                VOLUME XXIII                              September 1, 194'7  - Grand Rapids,  Mich.                                      NUMBER 21

                                                                                              van alle  aardsche  dingen,  relati&,  toestanden; Jezus
                                           ITAT I                                             zeide, dat de  ding& van het eeuwige  Koninkrijk  ge-
                                                                                              schieden   door  gelijlreni?sen.  Dat is dok waar van de
                                                                                              deyr. Men kan het  zien in het feit,  dat Hij Zichzelf
                                                                                              "de Deur der  schapen'-'  noemt.
                             `s Hem&3 Geopende Dew                                               Johannes zag  in het tweede visioen een deur die
                                                                                              openstond, en we moesten daar  eigenlijk alle  dagen
                              "Na dezen zag ik, en zie, eene deur was geopend is              van  zingen,  doeh ik wil U  iets,zeggen.  v&n die  d,eur als
                              den hemkl;  en de e&ste  stem, die ik gehoord,  had als         gesloten, voor eeuwig gesloten. Denkt er  tech  aan, dat
                              eener bazuin met mij sprekende, zeide:  Kom  hier op,           een deur in den  hemel die geopend is, zoodat menschen
                              en Ik zal u tbonen  hetgeen na dezen geschieden                 er door zouden  gaati tot in de  hoigste heinelen toe, een
                              moet."                                 Openb.  4:l.             groot  mirakel is.
                  Een deur in  d.en  hemel !                                                     Want  d i e   demur  moest  eigenlijk  met  eefi  dibbel,
                                                                                              eeuwig  nachtslot vast zitten en  nooit meer  opengaan.
                    De  geheele Bijbel gewaagt van die deur, direkt of                        Zoo is de  toestand voor een natuurlijk mensch, den
                i n d i r e k t .                                            I           r
                                                                                     I  I!, zondaar,, het geheele geslacht van Adam  en Eva.
                    Zelfs in  bet vroege begin der historie hooren we van                        tHet eerste  na.chtslot  is de  gerechtigheid Gods.  Die       :.
                die  deur bij  itiplicatie. We hoorden van het  +mmig onkreukbire gerechtigheid gedoogt het niet dat  schul-
                lemmer eens zwaards, in de  handen van Cherubim die                           dige menschen in den  hemel  kotien$ De  poorten  der
                den weg bewaren van den boom des levens. Een deur                             gerechtigheid  sluitel2  ons  buiten voor  eeuwig. Later
                `waar Adam en Eva niet door mochten  gaan; Honderde                           `zal Johannes in verdeqe  visioenen gezegd  worden, dat          .'
                jaren  later  hebben. we gehuiverd bij het .lezen van een                     in bet hemelsche Jeruzalem niets  inkomen zal dat  -ont-
                deur die door den Heere toegesloten werd. Daar.ach'ter                        reinigt en gruwelijkheid dokt en  leugen'spreekt !  Da't
                die deur  was'Noach  veilig. Doch de goddeloozen  heb-                        ontr,einigende iets, hetwelk  gruwelijkheid doet, wordt
                ben  teve&eefs. op  di,e deur geklopt. Zou het daarom                         uit den  hemel  gebannen vanwege Gods gerechtigheid..
                zijn, dat er  zoo met nadruk staat: "En de Heere  sl6ot                           En het tweede nachtslot op den  hemel is. het harde
                achter hem toe"?                                                              hart van den  men&h. Hij wil niet naar den  hemel.
          -          Nog  late-r werd den tabernakel  vervaardigd, en er                      Hij is in het diepste hart gebonden, en slaaf van Satan c  -
                moest  e&n deur in die tent. En van zelf ook een deur                         en van zonde. De  h&nel is afsehuwelijk  voor den  ver-
                in  den.  lateren tempel  #Gods;                                              keerde. Als hi;' iets van God hoort, smaakt, ziet, dan
                     En als de  gei'nspireerde zanger  IsY'aeld den  over- roept  h>j het van  hart? uit : Wijk van mij,  10 God  !`want
                winnenden Koning der eere naar den  hemel ziet gaan,                          ik heb geen lust  aan Uwe  wegen !
                doet hij de Engelen Gods  roepen: Heft uwe  hoofden                           Maar. Johannes ziet de  hemel open staan.                 '
     .          op gij  poorten, en verheft u gij  eeuwige  deuren, opdat                         Dat is juist  het:tegenovergestelde van wat we  moch-
                `de Koning der e&e  inga?.                                                    ten  verwachten. Weet ge wat bij  ohzen  toeitand past
                     0 ja, de  hemel heeft een deur, deuren genoemd soms,                     van nature?  .1Het is dit : een geopend graf ! En dat is
               I en ook:  poorteli. . .         .,                                            het voorportaal  van de hel. Als  m&n een  gelooyige is,
                     Er zit  eeli  vreeselijke'sprake~in de  idee van de deur.                en bij een geopend graf staat,  dan werkt de geheiligde
                 Maar ook een liefelijke rede.  We iullen daar van                            verbeeldingskracbt soms  266,  dat we, als `t ware, de
                moeten  s p r e k e n .                                                       jammerklach~en. der  `god,deloozen hooren, opstijgende
                .  " Elke deur  bier  op  aarde is een preek. Dat  is waar                    tot in alle  eeuwigheid. En dat past  bij  or&.
                                                                                                                         .
                        _
~


                               .,
       482 .                                      % H E    !~TAND,AIZ:D                      B&R-ER
:                                                                z
       I+n  g e o p e n d e   hemel? Een  toegang  tot, de zalen            `Ziet ge, geliefde lezer, Jezus heeft het  verdiend om
     : van  puu?  geluk, onuitspsekelijke zaligheid, aapliggen           dien  hemel voor  qns te  ontsluit&. Dat zal. Johannes
     aan de  rivier Gods die vol waters  i,s  ?,. `t Is om tot in zoo aanstonds  6ncler  ,een-ander' beeld  getodixd  worden.
       alle  eeuwigbeid van te  zingen. En dat zullen we  doen.          Als  `er niemand was die de zegelen  ken,  verb?eker$ dan
              Hoe is  ldie  hemel  opengesclieurd? Wie heeft de  `gaat Johannes  bitterlijk weenen.  Doch  dan wordt hij
       sleutel gevonden? Hoe is het gekomen, dat die  gerech-            vertroost  door een ouderling,.  diti,`hem  bet heuglijke feit
       tigheid die buitensloot, genoeg gedaan is? Ik zou er              van Gods.  historic meldt : De  Leeuw van  Juda's stam
       gaarne een antwoord op hebben. En  v66r mij, eeuwen  lieeft overwonnen : het. boek  ztil  genom$n,.en de  ,zegelen
       geleden, hebben  vrorhe  .menschen  geklaagd -over een            irerbroken: En die  symbolische taal komt  toch immers
       hemel  .die  dicht' zat.  D&kt  slechts-  aan dien eenen          bier  qp neer : het Koninkrijk komt !  "  `.
       kreet van Jesaja: Och,  Gat Gij de hemelen scheurdet !                Ja, Jezus heeft den  kernel geopend.              .
       Dat Gij  nederkwaamt! Of  denkt  aan den  weenenden                  *Hij heeft de sleutel  XDavids: Hij sluit  enlniemand
       profeet die  kltiagde: Gij hebt U met eene wolk  &dekt,           opent: dat is  teg.en de verworpenen.
       zoodat er geen gebed  doorkwam.  --
              0, als we beseffen  wat eischen Gods  heiligheid en           En'Hij opent en niemand sluit : dat geldt den,  uit-
                                                                         verl~oornen
       Gods gerechtigheid  doen, dan kunnen  .we er niet bij,                           *
       dat die  hemel geopend is geworden.  shoe- is dat  tech  *            Evetiw&  denkt  er  aan : het opendoen van den  hemel
.ges&hied ?                                         (                    der zaligheden voor de  gekend.en,, beteekende voor  Hein
     . .      En-dat die  hemel nu open is, is  we1 duidelijk, want      om dbor het  voorportaal der  he1  `b&en te treden en.
      zelfs `onder het Oude Verbqnd  hoor  i'k.een van  verruk- de eeuwige smart van den dood te lijden. De Smarten
      king,  zingende  pro5eet  jubelen: Doet  -mij de  poorten          van Messias  spellen de geopende  aeur des  .herriels'voor
-  flyer gerechtigheid open, ik zal daardoor ingaap, ik zal              `Jf  mijn  breeder!
       d%n Heere loven ! Eerst had hij gezongen  :` Ik zal  ni'et           Moet ik dat aanschouwelijk voorstellen?
     .@%rven maar leven ! dus is  er hier eene  die door- het '             Zooeken  zeide ik, dat de geopende deuren en de
     ,geoyende graf heenging en  tech niet  --in de  he1  aan-           uitgebreide  armen van God wezenlijk hetzelfde zijn.
     .iapdde.  Wonderen, Gods  !'          . ,                             Welnu, gaat met mij  naar Hoofdschedelplaats!
              0,. gij  allk?  weet. het  antwoord: die geopende  deur       Let op dien Man die in  bet  midden hangt:  Zijn~
       is       eigenlijk Jezus, de        Heefe. .         -            armen-zijn uitgebreid, ik verzeker U, dat zij  uitgkbreid
            `11; ben de Deur  d.er schapen ; indien iemand door -zijn. Ze kunnen  o6k &et terug : er zitten lange  &erke
                                                                                                                                    ,r
     Nij `ingaat, die  ial  beholden  worden, en hij zal ingaan .spijkers door die  hand,palmen.
       en ui.tgaan,  -en weide -vinden.                                     Zuivere Gereformeerde theologie eischt,  c dat  we
              Daar zit een eeuwigheid van gedachten  achter. Ik          klein en  grobt inprenten, dat de mensch niets tot zijn
      ian er natuurlijk.niet tot  dooidringen. Ik kan er iets            zahgheid kan toedoen. Ik heb er niets op  tegen, maar
      vail zien, en hoe meer ik ervan zie, hoe meer  ik zing, ja,        iii  wilde U  tech  wijzen op een soort van meehelpen met
     qpspring  van vreugde.                 `.                           God : wij hebben die  armen op het kruis uitgebreid. Ik
              Jezus is de geopende deur.                                 denk hier  aan een versje, dat  lieflijk en waar is..:  - Ik
             11~ wil U  attent  fiaken'op een ander beeld : de  armen    da&t er niet  `aan,,.dat ik zelf door mijn  schuld Zijn
      `van Jezus uitgebreid om  Zijn schaapjes  t`e omarmen ,kroon  had gevlochten, Zijn  b&er gevuld..
      die tot Hem komen. Gij kunt  -bet  aanvoelen, .dat  dit'              0,  ja, we  gaan  zeker ten  hemel in,  maar het gaat
       dezelfde  idee is als de  detir, vooral als ge dan denkt  aan     &or het  Bleed,  dat  0 zoo goede  dingen spreekt,  .bete?
     de  poorten,  een  tweetal deuren die of openslaan en U -(la:  lxt  blQed van  bbel.                                                              .I
       inviteerefi binnen  te komen, of toeslaan en U een                   Zoo  zijn de  poorten der gerechtigheid opengedaan.
     &eeselijke weigering toeroepen.                                     En  mag die  arme,.en  tech zoo rijke Oud-Testamentische
              Armen van Jezus, uitgebreid om  .U te ontvangen,           zanger gerust  zingen:  Optsluit, ontsluit  vo& mijne
      te omarmen, zoodat ge kunt  zingen: Veilig in Jezus' schreden ,de poorten der gerechtighgid  ! Door deze zal
      ar.qen ! Een echo,  Nieuw-Testakentisch, van de  woor-' ik binnen  tred&  I Eti loven `s Heeren majesteit !  :
      den  van Mozes, bijna zijn laatste woorden: "en van                                                                                  . .
                                                                            Ziet ge die geopende  poorten?
      onderen eeuwige  armen!". Ook daar  armen van God.                                                                                     :
      Het qogpunt  ,een weinigje  atiders, want die  a&nen   zijg           J;?hanneg zag ze.  '  :  ..,,;.              ,.                       -
      d&r on&r ons. 1Het Volk wordt  dtia?  gezi&, als het                  En  fia dkzen zag ik en zie:  `een deur was. geopend .
      Icleine wicht, dat veilig is in de  armen  Gan  Moed.er die        in den  hemel!                                                   _  -
                                                                                                             .'
      onder  haa% zijn. Tech wezenlijk hetzelfde  als de deur,              Er zijn  er niet veel die zien wat Johannes zag. De
      de  poorten, de  armen van Jezus :  INGANC!  Ik DEN                natuixlijke  `mensch   is blind en hard  eq goddeloos..
      HEMEL  DER  ZALIGHEDEN.   _                                        Spreekt ge  t&h tot hem over die geopende deur,  dafi
              Want dat was het visioen dat volgt.  johannes heeft        moet ge  oppassen. I$j  haat  Go@ en alles,wat van `God
      bet voltooide Koninkrijk gezien, daar boven bij God  !             en Zijn  hemel  spreekt..


                                                  .Tk-E  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                                  483.

         L u i s t e r t   n a a r   Jezus:  Voorwaar,   v o o r w a a r ,   zeg 5  zijn' de  hemel der  zaligheden  #Gods, zij zijn een nieuwe
     16 U  :-  T,enzi.j dat iemand wederomgeboren worde, hij                             hemel en  een  nietiwe  .aarde.   :Daarom  zingt en  jubelt
     kan  bet-kon'irikrijk Gods  `niet  zi6n !            .- .                           daaralles.          m-L              (...(          .-
     Vreeselijke waarheid ! De natuurlijke menseh is                                       `EnnuT .           _,                   ..-
     blind voor de  dingen van  bet  geestelijke Koninkrijk.                                Die dingen,  getoond  aan- Johannes, zijn  ae:,  `t  komen.
         Daaroti  z&t  hij..de   .geopende   deuc ook-niet.                              gegaan. En zij komen nog.  Doch  `bet tempo wordt
         Het. neemt de Almachtige  kr$clit van den Heiligen                              al sneller. Het  @aat zoo snel het kan. Naar  bet  gloki-
     Geest  -om U dat gezicht op  die& Deur  te geven.                                   euze einde. Onze ziel  shzaeht   n%ar-het einde van die
       .. En Hij geeft  diell Geest alleen  a5n Zijn  van voor                           dingen.                                                     a..-+  "
                                                                                                                             *.
     den grondslag  `der  yereld gekenden.                        -                _         Wat wondere troost is in dit visioen!
         Johannes was er  66n  v&n.                                                          M& aangezichten die stralen van  blijdsbhap   sterven
      En hun totaliteit is als  ,het zand der iee.                                      ' we. Zelfs de  gedachte  aan dat geopende  g&f,  ti&g`eg
         Komhierop!.                    -~                   _                           of  ov&morgen,. kan die kalme, blijde  glitilach niet  `_
      Ziet ge den geopenden  hemel? Dan `hoort  ge ook                                   wegvagen. Ik behoef niet  me&r te vreezen voor dat
     het Woord van God. Die twee  gaafi samkn.                                     -     geopende  gr$f,  watir de  he1  achter ligt.
         Daarom  hoorde ook Johaimes de  stem die eerst tot i                                W a a r o m   n i e t   ?
     heti gesproken had, de stem van Hem wiens  verschijn-                                De  hemel is geopend.  De  poorten  der gerechtigheid
     ing ons  `gegeven  wordt in het eerste hoofdstuk.                        De         staan  wijd open. De  armen van Jezus iijn uitgebreid
     stern van- Jezus.                                                                   en Zijn  .lieflijke stem  weeiklinkt tot Zijn  schapen:
         De stem  weeiklinkt.als eener bazuin.                                           Kijmt  allen tot Mij en Ik zal U ruste  geven !
         De stem van God door Jezus  Christus  den Heere, is                                 En als ge de editie van  Mazes  .bemint, dan  ,ant-  '
     sterk, doordringend, helder en  klaajr. Want zij.  weer-                            wordt ge:  Zelfs nu,  te  midden  van de  Wilde  bee&en
     klinkt  a l s   e e n e r   b a z u i n .       -                  .     _          ben  ik veilig : van onderen zijn de eeuwige  armen  van
       Zoo is het met de eigendommelijke stem van God.                                   mijn God. Ik ben altijd veilig.' Wat er ook geschiedt
     Men streed  266  lang en  z&5 heftig- over de  roeping die                          met mij, alle  dingen  werk& mij ten goede, want ik
     ook het deel is van vele verworpenen. Sommige arme                                  vindt de liefde Gods in mijn hart  uitgestdrt  door den
     menschen dwaalden in dezen. Eigenlijk  maakten zij                                  Heilige Geest die mij is gegeven. Met  andere.woo?d&;.
nooit de onderscheiding  tusschen   inwendig,e   en.-  uit- ik ben eigenlijk al in den  hemel, want mijn  IHoofd is  '
     wendig&,,roeping.  Ze waakten( ?) voor een te  groote                               daar,  ,en waar het  iHoofd,  is zal ook het  lichaam'  @jn.
     vernedeiing van den mensch.                                                         Elke schrede  brerigt  mij  nader tot het Huis van  -mijn
         Maar de stem als die eener bazuin hier, is de stem                              Vader.. .
'  ;a? Jezus die altijd  gehoord  en- gehoorzaamd wordt.                                  I En wij zien de' heerlijkheden.
     Zonder ook maar  66% uitzondering door de  eeu&en   heen.                               Paulus  zal ons hier onderwijzen: Maar wij zien
     Jezus zegt  tieryoudig  vari die  roeping  :`Mijne sehapen Jezus met eer  ,en heerlijkheid  gekroond !
     hooren Mijne stem en zij volgen Mij !                                                   En  elken Sabbat  komen.Zijn dienaren en  roepen ons
         Die  roeplng hebben we ook hier. Johannes  dacht                                toe: Troost U!      Troost   U !   W a n t   U w   strijd `i s   volf  -
     er niet  aan om te weigeren hooger op te komen.                                     streden! Komt hier op ! We  zullen U toonen de  din-
         Kom hier op !  -En liij  gin& in  deix geest.  Anders                           gen van het voltooide Koninkrijk  waarnaar ge  ver-
     kan het niet. Het koninkrijk is geestelijk pan aard en                              langt. En we zullen verhalen van Uw deel met  God!-
     wezen.                   .                                                             En zij zijn gekomen met  hoopen om te  luigteren,
         Ik zal U toonen!                                                                te  zingen, te jubelen.
         Jezus zal Johannes laten zien de  dingen  v& het  vol-                              Hier op aarde reeds : en ze begonnen  vroolijk  te zijn.
_ tooide Koninkrijk. Dat zijn  .de  cingen die  baast   ge-                                  Daarom hebben we  vr$de,  zelfs  lx-  midden van
     schieden  moeten.                                                                   wereld  oorlogefi  en  wanqeer `de  vreeselijke  dingen  .ge;.              ;
         lHet zijn dezelfde  dingeil' die in het Boekske staan,                          schieden. Al de verschrikkelijke  dingen die geschieden
     bet  Boel@ke dat op de-hand van Hem lag die op den                                  en nog  geschiederi zullen zijn immers  niet  atiders dan
     troon zat.                                                                          hetgene ons al voor eeuwen getoond is door Jezus  ?`
         Straks neemt.  Jezus  dat boek uit de  harid van God,                              ,.Let  er`op: al de ellende,  sqar.t, en groote lijden dat
     o&dat Hij  recht heeft en  macht om-de  dingen  yan het                             kwam, nu is en komen zal,. zit  onlosmakelijk  *Bt  aan
     kom'ende  KoninkY'ijk te doen gebeuren. Hij.zal zegelen                             de yoltooiing  van het heerlijke Koninkrijk. En  als,ons
     verscheuren, bazuinen  doeti weerklinken-  eli  fiblen van ;bloed, tranen en ons lij'den, zijn dierbaar  in,Zijn oog.  _
     toorn Gods  doen  uitstoiteteh   &&de hoofdep  d6r  godde-                             -`En.alle  deze  dingen zijn uit God  !. De open dkuren, _
     looien.                                                                             Jezus  aan `t kruis, de komende  zalighedeq, de lof des
      "  `* En met en door  alle  die  di&enkon&  het Koninkrijk  !
     . .                                                                                 Hekren : ze zijn  allen de openbaring van Zijn van liefde
-        En het voltooide  Koninkrijk  -wordt in dit gezicht                             kloppend hart!                 )
door Jezus  aati Johannes getoond. Hoofdstukken 4 en                                                                                 ,l .    G.  V .


  484                                                                                      T H E                   STANDARD._~~~AREIZ.

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                                               --                                                                                                 three rubrics: Meditations, Editorials and  *Our  Doc-
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                                                                                                                                                           This staff meeting was held July 24th and -the
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                                     *                 -  CONTFNTS   -                                                                            was appointed for `the rubric  Medi.tations   ; 2. The Rev.
                                                                                                                                                  H. Veldman was appointed to  fill'the rubric Our Doc-
MEDITATION  :-                                                                       c                                                            trine ; 3. The undersigned was appointed to write the
`s HEMELS GEOPENDE DEUR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..*......  48i                          Editoriais, it being understood, however, that the
         Rev. G. Vos.                                                                                                                             Doekes' controversy shall be held. in abeyance until
                                                                                                                                                  the hoped  ,for recovery of our editor-in-chief ; and that,
EDITORIALS  :-                                                                                                                                    meanwhile, the Rev.  Doekes' articles shall be published
SUBSTITUTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  1, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 484 in the Standard Bearer, together with their translation
INTOLERANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . q . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 485 in English (will  the. Rev.  Doekes kindly take note of
CQRRESPON-DENICE WITH THE NETHERLANDS . . . . . . . . . ...486                                                                                    this?)  ;.4. It was further decided to retain  .this year's
         Rev. G. Vos.                                                                                                                             schedule for all other rubrics, both as to the material
                                                                                                                                                  and the contributors, for the following year. The list
OUR DOCTRINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  / . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  ..I . . . . . . . . . 488app.ears on page 495, Vol. 22 of the Standard Bearer  ;
         Rev. H. Veldman.                                                                                                                         and 5. It is further understood that, according to the
                                                                                                                                                editor's wishes, when he again feels capable of taking
THE LORD SAVES ISRAEL , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 492       up any of his rubrics, he-may do so at any time simply
         Rev. G. M. Ophoff.                                                                                                                       by informing the substitute for any department.
DEN HEERE DIENEN MET BUIJDSCHAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  i . . . . . . . 495                                                              Allow me to assure our readers that I have accepted
         Rev. G. Vos.                                                                                                 :                           this position with mingled feelings of trepidation and
                                                                                                                                                  trust in God. However, to explain this state of mind
NEW PSALTERS _.............................I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :: . . . . . l.... 49,8 and heart'is neither edifying nor necessary. `This state
IN HIS FEAR . . . . . . . . . `..........,....l".....~.......;  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i . . . . . . . . . . . . 499 of affairs is thrust upon us by the hand of God Him-
         Rev. J. A. Heys.                                        .                                                                                self, and therefore, we will carry on. After all, it is
                                                                                                                                                  His business which we are attending to in our Stan-'
FROM HOLY. WRIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  ~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 501 dard  B,earer..
         Rev. G. Lubbers                                                                                                                                 .I would close this introductory editorial with the
                                                                                                                                                  expressed wish and prayer that I may soon receive-
PERISCOPE (Contribution) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.; .*.................................. 503                                       word, from him who is  stiil  our Editor: You may be
         Rev. J. Howerzyl.                                                                                                                        excused from this task !  1. am able to resume my
                                                                                                                                                  labors !


                                                    TH%  STANDAfib  BEARtiR                                                                    485,
---- -.-.- - -_ _ .__-_--.-  .-. -...- ?_
       And : may the Lord -deal kindly with him and give                    sistories in the Christian Reformed Churches will  not-
l&grace to bear his cross ! This visitation `is nothing                     ask the brethren to' preach for them, seeing there, is
bu,t adorable wisdom'!                        _ .                           no sisterly connection between their churches. Rut they
                                                              _G. V.        are  .even forbidden to. speak! And that is rank intoler-
P..S. From the very nature of the case, the  .article                       ance. The  ,Christian Reformed Churches ought to hear
appearing in the Christian Labor Herald of July, 194'7,                     the other side too. 3. `The visiting brethren are dog-
directed to the Rev.  1H. H., must also  -wait` until the                   matically closer to the majority in the Christian Re-
Lord will graciously restore him. ,                                         formed Churches' than the other side. It is a matter
                                                                            of common knowledge that the great majority of the
                                                                            leaders of the liberated churches are  `Heynsian in
                                                                            their conception of the covenant and related mat-.
                     Intolerance'                                           ters.           Well, that is the view which is prevalent in the
                                                                            Christian  R,eformed  circles today. By far the major-
       ,The following announcement appeared in  The Ban-                    ity of the officiating ministry in those churches were
ner of August 8th:                                                          trained by Prof. Heyns, and-the late Professor's views
                                                                            were never condemned, officially or otherwise.                     T h i s   `-
                    CONSISTORIES , A TTENTION !                             action  .by the Synodical Committee, therefore, is a
           Reliable sources of information state that'                      grave injustice to the late Professor's memory and
         Prof. Dr. K. Schilder and Rev. D. Van Dyk                          work. 4; We will be glad to give the brethren a hear-
         expect to arrive in our country some time in                       ing, and that `in spite of the fact that we are opposed.
         the month of August to engage in- preaching                        to their views on the covenant and related matters.
         and in speaking engagements to provide in-                         First, because we are really interested in them and
` .- formation as to the schism which-occurred in                           their struggle. We would learn `firsthand the history,
         the "Gereformeerde Kerken of the Nether-                           and arguments from their side. Second, because we                                       .
         lands" and led to the organization of a new                        realize that no covenant conception is officially accepted
        denomination known as the "Gereformeerde                            or rejected., The matter is extra-confessional. Third;
         Kerken maintaining Article 31."  8 We beg to                       because the brethren are leaders in a church denomina-
 ,       inform our consistories and churches that we                       tion which is based on the same confessions we have
         do not maintain church correspondence with                         for a basis of unity.  `. We. would greet them as brethren'
         the denomination to which Prof. Dr. K.                             in the Lord. 5. We hazard a guess as to. what might
         Scliilder and Rev. D. Van Dyk are affiliated,                      be the reason for their official  rej,ection, and,  Pe-'
         and therefore do  notrecognize this new de-                        member, it is merely a guess. The  ,Christian Reformed:
         nomination as one of our sister churches, and                      Churches have repudiated `Reformed  Church.- Polity
         consequently cannot i&&e their iministers to                       such as the liberated churches hold dear; and, they are
         speak or p?eaeh in our pulpits.                                    afraid that the voices of these brethren might. in-
               By order of the Synodical Committee,                         augurate a possible, schism among their churches,
                                                                            Y,et,-if this guess is true, the Synodical Committee need
                                             R. J.  DANH~F,  Bec'y.         not be afraid. If they can "get away" with the high-
       The italics are Dr. Danhof's.                                        handed and hierarchical way of the above notice, they
      I do not think it necessary to say much anent this                    need fear no schism in `such circles !               Ther,e must be
obnoxious bit of intolerance on the part of the  Synod- .vitality for such  .action.
ical Committee. The thing speaks for itself.                           :            But the notice in The Banner is a sign of doctrinal,
       Just this: 1. I wonder where this Synodical Com-                     church political  and. ethical deterioration. I earnestly
mittee obtained its mandate `for acts like these. It                        b e w a i l   i t s   appearan&
certainly is not according to sound Reformed Church                                                  -  .I  -                         G. V.
Polity. Unless the constitution'of this Synodical Com-                                                                                                  -:
mittee' is changed since 1915, they have usurped an                                                                                                      r
                                                                                                                                                 ::           .Y

authority which is not found in their adopted Consti-                                  .                  IN MEMORIAM                        .;: ,
tution. .Although we  should--also  understand that acts                            We hereby express our sympathy  td our fellow  office-bea&?
like these. are the natural outgrowth of the hierarchical                   P. Visser, in the loss of his sister,
principles which ever since 1924  and. 1925  -have  char:
acterized the  `life in the Christian Reformed Churches.                                               MRS. CH. AARDBMA
Note the closing line: By order of the Synodical Com-                       who passed away recently  af  Doon,  Iowa.
mittee !  .It- has the style of an order of the day of a                      0 May the  God.of all grace comfort  bhe bereaved.
commanding general. The  cannot  in the sentence that                                              The Con&tory  of the Creston  Prot. Ref. Church,
appears in italics bears the same stamp. The' end is                                                                   John D. De Jong, Pres.
Rom& Catholicism. 2.. I can understand that the  con-                       -. -                                       Paul`Vanden  Engel, `Clerk.


                                                                                                      -

   4 8 6                                          T H E   S T A N D A R D   BtiA.RER

                                                                    loofde  goed absoluut in bezit krijgt,  .zoo zeker als twee
            Corrkpondence With The!                                 maal twee vier is, of (om een. zuiverder vergelijking
                          N e t h e r l a n d s   :                 te noemen) zoo zeker als  eenmaal  bet einde der wereld
                                                                    komen  zal..
                                                                         In dien gedachtengang past dan'de opvatting, dat
      The second  ar.ticle of -the Rev.  Doekes appeared in         de belofte alleen  "voor" de uitverkorenen is,  voor de'
  De Reformatie of July. 5, 1947, which article our                 kinderen der belofte (zooals ds. Hoeksema ze typeert) .
  editor wants me to publish, together `with my transla-            En van daaruit wordt de  conclusie. spoedig  getrok-
  tion.                                                             ken, waaraan de  synodale theologen ons hier trachtten
                                                                    op te  hangen; deze  conelusie : de belofte is  all&n "voor"
      The  article reads as follows:                                .de uitverkorenen, en dus ( !)  mag, ik tot den gedoopte
                                                                    en den avondmaalsganger niet met volle rust zeggen:
                   WIE   GELDT   DE  BELOFTE   ?                    "dit is Christus, Die  oak-door  u`  Zijn lichaam  liet  bre-
              (Antwoord  aan Ds. Hoeksema)                          ken, en Zijn bloed  vergotcn  heeft.", maar ik  moet-zeg-
                                                                    gen of althans' er bij  denken : ik  houd. het  er-uodr,  da-t.
      & eeuwenlang zijn Gods beloften aanleiding tot                het zoo is (het oordeei  clcr  ~liefde) , maar  `ik weet niet
  veel  strijd.     Even belangrijke oorzaak daarvan moet
                                             .                      of u w.el uitverkoren zijt, en daarom kunnen we elkaar
  worden  ,gezocht in de spraakverwarring, die daarbij              en onze  kinderen  hoogstens-`Lhoudenvoor" erfgenamen
  telkens weer  aan `t  licht komt.  .*-De gevolgen van Babel       v a n   h e t   r i j k   G o d s   .en  v a n   Z i j n   v e r b o n d   !.
  zijn door den  Pinkstergeest  we1 "in beginsel" over-                  Op dit punt begint- telkens de tweespalt in  .de  dis-
 wonnen, maar nog lang  `met definitief uitgeroeid.  Al-            cussie. Voor wie  isde- belofte,?.  .-Wat  ligt in dat woord
  leen in den weg van  gespannen   ho&en  naar  h&`Woord            "VO&`?                                   -
  \van dien Geest komen wij  door-Z&i  genade die moeiten                Nu geloof ik, dat we  goed  zullen-  doen  met. hier
. te boven.          "        ,I_     ..          `..               aanstdnds- datgene vast te stellen; waarover wij het.
      Dat moet  bier  allereerst  aan`de  orde komen, nu we         van harte eens zijn, of althans mogen verwachten eens.
  gaan,spreken over de  tweede vraag van  ds; Hoeksema.             te zijn. Ik bedoel de  -waarheid, die  b.v. in-  Ram..  11:7
  Hij stelt drie `mogelijkheden  :. a) dat de belofte "voor         staat uitgedrukt :  ."de uitverkorenen  hebben. het  ver-
  alle gedoopten onvoorwaardelijk geldt" ; b)  dat zij              kregen", de overigen niet  .(vgl.  I Petr.  2:8, Openb.
   `.`vobr  alle gedoopten. is; maar dan voorwaardelijk"  ;         17  :14 enz.). Met andere woorden : de volkomen  heils-
  en c)  dat zij  :`voor de  kinderen der belofte is,,,  vol-       vervulling van Gods beloften  valt,  alleen ten deel  aah
  `gens de door ds. `Hoeksema en anderen gevolgde  .exe-            die  menschen; die van eeuwigheid daartoe door God
  gese van Rom.  9;                                                 zijn uitverkoren naar het welbehagen van zijn wil.
      Hier komt het  aan op een zuiver afwegen van elk                   Maar de groote  -vraag wordt nu deze: is het vol-
  woord.  Natuurlijk begrijpt ieder, die den  verbonds-             doende, de zoo even beleden waarheid van de  vervulling
   strijd van  de'laatste  jaren heeft gevolgd, wat de  .ver-       der beloften uit te drukken met dat schijnbaar- zoo
   schillende omschrijvingen van  Ds: Hoeksema  .ongeveer           simpele .woordje  "`voor"?               Spreekt de  Schrift in  dien-
  bedoelen. Maar juist in die probleemstelling zit al te            zelfden geest, en met diezelfde terminologie? Waarbij
  vaak het groote gevaar. We hebben de ellende beleefd              dan nog te bedenken is, `dat de  Schrift een levende,
  met een  Toelich.ting.  en Praeadvies,, die voortdurend           concrete taal spreekt, waaruit wij pas door  nauw-
  werkten met onzuivere dilemma's (b.v. de bekende                  keurige vergelijking van den eenen tekst met den
  tegenstelling : algemeen, aanbod  aan alle  hoorders   of         anderen een zuiver afgewogen  oordeel  kunnen  vastleg:
  speciale  heilsbelof.te   aan  d.e uitverkorenen) . Aan .zulke    gen in  een  ,of meer samenvattende  termen.                         `.  `.
   onzuivere dilemma's is de kerk vaak bijna  te gronde                  Ik denk hierbij  aan  een opmerking-van ds.  fHoek-
  gegaan. En daarom is het een weldaad van den  rHeili-             sema zelf, waarop onze hoofdredacteur gewezen  he&t
  gen Geest,  als wij  ze in waarheid te boven kdmen. E n           in "De Reformatie" van 23 Nov. 1946.  Het was ds.
   daarom  moeten we elkaar  we1 vragen: Wat verstaat  u            Hoeksema. opgevallen, dat in -de vervangingsf  ormule
   daaronder, dat Gods belofte  "voor" de gedoopten is?             gezegd wordt  :---de  kindlefen  der geloovigen zijn in,
   Ja,  zeker, die vraag is hier in geding  ! Het is werkelijk      Christus  geheiligd,. "zoodat zij deel hebben  aan de
  geen haarkloverij, daarover te spreken. Want  de-strijd- belofte en  gesteld zijn onder den eisch des verbonds";
  is juist ontstaan; doordat men  aan zulke woorden een             en  hij merkte' daarbij  tereoht  op : het komt  er maar  `op
  beteekenis ging geven van eigen vinding,  10s van het             aan, hoe men -die woorden verder uitlegt  !~ Terwijl
   concrete spraakgebruik, dat ons in het dagelijksch               Prof. Schilder  er  aan toevoegde, dat er  ,groot  verschil
  leven onmiddelijk verstaanbaar is.                                bestaat tusschen  "deelen in de belofte der werking" en'
      Nu geloof ik ds. Hoeksema zuiver te verstaan,  wan-           "deelen in de beloofde werking". Een dergelijke  moge-
   neer ik zijn gedachte  266 weergeef:  als de belofte             lijkheid van misverstand en onzekerheid  meet  +n  on%
   "voor" iemand is,  ;dan wil dat zeggen, dat' hij er een          mondelinge en schriftelijke uiteenzettingen  zooveel:
   zeker  recht op heeft-maar  me& nog, dat hij het  be- mogelijk .worden uitgebannen.                                  E n   d a a r o m   i s   d e

                                                                                . .


                                           T H E   S'TPdDARD  B E A R E R                                                            487

  vraag  tip haar  plaats,, of het woord  "voor"  in dit geval         promise'  ", according to the <exegesis of  Ram: 9 which
  we1 afdoende is.  Qatzelfde moet gezegd  wor'dea.-van                is held by the Rev. Hoeksema and  others..                            -
  ds.  .w,@oeksema's vraag,  df de: belofte voor alle  gedoop-             It depends here  up& the careful weighing of every
  ten:  "geldt" of. "is", eti dan nog  na&r :  "onvoorwaar,de-         word.     Every .one who  has followed the  covenant-
  lijk" of  "voorwaardelijk". ?e  ontoereikendheid van                 struggle of recent years  ~31 grasp, of course, the ap-
  de  term&n speelt hier een groote  rol, nu het er op  aan            proximate meaning of the several definitions of the .
  komt, de  gedachten, van de  Schrift in  onze.taal zuiver            Rev.  H&semti. But  exactli in this  ."statement  of the
  wee? te geven.                                                       problem" do  ye find; altogether too often, the greatest
      Ik  .kan daarom  i&temmen  &et een  goed  deel van               danger. We have  experieliced  ali/ the  misery with an
  wat J.  1,. Struik Lzn  schreef in "De vrije  Kerk"' van
    .__ _:                                                             "Elucidation" (Toelichting) and "Pre-Advice"  (,prae-
  25 April 1946. en  verpolgens. Ook  h.ij  merkt op, "dat             advies), which continually labored with unsound dilem-
  het verschil van. opvatting over de `belofte  vastzit  op' ma's (f.i. the wellknown antithesis': general offer to
  bet `verschil  van.gezicht.  da& men heeft op de bijbeltaal"..       all  .that hear or a special promise of salvation  td the                       ,
  Om  zijii beddeling te verduidelijken geeft hij het  vol-            elect). The Church  was  often almost brought to. ruin
  gende  voorbeeld. uit de praktijk  van--bet  l&en :                  with such unsound dilemma's. It is therefore a boon .
      "Daar zit  `s middags een  Vader  aan tafel en belooft           of the  iH.oly Ghost when we  m&y surmount them `in
  zijn  kinde+en, die met hem  zitten-te eten:  `Vanavond              truth.    For that reason we must ask one another:
  mogen  jui,li&  ,een`paar  uur langer opblijven, dan  hebben         what do you  wnclerstancl   when. you say: that (God's
  we een  feestje". Nu is er om 5  uur'  BBn  jongeg  erg promises are "for" all that aye baptized? Yesj indeed,
  ongehoorzaam en  Vader  stuu&-hem  pm zes uur,  als' hij             that `question is the issue here! It is  l;eally no hair-
  -&uiskomende  er van hoort, naar bed  voor  titraf. Het              splitting to speak about that. Because the  controversy0
  genot  vati het  beloofdq  feestontgaat  hem. De belofte             has origihated exactly in- this that they would  give
  van  zijfi  Mder doet hem geen  nut; want zij (-de  be- `unto Such  word-s a significance of their  own  inventitin,
  lofte)  42s in hem (-den  jongin)  lii& met  gehoor- detached from concrete common parlance, which is
 -zaamheid   gemengd.          Zegt  nti  ' die- jongen  brutaal:      immediately  inMli&ble to us in our daily life.
  `"Maar u hebt  tech  beloofd   d& ik op  mocht blijven",                 Now, then, I believe' that I -clearly understand the
  dan zegt zoo'n Vader : "Ja, maar, ik heb- het zoo'n  onge-           Rev.' Hoeksema when I render his idea as follows:                                    -
  hoorzamen  jongeli niet beloofd. Neen hodr,  jij bent                when  the  pl;omise is "for" someone; it means that he
  geen  .kind. . .  .!"                                                has a certain right to it-yea;  even more, that he will
    &Jt\~u   i s   de  groote vraag   naiuurlijk deze   i  ,sp?eekt    absolutely obtain possession of the promised good, as
  Gods Woord  661~   alzoo?                                            surely as two times two  &re  fohr, or (to use a-sounder
      Daarop  zal  .on.s volgend artikel hebben in,  te,  gaan.        `comparison) as surely. as that the end of the world
                                                                       shal-l ultimately come.                   ..     ._
                                                  L.  DOEKES..           .In `that'  Ii& of thought, then, fits the conception                    _
                           -'                                          that  th'e  promise  iS  orily "for" `the elect,  for-the children
                                                        D.:            bf . the prdmise (such as  : the Rev.  Hoeksema. typifies
      Her? follows the translation :                                   them). And on that standpoint the  tionclusion  is  speed-
                                                               I  :    iljr `drawn;  012  %which the  Synodical theologians would
              UNTO   WIIOM  Is  THE   PROMISE?                         try  to  hai2g  ilS, namely; this  ~onclusioi~:  the Promise is
               (Reply to the Rev.  Hoekseina)                          only "for?' the elect, and,  th&refore( !), I may not in
                                                                       cbnscience'say to- the  .baptized  arid the communicant :.
      The promises of  God have been the occasion for                  `"this is Christ' Who allowed His body to  *be broken
  much-strife,  a.lready  for. ages. An. important cause of            and Who shed  His-blbod   nlsb for  ~JOU", but I must say,
 this must  be sought in the  "conf,usion of tongues" which            or, at least,  harbdr the mental reservation: I  take  it
  time .and again is brought to light, in such struggles.              that it `is so  (tde  judgnieht of love), but I do not know
  The  .results  of. Babel are, indeed, conquered  f`in prin-          whether you are elect indeed, `and, therefore,  at.-the
  ciple" by the Spirit of Pentecost, but are not yet  defi-            most we can mutually  take it  that we and  our children
nitely eradicated by any means.  ,Only `in the way  .of                are heirs Of the kingdom of God and `of His covenant!
  intense listening to the Word of that Spirit are we able                 The  discord in the  disctission originates again and
 to surmount those difficulties by His grace..                         again exactly at this point. Fdr whom is the promise?
  "~  `This'must be,  &st of all,  bkought  ~<p  fol:  c&ussion        Wliat is  cont%iri'ed in that  world  "for"?
 ,here,  since1we are going to speak concerning-the second                 Now, I  belieire,  that'tie will do well to establish at
 question'of:the  Rev.  IHoeksema.`  : He  posits three possi-         once that which  we'heirtily agree  tin or which we may,
  bilities:  &That the promise "is for all that  are  blip-            at the  -lea&, expect to agree  -on. I  ha+  ,in mind the
 tized  uncoriditiontilly"  i b. That (the promise) "is  ,fdr          truth  whi.ch, f .i., is expressed in Rom.  11:7 : "the  elec-
  all that  are baptized; but then conditionally"; and                 tjon hath obtained it";  r&t `the others (compare I Pet.
  it. That (the  promise)`~   "is,fof?$the   -childr.ell. of  the 2 : 8, Rev,. 17. : 14, etc.) . In other words.: the complete

                                                                                                                                .


 4t38                                  T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                          .

fulfillment of salvation (heilsvervulling) of God's                  The important question is, of course, this: Does the
promises falls  tb the lot of  only that people who are         Word of God also  spe&k  thus?                   .
chosen  thereunto by God according to the good pleasure             :Our  ,next  article.will have to enter into  t&tit question.
of His will.                                                                         -                           L.  D?EKES.
    But the  irii@rtant  ,que&on at this juncture is  <his :        The words and, phrases which the Rev.  Doekes
is it sufficient to express  the~truth  which we confessed
&bove of the fulfillment of the promises, by means of           placed in spaced type, I have placed in italics.G: V.
that so seemingly  simple little word "for"? Does                                                   . .
                                                                                                   -
Scripture speak in that same spirit, and  .with the- same
terminology? Wher,eby we ought to keep in mind that`
Scripture speaks a living, concrete language, out of
which `we can fix a soundly weighed judgment in one                         -OUR  -DOi-:TRHVE
or more summarizing  terms7 only by accurate and
painstaking comparison of the one text with the other.
  -1  irn reminded here of an observation by  .th& Rev.         Iiztroducti@n.
Hoeksema  him$elf,  which our editor-in-chief pointed               The  &d&signed  has been requested to fill the
out-`in "Dd Reformatie" of Nov. 23, 1946. It struck             rubric,  ,Our Doctrine, in our Standard Bearer during
the  Rev. Hoeksema that the substitution-formula read :         the present illness of the  E,ditor, the Rev. H. Hoeksema.
the  children of the believers are sanctified in Christ,        We accept this appointment  because we cannot refuse
"sd that they are participants of the promise  and  .are        it, and with the personal desire that  our services may
-placed under the requirement  (e'isch) of the covenant"  ;     not long  be necessary. `The reader will understand
and he made the correct observation in  thit  connec-           that we  .venture-  forth on our new assignment with
tidn :  Pt all  .depends how you further -interpret those       cdnsiderable fear and trepidation.' `This writer is
words ! While Prof. Schilder added, that  there is a            strongly conscious of the fact that the articles which
marked difference between  "shaping in the promise of           will appear under the heading,  [Our Doctrine, cannot
the operation" and "sharing in the promised  .opera-            beg@ to approach the  hnaterial which until now  hyas
tion". A like possibility of misunderstanding and un-           been presented to  -our readers. Besides, we believe
certainty must- be banned as much as  possibl-e.Erom  our       that this assignment should have been offered  tq a
oral and written expositions. And for that  `ireason  the minister other than the undersigned. We  say this  not
question is in place, whether' the word "for" in this           because we would shirk our duty; but because it is
connection  settles  the'matter. The same must be said          our  convictiqn that others  ar.k more capable to fill this
of the Rev.  iHoeksema's question, whether the promise          rubric than  ~6. However, we. accept the appointment;
"is" `for all that are baptized, and  the_n still further:      We have not-other alternative.  --It is our duty to do
t%ineonditionally"   .or "conditionally". The inadequate-       what we can during the present-illness of our editor.
ness of  ,ihe-terms plays here an important part, since         It is our prayer that the, Lord, in harmony with His
it pertains to this, namely, to give a sound  rendition         will  and:eternal wisdom, may continue to restore Rev.
of the ideas of  ScriptuTe in our language.                     Hoeksema to health  andy'strength.          And we. also pray
    For that reason I can concur to a great extent in           that our readers  m&y constantly bear in mind  thai the
&hat J. L.  Struik Lzn wrote' in "De Vrije  Kerk" of            undersigned `is merely attempting to "fill in" and that
April 25, 1946, and  also later. . He, too, observes,. "that    they may derive some spiritual benefit from  these  -
the difference  ,of  opiQipn-  relative the promise depends     a r t i c l e s .
on the difference of view one has of the language  of               A word of introduction may be considered in order.
the Bible." In order to clarify his- meaning he gives' It is not the purpose of the undersigned to try to
the following example taken from life :                         follow painstakingly  iti the footsteps  ,of him who  until
    "At  ,noon a father sits at table and promises his          riow has filled this, rubric. We will attempt to  present
children whb sit  .with him at dinner : `tonight you may        unto  OUT readers our treatment of this subject,  al-
stay up a few hours longer,  and then we shall have a           thou'gh  -we  will,, of course, avail ourselves of the  nia-
party'. NOW   at five o'clock one boy is very disobedient       terial which the Lord has given us through the Rever-.
and father, coming home at six o'clock and hearing of           end Hoeksema. We will endeavor to treat our. subject
this, sends him to bed for punishment. He misses the            pr+cticaUy.                                _'
jozj of the promised party. The promise of the father               To be  sure,  d'octrine is the crown of life.  ' We under-
does  not  profit  him, because it (i.e. the-promise) was       stand, I am sure, that doctrine and life are inseparably  .I
in him (i.e. the boy) not  mixed with obedience. And            connected. Without life, spiritual  life,.no maintaining
if  the'boy rudely says : `But you have  promised  that I       of sound `doctrine" is possible. This `axiom is verified
might stay up', then such a  father says: `Yes, but I did       throughout the history of the  tihurch.               All departures
not promise it to such a disobedient boy..  IOh  rio,  zjo16    from the objective testimony of the Holy  .Scriptures
aire  n    o          chil$!"                                   are rooted in man's refusal to serve the Lord as He is'.


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                                             T H E   S T A N D A R D   s  B E A R E R                                     4 8 9

       Carnal man would conform the Lord  .and  tHis  Word dost'rine.  owe will emphasize the glorious truth of the
       unto h-is own carnal desires:.' "Every  w&d  of...dc&           Word` of  God as confessed by our Protestant Reformed
       trine", writes the apostle,  Paul, in Ephesians  4:14,          Churches. `This we will do, the Lord willing, not be-
       "born in the  sleight--of  men, and cunning craftiness,         cause we regard the' truth of our churches as a pet
       whereby they lie in wait to deceive." We must not               theory, `a sort  .of hobby-horse which we love to  .ride.
 '  kresent the  n?atter as if  man, ignorant of the truth,            But it is our  convicti& that the truth of our churches
       is nevertheless  groping toward  the light and therefore        is indispensable to a true, spiritual walk. Sound doc-
       making a serious effort  to serve the  liviing God. The         trine and spiritual life are inseparable. And this  _
       very opposite is true. Man` rejects the living  (God and        surely applies to the- gloribus truth of our. churches.
       the truth. of His Word  b&a@e he is carnal. And he              "Common  ,Grace",  .because it proclainis what we and
       changes the glory  lof the  ,incorruptible  GOT into  .an       the. world have in  commonj  necestiarily places the .
       image made like unto corruptible'inan because that is           Church of God in -the very midst of the world.. It is
       more in- harmony with his own sinful wishes and de-             indispensable to know that God is God alone, that  iHe
 s i r e s . It is for this  reason that the  mod'ern  chirch of       is the Sole Origin'of our salvation, that He  alone does
       today proclaims' the universal fatherhood of  ,God and          all things for His  own Name's  .sake, and that He calls
       br@herhood  of, man, denies the Incarnation and the             us out of darkness into His marvellous  light that we
       atonement, the physical resurrection of  ouy Lord Jesus         may be  unto the praise of the glory of His grace and
       Christ, His ascension, and His personal, visible` rettirn       the proclamation:  of';His virtues. How glorious it is
       upon the clouds `of heaven. `The natural man has no for our spiritual life and comfort in the midst of the
       need of such a Savior and consequently distorts and             siri `and darkness and the guilt of this world to know
       changes the Christ even as  they. would have Him be.            that the work of atonement was finished by Jesus
       end therefore the` people of God must be continually            Christ,  our Lord, -and that "the.  work which He has
 on their guard against their own  carnal flesh which                  once begun shall by His grace be fully done." What
       always opposes the strictly Divine  Word of God. From           is our dnly  c.omfort' if not that we belong to our faith-
       this we may conclude that no maintaining of sound               ful  S.%vior,  Jesus. Christ, body and soul, and  that `the
       doctrine is possible without true, spiritual life. The          God of our salvation has known us in Him -even from
       church that becomes `carnal will always distort and             before the  fqundation of the world.  :If that be a pet.
       corrupt. the truth of the Word of God.                          theory or a  hobby-horse, let it  be,---be care  not. It
         * If, however, it be true that no maintaining of  spund       is the  an&hoi of our salvation, the only sure basis of
       doctrine  is possible without spiritual  life, it is equally    the Christian's comfort in the midst of the world.
       true that no life is possible without sound doctrine.              Hence,  3 practical treatment  of'our Doctrine does
       God's Word must be a lamp before our feet, and a                not necessarily imply an ignoring of its theoretic
       light  upon our  path:Ps.  119:105. We cannot entrust           aspect. Fact is, we shall attempt to emphasize" our
       the guidance of our footsteps to our own heart and              doctrine.    This lies in the very nature  ,of the case.
       mind. Invariably we would be led astray. The Word               In the first place, the rubric which the undersigned is
       of God is the only Divine medium of the revelation of           expected to fill is entitled "Our Doctrine". This pre-
       Himself as the God of our salvation. It alone throws            supposes that these articles will therefore necessarily
       light upon our pathway. It alone enables us to fight            be  doqtrinal'in  content. And, in the second place, how
       the good fight of faith against, the powers of sin  and* can the church practice the truth except'she-know that
       darkness within us and round abdut us. `Many and                truth?! The truth has made us free. Only in the
       skillful are the forces of darkness which  a?e encamped         light do we see the light. In fact, this  em.phasis upon
.' against the church of God  in the midst of the world'.              sound  doctEine is all the  more urgent in our present
       The only sword which can enable us to ward off every            day and age which `is not  charaetecized  by a profound
       att.ack and  dart of the enemy is the sword  -of the            seeking and enquiring after  the glorious mysteries of,
 Spirit and  the Word of God. God's Word &lightens                     the infallible  -Word of our God.
       ou? night of sin. and guilt  -and proclaims unto us the            Neverthkless, we will attempt to present "Our  Do&-
       righteousness of Jesus Christ, our Lord. God's Word             trine" in a practical and popular style. As stated,
      alone enlightens our spiritual night of sin and `dark-           above, the Word of God is a lamp before our `feet and a  -
       ness and guides  us in  tlie constant putting off of our        light  upo~l  our' path. The  !Holy Scriptures have been
       old man of sin and the putting on of  &he new man.' giv&n that the man of God may be perfect and  >hor-
       And  GOB'S  Word alone speaks to us  o$ the hope of ever-       oughly furnished unto  every good work-? Tim. 3 :16-
      lasting life. Wjtliout the  Word of God we would be              17, It is,  therefore!,  th$ very purpose of the Scriptures
       hopelessly  at sea, wholly  iricapablk  of fighting against     to lead the people of God upon the way of life, to guide"
      the forces .of sin within  an6  with0u.t.' We understand,        their feet  throuih  the midst  df the world, to enable
      ?herefore, that, if sound doctrine without  iife be  im- them to fight the good fight of faith, and occupy their
      possible, life without doctrine is equally impossible,           name and place in this  wor!d unto  ,the.  @lory of the
        Besides,  we  .must emphasize in these articles  &r            living God Who called them out of darkness  into His
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         490                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B*EARE-R  .-

         marvellous light. Life is the purpose and fruit  of are the work of man, and on the other hand to deny
         doctrine.  May these articles contribute a little to a          the Divine character of` the work of salvation? How
         richer  qnderstanding of the Word of God  &d  of, the           must we account for this obvious contradiction?
         glorious tryths once -delivered  to our Protestant  Re-            Of course, we do not subscribe to the assertion that
         fornied Churches. And  may we understand that, in-              our'.Confessions  are the work of man. To be sure, we
         asmuch as they have once been delivered unto us, it is          grant that they were written by men. And we  alsB
         our  iesponsibility  to know them and to  live'them.            understand that they are not to be placed  OQ a par
                                 $  $  *  *                              with the  WoPd of God. Confessions are binding only
                Let us, as a Protestant Reformed people, ask our-        inasfar as they are based upon the Word of  `God. And
         selves the question, "Do we love. our  ,Confessions  ?" they must also be  .con&uously tested in the light of
         Are we  aoqua'inted with  t&ir  ,contents?  `This, dear         the Scriptures. A  chuich that loves the truth  and
         reader, is a very pertinent question.  It is simply an          recognizes the infallible character of the Holy Scrip-
         undeniable- fact that a truth-loving church is also a           tures will' not blindly accept the Confessiqns without
         confession-loving church. The history of the  churbh            interpreting "them in the light  o? the Word of God'.
         throughout `the ages abundantly Verifies this. All we `This  does not mean, however, that they are therefore
         need  do.is look round about us' today.' Is it not a fact       the work of men. For, what are our Confessions?
         ihat in  the measure that a church has departed from <Our Confessions, or Reformed Symbols,, are not the
        the- truth of the  Word- of  `God  thdt church has also be-      work of men but the product of the Church of God
         come less confession-minded? Has it not become the              even as that Church is  lecl by the Spirit of Christ
        hue and the  .cry of  m&y churches today, "NO creed but          Jesus into all the truth. `This, I believe, is evident
         Christ." And is it not true of those churches who               from the Confessions themselves. It is -only in this
         shout this from the house-tops that they have trampled          light that we. can understand their language. Were
         under foot the most precious truths of the Holy Scrip-          it-not-for `the fact  that our fathers were prompt&d
        tures? Why  is this? A&what is- our reaction, par-               by the Spirit of God one can pever explain why these
        ticularly as Protestant Reformed young  Ijeople, to-             Reformed Symbols should speak the language they do,
        wards our Confessions, commonly  knawn  among us as              a language which glorifies the living God and proclaims
. .      The Three  Fo'rms of Unity? .                                   the Divine character of the work of salvation.  sAlso
                The objection which is most. commonly raised             the  S&iptu&es teach us, however, that our Confessions
         against our having confessions may be considered                must`be regarded, not as the work of  inen, but as.the
         strange indeed. We are, I am sure, all acquainted with          @roduct of  th'e Church as that Church is led by the
         it, more or less.  * Confessions, it is alleged, are the Spirit of Christ Jesus. Did not the Savior, upon His
        work of man. And they would be satisfied with noth-              ascension to the right  -hand of  IH!is Father  ancl His
         ing less than the Word of God.. I  ,call this a  very reception of  .a11 power and glory and wisdom and -honor,
         strange and most incongruous objection.         What are        comfort His disciples with the promise that he would
         the facts? Is it not true that the very *people who             send the Spirit Who would lead them into all the truth?
         object to the confessions because they are the  ,w&k               Hence, what are our Confessions? And we answer
         of man do not hesitate to humanize the. very Word  .of          without hesitation that they  .are the product of the
         God?. Let us grant this objection  for% the  s,ake of           Church  &s that  Church is  lecl by the Spirit into all the
         argument. What, then, do we find? On the one hand,              truths  04 the Word of God. Mind. you, they are the
         anyone who is somewhat acquainted with -our  -Refdrm-           products of the Church. It is of the utmost importance
         ed Confessions will readily admit that they do not extol        that we see this' point. They are not the work of  aq
        the work of man but the  vtrork of  Go& They emphasize 0 individual.           They are the work of the Church, the  '
         Divine predestination, man's utter depravity, the par-          Bocly of Christ Jesus in whom the Spirit of all truth
_   titular  $tid  effi@acious character  ,of  C h r i s t 's -atone-    dwells. They are not even the work of children of  sG6d,
       _ ment, the need of conversion, the  .irresisti-ble char-         however noble and pure their motives and intentions
         acter of Divine grace, and the certain  perseveYlance  of       may be. They are brought; forth by the  ,Church, the
         the' saints. And, on the other hand, they  &ho object to        organic body of our Lord Jesus Christ. This implies
       ~  oui- confessions, deny these Scriptural truths. They that the Church gathers as the Church of God, not indi-  -
         humanize the work of salvation. Man, -according  to             vidualistically, but organically, and that that Church
         them, decided whether he shall be saved.. Divine                convene  unger, the guidance of  the Holy Spirit, in
        predestination is either silenced or  `deni.ed,  Clirist's       prayerful subjection unto  (His will,. with the -earnest
         death is presented as having occurred for all men, man          desire and longing in her heart and soul that that
         is not utterly depraved, salvation is offered  instead of       Spirit may lead them into all the truth.
         sovereignly bestowed, and the question whether  there              To understand this procedure-we.must bear in mind
         is a perseverance of the saints, is left unanswered-see         the position of the Church of God in the midst of. the
         the Five Points of the Remonstrants. Is it not strange          world.  That Church of God  l&es the truth of the
         to deny on  ,the,one hand our confessions  beesuse  they        Word of God.      That  ,Church proclaims' that  @uth.


                                         THE.           f$TANj-j~R'jj       BEAR&+&            ,!                           491 .

    However,  we are as  yet in  the. midst of this world.          the basis  oi which churches of one  be&f can unite.
    And that wicked world hates the truth of the Scrip-             This; for example, is also true of  ou<  Protest&@  Re-
    tures. They  at&k the truths  which God's  ljeople con-         formed Churches, united, as we are, upon the Three
    fess and profess here below. They proclaim heresies.            Forms of  Unity : the  IH!eidelberg Catechism, the 37'               _
    They hurl at the  ,Church of God every wind of doc-             Articles of Faith, and the Canons of Dordrecht.  -.And,
    trine which are born in the- sleight of men,  who use           as such, they also serve to preserve unity  within the
    cunning craftiness to `deceive the Church of  the living        fellowship  Ol those  ~churbhes  who have thus united.
    God. We  camlot at this time trace these  &tacks  of evil           And, fourthly, they are wonderful means of in-
    men throughout the ages. And now the Church  cori- struction. This hardly  neecls any elucidation. Instruc-
    venes under prayerful subjection to the Holy Spirit             tion in  OUT various classes in our  Confessidns is surely
    to answer these evil attacks upon the Word of  *God.            admirably suited unto our mutual increase in all the
    And the Spirit leads her into the truth of the Scrip-           knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and in the  grace
    tures and enables her to refute these heresies with the' of our God.                                                    . .-
    Word of God which is the sword of the Spirit. Thus                                      :,:  :,:  :i:    *              _
    are brought forth the confessions which the people                  We shall attempt, in this series of articles under
    of God so dearly cherish and for which they have been           the heading,  `&Our Doctrine", to discuss the  funda-
    willing in ages  past  ta,shed their life-blood.                mental truths of Holy Writ as they have been system-
        We now also understand why a truth-loving  &urch            atically arranged in the various loci. of  .our dogmatics.
    is  also a confession-loving church.  ' These confessions       an& which loci generally follow the line as given us in
    are the `product of the Church of  (God as she was led          our Confession  of Faith, the 37  AY'ticles. We shall`
    by the Spirit of Christ Jesus. Does it not border on            attempt to be as practical and as popular `as  we. pos-
    conceit  for anyone to ignore or despise these symbols          sibly-can. Much is in favor of this procedure. -First
    of the Church of God? Does'it not leave a strange im-           of all, the undersigned will then have a rich source
    pression upon us when any. individual or group of               from which to draw. Years ago, the Reverend  Hoek-
    in&viduals  ignores this work of the (Spirit of God in          sema wrote along these lines in the Holland  +guage.
    His Church  throughput the ages?  -And is it not some-          These articles will, of course, furnish the present
    what repulsive,  -yea, should it not be repulsive to. us        writer with valuable.  infortiation. Secondly, we be-  _
    when so little regard  is shown for. all the blood of           lieve that there is a crying need in our churches for
 martyrs which has been shed in the  ,past whereby the              articles  of- this nature in the language of the land.
    people of God have sealed their confession of the truth         Much  of- the Standard. Bearer in the past has been
    of the Word of God. To love  .God and the Spirit of             written in the  !Holland language. A systematic dis-
    God in Christ Jesus surely implies  that we will also           cussion of our doctrine in the English language will,
    love the work of that Spirit in His Church in the past.         Lindoubtedly, fill a need in our churches, especially
     . `These  cbnfessions' are of  great importance to the         for our  Pyotestant Reformed young people.
    Church of God. Firstly, they are the means by which                Thirdly, the  undersigned~  is fully aware of the task
    the Church.  3s a whole can express her faith over              u&o which he has set himself, and the severe  limita-
    against  .the  yorld, or by means of which a  group of          tions of his ability to fulfill this task.  H.e welcomes
churches can express their' faith  ;over  agaiqt other              &y suggestion which will serve the interests of this
    churches. It is,  61.  cou&~,  the Divine calling of the        rubric. May  our God bless  th.e  tiffforts put forth by
    Chlzrch to be a living testimony of the grace of  "cod,         him  atid may they be used by Him unto the glory of
   to let her light  shin&  every-tihere, and to give  _constant    His name and our mutual increase in the knowledge.
    expression of  what she believes to be the truth revealed: of the  grace  o.f Him  Whd`is, the God of our  salv&on
    in the Word of God. Our Confessions are a wonderful             in Christ Jesus, our-lord. And, we humbly trust that
   means for  our. churches to be  su&h a testimony over            our young people will avail themselves also of this
    against the world and also other churches who have              opportunity to become founded  in the blessed truths
    deviated  fro6 the clear teachings of the Holy  Scrip-          of the Word of God, to read not only these articles
   ,tures.                                                          but the entire Standard Bearer, in order that our  pap&
        Secondly,  .they are the means to preserve the truth        may continue to be a blessing in the midst of our Pro-
   as it is delivered down the. line of generations and             testant Reformed Churches.
   through all  the ages;         God  develqps His covenant                                                       H. V.
   throughout the ages  fro& generation to generation.
   His Church is gathered organically. And, as these                                                                                I
   truths are  halided down  within the Church from gen-                               IMPiORTANT  NOTICE !
    eration to generation, our Confessions are a  wonderful            Will all those who plan to attend the coming con-
0 nieans  unto this  developm&t   and preservation of the           ference  ,at Sutton, Nebr., send their names to the Rev.
t r u t h .                                                         U.  Zogg,  .Sutton, Nebraska, so that  he  c?n arrange for
     Thirdly, they can serve as a bond, of union,  apon             their lodging ?                                -

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.~,  492                                 TtiE  .S.TANDARD   ` B E A ' R E R
                                                                         _
                                                                       does.  nothihg about it,  not  because he is a coward  btit
            =THE DAY OF SHADOWfj '                                     because he has no faith; he believes not in wonders.
                                                                       He makes not  God his  expectation, but trusts in the
                                                                       arm  bf flesh.  And that  ayrn has  :low failed him. The
              The Lord-Saves had                                       people  have  deserted.him cimost to  a man. And there
                                                                       is neither sword nor spear  found in I-he hand of any
      So has  ,Saiil not kept the  co_mmandment of  his  `God.         of the people that are  `u ith him.     And the military
He chose the way  of. disobedience; thus of death and                  might of  the..Philistines   iS terrific. So what can Saul
  ultimate destruction.     in punishment of his sin, his -do but sit still? His army numbers but six hundred
  kingdom  w.ill not be  establikhed. No son of his-will               unakmed men. Yet, this only means that it still is
  succeed him on the throne.. As to Samuel, having pro-                double the size of  that Gideon band, also unarmed, by
  nounced over  the king the sentence'of God, he was silent            which the Midianite hordes had been routed. But that
  thbugh he had  coti to -the  *king with' divine instruc-             was a  wonder of God's  -grace  ; and Saul believes not in
  tions for the war with  the-Philistines that is bending.             w o n d e r s .
  What these instructions  wer.9 is not revealed  ; but it is                 And the  people;toti,  have no faith. For they seek
  certain that the execution had called for implicit faith             safety in flight;  and%he  rcs$ of them-the six hundred.
  in God in that terrible crisis. This, doubtless, explains            --follow Saul tremblingly, the text tells us. Yet, it
  the seer's reticence, his having refrained from telling              must not be overlooked that they  do not flee as did
  the king what he should  do. The king  could not have                the others but hold their ground, despite the fact that
  heard, as he is devoid of faith. He believes not in                  Israel's plight is hopeless1 The  conj&ture is war-
  wonders. And  as it is  only by the hand of one who                  ranted, therefore,  thtit they belong to the faithful in
  believes in  wondeis  tl?at Israel can be saved from this            Israel, are  nien who, despite their trembling-and-who'
  dreadful hour, Samuel, having pronounced sentence,                   would not tremble in this dreadful hour-stand firm in
  arose and gat him up from  Gilgal and so out of  SaOul',s            the faith that for  IHXs name's sake, the  Lord,will deliver
  presence unto  Gibeah of.  B.enjamin,  here to pray for              His people,  hotiever ill-deserving that people may be.
  the  people. For that, according to his own words, he                And the expectation of these faithful ones is not put  to
  may not cease to do. And.tl>e  Lord answers his inter-               shame.. The Lord again  uiorks through Jonathan his
  cessions. He  sends deliverance.                                     chosen  instrument and workmanship.          Fo?,  -as was
    As to Saul, left to himself to determine what he                   said,:.ivh&  Saul lacks, Jonathan pbssesses as a gift of
  should do, he chose to do nothing at all. He can make                God-he possesses a living faith in Christ and is thus
no other choice.  ' For the plight of Israel is hopeless               meet for  l&e  ,Master's use. Jonathan believes in won-
  apd the king, though a brave man, has no faith. So,                  ders.
  in company with Jonathan and with the men that are'                         So on  a day Jonathan proposes to the young  m&n
  still with him-he has counted them and found their                   that  bears his  armour that the two of then-i pass over
  riumber to be about six hundred-Saul  .takes up his                  to the detachment of enemy  troolJs  that forms the  out-
  position in  Gibeah, Benjamin,  the place where  Jo&- .post of the Philistine camp- in Michmash and whose
  tha% broke up that Philistine garrison  a short while                task  .it is to protect  against surprise  atticks of the
  ago. And there in the uttermost  parts  of  Gibeah  under            Hebrews. The young man is ready  for anything that
  a pomegranate tree in  Migron  (14.:12)   ,Saul again sits           Jonathan may be planning, as is plain  froth his  r&ply.
 stil, afraid to bestir himself, while the Philistines,  bper-         "Do all  that thy heart  tuim  Xhee; behold, I am with
. ating from their base in Michmash, every day are over-               thee, according to thy heart," said he to Jonathan.
  running the larid and  plunderi6g  t&e people. of Israel.            This  yourig  man is the only one in  wholn' Jonathan con-
  So  the narrative  tells us at chapter 13  :16-l& The                fides. He tells no one else, not even Saul, his own
  spoilers went out in three companies, it  is'relhted. "One           father. Doubtless he fears that the unbelieving Saul
  co&pany turned to the way that leadeth to  ,Oiphrah,                 will forbid  $he venture. Jonathan has smitten a  Philis-
  unto the  land  of.Shual;  and another company turned to             &e garrison  olice before,  the.one  stationEd in  Gibeah,
  the way of  -Bethhoron  ; and another company turned                 the place of  @aul's present encampment. `That, indeed,
  toward the way  of  ,the border that looked, to the valley           was a remarkable accomplishment.          But what- good
  of Zeboim toward the wilderness." As all these places                came out of it? No good whatever, only evil. The in-
  lie  iri.the territory of Benjamin and Judah, it is the              censed  .Philistines  came upon the  ,~land in their full
  allotments of these tribes that for-m the theatre of the             military might and, in retaliation of that blow, are  nbw
  mar&uding expeditions of. the enemy.           $30  a r e   t h e    spoiling the Lord% heritage as they choose., And now
  Philistines doing much as they please in God's house,                Jonathan wants to attack that enemy outpost in  Mich-
  their purpose being also to demonstrate to `the world                mash. Should  that be allowed? All that Jonathan can
  how  they have  GoG's  pe6ple at their mercy with  IGod              hope to accomplish is the slaying of `another handful
  standing by unable to come to the rescue of His own                  of. Philistine;. And that will be suicidal for Israel.
 .devotees.  -Such are their vain imaginings. And  Sail                The Philistines  will arouse themselves  to the  practic-


                                               .
                                                    T.HE  STANDARD  B              E       A     R    E    R      `.                 495,.
                                                            \  -
            ing of even greater atrocities on  .God's- country and I These words, as Jonathan's own, form. not' an  expres-
            people. This time their wrath will know no bounds.              sion of doubt  btit of the humbleness of spirit and the
            L,et Jonathan then forbear.  The crisis will pass. Those        contrition of heart of a true Israelite.        They are
            Philistines are  family men, aren't they?  .So$ner~or           words by which Jonathan is saying that he is a man
            later they will want to return, each to his own hearth,         unclean  anti that the people -to whom he belongs  &nd
      `with the understanding, of course, that the people of                in whose midst he dwells is a sinful nation, a people
            Israel desist from any further attempt  to. throw off           laden with iniquity, least deserving  of salvation and,
            their loke. Life in Canaan  will.again at least be-bear-        life  and most  deservillg of the bondage and death in
     abl'e.                                                                 which they are now being-- held. Only recently they
               Such, Jonathan knows, will be Saul's reasoning. asked for a king because they did not want the Lord to
            And therefore he tells not his father. For Jonathan is          reign over' them; and they had to. be terrified by the
            differently disposed, -as is evident even from his  char-       Lord's thunderings into  conf&ssing that  v great sin.
            acterizatioti  of the Philistines. In communicating his         And the king that was set' over them is an unbeliever,
      ' plan  of. action to his armor-bearer, he calls. them  -un-          ,who already has indicated-that he-is determined to rule i
circumcised, meaning to say that in  hii mind they withdut God and  iIi;is directing word.                               Such is the
            stand out as'a wicked race of God-defying men, who -people Tor whom the Lord will now again work. For
            will to imagine that they can harass  <God's people to          He is God and that people  He  por;sesses  in Christ.
            their heart's  conte-nt  with  the Lord unable to do any-          Jonathan's -withdrawal from the camp goes un-
            tl&g about it. Indeed, such are their evil imaginings;          noticed- by  Saul. Fpr "Saul tarried in the  uttermost
            and therefore as `spoilers of  God-`s  -people, they  are       parts of  Gibeah," that is,  #at some distance from the
            consciously blaspheming  [God: On this account alone            place  -of encampment of Jonathan,  s6 the narrator
            the  p,resence of the Philistines in Canaan is  intollerable    means to explain. The people, too, are  ignoran't  of
            to Jdnathan  .and to every true Israelite. Jonathan is          Jonathan's leaving. So he wants it. His reliance on
            grieved in his soul. "Come," said he to the young  mati,        God. for the success of-his undertaking  cioes'not make
            "and let us go over to the garrison of these uncircum- him careless. He is taking no unnecessary risks.
            cised. . .  ." And he  does not first  ieek the consent            Mention is also made  .of two rocks -that go by  the
            of  Saul for his venture. For he knows that Saul will           name of Bozez and Senah respectively. As the narra-
     f o r b i d   i t .    And that will only oblige, him openly to        tive contains a detailed description of their position,
            disobey his father and  ki-ng.' For Jonathan's calling is       they must be important,  though.what   -&is importance
            clear. to him. He must unsheath his sword against               may be the text does not reveal. They lie between the
            those uncircumcised. For the Philistines are defying            passages that lead to Michmash. `Tlie  former of the
            the Lord God of Israel, and killing  IHis people  aiil the      two has a tooth-like projection situated northward over
            day long.                                 -_                    against Michmash and the latter  fro&s  Gibeah.  In
       *       But there  Bre only the two of them, Jonathan and            all likelihood the rock Senah is occupied by the enemy
            his armor-bearer,two against thousands. But  Jona- garrison to be attacked by Jonathan, while the other,
     than is unafraid ; for he has convictions. "It may be," Bozez, is the outlook of Saul's watchmen  ; and herein
            says. he to the young  man,".that  the Lord will work for       perhaps lies their significance. As the enemy outpost             -
      us :  fop there  is no restraint to the Lord to save by               is surrounded by forest (14  :25), which stretch all the
            many or by few." There is nothing that can hinder               way towards Bethel (II-  Kings 2  :23,  24))  Jontithan
            the Lord from choosing to do either." Such is the               and his armor-bearer can: pursue  their way without
            obvious meaning of the  skcond of the two  clauseti. And        being observed by the  meti  .of the garrison ; and there-
            the thought underlying it is, that the  Lor8, being what        fore the tactic that Jonathan fixes upon is to surprise
            He is-God-is His own horses and chariots  ; that                the men of the enemy outpost by  the both of them
            His people fight the good fight  as His  wqrkmanship,           suddenly disclosing themselves to  themeat the base of
            created unto good works that they should walk in them,          their stronghold.
                                                                                    _-
            thus fight this fight as the sheep of  IHis pasture, raised        How Jonathan leans on the Lord `for the success
            up  .and prepared by Him for His warfare ; that there- of an undertaking  that from the point of view  Gf nature
            fore the victory can be solely  [His, and, as such, His gift    can end only in disaster for te Hebrews, is also plain
            tq His people  ; that, on this account, numbers can mean        from his fixing upon the sign of the Lord's willingness
            nothing to Him, and that likewise it should mean noth- to work for them. Arriving at  ttie base of the enemy
            ing to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, so far as  the            outpost,  the, both of them,  Jopathan  and his  armor-
            success of their  Venture is concerned, that they are           bearer, will discover themselves to the men of the
            but the two of them. The victory will be theirs as              garrison.     If the enemy say to them, "Be still till we
            truly as it would be, were  the? many.                          come to you,"  th6y will stand still in their place and
              `And it may be," says Jonathan, "that the Lord                will not go to  th8m. On. the other hand, should the
*           will work for  US", for Jonathan and his armor-bearer           answer of the enemy be, "Come up unto us," then, in
            alld the  Bsyaelt:to whom they belong. `:It may be.  ~ .  ." this case," said  Jijnathan to  his armor-bearer,  "We will
                                                      __


                                                                             .  _.
   4    9     4                          TsE       .STAAi\;TD-ARj-J          BEARER

   go. up.: for the Lord hath delivered them. into  oidr  hand ;    always had been- in  the past. Joshua told the people,
   and this shall be a sign unto us," this, the reply of            who murmured at the hearing of the evil report of teh
 - the enemy, "come up  unto, us."                                  spies, that they must  not rebel against the Lord in
        As Jonathan has  pl5nnedj so. it is done.  ' Catching       their  fe$ti of  _ the people of the land : "for they are
   sight of them, the Philistines,. the men of the garrison,        bread for us: their  defence is departed from them
   say, "Behold, the Hebrews come out of the holes where             (.on  a_ccount of the Lord's laying His terror upon their
   they had hid themselves." `This is the speech of men hearts. Such-is the implication) : for  the.Lord is  with-
   that mock and jeer; and apparently with reason. For              us :  fear them not." And the. testimony  .of Rahab the
   they are the many, and a couple of Hebrews defy                  harlot was to the same effect. S&d she`to the two spies
   them. B.ut though they mock, they are surprised and              whom she was concealing in her house, "I know that
   and, troubled nevertheless.      For they dare not leave         the Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror
   their position to venture intp the wooded regions be-            is fallen upon us, and. that  ail1 the. inhabitants of the
   low, fearing that Jonathan and his armor-bearer are              land faint  beca-use of you." That fainting of the
   not alone. Say they-not, "`the  Hebreivs come--out of            Canaanites-a  f.ainting worked by the Lord-was to
   their holes: . .  ," as though there were many of. them?         Ral>ab- the sign, the certain' indication,  that the Lord
   So, when Jonathan presents to those mockers the  op-             h-ad given the land of  her people to Israel.  And the.
   portpnity for choosing between the two courses  &at              crafty Gibeonites,  who- beguiled- Joshua  into- making
  .he previously fixed upon, they `reply, "Come up unto             a league with- them, were of an identical  convid$n.
   Cs, " `come, the two of thee and all that may be with            E'aid they to Joshua, "Because -it was certainly told
   thee, ' "and. we- will show thee a thing." Verily,  they thy servants, how the Lord God had commanded His
   are afraid;  Ye$ how they do-boast! But Jonathan is.             servant Moses to- give you all the land, and to destroy,
persuaded.         "Gome up after me," says he to his  armor-       all the-inhabitants of  the.land before you, therefore we
   beare.,". for the Lord hath delivered them-  into the            were sore afraid of  OUF lives because of you, and  have-
   hands of Israel,"-delivered them : the entire Philistine         done-  this thing."
   host as  &&ding all its horses  Andy chariots, and thus              And. so, too, the Philistines of our narrative. They
   not merely that small detachment of mocking, jeering,            are afraid. The, terror of God is upon them. The very
   btlt sorely troubled Philistines directly overhead-de-           tactic that Jonathan employs-his suddenly appearing
   livered them into the hands of  ,Israel, of Christ-Israel        with his  eompan-ion at the- base of the Philistine  out-
   is Christ-and of the people in Christ.           The Lord ,post-has been- fixed upon by him in the confidence
   bath  deZiv$~d  them into the hands of Israel, So tliat thati the  Lord, would' use it to terrify the enemy. And
   t-he- victory is- already theirs in Christ in whom they          the  Lozd does so. He works for His servants.  Jona--
   are  more than conquerors. For this is the sign.  (And           than and his armor-bearer disclose. themselves and
   Jonathan climbs. up on his hands and on his feet and             the men of the-garrison, conclude that the  Hebrews
   his  auzmor-bearer after him. There is not the trace of come out of their holes  ; while the sad- fact is that the  '
   a doubt in his  soul- that the challenge of  ,the` enemy is      Hebrews are still in their holes. The men of the gar-,
   the. sign that they have been delivered into Israel's            rison are afraid  ; that' is their trouble. -But they mock
   hands.                                                           -an& jeer and boast nevertheless, little realizing that
        But how does he  knoti? There is but one  a&wer :           the words they utter  form the-very sign of their being
   The Lord. tells him in  his heart so that he is  assured-        in Israel's  hand% This,-too, is the Lord's doing.  .He
   teAIs him, however, by what the" challenge reveals of            worketh for His. servants.  It is He who moved the
   the  men. that uttered it,  tihich  is that they are afraid.     Philistines to utter just those  woyds'. As  eficouraged
   Hence that sign-the challenge-is not by itself a                 by the sign, Jonathan goes  upj he and his  armor-bear,er,
   meaningless thing, so- that Jonathan could just as well          as unobserved by the men of the- garrison overhead,
   have  sai& to  his- armor-bearer, "If they  say unto us,         who  .have no idea- that their challenge has been ac-
   tarry until ye come unto you, then we will go up. . .  ."        cepted. As  ,unobserved` by these men,  the.*Lord's   serv-
   T.lie sign, that challenge,  -has meaning indeed.. As a          ants go up. For the `narrative states that they `climb
   sign, it is the Word of God, beseaking the fear of the           upon their  ha.nds and their feet. Thus also their ap-
Philistines and on this account the readiness of God                pearance  on: the top of the elevation is again sudden
  to.' deljver  EZis people for Christ's sake. And with this and` unexpected:                                                0
  word' in his heart,  `a,$ put there by the Lord, Jonathan            -And  the.men of the garrison are gripped by a para-
   is assured; the sign pledges him God's help and sal-             lyzing fear. Jonathan falls upon the foremost of  ,his
  vation.                          . .                              opponents and his armor-bearer slays after him ; and
        Iti. the final instance,  theri,  `%he sign is  the  .feir of presently there lie  .dead on the ground twenty men of  -
   the. adversary as reflected in their challenge. The              the garrison in  "ati it were an  h&f acre  of:land, which
   Philistines already are in  the.  gri,p of the-  terroi of       a yoke of oxen might. plow."' The  tidjngs `of  ihis
   God.; and beholding, Israel knows,  as- taught by the            first killing spread with lightning rapidity. At the
   Loxd, that the salvation of  thieLord is pending. So it same time,. the Lord sends. an earthquake ; and the


                                                  T'HE STA'NDARD                                  BEA,RE'R                      '             495

 terror of the Philistines multiplies a thousand fold
 and  s.preads throughout the enemy camp. For by the                                       SION'S  ZANGEN  -
 quaking of  $he earth, they are  ,mad-e to perceive  thtit
the  .Lord is present amongst them in His  .great wrath
 and power and that  IHie fighteth for His people. To
; quote the text, "There was trembling  ig the host in the                     Den Heere  Dienen Met BlijdSch+
 field, and among the  -people: the garrison and the                                                        (Psalm 100)
 spoilers, they also trembled, and the  ,earth quaked:
 thus it was a  great trembling."                 .                                Toen .we  dezen psalm bestudeerclen,  dabhten -we
     .The entire_ host of  the Philistines is now  sei?ed by                   onwiilekeurig  aan een  schoonen  tekst uit Jesaja.  Tk
 a wild tumult. For the fear of the Philistines trans-                         heb het oog op hoofdstuk 64, vers 5.                   Daa-r staat :
 lates itself into action. The Philistines  flee- at  to~p                     "Gij ontmoet den  vroolijke en die gerechtigheid  .d&t,
 speed, as driven by one purpose, which is that they                           degenen die Uwer gedenken op Uwe  wegen; zie, Gij
 save themselves out of `the hands of God and -His                             waart verbolgen omdat wij gezondigd hebben ;  in  de-
 people. And as they go, each beats down `the other                            zelve  iS de eeuwigheid, opdat wij behouden  w-ierden."
 in his mad effort to  clear the way  for himself. "Every                          Ja, we hebben hier  dezelfde zaak  ds in dat  vers van
 man's. sword was  agaihst his fellow,"  r,eads the  texi.                     Jesaja.  !Ook daar  word!  clen mensch  ,Gods  -beschreven,
 Verily, the. Philistine camp has become a  veri%able -die al  jitbelende  -gerechtigheid pleegt., Ze  lov,en  jGoc1 op
 house of slaughter and death with the Philistines both                        Zijn wegen. Dat is  oak de ware  godsdienst.
 the slayers and the victims. To the  wsitchnien  of Saul,                         Deze  psdlm is een lofpsalm. Wet is  goed   clat  er
 who look, the  elitire enemy host takes on the appear-                        z&e  psalmen zijn. De Heere  heeft  er  voor gezorgd,
 ance of a mass of humans' that literally  .melts away.                        dat er woorden en jubelende  klanken  &jn in Zijn
 And the clash `of  apms, the sound of chariots that                           Woord, zoodat we ze op' onze  lippen mogen nemen,
 crash, the shouts and yells of the fleeing, and. the                          vertolbende wat in het  d-iepe hart  popelt..
 shrieks and groans of `wounded and dying `men and                                 Hebt ge er we1  -eens  op  gel'et, dat  -er voor  -elke  toe-
 beasts fill the air  and blend so as to make a-great noise                    stand  uwer ziel een psalm is? Daarom ben  ik er van
 that rises from the camp  land  cati be  heayd for miles                      overtuigd, dat de Kerk van  Christus geen  wezenlijke
 around. It is all the  L&d's doing. He  worlreth for His                      b e h o e f t e   heeft  aan  g e z a n g e n .   ,
 people.      The prayers of all saints has again been                            -Er zit een  prof etische  klank in dit  gezang.
 answered, "Let God arise, let his  eilemies  be scattered:                        D,e  Heili&Geest roept  de gansche  aarde op om den'
 let them also that hate him  flee before the fire, so let                     Heere te loven.                    _
 the wicked perish at the presence of -God. But let the                            Dat leek  er niet  vkel  -op tden de zanger in Israel  -dit
 righteous  .b& glad  ; let them rejoice  .b&fore  .Gocl; yea,                 lied inzette. H&t  iicht  clat van Zijn  aafigezicht  straalde
 let them exceedingly rejoice." Ps. 68  :l-3.                                  verlichtte  Ispael, het  heilige land, de  Joden, de  toad-
                                                               G.  =M. 0.      Testamentische,  kerk,  doch het  .heidendom,   ,de -rest  .der
                                                                               aarde, lag nog in de, boeien  ,der  duisternis  gekklisterd.
                                                                               De gansche  -aarde  bevui.lde  zich in  -onuits~rekelijke
                      WEDDIN%  ANNIVERSARY                                     zonden.      We1 verre van de  rHeere  -te  :oven,  bogen zij
     The Lord +lling,  on the `2nd df Septemb_ey,  our dear parents            zich  voor-de stomme  afgoden-..
                            B                                                      Maar de  zanger van dit lied stond in het  licht  der
                                 EN   VElLtiI(AMP
                                   a n d                                       profetie, en hij zag in de  `ver.teli   der  t-ij-den de zoekende,
                 MRS. BEN VELbKAMP  (nee' Iiok)                                vindende en  trekkencle  armen van  .Jehovah-God  ! IGij
                                                                               gansche  aarde;  looft den Heere! -Die  -klank is  over-
 h:pe to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary.                             genomen door de  aen&elingen.  Zij kwamen  eindelij-k
     Our hope and prayer is that they  inay be  s.ppared  for each             66k bij de Batavieren  aan: Gij  heidenen;  looft -den
 ether  and for us, for  Rnany  years to come.                                 Heere ! %n Uwe  tin  mijne vaders  -hebben het  gehoord.
      Their grateful children: Mr.-and Mrs. Peter D, Stvieter                  Het  -goddelij-k  woncler  is  aan hen geschied : zij  b3gen
                                     William                                   rich in  aan~bidding  voor -den  Xeere  neder in bet  &of.
                                     Mr. &nd MTS. Engbert Veldkamp             La;ngzamer-hand   Bw-amen  :er  ~heiden-vaders  `en  heiden-
                                    Mr. and  -Mrs.   ;Ben-jamin   Veldkanlp    moeders die tot  bun-ne  .klein:e  li&eling,en  zeiden : Buigt
                                   Harry.                                      nu  jullie kleine  .knie& en  zegt het ons  na:  `k Leg mij
                                     Bena                 \                    neder -om te slapen, -Goede God ! -die ,altijd waakt.! Wil
                                     Fanny                                     mij -in  UW  -gunst bewaren,  als het kwade  mij gen-aakt !
                                     Bernard  Rc&ebeyt                         Ach, vergeef  tech -al mijn zonden  i Zoo -leg  ik  mij.n
                                     A r n o l d   ZIe;ry                      hoofdje neer,  opdat  morgen-bij  `t ontwaken  U  de  E-of-
                                     Gerald Walter                             .zij  toegebmdit!   h,men ! 0 ja, ze  zijn begonnen  te
 Gr~@d  R a p i d s ,   Mich.           and 3 grandchildren.                   loven over  cle  gansche  acwde.


 496                                          T H E - "`S T A N - D A R D   B E A R E R

        En het loven is  ju&en geworden.               ~             volk,  dat het gegeven is om die  deugden te zien, ze lief
        Men juicht om  te kennen te geven, dat men  -vol is          te  hebbeti  en te  ervaren, dat  volk, is vroolijk in den
 van geluk en ialigheicl. Om het den mensch, en meer .Heere,  end-dient Hem met  groote  vroolijkheid..
 nag, God  te kennen te geven, dat wij  266 heel  blijde                En de  spoo?s!ag,  de aanmoediging tot die  vroolijk-
 zijn. We juichen en zirigen om  liet den Heere te  ver- heicl zit in den  Naam.' Dat is het volgende  vers: "Weet,
                                                                                                                   r
 t$len, dat  &j in  Hem'al ons vermaak vonden.                  _    dat de Heere God is  !"
        En dat juichen  is  nu gehoord over de  gafische  aarde.        De  Heel:e is de Verbonds-Jehovah. Als ioodanig
 De aarde heeft de  ,g&biedend& stem van  d&n  Heiligen is Hij de Rots, die van geen wankelen  weet., De  Heere                            ,
 Geest  gehoord en gehoorzaamd.  .Want  di,e  Stern klonk            is de  eeuwig Getrodwe, die altijd  zij'n' gelofte gestancl
 eigendommelijk, d.w.z., onwederstaanbaai-. Dat dit                  doet.  rHij bewees dat op  Golgotha.   Tusschen Hem en
 266 is, en niet anders  kunt ge  leeren uit het  derde  ve&,        het ingaan in Gods Huis in den  hemel van de van
 een vers, dat gehaat  wordt in  de Pelagiaansche  &in-              eeuwigheid  gkkendeil lag de  schuld  dey zonde.  ' Zijn
 gen. We zullen  er  straks bij stil staan.                          gelofte was: Mijn volk zal tot  iti alle eeuwigheid zijn
        Nu zullen we eerst luisteren naar de  verklaring  van        tot prijs Mijner  heerlijkheid-! Maar er was het  vreese-
het juichen.                                                         lijke feit der zonde en der sehuld.  Maar  /Hij is de
        Dient -den Heere met  blijdschap,   komt voor Zijn           Heere! Welnu, Hij bewees  dat.
 Aangezicht met  .vrooli jk  gezang !                                   Hij komt. neder in de gestalte van `een slaaf : en
        Bier hebt ge het  geheim van den  waren  Godsdienst.         dat is Jezus van Nazareth. In den naam van Jezus zit
        Wilt ge  lGo?l  ontmoeten ? Wilt ge. het heerlijkste         de' naam van Jehovah.  En.de  H.eere  openbaart.   Zich               i
 dat maar denkbaar is op aarde  genieten,-iiatielijk, dat in Zijn  onbegrijpelijke Bondstrouw : Hij gaat`  aan het
 God U ontmoet? Dali  meet ge  vroolijk zijn in het  doen            vervloekte  ho&  hangen voor U en  tiij, mijn broeder !
 van gerechtigheid.               Dan moet ge den  .Heere  di&ien       En die Heere is God!
`m e t   b l i j d s c h a p .                                          -Daar  zit' een verder element in om van te  zingen
  Gaat ge graag naar  &! `kerk? Is het U `een genot                  met groote vrooli jkheid.
 om het geklank van het  Evang&$: te hooren? Is er een                  De He&e is  God,. wil zeggen, dat  iHij de  goedhei&en
hunkering in U naar de  Qdorhoven waar het  volk  ver-               de  kr&ht heeft om het  H&e-zijp uit te werken. Wij
 gadert? Moogt ge met innige blijdschap verkeeren                    kan  maken! En Zijn  m&en is een mirakel.  - Luistert
 op die eigenaardige plaats op aarde, waar alles U  aan              maar naar het verdere lied: Hij heeft ons gemaakt
God herinnert? Ik heb  bet oog op het kerkgebouw.                    (en niet wij), Zijn volk en de schapen Zijner weide!
Kom  aan, laat ons eens  zien:  rHet  `is de dag van Gdd,            Geliefden,   ik. jubel inwendig bij het lezen  ;an dit vers.
bet. Huis van God,  bet  volk-van God, het Woord van                 Daar  kunnen. alle  Pelagianen  bun  tanden stomp op
 God, de  Geest,van God, het lied van God, het werk van .bijten!
!God,*de Wet van God, het Evangelie van God. de  Chris-                 De Heere is de vreeselijke;  almachtige  God  die  knn
tuti `Gods, `de zaligheid van God : in QQn wbord, het is de          wat Hij wil. Het groote  kunnen zit in God. En dat
 dienst van God !         0, ik kan er  ifi  kamen, dat David        kunnen'is .ook goed. Het is een goede almacht en een
verre van  Gdds Huis  znchtte,  ensmachtte,  en  verlangde           almachtige  goedheid die de  eeuwen  geziep hebben.              I
 en  t.reurde :  Wanneer zal  ik ingaan en voor Uw  aan-                Hij is  aan `t  makitn gegaan. En het resultaat van
.gcsicht verschijnen. Wat  de&t ge, dat de  hemel is,                dat  maken is een volk, een  kudde. schapen Zijner weide.
anders dan wat we U hierboven opsomden? Mijn  oil-                      IHebt ge gelet op wat er  .tusschen  twee  haakjes  staat
vergetelijke moeder was zeer eenvoudig. Ik  vroeg haar               in dit, vers ? Midden in het  relaas van het almachtige
 eens, nu vele  jaren  ieleden-: Moeder, hoe ziet het er in          werk Gods, zegt de  Heilige Geest: Gods kind heeft
clen  hemel  tiit ?  -En zij  z@ide : In  den  hemel, mijn kind,     zichzelf niet tot kind. Gods gemaakt.  ~.Gbd heeft dat
zitten  duizenden. en  duigenden van  kinderen Gods in .-gedaan. Indien dat  goed gezien werd door  millioetien
lange reien op stoelen, en zij  dokn  ni& anders dan                 van belijders van Zijn naam, dan werden vele kerken
psalm 42  zingen ! Als klein kind heeft dat antwoord                 gesloteri, vele leeraars afgezet, vele belijdenissen  ver-
mii bevredigd. Op  lateren leeftijd,  toen ik er over                brancl, en  ,vele liederen zouden verstommen. Dan werd
.nadacht, heb ik `in mijn meerdere  wijsheid ( ? !) er om            ook Kalamazoo  herroep,en. Schoone,  aanbiddeiijke,
 geglimlacht.. En nu, nu ik ouder ben, heb ik vaak                   lieflijke  geclacbte. We  tioeten nog wat  wachien. Want
gedacht:  Moeder was  niet ver  m'is tden iij haar  een-             het gebeurt zekerlijk. God heeft de  notul,en van Kala-
voudige definitie van  den  hemel gaf.            .                  mazoo niet  aangencjmen.  Zijn veto, vreeselijker dan
  De  hemel is Psalm 42  iingen? Ja, maar dan `de dat van Molotov, staat'  & tegen: Psalm 14  :2, 3; en
hemelsche editie van dien psalm. Ik mocht oak zeggen :               veel erger, tegen het  l%.in.$je van het  .eerst&  punt:
het  tientra'le  thema van dat lied. En wat is het  wezen,           Marcus 4  :12. En  positief  :  .$om.  1:16, vooral die hker-
 de  centrale gedachte van- dat onvergelijkelijke lied?              lijke phrase : "e&e  kracht Gods tot. zaligheid". 0,
`Dit : Ik heb .U hartstochtelijk  lief, o God mijn God ! Ik          waarom wil meri al het  werk van dien vreeselijken
vind al mijn vermaak in de  opsomming  `Uwer deugden,                &eere en  `God  r+t  &kennen?  Waarom-moet  er iets,
mitsgaders het  mog&n  smaken  `van die  deugden.  Whet              hoe  klein dan ook, van dat werk Gods  aan den mensch


                                                                                                                 '
                                            THi  S T A N D A R D   BEA.RER                                                                     497

 geschonken? EN NIET WIJ! In genen deele, in  bet, van  ens-wandeldk in den Zodn van Zijn rechterhand.
 geheel niet, niet met al,  doen we tot onze making tot iHij kwam  266 dicht bij ons, dat Hij onze smarten  over-
 volk er bij.  .Het is al Zijn werk alleen.                                nam.en Zijn  na,am werd Man van Smarten. Zeer dicht                               ,,
     Ge  zeg? : er zijn goede  w.erken, als daar zijn : geloof,            en  z&r hecht is Hij tot ons gekomen, want na Pinkster
 zuchten tot God,  bet uitstorten van ons  voile hart in                   woont  .Hij, in ons diepe hart.
 smeeken om vergiffenis of de  -aanbidding vanwege                             En Hij zal blijven komen tot we  allen met den Zoon
 Zijn lieflijkheid. Het is wel: die goede werken zijn                      in den boezem des Vaders verkeeren, om nooit weer  te
 door Hem  voo@ereid, dpdat wij in dezelven zouden                         dwalen.                                                                           I
 wandelen.                                                                     De weide  IGods? Het is dit : dat Hij Zichzelven  aan
    10,  beken het  :.Hij heeft  ens  gemaalgt   tot.Zijn volk,            ens geeft.
 tot de  Bchapen Zijner weide. Zoo, en zoo alleen,  ont-                       En:daarbij`is  onze grootste nooddruft  vervllid.
 vangt Hij nu en  st?aks  all& lof, eer en aanbidding !                        Z u l l e n   we  d a n   o o k   d e   poorten,  Zijrie  poorten,  i n -
 Met  fiind& Bunt ge niet toe. Ik  denk in liefde, dat                     gaan? Het volgende vers zegt dat.
 sommigen die het  hinder maakten  ,ook naar den  hemel                        W&t die  poorten zijn? Ik zal het  `U,  ieggen: het                          *.
 gegaan zijn. M.aar in den  hemel zijn ze  gewasschen                      zijn de  arm.en  v&n Uw Vader in den  hemel, die  zich uit-
 van al die  Pelagiatinschk vuilheid; Want  vuil is het om                 brciden  om U te ontvangen en te omvangen.  Jeztis
 het werk  van God te kleineeren.  Waarom.  maakt ge                       zei.2,:  Ik,ben de Deur  der schapen. Gaat die  poorten
 Hem .niet liever groot? En dat  kunnen we `zelfs niet                     binnen, en gij  wordt' onthaald. Daar vindt ge het'
 ten  voile  doen. Als we straks in den  hemel zijn en het                 wa-ater des levens om niet, en honig uit den Rotssteen.
 waas der zonde ons niet langer  parten speelt in  .de                         Gaai; die  poorten in al  -zingend& Ge vindt er  een
 malle,  vuile en  leelijke verkleining van Gods werken,                   flauw  beeld van als  .ge het lieve kind, al lachende,  zich
 dan zullen we  eeuwiglijk het Hem vertellen: Heere,                       tot Moeder ziet spoeden, om door  haar  armen opge-                         .
- luister naar mij ! NIET WIJ! EN NIET WIJ! GIJ                            rangen te  woeden. Zooiets wordt  een.igzi+s  vervuld
 WAART' HET EEUWIGLIJK EN ALTOOS!                                          in de kerk.  Wij  zijn Zijn  poorten ingegaan met lof,
     Ik verheug mij  er in, dat die  paar kleine  woorcljes                met lofzang in Zijn  heilig` hof.
. er staan. Tusschen twee  haakj.es!                                           Wat we daar  zullen.doen? In die Kerk daarboven?
     ,O, dat we ze schreven "tot een  teeken op onze hand,                     Een klein  weinigj'e  geleden heb ik er van  gestameld.
 en tot voorhoofdspanselen tusschen onze  oogen",   ,want                  Ik  zal U antwoorden door onze  vaderen die het  ant-
 -en leest dan  bet verdere  van het vers in Exodus                        woord op  rijm. gezet hebben.
 13 :16 : " W A N T   D E   HEERE  (HEEFT  DOaOR  -EEN                         11;. de  kerk hier  en in de Kerk daarboven, in de
 STERKE HAND ONS UIT  EGYP?E  UITGEVOERD !                                 armen van God, zult ge opblikken in het Aangezicht en
     Zoo staat  er een volk voor Zijn aangezicht, de                       jubelen :
 `schapen Zijner weide.                                                               "Want goedertieren is de  IHeer  ;
     De  weide van God!                                                               Zijn  goedheid-. eindigt nimmermeer  ;
     lp:et  begin van die weide  is.in der eeuwigheicl.                               Zijn trouw en waarheid houdt haar kracht
     Daar  hoor ik het  rui&hen van een lied der liefde.                              `Tot in het laatste nageslacht!"
 Daar  waren ze Hem  trbet&lkinderen. Daar  waren we                          `Als de Engelen Gods  dat,  zagen en hoorden, hebben
 %ijn vermaking, spelende voor Zijn aangezicht. Daar                       zij  zich grootelijks verblijd. Lang  wilden zij inzien in
 waren we de voorwerpen van Zijn  verbondsmin.,                            die  dingen van  de'Trouw Gods. En nu die Trouw  be-
     En  toen de historie kwam heeft Hij Zijn eeuwige                      zongen wordt in den  hemel, is het hun deel om de
 liefde bewezen door voor hen te'zorgen, te zorgen ! Die                   Pefreinen te  zingen. Zij verblijden  zich immers over
 zorg is  266 wonderlijk,  z%+  ongegvenaard, dat we er                    c!e zielen die  bekeerd werden? +
 v&n  zingen: we zien het  &aar  doorgrond,en  `t niet.                        Slecht$  noode verlaten we dit lieflijke en  bekoor-
Stelt het U voor : we.  waren  verongelukt,  ioodat we  he1                1ijRe  tafereel.
 en ,verdoemenis  verdienden;  doch Zijn lieflijke zorg                        Maar het moet : cle  woorden van den zanger  hebben
 heeft ons  verschoond : Hij nam  onzen druk op  Zich,. en                 ten  e i n d e .
 in aile onze benauwdheden is  Hij  benauwd-gew&st.                            En het einde is de  lbf- des Heeren !
     In de historie heeft Hij ons tot  Zich geroepen en                                                                               G. y.
 ons  aan Hem  verljonden, steeds hechter,  steedswonder-                                              -s__
 lijker. Adam en Eva riep Hij tot  Zich. vanuit het                                            - BOUND COPIES  -
 kyeupelhout, alwaar zij  zich verscholen  hadden. Abram
 riep Hij  .uit der  Chalde& land. Zijn zoon heeft  Xij                        At present consistories or societies of our -churches
 uit Egypte gerepen.          En  toen zij zwart  waren van %ave the opportunity to purchase a complete. set of                                             ,.
 dienstbaarheid zijn ze door een sterke  rkchterhand  uit-                 bound  Stalidard Bearers.
 gega,an,  o m   t e   rusten  4n  Kanagn.  D o o r   d i e   b a n g e        L*iterature,  books, apd  baqk issues of the R.F.P.A.
 eeuwen  heen is Hij gekomen tot. de  Fijnen, steeds  dich-                will now be loaned out to our readers with the per-
 ter, totdat  Hij' voor ons kwam te staan en te  midden                    mission of  o;r  librakian,  Mr. M. Woudenberg.


               -498                                             T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

                                                                    -                To  stamp   Iess than 100 would be. too expensive. Con-
                             Neti                   Psd.teri                         gregations ordering 100 and' desiring to have  their
                                                                         .           names stamped on the cover can  contact the  com@ttee
                                                                                     and'we will find out the price of 100. The price of
                                              1

                  .Tq those  consistories interested  in  purehas&  new-. these Psalters is $1.75 each.
               Psalters for their congregations; we pass on the follow-                     ITO the organists of those  churches using  t&e Hol-
               ing information.          The Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing              land Psalm arrangements, we would suggest that they
               Company  ex@cts the new reprint of the Psalter to                     follow the' foot note at  the bottom of the page and play
               be ready  for  d,elivery the  fir&t of September.                     all. the melody notes as half notes, disregarding the
                   These Psalter reprints  tire exactly the  same as the             present arrangement of whole, half and quarter notes.
               present Psalters `with  nd changes at all in  .the- music,            We believe that, this  r&ains the solemn dignity and
               wording. of  the songs  or. to  the  Liturgy.             However,    b e a u t y   o f   t h e s e   t u n e s .
               after Psalter number 413 there will be a choral section                                                                 J. A. H.
     ,         .coilsisting of  26 of the better known Holland Psalm'
1                                                                                      .                           --
               *tunes with English words and two musical  arrange-
               tietits of  the.Lord?s Prayer which  c&i be used in `con-
               nection with our Heidelberg Catechism  sermoB&  on  `thi$                         1       ;         ANNOUFCEMENT
               p r a y e r .                                                                Dr.' K.' Schilder, theological professor at the  semin-
                   S&e the first 413 numbers- are exactly as in the `ary of  the Gereformeercle Kerken  CArt. 31) at  Kampin,
               present  Pialter, consistories :can order this. book and               The Netherlands has  arrivecl in the United States.
               use it in connection with the old books and experience
               no  c&fusion in the numbering of the  stings. #Consist-                      He has  requestecl  an opportunity to discuss the  cloc-
               oriesmwhibQh  order a complete set for their entire audi-              trinal  ancl ecclesiastical questions of differences that
               torium, naturally, will be in a much better position to                exist in The Netherlands. Dr.  Schilder is commencing
               use these. English vorsions of  tge Holland Psalms and
               the arrangements of the  Lord's,Prayer in  their  congre-
               gational..singing.
                   Mr;; Eerdmans is printing 3000 of these Psalters
               for  our. denomination, and those churches which have
               sent in their tentative orders can  feel safe in  increas-
               .ing the- number if they see fit. The `revisecl edition
               of the Psalter upon which a Committee of Synod is
               working will not appear  At least for another four or
               five years,  .and consistories ought to take  tl1i.s into
               consider&ion in orderirig this reprint of  .the present
               Psaiter.
                .:  `nformatioq  in regard to placing orders for  these
               Fra'rters  should be sent to tlie Psalter Revision Com-
               mittee in care of Rev. John A.  lH,eys, 1551 Wilson Ave.,
               4% W., R. 5, Grand Rapids,  ,Mich. Will all the  con-
               sistories  who'haye  giv& tentative orders  jn the  ljast
               verify these orders so that the new  PsalterA may be
               sent  oat as soon as they are ready' for  deliirery? No
               Psalters will be sent  out. without this verification since-
               the former  notic@ sent out to  `our consistories-was only
               a survey of the needs and willingness to buy and not an
               attempt to get orders.                   - .
                       Ipdividuals  who desire  such `Psalters for their                                PROFESSOR DR.K.SCHILDER.
               home use or societies which desire to purchase them,                   his lecture tour of the United States by giving his first
               feel free to do so. The. supply is adequate now.  we                   lecture, `Thursday,' Sept. 4, in the First Prot. Ref.
          a
               would urge all our `people to  purchase  on&  f?r  theiy               Church in Grand Rapids. He intends to  le`cture  apd
               home use.  .It  iS  a,valuable  bdok to be found in every              preach in Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin,.  Iowa, South
               jone..of   .our homes.              `,.  -  -                          Dakota, Minnesota, Montana,  and  - California.  Dr..
                       Congregations  ordering 100 or more  $i have their -Schilder intends to  -remain in th-is country until about
               names stamped on the  .zront cover. The price  quoted                  the  .middle  of November.
               for. this stamping is $16 for 200 and $30 for 400. No                        We welcome  Dr. Schilder to our shores and trust
               price is quoted for 100 but it will be  appr;iximately   $12.          he  wil! receive ample-opportunity to present his views,

                                         -


               *                        ` T H E .   SI`AN--DARD  B E A R E R <                                              _-  &j
                     .
                                                                       this world God in His grace spoke of the unreconcilable
                          IN  H I S   FEAR  \.
                    ;                                                  chasm  betwe.en His church and the world. He prom-
                                                                       ised to  His church that  tHe would make such a corn-
                                                                       plete distinction and that in the struggle which wduld
                    _ .Living In His Fear.                             follow because of it,  H.e would give His church the
                                                                       complete victory.
                                                                          Of course, we have reference to-Genesis 3  :15. After
     l?ii;h and Tlwough Our Child~-%k                                  man had allied himself with the devil  -ancj became a
         Did you ever pray, "Thy Kingdom  Come"?                       citizen of his God-hating kingdom, God in His grace
         Of  course you did, for it is  the second petition of         began to gather His elect church and to form this
     the prayer Christ taught  >us to  pray..                          kingdom for which we pray in the second petition of
         According to the new principle of life within us,             the`Lord's prayer. There is according to this, word- of
     we  -m&an that prayer too.  =  Whe new man in Christ              cod an pndeniable enmity between. the church and  the
     longs eagerly for the perfection of  Fhat kingdom  where- world. The church hates all the` works. of the world
     iu he,  by  ~Gocl's  grace,' is a citizen' and  e which is his    and  ~11 that for which this world stands.  .And the
     inheritance. The prayer, "Thy kingdom  com'e", springs            world  hatks the church  with all that is within her and
     forth from' that  iife which we receive  out of heaven.           even strives to crush  h&r to the  groun& The church
     Those living in His fear utter this prayer arid mean              has  t&e promise of complete victory and that the world
     every word of it.                                                 shall never do any  more than bruise her heel.  CChrist,
,        The time  of the year has again arrived when. we              the head of the  chdrbh on the other hand, shall crush
     ought to be  keminded that it  i6 an act of  living'in His        ana give the death  `.blovl; to the world.
     fear when for  the- sake of the  coking of  that kingdom             Shall tie for' convenience' sake or for material
     we  setid  our  children  where they may be trained as            wealth's sake ignore this fact' that the  world hates  _
     citizens of God's kingdom. When we pray "Thy  king-               our children because they are citizens of this. coming
     -dam come", we  must also act according  to that pray&.           kingdom of God? Dare you deny this  hat&d of the
     Living in His fear is much more than simply saying                world for our children?       Dar&  we on the one hand
     that we fear  H4m.  -  .Likewise praying "Thy kingdom             pray,  "`Thy.kingdom,  Come",  and on the other act  as:
     come", is much more than simply causing these. words              though we  a?e  ,more concerned. with what is  .cqnven-
     to be formed by our lips or to arise in our thoughts.             ient and least expensive, which things  bel&g to the
       . In principle  according to the  n&w life we surely            kirigdom of  the world? You cannot pray, "Thy king-
     . mean our prayer, but in  prdctice  wheti we follow' our         dom come", and at the same time ask God to make ,
     sinful flesh' we are  tidt concerned `with the coming             an exception for `you and let you nevertheless give over
     of God's kingdom.           I'_                                   your children who belong  to_ that kingdom -into the
         The, easiest way is to deny our children  the training hands of  the  eneniies of that kingdom for their  &duca-
     that they as citizens `of God's  kingd,om require. It             tion and instruction.
     costs  far.  less.     It is much more convenient  for the           ,That  enmity of the world for the church, and  thns
     parints and children &like .  Tr&spo&ation   iS  pro-             for you and your children, is not to  be denied. Deny it,
     vi&d without cost and the hours away from home are                and you make God  a,liar. IBe declared that-this enmity
     cut to  `a minimum.                                               does exist. Be  .careful! And  b$  carefill too so  that,
         But is, this the  safest way? Is  ,it the proper way?         by sending your children into the camp of  .th&  `e&by
      Is it the way of the fear- of  the Lord? When we do              for daily  instructiop,. you  ,are not; in practice  de!yjng
     this,  ar.e we living in His  -fear  with  and through our        this enmity of  which. the Almighty God spoke  in  `Gen.
      6hildr&? Can we on the one hand' pray,  "?hy  kin&               3:15.        '       -                        ,.:
      dom come" and then on  &he  otliep hand entrust our                 It does not change things at  all to maintain' that
      childrejn who are citizens in that kingdom to those              Gen.  3:15 simply speaks of the enmity God  will put
     whp know not God's kingdom and even hate that king-               in the hearts of His church toward  all,that which is of
      dom?  - Can we send them to the educators in the  king-          t&e world; It does no good to argue that it makes God
      doti of  d&rkness and expect them to be shining lights           the author of  sifi to say that He puts enmity in the
      in the kingdom of God?                                           hearts  bf the world toward His church. IGdd is  not'the
         Perhaps  ydu never looked at it in the light of this          author of  sin,`and if you are afraid that it makes God
      second petition of the Lord's Prayer.         Perhaps ybu        the author of  siri to say that the text  means  that. God
\ never considered it either in the light. of the first                puts-that enmity also in the heart of the world  we.can
      gQspe1  message God spoke  to man. Consider then                 pass. that  6y at  this time and not take one side or the
     t&se things with us as we look at our- life of living in          other. But you cannot  d&y that this enmity does
      Hii fear as it ought to be conducted by all covenant             exist in the heart,  of- the world  toward the church. The
     parents with and through their children,                          text surely  implies that such is the case.  ' Ahd  the
         It  iS  noteworthy that with the entrance of sin into         whole of Scripture  m&es that very plain;


                                                                                                                                           :
            500                                   T.H E    $T.ANDARD  B E A R E R   :  - .

       I       Did not godless Cain slay  righteo& Abel just be-          enmity from  flaritig up in the last days into that
            cause he revealed himself to be a citizen of this-corn-       tremendous flame of opposition and tribulation of
            ing kingdom of God? And here you have broth&s  re-            which God's Word speaks. `The brutal tribulations
     -vealing  this  ebmity of  Gen; 3  :15. Had you been-living          of unheard'  tiroportions  which will come upon the
       .in  that day  Gould. you have rather sent your children           church  .in those days through the works of the anti-
            $0 Cain for instruction or to Abel? `To- which  dne           christ will  tiot be  someth_ng  unusual.. The  degree of
                                                                                                                              ..-
            would it have been- your duty to send them?          Cain     intensity may be new,  _but the enmity  which causes it
            could have taught them many wonderful things in the `has been in the world ever since  `God spoke those
            realm of  the natural, but you may be sure that he            memorable words, "And I will put. enmity  between
.           would not  have,taught  th.em salvation through the blood     thee and the woman, and  .between thy seed and her
            of Christ.  :He could only have taught them that  AGod- seed: it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise its
            ought to be very pleased  with the wonderful ( ?) things      heel." - The climax of this  ellmity will have been reach-
            the  llatural man is doing for Him. He surely would           ed  in the days of the  anti'christ, but it is  e&r in the
            not teach them that  .we  must_ love  ,the Lord our Go'd      hearts of the unbelievers.
            with  al! our heart and- with all our soul, mind and               Are your  childrei safe then in the hands of those
            strength." His own hatred toward  #God would-have- who cannot love God's kingdom? Can you send them
            prevented this. So one may go down the line with              to the wdrld and-expect them to be trained to  be.child-
            Pharaoh,  Herod,  Judah, Pilate and many lesser known         ren of tlie church? Is such activity consistent with
            characters who showed  this enmity toward God's king-         your prayer, "Thy kingddm come" ? We surely  ,may
            dom to  a very great degree. `That same  hatr.ed   for        not  @ray,  `t_Thy  kingdom- come if it does not cost me
            God and  IHis kingdom  is in every man as he is by            too much and if it does not make  it too inconvenient
            nature. Cain  recejved it by virtue of the`fact that he       for me and my children".                                              :
            was born of fallen Adam.  And every man  sirice has                An oft heard excuse today is the fact that'this one
            been born from `the seed  sf that corrupt tree.      That     or that one never  ,had an education in a Christian
            enmity  isin the heart of every man as he is by nature.       school,  ,and  16ok ! he turned out to be a pretty good
              In His grace and by the Spirit of  Christ   ,God  ini-      Christian too. Here is an elder, a deacon or  even a
            plan& a new life in His -people. `This causes  them to        minister of the Word of God who was brought  up.in
            hate  all these works' of darkness  And to pray that  l&s     the schools' of the world. We always went to such
            kingdom may come. But because we still have that              schools and our children did, and are we really any
            old nature with us till death, we find that tie also have     worse than those. who went to -Christian schools. fbr
            room in our hearts for the world. We can feel quite           t h e i r   t r a i n i n g ?
     at home with the world  .and even  sen'd our children                     We.wpulcl like  to  say a few things about this  ip our
            to the world for instruction as though its  instr&ors         next instalment in this department.                              But let it. be
            were,really doing us. a  favor and were our most  trusted     stated here that it is .not a question of what God can
            friends. Sometimes we even dare to say that there still       and does do in spite of our deeds. It is a  iquestion of
            is. some good in the world even though the Almighty           what' our calling-is before God as those who belong to
            and All-Wise. God declares that there is none that            iHis kingdom  &d  in%hose hearts He has wrought  that
            doeth good,-no not  one.  W,e,  becafise of  th& weakness     new life which hates, the world and the things  ,in the
            and sinfulness of our -flesh, are inclined to love the        world (I John  2  :15). God  w&s. able to save the mur-
            world and the things in the world. `The enmity on our         derer on the cross who lived in terrible darkness  Until
            side toward what is of darkness is not always the             almost the last moment of his life, but this' does not
            motive for what we do. But with- the world that evil,         excuse the life that  `he lived. `We must not  pain'; to
            God-hating motive is always present in  all'?ts  works.       what God has accomplished in spite of our deeds and
            ,And therefore in. all it does the world -hates the church    use this as an excuse to refuse to recognize our calling.
            and the children of God's kingdom.                            There  iS more that we would like to say about this
               That enmity  .does not always- flare  up' in violent       matter, but it will have to wait-until later.
            persecution. But never for one moment does the world                                           .(To  b e   c o n t i n u e d ) .
            desire or seek  .to teach its children or  `those of the                                                                 .-    J:&  H .   _
            church the things of God's kingdom. Never does it
            have any use  f6r the cross of Christ and salyation
            through His blood. Never does it have any love fbr                                               CL&?`SI,S  WEST
            instruction that has for its end the glory of God.            of the Protestant Reformed  Church& will meet,  .D.V,.,
               And  ,although that enmity of the world for you            on Wednesday,. September 3, 1947, at 9 o'clock  ,A.M.  .at
            and  your children  does.not always  flare up into viblent    Doqn, Iowa. Delegates desiring lodging should contact
            persecution, the enmity is not diminishing- at all:. No       Rev. J. Blankespoor,  Doonj Iowa.
            amount of  p@losophy  can talk away the reality' of
            `Gen. 3 : 15, and  .no work of man  can. prevent.  this                                                     C .   Hank?,  Stated:Clefk.
                                                                                                                                                     .`.


                                                TH%%  STA,Pif-DAB_D   BEARER                                                       501`
                                                                                     _-
                                                                           state of exaltation, having received the promise of the
                     PROM HOLY WRIT                                        Spirit  ai God's right hand. In the one case  Lord.  is
                                                                      ' Jehovah,  in the other  Lord  is the  C'hrist.
                                                                               2. In.  Exodus 34  ~34 is spoken of Moses going  into
                                                                           the tabernacle to speak face to face with the Lord,
                 0,. T. Quotations in the IX. T.                           while in II Cor. 3  :16 this turning unto the Lord is
                                                                           tantamount to : repentance, to actual conversion rooted
                      (Exodus,34  :34 in II Cor, 3  :16)                   in  sdr?ow for sin. While in the former passage Moses
                                                                           is presented as going into the Tent, here it is a  tfirning
             In our former articles in  thiti present series of unto God  .from dead works to the service of the living
          Scripture studies. we have called attention to some  New         God
          Testament passages from the pen of  t&e  -apostle Paul,                 '3. In II Cor.  3:16 the subject is  Israel  who was
          in which he quotes from the  (Old. Testament Scriptures          fortierly unbelieving, whose mind and heart were
          and places them in a New Testament context.                      -blinded morally and spiritually, in that Old Testament
             In these studies  there were three elements that al-          passage Moses ii; the subject. Not Israel turns to  the
          ways and, again' became evident as necessary to the              Lord in Exodus 34  :34 but Moses. Here in II Cor. 3  :16
          correct  understahding of the Word of God.                       it is Israel that turns to the Lord.
     _       First& it  bedame  very  cl.e& that the  (Old  `Te&ament          4. In close connection with the foregoing, finally,
          and the New Testament are really one. The former' in the Old Testament reference  we  read of a  literal  vail
          iS the promise of things to come, the latter is the reality      and that, too, on  Moses'.face;  here in Paul's writing
          of God's covenant brought nigh to both Jew and Gentile           there is not a vail on Moses' face, but the yail is most
          in. Christ's blood. Secohdly,  it became clear that  `the         emphatically on the heart  ofa Israel in their reading the
          focus point of the unity of the two  Coveriants  is none          Scriptures, their inability- to see the glory of the risen
          else but the  `:Son of  God.  in-our flesh, as He suffers and     C h r i s t .
q         dies, is buried and rises again from the dead on the                    Four points of seeming difference in the text. IAnd
          third  day; Thirdly, it also is  very evident that their         we may add, points o'f difference, which are not merely
          is a  proyflessiveness of the New Testament over the              interesting for the sake of a theological study, but
          Old Testament. The New. Testament Scriptures  re-                 differences having  a great practical value. For the
     veal to us the Mysteries of salvation as  `(God  did:not               marvel of it is, that the more  one thinks into these
          make these known to the former. generations  of the               seeming differences the more one is convinced that
          sons of men".                                                     Paul correctly grasped the sense of the Old Testament
             These  same threefold elements also lie at the very            passage.       Paui's  passage is the key, which is  indis-
          .surface of the Scripture passages of which we intend             pe'nsable  to the correct understanding of the Old Testa-
          to  makk  ? comparative study'in this  essay. We; refer           ment reference here in question.
          to the passages written above this article, namely,  Ex:.               That the latter is, indeed, true,, we trust Will be.
          34:34 and II Cor.  3:16.                                          evident from the following  consid&tions, which- we
             The exact wording of these respective passages                 here admit..  dur first observation is that the name
          is as folldws: In  -Ex.  34:34 we read:  `(Bu  wheri Moses        LORD i.e., Jehovah  ,in the Old Testament, is very'
     went in b-`efore the Lord to speak with Him, he topk off really, if correctly understood, the Lord," Jesus Christ
          the vail. . .  ? The  passage  in II  Co?.  3:16, where in the New Testament. In both we come face to face
          Paul evidently quotes and certainly alludes  tu this pas-         with God as the God of our salvation.
          sage, we read:  "Nevertheless when it shall  tu+n to the                Let us never forget that, in the Old Testament,
          Lo&, the vail shall be (is) taken aw&".                           God is our Savior. He has given His  sure and immut-
             When we compare these two passages,  at.&& very                able Promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It was as
          surface it becomes evident, `that Paul, evidently, in this        God Almighty that  !H& appears to Abraham.  And, in
          quotation. in II Cor. 3  :16 constructs the text from             the birth of  Isaac, Abraham has the clearest  demona
          Ex.  ,34  :34 to fit with-his purpose of bringing home a          stration  of this Word  -of Promise. Now  God-.appears
          most important point to the Corinthian believers.                 to Moses  a$ Jehovah, as the "I shall be who I shall be".  *
             It is to the following points of similarity and yet            And, centrally,  -<God is this in the Son of His  good
          points of difference that we would call your attention.           pleasure whom He will send into the world. In Him
             `1. In' E'xodus 34  :34 as well as the entire context `of      God will  .-make `His abode among, will tabernacle
          that  .passage the term, the name "LORD" refers to the            amongst His people.
          Triune'-God, the God of Abraham; Isaac and of Jacob,                    Such is the ever-recurring theme in the Bible.' All
          who keepeth covenant truth forever. Yet, the careful              the prophets testify of the Christ and of the  foregive-
          reader will immediately notice; that in II Cor. `3 : 16 this      ness, the redemption in  Hiti. Firstly, we would call
          name "Lord,' refers  to the Lord Jesus Christ in  IHiis           attention to the  Wsrd of God to Moses as  recorded.


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                                               .'  THti:.  STAN-@ARD.  - B E A R E R                                        ' .
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           in Ex. 25  :40 (compare. Heb. 8  :5)  *.  f`And see that thou            in  bur'midst,  that  He has visited this people in these
           make them after the pattern, which hath been showed                      last days `as this was not at all possible- in the'time
           thee in the mount,,.' What was this pattern? It  wtig  pki'ooy' to Christ's  cd&n& in the flesh.  Ic is  "God  in
           notie dther than the  heavenly tabernacle that Moses                     Christ?,' (II Cor. 5  :19) who reconciled the world unto.
           might see.' And this heavenly, future reality of the                     iHimself;not imputing their iniquity to them. He who
           tabernacle was to be the model of the earthly typical.. is in the  .bbsom  -of. the.  Flather  .hath  d.welt -among  US,
           In that heavenly and better tabernacle would  be. the and we have seen His glory, glory as  df the  Oily-
           Priest after the order of Melchizedek, the Son  of God,. Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. And
     a   Priest  f o r e v e r . (Of this the earthly tabernacle with               it is this Son of God in  o.ur flesh,  .in the likeness-of sin-
     its Levitical priesthood, its sacrifices and feastdays,                        ful flesh;  who  cohdemns  sin in the flesh, and obtains
           its temple architecture and-temple furniture,  the.blood                 for us righteousness,. sanctification. and coniplete  re-
           of, goats and bullocks was an earthly picture. It. was                   demption. And because He has so exceedingly humbled
           really a picture, earthly symbolism of the heavenly.                     Himself even  td the death of the cross, therefore  `God
           Z&nce, the entire law  that- Moses gives is concerned                    hath so highly exalted Him and giyen  Him a name
uirith  this temple, this tabernacle. When God,  there- ab`ove every name, tliat all- should confess  that He is
           fore, comes to Israel as Jehovah, He comes to dwell in                   Lord, unto the  -glbry of God the Father. And  in this
           their midst. And the tabernacle is an earthly picture capacity as Lord, as  the Glorified. One,  II% receives the
           of `God's tabernacle with  man; in Jesus Christ. It is                   Spirit.  -Of  Him,Paul says : The Lord is the Spirit and
           Jehovah  who removes the sin  an'd guilt of, His people, where the Spirit is there is liberty.
,          takes their sicknesses and diseases  from- them and most                      Forsoothe, therefore, in this  miihty God, the  ever-
           wonderfully saves  them.        And this                  in the
                                                        Jehovah,                    lasting Father, the Prince of Peace we  meet.the Lord,  -
           Priesthood  .and sacrifices  D dwelling' in the midst of                 our Jehovah. God who called the light out of darkness,
           Israel,  iS  the same. as  `God in  Chpist Jesus  ih  the  Gew           hath shined in the  glorious   gospel  in our  hearts in the
T e s t a m e n t .                                                  .. .           face of Jesus Christ.
              Secoridly,  we should notice, that-this merciful re-                       Turning to Jehovah' is, therefore, turning to the
           demptive work of God is testified of by all the prophets. Lord Christ of the gospel ; and he whd turns to the
           Thus it is stated in Acts 10  :43, where, Peter speaking                 Cliris&in the gdspel he  turtis to the Lord in Him! And
           t,o'  Cornelius  and those  present  with him  .in his house             thus it  i,s  here  meant  by  Pai1.
           `h Caesarea, says: "Td him  .bear all the prophets wit-
           ness, that through his name  every one that  believeth                        IOur  seco$  observation  todches the question of the
     on him shall receive  femission  of sins." `And Paul  alto                     seeming change of the subject by Paul in  this quotation:
           states it thps  in `that passage in Rom. 3  :21,  v&i&  is               The text  @Exodus makes  Moses  the subject who  ttir&
           as well known as it is important,  sayfng : (`But  now                   to  the Lord;' here in II Cor. 3 it is Israei who turns
           apart from the `law, a righteousness of God has been                     unto the Lord, and that, too, with  a'turning  unto Him
           manifested,  being  wit+iess&d by the law  ix& the pro-                  i  ~_
                                                                                    in the sense of genuine and- heartfelt  repefitahce.
           phets. . .  ." Then there is also, that most beautiful                        We believe that Paul here has such repentance  in
           passage  i$ Is. 33  :2;1 where the prophet,  *speaking of                mind. -Fir&-of all because this., is the only sense that
           dur redemption, pens down the following: "For the                        fits with the' thought of the' `apostle in the context.,
           Lord (Jehovgh) is. our Judge, the Lord is our  Law-                      Israel is represented here as being d&obedient,  hav-
           Giver, the  L,ord is our King  ; he will  save  tis. , . .and ing her mind, her heart hardened. In this  state,   ,al-
           the  inhabitant.shail  not say : I am sick : the people that             though she  reads and has the  Q!d.Testament  Scriptures.
           dwell- there shall be forgiven  their  iriiquity". What is  ~ read to  her ;  yes;. even since Paul had preached the
           this latter passage but the glad tidings of the gospel                   resurrection,  the hope of Israel to-hey from the Scrip-
     , in Old Testament language. We cannot refrain from tures, yet she is not able to`see the glory of God in this
           also quoting yet Jer.  31:34 where we read again the  n Christ:                     There is a vail over her heart.  T Turning to
           beautiful  words :  ",And they shall  teach no more his                  the  Lord,"from the very nature of Israel's hardness is
           neighbor and every man his brother; saying :  ktiow the                  tantamount. to  I Conversion. Se&ndly, we believe such
           Lo@, for they shall all  kncivv me from  the least to the                to be the-usage-of the term "to  turn'? in the Scriptures.
     ' greatest of  the&  s&th the  Lo&Z; for  I  will  forgive                     Thus we read in  Act&  26  :20:  "+nd I  proclaitied unto
           iheir iniquity  and I will reinember  their,&  nd more." the Gentiles  tp  .repent and  $0  tairn unto God,  perform-
              ,Could it be stated in clearer and more -endearing                    ing works  w.orthy of repentance."           Here the  terti
     language that the Lord, Jehovah is indeed our Savior?                          "to  turn" is  $ynonymous   with"`to.Irepent'?.' The latter,.
      And is,  the&ore, the conclusion not wholly warranted                         ev.idently,' emphasizes the inward change of the mind,
           and entirely  !S&ptural to say: Jehovah in  the Old  qf the  "nous", while the former gipes  expresgion to
           Testament is the Lord,  Jesus in  ,the New Testament?  ! the. `outward deed,. the,  manifestatfon of the inward.
             `thirdly, it should be noticed that the  Neti  Testa-
      .                                                                             change  t$at had been affected in repentance.
           ment Scriptures emphasize that  <God   h$s come  to  dti;ll              :          :                                  '  .G.  La  `.


                                               T H E '   STAN.DARIi   B E A R E R                                       5 0 3

                                                                    All  the'-more-strikiqg is  th& decision in view of the'
                     PhRISCQ.Pi3                                fact that  ih the same issue of the  Banner we  have a
                                                                brief report of the decision of the Synod to remain
                                                                affiliated with the National Association of  Evangeli-
Contributiori.  .   .   .`(  a                                  cals, an admittedly Arminian group.  - We quote the
     The following article was prepared and sent in to          report: "For the first time the delegates of Synod
us by'a very good  frietid  of ours, the  Rev: J.  IHowerzyl, to the national convention of this Association failed
pastor  of  the Protestant Reformed Church of  Oska-            to `present a unanimous report. Two of the members
loos+,  .Iowa.  We welcome this "guest-writer" to  our' (in a Minority  report-J.H.) . could not see their way
column, for this issue. At the same time we invite any          clear to recommend that  we continue our affiliation
others among our ministers. or lay-men who desire to. with the organization, the principal reason being that
do so, to  write on'any subject of interest to the Church `in -certain localities this organizatioh is sponsoring
in general. Even suggestions for articles will be wel-          evangelistic campaigns and that since, the messages  -
comed and treated by us if at  al! possible. Let's  hear        usually are  Arminian our Church becomes co-respons-
f       r       o       m              our,read&s.              ible for this type of gospel preaching.  `. .  ; The Ad-
                                                      \         visory Committee favored the recominendation of the
             WEIGHED AND FOUND WANTING! !                       Majority Report.  it. admitted- that a  largk majority
     From the "Banner" of July 11 we quote the  follow-         of the members of the  M. A. E. are Arminian but called
`ing : "Inasmuch as  -the Ecumenical Synod decided that         attention `to the acceptable character of the seven-point
the delicate question which other denominations should          creed of this. organization as a basis for  cQoperatioli
be invited to. send -delegates was left to the decisions        among.  evangelicals. . Synod decided to  c@imie our
of each member-Church with respect  to the denomina-            membe?ship in the  N; A. E."
tions in its own  &nd, our Synod had. to decide which           When we thought of these  two decisions  we were
Churches in America  .should receive`  the invitation.          reminded  of.the  text,from Amos 3  :3 : "Can two walk
Ii  alas decided to invite the following: Orthodox Pres-        together, except they be agreed?" and I  lnused : "No
byterian Church  ; Free  Magyar  Reformed Church  ;             Reformed fellowship possible  withy the Protestant Re-
Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, in                   formed  Churchesi yet well able to  .work together with
America ; The Reformed Presbyterian Church; General             an admittedly  Arminian  v. A. E." What other con-
`Synod  ;  The Associate Presbyterian Church."                  clusion can you  dy;aw?
     Whether  .br not the name of the Protestant  Re-
fbrmed Churches was mentioned as` a possible recipient              "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a  fauie, ye
of an invitation to the next Reformed. Ecumenical               which are spiritual restore  such- an one in the spirit of
Synod is not mentioned in this article.  (iAlthough  I          meeknes`s~; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempt-
have it from a, delegate that we  were mentioned).              ed." Gal. 6  :I.
-Neither do I mean to imply, although this is undoubted-            To `this text which  applies`to churches  &  weli as
ly true, that the Protestant Reformed Churches were             individuals  ou? mind turned when we read  `a third
judged by the  Syn'od of the  ,Christian Ref. Churches          matter which. was  trea;tecl by the Synod of the-Chris-
and found wanting.  .Rather do. I  .mean that by this           tian Reformed Churches, that of Inter-church  cor-
action` the  Second Reformed Ecumenical Synod,  .as act-        responhen@e.  We quote, "First, it adopted a  for.&
ing through her  official invitation  coinmittee (The           letter which will' be sent to all churches of `Reformed
Synod of the Christian Reformed Churches) has been              perrsuasiori inviting them  to. enter upon or  re?ume
weighed and found wanting! She will not be a  Re-.. fraternal  relatiolis  with our Church.. This letter pro-
formed  Eiwmenicnl  Synod ! !                                   poses that the "correspondence" shall consist of the
     This I say  ad+isedl$.  `For the Protestant Reformed       following activities : 1.  (The appdintment of  d&&gates
Churches are Reformed. They stand on the basis of               to each other's  sub&me judicatories. (Supreme judica-
Scripture- as interpreted in the Three  Fortis of -Unity,       tories in Reformed Churches?-J.H..) 2. Keeping each
without addition or corruption.  -Besides, it must be           other duly informed  o$ their ecclesiastical  decisions
evident that, in as  ,fay as preaching, teaching,  chprch       thrdugh the exchange of  -the  A&s of Synod or Assem-
polity and discipline are. concerned,. this. Reformed           bly. 3.  Brin`ging  to each other's attention  :`our  spirit-
confession- is vigorously maintained. This is so evi-           uai  and  eccl&iasticai problems together with our at-
dently true that in the absence of objections I shall not       tempts at their  Scriptu?al  solution. . . . .  4; Warning
,-take`  ,time  to prove it. And. yet  there is no. room for    each other in  *e$pect of spiritual dangers that arise
our Churches at  the "Second Reformed  Ecumenical .and spread-and  imperil, the Church of Christ.. 5.  Cor-
Synpd". Therefore, I repeat, she is weighed  .and found         iecting  each other in  lbve in the event of  Ulifa1thf&-
wanting because reasons other' than  .Reformed con-             ness -whether by commission or -omission on, the score
fession and  wall? motivated the issuing  bf invitations` -of profession  and/o? practice.             6. Corisulting each
to -this. "Second  >Reformed Ecumenical Synod."                 other regarding the  e,ventqal revision of our respective


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                -,                            ----_                          --__ ____.-... .- - --.
     504                              _        s-o-  THE              S T A N D A R D   - B E A R E R                                 .- -.

    ecclesia&i&al standards. After approving, this letter,,                                                        WEDD1N.G   A N N I V E R S A R Y   s
   Synod decided-to which Churches to send it. The  fol-` _,                                                                       -1922' - `1947
    lowing -will receive it: The Orthodox Presbyterian                                               On September  ?4, 194'7, the Lord willing, our beloved parents
    Church; the, Reformed Church of America  ; the  .Synod  .                                                              STEPHEN BOUMA
    of the Reformed `Presbyterian Church in America;                                     ,                                                  and                                  I
    Reformed Presbyterian Church, General Synod  ; Asso-                                1:.                       ISABELLE  BO.UMA-FeenStra
    ciate Presbyterian  Ch&h ; Free Magyar Church in                                   hope to celebrate their  25th-  v.;edding anniversary.
    America  ;, Christian Reformed Church in the Nether-                                ,` We are indeed thankful to our Covenant God for sparing
    lands  ; Die Nederduitsch Gereformeerde Kerk in South                              them these many  year's for each other and us, and it is our
    Africa ; The Christian Reformed Church in Japan ;                                  &cere prayer that the Lord majr continue to bless them in Hi;
    and the  Free Presbyterian Church of Australia. . .  ., , g?eat love and mercy.                                                                                   _
    Synod also  dbcided to send a copy of the letter to the                               `! The words of  bhe Psalmist are appropriate at- all times, but
    United Presbyterian Church. . .  ."                                                especially at this-time:  `-.  I.-`.
           That  the& are commendable features in the above,                             :,           "Many,  0.  Jehovzch  our God; are the wonderful works
   `in articles 3  Andy 4 and especially in  &icle 5 is kvident.                               i which  Thou  h&t done, and thy thoughts which are to
    ,Once more however the commendable features are                                            \  -.asward:: they  camiot be set  iti order  .unto   tliee; if we
   bvershad0we.d  by the fact that the  Prdtestant  Reformed                                   ' would-declare and speak  of. them, they  are more than
    Churches are  heu'e even excluded from  the group  "all                                           can be numbered."
    Churches of  Refo~imed persuasion". May I kindly re-                                                                                   Their thankful childlreh:
    quest. the Christian Reformed Churches to apply, in                                                                                              Kathleen Mae
 the spirit of  the love of  Cllrist; article 5 to us?  '                         .                                                             -~  Earl Stephen
                                                                 J..ti.                                                                              Dale  Clifford
                                                                                       Grand Rapids,  Mich.                                          D o r i s   J u n e
                                           --                                                                                                                                         ~  c
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                                                                                               .I

                                     -  N O T I C E   -               i                                                            IN MEMORIAM
           ItiAerary for the lecture'tour. of Dr. Schilder in the                                    Waar heti den Heere in Zijne Goddelijke wijsheid behaagde
    Middle  W&St,  Molitana and California, during Sept. 12                            onzen geliefden leeraar en dezijnen in rouw te d6mpelen  op den
    to.oct:  12, 1947.                                                                 `tweede  Aug; 1947. hunne geliefde moeder,                                .               '
                                                                                                                   MRS.  JQHN PETTER
  W H E R E                        WHAT ?        D A Y                ATE              -door den  dood- werd  weg.  g&nomen,   wqscht  de  kerkeread  bij
 P,ella                            Lecture     Friday P.M.             Sept. 12        dezen :zijne  hartelijke deelneming te betuigen aan  Ds. Petter en
    Oskaloosa                      Sermon      Sunday  A.M.            Sept. 14        gezin en  bidted&  de- Heere  balsem  moge gieten in de wonde
    Pella                          Sermon      Sunday P.M.                 Sept. 14    geslagen  en dat Hij hen.trooste  door Zijn Woord. en Geest.
    Hull              .'           Lecture-                                                                               . . .
                                               Wed. P.M.               Sept:  l'i                                                   Name&   de,KBrkeraad  van
    Oqange City                    Lecture.    Thurs. P.M.  .' Sept. 18                                                    De Protestantsche  Gereformeerde Kerk
    Sioux Center                   Lecture                                                                         . .
                                               F r i d a y   P . M . Sept. 19                                                                  Orange City, Iowa
    Orange City                    Sermon      Sunday A.M.             Sept. 21                                                                    M. De Jager,  Scriba.
    Sic&x Center                   Sermon      Sunday  .P.M.           Sept. 21
    Hull                           Sermbn      Sunday eve.                 Sept. 21                                                 ---
    Doon                           Lecture     Tuesday P.M.            Sept. 23
    Edgerton                       Lecture     Thurs. P.M.                 Sept. 25                        THE CONFERENCE OF SEPT.  9-11'
    Menno,  S. Dak.  Sermon                    Friday P.M.             Sept. 26                 . The Conference  between the  miiisters  atid students
    Edgerton                       Sermon      Sunday A.M.                 Sept. 28    of' both  the Protestant  Refbimed   Chu&hes and the
    Doon                           Sermon      Sunday P.M.             Sept. 28        Reformed' Ch&ch in the  6.  ,S. will be held  &t  .Sutton,
    Rock Valley                    Sermon      Sunday eve.  Y Sept. 28                 Neb&ska at  thk  time- specified  .ab&e.                                            -'
    Redlands                       Lecture     Thurs.  P:M.                 act. 2                    The  Re;. `A. Petter. will substitute  for  the Rev.
    Bellflower  -                  Lecture     Friday P.M.                  act; 3     &.  iHoek.ie&a in  giving  :the keynote,  speech  bfi THE
    Bellflower              S e r m o n        Sunday  A.M..                act.  ,5 .`IDEA  Ol?  TH%  LAW, Tuesday  e&&g,  Setit. 9.
    Redlands                       Sermon:     Sunday'eve.            act. 5                         Prof;  ,D?:  `K:  Schii$er:  ~$1  i&ten!  t h e   `~onfer&d&,
    Manhattan                      Lecture     Ttiesday P.M.                act. 7     and  the'Rev.  -Wm. Korn has requested him to take' his
M a n h a t t a n                  Sermon      W e d .   P..M. Oct. 8
                              a                                                        subject :  `CHRIST   U'l@ER  TlHE-   LAW,  aid  lecture to
                            Committee for the  Stihild&  Lecture Tour                  the conference  on- same in the  F&man language.
                            for the  .Middle West and  W&St.  "                                       See ydu at Sutton !  D. V.
                                                                                          ._
                                                          Rev, G. Vos.                                                                      Th& Conference Committee:'
                                                                 :


