,L VOLUME XXII                               May 1, 1946  - Grand Rapids, Michigan                                           NUMBER 15

              liaa E'D I !i' A T I 0 N                                 mij  .kan  vervullsen met eene levende hope. . . .
                                                                           Dan is mijn  ,geloof  ij,del!
                                                                           Maar Hij is opgestaan ten derden dage!  Ea van
                                                                       het feit Zijner opstanding zijn vele getrouwe getuigen.
            De Kracht Zijner Bpstanditig                                   D.aarvan   lgetuigen  de vronwen, die  in'den  morgenl
                                                                       van dien onvergetelijken derden  ldag, dien dag der
                     Opdat  ik Hem kenn,e,  en, de kracht Zijner da,gen, den  Levende nog bij de dooden  zochten.  Daar- .
                  orpstarading. . . .                                  van  ,getuigden   *de  engelen,,  (die als  wachters bij en in
                                                   Phil.  3:iO.        het ledige graf van Jozef dienden, en die  bet den  ver-
          D,e Heer is  waarlijk opgestaan!                             baasden vrouwen  verkondigden, dat Hij  "bier" niet is,
           Hij is de levende  H.eer !                                  omdat  .Hij, naar Zijn  ,eigen  woord, is opgestaan. Van
. .        En in Zijne  opstanlding  brak het licht  eerier, eeuwige di!e opstanding; die  wo.n,derlijke opstanding, was ook
       gerechtigheid door de  duisternis van den stikdonkeren hsit  led&e  graf; de plaats,  waar Hij had gelegen,  d'e
       nacht  d,er verdoemenis!                                        stille  Igetui,ge, en daarvan  getuizgden  ook vooral de  lin-
        Dat is  ,de kracht  Zija$er opstanding!                        nen  doeken, die  Jozef.en Nikpdemus met rde specerijen
          Het is eerst in het licht Zijner opstanding,  :dat we om Zijne  leden  ,gewonden   hadden. Daarvan getuigden                                  '
       Zijn kruis  kunnen verstaan als de  volkomene verzoening !eindelijk   oo,k al de  a,postelen; en  discipellen,  aan  ,wie Hij
       voor al  onze zonden. Zonder  ,die opstanding heeft het Zich in die wonderlijke  veertig  ,dagen-voor  Zijn opvaren
       kruis geen beteekenis, is het  ieenvoudig een kruis  onlder     ten  hemel vertoonde, en die het getuigenis Zijner  op-
       vele andere kruisen, die destijds  op de  Hoofd.schedel-        standing de  werelId hebben ingedragem.
       plaats  werden opgericht,. en waaraan  gewone menschen,             0, zeker, Hij is opgestaan !
       zondaren, han leven  lieten. 0,' deniblijft Z@n kruis nog,          Daarvan  getuigt heel de Kerk al -de eeuwen  .door,
       we1 van vele andere  onderscheid.en,   doordat Hij  on- geloovend  Zijtn Woord, ja,  ,maar ook het leven  van, den
       schuldi,g ter  dooid  wierd veroordeeld, in Zijne kruisiging levenden Heere in hunne  harten  dragend !
       het  recht met  voeten werd getreden ; en  misschien ook            Want de levende,  -oplgestane  Heer is opgevaren ten
daarin, dat Hij geen vinger uitstak om Zijn eigen  recht               hemel,  heeft de belofte des Heiligen Geestes  ontvangen,                             .
       te  verdedigen. Maar overigens staat  ,dat kruis  tech,         is in  dien  ,Geest weder  ,gekeerd  tot  id,e  Zijneq en leeft
. met alle andere.kruisen,  midden in den.  doold.                     in hen, zoodat zij leven door Hem! Zij jubelen met den
          Als  Christus  niet  opgewekt is, dan blijft alles  -don:    apostel : "Ik leef,  doch niet ik:  Christus  leeft in mij  !!'
k e r .                                                                    De levende Heere doet ons de kracht Zijner op-
          Dan is er van den  hemel  nooit een  antwoord!  ge-          standing  ervaren!
       komen op de angstvraag der  me.rbazing,_  Hem uit de                En die kracht der opstanding van onaen  ieere Jezus
       stervende borst  gepierst : "Mijn God, mijn God,  waarom        Christus   ervaren- we allereerst als eene alle onze  zon-
- hebt Gij Mij  veriaten?"                                             aden  weg wasschende, ons met eene eeuwige  .gereehtig-
          Dan bleef Zijn  uitroep van  vertrouwen en  ovierk held bekleedende kracht  1
  winning,-  "IHet is  volbra~cht",  zonder  CGoddelijke  beves-           Want  &lij is opgestaan           En  1%j. is Degene, Die van.
       tilgmg. .                                                       voor  de-grorndlegging der wereld  .door Goddelijke  be-
          Dan is Zijn  sdood geen zoenoflfer  voor onze zonden, schikl&g  aan het hoofd  Zijner- Kerke werd gesteld,
       aan alle  ,gerechti,gheid  Gods voldoende. Dan is Hij  niet opdat hij  uit  "diepten  van ellende  en.zonde en dood haar
       de levende  ,Heere, -Die mij verlost nit alle  geweld des       zou  o p v o e r e n   n a a r   d e   heerlij.kheid  v a n   h e t   eeuwige
       duivels, Die mij  do-et  deelen in Zijne gerechtigheid, ,Beven.  H{j  is  Degene, Die van boven is, de  ZooIn des
       Zija leven, Zijne heerlijkbeid, het vertrouwen op Wien levenden Gods, God uit God,  Licht uit  Licht, Die  Zich


                                                                                          s
             1
338                                           THE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

%a; Zijne  vleeschwoording met ons verbond, Die  onze                         Zoo leert het de  Schrift, en zoo getuigt heel de
zonden  :op  Zi:h nam, en  met alle onze  ongerechtigheden                 s&are  `der levende geloovigen, die de kracht Zijner
     den  weg  d:er volkomene  gehoorzaarmheid   onder  iden opstanding  ldioor genede  kennen.  5
     vreeselijken toorn Gods ten einde toe bewandelde, om                     Zoo  irnmers had de  iHeiland  Zellf reeds  gesprokeil,
     aaa Gods recht te voldoen, onze zonden voor eeuwig uit tolen  Hij-nog in  bet vleesch bij ons tabernakelde :  `"Voor-
     te  del,gen, en eene eeuwige  gerecht,igheid  voor de Zijnen          waar,  voorwaar zeg Ik  u, De  xure  komt en is nu,  wan-
     te  vefw,erven.                                                       neer  #de dooden zulleh hooren de stem  des Zoons Gods,
         Hij  is opgestaan!                                                [en die ze gehoord  hebben zullen  leven." Joh. 5  :25. E n
         En Zijne opstanding uit de dooden,  waardoor,  als                zoo getuigen al de  apostelen,  `(Of  w,eet gij niet, dat
     o$st@&+n,g,   H.ij  krachtiglijk  ,bewezen is de Zone Gods            zoovelen  alas wij in  Christus   Jeius gedoopt zijn, wij in
     te zijn, is immers ook  opwekking.                                    Zijnen  ,doold  gedoo.pt   ,zijn? Wij zijn dan met  :Hem
         God.  wekte Hem uit de dooden  ^op !                              begraven,door den dood in den dood, opdat gelijkerwijs
       . Daarom is die  opstandmlg  Gods  Jeigein antwoord op              Christus   uit  d:e  jdooden  oDgewekt is tot de  heerlij.kheid
het  kruiswoorcl van den Heiland: "Het is  vollbracht  !" des Vaders,  .alzoo ook wij in nieuwiigheid des  levens
         Volbracht  v,oor ons!                                             wamd'elen  zoeden.  W a n t   indien  .wij  m e t   H e m   e e n e
-        ,Om onze  zonld:en was Hij  overge:leverd; Met den plant geworden  zijn`in de gelijkmaking Zijns doods, zoo
     last  onier  schuld op  Zich  ,daalde Hij  vrij'willitg1ij.k in de    zulben wij het ook zijn in de  gelijkmaking Zijner op-.
     diepte des doods en der  he1 in,.-vertrouwend ten einde               standing." Rom. 6 :3-5. "Want gij zijt  gestorven, en  *
     toe, dat Zijn God Hem het pad des levens zou bekend uw leven is ,met  Christus   verbongen  iilt God." Col. 3  :3.
     maken,  en Zijne ziel in de  he1 niet  zou  verlaten..  iHad              Daar  aan-  bet. kruis van  Christus  zijn alle  uitver-
     Hij  *d,oor Z'ijn  b1oedstortin.g  en volkomene  gehoorzaam-          korenen in  ,Hem  .en met Hem gestorven ; en op dien
     heid niet alle onze zonden  uitgedel~gd,  en eene eeuwige             won!d!erlij.kcn  der,den dag zijn al  cle Zijoen in Hem
     gerechtigheid voor  ens.  verworven,  nimmer  zou,.Godde- en met Hem  ,opgewekt.
     lijk  reeht  -bet hebben  geduld, dat  iHij  ,uit  .dien  diepen      + Eil, als de levende Heer de kracht van Zijn  kruis-
     dood verrees in de heerlijkheid Zijner  opstandilag.`Maar.            doodin ons laat  werken, en  aan ons  to.epast,  idan  ster,ft
     Hij is opgewekt. En zooals Hij  ,werd  overgeleverd' om               in  ,ons in beginsel de oude  mensch der zonde; en als  .de
     onze zonden, zoo  iis Hij ook  opgewekt-.om   onz'e recht-            Qpgestane de kracht Zijner  opstamding  ons mededeelt,
     vaardi,gmaking.                                                       en  ens in Zijne  bevende gemeenschap opneemt  Jdoor  bet.
         Eeu,wige tger,e~chtigheid  !                                      geloof, dan wordt  er. in ons. een nieuw leven geboren.
      - Dat is de  kracht Zijner  ,opstandin!g!                                Met  Christus   egekruisigd,  met  Christus  opgewekt
         Door die  kracht ontvangen wij  eene gerechtigheid,               tot  eennileaw  leven!
     die  uitnemeiider is dan die, waarmede Adam'in  Zijln                     Dat is de  kracht Zijner opstamding !
     eerstenstaat   begiftigd was.                                             En zooals  d'e. gerechtigheid, die wij in  Hem~hebben,.
         Adam's,gerechtigheid  was menschelijk, rustte in de altijd Zijne gerechtigheid is ; "zoo is ook het nieuwe
     keuze  vam;zjinen wil, `was in  Id,i-en zin zijne  `eigene  ge-       leven, dat  -we door de kracht  Zija'er opstanding' on&
     rechtigheid  ; onze gerechtigheid in  ~Christus-  is  Goldde-         vangen, altijd  Zif~ leven. Niet wij  leven; Hij leeft
     lijk, rust in  d.e  onveranderlijkheid  `vail1 den  Z-oon Gods,       in. ons. We mogen ons het  mooit zoo voorstellen, alsof
     is Zijne, niet onze gerechtigheid, en wordt de  onze-door
                                                                     _     de levende Heere ons uit  onzen geestelijken  :doodslaap
     toerekening uit  genade.                                              opwekt,  en. dat  .wij nu voorts het leven, dat .Hij.  o:ils
         Die eerste  gerechtigheid was  jnist daarom verlies-, eens heeft  geschonken, in onszelven `bezitten. Integen-,
     ,baar,  ~eti  ging ook verloren ; deze  gerereehticgheid is vast      deel, buiten Hem, 10s van Zijne gemeenschap, liggen  _
     als  `d.e  .bergen Gods, zij  B&n nimmermeer verloren                 wij altijd  midden in  ,den dood.  Z.ooals. de rank geen
     wonden.                                                               leven  heeft in zichzelf, lost van den wijnstok, zoo  heb-
         Adam's gerechtigheid deed hem het aardsche  leven ben  wij..`geenl  leven in onszelven  10s van den levenden
     genieten; de  ~gereehtigheid  van  Christus  is  hetriecht op         :Heere! Door de  kracht Zijner opstanding  worden wij
     bet,  ,heerlijke  leven in `Gods- eeuwigen tabernakel,  Age-          opgewekt;  ,door. de  ,kracht van den levende  Heere,. Die
     bouwd op  hemelsche hoogten.                  -                       in ons leeft door Zijnen Geest, blijven wij. in  nieuwi,g:
         E e u w i g e   gerechtilgheid,  alle  z o n d e n   wegvagiende heid des levens  wandelen.
     gerecht,igheid. . . .                                                     Ik ben met  Christmus  gekruisigd:,   en.ik  led;  ,doch niet
         Heer,lijke kracht Zijner opstanding!                   -          `iki  Christus  leeft in mij !
                                                                               De kracht Zijner  opstaniding  is  d'e  kracht van den
                         .                                                 levenden  Heere!,
         De Heer is  waarlijk opgestaan!                m                      Heerlijk,  ,onvergankelijk,  hemelsch leven!
         En Hij is levende  Heer,e; de  levenclmakemle  Geest !                Want. het leven, dat wij door- de  kracht  Zijner.  0~
         En  ,de kracht  Zijner opstanding  wordt ook  ,daarin! standing ontvangen, is opstandingsleven  1.
     gekend? dat Hij in  ens leeft, en dat wij leven door Hem.                 Ret is. leven-  uit de dooden.


                                                 TH%       ST'ANDARD                       BEAR-XI?             -                             339     -

         Van  lnatune liggen wij  midden  in den dood. En die                   - Want  Christus  is  opgewekt!  Eti Hij is  opgewekt
 ldbood houdt in, dat  ,Wij  verduisterd  zijn in ons  Tierstand,          als  h6t Hoofd  fder Zijnen  als de  Eersteling  dergeneilr,'
 zoodat wij de  leugen liefhebben; dat wij verkeerd zijn                   die ontslapen  zijn!
 van wil, zoodat we de  ongerechtighei'd   bemininen;  dat'                       Zijne opstanding is het  begin der  eindelijke  ?p-
 wij  onr,ein en onheilig zijn in al  oilae genegenheden,                  standing uit de dooden !
 zoodat we ons van  !God afkeeren, en de  lusten des                              D,e  :Heer is waarlijk opgestaan  !
 vleeachee navolgen, om die te  bevrecligen.   -Maar  bet                         Gode zij dank  !-              T
 leven, dat  we in  Christus  hebben, is leven  uit dien  d%d:
 de geestelijke dood heeft over dat leven  !geeili  heerschap-                   Uitnemendheid der kennis !
 pij.      Het overwint de duisternis, om in het  licht te                        Opdat ik  Bern kennem, en  Idie kracht Zijner  opstan-
 heerschen  ; het  stelt  zich tegen de  ongeriechtigheid,  om ding!                          -
 zich  dler  gerechtigheid  ldiens&aar te stellen  ; het  be-                     Is het  wondgr,` dat de apostel deze kennis boven
 keert  zich tot  .God, om  zich Hem toe te  wijhen, en den a&s  dierbaar  acht, bij niets te  ;ergelijBen,  uittiemen-
 levenden  Goid  welfbbehagelijk te zijn. Het  openbaart                   der  ,dan  alle andere kemnis,  en dat hij, om die kennis
 zich daarom altjjd in &en  hartelij:k leedwezen over de deelachtig  te.  wonden  en haar in steeds  groot~ere  mate
 zonde,  een: vlieden van de zonde,  fen een  innerlijj8e lust te  :bezitten, alle  dingen  schade  en. drek achtte?  i
 `en hartelijke begeerte om  confopm den wil Gods te                              Herq kennen, en  ide  kracl$ Zijner  opstand+n;g!
 handelen.                                                                       `Zoo is immers de drde :  IHem  kennen, en dan  ,de
         Het is eeuwig leven:  ,d#e  volkomene  overw5nmin8g kracht Zijmer opstanding. Hem  de<,&ekymisilgden  Chris-
 over  allen dood!                                                         tus en  levsenden Heere  Zelf,.  moeten  wee.  kennen,  zullen
         Christus is  oplgewekt,  de dood  heerscht  niet meer             we de kracht Zijner opstanding  smakien.  ,Het geloof
 over Hem.          IHij is b&ten het bereik van  rdtie  macht neemt  imrners Hem  aan  ;. door het geloof  worden  we
d e s   d'oods. Hij heeft overwonnen. En  zij,' die de imrflers Hem  ingeplant   ; om dan, als we Hem deelachtig
 kracht Zijner  opstanding  ervaren, hebben de  overwin- zijli geworden,  o.ms  all,e Zijne heilsweldaden toe  tt .
 ning over de mscht des  .doods in Hem. -Adam was eene                     eigenen,
 levende ziel.  Hij  lie&de, maar stond binnen het bereik                       H e m   kennen!                                          _.
 v a n   d e   kl,auwen   d e s   doe@.  Christus   i s   d e   levend-           De krecht  Zijrier opstanding  lcennen!
 makende  Geest.' Hij verwon den dood, en verslond hem                            Wme' verstaan  bet :  `dit  kglunen is  rn@Er, staat hooger,
 t'ot -overwinning. En wie  &den Zoon  gelooft, heeft het is rijker  ,dan eenige theologische  wetenschap.
eeuyige leven. Hij,  die'door  .de  Bracht Zijner  .opstan-                       E r   .is  e&n  diepgaa,nd   versehil  tusschen  hmznen  e n
 ding is  O#gewekt, heeft in beginsel onsterfelijkheid                     zoeten.  Kennen is een zaak van `den geheelen mensch,
,aangedaan. Door het  -1even van  `den Zoon Gods is hij                    met hart en  ziel, met verstand en wil en  alie  ,genelgen-
 verheven boven alle  mogelijkheid van  Btervan !                          heden  ;  weten is  eee zaak van het hoofd. Iets te  weten
         Het is  `bet leven; dat  VBJ~!  bboven is.                        wii  zeggem,- dat we  .er  alles  ruan  weten, iets te kennen
         Adam was uit de  aardecaardsch.  Christus  is de wil  `ueigen; dat  we.  geme'enschap,  contact  hebb& met
 Heere uit den  hemel!                                                     de zaak zelf. Wetenschap van den  .opgestanen   Heiland
         .En zooals  yij het  -beeld des  aardscheq  geldragen             te bezitten beteekent, dat -we over  -Zijln;e  opstanding
 hebben,  alzoo zullen  ,wij ook  bet-  beeld des hemelschen .kunnen  rkdeneeren, haar kumnen verklaren ;  kenriis   van
 dyagen. Het is het  Ieven in  .Gods  eeuwig  vriendschaps-                iHem  te hebben,  bebeekent, dat we Hem in de kracht
 verbonld in  hemels~chen  g;_arns,  waarin we zien  aange-                Zijner  opstanding  hebben gesmaakt.
 zicht tot  aangeiicht,  eil  kennen, zooals we  .gekend  zijn !                  0,  wetetisehap  .van Hem is  .eene  kostelijkti zaak.
         Dat leven wordt straks  in.  volmaaktheid   geopen- Z!e is  noold,ig.  Zonder wetenschap van  :Hem, en vam de
 baard, maar zijn  we'hi& toch in beginsel  ,deelachtig,                   kraeht van Zijn  TTbod  en  opstanding,  is geen-  klennis
 &oor de  .krach`t  Zijnerf opstanding.                                    mokelijk. Hoe rijker  iemanid is in de wetenschap van
         En omdat  bet  Ieven, dat  we- thans in  gbeginsel in -den opgestanen'  Heilamld; hoe rijker  oak zijne kennis
 Christus  hebben, pan boven is  ; en  ,olmdat we  thans ndg zij!n kan. Wie de wetenschap van Hem zou  veraqhten,
 slechts  eexi  klein  .begin er van  bezitten,  terwijl we nog .zou daarmede tevens  betiijzjen,  dat hij Zijne  kennis'
 altijd  midden in den dood liggen  ;. en omdat  hit nieuwe n i m m e r   s m a a k t e .   .
 leven door den dood he& naar  boven,  zich  strekt,<                             Maar  tech, door  de wetenschap  van Hem te  kotieni
 ,daarom is de kracht  Zijner  :opstanding  in. ons ook daay-              tot de  waarachti,ge,  Igeestelij8e   kennis van  HIem,  waar-
 aan  kenbahr, dat we wandelen in eene levende hope!                       door we Hem im de kracht Zijner opstanding  ervaren
         Na& Sion dorst mijn hart !                                        e_n  smaken,-+dat  is de begeerte des geloofs  !-
         De  trekkitig van het  begilnsel des  opstanding,4evems,                 Opdat ik Hem  ken&, en- de kracht  -Zijner  op-
 door den  d,ood  heen naar zijne volkomene  openba&g,   &ndillg!
~-dat is des geloovigen hope!               :                              -      De Heer is waarlijk opgestaan
         En  rdcie hope kan nimmer  ~beschamen. *                                 Jezus, mijln !Hgeer !                            H.  ,H.


 340                                                                             -                                 T H E   S T A N D A R D   B-EARER


                                         The Sttindard Bearer                                                                                                                                       .kKITORIkLS
                        Semi-Monthly, except Monthly in July and  August                                                                                                                                                 -
                                                                        j Published by
                                 The Reformed Free Publishing Association                                                                                                                         The Liberated Churches                         '
                                                            1463 Ardmore St., S. E.
                                                   EDITOR  - Rev.  H.  Hoeksema                                                                                                              _       In The Netherlands
     Contributing  Editors:-Rev. G. M.  Ophioff,  Rev. G.  Vos,  Rev.                                                                                                                TIIZE  CHURC:H  POLITICAL ASPECT :
     R. Veldman, Rev. H. Veldman, Rev. H. De Wolf, Rev. B. Kok,
     Rev. J. D. De Jong, Rev. A. Petter, Rev. C. Hanko, Rev. L.                                                                                                                              The  selcon,d factor that must be taken into consider-
     Vermeer, Rev. C. Lubbers, Rev. M.  Gritters,  Rev. J. A.  Beys,                                                                                                                 ation to explain the tendency of the major  gatbberings
     Rev.  W.,  Hofman.                                                   .                                                                                                          to become hierarchical  pdwers is the  uti&ty  p~&ciple.
          Communicatioxs  relative  `to contents should be addressed                                                                                                                         Things seem to  r.un more smoothly, can be accom-
    to REV. H.  ECEKSEMA, 1139 Franklin St., S. E., Grand
    Rapids;  Mi,chigan.                                                                                                                                                              plished more efficiently, where there is  centraliied
                                                                                                                                                                                     power.  I If a synod can simply decide on doctrinal
          C'ommunications relative -to subscription should be addressed
     to MR. GERRIT PIPE, 1463 A&more St., S. `E., Grand Rapids,                                                                                                                      $matters,  withodt  consultiln,g the churches,  tipose`  its.
    Michigan. All Announcements, and Obituaries  must be  setit                                                                                                                      decisions upon the churches, and demand unconditional
    10 the above address and will not be placed uriless  th,e Tegular                                                                                                                submission or acquiescence, it seems that much trouble
    fee of  ,$l.OO  accompanies the notice.                                                                                                                                          cajn often be  avoided\  and that the church-political
                                   (Subscription price $2.50 per year)                                                                                                               machine-&ns  much `more evenly; and also faster. From
* Entered as Seconcl  Class  .mail at Grand Rapids, Michigan.                                                                                                                        the individual consistories to the classes, and  ifrom
                                                                                                                                                                                     them to the synod, is a long and -cumbersome  w?y.
                                                                                                                                                                                     And if, epen after the  entine way has been followed,
               F.                                                                                                                                                                    and synod finally decides, its decisions have no  (bind-
                                                                        CONTENT,%
                                                 ,'                                                                                                                                  in,; power, it  woulmd seem that the whole system is
                                                                                                                                                                                     paralyzed.  Hence,   fo? utility's sake the autonomy of
MEDITATION  - .                                                                                                                                                                      the local churches is often ignored  & set  asildle de-
 DE KRACHT ZIJNER OPSTAGDING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . l......... 33'7 liberately, and the temptation is too strong  forp_the
                                                                                                                                                                                     major gatherings to assume a power which they have
             Rev. H.  i?oeksema `\                                                                                                                                                   not.
                                                                                                                                                                                       Hence, the constant  ,danger of  hierarcgcal  rcor-
 EDITORIALS -                                                                                                                                                                        ruption.
 THE LIBERATED CHURCHES IN THE  NETHERLANDS.;`340                                                                                                                                       The history of the Reformed Churches in the
 EXPOSITION OF THE HEIDELBERG  CATEClHISM.........::\342                                                                                                                             Netherlands shows this tendency, and the influence of
                                                                                                                                                                                     these two factors, that of  lust for power on the part
             Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                                                                                        of the major gatherings, and that oif the utility  prin-
                                                                                                                                                                                     ci,ple,  veri plainly,
 SAMUEL CALLED T O tiE A PROPHET . . . . . . . . . . . i _...................  346                                                                                                       The beginning of this  ;lew development in the
 INNOCENT III .,...........I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
                                                       ,                                                                                                                             wr,ong  dire&ion was plainly seen  in the action of the
             Rev. Q M. Ophoff                                                                                                                                                        Synod of Assen, 1926, in the case of Dr. Geelkerken.
                                                                                                                                                                                     The latter, a minister of the  Resormed Church of
 UIT DEN TREURE . . .,. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352                    Amsterdam at the time,  deplarted, no  ,donbt, from the
                                                                                                                                                                                     truth. He denied the  historicity of the.  fiY;St three
            Rev. G. Vos                                                                                                                                                              chapt& of Genesis. But  *it was  dlificult,  or at least
                                                                                                                                                                                     somewhat. of a slow process to effect his deposition
 TO THE  .UTMONST OF YOUR POWER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354 in the proper way, i.e. by  his own consistory. The
            Rev. J. A.  Heys                                                                                                                                                         Synod of  Assen took matters in its own  &unds, and
                                                                                                                                                                                     simply deposed him  :from office. At, that time  .many
 @ROM  HO L Y   W R I T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .,..... 356 votces were  Y'aised  ini protest, not because they agreed
             Rev.  `G. Lubbers                                                                                                                                                       with  Geilkerken's views, but because they clearly saw
                                                                                                                                                                                     the danger of the  ,hierarchical  &&ion. However,  th,e
 PERTSCOPE? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i . . . . . . ..*...... I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359    action not only was maintained, but, as is often the
                                                                                                                                                                                     case, the attempt was  also made to prove that it was
   R e v .   M .   Grittem                                                                                                                                                           quite in accord with the principles of Reformed Church
  -._  .-...  2-. . .  ,...  ---.i_  .I-...   -  .-  -.- ----                                                 .          - - -   ---.                                                Polity.  Especially the historical  .&gument was used


                                      T H - E   S T A N D A R D   BEA-RE,R                                                 3L

to defend the action taken. Had not, in the past, a                IThey appointed a  <committee to study the matter
Reformed  synod often deposed  ofhcebearers? Did not and to report to the next synod.
the  Syil;od of Dordrecht depose. Arminian ministers                Whatever may have been the motives of those
from office?                                                    that  il&i,gated this action (and I do not believe that
    Thus appeal is made to wrong precedents, and the            motives  lof a  church-;politically  corr.upt  action are  lever
-wrong principle gradually is presented  anid defended pare) , the action itself was `surely- hierarchical.
as correct.                                                         0, reasons were  given~for the action, to justify it.
    In 1936  theSynod of Amsterdam violated another But they were utility reasons. There was too  much.
plain principle of the Church  `Order.                          unrest  ti, the churches!      It  is. for the benefit  ,of the
    Article 30 of the Church Order  rear&s: "In these           churches that the synod should concern  ,itselif with the
assemblies ecclesiastical matters only shall be  trans-         matter! But all this cannot justify the fact that, in
a.cted and that in an  .ecclesiastical   marmer. In major 1936, the delegates to synod assumed the  .position  of
assemfbli'es  only  snch matters shall  ,be dealt with as       independent  lorids by  dokng what. they had not  :bbeen
could not be finished in minor assemblies, or such as -mandated to do.
pertain to the Churches of the major assembly in                    This action was the  lbeginlling  of trouble.
co~m.mon."                                                          Among others, Dr. Hepp, Dr. Greydanus, Dr.  Schil-
   -The meaning of this  arti&e `is clear enough. Mat-          der, and Dr. Vollenhoven, were members of the com-
ters that pertain to the churches,  and~thes!e alone, are mittee that  were. to study the doctrinal issues involved,
transscted  by ecclesiastical assemblies. And they are and to report to the synod of  1939.~
to be transacted in an ecclesiastical manner. The power            `Although, therefore, member of the  loonnnittee  that
of the Church is always spiritual, not political. To tliis ,was supposed to  `be appointed to create rest in the
also belongs that the delegates to the major assemblies,        churches, Dr.  Hepp continued to create more unrest by
classis, particular  syno.d,  ,general synod, are limited to    insisting on `publishing his brochures  `fDreigende  De-
their mandate  !from the  ch#urches. `Matters that are formatie"  rwhich he  had begun writing before the
to be  transa&ed by the synod must be  ~brought before Synod of Amsterdam. It so happened that two of the
this body in the regular way, i.e. by way of overture men he especially  ,oppbsed  in those brochures, `and
from  th.e minor assemblies.  "  Andi such matters should accused of heresies, were fellow-members. with him in
be treated by the minor assemblies first, and, if they thee committee appointed to study the  ,matters about
cannot be finished  there,-,be carried on to the  maj,or which he `wrote:  ,Schilder  and Vollenhoven. True, he
assemlbly.             -                          .e            did:& mention their names, yet  evlerybo:dy knew that
    Now, before the Synod of Amsterdam 1936, several he  .meant these two  br>ethren.
p:oints of doctrine were  ,matters of' discussion and               The result was more trouble.            .
controversy in the Netherlands, not officially, but  amon\g         Dr. Greydanus resigned from the committee.
the theologians and semi-theologians, of which latter              Drs. Schilder  and Vollenhoven found it impossible
-category there  are always many in the old `country.           to  .collaborate  with a committee one  oif -whose members
The controversy and discussion were carried on through pufblicly  aac:used them of heresy. They separated them-
magazines  and smaller papers, books and pamphlets.             selves from  th,e rest, and decided-to prepare a minority
The  points in question concerned the `covenant, "com- report;                   I                          .'
mon  ,grace", the  hatures  ,of Christ, the immortality -of        Under these conditions,  the-Synod of  Sneek, 1939
the soul, self-examination,  and the  m.ultiformity of w a s   c o n v o k e d .   ~
t h e          chlurch.  _                                          On the matter of the  doctrmal  ,differences, a major;
    There was  nothin~g official about this -controversy.       ity and  ,a minority report was presented to this Synod.
It is true that Dr. Hepp, in a series of brochures en-             The`Synod attempted to create unity,  alnd appointed
titled "Dreigende  Deiformatie",  openly accused some a committee to unite the two reports into one, if pos-
of his  rcollea.gues of heresy,  tho.ugh he did not mention sible. Again the  Drs.  Hepp;Bchilder,  and Vollenhoven,
their names, but even he did not begin official  action were  memblers  ,of the committee: It then appeared
by lodging accusations against the men he had in mind that the majority  repo,rt  accused the two last named
with their  consistori'es. No action had been started           brethren  of-.-heresy. These decided that they could not
by anyone;         Nor were there, before the Synod of very well sit as  judges-  ini their  o,wn case, and with-
Amsterdam, any `overtures from minor assemblies, re- drew from the committee,  assuaming responsibility only
questing that  boldy to take- action and try to  t#o settle     for their own minority report.
the doctrinal points involved in the  lcontr.oversies.              In the meantime,, [Holland was invaded by the
   Yet, without any  ,mandate from the `churches, the           Germans: And a few months later Schilder was  im-
Synod  ,of Amsterdam decided to make the matter of              pr.isoned.  _
the  .contioversies and differences of opinion its  official       The synod  wasvirtmdly  floo!d!ed with requests from
business !                                                      the churches to drop the matter of the doctrinal  dif-


 342       -                                       T&E               STANDARD                      BEARER                 '

 Iferences, for the time being at  1:east. It was of no year. But when the time for adjournment arrived,
 avail.                                                                            this  dlecision  -was  ,not  ,executed. It seemed expedient
      The voices  lof the churches, of `many consistories,                         that the same  Synoid of Sneek-Ukecht should continue
 classes, particular'  syinlods,  meant nothing to  this_ hier-                    its sessions. And  continue~them it  did, till 1943 !           a
 archical Synod  .,of  Sneek-Utr,echt.  In complete inde-                                 Thus this Synod, the delegates of which  ha.d it
 pendence from the churches, and wholly ignoring them,                             plainly written on their credentials that their mandate
 it had taken hold of the controversial points. Ignoring                           was limited by the Church Order, violated the Church
 t,he many requests to the contrary -from the  salme Order at will  !.
 churches, the Synod was determined to finish the  mat-                                                                             H.  H.
4 ter to the very end.
      Mloreover,  the Reformed Churches of the Nether-
 lands `witnessed the strange  splectacle of a synod that
perpetuated itself for almost four years!
      Strange spectacle, I say, for this is quite in con-
 flict with the Church Order,  <on the basis of which                                    mE TRIPLE KNOWLEDGE
 this Synod was supposed to  b!e assembled, and in
 h a r m o n y   w i t h   w h i c h   t h e   m a n d a t e   o$  i t s   fdelegates
 was strictly limited. That Church Order states  defi-                                   An Exposition Of The Heidelberg
 nitely : "The General Synod shall  ordiinarily meet  ,once                                            Cdechisrn .
 every three years (i.e. for the  ,churches  in the  Nether-
 lamds,  H!H.), unless there be urgent need to, shorten                                                    P a r t   T w o .
 the time."                                                                                            Of Man's Redemption
      Now, this article  I&es, indeed, leave room for
 shortening the interval between two synods. Urgent                                                     LORD'S DAY XIX
 matters may arise  -that demand a special session of                                                              3.
 synod.  aOr rcincumstances may require that the synod                                           The Coming Of The Lord. (cont.)
 meets  ,regularly at shorter intervals than three years.
 Our churches have adopted the plan of holding an                                         A second  observat,ion  that must be made concerning
 a n n u a l   synod;                                                              the coming  o,f the Lord  ,is that it is the final wonder
 '    But whatever the  ~circumstamces may be, so  lyizlch ,of grace.
 is certain that: 1) Not the synod itself, but the                                        The confession that-we believe in-a literal, personal
 churches decide whether there be urgent need for a                                return  ,of  o,ur Lord Jesus Christ must not tempt  `us
 special synod. 2) The Synod that is in session does                               to overlook the equally important  trutsh that it is a
 not determine the  constitufency  of such a special synod, wonder, and that, therefore, we dare not  coniceive of it
 ibut the  ,churches  do. The delegates to such a synod are                        and speak of it in terms derived from our present,
 to be chosen anew by the  lclmnches, (through particular earthly life and existence.
 synbd.s or classes).           3)  `The article by no  str'etch of                       There can be no doubt that this is frequently done.
 the imagination makes provision for a permanent synod We are inclined  -to picture the return  o:f our Lord
 i.,e. for a synod  perpetuatin'g itself, provisionally ad- in earthly,. and carnal colors and forms, as if He were
 journing and reassembling at will.  -                                             to return to  US  itll; His former, earthy body, sitting  i-
      Ylet, this is exactly what the Synod of  Sneek-Utrlecht                      on some  ,cloud in the sky above  `us, and as if thus,
 did !                                                                             with our earthly eyes, we shall see Him. That this is
 -    ,O, to be sure, for this, too, reasons were `given.                          the conception many form of His  secomd  cotming is
 It was  all.for the  ~benefit of the churches! It was ex- evident from the irrelevant questions that are often
 pedient that there should be contact between the                                  asked concerning the possibility  .of such a universally
 churches and the German  aut,horities that "occupied" `observed advent,  anid the silly objections that are raised
 Holland !        But  ,alfter all, they were utility reasons                      algainst it; as well as from the equally irrelevant ans-
 And the Synod assumed powers which  ,it did' not wers that are given to such questions and  object,iom,s.
 p o s s e s s . - _                                                               How, it is asked, is it possible that every eye, that  all
      Moreover, it made. it impossible for the churches men over the whole earth, shall see Him,' when He
 to convoke a new synod at the regular  t,ime, i.e.  A*ugust coimes on the clouds of heaven? Have we not  defmitely
 1942.                                                                             discovered that the earth is a sphere? If, then, men
      First, as late as 1941, the' Synod  ,decid.ed, at all                        that live in the western hemisphere shall see Him at
 events, to  adj,ourn definitely in 1942, in order to  ma.ke !His coming, it  ,must follow that those that live on the
 room for the new synod that, according to the, time other side of the earth cannot possibly be witness  o,f
 stipulated by  the, Church Order,  was'= to meet that                             His coming.


                                            T H E   STANDARD B E A R E R `                                                            343

   f&d  .with perfectly good  i&entions,  believers have blessed hope, and the glorious  a.ppearing of the great
  attempted to reply to this objection, and to explain  t,he            God  and our Saviour Jesns Christ." Tit. 2  :13. Or it
  possibility  df the second  ,coming- as -witnessed by all.            speaks of the coming of Christ as His  revelation. The
  Modern inventions, such as the  wiaelessand  the radio, tried faith of- believers must be found "unto praise
  and especially `television are supposed to demonstrate and honor and glory at the revelation  (eat apokalupsei)
  this possibility. Even Dr. A..  Kuyper reminds us of                  of  Jesus  Christ." I Pet.  1:7. Just as He appeared
  these wonderful powers of  nature that are brought                    several times to His  idisciples during the forty days
  to light by these modern imventions, and then con-                    between His resurrection and  IHis ascension, so He shall
  cludes : "Now, keep this in mind, and then remember                   appear to all in the end of the world, then to be re-
  that Christ, as potentate over. all the mysteries of vealed in all  .I-Iis  iglory and never to leave us again, or
  nature, can dispose of all her powers ;  - and it is                  rather, to take us with  Hi.m into glory. And His com-
  evident that all the inconceivableness `(`of  Christ's-second         ing will be as  tthe  light&g flashing through- the
  coming as universally witnessed, H.H.) is `removed,                   heavens. Matt. 24  :27.
  and already you see' through the possibility'that Jesus, It seems, then, that we must make a distinction
  without the means of a metal wire can do what we ,between His sudden appearance in the clouds of heaven,
  are capable of  doimg' with it, and  spread His voice to all that shall live on  the. earth at the time of His
  and appearance to all parts of the world, to every                    advent, and His complete  revelatio,n  to all that have
ear and heart." (1).                                                    ever lived in the world, after the resurrection.                It
      All such attempts to explain the second looming would seem that Scripture makes this distinction in
 of our Lord are oblivious of the fact that the  paro:usia              Matt.  24.~30  : "And then shall appear the sign of the
  lies in the iine  .of the wonders of grace : the incarnation,         Son of man in  heavlen: and then shall all the tribes
  the.death of the Son of God, the resurrection, the  ascen-            of the  .earth mourn,  and they shall see the Son of man
  sion into glory, the  ,comimg with the clouds  elf heaven.            coming in the  ,clouds of heaven with  ,great  powler and
      We  :believe that the  `Son of  ,God assumed our human            glory." Whatever this "sign of the Son of man in
  nature, soul and body, from the virgin Mary  ; but                    heaven" may be, it seems that it must be  ,distirn;guished
  this does not mean that we can comprehend or demon-                   from His full and final revelation. Then, too, it is
  strate this  woni&er of wonders. We believe that, on                  evident that, if all are to see Him, also they that pierced
  the cross, it was the Son  ,of `God that laid down His                Him, this cannot take place till after the resurrection.
  life; that He arose from the  ,dead on the third day;                 In as far as it is possible, therefore, in the light of                0
  that He ascended from the mount of Olives to heaven,                  Scripture, to conceive of the order of events at the
  and sits at the  rifght hand of God  ; but this does not              parousia, `we would suggest. the  follo,wing : 1. First,
  imply that we conceive  ,of these wonders  in. a carnal               and in  .the midst of great distress? and dreadful signs,
a n d   e a r t h l y   w a y ,   o r   t h a t   w e   c a n   co~mprehend.  a n d when "the powers  ,of the heavens shall be shaken:" the
  demonstrate their possibility.  Anld the  sam,e is true               "silgn  o!f the Son of man" shall  app:ear in the heavens,'
  of the  wfonder of the second coming. We believe that                 visible to all that shall then live on the earth. And by
  our  ,Lord, Who arose from the dead, and ascended                     that sign, all shall know that He is come to judge..
  up  iinto heaven, shall come again in person, at a definite           2. Then shall follow the resurrection of the  dead3
  moment, in the  ,end of the world, and that His  ;comin,g             and the ingathering  .of all the elect. 3. And in their
 shall..be witnessed by all men, that every eye shall see               resurrectionYbodifes all, the righteous  anld the  wilcked,
  Him; but no more than our modern airplanes explain shall  ,behold  Him in the  fuI1 revelation of His glory
  the possibility  `of  I-Iis ascension do wireless and tele-           and power. 4. All this  sha,ll be followed by the last
  vision  demomst,rate the  possilbility of  iHis return.               judgment, and the  ,emecution of its verdict.
      Iif it be pointed out that the angels  on mount Olivet                Scripture presents this final wonder as always near.
  assured the gazing apostles that  iBe "shall come in                      And when the apostles speak  ,of this coming of
  like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven," we the Lord  -as near,  an,d at hand, and about to occur,
  should not forget that He ascended  ,in His  resurrection- we must not explain this as  an; error on their part, as
  body, that in that body He  a~pe~ecl to His disciples on Jf they  expect&cl the coming of `the Lord in their own
  mount dlivet, amd that in His appearance-they saw Him lifetime. It is true that,.`in the time of the apostles,
  being taken up. So also He shall  .colme again, not in believers often conceived of the time that must elapse
  an earthly, natural body,  abut in the heavenly, spiritual            biefore `the Lord -would come again as much shorter
  body of His resurrection.                                             than it actually has  pxoved to be., In  lfact, many ex-
      The Bible, therefore, speaks of this second coming pected that the second  eo'ming would take place before
  as an  crrp&ara+zce. Our  li!fe is now hid  #with Christ they died. The Thessalonians were, evidently, worried
  in. God, but when He shall appear, we  .shall appear                  about those of them that slept, as if they would be de-
  with Him. in  <glory. Col, 3  :4. And we look "for that prived of the glorious  privilmege of seeing add, meeting
       (1) E Voto II; 69,                                               .Him at His  comiti?:g. Mockers; of which -the apostle,


         344                                        T           H    E               STANDAR-D   BE`ARER

        Peter writes, asked : "where is the promise of His com-                            with the truth  `of  H,is coming again: "What comfort
        ing?" gnd  abeliev;ers, hard -pressed by persecution, is to thee that Christ shall come again  .to judge the
       .`complained  that the Lord was slack -concerning His                               quick and the dead? That in all. my sorrows and
        profmise. There seems to have been a  !general expecta- persecutions, with uplifted  heaid I look for the very
        tion among believers of apostolic  t,imes that the Lord same person, who-before offered himseif for my sake,
        `woul,d come in their own day..                                                    to  th.e tribunal of God, and has  remo,ved all curse
            But this  ,does not mean that  the `current and definite                       from me, to come as jadge from heaven: who shall
        testimony of the. New Testament, with regard to the                                cast all his  and my enemies into  everlasting condemna-
        taearness  of the parousia, dare  Ibe interpreted as due                           tion,  lbut shall translate me with- all his  chosien ones
        to the same mistaken expectation.                                                  to himself, into heavenly joys and  !glory."
            It is true that this  "nea,rness".cannot  ;be understood                             That there will be such a final judgment to bring to
        and expressed in  terms of  [days- and months and years.                           a definite close the history of our world, and to serve
         The apostle Peter -reminds  tllose that- complained of as  tile revelation  of' God's justice as maintained in the .
        God's slackness in fulfilling the promise, that  ,one day everlasting' state of the righteous.  ain.d of the. wicked,
        -is with the' Lord as a thousand years, and a  thousalmd                           Scripture teaches throughout. To such a  #day all the
        years are as  ,one day. But, first of  al,l,  !believers must saints  *of the old dispensation looked forward. "Say'
        live in the constant consciousness of  theever approach- among the heathen that the Lord-  reigneth : the world
      . ing' coming  eolf the Lord, and of all it implies.                           For also shall  b'e  esta5blished that it shall not be moved:
        them, the parousia must he near.  In fact,  they.must he shall  jud<ge the  people`right.eously.                               Let the heavens
        live  as in  t,hat day. Secondly, that day is near in the rejoice, and let the earth  Fb.e glad  ; let  -the sea roar, and .'
        sense that it is  riest.,  No  lother  %ominlgs,, of the  L,ord,                   the fulness thereof. Let the field be joyful, and all
        as in the flood, the incarnation, the resurrection, can that  .is therein: then shall all the trees of  the- wood
        be  ,expected. It is the last hour. In this  ,dispensation                         rejoice before the Lord: for he cometh, for he cometh
        we are  i,n the day of the Lord. Just  as a  traveller by to judge the earth : he shall  j,udge the world with right-
        train passes several stations  .,on his long.  jfourney, but                       eousness, and the people with his truth." P,s. 96 :lO-13 ;
        finally the conductor  comjes  throagh  the coaches  an; cf. Ps.  98:7-g. All the  prop$ets  speak of  .a day of -the
        noun&g that the next stop  ,is- the terminal, where  al11                          Lord, when the Lord  shall. deliver His people, and
        get  -out; so we, in the new dispensation have passed judge  -the  natio:ns  righteously. "Let the heathen be
=.      the last station-stop  ,on  thse world's journey  thro,ugh wakened,  anld come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat:
        time, and the gospel-call is : "the Lord is coming next!" !for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.
        And thirdly, the Lord is coming quickly, as fast as                                Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you.
        possible, so to speak.          Tremlendous   things~ must still                   do.wn; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for
        come to pass-  ,before that final coming. They must be their wickedness is- great. Multitudes, multitudes in
        finished. And they are being accomplished with  amaz-                             the valley of  ,decision : for the  `day of the `Lord is near
      ing rapidity. This is  .especially evident,  in. our day.                           in the-  valley. of decision." Joel 3 : 12-14. And again :
       We are flying toward the end.                                                       "The  great.  day of the Lord is near, it is near,  -and
            In view of all  this, believers must take  the-testiinony                     hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord:
        of Scripture very seriously, that the coming of  th!e                             the mighty man shall cry bitterly. That  daris a day
        Lord draweth nigh.                                                                ,of wrath, a  `day  o!f trouble and distress, a day of  `waste-
            They must live  as, in that day.                    _                         `mess and desolation, a-day of darkness and  gloo,miness,
            In the world they must keep their garments- clean.                             a- day of  clou&s and thick darkness.        A day of the
        They must  -be sober and watch.                                                   trumpet, and. alarm against the fenced cities, and
            And in the midst  ,of tribulation they must lift up                           against the high towers; And I will  brmg distress
        their heads, and earnestly look for the coming of their npon men, that they shall walk like blind men, be-
        Lord, and their  fmal and complete redemption.                                    cause they have  sinned against- the  Lor,d :  .and their
            That is the  hopIe of His' ,coming !                          _.              blood shall be poured out as dust, and their. flesh as
                                                                                          the  idung.,`~ Zeph.  1:14-17. "For, behold, the day
                                                                                          `cometh, that shall  Iburn as am oven ; and all the `proud,
                                          4.                                               yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the
                                                                                           day that cometh shall bvrn them up, saith the Lord of
                           T.he Final  Judtgment,                                         hosts, that it shall leave them  neit,her root nor branch."
            With the coming of Christ, the Apostolic Confession M                                 a    l    .         4:l.    -
        connects- the final judgment: "From thence he shall                                      In-the New Testament, as might-be expected, this
        come to  j.udge the  quimck and' th'e deaid!."                                     "<day of the Lord" is- more clearly  .defined.
            Accordingly, the Heidelberg  ~Cat,echislm  lays all                                  It is a day, of judgment that is connected with the
        stress on the same element of. judgment in connection
                                                          ,.                               coming again of the  Solni of man.
                                                                                            i                                        "For the Son. of
                                                                     7
                                   P


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                            345

`man shall  `come in the glory of his Father with his those things which were written in the books,  aocord-
angels ; and then he shall reward every man according ing to their  w.orks. And the sea gave up the dead
to his  wlorks." Matt.  16:27.  Anid again, "The Son of which were in it;  and death and  heAl delivered up the
man shall send forth  h$is angels, and they shall gather. dead which were in them: and they were judged every
,out, of his kingdom  all things that oiffend, and them man according to their, works.                       And  `death and hell
which do  iIniquity;  And shall cast them into a furnace were  cast into the lake of fire.                     This is the second
of fire: there shall be. wailing and gnashing of teeth.         death. And whosoever was not found written in the
Then shall the righteous shime forth `as the sun in book af life was cast into the lake of fire.."                               -
the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear,                 And the last chapter of the book of Revelation
let him hear." Matt. 13  :&i-43.     He, the Son of man,        solemnly emphasizes the Lord's  co,ming to judge both
shall sit  uponthe throne of his glory, and  "bef0r.e  him      quick and dead :  "Aln!d,  behol:d, I  co,me  quilekly; and my
shall be gathered  al,1 nations  ; and he shall  separat,e      reward is with me, to give every man according as his
them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his -work shall be." Rev. 22  :12.
sheep` from the  ,goats :  AnId he shall set the sheep on           ,Our Confessdon, too, inseparably connects this final
his right hand, but the goats on his left. Then shall judgment with Christ and His coming: -"Finally, we
the King say unto them on his right hand,  Com8e,  ye           believe,  aacordisng  to the Word of God, when the time
bless.@ of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared appointed by the Lord (which is unknown to all crea-
for you from the foundation of- the world.. . . . Then tures) is come, and the number  of the  el,ect complete,
shall  :he say also unto them on `the left hand, Depart         that our Lord  J.esus Christ will come  frolm heaven,
!from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for corporally and visibly, as  He. ascended!, with great
the  devi(l and his angels." Matt. 25  :3& ff. The Father giory and majesty, to declare Himself judge of the
"hath  committeth  all  judgmen& unto the Son." -John           quick and  t-he dead ; burning this old world with fire
5 :22. "And hath  givrem him. authority to execute judg- and flame, to cleanse it. And then all men will person-
ment also, because he is the Son of  .man." His judg- ally appear before this great judge, both men and
                                                                                                                           (
ment is just, for as He hears, so  <He judges, and He women and children, that have been from the beginning
Idoes not-seek His own will, but the will of Him that           of the world to the end thereof," `etc.                 Conf.  Belg.
sent Him. John 5  :27, 30.                           .          Art. 37.
   -The apostle Paul speaks of "the day of wrath and                Several elements in this doctrine concerning the
revelati'on of the  ri,ghteous  judgment of God, Who will       last  jad,gment require a little closer investigation.
render  evlery man according to  $is deeds." Rom. 2  :5, 6 ;        First of all, we may ask the question: what is the
and  oif "the  day'when God shall judge the secrets of idea  of-this  last  judlgment,  by which all the affairs of
men by Jesus Christ  accordia~g to my gospel."  Rom.            this -world,  especial&ly as they are  lconcerned  with the
2 :16. And "we must all appear  befo,re  t,he judgment          moral creatures, will be terminated,  anid their eternal
seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things state will be decided?                                                    H. H.
done in his body according to that he hath  #done,'
whethe,r it be good  ,or  Ibad." II Cor. 5  :lO. He charges
Timothy to preach the Word,  "bef0r.e  God, and the                                    ; I     N      MRMOECIAM
Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the
#dead at his appearing and his kingdom." II Tim. 4  :l,  2..        ,On February 11,  1946,` the `Lord very suddenly took unto
The epistle of James exhorts believers  ta be patient,          Himself our'beloved husband and father,
"for the  com.ing of the Lord draweth nigh," and "the                                         THOMAS RHODA
jadge standeth  beforte the door." Jas. 5  :8, 9. And "the      at the age of  73.years.
Lord  bnloweth how to deliver the godly out of tempta-              We  ,miss him very much but we know he has gone to be
tions, and to reserve the unjust umto the  .day of  j'udg-      with His Lord where we  holpe  to  .be reunited with him some day.
ment to be punished." II Pet.  2:9. When, however,                  The  Lord'cs  ways are deep and we do not understand them,
His love is made perfect in us,  ."we may  have boldness but we are  spre they are always right  anid good  for us.
                                                                        -
in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in                                                Mrs. Thomas  Rhoda-Vandertill
this  worlds" I John  4:17.                                                                           Mathilda Rhoda
    To the seer on Patmos was given a vision of this                                                ' Mr. and Mrs. Albert Rhoda
final judgment, recorded in Rev. 20 :ll-14 : "And I  sa.w                                             Mr. and Mrs. Donald Rhoda
a  (great white  thronfe, and him that sat om it,  fnom                                               Mr. and Mrs. Paul A. Rhoda
whose face the  lea&h and the heaven  -fled away; and                                                   and 13 grandchildren.
there was found no place for them. And I saw the                849  Oakhill  St., S. E.
dead, small and great, stand before God;  an,d the books          Grand Rapids,  Mich.
`were  ,opened : and another book was  open,ed,  wh.ich is      (NOTE: This obituary should have been placed a few months
the  book- of life: and the dead were judged  .out of           ago but due  <to  it, being  m&laid   Tve  were unable  toI do so.)


II -346                                         T H E   STAN-DA-RD  B E A R E R
                                                                            The  tabernfad1.e was the'  reiigious  cefiter of the
              THE DAY `OF SIE-IADOWS                                    nation. Its environs  awas  tin  ided place for the  Nazar-
                                                                        ite, considering  this  calling. &is very name  tzlls us that
                                                                       he was one separated. Num.  .6  :l,  "`When~ either a man
                                                                        or woman shall  separate  th.emselves  to vow a  VOW of
           Samuel Calkd ,to -be a Prophet                               a  Wazarite,  to  sepcwcite  themselves unto the Lord . . ."
                                                                        From the sequel of this scripture we  -learn that the
           "And the child Samuel-  ministerfed   unto. the -Lord separat.ion   *had to be from 1)  ;&ne and strong  dri&  ;
       .before Eli." This Scripture statement bears on the 2) the razor-"all the days of the vow of  his separation
       status and  oiccupation of Samuel prior to his calling there shall no  rfazor come upon his head  ;"-3) a dead
       to the prophetic office. He was assistant to the priests,        body,-"All the days that he separateth himself unto
       `definitely  t,o the  ~highpriest,  Eli;  M,inisterii:lg  to the -the Lord he shall come at no dead  bol&.      H&shall met
,      priests was the occupation of a  conmion   Levitie. Samuel       make himself unclean for his  ifather,  or for his mother,
       was a Levite. As already has been  noti,ced in a previous for his brother  or for  ,his sister when they  (die, because
       article, the first Book  of the Chronicles (chap.  6.:22-28)     the  consecrationbf God -is upon his head."-As has been
       contains a  *genealogical line that descends from the fully  explaiae,d in a former article, the Nazarite  vow-
       second son of Levi-to Samuel  aind his sons. The law was a symbolical- typical  institut.ion like the sacrifice
       placed the common  Levites under the jurisdiction  elf- by  bldod. Through the  coluntary  sbservance of the
       the  priests  ,as their  serva&s.  "And the  LonA  .spake prohibitions of his vow, the Nazarite was symbolically
       unto Moses, saying, Bring the tribe of Levi near, and holy and' thereby a walking condemnation of sin, a
      piesent them before Aaron the priest, that they  imay ringing cry  .that men  ,be holy as God is` holy.                   This
       minister unto him" Num. 3  :5, 6. "And thou shalt                cry  had to be heard and  therefol?e  the Nazarite had to
       give the  `Levities  unto Aaron and his sons: they are           dwell1 before the face  :of%s  brethaem   an!%  the&sore
       wholly given unto him  .out of the children of  .Israel",        also the tabernacle  ,waS an ideal place for  Bamuel,  he
       N u m .   3:9. -"And. the Lord said unto Aaron. . . .            being a Nazarite. For here stood  IGod's  altars.  ,Here
       &Id thy heritage also of the tribe of Levi, the  tr,ibe the people of  Israel -brought their tithes and offerings
       of  .thy father,, bring thou with  th!e, that- they may  :be amd congregated  ,for public  w'orship before the  face
       joined unto thee, and minister unto thee. . . .  N.um. of Jehovah. Especially at this time; the people  o,f Israel
       18  :2. Being a common Levite,  Samuel `was  daimed had need  :of  t& Nazarite, had  need of hearing  %he
       by the law for this ministry. TO this service  !H;annah's speech  ,of God that  proceedled  .from his symbolical
     `- vow had no  res.pe:t. The sole necessity under which' sainthood:- For it  w&s  the age  o!f the judges, thus an
       her vow-had brought  h&n was that of observing the age characterized  ,by lawlessness and  witdespread   apos-
       rest?ict,ions  of the law for the Nazarite  alI1 the days tacy. Even the service in Shiloh- was being corrupted
       if his life. Also in bringing Samuel to Eli as soon by  w.ilcked men. The age of the judges was the age of
       as  .her  ohilld was  weail;lied, she had regard solely to her Nazaritism.  -
       vow that he should be  9 Nazarite all his days. For                  The Nazarite vow set forth the great  piinciples of
     as Levite he was not eligible for service until the age            tru+h  ewbodied in Israel's  cal.l&, "ye shall  ,be  unto me
       of twenty-five, Num. 8  24-28.          Certainly, then, she a  Bitigdom   ,of priests, `and an `holy nation" (Ex. 19  :6).
       had not  vo:wed that her child  shoulld minister to. the fdeally,  Israbl was a  mat.ion of  Nazarit:es,   tho@h of
       priest. That  obligatiom  w'a&  his as a Levite. His being course the, prohibitions of' the Nazarite vow applied
       a  Levi& allowed him to perform his  vo'w before God's only t&those Israelites who  voluntarifly  took this. vow.
       face in Shiloh  .as Eli's minister. Hence, his mother -But  these  prohfbitions  :did apply to the priesthood
       brought him to the  sac!ctuary  atid left him there.             even  K&ho& its choosing. The priest was forbidden
           If Hannah had  nbt vowed that her son  shtiuld   minis- to drink wine  ,or  str,ong drink when  $e  went into the
       t;er to the priests,  In&h&  had_she vowed certainly that tabernacle  anld he might not come at a dead body ever.
       he should be a prophet and a  judge in Israel all the            But  .any devout Israelite might at times feel the need
       ,days of  his life. From the nature  0% matters  %he  .law of some special  in&rum&t for giving iexpression  to-
       made no provisions for such vows. Moreover, if  that his faith or  gratit.ude or  religi;ous  au?dor.  #Such an in-
       was what she  had vowed, her  ,vo$ was  n& realized  ; for strument was  the  .Nazarit,e  vow which  any Israelite
       she had vowed that he should be the  ,Lord's  all the            might take, and which he  did. take not for  all the  re->
       days-of his, life  lfrom the moment of  h.is birth onward. mai&@ days of his life but  ifor a  se'ason only when
      Saniuel   iwas. not a prophet and  a  ju$ge in Israel all in a- condition of spiritual exaltation. This was  volun-
       i&e days of  hi,s life. He was' not called to  b:!  ,a prophet tary.Nazaritism. The  -true Nazarite is  Cihrist  ; the true
       until he had grown to be a youth. Thus  w.hat she                Nazarites are His believing people who partake of His
       hsd vowed is that her son should be a Nazarite` all <anointing.                If the voluntary Nazarites  o,f the  IOld`
       the days of  !iis  .life, nothing more  #and nothing less.
              _'                                                        Testamtint Dispehsation were at  ,once true believers,


                                       ~.  T H E   STANDAR-D   B E A R E R   -'                                                  347

  and doubtless  th!ey  were without exception, they  iym-, him there in the sacred precincts of  t&e sanctuary
  bolized as  Nazarites their own faith, their  oti  tme that -it filled  his. sod with revulsion and drove him
  separation"  from  .s+ill and  ,consecration  to God.       The      i&o the  arms of God.  And- it may be  assumlod   that
  pro,hibitions  of the Nazarite `vow were  spb&cal- Hannah's joy was full. For  &lie Lord  ha,d  lo6ked  upon
  typical and  theut@fore waxed  old  and vanished away her affliction indeed. Her  5311 was accepted of God.
  together with the  entire typical apparatus' of the Old              He feared  l&e'  Loid, even as a child.  IHe walked.  a:-
 Covenant.     A  sman is not  symbolic&lly holy much less cording to the precepts  of-hid vow in  th8 presence of
  actually holy  #because he  idrinks no wine, comes not at her people. Being a Levite, he  ministered to Eli  lo&
 -a corpse, and brings not a razor upon his head.                      `for& the  dbce  ,of God. What more could she wish for.
    `.-The Nazariteship of Samuel was unique in  $bis Mope she was not  elipecting doubtless. But in  rewarld-
  respect that the vow  -was  tAkeill for him by his mother ing-  her. faith, the Lord  went far beyond her fondest
  before his birth and not  .for a season  ;only but for  ail expectations.  Wlieil  Samae s i was in the
                                                                                                     1 t 11             ,blloo& of'
  the days  ,af his life. It indicates the profound  dept!,            youth, the Lord. raised him up and -called him to be
  of  1:&r  16ging  ihat the  Lo1.d look  upos~~ her  .affIlction His prophet to  !His people, amid thus  ,actually-made her
  and save  h_er  unto Himself. And once saved and  iwi-tih            sit  among princes. For  then& that honor the Lord, He
  t&e child in her arms clasped to her bosom,' she per- will  honor, and they that despise Him, shall be  .lightlJ:
-- formed her vow; for her  f&h was  genu,ine and great                esteemed, #had said the "man of God'" to Eli, chap.. 2 :3O.
  was her gratitude to God for the salvation that  Hle Hannah  6ed sought in  fervtent  prayer  .the  Lofd's  sal-
 haId.  se&. The thought of  ieaving her  ,child  `&h Eli vation and not a man-chiid as such; and in the  con&
  and returning home without him must have  tailsed                    dellice that He is faithful to look upon the afflictions of
  the mother in  h&r  many-a heartache: IHer flesh yearn- His people and deliver them out of all their troubles,
  ed after her  ,da`rling. He was  barely'more  than-a babe, her tongue had declared  His praises even  ibefore the
  it must be. But by  $he  pow.er of her faith  .and of                ch$ld was  <born. And denying herself, she had per-
  God's love  df her, she denied  hers&lf.  And  she was               formed  _her vow. That  .was Bonoring God.          .'
  determined,, "I will not go up  unti-1  bhe  chili&  :be weaned,        The word  ,o!f the Lord was  pre@ious  in those days
  and then I  &ill bring him, that he may appear b&fore                (,zhap. 3 :lb)  ; it was rare, scarce, "There  ibeing no
 the Lord, and there  a6ihe  f,orever: . . . So the  wqman- open vision?' The Hebrew text here  reads,  `6Ther?e was
  abode,  a.i:i;ld gave her son  suck until she  ;weahed  hilm.        no vision breaking  thcugh  aud spread abroad." It
  And when she had weaned him, she took him  ap with means that there  was no  maTI, prophet, of God, to whom
  her. . . . and the  ,child was young. . . . and she the Lord was appearing and by whom he  reveal& Him-
  ,brought  the child to Eli  -And she said, Oh my  Lord!, self  tiy  iHis word. to all Israel. ,lYhat  T>re interpret  -c'or-
  as thy'soul liveth, my  l,ord, I am the woman that stood rectly'here is plain from the sequel.  "And the Lord
  by thee here, praying unto the  L%rd.  For this child                came  #and stood and called. .  `. . Samuel, Samuel. . . .
  I prayed  ; and the Lord hath given  me. my petition,                and the  LoYtd said to Samuel. . .  ." (chap; 3  :lO, 11).
  which I asked of Him:  Thereforie  also I have asked                 And at verse  21, "And the Lord appeared again in
  him  tq the Lord" `and thus  not to  my&f, for my own                Shiloh; for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in
  carnal  enj,oyment', "as  llon& as he  liveth he shall be            Shiloh by the  twoad  .of the, Lord." And finally (chap.
  asked of tie  L,ord.  f&d' she worshipped the  Lou:d                 4 :l), "And  tihe  word of Samuel came -to all Israel."
  there.". And she departed without her  tihild, with her' Thus the  visi,on included:  1) The actual  appearin,g of
  heart rejoicing in the Lord. But the mother in her                   the Lord to the -prophet in visible  for"m; 2)  H.is speak-
  had mot  diled. When she  -was again  Jn her  place,-her ifiig to the  prophet   lHis  w!ord by which He revealed
  thoughts were  ,with her  ~cJ$ld, and her hands were                 Himself to His servant.-  T.his was the  -v&on.  TBe
  busy making  .+im a  lit& coat which she brought to                  "vision spread abroad" was the prophet's imparting
  h@  ,fEom  year, to year, when  she. came up with her the revelationto all Israel by the power of God's Spirit.
  husibanld to offer the yearly sacrifice,  chap.  2:19. Such          Thus the notice, "The word of God was scarce. . . .
  were the workings of her faith. And the Lord  yonder- therle  :beinlg no vision spread abroad"- is equivalent in
  fully  reeo'mpensed her faith. Firstly, the Lord received meaning to the statement, "Whereas `the  Lo& was
  her son, adopted him to be His  ch.ild, governed  hi,m silent, there was. no prophet  o!f God in those days  to,
  .by. His Holy Spirit so that he increased  zald grew up              speak His word. to all  Isr,ael." In consequence thereof
 in  bhe Lord  Acsus Christ and served the Lord. For                   th,e word of God was scarce. For how  s,hall .a man
  we read, "Wherefore the sin  ,of the  younlg men-Hophni speak to the  ,mult,itude of God, if  *God speak not first
  and Phimehas-was very great before the Lord.`. . .                   of Himself to that man?
  But Samuel minister&b&fore the Lord,  .being a  chi$d,                  However, that the Word of the Lord was scarce in
  Igirded  wiOh  & linen ephod" chap. 2  :17, 18. As fortified those days does not mean that the people  of Israel
  by  Gag's  ,grace; the, child Samuel was so far from possessed not the word `of God, His gospel. The gospel
 being ill-effected  @y the corruption that rioted about               had been revealed to the  ohurch even at the dawn of

                                                                . .


                                                                                                                    n





      348                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R   .

      history directly by the Lord Himself;  anjd through the            judges numbered some 375 or  .possibly 400 years,  and
      ages'  IWIW light  bed been  shed upon it; and  the, law that this whole  p,eriod knew but four prophets, three of
      had come  ,ibb;r  Moses.    Nor can  the- notice  th%l; the yhom  weEe obscure men whose words  iwere exceedingly
      w&d of the Lord was scarce  in thosk days be taken few; we  feei the  force of the  stateme& that "the word
      to mean  that the gospel  `and  .the law-the word of the           of the Lbrd was precious in  %ose days, there' being
      Lord-was not  beinig preached and confessed and  21..              no vision  .breaking through and spread abroad." Even
      ,culcated  .in those days by, the faithful in Israel, `the the farewell address of Joshua was not rightly consider-
      truk children of God. In the age of the  judges7  an               ed the spreading abroad of a vision, that is,  t.he  adidress
      age characterized by extreme  .lawllessness and sinful' had not come to Joshua by an audible voice  of the
      individualism-their number may  haPe been  smal!  ; Lord ; it was a discourse to  wh.ifch he  gavk utterance
      yet they were there, God fearing men and women,. true under the inspiration and  infallible  guid,ance of God's
     .Israeiites, who never tired of saying to one another,              Spirit. The same is true  ,o!f the prophetic  utteramces
      "Know' the Lord"; Their number would include the                   of the obscure prophets and of Deborah, Hannah,  an'd
      Godfearing Levites, whose special  td:&y it  .w;as to teach the "man of God" that spake  ,atgainst Eli's house. `But
      Israel the law; further, the  N&arites, the  Godfearinlg           to Samuel, as  we shall see  presently,`the  Lord  appEared.
      elders and judges in Israel, and  thje  Godfear.ing   ifath'krs    (His prophecies came to  .him by vision. This had no
      and mothers who  earhestly addressed  themselv;es to the little significance. It indicates that Samuel  `vir;ls not
      task  ,of training their  chilidren in the way  itn  which they an  :ordinary prophet. Such  propllets as he were  raised
      should  ,go. Thus the notice in question can  on.ly  ,mean         tip  ,onlp at the great  turcinlg-points of Israel's his-
      that in those  ,days no new  revelatio'i~e were added  to. tory,  %&en the  Lor,d was about to do  some new and
      those already. given in  pr,ece$ng centuries, that,  ,other- terrible thing that  ,would usher in a new dispensation
      wise said, there was no word that  leame to Israel                 of grace. The Lord was about to do a  new thing now
      dirt&y from the Lord by prophetic  announoe:ment.` at which  `%both the. ears of every one that  hear&h it
      The Lord was silent; he had spoken in the past but shall tingle". Undoubtedly reference here is to the
      spake no  ,more.  .Hence, there was no man-prophet of terrible events that  -were soon to take place-such
      ~God--@ho  confroxlted  all Israel with a "Thus  saith the         events as the defeat of Israel at the hands of the
      Lord". And the expression "in those days" must  ,be Philistines by whom Israel was again being oppressed
      made to apply to the entire age of the judges so well              at this time; further, the capture of  +he  ar.k, .the  de-
      as the statement,  `ln  thas,e days there was no king in strujioliv  of the  tabennacle in  Shiloh,  and the resultant
      Israel : every  mali did what  wasright  iq his own eyes." suspension of the worship of God at  the sanctuary.
      In that long interval between Moses and Samuel, there                 Wheil! the call came to Samuel he had grown to be
      were prophets who came to  the' people with  a'  word a  youth and was  therefor:e sufficiently matured men-
      d.irectly from  the Lord,  btit they were exceedingly few tally and spiritually to  areoeivme the revelation. But
      in. number and the few with  ,but one exception  were Samu,el at the  t,ime "`did not yet know the Lord, neither
      obscure men. The -one exception was Deborah. But was the  w'ord of the Lbrd yet revealed to him" (chap.
     the  othe;rs-there were but two of them-or  .p.ossibly 3 : 17). This cannot mean that Samuel  haid not spiritual
      three-come into view but  once with a  singlie discourse knowledge of the Lord; for if so, he would have been
      of  ,only a few-words that `came  td some of the  triibes          devoid of grace and thus  un;Godfearing.  It means
      arid  in  one. case to a lone individual.      One such  obi that as yet  ,he  was  .unacquainted with  the visible appear-
.     scnre prophet was the "man of God"-his name is                     ance  oil' the Lord and  w,ith  the sound  :of the audible
     ( not even given-sent to rebuke  th,e  aiorthern  tY:ibes           voice by  which the Lord spake to His prophets and
      on account of their sins when they cried to the  Lo>d              llev6aled  6 them His will; He did not yet  kno;w God
     $,reason'  p9 the oppression of the Midianites, `(Judges as  Irevealed to him in this  way. This is  evi'dent. The
      6 :7ff).    It was in all  1ik;elihodd  by the mouth of a Lord called Samuel: "and he answered, Here am I."
     prophet that the  Llord addressed  His words of censure But he imagined  bhat it was Eli's  voQce that had  `called
     to  His people when they cried to  Him by reason of the and  aw'akened him, for to Eli he ran--it was night and
      oppression of the children  ,of Ammon, (chap. 10 :llff) .          Eli was laid down in his place-and said, "[Here am I ;
      Then  .there  ;was the man of God who spake to Eli for thou  callest me." He actually  r~lrl~ to Eli's side,
     against the latter's hduse. Mention is made of no                   thinking doubtless that he was in distress  ati?ld needed.
     others. The judges were  not> prophets but saviours                 him.,  Fior Eli was old-his age is given as  98-"and
     raised up by the Lord to  dteliver His people.  Joshua his eyes  #began to wax dim, that he could not  see," and
     was not a prophet; he  iYas the captain  ,of the Lord's the youthful Samuel, fearing the Lord, was faithful
     host, who gave  ,Gdd's  people  resti. To say this is not to Eli and  6mconcerned about We  ,old priest's  iwellbeing.
     `to  overl,ook  tihe divinely inspired address to which he But Eli had not called. He tells Samuel to lie down
      gave utterance at the  cl:os& of  liis career when taking again.            "And he went  aad lay down.  AlnlCt the Lord
     leave of Israel. If  it  bte consider&l that the age  of  the called yet again,, Samuel.  An<  Simuel rose' and  w&


                                           T     H     E            S,TANDARD  BEA.RER                                                                    349

      td  fili, and' said, Here am I; for thou didst call me.
      And he answered, I called not my son  ; lie down again.                        ~I-&OUGH  TtiE  A G E S
-     And  the Lord called. again a. third time. Again  -he                   . _
      thought it was  Eli calling. But he could be  pati&
      with the old priest. For despite the lamentable  weak-                                         Innocent HII
      U&S  .in his character, he was -the Lord's highpriest and
      besides a kindly old man, too kindly in fact.  .Samuel                  In our previous  a&de We dwelt on the  centuries-
     then arose and  .went to  E1.i a third time, and said, Here         old  Icontest  :between the papacy and the secular power
      am I  ; for  thou didst call me." It was Eli who "per-             for supremacy in  En,gland  and here as it became flesh
      ceived that the Lord had called the  chifd." !He showed            and blood in Henry II, the first king of the Planta-
      Samuel, what he  shonld  ,do. `<Go lie down : and it shall genets  ~oli the  ,otie hand and St. Thomas  of Canterbury'
     <be, if .he  lea11 thee, that thou shalt say, Speak Lord ;  fo'r    the underling of the pope,  ,orn the other. The theme
      thy servant  heal;eth.   .So Samuel went and lay  dowli in         of  bhis article is this same struggle or contest as it
      his place." A;l,d now "The Lord came and stood, and                was waged between  Innocent III and all the secular
      called as at  othger times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel            powers of the papal patriarchate. It repeatedly has  ~
      amswered, Speak; for thy servant  heareth." .  Jehmva~ .been pointed out in previous articles that, according
      came  cmvcl  stood,  that  is,, before Samuel. The Lord's to the prevailing opinion in those ages church and
      appearance was  objective13  real as is indicated  ,by the         state  forti the  .one Christian commonwealth.  U We
      word found in the- Hebrew text `for vision (verse  15),            have also seen that, according to the  .papal party,  the!
      "And Samuel  feared to  $oW  E1.i the vision." As                  pope is the supreme  judi-al  power- in this common-
      Moses, so Samuel, Be  saw the Lord, His  lectypal image.           wealth  ; he sits, under Christ, on the top of the world
      It must not be overlooked  how the Lord deported Him- with every ruler in church  s;:id state at his feet. Such
      self toward Samuel.. The great God was considerate                 w a s   t h e   c o n c e p t i o n ,   Wliic:h  a l s o   I n n o c e n t   I I I   f u l l y
      of him, for  Hk loved him. He was careful not to                   shared. His sermons and letters  .contain statements
      frighten the child by the dazzling brightness of  H&s              such as these, "Ye see what manner. of servant it is
      glory; but He knew his  srame and remembered that whom the Lord hath set over his  people,  ao other  thtin
      he was  (dust.  Accordingly, he first awakened Samuel              the  viocgerent  o:f Christ, the  succEssor of Peter. He
      from his sleep by a voice so human-sounding and so                 stands in the midst betwee::. God and man  ; below God,
      little calculated  `to terrify the lad, that he thought it         abpve man; less than  Go.d, more than man. He judges
      was Eli who had  call& And not  until Samuel had                   all and is judged  fby  no.pe; To him alone the command
      learned  that it was  th< voice of  God that he had heard has been  gi;,en, `feed my  sheep'. On him alone it has
      and his soul was waiting  f,or the Lord,  id.id the Lord           been declared,  `1 will build my church'. Not only `is
      appear to him  in the obscured glory  .of an image adapt- he  jntrusted with the  dominion, of the  chunch, but also
      ed to the  eyes of saints not yet  .made perfect.                  with the rule  ,of the whole world. Like.  Melchi~zede~k,
         And it  ,was night when the vision came  to him.                he' is at once king and priest. All things in heaven
      This is indicated by the  lilotice, "and  ere the lamp of          and on earth and in hell are subject to Christ. So are  '
      God went out." The  seven-lamped candelabrum in the they also to his  (vicar  2' the pope. He can  idepose
      IHoly  Place of  th'e tabernacle was  &plenished with oil `princes and absolve subjects. from the oath of Alle-
      every morning and  #evening.. Having burnt throughout giance.  .He may enforce submission by  plavcing the
      the night and  iconsumed its oil, it doubtless  w'ent out whole nation under the  ii:lterdict.                                Feter alone went
     tomartd   m o r n i n g .   _                                       to Jesus on the water and by so doing he gave illustra-
         The English rendering of verse 3 (chap. 3) is riot              tion of  th.e unique privilege of the papacy to govern the
      according to the Hebrew text. T,he latter reads, "And `whole earth.                        For the  @her  ,disciples stayed in  .thg
      er.r the  lamp of God went out; and Samuel was  .laid              ship and so to them was given rule only over  sijlgle
      down in the temple  ,of the Lord, where the ark of God provinces.                     And `as the waters were. many on which
      w2s." The meaning  cannot$e that Samuel was  laid` Peter  wdkecl, so over the many  congregati,ons  and na-
      do;wn in the most Holy Place of the tabernacle.  .No tions, which the waters represent, was Peter given
      ,one might enter here  ibut the  highpriest, and he but            authority  - yea over all nations whatsoever.                                    Two
      ,once a year on the Great  Day of Atonement. Samuel's              great lights  were placed by God in the  firmament'of
      sleep+nig-place and  dso that of Eli was im one of the             heaven, and to these correspond the  peat-ifical  authority
      rooms which  were  ibuilt  `in the court for the priests           and the regal authority,' the one to rule  ,over souls as
      and  Levites on service. The  sacred writer  indudes the sun rules over the  -day, the other to  rul'e over the
      these rooms in the  templle of the Lord. Thus  tlie word bodies of men as the moon rules' over  th(e night. And
      "temple" in the text signifies not  th,e  .Holiest Place           as the moon gets its light from the sun, and as it also
      m.euTely but  the entire sanctuary with all the rooms that         is  IESS than the sun  ,both in quality and in size, and in
      belonged thereto.                                    G, M. ,Q.     the  effeict  prodneed, so  the regal power gets its dignity


         350                                  .T%IE  S T A N D A R D   &&RER
                                                                                                                                  .
        and splendor  ifrom the pontifical  &iuthority  `which has same  tinie with an unbounded ambition and appalling
        `in it more inherent virtue. .The priest anoints the             force  of will, a  tu'ue idealist on the  papa1  thfone, yet
        king,  `Ilot  the  king the `priest,  and  supeyior is he that Z+ entirely.  practi.cal  monarch and a cool-headed lawyer.
        anoints the anionted. Princes have authority in se-              No `pope has ever  ha,d so lofty and yet so real  con-
        parate  .Jands ; the  politiff over all lands. The priest- sciousl:tess  oif his  -power as Innocent  III, the creator  '
        hood came by divine creation  ;  tk;@  ki,ngly power by and destroyer of  .emper&s  and kings."
        man's manipulation  acid violence. As the ark of God,               "T,his much, however, is certain, writes Ranke.
        the rod of  thi! manna lay beside the tables of the law,
LI                                                                       "He stands in the  foaemost rank of-popes, having
       so at the  si;Je of  the~ki~~~~4edge of the law in the breast worldwide significance. The task which he placed  be:
        of- the pope, are' .lodged the terrible  power of  ,destrac-     fore himself he was thoroughly equal to."
        `tion and genial  mildnless of grace."
            It is plain  from  these-quotati.ons,  that Innocent III,       Baur has  t&is to say of him, "With Innocent III;
        .as did all the popes  `of the Middle  age& laid claim to        the papacy reached its height and in no  otiher  periocl
      _I jurisdiction over the entire world, kings, governments,         of its long history did it enjoy such an  aaldisturbefd
      _  ,republics  as the lord of, the world and over the  ,&ire       peace and  such a glorious development of its power
        church as the lord  ,of the church.  ;A&nd  ,once more and  .splendor.  He was  Idistingu?shed  as no other in
        . to  .Qlis statement from his pen, "Not  oi:~ly is he  - the this high place not  <only by all the qualities of the
        pope  -  intTust,ed  with  +e &minion  od the  churbh,           ruler but by personal virtues, by high birth  -and also
        but  aleo  witih the  rule of the whole world. Here he           by mind,  cult,ure  -and learning."
      clearly distinguishes  ,b&ween  Iworld or the state on                Was Innocent III a great  polj,? By their fruits ye
        ihe one hand and the church  .on  the:,other  and  m.ain- &hall know them. With Hagenbach we say, as meas-
        tains that under. Christ  the Pontiff  ,of Rome is Lord          ured  aby the standard of the  *papacy, that is, by  tihe
        of both. Thus also in his  conceptioill, church and state stan;&ard of  th,e world, Innocent is beyond controversy
        a?e fused  tog&her. so as to form a single Christian the greatest of all the. popes.
        rcommonwealth  with  t&e pope of Rome as the overall                Innocent  `went farther  thati any  $oth,er pope in realiz-
        atid supreme  world ruler. The rulers in the state are ing the preposterous  atid  sncti-scriptural claim's of the
        therefore the  vlassals  of the pope; `they  reseive,, also      rww.       Why  .did he? Firstly, because, as  w,e shall
        according to  `In,nocent, their temporal possessions and see, circumstances favored  aim.                 Secondly, because
        -authority from the pope  atid  On this account  afe in he was great in his  tihrew@ess as a  tvorbdly politician.
        duty bound to wield  t_heir  swoyd in the  .ii:iterests  lof the That's what he was,-a shrewd and  ~~~~rupulous  world-
        papacy.by  liaking war against its  enemies-bhte  here- ly politician. In pushing his claims for worldly domin-
        ti'cs  an,d recalcitrant lay rulers.  Th&  the  -pope,  in ion he made full use of. those two mighty  weapon& at
        beating down the enemies of  the papacy  has at his dis- .his disposal-the  key-po'w& and the  Aword-pow&.  Like
        posal two  pbwlers : the  key-power7excommunicaiion all the  popes,- he  w'as a warmonger in his lust of power.  ".
        and the interdict-which he  .exercis&  directly as  the- Ee went far  iii?; making  .good the papal  lclaims  td  world-
        spiEtua1 ruler. of all  menj including the kings of the don%iaion  bhirdly  ibecause there was not' one able ruler
        `earth, and secondly, the  sw&rd power,  whilch he exer- in all his patriarch&e to oppose him. All of'them were
        cises through the. friendly  lay rulers in the state; Thus       either  welk and unstable  or servile men, nonentities,           -
        the pope,  !by reason of his being pope, is under Christ,        eager to kiss the pope's toe for a crown and  Eearful
        the supreme  m&gistrate  iii  +he world or state and the         of his thunderings. Thus  in the words of Hagenbach,
        suprem,e spiritual ruler in the church. In the pope is           "Measured by the `eternal law of the gospel of  jesus
        thus concentrated all power in heaven and earth  and Christ,  thbt.ewhich  here-in the pontificate of Innocent
        in  hell and to  `the pope all. things in  heaven, and earth III-seems  tgreat and mighty in the eyes of the `world,
        and' in hell are subject, and  him, the pope, God gave  to       seems -little in the  .kingdom  of heaven, and amongst
        ,be thk head over all things in the  ohhurch. Such is  the those things which call  if&h  worider and admiration,
        thrust  ,of Innocent's pronouncements quoted above.              only  &hat  rwill stand  %hich   the Spirit of God, who
        only men  ,who do not want to be  -men but  wa& to be never wholly withdraws from the  church, wrought in
        Gqd  courd conceive  `of such a thing  anfd conceive of it . his  soul."
        for themselves.                                                     Innocent III was  b&  ifi 1160 of a royal family.
           IGlowing  tri:bute%,have  been paid to this Innocent III His baptismal  nam,e was Lothario.. In his youth he
        by historians. "Not a creative  genius like Gregory I studied at Rome, then at Paris,  $nd lastly at Bologna,
        and Gregory VII, writes  Gregorovitis, "he was one  o$ and  ~everywhere  he  distingiished  himself  above his
      the  mos$ important  figur,es';tif  the  Mi,ddle Ages, a man       fellolw students in canon  la,w and  theolo,T. When
        of  &ri?lest, sterling austere intellect, a consumniate he  hald not yet  complet,ed his 37th year, he `was elected
        ruler, a statesman of penetrating  judgmerit,,  a high- pope on  accqu& of his  irreproa,chable  tc`haracter and
        minded priest  fill,ed with religious  .fervor, and at the       l'earning. He was, the' youngest of all the popes that                 .


                                                                         .              ;     -_
         >                             - T H E   STANdARD  B E A R E R   ~                                                          351

  had preceded  ,him. But he was well qualified  mentally to world dominion. This Frederick II had grown up
  to raise the papal power and authority to its  high&                with a strong dislike of  Intiocent, the reason being that
 pitch. His first act as pope was to subject the city the  page  ha,d taken' advantage of hi's minority  ailld the
  of Rome to his authority. The magistrates of the city !govlernment   of. his mother-  Cbnstantina,  the widow  bf
  had taken an oath of  allegia,noe to the emperor only.              Henry VI.  ,Constantina,  upon the  Ideath. of her hus-
 But Innocent insisted that  they take-that oath to him, band,  Hfenry VI, had applied to  Innocent  tc?  b.e invested,
  which  they  did. The pope  now  addFessed  himself to              t,og$her with her son Frederick, who at the  time was
  the task  [of pushing his claims  beyond. the walls of              a helpless child,  in her,  ri.&htful iriheritance, the king-
  l%ome, The task was  made easy  by'the political  ,Cdn-             dom of Sicily. `The pope did  alot question her right or
  ditio!ns in Europe.      Italy was rebelling against  the her-son's right to this  cquntry, but he insisted that she
  German princes whose- rule. had  .been. hard  and op-               allow him, the pope, to be  the~.all-controlling  power in
  pressive.    The `Italian cities, finding themselves  snp-          this dominion by giving up certain  artilzles of agree-
  ported  ,by the pope, `received his  legat,es with joy and ment between his predecessor, Hadrian IV, and Wil-
  swor,e allegiance  t,o the  apostolirz see. `They dared to  do      liam, king  .of Sicily. These articles were:  1) That  no
I this because the German  .empir,e was at that time  wlth-           appeal should  bse made to Rome, except in such matters
  out a-ruler.  Henry VI, the son  o:E Frederick "Bar-                als  couFd not be setiled,or  :determi,ated by the ezcl,esiasties
  barossa'l  had diecl, and the heir of the  @hrone was but           of the kingdom;. 2) That the deputies  o:E the Roman
  a child. So a  neti  emper'or  hzuj, to  ,be elected  ;  .but the `church should  peyform no  comsecrations,  visitations, or
  Ielectors were divided, some  casting their vote for one .other functions whatever  ,in the places where  th)e king,
  Philip of  Swibia and others for  motto, the son of  H&airy         or his heirs, should happen to  be-at the time, without*.
  the Lion. So  ther:e were two aspirants to the  throne.             their" consent; 3) That no legates should be sent into
  B,oth parties appealed to Rome and the pope decided                 Sic-ily but but at-the  reqvest  of the king, or their heirs;
_  ih favor of Otto,  and placed `Philip under  thas sentence -4) That the  gbishbps  shoald be  elected  -by the clergy,
  -of excommunication. But, only on condition that Otto               but should not be  insta!led  i::,  thleir  offilze, till the elec-
  promise obedience to the pope,  renouzlze all claim to              tion was approved  and  confiimed by the  kinlg or his
  dominion over large parts cif  Italy, and vow to  aban:. heirs.. The pope insisted that the  queejn renounce  the
  don control of election of German bishops,  woulid the first three  art'icles without any reservations whatever;
  polje crown  him emperor. The promise was. made and and consent to have  -the following words added to the
  ratifie:d. `Civil  `war  now' broke out in Germany  ibetween -fourth, "no? shall the  elected! bishop  etiter into the
  thse  ,$arty supporting Philip and the  ,party-  favorablk to       drties `of his  off& till he be- confirmed by the  pace."
  Otto. Philip won all the battles.  Forsakil::g  Otto the            The  queen1  rfused to yield. But  the  pGpe  was  in:flex-
  pop& went over to his  side, lifted the  ,sentence of  ex-          ible. .He  [could, on no other terms, be induced to grant
  laoinmunicdtion,  and would have  crowned him emperor to her the  kinlgd,om in  qilestion,  but her giving up the
  had not the sword of an assassin brought his  car,eer to            privlileges granted by  Hadrian to the kings of Sicily.
  a!n&d. So  the.pope again turned to  Oltto and crowned              Finally  she thought it  aclvisab1.e to yield, as the only
  him emperor. But  @to, mindful  bf how the  p,ops. had means to prevent the disturbances that  Inndcent might
  forsaken him  i'31 his-extremity, forgot about his prom- ,otherwise  raise in the  ki;:igdom during the minority of
  ises and. became' the pope's bitter enemy  &nd dangerous            her son.       When this  son--Frederick II-was grown
  rival.  iHe marched into Italy  and  recoverNed  mesh of            to  b.e a youth, he was called  out of Sicily to occupy the
  what the pope had gained.. Otto was' excommunicated                 emperial throne in Germany. This was largely  due  to
  and several German princes chose Frederick, the  son                the influenoe of Innocent. But.  Fr:e&rick  II was  not
  $of  .Henry VI, who had grown to be a youth, the                    the man to subject himself to the pope, though  ofi  ac--
  Emperor in the room of  #Otto, who, they said,  .had  for-          count of his youth, he caused Innocent  little  troubl'e.
  forfeited all right to the  ~emperial crown, by his  dis-                               (to be continued)
  obedience  to his lord the pope. At this time Philip                                                                 G. M. 0.              .
  ALl;gustus  of  Frti:ce,  -und,er the instigation of the pope,
  was preparing to invade England.            ,Otto   joined.  i n
  leagu,e  wit.h John of England against Philip, but  was                                     A T T E N T I O N !
  defeated  on the  .battlefield in Belgium, and  ,died shortly               Very soon, now work will  .begin on the reprint of
  thereafter  ;  and,  Fr,ederick was thus assured the  ,empire.      Rev.  Ho&sema%  book : `tThe  Prolt&a& Reformed
  ,BY the  r&nova1  of Otto, the day was  saved  /for the pope        Churches in America." If you desire that  pilctuyes of.
  but certainly not by him.  7                                        church properties shall be included in  t.his book,  send
      Frederick, whom they called Frederick  iI to  dis7              cuts  or  pilctures at  `once -to either the Rev. B.  Kdk,
  tilc@sh  .him  :from his  grandfather,-.Frederic.k  `Bar-           IHndsonville, Michigan, or the Rev. R. Veldman, 1436
  ,ba$wa", w&s resentful  pf Innocent III  and  soon,pas              Xalamaaoo  Ame., S. E., Grand Rapids, Michigan.
  to  bedome the chief opponent of the  cldms  of  the-papacy                                           The  Missioq   @wittee,


                             ,


                                                                                                                                  ,
352                                        THE  -STANDARD   B'I$AREB,

                                                                     En zoo  &schiedt het.' Ge kunt het zoo  maar aanvoelen,
             S I O N 'S   Z A N G E N                                dat van  mensche&inderen Mozes  h&  dichtste bij  Go,d
                                                                     geweest  js. Van niemand lezen we zulk een  Igebleuren.
                                                                     Mozes hoort het en ziet het. Het klinkt vreemd. En
              -- Uit  Den  Trenre                                    ook. liefelijk : "IHEERE,  HEERE, God, barmhartig en
                                                                     genadig, lankmoedig en groot van weldadigheid en
                     (Psalm 90;  Eerste Deel)            I           waarheid, die  tde  wsldadigheid  bewaart  aan  vele  duizen-
    Een gebed  vlicllr Mozes, den-man Gods.                          den,  ,dil& de' o!nlgereehtighkid en  overtr,eding en zonde
                                                                     verkeeft; die den  sohuldige geenzins onschuldig houdt,
   .W,at-  i s   G o d s   -Woord  tech  sober,  eenvoudig,  -zoo bezoekende de ongerechtigheid der  vaderen  aan  !de  kin-
zonder al die fraaiigheden  dime het werk  d'er menschen             deren en  aan de  kindskindex&,  in het derde en in het
kenmerken.  Htoe  zoud& wij anders gehandeld hebben                  $erde  lild  !"
om den  ecnigst,en psalm van  ,den held des Ouden Testa-                    En ziet het  in.u  aan: "Mozes  fiu haastte en  neilgde
ments te  Qoekstaven.         El;11  tech,  w a t   ,diepte  v a n   be- bet hoofd ter aarde, en hij  bo.og  zich."
te'ekenis ligt in dit  sober,e  woord: Een gebed van                        Nergens leest  ge het  266  van eenig ander mensch.
Mozes, den man Gods!                                                        Mozes de man  GOIC!S.
    MoFes, de man Gods.            Ingeheel eenigen zin' CI'E'S             Hij is het dichts bij God geweest.                 (Ge  b$grijpt,
Woords  is'Mozes  d'e man, Gods geweest. Leest Numeri -dat we hier  Jezus buitensluiten. Voor Jezus  veFbleekt
12 :3 ! Daar  zi,et  Jg& iets  van dat  eenige.     Daar staat :     oak de schoonheid van  Mazes.. )
"Doch de man Mozes was zeer  zachtmoedig,  tieer  ,dan                      We zullen  we1  doen door te  letten  .ip wat Mozes zal
alle  me~xxhen  Idie op den  aaridibodem   war,en." En ik            zingen,  biddende  zingen tot God an van Gold.
denk,  .dat men in zijn  daglen die  zachtmoedigheid  .ver-                 we hebben hier  ,ook  ,den oudsten psalm die ons in
klaard hebben als zwakheid. Anders kan ik niet  ver-                 Gods Woord  ,gegeven is.            Er zijn er  we1 geweest  [die
staan hoe  ,ABron `en Mirjam het bestaan durfden om het  willen  betwisten, dat Mozes de  dtchter van dezen
Mazes zoo. brutaalweg  toe. te spreken: "Heeft dan de psalm geweest is,  dolch we  l&ten daar niet op.. We  zul-
Heere alleen door  M,ozes gesproken?  iHeeft Hij ook                len  d'e hoogere  kritiek  laten  blaffen,  `totdat  1d.e Heere
niet door ons gesproken?" Maar  ,dae zadhtmoedigheid Zelf hen het  zwij,gen zal  olpleggen in buitenste  duister-
van Mozes was  leenydeugd die God hem gegeven had.                  nis.            _
En God  r zal  -voor hem  strijden. Er staat  achter het                    Deze psalm wordt vaak aangehaald  !en  !gelezen bij
snoeven van Mirjam en haar broeder:  "En de `Heere                   sterfgevallen en begrafenissen.               Ik zelf heb de  ge-
hoorde het!" 0 als de  H'eer,e  bet hoort, past dan op.             woonte gehad om` dien psalm te lezen bij  begraven
Dan gaat er watgebeuren.                                      i      onuer  dienbarenl.           Hij is  *d,aar bij uitstek voor  rge-
    Hij was  in zeer bizonderen zin man Gods. De                    xhikt. .                 -                       *
Htiere  zegt het  in het  ,eerd,er aangehaalde  hoo!fldstuk                 Als Mozes dit lied  z&q&,  staat hij op de bergtoppen
van Numeri : "Hoort nu Mijne  woqrden:  zioo daar des  geloo,fs.  .Hij is,  266 ontzettend hoog  geklo!mmen,
een  Profeet onder u is, Ik de Heere  zal door een  ge-              dat hij  achter  zich al de  :geslachten  van Gods  volk
zicht Mij  a& hem bekend  maken,  tdoor een  d&m ziet.  ,Ge herinnert het U  tech, dat Mozes de schrijver
zal  1.k tot hem spreken. Alz66 is Mijn kneeht Mozes                 is van de eerste vijf  Bijibel,boeken?  Welnu, door  God-
niet, die in Mijn  ganxhe Huis getrouw is: van mond delijke aanspraak vermaand  zijndle, had hij van  ,die
tot  molnd  spreek Ik  m& hem en door aanzien, en niet geslachten geschreven.                           De geheiligde traditie was
dolor  duistere woorden, en  ,de  ,gelijkenis des Heeren             hem  oveBg&verd. En door  den, Heiligen Geest  g!-
aansrchouwt  Hij : waarom dan hebt  ,gijlieden  niet  ge- dreven  zijnde, had hij  grescihreven.
vreesd  tegren  Mijnen.  Lnecht,  tegen Mozes, te  spre-                    0 ,   d i e   ,geslacht,en  war,eti  heni  ,bekend.  H i j   kende
k e n ? "                                                           Adam en zijn smart,  L'amech met zijn  klaeht en den
    De  dichter van dezen psalm is  mqar geen  ,gewoon roem van  Noach. Hij was een vriend  San Abraham,
prof eet.    Hij sprak met God en God met hem van                    Izak  ti  Jakob,  (die in  tenten woonden, omdat ze trouw
aamgezicht tot aangezicht. Let er ook  ,op in Exodus                 geweest  yaren  aan  bet  Gdddelij'ke visioen. En hij
33  len 34. Daar  wolldt een  bizondere plaats  bij den had  ,die geslachten lief.
!Heere  g.esteld.     `Ook  voor Mozes geldt het : niemand                  En hoe hij die geslachten  vlan Gods vblk verstaan
.kan God zien en leven.  Dioch  ,de  Heer'e zal  (,om nu            had. Hij  gevoelt.zich   geheel  ,eti al  &Sn met hen. Die
een diepe zaak in eenvoudige  ,menschelijke taal te geslachten met  zichzellf vereenigende, zegt hij  @en'-
zeggen) zoo ver gaan met Mozes  als Hij kan. Hij zal vou?lig weg': ohs ! Gij  zijtToN?*s  geweest een toevlucht
Mazes op een  bizondere plaats stellen, op  .de  scheuring van geslacht tot  geslacht.                                    !
der steenrots,, en daar zal Hij hem  mlet Zijn hand                         Wat zit daar veel  in. Als we  lde. waarheid van' die
bedekken totdat Hij voorbijgegaan zal zijn. En dan woorden eenigzens  verstaan en beleven, wat is dan ons
mag Mozes de  achterste  deelen van de  Goidlzalige zien.            leven  rijk, rustig en  vrediig! Het woord, dat door


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                                                                                                                                       .-

                                              T H E '   S T A N D A R D   BEARER                                                                353

toiz~lucht   verttiald  is, beteekend eigenlijk : woonplaats. H,eere  ! Gij hebt de  :bergen  gegrondvest  en de aarde
Bet past  zich ook  aan bij andere  lgedeelten  van) Gods              en  ,de wereld  hebt Gij  geschaplen.
nwoord. Vaak  xfordt   den..YE-$eere  voorgesteld  aan Zijn                       Da&  ~M,oz,es  hier  spreekt van de aarde en de wereld
volk als  Die hen  omringt als  ,een  muur, als Die  h&i  - wil, zeggen, dat hij eerst de aardbol ziet zooals, God
opneeqt  in eeuwige  armen.  Als ge dat zien  moo&, 1lem te  voorsihijn riep en` clan  dezelfde  aarde, zooals
dan, weet ge,  tdat niets U ooit kan schaden of  ver- hij door het  scheppend!  spreken van  .God  vervalld  werd
nielen.. "i&j liet  nliemand  t&e hen te ondeadrukken."                m&  @en  schoone orde van ontelbare  schepselen,  als
  En  tech,  ,toevZucht  is  een mooie  srertaling. Er ziet  _  ,daar  waren,  bergen  eh dalen,  oceanen en  zeegn,  gras
iets in, dat ons  berinnert  aan de vele  vlijanden  die ons           en boom en plant,  d'e dieren en de menschen. Dat is de
benauwen. En die ons altijd weer  uitdrijven naar  aardme  ldie wereld werd.
God God is een  toevlucl$  voor  Zijltll volk. Zoo spoedig                        En  toen heeft  Mazes de  vreeselij.ken val des  men-
ge. dat  volk  benau&, vlieden ze tot God om Hem al                    schen gezien. `En, Hij heeft dien val gezien uit het
`hun angst en  idroefenis  te  vektellen.        Ik heb het  veel-     oogpunt  Ivan de  mogeadheid  ;d:es-Heeren  tfieeren.  Want
.maBen  pgezegd en zeg- het  nu weer: past op,  -,d:at  g&  h.ij zegt  eenvou@g-: Gij doet den  mensch wederkeeren
Gods  vlolk niet benauwt. God strijdt voor `hen. Hij                   tot  -verbrijzeling;  `en zegt : Keert weder, gij menschen-
is hun toevlucht. in  allen nood en strijden. En wie is  kinderen !  -
zoo  krankzinnig om te  denken, dat hij tegen God  zou                            ,God doet ons wederkeeren  tot  verbrijzeling.  Dat
                                                 ,-
kunnen strijden?                         P                             is. de verklaring van ons sterven.                   Ik denk hier  aa;a
    Mozes heeft het gezien,  toen hij daar stond op de het vreeselijke woord Gods  ; Uit stof  zlcjt  `ge en stof
hooge  ber&toppen  des geloofs,  d& Gods  vo1.k   vanI  alle  mlt  ge  wederheren!
tijden tot God te  toevlucht nam en  Idat de  armen Gods                          Vsrbrijzeling!  D& is de naam  `die God geeft  aan
Zioh  openden om dat  volk  ~ te  or&a$t,en,   om  ,dat volk het  proces;  ldat op  -gang  .geworben   werd  *bij  ,de eerste
te  doen  wonen in  -Zichzelf. Later,  veel later, hooren zonde en  voleindigd wordt in  den-peel die  ibrandt van
we hetzelfde uit  Paulus' mond:  ,Ons  leven  is met vuur en sulfur. We  wordeia.door  d6n  Beere  vermor-
Christus   vlerborgen  in God !          Dan. wordt het  stil en zeld vanwege onze  zonde.  Eh dat is  recht.
vredig. Alchter de deur  van de ark met  Noach.                                   Zoo  .keeren we- weder tot  bet stof waaruit we  ge-
    En ziet nu het  tweede  v.ers, hoe het  v&bonden zit  nomen zijn.
aan het eerste.  Toen Mozes' oog al die  geslachten van                           .Doch  voor  de ziel des  mjenschen- en later ook  vqor
Gods volk zag,  beginnendie  ,bij  bet- volk van zijn eigen           zijn lichaam  beteekent  bet veel  meer  din  pet maar de
(dag, kwam hij  ,eindelijk uit bij Adam en Eva. En, ja, veflbrijzeling  ldie we zien gebeuren bij  h'et  `oud  worden
die  waren er ook bij.             Die  he@en  ,ook op  God- be-       & het  sterven der menschen hier  crp aarde.                          De uit-.
trouwd.                                                                kindelijke  verbrijzeling van den  tweeden dood is  zoo-
    Doch dan ziet hij  ]olj  deni eersten dag  Sler schep-  veel  afgrijselijker. We kunnen  .er  sleohts  van  stame-
ping de  Almachtige God  !- Hij staat te duizelen  ,daar len.
op  dien eersten dag,,  wiarvian hij ook  schreeif in Genesis                     En  tqcl-L;  als het  voile  W,oord gesproken is, ook over
1.  tHij staat te duizelen want zijn  vorschend  oog en  onze  verbrijzeling;  dan behoeven we niet te  vreeien.
menschelij,k   vertitand  .kan  niet  v e r d e r   dringen. Hij Want dan  hoorexn  wee, dat het de Heere  behaagde Hem,
ziet  ,daar  arohter dien  eersten  dag de groote  duizeling- Jlezus Christus, te verbrijzelen  +oor ons. Opdat  wij
wekkende God-en  ieeuwigheid   waarin Hij  woont.. En                 in al de  scho80nheid van het nieuwe Koninkrijk mogen
,daarom  roept hij  uit in het tweede  vers  : Eer de  bengen         pralen  met  s&itteren&~   s&oon&id   tot  `in  eeuegh&d.
Beboren   waren,  tin Gij de aarde en de wereld  voopt-  Ik  hoor van de  duif  eh  -`t zilverwit en  `t  goud dat  op
gebracht  had,  ja  van  eeuwigheid tot  eeuwigheid  zijt haar vederen zit,  belonkt door'  -de  zoc,ne&ralen  van
G i j   G o d !                                                       Gods. eeuwige  liefde.
    Hoe  ionuitspr;ekelijk  zalig is het als we die-kinder-                       Do& dat komt  later.           Later. in  bet gebed van
lijke  belijdlenis  mogen uitspreken. De  wetenschappe- Mozes, den  zachtmoedilgen   man  Govda!  IHlij is de type
lijke man  lacht  en spot met dezen Mozes. Die man                    van  Een die  nag  zachtlnoediger  was.
kegt God en daarom  lacht  hij om de  idee van  s~chep-                           En die Eene is Jezus !           --
ping. Hij  sprekt van  slijmerige  slak*&en en  wyiem'e- .                                                                            C: V.
lend gedierte in  ,den  &dder. Misschien ook van  vtuur-
mist'en en meer van dat fraais. Die  gekke  mensc;hen                        '
geloovlen,  d a t   d e   apgn  huln  vadeks   e n   m o e d e r s   zijn.  i  -  -
Wel, ze  ,zijn ook niet meer  ,waard  clan  apen en  oerang                                 Breng mij- in `t Huis des Heeren
oetangen..                                                                                     Bij  `s  levens zorg en  kruis,
   Maar wij  zullen in aanbidding  Mdzes'  nastamel,en:                 _                -  E e n   glinilach  v a n   d e n   hemel,  .   -      -
`Van'  eeuwigheid tot eeuwigheid zijt  Gij. God. En ,                                          Een.groet  uit' `t  Vaderhtiis~!
                                    H


3.54                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   BE.AkER.

                                                                 the  state  requi.res.    Since he cannot do it himself, and
                 I         N               HISFEARsince he  &as promised,  alot that he will do  so, himself
                                                                 exclusively, but that he will  )do  ail in  his  powt~ to see
                                                                 to it  thai his  ichibd will receive `such a bringing-up, he
        To The Utmost Of Your Power                              must hire someone to do so for him. The state demands
                                                                 that someone else teach his child. God demands that
                                                                 he teach him the fear of the Lord or see to it to the
                                III. .                           utmost  ,of his power that  the child receives it  fro!n
lKh;CLt is meant by the utwLost 'of my poz.ve~? (cod.)           someone else. The only alternative for the  tbeli&ing'
                                                                 parent is that  he  hir,e a Christian  sohool teacher to  Id!o
        In  `our previous essay we `began to consider that this for him. He  mazy  not  send his child to the  world-
which is meant by the utmost of  ,our  poiwer. The for his instruction unless before  IGod he really can say
degree  of power we  D have is determined by many that this is  all that he  ~~JX-JI do and he has no way or
things.      We.. mentioned two elements that must be means to send his  &il,d to a christian school.
considered.      The one is  .our natural aptitude for teach-        There are communities where no Christian schools
ing  ailid the  o,ther is our spiritual strength,  -includinlg exist. There are parents who  liire  great distances from
our knowledge  ,of  the-.Scriptures  and the doctrine of such a school.  `Only too  ,often, however, these parents
the  ,:hurch where we have a name and a place.            For overlook the fact  that- they may not  be  ,doing the
us this means  the doctrine  ,0-f the Protestant Re-             utmost in their power to  Ibr.ing up their (children in the
formed Churches.                                                 fear of  th,e Lord. They are not unless they have  Eeally
    ,Another element we  would-ha;e you consider  .with made am  ho,illest and strenuous attempt to establish
us is  the  distince from your home to a  ,christian  scho~ol    such a  christ,ian school in their community or near
and your church together with the  &.eans such-as bus,           enough to that community that their children can be
&relet  c&r,  ,etra. to enable you  and your children to  at4 taken there or reach it by bus. The financial power
tend these regularly.. Let us remember that the bap- to realize the  Iestablishment  and  imaintainance  of  su!ch
tism form  ,declares, "Whether you promise  aln,d intend a school is seldom the reason  Iwhy it can not  (be accom-
to see this child, when come to years of  rdiscretion            plished. The trouble is that we  Id'o  allot want to exercise
instructed and  *brought  up in the  aforegaid doctrine, or the  UTM'OST of our' fiwanciaJ  power in that direction.
help or cause  it to be  instructed therein, to  +he ut-         If that financial power is used to build beautiful homes
most of your  po'wer?" Note  weI, the "help or  leause and new automobiles and the necessary funds to build
it to  lbe instructed therein." The situation today is           and  maintaisn a  christian  school cannot be  ra.ised, those
not as it was in the Old  Testametnt   `dispensation.    Then- who use their financial power  in that way may be sure
the believing fathers could take their sons with-them that they are  !n:ot keeping their baptism  VOW.' They
into the field or wherever their work carried them are not seeing to it and helping or `causing to the
aaid could teach  .&hem the fear of the  Lou:d in the course utmost of  their power that their children are brought
of the day's work. Today the situation is far  ,different. -up in the fear of the Lord.  -If we leave  Onie stone un-
The state demands that each child shall attend a school turied'in our  ieffort  to provide instruction in the fear
and  .receive a  basiic training in specific  Ibranches. The     of the Lord for  bur children, we are not helping  ,or
parent then as a rule leaves home for  work early in the         causing them to be (brought up in the fear of  .the Lord
morning  ,before his children are out  oif bed. At' night TO THE UTMOST OF OUR POWER.
he returns tired and in no mood for  ilastrueting  his               This ought to be brought closer home,  twithout  a
,childr,en.  IHe. must read his paper, and  this or that d!oubt. We as  Protesta&   Ref;ormed people have prom-
calls him away from home after his.  aevening meal.              ised that we  woul,d bring  np  -our [children- to the ut-  Y
He is  pierhaps a  cotisistory member. He must attend most of  ,our  po,wer in the  ,doctrine' contained in the
C,onsistory-meeting or a Society or  ,meet as a member           Old  and- New Testament and  @at is  tawght in the
of a (certain committee. As a result he has little time Protestant  Rleformed  Churches. We must use all our
5or instructing his child,  and even the little time he          financial power to build and  Amaintain schools `which
would have at the end  -of  th,e day's work  ,is not tl-ie train the child  in the  !$ear of the Lord by teaching
best time for the child to be receiving this  i~mportalnrt them that doctrine which God has entrusted to `our
instruction.  iHe also is ready for  bed, weary of his           care and  whi'ch we believe is the truth of  the  Word
play and psychologically unprepared for more  instrue-' of  God. How we can -escape that  conclusion is im- ,
tion.                                                            possible  to be seen. We have promised that we  iwould
    The parent must still keep his  <covenant vow which do this. We have ndt  prom,ised that we  will-  ,do the
he  `give at  t&e  ibaptism  of his child. He must do this utmost that we can to see that certain heresies are not
by hiring someone to teach his  ch8d the fear  ,of the           taught our  chilfdren[ We have promised that in as
Lord  awhile he is  receivinig  that basic training  whicll      far as we possibly  Carl physically; mentally, financially


                                          T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                 355

  and morally we will  hel,p  ,&ur  chi,ldren and cause them ~0 many 160 acre farms  Eni a given  loleality  ,and that all
  to  lbe instructed in a  definite  doctrine.,                      the children on all these farms will  &t and cannot be
     .If you are  ,opposed to any such movement  `of  ,build-        near the church. To buy a farm near  the  ,church   amd
  ing and maintaining schools of our own, do not  .find              chEistian school  tiay be an  impossibi.lity.     Then, too,
  fault with these lines. Y,ou are  tijding fault with  &he          today the housing shortage makes it impossible for
  baptism form  ,our  fiorefathers have  ,been Eed  t'o  com-        s&e to live near to church  &d school. You simply
  p&e  anid  which our churches  have been led to accept. have tci take what you can get, and the result is that
  That vow plainly states that  iwe will instruct our  chi,ld- you and  your children are miles  an!d miles away from
  ylen  io the utmost of our power in the  dolctrine as it is        church and  siehool. Or one may be convinced that the
  taught in the church  wher'e  w,e  belong. If  noti  yen chu&l to which `he belongs does not  preach the truth
  do not  agree'w,ith this, you  must go to your consistorp anqknows  of a  church which does preach the truth but
  and ask that consistory to  .icome, to  Classis with an            which is a great distance away.  IHe must join that
  overture to Synod  t,hat the Protest& Ref.  Chuache~s church that is farther away even though it  (does make
  scratch out that phrase in the  /baptism'  vow which it more difficult to send his children to catechism.
  says : "tihich is taught here in this  christian church." Many of our people find  themse!ves in that predicament
  You  might just as well, while you are  at it, also` pe- today. They  l,eft their former church and  IDO~W travel
quest that the expression;  :`to the  &utmost  of your great distances for the  truth's sake. They have done
  power " .be  chantged to read "in as far as  it, is con- the right thing, for this also  is  lielping or causing their
  venient for me and does not put me out too  mech." children to the utmost of their  polF:Er  to  ibe  .brought  up
  Still more, if you `cannot  agrees with what we have in the fear of  Dhe Lord. `One hundred percent attend-
  said, you are only finding fault with yourself.  ~ YOU             ance  t,o a catechism class or school where the truth
  promised at one  tilme that  you  wou,ld do this. If mow is not  tatight  will not bring' up the child in the fear
  you  `do not think so, you differ with yourself. You `of the Lord.
  have changed, and we urge you to  chan.ge once more                   However, when these conditions exist, these  pars:&
_ to come back to the  staInId you took when you answered,           are obliged to keep their vow and to do the utmost
  "Yes", to the three questions in the  bapiism vow.           .j    they  ,can to improve these conditions. They ought to
      If now after  a,11 efforts to establish a  &hop1   bf our work together and provide-transportation to catechism,
  own fail in our community, we still have a power left the  `one family this week, the other the next. We would
  which we can exercise. We  .carn move to a  llocality also  Ibe  surpris.ed  to  tid how much this can  she  (done if
  where such a  sohool does exist or else take our children we  wast  to see  it `done. Parents often  camnot find the
  there per automobile. Families in a  givlen  communitjr time to take their children because of their  ;work, but
  can  comb,ine their power thus  an,d accomplish what the when it is a  picnic or party  ,or  prorgra,m, `or some such
  one  .alone  mi!ght  not  :be able to do.        If this avenue event' they either find the time or call up a  neigh&,
  is  open  amd a Christian  scho.01 is near enough  5or this        or as  som@nes  happens they let  .the child walk  when
  to be made possible, the utmost o!f  ,our power demands qtherwise they claim  that it is  expect,ing too `much of
~ this. Not to  `do so is failing to keep  ,OL~`VOW.                 their  chi.ldren  to  wal,k so far. And if the  ,opportunity
      The same thing can be and ought to be said about to buy a home or farm nearer the church and  school
  the catechism attendance.  ,Omly too soon do parents arises, they ought also to  ,do so for the  sa.ke  ,of God's
  say that they cannot send their children.             First they kindgom  anld not for the sake of some  .mater.ial  ad-
 ,move out to such a  local,ity without any investigation vant.ages or disadvantages they can  s&e. The point is
  ,or consideration. of this  maiter,  antd  someti.mes they as  ou? theme expresses that tie must do the  utmost  that
  will do so even though they  realize that they will -pre- is in our  powey. This means then also that  we do  the
  vent their children from regular catechism attendance utmost to see to it that our children. are in catechism
  if not. from all attendance. Surely -such a move is mot as `often  CLS is absolutely possible, They must be there
  idoing al.1 in  `our power to help or cause our children every  time unless it is absolutely impossible  fo.r  theti
  to be  .brought   ap in the fear of the Lord. By  such- to be there, and that impossibility must be  one  which  is
  a practice' we deprive our  ch,ildren of that  which we rec,ognized  and  nacepted  by God
  ,ought to supply them. We would never think of                        #On the other hand, the Consistory -and the  Comgre-
  bringing  OUT children  to a community  whene they will gation that has demanded this vow of the parents must
  be  able to  ,get food only now and then. We would                 do all  ain its power to arrange catechism classes on
  investigate a thing like that before  we move.              Our    Sunday or in the Christian school so that those who
  calling likewise is to  invfestigate  whether our children         before  God have such  a  good excuse for not sending
 will be able to get the spiritual food in the  abunldance .them to the regular  c1ass.e~  `may bring their  children
  that they need it  in. the new locality where  iwe plan f,or instruction  i<rx the doctrine  tif the church  iwhere
 to  settlie.                                                        they belong.
     We are aware of the fact that. you can  iget just                  There are  <other  elemeilits also  +hat enter in to (deter-
                                                                                     .


  356                                           T H E          S.+ANDARti  - B E A R E R

  mine what the  vtmqst  of our  .pow'er is.                  The health
  of the parent,  espe@ally  the  mqther upon  w;llom the                                     FROM EiOLY WRIT
  ,brunt  ,of  the-work of supervising the learning  df cate-                            .'  -  _
  chism lessons falls, the  .health of  suoh a mother will
  .detetrmine to a great degree her power to supervise
  this phase of the  chil,d's`training.         The financial ability                        "Itn  whoSm  also ye,  having heard. .  : . in  \vhom  also
  of  the parents  to  senid  their  &ild  t,o a  `Chribtian school                          having believed ye were sealed. . . . unto  the  re-
  or to  `pay the bus fare for the -ride  .to school  and  cate-                             jdemption of the  (fisnal)  possession, unto the praise
  chism also determines his power to have or  help1 his                                      of. His glory."-T-Ephesi8ns  1:13,  14.
 children to, he brought up in  t,he doctrine of  l$ church.                          It is  of the utmost  icmportance for the  $ro,per   under-
  However, the parents still have the power to  .ask. the standin,g of this passage, that we  Bkep the line of
 deaco?s for help in this matter. It may be humiliating thought, as `developed  .by the  ,apostle  .iri  the'!foregodng
  to  `do so,  .but the question is not whether it is  humiliat.- -verses, in .mind.
  ing or not.  The question is whether we are doing                                  -This line of thought  carll:  be `stated as follows :
  everything  ;we can,  leavling no  stoille unturned in our
  effort to provide for the training  elf our  chil&ren in                            1. First of all, that the Triune  `Go& the God and
  the doctrine  G,od has  le'd us to  believle to be  the truth Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, has blessed us with
  of His Word.                                                                    ali spiritual blessings in heavenly places. These bless-
         Tdhen  to,o, there are many little incidents that hap- ings are those merited  ~by Christ,  the redemption  an5
  pen in  @he home, on the way to  c.huneh or somewhere the  foregiveness of  -sins.  Tlhey are love, joy, peace,
else when  pu'ent and child are together which lend longsuffering, patience and hope. In and with these
  thetiselves beautifully  tie  poi&in,g  `out  %o the child blessings  God has given  ,us  perspectkles  of the blessed
  God's virtues and praises. .In these things the parent hope  ,of  -the future age, the  reuniting, the summing up
  has a `wonderful  opport,unity to stress  a.  truths   ,amd of all things in  <Christ.
  bring it to the mind  o'f his child so that he will fear                           .2. The standard, the measuring-rod of this mighty
  the Lord. The parent-must make use of  those inci- work of God is solely His  good-pl,easure. Thus God has
  dents and opportunities as much as he possibly  Ican. blessed  ,us with all spiritual blessings  ,in Christ.  But
  He certainly may not let the child misinterpret these this  alct of God is even  CLS He has elected  us  in-  #Christ
  things, nor must he  ,be  ;the  ,occasiom  fm the  -chil,d's ,before the  !foumdations   of~%he world. And this election
  faulty and sinful  ;thinki@.  ,Of  this we hope to write is.again  inv,olv& in the  decr,ee of foreordination. And,
  i;n the next  instal,lment.                                                     again, the act of the  wo!n!cier  ,of God's grace in sum-
                                                             J. A. H.             ming up of all things in heaven and on earth is  aacord- .
                                                                                  ing to the eternal purpose  ,of God. It is thus according
                                                      r
                           -               -                                      to God's purpose, for thus it is unto His praise as  tihe
                                                 I                                sovereign Lord.
                         -. NOTICE  -. .                         j           0        3. And all fhis  wo-rk of God, both in its  manifesta-.
                                                                                  tion in time and  iri the eternal  #decree is in  C!h&st.
         Young Men who feel that they  arie  Icalled to prepare That  .the work of God, His eternal purpose is in His
  for the Ministry of  the Word, and desire admittance Son in the flesh,' is repeatedly emphasized in the fore-
  to  cur  TheoIogical  School. are requested to appear at going  vetises. In this Son in the  D!ecree we are,  el.ected'
  the next meeting  #of the Theological School Committee before the fundations  of'the  wopld.  vs. 4.  ,God made
  to  Ibe  hel,d in the First Protestant  Regormed  Church                        His purpose to  .unite  ,a11 things  .in heaven  alaId on earth
  of Grand Rapids,  Miihilganb  011. the  evenings  of May 10.                    in the dispensation  gf the  fulness  ,of times  2:n  H&z. 
  Atiplicants must present a certificate of  <membership                                                                                         VS. 9.
                                                                                  Thus it -is stated by the apostle  .ili chapter 3  :I1 :  "Ac-
  anld a recommendation from their consistory and a                               co~rding to the eternal purpose, which He .(God) made
  certificate of health from a reputed  physilcian.                               in -Christ Jesus, our `Lord." This purpose  of  Clhrist
                  The  TheoBogical  Sehoql Committee  :.                          is all-determinative  for all the events in  his&y. When  I
                                   Rev.  J.-A.  Heys, Sec'y.                      cruel man would rise against  ihe Lord's  anoi'nited   One,
                                                                                  God  will declare of the  Deepee.' The eternal decree is,
                                                                                  theEef;ore,   ,indeed, in this Son in the flesh. For this
                    TEACHER -  WANTED                                             very reason the apostle emphasizes, that all  Go8s
     .The -Hope  Protestasnt  Reformed-Church  is in urgent work of redemption is also in this Christ. It is a.11 in
  need of a  school-teacher for this Coming year.                                 Him. In  Zim  Iwe are blessed with all. the spiritual
            Please contact: Mr. John  Lam:ling                                    bl~essings  in heavenly places. In Him, the Beloved Son
                                 RR,5                 _'               ,:         in the  fllesh, we have the redemption through His
                            7    ,Grand `Rapids, Michigan.                        blood,  bhe forgiveness of sins. vss.  -3, 7. And, as we


                                       _'T ' H E   S T A N D A R D   BEARti'R  ~

pointed out in connection with our exposition of vs. 11.                 And let  us- not  overlopk  that the apostle emphasizes
In  iZ&im we were made  a precious heritage  .of. God.' `-           that this great power of Christian experience is  `%
   4.  `Our final observation was, that we, `who are this Him". That we are' a "heritage" is in Him. And as
precious heritage of God, are a people who are saved                 such a heritage. we `are a new [creation in Christ,  solme
in  fiope. With longing expectation we look for the                  "first-fruits  o:f  Isis creation". In our having been
final  alct of God, whereby He shall make' us  compl+e               constituted such a new creation, a wonderful,  prezious
possessors.    But  f,or this possession in the  final form,. heritage  ,of God, we are an exhibition of what God  iwill
the redemption  od our bodies from the grave, the  sub-              do in Christ presently in the time of the  "en.d", when
jecti&g  of  `all things  ulalder His feet,  `the marvellons         all  thinlgs  will1 be summed up in  Him, both of  tinngs
revelation of the Son of God in His great glory, the                 in  "neaven an-d on earth..
final justification of the suffering saints overagainst                  Thi? great--work of  God  iZn Christ also includes us.
a  ,godless'  lworld, is also "in Him" ! Always all the It-  ,is  God%  .power  in our life to salvation.  That we
eyes  ,of the  ohil&en of God are riveted on  Him; before hope in Christ is the  manifestaticin of  the life
N o t   t o   *be  unclot!lad,   bu.t  to  Ibe  clotihed  uion  i s   `the! of Gold's saints, as a heritage.    God does something
desire  .of God's people. ,God's saints  `do not only hope to the elect  sinner to make `him hope,  +:d  look  wj:li
in Christ merely in this life. T.heilb indeed, of all men earnest expectation for that which He  hai promised
they, would be the most. pitiable.                                   him. This great -work of God is  calM a "having been
    But  what is the power. of  th,is hope? How  ,is it to sealed.  :s . . unto the redemption of the `(final) posses-
,be explained? Why is it not quenched by the seeming sion".
tardiness of the Lord's  co'ming? Are the saints pos-                    In a former paragraph  s-/e spoke of the "pedagogical
sibly to be  ,classified as blind fanatics, as  men.who think thrust of this passage.  Thai it has. But what the
to have the solid ground of eternal promises under                   apostle here says  iwith a pedagogical purpose, at once
their  !feet, but who will sink in the mire of mere  illusions       is also  :of doctrinal import? And the  lattesr calls for
a r y   self&eception?     Should `these  chibdrea~  ,of God further comment. We believe, that the several elements
not quail before the  -sharp arrows of the wicked,  *before in  ihese verses can profitably be discussed under the
the bitter taunt  "whene is  .thy God?" Does it not seem follow&g headings :
that the righteous suffer and  .die as do the wicked?                    1. That the  church  has been  se&cl unto the  ,day of
    It is true, that the  apostle does not raise  bhese redemption, the time  of. the  final and complete posses-
questions.  They are not explicitly stated in  t.his pas- sion of all that  Go:d has purposed to give and make us
sage. We do not  knolw whether the apostle had this as His heritage.
precisely `before his mind. But,  how&er this may be,                    2. That the  AgEnt, who thus seals us, is the Holy
it is a fact, that the apostle does  ,her!e appeal to the            Spirit of Prdmise, who is the  PleJg~ of our inherit-
sanctified, believing experience of the readers. He says ance.
"in who  ,also ye having  he&d  th'e word of truth, in                   3. That the Holy Spirit uses His own means unto
whom also having believed, ye  were sealed unto the our being sealed. We arc sealed in  "hearinfg  6he gos-
redemption of the final  poss&sio~n?.                                pel"- and in "believing".
    It is, therefore,  ,quite evident, that the purpose of               4. That  iq  this.sealing   ,i:;ot man, the saint  re-eives
this passage (vss. 11-14) is pedagogical.  Tthat the the praise,  hut alone the great grace and power of God.
.apostle thus writes is  v:ery natural. His purpose is               ,411 is  Soli Deo Gloria.
to  :bring the believers to a recognition  o:f and thankful-             Let us begin. our  dis-ussion   with the first of  these
ness` for all the spiritual  *blessings.  in heavenly  &aces.        !four propositions. We. do this because in this  prcpo-
That is the thrust of the "also  .ye" vs. 13,  atid of the sition the central though!, of the pa&age under  ccn-
"in whom also having believed" vs. 13. As was  p:oint,ed             sideration,  is (expressed.
out in our former writing, the  a,postle  does  ~i~~ot contrast          The term. "to seal" (sphragizein) we often  ~-meet
"ye also" (Gentile Christians) with  ",we, the having with in Holy Writ. In a general way it can be said,
before  holjed in Christ" (the believers out of the Jews),           that it refers to  that  *by which a thing, an act, a promise
but the  points is an appeal to Christian experience.                is confirmed,  ,pIroved and authenticated. Thus the
    Was  this then necessary? Was it necessary for the co-and of  Pilate to shut the grave  ,of Jesus was
apostle to say.: Look here, church of God, do not think              authenticated with his seal. It was the confirmation
that God will not  brtilg this all about in Christ, -even of the word of Pilate  td the  ef!fect, that  no one might
in Him; do  niot think this  to6 exalted and great, too enter the  igrave. `It  sho,werl  condusivlely,  that it was
good to be true ;  ido not  say this too exalted? Whether            Pilate who  ihad given the word and  none else. The seal
L it was necessary-to say this over against  any particular was genuine and not counterfeit.
,error is not evident in this epistle. But certainly it is                In the-epistle of Paul to the Ephesians we  twic.e
necessary for the proper  unlderstanding and  oomfort meet  with this verb. Besides in our passage which we
of this great reality of the  "aurnming  up"  of  311 things.        are discussing, we also meet  with it in chapter  4:3O,


 35s                                        .  T-HE,  STANDARfj   BE%BER  -

 where  w,e read  "and-.grieve  not the  IZoly Spirit of God,             (men  whilch  have not the seal of God on their foreheads."
 in  :whbm ye have been sealed  late the  ,day of redemp- From  khis,one might, it is true,  `draw the hasty  con-
 tion". There is yet one more passage in the  writings cl&on, that  ihe seal of God is  stainped on the forehead .
 of the apostle Paul,  $0 which atention must  :be  `cal.led.             of-.ihe  saints,  .much  ,im the same way as men place a
 We -refer to II Cor.  1:21, 22, where the  .apostle  writes :            mechanical imprinted  seal on paper. Again one might
 "Now he that  :establishes us  with you unto Christ .and draw the same conclusion  from what we read  ~YU Rev.
 hatch anointed us is God; who  .also  .seabed us  .and gave 7  :2,  %And I saw another angel ascending from the  .east,
us the earnest  ,of the Spirit in  ,our-hearts.`:                         having the seal of  t.he living -God. . .  ."  <One might
         Now it  is not our  iritentijon to give a  idetailed  eX- think of  such, a  seal in the hands of this  amgel, -and
 position of these passages here. We  mer!ely  .quote them that with it  IHe mechanically sealed the  `One-Hundred-
 to  ori,entate the reader and  .ol!rselves as to  Baul's usage and;F'orty-Four-Thousand.  However, it is  sufficie&  to
 0;  the term.                                                            pee the folly of such a conception,  :by reminding our-
         In II  C,or.  1:2i, 22 a certain content is  giv.e!n to  bhis    selves  .oI the  symfbolical  nature  <of the Apocalypse of
 sealing. In the context  qaul is defending his conduct J0h.n. The  entire book of Revelation is full of typical
 toiward  the`,Corinthians. He had not  co;me'to them as acts and repwsentations that  ,did mot literally  -o!ccur as
 `originally `planned. and stated.           He had glanned to stated.` Not to keep  this* in mind  would  aead to the
 come directly to them from Epbesus.                   But he had ridiculous,  woul,d be a violation  .of all sound and  $ime-
 changed his  milllId in this matter. Instead of going tried rules of  ililrterpretation.
 directly from Ephesus to Corinth in  -Achaia,  he"left                      Another matter to keep in mind, is, that the sealing
 Ephesus Eor Troas,  and not finding  Tit&  -,there as .as  almight? act of God, does not  ,.make -of  man a.  m&e
 planned, he went into  M&edonia. He possibly stayed "stock and  :blolck". In all God's dealing with the crea-
 in  Philli$pi,,and there met Titus. Now Paul's conduct tures in H-is  pr'ovideilice,  in His upholding  tid ruling
 was not  deDermined by mere fancy. and whim, so that                     of all things,  Xe deals with  each creature according to
 today he  pr6mised to do  som&hing.anld  that tomorrow- its  create6  nature. `This implies, that with respect to
 h?  canc~el~ed his plans. iH;is plans  hard been  ,changed the  saaZ*z;g of  tihhe saints, God treats man as-a moral
 because of  i&e  strain&  rela$iotiship  not  of Paul to the rational creature. Just how He does-this we cannot
 Church `at-Corinth,  .but  ,because of the attitude of  th.e             fully comprehend. How His Spirit testifies with  our
 lattc!, toward Paul.                                                     sgirit,. cannot fully be traced out. It is a sealing that
         Paul. now assures  -bh6 church  ate Corinth  ihat his takes place  net merely in the mind  {.in the sense of` in-
 conduct toward them  .in not yet coming to them, was tell?&) not  merely  #im  `the  wil'l,  lbut it touches man in
 no! determined `by mere' whim. With  hi#m "yes was the spiritual-ethical center of  this  -being, that is, in his
 yes", and "no was  ao".            God  :was His witness. Bat            "heart".    Thus it  -is stated  by- the apostle  ins  II Cor.
 this  strainecl`  rebationship would not  sever the tie that 1.:22: "Who sealed  .us and gave us the earnest of the
 bound  Paul, to the `believers, whereas  ,God was the Spirit in  our  ,hearti." And from this "heart" of the
 Lone that "establishes us with you unto Christ." Of saints -are the issues of `his life:  ?ahe heart is controlled
.$his Paul is certain. For God is greater than all men, by the  Holy Spirit.
 He has  Igiven,His Spirit. He has sealed. us, given the                     W&en our text,  th&refore,  says that we have been
 earnest:&  the Spirit.                                                   sealed unto the "redemption of the  (6nal) possession",
         T,wo matters stand out here  therefor'e. -The first it- must mean, that we undergo such  an,. operation  o.f
 is the seal as the  au?;hentic  probf,  that God is back of              Go'd  in  ,Christ, that we keep on hoping and firmly  trust-
 Paul, the church.  -It is His work. It cannot fail. The inlg  that..-finally  all God's  .promis!es shall be perfectly
 second  ,is, that the believers  canniot  so become  en- realized. -Thus we  bbecome  empoiwered  in the inner
 stranged one from the other, for the  tile that  bin& man, that Christ may  i&well in  tour hearts, so that we
 is of God in Christ.  Al;1 the "gates of. hell" cannot                   may be firm and  ~rooted in love, and constantly receive
 prevail against it. The  anointimg of the Holy Spirit is the.power to look unto the "end", when  a11  things shall
 the guarantee.  ,of the  fini and  ,compIete unity  *of all              be summed up in Christ Jesus, in  His.  blessed  appear-
 the saints in the light,.                                                ance  t,o  ,our  ,fina! and complete salvation.
         From the  fore&oi-ng it is clear,  -bh& in  foti~i~l~ a.            We would  cc&lude this essay with  .&he following
 cotiception  of this act of God, whereby  Hle  s.ea1.s the observations :
 saints, we will  &have  to steer  cl&r  from conceiving  ,of                 1. The mechanically conceived presentation  Gf the
 this act as being  performed in a  mechanica  way. God seal@g  of the saints is wholly untenable and to  :be  re-  I
 does mot just  mechani8c?lly place a seal-stamp  .on the jetted, as  `Iyell as `any view, which  bddes violence to the
 redeaed; It'is true, that in  the  <book. of Revelation, morally-rational, the  spiritual-ethilcal nature of man.
 the sealing of the saints is presented in  su.ch a way,                     2. The sealing is such an act of Gold,  Mlereby  He  :.
 that  :one might  think of it as an.  :outiward, mechanical              (a)  empowiers  tis in  .our hearts to  look for  ,our'blessed    _
 act.      Thus we read in Rev.  9:4  ". . . .  .b.ut only those S,aviour upon  .the  clodds,  and. to  per&%&e  to the  eaid,


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                                       -  T H E   S:AN-DARD  B E A R E R .                                                               .359

in the midst of persecutions and all  trials ; (b)  i_nwardly          many homes;. When the Truth disappears,  ~discipline
assures us in our hearts that all is  weli,. that it is no              disappears with it. Although they invent various-  sub-
illusion, `but  <blessed reality, what  wle expect in our stitutes (for the world still  iwants a measure of  de2ency)
Lord Jesus Christ.                                                     ,God gives them over to a reprobate mind. And in that
                                                       G. L.  _         process you get your Summerhill schools and  hel,l-bound
                                                                     '  y o u t h .
                                                                                                        :i:  *  *    :k
                                                                        Return  to-  Faith.  . .  .Pres. Truman.
                                                                             Some time ago our President Truman addressed a
                    P E R I S C O P E   .   '-.
                                                                        special meeting  ,of the Federal Council of Churches, in
             .                                                      "which he urged them  rilgorously  to apply the principles
                                                            . .         of our ancient religion. "Oh for an Isaiah or a St. Paul
The Tmly M~ockm School.                    --          -                to re-awaken a sick world".  Be called upon the  church-
   It's the Summerhill School in North Wales.                          ,es to arise to the task of interpreting and applying the
   This is the Constitution  ,of the school :                           Sermon on the Mount. Protestant, Jew  alntd Catholic
                                                                    m u s t   dl  w o r k   t o g e t h e r .    "Unless it is done,  w'e are
      * "Blasting the orthodox theory that children need headed  for  the disaster  we  ~deserve,,, said  the President.
             discipline to. make them learn, to behave, Sum-:                In part we can appreciate such sentiments, because
       .merhill ,  and  Kingsmuir  :give  stud~ents  al,mdst we are human and  ourseivs sinful and by nature  .lying
             `complete  freed.om. The boys and  (girls attend           under the wrath of a just God. And;  :from their  stand-
             classes voluntarily, smoke and swear at will and poiM now, it is a  holrribly  hopeless and terrifying thing
             sass the teacher without fear  ,of  retribut.ion."-        to stand by a  "sick')  rworld.  -and a world that sleeps in
  n  Here is an example: The teacher said, "Shut  sup,                  stupor, hoping for an Isaiah or a Paul to appear.  ._ . .
Stephen  !" and Stephen retorted cheerfully, "Shut up,                  and they won't appear, and if they did appear, that
y;our8self, Peter!" And the principle on, which  such world  could   never  lee  roused   out  of  its  stupoi  and  the
schools  are based  w'e  filxd  given a little later when we physician  hasto tell them that the  sic.kness is unto death.
read, "Children are  iessentially  good if left alone by                     It is the lament of a world, however, that is on the
adults".                                                                way to destruction because. of its sin. And  Psresident
   In other words, what makes  childrea become bad  k                   T~umm's  s;,eech  would attempt to  have the church
that parents and'teachers interfere by means of  disci-                 ii&ave itself in that ruin and itself be  dragged  .along
pline. Omit the  disciplimle and the children will just with it into  ;destr&ion. That the churches  lean allow
-natural,ly develop into something which is good.                       themselves to be thus intrigued by  Humanism and
   It would hardly\ be necessary to  -ydevote space to                  wodernism betrays the fact that they too are seeking
pointing out how fearfully- corrupt and ungodly such that which is  ,be].ow,  seeking  the world instead of  -the
things are. Such a  principlfe could never  but  :be  out  things  which  are  above.
of the  Wicked   Olne. It defies not  o&y the testimony  of.                 Bnt the president said something about an Isaiah
history and the testimony of everyone's conscience, but or a St. Paul to  ye-appear.                                 Someohe   :greater   thm.
it  d'efies Scripture and provides. incubation for the most             either is  hlere,, namely our Lord.  Jesus  -Christ.           He is
sha.m+ss  immorality. Solomon says, "`foolishness is here, in Scripture. B,ut, they `will not hear Him. If
bound in the heart  of  a child,- but the rod of correction             they will not hear  [Him;  they  certail;lly  will not hear an
shall  ;d.rive- it far from him."                                       Isaiah or a Paul.
   But the point we  iwanted  especial,ly to make is that                    Yet I wonder,  would  they  redly want an Isaiah or
this  ,godl.ess principle of Freudian  "tdo. as you please" a Paul to appear.' Would they really want the  leader-
notion is present  .ih many schools and homes- of this                  ship which Isaiah, Paul and the  Scriptures   qive?  Would
country as well.. Perhaps it has shot root in  som.e of they want that in this country?
our Christian homes. The parents  woul-d not, of  8course,                   Imagine, if you can, what would happen, if a Paul
subscri$,e to the constitution of  the.  Summelrhill School,            were in leadership `in this country. We havk confusion
but they do let  t.he- children and youth do quite as they now, but `what would  happlen if a man ruled this  coun..
will. HOW  else could  YOU  aacount for it that youth are try who was  fille&with  the Spirit,  filled with the Truth
out  ,on the streets until midnight and. later, how else and afraid of  nothing, fearlessly  following the.  Scrip-
would`  you  account  for  the  fact  that-teen  agers  ar:e  OLXL  ture  and  applying   its  precepts right and left,  having
mights.  mid. the  parents do not know where they  a&,                  no `regard for Democrats or Republicans, but,  im-
except  ,on the basis of. the  Summerhi~l~l theory?                     partially following Scripture. What would  .happen?
   The key of  ohristian discipline. hangs rusty on the To answer that question would challenge  your.  imagma-
walls of beautiful. churches. Discipline. is outmoded in  tion,                                          -
                                           .


                                    1  .                                                      __--~-                 ~---- -~~---L-
___~          360                                                                         +lXd"  S T A
              rru                                                                                            NDAR-fi  %EARER
                                                                                                     .-
                                                   .                          .
                     Suppose once there were a man who &finitely  or,der-                                              ' specific gravity as a feather in a whirl-wind."
         ed the Sabbath, to be kept and kept it himself;  ,who                                                       This is a terrible accusation of us Americans. It
         deno&ced the Lodge as a -false religion  for-this man                                                   simply describes us as lawless, sons of Belial, who get
         would not divorce his rdigion for any sort  $o:f politics  1                                            what  we `want law or no law, who  ;d:o what we' please,
         who condemned the Unions as anti-christian  an& fear-                                                   regulations notwithstanding.
         lessly testified in such'  t.erms; who forbade gambling,                                                   There is an old adage  v&:h runs about as follows:
         horse-racing, stock and. bond markets  ; who condemned                                                  more laws to make, more laws to  #break. The  OPX
         the theatre and the movie industry;- who lifted  up `his                                                complains about that very thing in this article. The
         lloice against divorce  .and  re-marriage of divorced per-                                              past few years  ,of war has-brought us  undler much gov-
         sons-and so forth.  '                                                                                   ernment  restrictioln$ and we all have been in great
                       Then, what. would happen in this country? I                                               daulger of laughing at these restrictions. A little rub-
         doubt whether they would long endure this `man. They `her that wasn't  :ours, a little sugar that wasn't coming
         would never endure him.  `I am sure of that,. Because                                                   to  ~1s; a little gas that  Ididn't come out of my coupons.
         the world crucified the Christ, it persecuted Isaiah, it A little here and a little there-and `we' laughed at it.
         k i l l e d   P a u l .                                                                    .  ,.        We did n&perhaps stop to think that government comes
                     They want neither of them. Such is history.                                                 from God and that we are to subject ourselves to its
                                            8  *  *  *                                                           regulations.     Wle  p e r h a p s   convenielntly  forgot that
                                                                                                                 .text which says, "Whosoever therefore resisteth, the
         Suppose piaul had be& Present.                                                                          power resisteth the ordinance  of God,' (Rom.  13:2).
              If at that meeting of the Federal Council  09 Churches Little by little there was growing upon us the spirit
         Paul had been present, events would have been about of the Lawless One, the spirit of the Antichrist whose
         as follows :                                            \                                               principle is "no law"; Little by little perhaps  tye thought
         -           "President Truman, I  .have before me  h&e a write- the relation  betw.een  us and the government was a  man-
         up in the Newsweek about that Sabbath day you spent to-man relationship merely and  `chat I could outsmart
         at Caruthersville some time `ago.                                                Besides telling all    her.  Alnld  ,our little children perhaps looked on while
         you did on  t,hat Sunday, such as attending a  thirty- `we laughed at these-laws, thus teaching them also to
         minute sermon, attending the legion  carillival, betting                                                imbibe the spirit of the Lawless One.
         on the horses at the race and playing poker far  int,o the                                                 What the American-people want they get. That
         night, besides all that,-there is a picture of a  Ifew half-                                            seems to be true also  ,over against the Ten  Commamd-
        naked  ,girls dancing on the stage and I see you at  ,the ments. And that is all out of  the'Evi1  One.
         left in the stand and underneath that picture is written,,                                                 `Lawless. . . . we Protestant Reformed too?
        `boot-heel  Jive,.  Betwfelen Church  %d,oings  and  `horse-                                                                                                 M. G.
         racing Mr. Truman watched the girls at the Fair."                                                                                 I
                -"Mr: Truman, the church to which you belong is                                                                                       *
         called  .of God to discipline you for such things; Al-
         though  you..are the President of these United States,                                                                  ! IMPORTANT NOTICE !
         God's Word condemns your actions as wicked and  uln-                                                         AttentioN,  All  Con&dories!  - The Mission Com-
         less  -you repent you must be  sevened.from  the church.                                                mittee desires to obtain-  a. mailing  ;list  .of individuals
         I; Paul, have come to  uncovjer such works and to  Lcon-                                                outside  `our Churches  .who may  ,be interested in our
         demn all that is of darkness. I am an Apostle of  Lli&t                                                 Cause. Our purpose is to send them  Xteratune;  includ-
         for  .Chris$ Who is the Light of the  Worl'd, hath sent                                                 ing the' Standart&  Bearer,  !free of charge, for a  trid
         me, and this  ,Light uncovers you as one who  `wjalks in                                                period of six  imonths ; expenses to be  ,borne  ,by the
         darkness. Repent of  thesle things and  turnl from them Mission Committee. We  herew,ith kindly request all
         for Christ calls us unto holiness".                                                                     of our Consistories to aid  ,LIS  in compiling such a list.
                     I- wonder then if men would still hope for a St. Paul                                       We.  woubd suggest that each Cbnsistory give its Con-
         to re-appear?                                                                                           gregation opportunity to suggest names and addresses
                     By nature we all hate the  light--lf;or the  be& of us                                      and that these  lbe forwarded to the Mission Committee
         has so much darkness in him.                                                                            .by the Consistory.' The Mission- Committee feels that
                                                                                                                 the distribution of literature will be a positive testi-
                                            3:           :i:          :i:          :,:
                                                                                                                 mony to the Truth and may result in the opening .of
         We Too?                                                                                                 a field for future personal work. May we please have
                     Here is a description  ,of the  .American people  ,by an your cooperation?
         American.:                                                                                                Kindly  senld all names and addresses to our secretary :
                        "When the American people want something,                                                                                  Rev. W. Hofman,
                        laws, regulation,, decrees and government en- 1                                                                             105 W. 19th Street,
                       forcement efforts have approximately the same                                                                                Holland,  .Michigan.


