                    Ik  ,denk, dat daarom  H.eman,   zulik,,een  aantrekke-
`, Iik hen -geneigd`om' te' de&ken;  dat',deze  Heman de-            iijke figuur is in *de Heilige::Schrift.      In hem schittert
zelfde is,  iivaarvan  we lezen in  I', Kon.  4:31. In dat groote.  genade " Gods.                `Gehade  i s   aantretkkeiijkheid.
vers lezen we, odat ironing Salomo wijzer was. dan aile Wie  gevoelt  zich  niet  aangetrokken  tot  ,den  armen
ti&schen,  *j-a,.  -wijzer dan.  .' .  ;. en  clan  worden  de Heman?   11~ zal U  zeggen van waar dat  .komt. Het
namen vier  broedlers genoemd, waarvan  Heman de is .-dit : ge hebt het rgeestelijk-instinkmatig gevoeld :
tweede is.  :  Ik' denk dit,  .omdat  het  lgroote wijsheid hij vertolkt  Uw smart!
neemt om. zijn smart tot God te brengen.                                 Daarom :  Heman  mocht.   zeggen, zoovele  ,.eeuwen
        Het is een gedidht, dat den kinderen Korachs over- geleden : `SGij hebt vriend` en metgezel verre van ..mij
gegeven werd om het te zingen voor Israel der jeeuwen.               gedaan, mijn'e bekenden zijn duisternis !" dooh  ik
l$ zij .zullen klagen onder de leiding van den opper-. ben er van verzekerd, dat hij o zoo `aele bekenden  en
,z%angmeester.                                                       vrienden  en liefhebbers van  #den  He.ere  ontvangen
::. 11~ hen'- dank~baar,  dat ,er :bij staat : eene onderwij-        heeft. Weest stil, zoekt Uw plaats op, daar, ,rondom
@g.` . . . Wat -een troost, dat er zoo in Gods Woord                 den  ellendige.~  Het is  leen  groote.  schare  ,die  zich  .ver-
;`-klaagd  wordt  t' En.er wordtgeklaagd om U.te leeren              dr.ingt om tech maar Heman te zien en te.hooren,  `stille-
.i~&z!.ge klagen moet tot God.                                       kens  naar hem te luisteren.
     :: :. Letten w.e mer eerst op; dat, die Heman zelf mdiep ge-        En we zeggen niets: we luistelren ademloos toe.
led.&  ,heeft: Ook was zijn lijden niet van  voor.bij- Neen,  we- zeggen niets.                      Yk  beb soms gedacht : hoe
gaanden -aard.           Hij heeft  l&g, zeer  l.ang  geleden.       Ikonden  tech' die drie vrienden van Job voor zeven
Ik heb gedacht aan Lazarus die bij. de poort des rijken dagen en zeven  nachten  random Job zitten  e,ii niets
neergesmeten  werd.           Heman zegt  iivers, dat hij zeggen. Ik  zeg dat  nu niet  meer..  Millioenen  hebbaen
v&r der jeugd' aan d~oodbrakend~e is. Dus zijn smart `zich verdrongen  random  Heman  ten. wij  hebben  ge-
is .voortduaend van aard. Daarom is h?$ slot dan ook .luisterd  naar hem, stilzwij,gend hebben we .geluisterd;
zoo uiterst droevig. ,,Overal waar de heiligen klagen want  we zagen. clad de smart ae.er groot was!.  Lezer,
en roepen  tot God vingt ge dat -er t,en slotte heil kwam, wie denkt hiser niet aan het Kruis van dien ..grooteren
verlossing, li:$ht en vrede. *Doch hier is de  laatste               Heman?  En de angstige stilte van drie  uur  i:n den
klank een snik. __ Als ge den psalm aandachtig  be- danker? Als de Goddelijke Heman Psalm 88 zingt in
studeert' ,dan `zult ge merken, dat er slechts &n licht-             dilen akeligen kreet : Waarom Mij verlaten?  wie kan
straal in schijnt en die lichtstraal staat  boven  aan dan spreken?  `, Of .vragen?  IHij is  -de Tolk van een
liet lied in het twleede vers : 0 IHeere, God mijns heils !          eeuwige,.  droevige klaagzang. Hij verdiept Heman tot
`Voor het overige is het alles smart, verslagenheid, ge-                                               Y
                                                                     in alle eeuwigheden !
voel van Igroote  verlatenheid.         Ik  denk, dat daarom             0 Heere,.  God mijns heils!
het volk, dat zioh ten doe1 stelt om de- Heilige Schrift                 Ik vraag U : wie noemt,  Heman een zwak-geloovige?:
uit te leggen,.direkt.  aan Christus hadden moeten den- Die  stemmeri   verstomnven!   Aan het begin van zijn
ken i                                                                groote  klacht  vindeii we alles wat noodig is tot de
        Doch, zooals-, ik  zeide, eerst  letten  we op  Heman nimmereindigende   zaligheden*daarboven  bij God. 0
zelf. Hij iseen man .die vreeselijik  geled,en heeft., Van Heere ! In het Helbreeuwsch  staat er : Jehovah ! Wel,
Job hebben gelezen, dat de Heere hem eindelijk op- lezer, dat is -de. OnyeranderlijlGe  Verbon.dsGod,,  die in
zocht en  grootelijks  verhoo,gde;   doch het einde  van             dien naam U toeroept  : Van teeuwigheid tot in eeuwig-
Heman is .geweest: groote smart tot bet einde zijns heid zal Ik ,U nimmermeer vlergeten!  Ook verklaart
levens. En  toen is hij ten  helmel  gevaren, omringd Heman dien naam. In de  volgende  phrase  staat.  er
van de Engeleh Gods. Heman juicht zekerlijk nu voor God mijns heils! Mag ik dat even liezen zooals het
Gods troon.                                                          er staat in het origineele? 3 Daar staat : 0 God van
/,, Let er ook op, -dat Hfeman `geleerd heeft, om alles mijn: Jozua ! En Jozua is het Hebreeuwsche equivalent
aan God te  Perbinden.  Er  zijn stakkerds die  denbken, van Jezus. Wij zouden vandaag tot God sehreeuwen
.dat zij Heman veriklaarden  en van hem zeggen, dat hij              en zeggen: 0  VerbondsJehovah,  God en  Vadler van
een  zwak geloof had. Wat vreeselijken  on&! Het mijn Jezus !                          Gedenkt  daarbij, dat  Heman- een  uit-
neemt een' zeer groot geloof om te bidden- en te klagen              verkoren vat is. Hij is een van de heilige  mannen
zooals  Heman doet. Hij heeft zich niet vertoornd .o.p               die- door den  Heilicge Geest gedreven zijn. Dus zijn
die hem  .belagen en  verdrukken  en tegenstaan.  IHij gebed is bier maar niet een ijdel verhaal van woorden.
`verbindt  letterlijk al zijn smart aan God. En dat nu, 0 neen. lHet is door den Geest Gods ingegeven en
geliefde-   `lezer, is  ~ ware  Godsvru~ht.  Wij  doen  bet norm voor ons bidden. Bidt hem maar gerust na,
meestal net andersom. Wij verhitten ons juist op den Dit .gebed is gebeden. naar..Gad,  daar Hij `(de Heilige
`mensoh: die `&of en aseh is. En alleen als de `genad,e              Geest) voor de heiligen bi,dt.
`$& vaardig wordt over U ziet ge achter Uw nijdige                       En dan  komt de rest van den psalm  Een  ,groote
`vijanden den God  Uws heils.
:                                                                    opsomming van vreeselijkheden.
                                                                                  .


                                                                                  *
                                                                                                                 --
                                        -TBE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R   "                                             $9

         Bij dag en bij nacht roep ik totU I                      eeuwige liefde, omdat .hij "der tegenheden zat was."
         En het scheen alsof het tevergeefsch roepen  was,           D e        tegenheden.
      want in ,het volgende vers zegt hij : .laat mijn gebed         Dat woord komt van een werkwoord, hetwelk be-
      voor Uw aanechijn. komen, neig Uw oor tot mijn teekent  : in stuk'ken  breken.. Heman wil zeggen : Mijn
      gesohrei.                                                   ziel is o zoo vermoeid.       Want, Heere,  geduriglijk
         Keert tot Uzelven in, gij  allen die  dit  lee& en breekt .Gij mij in stukken I Gij verbrijzelt mij !
      vraagt Uzelven : Wanneer he'u iL dag en `naeht tot God        ,Wie denkt hi& niet aan Jesaja's woorden in het
     geroepen ?                                                   drie-en-vijftigste hoofdstuk :  Doch het  behaagde de
         We worden  al stiller.                                   Heere Hem te verbrijzelen.          _'
         Ik ken  ;een Ander, Die het deed. En die  Andere,           De .geheele psalm is eigenlijk ,een beschrijving van'
      is het die achter en boven Heman staat. Doch in Zijn de verbrijzeling die van Godtswege  over H&an kwam:
     mond is de angst verdiept- in, het  gedurige   roepen.          Doch  oak lezen we  erin de  vferbrijzeling  waar-
      Vaak, zeer vlaak, is Jezus, naar buiten gegaan, alleen. mede Jezus verbrijzeld werd.
      En als Hij dan het woeste van de woestijn gevonden             En daarom ook,  beluisteren wij een beschrijving
     had, vie1 Hij neder in het stof om te roepen.                van. des  ,Heeren bezoekende hand over ons ten kwade.
         Ais ik Hleman hoort getuigen  van zijn .aanhoudend          Als het U t,egenloopt,  als ge verbrijzeld wordt en
     .bidden,  moet ik denken aan der HebreEn (brief.:  ". . .    Uw hart breekt van droefheid, verbindt  het dan aan
      gebeden' en  ,smeekingen.  . . . met  sterke   roeping  en God. Hij doet alle  dingen.  Aehter Uw hater staat
     tranen. : . ."' 5 3.                                         God.  Achter elk  schijnend   verdriet dat  aan Uw ziel
         Ach,  66k  Heman heeft niet  gebeden als Jezus. Of knaagt, staat God. Als menschen en dingen en elemen-
      als een onzer.         -                                    ten U tegen zijn en U aan stukken  ,breken,  zoodat Uw
        En tech, we kunnen er in komen als Heman zegt :           ziel vermoeit en zat wordt van tegenheden, gedenckt
      `Ybij dag en bij .nacht roep ik tot U !" Er is een smarte- dan dit : Mijn Vader in den hemel doet het !
      lijk beginsel. Lang, zeer  lan~g  Igelleden`heb ik eens        .Gaat  dan naar Heman en laat hem Uw klacht tot
      iemand hooren zeggen: Ik ben beldroefd,  omdat ik niet God  zenden.  ,Gebruikt zijn  woorden  voor Uw ziels-
      genoeg,  bedroefd ben. En dat is. waar. Als we altijd verdriiet.
      zagen, wie en wat wij zijn van nature, zouden we meer          Vroeger deden- we .het e,n dachten: Heman zingt
      ervaren, wat  Paulus noemt: de  drotefheid tot God. voo,r mij ! Zoo en zoo  is het mij ook. Hij heeft dat
      Dit laatste hadden we we1 kmmen gebruiiken, tot den vooruit  geleden   voor ons.
     titel `van dit schrijwn. Heman's psalm is de uitstrot,-         Doch  nu zien we  dieper en  zeggen: Jezus is  .een
     ing van  bet hart, hetwelk vol is van droefheid tot barmhartig Hoogepriester. Hij is onzer  teen geworden
      God.                                                        en is verzocht  in allerlei smart zooals wij. De zonde
         Zijn bidden is schreien.                                 uitgenomen. Hij weet wat het zeggen wil om  zich
        En de oorzaak van dit geschrei is dit : Heman`wil in slaap te schreien vanwege al ons zielsverdriet. Ik
      in grooten vrede opblikken in het lieflijk oog van God. kan Hem van stap tot stap nagaan, wat Hij geleden
      Anders uitgedrukt:  ,!Hij wil God  zien. Hij ziet God heeft, want  Heman leed  bet vooruit en Hij is in  die  0
      wel, doch G,od heeft zioh in de historie tegen hem ge- smart ingegaan op Golgotha. En .I%j hoort mij ! `Hij
      keerd. Al heeft Heman poor vele jaren geleden onder heeft medelijden met mij.
      de -verclrukkende.hand Gods is t,och van toepassing op         En waarom al die smart? Waarom verbrijzelt
     hem, wat Jesaja z&t: in een kleinen toorn heb I!k Mijn once Vader ons ?
      aangezicht van U een oogentblik  verborgen. . . . !            ,O,ch, er zijn  vela redenen.
        "D&h wie zal v:erklmen  wat de gewaarwording ge-             Ik heb meestal  aan deze: Hij wil mijn tin op .het
     -weest .is van Jezus in Zijn ,bidden? Weet ge wat "dag allerreinste  afzuiveren.   .Hij wil mijzelf  doen  kennen
      en nacht tot. God roepen" voor Jezus geweest is? F!en en, ten uiterste, wil Hij mij  Zichzelf  .doen kennen.
      eeuwige nacht in den eeuwigen dood. Dag en nacht is Opdat mijn moegestreden hart feindelijk  ruste aan `t
      voor Jezus een eeuwigheid geweest.                          Zijne!
         0, als ons gebed voor Gods-aanschijn `komt,  en ik                                                       G.  V:
      dat mag weten,  dan is het goed. Als ik weten mag in
     mijn nacht van lijden, dat des Heeren oor Zieh neigt
     tot mijn roepen,  ,dan is het goed. En juist die ervaring
      moest Heman missen. Hij wist, dat God de God was
      van zijn heil, do& de ervaring van Zijn lieflijk Aange-                                                          r
      zicht moest hij voor tijd en wijle missen.                              Give us our bread from day to .day,
         ,Onder  gewone menschen geloof  ilk  niet,  `dat ooit                And all our wants do Thou supply ;
      iemand meer leed dan Heman,  de.Ezrahiet.                               With gospel truth feed us we pray,
         En hij riep tot God om Hem te mogen zien in Zijn                     That we may never faint nor  die..
L


                                  s-                                  i
  90.          ,~.          `:           T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                  \

                                                                  salvation in' the education we give and they receive..  In
          INHISFEAR.                                       - fact, without this work of divine grace there can #be
                                                L                 no true education at all, since in Scripture only that
                                                                  is true instruction that has the fear' of the Lord as its
               The Fek of the Lord '                              center and aim. Nevertheless, as the phrase is con-
                                                                  sistently used in Holy -Writ and: `is to be understood
                                                                  in this rubri,c "the Lord" is not the subj.& .of the fear,
     %he rubric "Education" covers a vast  t,errito,ry.           but its .olbject.  The fe&r is not-fpo:m  but unto the Lord,.
 It *deals with the `entire brinigin,g up of the chilbd from Thus the meaning  is that our &&en must $e educ-
 the mtient,  practically, that it is :born  uritil it reaches ated, instructed, trained in a1.i that belongs to t.he fear
the age of maturity and is prepared to take its- own that has the living God for its object. That is the bur-
individual, responsible place in life. .True, ,evlen then den of the phrase : In !His Fear.. That is the mean-
 .man continues to be: educated; to receive instruction. ing of the phrase in  Scri.pture.  Aiid  t&at constitutes
 Speakin,g generally education does- not cease until the bhe hkart and soul ,of all education!.
Yenid of life itself. All a man does, all he ever sees               That t&e phrase is taken directly from Scripture
 and hears, all his reading and. recreation, all the con- and expresses a wholly Scriptural t,hou,ght is not dif-
 tacts he m%kes in the world educate him in one way or .ficult to demonstrate. Basic as is the gear of the Lord
 another, to the good or' to the bad. However, `in the -to -all Godliness and constituting as it does the entire
 more  slpecific  and  restri.cted  sense wherein the word duty of man,  Scri&ure  spea,ks of this  feaF, times
 is meant to be taken in this rubric, "`Education" deals -without number. ,Synon$rnous as it is with religion
with the child and its preparatioin  for life, its physical. itself there is no concept in all the Word -of God that
 and mental and spiritual' development. The  rubrile              is brought to our attention more .frequently  and more
 co$.ers  the period -of infancy and early ,child:hood, those fdrcibly *both ,in the O.ld Testament `and in the New,
 .wonderfu?  years  df  iboyhood and  girllh,ood as  tie11  &s      The word most frequently~used in tihe 0. T. `Hebrew
 that trying  periold   <of  .adolescence. It embraces the is the  yard  "yirah",  meanifig "fear, reverence", and
.,entire calling and influence of that three-fold `agency ` `yage", meaning `%o be-afraid, to fear, to reverence".
 that the Creator has ordained for the bringing up of Bo+h refer almost exclusively td the fear of G%d, not
 the child,  Dhe home,  the (church  an.d the school. It of men or things. It is this woid that the sweet psalm-
 requires a study of the child to be taught, its, physical, ist of Israel uses when he prophesies shortly before
 psychological, mental aed spirituil makeup, as -well as his death, "The Spirit of the `Lord spake !by me, and
 ,of th6m who have the responsilbility  of performing this his, word was in my tongue. The God of Israel said,
 task, the paren*, the teacher and the Ipreacher.  It in- the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth .ovler
eludes  all  bhe instruction -of our children, direct and men must be just,  ruling  .in the fear of the  Lord."
-indirect, by word of mouth and by example, in dsoctrine .2 Sam. 23 :l-3. The judges of Israel must let the fear
 and in practice, in theory and in life, in the knowledge of. the Lord be  -upon them, and in that fear of the
 of the truth and revelation of the Word of God as such Lord they must judge, faithfully. and with a .p&fect
 and its applilcati,on  to all of life. All this must ,be "in heart. 2 Chronl. 19 :7,- 9. To the nolbles an'd rulers of
 His fear".                                                       the people Nehemiah spoke in  `no  .uncertain  tertis,
    The phrase. that heads this department  an,d ex-  "It is not good  t,hat ye do:  ou,ght  ye not to walk in
 preses its  Igeneral. theme is  ,exceedingly  well  +osen.  ?he fear  ,of  our God  be&use of the reproach of the
 "In His fear" mean!,  of  cburse,  "in the fear  of  the  heathen our enemies?" .Neh.  5--9
                                                                                                        . .  "Unto man he
 Lord," t.he I&d being the object here of th$e'act&bn-coni        said,  Behold,  the fear of the Lord,  t.hat is wisdom.;
 tain.ed in the word "fear". Ii is certainly true, t,hat the and to <epart from evil is understanding." Jorb. 28 :28.
 Lord is also the subject,  bhe fountain and source, of It is also the beginning of ,wisdom and a ,good  under-
 this same fear. It must &me from Him as wel? as ibe standing have all they that do' I&  comm&%nents.
 directed to Him. Also in this sense it is lHis fear,`th,e        Psalm 111 :lO. Here the fear of the Lord is synony-
 fear of  the  Lord.  With a view to  .ou? subject this must  mous-  wiOh  doing  His  commandmen.ts;  Also,              "the
 !bbe well understood. This meants that our ,child@en must. fear ,of the Lord is clean, enduring forever: th;! judg-
 be  train,ed,   edulcated  in  tihat fear that  t.hey have  re- ments of the Lord-are. true and righ&ous altogether."
 ceived from the Lord. To educate means literally and Psalm 19 :9. The fear.of the Lord; therefore; is synony-
 basically "to bring, lead out": It is that fear- that is mous with the keeping of His judgments. It assures
 gracious9  instilled into the mindi and hearts of our us of -all we need, "for bhere is no want to them that
 covedant  children-by God Himself that must  .be  lorou,ght  `fear Him." Ps.  34.:9.  Yome, ye children,  heaHk&
<out. This  meatis, furthermore, that unless God Him- unto me: I- will teach you  tihe fear of the.  LoFd."
se?f grants His fear in the liearts  ,of us.and our chil- Psalm 34 :llb And then he goes on to say, "Keep thy
-dreti  bhere  can be  n.o. positive fruit  and  benefit  unto  t,&gue  from  ev& and thy lips from speaking guile.
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                                                    ..,
 Depart from evil, and do .good  ; seek peace, and pursue             The, Greek words most frequently used in the N. T.
 it." vs. 13, 14. The fear of the Lord is also the be- are pholbos,  "`fear, fright, awe"; the. verb phobeo, "to
, ginning of knowledge, Prov.  l:?, and they that. do put in. fea;, frighten?; the .adjective  phoberos, "fear-
 not choose &he, fear of the L&d hat& knowledge, vs. ful, terrible" ; and the  ;related   ,ekphobos, meaning
29. IOf all the latter Jehovah says, "I will also laugh "frightened out  (of. one's  senses,  ino doubt),  greatiy
 at your calamaties  ; I wil mock when your fear cometh. terrified." There are also t-he words deilia, "timidity
 When your  gear cometh as  ,desolati,on,  and your de- $ear",. and eulabeia, properly "cautiqn, .cjreumspe&ion"
 struction cometh as a whirlwind ; when distr,ess and and  .used also. for "godly fear,  revlerence,  awe.!' As
 anguish cometh upon you. Then shall` tihey -c&l1 -upon            far as  thg significance of the concept is concerned,
 me, .but I will not answer ;- they shall'seek me early, ,but the N. Ir, has nothing to add to the old.
 they shall not find me." vs. 26-28. To  fear God is                  From all this it should <be clear what is imilied in
 to hate ,evil-as and because God hates evil. Pr,ov. 8 :13.        that all-important concept "fear", the fear of the Lord.
  The `fear of the Lord prolongeth  `days,  10:27j in it Its- `deepest ground is .that truth of all .truths : God is
 \ is st,rong con;fidence. and they that know it always have GOD, the immeasurable lVIaker of the heavens and-the
 a place ,of refuge,,-14  126; it is also "a fountain of lif,e,    earth, the  inf%nite  comprehensibn  of  a$1  perfefction,
 to depart from bhe snares of death", 14 :27 ; it is the the eternal,  infinite, omnipresent, omnipotent, inde-
  instruction of wisdom, 15 :33; it "tendeth to life, and pendent, immutable, incomprehensible GOD. .The "fear
 he that bath it shall abide satisfied and shall ~uot `be of the Lord" has that God as its object, is directed to
  visited with evil, 19  :23;  atid by it are riches  .and         H.im, seeks Him, acknowledges Him as God  alonle.
  honor and life, 22 :4. Proverbs, the -Book of Wisdom, Never does it seek itself or the mere creature- It is
 as. is to be expected, is. Zull of this. "fear of the Lord". all that the creature  feels in the presence of  th only,
  Also f,or Ch;cist Himself the fear of the Lord is every- living. GOD- It is the acknowledgement with one's
  thing, for of the sod that should come -forth out of whole being and life that ,God is GOD. It is reverence,
 the stem of Jesse it is said, "And the `Spirit of  the- awe, terror, dread,, all that and much .more ; everything
  Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of. wisdom- and that fol'l,owe from the aaknotiledgement  of God and, the
  undefstanding,  the Spirit of counsel and might, the consciousness ,of His nearness in all His divine ,-power
  Spirit -of knowledge and the fear of the Lord ; and and  majest,y..  Yes,  Si is also  terrbr, dread-dread of
  shaI1 mak,e  him of quick understanding in `the f.ear of such greatness and holiness and might, dread of ignor-
  th,e Lord." Isaiah  11:2, 3. "Let us hear  the-  con+            ing' His  ,precepts  and incurring His awful and  con-
  clusioli of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his             ,+u-ming  .wrath. But- it is much more. Rather it is
  commanciments: for this: is the whole &ty of mu,n;"' reverent' regard fey the living God. tempered with' awe
  Eecl.  12:13: In all these passages the word  useId<  is and f,ear of the punishment of disobedience. It is awe
  "yirah',`, "fear, reverence."                                    of what God I'S rather. than dread of what He might
      Also used .in the 0. T. is the  IHebrew word DO. It is the reverence and awe that is born of and '
  "paeha~`, `.meaning "fear,  tepror, dread." Here the permeated with love. It implies `chat we know. our
  element of terror, rather khan that of lov,ing'reverence         God, know Him as :He is and. as He revegls Himself in
  is  .on the foreground. You feel  .the difference  the His Word,  know:  Hini  in all  ,our lives. To fear the
  moment you turn once again to  S!cripture.   .Of  the. Lord -means that we seek Him, serve Him, ,tiorship
  wicked it is said, "that, there is no-fear of God before Him and scrupulously consecrate our whole lives to-
  his - ,eyes," Psalm, 36 :i ; .and in Psalm 119 :i20 the that sir&e end. Assuch it is "the whqle duty of man".
  psalmist confesses, "My  flelsh  trembleth  for fear  Gf Eccl. 12-z 13. Without it the rulers cannot `rule and then
  thee; and I am-afraid of thy judgments." The- dif- judgesxanaot judge. -It alone is wisdom and, without~
  ference between the two words `is- clearly illustrated1 it is- only the-utter foolishness of the natural man. It:
  in  Prov.   1:26, 27 and 29; "I will mock," says the is the beginning; Dhe principle of all wisdom `and with-
  Lord, "when your fear  (pachar, dread-)  cometh ; as out it the latter is impossible.. It is the. beginning of
  desolation, . . . . . For that. they' hated knowledge,  and knowledge and without it, whatever the so-called edu-
  ,did  nlot  .choose thk fear (yirah, reverence) of.  %he         cati,on of the world may -accompli&h, is only co_nsum-
 Lord." Isaiah says of the wicked,  f`And  they shall' mate Qnoranee.  -It manifests itself as d>epartinlg from,
  `go- into th.e holes- of the rocks, and.. into the caves- of evil, keeping  me's tongue from evil, hating evil as
  the  eartih,' for fear of the -Lord and for the glory of and because `God does, doing God's commandments,
  .his  maj,esty, when  116 ariseth to-  sh&e terribly  ;the keeping His. judgments, doing good and seeking pea,ce.
  ear&." 2 :19. Other Hebrew words are likewise trans- It alone endures forever, while all else is vanity and
  lated "`fear", -but t,hey are -used bless fr,equently,  add      as a shadow  than  dfxlineth. It satisfies every need,
  little or no significance to the general meaning of the so that txhey who Bnow it shall know no -want, while
  term, and are not used in Scri$ture-with application with.out that- fear of. the Lord there is on,ly, ~cal~amity
  t,o  Go&Y.   i                                                   and  desglatiim  and destruction as- a `whirlwind. It


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  92                                /           T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R   '

 prolong&h one's  ,days, gives prosperity and riches, man,. .God',s bIessing is Divi.ne, creative,. efficacious ;
 honor and life, ibut apart from it is only misery, pover- ,our  ,blessing of God Is never creative, efficacious,
 .ty, adversity, dishonor and adeath ; not, perhaps, ac- causal. When God speaks, well of us He actually makes
 cordihg to the standards of sinful meti, .but according us well ; when we speak, well of God we merely pro-
 to truth.' It alone gives blessedness  an'd  j.oy, for claim His greatness and c:iknowl,edlge  His efficacious
 "blessed is every one  -that  feareth the Lord ; that blessing upon us.
 walketh in His ways", .Psalm 12,8 : 1; it a1on.e guaran-                    The object of our blessing, according to this text,
 tees the "friendihip  of the Highest, for "The secret of is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" as
 the Lord, is w'ith them that fear Him; and h'e will shew connected only with "Father", so Ohat we must read
 them His .covenant",  Psalm 25 :14 ; and it alone ,gives                 here: God, Who is also the Father of our Lord Jesus
 the promise of everlasting life, for "Surely his sal- Christ. However, the  origihal, text does not permit
 vation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may this  interpretation.  We read literally "the  Gpd and
 ,dwell in  our land." Psalm 85  :9.-                                     Father `.of our Lord Jesus Christ.:' Th.e article "the",
        What all this  means  in the sphere of education                  inasmuch as it appears but  once and then, before
 shoul,d be obvious to all. In that fear ,of the Lord our                 "God", definitely proves that Jehovah here is the God
 children must be brought up. Nothing else matters.                       and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ
 "Fear" is the keyword in all that can be said about is referred to,  qf course, according to His human
 the  itistruction of our covenant  s&d. May, we know nature, as Head of the .elect.  For although it is true
 its significance and may "the fear of the Lord" be our that. this relation of our Lord Jesus Christ to God
 sole aim and consideration in all bhe training of our Triune has its deeper and eternal cause in the iHoly
 covenant seed. .                                                         Trinity, and that the First Person is the Father of
                                                          R. v.
             . .                                                          the- Second P.erson  in the Triune God, one can liardly
                                                                          declare that the First  Person  is God of the Second
                                                                          Person. The God an'd Father in this text is therefore
                                                                          the Triune God, and our Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal
                                                                          Son according to His Divine nature, is. in this passage
        -                                                                 of Scripture specifically the Holy Child Jesus andi the
                    FRCHVI  H O L Y   W R I T                             Servant of the Lord.
                                                                             Jehovah is the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. As '
                                                                          %he.Holy Child J&us our Lord had been brought forth
                                                                          by the Triune God.  Hence, it was Jesus' !calling to
                    Eph. 1:3:-"Bleksed  be the,God  and Father 1oC our    serve and  ackno7wledge  the Triune Lord. But God
               Lord  Jlesus Christ, Who  bath  blessed  us with all       was also Jesus' Father. This not only refers to a re-
               spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ."         lationlship of love between God and His Servant, Jesus.
        Verse 3 of Ephesians 1 may well be called the key:                Also this is true. Jesus was #God's Holy Child, as is
 note of Paul's ,epistle  to.. the Ephesisns. Having in- also expressly statkd in Holy Writ, and was at all
 troduced himself as an apostle of .Jesus ,Christ by the times perfectly subservient and obedient to His God.
 will of' God, and haav`ing proclaimed upon the ChuE&h                    That God w$s Jesus' Father, however, signifies pri-
 of God grace  an?d peace from God the Father and marily tihat the Triune! God was for Jesus the Fount
 from the Lord Jestis Christ, the. apostle now directs and Source of all life and salvation. Jesus was per-
 us to the fulness of that salvation which we `possess                    fectly devoted to His, God and Father. But one de-
 in Jesus Christ, our Lord. The Church must under- sire filled His soul. It was His meat and drink to
 stand that her. glory is inseparably connected with do the Fat,her's will, even when that will demanded of
 Christ. And placing himself at the head of the breth- IHim the awful way of the cross and  of hell. And
 ren ("Blessed` be  the God and Father of  OUT  Lord                      God bIessed Him to the uttermost. It was the Triunie
 Jesus Christ; Wlho hath blessed us . . . .") he would                    God Who &engt,hened Him from the beginning to th&
 have the Church of God join him in his song of praise                    end, raised Him from the dead, exalted Him to the
 which he raises in this third verse of Ephesians 1.                      pinnacle of heavenly glory, gave .Him a Name above
        "Blessed be the God and %`athler of-,our  Lor,d J&us              evelry name, and filled Him with heavenly life and
 Christ." The word  "blessiln~g" means literally "to salivation.                                      - .
 speak ~~11." It cannot escape our attention that the                        This `God and Father of our  Lord1 Jesus Christ,
 word occurs twice in this text.  God  .blesses us and now, hath blessed us with all  *spiritual   belssings in
 we bless Him.  Ho;weyer,  a tremendous  rdlifference                     hetivenly places in Christ. The text certainlly `purposes
 exists between God's blessing of us and our blessing to emphasize that all our spiritual blessings are in-
 of Him. Tihis lies in the very nature of the case. `They separably connected wjth the Christ, that God blessed
- differ in the same measure that the Lord differs from                   ChYrist first and we are -blessed only in Him. We are


                                 .     .%`HE  S~!l!ANDAAB  i38JAjXEiX                                                     93

  what we are only decause  of Jesus Christ, our Lord.            cation and of a blessed -hope in the midst of a world
         First of all, then, what-does the apostle Paul mean that lieth in  daikness. We read of "all" spiritual
  when he speaks of. "all spiritual blessings"? Many .in- blessings -because they constitute the fulneks of the
  terpretations have been given o.f this expression. Some salvation whiclh God has willed and prepared for His
  would explain*  "spiritual" in the sense of "ps&hieal",         o w n .
  as pertaining to the sdul. These blessings are spirit-             Mdreover,  thk text speaks of all spiritual bless-
  ual, then, in distinctioni from physical blessin#gs. How- ings ,in "heavenly places". It is  t&e, of course, that
  ever, it needs little explanation to -show that this can.- these blessings are in heavenly places because-`we are
  not be the exClusive meani.a,g of the apostle. First of blessed in Christ, and He is ia the heavenly places.
  all, tihis is hirdly ever the meaning of "spiritual bless- However, the blessings are surely like their source and
ings"      in Holy Writ. Besides, the  text speaks of  all are therefore heavenly in character. These blessings
  spiritual Iblessings,  a;:;d we know that the Lord bl,e,sses    are not merely spiritual iti distinction from the natural
  His people according to .body  and soul. Moreover, the. and carnal, but they are also heavenly *in distinctioh
  physical aspect of God's blessings is ratjher expressed from t,he mere earthy. They dso not merly restore but
  in the phrase "in heavenly places". Anotk;er explane            bhey also ,elevate ; they do not restore what was o3ce
  tion would distinguish these "spiritual" blessings from broken And spoiled, but they raise .to a high& level,
  the `{earthy?' blessings of the Old Testament. The idea the level of heavenly perfection. For, as far as Christ
  of "spiritual" must- be understood, then, in contrast is higher than the first Adam, the spritual blessings
  with th.e "natural-earthy" of the  OBd  Dispensationl.          we receive from'EJim are higher than all the things of
  Israel was earthy-natural ; we are heavenly-spiritual. the earth. And so the apostle Paul refers to that ful-
  As far as this interpretation is concerned, we would ness of salvation, whereby God, through His  irre;
  remark, in the first place;  that we must exeacise  the sisti!ble and ,glglbrious grace, delivers us out of' all the.
  .gr,eatest  care. T:he statement that Gpd's blessings in misery of sin and darkness  an,d  dea&h  iato the  &n-
  the Old Testament were earthy <contains much truth, if speaikably ,glorious  and heavenly liberty and perfection
  only we bear in mind that' the ,earthy  aspect of the, of God's eternal and heavenly tabernacle.
  Old Dispensation' -was but _a typical shell aald that              Finally,- the God  atid Father of our Lord Jesus
  God's people  then possessed the same spiritual benefits Christ ~has blessed u's' with all spiritual blessings in
  which we enj,oy in the New Dispensation. To explain heavenly- places "in Christ". To understand this ex-
  God's blessings of the Old Testament as  essentially            pression in the text we must bear in, mind the head-
' earthy is -characteristically pnemillinarian. Secondly, ship of Christ Jesus. Christ is the Head of His Church
  if the word "spiritual" must  :@e understood in con- ,in a judicial and ,oBganic sense. As our judicial Head
  trast  m:ith "earthy" how  mtist we then explain the !He represents  -us before the bar -of God's justice,
  expresiodl "in heavenly places"? Paul, then, would assumes our relation to the law of God. And because
  be tguilty 0.f tautology, repetition. It is our convict.ion,    af this judicial headship of Christ ail His work is im-
  however, that +he expression "in heavenly places" does puted,  reckon$d unto us. `What  .IHe does He does
  not merely repeat what' Paul has stated .in the im-             therefore in our behalf and His merits becomes our's           -
  mediately foregoing words, but is a richer develop- according, to Divine .righteousnes-this is imputation.
  ment of these spiritual ,blessings.                             As ,our organic Heard He becomes for us a life-giving
         These blessings are spiritual, fir& of all, be&use       Spirit. It not only pleased the Lord that Jesus' should
  they  aYe the fruits  cif the  l3oly Spirit, the Spirit of merit all  thin*gs for us  ,but also that tie should re-
  Christ, and are  wrou'ght by  Tim. They, are also               ceive that life  on#ly as in a living union  wi& Him.
  spiritual because they are not natural, they do not Unto that end ,Christ Himself is exalted, receives the
  change the `essence of things, the essence of our beinlg        Spirit beyond measure, and thereby  b:ecomes  for us that
  an.d of our relation to the world, but by them our life-giving Spirit.
  spiritual ethical nature is reversed1 and our. relation            Now .we can understand the thought of this text.
  to God is rendered perfect. They <change our darkness           That God has <blessed `us in `Christ is, first of all, o(b-
  into light, ,our love of the lie into, .love of the truth, jectively true as far as Christ is concerned. We were
  pur folly into wisdom, our ignorance into the .know-            Blessed when He was  ,blessed.  God  .bl:essed Jesus,
  ledge of God, our guilt into perfect righteousn,qs,  our spo!ke His "well-word" upon Him. It  Tiias the Divine
  corruption into holiness, our unrest into peace, our  so,r- Word of blessing  upon His people which prompted
  row into joy, our death into eternal .life. These bless-        God in sending His Son into the world,  in, leading .
  ings do not Eeed us with the bread.that perisheth but, Him into the dark depths of the cross  and of hell,
  with  .the  Brea,d of Life ; they  d,o not  enrich us with bearing God+`s wrath upon our sins. it was the word
__ earthy treasures. They are  blessiqgs  of grace and of Divine blessing w.hich called Christ from the dead
  mercy, of righteousness and peace, of holiness and t;he         raised  (Hiirn into glory, and  ,gave Him a  Place at  thi
  love of God, of wisdom and  kn'owledge-and   sanctifi-' pinnacle of `heavenly. glory. Blessed are we in Christ

                                                                                                 .


                                     ~                                       P
                                                    -
      9;                                            T.HE  $TANDA.kD   BEARE'&

      inasinuoh as' in His death  ,our  sins  were'  atoiljed, our ferences   receiltly  to affect this reorganization. One
      guilt was paid, our justification and eternal  life were such conferea,ce,  called by Martin Niemoller, met at-
      merited. ,Blessed were we in Christ because He was .Frankfurt while another large group met at Treysa.
      glorified with a glory unspeakable ; and inasmuch as An almost complete reorganization of Protestant
      His glory is our glory we may and: can .say that, at forces in Germany yas the result. Both groups joined
      His resurrection and glorification our spiritual bless-                     fo&& to form  the new Evangelical Church of  Ger-
      ings were effected.                                                         &any, which will have -its headquarters at Stuttgart.
            However, that ltQd has blessed US in Christ Jesus This new' union replaces the former German Evan-
      is also subjectively true, as far as w,e are concerned. lgelical  Churcjh.
      We are blessed with all spiritual and heavenly bless-                        The following three statements of policy were de-
inlgs in Christ, i.e., we receive these  bless?ngs  only &led upon: 1. The Churches will-work in closer union
in  C/~rist,  in living union and  fellowshi,p  with Him. -but remain separate groups. 2. The.unidn  will exclude
      When God calls us out of darkness into His -mar.vellous                     those ministers and congregations who supported the
      light,  engrafts   u8  intb Jesus, and we become  ones Nazi regime but leaves room for their inclusion if
      plant with Him, we ibegin to live bhrough faith out of they show-repentance and  reliou&e their errors. 3.
      Jesus. Then we . ta& thre forgiveness of sitis. and all                     The union proposes to disavdw the olfd policy of de-
 the spiritual Jblessifigs of salvation. Theil.`we  taste light tachment from political and social r,ealities  and con-
      in the midst of our darkness, holiness in the  m`idst                       centration on Creed and Confession. It was expressed
      of our corruption, life iti the midst of our deatih. And, that in this way the Church must. lead G&many to
      in Christ., we reieive a living, hope, embrace. the hea- `(genuine Christianity and  I a genuine democratic
      venljr renewal `of. all things in principle, -and lOok for- social order." The question .of demanding state support
      ward tq that day when we shall. be translated into the fdr  Church schools was discussed without definite
      lglory  which-t-he Lord has prepared for us in  Christ action being taken.
      Jesus, qur Lord. Blessed by the -God and Father of
  our `Lord Jesus Christ, Who hath blessed us with all De  Hewor.mcle  Kerk-Nethedanck                                      .
      spiritual blessings in .hea+enly  places  in, Christ. He
      is the Giver; we are the  recipie&s, Praised be His                            Within a few months. the Netherlands Reformed
      Name, now  apd forever.                                                     Church will hold its first General Synod since 1618.
                                                                   .H. V;
                    -                                                             Its purpose will be to reorganize its Church gover;n-
                                                         L                        ment on a confessional rather than a purely admin-
                               `.
                         ,           "              I
                                               -                                  strative basis. Forty-five  d.elegates,  consisting of
                                                                                  thirty ministers and fifteen elders  name'd by the
                                                                                  various -cl&ses, will meet in Amsterdam to Lconsidmer
                                                                                  breaking off ties with the State. These ties have ex-
                         ,PERISCilPJ3                               -,            isted since 1816 when King  Wifiiam I  imposed a
                                                                             `statute on th'e Reformed Church that substantially de-
                                                                                  fine'd its government. The King's action made a Sy-
      Commendable                                                                 nodical Gommission a purely adminstrative body. The
                                                                                  result was,  accordintg to one spokesman,  %hat the
        I f   m&bers  o f   the  ,Presbyterian   Church  i n   -the Church formed at the great Synod of Dordt 1618-19,
 U. S. A. take the ad&e of the. leaders of their pres-                            "lived by its regulations instead af its. Creed." Plans
  byteries anId synods, they will .postpone  all plans .to tire to a:dopt a new Church Orde?, .which it is expected
_ build new #buildings or to add to old ones. until their will t,ake about three years to prepare. It is planned
      detiomination  becomes able  td extend  he@ to fellow that the riew order will  restor,e  the validity of the
Christians in the  devastgted areas around  the world. three liistorical confessions of the Church adopted `at
      This policy was decided upon recently at a me&fig the Synod of Dordt.
 held in Chicago.  -Leaders   ask& that  al1 local  Ibuild-
  ing plans be deferred `until the denominatilon' reaches Pope Endorses Communism
- its goal of raising 2'7 `million dollars- for restoration
  and assistance of Ohurchcs abroad;                          _                      Pope Pius XII in an iddress to the womein-of Italy
 -                                        9                                       repudiated Capitalism and' Virtually gav'e liis IbIessing
      G e r m a n   P n o t e s t a n t s   Reorganiz%                            to` Ccmmunism. guring, the c6urse of his address he
                                                                                  asked : "Can a woman hope for her real  well~b&ilig
            Both the  Lutheran- and  R@$ormed  c Churches in from -a regime-dotii-gated  !by Capitalism?" In answer--
      Geriany are diligetitly woting towards comBlete  re- ing-his own-question-he pointed out at great length the
      organization. Leaders of both Churches .met- in Con- * picture of social and moral ruin caused by develope- -


                            I                         T H E   STANDAR?  B-tiAR.ER                                                           95
                                                                                                                                 ._-
`mepts under Capitalism and left  .no `doubt of  bhe                                  Su'ch accounts always remind  US of the close of
,condemnation  pronounced upon it by the Roman Christ?s parable of the  rilch man and  .-Lazarus.  "If
 Church. Observers see in this  attack  ano%er  indi- they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will
 catio,n of. the fact that the R,oman Church is attlempt-                     they be persuaded; though one rose frdm' the .dead."
 ing to end the social and political systems  ,of  our
Western world and to -erect  corporktive  organizations . Chri&nas  Trees
                                                                                                   -.
 of state and society  upon which the papal blessing
will be bestowed.                                                                     P&haps you have noticed that this  monthl"s ma-
                                                                                   terial has been a straight news report with practi-
 Netherlmds                                                                        cally no comment. We .feel that the material has been
                                                                                   of su_ch a nature that our readers can judge it for them-
    -Adcording. to Major J. M.  Tinley, Chief of  tie selves. The  saltie is true, of this, our closing  ,obser-
 Food and Agi%`cdltural Subsection of American Civil ,vation.  It is a quotation from The B'anmer of Novem-
 Affairs Mission to Holland, Holland's food situation                              ber 2, 1945,.  ~writt@n  b,y the Rev. N. J. Monsma in
 is at -present "better than in. any other country ih answer to a question concerning the Christian's atti-
 northwestern Europe except Denmark." He ti%rned,                                  tude towards the Christmas tree. He writes as fol-
 however, that for the next two years- the Netherlands lows : "It appears from history that it has ever been
 will continue to face an extremely difficult situation. Idifficult  to maintain the Christian character of  bhe
 He pointed out that at the time of liberation  Dhe ,observan:ce  of Christnias. . . . . Indeed, it seems as if
 average Netherlander  was , twenty pounds under-. the observance of this-~day gets out oif hand very easily
 w!ei,ght.      ~                                            .                     . . . `. It is hardly necessary to describe the preseat
     Althoulgh the Netherlands railroad system lost `character of the o.bservance  of Christmas in-our land.
 about seventy five percent of its  tracks  ai1.d almost All agree that the day is becoming  commercialized by
 half of its locomotives  in a&liti,oli  to a great quantit.y Jew and Gentile alike. -Moreover, externalism reigns,
 of its freight and passenger cars it is `slowly return- so that only the' tihings which can be observed by the
 ing to prewar levels: All lost track, about 1,500 miles senses receive attention, and bhe actual event which is
of them, have already been rejpaired or restored. The supposed to be-`celebrated  and which is so bcau.tifully
 main difficulty at present is  `the almost complete and centr&lly .dses&ribed  in the Bible is either aeglected
 absence of' bridges over the many waterwgys.                                      or misinterpreted.
     It is-also reported thkt the Coal rnin'es. in Limburg                            Now, :in this setting- the Christmas tree finds a
 province have- reached their highest production since place. `This tree became popular in Germany during
 the countrjr's  liberation. <They are approaching a gpal the 1'7th century  And from Germany the custom has
 of 26,900 tons daily output. Though all of this is fen-                           sIpread.  The vogue is anything  ,but  ..Christian. It ori-
 couraging it is stressed that the situation  .is still.- ginates from the ancient T,eutonic yule-tide and yule-
_ despa?ate.         The  -great need is for-.  &thing  ,of all tree,\`as  $oes also the use of the mistle-toe, coasidered
 kinds.                                                                            a ceremonial plant by our Teutonic ancestors. The
                                                                                   yule-tree was used ,by these pagan ralces in'cor&ction
 "Pro&$' The Bible                                                                 with the celebration of tihe winter solstice (about Dec.
                                                                                   22). An evergreen was usually lighted- and placed be-
     Time and again while -cast& about for material fore .a  ,dweliing. Since the sun takes its turn  .at `this
 for this months column wi? ran.. across the following time of the-year and makes for the spring and summer
news item. Eleven early Christian burial urns have seasons again, the tree was con,sidered  an em:bl&m of
 be& discovered in a cave on the- Jerusalem-Bethlehem new life. It was, therefore, a feature of nature wor-
 road. Archeologists say th_ese. may provide the oltdest                           ship and highly idolatrous.
 record of Christianity. Inscriptions on the urns con-                                All those loving $he Lord Jesus should be able to
 tain historical confirmation of  `the trial- and  cruci-                          draw their own .conclusiond.  Nothing can be said in
 fiximl. of Christ. The inscriptions are in Hebrew and favor 6.f the Christmas tree from a biblical viewpoint.
 Greek and date,' from the 1st century A. D. They The Bible does not spetik of it', and does not .sq` much
 appear to  ;,be  latientations  on the passion  an;d  death                       as suggest the.custom. As far as the origin of the &s-
 of Christ written by  Jew@- disciples, perhaps eye- tom is concerned it appears to be idolatrous. As far
 witnesses of the event. Though they have not yet been as its effects are concerned it may prove to ble ,dan-
 fully translated,  cbmmon names.  -as Mirian,  Sjmeon .gerous in that it threatens to supplant the real object
 atid Matti, and definite  refkrences to the crucifixion of our joy on that day. Fact. is that in a  gr,eat many
 are evident. Great h.opes..are.
                                 _  _  _.  _  held
                                                -_  that they will vindi- homes' such is-actually the case-the tree so fascinates
 cat&  an!d "prove" the authenticity of the Scriptural the minds that Christ and His bi-rth are neglected."
 record. .                             .  `.                                                  _                                    W. H.
                                                                             -.
                                                                       _'


I.                                                                                                         . .
        96                                                    _  T H E   S T A N ' D ` A R D   B.EARER

       FINANCIAL  STA-TEMENT OF  T.HE CONFERENCE                                                                               ANNIVERSARY
                                                                 ,..->
                                     Held at Hull, Iowa
                        - October 10th and ,llth - 1945                                                    On Cctobelr  -25, 1945, our beloved parents,:
                                                                                                                               B E N   PASTO,OR
                 RECEIPTS  :.                     *I                                                                                      and
       Randolph, Wise. ............................................. l.. ..... $ 9.8_5                                   ALICE  PASTOO& nee  Hloorn
       Redlands,  Calif. ....................................................             30.90
       Oskaloosa, Ia. .........................................................           15.78 celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary.
       Doon, Ia. ................................................... ;..;.........          7.28           It is the learnest  prayer and hope of us their children that
       Oak Lawn, Ill. .................. l..;. .... . ...... ............. l.`.......     11.30 the Lord may grant them His peace in their remaining years
       Rook Valley, Ia. ......... . ..........................................              9.40 and an abundant entrance  into His eternal  kin,gdom.
       Orange City, Ia. .............. ......................................               7.80                                         Mr. and Mrs. John Klaver              x
       Hull, Ia. ... ............................................ . .................. 24.87                                             Mr. and Mrs. Sidney De Young
       Bellflower,, Calif. `....................................... ......... 17.35                                                      Mr. and Mrs. William B. Pastoor
       H,tipe, Mich. .:.... ,............................................... ..! ... 14.62                  - -                          Mr. and Mrs. John A. Pastoor
       Ist, Grand Rapids, Mich. .................................... 280.59                                                                  and 11 grandchildren.
       4th, Grand Rapids, Mich. ....................................                      22.45            Grand Rapids, Michigan.
       Holland, Mitih. ........................ . ..... .:........................        17.01
      .Pella, Ia. .... ......... . ..................................................     15.00
       Eldgerton, Minn. ........................ . ............................ : 20.75
       Kalamazoo, Mich. ................................................                  12.26                               I N   MEMORIAM
       Sioux Center, Ia. ................................ ..:................. `10.11                                                                                         I._
       Manhattan, Mont. ................................................                  27.55          After a lingering illness  th,e Lord took  nnto Himself on the
       Creston, Grand Rapids, .Mich. ..................... .I ..... 17,80 morning of October 18
       South Holland, Ill. ...................................... . ..........            20.00
       Cassel, S. D. ................ I.. ........................................        65.30                           R A L P H   V A N D E R   V E E N
      Garner, Ia. ............................................................            10.00 at the age of thirty years.
      Hosmer, S. D. ................ . ........................................          5O.pO
      .Highmore, S. D. .................................................. .:. `19.75                       We do not .understand the deep yays of God, but we know
      Eureka, S. D                                                                                    .that God's way is always good. The Lord. leads each one of
                             . ....................................................... . 5o;oo
      Rev. E. Buehrer ...................... . .............................              10.00 His own by H?s own counsel, and afterward takes them to ,glory.
      A Gift ............. .................................................. , ..;. ... 10.00 The way of each child of God is different; the way in which
      Collections ..................... <. ....................................... 147.31 the Lord led Ralph was the best, the right, the only way
                                                                                                      f o r   h i m .
                             ....                                                        Y. -
      Total Receipts ................... ..................................... $955.03                     May the  L.ord   ,comfort  the bereaved widow and her four
                                                  :                                                   children, `together with the parents and  other  immediate
                  DISBURSEMENTS  :                                                                    relatives,
       Conference Comm. Expenses :. ..................... .; . ..$ 29.49                                   This is-our earnest prayer for the bereaved family. May
      `Iravel Expenses, Del~egates ................................ 707.00 God grant it abundantly.
      Catering ...................... ............. ................ i.. .......... 92.01                                             The Holland Ladies' Aid of Redland,
                             ....                                                        -A                                                 Rev. P. De Boer,  P&s.
      Total Disbursements ............................................ $828.50                                                              Mrs. P. Kooiman, Sec'y.
                                                                                                                    .
      Balance on hand, Oct. 12, 1945                                           $ 1 2
                                                           . . . ..*.......*.............. 6 . 5 3                               --,
      Note:                                                                                                                SPROKKELINGEN
      1. The South Holland delegate advanced -the above
      mentioned $20.00, not knowing how  muoh the collection                                             Er is geen  schild,  dat Satan moeilijker met  ver-
      amounted to. A later report  will be given.                                                     Jzoekingen  kan  doonboren,  dan  lzsfzang  en  gebed.
      2. Hudsonville and Grand Haven will collect later,
      which also will be reported later `by your committee.                                              In ,Christus ostmoet-  de zondaar Gods als ader, ,en
      3. The balance on hand !will be applied to the publica- - Gdo den doemwaardi.ge  als zija door J!ezus.' zelf ver-
      tion of the  Confer&e  papers.,  -                                                              loste en in Hem verkorene.'
                                           The Financ`ial  Committee :                                                          --                                    r
                                     Rev. William E. Kern, Merino,```' D.                                 Een  gezicht van  zonden,   zonder  een  gez&ht  cop
                                                                                                                                                                           ,.  _
                                 Rev. Gerrit Vos, Edgerton, Minn.                                     Christus, is nog geen bekeering.


