VOLUME XXIV                                ~ July 1, 1948 r Grand  Rapid& Mitihigan                              ' NUMBER 19
                                                                         `TGeedens,  het ware volk in Babel's  onderdruk-   /
      ME'DITAT IO'N                                                   king zalook  treuren  als zij in Babel aangekomen zijn
                                                                      om die lange zeventig  jaren  daar door te brengen,
                                                                      ver v8n God; Zijn tempel en stad. Zij zullen de harpen
                                                                      aati'de wilgen hangep, en weigeren om des Heeren,lied
                 Jehovah  Komt                                        te zingen in het vreemde Babel.
                                                                          En daarom zorgt God er voqr, dat er een boek der
                "0 Sion! gij verkondigster  van goede boodschap,      troostredeneti  is, zoodat beide dP treuren'clen in Juda,
            . klim op  zenen  lioogen   berg: 0 Jeruzalem!  &ij  ver-' v66r de ballingschap, die treuren vanwege de zwarte
             kondigslter   van goede boodschap, hef uwe stem op       toekomst  ; en de treurenden in Babel, die, treuren van-
              met  ma&t; hef  ze op, vrees niet, zeg tot de steden    wege de aanwezige donkerheid, ziclizelven mogen troos-
              van Juda: Ziej hier is uw God." enz.                    ten in den Heere hun God.
                     \.                        LJesaja   40:9-11.         Troost,  - troost,` Mijn volk, zal ulieder  ,God  zeg-
                                                                      gen!  j          .
   Onze tekst is in het eerste hoofdstuk van Jesaja's                   En het hart van die troost  is : De Heere komt !
trdostredenen, hetwelk met het veertigste hodfdstuk
b$gint.                                                                                      :i: :i:  :i: :i:
   En het hart dier trodst is: De Heere Komt.!                            De Heere komt!
 >`~ Het zou'er hachelijk bijstaan in de dagen wanneer.                   Dat is de blijmare voor het volk van God in balling-
deze profetie hiitorie zou worden.                                    schap.                 ,
   We moetell irobr den aandacht houden, dat Jesaja                       Let erop, dat het weer gaan zal als  voorheex
deze woorden neerpende toen Israel en Juda nog in het "Uit Sian zal des Heeren wet uitgaan, en des Heeren
land der belofte  woonden.  Er was zelfs een  zekere`. `Woord uit Jeruzalem !" Jes. 2 :3.
mate van voorspoed, nu  we1 geen geestelijke voorspoed,                   De blijmare is gericht tot`Sion en tot Jeruzalem.
rhaar dari tech &en soort van succes. Maar Jesaja .zag                    pat brengt hen in een eigenaardige. positie;;' Sion
dieper dan de oppervlakte, vanwege  bet. feit, dat de eh Jeruzalem zijn de boodschappers, doch zij zijn ook
.Geest  des Heeren HEEREN op hem  was.0'  Hij. zag. het volk tot  .&en die boodschap komt.  '                               '       _
de moreele verrotting van bet voorheen .zoo gezegende                     En tech is. het nooit anders geweest.
volk Gods. Hij zag en wist, door Goddelijke  aan-                         Let er op, dat ook  vtindaag er menschen op ,de
spraak  ve.rmaand"zijnde,  dat het volk zijn weg  ver- preekstoel staq om Sibn' het goed te verkondigen.
dorven  *had, en dat de Goddelijke  straf niet uit zou ,n/Iaar de .boodschap.  is pok voor' hen die de, boodschap
blijven.                    :                                         brengeli.
   Leest de laatste woorden van het vooriaande  hoofd-                 1 Dieper  nag: Jezus is de groote Boodschapper v&
stuk, en gij zult  .ijzen bij het hooren van het  ver-                God! Maar de boodschap des .heils is allereerst zelfs              '
schrikkelijke  oorde& dat straks werkelijkheid zal wor- voor  ,Remzelf!  Hij is de grootste  Erfgenaam aller
den. Des  Koningszonen   z&ti  kamerlingen  gemaakt dingen, en is de eerste.  en voornaamste Bezitter der
worden  in bet land van Babel.'                                       nieuwe a+Tde.                                          .
   Maar God is groot van goedertierenheid.' en lank-                      !%o ook hier : de veriondigster  van goede boodschap
moedigheid.                                                           wordt Sion en Jeruzalem geheeten,  maar. dat zijn
   Hij weet, dat het ware volk zal treuren.                           zij zelf. Want cG.od,bouwt  &n door Sion.
   Eerst, zij zullen  tretiren als zij  d'e  donkere  pro-                Zegt tot de  &eden van  Juda: Ziet; hier is  U,w
Petie hooren van Jesaja.                                              God:


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     434           `
                   :                                          THE  STANDA+-D  B E A R E R

4            De Heere is aan `t  komei!                               -                                 0  ieker,   bet stond er  hachelijk voor met het
         Men vege  de tranen weg.  `.:c Er komt groote  ver-                                       v     o    l    k     .
     bli jding.                                                                                         En zoo zouden zij lijden zeventig lange jaren.
         Hij we&, dat het ware volk zal treuren.                                                        Maar  nti kwam de ure  cler  "F$os$ng. Jesaja
                                                                                                   profeteerde er <an: `De -i-Ieere  kouit'!'                             "
                                8:     :,:     :l:     :i:                                              Liefelijl~e mare voor het ware volk van God!
       `t Was we1 noodjlg, da% zulk een lieflijke boodschap  .                                          De Heere' komt !                             z*
     aan Juda en Jeruzalem gezonden  werd.                                      Want het                                                                      ,~,` _1'         >
     stond er trcurig bij.                                                                                                         .  & :k  * :k                    :
             Israel  was in ballingschap gegaan.  ._.                                                   En, Sion en Jeruzalem! Als Ik, de  He&e U  uit-
         En zij verkeerden in een benarden toestand.  1
         ;Stad, land en tempel waren verwoest door de god-                                         zend tot de steden van Juda met deze blijmare, denkt
     vergetenen.                                                -          n                       er dan aan, dat gij o,p een hoogen berg klimmet ! :                              "
             Ze  waren  &eedelijk  door de godclelooze  &by-                                            Wat dat beduid,en mag?
     loni+s vanuit het land der Vader& weggevoerd,  naar                                                ,Dat beteekent, eerst, dat de'booclschap  van Godcle-
     lzet afgodische- Babel.                                                                       lijken oorsprong was. De hooge berg is een predikitig
             En wat de smart verergerde is dit : zij .waren weg-                                   van gen hoogen God. Daarom gaan onze oogen naar
     gevoerd naar Babel vanwege hun groote zonde. Jere-                                            `t gebergte heen, vanwaar onze hulpe is.
                                                                                                        Tweedens, dat. cle bevrijding een werk van boven
     mia zal ons hiervan onderwijzen.                           Luistert slechts
     naar hem: Jertizalem  heeft zwaar gezondigd, daa"roti                                         is, van God  clie alleen bevrijden kan.  "
     is zij als een afgezonderde  vrouiv geworden; allen die                                            Bovendien, als, ge spreekt tot Mijn volk, dan moet
     haar eerden,  achten,   `haar onwaard, dewijl zij hare                                        ge spreken met een luide stem: ge moet. spreken met
     naaktheid gezien hebben ; zij zucht ook, en zij is achter-                                    een machtige  st&n. Vooral dit : vreest niet ! Weest
     waarts gekeerd. Hare onreinheid is in hare zoomen,                                            niet bang als ge &et `Mijn  blij&re tot  Mijn  voik
     zij heeft niet gedacht aan haar uiterste; daarom is zij                                       komt.      Er is niemand in de geheele  aarde  di'e met
     wonderbaariijk omlaag gedaald, zij heeft geenen troos-                                        zoo groote stem en zoo onbevreesd  mag spreken als
     ter.                                                                          -               Mijn boodschapgers. Laat U door niemand vrees aan;
                                                                                                   jagei Ik heb U gezonden, en Ik ben cle Eene die
             En zoo. is het geweest.                                                               autoriteit heb om uit te  zenden en te  doen  spreken.
             De Heere had Zijne profeten  gezonden, vroeg  `01;                                    Daarom roept met luider keel tot Mijn volk, en zegt :
     zijnde en sprekende, maar Zijn volk had het verdorven,                                        Zie, hier is Uw ,God !
     zij hadden Zijner niet gewild.                                                                     Ziet ! Hier !
             Toen had de Heere gewaarschuwd, keer bp keer.                                              Het komen van God om Zijn volk te verlossen z&l
     Hij had het hun letterlijk aangezegd,  dat. Hij hen zoo .cluidelijk zijn,' dat de boodschappers die aanwij-
     overgeven zou in de  handen  ,van de  benden die van zende `woorden mogen bezigen,
     het Noorden zouden komen  om hen weg te voeren,                                                    En zoo is het geweest door alle eeuwen,heen.
     doch zij waren doof voor des Heeren woo_rd. Zij  had-                                              De .inhoud. de? prediking -van +f de hooge bergen
     den er zelfs om gelachen en lachende gevraagd: waar. is altijd  geweest: Ziet! Hier! Als iets duiclelijk was
     is de dag des Heeren? Dat Hij nu, kome !                                                      hier op. aarde, clan is het. de verlossing van Gods
             Zij  hadden  zich  ,gebogen  vo6r vreemde  goden,, en volk.
     zij hadden reukwerk gebrand voor de koningen ' des                                                 U          w                `God!
     h&&els.       .Zij  hadden den goddelobzen nabuur  nage-                                           Er zit" muziek iq die twee woorden.
      daan en zich neergebogen voor de Baalim en de ..As-                                               IAlles is van God, dok de duivel en de drommen der
     theroth.                                                                           :`         godver&tenen. Nitimand  is er die zichzelf bezit.  Want
             En*  toen  was de Heere  ontstoljen in groote  grim-                                  alles is door God geschapen. En het eigendomsrecht
     migheid tegen Zijn volk. Later zal Jesaja gewag zit in hun schepping in.
     maken van het vreemd klinketide  woord, dat de H&e?e                                               Daarom moeten we iets anders zoeken' en vinden
      Zijn  volk veranderd was tot een  yijand: Hij Zelf achter dat bezittelijke voornaamstioord : UW !
     heeft tegen hen gestreden. .                                                                       En het is dit : er zit de eeuwige liefde  ,Gods in.
             En die toorn des Heeren was verwerkelijkt -in het                                          Sion en Jeruzalem zijn van  ,God op een geheel
      komen van Nebuchadnezar  en zijne wreede soldaten.                                           eigenaardige  wijze. Hij bezat hen van eeuwigheid,
     Zij waren gekomen, en .wij huiveren nog bij het lezen en zij hebben een platits in ?ijn Goddelijk hart.
      van de ellende van Gods yolk H&t land, de stad en                                                 En als ge dan vraagt: maar hoe kan God dan Zijn
      de tempel werdeli  verwoest, en de heilige vaten wer- volk zoo wonderbaarlijk  omlaag doen dalen? En hoe
      den meegenomen naar het afgodische Babel.  Later                                             zit het dan met'hun zonde en straf- en. doemwaardig-
      zou men erg zondigen met die heilige vaten Gods.                                             heid.?                                    _    -I_  _u.


                                                                                             D


  .                                                   T H E   S.TANDA,RD   B E A R E R                                                435

       Om het goede antwoord te geven inoet ik,U wijzeti                            9 ja, de Heere zou komen. .
op dell,wijzen raad des Heeren. Hij  wil'de  Zich  open-                            Eri Hij brengt loon- mede. Zijn arbeidsloon is voor
baren in al den rijkdom van. Zijn goedheid en liefde Zijn aangezicht.
ii1 een volk daartoe verkoren. Daarom mobst Adam                                    Er is loon  vooi de goddelooze verdrukkers,,  die .
vallen en met hem vie1 het geheel der uitverkorenen                              Gods volk moesten verdrukken. God Wilde het ook,
Gods. Maar toen heeft God dat- volk gegeven aan den                              maar bier is het verschil. Nebuchadnezar  heeft. Israel
nederigen knecht des Heeren, en dat is `Jezus Christus                           en Juda verdrukt uit het. motief van pure  haat en
die te komen stond. En dat volk Jsraels' is een type. goddeloosheid.                              Ea God Wilde het tiit het pure motief
van dien Zoon.  Ais die Zoon voor God staat met  31                              v&n liefde..  D&  verdrukk.ir@  was een smeltkroes die
de zonde en schuld van Israel beladen;  dan moet dien                            al het tin moest uitzuiveren, opdat het zilver en het
Zoon wonderlijk omlaag dalen. En dat is geschied                                 goud van  Zijn, genade te voorschijn  mocht komen,
typisch  toen Israel naar Babel ging. En`dat  is  ver-                           blinkende, van schoonheid en .verradende zijn Godde-
vuld toen Jezus aan het vloekhout hing.                                          lijke herkomst. .'
        Maar God heeft nooit opgehouclen om dat volk,                               Luistert, gij steden van Juda !
rondom dien Christus, te lieven.                                                    De Heere komt om Uw vijanden te verbrijzelen.
        Als dan ook het vuur van de  wrake  <Gods; dat                             En Hij heeft ook loon vdor  U.,
brandde vanwege Zijn onkreukbare  gerechtigheid, uit-                               Hij zal jubelen van Zijn loon voor U!
gebrand is, dan komt de blijmare: Jehovah. -Komt  !                                De .Heere Komt !
En den gaan de  boodschappers  rond en  roepen  liet
luidkeels  vari de hooge  bergen  Gods: Ziet, hier is
Uw ,God!                                                                            EnhierisUwloon!.
        0 ja, de Heere zij geloofd! De Heere ,Komt  !                                Hij zal Zijn kudde weiden gelijk.een Herder I
                                                 -                                  Klinkt dat niet `Nieuw-`Testamentisch?
                           :,:     :i:    *:    *i:`
                                                      ,                             Inderdaad, het is Jezus Christus, de Heere !
       =De  Heire Komt!                                                              Ge kunt Hem gemakkelijk herkennen: Hij zal de
        En Zijn komst is met macht.                                              lammerkens in Zijne  armen vergaderen  en in Zijnen
        Want Hij zal komen tegen den sterke,  ell.Zijn arm schoot  dragen. De zoogenden zal Hij zachtkens  lei-
zal  heerschen! .                                                                den !
        Da? zijn de wondere woorden `des Evangel&+.                                  Wie herkent hier den barmhartigen God niet, die `I
                                                           t
 Dat ziet eerst op Babel.                                                        in  bet aangezicht van  Jezus van Nazareth voor ons
                                                                                 kwam te @aan, nu al voor' twintig eeuwen geleden.?
        Babel is de bij uitstek sterke.  We1  mocht die                              Herinnert ge U dien armen tollenaar ?
 generaal van Nebuchadnezar  snoeven. We kunnen er                                   0 ,God, wees mij den zondaar genadig !
 in komen. Er was geen volk geweest en geen god die                                  Toen hoorde God, Hij is mijn liefde waardig!
 hct tcgen hem uit koh houden. .Hij had man en paard                                 En de goede boodschappers gaan nog steeds rond
 genoemd  toen hij  -stoncl voor de  poorten  van  Jeru-                         en vanaf de hooge bergen  komen zij ,met de blijmare
-3alem. .Hij had  tamelijk  voorwerpejijk gesproken.                             van Godswege : Ziet, hier is Uw ,Gocl!         .
 En`toch was hij- zoo dom als een ,ezel geweest. Nebu-                               En zij worden  ook gehoord en gehdorza&md:
 chadnezar had gestreden tegen de dirigeri, en zelfs in                              Zelfs de blinden zullen niet dwalen. En als zij niet
 zijn  strijderi tegen de  dingen was hij door God  ge-                          meek kunnen, als het schijnt-alsof er ge& gebed door
 sterkt, anders had hij het piet kunnen doen. Maar'nu                            kan, als alle kyacht-ons  ontzinkt, dan ervaren wij den-
 staat bij voor de? G'od des hemels en der aarde. En                             komenden God.
 Hij laat zich niet bespotten.                                                       Want dan neemt Hij ons op in eeuwige armen en
        En o, als God komt tegen den sterke,  dan is het                         clraagt ons.
 uit met hem. Dat hebben de geweldhebbers der  -werelcl                              De zoogenden zal Hij zachtke!ns leidep.
 keer. op keer uitgevonden. Waar  is Napoleon?. En                                  ,Elke dag die wij hier nog  erv&ren is een bewijs
 Hitler? Waar is straks Stalin?                                                  ervan.
        Gods arm zal heerschen;                                                      Boodschappers ! Brengt Uw boodschap met macht.
        God had--Nebuchadnezar gebruikt als een gehuurd ' Vrees niet!  Achter U, en ter  rechter en ter linker
 scheermes. En als dat gehimrde scheermes staat  te                              zijcle staat God met Zijn arbeidsloon. Zegt den recht-
snoeven tegenover de slachtoffers die hij mocht sehee-                           vaardige dat het h&m we1 zal gaan.; wee den goddelooze,
 ren, -dan lacht God in .den hemel. En een lachende $60~1                        bet zal hem kwalijk gaan ! -Maar de Heere Komt,!
 is dreeselijk. Dat zullen Nebuchadnezar  `eli' de zijnen                                                                       G. Vos.
uitvinden, hebben zij  uitge,vonden.                       .Wat  zooden-  zij                          8  :k $  $2
 U kunnen onderrich.ten  als zij op het huidig tooneel der                         No&e  - As  is. customary, the Standard Bearer
 aarde konden komen en prediken. :                                               Bearer will not be published on the 15th of July.


     436'                                                                                                    T                     H                        E                            STANDAR6,  BEARER.'

                                   The Standirrd Bearer                                                                                                                                             E,DITO.RIALS,                                '
                Semi-Monthly, except Monthly in July and August
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                         The Reformed Free Publishing Association                                                                                                                                           Insinuations
                  .                                1463  Awlmore  St., S. E.
                                        EDITOR : - Rev. H. Hoeksema.                                                                                                                      w In the Wq&er of iune 1, 1948, we read the fol-
     Contributing Editors: - Rev.-G.   k. Ophoff, Rev. G. Vos, -Rev.                                                                                                                    lowing from  the hand of the Rev., E. Van  IIalsema,
     R. Veldman, Rev. H. Veldman, Rev. H. De Wolf, Rev.  8. Kok,                                                                                                                        editor of UIT EN VOOR DE PERS:                 `.
     Rev. J. D. De Jong, Rev. A.  Better, Rev. C.  Hahko,  Rev. L.
     Vermeer, Rev. G. Lubbers, Rev. M. Gritters, Rev. J. A. Heys,                                                                                                                          "Nnn~  We&e  Kerk?  Deze vraag houdt de  men-
                                                                                                    .
     Rev. W.  Bofman.                                                                                                                                                                   schen in Nederland, die er over  denken  om  te  emi-
       Communications relative to contents should be addressed to                                                                                                                       greeren naar ons land en naar Canada, bezig. Het is
     REV. GERRIT VOS,  I@dsonville,  Michigan.                                                                                                                                          een vraag die men zoo goed- kan perstaan.            In een
       Communications relative to subscription should be addressed                                                                                                                      nieuw land is alles ioo vreemd, en ook het kerkelijk
     to MR. GERRIT PIPE, 1463 Ardmore St, S. E., Grand  Rapids,                                                                                                                         leven, al rust het ook op dezelfde belijdenis, is weer
     .Mich. Announcements  Andy   Obittiaries  must be mailed  td the                                                                                                                   anders. Honderden, ja, duizenden k&amen reeds, of
     above address and will be published. at a fee of $1.00 for each
     notice.                                                                                                                                                                            zullen komen,  naar de Nieuwe wereld. De Christian
                                    (Subs,cription  Price $2.50 per  year)                                                                                                              Reformed Church bood hen de hand der hulpe en der'
     Entered as Second Class  Mail  at Grand Rapids, Michigan.                                                                                                                          geme&xxhap   aan.        Aandankelijk vonden velen een
                                                                                                                                                                                        Nplaats  in dnze kerken, hier en in Canada.
                                                                                                                                                                                           Niet alleen onze Christian Reformed Church doet
                                                                                                                                                                                        het hare om `de nieuw aangekomenen te lielpen, ook
                                                                                                                                                                                        and&e kerk-groepen staan daarvoor klaar.  Er zijn
                                                                                                                                                                                        Canadeesche kerken clie zich beijveren om de immi-
                                                          COtiTENTS                                                                                                                     granten een welkom toe te roepen.  In ons land dbet
                                                                                                                                                                                        ook de Protestant Reformed Church pogingefi  tot hulp-
     MEDITATION-                                                                                                                                                                        verleening.'
             Jehovah Komt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 433             Zooals  we onlangs konden lezen uit een verslag
P                      Rev.  G. Vos                                                                                                                                                     van een rede van Prof. Schilder, raadt deze zijn volk
                                                                                                                                                      .-
     EDITORIALS-                                                                                                                                                                        aan om  zich  bij de  Prdtestant  Reformed Church te
             Insinuations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436 gaan  voegen:    Anderen houwen op dat zelfde  aan- .
                       Rev. G. Vos                                                                                                                                                      beeld. We lazen in "De Reformatie" een stuk van de
                                                                                                                                                                                        h-and van K. C. Van Spronsen, die ons land bezocht,
     THE  TRIPLti   KNOWLEDGE-
             An Exposition ,Of The: Heidelberg Catechism . . . . . . . i . . . . . . . . $38                                                                                            ons kerkelijk  leveen  nog al becritiseerde en nu, in
                       Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                                                                                 Nederland, vragen  OF  inlQhtingen  ontvangt. Het
                                                                                                                                                                                        antwodrd, `dat Mr. Van ;Spro&en  geeft, wijst de men-
     OUR DOCTRINE-                                                                                                                                                                      schen ook op vo,ornoemde  kerken.       -
                God's Covenant and The Promise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  :...441                                                             W e   l e z e n :
                  Rev. H. Veldman                                                                                                                                                           "Van verschillende  zij,den  `ontvangt  ondagetee-
     THE DAY OF SHADOWS-                                                                                                                                                                kende brieven met verzoek om inlichtingen omtrent
             Saul -Again Huqbled . . . . . . . . . . . . :.. . . . .,......................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .445                                                         @nigratie  naar America  en Canada, vooral met  be-
                       Rev. G.  M: Ophoff                                                                                                                                               trekking tdt het kerkelijke leven in: deze linden.
     STO.N'S  ZANGEN-                                                                                                                                                                      Zooals  uit de publicaties van ondergeteekende (voor-
                Majesteit En Heerlijkheid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  i . . . . . 448 namelijk in het Calvinistische Jongelingsblad) blijkt,
                       Rev. G. V-OS                                                                      "                                                                              is het zijn overtuiging, dat onze mensaen  het beste
                                                                                                                                                                                        thuis  zljn in de .l?rot. Ref. Churches..  ,Er is nog we1
     FROM HOLY  WRIT-                                                                                                                                                                   geen officieel contact tusschen deze Kerken en de onze,
                Catechism Around The Confessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450                                                            maar naar wij vernemen  is er reeds een verzoek vah
                       Rev. M. Gritters                                                                                                                                                 de zijde dezer Kerken naar de Deputaten voor corres-
     IN HIS  FEAR-                                                                                                                                                                      pondentie  met de Buitenlandsche Kerken in onze Ker-
                The Face Qf God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 452 ken in Nederland om tot nauwer c&t&t te komen, en
                  Rev. C. Hanko                                                                                                                                                         men weet dat men in de Prot. .Ref.' Churches Prof.
PERISCO$E-                                                                                                                                                                              Schilder tijdens diens verblijf in Amerika in deze
             `Other Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..,.....................  455 Kerken tqegang  heeft verleend on-i te spreken en ambte-
                       Rev. W.  ,Hofm.q                                                                                                                                                 lijk het Wboid t12 bediene&  teswijl'de'chr.  Ref. Church
                                                                                                                                                                                        voor -hem gesloten bleef, op last van "The Synodi&


                                      THE STA-NDARD BEAR&R                                    `:'      :              437

  Committee," waaruit tevens het streng hi&archisch              Schilder might`speak in our churches and occupy our
  verband, waaronder  deze' kerk leeft, gebleken is.             pulpits in Divine Worship,  while it is a fact that the
      Nu kreeg  onder.geteekende  juist dezer dagen  be-         Christiari  Reformed Churches closed their pulpits to r
  richt van Ds. De Jong, predikant bij de Prot. Ref.             him so that he might not even lecture among them,
  Churches in Grand Rapids; dat door hun kerken een              showing their hier&chical  *bondage under which they
  .voorloopig   comit6 is benoemd met opdracht contact live. In that connkction,  he, also quotes from a letter
  te /:o&en  in Nederland met. one:? kerk& en met per-           which he received from our own Rev. J. De Jong, tell-.
  h&en, die naar.  Amerika of Canada willen emigreeren.          ing him (Van Spronsen) that ouy'Prot, Ref: Churches.
  Drie dezer  breeders   hopen in de komende  maanden have appointed a committee to seek contact with the
  Nederland een bezoek te byengen.           .:                  liberated churches and brethren of those churches who
      Wanneer er. in onzen kring mochten zijn, die per-          plan to come ,to America or Canada.
  soonlijk of schri%telijk  contact met deze broeders wen-           And the brother advises his people to write him
  schen in  verband  `met emigratie  .naar Amerika of             (Van Spronsen) and he will give them the necessary
  Canada, dan verzocht ondergeteekende  zich hierover particulars  inent the question of church affiliation.
 tot  `hem te  wenden."                                              So far the quotation which the Rev. Van Halsema
      We geven bovenstaande aan onze lezers door.                took over ,in his columns. And then he attaches the
      Ter kennisgeving.                                          following lines to same:
     We gaan niet in op enkele uitdrukkingen, waar we1               `We present the'above to our readers.
  taptie  op. te  maken zou zijn. Men heeft al  strijd-              For information; ~
  woordcn  genoeg te lezen `in Nederland.                            We will. not enter in upon some expressions even
      Waaf we ons  w&l poor interesseeren is, dat  otize         though we might make caption on some of them. One
  emigrecrende  menschen in Nederland geen  slacht- has heard. enough of the battle cry in the Netherlands.
  O$EY'S -~a:-den  van hen die kerkje willen spelen. Wie            `?lnat which does interest us is that our immigrant
  zrch  l;ij de Protestant Reformed Church wil voegen,           people in the  Netherlsnds  do not become victims of
  of bij de Christian Reformed. Church, die doe zulks,           those `who want to play at the game of church (kerkje
  maar dan op. grond van reden'en die de toets van waar-         spelen) . fie that would join the Prot. Ref. Churches
  heid en waarachtigheid kunnen doorstaan.              .. -.    or the Chr. Ref. Church : let him do so, but let him do
     Dat legt  aan  allen die leiding geven hooge  ver- it on the basis of reasons that can stand the test of
  plichtingen op. Zoo licht wordt vreemd vuur voor een truth and verity.
 heilige vlam aangezien.                                             That puts a heavy obligation on those who give
     So far the Rev. Van Halsema.                                leadership.  $0 easily we mistake  .strange fire for a
     For the convenience of those who are not able to holy flame."
  read the Holland language we will give ,a resume of                So far the Rev. Van Halsema.
  the foregoing article :                                            The desire to write much on this piece of journal-
   The theme is expressed in the title: To WHICH ism which bears the name of Christian fails me.
  CHURCH? Under that title the Reverend Van Hal-                     Imagine: he does not mention one solitary thing
  sema Ijoin'is out how this &&tion  occupies the mind of        or fact which might be used to condemn us or our
  m?gy of.the brethren and sisters in Holland and that           effort to help those who come to America or Canada.
  the Christian Reformed Church offered them their And yet he condemns. us. And he does it in an evil
  help /and assistance. Also that many of them found a way, the way, namely, of insinuation. I used the word                            . .
  church home with them. !-Next,  that also the `Canadian        "evil" in this connection, and I did, so with sober judg-
  churches hase done their best to offer a church home ment.
  to these immigr&ts.                                                His style. is calm and serene when he begins to*
     And at this `juncture he brings in our ..churches.          write about the problem and its solution, the solution,
I!Le mentions that Prof. Schilder in a lecture in the namely,' of his own church or Canadian churches ex-
  Netherlands advises his people to affiliate with oui-          tending the helpful. hand to the immigrants. But
  @lurches' if they plan to come to this country. And            after typing the name  PROT%STANT  REFORMED
-. then'he qudtes an article tihich he read in DE REF,OR- .CHURCHE;S  on his typewriter, his style changes to
  MATIE from the hand of K. Van Spronsen. Also the evil insinuation.
  latter is of the opinion that his people should join               Here are the `insinuations.:                             *
  our Protestant'Reformed Churches. He mentions that
  even though there is no officia! contact as yet between            Number  one : We are victimizing the immigrants.
 `the Reformed -Churches in the Netherlands, maintain-            ' Number two i We ,play atO the game of church.                  _
  ing art. 31 and our churches here, there. is nevertheless      Number three: We advance false and deceptive
  the fact that the churches here have taken steps to            reasoning that must serve as a ground'for church af-
  come to such an official status, and  also that  `Prof.        filiation.


 438                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                          ~  -
         . .
        Number four : We burn strange fir'e. up& the altar in verse 24 he conclpdes  from the whole `passage "that
 of Divine Worship.                                             by works a man is justified, and not by faith -only."
    What' can d man do at- this juncture? `The Rev.              l$ow&er, if this be, the teaching of James, it would
 Van Halsema does not come out in the open, so that we be in flat contradiction with that of the apostle Paul,
 can weigh. his arguments and answer them..  The Rev.           who always emphasizes that a man is justified by faith
 Van Halsema does not accuse us honestly and openly              only  without,tiorks.  And that is impossible because
 of .a11 the corruption which I enumerated above from            Scripture cannot be' in conflict with itself.
 one to four.                                                       If, however?  we look closely at the passage of James
        No, but he insinuates ; he sneers at us ; .he shakes. 2, it will be evident that he makes a sharp distinction
 the head and sticks out the lip.                               between a living faith and a dead faith. He does not
    What can a man do?                   :                       meali to contradict that a man is justified by faith,
   Nothing, but wait patiently for the time when God, but he opposes the pr&tention  of him-who. claims that
 shall judge the living and the dead.                           he has the faith without manifesting .a true and living
                                                  G. Vos.        faith in the works of it.
                                                                    This is evident first of all from the passage 2 :14-
                                                                 17. When James asks the `question in the last part
                                                                 of verse 14, "Can faith save Him?", he does not have
THE             TRIPLE  KNOWLEDG]E                               in- mind a true and living faith, but a faith which a -
                                                                 man says, professes, to have. It is a mere intellectual
                                                                 assent, a dead faith, without works. And the question
                                                                 is: what is the proper work of faith? And the ans-
 An  Exposition  Of  `The  Heidelberg wer must be, according to Scripture, that it is to cling
                                                                to Christ as the revelation of the God of our salvation.
                         Catechism                           `. Such faith is indeed saving. But faith which a. man
                                                                 claims to h&e, bui which is a mere intellectual assent,
                       P A R T   T W O   .                       Ss BP far as the result is' concerned, just as vain as the
                                                                 illustration of the man who says to his destitute and
                        Lord's Day XXIII                         empty brother : "Depart in peace, be warmed and
                                                                 filled," without giving him food and clothing. Just as
                                L'
                                        ,              I         that mere statement profits the brother ,nothing, so
                .FAITH  AND JUSTIFICATION.  (cont.)              the mere intellectual faith,a  which is not a reliance on
                                                                 thk God of our salvation in Christ, cannot save.
        According to others, the relation between justifica-
 tion and faith is .such that we are righteous  befol"e             In verses 18 and 19 this truth is further elucidated.
 God, in part at least, because of the fruits of faith           In verse 18 James, evidently,  addr,esses the supposed
 in our good works. This is the Roman Catholic posi-             speaker or objector, in the words: "Thou- hast faith
 .tion. Christ merited for us the gift of faith. And a and I have works," at the same time repudiating the
 living faith brings forth good  woyks. Because of im$ieci separation of faith and works.' He means to
 ,those good works of faith we are justified. We must say : "But thou objectest that thou wilt gladly let me
 come back $0 this question in connection with Loed's have tiy works, if thou only canst keep the fai$4 ; but
 Day 24. But even now we must call attention to that             I answer that thou wilt have to show me that thou
 well-known passage, James 2 :14-26, up& which this              poesessest the true and living faith at all by thy works,
 \-iew of the relation between faith and justification is        o&erwise it is no faith." And the illustration of the
 chiefly based. Apparently James there teaches, in- faith which the devils have and trembl.e evidently refers
 deed, that a man is justified by wdrks, the "works of .to nothing but a factual faith in one God, which is the
 faith. He asks the question: "What doth it profit,              very opposite of' the knowledge and confidence of true
 my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and                faith.
 have not works? can faith save him?" And again in                  From all this it should be plain that James is not __
 verse 1'7 he makes the statement: "Even so faith, `if writing abdut saving faith at all, but about a mere
 it hath not works, is dead, being alone." And in verse intellectual assent to the truth, which has no saving
 21 he asks theiquestion : "Was not Abraham our father power. The work of a living faith iS the knowledge
 justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son           of, and co:~Cidepce  in the God of our salvation. It is,
 upon the altar?" And  in verse 25 he refers to the the tie wh:;ch binds us to Christ, the power whereby
 example of Rahab the harlot, stating that she was we cling to Christ, crucified and raised from the dead,
 justified by works, "when she had received the mes- and through Him the complete reliance upon God Who
 sengers, and had sent them out another way.", And justifies the ungodly. Such a living faith h&s its fruit


                                        THE.STAN~DARD   BEARER                                                         4 3 9

 in: repentance and in a hearty- conversion from sin into       not a. condition which we .must fulfill iri order to be
 holiness.                                                      justified: God Himself fulfills all the conditions of
    This is the point which is illustrated by the examble       salvation.
 of Abraham's faith..  ,The faith of Abraham,. James               For the same reason we would repudiate the illus-
 teaches, was made perfect by works. But the' question tration .of faith as the hand whereby we accept the
 is : by what works'? `it is. striking that as an' example proffered salvation. The figure is often used of a
 of the work of faith which Abraham performed, James            present, like a watch for instance, that is freely of-
 refers to his offering up of Isaac. Not to any works fered to someone. All that is necessary for that some-
* of the law, not to any meritorious act whereby he be-         one to become possessor of the present is to accept
. came `righteous before God, but to the sacrifice of his       tlne gift. But, first of` all,. salvation is not to be com-
 son Isaac, he refers as the sole illustration of the faith .pared at all to such an external gift, which we may
 that was made perfect by works. By this act he re-             accept or reject. -And, secondly, we should never over-
 vealed that, even after he had first hoped against hope,       look the fact that no man has of himself E;u& a hand
 lie still clung to God Who could. raise the dead, and          whereby he can accept the gift of salvation. He is by
 completely fulfill His promise. And that faith was nature dead in sin and misery, sb that he hates the
 iml;uted to him for righteousness, exactly because- it         very gift of righteousness if it should- be offered him
 was faith in Christ or in God Who raised up Jesus from         by God. He loves the darkness rather than the light.
 the dead.  1                                                     The only prdper  conception of the relation between
    And the same  fs true of the  exalnple of Rahab. `justification and faith is that it is a means, or instru-
 Rahab, the harlot, b$' the ,God-given  power of faith, ,ment, God's own means .whereby He unites us with
 clung to the promise, chose the party of the living God        Christ.' .
 against  th.e whole world, and was saved. Her faith               There is, undoubtedly, first of all an obje'ctive rela-
 too was perfected by work& but in her c&e to6 it was           tion in this faith-union with Christ. For it is said of
 the work of faith, whereby she clung to Christ, and to Abraham that his faith was imputed to him for'right-
 `God Who justifies the ungodly.                                eousness.  This imputation certainly implies that ob-
    Hence, overagainst all that would be justified jby          jectively the sinner is declared righteous in Christ
 the works of the law, Scripture emphasizes justifica- before the tribunal of God. God declares that the
 tion by faith only. But it is equally true that  over-         sinner is  bee from  $1 his guilt, is perfectly right-
 against all `that *would boast of an empty intellectual        eous, is adopted as His child, and'.worthy -of eternal
 assent, without the works that characterize the true           life. He is as it were severed from his natural and
 arid living faith, the Word of God maintains that faith        legal relation. which he sustains with the human race
 is made perfect by wokks.       '                              in Adam, and by faith legally incorporated' in the body
    Nor is the -relation between faith and justification        of Christ. In Adam he ,is guilty and worthy of death.
 .to be -conceived and presented as that of a benefit on        In the corporation of Christ he is righteous and worthy
 Gcid's part and a condition on our part. This; too, is         of eternal life:  `God declares the ungodly righteous,
 often alleged. God saves and juitifies us on condition         certainly not because of any work of faith, or on any
 that we believe.     Superficially considered, it might, condition of faith, but because He imputes the object&e
 seem as if there were truth in this assertion. Is it not legal relation which the sinner sustains to Christ as
 .true, that we must believe in order to be saved? If we righteousness.. And this relation is the relation of
 believe in the L&d Jesus Christ, we shall be justified ;       faith only.
if not, we shall be  damned.          It appears, then, that       This objective justifica'tion in tlie tribunal of God
 JusiMcation is conditioned by faith.                           we appropriate by faith.
    Yet this cannot  be. the relation. First of all, it            ,By faith, through the' gospel, ,we hear the declara-
 should be remembered that objective justification is           tion' of God that He annoullces us righteous.           '
 before faith. Objectively', we ar,e justified regardless          By faith I know with a certain knowledge, which
 of our faith. In eternal election all those given `Christ is0 spiritual, and am entirely confident that I am united
by `the Father are righteous before God for.ever. And with Christ, that I belong to the legal corporation of
 this righteousness cannot .be contingent upon faith,           which Christ is the representative Head. By faith,
 eveh though it is true that. we cannot appropriate this        therefore, I lay hold upon the righteousness which Gbd
 gift of righteousness except by a true and living faith.       from eternity has imputed to,me  in His tiounsel,  which
 Besides, long before we believed, the justification, of        He has  accomplisk;ed  for me in the perfect satisfac-
 all the elect  is accomplished' forever in the cross and       tion of Christ, and which was maliifested  in His resur- I
 resurrection of Jesus Christ. !And, secondly, although         rection. And so, by faith, I know that in the midst of
 it is trtie that justificatioli  in the subjective sense is    sin I am righteous, that in the midst of death I `live,
 contingent upon faith,' we must never forget that faith        and that although I know that by nature I am a child
 is not of ourselves, it is a gift of God. -.It is therefore. of the devil I am graciously adopted as a chilcl of God,
                                                       .

                                                                                       .


440                          *                  T H E   S T A N D A R D   BE"ARER

 or, as `the Catechism expresses it: "though my con-                             a: wage-earner that works for the reward, is very com-
 science accuse me that I have grossly transgressed all                          mon and is deeply rooted in the heart of every siimer.
 the commandments of <God, and kept none of them, and And it is necessary that this conception be repudiated,
 am still inclined to all. evil; notwithstanding, God; and that over against,it  the truth of imputed rightebus-
 without any merit of mine, but only of mere grace ness and justification  by faith only be strongly empha-
 grants and imputes to me the perfect satisfaction,                              s i z e d ;
 righteousness and holiness of Christ; even so; as if I                               Secondly, it is necessary to defend this truth of
never had, nor  comtiitted  any. sin: yea, as if I had                           justification by faith over against all admixture of the
 fully accomplished all that obedience which Christ has                          doctrine of good.works, because we can never stand in
 accomplished for me ; inasmuch  as I embrace such the true liberty wherewith Christ hath made  LM free,
 benefit with's believing heart."                                                on the truth that we are not under the law but under
    *Such is the meaning of justi-fication  by faith before                      grace, and clearly understand that our relation to God
 God !                                                                           is not that of slaves'but of free sons, unless we under-
                                                                           ti    stand that Christ has.fulfilled all, and that our right-
                                                                                 eousness. is given to us by ,God of free grace.
                                                                                      Alid  finalli,  it is  important  to defend this truth
                            bORD'S DAY  24                                       of justification by faith only, because no  sinner can
                  Q. 62. But: why camiot-our  good works be the whole,           have one moment's peace except in the faith that he is
                or part of our righteousness before God ?                        forever righteous before God because of a  freq: gift
                  A.  Because, that the righteousness,  which. can be            thrbugh Jesus Christ without an;b works whatsoever.
                approved of before the tribunal of God,  rn-ust be ab-           To state the truth concerning this righteousness boldly
                solutely perfect, and in all respects conformable  t6 _ we may indee! assert that our own works do not add
                the divine laly;  and alsp `that our best tiorks  in this        to our righteousness before God whatever. They can-
          life are imperfect and defiled with sin.                               not lnake our righteousness more perfect than it is, nor
                  Q. 63. What! Do not our good works merit, which                can our sins ever detract from the perfection of this
                yet God will reward in this and:in a futnxe  life?    _          righteousness.
                  A.  This reward is not of merit, but of grace.                      This is the glory of the faith `of the reformation.
                Q. 64. But ,doth  not this dbctrine  make men careless ~              `And it is this truth  whit@ the Roman Catholics
                atid profane ?                                                   have corrupted and even severely condemned.
                  A. By no  mekns:  for it is impossible that  those,                 This is evident from  The Canons  `aFcl Dogmatic
          who  are implanted into Christ by a true faith, should                 Decrees  of the Cowncil'bf  Trent, 1563.
                not bring.forth fruits of thankfulness.                               We read there in Caput VII:
                                                                                             "This disposition, or preparation, is followed by
                                  1     1.
           :       The Repudiation -Of All Works.                                      justification itself, which is not remission of sins
                                                                                       merely, but also the sanctifica%ion and renewal of
    ~This twenty-fourth Lord's Day may, in a way, be                                   the inward man, through -the voluntary reception
considered an appendix of the preceding:                                               ,of grace, and the gifts, whereby man of  Unjust
  It is apologetic in character. He defends the truth                                  becomes just, and of an enemy a friend, so that
 that we are justified by faith only, on the .ground of                                he may be an heir accorcling to hope of life evler-
 the satisfaction and perfdct  righteousness sf Christ,                                lasting."
 over against every`&tempt -to adulterate and falsify                              It is evident that `in this .Romati Catholic descrip-
 this pure d-octrine by the introduction of an admixture                         tion of the "justification of the impious" the condition
 of `man's  go04 works.  And it  `doe? this; first of all,                       and the &ate of the sinner are intentionally confused.
 by emphatically denying that ouir good works can have J.ustification  is not merely  remiss& of sins, and im-
 an$. part in our justification; secondly, by emphasizing                        puted  kighteousness on the  basi$ of the satisfaction
 that the reward of our good works- is of ppre grace-;                           of Christ only, but it alsd consists in stinetification  and
 finally, by repudiating the accusation that this doctrine                       renewal of the inward man. That this is indeed the
 does or cossibly can make men careless and profane.                             Roman Catholic doctrine concerning justification by
    This apologetic appendix of the pure truth of justifi- faith is  evident further from Caput  V.111, which in-
 cation bi faith only is necessary and very important.                           forms us "In what manner it is to be understood, that
     First of all,: because the ,erroneous  conception and the impious is justified by faith, and  gratuitously".
 conviction that in order  to be saved our good works                            W      e            q    u    o    t    e    :
 must have something to say and be meritorious before                                        `IAnd whereas the apostle saith, that man is
 God is de@@ rooted and ingrained in the sinful mind                                    +ustl:fied'by faith and freely, those words ar'e to be
 and heart. `The, pharis$istically%onCeived  relation be-                             understood in that sense which the perpetual `con-
 t@een  God and man? according to which the latter is                                   sent of  the Catholic Church hath held and  ex-


                                          T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                          441

  ;      pressed; to wit, that we are therefore said to be purpose according to the flesh, that with me there
         justified by faith, b&&use faith is the begiining         should be yea, yea, and nay, nay?, But as God is true,
         of human salvation, the foundation, and the root our word toward you was.not yea Andy nay. For the
          of all justification; without which it is impossible Son of ,God, Jesus ChYist,  Who was preached among
          to please  Gocl, and to come  mlto the fellowship yen by us, even by' me and Silvanus and Timotheus.'
         of his `sons : but we are therefore said to be justi-     was not yea .and nay, but in him was `yea. For, all
       .  fied  freely,,  because that none of those things        fhe promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen,
         which precede  justificaticm  - whether faith or aunto the glory of God by `Us." These words culminate
         works  - merit the grace itself of  justifictition.       in verse 20 and it is tliis text which is now of ,primary
          For, if it be a grace, it is not now by works, other:    interest to us.  )
         wise, as the same apostle says,`grace  is no more
          g r a c e . "                                                                  The Context:
                                                                     In verses 12-16 the apostle affirms unto the church
        Here, too, it is very eSident  that the Roman Catholic     at Corinth that he, by the grace of $God, had conducted
 doctrine of justification is not a purely forensic coti-          himself in simplicity and godly sincerity, not only 3n
 ception, according to which we are declared righteous the midst of the world, but more abundantly toward
before God and He reckons faith as righteousness, but them: Fleshly wisdom had not .motivated the apostle
 it is rather an. ethical conception, that o? an infused           to the heathen. He had written none other things unto
 righteousness. That is why faith can be called the be- them that what. they read or acknowledge ; that is
 ginning of human salvation, and the. root of all just%- he had written what he- meant and had meant what
 cation ; and -that is why, too, faith and works both can          he had written; he  had. written, not vaguely or in-
 be said $0 precede justification. In  other words, `ac-           definitely or  amtiiguously, but clearly and honestly
 coiding to the Roman Catholic, doctrine we are cer- and sincerely. And in the confidence that he was their
 tainly justified by the works of faith.                           rejoicing' as truly as they `were his, even until and
                                             H. Hoeksema.          in the d8y of our Lord Jesus Chyist, he had proposed
                                                                   to come `unto them before in order that they might have
                                                                   a second benefit, even as they always were. benefited
                                                                   spiritually when he' visited among them. Unto that
                                                                   end he had intended to pass by them into Macedonia,
                                                                   and to come again out of Macedonia unto them, and to
                OU&  DOCTR-INE.                                    be brought. of them on his way toward  Judea. This, .
                                                                   il?tention,  howeve;*,  he had not carried out.
                                                                      In the verses 1'7-19 Paul- r&s unto the defenses of
        6&l's Covenant and The Promise                             his .apostolic  preaching. It is evident that the word
                                                                   of the apostle, whereof we read in verse 18, "But as
                       (2 Corinthians 1: 12-20)
                 -,                                                God is true, our worcl  toward you was not yea and
                                                                   nay", refers to his preaching, Paul evidently does not
        Another passage of Holy Writ which throws light refer to his desire to come unto them, which he had
on the certainty: and wholly particular and  uncoti-               expressed tb them, and which he had been unable to
 ditional character `of the promises of God is the word            ftilfill. Verse 19 renders it beyond all doubt that the
 of the apostle Paul in 1 Cor. 1, verses l&20. We quote:           apostle in verse 1'8 refers to his apostolic preaching.
 "For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our con-             In that verse Paul speaks of the Son of God,. Jesus
 science, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with         Christ, Who was preached among them by himself
 fleshly wisdom; but by the grace of God; we have had and also by Silvanus and `Timotheus. We mu& bear '
 our cohverstition in the world, and more abundantly in mind that th& .apbstle Paul was under attack by his
 to yquward. For we write none'other things unto you,              enemies at Corinth. We read in verse 17: "When I
 than what. ye read or acknowledge ; and I trust ye therefore was thus minded did I use lightness? or the
 shall acknotiledge  even to the- end ; As also ye have thingg that 1. purpose, do I purpose according to the
atiknowledged  us in- part, that we are your rejoicing, , flesh, that with me there should be yea, yea, atid nay,
 even & jre also are ours in the days of the Lord Jesus.           nay? A double `acCusation the apostle's enemiks hurl
 And-in this confidence I was minded to come uhto you              at Paul because of his `failure to come to Corinth as he
 before, that ye tiight have a second benefit; And to l@d desired. He kither used lightn{ss or had purposed
 pass by you into Macedonia, and to come ag?in out iif             according  to'the flesh. To be guilty of lightness im-
 Macedonia unto you, and of you to be -brouiht on `my plied that he was guilty of worthless levity; he was a
 way toward Judea. When I therefqre was thus minded                man who made rash promises, did not think before
 did, I use lightness? or the things that .I purpose, do I         116 spoke. And to be gqilty of purposing.according  to


                                                      h                                                               *
                    442                                    T H E       :ST'A..NDARD   BEA'RE'R

                    the flesh was worse ; it im$`ed that he was governed           preaching of the Christ did  not. differ from  thefr
                    by worldly or selfish interests and co&id&rations. In preaching of Him. He does not emphasize here their
                    either case, he  tias a Yes `and No man.          And his preaching of the Christ, but the Christ of their preach-
                    enemies used this  occasi& to attack the apostle in ing.. He is  s$eaking  of Christ Himself. We should
                    his apostolic capacity. Paul, they said,  was. not de-         also notice that he declares bere that this Christ was
                    pendable, and' this also applied to his apostoli&  labors ;    preached unto them, by himself and also by Silvanus
                    with him there was. yea, yea, and nay, nay;, he said and Timotheus. The .force `of the apostle's word&`is
I                   one thing today and another thing tomorrow; he was             surely that he is appealing here to the spiritual ex-
                    contradictory, - confusing, untrustworthy, fickle, un- perii?nce of the church at Corinth. Through my preach-
                    dependable.                                                    ing, the apostle mean&  to say,. and that of Silas and
                           Notice now the answer' of the `apostle to this evil, Tiinotheus, `you, believers at Corinth; learned to know
                    charge in the verses 18-29. What a truly noble answer- spiritually Christ Jesus. And they learned to know
                    it is ! As far &s his failure .to come to Corinth is coni      Hjrri as the perfect Yea, the full and simple and com-
                    cerned,  he answers that charge in verse 23.. That can plete Truth. In Him is no contradiction, no incon-
                    wait for the present. The apostle is not primarily con-        sistency, no Yea; today and Nay tomorrow, but always
                    cerned with himself; he cares little what his enemies          the .full and complete satisSying of all our needs. He
                    may say of l$m personally. But, it does concern him is always the same. He is alwajrs ready and able to
                    that they attack his preaching, his gospel ; the apd;stle      forgive us all our sins and iniquities and give us the
                    is so much more concerned about his preaching, the assurance of being righteous before\God. He is always
                    gospel of the living God, than about himself. "But & ready and able to fill our hearts with peace and rest
                    God is true",- we read in verse 18, "our word toward           in the midst of all the vicissitudes and trials of life.
                    you was not yea and nay." `Liter&y this text reads :           He is always faithful and powerful to save and gisie
                    "But God is faithful that my word towards you was us grace to resist the forces of evil and bear all shame
                    not yea and *nay." Different interpretatiqns are given and reprqach  ip tthe conviction and blessed assurance
                    of this particular passage.       According to some we that we are more than conquerors and that all things
                    should understand this Word of God as follows: "But work together for good. In Him is .a, fulness of sal-
                    God is faithful that my word towards you"wag not yea vation and a complete satisfying of all our needs. And
                    and nay; I may be unfaithful and undependable, but He is the unchangeable, never varying Christ. It is
                    God is,faithful; And because He is faithful, my tiord,         not true that whereas He might be inclined to hear us
                    which is His word, is firm and -true." Others regard -in favor today, He may be ill-disposed toward us to-
                    this passage as an asseveration' (a. solemn pledge `or         morrow. He is true and ever .the same, even as ,God
                    statement) or an oath. As true as God is faithful, `so         is true; fact is, He is the Son of God and the Personal
                    true it is that my w6rd is not yea and nay. And, be- revelation of God as the God of our salvation., This
                    cause He is faithful  and true He will vindicate my            Christ the Corinthians learned to know; Him the
                   word that it is not yea and nay. We, then, may insert apostle Paul preached ; hence, his word is true for that
                    the word "know" and read this passage as follows:              Christ is true.
                    "But <God is faithful and knows that my word is not'              Verse 20 is the confirmation of all; that precedes.
                  yea and nay." Paul, then, appeals to `God and asserts            That Christ iS the' perfect Yea and that ye learned to
                    here`that his word is not yea and nay, and, that his           know  Rim as such is because: For all the  promiies
                    wsrd is not yka and..nay is .as true as God. is faithful.      of God in <Him are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the
           .I_      Whatever interpr$ati& one .may adopt, .Paul in this glory of God by us.
                    text  affirmi that his preaching is not yea and nay,
                    this today and something else tomorrow,  $ea  to,day                         Which  TrtLnsbatt~n  of  Verse  LO.
                    and nay tomorrow, but <always yea and true.                       Anyone attempting an interpretation of verse 20
                           In verse 19 the apostle gives us the ground for his     of this chapter is confronted-with the choice between
                    assertion to the-effect that his word or preaching was iwo possible translations. `The one translation is that
                    not yea and nay. My preaching -is true, Paul means             which `appears in our King James version : "For all
                    ,to say, because Christ  is true. And how  could this the promises of ,God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen,
                    be any different? Christ is the Son of God, is`He`not?         unto the glory of God by us" or literally: "For what-
                    Jesus Christ is not yea and nay, changeable, incon-            ever promises there are of God, in Him is the yea, and
                    sistent, contradictory. `The apostle, speaking of Jesus        in Him is the Amen, unto  t$  glory of God by us."
                  Christ, the  Soil of God, in  v&se 19, is not speaking Another reading of the text (I believe this translation
                    of  the. gospel of Christ-but of Christ Himself. He appears in the  R&vised Version) is as follows: "For
                    does not intend to. declare in this text that there ,was
     .-                                                                            ,whatever' promises there are of God, in Him is the
                    perfect consistency between, his own preaching and             yea, and through Him is the Amen, unto the glory of
                    t.hhat of  Silvanus' (Silas)  and  Timotl&s,  that his
                                                                .                  God by us." The difference between these transla-


                                                                                            ,


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D '  B'EA'RE'R                                          443.

  ti6ns is apparent.    The King  James version reads:             ~A11 the Promises of God-Yea In Christ k?kus.
  "In Him is the yea and in Him the Amen." `The other             All the promises of.God, we read, are Ye+ in Christ
  translation reads : "In Him is the yea and through Him       Jesus.    The text speaks emphatically of "whatever
  the Amen." The latter translation views the Amen as promises of God". This. expression refers, we under-
  the subjective reaction of `the Church to the promises       stand, $0 all and every one of the promises of the Lord.
  of God in Christ ; the Church answers "Amen"; or,            Of these promises we read that the Yea is in Christ.
  as one writer expresses it: this text speaks of God's        The word "Yea" "refers to their affirmation, establish-
  Yea and man's or the Church's `Amen.                         ment, fulfillment. "Nay" cannot be  said of any of
     We choose the second reading or translation, and          these promises. Of  ally the promises of God not a
  would, therefore, read the text as follows: "For  what-      single denial, lack or failure of fulfillment character-
  e\-er'  bromises   there are of God, in Him is the  ,yea,    izes a single one, of them. They have all been fulfilled
  and through Him `is the Amen, unto the .glory of God         in, Christ. The word "promises", we understand, re-
 by us." Firstly, this reading is generally  acknow-           fers to all the piomises sf God throughout the ages.
 `ledged to be fhe correct reading of the text. Secondly,      To discuss them in detail is not necessary at this time.
  it give?-,a richeremeaning  and a more complete explana- The .p?omise of God, in this text, refers indeed to the
  tion in harmony with the context. It i.s true that the Lord's solemn declaration that He would grant deliver-
  present King James translation gives good sense and          allee unto His. people,' who by nature are objects of
  @rnishes us with an idea which is suiely Scriptural.         Divine wrath and children'of disobedience, and lead
  Yea and Amen, we should understand, a?e particles            them ilito the glory of His eternal and heavenly cove-
  of affirmation-the one is  <Greek and the other is           nant. The plural "promises" emphasizes every asp&t
  Hebrew.. This repetition would emphasize the truth           and detail of that `promise ,of Jehovah. The promise
 that in Christ is the fulfillment of the promises of of the Lord to forgive us eueyy sin, to lead us every
  <God. Just as "verily, verily" emphasizes the truthful- step of the way, to cause all things to work together
  ness of a certain statement (and Christ often used this      for our good, to `bestow upon us the glory of His
  expression), so also the repetition of the. particle of eternal and heavenly tabernacle in all its unspeakable
 affirmation in this text  nierely serves to emphasiie         glory and beauty has been ,fulfilled in Christ Jesus.
  the fact that all the promises of God are sure in Jesus      Not a single aspect or detail of this amazing iromise
  Christ, our Lord. Yet, we believe the second reading of Jehovah has remained unfulfilled.                .
  to be the correct translation of the text.' It should not        These promises of God, we read, have been fulfilled
  escape our attention that the word "Amen" does not           in Christ. They F.ave beensealized by Him and in Him
  occur at the end of .verse 19, and we might have ex- tlney have become a fact. It is!beoause they have been
  pected it to-appear there.  V&se 19 reads : "For the         fulfilled in Christ and have therefore become reality
  Son of God, Jesus Christ, Who. . . . was not yea and         in Him tha;t the holy writer declares in this text that
  nay, but in Him was yea." The very fact that this th&e promises-are Yea in Christ.  :Our Lord Jesus
` word is added in v&se 20 suggests the thought that it        Christ. has indeed realized them through His blood
  is a new thought, not synonymous with ithe I`Yea" of         upon Calvary and has indeed' obtained them at His
  verse 19. And- this receives added significance if we glorification at the Father's right hand. In Him they
  adopt what is generally considered the proper reading :      have been realized, have become a fact, upon the cross,
  "For all the promises of God are yea in Him and Amen         according to the righteousness  ,of God. He has secured
  through Him." This  I`Amen",  then, denotes the re- the. forgiveness of all our sins, has accomplished the _
  sponse of the Church by faith to the fulfillment of the      coqdemnation  .of the world, has sealed with His suf-.
  promise?  of God in Christ Jesus. And finally, if we fering and death the salvation or redemption of Zion
  adopt this particular readillg  of the text, we will also    and the eternal condemnation and destruction of the
  better understand the concluding words pf this text: `world, has merited eternal life for Himself and the
  "Unto the glory of God  by,us." The "us" of verse children whom God has given Him, and obtained for
  20 refer to Paul and the -rest of the pl"eachers, of the     Himself the right to lead that people out of their
  gospel. This appears from the entire context.: These present sin and darkness and death into the glory of
  preachers of the gospel are the media through whom           ,God's eternal `tabernacle. And in Christ these prom-
  God is glorified by t;he church. T&rough or by them ises have been realized  ~qlso at His exaltation,  F-or
  tne gospel of God is proclaimed unto the `people of the      unto Him has; been given all power and wisdom, glory
  living God and this gospel speaks of. nothing else but and honor. He has received the Spirit  bej;ond measure.
  the promises of God in Christ  Jeeus. We conclude, He `has Himself received the glory of `(God's eternal
  therefore, that the Amen in verse 20 is the spiritual tabernacle and also the power And wisdom  to lead His
  and subjective response -of the Church of ,God to the chosen into the glory ,which Be Himself has r.eceived
  sure and fulfilled prom&e  df `GodGin  Christ Jesus, our from the Father. jndeed,  in Christ Jesus all the prom-
 .Lord.                                .a                      ises of God are Yea, realized and fulfjlled.

                                L


                3

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     444,                                        `T H E   ;TkNDARD   B E A R E R

              Let  us  understand: all the  .promises.  of God are be unto God.  Fait is,' that these promises are  Yea
      Yea in Christ. They do not depend for their fulfill- in, Christ is only because it is God -Who fulfilled them
      ment upon us. They have been realized and fulfilled,                in Christ, His Son and our Lord. It is SGod Who sent
      unconditionally. Our sins are pardongd,  uncondition-               His ;Son into the likeness of sinful flesh and that fo?
      ally.          Eternal life has  bben merited for us,  .uncon- sin in ord.er  that sin might be condemned in the flesh.
      ditionally. We have be&n .redeemed,  purchased by the It is God Who sus'tained His Servant throughout His
      precious blood bf the Christ out of the power .of sin               amazing p&ssion, suffering and <death. It is God Who
      and -cle$&' and we have become heirs of life and glory              enabled the Christ through the everlasting Spirit to
      everlasting, unconditionally. This is the repeated lan- suffer the burden of God's eternal and infinite wrath
     guage of Holy Writ. Hence, these promises of God                     so as tb delivek  others from it. 1: is God Who, having
      are wholly particular, intended only for the elect, be-             sent His Son into death, the shameful and bitter death
      stowed only upon  the elect, and that unconditionally.              of the cross, also raised Him from the dead, and exalted
      I                                                                   Him into the highest glory, even at the right hand of
                          Through %hv?.st Is The Amen.                    the Father. It is God Who gave Him a Name above `.
              !ndeed,  such is ,the implication of the apostle in this    every name, Who clothed Him with all power, glory,
      text,  therefore  our Amen is  through Christ. Our                  might, and honor, and gave Him the -Spirit beyond
      Amcm follows upon the fulfillment of the promises of measure. It is' the living God Who fulfilled all His
           God in Christ. (Our Amen is caused `by this re&zation promises of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ, I&
      of the Divine' promises. ' The former is not the cause manuel, God with_ us.'
           b:lt  the fruit of the latter. `How could the people of            Hence, all glory must  .be ascribed  unto  God.  To
           God  6ver express their  affirmatiojn of the promises be sure, we must fight the good .figh.t of -faith. We
      or !.;od except for the fact that they-have been realized           must put off the old man and put `on the new. We
      ill our Lord Jesus Christ?!                                         must. believe `on and in the Lord Jesus' Christ and run
              Notice also that our Amen is throdih Christ. To             the race even unto the end. We must love and. believe
      be sure, by Him they have been rea!izecl, But. throug?z and hope that no one may take. our crown. But it is
           Him is our Amen. He is the,  medium, the channel               all given us of grace. The promises of  ,Gdd are yea
      through Whom the Church exclaims "Amen". Of: God in Christ. In Him they have been  realiz6d and ful-
      through the Lord Jesus Christ we recei?e all the bless- hilled . In Him our salvation  iS sure. And through
           ings of salvation. With  Him we must be  united by             Christ,, the Author and Finisher of our Faith, the
      faith, become one pl,ant with Him. Through .Him we Captain of our salvation, the Bishop of our souls, the
      have access mite the living God and taste the blessed               Shepherd of His sheep, .we say "Amen'?, express our
      fellowship with that alone blessed God. And through joyful assurance that iw Him all has been completed,
           Christ is the Arrien, the cons&us, subjective affirma-         and. through Him give `thanks and glory and praise
      tion by the Churcli of all the promises of God. in Christ unto God, for alone of Him and through Him and unto
           Jesus. Through Him the people of the Lord cohfirm              Him are all things. We conclude, therefore, that also
      the fact of the establishment of these Divine promises.             2 Cor. 1:20 establishes the unconditional and wholly
           Thrqugh  Him the Church acknowledges that what particular character of the proniises of #God.
           she possesses shk possesses in Christ alone, .alone for                                                          H. Veldman.
'          Christ's sake. Thkough Christ we declare that nothing
           is of us, that all is of and through Him. In Christ-are
      the promises. All we ever do `is say "Amen".                                          25th  WEDDING  AtNNIVERSARY
      -_                 Hence: Unto the Glory of  God.           : !         On July 5, 1948, the  Lord- willing, our beloved  iarents
              "For all the promises of God are yda in Him,, and                   ,    '    MR. AND  MRS. JOHN KNOPER
      through Him Amen,  unto the glory' of  God by  6s.`:                hope to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.
           ,This:lies.  in the nature of the case. For, -and let us           We thank the Lord with them that He' has kept and pro-
           understand this fully, the text speaks of the promises vided  ?or them through the years. It  is< our  sixicere prayer
           of God.  God  ?:s  Go& All the universe, together with #at  Gods may  -continue to bless them in His great love and
           all the~children of men that shall have lived from the mercy:
     ' beginning .of time until the end, the sum-total. of all                Blessed be the Lord w.ho  daily loadeth  as'with benefits, even
           things, is less %han a drop of water. oq%he bucket and         the Goh of our  salvation.-ys.   68:19.~
           a particle of dust on the balances in comparison `with                              Their grateful children:
           that IiSing God. `These'are  God's promises. `And God                                         Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Bouwkamp
           is not a. man. His promises are never to be ,confused                                      D o n a l d   3 .
           with a mere `offer, contingent and dependent upon                                             W i l m a   J .
           him to whom the promises are made. All glory must              Grand Rapids, Michigan.              1 grandchild.


                                    T H E   S-TANDA'R-D   B E A R E R                                            445 `5

                                                              pitcher of water at his head. Abner. arid the people.
            THE  DAY  Olj'  &%ADOWS                           lay round about him likewise asleep. The Lord again
                                                              h&s $ut up Saul in David's Band. To Abishai it be-
                                                              speaks God's will that ,Saul be slain right there and,
              Saul  Again  Humbled                            then, and he beseeches David for permission' to smite
                                                              him with the spear even to the earth at once, and he
     As we have seen, in the wilderness of Engedi Saul        adds that he will not smite him the second time:
  had received tangible proof that' David was not seek-       He means that he will kill Saul with one blow so that
  ing his life. The.Lord had delivered him into David's there will be no need of a second. But, as already has
hand, but David's eyes had spared the king.  A? was been explained, Saul as anointed is the Lord's property.
stated, Saui now was, must have been, as assured in           Therefore no hand of man may touch his life, except
  his heart of David's innocence as he was convinced of by God's direction. David understands. Fearing God,
  his own existence in the flesh. Yet a year andi a half he says tb  ' Abishai, "D&troy him not.. For who
 later the king repeats his persecution. David has            stretches forth his hand against the Lord's anointed
  returned to .the wilderness bf Ziph and hides himself and goes unpunished ?" And so Pavid says (verse 10)
  in the mountain of Hachilah situated near the cities with an oath, "Unless the Lord smite him  (tiith a
  of Judah. His presence here becomes known to the            stfoke) , or his day come. to die; ok he descend into
  Ziphites, who hold with Saul, and consequelitly ,again      battle and perish, far be it from  ,me on the Lord's
  show David's abode. Saul arises and goes down to            account that I stretch forth my hand against the Lord's
  the  wilderxess  with his permanent  gutird of three        anointed." So reads the original tkxt. David means
. thousand chosen men and seeks David's life.to take it.      to says, "If the `Lord, whose prop&%$  Saul. is, remove
  Plainly, Saul has developed into a moral monster. For him not from the land of the living, far be it from nie
  it `now cannot be fear that moves him, knowing, as he       to make an end of `the man." Abishai is request&d
  does, that David has no designs on his life and his to take Saul's spear and the water pitcher. He-do.es so,
  kingdom. What sends the king on this evil mission           and they both get them away. No one. sees or knows,
  is sheer hatred of David, of the Lord, and of His word      or awakens.' "For they  were all asleep  ; because a
  of prophecy according to which the kingdom was taken        deep sleep from the Lord yas fallen upon them."
fl"om  Saul and given to a- neighbor  better than he.            David goes over to the other side of the -mountain
  Saul aims to' s!ay this word by destroying David.           and climbs to the toi of a peak whence he had pre-
. But all he a&omplishes  is to make matters worse for viously  surieyed Saul's camp. The. hill is afar off;
  himself. For the Lord  replies by  o&e more  provid-        a great space iS between them;' says the text. But it
  icg him with even more telling proof of David's inno-       speaks comparatively here.  The distance is  .not so
  cence.                                                      great that David is'unable to make himself heard and
     *Saul pitches on the slope of the very mountain in       understood by Saul.      Morning comes. It. -is again
  which David and his men are in hiding. Hearing of light. (Statements occur that seem to  indicite that
  the king's coming, David withdraws farther into the it is  &gain day); David lifts up his voice and cries
  wilderness. Yet not  ,willing to believe what he has        "to the pedple  and to `Abner the son of Ner", and' tie.
  heard, he sends out scouts, and -learns Qat Saul h&s highest ranking officer in Saul's army. But there is
  come in very deed. He now arises and goes to the no respolise as is indicated by-David's question, "Ans-
  place of Saul's encampment, being careful not to ex-        werest  thou not, Abner?" Thus accosted, Abner re-
  pose himself td the  ,vieg of the king and `his men.        plies, finally. `"Then answered Abner and s&id, Who.
  From his vantage-point he  bkholds  Saul and Abner, too.    art thou that  criest to  the king??' Abner's anger is'
  They lie in the midst of the wagons with the people         kindled. He wants th2t miscreant : yonder to `under-
  pitched round about them. Turning to his two com-           stand'that-his conduct is amazingly  contetiptuous.  He
  panions-Ahimelech the Hitite and Abishai the son            shouts to the king ! But David cried only to Abner
  ?f Zeruiah,.the brother of Joab-he asks who will go         and  the  eeople.' &d his sole aim was .to gain #their'
  adown  .with him to Saul to the camp. Abishai volun-        attention.    Besides,' Abner should  consider  his own
 teers. The sequel reveals the purpose bf this ventupe.       conduct. `IS he 2 man? And who is like unto him in
  David again wants to confront Saul with evidence such Israel?  Why kept he not his lord? David puts the
  as can be seen and handled that he seeks not the king's questioy  to. .Abner and, at the same time, tells .him
  life to take it. Humanly speaking, the undertaking what might have happened'. "For one `of the people
  is fraught with danger. That David is unafraid can might have come to sla? the king," while Abner `slept.
  only be explained from his firm belief that the Lord        "As the Lord liveth," David goes dn to say, "this thing
  will work for him. His confidence in God is rewarded. which ye have done is not good, so that ye are worthy
  Coming to the people by night, they find Saul fast          of death, because ye failed. toQstand guard oSer  your
  asleep with his  spe&r stuck in. the ground and his         ma,ster,  over the anointed of the Lord. And now see,


    446 .                              T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEAR'E'R

   take notice, where the king's spear is, and. the pitcher       Let us perceive the point to this argument. "If
   of water that was at his head."'                            the Lord bath stirred thee up against me." The teach-
      The thrust of David's' discourse to Abner is pla.in.     ing of this statement is that the `Lord incites'men to
 . `How art thou fallen, O-Abner. As custodian of the evil. The conception runs through the whole of Holy
   king's life, thou didst allow thyself to fall asleep, thou Writ. God commanded Shimei to curse David, 2 Sam.
   and all thy people. That was like voluntarily deliver- 16 :I0 ; He incited David to number the -people, ~2 Sam.
   ing the ,Lord's  anointed into the hand of death.. How      24  :1  ; the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, that he
   terrible thy fault. What a denial of the manly virtues should not let the people go, Ex. 4 :21, etc.; He turned
   for which thou art famed in Israel. Verily, thou the heart of the Egyptians to hate His' people,' to deal
   meritest death, thou and all the men with thee.' subtiily with His `servants, Ps. 105 :23 ; the Lord made
   David's words must move Abner to the core. For              IIis people to err from His ways, and hardened their
   they were true. After the day's exertion, Abner and         heart from His fear, Isa. 63 :I'7 ; God gave up the Gen-
   his men were sorely in need of sleep. But, certainly,       tiles to uncleanness, vile affections, and a reprobate
   he could have arranged with his people for standing mind, R,om. 1:24, 26, 28. We need not guess at what
   guard over Saul.by turns. This Abner had ,failed to these scriptures mean to tell us. It is this: -God is the
   do. The necessity had not occurred to him. Yet, that        Lordsupreme also of sin. It is included in His coun-
   the king had. been `in real peril of his life during all    sel, which is sovereign. It entered the world and riots
   the night is evident. The camp was visited by David. in the hearts of men according to his holy and sover-
   He is a h.armless man. But it could just as well have eign will, and thus serves, can serve, His purposes.
   been someone else, one seeking the king's Ii-fc. That          David's counsel is further that Saul let the Lord
   the camp was visited by David is indisputable. How          smell an offering. Reference here is to-the atonement
   otherwise would he know of their having been asleep.        by the sacrifice by blood. The idea set forth is that
   Besides, he has in' his possession Saul's spear and         Saul. confess and forsake his sins in true contrition
   pitcher of, water. Verily, there is tangible proof that     of heart, and. that if he do so the Lord will accept both
   once more the Lord has delivered Saul into .David's         his person and his offering and by his gift, in connec-
   hand even more completely than on the former oc- tion with it, testify with his spirit that he is for-
   casion.       With the whole  camp wrapped in deepest given.
   slumber, how easy it would-have been for Abishai to do         So, then, it is plain that what David means to tell
   as he had. requested. Saul would have died instantly Saul is that "if the Lord hath stirred thee up against
   without a groan. No one would `have seen. David me, let him smell an offering". of a broken and con-
   could maintain that Saul had been smitten by' one of trite spirit that thou mayest be forgiven of God for
   his own men, and who would there be to dispute his          Christ's sake. We must yet take notice of the idea
   word? David fully compr.ehended,  it may be assumed.        unclerlying `this statement taken as a whole. The idea
   But fearing God, his eyes once more spared- the king.       is that God's inciting Saul to evil-inciting him to
   Abner, too, comprehended, and was silent.                   persecute David-is a judicial act on God's part by
       Perhaps Abner,does  not know by whom he has been which He punishes Saul's sin by sin in Saul; Also this
   reprimanded. He may have contacted David too few conception runs through the Scriptures; Because the
   times to be able to know him by' the sound of his voice. ,Gentiles; when they knew ,God, glorified Him not as
   But `Saul does -know David's voice. &gain he is moved       God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their
   as on the former occasion. "Is this thy voice, my son imaginations, changing the glory of the incorruptible
   David?" he wails. `Art thou again the man into whose        God into an image .made like to corruptible man, and to
   hands I have just been shut .up? And thy eyes once birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things,;
   more spared me?`, "`It is my voice, my lord, `0 king," God gave them over to uncleanness, vile affection, and
   is David's reply. He puts to Saul the same questions, a reprobate mind., Rom.  1:21 sq.
   "Wherefore doth my lord thus `pursue after his ser-            But David also supposes the case that Saul by
   vant?. for what have I done? or what evil is in' my wicked men is being incited to repeat his persecution,
h a n d ? " `There is no evil in thine hand, my son'. o.r rather that the Lord by such men incites him. 3 For
   Such is the silent response' of Saul's heart.     David     David understands, certainly,-that it is always God
   replies to it, "Now therefore, I pray thee, let- my lord who-gives men over to sin and `that devils and men,
   the king, hear the words of his servant. If the Lord their wiles, deceits, and lusts, merely enter in as the
   have stirred thee  up  against me, let him smell an means of the divine working. Compare Rom. 1:24,
   offering: but if -they be the  c!hildr'en of men (who where it is stated that God gave up the <Gentiles to
   stirred thee up) cursed be -they before the Lord : for uncleanness through the lusts of their own heart, and,
   they have driven me -out this days from abiding -in I--Chron. 21," according to which God provoked David
   the inheritance of the -Lord, saying, Go serve other to number Israel through Satan's agency.
   gods."~:             .-                                       It is clear that David% admonitory discourse is to


                                          T H E -   S T A N D A R D   BEA.RER. .                                              444

   be paraphrased thus : "0 King, thou  seekest  my life the -king's confession, so that David's holding it forth
   to take it without a cause. Thine otin heart tells thee for Saul to see is his way of saying to the king, "Verily,
   so. But think not that in thine wickedness thou art thou hast played the fool ! Thou hast erred exceedingly
   thine own. Thou art the Lord's. It is He who incites               indeed ! Repossess thyself of thine spear, and let it
   thee through an ,evil spirit from God or/and the lies              be to thee a perpetual sign of my righteousness and
   and deceits of perverse.men  and the lusts of thine own            of the wickedness of thy doing." But, `so David con-
   heart,-incites thee in punishment of thy sin. Yet, tinues, "The Lord render to every man his righteous-
   thou art none-the-less responsible.               Except thou re- ness and his faithfulness," meaning to say, `The Lord
   pent, cursed be thou and the men by whose lies thou will render  to me my righteousness and to thee thy
   permittest thyself to be incited against me. For your wicl;c dness. That I am righteous, thou knowest,' "For
   sin is great. Ye have expelled me this day from abid- the Lord delivered thee into my hand this day, but I
   ing in the heritage of the Lord, in `God's country, the             v. oulcl not stretch forth my hand' against the Lord's
  land of the living, saying to me, ,Go serve other gods,             anointec,.       And behold,  as'thy life was much set by
   go to hell and to the devils." Canaan was the Heaven this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by
   of the Old' `Testament. Church. For there dwelt the                in the eyes of the Lord, and let him deliver me out of
   Lord with His people. Hence, to drive out a member all tribulations.  " It is the way of .God,  who is just,
   of the theocracy from Canaan, as Saul drove out David              to make men reap according as they have`sown. David
,. from Canaan, was very actually' to eject him from was considerate of Saul's life in obedience to the Lord's
  $_ God's house -and thereby compel him to take up his u-ill. Accordingly,. David's life will be precious in
   abode in'heathen lands, the lands of the dead.                      God's eyes:       The Lord will crown him' with glory.
      "Now, therefore," thus `David concludes, "let not This is David's assurance, which he now proclaims in
   my blood fall `to the ground before the. face  ef the               Eaul's ears.     Saul replies, and his answer is a confirm-
   Lord; for the king of Israel is come out to seek-a flea,           ation of the truths to which David has just given
   as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains.                utterance. Says he to David, "Blessed be thou my
   The meaning is that David is as little dangerous to                son David: thou shalt both do great things, and thou
   Saul as `a flea, so that, shedding David's blood, Saul .shalt still prevail." So does the Lord, who sovereignly
   sheds the blood of a harmless and just man, blood,. hardens Saul, once more cast the obdurate king in `the
   therefore, that as spilled on the ground will cry to dust at David's feet. And with reason. Saul's -hour
Beaven for vengeance. Besides, David being the kind has struck. Soon he will descend into battle with. the
   of a.man he is-a man who honors the king for God's                  Philistines and perish. . But before his passing  hi,s
   sake-Saul's -fear of David, and his seeking David's                 own tongue must confess that he seeks David's' life
   life under the impulse of that fear, is a-,doing unutter-          without a cause. So- the Lord wills it for the sake
   ably foolish as well. His dread of a flea would not be              of the cause of His covenant and for the sake of His
   more irrational'than his actual dread of David.                     righteous servant David. All Israel must know that
      Saul knows that David speaks the truth-knows                     David is righteous and thus see in Saul's persecutions
   that his life is precious in David's `sight. ,Theleviclence         of him a wonderful work of God by which He prepared
   again .is before Saul's eyes-his spear and pitcher of his servant for the duties of the. office of theocratic
   water are in David's hand-and upon his heart as king. And all Israel `does know that David is right-
 _. sent there by the Lord, so that as pricked in his con-. eous. For even the persecuting Saul  no& again ex-
   science and as filled with carnal remorse he wails,                 onerates him. And the king's testimony is in the ears
   "I have sinned ; return, my son David : for I will no               of all the people and in their hearts.
   more do thee harm, be&use my soul was precious in                      "So David went on his way;; and Saul returned to
  c thine eyes this day: behold; I have played the fool, and his place." It was the last meeting between the t&o.
   erred exceedingly."              1          `w                      Saul returns to his place ; but the affect of the Lord's`
      Saui is not truly penitent. At the core, he is harder terror upon his heart and mind soon wears away and
   than ever. But he is subdued and afraid and remorse- the old resolve to persecute David to the death is again
   ful like the doomed in hell are subdued, afraid and                 as lively in him as ever. This is plain from the sequel
   remorseful. "I have sinned. I have played the fool.                 of the narrative. David said in his heart, "I shall now
   I have erred exceedingly." Saul knew this all along.                perish one day. by the hand of Saul: there is nothing
   It simply is the truth, about him, which he holds under better for me than that I should speedily escape into
   in unrighteousness, except when, as again now, the the land of the Philistines: and  Saul shall despair`
   Lord lays his terror upon Saul's heart. Then he con- of me, to seek me any morein any coast of Israel: so
   fesses, "I have sinned.".              *                            shall I escape out of his hand." David is persuaded
      David replies, f`Behold the king's spear ! and let one that soon` Saul will go to repeating his persecutions, .
   of the young men come `over and fetch it." Saul's if he remain in the coasts of Israel. So he passes over
   spear in David's hand f~llly  ,establishes the truth of            with his six hundred men to Achish, king of ,Gath, and


' 448                                              TH,E            STANDA.RD                 BEAR%R

     with the king he dwells. It was told Saul, "and he den. Dan is er een bange stem Gods. 11s heb die stem
     sought no more again after him." The statement is meermalen gehoord, en gehuiverd.  Doch we zijn er
     revealing. The implication is  .that  Sa~ll  -would have  doorgekomen.
     eontinued to seek after David;-had the latter not re-                          Soms is de zee zeer schoon. Als een groote Spiegel
     moved to Gath. For the Lord:`hardened  his heart, it breidt zij zich uit, en-is zeer stille. /. Dan schittert het
     being God's purpose to destroy him.                                        al van licht en stralenbundels die weerkaatst werden
         (The comparison of chap. 26 with the section 23 : 19-                  op het spiegelgladde water. Dan snijdt de boot stille-
24 ; 24, shows that the: narratives agree in three prin-                        kens door de  watermassa's  en brengt elke slag der
     dipal points, in the treachery of the Ziphites  toward - schroeven ons dichter naar veilige haven.
     David, in the persecution of David by Saul, and in the                         Echter, of de zee stormt en  raast, of  stille is en
     sparing of Saul by.`David. `These agreements have led zeer schoon, zij is altijd een boodschapster Gods. Zij
     some to affirm that the two narratives are two accounts                    vertelt bns wat van God, van Zijn grootheid en majes-
     of the same events. But this view has so little actual tei.t.                     buistert dan, gij zeelieden, luistert  naar den
     basis in the text that we need take no further notice                      God der oceanen;
1 of it.)                                                                           Zij is groot en wijd van ruimte, en het maakt geen
                                                            G. M. Ophoff:       verschil of ge die grootheid en ruimte beziet vanuit het
                                        em---..-                                oogpunt van haar uitgestrektheid of vanuit het oog-
                                                                                punt .van haar diepten. Beide oogpunten zullen U  doen
                                                                                cluizelen. Vooral de Pacific is groot. En diep. Hoe
                                                                                .groot? Zullen we gaan  meeten en weegen? Vaart
               SION'S  ZANGEN                                                   op die zeeen en ge zult het meeten en weegen opgeven.
                                                                                ,Ge ziet tot aan de gezichtseinders, en als ,Gods Geest
                                                                                U wijsheid leerde, dan zult ge aanbidden, aanbidden.
                                                                                    En daarin is het wriemelende gedierte, en dat zon-
Majesteit                             En        Heerlijkheid                 ' der getal, de kleine en de groote.
                .;  c                                                               Zonder getal? ,Och neen, dat beteekent niet, dat er
                                      (Psalm 104 ; Slot)
                         5  Js; ::                                              geen zuiver afgerond  getal is van al. die dieren en
         Deze Psalm is .ons gegeven, opdat wij des Heeren                       diertjes, maar dat het nooit opkomen zal in het plan-
     majesteit en heerlijkheid zouden zingen in dit leven.                      nend hart van een mensch om hun getal uit te rekenen.
     Hij is gegeven, opdat wij de dingen die geschapen zijn,                    Er zijn er myriaden.
     en geduriglijk onderhouden worden  door het krachtige                          Maar God kent ze allen, en Hij roept  hen allen bij
     woord van Gods voorzienigheid, zouden onderkenn,en                         name. "En geen een ontglipt Zijn oog!" Ik moet hier
     als het werk Zijner handen, en voorts er ban te zingen,                    weer denkenaaan de huiselijke tafer.eelen  van mijn zeer
     te zingen.                                                                 prille  jeugd. Daar hoorde ik die versjes:  %Jeet gij
     s Het resultaat.van  het bestudeeren van dezen psalm hoeveel vischjes spartelen, in den grooten watervloed ?
, is ons alreede gegeven: Hoe groat zijn Uwe werken,                            En dan kwam het antwoord: :A1 die duizend, duizend
     o Heere!' Gij hebt ze allen met wijsheid gemaakt; het                      samen, roept de Heer bij hunne namen, en niet een ont-
     .aardrijk-.  is vol van Uwe goederen.                                      glipt Zijn oog; en niet een ontglipt Zijn oog!    5
         Och, zongen we meer in dien toonaard!                                      "Daar wandelen de schepen, en de leviathan,' dien
         "Deze zee, die groot en wijd van ruimte is, daarin                     Gij `geformeerd hebt, om daarin te spelen."
     is het wriemelende gedierte, en dat zonder  getal, kleine                      De schepen wandelen in de zee.
     geclierte met groote."                        '                              Vanaf het tijdstip, dat de arke van Noach  te water
         De zee, die machtige zee !                                             ging tot op heden heeft het menschdom de pee gebruikt
'        Missehien zijn er onder U, lezers, die de zee nooit                    om daar in te wandelen. Diewijsheid`heeft God  hens
zagen.                                                                          gegeven. En het is  goed om het te  doen, met dank-
         Dan hebt ge' een van de machtigste stemmen van zegging gebruikt. Men  mag op de zee wandelen in
     G o d   g e m i s t .                                                      schepen. Tegenwoordig vliegt- men er over heen met
         De zee is vreeselijk, maar oak schoon.                                 .luchtschepen.  Ik  -durf  ,er niet in. Ik ben bang om
Zij is vreeselijk van vermogen. Er zijn  paal en te vliegen.  Misschien, is het  goed om ook het  lucht-
     perk gezet aan de zee, maar soms, naar Gods raad, en                       schip te gebruiken. Ik weet het niet. ' Maar het schijnt
     op Zijn bevel, >moeten die perk en paal wijken, en dan                     mij zoo onnatuurlijk toe. Ik wil geen lans  -breken
     is er groote nood. .' Soms stormt het op'de zeeen en de voor degenen die er' positief zonde in. zien. Maar ik
     : oceanen,  en dan krimt het hart van de visschersvrouw moet toestemmen,`dat ik er `niet voor gevoel, Ik zou
     ineen van angst  ,voor manlief, die zijn brood zocht willen zeggen, dat ik er instinctmatig tegen ben. Mis-
     op de baren. Dan is er donkerheid der golven, omdat schien is het slechts pure bangigheid. Ik weet het
     de wolken zich samenpakten, en de stormwinden ;loei-                        niet. Maar ik durf we1 in een. schip over de grootste


                                      `.  T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R "                                      449

  oceanen' te varen. Daar ben ik  heelemial  niet bang offer in  d& klauwen,  tanden, bekken van de dieren.
  van. Ik vind het  zelfs zeer prettig. Het speet mij           Het eene dier wor,dt door God genomen om het andere
  altijd als mijn zeereis over was. In zeker.en  zin, benijd -dier, te voeden.                                                  *
  ik de zeelieclen, die altijd op het zilte nat varen. Alles      Zoo komt het zeker, dat wij verder lezen:  "Ver-
  is zoo schoon, zindelijk, maar ook prachtig en indruk-        bergt ,Gij Uw aangezicht, zij worden  verschrikt ; neemt
 wekkend.                                                       Gij hunnen adem  weg, zij sterven en zij keeren weder
    In de zee i`s ook de leviathan..                            tot hun &of."
     Ik heb eens nagespeurd  wat men van dat beest                  Ik d,enk, dat dit laatste gedeelte slaat op het ver-
weet. En het resultaat is nul op `t  rekest.  Men weet scheureb van de ontelbaar vele dieren die door God
  er met positieve wetenschap  niets van. De een zegt:          gebruikt  Tirorden. tot spijs van andere Zijner  schep-
  het is de krokodil geweest. De andere zegt : het is onze selen.        En clan zie ik in mijn verbeelding zulk een
 walvisch.     Anderen zeggen: het is een prae-historisch schepsel zwemmen in de zee. Doch, o wee, daar kotit
 monster geweest dat nu uitgestorven is. Ik voel we1            een grooter, sterker schepFe1' aangezwommen? W a t
 wat voor de Iaatste gedachte. Als men tenminste niet mensch zal in staat zijn om-de schrik dier overvallenen
 gaat knoeien met dien term : prae-historisch. Ik bedoel        af te malen I?' En als dan die grootere monsters grijpen,
  er  mee;  dat de genre leviathan  misschien  uitgestor-       scheqren, en eten, dari is het niet anders dan omdat
 ven  i s .                                                     God Zich verborg vdor de kleinere "schepselen.
     Hoe het dan mag iijn, de Heere bedoelt er me? het              Zij  worden  verschrikt; God is het die hun  adem
 grootste beest, dat in de oceanen geschapen was. En wegneemt in die vepscheuring; en zij keeren weder tot
 `God gaf hem de zee om in te spelen. Een mooie karak-          hun stof.
 &iseering der dingen. .Wij vragen vaak in verband                  "Zendt Gij Uwen  Ge&t  uit,  - zoo  worden zij  ge-
 met de dingen: wat nut het den mensch? Maar God                schapen,. en ,Gij vernieuwt  het gelaat des aardrijks."
 geeft oceanen aan leviathan, opdat zij mogen spelen!               Hier zit een schoone leer.in.        -
  Ja, ik helj ook ergens gelezen, dat de jonge raven tot            Als er ontelbare schepseltjes te voorschijn treden;
  God  roepen  om  bun voedsel. En dat Hij hen  .hoort.         vischjes, groote en  kleine,   all&i  op `hunnen tijd,  te-
 En dat is lieflijk.             .                              zamen met de my&den van microben en insecten, clan
     "Zij allen wachten op U, dat Gij bun hunne spijs geschiedt  dat door den Heiligen Geest.
geeft te zijner tijd."                                              En dat is zoo ook m& hkt "gelaat,  des aardrijks",
     Dat doen die schepselen onbewust natuurlijk. Zij           d.w:z.,  diet het groene gras,' kruid en heestergewassen;            r
 keenen geen God die voor hen zorgt. Maar onbewust zodwel als de boomen en planten die de aarde bedekken.
 clan', wachten zij op God. Daar gaat het in den psalm Want de Heilige Geest is de levens$vekker. Dat is zoo
  over. De psalm geeft ons de ware; de eigenlijke  be-          met de wedergeboorte  van& het kind Gods, maar ook
 teekenis der  dingen der natuur. De  myriaden  van met de  gebiorten der  mjrriaden van schepselen en
  schepselen wachten op God om hun ontbijt te  on&              schepseltjes.
  vangen, en hun diner exi hun souper. En of zij nu                 Vraagt  bet.  aan de geleerden der aarde. Vraagt
 veel verorberen of weinig, het komt bun, van God toe.          het  aan Zijn haters die met weegschalen, ellen, en o zoo
  En let er dan op, dat God tegen het eene vischje of teere instrumenten bezig zijn in hun werkkamers.  Ze
 monster der  zeegn zegt: zie, daar  zwemt uw  voedsel          hebben,getracht  om door tti dringen tot'het geheim van              `,
 voor dit oogenblik  ! Grijpt het ; dood h&; en eet ! En het worden  der dingen. Blijft vragen, en zij zullen U
dan wijst God  naar,  6en ander levend schepsel van teti slotte toestemmen,  dat tiij @ifs ge&.sprietje  gras
 Hem. Want God bestiert hun .leven  en hun dood. -              kur+en  doen  g r o e i e n .   `+                                         a
     Maar dan moeten we ook hieraan d&ken: zoo was                  Hoe zou het ook?
 het van den  begimle  niet! Dat het  e&e beest het               Het neemt een `God om te scheppen.
 andere .beest verscheurt, zooals ontelbare malen vooral            En Hij deed en doet bet. door Zijn Woord en Heili-`
 geschiedt in' de oceanen,  ,komt van Uw en mijn zonde.         gen Geest.                                                 -
 En'sindsdien lijdt het brute schepsel. Het is der ijdel-          Dan worden  de schepselen vernieuwd in himne ge-
 heid onderworpen. En  die  ijdelheid   blijkt'uit de  ver- slachten, en dan'wordt het aardi4jk in zijn aangezicht
 scheuring en vernieling van elkander.              B           vernieuwd.
    `;Straks  komt er een tijd, dat men geen leed meer             En dan gaan we prijzen.
 doen zal op den berg van Gods heiligheid, waar een                De goddelooze  geleeiden  ( ?) n$gen vloeken en schel-
 vernieuwde schepping zal pralen. Daar zal een ieder, den op `God, Dien zij maar niet op zij kunnen dl"ingen
 schepsel verzadigd .worden,  zonder `zijn medeschepsel         in Zijn Eigen  schepping,  maar wij zullen  instemmen.               -
 te benauwen.                                                   met den -gei'nspireerden  zanger. en zeggen : "De heer-
     "Geeft Gij ze hun, zij vergaderen ze; doet Gij Uwe lijkheid des Heeren zij tot in eeuwigheid, de Heere ,
hand open, zij worden met goed verzadigd."                      verblijde Zich in Zijne werken."
   Ziet ge  we17 Hier staat het.  God geeft het  slacht-           Het gaat Gods volk goeh naar den iin, als zij de


  450                                   T H E   S T A N D A R - D   B'EARER  _

Heilige Geest in psalm  104, hooren  zingen van Zijn               Wreekt Uzelven  ebhter niet, beminden! Straks
  Eigen werken. Als zij Hem hooren  zingen  v&n Zijn zullen ze er niet meer zijn. En de sluitsteen is de Steen
  scheppingsmacht en van Zijn  onderhoudingsWoord.              des lofs.
  Dan gaat het Gods volk naar den zin. Want die God                Loof den Heere, mijne ziel. Hallelujah !       9
is hun Vader. Zij noemen Hem zelfs HEERE. En                                                                   G. Vos.
  dat is de liefste  Naam van God. In het Oude Testa-
  ment staat ergens, dat een goddelooze jongen uitdruki
  kelijk DEN NAAM vloekte. Dat was de naam van
  Jehovah. En dat ziet op den onveranderlijken  Ver-
  bondsGod.                                    ,         r
         !O ja, wij zijn priesters Gode en den V&er.,                        IN  HIS-  FEAR
    En als we vischjes zien zwemmen in  oceanen, en
  Wilde geiten springen  op de  bergen,  en de ontelbare
  vogels en andere dieren, dan zeggen we ten overstaan          Catechist Around The Cbnfestkma
 `van die massa's schepselen: ,Heere, HEERE! verblijd
  U tech in Uwe werken !                                           It's happened to- most of us, I suppose, who write
         Dan zeggen we: We mogen het gaarne  zied en now and then, that you talk with somebody, and .say,
  hooren, Heere, dat Uwe werken heerlijkheicl vertoonen.        "Ye!, I wrote about that lately, remember?" And you
  Daar hebben wij schik van, Heere! - Uwe heerl.ijkheid$        discoyer  to your dismay and his chagrin, that he d6esn't
  is de afstraling van Uwe lieflijke deugden, en als, we remember. He simply had not read your last article.
  Ftaan  in die afstraling dan zingt ons hart.                   Now it is Qossible -that you did not read what we
         En de reden van dien zang van het volk des Heeren? were trying to express in our former issue.
         Ze is deze: ie` hebben den Heere lief, omdat Hij           The gis+,of it was this, that the Catechism which
  heti eerst beminde-!                                          our youth receive during their catechism years, prior
         Loof den Heere, mijne ziel!                            to, making confession, should include a study of the
         Onbewust gevoelt de aarde dat Let God is die haar      Three  Forms of Unity. The  cate@hism they receive
  bestuurt, onderhoudt, tot de katastroof, leidt. Want :        should center around the Confessions.  *
  "Als Hij de aarde  aatischouwt, zoo beeft ze  ; als Hij           It would be totally unnecessary, I'm sure, to set
  di: bergen  aanroert, zoo rooken  zij."                       forth' how important this is. We should insult the
   <Straks  zal hij de.  iegenwoordige kosmos nog  een-         church.-of the ages if we thought it .were  necessary
  maal aanzien, en dat zal het einde  zijn van deze be- to prove, how valuable are our Creeds. As Reformed
  deeling. In IOpenb. staat er! dat de hemel en de yaarde people this needs no proof, does it?
  wegvloden  toen  `God op hen' zag. En dan komen de                It remains therefore that we outline. a course by
  nieuwe  hemel  en de nieuwe aarde.                            wliich it will become possible to' cover this territory
         Gaat nu maar aan `t zingem, lezers, die mij gevolgd within the time limits assigned us in the development
  zijn in het bestudeeren van deze zangen. Gaat maar of our covenant youth.
  aan `t  zingen, want dat is het volgende kapittel van                              Problem One.
  dit vers. "Ik zal den Heeye  zingen `in mijn leven, ik zal        The question arises: how  ,can we cover all this
  mijnen God psalmzingen  terwijl ik nog ben." Dat zal' territory during the catechism years? That, however,
 waar zijri. We behoeven niet te wachten totdat wij in          is  not. the main problem.  Ther&  IS time enough. It
  den  hemel  zijn  oni  den Heere te  loyen. De aarde is       is a matter of how we make use of that time. That
  vpl van Zijn schoonheid en.lieflijkheid. Er is  &of,          is a much- greater problem because it involves us in a
  prijzensstof te over, als we maar ooren en oogen heb- re-arrangement of our catechism time. It involves us
  ben om te  hoopen  en te zien. En  harten om op te in re-thinkirig the methods which are generally in use
  merken.                                                       and which have gradually been adopted.
         Is God Uw `deel tot in eeuwigheid?                         And then we almost naturally say that. we hav6
         Dan is dit Uw bezigheid. Dan zal Uwe  overden:         always done it this way, and that is good .enoughl But
  king van Hem zoeter zijn dan honig en de honigzeem.           yet, whatever we do we should do it constiiously,  be-
  Dan zult ge U in den Heere verblijden.                        cause we are convinced that it is the b&t way. We
         De zondaars en de goddeloozen benauwen ons nog must not do things just because things were always
  wat.         ..     I.                                        done that way. We must be abls to give an account of
         Ze maken soms het leven van Gods vqlk zeer bitter. why we do it thus and why we don't do it some other
  Wat hebben ze het volk Gods niet benauwd in hun way.
  Middelaar?  Leest psalm  22;  l  A& honden en sterke              Well now the first  pyoblem is  therefire to get
  stieren van  Basan kwamen ze  aan. Ze  mergelen  de ourselves to that point where we examine our` cate-
. lieden uit en spreken booselijk van onderdrukking.            chjsm- course an< test it for accuracy and efficiency.


                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEARER                                                      451

   We must ask ourselves whether the catechis&  as it            induced to read the Bible for themselves. Reading a
   is being conducted at present, is giving the  ybuth a httle while every night before they retire :would give
  thorough instruction .in the doctrine as formulated in them .`a complete course, in Bible history. Then there
  the Three Points. of Uliity. In other words,  when the are the Christian ,Schools which give a rather thorough
   youth come to  make\   co;lfession  of faith, have they       course in Bible-narratives, and finally there are the
 made a systematic study of the Confessions?              We     Sunday  5chools in m&y churches that provide still
  should place ourselves before that qupstion.                   more opportunity for acquaintance .with the Bible's
       Now if you are convinced that our youth should contents.                          B
  not have or do not need  such a study, all right. Period.                   Should we in catechism then repeat what first the
   But, if you can see the great value of a catechism parents, then their individual.reading, then the Chris-
   coursed in our Confessions, and ask: but how can we tian School and finally the Sunday School has $ven
  work that out, and how can we crowd it into our cate- them? Repeat that? Is that  the work of the  Churbh
  chism years. . . . come, we can talk together.                 in catechism?
       The ;first half of problem one is solved.                              If  someofie   would say: yes,  but in catechism  Ge
      Now the other half.               _                        interpret history. We answer `that a consistent course
       We will have to  tihange our catechism set-up a           in history interpretation is impossible when so much
  little.                                                        material has to be covered in such little time. And, if
       Can you concede that a change might be beneficial?        we commence to interpret history for the childrep  we
  If so, the other half of problem one is solved also.           presuppose a doctrinal background. For if they shall
       Now for                                                   interpret history  theF must first have a course in  I
  . .                                                            doctrine. .Doctrine  precedes history, as far as inter-
                        Problem Two.                             preting it is concerned.
       T6 get  a catechism course of  siudy which. will                  And then the high calling of the `Church, her grand
  embrace -the Confessions; it .is needful that the cate-        calling is to indoctrinate. That phase of work is very
  chumens receive doctrinal' instructioti at much earlier        clearly the peculiar calling of the church. The Chris-
  age than is generally  .the case.                              tian School, neither the Sunday School is able to indoc-
      That'means, of course, that we for the most part           trinate, neither should they imagine it to be their duty.
  ~&all have to  stibstitute  `doctrine for history in the The home may indoctrinate and private Bible reading
  younger classes.                                               is natu&lly an indoctrination, but to the Church God
      Please  do not say that doctrine is too difficult for says : Preach tlie Gospel, indoctrinate my lambs, f&ed
 our younger children. It is not too difficult for them. It them with the Word.
  depends on how iZ is presented. Instead of taking our                  `Therefore then the church should clearly feel it her
  refuge within the excuse that' doctrine is too difficult duty to emphasize indoctrination, that is her peculiar
  for them, let us face the responsibility of,, presenting field of labor.                            ,
  il to them so they can understand.                       j      ,Now  is `such indoctrination shall progress  ai. our
      Our fifth graders in school `study science, but they covenant children develop, it is evident that we should
  do not use' university text books for that purpose.            follow a system.
 They study it out of science books written for fifth                    `It  is that system which we would at this time set
  graders. They study mathematics, principly the same before YOU for your- kind consideration.
  mathematics as the university students study, `only                    :
  they study it `from books graded to their conception.                                 Catechism Over The fears.
  Why then could not our children study doctrine?                                     .  (the ages are apiroximate)
    As far as te'acl+ng history in our; catechism classes          .-
  is concerned it would be well to analyze this carefully.                    Age 7-9 - General History, 0. T. and N. T.
  First of all it' is our  convicti&  thtit  it- is primarily                 Age 10"11-Easy Steps in Doctrine.
  the duty of t& honie to teach children the. histdry ,of                     Age 12 - Primer of .Reformed  DoOctrine.
  the -Bible.     The parents should feel themselves  r&         ' Age 13 - Compendium.
  sponsible for `this woyk. It is .very good'for the par-                     Ages 14-15 - Heidelberg Catechism, as is
  ents?- to realize.  that this is their calling. A great                     `Ages 16;1'7  - Belgic Confessions.
  danger today is that all the work is taken away from                        Ages 18-19 - Canons of Dordt. .
  the parents, or rather that they let the sehool, the                        Ages 20 etc - ,OptionaI : Essentials of Reforged
  Sunday School and .the church do their worth for them.                 Doctrine; Church History, Liturgy, etc.
  The parents should know themselves responsible  espec-                 This system requires a graded course of work,
1 ially for this woyk.  - This ought to induce them, also to wherein the classes graduate fr,om one, step to the
  tell their children Bible stories, read "for them, out ne%t in order. It is inherent in youth to want to make
  of the Bible, etc. Besides  that, our youth should be          progress, and to graduate.. It produces an incentive


  452                                        VTHE      S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

on their part to make progress. It sets before  them
 a goal, thp attainment of which they shall diligently                          .FROM  HOLY  WRIT
 seek.In favor of this system is surely that our children,                                               I
al; their most impressionable age  &re receiving the
 rudiments of sound doctrine. Children learn. readily                               The  Face  Of  God                   -
 &nd absorb rapidly, and what is impressed iipon them
 in those formative years c&n never  be- erased.                        Scripture often speaks of God's face, especially in
       What a solid foundation is'then being laid in their the  *Old Testament, but also in the New. This ex-
 lives. How great the unity too, for all their instruction pression is eyenl more commoh  tlian we' often `realize,
 centers arourid the Doctrine which' has been cardinal for the word for face, both in the Hebrew (panim)
 to the Rtiformed faith.. As the children become found- and in the Greek  (prosoopon),  is sometimes trans-
 ed in d&trine they.gradually  understand h-istory better lated as countenance,. and sometimes  even as presence.
 `and `it means more to them. Theit hotie -catechism,                For example, in Psalm 4 :6 the word is translated as
 .their Christian School, their private reading, their countenance, "Lord, lift up the light of Thy counten-
f Sunday  ;School becomes richer as they  .get a grasp               a.nce upon us." While in Psalm 16 :I1 that same word
 on  the true doctrine. The preaching `of the Gospel                 is translated as presence. "Thou wilt show me the
 above all becbmes  kicher for them, and that, earlier in            path of life ; in Thy presence (face) is fulness of joy;
                                       -.
l i f e .                                                            at Thy right hand there are pleasures forevermor,z."
       This system may present 5 few difficulties in &-              With, but rare exceptions the word for presence in
 gregations where, because of distances, etc., the graded Scripture is `face'.
plan cannot be  fpllowed.            But eyen those' difficulties       Thus we read in Exodus 33 : 14, "And He (Jehovah)
frequently dissblve in proportion as the parents re-                 said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give
  solve' to make a few sacrifices. For the rest it pre- thee rest." `This passage  iS especially significant be-
 sents no difficulties which are  in&rmounta,ble.  In                cause it is an answer  to Moses' plea for a token of
 fact, it is a challenge to -the ministers to. surmount              divine favor. The  pbople had  Binized by making a
 what&& difficulties -this .may entail. But I can  as: ,golden calf at the foot of Sinai. `Therefore` the Lord
  sure you that the difficulties are not' too great.                 had said, "I will' not go up in the midst of thee, for
       As for books.' for the younger classes, there. -are           thou art a stiffnecked people. . . . .I will come into
  stich books. You may improve'upon ihem if you like.                the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee."
  Some initial work will perhaps have to be done for                 But Moses, the Old `Testament mediator found grace
the very young classes. For helps in the older classes               in the eyes of the Lord,. and Jehovah considered that
 there is, material available, and the minister no dqubt this nation was His people. Therefore He assured
  will -want to work his own way through the graded. Moses that His presence (His face) would go with
  series.  a                                                         them, just' as in times past when the lighted cloud led
         Now then, let us consider this carefully. If any- theni in their journeys, as darkness to the enemy, but
  one is interested in a detailed outline of the entire              a light to Israel.
  course, methodology and all, we shall be glad `to' iend               It is worthy of note, that in the last part of this
  it to you for your consideration.
1 ,                                                                  same chapter God's face is tantamount to His glory.
         The Lord otir God buils up His Church, and we: His          Moses asks for an added token of God's favor, as evi-
  servants shall arise  aqd builcl.                                  dence that God's face will  .gurely go with them to
                                                 M. Gritters.        Canaan. The servant of the Lord pleads, "I beseech
                                                                     Thee, show me Thy glory." To  .which,the Lord  re-
                         .--                                         .sponds that He will hide hiti in the cleft of the rock
                                                                     and cover him with His hand while  I$e. passes by,
                              NOTICE !                               "and -1 will take away My hand, aid thou shalt see
                                                                     1&y back parts ;, but My face shall not be ,seen.". The
                                                            --


         The entire issue of the Standard Bearer, bound in           pcint here is, that (God's face is assoc`iated  with His
  23 Volumes, bomplete  with Index, - now offered for                glory. The fulness of that glory Moses cannot possibly
  a limited time at a special price of $100.00.                      behold as yet,for he is a sinful, earthly mortal. As the
                Contact :-                                           Lord- states, "Thou canst not see My face, for there
                   A. yycher%, 900 Watkins St., S. E.                shall no riian see Me and live." Therefore Moses must
                                                                     be content with a glimpse of that glory as it has passed
                or:-            -                                    by  befor? him. That is all that he can  bear as yet.
                 M. J. Woudenberg, 1042 Worden  $t., S.E. But aGod's. faCe and His glory are intimately related.
                                     Grand Rapids, Michigan.             Many passages of' Scripture show us that a man's


                                     T         H    E         -STAN.DARD  B'EAiER                                      4 5 3
                                                                      .~
 face expresses His inward emotions. In Gen. 4:5 we have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved."
 read that "Cain was very wroth and his countenance             In passing, it is worthy of note that here the angel
 fell." Also in the prophecy of Daniel it is said that          of  Jehovah>  is called the face of God. He is not an
 "the king's countenance was changed." Dan. 5:6. So ordinary angel, but may well be called the Old Testa-
 also God's face manifests His innermost feelings and ment manifestation of the Christ. In the new dispen-
 attitude toward the rational nioral creature;           God    sation we see God in the face of Christ, Who is the
 causes His face to shine in approval upon His people "brightness (shining forth) of His  .glory, the very
 in Christ. "For the righteous Lord loveth righteous- image of His substance." Heb. 1:3.
 ness ; His countenance doth behold the upright." Ps.               God encourages His people in Christ to seek His
  11:`7. This is in contrast t,o verses 5 and 6 which state' face, giving them grace to respond, "Thy face, Lord;
 that the Lord hates the wicked, upon whom he rains             will I seek." Ps. 27:8. The Lord's face is their refuge
 i snares, fire, and brimstone, and an horrible tempest.        in prayer, their help. Ps. 27:9. His face is entreated
 Thus the `prayer of the believer is, "God be merciful          by them. 1 Kings 13 :6. It upholds them in their in-
 to us ,and bless us ; "and cause His face to shine upon        tegrity, declaring them righteous in Christ. Ps. 41:12.
  us." Ps.  67:l.    Even as the Aaronitic blessing ex- It makes them exceedingly glad. Ps. 21:6.' ,Therefore
  presses it, Num. 6:24-26,  `"The Lord bless thee, and they come into His presence (before His face) with
 keep thee ; the Lord make His face to shine upon thee,         thanksgiving, they praise Him for His help. Ps. 42 :5.
  and be gracious unto thee; the Lord lift up His coun-         Blessed is that people who walk in the light of His
 tenance upon thee, and give thee peace."                       countenance. Ps. 89 :14. In His face is the fulness of
     On the other hand, God sometimes hides His face `joy, pleasures'-foreverm0r.e. Ps. 16  :ll.
  from His people, and they are troubled. Ps. 30:7. Be-             It is also the hope of the saints in the life to come,
 fore their consciousness God has forgotten them. Ps.           in contrast to their present `fellowship with God, that.
  13 :I, "How long wilt thou f,orget  me, 0 Lord? For- they shall see Him face to face.. 1 `Cor. 13 :12, f`For
. ever? How long wilt "rhou hide Thy face from me?" now we see through a glass darkly; but .then face to
Their prayers remain unanswered. Ps.  102:2, "Hide face.' Now we know in part; but then shall I know
  not Thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble;          even  tis also I am known." This hope is entirely in
  incline Thy ear unto me ; in the day when I' call answer harmony with Revelation 22:4, where the fulness of
  me speedily." Then every prayer dies on their lips. heavenly blessedness is summed up in the words, "And
  "And there is none that calleth upon thy Name, that they shall see His, face ; and His name shall be upon
  stirreth up himself to take hold of Thee, for Thou            t h e i r   f o r e h e a d s . "
  hast hid Thy face from us, and hast consumed us,                  All these passages can. only convince us that the
  because of our-iniquities." Is.. 64.~7. Here the prophet       expression `the face of God'. is exceedingly rich in
  confesses that their iniquities. are the cause that God        significance.
  hides His face from His people. Even as the Lord                  1. The expression is, of course,. anthropomorphistic.
  says in chapter 59, verse 2,~ "But your iniquities have
' separated between you and your God, and your sins              Just as Scripture speaks of ~God's hands, eyes and feet,
  have hid His face from you, that He will not hear,."           so it also speaks of His face. ,JGod  has given a creature-
                                                                 ly picture of His face in man, His image bearer, in
     But even as God causes His face to shine in approval order that we should be able to know ,and speak about
  upon His people in Christ, so He turns His face in dis- the face of God, With an appeal to P,salm 94 :9 we can
 approval against, the wicked. He frowns upon them say, Does He Who formed the face. of. man not have a
  in His anger. "The face -of the Lord is against' them f a c e   H i m s e l f ?
  that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from
  the earth." Ps. 34 :16. "For the ,eyes of the Lord are            2. God's face is the revelation of His  pr,esetice.
  over the `righteous `and His ears are open unto their His Name is also His revelation ; but, in distinction
  prayers : but the face of the Lord is against them that from His face, the Name reveals to us His attributes.
  do evil." 1' Pet.` 3 : 12. _ The kingdom of Judah is sent By His Name we can know Him, speak of Him, and
  into captivity when the Lord turns His face against address Him. But by His face He,makes  His presence. '
  them,  "Therefore. thus saith the Lord  -of hosts, the known to us. Even the beasts of the `forest and the
  God of .Israel, Behold, I will set My face against you fishes of the sea-are troubied  when He hides His face
  for evil, and to cut off `all Judah." Then ,God's vine-        from them. Ps.  104:29;  And -whither shall we flee
  yard is cut down.  ; Ps.  80.:16, "They perish at the          from before His  face?. Ps.  139:7;
  rebuke of Thy countenance."                                       3. The face reveals ~to us God's glory. That glory.
    "Scripture also speaks of seeing God face to face.           can be terrible in .majesty, even as a consuming `fire.
  This .was the reassuring experience of Jacob when he "The earth shook,, the heavens also dropped at the
  wrestled with the angel of `the Lord. `Gen.  32:30.            presence (face) of God ; even Sinai itself trembled at
 ".And Jacob called the name of, the place Peniel, for I thezpresence  of God, the God of Israel.", "The tiicked
             \                            I


                                      .

454 -                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D               BEARER

perish at His presence, even as wax melts befo.re  the                           ."  A  ,Lait  Appeal                               ,  =
fire. Ps. 68:2, 8. But that presence is infinitely glor-
ious and blessed for God's people-in Christ, upon whom                           T O   O U R   scHoolr,  T E A CH E R S !               1
His face shines. "Cause Thy face to shine ; and we                      Undoubtedly you have noticed the ad in Concordia
shall be saved." Ps. 80 :3, 7, 19.                                   under the heading f'WFjo PViZZ Help!" In the June 14
    4. The face of  God. also reveals His attitude of                issue it -appears on page 2. Thanks to our helpful
favor or of disfavor, of grace towards His people and                editor it had. a `very prominent place so that no one
of wrath to the wicked. The face of man is said to                   could fail to notice it.
be the mirror of his soul. His character, but also his                  But in spite of what  Concordia,  and our school
emotions and thoughts are written in bold letters upon               board, and a few others have been. able to do, we
his' face. Even so God's face reveals His glories, His here in Redlands, are as yet without teachers for the
virtues, in love toward His people, and in wrath next school term. As you will understand;no teuchers,
against the wicked. He smiles in loving favor upon 9.0  school!  You will agree that that would be a de-
 His chosen ones, but at the same time He frowns in                  plorable situation. ' Must this be after 14 years of
 sore displeasure upon all the wicked, whom His soul existence?
loatheth.    This is entirely in harmony with God's                     Now the case in  Redlands is this. If we are un-
justice and holiness, as the Lord declar.ed His Name able to find a teacher (or teachers) in the very near
to. Moses when He passed before Him, hidden in the                   future, the `parents will have to try and enroll their
 cleft of the rock, saying, "The Lord, the Lord  CGod,               children in the Christian Reformed School, if at  all.
merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant possible. We say  if  possible, because' the Christian
in goodness -and truth, keeping loving kindness for                  Reformed School in the past season had all the children
thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and they could take care of. Therefore, enrollment would
 sin, and that will by no means `clear the guilty ; visit-           be necessary now. If that should fail, the only other
 ing the iniquity of the fathers uppn the children and way left to us is the public school. We feel that we
 upon the children's`children, unto the third and to the             do not need to make a plea or stress the necessity of
 fourth generation." Ex.  34:6, 7.                                   our own Protestant Reformed School.                 The Truth
    5. The saints delight in the light of His counten-               which we as parents by the grace of God love so
 ance. They are aware that the face of the Lord is                   dearly - should not our children -be taught that same
 against them that do evil, to cut off their remembrance Truth in the day school?
 from the earth.. Ps. 34 : 16. But they also know He has                 Therefore we come with the urgent plea
 chosen His people in Christ, that they should be holy                                    "Who Will Help!"
 and blameless before Him. Eph. 1:4. He has exalted
 Christ to appear as their Advocate before His presence                                    The Board of the First Reformed
 m heaven. Heb.  9:24. He hides His face from their                                        Christian School Society.
 sins and blots out all their iniquities. Ps. 51:9. There-                                         R e d l a n d s ,   C a l i f o r n i a .
 fore He causes His face to shine upon them, to keep
 them, to be gracious unto them, to give them peace.
 Num.  6:24-26.  When He hides His face from them
 for a time, they are utterly miserable. Ps. 30 :7. Wnen
 He turns to them again, He causes them to seek His                                          ATTENTION .
 face, and they experience that His face is near to them,
`always remembers them, helps them in all their troubles                         All Those Who Still  E%joy  Readiny
 hears their prayers, and causes them to walk in its                                    The Holland Language!
 light all the day long. `They come before His face
 with thanksgiving ; they dwell in His presence with                 The book of Rudolph Van Reest~"Vun Kust Tot Ku&"
 praises. Ps. 140 :13.                                               is off the press. This book is written by Mr. Van
    Therefore they live in the blessed hope'that finally             Spronsen; who- together with his wife made a tour
 in perfection'they shall see Him face to face. That. is of the United States, ahd visited all of our churches.
 their portion in this life, in contrast to those whose por- In it he describes his impressions and experiences of
 tion is the th&gs of this earth. The wicked shall perish, his trip. This book, together with the book pf Prof.
._ but "as for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness ; Schilder  "Om  Woorcl  En  Kedc",  and two volumes of
 I shall be satisfied, when I awake with thy likeness." Ds. J.\ W. Tunderman on the Heidelberg Catechism
 Ps. 17 :15. In God's presence.is ~fulness of joy, at His            can be had for the sum of $5.00 (five dollars). Send
right hand there are pleasures for evermore.                         your subscription for this series of books to the Rev;
                                               C    .         .Hanko. B. Kok, 105 W. 19th St., Holland, Michigan.
                                                                            .


                                     THE.   STANDAR,D   -BEARER                                                      455

             -                                                 all &imes, regardless of financial cost. 0,n the Federal
                  PERISCOPE                                    Council question, the synod refused to withdraw its
                                                               membership, and instead took action to see to it that
                                                               its own representatives in Federal C&r&l activities
 .Other  Chxwches. . . .                                       be recognized' champions of true Christianity. In
                                                               addition the synod will inform the Federal . Council
     During' the month of June many denominations that,it reserves the right to disapprove of any action
  besides our own hold their annual Synods or Assem- that is not consonant, with the Christian faith, and
  blies. Since we .have written previously. of the prob-       that its view of evangelism is `based on the biblical
  lems which various other Churches `face, their resolu-       doctrine that man- is lost without the atoning work and
 `tions in respect to these will be of interest. We quote saving grace of Christ. The action on the Church-
  briefly from various periodicals the' decisions of some      union question, of course, remains' to be  complete'd
 `of these Churches at their annual meetings.                  during the next couple of years.
     From The Banner of June 25, 1948 :- "Synod At a              From' our point of.view, a disappointing and rather
/ Glance - 1. Decided to establish a chair of missions         inexplicable. bit of business at the Reformed Syno.d,'
  and call a professor. Rev. Harry Boer of Nigeria             according to the Chumh. Herald report, was the fact                .
  elected.' Will begin to serve in about two and a half that, after giving the delegates the gloomy prediction               .
  years.    2. Membership of our Church  .in National          that America will be pagan in 20 years because of the
  Association of  Evangelicals  continued. Committee  ap- lack of religious education in our country, the Board
pointed to study the -matter. 3. A new committee ap-           of Education  recommende%d "no action" on a request
  pointed to study the subject of junior colleges from all     from Classis Kalamazoo that the Board be instruoted
  angles. 4. Committee appointed to study the alleged          to give*ear.eful  consideration to the possibility of pro-
  `conflict between articles 6 and 12 of the Churoh Order moting Christian. Church Schools in areas where the
  regarding the status of ministers in Christian high anti-Christian influence prevails.
  schools and other non-ecclesiastical institutions. 5.           `Two items of general interest in The Presbyterian
  Limited ordination and office of evangelists for lay-        Church in the U: ;S. (Southern) are reported ,in the
  workers in mission fields not approved. 6. New area June 15 issue of The Southern Presbytekan  Journa&
  added to our mission field in  ,China.     7." Eighteen which records the activities of the 88th General As-
  protesting members of the Grace Church in Kalamazoo;         sembly of that denomination. We quote: "Consider-
  including .Rev. `H. Danhof, must meet three require-         able debate was precipated on the matter of the Federal
  ments.`for  the continued recognition of their member-       Council. Majority and Minority reports came from
  ship,' one of these being an expression of adherenoe         the Standing Committee. By a gentleman's agreement
 8 to. the doctrinal position of the Christian Reformed        the debate was limited to two hours, one hour going
  Church.-H. J.  K." .                                         to each side. . . . The vote showed that 274 Com-
     From the same source we learn a bit about the             missioners desired the Church to remain in the Council
  Reformed Church in America. The Rev. Peter Van and 108. to withdraw.". The other item of interest con-
  Tuinen writing in the department "Other Churches cerned the proposed union of the Southern group with
  in the News", reports. as follows: "The valiant efforts      the Northern Church or Presbyterian Church in the
- of the loyaily Reformed elements in the Reformed             U. S. A. The report on this matter continues as fol-
  Church to preserve its traditional character and to lows.: ' "The Inter-Church Relations Committee,  ac-
  annul,, or at least weaken, the influence ,of the strong `cording to a special order of, the day, discussed the
liberal leadership in the'denomination, were reflected question of organic union with the Presbyterian Church
  in the, business of the general synod again this year.       U.  S. A., Tuesday morning. Majority and Minority-
  The struggle was mainly evident in discussion regard- -Reports were also submitted on this question . Dr. L.
  ing relocation of the denominational headquarters from Nelson-Bell of Asheville, N. C., proposed a substitute
  New York to the Midwest, denominational membership for the whole. Dr. Bell's substitute stated `that for a
  m the Federal Council, and union with the United             period of five years the entire `plan of reunion with
  Presbyterian Church. Concessions were made to the Presbyterian Church, U. S. A., be held in abeyance and
  demands of the conservatives on all three issues, but that during this time the Committee confine its activi-
  the fundamental question remains unsolved, and the           ties to exploring avenues of acquaintance and coopera-.
  struggle will continue.                                      tion only.' Dr. Charles L. King of Houston introduced
     Instead of moving the headquarters so as to give          an amendment which- added, `except that .the Com- (
  greater influence to the more donservative Midwest mittee cqmplete the plan by March 1, 1949, and have
  area of ,the Church, the synod provided for more bal-        tlle same printed in such number to supply any re-
  anced representation on the . . several boards, * and re-    quests., The Assembly adopted by unanimous vote
  quire,d.  that all sections be adequately represented at the substitute of Dr. Bell with the amendment offered


        456                                  STCHE       S-TANDARD   B E A R E R
                                                                        _
       .b? Dr. King." Heli&;the whole  matter will be drop-                            ATTEN,TION - YOUNG PEOPLE !
                                                                                      . .
       Ijkd, except-for discus&on and study, for at least- five
       years.                                                                    A.fter  carcf.ul' consideration, Jiour Convention Com-
                   ,This appears to be  a. very wise  cours&  2nd
       shduld  :b& emulated `by `other groups contemplating mittee has  .clecidecl  to have  -two days. of convention  '
       union.                                                                iilstsad of three.
I'          While speaking of Church union we might add                            Wednesday and Thursday -August  18-19.
       ,that the proposed  unioll of `the Congregational and
       Evangelical and Reformed Chur&s has also failed to .The program will be &senti+ly the same. Wednesday
                                                                             moruing at 9 :00 Registral.;ion  of Delegates- and Visit-
       materialize. The Evangelical and Reformed Church
       `had appl"ov&d .the merger but the Congregational Gen-                ors ; 1.0 :Og 17iusihess Meeting; 12 :OO Dintier;  1:30 P.M.
        e?al Council failed to  acquil;e the. necessary  three-              Business  $Jeeting;  7:30  Inipirational Mass Meeting  ,-
       foixrths  vote` frbm the congregations and conferences.               at Kollen .Park (Band Concert, Hymn Sing, and Ad-
        From the outset the Evangelical. an@ Refprmed  grqup dress by  lthe Rev.  H: Hoeksema). Everyone,  young
        had been the- more enthusiastic of the two ' d,enomin-               a.ncl old are invited`to the Inspirational Mass Meeting. :
       ations.      The Congregational groups feared -that  they             Thursday Morning 8 :30 Pancake' Breakfast at Tunnel
       .-would lose their independence and lboked  `somewhat                 Park;  i1:3O  ,Dinner   at-.Tunnel  P&k (Rev. Vos  wi!l
        askance at the Presbyterian Forni of Chureh~go~eyn- give -an iddress) ; 6 :30 P.M. Banquet at the Holland
                                                                             -Christian High School  ; (Rev. C.  Hanko will be the
       ment.                                                                 Ispeaker  at the Fanquet)  .                  s
        The Presbyterian Church irr Canada. . . .                -*,                               .LI-4: ATTENTION !
          From' time to time we have qpoted -from  Bible                         All  t&ose interested in Our Young People:'
      Chr2s&a$ty,  an independent monthly journal  issued
        by some ministers of the Presbyterian Church in -The, Young  P.eople   Sbciety of  Hollaed,   Michigah is
        Canada. It is a conserv&ive and orthodox paper and sponsoring this year's Young People's Convention this
        its editors mean to use it to publicize and fight against ,coming August. We are in. need of some financial
        the growing eviis in their Churches. To give our .sponsors  to help make this Convention a Success. All
        readeis an idea of the `tremendous difficulties these those who ,will help us by sending a contribution, gpeat
        men f&e atid the sad state of affairs they are a'ttempt-             or sm811, will be listed as patrons in our Conven@on
       ing to correct, we quote $$qrn the following editorial. `Booklet. You will also receive a complimentary copy
        It is from the  jssu&  of?$me, 1948, and is  enti&d,                 of this booklet. Please send your contribution to :
        Chu& Discipline : `$A:f&gotten  duty ili the PreBby-                                               Miss Marian Haveman, Treas.
       t&an Church in Canada is that of Church Discipline.                                               .45 East 22nd St.
       `Members who have been guilty even of flagrant sins                                                 Holland, Michigan.
        have not even been. -admonished. The Result is that                  Remember, a boost for our Corivention  is a boo& for
                                                                                      .
        members of the church have. no respect for it  and                                         our Young  Peopl,e.
       : do not feel the necessity of obeying  its, precepts. Lodges                                             -----
       exercise. more discipline than the churches'.
            It must not be,forgotten  that $hrist is the Head. of                                  -     IN'     MEMO'tiIAM                          .
        the Church. Those who ale members of the Church                          Th&.English   &dies  Society of the  Edgerton  Protestant Re-
       .are the -subjects of Christ. They hasie promise-d ssub- forked NCI&r?h` hereby  extends their sincere sympathy to `one of
        mission to His will and commandments, His laws tire                  tb.eir  fellow  merhbers,  Mrs. Carl  Schnyders, (nee Alice  Tempek
        enforced and law-breakers are punished by those whom man) in dhk ,death of her,
       I He has :constituted.-iulers  in His Church, namelp;;the                             :.                  FATHER                              i
        r u l i n g   e l d e r s .                                               May  C$$.   tiustain   and comfort  he; and  th6 bereaved with
            `The purpose  of `church discipline is not merely to              Hi:  bless6d%&h,  that "blessed `are the dead that die in the
        indicate authority and to punish.         The purpose of Lord;"
        Church discipline is: to vindicate the hotiour of C&i&,                                                            Mrs. M.`Mesman, Sec'y.
                                                                                                                                    . .
       to maintain the purity. of the Church, tb reclai%:n`the                                                             `,. .
        sinner, and to warn others lest `they also sin; The
       Scriptures allow for censure, rebuke, suspension and                                        -  CLASSIS  E A S T
        err-communication.                                                    will meet in regular session at the First' Protestant
               If the church were to discipline those who absent              Reformed Church, ,`Grand Rapids, Michigan, bn Wed-
        themselves from the s'ervices of worship and from' the tiesday, July 14, at 9 o'clock A. M. D. Jonker, S. C.
       ,ordinances,  it would be a good thing and would cause
        the membership to- respect the Church.             '       `.        Notice  - As is  &stomary,   ,the Standard Bearer
                                                 W .   Hofman.               `Bearer will' not-be published on the 15th of July,


