VOLUME XXIII                         NQvember  1, 1946 - Grand Rapids, Michigan                               NUMBER  3-
                                                                                         e
                                                                   Zulk een dood gelbof is onvruchtvaar, het is werk-
                                A  T  I  (-)  N  .- loos.                           j                         `5
                                                                    Het gelooft we1 vele feiten, zooals ook de duivelen
                                                                 gelooven, dat God een eenig Go@ is, maar het is, geen
 Gerechtvaarc&d  Uit De Werken                                   geestelijke  kraeht, gekn levende energie der iiele, wa,ar-
                                                                 .door deze zich vastklemt aan den God .der belofie, den
                Maar. wilt  gij  weten, o,  ijciclel mensch!     God onzer volkomene zaligheid, als ziende den:Qnzien-
              dat het  gelobf  zonder de werken  dqod  is? lijke. Het is geen levensband aan Christus, waardoor
           Abraham,  onze  Vader,  -is  hij  niet  u{t de  wer- de ziel aan Hem verbonden .is, Sne plab.te  met Hefi is
              ken gerechtvaardigd,  als  hij  Izak,  zijnen geworden, zoodat zij alles, wat in tHem is, en viTat tot de
             coon,  .geoSferd  he& op het altaar?  Ziet  gij zaligheid van noode is, uit Hem trekt;odk genade.voor
             wel, cldt het geloof rnecle gewrocht heeft m,et genade. Het is geen  ?vaarachtig  verkbuwen,   %aar-
             eijne werken, en het geloof  volmaakt is  ge- door de zondaar v&n alles afziet, om alleen op Christus
             webst wit de werke&? En de Schrift is vervuld te zien ; waardoor hij ei,gen gerechtigheid  volkomenlijk
             geworden, cl& daar zegt : En Abraham geloof- als een wegwerpelijk kleed verwerpt, om louter op de
             de God, eti het is hem tot rechtvaarclighiid  ge- gerechtigheid  Gods  iti  Christus  zich te verlaten. En
             relkend,  en lbij is een vriend van Gocl genaamd    daarom  draag't het ook  geeh  vruchten,  geloof en be-,
         g e w e e s t .                     Jak 2 :20-23:       keering waardig. Het is ijdel, dood,  bnvrutihtbaar.
                                                                 Het is als e'en doode paal in den grand, als een doode
 10, ijdel mensch !                                              tak in een boom. Het werkt niet ap Christus, tiit Chris-
   Ijdel, omdat ge meent, dat ge scheiding kunt maken tus, door Christus, en tot Christus.                    '           '
tusschen het geloof en de werken!                                   IHebt gij dan'maar. de werken, ik heb het geloof !
   Ijdel, omdat ge in de verbeelding  lee& of wilt                  Zoo spreekt  deie ijdele  m&s&h.
leven, dat een geloof, dat geheel geen vruchten voort-              En tot diq mensch komt nu het Wo&d Gods : Toon
brengt, u zalig zoa km-men maken !                               mij uw geloof pit uwe werken, en ik zal u uit mijne
   Tot zulk ken ijdel mensch is hier  bet woord van werken mijn geloof tooeen.
Jakobus gericht, het Woord van dezelfde Shrift, die                 En ook:  Abi;aha&, onze  Vader, is  hij.  niet uit de
0;s overal met nadruk leert, dat geen zondaar ooit door werken gerechtvaardigd, als hij Iz& .zijneti zoon ge-
de werken getiecbtvaardigd  kan worden  voor God. Die offerd heeft op het altaar?
Schrift, dat Woordivan God, dat niet liegen kan, leert
ons  bier,  en met niet minder  nadruk,  <at Abraham,               Dat `een mqseh ger'eehtvaardigd wordt door en uit
onze Vader, uit de werkengerkchtvaardigd  is.geworden. het geloof alleen, zonder de we&en der wet, ,daf moet
   Op twee  dingen  die& dan ook  .scherp te  worden hij hooren, die op zijne werken boogt als grorid voor
gelet, om deze paradox te verstaan: op het verband,              zijne gerechtigheid voor God.
waarin deze nadruk op .rechtvaardiging  uit cJe werken              Dat e& mellsch gerechtiraardig  wordt ddor een ge-
voorko&;  en  o-p het geheel eigenaardig werk van loof, d& werkt, en.`d.&  tilt de werken voltiaakt tiordt,
Abraham, waarop hier wdrdt gewezen, en waaruit hij               dat moet hij verstaaq'die ijdellijk zieh beroemt op &en
-gerechtvaardigd  werd : de offerande van zijnen -zoon dood geloof.
Izak.                                                               Wilt gij tieten, o, ijdel &e&ch!`die daar'roemt  op
   Naar het verband  richt zich dit woord tegen de hou- de wet, en meent, dat God LI op grond van uwe werken
ding van den ijdelen nienseh, die door een dood gelopf           rechtvaardigeg zal, dat uwe werken zonder .geloof  dtidd
                                                                                                                     .
meent zalig`te kunnen  worden,   '                   i           &n? Abraham, onze vad'er, heeft hij verkiegen naar


     5            0                            T H E   STA.NDARD  B E A R E R
                  .  :
     het vleescli? Want als hij u$ de werketi  gerechtvaar-           Gods oordeel, Golkomen buiten rek,enin& !
     digd' i+ zoo heeft hij roem, maar niet bij God. Want                Neen, duizendmaal neen, God heeft ons niet op grond
     wat zegt de Sehrift? En Abraham geloofde God, en onzer werken, of uit onze  werken`, gerechtvaardigd.
     het is hem gerekend:  kot eechtbaardigheid.  Rom. 4 :l-3. Hij is immers de God, die den god'delooze rechtvaar-
               En wilt gij weten,  o, ijdel mensch, dat geen dood d i g t   !
     gelodi u kan zalig maken ? Abraham, onze Vader, is                  `t Is en blijft, van `t begin tot `t eind, Zijn werk
     hij niet uit de werken gerechtvaardigd, als hij zijnen. a l l e e n !
     zoon, Izak, geofferd  heeft op het altaar?                          Want immers, rechtvaardigmaking wil zeggen, &at
             Ga dan heen, en doe gij desgelijks !                     God  iijn volk voor de  grondlegging der  we&d  ver-
             Offer uwen zoon, Izak, op het altaar, dat is, we%p koren heeft in Christus, ze -aan Christus heeft gegeven,
     u onvoorwaardelijk ol, den God uwer volkqmene zalig- in Christ& heeft aanschouwd, in Christus, Die Hijzelf
     heid, die de dooden  levend maakt !                              tot een Hoofd en Middelaar gesteld heeft, de Eerst-
            `Dan toont gij uw geloof uit uwe werken. Dan geborene aller kreatuur, en de Eerstgeborene uit de
     wordt het openbaar, dat gij we1 waarlijk ,een levend doodeti,;  en dat lHij, de Heer,e, de Rechter  van hemel en
     gelbof liebt.                                                    aarde, in Hem ons &eft gekend Van alle eeuwigbeicl
             Dan wordt LIW geloof vdlmaakt uit de werken.             als in dien Christus gerechtvaardigd. En als de Schrift
             Uit de werken gerechtvaardigd !                          ons hier in Jakobus leert, dat wij uit de werken gerecht-
                                                                      vaardigd worden,  dan heeft zij zeker niet het oog op die
            `-Gerechtvaardigd  !                                      eeuwige genadedaad God, waardoor Hij ons in Christus
             ,O, wohdere  zaligheid !                                 als geaechtvaardigd  heeft geken,d  voor de grondlegging
             Als wonder Gods ervaren, en`a!s nimmer te waard-         der wereld.
     schatten rijkdom van zaligheid, door hem, "`die niet                Gereehtvaardigd !
     werkt, maar gelooft in Hem, Die den goddelooze recht-               Wonder -Gods, tiaar dan ook van Hem alleen!
     vaardigt." Rom. 4 : 5.                                              `t Wil immers zeggen, dat in de volheid des tijds
             Zoo tech spreekt ook David van dit wonder; en zoo        God zelf, God, Die den goddelooze rechtuaardigt, tot
     zingt de gemeente van den nieuwen dag het hem nog ons is gekomen in Zijnen Zoon, ons vleesch en bloed
     altijd na:                                                       heeft aangenomen, onze zondenheeft  gedragen, en voor
                Welzalig hij, wiens zonden zijn vergeven;             eeuwig heeft weggedragen op het hout, zoodat Hij voor
      ~.        Die van de straf voor eeuwig is ontheven ;            de Zijnen eeuwige ger.echtigheid en het eeuwige leven
                .Wiens wanbedr,ijf,  waardoor hij was bevlekt,        verwierf, en er geen verdoemenis .is, voor degenen, die
                Voor `t heilig oog des Heeren is .b.edekt.            in Christus zijn ; eene daad der rechtvaardigmaking,.
                Welzalig is  de mensch, wien `t mag gebeuren,         die in de opstanding van Jezus Christus aan het licht
                Dat God naar recht hem niet wil schuldig              is getreden. En als Gods Woord ons hier leert, dat
                          keuren,                                     Abraham uit de werken gerechtvaardigd is, dan wil Tat
                En die, in `t vroo?n ten ongeveinsd gemoed,           zeker niet zeggen, dat .eenig werk, dat hij mag hebben
                ,Geen snood, bedrog, maar. blanke oprecht-            verricht, de reden of grond zou zijn, waarom God Zijn
                          heid  v o e d t .                           Zoon voor ons den dood deed ingaan, om Hem om onze
                                                                      rechtvaardigmaking op te wekken.
            ,Gerechtvaardigd  !                                          W o n d e r   G o d s !
             `t Wil immers zeggen, dat ik, die tegen alle geboden        Louter openbaring van  dlen God, Die den goddelooze
     Gods gezondigd heb, en wiens conscientie mij  aan- rechtxaardigt.
     klaagt ; ik, die, in mijzelven  hoegenaamd geen grond               Dat houdt immers ook in, dat God de Zijnen in den
     voor rechtvaardigheid kan vinden, die mijzelven  ver- tijd  oolt tot.  Christus  trekt, hen door het geloof  aan
     .doetielijk  voor ,God weet te zijn; dat ik voor de vier- Hem verbindt, zoodat ze BBn lichagm met Hem worden,
     scha& van den  letrexiden  God, van den  Rechter  van .en dat Hij  alzoo door Zijn Geest  en Woord hun de
     hemel  en aarde,  Die doodt en levend maakt, sta, dat gerechtigheid Gods in Christus schenkt, zood? ze jube-
     Hij over mij een oordeel velt naar `t  beiligst  recllt,         len in de verlossing, en vertrotiwen,  dat al hunne zon-
~    en dat IHij mij nu vrijspreekt van alle schuld, volkomen         den eens en voor #eeuwig zijn uitgedelgd, en dat ze vrede
     rechtvaardig verklaart,  als hadde ik nooit zonde gehad hebben met God door  Christus Jezus  hunn& Heer.
     of gedaan, en verklaart, dat ik desx eeuwigen levens En als de Heilige Schrift ons hier in Jakobus leer& dat
     waardig ben !                                                    een mensch uit de werken gerechtyaardigd wordt, dan
            10, diepte van Qoddelijke genade !            .           kan het niet de bedoeling zijn, dat God hem op grond
            Wonder Gods; maar dan ook van God alleen! Hij             van eenig werk, van welken aard ook, het geloof
     rechtvaardigt de goddeloozen en maakt de. dooden le- sehenkt en Hem Christus inlijft.
     vend !                   ~                      .                   De  rechtvaardigmakifig is en blijft een wonder
             Pier blijven  +l& mijne  w&ken, als  pleitgrotid   is    Gods:


                                     T          H             E                STANDAR.D  BtiA.RER                        51

   Ze is genadewerk van :Hem, Die de dooden levend zijn einddoel bereikt, waardoor de goddelooze  zich-'
maakt, en de ,dingen, di,@ niet zijn, roept alsof ze waren.        zelven als verloren  kent, zijn eigen werken als  ver-
    Van Hem, Die den goddelooze rechtvaardigt.                     werpelijk veroo+deelt,  Christus kent als de volheid van
    Zonder de werken !                                             zijne ledigheid, den `rijkdoni voor zijne armoede, en
                                                                   waardoor hij zieh nu onvoorwaardelijk aan (Hem over-
    Gerechtvaardigd uit de werken !                                geeft, .zich aan Hem-vastklemt, op Hem vertrouwt voor
    Neen; niet om de werken, ook riiet .om de werken des tijd en eeuwigheid, en zich werpt op (en God der vol-
=geloofs.                                                          komene zaligheid, Die den goddelooze rechtvaardigt,
    Want, in de e,erste plaats, rechtvaardigt God den              de dooden levend maakt, en de dingen, die niet zijn,
goddeloo.qe, en-kan geen goddelooze ooit eenig werk des roept alsof ze  waren.
geloof s verriehten ; in de. tweede plaats,  gaat de reeht-           Dat zijn de werken,des  geloofs.
vaardigmaking, in objectiesen zin, aan hkt geioof voor-               Daardoor wordt het geloof volmaakt;
,af, en .zou het laatste dus nooit de reden kunnen zijn               En daardoor juist wordt het onderscheiden van een
v,oor  .de jeerste;  en eindelijk, ligt de red,en louter en al- dood geloof, dat ook de duivelen hebben.
leen in Gods vrijmachtig w'elbehagen.                                 Of. zegt de Heiland het niet Zelf : "`Dit is het werk
    Om `t eeuwig welbehagen!                                       Gods, dat gij gelooft in Hem, Dien Hij gezonden
    Daar ligt het Goddelijke motief;  verder vermkgen              heeft"? Joh. 6:29.
we in dit heilgeheim  ni.et in te dringen.                            En is het &et juist daarom, dat de Schrift hier in
    Gerechtvaardigd uit de werken !                                Jakobus wijst op het werk des geloofs van Abraham,
    Neen, ook niet op grond van onze werk,en.  Want,               dat hij Izak, zijnen zoon, offerde op het altaar?
nogmaals zij het gezegd, God rechtvaardigt den godde-                 80, er waren we1 andere werken, ook werken des
looze, en geen goddelooze ZOLI op grond vafi zijne wer-            geloofs, waarin het geloof van Abraham vruchten  had
ken ooit voor God gerechtvaardigd kunnen worden. De                gedrag.en! Had hij niet land en maagschap verlaten,
grond lJgt.eeniglijk  in het werk Gods, dat Hij in Chris-          om in tenten  te  wonen in het land Kanagn? Had hij
tus heeft volbracht, in Zijne volkotiene en vrijwillige door het geloof geen  koningen  verslagen? Waarom
gehoorzaamheid der liefde, waardoor Hij in onze pla&s              dan juist dat &?ne feit, deze ,QBne daad des geloofs van
Zichzelven offerd'e, en Zich tot in den dodd des kruises           Abraham genoemd?
vernederde.                                                           Daarin werd zijn geloof; juist als geloof, openbaar.
    Om Christus' wil alleen !                                      In die daad zag hij van alles af, om zich onvoorwaarde-
    Gerechtvaardigd uit de werken  !                               lijk te werpen op den God der belofte,.  die de godd,e-
    Neen, dat wil ook niet zeggen, dat de goddelooze loozen rechtvaardigt !
van God het geloof ontvangt,' en dat hij ui.t dat geloof              In Izak zag hij .de vervulling van Gods belofte, den
in staat is gesteld om goede w&ken te do.en, zoodat hij            dag van Christus. Lang had hij op hem gewacht. Zeer
.nu op grond van die goede werken des geloofs gerecht-             had hij begeerd  Zijn.en dag te zien.  ,Op hoop tegen
vaarcligd kan  worden  voor God. Want de  ongerecht-               hoop had hij geloof.d,  en zich vastgeklemd  aan *Gods be-
vaardigde godd,elooze  heeft recht op niets, is verdoeme.-         lofte. Zijn eigen lichaam was reeds dood; de moeder
`lijk voor God, zoodat de reehtvaardigniaking in objec-            in Sara was reeds gestorven. Maar hij had zich vol
tieven zin we1 aan de gave des geloofs en aan alle wer-            vertrouwkn  geworpen op God, Die de `dooden ievend
ken des geloofs vooraf moet gaan.                      e           maakt. En  de belofte was vervuld. Zijn oog  aan-
    `Niet de werken, ook niet de w.e&en des geloofs :              schouwde haar, 0,` ja, van verre; maar in Izak zag hij
.Christus' volkomene  gehoorzaamheid alleen is en blijft tech het wonder Gods, en aanschouwde hij het wonder,
de grond onzer rechtvaardigmtiking.                                dat God den goddelooze rechtvaardigt. En nu kwam tot
    Uit de werken !                                                het Woord ,Gods 1~ Off'er mij uwen zoon ! Zelf moest hij
    En ook ni& uif die werken des geloofs, die als goede met eigen hand het eenig zichtbare teeken  iran .de ver-
werken, als vruchten der heiligmaking uit dat geloof vullinE der belofte vernietigen ! Zou God  zijn gena
voortkomen, wordt een mensch, in- subjectieven zin,, vergeten?.  Nogmaals mqest hij afzien van alles, wat
en  voor zijn eigen bewustzijn, verzekerd van zijne zijn gelgof kon steunen, om alleen op God zichte ver-
peehtvaardigmaking., Want niet uit de werken, maar laten, op den God der belofte. .I. .
uit ,het geloof alleen, zijn wij gereehtvaardigd, en heb-             En aan God klemde zijn geloof zich vast!
ben we vrede bij ,God. We1 leeft dat geloof in den weg                Overleggende, dat God machtig .is, hem ooli uit de
der heiligmakingj en kan er buiten dien weg van geen dooden op te wekken!
zekerheid des geloofs sprake zijn. Maar toeh is het                   Zoo, werkt  bet geloof ! Alleen op God, maar dan ook
niet uit die werken, maar uit het geloof alleen, dat de volstrekt alleen `vertrouwt het.
aondaar zi'ch als gerechtvaardigde voor God kent.                     En zieh verlatend -op God, Die den goddelooze.recht-
    Maar  we1 gerechtvaardigd, voor eigen bewustzijn, vaardigt, wordt het &lig.
+t die. werken, waardoor het geloof volmaakt wordt,                   Gereehtvaapdigd  uit de werken !              ,XJ. H.` "


 52                                                                                                             T-HE  +TANDARD  BEARElZ

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                                        EDITOR& Rev.  g.  Hoeksema.
                                                                                                  ,                                                                                                    The  con$essional  basis adopted by the  First  Ecu-
 Gontribu$ting  Editors:  i Rev. G. M. Ophoff, Rev. G. Vos, Rev.                                                                                                                                   menical Synod is rather comprehensive. No less than
 R.  Veldman,  Rev. H. Veldman, Rev. H. De .Wolf, Rev. B. Kok,                                                                                                                                     nine confessions are mentidned. Althongh this is not
 Rev. J. D. De  Jong,   Rev.   A:.P&er, Rev. C. Hanko, Rev. L.                                                                                                                                     very clear from the conclusions that were adopted with
 Vermeei,  Rev. G. Lubbers, Rev. M. Gritters, Rev. J. A. Heys,                                                                                                                                     resper3  to thi$ matter, we suppose ,that the meaning is,
 Rev. W.  Bofman.
      Communications relative to contents should be addressed to                                                                                                                                   not that all the churches which, in the future, are to
 REV. H. HOEKSEMA, 1139 Franklin St:, S. E., Grand Rapidq                                                                                                                                          send delegates, to similar synods must subscribe to all '
* Michigan.                                                                                                                                                                                        these confessions, but thai those churches are to be in-
      Communications relative to subscription .shbuld  be addressed                                                                                                                                vited that subscribe to and stand on the basis of one or
to MR.  GE,RRIT  PIPE, 1463 Ardmore St., S.  Er, Grand Rapids,                                                                                                                                     more of these reformed symbols. Thus, `I presume; we
 Michigan. All Announcements,  a.nd Obituaries must be  ient                                                                                                                                       must also understand the statement that "all delegates
 td the above, address and will not be placed unless the regular
fee of $1.00  aocompanies  the notice.                                                                                                                                                             to the Synod will have to ,express their~adherence  to the
                                    (Sibscription Price $2.50 per year)                                                                                                                            confessions of the Reformed faith and to the afore-
                                                                                                                                                                                                   said statement."
 Entered as Second Class  Mail  at Grand Rapids, Michigan.                                                                                                                                             This  la& statement does, indeed, declare. that all
                                                                                                                                                                                                   the delegates will have to express theh agreement with
                                                                                                                                                                                                   all the conf,essions  that are mentioned under "1". But
                                                                                                                                                                                                   this would be a practical impossibility. Not only would
                                                                                                                                                                                                   such a provision require that all the delegates be ac-
                                                               - CONTENTS -                                                                                                                        quainted with. all the confessions, something which, I
                                                                                                                                                                                                   am bold to say, was not true even of the delegates to
M E D I T A T I O N   : -                                                                                                                                                                          the First Ecumenical Synod, and can hardly be expect-
                                                                                                                                                                                                   ed of elder delegates to  futuu:e synods of a similar
,GERECBTVAARDIGD UIT DE WERKEN : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49                                                                                                          nature ; but would als'o be impossible, with respect to
           Rev. H.  Boeksema.                                                                                                                                                                      detail at least, because these confessions do not agree _
                                                                                                                                                                                                   in all r&pects. To mention only one item, the H,elvetic
EDITORIALS  :c                                                                                                                                                                                     Prior has it that all heretics, that reject the admoni-
ECUMENICAL SYN,ODICAL PROBLEMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  .* . . . . . . . . . ..:52 tions of the church, and become hardened in their evil
EXPOSITION OF  TiHE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM . . . . . . . . . . . 54                                                                                                                                  way, shall be. punished by  thhe magistrates:  "sollen
           Rev. H.  -Boeksema.                                                                                                                                                                     durch die oberste Gewalt gestraft und  unterdriiki
                                                                                                                                                                                                   werd,en" (the Latin has : co&-cendos  per magistratum).
EiBENEZER                          . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  .57TKe. provision mad,e by-the First Ecumenical Synod in
THE EMPIRE AND THE `PAPACY AT PEACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60                                                                                                                       regard to .this matter  will have to be tak.en, therefore,,
          .Rev. G. M. ,Ophoff.                                                                                                                                                                     cum(grano  salis, i.e. with a grain of salt.
                                                                                                                                                                                                      We would put a qliestion mark behind the closing
DE HEERE  RDGEER? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 statement of the first paragraph of these  concltisions,
          %Rev. G. Vos.                                                                                                                                                                            tfiat a return to the Scripttiral truth can.' .' . . "effectu-
                                                                                                                                                                                                   ate the sorely needed renewal of the world." "
CHRISTIAN INS!l?RUCTION                                                       . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  l6.4       What did the Synod mean here by the term "world"?
          Rev.' M. Gritters.                                                                                                                                                                       And what is meant by  the "return" `of the world to.
FROM HOLY WRIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66                                   Scripttiral truth? Did  the "world" ever embrace  ihe
                                                                                                                                                                                                   truth of the Word of God ? And again, what is `meant
          Rev. H. Veidman.                                                                                                                                                                         by the `"ren.ewal" 6f this "wo$ld"? Did the Synod take
PERISCOPE (The Conference) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  * . . . . . . . .68                                                                this word seriou!ly, i.6. in the Scriptitural sense of re-
          Rev. W. Hofman.                                                                                                                                                                          generation and  conv&sion?  Or did it speak  rallier
                                                                                                                                                                                                   loosely and  genekally?  Ijoes the Synod  eipect a' re-
CONTRIB]LTTION  (The Convicting Office of the  Spirit)..........72                                                                                                                                 newal' of  `the "world" without   regeneratioii  and  con-
           By Rev. A. getter                                                                                                                                                                       v&ion? If  not, does it expect that the "world" will  -
                                                                                                                                                                                                   be regenerated, and  e,mbr&e the gospel? It  might

                                                                                                                                                                                                          ,-g; ,y.$T'
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                                    T        H            E                  STANDPR'D   BEARER.                                53
    _          _.    _
. have  giveti  ,rise to a  Yery interesting discussion had motivated judgment? Will. it have the courage to
 the Synod given itself definite account of its own words; answer. the question whether this chur@h "professes
    But we will pass this up.                                     and maintains" the Reformed faith, in all its pulpits,
    ,Of more interest to us is the decision of Synod with ' and in its schools? We will see.
 regard to invitation df delegates $0 future ,ecumenical'*                   `Fourthly,  I am afraid that, instead of fairly judg-
 synods.       '          I                                    ing whether or not a certain  churcli "professes and
    The Synod decided that "all Churches which, in the" maintains the Reformed truth,`.' it will be strongly
 $Qdgment of Synod, profess and maintacn the Reform- 1 tempted, td say the least, to be guided by other consider-
 ed faith will be invited to participate in the Ecumefiical __ ations that are quite irrelevant to the matter, but that
 Synod, on the basis  mentionef!  above."            _            are rooted in recent history. Thus, for instance, with
    Frankly, I think this is' a serious error. I refer regard to the situation in The Netherlands, it may be                           ~
 particularly to i&e phrase "iri the judgment of Synod'!.. z cons&red questionable whether the Synod of the Re-
 As was stated in our previous issue,, this decision was          formed Churches'-will let itself be guided purely by the
u not carried out, but so altered that the individual question concerning adherence `to  atid maintenance of
 synods represented in th.e First Ecumenical Synod will': the Reformed faith, when it faces the question whether
 determine what churches  shaJ1  receiv&.an invitation: or not  it. shall send. an invitation to the Reformed
 In our country, for instance, the Christian Reformed Churches  ;(maintaining Art. 31) or the "liberated
 Synod will determine the matter with respect to dele-            Churches." And as to the situation here, will it not be
 gates  ,from  churches in the United States.                     extremely difficult for the Christian Reformed Church-
    A mistake I consider this for several- reasons.                    (es) to permit itself to be guided only by the question
    First of all, if this decision is carried out, it will concerning the "profession and maintenance of the
 put the delegates that will be invited to future synods_  $Leformed faith" in determining whether it shall,invite
 in the position of those that have been judged and  `. the Protestant Reformed- Churches? '                                    i 1
 approved in-relation to the different synods as the                         Fifthly, and finally, if the various synods fail to
 judges. And this is not an enviable position. The -judge purely on the objective basis of the confession,
 invitations that will be sent out `to other churches in and. permits other considerations to enter in and to
 our -country, will now have 0 to assume the following            determine their decision `in this.matter,  the result will
 form : "The Synod of the Chris&an Church (es), hav- be that the future ecumenical synods will be -mutual
 ing 5nvestigated whether your church professes and admiration societies, the membership of which is de-
 maintains th,e Reformed faith', and having reached `a.--! termined by personal likes and dislikes rather than by
 favorable .verdict,  invites you to send delegates to the the Reformed chaiacter of its constituency.
 next ,e&menical  synod.`.'                                    -a f          Hence, I believe that this decision is an err&.
    Secondly, what makes it worje, is that the Synod                         It would have been quite suffi&ent  to establish the .
 also adopted the suggestion of its coinmittee that "AK confessional basis for future synods, demand that all
 Churches. . . . will be kindly requested to express their : participants express agreement with it, and leave the
 explicit agreement with it (i.e. with the confessional decision as to whether they would join the movement
 basis that was `adopted, HJH.), and all delegates to             and send delegates to the ChurcJles themselves, with
 Synod will have to express their adherence to the con- this provision that  invitatipns be limited. to those
 fessions  of the Reformed fa'ith and to  th? aforesaid. churches that officially stand on the basis of- the Re-
 statement.`: To this  .we have, of course, no objection.  '  !formed faith..
 But the trouble is that by the first part of ,its decision                  However, as matters now stand, if the Synod of the
 in regard to this matter, i.e. by the decision that the `Christian Reformed Church (es) .faithfully carries out
 individual synods shall first .sit a+ judges, the Synod tl>e decision of the First Ecumenical Synod, and judges
 virtually declared that it did not and would not trust           the Churches that are to be invited to future ecumepical
 the declaration by  the churches themselves that they synods strictly on the basis of the question whether
 agrbed with the Reformed confessions. The Synod they profess and maintain the Reformed` faith, she will
 virtually declared : "Your  owr~ word and declaration have to send an invitation to the Protestant Reformed
 that you agree with the basis we adopted is not to be            Churches. If she fails to do this, she is motivated by
 trusted ; hence, we will first assure ourselves that you other  consid&ations.  This may be said without fear
 are, goiqg to speak the truth."                                  of contradict&l.
    .Thirdly, I seriously ,doubt that the individual synods                  For the Protestant Refornied .Chur&hes  stand on
 are capable of careying out this ,dec&ion, and `will have the basis of the Three Forms of Unity,' pure and simple
 the courage of their conviction. Will the Synod of the -and unadulterated.
 Christian Reformed Church  (`es), for  instance, have                       Atid  `they  maintain this  cbnfession  in all their
 the courage to sit as judge over the Reformed Chu&li             preaching  alid  teachitig, as well as in their church
 of America, and  `e%Bress  a fair and true,.  and well           polity  atid discipline.


     54           ,"                           .THE  STANDARD  BEARER

       And the Christian Reformed Churches themselves
are convinced of `this.
       Even in 1924, when a desperate tittempt  was made'                         THE. TRIPLE KNOWLEDGE
to brand us an m-Reformed, the best' the Synod of
Kalamazoo could do  was'to formulate three points of
doctrine that are `evidently not `in the Confessions,                            An Exposition Qf The Heideberg
neither based on. it ; and judge us in the light of those                                           Catechism                             ,/'
points rather than iti `that of the Three Forms of ynity.
But even sd, that same Synod was compelled tp declare                                                  Part Two.
that we were Reformed in-regard to the fundamentals                                             Of M,an's Redemption
as contained in the Conf,essions.
       That. decision still stands. It was never retracted.                                      L&d's Day XXI            _
Anyone mtiy read it in the Acts of Synod 1924.                                                         , 2.                                      d
       Moreover, the Protestant Reformed Churches now
have a history of more than twenty years behind them,                                    The Election Of The `Church (cont.)
a sufficiently long period to determine whether or not                             According. to the flesh, both Ishmael and Isaac,
they  maintain  the Reformed faith. They preached and both Esau and' Jacob were children of Abraham. Yet,
taught openiy. They wrote and developed their views only the children of the promise are counted as the
in papers and pamphlets and books that tiere spread                             seed : "In Isaac shall thy seed be called" ; and again :
over the entire United States and in the `Netherlands                           "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated." Not the
as well. And there is abundant proof for the conten- will of inan, neither tlie worthiness of man,. but Go$s
tion that everywhere they gained -the reputation of sovereign pl-edestination  makes the distinction between
being Reformed.                                                                 children of the promise and children of the flesh, even
       The Christian Reformed churches are not ignorant in the.historicai  line of the covenant.
of these facts.                                                                    The question might arise, and frequenty does arise,
$      Hence, we claid without boasting, and without fear in the heart of man, whether, in inaking this distinc-
of contradiction, that, on the basis that was. adoited                          tion between men, there is unrighteousness with God.
,by  the- First Ecumenical Synod,  the. Synod of the And the apostle, too, considers this question. But he
Christian Reformed C+urches .wiIl have to invite our answers it, not in the way of human argnmentation,.
Churches to  serid delegates to the next  Ecumeni,cal                           not by drawing. the Lord of heaven and earth before
Synod;                                                                          the bar of human justice, but .by appealing once more
      I Mark you well, I, am not soliciting or begging for to the Word of God iHimself. "`For he saith `to Moses,
the honor.                                                                      I will have mercy on' who-m I will have. mercy, and T
       Nor am I suigesting  that we should or would accept dill have compassion on whom I will have compassion."
such an invitation. This wquld be a matter for dis-                             Here again, the tiords refer to the people of Israel,
cussion at the proper time.                                                     as they w#ere  encamped At the foot of Mt. Sinai-, in the
            But I do state that, on their own basis, they can- wilderness, had committed the wanton sin of making
not avoid to send the Prptestant Reformed Churched and worshipping the golden calf, and were threatened
an invitation.                                                                  with God's wrath and destruction in the desert. Moses
       We will se what happens.                               H. IH.            could not understand this. Was not Israel the peop1.e
                                                                                of God? And had not God promised to lead them into
                                                                                *he rest of the land of Canaan? (How, then, cauld- they,
                                                                                or many of them perish? The divine answer is that
                               I N   MEMORIAM                                   God is sovereign to. save whom He will, #even .out of
            It pleased  the Lord to  kke:from  the  midst of  .the church       Israel.  *He` will have mercy on whom He will have
militant  untb  Hknself  `in, the  church   kiumphaqt,-,our  beloved            me%cy,.and  cofipassion ofi whom He will have c&ipas-
sister  fiellow-member,                                                         sisn. And the apostle concludes: "So then it is not
                        MRS.  AtDRIANA  FEENSTRA                                *of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of
at the  ,age  `of  64 years.  Wse  rejoice that we  ,dm not  griieve   `aIs;    God that sheweth mercy." Rom.  9.:14-16.
the worl'd  that has no hope &eves.                                                But #even here- the apostle does not close- h.is inspired
            l&y the Lord comfort the bereaved  ,children and relatives          contemplation of thle myst,ery  of God's sovereign pr&
by His Spirit and gyace.                                                        destination.               0
                             Th Holland  &adk&  &id of  Red&nds;                   ,God is and remains free and sover@gn,  not, only
                                        Rev.. P. De Hoer, Pres.           -     to- bestow  His mercy and' compassion on whomsoever
                                     $I%.  P;  Kooiman,   Se&.                  I%e will, byt tie fs equally the sovereign boy& & regard


                                                              I
                                   T 'H E   - S T A N D A R D   .BEA~R'E-R  '                                              .55

  to reprobation. "For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh,           17:  ,John  h&d come  and  ppeached   the gospel to them
  Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that as the least of the Nazariies,  neither eating nor drink-
  I might shew my power in thee, and that my name ing ; and they had not received his `gospel, saying- that
  might  \be declared throughout all. the earth." More he had a devil. Christ had-come,. the Nazarene, eating
  cle,arly' and forcefully no  .mere  hulrman  philosolshy of and drinking, for iHe had.powkr  .to overcome th,e w.orld ;
  predestination could ]?ossibly  express it. Pharaoh, in, and again, they refused .to~ enter <into tlie kingdom .on
  all his pride and rebellion against the Lord,. may not the pretext that. He was a :glutton -and a ,winebibber,
  f6r a moment imagine that he is sovereign,- and that Before John -they piped, and he would not dance; be-
  ,even his' opposition to the Word of God and refusal fore Jesus they .mourned,  and He would not lament.
  to let `Israel -go, can possibly thkart God's purpose.           And each time they  .found  an excuse to  reject the
  ,On the cohtrary,  in his vain r'eb(?llion he serves God's gospel. And the Lord  `had concluded His survey by
  purpose.     That purpose `is that, through Pharaoh's pronouncing Hi&terrible w.oe over "the cities wherein
  ,perversion  and obduracy, God might show iHis power,            most of his mighty works were -done, because they
  and His name might be declared throughout all the repented not." vs..2Off.
  earth. And it is for this very purpose that God raised              Now, evidently, in this twofold result of His-labors,
  up the wicked king. And again, the apostle concludes, the Lord recognities  a "word" .of His Father to Him,
  this time emphasizing both aspects of sovereign pre- and to this He replies in His thanksgiving. While He
  destination  :' "Therefore hath he mercy qn whom he preached and labored, there had been a twofold opera-
  will have  m,ercy,   ,and whom  .he will he hardeneth." tion of God's power, a revealing and saving operation,
  Rom. 9 :17, 18.                                                  but also a hiding and hardening operation.  Lof the
     :How many ar+d who of all mankind shall constitute, Father : "I thank thee; .O Father, .Lord  of heaven and
  the,membership  of the Church is determined by free earth that thou hast hid these things. . . . and revealed
  grace, according to sovereign election.             D            them." And a special cause of-thanksgiving it was for
     That is the clear and current teaching of Holy Writ. the Saviour that .the .gospel  had been hid to the wise
     Conside'r  the remarkable words of our Saviour in and prudent of this world, and that it had been r.e-
  .DTatt. l? :25-2'7 : "At that time  J,esds answered and vealed unto babes. Moreover, this result the Lord
  said,`I thank thee, 0 Father, Lord df heaven -and earth, traces to the-good pleasure of- the Father, the soveyeign
  ,%ecauee  thou hast hid these things from the wise and           dispensation of Hip Who is the, Lord of heaven and
  prudent, and hast reveal.ed  `them unto babes. Even so,          earth : "Even so;Father : .for..so  it se,emed .good in thy.
  I?ather, for so it seemed good in !hy sight. All things          sight." ultimately, it is the good  pleasune  of the
  are delivered unto me of my Father :. and no man know-           Father that determines who shall enter into the king-
  et31 the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man dom of heaven.
  t!Le Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoe$er  the                Conside?, too, John 6 :37 : "All that. the Father .giV-
  Sol! will ,r,eveal him."                                         eth me shall come to me ; and hi& that cometh to me I
     Notice here that' j-esuy "answered" although theie tiill in. no wise cast out." These words are directed
  is -nothing .in th& context to which .this reply of the to, and spoken'in cpntrast ~with the unbelieving mnblti-
  Lord ,would seem to refer. Besid&,  He is addressing tude of Capernaum, that had been wonderfully fed with
  His Father. To what,  ihen, is  t&is thanksgiving an             five loaves and two fishes on the preceding day, but
  a.nswer ?                            _  ."                       had not seen. the sign; would have nothing `of the bread
     `The S&iour had been laboring in <Galilee. He had of life, and would, presently, leave the Lord to walk no
  preached  the gospel of the kingdom of  heaven, and more with IHim. In the preceding verse the Lord said
  performed many wonderful works. And as He now to them: "Ye also h&e seen me, and believe -not."
  su&eys the field of His labors, and takes inventory of However, although -they all leave Him, their unbelief
  the fruit upon His  .work, He recognizes a twofold               cannot have any  <effect upon the final fruit of .His
  -effec't  of His preaching. `There were those that re- labors, for all that. the Father gives Him sliall `surely
 .ceived the gospel, and were eager and even impatient             come, and will -surely -be received by Hini. The Church,
 to see the kingdom of heaven come and to enter it:                in God's election, is one whole, a completeness, a body,
  "from the days of John the Baptist even until-now  the           not one of whose members may be lost. Hence, -the
  kingdom of heaven suffereth  violence,`and the violent           Lord says :  "all  .that",  no! : "all those" the Father
. take iteby -foroe:" vs. 12. And there were others,, who          giveth me." And the gathering of every last one of
  never entered in,,no matter who preached, land in what `this whole -depknds  not on-the. will of man, but on the
  form the gospel of the kingdom was delivered to theni.           good pleasure" of the Father, Who .gives HIS own to'
  These are compared to T`children sitting in the markets,         Christ.       '
  and calling unto their fellows, and saying, We -have                The same contrast and `emphasis on God's election
 -piped .unto ybu, and' ye have .not danced ; -w,e have is found in John l-0:26-30:  `(But ye `believe not, be-
 mourned uqto you, and ye have not lamented? vss. 18,              cause ye are not of my `sheep, as I said unto you. My


 56                                     T H E   S T A N D ARD`  BE.ARER

 sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow             But why quote more? The doctrine of God's sover-
: me : And I give unto .them  eternal life ; and tliey shall eign predestination, the truth that'the Church is the'
 never .perish,  neither shall any man pluck them out gathering of those chosen ,unto everlasting life, as the
 of my hand.  $Iy. Father which gave them  ine, is              Catechism teaches us, `runs like a golden thr,ead  through
 greater than all ; and no man is able to pluck them out .the whole of !Holy Writ.
 of my Fathers hand. I and my Father are one."                     Moreover, this truth occupies such a central place
       Notice the first verse of this passage. We would, in the entire system of the Christian faith, that one
 probably, be inclined to turn cause and Gffect mention- .cannot deny or distort it, without perverting and pull-
 ed there about, afid read: "Ye are not of my sheep, be- ing awry the entire' structune.
 cause ye believe not." The `Saviour, however, ascribes            It is the tar ecclesiae,  the heart of the Church.
 the fact of their unbelief to' their being not, of His            Whew, in the beginning of the seventeenth century,
 sheep. His sheep shall surely believe. They are those the followers of Arminius that undermined the truth of
 that are given unto the Good Shepherd by the Father,           sovereign predestination made an attempt. to restate
 from before the foundation of `the.world. They bear the truth on this point, as they would have it, it was
 His voice. They surely-  follow Him. They may not,             inevitable that they should find themselves involved in
 they can never perish, for they ape preserved by the a departure frdm the Reformed truth along the ,entire
mighty power. of the Father through Jesus Christ IHis .line. When $hey liad so restdted.the  truth of election
 Son. It is the eternal good pleasure of the Father that that God's clet&mination  was based ,on and mottiated
 determines our being J'esus' sheep.                            by man's will to ,believe  and to persevere, they .were
       Much more can be quoted.                                 compell,ed to make a similar restat,enient .`With .respect
       Unto the disobedient, "the stone which the builders to Christ's atoeement,  man's depravity, his conversion,
 disallowed, `the same is made the head of the corner, `and the perseverence  of the saints. And they adulter-
 and a stone of stumbling, even to them which stumble ated the pure truth of the Christian faith in every part.
 at the word, being disobedient: wh&reunto also they               The denial of sovereign election involves a d,enial
were appointed." And in contrast with  theni, they of particular atonement, that is, of  the- truth that
 which believe, are "ic &o&n generation, a royal priest-        Christ shed His lifeblood only  .for those  whom. the
hood., an holy nation, a peculiar people ; that ye should Father had given Him. And the denial of particular
 `shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out atonement must ultimately lead to a denial of tlie
 of darkness into his marvello% light." I Pet. 2 :8, ,9.        truth that Christ's death'is vicaridus, a payment for
       The Church appears in God's eternal' counsel as the guilt of our sins. For if Christ actqally shed His
 p&fected, called, justified, and glorified; for  "whbm life-blood for all men, head for.head, and soul for. soul,
he did foreknow, he also  did predestinate to be con- in the sense that, by His death, He blbtted out the
 formed to the image of his Son, that he might be the guilt of all men's sins, then all are redeemed and justi-
 firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he fied, and all must be saved. If,. hois;e+er, Christ died
did predestinate, them` he also called: `and whom he for all, and all ar.e not saved, as,`in fact, they are not,
 called,  them he also justified: alid whom h.e justified, it follows inexorably, that the death of Christ was not
 them he also glorified." Rom. 8 :29, 30.                      vicarious, tliat by His-death He did not pay the price
  And the spiritual blessings of salvation are be- that made them. all  rightedus before God. Hence,
' stowed upon the Church according `to the scheme and           some other theory of atonement must be invented,-such
standard of election: "Blessed be the God and Father            as the govertimental  theory, 0~ the moral idea, or the
 of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all mystical conception of the pow,er of the cross.
 s$ri&al blessings in heavenly plaoes  in Christ : Ac-             Again, if one denies absolute predestination, he is
 cording ai he hath choseq US in him before th;! founda- bound to change his conception of the depravity of-the
 tion of the world, that we should be holy and without sinner. He cannot be wholly without any capability to
 blame, before him in love." Eph. 1:3, 4.          d            do  -good. For he must h&e the power to determine
       And throughout the first part of this same chapter, his `own salvation. If God chose those unto salvation
 as the apostle mentions the glorious blessings of salva- of whom  IHe  foreknew  .thaf they would  belleve in
 tion believers have in Christ, the adoption of children,       Christ, man must have the will to believe. There must
redemption, the forgiveness of sins, the gathering to- be some good, some positive inclination left  ili him
 gether of all things in Christ, he repeatedly and strong- whereby `he is capable, of himself, to turn tb Christ
ly emphasizes that they all have  their ground and and to accept the gospel. And thus the plain !eaching
 fountain in God's sover,eign  predestinahion,  vss. 5, 11,     of Scripture that man is, b.y nature, nothing but an
 the good pleasure of his will, vs. 5, the good pleasure enemy of G,od, minding the things of the flesh, dead
 which he' hath purpose in liimself, vs. 9, and the pur- through tresspasses  and sins ; and that he is incapable
pose of him who worketh all +hings according to the             of coming to Christ unless the Father draw him, is
-counsel of his-own will, vs. 11.                               distorted.


                                          T H E   S T A N D A R D .   B E A R E 'R                      `b              57

      It follows, too, that a new theory of regeneration Reformed theologians iver,e agreed on the main ele-
 and of the'conversion of man must be invented. For, ments of the doctrine of predestination.  ' They all
 according to the Scriptural and Reformed presentation proceeded from the principle that in all the works of
 of the truth, the sinner is saved by the power of free        God, and, therefore, also in the eternal counsel of the
 and sovereign grace. Not man; but God is first. But Most High, the purpose is the will of God to glorify
if soirer,eign  election is denied, and td man is ascribed Himself. They also agreed that, in the decree of pre-
 the power to believe in Christ, or the will to believe, destination, there are two elements or parts: election
 God's saving grace must wait for man's determination. and reprobation. Some, indeed, preferred to speak of
 Man must give God "the green light.?' If he gives the reprobation as a "passing by", a non-election, while
 red light, God cannot pass. Hence, all the hawking of others, more boldly, spoke of predestination unto dam-
 Christ in modern preaching, and the attempts to per- fiation. But essentially this makes  no difference, and
 suade the.sinner  to come to Christ. Deny election, and all agreed that `Scripture teaches a double prsedestina-
 you qust deny sovereign grace. Yet; Scripture teach- tion, election and reprobation. All were agreed, too,
 es us plainly that it is not of him that willeth, nor of that predestination is free and sovereign. The motive
 him that run.neth,  but of God thht sheweth meycy.            of neither election nor reprobation may be found in
     And if man is first in his regeneration and con- man, but is solely in God's own good  pleas&e. God
 version, he must needs remain first all the way of sal-       did not choose th'e. elect on the basis, of foreseen faith,
 vation, even to the hour of his death. Then the true nor r&ect the reprobate on the ground of foreseen uri-
 relation between preservation and perseverence  is in- belief. His d,ecree  is free and sovereign.
 evitably perverted. According to the Scriptural pre-             But there was often a sharp controversy between
 sentation of the truth on this point, God is first albng them, when they confronted the problem concerning
 the whole line: the saints persevere because of and the order in the decrees of God. And this difference
 through `God's power of preservation. They are pre- of view is expressed in the names : supralapsayian  and'
 served in the power of God, and no man can pluck them infrabapsarian.
 out of the Father's hand. And the assuring and'com-                                                          H. H.
 forting knowledge,of this preservation does not render
 them passive and careless, but on the contrary, it is in
 and through that power of God that they fight the
 good fight, walk in the sanctification of life, and perse-
 vere unto the end. But if you distort the doctrine of
 election, and so present it that God chose those U-i&t
 would believe in Christ, and persevere unto the end, you
 must needs pervert the relation between preservation
 and perseverance in such .a manner that the latter is                              EliMXlezer
                                                                            P
 first, the former follows. God preserves those  that
 persevere in desiring the grace to persevere. Man is             .So had the Lord driven the kine by whiih the Ark
 first ill the matter of his salvation, to the very end.       was b,eing drawn in. the way to the way of Bethshemesh.
   Thus all certainty is lost.                                 But when the Bethshemeshites saw the;,Ark, they re-
     Man stands in the center of things, and God is de- joiced to see `if. But, as we stated, they had reason                 .
 pendent upon him.                                             to hid'e :themselves  in the dens and the rocks of their
     The whole system 6f truth is perverted.          '        mountains; for the Lord was again amongst them-
     And it is evident that the doctrine of sovere'ign  pre- the Lord, who is a consuming fire-and they had not
 destination is of fundamental and central importance.         put away  thii! strange. gods from among them and
 It is the car ecclesiae  indeed!                              prepared their hearts to serve the Lord. In a word,
                        -            -                         the nation had not repented. The people of Israel at
                                                               this time, definitely the' Bethshemeshites were carnal.
     The second question we' mentioned in this connec- And in their carnality they again imagined that the
 tion is: what is the relation between the church and Lord was for them in their sins. And so these sinful
 the old organism of the human race?                           and impenitent men, vainly imagining that. th'ey could
     This question concerns the old controversy between stand  ,in their sins before the face of God and live,
 the infra- and supralapsarian conception of predestin: ryshed into the  paesence  of His throne-the Ark-arid
 -ation.                                                       made merry. As  was said, their  behavioujr  was an
     In iti pure, abstract form, this question is of little insult to God. So the Lord smote "many of  their-
-interest to us, and we shall but briefly present it. It number with a great slaughter.`9  .50,070 of their num-
 con&rns the question as to the order of the various ber-men of  Bethshemesh-were overthrown. They
 steps or decrees in God's <eternal  good pleasure. All        said, "who is able to stand before this holy-Lord aGod


                  58'                                   T H E   STANDA:RD  B E A R E R

                  and to whom shall he go up before us?" And they sent God's anger smiting the nation on  accqunt of its
                  messengeps to the inhabitants, of Kirjathjearim, say- apostacies, and driving home to its heart that the only
                  ing, The Philistin,es have brought again the Ark of the      way out of its `troubles was the way of return to tile
                  Lord ; come ye down and fetch it up to you. As was                                     *
                                                                               Lord.
                stated, the men of Kirjathjearim came and carried                  The strokes of God, as blessed to the liearts of His
                  the Ark into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and believing people, was .the cause of much sighing and
                  sanctified Eleazar his son to keep  watch over the Ark,      lamenting among the faithful in Israel. "All the
                  the purpose being to rendser it inaccessib1.e  to the mul- house, of Israel lamented after the Lord," humbled
                  titude in order to prevent a reoccurance of the catas-       itself under His mighty hand  .that was heavy  upqn
      ' . .       trophe that had struck in Bethshem,esh in conn&tion His peopl,e through the agency of the oppressing `Philis-
                  with the Ark.        ,                                       tines? Seeing their tears and hearing their groanings,
                         It is plain that at this time the  peopl,e  of Israel Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, if ye
                  were deathly afraid of the Ar,k, afraid of God. If only are returning unto the Lord with all your hearts-, then
                  the Lord had remained in the country of the Philis- put away the strtinge  gods and Ashtaroth from among
                  tines. But now that He had come back to them, they you and prepare your hearts unto the Lord and serve
                  knew not what to do with'Him. They would rid tllem- him only : ?nd he will deliver you out of the hands of
                  selves of God, if only, they knew how: Doubtless they the Philistines." The children  of Israel-did just that.
._                would have conveyed the Ark to some desert place far         Gathering them. at Mizpeh, Samuel prayed for them
                  beyond the borders of Canaan, had they dared. But unto the Lord. And they "drew water and poured it
                 -they dared not. To do that would be to invite a dis- out befor'e the Lord, and fasted on that day, and said
                  aster even worse than that which had struck in Beth- there,  We have sinned against the Lord." As was said,
                  shemesh.  So they imprisoned the Ark in  Kirjath- this public confession of sin by the whole nation took
                  jearim. This is tile meaning of their conveying the place some twenty  years after the resting of the Ark
                  Ark into the house of Abinadab and sanctifying in the house of Abinadab. During all these years the
               Eleazar his son to keep watch and guard' over this hand -of God was heavy upon the nation through the
                  symbol.  Eleazar must see to it that no company  of) oppression of the Philistine ~dominion.
                  men come near the Ark to. touch and to look at this            ( Apparently the people of Israel were inviting cer-
                  sy,mbol  or to carry it into the tabernacle in Shildh. tain- disaster, when they gathered together in Mizpah;
                  For who was able to staild before this holy God? l+e For hearing of -it and concluding that the assembly was
                  who walketh uprightly and worketh righ&ousness,  he siditious as to its character, the Phi&tines  deemed-
                 shall abide in God's tabernacle and dwell in His holy it' expedient to inflict terribIe  punishment. An.d the
                  hill, Ps. 16. But instead of working righteousness,          people of Israel, being in an unarmed cbndition, were
               ' rather than put away their idols-Baalim and Ashtar- unable to defend themselves. But they had assembled
                  oth-in order that they might stand before this Holy to prostrate themselves before the Lord in true contri-
                  God and live; they sought to preserve their lives in the     tion of heart' and therefore the Lord would not fail
                  way of imprisoning the Ark in the house of Abinadab. to come to their rescue according to I$% prcmjse. Tile
                 ,They were  ilot better than the Philistines. For the Phiiistines  bestirred themselves. They went up against
                  Philistines, too, as terrorized by the plagues of God Israel: Seemingly the vast and defenceless  assembly of
                  that had rioted,among them, had sent away the Ark to Israelites in Mizpah was dobmed. <Only a miracle could
                  its place but without repenting. There was not one save them, a sudden divine interpositidn.  The people
                  who  wantGd God. All were afraid of him and with of %Israel were afraid, for though they believed, their
                  reason. Their works were evil and thejr .willed not to       faith was not perfect.         Ther,e  being not a  wcspoll
                  repent; and God  sheweth himself merciful with the among them,. their only hope was God. And knowi'Llg
                ltiercyful; upright, with  th,e -upright; and pure with that the effectual fervent prayer of' a righteous man
                  the pure ; but with the froward, he will shew Himself avail&h much, and knowing Samuel to be such a ma:].
                  froward, Ps. 18:25, 26.          '                           they pressed him not to cease to cry unto the Lord
                         But if the. people of Israel imagined that they had for them, that He would save them out of  thy ha&
                  freed  th*emselves  of God by imprisoning His Ark in of the Philistines. But as there could he no de!ivsr?.nce
                  the house of Abinadab, they were soon made to per- from  hppression without foregiveness of sin, and no
                  ceive that. they w,ere  mistaken. The revelation of His forgiveness without shedding of blood-the blood of
                 wrath over their unrighteptisness-their idolatry and Christ-and without the  rexpressioq,  on  the- part of
                  lawlessness-continued through the- oppression of the- those for whom the forgivenegs was merited, of true
               1 Philistine domination that continued  uninterrupte\d. contrition of heart and the resolution to forsake sin
                  For though the Philistines had brought back the Ark,         and to be wholly consecrated :unto the Lord, Samuel
                  they had not. ceased to persecute God's people, the took a suckling lamb,  and  offened  a burnt offering
                  people of ?I~~+!, J3vt the Phi&tines  were the rod of wholly unto  the Lord, as he cried to the  L~orcl   fioc


                                    T'HE  `S'TANDARD  B E A R E R   - -                                           59

Israel. While he prayed and offered, the  Philisi;ines        called the name of it Ebenezer-meaning; the stone of
 drew nearer and near to battle. Then the Lord answer- help-saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us." W,e
 ed -and sent salvation. He thundered' wi$h a great will see that this was a remarkable statement for
 thtinder  upon the  Philistiines and thereby spoke Samuel to make;  when we view it in the light of the
 to them. telling them in their hearts  t$at He  ~7::s        dreadful history of those twenty years. The Lord had
 angry with them, the persecutors of IHis peoplfe;  and helped His pe6ple hitherto, that is, not only recently
 that now their hour-had struck. Such &as the speech when discomfiting the Philistines by His thunderings,
 that rose from' the bliriding flashes of lightning and but through all the years of that dreadful night. When
 the terrific peals of thunder that followed one after the Philistines put to the rout Israel's army and slew.
 a n o t h e r .
            Atid this speech was ii; their hearts, as put many thousands of its fbotmen,  when they captured
 there by the Lord.     Confused and confounded, the the Ark of God, and during all the  tini& of Israel's
 @i!istines were smitten' befor,e Israel. Beholding the groaning under the pressure of their .dominion, God
 salvation of their God, and in consequence thereof `was at work helping not certainly the Philistin'es but
 confirmed in their trust in God, the men of Israel ad- His people. The Lord had blessed those strokes untd'
 vanced from Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines to the hearts of His people. Courage revived. The id&s'
 a plain named Bethcar.                                       in Israel were  d,estroyed.    And the people of Israel
      The victory over the Philistines was gained. without again served the Lord only. That was essential. It
 arms; it was the immediate gift of the wonder-working, was the thing that was primary. with Samuel and not
 pow,er of God's grace ; it was the answer to the re- the lifting of the Philistine yoke and the physical well-
 pentance of His people, their putting away their idols being of the nation. If Israel wanted the not-gbds of
 and their returning to (Him by the power of His grace the he&then instead of Jehovah, wanted to serve those
 as operative in them ; and thtis it was indeed the answer gods and lay. Jehovah's `gifts before their shrines,. let
 to the effectual fervent prayer of righteous men in          the Philistine oppression @ontinue by all means. That
 .Israel, of the righteous Samuel. And as long as he was Samuel's attitude in his prayers and sermons to
 lived, he ceased not to pray for Israel, eff,ebtually; and the people. `This is clear from his saying to them, "If
 fervently, thus pray that the nation keep covenant ye do return unto $he Lord with all your hearts, then
 fid.elity and be wholly consecrated unto the Lord their put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among
 God,  ~putting `away from them the not-gods of the you and prepare your hearts unto the Lord and serve
1  heatheri,  And that the Lord in the way of this godly him only; and he ,will deliver you out of the hands of
 conversation, and in the way of this conversation only the Philistines." Israel did repent. Then the. Philis-
 -so p&y the riihteous-bless His people and be their tine yoke was lifted.              The Lord had helped. The
 sun and shield against the `adversaries, according to people of ,God had been blessed' in their affliction and
 His standing promise. And the Lord heard and `ans- reverses and the Philistines cursed in their triumphs
 wered. Having been subdued, the Philistines "came no and success of arms. Rightly considered, their military
 more into the coasts of Israel: for the hand of the achiev,ements  were catastrophic defeats, for the `Lord
 Lord was against the Philistines all the days of was against them ; and the reverses of God's people
 Samuel," he being a righteous` .mari, who prayed the were glorious triumphs, for the Lord was for them.
 prayer of the righteous. "And the cities which the We should mark this by all means. That a man suc-
 Philistines  ha9 taken from Israel were restored to ceeds in any field of endeavor, is prosperous and eats
 Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath. ,These twb cities his' bread to the;full is no certain indication that he is
 were not r.estored, but are mentioned to indicate on the object of God's..favor.  The Lord may be prosper-
 the Philistine side the direction and limit' of the ing him in 1His wrath as He prospered  the Philistines
 scope in which the people of Is&e1 regained their lost in His wrath, when (He made them to triumph over
 cities and territories. The meaning is, "Israel r,ecover-    Israel. IOn th`e `other hand, that a man is poor and
 ed their cities which lay on the Philistine borders, afflicted and underfoot, is no certain indication that
 reckoning these borders from Ekron to. `Gath." Finally, the Lord is against him. The only certain indication
 there was also peace "between. Israel and the Amorites.!' that a maxi is loved of God is that he fears the Lord,
 The name "Amorite", is employed in the Scriptur'es as thus that Christ is his portion. That man is always
 the designation of the heathen inhabitants on both           bless@, thus blessed in affliction as well as in pros-
sides of the Jordan. The implication of the statement perity. All things work together for his good. And
 last quoted is that they had been making war on Israel thus the only certain indication that a man is hated of
 bkfore  Samuel. According to Judges 1:34, it was. the        God is that the man is u~gddly, does not rep&t and
 Amorites who had driven the Danites back out of the perishes in.his sins, because God hates him from ever-
 plain into the mountains.                                    lasting. That man is always cursed, thus cursed in
 .    The Philistines having been discomfited, "Samuel his prosperity as well as in his adversity.. All things
 took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and' Shen, and are against him, the reason being that ,God is against


       60                  _                \  T H E   STANDARD  B E A R E R

       him. Verily, this is the doctrine contained in that con- signify the .dominions  governed by a person bearing
       fession of Samuel, "Hitherto hath the Lor'd helped us," the title of emperor. The first  successiofi of great
       thus helped us through all the ages of the past and thus empires known  tb the historian was formed of the
       will help us through all ~the `ages to come. This cei-- Babylonian and Assyrian powers, the Medo-Persian,
       tainly is the thrust of the statement. For God is and the Macedonian.  They included the greater part
       faithful. His love of His people is unchsngeable.  For of the ancient. civilized world b,efore Christ. The Mace-
     with Him there is no shadow of turning. He  is for                  donian power was supersededd  by the Old Roman em-
       His people tiow and everlastingly.                               pire, founded by Julius Caesar and Augustus. In 393
              By his fervent and effectual prayers and thus not A.D. it was divided into two parts, the Western, ruled
       by force of arms, Samuel had ov,ercome  the world as from Rome by one sovereign and the other or Eastern
       encountered by the faithful in the godless sons of Eli,          half frdm  Constalitinople  by another, although the
       who had corrupted the` sacrifices`; in the apostate whole was still regarded as foiming a single Roman
     .' church ; in the not-gods of tlie heathen, before whose          state. But actually the Old Roman empire had come
       shrines those apostates were prostrated ; in the Philis-         to an end, so that there were now the Eastern'Roman
       tines, who reviled God and persecuted His people.                empire, which lasted a thousand years, and the Western
       Eli's wicked sons had been destroyed, the gods of th,e           Roman empire, which soon expired, the reason being
       heathen had been put away, the Philistines had been that it was unable to resist the invasions of the German
       discomfited, and Israel delivered in the way of repent-          tribes.    In 451 the German kingdoms that  r.esulted
       ance and ret&n to the Lord. Thus great things had from these invasions voluntarily passed under the
       been accomplished through Samuel, his prayers and *jurisdiction of the emperor of Constantinople and the
       pr;phesyings  and all his labors. The Lord had helped Western Roman empire came to an end.
       and this in answer to his prayers,  in fulfillment of His            This state of things continued until Charles the
       prophecies-for he spake the word that the Lord had               Great, who succeeded his father Pepin in 768, brought
       put into  h.is  h.eart-And  in  recognit&n of his  1aboFs.       under liis rule all Western Europe, that is most of the
       Thus Samuel had overcome indeed. And his victory countries that had been included in the Western Roman
       was his faith, which is but another way of saying that Empire, and thus established the Roman-Germanic or
       his victory  was solely God-the  C;od and Father of so-called Holy Roman Ekpire. It was called HoZy be-
       Christ-the help of this God, and thus a'help merited             cause Charles wished to unite all Western Europe into
       by Christ and bestowed as .a free gift. Having thus a Christian  En1pir.e. It was called  R'oman  because
       o+&come,  Samuel, so we read, judged Israel all the Charles. claimed to be the successor qf the Caesars of
       days of his life. And he went from year to year in the Old Roman Empire. The object -was.to make Rome
       circuit to Bethel and ,Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and j'udged           again the capital of an undivided Roman empire, rather
       j.sra.el in all those places. And his  retyrn was to than creating a separate Western empire. But as the
       Ramah; for ther,e was his house ; and there he judged Eastern Empire continued to exist, the result of the
       Israel ; and there he built an altar unto the Lord, step. really was to establish two mutually hostile lines
       chsp. 7 :X5-17.                                                  of <emperors, each claiming to be the successor of
                                                     G .   M .   0 .    Augustus and Constantine.
                                                                           The territorial extent of the Western (Holy) Roman
                                                                        Empire that was founded by Charles varied greatly at
                                                                        different periods df its history. At the time of Charles
                                                                        the.  Great it embraced the northern half of Italy,
                   THROUGH_THE  A G E S   ~ Fran`ce, Western and Southern Germany,. and a part
                                                                        of Spain. Under  ,Otto   th`e Great (936-973) it  was
                                                                        spread over the whole of Germany, Holland and Bel-
                                                                        gium, the sorith-east  part of northern France, and laid
       The Empire and the Papacy ai Peace claims to the ajacent kingdoms of Hungary, Poland,
                                                                        and Denmark, and the greater kingdoms of France,
              In the previous article of this rubriek  we witnessed England, Spain, and  noTthe& Italy. At the time of
       the conclusion of the struggle for world dominion be- the Reformation all claims over the districts outside of
       tween the papacy and the Hohenstaufen family. We Germany were dropped. From the 15th century on it
       saw that the hlaims of  the papacy survived also  th'e           h&i the same bounds as modern %ermany, ,except,  that
       blows struck  again and again by this house; and my it did not include East Prussia.
       closing remark was that the struggle ekded  with the                 From the time of ,Otto the Great there was an un-
i      Holy Roman Empire prostrate in the dust befdre the broken succession of German kings who took the name
       papacy. The' term `YHoljr Roman Empire". is one in the `of the Emperors of the Old Roman Empire, and were
     '  need:of
       =  I.  .,   some
                   I  _  _%   q$lgn$ibn,. Ernp<re Is 3 tern?' used to acknbwledged  in the cqu.$ries of Western EuroQe  .&ci


                                     T      H       E               STqNDARD  BEARER&;ij   I'                           61

  by the Roman Catholic Church as tile head of the whole had instituted the papacy to rule the world. Gregory
  Christian community. Their jurisdiction was, how- secured the election of Rudolf, and had thereby gained
  ever, practically limited to Germany and  NortheFn a brilliant victory.
  Italy. It was especially the `strong emperors of this                So there was -now peace in the relations of the
  so-called Holy Roman Empire that opposed the claims papacy and the' empire (Holy Roman). But what pope
  of the papacy to supreme magisterial power over the               should not be able to get along well with a man like
  kingdoms of the earth. Frederick II of the  Hohen-                Rudolf? The era of good feeling coritinued all the days
  staufen  1in.e was such an emperor. But as we have of Rudolf, who died in 1291. In fact, not once `again
  seen his war with the papacy elided in his destruction did men'witness a fierce struggle for power between
  and in that of his house ; and the empire, definitely             a~ Holy Roman emperor and the papacy such as that
Germany and Italy, had become so weak that the en-                  in which Fred&rick II atnd some of his predecessors
  croachments of the papacy could no longer be r&sisted:            in the `eqperial throne had engaged the popes. The'
  In its ldng struggle against the pope, its strength had           reason is that since the days of the Hohenstaufen the
  been broken, and the Italian states and German` terri- empire was too  greatly emfeebled by internal wars
  torial rulers became practically independent princes,             and disorders to defi th?ough its emperors the popes
  sovereign in their own territories, and often more                of Rome in their preposterous pretentions. The title
  powerful than the emperor. By 1648 it w&s really no of Holy Roman emperor was born by members of the
  longer an empire at all, but a loose federation of many Austrian house of Hapsburg from 1273 to 1'740, but
  large and small principalities, united under the presi- the emperors had power as rulers of their hereditary
  dency of a ruler .who bore the title of `emperor but, had estates rather than as occul:ants of the emperial throne
  no actual power. Yet it lasted `on till the year 1806, in Germany, and therefore were powerless to suppress
when Francis II, king of Hungary, resigned his em- the incessafit wars between the German princes and
- perial title, and withdrew to his own kingdom. With the cities and the discord of th,e lower nobility. As to
  him the ~Holy Roman Empire ended.                                 their mode of living these nobles were veritable h@h-
      As was stated, with the .death  of Conradin I, the way robbers. This state of things in Germany con-
  male line of the Hohenst&ifen  dynasty became extinct ; tinued to the time of the Reformation and even bkyond
  and the electorial princes of Germany elevated.Rudolf that time.
  of Hapsburg to the emperial throne  of the Holy Roman                From 1438, the year of the acdession  of Rudolf to
  empire. Hapsburg is the name of an old German the emperial thrtin'e, to 1294 there reigned successively
fdnljiy,  native of Switzerland,  and. the first mention no less than eight popes, Gregory X, Innocent V,
 of which is in a document of 1099, were the name Wer-              Adrian y, John XXI, Nicolas III, Martin IV, Nicolas
  ner, count of Hapsburg, occurs in connection with the IV, and Coelestis V. - The.combined  reigns of Innocent,
  consecration of the monastary  of Muri. This family, Adrian, and John lasted only eighteen months. Inno-
  that took its name from an old Swiss castle, now in' cent died before `he was consecrated. .It was during
  ruins, has .given sovereigns to -Germany, Spain and the ptintificate  of Gregory that the Council of Lyons,
  Austria, &nd contillued to recent times to be a reign- also known  ai the Fourteenth Ecumenical Council, held
  ing dynasty. Rudolf, crowned- emperor October 24,                 its sessions. It is remembered chiefly for the futile
  1273, was a just ruler and without alinbition to extend           attempt to unite the Greek and  Western  churches.
  his jurisdiction. Moreover, being a religious tempered Nicolas III was a firm adrjnistrator, who managed
  man, he was loyal to the Roman hierarchy. IHse re-, to frustrate the attempt of the ambitious Charles of
  frained from controling the election of bishops in his Anjou to seize the Gre@k crown. Martin IV, a French-
  realm, protected the rights of the church a$ Gropped              man and a man of lowly birth, is conspicuous as the
  ali  claim to the states of the  p.apacy in Italy. In a tool of a monarch, this Charles of Anjpu. In southern
  word, he was a man according to the papacy's heart.               Italy' the ruling positions were everywhere  h,eld by
  Gregory, elected pope in 1271, was pleased with him.              Frenchmen, who were thoroughly hated by the Sicil-
  In a tone of conciliation he wrote, "it is incumbent on           ians. Rising up, they massacred all the Normans  on
  princes to protect the liberti'es  and rights of the church the island with the Sicilian wives  of the  Normans.
  and not to deprive her of her tempo+  property." But It is estimated that at from ei&t to twenty' thousand
  he added,. "It is also the duty of the spiritual ruler to         of their number fell. The `massacre ended Charles
  maintain kings in the full integrity of ,their office.?' rule on the island, and Peter of Aragon was chosen
  In comparison with many of his predecessoys,  Gregory king in his stead. Martin placed Sicily. under the papal
  was a man- of peaceful spirit. Men said that he was a ban, and imposed upop Christendom a tribute of one
  saint; and he is one of the two popes of his century so tenth. for a crusade against Peter. The ambition of
  canonized. But he did not hold himself aloof from Nicoias IV was to restore .to Christendom the holy
  polities.    That would be expecting too much of the places of Palestine, but  he died  cry  his plans  could
  best of popes, seeing \hbat all l-&Id the view t;2l& Christ lx              executed?         ,,


 62                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   -BEARER

       The pontifical throne was vacant for twenty seven             Ziedaar, het begin vain een psalm die de majesteit,
 months, when Peter de Murrhone, who wanted to be bkstendigheid  en de heiligheid des Heeren bezingt.
 known as Coelestin V, was raised to the phpal dignity.              De Heere regeert!
IHis brief reign, it lasted  l.ess than. a year, forms a             Die regeeren wil moet met hoogheid bekleed zijp,
 curious chapter in the history of the papacy. The col- een hoogheid die in zijn  wezen schuilt en bewezen
 lege of cardinals, as they could agree on no bne else, ivordt naar b&n  .door de  daden. Het gaat niet aan
chose this man, who formed a strange and direct con- voor den nieteling om te regeeren. Doch hier is sprake
trast to his predecessors. Peter de Murrhone was a van den HeereI
@ious monk-an  anchoret,` in fact-who from his                       De Heere is hoog verheven! Hij zit boven alle
tw.entieth `year-at, the time of his elevation `to the           rumoer  der aarde en van het heelal. Hij is onmetelijk
papal throne he tias seventy nine-had led a solitary ver verheven boven al wat schepsel  beet.' Trachten
life, devoted to prayer and religious contemplation. we om daar eenigzins in te komen, dan duizelt ons ver-
There was a St&y in circulation about him that he stand. Hij is 266 hoog verheven,.,dat we ons zelfs niet
had. succeeded in the unprecedented feat of hanging een idee kunnen vormen van Zijn troon. En als ik in
his tub, wherein he was wont td sit, on a sunbea&                dit verband  spreek van Zijn troon, dati bedoel ik niet
Against his wishes, he was made to exchange the con- de troon Gods die in den hemel der hemelen prijkt,
templative  lif#e for a sphere of action of the  .mpst           want die troon behoort bij  db schepping. Ik  .bedoel
enormous extent. As pope he wore the monki'sh dress de hoogheid Gods waarvan we lezen: "di.? een ontoe-
under the papal robe. In appearance, he formed astrik-           gangelijk  licht bewoont" ! God .is 266 hoog verheven
ing contra& to that of the other popes of this time.             bov,en  de aarde, den hemel en het geheele, heelal, dat -er
Seated upon an ass, led by the kings of Sicily and nooit iemand zal zijn'die  IHem daar zien zal. Verder
Hungary, he made his ,entry into Rome. Thousands nog : ni,emand zal zelfs kunnen indenken hoe het er uit-
flocked about him to obtain his blessing. But when ziet in het ontoegankelijk  licht van `die  grooten  Go&
this feeble old'man was set down in the midst of the                En dat komt  omdat God de "geheel Andere" is.
vast business of his office, he proved woefully incompe- IHij is God, ongeschapen, ongeworden,  ongemaakt, uit
tent. In  his simplicity, he gave his  ,ear now to  this en van Ziehzelf bestaande, de gebee!  eenige God. Wij
counsellor  and then to that. He subscribed to rolls of zijn gemaakt, er was een tijd, dat we er niet waren.
parchment' that he had not even read or that had not Doch `God is er altijd geweest. D&t daar eventjes
been written on, and which therefore could be filled             over na, en het begini U te duixelen. Daar fluisteren,
at pleasure. The cardinal resolved to get rid of him,            we yan een nooit begonnen eeuwigheid.
and he, too, longed to be restored to his former solitud,e.         $0 God ! Hoe wonderlijk en groot en hoog verheven
Despairing of the wickedness of the' papal, court, he            zijt Gij ! Ook weet het onze ziel ze`er wel.
exclaimed, "0 God, while I rule over other men's                    Die God heeft  alles  geschapen: een tweede  reden
souls, I am loosing the salvation of my own". But it waarom Hij regeeren' kan en mag en moet.  Alles,
was difficult to see how a pope could be divested of his         letterlijk alles' is Zijn eigendom. Na het schecpen  van
office. But Peter was assured that it was allowable.             de  dingen is God nooit van den troon gestegen. Hij
He published an ordinance to that effect, and sub- blijft  t@  in alle eeuwigheid op den troon. Hij bezit
sequently abdicated and returned to his' quiet, and was alles. Dus heeft !Hij alleen het zeggen over `all? dingen.
succeeded by Coelestine VI.' With the commencement                  Bovendien, na het seheppen der dingen regeert God
of the reign of this pope, a new era for the papacy was          door de Wijsheid van Zijne wondere Woord der voor-
at. hand.                                                        zienigheid. 10 die voorzienigheid is zulk een wondere
                                               G.  M: 0.         openbaring van Gods wondere en alwijs almacht. God
                                                                 spreekt en' er is oorlog, er waait  eefi  zacbte koelte
                                                                 en er is een  mensck; die zijn spieren rekt en  uit-
                                                                 strekt in het pure  genot  van kracht te hebben. Hij
                                                                 is het die U ter zijde loopt, neen, die in U overal werkt,
          S I O N 'S   ZAN.GEN                                   krachtdadiglijk werkt om U op ,te houden, om U het
                                                                 wezen te geven, om U te  doen  denken,  spreken,  doen
                                                                 en leven: Niemarid  en niets kan zich verroeren zonder '
                 De Heere Regeert                                die a!omtegenwoordige  en almaehtige kracht van Gods
                                                                 voorzienigheid.
                                                                    En al die waarheden moet ge nu eens in verband
                          (Psalm 93) --                          ietten  met Gpds wonder-wijze plan der verlossing, het
       De {Heere  regeert, (Hij iS met hoogheid bekl,eed,  de    plan om Zijn voizalig verbondsleven aan den mepsch
Heere is bekleed met sterkte, Hij heeft Zich omgord,             te  geven in  cretituurlijke  mate. Zet die  grootheid  en
ook is de wereld bevestigd,  zij zal niet wankelen.              hoogheid, die schepping, die voorzienigheid in verband


                                                                                              .
                                     T H E   S T A N D A R 'D   B E A R E R                                          6 3

  met Jezus van Nazareth ! Zoo krijgt ge een grootheid en de drieste domhkid gekroond. Stelt het U voor, d&
   en hoogheid en `heerlijkheid van God die U zal doen er een "Super-mensch" zou zijn, die, als generaal van
   jubelen van geluk. Zegt het vlak voor het kruis van een vechtend leger, de  macht en de kracht  had om
Jezus: De  Heere regeert! Hij gaf  Zich een  schoon gedurende  den strijd, telkens weer aan oorlogsmateri-
   kleed van hoogheid, daar, daar vlak bij het kruis, in aal te schenken aan hei leger, dat hem bestreed? En
   d,e zware droppkls bloed, in het vreeselijke lijden van zoo is het met God en de boozen.
   Jezus, in de` rauwe  k;ce&eti  van den Zoon van ,God.         Ge gelooft tech wel, dat het in dit vers gaat over de
  De Heere regeerde daar en Hij zal U zijn wonderlijk boozen die  .zich tegen God keeren? Leest slechts
  Koninkrijk toqnen.' De stijl en de trant zijn pure, on- ~Openb. 1'7 :l, 15 ; in verband  ook met Jeremia 51:13 en *
  begrijpelijke liefde.  ,Om dat lieflijke Koninkrijk tot Jesaja 57 :20.
  voile openbaring te brengen kwam  iHij als de  (Hpog           Welnu, ,Gocl is het immers die de vijanden het aan-
  Verhevene en toonde Zich als Scheppey, Onderhouder,         zijn,  bet. leven, de kracht en  macht en alle  dingen
  liefderijke Verzorger.. Straks komt de voleitiding  en schenkt ? Ziet g& dan niet- hoe dwaas het is zich te ver-
   dari rqullen  alle schepselen het luidkeels roepen  tot in heffen tegen  God?  Ge zijt het  tech verloren  voor-
   alle  eeuwigheid:  De Heere, o ja, de Heere regeert!       aleer ge begint ?
   Sommigen zullen het roepen  al weeiende, sommigen             En tech de rivieren bruisen ,en verheffen hare baren
  a zullen het roepen al jubelende ; dat zal er aan liggen tegen God. Wilt ge  kominentatir op die  woorden.?
   of ge een bok dan we1 een sehaapje v&n Jezus' kudde        Ziet dan om U heen in de tegenwoqrdige werelcl ron-
  z i j t !                                                   dom U.     H,et is bijna  alles  &en  schuim?& van zijn
      Vreeselijke, doch ook lieflijke gedachte!               .schande  tegen God en tegen Zijn Gezalfde. Het is een
      Ja, om dat alles te doen zien moet er een aarde zijn. vloeke; en een razen fegen God en Zijn Christus. Wie
 , Op die aarde, als op een tooneel, zal dat Koninkrijk       die God vreest wordt niet moede en mat van al het
  van den regeerende Koning komen met kracht en met bruisen der goddeloozen ? Als het dat all,een  maar was,
  heerlijkheid. Daarom staat er: "ook is de wereld be- dan konden we duidelijk  zien, dat het einde nabij is.
  vestigd, zij zal niet wankelen". Die wereld mag door We kunnen er soms ni,et bij, dat God he! kan uitstaan.
  vrtieselijke tijden en keerpunten en crisis gaan, ze We zouden geneigd iijn om telkens uit te roepen `met
  blijft  echt& vast en bestendigd. Tot het heerlijke den psalmist : "Dat gij zijn ongerechtheid nog langei
  einde blijft ze staan. En als alle burgers  vafi dat kan verdragen !"                 "
  Koninkrijk`gekomen zijn-tot hqn plaats in de heerlijke         En tech, Gods Woord zegt het ons : "Indien ge tegen
  paleizen, dan zal die wereld door de laatste crisis gaan, Hem zondigt, wat doet ge Herb?" Vreeselijke ironie
  al brandende versmelten, om plaats te maken voor de Ge kunt God niet genaken met al het vloeken en razen.
  eindelijke wereld van Gods geneugten.                       Al wat we doen is een gat slaan in ons eigen hart en
      "Van toen aan is Uw troon bevestigd; Gij zijt van ons rijp maken voor de hel. God is alleen God ,en Hij
  eeuwigheid af  !"  ~                                        is hoog verheven.  Hallelujah !                         ,
      Daar hebb& we al iets van gezegd, dwaas die we             Daarom vervolgt de zinger : "De Heere in de hoogte
  zijn. Hoe zullen we iqts zeggen van datgene wat we is geweldiger dan het bruisen van groote wateren, dan
 niet kunnen benaderen. Laat ons de woorden dan net cle geweldige baren der zee.' '
  maar naspreken, verder zal het niet kunnen, God is             ,Onze jongens.  die terug kwamen van die geweldige
 van eeuwigheid af  aan. Hoe  wopd'erlijk  ! Hoe  vree`se-    wereld  oorlog vertell,en ons, dat het zoo moeilijk was
  lijk van vermogen!                                          om den vijand nit het gebied te verjagen, omdat ze
      De rivieren verheffen, o Heere ! de rivieren ver-       vaak hooger  la&-en  dan zij. En vanuit de hoogte  re-
  heffen haar bruisen, de rivieren verheffen hare aan- geerdeu  ze het slagveld. En dan vielen er duiz.yde van
  stoting !"                                                  onze jongens.
      Eerlijk, geliefde  lezer; ik kan er niet bij ! Hoe         Welnu, God is in de hoogte.  IHij  beheerscht  het
  durft iets  zich  tech te verheffen tegenover  zulk een slagveld. En ook vebl meer dan er ooit een veldheer
  Hoogheid en Heiligheid als God die  bHe;ere is?' Een- geweest- is `die  als overwinnaar uit den  strijd weer-
  zelfde verwondering beluisteren we in den  tweeden          keerde.  ,Hij is  266 hoog  irerheven,  dat Hij  alles  be-
 psalm, waar de psalmist in verwondering uitroept:            stuurt: in Zijn Eigen leger onder Christus, en in het
  Waarom woeden de heideeen en bedenken de volken leger van den duivel en zijne trawanten. De  !Heere
  ijdelheid?         i                                        regeert ! Alle kracht om te strijden tegen God met ons
      Stelt het U voor;  dat een klein diertje, zooals ken denken  en spreken, met ons handelen en wandelen, met
  worm zich in het harnas zou jagen tegenover' de leeuw ? het buskruit en het geweer, met alle dingen, zie het
  Zou dat groote` beest, zou de koning onder de di'eren komt alles van God.
  ni'et  lachen van spot en  hboni En  tech het kan- er          Zijt ge daarom in het leger van God, dan ze,gt die
  .niet bij vergeleken worden  als de dwaze.mensch Rich Vader in  Christus  &ezux: Gij zijt  meer' dan  overwin-
zet om te strijden tegen God!  IHet is de dwaasheid naars !
   I .


64.                                     T H E   S T A N D A - R D   B E A R E R   _

' De dichter is kalm geworden. Het wordt nu heel
stille. Als ge het gezien hebt, dat- God die de Heere                          I N   HIS  F E A R
is, voor U en door U strijdt tot de zekere zegepraal,
dan wordt,.het stil in Uw hart. Dan zijt ge niet meer
bevreesd .en bang.                                                            C h r i s t i a n   Instmctisn
       Luistert slechts naar den dichter : "Uwe getuigenis-
Fen zijn zeer getrouw, de heiligheid is Uwen huize`sier-                          T         h    e         Covenpt.
lijk, Heere, tot lange dagen !" .                                 We believe that our gracitius God, in His sovereign
       Wq.t een prachtig sl?t !                                good pleasure has entered into covenant with His
       Ja, hoe zouden al de dingen weten die we nu aan- people and has established with them that everlasting
gehaald hebben, en waar deze psalm van spreekt, als            Cov,enant  -of Grace which God one  tinie promised
het niet was vanwege de getuigenissen Gods. Als we Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God will be \heir Gocl and
die n&t hadden tin als de Heilige Geest z'e niet op ons        they shall be unto lHim a people. There you have the
hart gebonden had, zouden we van de zegepraal van two sides to that glorious Covenant. `He will be God
&en Koning niets weten.                                        ulito them. Th;kt is, all that which belongs unto Him
  Doch nu hebben we het profetische Woord, dat zeer as God, which characterizes Him for what He has
vast is. En we doen goed om er acht op te nemen:               revealed Himself to be, all His ~God-ness will become
       Er was een boek, dat we Bet boek der natuur noe- the experience of His pkople. His goodness, righteous-
men. Adam kon het lezen. Doeh later werd hij steke-            ness and mercy and kindness, :His people will taste
blind en ,moest  ,God hem en ons een ander boek geven:         it all. Ps. 3423 will go into fulfillment, "0 taste and
den Bijbel.  l!Xgenlijk is dat Boek Jezus. Het' boek see that the Lord is good", and, as Peter says concern-
des levens. De openbaring van het Eigen Hart van ing the new-born babes, "If so be ye have tasted that
Gocl. In dat boek staan heerlijke  dingen. Iets ervan the Lord is gracious". The Covenant is therefore an
hebben we nu gezegd.                                           Economy in which God causes His people to taste His
       tHet hart van die getuigeiissen is dit : Des H,eeren    goodness and grace,  IHis friendship and. His fellowship.
heiligheid is' Gods Huiie sierlijk-! Wat schoone taal.         Centrally .God does this through Jesus Christ crucified
God zegt hier dit: De heiligheid van God, die Zijn and through His Spirit and Word.                                    -'
!Huis om- en doorstraalt, staat  schoon, lieflijk,  heer-       The other sid)e of tliis same Covenant is that "they
lijk.                                                          shall be unto me a people".. Signifying that this people
       0 ja, het zal doen zingen tot in eeuwigheid.            becomes God's private property and God is jealoup of
       Alles, letterlijk alles, heeft de Heere gedaan in den their affection, service and worship. The covenant
tijd,, omdat Hij Zijn heerlijkheld  en lieflijkheid wou        people is the Bride of Christ. They must not, go a
toonen. Dat is ,Gods heiligheid. Het positieve  element whoring, nor bestow their time- and affection upon
van die deugt Gods is immer, dat Hij Zichzelven toe-           `some other than their proper Man, which is God in
gewijd is. Hij wil hebben, dat millioenen van menschen Christ. They shall be unto God a people in that they
en engelen zull,en weten hoe lieflijk Hij is.                  shall respond with lives of new obedience to His Word
       Daarom is er de wereld, de menseh,  de duivel, de and reveal themselves as' the wife of the Bridegroom,
zonde, de smart, de  `ellende,  de bange smarten van Christ.
Jezus !                                                                                ,
       Daarom komt  er een Koninkrijk, waarin Jezus                     The Covbinnt and Our School Children.
Koning zal zijn en het volk Gods  dndeydanen.  De                  Against the background of that Covenant we haGe
Engelen Gods zijn dan  d,e dienaren. En de verdere in our Baptism Form a Prayer with Thanksgiving.
scheppitig  in die nieuwe wereld zal zijn tot eeuwige The prayer that God may look upon our children, that
blijdschap van Gods volk, dat zich in zijn beurt in God        is, -bestow upon them His divine attention, take them
zal verblijden.                                                out of our.earthly family into His divine family. Fur-
       Lezer-`en  lezeres, daar zult ge Uw wensch  verkrij- ther, that they may be piously and religiously educated,
g&n, door `t licht dat van Zijn aan'zicht  straalt !           grow up  in Christ Jesus; daily follow Him, joyfully
                                              - G. V.          bearing His cross, live in all .righteousness  under their
                                                               only Teacher and manfully fight against sin,  Satan
                                                               and his whole dominion.
                                                                   Concerning our baptized children we therefore have
                                                               the calling to educate them piously land religiously, in
             Know that the Lord is God indeed;                 .order `that they may rise up in the midst of this
             Without our aid  H,e did us make  ;               world to reveal themselves as of God's party to' fight
             We are His flock, Be doth us feed,                the good  fight of faith and receive the victory of
             And for rHis sheeti He doth us take.              g r a c e .


                                                  T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                           65

                Time will reveal that not all who are baptized are of  th.e  pr`inciple of sin and use this creation in the
           members of  this. multitude. which shall attain the direction of sin.- But in that creation there are also
            victory, but those things belong to the inscrutable wis- who have been toirched  by the grace of God have been
           dom of the sovereign God. We are called to educate renewed and love God, and use creation in the direction
            ,.them piously and religiously. And we rest assured of God. These two never get along with each  other.
            that this piohs educati'on  will reveal that,in our gener- Everlastingly- they pull in opposite directions. After
           ,.ations  th,ere is the "man of God'?.                          sin came into  -i&e world  ther.e is no such thing any
                                                                          more as a quiet development of creation. Everything
                         Our Chilclren In This World.                     is warfare. Whatever is developed tith a view to this
              Hence the  instructidn  our  childnen  receive must war between light and darkness. Into such a  wcjrld
            serve to prepare them to take that place in this world        come our children.
            which the Covenant assigns to them. And if we ask                 Under their only Teacher they must learn the art
            what this place is, the answer is: their place is `to 1 of this holy warfare. Warfare against their own  sin-
            live in obedience under their bnly Teacher" and to fulness,  against   sj.11,  satan and his whole dominion,
           * reveal themselves as of God's party in this world..          and thus reveal themselves as obedient children, `not
                Our children are not called to bring about a new fashioning themselves alter the world, but after God,
           world-order, to `form  .bulwarks for democracy, to re- and revealing themselves as  Farty of the Covenant
           -build the world, to claim: the world for Christ. or to God.                                       3
            develope a Pro Rege. No, they are, first of all called
            to live `in new obedience and righteousness. under their *            The Fear of God, Beginwing of Wisdom;
            only Teacher, to fight the good fight of faith anid to            The beginning, that is the fundamental principle, of
           reveal  ~themselves  as  of God's party in  this world.        living in !righteousness  under .this only Teacher is the
            Godls party has  always.  been in this world. Since Fear of God. That is. the beginning of wisdom. Not
            the days that Cain's children  w,ent off  $0 develope mere history, geography, physiology or what have YOU
           the world and Seth's children went out to build an will equip him to rise up in this world as the man of
           altar and call.upon the Name of the Lord, since those           God, but the constant instruction in the fear of God, as
            day& God's party has been in the world and they were it touches him in history, physiology, geography, etc.
            a differelit party. ,They led a distinctly different life. rHe needs to be educated in the f,ear of God. His fear
           God's party is in the World  -And there they are called of God needs to be developed. By the  grace  of  God
            to reveal thems'elves  as of God's party. Whether this that fear is present, that fear has to grow, it haS to
            type of  education  developes  a  new  world-order,  forms become  keen,  strong,  unmoveable.  History   has  to
            a bulwark for democracy, rebuilds the world, or wheth-        d:evelope  that fear of God in h.is heart, geography. and
           .er .it endi the world in conftision  and destroys derrioc-
                                                       "         - -      physiolo&-yea,  all serve the development and streng-
            racy. . . . essentially that ,makes no difrerence. `l'hey     thening of that fear of God.                                  `_
            need the God-centeke&  covenant-inspired type of edu-          ' This fear is composed not of terror .?tor  dread fo,r
            cation. They must be taught to live in rightequsn&s            God, but of amazement -at Him, of wondering at II-Iim
            under $heir only TeachFr.                                     s of. .feeling reverence and awe for Him. When Job
                                                                          $r&ected the mighty things of God's hands he fell
                                   Antithesis.                            down in fear of God, amazed at His greatness, keenly
               As. our Baptism Form expresses so beautifully and aware of his own significance.
            9s the Scripture teaches on almost `every page, next to          .This fear and reverence becomes the principle out
          . this Party of the living `God there is  another party.        of which true wisdom proceeds. With this fear in their
            There is what the Baptism Form  calls "sin,  satan,           h.earts  our children learn the things our schools have
            and'his whole dominion." In the face of that fact this on their curriculum, but through' it all they acquine
            world and world-life becomes for the children of God wisdom, and become equipped to stand in the midst
            a battle-field and they are called "manfully to Tight".       of this world, wherever God calls them, and show forth
            Christ has th,e victory. Already in the Garden of Eden, that they are of God's party. God's coventint  i? with
            when this warfare was `first announced and brought t.i?,em  thai fear Him.
)           itito being, .God rises up to .announce that in Christ            Therefore the instruction in Christian schools must
            the seed of the woman will conquer over the seed of           revolve around `the fear of  -God, be God-center&d,
            the serpent. God hath the victory. But for  us  the           covenant-directed and be ti process in that pious and
           victory lies on the other side of a battle-field. Battt!e-     religious education' for which we prayed when we had,
           .`fie!d?  Yes, so God has ordained it. One time creation ours children baptized.            '
     *      was organically united under one head, namely Aitam.                             ("ro' be Continued)
            But sin came. Creation,b.ecame  divided against itself.                               ,
            In that creation there ar"e ,who hate :God, who live out                                                 M .   G .


  66                                          ; :`,,THE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

                                                                        does  .not refer  to this idea. Fact is, the  trial of our
               FROM HOLY WRH'P'                                         faith does not always and necessarily*result in patience.
                                                                        At times temptations result in the weakening of the
                                                                        conscious  believing of the Xhristian. James, in this
                                                                        text, does not have this in mind. .He is not speaking
               James  1:3,4:  - "Knowing this, that the  tryi,ng of     here of the "trying of our faith" but of our  "tried
               your faith worketh patience. But let patience have       faith." The underlying idea: of the expression is that
               her perfeci work, that ye may be perfiact and entire,    faith has a character which can endure temptation.
               w a n t i n g   n o t h i n g . "                        When faith has eti,dured tempt&ion it shall have been
        Verse 3 giv,es us a two-fold reason for the thought (`tried" in-the sense of "approved", even 2s gold, hav-
 which had been expressed in the second verse. `James                   ing endured the test of fire, bears an  approyed,  a
 had  exhoited the church of God to count it all joy purified character. Besid&,  we must also notice here
 when- they fell into divers temptations. Of course, the use of the word "tried, approved".  The change
the people of God do not consider these temptations all is made in the text `frqm "`temptation" to "tried, ap-
 joy because of  the temptations  themselv&.  It is for                 proved." The reason for this is` plain. The devil
 this reason that we do not seek temptations. To the tempts, exclusively. He always  -purposes evil. But,
 contrary we fall into them. And we inust count as all while the  d,evil tempts, `the Lord, through these tempta-
 joy, not the temptations as such, but the fact that we tions, is proving, purifying (His  .people.  And t&e text
 fall into them. We rejoice in these afflictions because                refers to this approved faith, which is faith that has
they are a means to an end.                                             encturecl the trial.
        The church of God is exhorted to rejoice in the                    !& aith is the living, spiritual bond which unites us
 midst of .temptations not, first of all, because'they are with Ghrist Jesus. "y faith w,e know, taste the ful-
 of short duration. It is; of course, true that they ar'e               ness .OI the grace which is in Him. IH,e only is -our life.
 of short duration. Ins I Peter `1:6 the apostle speaks We have been implanted. into, Him.                         i?aith is that
 of our being in heaviness through manifold' tempta- spiritual power whereby we, essentially but also con-
 tions bat for a season. There this brevity of our `afflic- sciously, `I've out of Christ, even as a tre-e lives, through
 tions is held before'us as a cause of great rejoicing. ' its roots, out of the fatness of the earth. l\/loreover,
 How,ev&r, this is not mentioned in this text df James. by faith we are also,united  with all the brethren, love
 Neither does James exhort us to rejoice in temptatibns                 them, seek their fellowship, fight with them against
 because of the',glory  which awaits us. This, too, ap- the common spiritual ,enemy,  and separate ourselves
 pears in Holy Writ as a cause' for the Christian's joy. from the world.  .And finally, faith is  .also. a  .heerty
 In Romans 8 the apostle Paul declares that our suffer;                 confidenoe in God through Christ Jesus. To believe
 ing is not to be compared tvith the glory' that shall means that we, upon the basis of the cross, with .otir
 .follow. And in II Cor. 4 :17, 18 the same apostle ex- eye fixed upon the eternal glory, have the" confidence
 presses the inspired word that our light affliction, that God iS faithful and will never forsake the work
 which is but for a `moment, worketh for us a far more tihich He has once begun.
 exceeding and eternal weight  o$ glory. It is indeed                    What, then, is approved faith? Faith itself, `we
 true that the eternal hope of heavenly glory.austains understand, is pure. Faith is the-living, and spiritual
.. the child of God, enables him to walk the path of af- bond which unites  us  with Christ. It  slways knows
 fliction and-suffering to the end.. `Otherwise, he would and eats  aBd drinks the Christ. It always. trusts.
 surely be the most miserable of all creatures, poss&s-                 Faith as such is pure. However,  our believing, our
 ing nothing in  `this world and without hope for the                   conscious  b,elieving   .is not always `pure.  `It is often
 future. Also this, however, is not inthe mind of James mixed with human ingredients. We rely .upon ,God but
 as a  .reason  for  otir rejoicing in  the midst of divers             also upon ourselves. We `seek then the things which
 temptations.                                                           are above but also the things which  are below. We
        The first reason for rejoicing advanced by James -often mix our own righteousness with the righteous-
 is that these temptations work "the trying. of our ness of God. Hence, we do n'ot always reveals the true
 faith." This is evidently the meaning of this text. It character of faith.  hour believing must be purified.
 is true that the writer speaki  of patience as the result This approved state of our faith is realized by means
 of this trying of our faith. Yet, it is plainly'the teach- of temptations. Therkby  w,e learn-to realize our own
 ing of the.tex%  that these teinptations, first of all, work unworthiness, to love God and hate sin and the world.
 this "trying` of our faith." .The translation, "`trying We learn to rely on Christ and on Christ alone .and not
 of .our faith": does not exactly represent `the original on ourselves, to believe in God alone. W.hatever  is then
 thought of this portion of Scri$tu-re. Th& translation of ourselves and of theiworid falls away. God ,and His
 as such is clear. The "trying of our faith" refers to                  Kingdoin become our all. Purified faith -implies that
 the process by.which faith is tried. But the holy writer our-believing-has .b@en~. puri%?d of all elements-tihitih


                                       T H E   STANDARD  B E A R E R                                                     67
  are foreign. to th"e true character. of faith.                 the' Christian to bear and endure all suffering for
     The second  reason why we must  kejoice  in the God's sake and the glory of His Name.                      How often
  midst of divers temptations is that this approved faith does it not happen in our-lives that we do not practice
  works patience. Patience  is. not indifference as ex- the virtue of patience to the end, that iive break it offj
  pressed in the saying, "Let us eat'and drink for. to- become very  fmpatient. We refuse, then, to suffer
 morrow we die." Neither is patience to be confused for Christ's sake, w.e seek God and Mammon heaven
 with Stoicism; the attempt to harden oneself so that and the world. We refuse to forsake all for ihe sake
 we  becom'e immune to suffering, and pain-this is of God and His Kingdom. We will not walk patiently,'
 ftindamentally  rebellion against `God.       And, in the but seek now and then the things below. IHowever, we
 third place, patience is not forced subjection, SO that are .exhorted  to let'the virtue of patience have a p.erfect,
 we submit ourselves $0 the rod of affliction because we work. We must exercise it continuously.
 are powerless to resist. Patience is a work of the
 grace ef God. It deals, as the text suggests, with suf-             And notice, in this connection, the "but" which
 fering and affliction. Patience is that power of grace,         introduces verse 4. IHow well the holy writer knows
 whereby the Christian, not indifferently or passively that we are prone to be very impatient. And we are
 as a Stoic, b.ut willingly and joyfully bears all tempta-       warned to bear constantly in mind that patience `must
                                                                 be  ,euercis'ed   to  tlle  end
 `tions, for God's sake, so that we do not succumb tom '              1
 the wiles of the devil, but endure them; having our eye .`.         Paitence must have a perfect work in order  that
 fixed upon the glory above, knowing. that all our pre- we may be perfect and entire, wanting or lacking noth-
 sent trouble qust work together for our good and the            ing. The meaning of the words `"perfect" and "entire"
 glory of God's Name.                   1 .                      is plain. Any doubt as to the meaning of James cer-
     This patience is the result of approved faith. James tainly must disappear in the light of the last words of
 uses a word here which does not merely mean "to                the text: "want!ing .nothing.`? . The word "entire" re-
 .work". Literally, he `writes that this approved faith fers to the Christian in his entil-ety, refers to all the
 works- completel-y,  accomplishes thoroughly this pat- parts whereof he is constituted. To be `"perfect" and
 ience. The meaning. is plain. Patience is the neces- "entire" means, therefore, that we  mu& be perfect
 sarily  accomp'anying  fruit of approved faith. We  arti in all  our parts. This is literally explained by the
 placed before. a choice. We renounce the things of holy writer in the words that follow: lacking nothing.
 t-his world and cling unto God' and His promises in The Christian's walk as a friend of God in the' midst
 Christ Jesus% And. the peace which passes or trans- of the world must be such that, in all his. walk, in,
 cends all- hu-man  u&erstanding fills  otir  heart, our every part of that walk, he may never fall short of
 hatred of sia grows,. our reliance upon God becomes            his calling to conduct himself as of the party of the
 moye steadfast, our joy in ,God's. love.moy:e  intense,.our    living God. It is plain why James adds these words
 security in God is. confirmed and r&es$abl&hed. `Our in verse 4. We must surely let patience have a perfect
 ability to suffer for the sake of God and of Christ is         work.      Approved  f.aith will work patience,  .but the
 stzengthened.  .Approsqd  faith works patience.                virtue of patience must be exercised to the encl.
    We understand that when James writes; ."Einowing Patielice is not only the Christian's w.illingness  td bear
 this, that the. triing of your faith worketh  p&ience," ,and endure suffering, but it is also our .unspe&ably
 he does- not refer  to.' intellectual knowledge. Mere blessed assurance of victory. If our patience "breaks
 intellectual knowledge of the Scriptures and of the down" it will be impossible for us to experience that
 Scriptural truth that approved. faith works patience approved faith works patience, inasmuch as both,
 wili. not enable the child of God. to rejoice in divers patience and a living faith, are not being practiced by
temptations. This knowledge of our text. is  experi-            us. Hence, to -rejoice in the blessed patience of the
mential knowledge. iOnly then will this rejoicing occur Christian we must also exercise it to the end. To do
when, in the midst of temptations, we experience that that, however, tie must be perfect and entire, l&king
our faith is actually being, purified and that this ap- nothing. There is a reciprocal relationship here. We
proved faith. works patience.-                                  must,be  patient to- the end that we may be perfect and
    In `verse 4 James `answers the question how. this           entire.    Only when we are thus patient can we be
rejoicing because of its result according to verse 3 can        perfect and entire: `But it is also true that to.be patient
actual,ly be experienced by the child of God. We read unto  th*e end,. we must in nothing fall short of our
here,:. "But let. patience .have a perfect work." The calling as a Christian. Always to be patient surely
church is admonished to-let the {virtue of pa&`ence be implies that we do not "break, down" anywhere along
complete unto the end. The virtue of patience must be the line, but that we steadfastly co&inee  to be God's
practiced fully,. -completely, unto the end. This is the friend, and an enemy of the world.. This is a difficult
meaning of the expression "perfect work". Patience,             calling, possible only by grace,
we have remarked, is the willingness -atid the joy of                                                          H. V:


       68          '                I         T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEARE.R  /

                                                                      presented as the exclusive work of the son. of God by
                         p E R 1.s C `() p E                        - His, Word and  ,Spir$. The Church  isbli;;;?)rzti;
                                                                    spiritual entity  ; reborn from above.
                                                                    Word." the Son also ,gathers
                                                                                           -         the people of God. Thes
                              The Conference                          are ,consciously  called into being as having been chosen _
                                                                      from eternity. `This calling aiso determines the ten-
                                                                    s i o n . W,e  can only speak of tension in  the Church;
       Second Session. . . .                                          there is no tension in  the natural man nor in the
              The second  ses+on.of' the  Conf,erence,  on Wednes- modern Church.                          .'  ._,
       day morning, was opened by the Rev. W. Grossmann,                 "Two outstanding phenomena must be borne in
       pastor of the  R,eformed  Chur'ch at  ;Hosmer, South mind in considering and understanding this tension.
       Dakota. IHe introduced the first speaker of the day,           In the first' place, the Church of God is a spiritual-
       the Rev. H. Veldman. In further development of the heavenly entity. `But ye are a chosen generation, a
       general theme, "The Church!`, Rev. Veldman spoke on :          royal presthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that
       "`The Tension  of the Church" ; <which subject had been        ye  siiould. shew forth the praises of him who hath
       assigned to him by the Conference-Committee.                   called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.'
                                                                      I Peter 2 :9 ; `For our conversation `is in heaveK; from.
       Resumd.   .   .   ,                                          ' whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord .Jesus
              "The doctrine of the Church is a' fascinating sub-      Christ.' Phil. 3  :20.  The  Church of God is born  6f
       ject. W,e believe her to be a, unified whole yet instead       God and partakes of the Divine nature. She has her
       of being characterized by unity  w#e see dissension            source  i.n heaven. and as such is  .a heavenly-spiritual
       throughout the history of the Church. Instead of Oqe ,entity; The Child of God receives his life from .God.
       H&y Catholic Church we see an apparently hopeless Possessing. the life and -heart `of -the heavenly Jeru-
       segmentation. The Doctrine of the Church-is also an salem,- the  Church expects a `fixed heavenly City..
       important svb j ect. Both the Belgic Conf essioli,  Article But; in the second place, that Church is such a spiritual.
       27,  and the Heidelberg Catechism,  L'ord's Day 21,            entity- in th& mid&  ok an utterly sinful .and corrupt
       emphasize this truth.                                          w o r l d .
              "The Tension of the Church is, therefore, also an          `-`l'h'ere is still more, the members of the Church,
       important  and. fascinating subject. The Church in are sojourners- on the face of th_e earth. `i'hey are also
       the world is always under strain ; without relief. From spiritual only- in Kginnng and `are yet in tbe midst
      her position in the midst of the world there follows a          of iin. and. corruption. They are Children of- God- but
       resulting tenseness. We wish to call your `attention           only in `p&eiple.  They are Saints but also sinners ;
       to "the Tension of the Church" as we speak of,:                Light in `the midst df `darkness ;. Righteous but. alsa
                   I. The Idea of the Tension,                        unrighteous.`. Not orily the Church inn-the  worU.but
                  II. The Reality of this Tension,                    also  we,ourselves  have  conflict&g  fdrces.`       ". _ .
                                                                         "We make the followirig c'onclusioli,  therefore, the
                 III. The Purpose  of. this  T:ension.                terision of the' Church iS caused bjr, `and follows-from,
              I. The Idea:. "What is the meaning of the word the essential spiritual-heavenly identify Qf the Church;
       "tension" in our subject? Webster defines tension as           and its mtimbers,  tind he? `ttimp'oral  position. in" the'
       a "stretching or degree of stn%ch.or strain". Hence,           midst of the world: Conseqtiently,  her tensioiz is- the
       tension is  syntinymous  with strain. Webster further strain and pressu?& under which she'labors.                       .'
       speaks of tension as "mental strain or stress" and                II. The Reality : "First-  of all  this tensioh  as-
       "strong intellectual effort". In. our subject it  Defers       experienced  in the life of the  ihdividual  Christian:
     ,. ,to the new life -of the Church which *seeks the Cause        The Child of God is in a &ate"of tenseness. `For we
       of God and Christ standing always opposed to evil &now that tkie law is spiritual ; but I am carnal, sold
       in the world. This struggle is never  r'elaxed;  The under sin. For that which I do -1 allow not: fdr what
       tension of the Church is, therefore, the tremendous            I would, that do 1 not; but whfit I hate, that do' I. If.
       strain to which the Church and her members are al- then I d6 that which I would not I consent unto the
       ways subject; the strain under which the Church law that it is good. Now `then it`& no more- I th%t `do
       labors. She is always in a strait betwixt two. The it, but sin that dwelleth in me-." In this passbge'frbm
       greatest tension of the  ,Church  and of the Child of Ronians 7 the' subject is th& same': the Child. of ,God
      .God is the conscious spiritual strain under which she in the consciousfiess  of. himself as `6 new' mah in the
       labors and to which she ,is constantly exposed.                old fl,esh. rHe rejoices in complete victory, yet gjroans
              "The Church is .the Body of Christ, as revealed to      under. the burden of a fearful struggle. The result'%.
\      us in Scripture and th,e Confessions and expounded in a state of  t'ension.  W#e should note here that  :he is
       last night's lecture. The gathering of the Church is not a dual personality but `.one p&son..  In the sedond


                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEAR.-E.R   _                                       69

   place, the Christian does not speak the language of a part of God to save what He can; nor.even the revela-              -
   aer'eatist here. `I'hough  ir; is true  that  he aoes not tion that God saves His own ia spite' of opposition.
   realize the complete and perlect victory, he has that. God saves His people through th;he enemies!
   Victory in principle. Hence, there is wlthin him a re-           `"What then is the purpose? The `purpose is that
   sulting tension'. One power draws him  heav.enward           God has.  )willed to call eternal attention .to the fact
   while another power draws in the opposite diseetion  ; that His grace is imperishable an_d sovereign, so that
   he stands betwixt both.                                      the Child of ,God may sing the praises of God and God
      "tiesides  this spiritual tension. within him there iS alone ! This truth must be indelibly marked in his'con-
   also pressure from with&t, fbr he is. yet oI' this earth     sciousness  :. `He that glorieth,  l,et him glory in the
   earthy. Pie is a heavenly citizen dwelling as a &ranger Lord' ! Salvation is of  giaee  alone ! If left to  him-*
   on earth; still wandering in a desert land. Though self the Child of God would never run the course to
   born from above he is yet earthy. He is of fl,e& and the end. The purpose is to witness to our proneness
  blood and bound below with many earthly relation-, to sin and to testify -of our Only Deliverer: Jesus                         .
  ships ; consequently the tenbion.  I As he speeds toward      Christ our Lord. In Him alone do  we have  the vic-
  the end of his [earthly existence the New, Heavenly tory !
  Life draws him closer, but the tension continues to
 ' the end.                                                     Discussion. . . .
      So, too, there is a tension in the Church on earth.           The Rev. J. Howerxzjl: "Is the tension due only to
   She is called to reveal herself as the Body of Christ.       the evil that is yet present? If the Christian  lif,e is
  But within the earthly manifestation the carnal church from above and his citizenship is in' heaven and he
  attacks the Body and puts pressure on her to forsake          lives in a strange land, is everything pertaining to  ~
  her. calling. The' carnal element does not want the that strange land necessarily evil? How must we
  pure preaching of the Word and resists the application conceive of the things of this world-as all `evil?
  of Christian Discipline. So the Church of God labors
  under th,e attacks of the carnal church and is in ten-            The Rev. H. Veldman: "The primary cause of the
  sion ; realizing her own weakness.                            tension -is sin. But the earthy character of the Chilcl
      "This Church, too, is in struggle  tvith the world of God as a heavenly citizen in an evil .world  aggravates
,round  about her. ,Outside of the Chukch is the world ; the situation."
  under the. igfluence of, and controlled by the devil-             The Re?. D. E. Bosma : "In Gen. 3 :15 we read, `and
  the mass of the world that lieth in darkness.. The I will put enmity between thee and the woman', enmity
  Cliurch finds conflict everywhere in that world  ; in is the rqot of teniion. When Eve took of the forbidden
  sdcial, political and economic spheres, for she and it fruit there w&s a resulting tension between herself and
  operate froG diametrically opposing principles. This Adam. Eve tried to solve this tension, to make peace
  conflict exerts pressure on the Church. .In the midst `without tension, but her attempt to sqlve, in giving
  of the world she, is call'ed to fight and fighting realizes to Adam also, resulted only in greater tension. Gdd .
  her state of tension.                                         solves all tension and injected the tension of enmity
      III. `The  Purp,ose: "This tension of the  Chuich `for Christ's sake.           Christ alone finally- solves the
 `must have a purpose ; a Divine purpose. Why must                                                               _
                                                                +ension.`?
  the Church of God throughout the ages be alwayjs  sub-
  jected to tension? "It is not of the struggle with the            The Rev. H. VelcZman:  "Although I did not mention
  world that we here speak. God has willed that 25s Adam and Eve I did state that there is a Diyine pur-
  Church shall  !exist in an evil world. That struggle pose. It must be attributed to God alone."
  with the World is according to  $h& Sovereign  good-              The Rev. D. E. Bosma: "Isn't it true tliat all men
  pleasure of God, for the condemnation of the world and are trying Ito dissolve the tension??'
  .revelation of the fact that the victory is ours; that the
  Church always has, and did have, the victory. The                 The Rev. H. Velclman: "We speak of the tension
  Lord is King and always was !      The question, rather, of the Church ; th.e strain under which `she laborg due.
  concerns the Child of God as he must constantly  ex- to her earthly-carnal character while at the same time
  perience tension in his own spiritual life and in the         as  the product of the work of the Son of God the
  struggle with .the old nian that is in league with the Church strives against this pressure of `the world."
  forces of darkness.                                               The Rev. M. Gritters : "Would it be correct tB speak
     `<Once again we would emp&size  that there' is no of tension also in the world? Scripture speaks of the
dualism, in the Child of God. It is not so that there `perplexity of the nations'. I believe we can speak
  are two forces contending within him, over an issue of t'ension here and if so what is the relation between
  the outcome of which is in doubt. .This is itipossible,       this tension in  the world and the tension of the
  he  has the  yictory. Nor: is this an  att<mpt  on the        Church  ?"


70                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   ,B%+R~ER
  .-_-.  ._...  -  ..__  _.    .
        The Rev. H. Veldman: "There is a tension in the .altar .wh&.$ cry : `iHow long Lord'. Is this part of the
world, due to God's wrath, which it seeks to escape,            tension .of $he Church? Can we speak of a tension in
but no spiritual tension in the world or modern church. the  Church victorious that is related to the tension
.If w,e speak of tension in the sense in which I have, .of.  the Church in  the  timid?;'               _
there can b.e no tension. in the world, in that sense.              The R,ev. H. V(eldman: "`Yes, .before  -the judgment
If we mean simply strain it is true that theie is strain        day ; I think -that is correct."
in  the  w.orld, but again, that  pressune  in the  world
.against  the wrath of ,God is not in the Church."                  The Rev: W. Grossmann: "Is the victory in hating
                                                                evil? What do you understand by evil : sin or sinful-
        The Rev.  J.  Blankespoor:  "Is there a tension in
= Christ? This seems to follow -from the fact that n e s s ? "
Christ is the Head of the Church and the Church                     The Rev. H. Velcimciri: "I would refer to Romans 7.
means `nothing without Him. How can we speak of                 Superficially we judge+his to be the+alk  of $ defeatist.
tension in Christ?                                              Yet, und.erlying  all, the Apostle hates evil. The ,Child
        The  Riev. H.  Veldman:  "We can speak of such a of God continues to -have the upper hand. That is the
tension in Christ as revealed in the Garden' of Geth- point : he hates evil. That, too, is a work of grace and
semane, for  ,example. Christ was  not, subject to sin is the victory."
but, though absolutely sinless, as far. as His human                The Rev. W. Grossmann: "Is the evil the body of
nature was concertied,  it recoiled from the prospects death which we are?"                 _
of what lay before Him. He was Holy and the con-                    The Rqu:H. Velclman : "Paul declares : `Who shall
templation of what lay before Him filled  lHim  .with
horror, not rebellion. This was not  .due to any im- deliver me ?`. kWe are not delivered from the body `of
perfection. Every moment He subjected His will to               death until we die.  8 In Romans 8  .Paul  carries the
                                                                -Christian to the end of time ; to the glory of being mol-le
God's way.            There was no strife  betw.een  them at
all.                                                            -than conquerors. We have that vic$ory  in Christ. The
                                                                body of death is sin within me and this body in this
        The Rev. J. Blankespoor: "The tension of Church life as it is in the service of sin.  Our complete and
is due `to the fact that the Church is born from above,         final deliverance fsom the body of this death is,effected
which life the believer  possess&  in the midst of a in the day of Christ."                                  ->L
sinful world and sinful human nature. Is-the tension
of Christ the same then?"                                           The Chairman,, th.e Rev. .G. Vos: The &err.  Gross-
                                           .I                   mann asks if sin is the b,ods of. this death. Does the
        The Rev. H. Velclman: "No, it is not .the same; not Apostle in  Remans 7 `identify the word sin  and  the
as in Romans `7. Christ is Holy and P,erfect. They are bocly of this death,?"
not  Xentical. The relation between the two is such                 The Rev. H. Veldnzan: "The body of this death is
that because of Christ's tension the -Church is in              sin within me;"
tension."
        ,The  Rev. A. Petter  : "Can we say the tension  is         At this point the Rev. H. rsoeksema  mounted the
expressed in Paradise in words: `Ye shall be as Gpd'. platform and turned to Remans  7. He spoke at iength
This is the striving of sinful men overagainst God's on this passage, somewhat as follows : (We would sug-
Word: `I will put enmity'. Men strive to be as God              gest that you follow the text as you go along.-W.H.)
but God maintains the principle that tHe is God by "The qu,estion ,is .one of .exegesis of Remans 7. It is .a
putting enmity between the two seeds.              Christ is two-fold question.  Jn  tile first place, whether in
brought into that tension. He was perf,ected  through Romans 7 evil is the same as the man  .of sin." l3.e
stiff,ering.  He learned obedience. He learned  obedi-          then read -and commented on verses Itiff.. "Note that
..ence that brought-salvation to all who obey Him. Even the Apostle is not talking of the man of sin but of the
Christ had to learn obedi,ence in a new sense that God          action of the man of sin. He is not speaking of the
is God al&e, and through the solving of the tension man of sin but of the deed w.hich is accomplished and
became the Author of a new redemption."                         done by the man of sin. The Apostle speaks of the
                                                                evil act arising from sin dw.el1in.g in him. Sin is the
        The Rev. H. Velclman: "I wish to make it clear'that power which causes the act. The act is sin. The evil. .
when the subject was assigned to me I stood before the is not the man but the act."
question, to what does it refer? From a grammatical                 "In the second place, it 3s implied in the question,
point of view. the subject pre-supposes that the Church wh&her this evil is the same as the man of sin that I
.is the subject, of th,e tension."-                             am.  I am `not  the, man of sin in Romans 7. The
  The. Rev. L.  Vqmeer: "Is there tension in the Apostle  makes  a plain distinction between himself
Church Triumphant? We read of tlie souls under the              and the  mafi  9f sin. `I delight in the law of God',


                                     ` T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                             71     r

 that is me, the Christian, not the man of sin. `But I            The `Rev. Prof. G. M. Ophoff :`&`I Would like to re-
 see another law in my  menhers. . . . who shall de- turn, to Romans 7. Isn't the ego r:esponsible  for what
 liver me from the body of this death?!`. Again- d dis- he does in the- body of this death. Are there. not. two
 tinction is made here between the m,e and the bod3;           ego's here `from an ethical point of view, the new
 of this death. I will be delivered from the body of this creature in Christ arid the old man of sin?" The I that *
 death; the I remains. Hence, the I is evidently the sins an< the I that hates what it does? ,If we do not
`new man in Christ and the man of sin is not identical         maintain this then we are no ldn~er responsibile  for
 with the Christian. In Romans 7 the apostle speaks what we do."
 of the act of sin which he commits in the .body' of death.    Here a discussion followed between the Rev. G.
 That the Aljostle hates and that is the victory."             M. Ophoff and Re?. H. Hoeksema regarding definition
    Dr. K. J. Steube~:~ "I am under the impression that of terms, especially of the term: responsibility. It
 the speaker explained tension as something between was agreed that  .responsibility  meant  accountdbility
 the Church and the world. The theme speaks not -of and liability of the individual rational-moral creature.
 tension between the Church, but of the Church. The
 idea being that the Church has tension. The question             The Rev. H. ,Hoeksema : "In the ultimate sense all
 is how to. account for it. The Church is the Body of the responsibility for  .our sins has been borne by
 Christ.  IH;e is the Head and we are the members.             Christ. The Christian does. not answer in the final
 Hence, the tension of z the Church `is the tension of judgment nor in time except by that act of  faith
 Christ, because, we as His members -have tension. This whereby he confesses his sins and becomes a justified
 is true from the beginning- on, and the question is,          sinner. The justified saints cast their responsibility
 where does it arise. It arises from the  enmity  ex-          on Christ. Individually we are not accouhtable  before
 pressed'in Gen. 3:15.                                         God's judgment seat. The very fact thBt as soon as
                                                               the Christian discovers sin, he hates and confesses it
    The Rev'. G. Lubb'ers: "It seems to me that the changes his whole attitude in respect to sin and re- ~
 tension is not an outgrowth of something else. Ten- sponsibility. Paradoxically speaking, `he is not sin-
 sion is a formal term. There will be no tension in ning when he sins because he hates what he does: The
 heavep.    There` all tears shall be wiped away,  the I-ego-the new man in Christ-certainly overcomes
 enemy shall be gone and we shall be free to express           even his responsibility. He is justified. The act'of faith
 a perfect covenant life. "IS' not the tension of the whereby he hates his sins and confesses and repents. of
 Church the 1if.e of heaven eip$essing itself and meeting them makes him all new, ,even in respect to his sin.
the foe in this world?  The  speak.er  spoke of the The Christian does not sin like the natural man but
 Church standing betwixt the two. Is this due to her hates his sin and is no longer responsible for it. That
 present position in the world?"                               is Lord's Day 23. That is the paradox: even though
    The Rev. W.  iCorn: "Regarding the exegesis of he commits- sin as a responsible being yet he is justi-
Romans 7: if .the I bf Romans 7 and ihe body of death fied in. Christ."
 are the same and the body of death ,is everlast$gly              The Rev. G. M. Ophoff: "We must guard against
 destroyed than I pass away too."                              anti-nomianism."
    The Rev. H. Hoeksema: "I understand that Korn                 The Rev. Ho#e&sema : "Then we do not hate sin. I
 agr.ees  with  me. I have a few questions, Mr. Chair- have quoted the exampl,e  before of the drunkard who
 man : Is the cause of the tension negative or positive?       lies in the ditch. Some men come along with a wheel-
 Is it due to sin or due to my' position in Christ? In barrow and while they put him in it the drunk says:
 the second place, What is the calling of the Church in `Be careful I am a Christian'. That is not Christianity.
 view of the tension? Must she simply suffer, be apolo-        In' Romans `7 the I that sins is the same 1 that hates
 getic;polen&,  or what? And finally, is tension some- sin. The Christian is one ego in two natures: the old
 thing- in between?"                                           body of death and the new. man in Christ. 8 The new
    The R'ev. iH. Feldman  : "The cause is positive-Christ. man has the victory and oes  nix5 say:  !I  zwill have
 I did not face the questjon of our `calling.:'                nothing to do with my sin 7
                                                                                             ', `but he hates his own sin.
    The Rev. R. Pel$man: "What is the tension of the           That act of hatred and repentance and longing for
 Church Triumphant? Is there tension in the Church deliverance makes him a new creature even in sin.
 Triumphant in the same sense as  pres&t@d  in the The new man in Christ makes him a constant e&my
 paper ? Is anticipation tension ? It there tension in even of his `own sin."
 God?"                                                                                                         .W. H.
                                                                                       _'
    The Rev; H. Veldman: "The Church looks for de- N o t e :
                                                                       In connection with our review. of the Confer-
liverance$omplete and final-in the judgment day."              ence proceedings. we would. urge our readers to read


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                                        ,
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                                        L

                                                                                 I-                                   ~__.----__-           _.___
                                  _;
-a_-.    "
              inept   2                                                 THE'  #C~AND,ARIYJ~EARER~

              the two splendid articles on the Conference, which                                       This same idea is presented in the dialogue of the
              appear in the October  17, issue of  Gonco~din.   lY!any Faviour. with the Seventy upon the& return from the
\, .of the practical questions and values are treated there. pr,eaching  tour in Galilee. "Lord," they say, "even
                           _ ,                                                        W. H.  (' the den&s are sdbject to us in thy l!ame."
                                                                                                       But, he  answ&d, I saw Satan  as. lightning fall
                                                                                                    out of heaven. . . . behold I give you authority over
                                                                                                    all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any
                                                   Coaa$sibntiasn                                   means hurt you. But above all they must Pejoieel  in
                                                                                                    the po%itiv&frnit,,  namely, that their names are written
                                   (,Continued  from last Issue)                                    in heaven (Luke 110 :17-23).
                   Tlkji CONVICTING OFFICE OF TIHE SPIRIT                                              Also here th& fact that the disciples were able to
                                                                                                    cast `out some demons if need required, is the proof
                           yc                      "
                                  onvinced  by the Judgment of the                                  of something far greater. It is the proof of the fact
                                                        World-ruler)                                that the great ruler himself of that evil kingdom has
                    The question should be faced: How is the convic- been shorn of his power and evicted from his usurped
              tion carried  .to. the  con&ience  of men that the un- dijmain.
         believing world'shall  be judged and sentenced?                                               To these historical instances we may of course add
                    In answering this we must of course remember the fact of the whole New Testament triumph of the
              that if the sentence of .th& world-ruler is to serve as                               Gospel. Always we see there the powerlessness of
              ground for the conviction in men's hearts that  the Satan to hold his dominion.
              world faces sentence, then that sentence ov,er the ruler                                 Now this historical, visible defeat of  Satan is to
         must be an evident, a tangible fact. And this leads
                                                                                           _ 4-_    the world a proof that he has been condemned and his
         us to look for that historical fact.                                                       condemnation is the firstfruit and sample of the utter
         .          It is most safe to turn to the life of Christ for the destruction of his whole kingdom and of all those who
              appearance  of- this sentence over Satan and then we own him. allegiance.
              find that Christ Himself points this out.                                              In conclusion we must recall that this is of great
                    ,On one occasion the `enemies accuse Christ of cast-. importance for the church.
         -ing out demons through the prince of demons. But                                             The Saviour had said, The Holy Spirit as Advocate
         the Saviour `shows the absurdity of this charge for it                                     shall testify, and ye shall also testify. Thus it is'
         would simply ilpply that Satan's kingdom is divided through the Apostolic ihurch that this conviction. is
         against itself, internally torn apart by revolution and, worked. ( John  15:26, 27).
   - anarchy.. But such a kingdom is of course doomed.:                                                That testimony is `not without content, but it takes
              The only other alternative is that He by the finger of                                its content out of the Apostolic preaching.
         God casts out demons.. I&& that is a sign, -which God                                         And so it implies first that the Spirit will provide
              indicates by His finger, that the Kingdom of God has                                  an infallible record in the Bible of that sin  of' un-
         come. For no conqueror can so dispoge  over and deal belief toward the Servant of Jehdvah, of His complete
         out the previdus holdings of another unless he h&s first justificati'dn in the resurrection and -exaltation, and
         thoroughly vanquished, bound and evicted him. Christ's of Satan's futile `efforts to retain his dominion.
         deiling at will with Satan's-former victims shows that                                        Secondly, it implies that the Spirit w?il always have
              Satan has lost control (Luke El :I&-23).                                              a,ehurch in this world that is of God's par&. He forms
                    We have another statement on the subject. which her by regeneration out of the kingdom of Satan aild
         points more to, the history of  the New Testament nothing can stop. her appearance from generation to
              Church. Some Greeks had come to the disciples desir- generation.
         ing to `see Jesus; 1,~ this the Saviour sees a foretaste                                      And, thirdly, IHe enables that Church to bear wit-
         of His .glory and the glory of the Father as that. shall ness.  IHe gives her conviction and  desiye  and power
         shine in the great multitude of the redeemed.                                              to speak in His name and for His cause, - and it is
                    But this glory can come only through the `way of especially in time of suffering and persecution that
         suffering and.  the  resuldant  defeat of Satan, and so her voice becomes v&y clear. For .His promise to her
         the Saviour triumphantly announces:  "Now is the is not. that she shall be spared from suffering but that
              judgment of this world, now is the prince of this                                     she shall be pariakgr of His- triumph.
         world east' out, and I, if I be lifted up from the earth                                      Thus by that testimony the Triune God through
         wiil draiv all unto me." A first fruit of the Gentiles His annpinted . Servant jn the Spirit ai Advocate not
         has already presented itself. It is only a first fruit                                     only triumphs in the redemption of His elect church,
         and it forespells the whole redeemed church, because but also continually in the victory of His Son over the
         Satan's claim on them has been completely broken ; hearts aild -minda of the wick@l,                                                       .
         he is east out and condemned, (John 12 :20-26).                                                                                                 ;A!. P,
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