       VOLUME   XXVIII                              MARCH   1,  1_952   - GRAND   RAPIDS,   MICHIGAN                        NUMBER   11

                                                                                      The difference lies in that Spirit.  -
            MEtiITAT'ION                                                     :        Oh, that Spirit of grace and of_ supplications!

                    Blessings  in  Prospect
                                                                                      Who receive the -blessings in prospect?
                "And  i  will  pour  upon.   the  house   of  David,   and            Zachariah  .tells us.       -
             upon   the  inhabitants   of  Jerusalem,   the  Spirit  oft
              grace   and  of  supplications:   and   they  shall  look  upon         They are the house of Divid and the inhabitants
              Me  whom  they  have   pieroed,   ,and  they  shall  mourn          of Jerusalem.
              for  Hjm,  as  one  mourneth  for  his  only   son,  and                Who are. they? What mean those appelatiqns?
              shall   be  in  bitterness   for  Him,   as  one  that  is  in          The house of David are those blessed people who,
              bitterness for his' firstborn."-Zachariah  12 :lO.                  like David, are men, women and children after God's
                "And  again   another   scripture  saith,  They  shall
              look  on  Him  whom  they  piecced."-John   19:37.                  own heart.       They- are the elect, pure and simple.
                "Behold,   He  cometh  with  clouds;  and   every  eye            Therein lies all .the difference. The Lord ,God looked
              shall  see  Hjin,  and   they  also  whitch  pierced  Him:  and     .upon them lrom before the foundation of the world,
              all  kindreds   of  the  earth  shall  wail   because   of  Him.    and loved them with all the love of His `Divine heart.
              Even   so,  Amen."TRev.   15'.                                      Before the flood we read that Noah found grace in
       I might have added to the array of $exts that which                        His sight. Not because of anything in Noah.  IOh
  we find in Luke 23 :48, where we read: "And; all the                            no, but because IGqd willed to love him, and not the
  people that came together to that sight, beholding                              millions that were to drown in the great flood.
  the things which were done, smote their breasts and                                 And thus it is  throughout all history. Also in
  returned." I might have added that in order to see                              the days of Zachariah. Those days were awful days.
  the complete picture. `Then we h&e the sight of the- Read the broad context and weep. Judah as well as
  pierced God with the resultant wailing in all three in-                         Israel had gone awhoring from  `God and His  stab-
  stances. You see that in Zachariah, then also in the                            ut,es.
  Gospels, and also in the'.Revelation  of John:                                      But there is that remnant. And the remnant find
       #God  i s   p i e r c e d .                                                grace in His (sight. And the pepple that find grace
       But there is a difference. In Zachariah this pierced                       in the sight of God are the house of  Davtd. David
 -God is seen because of the pouring out of the Spirit                            means: Beloved. Beloved of God.
 ' of grace and supplications. But, in Luke and in Re-                                And they are also called: the inhabitants of Jeru-
  velation *God is seen as the pierced One without such                           salem.    Thereby' hangs a wondrous tale. Jerusalem
  spiritual bounty.  -,                                                           is the miraculous  .city. It is the city of peace. It is
       But both wail because. of this sight : the elect wail                       the place where God touches the earth. It is the
  in Zachariah, and are blessed. The reprobates see Him                           place  w,here  IGod dwells with His people. The earth
  and wail in Revelation, and are damned.                                         is normally ( !) the camp of the rebels that dared to
       And the difference is in the lnotive of their wail-                        lift their fists to the Most High and shout belligerent-
  ing.                                                                            ly : Depart from us : tie have no pleasure in Thy-ways.
  .    The reprobate wail because of stark terror.                                 The whole earth is a great camp of warriors, war-
       The elect wail and are in great bitterness because                         riors against God and His heavenly hosts.       ,
: of the motive of purest love- of  IGod.                                             But Jerusalem is different. There is peace,  hea-


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             242

             verily, eternal peace. `And all because of the-reach-             more, until you are as beautiful as  IGod. And then
           ,  * ing finger of ,God: He touched them.                           you want to view beauty for evermore.
                    Oh yes, the house of David and the inhabitants' of             And so you br&ak out in supplications.
             Jerusalem are blessed people. )God- loves them,  and                  For blessings in prospect!
             -He dwells# among them..                                              Ever more blessings from God !                 _
                    T,tiey are blessed. And God will reveal His  bles-
            sings to them. Blessings  -that are present and bles-                                     -a  a  *  *.
             sings that are still `to come in the future.
               . Blessings in prospect!                                        Bleisings  i n   p r o s p e c t !   .
                                      I                                            They come to you in disguise. First they come
                                           r?r  *  a  a                        in a bitter d&guise.             _
                                                                                You receive the only correct view of the  Cr&ss  of
                    Blessings iti prospect !                                   J e s u s .
                    ,God says: And I will pour upon them the Spirit                Listen to Zachariah: and they shall look upon Me
             of grace and of supplications !                                   whom they pierced!
                    There is a prophecy bf the coming Pentecost.                   IOh yes, the elect have also pierced  God. Every
                    The Spirit is tile Spirit of then suffering Servant        $in the elect have sinned is a thrust into the <God of
             of Jehovah: Jesus Christ, the righteous Man of God.               their salvation. Adam' and Eve began this murder
                    And when that Spirit is poured upon you, you re-           of God. They killed Him. If the' living God lived
             ceive grace, and thru that .grace  you break out in sup-          it?was not because Adam and Eve did not try to kill
             plications,                    0                                  Him. They killed Him -in their heart and mind. We
                    `Grace  is beauty. Moses prayed for that  beauty.          are all theocideg. Let's take just one example: when
             Let the beauty of  the; Lord be upon  tis. And that               the Triune God walked' among us in the form of the
.I           prayer. is aIways answered. We silig of it today: On              suffering Servant Jesus, Peter said : I know Him not !
             `us let the grace and beauty qf the Lord our God re-              I will be cursed and damned -of Jehovah Himself if
             main !      And it is answered, answered even  today.             I know Him., As far .& Peter is concerned He is dead
             And we grow beautiful, as God is beautiful.                  :    and gone. Nay, worse still : He never existed! We
                    Grace is be&uty,  the beauty of ~Gcd. God's whole          are all theocides.
             Being. is .beautiful,         matever ,God is, thinks, speaks         T.hey shail look' upon Me whom they-have pierced.
             and, does is only beautifui, attractive, comely, lovely.              In these few words you have the whole picture of
             That makes heaven so wonderful.                                   the horror, of the stark horror of sin and evil of the
                    And when grace is given you, you become beauti- whole human race, the elect included.
             ful. By nature. we are so ugly.  ,Lat&r  we will say                  But they do not know the extent of their crime.
           "more of that, in its proper place.                                 They are blind in their raging. If they knew they
                    But the house of David receives. the beauty of             would cry even today. If the whole God-forsaken
           ' the grace of  <God. And they receive it by the Spirit world knew that they are constantly killing Him who
             of Jesus Christ.                                                  is th.e song of the angels, they would weep with agony,
                    And they also receive the Spirit' of supplications.        the same agony of Revelation 1:7. They saw a little
                    And here is the connection between grace and sup-          glimpse of it in Luke 23, and they returned to their
             plication: when you receive of the beauty of God, you             miserable  hoGels  of sin in Jerusalem, all the time
             see your estate; yop  see your wickedness and sin.                smiting their breasts. _
      .      You see that you are desperately foul z+d ugly and                    But the house of David and the inhabitants of
             filthy. And so you pray, you pray to God who gave                 Jerusalem know. Not at first. At first we looked  -
             you the beauty of His own virtues. But your pray-                 upon God and pierced Him.                 Just as the  .others.
             er is vehement; your prayer grows insistent.  YOU+                When we first looked upon Him at His coming in the
             journey  tb the throne of grace is as a storm.  And               flesh there was no beauty that we should desire Him.
             such prayer is called supplication. You cry to God.               Oh no, but He was rejected of men. For His love we
                    You have but one desire left. David will lead the gave Him our hate.
             way: One thing -have I desired of the Lord, that will                `God was pierced by us. Our literal representative.'
             I seek after; that I may dwell in the House of the                is a Roman soldier. Never  mind. .It *as +he church,
             Lord ill the days of my lif.e, to `behold the beauty of           the church ,of all the ages who joined with,`the  ,God-
             the.  [LolTd,  and to inquire in His Temple. Psalm  2?.           forsaken world to crucify ,God. We pierced Him. The
                    You see, when beauty has touched you, you have             Holy ,Ghost  tells us in John 19 that when the Roman
             but one desire Ieft; to receive more beauty, and still `soldier pierced Him literally, a scripture was fulfilled :

                                                                     ,                !

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                                           Fg[ET      STANDARD                     BEAR.BiZ  .                           .i48

 it ,is the text in `Zach. 12. Fulfilled, ;because we. had       the multitude went with her to it&e grave. But `re-
 been doing it right along. And we continue: God be member, my dear brother, that this is but an example,
 merciful to us, Eor we have continued even to this day. .a simile. The reality is greater, the  sorrok of- the
         But there was a culmination. ,God would `demon-         house .of `David beggars description. No one is able
 strate so that- no one would disbelieve the horror. of          to fell about his sorrow after <God.
 this piercing. He demonstrated it, for He came from                But <God  knows. WheF we cannot weep anymore
 .the heavens to dwell `among us. And' when He had               because of our conviction of sin ; when we can, but
 thoroughly proven His Godhead and Mission, we pier-             sigh and bow  th'e head, while the heart -is slowly
ted Him. It is the crucifixion of our Lord in the ful-           breaking, the Spirit comes and prays within us with
ness of time. It was the culmination of all the pier-            groanings that we, cannot utter.` And God knows and
 cing of 4000 years. And it still goes on.                       listens and forgives.
         Why do you thi'nk,  that hell is a;.necessary thing?       There are two  so&ows:  the sorrow of the world
 Because #God was pi,erced.                                      and the  sorow after God. And they are dissimilar;
         But the house ,of David knows. And so d,o &e in-        oh, they are so dissimilar..                                    J-
 habitants - of Jerusalem.        They  kliow because  `God         The sorrow of the world worketh death.
 took away that which shrouded the cross, and He has                You believe that the  &orld sorrows, do you not?
 shown it in all its awful reality. After the Spirit of          For they  r&ally suffer, and their suffering is very'
 grace made them beautiful in principle they began               deep.  _ The world is one great, vale of Sears. How
 <to see .what they had done. And also why they had              could there `be any real happiness in a ,den of mur-
 done it. It is the result of all their hatred against           derers ? Here we have a race of men and women.
 IGod and His anointed Son. They saw all +he natural             that find their delight in killing a God who is so won-
 ugliness and hardness of their fallen nature.                   drously beautiful that perfect angels  hid,e, their faces
         And they  cried for  mercy!                             and they kill. Him all the day long ! And when the
         They cried for the  bl&ings of mercy and com-           first graces  reach  some of them; they are' killed by
 passion and forgiveness.                                        *the world. Just have the grace and beauty of the Lord
         They cried for the .wonderful  blessings in prospect ! ' your IGod in your speech and every behaviour, and the
    P                                                            wicked will come and kill you, either literally or in
                           *  *  32  *                           principle. Ask Paul, and he will tell you in Romans
                                                                 8. We are killed all the day long and we are ,accoun-
   We read of a great wailing in our text -taken from            ted as sheep for the slaughter. And why? For iGod's
 Zachariah. Also the murderers of Jesus wailed in                sake.                                   _I
 Luke. And John speaks of the great mourning of the                 But they do suffer. And they will suffer more and
 judgment day.                                                   more. Their suffering shall increase, but they will
         But here is the difference betw$een them that are       never `repent as the house  df David repented. But
 beloved and them that are not: the house of David               .they will. finally look up to heaven  land blaspheme
 wail now, in ;the today of grace. The others wail when Him who sent. their plagues.
`it is too late.  dnd the first wail because they love              But the house of David's .sorrow  is sorrow after
 ,God ; the others shall all wail. because they are so a-        God. That means- that they sorrow with a sorrow that
 fraid, they are so scared in that awful day. They saw is :approved  of (God.
 it too late.  '                                                 : They sorrow beeausi. they realize how they have
         Yes, we read of great wailing of the elect in Fach-     pierced and killed their own God and Saviour. Listen
 ariah. Also of  gr.eat  bitterness.                             to the watchword of the Reformers:  `.`En  ik  hacht                  '
         `A little while ago I'had taken Peter  as an example    er niet aan, dat ik zelf door mijn schuld, Zijn kroon
 in order to show that also the elect have always pier-          had gevlochten, Zijn beker gevuld  !"            .
 ced `God. It is fitting that also here I take him fbr              And what is the result?         -
 my example. Did you note h&w Peter wept; and weht                  This: they are, forgiven all their piercing of the
 bitterly?                                                       IGod of their salvation. They see and marvel: thru
  They shall mourn for Him, as one` mourns for his               their heinous  .crime of the crucifixion of the  `God of
 only son.                                                       their salvation, the way is opened for their eternal
         I can understand that to some extent. When we           reception in the new Kingdom.
 lose an only  s6n we experience the worst  afflic.tion             Oli the depth of the Ches both of the wisdom and
 that` can befall a mere man, or woman. Think of                 knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judg-
that widow' of Nain. Her mourning was so deep, so                ments and His ways past finding out!
 pitiful that the whole city was moved for her. And                                                            G .   Vob.  _


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                                THE STANDARD BEARER                                                                                           E D  1.T  0  R I A, L S
         _  Semi-monthly,  except   monthly  in  July   and  Au&&
        Published   by  th,e  Reformed   Free  Publishing   Association
                   Box  124,  Station  C.,  Grand  Rapids  6,  &lichigan                                                                        l%omis~   and.  Prediction           -.
                               EDITOR   -  Rev.   Herman   Hoeksema
        Communications   relative   to  contents   should   be  addressed                                                           The last time I called attention to the paragraph
        to  Rev.   H.  Hoeksema,   1139  Franklin   St.,  S.  E.,  Grand.                                                         of Dr. Schilder's article, translated in  Concoriclia by
        Rapids  7,  Michigan.                                                                                                     .the Rev. B. Kok, which I totisider the heart of the en-
        All  matter   relative  to  subscription   .should   be  addressed
        to  &ir.  J.  Bouwman,   1350  Giddings   Ave.,  S.  E.,  Grand                                                          tire article.' I will quote it once more.
        Rapids  7,  Michigan.   Annouricements   and  Obituaries   must                                                             "But now comes, the fine point of. distinction : ,God
        be  mailed   to  the  above   address   and  will   be  published   at  a.                                                does give us promises; but no predictions. Thus He
        fee  of  $1.00  for  each  noti,ce.                            .         *                                                does not say to N.N..: you shall $?metime go to hea-
        Renewals:-   Unless   a  definite  request  for  discontinuance
        is  received,   it  is  assumed   that  the  subscriber  wishes   the                                                     ven, and to another N.N.`: you shall forever remain
        subscription   to  continue   without   the  formality  of  `a  re-                                                       without.
        newal   order.                                                                                                              "Therefore He gives a promise, with a command,'
                               Subscription   &ice:   $3.00   per  year                                                           even as it is taught us in the Canons of Dordt: the
        Entered  as  Second   Class  mail  at  Grand   Rapids,   Michigan
                          I                                                                                                       promise comes `with the command to' believe and' re-
                                                                                                                                  pent. And thus at the time of baptism He says: He
                                                                                                                                  that believeth in Me, shall not be ashamed ; for them
                                                                                                                                  that honor Me, I will honor; unto the upright tliere
                                               -:-                                                                                ariseth liglit in the darkness; them that seek `Me ear-
                                                                                                                                 ly shall find Me. Aid he,who would `call this Armin-
                                                                                                                                  ian, does not, in my opinion, read his Bible correctly,
                                                                                                                                 by means of which, nevertheless, the Armini.ans have
                                            C  b  NT  E-NT  S'                                                                   ' been defeat&d."
                                                                                                                                    This, 40 my mind, is the heart of the entire article.
 MEDITATION-
               Blessin                                                                                                              I may say in passing that Dr. Schilder  se_ems  to
                          g s In  Prospecr         . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..>.......... 241
                  Rev. G. Vos .                        \                                                                          think that by referring to- the texts he quotes from
 EDITORIALS-                                                                                                                     Scripture he defeats Arminianism. But this I deny.
               Promise  annd Prediction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
               As  to  that  Straight   R-cord  .  .  .  .  .-.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  247                   The Arminian also teaches: "He that believeth in me
                  Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                               shall not be, ashamed." But the question is: who are
      QUESTION-
               Faith,   Hope,  and  Love   .  :.  .  .  .  .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                    they that believe in Him? Where does that faith
                                                                                                                          248
                  Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                               come from? And even then one has to be careful? for
THY       TRIPLE               KNO.WLEDGE-                                                                                       even the Arminian will confess that faith is a gift] of
               An  Exposition   of  the  Heidelberg   Gate&m   1  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  249                              [God. And therefore. one must ask the final question:
                 Rev. H. Hoeksema-
          .                                                                                                                      but to who& does God give that faith? Then finally8
 A s   T o   BOOKS-
               Feed My  Lambs-Henrr  T.  V&=sen  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  2';~                                             it will be expdsed whether a man is Arminian or Re:
               leremiah-Lamentations-~~~l~e's   Commen:ary                                . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252    formed. For the Arminian will say that faith is a
               Het Christelijk  Leven  In De  Maatschapp;j-Prof.,  Dr. G.  Brillen-
               b u r g           Wurth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    25<    gift of God to whoever will receive it; while the Re-
                  Rev. H.  Hoeksema                         _                                                                    formed man confesses that faith is a gift of God sov-
 SION'S   ZANGEN-   -                                                                                                            ereignly bestowed upon the elect alone. The same is
               De  Lofzani Der Liefde . . .  .`. . . . . , . . . .                                             : . 25;
                 R&.  G.  Vos                                                                                                    true of the other texts. `Surely, we all confess with
 FROM   HOLY   WRIT-                                                                                                             Scripture : "For them that honor Me I will honor,"
          .Exposition' of Matthew  5:38-42                             . . . . . . . . . 255                                     the Arminian as well as the Reformed.  But  abain
                 Rev. G. C. Lubbers                                                                                              the question is:  ~who honors  ,God? And the answer
 THE  DAY  O F   SHADOWS-
               The  Covenant  of  Sinai .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  25R                             of the Reformed man certainly  -is: not  the natural
                   Rev. G. M. Ophoff                                                                                             ,man, but only the believer, who has received-the gift
               We Shall  Be Like Him . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262                     of faith from aGod, and that is the elect. Again, both
                  Rev. G. M. Ophoff                                                                                              t,he Arminian and the Reformed confesses with the
 CONTRIBUTIONS-
               From   Mr: R. Vise-Hull  Iolva  `. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  263                             Word of God: "Unto the upright. there ariseth light
--             From Rev. H. H.  I&per-Randolph,  Wis. . . . . . . . . . . . .  263                                               in the darkness." But again, according to Scripture
               From Mr.  J.  Cummenga,   ST.-Grand   Rapids,   Mich. . . . . . . . . . . 264                                     the upright are they that have been delivered from the
                                                                                                                                 power of sin and death by sovereign grace, and there-


                                       T H E   S T A N D A 'R 'D   B E A R E R                                       24.5

 fore, the elect. For them only arises light in dark-          check in his pocket, he could read on that check: "I,
 ness. And finally, the same is true of the text, "Them        Jehovah-God, promise you, Peter, eternal life." And
 that seek Me early shall find Me,." But again, if we when in another letter I asked him how that was pos-
 say no more, we speak only half a truth, even though          sible, since God-did not fulfill His promise and ,sincc
 we appeal to Scripture. For who seek IGod?' Certain-          there was no capital ih the bank, except for the elect
 ly not the natural man, but only those that have first        he answered me that that was a mystery. It belonged
 been sought and found by God, and therefore, altho            to the secret will of ,God, and we have to do with the
 it is `true that those who do not seek (God certainly         revealed will. In our first conference which we had
 shall not find Him, yet the seeking is not a condition        with Dr. Schilder after  .the war, I told that story.
 which man must fulfill in order to find ,God, But ra-         And he could hardly believe that the story was true.
 ther the designation `of the way in which the sovereign       Nevertheless, principally he agrees with that Libera-
= grace of God leads His own rational-moral children           ted minister: For now he writes himself that the  I
 to. find Him.                                                 promises are for N.N., altho no predictions are for
   But'let me call your attention .to the fact that in         them. We, on the other hand, maintain that no prom:
 all these texts `the promise is not to N.N., to Peter, ' ises are for N.N., but only for the believers, that is,
 William, or *Charles, but to `those that believe, that -the elect.
 is, the elect; to those that honor God, that is, the e-         3. Dr. Schilder evidently presents the promise as
 lect; to `the upright, that is, the believing, regenerated    excluding faith, as is evident from his appeal to ,Ca-
 elect ; to those that seek, and that therefore have been      nons II, 5. We, on the other hand, claim that `the
 found of God,' that is, the elect.                            promise includes faith.. For ,God promises the Holy
   Before I proceed to show from Scripture that there          Spirit, the author of faith. And therefore God pled-
 is no distinction between promises and predictions            ges by the promise that He will give faith to the' elect.
 and that neither promises nor predictions are for N.            4. For Dr. Schilder the promise is conditional, con-
 N., but that both are only for the elect, I would like        ditioned on faith, repentance and obedience. Again,
 to give a brief summary of my former editorial, in t,he appeal is to `Canons II, 5. On the other hand, we
 order to bring to mind concisely and clearly the con-         w,ho claim that the promise includes faith, insist that
 tents of that former article, and at the same time to         it is unconditional, for the simple reason that it is
 show in what respect we, the Protestant Reformed              nonsense to say that faith and obedience ar,e a con-
 people, differ fundamentally from the view of Dr.             dition unto faith.
 ,Schilder and the view of the Liberated.                      : 5. For Schilder faith is a condition unto the prom-
   Briefly, then, I tried to bring out the following           ise. For us faith is an instrument which God sover-
 points.                                                       eignly works in our hearts according to His promise.
   1. Schilder makes a distinction between promises              6.. For Schilder, as well as for Veenhof. unbelief
 and predictions. We claim that. promises and pre-             closes the gate of heaven. For us the gate of heaven
 dictions are identical. Promises are predictions, and         was never open to the reprobate, that remains. in his
 predictions are promises in Holy Writ.                        sin and unbelief.     And seeing that it was always
   2. Schilder makes God promise salvation to N.N.,            closed to him, unbelief cannot `possibly close it.
 Peter, William, Charles, etc. In this respect Dr.. Schil-        Such is, in brief, the difference between the view.
 der agrees with a certain minister from the Liberated         of Dr. Schilder and the Lib.erated, and us as. Protest-
 Churches in the Old #Country  with whom I had a bit           ant Reformed believers. At bottom it, is a question
 of correspondence at the time when we still sent pack-        of God's absolutely sovereign predestination, both His
 ages to the Netherlands. Concerning the promise `he           election and reprobation. I do not say that Dr. Schil-
 wrote me that he taught' all his young people that            der is Arminian: -for even, in the article which was
 they all had. a check in their pocket. The check, of          translated by the Rev. Kok in ConcorclicG  he emphati-
 course, was the pledge of salvation and eternal life          cally confesses to believe in the sovereign grace  of.
 on the part of God to them all. If now they would             God. But I do maintain that I cannot square his con-
 only .go to the bank a.nd cash that check, they would         ception of the promise to all with the pure ~Reformecl
 receive the promise and the salvation indicated on the        view of  ,God's sovereign grace.And I do maintain
 check. In a letter I wrote to him, I asked what was           that if Dr. Schilder insists on his conditional promise
 written on the check. Did one read on that check: "I          for N.N., he must maintain that there is. common
 Jehovah  ,God, promise eternal life to believers?" (Or        grace (all have the promise) within the sphere of
 "I,  JehovahdGod,  promise N.N., Peter,  - William, or        the covenant.    And secondly, I cannot understand
 Charles eternal life?" In another letter he replied           the difference between his conception and the Christ-
 t,hat the latter was the case, so that if Peter .had that     ian Reformed theory of a well-meaning -offer of grace

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

and salvation on the part of IGod to all that are in the        of this world. It is only those that have been transla-
covenant. If Dr. Schilder is still interested, I would          ted by the sovereign grace of >God. from death unto
like" to, have him comment on the above remarks.                life, and have been called from darkness into light,
 .And now,. I will continue `to. prove from Scripture,          in other words, again the elect that so hunger and
this time especially from the New Testament, that the           thirst after righteousness. And.the promise is that
distinction between promises and predictio.ne'is  false,        they shall be filled. Surely, that promise includes .a
that neither promises nor predictions are according             present boon: for already- they are filled by faith
to:the Word of ,God ever for N.N.,. but that they are .with the righteousness of  God. in Christ  ,Jesus. By
always both for the elect.                                      faith and hope they already possess the forgiveness
   For this proof I refer the reader in the first' place        of sins and eternal life. But on the other` hand, this
to the beatitudes, which are found*in the fifth chapter         promises ,lies for its ultimate realization still in the
of the Gospel according to Matthew.                             future. And therefore the text reads: "They shall be
 ( There we read: "Blessed are the poor in spirit,. fo:         filled.`" Again we have here a promise and a predic-
theirs is the kingdom of heaven." The kingdom of tion. But neither the promise nor the prediction is
heaven is here promised `to the poor in spirit. That            for N.N., but only for those that hunger and thirst
promise is both the pledge of a present reality and             after righteousness, and therefore, only for the elect.
`of. a future blessing: It is, therefore, both a promisz          In the fifth beatitude we read: "Blessed are the
and a.prediction.         This promise and prediction is not    merciful : for they shall obtain mercy." Certainly,
for' N.N., for Peter, William and Charles, etc. But this  canot mean that anyone shall obtain mercy on
it is for the poor in spirit. And the poor in spirit are        condition of his being merciful himself. For in that
those who `by the grace of `God know their own pov-             case no one would ever receive mercy. A promise of
erty of, spirit.     `They are, therefore, I the believers.     mercy for N.N. on condition that he is merciful cer-
.And again, they are the elect.. Both the prediction            tainly is void of all meaning. But the merciful are
and. the promise is for them tinly.                             those that have first been touched by the mercy 02
  The  .beatitudes  continue: "Blessed are they that            God. Because they have tasted the mercy of God and
mourn: for they shall be comforted." In the light               experienced His mercy, they are merciful. And to
of the context, and in the light of all Scripture, it is        them the promi,se is that they shall obtain mercy. Al-
very evident that the reference is here not to those            ready they have obtained mercy, for God's mercy is
that naturally mourn, but to those that mourn be- absolutely first. But when in turn they themselves
cause they are poor in spirit. They mourn because of            reveal mercy to the brother, they lay hold on the pro-
their sin and unrighteousness and imperfection. And             mise of ,God that they'shall obtain mercy,, when IGod
perhaps ,we can add too that they mourn because they            blesses them with everlasting perfection in eternal
are still in the flesh and in this. present world., And         glory. But again, the point is that also in this beati-
the promise to them, which is at. the same time a pre-          tude there are no promises, neither predictions, for
diction, is that they shall be comforted. Again, also           N.N., but only for~those  that are merciful by the grace
in this text the promise is not to N.N., but definitely` of ,God, .and therefore, for the elect only.
to the elect alone. And so is the prediction of futme             Again, in the sixth beatitude we read: "Blessed
comfort and.glory.                                              are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." This
    Again, in the third beatitude we read: "Blessed             is again a promise and a prediction, or, -if you wish,
are `the meek : for they. shall inherit the earth." A-          a promise in ,the form-of a prediction. It ,is, of course,
gain there is in this text a blessed promise. But the           impossible to see God, that is, to ever look on His face
promise lies for its realization in  the- future, and           with pure delight, except for those that are pure in
therefore. is at the same time a' prediction. But this          heart. But who are the pure in heart? They are, of
promise and the prediction are not for N.N., but only course, those who by the grace of God have principal-'
for the meek, that is, without any question, for those          ly been cleansed from all sin and pollution in their
that. suffer for Christ's sake meekly and patiently in          deepest heart, and therefore, once, more, the elect.
the present world. And once more: that promise is               And again. I want to emphasize that also here there
for., the elect alone.                                          are"no promises and no predictions.for  N.N., but only
    In ,the fourth beatitude we read: "Blessed are they         for the  People  of  ,God.
which. do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for              Finally, in the seventh beatitude we read: "Blessed
they shall be filled." Who are they that, do hunger and         are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the chil-
thirst after righteousness ? Certainly not N.N. Sure-           dren of God." It is not necessary for me in this con-
ly not natural. man. He hungers and thirsts to be               nection to say that the peacemakers are not to be
sure, but not after righteousness, but after the things         found at the conference tables of the nations, but
                                            -

           `#                                                        /


                                       `%HE       `JTAi\t&R~ij          BEARER                         '                                           247

 that they are those who have received. `the peace of         than press the Rev. Ophoff to -sign. I pronounced it
 God that passeth all understanding in their hearts,          s begging letter, and I did not like to beg. The Rev.                                                              .
 and therefore, fundamentally they seek the only-peace        De Jong was in the hurry, and there was no need for
 there is,-peace with God and peace with one another          hurry.
 in Christ Jesus their Lord. And again, the promise            3. This  smatter proves that important `business of
 is at the same time-a prediction: they- shall be, called     any connnittee should pever be transacted by corres-
 the children of God. They are known as children of           pondence, but only in a. properly called meeting of the!
 `God even now. And they reveal themselves as chil-           committee. In such a meeting the matter could have
 dren of God even in this world. But in the final and         been properly discussed. If that had been done I am
 public adoption unto children and heirs, they shall          sure that  the letter as proposed by the Rev. J. De
certainly be  called~children  of God in perfection. And      Jong would never have been sent. Had I, as chair-                                                       `I
 therefore, also here we have a promise and a predic-         man of the committee for correspondence, been on-the
 tion. And the promise as well as the prediction is           alert, this is what I should.have  replied' to the'letter
 only for the children of God, for the elect, that are the    of the Rev. De .Jong,  and nothing more.
 only peacemakers in the world.                                   4. All this, however, concerns only a personal
                 (To be continued)                            blunder on my part, for which I once more apologize.
                                                  H. H.       What is far more important is the fact that synod con-                                             .
                                                              demned the letter of the committee, and .neutralized
                    -::-- :-                                  its effect be adopting a substitute letter from which all
                                                              the obnoxious clauses were eliminated. IThat this is
                                                              a fact is also corroborated by the aforementioned e,d$-
            As To That St+-&  Record                          orial in Cbncor&  by the Rev. De Boer, who, however,
                                                              is of the opinion that we should have expressed ,the
    `The Rev. J. De Jong acceded to my request to pub-' dissapproval in stronger and more definite terms.
 lish the letter I sent to him from California in Pe. cor-    And the editor, too, was delegate,to  synod at the time.
 respondence with the Netherlands. In that letter I           This is, after all, the important question, for it proves
 stated that the letter proposed by the Rev. De Jong          that our churches at the time of, the synod of 1948                                                           .
 to the committee was "perfectly allright for the pur-        were not ready to open the door of our churches to
 pose."                                                       the doctrine and members of the Liberated churches.
    (Concerning this statement the following :                                                                              H. H.
     1. I can only say that I am very sorry that I ever                                                                                                                     "
                                                                                                                                                                            -
                                                                                                                                                          .:*
 made such a statement, and thereby led the Rev. De                                                                                                ,.{!,' :c
 Jong and also the Rev. Ophoff to believe that I agreed                                      -IsI
 with the entire contents of the letter. I cannot un-                                                                                   `r   .?
 derstand nor will I attempt to explain the statement.
 It certainly did not, at the time, anymore than it does                           WEDDING   ANNIVERSARY                          i  ._.
 now, express my conviction concerning the contents             The  Lord  willing,  .on  March  4,  1952  our  beloved  parents,
 of the letter in question. Of *this fact there are more                     MR.   AND-  `MSRS.   EDWARD  BYLSMA
 than one witnesses. That I did not agree with the                                                                                                                               ,
                                                              will   celebrate   their  _  55th  Wedding   Anniversary.      '
 contents of the letter is very evident from. the clear
 cut and splendid editorial written in the last  coin-          As  each  year  unfolds,  we,  their  children,   realize   more  fully
 codia. by. the Rev. De Boer, whose testimony to this         the  blessing   that  is  ours  i.n  having  devoted  Christian   parents.
 effect is as unsolicited as it is unexpected. How,           It  is  our  earnest   prayer   that  the  Lord  bless  them   on  the  rest
 then, did I ever `come to write such a statement? I do       of  life's  journey   and  supply  them  `abundantly   with-His   grace.
 not know. All I can say .is that;, at the time, I was                                       Their          `Children:            -.
 still far below tiar because of my then recent illness.                                        Mr.  and  Mrs.   George   Spruyt
 I was not on the alert. Nor did I feel like arguing,                                           Mr.  and  Mrs.   John  Bar&Ids.
 especially not on paper, because it was very difficult                                         Mr.  and  Mrs.   Adrian  G.ritXoen.-.                            -
 for me to write. Nevertheless, I apologize for the                                             Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ralph  Meyer  .,ts',
 statement and say peccavi.                                                                     Mr;  and  Mrs.  Gerard  E.  Byl&a..
     2. From the rest of the contents of my letter the                                      .  .  I  Mr.  and  Mrs. George  De Vries
 Rev. De Jong should have and must have received                                                   20  Grand   children   and  7  Great-
 the impression that I, did not like his proposed letter.                                     :.  grand  children.
 I wanted to wait, and he should have. waited rather          [Open  House,   .afternoon   and   evening  at  838  Adams  Street,   S.E.


      248                                    THE  S-TANDAMI  B E A R E R

                                                                      such as the gift of tongues and of prophecy. It is in
                         QUESTION                                     distinction from th.ese  that he now. writes: "And now
                                                                      abideth faith, hope, charity, these three." While all
                                                                      the other gifts shall cease, therefore, these three shall
                     .  faith,  Hope,  and  Look.                     never end but ever abide.
                                                                         2. The verb abi,deth has- all three: faith, hope, and
 ,                                      Manhattan, Montana*
                                        February 6, 1952              charity (or love) for its subject. It is arbitrary, .there-
                                                                      fore, to make a distinction. In the sense that love
      Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                abides (and there is no question about the abiding
      Grand Rapids, Michigan                                          character of love) faith and hope abide too. All three,
      Dear Brother !                                                  therefore, are everlasting.
             In our Men's :Society  there is difference of opinion       3. The difficulty, it seems to me, is not so much in
      in regard to the proper explanation of I Corinthians            the interpretation of the words of the' apostle, as in
      13 :13, especially in regard Ito these words : `LAnd now        the question : how can faith and hope be everlasting?
      abideth faith, hope and charity."                               Does not Scripture teach that "now we waik by rarcn,
             Some of the members are of the opinion that es-          not by sight" suggesting that- in the eternal kingdom
      sentially faith and hope will abide with us even in             faith shall be changed, into sight? And does not the
      eternity, while ,others maintain that this is impossible,       same Scripture teach us that "hope, that is seen is
      since our faith and hope will then be fully realized.           not hope" ? Indeed. Yet, both faith and hope abide
             So our question is: Do these words refer only to         forever, as well as love. It is true, indeed, that faith
      time, or also to eternity?                                      shall no more serve as an evidence of things unseen.
             Will you be so kind as to shed some light on this        Nor shall hope exist without seeing. Nevertheless,
      question in the Standard Becwer?                                faith is more than an evidence of things unseen. It
                           Yours in the Lord,                         is essentially the bond that unites us with Christ, and
                                The Manhattan Men's Society           by which we live out of` Him. As such faith shall
                                      Pierre Hoekema, See.            abide forever. Never shall we live or have anything,
                                                                      apart from Christ. Never, therefore, shall we live
      Rephj:                                                          without faith. And this is also the case with hope.
             I am glad that Manhattan's Men's Society takes           In the first place hope is not only expectation  of a
      the initative. to send in a question once again of this         future good, but also longing, principally longing for
      positive. nature that has nothing to do with the sad,           God in Christ. And although this longing shall, in
      but very necessary controversy in our churches  a-              glory, be constantly.satisfied,  it shall be longing never-
 ,bout the Liberated and their Heynsian conception of                 theless. In the second place, heavenly perfection does
      the promise and the -covenant. It is refreshing. I              not mean that life shall be at a standstill. There-is
      sincerely hope that many more follow Manhattan's                no end to the infinite beauty, goodness, and glory of
      example.                                                        the living God. And therefore, there never will be an
             As to the. question itself, there always have been       end, even in perfection, to growth in the knowledge of
 -and still are the two different interpretations of the              God which is eternal life. And this presupposes ever
      text in I Gor. 13 :13 suggested by Manhattan's ques-            abiding hope.  .'
      tion.     On the one hand there is the interpretation
      suggested in the rhyme:                                            `.Hence, "now abideth faith, hope, and love, these
                                                                      three."
               "Faith will vanish into sight,
                Hope be emp'tied ,in delight,                            Hoping that I have shed some light upon Man-
             Love in heaven will shine-more bright,                   hattan's question, I am your brother in Christ,
                Therefore give us love."                                                                               H. H.
                                                                                                          -
         But on the other hand, there are also  .those that
      maintain that the apostle means to `teach that hope,                                 _- E---Z-
      faith, and love will never cease, not even in the ever-
*. lasting kingdom of heaven.
             The latter is my interpretation, and I will give                    Jesus, my Lord, I look to Thee ;
      you my reasons.                                                              Where else can helpless sinners go?'
             1. In the context, especially in ch.' 12, the apostle         _     Thy boundless love shall set me free'~ Q
      wrote about the different charismata or gifts of grace,                      From all my wretchedness and woe.

                                                                                                     I


                                            T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                     249

                                                                  is the same as the sword-power in the world. Instead
      THE TRIPLI$ KNOWLEDGE                                       of admonishing the brother from  lthe motive of the'
                                                              - love ,of ,God in Christ, they seek their own rights ra-
                                                                  ther than the salvation of the brother. To use an il-
 en iExposition  Of The Heidelberg lustration, say that someone has borrowed a thousand
                                                                  dollars from a brother and refuses :to pay it back. In
 L                        Catechism                      *        such a ease frequently the brother from whom the
                 .r                                              thousand dollars was borrowed seeks his right, that is,
                           P A R T   T W O   ~                    the return of the thousand dollars, rather than the
              df` M a n 's   Rede,mption                         -salvation of the brother. It is not the sin of the bro-
                        LORD'S DAY  XXX1                          therthat grieves him, but rather the fact that the mon-
                                                                  ey is not returned to him. He is .like the man pictured
                                 4.                               in the parable of- the unmerciful servant, of whom we
                                                                  read : "But the same' servant went out, and found
         The Key-Power of Christian Discipline                    one of his fellow servants, which owed him an hun-
 In regard to the question concerning the key-power               dred -pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him
 of Christian discipline, it is very important that we ,by tl$e throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And
 understand certaindefinite principles.                          his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought
      In the first place, also in regard to Christian. dis-       him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay
 cipline we must understand that its key-power lies               thee  all. And, he would not: but went and cast him
.only in the Word of -God. The word of man, or the                into prison, till he should pay the debt." Now, mark
 opinions of men, can have no power to open or shut              you, we by no means claim ithat in the above illus-
 the kingdom of heaven. Whether, therefore, Chris- tration the brother that borrowed a thousand dollars
 tian discipline. consists in private admonition, in              shomd not, return the money. But we do maintain
 which a brother ,admonishes  another,' or in the a&ion          that in such a case, and in similar cases, the chief
 of the whole. churchj thru the consistory, always it question does not condern the money, but Ithe- sin of
 must be the -Word of IGod that is the content of the            the brother.    If the brother is admonished in love
 admonition. Only Christ holds the keys "of the king-             concerning his sin of not returning the money and
 dom of heaven. And IChrist' speaks His own Word                 paying the debt he owes, and he repents of. his sin, the
 only thru the Holy Scriptures. This, of -course, does           money will be returned as a matter of fact. Never-
 not mean that in admonishing the brother or in fi-              theless, it is not chiefly a money question and a ques-
 nally excluding him from the communion and fellow-              tion of right, but it is a spiritual, ethical matter, the
 ship of the saints we may only read the Bible to him.           matter concerning the sin of the brother. Christian
 But it does mean that all our admonition and exhor-              discipline must be motivated by the love of God in
 tation must be based on the Holy Scriptures. `This               Christ and the love to the brother. That this prin
 implies, of course, that we must be certain that the            ciple of love is often ignored in Christian discipline
 brother has sinned, either privately or publicly, and            is also evident from other facts. (Often when one bro-.
 that now we can point out his sin to him and rebuke             ther attempts to admonish another brother, the form:
 him definitely with the Word of #God on our lips. Only          er at the same time often publishes the sin of the bro-
 then can Christian discipline be to the glory of God            t.her on the streets of Ashkelon, while it is hisChris-
 in *Christ, to the well-being of the church, and to the         tian obligation to keep  it as secret and private as
 salvation of the brother. Only, then can such disci-            possible. Another fact that lies in, the same line, and
 pline be a key-power, to open and shut the kingdom of           that is evidence of the same lack of love and of [the
 heaven.          '        ~                                     violation of that important principle in Christian Idis-
      A second important principle, which is  oftten  ig-        cipline, is that an admonishing brother frequently hur-
nored, is that Christian discipline must be motivated            ries technically thru the rule prescribed in Matthew
by the love of God in Christ and the love of the bro-            18, in order then as soon as possible to bring the mat-
ther. One who either as minister or elder labored ter before the consistory. He visited the offending
 for some time in the church of Christ on earth will brother once, and again visited him with two or three
 know by experience how this principle of love` is of-           witnesses, in order then to lay. the matter before the
 ten violated and ignored, and how in this respect               church and make it public.. Technically such ,a bro-
the key-power of Christian discipline is  .often mis-            ther certainly followed `the rule of Matthew 18. But
understood and wrongly applied.              Christians often    if he would have been motivated by the love of God
act as if they think that the key-power ,of the church           and the love of the brother, he rather would have ad-


                                                                                                            \


 250      -                          THE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                            -
 monished him repeatedly- and in private, before giv-         whether by fine or prison or-capital punishment. But
 ing the matter any wider publication.  '                     even as the motive and purpose of Christian discip-
    There is a  princ'ipal and fundamental difference         line is not revenge and is not the maintenance of jus-
 between the sword-power of the world and the key-            tice and righteousness, so also its end is not punish-
 ,power of the church.. In the first place, as we have al-    ment, but .is either forgiveness or excommunication
 ready pointed out, there is the difference of motive.        from the church.
 The sword-power is motivated and must be motivated               That it is the principle of love which must be. the
 by justice: the evil-doer must be punished, and he that      motivation of all Christian discipline is also plainly
 doeth well must be protected. But the motive of              evident from theclassic passage in Matthew 18 :15-l%
 Christian discipline is love, the love of -God in Christ     Notice, in .the first place, that according to this pas-
 ~Jesus.  And this  love of God in Christ appears as a `sage it is the obligation of love that the offended
 love to sinners. This too is emphasized in the parable       party visit the offending brother. This does not mean,
 of the unmerciful servant. In that parable we read:          of course, that the same obligation does not rest upon
 "Therefore the kingdom of heaven is likened `unto a          the latter: it is certainly his calling to go and confess
 certain king, which would take account of his ser-           his sin before the offended brother. But the Lord ad-
 vants.. . And when he -had begun to reckon, one was          dresses the brother against whom the sin has been
 brought unto shim which owed him ten thousand tal-           committed, in the first place, to make sure that the
 ents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord           brethren meet.' And ,it seems far more certain that
 commanded him to `be sold, and his wife, and -children,      this will be realiz.ed  when. the offended brother takes
 and all that he had, and payment to be made. The             the initiative than when this is'left up to the, brother
 servant therefore fell down and worshipped  *him,            that  sirmed.    Secondly, also in this respect the of-
 saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay          fended party must be a follower of God. We did not
 thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved            love .God, but He loved us. He blotted out our sins and
 with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him             reconciled us unto Himself and, sought us as sinners,
 the debt." `God reconciled us to Himself when we             when we were still enemies. And therefore, it is
 were still enemies, and He manifested His love .to-          certainly the obligation of love that the offended
 ward us in sending His only begotten Son into the            party seek the ,erring brother. Hence, the Lord says:
 world, in order that He might pay the debt which we          "Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee,
 could never pay.- If that love of God is shed abroad         go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone."
in our hearts, we certainly will love Him and will            This implies too, of course, that when anyone sins
 love the brother for His name's sake, and motivated          against us, it is not left up to our choice whether or
 by that love will be ready to forgive the brother: In        not we shall go and rebuke the brother ; but the sin
 that love of iGod we are willing to deny -ourselves,         of the brother- imposes upon IIS a sacred obligation
 earnestly seek the glory of ,God, ~the well-being of His     to go.
 `church, and the salvation of one another. And this             Moreover, if the brother trespass against us, we
 leads us to a second point of difference between the         must not approach him in the spirit of pride, in order
 sword-power of the world and the discipline of the           to defend our right or avenge the wrong which the
 church. The purpose of the sword-power is the'main-          brother has- committed against us; but rather we must
tenance  of-justice and righteousness. It is -the call-       meet him in the spirit of humility and of sorrow be-
 ing of the sword-power to maintain the law in its own        cause the brother walks in the way of sin. For the
 sphere of the public relationships of the citizens. BLIP     same reason we -must not visit him in order :to make
 the purpose of the power of Christian discipline is          light of his sin or to. smoothen things over: for also
 the salvation of the sinner, the purity of the'church,       this would not manifest the spirit of love. On the
 and the glory of `God. There is, thirdly, also a dif-        contrary, the Lord very definitely admonishes the of-
 ference as to the objects of the exercise of the sword       fended party that he must go to the brother in order
 -power and the `objects of the exercise of Christian         to tell- him his fault. He must rebuke him with the
 discipline.    The former, that  is,. the power of the       Word of ,God and attempt to bring him to repentance.
 sword, is concerned only with some public offenders.         In the third place, the truth that Christian discipline
 But the objects of Christian discipline are all im-          must be motivated by the spirit of brotherly love in
 penitent sinners, no matter what the nature of their         the love of God is also evident from the fact that the c
 sin may be. And therefore, finally, there is also a dif-     Lord admonishes the offended party to keep the sin
 ference between the ,end or outcome of. the exercise         of the brother as private and secret as possible. He
 of the sword-power and of .the exercise of `Christian        must tell the brother his fault between himself and
 discipline. The outcome of the former is punishment,         him alone. The matter, therefore, must be covered up


                                      THE  STANDARD  BEARER                                                          25s

 and must be kept within' proper limits. In the fourth the offended refuses to rep&t may be !the cause of !his
 place, if upon the admonition the brother `repents,           excommunication from the church on earth and from
 this ends the matter: f,or it is the sacred obligation of     the kingdom of God in heaven. Any sin,  therefor%,.
love to forgive one another.                                   whether it be in doctrine or in walk, of which the siri-:
     About this obligation of forgiveness `a f,ew wqrds        ner does not repent is the object of Christian  dis-:
 may still be added. In the `first place, it is evident        cipline,,  and m+y ultimately be the cause of his being
 that forgiveness on the part of the offended party can        expelled from  the kingdom of God.
 be granted and can be received by the erring brother              But what if, after replated admonition, the brother
 only in the way of repentance. Where there is no con-         refuses to acknowledge his sin and remains impeni-
 viction of sin and therefore no sincere repentance and        tent? In that ease it becomes finally a matter for
 desire for forgiveness, it is absolutely impossible to         the whole church, Thus the Lord teaches us in Mat-
 grant and to receive forgiveness; In the second---place, thew 18 :16,17: "But if he will not hear- thee, `take
 the right to forgive exists strictly speaking only a-          with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two
- mong brethren in the Lord Jesus Christ,. and is based         or `three witnesses every word gay be established.
 upon the .blood of .the cross. No one has the rjight to       And if he  shall neglect to hear them, tell it to the
 forgive those whom God does not forgive. And (God,            church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him
 feorgives  only on the basis of -the righteoutiness  which    be unto thee` as an heathen man and a publican." All
 is inChrist .Jesus our Lord. .Hence,  the right Zto grant      this has reference, of course, to private sin, that is, t,o
 forgiveness of sins, which is at the same time a privi-       sin that is not known to the whole church. When a
 lege,.can  be maintained only in the churcl+.of our ILord     sin is public in its very nature, and is known t6 %he
 Jesus #Christ. And thirdly, it must also be emphasized         whole church, it stands to reason that the church
 that there can never be an end to the obligation to           through its officebearers is obliged to take action. The
 foigive. This is evident from the context of Matthew          consistory in that case has the obligation to visit and
 18. After the Lord had laid down the rule that in             admonish the offending brother in order to bring him
 the case of an offended brother the latter must go            to repentance. Even in such a case the rest of the
 and rebuke the offending party, we read that Peter ap-        members of the congregation may not assume,the at-
 proached the Lord with the question, "Lord, how oft            titude that they have no further obligation with re-
 shall my brother sin ,against  me, and I forgive him?         spect to the -offending brother, seeing that the cas,e is
 till seven times?" And the Lord answered him: "I              in the hands of the consistory. On the contrary, the
 say not unto thee, Until seven times : but, Until seventy     obligation of love never ceases, and they too must ex-
 times seven." Also in this respect we must be fol- _ hort and rebuke &he brother, in order that he may re-
 lowers of ,God as dear children. The mercy of the Lord        pent of his  sili. Nevertheless,. when a sin is `public
 *is without etid. No matter how often we sin again$t          and known to the church, the consistory may not leave
Him, He is ready to for.give in the way of sincere re-         the matter to the members of the congregation, but
 pentance. And even that repentance He Himself works           must itseli take action.. However, in regard to a pri-
 in our hearts through- His Spirit and grace by the vate sin, that is known. to only one brother; the rule
 preaching of the Word. And therefore, if the brother          of Mat)thew 18 tiust be followed to the end.        The of-
 sin against us seventy times seven times and repents          fended party, if upon repeated admonition the of-
 and asks for forgiveness as often as he sins against fender, .does not repent, must take along one or two
 us, it is our sacred obligation to forgive.- Always we        wrtnesses,  in order that in their mouth every  word
 must be able to say, "And forgive tis our debts, as we        may be estabishled. And if the offender does not
 forgive our debtors."  '                                      heed  .the admonitions of. the offended party in
    ' The question may be asked here: what kind <of sin        the presence  df -these witnesses, the matter must
 is the object of aChristian  discipline, and what sin is      be reported. to the church.           And if ultimately
 ultimately sufficient cause for excommunication from          the sinner shows no repentance, he must be unto the
 the church on-earth? The answer ts this question may          church as a heathen man and a publican. . land what
 be very brief. It is this : all known sin of impenitence.     this implies is plain from verse 18 of the same chap-
 We .dare not make a distinction between, gross sins           ter: "Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind
 and sins of minor importance. No sinner as such can           on earth shall be bound iii heaven: and whatsoever
 possibly be excluded from the kingdom of heaven. A            ye shall loose oh earth shall be loosed in heaven." In
 murderer that repents may belong to the church of             other words, the itipenitent sinner .is excluded from
 Christ, even though the power ,of the sword inflicts          the kingdom of God, both pn earth and in heaven.
 capital punishment upon him. IOn .the other hand, one           a  Ai to the way in which this final remedy is ulti-
 offending word spoken against the brother of which
      -                                                        mately applied, also this is characterized by the spirit,


                                       `%~-1%  $1'ANi3AIZI)  ~%AREB
25.2                                                                                                                          ..,     -        .-
of love, that ever hopes that the sinner may repent.            thened  and believers will be built up in the love of
First of all, the consistory labors with the erring IGod through Jesus` ,Christ our Lord. And the church
broth&, in the meantime, however, barring him from `as a whole is benefited. because by the exercise of
the table of the Lord. If he is repeatedly admonished           Christian ,discipline  it constantly casts off the impure
and reveals no spirit of repentance, he is publicly             elements of the flesh, grows in the knowledge and
censured, that is, his censure is announced to the              grace qf Christ ,Jesus our Lord, and is firmly estab-
church, without, however, mentioning his name. `If              lished in the truth.
after this censure the brother should. come to re-                                                                       ,                  H . H .
pentance, his censure is removed and his repentance is
likewise announced without mentioning the name of                                                    hl  .
the erring brother. Fowever, if he becomes harden&d
in his sin and shows continued impbnitence, a second
step of censure is applied, this time with the advice                                        As To Books
of the  classis.  And also this step of censure is an-
nounced to the congregation, and this time with $he             FEED.   MY  LAkIBS,  .by  Henry  T.  Vriesen.   Reliance   Pnblish-
name of the offender.. It is understood, of course, that          ing  Co.,  .Green   Bay,   `Wis.  Price  $3.00.   .
the announcement concerning these different steps of                This book is designed to be a help to parents in the.
censure is not made in order to satisfy the curiosity af        biblical instruction  df their children. `It consists of
the church, but rather in orde'r,  that the whole con-          three hundred and sixty-six brief chapters, one for
gregation may have the opportunity to visit and ad-             every day of the year. Narratives of biblical history,
.monish the offending party. It is after all the whole          both of the Old atid of the New Testament, several se-
church that exercises discipline.        Upon the whole         lections from the Psalms, the prophets, the epistles,
church rests the obligation of brotherly love, of ex-           and a few from the book of Revelation, comprise the
hortation akd admonition, and of prayer that the of-            contents of this book. A series of prayers, one for
fending brother may come to repentance, And if,                 each `day of the week, is found in an appendix.
after all these private and public admonitions, ,the sin-           The author uses largely literal quotations from
.ner still does not show any signs of repentance, he is         Scripture, even in his narratives of biblical history.
finally excommunicated from the church of Christ in                 I would suggest that a chapter of this bqok be-read'
the world, and thereby from. the kingdom of God in              every day in our homes, not  instead of, but in  con-
heaven. For whatsoever, according to the Word of                nectioti  with out daily Bible reading in our family wor-
God, is bound on earth shall be bound in heaven ; and           ship. !I$is will, no doubt, serve to increase our knowl-
whatsoeirer  is loosed on ,ear,th shall be loosed in heaven.    edge of Scripture.
                                                                  , For this purpose we can heartily recommend this
        The proper exercise of Christian discipline accord-     book.                                                                                17
ing to the Word of ,God is of great benefit to the church
of Christ in the world. It is of benefit&o the erring                                                                                 H.H.
brothel, who through the admonitions of the Word of
,God is brought to repentance and re-established in                                          --.
the fellowship of the saints. This applies, of course,          JEREMIiAII-LAMENTATIONS,   in  Lange's   Commentary  on  ihe
`only to the brother, not to him that bears the name              Holy  Scriptures.  Zondervan   Publishing   House,   Grand  Rapids,
of `Christian but continues to walk in the way of &n              Mich.   Price;   $3.95.
and impenitence.! He will harden himielf against and                This volume of `Lanbe's Commentary on the Holy
through all Christian `admonitions and exhortations,            Scriptures was prepared by Dr. C. W. Edw. Naegels-
and will ultimately leave the church"of  Jesus. Christ          bath.  The commentary on Jeremiah was translated
or be excommunicated from the fellowship of the peo-            by the Rev. Samuel R. Asbtiry of .Moorestown,  .N.J.
ple of God in the world. But the erring brother will            and that on the Lamentations by the Rev. Wm. H.
repent and `be saved, and that too, riot by human ef-           Hornblower of Paterson, N.J.
forts, but because it pleases.  ,Christ to use the ex-              Although the original author of the commentary
hortations of the brethren and of the whole church              oli the LarnBntations w&i at first, cofivinced that Jere-
to bring His wandering sheep back to the fold. More-            miah was tlie author of this book of Scripture, he later
over, Christian discipline is of great benefit not only         changed his mind f&r various reasons, chiefly of. in-
to the erring ,br.other,  but also to the mutual relation-      ternal evidence. Cf. pp. 6-16.' The translator, however,
ship of believers and to the church as a whole. When            begs to differ with Dr. Naegelsbach and defends the
Christian discipline is exercised properly and faith-           authority of Jeremiah on the basis of what appear to
fully, the bond of Christian fellowship will be. streng-        me weighty considerations:-


                                                             FHI2,         STA:NDAARD              *BEARER                                   253
                                                                                                                                               I
     As far as the commentaries themselves are con-
 cerned, we find that ,they are characterized by thorough                                          SION'SZANGEN
 exegesis, honest dealing with `the text, and, especially
 in the doctrinal and ethical notes, spiritual and practi-
 cal application.                                                                                    De Lofzang Der Liefde
                                                                           H . H .                   (Psalm 116 ; Eerst Deel)

 HET   &RI.STELIJK  LEVEN   IN  DE  MAATSCHAP.PIJ.   Prof.                               Dit is een van de lievelingsliederen van Gods volk
   Di.  G.  Brillenbtirg   Wurth.  Uitgever:   J.  H.  Kok,   n.v.,  Kam-             v$n elle eeuwen. Men zegt, dat dit lied gezongen werd,
   pen,  Nederland.   Prijs  f.8.90.
                               .._                                                    bij de'viering van het Pascha. Taalkenners zeggen, dat
     In een  "Woord Vooraf" van dit derde  deel  zijner                               er uitdrukkingen in voorkomen die gebruikt .werden
 Christelijke Ethiek waarschuwt Dr. Brillenburg Wurth na de Babylonische ballingschap. Ik kan er niet over
 f'dat men bier met betrekking tot de behandelde pro-                                 oordeelen.  De naam van den  dichter  wordt niet  ge-
 blemen niet een laatste woord, een afdoende  oplossing" noemd. De stijl doet  mij  denken  aan `David. Ik  '
 1-noet  verwacnten.                  De  leier van  dit  belangrijke  eli            weet het ether niet voor zeker wie dezen psalm ge-
 in vele opzichten mooie boek houde dit voor de aan-                                  dicht heeft. <God  weet het.
 dacht, vooral de Christelijke-lezer in ons eigen land,                                  Maar het is een lievelingslied.
 die, ook op het gebied der maatschappij, de antithese
 bedoelt te hatidhaven.                                                                  In Nederland wordt deze psalm vaak geiongen
     Op p. 73 .levert de schrijver eenige kritiek  op Dr.                             bij de viering van het Heilig Avondmaal des Heeren.
 Kuyper's beschouwing van de "gemeene gratie" vooral                                  Van_ mijn prilste jeudg af  aan was ik getuige van
 zoo als die betrekking heeft op het leven in de maat-                                deze gewoonte, want. de, e&ige Leeraar die ik gekend
 schappij.. Hij wil blijkbaar van Dr. Kuyper's  "ter-                                 heb daar, gaf dezen psalm altijd op bij de viering van
 reinleer" niets weten. Wij voor ons houden ens over                                  des Heeren nachtmaal. En dan steeds het 7de vers
 tuigd, dat heel de gemeene gratie  theorie  een  her-                                in .de berijmirig,. als de beker rondging : " `k Z&l bij
 schenschim is, die -ens verhindert om op e&ig gebied                                 den kelk ,des heils Zijn naam vernielden. . . ."
 d-e antithetische lijn v&n zonde en genade zuiver te                                    `Het  p a s t :
 trekken. Dit geldt ook van het !even in ,de maatschap-                                  Het- is een lievelingslied van Gods kerk, want het
 pij. Wij  wi&n geen aparte maatschappij,  inaar be- verhaait ons diepste leven, het leven der ellende, ver-
_ doelen ook in de maatschappij de zake van den Zone                                  lossing en d'ankbaarheid. Ge vindt ze alle dri-e terug
 Gods voor te, staan en. te leven uit het beginsel dex                                in dezen psalm.                 _
 wedergeboorte.                                                                          Velen,' zeer velen, gelooven, dat dit lied  zuiver
                                                             ?        ;
     Hartelijll;  aanbevolen bij de leier,  di$  ;goed  Hol-                          Messiaansch  .is. Ik ben' er zeker van.  Vele van de
landsch lezen ka&.                                                                    uitdrukkingen  zijn  &chts in zeer beperkten zin van ,
                                                                           l&H.       toepassing op Gods volk in ellende, verlossing en dank-
                               - - :             -      :        -                    baarheid.  Ejc zijn gedeelten in dezen psalm die ons
                                                                                      doen  denken   aan den  twee-en-twintiger.  Denkt  voor-
                                      IN  MEMORIAM,                                   al  aan dat vreeselijke derde vers:  `omvanging der
                                                                                      banden des doods ; treffing der angsten der hel; het
   On  the  morning  of  February   6,  1952,  it  pleased   our  Covenant            vinden van benauwdheid en droefenis. ,O ja, ze doen
 God  to  take  unto  Himself   our  beloved  wife,  mother,   and  grand-            ens direct denken  aan den Man van Smarten, den man
 mother;                                                     r  -                     die zeggen kon door Eden inond van Jeremia : "Gaat
           MI%.   ,,  Edw.   V!andei   `Werff,  nee  Katherine   Brunsting            het  -,ulieden niet  aan ;  .gij~  allen die  oyerweg gaat ?
 at  the  age  of  5_7`  years.             .                                         ;Schouwt. het aan en ziet, of er eene smart iij gelijk
   The  assurance   that  she  is  now  with  her  Lord,   whom  she                  mijne smart die mij aangedaan is, waarmede de Heere
 loved   to  serve  during   her  life,  takes   the  .s.ting  out  of  our  sor-     mij bedroefd heeft ten dage  .der hittigheid Zijns
 row.  Romans   8;37-39.                                                              .toorns."
                     The       bereaved               family,                            Ik vraag u: is er iemanh die deze'laatste uitdruk-
                           Mr.  Edward  Vander   .Werff                               king op zijn.lippen kan nemen, en dan als uiidrukking,
                           Mr.  and  Mrs.   George  Hoekstra   (Greda)                als volle beleving (of sterving) .van deze laatste woor-
                           Mr.  and  Mrs.  Albert  Karsemeyer   (Marian)              den? Wie is benauwd geweest vanwege de hittigheid
                           Mr.  William   Vander  Werff                               van den toorn van !God? Doch Jezus kon ,dat zeggen.
                             .and  five  grandchildren.                                  Zoo.ook  hier.
 Hull,            Iowa                '          -                                       In :Jezus heef*t dit lied zijn volle beleving gehad,


  254                                     THE  ST!ANbARD  B E A R E R   ,                                      -.          - .  -  _. -
  en heeft hkt nog. Denkt aan het 9de vers ; en ook aan           liefde en  tr&w. Schrijven over de liefde Gods is
  het  13de, 14de vers, en aan de verzen 17 to3 19. Ze .schrijven over het Verbondsleven van God. God heeft
  passen zoo schoon op Jezus, zooals Hij ze nti leeft, en         iichzelf lief. Toen Jezds zeide, zong, jubelde: Ik heb
  leven zal.                                                      lief ! toen uitte Hij de liefde Gods, de liefde waarmede
         Hij is de `groote  V'oorzinger. Hij zong Zijn  ver-      God Zichzelf bemint.
  schrikkelijke solo's  anno  Domini  33: en wij  waren               En wat i,s nu zulk liefhebben?                 `.
  zeer stille. Hij zong Zijn liefelijke hallels daarna, en            Ik denk, dat bet beteekent, dat men zi'ch geeft aan
  we zingen met Hem, al bevende en sidderende. We                 `t voorwerp ; dat men dat voorwerp wil, zoekt, en als
  verheugen ons met Hem, doch we doen bet al bevende.             men het voorwerp gevonden heeft, zichzelven geeft
  En het is als wanneereen  ster onder -de zangers voor-          aan dat voorwerp, zich geheel en al aan dat voorwerp
  zingt : zijn stem leidt de andere stemmen;  men hoort           overgeeft.      In de Goddelijke liefde geeft  m&n  zich
  de stem van den voorzanger boven allen uit; En dat              zoo geheel en al aan het voorwerp, dat men zich tier-.
  hoort zoo.                                                      eenigt met het voorwerp.  Schertsend  zegt men van man
         Zooeven. heb ik sommige verzen aangehaald:  il<          en vrouw, dat ze  &n zijn.         Dat moesten we nooit
.' sprak van'het vreeselijke derde vers in het bijzonder;         schertsend  zeggen, want het is waar. Het is eeuwig
  en ik sprai van andere verzen, hen noemende. Maal               waar.
  dat behoefde niet.         Alle verzen zijn Messiaansch,            Zoo is he!  to`ch immers gegaan met God en Zijn
  ontvangen in Jezus hun vervulling.                              volk in Jezus  ,Christus ? God heeft ons gezocht in
         Ik stem het grif toe, dat wij allen die verzen ook       Zijn  liefde.. En  toen Hij ons vond,  toen heeft Hij
  zingen, en nog meer  zingen zullen, maar er is  ver-            Zich aan ons gegeven in Jezus Christ&. Nu .zijn we
  schil, o er is zulk hemelschbreed verschil!                     Q6n met God in dien Zoon. En de eenheid van God
         Ga terug naar het begin :- Ik heb lief !                 en Zijn volk `is 266 volmaakt in dien Heiland, dat men
        En denkt dan aan Uwen oudsten Broedq;  past er            nog steeds aan `t strijden is over de voorstelling die
  voor op, dat ge .geduriglijk denkt aan Uwen oudsten             we ons moeten vormen van de eenheid der natyren  ;
  Broeder. En dat is Jezus Christus.                              van de- eenheid dier naturen in Immanyel.                                1
        Want er is niemand in den hemeli of op de aarde,              Ik sprak van geven en overgeven van zichzelf aan
  of onder de aarde, die dit kan zeggen .in het klank-            het voorwerp. Welnu, als straks de einden der.eeuwen
  geslacht van Jezus.                                --.          gekomen  zijn, zal God Zich 266 sari ons overgeven, dat
        I k   h e b   l i e f !                                   Hij alles zal zijn in all+. Dat is de triumf der ,God-
        We  ,hebben het duizendmalen gezongen. Hier op            d e l i j k e   l i e f d e .
  aardk. Maar Jezus zong het in de hel. Jezus zong het                Men zegt-:  liefde.kan niet van 66% kant komen. En
  aan `t kruis. !Ge vindt dat "Ik heb lief !" terug in het        dat is.waar. Welnu, als ~God  Zich dan geeft aan ons, --
  bezittelijke voornaamwoord : "MIJN", in de  bange               dan gaan wij uit naar God, en zoeken Hem den gan-
  vraag: Mijn  :God, Mijn God,  warrom  hebt~ Gij Mij             schen lieven dag. Dat is ons diepste leven;
' verlaten ? Dat bezittelijke,  voornaamw.oord  is drager             En dat is zoo,`,omdat  .Jezus in ons woont.
  van de reine liefde van J&zus tot Zijn Vadeb in dien                Want  Jezys is eigenlijk de eenige die God  lief-
  bangen  nacht  aan het kruis. Bange  nacht, want de             heeft.
  dag werd veranderd in nacht.                                        Wij hat& God zooals we van nature zijn. En haten
        Jezus heeft het steeds gezegd en gezongen: ik heb         is het-tegenovergestelde van liefheljben. Als men God
  l i e f !                                                       haat, dan wil  men Hem niet. Dan zoekt' men Hem
        En nu weet ik, dat ge.met  een vraag in `t hart aan       nooit, en  als men dan  tech met Hem in aanraking
  `t lezen zijt.- IGe vraagk me: wat beteekent het- om te         komt,  dan neemt men Hem en kruisigt Hem oe Gol-
.' zingen : Ik heb lief ! Deze artikelen zouden d&. psalmeu - gothals kruin. En dat  doen we, om het  tech maar
  ver$&ren.   Och arme !                                          luide  te  doen  weten:  -Wijk.van mij,  0  #God! Ik heb
        Hoe zal ik dat verklaren?                                 ludt in U noch in Uw wegen!
       ,De  lief,de   ltiat  zich zoo moeilijk verklaren. Hebt        We zingen allen van nature: Ik haat <God en mijn
  ge w.el eens getracht` om een opstel te maken over het          naaste haat ik, omtiat hij naar Zijn mbeeld geschapen is.
  onderwerp:  GOD? De' 1' 
                                 lefde is een van de namen        Overal waar ik God zie, hoor of ruik, daar openbaar
  Gods. De  Apostel  der liefde heeft het ons door  in-           ik mijn  haat tegen  &en  $God.
  spiratie laten weten : God is liefde. Als ik wat zal                Maar als Jezus intrek doet in mij6 hart, dan wordt
  zeggen van deze eerste jubelzang, dan zal ik moeten             alles anders. Dan leer ik Hem liefhebben. Dan luister
  spreken  San God in den actieven vorm :  <God  aan `t           ik naar Jezus en als Hij zingt: God heb Ik lie!, want
  werk  ; werkende God. En hoe zal ik ,dat doen?  (God is         die getrouwe Heer tioort Mijne stem, Mijn smeeking
  liefde; Zijn  Wezen is liefde.  Alles wat Hij doet is           en Mijn klagen, dan begin ik hetzelfde  versje te zingen,


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                  255

 doch dan doe ik dat al  bevende,  want het is  zoo  ge-      kingen tot IDengene die Hem uit'den dopd kon verlos-
 weldig, zoo .groot.-                                         sen, met. sterke roeping en .tranen geofferd kebbende"
     Als Jezus Zijn zangen der liefde in mij zingt, dan           0 jai CGod heeft vele smeekingen en roepingen van
 begin ik ook te zingen. En dan begin ik t6 doen wat. Jezus gehoord.
 Hij volmaakt ,gedaan:  heeft, dan begin ik Hem te zoe-          80 ,Gethsemane ! 0 (Golgotha ! ' 0 wildernissen van
 ken bij `t krieken van den dageraad. Dan begin ik te         Judea en Samaria! De trillingen van die roepingen,
 fluisteren; ik dorst naar God, naar d&n levenden IGod.       dat brullen, die  -smeekingen  zijn nog in het  Heelal!
 Dan begin ik eenigzins te verstaan de woorSlen die tot       Ze trillen nog na, en ze zullen blijven trillelj tot in der
 ons kwamen uit het grijze verleden: de mensch kan            eeuwen eeuwigheid. Ze zijn te kostelijk, te glorieus
 -niet  rusten,  tenzij hij ruste in  <God. Dan begin ik      om  aan de vergetelheid overgegeven te  worden.  Als-
Hem to zoeken in alles wat ik doe. Dan begin ik te            Davids tranen in Gods flesschen bewaard werden ; als
 verstaan hoe al& eigenlijk godsdienst is: en de ware         de dood en de tranen, en het bloed van Gods gunstge-
 godsdienst is het zoeken en vinden vati God.                 notell  dierbaar zijri in Zijne oogen, wat zullen we dan
     Ik heb lief !                                            zeggen vari Jezus' stem, van Jezus' smeekinken?  `Job
  Ja, het staat- er niet bij,  doch het beteekent  ;vel       vroeg, neen, smeekte of tech zijne woorden met eene
 degelijk  : Ik  he@ God lief. Het  verband   vextelt  dat    ijzeren  griffel en lood voor eeuwig in eene `rots gehou-
 ens'. Ik heb lief  want  H1.J hoort mijne stem, mijne        wen wierden ; wat zullen we dan xeggen van -de woor-
 smeekingen, want Hij heigt Zija oor tot mij, dies ik         den vati Messias' smeekingen? 0, ze zijn uitgehouwen
 Hem in mijne dagen zal aanroepen.                            in eene%Rots,  en, de Rots is IGod. Ze zijn uitg'ehouwen
     Dat heeft Jezus ervaren.                                 in God's harte voor eeuwig. Ze zijn te kostelijk, dan
     Ik heb U al vaak gewezen op het heerlijke feit,' dat     dat ze ooit verloren zouden gaan. Denkt er tech om,
 Jezus vaak Zich afzonderde om alleen te zijn met God.        hoe in `t ha&van den troon `Gods  een lammetje staat,
 En dan koos  Hij de .wildernis,  .de woestijn. Ik denk,      geverwd in het rood van hartebioed, en dat lammetje
 omdat die woestijn en wildernis  symbolisch uitsprak         zal daar st-aan om U en mij te doen gedenken aan alle
 wat in Zijn ontruste ziel woonde. Hij die &en lusthof        smarten van Messias die Hij geleden heeft vanwege                    '
1 gelijk zij, moest ronddwalen in de wildernissen en          de openbaring der liefde ,Gods.
 woestijnen. Alles aan Hem is gansch begeerlijk. Hij             Ik heb .lief, zegt .Messias. En we zingen het met
 beminde `God gelijk nooit 4%~ men,sch  God zal liefheb-      hem-zachtjes,   zeer  zachtjes.
 ben, doch Hij moest ervaren  de verwefping, de rond-            Hij heeft het bewezen. Zijn  roepen, Zijn stem,
 dooling  in woestijnen van den last ,des toorns `Gods.       Zijn smeekingen en klagen: ze zijn  alle uitingen van
  ) Maar Hij. verhief Zijne stem tot God.                     een ongekende liefde, de liefde Gods.
     Dat heeft Hij alle Zijne dagen gedaan. Vaak brak            Ik heb lief, zegt Jezus, want Hij hoort, Hij neigt
 dan `die stem, en weende Hij. Vaak ging dat weenen           Zijn oor tot Mij. Daarom  zal Ik Hem aanroepen alle
 over in schreeuwen  tot (God. Vooral aan het einde van       Mijne dagen.
 Zijn  leven. Vaak ging dat  schreeuwen  over in  .brul-         En dat heeft Hij, gedaan, en dat doet Hij, en zal
 len.  Denkt hier.  aan  .Psalm  i2:2, "Mijn God, Mijn        het doen tot in der eeuwigheid.
 sG.od, w'aarom  hebt Gij Mij verlaten, verre zijnde vaA         Hij doet dat eerst voor Zichzelf. Want Jezus leeft
 Mijne verlossing, van de woowkn Mifns~ bmllens .i"           er voor om God aan te roepen. Er.is een Pnuitspreke-
    Daar staat het. Jezus heeft vaak tot God gebruld.         lijke genieting in bet roepen tot IGod. Het .is uiting
 En &en,brult als de nood op `t-hoogst is, en men geen        van de liefde  ,Gocis. Men ervaart die liefde in het
 hulpe ziet.                                                  roepen. Daarom is bidden en aanbidden het schoonste
     0 ja, God heeft Jezus' stem we1 gehoord. En  of- _ goede x&k des `Christens.
 schoon Jezus geen antwoord -ontving,  tech `wist Hij          Hij doet  bet, en  daaroti  doen wij  bet ook. Want:
 dat Zijn God Hem hoorde. Daarom had Hij Hem lief.            we hebben `s Vaders soon aan boord. D
    Ik heb een mensch gekend die schreef : toen Jezus          En  omdat Jezus in  ens' woont door Zijn  ,Geest;
 aan het kruis hing toen heeft de Zoon den Vader zeer         Woord en genade, daarom roepen  wij ook.
 begeerd ; en, omgekeqd,  toen heeft de Vader den Zoon           En God hoort.           .-
 grootelijks begeerd. En dat is recht gezegd. God be-         - Hallelujah!                    -                  G. Vos
 geert altijd  ,God.  SOok dan  toen de Zoon  persponlijk                        -:::-                                   . .
 vereenigd was met 0~s. Aan dat bange kruis.
    Mijn stem en Mij:n smeekingen!                                   To save His guilty church,. He dies;
    0, die  smeekingeti'. van  Mess'ias ! Leest  Hebre&l                Mourners, behold the .bleeding  Lalnb!
 5 :7, en siddert.                                                   To Him lift up your longing eyes,       t      .
    "Die in de dagen Zijns vie&ches,  gebeden en smee-                  And hope for mercy in His Name.


256                                      T H E   S,TANDARD   B@ARlZ,R .

                                                                   to us. In this passage we &re told the way of he&en's
 F R O M   H,OLP  W R I T wisdom which it to be .as wise as the serpants and as
                                                                   harmless as  ,the doves.              .
                                                                      -Let us try to understand Jesus' instruction in .this
             f&.mitior;  of Matthew 5:38-42                        our behavior as new-born sons of the Kingdom.
                                                                      There seems to be a contradictidn in the teaching
       It has repeatedly become c!ear to us in, these es-          of Jesus here. At the surface, but only at the sur-
says on Jesus' interpretation of the law, that He is               face, there seems to be a paradox. Does not Jesus
speaking of the real righteousness of grace, which is              place His teaching overagainst  the clear injuction of
the establishment of the law iri the,..hearts  of the sons         the law of Moses? In Lev. 24  :19,20 we read: "And
of the Kingdom.          These latter are the .light of the' ?f a man cause a blemish in his neighbor; as he hath
wqrld, a .city on a hill-top, and light on a candle-stick.         done, so shall it be done to him, breach. for breach,
The sons of the Kingdom come to  manif&tati0n in                   eye for eye, tooth for tooth, as he huth cau.secl a. blembh
their being a different people than those of this world ;          in a  naan, so shall it  bt4 clone." Now, is this not a
theirs is indeed a righteousness that -is more abound-             seem&g  contradiction when compared with. the teach-
ing-than. that of the Pharisees and ,the Scribes.                  ing of Jesus in this passage? For Jesus says : But I
       In view of stimulating us to holy fear as sons of           say unto you, that you resist not him that. is evil: Is
the Kingdom, and also to work in our hearts the true               this a real contradiction ?      -
faith revealing itself in a life of good works of sanc-               I think not.
tification, Jesus war:ns us to. beware against think-                 What then?
ing that He has come to destroy the law and the pro-                 The truth of the matter is, .th'at Jesus is. not speak-
phets.                                                             ing of the. execution of justice here by those who are
   ,Christ did not come to destroy the law and the pro-            called upon to do this in. God's name, <but He is here
phets, bu.t to fulfill them!                                       speaking of our personal attitde of heart ancl mind
       TheB~ must be filfilled to .the last jot dnd tittle.        toward those who do us injury. We must not avenge
This does not mean that they must simply be fulfilled              ourselves and thus give Satan a place in our lives. W e
as a legal precept, but it means that the laid of loving           must so walk that we remain pure in an evil world,
our neighbor as ourselves must come to manifestation               even when this evil world of men do us injury and in-
as being written in our very hearts, upon the tables               justice. We shall not take justice into our own hands,
of flesh by the ininistry of the Holy Spirit.                      but we shall always exercise kindness and goodness,
       Such is the gerieral  perspect.ive  here in `this expla-    abounding in a walk of righteousness, our whole life
nation of the meaning of the law.                                  beirig full of  the love of  rla.w,  so that we fill up the
   ,Such is also the viewpoint in the passage, whi&                law and the prophets td the last jot and tittle.
tie will consider in this essay. This passage reads                 The error of the Scribes and Pharisees  Twas, that
as follows : "Ye have heard that, it was said, An eye              they applied, what was meant for those who executed
for a&n eye, an&a tooth fey a tooth: but I.say unto you.           righteous. judgment in the name of. God, to the per-
Resist not him  tllat  13 evil: but  whosoeuer  `smiteth sonal execution of the individual. And thu&.the very
thee  ori thy  i'ight  ch%ek, turn to him the other also.          thing that the  law of justice meant  ;to prevent, in
And if any man woulcl go to law with thee, and take                just punishment, was encouraged. Thdre was simply
away thQ coat, let him have thy cloak also. And who-               more confusion `and injustice virrought; injustice'was
soever shall  campal thee to go a mile, go with him                increased many times over in "eye for eye" and "blow
two. Giv.e to him that asketh thee, and from him that              for blow." Then there is no end to unrighteousness.
would borrow of thee turn not thou away."                          It  ig  an. endless, vicious circle of unrighteousness.
   Jesus here establishes the principle, that we are               The wind is sowed and the storm is reaped; thus there
not to live by the motive of revenge, resentment and               is no ,end.in sight. Ye have heard this law of'retalia-
evil retaliation for wrongs done to us. As the meek                tion  Rroclaimed in the name of Moses, says Jesus.
of the earth we are to walk in the wisdom, which is                But th~is. is wrong: That is not the meaning of Moses.'
from `above, which is gentle, easy to be' intreated;               It is simply. a distorting of Scripture to their own
wi.thout partiality and full of good fruits. .We are to            destruction. A very common practice indeed. See
live the life of the peace-makers, who shall be called             II  Pet% 3  :16. Do not listen to this teaching, this
the children of God. `See verse 9. And when we are                 corruption of Moses. With this righteousness of Phar-
persecuted, it  must not be  -for  our. wrong-doiizgs (I           iseeism.you  will in no case enter into the Kingdom of
Peter 3:19-21) that we suffer injustice, nor must we               heaven. Be not deceived !                          I.
be`come ensnared iti the evil itself. t&at is being done           .$*.. Jesus has understood the intent .pf this .command-


                                    .TBE  STANDARDS  BEfyRER                                                      257

 ment perfectly.    He is proclaiming this great pre-          though a very telling one, of the conduct of the evil
 cept of "doing good" to the sons of the Kingdom.              man, who shows  ,no mercy. It is the mercy of the
 ;Says He: "But I say unto you, Do not resist him who .wicked which is cruel. In this case, when ,.we should
 is evil."  _                                                  be hailed before the judge, what are we to do? Are
     There is a question about the meaning of the word         we to retaliate and try to take the man's `coat also?
 in the original IGreek,  which in our text is translated:     Not at all. We shall then give our cloak also. We
 "Him who is evil". In itself this might be taken to `shall give full measure of justice and graciousness, be-
 mean: simply evil, evil of any kind?' It might also re-       lieving that God is the Lord,. and that He hears the
 fer to : The Evil one, that is, Satan. We believe that        poor man's cry. For He is'the Lord Sabaoth, who
 the rendering: him that is evil, is a good one. It thus       sends His angels hastening to our help. Faith in
 refers to the evil that is done to                            God% helping the needy is a mighty tonic to the fal-
                                        LIS by someone, and
 in this doing he is evil. He may simply be doing this         tering spirit. So just give him your cloak also. DG
 out of weakness, or he, may be doing it out of sheer          no resist evil with evil. Yes, .you will call his atten-
 meanness. But in either ease he does not do me well.          tion to his evil, but you will not place another evil
 He does evil to me, he does .not treat me according to        over against it. More confusion is not the solution
 the Golden Rule. of doing unto me as he would have            to confusion.
 me do to him.                                                    The,`third  illustration is that of' the assumed case,
                                                               where one is compelled to go a mile. In this case give .
     Not what must I do?                                       double portion, and do it cheerfully.  <Go with him
     I must not do to him as he does to me, but I must do      two miles. This illustration calls for just a word of
 to him as I would have him do to me. I must not re-           explanation. The word: to camp@  to go is .the trans-
 taliate in personally afflicting. If it is a, matter that `lation of the ,Greek  "aggoreuoo.". This word signifies :
 becomes one of the legal court, then too it must be no        to employ a courier, to dispatch a mounted messenger.
 matter. in me of personal meanness and evil retalia-          The "aggoroi" were public couriers, stationed by ap-
 tion, but love for justice and equity.                        pointment of `the king of Persia at fixed localities,
   ~ To bring out this point very clearly, that it may         with horses ready for use, in order to transmit royal
 not be personal, evil retaliation, Jesus cites four in-       messages from one to another, and so convey them
 stances by which He would show us the proper con-             the more speedily to their destination. These couriers
 duct -0veragains.t him who does evil to us, who does          had. authority to press into their service, in case of
not practice the  iGolden.Rule.to  us.                         need, horses, vessels (ships) even the men they met.
     The first illustration is that. of the assumed case       Hence, "aggoreuoo" deno,tes: to -compel one to go on
 in which a man strikes us a' ringing blow upon the            a journey to ,bear a burden, or to perform any other
 right cheek. In the face of this smarting, humiliating        service. Compare Thayer, W. P. or A. T. Robertson,
 and offending blow, what are we fo do? Hit him back?          Lenski.        -
 Jesus says : "Turn  thie  othe? cheek  to  him.  Is this        If anyone would wish us to perform a service for
 not folly? Is it not inviting. trouble? No it is not.         them, such as a soldier in the army, and when we must
 For thus the second blow will be slow in forthcoming,         suffer hardships,- we must give fuil measure. Such
  if at all. The man will be put to shame., The evil           is the law of the righteousness of the Kingdom. Do
 is not resisted with evil. The evil is overcome by a          not ever live by the  law--of retaliation. God is the
 quiet and meek spirit.      This is the power that is         j u d g e .
 stronger than he who-taketh  in a city. Righteousness             When one comes to borrow from you, or  ,asks
 shines forth, the dignity of meekness. It is meek-            from you do not run away from him. Have's liberal
 ness that does not stoop to the level of low, and mean        heart. The mean man, who-retaliates is also the small
 retaliation. It gives great peace and serenity in the         man. Have a heart full of the bowels of `mercy. Sow
  soul. Here is not the exacting justice of `eye for an        plentifully and you shall reap plentifully. God is not-
 eye and a tooth for a tooth in the wrong sense. *It. is       mocked. Here too God gives an eye for an eye and a
 the answering of the fool according to his folly !            tooth for a tooth, only here it is the reward of grace.
     The second illustration is .that of the imaginary or      Those who have, receive more, and have abundantly.
 real case, where one will take me to law to take away         The full cup of joy is the portion of the just, who
 from me my coat to pay my debts. Any one who will             cares for the poor. Then there are two men happy,
  take away my coat from me, `the necessity to cover           the man `who gave and the man who received. Such
 my nakedness and to protect me from the cold, is not          is the abundant harvest of grace. But if you turn
  a man who does good to his neighbor `out of a mer-           away then both the one, who, turned away, and the man
 ciful heart. This  is, of course, only one example,  al-      who was not given ought, ar$ unhappy. Then we once


258                                        TaE
                                                     STANDARD
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more come in. the place where men are tempted to                  Abraham saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land
retaliate evil with evil.                                         from the river of Egypt unto the great river..." Gen.
      Now ,the righteousness' of the P.harisee is. to. give       15:18. "And I will give unto thee and to thy seed af;
an eye for an eye and a tooth for a too.th in the evil            ter thee fhe land wherein thou art a-stranger, all the
sense, but such is not the righteousness of the King-             land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession." IGe-
dom of heaven. And it is the latter, that Christ has              nesis 17 :8.
come to fulfill in us. I can hear Him say: I tell YOLK                    Turning to the book of Exodus we find this same
these things that my joy may be in you and that your              promise repeated only now as directed to the seed of
joy may be full. John `says : let us- love each other.            Abraham in bondage.           "Moreover He-the  Lord-
Not as  `Cain loved his brother and slew him..  And, said (to Moses), I .am the God of thy father, the God
wherefore slew he him? Because his. own works were                of Abraham, the `God of Isaac, and, ,the God of Jacob...
evil and his brother's righteous..                                I have surely seen the `affliction of my people which
      Wherefore resist not the one doing evil to you: For         are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of
the Lord is a just (God.              ,                           their taskmasters ; for I know their  sorrows  ;. and I
                                           G. C. Lubbers          am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the
                                                                  Egyptians,' and to bring them up out of that land
                                                                  unto, a good land and a large, unto a land flowing
                                                                  with milk and honey....,' Ex. 3 :7, -8.
                                                                    This is repeated in its fulness at chapter 6:2-8.
                                                                  "And ,God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am
     -  .TIiIE DAY  OF  SHADOWS                                   the Lord- and I appeared unto `Abraham, unto Isaac,
                                                                  and unto `Jacob, by the name of God Almighty; but
                                                                  by the name of Jehovah was I not known to them.
                 The Covenant of Sinai                            And I have established my covenant with them,' to give
                                                                  them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage,
      I am occupied :with proving with the Scriptures             wherein they were strangers. And I have heard ;the
that the covenant of `Sinai is not of works but of                groanings of the children of Israel, whom the Egyp-
grace.     The argument advanced in support of. this              tians keep in bondage ; and I have remembered my
proposition and appearing in my previous article                  covenant. Wherefore say unto the children of Israel,
ran as follows :       _                                          I am the Lord , and I will bring you out from under
                                                                  the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out
:    .What the Lord was saying to His people there at             of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stret-
Sinai in the final `instance was verily this: that He             ched out arm, and with great judgments. And I will
is the Lord their IGod, the God of their salvation in             take you to me for a people; and I will be to you a God,
Christ .Jesus ; that as in His love of His people He had          and ye shall know that I am the Lord your `God, which
delivered them from the *bondage  of Egypt and would bringeth you out from under the burdens ,of the Egyp-
enter with them into the rest of the typical Canaan,              tians. And I will bring you into the land, concerning
so would He in Christ Jesus and on the ground of His              which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac and
atonement save ,them truly from all their sins and en-            to Jacob ; and I will give it to you for an heritage : I
ter with them into His rest-the rest that remaineth               am the Lord."
for the pe,ople of *God.         1                                        Here the Lord lets it be known to His afflicted
      I showed with the Scriptures that this is what              people that having delivered them from their bondage
the Lord at Sinai was indeed promising His people                 He would bring them into the very land that He had
.in, the finalrinstance and that theref re the covenant           vowed to give unto Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It
of Sinai was one of grace.                 P                      is therefore the same promise and promised good, and
      There is more -proof that the covenant- of Sinai was        the same covenant with which we here deal,-and
a covenant of grace and not one of works. It was                  this covenant the everlasting covenant of grace. For
the same covenant that the Lord had instituted with               the promise to Abraham was to the `effect that he
Abraham four hundred years previous.                 The proof    would receive the land of Canaan as an everlasting
of this is that the promises of the covenant of Sinai             possession.
and the promises of the covenant with. `Abraham                           With these Scriptures before us we. see how true
were .the same promises, namely the promise of the                it is that the covenant of Sinai was the everlasting
land of Canaan with all that this of necessity implies.           covenant of grace.                         "_.
"In the same day the Lord made a covenant  with                           But. how is this view -of the covenant of Sinai!-to


                                     THE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R   .)                                     2 5 9

be harmonized with what the writer of the epistle to           These promises, according to our writer, were in-
the Hebrews says of it? The writer deals with this          ferior as compared to the promises of what he calls
covenant. He calls it the "first covenant", (Heb. 8 :7)     the "second," and also the "new" covenant. And the
and goes on to Iquote  Jeremiah as saying that the.Lord     reason is obvious. What these promises of the "first"
made  it with the fathers in the day when He took them      covenant held forth in the first  .instance was but
by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt" shadow, symbol and type. The redemption  from'bon-
 (8 :9). So there can be `no doubt that what our writer     dage of E,gypt was but type and shadow and likewise
means by the "first" covenant' is the covenant of           the rest of the earthly Canaan. The promise of these
Sinai. What proves this beyond all questioning is typical things were first in point of time. They be-
that he describes in his epistle the transaction by         ing the first  cromises, the Covenant that the  ILord
which the covenant at Sinai was ratified. "For when         established upon them by vowing to give to His people
Moses," so he' writes, "had spoken every precept to         whatthese promises held forth to them was also the
all the. people according to the law, he took the. blood    first covenant and so called by our writer.
of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool           lOur author has much to say of this "first". cove-
and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book and all the         nant. He tells us that it had also ordinances of divine
people, saying, This is the blood of the testament (cov-    service, and a worldly sanctuary. He goes on to say:
enant) which God hath enjoined unto you" (9 :19, 20).       "For there was a tabernacle made ; the first, where
   However, what our writer says about this "firsXt" `was the candlestick, and- the -table, and the shew-
covenant-the covenant of Sinai-seems to overthrow           bread  ; which is called the sanctuary. And after
completely the view that it was the everlasting cov-        the second veil,. the tabernacle which is called the
enant of grace. For he says. that it was made old,          holiest of all  ; which had a golden  tenser, and the
that it decayed and waxed *old and was ready to van-        ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold,
ish away implying that it also did actually vanish          wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and
away.    "In that he saith a new covenant, he hath          Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the cove-
made the first old. Now that which1 decayeth and            nant;- and over it the cherubim of glory shadowing
waxeth old is ready to vanish away" (8 :13). mI             the mercy seat ; of which- we cannot now. speak par-
   To understand these words of our writer and not          ticularly. Now when these things were thus ordain-
to be perplexed.by  them we must know what he means         ed," our writer goes on to say, "the priest went al-
by the "first" covenant. The following passage from         ways into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the ser-
our writer's pen contains the cue to his mind: "But vice of God. But unto the'second went the high priest
now hath he (Christ Jesus) -obtained a more excellent       alone once every year,! not `without blood, which he
ministry, by'how much more also he is the Mediator          offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:
of a better covenant, which was established on better >the Holy Ghost this signifying that  ,the way into
promises. For if that first covenam had been fault-         the holiest of all was not yet  made"manifest, while
less, then should no place have been. found for the         yet the first tabernacle was standing: which was a
second" (8 :6, 7) .     ,                                   figure for the time then present, in which were of-
  According to this statement the "first" covenant          fered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make
was one with which the Lord found fault. dur writer         him that did ,the service perfect, as pertaining to the
also plainly reveals the reason.     The promises on        conscience ; which stood only` in meats and drinks and
which this covenant was established were not as good        divers washings, and carnal ordinances imposed upon
as those on which the "second" covenant was estab-          them until the time of reformation" (9 : l-10).
lished. Thus it was a covenant established on inferior         These are the symbols and types that belonged to
promises. What were  ,these promises? The answer            the "first" covenant. It can only mean that this cove-
to this question is the answer to the question!: what       nant itself was typical. Such being its character we
is to be understood by the "first" covenant? These          can understand all that our writer says about it.
promises can be none other -than those given by the            First he says that it waxed old `and vanished away.
Lord to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and four hundred           Being typical as to its character it had to wax old and
years later to Abraham's afflicted seed in Egypt and        vanish away together' with the typical promises on
somewhat later to this same seed encamped at the -which it `was established and all the typical things
base of Mt. Sinai, namely the. promise of deliverance       that belonged to it. Second, he says that the house of
from the bondage of Egypt, and the promise of the           Israel. did not continue in it. And he also indirectly
rest of an earthly Canaan and -a long and prosperous        states the reason. The Lord did not write His laws
life in this land (IGen. 15 ; Ex. 6 :3-8; the discourses    in their hearts, truly save them from their sins, that
of Moses in the book of Deuteronomy).                       is to say, save them from their sins on the ground of


  2 6 0                               T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R   -

 the atonement that belonged to this "first" covenant,        offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanc-
 seeing that it was .-but shadow. In the language of tified". (10 : 12-14) .
 our writer : "For the law, having a shadow of good              The true sacrifice now having been offered, "the
 t,hings to come, and not the very image of the things,       Holy  ,Ghost  also is witness to us:  for after that he'
 can never with those sacrifices which they offered           said before, This is the covenant  i will make with
 year by year con$inually make the, comers thereunto          them after those days-after Christ will have offered
perfect. For then- would they not have ceased to be           Himself for sin-saith the  L&d;  -1 will put my-laws
 offered ?i Because that the worshippers once prrged          ifito fheir hearts, and in their minds I will write them :
 should have no more coflscience of siizs. But in those       and their $ins and iniquites I will remember no more"
`sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins         (10:15,16,17).
 every year. For it is not possible that the blood of
 bulls and goats should Cake away sins" (10 :l-4). It            `Ihe meanng certainly is,not  that the church of the
 "could not make him that did the service perfect as          elect did not begin to exists historically until after
 pretaining to the  con&ience" (9  :9). So the first          Christ in the fulness of time had offered Himself.
 covenant with its typical promises and  institiltions        Through all t,hhe ages of the Old Dispensation #God was
 vanished away for these reasons. _                           gathering His church, writing His laws in men's
                                                              hearts,  saviilg them from.their  s&s  tititually but  do-
     But.our writer also speaks of a "second" covenant .ing so only for the sake of the true sacrifice.that  was
 and a "new". According to bur writer, peculiar to this       to be offered and not on the ground of the typical a-
 "riew".    According to our writer,  peculiar  to this       tonement of the "first" covenant. Logically the sacri-
 covenant is that it is established on better promises.       fice of Christ is first; and in this point of view  our
 And what are these promises~ but the promise of true         writer  c'ould  say that God would write His laws in
 redemptibn from sin and its bolldage and the promise         the hearts of His people "after `those days".
 of the rest of a heavenly Canaan and unending life
 in this land. Upon these promises the "new" covenant            Let us  now make some remarks.
 is established.                                                 Whatwe  have presented to us in this epistle is two
     Omur writer has  much to sgy also of this "new" covenants : 1) the covenant of Sinai that our writer
 covenant. Its great priest i's Christ who "being come        calls $he &`first" covenant; and 2) the "second!' or the
 ti highpriest  .of gdod `things to come, by a greater and    neti covenant established on better promises.
 more perfect' tabernacle, not made with hands, that           . Fro& all `that our writer says of these two cove-:
 is to say, not of this building ; neither by the blood       nants it is plain that to his mind the covenant of Sinai
 of goats and calves, but by his own blood, he entered        was the covenant of grace as shaclow, and that &at
 in. once into the holy place, having obtained eternal        hk means by the "new" covenant is the covenant of
 redemptioti for us" (8  ~11, 12). It .is His blood alone     grace us reality abiding everlastingly.
that cleanses conscience from dead works to  serve               Yet, as we have seen, the Scriptures. also cor&el
 the living God. `.`And for this cause He is the Media-       us to conclude that the covenant of Sin& was the true
 tor of the new testament (covenant) that by means            and everlasting covenant just as well as not a mere
 of death, for the redemption of the transgressions           shadow qf the tr,ue. There is then this question. How
 that were under the first testament (coven&t),  they         are the teachings of our writer to be harmonized with
 which are called might receive the promise of eternal        this conclusion ?
 inheritance". (9 : 15 j .                                       The solution of our difficulty is exactly this: that
     And they do receive it. For Christ took away the         what the `promis& of the "first" covenant in th,e first
 "first" covenant and He established the "new" (10 :9),       initance  held forth to the heirs of the promises-re-
 doing so, according to our'writer, by His saying to the      demption from the. bondage of Egypt and the rest of
 Father : "sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not (the      the earthy Canaan etc.-were, by reason of their be-
 reference is to the sacrifices of the "first" covenant),     ing things typical as to their character, prophetic of
 but a body that hast prepared me, In burnt offerings         better things, to wit, the true redemption from the
 and sacrifices .for sin thou hast had no pleasure : then     bondage of sin etc. so that, accordingly, when the
 said I, Lo, I come (in the' volume of the book it is         Lord said to Abraham's afflicted and spiritual seed
written of me) to do thy will, 0  iGod" (10  :5, 6, 7).       that He would. bring ,them out from under. the bur-
     And he came. And he did do  `God's `will. .  And .dens of the Egyptians, and would rid them out of,
 having offered sacrifices for'sin forever,. He sat down their bondage, and would redeem them with, an out-
 on the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting stretched `arm, and with great judgments ; and wou!d
 till His enemise be made His footstool. "For by one take t.hem for .His people,  `and would be unto them. a
                                                                             '


                                                                    _  .._
                                       TH%  S T A N D A R D   BEARER                                            261

IGod and would bring them in unto the land concern-          freed from that veil by which it was being concealed
ing the which He did swear .to `give it to Abraham,          -concealed and  yet revealed.
Isaac, and Jacob, He was very actually at bnce vowing           In the light of these observations it ought to be
to save His people from all their .sins by the blood of      clear that the teaching of the Hebrews to the effect
Christ and enter with them ,in .His rest-the rest I$' tha$ the covenant -of Sinai waxed old and vanished
the heavenly Canaan.                                         away is not in conflict with the conclusion that the
   What it means is that there at Sinai the Lord est-        8criptures also compel us to draw-the conclusion
ablished with His people-the church .of the  elect- namely that the covenant of Sinai was the covenant
both the "first" and the "new" covenant, the former          of grace as reality and therefore did not wax old and
on the less excellent promises and the latter on what        vanish away but abided everlastingly.       When the
He, the Lord, through the proclamation of these less         Scriptures tell us that the c&enant  of Sinai vanished
excellent promises was vowing to give unto. Abra- away they have reference to the "first" covenant and.
ham's afflicted seed there in Egypt- and later at Sinai      the typical things that belonged to it. These things
in the. final inst~tice,  namely the true redemption.        vanished away because, when Christ, the body, was
`Phrough the centuries of the Old Dispensation the           brought in, they has served their purpose, which was
"first" covenant was never without the "`new". As            to lead the church to the Christ of the ."new" cove-
according to the Lord's own ariangement the things           pant.  Bdt as was just explained, the L&d gave to
set forth by the promises of the "first" covenant were       His people there at Sinai also the "new" covenant, be
prophetic of better things, it would have been im-           it as veiled in things typical. And it is to this cove-
possible for .Him to have established with His people        nant that the Scriptures have reference in compelling
the `first" covenant without by. that very doing &t-         us to conclude that  tYte covenant of Sinai was the
ablishing with them the "new". What is more, if the          true and everlasting covenant of grace.
saints of the Old  Testamept  had been without the              It ought now also to be clear how we are to ex-
`&new" covenant, with its promises, we would be at a         plain the prophecy of Jeremiah as quoted by our wri-
loss how to explain how they could be saved, and to          ter (of the Hebrews) : "For if the first covenant had
explain how; as saved, they too, could be living by          been faultless, then should no place have been sought
the promise of these better things.                          for the second. For finding fault with them he saith,
   There & Sinai, then, the Lord gave to His people _ behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when  I will
both -covenants, the "first" and the "new" and' the          make a new covenant with the house of Israel and
"first" as type prophetic of the "new". And these            with the house of Judah ; not according to the covenant
two covenants must not be identified. To  $ay that           that I made with their fathers in the day when I took
they were one and the same covenant is like saying           them by the hand to lead them out of the land of
that the- type is the reality and that the reality is the    Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant,
type. It is to be at a loss how to explain the teach-        and I regarded them not, saith- the Lord. _ For this is
ing of our atithor  to the effect that the `Yirst" cove- ~ the covenant that I wi!l make with the house of Israel
nant, the covenant of Sinai, waxed old and vanished          after those days, saith the Lord ; I will put my laws -
away.' To  identify these two  cbvenants is. to  pegate      into their mind, and write them in their hearts; and
the teaching of our writer to the effect that they~were      I will be to them a ,God, and they shall be to me a
two distinct covenants. And therefore it willnot do people ; and they shall not teach every man his neigh-
either` to say that the "new" covenant was the `-first" bor,. and every man his brother, saying, Know the
covenant as freed from the symbolical-typical appa-          Lord  ; for all shall know me, from the least to -the
ratus by which' it was encumbered. For this is again greatest" (8 : 10-12).
to identify the two covenants ; it is to free  con-             As `was stated, the meaning of this prophecy can-
ceptionally  the "first" covenant from things without        not be that the Lord did not make a beginning with
which it could have no existance. Why should we not          writing His laws in men's hearts, until afte- Christ
be willing to speak with out' inspired writer of two         by His suffering and death on the cross had atoned
covepants  the "first" and the "new"? However, what the sins of His people. So to explain this pr?p&cy
may be said is that through the centuries of the Old         is to deny the existance of the "new" covenant in'ihe
Testament the "new" covenant, that is, the covenant          old dispensation ; it is to deny the existance of the
of grdce  as reality, was veiled in the "first" c@enant      old testament saints. If we consider that it ,was'not
and the typical things of the law that belonged to it. until the "new" covenant was freed from `the  sym-
And what therefore may also be said is that the cove- bolical-typical apparatus enshrouding it that % it be-
nant  of grace as -reality is the "new" covenant as          came the object of direct vision ; and if we consider


                                        ALE  STANDARD.,BEAWEB
   262                                                                                                         .
  further that it was not until this had taken place that            In the light of this o,bservation,  we grasp the mean-
   the Spirit of  ,Christ was poured out upon  all flesh         ing of the statement from John's pen, "We shall be
    (all the nations blessed iti Christ) with the result that    like" IGbd. The promise with which we here deal is
   then all knew (all the members of the house of Israel         precisely that when we, God's Ijeople, shall have ap-
   ,by which is to be understood the church universal)           peared with Christ in ,glory, we shall be like God, our
   from the least to-the greatest and not merely  a' few         Father, who begat us, and from whose will, not from
   `prophets in Israel, it will be seen how right the pro-       whose being, we were born. And the resemblance
   phet (.Jeremiah)  is in expressing himself as he does.        will be perfect then. If God is righteous, so will we
          We should perceive the-main point to the argument      be righteous perfectly. If God is holy, so will we be
   of this prophecy. It is ,this : that the "first" covenant, holy perfectly. Every vestige of sin in, us will then
   being what it was, the covenant of grace as shadow,           be wholly obliterated. We will love like God loves,
   the Lord could not inlscribe His laws in the hearts of        desire ,!ike He desires, think and will like He thinks
   His elect people on account of their being in this            and wills, speak and act like He speaks and acts:
   covenant. it was therefore a faulty covenant.  Be-            which implies, to be sure, that we will love, desire,
   `ing- a covenant of such a character. it vanished away        arid will the thing that He loves, desires and delights
   and was superceded by the "new" covenant, the cove-           in, which is His own blessed self, and His people, re-
   nant of grace as reality.                                     deemed in Christ, in `whom He beholds a perfect crea-
                                           G. M. Ophoff          tural likeness of His  blessed self. `Thus, we,  ,God's
                                                                 people, will take right after God, so to speak. `Behold-
                                                                 ing `God's people in heaven, the angels will see `God in
                                                                 their eyes, in their visage, in everything they do and
                                                                 say, in their entire conversation in  heav'en.      Tliey
                                                                 will be the very creatural picture, image, likeness
                                                                 of  ,God, their Father, showing forth perfectly the
                                                                 glories of  (God's  nature, as conformed according to
                   We Shari `Be L&e Hii                          the image of `God's Son.
                                                                    By  nz$ure, apart from Christ, we,  ;Goc?s people,
    - We turn to the first epistle of,John, chapter 3, ver-      were not like God. at all but unlike Him` spiritually.
   ses 1 to 3 inclusive, omitting the last clause of verse 1.    How could it be otherwise, if by nature we were child-
   We read, "B&old, &hat manner of! love the Father              ren of darkness, of disobedience; yes' of Satan. knd
   bath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the           we  were that-children of Satan.. For we committed
   sons of iGod. Beloved, now are we the sons of God,            sin and were ,unrighteousness, and, to quote the Scrip-
  .and it doth not yet appear what we shall be;~ but we          tures at I John 3 :18, `&He that committeth  sin and do-
   know that, when it shall appear, we shall be like him." e th unrighteousness is of the de&l,  and is not *of God."
   "We shall be like Him" is'the clause in this iScriptuk;e      Thus we partook of Satan's, nature, and therefore
passage that first calls for  attgntion. It is evident           believed his lie, and did his lusts and with him were
   from the context that the pronoun him is indicative           pitted against God, and haXed God as does he. Dead
   of (God. The statement in question is certainly not to        in trespasses and sin were we, using now, the langu-
   the effect that we, God's children, shall be equal with . age' of Paul at Ephesians 2 : 1,2, "walking. according
 God. Were this true, ,God's people would become gods            to t&course of this world, acording to the prince of
   and cease to be men, and heav+n would eventually be           the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in
   peopled with an innumerable -company of de?iies  in- the children of disobedience."
  ,stead of. redeemed saints. Such a teaching; which is             But ,God called us, such men as we by nature are,
   nothing short of blasphemy, is certainly nowhere to           His sons. He adopted us. Contemplating this doing
`be found in all the Scriptures. A man child, that               of God, the Apostle John, at the  first verse of this
   has just been born, is a frail creature. It is not, `cer-     chapter exclaims in amazement and holy elation, "Be-
   tainly, the  @:qual  08,  its father, who begot the child.    hold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed
But the child is like its father; it resembles, looks            upon us, that we, such men as we by nature are,
   like its father; and as the child advances'in years, the      should be called the sons of God." If rightfully we
   resemblance may be that strong, that beholding the            belonged to Satan, in, whose powe? -we were, on ac-
   child, men say that it is the very picture, image of its      count of the guilt of our sins, we now belong to God
  father. It has its. father's eyes, profile, mannerisms         and are rightfully His, @rough His ad.opting  us and
  and character. In a word, the child takes right after          calling us sons.
   its father,. It is like him.                                                                           G.  M.  Ophsff
                                                                                                          0


                                                     THE  STANDARD.   B E A R E R                                         263

                                                                     formation was correct and we also can agree with
             CONTRIBUTI-ONS:                                         your over-all evaluation of this part; tho we reserve
                                                                     thereby ,&e criticism, if -we. would make any at 411,
                                                                     of being too lenient or too charitable with Chatham.
Esteemed Editor :                                                    More about  .that later. Here, however,  we  .wish to
 In the  Stc~?zcZurd  B'enrer of Feb. 1, I was greatly               substantiate the- information just as given, with the
ama.zed what you wrpte in your-editorial "Classis; Jan.              exception of the material as found on page 221 be-
9, 1952, Impressions." I am rather surprized at the                  ginning with the last sentence in the second column.
language you use in stating that the people out west                 There we read: "Moreover, if I remember well-and
are ignorant. I  alh sure that if you would take an                  1 think I do-said party refused to partake of com-
aptitude test on the knowledge `of the "Declaration .bf              munion in 6.e proper way, but insisted to have his
Principles", and the Canadian Liberated immigrants,                  baby baptized nevertheless, so that he demanded of
you would be surprized what we here in the west do                   the Consistory of Randolph to make separation be-
know. The folks out west have a mind of their own.                   tween the two sacraments, baptism and the Lord's
We, and I know I am speaking for many of our people,                 supper !" Row I would be able to defend the above
think for o&selves. I am sure it would be a good idea                evaluation of the matter because of the words "in the
if you would first state facts about the ignorance of the            proper way", but still would like to give the facts as
west before you print such insults in the paper.                     they transpire'd here. On a particular Sunday, June
     Again  we. see some more  .writings against two                 3, 1952, we .administered  both sacraments in the midst
faithful ministers of the `Gospel by the Reverends H.                of the congregation.. , In the forenoon we, celebrated
Hoeksema and (G. M. lOphoff. Is this edifying to the the Lord's Supper and in the afternoon service Holy
soul?  ,You may think it is. I am sure that no bles-                 Baptism was administered to another child o$ the con-
sing is or will come out of these writings.                          gregation. The "said  party'? attended the table in
     In conclusion, I am afraid you, Rev. Hoeksema,                  the morning, but in the afternoon refused to have
are making a misuse of your position of influence in                 their child baptized. The reason, of course, was as
our churches with respedt  to some -of your fellow mini-             you stated in your Im,pressions. This, from ihe nature
sters. Especially in the way you write about them in                 of the case, c6uld not be allowed to happen again and
`the wrong light. You must not forget that your words                therefore the "party" was told that,. unless he has his       '
still carry much weight with a lot of our people. Also               child baptized prior to the next celebration of Com-
when you write about your fellow ministers in a des-                 munion (which was imminent) he could not very well
paraging  w a y .   -                                                partake of  ,Communion,  because certainly attending
                  With malice toward none,                           the table presupposed the answer which he "could not
                                        Your brother in Christ,      and woul_ not" give at Baptism. The,"party" realized
                                                     R. Visser       that this was the first step of others to follow and
                                                     Hull, Iowa      therefore, characteristically, asked for his papers, i.!.,
R       e    p     l         y     .      '                          drew himself away {ram his solemn promise at the
     1. I did not wiite that our fieople  in ,the West are           time of confession of faith. That promise, to "submit
ignorant, nor that they are ignorant in rescect to the.              to . . . Church discipline" meant nothing at all. Had
Declaration, I wrote that they`are ignorant in as far                the Consistory Randolph taken any other  starid it
as they do not hatie the experience we have in Classis               would have become guilty of desecrating (or becoming
East.                                                                party to same) the ilord's Supper. Therefore we hold
     2. I did not write anything "against two faithfu!               that not the Consistory Randolph but the "party"
ministers". I merely asked for an explanation in a                   was guilty of making a difference between the two sac-
matter that vitally concerns all our churches. I will                raments and that. the ,Corisistory  Randolph clicl de-
continue to'do so.                                                   sire to have the-"party" make use. of both Sacraments,
     3. Point out to me that I wrote in a `disparaging               but that the "party" refused to have anything to do
way.                    c                                            with either one. For  to demand the celebrating of
                                                             H;H.    either upon a wrong ba,sis is tantamount to refusing
                                  - - : - : ` -                      it . . -. unless the Consistory would compromise (in
                                                                     which case it all would become mockery ! j . And so, "
Dear Editor :                                                        we hope, dear editor, that. it viii11 have become plain
     Allow me a reflection on your -"Impressions". Of                too, that you in your wqrds "they rather have recourse
course I refkr to that park that concerns the Consis-                to slander and back,biting" were too charitable. Elide ,
tory of Randolph. In the main your recalling of `in- the latter and you @vi the truth of the matter.


                                       -____.
   ~__--L                                                     -__- - ~--~-_--_
 264                                          T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                                   - - - -                                                                                -
    We were not driven to write this because of anv               ham was asleep ! For if we, the spiiitual children of
f&r that anyone acquainted with the case might ge"t               the believing,  bui nevertheless, very sinful Father
&he. wrong impression, but because a one-sided pre-               Abraham, with him, as a party in the Covenant, would
sentltion and that unchallenged might have disastrous              try to go through the midst of the divided animals; we,
results if used by the "wrong party"; and also because            with Abraham, would have been  conslimed by  &he
of your insertion : "and if this is not correct, the Con-         wrath of the Holy, Righteous ,Go&
sistory of Randolph can set me straight".                                  Scripture  +eaches  us that from eternity, yea, in
                                                                  our Saviour's crucifixion, His death, burial, and His
                                   Very fraternally yours,        resurrection, we were in ahd with `Him; so also when
                                       H. H. Kuiper               He went as a flaming torch through the pieces of the
                                      Randolph, Wis.              divided animals. We were in and with Him, and
                                                                  saved.
                                                                           And so in ,Christ, as a party in the Covenant, we.
                                                                  feel by the grace of {God so much more our responsi-
                                                                  bility to walk as children of our heavenly Father, tab.
              A LITTLE  LIgGHT,  .PLEASE!                         the hono? and glory of His most Holy Name.                          .  .-
                                                                           But shall we be able to do that, we must watch and
E s t e e m e d   E d i t o r !                                   pray lest we fall into temptations.               `.
    `3earch  the Scriptures !" is the mandate the Lord                     Please, esteemed Editor, give us more light !               .  :
has given us, and I do not believe that this was only                      Yes, I know, dominee, I am getting old, but' I
meant for ministers and teachers, but just as well for             think not yet too old to learn to understand more
us, common laymen.                                                clearly our dogkatie  problems.
    So, after I read and studied your editorial, under                     Thank. you !
the  he&din&:  Promise ar& PTdictiort, I can say that                                                      J. ICammengi; Sr. --
I agree fully, lOO%,  with it. That is the doctrine we,                                                    Grand Rapids, Michigan
as Protestant Reformed Churches, have always be-
iieved.                                                           Editor's note:                      _
    But there is .one thing' I would like to have a little                 My answer will appear in the next issue, D.V.
                                                                  ii  :
more light on ; aiid that is your statement on page 226 :  `:
                                                                  1 !                                                               H.H.
of the  st'tatird   Bearer  of February 15, about the
Covenant, and especially that,God  mo'ved through the
pieces of the animals aZon,e. In as far as -1 can see it,
the name- Covenant becomes then `so unreal, so out of
order,  and God is a -God of order. I` cannot imagine                             ATTENTION  CONSISTORIES
a covenant with only one party; and the way you ex-
plain it, it looks to me far more : a pLedge, (toezegging,                 By decision of Synod each congregation is re-
verzekering), be such a pledge then under oath.                   quested to take two offerings a year for Foreign Mis-
    God said to Abraham. "I, will make my covenant                sions. May our people give liberally so that we as
with you, and not to you-".              .                        Churches may also in this fulfill the mandate of our
    When I study the picture of IGenesis 16, I look-at            Lord. Matt.  28:19,2(X
it t-his way: according to the customs of those. times,                                                    The -Mission Committee
IGod commanded Abraham&o take animals and fowls,                                                             B. Kok, .Corr.-kec'y.
cut them aslinder,  and lay their pieces in two rows.
Then, at night, there moved through` these pieces a
smoking furnace (Thanks be to God that this is men-                                               *  f?  *  g?
tioned first), a symbol of sin, zbncleanness,   dudmess,                                                            i_
the wrath  of  GocLGoc& the  irighteous Judge!  `And
_ a$o a "flaming torch", symbol of light, cleuti7?;ess,-pu%                     Not the labor of my hands,
ficution, salvation-Je+s Christ, our Saviour!                                   Can fulfill Thy law's demands ;
 These  symbols we see,  id. principle, again at the                            Could my zeal nb respite know,
outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.                                     Could my tears forever flow,
    Oh yes, we read that Abraliam was fast asleep. 0                           , `All for sin could not atone ;                '
adepth of wisdom and abundant  grslce of  ,God: Abra-                           Thou must save, and Thou alone.
                                                                                    .-       _


