      VOLUME XXII                        JULY 1, 1946 - Grand Rapids, Michigan-                                      NUMBER 19
      M-EDITATION                                                     het Woord van den levenden God, den oppersten  Poten-
                                                                      taat der potentaten, de Heer van IHeinel en aarde. En
                                                                      hoe ZOLI Zijn Woord ooitde bedoeling kunnen hebben;
                                                                      om door ons te worden  ontvangen of gehoord, iooals
                              e Pslmaakte Wet                         iemand luistert naar een verhaal, dat hij missehien  we1
                                                                      gaarne hoort, maar dat hem persoonlijk tech niet aan-
                 Wad zoo iemand een hooder is des Woorcls gaat; of naar een krankenbericht, dat misschien we1
              en niet een da&r, die is een man gelijk, welke van groat gewicht is, en waarvoor hij den berichtgever
              aijn aangeboren nangexicht, bemerktin  eenen dankbaar is, maar dat hem in zijn persoonlijk bestaan
              spiegel; Ward h:ij heeft xichxelven bemerkt,  en tech ten slotte niet raakt; of naar eene philosophische,
              is weggegaan, en heeft terstond vergeten, hoe- of ook theologische bespiegeling of verhandeling, die
              danig hij was. Maar die ikxiet in de vblmaakte         we1 interesseert, maar die tech ten slotte' open is en-
              wet, die der vrijheid is, en daarbij blijft, deie, bli jft voor discussie; en waardoor niemand in het diepst
              g e e n   vergetelijlc  hooder  geworcJen xijnde, van zijn hart zoo getroffen is, dat het hem  nu een
              m a a r   e e n   clacler  d e s   werks,  deze,  zeg  ik,  zal kwestie van leven of dood wordt, om haar in praktijk te
              ,geluukxalig zijn in &it eijn doen.                    brengen, en zijn leven naar haar te  richten; of  oak
                                                     Jak.1 :%%u.     zelfs naar een "mooie preek," die een gehoor een LZLW of
                                                                     zoo aangenaam bezig-houdt, maar die ten slotte nie-
        Doet dat! . . . .                                            mand  in, heilige verbijstering  zich op de borst doet
        Zijt daders des Woords !                                     s!asn of doet vragen: "wat  moeten wij  doen,  mannen
        Dat is'de,boodschap,  de.zeer  ernstige vermaning, die breeders?"
     in het verband door Jakobus tot de "twaalf stamm.en,"               Zijt  hoorders,. ja; maar van het Woord  .Gods, en
     die in de verstrooiing zij-n, wordt gericht.                    juist daarom daders !
        En niet alleen ontvangt deze vermaning allen na-                 Want immers, die het Woord hoort en niet doet, is                     .
     druk in het verband, maar heel de -brief van Jakobus            een man gelijk, die zijn huis op het. zand gebouwd
     Iaat hetzelfde geluid hooren : zijt daders, en niet alleen heeft. En de slagregen is nedergevallen, en de water-
     hoorders  des Woords, opdat gij vrienden Gods moogt stroomen zijn gekomen, en de winden hebben gewaaid,
     zijn in het midden van eene booze en vijandige wereld 1         en zijn tegen hetzelve huis aangeslagen, en het is ge-
        En tech staat d,e Jakobus brief in dit opzicht niet vallen, en zijn val was groot. . . .
     alleen, zooals we1 eens ten  -onreehte wordt beweerd.               Zijt daders des Woords!
     Allereerst tech zij opgemerkt, dat Jakobus geen tegen-              Want, die het Woord hoort en doet, is een man ge-
     stelling maakt tusschen hooren en doen, noch ook tus-           lijk, die zijn huis op een rots gebouwd heeft.
     sehen gelooven en doen, maar de twee-  oulosmakelijk                En de slagregen is  .nedergevallen, en de,  water-
     aan elkander verbindt : hoort en doet, gelooft en werkt, stroomen zijn gekomen, en de winden hebben gewaaid,
     en  toon uw geloof uit de werken. En, in de tweede              en zijn- tegen hetzelve huis aangeslagen, en het is niet
     plaats, mag er op gewezen, dat hetzelfde g&id in heel           gevallen, want het was op Zen steenrots gegrond.
     de  Schrift wordt gehoord. Immers gaan niet iij het : Doet dat !
     koninkrijk der hemelen in, die daar zeggen Heere ! :                Want, tenzij ge een dader des Woords zijt, zijt ge,-
     Heere! maar zij, die doen den wil des Vaders, die. in naar de voorstelling van `Gods Woord hier in Jakobus,
     de hemelen  is..  ., .                                          een man gelijk, die zijn aangeboren aangezicht in een               .,
,       Zijt daders des Woords!                                      Spiegel aanschouwt, en terstond weggegaan is, en on-
        Hoe zou bet anders `kunnen ? 83% Woord is immers middelijk vergeten  he&t, hoedanig hij was. . , ,


       4-34                                      T H E   S T . A N D . A R D .   B E A R E R

               Doet dat ! Want gij kunt dat Woord we1 vergeten,        wet, die der vrijheid is" op iets anders ziet dan op de
       maar het vergeet LI nimmer !                                   ~ wet als gebod, dat van buiten af op den zondaar .aan-
               En gelukzalig is hij, die inziet in de volmaakte wet, komt, eischend en belovend  en. vecvloekend, maar nooit
       en daarbij blijft!                                              reddend, en machteloos om vrij :te maken.
          .Hij  tech is geen vergetelijk  hoorder,  maar een               Hetgeen der wet onmogelijk was,_dewijl zij door
       dader des. werks !                                              het  vleesqh   krachteloos  was! .  : . .
         " En hij is gelukzalig in zijn doen!                              De wet der vrijheid: is; het woord der waarheid,
  :                              -          -                          waardoor de God der volkomene zaligheid in Christus
 De volmaakte wet!                                                     LI gebaard heeft ten l&en.
               Gods wet is volmaakt, bekeerende de ziel !                  Het is de wet, het Woorcl <Gods,. zooals het tot ons
               Daarom omschrijft dan ook het Schriftwoord hier komt in Christus Jezus, den Geliefde. In `flem is de
       die volmaakte wet als de wet der vrijheid, dat'wil zeg- wet weer eerie wet der vrijheid geworden, eene wet,
       gen, de wet, di,e waarlijk vrijmaakt, en .,de dader in die vrijmaakt, en die in vrijheid doet `wandelen. In
       waarachtige vrijheid doet leven.                                Hem heeft God immers Zelf gedaan, wat der wet on-
               En vrijheid is volkomen, geestelijk harmonie met mogelijk was:  IHij  `heeft de  zonde in  bet-vleesch  ver-
       den wil Gods.                                                   oordeeld, haar de  macht en het  recht ontnomen om
               Immers bestaat ware vrijheid, voor het schepsel, over den mensch, in de menschelijke uatuur te heer-
       dat onder de wet is, nooit in bandeloosheid. Nooit is schen. Want tioor  de zonde is Hij gekomen. .Voor de
       het schepsel zichzelven eene wet. Het is geforme'erd-           zonde kwam Hij onder de wet, om voor de zonde, dat is,
       door den wil Gods. En die wil Gods bepaalt bet, om-             met betrekking tot de zonde, in verband  met de zonde,
       ringt bet van alle zijden, is de sfeer, waarin `bet be-         te leven -en te sterven, te gehoorzamen tot den dood,
       staat, zich beweegt, leeft. En zijne vrijheid is juist,         ja, den dood des kruises ; en alzoo voor de zonde aan
       dat het die wet ook in zijn binnenste draagt, en met den eiseh van Gods recht te voldoen. In Hem is vrij-
       geheel zijne natuur in overeenstemming is met de wets-          heid van vloek en dood, van verdoemenis en oordeel,
       kring, waarin het door.Zijn Schepper is gezet. Zoo is           van de slavernij der zonde. In Hem is vergeving en
       het voor den mensch, gesehapen als redelijk-zedelijk. verlossing en het eeuwige leven. In Hem is het r,echt
       creatuur, geformeerd om den'wil Gods te kennen, te              ende macht, om ons te verlossen van-de overheersching
  willen, en met eene vrije keuie der liefde te doen. . Voor der zonde, ,en te doen ingaan in de vrijheid der heer-
hem is de wet: "Gij zult mij liefhebben, met uw                        lijkheid der kinderen  Gods.
       gansche hart, met geheel uw,e ziel, en alle uwe krach-            D.e wet der vrijheid is het Woord Gods in Hem !
       ten !`, ,En waarachtige vrijheid voor dien menseh is,               Het is bet Woord, dat tot ons komt als de open-
       dat hij zich, met verstand en wil ,en al zijn begeeren,         baring van-den God onzer zaligheid in Christus, vervat
       in innerlijke overeenstemming weet met die wet der in de Schrift.
       liefde God@                                                        IHet Woord is het, dat de Geest van Christus Zelf
               Echter,   ofschoon,  die wet der liefde  we1 waarlijk tot ons  richt, om ons  vrij te  maken van de wet der
  voor den mensch, die zich binnen haar kring beweegt,                 zonde en des doods, en te baren ten leven !
       de wet der vrijheid is, is zij tech niet in staat. den xon-         Die volmaakte wet in Christus openbaart en ont-
       claar vrij te maken.                                            dekt ons aan de gevangenschap, waarin we van nature
               De zondaar tech is gebonden.                            liggen: zij spreekt van gereehtigheid en'zonde en oor-'
               Hij is niet anders dan een slaaf der zonde. Welis-      deel en dood, en toont ons ons natuurlijk aangezieht.
 waar, is hij een gewillige slaaf. Hij is, niet van buiten                 Dat Woord der waarheid spreekt- tot ons van de
       af, maar van binnen uit gebonden. Hij die& we1 de               vrijheid, die  `daar is in  Christus Jezus: vrijheid van
       zonde, omdat hij de duisternis liefheeft, en omdat de           schuld en verdoemenis ; vrijheid ook van de overheer-
       ongereehtigheid de keuze zijner ziel is ; maar hij kan          schende macht van zonde en dood'; de vrijheid van het
  tech niets anders liefhebben, en hij is niet bij machte              eeuwige leven uit loutere genade.
       zijne keuze op de gerechtigheid .Gods  te zetten.                  ,Die wet der' vrijheid openbaart ons het leven en
               En nu is het eigenaardige van de wet Gods, dat ze       wandelen in. de vrijheid, naar den wille Gods, als
       dien zondaar juist tot die slavernij der z&de-  veroor-         vrienden Gods in het midden der wereld, en roept ons
       deelt. Ze kan hem nooit vrijmaken. Nimmer kan ze altijd weer toe : "wandelt als kinderen  des lichts!"
       iets anders  doen dan  blijven eischen: doe dat! En                Van haar zingt, wie haar kent, met recht:             .
       daarbij schenkt ze  we1  leGen  aan hem, die van dat
 `woord der wet dader is; maar ze vervloekt ook een                                  Des Heeren wet nochtans
       iegelijk, die daarin niet blijft. Den zondaar  veraor-                        Verspreidt volmaakter glans,
       deelt ze tot d.en dood. En die dood houdt juist in, dat                       Dewijl zij `t hart  bekeert.
       de overtreder nu in banden der zonde is geklonken.                            `t Is Gods getuigenis,
               Het zal dan ook duidelijk zijn, dat "de volmaakte                     Dat eeuwig zeker is,               -.
                                                                                                                      j.             r


                                                T H E   S T A N D A R D   R E A R E R                                           435

                En slechten wijsheid leert.                         Wat hij daar ziet gaat hem persoonlijk aan, neemt hem
                Wat `Gods  bevel ons zegt                           geheel en al in beslag. Nergens anders dan bij dieh
                Vertoont  ans `t heiligst  recht,                   Spiegel is zijne belangstelling. Voor niets anders heeft
                En kan geen. kwaad gedoogen.                        hij oog of oor. En hij blijft daarbij. Hij kan van
                Zijn wil, die-.`t hart verheugt,                    voor dien Spiegel' niet weer weg. Hoe langer hij .tuurt,
                Eisclit zuiverheid en deugd,                        hoe meer hij zijn .eigen beeld ziet, in al het afschuwe-
                Verlicht de duister' oogen.                         lijke van zijne verdorvenheid en verdoemelijkheid ;
                                    ir.
                          -                -                        maar hoe meer hij ook het licht zietvan de waarachtige
                                                                    vrijheid, die in Christus Jezus is, het beeld van den
      .Inzien in de volmaakte wet! I                                Christus Zelf, in al de heerlijkheid en volheid van Zijn
       De wet der vrijheid wordt hier  vergeleken bij heil:
eenen Spiegel.                                                         En hoe langerhij tuurt, hoe meer`ziet hij:
       En in dien  Spiegel is er een  tweeerlei  inzien, of            En hoe me& hij ziet, hoe meer hij verlangt te zien.
liever, een inzien van tweeerlei  soort menschen, van de Steeds meer wil hij uit dien Spiegel leeren van zonde,
vergetelijke hoorder des Woords, en van.de dader des van verlossing, van dankbaarheid.
werks.                         -                         `.            Voor den Spiegel der volmaakte wet, die' der vrij-
       iHij, die slechts hoorder  is, en niet een dader des heid is, .blijft. hij staan. Zijn leven lang.
werks, wordt vergeleken bij iemand, die wel" metter-                   iHij is door het Woord der waarheid in  beslag
daad voor den Spiegel komt te staan: hij gaat naar de genomen.
kerk, hij zit onder de verkondiging des Woords.                        Door dat Woord werd hij gebaard ten leven.
       Hij  ,bemerkt  `oak even zijn aangezicht.  IHij  ver-           En het maakt-hem waarlijk vrij !
staat wel, wat door den verkondiger van het Woord
der waarheid wordt gezegd, en ziet ook even, dat dit
Woord hem persoonlijk bedoelt.                                         Dader des werks!
       Misschien mogen we het beeld, dat hier gebezigd                 Dat is hij, die inziet in de volmaakte wet, en daar-
wordt, ook nog even verder,toepassen,  en als Jakobus .bij  b l i j f t .                                        .o
spreekt van den man, die zijn "aangeboren aangezicht                    Och neen, geen dader des werks in den zin, dat hij
bemerkt" dit zoo verstaan, dat deze hoorder  des Woords nu groote dingen doet, groot en machtig naar de maat-
ook zijn eigen,`natuurlijk beeld in de verkondiging des             staf der wereld, dat hij nu profeteert en duivelen uit-
Woords ontwaart, als het getuigt van zonde en schuld                w:erpt.
en verdorvenheid en dood.                                              Maar we1 zoo, dat hij het Woord der waarheid ge-
.      Maar hij gaat heen.                                          hoorzaam is ,en naar de wet des Geestes des levens
       Hij blijft voor den Spiegel niet staan.                 o    begint te wandelen.
       Hij vergeet terstond hoedanig hij was.                          Dader des Woords is hij, die, als dat Woord spreekt
       Hij komt  uit de kerk, en zegt, dat het kostelijk weer van zonde en oordeel, zich in stof en asch verootmoedigt
is, of dat we noodig regen moesten hebben, of dat hij               voor zijnen God;_en  met den tollenaar van de gelijkenis
pas een nieuw huis gebouwd, of een nieuwe boerderij                 uitroept : "O., God, wees mij zondaar genadig !" Dader
-gekocht,  of een andere positie gekregen heeft; of mis- des Woords is hij, die, als dat Woord de geaechtigheid
schien, dat domine mooi  gepreekt heeft; of dat hij er              Gods, die uit het geloof van Jezus Chrsitus is, ver-
niet veel aan heeft gehad, of d-at hij het met de preek             kondigt, al zijne eigene gerechtigheden wegwerpt als
niet heelemaal eens is; of, indien hij wat er$g leerstellig         een onrein kleed, om zich geheel en al op den Chris-
is aangelegd, weet hij de preek in bijzonderheden uit te tus Gods te verlaten voor tijd ,en ,eeuwigheid.  Dader
pluizen en naar de zuivere Protestants&e  %erefor- des Woords is hij, die, als dat Woord oproept tot be-
meerde maatstaf te beoordeelen. . . .                               keering,  en tot een verlaten van den weg der zonde, om
       Maar hij staat niet meer voor den Spiegel.                   in het licht te wandelen, den strijd des geloofs  aan-
       Hij heeft we1 gehoord, maar niet bet Woord van .bindt, de w'ereld verlaat, zijne odde natuur doodt, en
den  levenden God tot hem persoonlijk gericht.                      in een nieuw godzalig"leven  wandelt voor Gods aange-
       Met vreeze en beving, om zijne eigene zaligheid` uit zicht.
: te werken, is hij niet vervuld.                                       En in dat zijn. doen is hij gelukzalig.
       Hij wordt geen dader des Woords!                                Zalig nu, want alzoo smaakthij  de blijdschap der
       Maar wie inziet in de volmaakte wet, en daarbij vrijheid, die in Christus Jezus is. En "in het houden
blijft !                                                            van die is grooten loon.!"
     Let  op.dien man!                                                 Zalig in hope, want alzoo ziet hij uit naar den dag
      Ziet hem voor den Spiegel der volmaakte wet staan,            der volkomene verlossing.
als aan den grond genageld. Hij buigt zich.voorover,                   En die hope beschaamt nimmer !
naar den Spiegel  toe. Hij  tuurt  maar in  den  spiegel,                                                               8, H      P
                                                                                                           .d


 436                                                                                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEAREEI,


                                       The Standard Bearer                                                                                                                              EDITOR1AL.S
                      Semi-Monthly, except Monthly .h July and August
                                                                        Published by
                               The Reformed Free Publishing Association                                                                                                                  As To Suffering
                                                         1463 Ardmore St., S. E.

                                                 EDITOR - Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                                         _           (Continued)
    Contributing  Editors:-Rev. G. M.  Ophidf, Rev. G.  Vos, Rev.
    R. Veldman,  Rev. H. Veldman, Rev. H. De Wolf, Rev. B. Kok,                                                                                                             2. A second reason, why we must answer the ques-
    Rev.. J. D. De Jong, Rev. A. Petter, Rev. C.  Hanko,  Rev. L.                                                                                                       tion of Mr. Van Putten with an unqualified affirma-
    Vermeer, Rev. G. Lubbers, Rev. M. Gritters, Rev. J. A. Hleys,                                                                                                       tive, meaning that all our suffering and sorrow, apd
    Rev. W. Hofman.                                                                                                                                                     not only that which is directly caused by persecution
         Comniunicatims  relative to  cqntenta  should be addressed                                                                                                     for Christ's sake, tend to our salvation,  is that all
   to REV. H. HOEKSEMA,  1139 Franklin St., S. E., Grand                                                                                                                things come unto us, not by chance, but by the hand
   Rapids, Michigan.                                                                                                                                                    of our heavenly Father. This. means :
         Clomqmnications  relative  t6 subscription should be addressed                                                                                                     a. That the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from
    to MR. GERRIT PIPE, 1463 Ardmore St., S. E., Grand Rapids;
   Michigan. All Announcements, and Obituaries must be sent                                                                                                             before the, foundation of the world, so planned  all
   io the above address and will aot be placed unless the regular                                                                                                       things, that they concentrate around. Christ and His
   fee of $1.00 accompanies the notice.                                                                                                                                 Church,  atid ar'e conducive, to the salvation of the elect.
                                      (Subscription price $2.50 per year)                                                                          I                    Nothing is excluded from this eternal counsel of our
   Entered as Second Class mail at Grand Rapids, Michigan.                                                                                                              Father in Christ. All the suffering and evil of this
                                                                                                                                                                        present time ar,e included in His eternal purpose, and
                                                                                                                                                                        not only the suffering that is-inflicted upon us-directly
                                                                    coIvlmNl?s                                                                                          because we are believers in this world.
                                                                                                                                                                            b. That, in time, He centrally revealed His great
MEDlXATION'~                                                '                                                                                                           love to His people, that motivated Him in His ,eternal
INZIEN IN DE VOLMAAKTE WET. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 433 purpose of salvation, -in the  d,eath  .of  ;His  So?. This
            Rev. H. Hoel&.ema                                                                                                                                           means "that He spared not His own Son, but delivered
                                                                                                                                                                        Him  LIP for  LB all." Arid the apostle concludes from
EDITORIALS  -                                                                                                                                                           this : "how shall He not with Him also freely give
AS TO SUFFERING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436 us all-things ?" God is for us, nothing can be against
THE IDEA  -OF CONSCIENCE IN THE EPISTLES OF                                                                                                                             us.  `:
PUAL . ..*.... * . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..)........................................................  ; . . . . . . . . . . . . 438                               c.. That He is in all things, &staining them and
THE ID#A OF THE COVENANT . . . . . . . . .                                                                                                                      ,439
                                                                                                        ~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~........~........~ 1                       continuing them in their existence, as "by His hand."
           Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                                                                             And that He directs them all, so that they cannot
THE CALLING OF THE MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL......,.444                                                                                                                    move or stir, but by His will. This, too, includes all
<JOB SE& ,GOD WITH HIS EYE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 446                                          things, the anorganic and the organic creation, the
                                                                                                                                                                        brute and the rational creature, both good and evil.
           `Rev. G. M. O.phoff                                                                                                                                          But if it is the hand of our heavenly Father that
WONDERE VEILLGHEID ..,..... ~. .m . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 449 moves and'directs them to the end He purposed, it
           Rev. G. Vos .                                                                                                                                                follows that they  serve the purpose of our eternal
                                                                                                                                                                        glow.,                       . .
OUR BAPTISM FORM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  * . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451                This is, indeed, the plain teaching of our Heidelberg
: Rev. C.  H,anko                                                                                                               *             _                         Catechism in Lord's Day X: "What dost thou under-
                                                                                                                                                                        stand by the providence of  ,God? The almighty and
FfROM HOLY WRIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 453       everywhere present power of God; whereby, as it were
    - Rev. G. Lubbers                                                                                                                                                   by his hand, he upholds and governs.heaven,  and earth,
                                                                                                                                                                        and all creatures ; so that herbs and grass, rain and
PERISCOPE .. . . . . ..*.............I  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 456'drought, fruitful and barren years, meat and drink,
           Rev.  IB. Kok                                                                                                                                                health and sickness, riches and poverty, yea, and all
                                                                                                                                                                        things, come, not by chance, but by  IHis fatherly
                                                                                                                                                                        hand."
FIELD DAY - Due to the lack of co-operation and                                                                                                                         What advantage is it to us to know that God
poor attendance the board of the R.F.P.A. will not has created, and by  ;His providence doth still  upholcl
hold jts annual field day this year.                                                                                             THE BOARD.  _ all things? `That we may be patient in adversity;


                                   T H E   STANDARD  B E A R E R                                     _               437

thankful in prosperity; and that in all things which- into eternal life." SurLly, death works for our  .ad-
may hereafter befall us, we place our firm trust in our      vantage  and. salvation.
faithful God and Father, that nothing shall separate            4. Moreover, -that the suffering of this present
us from His love: since all things are so ili His hand       time in general, works unto our salvation, and has
*hat without His will they cannot so much as move.".         significance with respect to eternal glory, follows from
   &mely, the Catechism does not only have in mind the fact, that God always gives grace according to the
the sufferings that are directly the result of the hatred    way. It is, of course, not the suffering as such that is
of the world against the Church. It speaks of the most a means unto salvation, and'that has a sanctifying in-
common things: drought, barren years, sickness, pov- fluence on the children of God. That is never the. case,
e r t y .                                                    not even with that forin of suffering that we endure
   And thus- it teaches also -in- Lord's Day IX: "that for Christis sake in this world. Btit according to the
.he will  ma&e whatever evils he sends upon me, in way, ,God gives grace. He gives strength to bear the
this valley of tears, turn out to my advantage ; for burden, faith to cling to Him in all. our tribulation,
he is able to do it, being almighty God, and willing,        patience to endure and to give God the glory. It- is
being a faithful Father."                                    God's own work in us that is cast into the crucible of
   But again I say, th'e brethren in Holland know all        affli&on. And Ee preserves His work by. His grace.
these  thin& as well as  1. do. And, therefork, I can iHence it is that tribulation worketh patience, and
hardly believe that there can be any doubt or dispuie patience experienoe  (or the approved state), and ex-
about this truth.            "                               perience hope.
   3. If it is objected that the general sufferings of         5. Finally, %t seems hardiy necessary to point out
this present time, which believers endure together that this is the `direct teaching of Scripture every-
with unbelievers, are the direct result of sin, and,         where. It is true that behind the scene of Job's suf-
therefor?, punishments which wee must. bear, so tliat ferings, there stands Satan, claiming that Job serves
they cannot be a means to our salvation,  no? have God only because of his prosperity, and challenging. the
significance' for eternal glory, the answer is plain. Almighty to cast him into the fire of tribulation. Fact
Christ bore the punishment for all our sins. There `is is, nevertheless, that Job's affliction is not to be ex-
no punishment for sin left for those  that are in plained as suffering for Christ's sake in the direct
Christ, neither in eternity, nor in time. For believers, sense of persecution by  the world.  The hand of God
punishment has been changed into chastisement, and           is heavy on him. Nevertheless, God is glorified in his
the two  .differ in this:                                    suffering, and `he le_arns patience through tribulation.
   a. %That punishment is the expression and main- When Asaph complains that the wicked prosper, and
tenance of God's justice against sin and the sinner; that .his own .punishment, awaits him every morning,
the motive of punishment is just and  holy- wrath. he is not thinking merely of suffering for Christ's                      *
Chastisement is the expression of fatherly love. ,           sake in the narrow sense of that word. And does not
   b. That in punishment there is no hope: he. that the Word of God in Ram. 8 :28 include whatever may
is punished for his sin must needs perish; sz$isfaction      befall th,e children of God without exception, when it
of God's- justice is the purpose,, and that means death. teaches us that "all things work together for good to
But chastisem,ent  has its purpose in correction, sancti- them, that ldve God, to them that are the called accord-
fication, our- eternal good.                                 ing to' his purpose"?
   Thus Scripture teaches  us  in Heb.  12:6 ff. "For           iOnce mope, it is difficult for me to believe that
whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, -and scoujrgeth          there are brethren in Holland that deny all this. a _
every son whom he receiveth. . If ye endure chasten-            But on the supposition that there are,  ana that they
ing, God dealeth with you as with sons ; for `what son       actually do deny that all the suffering of the people of
is he whom  the father  chasteneth not? But if ye be         God tends to their salvation, and has meaning for their
without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then eternal glory, they face a serious question.
are ye bastards, and not sons. . . . For they verily            For it is not suffic.ient  to deny this.
for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure;           They face the problem of the suffering of this
but he fdr our profit, that we mi@ht be partakers of peesent time, as well as brother Van Putten.. .And if
his holiness. Now no `chastening for the p&sent seem-        they really-deny that all suff'erings  tends to salvation
etb to be joyous, but grievous : qevertheless  afterward for them that love God, -what ~significance  does it have,
it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto according to them.
them which are exercised thereby."                              However, I still have that persistent f,eeling  that
   And this is`implied  iri the teaching of our iCate#ism there is an element in this dispute that I do not under-
in qu,estion -42 : "Since then Christ died -for  us, why stand.
must we also die? Our death is not a `satisfaction for          If so, let the brethren write.
our sins, but only an abolishing of sin, and a passage                                                      H. H.

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

                                                                       Kekausteeriasmenoon is perfiect  participle passive of
     The Idea Of Conscience In The                                     ka,usteeriaclxoo,  which means to brand or mark 6ith.a
                  Epistles Of Paul *                                   hot iron, an operation that was performed not only
                                                                       on slaves, `but also on criminals. He&e, a conscience
                                                                       marked by a hot iron is not, as is usually supposed a
                           ( C o n t i n u e d )                       blunted c&science that no longer bears testimony,
                                                                       but a conscience that is branded with `the mark of evil,
      In the fiY'st epistle to ,Timothy  we find several pas- that bears the witness of evil and sin against its sub-
  sages that are of interest for our subject. In ch. I:5 ject, We may r:emark here: 1. That the one Who thi7s
  the apostle speaks of agapee ek sun&ideeseoos agatlkees,             brands the conscience of the wicked, in this case of
  love out of a good conscience, as the end of the com-                the false teachers, is God, Who inscribes His own
  mandment. The whole text reads as follows-: "N6w                     judgment of their evil work- in their hearts. 2.  That
the end of the commandment is charity (love) out of here, .as in many other places, Scripture teachei us
  a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith- that the  spreadbrs of false doctrines are conscious
.`. unfeigned." We may remark here: 1. That the of their evil designs.
  apostle is especially thinking of the love of' believers.               In the second epistle of Paul to Timothy the term
  to one another, though this is never to be separated                 conscience occurs' only in ch. 1:3, where the apostle
  from the love  df God.  2; True love. is ethical. It is declares that he served God from his forefathers with
  the bond of perfectness. It requires an ethically per- a pure conscience. The meailing.  is that the gospel
  f,ect subject and an ethicaliy perfect object; 3. Hence, the apost1.e preached is a co&nu%tion of the doctrine
  it can proceed only out pf & pure heart, i.e;, a heart               and service of the :O. T. fathers. He does not preach
  that is capable of loving the good. And its activity, a new doctrine, or a strange God. ,Of this he has the
  requires a good conscience as its source, i.e., a con- testimony in his own conscience. He is aware of ~G&l's
  science that is free from the condemning and damag- approving judgment that he never knowingly faisifiea
  ing judgments of evil. thoughts and designs with re- the truth of revelation.
  spect to the object of love. Where `such judgments                                                        -
  defile the conscience, they must first=- be removed.                    Finally, we must call your attention to a few
  This is trne of our love to God. `-Only when we are                 passages from t'he epistle to the Hebrews. Speaking
  a,ware  in our  co+science  of the justifying judgment of the service of the earthly tabernacle, the author
  of God concerning us, i.e., onIy f71 faith, can we actual- writes in 9 :9: "Which was a figure for the time then
  ly and consdiously love God. But this is equally true present, in which were offered both gifts and. sacri-
  of the love to our neighbor. As long as we are con- fices, that could not make him that did the service per--'
  scious df evil designs in our heart concerning him, or              feet, as pertaining to the conscience," (kata teen eicke-
  carry the testimony in our conscience that he has been sin). $imilarly in ch. 10  :2: "For then would they
  or  is plotting evil against us, love cannot function.              not have ceased to be offered,? because that tile wor-
 Love requipes a good conscience.                   -'                shippers once purged should have no more -conscience
     Also ch. 1:19 speaks of a good conscience. Timothy of  sins,"  (suneicleesin  hamartioon)  . In connection
 is exhorted to war a good warfare, "holding faith and                with both these passages we may at once take ch. 9 : 14 :
 a good conscience." If he is to fight a good fight as "IHow much more shall the  bldod of Christ, who
 tiinister of the gospel, he must not use craftiness and through the eternal Spirit offered himself  without
 deceit, as do the false teachers. He must,keep  a good spot to God, purge your conscience to serve the living
 conscience.    That is, in holding and proclaiming the               God?" `And ch.  10:22: "Let us draw near with a
 faith he must 80 walk that he niay receive -God's ap- true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts
 proving judgment, so that, on the basis of  ii, his sprinkled from an evil conscience. . . ." With regard
 conscience may be free  fro& the condemning judg- to these passages, we note:
 ments of evil motives and `designs. A good conscinece                    1. That dead works are  wprks that have their
 therefore, is a conscience free from accusing and con:               origin in death, i.e. in the spiritual death of the natural
 demning judgments, awareness of God's approving man. `They are, therefore, characterized by death, i.e.
judgment. It is the same as `a pure conscience. Cf. I they are void of the life of the love of God, and `on the
 Tim. 3:9.                                                            contrary motivated by the enmity of -carnal mind.
    .,On the other hand, in ch. 4:2 the apostl,e  speaks              And they tend to death, i.e. to t!e destruction of a life
 of men that have their conscience seared .with a hot apart from God.
 iron  :  kekamteeriasmenoon  teen  i&an  sun&&es&,..                     2. All  tliese  dead works of the natural man are
                                                                      under the condemning judgment of God, and the divine
 * Paper  `.delivered  at the Conference of  -Protwtant   Refsr&d     sentence of condemnation is constantly inscribed in,
 ministers in $+v@ Rapids? Michigan,
                                  _.                                 e man'8 heart  and  Cbnsciousnes,S,


                                           T H E   S T A N D A R D ' B E A R E R   ~                                               439

   3. The awareness of, and agreement with-  this                    4. Although the verdict df the conscience, strictly
divine judgment against his- dead works is man's con- speaking, is always true and correct, the cons&ence
science.    It is an  ,evil conscience; a defiled con- should-always be subjected to a critical examination in
science.                                                          the light of objective revelation.
   ~4. The sacrifices of the Old Testament in them-                  5. A good consciencti, is -the apprehentiion  by faith
selves could never blot out these sentences of divine             of the justifying judgment of God in .Christ; an evil
condemnation, and the  conscidusness of them and conscience is the very oppqsite  of this.                           v
Bgreement  with them in the conscience. But the blood                6. Strictly speaking, the Christian is not delivered
of `Christ does purge the conscience from these dead              from his evil conscience as long as he is in this life:
works, these  self-condefining  sentences of the con- the consciousness of his past sins and his present trans-
sciences are blotted out by lHis persect  sacrifice, be-          gression's, as well as of the defilement of his old nature,
cause it is the sacrifice of the Son of God, offered              is, always iwith hiin, and he is aware that God's judg-
th?ough the eternal. Spirit, and without spot, Le. in ment condemns these sins. Hehce, his own conscience
perfect obedience. Through faith in Him the con- accuses him. However, the apprehension by faith
science is sprinkled and purged and the testimony of              of the justifying judgment of God in Christ is not
an everlasting and perfect righteousness takes its                simply ariother conscienoe, coordinate with his carnal
dominating place.  Apark from faith, therefore,  and              conscience, but is the awareness of a righteousness
outside  of- Christ, the old witness of condemnation is that overcomes  and completely negates the condemning
still in the conscience :- our co&cience accuses us.. But judgment of his accusing  consciente.   H,ence, he is
in Christ there is the testimony of an all overpowering           always-in need of the forgiveness of sins.
righteousness, putting to silence even `the voice of the                                                                  H. H.
old  constiience  of sin. A purged conscience is a con-
science that is justified by faith in Christ crucified
and. raised from the dead.                                                                                                          :'
    There is one more text in Hebrews in which the
term conscience occurs,' namely, ch. 13 :18. /Here the                  The Idea Of The Covenant*-
author declares : "for we trust we have a good con-
science." For the meaning of this, however, we may                    Since the time of the Reformation, the doctrine of
refer to our discussion of a good conscience in the               the covenant has occupied an important place in
epistles to Timothy. The fact that here kaleen is useci Reformed theology, and a dominating position in the
instead. of agatheen  makes no material difference.  `It life of the Reformed churches. It is a peculiarly
probably adds ,the notion that a good conscience is also Reformed heritage, even more distinctively so than
beautiful and pleasant. `*
                       -              -                           the doctrine of  sover&gn  predestination, for while
                                                                  the latter truth  is, held by other than  R,eformed
    We now offer the following conclusions :                .-    churches, the truth of the covenant  `was developed
    1. Conscience is that function of our consciousness exclusively by them. And w,e can agree with.Dr. G.
whereby we are immediately aware of and agree with                Vds when he finds the reason for this in the strong
and consent to the judgment of  ,God concerning all               emphasis which Reformed theology places on the glory
our actions with respect to their ethical character and           of ,God as the end of till things, for the Pealization  of
value, which He inscribes into our consciousness by the covenant is, indeed, the highest self-revelation of
the Spirit and Word, either a;pproving or condemning              God as- the implication of all infinite perf,ections,  and
.us as the subject of our actions.                                as the Triune, Who within Himself lives a ,covenant
    2. Although the contents and the degree of ciear-             life of friendship. ( 1) .
ness of .the conscience- vary according to the light of
revelation reckived ; and although it is true that one                This development of and emphasis on is not' to be
may oppose and contradict the voice of his conscience ;           traced to Calvin as-its source, and-certainly not to
as an apprehension of the moral judgment of God Melanchton, the synergist,  ati sonie would contend,
the testimony and verdict of the conscience are always but rather to Bullinger and the Swiss theologians.
true and correct.                                                 Calvin does, indeed, speak of the covenant, both in his
    3. The Scriptural idea of the conscience  dif?ers             insistence of  the unity of the  `Old  >and New Testa-
from the categorical imperative in that it is not ante- ments, (2) and in his defense of paedobaptism (3) ;
cedent but sequent ; it is not directive but critical ; it        but he does so rather in passing. It was through their
does not command the will, but judge moral actions.               contact with Ztirich that Olevianus and the Reformed
This does not mean, of course, that the critical verdict theologians of Germany gave the doctrine of the cove-
of conscience when passed upon an inner thought or                :?  Paper delivered -at the Conference with the IBrethren  :of the
desire, may not restrain the outward act.              .          Reformed Church in`th_e  U. S., Sept. 1945.


  4 4 0                               T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

  through the same contact this truth received a place        lation between God and man may assume. Taking
  nant an integral place in their theology  l(4) ; and my subject somewhat broadly, I shall try, after having
  in the theological system of `the theologians of  Re- given a historical review of the question, to answer
 -formed persuasion in the. Netherlands, such as Junius,. three questions, viz.,' 1. What is the covenant relation?
 ~Gomarus,  Trelcatius Sr. and Jr., `etc. and in England, 2. What is its deepest ground? 3. How is it finally
  of whom  -may be  .mentioned the names of Thomas           realized?
 Blake, Perkins, and James .Ussher.  (5). The develop-           When we consult our Reformed Confessions, we
 ment seems to have been thus that the idea of the find little or nothing that can be of aid to us in defining
  covenant was applied, first of all, to the relation be-    the idea of the covenant. The Heidelberg Catechism
 tween God and His elect -in Christ, and to the way of       merely declares that infants "sowohl als die Alten in
 salvation, and later to the relation between. God and       den Bund Gottes and seine ,Gemeinde gehoren," and,
 Adam in the state of rectitude. `The former became therefore, "sollen  `sic durch die Taufe, als des Bundes
 known as the covenant of grace, the latter was known        Zeiehen, der christlichen Kirche  ,eingeleibt  und von
 by various terms, such as the covenant of works, the        her unglaiibigen  Kindem  unterschieden werden," but
covenant of nature, the covenant of the law.                 -does not define the idea of the covenant. The  Con-
     This latter development of the idea of the covenant fessio Belgica declares of the children of the believers:
 with Adam is evident from the Reformed Confessions.         "lesquels  nous  crayons devoir  etre  bapti&s et  scelles
 For while some of the earlier Confessions, such as the      du signe d'alliance." Our Baptism Form speaks of an
 Confessio Belgica and the Heidelberg Catechism do           "eternal covenant of grace," which  -*God the Father
 speak of the covenant of grace, they fail to mention seals unto us, and of two parts. in the covenant, our
 the covenant of works. (6). And  .not only are they         part consisting in this, that we are "obliged unto new
 silent concerning the covenant relation between God         obedience, namely that we cleave to this one God,
 and man in' the state of rectitude, but it is a striking    Father,` Son, and Holy Ghost; that w,e trust in him,
 fact that, in their explanation of original sin they -and love him with all our hearts, with all our souls,
 follow the organic line,.and  omit the idea of the impu-    with all our mind, and with all our `strength; that we
 tation of Adam's guilt to all his posterity altogether,     forsake the world, crucify our'old nature, and walk in
  (7). This is all the more important in' view of the a new and holy life; and it declares that "baptism is
 fact that Reformed theologians generally adopted the        a seal and undoubted testimony that we have an eternal
 creationist view of the origin of the individual so~zl.     covenant of grace with God." And children of be-
 .Even the, Canons of Dordrecht, 1613-19, attribute the      lievers are said to be entitled to baptism "as heirs of,
 corruption of the human nature wholly to the propa-         the kingdom of God ,and of his covenant." (10). All
 gation of the fallen and corrupt nature of our first this is, indeed, significant, but it offers no definition of
 parents : the idea of federal imputation is not so much the covenant.
 `as suggested. (8). Only when we come to the Wlest-            The ,Westminster  Confession reflects the later de-
minster -Confession, which dates' from the middle of         velopment of the covenant id,ea in English theology.
 the' seventeenth century, do we find mention -of the        It describes the covenant with Adam as something
 covenant of Works,  and, in close connection therewith,     added to his relation to God as creature, and as "a
 of the imputation of original guilt as a basis for the      covenant of works, wherein life was promised to Adam,
 corruption of all mankind. (9). Since that time, -and in him to his posterity, upon condition of perfect
 however, also the idea that the original relation be-       and personal obedience" ; and speaks of the covenant
 tween God and man was that of a covenant,-was gener- of grace as a second covenant, "wherein he freely
 ally accepted and developed by- Reformed theologians offered unto sinners life and salvation by Jesus Christ,
 everywhere. The covenant idea occupies  an- essential       requiring -of  th'em  faith in. him that they may be
 place in any Reformed system of dogma. Reformed             saved.", (11). . Here we meet with the idea of the cove-
 theology is federal theology.                               nant. as something additional -and secondary, a way to
    Now, in this ,essay we are to answer the question:       a certain goal, a means to `an end. And it is- this notion.
 what is the idea of the covenant? By idea, I take it, is that has become rather prevalent in Reformed theology.
 meant something similar to general conception. The             Thus Turrentine defines the covenant as follows:
 term is derived from the Greek id&, to see, and refers      "Atystricte  et propTie notat pactionem Dei cum homine,
 therefore to a mental image of anything, whether sens-      per quam Deus sua bona, et praecipue  vi&am aeternam,
 ible or insensible. M!y subject, therefore, concerns the illi promittit, et ab homine-vicissim officium .et cultum
 proper conception of the covenant in all its essential      restipulatur, certis signis externis confirmationis causa-
 elements, such as might be expressed in a definition.       adhibitis, quod dipleuron et mutuum vocatur, quia
 Besides, the subject as it was assigned to me tacitly       mutua constat partium foederatarum obligatione, hint
 implies that there. is one, general idea or concept of promissione a parte Dei, inde conditionis stipulatione
 t?le  covewnt   th&  Is  coagyzq  ts  evk-y form  this  ye- &j hoiniaig p&e," that is;
                                                                          _                Y&rictly and properly the


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D         13EAliERL  j  :`.  `,!                         441

covenant denotes a pact of  &od with man, through man. (19). The idea of the covenant is, according to
 which God promises his blessings, particulaY'ly ete?rial him, expressed in the definition that it is an alliance
  life, to that one, and in like manner from man re- between two  pairties`against  a third. (20).  '
  quires due obedience and loving worsllip,  certain exi         Also Dr. Bavinck emphasizes that the  .covenant
 ternal signs being ,employe.d for the sake of confirma- rests in the covenant-life of God Himself : "Het pacturn
 tion ; which is called bilateral and mutual, because it      salutis doet ons de verhouding en het leven der drie
  is established by. a-mutual obligation of the covenanting personen  in het Goddelijk  wezen kennen als een ver-
parties, here by the promise on the part of God; there bondsleven, als een leven der hoogste zelfbewustheid
 by the keeping of the condition 0~ the part of man."         en der hoogste vrijheid. Hier, binnen het Goddelijk
     Van Maestri&t defines the covenant as "een over- wezen,  heeft. het verbond zijn volle realiteit." (21).
  eenstemming tusschen .God en Zijn volk, waarin *God         He even finds in the covenant the very -essence of re-
 belooft de gelukzaligheid en allerlei daaraan onderge-       ligion, as fellowship with the living God. (22) . But
  skhikte goederen #en eischt afhankelijkheid tot Zijne also he `ultimately considers the covenant as a means
 ,eer en heerlijkJleid;  en de Kerk van hare zijde belooft to an  .end, as a way of salvation. The covenant of
aan ,God afhankelijkheid en gehoorzaamheid en eischt grace "beschrijft den weg, waarlangs deze  uitver-
  de belofte beloo@-ng." And he defines the `%oven&t          korenen tot hunne bestemming zullen geraketi ; het is
  of works" as "Dat verdrag `t welk God in Adam inge-         de bedding, waarin de stroom $er verkiezing zich vqort-
 gaan heeft met het gansche menschelijke geslacht om          beweegt naar  Pe  .eeuwigheid   heen." (23). And Dr.
  aan hetzelve te geven het ,eeuwige leven otider  beding     G.`Vos defines the covenant of gra& as "the gracious
 van- eene v@omene gehoorzaamheid." (13) . The cove- pact between the- offended God and the offendilig sin-
 nant, according to him, is strictly bilateral, has two ner,- in which <God  promises &&rnal  lifein the way of,
  parties, that enter into a mutual treaty: God and the ftiith in Christ and the sinner accepts this believing-
  Church. (14). And according to Brake& the covenant ly." (i4). And identically the same definition may be
  of grace is "een overeenkomst of verdrag. . . .  tus-       found in the "Dogmatiek" of  Prof; F. M.  T,en  Hoor.
sbhen God. . . . en de  uitverkorenen,  in welke God          ( 2 5 ) .
 belooft `de verlossing. . . . en zaligheid, in welke de         All these definitions of the covenant have this in
 mensch toestemt, dezelve aanneemt,?' et&. (14) . And common that they d'escribe  the covenant as a means
 the "covenant of works" he defines as an  "overkeri-         to an end, `not as an end, the highest end in itself.
  komst tusschkn God en -bet menschelijk `geslacht-  in They differ only in their denotation df the essence of
  Adam, in welke God de eeuwige zaligheid belooft, the covenant, some emphasizing the idea of an agree-
  onder voorwaarde van gehoorzaamheid, en den eeuwi-          ment or. pact or alliance, others that of the protise,
  gen dood dreigt, indien hij niet gehoorzaamde, welke -still others that of a way unto s&lvation. They differ,
 belofte ken voorwaarde Adam aannam." (15). Accord- too, in their description of the parties of the covenant,.
  ing  to Prof. W.  Heyns,' the essence of the covenant       and their rblation to each other. According to some,
  is the "belofte om u te zijn tot een God." This prom- .the covenant is ,strictly unilateral, according to others
  ise, according to him, gives to all that ar.e born under    it is completely bilpteral, while still others prefer to
the covenant, the objective right to the inheritance of       speak of the covenant as unilateral in its origin'but.
  salvation, but their actual coming into possession of bilateral in its operation. And again, some identify
  that inheritance, and the application by the  Spiu'it the pactunz salutis with the covenant of grace, while
  to them of all the blessings-of salvation, depends tipon    others  coniider the covenant of redemption as the
  their consent by faith to the covenant. (16).               basis for the covenant of grace. Some insist that the
     In the more recent Dutch theologians one finds the covenant of grace is established with ,Christ, others
glimmer of a deeper and richer notion of the covenant.        call it & pact between God and the -elect, while some
Dr. -A. Kuyper Sr. begins to emphasize the funda- prefer  to. speak of it  as an agreement between the
  mental-truth that God is a covenant <God  in /Himself,      offended  .God.  and the offending sinner. But always
  and that the relation between the three perso\s  of the the,covenant  is essentially a means to an end, a pact or
  Trinity is a covenant relation.  He finds in this           agreement, and'the essential elements are always the
  covenant-life of the triune Jehovah the basis for all promise of eternal life and the conditions of faith and
  covenant `dealings of God with man. And  he even o b e d i e n c e .
  speaks of the covenant as a relation of friendship,            There are several grave and  serious objections
  in which `God eats and drinks with man, and speaks          against this -Dreseritation  of the idea of the cov_enant.'
  with him as a man with his brother, -as a friend with       First of all, how  can man' ever be  .a party, a con-
  his friend. (1'7). "Verbondssluiting is' een daad van tracting party, fin relation to the living God? God is
  vriendschap." (18). Yet, ultimately, he d&es not trans- God, the infinite, eternal, self-existent ,One. He is the
  cend the notion of the coven'ant -as a means to an end,     Lord, the absolute Sovereign, out of Whom and through
  as an. agreement or pact or alliance between God anc$ Whom, and unto `.Whqm  are all things. There is none
                                                                                                                       . .


                            .
442                                 T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                  .          ._     ,.     I-

 beside Him. And man is the creature, that owes all that our part of the covenant is not a condition-which
 that he: is `and has, body and' soul, all his powers and we must fulfill in order to enter into the covenant of
 talents,  his entire existence, every moment, to his God, but rather our expression, as rational and moral
 Lord  arid Creator. God is the Fount, and man is the creatures, of -the covenant relation which God estab-
 creature that drinks from that Fountain  of, good.         lishes with us by  /His grace. The covenant is first,
 God is the all-sufficient I AM, man is completely and established with us .through "God's part," and our part
 constantly dependent for his whole life and ,existence     follows, and is the fruit of that gracious act of ,God.
 upon Him. There is no obligation man can assume               Nor do we  eve? read in Scripture of a mutual
 apart from that which is  encumbent  upon  him by.. -transaction  betw.een  .Gocl and man, in  which God
 reason of his being a creature : to love the Lord his God stipurates  certain conditions, which man accepts, and
 with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all by fulfilling which he  majr make himself  worthy of
 his m@d, and with all his strength, every moment of #eternal  life. The covenant of works is usually des-
his existence. IHe can bring.nothing to God, whose is cribed as consisting in a p-romise,  a' condition, and a
 all the silver and the gold, alid the cattle on a thousand penalty. The promise is said to  be eternal  Iife,  l-he
hills. IHe can `do nothing for the Most High, Who, is       condition is obedience in regard to .the probationary
 perfectly self-sufficient. All the good man has is a command not to eat of the forbidden tree; and the
 gift of grace, of free and sovereign favor, from his       penalty is death. But, first of all, let it be noted that
 God. Everi if he may love' and serve his Creator, it is    Scripture dqes not spkak one word, in the first three
 a gift- of divine goodness, for which man owes Him         chapters of -`Genesis, of a mutual agreement b&ween
thanks. How, then, can the relation of that creature        God and Adam. It is God that acts, and  iHe alone.
to his Creator ever be or become an agreement or pact,      He plants the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the
according to which man may merit something higher garden, and He gives Adam the command: "thou shalt
than he has already attained, `even eternal life? Shall     not eat-of it." `The command is in no wise contingent
 I make an alliance with the worm that crawls at my upon Adam's agreement or consent. He is under the
feet? Can the man that owes me a thousaild dollars law. Secondly, the idea that God promised- Adam
merit some other good that I am able to bestow upon eternal -life .in case he obeyed t&is command, is a pure
him, by paying his debt? Can man, then, be a con- invention. Scripture does not speak of such a promise,
tract&g party with the Most High., and merit any- nor suggest it. The notion of such a promise is de-
thing with Him to Whom he owes all? God forbid ! The        duced from the threatened penalty: death. It is
 covenant between God and man can never be a pact argued that, since death was the penalty on dis-
with mutual stipulations, conditions, and promises          obedience, eternal life was the implied promise. And,
       Reformed theologians have felt this objection. And, it may be granted, Adam would not have died had he
 therefore, they u&ally add that this farm of dealing r,emained obedient to God's command, but this does
 on the part of ,God with man, is due to His condescend-    not imply that he would have attained to eternal life,
iilg grace and mercy. By grace man is put in a posi-        and to heavenly  gl.ory.    He would have been con-
tion in which he is a party wit4 God, and is able to firmed in-the state of 1if.e in which he had been created.
merit or attain some higher good, particularly eternal Moreover, we may safely state that eternal life is a
life. But I obj,ect that ,God cannot deny Him&If, and form of fellowship with the living God which .Adam
that even' by grace He cannot so cotidescend  to man        could never attain. It is a form of life that has and
that the latter becomes a party next to Him, so that he requires for its basis the union of ,God and man estab-
has the prerogative to make his stipulations, and to. lished in the incarnation of the Son of God, and that
demand eternal life on the basis- of anything that he has its central realization iti the resurrection df Jesus
has done. The  declaratibn of the law: "do this and         Christ from the dead. No promise of eternal life,
thou shalt live," is for ever true, to be sure, because -therefore, was, nor could have been, extended to Adam,
0bedienc.e~  is the sole way of God's favor, and in His nor was the keeping of the  probatidnary command
favor is  .life; but it does not, and can never mean        pres&Qed  to him as a condition unto that higher,
that by keeping God's precepts man in the state of heavenly life.
righteousness could attain to that higher state which        No& is that other, manifestation of the covenant
 is called life eternal, and which is attainable only that .is called the covenant of grace ever presented in
through the Son of God. And it is -true, that in the Scripture as a pact or agreement. Uniformly we read
 covenant of grace, as in ~$1 covenants, there are, in- that God establishes His covens&.  When, after man
 deed, two parts, and tliat our part of the covenant had violated God's covenant, He cbntinues and main-
 is that we love the Lord our God with all our heart,       tains it, He reveals this act of grace in a sovereign
 and with all our mind, and with .a11 our soul, and with dgclaration  : "I will put enmity between thee and the
 all our strength; but let me remark, first of all, that woman, and betw,een thy seed and her seed, it shall
 "part$' & Q& the same 8s "parties" ; -and, secondly, bruise: thy head, atid thou shalt bruise-his heel." Gen,


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D             BEALZ'ER                 -                                    443

 3 : 15. On man's .consent this Tealization  of the cove-       idea of the covenant cannot be cdrrectly  represented
 nant depends in no wise. Both  b&fore and immediately by those notions of it that make it a way to salvation,
 after the flood, the Lord says- to Noah that He will or a-means to an #end. It is an everlasting covenant.
 establish His covenant with hiti, and -witli his seed.         "I will  make an everlasting covenant of peace with
 The covenant is God's, and He alone establishes it. you," Isa. 55 :3. "I will make an everlasting covenant
 Gen. 6:X; 9 :ll. The same expression is used to de-            with them," Isa.  $1:8. "And  I  will  make  an  ever-
 note God's covenant with Abraham. Gen. 17 :7. And lasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away
 thus it is throughout Scripture. Through Isaiah Jeho- from them, to do them good ; but I will put my fear in
 vah says to IHis people: "I will make  an everlasting their hearts, that they shall not depart froin me." Jer.
 covenant of peace with you." Isa. 55 :3; and through           32 :40. "Moreover .I will make a covenant of peace
 Jeremiah: "I will make a new covenant with the house with. them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with
 of Israel." Jer. 31:31; Heb. 8 :8-10. And the unilateral them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and
 character of the covenant is clearly  r,evealed in the will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for ever-
 vision of Jehovah to Abraham recorded in Gen. 15 :9 ff. more." Ezek. 37 :26.                       Similarly, our  Baptisti Form
 Abraham is commanded' to  ta@e several sacrificial _ speaks of an eternal covenant of grace. Now, a way is
 animals, divide- them into halves, and lay the pieces in not everlasting. When the destination is r,eached the
 a. row over against each other. Jehovah then, under way is come to an ,end. A means is not eternal. When
 the symbols of a smoking, furnace and a burning lamp, the thing to be effected by it has been attained, the
 passes through the midst of the pieces. The meaning means has  served  its purpose. An  .everlasting  cove-
 of this ritual of passing between the halves of the .nant, therefore, is not 3 way or means, `but is the des-
 sacrificial animals must have been well known to tination, the end itself. It is not accidental, but es-
 Abraham. It' symbolically expressed that the cove-  seTltia1.
 nant was inviolably ratified, and that he that so rati-                                     (to be continped)                 H. IH.
 fied it, guaranteed it with his life, would rather go
 through death than annul it. Now, while in perform-
 ing this ceremony the covenanting parties usually'                                            REFERENCES
 would pass through the pieces, because a  coven.ant
 could not be of one,' in the visipn of Genesis 15 the          (1) Dr. G. Vos, De  Verboindsleer  in de Gereformeerde Theologie,
 Lord alone performs this act, thus indicating that He                p. 15. H.  Bavinck,  Gereformeerde Dogmatiek, III,  21Gff.
 is His own party, and that He alone establishes His             (2) Calvin,  Institutio,  II, 10, lff.
covenant. This is probably the reason, tihy the word             (3) Calvin, Institutio, IV, 16, J-6.
 BERITH is usually rendered by the Greek cliatheke,              (4)  G.  vows,  0~. Cit.  P.  6,  ff.
 which &mphasizes the onesidedness of this covenant.             (5)  Bavinck,  Op. Cit. III, 217.                                  3
    To this we may add the  congideration  that this (6) Conf. Belg. art., 34; Heid. Cat. qu. 74.
 follows also from the fact that the covenant is historic-       (7)  Heid.   ,Ca%.  au. 7; Conf. Belg. art. 15;  Gan. of Dordtrecbt,
 ally established in the line gf .continued generation,               III, IV, l-3.
 and that infants as well as adults are comprehended             (8) Cap. III, IV, l-3.
 in the covenant of God. How could they be included in           (9)  .Westm. Conf.  Cap; VI, 3.
the covenant  if the establishment of it were a pact, .( 10) Baptism Form, Doctrinal Part.
 and depended  uDon the consent of the covenanting               (11) Westminster  Conf.  Cap. VVI, 1-3.
 parties ? Ref armed  theologians generally have felt            (12) Institutio Theologiae Elencticae, Fr.  T,urrettinus,  I, 517.
 that it is absurd to speak of the covenant as an agree-               Edinburgh, 184'7.
 ment, a mutual alliance between the infinite God and            ( 1 3 )   P .   Va,n  Maestricht,   IBseschouwende   e n   .Praktikale'  God-
 the speck .of dust that` is man, and, therefore, they                 geleerdheit,  Vol. II, book III, 7 ff.
 usually admit that it is unilateral in its establishment.       (14) Idem,  Vol. `III, Book VII, 2 ff T
 But if this- be true,  jt depends throughout on  ,God           (15) Brakel, Redelijke Godsdienst, I, 292, ,353.
 alone.  `It is- nb long&r a pact; It has no conditions. ~ (1.6) W. Heyns, Genadeverbond,  p. 11, ff.
 God sovereignly performs all that belongs to the                (17) A. Kuyper Sr. De Leer Der Verbonden, I, II, ff.
 establishment and realization of the covenant.           He     (1'8) A. Kuyper  Sr., De Gemeene  Gratie,  I, 287.
 alone and sovereignly determines who are to be re-' (19) A. Kuyper, De Leer Der Verbonden, .I; p. 26.
 ceived ilito covenant relation with Him. And on His             (20) A. Kuyper, De Gemeene Gratie, I,  2'88  ff.
 faithfulness alone it is based. God is faithful! That  (21)  H.  Bavinck, Gereformeerde Dogmatiek,  III, 222.'
 is the reason why the covenant is ete$`nal.  IHe main-          (22)  Idem,  II, 611, III, 211.
 tains it. That is why it cannot be broken. It is an             (23)  Idem,`~K  241.
 everlasting covenant !                                          (24) G. Vos,  Spstematische  Theologie,  Compen&um,  p. 115.
     And here  1;ies another reason  whys  the Script&al  (25.1  I?.  M.  Ten  Hoor,  DogmatFk,  P. 119.                         H . - H .


   444                                         T H E   ST.ANDARD  B E A R E R

                                                                     reason of what it  a&s. It is this secondly because
              .THEKRJGH' THE ,AGES
          `!  i.1                                                    `the voice of the church is the voice-of ,Chyist. Christ
                                                                     is the interrogator -here ; the one replying to this ques-
                                                                     tion answers Christ, before whose sight all things are
            The Cding of the Minister                                naked and opened. `Thirdly, consider the answer :
                                                                     "Yes, truly, with all my heart.? If a man decides to
                       of The Gospel *                               study the theology in preparation for the ministry of
                                                                     the gospel in the same franie of mihd and heart that
                               (Conclusjon)                          any worldly man decides to study for lawyer or doctor
                                                                     or for whatever profession it may be, he may find' him-
       In the light of ohservation"previously  made we can self in a predicament when finally confronted by this
   understand the question that the church puts to the question of the Form. For he ordered his life like a
   minister of the gospel when she ordains him, this worldling. I The worldly man buys land sells, disposes
   qu&tion,  "I ask thee, whether thou feelest in thy heart of -one farm and takes another, throws over this job
   that  thou- art lawfully called of God's church, and for  that. Today he is farmer, next year a carpenter,
  therefore of God Himself, to this holy ministry?" What and the following `year he buys a store.' Today he
  the minister of the gospel fe.els in his heart, namely that        lives here and tomorrow he takes up his' residence
  he is called of God, is a matter of divine revelation, and         there, and the' only one whom he consults- is himself
   this of necessity,-as.he-is called of God. IBence,  the ques- and the only question he asks is, "does it pay; is it to
   tion does not mean, "Dost thou feel in thy heart that the my material advantage." He never asks, "Lord, what
   church in calling thee violated no ecclesiastical rules?" wilt than have me to do?" Then on -a day, when-,dis-
  That is determined by investigation and is therefore               gusted with things in general, he might throw down
  not a matter of divine revelation. Nor can the ques- his tools and decide to study for the ministry, if he is
  tion mean, "do you feel in your heart that you received not too old. This man has' reaspti to be afraid of' that:
  the-majority of' votes of the calling church and that question of the Form, should he be confronted with it.
  .you have in your possession its call-letter ?"                       But the young man, who by the mercy of God has
   The expression: "Do jrou feel iii your heart", is not learned to ask, "Lord, what wilt thou have tie to do?"-
  used of matters that can ,be seen and handled,, investi- need not be afraid of this question. The first thing
  gated, proved and demonstrated.~  The question under that Paul asked when converted. is, "Lprd, what 9ilt
  consideration.means  this, `;Dost  thou feel in thy heart thou have me to do?" And the Lord told him and will
   that the voice of the church is the voice of Christ,              tell  anjr man who asks, also tell him that he must
laying necessity upon thee, and that therefore thou study theology in preparation for th-e miliistry of the
 art called of God to this holy ministry, so that thou gospel,+ell  him not by an audible voice from heaven
  muit preach God's Gospel and that wqe is unto thee,                in a vision during the night, but through the events
  if thou dost not preach God's gospel."               _             and experiences that form his daily living, and through
      `Thus the question does not mean to convey  the                what the man is physically, mentally, and spiritually;
  thought that it his really the church that calls a man and .then the man enters the seminary feeling in his.
  to the holy ministry. The church can rio more call a heart that necessity is laid upon him to study theology
  man to the holy ministry than-she can call a sinner out            in preparation for the holy `ministry, and that there:
  of darkness-into God's light. The church proclaims fore he is in the Lord's way-the way that leads to
  the call; she says to the man whom she ordains,                    tl-ie office of minister of the gospel. Then when finally
  "Preach th;e gospel ; feed the flock of ,God; love Christ ;' the church of God put$ to him the question : "Dost thou
  feed His sheep." The church proclaims to- the man. feel in thy heart that thou .art. called of God's church
  Christ's words of blessing.; but it is Christ who binds            and therefore of God Himself to this holy ministry",
  these commands and exhortations on his heart so that he with a good conscience before God replies, ,"Yes,
  he feels in his heart that he is called of `God. Thus truly, with all my heart."
  it is Christ who by the voice of the.church commands- D It is necessary that a young man enter the seminary
  and authorizes the man to preach God's gospel, and                 feeling in his heart that he must study theology in  :
  who blesses the man-the called one-and thereby pr.eparation  for the Holy ministry, that this necessity
  qyalifies him for the work of the ministry.                        iS laid upon him. That man is -in `earnest and will
      ,Rightly considered, that question of the Form:                apply-himself  with zeal. But not until he is called of
  "Dost thou feel in thy heart that thou~ art called of the church is he called of God to the holy ministry.
  Gdd's church and therefore of God Himself to this                     Now there have always been some to. deny this.
  holy ministry", is a terrible  quest'ion. It is this  bg `The contention is that the Lord'does.not call through
  * Address delivered on the occasion% of the graduation  of Can&    His church but apart .from His church through the
  date  Jalnt2s  Bepr~~zyl.                                          Spirit; t&et  3 ministry called of the church is A cx'eaq
                                                                                                                       ._


  .                                      TH.E  - S T A N D A R D               BEARER                                      445
               ._
  tion of  man.,  But this reasoning is not according to not -preaching  through them; and if ,Christ does not
  the Scriptures. ; TruE: it is, that the prophets of ,fhe            preach, the gospel is  not being  pr+ehed;  @d if the
 Old Testament were. called directly  of  God..  The                  gospel is not beihg preached, the  `church is not be-
 apostles were sent directly by Christ. But even long ing gathered ; and. if `the church is not being gath-
  before the death of the last apostle Christ began call-             ered, there is `-no. church ;- and if the& is no church,
  ing His servants by the  vbice of the church. The there is no Christ. And if there is -no Christ, there
  seven deacons. of the church in Je`rusalem were called is no God' and Father of Christ with a people whom
  of the church. Statements occur in the Epistles plainly He chose to  dwell with Him in His house as re-
  indicating that the common pastors and teachers in deemed from all their sins. Such are  the=dreadful
  the apostolic churches were called `of the congregations.           implication of the denial of the truth and fact that
  Paul was sent by the church in Antioch to the Gen- the minister of the gospel is called of God's church
  tiles. ,                                                            aild thegefore  of God Himself to the Holy Ministry,-
       However, if the voice of the calling church is to.be           called as actually as Moses. and Samuel `were called of
  the voice of ,Christ, obligating a tian to preach God's             G o d .                                       . .
gospel, the chu?ch must call  Zazbfully. So our Reform-                     Further, that God calls a man, commands, author-
  ed fathers insisted and rightly so. The question put to izes,  :and qualifies him to preach God's gospel, has  -
  the one ordained reads, "Dost thou feel in thy heart                great meaning for  .that man. For him whom the
  that thou are  ZazufihZZ7-j  called of God's church and             Lord commands and sends, I$e also qualifies for the
  th,erefore  of- God [Himself ?" According to Art. 4 of work of the ministry. The Lord's qhalifying a man
  the Church Order, the lawful calling of those who have consists first of all in his causing a man to spiritually
been previously in office consists: first in election by discern that apart from Christ  .he is a sinful man,
  the consistory in cooperation with the congregation ;               unwilling and' without strength. Aware of his  ?m-
  second, examination-; and third, ordination. If a man potence, he by the mercy of God besieges God's throne
  is not called of the consistory in cooperation with the for'grace to do that which he must do but cannot do.
  congregatioh;  thus called o$ the church, he is not called And in the' way of his prayers, the Lord fulfills all his I
  of God ;  .for- Christ calls only through the church.               needs.. Let us beware of the man whb' says.that he
  Secofidly, the church must examine a man b,efore  she likes to be a mipister of the gospel but cannot say that
  invests him with the office, if the voice of the ctiurch he- feels in hjs heart that he must `be a minister of
  is to be the voice of Christ, obliging a man to preach              the gospel. That man is not called of God.
  God's gospel. -A church that does not first examine                       Finally, there is the question hoti the church may
  renders the office of Jninisters  of Ahe gospel accessible          know that a man is truly called of God's church and
  to unworthy men. Christ certainly will not call by the therefore of God Himself to the Holy'J&nistr$.  Amman
  voice of a church guilty of this sin. Finally, the church may. say that he feels in. his heart that he is called'
  must ordain a man ; that is, command, admonish, ex- of God, but how may the church know that `the man
  hort, and bless him with the Scriptures, if the voice speaks the truth or that he is not deceiving hiimself ?
  of the church is to be the voice of Christ. Christ binds            What to the church is the sign that the Lord -has
  these commands and exhortations upon the ,heart of a actually sent him? There is such a sign. It is given
  man, and thereby calls him, so that if these commands               b$ the Lord IHimself and receives s6temen.t  at Deut.
  and words of blessing are not ,$pok_en-officially  pro-             18:23, where we read, "When a prophet spkaketh in
claimed, by the church-there is no  word by which the name-of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nqr come
  Christ `calls a m&n to the !Holy Ministry.                          to pass, that is the thing the Lord hath not spoken, but
       We now pass on to our next point: the significance the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt
  of being called of God's church and therefore. of God               not be  afraih of him," `that, is, thou shalt not hear
  Himself to the holy ministry. One brief  statement him but turn away from him, for I have not sent hiti.'
  will suffice her& To deny this calling is to, say that In the Old Dispensation there were men who said that
  there. is no such. thing as God's raising up, command- the Son of  ,God would come into the flesh, that He
  ing, .qualifying, and authorizing men' to preach His would atone for the`sins of His people by His suffer-.
  .gospel. And were this true, the gospel is not being ings and.death. They said this not in the language of
  preached.          For certainly a man cannot  command,             the N'ew Testament Scriptures, but in the language of
  authorize, .and qualify himself to preach .God's gospel.            a typical dispensation. And they said, too, that they
  The only one who can do that Is God, so that if He is               spoke in .the name of the Lord and that the Lord sent
  not doing it, no man is being commancled,  authorized..             them.     The Lord sent. them indeed ; for the thing
  and qualified to preach God's gospel. And if so, God's fdllowed. It came to pass. And they also said that
  gospel is not being preached, though the earth  be                  this ~world is passing away, and that there will be new
  filled with men. preaching the gospel. For these men                heavens and a riew earth. And through all the suc-
 ar,e  not  callgd of  God,  a,nd  sot being called,  ,Christ-  is    ceeding ag,es of the past ts the present there have been

                                                                       1                                                          I

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

  men and there now are and ever will be men as long          potsherd  td scrape the sores. The suffer,er was haunt-
  as the earth endureth, who have made and are making -ed by terrible dreams; and unearthly terrors, and har-
  these prophecies their own. And they say that they          rassed by a sensation of choking. While in this state,
  speak Yn the name of the Lord and that the Lord s&t his.breath was strange to his wife,~his kinsfolk failed
  them. Let us receive these  men, for the Lord sent him, his friends f.orgot him, and even the young child-
  them indeed. For the thing follows. It comes to pass.       ren despised him. "IHave  pity on me", he cried out,
  The world is passing away. There will be new heavens "have .pity on me, 0. my friends, for the hand of God
  and a new earth, where the tabernacle of God will be hath touched nie." But they had no pity.
  with men.                                  G. M.. 0.            In the beginning of his trial, Job's faith was strong.
                                                              As stripped of all his material. possessions, and as
                                                              standing in the ,midst of the coffins of his ten children,
                                                              he  worshipped  and said, "Naked came I out of my
           TkE DAY OF SHADOWS                                 mother's womb, naked shall I return thither: the Lord
                                                              gave, the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name
                                                              of the Lord." But then, as his  anguiih and pain in-
           Job Se& God With His Eye                           creased, Job lost sight of God and d'escended into the
                                                              deep, and hell rejoiced, for it seemed as though his
      Let us now turn to the book of Job and read at faith had ceased. As submerged in the flood of trouble-
  verses five and six of chapter 4%' as follows, ."Then Job that sw,ept over him, he hurled curses at the day of his
  answered the Lord and said, I have heard thee by the birth, accused God of destroying the perfect with the
  hearing. of the ear; but now mine eye seeth thee.           wicked, of laughing at the trials of the innocent, of
  Wherefore I abhor myself and repent in dust! and giving the (earth  in the- hands of the wicked, and of
  ashes."' Job was a true believer, tried perhaps, as no multiplying' his wounds without a tiause. S o   d i d   h e
  other  beli'ever-with  the  :exception  of Christ-has       set himself up as critic over God, in that dark hour,
 `ever been tried, the reason being that the Lord'wanted and deny the rectitude and the justice of his afflietiotis.
  to provide His" people with an outstanding example So do God's people behave, when, in their sufferings,
  of the indestructibility of their faith. Job's ease can     they lose sight of God, and the vile murmurings th&t
  be briefly stated. God had said of him, that thehe was      rise in their flesh, escapes their lips. Job's speech
  none like him in all the earth, a perfect and an upright became very bitter in that-dark hour. "If I am wick-
  man; fearing  ,God and eschewing evil.       But Satan ed," he complained, "why labor I in vain? If  f wash
  accused Job of serving ,God for gain and thereby slan- myself with snow water, and .make my, hands ever so
  dered God. For  .what Satan denied is, that God  is         clean ; yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine
  capable of attaching His people to Himself tlirough         own clothes shall abhor me." In other `words, "I am
  Christ by a true faith that cannot cease, is thus cap- to be guilty, ,God wants me so, even me, of all men.
  able of shedding  abroad in their .hearts a true love,      I was selected for this treatment. It is utterly vaip
  from which nothing can separate them. To silence the therefore that' I weary myself in trying to be innocent,
slanderer, God gave him power over all that Job had, that I may be acquitted of ,God." Job's faith seemed
  including his person. Satan now did his worst. Job to have ceased  indeed and hell rejoiced, though all too
  was rich in material substatice.  Besides, he lad sons      soon.. For this speech, however perverse, is not the
  to the number of seven and three daughters. Suddenly, mad ravings of an athiest, but the lamentations of one
 he was overtaken by a calamity of the first magnitude.       of the saintliest of men, who, as he passes through the.
  He was stripped of all his wealth. Fire from heaven         valley of the  shidows, loses sight of God for the
  consumed his -sheep and those that eared for them,          moment,=and  who is sad beyond words, because it
  and all his children were hurled into eternity by a         seems to him tha.t God, tihose fellowship he craves,
 mighty wind. Shortly thereafter, Job was smitten. now cdunts him as bne of His enemies. So, addressing
 with a terrible disease. A description of Job's plight,      God once more, he asks God to tell him the "why" and
 can be had from the book that bears his name. He the "wherefore" of lHis heavy rod, to make known to
 was stricken with boils from the, sole of. his foot to him the reason of the heavy tribul&ions peculiBr to
 the crown of his head. His form and countenance wer'e his trial. Why had .he, of all men, to suffer thus?
 so disfigured by the disease, that the sufferer's friends    "I will speak in the bitterness of my soul," such is now
 could not recognize him. -The ulcers, seized his whole his complaint, "I will say unto God,.  do not condemn
 body both without and inwardly, and emitted a loath- me ; shew me wherefore thou contendest with  nie.
 some smell, that drove ,everyone  from the sufferer's        Thou knowest that I am not wicked ; and there is none
 presence, and made-him seek refuge outside the village that can deliver out of thine hand." - But God is silent.
 upon an ash-heap. The ulcers were accompanied by -He will answer Job bu.t nbt immediately.
 an itching so intollerable, that he took a piece of             But three of the four friends, who came to com-


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                      447  -

  fort Job, imagine that they have the solu"iion  of his is for the spiritual uplifting of ,God's children.
  afflictions. They said to Job, that he was being smit-         Job has-heard the instruction and +he counsel of
  -ten because, in his well days, he had been walking in Elihu. And hearing  h& is silent. The  storm   .that
 the gross sins of godlqess men. "Thine iniquities, ,O Job, rages in his bosom subsid,es,  and he becomes thought-
  are infinite," they said, "for thou hastetaken  a pledge ful and pensive. For God is working in him His very
  from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked         own salvation,  &rough  sanehifying His word unto
  of their clothing. Thou hast not given `water to the Job's heart-the word spoken by Elihu. A new day
  weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread. from dawns in Job's soul, and the low-hanging vapors from
  the hungry. Thou h.ast sent widows away empty, and the abyss are being dispelled by the sanctifying breath
  the arms of the fatherless hast thou broken. There-         of God's Spirit, so that Job now breathes a purer
  fore snares are about thee, and sud.den  fear troubleth atmosphere.
t h e e ". But- Job was a man of singular uprightness.           But why does not Job now praise ,God and bless
  Yet; such was their  soiution of Job's pain. And by         His name and glory in tribulations? Why ,does he re-
  it they wounded his soul, cut him to the quick. These main silent? Because, though he. is making progress,
  friends have a theory as old as the patriarchs. But it he still hears of ,God by the hearing of the ear, per-
  is a theory, that is what it is-a theory picked up by       ceives rationally, that God is good, and that his af-
  the wayside ,and slung at random at those in affliciion     fliction is God's perfect work in him, a work of love.
  and distress. That the wicked are punished, Job well Jbb's discernment is not yet sufficiently spiritual.
  knew. But that they always receive their deserts in         That, "whom the Lord loveth, He chasteneth", is a
  this life-and such was the `contention of the three truth that,  .as yet, `does  .not stand out in his mind
  friends-he proves untrue. `The words of these friends as a blessed reaiity. IHe knows it to be true, but as yet
  went deep into Job's heart. Poor counsellors  they are he can  take no -comfort from it, so  -that his mouth
  indeed, Satan's right  hand, to hasten Job's infidelity,    remains closed.    He must first see God:  iHe must
  if ,God should permit.                                      first see God with. a spiritual eye, by means of intel-
      There was also  a fourth friend, who had come lectual faith-perceptian, before he can thank God for
  to comfort Job in his sorrows. His name was Elihu. his pain, and glory in his sorrows. He must first stand
  He `did not, as these three friends of Job had dofie,       on  \the summit of the hill of God and behold the
  accuse Job of having led, in his well days, a wicked life, beauties of the Lord in His temple, before he can
  to seek therein the solution of his pain. Proceeding praise. But that hill, that rock, is too fiigh for him.
  on the foundation of Job's being a true child of .God,      ,God must set him there, which He now does. For we
  but mindful of his being a sinful m&n, despite his read, "Then the Lord answered Job o_ut of the whirl-
  essential uprightness, he tells Job that God's visitation wind and said, "Who is this that darkeneth counsel by          ^
  upon him is a ministry of love, serit for his correction, words without knowledge." That one was Job. Of
  and that, in the way of his willingness to be corrected,    this he is guilty. Two things are implied in what the
  .God will heal all his diseases, restore his soul, and Lord here says to Job: that his sufiering is founded
  crown him anew with honor and glory.                        on a purpose of God and that Job, by his perverse
      Elihu speaks for God. For this is the true solutions speeches, is guilty uf distorting that'purpose by repre-
  of. Job's sufferings and of the sufferings of every senting it as caprice without purpose. He had ac-
  child of God.. In it -is contained the germ of the New      cused God, had he not, of `multiplying his wounds
  Testament teaching that "whom the Lord loveth he. without a cause; The Lord continues,  "Gipd up thy
  chasteneth, and scourges every son whom he receiveth        loins now like a man ; for I will demand of thee, and
  and that, if we endure chastening, God dealeth with us answer thou .me." This is a severe approach on the
  as with sons, Hebrew 126, 7. Elihu's solution of Job's part of `God. But Job had need of it for the breaking
  suffering is God's answer to Job's request that He          of his pride. He had set himself up as critic over God.
 reveal to him the "`why" and the "wherefore" of his And he must suffer until his pride is broken and he
  affliction.    .And although it leaves  unanstiered  the justifies God, seeks .his pardon, cleaves to Him as his
 question of the tribulations peculiar&o Job's trial and Saviour, and blesses this name. To attain his purposes
 the tribulations peculiar to every believer's trial-for with Job, God brings him face to face with His infinite
 all -God's people suffer not alike-it is the only answer goodness, virith His power, wisdom and knowledge, as
 that Job receives, because it is an answer fully satisfy- revealed gloriously in all the wonderful works of `His
  ing to faith, and it opened to Job and to every child hands in nature. !IIe directs Job's mind to the creation
  of God the  way of faith in his afflictions. It  sh6ws of the earth, to the formation of the sea, to the dawn,
 that, though it is true, that there is a suffering because to the underworld, to the surface of the earth, and to
 of sin, it is equally true that not all suffering can be     ice and  snow. And he asks Job, whether the  earth
 attributed to personal sin. There is a suffering amohg and its fulness is his work, -whether it is under his
 God's people which is nQt the result of wickedness; it government and control, and whether  he can explain


       448                                    T H E   S.T.&NDARti   B E A R E R

           its. operatiolis. "Where .wast thou," says the Lord to stood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew
           Job, "when I laid the foundations -of the ea&h? De- not." `Thou cl&teneth me, and I severely found fault
           clare, if thou hast understanding. Hast- thou com- with thee.. I said that in smitting me, thou wert un-
           manded the morning since thy days ; and caused the         just.  But I  spake without understanding and know-
           dayspring to know its place? Where is the way where ledge.'
           light dwelleth, knoweth thou it? Canst thou lift up           Job is now with .God in His holy temple, where he
           thy voice to the clouds, that aboundance of waters may sees God.with  his eye and gains a new insight into his
           cover  thee?  Canst thou send lightnings, -that they own vileness, wherefore, he says, "I have heard of thee
           may go and say unto thee, Here .w,e are."                  `by the hearing of the .ear but now my eye seeth thee,
              Turning from the inanimate creature, the Lord wherefore I abhore myseif and repent in dust and
           now directs the mind of Job to the wild roaming ashes." It is good for Job to be afflicted. Ascending
           animals, to the lion, the wild-goat, the raven, the hinds, from the valley of the shadows, he passes .onward-  and
           the wild-ass, the wild ox, .the ostrich, the war horse,    upward to new and unknown spiritual heights. He
           the hawk. And God asks Job whether these creatures tastes, as never before, that the Lord is good. The
           are in his hand, whether he can explain their behaviour question of the "wherefore" of the tribulation peculiar
           and whether they look up for their sustenance to him. to his trial no longer vexes .his soul. It is enough for  _
           "Kntiwest thou the time when the wild  gqats bring him to know that "whom-the Lord loveth He chasten-
       forth_? Who  provideth  the raven with food? Dbst              eth." He can only praise noti, for he sees God with -
       thou Job, H&t thoa given the horse str,ength?  Canst his eye.
       thou make him afraid l&e a grasshopper? Thou,, Job                So has %he slanderer been silenced ; for Job's faith '
       who striveth with the Almighty,  instrnct  him now.            did not cease. It  .could not. His faith had suffered
      `Thou, who  reproveth  `God, answer." We grasp the only an eclipse. See nbw what God does, to him. He
       thrust of this discourse of the Lord to Job. It is this. casts Job's sins behind him, defends Job before his
           `,O Job, art thou God, is power,, wisdom, knowledge accusers, vindicated him, heals his diseases, and crowns            -
       and understanding thine,.and  am I man, seated at thy him with honor and glory, not certainly because of any-
      .feet, that thou should&t r@rove and criticize me, and thing of goodness  inhbring in Job-Job is vile-but
       presume to be able to instruct me, as to how I should `solely for his own pame's  sake. `Certainly, the designs
      order thy life? If so, answer these questions,  atid I          of the book of Job is not to exalt Job but to abase
     p will listen and be informed."                                  h& and to exalt God's indestructible work of grace
              Then Job aqswered  the Lord and said, "Behold, I in him, and thus td exalt God, in order that He may
       am vile ; what shall I answ.er thee. I will lay tiy hand be feared.
       upon my m0uth.J' We grasp the thrust of Job's reply.            During the period of his suffering and pain,  Job
       It is this, "Thou art ,God and none else. Thine is all h&d put his trust in God. The conviction had continued
       the power and knowledge- and wisdom and under- to be his that Jehovah was his Goel, his defender and
      standing. That I, a sinful man, should have criticized redeemer, `who in His own good time would arise to
       thee. 0 the sinfulness -of sin, the amazing stupidity justify him in the hearing of his accusers and to de-
     ' of sin, even -as it riots in the flesh of God's people."       liver him for His name's sake out of all his troubles.
              But God is not yet done with Job. Job has made And the Lord .did not put him to shame. *He turned
       progress,  -but he is not yet  .where  `God wants him.' Job's captivity, he healed all his diseases and gave him
       So the Lord again answers Job out of the whirlwind twice as much as he had before, blessed his latter end
       and says, `"Gird up thy loins now like a man : I will more than the beginning.: "For he had fourteen thou-
       demand of thee and declare thou unto me. Wilt thou sand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand
       disannul my judgment? Wilt thou condemn tie, that yoke bf oxen, an+ a thousand she-asses: (He had also
       thou mayest be righteous." Also  -the thrust of this `seven  sotis and three daughters. . . i And in all the
       word of God to Job is, "Art thou Job God? Are divine land were no women found so fair as the daughters of
     . attributes thine?" The Lord continues, `"If so, deck Job: and their father gave them inheritance among .
     thyself now with  majesty and excellency.- Look on their brethren.
       every one that is ppoud  and'bring him low, and tread             And "then &me tinto him all his brothers and sis-
       down the wicked in their place. Then will ~1` also con- ters, and all they that had been of his acquai.ntance  be-
      fess unto thee that thine own right hand can save",             fore." During the period of Job's fiery trial all these
       `thus conf'ess that thou art God indeed.'           -          brethren, and sisters, and acquaintances had kept their
      '       It is enough. Job is  kumble now. "I know -that -distance. They had deemed. him smitten of God 6n
      thou  canst' do everything," such is his reply to the           account of his sins of which he was. innocent. Thus all
      Lord. "and that no thought can be withholden from had forsaken him. He bitterly complains of this, while
      thee.-' Who is he that hideth council?" `That one am in his great pain, "0 that I were as in months past, as
      I Lord.' "Therefore h&e I uttered things. I ,under- in the days when God preserved me. . . i When I went
L                   .


                                                                                                   I
                                      TH.E  STA.NDA,RD                B E A R E R                                   4 4 9

  out of the gate through the city. . . . The young men           We kw&men toe aan het de?de vers: "Want Hij zal
  saw me and hid themselves: and the aged rose and U redden van den strik des vogelvangers, van de .zeer
  stood up. . . . but now they that a& younger than .I         verderfelijke  pestilentie:"
  have me in derision." Truly, .&he plight of Jok;' was          . H,et moet direlit cluidelijk zijn, dat de Heere hikr
  sorry. But in all his troubl'e Job-held fast to God. And spreekt van ,vogelvangers  en pestilentie  in den figuur-
  this trust is rewarded. God causes even those acquaint- lijkep zin des woords.  Hkt beteekent niet, dat Gods
  ances to returll to Job and to retract their vile accus&     volk een vrijbrief heeft tegen allerlei ongemak  tiaar
  tions, and to confess that Job is one of God's just ones; het vleesch. Het gaat over.geestelijke dingen, waar-.
  the beloved of Jehovah. And this they confess through vau hi& gesproken w&dt in beeldspraak.
  their eatilig br'ead with him in his house, and comfort-        Eerst,  zou ik .willen zeggen,  dat het om 01;~~ ziel
  ing him and.giving him gifts. And after this Job,lived       gaat in dit veis, en niet over'het lichaam. Het lichaam
  a hundred and forty years, and saw his son's sons,           van  ,Gods volk is millioen  malen gevangen geweest
  even four generations. So died Job, old and full of days. in de strikken der goddeloozen, en de lichamen van
                                             G. M. 0.          Gods volk zijn evenzoogoed als van de goddeloozen,
                                                               verscheurd geworden door koortsen, ziekten en: pesti-
                                                               l&&&i~ Dat het over de ziel gaat, kunt .g;e .lezen in
                                                               Psalm 124 :7. Daar gaat h& ook over de vogelvangers
           S I O N 'S   ZANGEN.                                die er altijd.6~ uit zijn om de zielen van Gods volk te
                                                               vangen. Daar staat: "Onze ziel is ontkomen, als >een
                                                               Vogel uit den strik der vogelvangers ; de strik is ge-
                Wondere Veiligheid                             broken, en'wij zijn ontkomen."           -
                                                                  Tweedens, het gaat hier over .de poging der godde-
                 (Psalm 91; Tweede Deel)                       loozen om Gods volk te verstrikken. Dat pogen der
     Vanuit een zeker oogpunt, is het geen wonder, dat godvergetenen gaat door van eeuw tot ,eeuw. IHet is de
  de goddeloozen zeggen, . dat  er tegenstrijdigheden in poging om Gods vdlk te verleiden met de leugen, om
  Gods Woord zijn. We  dachten daaraan  toen we ons hen te brengen tot het belijden van de leugen. Dat is
  voor de tw,eede  r&s zetten `om iets te schrijven over duidelijk, allereerst,  uit de  -tweede  phrase van  .den
  den een-en-negentigsten psaim. Alles, lett,erlijk  alles tekst. Daar staat: "van de zeer verderfelijke pesti-
  in dezen psalm spreekt van veiligheid en welvaart, van- lentie." Het is.de pestilentie der leugen, die den mensch
  stilte en vrede, van alles wat goed is voor. het kin? kratik  maakc tot den eeuwigen dood toe. En, ten
  GQds. Terwijl in andere psalmen we de klacht,en van tweede, blijkt het uit het volgende vers, waar de red-
  datzelfde kind Gods beluisteren. Strijdt, b.v. psalm         ding uit den strik der vogelvangers en van -de zeer
  69 niet met psalm 91?                                        verderfelijke pestilentie  in verband  gezet wordt met de
     Vanuit een zekere oogpunt, zeiden we. En dat-oog-         waarheid. ,Het is de waarheid Gods die ons beveiligt
  punt is het aardsche, het vleeschelijke, het verkeerde.      tegen haar tegendeel, de leugen.
  Daar zien we niet de waarheid, dat alle dingen mede-            Derdens, de duivel zit er  achter. Want hij is de
  wer'ken ten goede  dehgenen die  `God liefhebben. Als Vader der leugen. Want hij inspireert de goddeloozen
 ' ge dat niet ziet, ,kunt ge ni,ets -doen met dezen psalm.    die altijd op den loer liggen om Gods volk te vangen
  Dan klinkt hij raadselachtig en vreemd.                      voor het koninkrijk der leugen en dkr duisternis.
     Neen, we moeten.  een ander oogpunt  -hebben, het            Maar het kan niet. God redt hen van den strik en
hemelsche, het geestelijke, bet Goddelijke.  Wme moeten        van de vreeselijke ziekte der leugen, die het leven van
  de  dingen bezien  zooals` zij bestraald  worden  m,et       den mensch verpest tot in eeuwigheid.
  hemelsch, Goddelijk liclit. En  din is alles duidelijk.         Hij redt Zijn volk door de bedekking Zijner vler-
  Als ge eerst gezien, hebt, dat. Gods volk altijd in de ken : schoone beeldspraak !           Gods vlerken zijn over
  schuilplaats gezeten is van den Allerhoogste, dan ver- Zijn volk !  IHoe schoon is die gedachte. We zien het
  staat ge ook, dat zij altijd den nacht van verschrikking rijk der vogels. De zwakke, teeder.e  vogeltjes worden
  doorkomen. Dan zult ge met beving zien, dat altijd, tegen de koude en de roofvogels bewaard .onder  moe-
  overal, in verbalid met alle dingen, menschen en duive-      ders vleugelen. Zoo bedekt God Zijn volk tegen-allen
  len, het Gods? volk welgaat.                                 aanval. Niet  &5n van die  aanvallen gelukt. En wat
     10, als we dat maar zien mogen, dan wordt het- stil meer is, al die aanvallen maken,  dat Gods volk dieper,
  in het diepe hart. Dan kunnen, mogen en moeten we hechter gefundeerd wordt in de waarheid Gods.
  zingen: In de grootste smarten; blijven onze harten in          We mqgen. het, echter, niet voors$ellen,  alsof Gods
  den IHeer gerust.                                            volk geheel en al passief is onder en in die beveiliging.
     Ret gaat ,Gods volk altijd wel. Alle trank,. bloed en 0 neen.- iHet gaat door hen heen, want die vleugelen
  lijden zijn dierbaar in  Gods  oog. Dat  lee& ons we;ken ~66, dat dit volk op .God betrouwt. Bovendien
  psalm, 91,                                        >          duidt het tweede lid van den tek& aan,. dat Gods volk


                           e
     450                                 -  T H E   S T A N D - A R D   B E A R E R

     den rondas en den beukelaar hanteert. De rondas, en hebt ge die bekende aanhaling van Satan toen hij Jezus
     de beukelaar zijn wapenen die Christen  gebruikt:  Beide verzocht. Deze psalm is eerst  v&n toepassing op Jezus.
     zijn namen voor het schild, d+t het beveiligt. En dat Jezus zit in het Heilige der heiligen Ien daarom kwam
     schild is de waarheid Gods. Als dus de tiensch, door           Hij dan ook den eeuwigen  nacht van dood en  ver-
     den duivel bezield, op hen aanvalt, verschuilen zij zich       doemenis door. (Hij leeft in de eeuwige liefde van`
     achter de waarheid Gods, en clat is.Jezus van Nazareth. Gods hart en daarom kon de dood iHem niet houden.
r        Het beteekent niet, dat Gods volk nooit zondigt,           Het is alles waar van Jezus wat. ge lee@ in die ve?zen
     nooit een onwaarheid  spreekt, doch het legt nadruk op         die spreken van de wondere veiligheid  van Gods volk.
     de stelling, dat Gods volk nooit" de principieele  leugen      Nu clan, die Jezus woont in het diepe hart van Gods
     spreekt, zooals de duivelen ,en de goddeloozen. Die            volk. En zoo kunt ge begrijpen, dat ge van dit volk
     principieele leugen is dit : ER IS .GEEN GOD! Dat kullt getuigen : "Gij zult niet vreezen voor den schrik
     zegt Gods  ~011~. nimmer. Leest het maar in Jesaja des nachts." Daar gelooft Abraham tegen hoop op
     63  :8.  Daar staat: "Want Hij zeide: Zij zijn immers          hoop; daar snikt l&b : mijn oog druipt tot God ! Daar
     Mijn volk, kinderen, die niet li?gen zullen !" Voor die zegt Paulus (en het .klinkt zeer vreemd) : als droevig
     principieele leugen wordt  ,Gods volk bewaard.  Fe zijnde, doch altijd blijde, enz. Dat volk gaat onder,
     blijven in de grootste smarten, wanneer de  vogel-             doch ontkomt; ze worden steeds overgegeven, in den
     vangers hen benauwen en de strikken gespannen wor-             dood, doch, ziet, ze leven ! Ge hebt het in het eerder
     den en de pestilentie der leugen woest, door en in de          aangehaald,e : In de grootste smarten, blijveti  onze har-
     waarheid bewaard. En het bewijs is: ze betrouwen ten, in den H,eer gerust. Dat kan, al smelt ge weg van
     op God! Zie het maar in Uw eigen leven. Herinner U tranen en al hoort men Uw zuchten en bange klacht.
     de uren en dagen van groote bezoeking, wanneer de              Den duiirel, de wereld ,en de he1 tartend, _zegt  dit volk
     leugen en de zonde U benauwden, in al die smarten              door alle eeuwen heen : Ik zal Go<, mijn God, nog lov& !
     bleeft ge op God vertrouwen,  veroordeeld'et   ge de Ze komen den nacht door en vreezen eigenlijk niet VOOP
     leugen en kleefdet de waarheid achterna ; en nog e&s :         den schrik van dien  nacht. Die de wijsheid heeft
     die ,waarheid  is Jezus van Nazareth. Herinnert  U tech v e r s t a   d i t .
     die hoer, die schreide: ze zei niets, ze schr,eide slechts        En ge behoef;t liiet te vreezen voor den schrik, het
     en  kust,e de voeten van Jezus. Die hoer was zalig !           verderf en de pestilentie, om d,e eenqoudige r,eden, dat
     Hallelujah !                                                   ze voor U niet meer bestaan. iHet verderf, de pestilen-
        ,O neen: "Gij zult niet vreezen voor den schrik des tie zijn de zonde, schuld, doo_d en verdoemenis ; en het
     nachts, vobr den pijl die des daags vl:egt ; voor de pesti-    schrikktin  ervoor in diepen nacht is de hel. Welnu, die
lentie,  die in de donkerheid wandlelt;  voor bet verderf, zijn .er niet voor U. Zoo is dan nu geeee  verdoemenis
     dat op den middag verivoest." Gij zult dat niet do.&,          vopr` degenen die in Christus J'ezus. zijn !
.omdat  gij gezeten zijt in de schuilplaats des Allerhobg-             Aan Uwe  zijde zullen er duizend  vallen, en tien
     ,&en. Komt dan de nacht van pest, schrik en pijl, dan          duizend aan Uwe rechterhand ; tot U zal het niet -ge-
     `vernacht ge in den boezem Gods, de schaduw des naken.
Almachtigen, het paviljoen van bet Heilige der hkili-                  Dat is, in %n woord, vreeselijk!
     gen, in den `Tempel Gods, en dat is. Jezus, Die Zijn              Deze val is de S;al waarvan Jezus spreekt in het
bloed voor U stortte !                                              Evapgelie. Er waren twee bouwers, de een was wijs'
        Het vreezen voor den schrik des nachts is princi- en de ander dwaas. Straks stonden hun huizen klaar.
     pieel de bel. Dat is het deel van hen die God haten,           Doch de regen .kwam,-met  de stormen  en de winden.
mitsgaders Zijn G.ezalfde. ,Ge vraagt mij : Hoe brengt              En ze zijn tegen die huizcn aangevallen. En het huis
     ge dat in harmonie met dien  Magenden psalm 116, van dien dwazen man vie1 en zijn val was groot. Het
waar Gods kind zingt : "Wijl d' angst der he1 mij allen             is de val van God af. En dan komt men terecht in de
troost deed missen ! ?" En dan is mijn antwoord, eerst :            diepe diepten der hel. .' Dogmatisch hooren we spreken
     Ons vleesch bezwijkt ,en is bang; en, tweedens, het doei       van verwerping. God neemt die' millioenen beet- en
mij denken aan dat zekere  instrument in schiepen,  die werpt hen weg en blijft hen tot in alle eeuwigheid
geheel en al stil, horizontaal stil en onbewogen blijven, wegweqjen  ! Is `t niet vreeselijk? Geen wonder, dat
zelfs in de grootste stormen. D.e naam er van ken ik                Paulus sidderende zegt : Vreeselijk zal het zijn te
niet, doch het illustreert hetge,en ik op het oog heb. vallen in de handen des levenden Gods,!
Er is in het weergeboren kind van God een oentrum,                     Het zijn er  duizeriden  en tienduizendeti.  Hit
dat nooit zondigt, dat altijd op God blijft hopen, ook wordt tot den enkeling gezegd. Neen, het beteekent
dan  tianneer het schijnt alsof alles verloren is. En niet, dat  vbor  ,elk kind van God  `er duizend of  tien-
ml is het mijn overtuiging dat de poget  het oog heeft              duizend goddeloozen zijn, doch het zegt wel, dat er vee1
in dezen .psalm op d& centrum. Ik heb daar zeer goed                ti&er menschen verloren gaan, dan dat er  b:ehouden
bewijs voor. Om dat, bewijs te geven, mo.et ik evenwel,, worden. Gerekend naar het tonnengewicht is  er meer,
eventjes  yooruitloopen. In het elfde en twaalfde vers veel tieer, van het graanomhulsel, dan van het graan.


                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D           B-EARER                                          451

     Al die duizenden vallen' aan onze zijde, aan onze DrieEenigen God tot Zijn vertrik. Tot op cien bodem
  rechterhand. Ze wonen bij- ons, of, liever, wij wonen             der  h&l zeide  -Jezus van Nazareth: Mijn God, Mijn
  bij hen.. Wij zijti debijwoners, zij zijn de ingezetenen          God ! Dat  bezittelijk voornaamwoord vertolkt den
  van den lande. Vleeschelijk, organisch zijn we  aan tekst die we hier behandelen.
  hen verbonden.  I.$1 door  alle eeuwen zijn Gods tiolk               Zeg het mijn broeder; roep het uit in al Uw angst,
  dooreen gestrengeld met de goddeloozen. Van nature mijn zuster; zeg: 0 mijn God! Zijn naam is IHoorder
  zijn wij ook kinderen des-toorns gelijk ook de anderen.           cler gebeden !    Stltiks gaat ge  rusten,  rusten, voor
  Doch bij het wegvallen in de- diepten komt de uiteinhe-           eeuwig. Maar de Heer zal  uitkoms_t geven! Ik denk
  lijke scheiding.                                          2 I     er vaak om.                                   G. V.
     Doch "tot U eal het niet genaken".
     Zijt ge in staat om ,God daarvoor  genoeg  te &n-
  ken? Laat me het zoo zeggen: gij behoeft niet  naal
de hel! .Het mocht U gebeuren oti den Heere tegemoet
  gevoerd te  worden  ten einde tot in alle  .eeuwigheid                           IN HIS  FEA.R
  veilig in Jezus' armen te zijn. Kunt ge daaw bij?
  Het genaakt tot U niet. Integendeel, inplaats van weg
  te vallen  in- onpeilbare  diepten,  wordt Uw voet  ge-                     Our Baptism Form (2)
  sch?aagd  op de Rots d'er (eeuwen  die van. geen Ijvanlrelen
  weet.                                                                IOur Baptism Form starts out with speaking of the
     Alleenlijk zult gij het met Uwe oogen aanschouiiren; sacrament of -baptism as a holy sign. It is more than
  en &ij zult de vergelding der goddeloozen zierl.                  that, for it is also a seal as well as a sign, but it is
     We moeten hier oppassen, dat we bier xuiver blij-              nevertheless first of all a sign.               .  -
  ven. De Heere bedoelt niet te ieeren,  dat we een sonvt              To the question, Of what is it a sign?, the answer          .
  `?3chadengreude" zullen hebben in h&t lijden der god- can be `given, that baptism is a sign of our entrance
  deloozen.  0 neen.  Orize blijdschap in  dien dag is              into God's covenant through the washing away of our
  yanwege  de deugden van Gods gerebhtigheij en heilig- siris.             By nature  Iye are outside of God's covenant,
heid die zullen  branden,  branden.                                 a part of the fallen human race, dead in trespasses and
      Het is .er `meer, als toen Mirjam  >en de vrouwen             sins, without hope  ancl without God in  tl!e world.
  de mannen antwoordclen in bun zang ten dans. Ze zon- But God has established an eternal covenant with us
  gen en dansten, omdat de oordeelen Gods geopenbaard               in  ,Christ, in Whom He saves us from our sins and
                                                                                                                     ~.
  werden. De reden,  het motief van hun blijdschap is takes us unt'o Him forever.
  theologisch.                                                         Thus baptism may be defined as the sacrament
     Want Gij, Heere,-zijt  Mijne Toevlucht ! Den Aller- institut,ed by God to be administered by the church,
  hoogste  hebt Gij gestelcl tot Uw Verstrek !                      whereby God signifies and seals to the heirs of salva-
     We moeten hier veel met-hoofclletters  werken, want tion their entrance into His covenant through their
  $ve hebben te d,oen in dit lied, allereerst,= met God en incorporation into Christ, the deliverance from sin and
  Zijn Zoon.                                                        the separation from the world.
   ,God DrieEenig,  is de Toevlucht geweest voor J~ZUS                 This immediately marks the difference between
  va.n  Nazarejh.   Wannger de duivel,  .cle  wcreld en de baptism and the Lord's Supper. Both are sacraments,
  machten der  he1  losgeltiten  werden en  zich  samen- but baptism'speaks of our entr+nce  into the covenant,
  pakten boven Zijn arme hoofd, dan ging tHij naar God while the Lord's Supper speaks of our abiding in it.
  heerl. Leest het maar in het Evangelie.  Vaak heeft               The symbolism of baptism is plain. We are afar f?om
  Jey.us  .Zich afgezonderd om te gaan bidden in  bet               God in a world of sin and death as we are by nature,
  eenzame, in  he! woeste,. in de wildernis.  Toen heeft but God takes us unto Himself, causing us to pass  _
  Hij met vele tranen geweend, geklaagd, al Zi.jn. smart through the water of baptism whereby-all ou? sins are
  .uitgegoten  als  water.. En Hij bad tot God die Zijn washed away, so that we can abide in JHis covenant
  Tocvlucht  was.                                                   forever. We pass from the world, through the water
     En God heeft Hem altijd verhoord. Want Hij bad of baptism, into God's covenant  life. Therefore the
  naar  iijn  wil.' God was Zijn vertrek.  Ge moet niet Flood and the Red Sea are both ,Old Testament types
  denken,  dat Jezus-van Nazareth ooit in den eigenlijken, of baptism, for in each case God spoke of the fact that
  werkelijken zin van het .woord,  door God verlaten is IHe separates His people from the rest if the world of
  geweest.  0 neen. Zonder  .Gods nabijheid had  Hij- wickedness unto Himself and unto ,His fellowship for-
  nooit al den arbeid van Zijn ziel kunnen verrichten.              ever. The Lord's Supper is a s@bol of heavenly com-
  En, tweedens, altijd, door al de bange uren van Zijn munion with God in Christ. The table of communion,
  lijden heeft God Jezus van Nazareth liefgehad inet al the bread and the wine, the eating and drinking, the                       .
  de  energie  van  Zijs  C;oddelijk  hart.  Jezus  stelde   des    fellowship with Christ, Who is the Ho&' at the table,


            452                                  TH,E.           STA"NDARD                   Bl$AR.ER

                                                                          `and requests Philip to baptize him there. Even though
_. .~       and with the saints who- are gathered about. the table
            a`s guests, are all a symbolism of the life of God's cove2    we' waive any attempt to refute these arguments, -the
            nant as it is known in part here on tea&h and is finally      fact remains that Scripture nowhere  eliplicitly  de-
            fully realized in heaven. For the believer it is a fore- mands immersion  as the only proper form ijf baptizing.
            taste of the eternal wedding feast of the Lamb.               Over against these pas&a&es  we might place such pas-
               `Therefone  there is also a difference between the sages as Acts 16 : 15 and 33, where no large amount of
            administration of the sacrament -of baptism and the water is mentioned at all. It may'even be considered
            celebration of the Lord's Supper.  Th,e first is' ad- doubtful whether immersion was used in those cases,
            ministered to us; .wle celebrate -the latter as-an act of     since whole families were baptized, which may as well
            faith. We `are baptized,. for ,it is #God Who takes us        as not have included little .children,  land in the case of
            into His fellowship by tin act of His sovereign good- the jailor it was in &he dead of night.
            pleasure. We partake of the Lord's Supper as a con-               In any case the emphasis  does  not fall on the
            scious act of faith by the grace that is given us to live     amount of water that .is used, but on the symbolism.
            in conscious faith. Secondly, the sacrament of ba$ And then sprinkling also expresses the idea of bap-
            tism is administered to infants, because "they also are tism. In the Lord's Supper, which is a sign of eating
            included in the covenant"; but the Supper is celebrated and drinking, even of feasting on the Bread and Win'e
            by adults who have knowledge of the work of `God's            of eternal life, so one thinks `of indulging in tin enor-
            grace within them. And finally, there is this differ-         mous meal, but a small portion of bread and wine
            ,ence,  that we are baptized but once, but we celebrate serve as a sign of the spirittial reality.
            the Lord's' Supper repeatedly, for the simple reason              The Form ,emphasizes that this washing presup-
            that we enter the covenant but once, but we continue poses. our natural corruption  and. guilt.                Baptism
            to abide within the covenant without end.                     teaches us  ,that we are by nature impure, leprous;
               Though baptism is a sign of our entrance-into-God's        We are such even from our birth, for we are concei,ved
            covenant, emphasis always falls ori the fact that this and born in sin. And' we are so depraved, that we
            entrance is possibly only through the washing away of must necessarily obtain salvation outside of ours&es,
         our sins in the blood-of Jesus Christ.             .             only in the way of loathing and humbling ourselves
             The word `baptize' is derived from the Greek word before God.
            `baptidzo', which means `to dip in', as a. pen is dipped         A few  re$arks  in passing are not superfluous.
            into the ink, or as clothing are`dipped into the. water       It deserves to be stressed that "we are conceived
            in the- process of washing them. This -dipping is a and born in sin." This truth is often slighted and
            symbol of washing, cleansing;' which is one of the denied, especially in our day as the Pelagian tendencies .
            symbolical meanings of water in Scripture. `Water, as grow within the church. Even the attempt to speak
            you know,  is rich in symbolical significance in the of a restraint of sin in the heart of the wicked, or of
            Bible. A  tinnultuous sea of water with its foaming the good that sinners do, is a deliberate move in that
            breakers surging against the shore -is a symbol of            direction.    We cannot maintain too' consistently `that
            the nations of the earth. The nations, aroused by their we are all bourid under an original corruption.
            inward unrest of wickedness, are like a troubled sea,         Through  the transgression of our first parents our
            when it cannot r&t, whose waters cast up mire and, nature became so corrupted that we. enter into ~this
            dirt. Isaiah 57 :20. A stream of water from a fountain world at birth with a  depraved  human nature. We
            is a symbol of the quickening powers of the Spirit, as' are dead in trespasses and sin from the moment of
           for example in -John 4 : 14, But the water that I shall our  ~@onception,  and birth,  &cording  ` to the plain
            give him shall be in him a well of water springing tip teachings of ,Scripture  and the Confessions. ps.  51:5 ;
            into everlasting life." A dipping in.to yater and draw- Job. 1.4:4; Heid. Cat. Lord's Days 2 and 3, questiins
            ing out again speaks of the washing, cleansing power 5 and 8.
           -of them Spirit.                           -.                     It is necessary also to distinguish between original
               It is not difficult to see that the Baptists use this      corruption and original  _guilt. The transgression of
           as an argument against our practice of sprinkling and          God's' cotimandment also made Adam guilty. And
           in favor of immersion as the only prop.er, Scriptural because he was the representative head of the whole
           `form of administration of baptism. The argument human race owe also became guilty in him. Ephesians
           is simpiae enough, if `baptidzo' means to dip in, those 2.~3 calls us children of wrath.  ,See also Jer. 3  :25;
          who are baptized inust be immersed. To bolster this             Rom. 5 :18, 19 ; Lord's Day 4, question 10.
           argument  they generally refer  (to such passages as              ,Our depravity makes us unable and unwilling to
           John 3 ~23, which speaks of much water at the place            save ourselves. At the  salne  time we are so guilty
           where John was baptizing; or Mark 1 :lO, which speaks that wle have deserved nothing but eternal condemna-
           of Jesus coming out of the water after being baptize&;         tion. But God, Who is rich in mercy, for His great
           or Acts 8:3$ where the eunuch sees a body of water             love wherewith H,e loved us, even when we were dead


                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                     453

in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. Eph. ar'e holy seals, instituted by God. , In the sacraments
2:4, 5.                                                        God gives us earthly signs as seals of that which He
    This the bhurch confesses concerning herself and has promised us in His Word. The dipping into wat&
.her seed in baptism. By nature we are leprous and is a natural sign of washing and cleansing, but in bap-
outcasts, abiding in a world of sin., By our natural tism this becomes a holy sign, and at the same time
birth we and our childnen  are no diff,erent from those        a divine seal of the promise of God that He washes
born in the world, for grace is not inherited. But God, ' away all our sins. Bread is a natural token of food,
Who gathers His own unto  IHimself in the  linti of but in the Lord's Supper it becomes a holy sign of
generations, gives the heirs of salvation the mark, of         Christ, the Bread of life. And wine is a natural symbol
His covenant upon their foreheads as a sign of I&s of making the heart glad, but in the Supper it speaks
grace.     He separates them from  the world, causes of the power of the Blood to gladden the heart in the
them to pass through the death of Christ, where they           God of our  salvgtion. When we partake in faith of
die unto the world, and takes them unto Himself into this bread and wine God assures us of His promise in
His covenant life.  Rotians  6:4,  "Thenefore we are the Scriptures that His salvation in Christ is also for
buried with Him (Christ) by baptism into death, that us. This He does by iHis Spirit in our hearts. Thus
like as  IChrist was raised up from the dead to the            God also assures the heirsof  salvation through bap-
glory of the Father, even so we. also should walk in tism that the promise of IHis Word is sure, and that
newness of life."                                              He cleanses them from all their siris and takes  them
    But baptism is more than a holy sign. It is also a into His covenant forever. Scripture says in  R:.m.
cliiinely;instituted  seal. The Baptism Form expresses 4 :ll, "And Abraham received the sign of circumcision,
this by saying, "Holy Baptism witnesses atid seals unto a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had
us'the washing away of our sins through Jesus Christ.`! yet being uncircumcised."                                    C. H.
    Seals as well as signs play an important part in our
daily lives. A manufacturer places his stamp upon
an article to assure the buyer that the article is genuine.
We need but think of an Elgin watch  br Campbell                           FRtlM HOLY WRIT
sougK3. Also the dollar bill issued by the .governnie&
is marked with the seal of the government to guarantee
that it is worth its given value. All counterfeit money                     "In when? also ye, having heard the Word <of truth,
is an attempt to imitate this seal in order to deceive                    the gospel  ,of your salvation, in Whom  ,also (in which
the public, and  hit fails to have any true value just                    gospel  also)_  having believed ye were sealed. . . .
because it is not issued on the authority of the govern-                  by the Holy Spirit of Promise unto the  redlemption
iqent. Likewise the signature.on a check is a persbnal                    of the (final) possession, unto the praise of His
seal whereby the signer vouches for the value of the                      glory."-Ephesians   1:13,   114.
check, which makes the check as good and trustworthy               There are two important elements in this very rich
as the person, who signs it. If it were not for  -this portion of the Word of God to which we called attention
oath, or seal, business transactions would be. impossible in the former two articles.
in a `sinful world.                                               The first of these elements was that of the Scriptural
   A seal is also common in Scripture. In John 6:27 idea of the "sealing" of the saints in Christ Jesus. This
Jesus speaks of Himself as the Bread of Life, which work of God in Christ, we saw, is peXormed in szc!; a
God seals, guarantees by the signs and wonders He way that the entire nature of man is honored.. It is a
works. In 2 Tim. 2 : 19 the foundation of God is said sealing that is wrought by God in the "heart" of man.
to be sealed with a two-fold seal, the seal of God's           Hence it touches man in his mind and will and all his
el,ection on the one side of the cornerstone, and the energies. The inner man is thus st%ength&ned  with the
work of grace that sanctifies unto eternal life on the power which God works-works according to the work-
other side. Revelation `7  :3 speaks of the true servants ing of the power of His might-in Christ the glo&fied
of IGod being sealed on their foreheads as a mark .of          Head of the church. Through this sealing the church is
distinction that protects them in the -midst of the            assured of her unique place in God's handiwork of love,
judgments that come upon the world. And in Heb.                of her final possession of all things.
6  :13 we read that  when  !God made  $His promise to             The second element which claimed our attention
Abraham, "because He could swear by no greater, IHe            was, that the Agent of this sealing is none other, than
sware by Himself." Which is an$her way of saying the Holy Spirit of Promise. He is the Spirit promised
that God seals His own promise by affixing His own to Abraham of old, the One in whom the Promise
name and signature to it.                                      should. be realized in the hearts of all the redeemed and
   So also sacraments are seals. They are `@is- elect children. This  SPirit of Promise is implicit in
tinguished from ordinary seals by the fact that they the Promise made unto these fathers. In Him the God


           454                                     T            H             E                   STAT;JDARD.   BEA.RER`*           *

           of our salvation has corn@  to make His. abode in our further indicates that this "word of truth" is "the
           midst.                                                            gospel of your salvtition."
                  The!apostle  in these  verses appeals to our Christian,          Let us take notice of this a,,little more in detail.
           tianctified experience. He here lays the foundation for           In a general way it can be  &id that this "word of
           further comfort and admonition to the believers. Shall truth" is the word that was! preached. And this word
           w*e, therefore, really profit. spiritually from these pas-        constrained the `!truth"; It is the "truth of the gospel".
      sages, we shall have to think carefully8into their lo$zal Gal. 2 :5, 14. It touches thle relationship .in which God
      content.                                                               statids to His ' people. and all things in Jesus Christ.
                  Lei  us,. therefore,. take further notice  .of  thise      Centrally this truth i& the Word of the Cross and of t6e
           verses. `The &postle, besides stating what this sealing resurrection of Jesus' Chdst. IHe was delivered for our
           is and who He is that performs this task, also calls              offenses and raised for our justification. Rom. 4:25.
           attention to the manner of thie operation of th.e Spirit.         We were dead by reason of our- trespasses and sins.
           In s former article- we attempted to show, ,that the              We are guilty and subject to the penalty of sin. Child-
           "sealing" is not performed in a mechanical way, nor ren of wrath are we even as the others. As we are by
           in such a way which would render man a "s&k-arid                  nature there is no difference between the children of
           block", but that it was wholly in agreement with man's            God and those of the devil.' We are all in the common
     created nature. This latter is  moral-rational.  Man misery of death and the grave. We all fade and die
           has a mind and will, he is a thinking-willing being.              like flowers that grow in beauty.
           The sealing, if it is to do justice to man, must needs be               Now the "Word of truth" is exactly the Word. ofI
           a sealing in this thinking and willing. Such is the
      .                                                                      God as it is opposed to all that is false and of the lie.
           mlmanence of God in man in iHis providence, whereby               This word instructs us as to our misery, indeed ! It
           He upholds and rules him, that He never destroys man shows that both Jew and Gentile are under sin. Sin
           in hismoral-rational creaturehood.  And the Scriptures            has dominion  qver us. We are slaves and not free.
           always pnesent the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the For he that doeth sin is a slave of sin. Thus in our
           believing also in such a light, that man's nature is npt <cry real state and condition. Of this the Word of
           d e s t r o y e d .                                               truth speaks. It is always and again the background.
                  That God deals with man as a moral rational crea-          of the wonderful glad-tidings of the gospel.
           ture when He seals him in Christ Jesus is presupposed                   But He does more than tell us of our misery. He
           in our text. This is implied in the fact, that the Holy           tells us of the infinite riches of grace for us in Christ
.          Spirit of Promise `seals us while "we" have heard the Jesus. It speal& of the "redemption" that we have in
           Word of truth, the gospel of our salvation, in which Him. He paid the ransom price. i!Ie has set us free.
           also having' believed. `The Spirit employs the hearing `There is condemnation to those who  are in  .Christ
           of the Word when He seals us. It is in our "believing" Jesus with relation fo nothing. There is no condem-
           that we experience this  wotiderful  operation of the nation in the present nor in the future, in height nor
           promised Spirit.                                                  in depth, in things visible nor invisible, in nakedne&
                  In the just quoted passage there are two elemeits -peril of sword. Because Jesus paid it all, we are mor,e
           that demand our attention. The first is : The hear& than conquertirs  in Him. We have life in the midst of
           of  the  Wocrcl  of  truth, the gospel  of  our salvation.        death, hope in the .midst of despair, joy in the midst
           The  secotid:  Our  believing in  the gospel, or, our be-         of sorrow, liberty in bondage.  "God is for us! None
           lieving in Christ;                                                can be against us. That is the answer of the Word of
                  Concerning these  two `elements we  would take truth.
           notice of the following ilp the text: 1. The implication                How could it be different? Is not this "Word of
           of each of these two elements respectively. We are                truth" the gospel  of our salvation? And is "gospel"
           interested to know just what this "Word of truth" is.             not glad-tidings ? Tidings concerning. our salvation ?
           We  wotild also inquire why this "Word of truth" is               And is not this "salvation" .deliverance from the great-
           called "the, gospel of your salvation." 2. The relation-          e;st misery and death to the hiihest bliss of life and
           ship between "hearing the Word of truth" and "having              immorality? Oh, let us not forget, it is exactly what
           believed in Christ". 3. What the Scriptures teach us the Lord hath .wro.ught. Therefore the blind receive
           concerning the relationship of the Holy Spirit to this their sight, `the lame. walk, the lepers are cleansed; the
           "hearing of the Word of truth" and "believing".                   deaf hear, the d:ad are raised up and the poor have
              The apostle Paul had preached the gospel in -E$he-             the gospel preached to them!
           sus. He had brought to them the "Word of truth".                        Such is the Word of truth, the gospel of qur sal-
           Pilate may ask skeptically: what is truth?, but the vation.                  And this "Word of  truth"' is heard. It is
           apostle presupposes that his .readers  understand per- "heard" because it has been preached. Christ has
           fectly well what must be understood by the "truth". given apostles and prophets, shepherds and teachers
           Hge  givr;s no  philssoph+ definition of it,  ~8%  m&rely to the church. This @-ts become a "facY' in the life of


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEAR-E&  j  1  :I                                     455

the Ephesian believers. They had heard the gospel ;          "through the Spirit of faith". Gal.  5:5, 6.
 Christ had evidently been portrayed, set forth in their .-     This' faith is a gift of God. Man'has only unbelief
midst. They had Tearned  the truth as it is in Jesus.        in himself. Such is also, indeed, the case!:with us as
 Gal. 3 :1 ; Eph. 4 :20, 21. They had come to know not people of God by nature. By nature we have not died
merely about- Hiin, but * they had come to know `Him !       unto self. We do not live by the faith of `theSon of
Phil. 3 :lO..    !              1,                           God. But faith is a gift. It is such a gift in order
    How could they know the resurrected and glorified that no -flesh -should boast before Him. But gift it is;
 Son of God in the, flesh? To' be-sure they had never a gift of sovereign fr.ee  grace and mercy. ,This implies
 seen Him, had they? And yet: they knew [Him? No,            that faith in all its actuality and operation is gift of
they did not merely know something or much about God to us. God continually unites us with Christ. And
 Him, but they had learned to know aiy~z and the power He does this through the hearing of the gospel, the
 of His resurrection ! They had learned to know Him Word of truth.
with a personal, intimate, living and ever increasing           That we thus come to stand in such a living relation
knowledge. To know this Christ is life.  .That is the to Christ and to God in Him, by faith and the hearing -
truth of the Gospel. What they now live they no-more         of the gospel is the plain teaching of this passage under
live. They have died, have been crucified with Christ; consideration. We have come to experience the living
In this knowledge Paul says: "Now  I no more live,           Christ and the power of His resurrection, have we not?
.but Christ lives in me, and what I now live in the flesh, We have come to know what is the exceeding greatness
_ I live in the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me and    of God's power to usward w.ho believe; according to the
delivered Himself in behalf of me." Gal. 2:20.               working of the power of His might. This power is `all
    Such is the knowledge which we have of the living in the Christ, glorified. It is all in Him in whom God
and glorified Christ, in whom are all the treasures of will reunite all things in heaven and on (earth, even in
knowledge stored up. And this knowledge is so unique Him! It cannot fail.
and wonderful because such is the nature of faith in -          That it -cannot fail we are assured of by faith and'
 Christ, or faith in the gospel. In our text it is not the preaching of.the gospel of our salvation. And let
quite clear to what "in whom" refers. It may refer           LIS  not forget that this  "sa1vatio.n" is  h.ere salvation
 either to `Christ"`verse  12, or to the "gospel of ,your    in its most comprehensive sense. It includes heaven
salvation" verse 13. It really makes very little differ- and `earth and all things that are therein. And in this
,ence materially. to which it refers. Should we refer it we; the saints, shall be- the "heritage of God". The
to Christ it means the Christ in the gospel, and, should "riches of the glory of God's inheritance" shall be in
we refer it to the "gospel" it means the gospel that had     us the saints. Such is the orb of our salvation.
 Christ as its content. In the Bible we have both faith         And the Holy Spirit of the Promise seals us; in-
in the gospel and faith in Christ. An instance of the wardly assures us by faith and the hearing of the
use of the former we have in Mark 1:15 "Repent ye            truth. More and more.  He gives 2s from ichrist's  ful-
and believe in the gospel". On the other. hand in verse ness. He takes it out of Christ and gives it to us.
15 of Ephesians 1 we read of: "Faith in the Lord Jesus       John 16 :13-15,  More and mor,e He leads us into all
and love to all the saints." Personally we favor in this     Truth, into the truth of the  ,Gospel.  He brings into
connection "faith in the gospel", or rather ."in which remembrance the riches. of the truth that we have
 (gospel) I have believed."                                  heard by having the truth pre@ed again. And'ihus
    Now, what is the nature of this faith? Is it merely we are led to the Truth, to Him who said: "I am the
an intellectual acceptance of the logical content of what Way, the Truth and the. Life." And we thus receive
the Scriptures teach us concerning the Christ? Such the rock-bottom assurance of faith from the operation
is the contention of Roman ICatholicism. Faith is for of the Spirit of the Promise.
them the acceptance of the body of truth. We also,              The Spirit of Truth leads us into the truth as it
believe that faith does`accept  the body of truth. Surely    is in Jesus. He illumines our mind, gives us spiritual
faith has a logical content. When the Bible preaches unclerstanding. In IHis guidance, instruction, His won-
Christ to us,.it always tells us "something" about Him.      derful gifts, the flood-gates of all wisdom and pru-  -
Yet, faith is much mor.e than this. Faith is that tie dence ar,e opened to us. And we receive from the ful-
of living fellowship that is energized by the love of ness of ,Christ, grace for grace! Now we see through
God. Faith is rooted in love for. God and for the breth- a glass darkly, but presently we shall know as we are
ren. Faith vibrates with love for Christ, for His known. That  - is the hope of  the. saints, the faith
Word. It does not rest until it reaches and knows whereby Christ lives in us the hope of glory!
Him.    This is the ever-recurring theme of the apostle.                                                     G. L.
"For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncir-                                 NOTICE
cumcision hath any power, but faith energized by iove." As is customary, The Stanclard Bearer -will not be
Therefor,e  also we expect the hope' of righteousness                   printed July 15 and August 15.
                         . -


         456                                             T H E   XTANDARD   B E A R E R

                                                                                       to the gospel ,of our Lord Jesus Christ; because we cannot agree
                           BERISCOI'E                                                  with the materiali$ic motives and purposes that so manifestly
                                                                                       actuatk the unions, but  .believe   th'at  we should first,  see!<  the
                                                                                       kingdom of God and his righbe:ou&ess;  because we believe that
         The Closed Shop.              -                                               unionism in often defying authority and  taking the law in  its
             Because the question of labor unions and the `closed own hand, is in conflict with the Word lof- God which enjoins us
                                                                                       to honor atho:s:e that .are in authority over us; because the union
        shop' is a question which is more and more confronting seeks its own end through the ~kmployment  of force and coercion,
        us as believers and as churches, were much pleased that                        which militates against the pr'Jnciples  <and  spirit of the go:apel  lcf
        us as believers anti as churches, we wer,e much pleased                        our Lord Jesus Christ in short, because we' refuse to  afiliate
        that the consistory of Creston called the &ttention  of ourselves with an  organizati.on  whose  principles  and  :practicks
        Synod to this vital .question  by way of an overture.                          are so plainly in conflict with the %eaching  of Holy Writ.
                                                                                          But, Sir, we believe that, under the Constitution  of our land,
        Esteemed Brethren in the Lord:                                                 we have the right to serve pour ~God .according  to His Word, and
            Due to the we&known fact that it becomes more and more                     to decline membership in any organization  tha.t,  ,according  to
        difficult  f,or the Christian (who desires  consci~entionsly  to live  Lac-    our conviction,  is in conflict with that Word, without being ham-
        cording to the principles of the Word of God) to obtain employ-                pered, either by individuals or by organizations, in the exe.%ise
        ment because of the  ,edstimg `closed  Fhop and  Labor  Union                  of this  or~r  con&tutional lberty. And this  oonstitutioa!al'free-
        domination of places of employment, and believing that the                     dam certainly  impliks  that because of the  exercise  of  our  re-
        `cl,osed shop' is a violation of the very Constitution of the United           ligious  15berty we shall suffer no hardships in looking for and
  States of America, the Consistory of the Prot. Ref. Church of                        finding a job, aid ,earning  a livelihood, such as the closed shop
        Creston  hereby petitions  Classis  to  overtune  Synod to compose             and its related evils would inflict upon us.
        a document of  pl?otest and petition against the `closed  :shop'                  It is, therefore, Sir, under the Constitution of our land, that
        and other closely related matters which we firmly believe to be                we `appeal to you; the Head of  tiur  government, that you may
        an encroachment  .upon  the religious liberty of the  dndividual               protect us in the exercise  ,of our liberties, and employ your
        and a  vliolatian  of his Constitutional rights guaranteeing him the           power and influence to stamp out this evil of the  clo.sed  shop,
 _, free exercise of religion.                                                         and to seek proper legislation whereby this  ev& and all methods
  .:       We further pi:opose  that this suggested docmtient  be ,address-            of coercion may become unlawful, and we may fully enjoy the
        ed to the proper ,authorities  in Washington. Wishing you God's                freedom to which we are entitled under the Constitutioti.
        guidance, also in the <deliberation of this matter, we  relilain                  Once more  ,earnestly- petitioning  you to  givta  this  lour  plea
                                            Yours respectfully,                        your most serious consideration, we beg to remain
                            Consistory of  `Creston   F%ot.  Ref. Church,                                         Mo.st  respectfully yours,
                                                    John D. De Jong, Pres.                          The Synod of the Ptrotestatit Reformed Churches.
                                                    Stephen  Kuiper, Sec'y.                                              Rev. Gerrit Vos, Pres.
        A Lette?' of Protest:                                                                                              Rev. Martin ,Gritters,  Sec'y.
                                                                                       A Life of Pyotest. _
            In re the overture of Creston, Synod decideci to send
        the following letter of Protest, not only to the .presi-                           It is not suffici,ent,  however, that we' as churches
                                                                                       direct a letter of protest to our government against the
. dent, put also to all the members of the Cabinet, of both
        houses of Congress, ,and of the 8upreme' Court. This' evil of the worldly union, and the `closed shop'. It is
        letter reads, as follows:                                                      also our calling tis Christians to live a life of protest by
                                                   l&11,  Iowa,  June 7, 1946  _       refusing membership in these worldly organizations.
        The President of the United States                                             it is becoming ,eveS more difficult for us- as Christians
        W,ashington,  D. C.                                                            to live alone, in this world..  Yet therein lies our safety
           Sir :-                                                                      as people of God. Any fiompromise with the ungodly
           The Synod of the Protestant  Reformed Churches, assembled                   of this world is sure to ,eucl in disaster. Let us dare to
        June `7, 1946, in Hull, Iowa, beg to-blt?:ng  to your attention the live by faith; for it is only by faith that we will over-
        following matter and request you kindly to give it your  m.ost
        earnest  consideration.                                                        come the world;                                            B. K.
           The Isocial  and econolnic  situation in our land' today is ,such
        that we are developing  *fast in the direction of the complete
        unionization  ,of all labor. And  ,one  of the means,-and, indeed,                                     CLASSIS EAST
        a most Powerful one,-whereby the unions e,eek to a,ttain  to this              will meet in regular session D.V.,  July  IO, 1946,  at
        their desired goal is the cl&ed shop. This  means  that for doss               Fuller Ave., at 9 :00 A.M. The Synod of 1945 referred
   who cannot agree with the principles and m&ho&  of the exist-                       the Psalter Committee Report to the Classes for fur-
        ing unions, and who,  %or  conscienoe  sake cannot join them, it               ther study. The Synod of 1946 decided that this should
   becomes-   bcreasingly  impossible to find  `a job or position in                   still be done. So every delegate please tak'e with you a
        order to provide for th&nselves  and for their families. `More and             COPY  of the Acts of the Synod of 1945 in which the
        more, the situation arises- that .one confronts-the ,alternati+e  of           Report of the Psalter Committee can be found.
   permitting himself to be coerced into membership of ththe union                                  NOTICE TO ,OUR CHUWHES
        against the dictates of his conscience, or to be ,expelled  from a                The Synod of the Prot. .Ref. (Churches, after it had
        decent and proper place in the in!dustrial world.                              examined-Student J. How.erzyl,  declared in its session
           We, the Protestant Reformed Churches, are opplosed  to mnem-                of June 7,1946, that brother J. Howerzyl is a candidate
   bership in the existing unions!: because we believe that the prin-                  for the ministry; arid that after July 7, 1946, he is
        ciples of the class-struggle, dividing society into the two ,oppos-            eligible to receive a call from on.e of our churches.
   ing camps of capital and lakol;  are contrary to Holy Wkt and                                                        9.  Jonker,  ,Statecj  G!e&,


