-VOLUME XXVII                                October 1, 1950 `
                                                                   - <Grand Rapids, Michigan                        NUMBER 1

                                                                               Hence, the Father is the Lord and as I?ath& ,He is
         ~  k  D..n;~.   A,T  I  0  .N .                                    the Fountain of all blessing: "The Lord bless thee !"
                                                                                                          4
                                                                                                  ti-
                                                                             And the eternal `Son, co-equal with the eternal
            :-`- Jehovah's Blessing                                         Father blesses His Israel: "make His Face to shine
                                                        --                 upon thee!"
                 "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak                 The F&e of Jehovah- is the, Son, is the revelation
              unto Aaron atid unto iris -sonIs, saying, on this `wiie _
,                                                                           of, God. And also here, He is the revelation of God
              ye shall bless the children of Israel,  saying  ..unto.
              them,- The Lord bless, thee, +nd  keep thee: the Lord        both in creation and in re-creation. _ The eternal God-
             - make His face to .shine unto the&, and be gracious head is revealing the excellence of His virtues in the
              unto thee: the  Lor,d   lift up His countenance upon          Son, who is the express Image of the Father. Heb. 1:3.
              thee,  ,and give thee peace.  And they shall put My              All the beauty of the Godhead is shown in th_e Son,
              name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless           and through the Son. Thus it has been and thus it
            t h e m . "
                                                  Numbers  6:22-27.        shall be unto all eternity.  Such is the order  .in the
                                                                            Godhead.
      Even the fact that we have here the glorious name                        And the Holy Spirit of Jehovah blesses thee !
of Jehovah mentibned three times in this bleesing is                           For He lifts up that countenance of Jehovah, that
proof that we listen to the blessing of the Triune God.                    is the Son, ancl He places Him upon thee.
But this is still clearer in the threefold operation of                      That work is  pecqliar  to the Holy Spirit. It was
the bless@ : .the keeping Father, the gracious Son and                     thus  in'creation.  1.t is thus in re-creation. Listen to
the peace-bringing Holy SDirit.                                             Jesus  ,he Face of Jehovah: "He shall glorify  Me, for
      !Oh, yes, it is the blessing of Triune Covenant Je-                   He shall receive of Mine, and shall shew it unto you."
hovah which is given unto God's people.                                    John 16 : 14.
      That blessing is upon His peoole  now; it shall be                    0 `The Holy Spirit brooded upon the face of the deep
on them forevermore.                                                       so that the beauty of God which shone in His face
      Let  us meditate  ?n. this wonderful blessing of . mi&ht be manifested to a.11 that received power to see
Jehovah.                   -                                               and to hear of created things. And that same Holy .
      It is the blessing of the Father..                                    Spirit, but now as the Spirit of Christ, brdods upon
      And He is the Fountain, the Source, the Cause of                     the works `of Jehbvah in Christ, and has shown and
a l l   t h i n g s .                                                      will show these beauties to the church unto all eternity.
      It is thus even in the Godhead. He is the Father                         He places that `Countenance of ,God upon you.
of His eternal Son., He is the great Cause.of  the Son's                       And through and in that Holy Spirit the blessing
eternal generation. And from Him the Holy Spirit is' of Jehovah God is fulfilled.
forever. spirited:                                                            And so we hear of a threefold blessing, but there is
     And thus it .is `with ail things that are created and                 an essential unity in them. We hear of three blessings, e
that will be re-GreAted.                                                   but the unity is in the one Name which. is placed upon
      He is the Cause of creation. In Him is the eternal                   the happy people of Israel.
power of sustainance, He is  that eternal Agent`of                             We hear of three blessings, but three times it is
guidance  and the steering Power of all things  that                       the one name: The Lord!
move and have their being.             .'                                      I may not even s"y that. in each of the three bless-
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2                                             T H E   STA'NDARD   B E A R E R   .   .

                                                                   ,     I
iings one of `the glorious Divine Persons is coming to                   The Father will tell you every day : The ~Lc& bless
the foreground, for the work of blessing is one marvel-           thee !
jous ~~oik, in which all three. Persons are eneigetically
operative...                   " .                         .(
                                                                         And that .blessecl operation of blessing is thrpugh
        Let` us  r&her say:  jehovah  &God is blessing His        the Son.
$eople,  and thigiblessing  is from the Father, through                  For : He makes His face to shine upbn thee !
`the Son';Fnt in tjle: Hofy Spirit.
         "            _:                                                 If you would know the heart- of Jehovah you must
               `.              1"_1s-                             look strongly upon His Son, upon His Face.
                                                                         You find a weak pibture of t&t in the life of man.
:       L:et  us now look a little closer at this  threkfold
blessing and see its wonc@ous operation.                          If you would know a man you must look upon his face.
                                                                  You study the face of man, and in the measure that
        Father blesses you.                                       you hunger to know a man you lobk upon his counten-
        What is the meaning of this? What. does it mean           ance. And that is a weak shadow of how things are .
     that Jehovah blesses YOU?                                    with the Godhead.
        To blesi is literally to speak a beautiful word: You             God shows Himself in the Son. Hdw God is and
     have a word for it iti your Americbn tongue: eulogy.         what He is,is shown~conclusively.in  the second Person
     And a eulogy is literally a beautiful word.                  of the Holy Trinity.
                                                                         Thus it is in creation. God spoke a Word which
        God spoke a beautiful Word at the very beginning,         came from  .His wonderfully wise Heart: and creation
     and the kosmos appeared. Creation is the speaking of         appeared. Creation is the reflection of God's wisdom.
     a beautiful word. God said! And the speaking God                    And o, how that beauteous wisdom of God shines
     iS the ,creating  God. When God ceased speaking the          upon the man of His good-pleasure. When that man
     whole of a mdst marv6llous creation stoodbefore Him.         looks about him by day, he exclaims: the heavens de:
     And looking at the result of His blessed speaking, `He       clare the glory of my God.
     said :. and behold, it is very good !                               I cans see how Adam and Eve stood in the midst of
        And what does that mean?                                  the light of SGod's countenance and exclaimed continu-
        -If-  I, may. borrow a word that came,  &om  .God         ously : 0 our aGod, how marvellou& art Thou in .beauty,
     through Jereniiah, I would .answer  your question this       wisdom and power!
     way: God loved you with an ,everlasting love, and it                Later we hear these words by an inspired prophet, -
     was His determined purpose to be very goo& to you.           but his voice broke: he was a sinner.
     IIe would move heaven and earth unto your eternal                   And if this speech of God's blessing in creation is
     welfare. Yes, and He would move hell also so that you        most wonderful, what shalL.we  say<of the Face of God
     might forever lie in :His bosom and be inexpressibly         which we begin to see in the re-creation of all things?
     happy for evermore.                                          Words fail me.
                                                                          Let us at once go to'the very heart of that Speech
        And so He started to work in. order to bri;g His .of God. Go to the little hill outside of the city of the
     eternal thoughts of peace for- you unto fruition: He         Lord, Jerusalem. !
     began to create.       Creation, the blessed work of God,            And in the darkness-of great `agony we hear a shout
     was for you. God `engaged in creation with the view          of the Son of God : Why, o why hast thou forsaken Me?
     to your eternal welfare. And when God saw the fir&                   There is a beauty of the Godhead which we .cannot
     Kosmos, and when He pronounced it very good, he had          fathom. There is a blessing of Jehovah that shall
     in mind"your  blessedness, your blessed estate for time. make your heart sing foreverniore. It is the speech of
     and for eternity. When `God said: Behold, it is very         the love of Cod for you who should be forsaken unto
     good ! He saw that this first earth was. good unto           all'eternity. Instead, He forsakes His beloved Son.
     f;he preparation of much greater blessings than were         God wants to show. you, He desires to manifest to you
     heaped up in that first Universe. It `could serve most       how beautiful He is in His love.
     won@oLlsly  unto the coming of a better Kosmos,                          The Face of `God He will make. to shine upon you.
-`Thrbugll the dark way of the fall because of sin, and           That is what the text says. Do you see it? Do you see
     the elevation from untold depths of. misery unto the         the rays of light which the Cross of Jestis  emits? Do
     heights of glory He would bless you as never before.         you see the oceans of the ligh? of (God's love that bathe
     .The first creation could admirably serve such exalted       you in cherishing warmth and &tractive 3ympathy  of
     purposes such as  G6d harboured in His counsel `for you      lovingkindness?
     and for all xsrael.                                                      See it and you ,will dry all your tears.
         Oh yes, God blesses Israel, And shall bless Israel                   See it and j you will listen fo Isaiah's admonition :
     forevermore.                                                  Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great


                                            T H E   STAND-ARD.~E~IRI~R                                                            ` 3

is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.!                       world hates you, when your flesh is an ever present
        Yes, the F&e o$ aGod. blesses you in its wonderful             burden. Think on that when it seems as though all
s h i n i n g   l i g h t !   .                                       things are against you. Think* on the fruit of the
 It is the light of God's forgiving love.                             Father's blessing, and . . . `smile through your tears.
                                                                           And you will begin to stammer : it is well, it is well,
                                   -c--a                               with my soul.
   And the operation of Jehovah's bl&sing in the Holy                      I do not wonder at the poet who gave us the won-
Spirit brings this blessing very near to you.                         derful  iin4 : "Safe in the arms of Jesus  !"
        For He takes that blessed and radiant Face of God                  The first link in eternal blessings sings to us of a
and brings it in your hear-t.                                          love which the ,Bible compares to a mother who holds
        You see "`The Lord lifts up His countenance upon               her inftint in arms of loving compassion. And.if they:
thee  !"  I                                                            would forget, God tells y,ou : I will never forsake thee !
        Al.low me to speak as a child speaks: God takes                     -          `,
Jesus and all His blessings and places that blessed                                          .    -c\3
Jesus in your heart. It is the application of God's
salvation. Theologians tell u6 that we are `justified                      And the Son?. He blesses you and says: I will be,
by faith. Well, i: have .hear$ of it from my earliest                  gracious unto thee! Grace is beauty, the beauty of the
infancy. It is 9n.e of the jewels of Reformed Doctrine.                 Godhead. Look upon creation, -and you will see the
        Let US speak Of this jewel in COllll&tiOll with my             grace  and the beauty of God.
text. The trouble with unhappy Israel and miserable                        Bbt its beauty is marred, more than man can'utteg.
Zion is this: he is not righteous before God. He has                      `(Look  upon the chosen `saint in Christ, and you will
deserved to be an eternal. companion of devils and all                  sing with the psalmist of the beauty of the dove who is
kinds of wicked men.                                                    decked with silver and gold. The Sun's golden rays
        But Israel is a happy people for they are the ob-               are upon the dove which glistens with beauty such as
jects of Jehovah's blessings: And in this connection                    Hermon never gave;
that means that God's Face is taken by the Holy Spirit                     The effect of t.he blessings of Jesus are that instead
and it is plaCed in their heart. And the Face of Jesus,                 of an ugly, filthy sinner, you become a beautiful s&t.
is Jesus, and He bears the Na;n?e: The Lord our right-                  You will be more beautiful than the Angels of' God,
eousness! And when you have "the Lord, our Right- `and they surely are beautiful. You will, be so beautiful
eousness" iii your heart, YOU are the object of the Stiile L that you will be like the Face of God, and that is. JeSUS.
of God's approval. When-the robes of                        right-      We shall be like Him. He is called our elder Brother.
                                                 Jesus' 
eousness erifbld you, you are welcome in `God's heaven,                    And He, is beautiful for He5s the express Image of
and you may stay $here forever.                                         the Father, full of grace and truth. And according to
        And by faith you taste such an estate even now,                 the measure of the creature you shall be as beautiful
before you breathe your last.                                           as ,God is. And so you begin to see the reason why God
        And so we see Israel blessed by Jehovah God.                    cal.ls you His children. :The child is `like the Father.
        No. wonder Moses exclaimed at the hour of his                   Hallelujah.
death: Happy art thou, 0 Israel. .                                         The Son's bless&g. has the effect to mdke y@ glori-
                                                                        ously beautiful.
                                   -- .
        And what is the result of all such blessing?                                              .*G\3  .
  , ' First, you are kept by the Father.
        The Lord blees thee,  nnd keep thee.;                              And the Holy Spirit? He gives` you peace.
  _ To be kept by Jehovah means that. His arms are                         Words fail me again and again when I talk of
around you so that nothing can harm you, on the one                     Divine things. What, 0 what shall I say of peace.
hand, and ,011 the other, you experience that which is                     I will not reason with YOLI, dear reader. Neither
above all things to be desired, namely, you experience                  will I be unreasonable. .L,et us botii.l.isten: to the Holy
the fellowship of the Triune ,God,                                      Scriptures.
        We keep that which we consider precious.                            Some of these things I feel rather th&`understandii  *
        You are precious in the sight of God. You are His                  Y,our peace, the peace as eff&t 6f blessing; shall be
heritage. No wonder Isaiah said a while agb : Cry out                   as a riyer, says the Bible. I have" heard the sweet
 and shout: 0 thou inhabitant of Zion!                                  murniurings of a river, sitting at her banks. And I
  Must you have proof of these loving-arms of God                       distinctly remember  how I thought on these things.
that always bless Israel? Listen again $0 the dying                      , .It was an earthly pi&me of heavenly things.
 Moses : "and underneath are the everlasting arms !"                       And so I was silent. I am silent now.
   .. Think of that when -the devil temps you, when the                                            1                 -1G. Vos.
                            L
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   4..                                                                                  T H E   -STAN.DAR-D   BEARER

                               The Standard Beaxer                                                                                                      EDITOR.IALS                                     -
               Semi-Monthly,  except  Monthly  in  July   and  `Aogtist
                                   Pub,lish`ed                                                            By
                        The  Beformed   Free  Publishing  Association'                                                                         Reply Tab Rev. Blankk.esposr
                             Box  124,  Sta.  C.,  Grand   -Rapids,   Mick
                                 EDITOR: -  Rev.  H.  Hoeksema.                                                   '
         Communication& relative to cbntents  should be addressed to                                                                     Although the Rev. Blankespoor did not ask me p&r-
   REV. H. HOEI(SEMA,  1139 Franklin S%., S. E., Grand Rapids,                                                                       sonall,y to reply `to his questions, published in the pre-
   Michigan.                                                                                                                         cee.ding issue of the Stnlzlclclrcl  Bearer, I twill `neverthe-
   Communicitions  relative to subscription should be addressed                                                                      less`try to make a start with the discussion.
   to Mr. J. BOUWMAN, 832 Reynard St., S. E., Grand Rapids 7,                                                                            In  the first  place, I feel, of course, co-responsible
   Mich.   Annouticements  and  Obitua,ries  must be mailed to the                                                                   for this Declaration of Principles as a delegate to our
   above address and will be published at a fee of $1.00 for each
   notice.                                                                                                                           last Synod. Secondly, I feel still more responsible be-                 s
   Renewals:-Unless a definite request for discontinuance is  re-                                                                    cause synod `added me to the committee that drew up
ceived,  it is assumed that the subscriber wishes his subscription                                                                   this declaration and advised synod to adopt it. And
   to continue without the formality of a renewal order.                                                                             thirdly, the. committee asked me to draw up the first
   Entered as Second Class  M&l at Grand Rapids,  &&higan.                                                                           `Draft of this Declaration of Principles, which then
                                                                                                                                     was discussed by them and proposed by them to synod,
                                                                                                                                     and finally adopted by this body. This does not imply
                3       -                                                                                                            that I am the only responsible party, or even that I
                                                    :i:           :I:          :i:                                                   assutie more responsibility for this Declaration of
                                                                                                                                     PiG&les then any other member of synod. For after
                                                                                                                              _.     its adoption synod as a body is responsible. And
   _-                                                                                                                                when I write a word of ,explanation in answer to the
                                            CONTENTS                                                                                 question  of. the Rev. Blankespoor, -1 simply try to voice
M E D I T A T I O N - .                                                                                                              the sentiment .of our ,last synod. Nevertheless, being
                                                                                                                                     so *directly  and intimately acquainted with the origin,
              jehovah's Blessi.& . . . ..I ._... _ ..___............._______:  . . . . . _ ..______..  . . . . . . . . . . 1
                      Rev. Gerrit Vos                                                                                                meaning, and purpose of this declaration, I feel that I
                                                                                                                                     am at least in as .good  a position as anyone to answer
   EDITORIALS-                                                                                                                       the Rev. Blankespoor's questions.
            Reply to Rev. IBkmkespoor  __.._.....____  I ___....__...______  :__... _ ____.___ 4                                         Any other inember of the committee ~3 hoc or any
                      Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                               dther.deleg&e,  except the one dissenting~vote which I
   V A N   B O E K E N -   1                                                                                                         heard was cast (though I did not hear it at the time),
              Lucas ._._ . . . . 
                               .._.... Z.. __._.._..__._._____..~ :..I...: ____: __.____  _ _______________________ 9                may, of course, add to my explanation or criticize my
                      Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                               interpretation of the sentiment of synod.
   OUR  DOCTRINE-                                                                                                                        Of  coprse, anyone is entitled too to criticize the
           .The  Idea of Creation (5) ____ ____________._____________  _ ________ _ ____________ 9 - declaration itself. But this does. not belong  td the
                      Rev. H.  Veldtian                                                                                              prbper  scope of .this present writing, sitice the Rev.
   THE DAY OF `SHADOWS-                                                                                                              Blankespoor `dogs not criticize, but simply asks a few
            David%  Praise of the Lord among  thi Heathen ._..________ 13                                                            questions.
                      R&v. G. M. Ophoff                                   .                                                              The first question reads as follows: "I am inform-
   SION'S ZANGEN-                                               -. ,                                                                 ed that the Mission Committee requested synod to
            Niet  Ons, 0 .Heere! Niet Ons . . . .._._..__._....__________________~  _______ 16                                       draw up a form regarding our principles for those
                      Rev. G. Vos                                                                                                    (especially in Canada) who request drganization.  On
   FROM HOLY WRIT-                                                                                                                   the basis of this synod drew up this declaration. Now
            Exposition of Hebrews  10:19-25   ._..._._......_...______________________  18                                           my questions  is this : Is it church politically .correct  to
                      Rev. Geo. C. Lubbers                                                                                           make such a decl,aration  on the basis of a request of a
  `IN HIS FEAR:                                                                                                                      committee? Doesn't this-violate the rule of Reformed
            Church Member&$  in His Fear __________ _ _______. ..:...; _______ --.. _____ 20                                         church polity that all matters must Gome to synod via
                      l%ev. H. C. Hoeksem,a                                                                                          consistary, classis, etc. ?"
            We go to Church -..> _____ _ _____ _ ___________ _ .___.__ _ ______________ . . . . . . . . . . . . . _____ 22               .-
                      Rev. M. Gritters                                                                                                  Answer.  -
           Contribution _._. :...... __ . . . . 
                                                            .._..______..  :.........I... ____.._______  _______ ____________~ 24       Synod, in my opinion, ,did not violate any rule of
                      A .   H .   Haan                                                                                               Reformed church polity by acceding to the request of'
                                                                                                                                     the:Mission  Committee for a form ijr declaration which

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                               _-.     ^..          T H E   STAN.DARD   B E A R E R                                        : ,      5

                might be used in the organization of churches. It'is         formed principles, that they  vdere organized into a
                not tru'e that it is a rule of Reformed church polity c h u r c h .
                that all matters must come to synod via consistory and          Recently, however, the Mission Committee faced
                classis. The articl,e  ,of the Church Order that pertains    what was really the same problem from a different
                to this matter is article 30, which reads as follows:        angle. `They and our missionaries barn&  into contact
                "In these assemblies ecclesiastical. matters only shall      with pepple  that are apparently willing to subscribe
                be transacted and ithat in an ecclesiastical manner.         to our denial of common grace and to repudiate the
                In major assemblies only such matters shall be dealt         Three Points, but who insist that the promise. is for
                with as cduld not be finished in minor assemblies, or `all the dhildren  that are born under the historical dis-
                such as pertain to the churches of the major assembly        pensation of the covenant. In other `words, they tiant-
                in common." The last clausf; of this article applies to      ed to maintain common grace-within the historical line
                the matter in question. Mission work, like the Theo-         of the covenant. These people had their origin in the
                logical School, is certainly a ma&er that belongs to the     Reformed Churches of the Netherlands.  ' Historically
                churches  in common.  B&ides,  perhaps article 51 of         as well as doctrinally they differed from the Christian
                the Church {Order  pertains to the same matter: "The         Ref,ormed Churches in America; but also from our,
                missionary work of the churches is regulated by the          Protestant Reformed Churches. In the Netherlands
                general synod in a mission order." The Mission Coin- `they  had been urged to join the Protestant Reformed
                mittee, therefore, certainly had the perfect right to        Churches and not the- Christian Reformsd Church.
                appeal to synod for a form that may serve as a basis         No wonder then that they lived under the impression
                for the organization of Churches. And the synod did          that they could simply, without further instruction,
                nothing that was church politically out df order, when       be organized into Protestant Ref,ormed Churches. But
                it drew up the declaration of principles.           :  :     at i&e same time they wanted to adhere to their own
      -             Let me, however, explain this matter a little more       peculiar' view of the covenant. They &en sent a re-
                in detail, especially to show what motivated the Mission     quest  to'.the  Mission  Cofimittee to be organized on
                Committee to come with such a request to synod.              their own basis. That was the difficulty with which
                    The Mission Committee is a synodical# committee          the Mission Committee had to contend.
                that serves synod Fnd all our churches in the interest          Hence, the Mission Committee wanted a definite
                of ,our niissitin work. Its purpose is through our mis-      form as a basis for the organization of churches; a
                sionaries and in cooperation with the .calling church to     form on. the basis of which our missionaries could
                `propagate and disseminate the pure Reformed truth           labor among i&se .people,  and which they themselves
                 (which to us is the same as Protestant Reformed             could study in drder that they might not only become
                truth) outside of the pale of our churches and to bring      acquainted with our view, but also know what they
                to manifestat%on  the purest manifestation. of, the body     were doing when they' yeque&ted  the Mission  Com-
                of Christ in the world ;(which to us is the Protestant       m%tee   .f or  qrganization   intq' Protestant  Refdrmed
                Reformed Church) .' They have not the calling, there-        Church&s. ]More than a year ago the Mission Com-
                fore, to organize any group `oft people, r,egardless  of     mittee  r@,qu'ested  me to draw up such a form, but I
                their doctrinal convicti6ns,  but `only such as are Suf-     made no work of it for, the simple reason that either
                 ficiently acquainted with our Protestant Reformed           the Mission Committee  themselveg  were capable of
                truth and are willing to subscribe to its main tenets.       composing such a document, or that they could appeal
                    We used to conduct thi$ kind of mission work chief-      to synod to furnish a form as a basis of organization
                 ly in the Christian ReformedChurch.&. And the work          fdr them. The latter they chose. They came  t6 the
                 used to. concentrate -chiefly aPound the question of        last synod with their problem. And the synod heeded
                 commoti  grace, as adopted by the Christian R&formed        their request and adopted the declaration of  ~principles.
                 Church in 1924 and embodied in the well-known Three There certainly was nothing church political.ly  wrong
      --  Poirits. With this work  J am personally  thorqughly               on the part of the Committee to come with such a
                 acquainted, as I used to -go out for weeks at a time to' request to Synod, nor on the part of synod to accede
                 explain.the  errors` of the Three Points especially to the to this request.
                 Christian Reformed people in IlliFois, Wisconsin; Iowa,
.'                                                                               But after all, the Rev. Blankespoor makes a wrong
                 and even in California. It was .-never  our purpose         impression when he writes that the synod made &ch
                 simply to .&xtend our churches and to organize congre-      a declaration on the basis of a request 02 a committee.
                 gations. Always the people were first acquainted with       Fact is that in ,order to avoid a semblance. of hierarchy
                 our standpoint and our ProtFstant Reformed truth in         the synod did not make or adopt the declaration of
                 distinction from the errors of the Three  Points. And       principles, but merely proposed it to the churches in
                 it was only after they tiere convinced of these errors      order that by way of cons&tory and  .classis  it may
                 and as a r,esult ,of these labors a. group was gathered     come to the next' synci?l. And they suggested that the
                that wele willing to subscribe to our Protestant Re-' Mission Committee and the Missionaries use this de-

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6 .                                     THE'  S,TAN.DARb   ~Bl$ARER

claration in the meantime as a working hypothesis.                b;other  and. sister-in-law of the professor. They were
`The synod f,elt that After all ,this declaration is a niatter    &er last summer, and we had the privilege oi. enter:
of doctrine. And although it is not meant as a certain            taining them at our home for a couple `of days. They
"fourth form", binding  otir churches (see below), it             proved to be very amiable people, and in the short  tjme
nev&theless  thought it safer to let this matter come             that they were with us we learned. to love.&em  as a
from the bottom up. Hence,' the declaration, of prin-             brother an! sister in.Christ. But I told :him that f,or
ciples was never adopted, but consists merely of a ,us it was not a'question of.recefving `some individual
proposal to bk discussed by all our churches, .atid to .familes  .or members froin the Liberated Churches, but
come by way of consistory and  classis to  oilr next              oft organizing groups of Liberated  peoplc%into  Pro-
synod. And it will undoubted_ly be very salutary for              testant Reformed Chfirches. And I asked him whether
all our consi&ories,  as well as for all our' people, to          in  ~the Netherlands, supposing there were .a group of
study this declaration thoroughly and offer their critic-         Reformed people that emphasized the theory of pre-
ism and suggestions for improvement `or for revision,             sumptive regeneration and watited  to become `okganized
in order that our next synod may be ripe for a final              as. Reformed -Churches (maintaining krticle  .31), the
.adoption.                                           ..           Liberated Churches would, organize them and receive
  The next question which the Rev. Blankespoor asks               them in their fellowship on that basis. And...both:he
is as follows : "Is this declaration exclusively for those' and Mrs. Schilder replied that they would ~nevel:  do
outside of our denomination,- or also for  our own                that. And I told  him. that we confronted the  satie
people?"                                                          problem here with respect to the Heynsian conception
                                                                  that the essence of the covenant .is .;the promise' and
    Answer.                                                       that the promise is for all that-are born .in the histori-
    If this declar&on -is finally adopted after being             cal line df the covenant..                            .'
thoroughly discussed by our people, by our consistories,               Nevertheless, it cannot be said that the declaration
and by our classes, at our next synod, ii is not for OUY' ,of principles is as such.directed against the Liberated
own people, but it is bzj them as a declaration of what           Churches, for they have riot adopted any official con-
$hey believe to be the truth concerning the covenant              ception of the covenant. At most; therefore, it should
of, God, the promise of the gospel; over against those            be said that it is directed. at some of .the .:Liberated,
that differ with us as Protestant Reformed Churches.              who teach that the promise of God is objectively for
0,ur own churches have no need of such a declaration              all the baptized children.and- that in$his promi% Cod
for themselves, or  at least should  liot have.' It is            is gracious to them all. -:                  ; ..' ..bi ;`!.;
therefore intended as a working b&is. for the Miss&                    It is true, of course, that due' to.the present. :cic-
Committee and for the missionaries in the organization            cumstarices  the  declaratio`n' of  prificiples   -.appar%ntly
of churches.                                                 _' devotes the lion's shafe of its contents to.the question
    `This does not mean that .bur own people cannot               of the. prbmise of #God for all the children-that are boin
benefit by.this declaration of principles and that they           under the covenant. Yet this is only.-apparent., The
cannot very profitably be instructed in it, It would              declaration just as emphatjcaily  denies the theory'o'f
be very beneficial,  no doubt, if this declaration  6f            common grace as adopted by .the Synod of Kalamazo6,
principles were made the object of instruction and                1924. It denies that there is a grace of:God to all men,
study by a catechism class of confessing young peopli.            including the reprobate, in the common igifts to all
    `i'he third question by the Rev. Blankespoor reads            men. It denies  -that the  rjl"omise,  of the gospel is a
as follows : "It seems' to me that the *declaration is            gracious offer of salvation on the part`. of, ,God .to. all
mainl,y directed at the  Liberatkd  Church,es.  Only a            that e&&n$ly hear the gospel. &id it den.ies that the
small portion is given to the repudiation of the com-             natural man. through the influence df common grace
mon grace theory, church hierarchy, etc., while a large           can do good in this world. And  .Qver  against  theBe
portion directly and indirectly is devoted to the repudi-         `points it maintains that the graceI,o$  God is always
ation of the Liberated views pf the covenant and bap- * partiiular and only for the `elect; neyer for the repro-
tism. Am I correct in drawing this tionclusion?"                  bate. It maintains that the. promise. qf.-the  gospel is
                                                                  not a gracious offer of salvation on the part of God.to
    AWSWI~Y.                                                      all men,. nor a. conditional offer to all $hat are .bora .in
    The declaration of, principles cannot possibly be             the historical dispensation of the covenan;t,.but  an oath
directed against the Liberated Churches for the simple            of `,God  that He will infallibly lead all the elect unto
reason that they claim that as churches they have nd              salvation and eternal glory through faith. And  it
covenant conception. `They claim that in their church-            maintains that-the unregenerate man is totally in-
es there is nothing binding concerning the covenant.              capable of doing any-good, wholly deprave.d;.and  there;
  Of course, the question ,is how far. this goes. I dis-          fore can only s@. Moreover, it repudiates,$he  .theory
cussed our difficulties with Mr. and Mrs, A, Schilder,            of_. presumptive rqgiieration, and,  it declares  .that  it

                                                                  .


           _                         T H E   STANDARD,`BEARER,                                                                    7

must -have nothing of the hierarchical action of the                     the promise for all that live under the historical dis-
R'eformed Synod of the Netherlands, 1939+44, whereby                     pensation" of the covenant is the teaching of the con-
they imposed certain doctrinal decisions upon the chur-                  fessions read.and know what is confessionally Reform-
ches synodically,  ,And whereby they deposed local. ed on these points. It is not a question of ambiguity.
qfficebearers.  The only difference is that, whereas                     in the confessions as such, nor is it a question what our ,
for the proposition. that the promise is not for all the                 ministers -and missionaries and people need. But it is
children that are born under the covenant, but only                      rather a question as to how some interpret and.,read
for the elect elaborate-proof is furnished from the con=                 the confessions erroneously. And to point out to them
,fessions,  it was not deemed necessary to offer the                     that they do read erroneously is exactly the purpose of
same elaborate proof for the proposition that the Three                  this declaration of principles. And to my  mind-s!this
Points are unreformed, for,the simple reason that also purpose is admirably served by this declaration.
the Liberated people are supposed to.agree with us in                       `The final question put by the -Rev. Blankespoor _
regard to the denial of common grace ,and in regard                      reads as follows,:. "What is-the difference between..ra
to the contents of Jthe'Three-.Point.s. If, however, con-                declaration and a form? I have heard a few people
fessional proof, must, be,furnished,,,this can easily be- call, this a fourth form. What technically is a form
.done. And if it should, be done, it, will become, evident               or confession?" What historically ,are the conditions
that the declaration of..principles  isjnst as elaborate                 that necessitated the formulation. of confessions? Have
on the theory of common grace as it. is on the question                  the Reformed churches ever set a precedent in making
concerning the promise .of the covenant.       :,.                ).)    declaration of the confessions? df so, in what condi-
    In the fourth .lquestion  the Rev. Blankespoor `asks :               tions did they do so?"
?.I ,gather that these principles are meant to be an ex-
planation of the confessions, `not, another confession.                     Answw.
Does this imply that ,our confessions are ambiguous                         This is not a fourth form or a fourth confession.
on these points, so that the+ truths cannot be clearly                   Of this we have no need, for we stand on the basis .of
proven from the confessions without this. ,declaratiopl                  the Three Forms of Unity only, And this basis is suf-
of princi-ples  ? Does this then also imply that our                     ficie,nt for us. But it aims to be ,a declaration of prin-
missionaries,. ministers, and people are not able to                     ciples which are already contained in our c.mfessions.
state. the same without them??'                        >'                The difference is plain. A fourth .form or confession
                                                        '                either adds some pew doctrine, which before was extra-
    Answ&.~                                    i  :                      confessional ; or it also adds some elaborate explanation
    That our confessions are not ambiguous * on the                      of what is principally inplied in the confession, but not
main, .question  that the promise is. not' for all is our                elaborately and clearly expressed.        And  finallyj a
firm  conpiction. That this is true is exactly the point                 fourth form ,may also serve to corrupt the confessions.
of the declaration of-princigles. You may notice that                    As an illustration of the second instance we may .point
`intentionally the declaration presents very little argu-                to the Canons of Dordrecht, They were indeed based
mentation, but widely and elaborately and literally the                  upon. the principles of the then existing confession.
confessions. In this respect there is a vast-difference                  But they elaborated those principles into the present
between such a document as the Conclusions of Utrecht                    five articles against the. Remonstrants. They appeal
`1905, and this declaration `of principles. The former                   to Scripture as their basis, but not to the existing con-
adopted synodically some very general. statements on                     fession. And as an illustration of a corrupting addi-
eternal justification, im;mediate  regeneration, presump-                tion to the confession we may point to the Three Points
time regeneration, `the. promise of the covenant, etc.,                  of 1924. It is true that the Synod of 1924 also appeal-
without any elaborate proof either from Scripture or                     ed to the confessions .and.tried to leave the impression
from the confessions. But the declaration of principles                  that the Three .Points  w,ere  nothing but an explanation
offers very few statements of its own, but emphatically                  of the Three Forms of Unity. But it can easily be
and' elaborately points to the confession and quotes it.                 shown, and we have proved repeatedly, that this is not
This, to my mind, is the strength- of this declaration.                  true, and that the theory of common grace as contained
And therefore it rests exactly on the-assumption that                    in the Three Points is certainly contrary to the confes-
the. confessions. are certainly not .amb,iguous.             :           sions that are adopted in the Reformed .churches. But
   Hence, our missionaries and ministers, as well as .this, declaration of -principles does .not ailm at being a
our own people, if they ar,e properly instructed,, can                   fourth form or an addition to the confession, but sim-
very well read the fundamental principles of this de-                    ply a setting forth of principl.es  that are already clear-
claration in `our confessions.                                           ly.expressed  in the confessions. If this is not true, the
    But, as was &eady.stated under "2", this declara-                    declaration is open for ,criticissm.    That is the reason
tion serves to let..others  that allege that the theory of               why the Synod of 1950 suspended or postponed the
common grace, of presumptive regeneration, and of                        final,adoption  of this declaration until all the churches


 8._                                     THti       STA:ND.ARD              BEARER'            `_.     '      .'     -
                                                                                     -_
 have made a thorough study of it. Besides, a f'drm'or the Reformed churches ever set a precedent in making
 confession or even an addition to the confession  is'com-        declaration .of the confessions and under what condi-
 posed for' the churches themselves, and after it has             tions they ever did so, I would answer that the church-
 been officially adopted the churches are all supposed to         es indeed have often made such declarations. They
 abide by that form or addition. But this declaration             made such a declaration in 1918, when the Synod of
 ,of principles isnot for the churches., but by the church- the Christian Reformed Churches appealed to the. con-
 .es and is proposed as a. basis for the organization of          f,essions in order ,to combat the false doctrine of dis-
 churches. In no sense of the word, therefore, can this `pensationalism and premillenialism. At that time they
 declaration of principles be called a fourth form or a           simply pointed to the truth clearly expressed in the
 fourth confession.                                               confessions of the kingship of Christ, as well as to the
        The Rev. Blankespoor asks further :  "What historic-      oWe:r truth, also definitely expressed in the confessions,
 ally are the conditions that necessitated the, for.mula-         of the unity of the church of all ages. And on this
 tions of confessions?' We answer briefly that historic-          basis they principally condemned the error of premil-
 ally the formulation of conf,essions  is usually occasion-       lenialism. `The attempt at such a declaration was also
 ed by the attack of false philosophy and false doctrine          made in 1905, when the Conclusions of Utrecht were
 upon the truth as it is in Jesus Christ .our Lord. If I adopted by the Synod of the Reformed Churches in the
 may quote from my own work on the Heidelberg Cate-               Netherlands. I say that in those Conclusions of Utrecht
 chism, Vol II, pi 113: "And this is especially true in           an attempt was made to make a declaration of prin-
 our times. It is a well-known fact that those that seek          ciples based upon tthe confessions. For actually these
 to undermine the foundation of the true church upon              conclusions never appealed to the conf,essions what-
 which the Church is built, and to introduce false doc-           ever. In the condemnation of the instruction of Dr.
 trines, hardly ever reveal their evil intention by openly        Jansen. by the S'ynod of 1922 in -Orange  City repeated-
 declaring their opposition to the doctrines as they have         ly such declarations are made. from the confessions.
 been formulated by the Church in the past. On the                Thus we read in "Reports and Decisions in the Case
 contrary, they prefer to employ the verysame  terms              of Dr. R. Jansen", which was published by the Synod
 the Church has always used to express her faith, al-             of Orange City, 1922: "We remark with reference to
 though they give them a new and entirely strange con-            these five passages that in each of these, in the `one
 tent. If they mean to deprive the Church of the truth            more, in the other less,. a human, fallible element is
 of sovereign grace, and to introduce the false doctrine          injected into the divine revelation. This does not agree
 of free-will,. they ,employ the Scriptural terms of pre-         with what we `confess in article 3 and `7 o'f the Belgic
 .destination,  election, and reprobation nonetheless  ;' only    Confession of ,Faith :
 they declare that God has chosen them that believe, and             `Article 3 reads as follows: `We confess that this
rejected those that remain in their unbelief.. Or they            word of God was not sent nor delivered by the will of
 speak of' a `double track' and insist that, while they `man, but that holy men of God spake as they were
 firmly believe in the truth of absolute predestination,          moved by the Holy. Ghost, as the apostle Peter saith,
 they also hold the very opposite, viz., that `God will           And that afterwards God, from a special care, which
 have all men to be saved. And thus they do with re-              he has for us .and our salvation, commanded his ser-
 gard to every fundamental truth- of the Bible. Even              vants, the prophets and apostles, to commit his reveal-
 present day modernism, though it rejects and opposes             ed word to writing, and he himself wrote with his own
 all the fundamental doctrines of historical Christen-            finger, the two tables of the law. Therefore we call
 dom, is often very efficient in the employment of prac-          such writings holy and divine scriptures.'                        '  ""
 ti,cally all the terms used to express the object of the            "In article 7 we confess as follows :
 Christian faith. They, too, speak of Christ as the Son              " `We believe that these holy scriptures fully con-
 of God, but in their mouth the term is completely                tain the will of God and that whatsoever man ought to
 emptied of its true significance so that it does not ex- `believe, unto salvation, is sufficiently taught therein.
 press at all the essential divinity of the Saviour. And          For, since the whole manner of worship, which God
 they love to speak of the kingdom of God and its right-          requires of us, is written in them at large, it is unlaw-
 eousness, while they refer to a kingdom of mere. man,            ful for anyone though an apostle, to teach otherwise
<and of this world. And-so we might go on. It shows,              than we are now taught in the holy scriptures ; nay,
 that as the Church advances in the knowledge of the              though it wer.e an angel from heaven, as the apostle
 truth, it will not only need a more elaborate confession         Paul saithl For, since it is forbidden to add unto or
 to express its faith positively, but it must also more           take away anything from the word of  :God, it doth
 definitely and fully define its .doctrines,  lest t,hey'be       thereby evidently appear, that the doctrine thereof is
 open to the attack of gain sayers because of their               most perfect and complete in all respects.' `j               a
 ambiguity."                                                         As to the question under what conditions the chur-
        And as to the final question asked, namely, whether       ches made such declarations, we may- answer that


                                                                                                                          -


                                                                                                                       THE.`S.`jrANDARD                           ,Bl?ARER              t       :             9

     additions or corruptions `of the confessions were. fre-
     quently made by the churches from impure and sinful,
     carnal~  motives,. motives of hatred and envy, .as was un-                                                                                                   OUR,  D O C T R I N E
      doubtedly the case with the adoption of the Three
      Points. by-the Synod of 1924: Or it may be the desire
     of the churches to get away from under the binding                                                                                                        .The Idea Of Creation. (5)
      force of:the truth. I Or again, it. may be the desire to
     `unite the `church in a compromising statement, as was                                                                                                                  The Creator.
     the case: with the Conclusions of Utrecht. But if the
          church really: desires to maintain the truth of the con-'                                                                                      We must beware of the error of Tritheism in our
          fessions, the purpose. is :usually to .defend the truth discussion of the Creator `of the heavens and the earth.
     `over against errors and to safeguard the church over That the authors of the Heidelberg Catechism did not
          against false doctrines.                                                                       t  :.                                       teach this error is evident from the quotation from
                                                                                                                                                     Ursinus which we-quoted in our previous article. We
                  And now I have explained to the best of my ability also noted in that article that our `Confession of Faith,
          the content and the purpose and the meaning of the too, does not. propagate the teaching that there are _
          declaration of principles that was proposed to our three gods. .
     churches by the Synod of 19.50.                                                                                            a                    Finally, we would also call attention to the fact
     -                    `And `once more I want.to emphasize-ihat  any dele-                                                                        that the first article' of the Twelve Articles does not
     `gate to the Synod of' 1956'ma.y  add to or criticize this
                                                                                                    ,
expla&f--ofi.~~                                                 :                 .:                "                                                teach this error. This is evident from the article it-
                                    :                                                         ..                                                     self.
                                                                                                                             H .   H .                        This article reads.: "I believe in God the Father,
                ..I                                            ..,...                                                                                Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth." We should
                            `I'.'  :"                                 y..,o                                                                          notice the following. We do not read, here : "I believe
                         `ii,j:;                                        w'
                                                                                              --                        i&l                ,,
                                                                                                           ,                                         in the first Person of the Trinity, the Father, Al-
                           "!,ll!                .`.                                                                                                 mighty, Creator of heaven and earth." Neither do
                                                                                                                                                     we read later in these articles: "I believe in God, the
          ..:,o                                    ,:
     .~.,S I: I  ,,*1  :,(,                                            .Vzin  Boeken                                                                 Son, and in God, the Holy Ghost," but: "I believe in
                                                                                                                                                     God, the Father. ). . . And in Jesus Christ, His only
          :..                         `
                                       :;,.-,
     .Lucos. (in `de series De Bijbel  Toegelicht.  voor het Begotten Son, our Lord. . . . I believe in the- Holy
     . . .                       Nederlandsche  Volk), door Ds. C. B. Bavinck. Spirit." .This, we believe, is striking. The name, God,
     *...I                   U,tgever : J. H.. Kok, N.V. Kampen, Nederland. therefore appears' exclusively in the first article; we
                                 Prijs f. 2.70,                                               i            ._.                                       read of Jesus Christ in the second  artcle: and the
     ' Bit  b&k van  158 paginas is eigenlijk geen  com-                                                                                             Holy Ghost appears later in these articles, but then
     -,m,entaar;-  maar weinig meer dan een paraphrase, of ,as the Spirit as He operates out of Christ in the Church.
          een. zeer, beknopte toelichting `op bet evangelie naar This is `evident from the fact. that the articles in re-
     de beschrijving van Lukas. Het is misschien geschre-                                                                                            gard to the Church follow upon.the  article which con-
     r&n `voor dat `gedeelte  van bet Nederlatidsche volk, dat cerns the Holy Ghost. We conclude, therefore, that
     -geen'tijd heeft of wenscht te nemen voor de bestudee-                                                                                          the Name, God, in Art. 1 .refers not, to the First Person
                                                                                                                        /
          ring van breedere  en meer grondige verklaringen. Het of the Trinity, but to the Triune  IGod, and that the
     `is geschreven in held&e stijl en eenvoudige taal.- Wie Triune -God is presented here as the Father, Almighty,
          vluchtig iets wil naiien ,over dit evangelie, schaffe zich, the'creator of heaven and earth.
          dit boek aan;-                                                                                                                              We must therefore, surely beware of the error of
           "- Met `de traditi,oneele .verklaring  van het ledige graf `.Tritheism.                                                                                   Tritheism separates the three Persons,
          en de linnen doeken,  die daar zoo "keurig Bijeen" lagen, teaches three gods, so that the one Person,is active in
     ,ben `ik bet niet eens.,:  Cf. p. 153.                                                                                                          one thing, another Person is active in another work,
                                                         .,                                                                                          and each work is ascribed exclusivevly  to each parti-
                                                                                                                        :       .H.  H .
          -.                                                                                                                                         cular Person: We must ever bear in mind'that, al-
                          ,I'                           ,.                                                        ,                                  though ,it' is true that within the Triune ,God Himself
                         :`.                            `-.
.                                                                                                                                                    the three Divine Persons perform their own personal .
          -,  -,,  `.  (  .,.                                   I                                          !                         `
                                                                                                                                     :(
                                      ,,                                                                                                             functions, so that the Father alone generates, the Son
                                                   \'
     _~                      `
                                 .'
                                                 ,:,: CLASSIST,   EA,ST                                                                     0, ..    alone is willingly generated, the Holy Spirit alone pro-
     .'                                     ., ,  ..1                          ..,`.                                                                 ceeds'from the Father and the Son, yet in all the works
     will meet inregular session, the Lord willing, on,Wed-                                                                                          of Go'd's  hands God always reveals Himself and works
     nesday, .Qctober .4 `at I the" First Protestant Reformed as the Triune God. All the three Divine Persons are
     I Church+,&rand Rapids,, (Michigan, at 9 -o'clock A; M.                                                                                         co-eternal and equally significant in all the works .of
                 f,'             _..a                           ,,                      ,,    D, Jonker  (Stated Clerk).                             God. It is not true that the Father is the Chief Per-


 -10                                                    T H E .' ST A N D A R D. .`B'E<A R E R

 .former  in -the work of-.-creation,.,.the  .Son &he- Chief the'-Triune Gad, of: God's:  ihfinite: iife and,.perfectiolis.
 Performer) ,.@,+e  work ,of .rede4mV$$on;  and the Holy He is, also the. eternal S.otirce  ,af .the, Divine eaunsel
  Spirit the (Chief -P&f&rizer..in  the w&k of sanctifica- with, .respect  : to all. thifigs. .. This. explains. why:i the
 tion. ,-All `are:. equal@ active ,-in -all the ,works of the                 authors of the H&l$bergi@atechism;.in  Lord'S.  Day 9,
 Lord. Th.e Triane God creates ; the .Triune God' re- in. connection with. the .firSti a!rticl,& of-/the Twel% .Art-
  deeI% ; $he Triu&e God +&nctifies ;...altia?s it. is otit of icles of Faith, mention"also.&b.e  cpunsel: Of: Go@;  1; :Aind
 the Father, through the-Son, and in the Holy Spirit.
                                   _'                                         in the w&k of creation -at! ;&he; dawn `of, historg,;all
                                                                              things `aye out.. of .tke' Father. The firsti Person; ?in
  That  Scrip&:e astir&e~ de' work  of creation also to                       distitictiqn from. the other P.e&on& is, in .a ~par.tie&iz
  the  SOri  iMt$the  Spkit'ii  abundantLg  clear;,                           sense of the ,word the' Father; the Source, the .Begihr
      !&&t' thti?V&d'&f G&l. ascribes the iydrk of crk&?on ning:of .all: th& works .of. G.od'si h&i+;, :                      :. I     :; < : ..I
 go the'Son is' &a? from various pas+ges?%?Q:read.  in
 . .                                                                              Everything I iS. through the Son; This. -i`s, <true; of
 Xohn 1. : 1-3 : "In. the beginning-was'the  wor?$"`a>d th& `God's own infinite life and  perf&tio&   :`We read in
 ?@yd w&b .with'&o& tind the -Word- was G&d;. `The Hebrews  X:3 : "Who being.th.e'brightness  o$.His;glory,
 s+!ne .~yas"@ the b&ginning with' God. `x11- things' were and the .express  image of Qispecson, and uphqlding all
 mide  by'  Hini  ; and  withotit Him was not  atiy thing things by the word,.,%of;  .H+ 5B,qtver;-;when  $I$ .Fq.d,.bjr
 made i&at was made." In. Hebrews 1: l-2 "& read :                            Himself p,urged our sins, Sat .dowg,.c+p~ the:,zight , hgnd
 ft(&d;'  `Who  at                 `,&@  aid  .ic  di+efs  &ni,q
                       sundry'                                                ,016 ' the .Maj esty :on high:' .Wi+jn the &qsed i Tr@ity
 %p&&e" &n time "past cnto Me f&lie+ by the pr@hets, the Sdn is the expressed image : and, r$le,c$isn  gf , C&d's
 $%a@-%  Xi&e last'  d$+:`gpoketi ,unto us by His Son,                        eternal. perfections. "The Father  genera+q;   ,$h,e,  @ti
 ,;!qhoti' @@-`h&h a;&ointed  heii, of dll thihgs, by Whom and the-:Son  is generated by the Father. In the Son
 &G :`jT&j &de t-i& $rl&.".. And .&!t C01; 1: 16%ve. read : the -Father beholds Himself eternally. The second
 `6'p&J!fb$.   Hih  &ep&  `$11  j&figs  cr,&ed;"  &&,  are  in person is therefore the Son, the expressed image, re-
 heavZ$`,;  `and  t&t  `.&e  in  &art&`  .visibl&  z$d  intiisible,           f$ction, the eternal, qomple&, .full, and' therefore the
 $,&&li$~~  t;hey  bP,  throne@  Oi`  domifiiptis,   Or,  prir&- only eternal and essential likeness of the Father. This
 p'&tif$;  d?  l$oweis  : "all things tiere created by Him, also applies td the counsel of God. Even as the living
 `+nd"  96~  X$-&`~  ( `And  ii  Proverbi 8 the  goly  &4ter                  God sees H..mself  eternally in.the Son,. so ilso the per-
 %@eal& `of `$&c&i; or, if you will,? of Wisdom (with a -fe& and eternal reality c$ all'things is reflected in the
 `@$t&@~ei%&);  It"!{ evident  fro& the  .&a&er that Ssn. 1' H&tie,. `iliasmu'ch a$ the * Sofi is `:th& `ex@esbed
 ItKis  Wisdom   bears  5  @`&s&al'~-character; We read `of +&abe of &e. Father and z&d the dotin&& of : God is
 `tXi;iis  ~W&d~ti'tl&&e cries,' @tits f orth'her. tiice, stands +tenially-  ref lected  ,in the. Son so th%t.t- all th<ngs `aie out
 `iri'the fop of high @`a&s, .&es at tl& gat&; at the &try of the Father and through the Son, so also it; B but of
 `bf the:&+; at the %ming+l at the doorsi We`re&d of .the Father and through +@on that the,wor!{ is; called
 Ii&  that  sh'e'  tiailsi'unto  :men and that  h&r  Goi&  is  $0 -into .existence  agd al~O~:co@@&+y sustained..., Heqce,
 -tlie :`so$s &f:.inen; uoreqver, this  %%$dom  is  .&e&l ~th&tig~`~& Word (Christ; t&z &erqal  wb$ or: &ogo@
  (si?e*`irCrses  22-36) ;" It is'therefore` evidetit fr'om this alli  things are  ,created  a~`ci'&sf+@.                       ..a  ,.  ;' ._
 :cl&pteY that this -Wisdom is `personal, iS eternal. `The                       `A$, - P&ally; all @ifigs are .in,,t$,e'$pi+t. First,
 Tie&m, ijf .Pkoverbs'8 is `tl% evezlasting  Son of God.                      :this applies  .to the,  li$e  $  th$  Triun8  @$l  ,E$mself.
 "      AlSo cjf dths Holy -Spirit that He is `the..Creator.  of Within' the Tri,une *Got,,  ~~e@l+g is out Q$ the Father,
 the heav&ti.atid the-easth.. We read in Genesis 1:?1;2:                      through tlie`Son,' and,,in$be' l@ly, &&&. .G&-Ys  `blessed
 "In the `beginning Gbd :&eated  the heaven. and the covena& ' life c&&s, h, the: Holy. Sp&                                     T$k'  fioiy
 learth: And the  eartli  `was without form,. and void ;                      Spirit  proceedi- eternally   `o& %i'  &e F&&y  ,:z&l' ?he
 ,and .darkness was' upon the face of, the deep., And:the                     Son, searches .e@rn+llyV$;le  ,$eep. t+gs .of: Gc$, $e,$i&zs
.Spirit of +:God `moved u$on the face of c the, wattirs." in the F@yi tfs ?-+ So$ &$ jp. t$, v:f.c $: ?$`.@$?y,
 Moreover;; the ,* word, Spirit, means  : titerally : wind,                   so that the  ble$s& life, of  @i&+&l< of  tl+.  aloGe
 -breath. :And we read in Ps. 33 :6 : "By the word of the blessed God eternally &curs:out  of the `&&l&~ I&&&                                        .
 Lozd; tie&the  heavens made ; and all the'host of. them the Soti, and in the Holy Spirit. This is also true of
 .byth~  bk!edtk.of His  mbukh.":  '  ..                                      the work of creation. Therefore we read in Genesis
,:  ,,..,  .,,.  II .'  `.-  .`I'                          ,:..       :       1:2 that the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the
 ,Hence, we bqw.st conceive.                     fhe ,work of weation as a
                                         qf.                                  waters. Even as God `realizes His work of creation out
 yorlq  :qf$he  TrizLni  J e h o v a h . .   ~                                of the Father and through the Soti; so also the vibra-
 :  >.kEve*ythinrg,  then; `is-  Tout  of, the Father.. This is tion of life and of fellowship and of harmony, the bond
 alreadjr : suggested b$ the Name; Father. The ,funda-                        of life which unites all: ?zea$ures;  mutually amY %&h
 *rnenial?dtia of `!FBther" is not that.of love but source, i,God, is placed in livilig `fellowship~:with~~G~B  .t&%ugh
 `begihning,  `origin. The First Person in. the Trinity                       the Holy Spirit. For the Spii;it& Go&we `&ad~Xm&+d
  is `th'e .F'athe? because.He:.iB  the `eternal Souice, within               uponthe face of the waters. In Job 26 :13 `we read : "By


           Y                                          T.,H E .r S;T,A N D'A l3.P / F?%-ALt.E R                                                                                         /I
                                                                                                       _                             .         .
       His Spirit/He  .hath garnished the heaiens;: His -hand Lord called the'heavens and the.e&h$.-&  being,,wh,iqh
       hath.formed the crooked s'erpent.`? And by the breath- did not exist .before? Did not, tlierefore,?.the  :cre&Ge
       ing  `of. the `Holy Spirit  .mali;  be&me:  a living soul,                                           of the heavens and the earth enrich Jehcxah?                         . . . . .,:
     zdap;ted with all. his life'unto the fellowship with' the                                                 The question relative the creat& of. .$&. wqY'ld. aed
       ever' blessed God. `Finally, this, also.,applies  to. the the purpose of God has, always been a,n$v$red  .by the
:      Divine .wwdrk  `.of: creation; Presently  sin. enters and Christian Church as to be! ascribed wholly to.$&e %Fer,
       man  !is torn laway from. God's  fellovriship and. corn-                                             eign will of the LQrd. .l'hqe js no ,deepeq.,and ,q~ac~
       munion. He ,ceases to, be; office-bearer. of. the living profound ajnswer  to the. .guesti,on &! the, purppse of
       God and becomes:  the servant of the. devil. His' know- creation than : ,God wi!led ..it. 2T.his; is and: shquld. al-
       ledge becomes .hatred; his righteousriess unrighteous- ways be the answer, to and t&e end, of every .argug&.,
       ness, and his holiness sin and cdrruption.  3nstead of Even so; the question is interesting and woTthy,,@  our
       merely losing the image of. IGod in' wh.iiCh he had been consideration. .                                                                       /..  .`..,._ , ,  .1
       cre$ted he  became the  .itiage. of the prince of  thi!
       powers' of the air. He did `not merely' lose. his know-                                              Somti $,iGe sough `the ck~i&~~~~ .t~e.~~~~iion'r~lat~~~
      .l.edge,   .righteousness,  :and holiness. Man. did not  be; G&T<&vmtion-  of..the"zoortd   &`,a  L%@nii  &&sit@,' .'
       come a vaCuum. He who was' full of .light became full                                                    Pactheism,  which  idept@es God:  with  ,~he'.$&%!~
       of darkness,  he,, who was. the prophet-priest-king of -has at&mpt~d.to  solve this problem `i<. &his. !manner73in
       God became the prophet-priest-king of the' devil. And a two-foJd way. The qne interpretation, then,. see@,:@
       with him all things were torn from the fellowship `and . explain the creation of the universe out .@ the Tjchn+s.
       c,ommgnion  .of the living God'., abut :the, Spirit of God                                           of God's  .keing.  -Go&  i$-  js, said,,  +:,-the   @q'f.l~wing
       enters the heart of madi as the Spirit of. Ch,rist, and Fount of all good. _. ,T,be life of the ~@$,!flo.ws. out .?f
       man  returm,. unto the-; living God,.., out of the Father; the being of the)l&rd.  .:This is the:.dq@ne of ."Emaq-
       through the Son, dnd: in the Holy Spirit. Then the ation," to which wehave a!ready  c@ed &tentiqn.l,  Tll.5
       creation of God shall have been Fompleted,  not acci, world,. then, is out .of God, out of His ,@eingl, An&&r
       dentally, we understand, but:acsording  to the counsel interpretation,- in the other .hand, ,_~pq!@.,.a~@be  the
       and sovereign .opertition  of :the  alone+living #God. Sin universe to t&e .povqt$. of God. J'he &qrd. is. so p.qr
       was no accident;. and redimption is nbt merely a reme- that He +eeds the world' for. His. -own `c@,&qpmer&
       dy. All things occur accordiqg to the sovereign counl `God, then, is pure potentially, Wh+,Himself is notbigg
       se1 of the living God ; He alone .does all things, .for His but can become  e&ything.   He  m>,&  obje.ctify.:H&n-
       Name's.sake,  and He. alone will ,receive  all the glory- in self-. and thus, attain. unto Self -consciousness apd c&
       the new heavens and upon the new .earth;, Gdd did, not velopment..   ,The world, therefore,  -.is  pecessary,  for
       lose any\hing when, sin. entered into the world. The God; God needs the wqrld ; and.the world is a.n%e#+yy
     _ devil did not `deprive the I;ord of His possession and development of His Being.  The, Church  has  .always
       now the Lord.. ia .desperately  trying torregain  .what  IXe op.posed this. pant~e&$ic,  Ungodly concepti,q.n  of .. crea-
     , has -lost. God alone. iS a't the;helti, atid We' is iealizitig tiqn, has always ref~s&,~.to~  regard. the. universe as.:?
       His' eternal tab6rnacle' along the! Divinely soJereign                                               neces&y for .the l&ing.. God;:.as if the,..Lqyq  ,were : in
       `lines of el,ection  and reprobation;. ' '             :           :        . . . `- dire need of the creatioq..of ;tl~~,,~orld,  ,. G&ist$nity
                                                                          .,                   `/-,
                                                    ,."`.:                                                  has always ascribed  the, heaveng,+nd: .th.e ,earth.  unto
                     The Purpose, Of  C~reation.                          .,.           L'                  the sovereign  $511 of the Lord..  .;,  :V  :.  -.  :  :.  .,  `.
                                                              `.  `y.,                                          Even so, howev&, ihe .q&&&  :ryvith .res.p.ect.  to the
       iii.3  is  a n   ~~tt&$iin~  quiic@ipn:`~~~   :,_                          :
                                                                                 :!  :' iurpose of the u?-@,Yer& .contin,~d to .rise.:to  $hT for,e.
         We' bklieve  that !his world,. *hi& has. been called                                               That the. will, ,pf ,@d is the sole answer to the ,qGl.e&ifin
       into being and existence -in .time,`.has  been. called into which con~~e~n...+t~~  purpose. of tl-+e universe `does :no$
       existence .by an act of Go.d's omnipotent,lwill,  3nd exists necessa$$y  iniply,&at,.we  Y&W o&must view. that- will
       essentially distinguished frprn.. God's etern&.and ,un- of. the. Lord in a: cold, lVIohamm@@li sensei arbitrary
       .changeable   B       e     j     n     g       .         :  `.                 _!i,
                                                                                  . . .                     an&?iespoti.e. God is no.d$sp.ot, ndt a tyrant,..:  Neither
           However, the question must ,arise in I ,our squls : .is He characteri&J by a cold &rbitrarine,ss, s~,$hat the
       Why, did God create the world? What prompted and world  exists,:@&:$hings could  just. as  .well.  &ve..been
     - moved the, Lord to make the universe? Did the Lord different. .ye, surely must endq~st&d that, .a!thopgh
       create the world to prepare  ,gloTy for Himself? Did `the work. of :the Lord .can, never .-be comprehended by
       He nked the universe for His own sake?' Did He create man, yet, ,a11 things, also t&e cr.e&&n  of.: the .gniverse?
      the world -for man's sake? ,,Was He richer. after He ar$ not  mp;?rely  the  produ@..of  necessity   a@  coercion
       made the world' than -Mfo+e the formation. of the uni- or: compulsion but were ~4~mpted.  by `a high. 3n.d wise
       verse? Is it jnot true .that a eounsela bf God plus our p.urpose-in  the et&n,&1  and ..evgrlaBting  %od: Himself..
       present world is more than this counsel `of Jehovah                                                   .' And' ltherefore  !tbe,..  qpestion,   .was. asked : What
       minus the world? `Did'ntit something exist after the prompted God tq. create t&.world,  i;e., what purpose
                                                                                                                                          D


   12                                   T H E -   STAN-DARD   -BEAR:R

  motivated I&m when He called the heavens and. the for ever.: that then `the house was filled with `a cloud;
  earth into existence? And, as one might expect, the even the house of the Lord." Or; as.we may read i.n
  answers to this question have varied. Some sought Psi  118:l: "0 give thanks unto the Lord ; for ~ He is
  in the goodness and the love of God a sufficient motive Good : because His mercy endureth, foriever:" i ..Morek
  for the creation of the universe. Does not Scripture over, as we pointed out in our- article on the'goodness
  speak often of the fact that God is- good, that His of God in our discussion of the attributes -of the.Lord)
  goodeess  is revealed in all His works, that He, loves the .goodness  of God is a generic concept and consists
  His creatures and seeks their good and salvation?             of the Lord's mercy, compassion, love, grace, kindness,
   God cannot be conceived as- in need of anything; <He longsuffering, etc., wherein the Word of cGod.dbounds.
  certainly did not create the world to ,receive  anything,        However, it&surely incorrect to say that His good+
  but only to give. Hence, His goodness and love are ness requires the creation of the universe because the`
  the Divine ,purpose and motive in the creation of the Lord  would'otherwise  be selfish. God is surely  All-
  universe. Others declared that ,God created the world Good, the perfect Love, perfect  and.`complete  blessed-
  because otherwise He would be selfish ,and egoistical. ness in Himself, and therefore does not .need the.world
  Then the Lord would not be the highest good and love.. to bring His .g.o,odness or love into development, even *
  Because He is good' He does not wish to be the only as He would need the world to attain unto Self-concious-.
  blessed One ; hence He establishes a kingdom and. a ness. Besides, it lies in. the very nature ,of the case.                                                          "
  sphere in which He can bestow His love upon a crea- that God- does not exist for the sake of man but man
  ture and can seek the salvation of His creatures. This exists only for the Lord's sake. God alone is Creator,'
  love, unselfishness of the living Jehovah is the purpose, man is the creature ; and. for this reason already. man
  the Divine purpose of all His works.                          cannot be the purpose of creation. Whereas man has
    However, to seek the purpose of the universe either his origin in #God alone it follows necessarily that he
  in the goodness and love or the unselfishness of the also has his purpose. only in the .Lord.                                         Besides,. the
  Lord toward the creature can hardly be considered presentation that creation has its. purpose and motive
  ,Scriptural and can therefore not be' adopted. To be` alone in God's goodness in the sense of His love toward
  sure, it is true.that  all the works of God's hands reveal    man, .and purposes to seek the salvation of man is in.
  the goodness-of the Lord. This the Scriptures abun- conflict with reality. Creation surely, does not exist
  dantly testify. Indeed, the. Lord is good to all, and His for the service of man and must have an entirely dif-
  tender .mercies  are over all His works, according to ferent purpose than merely to ,be beneficial to the `crea-
  Ps.  145:9. In -fact, we may surely say that all of ture. .The suffering and misery, which have been
  Scripture is an eulogy upon the goodness ,of the Lord, poured out upon the human 1 race, is surely not to be
  one tremendous anthem of praise., "Thy mercy, 0 explained exclusively .in the light of a general goodness
_ Lord, is in the heavens ; and Thy faithfulness reacheth or love .of God. And the final result of the history of
  unto the clouds. Thy righteousness is like the great the world, which does not merely include the salvation:
  mountains; Thy judgments are a great d.eep: 0 Lord, of the:ele@t but also the eternal .destruction and .desola-. .
  Thou preservest man and-beast. How. excellent is Thy tion of the Divinely reprobated world, rev.eals',other
  loving kindness, 0 God! therefore the children of men perfections of Jehovah, and surely refute the theory
  put their trust under the-shadow of Thy wings.' They of a general goodness of the living God. That the pur-
 t shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of Thy pose of creation is therefore the manifestation of the
  house ; and Thou shalt make. them drink of. the river goodness of the Lord, goodness ,understood  as. a ,loving
  of' Thy pleasures."-Ps.  36 :5-8. In Ps. 0106 :l we are attitude on the part pf the- Lord' toward mankind, is
  admonished to praise the Lord for His matchless good- in conflict with the ,Word of God and also with reality.
n e s s : "Praise ye the Lord. 0 give thanks unto the The Word of God, proceeding from the standpoint that                                                                   ,.
  Lord; for He is good: for His mercy endureth for God is &lie living iGod;  proclaims. unto us .that  the pnr-
- ever." And in  2:Chron.  5:12-13 we read-: "Also the pose of creation ,is the glory of the living, God;- To this
  Levites which were the singers, all of, them of Asaph, thought we expect to call attention, the Lord willing,
 of H'eman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their in  our                                 aftic1e.C   i  `.  :  ..`.:                          : t L' .'
                                                                            following  
  brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals                  . . ,r.                                 -,      3: Ha Veldm&i..,  : `.:i.,
  and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the,-                                       ,  ,'  1:  :`.  :  :  ! :  *    !                      .  :  :I..`.
  altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests                                          .-.                                      .I
                                                                                                 -         :      -                     ,. .  ...: '            .-,,
  sounding with trumpets : It came even to pass, as ,the                               1.'                                                   L  :"  ;.,.;j: ;.  1'
  trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound                                                                                         i.,  ,.<:
                                                                                                                                                   !.,,   ;..j;
                                                                                                  :,
                                                                                                           I'

  to be heard. in praising `and thanking the' Lord ; and         8  I. .Th,e. tokens `of. Thy mighty. power,
                                                                                                                                      .i `1 . . ..I .._. , ,
                                                                    ,
  when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and              ,         Lead :men i,n (every.  clime to fear ; . , r , : ..: I) ~,
  cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the                      `. From east to! west: through all the earth.2 .: .. ,,
  Lord, saying, For He is good ; for His mercy endnreth                     : Thou send&t gladness far ahd' near: `. ' : :. :..: ::`L


                                               T iH?!E S T A N D `A R D `. B E A R E R                                                         13
                                                            I
                                      ,).                                             given them `of God `That was Israel's calling .in the
      jyx ,  T&.   .DAY   oF                                                          midst of the nations, namely, to. set for?th- its history
                                               sH*DowS   ;:  '                        in its right `light in order th.at God's name might..be
                                                                                      de&red throughout all the: earth. Accordirigly,.. the
      i . . David's Praise Of The Lord                                                substance of all of Moses' communications to Pharaoh
                                                                                      is that the plagues spoiling' his land and -people wer'e
               , :Ambng
                  '            The Heathen '                                          strokes `laid on him by Israel's ,God. "The lord. is .a
                                                                                      man .of war,". sang Moses .and the children of Israel.
                                                                                      "`l'he Lord is his name.. Pharaoh's chariots and his
      ,`::: In  grateful awareness that in warfare with  the                          host hath he cast into -the- sea. . . . ..,Thy ?i.ght$ hand,
     heathen his victories were the  ,Lord's?  Qavid vowed                            0 Lord, is become glorious in power: thy right hand,
     that he would give thanks unto the Lord among the                                0 ILord, hctli dashed in pieces the enemy. And Yin! the
     heathen. The lines read:  ,,                    ,,,           ,                  greatness of thine excellency  thou  ha&  overthr,o.sti
               Therefore I will  give  Tthanks   .unto  the;,                         them that rose up against thee: thou sendest. forth
     .:     0 Lord, among the heathen,  - . .  :  .`,                                 thy wrath, which  constimed  them as stubble.: And
     1,.       And I will sing,.ppaises  unto .thy name.                 I.  :  .'    with the blast of thy nostrils the yvaters were gathered
                                                                                      together, the flood stood upright as an heap, and &e
            An  ider&ical  sent&&t  reeeiges expression in  Ps,                       depths-  were conceaied in the heart of. the sea.". In
     96: H&e it meets us in the form of an `exhort@ion :
                                                   %  `I                              voicing this praise, Moses  and the people of Israel
     :.        Sing u&o the Lord, bless his name, shew                                were giving thanks~*unto  .the Lord among the heathen
.              .forth his  sal+ation  from day to day.                                and singing praises u&o His name. `The qne, p~opo-
               Declare his glory among the .heathen, his ,,                           sition  on which all the prophecy of the  Scr`iptures
               wonders among all people.                         , `.                 turns is precisely that God is it. &td ine one propoqi-. . .
     ;  '  :' The wonders  df  ;the. Lord were all His works                          tion on which all false prophecy turns is  precisely
     through which He in-His mercy eff,ected  the salvation                           that  m&z  is it. Thus in penning and publishipg hi.4
bf His people' through the `ages.                Included! are the                    Psalms David, too, was giving thanks unto t&e Lc@
     plagues of the  ILord upon Egypt, the  signs of the                              aniong the nations. That Gocl is, it is the heart and
     period of ithe wandering!, theOvictories  of Joshua, of                          core of all his songs.
the.  judges, of Saul-and of David in all their warfare                               _ `The Scribes and pharisees of Christ's day were zeal-
     with  ;thte heathen. Being works of God, they were                               ous missionaries. They compassed sea. and lands.to
     revelatory' ,of His strength and of the beauty of His                            make one proselyte. But the trouble is that':they were
     hioliness,  in a  w&d, of all  His goodness. And to set                          not telling the heathen that God is it. The result -was
     theni forth as His works was  tocdeclare His glory;                              that they made their converts "twofold.more-the  child
     ilt was equivalent to singing praisks  unto His name;                            of hell than themselves" (Matt. 23 :15).             ' . .  :
      That. David  would do among the heathen, That                                      The true prophets of the IOld Dispensation set`forth,
     the  profihets   ,in Israel had been `doing  `chrou&k the                        the worl& of God as His works, as- tiondeis of' :Hi.s
     ages-singing praises unto the  Lokd among the  hpa-                              grace. And the report of these works, as rightly con-
     then. `Not that in the Old T,estament di,speniatiori-`tlie                       strued and extolled -by God's people, `as set forth:by
     bhtirch through a called and  ordain&d `ministry was                             .them in their right `light, spread.far  and wide.- They
     engaged in spreading t$e Gospel among: the. he&hen.                              spake, of course, by the infallible guidance of:.Ch~ist's
     `David did not live `with `the heathen of his empire. as                         Spirit. Their constructions originated not in th&m,but
     &&+e  in their niidst as a'ihissionary minister. David                           in God. They spak_e His word among th& heathen; so
     tYas a man `of w&r in the physical sense; and he dwelt                           that Israel's history, the works of `God, the wdnders of
     in his hous& in J&+usal-em.  Tde people `of `Isi-a&l through the Lord, the revelation ,of ,God in Christ, was known
the ages had thei!! @@lets; men M ,God directly called                                more or less alsd .to the heathen of 1srael's:world..  Xt
     and :s&nt' of Hiti. to `speak :F,is .Word.        But with few                   codld not well be otherwise. The salvation. of .Zion,is
     `extieptions  : their sphere "b@%bor  ,`wa& limited td the                       always effected through the destruction of the:adv&-
 houie  of. Israel.  Singir$"@aiseB  unto  the Lord was                               sary. And the heathen were that adversary;  `-,Over,
     not dbne by missionary&ifiisters  laboring' as' official                         and `over they had seen *G~d's. wrath and power as
     organs OF th.e church &md$gthe  he+then.                                         operative  -in their OF destruction. They, too,. knew
     '  `. The' idea is' different:  !$t `is  this. The  p@ple of                     of the Lord's works. And the memory of what God
     Israel,  sdefinitely their prophets, as  divellilig in the                       had wrought was perpetuated also among them. Said
     midst of the nations .and in contradistinction t0 the                            Rahab the harlet, to the spies; ."I know that the Lord
     nations, sang praises unto.the  Lord, that is, set forth                         hath given -you the land, and that your terror is fall&
     -their vickories  `in their warfare. with the heathen as                         upon us, and. that all the inhabitants of the land faint


      14                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   BE'AR,ER

      because of you.' For we havk heard  hciw the Lord            ployment  of  &  subtkrfuge. They did not harden their
     dried up the water of  the Red Sea for you, when ye           hearts but cast themselves on the mercy of Joshua and
       came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two             of the ,Lord. They said, "And now, behold, we are in
      kings of the Amorites, that were on'the other side of        thine liand : as it seeineth  good and right unto thee to
      the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.         <do unto us, do. And they said, too, that it had ,been
      And as soon as we' did hear these things, our hearts         tobd them, "how that the Lord thy aGod commanded
       did melt, neither did there remain any more .courage        his servant Mdses to give you all the land, and to de-
       in any man, b,ecause  of. you : for the Lord your God; stroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you"
       he is  .God in heaven above  -,and in  ear+ beneath"        (Jos. 11). Under the  constrtiint of a living faith in
       (Jos. $:8-11).     And the  sotinsel of the Philistine      Jehovah, Rahab, the harlot; hid the spies; and R&h
       priests and diviners to their Philistine lords contgins     forsook Moab and joined herself to the commonwealth
       also this remarkable word, "Wherefore ye shall make         of Israel.  1                                                   I
       images of your emcrods.  . . . and ye shall give glory         King David was fervently'loved and much befriend:
       unto the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten        ed by heathen men. During the Sauline persecution
       his  ~hand from off you, and from off your gods, and        he brought his father and mother under the protecting
       f?om off your land., Wherefore then do, ye harden           wing of Moab's king; and here  tliey remained until
       your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened          he received the kingdom (I Sam. 22). While he was
       their hearts? when he had wrought wonderfully among         in hiding` in the cave of Adullun$ `many warriors at-
      them, did they not let $he people go and they depart- tached themselves to him, from &Aorn he recruited his
       ed?" (I Sam.  6:5, 6).               a                      "mighty men" and later his body&iard.' Their names
            Truly,. God was knovGn to the heathen o$ Israel's      -Keethi and Pelethi-suggest  thal!%h&jr  we& foreign- .
       world. They had knowledge of the revelation of His          ers (22 Sam. 8 :19) . He dwelt a-liing`time in' the city
       mercy to His people. It raises the question  bf the         of Gath,; and  tliere,  too,  & band of brave Philistine
       reaction of the heathen; The great bulk of them, fol-       men collected about him, and they were for him in his
       lowing in the footsteps of the Egyptians and the -last great distress brou&t on by Absalom, "And the
       Canaanites, hardened their hearts. The author of the        king went forth, and all the yeople after him. . . . and
       book of Joshua makes mention of the perverse attitude       all his servants  passed on beside him ; and all  .the
-      of .the Canaanites, "joshua made war a long time with       Cherethites,  &nd all the; Pelethites, and .a11 the Gittites
       all those kings,"`he writes: "There was not a city th$t     (men of Gath) , six hundred men which came after
       made peace with the children of Israel, save the Hevites    him from Gath, passed on before the king" (2 Sam.
     the inhabitants of `Gibeon." He adds* the reason, "For        15:18). Uriah was a Hittite, that is, a descendant
.      it was. of the.Lord to harden their hearts, that they       of Heth (2 Sam.  il:3). The warriors of David in-
       should come against Israel in battle, that he, might        cluded still other foreigners. There was an Ammonite
       destroy them utterly, and that they might have no           named Zelek <z ,Sam. 23 :37). It was in the house of
       `favor, but- that he might destroy them, as the Lord        a ,Gittite  (man from Gath) that David placed the ark.
       commanded Mos&."                                            In the hour of-Absalom's revolt, it was foreigners who
            But the Scriptures reveal that there were also         show him kigdness. In his flight an Ammonite pro-
       others. -Heathen they .were,  drawn by the light that vided him with provisions (2 Sam. 17 :27). Hushai,
       penetrated the darkness algo of their night into God's      the Archite (from Arke; a city in Phoenicia) `did him
       kingdom. First to be mentioned is the mixed multi-          Well by destroying the counsel of the .traiior  Ahithofel
       >ude that followed the children of Israel out of Egypt.     (2 Sam.  15:32). Remarkable  and,.touch.ing   w&s the
       Doubtless `the Ethiopian, whom  l&oses' married after       faithfulness of Ittd, the man from Gath.. `fWherefore  '
       the death of Zipporah belonged to them, It shows that       goest thou also with me," said David to .him, "return
       God. had His people among that motley crowd. The            to "thy place, and abide with the king, for thou art a
       Kenites were friendly toward Israel. The kindness           stranger, and also ,an exile. Whereas-thou earnest but
       that `they had shown !he children of Israel at.the time     yesterday, should I this day make thee go up and down
       of their departure from Egypt was still being held ip with US? seeing I go whither I may; return thou, and
      grateful remembrance at the time of Saul (I [Samuel take back thy brethren; mercy andtruth  be-with thee:"
       15 :6). Jethro, Moses father-in-law was a Kenite. His` But ittai replied,,"As Jehovah liveth, and .as the Lord,
       reaction to Moses' report' on the glad happenings in my king liveth, surely in what place the lord niy l&g
     Egypt is revealing. He rejoiced. He blessed the Lord.         shall be,.whether  in death or life, even there algo will
       He extolled the. Lord above all gods. He sacrificed         thy servant be."
      burnt-offering for  `Go&. And Aaron  atid the elders             "All the earth sought the face of Solomon to. hear
       drew nigh  -and eat bread with him (Ex. 18). The his wisdom, which God had put into his heart" (I Ki.
       Gibeonites made peace with Joshua be .it by the em- _ 10 :24). HTving seen Solomon's wisdom, the Queen of
                                      I'
                                 I                                                                                                      .


                   .                 T H E       STA.NDARD   BEARtiR                                                    15

Sheba blessed the Lord his ,God, "which ,delighteth  in        66:5) ; that in the last days the mountain of the house
thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel': because the        of the Lord shall be established. in the top of .the moun-
Lord loved Israel. forever, therefore made he thee king,       tains and that many nations shall come and say, Come,
to do judgment, and justice" (1 Kings 10).                     let us go up to the top of the mountain--of the Lord,
, The Ninevites repented-and they truly repented-              and to'the  house of the God of Jacob ; and He will, teach
at: the .greachinga of. Jonah.. Several `centuries before      us His ways, and we. will wa1.k in His paths (Micah
,the .birth' of Christ,.. the Jews `were scattered through-    4:B, 2).
ou.t the whole `civilized world. And they took with him           Here we listen to the prophets of the 8th century
their IScriptures. This is the solution of the visit of        before Christ. What  .we  .behold in their words is a
the Magi at the cradle of the SChrist-child. They. knew        marvelous thing, namely, the eternal .God. folding -in
the Scriptures.                                                His arms and taking to His bosom  aZZ..nations,  the'
   King Solomon's Ldedicatory  prayer contains lines           whole of our fallen race.
that should be quoted in this connection, "Moreover,"             It raises the question whether these prophets were
so he prayed, "concerning a stranger, that is not of           in any way prepared, in their minds for the. reception
thy people Israel; but cometh out of a far country for         of then revelation of this mighty and glorious thing.
thy name's sake ; (For they shall hear of thy great            Must we not conclude that. such was indeed the case-
`name, and of thy strong hand, and of thy stretched out        conclude that they were speaking of a thing that
arm :) when he shall come and pray toward this house ;         through .the centuries -had been going on right along
hear thou in heaven from thy dwelling place, and do            in their own limited world, to  wit,: the coming of .
according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for;        "the strangers" out of a far country for the sake of
`that all people of the earth may know thy name, to            the Lord's name-the coming  .of these strangers to
fear thee,, as do thy `people Israel ; and that they may       pray toward God's house, in the earthly Canaan, the
`know that this house,' which I have builded, is called        heavenof the Old Testament church. :Besides,  let us
by they name.?                                                 consider that the proclamations of these 8th century
                                                               prophets of ,God's  purpose to draw aZZ men to Himself
 `The law of Moses is much occupied with -these                through `Christ's cross was but an expansion of the.
"strangers that would come out of a .far country for           gospel as first set forth by God Himself in paradise.
the sake of. the Lord's name." If a stranger, sojourn-         "I will set enmity between thee and the woman, be-
ing'with the people of Israel, desired to keep the pass-       tween thy seed- and her seed;. . . ." is the germ of all
over, his males (including himself) were- circumcised,         prophecy. And through the centuries God had  con-.
and then he was `permitted to come near and keep it;. tinued to speak with always greater clarity as when'he
and he was -to be as one born in the land *(Ex. 12:48,;        said to Abraham that `in him were all the families of
.Nu. 9 i14). He was allowed to "offer tin <offering  made      the earth destined to be blessed.
by fire, of a sweet savour, unto the Lord (Nu. 15 :14).           In the Old Dispensation the house of  ,God  `was&
He had to be loved.; .food and raiment had to be given         established in the top of a mountain-Mt. ZionAthat
him, were he in need>,;  and his cause had to be judged        is on earth.. Accordingly only a few nations came and
righteously (Lev. 19 :34; ;Deut.  10 :18, 19; Deut. 1:16).     said, "Come, let us go up to th.e house of Jacob"-the
    In the light of this data the position that during the     few nations of Israel's small world, of David's empire.
centuries inclosed by the calling of Abraham and the           But Christ has come ;, and He died for our sins. He
ascension of Christ, ,God. was limiting salvation to the       is exalted.' His Spirit is now.. And the house of God
Jews so absolutely that not a heathen was saved or             is exalted above the mountains in the highest heavens.
that the number of heathen saved was too few to have           Many nations now come and say, "Come, let us go up
any meaning or to deserve mention even is seen to be           to the"house of the God of Jacob."
untenable. Moreover, the position is not to be harmon-            As to David, he was priest and prophet as well as
ized with the `prophetic range of the Psalms and of the        king in Israel's throne. For he vowed to give thanks
discourses of the  .later  prophets. They foretell that        unto the  ILord  among the nations of his domain. There-
the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord, and all in, too, he typified Christ.
the kings of the earth His glory (Psalm 102 :15) ; that                                                G. M.. Ophof.
the Gentiles shall, seek to the root of Jesse, that shall
stand, for. an ensign of the people (Is. 11 :lO) ; that the
Gentiles shall bring Zion's sons in their arms, and that
here daughters shall be carried on their shoulders (Is,                    Be Thou, 0 God, exalted high,         -
49.:50)-; that her sons shall come from far, and that
her `daughters shall be nursed at' her side ; that the                     Yea, far above the starry sky,
abundance. of, the sea shall be converted unto her, and              1,    And let Thy glory be displayed
that to her shall come the forces of the Gentiles (Is.                     O'er all the earth Thy hands have made.


        16                                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D .   BlE:ARER

                                                                                      En `in dank en. lof;, begint ge de lijnen ook .recht
              .'           S I O N 'S   ZA,NGEN                                   te trekken. En. dat is de: heil+naking.                                      :.  Ij
                                                                                      Zouden we dan niet meebidden met: dezen. bidder
                                                                                  en zeggen : Heere ,God ! Niet ons, niet ons,  maar Uwen
              -Niet  Oh, 0 Heere! Niet  0;s                                       Naam geef  .eere   `en. majesteit  en..heerlijkheid,  want
                                                                                  Gij zijS goedertieren en Gij zijt Waar? `Gij zijt Waar,
                                       (Psalm 115; Tweede Deel)                   altijd,  overal; en tot in alle eeuwigheid. Maar Uwe
        I            1      `
                            .                                                     Waarheid heeft nooit heerlijker geschenen dan in,dien
               In ons vorig opstel over dezen psalm behindelden                  ZoonUwer `rechterhand: En door Zijne waarheid zijn
        we het. eerste vers en luister-den naar de taal der ge-                   wij verlost  I                .      _,     r;  ..
        nade: Niet ons, o Heere ! niet ons, maar Uwen Naam                            En -daarom aanbidden we, aanbidden we ! :..`a ..
        geef eer ! En dat moet geschieden omdat dien naam                             "Waarom zouden. .de. heidenen zeggen : Waar: is nu
        geprezen `worde. Die naam is lieflijk: hij spreekt van                    hun God ?"                                            ,'
        goedertierenheid en van waarheid.                                             Een vraag die ons doet sidderen.
                    De deugd van goedertierenheid hebben we eenig-                    Maar de siddering wordt weggenomen, `en het
 zins:.behandeld. We zeiden nog niets van de  waar-                               Evangelie zegt,van  ,zichzelf : Het Bvangelie  van Chris-
        heid.                    ._                                               tus is mij niet tot schaamte. Het is een k&&t.  Gods
                    D,e waarheid staat  tegenower  de leugen.                    tot zaligheid.                                                    ->           ..\
        De leugen is gelijk `de "kronkelende slang. De                                Maar,&et zou vreeselijk zijn `om te roemen in ,God
   .waarheid is recht.                                                            en geen bewijs te mogen. noemen van.Zijn voortreffe-.
                    De waarheid Gods is die deugd ,Gods waarin Hij in             lijkheid. Die mogelijkheid stelt de dichter. .:Waarom
        alle Zijne openbaringen recht, oprecht, rechtvaardig                      zouden' de heidenen zeggen : Dit volk heeft te honderd
        is. Alle relatien worden  recht getrokken in het .liefde-                 uit gezongen  en gepredikt van een grooten God. Maar
        leven `Gods. God is de Ware: Hij doet, spreekt en                         waar is die God? We zien niets van Zijn zoogenaamde
        handelt als `God..                          *     I           .           groote daden.
  `.                Hoe geheel anders is de leugen. De leugen is het             ,O, de heidenen nemen U waar. De heidenen  letten
        verdraaide, bet kromme;.het  kronkelende geknoei van                     nauwkeurig op Uw  woorden `en voorspellingen. En
        den duivel.                                                               als zij een  kans iien om  U  .en Uw God  te  bran&  '
              De -1eugen heeft iets vreeselijks : de leugen is eigen-            merken, dan nemen zij die-k&s `waar.                                     '  `i
        lij  .hetgene  dat niet is. Daarom staat de leugen in                         En zoo bidden de ware Sionieten : Heere, laat Uzelf
   xonmiddelijk.  verband met de schaamte. Als de leugen                         zien. Toon Uwe groote goederetierenheid en waarheid,
 onderzocht wordt leugen te zijn,. dan staat men met                             zoodat Uw Naam `de'eer ontvangen moge die hij `waard
        beschaamde kaken. Het leugen-leven is het on-leven,                       is. `Geef .eer Uwen naam! En dan zullen de heidenen
   bet nietileven.. Daar vindt ge het ijdele, het vooze, het                     met beschaamde kaken daar" staan, `en zullen niet zeg- 1
`ledige.                                    : .:                                  gen  :' de godsdienst der Israelieten is ijdel !
.  b .,Oi ,aan te komen tot voor het doordringend oog van                             En dat bidt Sion om Gods wil! '
, God, en dan niets te  kunnen  ,toonen  dan het ledige,                           En waarom zouden de.heidenen  zoo spreken? %'  '
        i j deie, vooze leugen-leven van een natuurli j k mensch,                     Laten zij tech naar zichzelf kijken. Wat hebben zij
        en zulk een,mensch  is een volgeling van Satan.                           om op te roemen van hun kant? Niets met al.
                    Daar  zullen vele beschaamde kaken zijn in het               ,' Maar wij  zullen in God blijven  roemen, want:
        oordeel.                                                                  "Onze <God  is tech in .den hemel,  ,Hij doet al wat Hem
                    Maar God is de Waarheid Z&e.                                 behhgt." ,                             e
                    En in Christus.Jezus is Hij de Waarheid voor Zijn                Kostelijke  belijdenis  v a n   ,God.                                       . . ,i
        volk.                                .'                                       Dat "tech" is tartend. Desniettegenstaande al het
                    Jezus zeide: Ik ben de Weg, de Waarheid en het                spotten der heidenen-: God is'-tech in, den hemel.  .`En
        L e v e n .                                                               Hij we&t tot nu toe en tot in eeuwigheid.                               -
                    En de conclusie is : de Waarheid.zal  U vrijmaken.                Hij doet al wat H.em behaagt.                                            `1 .-c
                    Als  `God  Zich uwer ontfermt, en U Zijn' Zoon                   .Dat is een zeer rijke belijdenis.                 `:                      I'  '
        schenkt tot Middelaar en Zaligmaker, dan is het goed,                       Het omvat de geheele geschiedenis, niets  uitge-
        want dan maakt de Waarheid U vrij. Dat wil zeggen,                        sloten. Alle dingen die zich `roeren.  en bewegen doen
        dat Jezus alle lijnen, recht trekt ten overstaan van U                    dat, omdat  ,God zoo besloot in' Zijn eeuwig  besltiit.
        en Uw geschiedenis.  Alle Uwe kromme lijnen van                           En, positief of hegatmf,  het moet alles dienen `tot de
        schuld en zonde trekt Hij recht door voor U te sterven.                   komst van Zijn koninkrijk en tot de  `verheerlijkiiig
        En de lijnen der gerechtigheid die gij nooit getrokken fZijner  +deugden.  '                                                          :                   ..!I'
        hebt, trekt Hij plaatsvervangend voor U. En ge zijt                       :'  tin het  centrum van al dat behagen Gods is  Zijn
        gered.                                                 ..2                Zoon  Jezus Christus. Hij wordt  daarom  genoemd:


                                  r

                                                 `_
      8

                                                 T H E   STAPiDAR.D  `B E A R E R                                            17
                                                                                                                ._
 Mijn geliefde Zoon in Wien. al Mijn welbehagen is.                 van Gods' gerechtigheid. Ze vertrouwden op de ijdel-
            Alle die dingen weet de Sioniet. En hij roemt erin.     heid ; ze hebben zich laten zakken en zinken op het-
 Tegenover de heidenen, iooals in dezen psalm.                      geen niet is, hetgeen  vo1strek.t  ijdel is.  .En zoo  ont-
           En die roem  -is  rijk en hecht, vooral als ge dien      vangen ze precies wat ze gezaaid hebben tot oogst.
 roem ziet teg~enover  het geknoei der heidenen.                    Die afgoderij zaaide,  ontvangt  het loon der afgoden-
            Luistert :  D                                           dienaars. Ze  worden  gelijk  aan het angstige stijve
            "Hunlieder afgoden zijn zilver en goud, het werk        van een afgodsbeeld.
 van `s menschen  handen. Zij hebben eenen mond,                           Hoe geheel anders zal het er naar toegaan in Israel !
 maar spreken niet,`zij hebben oogen maar zien niet;                Tot dat volk spreekt de Heilige Geest dit :
 ooren hebben zij, maar hooren met, zij hebben eenen                       "Israel,  vertrouw gij op den Heere, Hij is hunne
 neus, `maar zij rieken niet; hunne handen hebben zij,              hulp en hun schild !"
 maar tasten niet, hunne voeten, maar gaan niet; zij                       En,o, hoe hebben wij dat noodig !
 geven geen geluid door hunne keel."                                       Dat is waar, afgedacht van de zonde en de schuld
            Wat een beeld van ijdelheid en ledigheid !              die ons neerdrukt.
      Jesaja. heeft hetzelfde betuigd, maar hij lachte.              We zijn slechts. schepselen. Ik denk, dat Adam
 Hij spot `met den man die uit een `stronk twee dingen              het -goed beseft peeft in den staat der oorspronkelijke
 voortbrengt. Het &ne stuk neemt hij en maakt een                   gerechtigheid. Hij zal het onmiddelijk, inhaerent ge-
 vuur om zich te verwarmen.  : .Hij roept uit: Ik was               `zien hebben: ik ben slechts stof en assche. Ik kan
koud en ik ben warm geworden. Maar het andere stuk                  niets zonder dien grooten  God die mij doordringt, die
 neemt hij, en maakt er ,een god van. Hij  buigt  zich              mij omringt, de mij steeds terzijde staat. Ik leef in
 voor dien god neer en zegt : o, mijn god, ontferm u                Hem en ik beweeg mij in Hem. Want zoo is het.
                                                                     -.
 mijner en red mij!                                                        We spreken vaak van de stijle afhankelijkheid des
            Geestelijke ironie !                                    schepskls; Wel, er is niemand.die dat ten volle beseft.
            En zoo staat het er letterlijk  bij met de heidenen,    Ook de meest vrome met. Neemt het hart der zaak:
 met alle heidenen, ook die van onzen` tijd, in deze ver-           als  ~God  eventjes weg zou  loopen van Zijn schepsel,
 lichte (?) eeuw.                                                   zoo zouden we terugvallen in het niet. Elk vezeltje
            In alle knoeien der zdndaren zijn zij nooit hooger      van ons lichaam wordt elk oogenblik onderhouclen door
 opgeklommen dan de hoogte (liever, en beter, gezegd :              dien vreeselijken God, die zoo zeer dicht bij ons is.
 de laagte-)  ,des menschen.                                               Ik denk, dat die waarheid voor de aandacht van
            Het is geen wonder ,dat de afgoden van Grieken-         Paulus zweefde toen hij zeide: Werkt uzelfs zaligheid
 land zulke vuile wezens waren. Ze weerspiegelen niet               met vrees en beven, want het is God die in u we&t!
 dan het vuile hart van hen die de afgoden. maakten.                God is dicht bij U !. Besef het ! En sidder !
            Bespottelijk! Een mond te hebben en niet te spre-              We hebben dus -God broodnoodig,. zelfs als bloot
 ken. Een hand te hebben, maar niet te tasten !                     schepsel.         -
            Daar staat de hoogmoedige mensch ! Te midden  van              Hoe meer, wanneer we gedenken aan ons bestaan
 het werkmateriaal van het  heelal. En hij verknoeit                als ,vuile zondaren. We zijn vuil en zondig en schuldig
 alles. Iriplaats van den Maker van alles te roemen en              geworden door de zonde. En dat spelt  grooter,   on-
 te prijzen en te loven, neemt hij .het w.erkmateriaal,             eindig grooter, nooddruft. Ge hebt <God  noodig, o zon-
en zegt: Gij zijt mijn god ! Hij maakt van het crea-                daar !
 tuur een schepper. Maar het is niet zoo ; het is de                       Daarom, o Israel, vertrouw gij. op den Heere !
 l          e    u    g      e         n    .                              Dat "gij" staat t,egenover  menschen die dat niet
            En de straf komt.                                       doen, en dat zijn de heidenen van zoostraks. Die
 `De bidder bidt erom.                                              menschen kunnen zichzelf we1 redden.              Och arme!
                                                                    Wat zullen zij schrikken als ze straks dien vreeselijken
           "`Dat die ze  maken hun gelijk  worden,  en al wie       ,God zien, en als ze dan te laat beseffen, dat die groote
 op hen vertrouwt."                                    .            `God steeds vlak bij hen was, door al hun ijdele leven
            En dat gebed staat verhoord te worden  ; is alreede     heen !
 in beginsel verhoord. Wat waren die afgoden? Stom-                        Maar gij, o volk Israels, vertrouwt gij op den
 me  dingen. Daar staan zij : stijf en strak  .en stil.             H e e r e !
 Denkt  aan het kerkhof. Denkt  aan een lijk. Het is                       Vertrouwen op den Heere wil zeggen, dat ge Uw
 een begin der smarten.  -Hoe stijf ligt dat lichaam                leven niet..kunt leven zonder Hem., Dat ge ten over-
 in de'kist! Het is  .een profetie van de ijselijke  ver-           staan van Uw geheele leven zegt : Heere, ik kan niets !
 stijving in de hel. Daar  zal nooit meer  actie zijn.              Maar Gij zijt de Almachtige, en Gij kunt alles doen
 Daar is de verstijving  .van den eeuwigen  dood.  Ik               wat U behaagt. Doe  )Gij  bet  voor mij, Heere! Bet
 `meet  er niet in komen. Het is te vreeselijk.                     is het nederige leven des Christens.
            En tech: ze ontvingen hun loon naar den maatstaf               Dat laat ge U zakken en zinken op God. En daar-


                                                                                            :                                             li
18                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

uit wordt de-heerlijkste  actie geboren. Daar vindt g.e
ware heiligmaking. Dat volk wordt door God  aan
`t werk gezet.                                                                   -FROM HOLY -WRIT                           ..n.`. . .
  En dan volgt het Evangelie dat eeuwig is.                  '
      "Hij is hum& hulp en hun schild."                                   Exposition Of Hebrews 10:19-25"
 Als God U helpt, clan zijt ge klaar. `Dan is  alles
klaar. God zeide  aan het kruis in Jezus Christus:                                               ,  1-J.        '  "
Het is volbracht ! AL En let w*el,.  dat is absoluut waar.               7 In our former article we called attention, to  the
Al wat noodig was ter Uwer  hulpe is volbracht, Ge                      fact, that here in the book of Hebrews ingeneral  and
behoeft;` ge kunt; `ge moogt er niets `tot toedoen. Het                 particularly in this passage,  &r&wing `near:  to God
zou  tech maar  aan- geknoei zijn.               Getuige  alle  ket-    means a coming to the  Z&&g God. When we draw
terij.                          `.                                      near to God we draw near to God, a: He iives in .the
      Ge zijt bloot  schepsel.   .., Welnu, Hij draagt U en             Holy Place, as He is enthroned on. High. ,::,.
spaart U en geeft U Uw dagelijkseh brood.                                                                        :
                                                                           We also noticed, that  the,  te$; here in question
      - Ge zijt schuldig met een schuld die eeuwige straffen            teaches us that our drawing near to God must be d.one
dreigt. Welnu, Hij gaat ielf onder die schuld staan                     in true .hearts, that is; with hearts that are.filled with
-en giet over Zichzelf (in Jezus) een eeuwige  stort-                   the -love of God through the Holy Spirit::..,&lr  : hearts
vloed van toorn. Wij zouden vergaan zijn onder Zijn                     must not be false. It is exactly the false heart ithat
toorn en vanwege Zijn grimmigheid zouden we eeuwig-                     does not dare to' come to God, the living God, b,efore
lijk verschrikt zijn (Moses, in Ps. 90). Welnu, Jezus                   whose eyes all things are naked and open and .Who
wordt weggezweept door dien stortvloed om Uwentwil.                     tries the reins and hearts of men.. Hence, we must
Wie zou niet jubeken?                                                   draw near unto God with true hearts.
 Ge  zijt vuil en zondig, en  `elke dag ziet meerder                       Such true hearts, we noticed, ,are hearts that are
gruwelen. Welnu, God komt met .Zijn Heilige `Geest                      sprinkled from an  e&Z conscience. And this sprinkling
.om U het hart te vernieuwen. En ge begint in de                        is realized in us through the operation `of the Holy
`goede werken te wandelen die Hij verordineerd heeft,                   Spirit, Who works faith in our hearts-the `faith -that
opdat gij daarin zoudt wandelen.                                        is energized-by the love oft ,God. In this faith we claim
      -0 ja, mijn vriend, Hij is Uw hulp.                               the righteousness,, sanctification and complete redemp-
  En dan zijn  daar de vijanden.                                        tion of Christ as our own.
      Ilf heb van der jeugd aan gehoord-van.   dien brie-                  `For let-. it, never be forgotten, that `our drawing
schenden leeuw : de satan .en duivel. Hij omringt Uw                    near to God is purely a matter of faith. There n&er '
tente en isAeen sluipmoordenaar  van denbeginne. Hij                    was, nor shall there ever be a heart that is true, that
heeft het verzien op Uw ondergang. Gij draagt God                       is purified from an evil conscience, that is not a belidv-
in Uw boezem en hij-haat dien God. En daarom haat                       &zg. heart: The root-sin of all who do not enter with
h i j   U .   !                            1                            joy into the presence of `God is : unbeZief. It was be-
       Maar geen nood. God is U tot een schild. Al de                   cause of their unbelief that Israel could not come into
vurige pijlen Satans  worden  uitgebluscht.                 Ge zijt     the land of Canaan, unto the holy hill of %od in Zion.
veilig tegenover den duivel.                                            Hebrews. 3 :19. For without faith it is imqossible  to
       Want Jezus heeft gezegd: de poorten  der he1 zullen              please God. He that comes to God must not come in
U   n i e t 'o v e r w e l d i g e n .                                  order that by his coming he may. make himself `pleas-
                                                                        ing to God, but he must come believing that God is,
 Daar. is de  were1.d  die door Satan  ge'inspireerd `and that He- is a rewarder of those,. who diligently
wordt.                                           , ,                    seek Him. Heb. 11:6. .Oniy,by faith in Christ we are
       En zij  haat U.-                                                 well-pleasing to God.
       Maar hebt  goeden moed, zegt Jezus,' Ik heb de                      Drawing near to God is an act of faith! "
wereld overwonnen.                         .I                               Unto this faith the. writer of Hebrews admonishes
       God heeft van voorlang gezegd: Hij  - liet geen                  and stimulates us.
mensch toe hen te onderdrukken. IGe zijt veilig.                           Where such a faith breaks forth.the veil of unbelief
       ,God is Uw schild.                                               has been lifted .off our hearts, and we behold tlxe glory
       En  w&d de zonde  meerder?  Daar  werd Zijn  ge-                 of the inner sanctuary into which Jesus has entered
`nade meer overvloedig.                                                 as our great High-Priest and Paraclete, as He ever
       Wie zou niet jubelen bij het zien van zulk een                   lives to pray for us. :Here in faith there is a new con-
I-Iilp en zulk een ISchild ?          _                                 sciousness, a new world of experience of that which is
                                                        G. -VW.         in Christ.
             .


                                          T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                         19

    .-But now, in this essay,.we  wish to call attention to       And this latter observation is our second reason
 the fact, that our. drawing near must not merely be           for choosing the rendering f&Z assurance -of faith. j
 one of faith, but it must be a drawing near in the               For when the term-pleerophorias is translated "full
 full assurance of faith !           I                         assurance" and not merely "fulness" the element of the
     Is there-then a difference between faith and the          carrying  thr'ough of faith `to  th,e  very  end  is under-
 full  assurance of faith? If so, in what sense can this       scored. It refers to faith as that .activity of the heart,
 be true?                                                      mind and soul, when it has been perfected, when it
     Let us, attend to our text.                               can go no farther in trusting and relying on God.
                                                               The certainty in the soul of the believer, as a spiritual-
     The term "full assurance" is the translation of the       psychological reality, can be no  str.onger. All doubt
 (Greek word pleerophoria.      When we open our Bibles        is dispelled in- glad and joyful confi.dence.
 to the `English and Dutch versions of this particular
 word, we notice, that it is variously rendered in both           (Not only is this element just referred to under-
of these languages. In the American Standard Edition           scored in this translation important, but the resultant
 of the Revised Bible we read: "Let us draw near with          meaning-thus arrived also fits perfectly,with the very
 a true heart in ~fuiness  of faith." (However in -the         essence of faith,-or faith as taught  -in the Holy
 margin we read the. rendering "full assurance"`,with:-a       Scriptures. ,  -  "-
 reference to Heb. 11  :l) . Thus the term is also frans;         For what is the essence of faith? Is it not really
 lated by A. T. Robertson in his "Word pictures of the         the glad assurance of the  .persbnal  participation in
 New Testament". With this agrees the renderings of            Christ. And this' &ssu~anc.c~ is. expressly stated .to be
 P.: W., Groslieide in the. Korte Verklaring of Hebrews.       the blessed manner of drawing. .&ear to God, in the
 Writes he: "in abundance (overvloed) of faith". On            translation that is rendered I'full assurance". Of this
 the other hand the King James Version `translates "in         assurance Hebrews 11  :.l speaks as-follows : "Now faith
 the  full  nssurcywe of  fait&";  Thus also the Staten. is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of
 Vertaling, or the Dutch translation of the common             things not seen". Of the coming to this assurance of
Dutch  Bibl,e. There we read "in  voile  ver+ekerdheid         faith, the full assurance of faith, the entire life  .of
                                                                           .I.
 des geloofs."                                                 Abraham is a living example; God, in His wondrous,
     Such a scholar of repute as Lightfoot inclines to:        pedagogical dealings with Abraham so leads him that
 ward choosing the rendering "full. assurance" above           all the dross of unbelief. is taken away, is wrestled
 the simple "fulness". Writes he, in explaining this           and prayed away. ' Finally the faith. of Abraham is
 same word in Col. 2 :2, "the fill assurance,, for such        seen on Mt. Moriah as `the' full. assurance -of faith,
 seems to be the.meaning of the substantive wherever           when he offers Isaac, `considering, that .God was, able
 it occurs in the New Testament".                              to raise him from the `dead. Here .&the  full assurance
                                                               of faith that draws near to God in very truth.; Faith
    Wo .prefer the rendering of the Holland Transla-           could press forward no farther,  ,the  assprance;  could
 tion and the King James' Version, which read : In the         not be more intense and firm!
 full assur(c'noe  of faith.                                      Oh, glad assurance of faith. It- is, indeed, pleero:  :
 " The reasons?                                                                                            .
                                                               phorius!
     Because the term.  preeropl&orfas  is really more            In such an intense assurance we `must draw near to
 meaningful and has a' slightly -different connotation God-to God as He dwells in the most Holy  ,Blace,
 than the Greek term, which in the New Testament, is           where all the`Cherubims  and Seraph+, adore Him.
 commonly translated by "fulness". That is the term               IJnto this full-orbed and perfected faith we are ad-
 ple&ooma. This latter term definitely refers to a ful-' monished, unto this we must press `forward.
 ness, the filling- up of acertain  measure. Thus, for            Looking at this admonition in the text, we notice,
 instance, in Ephesians 3 :19., Here we read of being          that the writer does not merely speak in the imperative
 filled with all the fu&ess of God, that is, .with all the     mode, he does not merely give a personal or collective
 blessings that God has prepared for us in Christ, which       com3naticL. `He does not say: Ye must draw near,
 blessings are then viewed as being the full-measure,, nor does he say : you (thou) must draw near. Nay,
 the fulness. The measure is full. But in the term             he does not use the imperative mode. Writes he: Let
 pleerophorias we have a slightly .different notion. It        us draw near. . . : In so sljeaking the writer does not        . .
 is here the question of a thing carried throu.gh to the       place himself at a distance from his readers, nor even
 full  Ijoint.                                      I          above them in a condescending way. But he places
     Now this latter thought is, in the case of our text,      himself in the very midst of the "brethren", whom
 a very fine point. And it is also very significant as it      he addresses by way of admonition.
 has a bearing on the full and conscious life ofg faith.         `Hence, this is an admonition in which the writer


                                                                                                                              .--
       20            ~                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   BE.A'RER

Y      includes himself. He has placed himself under this
       admonition first. It is a passionate, throbbing appeal,
       which is all the stronger, by reason of the fact, that                      I N '   H I S   .FEAR
       the'writer includes himself in this activity of drawing
       near unto God in full assurance of faith. He stands,
       he takes his position, as it were, at the very head of            Church Membership In His Fear
       the believers, whom he thus admonishes. He says in
       holy impatience ; Let us draw near in full assurance                                       1.
       of faith, and thus let us press the foot-steps of Abra-                         An, Important Matter.
       ham at Mount Moriah!                                                                             I
              And what is the incentive brought forward by the            Both the main topic,  upon'which we propose to
       writer to thus encourage, admonish to this drawing             write a few articles, and our `sub-topic for this issue
       near in the full  assur-ante  ,of faith? It is what we         could, of course,' have been formulated in question
       have' in Christ, what is ours by reason of the suffer-         form. And yet the introduction bf a question. mark
       ing, death and resurrection of Christ. -                       would have changed the formulation somewhat. To
                            .s                                        ask, "Is Church Membership a Matter of the Fear of
              Literally we read the following : "Having therefore,    the Lord?" and to write on that question, is not quite
       brethren, boldness to enter into the holy place. (unto         the same as writing on the topic "Church Membership
       the enterance of the holy place) by the blood of Jesus, in His -Fear.`?. `The former leaves the matter open to
       which he hath dedicated to us as a new and living way,         doubt, and such a formulation would require a demon-
       through the veil, that is, through His flesh."                 stration.    The latter formulation, however, proceeds
              Since we, have all this in Jesus as a realized and      from the assumption that Church Membership, proper-
       accomplished fact for us, we should draw near in the           ly conceived, is a matter of the fear of the Lord, does
       full-assurance of faith.  '                                    not require. or seek a demonstration of that fact, but
              And we immediately ask : in what sense of. the          desires to know the meaning of and implications of
       word does the -writer mean that we have this bold-             Church  Memb,ership  in the' Fear of the Lord. And
       ness to enter into the holdiest by the blood of Jesus?         that is, of, course, the stand of the believer. He pro-
                                                                      ceeds from the believing presupposition that all things
          ,. We emphasize: in what sense does the text teach          are a matter of the fear of the Lord, and as a faithful
       this present possession of the benefits in Christ? _           child of God desires to know the way of the fear of
              And' we are certain that thus the matter must be        the Lord, that he may walk therein. Nor can the
       stated.      We are  :equally certain that this calls for      believer properly ask the question really, "Is church
       painstaking and careful exegesis of the text and of            membership in His fear an important matter?" Faith
       the context.                                                   rules out any question here, but proceeds certainly
              We ask ,the following ,questions :                      from -the viewpoint that it` is certainly a matter of
                                                                      the utmost importance, rightly considered, a matter of
              1. What is the meaning here of the term "bold-          life or death. And proceeding from the basis that it
       ness" to enter into the holiest?                               is important, faith desires more and more to under-
              2. What does it mean that we have this boldness?        stand and see its importance, that it may walk in the
       And, then, what `does it mean that we have this bold-          proper way. Hence, faith takes warning here against
       -ness ?                                                        any skeptical or cynical attitude over against this
              Does this boldness mean the  si4bjectiv.e  co'urage     m a t t e r .
       to draw near unto <God,  or must it be understood as              When we speak here `of "church membership',,. it
       meaning the objective right to do so? Is this merely           is to be understood, of course, that we do not mean
       a subjective sense'of being free to enter into the holy        directly membership in the holy catholic church, as
      place, or does it refer to a right that is ours on the          that expression is sometimes vaguely and with a cer-
       statute books of God by reason of the New Covenant             tain false  piety employed. Certainly, also member-
     in Christ's blood?                                               ship in the holy catholic church is a matter in the
              What does it mean to hcrve this boldness to enter?      highest sense of the fear of the Lord, and, as we hope
       Does it mean that we-have it in Ipromise,  a-promise to        to see, principally it is also very. closely related to and
       all in the church, or does it mean to  .possess it in          involved in the subject at. hand. But the subject .we
       faith?                                                         now arebtaking up is the matter of formal and official
                                                                      membership in a certain communion of churches not
              To these questions we will attempt to. veply in the     only, but. of such membership in a. particular congre-
       n e x t   issume.   )                                          gation  .within those churches, and that, too, in the
                                              Geo. C. Lubbers.        fear of the Lord.  k


               I

                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                           21

    And that is an important matter;                          the question of the true and the false church is with
   Important it is, from the practical viewpoint, first       many a "ticklish" subject, at a time when people are.
 of all for the very simple and obvious reason that we,       hesitant to take a stand and according to the Reformed
 as a rule, are members of a certain church. I do not         manner declare definitely what is true .and what is
 have the statistics at hand, but-  it. is unquestionably     false. We have-come to move in the sphere of a false
 true to a large extent of our nation in general that if      tolerance-philosophy.      And as a result many become
 they are not a church-going nation, they are a church-       "soft" in respect to the truth, are afraid, as they say,
 b e l o n g & g - p e o p l e .
                       Even in thoroughly .modern circles     to offend others, and forget all about the stern and
 membership in some church is the accepted thing,             strict stand of our Reformed confessions. Besides,
 -though often it amounts only to having, one's name          under the guise of assuming a scientific and  open-
 on the roll.1 And the closer home we come, ecclesiastic-     minded attitude there are those in our times who really      .
.ally speaking, the more church membership is a rule.         assume an attitude  .of skepticism over against the
 In such a sphere the believer nowadays moves. And            truth, and who refuse to,take a stand `and to proceed
 we often move in a sphere in which church member-            from that stand with regard to other churches when
 ship, though it be from the viewpoint of faith lacking       it comes to the question, "Where is the truth pro-
 in interest and activity and even em&y and formal,           claimed ?"
 is yet in a certain sense very rabid: People who are            And, sad to say,-although that has always been
 otherwise not interested either in t%ie trugh, or in what    the case in the church of Jesus  Christy-there. are
 their own church stands for will often flare up when         those too who purposely and wilfully refuse to take a
 their church and their `membership'-  in that church is      proper stand with regard to the church, those even
 attacked in some way or other. And far from being            in our own churches who while they are members in
 rabid with respect to hi.s own church and his member-        the Protestant Reformed Churches deliberately run
 ship therein, far from defending it purely from the          down all that is Protestant' Reformed, openly defend
.motive  of partisanship and a possessive feeling, `the       the opposition, hold them up as an ideal of broadmind-
 believer must be able to give a positive, well-grounded      edness and piety, depreciate the differences between
 account of his membership in a given church.                 us-and those that cast us out. And over against them
    Besides, we ought to be able to give account -of          it is necessary that the church shall take a stand, and
 our church membership for `ourselves, as well  a,s direct- `that the people of God in the church take a definite
 ly before our God. Bspecially  is that true in the light     and uncompromising stand, in order that as much as
 of the fact' that usually we are born .and grow up in        possible the church may be kept pure in the midst of
 a certain church, and because the danger is that we          the world, and in order that she may be able to de-
stay there simply because we- were born there, `and           fend herself over against the false doctrines and the
because our membership becomes something almost               false teachers that eat like a canker `from within.
 automatic. That can  ,very well be the case, for ex-            But there is still another class of members often,
 ample, with those who belong to the next generation          whom we may call the laggards. They are those who ,
 after 1924. Those who- experienced. the struggle of          will go along with you as far as the principle is. con-
 our churches, who were faced with the question wheth-        cerned, but who do not practic,e  their stand in various
 er they would remain faithful to the Reformed faith          ways, who in their life. in the church and in relation
 or not;were almost forced to give account to them- to other churches, give the lie to the principle which
 selves of their position. But the generation that grows      they profess. They act as a weight, as a drag, upon
 np  afterwards,  .even though under faithful preaching       the life of the church.
 and teaching they cannot fail to be reminded of the
C battle for the truth which took place in 1924, can             And with, a view to all these circumstances it be-
 very easily fall into the error of simply "going along" comes increasingly evident that the believer's member-
 and assuming an entirely passive attitude over against       ship in the church in the fear of the Lord is a matter
the church to which they belong, so that finally when         of the utmost import.
the,need  arises they are not even able to give account          Besides, there are a number of misconceptions pre-
to themselves or to those that oppose them ~why they          valent against which we must guard. Possibly one of
 are in the Protestant Reformed Churches.                     the chief errors. committed in our times is the error
    Also because of present circumstances .and pre-           of those who always are seeking unity, who strive for
valent misconceptions in regard to the church both in         unity at the expense of the truth. In the Protestant
 the church `at. large. and in Reformed circles and even      church ,world of late years that movement has made
 in our own churches, one cannot fail to note that a          great strides.. How often nowadays one hears of a
proper understanding of the subject in hand is of the         merger between these two groups or of a proposed
utmost significance.                                          merger between those two large denominations. How
    We live at a- time when church membership and             beautifully men can paint the picture of a large and

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

 nowerful and united  chdrch  which can be a force
.&r good in the world, arid which might be able                                  We Go To Church
 t'o combat the powers of the united Romish Church.                                    (continued)
 And always, of course, the cause of all the dis-
 sension and division in the church  is found, in the                       "[Our H.elp-is in the Name.. . . .!'
 fact that there is too mGCh doctrine, too many creeds
 that are specific in their doctrinal declarations. The             At the very opening of the divine service the pastor
 denominational wails must be broken down, the con-              Says : "Oat help is .in the Name of the Lord who made
 fessions must be broadened,, generalized, the church            heaven and earth".
 must agree on certain general principles, and thus the             I wondek  if the congregation pays much attention
`ideal of "one L&d, one faith, one baptism" must be -to those words which `every Sabbath are uttered from
 realized in.the church on earth. * The church must be           the pulpit. Possibly for  many of  ds  (pastprs   often
 reduced to her lowest common denominator. Against               included) these words are little mo?e than a mere for-
 that error we must beware!          .                           mality. W.e have perhaps grown accustomed to the
 \ And its cousin is known by the name of .undenomin- little expression, and its continued repetition only
 ationalism, which is prevalent in so7called fundamen-           makes the words mor.e meaningless.
 talist circl&. Also it despises the narrow limitations             Suppose that some morning your, pa&or would
 of creeds, and- with false piety calls for a return to          ascend the platform and say: "beloved in our Lord,
 `the. `simple !Scriptures  and to the gospel and creed of       our help is in chariots and horses", or, if he would say,
 Christ. And sadly enough, even Reformed people are              "our help is in the power of the U. N. Forces". Every-
 `ensnared- by this cunning craftiness at times.                 one of Us would realize at once that he had said some-
       Other movements and conce$tio<s  might be men-            thing. It would have your attention at once. And
, tioned. There is, for example, a false idea "of. the           every member, I believe, would rise up to deny it at
 multiformity of the church which has crept into ,Re-            once. Because every one of the believers would feel
 formed circles, which in essence also denies the possi-         that the statement was not true. Our help is not in
 bility of distinction between the true and the false            chariots or horses, nor in their modern counterparts
 churkh. There are movements in our time `which call             of `today's. armed forces, but our help is in the Name
 themselves "inter-denominatiom#`, mqqements that ar-            df the Lord.
 rogate to themselves the duties and prlvlleges  and call-           Btit then we ought to know what the Church means
 ing of the Church utilawfully.                                  when it int?.oduces  the service with these words.
       And we must not make the' mistake that we cannot             `They are a literal quotation from Scripture. Psalm
 be touched by all these fact&s. We live in that worl`d.         124 :8.
 We see these things all around us, and sometimes                   In the early days of the Reformation the churches
 among us. And. we must be wartied against them, Chad no definite votum. Luther said: "zum  anfang
$' must be founded in the truth concerning the church,           zingen wir ein geistelich l.ied" (i.e. to begin our service
 in order that we may be. able to call things by their `let us sing a; spritual song) and thus they did. A Lasco,
 correct name. We must know what the church  is:                 in his Lithurgies prescribes no votums. At  Straats-
 We must know the relation between the "holy, catholic           burg, in the German churches the service began with,
 church" and the  chtirch institute in the world. We             "In the' Name of the Father  -and ,the Son and the
 must know where and hdw that faith- concerning`the              Holy Spirit, amen." Calvin, however, used Psalm
 holy catholic church and the comniunion of saints may           124:8 and the Forms which Come td us from<-the  Psillz
 be experienced as .a matter of living faith, and that           and Dtitheen. aye `mo$ of them preceded by the pas- 3
 as a matter of the experience of faith. We must know sage` from Psalm 124 also<. The Prov. &mod at Dord-
 what we say when we confess in the language of                  recht in 1574 (Art. 37) prescribed these words as a
 the Heidelberg Catechism that we are and forever                votum in the churches, but it seems that the egpres-
 shall remain living members of that holy catholic               sion could  not find general approval, hence its use
 c h u r c h .                                                   was limited and optional. Some ministers began the
       In the light of all this, and, especially in the light    service with a brief prayer, some with a song, others
 of the fact that there is an intrinsic r&elation  between       with some other passage of Holy Writ. Our DKO
 our faith concerning the holy, catholic church and our          does liot prescribe in detail what our order  of worship
 membership  .in a given church in the world, as we hope         is to be. Calvin's order of worship differed from Dr.
 to poiht out more fully, the subject becomes one that           A.  Kuy.per's  and ours differs again `from both of
  calls for the ektreme, of seriousness and earnestness,         them. We have e+idently in the course of time come
  does `it not?                                                  to adopt a certain order of worship and it has this in
                                   '  H .   C .   H!oeksema.     -,its favbr that .it at least brings about some unity of


                                      %       T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEA.RER                                             23

        the worship-plan in the various churches. Worship             like wild beasts, only to be destroyed after they have
        needs ,order,  but the order is not more importaqt  than      skrved the. purpose which <God  has with them. The
        the worship.                                                  children of God must know that God is our Only Sal-
            All Scripture `is beautiful and many passages could       vation. Therefore the enemies come against us . . .
        well serve to open our services, but Psalm 124 <8 is          in order that we should cry for help. If God be FDE
        especially beautiful and appliqable.  -One of the objet-      us who can be against `us. And let Israel say itcfor-
        tions raised against such a formal votum was the              ever, except God were FO,R us,  w,e would have perished
        sorry fact that so many of the people understood little,      from the earth long ago. What power have we
        or nothing, of what the words meant. The words be-            against such formidable foes?. None. Our`help is in
        came to them a certain form of "mystery". Magical             the Name. .
        words, perhaps. Expressions, which clerics use but               Now on Sunday morning, your minister brings you
        the people do not understand. This, objection, it seems       these  words and it,is a confession of faith. W,e need
        to me can be easily removed by endeavoring to under-          help. We need to live out of faith to  se'e  that we
        stand what the ,words of Psalm 124 :8 mean.                   need help. We see little need for help as we qtiietly,
            What then do these words mean?                            peacefully and comfortably meet together for the pur-
            To know what the eighth verse me+ns  we ought to          pose of divine worship.In the #days of visual perse-
        take a quick, look-at  the entire psalm.                      cution, when men came to church at -the risk of their
            In this Psalm the' church is threatened by destruc-       lives, when spies were at every window and the pound-
        tion at, the hands 0: the wicked. The threat is pre-          ing of horse's hoofs could be heard on the pavement,
        sented under four figures of speech:  verse 3, the            then Psalm  124:8 was especially applicable. If the
        enemies come on like an ,earthqpake  and wanted to            Lord be not our help we will be swallowed up before
        swallow us up-so that we would have disappeared into          we ever have the first' psalm verse sung, and what
        the earth ; verse 4, they were like a flood, which wo+ld      will then become of the rest of the service which the
        have overflowed us ; verse 6, they attacked like wild         Christ has laid up& us? We ori the either hand live
        beasts, with. mouths open wide to devour us; ve,rse 7:.       amidst  .ease and luxury. We encountered no road-
        and they had .encircled  us, like a bird in a net.            blocks dn the way to church, no threats were hurled
            Except the Lord had been for us, except God had           at us, no spies in church to  implead us. The laws
        surrounded` Us with .His loving care, there would have        of our land f&bid disturbance. of the' divine service.
        been nothirig left of us. If the ILord do not surround        We can call the officers if anyone raises a riot against'
:       us with His Grace from moment to moment we shall
                                                 I                    us. We live in such a peaceful time, do we not?
        be swept off the.face of the earth, for our enemies are          Psalm 124:8 has so little significance for us unless
        great and they come at us from all sides. But blessed.        we see with eyes-of faith;
     be  the Lord, blessed be the Lord, He is FOR us and                 W,e are God's Church in the midst of the world.
        who can be against us? He saved us when the earth-            Jesus said: marvel not my brethren if the world hate
        quake came, He kept  us when the flood rose up against        you and again, in the world ye shall have tribulation.
        us, `He saved us from the teeth of the wild beasts and        The relation b&ween  world and ch&h.has  -not chang-
        as for thk net! we were already caught in it, but--the        ed. The world has not  imnproved. The enmity `has
        Lord broke the net and we have escaped.                       not abatkd. ,The antithesis is there today as much as
            Well may such a delivered church say: ,Our help is        it ever was. The enemy has changed his tactics but
        in the Name of the Lord Who made `heaven and eatih.           not his purposes. The earthquake and the flood, the
        Well may Israel say and may we all say it today:              wild beasts and the snares are there today as well
        Our help is in the Lord. Earthquakes and floods;              as ever . . . if only we. have @es which can see. Iit
        wild beasts and snares . . . shall He Who created all         requires eyes of faith to see what Scripture says there
      ~. &hings be unable to govern  all things?. Earthquakes,        is to.see. We are threatened with the evil which Paul
        floods, wild'beasts, and shares are all part ofi cregtion,    mentions, "men shall be lovers of their own selves",
        are they  not? And has not the Lord  crkated   heaven         and again, "lovers of pleasures rather than lovers
        and earth?  _ If  He is so mighty that He can make            of God". Threatened with the evil of world-conformity.
        heaven and earth, can I$e`not direct the ragings of the       Thr.eatened ,with dissensions, hierarchy, individualism,
        wicked to His' Own glory and to the salvation of the          love of mastery, suspicions, sectarianism, strife, hat-
     C h u r c h ?                                                    red,- love of money. Threatened with departure from
            Our Help is in the Name!                                  the truth in order tq gain the world. Threatened with
         - A Confession. A shotit of confidence. A cry of vic-        hundreds of machinations of Satan used against us
        tory. The Name of the Lord, the Name of the Lord,             daily. And, abroad we see the two great world-pow.ers
        in it is our Help. That is, for the honor and glory           locked in a titanic death-struggle, and we realize .that
      of His Name, for the display of His reputation (vir-            behind it is Satan, exerting himself to  acquir! the
        tues) H.e lets the enemies come like an earthquake and        vantage point bf attack against .the church of Christ.


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                                         THE  <STANDARD                                            BEAREk  .
                                   -
  Whatever the outcome of this world-struggle shall be,                       As to his question no. 4, do not the Christian Re-
  the things of Revelation must come to pass and the                      formed and Liberated Chu&hes also claim to adhere
  Anti-Christ is getting things ready for his appear-                     to the Confessions 7 And do they not misinterpret the
  ante.                                                                   same? The Christian Reformed Churches. teach com-
      In such a world the `church comes  togethti  -for                   mon, grace, but they never changed their Confessions.
  divine morship. in His T\Tame we come togetker  to do                   And they maintain that they  h&l  .to the Confes-
  what the world will never tolera?e.       We come to do                 s i o n s .
  what c&an hates to have done, to do that which makes                        Also, Rey. Blankespoor states that the "declaration"
  him fly upon us with rage. -We come'& do that which                     speaks more on the subject of the Covenant than the
  it is risky to do and becomes daiiy more dangerous.                     subj,ect of comm& grace. But, the &ror of the Liber-
 We come together to take upon us the s&vice of Christ                    ated Churches With regards to the Coveizant an& the
  and the stigma, of the Haied  One.                                      eprbr of common grace in  the Christian Reformed
      The itimes will come when this seryice,.  becomes                   Churches  &e simply one and the s&me ePror. I feel
  impossible. In the temple of God shall sit the Anti-                    that in the past 25 years the stand of our Churches on
  christ demonstrating that he is God. In homes per-                      the su@jec&  of common grace has been made perfectly
  haps, in holes and dens of the earth . . . &,remnant                    clear. And finally, why should any of our -ministers,
  shall still do what the world- forbids to do.            '              missionaries, or lay-men object to having this "declara-
      Our help is in the Name of the -Lord.' The time                     tion" at this time?  It's the  truth, isn't it? We con-
  will come that the testimony of Christ shall'hisappear                  fess this truth, do we not? Now please tell us why
  if the HELP do not Himself come fromheaver+ The                         we should not boldly proclaim this truth, tind instead
  triuinphant Chrisit -shall ' d.escend  in glory to. destroy             of talking about origin and all other objections, thank
  the wicked and give-vidory to His Church.                               God that we have' leaders who can and will give us
      ExceDt  `God be FOR us we shall be swallowed up                     these `ideclarations" which we so sorely need..  If there
  :. . but our Help is in  His Name. With that  confi-                    is any error in this  "declartition" or  a& danger of
  d'ence we open the service. Every service, until the                    proclaimilig its contents, let some one  tell us: And
  Help comes from Heayen.                                                 if ie is. the truth; let us adopt it.
                                         M. Gritters.                                    .                                        A. H.. Haan.

                     OCDO   -  kA _  `.                                                                  -`
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                  Contiibution'                       -                                           HOLD THOU  .ME UP
                                                                                                 ?:.'    -2.     ,.
  Esteemed Editor: ,                                                         I cannot trust myselfJJe&s  my LoFd,.                              _
      May I have just a little space in the Standard                                          Hold Thou nl@ ap !
  Bearer also, to ask a few questions with regard to the                     My feet had well nigh slipped, with Thine own word
  article of Rev. Blankespoor in re: the "Declaration of                                      Hold Thou me up!         '
  Principles" proposed by our last synod? I am confi-                        0 teach me how, and when, and where to go,
  dent that the editor c&n certainly. give Rev. Blankes-                     The path of safety I entreat to know.
j poor the light he seeks. However, since Rev. Blankes-
  poor is the first to publicly  refer to this "declaration"                 I cannot walk alone ; I am a child,
  I' am interested to know what his difficulties are in this                                  Hold Thou me                        up!     '          -     -
  matter. He speaks about origin, intentions, etc., but                      And y;t to try my strength am oft beguiled ;                                            '
  not'one word about contents. I assume that he surely                                        Hold Thqu me up!
  subscribes to the contents of this "declaration" and I                  Support me, lead me, keep .me in Thy way,
  cannot understand why he should be. so `. concerned                        Be Thou'my Surety, Thou my Strength and Stay.
about who formulated it,  ,or who it is pointed at.  Be
  surely knows that it was adbpted by `our synod, and                        Oh do not let n!te -fall ! I cling to Thee ;
  that it was formulated by the `Committee  of pie-advice                                     Hold Thou me up!
  with the advice df the two serninary profess&s. Also,                      Be. merciful in ;chis great strait to me,
  that it was requested by our Mission Committee, which                                       Hold Thou me up !
  &lso  _ represents our denomination' in the' Missi&                     `: `Let Thjr strong ha6d prevent me ; Let Thjr grace
  field.                                                        ,'  ::       Carry me safely` past the slippery place.


