        VOLUME            XXIV .             - May 1.5,. 1948 2 -Grand Rapids, Michigan                               NUMBER 16
                                                                           made you whiter than snow. You shall be as the Bride
              MED'IT'AT ION                                                who stands in all her beauty and splendoPr bef?re the
                                                                           face of her Bridegroom; ready to enter the palaces of
                                                                           the,King and to-b6 very happy f,osever  and ever.
                                                                             He loved God so much that the cords of death could
  _ Blessings Of  The Holy Spirit                                          not hold Him. Hark to t&e..xoice.  of the triumphant
                                                                           heralds of the Gospel of GGd :-:Chfist is risen indeed !
   L                                                                                                                                 \
                    "And -it came' to pass, while. He blessed' them, He                          0     9  *`~ *
                  was parted ff-om them, and ca&ied  up into heaven."         And that risen- Chr&of God, with healing in His
                                                     Luke 24:51,  52. '    wings, walked with His disciples no more after the
                    "`Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted,    resurrection.. He appear&Z%nto  them ,ten times. And
                  and having received of the Father the  promisle  of
                  the Holy Ghost, He hath shed forth  thiis`.  w&h ye      the reason is plain: He"w?shed, to instruct them about
                  now see. and hear."                     Acts  2:33.      the things of the Kingdom that was' coming ; He wished
                                               ?
           Natur$ man'receiveth -not .the things of the Spirit to leave His witnesses behind, witnesses -of the greatest
        `o f   G o d !                                                     miracle ever perf armed : His resurrection !
                                                                              But when. the' forty days are  .fulfilled in which
           In- this short sentence, which w'e have taken liter-            He gave -them all this blessed instruction, He took
        ally from God's Word, you have the explanation why` them to Bethany, beautiful Bethany.
        the  flonclers of Christ's coming, dying,  %surrection,             ~  Travellers  tell us that it is beautifdl for &ituatio&
  `; ascension and return in the Holy Ghost leave him cold, atid I can we!1 believe it. It had tq be so. ,The horror
        do& not interest hi.m; or provoke him and even. awakens of Golgotha  is. no  more; Jesus is risen. God made
        his ~lgughter  ifid `scorn. When the Godhead came to               Him a Prince and a Christ. His triumphant atitiension
        dwell in a very-special sen%e @`the church;making  the
                             :..                                           -must "nee,ds be from a' garden. of beauty.
        church blessed forever," the wicked spoke of drunken-                 They have arv'ised  at the mount, called.O!ivet.  From
        ness : they are full `of' sweet wine;                              its sides a view of the city of t&e King .is given. He
           The things of -the' Sfiirit'of "God are foolish to the' views it as the Conqueror and as the sole Possessor.
        liatural mind,  for these things are  spirittially  dis- Watch Him ! He .is going to- take JeruBalem with Him
        cerned,`.i.e.;  you must.` have eyes of : iihe illuminated to heaven. Paul will instru& us later: when Jesus
        -mind, and eyes of the reborll  he&t ia prder to s,ee tKe went tq heaven, Jerusalem ,went to heaven, which is
        v&rities of God's wonderful kingdom.                               the mdther of of us all.                                       --
           Yet. iow wonderful.  .are these `things when~`,dn@                 They  have  arriyed at  Bethany.
        you are enlightened !            ' .                                  We know that Jesus loved it. There He would ofteh
           -Attend to. this : Christ came ii& our prison, the .go. in order to ~converse and to have fellowship with                            :
        prison of eternal death ,and .&he curse and utter con- His most beloved disciples : Mary,  Lazarus and Martha.
        dewnation.. Alld  that  py:isqn could  not hold Him,                  Listen tb the- risen Lord ! *
   : for one &ry .simple reason : He loved ,Gsd ! !AnG His . .                He commands His disciples not to dipart from Jyru-
  love  6f  GFd, was                                                       Salem.. He gives them.,t@ 
                          SO  &te@sive  that He loved Him for                                            pknise o$ the Holy Ghost.
        you- and` me. aild for 1 the billions of the chosen Israel            He answeys a foolish qLie&on.                 I `,.
  of  `God.  When these  bisllidns  pre.sentjly  shall stand                  &id gives  the`m@si&?ary comma&
        befdre.  th,e great white  tinronej  God  virill reveal  Fis          A.nd then comes .the etid of His. last disco'urse  oh
        eternal  l&e. in the' Lord  Je&s  Christj and that  love  earih.
        shall show, the justification of t the redeemed. It has               The so&d of His harinonious  and beauteous speech.

                                                                                  _


                                                                                                          .

I ~~


 362                                      rLCHE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

 lingers in the grope ,of olives, and slowljr,  dies away.     We speak of so many miles p&r hour. `In this vein we
      Look strongly,,,tin  Him: He will soon be taken away cannot speak when we speak. about Jesus' ascension.
 from the ihurch f-"                                           k'ou may leave your measurements  and yardsticks at
        He lifts His hands and arms in blessing. He home when you are invited to attend the Ascension at
 spreads these bl'essed  arms over the little group that Bethany.                                       `:
 stands in silen&,  waiting, .waiting.                             You may look, and you may mar&.
        .+nd then it happens!                                      And that is ypur blessedness.
 j      Jesus went to heaven.                                      Even now, after so much study, dogmatics, exegesis
        The text in the Acts of -the Aijostles tells us that and meditation, we go to Bethany, listen for a while,
 f'while they beheld, He was taken up; and a eloa re- and then we simply wonder and marvel at the things
 ceived .Him out of their sight !"                             that came to pass.-
        Do you note the mysteriousness of it, the strange-         The disciples did not faie any better.
ness of every episode that deals with Jesus since. His          , They heard the lingering sweetness of His last
 resurrection? He comes and He goes, and no doors words.
hinder Him. He. stands and He walks with His most                  They saw His benign'and loving Face.
 intimate followers, and they doubt, they durst not ask            Perhaps \ they heard the softly spoken blessing,
 Him whether or not He is the Lord: because they knew Maybe, I' do not know for certain, but maybe He said
that He was indeed the Lord. Some believe, and others to them : The Lord bless you and keep you ! The Lord
 doubted. He' must condescend to eat and to drink in make His Face to shine upon you and be gkacious to
 order to con6nce them that He is no apparition to be you ! `The Lord lift up  His, Countenance upon you,
 dreaded, and you and I kndw that Jesus had no more            and give. jrdu peace ! -
+eed  of bread and drink. For Christ to eat and to                At least, if not these words5 then surely their con-8
 drink at the lake of Tiberias, I would almost call a          tent. For that is the blessing of God for His people
.Tniraele in reverse. But He did it in order to put the        I s r a e l . '
,minds  of the fearful and wondering disciples at rest.            And then He went to heaven.
        But everything is strange.                                 But attend to this:  while He blessed them, He
1  AGd we should not' marvel over much at this, for was taken up into heaven!
-$esus  is ,the risen Lord. Hencefprth,  He belongs to a         _ Thece is a revelation of .unspeakable consolation.
 different world.       He is the Firstfruit of the New            Th'e last time I say my Lord on earth, .His arms
Heavens and the New Earth that is coming.' Paul                were  exten&d over me in Divine blessing. While I
.tells us that our life is hid with Christ in <God. In a write to you, and `while you read these simple words,
 sense that life is even `hid in heaven. For the present       His arms are above you and me : He is still blessing us,!
heaven of heavens is not even pure in God's sight, and             The musical and melodious song of our triuniphant
will presently have to make- place for the pure -and           resurrection Gospel has acquired additional charms.
 eternal things that. are being ushered in at the last         The chorus is swelling in notes that have their origin
day.                                                           in God's heart. The resurrected Lord is blessing us
       And thus it is here at Bethany.                         with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places.
        The disciples saw Him. They saw His outstretched           Is it wonder that we begin to sing of hallelujah
arms and hands::_:                                             here on earth already?
       And then a cloud!                                                                   9  * *  *
       No; I do not believe, that it was a common cloud of       No, I *do rnot know how long it took for the cloudy
.vapdur ,and mist such as we see above us so often in          and glorious chariot to bring Jesus to the throne of
this world of ours.                                            God. qerhaps He arrived there at once. As a child I
        I think it was a glorious chariot which `God sent always thought that the journey to heaven took ten
, in order to receive His Son in heavenly places.              days since' there is that space. of time between Ascen-
        Our resurrected and glorified Redeemer is the sion Day and Pentecost.
wholly Other now. He was earthy, but He is now                    Now I know better(?).
heavenly.                                                         But Jesus did go to heaven. We have abundant
       While He blessed them, the cloud came and received proof.
.H& out of their sight.                                           Jesus had told His disciples before His ascent that
                            *  *  *  Q                         they should abide in Jerusalem until" they should re-
       ,I do not @ink that it took Jesus very long t6 go to    ceive the promise of the Holy Gh_ost.
h e a v e n .                                                     And they were obedient to His wo&&,  for at the
        And  wheti we say these things, we do not know         day of Pentecost, or rather, after the Jewish day of
what we are,talking about. `The heavenly beings have Pentecost was fully come, that is, after it was entirely
 their own laws; and they are `different  -from ours.
                             v                                 past, we find the little group of disci$es in an upper


                                       TH,E  STAN~DARD                     B E A.R E R                                           ,363
                                                  .  -.-_-                __--         .             ..a      _  .-_.. ,~._.
  room. I like to think that this upper room was in the through, Christ and His Spirit is making His home.in
temple. I do not know for certain, and it seems as                  our hearts.. lThe blessing arms. of Jest&are  still over
  though no on& knows for `certain, where- this ,upper              us, over' the whole church !              :.        1
  room was located. But I would found my opi-nion on                   Blessed Pentecost!            ..`_.
  two, grounds.      First, because that temple was the                                     .)  *.*:,>*.  ,_..
  em&dim&ii-of t& very idea df' Petiteebst  : Gbd .dtiell-             This, which ye now see. and. hear !
  ing with His peopfe in wondrdus  unity. And, second,              Let us look into these thifigs a little. more closely.               _
  because .the great multitude at once go to the place                 They are signs of God's eternal covenant of .grace.
  where they were sitting, and if this place had been- a               There is the sign of. the rushing mighty wind. from
  common house, in a common street of. the city of God,             heaven.  Hf you  will.  remember  Paul's instruction of
  I cannot understand how they all with one accord find Romans 5 when `he says that the l&e of God is spyead
  this place where the disciples are. But if we under-              abroad m our hearts through the X&ly Spirit that is
  stand the place to have been an upper room of the                 given to us, then we can see somet@ng  of this sign's
  Temple, then it is plain. The people of Jerusalem, significance.                  God throws Himself. irresistibly upon
hearing the mysterious sound as of a mighty and rush- His beloved church through Jesus the `Lord.
ing wind, at once realize  thqt it is something super-                 God had exalted Him to the high& place in heaven,
  natural, and for them the super-natural was nqt un- His own throne. And Id&g seated `at `the right hand
  known. They had the Holy Scriptures which abund- of the majesty on high, He gave Him the promise ; that
  antly testified of many strqnge  things which had hap- is, the 1101~ Ghost. And the Holy Ghost is given by
  pened in  the glorious  p&t. And therefore they all               C~hrist in His turn to His beloved church, from then.
  with one accord ,go to the right place in order to find           on to dwell in her as the Spirit of Christ. For there
  out about the origin of this strange phenomenon.             1    is a .difference. Henceforth, the verjr Iquality of Jesus
        And, finally, read verse 46 of Acts 2; It was their Christ shall dwell in the church of God, making us
  custom to congregate ifi the Temple. But now. let us `taste Him in all the wonders of His love and loving-
  attend unto the proof that Jesus went to heaven, ,bless-          kindness.
  ing His people. The effects are very convincing.                     A strong and rushing wind.  IGod is irresistible
        The tenth day after His glorious ascension they when He comes to bless and to save us. Nothing can
  were with one accord in one place, and suddenly there stop Him or His Spirit.
  came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind,                And then ,the sign of the fire. Negatively, fire is
  and it filled Ithe house where they were' sitting.                the sign of the purging power o$ the Holy Spirit.
        ,There was no wind, so that a man could feel it, or            Are .you a child of `God ? Well, you can prove it to
  so that you. could see things sway in motion because yourself and others by your  sanct)ifieatiop.  The fire
  of it. No, but it was the sound of a rushing mighty of God's love will purge away, burn away all the .dross
  wind. Moreover, it came from the heavens ; that alsb in your life. Here and now only in principle, but at
  was noted ; and it filled the house, the upper room, your. death this selfsame  .Spirit wil! burri away all your
  where they sat.                                                   sin and evil. Positively, the fire,' of the Holy Ghost is
        At the same time, there appeared a great column the love of God that is spread abroad  in your heart.
  as bf fire, darting downward in as many tongues ai You are set on fire of heaven, and heaven's God. You
  there were disciples, and this mass of cloven tongues             will love Him above all and your miserable neighbour
  sat upon them.                                                    as yourself.
        It was no actual fire, but appeared as fire.     r'            And then the. tongues ! It is the healing of Babel's
        And, finally, they heard them speak in strange confusion. "And God confused their' language there!"
  tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. . They did .?o yap qot remember that line in your .catechism'book?
  not know those languages before this event, but at its               But Babel is healed. Every one understdnds. bd
  occurring, they spoke the languages and  :dialects of thousands glory in the God of  the@ salvation. They
  every nation that God sent to them for an audience.               hear the speech of`the Holy `Spirit. What else could it _
        These three things are the revelation of the bless- be but the recital of God's wonders and praises.
  ings of Jesus Christ. He shed forth "this which ye                   The last thing which the disciples saw of Jesus was
  now see and hear."                                                the wonderful spectacle of those blessing hands.
        Three things, and they are signs of the Gospel `of             They are still over us. ,They gave the Holy Sljirit
  God. That `Gospel was being fulfilled as never before. and all His `attending blessings.
  It is the flood of waters upon a dry ground of the                   We look to the heavens to His return. We wait, as
  prophet Isaiah. It is the fulfillment of  Joel's pro- those that w&t for the morning, the morning of the
  phecy: And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will resurrection. And our waiting is fiot.in,vain.  -We have
  pour' out My Spirit upon, all flesh. . . .                        the pledge of that wonderful Holy Spirit in `our hearts
        It is the coming of the God of our salvation tiho
 I ,                                                                and minds and souls. Amen.                               G. vos.          -
                                                         \.


3          6             4                                                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B~hARER

                              The Standard Bearer.                                                                                                                          E D I T O R I A L S
           Semi-Monthly, except Monthly in July and August
                                              P u b l i s h e d   *By
                    The Reformed Free Publishing Association                                                                                        ~            God Invites AH Men To Christ? 1
                                           1463  Awlmore  St., S. E.
                                 EDITOR : : Rev. H. Hoeksema.                                                                                                    The readers will remember -that the Rev. H. J.
Contributing Editors: - Rev. G. M. Ophoff, Rev. G.  Vos, Rev. `Kuiper wrote in The Blanner on the general theme:
R.  V,eldman, Rev. H. Veldman, Rev. H. De Wolf, Rev. B. Kok,                                                                                                 GOD AND MAN IN  SAUVATION. So far he has
Rev. J. D. De Jong, Rev. A. Petter,  Rev: C. Hanko, Rev. L.                                                                                                  written five editorials on this ,mighty truth.
Vermeer, Rev. G. Lubbers, Rev. M. Gritters, Rev.  `JI A. Heys,
Rev. W.  Hjofman.                                                                                                                                                In my first editorial on that series it was my in-
     Communications relative to  dontents  should be addressed to                                                                                            tention to point out that the Rev. Kuiper erred griev-
REV. GE,RRIT  VOS, Hudsonville,  Michigan.                                                                                                                   ously wlien he taught his people that in a-certain  sense *
     Communications relative to subscription should be addressed                                                                                             Jesus Chwkt d$ed for the whole worlci, every man, head
to MR. GE.RRIT  PIPE, 1463 Ardmore St., S. E., Grand Rapids,                                                                                                 for  head.  It is  astoundmg how a man can write for
Mich. Announcements  and' Obituaries must be mailed to the                                                                                                   yeformed  people in that vein, and receive no serious
above  address  and will be published at a fee of `$1.00 for each
notice.                                                                                                                                                      opposition in his own circles. To my knowledge, no
                              (Subscription Price $2.50 per year)                                                                                            one has ever gone: as far in this pernicious error as
Entered as Second Class Mail at Grand Rapids, Michigan.                                                                                                      the Rev. Kuiper did. He taught that there are mercies
                                                                                                                                                             in God, antedating the Cross  .of Calvary, and finding
                                                                                                                                                             an avenue through' that Cross to the life of the repro-
                                                                                                                                                             `bate ungodly. This mercy of God for the reprobate is
                                                                                                                                                             then, according to Kuiper, the blessing of this temporal
                                                                                                                                                             life with all its attending fruits of' life, health, posses-
                                                 C O N T E N T S                                                                                             sions, etc.
                                                                                                                                                                 We tried to show that such error is in direct con-
MEDITATION-                                                                                                                                                  flict with the teaching of `God's Word.
        Blessings of the Holy Spirit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...361                                In the same editorial he proceeds on his way, and
      , _ Rev. G. Vos                                                                                                                                        the thing gets worse. He writes also about the error
EDITORIALS-                                                                                                                                                  of the first point of Kalamazoo, which dealt with the
        God Invites All Men To Christ? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  ..36i favorable attitude of God overagainst the reprobate
        A New Kramer Dictionary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366                      ungodly in the province of general grace, the grace>
                Rev. G. Vos                                                                                                                                  namely; of salvation in Christ Jesus the Lord.
OUR DOCTRINE-                                                                                                                                                    Writes Kuiper :
        The Expression "San&if&l In Christ" In Qur                                                                                                                   GENERAL  OFFER  IN DISTINCTION FROM
        Baptism Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..~................367
                Rev. H. Veldman                                                                                                                                                   GENERAL ATONEMENT
                                                                                                                                                                Our Arminian brethren, however, do not have these minor
THE DAY OF SHADOWS-                                                             '                                                                            temporal fruits  .of the death of Christ in mind when they say
        Nabal,  The Man of Maon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...371                 that Jesus "died for all men". They intend to say- much more;
                Rev. G. M. Ophoff                                                                                                                            namely, that by his <death he paid for the sins of all men.
                                                                                                                                                                Is that true ?
STO.N'S  ZANGEN-                                                                                                                                                                  Does Scripture permit the ambassadons of
                                                                                                                                                             Christ to declare to all men indiscriminately, hence to every
        Majesteit En Heerlijkheid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...374
                Rev. G. Vos                                                                                                                                  individual : "Jesus died for you; He paid for  your sin"?  Bear
                                                                                                                                                             in mind that among those who hear their message are elect
T N   H I S   FEAR-.  -                                                                                                                                      and reprobate. Who are elect and who are not they cannot
        What Manner Of Persons ? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377                     know. They extend the offer ,of graae to all. They are divinely
                Rev. J. A. Heys .                                                                                                                            authorized to do that. God commands them to invite and even
                                                                                                                                                             urge all ,sinners  to come to Christ and to .promise them forgive-
FROM HOLY  WRTT-                                                                                                                                             ness of sins snd eternal life oti the condition of repentance and
        Dead In Sin, `or Dead To Sin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397
                Rev. C. Hanko                                                                                                                                faith; They  ,have  no right to say to any  ,and every one: "Jesus
                                                                                                                                                             paid for your sin"; but they do have the right to say to all:
PERISCOPE-                                                                                                                                                   "Christ invites you to  coeme  to him for salvation, and if you
        Holland Immigration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...381     .come  He will inno  wise cast you ,out." This is the outward call
                Rev. J. D. De Jong                                                                                                                           of the gospel  ,of which the Canons of Dort say that it is "un-
                                                                                                                                                             feigned", sincere. "As many as are called by the gospel are


                                            `T H E .   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                   365

 unfeignedly called. For God has. most earnestly and' truly de-             italics. are mine, and the others Calvin's, G.V.)
  clared in His Word  what  is, acceptable  to Him, namely, that               Much has been written on. the so-called. offer of
 those who are called ishould  come unto him" (III, IV, Article 8).         grace to all who hear the Word, and it is not necessary
   For the present let it suffice to say that this  gelleral   offer        that I repeat all our defense against the fallacy of the
of salvation, taught by all leading Reformed  theomgians  since             offer. But it is rather striking that the advocates of
  the time of (Calvin, is not to be confused with the doctrine of a         that fallacy will go to the extreme of open deceit in
  general or  qniversal  atonement; Salvation is offered to all who         order to maintain their errors. The Rev. Kuiper boldly
  hear*the  gospel-and fulfill the conditions; but it was not earned        states that all theologians since Calvin have taught the
  for  fill.  Those  who hold that it was  earne,d  for all assure every    offer, and the reader will bear witness that in the
 *hearer  of the gospel that God sent His Son into the world and            above excerpt from Calvin he simply rejects the offer.
  t3 the `cross' with the intention of saving him, but that this in-        He calls it a fiction, that is, that which is feigned or
 tent&n  does not at all guarantee his salvation. To carry out              imagined, as opposed to that which is true !          i
  that intention the Son ,of God paid the ransom for his sin, but              Rev.  ,Kuiper,  you have heard that Calvin rejects
  this merely made his isalvation  possible; it is now "up to him",         the idea of the offer of grace which yen teach is offer-
  by the exercise of his free will, to accept or to reject that ran-        ed equally to all ; you have now read that Calvin de-
  som and the salvation which it purchased for. him.                        nominates a so-called "invitation to all men unto sal-
     What shall we say, about this  pogular  doctrine ? We answer           vation" puerile ancl' absu&. Will you, please, rectify
  that~  it is a dangerous heresy. A heresy because it conflicts            this deception on your part?  :
  with the basic teachings and the emphatic declarations of God's
                                                             .                  I am, of course, willing to detract this accusation
  Wor,d. A dangerous heresy because it is based on the supposi-             if you will tell me that you never read Calvin anent
  tion of an i.mpotent God whoise  saving intention can be. frustrated      the idea of the so-called offer of grace and the invita-
  by man and is being frustrated by all who rejet the gospel.               tion unto salvation for all men. In that case I would
     -We have in the above a mixture of truth and error,                    say that it is very careless to make such sweeping
  more error than truth.                                                    statements as you have made in the above'quotation
                                                                            over your name.
      A very palpable example of this we find in  .his                          But that Calvin did reject the idea of the offer.
  statement which reads : "this general offer of salva- of grace is not so important. It is of more import.that
  tion, taught by ail leading Reformed theologians since the. Holy Scriptures directly oppose it. To' my mind
  the time of Calvin, etc."                                                 the clearest text in this respect is Mark  4:11, 12:
      Al@w me to quote from Calvin's Calvinism, page                        "And He said unto them, .Unto you it is given to know
  49-51: "The fiction of Pighius is puerile and absurd, the mystery of the `kingdom of ,God: but unto them
  when he interprets grace to be God`s goodness in invit- that are without, all these things are done in parables :
  ing all men to salvation, though all were lost in Adam. that seeing they may see, and not~peroeive-;  and hear-
  For ,Paul most clearly separates the fore,%nown from                      ing the may hear, and not understand ; lest at any time
  those on whom God deigned not to look in mercy. And they should be converted, and their sins should be for-
  the same is expressed, without any obscurity, in the                      g i v e n   t h e m . "
  memorable words of Christ : fAl1 that the Father giveth                       Try and preach that to a mixed audience of be-
  Me, shall come. unto Me ; and him that cometh unto lievers and disobedient ones, and in the face of' your
Me, I will in no wise cast `out.' Here we have three                        text, say: ,God is favorably inclined to all of you with
  things, briefly indeed, but most perspicuously express-                   respect to the things of eternal salvation ! He serious- .
  ed. First, that all who come unto Christ were .before                     ly and truly invites all of you, whether you are elect
  given unto Him by the Father; secondly, that those or reprobate, unto Jesus Christ the Lord!
  who were thus given unto Him were deliversed, as it                           .But Jesus said : The mysteries of the Kingdom are
  were, from the hand of the Father into the hand of                        done in parables unto them that are without, lest they
  the Son, that they may be truly His ; thirdly,` that                      should be converted and their sins should be forgiven
  Christ is the sure.keeper  of all those whom,the Father them ! Evidently, the ,Lord did not want that to happen !
  delivered over to His faithful custody and care, for                          We do preach, that it is pleasing to God that those
  the very end that He might not suffer one of them to who believe come unto Him. (All those that come unto
  perish. Now if a question be raised .as to th'e begin- Christ, Heuwill in no wise cast out.
  ning of faith, Christ here gives the answer, when He                          And, you are, in duty bound to tell your audience
  says that those. who believe, theref eve believe because aiso that this coming unto Christ, and this believing.
  they were given unto Him by the Father. . . . Pighius                     on Him, is the wondrous Gift of Grace which the
  will himself confess that there is need of illumination Father reserves for His elect only !                              `w
  to bring unto Christ those who were adversaries to                            Is this necessary? `Yes, for it must appear that all
  God; but h,e at the same time, holds fast the fiction. boasting, in the flesh is vain, and that he that glorieth
  that  grace is  offered equally to all; etc." (The last
                               b                                            should glory in the Lord God alone !                  G. Vos.
                                                                                 0
                     .
                                              .'


                                             THE  S T A N D A R D ,   B E A R E R

              A New Kramer Dictionary                                     spelling, our dictionaries will certainly have to come
                                                                          out in the  strange dress of would-be Dutch. I note
           Very  many people in our circles are acquainted that more and more Holland papers and magazines
  with the brown volume of Kramer's English-Dutch, employ the New Look. *And so our dictionaries must
  and Du;tch-English Dictionary. My acquaintance with follow the trend.
   it dates back to the time when as a boy of 11 I studied                     It is well that we get this new edition. It is years
   English in the Netherlands. A few years later I had since  the 16th was printed, and you all  .know that
  to translate a publication of the British Museum rela- language is a living thing ; it grows. New terms and
  tive the findings of scientists who had translated the words are coined constantly, and older words change
  Babylonian tablets into English. I remetiber that my in meaning.- The dictionary people must keep step
   Kramer was never far from my elbow that winter, with this constant change.
  and did me an invaluable service in that dreary task.              '         There niust be many people in our circles who will
           Since then I have always pos'sessed a copy of the              benefit by this new edition. Especially since the pro-
  thick, stocky Kramer.                                                   cess of Americanization is continuing, while at the
           `The original work has run 16 ediCons, which were same time correspon-dence  with the Netherlands has
  at the same time improvements of the original work.                     increased tremendously since the last war. Almost
           And now we are indebted to the Dover Publications,             every one of Holland descent has sent  pa'ckages  to
  Inc. of New, N.Y. (1780 Broadway at 57th St.) for needy relatives and friends, and is busy corresponding
  the first American edition. This first American edi-                    w&h them.            And a good dictionary comes in very
  tion was published through special arrangements with handy at times when our cousins employ some new
  the G. B. Van  Goor Zonen's  uitgeversmaatschappij                      words. I could tell you of amusing instances of this.
  N. V., `s Gravenhage en Batavia.                                             Moreover, ever since the separation in the Nether-
           This is the 17th revised edition,' and, as was said,           lands Reformed churches, we are flooded with bro-
  the first edition. printed and published on `American chures and books that tell us' all abount it, and +, dic-
 ' hnil                                                                   tionary is often necessary. to determine  fhe exact shade
IdVIA.                                                                    of meaning of a Dutch word that is used by the theo-
           AAS long as I can remember,, the publishers in Hol-            l o g i a n s .
  land stuck to one format : -thick, stocky, and invariably                    Well, here is your opportu,nity to obtain a good orie.
 i:i the brown color. ,I ha.ve always found it a difficult                                                                              G. Vos..
 `volume to handle.
           The first American edition is far better in that                                               -                 -
  respect. `The old editions gave us `a book; 7 by 5 inches,
  while this edition presents us with a book that is long-
  er and somewhat thinner. I Ido not know whether %
  is the binding,, the quality of the paper, or some other                                   25th  WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
  mechanical reason, but this book handles much easier                        On Sunday, June 6, 1948, our beloved parents
  than any of the former editions. They were too stiff                            -
  to handle for, a tian who is in a hurry to get at the                                            HENRY  MEUiENBbRG
  tiord he is seeking. A  .yery  clear type of letter is                                                         and
                                                                                       Q
  used, and the paper- is strong and "hefty". It will                                       TILLIE MEULENBERG (nee Visser)
  wear well. The binding is df an `agreeable blue color                   hope to celebrate their  25,th  wedding anniversary.
 `and is waterproof cloth.                                                    We thank our Heavenly Father with them for having kept
           The cost is $6.00, and you ,can obtain the book at             and sustained them together through .the years, and pray that
  Baker's Book House, 1019 Wealthy St., S. E., Grand                      the Lord may grant them His peace in their remaining years.
  Rapids, Michigan.                                    -                      "Blessed be the Lord who daily loadeth us with benefits,
           There is a startlinK  innovation in.this 17th edition.         even the God of our salvation".-Psalm  6S:19.
  Since the Board of Education (The Netherlands) has
officially adopted the new Holland spelling, this edition                                                       Mr. and Mrs. Gary Bol
  presents us with the New Look in Holland letters. I                                                           Mr. and Mrs. David Meulenberg
suppose it will have to come to pass, but I do not like                                                         Ronald P.
  it. `That n&w spelling seems to rob us of beautiful ele-                                                      M a r y   J .
  ments of the Holland language. When I see the words                                                          &H. Pierre
  "Engelse Taal", I feel a shudder `come over me. But I                                                        Daniel R.
  suppose we will have to get used to. it. We cannot                                                            Judith  I(..
blame the Dover people for doing as they did. If the                                                                     1 grandson.
  official  instances in Holland approve this new-fangled                 G r a n d   R a p i d s ,   M i c h i g a n


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D       BEAR-ER!  j  j                                 367

                                                              that is, holy, justified, pure, -and believing, not less
          OUR  D'O,.CTRINE                                    than the adult believers."
                                                                 Fourthly, in support of the  * assertion that the
                                                              phrase, "sanctified  .,in Christ", must be  spiritually-
  -The Expression "Sanctified In                              subjectively understood, I would offer you several quo-
                                                              tations from the fathers of the time of the tiomposition
  Christ'? In Otir Baptism Form                               of our Baptism Form. Bullinger, a contemporary and
                                                              friend of Calvin, writes in hiti "Huisboek", 5th decade,
                      (Conclusion)                            eighth sermon or lecture : "I pray you, why do we bap-
                                                              tize our minor `children? Because they  confsess  with
   And that this  truth  .as expressed in this  ditactic      the  motith? I think not. Do we not baptize them
part of -our Baptism Form alSo applies to the children because God has commanded to bring them unto Him?
is evident from  t&e Thanksgiving Prayer. We read:            And because we believe, that God out of pure grace
"Almighty God and merciful Father, we thank and (and  mercy  through the blood  of  Jesus Christ  ha9
praise Thee, that Thou hast forgivtin  us, and our child- .`cleansed them, has adopted and made them heirs of
ren, all our sins,' throuih the blood of Thy beloved His !eternal kingclom? Whereas we baptize the child-
Son, and adopted us to be Thy children, and sealed ren for this reason, we thereby sufficiently declare that
and confirmed the same unto us by Holy Baptism. . ." grace is not bestowed upon them through baptism,
Notice, please, that we read here: And received us but that that is sealed unto them which they already
(also our children therefore) throuih Thy Holz~ ,S'pkit possess." In his "small Catechism" Ursinus declares:
as members of Thine only begotten @on, and `adopted           "The first reason why the children must be baptized,
us to be Thy children, and sealed and confirmed the is that the Holy Spiriti operates also -in them, and in-
same unto us by Holy  Baptisti."  &All that we read,          clines them to believe and obey God, although they
therefore,. in the didactic part of our Form is applied can believe as the adult believers can." Caspar van der
to  bur children. And all this is further emphasized Heyden  writes in his-- "Short and clear proof of the
by the words which appear shortly before the prayer:          Holy Baptism,' : "Even as in Adam our children are
"Since then baptism is come in the place of circum- not merely reckoned as dead, but really are dead, so
cision, therefore infants are to be baptized as heirs of also in Christ they are not only reckoned to ,be alive,
the kingdom of God, and of His covenant."                     but they are ingrafted into Christ, even as they can be
   Thirdly, another reason why the phrase, "sanctifield       partakers of His life." And to the Baptists he directs
in Christ", must be interpreted in a spiritual-subj,ective    the question : "If now the children are pure and holy
sense of the word will become apparent when we refer          . . . . and such, does not occur through the Holy Spirit
to related baptism forms of the days of the Reforma-, of regeneration, the  ingrtifting of Christ, will you
tion. Remember, our own Baptism Form was  co?- tell us whereby it does occur.?" Batingius writes in
posed by Petrus Dathenus during the days of the his "Explanation of' the Catechism of the  ,Christian
Reformation. In the Baptism Form of A Lasco (1499- Religion" : "The second proof for infant baptism is
1560-born  iti Poland--a  .prominent reformer who founded @cm this, that the children, as well as the
came to England in 1550 where he labored for the adults, are promised the forgiveness of sins and the
cause of Protestantism), in the second question the           Holy Spirit. From this we conclude thus. Whereas it
confession is required of the parents ihat these child- is revealed, that the sign and the outward ceremony
ren must be baptized upon the command of Christ ' cannot in any way be denied them to whom the things
with'the seal of the adoption'of His righteousness. Of signified, as the forgiveness of sins and the Holy Spirit,
`greater significance' is what Micron  Ideclares  in his are promised and given. And whereas it appears that
Catechism which appeared in London in the year, 1561, the forgiveness of sins and the Holy Spirit are prom-
with a preface .by A Lasco. Micron or Micronius was           ised and given the small, minor children, how then
,a Dutch Protestant .who was born in the year, 1522(3)        could the element of water be justly deprived the
and died in the year, 1559. His ninetieth question young children?" Having said this,, he proves this,
reads: Why are not faith and confession by thedmouth          statement with Matt. 19.:14, in cbnnection  with John
not demanded in the same manner of the children of            3 :5, and then concludes : "So. there can be no doubt
the Congregation before -they afe baptized? And the           of their (i.e.,.the  children) regeneration, which is fur-
answer' reads : "Because the Congregation has a much ther strengthened by the fact, that regeneration is a
surer testimony of their salvation out of the Word of work of the Holy Spirit." Festus Hommius, clerk
God; than one could have from the confessidn  of adults, uf the Synod of Dordt, declafes  in his :Q "Disputationes
and their innate sickness (because of ivhich they can Theoltigicas adversus Pontificios : "Although the child-
heither believe nor Confess) is `not imputed unto them ren lack the .aptness or adaptation (hebbelijkheid) of
fol; Christ's sake, in Whom they are considered blessed,      operating faith and do not possess active .fZith, never-


       368` .                             T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                                                                             :             =..         , .
       theless they may not therefore be reckoned among the these quotatibns is positive. They do not presuppose
       positive. unbelievers; not because they receive active or `assume something to be t;+e. What they say con-
       faith in baptism, or that of them it can be said that cerning the `children they declare to  be facts. They
       they believe through the faith of .another,  namely, of are \ speaking of the children according- to election.
       the church or those who present them for baptism;          And on the other hand, it is apparent that many of
       but because they have faith in the first a&&y, in the the f&hers understood regeneration to precede hap-
       root and in the seed and that through the inner qpera-     tism.                           ;
       tion of the. Holy  Spiri.t." In his Loci Communes              To quote Voetius  .agaifi : ."`It is' .the  concetisus of
       Antonius Walasus appeals to Calvin in his opposition       opinion of Reformed theologians that the power of
       to Beza and expresses himself thus: We say that the        baptism does not consist in theaproducing  of regenera-
       children (ye take them indeterminately, `leaving unto tion (Roman -Catholicism-H.V.) , but in the confirma-
       God His judgment) must be reckoned among the be- tion bf regeneration, which is already present." And
     lievers,  becauie the seed of  th8  ISpirit of `faith is in although Calvin also has been quoted in support of
       them, which some call the aptness and others the in- the c&t&ion that regeneration precedes baptism, yet
       clination -of faith ; out of which subsequently, through the great Reformer remarks in his Insti.tutes thtit the
       the hearing of the Word active faith is. gradually Baptists are guilty of .the error that the thing signified
       formed, sometimes earlier,. sometimes later." Jacobus      always must precede the sign. He writes in his Insti-
       Trigland, one of the most vehement opponents of the, tutes, IV, chapter 16, page 152 (Calvin is opposing
       Armiilians, `directs in one of his writings the follow- tee Anabaptists who, in their denial of infant baptism,
       ing question at'the Arminians: "Whether the young contend that, inasmuch as baptism is a sign of regener-
       child+ of believeE:s are. truly regenerated and sancti-    tion and we know not of the infants that they are re-
       fied by .the Holy Spirit?.. If not, how then can they be generated, baptism should therefore not be administer-
       saved. . . . and upon what ground are they then bap- ed to the) : "And though. in adults a knowledge of the
      tized, inasmuch as baptism is the washing (bad) of mystery ought to precede the reception of the sign,
      regeneration  ?" Voetius declares : "In no other way yet a different rule is to be applied to infants, as
       is baptism administered to children and the. word of we shall presently show. . . . They contend that this
      the promise apblied to them, than the Supper of .the        passage (1 Peter 3 :21, H.V..) leaves not the least room
      Lord or baptism is applied to adults. For inner faith for the baptism of infants, who are not capable of that
      and inner conversion is  Fpposed  out of  thee out`ward     in which the truth of baptism is here stated to consist.
       c&afession.  If these  be present then they are sealed     But they. frequently fall into this error, maintaining
      by baptism, which is actually and formally the seal ; that the  thihg -signified should always precede the
      i-f not, then baptism seals nothing." IAnd of the same sign." Calvin; therefore, in this statement evidently
      -writer we would also quote the following: "It iS the rejects the idea that regeneration always precedes`
      concensus of opinion of &eformed  theologians, that the     baptism which is the washing of regeneration. A third
      -power of baptism does not consist in the producing of conclusion which we may draw from the qudtations of
      regeneration,  but in  the, confirmation of regenera- the fathers is that they all agree that the work of God's
      tion, which is already present."                            grace usually occurs in the hearts cif His people during
          From these quotations we may draw some definite         their inf aricy.         Nothing more need be said on this
       conclusions. On the one hand we may say that the point. The quotations speak for themselves.
      fathers here are surely speaking of the children of                                                        ,
     ' believers according to election. At first glance we             Its Proper Sig~nificance  in our Baptism Form
      might say that they do not distinguish here. They do           Let us uiiderstand the question cl&rly.+:  That the
      not mention election or reprobation in these quotations. phrase, "sanctified in .Christ" has'a subjective, spirit-
      At  first' glance, therefore, we might draw the con-- ual connotation is plain. The question, however, is:
      elusion thai the fathers here are speaking of all the       Understood in that spiritual, subjective sense of the
      children  o? the believers without' discrimination.         word,  what is its significance in our Baptism Form?,
      Against this view, however, wk may object that the Does the expression refer to all the children of believ-
      language of the fathers in these statements is alto- ,ers? Must we then adopt Dr. Kuyper's view of pre-
      gether too positive. We read, for example, "that God sumptive or presupposed regeneration? Must we as-
      out of pure grace and mercy, through the blood of           sume that all our children are actually sanctified in
      Jesus Christ, has cleansed them, has adopted and made Christ, a view which Kuyper advocated because of his
      them heirs of His eternal kingdom." Utisinus  declareg      unique conception of the sacrament? Dr. Kuyper dis-
      that "the Holy Spirit opekates  also in the children and    tinguished between form and essence. The adminis-
      inclines them to believe'and obey `God, although they tration of baptism to a certain child was only then a
      tiamiot believ&  as the adtilt believers can.." And thus sacrament  if. it be accompanied by the operation of  -
     we  could..contintie.  The language of  the. fathers. in the Holy Spirit. If this -operation of the Holy Spirit
_                                                                                                                          0
                                                       0                              .


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                       369

  were lacking, then that which was administered was and sanctify us to be members of Christ, applying unto
  not `really a sacrament but merely a form. Hence, the us, that which we have in Christ, namely, the washing
  sacrament of baptism could only be .administ&ed  and away of our sins, and the daily renewing of our lives,
  was only administered to regenerated people OF ehild- till we shall finally be' presented without spot or
  ren of God. But, inasmuch as not. all the children of wrinkle among the assembly of the elect in life eternal."
  believers are elect children, how can the church ad- Neither is the idea of a presuppOsition present in the
  minister the sacvamenf  of baptism? How can we ad- words  : `Since then baptism is come in the place of
  minister a sacrament instead of a mere form? And circumcision, therefore infants are to be baptized as
  Kuyper's answer to this qu'estion was that the church heirs of the kingdom  .of God, and of His covenant"
  must presuppose regeneration whenever the sacrament The firs; question addressed to the parents @*also  de-
  of baptism is administered.                                 void of all presupposition : "Whether you acknowledge,
          But, please observe with me the following. In ihe that although -ouP children are conceived ,and born in
  fir.+ place, nowhere in, our  Bcptism Form do the sin, and therefore are subject ito all miseries, yea, to
  fatheks  presupposk anything. Kuyper's "presupposed condemnation itself; yet that they are, sanctified in  -
  cegenera.tion" and the various quothtions of the fathers    Christ, apd therefore, as members  of His Church ought
  which we quoted are surely not identical. Kuyper to be baptized?" And, finally,, the language of the
  presupposes things; the fathers speak facts.' Also,         Thanksgiving  Prayer is equally pqsitive i `5Almighty
  Kuyper presupposes. regeneration of all the infants Of God and m,erciful  Father, we thank and praise Thee,
  believers ; ihe fathers express, themselves thus .only that Thou hast forgiven us, and our children, all. our
  with respect to the elect childre?l.    Nevertheless, al- sins, through the blood of Thy beloved Son Jesus
  though Dr. KuyDer  expressed himself in favour of the Christ, and  ,received us through Thy  Holy Spirit as
o doctrine of "presupposed regeneration" and the fathers `members of Thine only  beg&ten Son,  and' adopted
  regarded the sacrament of baptism `as a seal of the         us to be Thy children, and sealed and confirmed the
  regeneration already present in the child,-nowherme  in same unto us .by holy baptism." Secondly, in connec-
  the Baptism.Form or in our ConfessYons do these ideas tion with the language of our Baptism  Form,  please  '
  occur. Nowhere is the idea of a presupposed regenera- note with me the language bf %he first question. T h a t
  tion expressed. , And in the Utrecht Conclusions we first question' does not read, "Whether you acknow-
read, and I quote: "Mean&ile Synod is of the opinion, ledge, that although this child or .these children is or
  that the proposition, that each elect child is therefore are conceived and born in sin. . . . ?" But we read
  regenerated already befor& baptism, cannot be proven `here of "our children". This is significant. In the
  either upon the basis of Sc&pture or the Confession, light of the first prayer, it is evidence that the fathers
  ina.smuch as God, fulfills His promises according to His purposely spoke of "our children" ,in this first ques-
  sovereignty, in His time, whether it be before or dur- tion instead of  Yhis child" or "these children". In
  ing or after baptism, so that one is required to express that prayer the fathers do speak of f`these  children".
  himself in this matter very carefully and not be wise       Is it not therefore significant that, in this first ques-    '
  above that which God has revealed unto us."-thus far tion, when the fathers speak of a  fact, they do not
  the quotation from the Utrechtsehe Conclusions. And speak of "these~childrtin" but of "`our children"?
  this certainly applies to our Baptism Form. Where do           We conclude,  thkrefore,  that the fathers speak
  we re$d of a presupposition in this first part: "Holy here, in this first question as' well as throughout the
  baptism witnesseth and. s&al&h unto us the. washing Baptism Form; of the church organically and her seed.
  away of our sins thrpugh Jesus Christ. Therefore we And they speak of the church according to election.
  a,re b@izecl in the name of the Father, and of the Son,     This does not necessarily mean, therefore, that these
  and of the Holy Ghost. For when we are baptized in children are "sanctified in Christ" before then adminis-
  the name of the Father, God the Father witnesseth and &ration of the sacrament  of baptism, and that, in this
  seal&h unto us that. He doth make an eternal cove- Baptism Form they either presuppose regeneration in
  nant uf grace with us, and adopts us for His children our  childr,en  o!r believe it to. be. a fact. But it does
  and heirs, and therefore will provide us with -every mean that, as a rule, our elect children are regenerated
  good thing, and avert all evil or turn ii to our profit.    during infancy, and of this fact also the administra-
  And when we are baptized in the  nam,e of the Son,          tion of baptism is then a sign and seal. `And to this
  the Son seal&h untq us,. that H.e doth wash us in His -fact  the parents testify, when they answer the first
  blood from all our sins,,  incorpdrating  us  into the question propounded unto them.
  fellowship of His death and resurrection, so that we
  are freed from all our sins, and accounted righteous                      The Thanksgiving Prayer.
  before God. In like  manned, when we  are baptized            -Permit  us, in conclusidn, to say a few' words about
  in the name of the Holy Ghost, the Holy Ghost =assures      the Thanksgiving prayer. We quote' it in full: "Al-
  us, by this h61y sacrament, that He will dwell in us, mighty ,God and merciful Father, we thank and praise
          .
                                                    *.
     \                                                                         .


 370                                 ,THE  ,STANDAR.D  B E A R E R

 Thee, that ,Thou hast forgiven us, and our children, all the various epistles of the New Testamen the entire
 our `sins, through the blood of Thy beloved Son Jesus church, whether located at Rome, Corinth, Galatia,
. Christ, and received us through Thy Holy [Spirit as Ephesus, Philippi, Colosse, etc., is addressed as saints
 members of Thine only begotten Son, and adopted us in Christ Jesus, -beloved in the Lord Jesus Christ, elect
 to be Thy children, and sealed and confirmed the same strangers,. holy and beloved of ,God, etc. And please
 unto us bjr holy .baptism: we beseech Thee, through the understand  t&t these words are addressed to, the.
 same Son of thy love, that Thou.  wilt be pleased al- entire church. These names indeed ap'ply to all. This
 ways to I govern these baptized children by Thy Holy must be understood and can only be understood on
 Spirit, that they may be piously and religiously edu- the basis of the principle that the whole body is ad-
 cated, increase ,and grow up in. the Lord Jesus Christ,      dressed by the name which it has oreceived according
 that they then m&y acknowledge Thy Fatherly good- to its elect kernel. The reprobate, although not saints
 ness and niercy, tihich,Thou  hast shown to them and in Christ Jesus, beloved of God, etc., bear the name of
 us, and live in all righteousness, under our only Teach- the elect because, organically, they constitute one body
 er, King, and High Priest, Jesus Christ ; and man-           with the pe'ople of God in the midst,of the world.
 fully fight, against, and overcome sin, the. devil and           In this light I wish to pray this thanksgiving pray-
 his whole {ominion', to the end that they may eternally er. All are spoken of according to election. .Also the
 praise and magnify Thee, and Thy Son Jesus Christ, children are addressed accokding  to God's decree of
 together with the Holy  ,Ghost,  the only true God.          election.' Whether this particular child or these parti-
 Amen." ,The explanation of thjs prayer which satis- cular  Ghildren will actually grow  ups as members of
 fies me completely is that which was given by the Rev.       Christ's body w.e may safely leave in the hands of `God.
 Hoeksema in Volume IX of our Standard Bearer.                And, therefore, we pray with the reservation of course, D
    Fir&, we.would remark that the first part` of this that all this may occur according to the will of our God.
 prayer cannot be  app)ied to  -all the children. The Then our prayer will surely be heard. I ,
 fathers surely knew that Christ did not die for all                                                       H. Veldman.
men. All their writings, and our Corifessions-empha-                                   -            -
 size this truth. They'cduld not  belie& that all the
 children had been received by the Holy Spirit as mem-                                IN  MXMORIAM
bers of God's only-begotten Son and adopted to be His            The  Con&tory  of the First Protestant Reformed Church
 children. This appears from the language of the entire hereby expresses its sincere :sympathy  and condolence. with its
Baptism Form whose language is positive throughout.           fellow-member and brother, Henry Knott, in the loss of his
    Secondly, in the second part of this prayer, when         mother,            MRS. ANDREW  KNOT+'
the church prays that "Thou wilt be pleased always               May the God of all  mucies comfort  <him and also bless this
to govern these baptized children by Thy Holy Spirit,         lose to his heart and the Ilea& of ,a11 the bereaved family.
that they may be piously and religiously educated, in-                          Con&tory,  First Protestant Reformed ,Church
crease and grow up in the Lord Jesus Christ: . . .                                          By-Rev. H. De Wolf,  Pres:
the fathers place these children, in their address and                                          Sidney De Young, Clerk.
prayer to (God, -am&g the el,eet seed. This not only
explains why they pray that it may please the. Lord
always to govern theti by the Holy Spirit, etc., but
also wlhy they are able to say that <God  has shown His                           ,c'ALL  TO  SYNO'D
Fatherly goodness and` mercy, not only to us, but also        `Phe Consistory of the First Protestant Reformed
to ,them. And consequently, this prayer must be prayed        Church being designated the calling bhurch by the last
and only then can be understood if we insert the Synod, hereby notifies the churches that Synod will
thought of Scripture: According to Thy will.             .    convene on June 2, -1948. `The pre-synodical prayer
    Thirdly, and finally, should or could not the fathers     service will be held in the auditorium of the First
have expressed `themielves  more clearly in this final        Church Tuesday, June 1, at 8 :00 P.M., with Rev. J.
prayer or thanksgiving?. To this we answer, in the            De Jong, president of the 1947 Synod, conducting the
first place, that the language of the fathers here is service.           The first session of, Synod on Wednesday
surely the language of the Scriptures. According to A.M., will be held at our Fourth Church and all suc-
Gen. 17 :7, God will .establish His covenant with Abrg- ceeding sessions at the First Protestant Reformed
ham and his seed, and notice that the word "seed" ap- Church. Requests for lodging will kindly be forwarded
pears there without any limitation. If then, according to the undersigned.
to Romans 9, tie are taught that this promise does                               Consistory First .Prot. Ref. Church,
not apply to all the  natural seed of Abraham, this                                  By-Sidney De Young, Clerk
does not alter the fact, that, although all is not`Israe1                                   1001 Franklin St., S. E.
that is called Israel, yet they are all @led Israel. In                                     ,Grancl Rapids 7, Michigan.

                                                                           ,


                 I                        T H E    S T A N D A R D .       B E A R E R                                 371

                                                                    lay hold on that occasion. The attempt ended in
                TIED3 IMy OF SWOWS                               - failure, thanks to the Lord's gracious interposition in
                                                                    behalf of his servant. As overcome by the  ecstacy,
                                                                    Saul fell unconscious to the ground and lay down
                Nabal,. The Man Of Maon                             naked all day and all night.  ,This had giden David
                                                                    just that much time to escape. And Saul returned to
          The Lord had given Saul into David's hand-Saul,           his -home. He took no action against the seer at that
  the man who without a just cause, sought David's life time or at any time later on. He  ,did not dare. For
  to take it: But Davicl, being a man who feared God,               Samuel was held in too high  esteem  by the people.
  spared the king's life.                                           Saul's  f.ear  of the people was of' the Lord, which is
          It was about this time that Samuel died. All Israel, equivalent to saying that it was ,God who continually
  through its representatives, assembled `together, and protected Samuel against the king's wrath:
  mourned his passing. For the seer was a great man                    Now follows the story of David's clash  with  Nabal
  of God. In his person had been concentrated the three- of  Maon. David had gone down from his hitherto
  fold office `of judge (king) prophet, and priest  in a abode in the high land of Engedi southward into
  time when there was no king in Israel, when  .the the wilderness of Paran, which extended southward
  priesthood had fallen into disrepute, and when every from the mountains of Judah far to the desert of Sinai.
  one was doing  what seemed right in his own eyes.                 The reason of this move is not stated. Perhaps the
 The peculiar task to which `the Lord had assigned him wilderness of Judah no longer afforded sustenance to
  was to guide the destinies of of the nation in the                David and his men.             '
  transition of its govermnent  from the judgship to the               As to Nabal, in th.e vocabulary of the Holy Scrip-
  kingship. All his prophesying was built around. the tures, the name that he bears means stupid, fooZi.sh,
  truth that obedience is better than sacrifice,. and `that not in the  rational,intellectual  but in the  spiritual-
  the safety of the nation lay solely in its walking in the ethical sense. The name becomes  the* man. For as
  way of God's covenant. Samuel's eyes had been opened his  natie is so is he. He is an impious, abandoned,
  to this truth by the spiritual whoredoms  of the people wicked person, thus a fool (verse 25 of chapter 25). -
 .in connection with the cessation of the worship at the Th`e word nnbnl in its verbal form and as used of fall-
  tabernacle that resulted from the capture of the ark ing and faded leaves and flowers m.eais to be or be-
of  tile covenant and the separation of  t$e ark and come withered, faded. But the word is also applied to
  th6 sanctuary. These were God's doings, the speech men as a signification of a. state of spiritual withering.
  of which Samuel, as taught by the Lord, had under- Such was the state of Nibal. He was withered,,moral-
  stood and proclaimed ; and herein lay his significance ly depraved, foolish, acting foolishly. Acc'ordingly his
  for prophecy. Samuel, as judge, had led no- armies                servant calls -him "a son of Belial" (verse 15), namely
  into. battle ; but he had been a man of prayer, and, in a man without .moral worth (the literal meaning of
  response to his prayers the Zord had delivered His
                                                           ,3       this name is: without worth), thus worthless, wicked,
  people.                                                           vile, "churlish and evil in his doings" (verse 3)  -
          This was the man Samuel. And now that he was churlish (Hebrew, kashah) that is, hard, difficult,
  dead, the whole nation paid him homage by lamenting stubborn. "H.e is such a son of Belial," says the ser-
  his decease. It was a public demonstration of sorrow vant", that a man cannot speak to him .him." He will
  for which the whole nation, through its representatives, not, listen to godly advice, is unsusceptible to counsel
  assembled in the seek's place of residence on the day
  I                                                                 truly wise. The treatment that he affords David and
  of his `burial. But the grief of the true Israel only his men fully bears out the truth of these statements
  could be genuine. IAnd they buried him in his hodse               as we shall. see presently.         .
 .at Ramah."                                                           Nabal, then, is a bad man. In what respect is he
          It may be asked why'Sau1 had not sought Samuel's bad? What are his evil doings? Just how has he been
  life'to take it. The question is pertinent.  Bamuel  in ordering his life?. Has he been committing one crime
  life had been of the party of David. He had been after another? Has he offended over and over against
  the one to $noint David. More than onck he had openly the outward precepts of the law? Is he a robber or a
  befriended the son of Jesse. It was to Samuel that murd&er or adulterer or a blasphemer, so that the
  David had fled at the outbreak of Saul's persecutions magistrates in Israel should have put him to death
  of him.. And the two of them-David and the se&- long ago? I's, this what the sacred text means to re-
  had gone and dwelt in Naioth. For in Naioth dwelt veal of the man in stating that he is evil in his "doings?
       a company of prophets of whom the ieer was presi- Not at all. The thought conveyed is not that Nabal is
       dent.    In the quiet retreat of these prophets David a criminal, an outlaw, a .gangster.  `For all that. the
took up his residence. He?e it was that Saul had found text Yeveals of the man, his past life may be as free of
  him. We know the outcome of-the king's attempt to statuary off ences-off ences that call for' punishment


           372                c             T H E -   STANDARD  B E A R E R

          by Israel's magistrates-as the life of any member                In  Paran, David and his  men  co&e upon  Nabal's
          of the theocracy. Formally, he may have been living flocks and their shepherds. God-fearing and law- abid-
          strictly within the law, the moral as Well as the cere-       ing, David respects  Nabal's right to these his posses-
          monial and civil, and thus treading God's courts, pay- sion. He does the shepherds no injury; he refrains
          ing the tithes, keeping the neti moons and. the sab- from raiding the flocks. Not only so, but he  ahd  this
          baths and the appointed feasts,  ,and making  `prayers. ,men  are a  wali unto  ihem, that  is,.  a powerful pro-
          He may be generous to the poor. Certain  it is that tection against the wild beasts and ,the attacks of rob-
          he is good to his servants, the shearers of his sheep. bers from the Arabian desert. Time passes' on, and it
          He  pr,epares for  thein a feast in his `house, like the      is now the season of sheep-shearing. It is a joyous
          feast of a king (verse 36). And he  eats and drinks           time.; atid the heart of eirery right-minded proprietor
          with them, joins them in their merry-making. But is open. Nabal especially has reason to be glad. Under
          he is  churl+h, says the text. A man cannot  speak the watchful care of David and his band, his flocks
          to him. But these statements must be rightly under- have richly  incr,eased not only but not a shkep or a
          stood. Nabal is the easiest man to speak to when the          goat is missing. David has done  Nabal much good  ;
          conversation turns on the subject of how  h,e may and he has a right to expect. that Naba, will do him
          increase his business. `Only when good men must re- good in return, not `because he has established a legal
          mind him of his heavenly calling, do they find it im- claim upon Nabal's possessions but because it is Nabal's
          possible to talk to the man. For  Nabal is not inter- duty b&fore God to do well by him.  For David is ,a
          ested in right principles of action, especially if doing righteous servant of the Lord, poor, needy, and  af-
     the right clashes  with, his material- interests and- well- ' Jicted. Without a cause,. Saul seeks his life to take it.
          being. For  ,Nabal is a son of  Belial. He worships  at For this reason alone, apart from the good that David
          the shrine of Mainmon. His god is his belly. He has done the man,  Nabal's heart should be open to
          minds earthly things.  H,e works for the  bre&d  that him.
          perishes. He  ia evil in his doings. The  .text makes            80 David selebts ten young men and sends, them to
          mention of but one such evil doilig, namely, ihe evil Nabal to ask him "in my name of his peace." He puts
          treatment that he afforded David and his men. It is into the mouths of the men *his greeti4ng,  "To life-
          the  Qnly  ,evil' doing of the  man in which  the sacred      that is, live thou long-peace be .to thee, peace be to .
          writer is interested. But there must have been`more           thy house, and peace be upon all that thou ha&."
          of them of a like character. iOff,ences  they were against       Now follows a statement of the request that Dayid's
          the law of love and thus unpunishable by Israel's             men in his name are to direct to Nabal. The regulir
          magistrates.                                                  re-occuring sheep-shearing was one of  the greatest
             Yet, in $ formal sense and in. several ways Nabal          `events in the housekeeping of &ch an oriental estab-
          may have been a  paragoli  of virtue. Outwardly he lishment.                This explains the  intro&ctory  words of
          may have been as good a member of the theocracy as the petition, "Arid now I have heard that thou hast
          there were in Israel. Cetiainly,  he is one-of the `rich- sh$arers. .  ., . Nabal is next to be reminded of the
          est. He. is  cafied  a `man of  -Maon,  after the city in     peaceful &sociation of his men with Nabal's  herdsmen
          which he dwells. But his possessions on the contrary during his stay ifi the wilderness,. of the forbearance
          are in Carmel on the elevated plain of the highland of        exercised by his warriors towards the, unarmed herds-
          Judah, perhaps about a mile from  ,Maon. Here the men, and finally of the protection afforded the herds-
          man pastures three thousand sheep and a thousand men by David's people against the raids of the wild
          goats. He is thus a man "very great" (verse 2).  Ik tr'ibes of the. desert, "now thy shepherds which were
          shows that in a natural sense he is not a fool at all;
     .                                                                  with us, we hurt them not, neither was there ought
          m, a natural sense he is wise and prudent; he has: all        missing unto them, all the while they were in `Carmel.
          that it. requires in the way of natural ability to build Ask thy men arid they will Bhew thee." `Then follows
          up a large business and make of it a going concern. the request proper, "Wherefore let the young men find.
          The text also contains a statement of his origin, which       favor in thine eyes : for we come in' a good day: give,
          accords with his importance as a man "great'? by his          I pray thee, whatever  cometh into thine hand unto
          riches.  .Nabal "was of the house of Caleb". `Caleb thine servants  ,and to thy son David." Charact&-
had received  foi- a possession the region, of Hebron,                  istic of these words are- their .urgency. Through his
near  I which  Maon and  Carmel lay  (,Jos@.   15:13ff.)                men, David implores, beseeches  Nabal to show him
          But for all his  gr,eatness  Nabal is a fool. But he is favor. The need of  sustenapce'  f.or`himself  and his
          married to a woman who is not a fool. Her name is men is that pressing. And Nabal will `give what his
          Abigail. Of her it iS stated that "she was a woman of hands find, that is, as much as pleases him. Whatever
          good understanding," meaning, that she fears God he thinks he can spare will `be received with greatest
          in lave and is therefoie  a truly wise person. Besides,       gratitude.    "To thy servants and son David." The
          she is beautiful of form.'                                    expression betokens deepest reverence and piety of

.


                                     THE  STAN,DARD  ' B                   E    A    R    E    R      G               373

  the younger men toward the older.                            away without giving him bread. For all Nabal cares,
      The men come to Nabal. They speak their request          David may perish ,of hunger, if Only. Nabal may have
   "according to all these words in the name of David and      his flocks and eat, drink, and be merry.  For. the
   rested, that is, accor'ding to oriental custom in all such pleasures of this life,  Nabal crucified Christ as he
 visits, they sat down.  Nabal gives his answer, "Who stapds before him in David. But Nabal can only come
   isDavid? and who is the soti of Jess.e?  there be -many to this because he hates the righteous and righteous-
   servants nowadays that break away every man from ness.                   Nabal hates God. .                   s
   his master. Shall I sthen fake my bread, and my water,             Thus, it .is not only f,ear of Saul and love of this
  and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and life that, causes  Nabal to ill-treat the son of Jesse,
   give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be?"          but his hatred of David as well;  Nabal is bitter to-
      It is an astounding reply that Nabal tenders these ward David. He rails at his men. He moves David
  ti&. For he must perceive,  &s well as his wife and          to the quick by the vile logic `of his reply. His argu-
  servant perceive,later on, that he pursues a dang&ous ment is this, "Nowadays there be many servants who
  course. What might not an enraged David do to him !          break away each from his own master. For all I know
  Besides, would it not be to his material advantage that      you and your  leader, David, may be such  good-fpr-
  he firmly establish himself in the good graces of his nothing renaways, rebell.ers `against authority. If so,
  benefactor by granting his request? Would not a I would be giving my bread to upstarts. That would
  friendly David continue to protect his possessions in        be bad for me. I would soon find myself in a terrible
  the wilderness? What is it then that causes the man predicament. I could give and continue tq give until
  te  r,eaci as  he  #does? He is not a  iniser  &ho cannot niy store were exhausted. For the land today is filled
  part with a few sheep. He holdi a feast in his house, with such characters. Hearing  pf my generosity to
  like the feast of a king. Yet he sends the men away you, all of them would come. begging of me bread.
  empty-handed.    What makes him  to do that? His             "8hall I then take  tiy bread. . . . and give it unto
  carnal fear of Saul and hatrec of David.                     men, whom I know not %hence+hey be?" `That would
      His carnal fear of Saul. It is Dc~vid-who  turns to be -a dangerous prbcedure  on my part, a precarious
  him for some bread.  Nabal is afraid to give him             course to follow, and for my servants thoroughly un-
  bread. The highpriest Ahimelech had done that and just. For if I'were to provide in the needs of every
  paid with his life, h,e and all the priests of Nob. Saul upstart in the land, I would have to deprive my ser-
  had ordered  them slain to a man. Mindful of that vants.'
  massacre, does Nabal tremble as he thinks of the fate               That Nabal should use (this argument on David can
  that might be awaiting him and his household, should         only be because he hates the son of Jesse as much as
  he now give bread to the -son of Jesse? This is not he fears Saul and loves this life. For  Qavid is not
  2 baseless conjecture. His saying to the m&n, "There an upstart, bui a law-abiding member of the theocracy,
  be many servants nowadays that  break away each as his treatment that he .has afforded Nabal's  poss"es-
  from his master," is an unmistakeable and `clear' al- sions in the wilderness has fully demonstrated. David
  lusion to Saul. It is certain that the reply is )inspired    is a. just man, sorely afflicted by the godless Saul,
  partly by fear of what the king  .might do to  h;im,         appointed to succeed Saul, on the throne and -by whose
  should he befriend David. Nabal must have decided hand the Lord is now deiivering his people and has
  `how to answer these men long before their arrival.          been for some time all in :confirmation of his anoint-
For he must have been  .expecting theme, seeing that           ing. And this  Nabal well knows. But  b.eing bitterly
  he could not have remained ignorant of what David disposed toward David and `towa.rds God's people, the
  and his band was -doing for him there in the wilder- true Israel, he wills to ignore it and treats David as
  ness. That  Nabal allows himself  to be  detered by though he were one of the bad men in Israel.
  fear of Saul to give aid and succor to David is his                 But the wickedness of Nabal's reply runs still deep-
  wickedness.    David is the Lord's righteous  serv&,         er.     His statement, "Nowadays there be many ser-
  -Israel's anointed king. All know by now that he is a        vants breaking away, each from his own master," call,
  delivere?  sent of ,God: for no man can do the works. for some more attention. The subject of the state-
  that he *does except the Lord be with him. He figh+ ment--many servants-is certainly meant as a desig-
  the Lord's battles ,and evil has not been found in him       nation of David and his band, so that the thrust of
  all his days. But this servant, not yet  havitig come Nabal's questions, "Who is David? and who is the son
  into his kingdom, is poor and afflicted. `Godless `men of Jesse 7" is verily, "Is he that David who broke away
  seek his life to take it; This servant in his need now from Saul and seeks to capture .his throne? And are
  asks some bread of Nabal, whom he  has done much you. men followers of that rebel?' For all I  knoti,
  good. And  Nabal,  ai inspired by the  f.ear of what your leader may be that David and yod the followers
 godless men can do him, 2nd thus as constrained by the        of that vile man.' Nabal, being a son of Belial, is of
  love of this life, rails at this servant and orders him the party of Saul. He takes Saul's side against David.


   374                           83              T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
  He pronounces Saul's charges against David true: and
  thus justifies Saul's doing according to which he seeks                   `S I O N 'S   Z A N G E N
David's life to take it. But Nabal refrains from mak-
  ing any positive statement in telling the men what
  he thinks of. them and their leader. He simply asks
  questions, (he is a cautious man). which he, himself,                    Majesteit En. Heerliijkheid                        .
  answers in the affirmative not by word of mouth but                              (Psalm 104; Tweede Deel)             '
  by sending away the men empty-handed. Nabal is "a
  man evil in his doings.                                              We waren toegekomen aan het vijfde vers, in den
      (Besides the one given above, there are" other pos- Psalm die zingt van IGods majesteit en heerlijkheid,
  sible interprktafions of Nabal's reply, namely the fol- zooals die deugden uitgespreid liggen over de weiken
  lowing :                                                          Zijner handen in de natuur rondom ons en boven ons.
                                                                    De Psalm gewaagt ook nog  we1 van. de  dingen des
      1. There be many servants now a iays that break Koninkrijks Zijner liefde, doch de hoofdzaak hier is
  away each from his own master. Shall I then take my echter de werken ,Gocls zooals we die zien en beleven
  bread. . . . and give it to  men, whom I know not op aarde en in Gerband met die aarde.
  whence they be, `that is, to whom th.ey belong, from                 "Hij heeft de aarde gegrond op hare  grondves-
  whom they broke away.' This interpretation is too ten.  -. .  ."
  unlikely. It borders on the absurd. Certainly, Nabal                 Ik denk, dat de tegenwoordige natuurkundigen en
  meant not .to. tell the men `that he would have no                geleerden oi het gebied der kosmologie  we1 wat zullen
  scrupples  in giving them of `his substance if only he glimlachen bij het gedurig lezen van dezen psalm; en
  knew the masters. against which they rebelled."                   dan vooral bij `bet lezen van het vijfde vers. De aarde
      2. "Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse?- gegrondvest op hare grondvesten? En dan zullen zij
. meaning, `I know David well, but who is the son of U vertellen, dat de aardbol door het luchtruim  vliegt
  Jesse. that I should give him of my br,ead  ? He is a met -een ontzettende snelheid, maar dat er geen sprake
  rebel, that's what he is. He schemes to capture Saul's is van een dusgenaamd "fundainent" der aarde of ook
 a throne.' The remainder qf the answer then applies van een f`grondvesten" der aarde.
  only to David's followers, and the thought conveyed                  We zullen de ongeloovige en goddelooze stakkerds
  is this, `As for you his foIlowe&, for all, I know, you,          laten glimlachen, en hen beklagen. Alle glimlachen in
 too, may be worthless runaways like your lead&, all                spot en hoon ten overstaan van Gods werken is een
  of you. For now a days there be many servants break- vreeselijk ding. Het ware beter idat wij niet `geboren
  ing away every one froin his own master. The land waren, of indien al geboren, dat. men een molensteen
  is fill,ed with" such people. Should I then `take my bread om onze kiinder-hals gehangen, en zoo in de diepte der
  and give it unto men whom I know not, whence they zee geworpen had. Dat ware beter dan te lachen om
  be, that is, whom I know not wliether they be rebels Psalm 104 :5. Bovendien, we behoeven waarlijk niet te
  or law-abiding and god-fearing men?' ,This is not tin wachten'op de verlichte (?) eetiwen der wereld om te
  unlikely interpretation. It does not differ materially, hooren van den zwevenden aardbol.  aGods  Heilige
  from the one to which I give preference. However Geest heeft eeuwen geleden gezegd, dat God de aarde
  interpreted,  Nabal's  *  reply is thoroughly vicious.")          hang-t  aan een  niet. Job  26:7.
                                                 ,G. M. Ophoff.       Wat beteekent het dan, dat de psalm geiaagt  van
                                                                    een grondvesten der aarde? Het antwoord is niet moei-
                                                                    lijk. De  goddeloozen  zelf zullen ons  helpen om het
                                                                    te verklareil. Spreken.  zij ook niet .van "terra firma'! ?
                  50th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY                          En dat beteekent, dat de aarde vast is, vast staat, dat
     On Thursday, May 20, 1948, D. V., our beloved parents          men op de aarde rekexien kan, enz. Is het geen won-
                                                                    der; dat alles, zoo precies gaat en staat, loopt  en vliegt,
                   MR.  ,and MRS. 0. `VAN ELLEN                     hangt en zweeft? We loopen  en kuieren op aarde; we
  hope to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary by having        bouwen'  onze huizen en -fabrieken  ; we szaaien en be-
  Open-House in the afternoon from 3 to 5, and in the evening       reiden de aarde; we zetten onze horloge's en uurwer-
  from 7 to' 10 ,o'clock.                                           ken ; we rekenen uit en'hebben onzen raad uren, dagen,
                             Their grateful children:               ma.anden en. jaren vooruit, steunende en rekenende
                                       Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Bolt    op het vast-staan' der aarde, en met haar, op het vast-
                                       Mr. and Mrs. Louis Knoll     staan der and&e hemellichamen. Er is een geleerd,e
                                           4 grandchildren.         geweest die uitrekende, dat de mate onzer dagen geen
.- 1110 Dunham St., S. i.                                           hondepdste  van een ,seconde  versehilt over een periode
   Grand  R a p i d s ,   Mich.             .                       van twee duizend jaren.


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D .   `B E A R E R                                       375

     .God heeft de aarde gefundeerd op hare  grond- secondaire scheppingswerk van God op den derden
 vesten.        ~                                               dag der scheppingsweek.
     `6. . . .zi.j zal nimmermeer  noch eeuwiglijk wanke-          Daar gaan zij : zij haastten  zich, want God cle
 len."                ,                                         Heere clondert tot hen Zijn machtige &em. Wat schep-
     Hoe iit dat ?                                              se1 zal traag zijn als God de Heere spreekt?
     Lezen we niet in Qpenbaring 20 :ll : "En ik zag               "De bergen  rezen op, de dalen.daalden,  ter plaatse
 eenen grooten witten troon, en Dengene die daarop zat, ciie Gij voor hen gegrond hadt. Gij hebt eenen  paal
 van wiens aangezicht de aarde en de hemel  wegvlood, gesteld  ,dien zij  niet overgaan zullen; zij zullen de
 en geese plaats is `voor die gevol;den"? Hbe lezen we aarcle niet wecler bedekken."
 bier dan, dat de aarde tot in der eeuwigheid vast zal             De wateren  dir zeegn en der oceanen zijn vreeselijk
 s t a a n ?                                                    van  vermogeq.  Er zit iets angstigs in. Soms wordt
     Het  antwoorcl is  gemakkelijk: de aarde zal we!           de zee ons bezongen en beschreven als iets persoonlijks,
 door een proces  van vuur gaan en gezuiverd worden,            en clan spreekt de Heilige Schrift van de "hoogmoed"
 doch zij zal  ,%taan  blijveq tot in alle eeuwigheid,  of- der golven, Job 38 :lO en 11. In clie plaats wordt ge-
 schoon  gezuiveyd,  geheiligd,  verhoogd,  verhemelseht,       sproken van clezelfde waarheid als  in.  onzen tekst.
 wedergeboren.. Er is een wedergeboorte aller dingen,           Daar zegt God selfs, dat Hij die zee een grendel en
 en de aarde zal daar  oak' `iln  deelen.    Dus de- aarde deur gezet heeft tegen haar hoogmoed; En in Jeremia
 klij;ft tot in der eeuwigheid,  en zij blijft vast en onbe-    5  :22 gewaagt de  profeet van  dezelfde werken Gods
 wogen.. Zegt Jezus niet, dat de zachtmoedigen  zalig ten overstaan van de zee, die we1 bruist en zich "be-
 zija, omdat zij het aardrijk zullen begrven? En- naar weegt, doch die haar perk, haar door God gezet, niet
de profctie van Jesaja en van Petrus en van Johannes, zal overschrijden.
 -,rerwachten &j nieuwe 2;emelen  en een nieuwe garide.          Nu  dan, die  zee bedekte de aarde en maakte die
 Ku dan, die nieuwe aarde is geen nieuwe adrde in den aa.rde tot een woeste en ledige  massa,   doch  toen de
 zin, dat het een u&eye schepping zou zijn, maaY een Heere op haar "schold" toen is die zee teruggevloden
 nieuwe aarde in  ,den zin van een  hwschnpen  aarde            en is gebleven binnen de perken haar door God gesteld.
 imt er voor Gods volk.                                         Op die regel /I is eene uitzondering gemaakt door God
    En nu verder.                                               Zelf in de dagen van Noach. ,Toen heeft God voor tijd
     "Gij  hadt ze (dat is, die aarde) met den afgrond          e'n wijle de wateren  gebruikt om de eerste wereld, met
 als met een kleed  bverdekt;  de yateren stonden boven den zondvloed te straffen. Doch daarvoor en daarna
`de bergen."                                                    blijven de zee@n en de oceanen binnen de perken. En
     Deze woorden  brengen  ons in gedachtenis de  ge- het "zand" is dus daar rondom die hoogmoedige `zee
 schiedenis  der schepping,  waa'r in weinige woorden 0113 haar verschrikkelijke stroomen tegen te houden.
 oils  verhaald wordt  Gan het geboren  worden   tie?  din- Zie: Jer.  5:22.
 gen. De aarde nu was woest en ledig, en duisternis                Maar de He,ere gebruikt het water tot Zijn hoog en
was op den afgrond! De psalmist brengt ons terug verheven cloel. Luist~ert slechtx : "Die de fonteinen uit-
tot den toestand der aarde vooraleer de Heere `schei-           zendt door de dalen, dat zij tusschen de gebergten
 ding maakte tusschen he! water en het droge. Juist 11 enen wandelen."
hoe de aarde `er toen uitzag is ons niet bekend. Het               Er is  veel water, dat opborrelt uit de aarde. Er
was chaotisch, donker, woest en ledig. En ik denk               zijn de `"fonteihen des grooten afgronds". En zij zijn
 dat de zanger Israels ons  cleze openbaring geeft of de schatkanieren van God, die -Hij gebruikt tot ver-
accentueert om haar  lateren  toestand  van orde en frissching  en tot laving en tot vruchtbaarmaking der
schoonheid zooveel te heerlijker af te malen.                   aarde. `Hij doet  die wateren  opborrelen en zij worden
    "Vati Uw scheldexl vloden zij, zij haastten zich weg vergaderd in beekjes, rivieren, en stroomen, en begin-
voor  de. stem Uws  ,donders."                                  ilen clan hun wan'deling door de aarde heen. De idee
    Po@Xische  taal. Men.scheldt  niet hetgeen dood, on- d.er rivier is de milde uitdeeling der dingen ,Gods. .Zij
gevoelig, onpersoonlijk -en levenloos is.      En dat de schijnen  we1 te leven, die rivieren en  &room&.   Zij'
Heere hier van het schelden der wateren  spreelit,  be- murmelen, `kabbelen of storten neer  m&t groot  ge-
 tsekent  mijns inziens, omdat God plannen. had met druisch. Maar ze zijn allen van #God.' In een anderen
die aarde. Zij moest droog  worden  om de arena  te psalm hooren we van het gedruisch  "Uwer"  water-
worden van het machtig `wereld  gebeuren. Zoolang goten ! ! En als die stroomen hun weg zoeken en vin-
de aarde bedekt was met water kon de mensch niet den, dan spreken ze soms. Reden waarom er in Gods
komen, en bij en na diens val, kon de Christus niet Woord gewaagd wordt van den vrede die zijn zal als
k6men  om de fundaltienten te leggen voor een nieuwen een rivier. Zet U  aan den oever  van een  &room  en.
hemel en een nieuwe aarde. Het  water moet weg!                 luistert.' Ge zult ervaren, dat er vrede in die stem is.
En de  Heere  6`schold" de  wateren.  Het ziet  op Zijn En ge wordt zeer stille. Dat murmelen  en dat spreken
machttioord der  voorzienigheid,  of ook wel, op het van die rivieren gaat soms over in zingen. De Heilige

                                                                                    I


           $76 .                                 T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

           Geest roept -hen toe : Laat al `de stroometi vroolijk iin- bun God. Zij woonen bij de rivieren. Rondom die
           gen, de handen klappen naar omhoog ! 10, Gods sprake uitdeelers van water groeit bet geboomte,,en  in hunne
           in de natuur is verrukkelijk.         ,.                           takken bouwt de Vogel haar nest. -1s hun nestje dan
              "Zij drenkenOal  het gedierte des velds, de woudezels           klaar, dan worden de eieren gelegd, uitgebroed en door
           breken er hunnen dorst mede."                                      de moeder-,  en  Vader-Vogel  wordt  gezorgd voor de
              Wie zal er nu  tech om de vogels  denken?   Go_d                kleihe naakte vogeltjes. En daarna wordt er gezongeri
           doet het, anders stond het er treurig bij met hen. Dat             en gekwinkeleeid in de t.akken  van het geboomte naar
           is waar, ook al is het xdat men tegenwoordig .allerlei             hartelust. Het koor der vogels is heerlijk. Denkt aan
           wetten gemaakt heeft om het gevleugelte en de min of               de leeuwerik en de vink, en tallops  anderen. .Hebt ge
           meer  Wilde  beesten te beschermen.              Bovendien, als    er  we1 eens op gelet,  dat, bet koor der vogelen  altijd
           men al die dieren- en vogelbescherming op den keper harmonieus' is, al' zingen en kwinkeleeren er nog zoo-
           b&chouwt, dan zien we da5 het niet dan zelfzuchtig- velen in getale en in soort? God is de directeur van
           heid van den mensch is. Men doet het om zichzelf en deze zangers der aarde.
           niet voor d& dieren. Maar God doet het om de dieren.                   Soms zingen zij vanuit de takken in den nacht. Dat
           Hij hoort het roepen  van `de, jonge raven: Gods barm- zijn de nachtegalen. Vele jaren geleden heb ik ze ge-
           hartigheid is over  alle Zijne werken, Ziet het maar hoard, maar al is het zoolang  geleden,  kan ik het zoete
      . `a,an de riviereri en hair werk.               -                      slaan van die vogelen  nooit vergeten.
              Daar komen de woudezels ! De beesten zijn dorstig.                  "Hij  ,drenkt de  bergen  uit  Zijqe opperzalen, de
           Ge kunt ,het hun aanzien. Maar, geen nood! Ze zijn aarde wordt verzadigcl van de vrueht Uwer werken."
           aan Gods goedheid ov& hen gewend. ~Zij- volgen hun                     Wat is God  tech dicht  bij dezen zanger.  Overal
           "instinct". Ze zoeken de waterplaatsen op. En hun wordt Hij door deli psalmist gezien en gehoord. En
           dorst breken ze ifi het frissche water. Een der schoon-            zoo is het metterdaad. De regen komt neder in stroo-
      ste  psalmen heeft een ander dorstig dier, dat haar men" op het hooge gebergte, en de bergstroom wordt
           dorst leschte, gebruikt  als een voorbeeld van  ,Gods              geboren. Ik heb dat `&nmaal meegemaakt; en het is
           vblk, da-t moede en mat zich tot #God voegt om lavitig, vreeselijk. San Bernardino,  Colton,  Riverside,  Red-
           om laving : `t Hijgend hert, der jacht ontkomen I                  lands en Los Angeles zullen het %ooif' weer vergeten.
             "Bij  dezelve  wdont het  gevolgelfe  des hemels, een De Heere opende Zijn opperzalen boveri  de San Bernar-
           stem gevende van tusschen de takken."                 q            dino  berg&,  ,en we  hoorden  het gebruisch van een
              Wat zitten hier schoone gedachten in.                           wolkbreuk. En daar kwamen de ,&roomen  van water.
,            De  vogelen  des  hemels!      '                                 Hier was meer dan drenking.
              Zij hebben een heerlijke sprake ,der symboli.ek, door             - En door de  eeuwen  heen gaat de Heere door met
           Gods Woord gebruikt om U te troosten:                              het drenken der bergen,  _zoodat  het water omneer mag
                                                                              vloeien om het landschap random de bergmassa's  te
              Laat mij er U op wijzen.                                        bevruchtigen. Er moet veriacliging komen voor de
              Soms wordt het benauwd op..&arde  voor des Heerep               aarde.      En die verzadiging is  er dan ook gekomen.
           lrerk. Dan woeden  de Leidenen  en bede&en de volken               Doch denkt e? aan: het is de "vrucht van Gods wer-
           ijdelheid tegen God en tegen Zijn Gezalfde. En dan k e n . "
      .moet  de kerk het ontgelden. Dan zuchtten zij:  ,Och                      Hoe wonderlijk zijn Uwe werken, O-Heere!
           -dat mij iemand vleugelen als eener duive gave:, ik                    Ook weet het mijn iiel zeer wel.
           zoude henenvliegen tiaar ik blijven mocht ; zie, ik zoude              Last  on5 ervan  zingen, van  zingen !
           ver wegzwerven, ik zoude vernachten in de woestijn.                                                                  `G. Vos.
           Sela. Ik zoude haasten, dat ik. ontkwame van den -drij-
           venden wind, vaxi den storm. Ps. 585 3-9:
              Maar dat mag nog niet. We  mogen  geen  "wereld-.
           vlucht" zoeken. We  moeten blijven en strijden te                                          IN MEMORIAM
      midden van den  "roep des vijands,  vanwege   .de  be-                     The  Consistory  of- the  Protestant  Reformed Church, Ran-
           angstiging des goddeloozen."                                       dolph, Wisconsin,  .herewith  expresses its  sym.pathy  with their
              En  tech krijgen we de vleugelen. Leest Openb.                  fellow-member, deacon Dewey Alsum in the death of his eldest
           12  :14. Daar ontvangt de vrouw, en dat is  de kerk                brother,
           Gods, "twee vleugelen e'ens grooten arends'!.                                          ` J O H N   `ALSUM
              De vogels zijn symboliek van vrije beweging. Daar-                .Thk the cord may` grant `His grace to, our brother and to all
._         om spreekt mijn tekst van het gevogelte des hemels.                the bereaved relativ&,  is our' prayer. May it ever become clear
           .Als kitid zagen we het vliegen, het scheerend vliegen that the Lord alone doeth ill things well.
                                                                                             a
           der zwaluwen  ;  .dan zuchtten we ietwat, en  k,eerden                                  Cdnsistory, Randolph Prot. Ref.  Chbrch,
           ons af.                                                                                           ' Rev. G.  C.  Lubber&  Pies.
              Nu dan, die vogelkens virorden we1 verzorgd door                                                 Mr. Wm. Huizenga, Clerk.
      _                  6

                                                                                                                                  .


                                      T H - E   STA~NDARD           B E A R E R                                     377

                                                             cities may bear their names. Buildings may be called by
                 I"N HIS FEAR.'                              the names of prominent citizens whose only virtue ( ?)
                                                             may be that they were able to amass the money of
                                                             others. A capdy  bar or cookie may bear their name
             What &h.ner  Of Persons?                        far and wide. But these things shall have their end.
                                                             Beautiful paintings may bear the signature of a great
                                                             man according to the standards. of the world. Ins.pir-
    The Day of the Lord cometh as a thief in the night.      ing harmonies  atid melody' progressions may bring
    The heavens shall pass away with a great noise.          fame to the name of a man who died before he was
    The elements shall melt with a fervent'heat.             recognized. But God says of it all:  I, WILL BURN
    The earth also and all the works that are therein        IT  ALL UP! The earth also  AND THE WORKS
 shall be burned up.  s                                      THAT  ARE.*THEREIN  shall be burned up. Your
    Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, valuable museum pieces and art gallery collections,
 what manner `of persons ought ye to be?                     your books and songs, your important government
    Did you ever set yourself squarely before this           documents and c&gressional  records, your symphonies
 question which Peter presents in II Peter 3 :11?, And       and sonnets, all these with all the othe-r things. men
 what kind of person did you find yourself to be?      -     have made and safely guarded through the ages, God _
    Shall we be like the world?  IShall we.  d.eny the       shall  d.estroy.    God's  opinioti of the value of these
 Day of the Lord? Shall we behave as those of whom           things and man's opinion of these things certainly
 we sing? :'                                                 vary. What manner of person ought` we then to be?
                                                             Should our evaluation of these things be th5t of the
      f..    "To their lands they give their n&me,           world or that. of' God?
              In the hope of lasting fame".                      Nay, that does not mean that we may not touch
                                                             these things. It does not mean that we may not use
    But listen ! The earth also and all the works that       or even  tinjoy these things. But our use and enjoy-
 are therein shall be burned up.  AlJ this earth, the        ment of them must be subservient to our looking for
 gigantic'.mountains and the dceans of water shall be        and hasting unto the day of the Zord. It is folly to
 burned tip. The wood, the paper, the cloth and what         seek thes&  things as, an end in themselves, for these.
 tie call inflammable things shall burn, but so shall the    things. shall end iri utter destruction and shall pass
 rocks, the steel, the concrete and the soil. And all        away. It is an act of wisdom to use them-either by            ;
 the works that are therein likewise shall burn up. The, employing them or avoiding them-as means to walk
 little corner of paper flying aimlessly across your yard    in all  holiness and godliness. In contact with the
 in the `breeze" will burn up. It is the work of man, things in the world we must come. Every day  .in
 but your Empire State  Butldings, your skyscrapers          every way we. touch the works of the world in one
 shall likewise burn up. The colossal pyramids in,Egypt      way or another. We hire the world when we ride the .
 as well as ev,ery grain of sand upon the beach will all     trains and busses, when we buy our clothes and grocer-
 burn up, and the elements shall melt. Nothing man ies and in so many other ways. And we may surely _
 has ever made shall pass through that fire. It will all believe that Paul and Barnabas also hired the men of
 perish through it.                                          the world to transport them from Antioch to the
   The new heavens and the new earth .will. not have         Island of Cyprus in their ship. Paul did not hesitate
 our radios and radar, our automobiles and planes, our to appeal to worldly  Ceasar. He wrote with  th,e pen
 te1ephon.e  and  *telescope.    These are the works that and  ?n the parchment invented by the world. World
 are now in the world, but they shali all be burned up.      flight we would never advocate, and Peter does" not
 The new heavens and the new earth are a spiritual           do so either when he asks us what manner of persons
 realm in which the present things have no place. And we Ought to be, seeirig  that all these things shall be
 as the glorified body of Christ arose through the rocks     dissolved. He does not tell `us to leave all -material
 and entered the room where the disciples were a$- things alone. How can we? We  .are in the world,
 sembled the doors and windows being locked, so the          plac'ed there by God to employ it ALL to,His glpry.
 glorified bodies of God's people in `the new ear,th will      What  manner of person  .ought  we to be? Sober
have no use for nor contact with our radios, automo-         persons living in the reality of our salvation and com-
 bil'es, telephones and'the like. AZZ man has ever made      ing glory. All things shall burn up. Shall  w.e mope
 and still will make is for this world only, and will not -and idly sit by saying, to ourselves, what Jhen is the
 enter into the new creation.                                use of working and laboring.? Paul condemns this  `.
     Shall 6e live as though thkse. thing3 are our' goal     stand. In I Thessaloniani  4 :I1 he writes, "And that
 and as though they are the desire of our hearts? Men        ye study to be quiet and to do your own business, and
 may have countries named after them. Streets  &nd           to work with your own hands, as we commanded you."

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

      And again in- II Thessalonians  3 :lO, "For even when         Do. we find more delight in the things that shall be
      `we were with you, this we commanded. you,' that .if burned up than in those which shall abide eternally?
       any would not work, neither should he eat." Things Do  we  liie for fun and pleasure? What manner of
       as such are not always evil;. There are things which persons- ought ye to be?, those that are' spiritually
       in themselves cannot be good. There are certain kinds minded, giying diligence that they may be found by
       of work which are always sinful. But there are many Him in' peace .without  spot and blemish.
       things we may do and can do without necessarily sin-            What kind of a father or mother are you? And
       ning by its performance. We  mu& not say that it what kind ought you then to be? If there ever was
      is useless to work since [God will deestroy it all anyway.    a time when w,e ought to take our children aside and
       We must. still  6labor six days a week. And all that speak to them of the coming of the Day of the Lord, it
       work must so be conducted that we can say that our           is now. If there was ever a time when our children
       walk is -a holy one, one that is in harmony with qur needed  to be warned and protected. over against the
       hope fok; a better world in which righteousness &all         anii-Christian philosophy of a  .better world without
       dwell, and one that furthers us rather than holds us the cross of `Christ, it is now. Christ indeed is ex-
       back in'our activity of looking for and hasting unto         tolled to. the sky. But not His cross and the atonement
       the coming o< the day of the Lord. A sober Christian Y He achieved thereby. Christ `as a social reformer, as
       is not a long-faced individual you always see weeping.       a. teacher without equal is universally lauded and
     ' He is not a man with a gloomy outlook on life. He is taugh.t.  And  that' is more dangerous and deceptive
       a man who is aware of the reality of things, aware of than the atheism of the  ISociety of the Godless in
       the end of, all things, aware of the coming of the Day Russia which seeks to wipe out all belief in God.
       of the Lord and the melting of all things, but far from
      being despondent and rather than having such a gloomy            Provide your children with a good, Christian edu-
       outlook on life that he says  td himself, what is the        cation in their day schools and see to it that  `these
       use of  working and gathering a few  eakthly things          schools hold befdre  the eyes of the children the reality
       which I will lose anyway?, this sober Christian looks        of the coming of the Day of the Lord. Be sure that
       for the realization of the promise of a new heaven all the teaching of history has this in mind, that all
       and a new `earth in'which  righteousness shall dwell. geography recognizes the fact that present things shall
       That is no gloomy outlook on life, but it is, a proper       pass away, that civics does not overlook that perfect
       evaluation. of things present. We certainly ought to form of government of the coming of Christ and like-
       live soberly. We ought neither tb live from the prin-        wise the certainty of its coming as a gove:nment  of
*      ciple of let us eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow ,Cod, by SGod and for God, which is therefore also glori-
       we die, nor from the principle that all our work is          ous and wond.erful for those whom God has chosen to
       vain and therefore not to be performed. We are still (Ze  llis children. Be sure that art, lite,raturej  music
       called upon to be stewards of all this earth, even though    and  the like recognize the fact that all man's work
     . God intends to destroy everything we make. And our shalI perish and only the work of Christ enters the
       work is not in  vafnn; Though all we make perishes, new creation. Let the child learn and learn well the
     by God's grace we will. receive a reward, in the new fact that the earth `and all the works therein shall be
     a heavens and earth for what was done to His glory in          burned  up. Do not deceive your child into thinking
       the wdrld that has passed away.  0                           otherwise. To withhold this truth from him is to de-
              What manner of persons ought ye to be? Seeing ce.i l;e him.
       %at all these things shall pass away?  .Surely we               And  cl;,  not let it  go"  a& that. When the child is
       o@t to be .those persons who heed that which shall home explain the events of the day to him in the light
       notapass away. Heaven and earth shall pass away of God's Word. Explain it all as part of that one
       but My words shall not pass away" Jesus `once de-            Grand Plan of God whereby He accomplishes the
       clared. We ought to live in the sphere of that Word          Kingdom of Christ. And teach him what manner of
       cf Gods which will remain through all the destruction person   ile ought to be, seeing that all these things
       of the Day of the Lord. Men's works and therefore shall pass away. Teach him to have a holy conversa-
       his words too shall pass away. The coiltracts  he has tion. reach him godliness. Teach him to look for and
       made, the books h.e has written, the philosophies he         spiritually to run unto the coming of the Day of the
       has penned down shall all go up in smoke and be no           Lord., not running away ho& it in fear but looking for
       more. God's words, His-promises and that which He it wi;h the firm hope of attainink by God's grace th,@
       promjses  will not be touched by. that conflagration. fnlness of the promises of Christ which cannot pass
       What manner of persofls are. we? Do we find more away.
       pleasure"in  the silly- novels and radio serials than: in
       the Word of  #God? Do we find more' pleasure in                                                      J. A. Heys.
       worldly amusements than in the study of GodYWord?


                                                   ."


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D       B E A R E R                                    379

                                                             condemnation. They were subject to vanity wherever
           FROM HOLY WRIT                                    they turned, for sin had dominion over them. They
                                                             well knew what it meant that "`the soul that sins must
                                                             die". As we read in Remans 5 :12, "Wherefore, as by
      Dead In Sin, or Dead To Sin                            one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin ;
                                                             and so death passed upon all men, for that all have
                                                             sinned."
    Scripture speaks of being dead in sin, but also of          Thus all Adam's children are  deatl in trespasses
being dead to sin. Although the expressions appear and sins, corrupted in their very nature. The image
very similar, they are entirely different, even mutually of God, in which they were, created, became so per-
exclusive. A person is either dead in sin or ,dead to verted that their knowledge of God is turned to dark-
sin  ; if the one is true, the other, which is the very      iless,  the+ righteousness is changed to  .enmity, and
opposite, cannot be true.       They are as different as their holiness became pollution. The sinner is en-
eternal woe and eternal blessedness, as far apart as         snared in the bondage of sin in all his will and desire,
utter despair and infinite joy of salvation.                 thoughts and plans,  seeia'g and  .hearing: words and
   What makes it the more interesting is the fact, that      deeds. He moves` about in the sphere of ,darkness as
Scripture also uses other expressions, closely related an enemy of ,God, only increasing his guilt  and con-
to these, such as, "yg are dead," (Gal. 3 :3) or "we be      d&nnation continually. Paul describes this depraved
dead with Christ," (Rom. 6 :8) or again, "I am dead          condition in' Ephesians  2:2, 3, by saying, "Wherein
to the law," (Gal. 2 :19) :                                  in time past ye`walked according to the course of this
Dead In Sin.                                                 world, according to the prince of the power of. the
                                                             air, the spirit that now worketh in the children  bf
  The phrase "dead in sin" is found in Ephesians             disobedience: among whom also we all had our con-
2:1, 5, "And you hath He quickened, who were dead in         versation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, ful-
trespasses and sins. . . . .Even when we were dead filling the desires of the flesh and of the mind ; and
`.in sins, hath  .quickened  us  together with Christ." A were by nature the children of wrath, even as others."
similar passage appears in Colossians 2 :13, "And you,
being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your       The Transition.
flesh, hath He quickened, together with Him (Christ),'          There is a point of time in the life of the elect sin-
having forgiven ydu all trespasses".                         ner  wKen he passes through a transitiqn from  the
    In each case the American Standard Version trans-        condition of being dead in sin to being dead to sin.
lates this expression as "dead through your trespasses       Scripture calls this conversion. Paul relates his. own
and sins". `This expresses the idea .of the original experience of this change in Romans  7:9, where
Greek more accurately, stressing that we are dead due        he says, "For I was alive without the law once: but
,to our trespasses and sins.                                 when the commandment came, sin. revived, and I
    That takes us back to the fall of. our first parents,    died."             -
and the execution of God's death sentence upon them,            The apostle refers to his former condition of being
"the day that thou eatest theredf thou slialt surely die." dead to sin when h.e says, "I was alive without the law
God demanded of His friend-servants in paradise that         once." This may souncl strange to us, ,even contradic-
they should love the Lord their God with all their           tory, until we call to mind that he is speaking 0% his
heart, and mind, and soul, and strength. They were own experience.                   How could `he better express the
call.ed to show that love by willfully choosing the-good     paradox that is the common experience of every be-
and rejecting the evil, even in the -face of temptation.     liever? Before his own consciousness he was alive,
Yet they transgressed God's law by allowing them-            even though he actually was dead- in trespasses and
selves to become ensnared in the temptation of Satan.        sins, for he was blind to his depraved condition. Sin
.That was their trespass, and at the same time their         seemed dead, He was so completely enslaved to her,
sin. They. deliberately missed the mark God had set          that he was ,not even disturbed by her dominion over
b.efore  them, by turning away from God to make him, which was  coilstantly destroying him. But this
friends with the devil. Thereby they became .guilty. false security Was disrupted when the law came with
.  Alld immediately  ihe death sentence was executed         its absolute demand, "Thou, Paul, shalt love the Lord
upon them. They died the moment they sinned. This            thy God with all thy heart, and mind, and soul, and
punishment of death included both physical and spirit-       strength. " The Holy Spirit, working within his heart,
ilal death.  Coyruption  and mortality began to prey         brought him face to face with the living God and
upon the body to destroy it. But spiritual death also        aroused in him the bitter  consziousness  of his sin and
entered in, bringing separation from the living God          utter sinfulness. Then, as the apostle expresses it,
and causing them  t9 experience His just curse and           "sin revived, and I died." Be became aware of the


  350                      ,             T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R '

  power of sin that held him in bondage. He learned to            arose from the heart' that was dead to sin. Once he
  know his misery as .a sinner before `God, .dead in `tres-       was alive to sin, for sin had dominion over him, and
  passes and sins. The process of conversion, `as a work he was her willing slave. He  loved the darkness rather
  of God's grace within him, was well under way.                  than the light. He yielded to all her wiles and readily _
     What' actually happens to the re-born, repentant followed wherever she led him. But  -grace changed
  sinner is, that God is drawing him to Him with an all that. -From a legal aspect, the dominion of sin was
  irresistible power of grace. He is united with Christ broken. Her right to rule over him was taken from
  in the likeness of His de&th, ,&hat he should henceforth her. The guilt of sin was removed, for the debt was
  not serve sin, but should live unto God. Christ made paid by the atonement of the cross. Christ's perfect
  atonement for the sins of His people by His death on            obedience  fulfill.ed the just  deman,ds  of God's, law.
  the cross. What -is more, He merited eternal right-             God's justice was satisfied, and the redeemed sinner
  eousness and salvation in heavenly perfection for them.         stands righteous before God. In his own heart he is
`He arose and ascended to heaven, where  Be receives              assured `by the testimony of the Spirit within him,
  all the blessings ,of salvation prepared by the Father.         that there is no condemnation for him, since he is
  Be is the true Light, the .Bread of Life, the Way and           included with those who are in Christ Jesus and have
  the Truth, the Resurrection land the Life. From.heaven          His perfect righteousness applied to them. The apostle
  H.e bestows all His blessings of grace upon His people,         can say in Galatians 2 : 19, "For I through the law am
  whom He unites to Himself by a bond of living faith.            dead to the law, that I might live unto God."
  In union with Christ they are blessed with all spiritual            Since the dominion of sin is destroyed, the believer
  and heavenly blessings. Christ's death on the cross             is also spiritually delivered from the bondage of sin.
  is so completely their death, as if they had atoned in          He is a new creature; old things .have passed away, _
  their own bodies for all their sins. They are dead              and all things have become new. II Cor. 5  :17. The
  with Christ, but they are also raised with Him; and law of the Spirit of life $1. Christ Jesus has freed him
 exalted with Him to the highest heavens. As Paul from th.e law of sin and death. The darkness is ban-
  espresses  it in Romans 6 :3-S, "Know ye not,. that so          ished from his mind,. flooding his soul with the light
  many of us as were baptized to Jesus Christ were                of life. His heart is renewed, so that in principle he
  baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried                really does love the ,Lord his (God with all his heart,
  with Him by baptism into death : that like. as Christ           and mind, and soul, and strength. He wills the good
  .was raised up from the dead to the glory of the Father,        so completely that he `is sorely grieved by the fact
  even so we -also should walk, in newness of life. For that he fails to accomplish it. He hates the, evil, `even
  as w.e have been planted with Him in the likeness of while that evil wars in his ,members. He. has learned
  His .death,  we shall be also in the likeness of His resur- to hate and confess. sin in daily sorrow of heart. He
rection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified has also learned to oppose sin, assured that in.principle
  with Him, that the body of sin might de bestroyed,              he already has the victory over it.             .
.that henceforth -we should not serve sin. For he that a              In one ward, he is dead to sin.. .And he is saved
  is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with               in hope. Therefore he longs to be delivered from the
  Christ, we'believe that we shall ,also live with Him."' body of this death. .He finds consolation in the Word
  Or, to quote again from the apostle's own personal              of God that assures him, "For ye are dead, and your
  experience in this matter, "I am crucified with Christ:         life is hids,with Christ`in God." Galatians 3:3.
  nevertheless I live ; yet not I,- but Christ .liveth in me i        "Thanks be to God, which giveth  ~17s  the victory
  and the life which I now. live in the flesh I live by           through our Lord Jesus Christ."
  the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me and gave                                    -.                             C. Hanko.
  Himself for me." Gal. 2:20.

  Dimi To Sin.                                                                         ` I N   M E M O R I A M
         Hereupon follows ithat the regenerated sinner, who
  was formerly dead in sin, is now dead to sin.                      The ,Consistory  `of the Fourth' Protestant Reformed. Church
   We can refer to Romans 6 :2, "How shall we, that .of Grand Rapids, Michigan wishes to express its heartfelt sym-
  are dead to sin, live any longer therein?"          .           pathy to one' of its members, Elder John De  Hpog,, and. his
         This is not the same as saying that sin is dead to       family; in the recent death of his mother,
  the believer. Nothing is farther from the truth or                                    MRS. .A. DE HOOG
*  ,his own experience. Paul himself informs us, that                            .-           .
  even after he was dead, to sin, sin still was very much .who passed  zi!yay  in  &he Netherlands, at the age of 80  yea$.
  alive in him, causing him to raise the bitter complaint,        May our  coven?nt  God give comfort according  td need.
"0 wretched man that I am! who shall deliver `me                                                   .Rev..  R. Veldman, Pres.
  from the body of this death?" "rhis very. complaint                                              Mr. H. Meulenberg;Clerk.


                                                                   `
                                                                   .

                                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D        B E A R E R                                   381

                                                                            als vele Ger'eformeerde  menschen tegenwoordig naar
                  PERISC0P.E                                                Amerika of Canada emigreeren, dan gevoelen we on-
                                                                            middelijk dat het vraagstuk der Kerk van groat ge-
                                                                            wicht is. Af .en toe krijgen we dan ook bri'even  van
Hokland Immigration. , . .                                                  Gereformeerde broeders en zusters uit Nederland  waar-
    From time to time. this matter has been brought uit blijkt dat het vraagstuk der Kerk voor hen een ge-
to the attention of our Churches and also to the Mission weldig, ja, voor sommigen een beangstigend vraagstuk
Committee.        Literally thousands of Hollanders are is. Een broeder schreef ons o.a.: "Wij  will'en gaarne
leaving: the old_-  Fatherland and seeking a new home.                      naar Amerika emigreeren, maar we zijn bang dat
T,he great majority are settling in the province of als we' in Amerika terecht komen onze kinderen  gaan
Ontario, Canada, while several are also entering, the afdwalen van ,Gods Woord en in de massa zullen wor-
United States. To inform these immigrants of our                            den opgelost. En nu willen we geen eventueel stoffe-
Churches and our position the following has been pre- lijk voordeel ten -koste  van het eeuwig heil van de kin-
pared in pamphlet form for distribution.                                    deren,  ons door God toebetrouwd."-Een  andere broe-
                                                                            der schreef o.m.: `+Als emigrant die gereed staat om
  DE PROTESTANTSCHE GEREFORMEERDE                                           het Vaderland te verlaten, richt ik mij in dit schrijven
                            KERKEN                     _      -             tot LL Het is op zichzelf al een heele groote stap om
                              :I:  $  *                                     naar Canada te gaan. Maar, dominee, de Kerk, hoe
                                                                            moet dat? Als ik in Canada aan wal stap tot welke
             Een woord aan alle liefhebbers van de                          kerkelijke  denominatie moet ik mij wenden voor kerke-
                   G e r e f o r m e e r d e   W a a r h e i d              lijke gemeenschap, volgens art. 29 van onze  Neder-
                                                                            landsche Geloofsbelijdenis?". . . Deze en meer derge-
                                                                            lijke vragen verblijden ons ten zeerste. Zulke  broe-
       Op verzoek van de Zendings Commissie                                 ders betoonen dat ze nog een kerk-begrip hebben en
                     geschreven door                                        dat ze de .gemeenschap  zoeken van die kerk we1k.e  de
                     Ds.  JOHN  D.  DE JONG                                 zuivere merkteekenen van `de Kerk van Christus ver-
                   Grand Rapids, Michigan I                                 toont. Ze  willen. niet  worden opgeslokt door eenige
                                                                            kerk en ze  .zijn bezorgd over het geestelijk welzijn
                              4:     :i:     $                              hunner kinderen. Dezulken verstaan het woord van
   Any of our ckdstories  or members who desire this pamphlet               onzen Heiland : "Zoekt eerst het Koninkrijk (Gods en
f,or distribution may proawe them bjy addressing a request to               Zijne gerechtigheid."
the Mission Committee-1210 Logan St.,  6. E., Grand Rapids,                    Nu is het  doe1 van dit vlugschrift allereerst  om
Michigan.                                         The Mission Committee.    onze Gereformeerde breeders  en zusters uit het oude
                                                                            Vaderland enkele inlichtingen te geven over de Pro-
   Als Christenen belijden `wij : "Ik geloof eene heilige, .testantsche  .Gereformeerde  Kerken (The Protestant Re-
algemeene, christelijke Kerk." Hiermee is echter het formed `Churches). Als een emigrant heeft  LI  hier
vraagstuk van de Kerk als bepaald instituut niet op-                        natuurlijk groot belang bij, en als Gereformeerd be-
gelost. `Vooral niet voor iemand ,die de Gereformeerde lijder wilt u graag iets meer van onze kerken weten.
waarheid liefheeft. Een Gereformeerd menseh gelooft Want nu dat u in Amerika of Canada is gevestigd moet
en belijdt dat het zijne roeping is. om zich aan te slui- u een keuze doen in betrekking tot de Kerk. En we
ten bij die plaatselijke -kerk welke de zuiverste open-                     nemen aan dat u de rechte keuze wilt doen omdat u de
baring is van het lichaam van Christus. Nu is  bet Gereformeerde waarheid lief lieeft. U moet een keuze
natuurlijk waar dat het vraagstuk der Kerk  zich niet doen omdat u, `strikt genomen, dezelf,de kerk hier niet
altijd even sterk aan ons opdringt. Velen onzer zijn weervindt die u in Nederland heeft verlaten.' In Neder-
in een bepaalde plaatselijke kerk geboren en getogen land was LI misschien lid van de Gereformeerde Kerk,
,en het schijnt haast een vanzelfsheid te zijn dat we hetzij dat die plaatselijke kerk Synodaal of  Vrijge-
aannemen dat onze kerk de zuiverste  kerk is. Tech maakt was. Het is ook mogelijk dat u tot e,en andere,
is. dat altij'd niet waar en zoo'n houding, die we nogal                    zich Gereformeer,d  noemende kerk,  behoorde. En nu is
gemakkelijk aannemen, is eigenlijk  ni,et  te prijzen. u in Amerika of Canada, maar de kerkelijke denomi-
Wij  moeten niet maar uit de  traditie  leven zonder naties die zich hier Gereformeerd noemen zijn natuur-
                                                                                                                            .
meer, maar we moeten er in onze ziel .van overtuigd lijk  g.een onderdeelen of afdeelingen van  eemge van
zijn dat wij. lid zijn van die plaatselijke openbaring de kerkelijke denominaties in Nederland. .,Wel onder-
van het lichaam van Christus  die de meest zuivere ken- houden sommige van de kerken in Amerika. en Canada
merken  van Christus' Kerk vertoont.                                        correspondentie met  ,Gereformeerde  kerken in Neder-
   Als we echter verhuizen, hetzij' naar een andere land. Maar dat wil nog niet zeggen dat het daarom
landstreek of naar een ander ons onbekend land, zoo-                        dezelfdk  kerken zijn.         De Reformed Church en de

                                                                                                                      _-
                                                                                                      -


382                                     T H E   STAN.DARD   B E A R E R

Christian R'eformed  Church, .en ,de Protestant Reform- er die beweerden dat deze twee predikanten leeringen
ed Churches hier aah deze zijde der .oceaan hebben verkondigden die : af dwalingen waren van de Geref or-
een eigen kerkverband en een .eigen kerkelijk leven, en meerde waarheid zooals die officieel vervat is in de
ze hebben ook  alle drie hun  eig&n geschiedenis van             Drie Formulieren v&n. Eenigheid: Het ging in de be-
.wording,  ontstaan, groei, enz. get is dus de vraag zwaren,  uitgedrukt  in de  protesten,  vdoral over  bet
voor u : "Tot welke Kerk moet ik mij hier wenden voor            stuk der genade en de verkondiging vaiz het Evangelie.
kerkelijke gemeenschap?" Het is meest  waarschijn-               Na lange beraadslaging  fqrmuleerde  de  Skode  ten-
lijk dat u dienaangaande reeds advies hebt ontvangen slotte Drie  Punten waarin de  Stiode  zich uitsprak
in het oude Vader-land. Is u er echtier zeker van dat            over de aanhangige kwesties.-We  merken  hier  tus-
dit advies op deugdelijke gronden. berustte en dat uw schenbeide `even op dat volgens onze v%ste overtuiging
adviseurs met volkomen kenpis van zaken spraken ?                de Synode niet rijp was om.zich ten finale uit te spre-
l-er slot van rekening moet u ,zelf de keuze doen.               ken over deze zaken.-En  wat was de beknopte inhoud
       U zegt misschien: "Bij dezen  ,tijd  il; mijn  belang-    van deze Drie  Punten?  De Synode  sprak uit: 1. Dat
stelling we1 opgewekt oti iets meer te hooren van de             er, behalve de zaligmakende genade Gods bewezen al-
Protestantsche .Gereformeerde  Kerken, wa;ar  worden leen aan de uitverkorenen ten eeuwigen leven, ook eeli
ze gevonden, waarin verschillen z6 van andere, ons zekere gunst of genade #Gods is, die Hij betoont aan
meer bekende, kerken?" Welnu, we hopen u daar iets Zijn schepselen in het~ algemeen. 2. Dat <God  door de
meer van te vertellen en uw vragen te beantwoorden.              algemeene werkingen Zijqs Gee&es,   zond& het hart
       De Protestantsche Gerdformeerde  Kerken zijn ont- te vernieuwen, de zonde in haar onverhinderd  uit-
staan in het jaar 1924-`25. Onze kerken zijn &is nog breken beteagelt, waardoor de. menschelijke samen-
jong. Uit den naam blijkt  echter reeds dat wij ons              leving mogelijk is gebleven. 3. Dat  6od zonder het
historisch plaatsen op de basis van de SGereformeerde            ,hart  te vernieuwen zoodanigen invloed op den mensch
Kerken der Reformatie. van de zestiende en de zeven-             oefent, .dat deze in staat' g&teid wordt burgerlijk gosd
tiende eeuw gelijk cle leer dir vaderen  ligt uitgedrukt te  doen.-De Synode  bew,&erde  natuurlijk daf hare
iii de Gereformeerde belijdenisschrifteri. In :dien zin uitspraken gegrond waren op de leer der Schrift, in'
hebben we dan oak al een heele geschiedenis achter` overeenst&nming.  met de  ,Gereformeerde   belijdenis-
den rug en bekoepen  ons telkens weer op de vaderen.             schriften, en dat de vaderen  van oudsher deze gevoelens
U vraagt misschien onmiddelijk  : "Hoeveel plaatselijke altijd hadden vooigestaan.
kerken behooren tot de Protestantsche Gereformeerde                 Het' kan best zijn d&t u `zegt : "Dat valt me.nog al
.Kerken  ?" U stelt deze vraag natuurlijk niet omdat u mee, die Drie Punten zijn nog niet zoo erg naar het mij
gelooft dat de grootte van een kerkverband ook de voor komt." U moet echter we1 begrijpen dat de lei-
zuiverheid bepaalt. Een Gereformkerd  m8ens& we& ders der Christian Reformed Chub-ch ook hun interpre-
we1 beter, want op zoo'n standpunt kan er nooit een tatie gegeven hebb,en  van deze Drie Punten: En allen,
k'erk-reformatie ontstaan en hadden onze vaderen  all'en zoowel de Christelijk (Gereformeerde  broeders als de
in de Rootische kerk moeten blijven. Doch, om op uw Protesttintsche  Gereformeerde broeders, zijn het van
vraag terug te komen: Wij tellen  thans 23 kerken ver- harte eens dat het eerste punt het eigenlijke, het voor-
deeld over de volgende /Staten  : Michigan, Illinois, Wis- naamste punt is. Als dat waar is dan komt men ge-
consin, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, California.                    makkelijk tot de bewering van het tweede punt, en
       U stelt echte? meer belang bij het antwoord op de het derde punt volgt als vanzelf uit het tweede. Als
vraag : "Hoe ,en waarom zijn de Prote+antsche Gere- het tweede punt waar is dan moet het derde punt waar
formeerde Kerken- ontstaan, en wat leeren die kerken, zijn. En  nu. is  de vraag niet allereerst: "Hoe leggen
en wa% is hun belijdenis?" lOok die vragen hopen we              c&j de punten uit," maar : "Wat is de interpretatie  van
te beantwoorden. Allereerst dus heel &i het kort iets            de leiders van de Christian Reformed Church?" We
over het o'qtstaan ,en het begin onzer geschiedenis. Als         iouden daar heel wat van kunnen zeggen en er is vooral
inleidend woord op ons antwoord  up de door LI gestelde          in `de ,eerste  jaren na 1924, heel wat over deze Drie
vraag  willen we eerst ieggen: "De meeste van  6nze .Punten  geschreven;  vooral van den kant van de be-
oudere lederi war& voor 1924 leden van tie Christian schuldigden. E?-I deze Dri,e Puntee zijn door de leiders
Reformed Church. "En hebben ze die kerk zoo maar vari de Chi-istian Reformed Church zoodanig verklaard
verlaten, vraagt u ?" Neen, het smart ofis te zeggen,            en toegelicht dat ze, naar onze vaste overtuiging,  inder-
.maar er was geen plaats meer voor hen'in die Kerk. .daad strijden met de Gereformeerde belijdenis en de
Laat ons  echter niet op het verhaal vooruit  loopen.            leer der Schrift.. We zonden dit- overvloediglijk kun-
`In 1924 kwam de Syliode van de Christian Reformed nen bewijzen met vele aanhalingen uit de geschriften
 Church  bije&i in Kalamazoo, Michigan. ,Op die Synode van de leiders uit de Christian Reformed Church. Dii
`waren v&schilletid&  bezwaren en protesten tegen een            is echter `niet mogelijk in dit kort bestek en daarom
paar. leekaren  uit de Christian Reforrined Church,' met slechts een e&e1 bewijs in verband  met het eerste der
name Ds. H. Danhof en Ds. H. Hoeksema. Er waren
                c                                                Drie  Putiten.  Ds. H. J. Kuiper, thans redacteur van


                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D             B E A R E R                                 383

 "The' Banner", s&reef  o.a. het volgende:  "fiij zendt vallen dan  teen grond voor schorsing en afzetting.
 den goddelooze aarclscke  zegeningen  als vruchten van Maar dat is atoch niet het ha& .der zaak waaf het om
 Zijne goedertier,enheid,  om hen te overtuigen van Zijn ging. Wij hadden, en we hebben nog steeds de Gere-
 welmtienende  gewilligheid om hen ,te schenken de groo- formeerde waarheid lief, maar voor de gestrenge, zui-
 ixr gave der zaligbeid in Christus." (Rev. H. J.' Kuiper` vere,  an$ithetische,   ,Gode welbehagelij'ke (Gereformeerde
 "The Three Points of Comtion Grace," (De Drie Pun- waal"heid,  zooals  gepredikt  door de  genoemde   voor-
 ten Der "Algemeene Genade) , bladzij 15, uitgegeven in             gangers, was toentertijd geen plaats in de. Christian
 1925).:`: We zouden dergelijke aanhalingen met  +ele               Reformed Church. Wij  .konden niet zuiver  Gerefor-
 kunnen  vermeerderen.  We komen straks echter nog meerd zijn in dat kerkverband. Ook is de Christian
 we1 op deze  dingen terdg en  hopen duidelijk  aan-  te Reformed Church nooit van haar eens ingenomen
 toonen dat de Christian Reformed Church nog steeds standpunt terug gekomen.                      Protesten op de Synode        ,.
 het eens ingenomen standpunt handhaafit en verdedigt. van de Christian Reformed Church in 1926, door ons
 W'e laten het aan den vriendelijken lezer  ,over om te             ingediend, werden van de hand gewezen. Maar daar-
 oordeelen of de zoo juist aangehaalde woorden, die mee werd dan  &k voor  goed de leer der  tilgemeene
 voor geen  tweegrlei uitlegging vatbaar zijn, de  ver- genade tot een kerkelijk dogma verheven.  I.ets dat
 to!king zijn vah Gereformeerde beginselen.                         nog nimmer  geschied was in eenige Gereformeerde
    .Laat  ons in dit verband.  nog even mogen  opmerken            Kerk.     En onze  belijden&chriften   weten van geen
 dat de Synode van 1924 tevens verklaarde dat de `aan- algemeene genade. De eenige keer dat de term alge-
 g&klaagd,e' predikanten in de fundamenteele stukken meene  genade wordt ge$.oemd, wordt hij gelegd in den
 der leer goed Gereformeerd waren.                                  mond van de Arminianen.
    D'e ,teerling  was echter geworpen en wat de Q-node                Ook later pogingen tot samenspreking om weer tot
 ni& eischte iy'erd we1 door de locale Classes gegischt.            eenheid te komen zijn op niets uitgeloopen. De Chris-
 De twee Classes %eischen  nqmelijk dat de twee predi-              tian Reformed Church houdt nog steeds vast aan de
 kahten men hun kerkeraden eefi verklaring van onder-               Synodale, binclencl gemaakte uitspraken  van 1924. We1
 werping  aan de  Synodale  besluiten, uitgedrukt in de noemt de Chriitian Reformed Church d,eze uitspraken
 Drie  Punten,  zouden onderteekenen en verder niets `verklaringen' van de Gereformeerde belijdenis. Doch
 zouden  leeren dat met  deie besluiten in strijd was. dit is onmogelijk te handhaven, want onzerzijds waren
 Dus, vati de Synodale uitspraken maakten de Classes en zijn we nog steeds bereid om onze beschouwingen
 bihdende besluit'en. Toen de reeds genoemde predikan-              a.an de scherpste kritiek, die zich gebond.en weet aan
 ten met hun kerkeraden zich  aan ,deze  hi&archische               de  .Schrift en  aan  ,de  Gereformeerde   belijd@s, te
 d&ad .oni Gods wil .en. bm des gewetens wil, ni& konden onderwerpeh.                De leeruitspraken  waren geen  `ver-
 en'welden ondtiFw&pen,  iv&den ze met hun kerkertiden              klaringen' maar `toevoegselen' aan de belijdenis.
 geschorst in  bun ambt  es kort daarna afgezet als                    En sinds dien tijd hebben we een eigen kerkelijk
 predikanten in de Christian Reformed Church.                       leven en zijn later kerkelijk georganiseerd in Classes
    Dat is, heel in het ko.rt, de geschiedenis van het en Synode; de laatste vergadert elk jaar.
 ontstaan onzer kerken.,  Niemand,  die de geschiedenis                De Christian Reformed Church is ook haar  weg' :
 kent zal de feiten die we noemden kunnen of durven gegaan en heeft geschiedenis  gemaakt. Het  stand-
 loochenen. En daarom, gij allen die dit leest; met name punt dat men eens, ter kwader  ur&, heeft ingenomen,
 aile gij liefhebbers van de Gereformeerde waarheid,                heeft natuurlijk niet nagelaten om ,verder  door te wer-
 het is onze innigste overtuiging dat onze voorgangers .ken. De Kerk  die-velen   ond.er   ofis nog steeds "Onze
 in. 1924-`25 niet anders konden handelen dan zij gehan-            Moeder" nbemen,  .heeft  in 1924 de Gereformeerde
,deld- hebben. Wij hebben niet een ander kerkverband waarheid op het stuk der genade verkracht. En het
 gezocht noch gewild, maar men heeft ons `daartoe, Fe-              officieele standpunt, zooals uitgedrukt in de Drie Pun-
 dwongen. De Classes  hadden ons het  recht van  dls-               ten van Kalamazdo komt uit en moet noodgedwongen
 cussie en -interpretatie  van de Drie Punten `ontzegd.             zich openbaren in de leer en in de praktijk des levens.
 Welnu,  aan de besluiten der meerdere vergaderingen Aan dat standpunt ligt een Godsbeschouwing  en een
 mochten  de aangeklaagden zich niet onderwerpen `om wereldbeschouwing t"en grondslag. En beginselen wer-
 de? waarheid wil. Velen Tijn toen met hen meegegaan , ken altijd doqr.                     ,
 omdat zij de beginselen liefhadden die door de leiders                Maar, zegt u misschien: "Ik heb- tech w:el eens ge-
 werdeti voorgestaan en omdat zij de verantwoordelijk- hoord dat de Christian Reformed ChuTch bet Armin-
 heid -van de Synodale en Classicale besluiten niet voor            ianisme, dat zooveel in ,de Amerikaansche kerken wordt
 hun rekening konden en durfden nemen. Natuurlijk, gevonden,   verwerpt." In zekeren zin is dat  waar,.
het  zich niet  onderwerpen   ~aan de besluiten van de en het is nog maar kort geleden dat de redatiteur  van
 `bevoegde kerkelijke  autoriteiten' wordt in  zulke  ge-           (`The Banner", (een officieel kerkelijk weekblad van
   * De aanhalingen in dit gkschrift zijn uit het Engelsch  <er-    de -Christian Reformed Church) de leer van het Armin-
taald door, schrijver dezes.                                        i&isme en ,tian een algemeene verzoening~  heeft be-


                          /
                                                           I
                          ,                                /
                                                                                                           :                __  ~-~  ----
                          ;                                                   -----
                                          T          H          E         STANDAR-D.  BEAR,.ER                                  =
           . .                                 ._                                            _.          /  .  _
       streden. : Maar het is.`tevens  waar c&t dezelfde redac-                heeft gelijk. Dat is goed gezien. Maar daarin schuilt
      teur ixi *datzelfde  verband  .bok h+ volgende schreef :                 dtin ook het gevaarlijke van zoo%: voorstelling.                        Men
       "Tegenstanders  van  deze. leer  (n.1. de leer  de&  alge-              kan tw:ee kanten uit, men heeft twee lijnen. Trouwens,
      meene  genacie), hebben ons vaak uit gedaagd om te tiaar komt men dan ook openlijk voor uit. Alleen baar,
      verklaren  op welke basis een rechtvaardig God Zijne men beweert d& het ons menschelijk verstand  te boven
      genade kan schenken  aan de  vey%xpen&.  In  be- gaat hoe God eenerzijds Zijne genade en' zaligheid w.el-
      trelcking tot de  uitverkorenen  is die basis de  plaats-                meenend aan alle menschen, dJe komen onder ae predi-
      bekleeg.end&  verzoening van Christus. Maar daar kan king des Woords,  kan aanbieden, dus ook aan de ver-
      geen wettige ~basis voor algemeene genade zijn, zeg-                     worpenen, en dat Hij anderzijds  tech alle.en de uitver:
      gen zij, omdat  Christus  alleeti  voor de  uitverkoreizen               lrorenen  zaligt. Ds. I& J. HuiIjer schrijft b.v. in "Three
      stierf.  ,011~ antwoord is dat  al1.e barmhartigheid die                 Points of Common Grace," bladzij 15, het volgende:
      #God bew-ijst  aan het zondige menschelijke  geslacht                    `"Het is-waar dat $God van eeuwigheid sommigen-.yer-
       ban  den Verlosser vloeit. Daar is geen genade,  par-                   korenen heeft tot het eeuwige leven en anderen ver-
      ticulier of algemeen, 10s van het kruis van den' Zalig- worpen. Maar het is ook even waar`dat Hij de zalig-
      maker. Die genade begint &et bij het kruis, ,en wordt, heid w,elmeenend  aanbiedt aan allen die het evangelie
      zoo gezegd, niet gegenereerd bij het kruis: Integen-                     hooren.        Het feit dat wij met ons eindig verstand
      deel, die  gena,de  gaat  aan het  krtiis vooraf, zij is                 deze waarheden niet ten -voile kunnen harmbniee$en
      eerst. -lOok zij roept, om het- kruis omdat genade moet ons niet terug hoeden om ze beide te aanvaarden.
      nimmer geschonken kan worden tenzij aan de eischen                       Beide zijn duidelijk  in de Heilige Sehrift geopenbaard."
      van het Goddelijk  recht is  voldaan.               Die genade is -Ziet u, het is een mysterie en wij kunnen de myste-
      als een hemelsche strodm welke de menschen alleen rien niet oplossen, dus, moeten we dat aan. God oyer
      bereiken kan `door het kanaal van het kruis &ls .het                     laten. Voor ons menschelijk denken  is er tegenstrijdig-
      instrument van het strenge recht Gods. Los van h& ,heid, maar bij God'zijn  geen  tegenstrijdigheden. Nu
      kruis kunnen de verkorenen, de zaligheid niet; beerven ; :kli+ zulk beweren natuurlijk we1 heel mooi, maar het
      10s van datzelfde kruis zou de gerechtigheid Gods                        is totih bedriegelijk en het strijdt tegen de. doorgaande
      &nnzidc&li~ke  eeuwige straf eisehen voor al de zonen                    leer der  Schrift. U gevoelt natuurlijk  we1 dat zoo'n
      van gevallen Adam." ("The Banner," 12 Maart, 1948,                       standpunt als wordt ing&omen,door de Christian Re-
      ,blz. 324) .-De onbevooroordeelde en  gewillige. lezer formed Church ook verlammend,op  de prediking moet
      moet natuurlijk  goed voor de  aatidacht houden `dat we4;ken. Op dit standpunt is het immers heel gemak-
      geen~enkel Schriftuurlijk bewijs voor de zoo juist aan- kelijk om een Gereformeerde predikatie te hebben `met
      gehaalde  parag@af  wordt gegeven. Het  b`ewe.er,de                      een Arminiaansche of M,ethodistische  toepassing. En
      wordt  hoegenaamd  niet bewezen.-En in "The Banner" .wat moet het kerkgaand @,ubliek per slot van rekening
      van 19 Maart, 1948, blz. 356, ,begint dezelfde redaeteur                 nu gelooven?
      een artikel met deze worden: "Wij hebben geiien dat                                                        (Wordt Vervolgd)
      in een  zekeren  zin kan  worden  gezegd dat  Christus                                                                                  J. De Jong.
      voor alle menschen stieyf. Daar zijn `.kostelijke  t+jcZe-
      lijlce  >veldaden  die toevloeien  aan  allen die het  evan-                                                   -
      gelie ho&en, en sommige welke. God aan alle menschen
      schenkt,  vanwege  het lijden  .en  .sterven van  onzen
      Heere aan het kruis."-We zouden de voorgaande aan-                                                            IN MEMORIAM .
      halingen met anderen kunnen vermeerderein,  maar dat                            It pleased our Heavenly Father to take away from us on
      is voor ons  doe1 thans niet noodzakelijk. We wilden                     Saturday,' April 10, 1945, our father, grandfather, and  great-
      alleen maar duidelijk maken dat ,de ,Christian  Reform- grandfather,
      ed Church vandaag de leeruitspraken van -1924 nog ten                                                                          .
      volle handhaaft.                                                                                          L U C A S   TE,Ml'LEMAN
          U zegt misschien : "Maar hoe kan dat tech, hoe kan                   at  the age of 90 years, 8 months, and 10 days.
.     men eenerzijds leeren dat Christus alleen voor de' u$                                        .-               Mr. and Mrs: G. Popping
      verkorenen gestorven  is en anderzijds, en dit derzelfder                                                       Mr. and Mrs. J. Spyker
      tijd, dat als vrucht van de kruisverdienste van ,Christus                                                       Mr, and Mrs. J. Krosschell
      er ook kostbare tijdelijke weldaden toevloeien aan de                                                           Mr. `and Mrs.  p. Van Egmond
      verworpenen ? Iemalid die natuurlijk nog fijne Gere-                                                            n/rr.  ,and Mrs. J. Tempelman  -  .'    '
      formeerde voelhorens heeft merkt terstond dat deze                                                              Mr; and Mrs. R. Tempelman
      twee dingek met elkaar in strijd  zijn.`! U zegt  mis-                                                          Mr. and Mrs. C. Schnyders
     schien: "Dat loopt heelemaal tiiet lo?, het eene is &aar                                                             24 grandchildren
                                                                                 -
      of het andere, het eerste is `Gereformeerd  en het tweede                                                           9 great-grandchildren.
      gaat  we1 `terdege in  ,de Arminiaansche  richting." U Fdgerbon,   M i n n e s o t a .   `,


