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

                                   The Standard                                                                                                                         ,                                                          7
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               Semi-Monthly, except Monthly in July and August,                                                                                                                         EDIT'ORIALS
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                                Box 124,' Sta. C., Grand Rapi&,  Mich,                                                                                                       Extinguished Root And Branch
                                       EDITOR : - Rev. EL Heema.
 Contributtig  Editors:  - Rev. G. M. Ophoff, Rev. G. Vo&`Rev.                                                                                                                In Eenighe-id  des Gebofs we read an article by the
 R. Veldman, Rev. H. Veldman, Rev. H. De Wolf, Rev.  B.`Kok,
 Rev. J. D. De  Jong,  Rev. A. Petter, Rev. C.  Hanko,  Rev.  L.                                                                                                        Rev. K. Meima  in which, among other things, he writes
 Vermeer, Rev. G. Lubbers, Rev. M.  Gritters,  Rev.  J., A.  `Heys,                                                                                                     as follows :
 Rev. W.  Hofman.                                                                                                                                                             "Hierbij kan ook noggenoemd worden  het recente
    Communications relative to contents should be addressed to                                                                                                          voorbeeld van de verhouding tussen de vrijgemaakte
REV. H. HOEKSEMA, 1139 Franklin St., S. E., Grand Rapids,                                                                                                               `kerken en de Prot. Gereformeerde  Kerken in Amerika.
 iuichigaa
    Communications relative to subscription should be addressed                                                                                                         De Synode van Amersfoort heeft besloten om met deze
 to MR. J. BOUWMAN, 1131 Sigsbee St., SE., Grand Rapids 6,                                                                                                              kerken contact te zoeken. &aar enkele leden  van .die
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 n o t i c e .                                                                                                                                                          bos van Wormer, Ds.  J. van Raalte van Neede, Ds. G.
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 Entered as Second Class Mail at Grand Rapids,  Michigan.                                                                                                                                                                        en
                                                                                                                                                                        Prof. Holwerda, vroegen opname van de verklaring
                                                                                                                                                             '          in de  acta: `Wij verklaren, dat wij ons niet  confor-
                                                                         -                                                                                              meren aan de besluiten van de Generale Synode van
                                                                                                                                                                        Amersfoort 1948, inzake het scheppen van de relatie             '
                                                                                                                                                                        van corresponderende  k&k,'  met de Protestant Re-
                                                        C'0NTENT.S                                                                                                      formed Churches in fioord-Amerika  en dat wij ons het
                                                                                                                                                                        recht voorbehouden deze besluiten te bestrijden, ook in
 MEDITATION-                                                                                                                                                            het openbaar.'
     De Lof Sions . . . . . . :: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..*.......... . . . . . . . 241         "De drijfveer tot deze verklaring zal we1 liggen in
                    Rev. G. Vos                                                                                                                                         het feit, dat door Ds. H. Hoeksema van Grand Rapids,
 EDITORIAZS-                                                           ,                                                                                                de geestelijke  Vader van de Prot. Ref. Ch., in een
    `E&nguished Root and B&&h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244                                         brochure `De Gelovigen en hun zaad' van de  verbonds
     Proposition Concerning The Covenant o f Grace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245                                                                                  opvatting, zoals deze onder ons gangbaar is, is gezegt,
                    Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                                                                    dat ze met wortel en tak moet  worden uitgeroeid.
 THE TRIPLE  KNOWLEDGE-                                                                                                                                                       "Prof. Schilder heeft indertijd in de Reformatie
     An Exposition of The Heidelberg Catechism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247                                                                      Prof. Dr. G. Ch.  Aalders  verweten, dat hij zijn  ver-
                    Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                                                                    bondsopvatting alleen voor de schriftuurlijke hield.
 OUR  DOCTRINE-                                                                                                                                                         Wie niet leerde, dat verbond en verkiezing quantitatief
     The Attributes Of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -_.-..I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . l....... 250 gelijk  waren,  was niet gereformeerd. Prof. Schilder
                    Rev. H. Veldman                                                                                   .'                                                heeft  toen erop gewezen, dat velen hier te lande en in
                                                                                                                                                                        Amerika  het niet `met die stelling eens waren  en tech
 T&E  DAY OF  SHADOWS-                                                                                                                                                  goed gereformeerd  waren.  Hij wees  toen ook op het
     The Removal Of The Ark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  ..-..-. 253
                    Rev. G.  M.. Ophoff                                                                                                                                 pas verschenen boek van Ds. W. H:,v.d.  Vegt van Goes :
                                                                                                                                                                        Het genadeverbond bij Calvijn, die juist aantoonde,
 STON'S   ZANGEN-                                                                                                                                                       dat verbond en verkiezing bij Calvijn helemaal niet
     Eeuwige Goedertierenheid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . + ..-...................  256                                               ,quantitatief  gelijk waren. Ik heb de indruk, dat Ds. H.
                    Rev. G. Vos                                                                                                                                         Hoeksema we1 zeer sterk het verbond vanuit de ver-
 MHISFEAR-                                                                                                                  . .                                         kiezing benadert. En het heeft mij zeer verwonderd,
     Training For Life's Calling . . . . . . a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .269                               dat Prof. Schilder, die anders meestal zo consequent is,
                    Rev. J.  A.  Hey3                                                                                                               .                   niet tegenover Ds. Hoeksema dezelfde houding heeft
 PERISCOPE-                                                                                                                                                             aangenomen als tegenover Prof.  Aalders.          Een  uit-
     Home Mission News . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260          drukking : `met wortel en tak uitroeien' kan niet door
              Rev. W.  Hofman                                                                                                                                           de beugel."
                                                                                                             f";;:                                /,, .s-
     S. P. R. E. Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                                                             In reply to this I want to say firstof all that in my
                                                                                                                                                      `- 263
                                                                                                                                   ..~.......**.-*...~.~..*.
            Mr. Chas  Doezema, Secretary                                                                                                           .`3                  brochure, ,"De'  Geloovigen en hun Zaad", I did, not at-
                                                                                                               .   .                                :.r+-               tack the covenant view of the liberated churches but
                                                                                                                                                                        that of Prof. Heyns. In my foreword, with the second


                                   T H E S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                           245

print, I wrote very specifically: "Ben bedenke hierbij,       When, on the other hand, liberated churches em-
dat deze  materie  niet geschreven werd met het oog op phasize that the promise of the covenant is for all
de kerkelijke verwikkelingen in het oude vaderland, children of believers, elect and reprobate, carnal and
doch reeds achttien  jaren   geleden  verscheen in den spiritual, I certainly do not agree with them. And I
vorm van artikelen in de  BTANDARD BEARER. De still look for an explanation that squares this view
tekst werd geheel onveranderd  gelaten."    Of course, if with Reformed theology. I wish that the Rev. Meima
the Rev. Meima means to say that the covenant view or anyone else in the old country would make an at-
of the liberated churches in the Netherlands agrees one tempt to do this.
hundred percent with that of Prof. Heyns, I will apply        The Rev. Meima complains that I approach the
the proverb, "Let him whom the shoe fits put it on." truth of the covenant very strongly from the direction
But I have my doubts whether at least all the liberated of election. But I ask: what is wrong with this ap-
churches will follow the view of Prof. Hey&,  who, in      proach for people who believe in the Reformed truth?
my estimation, is certainly Arminian and Pelagian.         Is not election the very heart of the church? And
   The e.xpression,  "This view must be extinguished should not that heart beat in every. doctrine which the
root and branch," occurs in the context of the follow- church teaches ? Can the approach to any doctrine
ing paragraph in `De Geloovigen en Hun Zaad".              ignore the `doctrine of predestination? I deny this.
                                                           And especially do I deny that the doctrine of the cove-
   "We can, therefore, on the basis of Scripture as nant can be` approached properly, except on. the basis.
well as of the Reformed line, as it is especially indi-    of election and reprobation.
cated in the form for the administration of baptism,
reach first of all this negative result, that the pre-        But once more I must emphasize that in my bro-
sentation of Prof. Heyns is to be rejected. The essence chure, "De Geloovigen en Hun Zaad", I did not attack
of the covenant does not consist in a promise in the the covenant view of the liberated churches, but simply
sense of a general offer. All the children of the flesh, the view of Prof. Heyns, which ,is certainly Pelagian
or rather, all external children of the covenant, all and Arminian.
`covenant members', do not receive a certain life. God                                                  H. H.
does not promise every child of believers the salvation                                                          1
in Jesus Christ. No more than there is a certain
general offer in the preaching for every one that hears
it, no more is there a certain general promise in the       Proposition Concerning The Cove-
covenant of God. This view must be extinguished root
and branch. It lies entirely on the line of Pelagius                        nant Of Grace
and Arminius."
   I still maintain that this is true.                       We were discussing the third proposition signed by
   The essence of the covenant is not the promise, and     Dr. F., L. Bos (a liberated) and Rev. E. G. van  Tey-
especially not the promise, as Prof. Heyns presents it, lingen (a synodical)  .
as a general offer of grace and salvation. To me the          In this proposition they explain the seventy-fourth
idea of the covenant is the eternal relation of friend-    answer of the Heidelberg Catechism, concerning in-
,ship between God and His people in Jesus Christ, ac- fant baptism, in such a way that redemption from sin
cording to which He is their God, their Friend-Sover- and the Holy Ghost, the author of faith, is promised to
eign, Who saves them and grants them all the blessings     all the children of the- church. By "children of the
of His grace, until He eternally realizes His covenant church" they evidently mean all the children that are
in His everlasting tabernacle ; while their part in the born in the church as the gathering of believers on
covenant is that they love the  ,Lord their God with all earth, or, all the children of believing parents. And
their heart and mind and soul and strength, forsake therefore, the two brethren agree that all the children
the world, crucify their flesh, and walk in a new and have the promise, the promise of redemption from sin
holy life. That is the idea of the covenant according by the blood of Christ, and the promise of the Holy
to Scripture.                                              Spirit as the author of faith.
   According to Prof. Heyns all the e,xternal  children       We were wondering, as we stated in our last editor-
of the covenant receive a certain grace, a certain life, `ial, how Ursinus, in his commentary on the Catechism,
which enables them either to accept or reject their would explain this answer; and we found that he ap-
covenant obligation. If this is not Pelagianism applied parently contradicts himself. Compare the following
to the sphere of the covenant, then I do not know what quotations, from said commentary, on zinswer 74:  ,`A11
Pelagianism means. Nor do I believe that the liber- the children of those that believe are included in the
ated churches in the Netherlands accept this view of covenant and church of God." It seems that this must
Prof. Heyns at all.                                        be understood in the widest sense of the word,  as'cer-

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

tainly including all that are born in the church on clearly to distinguish the children of the covenant
earth. Now compare with this  the following quota- between carnal and spiritual seed from their infancy,
tions : "Those who do not believe, that is, who have          which, of course, is impossible, yet we would baptize
no faith at all, neither by profession nor by inclination,    t h e m   a l l .
are not to be baptized. But infants born of beheving              For the same reason we cannot agree with the
parents have faith as to inclination." And again:             synodicals, who presume regeneration in all the child-
"If infants have the Holy Ghost, he certainly works           ren of believers and want to reckon them as real
in them regeneration, good inclinations, new desires,         spiritual seed until the opposite becomes manifest.
and such other things as are necessary for their salva-       Also presumptive regeneration cannot be the basis
tion, or he at least supplies them with everything that for infant baptism. We simply know quite definitely,
is requisite for  .their baptism."                 `.         both from Scripture and from experience, that this
   Now, if we-compare these two classes of quotations presumption is not true. We know, according to Scrip-
and take them together, the only conclusion to which ture, that there are carnal and spiritual children in
one apparently  c.an come is that Ursinus believed that the covenant line. And after all also the church on  "-
all the children of believing parents are regenerated         earth and the covenant of God must be judged not
and have faith. But this is impossible, because it according to our suppositions or according to our. pre-
certainly is not according to Scripture that the whole        sumptions, but according to the revelation of the Word .
church on earth, as it appears to. us as the gathering of God.
of believers and their children, consists of the elect.           Nor can we agree with the liberated. Just as it is
And also experience teaches quite the contrary. And           the attempt of the synodicals to assert something about
many quotations can be made from the commentary all the children of the covenant, head for head, even
of Ursinus on the Heidelberg Catechism which plainly though it is only in presumption, so the liberated
show that he himself did not believe this. But if this assert of all the children born in the church in the line  ,,
be true, there can be only one other alternative, and         of the covenant and of believing parents that they all
that is that the expression "all the children of those have the promise of God. Also this is plainly contrary
that believe are included in the covenant and shurch          to the Word of God, which emphasizes that the promise
of God" must be limited to the elect, to the true spirit-     of God is only for the elect, Rom. 9 :8: "That is, they
ual children of the covenant. They have the promise which are the children of the flesh, these are not the
of redemption through the blood of Christ and the children of God: but the children of the promise are
promise of the Holy Ghost, the author of faith.               counted, for the seed." And in Heb. 6 :I:! ff., we read
   Nevertheless, although we fully agree with the             "That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who
answer in the Heidelberg Catechism concerning infant through faith and patience inherit the promises. For
baptism, we cannot agree with Ursinus when he de- when God made the promise to. Abraham, because he
clares that only those that believe, or that have the         could sware by no greater, he sware by himself, saying,
inclination of faith, should be baptized, and  r-o others.    Surely blessing 1 will bless thee, and multiplying I will
In the first place, it ought to be plain that in that multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured,
case we are never in a position to baptize anyone,            he obtained the promise. For men verily swear by
whether adults or children:  .for we cannot look in the the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them
hearts, and "de intimis  non judicat ec$esia";  and, there an end of all strife. Wherein God, willing more abun-
are also hypocrites in the church, even among  thz            dantly to show unto the heirs of the promise the im-
adults. In that case, however, we certainly could not mutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an  oath:
baptize infants: for we cannot distinguish between            That by two immutable things, in which it was `im-
the true spiritual seed and the carnal seed born of           possible for God to lie, we might have a strong con-
believing parents. Besides, the Word of God plainly solation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon
teaches that there are reprobates in the historical line      the hope set before us." Especially from the latter
of the covenant, that are under the covenant,. yet not        passage it is very evident that the promise is not for
in the covenant., And experience teaches the same all, but for the heirs of the promise, for the elect, whom
thing. Hence, it is plain that God also wants repro-          God in His eternal counsel has chosen unto eternal life.
bates baptized, just as Esau, the typical reprobate,          Besides, this position is also contrary to the, truth that
was circumcised. Afid just as in the old dispensation. the promise includes the promise of the Holy Ghost
to apply the sign of circumcision was commanded by            and faith, which certainly does not depend on the will
God, so in the new dispensation we baptize all the            of man. Therefore, if the promise depends on God
children born of believing parents, all the children of alone, and God certainly fulfills His promise, it must
the church, all the children that are. born in the line       be very evident that the promise is for the elect only.
of the covenant, on God's own  co'mmand,  whether                But we certainly can subscribe to the  seventy-
they be elect or reprobate. Even if we should be able fourth answer of the Heidelberg Catechism as it


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stands : "Yes : for since they, as well as the adult, are are heavenly. For when the Creator of the universe
included in the covenant and church of God ; and since ealled.into existence the present world, He had respect
redemption from sin by the blood of Christ, and the unto the world to,come.  Mere earthly things did not
Holy Ghost, the author of faith, is promised to them constitute the ultimate realization of His eternal good
no less than to the adult; they  muStth&+fore  by bap- pleasure. He hath provided some better thing for His
tism, as a sign of the covenant, be also admitted itito             people, the glory of the heavenly `kingdom. And when
the Christian church." And always the elect receive                 He made things earthy, He had the heavenly things
the promise, and the rest are hardened.                             in mind and made the former an image of the latter.
                                                    H. H.           And so it happens' that all things are signs, and that
                                                                    the things of the kingdom of God, according to the
                                                                    Word of Christ, take place in parables. The sun and
                                                                    the moon and the stars, shining and sparkling in the
                                                                    firmament, the rainbow that spans the heavens, the
                                                                    beasts of the field ,and the flying birds, the cedars of
                                                                    Lebanon and the noble vine, as  we11 as the thorn and
  THE TRIPLE KNOWLEDGE                                              the thistle, the lamb and the serpent, the mystery of
                                                                    the numbers and` the manifold beauty of the colors,
                                                                    the earthly square and the. heavenly cube and the eter-
An Exposition Of The Heidelberg nal circle, the sparkling diamond and the softly shin-
                                                                    ing pearl, the sand that is by the seashore, the restless
                 Catechism                                          ocean .and the mighty mountains," the bare desert and
                                                                    the fertile field, the seed that falls in the earth and dies
                     PART TWO                                       to live again, the fierce tempest and the gentle zephyr,
                                                                    the roaring thunder and the flashing lightning, the
           O f   M a n ' s   R e d e m p t i o n             ,,.    light of day and the darkness of the  nigh&-all things
                   LORD'S  DbAY 25                                  are signs, and they speak a language of their own,
                                                                    pointing upward,,groaning  in hope.
                            5.                                         Besides, there are signs which the: Lord God Him-
    I    The Idea Of The Sacraments. (cont.)                        self has separated out  ,of that creation and which He
                                                                    especially designates as signs, drawing the attention
   Sacraments are visible. signs, and seals instituted of  Hi,s people. The tree of life in the first paradise
by God, administered by the,.C:hurch,  received by the was indeed more than a sign in as far as Adam through
believers and their seed, wherebg~He  obsignates visibly the means of that tree could receive the perpetuation
the invisible grace of His covenant and seals it unto               of his earthly life. But. it nevertheless was also a sign.
the believers,, and whereby He gives unto His Church As the tree stoodLthere,  in the midst of the first para-
ensigns and banners of His covenant to distinguish dise,.:it was a token between God and Adam of the life
them from the world.                                                of the friendship .`of God, an image of the eternal life
                                                                    in the new paradqe  that was to come. And the same
   Signs in general serve the purpose to  represeirt                is true af the, tree'of the knowledge of good and evil:
something visibly that is in itself invisible. Numerous             it was,&.sign  unto Adam and also between God and
are such signs in the life of men in general ; they                 Adam&-of  the antithesis, a sign that either in the way
evidently have need to express the spiritual and iu-                of obedience or of disobedience he could attain to a
visible by a visible and material token. Thus, secret               certain knowledge of good and evil. For in the way
police bear a badge of their invisible authority and                of obedience Adam would be established in that posi-
power. Members of secret societies and unions wear a tive knowledge according to which he. hated evil and
button to denote their membership and their unity with loved, the good ; while in the. way of, `disobedience he
the fraternity to which they belong. A ship raises the would plunge himself in the darkness in which he
fiag as a sign of its nationality:.                                 hated'the good  and loved the evil.      rZ
   The same is true of signs in the  Word  OP Sod.                     Later,  after the deluge, God gave, the sign of the
The Word itself is really a sign, for language serves               rainb,ow  to the- people of His covenant. For the rain-
the purpose to express in visible and audible form bow ;was a visible creature- of God, obsignating the
that which eye hath not seen and ear hath never heard               invisible faithfulness- and grace of God's eternal cove-
and hath never been conceived in the heart of man.                  nant as it encompasses all the universe. Similar signs,
And so, also in creation there are many visible signs- to which God Himself calls the attention, were given
of the invisible and heavenly things. In a very general             to Abraham in thestars of the firmament and in the
sense all things are signs and symbols of things that               sand that is by the seashore. Besides, in Scripture the

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

 flood is called a sign of baptism, and so is the passage     sealed by the sacrament? Is everyone that receives
through the Red Sea ; while the rock in the desert, that the sacrament by that seal of God assured of his salva-
followed the Israelites, and the manna that rained from tion? Is the sacrament a seal upon the persons that
heaven point to the Christ. Besides, all the miracles         receive the sacrament? This is evidently impossible,
performed by the Saviour during His earthly ministry, for, in that case the sacrament would lie at least as
the healing of the sick, the restoration of sight to the      often as it speaks the truth: for there are many that
blind and of hearing to the deaf, the strengthening of partake of the sacrament, or receive it, without believ-
the lame and halt, the changing of water into wine,           ing or without having the faith ; not all that receive
the cleansing of the lepers, and the raising of the dead,     the sacrament are saved. Hence, some try to make the
were signs, manifesting the power and authority of distinction between the objective bequest of salvation
 Christ to redeem and to renew all things in the eternal      and the subjective reception or acceptance of it. Ac-
kingdom of heaven.                                            cording to them the case would be thus, that God
       However, all these signs are not as such sacra- through the seal and the sign of the sacrament on His
ments, although some of them, especially the trees in part'assures  unto everyone that receives the sacrament
paradise, have a certain sacramental value. But they that %Ie will grant salvation out of free grace. This
are nevertheless distinguished from the sacraments in means about the same thing as the so-called,  well-
this respect, that they are not instituted in the Church      meaning offer of salvation to all that hear the  gospei.
to be kept and administered by the Church and to              Just as the promise of salvation in the well-meaning
serve as distinguishing marks and banners for the             offer of the gospel is meant for  all that hear it, so,
Church. However, also the sacraments are first of objectively, God promises grace and righteousness and
all signs. There is in the sacrament a visible token:         salvation and eternal life to all that outwardly receive
water, bread, and wine. And these visible signs  obsig-       the sacrament. And it depends upon the acceptance of
nate and represent the-invisible grace of God's cove- this gracious bequest on the part of God whether or
nant: the blood of Christ, forgiveness of sins, justifica-    not the sacrament is applicable to and valid for him
tion, sanctification, the entrance into God's covenant,       that receives it. *
and the nourishing grace which is received out of                 This is the view of the sacrament which for many.
Christ. And therefore they also serve as ensigns and          years has been taught by Prof. Heyns and has been
banners, separating and distinguishing the people of imbibed by many in the Christian Reformed Churches.
God in seperation from the world and designating them The essence of the covenant, according to him, is the
as of the party of the living God.                            promise of God; and that promise really amounts to a
       In the second place, the sacraments also are seals ; well-meaning offer of salvation to  all that receive the
for thus we read in Romans 4 :11 : "And he received           sacrament. He made the distinction between the ob-
the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of jective bequest of salvation on the part of  ,God and
the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that the subjective application or acceptance of that be-  '
he might be the father of all them that believe, though quest on the part of the believer. In the baptism
they be not drcumcised ; that righteousness might be form he made the distinction between the work of
imputed unto them  also:" Now a seal is a sign of the the Father and the Son on the one hand, and the work
authority of its author, in this case of God. It is a of the Holy Spirit on the other. In the sacrament God
sign that cannot be violated or broken ; it is a solemn       the Father "witnesseth and sealeth unto us, that he
pledge. It is, as it were, the oath of God, which He          doth make an eternal covenant of grace with us, and
will surely fulfill.     For thus we read in Hebrews adopts us for his children and heirs, and therefore will
6 : 13,ff. : "For when God made promise to Abraham,           provide us with every good thing, and avert all evil
because he could swear by no greater, he sware by or turn it to our profit." And through the same sacra-
himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and ment "the Son sealeth unto us, that he doth m-ash us ?`n
multiplying  I will multiply thee. And so, after he had his blood from all our sins, incorporating us into the
patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men fellowship of his death and resurrection, so that we
verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirma- are freed from all our sins, and accounted righteous
tion is to them an end of all strife. Wherein God, will- before God" All this belongs to God's objective be-
ing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise quest of grace and salvation. It belongs to the prom-
the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an           ise of God which is applicable to all that receive the
oath: That by                                                 sacrament. But whether those that partake of the
                  two immutable things, in which it was
impossibIe  for God to lie, we might have a strong con- sacrament will also actually receive the salvation de-
solation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the pends upon the subjective state of him that receives it,
hope set before us."                                          that is, upon the faith of the believer. Hence, Heyns
                                                              wants to read that part of the baptism form that
       The question is, however: what exactly is being        speaks of the application of salvation and of all that


                                     T ' H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                         249

  we have in Christ by the Holy Spirit in such a way and faith is not of man but the work of ,God through
  that it is really contingent upon the choice. and the the Holy Spirit, the author of faith, therefore the
  will of man. God the Father and God the Son ob- sacrament as well as the gospel is ultimately only for
  jectively grant and bequest all that is included in the the elect. And just as for the unbelieving reprobate
  promise of salvation to everyone that receives the          the gospel is a savour of death unto death, so also is
  sacrament. But when it comes to the Holy Spirit, the sacrament, whether of baptism or of holy com-
  Heyns wants to emphasize that He will dwell in us munion, a savour of death unto death for those that
  and sanctify us to be members of Christ, applying have not the faith. It is only to the believers, there-
  unto us that which we have in Christ; but whether fore, that in the sacraments God seals His salvation.
  He will actually apply this salvation to us depends            In the third place, it must be emphasized that sacra-
  upon our acceptance of the objective bequest of God. ments are signs and seals that are instituted by God.
  It goes without saying that in this way we must needs       This implies first of all that God has ordained them
  fall into the Arminian and Pelagian error.                  and separated them unto the purpose of sacraments.
      Hence, we must view the matter in a different Bread, water, and wine are indeed adapted in creation
  light.                                                      to be signs of the grace of Christ; but without `any-
      Sacraments do not seal the persons that receive thing else they are not sacramental signs. This they
  the sacraments, nor do they seal an objective bequest become through the fact that God separated them and
  or offer of salvation to everyone that receives the sign    ordained them  specificaIly to be signs of His salvation.
  of the sacrament. But they do seal the righteousness And in the second place, this also implies that the
  which is out of faith. That is why the element of faith     Church received the sacraments in order that they
  was emphasized in all the quotations of the  R-eformed      should be observed and administered and celebrated
  symbols to which we referred in the preceding part of by her. This was true with respect to circumcision
  this chapter. God seals, He assures with an oath, that and the  passover  under the old dispensation, and this
  He reckons faith unto righteousness. Hence, through is equally true with respect to baptism and holy com-
  the same sacrament He assures the. believers in Jesus munion under the new dispensation. In Gen. 17:9-11
  Christ that He will surely grant unto them all without we read: "And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt
  doubt the grace of His covenant and the salvation keep my covenant, therefore,  th3u, and thy seed after
  which He promised them. In other words, the sacra- thee in their generations. This is my covenant, which
  ments are particular, not general. Even as the prom- ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after
  ises of the gospel are particular and are only for the      thee ; Every man-child among you shall be circumcised.
  believers, that is, therefore, in last analysis, for the And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin ; and
  elect, so also the seal of the sacrament is a particular it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and
  seal: the sacrament sets the inviolable seal of God you." And in Exodus 12  :14 : "And this day shall be
  upon the unbreakable connection between faith and           unto you for a memorial  ; and ye shall keep it a feast
  righteousness without the works of the law. This is to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep
  evidently the meaning of Romans 4 : 11: "And he re- it a feast by an ordinance for ever." In  Matt.  23 :19
  ceived the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteous-, we read: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, bap-
  ness of the faith  .which he had yet being uncircum- tizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
  cised." This is also the meaning of question 67 and and of the Holy Ghost." And in I Cor. 11:23-27  the
  its answer of the `Heidelberg Catechism: "Are  both         apostle Paul speaks of having received the ordinance
  word and sacraments, then, ordained and appointed of the Lord's Supper as a special revelation: "For I
. for this end, that they may direct our faith to the have received of the Lord that which also I delivered
  sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, as the only unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which
  ground of our salvation? Answer. Yes, indeed: for he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given
  the Holy Ghost teaches us in the gospel, and assures        thanks, he brake it, and said, Take eat: this is my
  us by the sacraments, that the whole of our salvation body, which is broken for you : this do in remembrance
  depends upon the one sacrifice of Christ which he of me. After the same manner also he took the cup,
  offered for us on the cross." Sacraments direct our         when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new
  faith to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.        testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink
  Faith is presupposed, and is an indispensable requisite it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this
  for receiving the sacrament. The unbeliever has ab- bread and-drink this cup, ye do thew the Lord's death
  solutely nothing in the sacrament. This does not mean till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this
  that the sacraments ever lie: for they seal the right- bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily,
  eousness which is of faith. No more than the promise shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord."
  of the gospel. But exactly because it is faith that is                                                    H. H.
  required in the true participation of the sacraments,
                                                                                            .

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

                                                             plain the oft repeated occurrence of the concept "holi-
                                                             ness' `in the Old Testament. This, as we have already
             OUR DOCTRINE                                    remarked, does not mean that this emphasis upon the
                                                             word, "holiness", must be confined to the Old Testa-
                                                             ment.      It also appears throughout the New Testa-
            The* Attributes Of God                           ment.
                                                                No attribute of. the Lord is mentioned more promin-
                THE HOLINESS O'F GOD.                        ently in the Scriptures than that of "holiness". And
                                                             although one cannot separate the attributes of God
                         Its Idea.                           and ascribe more significance to one than to another,
                                                             yet the Word of God surely lays emphasis upon this
       The principal words in Scripture for the concept, virtue and presents it as the peculiar Divine virtue.
"holiness", are RADOSH in Hebrew and  HAGIOS                 How often do we not read in the Scriptures (as, e.g.,
in the New Testament Greek. These words mean in the prophecy of Isaiah) that the Lord is holy ! It
fundamentally "purity", either physical or moral, and is a fact that He is repeatedly called "the Holy One
particularly "freedom" from moral defilement. How- of Israel, de Heilige Israels." Thus the Lord reveals
ever, the root meaning of the word is closely associated Himself to Isaiah in the sixth chapter of that prophecy,
with "cutting, separating", so that "holiness" refers to and thus the prophecy continually speaks of Him.
a separation from evil and corruption and consecration How often the word occurs with respect to the cere-
to the Lord.                                                 monial, civil, and religious life of the people of God
                                                             in the Old Dispensation ! Everything is holy in con-
           Its Prominent Mention in Holy Writ.               nection with the life of the covenant people of the
       That "holiness" occupies a prominent place in the Lord. How often does it not occur that the people of
revelation of the Scriptures can hardly be questioned. God themselves are called holy ! And we are all
This applies particularly to the Old Testament, due acquainted with the fact that the third Person of
undoubtedly to Israel's unique position in the midst of the Trinity is called by this name, "The Holy Spirit."
the world, although the word also appears prominently It is clear, therefore, that'the  word "hoIy"  occupies a
in the New Testament. Israel's position in the midst very prominent place in the revelation of Holy Writ.
of the world was unique; the people of God during God is holy; His Spirit is holy ; Jesus is called "holy",
the Old Dispensation lived a life of separation from both as the Son of God and as the Lord's holy Child;
the world and unique dedication unto the Lord. Israel        His calling is holy and, because this calling of God
was not separated from the nations round about her is holy, we are called "cahed  saints (called holy ones) ."
as one nation was separated from another nation.             Indeed, "holiness" is a very important aspect of the
Israel was separated from  a& the nations of the world.      Goodness of God.
It alone did not serve idols. And, Israel alone was
dedicated unto the Lord, the living God. All the other                "Ho,liness"  Also Expresses a  PositionS or
                                                                             .
peoples of the earth served idols, such as Baal, Baalim,                            Relationship.
Moloch,  Bell, Ashteroth, etc. But Israel's God was             It is unquestianably  true that the concept "holiness"
Jehovah, the I AM, the Rock, Who is what He was              expresses a position or relationship. The question has
and shall be what He is; the only and absolute Reality, been disputed at length whether holiness emphasizes
of Whom and through Whom and unto Whom are all a moral, ethical quality or merely a position or relation-
things, Who alone does all things and Who does all ship. Is a "holy" person primarily one who is char-
things for His Name's sake. This God, the only God, acterized by ethical perfection, or is he "holy" because
was the God of Israel and of Israel alone, and they he has been separated from and consecrated unto some-
were His people, they alone. Hence, Israel's position thing or someone? Is a person holy in himself or
in the midst of the world was unique. The eyes of            because of a relationship wherein .he stands to an-
all the peoples of the earth were upon her. One need other? Is holiness, therefore,. primarily a relative
not, therefore, be surprised because of the prominent concept, a concept which emphasizes a position or
mention of "holiness" in the Old Testament.            The relationship ?
fundamental significance of this concept is that of             That the concept "holiness", in Holy Writ expresses
separation and consecration.          Whatever is holy is a position or relationship is plain. We read of an holy
surely unique. Israel's peculiar position in the midst land (Ex. 3  :6), a holy convocation (Ex. 12  :16), a holy
of the world, and Jehovah's revelation to them that He sabbath (Ex. 16 :23), a holy people (Ex. 19 :6) ,`a holy
was their God, only their God, that He alone is God place (Ex. 29 :31), a holy oil (Ex. 30 :25), a holy linen
and that no other god (and every other "god" is vain)        coat (Lev. 16 :4), a holy jubilee (Lev. 25 :12), a holy
can be compared unto Him must unquestionably ex-             house (Lev. 27:14),  a holy acre (Lev. 27:21),  a holy


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                          251

tithe (Lev. 27  :30), holy water (Num. 5  :17), holy               Besides, that the concept "holiness" must not be
vessels (Num. 16 :37),  a holy firstling of a cow or of a understood as merely emphasizing a position or a rela-
sheep or of a goat (Num. 18 :17), a holy army (Deut.           tionship also appears from another observation. If a
23 :14), holy gold (Joshua 6 :19), holy bread (I Sam. holy person be merely a person who has been conse-
21:4), holy ark <(II-Chron.  35 :3), holy seed (Ezra 9 :2),    crated unto the service of another, would sinners, then,
holy city (Nehemiah 11  :l), holy covenant (Daniel not also be holy? They are consecrated to the devil,
I1 :21), holy word (Ps. 105 :42). Besides, we read of are they not? Would they, therefore, not also be holy,
the temple as a sanctuary (holy place), in Exodus if to be holy merely emphasizes a relationship? Whether
15:17, with its Holy Place and Holy of Holies;  and in we are devoted to the Lord or to the devil, we stand
many passages of the Word of God the angels and                in a relationship.      Holy we are, then, whether we
the children of Israel are declared to be holy. The serve the Lord or Mammon, if we understand, to be
Bible speaks of holy prophets, priests, and kings, of holy merely implies a relationship. Yet, we do not
holy cups and spoons and knives as they were used in           read of a "holy sinner." That would be a contradiction
the tabernacle and later in the temple. And it is evi- in terms. Holiness and sin exclude each other. It
dent from all these passages that the concept "holiness" must be obvious, therefore, that the concept, "holi-
here does not emphasize any inner, spiritual attribute,        ness", also has a spiritual, ethical content in Holy
but a relationship-all these persons and things are            Writ. Only that which is related and consecrated to
"holy" because they have been separated from common the Lord is holy: Obviously, therefore, God deter-
use and consecrated unto the peculiar service of the mines a person's `holiness".
living God.
    However, this does not necessarily prove the con-                   "Holiness" Also Implies an Ethical,
tention that this idea of position or reIationship  con-                             Spiritual  Quulity.
stitutes the essence of "holiness!`. On the one hand,
we must bear in mind that the Israel of the Old Dis-              That the concept, "holiness", also .has an ethical
pensation was a mighty type. Its vast and intricate,           content is plain from Holy Writ. This appears not
complex ceremonial and religious and civil life spoke only from the passages which refer to the living God
a mighty symbolical language. Why were all these               (to which we will call attention presently in this
vessels and cups and spoons, etc., holy? Why do we article) but also from passages which refer to Christ
read of the holy city, land, acre, etc.? Why does the and His people. Christ, e.g., is called "holy" in Mark
Word of God reveal to us all, the intricate and complex 1:23-2.5.         We quote: "And there was in their syna-
details of the tabernacle and the temple? What may gogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,
be the meaning of all the couplings and brackets and Saying, Let us alone ; what have we to do with Thee,
sockets and colours  of the temple service? Why is it thou Jesus of Nazareth? art Thou come to destroy
that this entire system of worship, in all its minute&         us? I know Thee who Thou art, the Holy One of God.
details, has been prescribed by the Lord, so that, in And Jesus rebuked-him, saying, Hold thy peace,' and
the book of Leviticus, these words recur repeatedly:           come out of him." It is clear from this passage that
"As the Lord commanded Moses"? Why, is it that this evil spirit recognizes. the Christ. It is also clear
nothing was left to the ingenuity of man, even such a that the recognition with which he recognizes the
man a-s Moses? Is it not because our- service of the Christ is also a spiritual recognition ; i.e., he recognizes
Lord is purely of the Lord?  Is it not because the the spiritual contrast between himself and the Christ.
establishment of the covenant, the relationship of living He calls Jesus the "Holy One of God". And the holy
friendship between us and Jehovah, is exclusively of writer refers to this spirit as an "unclean" spirit.
Jehovah? And if, then, this temple service is recorded The "holiness", therefore, of the Christ stands over
in the Old Testament in minutest detail, so that we            against the uncleanness, corruption of this "evil"
read of the vessels, spoons, cups, snuffdishes, sockets,       spirit. Christ tis the "Holy One  -of God" because He
couplings, brackets, etc., is it not because it is our         is supremely and perfectly devoted to God ; this spirit
calling to be a consecrated people unto the Lord in all        is unclean because he is the very opposite of this holi-
the minutest details of our lives? If in the Old Dis-          ness of the Christ, stands opposed to God and all that
pensation everything belonged unto the Lord and must pertains to His Name and Kingdom. And we must
be dedicated to the Lord, also of us it is true that we        also notice from this ,account  in the gospel of Mark
must be a people of the living God and that we must            that this recognition of the Christ by the unclean spirit
be dedicated unto Him and His service with all that is immediate and spontaneous.
we are and possess. Israel of the Old Dispensation                In Acts 4:27-30  we have another reference to the
was, therefore, a mighty type, and its vast and intri- holiness of Jesus Christ. We again quote: "For a
cate, complex mode of living likewise spoke a mighty truth against Thy holy child Jesus, Whom Thou hast
symbolical language.  "                                        anointed, both  Herod,  and Pontius Pilate, with the


252                                  THE.,STANDARD   B E A R E R

Gentiles, and the people of Israel,. were gathered to-          This also applies to I Peter  1:14-16. We read
gether. For to do whatsoever Thy hand and Thy coun- there : "As obedient children, .not fashioning your-
sel determined before to be done. And now, Lord, be- selves according to the former lusts in your ignorance :
,hold their threatenings: and grant unto Thy servants, But as He Which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy
that with all boldness they may speak Thy word, by in all manner of conversation; Because it is written,
stretching forth Thine hand to heal ; and that signs Be ye holy ; for I am holy." This passage clearly
and wonders may be done by. the Name of Thy holy             teaches us that the living God, Who called us to be
child, Jesus."    Notice the contra&in this -passage holy, called us out of the former lusts of our ignorance.
between the "holy child, Jesus", and wicked men who Our "holiness" is contrasted here with our former
have threatened the Church of God. The reference lusts. Formerly, we were disobedi$nt  children, child-
here to the "holy child Jesus", surely explains the ren of pride and rebellion, children characterized by
wicked action of these men. Their hatred of Jesus is the former lusts which consisted of the hatred and
rooted in the fact that He is God's "holy child". And enmity against the Lord, when we were ignorant of
as <God's "holy child" He was supremely dedicated unto       His fellowship and grace and love. Then we loved
the living God. These words of Acts 4, which con- ourselves, were consecrated unto ourselves, and lived
stitute a part of that beautiful prayer of the Church,       apart from the Lord and His service. But God called
are a quotation of Ps. 2 :l-3 where we read of the us to be holy, even as He Himself is holy. He called
raging of the heathen against the Lord and against           us unto Himself. He called us irresistibly, by the
His Anointed. God's "Anointed" is he who has been almighty power of His Spirit and Word.. And the re-
ordained and qualified by Jehovah to be His Party and sult of this calling was that we became holy. Here, too,
Servant in the midst of the world. Also Acts  4:27           "holiness" has a spiritual meaning.
speaks of this anointing of the Christ in the words:            In I Peter 3  :15 we read: "But sanctify (render
"Whom Thou hast anointed". To be "anointed" by holy-H.V.) the Lord God in your hearts: and be
the Lord and to be "His holy child" are synonymous,          ready always to give an answer to every man that
identical in meaning. `Christ is the Lord's "holy child" asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with
exactly because He loved the Lord with all His heart meekness and fear." Notice in this text that we must
and mind and  soulaand  strength and was His Servant sanctify the Lord God in our hearts. Another and
in the midst of the world.       Therefore wicked men undoubtedly proper reading of this text would be:
hated Him ; and for this reason the wicked world "But sanctify Christ, as Lord, in your hearts". The
has always hated His Church because that Church apostle, Peter, in this context, is  e-xhorting  the Church
represents and reveals Him. It is evident also from oi God to suffer for righteousness' sake and admonish-
this passage that this "holiness" of Christ is contrasted    ing her to trust in their risen Lord in the midst of
with the wickedness of evil men and, therefore, must trouble and persecution. The heart, in Scripture, is
have an ethical content here.                                the center of our spiritual life, and, in the words of
   Moreover, the word "holiness" is also used with this particular text, it is the center of our conscious
respect to the people of God and as denoting a setting life. To sanctify Christ, as Lord, in our hearts signi-
apart for the purpose of honoring and reverencing that fies that, in the midst of all our troubles and afflictions,
which is holy. In this sense, e.g., the word appears in      we may trust in Him as the King of kings and the
John  17:19,  where we read : "And for their sakes  1        Lord of lords, that we may regard all our enemies
sanctify Myself, that they also might be sanctified          in the light of His majesty and power, that we may
through the truth." We should notice in this passage sanctify Him, set Him apart, and that so all our woes
that' the people of God are sanctified through the and sufferings may concentrate, as it were, in the
truth. To be sanctified through the truth signifies one all-important.point of His majesty and dominion.
that the truth renders them an apart people in the           That the concept, "holiness", means separation from
midst of the world.     God is the Truth ; He is the         and consecration to is beautifully illustrated in this
Absolute Reality: Whatever would vainly oppose the v,sord  of the apostle, Peter; with all our heart and
living God is the lie, is the denial of the Reality, lives mind and soul and strength we ,must be devoted and
without  ,God.    Christ lived and revealed the Truth consecrated unto Him, Who bled  *and died and is even
because He was the- Party of the living God in the now exalted at the right hand of Divine power, in
world and revealed and testified of Him. And He order that, in the midst of our greatest troubles and
sanctified His people through the ,truth, through His afflictions, we may have perfect peace.
atonement and Spirit, when He causes the truth of               Finally, in connection with this Scriptural proof
the living God to, be poured' out into their hearts, to      for the assertion that "holiness' `also has spiritual
become part and parcel of their life and being. Hence,       connotation in Holy Writ, we would point to the Scrip-
"holiness" has a spiritual, ethical connotation in John tural truth that this sanctifying (this rendering holy)
17 :19.                                                      always occurs through the blood of our Lord Jesus


                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                         253
  Christ. This is clearly taught in Heb.  13:12, where fire, and His Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn
  we read: "Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanc- and devour his thorns and his  briers in one day."
  tify the people with His own blood, suffered without          See also Isaiah  29:19,   30  :ll, 41: 16,  47:4,  54:5. In
  the gate." It is evident from this text, first of all,        chapter 57: 15 we read : "For thus saith the High and
  that our sanctification, as according to this text, could Lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, Whose Name is
  occur only through Christ's blood. This implies that Holy ; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also
  we are by nature sold under sin, objects of God's wrath that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the
  and estranged from the communion and fellowship of spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the
  God's covenant. To be sanctified through the blood of contrite ones." Surely, in the light of this text, there
  Jesus implies that we are sanctified through His blood, is little support for the theory of "Common Grace"
  hot only centrally upon the cross, but also by the Spirit which would have us believe that God also exercises
  of the risen and glorified Lord. Such a sanctification friendship with and is kindly disposed to the ungodly
  (a being rendered holy) surely signifies that we are and the sinner. And in John  17:ll  we read: "And
  separated from the power and the dominion of sin and now I am no more in the world, but these are in the
  consecrated unto the living God. Also Hebrews 13  :12         world, and I come to Thee. Holy Father, keep through
  establishes the truth that "holiness" does not merely Thine own Name those whom Thou hast given Me,
  refer to a relationship but that it also denotes a moral,     that they may be one, as we are."
  ethical quality.                                                                  (to be continued)
                                                                                                         H. Veldman.
                        God is Holy.
     It is obvious that God determines a person's holi-
  ness. This is evident from a passage which we have                                            -
  already quoted, I Peter  1:14-16, where the apostle
  v-1 ites : "But as He which hath called you is holy, etc."
  What, then, is the significance of holiness as an attri-
  bute of God?
     That the Lord is holy is repeatedly and emphatic-                THl3 DAY OF SHADOWS
  ally taught in Holy Writ. This applies particularly
  to the prophecy of Isaiah. We read in Isaiah 6 :l-3, 5-7 :
  "In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord                   The Removal Of The Ark
  sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train
  filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each            The first invasion of the Philistines was followed
  one had six wings; with twain he covered His face,            by a second. For David had put them to flight but had
  and with twain he covered His feet, and with twain not pursued and smitten them. Rallying their scattered
  he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, forces they came up again and spread themselves in
  Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth the valley of Rephaim. David again sought the Lord's
  is full of His glory. . . . Then said I, Woe is me! for counsel and received as answer, "Thou shalt not go up."
  I am undone ; because I am a man of unclean lips, and         These words suppose the question, "Shall I go up?"
, I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for The Lord now demanded the employment of a differ-
  mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Then ent strategem. For the Philistines would be guarding
  flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal against another surprise attack from the same direc-
  in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from tion. So the Lord instructed David to "fetch a com-
  off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said,        pass behind them, and come upon them over against
  Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is the mulberry trees. And let it be when thou hearest
  taken away, and thy sin is purged." In this vision the sound of going-the sound produced by marching
. the prophet beholds the glory of the Lord. And he             troops by which the Lord would terrify the enemy-
  cannot endure this radiation of the ,Lord's  glory be- that thou shalt bestir thyself:  fork then shall the Lord
  cause he is a sinful man. The prophet's sin, therefore,       go out before thee to smite the host of the Philistines."
  is in contrast to the incomparable glory, perfection of David did as the Lord commanded and smote the Philis-
  Jehovah. And this perfection of the Lord is proclaim-         tines from Geba to Gezer. The Chronicler observes in
  ed by the seraphims when they cry unto one another:           connection with these victories that the "fame of
  "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth       David went out unto all lands ; and (that) the Lord
  is full of His glory." How often the expression, "The brought the fear of him upon all the nations" {I Chron.
  Holy One of Israel", occurs in this prophecy! We read         14:17).
  in chap. 10:17: "And the light of Israel shall be for a          Having expelled the Jebusites from Mt. Zion, and

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

 having made this stronghold his royal residence, David Jebusites had not yet been  expehed  from that strong-
 now made preparations for removing thither the ark hold.
 of God. "Again David gathered together all the chosen           In giving the reason for his contemplated under-
 men of Israel, thirty thousand" (II Sam.  6:l). The taking David says to the people that  (`we inquired not
 chronicler states that "David consulted with the cap- at it in the days of Saul" (I Chron.  13:3). Had he
 tains of thousands and hundreds and with every gone more into detail he would have said that it was
 leader" (I Chron. 13 :l) . "All the chosen men" were about 70 years ago that the people had last sought
 not the "captains of thousands and hundreds". The            the Lord at the ark, His throne: During all this time
 former were the military men (as in Judg. 16  :34;           there was not a place, a tabernacle of the Lord, where
 20 :15; I Sam. 24 :3) ; the latter were the leaders of       the people could enquire at the ark. The Lord used to
 the people. That David had need of the protection of         dwell in the tabernacle of Shiloh. There in the holiest
' his army on this occasion shows that the events of          place atonement was made for sins, and on the ground
 this period followed one another in the order given          thereof the congregation blessed. There the Lord
 them by the Chronicler (I Chron. 14). According to had satisfied the poor with bread and there the saints
 this order the war with the Philistines had yet to be        had shouted with joy.
 fought. If so, the Philistines at this time were still          But a cloud had settled upon the tabernacle of
 a menace. But would David undertake the removal of' Shiloh, and its glory had departed. For Israel did evil in
 the ark in the presence of such a danger? The unlikeli- the sight of the Lord and was serving Baalim. "They
 ness of this is the one objection against the view that      forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought
 the Chronicler was narrating the events in question them up out of the land of Egypt, and followed after
 in their chronological order: But though the adver- other gods, of the gods of the people that were round
 sary had already been vanquished and expelled from           about them, and provoked the Lord to anger. And
 the borders of Israel, David would still desire the pre- they forsook the Lord, and served Baa1 and Ashtaroth.
 sence of his men of war to head the procession. It           And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and
 was through them that the Lord had wrought.                  He delivered them into the hands of the spoilers that
        With the princes of the people-the captains of        spoiled them, and He sold them into the hands of their
 thousands and hundreds-David consulted. He said              enemies round about, so that they could not any longer
  "unto all the congregation of Israel", that is, to the      stand before their enemies. . . . and they were greatly
  princes of the people, "if it seem good unto you, and       distressed." So we read in the book of the Judges.
  that it be of the Lord our God, let us send abroad unto     The narrator continues, "Nevertheless the Lord raised
  our brethren everywhere, that are left in the land of       up judges which delivered them out of the hand of
  Israel, and with them also to the priests and Levites those that spoiled them. And yet they would not
  which are in their cities and suburbs, that they gather hearken" (Judges, chapter 2).
  themselves unto us ; and let us bring again the ark of
  our God to us : for we enquired not at it in the days of       Besides the incursions of the enemy the nation was
  *Saul."    What David proposed pleased all the con- torn by internal strife. Chaos reigned. Every man
  gregation. It was right in their eyes. And they said        did that which was right in his own eyes, there being
  they would do so. So David gathered all Israel to- no king in Israel. The climax was reached when in
  gether, from Sihor of Egypt to the entering in of           a war with the Philistines the ark was removed from
  Hemath for the purpose of bringing the ark from its resting place in the tabernacle of Shiloh and born
  Kirjath-jearim (I Chron. 13 :l-5). These notices indi- to the scene of battle, where it was captured by the '
  cate that it was a great multitude of people with which     Philistines who placed it in the house of Dagon.
  David went "from Baale of Judah to bring up the ark             But the psalmist wants us to understand that this
  of God. . .  ."    From I Chron.  13:6 we learn that was God's doing. To quote his own words, "They had
  Baale was Kirjath-jearim. At Joshua 15:60 the place         provoked him to anger with their high. places and
  is called Kirjath Baa1 and at chapter 18 :14 of the same moved him to jealousy with their graven images.
  book simply Baalah. This name was Canaanitish and When he heard this he was wroth and greatly abhored  *
  its association with Kirjath doubtless reveals that         Israel ; so that he forsook the tabernacle. of Shiloh,
  the place was originally a center of pagan worship.         the tent which he had placed among men ; and de-
  This Canaanitish name had continued along with the livered his strength into captivity, and his glory into
  Israelitish. As to the location of Kirjath, it was situ- the enemy's hand ; and he gave his people over also
  ated perhaps about eight miles west of Jerusalem on unto the sword ; and was wroth with his inheritance.
  the border between Benjamin and Judah. The reason The fire consumed their young men ; and their maidens
  that the people were instructed to assemble in this were not given to marriage. Their priests fell by the
  place perhaps lay in the difficulty of the way of ap-       sword; and their widows made no lamentation" (Ps.
  proach to Mt. Zion. The reason was not that the 78 :60-66).


                                  T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                       255
   The glory had departed from Israel indeed ; it had great with `young he brought him to feed Jacob his
departed permanently from the tabernacle of Shiloh.        people, and Israel his inheritance" (Psalm 78  :71-
In all likelihood the city itself had been destroyed `by 72).
the Phi&tines  on the day of their capture of the ark         The text in this connection describes the ark. It
of God.                                                    states that the name of the Lord who dwells with the
   "Then," to quote once more the psalmist, "The Lord cherubim was upon it. Through the ark as His instru-
awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man          ment He revealed His glory. The cover of the ark was
shouted by reason of wine. And he smote his enemies His mercy seat, and this seat was His throne. Here
in their hinder parts: and he put hem to perpetual re-     He was present with His word and His ruling power
proach." This has reference to the calamities that         in the midst of His people. "And thou shalt put the
befell the Philistines in punishment of their vain mercy-seat upon the ark-such had been His instruc-
imagining that with the help of Dagon they had tion to Moses-and in the ark thou shalt put the testi-
triumphed over Israel's mighty God whose ark they mony that I shall give thee. And there I will meet
were holding as a trophy of war.       With His hand with thee, and I will commune with thee from above
upon the neck of His enemies the Lord returned to          the mercy seat. . . ." (Exodus 25 :32). With the name
Canaan. However, He refused the tabernacle of Jo- of the Lord thus upon it the. ark was a holy thing.
seph, the sanctuary of Shiloh," and chose not the tribe    The law contains a detailed instruction for its con-
of Ephraim ; but chose the tribe of Judah, the mount veyance. It was always to be born by the Levites on
Zion which he loved." (Ps. 132 :ll) . Here then it is their shoulders. (Numbers  ?  :9). David did not see to
expressly stated that the Lord had permanently done it that this was done. The ark was set on a cart and
with the tabernacle of Shiloh. Returning from cap- so brought out of the house of Abinadab. The cart,
tivity he set His face toward Zion. Jerusalem at the it was true, was new; it had not been desecrated by
time was occupied by the heathen. But instead of common use. Yet, they were acting contrary to the
"giving orders that the ark of the covenant be restored legal requirement just cited. They may have been
to the holiest place of the tabernacle of Shiloh that      following a pagan custom. The Philistines and the
after the likely destruction of the city of Shiloh had     Phoenicians carried about their gods on carts. The
been reared at Nob, He terrified by His judgments the text at I Sam.  7 sq. reveals that Abinadab's son Eleazar
men of Israel to place it inthe house of Abinadab in       was entrusted with the care of the ark. Here we find
Kirjath.    Here it remained for some seventy years,       IJzzah'and  Ahio mentioned as Abinadab's sons and as
twenty years up to the victory of Ebenezer (I Sam.         "driving the new cart", that is, the oxen by which it
7 :lsq.) , forty years under Samuel and Saul, and about was drawn. According-to verse 4 Ahio went before
ten years under David. This doing of the Lord with the ark and Uzzah alongside of it. "And David and ail
the ark of the covenant was significant. It indicated the house of Israel played before the Lord on all man-
a breach between Him and His people. The grief of ner of fur wood," says the text, and continues, "even
God's believing people was great. They could not seek on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on
the Lord at His throne. There was no way of ap-            cornets, and on cymbals. The text in (I Chron. 13  :8)
proach. For the altars of God and the blood of the         omits the expression "on all manner of fur wood". It
atonement were not there in the house of Abinadab.         states that David and all Israel played before the Lord
Communion with him there at the ark through the with all their might and then names the various instru-
priesthood was therefore `only a memory to be cher- ments of music. Thus did the procession as headed
ished  ; it was not a reality to be enjoyed. The Lord, by David move forward with song and dance and
so to say, was holding His people at arm's length. The music.
nation deserved this stroke. It had rejected the Lord.        Then they came to the threshing-floor of Chidon,
It had asked for a king to rule it in the room of the      or as some, who maintain that  Chidon is not to be
Lord. The Lord had given them Saul. But he was taken as a proper name, translate, "And when they
a self-willed and rebellious king. He died a suicide in came to a fixed threshing-floor,' `and still others,
battle and a new Philistine oppression began. Though "threshing-floor of the blow". Here the oxen shook
.Israel  merited destruction, the Lord sware truth unto the ark perhaps by their stumbling or because of the
David. -Once established in the throne, he undertook condition of the way. It seemed to Uzzah that the
to bring back the ark of God to him and his people.        ark was in danger of falling. For he stretched  ou:
Had he consulted with  ,God? Was he acting under his hand and took hold of it, and was instantly killed
divine direction? The answer is that He perceived as if he had touched a live wire. God was angry with
that it was the Lord's will as he had perceived that Uzzah and smote him on account of his error or rash-
the Lord had established him king over Israel. For ness, which consisted in touching the ark, that none
"the Lord had chosen David His servant, and taken          could even look at. (Numbers 4 :%O ; I Samuel 4 :19).
him from the sheepfolds: from following the ewes           The Levites, appointed to the task of bearing the  ark,

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

     must not go in to see when the holy things were cover-
     ed, lest they die. They must not touch any holy thing
     lest they die. (Num. 4  :15). These things are plainly                         S I O N ' S   Z A N G E N
     stated. It is hard to see why they were not done.
            The reaction of David to the Lord's doing is per-
     plexing. "And David was angry-thus reads the text                      Eeutiige Goedertierenheid
     in the original-because the Lord had broken upon
     Uzzah. . .  ."    But the statement is not the effect                             (Psalm 107 ; Eerste Deel)
     that David was angry with the Lord ; yet with whom
     was he angry, if not with the Lord? He perpetuated                  Dit is een psalm die zingt van de goedertierenheid
     the memory of the Lord's doing by naming the place,         des Heeren, en dan een' goedertierenheid die eeuwig
                                                                 .
     "The break of the Lord". Further "David was afraid IS.
     of the Lord that day, and said, How shall the ark of                Tot in bijzonderheden zal de zanger er van  ver-
     the Lord come to me?" David was perplexed, genuine- halen.
     ly and greatly perplexed. If so, he must have been                  Hij zal die goedertierenheid des Heeren uitstallen
     ignorant of the precepts of the law for the transporta- ten overstaan van allerlei ellende die het deel vau  '
     tion of the ark. But the priests must thave known.          Gods volk is.           Hij zal  zingen  van de verlossingen
     David dared not remove "the ark of the Lord unto the        dergenen die verstrooid  waren  over de geheele aarde,
     city of David." He had it borne into the house of van hen die zwierven in de wildernissen en woestijnen
     Obed-edom the Gittite. The question of who he was           der aarde, van hen, die zich gebogen hebben in den
     cannot be decided with certainty. Here the ark of           stok, van hen die in gevaar waren voor hun leven op
     the Lord remained for three months. The Lord blessed        de  baren der  zeeiSn  en  oceanen, kortom, het is een
     Obededom and his household. It was told David, and          psalm die ons herinnert aan de eeuwige Iiefde Gods,
     he brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-        die ons verloste, verlost en verlossen zal, totdat alle
     edom with gladness. "And when the bearers of the ark z'iel, door Hem gekend van eeuwigheid, zal rusten in
     had gone six paces or steps, he caused to be sacrificed     de armen die altijd onder hen waren.
     an ox and a fat calf, that is, he consecrated the pro-              Gij moogt ook zeggen, dat deze psalm zingt van
     cession with a sacrifice. And David danced before the het feit, dat God onze GoeI is.
     Lord with all his might. There was again  shoutin,g                 Het begin is aanbiddelijk schoon  :  "Looft den Heere,
     and the sound of the trumpet. With the ark placed           want Hij is  goed, want Zijne goedertierenheid is in
     in the midst of the tent .that David had pitched for        eeuwigheid."
     it on Mt. Zion, he offered burnt offerings and peace                SGe ziet waar we  onzen  titel van daan  haalden.
     offerings before the Lord. It was a great day in            Zooals vaak het geval is, zoo ook hier: de  hoofdge-
     Israel. Of this David and God's believing people were       dachte van den psalm wordt in het  eerste  vers  be-
     fully aware. The refusal of the Lord to be joined to        zongen.
     David in Jerusalem would have spelled everlasting                   Looft  den Heere !
     doom for the nation. But the Lord could not refuse.                 En  da% moet ge  doen: want Hij is  goed en Zijne
     For He had chosen Zion. He had sworn to bless               goedertierenheid is in eeuwigheid !
     abundantly her provision,, to satisfy her poor with                 Wij kunnen er eenigzins inkomen,  dat Gods volk
     bread, to clothe her priests with salvation, to make        tot in alle eeuwigheid niets' anders doen zal, dan den
     the horn of David to bud, to ordain a lamp for His          Heere loven. Iets gevoelen we daar van nu reeds.
     anointed, to clothe His enemies with shame, but to          Het schijnt mij toe alsof ik aIIe woorden die ik ooit
     cause upon his anointed His crown to flourish. (Ps.                     _..
                                                                 geleerd heb kan gebruiken om dit vers te beschrijven.
     132).                                                       Men voelt  aan, dat de eeuwigheid in deze woorden zit.
                                             G. M. Ophoff.       En dat komt dit er bij :  aIs men klaar is met zijn
                                                                 "verklaring", dan gevoelt men, dat men het  onder-
                                                                 werp geen recht  deed wedervaren. Men komt nooit
            "When through the deep waters I call thee to go,     klaar met het thema van den lof des Heeren.
               The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow;                  Hoe zou het ook !
             For I will be with thee thy trials to bless,                Hij is de Eeuwige!
               And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress."               Looft  den Heere !
                              *  *  *  *                                 Wat mag dat zijn?
            "Not by  uwrks of righteousness  .which  we  have            Men Iooft  den Heere aIs men het Hem vertelt hoe
     done, but a.ccording to His mercy He ha-s saved us.I'            lieflijk, hoe schoon,  hoe aantrekkelijk, hoe krachtig,
                                                -TITUS 3 : 5.    hoe wijs en hoe heerlijk Hij is. Met andere woorden:



L


                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                 859

                                                            and. suffer pain and discomfort to say nothing of
                                                            death,  abut because it is the temple of the Holy Spirit
              IN HIS FEAR                              " which must be used in the service of God and because
                                                            it is the most precious possession i=od has given him
                                                            over which to exercise his stewardship.
           Training For Life's Calling                         And in this connection let it also be remarked that
                                                            of course the Christian school teacher sets an example
 Tlraining  in the Physiology Class.                        herself. She realizes that she is teaching covenant
                                                            children and not offspring of imoral `Hollywood and
    In the last issue we made a few remarks in regard       Paris. She realizes that there are parents and pastors
 to the necessity of emphasizing to our children in the     who do not want their children to be conformed to this
 physiology class that our bodies are the workmanship world. There are still parents and pastors, elders and
 of our  .Allwise and Almighty God. There are three         deacons who dare to be so different from the world
 other matters that ought to be brought to the attention that they do not want to see God's children walk about
 of the covenant child at this time. The three points       painted like Jezebel, Aholah, Aholibah and the harlot
 for consideration are, (1) the child must- be taught to    of Revelation 1'7. And when parents strive to keep
 care for and to treat his body as the temple of the        their children from this widespread craving and striv-
 Holy Spirit, (2) he ought to be taught to consider all     ing to be just exactly like the world so as not be
 disorders, ailments of the body and even death as the thought narrow-minded and old fashioned; no Chris-
 wages of sin and (3) he ought to be assured and to be tian school teacher has the right to teach their children
 taught that we may and must expect new bodies, per-        to go ahead with this world conformity. For a teacher
 fect and glorified so that we may serve C,od fully in the has a tremendous influence over the child especially in
 new creation.                                              the' things the parents forbid and the child desires
    First of all then we have the fact that the child to perform. And while we are on the subject, pardon
 must be taught that his body is the temple of the Holy     the digression a moment, what assurance have we as
 Spirit. That is plainly taught in Scripture. We need       young women that we will repzlse the mark of the beast
 not go into all the dogmatic implications of this truth if we do not DARE to refuse the mark of `Hollywood?
 either here or in the physiology class, but one thing      (Notice that the harlot, colored in red and purple, in
 can be stated here and in the class-room and receive       Revelation 17, rides on the beast who is the Antichrist,
 much emphasis, and that is that our bodies by the          they go and belong together). And what assurance
 power of God's :Spirit  are instruments wherewith we       have we as men that we will not take the antichrist's
 are to serve God. The temple in Jerusalem was a            sign on our right hand or forehead if we do not DARE
 building wholly dedicated to the service of God. So        3s CARE to separate from worldly organization  for
 much was it. such a building that on two occasions         our work and daily bread. if we need to do that today
 Christ saw fit to cleanse it of all else. Our bodies are for bread, we will need to do much more in the days of
 likewise instruments to be dedicated wholly to the         the antichrist. If we have no courage and faith  whils
 service of God. In it no. evil, no devil, no sin may       we still have freedom of religion and speech,  what
 dwell.     No single member nor any combination of         courage can we expect to have when every possible
 members may ever be used for `any purpose but the          liberty is taken from us?
 glory of God. We may not live to eat, nor may we              Not, of course, to return to our line of thought, that
 burn up our digestive tract with the acid and poison       we are against our young women, and older women also
of strong drinks. Even the matter of  gettini enough        for that matter, making themselves attractive and
 sleep should not be overlooked. We are too soon of the being neat and clean.. But your beauty should not be
 opinion that our bodies are our own and that we live       that of Hollywood which is and only can be in the
 only for ourselves, and that we can abuse our bodies       service of SIN. By all means, Scripture speaks of the
 in order to get a few more moments of satisfaction         bride being adorned for her husband. And God, who
 for the flesh. That is the folly of the natural man ! is a God of beauty and order made man a beautiful
 He abuses his flesh in order to satisfy or seek to satisfy creature and does not approve of slovenliness. Did He
 his flesh. His tools, his machinery, his automobile        not give to Job daughters which were fairer than all
 he will oil and polish and wax and clean and warn all      others living at that time? But we must never forget
 users thereof not to abuse, but his body he abuses left    that all our homeliness and unattractiveness as well
 and right. And failing to give it sufficient rest is only as blemishes and imperfections are due to sin. And
 one of the many ways in which he abuses it. And            not Hollywood but the cross of Christ is the only way
 early in life the covenant child should be taught that out of our ugliness ! And cleanliness and beautifica-
 he must keep his body strong and clean, not for the        tion are quite different from wearing the sign.rof  the
 utilitarian reason that otherwise he might get sick        harlot. And if Romans 12 :l, 2 does not refer to this

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

misuse of our bodies and does not condemn it, what we also have many afflictions and ailments which are
does the text refer to then? If this is not world con- peculiar to us because we have not taken good care
formity with the body, what is? The  church  never of our bodies and have lived with these bodies to the
began this practice and surely never practices. it in           deceptive lusts of the flesh rather than to use them to
order so to present its bodies a living sacrifice to #God  I    the glory of their Sovereign Creator. The Christian
Who will deny that our modern lipstick, which is not            school teacher who does not reckon with God and sin
at all natural-as according to Revelation 1'7 the coIors        and the curse in teaching physiology is missing her
do run all the way from scarlet to purple- originated           calling to train God's covenant youth for their life's
among the harlots? It surely did not originate in calling.
the Church, the Bride of Christ! It originated with                Nor may we stop there. The child should be taught
those who dissipated their lives and lost their color that there is the promise of God that we shall one day
from their lips and cheeks in the way of sin. And               be' out of this vale of tears and out from under the
shall our children ! and our young women wear then dominion of corruption. A description of the new
the sign of adultery and of harlotry? It is the duty            heavenly bodies need not be given to our children in
not only of parent and pastor but also of the  Chtitiun         their schoolroom. That may be left for them when
school teacher in the physiology class to root out this         they are so -taught in the catechism class. But the
scourge. Our bodies are temples of the HOLY SPIRIT !            fact that we shall receive new bodies which shall be
And yet when we see our own young women with their beyond the power of death and corruption should be
blood-red lips, fingernails and even toenails we shud- taught them.
der and ask ourselves whether the Spirit does dwell                After all they are Christians who have that promise
behind such a shell which loudly cries to Babylon,              of God that He will raise them also from the dead. If
Athens, Paris and Hollywood! I wonder what Jesus                we only. call their attention to the misery, disorders
would have done if He had found the temple in Jeru-             of the body and of its death and do no more, we surely
salem filled with "red lights" on a night when He was leave them with the wrong impression! These things
in Jerusalem ! And our young women who do not                   do not live so very really or deeply in a child. But as
mean these things by the sign  whiith they wear of the he grows up he does begin to think more and more of
scarlet sisterhod surely should not want to sail under          these things, and as he becomes more and more con-
that color and under that flag. But enough of this              scious of the reality and awfulness of death, he ought
now.                                                            also to be pointed to the promises of God in regard to
   The second thing to be brought to the child's atten- these bodies in which death reigns; The teacher will
tion in his physiology class is that the countless num-         have to use her own discretion as to when she will
ber of disorders and diseases to which the body is              introduce remarks in regard to this wonderful truth,
subject are here because of sin. We so easily talk of           but she surely must make mention of it and do so in
germs and cancer, of heart attacks and strokes and do           a way that leaves with the children the impression
so atheistically. We do this in that we fail to speak that it means everything to her.
of them or even to consider them as God's servants                                                     J. A. Heys.
both to punish mankind for his sin and to prepare and
bring His elect child into His house of many mansions.
Of course we cannot and should not here either go
into a dogmatic exposition of sin and God's just "judg-
ment in punishing it. But we surely can and ought
repeatedly, whenever the opportunity is there, to re-
mind our children that God is visiting man for, his                          P E R I S C O P E
rebellion and departure from the living God.
    There are certain childhood pains and afflictions
which can so be applied to make this very real to the           HOME MISSION  NEW8  . . . .
covenant child's mind.       He is often afflicted with
toothache and he feels in his body very keenly that                Under this heading we can mention a few items of
his body is subject to decay and corruption. And so             interest that have occured  recently. Upon the advice
we have an approach to teaching him that the whole and recommendation of the Missionaries, the Mission
body wears out and decays and returns to the dust               Committee in conjunction with the calling Consistory,
because man did eat of the forbidden fruit and became           has decided to release one missionary from the Lynden
subject to death even as God declared in Paradise field. In view of the situation both here and in Canada,
that he would. And he can also be taught and shown the missionaries felt that one man could continue the
how that even above and beyond these ailments which work here while the other could aid the work in
come over all men because of the sin of our parents,            Canada, and so recommended. Thereupon, the Mission


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                       261

Committee decided that Rev. Knott should supply                It is not our purpose to enter that debate or speak
the pulpits of other Holland speaking ministers who of other gross misconceptions that are  imphed  in
would then be free to labor for longer periods in some of these statements, but merely to comment a
Canada. Rev. Hofman will continue the work here bit on the ideas concerning prayer that are advanced.
for a time. According to information we have at We wondered about some of these things until recently
present, Rev. Cammenga and his Consistory have con- a friend sent us a copy of a radio message entitled:
sented to his working in Canada during the month            "Prayer for the-World", which had been delivered over
of March. Rev. Knott and his family will leave for the coast-to-coast network of the Back To God Hour
Hull shortly, and probably will have arrived there by the Rev. P. H. Eldersveld, in the name of the
by the time this is read.                                   Christian Reformed Church. If, what he proclaims
    Since the beginning of February we have been is the teaching of that Church it is not strange that
holding two services each Sunday in  Sumas.  This these pupils write as they do. We will quote rather
town is about 10 miles north-east of Lynden  on the freely from the message and let Scripture speak in
Canadian border. We were able to procure a more refutation .
suitable meeting place there while it is also closer for       The Rev. Eldersveld began his talk by relating the
many of those who attend. It is our plan to concen- incident of the man who prayed publicly on the busy
trate our labors in that vicinity for a time. Progress      street-corners of Chicago. Then he continues: "But,
remains slow and it becomes increasingly evident that for all that, the man who prayed on the corner  OP
long patience is required to produce visible fruit;         State and Randolph streets, in the stream of surging
                                                            humanity, reminded me that we Christians are indeed
                      *  *  *  *                            set down here in the middle of a wicked world, and we
                                                            certainly are called upon to pray for it. . . . I question    '
Prayer' . . . .                                             the value of such ostentatious methods, but there is
                                                            no doubt concerning the obligation we have to pray
    Last time we called attention to the discussion in for this world."
The Banner regarding prayer for the Public Schools.
In connection with that discussion we often read               Scriptures teaches us that Christ prayed, and hence
                                                            taught us to pray : "I pray for them : I pray not for the
strange statements concerning the nature and purpose
of prayer. From these it became evident that many           world, but for them which. thou hast given me; for
of the writers had gross misconceptions as to what          they are thine." John 1'7:9.
constitutes prayer and its content. Here are a few             In an attempt to support his argument, the radio
examples of what was written. One states: "Living a minister continues : "There is the case of Abraham,
, Christ-centered life does not exclude the possibility praying for the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah,
of praying for public schools, even by our ministers. when God had told him that they would be destroyed
Christ himself prayed for His worldly enemies, whose because of their sin. . . . his heart went out to those
lives were anything but ,God-centered,  when He prayed, who would perish. He could not stand aloof when he
`Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do' knew of their impending doom. So he prayed earnest-
. . . . Let us not attempt to undermine the belief in ly for them. . . . He prayed for the postponement of
common grace by saying no good fruit can be borne doom, and he presented intelligent reasons to justify
outside the pale of Christianity. . . . Surely, they need the extension of divine mercy. . . . Abraham stood
our prayers even more than the Christian Schools yet before the Lord, and begged him for undeserved
which bask in the sunshine of God's special saving mercy upon the wicked cities."
grace." Another writes: "Now Mr. . . . . states that we        Now it is true that the Rev. Eldersveld mentions
should pray for those who teach in public schools that that Abraham presented his prayer on the ground that
they see their error and repent of their sin. I would the cities be spared for the sake of the righteous.
say rather pray that they do good missionary work in According to the message, however, this is secondary
this field with the children who are unchurched." Still     and incidental ; as is clearly evident both from the
a third declares: "Above all, may ministers, laymen,        quotations above and also since the example is used
and all others pray for all men, even those who are not to support the contention that we must "pray for the
of the household of faith, that they may come to a world". To say the least, this is surely twisting the
saving knowledge of Christ.         Pray for the public point of the whole passage to fit a misconception of
school teacher. She needs your prayers." And finally,       prayer. Even a cursory reading of Genesis -18 indi-
to quote no more: "1 think we must give God thanks          cates that Abraham was not at all concerned about
for those wonderful institutions. I think, rather I         the wicked in Sodom and Gomorrah. The Scriptural
know, the state does a wonderful job to give us those starting point does not teach prayer for the ungodly
schools. . .  ."                                            and wicked but is expressed in Abraham's first  .state-


I 262                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
   ment : "And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou turned unto fables." All ,quotations are from a single
   also destroy the righteous with the wicked ?"-and so         issue of The Grand Rapids Press, of February 12,1949.
   throughout.                                                        "Pancake Supper-Class X club of . . . . . . . . . . . . church
      The application of the message by the Rev. Elders- will serve its annual pancake supper in the recreation
 veld is as follows : "We have our enemies in many room of the church Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. Tickets
   parts of the world, and within our own boundaries-           are on sale at the Church office."
   enemies of the nation, enemies of Christianity itself.
   Does their predicted fate arouse you to pray for them?
   Are we asking for the elrtension  of God's mercy, the
   prolongation of peace, the postponement of deserved                "                   Church to Hear Book Talk. Mrs. . . . . . . will
                                                                           . . . . . .
   punishment? Here is a mighty mission project for             review the book `Remembrance Rock', by Carl Sand-
   all Christian."                                              burg at the Evensong service in . . . . . . church Sunday
      How differently the Psalmist prayed and the Church at 7 p. m. . . .  ."
   still sings! See for example, Psalms 55 ; 59 ; 69 ; ?O ;
   74 ; `79 ; 94 ; 109 ; and many more. And listen to thz
   Word of God to the Church of the new dispensation:
   "And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under                "Jenison Youth to Repeat `St Elmo' . . . . . . Young Folk
   the altar the souls of them that were slain for the          of the Jenison . . . . . . church again will present the play,
   word of God, and for the testimony which they held:          `St. Elmo', by Preston Conway, at South High School
   And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long,          auditorium Thursday at 8 p. m.                        The performance
   0 Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge will be sponsored by the. Tryphosa society of the . . . . . .
   our blood on them that dwell on earth?" Rev. 6:9-10.         church . . .  ."
   The true Church still cries with them: How long?
      Finally, the message is closed with a "prayer for
   the world", in which it is said in part': "In the spirit           `East Principal to Speak at Trinity. . . . Lewis
   of Abraham, the father of all believers, we ask for          Allbee, principal of East Grand Rapids High School,
   postponement of the punishment which this generation will speak on the `Experiences of an American Counter
   deserves, so that men may have opportunity to find            Espionage Agent in World War II', at a meeting of
   the peace of God in Jesus Christ. . . . May our broad-       the Senior Youth Fellowship of . . . . . . church Sunday at
   cast not only induce Christians to pray with power            6 230 pi m. . . . . . .
   for the world, but also may it show the unbeliever that                                      Refreshments will be served."
   we are indeed concerned about his salvation, so that                                         .
   we therefore give him a large place in our prayers."
      Again the Scriptures teach us: "Behold, I come                 "Club Sponsors Lecture on Medicine-Sunday  Even-
   quickly. . . . And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come ing Club of . . . . . . church will present the fourth in its
   . . . . He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I series of lectures Bunday  evening at the church. . . . . . . on
   come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus"                `The Romance of Medicine'."



                                                                      "Youth Day at South Church-South . . . . . . church
   The Modern "Church". . . .                                   will observe Nationai  Youth day Sunday at 11 a. m."
         Below we have listed several news items which re-
   veal the state and function of what is called "Church"
   in our own day. Perhaps, with a few exceptions, any                CENTRAL WILL DEDICATE-NEW PROJECTOR
   one of these in itself would be no cause for alarm and AT CHURCH SUPPER.
   appears quite innocent. Yet, when they are taken col-
   lectively they certainly testify to the truth of the
   Scriptures as a mighty sign of the  .times.  They re-
   mind one of what Paul wrote to the young Timothy:                  PLAN FOREIGN FILM SERIES-Film Council
   "For the time will come when they will not endure             of . . . . . . will present a series of four foreign films in
   sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall heap          the vestry room in the next four months. . . . The
   to themselves teachers, having itching ears ; And they films will be shown one Sunday each month. . .  ."
   shall, turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be                                                             W. Hofman.


                                        T H E   STA,NDARD  B E A R E R                                                 263

      S.P.R.E. Secretary's Report                                , reality of things, into the things as God sees them.
                                                                  However, let us look at it just a bit. Perhaps we
                                                                  should begin by being humbly grateful to our cove-
   It seems customary that the secretary of your                  nant God for the S.P.R.E. with its supporters and
board make an annual report at this our annual meet- funds that He gave us, for our Standard Bearer and
ing, and so it is now that I again must make a review             radio, etc. However, if we insist on evaluating or
or take stock of the activities of your board for the             measuring our outward growth and success as we in
past year.                                                        the world measure success, doubtless we must confess
   In going over the material of our meetings since that we are small, that we are weak, that we are even
our last general meeting one feels that most of the               sometimes back-sliding. What shall we say to these
`news', so-called, has been published in our S.P.R.E.             things, brethren? Does the Bible teach that lack of
Since your secretary was also a member of the propa- earthly and material success indicates an inner moral
ganda committee, it seemed pointless repetition to go decadence and apostacy? Far be it from me at this
over the same material again. We feel as propaganda time to deduce that because of our small measure of
committee that we have kept you all pretty well abreast carnal and earthly values that therefore we have a
as regards our board action, and so for this time your large measure of eternal and spiritual values, that
secretary will depart from the usual procedure and                God is really and truly pleased with us ; but by the
briefly call your attention to a, few general aspects of same token and most emphatically do we assert that
our cause.                                                        our measure of outward success in no sense is neces-
   The first observation we shall make is that of the sarily an indication of moral or spiritual weakness or
success of the various denominational organs and                  decadence or apostacy.
projects of reformed circles outside our own, not only
in the sphere of primary education such as we are                    To leave the matter of outward success and pro-
                                                                  gress and to continue further nevertheless in general
concerned with tonight, but in `nearly every field of
endeavor whether it be primary, secondary, or even on the: subject of denominational causes and projects,
higher education. Whether it be the field of religious I would like to observe further the work itself in the
broadcasting or of official organs of publication, or various phases. As usual a number of brethren have
shall we say---even mission work, the success of these again tonight  borne to the end of their tenure of office
causes in circles outside our own seems amazing. There in our school board. Some of the brethren in our
seems no limit to the funds that are raised; figures              boards and comittees  have labored for years in this
nearly always run into hundreds of thousands ; there board not only, but in other fields of church work as
seems no dearth of personnel. One is amazed at the                well.    In our various activities of campaigns and
seeming abundance of brilliant talent with which these drives, and in approaching people in their homes, we
various institutions and publications are manned. Not have occasion to observe rather accurately and at first.
only does the Lord provide them with men and. money,              hand the varied reaction of our people. The attitudes
but it seems that their progress usually stops nothing of those who do not support a given cause range from
short of being nation-wide. Brethren, what shall we               a mere `not interested', to a wicked, slothful neglect
say to these things?        Does the Bible teach us to of one's religious obligations, to sneering and even
measure spiritual and eternal values by such outward bitterness and opposition. Perhaps this failure on the
progress and success ? Far be it from me at this part of so many to support church causes and organs
time to reflect on the inner spiritual condition of any           is somewhat a normal natural condition in the church
reformed group outside ourselves. However, is not militant.                   Even apart from the sloth and slovenly
Scripture intensely clear on this point, that though neglect of our responsibilities and duties, obviously
                                                      .
outward success may be a sign of real and  mner                   there is room for a certain amount of difference of
growth, surely it insists, that it is not necessarily a opinion. Take, e.g., this cause of our own  school-
measure of it. Let us procede  for a moment to look at            when we should start, how we should start, where we
our own denominational causes, shall we say our own               should start, or perhaps even if we should start at  all-
Protestant Reformed Christian School movement, our can be a matter of honest, diligent, and faithful opin-
own Reformed Witness Hour, our own Standard Bear-                 ion. Far be it from me to reflect on this difference of
er, Concordia, and Beacon Lights. Perhaps we need                 opinion as such. I do choose at this time to reflect
not nor should we dwell on our outward success and                rather vigorously on this other thing that is so often
progress. We as Protestant Reformed people have the confused with this difference of opinion. I refer to
habit, or at least should have, of penetrating into the that sloth, that neglect, that refusal to cooperate and
                                                                  to  do.one's  share in the work, to assume responsibility
*) Secretary's Report given at the last annual meeting of the     and duty, that bitterness and opposition. If we take,
   Society for Protestant Reformed Education. This report  is     e.g., our own school causes once more, let us assume
  published at the request of the Society.                        that it is possible to honestly differ on the question

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

whether we should even have our own school or no.                     in a gathering such as this where people have chosen
When Protestant Reformed parents assemble together to deny themselves and to identify themselves with this  _
and band together in such a cause as we represent, let cause ?" Let the few final remarks be an answer to
it be that most of them lfeel that we should have our                 that question. I would say if I examine my own heart
own school at once, yet they are Protestant Reformed,                 and mind that  I find a very strong tendency to neglect
they are parents who have chosen to deny themselves,                  to apply myself to the knowledge and the principles
who have chosen to work together for the common and the duties of the kingdom. The tendency to absorb
cause of the instruction of the covenant seed. Anyone                 oneself in kingdom duties and causes seems compara-
who is convinced that we should not at this time have                 tively weak, and I trust that even the eest among us
such a school, I beg to submit and I stand to be cor-                 will gladly admit that their love and zeal for these
rected, that such an one cannot honestly and sincerely                unpopular kingdom causes is nothing of which to
absent himself from such assembly and still be faithful               boast.
and diligent. Surely such an one cannot be scoffing                      In the first place, therefore, let this, your secretary's
and bitterly opposing and at the same time love the- report, tend to a re-awakening, to a renewed interest,
cause of sound instruction for the Covenant seed. If to a rededication to the organs and institutions which
such an one, for example, is convinced that we should the Lord our God has given us and that we may do so
continue to attempt cooperation with the existing with all the gifts and light and talents wherewith our
schools and if he really is devoted to the cause of sound Maker has endowed us. And what about that'segment
reformed Christian instruction, I suggest, should not among us that has forgotten or for some reason neg-
such an one seek his place in such assembly, should                   lected to gather with us and to dedicate themselves
not he contribute of his light, of his talent, of his                 to any or to all of the kingdom work which our God
vantage point to such assembly? And is there not -has given us to do? Let this, your secretary's report,
something wrong with said assembly if it does not give
                                                 ,.l  ,^  ..'         tend to a charitable and humbly understanding spirit
place to that type of individual?         ,""                         above all, but also a spirit of determination to ap-
    To continue further on this  busmess'bf  making our proach our -brethren, calling these things to their
Protestant Reformed causes and.-projects  our own, I attention so that we may do our duty even here in
would like to inquire, is not the above described pre- witnessing and giving expression to principles and
vailing spirit indicative of something wrong in the                   duties as we have been led and taught to see. And
midst of our various congregations of this communty,                  what about that spirit of wicked neglect and opposition,
not that there is any wrong merely in the fact that                   that spirit that may have allowed prejudices and
this ignorance, neglect, and bitterness exists, but some- personalities to warp one's sense of values, of prin-
thing wrong in the fact that this spirit maintains itself ciples, and duties? Let this, your secretary's report'
in its position and rank as complacently as it does?                  tend to lift this spirit up out of its oblivion. Let's
Perhaps there are various things to which we could                    look at it. Let's define it. Let's deal `with it. Let's be
point as an explanation of this spirit. Permit me to                  severe with it. Let's give no quarter. Let's root it
point to only one basic matter in conclusion. The basic out!
cause to which I refer is that of our leadership.  I                     And what about our leadership? Let not the im-
would ask, has the leadership from the pulpit and from                pression be left that sound and vigorous leadership is
-the consistory been as consistently clear, as vigorous,              confined to ,a few instances, but let this, your secre.
as positive, and as unambiguous as it should have been?               tary's report, tend to a fostering of such sound and
1 do not hereby necessarily reflect on the person of any vigorous leadership. Let us love, support, encourage,
preacher or on the persons of any consistory. We, as                  and insist on leadership that hews to the line, that fol-
Protestant Reformed people, believe that the church lows that sound and true line of reformed truth and
functions through its offices. I would ask further as                 polity and policies. And may we together seek Him in
regards this spirit of ignorance, neglect, and bitter-                His precious Word in order that we may have wisdom
ness; should not this spirit, far from maintaining it-                and light and strength to labor and struggle together to
self in its smugness and its complacency, far rather the advancement of His great cause and that we may
hang its head in shame? During the course of the past have a blessed part therein. j.
year many of us undoubtedly have had the opportunity                                                Charles Doezema,
to witness a few outstanding and magnificent occasions                                             Secretary of the Board.
of such fearless and vigorous leadership.                  The re-
actions to these few instances would seem to indicate
rather emphatically how far we have slipped in the                                "Take my life and  ,let it be
past quarter of a century and how much room there is                              Consecrated, Lord, to Thee ;,
for the above suggested investigation.                                            Take my life, and I shall be
    1 already hear some say--"Why bring that up here                              Ever, only, all for Thee."
              .


VOLUME XXV                                    March 15, 1949 - Grand Rapids,  Mich.                              NUMBERT
                                                                        Judge is Christ Jesus, who is commissioned of the
      MEDITAT ION                                                       Triune God to keep order with real justice, and pre-
                                                                        sently to judge the world with equity. Oh yes, God has
                                                                        commissioned a Man by whom He will judge the world.
                                                                        And there He stands: before Pilate, accused of His
                Jesus Before Pilate                                     own nation.
                                                                           It was early. But there was a great multitude afoot
                `Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the       in this morning of all mornings. We read of the "whole
             people, I find no fault in this man.                       multitude" which arose and brought Him to Pilate.
                ". . . . #said unto them, Ye have brought this Man And, besides, Jesus was very popular at this stage of
             unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, be-
             hold, I', having examined Him before you, have found       His life on earth. A few days hence He had called
             no fault in this man touching those things whereof         Lazarus back to life, where he was laid in the tomb,
             ye accuse Him.                                             being dead four days already. And the popularity
                "And he said unto them the third time, Why, what        of Jesus was so great that the rulers of the Jews feared
        evil hath He done ? 1 have found no cause of death              that the "whole world" would finally follow Him. And
             in Him:  .T will therefore chastise Him and let Him go.    thus, out of envy, they arose together and brought Him
                "And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they
             required.                                                  to Pilate.
                                            Luke 23:4,14,22,24.            Terrible implication !
                "Because He hath appointed a day, in the which He          Here we see the Church of God, instituted and kept
             will judge the world in righteousness by that Man          by Him, in the persons of its leaders, bringing the
             whom He hath ordained.                  Acts  17:31a.      Messiah to the world powers. And then with the de-
                                                                        clared intention to have Him condemned to death.
   Christ Jesus the Lord is God revealed in the flesh.                  He came unto His own, but His own received Him not.
   For that reason we see the strangest of contrasts                       Away with Him ! Let us bring Him to Pilate, the
in His life.                                                            worlds representative !
   All through the ages the Holy Ghost signified that
the Lamb of God would come to take away the sins of                        And thus the Man who is destined to be the Judge
the world. And in the evening before His trial  (so-                    of the whole Universe is found before a miserable
called) we see the Lamb of God over against the Pass-                   replica of a judge: Pontius Pilate.
over lamb which was eaten by the disciples of Jesus.                       Jesus before Pilate !
   A  little later we see the contrast of the rock that is                                    * *  *  *
Peter and the Rock of ages that is Jesus. The first
fails miserably, while on the second Rock the whole                        Jesus before Pilate !
structure of God's goodpleasure is made to rest.                           And here a strange thing awaits us : Pontius Pilate
   Still later there is a high priest, and the name is                  would let Jesus go. If we read all the accounts of this
Caiaphas. But before Him is brought a Man in whom mock-trial, it becomes clear that Pilate at four dif-
all the highpriests of the Old Testament find their ful- ferent occasions would let Jesus go ; and if we include
fillment.                                                               his wily action of sending Jesus to  Herod, who also
   And in the texts that you read above this meditation found Him innocent, i,t is on five different occasions
we see two judges. The one judge is the governor of that Pilate would let Jesus go free. Imagine: the world
the Roman Empire, which is commissioned to keep                         is more merciful ( 1) than the church. Or put it this
order among the nation of the Jews, while the other                     way: the Church Institute in its corrupted state is

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

   more bloodthirsty than the world. There is no hatred                And we might even solicit the testimony of the
   like unto the hatred of corrupted religion.                     land of dreams: the wife of this would-be judge tells
          Pilate, hearing the tumult, or being called by his       us of this Righteous One !
   servants to this sorry spectacle, comes with the sober              Oh yes, Jesus is very Righteousness itself!
   question:  whst   ,accusation  -do ye bring against this            But still, He must stand before Pilate !
   Man?           `b,          I..:                                    The most dreadful anomaly of history: Jesus ac-
      And the  ~answer given by the rulers of the Jews re- cused before the judge.
   veals their self-righteousness: If this Man were not a              Why, it is the horror of all horrors : this same Man
   malefactor, we would not have delivered Him up to               is  chOSeh o!f God to show forth the most wonderful
   you !                  .                                        Justice in the Day of days: He is the Judge of the
      But Pilate is not duped by this "pious" answer. He world !
   knew with whom he had to do. We read elsewhere                      And yet : Jesus stands before Pilate !
   that Pilate knew that they had delivered Him up out                                    * * *  r(r
   of envy.
          But on the part of the `Jews it reveals their burning        Jesus before Pilate !
   hatred of Jesus.                                                    At first it seems as though the trial ( ?) of Jesus
      And finally they do bring some sort of accusation will be of short duration. Pilate examines Jesus and
   against *Jesus.                                                 comes before the people: I find no fault in this Man!
          Oh, Pontius Pilate, here are the accusations: this       And this conclusion is voiced by him time and time
  fehow  is trying to pervert the nation ! He forbids the again. There is no question about it : Pilate knew that
   people to give tribute unto Caesar! And He makes                Jesus was innocent.
   Himself equal with God, calling Himself a King of                   And here we have the great sin of this man Pilate:
   some sort.                                                      he should have released Jesus at once. And he should
      If you analyze these accusations, you will note how          have arrested the leaders of the Jews because of de-
   shrewdly they were chosen. They present a picture famation of character. And he should have told his
   of fawning would-be docility to the powers that be.             soldiers to take their swords and clear the streets of
   It is their avowed purpose to play upon the. basest in- this howling mob who were after the blood of their
   stincts of the dictator: this Man may be a dangerous            v i c t i m .
   rebel. He perverts the nation ; He may institute a riot             Note that this man is not at all moved by the ques-
   which might grow into an insurrection ; it might even tion : is this. Man guilty or innocent, but by the selfish
   swell into a real revolution.                                   question : how can I get rid of this case without getting
          It is plain that their purpose is to prejudice the       hurt myself. . In this last word you have the key to his
   judge. Besides, how false are their accusations! And            despicable performance: care for  self. Note that when
   how dangerous in that they constitute a mixture of he persists in telling the Jews how innocent Jesus is,
  truth and error.                                                 and when they finally answer him: If you let this Man
          Oh, yes, Ch,rist  is the King of God, but not an earth- go you are not Caesar's friend, he is ready at once:
   ly King as they seemed to indicate to Pilate. And that Christ is sacrificed on the altar of Pilate's security.
   He forbade people to give tribute to Caesar cannot                  Oh no, Pilate, it matters not that you wash your
   mean that Jesus incited the people to withhold the              hands.      You wash your hands indeed, but not in
   taxes laid upon them, for we read that on one occasion innocency. Look unto your hands: they are red with
   the Lord instructed Peter to go and pay the tax for             the blood of the great Innocent&!
  himself and for the Lord. Christ must have meant                     Jesus before Pilate !
   that we may not give a certain tribute to Caesar which              The world of so-called justice must give its answer
  we owe to the great Potentate of potentates, that is,            to God's question: What think you of Innocence's
   our tribute to God.                                             beauty?
      And certainly the Lord was no "malefactor". I                    And the answer is given by Pilate.
   would say that the earth, and the heavens and even hell            The sin of Pilate is that he obstructed the sway,
   gave its testimony to His goodness. As. to the earth, the Divine sway, of Justice. Unrighteousness pre-
   we read that Christ went through the land, doing good.          vailed in this so-called trial of Jesus,
   As to heaven, there was that testimony of Israel's.                 Jesus before Pilate !
   Jehovah: This is My beloved Son in Whom I am well                                      *  * *  *
pleased ! As to hell, there was the admission of the
   devil in this motley crowd of his foul children: We                 Jesus before Pilate !
   must seek for false  witnesses! When you seek for                   Pilate is plainly afraid of Jesus.
   false witnesses, you have already admitted that the                 There must have been a very majestic mien in
   accused is righteous.                                           Jesus' appearance before this judge. Besides, we liter-


                                       *J
                                             T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                           267

     ally read that Pilate became the more afraid. Especial- flaming torch of Justice in that time and in all succeed-
     ly, since he received the message from his wife.             ing time. Even to our own day, Rome's code of justice
        Then, too, the superstitious Roman had heard the is world-renowned.
     Jews tell of this Man that He claimed to be a Son of the        And then there is the world of religion.
     God of the heaven and the earth.                                You bear me witness that there was no other nation
        And so we can somewhat understand that Pilate             on earth like the nation of the Jews ! They had the
     likes to get rid of Jesus. Take Him yourselves, and          oracles of God. They knew the law of God. They
     judge Him according to your own laws, he cries to knew that the very Name of God means that H'e is
     the Jews. Later, he hears that Jesus is of the territory righteousness itself. And that He requires justice and
     of Herod,  and forthwith he sends Him to that wily fox. equity. Every one of the howling priests, elders, phari-
     Still later, he will make a duo, a terrible duo: choose sees, and lawyers knew a certain text by heart: And
     ye whom you want : Jesus or Barabbas ! And you all what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly?
     know that Pilate thought: they certainly will not dare        And would anyone then hold that this was the trial
     to choose a man who is both a murderer and a rebel.          of Jesus? In any sense of. the word?
        What a mockery is this so-called trial of Jesus !            Oh no, but everyone said within his own heart:
     Pilate does not know what to do with Jesus, but never- this Man is just, but I thirst for His blood!
     theless scourges Him. He would like to release Him              Listen to us, 0 Pilate: His bIood  be upon us and
     for he is afraid of Him, but fears the Jews: they might      upon our children. ' But let us have His blood !
     send a delegation to Caesar, and then his popularity            And therefore, it was not Jesus who was on trial,
     in Rome is in jeopardy.                                      but it was the world of Rome, of Greece, and of Israel.
*       And the end is that Pilate chooses security for self,        The world of Israel. Later the Holy Ghost would
     even at the expense of justice, and he becomes ripe for      call that worldly Israel Sodom and Egypt spiritually.
     judgement.                                                      The whole world was on trial in the year of our
        Jesus before Pilate?                                      Lord 33.
        Jesus has no chance ( ?) at all before that corrupt          It is this : Pilate stands before Jesus !
     man.He is, given over to their will. The soldiers come                              *  %  *  *
     and take Jesus. They will have some sport with Him.              Pilate, and then as the representative of the corrupt
     Horrible, a thousand horrors multiplied ! Sport, wicked      world of the heathen, of the refined culture of Greece,
     sport with Jesus?! But He is the ,God  of heaven and         and of the self-righteous Pharisee in Israel, Pilate
     earth !                                                      stands before the bar of the shining INNOCENCE of
         0 God, have mercy upon us ! They are men, even Jesus !
     as we are. How is it possible that Thou didst not crush         And that world is utterly condemned by Him.
     the whole Universe at this wicked, horrible hour?.!              Let us try to explain.
        Jesus cast away from before the tribunal of wicked            As I have said many times: Jesus was Innocent!
     Caesar !                                                     Do not grow weary of this repetition. You are going
         Look strongly upon Him !                                 to hear it countless times unto all eternity.
         The Via Dolorosa is becoming very rocky indeed.              And Innocence personified said to the whole world:
     He will be bruised very sore.                                What will ye do with He? What do you think of Me?
                            % *  9  *                                And they answered Him: We hate Thee so much
         Jesus before Pilate?                                     that we will drag Thee through the streets of Jeru-
         Wait a minute. I would turn it about.                    salem, and there, at the place of the skull we will
         Very really: Pilate stood before Jesus, and then         crucify Thee !
     "Pilate as the representative of the whole world.                And that is our condemnation. When we so treat
         This is not the trial of Jesus !                         shining innocence, we condemn ourselves.
         As I said before : everyone here around this tribunal        But why is this come about, 0 God of eternal, ever-
     knows that Jesus is innocent. Everyone has known             lasting miracles?
     that right along.                                                Listen to our fathers: they have given us the ans-
         When I enumerated the testimonies of heaven and wer in a dusty form: He was innocently condemned
     earth and hell in defense of Jesus' innocence, I forgat to death that we might be acquitted at the judgment-
     the testimony of Judas : I have shed the innocent blood !    seat of God!
     And that is the testimony of him who is called a devil.          0 wonder of wonders! The Innocent was made
         No, but the world was on trial.                          guilty by God so tha,t  the guilty might be made Inno-
         And what a world !                                       cent !
        First, there is the world of Rome. Rome had di-               Sing .aloud,  thou inhabitant by Zion !
     gested the wisdom of Greece. And Rome was the                                                                G. Vos.


                                                                                                                                                                                         #
   268                                                                                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R   '

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                                  Box 124, Sta. C., Grand Rapids, Mich,                                                                                                     Propositions Concerning The Cove-
                                         EDITOR: - Rev. H. Hoeksema.
   Contribtiing Editors:  - Rev. G. M. Ophoff, Rev. G. Vos, Rev.                                                                                                                                nant Of Grace
   R.  Veldman,  Rev. H. Veldman, Rev. H. De Wolf, Rev. B. Kok,
   Rev. J. D. De Jong, Rev. A.  P&ter, Rev. C. Hanko, Rev. L.                                                                                                                  The Fourth proposition to which Dr. Bos and the
   Vermeer, Rev. G. Lubbers, Rev. M. Gritters, Rev. J. A. Heys,
   Rev. W.  Hofman.                                                                                                                                                         Rev. van Teylingen subscribe reads as follows:
     Communications relative to contents should be addressed to                                                                                                                "That the faith through  wh'ich we are justified
   REV. H. HOEKSEMA, 1139 Franklin St., S. E., Grand Rapids,                                                                                                                before God and are saved is the fruit of the efficacious
   Michigan.                                                                                                                                                                operation (working through,  doorwerking,   H.H.) of
     Communications relative to subscription should be addressed                                                                                                            the covenant promise of God, which God without their
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  to continue without the formality of a renewal order.                                                                                                                        "And this is the regeneration so highly celebrated
                                    (Subscription Price $2.50 per year)                                                                                                     in Scripture, and denominated a new creation : a resur-
  EnteTed  as Second Class Mail at Grand Rapids, Michigan.                                                                                                                  rection  from the dead, a making alive, which God
                                                                                                                                                                            works in us without our aid. But this is in no wise
                                                                                  *                                                                                         effected merely by the external preaching of the gospel,
                                                                                                                                                                            by moral persuasion, or such a mode of operation, that
                                                                                                                                                                            after God has performed his part, it still remains in
                                                         C O N T E N T S                                                                                                    the power of man to be regenerated or not, to be con-
  MEDITATION-                                                                                                                                                               verted or to continue unconverted ; but it is evidently a
      Jesus Before Pilate . . . . . . . . * . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .           supernatul'al  work, most powerful, and at the same
                                                                                                                                                                     265
                     Rev. G. Vos                                                                                                                                            time most delightful, astonishing, mysterious, and in-
  EDITORIALS-                                                                                                                                                               effable; not inferior in efficacy to creation, or to the
     Propositions Concerning the Covenant of Grace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                                                                                      resurrection from the dead, as the Scripture inspired
                                                                                                                                                                     268
                     Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                                                                       by the author of this work declares ; so that all in
   THE TRIPLE  KNOWLEDGE-                                                                                                                                                   whose heart God works in this marvelous manner,
     An Exposition of the Heidelberg Catechism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...*.... 270 are certainly, infallibly, and effectually regenerated,
                     Rev.  IX. Hoeksema                                                                                                                                     and do actually believe. Whereupon the will thus re-
  OUR  DOCTRINE-                                                                                                                                                            newed, is not only actuated and influenced by God,
     The Attributes Of God . . ..a . . . . . . . . . a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  * . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
                                                                                                                                                                     273    but in consequence of this influence, becomes itself
                     Rev. H. Veldman                                                                                                                                        active. Wherefore also, man is himself rightly said
  `THE DAY OF  SHADOWS-                                                                                                                                                     to believe and repent, by virtue of that grace re-
     Christ Alone In His Suffering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . * . . . . . . . . . . c . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *
                                                                                                                                                                     277    ceived."
                     Rev. G. M. Ophoff                                                                                                                                         This proposition :
i  SIQN'S   ZANGEN-                                                                                                                                                            1. Evidently intends to emphasize that faith is'
     Eeuwige Goedertierenheid . . . . . . . . . . . . * . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . b...$. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _..3
                                                                                                                                                                     979    wrought in the hearts of the elect by the Holy Spirit
                     Rev. G. Vos                                                                                                                                            without the cooperation or assent of those in whom
   tN HIS  FEAR-                                                                                                                                                            it is wrought. And this is, of course, correct. Not to
     Training For Life's Calling e... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,...282 maintain this in all its force&is  Arminianism. And the
                     Rev. J. A. Heys                                                                                                                                        liberated  with their view of the covenant and their
  FROM HOLY WRIT-                                                                                                                                                           contention that the promise is for all the children that
     The Office In The Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  h.... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
                     Rev. C. Hank0                                                                                                                                          are born of believing parents are often accused of
  PERISCOPE-                                                                                                                                                                Arminianisti.  .
     Internal Strife In 0. P. Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .286                                              Now, we do not believe that they are Arminians.
                     Rev. W. Hofman                                                                                                                                         The accusation. as such as undoubtedly false. They
                                                                                                                                                                            certainly mean to be Reformed.         They themselves
                                                                                                                                                                            emphasize repeatedly, as also in the above proposition,


                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                      2 6 9

that faith is the work of the Holy Spirit without the the children of the covenant and that He issues checks
assent or cooperation of man.                                to all on the bank of heaven while He fulfills that
   Yet I must confess that I never found an explana-         promise only in the elect is certainly no mystery, but
of the dilemna that the promise of God is `for all the a contradiction which a very child, can understand.
children of believers that are born under the covenant,      There is nothing profound about this.
yet is fulfilled only in the elect, and that the realiza-       It is the same so-called "mystery" as that of the
tion of this promise of God depends solely on the Heynsian "two wills" in God, namely: the will that He
operation of the Holy Spirit. I thinks I can put their wants all men to be saved and the will that He does
conception of the covenant promise in what I consider not want all to be saved, but the elect only. This also
a faulty syllogism as follows:                               is no mystery, but a  .flat contradiction. Or again, it
   a. God's promise is for all.                              is the very same so-called "mystery" as the  well-
   b. God surely fulfills His promise through the Holy meaning offer, on the part of God, of salvation to all
Spirit.                                                      men, and the salvation of the elect only.
   c. Only the elect receive the promise of the cove-           Of such mysteries we must have nothing.
nant.                                                           And therefore, I still ask the leaders of the- liber-
   Now, the correct form of this syllogism must be ated churches how they harmonize the two: the prom-
either:                                                      ise of God which is sure and can never fail to all
   a. God's promise is for all.                              the children that are born under the covenant and
   b. God surely fulfills His promise.                       of believing parents, on the one hand; and, the effica-
   c. Hence, all the children of the covenant are sure- cious working of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of the
ly saved.                                                    elect unto faith, on the other hand.
   Or:                                                          2. And therefore, we can agree with this fourth pro-
   a. God's promise is for the elect only.                   position, though we prefer to use a little different term-
   b. God surely fulfills His promise through the inology. We would, rather than speak of  th& powerful
operation of the Holy Spirit.                                operation of the promise, present the matter in this
   c. Only the elect receive the promise and are saved. way that "our part" (not  : "parties" but "parts") of the
   The last form of the syllogism, of course, repre- covenant is the fruit of God's part. When God estab-
sents our view.                                              lishes His eternal covenant of grace with us, adopts
   A couple of years ago one of the liberated ministers us for His children and heirs and through the blood
wrote me that according to his conviction all the child- of Christ does wash us in His blood from all our sins,
ren of the covenant had a check in their pocket, repre-      incorporating us into the fellowship of His death and
senting the promise of salvation. All they had to do resurrection, so that we are freed from all our sins
was to go to the bank to cash that check. I replied at and accounted righteous before God, and through the
that time to him in the form of two questions: first of Holy Spirit dwells in us to sanctify us to be members
all, I asked him what was written on that check. Did of Christ and apply unto us all that we have in Christ,
the check state: "I, Jehovah God, promise Tom, Dick, namely, the washing away of .our sins and the daily
and Harry eternal life?" Or: "I, Jehovah God, prom- renewing of our lives, then, and as the fruit of that
ise the elect, the believers in Christ, eternal life?"       grace of God bestowed upon us, we assume our part
And, secondly, if the former was true, whether God of the covenant, which consists in this, "that we cleave
issued false checks, seeing there certainly is no capital to this one God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; that
in the bank for all in view of particular atonement, we trust in him, and love him with all our hearts, with
which means that Christ died not for all but for the         all our souls, with all our mind, and with all our
elect only. He replied to the first question that on the strength ; that we forsake the world, crucify our old
check was written the name of each individual child nature, and walk in a new and holy life."
that was born under the covenant, born of believing             Nevertheless, as such we have no objection to the
parents ; and to the second question he replied that         proposition "that the faith through which we are
God certainly did not issue false checks, but that this justified before God and are saved is the fruit of the
is a mystery: in other words, we cannot understand           efficacious operation of the covenant promise of God,
how God can promise eternal life to all the children which God without their assent fulfills in and for the
born under the covenant while at the same time He elect through the Holy Spirit."
powerfully works faith only. in the elect.                      Nevertheless, the present proposition stands in
   However, this is no mystery, but a flat contradic-        contradistinction with proposition 3, where it states
t.ion. Mysteries there are plenty; and the believer re- that "all the children of the church are included in the
joices in mysteries. Mysteries grow deeper and more covenant and church of God, and redemption from sin
profound in the measure that we contemplate them. by the blood of Christ and the Holy Ghost, the author
Eut the statement that God promise salvation to all          of faith, is promised to them no less than to the adult."

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

For again I say that if all the children that are born stitious belief in the efficacy of the sacraments as
of believing parents in the church have the promise, such and that they are essential unto salvation.
that promise will God certainly fulfill in all: for He                And this is not true.
does not lie.  A& if then it is true that "the faith                  Sacraments are surely important, and wilfully to
through which we are justified before God and are ignore or to neglect them must be detrimental to the
saved is the fruit of the operation of the covenant spiritual life of the believer. But they are not to be
promise of God, which God without their assent ful- considered as indispensable unto salvation. In this
fills in and for the elect through the Holy Spirit,                respect they differ from the preaching of the Word.
either all are elect or the third proposition cannot be            The Word, it must be remembered, is always the chief
true.       1                                                      means of grace; it is the means whereby we are called
   Perhaps'- these  two. propositions constitute a cer-            unto conscious faith in Christ. And it is also the
tain compromise between Dr. Bos and Rev. Van Tey- means whereby the believer is strengthened in faith
lingen.                                                            and edified unto sanctification. But the sacraments
   But a compromise is never a solution.                           are added to the Word, and must always take a secon-
                                                          H. H.    dary place. Without the Word the sacraments are
                                                                   meaningless. But the Word is never dependent on the
                                                                   sacraments for its significance and efficacy. In fact, as
                                                                   some of the confessions which we quoted in this chap-
                                                                   ter emphasized, the Word itself is even one of the
  THE TRIPLE KNOWLEDGE                                             most important elements in the `administration and
                                                                   celebration of the sacraments ; for when in the ad-
                                                                   ministration of baptism the minister employs the  well-
An Exposition Of The Heidelberg known formula, "I baptize thee in the name of the
                                                                   Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost", it is
                          Catechism                                Christ Himself that speaks His own Word and Who
                                                                   through His Holy Spirit causes the sacrament of bap-
                                                                   tism to be efficacious. And the same is true of the
                           PART TWO                                sacrament of the Lord's Supper. When in the celebra-
                 O f   M a n ' s   R e d e m p t i o n             tion of that sacrament the gathering of believers who
                                                                   partake of the signs of the broken bread and the wine
                         LORD'S  D\AY 25                           that is poured out hear the minister say, "The bread
                                  5.                               which we break, is the communion of the body of
          The Idea Of The Sacraments. (concluded)                  Christ," and again, "The cup of blessing, which we
                                                                   bless, is the communion of the blood of Christ," the
       Finally, it must be emphasized that sacraments              Word of God is administered to them and Christ Him-
are given to the Church in the world to be adminis-                self through His Holy Spirit addresses them and causes
tered by her officially and institutionally, and to be             the sacrament of the Lord's Supper to be sanctified
received, observed, and celebrated in the midst of the unto their hearts unto the strengthening of the faith.
gathering of the people of God.                                    This is also very plain from our form for the adminis-
       Just as the preaching of the Word is entrusted to           tration of the Lord's Supper, especially from the
the Church as the chief means of grace, so the sacra-              following passage : "And that we might firmly believe
ments are instituted in the Church as means whereby that we belong to this covenant of grace, the Lord
the Holy Spirit strengthens the faith of the believers.            Jesus Christ; in his last supper, took bread, and when
Hence, not any private ,group of Christians can ad- he had given thanks, he brake it, and gave it to his
minister baptism or celebrate the Lord's Supper. It                disciples and said, `Take, eat, this is my body which
is in and for the gathering of believers and their is  : broken for you,. this do in remembrance of me ; in
children, for the Church as such, that the sacraments              like manner. also after supper he took the cup, gave
are instituted. In the gathering of believers, where               thanks and said, Drink ye all of it; this cup is the
the Word is preached, the sacraments are to be cele-' new testament in my blood, which is shed for you
brated.  Reformed people generally were opposed to                 and for many, for the remission of sins; this do ye
baptize children or to celebrate the Lord's Supper in as often as ye drink it in remembrance of me ;' that is,
private, either in case of sickness or because of other as often as ye eat of this bread and drink of this
circumstances. They were afraid, and not without                   cup, you shall thereby as by a sure remembrance and
reason, t-hat the desire to have the sacraments thus pledge be admonished and assured of this my hearty
administered, in the privacy of the home, outside of love and faithfulness towards you; that, whereas you
the gathering of the Church, rested upon a super-                  should otherwise have suffered eternal death, I have


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                       271
                                                                                             _- ..-
given my body to the death of the cross, and shed signified, from which we obtain this infallible  rule':
my blood ,for you; and as certainly feed and nourish While  this relation  con&nues the sign and the thing
your hungry and thirsty souls with my crucified body,          srgnified remain united; but when it once ceases, theg
and shed blood, to everlasting life, as this bread is are  no longer united; by which. we are to understand,
broken before your eyes, and this cup is given to you, that as long as' the order established by God between
and you eat and drink the same with your mouth, in the sign and the thing signified remains, so long are
remembrance of me."                                            the things exhibited and `sealed with the signs ; but
   Thus, the Word is always the chief means of grace,          when this divine appointment ceases, the signs do not
operating in and through the sacraments ; and the exhibit or seal anything unto us. The second proof
latter are always subordinate to the former.' :                which we advance in support of the sacramental union
   This also sheds light upon the question of the so-          as just explained, is that which arises out of the
called sacramental union, or the relation between the analogy and correspondence of sacraments. It must
signs and the things signified.-; This relation is not be a union in harmony with all sacraments. Let us,
such that the signs are changed into the thing itself, therefore, inquire what was the union between Christ
so that, for instance, the signs in the Lord's Supper and the sacraments of old, and we shall then see what
are changed into the essence of the body and blood is the nature of the union which holds in the sacra-
of `Christ and that essence can be eaten with our ments of the New Testament; for there must be a
physical mouth. Such is the erroneous theory of the            correspondence in this respect, or else the sacraments
Romish Church, called transsubstantiation, of which of old were no sacraments, or the union was not sacra-
we must speak later. Nor is this relation to be con- mental, not being such as corresponds with all sacra-
ceived of as local, -so that together with the signs the ments. The union now which we belonged to the
thing signified is presented essentially to the believer, sacraments of old could only be a respective or relative
as is the Lutheran theory of consubstantiation. But            union. Hence, such must now also be the nature of
the relation is entirely spiritual, so that through the that union which is sacramental."
means of the sacrament as signs of the invisible grace            From all this it is evident that Christ from heaven,
of God, Christ, through His Spirit, operates upon the through His Holy Spirit, establishes what is called
faith of the believer unto salvation.                          the sacramental union, so that by faith the believer
   Thus Ursinus in his "Commentary on the Heidel- receives the thing signified through the means of the
berg Catechism" writes : "A sacramental union, there- sacrament. And that is the reason why we insist
fore, is not corporal, nor does it consist in the presence that even in the sacrament the Word of Christ is para-
of the sign and the thing signified in the `same place ;       mount.                                                     .
much less in trans- or con-substantiation; bu*t it is rela-       As to the fruit and the effect of the sacraments
tive, and consists in these two things: 1. In a likeness upon different classes of participants we may state
or correspondence between the signs and the thing the following. Neither the preaching of the Word
signified thereby, codcerning  which Augustine says :          nor the administration and celebration of the sacra-
`If the sacraments have not a certain resemblance or ments is ever vain and without effect. But the effect
relation to the things of which they are sacraments,           is not always the same ; for has the preaching of the
they would not be sacraments.' 2. In the joint exhibi- Word is both a savor of life unto life and a savor of
tion and reception of the signs and things signified in        death unto death, so also the sacraments as they are
their proper use, which cannot be done without faith,          administered in the visible Church as visible tokens
as we shall hereafter show. None but those who have of God's invisible grace produce in the main a two-foId
faith receive from the minister signs, and from Christ         effect. But even so, we can distinguish four different
the things signified ; and when they thus receive both classes of participants in the sacraments: first, there
in their proper use, we have what is called the sacra- are, of course, the true believers, who partake of the
mental  union."     "     '     C.                             sacraments, both of baptism and of the Lord's Supper,
    And in the same' connection he writes: "This is and who through the means of them are strengthened
proven, first, from the nature of a sacrament. The             in their faith by the Holy Spirit. This is done chiefly
word sacrament is relative.  : The rites and ceremonies and usually at the very moment of the celebration of
which God has instituted constitute the foundation or the sacrament, although it is not impossible that the
ground work.       The' term includes Christ, and com- fruit of the sacraments is obtained later. And, this
munion with  him in all his benefits. The relation is saving effect of the sacraments is for the whole church,
the order or connection which'exists between the rites for all the believers that partake of them. And this is
and the things which they signify. The `:correlatives          true not only of the Lord's Supper, but also of  the
are the signs and the things signified. From this, it is sacrament of baptism. It is the whole Church that
evident that the sacramental `union is dbthing  else,          celebrates the sacrament of baptism at the moment
than the relation which the sign has to that which is          when an infant is baptized; and the blessing of that

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

sacrament is received not only by the infant but also        ment that he despises holy things ; and the result also
by all the believers that partake of that sacrament,         for him is that the sacrament is a savor of death unto
so that they are strengthened in the faith of the  ctive-    death and an aggravation of his judgment.
nant and of the incorporation into Christ, of the for-          In conclusion we may say a word about the number
giveness of sins and the adoption unto children and of the sacraments, as taught in the sixty-eighth ques-
heirs. This is often forgotten. When baptism is ad- tion and answer of the Heidelberg Catechism: "How
ministered in the services of the Church, the congrega-      many sacraments has Christ instituted in the new cove-
tion often assumes the attitude as if the ceremony was nant, or testament? Two : namely, holy baptism, and
a transaction between the minister and the child and the holy supper".
its parents. But this is a serious mistake. The whole           The Romish Church adds five other sacraments to
Church must consciously celebrate the sacrament of these two, namely : confirmation, penance, ordination,
baptism, as well as the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, extreme unction, and matrimony. None of these, how-
wherever it is administered., Secondly, the sacraments       ever, are instituted in the Church by Jesus Christ to
also have a detrimental effect upon believers that do        be administered in the Church and to be observed and
not partake. This, of course, appears to be chiefly celebrated by her. It is true that Roman Catholics
true of the Lord's Supper; but we should never forget appeal to Scripture in support of their contention
that the two sacraments can never be separated  ; and        concerning the number of the sacraments. Thus, for
whenever a believer for some reason fails to partake         instance, for confirmation they refer to texts that
of the sacrament of communion whenever it is adminis- speak of the laying on of hands, as Acts 19 :6 and Heb.
tered, he also loses hold on the efficacy of his own bap- 6:2. But it is plain, in the first place, that this was
tism. This failure to participate of the table of the        not an institution of Christ personally, and secondly,
Lord may be due to misunderstanding of that sacra- that the laying on of hands by the apostles was a cere-
ment,; or it may be caused by the fact that temporarily mony peculiar to the primitive Church as a sign of the
believers love certain sins, and nourish them, and           special powers of the Holy Ghost, such as the gifts
rather refrain from partaking of the Lord's Supper           of. healing, the gifts of tongues and prophecying, and
than to confess their sins. But whether the one or the the like,-a ceremony which soon passed away and is
other is the cause of their failure to partake, the          no longer in vogue in the Church of today. For the
inevitable effect is always that they fail to grow in socalled sacrament of penance they refer to James
grace and that their spiritual life is impoverished. 5 : 16 especially : "Confess your faults one to another,
And therefore, it is very essential that in the preach- and pray ye for one another, that ye may be healed.
ing of the Word believers are urged regularly to attend The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man  avail-
unto the administration of the sacraments. Thirdly, eth much." That this is not an institution of Christ,
there are those in the Church on earth, mixed with the to be administered by the Church officially, and to  be
gathering of believers, that have not the faith, but         observed in the gathering of the saints, goes without
that nevertheless partake of the sacraments. They are saying. And penance, or absolution, is affected in
the hypocrites. These receive the signs but not the the Church of Christ by the preaching of, the gospel.
thing signified thereby. And the signs they receive For orders, or ordination, they appeal to passages like
unto the aggravation of their judgment and the hard- II Tim. I:6 and I Tim. 4 :14. But although these pas-
ening of their hearts. This is also plainly expressed sages do indeed teach the ordination of the ministers
in the thirty-fifth article of the Belgic Confession,        of the gospel, yet they do not speak of a sacrament
where we read: "Further, though the sacraments are which is appointed and instituted by Christ for the
connected with the thing signified, nevertheless both Church, to be administered unto her and to be observed
are not received by all men: the ungodly indeed re- and celebrated by her. And for the so-called sacra-
ceives a sacrament to his condemnation, but he does ment of matrimony they refer especially to Eph. 5:30-
not receive the truth of the sacrament. As Judas, and 32 : "For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and
Simon the sorcerer, both indeed received the sacra- of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his
ment, but not Christ, who was signified by it, of whom father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife,
believers only are made partakers." And lastly, for and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mys-
the unbeliev.er  who is for a time member of the Church tery: but I speak concerning Christ and the Church."
as the gathering of believers and their children, who        That, however, matrimony is not a sacrament, espec-
indeed carries the sign of the covenant on his forehead,     ially instituted by Christ in and for His Church ought
but who despises the covenant of God and separates to be evident already from the fact that the marriage
himself from the table of communion, the sacraments relation is rooted in creation and is common to all men.
also are a savor of death unto death. He is the public Besides, although in Ephesians 5:32 Paul speaks of
violator of'the covenant of God, is a profane person,        "this is a great mystery", the mystery refers not to
as Esau was, and shows in his relation to the sawa- the marriage relation as such, although for believers


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                             273

it is a symbol of the union of Christ and His Church,
but only to the latter relation, according to which "we                 OUR DOCTRINE
are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones."
And for the so-called sacrament of extreme unction
they refer to passages like Mark 6 : 13 : "And they cast
out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were                  The Attributes Of God
sick, and healed them ;" and to James 5 :14 : "Is any
sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the           The Hol&zess  of God. (continued)
church ; and let them,. pray over him; anointing him ~ We concluded our preceding article by quoting  B
with oil in the name of the Lord." But again, in the few Scriptural passages in support of the truth that
first place, this is not a sacrament, because sacraments God is holy. Attention was called to Isaiah 6 :1-3, 5-7,
are appointed especially by Christ, instituted in and        10:1'7,   29:19,   30:11,   41:16,   47:4,  54:5,  57:15,  a n d
for His Church, to be administered unto her and to John                 17:ll.      .-
be celebrated and observed by her. And in the second            From these passages we may conclude that the
place, these passages certainly have nothing to do with Lord Himself is holy. Holiness surely implies separa-
what the Romish Church teaches concerning extreme tion from evil and consecration to goodness and per-
unction,  w,hich  is administered only to the dying; for, fection. This is applicable in an infinite sense to the
whether or not we explain James 5  :14 as referring to living God.  Tie is  the  Holy One and, therefore, the
spiritual  sickness, it is very evident that both the        Incomparable One. This  .we literally read in Isaiah
passages quoted speak of the healing of the sick and         40:25: "To whom then will ye liken Me, or shall I be
not of the anointing of the dying.                           equal? saith the Holy one." As the Holy One He is
   Hence, on the basis of Holy Writ we hold that there the Incomparable One,  who cannot be compared with
are only two sacraments, namely: baptism and the or likened to anyone. He alone is the Holy one. Holi-
Lord's Supper. The former corresponds to the sacra- ness, therefore, is an attribute peculiarly Divine. That
ment of circumcision in the old dispensation  ; the latter God's holiness is synonymous with His own incompar-
was adumbrated by the paschal lamb and perhaps by able perfection is plain from Isaiah 6:3, 5 which we
the various sacrifices of the law. Of these two sacra- quoted above. The prophet, because he is a sinful
ments baptism is first. And although it is repeatedly man, cannot endure this radiation of the glory of the
celebrated by the Church, it can nevertheless be ad- Lord, the radiation of His holiness. The Lord is the
ministered to the individual only once, because it is Holy One of Israel, the Holy `One; God and holiness
the sacrament of .the incorporation into Christ. And are therefore inseparable ; He alone is holy.
the Lord's Supper follows the sacrament of baptism as            The Holiness of the Lord is, then, that perfection
the sign and seal of the nourishment and strengthening of Jehovah whereby He is eternally separated from the
of the faith of the believers. This sacrament can be common and sinful world and wholly consecrated unto
partaken of only by those that come to years of dis-         Himself. He is the God of infinite perfection and as
cretion and are able to discern the Lord's body, al- such is eternally consecrated unto Himself. The holi-
though it may be questioned very seriously whether ness `of God, therefore, implies, first of all, that He,
the children of the covenant cannot discern the Lord's .and He alone, is the God of infmite and spotless purity,
body and therefore partake of communion at a very and, secondly, that He is the motive and purpose of all
early age.                                                   His activity so that He is eternally consecrated unto
                                               H. H.         Himself as the Highest  ,Good.  The Lord `finds' the                '
                                                             motive and purpose of all His actions in Himself. He
                                                             does all things for His Name's sake. He is the God .
                                                             of eternal and infinite perfection, is never prompted by
                                                             anything less than the glory of His Name and the
                                                             manifestation of His own incomparable greatness and
                                                             perfection. He is consecrated solely and eternally unto
                    CLASSIS EAST                             Himself, the Highest and Absolute Good.
                                                                 This virtue, which belongs to the Lord's communi-
will meet in regular session D. V., at 9 :00 A.M., Wed- cable attributes an,d is, as the name suggests, com-
nesday, April 6 at the Hope Protestant Reformed municable, the Lord also bestows upon His people.
                                                             That God renders us holy implies that He, through
Church. This is the last meeting of  Classis before the power of His grace, separates us from all that
Synod.                                                       which is common and sinful and consecrates us unto
                                                             Himself. This is perfectly applicable to the Christ,
                                 D. Jonker, S. C.            although, of course, He knew no sin. That Christ was


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separated from all evil does not, of course, imply that           In this article we are interested in the concept,
He ever was evil.      We become saints (holy ones)            "righteousness," as an attribute of God. Often in
through the power of Divine grace. The Scriptures              Holy Writ, as in the epistle to the Romans, this word
speak of the people of God as "called saints," who             refers to the righteousness of the people of God and
become such through the irresistible calling of God. must be understood in the sense of justification,  "recht-
And this, we noticed in the foregoing, always occurs vaardigmaking," the state of righteousness, of being
through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ (Heb. 13 :          just before God. However, we are at present discuss-
12). Through that blood we have been redeemed from ing the attributes of God. And "righteousness", very
the guilt of sin and have received the right unto eternal      closely related to the concept, "holiness", is one of the
life ; and also through the power of that blood, the           communicable attributes of the Lord.
power of the risen Christ Who was dead and is alive
forevermore, we are also actually called, delivered out                 .God Himself is Righteous3criptural.
of the spiritual power of sin and darkness into the               That the Lord Himself is righteous is repeatedly
blessedness of the communion and fellowship of the             taught in the Word of God. "He is the Rock, His
alone blessed God, now in principle and afterwards in work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God
eternal and heavenly perfection.                               of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He"
                                                               Deut. 32 :4 ; "0 Lord -God  of Israel, Thou art righteous ;
         THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD                              for we remain yet `escaped, as it is this day: behold,
                                                               we are before Thee in our trespasses: for we cannot
                        Its  Idea.                             stand before Thee because of this."-Ezra 9 :15 ; "And
 , The word, "righteousness, righteous," means liter-          foundest his heart faithful before Thee, and madest  a
ally: to be right, ,straight,  as a straight line, to be in    covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites,
harmony with a Certain standard or norm. The w:rd              the  Hittites, the Amorites, and Perizzites, and the
"righteousness or righteous" appears very often in Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give it, I say, to his
Holy Writ: Although it has been said that we cannot seed, and hast performed Thy words; for Thou art
speak of righteousness in God because there is no law          righteous."--Nehemiah 9 :8 ; "Righteous art Thou, 0
or norm to which He is subject, nevertheless the Scrip- Lord, and upright are Thy judgments."-Psalm 119:
tures repeatedly declare that `He is righteous. The            137 ; "The Lord is righteous in all His ways, and holy
word also occurs frequently with respect to man, as            in all His works."-Psalm 145 : 17 ; "Tell ye, and bring
especially in the books of Psalms and Proverbs. Time th.em near: yea, let them take counsel together: who
and again, throughout the Word of  ,God,  the righteous hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told
are contrasted with the unrighteous or wicked.  Abm- it from that time? have not I the Lord? and there is
ham, e.g., in his prayer for the preservation of Sodom no God else beside Me; a just God and a Saviour  ; there
(Genesis 18) bases his petition exactly upon this dis- is none beside Me."-Isaiah 45  :21; "Righteous art
tinction between the godly and the ungodly. This ap            Thou, 0 Lord, when I plead with Thee: yet let me talk
pears from verses 23-25, and we quote: "And Abraham with Thee of Thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way
drew near, and said, Wilt Thou also destroy the right- of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy
eous with the wicked? Peradventure there be fifty that deal very treacherously ?"-Jeremiah  12 : 1: "The
righteous within the city: Wilt Thou also destroy and Lord is righteous; for I have rebelled against His com-
not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are           mandments: hear, I pray you, all people, and behold
therein? That be far from Thee to do after this man-           my sorrow: my virgins and my young men are gone
ner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that into captivity."-Lamentations 1:18 ; "Therefore hath
the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far             the Lord watched upon the evil, and brought it upon
from Thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do us: for the Lord our God is righteous in all His works
right ?" It is clear from this passage that the "Corn;         which He doeth : for we obeyed not His voice."-Daniel
mon Grace" theorists are completely in error who               9 ; 14 ; "0 righteous Father, the world hath not known
would have us believe that the father of believers is          Thee: but I have known Thee, and these have known
concerned with the city of Sodom and the wicked in- that Thou hast sent me."-John 1'7  :25; "Henceforth
habitants of that city. He is concerned with the there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which
righteous within that city and his plea before the             the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that
Judge of all the earth is certainly rooted in his con-         day: and not to, me only, but unto all them also that
cern for the righteous, that the  Judge of all. the  m&h       love His appearing."--2 Timothy 4  :8 ; "If ye know
will not destroy the righteous with the wicked. And,           that He is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth
as far as the book of Psalms is concerned, the right-          righteousness is born of Him."-1 John 2 :29; "And I
eous may well be considered the theme of that parti- heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous.
cular book.                                                    0 Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because


                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D  BE,ARER                                             275

Thou hast judged thus."-Rev.  16:5. All these pas- did not choose the Lord but the Lord chose him, and
sages clearly speak of a righteousness of God Himself. this is the root of that which follows), and broughtest
Let us look a little more closely at a few of these him forth out of I.Jr of the Chaldees, and gavest him
passages.                                                     the name of Abraham (God led him forth, and God
   Deuteronomy 32 :4 : "He is the Rock, His work is gave him the name of Abraham-it is all of God, there-
perfect: for all His ways are judgments: a God of             fore, we see) ; And foundest his heart faithful before
truth and without iniquity, just and right is He."            Thee (this, surely, does not mean that the Lord "hap-
Moses declares here that God is the Rock, the only,           pened" to find Abraham's heart faithful, and that the
firm, abiding, unchangeable Reality, and therefore the faithfulness of Abraham's heart was the basis for the
ultimate Criterion and Standard of all that is. He is         Lord's dealings with the father of believers-this is
the  Rock, the only Rock, the only One Who can speak pure arminianism; faithfulness was not the condition
of Himself as a Rock, the only unchangeable Reality.          on which the dealings of the Lord with him depended,
It is for this reason that His work is perfect.and  that      but the Lord's sovereign way in which He led the
all His ways are judgment-because the Lord is the ancient patriarch and revealed unto him His covenant),
Absolute Goodness, Norm, Standard, Criterion, He and madest a covenant with him to give the land of
always judges the children of men, determines whether the Canaanites. . . . , to give it, I say, to his seed
they walk according to Him or not. His ways are ways          (notice that the Lord would give give him and his seed
of judgment; His ways alone are ways of judgment;             this land, and that this word "giving" appears twice
He alone may judge and He alone can judge; and when in this text), and hast performed Thy words (God,
He judges he always judges men in the light of Him-           therefore,  has performed  His words). The uncon-
self, because He alone is the Rock, the unchangeable          ditional character of this Scriptural passage is surely
Reality. This God is furthermore, so the text con- beyond all doubt. And that the Lord has performed
tinues, the God of truth and without iniquity ; He is         His words, His promise to Abraham, is because: "For
without iniquity, i.e., is not a lie or vanity, but the       Thou art righteous-"-the Lord carried out His prom-
Truth, Reality. And as that Truth, Reality He knows ise because He is unchangeably in harmony with Him-
Himself. Hence, the Lord does not usurp authority,            self; He wills what He promises ; He wills as He is ;
does not appropriate unto Himself undue authority He is the Rock and unchangeable; hence, He always
when all His ways are judgments, does not imagine fulfills His word or promise. That the Lord fulfills
Himself to be what He is not. He is without iniquity,         His promise is, therefore, because He is righteous,
without the lie or vanity. He is the Truth and knows and His righteousness is His unchangeable harmony
Himself as such.     Hence, He is good and upright,           with and maintaining of Himself.
straight and upright, always in harmony with the                 Psalm  l&5:1  7: "The Lord is righteous in all His
Standard of all goodness, Himself. That  ,God  is right- ways, and holy in all His works." This text is obvious-
eous evidently means, therefore, that He is eternally ly explained by the psalmist in the verses ,18-20 that
in conformity to Himself-He is the unchangeable and follow: "The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon
ultimate Criterion of all  godoness  and perfection.          Him, to all that call upon Him in truth. `He will also
   Nehemiah Y :8 : "And foundest his heart faithful fulfill the desire of them that fear Him: He also will
before Thee, and madest a covenant with him to give hear their cry, and will save them. The Lord  pre-
the land of the Canaanites,  ,the Hittites, the Amorites,     serveth all them that love Him: but all the wicked
and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girga-         will He destroy." And for this  reason'the  man of God
thites, to give it, I say, to his seed, and hast performed    can conclude this psalm with the words : "My. mouth
Thy works ; for Thou art righteous." In the context           shall speak the praise of the Lord: and let all flesh
of these words the inspired speaker speaks of the bless His holy Name for ever and ever."
promise of God to give to Abraham and his seed the               The exponents of "Common Grace" delight in call-
land of Canaan ; hence, in the context of these words         ing attention to this psalm. This theory would have
the holy writer speaks of the promise of the covenant.        UP believe that the Lord is also graciously inclined to
This appears, not only from the text which we have the wicked in this life. At the conclusion of this
quoted, but also from the preceding verse: "Thou art          world's history this present dispensation of the general
the Lord the God, Who didst choose Abram, and                 mercy and kindness of the Lord will come to an end.
broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and           In hell the Lord will reveal Himself forever as a Con-
gavest him the name of Abraham (father of many suming Fire. Then this present day of grace will have
nations-H.V.) Please notice, in these seventh and been concluded. In this world, this present dispensa-
eighth verses, the unconditional character of the prom- tion, however, the Lord continues to be favorably in-
ise of the Lord. We quote, and the contents in the clined to all the children of men. And He, according
various parentheses are of the undersign&,: "Thou to these theorists, reveals this general kindness not
art the Lord the God, Who didst choose Abram (Abram only in all the earthy things which He bestows upon


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them, but also in the preaching of the gospel, which And it grieved them. The holy writer of the seventy-
manifestly on the Lord's part is a sincere effort to save third psalm continues in his restless and sorely troubled
others besides those whom He has sovereignly chosen state until he enters the sanctuary of God. Rest and
from before the foundation of the world. Do we not peace elude him until he is able to view their present
read in verse 9: "The Lord is good to all: and His prosperity in the light of their end, until he realizes
tender mercies are over all His works."?                        that the Lord has placed them on slippery places and
       How different and contrary to this conception is that, therefore, all things work together unto their
the presentation of the psalmist in the concluding eternal ruin and desolation. The question of the "wel-
verses of this psalm ! Indeed, this already applies to fare" of the ungodly and the "misfortune" of the
the first part of this psalm. Read carefully the verses people of God is to the prophet  `and the psalmist a
1-8 and let us honestly ask ourselves the question              miserably perplexing problem because they cannot
whether this applies to all men or only to the children harmonize it with the righteousness and perfection of
of ,God. ,4nd in the verses 18-20  we are told that the         the living God. And they love that God and cannot
Lord ti nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all tolerate the thought that anything might be in conflict
thut call upon Him in  trwth,   that He will fulfill the with His holiness and righteousness. How different is
desire of them that fear Him, will also hear their cry the attitude of many today toward the same dilemna !
and save  them,  and that the Lord preserveth all  them It is to them no longer a dilemna  i They do not hesi-
that love Him, but will destroy all the wicked. And             tate to ascribe the sinner's "welfare" to the general
this, mind you, will not occur merely in the hereafter. kindness and compassion of the Lord. The Lord, they
This always happens. Fact is, according to verse 17,            say, is graciously inclined to all.' Neither are they
the Lord is righteous in all His ways, and holy in all          troubled by the Scriptural testimony that the Lord is
His works. All God's ways and works are all His                 angry with the wicked every day, that the. Lord is
dealings with the children of men. And let us under- righteous in all His ways and holy in all His works,
stand correctly: He is righteous in all His ways and that the curse of Jehovah is in the house of the wicked
works. Always He is nigh unto all them that call upon and that `the living Cod curses him continually in all
Rim, that call upon Him in truth. Always He will that he is and possesses (Deut. 28) ; very superficially
fulfill the desire of them that fear Him ; always He            he accepts both. He believes that the Lord loves and
will hear their cry; always He will save them. And              hates the same person at the same time, and does not
always the Lord is preserving all them that love Him,           hesitate to accuse anyone who sincerely recoils from
but also always He will destroy the wicked. And this such a conception that he is guilty of the attempt to
is due to the fact that the Lord is tighteous  in all His. understand with his finite and faulty mind the thing;
ways and works. Because the Lord is righteous, un-              which ,God has so "clearly" revealed in His Word and
changeably in harmony with Himself, therefore His which we must embrace by a childlike faith. This,
attitude toward the godly and the ungodly is always however, is not the presentation of Psalm 73 or of the
the same. God is unchangeable in Himself and there- prophet, Jeremiah.
fore in all His dealings with the children of men.                 And now the prophet, in Jeremiah 12  :l, would
       Jeremiah 1.Z?:.Z  : "Righteous art Thou, 0 Lord, when    plead with the Lord in connection with this phenome-
I plead with Thee: yet let me talk with Thee of Thy non. He would talk with the Lord, we read, of His
judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked judgments. He inquires of Jehovah why all they  ,are
prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very            happy who  dea1 very treacherously. But, before he
treacherously  ?,' The prophet is faced in this text with begins to plead with Jehovah, one thing stands fast.
a dilemna. His problem concerns the prosperity of the           That one thing is expressed in the text: "Righteous
wicked. We have the same problem here as that which art Thou, 0 Lord." This is the Rock on which he
confronts the psalmist in Psalm 73. The question con- stands when he pleads. The appearance of things,
cerning the prosperity of the wicked and the affliction which he does not understand, does not tempt him to
of the people of God is therefore not a problem of doubt and impugn the right of Jehovah. God is right-
recent date. Also the people of God of the Old Dispen- eous. To doubt or attack the righteousness of the
sation were confronted by this vexing situation. And, Lord would be the height of `folly. God is righteous-
yet, there is a vast difference between the attitude of nothing can change or alter that. And the reason why
the prophet toward this perplexing problem and that, no amount of reasoning can alter this truth, why we
which is generally revealed in the present day. In the must proceed from this truth and allow it to govern
Old Testament, in the experiences of the psalmist of all our reasoning and deliberations, is simply because
Psalm 73 and of the prophet, Jeremiah, the matter of the Lord b righteous. Righteousness constitutes His
the prosperity of the ungodly and the affliction of the very Being. It does not merely clothe Him as a gar-
righteous constituted for them a very perplexing and ment; it expresses what He is. A deviation by the
distressing enigma.        They could not understand it.        Lord from the path of righteousness would involve


                                    T H E   S T A ' N D A R D   B E A R E R                                      277

Him in a denial of Himself. And that is impossible, that shall not be". And when Jesus' hour was come,
for God is God, the Rock, the I AM, the unchangeable. they came, did the enemies, and laid their hands on
This truth receives all the emphasis in Jeremiah 12 : 1,     Him there in the garden. But the disciples would
in the few passages we have briefly discussed, and           not have it so. Inflamed with anger, they would fight
throughout the Word of God. What this righteousness to the death for their beloved Master. This is evident
of the Lord implies we shall see, the Lord willing, in from Peter's reactions. He begins swinging with his
our following article.                                       sword, and strikes a servant of the highpriest, cutting
                   (to be continued)                         off his ear. Christ bids him to put up again his sword
                                        H. Veldman.          in its place, and heals the servant's ear. Amazed at
                                                             the doing of their Master, the disciples take to flight.
                                                             These men are not cowards. Seeing that He has for-
                                                             bidden them to fight for Him, there is nothing left
      J'HE DAY OF SHADOWS                                    for them to do but to flee. Jesus is led away to the
                                                             court of the highpriest. Wanting to see the end of tile
                                                             matter, Peter follows afar off. At the opportune time,
                                                             when the moment is right, Jesus will save Himself out
    Christ Alone In  His Suffering                           of their hands, certainly. He has always done so thus
                                                             far. But Jesus remains in their hands, apparently a
   We turn to the eighth and the ninth verses of helpless victim of their wrath. Witnesses present their
Isaiah 53, and, as quoting the original text, read the lying accusations; and Jesus is silent. They buffet
Word of God as follows, "From violence and judgment Him, they mock and deride Him. They beat Him with
he was taken ; and who of his contemporaries con-            their fists and spit in His face; but He does not even
sidered, that he was cut off from the land of the living,    as much as raise His voice in protest. Peter sees and
this stroke lighting upon him, because of the trans- hears all. He can hardly believe his eyes. The thought
gressions of my people?"                                     rises in his soul, and in the souls of them all, "Can
   The dominant thought in this scripture passage is that be the Christ?" It means that Peter is offended
that the passion of Christ was understood by not one at Jesus. Christ had predicted that. Peter denies
of his contemporaries. The enemies, though they well Jesus thrice openly, even going so far as to affirm his
knew that Jesus was a blameless and just man, were denials by an oath. The Savior had predicted that,
totally ignorant of the fact that it was the blood of too.
the atonement that was being shed there on Golgotha.           Then there are the two wayfarers to the village of
And the disciples of Jesus shared this ignorance.            Emmaus. They are talking together of all the  things
Christ's terrible experiences in the hours of His pas- that have befallen Jesus, and they are sick at heart.
sion-His trial, the miscarriage of justice that char- Knowing all about their sorrows, the resurrected Jesus,
acterized that trial, His  crucifmion  with all its at- appearing to them, inquires about the manner of their
tending shame, disgrace, ignominy, pains and sorrows communications and after the reasons of their sad-
-mystified, perplexed, and confounded them. It ness. He receives as answer that their conversation
troubled their heart. It terrified their souls.              turns on Jesus of Nazareth, "which they say", was a
    But how is it to be explained that even the dis- prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all
ciples of Jesus understood not, failed to perceive that the people ; and how the chief priests and our rulers
,Christ  was the true sin-offering, God's true Lamb,         delivered Him to be condemned to death, and have
who came to bear away the sins of His people? The            crucified Him." Their next statement is significant.
prophets had spoken plainly, Isaiah especially, in the They say, -"But we trusted that it had been he which
very chapter with which we now deal. And it may should redeem Israel." They had trusted ; but them
be assumed that the disciples &nd friends of Jesus in hopes, in common with the hopes of them all, had been
general were thoroughly acquainted with these dis- blasted by what had befallen Him in those latter days.
courses. Besides, the disciples had walked with Jesus That cross of Jesus ! It had them baffled and con-
and had imbibed His instruction. Yet the cross was founded.
as much of an enigma to them as to any of their con-             What may be the reason? How is it to be ex-
temporaries.    The gospel narratives bring this out plained that not even they, to say nothing of Jesus'
clearly. As His career on earth was drawing to a enemies, perceived that it was the blood of the  atone-
close, Christ showed His disciples how He must go to men that the Savior was shedding for His own?
Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and              It can be explained.
the  chief? priests and scribes, and he killed and be            Firstly, the disciples in common  with all the Jews
raised the third day. Taking Him aside on a day,             were picturing to themselves the promised Messiah
Peter rebuked Him saying, "Be it far from thee, Lord; as a deliverer of the type of David and Solomon ; and


27%                                  T H E   S T A N D A R D ,   B E A R E R

and they imagined that this deliverance was to consist soul that doeth ought with uplifted hand," so the Lord
in their nation being freed from foreign domination.         had commanded, "shall be cut off from among His
This is not surprising. Through all the ages of the people, because he hath despised the word of the Lord,
past, all the deliverances that God had sent, had been and hath broken his commandment; that soul  shaU
just that,-namely, the lifting of the yoke of a foreign      utterly be cut off; he shall bear his iniquity." This
oppressor. And all the deliverers that the Lord thus had to be done by putting the offender to death ; and
far had raised up had been of the type of Joshua, and        thereupon his dead body was hung on a tree till even
Gideon, and King David. It was the only kind of in token of his being cursed of God and cast into ever-
deliverer and deliverance of which they knew and             lasting desolation by God. "Cursed is every one that
that they could imagine. It never occurred to them hangeth on a tree," thus spake the law. This precisely
that Christ was a king not of typical, earthy, but           is the stroke that fell on Christ. Pronounced a blas-
of a heavenly glory ; and that to enter this glory Christ    phemer by Israel's judges, He was cut off from God's
has to go by the way of that terrible cross. They had country, the land of the living, by death on the ac-
no conception of the heavenly. For it had been re- cursed tree, cut off, banished from God's very  pre-
vealed to them in terms of a typical language and            tense  by  *God  Himself. Did he not from out of the
typical things. And their mistake was that they mis-         darkness that enveloped His cross cry out to God,
took the type for the reality.                               "My God, .My God, why hast thou forsaken m!" Verily,
       Secondly, though the disciples of Jesus were re- He was made a curse for us. And who of men con-
generated men, they, same as we all, were slow of sidered that this stroke lighted on Him for the trans-
heart to believe all that was written. For they, too, gressions of His people? Not one of them. The only
as are we, were sinful men, with only a beginning solution of His sufferings that men, including His
of true obedience, and thus encumbered in their think- people, could find within themselves is that He was
ing by the sinful biases of their flesh. They liked to afflicted of God for His own sins. Would God other-
think of Christ as a king of earthly typical glory,          wise thus afflict Him*? Does the Lord expel from His
surrounded by themselves as His chief ministers and          presence the righteous? Were He a prophet, sent to
counselors. It appealed to their flesh. And they fre-        deliver Israel, would His career be ending on a cross?
quently fell to disputing among themselves who of So men reasoned among themselves. No one perceived
them would stand closest to Christ when He had once ,that it was the blood of the atonement that was being
come into His kingdom.                                       shed.
       Thirdly, it was a hard and difficult way by which        As workers in God's kingdom, we like to be ap-
,Christ  had to go to enter His glory. It was the way preciated, don't we? We expect from the brethren
of the terrible cross.     Perhaps, and I say perhaps,       their moral support. And if that appreciation and
for I am only supposing now,-perhaps if Christ had           support is not forthcoming, we, in our haste, begin
gone to the highpriest and explained to .him that He to debate with ourselves whether we had not better
was the true sin-offerings; that, seeing His hour had        resign. It would serve the brethren right. Christ was
come, He had now to be offered up ; and had the high-        performing a great work on the cross. He was pour-
priest, obeying, ordered Him slain, and sprinkled of ing out His soul unto death for His sheep. But who
,His blood on the horns of the altar for a covering of of His sheep understood and as understanding was
the sins of His people,-the disciples of Jesus, might there at the cross speaking words of appreciation and
have understood.                                             encouragement? Not one! Could we have gotten our
       It was that amazing cross that troubled them. In way, Christ would have come down from that cross.
Israel the  Cross  was a thing too horrible to contemplate. Nay, worse, unless grace had intervened, we, His people
The land of Canaan, let us consider, was God's country. would have helped to crucify Him. "For all we as
It was the heaven of the Old Testament church, and           sheep have gone astray," is our confession, is it not?
therefore so often referred to in the Old Testament          Christ was all alone in His sufferings. It was the
Scriptures as the land of the living, in contradistinction Father's will.
to all the rest of the earth, which was the land of the         But the church of that day, had the Scriptures,
dead. For in the land of Canaan God was tabernacling one will say. And the Scriptures spake plainly. They
with His people. Jerusalem was the very city of God. did, to be sure. But, as the apostle. John remarks in
Jerusalem's temple was His house, His very dwelling his Gospel, "The Holy Ghost was not yet sent; because
place. The court of the temple was the only place on Jesus was not yet glorified." He had not yet been
earth where God's people could stand before His face. sent, had the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, in
For there in that court stood God's altar. The true          Christ's own words, to teach His people, His disciples,
Jew loved Jerusalem better than life. Canaan being all things, and to bring all things to their remembrance,
what it was, God's country, the land of the living,          whatsoever He had said unto them." The Holy Ghost
the wicked had to be cut off from it by death. "The          as Teacher and Comforter, is the fruitage of the travail


                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                       279

of Christ's soul. 4s the Spirit had not yet been sent,
there was no understanding of Christ's cross. Now                      S I O N ' S   Z A N G E N
there is a reason why God withheld this understanding
until Christ was glorified. Had  .men, had we, known
that it was the blood of the atonement that we were
shedding, we all would have perished in hell in that              Eeuwige Goedertierenheid
very hour. For in that case our crucifying the Christ                     (Psalm 107 : Tweede' Deel)
would have involved us, Jews and Gentiles alike, in a
sin that God does not forgive, namely, a sin identical         De laatste  maal, dat we bij dezen psalm stilstonden,
to that of crucifying the Son of God afresh and putting hoorden we van de overstelping der ziel van het solk
Him to open shame. According to the Hebrews, this is (Gods : "hunne ziel was in hen overstelpt 1"
`sin that is not forgiven. For, so we read there, "It is       En de oorzaak van die overstelping is de hanger
impossible for those who were once enlightened, if en dorst der zielen.
they shall fall away, to renew them again to repent-           En die honger en dorst van het volk Gods aller
ance, seeing that they crucify to themselves the Son oI`    eeuwen verraadt de nobiliteit huns levens: ze hebben
God afresh." Hebrews 6:6. As it is, we did not com- God lief, en zonder Hem. kunnen zij niet leven.
mit an unpardonable,sin,  when we crucified the Christ,        "Doch roepende tot den Heere in de benauwdheid
there on Golgotha. For we did it in our ignorance. die zij  hadden,  heeft Hij ze gered uit hunne angsten."
We knew not that it was the blood of the atonement             Benauwdheid en angst zijn vreeselijke  gewaarwor-
that we were shedding. Thus God's people, that is,          dingen.
all such, who in tears of true contrition of heart, be-        Ze strijden tegen ons  wezen.  We zijn geschapen
seech God for mercy, are surely  forgiiren.  And the om in de ruimte te wandelen en te wonen,  en dan in
evidence of this is Christ's making intercession for die ruimte in groote vroolijkheid uit te  barsten in lief-
the transgressors then in the hour of His crucifixion, li jken zang.
praying; "Father, forgive them for they know not what          Maar zoo is het niet meer.
they do." Forgive them, the contrite of heart, my              We zijn zondaars geworden, en zoodra we ons
people.    It is, of course, only for them that Christ goddelooslijk loswrikken uit de  banden en de koorden
prayed.                                                     Gods, komt de benauwing en de angst.
    So, then, we are forgiven. For we did it in our            En nu is er niemand die dit beter weet dan de
ignorance. The apostle Paul makes mention of this, wederomgeborene en bekeerde. Ge moet bekeerd zijn
too, with respect to his own case. Let us have Paul's om iets te vatten van dit: "Ik lag gekneld in banden
own words here. I quote, "And I thank Christ Jesus van den dood, waar d' angst der he1 mij allen troost
our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me deed  missen. Ik was benauwd. . .  ." En die angst
faithful, putting me into the ministry; who was before en benauwdheid wordt verergerd door het werken der
a blasphemer, a persecutor,. and injurious, but I ob- liefde Gods in het hart. De diepste grond van honger,
tained mercy, because I did it, namely, crucify Christ dorst, heimwee en alle hunkering in het hart der kerk
by persecuting His church,-ignorantly in unbelief. is de liefde Gods. En die honger en dorst en dat  hun-
And in his Pentecostal sermon, the apostle Peter, touch- keren zullen nimmer hun volle verzadiging ontvangen
ing on the same matter, addresses His Jewish audience hier op aarde. Ge zult hunkeren  tot den laatsten snik.
in this language, "And ye killed the prince of Life,           Maar we zullen  roepen.
whom God raised up from the dead ; . . . . and now             Dat deed Israel ook in de wildernissen. Ze riepen
brethren I know that through ignorance ye did it, and       tot God in angst en benauwdheid.
so also your rulers. But these things which God before         Benauwdheid is de vreeselijke ervaring van in een
had  shewed by the mouth of his prophets, that Christ plaats te verkeeren die te klein is voor U. En angst
should suffer, he bath now fulfilled. Repent therefore is het gevolg van die ervaring.
and be converted that  -your sins may be blotted out."         Ge behoeft een plaats voor ziel en lichaam. Hier
Also the point to the apostle Peter's argument is that,     staat het leven der ziel voorop. En de plaats voor Uwe
whereas his `brethren, the Jews, had crucified Christ ziel is in den boezem Gods. Augustinus heeft eens
in their ignorance, they will obtain mercy, if they gezegd, dat de mensch niet kan  rusten totdat hij rust
repent.                                                     in God.  Endat is correct.
    How unsearchable the wisdom and mercy of our               Nu is er een aanvankelijke redding uit benauwd-
 God. He kept us in ignorance respecting the  meaniilg      heid en angst hier op aarde reeds.
of the cross in order that we might be saved by the            En daar .zal het volgende vers van verhalen : "en
 Christ that we had to crucify. How true it is that all     Hij leidde ze op een rechten weg, om te gaan tot een
things, even their ignorance of the truth, work together    stad ter woning." Ik had het woordje "weg" bijna
for good to them that love God.       G. M. Ophoff.         met lioofdletters geschreven.

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

     klonken in het ijzer en  achter  de ijzere deuren der ge-      at the same time the few lines that the Rev. Gritters
     vangenissen der goddeloozen.                                   mesents  in regard to Spelling and Grammar.
         Ook was het den enkelen persoon  overkomen.                1. Reading is the art of ascertaining the thought ex-
            Gedenkt hier  aan Jozef.                                  pressed in any writing. God made man capable of
            En al dat buigen en het gekromd verkeeren in het          reading, adapting him thereby, and at the same
     gevang is type van de komende smarten van Messias.               time confining him to the written Revelation of
         In al hunne benauwdheden is Hij benauwd  gewor-              Scripture. Hence, the highest purpose of all read-
     den.                                                             ing is to have fellowship with God and to know Him
            Jezus  Christus zou later in al die gevangenissen         through His revelation of Himself in His Word.
     k o m e n .                                                      a. We realize that reading alone will not bring us
         Maar dan veel vreeselijker dan een Jozef ooit kon               to the knowledge of God. For the natural man,
     lijden.                                                             however well he may read, cannot understand
         Uiteindelijk was het de gevangenis van den  eeuwi-              the things of God, for they are spiritual.
     gen toorn Gods.                                                  b. But again, the man of God must be thorough&
         Die gevangenis moest Hij lijden, uit-lijden.                    furntih+ed (II Tim. 3  :16, 17). Therefore indeed
         Tot de eindelijke, eeuwige vrijheid en blijheid van             he must be able to read.
     het Nieuwe Koninkrijk  verdiend  was.                          2. School reading first of all must have content value,
         En zoo is het gegaan. We vieren vaak de Opstan-              that is, as the pupil learns to read, his knowledge
     ding uit het gevang van het vreeselijke graf!                    should become enriched by what he reads.
                                                   G. Vos.            a. Through reading the child gains information con-
                                                                         cerning the things of the world round about him.
                                                                         Reading is basic practically `to the whole of the
                                                                         knowledge he accumulates.
                    I N   H I S   F E A R                             b. It stands to reason therefore that our children
                                                                         may not be reared on reading material which is
                                                                         untruthful, harmful, silly, worldly or carnal. Such
                                                                         reading material produces a taste for the trash
                Training For Life's Calling                              which the news-stands sell. The reading material
                                                                         ought to have real content value, and the teacher
     Training In The Reading Class.                                      must know it her calling to bring out this value
            Man being created in the image of God was created            and apply it.
     as a rational creature. This makes it possible for him 3. Above all, reading must be regarded for its  training
     to be taught to read. This is likewise necessary and
.                                                                     value.
     essential for his salvation. It is not essential that            a. Most of the teaching of reading in the grades
     every child of God be able to read and to write in                  is a preparatory course to train the youth to read
     order to be saved. Thousands in the old dispensation                with pleasure, ease and accuracy. With that in
     were saved who could not read a word. But a Moses                   view, and onIy with that in view, do we give place
     was raised and trained carefully by the world under                 for the reading of tales, stories and fables, etc.
     the providence of God that he might write-and others                It is, however, our desire and endeavor to find
     with him-the Old Testament Scriptures for us to                     or produce good reading material without resort-
     read or to have read to us. The fact remains that the               ing'to fables, believing that their content value
     faculty of reading and writing is essential to the sal-             is very poor to say the least. Though the content
     vation of God's church.                                             value of many of these tales, stories and fables
            Our children live in a time of abundant oppor-               is not high and very often is poor, they are valu-
     tunities to learn to read and to write. They have the               able for training our children to read, and it is,
     whole Word of God recorded and preserved for their                  of course, the instructor's calling to point out to
     perusal and enjoyment. They should be taught to read                the children the worldly philosophy around which
     that Book of books. And reading then also becomes                   the story may center, or the unspiritual moral it
     a means whereby we may train' our children for life's               may strive to promote.
     calling. It defiriitely  has a place in the class room of a       b. Instruction in.reading also serves the purpose of
     Christian school.                                                   preparing the man of God that in later life he
            We present here again that which the Rev. Gritters           may be an intelligent, well-informed and careful
     has drawn up as" the principles which should be the                  as well as alert citizen of the state and kingdom
     basis for instruction in the Christian school. That                  of God and be useful in home, school and church.
     which he has to say in regard to Reading as a subject                (1) The natural man abuses  everything,  as Titus
     in the class room appears below. We give you also                          declares, "He is to every work reprobate",


                                          T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                         283

              and thus his capacity to read serves his of the Rev. Gritters. We have only a little space left
              carnal lusts and worldliness.                      to consider this subject and those of Arithmetic and
          (2) But the man of God with the talent God has         Civjcs and will have to be very brief. We do however
              given him, can develope that talent most wish to remark that what is found under 3a, is not
              efficiently if he can read and has learned to exactly the way it appears in the principles that the
              enjoy reading. It provides mental recrea- Rev. Gritters drew up. We do not have at hand his
              tion also for his spare time. It keeps him original copy, but are aware of the fact that our own
              informed on things which happen round Educational Committee inserted a few lines in regard
              about him. And it leads him to intelligent to the reading of fables. The sentence which reads,
              discernment between truth and lie, that he "It is however our desire and endeavor to find or pro-
              may the better "try the spirits". I John 4  :l.    duce good reading material without resorting to fables,
   c. Above all, his reading must serve the positive believing that their content value is very poor to say
          purpose of helping the man of God to read the the least", we are sure was inserted by our board.
          revealed Word of God efficiently and intelligently And if we are not mistaken the last phrase, "and it is
          and to read also those things which assist him of course the instructor's calling to point out to the
          therein. The carnal man minds the things of the children the  worIdly  philosophy around which the
          flesh, and this holds true also of his reading. To story may center or the unspiritual moral it may strive
          read God's Word and reading to understand  it- to promote" has also been added by our Educational
          that is the  crown of all reading. Bearing this in Committee. It makes little difference. The sentiments
          mind the Christian teacher will always try to          expressed by the Rev. Gritters are such in the re-
          keep first things first, and that first thing is:      mainder of the paragraph, that it becomes evident at
          "That the man of God may be thoroughly furn-           once that he agrees fully with these additions. How-
          i s h e d " .                                          ever, we wish to be innocent of putting in print and
                    Reading and Spelling.                        ascribing to him things which he did not actually
                                                                 write.
    Spelling lies along the same lines as reading, stand-
ing as a help to reading. It finds its place somewhere               It certainly is a deplorable thing that we have to go
between reading and writing. In spelling we teach the to the fables and unspiritual writings of the  worId
youth to put into writing the things they wish to ex-            to teach our children to read. As foolish  as  these
press.                                                           fables are, they have their appeal to the flesh. And
                                                                 their use certainly does create in our children an "appe-
                           Grammar.                              tite" for such things. Similarly, after our children
    This also is closely related to both reading and             are out of their preparatory schools, or even before,
spelling. On the one hand grammar helps the youth that which is presented them in the line of "Christian"
to understand better the sense of that which is written.         novels and fiction is not worth being read. On the
On the other hand a knowledge of Grammar is neces- whole that which is supposed to make it a "Christian"
sary if the pupil is to learn to give expression to his          story is actually anti-Christian, for it is Arminian, it
thoughts, whether orally or in writing or in both. If presents a false Christ who can be disappointed and
in reading the person is passive, absorbing; in writing runs the risk of having died in vain, for some whom
the person is active.        He himself gives expression.        He desires to save go lost even in spite of His death
And the Christian approach here would be to emphasize and His pleadings and attempts to rescue them.
that the man of God is also a prophet of God. And as                 There is no financial remuneration in it, and that
that prophet of God he must rise up in this world to             undoubtedly does not spur us on. But we surely ought,
testify of the things that are true. Scripture saith:            as we have been given talent by God, seek to write and
"This people have I formed for Myself. It shall  tell            compose readers for our children in all ages, books
forth My praises". And again : "But ye are a chosen which do have good content value so that the child
generation, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth while h.e learns to read, also learns to know his Maker,
the praises of Him who has called you. . . ." To con-            his sinful state and his Redeemer. There is however
demn the lie, to testify of the truth and bear witness           spiritual rewards of grace which God gives to those
that we are of the Party of the living God in this               who sacrifice and use their talents in this way. Even
world, your youth must have Grammar; and having though it is only done to the little folk, the primary
that goal in mind the teacher is spurred on to make pupils it is done to the least of these His brethren, and
the best of this often difficult and sometimes abstract it is as though it were done to Him. God grant us
subject.                                                         men and women with talents and zeal to work along
                           +  ?t  *  *                           these  line&.
   We have only a few lines to add to these remarks                                                      J. A. Heys.


234                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                                                               it in 2 Cor. 5:20, "Now then we are ambassadors for
              FROM HOLY WRIT                                   Christ (huper Christou, that is, in the place of, instead
                                                               of Christ), as though God did beseech * you by us : we
                                                               pray in Christ's stead (again, huper Christou), be ye
          The `Office In The Church                            reconciled to God."
                                                                  2. That the apostle refers to himself as also an
                                                               elder. We read, "I. . . .who am an elder, and a wit-
       This is the first of an intended series of articles on ness of the sufferings of `Christ, and also a partaker
the office in the church. By the office is meant the           of the glory that shall be revealed." Notice that he
special office of ministers, elders and deacons as insti- classifies himself with those who are the members of
tuted by God in the new dispensation. This is one of God's church, the heirs of the promise and partakers
the most invaluable gifts God has entrusted to His             "of the glory that shall be revealed". But in that
church, yet it is quite frequently misunderstood, taken church he is also an elder. In that respect he is like
for granted, and even slighted. It is an institution of any other elder, an undershepherd of Jesus Christ.
God, introduced by Christ through the instrumentality Yet as a personal eyewitness of the sufferings of Christ
of the apostles in the early church after Pentecost.           and the glory that followed, he is more than a common
As a result, mere sinful men, who are endowed with elder, for he is called to be an apostle.
the Spirit of Christ, are called by Christ to serve as            In Ephesians 4:11,  12 the office of the apostles is
office bearers in His Name in the midst of the church.
As ambassadors of Christ they have entrusted to them mentioned in one breath with that of the ministers.
                                                               The test states, "And He gave some, apostles; and
the ministry of the Word and of the sacraments, the
exercise of the keys of the kingdom of heaven whereby          some, prophets ; and some, evangelists ; and some,
                                                               pastors and teachers ; for the perfecting of the saints,
they open and close the doors of the kingdom, and the
ministry of mercy in Jesus' Name. In fact, Christ,             for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the
our heavenly Prophet, was exalted High Priest and              body of Christ." All these are gifts of Christ to His
our eternal King, bestows all the eternal blessings of         church. In His Name and on His authority they all
                                                               serve the same ultimate purpose, each in their own
salvation upon His church through the office. By this
means God's church is gathered, God's people are en- capacity, for the work of the ministry unto the edifica-
                                                               tion of the church, which is Christ's body. In passing,
riched with all spiritual and heavenly blessings in            it is well to note that "prophets" and "evangelists"
Christ, and God's kingdom is realized and prepared
for its ultimate manifestation in heavenly glory.              refer to certain special gifts in the early church. Pro-
                                                               phets were certain individuals who were given the
       The first passage we turn to is found in 1 Peter        special power of prophecy as a peculiar manifestation
5 : l-4, "The elders which are among you I exhort,             of the presence of the Spirit of Christ within the
who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings church. These prophets served particularly the local
of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall         congregations of which they were members.           They
be revealed : Feed the flock of God which is among you,        were always bound to the church institute and to the
taking oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willing- office of believers, even to the extent that they also,
ly ; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind ; neither as    even as those who spoke in tongues, had to be con-
being lords over God's heritage, but being ensampIes           firmed in all that they said by the other  bebevers
to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd shall ap-            present. 1 Cor.  14:27-32,  "If any man speak in an
pear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not        unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by
away." In this connection we note particularly the three, and that by course, and let one interpret. But
following :                                                    if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the
       1. That Peter speaks of Christ as the  Chief She@-      church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.
he,rd.  This is of primary significance for our whole Let the prophets speak two or three, and let  the other
discussion. The implication is that office bearers are jpdge. If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth
nothing more, yet also nothing less than  undershep-           by, let the first hold his peace. For ye may all pro-
herds under Christ. They are His servants, who are             phesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may
mandated by Him to feed the flock and to be overseers be comforted. And the spirits of the prophets are
over God's heritage in His Name. They are vested subject to the prophets." As to the evangelists, who
with the authority of Christ. They come in His Name.           are also mentioned with the apostles and ministers,
Like an ambassador of the government serving in a these were helpers of the apostles. They accompanied
foreign country, who can only speak authoritatively them on their journeys and aided them in the ministry
when he presents the message of his government ver- of the Word. They were also called of Christ, but
 batim, so the ambassador of Jesus Christ must  always         were always under the supervision of the apostles.
 and only say,  "So saith the Lord." As Paul expresses Paul calls Titus his "partner and fellow helper", and


                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D  BEARERL,;-;                                          2%

refers to Tychicus as "a beloved brother and a faithful the risen and the exalted Lord in the vision on the
minister and fellowservant in the Lord." 2 Cor. 8:23,       way to Damascus. Acts 26:16.
Col.  4:7. When the apostolic office fell away these           Thirdly, closely related to the foregoing is the fact
temporary offices also disappeared.                         that they were personally instructed by Christ Him-
    3. Referring once more to our passage in 1 Peter self. The eleven disciples went about with Him day
5:1-4,  we note further that although Peter calls him- and night. They heard His preaching, saw His mir-
self an elder, a distinction must be made between the acles, accompanied Him to the mountain to pray, wit-
apostolic office in the early church and the offices as nessed all His sufferings and agonies of soul, and were
we have them today. By implication Peter himself constantly under His private instruction. He appeared
makes this distinction, for he speaks of himself as an to them personally after the resurrection and spoke
eye-witness of the suffering of Christ and addresses to them concerning His resurrection, in as far as they
the church with an apostolic authority. Even as in were able to receive it. Paul also received this per-
the opening words of his epistle he introduces himself sonal instruction, even though it was necessary for
as "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ". In Ephesians        him to receive  i*t later, as one born out of season.
2:20 the church is said to be founded on the "founda-       What stronger proof could the apostle adduce for his
tion of the apostles and prophets (Old Testament pro- apostleship? As he writes to the churches of Galatia,
phets are meant), Jesus Christ Himself being the            "But I certify unto  * you, brethren, that the gospel
chief cornerstone." It could surely never be said of which was preached of me is not after man. For I
the ministers, elders and deacons of the church that        neither received it of man, neither was I taught it,
they are its foundation. They do serve to gather God's but by the revelation of Jesus' Christ. . . . But when
church, and thus to build it, but the Word of God,          it pleased God, who seperated me from my mother's
delivered to us by the prophets of the old dispensation womb, and called me by His grace, to reveal His Son
and the apostles of the new, is the only foundation         in me, that  I might preach Him among the heathen ;
upon which God builds His Church.                           immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:
    There were special requirements for the office of neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were
the apostleship.                                            apostles before me ; but I went into Arabia, and re-
    First of all, an apostle received his calling to the    turned again unto Damuscus."  ,Gal. 1 :ll, 12, 15-17.
office  direct  from Christ. He was personally called          And finally, an apostle was guided by the Holy
without the intervention of the church. Mark X:15,          Spirit to infallibly speak and write the Word of God.
"And He said unto them, Go. ye into all the world,          1 Peter ,1:19-21,  "We have also a more sure word of
and preach the gospel to every creature." It is exactly prophecy ; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as
for that reason that Christ endued them with a special      unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day
gift of the Holy Spirit even before His ascension.          dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: knowing
John 20 :22, "`And when He had said this, He breathed this first; that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any
on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy private interpretation. For the prophecy came not
Ghost." Paul appeals to this direct and personal call- in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God
ing to prove his apostleship to the Galatians. He comes spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." See
to them as "Paul, an apostle, not of men, neither by        also 1 Tim. 3 :16, 17.
man, but by Jesus <Christ, and God the Father, who             Thus somewhat in anticipation we can already
raised Him from the dead." Gal. 1 :l. This is a rather make this distinction between the apostolic office and
conclusive argument that not Matthias but Paui was the special offices as we now have them in the church:
the divinely chosen apostle to fill the vacancy of             1. The apostles were directly called by Christ with-
. Judas.                                                    out the medium of the church; other officebearers are
    Secondly, an apostle was a personal eye-witness of called by Christ through the church.
the resurrected Christ. Therefore Peter can say in             2. The former served to reveal Jesus Christ in
his second epistle, chapter 1, verses 16-18, "For we        His suffering and exaltation and thus to establish the
have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we church institute as we have it in the new dispensation ;
made known unto you the power and coming of our the latter serves to gather and feed the flock by means
Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses of His of the Word, and thus preserve her unto the end of
majesty. For He received from God the Father honor the world.
and glory, when there came such a voice to Him from            3. The apostolic office was temporary, and there-
the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in Whom fore disappeared with the death of the last apostle ;
I am well pleased. And this voice which came from the special offices are permanent, abiding with us until
heaven we heard, when we were with Him in the the end of time.                                       C. Hanko.
holy mount."        `(The mount of Transfiguration is          Next time:
meant.)     Paul also appeals to the fact that he saw          "The Special Office and The  Ofice of Believers".

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

                                                             era1 articles both for and against the proposed union.
               P E R I S C O P E   - The argument against the union, as voiced by one
                                                             writer, was that there was a general apathy and in-
                                                             difference on the part of the members to the whole
                                                             thing, that it was largely planned and motivated from
lwternal Strife In  0.  P. Church . . . .                    the top, and especially that the natural course of union
   "In response to a call from the elders of Faith for the U.P. Church should be with the Presbyterians
Church, Quarryville, a congregational meeting was North and South, rather than with the Reformed
held at the church on January 26, at which time the          Church. In reply another writer maintains that at-
congregation, by a reported vote of 31-3, determined         tempts are being made to `get  aqquainted'  and that
to withdraw from The Orthodox Presbyterian de- since union with the Southern Presbyterians was re-
nomination.    A committee appointed by Presbytery jected in 1912, and with the Northern Presbyterians
to attend this meeting was denied permission to at- was rejected in 1934, either the union with the Re-
tend by the session of the church.                           formed Church must go through now or the U.P.
   "A congregational meeting of Calvary Church,              Church will be settled in its path of isolation. He also
Willow Grove, was held on the same evening. Repre- suggests that if union with the Reformed Church is
sentatives from Presbytery were present at this meet-, consummated, the newly merged body will be in a good
ing, but only one of them was permitted to speak. position to renew negotiations with the Northern Pres-
After about a three hour session, the meeting was            byterians, because `union seems to beget union'. NeiL
recessed for two weeks.                                      ther of these writers gives much attention to the doc-
   "The congregational, meeting of Calvary Church trinal basis of such a union.
reconvened on Wednesday evening, February 9. Pres-              "Another union negotiation currently under con-
bytery's representatives were again present, and were sideration is that between the Congregational-Chris-
permitted to speak for a limited time, and then with- tian denomination and the Evangelical and Reformed
drew before the meeting closed. Following further Church. Here the chief opposition seems to be on the
discussion, the meeting, according to information from part of a minority of the Congregationalists who have
the pastor, Dr. Robert Strong, voted `overwhelmingly' organized into an `anti-merger' group and have indi-
to withdraw. Other information indicates that there cated that they are prepared to fight to the finish,
were less than 75 persons present for the meeting,           even to the extent of going into court to claim the
and that the vote to withdraw was 58-14. The Minutes property in case a merger takes place. Here there
of the 15th Assembly indicate the last reported com-         is perhaps more of an issue of principle  sat stake.
municant membership of the church as 336.                    For the Evangelical and Reformed Church is more
    "Dr. Strong also informed us that the session of inclined to recognize  synodical  and denominational
Calvary Church had been authorized to enter into authority, while the Congregational denomination his-
association with the session of the Quarryville Church. torically adheres to the idea of local autonomy. The
Such action, if consummated, would constitute the be-        Christian  Century  is doing its best to promote the
ginning of a new denomination."-From The Presbp-             union cause, denouncing the opposition as `diehard
twian   Guurdiun.                                            obstructionism at its worst'.
                                                                 "The particular problem in this union is that the
                        * *  *  +                            proposed merger has received the approval of only
                                                             72 percent of the Congregational Christian Churches,
Church Union . . . .                                         while a decision made some time ago required the ap-
    "Two specific programs for church union are cur- proval of 75 per cent. The General Council met the
rently attracting attention in their respective denomin- first week in February to decide what to do in view
ations. For several years the United Presbyterians           of the missing 3 per cent. The urge to `go ahead  any-
and the Reformed (Dutch) Church of America have *way' was strong."-From The Presbyterian Guardian.
been talking merger. A joint committee of the two
denominations which recently met in Kalamazoo com-                                 * * *  *
pleted final revisions of its plan of union, and voted
trj, submit the proposal to the General Assembly and         Editori& Quote... . . .
General Synod of the two churches this year. It is               "All men have doubts and imperfections : even Paul
hoped that the plan will be sent down to local presby- said that he had not attained, neither was perfect; but
teries and classes, but a request was made that the          Paul was not proud of his doubts, if he had any, nor
voting on it not to be done until after January 1,           his imperfections. He was very fond of the word,
1950.                                                        `know': we know, he kept repeating. And Paul was
    "Recently the  United Presbyterian  has carried  sev-     ashamed of his sins, and deplored them. He besought


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                        287

 his converts to yield themselves fully to God; to not           In Holland  leden  van de Geref. Kerken (onderh.
 be content with anything short of perfection, holiness,      art. 31 K.O.) , hebben zij  zich, hetzij voor  korter of
 sanctifications, consecration, or whatever term one langer tijd, in Canada, aangesloten bij de Chr. Geref.
 wished to use to denote  .Holiness in life and char- Kerk van Hamilton, eenigermate gerust gesteld door
 acter.                                                       de verklaringen  .v?an  dezen  Kerkeraad.
 . "(The more holiness we have, the clearer we see               Intusschen hebben de zaken, door de verschijning
 our sins: the closer we get to God, the more unclean         van enkele broeders uit de Prot.  Ref. Church, de predi-
 and unholy we appear. God's greatest saints have             kanten  De Jong, De Wolf, en Kok, door ons luisteren
 been those who confessed their utter unworthiness.)          naar deze broeders een zoodanige wijziging ondergaan,
    "But there is a tendency today to rather boast of dat de Kerkeraad van eerder genoemde Chr. Geref.
 the fact that we have doubts and imperfections. Was Kerk, er toe is overgegaan ons te weren van het Heilig
 there anything in Christ's teaching which even sug- Avondmaal.
 gests such an absurdity? Did He not stress faith as             Wij meenden goed  te  doen  deze feiten ter kennis te
 the most necessary thing for His disciples: did He not brengen van de kerkelijke pers in Nederland, en dus
 say, Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in op deze wijze die broeders en zusters, welke hierbij
 heaven is perfect? Did He not upbraid His disciples, belang  hebben,  te wijzen op de consequenties van het
 for their lack of faith? `Oh slow of heart to believe';      lid zijn of  worden  van de Chr. Geref. Kerken in
 `Where is your faith'? Is not unbelief the most deadly Canada.
 of all sins, and is not any sin just so much poison in
 the soul?                                                       Naar de uitspraak van den Kerkeraad  alhier zijn
    "In a sermon not long ago, the speaker intimated de besluiten van de Synode, gehouden te Kalamazoo
 that `The Doubters' were the favored people of God,          1924, overeenkomstig Gods Woord, en daarom bindend
 and expressed gratitude that there were no perfect voor al de  leden  dezer kerken.
 people in his audience. This was a fact, but he seemed          Een duidelijke uitspraak inzake de besluiten van
 proud of the fact. He further said that Job's three de Synode  1942-`44  gehouden te Sneek-Utrecht,  moch-
friends were `Fundamentalists', and that God rejected ten wij tot nu toe niet vernemen, maar naar onze
 them, while Job was `The Doubter' and God accepted vaste overtuiging niet twijfelachtig.
 and blessed him.                                                Overname  van het bovenstaande in andere kerke-
    "We rather expect that if these friends of Job had lijke bladen zullen wij  zeer,op prijs stellen.
 been `in his place' they would have had more doubts             Dankend  voor plaatsing en gaarne  bereid  mede-
 than the old patriarch had, and would have followed werking te verleenen tot publicatie van meerdere  ge-
 the advice of Job's wife: curse God, and die. The only gevens,  teeken  zij, hoogachtend.
 `Fundamentalism' these men had was a fundamental                P.S.    Uitgaande van de Zendingscommissie der
 fallacy-that suffering is always the result of sin.          Prot. Ref. Churches worden  in de Labor Temple, St.
    "Job was a Fundamentalist. He believed in his             Catherinesstr. te Hamilton geregelde diensten  gehou-
 God, and although doubts assailed him, he clung to that den des morgens en des namiddags van  elken Zondag.
 faith: `Though He slay me, yet will  lc trust Him'.          Ook in andere plaatsen in Ontario wordt in deze  rich-
    "Doubts and imperfections are blemishes ; sins, ting gewerkt.
 which like all other sins, are to be forsaken in real           "Tot zoover de ons toegezonden brief. We  her-
 repentance. A man is not usually proud of some ugly halen  wat we reeds eerder schreven: voor onze men-
 scar, or sore, like a boil, or cancer. If we like to have schen is in de Chr. Ref. Church van Noord Amerika
 bodies which are strong and well, why pride ourselves geen plaats. Dat hebben de woordvoerders van deze
 on these ugly blemishes in our souls ?"-J.K.P.-The           kerk zelf duidelijk uitgesproken,  toen  ze door een
 Southern Presbyterian Journal.                               synodale  commissie de deur liet sluiten voor de gerefor-
                       * * * *                                meerde kerken in Nederland, teneinde zich voortaan
                                                              alleen op te houden met het synodocratisch gezelschap,
 fimmigration.  News  - De Reformatie . . . .                 dat iets anders geworden is dan die kerken met wie
    "We ontvingen onderstaanden brief uit Hamilton, vroeger der Chr. Ref. Church correspondentie onder-
 Oost Canada :                                                hield. Hier blijkt het al weer: men doet alles om
                           Hamilton, 18 December, 1948 onze menschen op te vangen, want het is overal  het-
                                                              zelde: de ambtsdragers, die trouw blijven aan de bin-
 Hooggeachte Redacteur,                                       ding der confessie, en dus de binding van de valsche
    Ondergeteekenden vragen u bij dezen beleefd op-           formules  en  aan het goddeloos kerkrecht van 1942-44
 name van deze enkele regels,  speciaal   ter voorlichting verwerpen, worden  uitgeworpen, maar men ziet er niet
 van hen, die zich in de naaste tookomst denken  te vesti-    iu het minst tegen op, de leden  van onze kerken verder
 gen in Canada.                                               als `smaldeel' (dr. H. N. Ridderbos) op te vangen, als

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

ze maar stil.zijn,  en de verloochening van hun broeders                                    IMPORTANT NOTICE
lijden aankomt, dan  worden  ze geweerd. Het blijkt,
dat men nog steeds de dwaze en schandelijke  uit-                               We are taking this opportunity to acquaint our
werpiing van Rev. Hoeksema  voor zijn rekening neemt ;                       readers, subscribers, consistories,' and societies with
niets is onbekeerlijker dan een kerk, als ze zich een-                       some facts concerning the work, distribution of the
maal vergaloppeerd heeft.
       "Onlangs las ik nog eens den latijnschen tekst van Standard  Bearer and the cost of printing of each
                                                                             issue.
het  theologisehe  werk van Van Mastricht; de besluiten
werping  van Rev. Hoeksema voor zijn rekening neemt;                            The cost  of- printing and mailing each copy is
uitgeworpen in een volslagen onrijpe beslissing ten about 204 per copy, which figured on a yearly basis
gunste der gemeene-gratie-leer, zijn blijkens de Acta                        brings the cost to approximately $4.40 per year, while
`ondersteund' met een in de nederlandsche taal gesteld our subscription price still remains at $2.50 per year.
citaat uit Van Mastricht, waarin de gemeene gratie                           We hope that it will not be necessary to increase this
werd `geleerd'. Maar toen ik de nederlandsche `ver-                          yearly rate. During the past month we have sent
taling", die deze synode van Kalamazoo, waarschijn-                          notices and  letters.to  some of our subscribers. If you
lijk op  nederlandsch   advies  (Amsterdam) genomen have received such  a  notice or letter and have not
heeft, heeft afgedrukt in haar officieele  Acta,  eens                       responded, will YOU please do so.
vergeieek met den latijnschen (oorspronkelijken)  tekst,,                       As you read this notice you may wonder how this
bleek me, dat die heele  vertaling onbeholpen  `nonsens                      difference between cost and subscription is being taken
u:a,s (al was ze  allang gedrukt) . Het blijkt, dat de                       care of. This we have been able to do thus far because
synode  van Kalamazoo de lichte moeite genomen heeft certain congregations and a few societies have re-
een nederlandsch citaat  te gebruiken tegen Rev.  Hoek-                      membered the work of the Standard Bearer with offer-
sema, terwijl  echter  wat  aan Van Mastricht wordt  toe-                    ings and gifts. For this we wish to express a word
geschreven,  door hem  nooit  gexegd   is. Zoo maakt men                     of appreciation and thanks.
kerkhistorie ; en men is te lui en te koppig, om de fout                         It should also be remembered that the Standard
te erkennen.
       "De Chr. Ref. Church neemt dus niet alleen de Bearer  is circulated to interest  God's, people every-
                                                                             where in the Reformed truth.
dwaze besluiten van Kalamazoo voor eigen rekening,                                                                For this reason it
                                                                             should be considered as a missionary endeavor. Copies
doch ook de even lichtvaardige nederlandsche besluiten are being sent to India, Ireland, England and Canada.
van 1944, die door haar afgevaardigden in Grand                              40 copies of each issue are mailed to the Netherlands
Rapids in 1946 zijn `goedgekeurd'. De eenige kerken,                         for use in schools, colleges and church societies. Cer-
die de oude voortzetten zijn de Prot. Ref. Churches;                         tain ministers in the Netherlands and the United States
lsat onze menschen daarheen gaan: dat is de wettige                          receive copies. We have received a request from one
voortxetting  van wat  er  WU.S."-K.  S.-in  De  Refor-                      of our missionaries for 25 copies of each issue. All
w&a tie.                                                                     these are furnished and mailed free of charge.
                                                  W. Hofman.                     We believe for the reasons mentioned above that
                               -           -                                 ALL of our congregations should remember this work
                                                                             and our societies can help us by keeping the Standard
                                                                             Bearer  in mind when monies are donated to Kingdom
                             IN MEMORIAM                                     causes.
    The M.en's  Society of the Fourth Prot. Ref. Church of Grand                 In anticipation of this. . . . Thank you.
Rapids,  Mich.,  hereby wishes to express its heartfelt sympathy                                    The Board of the R. F. P. A.
to one of its members, Mr. C. De Jong, in the death of his
b e l o v e d   w i f e ,

                             MI&S.  C. DE JONG

who passed away suddenly the morning of Sunday, January 23.                                Should Thy mercy send me
     May the blessed assurance that their loved one is now for-                              Sorrow, toil, and woe,
ever with her Lord and Saviour abundantly `comfort the sor-                                Or should pain attend me
rowing family.                                                                               On my path below;
                                        R .   V e l d m a n ,   P r e s .                  Grant that I may never
                                        A.  Haan,  Sec'y                                     Fail Thy hand to see,
Note*.--This obituary should have appeared in the February 15                              Grant that I may ever
issue, but it. was mislaid by the undersigned, for which 1 tender
my sincere apology to all parties concerned.-G. Vos.                                          Cast my care on Thee.


