VOLUME XXIII                             January 1, 194'7  - Grand Rapids,  Mich.                                       NUMBER 7

                                                                      Zoo was het in `t jaar, dat voorbij vloog.
                                                                      En dat is het programma voor het  jaar, dat we pas
                                                                 b e g o n n e n .
                                                                      Want: "Hetgeen  er geweest  is,.hetzelve  zal er  zijn,
           In Hope Van Het Nieuwe_                               en hetgeen er gedaan is, datzelve zal er  gedaan.wordala  ;
                                                                 zoodat  .er.niets nieuws is onder de zon."
             .  .  . .~.eoodat  er niets nieuws is  Loader de         6,  "er is een  itnder jaar gekomen ! Doch een nieuw
             xon.                                                jaar is het niet. Het eenigste, dat noodig is om  bet
                                            P r e d .   1:9.     te onderscheiden van het  vorige  jaar, en van alle andere
                Ziet, llc much c&e ditigen'nieuw.                jaren in het  verl,eden, is dat-ge van nu  aan een kalender
                                           Openb.  21:5.         aan den wand hangt, en uwe rekeningen, kwitanties,
                                                                 cheques, en brieven dateert, met het  getal negentien  '
     Niets nieuws.' .  t . thans, hier, `in `het  heden.         honderd  ,en zeven en  veertig,
     Alles nieuw. . . . straks,  daar, in de toekomst.                M e e r   niet,  _
     En staande  ergens daar tusschenin, in de spanning               Want  we1 kwam er een ander jaar,  doch ook dat
van het tegenwoordige "Niets nieuws" en  bet  toekom- andere jaar is reeds oud van het begin, en zal  zich  aan
 stige "alles nieuw", of liever, staande nog in het oude,        den vicieuzen kringloop van het oude niet kunnen  ont-
 inaar `met het  verlangend en verwachtend oog gericht           w o r s t e l e n .
 op  bet, nieuwe, is  bet  mogelijk,. dat  w,e het, overigens
 vrij- conventioneele, "een gezegend nieuwjaar" op de                 En die kringloop wordt  gekenmerkt door het  "Ijdel-
 lippen  nemen.                                                  heid der ijdelheden,  bet is  ai  ijdelheid."
     Louter op het standpunt van het "onderzonsche,"                  IHoe  hartelijk en welgemeend ge ook op den eersten
 van het tegenwoordige, van het  cliesseitige,   is de nieuw- dag van  s&en ander jaar  elkand.er veel "heil en, zegen"
 jaarsw,ensch  i j d e l .                                       moogt toewenschen en toebidden, reeds, van, tevoren
     Immers,  er.is niets'nieuws onder de zon.                   staat het vast,  dat,`zoolang ge louter staat op het  stand-
     ,Ook op den eersten dag des  jaars is  er, niets nieuws,    punt. van het tegenwoordige, het  nimmer nieuwe, al
 geen enkelen ni'euwen dag, niet  hen'  ni.euw moment,           uw wenschen en bidden ijdel zal blijken. Nieuws is
 kunnen we verwachten. Wat het nieuwe jaar zal  bren-            er niet, ook geen werkelijk nieuw jaar.  -Het dude is
gen,  dat kunt ge uit het- jaar, dat pas voorbij ging, wat ijdelheid der ijdelheden, waarin geen werkelijk heil en
 de algemeene lijnen betreft, met volkomen  zeke-rheid           geluk te verwachten, te  zoeken of te vinden is.
 lezen. Hier hebt ge het program: "Het eene geslacht                  Noch ook is er, op het  ,standpunt van het nieuwe,
 gaat,  .en het andere geslacht komt  : maar de aarde staat      plaats voor  zulk  een heilwensch.               `.
 in der .eeuwigheid. Ook rijst de zon op, en de zon gaat              Want, ten eerste; het  nieuw!e is nog niet. Het is
.onder, en  zij hijgt naar hare plaats,  waar zij oprees.        lzier  met, hier, waar  wijs  zijn" en ons bewegen, en  leven;
 Zij gaat naar  bet zuiden,  ,en zij gaat om  na& het  noor-     enelkander op den eersten dag des jaar ontmoeten, om
 d-en  ; de wind  `ga-at steeds  omgaand,e;  en de wind keert    elkander een gezegend nieuwjaar toe te wenschen. Het
 weder tot zijne  omgangen. Al de  beken gaan in de zee; is  liier*  niet, hier, onder de zon, waar  zich het nieuwe
 nogtans wordt de zee niet vol; naar de plaats,  waar jaar  bevindt, en  waar  wij.`op zijn stroom  worden  voort-
 de  beken heengaan, derwaarts gaande keeren zij weder.          gedragen. Het nieuwe is  beslist  jenseitig,   het ligt  aan
Al deze  dingen  worden zoo moede, dat het niemand iou den anderen  kant, het wordt niet gezien,  bet is eeuwig.
kunnen'uitspreken;   bet oog wordt  niet verzadigd met           Ge kunt daar nog  niA staan. En, ten  tweeden, stond
zien, en het  oar wordt  niet.vervuld van hooren. , , ,          ge  `daar  wel? dan aoudt  ge het heil van uwe medeburgers


146..  _-  -..  ..-,:,  _._                    THE      S!C'.ANDARD                    BEARER
      (  .r .  ..;.
in dat .,_, eeu&iir: .&onifik$ijk  nimmer meer, ifmeten n.a&?
             I ., ,.-_ a--                                                vaart door uwe velden  en  moderne`boerderijen, ook al
                                                                              i
de  md@  ,vti.ri`  qn?e  wentelende  jaren.  b . .                        week bewerkt door uwe moderne machines. .  `. .                                  .   .
     D&Q  &$t`$$rkelijk   r@tiwe.               .                            :' En vraag hem dan, of hij ooit zooiets  girder  gezieki
     $!$a+ dat  ~&&lcelijk  nieuwe is niet tijdelijk en voor-. heeft, of de wereld, dan  tech niet met groote schreden
bijgaand,  `maarl  e.$.uivig'.oq   blijvend !  -`.:I      '              .is  voqruii  gegaan; en of hij het nog bestaat  om te  zeg-'
   I  DqCh  daar&i$$chetiiri,  nog staande in  h@ oude, maar gen,  dat er niets  tiieuws is onder de zon.
m&$y  .bl.ik  d{.&&  nietiwe, nog wandelend in  de  ijd,el-                 ' En, o, ge zbudt hem  ongetwijfeld- bewondering  af;
he~d$r&r~zier@~~op   hetgeen  buiteil den ijdelen  vicieh-  _ dwingen.                                       .
ze&  l&&@oqp   ltg$ nqg `altijd mid&n  in den dood  .lig-                  . Maar  deze, door  Godd,elijk  licht bestraalde, wijze
gen$ ina?r $.$i,,J$pe" L~~`~bl~l,jricht~.nd  op `bet
                     :I `,;`+y .&;p`, . I :              eeutige          zou  desniettetiin  volhouden, dat het alles ijdelheid der
le@$,  ie&  &$;`en&  .,q$$$$&   ni#%j&l in den Heere : ijdelheden is, dat ge met all6 uwe uitviilgdingen tech aan
"Y@l heil en  z&& in  he$  &euwe  .;"aar  !"                              den vicieuzen  cirkel niet  iijt ontkomen,, dat wezenlijk
  ^ Dan  tech bedoelt ge, dat het  aide ook nu reeds, ook                 dit  alles er  oak reeds geweest is, en dat het u  nimmer
in het  ancle?*.e  jaar, dat  ge`negentieri honderd zeven en              gelukken zal,  oh iets voort te  breigen, dat werkelijk
veer&g   lioeliit, door het nieuwe mag  worden  beheerscht ;              nieuw is. Ge hebt, zoo zou hij volhouden,  we1  nieuwk
eti..dat het  nieiiwe  `oak thans reeds het oude mag  ver-                vormen geschapen, maar wezenlijk hebt ge niets  ver-
vullen !                                                                  anderd.        Ge  l;eist  w,el sneller, ge  brengt  we1 meer tot,
     Er is niets  nieutris  antier de zon.                                stand, ge leeft  we1 geniakkelijker, en ook meer  gespan-
     Ziet, Ik maak  alle  dingen nieuw !                                  nen, ge verwoest en` vermoordt  Gel meer, op grooter
     Daar  tusscben  in, in de spanning van die  twee. . . ,              schaal ook  iti korter  tijd  din  vroeger:  Er  is  we1  be-
                                                                    0
     Veel heil en zegen!                                                  trekkelijk verschil; zoo zou hij toestemmen, tusschen de
                                                                          walmende vlaswiek en uw electrisch  licht,  $usschen  de
                                                                          oud6  haardstee' en  tiwe  centrale verwarming, tusschen
                                                                          de  vroegere zeilboot. en'uw modern stoomschip,  tus-
    .Niet nieuws !                                                        schen ossenwagen en automobiel. Ge hebt meer con-
     Zoo verzekert ons  de  .Prediker.                                    tact met de  ,eindeti der  .aarde. Doch ofschoon ge het
     En in en door die  Prediker. sprak. ook de Geest van                 tempo van uw aardsche bestaan  yersneld hebt, het is
Christus.                                                                 nog hetzelfde, bestaan.  (Het oude is niet voorbij ge-
     Haal daarom niet uw  schouders op ovkr de  zwart-                    gaan, het nieuwe is niet  aan het  licht gebracht.  `. . .
g$iigheid  van een door al te  .donkeaen bril zienden                              Er is  ni&ts  nieuws onder de zon !
phil&ooph, die geen oog  ,heeft voor  den  .geweldigen                             Of is het dan niet waar, dat ook de  mod,erne  wereld,
evolutiedrang en  vooruitgang der wereld, en voor het                     met  ai hare machtdontwikkeling, wetenschap, `en  u&in-
vele nieuwe,  dat- telkens  weer,.  d& vooral in de. laatste `dingen, nog altijd  midden in den dood ligt? Drukt niet
decenni&  aan  he%  licht wordt  gebr$qht.                                alt;ijd nog Gods vloek tonnenzwaar op alle aardsche  be-
     Och,  .hij  Gist  het ook wel, deze, door den  Gee& van              staan? En is niet alle  menschtilijke  culttiur  doeloos  eri
Christus  sprekende  wijsgeer.                                            i j d e l ?   I s   door  d'e  v e r s n e l l i n g   v a n   h e t   l e v e n s t e m p o
     ,Ge  kurit  ,hem  gerust  kijzen op  cle geweldige  ontc@k- niet ook de  otitwikkelitig  dir zonde, van de lust des
kingen der  tioderne wetenschap op alle gebied, op de                     vleesches, en de lust der  oogen,- en de grootheid  d&s
dele uitvindingen, waardoor de madhtige  mensch hoe                       levens, toegenomen ? Maakt het  we1 wezenlijk  verschil
langer zoo  tieer  de' verborgenste krachten der  schep- -of ge in een  koets dan  we1 in een auto grafwaarts wordt
ping .aan  zich onderwerpt en in zijn  die&t stelt. Ge                    gedragen ? En wil  bet snelle levenstempo niet zeggen,
kunt hem  meenemen  ndaY: de moderne  fabrieken, waar dat de wereld met vliegende vaart haar einde tegemoet
reuizenmachiri&  dag  e'n  nacht  zwoeg& en razen,  oti raast  1
voor den mensch  te  prodixeeren, wat eene eeuw  geleden                           We  le+en meer, en `ook  sneller; we lijden meer, en
 nog  ondenkbaar en: onmogelijk werd geacht. Noodig ook  sneller  ; we sterven meer en ook sneller. . . .
hem gerust uit  `om uwe  we1  ing,eric.hte moderne woning                          Doch er is niets nieuws onder de zon.
te  bqzoekeli en te inspecteeren, laat hem maar  spr'eken                   Nog altijd is ons bestaan bedorven door de zonde,
over uwe telephoon, en stel hem door uwe radio in  ver- nog altijd is het  zivaar  belast met Gbds toorn en vloek,
binding met de  uiterste einden  d'er aarde.  ~  Toon hem. no2 altijd is het van alle zijden  omringd.door den dood,
uwe zeepaleizen,  LIW&  prachtige sneltreinen, uwe  lucht-
                                                               *          nag altijd is het gekenmerkt door den doelloozen  rondi~'
schepen, uw'e onderzeesche  bobten,   uwe kanonnen,                                                                                                        _
                                                                          gang in den vicieuzen  cirkel der  ijdcelheid.
tanks, snelgeschut,  -atomische  bommen  ;  `uwe hospitalen                        Of is het `ook niet het getuigenis van des  menscheii  '
met hun operatiekamers, , uwe  he1 verlichte straten,                     bewustzijn zelf, dat hij het nieuwe niet heeft  gegrepeq-k
theaters, bioscopen, winkels,  wolkenkrabbers,   .scholen                 -en dat zijne hope ijdel is en altijd  we& vergaat?  ":-
univeriiteiten. En,  neem hem vooral ook  m,ee, voor  eei.                   Jaar in jaar uit jaagt hij naar het nieuwe.  `Hei,;
ris,. in uwe ,qieuye -&o,+,en jaag hem: .met . ..vliegende
       2.                                                                 oude bevredigt niet. Op de  to&~-~& stelt hij zijne  ve%'


                     :
                                          T H E   STA.NtiARD   B E A R E R                                                                                 lP7

wachting.. En als die- toekomst tegenwoordige tijd ge                  dat Hij  ,h&  vleeseh `en bloed der  kinderen zou  .aan-
worden is, ziet hij uit naar een nieuwe tdekomst,  o&dat nemen, in  0;s  leven  ioG ingaan, en.  s: .  .in  onzen dood.
het in de toekomst te grijpen nieuwe  tech oud  bleek,                 Hare  gr&&lagen werden gelegd,  toen  deze.Zoon  in het
.toen het gegrepen, was.                                               vleesch  neerdaalde .in. de benedenste  deelen  d&r aarde,
    Al deze  dingen  worden zoo moede. . . . .                         en met onze zonden op Zijn  macl$ige schouderen inging
    Ijdelbeid  der  ijdelheden.  _                            . . -    in de diepte  vati  onzen dood onder den  vlojekenden toorn
    Net is al ijdelheid!                                               Gods, en  ,gehborzaam werd tot den dood, ja, den dood
                                                  :                    des  kruis,es.  Ze' werd  aan het  licht gebracht door de  op-
    Ziet, Ik maak  alle  dingen nieuw !                                standing van  dien Zoon in  bet vleesch uit de  dooden;en
    Zoo  ipreekt Hij, Die op den troon zit!                            door Zijn opgang in de hoogte, om  te  `zitten,.ahn de
    Zoo opent Hij  .het  gezicht  dp de toekomst, die rechterhand des Vaders,  bel!leed  met  a!le  ma& in
werkelijk toekomst is, de toekomst  v&n het waarachtig                 hemel en  ,op  aard.& . . .
nieuwe !                                                                   En ze werd ook verwerkelijkt in  ens.                                   \`.:
    De toekomst van de nieuwe wereld, van den nieuwen                      0, neen,  .het oude is  nag. niet voorbij gegaan. Nog
hemel en de nieuwe aarde, waarin gerechtigheid woont.                  altijd liggen we  midden in den dood, en  w,e  beT;re'gen
Het is de wereld; die in al  haar nieuwen  glans van  heer-            ons, in  bet vleesch, nog altijd met alle  dingen in' den
                                                                                                                                                   .(I
lijkheid  zal geopenbaard  worden, als het  oudme  z&l zijn            cirkelgang van, het  oude:                                            `.
voorbij gegaan, en de vocige  dingen  ,niet,meer gedacht                   En  tech,: "bet bude is voorbij  gegaafi  ;  ziet,  bet- is
z u l l e n   worden.                                                  alles nieuw  .geworden.".              -                   I                        I.
    In die wereld zal de  zond'e nimmermeer  Izeerschen,                   Want:  !`zoo  ,iemand in  Christus-is,  die is een nieuw
zal  h& voor  eeuwig. uit zijn met de lust des vleesches,              schepsel."
en de lust der oogen, en de grootheid des levens. In  die                  Hij, de' Zoon het vleesch, Die  dnder ons  getaber-
wereld zal de vloek zijn opgeheven, nooit meer  h.et nakeld  heefi in gelijkheid des zondigen vleesches, Die
levei belasten en drukken. Daar zal de dood niet meer                  stierf en uit  de-  dood,en opstond, de tweede  Mensch,  de
zijn,  noch rouw of gekrijt. paar  zal  Ikij, Die op den               laatste Adam, de Heere  U$ den  hemel, het begin der
troon zit  alle tranen van de  oogen  afwisschen.           In die     nieuwe'schepping,?Hij  ging  we1 he&i, zonder  n6g  alle
`wereld zal  detabernakel Gods bij de menschen zijn, en                dingen nieuw te  maken. Maar  !Sij kwam  tech reeds
Hij zal onder  heri en met hen wandelen,  men  hun.God                 weer, in den Geest. En door dien Geest woont Hij in
zijn; en zij  zqllen Zijne zonen en  `dochteren genaamd                ons, schept Hij in ons  bet beginsel van Zijn. eigen,  op-
worden. Daar zullen ze den  God.huneer  volkomene                      standing&even, roept Hij ons door  iijn Woord uit de
zaligheid  aangezicht tot aangezicht  ziq  in.Zijrie  hemel-~ duisternis tot Zijn wonderbaar  licht,  en'draagt Hij
sche openbaring, Hem dienen dag en  nacht,  en.  alle                  alzoo op de  .vleugelen  van  ,Zijn Woord, het heilig  Evan-
dingen  Hem wijden, wandelend voor Zijn aangezicht                     gelie, de nieuwe wereld in onze  harten in.
in het eeuwige  licht.                                                     We zijn in hope. zalig geworden ! .                    '
    Die wereld is. de  wereld  dei opstanding uit de                       Nog ons bewegend temidden van het oude,  dyagen
dooden  I                                                              we het nieuwe in ons hart; nog met de bewegingen der
    Zij  ,ligt  aan den anderen kant,  achter  de  parousia,           ionde in onze  leden,  hohgeren en dorsten we, naar de
                                                                                                              .*
d,e waarachtige en eenige toekomst :  de- toekomst  -van               volkomene openbaring van de gerechtigheid, die we  in
onzen Heere Jezus Christus;                                            beginsel bezitten; nog.midden in den dood liggend, zijn
    Ze is de  wer,eld van het  onverderfelijke. het  on- we  to& uit de dooden opgestaan, en strekken we  ofis
sterfelijke, het onbevlekkelijke, het eeuwige leven ! -Ze              riaar de volmaakte openbaring  yan,  h& eeuwige  leven;
ligt buiten den vicieuzen cirkel  d,er ijdelheid. Ze is                nog altijd rondgaande met den  cirkelgang van het
volkomen.  .nieuw, nieuw ook in vergelijking met de                    ijdele  pude,  stellen we  tech onze  leden in dienst  van het
wereld van  hot eerste paradijs. Ze staat op  d\e hoogte               nieuwe tot  verheerlijking. Gods; nog altijd  uit de aarde
van het hemelsche. Want zij is  de'wereld  van- den                    aardsch, zijn  we  tech met  Christus   gez& in den  hemel.
tweeden  Mensch,' van den  laatsten Adam, de wereld                        Dat is de spanning!          '              ;
van de Eerstgeborene aller- creatuur, van de Eerstge-                      De spanning der hope, die nooit  beschaami !
borene uit de dooden. De eerste Adam is  get&den tot                       En in  die. spanning  ontmoeten we  selkander  aan den
eene levende ziel, de  ,,laatste  Adam tot eenen  levend- ingang van het nieuwe jaar met  d&n  wensch op de lip-
makenden  gee&.           De-eerste  ^mensch is' uit de aarde,         pen, en is ze niet ijdel : heil en zegen !                                                :
aardsch ; de, tiveede Men&lx is `de tH:eere tiit den hemel.                Vervulle temidden  van,,het oude het' nieuwe uwe
                                                                                                                            -     ._
   Ziet, `Ik  mask alle  dingen `nieuw !                               harten !                               . . .
    Centraal is  -,deie nieuwe  wejeld  obk reeds  gereali-,              Beheersche het nieuwe uw.  oqde  .leven !                     .
zeerd.         7           :                                               Ziet, Ik maak alle  ding&  nieuv.!  -. .
   .Ze  wePd  verwerkelijkt;  to& Hij,  Di,e op den troon              IHalleluja  !
pit,  Zijn-se&xiiggeboFeti  Zoon  in  `de  wereld  itibracht,   op-     .Amen-!~      T     ;     _                                     H. H.


                           .                                                                                                                                                                                                                  c,


        148  '                                                                                                                         T                 H                    E                      STANDARID.  BEARE'IZ

                                         The  Sandaxd  Bearer
                      SemiiMonthly;   except Monthly  in July and August
                                                                                                                                                                       :                                                                      EDIT-ORIAkS
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                                The Reformed Free Publishing Association                                                                                                                             .
                                                      .1463  Ardmore  Si., S. E.                                                                                                                                                             Thee  Poinfs  And  F&r
                                            EDITOR : - Rev. H. Hoeksema.                                                                                                                                                     .       The thjrd  pukpose  of  the remnants and the natural
       C&ibu,thg  Editors:  - Rev. G.  IM. Ophoff, Rev. G. Vos, Rev.                                                                                                                                                              light left to man after the fall is, according to the
      R. Veldman, Rev. H. Veldman, Rev. H. De Wolf, Rev.  .B. Kok,
~  IRev.  J. D. De  J6ng,  Rev. A.  Aetter, Rev. C. Hanko,  R&v.  L.                                                                                                                                                              declarations of the  S&nod of Utrecht, that possibilities
       Vermeer, Rev. G. Lubbers, Rev. M. Gritters, Rev. J. A.  Heys,                                                                                                                                                              given in the original creation  may still be developed.
       Rev. W.  Hlofman.                                                                                                                                                                                                             This particular item in the declarations concerning
             Communications relative to contents should be addressed to                                                                                                                                                           "common grace"  is peculiar to the decisions of Utrecht
       REV. H. HOEKSEMA,  1139 Franklin St., S. F+, Grand Rapid?,                                                                                                                                                                 only  ; it is not found in  the. Three Points of Kalamazoo
      Michigan.                                                                                                                                                                                                                   1924.                                                   ._
       :  Comtinmications  relative to subscription  `.shonld  be addressed                                                                                                                                                          No grounds  are offered, either from Scripture or
      : , to MR. GEBRIT  PIPE, 1463 Ardmore St., S. E., Grand `Rapids,
       Mi&igan.  All Announcements, and Obituaries must be sent fro& the Confessions,  on- which this  doc&inal  declara-
       to the. above address and. will not be placed unless the regular :tion is supposed to rest. Nor is the declaration itself
       fee of $1.00  aocompanies  the notice.                                                                                                                                                                                itheologically conceived.         It is rather philosophical.
                          _'            (Subscription Price- $2.50 per year)                                                                                                                                                      ,It certainly does not consider the present world and
       Entered as Second Class Mail  at Grand Rapids,  Mjchigan.                                                                                                                                                                  its "possibilities" in the-`light of  the0 whole of God's
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  revealed counsel of predestination. with relation to all
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  things.    Its viewpoint is too limited in scope. It
             (I
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  simply looks at this world and its development as  ti
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  thing that  $as significance in itself.            '
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     We see in this declaration a weak version of the
                                                                             - CONTENTS -                                                                                                                                         main  ,element and  puTpose of Dr.  guyper's theory of
                                                                 -                                                                                                                                                                "co&-non grace" as expounded in the' three volumes of
                                                                                                 0
       MEDITATION  :F                                                                                                                                                                                                             his work  "De Gemeene Gratie"; and an attempt to
                                                                                                                                                             -                                                                    raise this theory-to a church dogma.
       I-N HOPE VAN HET NZEUWE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  ..~.......145                                                                                                  Briefly, this philosophy of Kuyper may be sum-
                   Rev., H. Boeksema.                                                                                                                                                                                             marized as follows  1
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     1. There is an  original creation ordinance, that is,
       EDITORIALS   : -                                                                                                                                           :                                                               an ordinance or purpose of God with the  costios, as it .
       THREE POINTS AND FOUR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  * . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148                                                                                            would have developed apart from the fall, and without
       EXPOSITION OF THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM ,......: . . . . . ,!I.50                                                                                                                                                           the entrance of sin into the  worid. Creation,  as it
                   Rev.  8,  Hioeksema.                                                                                                                                                                                           originally came forth from the hands  of, God, is an
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  organism. It was complete, but it must still  d,evelop.
       `THE KING OF SAMUEL'S WTTNESS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 453                                                                                                                    In it were many hidden powers and treasures that must
       QUESTIONS ON CHUR:CH POGITY , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  11'5'7 be brought to light. And it was man's calling to have
                                                                                                                                                                                                             :
                   Rev. G. M. Ophoff.  :                                                                                                                                                                                          dbminion over all things, to cultivate the earth, and
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  thus to develop and bring to light the glory and riches
 KOM;  0  ,GOD.DER  WRAKEN! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159                                                                                           of its still hidden "possibilities". In doing so, he would
                   Rev. G. Vos.                                                                                                                                                        *                                          be God's servant, and enhance and proclaim the glory
       `IN HIS FEAR                                                                                                                                                                                                               of his Creator.                              -
                                             . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i. 160
                   Rev.  J. A. Heys.                                                                                                                                                                                                 2. Sin struck a breach in creation. It was Satan's
                                                                                  `_                                                                                                                                              purpose to thwart the original- creation ordinance and
       FROM HOLY WRIT . . . ..I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162                                                                     purpose. of God, to destroy His work, and thus to de-
                   Rev.  H.  Veldman.                                                                                                                                                                                             prive God of the  gtory of His name. And this purpose
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  \+ould certainly have been attained, the world  wbuld
       PERTSCOPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164 have turned into a chaos; and the hidden powers of
                   Rev., W. Hofm.an.                                                                                                                                                                              I               `creation would never have been revealed, if  ,God had
                                                                                                                                                                            ._.
       THE TENSION OF THE  CHURC:H                                                                                                                                                                                           -ndt  interven.ed. It is not quite clear just what would
                                                                                                                               . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .,..... ..,:.                                       166.
                                                                                                                                                                                    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..,
                   Rei. H.  Veldmai.                                                                                                                                                                                              have become of man and the world, unless God had
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  inntervened ; but he makes it quite clear that  all develop-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  ment would have  been absolutely impossible.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          i


                                     T H E .   ..ST-ANDARiD   B E A R E R '                                                    149  -

   .3. However, God  frustiates  this  p&pose  of  --the          acceated without  question.~ An appeal  .to Kuyper  was.
devil, and intervenes by His common grace.  `.In  &ea-            virtually  3s valid. as .an appeal  to the  Woid of; God.'
tion`the operation of the curse is restrained, so `that it        To contradict him was.  ialmost considered sacrilege.
does  not, return  $9 a  chaoti& stat& Man is. given  arx But. Kuyper died, and. the magic charm of his personal
antidote, so that,  he vomits out,. in  par: at least,  .i$e      influence was dispelled.        In late `years,, he  F.as been
poison of sin, and God's  warning or' p&di&n that                 more  or less  fr,eely criticized. And Reformed people
he would die is not fulfilled. Remnants of  goodnes`s,            began to  .xealize that  -it was,  q.uite proper and necessary
of  J-J.is original  pow,ers, and of natural light are left to to sift his teachings ,and  to:judge them  .iri the light  Of
him, so that he may still cultivate the earth. And God            the Word of God and of  the:Reformed   Cdnfessions.
makes a covenant of friendship with him, with sinful              His peculiar theories  ~were. never. raised to the- value
mankind  a;s such, in virtue  of.  which.he becomes, as far       of confessional standards.            :  1:.  I.
as his present life and  developtier$  $ the world is con-             The tendency blindly to follow a  gre,at person  i;
cerned, of  ,God's party  OV~I!'  agbinst  the devil and his      bad enough. Yet, one always retains `the liberty to
hbst. This is the  covetiant with Noah;  "  &d thus m&n,          criticize  .him;  Oficially this `cannot  .be denied to any
in  alljance with God over against the devil, serves the          member of the Church.                       . .
purpose of showing forth the, glory- of God, by bringing               But  .to  ~adopt certain  t'heories; that do  not, live- in
to light the hidden treasures and  possibilittes  of God's        the consciousness  .of the , members,-  offic2ally,.  as ec-
cr.eation. Thus God's original. creation ordinance is clesiastical dogma's, is far  worse.  I They  are, binding.
realized in the culture of the world. Thus  Kuyper. as-           The  menibers.  ar"e..liable to submit to them passively,
cribes to a totally depraved sinrier the power and ability confident that the  Church, as represented by its broad-
to live a relatively good life in the world, and to serve est gathering, makes> no. errors..  .And  th6 result  is
the glory of God. And thus he finds. a place for the              that, within the Church  .that adopted  sdch theories, it
 Christian in the broad "sphere'! of  MiorldJy culture. .         becomes an ecclesiastical offense to criticize. such of-  i
I Thus Kuyper instructs us.                                       ficially adopted theories. Andi if they  .tire  zerrors; a
     And this theory has been more or-  less..consciousl$         whole Church is, led in the wrong direction;.  .'
4 or unconsciously adopted and, in some form or other,                    And that the brikf  d'eclaration..   b$ the Syndd  of.
repeated,' until it  is.hailed as the very basis` and,quint-      Uti.echt we  -are. now discussing is an  -,error,  .especi&lly
 essenke of true Calvinism. And under its pernicious              when it, is considered in its true  ,implications;  we have
influence a type  ,of Calvinisni has been developed which,        no:       doubt:.      ._ .
though it  ,boasts  of the sole  r?ght to the  nam.e Calvin-              The  .Reformed Churches of the Netherlands. should
 ism,' is difficult to  di,stisguish  from modern philo-          recarit :.i$.,. `..                                 ".;.      _        _'
 s o p h y .                                                              I,state this on the following grounds :
     Now;we do not claim:that the Synod of Utrecht,  ii            - .l.  :.It is dualistic.  It' carries a  dualis$ic  element
 its brief declaration on this matter, adopted this theory        even into the counsel of God, as if, in  iHis eternal  pd&-
 of Kuyper in all its Implications. But it  isvery evident        pose,  Gad  @@inally conceived of' a world that would
 that the- theologians `of Utrecht, had it in mind when           develop `without the  $all, while,  ace&ding to `another
they declared that  on,e of the purposes of the remnants          pa?+.  wf.  .IGis  ,,counsel He  .made provision  for. the sal-
 axld  natu-ral   light  left to man after the fall is that       vation of the world in  case  of-t&fall.  Both  pti?ts  df
' possibilities given in the  origifial  creatign may still be    this  com~,e~l  ,;lre, according to this theory,' actually real-
 d e v e l o p e d .                                              ized, , the  fox&+  `through common, the. latter through
  ---,One may well wonder  how many of the  membaers              special grace.  This is contrary  td Scripture,  .which
 of the, churches. that were  rep,resented by  th@ Synod          tea;rhes us  tilat God's counsel is-one,  .that all His works.
 of Utrecht are capable of grasping the  itiplications            are  kno~~n  tmto Him from the  begi&ng,  .and' that`
 of this  d;Fclara'tion, and of  ,judging  .for- themselves       Christ. as  vhe  ;Head of the Church is the  firstbbrn of
 whether  this,be indeed the teaching of  .!Holy Writ;.  sind     every creature,  by. Whom and unto Whom  all4iings
 in line with the Reformed  Confessions.~                         were created. Moreover, this theory  presetits  the'                              ,
   We dare say  that.there are-not many  stich  members           powers of darkness  ai operating  :du&liBtically in  op--                    D
 ?n the Reformed Churches of  the-,N,atherlands;          5       position to God, so that they actually mar the work of'
  But if this is  the case, declarations of this kind             God and, for a  time, thwart His purpose, and  God must
 should not be raised to the status of an official  ecclesi-      take  cbunter measures to  overconie them.            But this,
 9stical dogma, and  b,e ma& binding upon all the  mem-           too, is  coqtrary  `to  Holy Writ.  ,God's counsel always
 b,erg.         .:                         L                      stands,' and He  perfdrms all His good pleasure. Even
  " When  Kuyper himself was still living,  `his very though` it is the purpose of Satan to  dppose God, in
 name cast a spell over the Reformed people of the  -.old         actual fact  he' only  a`ccomplishes `the  co&&e1 of the
 c&&try. What he presented,  wheth`er by  the  mitten             Most High. Moreover, the  pow&+  `df  death and  df the
or.  .s@ken  wqrd,  ,a!  Refoapled. truth,  w%s.  generally       cu&e  on  ereation is not to be conceived as, operating
                                                .i


           159
     I                                           .TIJE       STANDAR'D                 BEARlZlt         -
                                                                           ."                                8
           independently, so that God must  .restrairi'  thein, but
           they are of God.  [Hence, through creation; the fall,          .TTkIE TRIPLE KhOWLEDGE
          `sin, death, and the  curs& God's one and only  ..counsel
           is realized, nor was it ever actually opposed or  frus-
          trated, epen momentarily.                                        An Eqmitiq~ Of Thb tieidklberg..
               2. If by the realization of the possibilities' of the
           original creation is meant the development of  ,the world       0                     Catechisti                     -     I
           ii1 its paradisaical. state, the theory utterly ignores the                              Part Two.
           effect of the curse upon creation. That  '  eff:ect is so
           great. that we cannot even conceive of  .,the world in its                         Of Mah's Redemption          -
           original virgin perfection and beauty.          Just try to                          Lord's Day' XXI
           imagine a  wprld without death and suffering and de-                                                                            I
           struction, and you will draw the conclusion that such a                                   _  4,
          woFld  niust be radically different from the world we                         Ass,urance  Of Membership (cont.)
           1i110w.    ?Thc creature is in  the bondage of corruption.            For proper self-examination leads to repentance.
           It is made  subj,ect to vanity. "Vanity of vanities" Its fruit  ie never morbid  doubt or unbelief, but a walk
           characterizes all its existence and activity. Creation         in  sanctification  and the assurance that we are, indeed,
           runs in a  vi&& circle'.  :There is nothing new under          members of  the  Church,.living members  o`f the body of
          the sun. Nothing is  re.slly accomplished. No end is            Christ.
           attained.     And  ,even though it  is certainly true that            And the assurance of  prcwnt  membership.is,  at the
          the  .essential  relation of man to the world is not changed    same time, the certainty of  tibiding,  sternal  member-
          .through the fall, and that `he still reflects a small rem-     `ship, The latter is inherent in the former. The two
           nant of his  orig.inal  dominion,  the "culture" of the        cannot be separated. Even as calling and election are
          world. is hopeless. It groans under the burden of the           inseparable; so the  aslsucance  of  ehe one is never with-
           curse.     De&h encompasses it on every side. It can           out the  assurahce of the other. By  walking in the  w,ay
          `neveY. attain  to.a'real goal. If we "may speak of original    in which the believer may be and is assured of his
     cre$ion  possibilities,  they are certainly not realized             calling, he is also assured of his  ,eternal election.
           through common-  grace -and by modern culture.                        Hence, the Catechism correctly places the  cbnfes-
               3. The theory, when accepted in all its implication        sion on the lips of the believer : "that `I am,  ancl for
           abridges the gap between the Church and the world,             8211~3"  shall  remain, .a  l.ivi$g member. thereof  ."
           destroys the antithesis, and creates a  comnion  "sphere"             The subjective assurance of  whi.ch the Catechism
           in which the children of light. and those of' darkness         here speaks, has its ground in the truth of the certain
           can cooperate and  .associate  `unto a  cbmmon  end:  th?      preservation and perseverance of the saints. If it
           sphere of culture. And  the result is that believers put       were objectively possible that the believers in Christ
           on an unequal yoke  with  thn  unbeliebzf, and that the        could ever finally  .and completely  .a$ostatize, and fall
          ,Church  is swallowed up by the world. The truth of             from  graCe,  ,the assurance  of. eternal membership of
          this is evident in the life of -those that profess Christ       the true Church  woulcl, of  cou.rse,  b,e- impossible. But
           everywhere, in the  c&i  ,bonn;try certainly no less than      the Word of God teaches that "the gifts and calling of
          h e r e .                                                       God are without repentance," Rom.  11:29  ; -and that
               We  .must, therefore, not consider this present world believers are certainly  .preserved unto the final sal-
           as  `a relatively good interim, in which original creation     vation,  by: the power of God, so that they can never
           po?sihilities are  realized, and in the sphere of which        fall from the  .grace, and finally perish. I Pet.  1:4, 5.
           evr'n  t;he natural man is  able to do much good'through       For those whom God  foreknew; and ordained to be
          the `influence of common  ,grace.        Rather must  I  w'e    conformed.accordin& to the image of His Son, He also
          unc!&tand that it  is the stage, on which God's purpose         call'ed, and`  j.u,$ified, and  gloyified. Rom. 8  :29, 30.
          of election and reprobation is carried out. And on  &is         Nothing, neither death,, nor  Iife, nor angels, nor
q         stage we behold the antithetical  .development  of sin  aid     principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor
          grace, according to the  cotlnsel of the  iQ.ost High. The      things to come,  noi height, nor depth,, nor any
           end. of this development, that must be and surely will         other creature, can  poss?bly separate believers from
          be attained, `is not a perfect exhibition of original crea-     the love of God, which is  in Christ Jesus our Lord.
          tion possibilities, but  the. ripened fruit of the root sin     Rom. 8 :38,39. Nor is there any power that can separ-
          of  :Adam, and of the  .grace in Christ. When this shall ate them from the love of Christ, whether it be tribula-
     have been attained,  &he end will come, and the fashion              tion, or distress,  or.  persecution,%r famine, or naked-
           of this world shall pass away, to be replaced by  the new      ness, or  peY'i1,  dr sword. In all these things the saints
          creation in which righteousness shall  dwell.                   in Christ are  inore  than conquerors. Rom.  8:35-37.
                                                         8.  H .          Christ  cgme, not to do  Ui$  ~1!3, but  the will `of the


                                     T H E       STAN'DARD   B E A R E R   '                                            151

Father that sent  IHim  ; and this is the will of the            choice of. man. The gifts of grace, forgiveness,  ri.ght-
Father, that of all He bath given Him,  H,e should lose          eousness, and eternal life, are not merited by the death
nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. `John           of Christ for all men conditionally,. but  ,for the  &et
G :38, 39. His sheep certainly hear His voice, and  IH~          unconditionally and certainly.       The intercession of
knows them, and they follow Him ; and He gives them              Christ in heaven is not a doubtful prayer for an in-
"eternal `life ; and they shall never perish,  n.eithe+ shall    definite number of `men, but a very' sure plea, on the
any man ever pluck them out of His hand.                 The     basis of His own obedience unto death,. for' all the
Father Who gave Him the sheep is greater than all ;              elect. He prays not for the world, but for those  whom-
and-no man is able to pluck them out of His Father's             the Father gave Him out of the world. John  17:9.
hand.  Die and the  .Father are one. John 10  :27-30.            The gifts of grace are bestowed upon the sinner, not
God, Who began the good work in His people, will                 because he is willing to  r,eceive them, but efficaciously,
perform and perfect it, until the day of Jesus Christ.           and in spite of the fact that, of himself, he would  nepe;
P h i l .   1:6.                                                 be willing even to ask for them. In the matter of sal-
    The deepest source and ground of this truth of the           vation, God is always first.  A.ncl the gifts of  gra@e
certain perseverance of the  saints is  th,e truth of sover-     are but the outflow of the  soverei.gn  election, of the
eign election.                                                   God of our salvation.
    We need not be surprised that those that deny the               Hence, the Reformed believer, on the basis. of Holy
absolute  sov,ereignty of election, `and insist that the         Writ, believes. the certain preservation and persever-
appropriation of salvation is, in final analysis, a matter       ance' of the saints.                                    `_
of man's own free will and choice, cannot accept the                Because election is sovereign and unchangeable,
truth. that the believer is surely and infallibly  pre-          because the- death of Christ cannot be  in. vain, because
.served unto the final salvation, and that he can never          the intercession of Christ cannot fail, and because the
 completely and ultimately. fall from grace. In their            gifts of the Spirit and of grace are sovereignly and
 system of the truth concerning salvation, man is al-            efficaciously `bestowed upon  "the elect in Christ;  thie?e-
ways first,  an.d is the determining factor to the very          fore, the elect can never  fall.from:grace,  an@ perish.
 end. They speak of election, to be sure, but it is an             It, is true that also the  Arminian appeals. to Scrip-
 election in which God was motivated and  determin,ed ture to sustain his contention that there is a falling
by what  H,e foresaw in men. He  foreknew who would              away of the saints,  so.that one who first truly believed,
 believe in  .Christ, and these  .\He chose unto salvation.      in Christ may apostatize and perish. And it may  i&t
 They speak of Christ's atoning sacrifice, but the death be superfluous to consider some of these passages from . .
 of Christ is not really a sure and definite payment and         Holy  Writ.<                                   ;      :'
 blotting out of the guilt of sin, but  .rather  an oppor-           They point out that the Bible.  frecquently  exhorts
tunity, a chance for all men to have their sins obliter-         believers to be faithful and to persevere unto the  `end;
 ated and to be reconciled to God. Whether the death             and warns against the danger of final  apostacy. Agd
 of Christ is efficacious unto forgiveness and righteous-        they conclude from these admonitions and warnings
ness depends upon the will and determination of man.             that the possibility of falling away from  giace is very
They do,. indeed, admit, and often emphasize that a              real. Scripture exhorts the saints to be faithful unto
iman must be saved, reborn and called, by grace, but in          death, and then they have the promise of the crown of
 bestowing this grace upon any man, God must needs               life.. Rev. 2:lO: The promise  ,of final victory is for
 wait for the consent of the  sinner? man must will to be                  \
                                                                 him that  fvercomes, and keeps the works of Christ
 saved  befor,e God can  b.egin to  op.erate in him by His       unto the end. Rev. 2  :26. The believer is admonished-to
 Spirit and grace. And thus it remains. until the very           hold. fast that which  he. has, that no  man. take his
 end. It is the grace of God that must preserve the be-          &own. Rev. 3  :ll. All the. dreadful  ,exam.ples of  un-
 liever in this world, and without the  preserving.grade .-belief and rebellion of the people of God of the old
 of God he cannot persevere even for a  momcent;  but -dispensation are held before the believers of the new
 whether or not God will bestow this grace of preserva-          dispensation, with the warning : "let him that thinketh
 tion on the saints, depends, in last analysis, on their         he standeth, take heed lest he fall." I Cor.  10:12.  We
 own will and attitude. Always man is first. God helps           must give very earnest heed to the things we have
 those that help themselves!                                     heard, lest `at any time we should let them slip,  IHeb.
    A&ording to the Reformed faith, however,  .God is            2  :l.; and take heed, lest there be in any of us an  .es$
 strictly sovereign  in. the `matter of salvation.               heart of unbelief, -in departing from the living God,
H e   isalways  f i r s t .                                      Heb. 3  :12'; and exhort one another daily,, lest any be
    He chose His people unto salvation, not oh" the              hardened through the deceitfulness of sin,  Heb: 3  :13.;
 g.roand  of a humanly conceived  foreknowled,ge-  of. the       and: with the example of carnal Israel  b.efore us, who
 determinations and works of men, but, sovereignly,              could not enter in because of unbelief,' we must labor
with absolute freedom, independently of the will and             to enter into the rest of God, lest any man fall after

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

   the same example of unbelief, Heb.  .4  :ll. These and 2  :17, 18; and of Demas,' who loved this present world,
   many other warnings and  ad,tionitions  plainly  prqve, II Tim.  4:lO; while the apostle Peter speaks of false
  .according to the Arminian, that there is  a,fallitig away teachers, "who privily shail bring in  damnable`heresies,
   from grace.' For what sense would there  b.e in  warn-             even denying the Lord that bought them," II Pet. 2  :l.
   ing against a danger' that doer, not exist?                       -. But -with respect to all such examples, it should be
          However',  .to conclude from such warnings"  and'ex-        sufficient to  remind ourselves of the words of  John:
   hortations that there is a possibility of final apostacy "They went out from  us,  but.they were  r_ot of us ; for  *
 _ for the believer in Christ, is certainly fallacious. What          if. they  .had been of  us,  thcz would no doubt have  con-
   they  do prove is, first, that, on the part of the believer, .tinued with us  ; but they went out, that they might be
   the  tkndency to apostatize is always present, and that,           made manifest that they were not all of us." I John
   therefore, he must give `earnest heed to the Word of               2  :19. It is quite impossible, of course, that one belong
   God. warning him  agaiZlst it, and exhorting him to be to the  manif,estation  of the  Church.in the world,  wth-
  ,faithful, and to fight the good fight. For  the believer           out having the grace of the Lord Jesus in his heart.
  &as but a small beginning of the new obedience, the                 Fact is that  tliere is always  carnal seed in the Church-
   motions of sin are  eve% active in his members, and the            on earth. And  when  they apostatize from the faith
   powers of darkness, the  devil and the world, constantly they once confessed, they cannot be pointed out as  il-
   tempt him to sin.  .There is `room, therefor.e, for the            lustrations  of the falling  awtiy of the true- believers.
   ,exhortation to  watch,andpray, lest he fall into  tempta-         Their apostacy is merely external. They never were
   tion. And, secondly, these admonitions and warnings                liv.ing members of the body of Christ.
  .proye that God preserves His saints in the world, by                   Then, too, `it  mu& be, remembered that,  what is
   His, Spirit  and grace,  4ut  also through  ,His Word.             no> possible with regard to individual believers, viz.,
   God's grace  neyer, destroys man's rational and moral              thdt  tliey finally apostatize from the faith, is certainly
   natur& That He  infallibly.preserves His people in the             possible and frequently observed in the line of genera-
   midst of this world does not make them mere passive                tions. If we apply this truth to  such`passages of  Scrip-
   objects in His almighty hand. It does not  me&- that ture as John 15  :2, -where the Lord speaks of branches
  they' ride, to heaven as in a Pullman, `and go. to `sleep _ in Him  &hat bear no fruit,  ,and are taken  away, we Will
  ,in their berth until they arrive at their. heavenly  sdes-         have no difficulty to understand them, without falling
  tinatioti.      On the contrary, the rule is always : "work         into the error of the view that there is  8 falling away
   dut your own salvation  tiith fear and trembling, for              from grace. According to the  organic idea that God
  it is God that worketh in you to will and to do of his :gathers  /His Church in the line  df continued genera-
   good pleasure." Phil. 2  :12, 13. They have a battle to tions,  the branches  in the vine are not merely the
   fight, the battle of faith. `They `are called. to  bear- the       individual believers, but they and  their children, But
  cross.        it  ia given them of  :.&ace;  1 in the behalf of     ,in the  generatidns of  tine people' of God all are not
  -`Christ, not only to believe  QP  iHim;  btit also to suffer  -  Is,rael that  `are of Israel.    The result is' that, out of
   with Him.         And because  ,God ,  ireats  ,them as His        them, generations develop that are alienated from the
  rational,  an@- moral  child&l,.  who  :$e-  called to  repre-      grace `of Christ.  `They become dead branches that bear
   sent  :the cause of the Son of `God in the midst of a no fruit,  And  .tl&  ark taken away. Thus can be  under-
   hostile world, He addresses  them' through His Word,  : stood,  without'having  recoirse to the theory of a  fall-
   by, exhortations, warnings,  admoriitionb,  threats, and           ing away  from grace,, that whole churches, that once
   promises, to encourage -and, comfort  then$ to  rebtike            wefe faithful to  th6 gospel of Jesus Christ,  have'be-
   them  when they go  backsljding,  and to  strerigthen them  ..  come utterly modern. The  light that, a -few genera-
  to the battle.  ,But  th~is;~do&~nc&,  alter .the fact that the tions back, shone brightly on the candlestick,  haslbeen
   power of  .His grace  surely':pr&s&ves   them to the end.          completely extinguished. .In the generations  of,  be-
   Eveli though, if they  will;:R$.  be taught otherwise, he          lievers;  the salt  :maY lose its savor and become -good
   lets  them go in  th'eir  .own-  :vay sometimes, and leads         for nothing but-to.be trampled under foot of  men:`
   them-into `temptations, so  .:that they fall  -in& sin,  .he           Finally, .we must still call attention  to those  pas-
   ~$1  not abandon them altogether,  but surely `cause gages of Scripture that, according to the Arminian
,_ them to repent and to  r.eturn in the way of His  cove-            interpretation are alleged to teach directly and  indubit-
  ..&nt. They are preserved in the power of `God. No                  ably that there is a final falling away from grace.- I
   one can' pluck  them out of His hand.                              have in  .mirid such passages as  Heb...6 :4-8;  16:26-31.
      (The opponents of  the  doctriee `of the certain  .perse-       Especially the first of these texts  "would1 seem to favor
   verance of .the saints also point to concrete examples             rather strongly the Arminian view. $Ve may do well,
 of final apostacy in  the  Fcriptures. The Bible speaks              therefore, to give it a little closer scrutiny.
   of Hymenaeus and  `hhiletus, "who concerning  i&e                     We, read +here : "For it is impossible for those who
   truth,  have- erred, saying that. the resurrection is past         were  qnce  elilightened,  -and have tasted -of the heavenly
  `already  ; apd overthrow the faith of some," II  Tie.  .; gift, and were  made partakers  .of the Holy  .Ghost, .and


                                        `l?tiE         STANDARD                   BE:.A'REti                                 153

 have tasted of the good word of God,- and the powers. Matt. 10 :5-8. Can it be that he never tasted' of  .the
 of the world to come, If they. shall fall away,  tq renew        goodness and  power,  of the kingdom of  God,? Yet, he
 them again unto repentance  ; seeing they crucify unto           was a devil, and never tasted of the true grace of
 themselves the Son of God afresh, and, put him to an             G o d .                                               .
 open shame. For the earth which drinketh in the rain                Thus it is, no doubt, with the men described in the
 that  cometh oft  upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet         sixth chapter of the  Hebr,ews.
 for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing                  And because Such men live in close proximity to  th.6
 from Gbd: But that which beareth thorns and briers `kingdoni of  heaten, yet have not the  nev life and the
 is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end, is             love of. God in their hearts, they  sooner or later fall
 to be burned."                                                   away, and reveal themselves as &probates, that can
     To be sure, the men of whom the Scripture speaks             never again be brought to  repentance.         Outwardly
 here  liv&d very close to the kingdom of God, and under          they repented once  ; they will never do it again. Enc-
 the influence of its blessed  f,ellowship.  !They tasted         mies of the cross  of Christ they  beco&, crucifying  tne
 of the heavenly gift, that is, of the riches of salyation        Son of, God afresh.
  in Christ; they were made partakers  df `the Holy  .Ghost;         According to the figure that is used at the end
  that is, they were  the recipients'of some of the gifts         of this passage from  %he Hebrews, they are the seed
 which the Spirit of Christ bestdwed and &ill  bestow?.           of- thorns and thistles, that sprout and grow up under
  upon,  the  ,Chu&h of Christ, whether we understand             the influence of the abundant and frequent rain, the
 by these those  sp&ial  gifts with which the  ,early  ,Church    same rain that causes the same  ,field to bring forth
  was endowed, such as the gift of. tongues,  df healng,          the good grain.
  of prophecy, or the general gifts of teaching, comfort-            There is no falling away of the saints. Once a
  ing, the ministry of the Word, and the like. Moreover, _ believer is always a believer.                 .--
 they. t&ted `of the good Word of God, that is, they                 IHence, inherent in the assurance that one is a liv-
  knew and understood  ,it, and realized its blessedness          ing member of the Church of Christ is the other assur-
  to an  exte&; and they tasted the powers of the world           ance that he will remain a true member of the body
to come: they had some experience of the beauty and               of Christ forever.
 -blessedness of the promises of God in their final  realiza-        The Christian may, indeed; confess, with the Cate-
  tion, and understood their  .power unto a life of sancti-       chism, that he is, and forever shall remain, a living
  fication in the midst of the world. They not only ap- member of the Church.                                     H. H.
  prehended all these spiritual realities of the  kingdoni
  of heaven, but somehow they tasted them, and  rccog-                                                                              ,
  nized their  gijodness,  their beauty and  blessedn,ess.
  These men  lived in very close proximity to the kingdom
  of God.       They were men of high standing in the                   Tl?HE  DAY  OF.SHADOW5
  Church, leaders and examples, men of  cower and
  influence in the flock of the great  Sheph,erd.
     Yet, let us not overlook the fact that in this entire,
 -Father  elaborate description, there is not one word that        . The King Of Samuel's- Witness --.
  speaks of, or  .even suggests the grace of God unto
  salvation.    The text does not ascribe to  th*ese men the          The execution  of the command that a king be set
 new birth, or faith in Christ, or the love of God and of         "over the people had to be preceded by a solemn pro-
  the brethren, nor the grace of  sanctificatiofi. In fact,       test, "Now therefore hearken unto their voice:  how-
  tihatever is `said of these men, may well be found in           b,eit protest solemnly against them  (IHebrew, "Thou
  natural men, quite devoid of the grace of regeneration `shalt certainly witness against  them,") and shew them
  and.of true faith in Christ. It is quite possible for  tk;e     the manner of the king that shall reign over  them,-
  natural  inan to have a clear intellectual understanding ihe  `wz&neT of the king, that is, his customary way of
  of the things of the kingdom God; and even to  have             acting,  `tiormal   behaviour, `what he will  do* as king in
  a  liatural taste for  their beauty, blessedness, and pow&,     the throne.  IThis is  wliat he will do. He will take their
  And  ttie natural man  surely dan partake of the gifts          sons for himself, for his- chariots and horsemen, to
  of the Holy Ghost, even so that he.is able to instruct          cultivate his fields, and  manufact&e  his implements
  others  ia the Word of God. Ju@s Iscariot, for three            of war.' He will take their daughters to work in his
  years, lived in close' contact With the Saviour, heard          kitchens as confectionaries, cooks and bakers. He
  His Word, saw His  wc@s; was endowed, tog&her with              will  *take the best of their fields, and vineyards,' and
  the  ?e&t of the twelve disciples, with power to preach         oliveyards and give them to his servants. He will take
 that  the kingdom of heaven- was' at hand; to, heal the          their men-servants, and their maid-servants, and their
 sick, cleanse  the lepers, raise the dead,  cast` out devils.    finest young men, and their asses to do  his Work. And


I$$                                       T         H    E               WI'ANjDA%b  &E-AA~ZR
         _.                                                                                                              ____  ~_..  ..----...  .-----
& will take  the  tenth-of   tb,eir seed,  and their vineyards,                  They had so to  y;ule  that  %s  kifigs  t&y;  pr~eindic%ted
and  giv& to  his officers and  to..his. servants. And he                        C h r i s t   in~:~sPis  king.dom  at  the right  hand of God,
will take  tli.e  ,ter@h of  their sheep.:. and they shall be  .bis              Hence;  theikz.  reigfis had to be characterized by strictest
bondmen.' And they will cry out in that day because                              justice.  The$  had to be  s&ours  of  the  fiation and
.?f their king,  which  they will have chosen them ; and                         shepherds  of  Israel  8s' the  Lard's  servants,   Be it  iti-
the Lord will  not hear them in that day. Such will be p;rfe&iy, for  they were, but sinful  me& David  was
.the  forbiddell  practise-LI of  the king of  Samu&s.   wit- that kind of  :.king and  like~:&e  Soimon  irl  his7  gim+y',
!less.- He will behave as though  he  w,ere the people's                         They did  .not enslave  Go&-  people  2nd  k.ob  them  of
lord.                    ._...                                .             '    their  inh.eritaiices  as  &es  the.king of  .S8n?u&s  witness*
       It  is  .plaip*that  the  kin& `of Samuel's witness is a                  With the  fuil consent  of  Arauilah, David bought  at a
`tyrant, who usurps the Lord's place in the Israelitish                          price the  thrtishing floor  of this  st&je& of his and
dommonmealtb.            Firstly, he takes the people's sons and there  he built an altar and offered burnt offerings and
daughters  fey  &3nseZf.  He might not do that. The peace offerings that the  piagw might  bs stayed,  11
nation belonged to Jehovah, He being its redeemer  .God,                         Sam. 24  :Zlff. The text at  %hron. ii  ~26-31, indicates
Lorcl, and King  invi,sible. The king of Samuel's wit- that David  had  large  possessions  in  ;a&. However
ness takes the best of  the,  peop!es' vineyards,  olive-                        these lands  fopmed  not  8  cohfisc&d property of dis-
yards, and fields and gives them to  his.servants. This,                         possessed Israelites, but they Were  possessi8ns   thst
`too, was a  ,forbidden practice. Jehovah being Israel's                         David had  iawfuily,.  acquired in his  tidrs `with the
absolute Lord, all the people's  possessio&-their  fields,                       heathen nations,  as is evident from  {their location in
vineyards, oliveyards, asses and sheep-belonged  ex- the maritine  pi&.  And.these lands he had cultivated
.clusively to Him,  we&e held by the people as a per-                            not by Israelites but  .by the strangers  that were in the
manent inheritance and trust-trust, for they were but                            land of Canaan, who labored as the tillers -of the king's
stewards in God's  house-?nd   the&for& could not law-                           fields under the supervision of  overseers.chosen  .from
fully  ,be appropriated by Israel's kings.. The wicked                           among the people of Israel. Solomon, too,  emplbyed
.king Ahab was destroyed on account of his having                                the strangers that were in the land of Israel for all his
appropriated `by violence the inheritance of Naboth.                             heavy work,  -11 Chron. 8  :9.      Ai' II  Chraq 2  :17 the
The' king of Samuel's witness takes the tenth of the number of these strangers is given as  153,0OO-Hittite's,
.people's  sheep. But the tenths belonged not to Israel's .Amorites,   Fkrizites,  .Hevites,  and Jebusites, all dwelling
kings but to Jehovah, He  b.eing their Lord. The king                            in the land of Israel and  bondmen of Solomon. `"But
of Samuel's  witnessis a usurper indee'd. Besides, he is                         of the children of Israel did Solomon make no  bondmen,
a cruel king.  IHis  y&e  is  sP.grievous  that the people                       but  they were all men of war and his servants  (got
of Israel cry out. Being a usurper, he is godless and                            bondmen pressed into service), and his princes, and
-therefore.  cruel.. -He enslaves his subjects, makes  th,em his captains and rulers `of his chariots, and his horse-
his  bondmep. "And ye shall, be his bondmen," reads men," I  Kings 9  :22. As  subj,ects ,of  .David and Solo-
the text.  `.       '                                                            mon, the people of Israel were free and happy. "`Judah
       The  sole~.right  of Israel's kings was to rule the                       and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea
nation in- the capacity of Jehovah's vicars  accordilig                          in multitude, eating and drinking,  ancl making merry
to  IHis law, the proniulgation of  which  h&d taken place                       . . . ." and they "dwelt safely,. every man under his
at Mt. Sinai. These  kings were  nd  l,egi&ators with the                        vine and under his  figtree, from Dan to Beersheba,
right to impose  upo~n the  nation their own will as em-                         all the days. of Solomon," I  .Kings 4  :20, 25.
bodied in a code of laws of  th+r own making. Israelis                               Yet in  a'purely' formal sense, David and  Solor@oll
sole legislator was Jehovah.             Accordingly, Israel's                   were `that. king of Solomon's witness. Like that king,
king, when he sat upon the throne of his kingdom, had                            David and Solomon,  and.  of. course all the kings in
to make him a copy of  t&e  l?wL-Jt+ovah's  law-in .a                            Israel, had to be obeyed.       Like that king but unlike
book out of that which  .was  befo$e the priests  th,e the Judges in Israel of the preceding period-and .we
Levites : and this copy had  ,to be  with him, and he had                        should not fail to observe this-they, the kings  in
to read therein all the days of his  l{fe  :, that he might                      Israel, `had also to be served, waited on and supported.
learn  6 fear the Lord, arid keep  ali'.the words of the                         For they were. kings. All the heavy work connected
law and those  .statutes, to do them, that his heart  be                         with  the  builditig of the temple and of Solomon's
llot lifted up above his brethren, Deut. 1'7  :18-20. And                        pa!aces`alrd.cities  *ah  doile by the strangers; it is true.
he  might not multiply wives unto himself, that his                              But Solomon's captains and overseers, whose  numbqr
heart turn not-away : neither might he greatly multiply wa.s  large, and  th.`e` soldiers of- his- standing army, and
silyer.L&d..gold   .(verse  .17). Such was Moses  admbn- most of, his  s'killed Workmen  w,ere Israelites  ; and like-
`ition  io the  kings of Israel.  .~           .                                 wise the personnel of his magnificent  cburt, no  doubt:
       Israel's kings.  had so to rule that the kingship in                      the  chief bakers` and  cooks  and,  confectiontiries  that
Iqael  refl.@ed the glories  of Israel's King Invisible.
                         -.                                                      workecl in  his kitchens. What  ia  qore,, the pedple of


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                                           THE  `WANDAR,D' B E A R E R                                                            155
                                                                          _._-_      _      .-_.-      `-

  Israel had also to contribute to the support- of  his. historic&! evidence contained  ifi the `book of Icings-all
  unusually large household, as is indicated by the text             the days of Solomon the people  "weke eating and-drink-.
 `-at I  Kings 4  9-20. Verse  `7 reads, "And Solomon had            ing and  Fnaking  merry"lshould  caution Us  against
' twelve officers over all Israel, which provided victuals           giving too  tiuch credence to the complaint of the people
  for  t.he king and his `household  :.  <each  mari in his month that Solomon's yoke was' grev0u.s. The tribe who led
  in a  ye&r made provisions." But much of these  vic-               in that  revolt was proud and jealous Ephraim. In
  tuals came  froth poeples that had been rendered tribu-            all likelihood it was glad that conditions  were such as
  tary by David, as is indicated  bi the text  at I Kings            .would allow it to complain, as it was  in the  need,  6f a
  4 322-24.     Here the statement of the amount of  ,Solo-          pretext for breaking away, not; to be sure, from the
  man's provisions for one day is followed by the notice, `kingship-having rejected- Rehoboam `they chose as
  "For he had dominion over all the region  on this -side            their king  Jehoboam-but  from  the house of David and
  of the  river." It is certain therefore that, as  long.as .so from Christ. Btit how  abjeytly foolish had been tho
  Solomon's heart,  was~right  with God, the yoke that he people's wanting to exchange  Jehbvah  for human kings !
  laid  ,upon the nation was not heavier than it with ease           The best of these kings  werti but sinful men Who in
  `could bear. Yet it was  ,&  n,ew yoke that the nation in          their- carnal- moments exhibited more than a mere
  the period preceding,  durjng the reign of the judges,             formal resemblance to that king of Samuel's  pFotest.
`had not to bear. But the people of Israel had asked , Yet these God-fearing kings, despite their lapses,
  for that yoke. They had  insisted  that Samuel  m,ake              tiere not properly, to be  sure, that king  pf Samuel's .
  them a king to judge them like the nations. And when               witness.  As  -has been said, David and Solomon did
  the throne in Israel was occupied  by wicked kings that .not rob Israelites  df  th,eir inheritances' and  take God's
  yoke was crushingly  h,eavy like  ,the' yoke  .of the. king        people fdr themselves, making  bondmen of them, Pro-
 ,~of Samuel's witness.          But  ,even Israel's God-f earing    perly  the king of Samuel's witness are  all. the kings
  .kings brought the  m&ion  no.little  grief. In their carnal       that ruled the ten tribes, none `of  whoti  f,eared  ,God,
 `:monients, they fell into gross sins and the punishment            and all the wicked kings of Judah.  `In  .the discourses
  meted out to them involved the whole nation. For the               of  the prophets one over  atid. over comes upon state-
  satisfaction of his lust  Dairid took to himself  Beth-            ments indicating, that  duriqg' the reign of some  -of
  sheba and  thereppon had  her. husband killed in battle            these kings the common people in Israel were op-
  `in  or'der. that the sin might' not become known,. D:$id's pressed in every way. The  princes  ate  up  the vine-
  ,`punishme t
               n grievously effected the nation.          I t   was yhrdS ;  th,e  sp,oii of the poor' was in their  houses.- They
  tora  `by a  civil war. It deserved  that stroke  hoWever.         beat God's people to pieces,  ind  gritided  the faces of
 `in  qepttdiating  David and in following after the godless         the poor,  Isa. 3  :14, 15. .The poor were  cast  otit of their
  ,&salom, the  natibn `once more rejected Christ, At                houses,  Is%  68  7. Shailum, the son  fif Josiah,,  kin!  $
 .  another. time, as blown  up with  prid,e, David had the          Judah,  w& accused of the prophet of buildihg  his
 :people       comited. In. punishment of his" sin the, Lord         h o u s e   in  uhrighteousness.  .H&.  u s e d   h i s   neighbour's
  ..sent a  pestilenc6 upon the people and there died  `79,WO        service without wages, and gave him not for his work.
  -9!+mr .  I3v.t .the text at II  Samuel 54 reveals that the        He did not judgment  and justice, but his `heart and
  ,-pation  ileqerved   ilso  this stroke.    Li.ke the king of      eyes  were for his covetousness, for shedding of  inno-
  $ampel.`s  witness Solomon multiplied unto  hi:%& "cent blood, for oppression, and for violence, to do it,
  `horses  &id chariots. But that equestrian might was               J&-22:11-11.  `The righteous were sold for silvei and
  a  forbiddkn thing in Israel. Likesthat  king in  Samnel's         the  `podr for a pdir of shoes. Th& poor were crushed
  witness Solomon multiplied unto himself wives and and the `needy  w&e tread upon. Their wheat was
  concubines even to the  nuniber of one thousand. Many t.akeri  froni  thim; Amos 2  :6  ; 4  :l  ; 5  :l'i, 12. Men  iif
  of those women  .&ere  h,eathen  princess& for whose               pow,er; the' princks,  the heads of the people, the gqdless
  gods he built high places  in the  very Sight of Jeru- .kin&; devised  ini&it$, worked  evil upon  their  bed&,                             -.
  salem. In punishment of this atrocious  sijn the Lord              and when the  morning  was  ligl&, they practiced  it.
  stirred him up adversaries. They did him much  misl -They  .coveted fields  and  took `them by `violence,  _ and
 1 chief. Israel became an object  bf  abhore;lce to  &he `als'o  houses.  T"h$y joined ho&e to'house,  layed field
  .nations, I Kings 2  :25.        It  cari  only `mean that  one -to  field  (h&es  &d  fiel'ds  th`at had been  taken by  vio-
 Iafter the other  of  the kings over  tihich Solomon  reign- .l&hce) till  there  ti& no  place;  that  they `might be placed
  .ed  wiihheld their tribute. To  offset  the loss, the  bur-       alone  i&  the  e&&i. So.  did they  dppr'ess' a man and his
 :dens bf the  people  of Israelwould h&e to b&'  iticreased. -.house;'  &v& a' man  `and his  h&etage, Isa.  .5  :8  ;, Micah
  -`It is a gdod  cdnjecturk therefore that as  `the troubles 2`:2. :Th$  "%eizedi  the inheritance which I  .h&e caused
 of Solomon  multihlied he  b&Zame'  ~ti&e and  tidr:e  .deB- Fiji $,eople Is%%ei `to inh&$" J&. 12 : i4. . The hkads of
  potic and his  ,yoke  in&f&able.  .No  sopner  `was he the fieoo'ljle; "the' p&c& of the h&.&e bf jacob" abhored
 dead  tkian the  Ijeople  `Ijetitioned  Rehoboam to  ,make  thk jifdiin&t,.   p&v&tkd  all  eq&ty,'  "&jlt.  up  Zion with
 ."grevoi,is burdeh of  -his  f&he?' lighter..  .Yet the purely blood,  irid  ~&W&&I  with  `iliiquity  ,and judged for  re-
                                                                                                               -.
                          . .


  156                                  T      H     E         StTA,NDARD   l$EARER

  ward. The priests `taught for hire and the prophets              cularly  in Jerusalem especially during the reign of
  divined for money, Micah. 3  :ll. The good man per- that monster of iniquity, king Ahaz.
  ished out of the earth: and there  was' none upright                The command of God to Samuel was  that he shew  '
  among men : they all lay in wait for blood ; they hunted         the people the manner, doings, of the king that would
  ,every man his brother with a net. They'did evil with rule  .over them. Samuel did so ; and it was verily a
  both hands earnestly: The prince and the judge asked             prophecy to which he gave utterance on that  oc&ion,
  for' a reward, and the  great man uttered the mischief           a word put into his heart by the Lord. And this is
  of his soul. The best of them was like a brier, the most what he saw and heard  il his prophetic vision:-his
  upright was  sh&rper than a thorn hedge, Micah `7 :  l-4.. people plundered, enslaved, and killed, by the king that
         The sum and total of these quotations set forth a         they would choose them. That would be the wrath of
  doing on the part of the men' of  pow& in Israel-men             God revealed over their  great sin. They`were rejecting
  of power:  kings, princes, `corrupt' priests and false .Chri$. He heard also  thccry  of the people in that day.
  prophets-the wickedness of which  ,is truly amazing.             What he saw and  h.eard he told them. Let us grasp the
  When this  *doing was actual the land of Israel was '  aweful, implication  df their reply. It is verily this :
  `easily the most wicked spot on all the earth. We have "Let it be as thou  sayest.' God's'anger  consume us and
  to do here with a condition of things that prevailed             `our children. His curse pursue us through the years.
  nowhere else at that time,  at  least not  on that scale.        But do as we bid thee. Set over us a king." Such was
_ The likes of those men of power was nowhere else to              the tenor of their speech, for they believed not. It was
  be found. As compared with the period in which this              a  cry not unlike that which  they.uttered  some centuries
`terrifying wickedness rioted, the times of the judges,            later, when Christ stood before them in the flesh :-His
  when  ,every man did that which was right in his own             blood be' upon  us'and our children.  And their choos-
  eyes in that. there was no king  in' Israel, were tranquil       ing that king of Samuel's  witness in rejection of
  times. If there be  sdch a thing-but  ther,e `is no such         Jehovah was not unlike the choice they made  when
  thing,as a common grace staying through its opera-               Christ stood before them in the flesh:-They  chbse
  tions in men's hearts the  develbpment of sin in  men            Barabbas and cried for  ,Christ's crucifixion.
  and nations, the reprobated  Is`rael was completely de-
  void of it.                                                         The  Lord' hearkened unto the voice of the people
     When was this astonishing wickedness actual? Dur-             in all that they said unto Him. He set over them a
  ing the  reigns'.of  which kings?         This can  easili be    king. And Samuel's prophecy went into fulfillment
  cleterhined. The prophetic activity of the prophets through  all. the years and especially during the reigns
  from whose discourses the above-cited sentences were             of those  wicked kings that occupied the throne in `the
  taken, took  plack during the  Reigns of the- following          days of  Hose?,  Amos,  Nicah, and the other prophets of
  kings : `Isaiah-Uzziah,  Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah,' that century. That king of Samuei's witness sat only
  kings of Judah ; Jeremiah-Josiah, Jehoahaz,  Jehoia-             in Israel's throne. The  1ikeS of  him was  no%here else
  him, Jehoiachin, Zedekiah, kings  of Judah  ;  Amos-Uz-          to be found  ; for that king was Ahaz and Shallum and
  ziah, king of Judah and Jeroboam II, king of Israel.  Uz-        his spiritual kin. Then did the  peopl'e cry. And among
  ziah king of Judah, was contemporary of Jeroboam  ,I1 those who  ,cried in that day were also God's elect, the
  Zechariah, Shallum,  Menahem, Pekahiah, Pekah, kings             oppressed people, the poor in the  land, the dispossessed,
  of Israel of the ten tribes.  1: was during the reign            the enslaved, the widows and the  &phank who  put. their
  of these five kings  that the ten tribes and particularly        trust in the Lord and cried day and night unto Him
  Satiaria  was that house of wickedness that the pro-             in their distress. And  I%e heard their cry. He sent
  phets Amos. and  Hosea describe it to be in their dis-           them deliverance in that day even through some of
  courses. .Immdralities,  crimes  aind  v&es of every. des- those wick&d kings, the king of Samuel's witness. The
  cription were practiced openly by these kings, and the           very tyranny of that king worked for their good. I t
  princes and the heads of the nation,  iHosea-4:1,  2,  6ff,,     drove them into the arms of Christ.
  13 18;  6:8, 9;  7:1-7;   10:4;  9,  12ff.- The  peopje were        In that terrible. day the  Lhrd gave unto `the, poor
  robbed of their. inheritances and driven into actual             and the oppressed in the land, who put their trust in
  slavery,  11:6,;7;  3:lO. The women urged their hus-             Tim, also a promise by the mouth of His  prophet,-
  bands  t`o greater cruelties, 4  :l. The courts in the           the promise of the King, the rod out of  ihe stem of
  land were nortoriously corrupt, 5 :7, 10, 12 ; 6 : 12. *The Jesse, Jesus Christ, upon whom the Spirit of the
  dispossessed poor could get. no hearing. Justice was _ Lord shall  .rest. . . . and shall make him quick of
  bought at a price,' 5:7, 10; 6  :l?.  ,And the leaders in        understanding in the fear of the Lord: and shall not
 crime and  &e were the heads of  the` people, 6  :I-6.            judge after the sight of his  eyes,`neither reprove after
  Those who raised their voices in protest against the             the  hearitig of  his.  ears : but  with righteousness shall
  wrong  w.ere despised and persecuted, 5  :lO ;  7  :lO-13.       he judge  the poor and argue with  <equity for the meek
  These  same conditions. prevailed in Judah and  parti-           of the earth :  and he shall smite the earth with the  rod


                                                          WI%  S T A N D A R D   BFAREB                                                              157

          of. his mouth  and with the breath of his lips shall he                     1)  Th& it is a. self-governing  organiiation,  under
i slay  te wicked," Isa. 11: l-5.                   ~.                                     Chri,st subject to  ,MO legal power other than that
                  Thus the  King will save the poor in the land, God's                     of  -its own consistory. In the church of Christ
          poor, the eternal objects of  (His love. :They : frust in                       legal power or authority is the right, and solely
          God. By nature, apart from grace,,  they, too, reject                           the right to officially preach the Gospel, discipline
          the Lord, for  in themselves they are dead in sin like                          with' the Scriptures, and  excbmmunicate out of
          the others. But therefore God gave them David ; there-                          the `Christian  .church again with the Scriptures.
          fore He gave them the  Xing, the Christ ; they  tiust be                        This is key-power,-a power that was given  by.
          saved unto Him.                                       G. M.  0:                 Christ to  :His church.
                                                                                    2)  *hat all legal power is concentrated in the con-
                     . .                                                                  s&tory and thus not also in  Classis  (Synod).
                                                                                      `3) That for each consistory the sphere of  the exer-
                    Questions on Church Polity                                            cise of the legal power is its own congregation
                                                                                          only, that is,  the body of believers by which it
                                                                                          was chosen. It cannot'be otherwise, if the local
                 A brother, resident in Sioux Center, Iowa, writes                       congregatiofi-each congregation-is autonomous.
          as follows: (he writes  ih the Holland language. The                         In the light of these sentences, it is plain how the
          undersigned takes the liberty to translate the writing) :                brother's questions are to be answered.
     .           1) Art.  i6 (of the Church Order of Dordrecht) ,                      Answer to question' b under  3: If there is need of
                    The  Classis  has the same jurisdiction over the ,such action, not the  ,Classis but  ,each consistory deposes
            .       Consistory as the Particular Synod has over the. its own minister only., For  i) to  depose.office bearers
                    Classis  and the General Synod over the Particu-               is to exercise key-power'. (legal authority ;  2). all `key-
                   l a r " . -                                                     power is concentrated  .in the local consistdry. Hence,
                            What is  the. character of this jurisdiction?          the.  Classis  cannot exercise this power, as  it: ho& not
                    The brother  ,asks.                                            have  it. Therefore it, cannot depose office bearers.
            2) Art. 68, "The Ministers shall on Sunday, ordin-                         Answer to question a under 3: Art. 79 does not
                    arily in  ihe  afibmoon,  explain briefly the sum of militate against the doctrine of the autonomy of the
0          Christian doctrine comprehended in the  Heidei- local church'; for the sentence of the neighboring
                   berg Catechism." The brother underscores "or-                   church, consistory, is not mandatory  but purely  advis-
                    dinarily in the afternoon' `and- asks, "Is that a              sory. It means that the other consistory may refuse to
                   purposeless insertion  ?'                                       adopt and execute the sentence; it may reject it. This
            3) Art. 79, "When. Ministers of the  D,ivine' Word,                    is its right, being, as it is, autonomous. Were the                            _
                    Elders or Deacons, have committed any public,                  sentence  mzndatory, the advice-seeking consistory
                    gross sin, which is a disgrace to the church, or               would be compelled to act according to it,  .or allow  it-
                   worthy of punishment by the authorities, the                    .self to be -deposed and excommunicated by the  neigh-
                   Elders and Deacons shall immediately by preced- bdring  consistozy. Thus, were the sentence mandatory,,
                   ing  Bentence of the Consistory thereof  :and  df one consistory would be lording it over another and
                   the nearest Church, be suspended. or expelled                   thereby destroying its autonomy.  -Now such lordship
                   fro&  thei? office. . .  ." Question of the brother,            of one  consistor'y (church) over another,  :Art. 84 of
            a) "What remains here of the "autonomie" of the                        our  .Church  Qrder strictly f&bids. "Nd church," so
                   local Church?                                                   this article reads, "shall in any way lord it over other
                            The brother  qvotes the  rest,of the  article which    churches,  no-  Miliister over other. Ministers, no Elder
                   reads  ; "btit the ministers  shall only be suspended.          over other Elders or Deacons. All that the.  neighboi-
                   Whether these shall be entirely deposed from                    ing- Consistory  inay do,  &an do, in the  e-tent its sentence                      c
                   office, shall be subject to  the judgment of the                is not adopted and executed is to appeal the case  tb
                    C l a s s i s . "                                              Classis.  And the  Classis  renders  judgmerit. But Clas-
            b) His question, "Who deposes a minister  bf  the                      sical decisions are likewise. purely  advisory  and. not
                   Word, the  Classis  or the  Conbistory  ?"                      m a n d a t o r y .   I t   m e a n s   that.the  cor&story  m a y   rejedt
                                                                                   alsd classical  `decis$ns. This again is its right, being
                                            REPLY                            I     as it is autonomous. Were  the classical decision man-
                 Answering these questions (the one put in connec-                 datory, the  izonsistory  would be  compell&J  to submit
          tion with Art. 68 excepted), requires that we have a                     to it or  alldw `itself  td be deposed now by the  classis.
          clear understanding of  the proposition that the  l&al                   Thug,  `were the  cltissical   decision  mandti&y, the  classis
          church is autonomous. That the local church is auto-                     would- be `lording it  over  $6  cofisistory and `thereby
          nomous means :                                                           d'estroying,  its' autonomy. But this,  `tdo, is  contrary


  158                                            T          H        E                sTAN,DA.RD   BEAR'ER

 to Art. 84 of the Church  .Order. For it  stands  to reason                          datorzj  klassis  would  h&e the right to. demand. that its
that  a  number  of neighboring- churches may no more decisions be obeyed on  @ain of deposition of the  recalci-'
 lord it  ov,er a consistory  than.may the one  netghboring +rant consistory.                                  But this right cannot be that of
 church. And what is  Classis  other than an assembly                                 Cla&is  in that  it has not the- key-power. Hence the
 of delegates of a number of local autonomous churches?                               character of the oversight `of  Cltissis over consistory
  Certainly the  ,Classis is, not a consistory  vested,.with                          must  r&cessarily be advisory. What: this means has
, key-power over the local consistory. The church  msti-                              been  fdlly explained. We must consider that it is al-
 tu+  iS always local. It does not broaden out into a                                 ways a, question to' whom, the key-power was given, to
 classical and  synodical church with the, Synod as the                               the  consistoFy  alone  02 to consistory and the  Classis.
 `over-all consistory. Anyone not laboring  under a bias                                     Rightly considered, the question  `is whether the
 alid thus capable of  borrectlJ;r interpreting the  a$icl.ei                         key-power was given to  consistiDry   or  Classis.  For  .it
 of  Qur Church Order and  of our Three  Forr&;`of  Unity                             stands to reason that both  Classis  and consistory  can-
                                                                                                        .I_
 will perceive and readily admit- that  such a view. is                               not have this power. `There cannot,  und$er Christ, be
 glaringly and severely  anti7Refqrmed.,                                              two judicial powers  in the  church handling the keys
      `Thus all that- the  Classis  can do in case -its decisions                     of -the  (ingdom'of heaven,  Classis  and consistory, For,
  are being  rejecte! by  &onsistories is  to` refuse to re-                          either will have to submit  "co -the other. The one that
  ceive their delegates on its classical meetings and                                 submits'  has  not the-key-power,  except  iti name. It  ,is
 thereby  sever the denominational tie between  It and                                plain that  thk doctrine according to "which Classical
 the aggrieved' consistories. This the  Classis  may do.                              decisions are mandatory, implying that  Classis also
  Th'is is its  .righ&-a right  itiplicit in the very purpose. .has key-power, is, verily a terrible  philosophy,-terl
 of a number of churches federating on the  b&sislof  ou'h
                            _                                                         rible in that  it. is destructive,  .tionoeptio&ly,  of the
  Church Order. `Certainly the consistory is autonomous.                              church,  the local congregation,  ai an autonomous  `or-
 It  is free to  ;reject classical decisions, `also decisions                         gani.zation,  vester with the ppwer to discipline the
  fixing' classical- assessments, without  ,finding itself                            disorderly and excommunicate. oyt of the christian
  under  the. necessity of  being! penalized  6ii, the account .church the  .%icked.                                 :
 by* deposition by' the `Classis. mowever, the  autpnomy                                     Question under 2) I do  not  pnderstand.' As was
 of. the  ior%1  congreg&tioli  does not imply that the  con-                         stated, the  b&h& underscored  "drdinarily in the
  sistocy can  pepsistently  reject the decisions of the                              afternoon".  _. In  ,rec&t times Reformed churches in
  major assemblies with.retention of its right-to ,a place                            North America reviseci `this  article.68,  and the revisers  u
 iri the church formation..                                                           eliminated' the phrase  "&dinarily- in  the afternoon".
         Finally, the consistory can also abuse its autonomy  ;                       The Protestant  Reformed-.  churches have the `revised
 -and this is a sin; The Consistory commits this sin if                               article. Now certainly  there'was no  lIeed of retaining
  it "rejects the decisions of. the major assemblies, includ- this phrase. The issue with our Reformed fathers was  1
  ing, `of course', the- decisions fixing classical assess-                           not- that  the sum  OF  Chyjstian doctrine  ,comprehended
 ments,  .without being. able to prove even to its own                                iri the Heidelberg  .Catechism  be  .explai&d on Sunday
  satisfaction that  they.conflict  with the  W&d of  ~God                            only in  tld afternoon` and thus not in the morning or
  and  th,e articles of the Church Order. Art.  31,  oft the                          evening instead, but tlie issue with them was that this
  Church  ,Order therefore' requires that the Consistory                              doctrine be  expltiil?ed  on  SundBy. And this is also
  allow itself to  .be bound by classical. and  synod&al de- th&--soIe issue with us. Whether this be. done in the
 .cisions unless they can be proved to. conflict with the                             morning; afternoon, or  evenini makes absolutely no.
  Word of God. This  ,article; too, can easily be defended                            difference certainly, as-  long- as this doctrine  .be ex-
  w i t h   th'e-  S c r i p t u r e s .                                              plained on Sunday.  Atid. this is  the sole requirement
     Herewith has been answered also the brother's ques- of the revised  article'(i8.  And as our  ,chu?ches  organ-
  tion `under 1)`. The jurisdiction that the  Classis  has iz'ed also on the basis of this article, all  ar,e  iti duty
  over the  cpnsistory  can  be only that kind of oversight bqund'to do as this article requires. And this they do
  that a  Classis,  organized on the  basis of our Church                             arid very willingly. For the  Heidelberi  .C+techism  is a
 Order,  niay tdke  over  the  consi&orjr. It is not an  over- treasured  colnpdsition  in our communion  o$  churches.
 `sight that  intiolves-  ,Classis in  the exercise. of  le&l or                       .:
                                                                                                                          .:             .G.  M .   0 .
 -`key-power.  over  ' the- consistory. For,  as/' has been
 `sho~%;~alI  kejr-pcjwe`f,. is concentrated in the  corisistory.
 Hence  APt.  36,  dbes not  &ate that the  Classis   lias`  ttie                       *
 `ganie  purisdi-&ion   over the  consist&, -that' the  bon-                                                   ,CLASSIS EAST        s
                                                                                                                                 ..,             1
  s+tolny  ,has.  over-th&  congkegtitidn.            What `then is the -wil!-meet.   in regular session? the Lord willing, Wed-
  character of, this oversight of  Cltissis  ov&!  cor$story ?
 It is  n&visory in  `c~ntradi$inction to                                             ,nesgay; January  8," 1947, at 9 o'clock  .A:M., at  -Fuller
                                                      rndiizcldtory.   If the
 -chaYacter  bf -this. c&%igh.t or' jur.isdictioti  .w&~e %zun-                       Avenue.                                   D.` Jdhkeir; S. C.-
             .
                                            :


                                           T    H     E         STANCARD  ` B                    E         A    R    E         R    '    159..

                                                                           tirBrl;elijk niet  ierdiend. Hij was  .de  be'ste  van de  der-
                               j'fAN(-tEN  ."  `-                          tien  kinderen Jakobs.  .Hij vreesde God van zijn  jeugd
     ..                                                                    a!  a&.        Hij  .yas een  verstandige., wijze  .en.  oprechte
                                                                           jongelling.      D.och de  gatriarchen  waren nijdig op hem
           &ml, 0 c&Id er Wraken!                                          en wierpen hem in de  pnt. En later  lezen we  Bat-hij
                                                                           geschreeuwd heeft om genade.  Doch ze  stopten  de
                                                                           o6ren dicht en  lieten hem schreien,  snikken, klagen.  ,.
                   (Psalm  94  ;  Derde Deel)                                  En de  .andere  .Mensch  is Jezus. .Hij is  .de.zeerbij-
                                                                           zondeye   mensch.,   Hij is mensch,  do&  cook God.                _
      De faatste  maal-  zagen we, dat de  Hee&e  iijn volk                    En Hij kwam ook in een put terecht.  Doch  ge
ieert uit de wet; en dat zij daarom welgelukialig  ziji.                   moogt  `nu Jozef gerust  vergeten. Zijn put is  niet die.
      Die  %~elgelukz~ligheid  wordt verder  verklaard in                  van Dathan. Zijn  .p.ut  .is:de vreeselijke  .poel  -van  -den
het volgende  vers.                                                        eeuwigen dood.  `.  N.ooit heeft  iematid  .geklaag.d;   -ge-
      `I. . . . om hem rust  <e geven  van de  `lcwacle dagen, schreid en `geweend  _zooals  .Jezus. D!e  .put werd  ,vook
"Lotdat de kuil voor de goddelodze gegraven wordt."                        Hem gegraven en  Hij.moest. er in. En  IHij is' er ge-.
      Hier  openen  iich vreeselijke  perspectieven  !  Hiq                willig ingesprongen.  `Maar Zijn lijden was  verschrik-
denk ik  .aan de verschiikkelijkste  dingen ! Neeq, lezer,                 kelijk.
ik overdrijf niet  ! Het gaat  bier  6ver  de eeuwige smart-                   Zijn leed is  `vers.chrikkelij.ker  dan er ooit  &mand
i6 de he1 ! Het gaat hier over `de. poel die brandt  `van                  lijden  zal. Zelfs Satan zal  .nooit  lijdeq zooals  Mess@!.
vuFr en sulfur;  _.  `d .            a                                         Doch er kwam een einde  aan het eeuwige lijden van
     J?, en ook gaat het  hi@ over  cl?, heerlijkste  dingen               Jezus hellesmart.  `Hij  mocht de put uit. Hij is  opge-
die ge  U de&en  kynt.. Want het gaat hier ook over de staan van de  dood*en  ; en Hij is ingegaan in Zijn rust.
Rust die er  voor.Gods volk overblijft.                                        Doch `de goddeloozen die  Zij-i put hielpen graven?
Eaat ons het  verband zien.                                                   Siddert ge nog  -niet ?
      We hebben  tweerxiaal  geschreven  over dezen psalm'                     D i e   p u t   i&  d e   tw'eede  clood.  -i
zn het is  goed .dat-we de hoofdgedaehte voor onzen  aan-                      Het is de  eeuwige. hel.  M,et de "smart die zij` lij-
dacht  houden. En die hoofdgedachte is, dat de Chris-' den in de vlam  !"
tus Gods 
           A. i en  ,daarom  ool: de  cerk, tot God schreeuwen                 En daarom komt  cr nooit een  eind:e  aan.  "Hi'er  blij;f .
om te  komen met de openbaring van Zijn wraken!                       .    ik  t6t in eeuwigheid  ; hier  hoor ik  slangen  schuif'len-!"
      En  .ry  onderwijst  @e  iHeilige Geest ons hier ook, ,                  "Want de Heere zal Zijn volk niet  begeven, en Hij
dat het  toc.h altijd  we1  gaat  met. Gods Kind,  dqt is,                 zal  Zijn  erve niet verlaten."                .
Christus,  en met  Zijn.e.  broederep,..de, Kerk. Zij zijn                     Het. is  mobi, dat het hier staat. Want soms zou
welgelukzalig, ook al is het dat  ze,,getuchtigd  worden.                  men  juist  denkeh, dat God Zijn volk  vergeten en  ver-
Want  gedurende al die tuchtiging,  `.wordt hij  onder-                    laten' heeft. Christus   aacht .het ook :  Mijn' God,. Mijn
wezen uit Zijn wet.. En we  zagen, dat dit beteekent,                      God,  waarotil hgbt Gij .Mij verlaten?
dat Gods kind geleerd wordt lief te hebben.                                    Het is  mooi, dat het bier staat, want nu kunnen we
      En het einde voor hem is Rust.,                                      er  vertroostir_s  uit  putt&,' als het water  aan de  liDpen
      `Ook al is het, dat hij voor  tijd.  kn  wijle in de put             komt, als we gevoelen om  bij de pakken  neer te gaan
&oet  vallen die goddeloozen voor ,hem groeven.                            zitten,`als'we  haast zouden  ivanhopen  a8n  .God.
      Rust voor  Gods-vollr' is  &it: ze mogen ingaan en                       Neep, Gdd  vergeet ons`niet'en  verlaat ons niet. .
b.ewondererd het  volbrachtq werk van den  DrieEenige'n                        En weet  ge waarom niet? ,Omdat wij Zijn Eigen
God op .Golgotha ili Christus  Jezus den IHe'ere !. In  ver-               zaak  zijn. Als God Zijn volk zou verlaten, zou `God
rukking gaan we naar God  staren, daar op  den troon.                      Zijn Eigen iaal  verlaten, en dat kan niet. Wij  &jn
En ge zult in het  midden.van dien troon  ezn Lam zien,                    immers Zijn erve: de tekst zegt  `dat. Wij  zijn Zijn
staande als  geslacht. Dat,. dat is het wat U zal  doen                    eigendom.  IHij  heeft ons  gezien en  g&wild in de  stil!o
rusten in  ,clen  hemel, daarboven bij God! Het  is. de                    eeuwigheid; Hij-heeft  o,nS ten aanzijn geroepen uit den
hemel van deli  hemel.         :'                                2         geesteiijkeri dpod  door-  `wedergeboort'e  en bekeering  ;
      En waar zal de goddelooze en zondaar verschijnen-?                   Hij heeft ons  vooruit gezien  ifi de  eetiwige  heerlijkheid
     We beven als we beginnen  qm zijn  !ot te beschrijven.                random  Christus   Jezus.  -Hij  heeft-bet  alles  g&vild om
      Hier op aarde hield hij zieh onledig om kuilen te Zijn  lOf  en  prijs'; en  daaroti kan  iHij  `ens  nooit  be-
graven voor Gods  yolk, opdat die er in mochten vallen                     geven of  verlaten;   -Wat  .&en` troost !
en.1uid.e kermen  OF  ,genade.                                                 "Want  het.odk;de&l  zal  wede?keer& tot  de.ge?echiig,
      Wie is  er die  bier  -niet  .denkt  aan twee  ?&en en heid,  -en  alie.  opr&htea van hart' zullen hetzelve.  na-
twee menschen? .                          ,'                               volgen."                   '                                  r
,     De  ee&mensch: is Jozef.             ,         ; . .                    `Die eerste  uitdrukking,' dat,  namelijk, het oordeel
      lOok  hij kwam  in  c+  kuii  ierecht. En  hij  h@i  bet             zal  wederkeereti  tdt de  .gerechtigheid,  mi6rdt  veelni&


                                       pgE            &pANb*hb
                                                                                   Bti*AEe:R
160


gebezigd in Gods Woord. En het beteekent  d&t de ,  mooi : -loving kindness ! En. dat doet  Hij. Als het
schijnbare  toestand van ongerechtigheid in haar tegen-        donker wordt  voor de ziel van Gods volk dan komt en
deel zal veranderen. Want tegdnwoondig schijnt het bezoekt Hij hen met Zijn Geest en genade. `Dan  fluis-
alsof de ongerechtigheid overwint. Men zondigt tegen           tert Hij hen in `t zieleoor, dat alles  we1 is, dat alle
God en mensch en  ,overwint. Men vertrapt,  Gods Wet           dingen medewerken ten goede dengenen die God lief
en Zijn volk, en God dondert niet van den  hemel in            hebben. Dan veegt Hij hun tranen af  ,en mogen zij
Zijn rechtvaardig oordeel. Asaf had moeite met die- het moede  hooft onheffen en voorwaarts gaan op het
                                                                                     -
zaak. Totdat hij `in Gods heiligdommen inging en op            pad, dat hen uiteindelijk naar boven zal  brengen,  waar
hun einde  merkte.                                             nooit geen tranen meer zullen vloeien.
       Welnu, dit eerste gedeelte van dit  vers beteekent,      Wat zal het zijn, als we die goedertierenheid Gods
dat het niet altoos zoo zal blijven. Er komt een  ,eind.e in haar  voile heerlijkheid zullen zien en ervaren  daar-
aan. Het oordeel zal wederkeeren tot gerechtigheid.            boven bij God !                               G.  V.
Dat wil eenvoudig zeggen, dat Gods  rechtvaardig   qor-
deel-geopenbaard zal  worden. En dan zullen we zien,                          .
.dat het kleinste vergrijp  aan God en  aan Gods volk
rechtvaardige vergelding zal geschieden.
       Welnu, Gods volk gelooft dat nu al. Alle oprechte                    IN  H I S   F E A R
van  hart'zullen hetnavolgen. Dat wil zeggen, dat zij
leven uit dat beginsel van Gods gerechtigheid. Voor
Gods volk is het alle dagen Oordeelsdag !                           MAY WE HELP TRAIN YOUR CHILD?
                                               Daaruit kunt                                                    `-
ge ook  weten of  ,ge een kind van God zijt. Het kind          Who  asks  this  question?  Your pastor never asks you
van God houdt afrekening met zijn God alle dagen.              the above question- in singular form. He may not ask
Hij is de oprechte. Oprecht wil zeggen, dat ge  sub-           whether he may help train your child in the fear of the
j.ectief en objectief gelijk  zijt:  Uw- binnenste leven en    Lord. It is his God-given calling to do so, and. he may
uw uitwendige openbaring zijn voor God gelijk.  `Ge not even give you the opportunity to answer this ques-
wandelt met Hem; en ge rekent  .met Zijn oordeel, Zijn         tion. He may not leave the impression with you that
,rechtvaardige oordeel.                                        you "as a covenant parent have the right at all to re-
       "Wie zal  voor mij staan tegen de boosdoeners, wie      fuse to allow him to help you train your child in the
zal  zich  voor mij stellen tegen  de.  w,erkers der  onge- fear of the Lord.  IHe must rather admonish you and
rechtigheid?"                                                  remind you  ,that it is your God,-given calling and duty
       Ja, die woorden hebben een  bekende  klank.             to send your children to him in catechism and to bring
       Het is de bange vraag van al Gods volk geweest          them with you to the services upon the Lord's Day;  He
van alle tijden.                                               is failing in his calling to instruct you in the fear of
       Want zoo zeker als ge een kind van God zijt,  zoo. the Lord if he fails to demand your child's faithful
zeker zullen de boosdoeners  zich tegen U keeren en de         church and catechetical attendance.
werkers der ongerechtigheid U benauwen. Zoo spoedig               Nor is the above question to be found in the mouth
als het goddelooze volk ruikt dat ge een kind van, God,        of the school teacher. Not only is she hired by you
en daarom een lover van Zijn deugden zijt, zoo gauw            for. the purpose of finishing the work you with your
zullen ze U vervolgen. En dat  doen ze  omdat ze God           limited time and abilities  ,cannot complete, but the
haten.' Ze zijn van de partij des duivels en ze  doen          State sees to it that she need not beg for a class of
zijn wil. En het is openbaar, wat de wil van Satan is:         pupils to train. Education up to various ages is com-
hij is de tegenstander en de  belager van God van den          pulsory in every state in the union, if I am not  mis-
beginne.                                                       informed.
       En juist daarom kunt ge er op rekenen, dat de              There is, however, another sphere wherein the
Heere Uw  schild en zwaard wordt. Want zoo gaat het.           above question, "May  w,e help train your child?" is
Luistert maar : "Ten ware dat  de  (He&e mij  eene, hulp asked. It is asked by those who are not officially hired,
geweest ware, mijne ziel had bijna in de-stilte gewoond.       called or ordained to the training of God's  covena,nt
,Als ik zeide: Mijn voet wankelt,' ondersteunde mij,           youth in His fear but who nevertheless desire to do this
o. Heere ! Uwe  .goed,ertierenheid."                           and find joy in doing so. It is  -the  Sunday&ho01
       G.od ondersteunt en beveiligt Zijn volk. En dat         teacher who asks this question. He is not called by
doet  lHij door Zijne goedertierenheid.                        God to this work `in the sense that officially through
11     Wat mag die kracht en deugd zijn ?                      the church institute God demands this work `of him.'
       De goedertierenheid Gods is die  d,eugd van den         He has therefore no right to demand that you allow.
DrieEenigen God, waardoor alles in Zijn Goddelijke             him to help you train your child in the fear of  th:e
Wezen  Hem drinkt om  Zijn volk  goed te  doen en te `Lord. But he may ask you to give him the privilege
beladen ~ met weldaden, In `t Engelsch  klinkt, het zoo        of. teaching- your child God's fear.


    ,There is still another way in which we are in-            Lord's  D.ay, "May' we train your child?" If the Sun:
 structed in  .His fear which is not official and yet which day School presently displaces the official training in
 is valuable and blessed by God.' We are thinking `of the preaching of the Word and catechetical instruction,
 the societies  4n the' organism of the church wherein         it is not due to the fact that the Sunday School itself
 the Word of  #God is studied and our spiritual know-          is so sinful but that the consistory has not performed
 ledge is advanced. We might even add a third way,             its work of supervision as it should have been done.
 namely: such means as the Standard  Bearer'and other             There is indeed today that other side of this fluctu-
 religious papers and books which are not. the official        ating career of the Sunday School in reformed churches
 proclamat.ion `of the truth and yet help to  ,train us in     that its place in the church is far too great. It has
 the fear of the Lord. However; in this and the five           assumed more than it has the right to enjoy. It for-
 subsequent installments to appear in this rubric, "In         gets that it must ask the question, "May  we'help train
 His Fear" we intend to write on these first two means         ynui  child", and instead  it, demands the child or even
 of training in. the fear of the Lord which though un-         introduces carnal  ,entertainments and practices to get
 official are valuable and very really serve the purpose       your child to come.
 of working in  `us the fear of the Lord. In recent essays        To condemn the Sunday School simply because it is
 in this rubric  :"In His Fear", both by the undersigned       unoticial instruction in the fear of the  Lord'we cer-
 and  other%, the home, the school, and the church. in-        tainly should not do, and that we do is very inconsist-
 struction in the  f,ear of the Lord has been treated. We      ent. Which parent who refuses to send his child to
 have deemed it fitting, therefore now to explore `this        Sunday School simply because it is not official instruc-
 other realm of training and instruction wherein in an         tion deprives his child of reading any christian story
 unofficial capacity the man of God is led into the fear       books? They are by no means official means to instruct
of the Lord deeper and more deeply. We begin  4n this          us in the fear of the Lord. `And what then of the
 installment then to consider the Sunday School. And           children's Bible story books written by laymen? They
 it is the Sunday School teacher we have in  ,mind when        are not official means of instruction in God's fear
 we ask the question, "May we help train your child?"          either.  W,e give these to our children as gifts. But
 He  rniy not ask you that personally by a visit to your       let us be consistent.
 home. But he does ask this question in a general way             There is another argument which is far more
 every time his class meets on the Lord's Day.                 weighty, which however does not condemn the Sunday
  The Propriety  of  this  question. Among reformed            School and show that it is wrong to allow Sunday
 churches the Sunday School has had a rather fluctuat-         Schools to exist in our churches but rather shows us
 ing career. At first. it was' very generally frowned          that if not properly supervised it can become danger-
 upon and refused a place in the church life of, its           ous `and even sinful. The argument is that having a
 members.    There are still today churches who do             Sunday School threatens to displace the catechism
 frown upon it and forbid its introduction. There  .are        class, as we suggested above. Parents do sometimes
 also good reasons of the fear which has prompted              have the opinion that if they send their child to Sun-
 such a stand, for in many churches today the Sunday day School they need not send them to catechism. The
  School has been raised even  .above the level of the         reason for the choice of Sunday School over catechism
 official preaching of the Word of .God by His ordained        is usually then simply convenience.  (On Sunday they
 servants. Of course, even if the Sunday School teacher        are at church, and  .during the week the great distance
 is an ordained Minister of the Word, His instruction          involved to take them to catechism (this is true espec-
 here in the Sunday School class is still not to be classed    ially in rural districts) makes it far  mor.e convenient
 with the official proclamation of  the. truth before the      for them to wait after the morning service for their
 congregation in the presence  OS the consistory.. Be          children while they attend Sunday  .School than to make
 that as it may, recently  T heard someone state over the      a special trip during the week. . Such parents must be
 radio that the future of the church depends upon  t?;e ,enlightened by the consistory. T-hey must be made to
 Sunday School today.  Agains: this dangerous notion           see the difference between the Sunday School which
 the church should stand guard. -But that does not             is only a society in the organism of the church while
 condemn the movement as such. Simply because some the catechetical instruction belongs to the official work
 misuse the Sunday School and exalt it above the  -office .of the institute of the church. It is the duty of the
 that Christ has instituted and through which  !Hbe exer-      consistory to see to it that such a lifting up of the
 cises the keys. of the kingdom of heaven it does  not, Sunday School over catechetical instruction does not
 mean that there can be no good in the Sunday School.          take place. That we believe belongs to the task of
We believe that it should be given a place and then            the consistory in its work of supervising the Sunday
 `be supervised carefully by the consistory. We believe        School. It must keep it where it belongs. That too is
 that the consistory may allow the Sunday School               supervision.
 teacher to ask by the conducting of his class each               By supervision of the Sunday School, we emphatic?

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

 ally do not mean that the Sunday School should' be            training for. the children and something they simply
 made an organ of the consistory to be its official means      do not get in catechism on the same scale. Even if
 of `instructing the covenant youth  upon- the Sabbath         they did, a few more texts memorized` and stored away
 and that the consistory appoint men and women to              in the mind are always valuable.                  Besides, in the
 perform this work for it. That would indeed be a              Sunday School a lesson is taught in connection with
 dangerous thing to do.      Then you would tempt the          that particular text.          One cannot overestimate the
 parent to send his child to one or the other and not to       value of `such committing of God's Word to memory.
 both. And as we stated above, the Sunday School               And the Sunday School should have a place in our
 would receive first choice  if. only for convenience sake,    church life if it serves this purpose. Most of  us  will
 or perhaps  b.ecause the Sunday School gives a Christ-        admit that it was in Sunday School where we learned
 mas program and the catechism  ciass does not. Par-           our Dutch Psalms, our Psalter songs and various
 ents  *like to see their children take part in a program      verses from Scripture.                                        i
 ,and perhaps get a box of candy or a book of some             Your: Answer.. Thus your answer to the Sunday
 kind `for learning their lessons well. The `catechism         School teacher's question should be an emphatic, "Yes,
 class does not do this and, should not. ,Of course, if the    you may help me train my child." And  you, ought to
 Sunday School becomes an organ of the consistory,             live up to that answer too and send your  child every
 the consistory would have to eliminate these present          week with his memory work firmly established in his
 practices.     But the fact remains that the parents          mind. `Remember that the Sunday School teacher only
 would not see the need of two ways in which the con-          asks whether he  m.ay  help  you train your child.  Yen
 &tory provides instruction for the youth of the con-          must co-operate with him. iHe will arrange the series
 gregation one on the Lord's Day and one during the            of verses for memorization. He will listen to the re-
 week.      The Sunday School should remain a society          cital  tif these verses,  ,and he will explain  tt? e Bible story
 wherein the children receive instruction in  additi.on        that is connected with that verse. You  mus$ send
 to which they receive in the `home, in school, catechism      your  rhild well prepared. And by doing  ho you tell
 and in the church on  ,the Sabbath.                           the Sunday School teacher that you desire his help.  n
        The supervision of the Sunday School by the  con-                                                             J. A.  I-7-.
 sistory however should be such (1) that the consistorg
passes judgment upon the spiritual qualifications of
 those'who wish to teach. The consistory should sup-
 ply the Sunday School with a list of names of those              .
 whom it deems to be strong in. faith and well founded
 in the truth. `Or else the Sunday School should  subn,;:,       "  FROM  IxxdY  WRIT
 a list of names,  .and the consistory should pass judg-
 ment upon this list. The consistory at any rate must                        James  1:9-U: 2 "Let the brother of low degree re-
 see to it that men and  wornhen who understand the                          joice in that he ia exalted: But the rich, in that he is
 truth and do- not  have- leanings toward any form of                        made low: because as the flower of  the grass he shall,
 the lie are on the teaching staff. It may not allow                         pass away. For the sun is no sooner risen with a
arminianism or any false doctrine to be taught the                           burning heat, but it  withereth  the grass: amd the
 children.     (2) The consistory ought to visit the `Sun-                   flower  thereqf   fallef& and the grace  .of  the fashion
 day School periodically and also the Sunday School                          of It perilzhkh: so also `shall the rich man fade away
 teachers' meetings, if they are held: One cannot  ,be                      in his ways."
 too careful in this respect. In Men's Societies and
 Ladies' Societies it is somewhat different. There you                 Another. thought which is clearly implied in  verse.
 have many opinions. expressed, and a  cohckision   is         9 is the treatment of the poor and lowly brother by the
 reached after the discussion.      The child in Sunday        rich. This appears already from, the word "lowly"
  School receives one explanation. It must be the right        which refers to the utter lack of consideration of the
 one. (3)  :As stated above, the consistory must con-          .poor by the rich. This is also evident from the general
  stantly be alert and keep the Sunday School in its           esliortation-  of the text. Not only are the lowly breth-
 rightful place as a society.                                  ren exhorted to rejoice. But the rich are told that they
        -The value of the Sunday School when conducted will  b`e made low. The church is therefore comforted
  along these lines, as also it is in our churches, lies       by the anticipation of the humiliation of the rich. This
  especially herein that it trains our children in the         latter thought can only be understood in the light of
  memorization of passages  \of Scripture.     Each  w'eek the rich man's oppression of the poor. And  $nally the
  the child learns a new "Golden Text" or "Memory              rest of the epistle; particularly chapters 2 and 5, estab-
  Verse" as they are called and likewise another stanza        lish- this affliction of the lowly brethren by the  un-
  of a- `song of praise to God. This is very valuable          goclly  r i c h .                          I


                                       TH&-.STANDAI~D.BEAREE                                                                   163

     `The  abuse  bf the poor by  the rich is a  common  evil.    and fellowships,                 They are persecuted if they dare
  It occurs in the midst of  the world, amongst the child-        to raise  thkir voice in protest. They  ,are merely a
  ren of the world. The poor are always despised, are             means  unto~ an  .end, and the cries of these laborers
  used merely as a stepping-stone towards riches. E 3r            ascerid into the  -ears:of. the Lord Sabaoth. How neces-
  ihe rest, they  :are shunned;  -For the world is earthy         sary, therefore, is this word of James unto them, ex-
  and carnal. They are not only of the earth, but they horting them to rejoice !
  also seek the  ebrth. If one does not possess the things             The rich man, we read, shall  be~made low. And at
  of this world  `he is considered as. possessing nothing.        the conclusion of verse 11 we are told that he shall
  To obtain  this  w:orld's fleeting riches is the highest        fade away  .in  liis ways. Some would interpret this
i:d,eal.` And  uqto that end the rich will always subdue          conclusion of verse  11 as if James intends to  teach
  and subject the poor. The  struggjc  betE?reen   tl>e rich      us that the, rich man will pass away, not himself, but
  and the poor, those  tlzrt have  anti that  h:%e not, has       mer.ely in his ways. He will merely lose his earthy
  been raging  thkoughoilt the  ageTs. Jt was  kuown in the       possessions. :Th'is interpretation, however,  <is quite
  days of James,' and it has ever been in this world.             impossible.          Iin  verse 10 we  yead: "because as the
     However, James does not refer in this text to gen-           flower of the  grass  1z.e shall pass away." In addition
  eral conditions. He  is. addressing the church of the           to this we read in this same verse that  he  will be made
  living  God: If it be  true that .the rich oppresses  the       low. And the description  .of the rich man's doom  iti
  poor even  in a general  iens in the  midst of the  .world,     the fifth chapter is  tog clear  and vivid to  perniit any
  this is doubly  ,true  with respect to the rich's attitude      other interpretation but that the rich man himself
  toward the  lo&ly broth&. It is true,  df course, that          w i l l   p a s s   a w a y .
  the ungodly rich -loves himself and hates his neighbor  s            The word which is translated "ways'? in the  .expres-
  whoever that neighbor may be.           How intense his         siori "he shall fade  away in his ways" means literally:
  hatred then  mtist be toward the  popr, the lowly `people       purpose, a going, pursuit, undertaking. The word
  df God! ,Their  v,ery poverty is a testimony unto him           refers to the wicked rich as he is. ever  ifi'-the pursuit
  that  t!  ey seek the things which are above, the things        of the things of this world.
  he  haltes! Wh& persecuted and  oppr~ss~d they do not                What does James mean when he tells us that the
  opp3cse  him but  put, their  trust  in the Lord. They. do      rich man will not only be made low (verse 10) but
  not  resort to force and  yiolence  but~mere1.y  continue       also that he shall fade away in his ways? In verse 11
  to testify against his sin and  avariciohsness. And the         the  holy writer uses a  f-igure, an illustration; We
  result is that the rich treats the lowly brother sham&          read : "For  the sun is no. sooner risen with `a burning
  fully. He will use  him as long as he  .can serve his           heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower there-
  selfish  int,erests. For the rest, the lowly brother is         of  falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it  perisheth:.
  ridiculed and mocked, his. faith is derided ; yea, the.         so alsd shall the rich man fade away in his ways."
. ungodly will  gill him if he continues to stand in his          Some have attempted  to.attach a deep, spiritual, alle-
  w a y .                                                         gorical interpretation to these words of James. The
     This is not all. The situation becomes worse when            sun, then, is explained  her.e as a symbol of Christ, the
  these tragic conditions are also permitted within the           Spn of  Rightzzusness,  and the ungodly rich  are  &a-
  church of  Gdd. This is possible. We must bear in               sumed at His coming. Of course, we do not deny that
  mind that James is  addr'essing  these words unto the           Christ is the Sun of  Righteousne&,  or that the rich
  church of God as she reveals  herself  .in the  midst of        will be consumed  ai His coming. But we see  n6 reason
  the world. And in the  Becond chapter  .our attention is        why a profound,  &lego?ical  interpretation  m&t be at-
  directed to the evil of the respect of persons. One             tached to a passage  9s clear as this eleventh verse,.
 cannot escape  ~the conclusion that the church to whom           The  eirident  implicaton  of the figure  speaks  fur itself.
  3amps wrote must have catered to the rich and per-              The gerishableness of  the beauty  of the flower of the
  mitted these  coZrupt  practices  within  hersmidst. This       grass receive& the emphasis here. The'sun  arises,  ,it$
  danger exists throughout the ages. Is it not true that, burning heat withers the grass and the plant; the
  the rich are sorely needed? Do they not control the             flower falls out, and its beauty has passed away. The
  finances?    What can the church of God,  especialiy flower of the grass has withered in  .the  very  midst
 when that  church is small, do without them? Special             of its beauty. So the  ,`rich  man perishes in his ways,
 favors are therefore granted them. Prominent places              in the very midst of `his ways.  * The rich man' is  never
  in the consistory and societies are accorded them.              satisfied. He is always clamoring for more.  IHis heart
  Their sins are not rebuked, even when, according to             ever goes out to the things of this time. He  &ntinu-
  chapter  ,.2  :`7, they blaspheme the Name of the  L,ord        ally declares within himself that his' house shall stand
  Jesus Christ. And the lowly brethren are afflicted              forever.       It is for this reason that he  ,is always cut
 and oppressed. Within the  cEiurch of, God they are              bff in the very midst of his ways, his undertakings,
 never considered. They are.  ,barred from all offices            his pursuits, his seeking of  the things of this  world.


164     -                              _  9jCBjE S T A N D A R D  B E A R E R                                j,`1
The grim reaper, death, always comes unto  him in him to destruction.                          Glorying in his  present exalted
the night,  unyranted and undesired.                                   position he may as -well glory in. his being  .made low.
    The lowly brother, however, shall be  exalted. His But;  *et the lowly brother rejoice.  Let him' rejoice
position in the midst of the world' is difficult,  particu-            with respect to the future. That glory is certain. And
larly when that world begins to control and govern                     the child of God may indeed rejoice because of that
the church of God. It is not a light matter to be poor,                future, not because he personally  -will be vindicated,
to  be_ ridiculed as poor, to be trampled upon. I t   is but because the cause of God, wherein he might stand,
difficult especially  bkcause the lowliness of the brother             shall be vindicated-eternally. But let that lowly  broth-
is to be ascribed to his being a brother. Is it  not large-            er- also  r.ejoice now. IHe not only shall rejoice. But
ly due to the fact that the Lord is his God? Must he                   he can rejoice now. His present lowliness -is  accord-
not  -always  love the Lord  an< place his trust solely in             ing to the good pleasure of his God. The. Lord has
Jehovah?' Does the lowly brother not invite  afflic-                   chosen the poor of this world that they  may be rich.
tion and oppression, as it were? Is it not  because.his                in faith and heirs of- the kingdom. They are poor in
God has commanded him never to resort to violence                      order that. in them His grace may be shown, and that
but always to place his trust  h Him, that he does not Jehovah may be revealed eternally as the Sole Avenger
resist. when the rich troubles and oppresses him ?.  A n d of His Cause, which is derided in  thisworid, but shall
are the people of the Lord not a mere  -handful over                   be vindicated by the Lord in that day when He shall
against  the powers of evil that oppose them? It is make all things new.                            ?                      H. V.
difficult, is it not, to be ridiculed and maltreated con-               I
tinually and  not to be able to do anything to alter the                            .
situation  ?                                                                             .
    However, the lowly brother shall be exalted.. He  "
shall be glorified. Of course, the hereafter is meant                                    P E R I S C O P E
by the writer of these words. This is  ,not stated liter- ,
ally in this text,  ,but it is  recbrded,  in~chapter 5  :`7. It is
at  that time and only at that time that the tables will,
b,e turned. Then, in the day  of,`Jesus  ,ChriSt, his Lord,                              The -Cmference
will he be glorified. All shame and ridicule and mock-
ery will abruptly cease. He  will;receive a glory un-                  Final Session. . . .
speakable. It will then become' evident to all that his                      Last time we presented a  resume of the lecture of
cause was the cause of the Lord, that he suffered and                  the Rev. L. Doezema. He had-been chosen as the final
endtired for righteousness' sake, that he bore the af-                 speaker and  developkd  his topic: `"The Refoqmation of
fliction of the world because he  bad loved wisdom and                 the Church", as follows:
had  sdught the things which are above. `The text                            I. The Need for Reformation-the condition of
refers specifically to this reversing of  the situation.               continual  deformat.ion and defection in the' form of the
Rere, in this world, the rich reigned and the poor were                Church constantly requires reformation.
oppressed. With an iron hand the ungodly had  lorded                         II. The Principles of Reformation- 1. It is a re-
over the poor who were oppressed as brethren, as the                   turn by the true Church to the Word of God. The
people of  the living God. This will be reversed. The                  false Church cannot be the object of  R,eformation.
cause of the flesh cannot prevail. Whosoever seeks                     2. It is God';  w&k-alone  and completely.
his life shall lose it and whosoever would lose his life                     III. The Pattern of Reformation- 1. It is begun
for God's sake and for the sake of His Christ shall find by God in the heart of  a& individual or individuals by
it. And the righteousness of the cause. of the  ,lowly arousing a consciousness of deformation. 2. It is con-
brethren. must be publicly revealed in the sight of  the tinued  tlirough  creation of tension wrought by polemic
wicked whose toys and playthings they  owere, so that                  and discussion. 3. It is concluded in persecution and
the lowly shall be exalted over them, pass judgment                    expulsion of the reformers.
upon them and condemn them, and  l&en reign in glory                         IV. Our Calling Toward  Refortiation  - Several
forever.         1                                                     priliciples   %,ere suggested to guide us in this calling.
    Finally, the lowly brother is exhorted by James to                 Discussion. . .  .-
rejoice. Let the wicked rejoice, writes James,  in that
he is made low. James does not exhort the rich here,                   The Rev. W.  Kern: "The  false-church cannot be re-
we understand,  to glory in his riches. He proceeds                    formed? Within the false Church is the true seed?"
from, the fact that he is boasting. This is a fact.                    The  R'ev:L.  Doeiema:  "If the Church is false it cannot
Hence, boasting in his riches, he may as well rejoice                  be reformed. Rev.  Kern's -question  is'when do we
in his imminent destruction. This is not bitter sar-                   determine that it is false? In  Luther?5   t&e the insti-
casm  but  a  ter#?le  reitlity;'  EIis riches are leading tute was  f?l@, not  the organism."                       .(


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                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEARl!!Rb-I   !   :                                           165

The Rev.  4. Vermeer: "If  .ecumenicity and union are The Rev. M.  -G;ritters  : "Can the Roman Catholic Church
cijntrary to the  maintename  of the purity of the Word return to the Word? It was stated that the false Church
of God, how do you harmonize that with the pray& of               cannot return. to the. Truth because it never had the  ~
Christ that all may be one?,'                                     Word; Didn't  it once have it? How do you explain
The Rev.  Li Doexema: "I didn't mean -to imply that, that statement?"
but -that  them  present spirit -of.  these$ false. The  `mod-    The Rev. Doexema:  "The false Church never possesses
eriz trend  for  outward power' and advantagesis wrong.           the Word spiritually. They never' possess it in spirit
This present spirit is  riot conducive to  thermaintenance and in truth ; even' though they  have  th,e Word. Hence,
of the  pu$e  yard."                                              the false Church can never return to it."
The Rev. L.  :  Vermeer;.   Yt was stated that today  %here       The Rev. J.  Blan.ke+poor:   "What do you consider to be
a-re no  Chuiches comparable to Smyrna and Philadel- the organization of the Church? Does not deformation
phia not needing  reforrri. W-ill  .you explain that."            begin, in the organism?,'
The  R-ev. L. Doexema  :' "As  w,e move toward the end of         The Rev. Doexema: "The organism is the life of  the
time there is also degeneration' in the manifestation of          Church as it becomes evident in the gathering of  b,e-
the Church.' I cannot- lay hands on any  Church that              lievers, the confession, and walk,, of the Church. ,I was
needs no reform. We  should always say we need- re- first inclined to say that deformation begins with the
formation."                                                       preaching, but the pressure of  the congregation often
The Rev. A. petter: "What is the form of' reformation ? leads the preacher in the wrong dire&ion-to defective
does it come in leaps and bounds `or  .is it a general pro-       preaching.  Sometimes+ therefore, it begins with the
cess? Is sanctification included in  reformatipn  or is           people and at other times is due to  a false prophet in
                                                                                                                          P
reformation! limited to those  gerierations  in which a           t h e   p u l p i t . "
definite  break occurs?`,                                         The Rev. Blarckespoor  : "What  is the Divine reason for
The Rev. Doexema.:  "That point needs  clarific~atiqn. I reformation  and the conditions. which demand  .it?`,
agree that every  indivlidua!   stands in  Deed  sf daily con-    The Rev. Doeaema: "The good pleasure of the will of
version. Maybe we can call this reformation, yet there            God to save His people thru the way of  sin, and death."
is a time when you cannot. point to a definite need in            The,Rev. G. M. Ophoff  :  "1,would  like a fuller definition
the gathering of the Church.  PotentialJy  the Church             of  the terms used, viz., form of the Church, organism
always  needs reformation  but God did  not point to it           and essence.       Just what is included. in form of the
in  Smyrnd and Philadelphia, for example. Sd tdday it             Church? Also as to the cause of deformation, can the
may be possible that there is a  C,hurch in `which you            speaker shed a, little light on the statement that some-
cannot point  I to a definite defection but there is always       times it begins  in the form  an,d sometimes in the organ-
a calling to reformation all  along the line,  even  though       ism? Just what is the cause of deformation? If the
it cannot be seen as necessary."                                  essenc,e of the Church is incorruptible, how  can' the
The Rev. C. Han@o  : "I had a very similar- question. As form become  corrupt?"
long as  we  do  not see a definite error in a  ,Church we        The Rev.  Dqexema: "The form of the Church is that
cannot say it peeds reform. Cjur Protestant Reformed              arrangement which the Church takes as she appears in
C&urches~wil! need it. We can see the trend  bui  tjhe            the  mid:& of the world. She  is  invisi'o!e  iri essence and
need is not yet present. Is Christ the Great Reformer             the visible manifestation is the form of the Church.
as the  speaker  said?"                                           The form may be true or false. Form is essential to
The Rev.  Do&emu:  `tWe cannot says as. "Churches that reveal the essence which is  invisigle.,,                     1
we do not need reform.  .Reformation  appl-ies not only           The Rev. Ophoff:  "What is the form, for example, of
to the preaching but also to its application in the life the  Protest& Reformed  Churclies?"
and walk' of  the members. We are  confortiirig to the            %`he  R'qu.  Doegem@   :  "Th-e  fsllowing elements  `belong to
world and  the constant call is to reform."                       the,fornz: the institute, the preaching, the life of  indi-
   "Christ is always in  another class. He is the Great vid.ual members,,  as. well as the gathering of families
Reformer in the sense that He reforms.  by  IHis Spirit           for  p u b l i c   w o r s h i p . "
through  *he `preaching of His Cross and: Resurrection."
The Rev. W.  Hofman:   "Will you explain the statement Postscript. . . .
that it is  God% will that  the.Chtich  remain intact."
Tie Rev.  Do&&a  : "Concerning  .Hi'ti  tirue' Church, God            This concludes our discussion of the  Confeaence.
wills that it. be preserved and remain intact..          Mis      Since we have been.  q*oting others throughout, to be
Church which He elected, He desires  to  prese&e true.            consistent ye will- also  cl@e by repeating some pertin-
Therefore,`He forbids the seperation of the chaff  from           ent remarks of' pur Chairman,  the Rev. G. Vos : "Let
the wheat  ndw, to  keep.  the wheat  i&& At: special me assure you'that it is  wo&hwhile. God the Lord has
times He separate's that Church.?                                 throti  tis together. And  IHe did this for a reason,


                                      _

  1.66                                            THE.  STAN:DAR.D  B E A R E R
                                           `_

  We are a help to one another. . . . you receive wonder-                                               -
  f ul inspiration, instruction, edification and spiritual                                " .The ,Tenaion Of The Church*
  comfort  at  such gatherings. . . .  -Yes, it- surely  is  _.
,-- worthwhile ! See you at Sutton ! Deb Volente  !`:
                                                         .                                                         (Cont. from p.  144)       .'
                                                                                                 _.     -
                                                                                          Besides tjlis  Ospiritual   t e n s i o n   in  the  li$e  of  t h e
                         QUOTABLE                -QU;O+ES:                    .#'        .' .
                                                                                       individual,  Christan he  :is  also-.constantly under  :pres-
          While quoting we  might go  ofi for  2 bit.  Wh.ile                          sure because he, while  in this  life, is of the earth earthy.
  `$eriscoping"  around  throu'gh. the various  p'eriodicals                           On the  one hand, the child of God  is a heavenly citizen.
  we receive, the following quotes, struck out attention;-, He has beep born  again?. from  above, He has become a
  We  .considered  them interesting and. instructive  `enough                          &ranger  l$eri  ?delow,'  also,~.m~nd you;, a  stranger  upon
. to  p&s them on.                                                                     the  earth.  `:  &o  !he earth  `&s  such has become  strgnge
                                                                   ./
                                                                                     to.  h i m . R&iy,  he does  not belong here,  sojourns.in
M a r r y i n g .   .   .   .                                                          an altogether  strange,  w.orld, a foreign land. He is a
          "We  are called  Lipon  by  God .to unite-two  p&ple'   in,  citizen,.of  hgaven  bpt he  is still wandering  ip a desert
  the bond-of marriage, yet we do  it in a  siovenly  mamler land. Qn the other  hand,  however,`th&   same Christian
: by allowing Such trashy  stuf?  ?s  "I'l!  Walk  .Beside You' is  algo earthy.. He is earthy himself.  IHe  can$inues
  to be sting. What has a thing, like `I'll Walk Beside                                to have flesh and blood. And  && also finds himself
  You' to do  with'marriage?" Dr.  $%ffrey. Cranswick,
                                                                                      amid&  >earthy  r&tionships.. He  :has a father and a
Anglican  pishop of Tasmania', denouncing  as  "&ashy                                  -&o$ey,   b.rotlers  and'sisters;   uncles  &d aunts, nephews
  stuff"  songs traditionally sung at weddings. As for                                 and  nie&,-,sons and daughters, and  $0  all these  .he is
"I Love You `Truly"; he declared that it had  &t "an                                   united  thrdtigh'bonds  of flesh  ar$  .blbbd.   $&sequent-
 `atOm of worship in it." Quoted  froni "The Amen ly, what a tension !                                                 The child of God is  cofistantly,  -,
  Corner"~Eva&elical-M&senger.   -                                                     as it  `Fere; in a  @`se:  ' `And he is  &ware of this strain,
                                                                                     this  pressgre  +spe$all$  wheti- he  niust choose between
  Worry. .  ; .                  ,                                                     his Christ and  h&  flesh  atid blood.' It  ian arid  do&
          `  `WOlT~  iS  not  Only  a  Sin  again&  God, it is  a  `siti  "  '  &cur  in the  iife of  the  child of God  that, while the love
  -against  ocrselves.           Thousands have shortened their                        of  ,Chr&t  pi-om&$  him;  `it"dzes  libt  pron@t those who
  lives by  it, and millions have made  *heir lives bitter .  &t&ally.   are"diai unto hi&  *And  `he is aware of the
.'  by, dropping this gall into their souls every day. Honest tio?d of  @is  L&d  `that  .whoSoe%er does not love father
  work  very;. seldom hurts us : it is worry that kills, I or mother or brother or sister, or son  or daughter above
  have  perfect.right to ask God for  str,ength equal  to,the  `.  H'lm is not worthy of Him. The  +iid.of God is betwixt
  day, but I  have no right to ask Him for one  extra,  omlee `,two; `He-must  bhoose fqr the One and  `resjst the other.,
  of-strength for tomorrow's burden. When tomorrow                                     The same illustration applies to the bread-question of
  comes,  gr$%ce will come with it, and  s@?ieient for the  -`our  tiresent.  day. To  aclhepe to  tl$ principles of our
  tasks, the trials, or the troubles." Rev.  Street-qddted'  "L&d `df lords, keep our  iarments pure' and unspotted
  in "The Christian Home and School Magazine".  f                                      also  in~the  field of  &cono&&   and..libor and refuse to
Authority.  .   .   .                 b                       i              .`,  ."be affiliated `with labor  organizbtions   ghich would
                                                                                     `b  .&ncler it impossible for us to confess  .the Name of
          "When  litile Johnny, in response  tb every  .co,mmand                       Ch&t  and at the same time  sup6ress  my flesh  and
 `placed by father  or mother; says, `I  won't do  `it/  and blood as it cries for daily bread. Hence, the child of
  gets by with it,  th&e are at least two serious  violations God is constantly betwixt two. To this we would add
  of  ,God's  qrdinance. The one is  teat the parents toler-, that,  as he speeds  td the end of his life,  liis'new life
  ate the,  disrespectful ignoring of a divine ordinance.                              draws  hiti more and more toward'heaven and, behold,
  They themselves may even have  been partly  respqnsible                              he is not-always  &econcii,ed to the thought  thtit he must
  for it. Be that as it may, however, here is an' ordin-                               leave,`this   earth
  ante that `is  beilig violated: It is in  `cotiflict with' the                                 '            *
                                                                                            We  c&n  `&sb. speak of tension as experienced within
  idea that  $od is the  kale  aLithority  in  this  world  and  it. the Church  of' God, in  distinction:from the tension of
  means that  the child is  0i-1 the way to becoming a  the  individual Christian . There  is, on-the one hand,
  spiritual` and moral outlaw. The second' violation is                                the  callin& of the true Church' of God  .as the Body' of
  that the child himself is recognizing an authority that                              Jesus Christ,,  our Lord. As such we must reveal our
  cannot be `real, that of his own sinful heart or, if you. spiritual  `identity  and  -walk  a,$ a -people redeemed by
  will, the authority of Satan. The lesson is clear : Don't the Lord, `born  from.abovej-  shewing forth  th.e praises
  let your children obey  Satan." Prof.  iH. Schultze-The                              of the living `God, and walking with uplifted head unto
 ,Chyistian `Home and School-"The Banner."
                    /                                                                `. .the city which has fdundations. This  Church-of  `,God,
             1.                                                          W:  Ht        however, is  constantiy under pressure which is  exegted
                                                                                           +
                   -,


                  ,
             \                                                                                                        .      -J&7.     .
                       .     .-     -,     ,. TtiE  :  S?A'hD:AfiD'  BtiAREti
                                                       -              .                                -.

upon her by the carnal church- which also  `dolistantly,  .i labor the Christian faces  th& alternative of joining the
reveals herself. This  carnal  chur.&h attacks the Church fellowship of those  who- know not  the  cross of Christ
.institut&  and organism. She would  eithe& subject the and the  hope of heavenly glory and thereby denying                                 '
Church  of- God unto her own evil  design& and  carnal              whatever  is,sacred to his faith, or of refusing to im-.
purp&es or d&troy her from off the facd'of the earth.               pose upon himself this burden of  B,elial  btit also  ther,e-
Unto that  end  these powers of  ,darkiiess attack  the by `exposing  himself.  tp physical want -and distress.
organism  andialso the  .institute  of the  Church of our           Everywhere' this wicked world  bears  down upon the
Lord Jesus Christ.  .Our faith in and confession of the             child of God. Everywhere temptations surround him
Christ, our  se&king  bf `the things above, our  `heaven-           and be  titands   exposed  to -the  enticements  of the Evil
mindedness must be obliterated.. And to  secure  these. One.. And ultimately the entire world-will be controll-
results- they  ,.$&o attack thd Church Institute. The               ed by `him, who, to *be sure, has been  in the  wo?rd
preaching' of the gospel  m&t be replaced by a  wopd of throhihout this New Dispensation,  -but will finally
man  ;' it must be shorn of its  Divine note  ; it must oease       culminate in that son of perdition, with  whom also
to be a power  gf God  ,unto salvation  ;- it must more and the carnal church Will be united. Then the final arid
m&e serve to  privet  the.attention  of. the people  of, God        mondtrous attempt will be exerted to destroy `the
upon the  eart& and the  thaings below  rather than upon            Cause of the Living God and  pf  l&s Christ.  `This'con-
God's covenant and upon the things above. Also                      flict between.the  ,Church and the World also exerts a
Christian discipline is the object of their attack. Brief- tremendous pressure. `upon the -child and church of
ly, the Church as the organic  and instituted body of               God. How well we then understand  the, word  oft  th!e
the Lord must cease to function ; it must disappear  ;              apostle in `Rev. 3  :11 : "`Behold, I come quickly: hold
and the cause  ;of God must be no more upon the face                that fast which  thou  hast, that no man take thy crown."
of the earth..  ; We can well, understand the pressure Aild also with respect to this uncompromising conflict
underneath which the  party of the living God  mu& the  .`Christian  is  awark of a constant- tension within
`constantly labor. We are called to preserve the purity him: He must fight the good fight of faith, the fight                               1  _
of the  Church~:of  God also against all the  infernai-at-          which has in faith its source and origin. He must  o@-
tacks of the  cainal church. And,  while combating this             pose. without compromise any attack of the enemy
particular mode of the  d-e&s operations, we realize                which would deprive him of what he has in Christ.
constantly to  6ur sorrow and distress that we must lHe.must be a light in the midst of darkness,  the  parti  I
deal with the  jifth columnist  ,within  ,oti&  6wn nature,         of God over against them who know not his Lord.
and that the carnal  ch.urch has a tremendous ally in               He must love and uphold the truth and condemn every  -
the motions  ofi sin as they continue to operate within             lie. And he  dis'covers', while fighting this good fight                     ,
the child and church  of-God  Z@lf.                                 of faith, that he is literally betwixt two, the life of his
   And finally,: permit me to call your attention to this           new  ?k?an which is from  above, and that of the old man
tension of  the  ,Church as experienced in her struggle             which is from  .below. Indeed, he must-cry out,  "0,.
with the world. When we speak of the world we refer                 wretched  man that I am, who shall-  cleliver me from
to that `sphere of life, outside of the pale of  the Church,        this body of death  I" But he  thanks God through
directly controlled by him who is the Prince of the                 Jesus Christ, his Lord, in Whom he has the victory
powers of the  .air and a liar and a  murderer from the -now and will  receive it in the day when all shall -be
beginning. W& refer, to be sure,  tq that mass of indi-             made new.                                  f .
viduals, who are not of the Church of Jesus Christ,
our Lord. But  w,e  .also would include the  l.usts of the                                  Its Purpose.
eyes and of the flesh, the pride of life, that earthly                     This tension of the Church must  have, a purpose,
sphere of life as it is directly brought -forth by the              a Divipe purpose. The question might reasonably be
workers of  inic&ty unto the, satisfaction of the flesh.,, asked, `"Why, must the people, the church of God, be
The children of the world create, bring  fqrih their own  i subjected to this tension, and that throughout the
sphere of life  m:hereby they can satisfy the desires and           ages ?" Let us understand  the,questioti  correctly. We
lusts of their own evil heart and mind. The Church of               do not at this time inquire concerning the struggle' in
God exists in the very midst of this world.                 Every- which the party of the living God is constantly.  en-
where this conflict  betw,ekn the Church  .and the World            gaged with the world.         To this question we- would
,erup+ and  breaks.forth. Alwajrs' they stand absoluiely            submit the answer that it is the sovereign will of
over against each other.             The contrast between the       Jehovah that His people tarry  -in this world, manifest
two is irreconcilable and must never be erased in any               their  light in  the. midst of darkness,  -fight the good
sense of  the word. In every sphere of  !if,e, whether              fight of  faith over against those  who would vainly
labor or art  or' science or economics, the Church and              oppose   the  cause of God unto the condemnation of that
the Word exist and live and breathe and act from                    wi$ed world and unto the eternal revelation of that
diametrically opposing: principles.            In the field of      fact,  `not. only that-victory is  of the  Lor4 but  &o:`that;v


                   `_                         ------_m                         _____                                              d
    1         6          8                S-E  S T A N D A R D   - B E A R E R                                                                '                           v
                                                                                                                                                               ,
   throughout `the ages,  G6d's people always had, the  vic- would invariably have chosen  the.things  of, the world.
    tory and  the.wicked world was but an instrument in And  this is the experience of the  C$urch of' God that
'  t h e   h a n d   .qf  our  A l m i g h t y   .God.    The wicked will salvation is of grace, of grace alone. It is for.  this
    eternally `confess upon  bended knee, not only that the reason that the, Lord leads His Church upon a way
    Lord  is King but also that He always was King, also                    that must eternally witness of our promises unto sin
    when they were vainly exalting  themselviz. The  ques-                  .a?d of the imperishable character of `the grace of God.
    tion which we ask, however, pertains specifically to the                Who, then, shall deliver us from the body of this death,
    child  of'God as he must constantly experience a tension                 now throughout our lives and, finally, in the day of
    in his own  bpiritual life, so that, even in his struggle                Jesus Christ? We thank God  thrbugh Jesus Christ,
    with  Ithe world, his old man is constantly in league our Lord. In Him we have the victory. In Him alone
    with the  foices of darkness:                    -                      we have the victory. Let us say this, now and forever.
         I have stated that this tension must have a Divine                     ~                                                                                   H .   V .
    purpose.-  @his matter can surely not be viewed  dual-                   `$.Paper  read before the Conference of Ministers lof the Reformed
    istically. The conflict within the child of God must Ch oh
                                                                               urc in the U. S.,  .and of the  Pro&&ant  Reformed Churches,
    never be understood as if two mighty opposing forces  O&b&  1946.  I
    w,ere contending with each other for the upper  hand
    with the  is+e being in doubt until the end. If' this                             '                                                                                             .
    were true it would be  impossible for the "Christian to
 _ take upon his lips that shout of triumph of the apostle                                                             - ATTENTION  -                                '
    in  Remans  8, namely, that he is more than `conqueror
    through Christ that loved him, or,  %aS we read in  tke                  MINISTER,S  0~  CLASSIS EAST:  _  The Ministers'
    same chapter, that all things work together for our                      Conferefice  will meet on Tuesday, January 7, 1947, in
    good, for good-  upto them who love  :Go$ and are  the                   Fuller Ave., at  9:30 A.M., the Lord willing.
, called according to His purpose. Neither is this phe-                         .,
    nomenon to be attributed to an attempt on  the part of                   ?rQgram:  -                                                                                       -
    God to save whatever He can, or even to.be  unde.rstood                           "Faith and Works in the Epistle of James".  - W.
    as if the Lord were saving His own in spite Of the                                                    Hofmap.
    many  l&wers of  darknes$  who would hinder' Him in ,
this work  ?f salvation. We may- say that God saves                                   "The Covenant of Grace".  -  ,B. Kok.
    His own "in `spite of the forces of evil" but only from                                                                                                         W. H.
    the viewpoint of those forces of evil and as they are
    morally responsible for their attacks upon the church
    of God. But to use this expression from God's view-
    point is  dehnitely dualistic. God never-saves in spite                    .                -           ~                     IN MEMORIAM
    of `the  enemy but  always through that enemy. A dual-
    istic conception of  .the Divine work of salvation is  im-                        In the afternoon of November 16, 1946, it behooved the
    Fossible. It is conkary to Holy Writ which teaches Lord in His infinite wisdom, suddenly to take out of our -midst,
 us  literallyt in Isaiah 45  :7  that He forms the light and                our beloved father and grandfather,
   cr,e&es darkness, makes peace and creates evil, and  IHe,                                                           MR.  l3ASTIAN   I+MS SR.
    the Lord,  ,does all those things. And this conception                   at  the  age  of'  82  years.
    is surely impossible in the light of the teaching through-                       Though the  suddenesjs   of his departure was a great shock
    out the Word of God, that  ,God is God and He alone.                     aul.d `we do not always under&and  ,God's ways, yet we wish
         What,  th$n,  may be God's purpose with  respe& to                  humbly to submit  to the will of the Lord which always id wise
    the tension of His Church? I believe  tljat God has                      and good. May his sudden; passing also teach us all to number
    willed this phenomenon to call  eternal attention to the                 our  days  an,d  redeem  the  time
    fact that His grace,  `His grace alone, is imperishable,
    and  &hat the child of God must -sing the praises&of his                                                                       Mr. and Mrs., Paul Lems
    God, and of his God alone, forever. If anything  shall  2                                   .                                  Mr. and Mrs. Lane Vanden  Bosch
    be  marked: indelibly in the memory and the  conscious-                                                                        Mr: and Mrs. Henry Kleinwoltetink
                                                                                                                                                          \
    ness of  ih&  pedple  of God into all eternity it is this:                             1                                       Mr.. and  Mrs. Andrew Van Kekerix
    He that glorieth, let him glory in the  Lord. The only                                                                         Mr. ,and %Irs.  Ted Feekes
 L reason why the people  webe `saved unto the uttermost                                                                           X!laus
     is surely  nbt because it was of him that runneth or of .                                                              .      IGerrit
     him that willeth.  : To the contrary, this  ,is the  exper:                                                                   Hilda             '
.ience of the people of the living `God, that, if  .left to                                          :           _     "           Bastian  J r .
     themselves, they never would have  run unto the  end,                                                                         and 33 grand-children.,  '


