   VOLUME XXVIII                           MAY I,  1952   - GRAND  RAPIDS, MICHIGAN                                 NUMBER  15

                                                                  .der heaven, so shall also the Son of Man be in His                I
       M E D I T A T I O N                                        day ! When Christ Jesus returns  `on  ,&he clouds of
                                                                  heaven, His  eomiilg shall be sudden, like a bolt of
                                                                  lightning.
            The Coming  of the King                                   And then He gives  the$l the facts of history,
                                                                  typ`es of His coming: that is, the flood in the days of
           "`I tell you, in that night there shall be two men
         in one bed; the one shall be taken and the other         Noah and the destruction of Sodom and `Gomorrah in
         shall be left.     Two women  shall be grinding to-      the  d'ays of  ILot. In `those days there was no more
         gether; the one shall be taken and the other left.
          Two men shall `be in the field; the one shall be        time left for conversion. It was `the end; You either
         taken and the other left. And they answered and          were in the ark and -safe, or you were without and
          said  xmto Him, Where, Lord?     And He said  unto
         them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the          drowned. Or, as in the case of  :Sodom, you escaped
       _ eagles be gathered together."?Luke  17:34-37.            from that hell on earth,, or you burned. And if, as in
   It happened one day, during the sojourn of the                 the ease of Lot's wife, you seemed to escape, the aven-
Lord Jesus on earth, that the Pharisees asked of Him              ging righteousness caught you just without the gate,
when the Kingdom of `God should come. To-them He                  and  yon  turned into  a pillar of salt. Is it for that.
made answer and said: The Kingdom of -God cometb                  reason that Jesus said : Remember Lot's wife?
                                                                                              3 a  72  a
not with observation,' that is, with outward show!
There is a rebuke in these words. Observation, out-                   Well, I like to tell you of the comin&of that Christ
ward show was al that these poor souls could muster               in His day. .He shall come as the King of the King-
`in their so-called religion. Inwardly they were full             dom of ,God, and I would like td say a few words on
of corruption and kickedness.                                     how He shall find ;the human race ; and how He shall
   And then the Lord pointed out-to them, that in a ,separate  them; and what shall be..the
                                                                                                            _     main character-
certain seilse the Kingdom of GFd was already come,               istic in that race of men.
for it was in their very midst.  ICertainiy the King                  First then  the-,&esti?n:  How shall  h`e find the
of that Kingdom stood before them, and many of the l&man r&e?                          .`:
citizens of that Kingdom likewise walked about the                     There are  %&ii  who-  say' that He will find the
earth at that time,  &en as at all  times. There al-              whole world in a dr'eadftil chaos. His :day shall'-be  a
ways were people of God on the earth.. And-3 was                  day of great upheavals and  revol$ions, they say. I
always the life of the Kingdom of ,God .which dwelled             do not bhlieve  it. Holy Scripture' does not .teach. that.
in their hearts which made the distinction between                To the' very contrary. You will r&member that Jesus
them and the children of the devil.                               compared His coming to the days of Noah and of Lot.
                                                                  ,They did eat, they drank, <they married wives, they.
                           a  *  *  93                            were given .in marriage, until the day that Noah en-
   But the Pharisees were blind, even as the- major- tered into the ark,. and'the flgod came and destroyed
ity ,of mankind in every age.                                     them all. Likewise also  as in the days of Lot: they
  Later the Lord explained about the coming, the                   did  elat,  ;they drank, they bought, they. sold, they
final coming of that Kingdom of IGod. And He said:                planted, they. builded ; but the same day that Lot went
For as the, lightning, that lighteneth out of the one             out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heav-
part under heaven, shineth unto the other part un-                en, and. destroyed them all.


  338                                       +H'E  .STANDARD  BEARBR

         Therefore, you see that those days were iery nor-         case at any moment in the history of the world. It is
mal. The usual things shall  be done  whep, that aw-               not always manifest, but it is nevertheless the real
  ful lightning shall strike and men shall see &he sign truth.  Y,ou are' either a child of  (God, and  then you
  6f the Son of Man in:the heavens. It will be a com-              love Him ; or you are a child of the devil, and then you
  plete surprise. .                                                hate Him. There is no neutrality; there are no three
         `That same picture iou find in the specific words         ways ; there is just the way to the right and. the way
  of our meditation at  &l&s  time. You will recall the            to the left, and that is all. This separation .is an ab-
  t e x t .            : 2    1.      _.                           solute separation. The difference between these t\vo
         So you see that lif2 ill its normalcy is presented        peoples is as the difference between night and day,
  here. The picture is  ,rather complete. We see the               up or down, white or black, sin or righteousness, heav-
  usual three spheres of life : the  spcial home life-two          en or hell, God or the devil. There is no middle way.
  in the bed ; the industrial lif_e : two grinding together ;         ,That I speak the truth is evidenced by the text:
  and the agricultural life: two are in  tine field. Life          The one shall be taken and the other left.
  went on as usual.                                                   A ve+y nice word is used in the original Greek for
         Yes, things shall be very orderly in that wonger-         the word "taken.". It means to take to one's self, to
  ful and also.dreadful day. The wo?ld in all its usual            fold in one's bosom, therefore. It shows the eager-
  activities- shall show a rather orderly picture to -the          ness with which Christ shall take His disciples to His
  eye of .Jesus when He comes. All according as your               bosom. It shall interpret the longsuffering of  `God.
  station in life shall be, you will_ eat, drink, marry or He shall have waited lqng fpr this wonderful moment
  be given in marriage, you shall buy or sell, you &all            when He shall come in Christ, His <Son,  to fold His
  build pr plant, you will calmly !ive your usual life.            people to His bosom and let them rest in His heart of
         Note, further, that all those things shall be` done       love for evermore.
  together, that is, the ehnd qf ,God and the child of the            The other word is terrible. It sounds rather weak
  devil shall live together. And they shall do things to-          in our translation. It  .means literally to send away
  gether. Two men are in one bed, two women in one from one. It is elsewhere called to reject, or to cast
  mill, two men in one field. And that is co@rect. Hu- away. :Oh, yes, He shall also take the others, but it
  manity is one organism. You c,annot  sever yotirbelves           sha!l be to cast them from Him into outer darkness
  from man. We are of one blood and of one flesh. And              where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
  our. ways intermiilgle.           Paul would say : you cannot       And you will do well to remember that all this is
  go out of this world. No, the Bible certainly does highest wisdom and no capriciousness. The deepest
  not teach the life of the monastery -and the cloister.           ground for this taking and leaving is the goodpleasure
  They are  motistrosities.  And have led to dreadful of  (God. It pleased Him  to elect  Hjs people and to
  and abnormal horrors.                                            make them vessels of His love, so that they might be
         No, they shall be together. The children of God           to His eterrial, praises and glory forever and ever. And
  and the children of the devil shall work together in it also please& Him to reprobate others unto everlast-
  one shop, factory, home and field. All the activities            ing shame and darkness. They are reserved unto
  of mankind are common to both peoples. That is not               darkhess forever. And then in this way that  ihey
  their difference.                                                are not co-ordinate but subordinate.          The latter
                                                                   serves the former. Rejection serves election.  Such
                                                                   is Holy Scripture. It is no dry dogma which man
         What then?                                                found out and taught. It certainly is contrary to the
         !Oh, but when  ,Jesus comes, that seeming unity mind of man  to so teach and preach. No, but God
  shall be, rudely dissipated. He will make a -terrible            has proclaimed on a. thousand pages of the.Bible that
  and absolute separation. They shall fall  apart into             such is the ease :. the one shall be taken and the other
  the most marked distinction. Christ Jesus shall see left.
  and penetrate all the dwellers of the earth. And He                 Yes, some will say: that is correct; but sdme are
  shall see two diametrically opposed principles of life           taken because they believed atid the others -are left
 ,and conduct in the hearts of  man, of all men.  And              bedause they would not believe! And I would say:
  according to these life-principles the human race Amen ! But I would like to ask a very simple ques-
  shall be infallibly split in sunder.                             tion : Where  did they obtain faith in the blessed Lore!?
         These principles are two, no more. By the one             And then your own Bible will provide the answer:
  group He will find and recognize the love of IGod,               "For by grace are ye saved, through faith, and &at
   In passing we may  .state that this is always the               not of y6urselves : it is the gif$ of Gd !" There is the


                                      THE  STANDAB,D  k%.AR%R                                                        3.39

tnswer. You find it in Eph.  2:8. No, some people                Yes, God has proved His judgme_nt. Man is wicked
neceive faith and others do not. And if,you ask why? from his youth and. he is worthy of .damnation  that
hen God a;nswers : it sd pleased Me !' And who shall          is eternal.
answer  against God?                                             But some He saves and shall. save. And that Sal-.
   And those that are left, because of the black prin- vation is of the  Lord exclusively. Christ's name  ig
:iple in their heart: it is the principle of sin and cor-     Saviour. Strange, that most men never gave it a
uption. ,Oh, yes, the others also had that principle of       thought. They sny: He is my Saviou?, but they save
:orruption  and sin in their heart by nature, but `God        themselves. No, no, but IGod in Christ is the Saviour,
redeemed them. Christ died for them and the Holy the complete Saviour ! He it is that `loved His sheep
Ghost' sanctified them and made them ready for their from all eternity that sent His Son into the world so
Jlace in the highest heavens.                                 that He might take- upon Himself all the guilt of His
   (Oh, believe me, the Lord God has everything plan-         sheep and deliver them from the wrath to come; He
led'and He w,ill execute it in all justice and righteous-     it is that sent His Holy Ghost into the heart of all
tess and, yes, also. in all goodness. There. shall not be     those that are chosen and through that Spirit they
levil or man that will be ,able sto accuse God for one        cry Abba Father! And He it is that shall quicken
moment when He takes the one and leaves the .other.           our mortal  bodies in the day of His coming and place
I'hey will all admit : it is Divinely right!                  us with Him in everlasting bliss. He is the complete
   And I assure you that if you are honest with your-         Saviour. The text says: .The one &hall be taken. Yes,
self, you?vill see the justice of .God's doings even now.     and as it is in. the last day so -it was the first day : If
[t is clearly revealed.                                       you are loved of #God: you `are,taken,  you are taken
   You see, IGod has told us from time immemorial             in His arms and He leads you home. T.hat is the
that man is  ,wicked  and perverse. And God has               Word of God.
proved `it. In the fulness of time, He sent His sweet-
est possessjon into the wicked world. And that is                 But the others are left. And they carry within
Jesus. And, remember, in this Jesus of Nazareth,              them the .@ound  of their rejection.
the living.G.od Himself is revealed. Jesus is God, re-
vealed in the flesh and come into the likeness of the                                *  *  *  *
flesh. Well, for' 33 years this revelation of the living
God walked among the children of men. And  Hi9                   R.ead the text: Where the body is thither will the
conduct is above reproach : He certainly acted the?IGod- eagles be gathered- together. And if you will look u$
head. He healed the sick ; He raised the dead ; and He        the satie m&sage in Matthew 24 :28, you will see &ha1
preached the way of the Kingdom of Heaven.                    the word "carcase" is used. The lL,ord made this ans-
   An.d whdt did man do?                                      wer because of a question of His disciples.           They .
   This: They took Him, spit  ~upon Him, scourged             asked Him' where this ingathering of` God's people
Him, and nailed Him to .the accursed tree. No, no, do %nd this`rejection of the wicked should take place. So
not* say that those wicked Jews did this: you and I           the Lord gives in these words a characterization of
did this. It shows how and what we are through sin            the state of things at the end of the world. Things
that dwells in our heart and mind and soul and all our        shall be so utterly corrupt, and the number of God's
affections. We are wicked from our youth and grow             people shall be so very small, that He likens the whole
more wicked as the days of the years of our life pass         human  ?ace to a dead body, a  carcase  that will
on. And the proof is the Cross of Jesus. As He fared          be devoured by the eagles, that is, the vultures.
in `Jerusalem, so He has fared everywhere. What will
you do with Jesus ? We will trample Him underfoot                 How trLie a sign ! Do you not see it right around
and we will despise Him and His [God and His law an<          you, wherever you  are? The world is simply filled
promises. There is no room for Jesus in the heart o?f         with this violence, that is, primarily violence to God
natural man.  ,That  heart is filled with everything Triune, Who is the Blessed forever!
but Jesus. .                                                      Yes, the point of view of the `parable in the text
   And no wonder! Jesus is t&e Light of the world. `is this : -it is the coming of the Messiah iti retribution,
He discbvers all the darkness, all the evil of our hearts.    avenging  6n the spiritually dead  carcase  of His  en-
So He ,did to the Pharisees, and so He does today to          &mies. The body of the dead  carcase is rotten hu-
all men that read and hear His Word. Jesus is bother- manity and the eagles are the vultures; His messengers
some to the natural heart.  So bothersome that He of eternal doom !
must be-cast akay, and crucified.                                                                           G. vos.  ..'


340                                                              T H E   STANGARD  B E A R E R


                      THE STANDARD BEARER                                                                            EDITOR1A.L
        Semi-monthly, except monthly in July and August
     Published by the Reformed Free  Pub&l&g  Association
           Box 124, Station C., Grand ,Rapids  6, Michigan                                                               A 7-each&" -Impressions
                    EDITOR - Rev. Herman Hoeksema                                                               We, concluded our previous editorial with the ob-
     Communications relative to contents should be addiessed
     to Rev. H.  Ho&ksema,  1139 Franklin St., S. E., Grand                                                  servation that only our children can be disciplined.
     Rapids `7, Michigan.                                                                                    Only they can `be corrected because only in them is
     All matter relative to subscription  should  be addressed                                               something which-can be corrected..and.  disciplined. If
     to Mr. J. Bouwman, 1350 Giddings Ave.,- S. E., Grand                                                    a farmer knew that a particular acre would produce
     Rapids 7, Michigan. Annouricements  and Obituaries must
     be mailed to the above address and wrll be published at a                                               only weeds, he would not spend any time on it. This
     fee of $1.00 for each notice.                                                                           is also spiritually true: To be sure, all is not Israel
     Renewals:- Unless a definite request for discontinuance                                                 that is called Israel, and also with respect to carnal
     is received, it is assumed that the subscriber wishes the
     subscription  tb  -conti%e without the formality of a re-                                               Israel do we have a calling. The fact remains, how-
     newal order.                                                                                            ever, that the church ii not a mixed group, consisting
                     Subscription Price.:, $3.00 per year  :                                                 of converted. and unconverted, but the Church of the
     Entered as `Second Class mail at Grand Rapids, Michigan                                                 l.iving *God, with her elect children, and all things, also
                                                                                                             the carnal Israel, serve that Church of the living God.
                                                                                                             Hence,` all instruction concerns primarily the elect, e-
                                                                                                             ven as all the labor of a farmer concerns primarily the
                                    -I-                                                                      crop.This is a truth of tremendously practical signifi-
                                                                                                             cance. First, this explains why we do and can build
                                  C O N T E N T S                                   -2                       Christian schools.    Now we know. that  ,our  labour
                                                                                                             shall not be in vain as in the Lord. Now we know that
MEDITATION'                                                                                                  our Christian instruction  is not based on what the
        The Coming of the King . . . . .:. . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337             child rriay become in the future, but on what he is. as
          Rev. G. Vos                                                                                        according to election, as bought and iedeemed  by l&e
EDITORIALS-                                                                                                  precious blood of t+z Lamb of God, and as sanctified in
        A `LTeacher's"  Impressions . . .~. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .f 340         Christ through the Spirit of  th4 risen Lord. This
          Rev. H. Veldma                                                                                     mea& that our instruction does not rest on a pos-
OUR DOCTRINE-                                                                                                sibility or a probability, but on an accomplished fad.
        The Hexaemeron  or Creation Week . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343                                    Secondly, this truth is practically of the greatest
       . Rev. H. Veldman                                                                                     significance because it determines our approach to the
                                                                                                             child>en. In our opening and. closing prayers we can
SION'S   ZANGEN-                                                      E
        De Lofzang  der Liefde . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347                   call upon the hiame of the Lord as upon our Fathe
          Rev. G. Vos                                                                                        Who is also the Father of "these children," Who has
                                                                                                             not only redeemed us and forgiven us our sins, but
IN  HIS  FEAR-
        Looking to the Future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..`................. 349                     Who has. also redeemed "these children" and forgiven
          Rev. H. C. Hoeksema                                                                                them their sins. Now we can and must speak to them
                                                                                                             of the eternal love of ,God wherewith He has loved us
FROM   HOLY   WRIT-
        Exposition of Matthew 5:& _. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                     in Christ Jesus and revealed particularly in the cross
                                                                                                    351
          Rev. G. C. Lubbers _                                                                               of ,Calvary, of the work of Divine grace in our hearts
                                                                                                             and of our subsequent calling to walk as children of
THB  DAY  OF  SHADOWS-                                                                                       light in the midst of a world that lieth in darkness
        Thou art the Man . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..-................ 353
            Rev. G. M. Ophoff                                                                                and kndveth no,t the living IGod. To be sure, this will
                                                                                                             evoke from carnal Israel an answer which reveals that
        Wijsheid met hare Vruchten . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .:. . . . . . ._. . . . . 357               they are not of- the party of the living God and they
\          Rev,. G. Vos                                                                                      must surely be admonished and wa.rned according ts
                                                                                                             the Word of God. But, this  doei  nol; alter  the fact
CONTRIB&IONS-
        &cord  or Unity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359    that all our labours are primarily concerned with the
           Miss Dorothy De `Vries-Grand  Rapids, Mich.                                                       chosen Israel of God.
                                                                                                                 Thirdly, this truth is tremendousiy  important be-


                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEARE~R  ~-                                        341
       *
cause it must also determine the content of OUT in-          covenant with the.world as established With Noah and
struction. "rhen we will understand that our school          his family, and therefore advocates our  fellowshils
is not a mission-field'but an institution in `which the      with that wicked world. Common Grace lauds Athens,
"man of God" must be perfected in ord6r that he may          declares of the children of darkness that they often put
be thoroughly furnished unto the performance of e-           the children of IGod to shame, wipes -out the lines of
very good wTork.  We, of course, do`.not make people         distinction and demarcation between the Church and
of Gdd. Neither do we speculate on the question whe-         the world, nullifies th6 antithesis, destroys our dis-
ther we have children of the Lord among us. But, we tinctiveness, defends and nurtures a worldly-minded-
proceed from the certainty that w.e' have `God's chil- ness which is indeed the death qf the` ~Church of ;God
dren in our midst and that they must be prepared to          in the midst of the world..
assume their Divinely ordained and assigned place. (in           Moreover, that this issue of Common IGrace is in-
the midst of the world) when they shall have arrived         separably connected  wilth the origin and beginning
to years of discretion.                                      of our churches is beyond dispute.  IOne  can` never
   A fifth and concluding observation which we would         divorce the origin and continued existence of our
pass on `to .dur readers (to these impressions others        churches from .the denial of this theory of Common
could undoubtedly be added) revolves about the ques-         ,Grace.                         0
which we have repeatedly asked ourselves in connec-              How, then, is it possible to deny the necessity of
tion with our ninth graders when they shall have com-        our school system?! The school, we understand, pre-
pleted their prescribed course of study : "What next?' pares our children exactly for their place in the midst
    Permit me at this time to remind our readers of          of the world. Instruction within the church prepares
this pertinent and undeniable fact. It is exactly the        the child to assume his place in the midst of the church,
theory of Common Grace and our fight against worldly         to partake of the means of grace : the preaching of the
-mindedness tihich constitutes the origin and begin-         Word and  ithe sacraments.  BUt the school prepares
ning of our Protestant Reformed Churches. To be              that cliild for his place in the midst of the world. The
sure, the error of Arminianism was also involved,            school,' therefore, -prepares the child exactly for that
revolving about the question whether the promise is          sphere which is vitally connected with the conception
for all or only for the elect, and far be it from us to      of Common Grace. As Protestant Reformed Churches
minimize this heresy of Arminianism. Nevertheless,           we firmly believe in the antithesis, our -calling to waJk
from a practical point of view, it was the issue of          everyvirhere as children of the light and from the prin-
worldly-mindedness which lay at the root and the heart       ciple of  regeneratidn.. And we certainly are of the
of ,our conflict. Years before 1924 this spirit of broad-    conviction, are we.not,  that we must ltrain and prepare
mindedness was already present and working in the            our children exactly with a view to that antithetical
church. And, it is because we held to the view that          calling. Must we, then, not have a school system of:
`God's people are a distinctive people, with a distinc-      our own? Must we entrust our children, whom we
&ive calling, that we also today stand alone. It is this     must traiti to walk antithetically in the midst of the'
 truth, together, of course, with  thk truth that the        world,  to those who would instruct them in the theory
 grace of  IGod is sovereignly particular, which con-        of Common IGrace, in the conception that there is con->
stitutes and must continue to constitute the very cord and agreement between light and darkness, the
heart and fibre of our churches. It alone is our only        Church and the `world, the heirs of the Kingdom and
 right of existence ; it alone is our sole hope and' %A-     the citizens of this world?
surance of continued existence.                                  .Why do I write this? Because I am writing of my
    ,Our denial of the theory of Common IGrace and the       impressions. And this present school season has im-
 need of our own Christian  school should be a self          pressed me as never before with the necessity of our
 -evident fact. We need not dwell at length upon this        own  Christi'an  schools. 80, do not'say that `we have a
 conception of "Common Grace. `Briefly, it is that con-      calling  over against  lthe present Christian school so-
 ception which would have us believe that concord, a-        cieties and schools.    Then I would ask of ydu the
 greement, followship between the  ,Church and the           questiop: if we have such a calling over against these       `.
w.orid is possible in all things earthly arid civil. Speak- Christian school societies, to gain them, if possible,
ing of a restraining operation of. the grace of God          for our conception, are we fulfilling that calling? In
 and also of a positive operation. of the. Spirit of IGod    the meantime, what is becoming of our children? Time
 upoli the hearts of men,  without  renewing  thein, it      marches on, and "opportunity knocks only once." This
 would ,explain the good in the world of today, refers       is true particularly of our children in the sense that
to God's fellowship with ithe world as rooted in God's       we have them only once. We cannot mend these things,


  342                                 THE,  ~STANDARD  BEARER

  cannot do w.hat  has been lef$ tindone. IChildren cross       world. And their calling is not to unite with the
  our path only once, and each slicceeding  period in the world and establish affinity with those who are not
  life of a child is as a rapidly passing shadow. We            of the  par-rty of the living God, but to walk as the
  go back; the past carmot  be recalled. Indeed, how this antithetic  peo'ple of the Lord Who loved them and
  truth has been impressed upon us in this school sea-          saved them. `This, of  .course, applies to the  entire'
  son!  One can almost see the children grow and ad- course of study. Indeed, we repeat  what we stated
  vance ! Soon another school year -will have been writ-        at the beginning of this:paragraph. One thing, how-
 ten into the records. Failing to teach them the things         ever, is plain: a school system of our own is impera-
  that should be taught them, we are guilty of d double         tive. The Rev. Heys has written very pertinently
  error: we have taught them things that should have on this matter in the not t,oo distant past.
  been withheld from them, and we have neglected to in- _ This also explains the impression which this school
  struct them in the khings which have been enjoined            season has left upon me. We now ha+ two schools
  upon us.                                                      of our own in this vicinity. Presently another gi*oup
         Besides, what a wonderful opportunity we have in       of children will  graduate from our school. We have
  the schoql to instruct our `children in the truths we         insti-ucted  t&em to' the best of our tibility. But, then
  hold dear! Do not m&understand the undersigned. they will leave us. And the question asserts itself
  I am not a teacher. I realize this only too well. Never-      and forces itself upon us: What next? May we also
  theless, the school is a wonderful opportunity to in-         in this respect not be found wanting?)
  culcate into our children our Protestant Reformed                I had intended the  breceding paragraph to be
  principles which are according to .the Word of God. `my  con&ding observation. However, I wish to add
  0, `I do not refer primarily to the Bible instruction         a few words at this time to cthe idea of Christian dis-
  ghich the covenant child receives at a Christian school.      cipline. Logically, these remarks should have been
  Without in any sense minimizing it, Bible instruction         made when I discussed the subject of discipline. Dis-
  does not constitute an essential part in. Christian school    cipline, permit me to remark, is something which de-
  instruction. This they also receive in the home and in        mands the fullest cooperatioi  of the parents. This,
  the church. That which constitutes the essence of the         too, has impressed me. ,One is amazed at times at
  instruction received at a Christian school is that which the' lack of respect for authority on the. part of the
  th" child receives there in distinction from the home         children. At times they appear -astonished because
  and the church. History is the record of the work of          talking and whispering are forbidden in the class-
  the Lord throughout the ages, and dates give us God's         room. They are quick'to question the fiolicy and pro-
  calendar in order that we may see His events in rela-         cedure as prescribed by the teacher and to come with
tion to each other. And in that work of the Lord the            suggestions of their own. ,?hey resent being admon-
  Church of the living God occupies the central place.          ished and, of course, are seldom in the wrong. To be
  All thipgs revolve about that Church. Babylonia,              sure, these phenomena are not exactly new. Never-
  Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Pepsia, Macedonia, Greece,           theless, I do  -not hesitate to' say that respect for
  Rome must all serve, in their own way, the coming of          authority hardly characterizes the young generatior
 -of, the Son of God and of Man into the flesh, and, in         of today. I am sure that the teacher must cope with
  Him, the Church whom  `God has loved from before              @is problem as never. before. And  ctherefore  it  js
  the foundation of the world. Mighty kingdoms of the true that the fullest cooperation of the parents is im-
  world.come  and go, appear upon the stage of this world       perative and absolutely necessary today as never be-
  but a little while, and the Israel of  .God continues         fore. That this lack of respect for authority should
  through the ages. All the. above named powers of the, be so prevalent today need not surprise us. It is cer-
 world come int.0 contact with the Church of the living tainly the spirit of our age. It cannot be said that
  God and the result is that they all perish and disap-         the world in which we today have. a name and place
  pear from the stage of this world, but t&e people called      fosters and encourages respect for  authority.  How-
  by the Name of ithe living God cannot be destroyed.           ever, this is all the mork reason why we as parents
  God gathers His Church and all things must serve that         should be constantly on the alert. Let us not ignore
  amazing and very wonderful wo>k of the Lord. ' #Christ        the danger by adopting the attitude that children will
  came in the fulness of time, did He not? And this             be children and that things are different than 5 gene-
means that He, and &he Church of God in Him, stands             ration ago. Times may change, but Scripture's em-
  in the very center of history. Indeed,  our children          phasis upon respect for those who are in authority
  must receive such a training that they may be able            remains the same. To ignore this implies  ;that we
 --to assume their proper place in the midst of  ithe           court disaster,


                                                 TjYj'.i,.      $TANj-A#j-j           BEARER              .               843

                                                                                                                  .
    `These are but a few of the impressions which explains why the exhortation to believe and to walk
 this school year have made upon me. Speaking now in the commandments of the Lord can come unto the
 not in behalf of myself I would conclude with the plea              Church of the living God. And the child of .God can
 that we constantly remember our teachers before the                 experience the desire to walk in the commandments
 throne of IGod's grace. Their task is not easy. We, as ,of the ILord, also consciously, only in and because o:f
 parents, sometimes have our hands full with our owu                  the work of. the Lord Jesus  ,Christ. Never does he
 children., How strenuous, then, is the position of the              receive the promise of eternal life and the assurance
 teacher who must busy him- or herself with many                     of that promise because of his faith but only because
 children, every day, and children which are not his                 of the love of God in  :Christ Jesus, his Lord. How,
 or her own ! They need our prayers and our fullest therefore, is it possible that a text such -as Lev. 18 :5,
 cooperation. May God bless .our schools!                            which comes to redeemed Israel, can be quoted in sup-
                                                      H. Veldman     port of a covenant of works established with Adam
                                            ;
                      .                                              outside of the Lord Jesus Christ?' And, secondly, why
                                 Ia                                  is it true that "which if a man do, he shall live .there-
                                                                     in" ? Is it not true that the doing of IGod's command-
                                                                     ments is life, this doing as `such? Indeed, if a man do
     O U R   DOCTRINE.
                                       f                             them he shall live in them. The doing of God's com-
                                                                     mandments itself is life, now and forever. And, there- ~
 The Hexaemeron or Creation-Week fore, doing the commandments of the Lord, he shail
                                                                     also live forever, inasmuch as he who does the Lord's
               \                                                     commandments hath eternal life abiding in him and
                           '     WI                                  cannot perish even `forevermore.          Another passage
            THE  tCREATION  O'F MAN (6)                              which is quoted in support of the theory of the coven-
    We concluded our- previous article, in which we                  ant of works is Romans 5:15-19, and we quote, "But
 were discussing the theory of the covenant of works, not as  the-`offence, so also is the free gift. For if
with the  s:tatment  that we had more  ,objections                   through the offence  of one, many be dead, much more
 against' this theory. In that previous article we had               the `grace of (God, and'the gift by grace, .which is by
 remarked, firstly, that this theory is not Confessional,            one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
 and, secondly, that it is not taught literally in the, Arid not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift:
 Word of  #God.                                                      for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but
    Our third objection against this conception is that the free  gif(t is of many offenses unto justification.
 it is not true that. it is taught in the Word of God by             For if by one man's offense death reigned by one ;
 implication. `It is stated, e.g.,  .that the penalty of             much more they which receive abundance of grace
 death which ;the Lord announced to Adam implies the                 and the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by
 promise or eternal life, `implies that had Adam re- one, Jesus Christ. Therefore as by the offense of one
 mained obedient he would have .lived and attained judgment came upon all men to condemnation ;
 unto eternal life. In this connection our attention                 even so by the righteousness of  .one the free gift
 is called to various passages of the Word of God, such              came" upon all men unto justification of life. For ,
 as Lev.  1,8:5 and Romans  5:15-19.  In  tthe first pas-            as by one man's disobedience many were made
 sage we read.* ,"Ye shall therefore keep My statutes,               sinners. so by the obedience of one shall many
 and My judgments :. which if a man do, he shall live                be made righteous." Hence, from the fact that be-
 in them:  I  am the Lord." Must this text be under-                 cause of the sin of the one man all men have died it
 stood as proclaiming a conditional promise of life, so              is concluded that, had he remained obedient, he and
 that life will be bestowed upon us if and when and                  all- men would have attained unto eternal life. This
 upon the -condition of our believing? Mind you, this                reasoning is hardly logical. First, to say thgt Adam
 text is (quoted in support of the theory of the covenant            wquld have continued to live had he remained obedient
 of works! But, is it true that we shall live  if  und               is surely not (the same as to teach that he would have
 after we do the Lord's commandments? Bat; how can attained unto ,e$ernal  life. E,ternal life in Scripture is
 this be? For, in the first place, the promise of eter-              nob merely life, spiritual life, fellowship with God.
 nal life as bestowed upon the sinner does not rest                  Adam did not need to attain unto this ; he already .
upon or is not conditioned in any sense of the word                  possessed it. Eternal life in Holy Writ is this spirit-
 by his believing, but it rests solely upon the eternal              uai  fellowshiP  and communion with God in eternal
 love of ZGod  as revealed in. Jesus Christ, our Lord.. -This        and heavenly perfection. !This Adam did not possess.'


             3 4 4                                T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
I
             And to say that. he could have attained unto it in the man race. He certainly was conscious, as- no other
            `way of obedience certainly cannot be based upon the         man could be, of the fact that the Lord had created
             mere supposition that the penalty' of death implies         him. `Indeed,' how conscious Adam must have been
             the promise of this heavenly and eternal life. For, in      of this fact! He was not born but created. No crea-
             the second place, to declare to a man, who has violated     ture had as yet been born. Every creature, all things
             the `law and therefore merited punishment, that. he .had been given existence through the word of God's
             would have been given a great reward had he not             mouth, the word  ,of God's almighty power. Adam
            transgressed is absurd. Would Adam earn something            certainly.stood before the Lord in all the conscious-
           ' extra (eternal life, which he did not possess) simply ness of a creature, as the creature before his Creator
             by remaining obedient? This is nowhere taught in as the vessel before the Potter, as the finite before
     .      Scripture, and is certainly not implied in Romans 5 :1.5     the Infinite Lord. Besides, he was created in all
            through 19. All men die because of  lthe sin of one          righteousness and holiness, with the love of God in his
            man. They all die because Adam is their head. That           heart and soul and mind. How great #the Creator of
            is Adam's place in Holy Writ, .and in the counsel of         heaven and earth must have appeared to the creature
            the living ,God. In sinsing he represents all men. To        of His hand ! The truth of Luke 17 :lO certainly lived
             say that this implies `that he could have therefore         in Adam's soul ! And the presentation that man can
            merited eternal and heavenly life for himself and all        attain unto something extra in the way of obedience
          r' his posterity does not at all follow. Romans 5 surely       is surely a violation of this particular Word of `God.
             does not establish this thought.                               ,Finally, and surely not the least, the "covenant of
                Fourthly, this idea of a covenant of works contra- works" is a denial of the Christ, the Mediator Divine-
             dicts one of the most fundamental -principles of Holy       ly ordained from before the foundation of the world.
             Writ. It is certainly a fundamental conception of Holy      On the one hand, what a pity; if Adam could have
            Writ-that man can never merit anything before the            attained unto eternal and heavenly life and obtained
            Lord. This the exponents of "Common  (Grace" will it also for all his descendents, that this did not occur!
             acknowledge, but they hasten to add that God has            I say: if Adam could have obtained this for himself
            graciously affixed to Adam's obedience the reward of         and all his .descendents. Indeed, if all that IChrist does
            eternal life.. But where do we ever read in Scripture        is to attain unto that which could also have been real-
            that man, in the way of obedience, can ever gain any-        ized by Adam, then. this entire vale of. tears and sor-
            thing above that which he already possesses? To lthe         row and death is surely an accident, or, if you will,
            contrary, we read in Luke  17:lO: "So likewise ye,           surely unnecessary and therefore eternally regret-
            when ye shall have done all those things which are           table ! A thing is surely unnecessary when something
            commanded you, say, We are unpro:fitable  servants : we could have been realized without it ! Had' Adam re-
            have done that which was our duty to do." This text          mained standing and' obedient to the Divine command,
            sur.ely  teaches us that even when we do all that is         thus the reasoning runs, he and all his posterity would
            commanded of us we remain  ~unprofitable  servants.          have attained unto eternal and heavenly glory. Why
            And,`this lies in the nature of the case. Is not all that then, this vale of tears and sorrow and death? And
            we have the Lord's? We read in Ps. 24 :l-2 : "The            let us by all means not overlook this tremendous con-
           . earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world,    sideration.    This worldly sorrow and grief is not to
            and they that dwell therein. For He hath ~founded  it        be minimized. Man already has had almost six thou-
            upon the seas, and established it upon the floods." sand years of unceasing misery and trouble. Sickness
            Hence, all that we possess is <the Lord's, our gold and      and death, agony of body and soul, wars and rumours
            silver and all our possessions.. Besides, we ourselves       of war, misery of every description has plagued and
            are the  lLord's, are creatures of His hand. We can          pursued mankind relentlessly throughout the ages.
            therefore never present anything unto the Lord, -give        What a pity if all this' could have been avoided and
            Him something.      Besides, to serve  and. glorify the      averted ! However, this in itself is already  incon-
           Lord is our obligation and duty. Having, therefore, ' ceivable. There are no accidents or incidentals or
            done all that which was required of us we remain un-         unnecessary things with the Lord. He is the IGod of
            profitable servants, inasmuch as we did our duty and         infinite understanding and wisdom! -:There is there-
            nothing more. To have done less would have involved          fore a Divine reason, a Divine purpose for all things.
          . us in shortcomings, in sin. This certainly also applies      His counsel, we read, shall stand and the Lord shall
            to Adam. In fact, it is not only'true that .this, gener-     do all His good pleasure. His counsel shall always
            ally speaking, applied to Adam, bust never was a man stand, and He is always doing His good pleasure.
            more conscious of this fact than the father of the hu- Supralapsarianism ? The  Word  of God is certainly


                                    T-HE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                          345

`not infralapsarian. The Lord makes no mistakes. The ,ing made known unto us the mystery of His will, ac-
 Lord never does half work. His work is never patch-        cording to His good pleasure. which He bath purposed
 work. Jehovah never retraces His steps and there-          in Himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness
 fore does nothing. unnecessarily. This very thought        of times He might gather together in one all things in
 is repulsive, a reflection upon ;the Name of the alone     Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on
 and eternally blessed God. The wisdom of the Lord          earth ; even in Him : In Whom also we have obtained
 certainly implies that He has adapted the best means       an inheritance, being predestinated according to the
 unto the best end. Surely,  ,onk can hardly, believe       purpose of Him Who worketh all things after  the,
 that the everlasting Father, full of mercy and love        counsel of His own will: That we should be to the
 and compassion, would permit an ages long night of         praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ." And,
 misery and sorrow for the people. whom He loves, if        who is not acquainted with that glorious passage in
 the same eternal glory could have been reached with-       Col. 1: 15-20, and we again quote : "Who is the image
 out all this sorrow and misery and agony and death.        of the invisible IGod, the first born of every creature:
 However.' in connection with this theory of the coven- For by Him were all.things created, that are in hea-
 ant of works and the possibility for Adam to attain .ven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible,
 unto eternal and heavenly life there is another point      whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principal-
 worthy of consideration. It is declared that the fa-       ities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and
 ther of the human race could have attained unto this       for Him: And He is before all things, -and by Him
 heavenly perfection for himself and all. his  descen-      all'things consist. And He is the head of the body,
 dents. But, what room is there, then, in this presen-      the church: Who is the beginning, the firstborn from
 tation for the doctrine of election and reprobation?       the dead; that in all things He might have the pre-
 Adam is presented with the choice to obtain eternal Bminence.           For it pleased the Father that in Him
 life for himself and all his descendents ? But  how. should all fulness dwell  ; And,  h'aving made peace
 can this be? Then sin would never have entered in-         through the blood of His cro,ss, by Him to reconcile
 to this world? `And, the Lord elected and reprobated       all things unto Himself; `by Him, I say, whether they
 from before the foundation of. the world?' How must be things in earth, or things in heaven." Christ is
we harmonize these conflicting ideas?  IGod presented       the Heir ,of the world, is He not, and this from before
 Adam with this choice, did He not?' And the Lord           the ,foundation  of the world. The Lord Jesus Christ
means what He says, does He not? This means that            is He through Whom we must receive everlasting life
the Lord well-meaningly presents a possibility to           and glory. It is Christ, Who, according to the mys-
 Adam which is in irreconcilable conflict with His          tery-of `God's will, must gather. together all things that
 counsel of election and reprobation. This is impos-        are in heaven and that are upon the earth. Not Adam !
 sible. Adlam represents the human race. only in hid (Christ is He Who must build God's Church out of and
faZZ. And this is Adam's purpose in the Divine scheme       upon the Divinely willed and effected ruins of sin and
 of things. And this is not yet all ! The theory of a       death and darkness.. Indeed, nothing is an, accident.
 covenant of works .is a denial of the Christ. The ex-      All things occupy the place which the blessed  ,God
 ponents of an offer of salvation lay all emphasis, do      has ordained for them. We cannot and therefore may
 they not, upon  .the well-meaning character of this        not say it differently. This truth, and this truth alone,
 offer. When ,God, therefore,. revealed to Adam that gives the Church of the living `God comfort in the midst
 it was possible for him to obtain eternal and heaven-      of all the trials and sorrows of this present evil world
 ly life for himself and all his descendents in the way and  ,dispensation. To say that the possibility existed
 of perfect obedience, the Lord certainly meant this,       for Adam to attain unto eternal life in the way of o-
 did he not? But how is this possible? Do we not            bedience is the same as saying that the possibility es-
 read in Ps. 2:6-g: "Yet have I set My king upon My         isted  that eternal life would not be realized for us in
holy hill of Zion. I will declare the ,decree:  the Lord    and through the Lord Jesus Christ. Hence, the cove-
 hath said unto Me, Thou art My Son, this day have I -nant of works denies -this glorious truth, presents
 begotten Thee. Ask of Me, and I shall give Thee the        Christ as succeeding only after Adam failed.
 heathen for `Thine inheritance, and the uttermost
 parts of the earth for Thy possession. Thou shalt          Ad&n's felation to Gocl'was a covenant rebtiorlz.
break them with a rod of iron ; Thou shalt dash them           We need not at this time enter into a detailed dis-
in pieces like a potter's vessel." And, in Eph. 1:8-12      cussion of the idea of the covenant. It was not too
we read this amazing passage: "Wherein He hath a-           long ago that <we devoted several articles to this sub-
bounded toward us in-all wisdom and prudence; Hav-          ject which we  view,.as  the glorious heritage of our


 346      '                         T H E   S T A N D A R D ' B E A R E R
               !
Protestant Reformed Churches. We believe that the            creature about him.      As he came forth from the
covenant isi, the relationship of living friendship be-      hand of. his Maker he stood `with his face toward
tween IGod and .His elect people in Christ Jesus, which      the living `God, knew the Lord; was filled with the love
the Lord has eternally willed-for them from before the       of God, was simply created God's friend-servant in the
foundation of the world, has established and founded it midst of the world. Besides, how could the living God
in the .death and resurrection of the Lord, and which -and His  finite--creat.ure  ever enter into a reciprocal
He realized by irresistible grace in the hearts of. His      agreement?  \ Does man ever determine whether he can
elect people from generation to generation, usually in       or should serve the  ii&g God? So we understand
their infancy. However, we need not again enter into         that when we say that the covenant is a relationship
a detailed discussion of this fundamental truth. At          of living friendship between ,God and man that Adam
this time we merely wish to emphasize our covenant           was  gods friend-servant, we certainly may base this
conception as it is based upon the creation of Adam          conception upon the creation of Adam in the state-of
and the relation wherein he stood to the living God.         rectitude. The question of serving the Lord was never
To do soj however it is well to bear in mind the .de-        an issue with the first man. He served `and loved the
finition of the  covenan,t as a relationship of living       Lord his God spontaneousiy. And he-did so because
friendship. As has been stated previously, there are         of his creation by the living God. Hence, this relation-
fundamentally, but two possible conceptions of the. ship of living friendship was  -indeed.  a fact in the
covenant. According to the one conception the cove-          state of rectitude, the fruit of ,God's creation of man.
nant is the end itself, whereas according to the other       Adam `did not enter into this friendship; he was cre-
`view the covenant is the means unto the end. Whether        ated the friend-servant of Jehovah.
one views the covenant as identical with the promise or                                               H. Veldman
as the way of salvation or as an agreement or pact
between ;God and man, the fact remains that all-these
various views consider the covenant as a means to an
end, not the end itself. `We, however, believe that the
covenant  is. not merely something incidental, merely
a means unto an end, but the end itself, a relationship                             33il                   "
of living friendship between ,God and- His people The
fundamental idea of the covenant is that of friendship,      .
the very essence of the `salvation which the Lord has                      _
willed for His elect own in Christ`Jesus.
   Adam's relationship to (God was surely such a cove-       \      As when the weary trav'ller gains
nant relationship. Mind you, Adam was created by                       The sight of some o'erlooking hill, -
God. He was created, Divinely placed in the relation-               His heart revives, if `cross the plains            _
ship. God did not enter with .Adam into any kind of                    He eyes his home, tho' distant still:
an agreement or pact. Adam did not, for example,
promise that he would serve the L0r.d with all his heart            Thus, when the Christian pilgrim views,
and mind and soul and strength, and ,God, in turn did                 By .faith, his mansion in the skies ;
not promise to bless Adam if he would remain faith-                 The sight his fainting strength renews
ful. We do not read in the Word of God that the father                 And wings his speed to reach the prize.
of the human race consented to be God's servant, that               The thought of home,his  spirit cheers,
he voluntarily entered into this agr.eement which, then,             - No more he grieves for troubles past;
was sovereign in the sense, that it came wholly from                Nor any future trial fears,
the Lord. Adam was simply. created the iL&Ys ser-                      So he may safe arrive  at' last.
vant. He had no choice in the matter. This is and
must be .a self-evident truth. It is simply a fact that             `Tis there, -he says, I am to dwell
the father of the human race owed his existence solely                 With Jesus, in the realms of day:
to the Lord Who created Him. Besides, Adam was                      There I shall bid my cares farewell,
created in the image of God.. He was-created in true                   And he will wipe my tears away.
knowledge, righteousness and holiness. He was cre-                  Jesus, on thee our hope depends.
ated so that he reflected the perfection of the living             To lead us on to thine abode  ;                F         :
,God in a creaturely way, was adapted to the ,service             Assur'd our. home will make amends
of the living God in distinction from every:other  living
                    -~                                                 For all  q-m toil while  6x1 the  rcmd.


                                               I'HE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R   I'
                                                                                                     ,              347

                                                                    Driemalen lezen we in den Bijbel, dat God de
              SIO'N'S  Z A N G E N                               tranen van onze oogen zal afwisschen. Tweemalen i:l
                                                                 Jesaja, en eenmaal in de Openbaring van Johannes.
                                                                 .God redt Zijn volk van de tranen die uitdrukking  zijn
                De L&ang Da- Liefde                              van al de smarten die over ons kwamen.
                (Psalm'll6; Vierde Deel)                             En van  `Gods  zijde is het de  ,openbaring van de
                                                                 redding,  de verlossing in Jezus Christus.
     We zijn toegekomen aan het achtste vers van dezen              Deze zanger werd'gered van tranen.
lofzang  der liefde.          Toen we de laatste  maal  stil-       Ik moet hier (denken aan de prijs die betaald werd
 stonden bij dezen `zang, beluisterden we den  dichter voor dit afwisschen der tranen. 11~ lees in de Evan-
 die zijn ziel toezong': Keer weder tot uwe rust, want           gelien tweemalen, dat Jezus weende. In de profetie
 de Heere heeft. aan u welgedaan !                               van ~Psalm 22 spreekt de IGeest  Gods van cle woorden
    Hij zal dit weldoen accentueeren : "Want Gij Heere,          Zijns &r&lens. _ En in het onvergetelijke gedeelte van
 hebt mijne ziel gered van den dood, mijne oogen van Hebreen 5, lees ik van "sterke roeping en tranen" die
 tranen, mijnen voet van aanstoot."                              Hij. geofferd heeft.
     Keer weder tot uwe rust, mijn ziel!                            Gedenkt hieraan:  .Jezus  we&de om U en mij te
     En hier is de eerste  reden:  ,De Heere redde zijn redden van de tranen die anders eeuwiglijk zouden
 ziel van den dood. Wat een  reden.  En hoe  persoon-            vloeien, vloeien.  .Ik sidder als ik lees: "en daar zal
 lijk ! De zanger schri jft geen dissertatie aangaande weening zijn en knersing der tanden."'
 de redding der ziel van den dood, neen, maar hij zal              '  `.`Mijnen voet van aanstoot."  =
 het God Persoonlijk toeroepen: Gij, Heere, hebt mijne
                                       .  -                         Een aanstoot hebben is vreeselijk.
 ziel uit den dood gered!                                           Er is een aanstoot die in  e&n woord  verschrik-
     Het is zeer benauwd geweest. We  weten de  bij- kelijk is: Men leest  er keer op  keer van in Gods
 zonderheden   niet.    Maar alreede in het derde vers Woord. Dat "`is. de aanstoot aller aanstooten.. Dat is
 hoorden we van den dood. Daar waren het immers                  de  fundamenteele  aanstoot. Ik heb het oog op  alle
 de  banden des ddods die hem omvingen. En hier                  plaatsen van ,Gods Woord waar de Heilige Geest ge-.
 spreekt hij tot God en dankt Hem voor redding uit den waagt van den Steen des aanstoots, van de Rots der
 d o o d .                                                       ergernis. Wie op dezen Steen  valt, die ial verpletterd
     De dood wenkt ieder  ,uur !  -Plotseling komt die worden; en op wien hij valt, dien zsl hij vermorzelen.
bode  somS  tot ons. Er zijn menschen die in  slechts               Het is de Steen die tot een hoofd des hoeks ge-
 Ben oogenblik weggeraapt worden  door den dood, voor- worden is van den Heere.
 al nu in het tijdperk der wereldgeschiedenis  waar                 Jezus is de groote  Aanstoot.         /
 duizende uitvindingen wenken, en door het menseh-
 dom aangewend worden. De dood wenkt ieder uur.                     ~Simeon  sprak ervan in zijne profetie.
     Doch hier was het niet een plotseling gevaar van te            Die Steen maakt de gedachten  des harten openbaar.
 sterven. 0 neen. Het is overduidelijk, dat de zangea En als men geen genade ontvangt, dan is Jezus zu16
 ,voor een betrekkelijk langen tijd in `gevaar  van zijn         eenen*  tot een aanstoot.
 leven verkeerde.  Hij kon het zien, ervaren, want im-              W a a r o m ?
 mers hij zegt in het zesde vers, dat hij uitgeteerd  was.          (Omdat  Jezus ons aanklaagt van zonde;  gerechtig-
 Hij had de banden des doods al gevoeld.                         -heid en oordeel. En Hij doet dat juist in Zijn Jezus      _
     Do& de Heere was ter elfder ure gekomen, en had             -aijn. Nooit is Hij meerder de Steen des aanstoots
 hem verlost uit `den dood.                                      geweest als toen Hij Zijn Jezus&jn bewees, en ging
     Meer nbg. De Heere had zijne oogen gered van hangen, naakt, bebloed, gehoond en  bespot   aan  bet
 lxanen.                ,,                                       vervloekte  hout. Van God en alle menschen verlaten,
     Tranen schreit men vanwege de smarten des doods en bestookt door de benden ,der hel. "Wat hitte doet
 die ,ons omvangen. De traan is gegeven orn-uiting  te ,Mij branden  ! , `0 schriklijk uur !"
 geven  aan innerlijk. verdriet en smart. En dat is                 Want daar en toen bewees Hij hoe God toornt OP
 goed. Het is  goed als men uithuilen kan. Als de                onze zonden, op de  z&den der uitverkorenen.       Die
 smart  ,opgekropt wordt, dan wordt het  erger.-                 vreeselijke kruis-episode ( ?) , (eigenlijk onzin, want
     Evenwel, het lieflijkst is als men zijn. tranen ge- bet was een eeuwigheid van toornen en branden), leer-
 droogd ziet, en als men weer mag glimlachen, en  adem- aart, dat we doemwa,ardig en vervloekelingen zijn van
 halen na zooveel bang verdriet-                                 nature, kinderen  des toorns, gelijk ook de anderen.

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

         En zoo is Jezus de groote Aanstoot.                     Daarom gaan ze hier op aarde naar de kerk. Want
         En die Aanstbot bedreigt ook PGods volk. De oor-      vooral in de kerk zien ze het stralende' Aangezicht van
  deelsdag zal openbaren hoe vaak ook wij ons geergerd         God. Ze hongeren naar dat Aangezicht. En ze zullen
  hebben aan dien Jezus. We lezen, dat. Jezus profe-           blijven hongeren naar dat Aangezicht, totdat vervuld
  teerde hoe alle Zijne discipelen  aan Hem geergerd           wordt. het Woord van God, hetwelk ze al zingende in
  zouden worden.  Ik denk, dat Hij ook mij daarbij in-         de kerk bele,den  kebben: "Verzadigd met Zijn Godde-
  sloot. Ik heb  .me vaak  aan Hem geergerd.  ,O, God,         lijk Beeld."
  vergeef !                                                        "In de landen der levenden." Daar zal deze man
         En hier hooren we hoe de zanger zich zag in het       wandelen voor het Aangezieht van den onverander-
  bange gevaar om zieh te stooten aan Jezus, dat is, aan       lijken  VerbondsJehovah.
God.              x'                                              We lezen vaak van het land der schaduwen dea
         Het staat er vreeselijk bij met ons als zondaren.     doods.
  Want we zijn, altijd in gevaar om ons te ergeren aan          Dat is de hel.
  het lieflijkste dat ,God ooit openbaarde. Laat God op           Hier is sprake van het land, neen, de landen der
  U aankomen, ,en laat de genade uitblijven-en ge er-          levenden.
  gert U  aan den op U  toetredenden   IGod. Zoo vuil en           Dat is de hemel, daarboven bij God.
  goddeloos zijn we van nature.                                   En dat er gesproken wordt in het meervoud komt
         .Doch God redde dezen man van aanstoot. In het        hier vandaan, omdat er bij God altijd overvloed is.
  Engelsch staat er:' van te vallen. Wel, dat is eigen-        God is niet karig. De rivier Gods is vol waters. Hij .
  lijk hetzelfde. Want als ge U stoot aan #God,  dan gaat      is een overvloeiende Fontein aller goeden. Ik hoor van
  ge zekerlijk vallen. Daar zijn geen uitzonderingen op.       riiken zegen. (God- zet ons, door Jezus' redding,  in de
    En nu. komt er een jubelklank in zijn lied i "Ik zal       rwirnte.     Er zijn  lanxlen voor de levenden zoodat ze
  wandelen voor het aangezicht des Heeren, in de landen
                                                r.             mogen wandelen naar hartelust. Er is niets bekrom-
  der levenden."                                               pens in God. Het is we1 waar, dat we van onze zijde
         Wat een grootheid van zegen ligt in deze woorden !    nauwelijks zalig  worden. Maar niet van Gods zijde.
         De Heere is Jehovah, de onveranderlijke Verbonds-        En soms wordt ons dat getoond.
  God. Hij beminde dezen man van voor de grondleg-                 Zoo ook hier. Hij ziet in de vergezichten des ge-
  ging der wereld.                                             loofs de landerijen waar ook Jesaja van sprak.
         ,Onveranderlijk, zeide ik. Laat dat staan. Want          En er zijn `kleine- oogenblikken hier op aarde,.  dat
  Jehovah is de ,Ilr zal zijn die Ik zijn zal. Hij verandert we er iets van zien en smaken. Dan weidt onze ziel
  niet. De Heilige IGeest  zegt van Zich zelf en van den met een verwonderend oog.
  Vader en  ,den  20011, dat er geen schaduw van  om-              En wat is de van IGod geordende weg waardoor we
  keering in ,God is.'        _                                deze groote zaligheid benaderen?
         Dat bewees Hij.                                          Hier is hij : "Ik heb geloofd, daarom sprak ik, ik
         Want toen Zijn geliefde kerk onderdonipelde in den ben zeer bedrukt geweest."
  eeuwigen dood, toen bleef Hij beminnen en liefhebben             Paul& heeft' deze klanken gehoord, en ook  ver-
  Zijne bruid.                                                 klaard. In het  verband  spreekt hij van. het  overge-
         Ohveranderlijk, want  ' Jehovah kwam in  unno         geven  worden  in den dood om Jezus' wil, doch ook,
  creationis' 4000, en ging naar de he1 toe voor die bruid.    dat .God ons door Jezus zal opwekken'en  met de+gans-
         En  ,die Jehovah  heeft een aangezieht. Eigenlijk sche kerk daar zal stellen. En zoo zegt  Paulus, dat
  had ik dat woord met-een hoofdletter  moeten schrijven hij en zijne helpers denzelfden geest des geloofs heb-
 want dat Aangezicht is Jezus. Aangezicht is ~open-            ben die sprak in het ,Oude Testament, en dat is dezen
  baring.      In dat Aangezieht zien we  ,God, den On- psalm : Ik'heb geloofd, en daarom sprak ik.
zienlijke. We zien Gods deugden van liefde in Zijn                 De zanger wil ons-  leeren,  dat de ontboezeming
  Aangezieht,  en dat is Jezus. Zeide Hij niet, dat Hij        van dezen psalm, dat dit loflied der liefde een vrucht
  hier op, aarde dien God verklaarde?                          is van het geloof, dat in zijn hart gewerkt was door
         En voor dat Aangezicht van dien Jehovah wandelt       den Heiligen Geest.                 .
   deze man. Wandelen is het leven van den mensch                 Gods volk gelooft, en daarom heeft die k&k nu al
  vanuit zijn harte. Wandelen doet men van zijn  ge-           voor zestig eeuwen gesproken. En ze zullen blijven
  boorte tot zijn laatste snik. En de wandel van de ge- spreken totdat geen maan meer schijnt. En hun spre-
   redden is voor het stralende .Aangezicht van Jehovah.       ken is een beschrijving van de redding die principieel
                                                                                                        c
                                                                     i


                      .

                                                   THE  STANDARD  BEARER                                                               349

           in het hart plaatsvindt: ze zeggen bij den voortduur.:            -
           we gaan wandelen voor het Aangezicht van Jehovah
           , in de landen der levenden. Of, zooals Paulus het zeg- '                     I N   H - I S   F E A R
           gen zou veel later: God gaat ons tezamen met de ge-
           heele kerk opwekken en voor Zich stellen in den hemel
            der hemelen.                                             -.                     Look& To The ,Future
               "Ik ben zeer bedrukt geweest." i                                                      `Chapter 2
      I        We willen bier iets van zeggen in. verband  met wat                         TBE TEACHER- PROBLEM
      , volgt: "Ik zeide in mijn  haasten: alle- menschen zijn                           @UGGELCTJONS  TOWAR& SOLUTION)
      I leugenaars."
      ~ 8 Ziet ge, David denkt terug  aan de benauwdheid                         `Thus far we have offered a few suggestions to-
           iijner, ziel. Hij was zeer bedrukt geweest. Er was ward solution of those problems which are  connec-
           benauwdheid van binnen, en vervolging van b&ten.                  ted particularly with the procurement and mainten-
               In dien toestand, in zijn ha&en, hetwelk ook ver- ance of a teaching staff in `our Protestant Reformed
            taald mag .door s&3eyen, zeide hij : alle menschen zijn          schools.
            leugenaars, dat wil zeggen, ik kon mij in al mijn el-                This, as we have' said, is to a large extent a formal
           Iende niet verlaten op den mensch die mij omringde.` and administrative problem.                                                   .'
           Want des menschen  reddin.g  is ijdelheid. Het is  als                A-far more important matter is that of seeing to
            de man die zijn huis op den zandgrond bouwde. In                 it that the teaching staff which we procure and which
           de siddering zijner ziel, onder de slagen des Almachti-           we seek to maintain as permanently as possible con-
           gen, wendde hij zich niet tot den mensch, doch in zijn            sists  of  qauilified Protestant  R,eformed teachers.  Im-
           geloof wendde hij `zich tot God die'hem  redde.                   portant it .is, because if such teachers we do not have,               I
               En daarom moet men we1 onderscheiden hier.                    then our entire movement for Protestant Reformed
               In'zekeren zin kan en mag men niet zeggen dat alle            education fails : it is .merely  o~*wa&l~  separatistie.
           menschen leugenaars zijn. Want ik lees, dat er een                And if the separation is .only outward, consisting in
           volk is waarvan God  .zegt: "Zij zijn immers Mijn                 separate societies, separate boards, separate buildings,
           volk, kinderen  die niet lie,gen zullen?"                         separate administrations merely, then it had been bet-
                                                                             ter by far if we had never separated, Our aim must
               Hoe moeten we dit verklaren?                                  be: '100% Pr,otestant  -Reformed instruction for Pro-
               David zegt in .mijn lied der ,liefde,  dat *alIe men-         testant Reformed children. From that goal we must
           `s&en leugenaars zijn, en Jesaja zegt door den Heiligen           never deviate. We may never rest until that goal is
           Geest, dat Gods volk een volk is, dat niet Iiegen zai.            attained  !- Protestant Reformed teachers are one of
               Het antwoord is als volgt : alle menschen zijn the prime requisites in the attainment of that goal.
           leugenaars, dat wil zeggen'ze  kunnen niet behouden,              For them, therefore, we must seek.
           redden, verlossen hun broeder. Zoo zegt  Habakkuk                     And a few suggestions toward  solutiop  of that-
           dat het veld  &iegen. zal, d.w.z., dat het land  teleur-          aspect of the teacher-problem we now make.           .
           stelde.                        .                                  A.s To Qudifiecl Protestant Reformed Teachers
               Maar  (Gods volk. is een volk, dat niet liegen zal,
           en dat ziet op het hoogheerlijke feit, dat zij .de funda-             Again the reader must bear in mind that some of
           menteele ,leugen niet uitspreken. En wat is die oor- . these suggestions will be impossible of fulfillment at
           spronkelijke  en fundamenteele Ieugen? Dit: Er is                 pr*esent because of circumstances. There is a pro-
           geen #God ! Jesaja ziet Gods volk zooals Johannes hen             verb  that `runs,, "Beggars can't be choosers." And
           zag en  ze?de: Die uit God geboren is zondigt niet, it applies in  the"present  case in a way. We have a
           want hij kan niet zondigen.                                       teacher-shortage.     And because of that shortage
                                                                           ' we are beggars: we have to beg for teachers. And
               Maar onze zanger van dit lied der liefde had een              because we have to beg for teachers, we can't always
           fundament  noodi>g, de Rots die van geen wankelen                 choose the kind of teachers we would like to have and
           weet, en die Rots vond hij niet bij den mensch doch bij           should have. This is no evil .reflection  on our teach-
           den onveranderlijken VerbondsJehovah.                             ers: they are caught in the same net of circumstances.
               En zoo krijgt God alleen de eer, en dat is goed!            _, And in many cases we may be glad when we have tea-
                                                          G:`Vos.            `chers at all, and should be glad too. But the fact re-
                               -;-:-                                       mains that because we are caught in this trap of a
                                                                           teacher-shortage,  -DUX'  teachers  40  not  measure  up  al-
I.                                                                                                                                                       I


  350                                    T H E '  STAN.DARD.   B E 'A R E R
                                                                          L-
  ways to the ideal.- However, the point is this : the fact    what constitutes a fully-trained teacher. The trend
  that we are enmeshed in this net of circumstances is f.or` the states to set increasingly. high, educational
  must not deter us from the ideal of obtaining qualifizd      requirements for teachers.. We should not be back-
  teachers. Iti time, if we do not keep before  us  tks ward in this respect. From an educational viewpoint
  ideal in obtaining teachers, it is going to be detrimeni     it is certainly a  very- detrimental policy to allow a
  tal to our schools and to our children, both from the high school graduate to teach primary school children,
  educational and the spiritual viewpoint.                     for example. Thti very minimum requirement should
         We, therefore must follow a two-fold course. On       be a complete normal course. We. should insist  O?P
  the one hand, we must keep before us certain rules,          nothing but the best also from an educational aspect.
  priticiples, in this matter ,of' procuring qualifiGd tea-        4. All other things being equal, preference should
  chers, as the ideal toward which we strive. And on be given to a full-time teacher. I know from Gxperi-
  the other hand, we must .strCue toward that i.deal, that     ence the detriment of employing part-time teachers';
 .i& we-mu&  not wait for the ideal to happen merely,          for once upon a time I was a part-time teacher, teach-
  to come to us, but we must attain to the ideal. And
' .                                                            ing half-days for one semester. It do& neither teach-
  m order to do so, we must apply the rul& which we            er nor school nor pupil much good, I can assure you,
  adopt as' much as possible and practicable under the         and should be allowed only in emergency.. But there
  present c&umstances  and at the same time work to-           afe also teachers who can be present full-time as far
  ward overcoming the circum&ances  which inike com-           as school hours are concerned, but  .who are never-
  plete application of these  r&es  impossible for the         theless part-time teachers f& various reasons. There
 present.                                                      is the case of the teacher who has of his own' voli-
         And le$ me warn you : that means hard wbrk for        tion all kinds of side-duties and side-projects to at-
  a l l   i n v o l v e d .        .,                          tend to, and who as a result can ndt give adequate
                                                               time to hi$ work as teacher outside of school hours.
                                                               There is the case of the married woman teacher, who
                                                               has a  fainily  to-/Lake  care of besides a class. Now I
       The present matter also has` two aspects, as we         grant that at times a school board may be forced to
 pointed out in our delineation of the j?roblem.     There     engage such a teacher, but that is not the ideal. And
 is the formal, educational aspect: our teachers n-&t          it should be avoided as much as' possible; A teacher
 be  teachers.  And there is the material aspect: our          must be a teacher.
 teachers must be Protestant R~eformeld teachers. ' The            As to the material aspect of the problem, of pro-
 two are clbsely intertwined, but we m'ay distinguish curing  `qtialified teachers for Protestant  Reformed
 them in otir treatment. . -                                   schools much may be said;
         To the formal aspect we give our attention first.
 And we  would suggest the following.  ".                         IOn  the basis of what we have written in  regakd
                                                               to `the problem itself, we may point put the follow-
         1. All other things being equal, preference should    i n g .
 be  given,to the  fully  baked teacher.  :This means
,very `definitely that I if a school board is able to re-         First of all, tl$ measures which we can and must
 place a `partly-trained teacher by, a fully-trained tea- take now toward the solution of this problem are only
 cher, it should do so without compuriction.                   emergency, stop-gap measures.
         2. All other things being equal; preference shsuld       We face here one of the major problems of  our
 be given to a teacher with more teaching ability. This        movement for Protestant Reformed education, as we
 means that if a teacher of mediocre ability, ei$her bs        have indicated. And the problem is far from solved,
 to the subject matter as such or as to  disciplina?y too.
 ability, can be replaced by a teacher of. higher ability,        And' the reason is that lofficalls  we have put the
 a school board  should not ~hesitate to take the step.        cart before the horse. -Log&ally  yku need Protestant
 This, of course, will mean "the survival of the fit- Reformed teachers in order to establish a Protestant
 test" as far as the teachers are concerned. But let           Reformed school. `And that implies that you need
 us face the facts, then, both as teachers and as school       Protestant Reformed training of teachers. Ideally;
 boards. The school is at stake, not the teacher mere-         therefore,  -our iteacher-training institution should have
 ly. And no school should `suffer because a . school been established first, and our primary schools last.
 board is loathe,-for whatever may be the  reason,-            But  ;Nhat have we done? The history has been that
 to discharge a mediocre teacher in favor of a better          we have established primary schools in several places,
 one.                                                          and to this date we have no facilities of our own for
         3.  `Our schools should set high  vtandards as-to . Protestant Reformed teacher-training.


                                                 T H E   STkNDARD   B E A R E R   '                                                               3 5 1


c`  . This is 
 i.               `what increases the problem of obtaining , =
Pfotestant Reformed teachers immensely.                                                     I?  R 0  M  H 0  I-4 Y  w  R,:I  T
       And this is what also necessitates being satisfied
for the present with stop-gap  tieasures.  As long  as
we have no teacher-training facilities of our own, our                                                   Ex,msition  of Matthews&                -
educational system is `not going to run smoothly. .It
will run, but with great difficulty. It will run like an                                      In `this essay we intend to call attention to the
engine that isn't hitting on all its cylinders.                                             beautiful and well-known words:  "Blessed are  the
                                                                                            peacemakers for they shall b$e called sons of Gold."
        ind therefore, we should bear in mind, in the                                          Have you ever heard it said, dear reader, that we
second place, that the major so&&ion to this problem
is                                                                                          human mortals-do not know who the elect of ,God are?
       the establishment af our o,wia teacher-train&~ f&-
litiis. This is not the time. to fully discuss this sub- I have. And getieraliy this is a contention that comes
                                                                                            from the lips of either the unlearned and  weak in
ject : we believe that this is a problem all by itself, and
hope to discuss it later in this series. But let us now                                     faith,' or, what is worse, from the lips of him who
understand that we may not and must not be satisfied                                        knows neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.
as long as our teachers receive their training in Re-                                          .Do not be led astray by the of&-repeated  assertion,
formed or Christian Reformed or even outright world-                                        that we do not  .know who the  eject are. For  thrs
ly institutions. It may be granted that such institu-                                       statement is only true in a very relative sense. If
tions may train teachers.' But it lies in the very na- those making this assertion mean, that we do not know
ture of the case that such institutions cannot train                                        with absolute and infallible certainty who are true be-
Protestant Reformed teachers, that is, ,train them to                                       lievers in distinction. from hypocrites, then this  hs-
be Protestant Reformed in their teaching. You don't                                         sertion, that we do not know who the elect are, is trne.
get cookies at 5 hardware store. You don't get Pro-                                         And, again, if what is meant, is that there are elec!
testant Reformed teachers from a no&Protestant Re-                                          of God who are not yet brought to consci&s faith and, ~.
formed college.           -- ..__                                                           therefore, do liot yet manifest the life of grace, then
                                                                                            too this assertion is true. It is, hqwever, very  rela-
        For the present, therefore, we are faced with a                                     tively true, that we do not know who the elect are.
serioiis gap in our educational system. And `that gap
mu& be plugged.                                                                                /L,et  it be clearly understood, .tha& there is a sense
_ I' believe too that the gap can be plugged th?ough                                        in which we do know who the elect ,of God are, and
diligent and consistent effort on the par-t of all con-                                     that, too, infallibly.
cerned. To some suggestions along this line we hope                                          .In the first place, God has certainly called His e-
to call attentibn next time.                                                                lect people out of darkness into His marvelous light to
        But by all means, let us make up our minds not to                                   deelaTe  His praises. We do tiot need to live in doubt
be satisfied with stop-gap measures. We don't want                                          whether we are living" with those who are the elect
a constant state of emergtincy.                                                             church;, or whether we are in the midst of the world
                                                 H. C; Hoeksema                             of unbelief. "For the fruit of grace is the confession .
                                                                                            of God's Name in Jesus Christ, our Lord. A good
                                                                                            tree bringeth forth good fruit and an evil tree bringeth
                                                                                            forth  evil fruit; a good tree cannot bring  forth.evil
                                                                   I..          .~:         fruit, nor can an evil tree bring forth corrupt fruit.
                         --          :-    :-
                                                             .:                 ,.    ~.    Says Jesus: by their fruits ye shall know them'; by
                                                        ,..                1
                                                                                            the fruits of  Fonfession and  walk.  `Our fathers in
                                                                                            the Canons of  Dart speak of the infallible fruits of
                              N,OTICE                                                       election. Compare Matthew 7:16-20 and Canons of
                                                                                            Dort, Chapter I, Art. 12. Secondly,  ,God  ,has also
       The C2nsisiory  of the Protcytant  Reformed Church                                   given His word of assurance to the individual believer,
of South Holland, Illinois herewith gives notice to our                                     that -he has life eternal whire believing; God testifies
churches that the Synod will meet  oh Wednesday,                                            in the  heant of each believer, so  ,that this believer
June 4, 1952 at South Holland. The pre-Synodical                                            cries by the power of the Holy Spirit : Abba Father.
Sermon will be delivered by the Rev. `G. V-OS, president                                    His Spirit testifies with our spirit, that we are the
of the  !Synod of 1951. The time of  this service will                                      sons of  ,God.  -
`7:30  P . M . ,   `T u e s d a y ,   June.Srd.   ,;    1                                      Hence, we bonclude  that there is a sense in which
                                           John Van Bar-eh, Clerk                           we do k&w-who the elect are, and that it is our busi-


 352  -                              T           H      E             STANDARD  ~~EARIzR.  '

`ness to know from the fruits of election both as to our-          The peacemaking of our text is that which is
 selves an,d to others.                                         wrought in this world by the Wonder of `Grace in
    With this in mind our Scripture passage is at               Jesus Christ.
 once enlightening and practical. -This Scripture pas-             This is the peace that will: be realized fmally when
 sage, too, is instruction unto godliness. .For all &Scrip-     the law of IGod shall be written perfectly in the heart
 ture is given by insp.iration- and is prdfitable to  in-       of all the redeemed, and when the Tabernacle of God
structon, reproof, correction in righteousness, that the        shall be with man.      It is the peace that shall not
man of <God man be thoroughly furnished unto every' only be realized on this earth, but it will be a peace of
good w&k.                                   r                  the new heaven and new earth, where righteousiiess
    Let us give our sanctified attation to this passage.       shall dwell !
    Our text speaks of "peaceniaker?,  Who are they?               For we must bear the following in mind.
    In order to clearly understand, who the "peace-                In the first place we must notice, that mankind is
makers" are, it is first of all of importance to under-        hopelessly lost and perishes under the wr`ath of IGod
stand, the Scriptural teaching concerning the making           almighty; man as he is by nature can never "make
of peace in this world. Certainly, if anything.is clear- peace" and establish righteousness on the earth. For
ly taught in @criptu?e,  it is this, that the world of un- let it not be forgotten that such is man's state as ob-
believing men, who are haters of',God,  will never have        served by Gdd Himself, and as He has told us in His
peace, nor will they ever be able to- make, to bring a-        Word. For there is not that seeketh after God, there
bout peace in the true sense of the Word of God. And is none that understandeth, they have all. gone back-
yet, in spite of this  ilear and well-known teaching           ward and  become  unprofitable  ; there is none that
of the Word-of God, there is nothing that the world of         doeth good and makes `peace,  tie not one. Man is
unbelief speaks. of so much as of the making of peace          totally depraved in relationship to Go& And, there-
on earth.  Yes, especially on  the earth. The  maki,ng         fore, he is also totally corrupt'in relation to his fellow-
of peace that reaches into the.very heavens is a theme         men, and nation rises against nation, and kingdom
on which men of unbelief are silent in every language.         against kingdom, and- there is no peace to the wicked,
    Why. are they silent on the-theme of peace also in         saith God. Their waters cast up mire and filth. They
the heavens? For the very obvious reason, that they            are full of restlessness and cannot sleep unless they
do not understand the Word of the Cross. `They do              sin. F,or their throat is an open sepulchre, with their
not understand that Christ `is the Great Peacemaker            tongue they use deceit, the poison of asps is under
and that His making of peace is indeed .on earth, but          their lips, their mouth is full of cursing and bitter-
that it is not at all limited to the earth:' These unbe-       ness, their feet are swift to shed blood, destruction
lievers err knowing neither  the Scriptures nor the            and misery are in their ways, and the way of peace
power of IGod displayed in the resurrection of Jesus           they have not hozun. There is no fear'of IGod before
Christ. They dream, for vain dreamers they are, of a their eyes.
reign of peace on earth apart from the Lord's Christ.             Such is the picture of mankind. Such is the pie-
And [God has them in derision. -The naiions, indeed,           ture also of  the citizens of the Kingdom, the elect,
imagine vain things.                                           as  tliey  ane  by nature.  Such is, indeed, the flesh of
   This is the vain dream of Post-millenialism too. It the erect;  in this fle'sh there dwells .no good for it is
looks at the history .of the world as a process of gradu-      simply-full of iniquity sold under sin. The elect, the
ally ascension from the lower to the higher state on           believers, are in themselves never peacemakers. Nay,
society.  ,Gradually  mankind  tiill o&grow and over-          we are by nature the very opposite; we are those
come `its ills. Socially, politically, ecohomically  man whose ways are full of destruction and misery!
will come to i.he. higher state and condition of peace            This -we must kelp in mind. Only thus will we be
and harmony. There is still  hope for man. Oh; the             able to see the implication of Ch@.st being our peace. -
world  w?ll go through a "crisis" just as a very sick             But now God has thoughts  & peace.  H: would
patient, but the fevel Will subside! gradually the pa- make a `peace thai could' from its very nature never
tient will return to, a state of normalcy. The Uiopia enter into them  -heart of man. His peace is Wonder,
of the "better world" will yet be reached. It. looks           it is the  Myst`ery  of godliness, that is great. Our
very dark at the present moment; it is said, but there         fathers spoke of the  "Vrede-Raad",  the Counsel of
will dawn a better day.                                        Peace., They loved to speak of the eternal Counsel of
   This imaginary `fpeacemaking'" is -not that of -the         God wherein He sovereignly determined to bring
Scriptures, nor are these . "peacemakers" those of' such a peace upon earth, that even the angels, who al-
Matthew 5 :9.                                                  ways behold His face, might rejoice at the prospect of


I
                                                                                                                                             I

                                               T H E   STANDARD  BEARE'R                                                         353

      it as in its realization. Wherefore' the angels sing at Peacemaker sows the. peaceable fruit of righteousness.
      Chritit's birth: ,Glory to God in the highest, and peace           He is then not temptable of evil and does not tempt
      on earth among the  &en of His good-pleasure.                      others. The Evil One. does not take hold of him.
         According to this Counsel of Peace `God works all                       Behold, tl!en the Ijlessedn& of such a one!
      things. (Eph. 1 :ll). Also according to this Counsel                 In  h&s,very nature it is written, not with ink, but
      of Peace God sends His Son in the  ftilness of time,               with the Spirit` of grace : sons of God. He reveals the
     that He might be born from a woman and made un-                     Father's work among  men;  Image-b,eayer  of  ,God he
      der law. And that under law He might  r&deem us                    is in an evil world. He is made like unto the image
      from the curse of the law, and that we might thus be               of Christ the First-born Son. He has the first-fruits
      brought to God. Such is the purpose of `God in send-               of the full harvest. Presently he shall stand amidst
      ing His Son. Thus He is our peace, having  made:                   the multitude of the sons of God, &he great Family of
      peace for us in His perfect Bacrifice on the Cross.                the heavenly Father in eternal blessedness!
          In this peace we share as the elect of God legally                                                    G. C. Lubbers
      being justified by faith. He `bath sent .the Spirit of
      His Son into our hearts, so that we are freely justified                                -::::
      and have peace with  IGod  Through our Lord  Jesus
      Christ. And in the knowlehge of the sweetness of
      this peace, whereby the "godless" are justified we un- .
      derstand  the "Secret" of peacemaking. The secret                           THE DAY -OF SHADOWS
      is in foregiving even as we have been forgiven. It is
      the law of the Kingdom, the law of the Spirit of life
      in Christ Jesus.                                                                      Thou `Art The Man
          We  now are ready also to say  `&ho the "peace-
      makers" are in our text.         D .                                       "Thou art the man".. It was Nathan speaking.
                                                                         And..the  accusing finger of the prophet was pointed to
          They certainly are not the "peacemakers" in the David. A dreadful  ch+in of  sins in David's life had
      world who with diplomacy, with the mere natural                    led to  thi,s moment. He had co-habited with  Bath-
      ability to "get along" with men try to make  +his                  sheba, while her husbandj Uriah, was away fighting
      world a "better place to live." It is more than the                Ammonites. When-he had learned from the woman
      natural slogan of "keep smiling". The peacemakers                  that she was with child, he added sin to sin in the at-
      of  this world never bring about anything lasting or               tempt to, prevent his adultery .from becoming public.
      real, because they have no foundation of righteousness             His first move .was to command Joab to send him the
     to undergird them in their labors., The wounds of bit-              Hittite. ,To conceal the real motive of the summons,
     terness and strife can never.be healed apart from the               he put to Uriah some questions bearing on the pro-
      work of Christ on Calvary. `Hence,. all  the peace of              gress of the war and thereupon told him to go home.
      the unbelieving world is shallow sham. Such are not                Having. cohabited with his wife, it  could"be  said of
      the peacemakers of my text, who are called "blessed". Uriah that he tias the f,ather of the child. But Uriah
        But who are they then?                                           spent the night with David's servants in the palace.           .
          They are those who make peace with their "neigh-               He did not go to his house. It was told David and on
      bors" because by faith they `stand on the Gilbraltor               the following day  he called Uriah to his  tab&' `and
      Rock of Christ's work of having accdmplished  las$$g               made him drunk in the hope that b$ his de&r@ -a$&-
      peace with God, in His death and resurrection.           !-  .I    flamed by lthe wine he would be driven into the .arms
          Inwardly  ithe peacemaker is strong in humility;               of his wife. But the night found him on his bed with
      He has tasted the hulmility of Jesus. He has learn-                the servants of David. However strong the excite-
      ed that Jesus is meek  dnd. lowly  gf heart. He has                ment produced by the `wine, it could not break down
      found rest for his soul. It is a spiritual-psychological           his determination to avoid his wife. `Then David took
      reality that the man who makes trouble does so be-                 recourse to a new artifice that r;?ade murde?h& mi&
      cause He is `not at peace with IGod. Love is not ai all            ster. He  co'mmanded  Urigh to' return to the battle
      or "not yet" perfected in him. The outward mani-                   and supplied him with a letter for, Joab instructing
      festation simply `reveals the internal warfare of the              the latter to place Uriah in the h&test of the battle
      lusts. He has not learned that the Spirit of God never             an& then to withdraw from him that he .might be smi-
      incites to envy, but `always gives more grace'. But the ten and die. So it was done, and Vriah died in bat-
      peacemaker has learned that blessed truth. The Spirit              tle.      8hor.tly thereafter David made Bethsheba his
      gives  more  -grtice.  And  being  led  by  this  Spirit  the      wife.


 E&4                                 THE  STANDAMI  BEARER

        Nine or ten months or perhaps a year had gone by      done `to him ; for his heart was lifted up. (II. Chron.
since all t'his had taken place. In the mean time the 32 :24-26). Was ,David's  heart lifted up and did God
child that0 had been conceived .in adultery was born give-him over to uncleanness through the lusts of his
apparently in honorable wedlock. David had seen to           flesh in punishment of that sin? The Lord had taken
 that. He had  betimes disposed of Uriah  and made           him from deepest obscurity and set him on a throne,
Bath,sheba his wife..                                        even making him the head of the heathen, so that a
    We gaze with horror and consternation upon this          people which he knew not served him and strangers
black spot in David's career. It shows to what depth submitted themselves to him. (II' Sam. 22 :44). Mili-
it is possible for a saint to fall,-a saint I say. For       tariiy he had been wondrously successful.  He  ~bad
despite his gross sinning, Dayid was a believer still.       overthrown all the nations that for ages had bken
@or God's people do not fall from grace. Their seed          menacing the people of Israel from north to south. On
abideth in them. No one, including themselves, surely the ruins bf their kingdoms he had founded an empire
can pluck them out of Christ's hand. So the Scriptures as vast as any of the great kings of the E'ast.  Was
teach. But in this life they continue to lie in the midst    as .a result David's heart lifted up? That would ndt
of death, despite their essential goodness. In their at  a;ll  h&e been strange, seeing that he was but a  *
flesh there dwells no good thing. And  what they would sinful man. Some years previous, when he perceived
that they do not; but what they hate, that they do.          that the Lord had established him king over Israel
 ( R o m .   7:15).                                          he tdok him more concubines and wives out of Jerusa-
    Yet, however true this m;1y be, David's gross sin-       lem and this .though he `knew that he was doing the
nin'g terrifies. For he was a saint and must even be forbidden thing,. (Deut. 17  :17) . And now he was
classified with the most holiest `of men. That the be- leaving the conduct of the war with the Ammo&es  to
lievers can allow .themselves  to be victimized by their     Joab, while he tarried' in Jerusalem indulging life's
depraved lusts to such extent! How the best Bf them pleasures. That was, wrong. His place was in the
should take -to heart the warning of the Scriptures          field with his soldiers. And then his summoning into
that they stand solely by grace.  How they should. his presence his  neighbor's wife for purposes of a-
watch and pray that .they fall not, when they stand.         dultery, w.bile the neighbor was away risking his life
    True, David had not pursued sin but had been sur-        on the battle field for the cause of God-what an aitro-
prised by it. He did not belong to the category of men       city ! W.hat. it all reveals is that he had grown un-
of whom the prophets says that they asse,mbled them-         speakably arrogant and that in his pride he had given
selves by troops in harlot's houses ; and that as fed        himself over' to pampering his lusts.
horses in  t,he  morning every one of them neighed             - Perhaps the worst feature of his vile doings was
after his neighbor's wife (Jer. 5 :8, 9). Being a saint, his attempt ait inventing excuses for his sins instead
David did not, as do the wicked, walk .and revel in          of confessing them. Uriah was a  `Hittite.  The race.
sin, taking delight and satisfaction in it.                  of men to which he belonged was one of the group of
   Yet, surely, David was far. from being an innocent        s-ever&l Canaanite nations originally marked by the
victim of his lusts. True, it must be supposed that his ban of God for destruction. "Thou shalt utterly de-
eyes had lighted on the woman as by chance and not           stroy them." (Deut. 3b :17). All the humans without
by the direction of his will. But from this point on         distin&tion of sex and age had to be smitten with the
he did voluntarily pursue sin. `He again looked on the       sword. No covenant might be made with these peo-
woman now with eyes filled with adulteries.         And      ples".    No mercy might be shown them. Marriages
setting his perverse thought-images before his mind's        with ;them had been strictly f,orbidden.    And the rea-
eye, he ,kept them there until, as overwhelmed by his        son given is "that they teach you not to do after their
inflamed lust he could not resist the tempt&ion to give      abominations". (Deut. 7  :l-4).
it expression.                                                    So, Uriah was a Hittite under the curse of God.
   T.he Scriptures teach us that God punishes sin with       His union wii% Bathsheba was invalid and non-exis-
sin. Though the'heathen knew God, they did-not honor         tant in the &yes of (God. Any Jew could take`her from
Him as God. And in punishment of their sin `Gid gave         him without  clqhing with the prohibition of God:
them y'p to uncleanness through the lusts of their own       "Thou shalt not commit adultery."
hearts to dishonor their own bodies between them-                `Th.at such was David's reasoning is  clearly sug-
selves. Was David's deep fall a case of ,God's punish- gested by the tgxt. On learning that Uriah was a Hit-
ing sin with sin? = The God-fearing Hezekiah, when           tite David, so the text reveals, sent messengers and
healed and saved ,of AGod from the hands of the As-          took her  in all likelihood that same evening. But
syri,ans, rendered not again according to the benefit        David's reasoning here was false. From Uriah's head


                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                    355
                                                                --
 the ban had been lifted. For he was a true Jew. He          cause of a `poor man outraged- by his rich neighbor
 possessed the cir&mcision  of the heart; His marriage       in the matter. of a ewedlamb.     The facts in the sad
 was a _sacred  thing. AKd how devoted this converted        ease were there: the rich man had exceeding many
 heathen was to the cause of Israel's God-! How great        flocks arid herds. The poor map had but one li,ttle  ewe
 was his zeal! "The ark of .God, and Israel, and Judah       lamb that he had bought and.raised. The animal was
 abide in tents," said he to David, "and my lord Joab,       dear to the man and his family. It had grown up to-
 and the seivants of my Lord are encamped in the open' gether with him and his children. It did eat of his
 fields  ;' shall I ,then g0 into my house to eat and to     own mo?sel and drink of -his own cup. It lay in his
 drink, and to lie with my wife? As thou  live& and          bosom and-was to him as a daughter._
 thy soul livest, I will not do this thing."                    There came a wayfarer to the rich man; and lo!
    And then that other, `reasoning of David. "The           he spared to take of his own flocks and of his own
 sword d!voureth one as well as another." In a word,         herds but ,he took the -poor man's lamb and dressed it
 Uriah's death was lione of Da$d's  responsibility. It       for the wayfaring man. What an outrage!
 was simply chargeable to the fortunes of war.                  Nathan had spoken in David's ear a parable in
 . Such were his reasonings. Yet he. was far from            which he ,beheld  an image of his own vile self but so
 going merrily on his way. For his reasonings were           disguised that he failed to perceive that the culprit
 not convincing. How could they be ! They were thor-         was he. Imagining that the prophet dealt with fact          t
 oughly fallacious.    So his heart continued to con-        and not with fiction, David as seized by a paroxysm
 demn him. He walked in darkness and had no peace.           of indignation, pronounced sentence of death upon rthe
 The Lord was hiding his face. What agonies of mind          h&artless offender and thereby condemned himself.
 and heart were now his portion ! His bones waxed old        "As the Lord liveth, the man that has done this thing
 through his roaring all the {ay long. For night and         shall Surely die and he shall restore the lamb fourfold
 day the hand of the Lord was heavy upon him: his            because he did this thing and had no pity." David was
 moisture was turned iato the drought of summer. (Ps.        even more exacting than God. F?r the law went no
 32 :3,4).    Conscience told him that he had sinned.        farther than to demand that such an offender as that
 But he refused to be instructed. ,Conscience  can err.      of Nathan's parable restore five oxen for an', ox and
 That he could be guilty- of the things whereof his          four sheep for a sheep. Ex. 22:l. But David demand-
 heart accused him was a thought too debasing for            ed that the man be put to death. Yet the man's sin
 words. Thus spake his sinful pride. .And therefore he       was but a faint echo of the"sins that David all along
 kept, silence.  '                                           had been excusing in himself. The mote in the bro-
    But in the person of Nathan the prophet .the Lord        ther's eye had him worried and thoroughly provoked,
 now confronted him with his sin. Would he refuse            but Of the beams in his own eye he willed to take. no
 to hear the Lord?                                           liotice. This is what sin has done to us. It has made
    But how was Nathan to proceed `with this falleri         hyppcrites  of us all. And so it was now Nathan's turn
 saint? In the spirit of meekness, to be sure. But           to speak. Knowing David to be a man of essential
 what was to be the prophet's approach, his method           goodness with a strong sense of justice, a man gen-
 of attack? In his present state David was a problem         uinely hateful of all oppression and violence, and
 f.or the most tactful of shepherds. But he was riot         therefore ready to denounce sin also in his own life,
 a problem for the Lord. He was not a problem for            if made to see his fault, the prophet had counted on
 Nathan., For Nathan came to him with the Lord's             this reaction. "And Nathan said to David, Thou art
 Word.                                                       the -man." These were shocking words-shocking to
    Nathan had a dreadful task to perform. He had to         David. Doubtless he was visibly hurt. Doubtless his
 hold before  Davjd  hi& gross  sinas.  He  came to David    eyes were filled witih reproach as <they met those of
 with a terrible m&sage from the Lord. And -this             the prophet. It w&s necessary for Nathan to explain.
 message had to `be communicated. But the prophet            And so he did. .Careful  to preface his doleful message
 was undaunted. The secret  ,of his courage  was his         to the king with; "Thus saith the Lord God of Israel",
 awareness that he stood before God's face and that          the prophet continued : "I anointed  .thee king over
 he spake God's Word. He did not begin his admoni-           Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul ;
 tion by pointing his a&using finger directly at David.      and I gave thee thy master's wives into thy bosom, and
He would accuse but only  after this fallen saint un-        gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah ; and if
 awares had been made to accuse himself. So the pro-         that had. been too little, I would moreover have given
 phet took recourse to  ;the  &nployment   6f legitimate     unto thee such and such things. Wherefore hast thou
 guile. He posed as one who came to David to plead the       despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in

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

`his sight? Thou  hast killed Uriah the Hittite with         of the ground. We see it in ;the case of David. He had
the sword,  ,and hast taken his wife to by  thy wife,. sown to. the--flesh, in the interest of and as his sinful
and hast slain him with the sword of the children of `flesh had dictated, and he reseed .from the flesh, the
Ammon.                                                       sinful flesh of Absalom and carnal Israel and his own
    "And now therefor: the sword shall never depart          wives  exaotly what he had sown.         For God is not
frbm thine house ; because thou hast despised me, and        m o c k e d .
hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.        Nathan had communicated his message. David
    "Thus saith the.Lord,  Behold, I will raise up evil a- had listeked, silent and pensive. IGod had spoken to
gainst thee out of thine own house, atid I will take thy     him from out of the sanctuary now by .the objective
wives from before thine -eyes, and give them &to thy voice of prophecy. He could argue with his conscience,.
neighbor, and ,he shall lie with thy TiSives in the sight .maintaining that it erred. Butt would he dispute with
of the sun.. Foi* thou didst it secretly ; but I will `do    God? Being at heart a saint, he had, and could
this thing before all Israel, and before thle" sun."         haye, but one reply: "I have sinned against the Lord."
    He killed Uriah with the sword of the children of           Just those words. Ancl that was all. He implored
Ammon. That is what his heart had been telling him not the pi*ophet  that he might be spared from the re-
all along. But he heard' it now out of the Lord's            sults of his sin, the killings of that terrible. sword.
own  mou.t.h-heard that he  despise! the Lord's com-         But one thought  occupied  his mind. He had sinned
mandment : "Thou shalt not kill" .and "thou shalt            against the Lord. The confe'ssion was good fruit, truly
not commit adultery." Thus he did and this despite           worthy of repentance. The Lord.had brought him un-
all that the Lord had done for him. It raised the            der  lthe conviction of  sin. And' so the prophet  .had
terrifying question : why-why had he recompensed             still another message for him from the Lord. It was
the Lord that evil for all His boundless love 7 How          this : "The  aord hath also  put. away thy sin  ; thou
cbuld he-? Where lay the fault? There was but one `shalt not die."
answer. It lay solely with l-$m. He was carnal, sold            The word "also" has significance here. It points
under sin.  `0; the amazing sinfulness of sin!               to David's confession. That was God's first work in
    David in his carnality had sown to the flesh and in      him. The author of it was the Lord. Having done
the remaining years of his life he w"ould have to reap       the former, the Lord did also the latter long before
from the flesh corruption. The sword that by his mur-        the. confession had passed this penitent's lips. For
de? of Uriah he had carried into his house would never' take notice of the tense: "The Lord  heath forgiven
depart from it. It would abide and sadden his life           thee." Nathan knew; for  `God had told him. And
and fill his soul with a&ish by its repeated killings        therefore there was no need of the prophet adding:
in his own family to his dying day. Absalom would            if thou truly repentest.    For the Lord knows the
slay  Amnon for the rape of  Tamar. Then Absalom,            heart. And He had instructed Nathan. And so the
as inflam.ed  by ambition, would attempt to push David       Lord still speaks to the contrite by His word as pro-
from the .throl!! and plunge all Israel in a bloody civil    claimed by His prophets and applied to their. hearts
war. For his treachery Adonijah would fall by the by Christ's Spirit : "I forgive thee." And here He puts
sword of Solomon.                                            the period. And so He cleansed David's heart from
    There was still  other evil that would rise up a-        its evil conscience and gave him peace.       With the
gainst him from his own house., Absalom would co:            burden of guilt lifted from his soul and `as tasting
habit with his concubines on the roof of the palace in ,lthe  forgi3eness of His God, David again sang from
plain sight of all Israel and before the s&. So would the hearts: "Blessed is lie whose ,transgression  is for-
the Lord. bring  &o the open the kind of sin that            given, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto
David had committed in secret in `order that all might -whom the `Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose
know that his transgressions were being visited upon spirit there is no guile."-Ps. 32  :l  an4  2.
him by the ,Lord. All would be the Lord's doing. For                                                  G. M. Ophoff
so it is written. "Behold, I will raise up evil against
thee. . .  ." And again: "I will take thy wives before
thy eyes. . . ." And finally: 5`1 will do this thing be-
{ore .a11 Israel.. . . ."
    To the flesh David had sown murder and adultery,                (Our God is good, and time shall prove
and it-is murder arid adultery that he must reap from                 His mercies ever. sure,
the flesh. For .when a man sows to, the flesh he reaps              And while the ages onward move
just what he sows, as well as when he sows in the soil -            His truth shall still `endure.


                              .            `
                                            f,-J.%-      STANDARD               B~A~RER                                   85i
                                                                                                  -                               ?
           W+heid met hare Vruchten                                   zich uitgaven voor .goede meesters. Het gaat in mijn
                                                                      tekst .@n in het verband  over betrekkingen in de kerk
             "Wie is  `wijs en  verstandig  onder U ?     Die  be-    van Christus. Deze brief is gericht  aan de  twaalf
           wijze uit zijn goeden  tiandel zijne werken  in,zacht-     stammen die in de verstrooing zijn, en daarin bedoelt
           .moedige wijsheid. Maar  indim  gij  bitteren  nijd en     Jacobus natuurlijk de gemeente van Jezus Christus,
           twistgierigheid hebt in  uw hart, zoo roemt  en liegt      de  .Nieuw-Testamentische  kerk. En het is ook duide-
           niet tegen de waarheid. Deze is de wijsheid niet,
           die van boven afkomt,  maar is  aardscli,  natuurlijk,     lijk, dat er veel te wenschen overbleef in de gemeenten          '
           duivelsch. Want  waar nijd en  ttiistgierheid  is, al-     aan wien Jacobus schreef. Sommigen, niet de' besten,
         daar is verwarring en  alle booze handel.  Maar  de          schreeuwden het hardst. En Jacobus' stelt hen allen
          .wijsheid die  va,n boven is, die is ten eerste  zuiver,    op den proef : Wie is'wijs en verstandig onder ulieden?
           daarna-vreedzaam,   bescheiden,  gezeggelijk, vol van      En dan zal Jaco6us zelf het aatwoord geven door- den
           .barmhartigheid  en van gdede  vruchten,  niet  partij-
           dig oordeelende, en ongevijnsd, en de vrucht der           Heiligen Geest die onfeilbaar in hem ,werkt.  En dau
           .rechtvaardigheid  wordt in `vrede gezaaid,  VOOP  de-     zal hij den dwazen meester  .ten voeten uit s,childeren
           genen  die vrede  maken."-Jacobus   3:13-N                 voor het oog der gemeente.. En dan zijn dit de zooge-
    Het  verband  van onze tekstwoorden-vinden we in naamde beste middelen @ie sommigen van hen gebruik-
 het eerste vers van dit hoof,dstuk. Daar had Jacobus ten, en de zoogenaamde beste wegen die sommigen van
 gezegd : "Zijt niet vele meesters, mijne broeders! we-               hen bewandelden tot het bereiken van het goede doel:
 tende dat wij te meerder oordeel zullen ontvangen," bitteren  nijd, twistgierigheid,  roemen niettemin, en
 En dan volgt zijn verhandeling van de .tong des men-                 liegen tegen de waarheid. De zoogenaamde wijsheid
 schen. Ja, die tong is een kostelijk werktuig voor een van sommigen dezer leiders is `gewogen door Jacobns
 goedeg  meester,  doch is tevens een vloek voor iemand               en te licht bevonden. Hij zal ons ook deti aard toonen
 ,dis ten onrechte zich als meester  ,opwerpt  in het Ko-             van deze wijshei-d. Ze is  drieBrlei: aardsch, natuur-
 ninkrijk Gods hier op  aarde, zooals dat Koninkrijk                  lijk, duivelsch. `Wel, we verwaehtten het ook. We
 aan het komen is in de kerk. Die tong wordt een toom                 konden bet, aardsehe, natuurlijke en het duive_lsche  al
 genaamd en een roer, ma& ook een vuur en een wjld                    ruiken  toen hij die wijsheid beschreef. Bittere nijd
 beest. Gebruikt ge Uw tong ten goede : wonderbaar ;                  is die ondeugd waar we het oog `werpen op de gaven
 doch indien ge die tong ten kivade gebruikt is zij` een              die de broeders ontvingen. En dan zegt het booze
 vuur en een wild beest gelijk. En dan zijt ge geen goe-              hart: ik moest die dingen hebben en hij niet. En dan
 de meester, want flan handelt en wandelt ge niet naar                volgt -daarop  : twistgierigheid. Twistgierigheid is een
 de wijsheid  IGods. Nu  waren  sommigen   meesters en leelijk ding. Het beteekent, dat men schik heeft om te
 twistten met andere menschen. En de vr.aag komt op :                 twisten.  * Sonis moeten we van elkander verschillen.
 wie is de wijze .en de verstandige  onder hen? En op                 Terwijl we hier op aarde zijn spreken we allen niet
 die vraag geeft mijn tekst het antwoord.                             hetzelfde. Maar we verlangen er we1 naar,. en daacom
    De eerste  yraag is:  Wat is de valsche wijsheid? hebben we nooit lust in strijden als zoodanig. Ja, we
 Om daar een antwoord op te vinden moeten we eerst                    zullen strijden, door Gods genade, den goeden  strijd
 vragen: wat is wijsheid? En dan is wijsheid, geheel                  des geloofs, en in dien strijd zijn w6 ook zalig, -doch
 algemeen genomen: de beste middelen gebruiken, en                    eeti ware Christen heeft geen &hik in `t  twisten als
 de beste wegen bewandelen tot bet bereiken van het                   zoodanig. Doch de twisgierige wel. Er zijn menschen
 goede doel. En zoo zien we, dat de wijsheid absoluut                 die sehik hebben om met den broeder overhoop  te lig-
 noodig is om een  goede  meester te zijn. (Oni  men-                 gen. En dat  soort beschrijft  Jacobus hier. En dan
 schen te leiden heeft men wiJcsheid noodig,. moet men komt dat roemen. 0, we hebben het allen we1 al .on-
 altijd de. b&te middelen beramen en de beste wegen                   dervonden. Misschien hebt ge het zelf  we1 gedaan.
. bewandelen ten einde het goede doe1 te bereiken, dat                Er is getwist en gestreden, en dan gingen we naar
 we ons gesteld hebben. Zelfs in ,de wereld waardeert huis, en dan moest een ieder het hooren: ik heb hem er
 men wijsheid. En als in de'wereld  iemand die zich als               flink van langs gegeven! Dat is de roem die' Jacobus
 meester en als leider  -uitgxf, verkeerde en kromme %op het oog heeft. En wat noemt de Apostel al dit
 wegen bewandelt, dan weigert omen zulk een dwaas                     goddelooze gedoe? Dit : dan liegen we tegen de yaar-
 te voigen. IGe begrijpt, dat als we van wijsheid spre-               heid. En  d&t is vreeselijke zonde.  Met andere  woor-
 ken in verband  met de goddelooze wereld, we niet het                den: we wisten heel  goed dat we kwaad deden, en
 Bijbelsche begrip van wijsheid op,het  oog hebben, doch              tech roemen?  Dat is liegen tegen de waarheid zooals
 de formeele wijsheid, zonder schoone en geestelijke in-              die sprak in het geweten, en die stem is -Gods stem.
 houd.  .Nu is het duidelijk, dat degenen die zich  op-               Neen, dat is niet,,de wijsheid die van boven is. Zij
 wierpen als. meesters in het v&band van mijn tekst,                  is aardsch, d.w.z.  laag, duister and vervloekt. De aar-


358                                Tf`Bl3  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

de is vervloekt, met alles wat op die aarde te voor-       .Ook daarvan is Jezus de Goddelijke Wijsheid. Dat
schijn komt, ook .die zoogenaamde wijsheid. -Dan is kunt ge lezen in dat zeer diepe deel der Colossenzen
zij ook natuurlijk, en dat ziet op het zondige vleesch,    brief, hoofdstuk i, de verzen 14-19: En bestudeer dan
het gescheurde losgerukte vleesch dat in disharmonie vooral' het laatste gedeelte van het 16de vers, waar
leeft en zich openbaart tegenover ,God die het schiep.     staat, dat alle dingen zijn door Jezus en tot Jezus ge-
En eindelijk noemt  de. Heilige Geest deze wijsheid        schapen. #God deed alle dingen met het oog op Jezus
`duivelsch, en dat doet de deur dicht. Deze wijsheid       als de  centrale wijsheid van Zijn  Goddehjken  Raad.
is de wijsheid die Satan gebruikte,' en. het resultaat. Leest ook Spreuken 8, .waar ge zult hooren jubelen van
is, dat hij  verworpen werd. Hij bereikte het goede        die Wijsheid, waardoor God tot Zijn heerlijk- en lief-
doe1 niet. Hij had het gemunt op den troon `Gods,  doch    lijk doe1 komt, het doe1 namelijk, om straks een groote
het einde van hem en zijn wijsheid is, ,dat hij terecht    en lieflijke wereld te- hebben staan voor Zijn aange-
zal komen in de poel die brandt van vuur en sulfur.        zicht, een wereld van schoone  schepselen, menschen
En zoo zai het gaan met hen die de aardsche, natuur-       en engelen die al maar zullen zingen tot lof en prijs
lijke en * duivelsche wijsheid gebruiken als middelen      van Hem die op den troon zit en bet Lam. Leest,  het
tot het bereiken van hun doel.                             in Openbaringen, waar we gedurig die groote schare
       Wat is dan de ware wijsheid? We komen uit een' zien, zingende en lovende ,God. Nu dan; die wijsheid
benevelde sfeer. Ik ben blij, dat ik klaar ben met dat     woont  rel'atief- ook in elk Christen. En dan kan die
eerste deel. We- treden nu in een zonnige, lieflijke en    man het  weten,  .want  Jacobus zal haar beschrijven.
helder klare atmosfeer van Gods genade., Daar zullen Zij is eerst zuiver. D,at past, want God is de Zuivere
we hooren zingen van een wijsheid die' van uit den         bij uitnemendheid. Het beteekent, dat er geen valsche
hemel,  die vanuit bet hart Gods ons tegenschijnt. Ja- bestanddeelen in zijn. En dan vreedzaam. De wijs-
cobus gaat schrijven over de wijsheid die van boven is.    heid die van boven is heeft het op den vrede gemunt.
Toont ons allereerst dat er ook goede meesters waren       God ook. Hij ,heeft vrede gemaakt in het -bleed van
in de gemeenten waaraan hij schreef. {Goddank, er Zijn lieven Zoon. Nu dan, als die deugd van wijsheid
zijn altijd van die goede meesters, van die goede lei-     in U woont, dan zult gij het ook openbaren, want dan
ders geweest, en in alle eeuwen. `En voor hun bestwil' zult ge trachten om vrede te houden met een `iegelijken
en tot hunne onderwijzing schrijft hij. En dat .niet       mensch, zooveel in U is. IGe zult geen genot hebben in
alleen; hij schrijft Goddank ook Poor U en voor mij, twist en krakeel, doch in het betrachten van de waar-
Welnu dan, laat ons aandachtig naar hem luisteren. heid  zult ge trachten om mensch  aan mensch en
De wijsheid$ de goede wijsheid is allereerst van boven.    mensch aan `God te doen kleven. IGe zult vrede verkon-
Dat beteekent eenvoudig, dat die deugd van'wijsheid        digen in het bloed van Christus. ,Ook is ze gezeggelijk,
een Goddelijke deugd is. #God is -de wijsheid Zelve.       een kostelijke karaktertrek van de IGoddelijke  wijs-
Zijn'geheele Wezen is de wijsheid. IGod is Zijn deug- heid. Als men U aanraakt zult ge niet direct U schrap
den. En dan beteekent het in God, dat Hij altijd de        zetten, doch zult ge teederlijk, zacht U openbaren.  Een
be&e middelen gebruikt en de beste wegen bewandelt gezeggelijk mensch wil luisteren, kan luisteren. En
om tot Zij-n heerlijke doeleinden te komen. En het als men met goede' argumenten komt, zal zulk eels
centrale einddoel van al Gods werk en doen .is de ver-     mensch zich dan ook geven. Dat is de gezeggelijkheid
heerlijking.van  Zijn Naam. Daaraan wordt alles on-        van de Goddelijke wijsheid. Met de waarheid kan men
derworpen.      Hij schept `en . herschept, Hij- leidt en U dan gemakkelijk overwinnen, en zult ge verkeerde
stuurt en onderhoudt, Hij toprnt en bemint, Hij vloekt. ideen laten varen. En in het algemeen is zij vol van
en zegent, met slechts &%u doe1 voor oogen, ,en dat is     barmhartigheid en goede vruchten. Let op die  ge-
de glorie van Zijn naam. Dat kunt ge overal in Gods nerale trekken.          Vooral in het verband  waar sprake
Woord lezen, doch vooral in het eerste hoofdstuk van was van hardigheid des harten die zich openbaarde in
Paulus' brief aan die van Efeze. Leest dat hoofdstuk twisten en krakelingen, met het gevaar dat men el-
eens met de vraag in `t hart: waarom heeftt [God alles     kander verwoesten zou. Daar tegenover kan de ge-
gedaan? In de tweede plaats, de Goddelijke wijsheid meente zich vergasten aan deze beschrijving van de
is daarom dan ook Jezus Zelf. Hij wordt immers de wijsheid. Bovendien, zegt  Jacobus, is zij niet  partij-
wijsheid Gods en de kracht Gods geheeten in I Car.         dig oordeelende, en ongeveinsd. Het maakt geen ver-
1 ? En dat is o zoo duidelijk. Het is vooral Jezus die     schil voor den wijze wie de waarheid verkondigt, wie
als Gods middel en weg moet dienen tot het bereiken de waarheid voorstaat : een wijs mensch voegt zich bij
van ,Gods centrale doe1 van Zelf-verheerlijking. Daar- hen. Hij oordeelt niet partijdig. Die de waarheid,
om zegt ,Jezus: Ik ben de Weg, de Waar,heid en het         en dat is God, bemint, die is zijn vriend en metgezel.
Leven. _ Dat is zelfs waar van de geschapene dingen.' Ook weet ge altjd wat ge  aan  den-w&e  hebt. Hij


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                                .      TH,E  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                     359

komt niet met uitwendig- gelaat bij U. Een wijs
mensch is oprecht en veinst met. 0, God gave ons die                 C O N - I - R I B U T I 0 N . S   -  -
wijsheid.
    En eindelijk nog de vruchten van beide de godde-
l'ooze wijsheid en van .de `Goddelijke wijsheid.                             DLSCORD  OR UNITY
    We zullen beginnen met de vruchten van de valsche           The Synod has just passed the  Decl'aration,  and
wijsheid.                                                   now again we hear that there will be protests against
    Doch eerst willen we U ergens anders bij bepalen:       it in 1953. That could lead to separation or ruin.
Wij zijn zaaiers. Daar kunnen we nimmer  aan ont-               It certainly is a bad thing that the combined con-
komen. Dat blijkt hier ook. De tekst spreekt immers         sistories of 1927 did not adopt a declaration of prir-
van  zaad' en van vrucht? Wie gij ook zijt die dit          ciples at that time, before our first students became
lee& mijzelf en alle menschen ingesloten; gij  ge- ministers. Now you see the result of that mistake.
bruikt of die goddelooze `wijsheid en zult storm oog-           The only thing that we as true members can do to
sten, of ge gebruikt de Goddelijke wijshei,d en ge zult save our beautiful Protestant Reformed truth, is to
vrede oogsten. Wat zal het zijn?                            go back to the truth of 1925-not  laying a new foun-
   Nu -dan, wat is de vrucht op het leven der valsche       dation, but reenforcing  our first foundation, and fas-
wijsheid ? En Jacobus zegt : verwarring en alle booze ten it on black and white, so that it will be legal; Then
handel. Dat was te verwachten. De oorsprong van de we can get somew,here  and the great confusion would
aardsche,  natuurlijke en duivelsche wijsheid is niet be over.
van boven  doch vanuit de  he1 komt zij ons toe. Nu             It would be the duty of every one of our ministers
weten we wat vrucht Satan had op zijn goddeloos to preach the Protestant Reformed truth wherein
werk: verwarring: Het had uit met de rechte lijnen they have been instructed in our school, and stand
en de  rechte verhoudingen. Hij werd met zijn  dui-         on the foundation on which we stood in 1925.
velen  uit den  hemel geworpen, en straks zal hij de            But how shall the church demand of their mini+
verwarring der  he1 oogsten. En die hem volgen  kun- ters to,preach only that truth, if we have no declara-
nen hetzelfde verwachten. Ontvangen er nu al een tion of that truth'? The church must certainly have
voorsmaak van. Waarom  is er ,zooveel verwarring in that on black and white, so that they can point oufy
het menschenleven vandaag? Wanwaar die vreeselijke that truth to them. And they have no right to- preach
verwarring in het leven der volken der aar.de? Het anything else, nor write, nor contradict ,this doctrine.
is omdat ze de Satanische wijsheid betracht hebben (Otherwise, we ,as Protestant Reformed (Churches can
in het menschenleven ; en de Goddelijke Wijsheid, ea        not -be. bound together as one, nor prevent any one
dat is Jesus, hebben ze den- rug toegekeerd. En het         of our ministers from departing from that truth. For
einde is alle booze handel. En de geschiedenis  der' all our churches have been organized on that truth,
wereld is een commentaar op deze woorden. Maar hoe and they should and must be able to keep it. There-
anders is het met den Christen die de IGoddelijke  wijs-    fore; we should have a declaration of all the points of
heid mag gebruiken door  ,Gods genade over hem?             the doctrine of our confessions.
Luistert !, En de vrucht der rechtvaardigheid wordt            Yes, we have the Three Forms of Unity-&o  do the
in vrede gezaaid  voor degenen die vrede  maken.   Is, other churches. But they interpret them in their own
het niet om van te zingen? Laat ons eens zien; Het          way, as they please.' And they all say, "This is the
zaad is de gerechtigheid. En dst is het goede te doen,      truth," or "This is the meaning of the confessions,"
te denken  en te spreken. Dat doet God, dat deed Jezus, even though they contradict each other.
en door XGeest en Woord doet IGods volk het ook. ,Dat          Therefore, this. brings  LB  to another question.
is de heiligmaking. En zij zaaien de  gerechtigheid When we made confession of faith in our churches,
in vrede. Dat wil zeggen, dat.ze  met God wandelen          we also answ,ered "yes" on the first and second ques-
in hun heiligmaking. Er is harmonie tusschen hun tion that was asked of us, -if we have "resolved by
hart en ,Gods hart. Door het bleed en door de genade        the grace of God to adhere to this doctrine, to reject
van Jezus Christus. En al hun actie is vrede maken.         all heresies repugnant thereto, and to lead a new and
Dat doet God, dat deed  Christus aan Zijn kruis, en         godly life." `Now if we do not have this doctrine of
dat doet Gods volk  alle de dagen huns levens door          our `Protestant Reformed truth on black and white,
(Gods  genade. Wat onuitsprekelijke zaligheid !             how shall we reject all heresies repugnant thereto?
                                             G .   v o s    Because of the many wrong interpretations of the
                  .i,                                       confessions and Scripture, we must `have our decla-
                         a  jg  pJ  pJ'&                    ration of it.

                                                                                                ./
                                                                              .


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                 I            _                I                  -----`
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                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R -   .
                      --.-L--                                                                                          -
    Now, how shall I do my duty to fulfill my answer                   But that does not- mean at all, that women slzou!d
to the three. questions that was asked of me, when I             have the righ.t to. rule. Nor that they should partake
made confession of faith, if I have no right to per-             in any discussion; nor teach, or try to use any power
form it? Is it also not getting high time for the men            over any man in the church. "Let all things be done
to bow down before the living God (not before  th;" decently and in order."
women), and give the woman the right to perform her                    If I may have a little space again in the next S.B.
duty? For the woman is just as responsible before                I would like to say more about this, and some more
Cod as the man to fulfill her duty; since she answered           p r o o f s .
"yes" on those three questions. And-yet, she cannot                    The men` certainly do not gain anything at all by
vote, nor say `yes' or `no' to *God in the `things pertain-      forbidding the women to vote.
ing to the church and for the welfare of her own soul,                 We should all be of one accord, for there is no joy
and for the welfare of her children, in case of a wi-            and love in division among ourselves, but only.in unity
dow, or if her  .husband is an unbeliever. And she               through the Holy Spirit. `That we be "likeminded,
cannot even choose those that shall be her overseers             having the same love, being of one accord, of one
and pastors to teach her in the truth that is "taught            m i n d ", - P h i l .   2-9.
here in this Christian church."                                        For, "There is neither Jew or Greek, there is nei-
    We are all responsible before the living God, what           ther bond nor free, there is neither male nor female :
we vote for and what we do in the things pertaining to           f,or ye are all one in Christ Jesus."-Gal. 3 :28. "
the church.  .`Think of Ananias and his wife: Each                          "If ye know these things, happy are ye, if ye do
was called apart to answer yes or no to God about                them."-John. 13  :17.
what they had done about money matters, (or their                                                      Yours in the Lord,
budget) if they had been true to God in those things                                                                  Dorothy De Vries
too. Ananias was not held responsible for his wife,
buot she also had to cast her vote and answer yes or no,               _       E     ,                  m -
for it concerned her own soul..                                                                                                           /
    In Acts we read that when a congregational meet-                                 Thou, 0 Christ, art all I want;
ing.was  called, there came a multitude of people. And                                    Boundless love in thee I find:
the Apostles would tell them what should be done, also                               Raise the fallen, cheer the faint,
in calling men to teach and work in the church. "And                                      Heal the sick, and lead the blind.
the saying pleased the whole multitude : and they chose                              Just and holy is thy name ;
Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit."                                 ,. I am all unrighteousness,
.-Acts 6  :5.                                                                        Vile and full of sin I am ;
  That there also were women among those multi-                                           Thou, art full of truth and grace.
tudes is clear from Acts 1:14, 15 : "They all continued
with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the
women and Mary, the mother of ,Jesus, and with his                                               El  El  El  El  El
brethren." And' in Acts 5 :14 we read : "And `the be-
lievers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes              TEACHER' WANTED-the 1st Protestant Reformed
both of men and women." Don't you think that is the              School of  Redlands will be in need of a teacher for
same multitude that chose Stephen and the other men,             the lower grades one through four. Mail application
in Acts  6:2-4? Did the women also not receive the               to
Holy Spirit, so that they were one with the' men, in                                                         John Kimm
the Lord?              ' .                                                                                   Rt. 1, Box 13-D
    Those were real and beautiful congregational meet-                                                    Redlands, California.
ings which were also used to instruct the people in the
truth. That would mean that all ,the members of our
church, men and women should come to the congrega-
tional meeting. Whatever the  .consistory.  had, that
they wanted to bring before the meeting, could be                              Know that the Lord is God alone;                 /
voted on by'all, or be discussed, also the names of men                             `He. made us and will keep,
for ministers, elders or deacons, Women also should                            For His we are;and not-our own,
vote.                              .                       -7
                                                    j  ikjsi,                       His people and His sheep.


