                                                                     .L       .._      .-.          -
     VOLUME XXIII                            May .l, 1947 - Grand Rapids, Michigan                            -     T    -    NUMBER 15

                                                                            uwen vinger bier, en zie Mijne handen, en bring uwe
                                                                            hand, en steek ze in Mijne zijde." Aan de Emmaus-
                                                                            gangers openbaart Hij Zich in de breking des broods..
                                                                                Hier, bij de z&e van -Tiberias  "`openbaarde  Hij zich _
          De Opgestatie -Heer `Des Huizes                                   aldus."            :         _                         - -
                                                                                Dat  wil zeggen, we hebben bet  _hier' niet  te doen
     _             Na dezen openbaarde  J&us  Zichselven met de discipelen, noch met een verhaal van hun ijdel .
                 wederom  den discipelen  aan de zee van  Ti-               zwoegen   .den  gansche-n nacht en van de wondervolle
                                                                            vischvangst, die volgde  ; maar met eene bepaalde, open-.
     -  _        be&as.  En-Hij openbaarde  Zich aldus.  Er
                 waren  tezkmeg  S&non Petrus,  `en  I"homas, baring van den opgestanen  IHeiland. Tot die open-
                 gezegd Didym.us, en. NathanaBl, die van Iiana baring behoort het, dat de jongeren besluiten  .om te
                 in Galilea  WUS, en de  konen van  Zebedeiis,              gaap visschen en dat ze .den ganschen nacht tevergeefs
                 en twee andere van Zifn~e discipelen. Simon arbeiden.;.  dat_ Jezus in den vroegen morgenstond hen
                Petrics-   @idz  tot- hen  :  .Ik  ga  vidscfieti.  Zij roept om het net aan de andere zijde van het schip te
                 xeicleiz tcit hiz.m : Wij gaan 001% met $A.--. `;' . etc.. werpen ; dat ze, zonder Hem te herkennen, Zijn Woord.
                   .          .-.
                         :                         Job.  2111-14.           gehoorzamen, en dat ze terstond met een groote vangst           _
                                                                            gezegend worden  ; en eindelijk, dat ze, aanden  oever
          Ik ga visscheiri                                                  gekomen zijnde, alies in gereedlieid vinden, om met
          Wij gaan ook met u!                                               Jezus het -ontbijt te nuttigen.
          En in dien nacht vingen zij  niets!.                       -         `t Was bij de Galileesche zee.                 .
             Vergeefs op bouwen toegelegd  ;                                   De discipelen hadden eindelijk gehoor gegeven aan
             Vergeefs; om `t huis voltooid te zien,             _           bet  woord.Ivan den `Heiland,  reeds voor Zijn dood en
             Gezwoegd, gezweet, o arbeidslien  ;                            opstanding tot hen gesproken, en door de engelen in
             Zoo God Zijn hulp aan `t werk ontzegt.                         het ledige graf herhaald, dat zij naar Galilea zouden
             Vergeefs, o wachters, is uw vlijd,                             trekken, en  dat Hij hun  zou. voorgaan, om  -Zich  aan                    .
             Zoo God met zelf de stad bevrijdt.            _                hen te vertoonen.
                                                                               En `t  schijnt,  dat ze reeds  gerui.men tijd op Zijn
                                                                            komst hadden gewacht. Dit is althans de d,erde maal,
:         Ma dezen openbaarde Jezus Zichzelven. wederom. . . dat Jezus Zich Zijnen, discipelen openbaarde, vs. 14.
          tin [Hij openbaarde Zich aldus. . . .                             Hier, in Galilea had Hij  Zich dus nog niet  aan  .hen
          Herhaaldelijk openbaarde de opgestane Heiland vertoond. 001~ krijgen we den indruk, uit het besluit
Zich Zijnen jongeren in de  veertig dagen  v66r Zijn van Petrus, om te gaan visschen, dat aanstonds bijval
opvaart ten hemel. Openbaring, of verschijning was vindt bij de andeye'discipelen, dat ze het wachten moe
het, want immers Hij kwam, uit de voor ons onzicht;                         werden, en dat ze, niet zeker van de toekomst, tot hun
bare heerlijkheid van. Zijn opstandingslichaam, om vroeger beroep terug keeren. En was de band, die
Zich clen,cliscipelen  te vertoonen, en hen van de werke- hen samenbond als apostelen, niet reeds eenigszins aan
lijkheid&jner opstanding  `getuigen  te  doen zijn. En `t verbreken? Slechts zeven discipelen waren hier te-
elk van deze verschijningen heeft zijn eigen karakter, zamen, en van deze zeven waren-slechts  vijf apostelen,                                   `.
`el! zijn eigen doel. Nu eens openbaart Hij zich zus, zooals we we1 mogen afleiden uit bet feit, dat twee niet
clan weer zoo. Maria waarschuwt Hij : "Raak mij niet met name genoemd.worden,  en dusbehoorden  tot den
aan !" Tot Thomas richt Hij de uitnoodiging : "Breng
2                                                                           breed&en kring der discipelen.

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

I k   g a   vis&hen !          ~                                         En, zij het ook, door een vriendelijke, van belang:
       `t .Is Petrus, die liaar gewoonte het initiatief neemt stelling getuigende vraag, Hij'wijst er hun met nadruk
en de leiding geeft.. Juist waar in Galilea de Heiland op, dat al hun arbeid dien nacht gansch -tevergeefsch
Zich bij hen  zou  voegen, had Hij hun blijkbaar  niet is  geweest : "Kinderkens! hebt gij niet eenige  toe:
.gezegd. Maar  hikr, bij  de-F& van Tiberias,  waren ze spijs?" Of beter, naar den ooixpronkelijken vorm de?
clikwijls..getuige geseest ga&Zijne  wonderen, en had- vraag : "Kinderkens! gij hebt niet eenige  to`espijs,
den ze,,Zijn Wooid `g$Xbo$r  Bovendien, de omgeI!ng                  iq `t yel?"
was h$ti';.bekend.-  $% wbofide hier niet ook nog Zebe-                  De bedoeling is: Gij hebt den ganschen nacht,niets
cleiis, ,,&&`s,yhcqn zijjire zgnen gerqepen yerden-orn  J,ezus 'gevangen, is `t wel?                                                          31-a;:
te vo$&i;:.eti  laterqijue  %xx~u,ti `hen bl.lJkbaar gevolgd             "Neeil           !"
was oti: Hein 6 .diez$`i, b&zqn CQe@en en visschers-                     `t Antwoord is  kort, stug, van  teleurstell&   .eti  i,+
beroe$:@&e&& .,was?. $n :S@S li$t;`.&&xhien,  dat de ontevredenheid  spr&end. A&, wij willen immers. ~06 '*
discipelen bij hem hun intrek hadden genomen, en dat gaarne  "success" zien op ens wr&! Zoo. gad&elijk
ze  daarom blijkbaar geen moeite hadden,  om beglag  geven we ens. over aan den waan; dat ens werk Gods
te leggen op een schip en het noodige vi'sschers  gereed- , werk is, en zijn we bitter  teleurgesteld   als al  onze
schap?"                                                  S           pogingeti op niets -uitloopen  !      -
  Ik .  gti visschen!  '                                                 Maar de Heer des huizes staat op d&n oever. Hij
       Petrus spreekt,  de man van actie, Ydie leiding geeft.        i's de Opgestane, Die ook opgevaren  is, Die ook ter
Het is alsof we hem. hooren zeggen: "Gij kunt doen                   rechterh&d  Gods is, Die ook alle inacht heeft in hemel
wat ge  wilt; maar ik wil hier niet langer  zitten te e n   oc  a a r d e . .
wachten : ik- ga visschen.                                               En  Hij  .roept  Zij-ne  dienstknechten, Zijne  .Kerk,
       Wij gaan ook met u !                                          naar Zijnen wil, tot Zijn werk, op Zijnen tijd, en in
       Zij gingen uit en tiraden  terstond in llet schip. . . . het door Hem aangewezen veld: "Werpt het net aan
       En in dien nacht vingen zij niets !                           de rechterzijde van het schip." En  aan die  roeping
       0, wij ktinnen we1 gaan .visschen, maar of. we ook voegt IHlij. de zekere belofte toe : "en gij zult vinden."
vrucht op onzen arbeid zullen zien, ziet, dat ligt niet
in onze macht.  !Ook al zijn we nog zulke bekwame                        En als Hij roept, dan gehoorzamen' Zijne'dienst-
vi&cherlui,  mannen van `t  v&, door en door  beketid                kneel&en : "Zij wierpen  bet dan". . . .
met het terrein, zooals deze discipelen ongetwijf&d                      Hoe te verklaren, dat de jongeren dezen vreemde-
waren ; en' al hebben we ook het beste gereedschap, en ling op zijn woord geloofden en gehoorzaamden? Want
kiezen we ook den besten tijd, en arbeiden en zwoegei dat die man op den oever daar voor hen een vreemde-'
en wachten ook den ganschen nacht,-daarmee  is nog ling was, dat ze hem niet kenden,  lijdt geen kwijfel.
niet gezegd, datims een goede vangst yerzekerd  is.                  06k kan dit niet verklaard worden door er op te wij-
       De visschen in het n,et te voeren, dat ligt niet in de .z&, dat het nog zeer  vroeg in den morgen was, en
macht der visschers : het is Gods werk.                              dat ze den .man op den oever in -`t -halfdonk& nauwe-
       Maar in het lieht van hetgeen volgt, heeft dit alles          lijks konden onderscheiden, want de.tekst  geeft hier-
Loch ook eene verdere, diepere, geestelijke beteekenis. voor geen grond ; noch 061~ uit den afstand ,tusschen
Deze openbak.ing van den opstanen Heiland ziet vogral                bet schip en den man daar op den  oever, want de
op de toekomstige roeping van de jongeren als aposte-                tekst  zegt ons juist, dat z@ niet ver van het land waren,
len, ,en in hen op de roeping der Kerk fin de wereld:                slechts ongeveer twee honderd  ellen; noch ook uit den
de prediking des  Woords,de   vlergadering der  ge- subjectieven  toestand  cler jongeren: ze zouclen dan
meente.                                                              zoo vefvuld zijn geweest met ,een' gevoel van bittere
 0, wij km-m& we! Gods Woord verkondigen, maar teleurstelling,  dat ze zich niet &ens rekenschap gaven,
de vergadering der- Kerk blijft tech in de macht van wie  `cleze  vreetildeling   we1  mocht zijn.  .Dat  z~  IHem
`den  KOning Zijner Kerk,  ?len Heer des  huizks_.   `Hij            niet  kenden,   Iran,  alleep   daarcloor   verklaar'cl,  dtit cle
vergadert Zijne gemeente door ceest en Woord.                        Heiland in een clen jongeren vreemclen  $orm aan Jnen
   1 En als Hij niet werkt, wat baat het dan al prediken verscheen. -Dit blijkt we1 overvloeclig  .cluidelijk uit het
ook d,e allerbekwaamste redenaars het zuiverste Evan- ,!eit, dat ze, opk toen ze bij .Hem op den oever waren,'
gelie,  en al zwoegen ze- ook den ganschen nacht ?                   door bet gezicht der oogen Hem nog niet herkenden.
       Dien nacht vingen Fe niets!                                   We lezen immers: "I+  niemand  .van , de discipeleu
  .' Aldus openbaarde Hij Zich!                     '                durfcle  Hem vragen: Wie zijt Gij? wetende, dat hzt de
       De Heer des huizes!                                           Heere .-was.".                                    .-    :. -- I 1. -'
                          L---                                           Niet door het gezicht der  oogen,,-maar  door%ij?1
                                                                     Woord,  ~$1 door de vervulling er van in het wonder
       Hij roept!  --'               .'                       .,_    vail cle  .vischvangst,  openbaarde  de  IOpgestane  Zich
       Want in den morgenstond staat Hij qp &&.. 0eve.r.             ditmaal aan-.de  discipelen.


                                     `T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                        - 339

    Immers, straks zouclen ze Hem niet me& zien, want             Honderd  drie en vijftig groote visschen ! En `t net
 .Hij. ZOLI heengaan tbt den Vader. Maar ook dan ZOU tias niet gescheuyd ! De vrucht was veilig binnen!
 Hij met hen zijn, op `de gx%ote wereldzee, .door Zijn            En Hij  obenbaarde   Zich aldus!
 Wbord, en  Geest,`hen   roepen tot Zijn  werk: de predi-         Hij de !1Lee; des huizes, was opgestaan. En als de
 king des Evangelies  aan  alle creatuur,  & door Zijn opgestane Heer was Hij niet meer bij hen zboals vroe-
-macht hun vrucht. doen zien op hunnen arbeid. _ _            ger.. Zij zouden l&m niet meer zien.                                     *,-
    IHij roept,: werpt het net !                                  En tech is lI$j bij hen,`met ens, met Zijne Kerk tot
    Hij Zelf kiest het veld  ;  bet  evangklie wordt  ver- aan het einde der wereld.
 kondigd waa`r Hij het zendt: aan de r,echterzijde  van           Zonder Hem kunnen ze niets doen. &Iaar als Hij
                                                                                     -;.
 bet schip.                                                   roept; en 11ey;--tot, Zqne dienstknechten maakt iti Zijn
    IHij  Zelf belooft en  geeft de vrucht : en. gij  zult    arbeid. van de vergadering der  Keek,  en zij  zich in
 vind&. Zij w&pen hef  d`$@ `& konden hetzelve niet Zijnen dienst stellen, dan is de vrucht zeker  !
 meer trekken van`wege de kenigte der visschen.                 Ziet, Ik ken met-%, door Mijn WooYcl en ,Geest !            -.
    0, z&g nu niet, dat we op deze wijze ons schuldig             Ik, de -Heer d.& `htiizes!         "  '
 maken aan een allegoriseeren  van .den tekst, en dat .we
 aan een eenvoudig  verhaal van een wonderlijke visch-                    -..
 van&t,  kn openbaring van dkn `opgestanen neiland,              -&eerlijk loon i
 eene  geestelijke beteekenis toekennen,  die het'niet kan        Als `t werk straks verricht is, Zijn wqk, gaan zij,
hebben. Had de He&d' niet Zelf Zijne jongerek tot gaan wij-in in de vreugde de's Heeren !
Zijn: werk geroepen ,,door van hun toekomstige roeping            Zoo verstaan wij althans hetgeen daar in dien droe-
te spreken in termen van hmi aardsch.bkroep,  toen I&j        gen morgen  plaats bad op de oever der zee.
tot twee van hen had gezegd: %olgt Mij na, en Ik zal              Het is d'e IHeere! Zoo sprak-Johann-es  bij het zien
u visschers  de?  men&hen   .maken"?  Math.  4:19. En van de wondervolle vangst op bet. woord van d,en op .
had I%j niet hetzelfde gedian bij de toepassing van den oever staanden vreemdeling, Johannes, de dieperk
een vorige wonderlijke vischvangst, toeq @ij bepaalde-        de intuitieve, de discipel, dien Jezus liefhad. Maar hij
lijk tot Simon  Petrus had gezegd:  "Vrebs`  tiiet; van bleef intusschen bij de visschen: er was immers nog .
nu  aan  zuit Hij  men&hen  vangen"? Luk. 5  :lO. Hoe werk te doen. Moest niet het net eerst veilig op den
zou `het dan kunnen worden  betwijfeld, .dat` ook, en oever getrokken  worden?
vooral   than& waar de jongeren althans momenteel                Simon Petrus dan, hoorende, ,dat het de Heere was,
tot  bun aardsche bedrijf waren teruggekeerd; de [Hei-        omgordde het opperkleed (want hij  tias naakt) en
land, hen' door deze Zelfopenbaring als de opgestane wierp zichzelven in de zee. Zoo deed Simon, de impul-
Heer des huizes, op bet vlak van hun aardsch bedrijf sieve, de man van  actie,  die hierdoor tevens open-
Wilde onderwijzen  `aangaande  - hun  toekomstige   roe- baarde, hoe diep hij, door de  ver!chijning van den
ping, om Zijne  dienstkn&hten  te  iijn in de vergade-        Heiland atin hem glleen, overtuigd g&worclen  was,. dat-
ring Zijner Kerk?                                             zijne groote zonde hem vergeven was..           -
  I Hij roept!                                     _             En dan: op den oever is Jezus, en alles is gereed!
    Weret het net aan de rechterzijde  vail het schip. . . Want :. "als'zij dan aan het land gegaan waren,. zagen
    En zij geboorzamen,  niet omdat ze op goed geluk zij een kolenvuur liggen, en visch daarop liggen, ,.en
af het visschermans  advies van dezen ireemdeling we1         brood. . . .Jesus dan zeide tot hen : Komt herwaarts,
eeqs  willen probeereh, een kans  willen  &even.; maar houdt bet- middag-maal  (ontbijt) . . . Jezus dan kwam,
omd+ &ij het i's die roept, en als Hij sprekkt,  dan. is      en nam het brood, en gaf het hun, en den- visch des-
het een woord van gexag, maar ook met machi, dat tot          g&jks." 0,  -als `t werk  gereed  is;Zijn werk, en we
ons komt, en dat door het geloof in gehoorzaamheid            hebben de vrucht tot Hem gebracht (immers moesten                         -
wordt opgevolgd. Neen, ze kennen dezen vreemdeling            ze ook van de visschen, die zij gevangen hadden tot
niet, ze zien zeker n&t, dat het Jezus is, die' daar in       Hem brengen !) , Zijn vrucht, dan is alles ger.eed  : vuur
den vroegen ochtendstond op den oever staat. Maar en visch `en brood! D.an noodigt !Hij ons om met Hem                            .
Zijne  roeping is een woord met niacht. Daarvan ge- i% eten in Zijn huis, en%e oitvangen het loon op onzen
tuigde immers ook de inhoud van Zijn woord. Dez$              arbeid in Zijnen.  dienst ! Dan is. Hij de gastheer, en
vreehdeling  gaf hun geen visschermans raad. Hij zijn wij de gasten, en -gaan we in de heerlijkheid  van.
adviseerde niet om bet eens aati de rechterzijde van het -verbond der vriendschap Gods in ! :
bet schip te beproeven. Hij zeide niet, dat het daar '           Aanzitten met Hem in Zijn eeuwig Koninkrijk!
gew+onlijk,   beter. vieschen  `$%s.  l%ij sprak met  vol-       Loon,  en  tech alles genade ! Naar  .werk, en  tech
str-ekte gewisheid : en gij zult `vinden !                    beheel  van Hem !
   En Hij  geeft. de vrucht!                                     Door H`em verworven. Do& iHem geschonken !
   "Zij iyierpen het dan, en konden hetzelve diet meer           Hem alleen de eer !
trekken van wege de menig-te  der visschen:"                                                                 H. H.
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340                                                                                                                                T H E                                                         ST'ANDARD  HARE;2

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           I                  The                        C&&dard                                                        Bearer                                                ~_                                    ~-            :           -.           .__           ._.-.          -     -.      :            -~     -'            :-

                Semi;Monthly:,   ew+Mofithly   Cn  Ji~ly  a n d :   ~&gust ,                                                                                                                                   -
                                                                p         u-b                  i;s-h.e.d.                                    B                                                                                                       `
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     .             ."
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                              ~.                                                      _--            _.
                             Thi.                         Refqrm$Preq                                                         puI$shing,                                                         Asso+.ion.                  _
                                                        .I$@  ,&&np_rq  St.,  .S,  E.                                                                                                                                                   a.      .ChdS$ VefbOnd. I L _ . .                                                                            .I
                                      EDICbOR                            :  -  Fiev;   -I;-  I-Ioeksenla.   =.
                                                                                                                                                                                                               . Under the.a&Stitle,  the Rev. Li: Doekes  continues -
Contributing Editori: - Rev. G. `M.-&&off, `ReG.  .G.- Vos, Rev.
R.  Veldman,  Rev. H.  Ve1dma.n;   Rev;`H. De `Wolf,  `Bev.  B.  Iiok,                                                                                                                                         Q&  discussion.as   f a l l o w s :   `~  _  :  :  :,_  `.1  _*
Rev. J. D. De Jbng, Rev. A.  Ple+ter,  Bev. C. Hanko, Rev. L.                                                                                                                                                                     Nu tillen  wij zien, hce Ds. H. H.o;gksema  denKt  over
Vermeer, Rev. G. Lubbers,. Rev, M.  Gritieers,' Rev.  f. A.. Heys,                                                                                                                                                         bet-verborid:   .ik  `belxoef  niet  te  ze#.?n,   ?noe.   gespannefi
Rev. W.  H:of:rn-sn.
       Communications relati&  to-contents should be adtlressed -to                                                                                                                                                         onze aandacht  daarvoor  moet  iijn. `:IvIeer   dan.odit iijn
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       4
`REV. H.  HQEICSEMA,   1139  Fianklin   St.,  S.~&,  &and   Rap@,                                                                                                                                                          tiij: in' den  zwareli   kerkstrijd-  &eer.:`tdt  het besef  ,ge-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              \
Michigan.                                                                                                                                                        .-_  :-  -                                                komen van  w&t- Gods  verbena  .mi$ons  en  ofize kin-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      _ _   ,C
       Communication,s   re1ativ.e  t-0  ~sp&~~&ion.  should be addressed                                                                                                                                                  deren  vooions   beteekellt.  De  lasterl'ijke   aanklachten
to- MR. GEnRIT  PIPE, 1463 Ardmore St., S. E., Grand Rapids,                                                                                                                                                               van onze' tegenstanders versterken ons  daarili  van
Michigan. All Announcements, and  Obitu&es_ must
                                                                                                                                                                         I..   be  sent
to the above -address and v$l not be placed unless the regular                                                                                                                                                              week tot  &eek.                                                                                      --.
.fee of $1.00  awompanies'the   aotice.                                                                                                                                                                                           WE geven het woord  aan  D.s.  Hoeksema,  zooals  shij
                                                                                                                                                                                    .-.
 .                                      (-Subscription p&e $2.50. pzr year j                                                                                                                                                zich uitgesproken  heeft in zijn boekj6:  "De.geloovigen
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            en  bun zaad", Na  `een soherpe   `afwijzing.  &  ae ver-
 Entered as Second Class Mail  +t  .&-and   R@cll,   ,&l$gap.                                                                                                                                                               bondsopvatting  van  Prof. Heyns  h&en  We.Ke&   zeg-
                                                           _                                                                                                       *'                                                       gep: het yerbond `Gods  is niet een i,t+e "weg of +jze
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            der  z$li@hejd,  waarop God  on%  .:@y"heerlijkheid   `zou
. . -                -.                                                                                                                                                                                                     doen dedachtig  worden,  zooa&   -v& anderen het ver-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     . .._
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            bond  ,onischrijven,  daardoor  feit&j$-   looch`enende  het
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            eeuwige   va.n Gods verbond;  (h&$&at)  ook niet in
  -.'                                                                      -  CONTliNTS   -  _                                                                                                                              een` zekere-overeenkomst  tusschen :twee paeijen,. waar-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            .bij-van weerszijden aan zekere voo?w&ar&en  mqet wor-
 MEDITATION  :-                                                                                                                                                                                                             den  voldaan,  zooals dikwijls de  -GooFstelling  is  im-
DE 0PGESTAN.E HEER DES HUIZES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337                                                                                                                   mers, bet verbond is Godes en Hij~ schenkt aan Zijne
         1  Rev. H.  Hioeksema.                                                                                                                                                                                             vrienden  aBes, wa,t tot den strijd en het leven des ver-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            bonds noodig is) ;`maar in deie  levende vriendvohaps-  I
 EDITORIAis   +  -                                                                                                                                                                                                          betrekkjng,  waarddor God de  HBere  de souvereine
 0)~ tint VERIB~QND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  ~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340                                                          vriend van Zijn  voik is  ,en  ,zij  ,de  &n_d-knechten  de;
 THaE COMING OF DR. SCHXLDER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343                                                                                                        Heereli  zijn, in Zijne gemeenschap  deelende,  door ge-
 EXPOSITION                                                                                                                                                                                                                `nade Zijn  leven   bezittende  en  opefibaretide   .. en  `Zijn
                                           OF-  +HE  HEIDELBERG  CATECHISM . . . . . ...343
                Rev:. H.  Boekskma.                                                                                                                                                                                         strijd  :strijdende  in het  midden  der' were!d";),  -Nag
                                                                                               .                                                                                                                            duidelijker  wordt zijn  bedoeli~ng  in een volgende  uit-
JABESH-,GIiEAD   .DELIVERtiD . . . . . . . . . ..*.........I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347'                                                                                                         spraak: "Zoo is dan thaq Gods v&rbond  -bet leven ,der
CHURCZ POLITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  ..I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 849'                                                    *  vriendscha.p  Gods in  C'hrisltus.                                       In.  dat"  verb&l zijn
          . Rev.  G.  k. Ophoff.                                                                                                                                                                                    ,-  geen. aanbiedingen en geen  voorwaard&n..  Het  ver-
                                                                                                                             .-
  .                                                                                                                                                                                                                         bond is louter Godes. Hij  richht-Zijn   verbond op,  .Hij
 JEHOVA REtiEERT .:..: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  :..: . . . . . . . . . . 352                                                                verkiest en zaligt" (pag. 51).
                Rev. G. his.                                                                                                                                                                                                      Hier  .hooren  we al verschillende  nitlatingen,  die onze
                      :                                                                                                                                                                                             z.  tegenqt-aders  veel  vreugde  zullen geven.  VooraI   die
 iN HIS  FEAR . .
                                            I... .-... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .354                 uitspraak:  "in  he!  verb&d  zijn geen aanbiedingen  en
         Rev. M. Gritters.                                                                                                                                                                                           I      geen voorwa8arden" kennen we als een veel gcbru&te
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           bewering in  synodale  strijdachriften. En de  beschul-
                1
 H6LY  WRIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  35G                          .,      diging, dat de eeuwigheid van Gods verbond feitelijk
          Rev.  ,G. Lubbers.                                                                   I.                                                                                                                   - geloochend  woydt,  is  .ook ons niet  vreemd.!
                                                                                                                                                                  .                                                          -`Verder  spreekt ook Ds. Hoeksema over  -"bet  ver-
 PERISCOPE . . . . * . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358 -                                 &chil tussohen  ?net   .histori!zoh-uibyendig   Gerbond  en
                R e v .   -W.  H o f m a n . .                                                                                                                                                                              zijn geestelijke kern" (59$. .En  na_een.,betoogj  dat de
                                                                                                                                        .                                                                           -.  ledenyder-k&k  met  lhun   kinderen   -moeten.  worden   aan--
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            g&hroken  en behaqleld  als het volk- Gods, heiligen en


                                            T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R   -.                                                                  3 4 1

        geliefden in den Heere, onderscheidt hij "een verkpren.                                dat God in den  Heiligen Doop iets belooft en  verze'
        kern en  een verworpen bolster", en zegt dan: "In                                      gklt  ,aan  aBe  gedoopten.  Evenmin  ails dit  bet geval
       dezen  zin genomen nu, `hebben  wij dan ook  niet  ,het                                 is met. Zijn Woord, met het Evangelie der zaligheid,
        allerminst  bezwaar  om  te- spreken van een  u$ en.                                   evenmin is dit waar met betrekking tot de Bondszege-
        inwendig  verbond der genade.  Alss slechts de  organi-                                len. In den Heiligen Doop verzegelt de Heere `God
        sche idee wordt vastgehouden.' En als slechts gehand-                                  ten slotte. aan niemand iets dan aan degenen, die ge-
        haafd- blijft, dat het geheel van Gods kerk op aarde,                                  loovm. Immers, bet is de rechtvaardigheid, die uit
        van de geloovigen met bun  zaad, niet mag worden ge-                                   bet geloof is, die in den Doop en ook in het  Avond-
        noemd en behandeld overeenkomstig den aard van den                                     maal,  wordt verzegeld en bekrachtigd" (86, 87).
        verworpen bolster, maar moet  worden  genoemd met                                       Deze citaten zijn genoeg voor ens `doel: het verken-
        den naam van Israel" (6s). "Altijd naar den  Schrif-                                  nen van het terrein. Enkele andere -tiesties  laat ik
        tuurlijke regel;dat  het geheel van het organisch be-                                 nu even rusten. Maar de verstandige lezer in Ned&
        sts,an  van Gods kerk in de wereld genoemd moet ,wor-                                land  ,heeft al direct begrepen, dat Ds. Hoeksema  zich
        den en behandeld overeenkomstig het  karakter  van                                    vaak uitdrukt op een wijze, die vdkomen .aansluit  bij
        den  uitverkoren'~kern.  En  wie  bet  tech anders doet,                               de redeneeringen van  onze.vervolgers  uit het synodale,
        verongelijkt de  .gemeente  en handelt niet  naa.r Gods                               kamp.
        Woord" (69).                                                                             N.atuurlijk  is dat niet de  reden,  waarom wij met
          Ma,ar hoe  st,aat het dan met de bdofte des  ver-                                   hem van meening versohillen. Die  reden  ligt hierin,
        bonds?  .Daarover zegt Ds. Hoeksema het volgende:                                     dat wij de genoemde  theorie niet terugvinden in de
       .".Als God iets belooft, dan staat het ook rotsvast, dat                                S&rift. Een volgend maal  hopen we daarvan aan Ds;
        Hij het beloofde zal  lechenken.  Er is  geen   verschil in                           .Hoeksema  rekenschap te geven.
        zekerheid  tusscl~en  de  belofte  en de vervulling,  tus-
       ,schen d; voorw@pelijke schenking en de onderwerpe-.
        lijke  toepassing.::  Al  .wat God belooft,  `dat doet Hij
       ook  gewisselijk,.  en wien Hij iets belooft, dien zal Hij
       het ook zkkerlijk  doen  tbekomen" (12). Ds. Hoeksema
       bestrijdt Prof.  Heyns,  omdat die de belofte `Betrekke-                        The  transjation  here follows:                           .
        lijk en voorwaardelijk,, heeft genoemd, en omdat deze
       we1  beweerde;  dat het  cwezen des verbonds in de  be-                                   Let us see now, how  the' Rev.' H. Hoeksema con-
        lofte ligt, maar met zijn voorstelling"`bepaald  den Re-                              ceives of the covenant. Needless to say bow tense our
       monstrantschen  kant heenzeilde" (12): We hooren. Ds.                                  interest ought to be in this matter. More than ever,
        Hoeksema daarentegen poneeren: "God belooft niet                                      in our heavy ecclesiastical struggle, we have' come
        aan  ieder hoofd voor .hoofd, die behoort Lot het zaad                    _           .to realize the significance of `God's covenant for us
        des verbonds in den bistorisohen, zichtbaren, uitwen-                                 and our children. The slanderous indictments of our
        digen  zin des  woords, dat God  zijn God wil zijn en                                 opponents confirm us in this from week'to week.
       .hem zaligen wil. Hij  schenkt.  in den objectieven zin  -                                We will let the Rev. Hoeksema speak, as he ex-
        des woords, om met Prof. Heyns te spreken, niet aan                                   pressed himself in his booklet: "Believers and their
        allen hoofd voor hoofd Z.ijn,e_zaligheid  en de weldaden                              Seed." After a sharp repudiation of the covenant-
        des verbdnds" (12-13). En wat den doop betreft zegt                                   view of  Prof. Heyns, we hear him say: the covenant
        Ds. Hoeksema: f`Ook  kan de grond voor  .den  kinder:                                 of God is not a certain "way or mode of salvation, in
        doop niet liggen in een belofte  als  wezen  des  ver-                                which God. would make us partakers of glory, as
       bonds. Dan wordt de vastigheid des verbonds verlegd                                   several others define  .the covenant, thereby really
       uit God, die Zijn verbond opricht, in den mensch, die                                  denying the eternal nature of the covenant; nor does
       bet verbond straks  inwilligt,  in zijn vrijen wil" (57):                              it consist in a certain agreement between two parties,             a
          Het  verwondert  ons dan ook niet, dat we lezen:                                  n according to which certain'mutual condi&ns  must' be
.      "Het woord der belofte Gods betrof niet  allen,  hodfd                                 fulfilled; as is frequently alleged, (for the covenant
       voor hoofd. En niet een dergenen,`wien  dat woord we1                           I      is of God, and  H,e grants unto His friends-whatever
      . gold, vie1  uit" (64). "En nu had het woord der belofte                             _ is necessary for the life and the battle of the cove-
       geen betrekking op alle  kinderen  uit Abraham,  dooh                                  nant)  ; but in this living  friendshi.p-relation,  accord-
       alleenop   bed zaad der verkiezing,, (65). Van de  ver-                                ing to which God the Lord is the sovereign friend
       w&p&en  in  bet verbond wordt gezegd: "Maar nu                      . _                of His people, and they are the friend-servants of
     `. neemt God, naar Zijn eigen bestel, in Zijn  v&bond                                    the Lord, enjoying  Hi,a fellowship,  by'grace possess-            '
       -naar'den  uitwendigen  vorm, alle vleeschdijke  kinderen                              ing and manifesting His life, and fighting His battle  _
       op" (75).                                                                              in the midst of the world." Clearer still his meaning
         Sterk  spreekt voor ons  :de  -passage  .over de bonds-                             becomes from the following statement: "Hence, the
       z;egel,en,  de sacramenten: "Het  .is eenvoudig niet waar,                             covenant of God is the. life of God's friendship in
                                                                      ;


342.                                               T      H          E         S.TANDARD   B-EARER
            -,.                               i
        Clhristt.  In this covenant there are no  off,ers  and no                 found in the promise as the essence of the covenant.
        cbndiiions.    The covenant is purely of God. He                        . For in tliat case, the surety of the covenant would
        establishes His covenant, He elects and saves." (p. 51).                  be removed from God Who establishes His covenant,
          Already we hear ,smidry expressions here that will                      to man, who presently agrees to the Covenant, td his
        afford joy to our opponents. Especially the  stkte-                       free till" (57).                .
        ment: "in the covenant there are no off&s and  iio                          Hence,  \+e are not surprised to read: "The word
        conditions" is familiar to us as a much  eniployed                        of God's promise did not have reference to all, head
        allegation in synodical controversial writings. And                       for head. And not one of those that was meant by
        the  acctisation   `$kat  the eternal nature of the cove-                 that word, fell out" (64). Of the reprobate in the
        nant is really being denied is also not  strange to us!                   coven&t' it ,is said: "But now God, according to His
          Further, the Rev. Hoeksema also speaks about "the                       6wn  godd pleasure, receives in the dovenant  .according
        diiferencc  between the historical-external covenant                     -to its external form, all the carnal children" (75).
        and' its spiritual essence (kernel)" (59).  IAnd  after'                    `Strongly, for  tis, speaks the passage about the
        lie argued'tha't  the members of the Church with their                    c&en&t-seals,  the  sacramel!ts:  "It is simply not  trtie
        children must be addressed and treated as the people                      that in Holy  .Baptism God promises and seals  some-
        of  God, saints and' beloved in the Lord, he  histin-                     things to all' that `are baptized+ No more than this
        g&he's   betwe& "an elect  kerliel  and a reprobate                       is the case with His Word, the Gasp,el  of salvation, no
        she181," and then continues : `"In a sense, we have  tiot,                m&e  is this true with respect td the seals of the co+-
        the least  objection   Jo  ,speak' of an  externkl  `and  iti-            nant. In last anaiysis, ,God, in Holy Baptism, does nbt
        tgrnal  covenant-of grace.  If only  we maintain the                      promise anything except to  t.hose that believe. For          _ .
        organic idea. And if only it is maintained that the                      it is the righteousness which is by faith which is seal-
        w.hole  of God's church on earth may not be called and                    ed and confirmed, in Baptism, and also in the Lord's
        treated tigreeably  to the nature of the reprobate shell,                 Supper"  (86, 87).
        but must be  `@led by the name of Israel" (68).                             These  quota.tions are sufficient for our purpose:
        "Always according to the Scriptural  rule, that the                      reconnaissance of the field. ,-A few other questions I
    whole of God% Church, as she exists  org%nically  in                         pass by for the time being. But the  intelligent  reader
    the  wyorld,  must be called and treated  in.  harmony                       has already understood that the Rev.  Hoe'ksema  ex-
   with  t,hhe character of the elect kernel. And whoever                        presses, himself frequently in a way that completely
                                                                                    "
        deviates from  `this,   doe* an  inju%ce  to the  congrega-              accords with the argumentations of our persecutors
   tion and does not act in conformity witk the Word'~of                        . from the synodical camp.
        G o d " ( 6 9 ) .                   _'
                                                                                    Of course, this is liot the reason why we differ with
          But &at, then, about the promise of the covenant?                      him. The reason is found in the fact that we do not
   `About this the Rev. Hoeksema has the following to                            find  t.he above named theory in  Soripture.  Next time
        say: "Wh& God promises anything it stands firm as                       we hope to give account of this to the Rev. Hoeksema.
   a rock `that He will give what was promised. There is.
   no difference in degree of  certairity between the
   -promise   atid its fulfillment, between, the  objective
   grant and the subjective application. All that God
   promises, He also surely accomplishes, and to. whom-
   soever He promises anything He  ,will  certainly give                        Just one  relnarli   I wish to make.
   it" (12). The Rev. Hoeksema attacks  Prof. Heyns                            DGplorable  I consider it that  the Rev.  Doekes;  in
   because he called the proniise "relative and  condi-                   reading  and discussing my booklet, cannot. forget his
   tional," and because he alleged `rhat the essence of the               synodical opponents and "`persecutors".. This may be
   covenant must be found in the promise, but with this s                 mlavoiclable  under the present circumstances in Ahe
   notion "definitely moved in the  Arminian  direction"                  old country, it is regrettable nevertheless. For such
    (12).  Over  against this we hear the Rev. Hoeksema                   a state of mind is not conducive to an objective and
   posit the  fol.lowing: "God  ,does not promise every                   unprepbssessed  discussion of the subject itself.
   individual,  thead  for head, that  ,belongs  to-the covenant
   in the historical, external, visible  e:ense  of the word,                  It might be  virell,  jf  the .Rev.  Doekes,   in reading
   that He will be his God, and that He .will save him.                   and discussing my ,pamphlet, w.ould  constantly bear
   He'does not grant in the objective sense of the woid,                  ia mind that it &as written some eighteen years ago.
   to speak  & terms of  Prof.  Heyns,  to all, head- for                 It was not written with a view to, in  .$gree&ent  or
   Ilead, His salvation, and'the  benefits of the covenant"               disagreement with the present "synodicals".
   (12-13)  .'  An,d concerning baptism, the  Rev.  Hoeksema                   We look'fo?warcl to the brother's next article.
   says: "-Neither can the ground for infant baptism be                                                                         t H. H.


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEARER                                                     3.43

 i_ The Coming Of Dr. Schilder -                                  THE TRIPLE  KNOWILEDGE.
     Many of us must have heard a rumor that Dr.
 Schilder is. planning to v&it us, and to speak `for us in       An Exposition Of The Heidelberg
 behalf of, the cause of the liberated churches in the
 Netherlanc&.   .-                                                                        Catechism . I
     Theie was basis for this rumor.  Sage time ago                                          Part Two.  j
 LJndersighed  received a, cablegram from him  to that                                  Of Man's Redemption            ,
 effect wit11 the addition : ."Letter  follows". Consider-
 able time elapsed before that letter arrived. When it                                   L o r d 's   D a y   XXII.
 came, the brother inxormed me that he intended to                                               3.
 come during the summer. I hastened to answer that                             The "Millennium" (cont.)
 letter, and to tell him that, if he intended to speak here.,
 t$ summer period. would be the worst to select, since . As a vision, therefore, the  pa&age must be inter-
                                                                                                                  .
 it is, well nigh impossible to get an audience in..the  h&t ,preted.                                                               c
.weather. ;He finally replied th& he would try to leave             `This means that a certain apdcalyptic  truth is here
 the latter part of August,. so that he will be, with us,        presented by means of differenk  symbols. In the.intro-
 most probably during September and `October.                    ductory verses of Revelation 20, the symbolism of the-
   . Dr. Schilder knows quite well what is, our attitude vision includes the angel that comes down from heaven,
 ivith respect to their movement, both from a church the key and the great chain he has in his h&d, the                             . .
 political and doctrinal viewpoint. He knows that we bottomless pit, and the shutting up of satan and the. " .'
 do not agree with their covenant conception,  and that sealing of the.pit  over his head, Nor can there be any.
 we iak& the same stand as they church pdlitically. He doubt that all this is to be understood symbolically,
is assured, too, that in spite of our differences our and, th.erefore,  dare not be interpreted as signifying
 churches will give him a hearing. He trusts that we that the devil shall be literally confined iti a pit. For.
 still .love him, and that we will give him a warm re-           Satan who is a .spirit  is not, and cann& he bounq with
 ceptiqn. In this, I think, he will not be disappointed. a steel chain, locked u.p by means of a key, and sealed
 May I suggest `that- all our churches make afrange-             with any physical seal. -`Nor  is it difficult to under-
 ments to receive him and let him speak.?                        stand &he symbolism of this apocalyptic vision, and to
     (He comes here without any definite assurance of determine,, what. is' the idea expressed by it. It means
 remuneration.  It,.ought  not be difficult at all  for US that the devil is bound by the decr,ee. of Him that sit-
 to more th:n pay for his trip (.excuse the split infini- teth on. the throne, so that he is restrained from a'c-
 t i v e ) .                                                     complishing his purpose.
      .He will, no doubt, be giad to speak for Christian            The question, however, arises: does the passage
 Reformed Churches, too. After all, I still am  cop- teach. th$t Satan is completely bound; so that,.  he is                               -
 yinced. that they are much closer to the liberated doomed to absolute inactivity, or is this `idea of the
 churches doctrinally than we are. Besides, there ought restraint  put upon him presented as limited to a cer-
 to be enough.fairness and open mindedness with t&em             tain aspect of his  evil purposes? Also this  qtiestion
 tq.,,be  ,willing to hear the other side.                       is plainly  5nswered in the text.  And the  answe'r-  is,:
      1~ .faclt, I am sure that he would enjoy to explain without a doubt, -that this binding of the devil. has -:
 himself, and give all kinds of opportunity for questions        respect to a certain field of  hi;.  activity : it  is  `not
 and ..debat<, before the faculty of Calvin College -and complete, but partial.  .This is plain from  ?Jie  third.<`-
 S e m i n a r y .                                               verse in connection with the eighth. In vs. 3, the .puPL
      How about it, brethren? Is not this a splendid op- pose  df the binding of Satan  iS designated  tiir; b&ng
 portunity to hear the other side?                               "that he may deceive the nations no more." And in
      The .;Standard  -Bearer will gladly make arrange- qs. 8, we are more definitely informed that, when he
 ments for you.                                                  shall be loosed for a little ,season,  he "shall go out to
     ,Or,  peY;haps,   you prefer to  Gake arrangements deceive the nations which are in the four corners of
 with him personally?                   $         -.             tile :e,arth,  Gog and Mzigog, to `gather them to battle,
   Write: Prof. Dr. .K.  Schil$.er, Vloeddijk 14,  Kam- t.he nti-mber of wliom is as the sand of the sea." The
 pen, Nederland.                                                 general'idea of the restraint put npon ,Satan  is, there-
      We extend, besides, a hearty invitation t6 you :a11 to fore, clearly limited by the text itself in a threefold
 come and hear him in our churches. Reserved seats, way. It has respect to his influence, not upon indi-
 as in `39,  J  .am  sure, for `ministers and professors, vidual-m& ,but updn jnations, and that, too, not upon'
 if  gesired.          .,:`...  _.                H. H.
          I                                                      all nations, `but upon certain nations that are' cal@d
                                                                                 . .


  3     4    4                          T H E         S$ANDAl$  .BEARER

 Gog and Magog, and that are described as living on may still go about like a roaring lion, seeking whom
 the four corners of the earth, and as being very he/may -devour: he,. is prevented from .deseivi.ng the
 numerous. In the second- place, this restraint upon heathen nations so as to gather them for battle agaihst
 Satan prevents him from deceiving those nations, as "the camp of the saints and !@e beloved city."
 before his being.bound he was,able  to do. And, third-            2. It yquld be quite contrary to the current teach- -
 ly;-%he particular deception from whicti'he ,is resfrain- ing of Scripture,  and particularly, to the significance of
 ed with respect to these nations consists in gathering the numbers in the book Al' Revelation, to interpret the
 them for battle against "the camp .of the saints and           "thousand years" durini which the devil shall thus be
 the beloved city."                                             restrained' as having reference; to a literal millennium.
       By these nations, we under&add the miii'ions upon Scripture  everyyhere  attaches symbolical  `sig&ficance
 millions of peoples that live  outsid'e of the pale of to certain nuhbers, such as 3, 4, 6, `7, 10, 12, and their
 nominal Christendom. We-read .of Gog and Magog different combinations. They represent realities- in
 in  Ezek.  38:2ff and 39  :l-16. In that prophecy, Gog the kingdom of God. Earthly relations, also in their
 .is the prince of Rosh, l)!teshech  and Tubal, in the land numbers, are a picture of' heavenly relations, of the
 of Magog, and they are. presented as a vast horde that spiritual realities of God's covenant.- To verify this,
 sweep down upon Israel from the north, to make a we but h&e to remember that Bur weekly period is a
 final onslaught upon the  .people  of  .God.  Hailstoies,~     combination of six and one, labor and rest, the toil -
 fire, and brimstone from heaven, how,ever, frustrate of &he present and the eternal sabbath; that the num-
 their evil purpose, and cause their utter destruction. ber seven, in Scripture .and, particularly, also in the
 In the passage from Rev. 20, they are simply called book of Revelation, occurs -frequently as a combination
. Gog ,and .Magog, and are described as living on the. bf three and four, the triune Goci and the .worldj  the
 four corners. of the ..e$rth, and as coming. f oy the attack perfection of God's covenant of friendship ; that the
 against the camp of the saints from every direction. number twelve, as the product of three and four, repre-
 The restored &+ael to whom is the reference in the sents the number of the elect :` there are twelve tribes,
 prophecy of Ezekiel is the same as "the camp of the twelve apostles, twice twelve. elders, twelve times twelve
 saints and tlie beloved city" of Revelation ?O; `But this thousand -servants  of .God that are sealed,. and in the
 is tq be understood in the New Testament sense' of the measurement of the New Jerusalem,`the  number twelve
* word : Israel is restored,- and the tabernacle of David is predominates. The number seven, too, abounds in the
 reb.uil,t, in the gathering of the Church from Jews- and book  df  ReGelation.. On the scheme of this number
 Gentiles in the new dispensation. Hence, to the-nation the whole book is based: there are seven se@ to the
 of.. Israel  bf  the old dispensation` corresponds the book that is opened by the Lamb, the seventh seal is
 Church visible of the new- dispensation, that is, Chris- reveAled-  in the form of seven trumpets, and `the
 tendom inits widest sense, in distinction from Pagan- - seveizth trumpet is dissolved into seven yials of the
 ism. It is represented. in the .text as situated in the wrath of God. Christ is presented as walking in the.
 centre of the earth, while around it, outside-of the pale, midst of seven golden candlesticks,- and the complete
 of history, are AGog and Magog, the nations that remain pi&ure of the Church in the world is drawn in the
 pagan as nations, even though also from them some sevenftild  message, addressed to the seven churches in
 `individual elect are  ~gathered  into the Church.  `The Asia. The  sanie applies to the  nutiber ten. and its
 <distinction   `-made in the text, therefore, is between products., The ,days of the tribulatioli  of the Church
 nominal Christendom  ,and the heathen nations.                 in Smyrna are said`to be ten days. The'number of the
       With respect to these nations, then, the text teaches    servants of God that are sealed are cjne hundred and
 that the `devil is bound in such a way that he cannot forty four multiplied by ten times -t&,times  ten. The
 gather them for an attack against the Christian na-            same number appear on Mt.  iion  iyith the Lamb,
 tibns, baptized Christendom. In the -did disljensation,        having the Father's name in their  -foreheads. The
the- nation of Israel was surrounded by. the heathen. antichristian beast has ten hdrtis. Twelve  times one
 And the gentjle nations, Moab, Ammon, the  Philis- thousand furlongs are the length and breadth and
 , tines; Egypt and Syria, ,Assyria and Babylon, were height of the  New Jerusaleni.  `And for one thousand
 constantly pquring  out their furious hatred against the years the devil is bound.                 .
 people of God, harassing them and threatening them                From all this it should be evident that the nhmber
 wi.t$ `destruction; Satan gathered them for battle ten and its products, in the bobk of' Revelation, have
 against them. In the neti dispensation he can do this a  symbolical,.meaning,  and that no one has the right
 no more, IHe is bound.  God's, decree restrains him to make an exception of the thousand  jresrs  in the
 from marshalling the hordes of paganism against his- ?wentieth  -&apt& to `give it a' literal interpret&ion.
 toriC Christendom.       He may, in this period of his It is a  *round   nutiber, and `signifies  complet&&s.  In
 `restraint, do many other things, both among .the noniin-      Scripture it denotes  tile ftiltiss of the !fie%ure of any-
  ally Christian nations and among the heathen ; he             thing, whether of time, of space, or of anything "else,


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                                         T H E        STANDARD  BEAR.l%R                                                        345
                                                                                *
 $ecou;ding to the will and decree of God, `n-rat, in the ly, coincide with the period during which the devil is
  decalogue,  there are ten commandnients expresses boundj that is, this entire  ~dispensation,  That they
 that in t@em the will of Go4 is completely -expressed. are here described as those that have. suffered,,from
  The ten plagues upon Egypt -denote the fulness of the power of Antichrist, and. have.-been  faithful u-ntb
 G6d's wrath and judgment, When this number occurs death, does not limit them to a &rtain group of be-
 in the third poweri as the nutiber one thousandj the        lievers of the latter days, for, although  the. "man of
 idea is expressed that the measure thus denoted is sin" m& be revealed in the end of this diQ5enstition
 great. The number of the elect saints- is~ complete, but in all his power  and corruption, Antichrist is altiays
 ft is also great; hence, they are denoted,by  the symbol in the  worldj and believers always refuse to `receive.
  144000,  `&at Satan is bound one  thotisand   years,       the mark. But -we must note ,especially  the description
 therefore, does not denote  a. literal- millennium, but of these glorified saints in the  tiords.:   f`the souls of
 signifies that he will be restraihed  from deceiving the them that were beheaded." This- `cannot refer  %o
 nations for a complete period of time, detepmined  by saints after the bodily restlrrectidn,  but must denote
 the will and decree of the Most High.                       the departed saints, in glory with; Christ: in heaven,
   `. `To apply all this to the pyesent  dispensatioti,,  and &fore     the          resuryection.        .'    ' :$:1=    -
 firid the period of one thousand- years in the time be-        b. The inter$retatidn` of the Chiliast,  accbpding  to
d tween the exalatiqn of Christ afid. His Teturn on. the which we have here the figure known as  "syrieeh-
 clouds, is quite in harmony with this interpretation, cl&he", meaning that a part denotks  the whole, and,
 and would seem to fit the facts- of history. The hordes in this case,' that "sotils," denote the whole man, body
- of heath& nations, in the present dispensation, play and soul, cannot stand. They explain that "souls"
 no part in history, and cannot b'e gathered for battle often occurs in the Bible in this sense. As we speak
 against `the nominally Christian nations:  Btit shortly of  a hundred "sails" meaning  .so many ships, or a
 before the return of the Lord3  they will wake upi The t.housand "head" meaning cattlej` so the Bible speaks
 devil will be loosed, and gather those nations for a of "souls" denoting men. The "so.uls" that came-with
 final- battle against what they conceive to. be Christen- Jacob into Egypt were thre&eoreand ten. Few, that
 dom; And this will be the deception that, while Gog is, eight "souls" were saved in the ark. `Ori the day of
 and Magog actually intend- at that time to set them- Pentecost, about three thousand "souls" were added to
 selves against Christ and !Hi;S Church to destroy them, the church. And two hundred three score and sixteeri
 Christendom will actually have been corrupt&d into "souls" were with Paul in the ship. Gen. 46 :27; I Pet.
.  anti-Christendom;  As in the old dispensation the 3  :20; Acts  2:41;  2'7:37. Thus in Rev.  20:4 the  eir-
 ii&ions often gathered themselves  against Jerusalem pression  "the souls of them that were beheaded for
 to destroy the city of God, not knowing that it was the witriess  of Jesus" must be interpreted as referring
 of the Lord, and that He used them to punish the to saints in their resurrection body. However, against:
 city that had corrupted itself into Sodom and Egypt, this interpretation there are two objections that prove`
 so, in the end of the present dispensation, it will also    it false beyond a doubt. The first is that, whenever
 be' of th& Lord to loose the devil, that he may deceive the above mentioned figure is .employed,  whether in
 the nations to attack what $hey cqnceive to be Christen- our daily language or in th@ BiblZj uniformly a definite
 dom, but, which is actually become the kingdom of number is connected with it. -In fact, without a num-
 Antichrist,       :  -'                                     era1 it cannot be used. We  can speak of a  hindrid
     3. The reign- of the saints `with Christ, of which head, and of fifty sails, but never do we speak simply
 the twentieth chapter of Revelation speaks, vs. 4, does bf head and of sails. In all the passages referred %o
 not refer to a reign on .earth  of saints in their resur- above, from Holy Scrip$ure, the same rule is folloK%!d.
 rection bodies, from earthly  jerusalem as its `capital, Seventy souls came -Cvith Jacob into Egypt; eight souls
 but to the reign of the saints in heaven before the were  saved in the ark  ; three thousand  souls were
 resurrection, a  r'eign which is reflected  in the fact added to  thk  churckj  two  hundred and  seventy  siz
 ihat the devil is-bound, the nations cannot rise against souls w&e with Paul in the ship. In Rev. 20 :4, how-
 the Church, and-Christendom  is-in power oq the earth.      ever,  -no number defines the glorified saints ; `we simpiy
 For this. we have the following grounds:                    read : "and I `saw-  the souls of them that were be-
     a. Those that are r&presented in the text as sitting headed." The secokld objection. is in the last words 6f
 on thrones, and as exercising judgment, are definitely this description : "of them that were beheaded." Now,
 described as "the souls of them that were beheaded for' when we speak of the soul' o:f a person, we do. not mean
 the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and the whole person. And when we speak of the souls of
 which had not worshipped the beast,  neithe'r his image, the ,dead, we ref.&- to those souls after death; in their
 neit.h.er  had received his mark upon their foreheads, or bodiless state, before the resurrection. The same is
 in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ true of the expiession in Rev. 20:4, Wh& a strange
 a !housand  years." The thousand years' here, evident-
                                    I                        way of referring to persons  in their resurrection body
                                                                                            -. _.


                                                                                                                                  1
 3 4 6                               T    H    E         STA%DAtiD  .Bl$ARER
 - ,
 it ,would be to describe them as "the souls of them that a stage of death, that stage, namely, t?+at.implies  the
 were beheaded" ! How much mdre  simple and cor- desolation of the wicked when they shall be -cast into
 rect it would have been, in that case, to say: I saw hell,  after:the bodily  resurrectjon.  Their first death,
 those that had been beheaded." When the fifth seal therefore,i is their state of desolation immediately
 is opened John  beholds "under the altar the souls after-death, thei? second death is-a further and.final
_ of them  that were slain for the  w.ord  of God." No        stage of death. So "the first resurrection': is the first"
 one thinks of, applying this expression to s&ints af- stage in the resurrection of -she saints : their entrance
 ter the resurrection: the context is definitely op- into then house of God immediately after death;  "the
 posed to this. Rev. 6:9-11.  IThe very same expres- second resurrection" j& their final state of glory, when
 sion occurs in Rev. 20 :4. And no one should stretch their bodies shall be raised. from the dust of the earth.
 his imagination to the extent that he conceives of Hence, "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in $he
 the  `~souls" mentioned in this p&sage as referring first ~reslirrection:  qn such the second death hath no
 to the sailits that are raised shortly before the millen- power, but they shall be priests of God and of .Chris&
 nium, to reign with Christ on the earth.."                   and shall reign with him a thousand years."
     c. The interpretation that these souls that reign           d.  I\Tor  is this explanation of "the first resurrec-
 with Christ during the thousand years are the de- tion? gainsaid by an appeal to the first part of vs. 5:
 parted saints in glory, before the resuyrection,  is not "But the rest of the dead lived pot until the thousand %
 contradicted -by the statement in the fifth verse : "This years were  fi&shed." To be sure, b$ "the rest of the
 is the first resurrection." The pronoun "this" refers dead" the wicked `are meant. `The statement, however,
`back to the statement in vs. 4 : "I saw the souls of that they lived not "until the thousand. years  we?e  -
 them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus. . . . finished"-dare not be completed by the addition: "and
 and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand then they,  too: shall live." For, first of all,  such an
 years.`> Hence, in this latter statement we have the addition is by no means implied or understood in the
 answer to the question: what .is the first resurrectiofi     text, no-more than in I Cor. 15: "for he must reign,.
 according to Rev. 20 :4, 5? The answer is: Th:e first till he -bath put all enemies under his feet," the idea
 resurrection is the state. of-glory of the -faithful be- is implied that, afier that, Christ shall reign no more.
 lievers `immediakely after death, and before the final Aad, secondly, it-cannot be, said that "the rest of the
 resurrection. The Bible speaks .of the resurr&tion in, dead" shall ever live. They shall be called out of their
 more than one sense. Thus, regeneration in its broad- graves; to be sure, and.tl&,  too, in the same hour in
 er sense is referred to as resurrection-froni  the dead, which the righteous shall be raised, but only unto the .
 as it actually is, in the words of Jesus :- "Verily, verily, resurrection'-of damn&ion, not unto the resurrection
 I say unto you, the hour is, coming arid now is, when of  Zfe. John 5  :28, 29. The text, therefore, simply
 the `dead shall hear- the voice of the Son of God ; and declares emphatically that the jest of, the dedd, that is
 they shall live." John 5:i5: The same resurrection the wicked, have no share in the glory of the first
 is meant in Eph; 5 :14 : "Wherefore he saith, .Awake resurrection  r already they are in the state of death.                .
 thou that sleepest and arise from the dead, arid Christ                                                     TX.  IH.  1'
 shall give thee light? In  Re?.  20:5, however, the                                       a             _  -
-"first resurrection" refers to the first entrance into
.,`the  state of sinless glory immediately after death. A
 resurrection this is, indeed, for the saints in Christ.        APPLICANTS   TO-OUR  THEOLOGICAL.SCHOOL`
 In that state they are delivered frbm sin and death,          ,Young  men whq beii&e .that they tire called to pre-
 from the world and- its  perse!ution, and they reign pare fey the Mrinistry of_God's Word and desire admit-
 vict6riously  with Christ in heaven. The  expr_ession        tance to our Theological School are requested to ap-
 "first  r&urrectic)n",   tl~erefore,  does not refer- to the pear  ,at the next meeting of the Theological  Schdol
 resurrection of the  saints as a. group,  that- will be Committee which will be held in the 1 First Protestant
 raised first, i.e. in distinction from the resufrection Refdrmed  Church of Grand Rapicis, Michigan, on the
 of the wicked that  will  b'e raised about a thousand e%ening of May 9. Applicants must present a certifi-
years afterward; as the Chiliast-has it; ,but to a stuge      date bf m&hbership and a recommendation from th.eir
 or  clegree of resurrection : the  ,resurrection   in@ the consistory  and a certificate of heash form a reputed
 sinless glory of heaven immediately after death will I;hysiciai.  For further information if needed, write
 be- followe$ by the resurrection of ;the body, which i? to our secretary,          -
 the "second resurrection".                                                  Rev: John A. Heys
          This is in harmony with the  me&ning of the  8x-                   1551 Wilson  A<e.,.S..  W., R. 5
 pression  "the second death" that occurs in verses 6                        Grand Rapids,  M.ichigan.
 and 14 of this same chapter of Revelation. It .is -clear
 from these  verses that by  "wand death" is  mea?t                                The Theological School Committee.
                            . .


                                   *THE  S:I`ANDARD  - B E A R E R '   _                                            347'
                                              _.
                                                             men d&void of eveiy manly virtue.
        -TE@ DAY OF SHAD(NVS                                     Doubtless Nahash was delighted that the elders
                                                             of Jabesh asked for seven days respit&,that  they might
                                                             send messengers into all the coasts of Israel with a
                                                             view to acquainting the tribes with the terrible plight
          Jabesh-Gilead  D e l i v e r e d   ' of Jabesh. There was not the .faintest ,doubt in his
                                                             depraved soul. that -the messengers would get no re-
     We have taken notice of the wickedness of Nahash, sponse. The appeal- -for. help having gone unheeded,
  the king of the Ammonit&. Invading Gilead, he laid the unwillingness of the nation to come to. the rescue
  siege. to Jabesh .eas$ of the, Jordan. Feeling certain of Jtibesh would be a proved fact.                    .
  that  they could expect no help  from their brethren          As Nahash had anticipated, the grievous message
  anywhere-their pessimism was justified ; the nation of the eiders of Jabesh fell oh .deaf fears. The people
  had rejected and forsaken the Lord and `therefore it of Israel,. held back- it must be &y fear of Nahash's
  lived in dread of the heathen-the Jabeshites decided: military might  `and by indifference  to the plight of
  io surrender.  But. what would the. Ammonite king do their brethren, failed. to bestir  ,themselves. This is
  to them once he had them, in his hands ? The men of not expressly stated, but, it is clearly indicated by-
  Jabesh were afraid, understanding, as they did, that Saul's threatening to hew in pieces the oxen of every
  the mercies of the godless are cyuel. So they tried to Israelite. that should not come aster him and- Samuel.
  bargain with Nahash. They said to him that if he Doubtless he was thus compelled to threateh the n&
  promised that he' would lift the siege and withdraw tion in order to get -action. The  reluctance, of the
  his troops and peacefully return to his own co&try,        people is further indicated bythe notice that the terror.
  they would own him as their master and pass under of the Lord fell upon the people as threatened by (Saul
  his yoke. This is the meaning of their. sayifig to him,    "and they came out *as one man." This cannot mean,
; "Make a covenant ,with us. and we will serve thee." _ as some interpreters have it, that the people'recqgnized
  Nahash. was quick to perceive the significance of that -the holy and.righteous. will ,of their covenant God and
  proposal. It meant that the tribes of Israel were un- were seized by a wholesome f eaT before-the Lord w.hich
  willing to risk going to war with him for the sake of led them to recognize the obligation to fulfil His com-
  their. distressed brethren. Ti1.e terrible shame of it! mand revealed through Saul atid were thus suddenly
  That was SIJahash's opportunity to make a spectacle of lifted up to a new spiritual life before God. Israel at
  the n&ion  bef&e the eyes of all the world.  H%e re- this time was carnal. In asking for a king it had
  solved to do just that. To-achi@ve  his aim he conceived reje>ted,  the Lord; and it persistently was refusing to
  the diabolical idea to put out all the right eyes of the confess this  gr,eat  &in. Besides, -according to- the
  m,en of Jabesh. Their being compelled to allow him Hebrew text it was not the fear (jaree) but the terser
 to do that ,to them-compelled because their brethren        (pachad) of the Lord that fell upon the people, an
  refused to come lto their. rescue:would brand Israel unwhole&me,  carnal fright, identical in its nature to
  reproba.ted  in the sight of all the nations. It was the terror by- which the wicked will be seized in the
  plainly Nahash's aim to disgrace Israel, to set it forth day. of judgment. It was a terror that the Spirit of
  a people. demoralized to the core.     For he wanted God awakened in them, and. its object was the Lord
  Israel's  Gods blasphemed. Those eyeless sockets  in the and His andinted, king Saul and Samuel. `The people
 faces of the men of Jabesh would betoken better than were suddenly made to tremble Z&O before Saul, .who
  anything else could that  `the people of Israel and after his election had returned to his home as un-.
  Israel's God were. devoid of every virtue. For they recognized by the people in his capacity of king, set
 would betoken, would those eyeless sockets, that the over them by the Lord. Some had revealed that they
Jehovah of the Hebrews was capable of leaving his despised him in their heart, because they judged that
 own devotees in the lurch wlien-they needed Him most, he was devoid of manly virtue, seeing that he  hid
 atid that His people were capable of a similar enorm-       himself among the stuff. Certainly all but a few
 iiy. Orie of two, the Lord lacked either the power or were indifferent toward-him.. The  n&ion was carrial.
 the will. to save. That such was Nahash's reasonings Its heart. was far from God. In despising Saul, the
 is. plain from his words, `QThat I may `thrust out -your Lord's own gift .to His people, it added to its guilt.
 right eyes, and lay it for a reproach-mark you, r-e-          ' When the men of  Gibeah,- where Saul dwelt, re-
 proach, scorn,  coritempt  (Hebrew, cherpah) -upon ceived the tidings of the plight of Jabesh, they were
 all Israel That ignominious mark; borne by the na- sore distressed for their brethren's sake. "And all
 tion ai put upon it by, Nahash, would express his titter the people lifted up their voices and wept". Further
  contempt  for th,e people of Israel and' at once justify than bewailing the lot of %heir brethrkn they went not... '
 in the eyes of the nations his low estim&iQn  of them. Coming in from the field, Saul inquired after the cause
 Fsr I$ would' expose them to the world as a nation of
           .,                                                of the people's ,grief,  and was told the tidings of the
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                                                                                           _
        3$3                                   THE  STANDARD`  BEARER

        eidel?s of Jabesh. -. Then we Tead, ".And the  iSpirit of came out as one-man and in that other notice that the
        God `came upon Saul when he heard these tidings, and "Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those
       his anger was kindled greatly." It was not the anger tidings and `his anger was kindled greatly."
        of kpiritu,al  love `that kindled in Saul's bosom, but ihe                         _-                          G. M:O.
       kind of wrath that takes its rise  .in  /the flesh and
        ends-  <n man. Saul was furious beyond words, not  -
       because Nahash was striking at God but because the
        people that he wanted to disgrace were Israelites.
       `Besides, especially the Jabeshites were likely to have                                                    0
        a warm place in Saul's heart. For, as was stated,
       the men .of Jabesh had taken no part in- that terrible
       war of the tribes against Benjamin-a war in which                     I  CHURC-H  POLITY
        Benjamin had suffered near-extinction. That the
-.      Jabeshites had taken no part in- that w&r perhaps also
        explains the weeping of. theGibeonites.  These people Dr, 9. Ridderlbo~ and The 80(0 Zeros
        were Benjamites.              b
           Saul  and his-men to the number of three hundred              We saw that Article 79 as interpreted in- the light
      and thirty thousand marched against Nahash. And of the Church Order (not in the light of that. iniagin:
        the Lord gave-victory for iHis name's sake. His repu- ary handbook) ;. very actually declares that the Con-
        tation  was at stake here. The people of Israel had sistory or& shall depose office bearers. Let- us. now
        rejected. Him their invisible redeemer-I&g, and they return to Art. 85 (84 of our Revised Church Order)
        were approving that great sin by their persistent <m- and see ,that this article sets fo& & identical teach-
 -      penitence. Could the fiord love and save such a people? ing. "No Church shall in any way lord it over other
        That question now had been answered fully. Though churches, no Minister over- other Ministers, No Elder
        the nation deserved to perish at the hands of its ene- or Deacon over. other, Elders or Deacons." So the
        mies, the Lord gave them a human king to save them article reads. The fathei-s  of Dort did not insert into
        also otit of the hand of Nahash. The battle was fought. the article a clause explaining just what t-hat action
        l'he Ammonites were -slain. They which remained is whereby the one church lords it over other churches
        were scattered, so that  twb of them-  were not left and one Minister, Elder, or Deacon over other Mipis-
        together.  .But the victory was the  Lord's.  He had ters, Elders, or Deacons. For in this article they `were
        riskn, and  IlZis enemies  were scattered.     They fled striking at that conception of church government
        before Him. As smoke is driven away, so He had embodied in the Roman hierarchy ; and they- mast have
        driven them away. Just because the people .of Israel felt. certain thatthis would be understood by all ; an.d
        had rejected Him and in consequence thereof were so it`is. ds to the Roman hierarchy, it was (and still
        enveloped by the. cloud of  His anger-they groaned is, of course) an imposing structure. Its foundation
 \      under the. oppression of foreign dominions-fi,e  gave was the lower clergy, the presbyters or priests and the
        them a king; His purpose being to deliver them from deacons (who did whatever preaching there was done
      - His own wrath. As  tb Israel's war with  Hahash, the in those days) of the local churches. Its apex was the
        human impulses under which it was fought was not `yope  of Rome. The  intermediate  officers were the
        faith ir, the Lord but the natural, carnal wrath of a bishops and the archbishops. As to the bishops of
        human king and the natural dread of- a people f& this         lowest rank-there were  ranks among--them-each had
       -king. For Israel, being carnal could exercise no faith charge of a number of churches over which he ruled as
        in God. It had rejected Him without repenting. But a superior officer sirith mandatory power-mark you,
        also tiiti carnal %&ath, sympathy and dread of carnal -mandatory power. For- this reason historians have
        men are in God`s hands and are thus included in the given him the name  "monarchial bishop". That  -the
        things--+  ithings-that work together for good to -Roman bishop was and still is such an officer is sim-
        them that love God, the true Israel, but ah Israel by ply a fact that no. student of Church History denies
        nature dead in sin as `well `as the others and in that but that Rev. Gerrit Hoeksema sees fit to cover up.
      death hating and rejecting God.  -It was this Israel, He writes (brochure p.  79),  `"We must explain the
        lthe Israel -according to the election of grace, that the z&icle (84) historically. The Roman Catholic Church
        Lord loved and f&r whose sake !He sent deliverance presented many sorry examples of the evil to whi6h
        even by the hand- of a carnal Saul and the carnal this article refers.                   The larger churches  lorded  it
        Israel. He could. do that as the hearts of kings and over the smaller churches; the bishops of the larger
        all men are in His hands.' This is the truth cdniained        cities over the bishops `of the smaller towns." This
      ' in the notice that the terror of the Lord fel.1 upon the      is stating only a part  ,of the  .truth.         The- reverend
        people as threatened by their hyman king so that they should have added, "And the lowest ranking bishops.


                                     THE  S_2A`NDARb  B E A R E R
                                                                            \                                  349
 lorded it over the local churches with their presbyters article concerns also `the Claskis and Synod. As we
 and deacons."                                                 have seen, they reason this way, "If one Consistooyy
     We must indeed explain the article (84) historic- has nothing to say over the other, then also eight
 ally but in doing so we must allow the full light of hundred Consistories have nothing to  say over the
 history to fall upon it. Explaining the article historic- one Consistory. For 800 zeros must remain zeros, even
 ally, we perceive that its idea is this,, "No Consistory as organized, of course:--And  this precisely is what the
 .shal!. exalt itself as a superior officer with mandatory doctor. (Ridderbos) denies. IHis contention is  th&
 power Over other consistories  and their churches ; the a.s organized-mark you, as organizkd,the  800 zeros
 IVlinisters,  too, shall refrain from this sinful action have-a positive numerical value. Now this, `of course,
 with respect to their .colleagues and likewise the elders is as untrue as anything can be untrue. 800 zeros can
 and deacons, in order that there be no hierarchy have a positive  value only if they be prefixed by  &
 `among us." Thus, according' to this article, no Con- number, by a one or two or  three. Besides, zeros
sistory  may say to a number of other Consistories,            spell nothingness and therefore cannot be organized.
 "Thou shalt," or, "Thou shalt not," which means that But Dr. Riclderb&  seems to think that they Can; for he
 according to this article the  characte?  of the juris- writes, "And herewith is refuted that-whole argument
 diction of one Consistory over others, and of one Minis-      (of. the aggrieved) of `eight hundred times zero is  -
 ter qver others and of one Elder or Deacon over tither        zero.' The doctor certainly is mistaken.
 Elders and Deacons is advisorz~ and not manclatory.              Let  us state the matter concretely by speaking in
 And this implies, of Ccourse,.  that one Consistory ma.y terms of Consistory and  Classis -(Synod).  ~ As was
 not extend its key-power over a number of other said, a Consistory, any Consistory, is not a superior
 Consistories to'depose any or all of them, should there officer with mandatory power  over other Consistories.
 be need of such action.                                       Th?s is .a point that no one disputes. All are agreed
    `That this is indeed the idea of ,A.rt. 84 is admitted that: it is the plain teaching of Art. 84, thus agreed
 also by Dr. Ridderbos.  :He writes (does he not?),            that the one  Consistor&-the  x-i's zero as far as its
                                                               right to exercise mandatory power over other  con-
      `?f the one. church appropriates such authority sistories is concerned. Now, if this is true, if with
      over the other, then that is `lording it over';. but resp.ect  to the other Consistories with their churches,
      if the churches assemble in major assemblies, the mandatory power of a Consistory, any ,Consistory,
      they are rightfully entitled. to this power." (K.erk- is zero, then certainly 800 such powerles% Consistories
      scheuriag,, p. 23).                                      are devoid of power to rule oyer other  Consistori'&
     The original of this translation is found in  The-        (it would be `absurd to maintain the contrary, wouldn't
 S.tanda.rd  Bearer for April 1,. Tn this excerpt the doc- it) even as organized in  Classis (Synod). Now this
 tor speaks of "this pow'er".  Th.e (power to which the precisely is what Dr. Ridflerbos  denies. His conten-
 dqctqr here has reference is the "mandatory" or "key- tion is  that  ns  organizecl into  Classiis (mark you, as
 power". Otherwise, the statement is meaningless. For- organized i-nto Ciassis or Synod the 800 poweriess  Con--
certainly to make itself  g.ui-ltp of "heerschappij  voe- sistorjes  do have key-power over another Consistory.
 ren", "lokding it over,"- t h i s is the sinful action that He maintains, in other words, that as organized, the.
 Art. 84 forbids-a  Cor&istory  must exalt itself as 600 zeros. have a positive. numerical value. That this
 superior officer with mandatory power over a number is actually the doctor's conception is plain from the
 of other Consistories. There is no other way. No following statement from his Kerkscheuring. "But :if
 one can conceive of another way. Power in the church the Churches (Consistories) assemble in major assem-
 is either mandatory as inclusive of key-power or ad- blies (Classis, Synod) they are entitled to this power."'
 visory. A  thi.rd kind of power there is not. And by             But certainly, 800 zeros-as zeros, mark you,-can-
 power I mean right (authority), the right to. command not be  an-ything else but zeros, even as organized.,
 and (or) to' advise.                                          Certainly, 800 powerless. Consistories-powerless in  -
    Let us now once more get before us. the contention their separate. existence with. respect to the other
 of the d&or with regard to, Art; 84. As has already' Consisttories-remain powerless, even as  orgatized.
 been explained in previous writings (and also proved It simply `can't be otherwise. Let me illustrate. An
 with quotations from the doctor's Xerksclieuring) it Elder has mandatory power over the congregation
is this : that what Art. 84 forbids is.s,imply  that a Con-    a.s the vicar of Christ and the Elder only. Thus as
 sistorz~  shall refrain from exalting itself as a superior far. as mandatory power is concerned the common
 officer with mandatory power over a number of ,C.on-          members are zeros.    (Now I trust that no one  will
 sistories: Whether also Classis (Synod). shall refrain misunderstand me in this statement). Let ten com-
--from- this action, the article (84) says nothing. As mon members in *the church organize. and they are
 we ha've seen, the Schilder group. are of a different still zeros though organized, that is, in their orga%nized
 conviction. They maintain.~that the prohibition of tie state they are not the Con&story  with key-power over


                                                                                  .

                                                                            -~
             r

   &`@,.  i
              _-                           T             H             E                         SrfAADAR*D-.  %EAREti  ..
                                                                                       -
   the  &&greg&ion,  the simple reason being that, not               :  Classis- is out of the  question."- ,( Brochure, p.
   being~&:off`iee,  they possess ho. such power separately:           46).
   Tti.  c&&ituti  as organized, the  Consistor.y,  each of
          - . . .                                                   - Notice the expression, "is  it a mere  federatidn?"
   the  `teti  must: .be an elder with key-bower over the The: question is  equivalenk to asking, `"Is it a mere
   church to begin `with. For zeros .as organized cannot Classis; that is, a number of local -churches federating
   possibly. be anything  else but a zero. And for. this on the-basis of the Church Order? If so, then deposi-
   ver$ reason ti hundred common' citizens. of. the' state tion of -Consistory by the Classis (Synod) is out ijf- the
  -.of @ichigaiz not in office do not tibnstitute a's orgawked Qes>ion;" Here the reverend affirms with emphasis
   the.st&e legislature. And again for ,this very reason that 800 zeros even `a$ organized possibly cannot be
   twen@five consistories in their separate existence-de-         anything else but a zero.             Had the reverend only
   i;bid of mandatory power with respect to one another, abided in this light and returned to the Church `Order
   do not as organize& into. Classis constitute ari' entity and its teaching, all would have been well. Bit the
   with mandatory power over the churches. This is sa& thing is -that he forsook the light when he address-
   Sim& impossible; for zeros even as orgnnizecl  cannot ed himself to t$e impossible task of proving that after
   be a&thing else-but a zero. -'                                 all 800 zeros can indeed be made to amount to some-
          Y'&,  m&velloi&  to say, Dr,  Ridderbos' .maint&ins     thing more **than a zero if we only take care to pro-
   thai?%his  is.  $<T well possible. He insists that a perly organize the zeros. For the reverend admits
   Classis  (Synod)  -is such a strange  phenomenofi,-an          and even affirms, again with emphasis, that in their
   ?&&nizat'ion of `zeFds t?&t constitute in their corporate separate existence the  consistolies indeed- have no
   &$&ity an' entity with key-power over the churches, maidatory power over one another and .that therefore
   th&an entity with power to rightfully depose office- the thing' to do is to organize them into the major/
   l$$ers.           But the doctor comes with no argument. consistories we calI Classis and Synod, and that these
   A11 h&d&es is to appeal to Art. 36 of the Church Order.        zeros as so ~ organized do have mandatory power over
   $% should not leave done that, for thereby he brings the local churches. So  he  qays. But as we saw
   the whole Church Order under a cloud and with it the           he. f ailed to tell.. :his readers how such a consistor-
   fattiers of  Dart: As if these fathers were capable ial.Classis is to be brought into being, in what way,
   .o!,%&orporating any' such strange teaching in &heir           by what specific act. The reverend -went no further
   Church Order.!'                                                than to say that it must be .done. But what I mean to
          The `Rev. Gerrit &oeksema  also appealed to Art.`36 bring out is that the reverend did not' abide in the  '
   of the Church Order- in support- of his. theory that l i g h t .
   Classis (Synod) rightfully deposes office-bearers; But             It also seemed to have dawned eon the late I&. H.
   $ie reverend did inore than this. IHe also came with Bouwman that 800 zeros even as organized into Classis
   argument and much of i,t. `For evidently he f,elt that         (Synod) cannot .be a&hi<& else but a zero. For as
   .&t.`% cannot be used as a proof-text for his theory.          we  saw  .in the attempt to prove the crooked thing
   It seems that this was not felt by d,octor .Bidderbos.         straight-the thing : deposition of office-bearers by
   Toy all. he did was to quote this article. But iiot so
   RgG.`G;"gdek                                                   Classis (,Eynod) -he came. with the strange, impossible
                       se&i. He'came with argument. knd from view that in a crisi$ as when there is neecl of a power
   his, argument it appears that in contradistinction to to depose. a rebellious ConGistory, all the Consistories
   Dr. Ridderbos,, he perceived, and, this must be said to transfer their key-poweL to the Classis (Synod) and
   li& credit certainly, that 800. zeros even as organized thereby bring it into being as a major Consistory with
   into Classis: (Synod) possibly  cannot be anything else k&y--power  to depose office-bearel;;s  ;. but, that, when the
   but a zero. Ige'even affirms this with  emljhasis  as I crisis is past, the key-powe?.reverts to the local Con-
   have proved ,with citations from his .brochure. Here sistqries, and the major Consistory is again a common
-  is-one  o f   them,.         _                                 Classis.  j
             "To get beyond that, to get combined consistory          Iii  `concl&ion. Since 8JJO zeros even as organized
             authority over the combined churches and oper can&bB be anything else but zero it follows that-Art.
            `each other you must unite +hese cc&stories into 84 of the Church Order very `actually declares Jhat
            :a large wh$e,"into  the large- corisistoki%% we call also  Classis "(Synod) shall refrain, from  .exalting it-
             CZassis and  ,!?ynod..  Then the  Classis' can ask self as'a superior' officer with mandatory power. over
             submission of the individual Consistory as a the Churches to depose their office-bearers, should
          member of the larger body. And only then can there be need of this action. It again means that Di.
    .I       you defend the right of the  Classis  tq depose a Rjdderbos  does  th$`Church Order violence  in  main-
    :  Consistory;,  .  .'  ,. The question is, what kind of a fainitig- that in Art. 36 it vests  the  Classis (Synod)
              `kerkverband' has been. established? Is it a mere with this power. For if the Church Order in  Art.
     federation? Then deposition- of  Con&stories.  by 84 and in Art. 79 as well declares that Classis (.Synod)


                                                             THE           ST-+NDARD BEARER                           -          -                      351
                                                                     -.
~ shall  pefrain from the exercise of that power-ma& here can keep 'up with them." This was writ&en so&e
          datory,-it follows that the "jurisdiction"  (zeggen- twenty-two years ago.                                                       .T )
                                                                                                                                           ._
          schap) of Art. -36 must.be,a.dvisdry  as to its Character              Why this  &&&  Gf conviction, if  a  co&iction it
          and not mandatory, that thus it is not the teaching of was?*. Dry H. E!otiwmaii stated, did &not, `that Zhe
          this Article that Classis (.Synod)  can rightfully depose opinion that a- Classis cannot .depose  a consistory, is
          o f f i c e - b e a r e r s .                                        .- unreformed and -at chrnljlete  Variance- with oldGr au-
                Jt is not So .long ago. that &e divines in the Gerefor- thorities on Church Polity. Didn't he know that when
          -meerde" churches of the  Net;herlands were `bitterly he  ;&ated also  .& professor  .that, from the  poilit of
          opposed to the view  .that, according to the  Chu& $iew of Reformed Church Polity,`d'e'position  of office-
          Order, Classis (#Synod) rightfully deposes office-bear- bearers by  Classis is  impo&il&.? That the  devines
          ers. Here is  the way they expressed themselves, .                    `a&oss the sea  chinged  .their conviction  metins that
                     Dr.  -I-I.  -H.  Kuyperj ".En dan .zij in the eerste now they have to be telling .themselves  that there was
     I            plaats opgemerkt, dat een Classis`of Synode niet a time that they  wele in  ,error. Are they  s'o  cei%ain
                  he! recht heeft zonder meer .om een kerkeraad of tllat  tlzey  ere not  :in error today?'
                                                                                                        .  I                                       r
                  een `zeker  aantal kerk&Y'aaclsleden ,uit huri atibt te           As was explained, the bishop in the .Ro;qal;l; C&holic
                  zetten.      Een dergelijke bischoppelijke `of  hiei- Commynioil  -was  .-a  superior  officer with  I&&&at@y
                 archische  machi komt  aan' de  rriegrdere   vergade-          power over the; seyer?l  churches placed in his .charge.
                 ringen niet toe."                          .~                  According to-the construction .that -Dr. Ridderbos  and
                                                                                              ._.  3
                     Translation : And theI< l&t.it  be remarked in the Rev; 5. Hoeksema `and others place. upori th&-`church
                  first place that a Classis or Synod `does not have            Order, definitely upon Art. -36, the, Classis, top, is a
                  the right simply to depose from their office a Con- supefior officer or council with mandatory power-  over
                  sistory or a  c&&in numbes of  co&story   hem- the several local churches delegating to the cla,+ca!
                  hers.' To such an episcopal and hier@&ical' pow- assembly.                  The Rev.  Gerdt  HoekSema  `affirms  &his
                  er the major assemblies are not entitled. (De Re- with emphasis. This is the way he expresses  him-
                  formatie, Aprii 2, 1926).                                     .self in his brochure,
                     And Dr. van Lonkhpyzeil  `also quotes. the late                    "The .deeper  principle involved in thjs .dispute
                  Dr.  ;H. Bouwman to this effect: "Uw vraag of                       is whether  or no the consistory is: subject to the
                  ik o&t in mij,n colleges zou gezegd hebben dat een                 real governing authority df the major assemblies
                  Classis ken kerkeraad zou kunnen afzetten, be-                      (.Cladsis, SjTndd) ? `The latter question we an&e;
                  vreemt me  eenigszins.  -1k  herinner  me niet dit                  in  tl&!`affirmative.  . . . The big question is, who
                  ooit  te heljben  geleerd ;en  ik zdu  zegLgen dat dit
.                                                                                    must be ob,eyed.  . . .? It is the Classis and Synod
                  onmogelijl~  is."                                                  that consistory members promise obedience and
                     Translation: "Jour question if in my lectures I                  alivays  und,er penalty, in ease of refusal, to be
                  ever have said that a Classis can depose a Con-                     suspended. . . . According to this  system-the
                  sistory strikes me as somewhat strange. I do not                   federation idea-a ,Consistory is not-subordinate
                  recall.evei having taught this. And I would say                    to  Classis  .at all. "Het bestuur blijft altijd bij
                  that this `is impossible."                                          de kerkeraad". Such a Consistory can,. of cqurse,
                     Yet this same Dr. Bouwman could write' not                      impossibly renders itself .unworthy.  of office by
                  so many years later, "The opinion-that major as-                    refusing obedience to a body to which- it `is `s.yb-
          `.      semblies (Classis and Synod) cannot censure con-                                                                        . .
                                                                                      ordinate."
                  sistory members in the sense of excommunic'ation
                ' but only in. the sense of severing the denotiina-                . These sentences frdm the pen of the revellend,show
                  tional b&d or tie between theni and the recalci-              very plainly that in  his  vieti the Ciassis (Synod) is
                                                                                        `.
                  trant consistory, must be rejected ai unreformed a superior officer  or council with mandatory  power
                  .ancl at complete variance with what our Reformed over the churches. Fey according to. the reverend, the
                  synods and our Canons (authorities .on e&lesia&               consistories must obey Classis (Synod) and thus are
                  tical law) have taught. (Gel%f.  Kerkrecht, D. 11,            subordinate to -them even under penalty, iti `case of
                  Bladz. 73).                   .     V"                        l"efusal,- to be suspended. Will the Rev. G. Hoek&ma
                                                                                or Dr. .Ridderbos or any of the others make plain the
                The above quotations with the exception of the                   difference  betiveen the nionarchial  b+hop of  :the
          last one are from.  `the brochure of the' Rev. G. Hoek-               Roman Catholic Church and their  Classis (Synod):;
          sema. Also the -following from this booklet, "`The de- make plain the essentidl  difference'between  that sys-
          position of a consist&y was considered a terrible act tem -of Church Government embodied in the Ron&i
          of hierarchy. . . . the authorities in- the Netherlands hierarchy and their system?
          are changing their .views faster than their disciples                                                             1         -.  G.M,  0.
                                                                                                                _.

                                           -


                                                Thti  s%iNrjskb  iti*,Re#
      352                 __

                                                                        ' dep  hem&n.  Eei-st,   zien we  clan het machtig  blauwe
                    S&ON'S  ZANGEN                                        %an h@t firmament  en fluisteren van de eeuwige trixiw
                                                                           Gods. +Ook zegt de 8011, dat God de zonne der gerechtig-
                                                                          hej$ is, of  be$er,  dat  Jezus  Christus onze Zon is:  -Hij
                                J&ova .Ik!geert                           zal genade en e&e  geven I En de maan is DDE: Heilige
                                                                           Shrift, want zij  ontvangt  al haar  licht  vaxde  Zen.
                          `(Psalm  97;  Tweedk  Deel)                     En als de Zon aan den hemel staat, v'erbleekt de maan;
                                                                          dan hebben we cle maan niet meer van noode.  De ster-
 ,             Jehova regeert: dat; zoo zagen we, was de hoofd- ren in  me'nigte  vertell@n ons van het volk,  -dat  door
      gedachte van dezen kostelijken  psalm. Deze psalm is Gods  gereehtigheid  schoon zal  worden.  En  6eel lang
      echt theologisch: het draait, alles om God en bet be: geleden hoorde  ik de  kinderen  zingen:  IHeer,.  ik  hoop
      zingt Zijn wondere werken.                                          van  rijken  zeggn! Ze iongen dan van een regen die
               De hemelen verkondigen Zijne gerechtigheid, en nederdaalde, en  aan `t einde  kwam  6at  klaagiijk  vra-
_- alle volken zien Zijne eer.                                            gen : .D1-opp'len vallen ook van mij, ook op mij ! De
               Er zijn drie hemelen : eerst he! blauwe firmament ; rege.n en de  zonnestralen zijn de symboliek van de
      dan de sterrenhemel;  en ten derde, d,e heinel der heme- gaven vaii Gods genade.
      leii.                                                                   Maar, tweedens, zien wij Gods gerechigheid  en eer
          Tlr denk, dat dit vers. de eerste twee bezinit. Het ifi de hemelen, omdat zij type zijn van de hemel der
      verband schijnt dit .de-leeren.       Daar gaat het-immers, hemelen. Zoo die eerste hemelen, namelijk, -die der
      over ,de aarde, de wereid, de eilanden, de b,ergen,  de sterren en die. van het blauwe firmament, over ons
      wolken en de donkerheid. Ook zegt het tweede ,deel,                 hoofd  uitgespamien zijn, zoo zal God over ons hoofd
      bat aile volken iijn -eer zien. Welnu, alle- volken heb- uitspannen dien d&de hemel, iri den eeuwigheidsdag
      ben de derde hemelen nooit gezien. En wij zien die van  Christus  jezus." Dan komt  er: een aarde, maar
      hemelen alleen m& het oog des geioofs.                              661~ een heniel waarin pure gerechtigheid woo& hou
               Het is geen gemakkelijke vraag om op te`lossen wa_t. de dichter daaraah ,gedacht hebben bij zijn orgeleni.i7
      di_t vers bedoelt te zeggen. We zulien het probeeren. .                 In elk geval `is er een machtige  sprake in die hetie-
               Misschien doelt  de Heilige Geest op het'feit, dat de len die we nu iien, des daags en des nachts. I Wie kan
      hemeleli,  dat is het b1auw.e  gewelf men de sterren-, met die hemelen zien en niet weggmelten in aanbidding ban
      zon en maan, tezamen het goede voor de schepselen                    Gods gerechtigheid? Elken morgen zien we-naar bet
      werken.  `transit die  hemelen   k&nt-veel  en veelerlei. O&ten,  en,  jai  daar  komt. de  ~011  weer.  Elken  avbnd
      Als ik. wist wat de-..geleerden weten, die de hemelen iien  %ve  weep, en  jaj  daaY  ga`at ze onder. De  gelker-
      doorvorscht -hebbea, clan zou ik beter kunnen schrijven             d& zeggen,ons,  dat `onze kalender op de sterren r&t.
      over deze dingen< Dit  weten we, dat  onze  dagen en Ze zeggen 66k, dat zij uit kunnen rekenen hoe `tie he&e1
      nachten,  maandea- en jaargetijden, door de  hemel&                 @r uit zal  zien  .ino  jaren  vari  pu. 11~  kaii  .het  ljest
      geregeel:d worden.  En, tweedens, dat warmte en nat- gelooven.  -God is  recht:  Hij  valt  noDit  tegefi.  Ndoit
      tigheid, groei  e!l vruchhbaarheid ook vanuit de hemelen Foept  Hij van den  hemel:   -"Ik heb Mij  vanni&en
      ons  .toekomen.   Zij zijn de knechten van Jehova die vergist : Mijn zon kwam even .te last op !" Alled is
      bet goede  werken voor mensch en beest... In alle lan- recht :. het beantwoordt  aaB den  ma'atstaf   vari  pet
      den ziet met gedurig naar die hemelen op. In  don- .waarlijk  goede.                     Die niet  aanbidt bij het iien  pn
      keren nacht tuurt de zeeman naar. de sterren ; en als                Gods gerechtigheid in de hemeleh is een dwaas.              I
      men op alle  schepen' de  j'uiste tijd wil hebben, dan                  Daarom  volgt hier op:  Beschaanid  moeten  weben
      "schiet men de zon", zoo het hee$. Maar ook alle land- allen die de beelden  dienen, die  zich op afgoden  ibe-
 lieden- in &le landen zien gedurig na.ar die hemelen 6p,                 roemen ; buigt a neder voor Hem, alle gij goden !. .$;
      eh sommigen hunner verbinden  de hemellichamen aan ' Beschaamd word& en zijri is een trreeselijk  ding.
      het natte, het heete, het  vruchtbaar&makende,  enz. . Eigenlijk is het een voorsmaak van -de hel.                               /
- Ze zien  naa$ den  hemel, `wrijven  zich. de  handen,`  eli                 Beschaamd `wordt men als bet niet uitkonit. Z,eg,
' zeggen, welvoldaan: morgen  komt er regen!                              ge hebt op afgoden betrouwt en hen toege?oepen,i  al
               En het .is alles zoo recht, zoo Goddelijk-recht!           rol,emende:  gij zijt mijn god, u zal ik !&en,  veu'hogen
         Wat  zquden wij, stakkerds,  doen  zandep  regelmaat             Uwe majesteit ! En  zeg, dat ge voor  God  kotit /die
van.  d&gen en maanden en  jar.en en getijden?  WBt waarlijk God is! Wat een ontgoocheling ! Waar aijn
      moesten wij doen, zonder de regen en de verwanriende                Uvri  @den?  W%aF is  de  roe& en  +r,  wa& is  bw
      stralen der zon ?                                                   VFO~~W en  kindj  5irSr  iS  UW  goud en  zilver ? IBet
               D&h voor ons zit er nog iets diqser in dezen tekst. war& alle Schiliztiepj  ze hadden ge& b&stand: ze kin-
      Als we hier hooren zingen va.n Gods gerechtigheid in d& Uvir a;finti iiel tiooit  redden van~het verderf. het
      de hemelen, en van de eer ,Gods in die lichtjaren van               beschaainde  l%kefi  iullen staan  allen die de  afgo$en
      het  groote   heelal,  -dan  denken  wij  aan  cl@  symbol_iek eep aalideden.                -_                                .jI
                                                       _a          q                                                                        /


                                     .   TriE  S T A N D A R D   .BEARE.R                                                                               353

      Beschaamd, dubbel bescliamend,  ~1s we geleefd den, Gods in de, natutir opvingen, en oncler `de y Chris-
 bebben onder het geklank van een booclschap  di,e van- tenen die het gepredikte Woord hoorden, en tech ver-
  uit de -he&@ del' hemelen kwam. De heidenen zull& loren                                            _" .                               .                  i
                                                                         iijn   gegaafi..' 

 ' beschaamd worden  als ze God zien, want Hij zal tot                Maar die hoc&den zooals er in den tekst-staai,  die
  hen zeggen : Mijn kracht en Goddelijkheid was getoond zijn  n'aar den  hemel gegaan.  Wapt er staat, dat zij
 elken dag en elken nacht in den hemel die zich welfde            hoorden  .en  aich  uerblijd,  hebb!en!.   `D,+araan kunt ge
  boven Uw arme hoofd ; doch gij hebt U gebogen voor het kind Gods kennen. Als het van God geboren kind
, hetgeen g&en God was., Doch als we gehoord hebben               Gods de  sprdke van Zijn  Go!  opvangt,  hetiij in de
  van Hem die op aarde Goddelijke antwoprden- gaf, natuur of in de .kerk, dan springt hij op van vkeugde.
  dan zal het ,een dubbele beschaming zijn.                       Dat Woord is  -+jn al. Van  dsit Wodrd  lbeft hij  ens
      Daarom : Buigt u neder voor Hem, alle gij goden !           groeit hij  ;  vati  d&t' Woord  drinkt  hij  en'  wordt.  `hij
   Wie  zijn dat? Wie zijn  goden?  Is.er meer  .dan verkwikt.                      Er wierd een  Fontein,  geopend te  Jerti-
&5n  G o d ?                                                      ialeni tegen de, zonde en de'ongerechtigheid en sitids-
      We1 neen ! Er is &!n. God, maar er ,is .een soort           &en zijn zij-  gaan  diinken.  tin  `drinkende  zijn' pij
  inenschen die dien naam van god  dragen,  doch dan opgesprongen  `3an yreugd& Ja, het zijn de iSi&ieten
  moet ge bet inet een kleifi,e  letter schrijven. Het zijn en de doch&ren  tati J'er.uialem. Sion is de ,berg Gods
  de menschen  die het hoogste  menschelijke  ambt be- en  Jeruzalem.  is  d6  shad des  .grodtei Konings. `Sion
  kleden  op  atirde. De Bijbel noemt de  richters  der is' de ,beFg  Gods; .&w.z:, de verhooging der gezakte en
  aarde goden. Daarom zeide de Heere ,ook tot Mozes :             vex+jektti  a&de.' `En  JeTuzalem  .is de stad die naar
  Gij zult een god zijn:tot Fargo  -en Aarbn  .zal .U aijn den  ~heiel gegaan  iS  bij  de. hemelvaart  v&n Jezus.
  tot een profeet.                                . . . `_        Paulus heeft vele j&en geleden gezegd : .zij is. ons aller
      En waarom?                                                  tio'ed&.'           ,,'                `,              "                               i
      `Omdat er  niets.  ho0ger.s te  denken  valt  ob  aarde,        Het vepblijd  iijn en het yerheugd worden:is  iv&-!
  dan voor zijn broeders te &aan ,en hun rechtzaak te wege de oordelen  Gods,.  zegt de tekst.  IHoe zit dat?
  richten. Dat is een vooruitgrijpen op den oordeelsdag.              fiat zit  266 :  wk  hadden.  het immers over de  ge-
      En dat soort  menschen, namelijk ,de hoogste klasse rechtigheid van den  regeerenden   Rechker  Jehqva?
  van menschen,worden  hier toegeroepen, dat zij buigen D+ar  ,@qgt deze  .d+hter  tech van? Welnu, dezelfde
  moeten ! Stelt het U voor.:' zij die op aarde .retil%moe-       gerechtigheid Gods die :vanuit de hemelen rpept en die
  ten spreken, in Gods naam, zij die Edel&htbaren,;ge-            door Sion gehqord wordt,  dordeelt de goddeloozen.
  naamd worden,.  moeteri  goed beseffen, dat zij' :slec,l$s      David had getiondigd,  ioo zeide Nathan; voor God en
  op die r&hterstroom zitten om een plaatje te.zf$n dan poor de  zon, En de  verlqren  zoon zeide: Ik heb  ge-
  Jezus Christus, de Rechter  de? hemels en der `a&de.            zdndigd tegen deli h'emel en voor U ! Overal waar God
      En d&t de Heere hen aanspreekt en. .nie+.;de:  lagere       spreekt,.  daar-wo?dt  de  godde1ooshei.d  bestraft.   Z'elfs
  klassen van menschen, ziet op. het feit, idat ,.l&t hier Uw maal eten en het kussen `w&arop  ge slaapt zal U
  immers gaat  eve? den regeerden  Jehov%h. En ook verdoemen,  als  &e  in  ongerechtigheid  leeft. Is het U
  bier op, dat indien zij  zich  moeten.  buigen,  zeker de nooit overkomen, dat ge v&wege wroeging niet eten
  anderen ingesloten zijn. Ja, zeker, de geheele' aa?de                       ..
                                                                  kondet ? Dat alles U tegeti was? Dat, komt van ,den                                                .
  buige zich voor Hem die op den troon zit en het lam ! bordeelenden *God!                                      . .           '
   .- Nu is ,er 6Bn volk, dat deze boodschap hoort en teu'            Maar als ge reiht'staat  voor God, &in is gerechtig:
  harte neemt,  en dat 66ne volk is Sion! Ook moogt ge heid en-de sprake der gerechtigheid U`tot groote blijd-
  nu, in het Nieuwe Testament zeggen: de kerk,. want schap! /Hoe zalig is het volk. . . . !
  Sion is de kerk  `eri de kerk is Sion.  Siofi?s zangen,             Want Gij, `Heere,  zijt de Allerhodgste over de ge-
  zijn  onze zangen vandaag.                                      heele-  aa?de,  Gij  &jt zeer hoog  Gerheven  boven  alle
      Siofi heeft het gehoord en het heeft zich verbiijd, goden ! .
 ,en de- dochteren van Juda hebben- zich verheugd van-            "  Ziet'&het,hiet?' Ge kunt  niet' bij  Gods wegloopen!
  wege Uwe obrdeelen, o (Heere!              '                    Overal is God  bow&n  lkuerheven!   Hij is immers  ,de
  . `:." Ziedaar Uw rijkdom!                                      Allerhoogste?
  -'  0,  als ge  sletihts lioort naar de sprake  Gods,:`d$n         Gaat ntiar de diepten der aarde : daar ,ziet ge God !
  is alles wel. Ge .moogt  dan honger en kommer ke&eii;              Beddet ge U in de hel-? Obk daar is God !
  ge moogt vervolgd en gehaat  worden;  ge  .moo&`~`t&            `I,  ,De..*diepten  der  kblktin en de  hoogten der  bergen
  midden. van ongeketide  smart den laatstei? a&m uit- zijn Zijne.
  blazen : het .is -goed..    Die sprake  d2hSC  Beeren  hoort        Er blijft slechts  &n wijs  ding`.`oirer' voor ons te
  is zalig.           / .                                         doen I Valt in het &of en aandidt H&m die leeft tot in
     .Dit hooren  van den  tekst is niet maar  h`et bloote        alle eeuwigheid. Uw hart zB1 dan.v'oorts   popelen van
 3opvatigen  ian klanken  id het  gehoorvlies.  . 0 neen.         hemelyhe  bli jdscyhap.                       God.  ,te mogen  pfijizen is de,
  Err zijn er millioenefi, beide de..+i`ctenefi  die  de woore    &amef!               /                        -.i'                         `.    G     .                V:
                                                                                              .


354                                              ,THE  STA&bARb  BEARER

                                                                        must do him go-od all the days of your life-here in this
            \               .Iti  H I S   F E A R                       world. If he do you evil you may not take revenge,
                                                                        if he curses, you must bless, if he smites you on one
                                                                        cheek you must turn to him the other also. You must
                                                                        seek.his  welfare, not his downfall.
       The Gospel and Our Social Life                                      Such is our sanctification.
                                                                          : If, however, you complain that such conduct on
                                Reformed Sociology.' *                  your part would not improve your social or economic
                                                                        situation, Scripture would teach you its sociology by
            Sociology is the science which deals with the, laws, telling you that it is not interested very much in those'
and principles that control our relation to the neigh- matters, it IS interested in your sanctification.
bour.                                                                      To love, always to  ,love, for God's sake  to. love.
                 The Bible is no text book on `sociology, but Scrip-    Never to hate. Never to take revenge, never to take
ture certainly enunciates the laws and principles ac-
cording to which we must conduct ourselves towards up arms against a neighbor in order to trample him
                                                                        under your feet. Always to seek your neighbors wel-
the neighbor, whether in the sphere of marriage, eco-                   fare, even at the expense of your own. A conduct in
nomics, politics or labor and industry.                                 which greatness is measured in terms `of service and
                 I would first like to emphasize again that Scrip- L~nselfishness .
ture addresses itself, not to a mankind in general,                        A very other-worldly system of sociology. In terms
but to the saints? as they are principally redeemed in of dollars and cents it will bring you little success.
Christ and now walk in sanctification.                                     Perhaps you would rather go back to Egypt. In
                 Then there. are principles which underlie this Egypt, in the bondage of corruption, man and wife
sanctification-process in the midst of this world.
       f                                .                               `quarrel, they get a divorce and they seek other mates.'
                                                                        There they engage in class struggles, they take part
                                  Sow& Principles. .                    in strikes. . . .a11 calculated to improve their social
                                        LOVE.                           and economic position. Therein, if someone strikes
                 First of all we have the Second Table of the Law, you on your cheek, you hit back with both fists, there,
inseparably joined to the first table.                                  in Egypt, they think only in terms of own advantage,
                                                                        and, with Cain, they kill the man that gets in their
                 It comes to them concerning whom ,God says: "I way. Perhaps you prefer Egypt and her sociology.
am.`the Lord your- God who brought you out of the                           But no, we are delivered from Egypt.
land of Egypt out of the house of bondage".  What-                          Delivered by the love of God.
ever kind of sociology they have in Egypt, however                          And we begin to practise  love toward our neighbor.
they may conduct themselves in- Egypt, you have been                        Reformed sociology begins with love.
,clelivered  out of that bondage and you are become my                      How shall we teach you any sociology therefore if
%wn private and personal property.                                      you have not the love of God -shed abroad in your
        "`For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath heart?
appeared".                    It `teaches us to deny ungodliness and
worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly
in this present world.                                       -_                               B~EKNIBs.
       -Thus also the Second Table of the Law comes to us                   In Egypt success is measured in terms of how much
as those who are principly redeemed out of the bond-                    power you can wield and how much influence you
age of sin, and now shall live in the world as saints- can bring to bear.
of the most high God.                                                       But to us who are redeemed- out of Egypt comes
        -And as redeemed saints our lives must move in the - the word that the Meek shall inherit the earth.                        .,
direction of sanctification. We are not justified by                        Nothing seems more ridiculous than meekness,
the deeds of the Law, but-we most certainly attain especially in today's economic unrest, will get us any-
sanctification in the way of the obedience of the Law. - where. And it .will not, if your goal is to get as much
.Hence then, when Scripture deals with matters which ' of this world's goods as you can. `If our purpose is
 pertain .to our -social life, its primary purpose is to                merely the things of this world, or if it is merely
 instruct and to `guide the saints concerning their sancti-` economic improvement we seek, I doubt .whether  meek-
 fication while they sojourn in this world.                             ness will prove of any advantage. Rather it will make
                 If then we love `God, we shall- love our neighbor.     you seem foolish, and your very conduct. is liable to
                 Your neighbor is the person with whom you come invite abuse.
 into constant. contact.
                      ".                                                    Perhaps you want to go back to Egypt' again for:
. .              You may not hate him, nor do him evil, but you         your lessons in sociology. There they have a social


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                           355
                                         .           _ .._..  _  .^._  .__  c___  .._  ._.  .,  ,..  __..
science of their own. The man with the biggest mouth,                      Christ most perfectly represent,ed  the`cause of God                    .
with the most muscle and the most power on his side             in this world. He sought no other causes. Never, .
wins.      There  prid,e and selfishness motivate man's never was He interested in parties or cliques, move-
conduct.                                                        ments or enterprises of men. {He sought not a little
     But no, we have been delivered. We are redeemed. cause of His own. He ever championed the Cause of
We are saints. j                                                God.
     Blessed are the meek.                                                 So much so that He was "hated without a cause".
     And cursed are you when`you are not meek.                             Wherever you see Him, whenever you hear Him
     God's precepts on -sociology do not form a book He was busy with, as He said, "I do always those
along side of many other books. God curses. ,every things which please the Father".
science and philosophy- which man imagines, but He                In championing the Cause of the Father  ,He was
blesses them who walk in His ways.                              willing to lose everything. Because He perfectly repre-
                                                                 sented the Cause of God He was hated, despised, `spit
                         G O D L I N E S S .                     upon and buffeted.
     The grace of God that bringeth salvation  bath                        His sociology certainly was that  IHe was in this
appeared. It teaches us to deny ungodlinessand world- world with no other purpose that to represent and to
ly lusts and to live soberly, righteously and godly in champion the Cause of His Father.
this present world.                                                        And why are we here?
     Godliness.                                                    If we are here only to seek our own benefit, to
  -.In Egypt they are-ungodly. Their so-called culture bring as much into our pockets as we can, to suck as                                             _
and refinement is ungodly. Their social relationships much enjoyment out of-life as ever possible, we are
are based upon ungodliness. . What care they about carnal. We live in Egypt. There everyone seeks him-
God, about what God says or what God thinks of their             self and his own petty cause. Therefore their social
`conduct.` Their philosophy is that there is no God. ,_          life is full of .greed,  -envy and murder, and therefore
     Shall our social conduct be controlled by the philo- they claw at each other's throats.
sophy that there is no `God?                                               But we have been redeemed through Christ, and
     No, we ,have been delivered out of the house `of having been brought into His Covenant, we realize
bondage. We not only know that God is, we not only that our primary calling. in this world is not to have
reverence and fear Him for what IHe is, but we also              a little cause of our -own, which we will press to the
find,it our enjoyment to do those things which are well          limit if that seems to become necessary, but that we
pleasing unto God. That is godliness.                            represent the Cause of God over against this world
     ,Our Lord, Who. went before us out of Egypt (be- which denies Him. And- pressing that Cause, we be
cause God called His Son out of Egypt), Himself said ready to give up all our own causes, if that become
repeatedly that He did ALWAYS those things which necessary. ,                                                                           r
were pleasing to His Father. That is genuine godli-                        Difficult lessons? Yes.  `Yet."His  yoke:is  easy: .  ."
.:iess.                                                                                                                  `..
     If we should come to the world with this Social                                         (To be continued) .
Science and read. to her a few of these first lessons,                                                                     "' M. G.          .T
what would she do? The question has been answered..
Look, yonder stands the Cross of our Lord. He was
crucified because He was godly..  ,He was the ONE
Person Who was godly, perfectly godly. And because
He was godly  He'was universally rejected of men.                                              IN MEMORIAM
The world hath no place for godliness. Which makes                         The Ladies Aid of the Holland Protestant Reformed Church                          .
it all th,e more necessary that we teach this' godliness wishes to express its sympathy with our fellow-member, Mrs.
in social relationships. And not only must' we read              Wm.  Dykstra; since it pleased the Lord to take unto Himself
them a few lessons of it, we must practise  it.                 .&er son,
                                                                   i ._                       _  R O N A L D
                   FRIENDS   OF  CHRIST .       .                on April 4, 1947, at the age of 10 years. Our prayer is that
     Christ stood in the midst of this world. He. said, -God may comfort and strengthen the bereaved family.
"I came not of myself, my,Father.  sent me", and again,                    "And we know that all -things work together for good to
 "I seek ,not my own glory but the honor of !Him that            t)hem  that love God, to them who are the called according to
sent Me", and "I speak not of myself, what My Father             his p,urpoae."-Roma.ns  8 :28.
commanded me, that speak I", and, "I came not to.do                                                    Mrs. W. Hofman, President
my own will but the will of Him that sent Me".                                                         Mrs. M. Jipping, Secretary.


       3%                                                                                  ` - T H E   STANDARD  BEARER
                                                                                                                                          ..-              \
                                                                                                                            permeated- the message of Moses in the land of Moab.
                           FROM HOLY  WkIT ,  '                                                                                 In ,this passage we also hear, in clear and unmis-
                                                                                                                            takeable language: Come unto Me all ye that labor
                                                                                                                            and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. The
                                                                                                                            yoke that is easy and the burden that is light are in
                     0. T.eQuot&iotis in the-N. !I'. .I . . . this passage proclaimed by Moses. Christ'is-the warp
                                                                                                                            and woof of this passage. Let there- be no mistake
                             `.~
                           (continuation on  .Romans  19': 5-8) , .`,                                                       a b o u t   that.1                              _
                  The question that engaged our attention in our                                                                Oh, it is true, -there are passages, in this message
       former article at its conclusion ought to be kept rather of Moses to Israel, when taken by themselves, which
       clearly in mind.                                                                                                     seem to have much more 
                                                                                                                                     .                    of- the thunder of the wrath
                  We were interested, ih the &itrast drawn by the of .God in them, than of saving and redeeming mercy,
       apostle Paul in  Romans,  10  :5%. .  '                                                                              We' have but to call to `mind such expressions as "the
             What was this sharp'and important contrast?                                                         a          curse set before thee", chapter  30:1, and "all the
                  It is the.contrast  of what `Moses writes" and .what                                                      curses that  ,are written in this, book" to see that
       is~"righteous&ss which'is by faith, confesses.":                                                                     Moses. indeed also touches upon the' reality of the
                                                                                                                               `i
                  What. "Mosyes writes" is the' principle of the law.                                                       awful  curse'of  the. law and of the terror of Sinai's
       It is the standard of works ; works that a .man must majesty. Indeed, there,are  elements here which caused
     -  clo in order  to  be saved, to  have-  life.  According to                                                          even Moses to say: I exceedingly fear and tremble.
       this dealing of ,God with man, only. the man who per- Heb. 12 :21.
       fectly keeps all .the `commandments- has life. He who                                                                 He, who'is really in doubt about the awful majesty
       fails in the least falls hope\essIy and irrevocably under of God's law in this message, of the "curse", which
       the curse..' For' thus ~`Moses writes" : cursed is every Moses places before Israel, had better read Deut. 2'7 :28
       one that does not remain in all that is written in the and 28 :lff. It is these curses, that Moses refers $0
       book of the law  to, do it.  Lev."  18,:5; Deut.  27:26.                                                             in Deut. 29, when he speaks of "all the curses that
                                                                                                                                                                           :.
       Where this law is, this standard of works is applied are written in this book."
       and maintained there is not hope, there is no way out!                                                                _, Pray, what are these curses? --
                  That is one-side of the contrast as drawn by-Paul.                                                            We quote as follows: No one when. he- reads. the
                  The-other side is thh prin.ciple  of grace. It is the "words of this, curse" shall bless himself in his heart,
       principle of being saved by grace,: out of faith, and,                                                               saying, "I shall have peace, though  I, walk in the
       even this latter, is not of the believer. It is the gift imagination of mine heart, to  ~add drunkenness' to
       of God. Here no man shall boast before God. It is the thirst.                                                                      The Lord will not  .spare him, but then the
      . law written in fhe heart. It is spiritual circumcision, anger of the Lord and His jealousy shall smoke against
       acutting away of the old and hard heart. It is a turn- that man, and all the curses that are .written in this,
       ing unto God to love Him alone and to Iove IHim wholly.                                                              book shall lie upon, and the Lprd shall blot out his
       And that all' of sovereignly free grace !                                                 -,         :               name from under heaven." Chapter 29 :19, 20.                   -
                  The contrast is, therefore, that of works of man;                                                             Again we read,in similar vein, in idem,  verses 23-28
       or the grace of  God; It is either-or. If it is out of as' follows: "And that whole land is brimstone and. s.alt
       works it `is no more of grace ; otherwise work is no burning, that is not sovyn, nor beareth, nor any,grass
       more work. And if it be out of grace it is not more groweth therein, like the overthrow `of Sodom. .and
                                                               `.
       of works ; otherwise grace is no more grace.                                                                         Gomorrah, Admah and .Zeboim,  which the Lord over-
                  It is the contrast that maintains the truth of the                                                        threw in, His ang.er,  and in His wrath ! Even all na-
       Gospel !                                                                .,                      a  j  `yp? tions shall says, -Wherefore hath the .Lord  done thus
                                                                                                                      ,I
                  Paul's thesis here is : Salvation is solely of the                                                        unto this land? `What mean&h  the:heat  of this great
\      Lord. It never was  anything'but.this.  For Christ is anger'?                                                                      Then  "men shall, says. Because they have
       t h e   encZ  o f   t h e   l a w   !'                                   `,                                          forsaken the covenant of the` Lord "God of their fathers
                                                                                                                            which He, made with them -when (He brought them.
                  This is the simple, yet, fundamental truth of the forth out of the .land of Egypt: For .t.hey went and
       Gospel with which we are here dealing. ,Let us keep' served other -Gods, and .worshipped  them, gods whom
     this  in,mind!,                            ,,                                         -.                               they knew not,  and_ whom He `had not given unto
                     :                    ./            :                                                                   them : And the anger of the*Lord` was kindled`against
                                                .$     :I:           `.&.             *
       '     .               .'
                                    .     .                                                                                 this land, to .bring upon it all the' curses that;are writ:
                  It' is our conviction, that, in Rom. 10 :5-8, the ten  in  this  book".                                                                       -                .-
       Apostle is giving the sense of the .Holy Spirit in Deut.                                                                 Certainly, herein we do` not hear the joyful sound
       30 :12-14. He does not merely give his own free ren- of the glad gospel-tidings, someone'may venture to say !
       dering. IHe gives us `the truth of the Gospel, as this                                                                   To this we heartily agree.            :
                                                                                                                                                  I-


                  .

                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEARER                                                                                 357

     But let us  not forget, that Moses does  ,not only -world, was not to Abraham, or to  his seed,, through the
 speak he& of the ."curse",  the curses of the L&w writ- law, but  through the  righteoudneds  of faith.  For if
 feti iti `this book. I    --                                          they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void,
     Moses`l&e  &d place& the "blessing" before Israel. and the promise made of none effect. Because the
    `l?a& is, that this blessing;. this positively entering law worketh wrath: for where no la& is, there is no
 i`nto  the Covenant of  Gbd, is the very  aim of  Moses'. transgression."                         *.  1  *.  *; .  I  j  _L_ __  ,..I .          I.
 ddd$%s. -                                                                    Here are the two alternatives : law or the Promise !
     Listen  to the  `follotiing from:  Gases mouth:` "Ye              a: `.I* is.:~ krath ivhere`the  Law works !
                                                                       I
 st&nd'tl&' day. all of you before the Lord your God ;                        Moreoveti,  it is : grcbce  where &it% and the .Prom-                                 .
 your captains of your tribes, your elders,  and your ise is.
 off&%, with all the men of Israel, you'd little ones,
  ._. . . .  ,.-'                                                             In the light: of' these' observations,  it is our con-
 your wives and the stranger that is in thy camp, from Siction, that when' Moses call& to mind the "curses, that
 t&e ki&er'. of wood unto the drawer of water ; that are -written in this book" it is not that he would at all
 thou shouldest enter intd Covenant with the Lord thy &gge& the `possibility of Israel's fulfilling the lath by
  G&l, and ifit6 His `oath; Wliich the Lord thy God maketh thei? own native endeavors.
 !Vith `the.6 th& day : .fliat' Be may establish-thee today                  ., If this tiere the c&e, all we read in the writings of
 f&r- &people untd hinisklf, and that He may be unto Paul, concerning the righteousness Iof God without
 thee a God, &`He hath'stiid unto thee, and ai He'hath works of lath that we have done, would be cbntradicted
 stiorti unto fhhy fathers, td Abraham; to Isaac and to here by n/roses. The-law, .mere law without grace, al-
 `Jacob." . -                                          -.
                                                 ,.          i     :_I ways works wrath. It is always condemnation. The
     "Neitlier with  yo.u only do I make this  `cc&-%$ l&v. brings sinfill. man into hell. .It cannot deliver the
  and this 06th; but with him that standeth here with "inner. The  law- is weak because of  sin. It only and
  Us-.this' day before the Lord our' God, `and also -with always condemns apart from the Promise, apart from
 hi:m:t&at  `is not here with' us this day. . . ."                     Christ on the Accursed Tree!
    What `must we say of this latter quotation?                               What is Moses!  purpose, in callirig  attention to the
     To b&gin with, we can say, that this entire exhorta- law ?
 tion of Moses to Isr$el, .telling them to: enter `into the                  It is  twofol.d-. First of all, Israel of all ages, both
  Covenant, the Xovenant made with Abraham, Isaac in the New Testament and the Old Testament .Dispen-
 and Jacob; presupposes the gospel tidings. Israel must satiqns, must.,know,  that God always judges every man
 not enOer into their own efforts to work the works of                 according to his.,wo_rks.  He `never lets go of IHis law. _
 the law, but Israel must enter into the work of God's                 He will  surely'maintain it. This law of  God,*  as the
  great redemption of  ISrae and. enter into the  r,est.               expression of God's will for  our lives, has beenclearly
 As keirs bf thq promise they have the word of Promise,                revealed to us, The "secret things belong unto the
plus the immutable oath of God. Into this they must. Lord our God ; but' those things that are .&vealed  be-
  enter  in, in a new obedience of faith and trust.                    long unto. us and'.to our children f&ever, that we-may
   Surely Israel is told by Moses here to do something.                do all the, words of this law." De@. 29 :29. Of course,
  They must enter into God's covenant and have fellow- it is uqdgrstoqd',. that to CZO all the words of this-law,
  ship with ,God, walking in the light as He is in the is.not the same -as merit salvation by works of law that
 light.      :  -                                                      we have done.., But. of this .we need here say no more.
     Tb'e .que$iop,.  the real `issue is not whether Israel `i'o this we callz'd.  attention above.
must.do  something $0 escape the curse of God's law.                          Secondly, Moses calls attention to this law and
     `That Israel must do something is outside of debate. the doing of it  becaube it is  iti the keeping of the                                               .
  But what `must-  Isrnel do according to the Word commandments i.e. in the curse of the law that guilty
  of God. in Deut. -29 and 30?                                         sinners -find redemption.                    Israel, the  whole church
     Mu& Israel here -in being obedient to God's law of God of all ages; passes through the curses of the
  seek to establish her own righteousness, or must slie law to come to -the promise ; they m&t pass through
  look for the Promised redemption in the wonder of hell to get. to heaven. Zion is surely redeemed. She
  Grace3 which --$@ will, in th,e fulness of times, work in is- redeemed through justice. God hath shut up all
 the dead and resurrection of Jesus Christ?                            under sin, under the curse of- the- law, that there He
    We answer.: most emphatically Israel must do the, might show forth the.&ondrous  greatness of His sover-
 ]att&+.                .' .                                           eign. love           and. mercy !                        -     -     -.
     Only thus- understood can the truth, that Abraham                        Grace .in the midst of- wyath Moses- preaches in
 is by virtue of the Promise the heiy of the world, come Moab's plains.. .  -  -,  ..
 to its  lawn.-   _ .                 . .  -                                rc God is not:far -from-His people under the law.
     Far this Paul &tes the matter in Romans .4 : 13-15 :                     Grace and mercy dwell at IHi:s right hand.                          :
   "Fol*. the promise that he should be the heir of the                           .._       .-_
             _ .  :.                                                               :  -.                                                   G. L:
                                                                                                                           -
                                                                                                              --


              $58                                         THE  STANDAreD  B E A R E R

              b                                                                and according to-usage in the Reformed Churches, we
                               i'~RMXlP.E                               ,- have also  in.cluded,  first, decisions by our  Classis
                                                                              (before:we  had Synods) and Synods, relative to some
                                                                             - articles of the Church Order, which decitiions we k&v2
                                                                               placed under the articles to which. they refer; second,
              Write  Yotir  CbngressmLa!!! . . . .                            the Constitutions of the standing committees of  -Synod ;
                     Important labor  legislation',is, or will soon be, third, `Rules ancl Regulations adopted by Classis and
              before both gouses of Congress.. Among the provisions Synods ; and, finally, Formulas in `use by OUT churrhes
              of the bill before the House of Representatives will be !or various purposes.
            a clause to ban the "closed shop". `It is expected that               "In the beginning of our existence as  separ-ate
              the Senate Comniittee will report its measure. soon Churches, when-the consistories of our churches met
              and also include this, provision-. We believe that all under  `the name of The  Comgined Consistories, `the ,
             of our readers are or should be, directly or indirectly,          Church  ~-Order of Dordrecht, edition Keegstra and
      .       interested, and concerned in this matter: Therefore,             Van  Dellen of 1915 (adopted by the Christian  Re-
              we urge you to write to your Representatives and formed Church in 1914) was adopted.  -In 1920  -the
              Senators to encourage them to support these measures ; Christian Reformed Church adopted an English trans-
            ~~~articularly  the provision to ban the "closed shop". lation  of* the Church  ,prder;  _which translation was
              We believe it is not necessary to point out the evils of adopted by our Synod of 1944.               At our last- Synod
              this anti-Christian and un-American practise.          ,Our      (1946) however,' changes were made as follows : the
              only purpose now is to emphasize the necessity of word "church" was changed to "churches" in  a'rticle
              jetting our voice be  h.eard  as we have opportunity.            86,  s&ond' instance;  and the  wbrd "consent" was
             `A personal letter to your Congressmen stating briefly changed to "advicej' id articles 76 and 7'7. The ground
              and precisely the reaspns  why you favor passage of. for this change  Tjvas  .given  3s follows: `the choice of
              such legislation is more effective thah an hundred _ the words indicated (that is, the singular "church" and
              form letters. Our Classis and Synods have written ; the word "consent")  reveals ,a  hierarchicat church
              but again, a personal note to your particular R,epre-           polity'. We might have added to this ground the ob-
              sent&tives and Senators means a great deal more to servation that;.namely, the translition  indicated. was a
              them than this formal action of our combined Churches.           corruption  `of the original Holland edition, instead of
                    At the time of this writing we are riot infornied a faithful translation.              -
              as to the number or names of the' bills, nor of their,              "And so we have our own p&lished edition of the
              detailed provisions. If at all possible mention them priceless Church Order of Dordrecht!
              by number and name when writing ; but the important                 "It is pur humble prayer that the only King of the
              thing is  TV  WRITE-iVOw Do it individually; in                  Church, our Lord Jesus Christ, bless our use of it unto
              your own words. It need not be a long  and  formal obedience of love in the praises and adoration of His
              affair but a simple statement of your views `and rea-            and our Father above, whose injunction resounds in
           s o n s .    This individual approach hasp been proven to the churches from age to age: `Let all things be done
              b& the most effective. Remember these men are our                decently and in order'. I Cor. 14:40.!'
              representatives and do take heed to the voice of .their                TlHE COMMITTE (OF SYNODS 1945 and 1946:
             .constituency.  Again, the important thing is to WRITE !                  ,              ~ Rey. Andrew Cammenga  `.
                                      : 1: *:  3:  :i;                                      i           Rev. Gerrit Vos.
`~                                                                                We were very much pleased with this little hand-
              A N.ew Publication. . . .                                       book of 83 pages and believe it to be indispensable to
              .     We recently received  a little booklet (handy pocket-      all our ministers and consistory-members. Nor is ,its
           size-)-  .published by our Churches-and  entitled  "`The value limited to, this particular group but it should
              Church IOrder of the Protestant Reformed Churches". find a wide circulation among'our  people generally.
              Here follows the brief preface of the booklet _ which The price of' $1 is within the reach of all-and a bar-
              declares its history and purpose:                               gain for everybody.
                   "In harmony with our mandate of Synod of 1946, :  .- We wish to.  cong&atulate   the- committee for  *its
              we hereby publish I'The Churc'h-Order of the Protest- efficient   atid splendid work. A detailed index  to the
            _ ant Reformed Churches" which name is (was;`.W.H.)               whole adds immeasurably to the little volume's value.
             lofficially adopted by our Synod of 1944.                        Copies may .be procured by writing to the Rev. GI Vos,
                     "As to the contents of thislittle @ok, y.ou--will  se: Edgerton;  Minnesota.. We  haye no idea how many
              that it contains more than the title indicates. In. har- have been printed but, undoubtedly, .the supply is.limit- .
              mony-with the decisions of the Synods of 1943-1946; ed. We would urge you to act soon to assure' procur-
                                             --


                                       -
      .  .  .  .    2                               c.T'HE  STANDARDS  B E A R E R                                            359 . .

  ing your copy ; bargains such as this are not to be had formity that reveals itself in all things. We, in  tlie
  every day. Please include remittance with your order. Netherlands, are just. the. opposite in this respect.
     ,bne closing retilark.  -If-our memory serves us cor- Whenever my neighbor builds `a house of a particular
  rectly,. it tias suggested at the la&t Synod that this style,. that alone is reason enough for *me to choose
  work might be bound in some loose-leaf form to facili- a radically .different  architectural form. Our women
  tate- the addition alld inclusion of decisions- and sup- never enjoy (vinden het nooit leuk) to wear exactly
  plements as they arise; ;. We--believe ihat this added the same dress as their ,friends,  and when, perchance,
  feature would have, be& worth the extra cost.                      one of our floor-lamps looks like that of one of our
                                                                     friends, it is sufficient reason to immediately put a
                                :i:         :i:  :i: *               different shade on ours, in order to suggest a bit of
                                                                     difference at least. (Brother, you  `still don't  know
                                                                     our American women ! W.H.) . . `One can understand
  Russia. . .  .OY. . . .The.Subtlety  of  the  Did. . . .           that this only contierns-  exteinalities  but it bears deeper
                                                                                            -
      A  Rdigious  N.ews   Sert)ice  dispatch from Moscow results.
  contailztid  the following : "The Commdnish Party must                Whenever one penetrates a bit deeper into this
  be `patient' with church-going members, but `it must Americanism, one comes to `the conclusion that this
  no!. cease to `proclaim- itself against religion.' The spirit of being~alike,  this cravipg for uniformity, gov-
  Yozbng Bolshevik, organ of the Central Committee bf erns the whole of American life in America. A
  the Young^Communist League, declared here in answer danger, that is also creeping into the reformed church-
  to a local group- which asked .how it should de31 with es. `And especially `so since .the Holland language is
  churchgoers in its ranks.                                          definitely being discarded and is no longer understood,
      "The magazine chided the group for having pi'o- .read or written by the young& generation. -
hibited members from going to church, and said that                      "There are already churches in the Christian Re-
  instead `it should have patiently explained the harm- formed .denoqination which, both. in .respect  to liturgy
  fulness of religious superstitioil  and helped `them -to sand preaching, are governed entirely by this American-
develop a scientific outlook'."                                      ism. I visited one of these Churches in Grand Rapids.
                                                                     There was found what might be called `deftige devotie'.
                                                                ,    (Her.e follows _a description of tke order of worship
                                                                     with which most of us are familiar and need not be
                                                                     included, also, since he returns to it again in a later
  .y. S. Views U. s.                                                 article and in greater detail. W.H.) All of these
                         (Continued from last issue)                 .things. would finally be made up for if the sermon were
                                                                     only ref armed.     In  or'der was an exposition of the
      "It indeed strikes a Netherlander, that in our owii            Catechism: `What do you understand by th.e  .Com-
  circles, I mean thereby  th.e  .circles of the reformed tiunion of Saints?' Beyond this mere statement there
 people  iin America, the  use of cheek and  iip rouge is was not much said out. of, or about the Catechism.
  very general. One finds this to be true- not only in The minister made a- distinction between `our' ChuVch
 i Grand Rapids and in qther cities but ,also in the smaller and `the Church'. Our Church is the institute com-
  and country areas. It is `an alniost general and com- posed of this  congregatioh but `the  ,Church'  was  the
  mon practi,se. I interpret this very unsavoury habit, invisib1.e church. Ancl according to him, the com-
  as another expression of the American passion  f6r munion of saints meant that latter church. To illus-
  uniformity. Young girls, still children, of 13 and i-4 trate' this, ati emotional picture was drawn of nuns
  years old al?eady begin to use it, and they consider tiho sat praying in a hospital before` a Protestant
  themselves very unfortunate if their parents fofbid it, minister, and more such examples.
  since all their young friends use it. It is the almost                 "It was on the first Sunday that I heard this `ser-
  unlimited power of the daily. press that governs also mon'. Not until later did I find how broadly and
  in this instance.                                                  cleeply almost the -whole Christian Reformed Church
  _ "The advertisements  are filled  .with suggestive in America is infested with this distorted idea of the
  propaganda, no romances or unfortunat&  love a.ffairs,             Church (kerkbegrip) . The reasoning is- as follows:
  if the lipstick is not of `the correct brand or. the liail         each denomination has a portion of the truth, also
  polish is  n& exactly the Fight shade. The  whole of among the Baptists and among the Methodists -and the
  America is enslaved by the press and its propaganda.               Presbyterians, there are many pious Christians. Ac-
  A large -firm, for example, may picture a ~whole  suite cording to this same aspect the expulsion  of. Rev,
  of furniture, include a powerful sales talk, alid no one Hoeksema and his followers is regarded.  Whenevbr
  is- satisfied until he also is in possession of this mass- one would argue that in that case, actually ho.wever,
  product.  ~That  again.  indfcat& the craving for  uni- the  kej, of the kingdom were applied, one received
                                       .


                                                                                                                                                                                                             -_
                                -__-                     ~~_____~  -                                                                                                                                               -
          :3X                       s-0           THE              .S'jiANDARj)                      BE&R.

          a look' as thouih the hearer s&w the waters of Niagara -etc.  Nd one considers, however, that this.  expulsion-
          streaming from. below upward  rath.e?  th$ii from above. .was an application of the key: power."
          downward. -Various ministers of the. Christian  Re-                                                                 (To be continued)
          formed .Cb.urch  with whom `I spoke copcerning  it, de-                                                                                                                     W. H.
       -.- ,clared~with$itt- hesitation that they-had grc.at respect-
                     . . .
        . for Rev. ;Htiek&ema  and- were sorry that he was ex-                                                                                                                ..,
          pelled,  bus ,t;he  action ;itself they did not .consider so =
          serious;, (erg-bad, evil,  W.H.).. Rev. Hoeksema  was.~+  :...  .>                                      -'
          child of G.od and did what he felt he rntisx do ; `he now,
          has hi%own church group among the many hundreds                                                                     CALL  T O   S Y N O D                                               I-
          of other groups in America, and that's one's privilege
          (en daar. he'eft men vrede `mee-the- end of the matter,                    :The -Consistory* of the Protestant Refoitied  Church
          peace for all ! _ How true- that they so desire td explain `. of South,  Holland, Illinois being..desigaated  as. ihe call-
       . it all. But  th_ere  is  11~~ peace in -wickedness.  W.H..)           ing Church by the last Synod, herewith notifies our
       ' And the article of the Apostle's Creed: `I believe in Churches that the Synod will meet in-South Holland on
          the Communion of  Sail&s' is in this way become a Wednesday; June 4, 1947. The. Pre-Synodical Prayer-
         .dead letter ; having been drafted to meet the desires -Service will be held 01% Tuesday evening at 7 :45, when
          of selfish flesh. (We hope we caught the sense of the -the-Rev. G. `Vos, presidelit of t&e last Sjrnocl will deliver`
          idiomatik expression here. The Holland is as followd:                the sermon.. _ _ %. -,
          naar de begeert&  van eigei vleesch getroken wissel,                                                   .            ;                     ' L. Bruinsma, Clerk.
                                                                              i_                _
          op dood spoor gereden.  W.IH.) This  comljlete  article
.--       of our cdnfession  of faith, ,wh$:h `is stfll read each Suti-
 .c?ay in the  Chkistian  Reformed Church in America,  .:
       :.-  and  to  which. `the -entire congregation. very. piously
         .stands  `to answer, has in this manner become an a$-,
          stractitin,  which is, practically, worthless. F o r   qne                                                               I N   M E M O R I A M
         &nay well say, and well preach. with .stirring stori&,                      The Consistory of the Cr&ton  Protesta& Reformed Church
         `t@t the communion of saints embraces all  denomina-  hereby wishes to express its .sympathy to our fellow elder,
          tions, but in praCtice they consider. all churches as $0             k. Visser, in the loss of his  l&other,                                                                                  .
         ,many  grdcery-shops   r and each group seeks to win
          the ctistomers  fou' `his? church. At .the place where' I            -s                                                   BERT VISSER                                                 .,                                 ^
          stay  tlze Christian  Reforr;?ed   Churclz   Stan&   llext   to.  >vh? passed away suddenly -at  Boyden,' Iowa. May the Lord our
          I&  J&formed   Church   ;  Which  his  ;111   .orthodox   llli&&r   CoGenant  God  c&fort  .,the `bereaved. .
         and a  holland congregation. But I have not yet  seen  :                         r.              _  ..  ..     __
          any exercise  of:  communion  of saints between the two                               '                                         R&.  Job_n   .D.  De  qo.n&, Pres.
                                                                                                                         -
          groups.                                                              `.                                                              P&l  Vanden   Engel,  Clerk.   -
                                                            . .                                                  ..1 .
                                                                                                     .                             1           -                                                                             -.
              "One -San understand,-to what a resultant depletion ,                                           I  -  _                     :                        ;                  ,,                                ~
       .of Church life this must lead. In  practise  one tears .  -'
          out the most important commandments from the law. `.,`.                                                                                                        _
                                                                                                     .
          That each one, who does not unite himself to the pur- -:- :..
          est manifestation of the Chuceh, .perpetrates  and serves             :    '               .                        IN  MEMCiRIAM.                                         -'
                                                                                                                                                                                                   _.
  .       idolatry (afgodsdienst  pleegt)  , is not understood in  :                                       _.                                  .
          &nerica.  Each one,  may, after all, be saved  ia- his  -                  The Men's  Soci&ty  -of the Holland  protestant-  Reformed
                                                                                                                                                                                           .
          own church. This leads to' a `lethargy. in the' church Church wishes to express  -its-  heart.felt  sympathy  witih  our
          life that works -deformation. I see this very ,clearly               fello,w-member,  Mr.  Wni.  Dyksira,   &-the  ,lo& of his son,
 -.       in $opnection with-the question of Rev. Hoeksema and                                                                           RONALD                  -.,                 1                  : .
          his  .fclldwers. The decrees of. the-  Synad of the Chris;  -                                           '
          tian,.Reformed  Church regarding the expulsion of th$ at the tender a@ of 10 Years. -May the God of all  grate  com-
          minister, so far as I have been able to go into it, (and f;rt and sustain- the bereaved family.
          I have already asked very many, because I was espec-                       "What shall we say then td these things ? JX. God be for
        ially interested in this case), find no response  (getin `us, who can be against us ? He  -tha.t.spared  not his own Son
          resonans-harmony,  W.H.) among the general member-                   but delivered him up for us all, bow shall he not wit.h  him also
          ship `(and .not even among various ministers). Men freely give us  all things ?,,-Romans  s .3i 32
                                                                                                                                                            ,       0.
          shrug their shoulders about it all and say: `Too bad
          that it happened; R&v. Hoeksema is-as reformed as can                                                                                Rev. W. Hqfman, President
          be, what .jealous$ among our profestiors and minister?, /                                                                      M. Jipping, Secretary.


