 VOLUME XXIV                              June 15, 1948 ,- Grand Rapids, Michigan                                         NUMBER 18
                                                                   now ye say, We see; therefore your- sin remain-
        M-EDIT:k'T  ION                                            eth."
                                                                      And this manifestation of the works of God through
                                                                   Jesus, a work that is the saving of the blind,. on the
                                                                   one hand ; and the hardening of the reprobates who
        Salvation Is Of The Lord                                   `say they see, on the other hand, is carried on further
                                                                   by Jesus in chapter 10 by the preaching of a parable
             "My sheep hear My ;ioice, and I know them,  and       of the shepherd, the sheep, the door," the hireling and
           they follow Me: and I give  unt? them eternal life;     the wolves. Each has his proper place.
           and they shall never perish; neither shall any man         And my text `constitutes the conclusion of that
           pluck them out 6f My hand. My Father, which gave        discourse of the sheep and the shepherd. You may
           them Me, is greater than all; and.  np  +nan is able    also call it a restatement of the works of God.
           to pluck them out of My Father's hand. I  and6 My          And its theme is this : Salvation is of the Lord ! .
                                                                                                          ~
           Father are one."
                                          John  10:27-30.                                      :i:  :i:  :,:  :i:
                                                                                          ^
     The occasion for these words of my text must be                   Salvation is of the Lord !                                             II
  sought in the curing of'the man who was born blind.                 You hear of that wonderful. truth'in my text three
   That this is so, is evident from the answer which times. Salvation is of the `Lord.! `This truth is evident
  Jesus gives when His disciples ask Him: "Master, who             in the actions of the :sheep, in the hand of the Good
  did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born .Shepherd,  and in  ' the almighty love of the Triune
 blind?" To this query Jesus gives answer: "Neither God.
  hath this man sinned, nor his parents : but that the                 The `sheep themselves  show that it is,  SGod that
  works of God should be made manifest in him."                    tiorketh salvation.
     And `then follows. the curing of the man. and the                 They hear the voice of Jesus  f  .-                                          .
  resultant struggle with the pharisees. And these two                                                                                   -
                                                                      And that is a miracle.                                .
  events constitute a manifestation of the works of                    No matter how `sweet the voice of Jesus Christ, and
  God: that is, the, curing. of,-- God's people from death no matter where and-how He may' speak, the Wnatural
  to life and the hardening. of the reprobates that                tendency' of our heart and~mind is to stop our ears
  stumble at the curative works of God. But both to-               and to corrupt ourselves in the midst of this chorus. of
  gether in their relation to one another constitute the the ~vbice of the Lord.                                     .                                   .
  work of Jehovah-God..                                                The speech of Jesus !
    That this is so is further demonstrated at the end                 It is rich and manifold in form.
  of- the 9th chapter, where Jesus comes to the blind                  There `is a universal speech of Jesus as He is ,the
                                                                                                                                 . .,
  man and heals him spiritually, and where the former Logos in creation.
  blind  .man worships Jesus. Then Jesus says: "For                    From the beginning of' creation He has spoken `in
  judgment I am -come into this world, that. they which created. things: Psalm  19  and'.Romans  1.                                                 Also
                                                                                                                          . .
  see not might see ; and they. which- see might ,be made John 1.
 .blind." And this-fundamental statement of the works                  Our fathers have listened to that speech of the Son
  of God through Jesus is followed by the taunt of the             of God in creation, and they have said of it that "the
  reprobates : "Are we blind, also?" And the answer of creation, preservation and government of. the universe
Jesus: "If ye were blind, ye should-have no sin : but              . . . .is before our eyes as a most `elegant book, where-
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                            .                                                        1

                410                                           -1' H E                S T A N D A R D   BEAKER

                in.all creatures, great and small, are as so many char-                                      That is the miracle of grace in the heart of man.
                @ers leading us to, contemplate the invisible things                                         Witlnout that grace, you will always corrupt youq
                of God, namely, His power and Divinity."                                            k    self, even in the midst of the beauteous symphony of
                       And this book is written .by Jesus Christ, put then the voice of God in Jesus Christ.                                       "%,:.
                as the Logos of creation :- And God sCGid. . . . ! , ,The                                    But when grace enters the heart, `we'take heed to
                .+peaking V&e of God is the eternal Son !                                                the voice of Jesus: We hear. My sheep hear,  MY
                   `But who among.men hears that voice of the Son?                                       7. eke.
                       None of us as we are by nature!                                                       The objective voice of Jesus penetrates the$hearts
                       `Oh yes, we not& the things which are characters- of man, illuminating him in that heart, so that?lgsees
                in the book of God, and we take them. and use them God in the face of Jesus Christ. Only if and `when
                and enjoy (.?) `them, but without giving God the glory.                                  "God shines in our hearts", ,do Iwe receive "the light of
                Terrible thought: we will `even use these things of the knowledge of the glory of #God in the face of Jesus
                God's voice against Him ! Thinking that we can make Christ."
                war against the God supreme!                                                                 The .firstfruit of such hearing of the voice bf Jesus
                       Most wanton godlessness : not to listen, to the voice is regeneration. And regeneration is the light of the
                of Gad's emissary.                                                                       world in your heart, dispelling, centrally, the darkness
                       And .in the fulness of time the Voice of God came of corruption. You become a new man in Christ.
           on earth, and He spoke again. And the words of Jesus                                              And the second result is that you follow Him.
                are precious beyond compare.                                                                 You leave the city of corruption and you begin your
                       They are different from the characters of the most journey to the City `of God, the New Jerusalem. And                                         .
                elegant book of nature,_and  yet they are the same in you will principally use all things to go to that City
                essence.         The Source is the same.                       ._                        of God. 2
                       The difference lies in'this that this second speech -                                 They leave the darkness, the. sphere of guilt; doom,
                of the Son of `God is relative the work of God in recrea-                                corruption and death, and they travel to the realm of
                tion, in the rebuilding and exaltation of all things.                                    light and truth; goodness and spiritual power, ever-
                       If one thing was plain in the fulness of time it lasting love of God and the life that is eternal.
                was  .this : humanity had corrupted its way in the                                           For that is salvation.
                earth.                                                                                      `Do you not see that salvation is of the Lord?
                       And there comes Jesus in the midst of the darkness                                    He found us in our darkness, and that is death,and
                of man!                                                                                  corruption., And He speaks! And how He speaks.
                       Listen, He is about to speak !                                     _ .            He speaks so that the dead hear His voice, and they
                 ' I am the Light of the world!                                                          leave the  sepulchre, and are loosed from the grave-
.     I                Do you see the similarity, and the ,difference?                                   clothes that bind them about. `They shed them and
                  " Similarity, for God also said at the' dawn of the walk. They"see  the light of His mercy, and they travel
           1 history of' the world : Let there be light !                                                to the Face, to the Face of God.  You. cannot keep
                       Difference, for Jesus is the Light of the world in a God's children from walking to heaven.
                spiritual  ,sense. Paul spoke of it in II Corinthians:                                       And going, travelling,  marching to Zion, they sing:
                For God who commanded the light to .,shine out _ of                                      This God whom we see in the Face of Jesus Christ, is
                darkness hath shined in our hearts. i . . There is the the strength of our strength ! His is all the glory !
                difference!  : God spoke in the midst of the chaotic  _                                      Salvation is of the Lord!
                darkness, and the result was natural light. for the                                                                    -.
                natural world. God spoke again in the midst of the                                                              :g  *  9:  3:
                dark heart of man, and the result was spiritual light
                for :the .spiritual world of His goodpleasure.                                               Salvation is of the Lord!
                       And the record of this speech of God anent spiritual                                  "And I know them!"
                things is found in the Word of God, the Bible. It is                                         What unutterable sweetness is in these words!
                the voice of Jesus.              .,                                                      Jesus Christ, `the Son of God,. knows me !
                  ' And notice :.it is of the Lord, whether you listen to                                    This knowing is no mere intellectual knowing, but
                His word in nature, or to His word in the realm of His                                   it is the same ."knowing" of Romans 8. It is because
           kingdom. God speaks !                                                                         of this "knowledge" wherewith God and Christ know
                       Without that voice the darkness remaineth.                                        us that we arrive in eternal glory. This knowledge is
                       Salvation is of the Lord!                                                         the beginning of the chain of salvation of Romans 8.
                -,' ,                      `4  * :I:     *       :                                       "And whom he foreknew, He also did predestinate. . ."
                                                                                          .
           /                                                                                                 Can you fathom this? Jesus knew His sheep from
                       And the miracle of salvation becomes manifest in all eternity in a knowledge of indescribable love. He
                this that there, are men who hear.                                                       knew them so intently and so wonderfully that for the _'
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                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D . -   B E A R E R                                    _ 411'

  sake of the loving foreknowledge He went to hell for Ge the remnants of sin in your me.mbers,' and they,
  them.              ,,                                      too, would spoil you,, and pluck yoln out of the hand
      And note that the loving knowledge wherewith of Christ. Let us `put it this way i if Jesus did not
  Jesus knows His sheep is the manifestation of the `love hold you firmly in,His hand, you, yourself, would try
 -of God. Note that the "love of Christ" in verse 35 of to get out of His hand! You, as you are ,by nature,
  `Remans 8, becomes "the love of ,God, which is in Christa are in league with the devil and the world he in-
  Jesus the Lord" in verse 39 !                                                           I
                                                             spires.
      And it is because. of this knowledge wherewith                But Jesus loves you, and He holds you. "The Lord
  Jesus knows His sheep that "they shall not perish unto my Saviour -holds me!" Remember? - How you sang
eternity" ; you must. read the text that way. They that song? Well, He does.  AndtHe does it through
  shall not perish unto all eternity, no, for Jesus did the almighty'power of His grace which becomes evident
  perish for them. He perished unto eternity, that is,       in faith, and that not of yourselves, it- is the gift
  He died the eternal death for them. You see: your of God!
  Jesus is the Good Shepherd. And your negative pasture             For : Salvation is of the Lord !.
  is this, that He died the death for His sheep;  '
    It means that He took upon Himself all your guilt,         ;                       :i:  :i:  :j:  :i:
                                                                                                                     .,`I-  :
  and death,' and -damnation. And coming from the                   Salvation is of the Lord  !`                    `:`$h.
  tomb, He sang into your ears: There is therefore now              And I give unto them eternal life! /
no condemnation to them who are in Me ! `I'hey shall                It is tantamount to .saying, as He does later: :My
  nevermore die !                                            Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all ; and
      And no one `shall be `able to pluck them out of the    no man is able to pluck them out  ' of My Father's
  hand of the Good Shepherd! `.                              hand."                                                _  7.
      Who would attempt to do that?                                 Eternal life is to know God, Triune, and Jesus
      Qh, but there are many that would if they could.       Christ whom He hath sent.
      There is the devil and his devils.                            `To have eternal. life, therefore, `is to have. the
      They would love to pluck you out of the hand'of        knowledge of the living God in your inmost heart.
  the Shepherd.                                                     Eternal life is more than enduring life. Adam had
      Jesus has revealed to us that Satan would like to      this, in Paradise. But he could lose it. And he did
  have sifted the apostle,Peter  like wheat is sifted. But lose it. Moreover, it was only earthly knowledge of
  Jesus prayed. And Peter stayed in the hand of the          God.
  Shepherd. You can tell that. For when it seems as            ., Eternal life is to know-God, deeper than Adam in
  though Peter was lost, Jesus takes one look at him, and    Paradise. It is to know more of God's virtues in a
  Peter weeps, he weeps bitterly and goes weeping into qualitative and also in a `(quantitative sense. Quali-
  the night. Oh God, be merciful to me the sinner! It tative: we know God as the God of our salvation who
is the strength of. the loving hand of Jesus that keeps      would go to hell for us. I ask you : what did Adam
 Peter on the way to the city of `God:  `Judas weeps too,    know of that kind of a God? Quantitative i'1 ask you :
  but he takes the cord and hangs himself. And the what did Adam know of the riches of the wi=?sdom and
  deepest reason is that Jesus did not pray for Judas,       the  pow.ey   of,  Goci? Through the cross, as a prism,
  did not know him in love, and did not prepare his the "white" rays of' the virtues of God are broken
  p a s t u r e .                                            into the variagated beauties of the knowledge of God
      There is the world, inspired by the devil and his      in goodness, patience, longsuffering, forgiveness, grace
  hosts of hell.                                             for grace, and what more would tell us of the story
      And they, too, would like to spoil the `sheep of       of the indescribable love of God in the Face of His
  Christ with an  ;eternal spoiling. They hate  ~0~1, for    Son, groaning and crying in eternal darkness. Will
  you exhibit Jesus, and God. Him, they hated before you measure the greatness of the love of ,God? Well,
  they hated you, and they hate you for .His sake:           go stand before the cross during the three hours dark-              /
      But. Jesus has overcome the world, and He .con- ness, and listen to the sighs of the Lamb.
  tinues to overcome the world by the implanting of a               `Creation, history, providence, the Bible, Jesus and
  living faith in your hearts. Your faith overcomes God `Triune unite to sing one song: Salvation is of
  the world.                                                 the Lord ! Are you prepared to sing its Choruses?                        ,
 \i' And so: the world is not able to pluck. you out of To do so is heaven.
  the hand of Jesus.'           .                                                                             G. Vos.  8
      And there is the power of sin in, your`heart, in-
  spired by the world and the devil who dwell there by
. nature. And even though your inner heart is renewed               A struggling church is not dead at any rate.
  by the power of grace of which we spoke above, there                                                       -Selected.


.a4 1 2                                                                                             THE                               STANDARD                                               BEARER

                               The Standard Bearer                                                                                                                                                 EDITORIA.LS
            Semi-Monthly, except  Month!y in July and August
                                                 P u b l i s h e d   B y
                    The Reformed Free Publishing Association
                                              1463  A&ore St., S. E.                                                                                                                          Prof: Dr. S. Greijdanus                      j
                                   EDITOR: - Rev. H. Hoeksema.
ContribuctQg Editors:  - Rev.  G; M. Ophoff, Rev. G. Vos, Rev.                                                                                                                          Notice of the passing of this man of God in the
R. Veldman, Rev. H. Veldman, Rev. H. De Wolf, Rev. B. Kok,                                                                                                                           Netherlands came to us on the 25th of last month,
Rev. J. D. De  Jo@,  Rev. A. Petter, Rev.' C. Hanko, Rev. L.                                                                                                                         that is, on the day the forms of our Standard Bearer.
Vermeer,  Rev: G. Lubbers, Rev. M. Gritters, Rev. J. A. Heys,                                                                                                                        closed, and we could insert the notice as-such, and no
Rev.  W;  Bofman.                                                                                                                                                                    more. There was no time or room for a proper edi-
  Communications relative to contents should be addressed to                                                                                                                         torial expressing our sympathy both to the bereaved
REV. GERRIT VOS,  Hudsonville,  Michigan.
   Communications relative to .subscription  should be addressed                                                                                                                     family, and the Reformed Churches in' the Nether-
to MR. GERRIT PIPE, i463 Ardmore St., S. E., Grand Rapids,. lands.
Mich. Announcements and Obituaries must be mailed to the                                                                                                                                Hence, this editorial at a later-date.
above address and will be published at a' fee of $1.00 for each
ntitice.                                                                                                                                                                                But even now, we are severely handicapped when
                            (Subscription Price $2.50 per year)                                                                                                                      we `set ourselves to write about the death of our de-
l&&red  as Second Class Mail  lat Grand Rapids, Michigan.                                                                                                                            parted brother. We know next to nothing of his his-
                                                                                                                                                                                     tory'. Roth our reading public here, and the brothers       .
                                                                                                                                                                                     and sisters in the Netherlands will kindly remember
                                                                                                                                                                                     this; when evaluating our humble efforts.
                                                                                                                                                                                        Above we said that we feel that we should express
                                                  - C O N T E N T S                                                                                                                  our sympathy to the Reformed Churches, and we did
M E D I T A T I O N -                                                                               n                                                                                not specify whether we meant the Reformed Churches
      Salvation Is Of  T.he Lord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .409                                      that are called the  Synodicals,. or the Reformed
                Rev. G. Vos                                                                                                                                                          Churches, Art. 31. And  -we  -did so' purposely. For
EmTORIALS-                                                                                                                                                                           although we know next to nothing of the precise de-
       Prof. Dr. S. Greijdanus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412                                   tails of the Dr.`s life, we do know that he was a man
       A Heipful Speech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . * . . . . . . . 413                  who'was held in high,esteem  in the Reformed Churches.
                Rev. G. Vos                                                                                                                                     . .                  The very fact that he served the church as Professor
                                                                                                                                                                                     at Kampen for fully thirty years would bear out, this
THE TRIPLE  KNOWLEDGE-
       An Exposition' Of The Heidelberg Catechism I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415                                                                                          testimony.    He received this distinction before the
                Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                                                                                     deplorable break which occurred in the years 1942-46.
       Van Boeken . . . . . . . . . . . ...' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  41s       A man that was held in high esteem!
                Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                                                                                        Those' are the words which I used.
                                                                                                                                                                                        And they were borne out when we listened to the
O U R   D O C T R I N E -                                                                                                                                                            evaluation of Dr. Greijdanus from the mouth of Prof.
        God's Covenant And The Promise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I..; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419                                                                  Dr. K. Schilder, especially during his last visit to our
                Rev. H. Veldman                                                                                                                                                      shores. Whenever he spoke of him we noted a warm
THE'DAY OF  SHADOWS-                                                                                                                                                                 friendship, grateful appreciation, and most of all, a
       Nabal Is Smitten . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 422                   distinct note of. reverence for the departed brother's
                R e v .   G .   M .   O p h o f f                                                                                                                                    personal piety which, according to Dr. Schilder, was
STO,N'S               ZANGE,N-                                   _                                                                                                                   outstanding in, his life and walk.
        Majesteit En Heerlijkheid . . ..i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  :..; . . . . . . . . . . . 424                                             If we take into account  the. wonderful fruits of
                Rev. G. Vos .                                                                                                                                                        `his enlightened mind, such as are reflected in his phb-
                                                                                                                                                                                     lished writings, coupled with his primary position at
FROM HOLY  WRIT-                                                                                                                                                                     the Theological School at Kampen, we realize that his
        About Catechism, Etc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 427                                passing is a great loss to `the cause of the Reformed
                Rev. M. Gritters                                                                                                                                                Churches in the Netherlands.
PERISCOPE-                                                                                                                                                                               However;Gwe  hasten to add-that we speak as a man.
            Church Discipline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .429 . We are of yesterday and know nothing. We talk about
                Rev. J. Howerzyl                                                                                                                                                     shocks, and losses, and catastrophies,  but God is &God,
            Synod In Session . . . . . . . J . . . ..-......' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430.He is the All-w&e %0,-j and i-oven&t Jehovah. - ;He' al-
              Rev. W. Hofman                                                              ,                                                                                          ways knows what He is doing. land He doeth all things ,
                                                                                                                                                                                     well. The passing of this brother,. who might occupy


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEARE'R                                                  a 413

  such an exalted position in His `church on earth, was formed  Chilrch; The Standard' Bearer, however, be-
  nothing but adorable wisdom. And that is so from               longs to this association, the R. F. P. A. We are FREE
- every point of view : for him,. his sorrowing relatives,       because we are not bound by ecclesiastical ties. This
  the Reformed Churches, maintaining art. 31, the Re- does `not tiean,  however, that we may run amuck. F a c t
  formed Churches in ecclesiastical  bqndage, and for            is, we are also a -REF@RMED association and have
  the Church at large.                                           therefore pledged ourselves to advance atid propagate
     At the so.mlding of the trump iYhen the A&-angel            the strictly Reformed truth. We are a PUBL.ISHING
  of God shall usher in the judgment, we sha!l see more association because .it is our desire to publish, to pro-
  clearly than we do nbw. And' then we shall see that            claim the blessed Reformed heritage which has been
  the darkest`hours  of th6 church, when tears and blood committed to- us. And we are an ASSOCIATION be-
  and untold suffering were her portion, were really the         cause we are l;ot bdund synodically but represent a
  golden hours, the hours when the eternal mystery of group of brethren who have pledged ourselves to pre-
Godlfiless  would  .shine  the brightest. Just one ex- serve and proclaim the blessed truths .of thi: Word of
  ample-: the crucifixion of our Zord ! 1 .The instituted        God. This association, the R. F. P. A., was organized
 church thought  that it was,  tl+ end of everything. because the official organs of the Christian Reformed
  And all the while-the loss, the shock of the Cross, the        Church were closed to us and we were denied' the
  catastrophy  of` a crucified Jesus was really the central      privilege to publish our views. With this brief history
  ray in the ocean of light that beams from our Father's         we are,.and  if not we ,should be, acquainted.
  mercy !                                                           I llave been asked to address you this. evening on a
     Sorrowing relatives of brother  4Greijdanus  i Sor- very pertinent question. The qu&stion  which we face
  rowing churches of the Netherlands ! Arm yourselves thi.s  ev'ening is not whether we are proclaiming or
with the same thought!. It is sweetest consolation.              publishing  .the  @?h. This, I am` sure, is certain
     The brother now sings in jubilant tones of the among us. I have not beeri asked to fire you anew
  mercy of' His God !                                            with zeal for the Reformed truth. Neither do we face
     But we are still in the shadows.                            the question whether- we must proclaim that truth.
     Let us work while it is day that no. one takk our           This, too, lies in the very-nature of the case. The ex-
  crown !                                                        hortation of Holy Writ  $0  `,proclaim  the  .virtues of
                                                G. Vos.          God Who called ui o>ut of darkness into His marvellous
                                                                 light is known and clear to all of us. -What oth&call-
                                                                 ing could we possibly have than to` proclaini  the.virtues
                 A `HeIpful Speech'                            I and the knowledge of the alone blessed God? ! T&t
                                                                -we `must .proclaim  the truth and condemn whateve$
                                                                 opposes the Word of God is surely beyond dispute.
     These days I received a letter from the Board of However, I am addressing you on the subject: Our
  our paper, asking me to publish a speech which the calling as the R; F. P. A. The question is not whether
  Re;. H.  Veldman spoke at a recent meeting of our we have the truth, or whether -we must proclaim that
  paper.      The brethren of. the Board opine that this truth, but whether we have that calling as an. R.F.P.A.
  speech may help them in the  wqrk of propagating Let us understand. and face th,is question. That the
  our paper among our people. And they are right.                Church of God, institutionally; must proclaim the
  We gladly do so. And since in this issue there- is no          tiuths of the Word of God, we `all understand. But,
  robni anywhere else, we gladly give the space of our may we also as an association be `engaged in the propa-
  editorials for its publication.                                gation of the truth? Do we, as an association, usurp
     The Rev. Herman Veldman spoke as follows:                  `tlie calling cf the Church of God? Have we taken upon ~
                                                                 ourselves a task which is not rightfully ours? Should
             OUR ?ALL'ING  "AS THE. `R. F. P. A.                 not the Standard Bearer become a church paper, con-
     The Standard Bearer, as all `of us or mqst of us trblled and supervised by our synod? Are ive not tres-
  probably know, did not appear after the ministers,             passing in the undertaking of this work? Shbuld  w e
I-1. Danhof, H. Hoeksema, and G. M. Ophoff  .were                not disband?. It is this question which I ask this even-
  deposed. These ministers. were deposed at the begin- ing .and to which I would call  your .attention  a few
  ing of the year 1925; our association, known as-the            moments.                                          s
  Reformed Free Publishing Association, was born in                 We need not emphasize this etening the- calling of
  the la$ter part of the year 1923. Secondly, our Stan- the Church of God. r Indeed, the Church, yea, only the .,
  dard Bearer is not a church paper. (A church paper;            Church may preach the gospel. Preaching we define
  such as The Banner or De Wachter, is controlled by as the official proclamation of the Word of God through
  the church-their.  .editor, for example, receives his which' it pleases Christ, the King and'sole Missionary
~ appointment from the Synod of the Christian  Re-               of His Church, td ipeak by His Spirit unto His own.


414               '            I      THE  S`J!ANDA.RD  B E A R E R                                 *

From Sabbath. to Sabbath the Church ppeaches  the we must speak! We' rnabst witness! And we must
Word of God. Also `in our catechetical instruction we witness harticularly of Our'Protestant  Reformed truth!
have official instruction in the Word of God. The We are witnessing believers-of course, we must be  .'
preaching. of, the gospel' to others' outside the pale of such !
the `church is also a task entrusted to the Church of            Secondly, as.believers  we may witness of the truth.
God. Besides these, however, are several other media The Word of God  sppports  me in this contention.
of instruction which can be traced, directly or indirect- Acquainted are we `all with that short -but beautiful
ly, to the Church. `We certainly owe our Bible to the word  iri Isaiah 43, verse 21:  ."This people have I
Church. .Through the apostles the Lord gave us His formed for Myself; they shall shew forth My praise."
in$pired Word. And the Church is surely responsible           Or, permit me to call your attention to the word of
for the trdnslations of the WoY;d in all the languages our Lord in Matthew  10:33:  ."Whosoever  therefore
of the earth. We would have no Bible were it not for          shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also
the Church of *God! Then, we could also refer to the before My Father, which is in heaven. But whosoever
abundance .of spiritual literature which has be& writ- shall deny Me bef'ore men, him will I also .deny before
ten by the-preachers of the gospel.' And, finally, we My Father which is in heaven." Or, I am reminqed
would call attention  td the task of the theological train- of the Word of %od in Romans 16, ver.se 9 : "That ff
ing of prospective ministers of the  .Word, also en- thou shalt confess with thy mouth' the Lord Jesus,
trusted to the Church of God. However, to the Church's        and shalt believe in thine -heart that tG6d hath raised
ta.sk of @e&hing df the gospel we need not call at-           Him from the dead, thou.shalt be. saved." To believe
tention. None disputes this calling.                          in our hearts that Go'd raised Christ' from the dead
   May we as'an association, however, be engaged in implies, therefore, that we must confess Him with the
the. propagation and advancement of the truth? And mouth. And the apostle, Jqh;, declares to the Church
to this question I would answer that, as  beligvers,          of God in I John 2 :20-21:  "But ye have an .unction
maintaining the office of the believer,  .we may  cer- from the Holy  ,One, and ye know  ~a11 things. I have              `
tainly.speak,  witness of and to the truth. If  we  niay not written unto you because ye know not the truth,
liot prench the gospel, we may certainly be wiCnesses but because ye know it, and that no-lie is of the truth."
`of that gospel. In the first place, I would remark that,     The last passage of the Word-of God which I would
as believers, we must witness of the truth. A believer quote we read in the gospel of Mark, chapter 5, verses
must be a witness of the Word of God. Believing and           18-19 : "And when He was come into the ship, he that
witnessing are related as cause and effect. What else had been possessed with the devil, prayed Him that he
c& we do as believers but witness? ! Does not the might be.wiih Him. .Howbeit  Jesus "suffered him not,
flower open up to the SLUI and is not ihiS action &pon- but saith unto him, ,Go home to thy friends, and tell
,taneous? Does not the point of the compass point to them how great things the Lord- hath done for thee,
the north because it must? Wat'er rises from the earth and hath had compassion on thee." We are all acquaint-
in the form of vapqr, does it not, because it is irresist-    ed with the Scriptural narrative connected with these
.ibly drawn by the sun? ~AS believers we must witness w,ords of Mark. We recognize the man from whom the
to the truth of the Word of God. Y.ea, to this we would Lord had cast the devil. He. is known in Scripture as
add that, as believers,,we  must be witnesses &pecially Legion. Having been delivered by the Savibur of his
of the Protestant Reiformed  truth~which we'love and fearful plague he would ever remain with the Lord and
profess. To believe implie!, does it not, that we have        depart with -Him to the other side of the lake. - The
iearned, by the grace of ,God, to reject .and deny our- Lord, however, suffered him not, we read, but com-
selves, to confess our own sin and utter unworthiness, mands him to go home to his friends, and `to tell them
and to rely apd trust solely in the living God of our what great things the Lord had done for him. He
salvation. as revealed in our Lord Jesus Christ. This         must be a witness. of his Lord and speak of the great-
is also the hkart and core of our Protestant Reformed         ness of His power and grace. We may, therefore, be
doctrine, viewed from the viewpoint of the Church's witnesses of the truth.
subjective, spiritual experience. The blessed heritage           .But, if we niay be witnesses of the truth, then we
of our churches eniphasizes, does it not, that salvation also  `jwust be witnesses of the Word of God. In this
is of `God alone`, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and inatter we have no choice. And we surely can be
that according to the  Lord's eternal and  sovekeign withesses of `the truth also by giving this association
good pleasure. ,That is the truth we profess. That is and our Standard  Beal"er our active support. The
the truth held before us in the Word of God. That Standard Bearer is a wonderful medium through.which
is.  al&o the living, glorious experience of the living we may proclaim the clear and unadulterated truth of
Child df God. As believers, we live out of Christ, are the Word of God. Permit me to give you-three reasons
solely dependent upon that Christ, live the Gery life.of      why we should consider it our privilege and calling to
Christ and unto the glory of Christ. And, as,believers,       support the R. ,F. P. A. First of all, our churches have


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R ,                                              415,

 received a glorious heritage.        We  procla& an  un- I
,. speakably blessed truth. , We may proclaim the truth                T H E   TIkE  K N O W L E D G E
 that God is God alone, also in the work of His salvation.
_ We consider it to be the heart and core of our, faith
 that the Lord establishes with His  pebple in Christ
 iTesus His own covenant-fellowship and communion and An Exposition $Of The Heidelberg
 that He will complete it in eternal and heavenly glory                                 C a t e c h i s m
 according to His eternal and sovereign good pleasure.
 To this fact the Reverend H. Hoeksema calls attention
 in his paniphlet "The Standard Bearer as a Witness".                                     P A R T   T W O
     Secondly, we not only have a glorious truth but also                              Lord's Day XXIII
 a unique truth. I refer to the fact that the truth of
 the Lord's sovereign realization  o!f His covenant is                                         3.
 being attacked today on many fronts. The Christian
 Reformed Churches denied us their fellowship because.                          !  .FAITH  AND JUSTIFICATION.
                                                                                :'
 we would proclaim the sovereign glory of our God.                      The &x$y-third question of the Heidelberger  tretits
 They would have their `people believe that the gospel is of the relition between justification and faith. "Why                          "
 an offer of salvation to all  that hear it, that the                sayest thou,`! the Catechism asks, "that thoG  art right-      0
 natural man can do good without regenerating grace,                 eous by faith only?" And the answer. is twofold :
 and that there is a restraint of sin, not only in the life negatively, i the Catechism replies, "Not that I am ac-
 -of the community but also, within the life of-the indi-            ceptable to, Go& on ac$opnt of the worthiness of my
 vidual man. .`We; on the other hand, hold fast t'o. the             faith ;" and, positively, the answer is, "but because
 Faith of our. Fathers, proclaim that the gospel is a                only the satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of
 power of ,God, in those that are saved and also in those            Christ, is my righteousness before God ; and that I
 that perish according to the Lord's good pleasure, that cannot receive and apply the same to myself `any other .
 in us as we are of ourselves no good dwelleth, yea, tliat way than by faith only."
 salvation is exclusively of the  ,Lord.  Need I at this                                                               .
                                                                        And this answer is Scriptural.
 time call attention to the general *distortion of the                  Already in the Old .Testa&ent  we read.of this right-
 truth of  ,God's sovereign grace?  ,Over the radio and              eousness by faith. When the Word of the Lord came
 in literature of every sort the truth of the Word of                unto Abraham, that not th@ one born in his house, but
 God is being attacked from every quarter. Let us be                 "he that shall come forth out of thine bowels shall be
 witnesset  of the truth that God is God alone, also by thine heir," and God pointed him to the stars of heaven
 giving our full support to the Standard, Bearer, our as an'illustration of the multitudinbusness of his seed,
 banner by means of which. we give testimony to the                  it is said of Abraham that "he believed in the Lord
 truth of God's sovereignty, and that in the midst of a              and  .he `counted it unto him .for righteousness.!' Gen.
 world and church which are- becoming increasingly                   15  :6. To understand this properly we must bear ii'
 hostile to the Word of God.                               P         mind that. the faith of Abraham was faith in the
     Thirdly, I would conclude by reminding you of your promise of ,God, the one and the same promise es&m-                         '
 responsibility.        We  occtipy a responsible position.          tially;that  was already giGen by God in the protevangel
 Unto us has been entrusted a glorious heritage. We of Paradise. It was 0 the promise of the seed of' the
 yaust confess it. We must proclaim it. We must safe-                woman, and the seed was Christ. It was t&is promise
 guard `it. God calls us unto this task. We have no                  that was the object  of Abraham's faith. His faith,
 .choice. May we be true to this calling; and recognize              therefore; was saving faith. Abraham believed through
 the Standard Bearer. as a wonderful means to safe-                  Christ in `God. And let us not ov&look the fact that
 guard the heritage which  the. Lord  has entrusted                  God accounted Abraham's faith for righteousness.' We
 u n t o             11s:                   H. Veldman.              must come back to this relation of faith and righteous-
                                                                     ness ,a little later. But even now we must remark that
                                                                     this passage presents that relation not as merely sub-
                             - NOTICE  -                             jective on the part of Abraham, so that he was justified
     The Board of the R. F. P. A. is considering the mat-., in foro con&en&e, but that it speaks of an objective
 tei of a part time business manager for our publication. ! act of God: God counted Abraham's faith as right-
 This' position would be permanent and subject to elec- ( eousness. ' `True, as the Catechism cor?ectly remarks,
 tion, and would have a regular salary.                         ii that does not at all imply that faith as an act .of man
     Anyone interested or having any `suggestions to, iS in itself worthy of righteousness ; nor can it niean
 offer,-please confer with: A. Wychers, 900 Watkins St., that God reckons arbitrarily faith as righteousness,.
 qr Chas. Doezema, 1242 Orville St., S. E., City.
               3                                                     for God cannot  reckoil what is not true; but it  un-
               i.                                               !


416                                   THti  STA`MD.ARD   B E A R E R

doubtedly does mean .that all our righteousness. is in thrdugh Christ relies wholly on God, Who quickeneth
Christ on,ly, aqd that f$th is the bond that unites us         the dead, and  cal!eth those `things which be not as ,
with Christ, so' that through faith we are righteous though  they were, the God of our complete salvation. _
in Christ even before God.                                     And all this is not only true for Abraham but holds
       Thus.the apostle Paul explains the relation betweei?    for us who- believe in the same God of our salvation
faith and justification especially in his epistle to the through Jesus Christ our  -Lord,  This the apostle ex-
Romans. In chapter 4, verse,`3, ff. the apostle'refers         presses at the close of this beautiful chapter: "Now it
to and elaborates `upon the text of Gene& 15 i.6 : "For was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed
what saith the Scripture?         Abraham believed God,        to him ; But f6r us also, to, whom it shall be imputed,
and it was counted unto him for righteousness." The            if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord
apostle shows empha$ically that justification by faith from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences,
is opposed to justification by wdrks, so that even faith and was raised again for our justification."
itself cannot be accounted as a work-basis for right-                  The same truth is evident from Romans 3, verses
eousness. Already in verse 2 the.apostle  had written :        2o  to  31*      There  the  a?`ost1e   writes   ' "Therefore by
"If Abyaham were justified by works, he hath whereof the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in
                                                               -
to glory ; but not before IGod." Alld in verses 4 and 5        his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
he continues to emphasize that jtistificatioli by faith But,now the righteousness of God is manifested, being
is of mere  -grace,' for he writes: "Now to him that witnessed by the  law and the prophets ; Even the
worketh the re'ward  is not reckoned of grack, .but of righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ
debt. But to him that worketh noti- but believeth on           unto all and upon all them that .beliewe : for there is no
him that justifieth, the ungodly; his faith is counted         difference*" We may interrupt the quotation here to
for righteousness."  -                                         call ,atteation to the expression in verse 21, "the right-
                                                                    eousness of ,God". It is plain that by this expression
       Moreoyer,  the apostle in-this chapter shdws that it         is not indicated ri&teousness  of God as an attribute,
was not ollly the faith of Abraham, nor of his seed only,      but as as gift of ,God to 
but also the faith of all that believe, whether of. the                                      Us.    It is a righteousness which
                                                                    God from eternity has conceived in His sovereign
circuticisidn or of the uncircumcision, that is counted             com1se1,  a righteousness which ,He realized for us in
for righteousness. For, the apostle argues, Abraham                 the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and which
`reckived  the sign of circumcision as a seal of the right-         God Himself bestows upon us by the gift of faith. It
eousness of the faith which he had before the circum- is, therefore, from the beginning to the end a right-
cision, that he might be  a father of all them that                 eousness, not of man, but of God alone.
believe; and righteousness might be, imputed. to them
also.                                                                  And now we continue the quotation.            D
                                                                       "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory
       Even the pkomise  that Abraham and his seed should           of God ; Being justified freely by his grace through the
be the heir of the world was through the righteousness
of fcah..                                                           redemption ' that is in Christ Jesus :- Whom God hath
              vs. 13.                                               get forth to be a propitiation through faith in his
       And this faith was imputed to him for righteous-             blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission
ness, not because of the worthiness df ,his faith, but of sins that are past, through the forbearance- of Gpd;
because it was strong to believe the promise of God,                To declare, I say, at $lis time his righteo&ness:  that
`and through the promise to dling to Chiist. "Before he might be just, and the justifier of him which believ-
him whom he believed, even *God, who quickene& `the                 eth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded.!
dead, and calleth those things which be .not as though              By what law? of works?  _ Nay : but by the law of
they werk. Who, against hope believed in hope, that                 faith. Ther,efore  we conclude that a man is justified
he might become the father of many nations, accord- by faith without the deeds .of the law. Is he the God
ing to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.                 of the Jews only? `is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes,
And being not weak in faith, he considered not his                  of- the Gentiles also : Seeing it is one God, which shall
own body, now dead, when he was about an hundred                    justify the cir&mcision  by faith, and uncircumcision
years old, neither' the `deadness of S&ah's womb : He               through faitli.. Do we then make void the law th+ough
staggered not at the promise of God.through  unbelief;              faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law." Here,
but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And  to?, the truth of justification by faith only is  empha-
being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he                sized throughout. And it is  Z&O evident that the
was able also to perform. And therefore it was .im-                 Heidelberg Catechism expresses the relation of faith
puted to him for righteousness." Rom. 4 :17-22. It is               and justification correctly, when  it declares that we are
plain, therefore, that faith is imputed by God unto not justified  because of the  worth@ess of  ouy: faith,
righteousness., because it believes the promise, through but onl$`becapse faith lays hold upon the satisfaction,
.the promise clings- to Christ Who is the promise, and              righteousness, and holiness of Christ.          He `is our


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   ..BEARE!R                                                417

 righteousness before God, and we are justifie'd  freely are justified from all things, fr6m which ye Gould not
 by His grace.                                                   be justified by the law of Moses."
     In Rom. 5 :1 the relation of justification and faith           We could quote more. But this is sufficient. For
 is conceived of- rather from the subjective point of from all these p&sages it becom& abundantly evident :
 view. There we read the well-known words: "There-               first of all, that ye are justified by faith only; secondly,
 fore being- justified by faith, we have peace with God that this faith whereby we are justified is not an-
 through our Lprd Jesus Christ." The expression "being other work: it stands opposed, not only' to the work
 justified-by faith" is literally, according to the original,    of the law, but to all merit: it is not meritorious -in
 "being justified out of faith". The emphasis, there-- any sense ; thirdly, that, nevertheless, it is accounted
, fore, geems to fall on faith as being the source of our        by <God  for righteousness ; fourthly, that the basis of
 justification. And this certainly can only refer to our this imputation on the part' of God is the promise to
 justification in foro conscientiae, that is, in odr own which faith clings, and the promise is Christ, so that
 consciousness.                                                  His righteousness and holiness is the only and ulti-
                                                                 Inate ground of our righteousnetis  before God.
     The same truth is taught in Gal. 2:.15-17. There               From all this it ought to be rather plain how we
 we read : "We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners must- conceive of the proper relation between- fz$th
 of. the Gentiles, Knowing that a mati is not justified          and justification.
 by  the_ works of the law; but by the. faith of Jesus              It is certainly  not the grdund or part of the ground
Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we           of our righteousness before God., For it is not another
 might be justified by the faith,of  Christ, and not by work. That this is the relation is, however, virtually
 the works of the law: for by the works of the law               the view of all that deny the vicarious nature of'
 shall no flesh be, j&ified:  But if, while we seek to be        Christ's satisfaction and  atoneme&.  Thus, for in-
 justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners,       stance, the governmental theory maintains that Christ
 is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid." died, not to atone and to pay for the sins of all the
 And again, in Gal. 3 :5-11, the apostle teaches the truth elect, btit as a setting forth of the justice and right-
 of justification  bjr faith only as follows: "He  there;- eousness of. God, as an expression of what God might
 fore that ministereth to you the Spirit; and worketh            justly do to all sinners. If .now they acknowledge the
 miracles among yqu, doeth he` it by the works of the            justice of God and repent, God is satisfied. because
 law, or by  the hearing of faith?, Even as Abraham              His moral government of the world is maintain&d and
 believed God, &nd it was accounted to him for `right- vindicated in the consciences of men, and, He freely                            %
 eousness.     Know ye therefore that they  which are forgives them their iniquity. It is plain'that according                   -'
 of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And to. this view faith becomes a work, the work of man,
 ,the  .scripture,  foreseeing that God would justify the rather than the complete reliance upon the righteous-
 heathen through faith, preached tiefore the gospel unto ness of Christ.
 -Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be `blessed. r         Virtually all A'rminians, who deny particular atone-
  So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful ment, that is, the truth that Christ died only for the
 Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the law             elect, and who for that reason `must ultimately deny
 are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is vicarious at&iemeizt  altogether, _ pkesent  this view of
 everyone that continueth not in all things which are the relation between faith arid justification.
 written in the book of the law to do them. But that                A few illustrations of this fact we have in the
no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it condeinnation of the errors in the Canons of Dordrekht,
 is evident : for,, Th& just shall live by faith." I And once    II, B, 2;4. We read there that the &mod rejects the
 more, in verses 22-24 of the s&e chapter, we read:              errors of those:             .'
  "But the scripture have concluded all under sin, that              "Who teach: That it was not the purpose of the
 the promise by faith Of Jesus Christmightbe giVen t0 .&-,ath of Christ that he &O,.& confirm the new  cove-
 them that believe. But before faith came; we were `nant of grace through his blood,' but only that he shbuld
 kept under the law, shut  tip unto the faith which .acquire  for the Father the me?e right to establish with
  should afterward be revealed. Wherefore the law was man such a covenant as he might please, whether of
  our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ,  that we             grace or of works. For this is repugnant to Scriptur`e
 might be justified dy faith."                                   which teaches that Christ has' become  the Surety and
     And this gospel of justification by faith only the          Mediator of a better, that is, the new covenant, and
  apostles proclaimed in the world both to Jews and that a testament is pf force where death has occurred.                             '
  Gentiles.    In the synagogue at Antioch the apostle Heb. 7 122 ; 9 :15, 17.
  declares: -"Be it known unto you therefore, men and                "Who teach  :, That Christ by his satisfaction merited
 brethren, that through this nian is preached unto you           neither salvation itself for anyone, nor faith, whereby
 the foregiveness bf sins: And by him all that believe this satisfaction of Christ unto salvation is effectually


 .

4          1    8    '                   `l?BE  S T A N D A R D   B,EARER

appropriated ; but that he merited for the Father only Brieven; IV, De Strijd ,Om Het Dogma ; V, Het Koning-
the authority or perfect will to deal again with man,            schap Van Christus ; VI, Jezus Chdstus En De Moderne
and to prescribe mew, conditions as he, might desire,            Tijd; VII,  Chiistus En De Wereld Van Het Oosten;  '
obedience to which,. however, depended `on the free VIII,  Christus In De Sehilder-En  Beeldbouwkunst  ;
will of man, so, that it therefore might have come to IX, Christus In De Literatuur ; X, Christus In De Mn-
pass that either none pr all should fulfill these con- ziek; XI,  Christus In De Apocriefe  Evangeli& En
ditions. For these adjudge too contemptuously of the Brieven ; XII, De -Christologie  In De Mystiek En De
death of Christ, do in no wise acknowledge the im- Philosophie ; XIII, j Chr<stus En De Psychologie  ; XIV,
portant fruit or benefit thereby gained, and bring Christus En Zijn Tijdgenooten; XV, Losse Uitspraken
again out of hell the Pelagiall.`error.",                        0ve;r Christus.
      "`Who teach: That the new covenant of grace,                  Natuurlijk wii"de aanbeveling van een boek als dit
which God the Father, through the mediation of the niet zeggen, dat we het met alles, wat de schrijvers
death of Christ, made with man, does not herein con- oris bieden eens ,zijn. Zoo zijn wij het b.v. niet eens
sist that we by faith, ,inasmuch as it accepts the merits        met Dr. Dijk, wanneer hij schrijft, dat Christus in de
of Christ, are justified .before  God and saved, butt in         relatie `van een `6werkverbond" tot God stond, en dat
the fact that  ,God having revoked the demand of perfect Hij gedaan heeft, wat .Adam had moeten doen, want
 obedience of faith, regards faith itself and the obedi-         Adam ken ' onmogelijk ons naar de eeuwige heerlijk-
 en@of faith, although imperfect, as the peifect obedi- heid geleid hebben. Ook zijn we het niet eens met het-
 ence of the law, and does esteem it worthy of the re-           geen dezelfde schrijver . zegt over Christus' Koning-
ward of eternal life through grace. For these contra- schap in verband  met de z.g.n. gemeene gratie. Maar
 dict the S&iptur@ :' `Being jubtified freely by his grace       dat neemt niet weg, dat de schrijvers ons een interes-
through the ,redemption  that is in'tchrist Jesus ; whom- sant boek `bieden, dat het lezen waard is. Het boek
`God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith           beslaat 477 paginas. De prijs bedraagt f. 8.90.
 in his blood,' Rom. 3 :24, 25. And these proclaim; as                                                         H .   H .
 did the wicked Socintis,  a new and &range justifica-
 tion of man before God, against the consensus of the
 %hole church."                                                  Net  Boeic  De  Precliikey,  door Dr. G. Ch.  Aalders.
      Especially in the .&t-named  article, in which the Uitgever, J.. H. Kok, Kampen, Nederland.
 grievous error of the Socinians, which was followed                Dit boek i,+ zeker niet bestemd voor het algemeen
 by the Arminians, is exposed; it is plain that faith lczend publiek, maar is een wetenschappelijke com-
 is presented as a work of. man, acceptable to God. It mentaar, op `bet boek De Prec&er, dat we- echter al
 is not faith in the merits of Christ by which we are            onzen  predikanten  aanraden  zich  aaq te schaffen.  Iti
 justified before God, but faith as a work, and the              eene  IG!eicling  behatidelt  de  schrijyer : de Naam, de
 works of faith, though they are imperfect in them- Schrijver, de Tij,d en Plaats van ont@aan, de Eenheid
 selves, are regarded by God as ljerfect obedience, and          van  compositie,  en de  Plaats, en beteekenis in den
 worthy of eternal life.                                         Kanon van het boek De Prediker, om' dan over te gaan
       All &his is clearly contradictory' to the pla& teach-     lot de verklaring van het boek zelf.
 ink of Holy Writ. It denies both the satisfaction and              Wal; betreft de schrijver van  De  Pyediker  is  Dr.'
 vicarious atonement of our Zord Jesus Christ and sal- Aalders  het eens met Delitsch, e.a. dat deze niet koning-
 vation by pur,e grace as over against all works and             Palomd  geweest kan zijn, maar "een ongenoemde w"ijs-
 merit of man:                                                   heidslekraar, die zieh bediende van de litteraire figuur
                                         H. Hoeksema.            oi-n Salem? voor zieh te kunnen laten spreken." .
                                                                    En, wat de beteekenis in den Kanon betreft, ziet de
                                                                 schrijver het boek als "Evangelie, omdat het in de ziel
      .                   v    a    n             Bsekeln  `.    van den in het aardsehe leven met al zijn zorgen en
                                                                 moeiten teleurgestelden menseh het verlangen wegt
 Chwktus De H&la&onder redactie van Prof. Dr. F. naar Hem, die de onvergankelijke pare1 van zeer gro6te
 W. .Grosheide. Uitgever J. H. Kok, Kampen; Nederland. waarde schenkt, en omdat het in het wekken van dat
       Dit is in vele opzichten een boek, dat geheel eenig verlangen tevens de belofte biedt, dat het vervuld zal
 in zijn soort mag heeten. Ook is het een mooi boek. worden  in den Verlosser, dien God.geven  zal."
 Het is semi-wetensehappelijk, maar op zulk een wijze                In betwijfel of dit laatste waar is vah het boek
 wordt de stof behandeld, dat we het aan het lezend De Pridiker op zichzelf genomen.
publiek gerust aan hevelen kunnen. In vijftien hoofd-               De verklaritig  die Dr. Aalders  ons biedt kenmerkt
 stukken behandelen even zoovele schrijvers het centrale zich -door grondige studie en degelijkheid. Het beslaat
 onderwerp Chris&us D.e Heiland als Volgt : I, ,De Pro-          262 paginas. `De prijs bedraagt f. 9.75.       -
 fetie ; II, In De. Wereld Gezonden ; III, Christus In De                           I                    H. Hoeksema.


                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R ' .                                         419

                                                             all His good pleasure in those who are saved'; He is
           OUR DOCTRINE  `_                                  equally soverefgn  and irresistible with respect to the
                                                             others who never know the way and the precepts
                                                             of Jehovah. This is the pure and unadulterated truth
   God's Covenant and .Thb. Promise                          which the holy writer holds before us in the ninth
                                                             chapter of his epistle to the Rotians. And now we will
                   (Hebrews 6 : 16-18)                       turn to `other passages of the Word of God.
                                                                The  pa&age  which will engage our attention in
   Romans 9, we  ha;ve seen, surely establishes the this a?ticle, Hebrews 6 :16-18, reads as follows: "For.
particular and wholly unconditional character of the men verily swear by the greater:  .and an dath for
promise or promises of God. `To this we-called atten- confirmation is to them an efid of all strife. Wherein
tion in the two previous  numbers of our paper. The          God, willing more abundantly to. shew unto the heirs
apostle Paul; we noted, was struggling with a- great of the promise the immtitability of His counsel, `con-
problem. He was confronted, on the one hand, with            firmed it by an oath: That, by two immutable things,
the word or piomise of Jehoyah that the Lord would           in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might
bestow the salvation of His eternal  covenapt  upon have a strong consolation; who'have fled for refuge to '
Abraham and his seed. And, on the other hand, he lay hold upon the hope set before us."
was troubled because of  the rejection of Israel. We
do well to bear in bind that this, constituted for the                             The Context.
apbstle a great problem, that `it caused him great           A key-word in this chapter of Hebrews, especially              r
heaviness and sorrow of heart.  -The perishing of            in the verses 11-20 is the word "promise." Another
many Israelites according to the flesh was painful and word of great significance in this passage, clbsely re-
distressing to Paul.    Atid the same heaviness and lated to "promise", is the word "hope". This must be
sorroyv of heart must characterize the people df God         obvious to anyone who reads the latter,half of Hebrews
throughout the ages. Reprobation is not a doctrine 6. Hope and promise, in this part of Holy Writ, we
-which can accord anyone personal and carnil satis-          quickly surmise, are intimately related. Both refer to
f a c t i o n .                                              the same thing : our eternal salvation-. The one views
    Nevertheless, the &th of God must be proclaimed.         this salvation frdm .the viewpoint of God, Who has
Whatever our  pe`rsonal  wishes and desires may be,          promised' it.    The other. regards this eternal glory
never may we detract one iota from the sovereignty from the viewpoint of the Christian as he hopes.for  it.
of God. Hence, according to the apostle, one thing And the ,question is of supr'eme importance, "How can
is sure: it is not true that the word of `God has taken      we  tith certainty hope for  that eternal salvation?"
none effect. .Such would be impossible. SGod cannot Is the promise conditional or unconditional?* This
lie. If, therefore, the promise of the Lord was not          question is of the greatest significance.
realized. in many Israelites-according to the flesh, this       In verses l-3 the apostle exhorts the church of
is due only to the fact that this promise of Jehovah         God "to go on unto perfection." We must not remain
is particular, was never intended for all, and is realized with the pr@ciples, the beginnings of the doctrine of
' Ipy the, alone sovereigns  Lord in those whom He has       Christ. We cannot remain young catechumens' an<
loved~ from before the  found+ion  of the  w6rld. To         continue satisfied with "Borstius Primer". We must
substalitiate' this trnth the apostle  directs us, suc- adbance beyond the  foundation.stage. When engaged
cessively, to the exampl&  of Isaac, Jacob .and Esau,        iti the erection of a building we are not sati&ed.merely
the many Israelites who perished in the wilderness,          with the foundation ; we continue our labors until the
Pharaoh, the figure of the potter and the clay. And entire structure has been completed. W e ,   t o o ,   a s
it is especially the example of Pharaoh, as well as the      Christians, must go on to perfection; we must advance
figure of the potter and the clay, which illustrates the `and grow, intellectually and spiritually. ,This we Will
truth, not only that the,Lord is merciful to whom He         do, we  ,read in verse 3, if God permit. Our growth
will be merciful, but also that-whom He will He hard-' depends upon the Lqrd. Fact' is, al! do not advance,
eneth. The Lord, therefore, not only grants life; He &nd this, too, is dependent upon God.                      i
a&so inflicts death. He not only makes alive ; He also          Fact remains, according to verses 4-8, some who
killeth. He not only calleth some unto eternal salvation were once enlightened fall away. Werneed not at this
through the preaching of- the gospel ; He also causes        time quote these verses, 4-8. IOf- these people.we  read
.that same gospel to `be a savour `of death unto de&th. that it is impqssible that they be renewed unto repent-                  \
He not only wills the salvation of some ; He also, ac-       ante. It is definitely the thought of the holy writer
cording to  @is eternal good pleasure and unto the here that it is impossible for God to renew them dnto
greatest manifestation of the glory of .His name, wills repentance. Only God can renew unto. repentance.
the damnation of others. `The `Lord llot only peiforms If, then; we read that it is impossible that they .be

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

renewed unto repentance, the  implica$ion of the ex- are herrs of th*e promise, as we also &ad in gomans `8.
 pression is surely that such `is Divinely impossible. We are all, more or<less, acquainted with the ide$ of
 Hence, their spiritual renewal and advance the Lord an heir. .An heir is one who has obtained a legal right
 does not permit. However, according to verse. 9, the to a certain possession. ~To be an heir does not neces-
 apostle is persuaded `better things of the Hebrews, sari1.y &ply actual possession.- One can be an heig and
 things that accompany salvation.                              be as poor as  a  `ehuyeh mouse. An inheritance is a
        `Hereupon the apostle proceeds  t@  ei;hort the church legal possession. And an heir is he who has obtained
 of God `once more unto spiritual diligence.        He ad- legal rights to such a  possestiion.   IGod's people are
 monishes them ill.verses  11-12, that they .be not sloth- heirs of the promise of everlasting life. They  `are
 i.ui,  but  ?o!;owers of them who  t'hrollgh  faith  ancl     entitled t?, have a right to that eternal glory. They
 .patience  inherit iho promises. Notice, "as in all cove- are heirs of -that glory because Christ redeemed them
 nants there are cont:~i;lecl  two parts" ihls is our part,    out of the power of the devil and merited ,for them
 r:am&ly,-that we be not slothful but' followers of them eternal happiness and glory. Hence, we are co-heirs
 who inherit the promises. Upon this calling and obli- withChrist,  heirs together with Christ. He is the Heir
 gation of" the people of God, that they must fight the of eternal life. He meril;ed  it, surely also for Himself.
\ good fight of faith  &id.  cdnduct themselves as the And we are co-heirs with Him, in fellowship with
rjarty of the ii&g God, Scripture surely lays abundant Him, and because he merited it for us.
 emphasis. And now, to comfort this struggling church
 of God, to assure her of the certainty of her victory,          Gocl's Co&rmation  df the Promise With an Oath.
 \he holy writer concludes this chapter by ,directing her         We should note the conriection `between verses 16
 io the living God, Who, to show unto the heirs of the         and J7. To quote-these Verses again : "For: men verily
 promise  the immutability of His counsel, confirmkd swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is
 khat promise with an oath.                                    to them an end  bf all strife'.  Wherein  God,  .willing
                                                               m&e abundantly to shew unto the heirs of the promise
                     Heirs Of The Prokke.                      the immutability of. His counsel, confirmed it by an
        IX'tidently, the  Bromise in this  .passage must not oath." Verse 17 is introducgd  by the word, "wherein"
 be understood in the subjective sense of the word. we read: "Wherein God, willing-more abundantly. . ."
 Emphasis does not fall upon the promise as the solemn The expression, translated "wherein", may also be
 declaration of the living God,~ promising them eternal translated "wherefore" God, the`n? confirmed His pro-
 glory `and salvation. The promise here must be _re- mise with  ati oath. Why? What prompted the Lord
 garded objectively, `that which. has been. promised.          to do this? To this question we  .have an answer in
 `The apostle is referring us to the promise of everlast- the verses 16 and 1'7. On the one hand, the Lord, in
 ing life. Notice also that the  hbly writer speaks of beh,o,lf of  ,His  people,- desired to shew them more
 the heirs of the promise, not heir of  the promise.           a.bundantly the immutability of His courisel, the coup-
 Hence, it is evident that he does not merely' refer to        @. of His salvation; We  redd "more abundantly"
  Abraham but to all. the people of the Lord throughout bccause the Lord had already given them the promise.
 the ages, also to the people of .God of the, New Dispen-      hPnd the promise is in itself -an abupclant  proof of the
 .sation. This fact surely esiablishes the heavenly char- unchangeable character of thti counsel of His salvation.
  acter of the promises of God, also of the promise gipen But now, to shew this immutability the more abundant-
  to  .rYoraham. Abraham; therefore, is but one of the ly, He adds -the oath to the promise. Fact is, according
heirs ::f the promise and shares it with all the people to verse 16,. th,e oath is the end of all strife, of all dis-
  of God of all the ages. We all are heirs of the same puting and opposition. An oath always implies three
  promise. Hence, the promise given to the father of things. Firstly; in tin oath the Name of God is used
  bcllevers  was not earthy, as the Chiliasts would have to witness to the truth of what is said or testified.
  us  believe.    That promise was heavenly. The one God Secondly, when a person is placed. under oath such a
  ~,;~laims only one promise. We all are heir's of .the        person is called into the  ctinscious  presence of the
  promise DE the Lord unto eternal and heavenly salva-9 Lord.  ,Of course, we are always in the presence of
  t i o n   aTid  g l o r y .    '                             `God. In the Lord we move and live apd have our
        And we are heirs of the p?omise.  ,`The apotitle  does being. And it lies in the `very nature of the case that
  not say that we are children of the promise.' That no man can remove himself out of the presence of. the
_ exprescion,  we know, occurs in the ninth chapter, oi Lord. God always beholds  .a11  the' children of men.'
  Romans.  Chil`dren of the promise are the people of Besides, man is  always obliged to speak the truth
  God because they are brougl$ forth through the irre- whether or not he is placed under oath. This, how-
  sistible and almighty  power of the promise, the power ever,  does no+ necessarily imply that every  rn??, al-
  01 God whereby He realize His promise in the hearts though really always in the presence of the Lord, is
  of His own. We, ace&ding to this passage in Heb. 6, therefore also  conscioz& in that Divine presence.  *-


                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                       421

  -The contra& is true. Hence, an oath places a person, and truth  co&titute His very being. As, in a faint
   at that very moment, consciousl-y  and sharply before and creaturely sense of' the word, it `is' itipossible for
   the very ftice of `God, directly in the presence of the        fire not to throw heat,`for water not td moisten, for
   date preceding, the oath implies that God is called in `the sun not to give light, so, in an absolute sense .of
   Lord. #And `thirdly, in close connection with `the im- the word, `it is impossible for the Lord to lie. To lie
   mediate preceding, the oath implies that God is called in would constitute a violation, a denial by the Lord Him-
.- 2s a witness ; the Lojrd of heaven, Who knoweth man's , self. And as the eternal and overflowing Fount of all
   !;eart, will Himself reveal the truthfulness  of his good God cannot deny Himself. When He speaks He
   testimony. Now we can more readily understand verse always speaks of Himself, as the infinitely,good and
   3 ti, that "an oath for confirmation is to them an end of      perfect- God, in Whom is no darkness but infinit'e and
  all strife." Fact is, when an oath is iworn, man verily perfect light. The very fact that the unchangeable
   swears by the greater,  by the livini God, and' declares       God swears by Himself, "backs up", guarantees. His
   that He is Witness of what is said or testified and will       own promise b< appealing to Himself, .is evidence that ,
   confirm th&. testimony. It is for this reason that, when His decree to save is as unchangeable as He Himself
   ;t;l oath is sworn, not only man's but also ~God's truth-      is unchangeable. The Lord, therefore, to shew .unto
   fniness*  and  ireracity  is involved. The  oath is  #God's    us the immutability of His counsel, did not hesitate to
   i&itution ; He instituted it. Hence, the God of truth support. H&.promise with His infinite Self, as a guar-
   must condemn him who lies under oath .because He antee of the unchangeableness of His decree, His coun-
   must maintain His own unchangeable holiness and sel to save His own even unto the" end.
   iruthfulnesq The use of the oath was the end of all
   &rife a%cl dispute. The matter was simply given into                          A Powerful ConsoZation.             :
   the hand of the Lord. God, now, to shew more abun-                What a strong, mighty consolation, tihat a powerful
   dantly the immutability, unchangeableness of His comfort this particular Scripture presents  imto the
   counsel, His eternal decree to save, and a&o tb establish fighting and struggling phople  of God ! This mighty
   3s people in the faith, also made use of the oath ; and, consolation of the people of God constitutes the pur-
   inasmuch as His is ,God and. there is therefore none pose of this Divine pledge. _ We read in verse 18 I "That
   yr&er than He, He swore by Himself: "As .truly as by two immutable things, in which `it was `impossible
   I  livEi saith  the-Lard.  . .  ."                             for God to lie, we might have a strong  cotisolation,
       Notice, this Divine, oath shews `more abundantly - who have fled for refuge t0' lay. hold upon the hope
   the immutability of His counsel. We do ilot read here set before us." The  word "that" or "in order that",
   of  the Lord's `"immutable counsel" but of "immut- `hina' in, the original, signifies purpose  and result.
   ability of His counsel". The reason  .is evident. All That we might have a mighty conFolation" is, therefore, '
   emphasis is laid  upon  the unchangeableness of the the purpose of  the Divine oath but also  `the result.
   Lord's decree. His counsel is immutable,  cannot  -be, Result and purpose aye always one, identica!  in all to
   revoked or changed. According to our Confessions,  ' the works of the Lord. We do not always attain unto
   and specificaily  our Canons of Dordrecht in their re- our  purpi>se.The Lord's  puqoses,  however, never
   jection of errors, the Arminians taught exactly such a fail: It  is- well that we always bear this in mind.
   changeableness in the counsel of God. `They taught a W'hen, therefore, some are hardened through the
   Divine decree which adapted itself to conditions among preaching of the gospel the Lord, also with respect
   men, so that God's counsel to save in the- Old Dispen- to them, -attains unto His purpos@. : God, then, con-
   sation differed from His decree to save as in the New firmed His promise with an oath. in order that we
   Dispensation. ,Be this as it may, the counsel of salva- might have a strong comfort in the midst of our
  tion is immutable, can never be revoked or changed.. struggle in the world.
   And this immutabld character of the, counsel; we iead,            No wonder this is a mighty consolation ! We have,
   is evident  froni the Divine oath. God's counsel, we so we read, ttio'immutable things here' of a God Who
   remarked, is His eternal decyee.to  save His people even cannot lie. The one immutable thing .`iS `the Divine
   to "ihe uttermost. God's oath is the w&d of the'L&d            promise. That word of the Lord .is itsdlf unchange-
   whereby He swears by Himself to fulfill His promise. able.  IGod cannot. lie. Hence, His" word or pledge
  The Lord, the holy writer cdntinues in verse 18, cannot         to save His own is unchangeable. And in addition
   lie. We do qot merely read that He does not lie. The to His promise He  gave us the oath. He did this
   Lord cannot' lie. It is impossible for God to lie. He is .because of our weaknesses. The w&d of the promise
 God. As God He is the Absolute  ,Good, the Eternal, should have been sufficient. If, however, -we should at
   and Self-Sufficient, .and elf-Edstent  Fount of purest iimes experience the feeling of' despair, and complairi
   life and perfection. He` is a light and in- Him is ng tlnat the Lord has forgotten His ppomise.  to save, .we
   darkness whatever. YIe is pure holiness and righteous- may remember the solemn oath of the L&d whereby
 ' lless.    He,& such a light. Holiness and righteousness He swore by Himself  -to fulfill unto His people  His

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

 pledge to save.                                              of the Word of God ih Hebrews 6 :16-l% It proclaims
        Hence,\ what .a mighty consolation we have ! The unto us the particular and unconditional character of
 apostle declares that we have fled for refuge to lay the promises of Jehovah. Nothing less can comfort us.
 hold upon the hope set before us. We have fled for <God's faithfulness can fully strengthen pus. May we,
 refuge from the wrath to come ! The love of God He too,  `b@  followe?s of them who through faith and
 hati poured out into our hearts! We earnestly seek patience inhe+t the promises..
 His face and long for the  ,blessedness  of His  fel-                                                H. Veldman.
 loWship  which is everlasting life. Hence, we have
 fled for refuge from. the wrath to come, have sought
 safetj; and everlasting peace. And we have fled for                                                                   L
 refuge and safety unto the living Gdd in Chyi'st Jesus
 our Lord: We,have sought peace in the blood of the                 THE DAY OF SHADOWS
 .cross and have tasted that the love of God in Christ
 has fully blotted out all dur sin and merited life and
 eternal glory for  US.     And having fled for refuge                      Nabal Is Smitten
 from the wrath to come we now :lay hold upon the
 hope set before us. Hope in this text must not` be              It was not so much anger as fear that prompted
 understood in the. subjective sense of the. word, as an David to take immediate action against Nabal. David
 activity within us (our hoping), bit in the objective was worried about what that "very great" (verse 3)
 sense. The object of our hoping, of our longing and a::d bitterly hostile man might do to him, were he per-
 expectation is meant here. That hope is set before mitted to live.             The sacred text makes this clear.
 us, is always `before us. It does not consist of  #the First, David was decided  to. slay pnly the males of
 things of this world, -is not earthy,, _ Hence, it is always .Na.bal's  household (verses 22, 34). S.econd,  in reprov-
 before us. We never obtain it in'$his life. It belongs       ing David, Abigail speaks of the Lord's withholding
 lo the world to come, is `heavenly and, therefore, other- him from saving himself with his own hand. So reads
 worldly, and will not become o&s until the day of our the original text and not, "from avenging thyself with
 Lord Jesus Christ. `And we liy hold upon it by faith.        thine own h&d,:,' as the English version has it. David
 It is the object of all our longing and expectation. .It     thought it prudent to rid the earth of Nabal arid his
 sustains us in all our suffering and afflictions. It servants without a moment's delay.  That in his  url-  :
 enables the child of God to endure all the afflictions of belief he was afraid as thinking that Nabal might be-
 this present evil world;gives him strength and courage come actively hostile is plain. from the whole thrust of
 to suffer for Christ's sake, and to run with patience        Abigail's discourse. She advised him not to' "set his
 and faith even unto ihe end.                                 mind" on Nabal, meaning, as appears from the sequel
        In this we have a powerful .consolation,  a' mighty 01 her discourse, that he must ,not allow that wicked
 force which supports namely, the promise of eternal man to destroy his peace of mind and drive him to take
 life. And this  prom&e  has been further confirmed leeours@ to weapons of violence -in dealing with his
 by the Divine oath`. This promise of God can truly           enemies (verse 25).      The Lord is against  Nabal.
 comfort and strengthen us. Because it is contingent, Hence, he is doomed and will be destroyed. And all
 dependent upon us, and therefore conditional?. Gdd           David's enemies and they that seek his soul ivill be
 f,orbid:! Please  notice that we are ,heirs of the promise. like him (verse 26). David must consider  that there
 As heirs we have a right to eternal life, are entitled to    IS  11~ possibility of his perishing by  the hand of his
 it, through and because of the blood of Jesus Christ, enernie&  it being that his soul is bound in the bundle
 our.  L&d. And, as heirs of everlasting life, tie will       of life with the Lord, but that  "s,ouls of his iznemies
 surely obtain it. Fact is, that promise is anchored in       shall  be slung but, as out of the midst of a sling"
the immutable counsel of  th@ Lord. And it has been           (verse 29)) and that, accordingly the Lord will surely
promised unto us by the unchangeable, God. It is not build him a house in fulfillment .of Ill1 the good that
 what we do. oi- must do which comforts and strengthens he has spoken to him. He shall appoint him ruler over
 us in the battle; it `is not our willing and running, al-    Israel (verse 30). Let David believe the Lord's word,
 though it is true that we must will and run even unto        make God his expectation'and refrain from securing
 the end; it is never of him that runneth or of him that his position in Israel by the employment of the for-
 willeth; it is God, God alone, and what He will do bidden weapons of the flesh. He must let God take
 ) which strengthens us in the fight. Let us therefore care of his `enemies. The added priceless advantage of
 take hold of. the promises of the Lord, fight the good his heeding her advice' is that he- comes into his king-
 fight of faith unto the end, and cling mlto Him Who          con1 with a good conscience before God (verse 31).
 cannot lie. `Then, then only will we be ,assured  of the        `The .implied  Irebuke of her discourse is that, where-
 eternal crown of glory. Such is the glorious teaching as the Lord has not authorized that contemplated kill-


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                         423

  ing, David has set out on a forbidden mission and that, ing,  Nabal is  seized  with a  paroxy&  of fear and
  ri' he carries out his intention, he comes to blood. Her Krath so great ,that he su$fers a `complete loss of. all
  proof is that the Lord impedes his progress by.placing his powers.' Ifi the language of the text, his heart dies
  her on his path-her,  Nabal's god-fearing `wife. She within him al!d he becomes a stone. Eight days there-
  ilad noihing to do.with  Nabal's contemptuous b,ehavior.    after he dies. Unbelief says that Nabal's death was
-' She esteems David for iirhat he is:-Israel's anointed "ine natural result of a violent emotional disturbance
  king by whdse hand the Lord saves His people and caused by his wife's report. But, the sacred narrator
  for whom He will build a sure house. This is her firm affirr& that the Lord smote Gim. The narrator speaks
  belief; for she has taken  n&ice that he fights the the langu'age of faith, and' likewise David- when he ex-
  L,ord's battles and that no `evil has been found in him claims at hearing, of Nabal's  death, "Blessed be the
  all his days (verse 28). She being a believer, Naba!        Lord, that hath. pleaded the cause of my reproach
  and his household must be spared for her sake. For from the hand of Nabal arid has kept his servant from.
  she belongs to that household; in it she occupies the evil: for the Lord. hath returned the wickedness of
  positioa  of  .Nabal's wife. Any injury clone to him is Nabal upon his own head." It is clear that David is
  done to her.. Hence, David must return his sword to overjoyed, and with reason. ,He has received new
  iis scabbard as far  .a$  Nabal is concerned. It is the     and striking evidence that the Lord is his God and is
  Lord's will.                                                for him however ill-deserving he maj, be in himself.
     There are three gloss sins in which David involves The Lord in His mercy kept His servant from evil.
  himself if he goes through with his resolve'. First,        Second, the Lord cleared him of all Nabal's charges by
  killing Nabal he comes to blood without divine authori- smiting  that evil-doing man in punishment of his
  zation ; and that would be murder. Second, killing wickedness; and David blesses the Lord, is thankful
  Nabs1 he saves himself with his own hand instead of         to his God. It would be a sac1 mistake therefore to say
  iGoking .in fait& to God to deliver him from his enemies. that his reply to. Abigail's counkel  was inspired by a
  Third, killing Nabal he hurts the righteous Abigail. carnal delight in the suclden destruction of an aclver-
  By confronting David with this believing worn&, the sary. Such replies rise not from sinful flesh but are
  Lord  keeps  him from committing these sins. David inspired by the Spirit of Christ; Noteworthy is the
  understands.. He is grateful to God, and blesses His statement, "For the Lord kept His servant from evil."
  name, the `tibman,  and her advice- by which, tp quote      It bespeaks a lively awareness on the part of David
  D.avid,  ."the'."Lord  kept me this day from coming to that by himself he is just as guilty and vile as is Nabal ;
  blood : from saving myself with mine own hand ; and         so that all his righteousness and. goodness is of God.
  from hurting thee." He ends with affirming under It thus bespeaks, does this statement; a humble spirit,
 an oath that he would have committed these sins, had and true contrition of heart. That David spake by the
  she not hasted and come to him (verse 34).      .           Spirit is clear, too, from Psalm 37, which he wrote
                                                              at some later period, doubtless with the case of Nabal
     Not so long ago the Lord tempted David by deliver-       (ainong other cases perhaps) in his full view. The
  ing ;Saul .,into his hand. Now the Lord tempted `His ps&n contains statements such as these, "Fear not
  servant by exposing him to .the vile treatment of Nabal. thyself becailse of evil doers- neither be thou envious
 -Both temptations were endured and thus the :Lord's          a0gainst  the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon
  purpose is plain. His purpose was t? teach His servant be cut down like the grass. . . . Trust in the Lord
  anew that for him the ,God-appointed  way to the throne and do good. . . . Commit .thy way unto him.' . . ;
was the way of cross-bearing, the way of  suffeking,          and he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light,
  f&e way of his enduring the persecutions  df wicked         and thy judgment. as the noonday.`?
  men and of looking in faith to God to deliver him              The chapter closes with B. detailed account of Abi-
  out  of their hands; and to  teach him, too, that in. gail's marriage to David. We are told,- at the same
  running this way, he runs the way of faith, of spiritual time, that he took another wife, Ahinoam of Jezreel,
  warfare and `of ,victory over all his foes. And David and that `Saui had given Michal his' .daughter, David's
  learned these lessons. For by the mercy of #God he en- wife, to one Phalti the son- of Laish. These sentences
  d u r e d   tempt;ation.                                    indicate a lack of  self-restr'aint in  .David's  marriage
     Having been dismissed in peace-by Davic$ Abigail relations that was sinful. His poligamy, though a form
  yeturns  to her place as intending to report to her hus- o-f adultery and thus included in the class of sins at
  band imme&&ely.      But it.will be a waste. of time to which the seventh commandment strikes, was not im-
  report to him now. Her-words will make no imores- puted to him as a crime. It.was tolerated in him, as it
  sion. For Nabal has been ftiasting in his house with had been tolerated in Jacob and others. But aGod did
  his sheepshearers .a11 during her absence and is very not fail to reveal his displeasure. David never knew
  drunken, in the words of  the text. But morning comes. -the ideal df family happiness. He n&er knew the ideal
  Nabal again is sober and Abigail tells him all. Hear- of marital love.  His  poligamy bred strife and con-'


424.                                                         T H E   STANDARD  B E A R E R .   '

tention and the most fearful crilnes among, his ehild-
ren.                                    I                                            :  SIO.N.`S ZAN'GEN
         c
                          Q     :i:           :,:     :,:

       Sdme way back, perhaps a year and a half, Saul                              Majesteit En  Heerlijkheid
had received absolute proof that David was not seek-
ing his  life. It happened in the wilderness of  En-                                                (Psalm 104 ; Vierde  .Deel)
                                                                                              L)
gedi,         Saul was pursuing- David. Alone. the king                                                      i
`entered a cave to cover his feet, the very cave in the                         ' Dit is de psalm die de heerlijkheid en de majesteit
deep. recesses of which David and his  men abided, van den Gag des hemels  en`der aarde bezingt.
all unknown to the king. David was urged by his men                               We zijn toegekomen in ons laatste artikel bij het
to kill Saul, He cut off the skirt ,,of Saul's robe pri- jers dat sprak van den wijn die verheugt, van olie die
vately, but he  spare,d  Saul. Rising- out of the cave,                        doet  blinken. van welzijn, en vdn het brood, d?t het
Saul went his way. David followed. Gaining Saul's hart des menschen sterkt.
,attention, David told him wh&t  had just taken place.                            We gaan nu verder, en hooren dat "De boomen  des
The Lord had delivered Saul into his hand, but his eyes                        Heeren word&  verzadigd, de~cederboomen  van Libanon
had spared the king. This.was  evidence that he sought die Hij geplant heeft."
not the king's life. And it was dvidence that the king                            Hier lien we duidelijk, dat de hoofdgedaehte van
could not question. For he saw with his own eyes in den psalm we1 degelijk Gods heerlijkheid en majesteit
seeing himself walk out` of that cave ,alive. Thus, he vertolkt. De ceder is de majestieuzenonder de boomen.
could no more truthfully deny the genuineness of that Reden dan 0011, waarom hier gezongen wordt van "de
evidence, and with it Dayid's guiltlessness, than, he :boomen  Gods"; en ook, dat zij doo? Hem geplant zijn.
could honestly doubt the reliability of his own senses,                        Dat kan niet beduiden, dat de andere, de mindere  bod-
of ,his eyes and ears. And he could not gainsay *that men, niet' door <God  -geplant zouden zijn, of dat .-die
he had been in David's power  in that cave. For he                             andere boomen  en struikgewassen niet van ,God zotiden
saw  the cut-off skirt of his robe in David's hand. zijn.  Alles; letterlijk alles, is van God.  Maar- hier zit
From that day on Saul was, must have been, as con- het hem: de cederboom is de heerlijkste onder de boo-
vinced in his inmost heart of David's innocence as he men, en zoo. kunnen we zien, dat de cederboom bij
was convinced of his own existence in the flesh. And uitstek, en symbolisch, ,God openbaart;  iijn herkomst
on that occasion he had also confessed. to David, "Thou verraadt, en doet zingen van God, den Schepper.
a?t more righteous than I: for thou hast retiarded me                             In hoogte, in omvang, in duur, en in kwaliteit  is
good, whereas I have .rewarded  thee evil. . . ." Yet,                         de cederboom gemakkelijk eerst onder de boomgewas-
a year and a half later, when the Ziphites come to                             sen. En er stonden vele van die ceders op den ,berg
Eaul,. to tell him that David hides himself' in the hill                       Libalidn. Keer op keer lezen we daarvan. En zelfs
of Hachilah, the king again .bestirs himself and with nu nog, op zoo laten  datum,   ze@ men ons, dat de
three thousand -chosen  men of Israel, sets out to seek                        ceders er nog ,steeds gevonden worden,  alhoewel niet
David's life td take it. Saul plainly has,ndw developed meer in groote getale,  noch ook in grootte en kwaliteit
into a moral monster. His hatred of David is so bitter                         van weleer.
that he cannot suppress it even though he, has seen                               Die boomen.  Gods worden verzadigd.
with his own eyes that he'seeks the life of a righteous                           En kij worden door cod verzadigd. Letteriijk staat
`man.                              _                                           er d&t zij vol zijn. God zorgt er voor, sinds hunqe plan-
                       (to be. continued)                                      ting, dat & voedsel is- voor de boomen  des wouds. En
                                                              G. M. Ophoff.    hoewel die ceder zich verheft tot den hemel toe, stijgen
                                                                               de sappen die leven aanbrengen tot het hoogste blad
                                                                               en twijgje. 0 zektir, God'zorgt voor Zijn schepsel.
                                                                                  En:  alles zit  aan  ailes vast. De heerlijklieid van
       `The fact. that a law is violated is no argument for                    den ceder is ook goed voor d& -"vogeltjes". Want daar
repealing it. ,Otherwise  all of the ten commandments komen zij aan ! Ze gaan hun  nesten  bouwen! De
`should be repealed.-from the'church  Herald.                                  Heere zal voor hen zorgen: Hij heeft de ceders vodr
                                                                               hen gemaakt, en door de -ceders met het noodige sap
 `.                       8     d             *       9                        te  vervulien, zorgt Hij 6n yoor den ceder, (?d voor de
                                             -.                                vogeltjes die in zijn takken nestelen.
 Here, then, is  th.e principle  ,of  the.  thin&-it  is                          E.n "des ooievaars  huis zijn de denneboomen."
-schism .to leave a church if that church is true to the                        De ooievaar is de  statige onder de vogels.  ,Ook
:Bible, but it is not schism if that church is .not true weer een aanduiding van  de schepping die de hand eens
to. the Bible.-J. Gresham, Machen.                                             Schepper's toont !


                                         I

                                         `T H E .   S T A N D A R D `  BEARE'R;                                 g                   .425

      En die deftige, statige Vogel zqekt zijn nest in de Want God zorgt ook voor de steenbokken.
 depneboomen.  Die  boomen  zijn geheel en al gesehikt                              En in de holen en spelonken dier bergen, is: nog een
  voor de groote en zware nesten van takken waaruit ze anger leger. Het zij.? de berg-konijnei, die door God
  vervaardigd zijn: de denneboomen zijn sterk;  de tak-                          verzorgd worden.  ,sGod geeft hun een vertrek. En' zij
  ken strekken zieh horizontaal uit, en ze zijn hoog ge- zijti veilig.                               '
  noeg voor den smaak van den ooievaar die gaarne                                   Wat is God to&  goed !
  hoog bouwt.           .                                                           Doch hier is de scliaamte, d& waar die stoke ( ?)
      Hoe wonderlijk, d Heere, zijn Uwe werken! Ook beesten spelen en  onbewust  God verheerlijken, wij
  weet het mijn ziel zeer we1 ! Gij zqrgt vbor boom en het zien, hooren en opmerken,  maar niet loven en prij-
  Vogel: ze hooren bij elkaar. Straks  zingen iij in de zen den ganschen dag. want wij zijn de priesters  van
  takken. En de mensch` zou hooren naar het lieflijke ceders, _ bergen, ooievaars, steenbokken en konijhen.
  gekweel van het geyleugelte. x Als we slechts niet zoo                         Wij -moesten  de dingen die een konijn en een bok niet
  dom en' dwaas waren.                                                           kunnen uitspreken, in ons hart opnemen, en dan vobrts
      Maar God zorgt. :A1 is er dan ook niemand nieer gaan zingen, gaan zingen !
  die luistert:  Hij doet het, ter eerster en t,er laatster                         Neen, maar' wij stroopen de. konijnen'de vacht af
  instantie voor Zichzelf.  `Gods  bbomen, en  ,Gdds  ooie-                      en schieteh de steenbokken, zoodat zij neerstorten van
  vaar !                                                                         hunne hoogten. En dat alles met een hart, ,dat hard
      En het is zaligheid dat te zien, te belijden,  & zqoals                    en goddeloos is.
  .de dic`hter, er van te zingen. Loopt ~66; door de natuur                         Ook zelf het konijn en de steenbok wachten op een
  henen.  Overal zult ge de voetstappen  van,XJwen God                           oordeelsdag.
  zien en' hdoren.                                                                  Want dan zullen die beesten deelen  in de yrijheid
      "De hooge  bergen  zijn  voo,r  de steenbokken, de                         de; heerlijkheid der kinderen  Gods. .Rom. 8.
  iteenrotsen  zijti een vertrek voor de konijnen."                              , De wijze spreukendichter heeft eens gezegd, dat de
     Ook hier weer : het Gene schepsel dient,het  andere,                        rechtvaardige het leven van zijn be&ten  ial kennen..
  "11 zoo is de geheele schepping eeli "kosmos", eene door Die rechtvaardighiid is zoek,.,als  ons beeld gevonden
  God bestelde orde, waar ieder schepsel zijn plaats `in- wordt in de courant: een triumfantelijke lath, terwijl
  neemt, het geheel vertdonende de hand .des Bcheppers.                          we het doode "ding" omhoog heffen. We vergeten  zoo
     De hooge berg&.                                                             vaak dat snakken, dat hijgen van het brute schepsel
    : ,O ja,`die hooge bergen  zijn van God ,en zij vertellen naar boven, naar ,God, wachtende op de openbaring van
" ons van God.  _                                                                onze vrijheid en heerlijkheid.
     De  hooge  bergruggen vertellen ons van den  On-                               "Hij. heeft de maan gemaakt tot de gezette  tijden,
  veranderlijke, vari den Eeuwig `Zijnde. De geslachten                          de zon weet hare? ondergang."
  komen  en gaan,  doch de  bergen? Zij beklijven van                               Ik weet niet veel van de hemellichamen. Ik heb er
  geslachte tot geslachte. Men komt te voorschijn op dit nooit veel stud% van gemaakt.
  benedenrond,  eet en drinkt iyat, stort wat tranen, en                            Er zijn geleerden der Heilige Schrift die ieggen,
  barst uit in lachen, nog wat levens, `nog wit sterven_s,                       dat deze gezette tijden sl'aan op- de ring .van feesten
  en dan2 Men is er geweest. Doch de bergen,  de hooge onder Israel, omdat de kaaxden ingericht werden naar
  bergen  die God gemaakt heeft, blijven. Denkt aan het de wentelingen  der maan..  Anderen zien in` dit woord
  Erzgebirge in Duitschland. Het  .stond er onder de niet anders dan dat de maan de verandering van dag
  lange  ,redevoeringen  van Wilhelm II; stond er  toen                          en nacht ons doet zien. De gezette tijden van,den tekst
  de eerste wereldbrand  geopenbaard werd ; stqnd stille                         slaan dan alleen op de dagen  en de  nachten,  llaar
  toen Hitler zijn dwaasheid uitkraamde in het Sports-                           Gen. 1:14.
  palast;  en blijft staan nu hij weg is.                                        nemen. Vergeten  we niet, dat dit vers gedicht is in en
     80 ja, de hooge bergen  spreken hun eigen taal._ Alles                         11s denk, dat tie b`eide gedachten te zamen moeten
  spreekt van God; maar de bergen  hebben een hun eigen- voor Israel.
  aardige taai. Bizbnderlijk spreken zij van den grooten,                           En dan die zon die.haar, ondergang weet.
  maehtigen, onveranderlijken God. IOnze oogen gaan                                _ Hierzou een deist te gast kunnen gaan, en zeggin.:
  heen naar de bergen,  al& we hulp verwachten.                                  ziet ge wel, & zijn natuurwetten, waarnaar het schep-
     Die groote, grootsche`bergen nu zijn  een toevlucht se1 luistert. De zon weet haren ondergang. De Heere
  voor de Wilde geiten, voor de steenbokken. Ik herb ze heeft alles op gang gegooid .bij den aanvang, en nu
  gezien in de dierentuinen. Het is of die beesten altijd loopt alles zijn eigen en bestelden gatig.
  aan `t spelen zijn. Het is huiveringwekkend om h&n                                ZulG een deist vergeet; dat er een verband is, eq
  gade te slaan. Zij springen  van plaatsen en op alaa&                          dan iyelk een verband  ! Keer op keer lezen we iminers
  sen, waar het schijnt dat geen standplaats is. Maar van den Heere die doet, en doet en doet ! En zie -dan
  God gaf bun, wijsheid om juist te springen.              En, zij               ook naar het onmiddelijke  verbarid. God is het die de
  spelen van den vroegen morgen. tot den laten avond., duisternis b,eschikt! Onvoltooid tegenwoordigen tijd!
                                                                                                           :
                                                  ..- .
                                                   ..rr   ,si.y--.~
                                                 .,:,  .:  ,. .  ,,  `CF.  _,
                                                     ,
                                   f.            ,.~;".y:~
                                                            a.:  :.I'
                                                  <,`,:i.,  ;"7>`._  :
                                                            :.'


                 ,    c

      426.  '                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   `BE:ARER

~    0 neen. God is vlak bij ons,  en bij  all&  En,Hij is vleesch wierd. "Dewijl Ik geroepen heb en gijlieden
~      het die alle dingen ddet.                                       geweigerd hebt !"
,          De zon'xweet  haren ondergang.`. Het beteekent, dat            De jonge  le&wen  hebben geluisterd. Zij zijn  wak-
       de stomme schepselenl  Zijn wil doen van oogenblik tot iicr geworden en hebben  gevii-&en.  Zij werden  ver-
       oogenblik. Het is God die elk .oogeliblik  die zon, beet- zadigd, en  toen God zeide tot hen: slaapt nu!  toen
       neemt en henenslingert  door het heelal. En God ga& `zijn ze in slaap  gevalleq. Er is  gehoo?zaamheid  bij
       mee met die  h'eengeslingerde zon: Hij kan niet  &n de dieren des velds:
       schepsel of schepseltje  losl&en,  ook niet voor een klein           Maar Mijn volk heeft.Mijner &et gewild!
       ondeelbaar oogenblik. De zon weet haeen ondergang.                   Er zit eeli groote en-een verschrikkelijke dreiging
       D+t zal waar  wezen. Ge kunt het  .elk& avond  weer. in die woorden.
       aan  &en. En als die zon, odk naar hef voorspelde en                 Ze roepen  OF den dag, den DAG, `den "joom": van
       door den mensch geprofeteerde woord der allinanakken, Jehovah. Dan  kotit  er weer een nacht.  Doch  `die
       dan ondergaat, dat meet ge steeds zeggen: De Heere nxht is dan eeuwig.
       doet de zon neigen naar de kimme.            Ik de Heere doe :      `En voor hen die Hem gehoorzamen is. er dan een
       alle deze dirigen! Want fiij is groot van heerlijkheid dag die niet meer gevolgd zal worden  door een nacht..
       en majesteit! Amen.                                            ,,Want er zal geen nacht meer zijn. De zon zal eeuwig
           `(Gij beschikt de duisternis, en het wordt nacht, in aan den trans d& hemels staan.
       dewelke al het gedierte  des wouds uittreedt; de jonge               `"De  &ens&  gaat  dan uit tot `zijn werk, en naar
       leeuwen, brieschende om eenen roof, en om hunne zijpen arbeid tot den avond toe.
       spijs van God te zoeken. De zon opgaande, make; zij                  Hoe groot zijn Uwe werken, `o Heere! Gij hebt ze
       zich weg en, liggen-neder in hunne holen.",                       alle met. wijsheid gemaakt; het aardrijk  iS vol van
           @iet ge w.e!, dat het Gereformeerde  kind God gelijk Uwe goederen !"
       heeft,  wanneer  l$j aanbiddende leert, dat God alles                God eincligt het aardsche leven .Zijner schepselen
       doet ? God beschikt de duisternis. o Gdd doet de nacht met den mensch. Hij begon deze Circe1 ook met den
       komen. God staat klaar `om de jongeleeuwen van roof,. mqisch.
                           . .-.
       van voedsel `I% %oorzi&fi.    I                                      God kominaar UW bed toe in den vroegen morgen;
           Lu&&!t  ! Het is tijd, dat de dieren gevoed worden.           Neen, dat is eigenlijk niet goed. Ik moet dat 266 zeg-
           Ik heb zoo vaak de dierentuin  gezien, in Amsterdam, gen : God stond den geheelen  naeht bij Uw bed, toen
       Berlijn, Londbn, New York, Chicago, en Los Angeles. de Wilde dieren op jach$ waren naar hull voedsel. En
       Maar ik had nooit bijgewoond, dat de wildste dieren toen het morgen werd, toen zeide de Heere tot in Uw
        gevoed werden. Tot op verleden jaar in Chicago. En `. slaap toe: Kom aan, het is tijd voor U OF op te staan.
       toen heb ik h$ gesien. Ik zal het nooit vergeten.                 Hebt ge er we1 eens aan gedacht  dat het ontwaken uit
                                                                         den- slaap iets zeer wonderlijks is? En ook het in
           De jonge leeuwen brieschen. Dat staat in den tekst. slaap vallen? Hebt ge we1 eens kunnen zeggen : Nu,
       .En  ik: heb het  gehoord.         Er zit  i&s,  pajestieus in. in dit oogenblik, val ik in .&ap ? En hebt ge ooit kun-
       Men gevoelt het dat de koning der dieren  aan het nen zeggeil : Ik ontwaak in dit oogenblik, want ik Wilde
       wood is.                                                          het  alzoo?  Ge weet het  we1 beter. De Heere  ,God is
           l&j werd wakker gemaakt door God: God besehikte het die U iri slaap zingt, en die U `ook zonder hand, en
       de dtiisternis des nachts. Dat was een boodschap  aan zonder aanraking, tech aanraakt, en zegt ; I$et is tijd !
       de. Wilde dieren van. ,Godswege  : treedt uit !        Ik heb Wordt wakker !
       Uw maaltijd  klaargemaakt.  En zij werpen  zich  09                  de ggeuwt dan nog wat; -rekt k wat uit, en trekt
       koeien, herten, en .allerlei andere. beesten.. Ze scheuren        Uwe kleeding aan.. Het is morgen gewordeil.
       den strot open, slorpen .het bloed en vreten bet nog                 Vrage: hebt ge dan direct weer aan God gedacht ,
      -warme  vleesch van hun slachtoffer. Ze zochten, en en gezegd : Heere ! hoe wonderlijk zijn Uwe werken? !
     vonden hun  ,voedsel van  CGod.                                        D& te doen is wandelen met Gdd !.
           En als ze straks yol en zat zijn van het geslorpte               Gelukkige Henoch, en Noach  t
       en  bet, verscheurde, dan komt er een andere boodschap                                                            G. Vos.
       van God in het rossig ge'kleurde  ,Oosten. De zon komt
       op ! Spoedt U naar Uwe holen, gij leeuwen en tijgers!
       De Heere spreekt!
           En zij doen het, gehoorzamende het Woord Zijns                                    CLA&IS EAST
       Monds. Het is het krachtige Woord Zijner voorzienig-
       heid. En de dieren luisterden  nu al voor I;000 jaren.            Will `meet in regular session at the First Protestant
           Zegt het mij: wanneer zal men dan eens  ernst Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Wed-
       nemen `met het veel `grooter  en veel lieflijker Wodrd liesday, July 14, at 9 o'clock A. M.
       van den vreeselijkeri  God? Ik doe1 op het Woord. dat                        .  `.                    D.  Joliker,  S: "C.


                                            THE~STAND'ARD   B               E    A     R          E    R                    427

                                                                 creeds. We `have no way of. finding out, neither is
                    IN HIS  FEAR                            -. that qur business. That is the business of the parents
                                                                 and no  less of the church.  ;Our consistories surely
                                                                 know how far the young people come in their study of
                About .Catechism, Etc. '  ' the Reformed Religion, that is, in how far they have
                                                                 acquainted themselves with the yhree Forms of Unity.
          I'll never forget the' mari who thought that the           But from observation and investigation I believe
      Canons of Dordt were. implements of `war, mantifac-        the number of them -who cover the Three Creeds, be-
      `cured  in. Dordt. Evidently mistaking Canons' for can- fore they come to the age of confession, is very small.
      cons, and thereby revealing how totally. ignorant he Many of them have studied $ synopsis bf the- catechis'm,
      was of the Canons.                                         often in very abbreviated form, but of the other two
         ,Our people byiand large are not that ignorant.         creeds they know very little, at least they have made
                                                                 little or no study of them.
          But I wonder- what percentage .of our people are`
      actually well acquaint&d with the Canons for in&ance,         -This cannot be due, I hope, to disregard for our
OY the  Belgic Confession. The Heidelberg Catechism Foundation.  It cannot be due to the fact that men
      fares a bit better because it is systematically preached consider the Creeds old fashioned or highly incoinplete,
      every year in our churches. But suppose once that the nor to the fact that `they are vague and indefinife.
      Catechism was not preached, I wonder how many of               But why then'?
      our people would know much aboui if?           t               Certainly our Protestant Reformed Churches are`
        Alld  the  Iquestion  arises: how many of our young. not making new ireeds,  nor are they adding (three or
      people have a working conception of the Canons by six points) to the creeds.  Whaf we glory in is that
      the tim& they make confession of their faith. I `don't     God has placed us on the line of Protestant. We. stem
      mean whether they had a few weeks of intensive drill-      from the Protestant Reformation, and along with the
      ing in what is sometimes called a preparatory class reformed fathers,  .aim to  champiqn  and- confess and
      for making coqf ession , but whether  they have had a defetid  the scu'iptural truth as expounded in the Three
      quiet,  systematid study of the Canons before they forms.                             '                i
      were twenty-one.                                              (Our Creeds al-e therefore basic.. ,_. I___
          And how many of our young people became well               But how come we work so little with these literal
      acquainted with the Belgic Confession before they be- b a s e s ?
      cam& communicant members of the church?                        Certainly we borrow from them, lean upon `them
          Or, even  ,do  ihey have a  1iViiing  conception of the' and look up passages in them once in. a .while, but why
      Heidelberg Catkchism? Have they actually, memorizecl       not' study them directly' in catechism?
      the Lord's' Days, or its equivalent?                          I believe that the Church in this modern American
        In  .short, do their catechism years  give. them a world must cling more tenaciously than ever to the
      course of study which covers the `Three Forms  -of         dkfinite lines of the Protestant truth as summed up
      `Unity? I sincerely  belieye  that this should be .the `in the Three Forms of Unity. If it was necessary
      case, and for it there is no substitute.                   in 1900 it. is three times more necessary yet in 1948-
         Now if any of us'think such a course is not desir-      because of the age in which we live.
      able nor necessary, there isn't much to be said. . . .      - We all know this.
      except that such people stand in danger. of bringing           I have not discovered anything new.            I cannot
      our Corifessions under the dust. The American way "eureka !"
      of life is very unsympathetic toward definite creeds.
_     Let us never be swallowed up by this antipathy. That          .But if we all know this, just why, I w.onder, do we
      we are Protestant Reformed is all the more reason have  the. situation that many of our young people,
      why we and our young people should know and ap- when they make public confession, have never studied
     preciate them.                                              all the creeds? Most of them, all of them I would.say,
                            .
         But if we think it is highly desirable and, even have faithfully covered the Heidelberg Catechism, and
      necessary that our youth know their creeds, at the         that is wonderful. But this is only one of the Three.
      time- they make confession Gf their faith, we ought to     It is the center of the Three, but it is not all three.
      consider carefully how this can be realized.                  All of us will admit that we in this country are
                                                                 always in grips with Arminianism (grandfather of
                        The.  I.ssue  A.9  Such.                 Modernism), and where would we eve? find the lines.
         %Ve repeat, we do not know how many of our young        cf' distinction between. Arminianism and  ,Calvinism
      people,. by the time they make public confession  6f more clearly drawn than in our Canons? The gnswer
      faith; have covered  the material contained  iti our is : nowhere.


             ,  _
                               1      '
      4 2 8                                        TJiE   S T A N D A R D `   B E A R E R ,

         But it is totally unnecessary to emphasize how im- are added to the' class. `The class as class never ad-
 portant is a knowledge of  ,the  Canolls, we all  -know             vances. If they go :to catechism no ?matter how many
 that.                                     ,i..._ :j::               years, they always stay in the same book. This is not
         And how precious are the Belgic Confessions. How            only unpedagogical, it is tiresome. .It is contrary to
 doctrinally simple yet profound, how wai'm, how soul-               the ambition of youth. Youth wants to deyelop, to
 stirring, how .edifying,  how they lead us to stand in              advance.    It is much better to follow the methods
 the *midst of this world and confess  the faith of the `used in all schools, that is, class advancement. They
 fathers.                                                            pass through the various grades. Why not let our
         But why write about this, you all know how excel-. y&mg people advance froni grade to grade until they
 l e n t              they  a r e .                                  have covered the Creeds completely?
                                                                        In the second place we are of the opinion that
                                     No Time.                        privately made catechism books can never take the
                                                                     place of a study direct- from the Cr>eds. Such books
         If then,so  far I have said nothing new; we are still       can be used as competidiums and guides to the material
 confronted with the actual situation that so few of                 contained in the Creeds, indeed, but then the Creeds
 our  yqung people have made a study of the Three the&elves should be studied before, or along with
 Forms-prior to their public corifession.                            that. It is necessary, as we hope to show later, that,
      I We cou18d perhaps debate a little while about whether        in  the early years they must have `certain primary
 th.is is necessary before cdnfession  is made.                      books in doctrine (and we have some of them already,
         They should have had `study of the Creeds by the thanks to the efforts of of Rev..A.  Cammenga), but I
 time they make confession, bqcause their communicant doubt whether we are giving our youth a fu!! ins\ruc-
 lilembership in the church requires exactly that they tibn.+f we use catechism books instead of the Creeds.
      confess the Reformed religion. (Cf. Art. 61 of the -Hence we would suggest that we ought not fo spend
      D.K.O.)  M O '
                     reo_ver,  at about  that.  sime they  re&`ch    our catechism years on private books & the expense
 nisi-ritigeable  age, and little comes of catechism once                                                        \
                                                                     of a study of the Three Fbrms.
 they are married. This perhaps Bhould not be the Case,                 Neither should the catechumens be-put intq grades
 but isn't it? And above that all, m?ny young people                 which are beneath or beyond their years. A pity I
      discontinue catechism. once. they have made public think when fifteen to twenty-one years olds are crowd-
      confession. They should continue longer, and many ed into one class. ,There can never' be an excuse for
      df them do, but many don't. The ideal time is there-           such a thing.
 fore plainly indicated.                                                 If our young peopLe shall attain to a living co&~p-
         .The. great hindrance seems to be tha$ there is `no         tion of our Precious Heritage therefore, we shall have
 time.                                                               to use the time which <God  allows us wisely, efficiently,
         This is incorrect.                                          and  sys$ematically. If we do I am sure every youth
         There is time enough.                                       who reaches the age  df public confession will  have
       The  qukstion  is much more whether we want  to               had a sttidy in the Three Forms.
      arrange the catechism years in such a. way that the                Con&rning this Course  df Catechism Over the
      Creeds have been  cover.ed.  If we utilize our time,           Years we hope to write iore fully the next time.
      there is time enough. If we waste it, we run time                                                               M. Gritters.
      short.. If only we make wise and diligent use of our
      time there is time a  plenty.

 :                       A Matter Of System.                                                I N   MEMORIAM
         It becomes therefore a matter of system in our'                 The Ladies' Society of the tiudsonville  Protestant Reformed.
      catechism work.                                                Church hereby wishes to express its heartfelt sympathy to our
         In ZL following article we hope to ingicate a general       fellow. member, Mrs: Gerrit Lubbers, in the loss of her,
      course of Catechism ,Over The Years. Before we do
      that it might be well to point  our various present                 P                  - MOTHER"
      usages and methods which ought to be reviewed or, I                May the Lord comfort hi; heart in the, loss sustained, and
      think, removed if we shalj,attain a complete instruction       rniy the bereaved family draw comfort from the Word of God
 in the creeds.                                                      which says that blesTed  are the dead that die in the Lord.
         Fir& of all there is the habit of studying a certaiti
book when they  come to, say  .the age of  seventebn,.                                      In the name of our Society:
and then repeat that book year after year until they                                                 Rev. Gerrit Vos, President
      finally drop fl"om the class. Every year new members                                           Mrs.' C. Spoelman, Secretary,
                                                          \


         1'                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                              4 2 9

                                                                                 Quoted from "A Portion For All", by Rev. W. C.
                    P.ERISCOPE                                                   Laniain, in the Banner of truth.
                                                                                                                           .I
                                                                                 Mimed Oaths :
  Church Discipline. . . .                                                            "A minced oath is a profane oath uttered by a
                                                                                 person who hesitat.es  to go quite the whole. way, in
      In the' following paragraphs are truths which we imitating the profane speech of the sinful world. The
  all know and recognize as such and yet of which we                             use of' minced oaths is peculiarly a sin of ,Christian
  ma.y well be reminded from time to time ; and which                            people; who often deceive their own' conscience into
  it is always well to emphasize:                                                thinking that they are not doing -something wrong
                                                                                 because they do not exactly duplicate, the world's brand
      "Now we must keep in mind that the purpose of of profanity. Some example of common forms of
  church discipline is not to destroy, but t,o save. In minced oaths are: `Gosh' (,instead of `God') ; `darn'
  practice it often becomes evident that discipline is                            (instead of. `damn') ; `heck' (instead of `hell')  ;  `gee)
  regarded as a rule for punishment; For that. reason                             (instead of `Jesus') ; `the deuce' (from the Zatin Deus,
  it ha.ppens  again and again that people are offended                          meaning `God', used instead of `the devil'). The use
  at the office bearers when they are compelled to deal                          of all forms of minced oaths is forbidden, not only by
  with them in an ecclesiastical "manner, as though the a right understanding of. the third commandment, but
  minister and the elders delighted in having found a also by our Lord's command in Matt. 5 :34-37, `Swear
  stick to hit them with. It .also happens sometimes that not at all. . . .but let your communication be, .Yea,
  when discipline must be exercised, one withdraws from yea ; Nay, nay ; for whatsoever is. more than `these
_ the congregation.                                                              cometh of evil'." Quoted from "Studies in the Larger
      "It is a bad sign when people refuse to submit to                          Catechism of the Westminster Assembly',, " in Blue
  ecclesiastical admonition.' We should at all times keep                                                                                     ,..,;
                                                                                 Banner. Faith and Life.
  in mind what the Apostle Paul wrote concerning those
  who draw- back: `My soul shall have no pleasure in Dramatic Fever :
  them'. .                                                                            "Yet, our Church has caught the sickness, too!
      "Those who are called to- exercise discipline must A poster in one of our local `store windows reads as
  also take .care in what spirit that work is carried on. follows : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Church presents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a comedy !
  All haughtiness should be `barred from the heart, .and At local public high school auditorium. Time, place,
`action should be taken only in the spirit of love and                           price of tickets, etc.               -
  meekness,. while at all times we are mindful of the                              "Our Christian Reformed Church, has also become
  truth: `Let him that-thinketh he standeth. take heed `so undignified as to stoop to these means of' raising
  lest he fall,. We must do all in our power to save necessary funds."                                                           ,     `
                                                                                                                                       ,     _`.
  those members who in doctrine or life have drifted                                  "It's not a missionary rally-would that there were
  away, and at the same time we must uphold the truth. as much zeal for mission work as for dramatics-it's
  Let us then love peace and truth. The whole cocngreg,a-                         not a religious musical program, to be `given in *our
  tion is in reality call&d to miaintuin:discirpl~ne.  (I under-                  church auditorium, but  a" comedy ! Something in a"
  score-J.H.)          There are several expressions in Scrip- lighter vein to satisfy both young and old, churched
  turewhich teach this. Paul wrote'in Col. 3 :16 : `Teach- and unchurched. After all it doesn't always need to
  ing and admonishing one -another. . . .' and also in be something spiritually uplifting. .Qur church people
  Heb, 10 24: `And let us consider one another to pro- need, something less depressing once in a while. And
  voke unto. love and to good works'.                                             besides, ii% an easy way to make money. The response
       "The Lord Jesus, who is Ring of the church, has is- wonderful. . : .
  also prescribed the rules for that purpose in Matt, 18:                              "This could be a lengthy article,, but everything
   `Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee,                         I'd say would be challenged. . . . Let's not be careless
  go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone,                           about these `harmless' things.  Let',s  not  .be afraid to
  etc.' For many it is as though that passage were not be called `strict' and `narrow-minded' if- that which we
  in the Bible. Some complain di.rectly to the consistory teach is the truth. . . .."                                                                  .'
   or to their lieighbor ; in fact they divulge to friend and                          We take this article over, which appeared in .the
   enemy alike what they have seen or heard. How often Banner's "Voices in the Church," not because there are
 false reports are credited and accepted ! David was                              Protestant-Reformed Churches  that- sponsor  .dramas,
   most afraid of himself, and it was from the experience                         but to point out the end of that which is `tolerated
   which he gained in life that he sighed: "Lord, set a After a$ what else can you expect with `Junior' and
   watch before my mouth, keep the doors of my lips'." (Senior' plays in the- Grand Rapids Christian High


430.                                  T H E   S T A N D A R D   B.EAR,ER

School (p.erhaps in other Christian High Schools too?)              The following morning the Synod met at Fuller Ave.
and with a Thespian Club in Calvin College? We wish The first committee of' pre-advice was ready to deliver
`to congratulate the writer, who merely signs himself its report.. The followingmaterial had been considered
`A, concerned church member', on his stand and only by this first committee: 1. The report of the Mission
hope that the advice is received. In this connection,            Committee; 2. The report of the Committee for For-
however, we must not forget that also in our own                eign Correspondence (that is, for correspondence with
circles this evil is penetrating through the avenue of          other Churches) ; 3. The'+Overture  of Creston.
the Christian School plays, whether sponsored directly              .Hence, the first matter to be considered by Synod
by the societies or by the numerous  ,aids, mother's            was the report of Mission Committee and the action of
clubs,  .or auxiliaries that also raise money for the            Committee I of pre-advice in respect to this matter.
.purpose-of  Christian Education., "Let's not be careless We might state here that practically the entire time,
about these `harmless things'."                J. Howerzyl.     of Synod on Thursday.and Friday was, taken up with
                                                                the first item, the Mission Committee report as treated
                                                                by the committee of pre-advice.. The Mission Com-
                                                                mittee report contained information and recommenda-
                   Synod In Session                              tions regarding fields of labor for our mission work,
                                                                foreign mission work and a few lesser matters.
   This is `being written while Synod is still meeting              Regarding foreign'mission work the. following de-
and will `be a. brief review of work thus far accom- cisions were made by Synod :
p l i s h e d .                                 ~                   1; That our Churches raise a fund of $10,000 with
        The usual pre-Synodical service was held on Tues- a view to seeking out and establishing a Foreign, Mis-
day evening, June 1, in the Fuller Avenue auditorium.            sion work of our own..         3
The Rev. -J. De Jong, president -of the Synod of 1947,              2. That this fund should be raised by asking all our
delivered the ser.mon. Rev. De Jong chose as his text,           Churches to take two offerings per year, and by free
IX Timothy 4 : l-4.                                              gifts from our membership.
        The following morning the first regular session             3. That this fund, after its establishment, may be
of Syno'd convened at our Fourth Church in Grand                 used to `support some other form -of mission endeavour
Rapids: Synod opened ,its meetings with the singing in case it becomes `impossible to' establish a foreign
.of Psalter No. 403 and the reading of I Corinthians 12          mission work of our own.
and prayer by the Rev. De Jong.            The following            4. That the Mission Committee continue to investi-
officers were chosen to serve this Synod:                       `gate the whole matter of foreign mission work with
                                                                 especial regard to field, and ways and means to seek
           President - The Rev. L. Vermeer,                      out and encourage young men to present themselves
           Vice-president - The Rev. H. De Wolf,                 for this work.
           Secretary - The Rev. M. Gritter,                         The next matter taken up in connection with Mis-
           Assistant Secretary --. The Rev. J. Howerzyl.         sion Committee report was the selection of a field of
        The newly elected president of Synod, the Rev. L.        labor for our mission work. The committee of  pre-
Vermeer, then read the Public. Declaration of Agree- advice, having considered the matters related to this
ment with the Forms of Unity ; the members of Synod              as reported by the' Mission Committee,, advised that
 standing during this reading to express their con- Canada be chosen as `a field of labor and that Synod
formity. Synod then decided that its regular sessions consider to seek to obtain ,a' Holland-speaking mission-
would be from 9 to 12 each morning and from 1:30 to              ary in the place of one of our present missionaries.
 5 o'clock each afternoon. Following the appointment.                Before treating this advice the missionaries' re-
 of a committee for committees Synod adjourned until ports of their investigation of various fields were read
 this committee has opportunity to prepare its report.           in their *entirety on the floor of Synod. These re-
 Later in the morning this committee reported and ports contained information concerning Byron Center,
 its advice, that the matters to come before Synod               Michigan, South-eastern. Iowa, Northern Michigan,
 should be distributed among three committees of `pre-           Lynden, Washington and' Ontario, Canada.
 advice, was adopted. These committees of pre-advice                 With considerable discussion and deliberation the
 study material of Synod which is given into their following action. was taken by Synod :
 hands and serve Synod with ,advice and directives to                1. Synod rejected the advice to se.ek to obtain .a
 expedite its work. Following the appointment of these Holland-speaking missionary in the place of one of our
 three committees of pre-advice the Synod ~adjourned             present missionaries and to continue with our present
 for-the day and during the afternoon and evening of missionaries.
 Wednesday these committees worked and prepared                      2. `To advise to send our present missionaries to
 t h e i r   r e p o r t s .          _                        I  L y n d e n ,   W a s h i n g t o n .
                                                                                   D
                                .'


                     .     E'


                                 T H E   `S T A N D A R D   BEAREk                                                  431

   3`. That we continue our Missionary endeavour `in on record where `a standing committee has done this.
 Canada and the Mission Committee in conjunction ,b. `That  .under the circumstances the Mission  Gom-
with the tailing consistory make pr&iiion to do so.         mitt.ee  couid do nothing else than inform the con-
    Synod next: tre&ed the report of the Committee          sistories as they did. (N.B.  ,The point is that the
for Correspondence with other Churches. This Com- Mission Committee did not raise the assessment, as
mittee had sent a letter to the Reformed Churches ,of       impliecl  in the overttire,  but informed the consistories.
the Netherlands (Art, 31) suggesting that preparatory that a `raise would be evident due to increased ex-
w&k be`dbneO towards establishing closer relationship.      penditures.             _
An .answer receiv_ed from the Netherlands `indicated               Point 4 of the "overture reads : "That Synod b`e very
that the Netherlands Churches, by their Committee,          sparing in making decisions to the effect that a stand-
had received and considered the letter`and would take ing committee `use its own discretion' in determining
the matter to their Synod which is to meet in Sep-          or raising the `amount of salary of brethren that are
tember of this year.  ,Our own Committee was con-           paid, by our  ChurcheZ'.       Decision of Synod: In re
tinue$        _                                             point 4, that Syriocl express that it. is in agreement
    The final matter with which Committee I dealt was with this point `although it fails to see where it has
the Overture of  Creston.   ..Th.e four points of conclu- ever `acted to the  cotitrary.
 sion or recommendation of the overture were discussed             The next material to be tr'eated by Synod was that
and the following action was taken :                        presented by the second committee of pre-advice. Re-
    Point 1 of the overture reads: "That, if at all pos-    garding the matters placed in their hands we present
_sible, the Churches should be .given an opportunity to     the following light and action of Synod:
 discuss all matters that come before Synod, including      Synod spent much time and cleliberation  on matters
financial matters like -propo,sed  assessments, salaries, dealing with our Theological School.. The greatest of
etc. Under our present set-up our. classes do not even these was in connection with the, answer of the Rev.
have this opportunity, and at the classical gatherings I-I. Hoeksema to ,the proposition of the Synod of 1947
we have at least representatives of the local consist-      and the future position of Mr. H. C. Hoeksema. In
 ories.!' Decision of Synod re this po;nt : That ;&mod      regard to Mr. Hoeksema the committee of pre-advice
refers them to the Rules of IOrder  of Synod, articles      suggested that  Synod inform the Churches  that he
4, 6 and 9, pages 55 and 5'7 of the Church Order of, was- eligible to _receive  a call since his year of post-
the Protestant Reformed Churches. ,Grounds : .a. These graduate work h&d been completed. In close connec-
rules have proved satisfactory in the past. b. That tion with this the Rev. Hoeksema addressed a letter to
 the. suggestion of  Creston militates against our Re- Synod containing his answer to the proposition. that
formed set-up with respect to authority of Synods re- he release himself from Fuller Ave. and spend all his
flected in Articles 30, 31 and 51 of ouy Church Order.      time &ith the school. He informed Synod that since
e. That Reformed Churches in the past have not work- it See#Fed to be- the desire of his son and also of the
ed ~aticording  to this suggestion of Creston.              Synod that Mr. Hpeksema accept a call from one .of
 - Point 2 of the  ov&ure reads: "That it should be our Churches, he (Rev. Hoeksema) would nob be able
made the rule that decisions.which involve a cansider-      to accept the position offered him last year: Further,
able outlay of. money be proposed- to the Churches,         the Rev. Hoeksema informed Synod that  hti could
stating the definite  gum, and that such decisions do not not promise nor did intend to take up his school work.
go into effect  until the next year. That would give for the coming year without the help of his- son.
opportunity for deliberation, suggestion, counter pro-             After much discussion and deliberation the Synod
posals, protest, etc." `Decision of Synod : In re point `2 fin@ly decided to address -the f&lowing  to both the
that Synod express that in concrete casks Synod Get         Rev. Hoeksema  2nd his son, Mr.  .H. C. Hoeksema :
according to its own discretion in this matter.             "I. To express to Rev. .Hoeksema our appreciation for
    Point 3 of the overture reads: "That under no' h&most valuable labors in our theological school, and
cSrcumstances  a standing'committee has the power to also that we remember these labors before our Father
raise the assessments for a particular fund during the in Heaven as Hisgift to us for our welfare. We &sire
course of the year. We h.ad a glaring example of this and pray that h& m&y be spared for the welfare of our
m the past year when the Mission Committee raised           Churches, and especially for our Theological school,
`the assessme&s  for the Mission Fund from $5 to $12 and that"he  may regain his strength. If at all possible
per family. That this figure was subsequently lowered we would like to have him labor and help us in the
to $6 per family is due to tee consistory and congre-       Theological School this coming year. We feel that his'
gation of Fuller Ave. But we feel that the principle labor is indispensible ~to us. W& urge him .therefore,
-of the thing is wrong. Other committees might do, to reconsider his letter to  us. The situation is very
the same thing, and where would be the end?" De- difficult, we realize, because of the personal relations
cision of Synod : In re point 3 : a. `That there is no case that are involved. We, u,nderstand his desire to labor
                                                              .


,432            '                     T'HE   STANDARD  B E A R E R   _

furt@er  with the help of  his son Homer. Although             Grand Rapids, which suggested that Synod appoint a
we are of the `conviction that it would be to the welfare      committee to- coTpile -a work-book on the Heidelberg
of his son that he enter'the active ministry, ne'verthe-       Catechism for use in catechism instruction, the Synod
less, if .his (Rev. Hoeksema's) labor is contingent upon       replies that it does not consider it'necessary for Synod
his son's help and assistance we recommend that he             ,to provide our Churches with a-.-work-book at this
be appointed to continue his stiidies  and instruction time.                                                     :
for another year, under the same financial arrange-                   Synod decided to again publish a year book this
ment as in the past year. Further,, that. we pledge our year and to include this material in the book which
cooperation to help build our  schoql's  reputat'ion  for will also. contain the Acts of Synod ; as was also done
                                                                                                                                     - .
we are also of this same. conviction, as- he is, that the last year.                             .-'
school is most important; We also  wiil furnish him                   After accomplishing many routine matters such as
with  `other needed assistance  -  s&zh as a  dictaphone       voting for committee members.etc.,  Synod had finished
to further produce material for future use `in the .its work.  1x1 his closing remarks the president, the
Churches.                                                      Rev. L. Vermeer, correctly stated that a spirit of unity
    "II. We  .further  advise Synod to empower  the. and love had prevailed and that many weighty =prob-
Theological ;School Cori?&ttee  to seek the best means lems ha@ been discussed freely and openly with brother-
to maintain instruction of our students the coming ly kindness.                                                       i                W. Hofman.
year."
 The above pnopositions  were also adopted by Synod.
   `The report of the rector, Prof. G. M. Ophof, which                                      25th  WEDDING  ANN-IVERSARY
informed Synod. that the students had done good work
and that good relationships existed. between professors               On Monday, June 28, 1948, the, Lord willing, our parents
and students, was accepted.                                                                             JAMES KOK
    The Theological School Committee had investigated                                                       a              n    d
the expansion of our school and stated :. "there is r&h-                                     GERTRUDE KOK (nee Kunst)
ing we can recommend to #Synod for a pre-seminary hope. to  celebra6e  their 25th wedding anniversary. a  -
course. beyond- those subjects  which have always been                We, their children, are indeed thankful to our Coverant  God
taught in our school." The Synod adopted the advice for sparing them for each ,other  and us. May the Lord continue
-of. the committee of pr,e-advice  in this matter "that .it    to  bless  them in the future as He has in the past.
is ilot advisable to extend our curriculum at this time               "Bless the Lord, 0 my soul, and forget not all His benefits."
beyond the present curriculum".                                                                                                        -Psalm 103  :2.
  . Synod instructed the Theological School Committee
to make a thorough investigation as  td the cost of                   -                                 T.heir  grateful children:
b$lding a' suitable building and/or also the prjce of                                                            Mr. and Mrs. Edward Kok
Izurch&ing a suitable house for this purpose.                                   I                           Mr. and Mrs. Richard  Velting
 The" T@eological School Committee  reportecl  that                                                              James R.
they had received a lel;ter  fl;om the Society for Pro-                                                          Harold L.
testant Reformed Education asking to what extent                                                                 Roger A.
the facilities of the Theological School can be made           Grand Rapids, Michigan.  '                        P h i l i p   J .
                                                                                                                      \
available to prepare persons interested in the teaching                                                                               :
                                                                                                                           -
profession to ,qualify them for teaching in schools bf
our own. `The Synod decided to reply as follows: that          d.          :                25th  WEDDING  ANNIVERSARk
Synod advise the Society for Protestant I Reformed
Education that we have no facilities' for a complete                  on Monday, *June  21, 1941 my beloved parents
normal course. However, that we  can supply, we hope,                                           HENRY B.  HOUTROP
the very .necessaiy  Protestant Reformed point of view                                                    a n d
by having prospective teachers study'principl.es  of edu-                             SUSANNA HOLTROP (nee De  Borst)
cation and read specified outside literature upon educa- hope to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.
tional subjects, as cioduc@d  by our men avid others.
  Mr. George Lanting, a inember `of our Sduth Hol-                    I thank  ou? Heavenly Father with them `for having, kept
,land  cpngregation,  and Mr. Marvin Koerner, of the and sust.ained  them together through the years, and pray that
-German Reformed Church at Stitton, Nebraska, were the Lord may .grant -them His Pea&e in their remaining -years.
granted permission  to attend our Theological School.                 "Blessed  .be the Lord who daily  loadeth- us with benefits,
The r&quest of Mr. Jack Vali Dyken, of our.Fuller Ave.         even the God of our  salvation."-Psalm   68:19.
                                                                                     ,.          .~.
congregation, was referred to the Th&o.  School Comm.                                                                                Janet Arlene.
  In reply to an oveiture from the Second Church in            Giand  Ra.pids,  Michigan.


