                                                                                                                                                   -.                        ._- `._
     VOLUME XXIV                                      -February  1,.1948   -  Grand Rapids,  .Michigan                                                   N U M B E R   9                 LL./
                                                                                 c lijk lijden : "Want het schepsel,  ais met opgestoken
                                                                                     hoofde;  verwacht: de openbaring der  kinderen Gods.
             &!I E I) I `I' `A `p` B 0 N. ,. Want het schepsel is. der ijdeiheid onderworpen, niet.
              .L '                                                                   gewillig,  maar-  6rn  die&  .wil, die het der ijdelheid
                                                                                     onderworpen heeft;  dp hoop dat ook het schepsel  zel-i',
                      Het  Levende   Schepsel                                        zal  vrijgetiaakt   worden  vaxl- de dienstbaarheid  de;  '
                                                                                  _ `v e r d e r f e n i s ,   t o t   d e   vrijheid  v a n   d e   h e e r l i j k h e i d   dep.,.
                       "E n   i n   het  midden   d e s   trobes   en  -random  d e n   kinderen  G o d s .      Want wij  weten, dat hkt gansche
                      troon vier dieren,  zijndk  vol  oogen  van  voren  en         schepsel te zamen zucht en te zamen als in barensnood
                      van achteren. ,, En het eerste dier w-as eenen leeuw           is tot  mi toe,".  Born. 8 :19-22;  L                   '
                      gelijk, en&et tweede dier een kalf gelijk, en  het                    Wij-weten  iran dien barensnood. Hebben geluisterd
                      derde  ,d;ieFhad  het aangezicht als een mensch,  en           naar de  ltieiende,  schreeuwende, gillende, en kermende
                      bet vierde dier  was'. eenen vliegenden  arend  gelijk.        stemme- van het brute schepsel, dat zelf niets gedaan
                      En de vier dieren  hadden  elk voor `zichzelf zes              heft, en  tech zoo vreeselijk moet  liiden.                          .
                      vleugelen   ror,dom,  en  waren van binnen vol oogen;                 Denkt daaraan als ge Uw koe melkt, en om het
                      en zij  ?nebben geen rust  `dag en  nacht,   zeggendc:         heringste verzet haar slaat  ,en  &ompt,   en  somtijds bij
                      Ileilig,  heilig,  heilig-  is de Heere God, de  Almacn-       groote goddeloosheid,  zonder.aanlei,ding.  Denkt  daar-
                      tige, die  <as, en die is,, en die komen  zal."                aan als ge Uw  paard'wilt slaan, Uw hond  trappen  wilt,
                                                            Openb. 4:6b-g.           het gevleugelte  schiet, en het  .wild haastig doet rennen,
                                                                                     vnoraleer het bloedend  ter, aarde stort.
         Het levende schepsel! .                                                            Wat vreeselijk  lijden.  Onsehuldiglijk.  Geen  won-
         De breuke van het eerste Paradijs geheeld, en meer                          der, dat de Heere een lammetje  kiest om Zijn Zoon af
     dan geheeld :  opgevoercl tot in hemelsche hoogte  ! ,                        t e        malen. Dat .kan,  ,want  bet beest is  onschuldig,
         Het  Bleed-Offer van  `Golgotha  ziet  z'ijn  h.eerlijke Nooit  zal  Go@ een  mense+  ,kiezen ten offer. Een  off&
     rrucht,  oak in  bet stomme  (j?.) schepsel !                                   moet onsehuldig  zijn;
                                                                           .
         Lee& en  herleest dit  gezicht,-en verheugt U  ill  het                            Maar  bet  bee& is onschuldig.
     asnschouwen van het  .deelen  van.  bet brute  schepeel                                En het beest moest eigenlijk vroolijk  blaten,  zingen,
     in de heerlijkheid  der-  kinderen Gods.                                        fluiten,  joelen naar hartelust.
         De donkere  achtergrond van dit liefelijke  ta,I'eree!                             Doch het'is al voor eeuwen  aan de ijdelheid  onder:,
     zult ge  vinden. in  Paulus' zuchtend  sehrijven van  Ro-                       worpen.
     meinen  8 .   D a r   luisterden  w e   n a a r   h e t   kreunen  v a n               Wat vreeselijke ijdelheid.
     bet schepsel, dat  aan de ijdelheid onderworpen was.                                   Hoe onnatuurlijk is het om een koe te  melken,  &en                               o
     0 neen.! Het `was onderworpen  aan die  ijdelheid  niet paard zijn harnas om  te hangen,een  leeuti in het hok
     om  zichzelfs wil:  het  w&d  veroorzaa,kt door  bet  grie-                     en een hond voor de kar.
     vende van des  menschen zonde. Adam en Eva  sloegel                                    In het paradijs  lachte'alles; nu schreeuwt alles als                                  .
     God in `t  a,angezicht,  en de vloek van God  kwam.  ~$1 in barensnood.
     streek  6ok neer op het  onschuldige schepsel. De  dielien                             Het schepsel  zdcht, en het zucht te zamen!
     mo.esten het ontgelden.                                                                                                 .
         En  sindsdien  heeft  dr,t &me schepsel zijn  kop  op-  -                                                    *.  Q *  *
     gestoken en  tot `God  geklaagd;                                                       Maar de Heere heeft geprofeteerd, dat het schepsel
         We hebben het gehoord,  `en  gesidierd.                                     verlost zal  worden !
        Luistert  naar de beschrijving van een  qllnitspreke-                               En wij zijn geroepen, bij ons bidden  dm de  einde-
i
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             ; .I94                                            ;PHE  -  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                                                                    I
               lijke verlossing, ook  aan het beest te  denken. Het                      weten we ook van de ontelbare  "Wilde  beesten" die in
               beest, het  vroolijke  bee&, hoort bij ons. Is  bet  daar- het luchtruim zwerven, zoo klein, dat wie ze met het
               om, dat wij zoo gaarne een hond bij  ens  hebben? De                      naakte oog niet zien kunnen. En de geleerden  hebben
               wijze man zeide : "De rechtvaardige kent  h&  lepen ons verteld, dat ook  daar de vruchten van de ijdelheid
               zijner  beesten  !" En in hetzelfde v&band luisteren                      gezien  worden.
               we naar de  wreeclheid van der  goddeloozen   barmhartig-                     En clan het vreeselijk  moorden van de  .dieren door
             heden!                                                                      menschen ; en ook vice  versa!
       ~.              0 ja, we zullen bidden om  d@ vervulling  ,van  liet                  ,O, we  weten het, dat de HEERE het beest  gegtiven
               liefelijke tafereel van Jesaja 11: "En de wolf zal met                    heeft om ons te  voedeti  en te kleeden,  ma&r, ik vraag
               bet  lam  verkeeren, en de' luipaard bij den geitenbok                    U, is er nooit een  huivering door Uw ziel gegaan bij
               npderliggen, en het kalf en de jonge leeuw en het  mest-                  het  zieq van het bloed, het bewustzijn van het  lijqlen,
               vee te zamen, en een klein jongsken  zai  ze  drijven  ;                  het hooren van hun angstig gegil, als zij het leven
--,            tie koe en de  beerin zullen te zamen weiden, hare  jon- iieten  om U te voeden, te kleeden? Zaagt ge nooit het
               gen zullen te zainen nederliggen, en de leeuw zal stroo                   tegen-natuurlijke van deze  dingen?  ,Gelukkig, eeuwig
               eten gelijk de  OS; en  een  zoogkind  ial  zich vermaken                 gelukkig, dat het slechts een pauseering is.
               over het  ho1 van eene adder, en een gespeend kind zal                        Straks komt het vrederijk!
               zijne hand uitsteken in den kuil van den basilisk. Men                        Denkt nog eens weer  aan  Jesaja's' stem:  Men  xal
               zal nergens leed  doen  noch  verderven,op den  ganschen                  neqyens  leed  cloen!
              berg Mijner  -heiligheid ; (denkt  bier  aan het heilig,                       En als dan- genade in Uw hart woont,. zult ge U
               heilig`, heilig  roepen der vier dieren van den  tekst !)                 verlangend uitstrekken naar de toekomst, wanneer ge
               want de  aarde `zal vol van  kenliis des HEEREN  zijn,                    nooit meer het  vleesch van een beest  .zult eten  ; nooit
               gelijk de  wateren den `bodem der zee bedekken." Jes.                     meer U  kleeden  inet een huid  die  afgestroopt `is van
               11:6-g.                                                                   bet  lij.lc!
                       Dat is vervuld in het visioen op Patmos.                              Dan zult ge' U uitstrekken naar de toekomst die in
                Het brute' sehepsel  staat  te zamen  vobr en rondom                     al  `haar schobnheid hier in Johannes' visioen  geschil-
               den troon om te  zingen, te  zingen!                                      derd werd.
                                                                                           De  beesten  leven.,  En zij loven. We luisteren met
                                          *     *       *     *'                         ontzag naar het driewerf Heilig  roepen.  '  '
                       Het is ook hetzelfde gezicht als het gezicht  &n                      Luistert : fieilig ! Heilig ! Heilig !
               de vier dieren in de profetie  van`  EzechSl.                                                      *    :p. *  *
                       En nadruk in dat gezicht is de vreeselijke  heerlijk-
               heid van den  HEEkE. Het is al  vuur:en -stormwind                            En de  HEERE  luisterde.
               en schittering van de kleur Gods.                                             Want die vier dieren zijn ronclom  den  troor,.
                       Maar  bet schepsel is vereend, te  zameli  looft het               . De troon van God heeft vier zijden. En in het  mid-
               God.  Ze verdkrven elkaar niet meer.                                      den van elk  clier zijden stond een  dier:-
1                      `Legt dit gezicht  naast  het leven der  diefen  van-                  En die vier dieren vertegenwoordigen de schepping
               daag, en verwondert U met groote  verwondering.                           Gods,  ,dat wil  zeggen, het brute schepsel.
                                                                                             En  kr is vierderlei in die  schipping : de leeuw is
                       Er is  `t&eeC+lei  vreeselijkheid in het leven van het            bet  koninklijke der dieren  ; bet kalf  of de 
               brute schepsel vandaag.                                                                                                      OS ziet op  hull
                                                      Ze  verderveli  elliaar, en ze     kracht; het  "me&chachtige" beest,  zi& op de gave
               woyden van den mensch verdorven.                                          van het  vefstandelijke der clieren ; en het gezicht van
                       Tijd en  ruimte ontbreekt  `ens om een eenigzins  yol             den  arend ziet op  .het vrije van zulke schepselen.
               beeld er  .van te  schetsen.                                :                 En het  getal vier, is  bet  getal der aardsche  schep-
                       Iets  ,noemden we al.                                             -ping: de vier  hoeken der  aakde, de vier  winden der
                       De leeuw,  bet kalf, het "menschachtige" beest, en                aarde.
               de  arend verwoesten,  verecheuren en  verderven  elk-                        0  jac ze  .yijn..er alle vier. De dieren  worden  &Sk
               ander.       0  ja, de  visch hoort er ook bij. Ik denk, dat              verlost.
               de  visschen hier vertegenwoordigd  worden door den                           En ze staan er  te zamen. Alle,strijd'en verderving
               arend. Visch: en  Vogel zijn  t'e zamen' geschapen.                       van elkaar heeft uit, voor eeuwig uit. Men verderft
                                                                                         niet in den  hemel  der. hemelen.         Ze  s&an te  zamen
                       Wel, denkt  aan  hetgewriemel. in de  ze&n,  oceanen,             en te zamen  doen zij  &n  werk: het  lovenivan God.
               rivieren en meeren.         Denkt.  dan  aan het  moorden en                   Die in den  hemel komt weet dat hij  .er is om God
               yerscheuren, dat elk  oogenblik  p l a a t s g r i j p t .       Alles    te dienen.  - De finale les der theologie  lee$ zelfs  -bet
               uiting van de ijdelheid des levens der dieren.                            beest, het brute schepsel, Daarom staan ze  .dan ook
                       Tracht U in te  denken al de smart van bloeden en                 rondom,  voor en in het  midden van den troon. Ze  om-
               lijden van het beest in  @et veld en de bosschen. En nu ringen cle  openbaring die God van  Zichzel! geeft. Ze


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                                               - T H E         S T A N D A R D   B E ` A R E R   ;                                                               195

  staan gereed om te  doen wat  l&j  heri';bevelen zal.                                   Het zal lieflijk zijn.            Alles in den herriel is zeer
                                                                           '
         `En ze hebben  een  ieder voor  zich  z& vleugelen.                     l i e f l i j k .
       : De vleugel is  symbool  van vrjie beweging, en  diar-                                                    :1:  *     :)s    *
  om van vrijheid.                                                                         .,            :'
          Herinnert ge U nog  hoe we uit Romeinen voorlazen                               Vier  diertin.  Vol van oogen,  overal oogen, om op
  de  hanger der brute schepselen ? Dat zij hongerden                            te  nemq; om  jn te  drinken des hemels  schoonheid.
  naar de  v+ijh&Z der heerlijkheid der  kinderen Gods?                                   En ze hebben geen  .rust dag en  nacl$, zeggende :
  Welnu, Johannes ziet hen op  ;Patmos met die  vrijbeid                         Heilig ! Heilig ! Heilig ! is de  Heere Gqd, de Almachtige,
  omhangen.  L,et  er op, dat die zes vleugelen  ronclom                         die was, en die is, en die  kotien zal!
  hen. zijn. De vrijheid `van dien staat  karakteriseert                                  Wonderlijk!  -Een lied van dieren!
  het brute schepsel in den  hemel.                                                       0, we  weten het: de  dieren  hebben-gee!  stem, geen
          Vrijheid staat tegenover gebondenheid.                                I woord, zooals het alleen  aan den mensch gegeven is.
         En de gebondenheid is nu de staat der dieren. De                        We  weten, dat we hier  te  doen hebben met een  oneigen-
  gansche  schepp@ing  zutiht in  die.gevangenis, waarin ze                      lijke  beschriijving van hun hulde, dat zij het zullen
  zuchten tot God.           Staat er  ielfs niet van de  jonge `doen naar de wijze van een dier.
  raven, dat zij tot God  .roepen?                                                        Dat is altemaal waar,  maar ik  ZOLI  U er op  willen
          Alle aardsche schepselen  moeten  dingen.  doen die                    mijzen, dat dit ons  z&i  -beschreven  wordt, om  aan  te.
  bun tegen zijn. Ze zijn der ijdelheid onderworpen.                             toonen, dat zelfs de dieren niets anders  `zullen  doen
          Maar  Johannes ziet  heti met vleugelen rondom.                        dan God  loyen. Alles, letterlijk all&,' zal God  l&en;
          Ze  .&n vrij en blij; ze hebben het  doe1  gevonden,                   Leest in dit  verband Psalm 148. Daar staat zelfs, dat
  h&welk God  zich voorgesteld had ten overstaan van                             ijs en sneeuw God  moeten  loven.
  dieren  : ze mogen God op hun wijs  ongestoord, vrijelijk                               Zeker,. de dieren  roepen die heiligheid van God uit
  d i e n e n .                                                                  onbewust.              Ik moet altijd aarzelen, als ik dit  neer-`
                                                                                 schrijf.             Onbewust is zoo finaal, zoo absoluut. Ik
                               rt; * *  *.                                       weet het niet. Wie  kent  een beest ?                             ,      .
                                                                                          Gerioeg, ze loven, ze  loven!
          En nu kunneh we teruggrijpen  naar' iets in het                                 Er `is een zekere kennis van Zijn heiligheid, dat is`;
  zevende vers, en met  een tusschenzin van  vers  acht  ' Zijn afgescheiden zijn van het leelijke,  vuile, zondige
  verbinden, en trachten om  tie te zamen te verklaren.                          en  goddelooz& en Zijn toegewijd zijn  aan het goede,
          In vers zeven staat,  date die vier  die&n van voren  ' lieflijke,  schoonei en Goddelijke.
en van achteren vol oogen  waren.- En in  bet achtste                                     Ze hebben Zijn  almacht gezien, hoe dan  .ook. En
  vers, dat zij  varL binnen  vol oogen' waren.                                  ze belijden die  vreeselijke sterkte van  ,God.
          Wat zou dat  alles beteekenen ?                                                 Er is  zelfs een  roepen vanwege Zijn eeuwigheid.
          .Het oog is onder onze zintuigen het  voornaam&e.                               Hij was : wat diepte van die nooit begonnen  eeuwig-
  Dat  .blijkt uit Jezus' woord,  toen  Hij Zijn jongeren                        heid! Hij is: het  onveranderiijke  Heden, van God!
  leerde, hoe de  reinen van hart  Zalig   ZUlk!n  Zijn,   Want                  Hij  zal komen,. Wat troost: Hij  le&ft tot in  alle
  ze zullen ,God zien! Ik was  liever  stem en  doof, zonder                     eeuwiglieid !
  de gave om te ruiken of te smaken, dan dat ik blind zou                                 Wat goddelijk wonder : de dieren loven God !
  zijn. Het oog is de Spiegel der ziel.                   D                               En  nopen ons te loven.  Straks gaan  ouderlingen
          Nu dan, het brute schepsel heeft ook  de gave van                      zingen, bij het hooren van het lied  dir verloste  schep-
  h et gezicht ontvangen.           Dat wordt hier met nadruk                    ping.
  geteekend. .                          I .                                               @+I, of nu al  wat in  mij `is, Hem prees!
          En dat  schepsel,   verlost,  -d&el&de in de vrijheid                                                                                         G. V.
       der heerlijkheid der  kinderen Gods, mag zien, mag                            ,
       qpervloediglijk zien, want zij hebben zelfs oogen van                                                      ___-
       achteren.    En zij mogen bij  bet uitwendige oog ook
  nog hebben het inwendige oog, om eenigzins,  naar de                                                           IN MEMORIAM
  mate van  hit  dierlijke creatuur,  Op te kunnen merken,
       de  dingen die  e?  &den  hemel zijn in  zich op te  nenien,                       De  Hollandsche   Mannen  Vereeniging van de Eerste  Prot.
       er ook vol van te  worden.                                                Geref. Kerk, Grand Rapids, Mich.,  betreurt liet vex-lies  van een
          Zoo zien  $e die  vier dieren, dat is de  verloste   se&p-             van haar  leden,
  pitig,  Goor den troon van God staan.                                                                  MR.  FRANK VANDER LAAN                           .
          En  naar de mate `van het  die`r,  qp zijn  wijze, zien en spreekt hierbij haar deelneming uit  aan  de,  bediroefde  weduwe
  ze oak God.                                                                    en kinderer..          Moge de  ,God der genade  rijkdijk  Zijn  Qoost en
                                                                   .  F
          Het  restiltaat   zal niet uitblijven.                                 ondersteuning  aan hen in dit hun vex-lies  verleenen.
:,:       Ze  openen de monden om te  zingen, te  zingen.                                                                           G.  Koster,  Pres.
,$&'  `Naar de wijs  Gan het dier.                                                                                                  G; Borduin, Sec'y.


      196                                                                                                              T H E                                      `STAN.DARD   BEARE;:,

                                          The Standard Bearer ,..                                                                                                                                .-EDITdRIALS
                   Semi-Monthly,  except  Monthly   in  July  and   August

..                                                          Published   By  `-
                               The  geformed  Free  Publishing   Association                                                                                                                    The Covenant Controversyc
                                                         1463  Ardmore   St.,  S.  E.                                                      '                                                                         2.
                                             EDITOR :  -  Rev.   H.  Hoelrsema.                                                                                                                       INTRODUCTION (continued)
 Contribulting   Editors:  - Rev. G. M. Ophoff,  Rev.   `G.  VOS, Rev.
 R. Veldman, Rev. H.  Veldman,  Rev. H. De Wolf, Rev. B. Kok,                                                                                                                               The last time we wrote under this theme, we called
 Rev. J. D. De  -Jong,  Rev. A.  Aetter, Rev. C. Hanko, Rev. L.                                                                                                                          your  z&e&ion to the fact that before we wish to enter
 Vermeer, Rev. G. Lubbers, Rev. M. Gritters, Rev. J. A. Heys,                                                                                                                            upon the controversy proper, it would be  w&l to out-
 Rev. W.  Bofman.                                                                                                                                                                        line in how far we are  agreed  with the Liberated
       Communications relative to contents should be addressed to                                                                                                                        Churches.    You understand, of course, that speaking
 REV. GERRIT VOB, Edgerton, Minnesota.                                                                                                                                                   coafessionally, in the  stiict and narrow sense of the
       Communications relative to subscription should be addressed                                                                                                                       word, we are agreed with them: they, that is, the Re-
 to MR. GEBRIT  PIPE, 1463 Ardmore St., S. E., Grand Rapids,                                                                                                                             formed Churches, maintaining Art. 31 of the  Churkh
.  Mich. Announcements and Obituaries must be mailed to the                                                                                                                              Order of  .Dordrecht, are founded on the Word of God
 above address and till be published at a fee of $1.00 for each
notice.                                                                                                                                                                                  a,s interpreted by the Three Formulas of Unity, the
                                         (Srbscription Price $2.50 per year)                                                                                                             Belgic Confession, the Canons of Dordt, and the Heidel-
                                                                                                                                                                                         berg Catechism. And so are we as protestant Re-
 Entered   ,as Second Class Mail at Grand Rapids, Michigan.                                                                                                                              formed Churches.
                                                                                                                                                                                            I said,  confes$onally speaking  in the strict and
                                                                                                                                                                                         narrow sense of the word, we are agreed with them.
                                                                       --                                                                                                                `However,  even  though) we would, have the same creeds
                                                                                                                                                                                         as they have,  there would be the possibility that we
                                                                                                                                                  :         ,.                           would be far apart,  .and that from one side, or from
                                                                        -  CONTENTS   -                                                                                                  both sides,, a close contact such. as being sister church-
                                                                                                                                                                                         es and  liaving  ecclesiastical correspondence would not
 MEDITATION  :-                                                                                                                                                                          be desirable.    There  is always the possibility that
HE-J?  LEVEiNDE   SlCHEPSEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193                                          either they or we would deny our creeds by word and
             Rev. G. Vos.                                                                                                                                                                deed, even as  often.hippens.  Witness, f.i., the Chris-
                                                                                                                                                                                         tian  R,eformed  Churches here in America. More and
 EDITORIALS  :-                                                                                                                                                                          more they trample their confessions underfoot, cast
THE COVENANT CONTROVERSY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196                                                                       out the men who desire to live and believe and preach
K. S.'REACTION ON THE %`.R.E.S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..I . . . . . . . . . 197                                                                    according to their confessions.     They will. even cor-
             Rev. G.  V&s.                                                                                                                                                               rupt their own confessions by adopting dogmatic ex-
                                                                                                                                                                                         pressions of doctrine  ; witness the sad history of  .Kala-
OUR DOCTRINE .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...' . . . . . . 19s                 mazoo's Synod of 1924.
            Rev. H. Veidman.                                                                                                                                                                That might  be the case,' speaking abstractly, with
                                                                                                                                                                                         the Liberated Churches, and then a close contact with
THE DAY OF SHADOWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202                                           them would not be desirable.
THROUGH THE AGES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206                                      Well, the last time I-wrote on this and other mat-
            Rev. G. M. Ophoff.                                                                                                                                                           ters relative the Covenant Controversy in the Nether-
                                                                                                                                                                                         lands, we noted two phases in this struggle where we
$;ION'S ZANGEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207 may agree heartily with them.
            Rev. G. Vos.                                                                                                                                                                    First, they and we stand on the Reformed Church
                                                                                                                                                                                         Order of  Dordrecht: They and we do believe and
IN HIS FEAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209    practice the soundly Reformed principle of Church
       Rev. M. Gritters.                                                                                                                                                                 Polity that  the Synods and Classes are advisory bodies
                                                                                                                                                                                         and dare not be placed on  Ithe. same level as the con- .
FROM HOLY WRIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  211sistory. They and we believe and practice that  d'
             Rev `C. Hanko.                                                                                                                                                              Synod or a  Classis  cannot, and  tiay  not suspend  and-
                                                                                                                                                                                         depose `office bearers: the office of the rule of  the'
PERISCOPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
                                                                                                               : 1                                                                       flock is vested in  the-consistory by God Himself.      ,'  :
            R e v .                                  .W.  Hofman.                                                                                                                           Second, we noted that the Liberated brethren  a&.
                                                                                                                                                                                         not Pelagian in  their conceptjon relative the  Covenar&


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D '   B E A R E R                                                    197

  of Grace. That charge was leveled at them by their               learned to know him as a man mighty in the Scrip-
  brethren in the Reformed Churches, -hierarchically tures, and  a.man who is thoroughly Reformed, and a
  bound; while we, to say the least, were suspicious of man who.  ha$  ito a great  extend the same world and
  them on that score. But more complete study of  `fhe             life -view we teach, honor and try to live. And it gave
  matter, .and closer  contaot with them; revealed  that           us great  hoqes that we may be able to have more  inti-
  they are `staunchly Reformed, and that the charge of mate contact with the churches he represgnts. .
  Remonstrantism is unfounded.                                        Therefoye, when we shall criticize his and their
      All  this we may write sincerely and with `emphasis,         view' qf the Covenant and related matters,. we would
  even though we do  not. agree  tvith them on several             have the opposite camp understand, that they should
  m a t t e r s .                                                  not use our  .writing in order to oppose them in a har-
      But there is more.                                           assing and unseemly way. It has happened in the  '
      We note, more and more, that the brethren of the             past,  ana I assure them that it revealed more than
  Liberated Churches  must have none of the so-called              they intended. It always reveals weakness if the
  "offer of grace on the part of God, unto all that come           struggle must be conducted  ifi such carnal  ways.
  under the preaching of the -Word".  - I will agree that           `This much ought to be said as an introduction to a
  i;ome of  the brethren still cling to this fallacy. But          critical survey on the stand of the Liberated Churches
  more and more leaders in their group have seen the               anent the Covenant of grace, and related matters.                     ..
  error of this so-called dogma, Dr. Schilder for one.                                                                 G. V.
      And  that'is heartening, to say the least.                                            -
      We may not agree with their  coriception  on the
  Covenant and related matters, and I  am convinced
  that we do not,  but` this also is true that they never             K. S.' Reaction on the E.R.E:S.
  state that God wills the salvation of those whom He has
  reprobated from all eternity. I have asked Dr.  Schil-              The following article is taken from  De Reformatie,
  der on different  occaSions, whether the fact that I             dated December 27, 1947, and shows how Prof. Dr. K.
  am baptized gives me the right to say: On the basis              Schilder reacts against the First Reformed Ecumeni-
  of my baptism I may believe that -God assumes an                 cal Synod which was held in Grand Rapids,  Mich.,
  attitude of grace and favor toward me.          And he re-       from August 14  to. August 30, 1946; and on which we
  plied in  the negative. And so far I have not been able          wrote in our editorial of the issue of our paper  bf
  to find the fallacy of such teaching in the writings of          December 15, 1947.
  the Liberated Churches.                                             This article is rather ihteresting to read and there-
       Finally, I rejoice  iti the  Tact that the  wri+,ings of    fore we pass it on to our readers:
  the Liberated Reformed Churches reveal m&e and
  more that they reject the error of  "cominon~  grace".               SYN0DE.S
 That they ultimately would come to this stand was al-              u  I N   RUIM&,REN   E N   I N   E N G E R E N .   Z I N .
  ready  ,evident  in former  ybars. Slowly on,  their,writ-          Men weet dat onzerzijds een oecumenische synode
  ings in  De Reformatie  would  indictite that  ultitiately van  (eerkelijk) gereformeerden  een  .eisch des Heeren
  they would come to reject this heresy. Attend to the             geacht wordt (in 1939 hebben  we in de Sneeker  sy-
 -7lrriting of Dr. Greydanus,  even before the war, when           node al gezegd: negeer dus de gereformeerde Prot.
" he wrote on  "Gewichtige Vragen", and also to his                Ref. Churches, waartoe Rev.  Hoeks'ema behoort, niet) .
  ariticl,e which was transcribed in the Standard Bearer           En  eveneens, dat in 1946 te  Gra;nd Rapids een  con-
  of January 15,. page 192 ; under the title : "Verovering ventikel geweest  i,s, dat  zich  (niet zonder verbazing
  der Wereld." And in this  copnection I would also' oak  der  leden) aandiende als  oecimenische  gerefor-
  point to Dr. Schilder's lectures before the war when             meerde synode.      Daar was geen plaats  opengelaten
  he visited us in 1938, and on his recent visit, when             (door de samenkomende partijen) voor de Ameri-
  speaking on "`Common Grace", and also to his articles            kaansche Prot.  Ref; Churches,  noch voor onze eigen
  in  De  Refoymatie,  before and after World War-II.              kerken,. Hoewel beide laatstgenoemden de  drie  formu-
      Besides `all this, we are happy  to have  had'the  op-       lieren van eenigheid handhaven. Evenmin' de  Neder-
  potiunity to have Dr. Schilder in our midst. It gave landsche Chr. Geref. Kerken zijn gevraagd.
  us the opportunity to confer with him, to hear him  lec-            Men komt over eenigen  tijd. weer  samen. In Am-
ture and preach, and to have personal contact with sterdam.
  him, so that many burning questions anent the Con-                  In dien tusschentijd is natuurlijk  zoeer de vraag
  troversy could be treated by him, an  opportu&y  which .aan de orde : wie  moeten  zuel en wie  niet tot  deelneming
  we gladly utilized.                                              worden  uitgenoodigd.
      All  this contact with a  represe'ntative nian' such as      Dienaangaande kan men in de buitenlandsche pers
 , Dr. Schilder is, has had the happy result that we have          inerkwaardige  dingen lezen.

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

                                                                                                                                          J
       -            I&  ig.b;d. gezegd: we kunnen geen kerken vragen,
      1. die  tot:& def  saamroepende.kerken zeggen : gij moet                                 -.  01213  O~~TEME
            `au.  bdkeren  zIctn die en die xonde. Daarom  b..v. kunnen
             de  .Prot. -Ref. Churches  niet gevraagd  worden. Beste
            menschen  ov&igens, maar  jq: ze zeggen dat  .`we ons
             bekeerin.  `fioeten  van de zonden  vari 1924.  Heit  gaat                                dir Covenant  God
             tech niet,  &at we dan  samen synode  zouclen,houden?                           In this article we would continue  otir -discussion to
                    Dat beteekent dus: als de kerk van A tot die van                      confirm Scripturally our conception of the living God
             B, of de  classis' C tot de  classis D, of `de  particuliere
             synode van E tot die van F  aegt : ge moet u  bkkeeren                       with man. God's covenant With His people is not a
             van  die en die zonde, dan kunnen ze  ni&  meer,  samen                      promise, or a  cohtract, or an'agreement, or an alliance,
                                                                                          but the relationship of living friendship of  the, living
             vergaderen.
                    Een ander zei: kijk eens: er zijn  zusterkerkan  6n                   God with His own in Christ Jesus. In support of this
             met elkaar  correspondeeyende  d.w.z. correspdndentie                        conception we  h&e until now established, in the  first
             voerende  lierken.                                                           place, that Adam was created in a living relationship
                                             Met de eerste leeft ge  samen in
             engeren  zip  (ge  erkent de  ambtsdpagers  over en weer) ,                  of friendship  wifh the alone blessed God. God's  cove-
             met de tweede is  bet-contact veel  ldsser  (alle'en maar                    narit with  Adam  was not something incidental, some-
             correspondentie) . Misschicn is `die  onderscheiding-                        thing merely added to him, but created in his very be-
             zoo werd verder  .betoogd-een gemakkelijk  hanteer-                          ing. And when the Lord, upon Adam's violation of
             baar directief voor het  .bepalen van de  gregzen eener                      the covenant, maintains it in and because of Christ
             oecymenische synode. Die eerstgenoemde  groep  (zus-                         Jesus, He does so by setting enmity between the seed
             terkeren) kan natuurlijk pas  re&t  -samen. vergaderen.                      of the devil and the seed of the woman, the Church of _
             Maar  voor de`twkede  grd& zou op  gr&d  v&h  hei  feit                      God in Christ Jesus.        In other words, He restored
             van `t  corr.espon@e-onderhouden  tech ook  we1  .op een                     Adam into a living relationship of friendship  with
             of  andere manier een plekje kunnen  worden  inge- Himself-the enmity of and against the world is surely
             r u i m d .                                                                  with God.        Secondly, we established the Scriptural
                    We krijgen, als dit verdeelingsprincipe  ingang truth that God's covenant is eternal. It cannot, there-
             vindt dus  2-erlei "synode".                                                 fore, be  mefely a way of salvation or an agreement to
                    Een synode in  eng'eren zin en een synode in  ruime- save ; it is salvation itself. Thirdly, we quoted from the
             ren zin.                                                                     Scriptures to show that God's covenant with us is His
                    Of: een  vvqlle en een  diet-volle synode.                            own covenant, His own covenant  life which He be-
                    Of : een synode van een kerkverbond (of -verband)                     stows  *upon and reflects in His people. Fourthly, to
      . naar de inwendige zijde  611.  een synode van een  kerk- establish the truth that  <God's  covenant with us is es-
      ' verbond (-verband) naar de  uitwendige zijde.                                     sentially  ti relationship of `living friendship we quoted
                    Het .Praeadvies kan het rijtje  we1  aanlengen.                m      passages which speak  df the Lord's "dwelling"  .with
                    Hoe het moet met die binding  (een. synqde  bi&t man. This idea is.  expressped by many texts, and also
             immers) ?                                                                    st%nds upon the foreground in connection with the
                    Wel; een binding in presiesen en een binding in                       tabernacle or `temple' of the Old. Dispensation. In the
             rekkelijken zin. En zoo  voort.                                              `filth place, we read of  Enoch, Noah, and Abraham
                    En : een artikel 31  `-in engeren zin (dezen  keer  be-               that they are called "friends'? of God. They walked
             ginnen we daarmee) `en een  artikel 31 in ruimeren zin.                      with `God,. enjoyed  int.imate fellowship with the Lord,
                    Kerkgeboden  -van den eersten  -graad  6n  van den                    and to them Jehovah revealed the inmost secrets of
                                                                                          His  hea.rt. And, finally, the relationship of the Lord
            tweeden.
             .. Hoe het met de licentie van  bekeeri$gsoproepen                           with His people  iS called in the Scriptures a marriage0
             staat? Misschien  moetell de  zusters, eerst  "corres-                       relationship.
             pondeeren" eer ze elkaar de  bekeeringsnoodzaak  mogen                                              V a r i o u s   Teds.
             vooihouden.                                                                     Psalm 25  :14:  -  .The English translation. of this
                    0   d r i e   f o r m u l i e r e n !    1-                           text reads : "The secret of the  Lo?d is with  ihem that
                    0, quantit6  nbgligeable !                               K .   S .    fear Him  ; and He will shew  them His  cobenant." The
                                                                        .
                                                ---                                       .Holland translation reads :  ."De verborgenheid des
                                      /  CLASSIS  W E S T                                 Heeren is voor degenen, die Hem vreezen  ; en Zijn
                    The churches of  Classis  West are hereby informed                    verbond,  6m hun die bekend te  maken." The differ-
             that  Classis  will meet, the Lord willing, on the 3rd of                    ence between `these translations is apparent. In the
             March 1948, in the Protestant Reformed  Ctiurch of                           English translation "His  covenant"..is  the object  bf
            .,Edgertqn,  Minnesota.. Delegates  d&siring lodging are                      "He  will  shew";-what the Lord  shesii'is`His  covenant.
             urged to contact Rev. G. Vos, Edgerton, Mimi-                                But  ip. the Holland version the "secret of the Lord':


                                . .    `rH-E  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                                199

 is clearly the object of this verb.  The  tvord "die" in      whom He instructs or teaches. It is for them whom  '
 the expression, "om die hun bekend te  maken", clearly        H e   t e a c h e s   b y   H i s   W o r d   a n d   S p i r i t .   W e   m a y   c o n -
 refers to the "secret of the Lord".  - The original ren-      elude, therefore, that Ps.  25:14 confirms our concep-
 ders this passage as follows : "The secret (or familiar       tion of the  cdvenant.               .
 acquaintan& with) of Jehovah is for those who fear                 Jeremiah  31:31-34  and Hebrews 8 :3-12.  - We read
 Him; and  His covenant for those  whom He teaches or
                          I                                    in Jeremiah  31:31-34  : "Behold, the clays come, saith
 i n s t r u c t s " .                                         the Lord, that I, will  make  a new covenant with the
    It is clear' fro&  thi original Hebrew' of. the text house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not ac-
 that neither the English nor the Holland is .an exact' cording'to the  covenant'that I made with their fathers
 translation.  !And this applies especially to the English     in the day  that I tdok them `by the hand to bring  #em
 version.    On the one hand, the. covenant is not the         6ut of  t-he land of Egypt; which My  tiovenant they
 object of "shewing":-we do not read literally.  "And brake, although I was an husband  unto  them,  saith the
 He will shew them His covenant." On  the other hand,          Lord: But this shall be  the covenant that I will make
 the Holland translation, too,--is faulty : "De  verborgen- with the house of  :I.srael;  Afkr those days, saith the
 heid des Heeren is voor degenen, die Hem  vreezen; en         Lord,  b will  ptit  .`My law in-: their. inward parts, and
 Zijn verbond,  om  lfun die bekend  te  maken" or, trans-     write it in their hearts  ; and will be their; God; and  they
 lating this latter  part'of the Holland text into English :  ' shall be My people. And they  shall teach.  rio more
 "and His covenant  in order to reveal it unto them."          every man his neighbour, and every man his brother,
 We read literally: "The secret of Jehovah. is for them        saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know Me,
 that fear Him ; and His covenant  for  them He teaches        from the least unto the greatest of them, saith the  `.
 or. instructs." And according to the well-known               Lord: for I will forgive their. iniquity, and I will re-
 Hebrew- parallelisni, in  which the one part of the text member  th!eir sin no more." And in Hebrews  8%12
 explains the other, it is evident that the "se&et" and        we read: "For finding fault with them, he saith, Be-
 "covenant" are identical  heTe, refer to the same thing.      hold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make                                   a
    Hence, what a beautiful passage  we have here in           a new covenant with the house  `bf Israel and with the
 Psalm ,25 ! The secret of Jehovah is with or  f6r them        house of Judah:  .Not according  t,o the covenant that
 that fear  Hi&. The word "secret" means originally            I made with their fathers in the day when I took them
 "familiar  conversati&  or acquaintance",  *egers to an       by the hand to lead  .them out of the land of Egypt;
 inner circle of friends intimately associated. This           because they continued not in My covenant,  and I re-
 also enables' us to understand the word "secret" as it garded them not, saith the Lord. For  thi! is the cove-
 appears in the English and Holland translation& Only          nant that I will make with the house. of Israel after
 friends divulge  tl+eir secrets to one another. It is only those days, saith the  ALord; I will put My  lavris into
 `tb our friends that we "open up", disclose the inmost' their mind,  and write them in their  hsarts:  and I will
 secrets of our heart. Hence, that the "secret" of Je-         be to  them a God, and they shall be to Me a people:
 hovah is for them that fear Him evidently implies,            And they shail not teach every man his neighbour, and
 therefore, that they enjoy the most intimate fellowship       every man his brother, saying,  KnowLthe  Lord : for all
 and acquaintance with Jehovah.          Think of  Enoch, shall know Me,  from, the least to  the:greatest. For  .I
 Noah, and Abraham ! God talked with them  '  as a             will  b&  merciful to `their. unrighteousness, and their
 Friend with His friends.  ITO Noah He revealed  that          sins and  the& iniquities will I remember no more;"
 He'would destroy the  old world with a flood and  save:            We should notice  ifi this text, in the first place,  th&t
 h.im and his house by water in  an  .ark. Abraham also        Jeremiah speaks here of the era of the `New Dispensa-  *
 enjoyed intimate  fellotiship with the Lord, is called        tion in distinction from the Old Dispensation. This
 "friend"  bf  God. To him the Lord disclosed that He          appears. from Jer.  31:31,  32 and also from the  pass&ge
 would make of him  ,a mighty nation, that his seed            in Hebrews 8. Essentially, there is no distinction be-
 would  .be as innumerable. as the dust on the ground,         tween the two dispensations. Also in the  Old -Testa-
 the stars-in the firmament, and the sand along the sea-       ment, the Lord wrote His law into His  people%  hearts.
 shore. Yea, the secret of the Lord is for all who fear        In the Old  Teitament, however, this work of the Lord
 Him. To all His people He reveals and imparts  the8 was accompanied by the outer shell of the shadows and"
 secrets of His own  heant, His own life of love. The          types which characterized the  ,Old Dispensation. In
 people of the Lord are taken  ,up  into Jehovah's own         the New Testament, however, this outer shell, the
 intimate' fellowship and communion.                           earthly house of  shadows  atid types has disappeared
     And, according to the well-known  Hebrew parallel-        a?d God's covenant with His- people consists exclusive-
 ism, the second part  bf  the text explains the first. Bis    ly of `the  w?iting of His  .law into their hearts; `And we
:P'&openant  is, therefore,  synoymous with the "secret" should also notice that  the prophet in this passage de-
 of' Jehovah. Aild  even as the secret of Jehovah is for' fines the covenant. We read: "But  this shall be  the
 them  that fear  Him,  SO also His covenant is for them       Covenant,.  i  .X  ." TAnh   it. shall consist in. the writing


             200                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R `

             by God of His law into  the hearts of His  people.. Hence, `And also in  these passages  the covenant is held before  '
             God's covenant is defined here as an  inneT,  .spiritual,       us as an inner,  s-piritdal  reality.
             eternal reality. And also here `the  oft-rgpeated  words              2  Corinthiani 6  :16-18.-In  this passage the apostle,
             occur: "And I will be their God, and they shall be My           Paul, declares : "And what -agreement hath the temple
             people." God will be our God. He will write His                 of God with idols?  for ye are the temple of the living
             law into our  hearts,.will love, bless, and save us unto        God  ; as God hath  s&d, I  tiill  dtyell in them, and walk
             the  utteymost. And we  will  be His people. The latter         in them  ; and I will be their  Gqd,  and. they shall be My
             is the fruit of the former.      Because God is our God `people. Wherefore come out  .from. among them, and
             tie are His people. Hence, we read: And they  shaZE be ye separate, saith the Lord, .and touch not the- un-
             be My people. This is a certainty. We will be His               clean thing  ;  an'd I will receive you.     And will be a
             people, His own people, to love  ,and bless and praise          Father unto you, and ye shall be My  sobs, and daugh-
             a.nd serve Him forevermore.                                     ters., saith the Lord Almighty.".  >
                    Ezekiel 36 :22-28 and  Hosea   2:18-, 23.  - In the            Beautifully the idea of  frienc@hip.p_and  fellowship
             former passage we read : "Therefore say unto the                is expressed here. We should note  the:following;.  f`Ye
            house of  *Is:ael,  Thus. saith the Lord God  ; I do not this    are the  t&n& of the living Gdd; as God  hat11 said,
             for  your sakes, 0 house of Israel, but for  Minti  hilly I will  d,xeZZ in them,  a?d  WC@  .in them." Also  ,in this
             Name's sake, which ye have' profaned `among the hea- `text we ead the oft-repeated  express?qn,   _`"And I will be
             then, whither ye went. And I will sanctify My  great their God, and they shall be My people." It must be
             Name, which was profaned in the midst of them  ; and            self-evident that these latter words are. expressive of
             the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the            text we read the oft-repeated expression, "And I will be
            L!ord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their        be a  Father  u&o you, and ye shall be My  sons and
             eyes. For I will take you from among the heathen,               dnughte~s, saith the` Lord- Almighty." Is it possible
             and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you         to speak. of the relationship between God and His
s            into your own land. iThen will I sprinkle clean water people more intimately than to speak of God as  Fathe.1
     ,_      upon you,  and ye shall be clean: from all your  filthi-        and of them as His sons and  daughters?
           ness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A-                  In the light of  these passages, which we have quoted
            new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I          and which can easily be multiplied, we  may therefore
            put within you: and I will take away the stony heart safely conclude that' the covenant, according* to the
             out of  y&r flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.       Word of God, refers to the intimate relationship of
            And I will put My Spirit within. you, and cause you              friendship and communion between  the living God and
            to walk in  l$Iy statutes, and ye shall  keep- My judg-          His  petiple in Christ Jesus the Lord.
            ments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the  -land                                      ..-
            that I gave to  y&r fathers; and ye shall be my people,                 The Center of this CorPzmunion of Friendship
            and I will be your God." And in the  passage  of  Hosea               Betzwen God and His People is the Incarnation.
            we read :  "And in that day will I make a Covenant for                We all understand, I  am%ure, what is meant by the
            them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls            Incarnatidn (Vleeschwoording" in Holland)  ; Lord's
            of heaven, and with the creeping things of  the ground:          Da.y 14 of our Heidelberg Catechism, Articles 10, 18, 19
            and I will break the bow and the sword  a!ld the battle          of our Confession of Faith, and Articles 2 and 4 of the
            out of the earth, and will make them to  lie down safely.        Canons of Dordrecht, II, speak of this tremendous
            And I will  betrqth thee unto Me for ever; . . . . And I         Mystery of godliness-l Tim. 3  :16. The Incarnation
           a will sow her  unto Me in the earth: and I will have             is the amazing mystery of Bethlehem whereby God's
            m&y upon her that had not obtained mercy ; and I                 eternal  (Son, Who is and cdntinueth true and eternal
            will say to them which were not My people, Thou art              God, took upon Himself the very nature of man, of the
            My people  ; and they  shall say, Thou are my  G&d." flesh and blood of the Virgin Mary, by the operation
            Much need not be said concerning these passages.                 of the Holy Ghost, that He might also be the true seed
            Ezekiel  and  Hosea touch upon the same thought ex-              of David, like unto His brethren in all things, sin  ex-,*
            pressed by Jeremiah. Notice, also  .in these passages;           cepted-Lord's Day 14.
           that it is the Lord Who will establish His covenant               '    The Incarnation  is. surely the Wonder of Grace.
            with us, sanctify His Name among us, betroth us unto             It is certainly a wonder of grace. aAl1 signs'in Scrip-
            Himself forever, give us a new heart.  LAnd also here            ture are  `not necessarily miracles, such as the signs
            we hear the oft-repeated refrain: "And I will be their           of the temple, the candlestick, etc. But all  mira&s
            God and they shall be My people." If these latter  words,        in the Word of God are signs. A miracle, according to
            `"And I will be their God and they shall be My people",          Scripture, is a  wbrk  .of God in this accursed world, it-
            ,@onstitute the heart of the covenant (which is  .gener- self the fruit of the grace of God, which serves as,  a,`,
            ally agreed), then surely  the prophets, Ezekiel and             sign, portrays the work of the grace of God whereby
            Hosea, are speaking of the covenant in  these passages.          He leads and saves this world through sin and death


                                      THE  S T A N D A R D   .BEARER                                                             . 201

into the heavenly glory of His  eternal kingdom and..  o&it. .-And the city  h8d no need of the sun, neither of                           ~
 covenant.' God'calls the light out of the. darkness,  life,. the moon, to shine in it: for the  glory,of God did  light-
 out of  deatli. Of this  oDeration of the,  arace  df God  all::  en. it,,  and the  &a&b  is  the light thereof.  -And the  na-
 miracles are signs. That `the Incarnation is such  :a            ti$s  :$,tlz&l~  which  a& saved shall walk in  l&e light
 miracle sign is evident. For Jesus was  b&n of a  virgin.        of it : and the kings. of the earth do bring their glory
 It was not by the will' of man but by the operation of           and honor into-it. And the  gates of it shall not be
 4he Holy. Spirit that Christ was conceived and born.             shut at, all by day:  fqr there shall be no night there.
     However, the Incarnation is not merely a wonder              Ancl they shall bring the glory and honor of  the nations
 of grace, but it is  the  wbnder, of grace. In' the first into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it any
 place, the sign itself,, that of a virgin conceiving,, is thing that defileth, neither  whaisoever  worketh  abom-
 unique.    That a virgin conceived never happened be-            in&ion, or maketh a lie: but they which are written
 fore and will never happen again. For, if the sign               in the  Lamb's  book of life."  (Also `well-known is the
 as such is  unique, the only one of its kind, so also the        passage of John 14  :l-3 : "Let not your  heart be
 Incarnation, the appearance of the living God in the troubled : ye believe in God, believe also in Me. I n
 flesh, is the center of all `God's fellowship  with His          My  Fatheits  house are many mansions  i' if it were' not
people. Whatever we read in  Jerelliiah 31, Ezekiel 36,           so, I would have  t$d you. I'go  $0  pr`epare a place for
 Hosea  2, and 2'Corinthians 6 surely `centers in the In- you. Apd if I go and Prepare a place  for you, I will
 carnate  Word. That we can and do become the people come again,  and-`r.ecei+e you unto Myself  ; that where
 -of the living God is certainly due to the fact that the. I  a.m, there ye may be also."
 Eternal God assumed our flesh and blood, suffered and              Notice, in connection with these passages, first of
 died and rose again. Notice also that God, in saving             all, that eternity is described from the aspect of friend-
 His people, assumes their flesh and blood. Hence, in             ship arid fellowship. John 14 and Rev. 21 speak of
 the most literal sense of the word it is true  that we           eternity as "Father's house" and "God's tabernacle
have become the temple of the living God. In the most with man." This, of course, as far as odr conception
 literal sense He comes into our midst to live and dwell of the  tiovenatit is concerned, is extremely important.
 with us forever.  :This, the Church of God has always            If  the Scriptures speak of eternity, as consisting of
 confessed, constitutes the inviolabie, unbreakable  char-        the Lord's eternal fellowship with His. people,- then                        .
 acter,of God's covenant-fellowship with us. In Christ            the idea  oft friendship and communion must indeed
 God assumes our flesh and blood,  takks upon Himself constitute  the very heart and core of salvation. Sec-
 our  mouth and ears; jbins Himself to us, to our human           onclly, of that eternal, heavenly  taber.nacle, the heaven-
 nature, thus revealing Himself in our flesh and  blood:          ly Jerusalem, the Old Testament temple was a mighty
 Indeed, the Incarnation, itself the center of all God's          symeol. `This is evident from Rev. 21 where we read
 dealings with us, the source of all His blessings upon           of  the "great  ancl high  mount`ain,  th,e holy Jerusalem.
I us, speaks to us of `the most intimate fellowship imagin-       This is  ,also evident from Hebrews 12  :22 where  the
 able between the living God and His creature.                    holy writer  &clares of the Church of the living  God.
      The &ad of AU Things &nil GocE's Tabernacle                 that she is come unto Mount  Zion0 and the heavenly
                       n With Man.                                Jeru&lein.     Why  sho.gld the heavenly  city and the`
    The Scriptures  sibound in passages which speak of            earthly city have the same name if it were not;"  for
 the end of all things  ai God's eternal tabernacle with          tine fact that the one is  21 symbol of the other? This
 man. We read in Revelation  21:1-3,.   lo-12f.f:, 22-27:         is  .also evident from the location of the temple in the
 "And I saw a new heaven and a  .new'  earth : for the            Old Dispensation. It is for this reason that it was
 first heaven and  the first earth were passed away  ;            situated on a mountain; to direct the eye of God's
 and there was no more sea. And I John  saw the holy !people heavenward. Hence, the entire Old Testament
 city, new Jerusalem, coming  down from God out of                pointed,  as one mighty symbbl, to God's eternal  2nd .
 heaven, prepared as a  bride adorned for her husband..           heavenly Covenant in the eternity city which  h&s` foun-
 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold,          dations.    Thirdly, the entire New Testament points'
 the  tabernacle  of  Gocl is  with men,  and He will dwell       to this heavenly  culmitiation of  Gdd's fellowship with
 with them, and they shall be His people,  and, God               His people. Jesus speaks of  it_ in John 14,  decjaring
 Himself shall be with them, and be  thejr God. . . .             that He is going there and will prepare a place there
 And  .He  carried.me away in the spirit to a great and for us.               Hence,  throughout  -the-r,New' Testament the
 high mountain, and  shewed me that great  citjr, the             Church looks forward to God's eternal and heavenly
holy  Jerusaleni, descending out of heaven from God.              Tabernacle. We,  therefpre, conclude: All of Scripture
 Having the glory of God : and  ,her light was like unto          emphasizes this idea, of the covenant: God's eternal
 a. stone most precious, even like a  jaspar stone, clear         &l&ionship  of friendship with us, in Christ Jesus, in
 as crystal, f.f. . . . And I saw no temple therein: for heavenly  perfection,  ilow in principle,  a& soon in
 the Lord God Almighty and the  Lanib  are the temple             eternal,`glory, . .                            ..H.  v    .       .


202 .                                 - T H E   .%TANDARD  B E A R E R

                                                                  s< grace and an unmerited reward out of the Lord's
   h THE DAY OF SHADOW%                                           haricl. This being the mind that is in' him, he is so
                                                                  far from doing Saul harm that he does hini only good.
                                                                  %lThat   th6n is his iniquity?  There  is `none. David's
                 -David Is Afraid-                                questions  .are equivalent in meaning to so many posi-
                                                                  tive statements, "I have done nothing. I have no ini-
                                               -
   Fleeing  b,efore the face of Saul, David, as  accom-           quity. I  have  11.0 sin before thy father, that he  shoulcl-
panied by Samuel,  tdok up his residence  in, the quiet be seeking my life."
retreat of the  prophets"of Naioth.  But as we have                  Let us attend closely to Jonathan's reply. It is this,
seen, his rest in that place was of short duration. Sasl          "God forbid; thou shalt not die: behold, my father will
learned his hiding place, and sent  messeng.ers  to take' clo nothing great or small, but that he  tiiE1 show it to
him. Their arrival in Naioth was sudden. Time  for. m e ?   I s   i t   n o t   s o ? "
flight  th@re was `not. David was trapped. But the"                  "God  -forbid, thou shalt  llot die." Implied in this
Lord  came to  the- rescue. The messengers, including             statement is the affirmation'& the  p&t of Jonathan
the  masteu: who sent them-king Saul-arrived each t.bat David is innocent of  ally  erim&%gainst  Saul.
time during the meetings of the  pl"ophets.         The Spirit    Here Jonathan again `declares' David. guiltless. Saul,
by, whose impulse they prophesied:gave- utterance                 too, in his  h,eart,:declares David guiltless. But being
t),  discourties   6f praise and thanksgiving-seized also         determined to maintain  himself% in power  contrar?  to
upon the  mess&gers ;  a.nd in their ecstatic ravishment the' revealed  will'df God, he, the reprobated and  self-
they  coulcl not will  tb bring themselves to perform             absorbed king that he is, seeks  David'& life,  as. holding
the@ mission. The  ecstacy completely overcame Saul, under the truth. about David, and as allowing himself
as we have seen, so that he fell  unconsci&s, and  lay` to be inflamed by the lie, repeated in his ears  b$ his
clown naked  .a11 day and all night. This gave  Davicl menials, and whispered in his soul by the spirit from
just that much time to make  .his get-away:. Fleeing              the abyss, that David purposes to slay him. But Jona-
from Naioth, he comes to' Jonathan in  Gibbah, Saul's than is a believer;  he is a child of the light. He spirit-.
place of residence.                                               ualljr discerns that to oppose. David is to be  curs&  jf'
    Jonathan, who  n&St know everything, is  .expecting           God, and that blessing him is to be blessed and to  1iGe
his friend, it may be conjectured. Though Saul is not iti that to him, David, the Lord swore truth. Hence.,
yet returned, David does not risk a public appearance' he also perceives, does Jonathan, that David cannot
at the king's  coti.rt; he keeps himself in hiding. How die, that he must live and increase. And so Jonathan
he manages to  ' notify Jonathan of his presence and              will also  h&e it. For he loves David as his own  s&l  ;
whekeabouts in the city is not explained. But  they- and he discerns  `tb;at Somehow his whole  salvatio'$ `is
David and Jonathan- meet again. As is evident  f*rom bound up with David, with  the.prolonging of His days,
the conversation that now  takes'place,   -David is indig- with his increase and accession to Israel's throne in  *
nant,  deeijly  grieyed, troubled, and  af>aid.        "What the room of his father. Hence, as seized by the Spirit
$ave I done? What is mine  iniiquity?  And what is                of  piophecy, he  de&Yes,  "God  forbid, thou  shalt
mi"$ sin  befqrce thy father, that he seek&h my life," not die."
are the questions  thtit pour  from his anxious soul  ancl           But evidently Jonathan still  enter.tains the hope
tumble  ov& his lips as Jonathan enters  hi& immediate \that it is not Saul's settled resolve to slay `David,  ancl
presence. :.Indeed,  what has he done! What is  his that the king's attempts on David's life thus far made
ini@ity !  -  Just what is  .his sin before  s'&til that the      can be attributed to his attacks of madness by which
latt&r  seek&h his life ! ,True,  in' God's sight Saul  .is a     he is periodically being visited. Did not Saul in his
deposed king.     He disobeyed the Lord's' command..' normal  moments vow that David should not die? And
And David is his divinely appointed successor. But                so, to allay David's fears, in the wish to speak some
this carinot be held against. David.      It is the Lord's        word from which his distressed and beloved friend
doing.  Atid the doing was just. Saul  reaped what `may be able to  draw, a bit of comfort, he means to tell
h&had sowed. What then is David's  iniqui'ty? What                him that he must not allow himself to be too disturbed
is  his  crime `against Saul? `There is not a shred of            by  S&`s behaviour toward him of the past  few'days.
evidence to prove  that he purposes to take the king-             Ii may have been  the  r'esult of a new `but temporary
dom by  tiiolence,-take it in the way of his slaying              adcess of rage. Saul may again recover; and in his
Saul and  dbstroying  his seed after  him; David knows            quiet  btate of mind he will not resolve on and execute
that,  shotild he resort to such  .means,  he would incur such a  murder. And even though there should be no
the hot displeasure' of the Lord and  reap: not a king-: abatement to  SauYs wrath, David  wonId not have to
dam but  destruotion.  He therefore  abid&  the- Lord's:, despair of his life on that account. "For my father",
,time; and he is satisfied to  conic  `into  thi possession       says Jonathan, "will do nothing either great or  small;
of the  ki&dom in God's way, to receive it as a gift' but he  wili  -show it me, Is it not so?"' Ancl Jonathan


                         t            ,                                                                        .

                                                  T H E     STANDARD                      BEARER.                                       203

            %Vould hasten to communicate Saul's murderous plans             is that he  take? resource to a lie.
                                                       .
            to David.                                                           It  must  ,be  admitted,  of course, that Jonathan has
               Such is Jonathan's direct and implied reasoning.             saicl little  from  whir?h'D.avid's  unbelief could take  com-
This is proved by David's reply. He do&  not  ski&e fort  tind  courage.  .-Jonathan  is  still doubting whether
            Jonathan's optimism. He can take no comfort from                Saul wants David  sla$n  ;  and he told David so by  im-
            those words of his friend. For the text states, "And            Plication.     But it  .has become  -,too -evident. that  .,Saul
            David sware moreover. . .  ." The words of swearing             is decided, that his  attempes on David's life cannot be
            are `not stated:- But David's oath has reference to his         ascribed  simply to his illness. The will to kill David is
            words contained in verse  i. He affirms  w&h an oath there in his soul  ,as. a permanent domestic. And it is
            that Saul does certainly seek his life  ; that there is  in-    also doubtful whether Saul will  `%%Ytinue  to confide
            deed in the king a decision to destroy him tob deeply           i n   Jonathan. Certainly; he must  knqiv by this time
            rooted in  erivy, jealousy, and hatred to bit of a passing that his  soti loves- David and will do all that lies within
            nature.      Jonathan's hope is vain. Saul will not  re- his  power to -save his  friend from the. king's  wrath.
c o v e r . His wrath against David will not cease until .But Jonathan has also  ,,spoken the language  bf faith                                     .
: David is slain.                                                           when he said, "God forbid, thou shalt not die," to
              David also replies to Jonathan's confidence that              which David  refilied, "Truly, there  .is.but one step  be-
            Saul will do nothing grkat or small  bu6 that he will           tween  me  and  death". But hasn't  J.&athan   reasoil to
            show him, his son.      (The implication also of this  con-     despair of his life  as-$ell seeing  th&t he  ttikes David's,
       fid&e of Jonathan is  ceatainly that he  stili hopes or              side against Saul? By that  do&g he  take,%: his life
       believes that Saul's past  attenipts on David's life can             in his  own. hands.  Fpr his delight is in  .David. And
       be attributed  to his attacks of madness, so  that in his            is  Jonathan:complaining  *7 But  ibf all this'David is un-
       normal moments  Saul is far from wanting David mindful. In his unbelief he is self-absorbed and-thus
       killed. For Jonathan's  .reasoning  is plainly and simply takes thought only of his own life.
       ,this : It is not my  father%   settl,ed resolve to slay thee  ;         Having failed to quiet David's  f,ears, and  perceiv_ing
       fey if it  wer&:h& would have told me. Hence, his past that his friend  Ihas'his own plan  a% to how  Saul is to
       attempts on thy life are to be explained from his  ill-              be  dealtwith at this time, whatever  ihat plan might
       ness).          Says David, "Thy father certainly  know&h be, Jonathan says to David,  "Whats~e$e&hy  soul  de-
       that I have found grace in thy sight; and he saith, Let              sireth-I will do for thee."
       not Jonathan then know this, lest he be grieved," that                   So  Da<fd says to` Jonathan, "Behold, tomorrow is
       is"aney, and tell David. The thrust of' David's words the new moon, and I should not fail to sit  wi.th  then.
      is evident. Jonathan must not imagine, David means                    king at meat. . . ."  `.  "Should  not  fail".  David is
      to say, that Saul will counsel with him before taking under  _ the -obligation to take part in  the.  niew moon
      action against the son of Jesse. `For Saul knows that feast at court not as a guest with a standing  invita-
       Jonathan, loving David as he does, will not fail to warn tion, but as  .a member of Saul's household.  That  thebe
      his friend.                                                           words of David reveal the cause  `of  his, fear' that  theie
               David's  neit words reveal that at this  mokent his .' is only a step  between him and death, is  `a niistaken
      spirits are  lo&  ; that he is  unspeakabl'y  despondent and ' idea. For,. as the sequel reveals, David  :*is not at all  '
      stands on the brink of despair. These-are  h& words,                  purposed  t@. meet the obligation'; but his plan. is  .to
      "But truly as the Lord  live&, and  as they  so61 liveth, make use of it for ascertaining whether Saul has  deter-
      there is but one step between me and death." The mined evil against him, whether `it is the king's settled
      speech is figurative. It is the picture of a precipice, `.. resolution that he should be slain.'  -Though David is
     from which  Daqid, as he sees it, is  only a step removed, .-already convinced that such is the case,' he will put                         -
     over which  he at any moment may be plunged. This . .  i+kml to one more test. The. feast to which  reyerenee
is the language of unbelief. It is  tiinful of  David to be . is made is a religious celebration  of'the day of the hew
     talking this way, especially so  si&k the  L-ord but re-. moon with burnt-offerings and sin-offerings arid sound
     Gently demonstrated wonderfully well that  D&id has                    of -trumpets.  (Num:lO  :lO  ; 28  :`ll-15).    Saul, too, will
n@hing to fear from Saul. He shall not die. For he observe this feast  aad bring the  required  sacrific&.
     is  Israei's anointed king. Accordingly, did not the                   For he is a pious  mari. despite  ;his rebellion against
     ecstacy  cdmpletely overcome Saul  tk;ere in Naioth, so : God  and  his" breathing  ,out  thrtiatenings and slaughter
    th.at the king fell unconscious  &d "lay down' all day against the  .innocent and just David. Pious is Saul,
     and all night,  .thus giving David just that much time but not truly religious:  `He is thoroughly wicked.
    to make his escape? H6v$ evident that the Ldrd is his  `. .                David's   irequest  iS that  Jbntithan  fall in  with  h&
sun  and,  shield.!' . David  :is  ilot trusting in the Lord at  "plan of  discbvering   KoW  Saul in the depth  df  h&`h&t
     this juncture. He is unbelieving. And his unbelief is-disposed  ltoward  him. The  pian `is-this': David  will
    throws  him'back on himself, on hi's; ingenuity  td devise  ,absent himself from  Satil's table.  by hiding  ii the field
   means  $nd  way8 for outwitting  Saul. Aktd  tf@  Eesult  !. during the:  three, days that the religious celebration `is
t ,il:,*

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

   in progress. Saul will look for David, `and inquire after               there to communicate to him Saul's reactions, he
   the reason of his absence. Jonathan will reply, "David means. Jonathan cannot; for if he does he will incur
   earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to the wrath of Saul.                             What evil consequences might
   Bethlehem his city : for there is a yearly  sacrificethere              not be  to Jonathan, should he himself bring the in-
   for all the family." If Saul answers, "Well", David                     formation to David? Nor can  the.matter be entrusted
   shall have peace, that is, the king has,, no plot of                    to a servant. So, "who shall tell me?"
   murd.er against him. But in the other event, if the                        Jonathan's only reply is, "Come, let  us go out into
   king's anger burns, Jonathan  ,will know that he, Saul,                 the field.: The sequel reveals that he is determined
   has determined evil against David, that evil  on'* his                  to bring the  .information -himself and that he has
   `part is a settled thing. The plan can only be put into thought of a way in which it can be done with no
   execution if Jonathan adopt it by not pressing David danger either to himself or to David. Once in the
   to meet his obligation by appearing at the king's table.                field Jonathan first declares under an oath that he
   Hence, David's petition to his friend, "Let me `go that will inform David of the mind of his father. In. ex-
   I may hide myself in the field.". As a representative                   pressing the thoughts of his heart, he alternately ad-
 of the royal family, Jonathan has power over David,                       dresses the Lord and David.' "And Jonathan  saidunto
   which the latter also recognizes, though he be  Israel%                 David, 0 Lord God of Israel, when I have sounded my
   lea1 king. Jonathan grants the request of David  and                    father about tomorrow any time on `the third day, and
   thereby adopts his plan, though it be  ,that its execu-                 behold, if there be good to David,  .and I then send not
   tion will involve him in the necessity of lying to his                  unto thee, and show it to thee, the Lord do so and much
   father. For it must not be supposedthat by reason of                    more. to Jonathan: but if it please my father do do
   the proximity of Bethlehem  ,to  Gibeah, David in the thee evil, then I will shew it thee, and send thee away,
   meantime went home. The conjecture is out of keep- that thou mayest go in peace: and the Lord be with
   ing with David's words. Jonathan adopts the plan                        thee as he has been with my father." Jonathan dis-
   despite the objection by which it is encumbered-he                      terns David's calling, which he is to fulfill as king `of
   must lie to his father-and also despite the danger to                   Israel in Saul's place. This comes out still more clear-
   which its execution will expose his own person. For ly in verses 14-16, in which he beseeches David to show
   Saul will not fail to perceive that the excuse for David's              him the kindness of the Lord, if he still live  ; and not
   absence is. only a pretext or a lie.                  His anger will    cut off his house forever, if he die, and when the
   kindle.       And what might not the enraged king. to do                Lord hath. cut every one of' David%  enemies from the
   Jonathan?                  -                .                           face of, the  eaPth. On the ground of what already has
          David's anxiety is great,. as is evident from, his               taken place, Jonathan foresees that Saul and his house
   appeal `that he now makes to Jonathan's conscience.                     will be hurled from the throne and David `thereto
   He tells Jonathan that he is in duty bound before God                   elevated. And with reference to the oriental custom
   to deal kindly'with his servant by reason of the cove-                  of killing the children and the relations on ascending
   nant  of the Lord into which he brought David. This                     the throne, Jonathan pleads for the life of his house,
   indicates that, in the concluding of the covenant; the                  and with a right given him of God, as by the  mercy.of
   initiative had been on the side of Jonathan. David's                    the'  L:ord he has removed himself out  of- the circle of
   soul is like a violently troubled sea. Though Jonathan                  David's enemies. He does not belong to Saul's house,
   once and again has declared him guiltless, in his mental                as far as his attitude toward David  i$s concerned. Thus
   anguish he next goes to  the.extreme of `requesting that the judgments in store for Saul will not overtake him,
   Jonathan himself slay him, if there be any sin resting                  though he, too, will die with Saul in battle. Yet he
   on him, rather than deliver him up to Saul. These                       will not die but live  ; for he deals kindly with David,
   a.re his words, "notwithst,anding,  if there be in `me thus with Christ.
   iniquity slay me thyself; for why  sho:uldest thou bring                   "And Jonathan caused David to swear again, be-
   me to thy father?" Jonathan's reply, "Far be it from                    cause he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his
   thee," is an added expression of his  firm.conviction of                own soul." This oath has reference to Jonathan's
   David's innocence. For the phrase-"`from thee" has                      last request (verses 14, 15). In adjuring David, he
   reference to  iniquity,  which, Jonathan anew affirms, is was motivated by his love of him. He wanted his child-
   far from David. He has done Saul only good.'  !And                      ren to share in the joy and the benefits of being loved
    therefore Jonathan continues, "if (on account of                       by a man like David.
   David's innocence) I know certainly that evil were de-                     Jonathan now acquaints David with  .his plan for
  ' termined by my father to come upon thee, and I would                   informing him of Saul's mind, and instructs him what
   not tell thee," I, `would be  ncczhysed. (this clause in                to do. The text here is again difficult in places. `To-
   italics must be `supplied).                      i                      morrow is the new moon, and David will be missed.
            But still David is not  s~atisfied.  He sees new  diffi-       David shall wait three days, when he shall  go- down
culties.          "Who will tell me," he now asks.. Who is                 quickly, and come to the place where he previously hid
                   2


                                  ._                                                        %
                                        TH.,E `S T A N D A R D .   B E A R E R                                                       205

 himself, when -"the business was in hand." This has             of the new moon-Saul grieves because the innocent
  reference  to. Jonathan's deed by which he turned his          and just man-David-whom he planned to  murderion                                  .,
 father's murderous thoughts from David. To the spot             the feast, has not made his appearance.  :-  `.
  where this had taken place, David shall come  ; and he             E!ut  ,was Saul really expecting David?                How  coulil
  is  ato remain by the stone Ezel. Jonathan will act as  ,if he, after all what  happened. It  can  be  proved  from
  he were practicing at a mark. There will be a servant,         Saul's own words that he knows that David is not going
  taking position on the side of the mark: After the             to make his  appearance   at  his  feast.  "t&met&g   hai&
  shooting, he will be ordered to go to the `mark to find        befallen him,  ,he is not clean, surely, he is not clean;"
 _ the  ,arrows.- If Jonathan then `calls to him, "Behold, he keeps repeating to himself over `and over; in' the
  the arrows are on this side of thee,  take.them,"-that         vain attempt, certainly, to convince himself that the
  will be for  David% the  token> that all is well, in the real. reason of David's absence is not his fear of the                                        .'
 words of the text, "then come thou  ; for there is peace king, but his being  levitically  3mclean. Saul wants
  to thee,. and no hurt, as the Lord liveth." But if he          it this way. For if it is only. David's  celemonial  un-
  say  to\ the servant, `.`Behold, the arrows are beyond         cleanness that prevents him and -not his fear of being
  thee,",  that.will.be  thesign that David is to go away, to    slain by Saul, the morrow will find him in his place
  flee,  in*.the words-of the text, "Go away, for the Lord in the king's house to eat meat.                    Saul then is  looking
  hath sent thee away." This last statement is  signifi- for David on the morrow.. For "he is not clean ; surely
  cant, as showing that.. Jonathan  ,ends with Saul's  mur- he is not clean."
  derous doings in the Lord. And this is his parting                  (Herewith.has been refuted the contention of some
  word to David, "And as touching the matter, which interpreters  th'at this whole narrative contradicts chap.
  thou and I have spoken of, behold, the Lord be between         19, which on this account, it is said, must have been
  thee and me forever." The both of them,  Jonathan  taken. from another source.  The  argument  is  that
  and David-are brethren in Christ.           They- are one      after the events related in chap; 19  Saul..must  under-
  by a common faith in Him. And it is thus in Him, the           stand that, David would not be present at the feast
  Lord and before His face  that they  concluded  their  but. that nevertheless according to chap.  20  he  expects
  covenant. He has seen and heard all. It is He  there- him. Hence, the conflict. The answer to this is that
  fore who `will be between the both of them forever             Saul  is not actually expecting David. This is evident
  to punish the violator of their covenant oath, and from Saul's  soliloquy.                     Either these interpreters have
  vows, and promises, which were good and right in the no knowledge of the working of the human mind, or
sight of God and therefore must be kept.  ,If Jonathan           t hey delight in setting the Scriptures in conflict with
  `breaks the covenant, he forsakes Christ in David. And  : . .
                                                                 itself in the interest of their theories of the Bible).
  for David to break the covenant would be like a shep-              Having argued' himself into the false belief that
  herd in Israel casting off a sheep earnestly. crying for       David's absence must be ascribed to his temporal  cere- .
salvation. It would be like Christ forsaking his own             monial uncleanness, "Saul spake not a thing that day,"
  people to give them over to doom `and destruction.             that is, he makes mention of the matter to no one.
  So the covenant between the both of them must and              But the second day has arrived and perhaps  is. `well
  will be kept.                                                  spent, and  `stili David fails to make his appearance.  /
     Following the instructions of his friend, David re- Unable to contain himself any longer,. the king turns
  treats to the specified hiding  $ace in the field, while to Jonathan for an  .explanation. For as the sequel
  Jonathan returns  to. the city. It is now the new moon  ;      reveals, Saul has his doubts of him.                     He distrusts
  and Saul is in his customary place by the wall to eat          Jonathan. He questions his loyalty to the king.. He                                           '
  .meat. Jonathan, too, is there, seated at the king's side.     feels certain that for some time. now Jonathan `has
  Abner enters. Jonathan rises, and seats  hisuncle next been shielding the son of `Jesse against' the king's
  to Saul in the place` left vacant by David's absence.          wrath. And therefore he doubts not but that Jonathan
  (`This is the best view of the text at this place.). The       knows what is keeping David. So he says to his son,
  narrative again lays bare Saul's heart. He is thinking.        `!Wherefore  cometh  n o t   t h e   s o n   o f   J e s s e   t o   m e a t ,
- And these are his thoughts, "Something has befallen            neither yesterday nor today?  `Out of loyalty to David,
  him, he is not clean  ; surely he is not clean." Thus          Jonathan tells the lie that his friend  .put into his
  il. is David with whom he is  accupied in his mind.            mouth.  .He even adds to it a little in order that Saul  `-
 David's place is empty.       And Saul is -disappointed.        r-nay be the more impressed by its validity as an ex-
  He wanted him there  ; for he planned to slay the              cuse.    These are his words, "`David earnestly asked
  son of Jesse after the latter had sat him down to meat,        leave`of me to go to Bethlehem : and he said, Let me go,
  -the meat of  .the  sacred feast of the new moon ;-thus        I pray thee ; for our famiiy hath a sacrifice in the city ;
  slay him, or have Kim slain while he sat with his victim       and my brother, he hath commanded me to be there  ;
  at the Lord's' table. Saul .is a wicked man. While all         and now, if I have found favor in thine `eyes;  1et:me .
  true Israelites inquire in God's temple-it is the feast        go I pray thee; and see my brethren.. `Therefore' -he

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

  cometh not unto the king's table." What  a.lie:that is.       ments he ranks amongst the most remarkable  `of the
  But it is a lie of necessity. Is that so?  .D.oes God ever    occupants of the papal chair;  ,but his chief title to
  put a man under the necessity of lying or give him            fame is to be found in his patronage to art and  liter-
  permission to lie to save his life?  .That is  the ques-      alure.
  tion. Jonathan and David  are. excellent saints. But            His presence was dignified and imposing and he
  a lie is a lie, whether told by saint or sinner. And a        bad a bright, penetrating eye. Though his hair was
  lie, even as told by the saint, always proceeds from .white, his countenance still glowed with the intellectual
  his sinful flesh. So here: The lie to  which..these two       fire of youth. He was quick in his movements, and
  excellent servants of the Lord take recourse, springs         his spirit was dauntless. Defeats only intensified his
  from unbelief. What accounts for their use  of it is          resolution. But he was thoroughly  selfLabsorbec1;  his
  their lack at this juncture of implicit faith in God.         only concern was his own personal fame.            Yet his
  It was unbelief that drove David back again to  Gibeah.       pontificate was free from the crimes and scandals
  He wanted still more proof that Saul `was actually de-        that had disgraced Alexander's reign
  termined to slay him. But the Lord has already made              His uncle was pope Sixtus IV, who took him under
  this plain to him over and over, as plain as the sun in       his. special charge. He was educated  among`the. Fran-
  the heavens, especially by the events of the last few         ciscans, and `obtained a knowledge of the sciences.
  days. But that  doesn't,satisfy David. He wants still         In 1471 occurred his elevation to be bishop of  Carpen-
  more proof. And the reason? The thought of being ,tras. In this same year he was. promoted to be car-
  persecuted by a mad and jealous Saul, seeking his life,       dinal. With his uncle, who had succeeded to the papal
  was to' David, of course,  1 too insufferable for words.      chair, he obtained great influence. In addition to the
  He didn't want it  so: (And- who  .would !)    He wanted      archbishopric of Avignon, he held no fewer than eight
  the wicked king to be friends with him, so that he            bishoprics. A few years later he was sent to France as
  would not have to be persecuted. And  -he hopes against       a papal legate, and displayed such ability that he soon
  hope that Saul's  .past attempts on his life are' ascrib-     acquired a leading  .influence in the college of car-
  able to his illness, and that the king really`wants to do     dinals.
  `him no harm. The' Lord has already proved to him                 On the death of Pius III,, he was elected to the
  that Saul seeks his life;. but he will not  believe,& He papal  chairby unanimous vote of the  .cardinals, after
  wants more proof. So he flies back to  Gibeah  and            freely resorting to bribery. His administration brought
  avails himself of- that lie to obtain the proof. He           peace  .and confidence to Rome. He immediately ad-
 needs Jonathan's cooperation. And Jonathan, also a             dressed himself to  the. task of strengthening the politi-
  sinful man, noble saint though he is, has not the heart       cal authority of the papal see. `The effect of his effort
  to refuse his friend, whom he loves as his own soul.          was the founding of the State of the Church, a realm
                                           G .   M .   0 .      of absolute papal rule that remained papal territory
                                                                till 1870. .                                       -:
                                                                  Julius next undertook to free Italy from foreign
                                                                invaders.       The Italian cities were ruled by despots ;
             THROUGH THE AGES- . .                              the French  ,held Milan and Genoa, and the Spaniards
                                                                were entrenched in Naples and Sicily. Julius drove
                                                                out the despots, chief of whom was Ceasar Borgia,
                 Renaissance Popes  -                           the infamous son of Alexander  VI; Ceasar was taken
                                                                prisoner. He escaped but two years later was killed
     JULIUS II, THE WARRIOR  PIOPE  (1503-1513)                 at the seige of Viana in the thirty-first year of his life.
         Alexander was succeeded by Pius III. Though a          He was the man who had once been the terror of
  pontiff, he, too, was the unmarried man of a large            Rome, and whom the historian Ranke calls "a virtuoso
  family. A month after his elevation to the papal              in crime". Julius returned to Rome, and was hailed
  throne, he died from the gout and other infirmities.          as a conqueror.
  His successor was Julius II, whose original name was              Julius next directed his efforts against the French,
  Giuliano delle Rovere.     The place of his birth was         who had invaded northern Italy and claimed sovereign-
- Savona and his parents. were humble people. As an             ty over it. For this war he secured the services of the
  occupant of the chair of St. Peter, he was a  p,ope only Swiss, who at that time were `selling "their services in-
  in name, his ambition being solely regal and military war.  .. The pope hired, 6,000 of these hardy mountain-
  and in no sense ecclesiastical.. His dream was an in-         eers for five years. The localities from which they
  dependent Italian kingdom and accordingly  .his one           ca.me received 13,000 gulders a year; and each soldier
  aim was to expel all foreign domination. from Italy.          was paid  .6 francs a month. The officers were paid
  Warlike pontiff that he was, he led his troops in per-        twice that sum. The chaplain of the pope's army was
  son.     Because of his political and warlike  achieve- no one-less than Zwingli. But he was not yet Zwingli,
                                                                                                                         I

                                                                                                             `-


                             .              T H E   - S T A N D A R D   BEARER                                                          207
       the  Reforhler. The French king, Louis XII ordered              power and prestige equal to that of the national thrones
       the bishops of his realm to assemble in council at Tours        of Europe.
       to declare that the pope had exchanged the keys of St.          " It was during` the pontificate  ~of Julius that Luther
       Peter for the sword of Paul. They took the stand that was in Rome, running about the churches seeking peace
     the temporal princes were justified in withdrawing for his disquieted soul. This was in  1511, while the
       their obedience and in opposing him with force of arms pope was having made a  jewelled crown costing  2OOrOOO
       even to invading his territory. Another council con-            ducets.
       demned the pope as "the new Goliath", and the king                                                                 G.  M.  0.
       put into circulation a new coin bearing. the motto,                                            -
       "I will destroy the name of Babylon",  meaning,Rome.
       Some years later one of these medals was  .sent to
       Renee, duchess  of. Ferrara, by Calvin, who' d,eclared
       it  to,be the finest present he had to send her. Julius                    j3ION'S  ZANGEN
       in turn put under the ban Alfonso, duke  bf Ferrara,
       a.s a son of iniquity and a root`of perdition.
         At the commencement of the war; Julius' was ill,                    Eeuwige Goedertierenheid
     .  -  a.nd it was thought that he would die  ; but rising from
       his bed, he hastened to the  theatre  of the impending                             (Psalm  103  ; Eerste  Deelj
       conflict and took command `of his forces.         It was in        Vaak is gezegd, dat  er een tijd was in  bet verleden,
       the dead of winter, and snow covered the ground.                die "de  bloeitijd der Gereformeerde Theologie"  ge-
       The papal army was entirely routed, and the. pope fled  ileeten  werd               ,     _
       to Rome. But his spirit was undaunted, though his                             .
       cause seemed hopelessly lost. He formed a coalition                In dien tijd is ook  bet formulier  om het Heilige
       with Spain and Venice, and gave it the title of the             Avondmaal te vieren  gemaakt.  En het wordt  geken-
       Holy  League. It included  also  Henry  VIII.of  England,       me& door dien "bloeitijcl" .  ii  de  nabetrachting heet
       who was glad of an opportunity to make war on bet : "en een iegelijk  spreke in zijn hart aldus", en dan
       France.    There were two gory battles, and both times volgen de eerste dertien  verzen van clezen zeer  schoo-
       the victory was with. the French. But the French  nen  psalm  van  David*                           :
      ' battalions had lost `their general, and their best  cap-          Dit is  een van  d.e  klassieke  psalmen uit den bundel
       tains, and the flower of their troops. The pope's army,         der liederen Sions. Klassiek`: hij leeft in het hart van
       greatly strengthened, compelled them to retreat, and al Gods  volk.  Ze  mogen hem  gaarne  zingen. Hij uit
       at length the whole French force was driven out of.  wat in  `t  harte  lee@  .en ondervonden wordt.
     Italy. The victory called forth an elaborate  celebra-  *  Hij  i s   van'David.
I      .tion in Rome. Cannons boomed, and in all the churches             Meer ,  s&at er niet. IIet  i s   eigenlijk  m a a r   6% ,
       thanks was given.                                               woord: Van David.
          Julius now turned his  thoughts.to `freeing Italy of            David is de  zeer diep ingeleide  heilige..  I&j was
       the Spaniards. He made the plans but their execution            de man naar Gods hart. 0, we  weten  bet wel, dat  oak
       was prevented by his death. He was not yet 70 wars              deze psalm product is van  bet werk des Heiligen  Gees-
       old. But only shortly before his death, in conversation         tes, Maar David  heeft al  clit  schoone  van  clen  onver-
       with one of his cardinals, he had pounded on the floor          getelijken honclerd-derden psalm  Beleefcl! En daarin
       with his cane, exclaiming, "If God gives me life, I will was  hij grootelijks bevoorrecht. Benijdenswaardig!
       also deliver the Neapolitans from the yoke of the                 Wat glorieus begin: "Loof `den Heere, mijne ziel,
       Spaniards.                                                      en al wat  bimlen in mij is, Zijnen heiligen Naam."
          ,011 his deathbed  Juiius made provision for his                Wat zijn de goddeloozen  tech  onbeschrijflijk arm!  '
       burial. There were bodies of deceased popes to which                Nooit zeggen zij tegen hun ziel, dat ze eigenlijk
       little respect had been paid. Julius made his master            God  moeten loven. Nooit komt de gedachte zelfs bij
       of ceremonies promise  to. see to it that he should have' hen op. Ze loven veel  liever  zichzelf, den mensch, of
       a decent burial. In his dying hours he implored the u bet product van den  mensch. Ze loven veel en velerlei,
       cardinals at his deathbed to  ,refrain from all simony doch nooit den God der  goden.
     in the coming election of a  ,new pope. He died  Feb-                Wat wondere zegen is het, om zijn ziel  te  beinvloe-
       ruary 20, 1513. AS the  .report of his death spread, a          den tot lof van God  1
       hush fell upon the city. Great numbers went to view              Wat lof dan  we1 mag zijn ?
       the corpse of the pope and to kiss his feet. The dead              Lof is, als ge het den Heere  vertelt hoe groot, hoe
       pontiff was regarded): as a patriarch; and in  trut,h  schoon, hoe lieflijk, hoe wonderlijk Hij is  in.Zichzelf,
       he had rendered no mean services to the civil. order in         en in alle Zijne  werken,.
       Rome  ; and he had vested the papal throne with a                  En zulke lof komt nooit in het hart, `of van af Uw


208                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   .BEA.RER

lippen, indien God die "prijzensstof" eerst  niet in Uw           den eeuwigen dood, de heerlijkheid van den  Natim is.
h a r t   s c h e p t .                                              Ik  kan  er. in komen, dat die goddelooze  jongen  ge-
       De lijn  loopt  266 : God is sehoon,  liGflijk, aantrekkk , steenigd  moest  worden, die jongen die uitdrukkelijk
lijk, machtig,  yonderlijk in  alle Zijne deugden. Die den  hAAM-vloekte.
deugden openbaart Hij : en door onwederstandelijke                   Nog eens weer:  Loof  d&n Heere, mijne ziel, en  `ver-
genade komen zij in  bet diepe hart  ,va;n Zijn kind. Hij         geet geene van Zijne'weldaden !
geeft  `een buitengewoon getuigenis  van al die deugden              Dat is negatieve taal : vergeet Zijne weldaden` niet !
aan hen die.Hij  bemint.  Bewijs? Leest II Cor.  4:6.                Vergeten is vreeselijk.
Daar  staat  : "Want God  die gezegd heeft  .clat het licht          Als ge wat vergeet, dan bestaat het niet meer voor
uit de duisternis zoude schijnen, is Degene die in onze           U. Hebt  ge  bet  nooi%  demerkt in  h&t vallen van  het
harten geschenen heeft, om  te geven verlichting van de           aailgezicht; als ge U een zeker mensch  niet meer  herin-
kennis  dei heerlijkheid Gods in het aangezicht van               nert ? Jaren  geleden kendet ge hem ; ge  waart  heen-
Jezus Christus." Daar hebt ge het eerste  uitgangsptint           gegaan ; en  jaren later ontmoet ge dien man. Hij stelt
van,onzen lof. Nooit zull ge  e?  aan  denken om aiting te        zich. weer  aan U  yoor;  .en  leest op Uw gelaat dat ge
geven  aan  h& Deugdenbeeld, indien ge niet  ontvingt hem  vergeten zijt. Dat is  z&er vernederend voor  wien
die gave van-de verlichting der  kennisse.  Gods in.  Jeius' de dupe werd der  ,v@rgetelheid.
aangezicht;                                     :                    Past  dit  nu'toe'op  de  daden Gods  ten  oirerstaan, van
       Woont dat  deugdenbeeld- van God dan ook in UwUwe nooddruft, en. huivert voor de goddelooze zonde
hart, zoo zult ge  er uiting  aan geven.                          van het vergeten!
       Dan zegt ge- met David :  Lloof  d&n Heere,  mijne            God was  goed  voor.  ,U,  maar, stelt het U  Goor,  ge
z i e l !                                                         hebt het vergeten!
  ;  M i j n e   z i e l !                                           001~  zal David, die weldaden voor U en mij  opsom-
       De ziel is het belangrijkste van onze  natutir. Het  112e11. "die al Uwe  ongerechiigheid vergeeft, die alle
is  bet  onzichtbare   bestaqddeel  van  die  natuur. D'e  ziel  Uwe' krankheden geneest  !"
is.  belangrijker,.rijker dan het lichaam. De ziel geeft             Och  arme,  hoe  `k&l ik dat ooit  verg&en"?
stuur en  ri&ting   $an het lichaam. De ziel .wordt hiei:            Dat  vergeten we  elken  keeF als we weer zonde op
in deze bedeeling  wederomg`eboren,  het  lichaamj  niet:'zcnde stapelen, en wie doet dat niet? 0, laat ons het
De wedergeboorte  van het lichaam moet  wachten tot               volmondig,  bevende,  toestqunen : dat  doen  wee  allen.
den  tijd, dat Jezus onze lichamen  bpwekt in den dag -Niemand onzer onthoudt Gods weldaden  ten-allen tijde.
der  opstan'ding   aller menschen.                                Hoe weinig  .zijn we die  wonderen gedachtig !
       Zegt  Paulus niet, dat hij zijn lichaam  dwong tot            Want  wonderen zijn het.
dienstbaarheid ?                                                         Stelt het U  voqr:  ionde roept om straf  ; en de straf
       Dat doet gij  0011, mijn  breeder.                    *    is eeuwig pijnlijden `in de hel. Kunt ge er in komen.
       Dat doet David hier.            _                          om tot in alle eeuwigheid verdoemd te zijn?
       Loof den Heere,  mijne ziel!                                  Welnu, de zonden van Gods  volk zijn vergeven.
       En al wat binnen in  mij.is, Zijnen  heiligen  Naam!       De  schuld `is  uitgewischt; zij bestaat niet meer.  .Meer
  _ Al wat  binnen in mij is, ziet op al onze  zielsuitin-        nog : in  `plaats.van  .de zonde komt gerechtigheid,  opdat
gen, al de  uitgarigen   San ons rijke  leven. David  z&hi        die U  kleedeti mag, tooien `mag in ongekende pracht
er  naar,' dat al  tiat binnen in hem is den Heere  zou van een verlost menschenkind..
prijzen. Begeerlijke aandrift.                                       `Zullen we,, kunnen we  clat vergeten?
       En dan  die  N%am van' den Heere !                           Het is  tiaarlijk niet overbodig,. dat David ons van
       Micha  zou  zeggen : de Naam ziet het  Wezen  !            uit de verten van het verleden toeroept: Vergeet ze
       God wordt gekend door Zijn volk in het luisteren' niet, vergeet ze niet! `t Is God die ze U  bewe&!
xaar  des. Heeren' Zelf-benaming. fin  i n   d i t   verband         Die alle  -Uwe krankheden  geneest !
is het de  naam HEERE.                                               Dat zijn geen krankheden zooals kanker en  tering
       De HEERE is de  VerbondsGod, die, de eeuwig Ge- en wat dies meer  zij.
trouwe is, die nooit  last  vaaen de  wei-ken  Zijn.er  han-             Die  ,dingen zijn niet zoo erg.
den. Als zoodanig is Hij de  eeuwig.Zijnde, die in een                   Erger zijn de  k?ankheden  van de ziel, de  krank-
onveranderlijk  H&den woont.           Heeft Hij U  lief,  .dan  "h d
                                                                   e en van goddelooze gewoonten, neigingen en  daden.-
mint Hij U van eeuwigheid tot eeuwigheid.               Straks    Krankheid is als de  dingen niet  meer samenwerken in
zullen we die klanken opvangen, later in  d.en psalm.             harmonie.       Gebeurt dat in Uw  lichaam, dan zijt  &
       Die  VerbondsNaam  is het sehoonste geopenbaard ziek, krank.                  Gebeyrt dat in  Uw geestelijk bestaan
in  Jezus;-  want Jezus  .is Jehovah-Heil ! God heeft  be-        voor God, dan zijt `ge `zielekrank.. En daar gaat het
wezen, dat Hij de Getrouwe is door in het  -aangezicht            hierover.      Wafit het gaat  im.me@s over het  verg+xen:
van Jezus voor ons te gaan  &aan, en te verklaren, dat van  `Ciwe  ongereehiigheid?
al  Zijn lijden en, sterven tot in de  diepste  diepte van               "Die  l!Jw leven verlost van het  verderf  !"


                                       T    H     E              STANDA
                                                                            R 'D   B E A R E R                                                         209

     Daar heb ik al wat van gezegd. Maar, och  arme, Uwe jeugd vernieuwt als eens  arends  !"
 wie  zal" de  voile  beteekenis van dit ontzaglijk woord                        Dat goecle hier is het goede van Zijn  trouwver-
benaderen?                                                                  `b&d.                                                   1
 H e t   v e r d e r f !                                                        .Ik  herimier mij, dat in het dorp waar ik geboren
     D.at is de eeuwige verdoemenis.                                         ben  en, opwies, een `man was die door een ieder  ge-
                                                                             noemd  werd: Het  G&de! Dat was voor dien man  een'
     Dat is de ervaring van Gods  onlust ten  Uwejnt.                        eerenaam.        Ik denk, dat een  ieder  tie in dat dorp
 Dan ziet, hoort; voelt, en  ervaart ge, dat Hij  U; tot in                  geleefd  heeft; dien naam die  aan dien man gegeven`
 alle  e e u w i g h e i d   haat!                                           werd, nooit  +er,geten  heeft. Hij was een  ~001%   mars-
     Het is eenmaal gebeurd, dat  iemand mij  uitvloekte,                    kramer.       En  overal  Wilde hij `met de menschen  66k
 zoo vreeselijk, dat ik beefde op mijn voeten.                    Ik zie     over, zooals hij het noemde, het Goede  p&en. Daarom
 nog dat. door woecle verwrongen gelaat van dien  woes-                      noemde men hem: Het  Gbede!
 tcling.  11~.  kan dat nooit vergeten. En  tech, het was                        Welnu, daar gaat het  hierovei.
 maar een  &etig mensch. Maar het gaat hier over                                 Als  Uw mond vervuld is met  -bet  goede,  .dan  looft
 God !     Stelt het  .U.:s$or, maar, .neen, het kan  niet :                 pe  G o d .   D a n   h e b t   ge  h e t   b i j   voorkeu?  o v e r   H e m ,
 God die met al  de energie van  Zijn Goddelijk  Wezen                       clan  loopt Uw mond qver van Hem.                      Dat is  bet als
 vlockt, doemt,  `verwerpt, verstoot, verdringt en  ver-0 Uw mond verzadigd wordt met het goede.
 dcrft,  en-Fiddeit  van zoo groote schrik !                                     En Uw  j,eugd worclt vernieuwd  `als eenb  arends.
     Daarvan..v&lost  te zijn : hoe kunnen  w.e het  ver-                        Dat zal  w&ar zijn. Dat geschiedt met een ieder d.ie
 g&31?!                                                                      de nieuwe geboorte  cleelachtig  is. Dat zijn de  weder-
     `LDie U  kroont met goedertierenheid en  barmhartig-                    geborenen. Die ontvangen.de eeuwige jeugd. Hier op
 heden !"                                                                    sarcle  a.1. Een iegelijk die in den gekruisten  Christus
     Hier weiclt mijn  ziel met een verwonderend oog !                       gelooft  heeft het  eeuwige leven!
     Goedertierenheid  !  '                                                      Ziet ge het ?          :
  . Die deugt vah den lieflijken Vader waardoor  alles                           Zoo kunnen we David v.erstaan als hij  eldegs zegt,  '
 in Hem gedrongen  wordt en stuwt om U  goed  te  zijn.                      dat zij in hunnen ouderdom nog jong en  friqch-zullen
 goecl  te  doen,  goed te geven. Hij tiert van goeclheicl                   zijn om te  Serkondigen de deugden Gods.
 over  iie  &euk van Christus. Gelukkig volk !                                   Het is de frissche jeugd van het eeuwige leven.
    `En  die goedertierenheid  kroont U!                             "'
                                                                             Daar  is geen man die  stokoud is. Daar  `loopen ze,
     Ge  wcet  tech wat de  idee van de kroon is?                            en.  worden niet mat; daar wandelen ze; en worclen
     De  kroon komt bij het heerlijke bij. De  ~ro<~n                        niet moede. Het kan niet, want zij hebben cle jeugd
I  st,?azt,   delijli  aan versiersel. Ret  is de  Bruid met  bruid-         va.ti  bet-heerlijk verbondsleven in de  ziel;
 stooi. Fiet is de  schoone die nog lieflijker werd.                             Cat we dan de  tieldaden  Gocls nooit vergeten!
     l>at  doet God met Zijn  volk; Ge zingt  er van. &ii:                                                                                 G. V.
 0 0e24aa3, ons  clag  aan dag met Zijne  guns@wijzen.
 HiJ  gee!3  TJ veel meer dan net maar geluk. Adam was
 gelukk 1g , gij wordt gekroond met geluk en  goeder-
.tieren&en.          De kroning is dit :  inplaats van  terug-
 ge!eid  ;e  worden tot het eerste  Paradijs,   moogt ge  naar
 hc&  t,vcccle, het laatste,  bet  hemelsche en  ovei-heel*-                               INHISFEAR
 liike  E'ara.dijs Gods  in den  hemel  d.er  hemelen.
     En de kroning houdt ook in dit, dat  ge,  barnihartig-                                     Gaining Others To Christ.
 heden ontvangt.
     Hier werd het meervoud gebruikt. Dat.zal  we1 zijn                          We all subscribe to this  statepetit.
 omdat Uwe  ellenden zoo overvloedig zijn en  waren.                             It is another question whether:we are  dery con-
 Barmhartigheid is die deugd Gods, waardoor Hij  Zich scious of this doctrine and  whet.her we diligently prac-
 nederbuigt in ontferming tot het  voqrwerp Zijner                           t i c e   i t .                                                      \
 liefde,  het,;fvelk voor tijd en wijle  zich in  sm&t bevindt,                  In our Catechism the question is asked  tihy we
 met  het`vtiste  voornemen om dien beminde uit al  zijh                     must still do  g,ood works, Since we are delivered by
 cllende  Ten smart te  verloisen.                                           giace. The Catechism cites three reasons. One of
     Altemaal weldaden van God. Aan U  bewezen;                              these reasons or purposes is  expressed  in the title given
     Dat  tie ze nooit vergeten.                                             above.
     Maar er is nog meer, nog veel meer. Ach, wie zou                            The Catechism says "that by our godly conversa-
 bier ooit uitgepraat  worden? Dat kan  tech niet?  We tion others  majr be gained to  Christ".
zullen er  tech  vati spreken, zihgen, jubelen tat  ii! alle                     We need not debate about whether  tie  keformed
eeuwigheid ?                                                                people may speak of gaining others  td Christ. We all
     LuisteYt: "die Uwen mond verzadigt  met het goede,                      confess the truth and the calling of it. We may not
                                                   . . .


 230.:                                  T    H    E                   STANljAkb  Bl3A.R.ER

 force an unscriptural idea upon this statement from                        c&ved  the privileged position of being friends and
 our Catechism, but neither may we neglect  the thought                     servants  .of Christ. It pleases Christ to constitute us
 cinphasized therein.                                                  :    willing instruments through which He sets forth  His ,
  :.  First  it is well to discuss :                                        work  among  men.  _ Christ said, when He  stobd before
                                                                            the Cross, that when He was lifted up He would draw
                          `Good Tdbrks.                9
                                                                            all. unto Him, that is, He would draw unto Himself His
     As  ciearly as possible our Confessions bring home                     scople out of. all nations.  ,Yet it pleases Him to use
 &' us the Scriptural  truth that  o@ly the regenerate can                  His Church unto that end.
 do gopcl works,  and'they therefore are the only  qnes                         The  instruqent through which Christ works  .and
 who are in a position  to.gain others  .unto Christ.  ,111                 therefore the  cinly'instrument  the Church has received
 &is.  $6 the  Catech&n teaches plainly that' cleliveratice                 to partake in this work `of  Chr'ist  is the Holy Gospel.
 by Christ's blood  ancl  therrenewal of.  His Spirit are                   It is always that Word  which gathers,  iains and wins
 necessary before  man..is   .capable of good, works. The                   ot.hers  u@o  Cllrist.  Daily  ,there  are..being  a d d e d   t o
 Belg. Conf..  .&t.  .2.4 emphasizes  .that the unbelieving                 t.he Church such as should be saved.
 never do anything out  df love  fqr God but out of self-                       And when the Catechism  speaks of our gaining
-  loye and fear' of damnation. Therefore their works                       others to Christ the meaning evidently is that not
`, are corrupt. The Confessions teach this because  Scrib-                  on& the  Cl&ch in her official preaching of the Gospel,
 ,ture has said the  finbelieve? is "unto every good work                   but also the saints in  .their office  of  ~.a11  believers, `in
 reprobate,  whil@ it says that the elect  .were created                    their daily walk and conversation,  h&l forth the Word
 mlto good  works.                                                          of God before men. Listen how pointedly Paul speaks
    Hence, the redeemed, the  qaints only are capable  .of                  of this "that ye be blameless and harmless, sons of
 g o o d   w o r k s .                                                      God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and
     Involved in  thdse' good works are  .also. the  gdod                   perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in
 motives which underlie them. He  .who  crgated us unto                     the  wbrld. Holding forth the Word  0% life. Everyone,
 good  works is  .He  Who  31s~ prepared  the. good  .tiorks                6f us, both  .by our testimony as well as by our  works,
 so  t$at we  .might  .walk in them. `That involves our                     holding forth the Word of life. Sustaining our testi-
 motives. If the works shall be good the motives must mony by a godly conversation.
 be .good. Among the motives which lie in back  .of  hour                       How many and  vtrho shall be gained by such a  goodly
 gopd  works, or, among the reasons  why we want  to..do                    walk, we  camiot tell. We know that many` shall be
 good works-don't neglect your  .Catechism   in&rue- repelled, many shall break forth in blasphemy at our
 tion-see that  one of the motives be that you may by                       testimbny. Many who come into contact with our
 your  godly conduct, gain others to Christ.                     _          good works break `out in  fidictile, hatred and persecu-
                         Gaining Ofhem.                                     tion. Neither does Christ `want  nZE. He wants only
                                                                            those whom the Father has given Him. We ought not
    .We reject the term  when  men use it as a receptacle therefore to imagine that we shall gain the whole world  _
 for their  Arminian ideas. It simply is not  reverelit, for Him. But we must carry forth our good `works
 ii: is an error, when we ascribe  totman that which only                   ancl Christ Himself is free to use it unto whatever  elid
Christ Himself can do. Man Cannot gather the  ,Church,                      it  pleaseth   Him.. We must see to it that we  msint&n
 the Son of God does this. Neither is Christ a helpless                     good works.
 one who needs the assistance of men in recruiting
 followers for Him. It is  pride-when we even imagine                                              The- Other Side.
 that the  Lord needs  .the service of mens' hands as if                        The" opposite  qf gaining others to Christ is evident-
 He depended thereon. Never yet has Christ  neede,d                         ly set forth  in  .Rom. 2  :,24 when we live and walk un-
 us. Even when it pleases Him  to, call His disciples                       godly and by our  conduct cause the name of God to be
 "fisher: of  men" (Matt. 4  :19) before He leaves -them blasphemed. The Catechism refers to this in Qu. 122
 He. explains this term and lets them know that they when we pray :  .hallowed be  .Thy Name, and we pray
 depend for fishers, for fish and for fishing entirely                      "that we may so order our lives, our thoughts, words'
 upon Him (John. 21  :l-6).                                                 and actions,  that- Thy Name may never be blasphemed
     In the good work of gaining  oth&s  therefore we                       b"ut  &her honored and praised on our account".
 must crucify  the  (Arminian that is in us, or we are                          When a person, under  the name of being a Chris-
 condemned before we start.                                                 tian engages in  ,unchr&tian practices, and conducts
     Condemning and crucifying the Arminian tliat is                        himself carnally, the result is'that the Name and Truth
 in, us, we must with equal determination root out the                      of  God  is blasphemed on his account. David, in 2  Sam.
 ca.reless which is  iri us. Having been redeemed we                        2  :14  mtist lose  ,his illegitimate child because he has
 become zealous of good works, says Paul. And we                            given great occasion to  the enemies of the Lord to
 shall become zealous also of seeking by our good works                     blaspheme. And Paul, in 1 Tim. 6  :l enjoins the  Ber- ,
 I;o gain others to Christ. By His grace we have re-                        vants to count their own masters worthy, of honor,
                   t*


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEAR.ER                                                  211  '

 that the Name of God and His doctrine be not blas-               dence of God's grace or favor upon  us: The fact that
 phemed.                                                          we are alive and that all humanity still  ioves upon the
                    Gain Others Then.                             earth is to be ascribed to God's "common grace" which
                                                                  come,s to all men. In spite of anything else, we can
    In Matt. 18 it evidently is possible through  pur             stiil be thankful that.we are alive and: have not joined
 humility and righteousness to gain the erring brother.           the thousands who have already died.                      _
 11;1 1 Cor. 9  :19-22  Paul says he is  .ma& all things to           The question is an  impbqtant  one,  is that  thi mean-
 all men that he might by all means save some.                    ing of the expression  iri  Sc+pture, or does the Word of
    In 1 Pet, 3  :l he exhorts the'wives to be in  subjec-        God give a far richer significance to it?.
tion to their own husbands,  that, if any obey not the            The Expression In Scripture.
 word they may, without the word be won by the con-
 versation of the wives. The wives themselves obey                    The first passage that  calls for our attention is
 the word. and their disobedient husbands may some-               Psalm 116  :9.    "I will walk `befdre the Lord in the
times be gained to- Christ by the good works of the               land of the living." Does this simply mean that David's
 godly woman.                                                     life was spared, or was his deliverance  far:,greater, an
    If our  ,lives show  a  cohsistency,  a:  const&y, a  sub-    escape from the eternal destruction of  h'ell?. The  well:
 jectioq to Christ, our very conduct  fqrms  a tremendous         knoyn Dutch "berijming" has, "Ik lag gekneld in  ban-
 testimony. If our lives reveal that we not only have             den van den dood,  daar d'angst der  he1 mij  allen  troost
 the Protestant Reformed Truth, but do it also, if our            deed  missen." This is entirely in harmony with  the
 lives. show a sincere reverence for God and love for             verses three and four, "The sorrows of death com-
 our neighbor, there is an influence going  forth from            passed me, and the pains of hell gat hold' upor~ me:
 us. .                                                            I found trouble  and sorrow..  .Then called I upon the
    Others may become convinced and may bow before name of the Lord ;  ,O Lord, I `beseech  Thee,~,deliver  niy
 the truth.  Qth'ers  tiay covet your world-and-life out-         soul.,' In verse  seveti he says,  "Rkturp  Unto thy rest,
 look, your truth, your peace of heart, your hope for the         0 my soul;  for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with
 future, and Christ  may send them repentance.  '                 thee.? In the confidence of his  dhliverance from sin
    May our truth be well spoken of' by thqse among               and hell, David rejoices that he will walk in the  larid
whom we have our conversation.           That God's name          of the living, among the redeemed who possess life
 may be praised on our account and the Cause of Christ            everlasting. It  would deprive the psalm of all its rich
 `prosper through us His servants.                                significance to interprete `"the land of the living" as
                                              ,i M.  G:           referring to a  `mere earthly existence;
                                                                     The second  pasage of significance is Psalm 142  :5,
                                                                  "I, cried unto Thee. 0 Lord  : I said,  ThoLl art my
                                                                  refuge and my portion in the  la@  of,`_the  living."
                                                                  David is flleeing from Saul  ,and hiding in,  & Cave,  where
            FROM HOLY WRIT                                        he prays, (verses six and seven) : "Attend unto my
                                                                  cry ; for I  ain brought very low: deliver me from my
                                                                  persecutors  ; for they are stronger than I. Bring my
         The Land Of The Living                                   soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the
                                                                  righteous shall compass me about;  .for Thou shalt deal
    There are certain expressions  th& de  he& re-                bountifully with me." Again the idea is that God  will'
 peatedly in conversations,  sermons  or  prayers. They           not forsake His servant,  nor give him over to destruc-
 may have been borrowed  from  S&ipt-ure,  %hich  gives           tion, for the Lord has taken him- into His covenant,
 them an  everi more familiar ring. Possibly`  we  haire          counted him among His people, the righteous, who will
 become accustomed to using them ourselves, without               surround him. The unchangeable Jehovah, Who keeps
 giving much thought to their exact meaning.                      His  cover&t forever, is his refuge and his portion
    Ap expression of that nature serves as the heading            in. the  iand'of the living, among the saints.
 for this article`. It is not at  gll  uncomfion to hear             In this connection Psalm 27  :13 is significant, "I had
 people speak of "the land of the living", sometimes in           fainted, unless I  had believed  to see the goodness of
 conversatiods;  but more often in their prayers. The& the Lord in the  lan,$ of the living." The psalmist calls
 will thank God that they are still in the  l+nd of the           God "my Light  land my Salvation." Th'erefore  he  can
 iioing;. by which they evidently  .&ean that they are            say, "The Lord is the strength of  iy life; of whom
 thankful for their daily  existenc'e. The land of the            shall I be  afraid? And again in verse four, "One thing
 living is often  set in contrast to the realm of the dead,       have I desired' of the Lord, that will' I s&k -after : that
 or the grave.                                                    I `may dwell in the  hpuse of  -the  Lo@  till the days of
     One step `farther along that line  of reasoning easily my life, to behold the beauty of  the&d,  and to enquire
 leads to the conclusion that our daily  eiristence  `is  e$- in  ,His temple." His boldness  iS the  %oldn&s of faith,


212                                    T     H    E         STANDARD  BEAkER

putting all his trust in his God. Because  his heart is the verses 24, 25, 26, 27 and 32, we notice that each
right before  cod, he will not be cast away by God nor           t&e the  .judgment of God is pronounced upon the un-
overcome by his enemies. He will enquire in God's                circumcised because  they afflieteh the people of  Got!.
temple; he will see the goodness of the Lord among               they brought terror in  the land of the living.
God's people,  in the land of the living.                            There is yet one more significant passage that
   From an entirely different point. of view, we have            may not escape our attention.       That is Isaiah 53  :S,
an important passage in  ,+aiah 38 : 11, "I said,  I, shall      `"He was taken, from prison and from judgment: and
not see the Lord in the lbnd of the living: I shall be- who shall  dec1ar.e His generations? For He was cut
hold man no more with the inhabitants of the world." off from the land of the living:  ,for the transgressions
This is the complaint of Hezekiah  when the. prophet             of My people was He  &ricken." This is said of  the
told him that he was going to die. In verse 10 he                s;lffering Servant of God, Who was led as a lamb to
complains, "I  ,said in the cutting off (the A.  V: has          the slaughter. In prophetic vision, Isaiah stands at
`noontide') of my days, I shall go to the gates of' the the foot of the cross  staiing in amazement at the Man
grave : I am deprived of my years." Superficially of Sorrows Who is smitten of God and afflicted. The
the idea seems to be that Hezekiah is grieved only               prophet sees  Him as one who is cut  off from Israel,
because he must die. And we  &annot help but wonder banished into exile from before the face of  the living
why he did not voice the same complaint a few years              God. He is a  ,leper, an outcast, an  accursbd of God,
later  when death actually did overtake him. .Neverthe- since He is stricken for the transgressions of  that
less, upon closer investigation we realize that  the`com-        @ople.  He suffers the agonies of hell-as  on`e  whll is
plaint' of the king is much more serious than that.              cut off from the land of the living, because He  is the
He was but thirty nine. years old at this time, and              Lamb for sinners slain.
still childless. It was like dying at  ,noontime, for there Cmelusion.
was no successor to the throne of David, no one to
bring forth David's Son, Who would sit upon the throne               That, to the best of my knowledge, covers all the
forever. To have this happen to God-fearing Hezekiah passages in Scripture where  this expression is found.
was like being cut off from the people of God,  d&troy- You will have noted the following: 1. That all the
ed from  amon.g Israel, and in that  sense wiped out of passages in which this expression appears, are found
the land of the living. Therefore he rejoices in verse in the Old Testament, none in the New. *his is sig-
19, "The living, the living, he shall praise Thee, as I          nificant, because it shows that the expression belongs
do  this day: the father to the children shall make              to the peculiar typical language of the old dispensa-
known Thy truth."                                                tion.
                                                                     2. That the expression never refers to life on earth
       This same idea is  f?&d in Jereniiah  11:19, "But I       in  contra& to the realm of the dead, or the grave.
was like a lamb or an  ox~that is brought to the slaugh-         This would be quite inconsistent with the typical lan-
ter ; and I knew not that  that  they had devised devices        guage of the Old Testament, for not the life in this
against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with the             world, but the life in Canaan,  akong the people of
fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from the land of           God is really counted. All of Scripture emphasizes
the living, that his name may be no more remembered." that this life, apart from Christ, is.nothing  wore than
To be cut off from the land of the living is compared            a continual  death: Psalm 90  s&y.s!, "We are consumed
to being cut down like a tree that is hewn down and              by  Thy.  -an@, and  .by. thy -wrath  are  owe  tiroubled."
destroyed, even with the fruit thereof. Even worse,              Even  Paul- states that he dies every day, but that his
it is compared to haying one's name wiped out, so that           "life  is-hid with. Christ in God."  L       -
he dies childless, is cut off from- the sphere of God's              3. In  the old dispensation,  C&naan  was the typical
covenant, to  be remembered no more forever.                _    land of the living, in distinction from all the rest of
   This curse comes  t6 Doeg, the-Edomite, according the earth. That was the promised land; where God
to Psalm  52:5.     "God shall likewise destroy thee for-        dwelt among His people -in covenant fellowship. For
ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy IIe dwelt in the cloud that  hting over the mercy seat
dwelling place, and  riot thee out of the land of the            in the Most Holy Place of the  Hous& of God, in the
living." Doeg, who  "Btrengthened, himself in wicked- City of God. The `living' were the' true  Seed of  Abra-
ness," is cut off from the realm of God's covenant .ham, the people of God who enjoyed His fellowship.
and destroyed forever.                                           Therefore the land of the living today is still the sphere
       All the enemies of the Lord  shaJ1 perish, all those      of God's covenant, the church. The perfect realization
who afflict His people. This is the verdict of Ezekiel           of that. larid will be reached only in the heavenly
32:23,  "Whose graves are set in the sides of the pit,           Canaan, the eternal city that has  fouadatioa8,:-vv!-iose
and her company is round about her grave: all of                 Builder and Maker is God.
them are slain, fallen by  the sword, which caused terror            4. To be  cut'  dff  fkbm the land of the living is the
in the land of the living." If -we compare this  with worgt thing that can happen to anyone. It means to


                                    T H E   STA'NDARD   B E A R E R                                                            213

 die childless, that  is, without hope.. To be an outcast    a.lvast met bij al die vereenigingen voor die  onderschei-
from God and His church. Such a person is hewn               den doeleinden het  wo&d christelijke te ietten. Dat
 down like a tree  $at is destroyed with its fruit. His      geeft  richting  aan.  Daarmee   bekent gij kleur.  Daar-
name is wiped out, to be remembered no more, even            uit spreekt een  twee- of drievoudige belijdenis: alles
unto all eternity. He is accursed of God as only those is eigenlijk  allekn van  Christus ; van mij is als zoodanig
 are accursed  w'ho. have tasted of the heavenly gifts,      niets;  bet is alleen het onze slechts voor en door  Chris-
the good word of God and the  po\+ers of the world to `dus. En dan danst gij, maar. . . . . natuurlijk,  Christe-
CSme. Even in hell "Israel" shall dwell alone.               lijk,  &enals gij christelijk bier drinkt, of cognac, of
    5. Thus Christ had to' be cut off from the land. of      champagne, of  brand?wijn en jenever.                     En gij  gait
the living for the transgressions of His people. We          christelijk  n& de bioscoop. En gij speelt  christelijk
bqin  !o understand somewhat the  depth of suffering         tooneel. Dat spreekt alles als vanzelf. En zoo  natuur-
and woe He  .experienced in order to deliver us from         lijk ook een ehristelijke  scilouwburg.
sin  87-d  death, to bring us to God. He was- deliver&l         Hier zou nog veel meer te noemen zijn. Alles  om-
over to the curse because of our transgressions, and He      vat,  tech zooveel. Maar op  66ne  zaik zij nu  bog  ge-
i:t:~ raised to heavenly  glory because of our justifica-    wezen. Daar ginds staat een  gebouw. Het is  zpoveel
tion. iie Who knew no sin was made sin for us,.  thxc        meter breed, en  zo&eel meter diep of lang, en zooveel
we  should be the righteousness of God in  .Him.             meter hoog.  Sprak Dr.  iA. Kuyper dus van een  duim-
    6. Through the atonement `of the  .cross we  a?(,        breed, hier iijn vele en vele duimbreedten. Dit  ggbouw
.Srought into the Land of the living. That'is the rare       is.  i.ngedeeld en  bevat een aantal grootere en kleinere
privilege of those whose names are written in the book       vertrekken, kamers, kamertjes.            Al!e  z i j n   gemeubi-
of life.    Nothing can ever separate them from that         leerd, hetzij rijker, hetzij soberder. Er bevint  Tich
blessedness, since they  ke  engraven in God's hands.        menschen in, jongere en ouclere  .meisjes en vrouwen.
Eternjty will be necessary to  fully.know the riches of      Men ndemt dit gebouw  m&t zijn inwonenden `n  bordeei.
grace that are the  portion\ of those who dwell in that      Dat gebouw  met-meitbilair is  vtin  den Heere Christus,
com:flunion  of life. The  v&lley of the shadow of death     en die menschen zijn van Hem.              Dat alles heeft de
will be but a passing on into the fulness of salvation.      wereld dus ook al weer gestolen. Nu kunnen wij tegen
For  new we know in part, but  then- we shall see  faci:     dergelijken diefstal. weinig  doen. Maar  moeten wij
to face, and know as we are known.                           de wereld niet voor  Christus  veroveren? Is daar eenig
                                            C .   H .        "terrein", dat niet van  -Hem  is.2 En  moeten wij nu
                                                             niet, gelijk we immers bioscoop; film, tooneel enz.
                                                             voor Hem  veroveren  moeten, en  dys christelijke  bios-
                                                             copen, christelijke films, een christelijk tooneel,  moe-
                                                             ten zoeken te verkrijgen, ook het "terrein" van het
               P,ERISCOPE                                    bordeel voor  H&m zoeken te  veroveren? Is dus onze
                                                             roepirig niet, om  ,een christelijk bordeel op- en in te
            Verqvering Der WeAd                              richten?  Goed verstaan natuurlijk :  chjristelijk. Even-.
                                                             al's wij christelijk  moeten bier- en champagnedrinken,
                     (Vervolg)                               en christelijke  moeten tooneelspelen, zoo zullen we ook
    Daar is de `clans. Daar is de  .bioscoop en cineac.      christelijk  moeten hoereeren.' Hoe dat kan en moet,
Daar is het tooneel en de  beschouwing.  Da,;- is de         is misschien nu nog niet  voor  allen  volkonien duidelijk.
film. Alles is  uvpe. Dus christelijke  dansvereenigin- Maar dan kunnen daar christelijke vereenigingen voor
gen en christelijke dansen. Christelijke cineac en  bios- -opgericht   worden, die in deien de noodige inlichtingen
coop.  .Christelijke   schouwburg. Ghristelijke film.  Al- verschaffen.
`les is van Christus. En dus  aan  h&t werk.  Tegen-          Want alles is alles.  been  "terrein". mag  hi&r  .uit-
.moordige, zoowel als  toekomende  dingen, zijn de uwe,      iezonderd  worden. `Elke duimbreedte van het  men-
cle geheele wereld, alles. Daar is geen duimbreed op         schelijk  l&en is des Heeren.'                 ~.
heel het erf van  6ns menschelijk. leven,  `waarvad de          En dus. . . .
Christus  niet zegt : Mijn! Welnu  clan, opgestaan, de          Wat zijn wij, christenen,  .geloovigen  in  Christus
handen uit de  mouwen, fluks  aan het werk, jongen en        Jezus,  tech rijk: alles is uwe. Wat kunnen we  genoeg-
ouden; vereenigingep opgericht, verbonden gemaakt,           lijk leven: eten,  drinken, cognac, champagne, dansen,
organisaties in elkander gezet.     Daar moet door u tooneelspelen, enz. enz., maar natuurlijk, alles  christe-
gedanst  worden. Gij moet naar -de  cineaC en `naar de       lijk dat niet  vergeten, en daarom bij  ,alles duidelijk er
bioscoop. Gij moet tooneelspelen en naar den  schouw- v66r zetten : christelijk.
burg. Gij  meet zien  filmen te  krijgen en te laten            Ja,  dat hebben we nu  samen alles zoo  prachtig   lo-
draaien.                                                     gisch uit de  `Heilige  Schrift afgeleid : alles is uwe, in
    Natuurlijk,  alles christelijk. Daarom begint  ge. Christus. Wat een  leveritje naar ons vleesch mogen

                                                                                                                  -

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            214. ~.                                 T H E   S T A N D A R D '  BEAREF

            we leiden. Natuurlijk  naar ons christelijk  vleesch. En          niet' zoo  &uw en  zbnder meer  aan den  katit zetten.
          om dat steeds.  goed te  doen uitkomen,  moeten we  soor            ' 2. ::He$  +$ waar,  Paulus is een man, die  `al bijna  een
            alles het woord christelijk  zeiten. Dat is  .eene  open.7,i. negentien,  eetisven  I dood is. Men  heeft hem onthoofd,
          lijke belijdenis.                                                   en behandeld  als.e'en  misdadiger en dwaas.       En wij
                Ja. . . . maar, ik  weet' niet of het  `i.7 gaat als mij,     zijn nu een negentien honderd  jaren verder. En  dus-
            maar ik ben  tech niet heelemaal gerust. Ik vrees, dat  ( weten wij iooveel  meer, en zijn wij zooveel hooger
            wij in onze zqo  mooi sluitende  redeneering  ergens  eens        ontwikkeld. Wanneer, naar men zegt, elk volgend  ge-
            fout  gemaakt hebben, zoodat wellicht ons gansche  be-            slacht staat op de schouwders van het voorafgaande,
            toog  B&e  groofe`waanredeneering is. Waarom ik dit  ' welke~ hoogte heeft ons geslacht` dan bereikt. Stelt  LI
            vrees ? Zie, diezelfde  akostel  Paulus, wiens woord wij          voor. In elke eeuw kunnen we een drietal  geilachtcn
            bespraken, en die schreef : alles is uwe, die schreef ook,        of generaties rekenen, in het algemeen, en  r.uw  &chat.
            en in denzelfden brief, en zelfs nog later, in dien brief :       In deze  negentien-  eeuwen  wordt. dat dus : 19x3  gene-
            indien  wij  alleenlijk in dit leven op  ,Christus zijn  ho-      raties, dat  iS een  57' geslachten. Nemen  `we voor een
            pende, zoo zijn wij de ellendigste van alle menschen,             rend  getal 50. Stelt  u nu voor een menschenpilaar
            I Cor. 15  :19. Hoe nu? Alles het onze, en desniettemin           van vijftig op elkaar staande personen.. Welk een
            de ellendigste van alle  menschen, als we alleen in dit           hoogte had dan de hoogste, de vijftigste,  persoon. Welk
            leven op  Christus  zijn hopende ? Alles  bet onze, en            een veel  ruimer, vrijer, uitgestrekter gezichtsveld had
            d.us eten en  drinken  en  spelen naar  onzen lust, en dan        die vijftigste, die hoogste, dan die onderste. Wanneer
            nog de ellendigsten van alle  menscheti?. Hoe zit dat?.           het nu in dezen ook zoo is, dat wij geestelijk zooveel
               Ja, daar zal  we1 heel. wat  .achter en  aan -vast  zitten.    hooger  &aan, dan de apostel' Paulus, zooveel  ruimer
_           Maar ge zult kunnen begrijpen, dat  mij  d&. woord                gezichtsveld hebben dan  .hij,  din ja zijn we  geestelijk
            we1 doet twijfelen,. of  .onze mooie  reden&&  we1 zoo            ver boven hem uitgegroeid. En we  moeten het  erken-
            zuiver is., Zou zij  misschien  Teen gansche misleiding nen: hij is  vergeleken bij de menschen nu, erg  ouder-
            k u n n e n   wezen?                                              wetsch  en achterlijk.  Denkt.  u  eens eventjes in. Die
                                                                              man heeft niets geweten  -van een fiets, en evenmin
               Want  Paulus, de apostel  Paulus,  was niet maar  zoo          van  e&n auto.    En  welke jonge  van  jaren, en oude
            de  eerste en de beste. Hij had een zeer scherp  ver-             van dagen,  weet  tiu  @et van rijwiel en  b.v. jeep, bijna
          stand. Hij heeft veel gesproken.  MaaG  daarvan  heb-               kan men zeggen ook door ondervinding van eigen
            ben we weinig over. Lucas heeft in zijn Handelingen               vervoe?. Hij wist van zwaard  &t spies en piek. Maar
            der apostelen er  Meine  stukken van  bewaard.  Maar              hij wist niets van  schietgeweek,  kan6n,  -mitrailleur,
            dat alles bij elkander is nauwelijks zoo veel, als een            waardoor  de  menqhen  zooze& vooruitgegaan zijn om
            pree& j  e tegenwoordig. Doch hij heeft  oak brieven  ge-         elkander te vermoorden. Van felefoon, telegraaf, radio
            schreven. En daarvan zijn ons dertien in het Nieuwe               wist hij niets af. Noeh van duikboot en  vliegt?ig en
            Testament overgeleverd.  Doch die dertien  samen  vor-            atooinbom. Voor den tijd van nu  is dus  well  hopeloos
            men nog  tiaar een klein boekje  v&n een anderhalf  ho&           ouderwetsch en achterlijk. Dat denkt dan ook  meni-
            derd  blaGzijdjes van  klein formaat. Evenwel  hebb&              geen als hij  b.v%  aan de  vrpuwen verbiedt  oti in de
            al de  latere eeuwen veel  geleerden  zich met dat, laat          gemeentelijke  vekgaderingen te  sprekcn, I  Car. 14  :34;
            r&j zeggen, kleine  boekje  bezig gehouden om het te              I Tim.  2:12.
            verklaren. En nog zijn zij  ei niet mee  klaar.-  Telkens
            is er tusschen  deze geleerden ook nog  weer onderlinge              Dus  ja,  wat  moeten `we nu met hem?  Eensdeels
          tegenspraak  over den zin van wat de apostel schreef.               blijkt hij zoo scherp en diep van verstand, en daarbij
            Daaruit blijkt  wel,, dat die  Paulus  niet een stumper           orider hoogere  bezieling' en  verlichting schrijvend.
            is  geweest, dien we nu maar gauw als iemand van een              Aan den anderen  kant  bljjkt hij van allerlei  dingen,
            kleiti  verstand-  aan den  karit  kunnen. schuiven. Hij          die nu de  eqvoudigste  we1 weet, geen  khnnis te  heb-
            hee!ft zelfs niet alleen  .naar zijn diepe, verstand  ge- ben.           Hij profeteerde over wat  ,eeuwen daarna  ge-
            schreven, maar  ,blijkbaar ook door  `hooger   licht  be-         beuren zou. En zie, het komt uit. En  tech zou hij
            straald. Want hij  s&reef ook  b.v. over de toekomst.             vreemd opzien in de wereld  vati nu met haar  spoort-
            Het Evangelie zou naar verre  ui.tgaali. `Velen zouden            reinen en verkeersregelen en distributiebepalingen.  s
            & in gaan gelooven. Maar  daqna zou ook de groote                    Ik durf zijn  woo@ van `de ellendigste  der  men-
            afval komen, II  `Thess. 2  :3, en  veryqlgens zou de  anti;      schen" maar niet zoo als zonder zin verwerpen. Maar
            Christ  verschijnen en `velen verleiden, en  ten  siotte          dat doet  niij. vreezen,  dat wij met onze bovenstaande
     .      komt  Christus  op  den grooten  oordeelsdag ten-gerichte.        Yedeneering raar uit den koers geraakt zijn. Als zulk
            Nu, we kunnen het  zi`en, die  groqte  afval werkt nu al.         e&n  scherptiinnig  en  di+pzinnig man als  ' de apostel
            Maar dat is eeuwen nadat de  abdstel  dit schreef. Hij            Paulus,. ondanks dat hij destijds van  allerlei  levens-
            heeft dat  we1 bij  hoogkr  likht  dan`  alleen'sigen  scherpe    gemakken en levensverderf  enissen. van nu nog niet wist,
            verstand  `geschreven. Wij kunnen hem  en  tiat hij               eerst schrijft: alles is uwe, en daar nog ook zulke eene
            hier  zegt van. dat  "de  ellendigste- der  nienschen"  r&ar      bleede  uitwerking van geeft, en die niettemin in  dien-


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                                           T H E'    S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                           215

 zelfden brief laat volgen : indien wij alleen in  dit? leven       heeft, gelijk ook de apostel  Paulus schrijft, dat alleen
 op  Christus  zijn hopende, zoo zijn wij de. ellendigste           God. Zelf uitgezonderd is, maar  qat  voorts alle  dingen
 der menschen, dan geloof  ik maar  liever, dan van heel            aan-den He&e Christus  onderworpen zijfi, I Car. 15 :24.
 onze .voorafgaande, zoo  moo?  logisch schijnende, en  011s           Volstrekt  -alles is dus den Heere  toegezegd.  en  aan
 wereldschgezinde hart  ,zoo  bekorende redeneering,  al Hem onderworpen, de  geheele wereld,  stoffelijk en
 heel weinig, zoo nog iets deugt, dan dat  ik `den apostel          geestelijk, menschen en  ,engelen  en duivelen.  Maar.
 vooi zoo  verwaqd in zijn  denken, en tegenstrijdig in             hoe? Dat Hij maar dadelijk kan  beginnente genieten?
 zijn uiteenzettingen  iou houden.                                  Integendeel, Hij zou  er een zwaren strijd  voor  moeten
      En dat  tiog bovendien  hierom, dat  de  apostel met          strij.den, Heel Zijn  aardsche leven  er meer dan dertig
  deze twee  uitspraken  eigenlijk niets  anders  zegt, dan         jaren voor  moeten  opofferen, om  te lijden ontbering,
  onze Heere Jezus zelf. Hij zeide'tot Zijn discipelen:             te zwoegen, miskenning te ondergaan,  & eindelijk den
  Ik heb de wereld overwonnen,  niaar  liet  oak  daara&            dood des  kruises er voor te  sterven. Zoo heeft Hij
 voorafgaan.: in de wereld zult gij  verd:ukking  heb- Zich dit alles  terworven, a.h.w. het eigendomsrecht
 ben. Dat  lijkt ook  we1 erg tegenstrijdig. Heeft de               op dit alles verkregen. Moest de  Christus  niet deze
  Heere de wereld overwonnen, hoe kunnen de  Zijfien                dingen lijden en  alzoo Zijne heerlijkheid ingaan? Luc.
  dan nog  verdrukking in de  .wereld hebben. Maar  c!e 24  :26. Zoo  ~heeft Hij  01)  aarde Zijn gansche leven in
  Heere zegt het.  ,En dus  verhindert Zijne  overivinning strijd lijden  en smaad  moeten verkeeren. En  daarna
  der wereld niet, dat de Zijnen  er nog in verdrukt w&r- is Hij  we1  opgenomen in  clen  hemel  en ter rechterhancl
d e n .    Trouwens zeide  Hij> ook: Indien gij van de              cles Vaders gezet, en  regeert Hij alle  dingen  in;  hemel
  wereld waart, zoo zoude de  tiereld  hyt hare  liefhebben  ;      en op aarde,  Mat&.  28  :18  ; Hand. 2  :33, maar Hij moet
  do& omdat gij van de wereld  niet zijt, maar Ik  u uit            Zijn rijk a.h.w.  tiog  veroveren. Door Zijn  gehoor-
 de wereld heb uitverkoren, daarom  haat  u de wereld,              zaamheid en lijden op  aarcle heeft Hij  Zich het  recht
  Job.. 15 : 19.                                                    op bezit van, en  heerschappij  oyer de geheele wereld,
      Nu,  `wanneer wij nu leven  &Is de  bereld, wij dan verworven. Met Zijn  optitanding en hemelvaart is
natuurlijk op christelijke wijze en in christelijke mate,           Hij  met de  `macht  beklee$  om  Zich nu dat eigendom,
  b.v. op  christelijke manier en in  christelijke matiging         die geheele wereld, te veroveren en  te onderwerpen.
  ons  dronken  drinken  &an bier; brandewijn, jenever,             Daarmede is Hij'sedert al de  eeLi\ven door  bezig. En
  cognac, champagrie, op .  christelijke, manier dansen,            eerst  aan het eind der wereld- zal Hij  zich.tbaar het
  de bioscoop bezoeken  eli de cineac, op ehristelijke  wijze volle  bestuur,  eq de  volstrekte regeering over, de  ge-
  toon& spelen en  aan  sehouwburgbezoek.  doen,  christe- he'ele wereld  a%nvaarden.
  lijk kaarten en bridgen,  oi  christelijke  wijze  ztiarten           Het is dus  qrn zoo te zeggen  oak nu nog allerminst
  handel drijven, och, waarom zou de  wereld ons dan                een tijd van stil  genieten voor den Heere.         Integen-
  haten ?  Nu  ja, dat woord christelijk daar altoos bij            cleel voert Hij  aldoor den  strijd, een  geweIdigen strijd,
  stuit. haar  we1 tegen de  loo&t. Alsof zij niet  christe- tegen duivelmacht en  menschentiereld,  om  Zijxi  eigen-
  lijk zou zijn!  ,Maar  &fin,  &s dan het  doen en laten           dom  Zich  a.1l.w. toe te eigenen, om de wereld  aan
  mjar gelijk  is, dan  neetit zij dat  chiistelijk tintje,  die    Zieh  te onderwerpen. Zegt Hij daarom  in.Joh. 16  :33 :
  christelijke franje ten  sldtte  we1 op den  .koop toe. Wat       11~ heb de wereld overwonnen, dan drukt Hij  daaly
  christelijk hoereeren, ja, het klinkt  we1  .wat vreemd,          mede slechts uit de  zekerheid  Zij>ler  oyerwinning, en
  m$ar als  bet dan  tech maar  hoereeren is, dan  mo& dat Hij in  begillsel  toen  re&ds overwonnen had. De
  met dat vlagje  christelijk zwaaien, wie  er lust in heeft.       rechtsstrijd  was.  .beslist, al  moest Hij  foeti ook nog
  Daarover wil hij het ten  ,slotte nog  we1 op een accordje
                                                        .     -     den dood  sterven. Maar de feitelijke `verovering of
  gooien.                                                           overwixining moest  toen nog geschieden, en zij vindt
     Wanneer de Heere daarom zegt, dat de  we&d plaats  nu al de  eeuiven door tot straks de volle zege
  Zijn discipelen, geloovigen  hateti zal,  gelijk zij Hem          metterdaad is behaald, en heel  de wereld aanbiddend
  haatte en  -haat, dan moet Hij  tech  we1  doelen   op`eeti aan  `s Heeren voeten ligt.
  gansch ander  levensgedpag  dap  boven  geteekend werd
  met liet  woordj&christelijk  versierd.                              En stelt  nu tegenover dat leven van  onzen Heiland
           `_                                                       van  qntbering en lijden op velerlei wiize, tot Hij ten
                          $  *  $ d                                 laatste tot den kruisddocl  veroordeeld werd  eti  atin
      We zullen dus de  dingen van ons `leven  op aarde             bet  kruis bezweek en dood in, het graf weggeborgen
  anders  moyten bezien en anders  bcredeneeren.              God werd, het  tevoren  genoemde leven van bier- en  jenever-
  had tot den Heere  Christus  gezegd:  Eiyh van  Mij, en           en  cqgnac-  en  chkmpagne-drinken,   van dat  dpnsen en
  11~ zal de  heidenen geven tot Uw erfdeel, en de einden kaar.ten en bridgen, van  dat  ,bioscoop- en  cineachbez&k,
  der aarde tdt  Uwe bezitting, Ps. 2  :8. En in  H`ebr. van dat tooneelspel en schouwburgloopen, ofschoon dat
  1:2 wordt van  `den Heere gezegd, dat Hij van God                 alles met het  vlaggetje  van christelijke  versierd, dan
  gesteld is tot  een  erfgqaam  van alles, en in  Hebr. 2  :8,     kunt ge ineens  verstaan, dat  aan dat  alles,,  ondanks  clat
  dat God alle ding& onder  Zijne, voeten onderworpen               versiersel van  christelijk, niets christelijks  is,. maar


                                I                                                              /                   1
                 '                                                                                         n
                                     I            /THE?        S'FKi?-DARD              BEAR'ER-
                                                                                                                                       ,
            &ets  dan alles onchristelijk-is.  .Ja, het is  we1  naar den    zijn.  `Maar  die  trekken de menschen niet.  En  daar-
            lust van  ens  zolldige vleesch. Maar van  veroverihg va.n kan het bedrijf niet bestaan. En  toonetilspel  kan
           der wereld, van  alle  levensterreinen, voor Christus.. is        ik voor mij in,  clen  hemel  niet'  denken, al zegt dat
            daarin niets, en  (al. zulk praten en  voorgeven van zulk        natuurlijk op zichzelf  nietb. Het is het element der
            christelijk  verqveren is  niets dan leugentaal,  zulk  doen     onwaarheid, dat  m.i.  t@gen de volstrekte waarheid
            is  niets dan Christusverldochening, en doet niet de             Gods en des. helnels stri j dt, af gezien van alle onredelijk-
           xereld of  eeqig levensterrein voor  Christus,   winn`en, heid en andere  verkprdheid  bij het tegenwoordige
           ..maar'voor  zoover   aan ons ligt, veeleer voor  Heti  weer tooneel.
            verliezen.                                                           L.aat men`zich-en anderen  `cl?arom het. hoofd  niet
               Weg daarom met al zulk  gedoe en geredeneer.                  tracl$en op  ho1 te brengen, met het  ~vdorgeven, dat
                                                                             men dat  OF dit "terrein" ook voor  Christus  veroveren
               De Heere heeft  den* Zijnen,' iijn  geloov&e$ in dit          moet.en wil,  film, bioscoop, tooneel, dans etc. Daar
            leven ontbering, moeite, strijd in uitzicht gesteld, en          komt niets van. Maar zelf lijdt men daarbij  d@-de
            ,tot zelfverloochening hen  opg&roepeil.  Zoo iemand             eene of andere  yijze verlies, en men doet aldus den
            achter Mij wil komen die verloochene  zichzelv&n en              ander  schade lijden. Laat men er daarbij maar voor  uit-
            neme  zij`n kruis op en volge Mij, Matth. 16  :24. Indien komen, dat het de  begeerten van het zondige,  ileesche-
            iemand tot Mij komt, en niet  ha&t zijn  Vader  en zijne         1iJ'ke hart zijn,  .a% men aldus zoekt te bevredigen,
            moeder, en vrouw en kinderen, en  breeders  `en  zusters,        hetzij bij zichzelven,  hetzij'bij anderen, maar dan als
            ja ook  zelfs zijn eigen leven, die kan  n/rijn discipel niet ter  consci&t.iegeruststellin,g met een  versierinkje van
            zijn,~.Luc.  24:26.  De Heere  heeft de Zijnen niet dit          ehl;istelijke  o m k l e e d .   .
            aardsche leven met zijn geneugten beloofd,  `maar hen                Wie  Christus  wil toebehooren, die moet Hem'  ge-
           naar de toekomst, naar de eeuwigheid met  haai  zalig- heel  willen toebehooren, niet  alle& straks, in de  ecu-
          '  heid, gewezen. Verblijdt en  verheugt u, want uw wigheid, maar ook nu. .En die  meet waarlijk in  Heti
            loon is groot in de hemelen, Matth. 5  :12. Zelf heeft           willen gelooven, en om Zijnentwil naar Zijn Woord
            Hij  bet. kruis  verdragen  eri de schande veracht, en is        zich en dit  werel'dsche   willen verloochenen en  ontzeg-
            nu gezeten  aan de rechterhand van den  trooxi  Gods:            gen. Wij  moeten ons kruis van ontbering om Zijnen-
            Hebr. 12 :2. De geloovigen  worden in de, kracht Gods            twil op ons  willen nemen en  H'em nadragen, om onze
            bewaard door het geloof tot de zaligheid, die  bereid is         begeerten en verwachting- niet in dit leven te hebben,
            om  geo.pe'nbaard   te  worden in. den laatsten tijd.      In maar  aan de overzijde van dood en graf.
            welke  gij,  ru verheugt, schrijft de  apostel  Petrus,  *na         Alles is om Christus"  wille en door Hem het onze,
            een weiriig tijds, zoo het noodig is, bedroefd  zijnd'e. als wij  waaflijk in Hem gelooven. Maar dat zal eerst
            door menigerlei verzoekingen, I Petr.  1:5,6.                    in de eeuwigheid, en na den'oordeelsdag  uitkomen ook
               H&t  goed der geloovigen, de genieting van  _alles,           tot onze  genieting,  gelijk de openbaring van `s  I-Ieeren
            dat het hunne is van  ,en door Christus, is niet  bier op        overwinning en  beheersching der geheele  wereld  eerst
            aai-de,  aan  deze.  zijde* van dood en graf, maar in de         vol  aan het  licht  treedt met  Zijne wederkomst in  heer-
          eeuwigheid.  Hier.verdrukkin&,  ontbering,  lijd& Hier             lijkheid  aan het eind  dir  wereld ten gerichte.
            gasten en  vreemdeliqgen, Hebr.  11:13,  vgl. ook Philip.
            3 : 20 ; daar bevrijding, verheerli  jking,  genieting.             .Dus geen wereldsche christenen  willen zijn,  noch
                                                                             trachten te  wezen, maar ware christenen naar het
               `Dat  horde aanvaardt door wie des Heeren wil`zijn,           Woord  des Heeren.
            en des  Hee`ren mag zijn: Zijn geloovigen. Niet de  ge-          18, -Aug. `47.                                    S.  G
            nietingen dezer wereld, van ons zondige vleesch en                                                                              REIJDANUS .
.          hart gezocht,  tiaar als Mozes liever in leed en ontbering        (Overgepomen uit  D,e  Reformatie  gan 15 Nov.  1947).
          ' en  bestrijding,  dan de genieting der  zonde,' Hebr.                                                                            `W . H .   .
                                                                                                                                                   i
            12  :25. Weg met dat gepraat, dat de  .wereld zooveel
            heeft om te genieten, bioscoop, film,. tooneel, dans,
            enz.; en wij. en de  onzen dat alles  nioeteti ontberen.                                      IN  MEMOSRIAM
            Die zelfverloochening en ontbering  heeft de  Heeri                ' On January  9, the Lord took unto Himself our  deaf hus-
            de Zijnen in  u,itzicht gesteld, om hun  vool;  het;leven        band, father, grandfather, and brother,
     I      hierna blijdschap, zaligheid te  beloveri.  pat moet door                               MR.  mkm  TANDER  LAAN
            ons en de  onzen aanvaard  worden.  --Dat  tioeteli wij          at the age of 64 years  .-
            zelven  weten en ons indenken en voor ons aanvaarden.                 We keenly feel our loss  but  we rest in the blessed  assnr-
                                                                             ante   tha.t fne work bf the Lord is perfect and! that he doeth ail
            En  clat  mqeten wij onze  kinderen, reeds van de  vroeg-        t h i n g s   w e l l . '                                                       2
            ste  jaren; voorstellen en, voorzoover  aaYi ons ligt,  doen                                                Mrs. F.  Vand&  Laan
            willen: Zoo hen  opvoeden'                                                                                  Mr. and; Mrs. C. Kragt
               Nathurlijk kan daar  we1 eens een  goed stuk film                                                        Mr. and Mrs. P.  .Gortsema
            vertoond  worden, een historiestuk, natuurtafereel. En                                                      Mr. and Mrs. N. Osterink
                                                                                                                        12 grandchildren
            zoo. zal in de  bioscoop  we1 eens  e&  goed stuk te  zien       Grand Rapids, Michigan '                   4 brothers.


