          V"&ME  XXIX                          . NOVEMBER 1, 1952  - GRAND  RAPIDS, MICHIGAN                             NUMBER 3

                                                                             shotild follow the pattern of another, in this case, the
             M E D I T A T I O N                                             living God Himself.
                                                                                Also, it is entirely in harmony with the name and
                                                                             bein& of those to whom Pail1 wrote, because they are
                                                                             God's beloved children. Incidentially,  that should be
                         followers Of God                                    the translation: not `"dear children" but "beloved chil-
                  Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear chil-            dren". The same word is used here' as when God
                dren; and walk in l.ove,  as Christ alF;o hath loved us,     called from heaven at Christ's baptism.
                and.  hs;th given  I-Iimself for us,  &n  offesng  and a        The idea is therefore that t-he Ephesians are the . '
                sacrifice to  .God  for a  swe;st;mellin,g  savour.  E       beloved children of God: They are loved f?om all eter-
                                                      -Ephesiaps  5 :l, 2    nity. In that love He begat them in Christ Sesus the
          The Word of ~God comes to us in this text with the                 Lord, so that after their new-birth they are His image-
striking injunction to be followers of IGod. I call this bearers in & very special sense, in the sense namely,
a. striking injunction, and well I may. For  ,God is ,that they are made-to conform to the image of God's
God; He is the Almighty,  IOmniscient, Everywhere-                           Son, so that He might be the First-born among many
-present, Immutable God. And I am so  ins,ignificant                         brethren. Paul means to say to, the EphesianS: You
that I a& called a particle of dust on the balances, ,a                      aze beloved, you are God's children, you bear the im-
drop in the bucket. Besides, !: am sinful- and God-is                        age of the heavenly?
holy and perfect and good. How then, shall I imitate                            How entirely fitting, therefore, .&ha% you also should
God ?.                                                                       act and think .-and speak was your F&her in heaven.
          The connection of these verses with the foregoing                  Indeed, be ye followers of  `God! Imitate  IJim in all
you find in .the last clause of the last verse of the pre-                   your life, as beloved children., Let that life of yours
ceding chapter. There we read': "forgiving  oile an-                         be a proof that you belong to IGod as your Father in
other, even as  ,God for Christ's sake hath forgiven                         heaven !
y o u . "                                                                       And the imitation of God's life is carried forward
          In other words: the apostle holds up the action of                 in the text by the statement :. `&and walk in love !"
the living God as a ptittern  to strive after. `God fo?-                                                                        i z
gave you for Christ's sake.  .Therefore, be sure and
forgive one another !                                                           Three questions present themselves here: What is
          That-thought Paul carries fdrward in these woi-ds.                 a &an's walk ; what is the mealling  of love ; and what
It is in the form df an admonition: Be-ye followers of                       does it mean to- walk in love?                                .'     //
God! And you' should do so the more since  you are                              A  man's walk is his life.  The.  `Grc&wor-cl.--hel*e-'
His beloved children, The child should resemble its                          means ,to walk about. In a-thousa%.JFaces,  ,the Bible
father,                                                                      refers to our life as our w`alk, our conversation, our                ;
     E                         *  a  a  *                                    way or our path.
                           '  -                                               And mark you w.ell,. not our life only as it becomes
  To be followers of God : what does it `mean?                               manifest  iri our acts and works, because that is the
          The- word .translated "followers" is liter&lly : "im-              least important of our life. That part of life is very
itators". And the meaning is simply that we should sdeceiving. A -man-is -often not as he reveals himself.
a do the same things as thi! one -whom we imitate. W.e                       0 no,. -but we are liars from our yput!+, all of US ! ,Of-


               50`                           -         T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

               ten we have. a ,smile on' the face but a curse in the          o? .perfectness  &ncl ,the being' knit together, we come
               heart ! You  caanc$`..trust the face, the speech, the to-the conclusion that love is a cleaving, a b@ing knit
               hand,; and feet. of &an. Especially is this true when          .t.ogether   in. the  sphere of  perfectioh.  If we love a
               you, arc5 $pe'aking: of a @oncept such as love ! To walk       body we havk an ipmost-desire to be united to that
               in ~Q?&;l~e'ans  .&it of.`all something entirely diffkrent     body, we seek that body and cleave to it. Thus there
               fro&`%ction a&$peechi  This becomes still 1nor.e.  eyi-        is a cJeavin&, a being bound tog&her in God, for He
               dent  whew- we+:&e the-  conhection  of the. text. We          is-called Love. It is the very ess$nce of the Covenant
               rnL;$ .bje; kind &i%`_forgiGing  to orie another and thus *God for love is ,the bond of .perfectness.
               becor$`~itiitator~~of   (J&l. Now, forgiving is not first         .Now, to walk in love certainly means .&at this bontl
               of all a matter of action and words, but `it is very de-       of perfectness must dwell in our hearts.         In  ather
               finitely ,a question of the thoughts of the heart !            words, God must dwell. in our hearts, must be seated
                      First, therefore, your walk is y&r life as you live     on the throne of my heart if I am going to walk in
               is from the heart. You-may say that as your heart is           love. Therefore, it can only be done by those  that
               so you are. If you are hateful in the heart and bear           are the beloved children of (God. To give this injunc-
               an ugly grudge against your fellow-men or your God,            ition to a child of the devil is -nons&se.    How could a
               you -are a hater, no matter how sweet your smile may           man that is full of hate love God and his neighbour?
               be and no matter how honeyed your words may sound.                Do you not see that the admonition of the text is
               As the heart is, so is the man. And from the heart are         a direct appeal  .to the wondFrfu1  work of God's Holy
               the issues of life.                                            Spirit in the heart of ~God's people? Paul says to the
                      Moreover, we have `td do with `God first of all. And    Ephesians: You are children of God, much beloved
               His word' tells us that He does not accept the face of         from all  etkrnity. As  ,&&I the love of  <God,   thafi is,
               man. No, but He trieth the hearts and beholdeth                God Himself lives in your hearts. And for that rea-
               every man's heart to see of what kind it is. You can-          son I come to ydu, Ephesians, and admonish. you: live
               not keep your heart hidden- from Him even if you               from xthe heart out of the principle of love, love to-
               tried. He knows all our heart and the secrets within.          wards God and love towards the ,brethren.
                      Behind every thought,. word and deed lies that heart
               of ours and at that exact point starts your ,life and                                 *`
                                                                                                             *  *  a
               your walk. As the heart is so will the walk be. Your              But we know that such wonderful life is not  iti
               heart therefore also determines where you ultimately           harmony with every clay life of reality. We find
               will. gd. We can  see that now in the direction  my            hatrecl and  mal+e and strife, also in the church of  '
               heart is going. If our heart is heavenly minded and            God. We are simmers even after-we are born of God.
               God-centered, you are traveling to heaven. If you are          There is but a very `small principle of that new love
               hateful as the devil in your heart, you are traveling          of .God. For the Christians are not as yet perfected.
               to hell. Your heart will find you out.in the day when          But in spite of all that, we-would maintain that when-
               the Lord shall turn the hearts of man iriside out, and         ever you do not walk in love as- outlined above, you
               ,then it will. be clearly shown whether heaven fitted you      are very miserable and your heart will tell you that
               all your days on earth, `or whether hell was your fit-         you live not in harmony with the IGod you worship.
               ting dwelling place, even while you walked dn earth            The principle of the walk in love which is founcl in
               with a smile on your face.                                     the meanest Christian is so strong that it permeates
                      Secondly, your walk .also comprises your actions,       your every endeavour, be it ever,so  far removed from
               actions of speech and actions of works. We may put             the glorious .ideal of my text. And whenever you de-
               it this way: Your walk is your lif,e as it starts in the       part. from the golden road of love of God you will
               heart and bears fruit in word and deed, in relation to         notice it and you will deplore it in a grieving heart.
               all and everything that meets you bn the w&y. That
                                                  .                              Therefore, Christians, whether you be strong or
               is your walk.  .-                                              weak, attend to this : because of the-very sin that be-
     =-=;..
            `
               .--+&z-second
                          -_    1  question we were to ask ourselves is:
                                 - - -                                        sets you every day, this admonition must. be preached
               what is love?          +-..-I,  -.                             and  prekched again and again. Its beautiful ideal
                      In gene& we may s~~~that  God is love. The Bible        must be dinned into onr ears from morning to night
               has said so very simply and beautifully. And in boll.          so that we may haply convert ourselves by the Lord's
0              3 :14 love,,is called the bond of perfectness. And ,601l.      grace over and in us from all the hatred ,of the devil
               Coil. 2 :2 we read of being knit together in love. Love which is ever remaining against our will in us until
               is there the state of being knit together. The same            our dying hour. Therefore Christians, be followers `of
               idea therefore as when love is dalj&. a-bond. If  .we          God, walk in love, because you are. Peloved  children
               put these two thoughts together,, namely, the bond             of God!                  ~.
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                                                     THE  STA.Nf)ARD  B E A R E R '                                                    51

               And for our comfort and emulation the Lord has               it in your life, of love and lovingkindness. For that
        given us a wonderful example of such walk in love.                  is the whole thrust of the verse.
        Read the text : as Christ hath loved `us, andhath given                And tihy do we do that as Christians?
        Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God!                     The text says,: .f`unto God a sweetsmelling savour".
              Attend unto the real meaning of this stupendous`                 That is why [Christ gave Himself for us a sacrifice
        truth: Christ hath loved us! Well, that means that                  and  offer'ing  He became through all that  labour of
        Christ is knit together-with the persons who are called             His soul a sweetsmellin*g savour to God, His Father.
        "~1s" jn the text.                                                      When we hate one another we surely are no sweet-
                                                                            smelling savour (to God. In such things the name of
        '       How rich is that commentary of `the Word of IGod            God is slandered. And thus we` are living contrary to
        of that  contiept.   Christy hath  lov'ed  us.  That does not       the purpose of our creation and our regeneration. The
        mean that He loved everyone. For He did not. Note                   purpose why `God created man on. the earth is that
       how Christ Himself speaks of this trcth in His high-                 He might be glorified in them.
        priestly prayer: I in them and Thou in Me, that :they
        may be made perfect in one ! He tells us that He re-                    And now we know, that God will be glorified.whe-
        cgived His people fro& the Father, because they were                ther we praise %Iim and love our brethren or not. He
        His. He tells us that He prays for them, not for the                is glorified in our damnation as well as in our salva-
        world. Surely, Jesus loves `the elect of the Father                 tion. !See the example of PharBoh: For this purpose,
        that are given t6 Him into His safekeeping.                         saith God, have I raised the,n, up, that I might show My
                                                                            pow&r  in thee, and that My name might be declared
                And He has proved that love.                                thr,oughqut  all the earth. But t.he point of the text
                1~ history the children of ,God that were the be-           is this : The children of God must love ! <God  is glori-;
       `loved from all eternity, became children of wrath even              fied in His children in that they are His imagebearers!
        as the others. We hated God, eyen as-we hat,ed His                  Therefore, He admonishes ,$hem to love! Answer the
        Son. And we,showed  that hatred in ali our hearts and               question for yourselves : do I love God .and my bre-
        minds and ways. But Jesus ever saw the image of the                 thren for His nanie's sake? If you do;`iyou  are a be-
        Father in His sheep. ,Christ has a view of the sheep,               loved child of *God: and if you do not: you are still
        the elect, which is beautiful-and glorious. He beholds              in your sins alid living from the motive of hatred 2nd
        the sheep in the  palms..of  the Father's hands. And                malice of.the devil. And may God htive mercy on your
        that image is wonderful and glorious. And it is His                 soul !
        very work to make us .as .we are in those hands of the                  Why did Jesus give Himself for His people an of,
        Father.                                                       :     fering atid a sacrifice?
                Therefore,  -when the holiness and the righteousness            It was because He wanted to be`unto ,God a s,weet-
             of the Father demanded' satisfaction for the sin and           smelling savour. That is the same as goodple'asure.
        the guilt of His sheep, the clinging, knitting and cleav-           The Lord God. was pleased when He saw Himself in
             ing love of God kept Him united to His sheep in their          the Saviour' giving Himself unto. death for His people
        misery. We  hear of it in Isaiah's prophecy: In al!                 from the motive of love, His own love. ,God recoghized
      .~ their afflictions He was afflicted. Christ proved His              His own love in the love of Christ for His sheep.
             love for His sheep in that He became an offering and
             a sacrifice for ,them.                                           . The Lord was pleased when He saw that love in
                                                                            Jesus was stronger than death, mightier than everlast-
                Sacrifice and offering are the two words th& tell
             us of the terrible suffering of Christ, in the body and        ing damnation and the curse which were heaped,upon
             in the                                                         His defenseless head. IGod saw Jesus going under
                        soul,  for time and for the taste of a suffering    in the waves and billows of the burden of His `wrath.
        that is *eternal.                                                   He was knit together with His shee@ and He never
                And therein is the love of ,God manifested, shown           once let them go. He gave His life for the sheep. It
             to us, `naniely, :that Jesus willingly gave Himself to be      was the only sacrifice that really pleased God. For it
             an offering and a sacrifice for us.               - -          was motivated by perfect love.
                That is our example.                                            And so we are called upon to love. Not only .those
                Look strongly on Jesus. and see how He loved us,            that love us. That is easy. Even the sinners dd that.
             dying the accursed death for the elect while they were         But we must love when we are sinned against. We
             yet sinners, while some of them still hated Him, oBe           must love when we are shamefully treated. We must
             of them even denying Him with an oath.                         bless when we are  .cursed. We  .must pray for  the&
                Look strongly at Jesus and begin to try and mea-            that persecute.us. Then we shall manifest the.love  of
             sure the length and the breadth and the depth of that          God. Then we are imitators of ,God.
             love  as  shown  at  .Calvary.  i-30  that you may emulate                      -:::.
                                                                                              `,.. .                      G.  Vos;~
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      52                                                                    T H E   STANDARD.  B E A R E R                                                - - -


                               THE STANDARD BEARER                                                         -:                       :E  D I T 0  R I  AWL S
               Semi-monthly, except monthly in July and Au&St-
            Published by the  Refoimed  Free Publishing Association
                   Box 124, Station C.., Grand Rapids 6, Michigan                                                            The Promise Accokkng to the Confessions
                            EDITOR  - Rev. Herman Hoeksema
          Communications relative to contents should be addre'ssed                                                             But if, as the Baptism Form so plainly teaches,
            to Rev. H. Hoeksema, 1139 Franklin. St., S. E., Grand                                                         salvation and the promise of `God unto salvation are
            Rapids 7, Michigan.
            All matter relative to subscription should be addressed                                                       absolutely sovereign and unconditional, can wk still
            to Mr. J.  Bouwman,  1350 Giddings Ave., S. E., Grand                                                         preach  the gospel, and maintain the responsibility of
            Rapid; 6, Michigan. Announcements and Obituaries must                                                         m a n ?
            be mailed to the abov& address and will be published at a
          fee of $1.00 for each notice.                                                                                        ,So some of us seem to think
          Renewals:- Unless a definite request for discontinuance.                                                             Now it is strikink  that in virtually all ,the protests
          is received,' it is assumed that the subscriber wishes the
            subscription to continue without the formality of a re-                                                       that were lodged against us in 1924 this same accusa-
          newal order.                                                                                                   - tion was found. Van Baalen, VZnd&r  Mey, Schans,`$ll
                               Subscription  price: $4.00 per year                                                        accused us that we could not preach the gospel suf-.
          Entered as Second Class mail at Grand Rapids, Michigan                                                         y ficitintly and fully, and that we coeld  not and did not
                                                                                                                          maintain the responsibility of man, and eveil that we
                                                                                                                          niade ~Gocl ,the author of sin.. These accusations were
                                                                                                                          baked on the fact that we denied. common grace. And,
                                                                                                                          so the accusers argued, if common grace was denied,
                                           C O N T E N T S                                                                the responsibility of man could not be mainlained,
     MEDITATION-                                                                                                          and the gospel could not. be sufficienty and fully preach-
              Followers of God . . . . .  :. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49                                     ed. . The Synod of 1924 did not consider these charges,
                 Rev. G. Vos                                                                                              because they said they could not judge my preaching
     EDITORIALS-                                                                                                          of the gospel. Ye:. it is evident from the First Point
              The  Promise  According  to the Confessions . . .  52
                  Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                        of 1924 that they sustained even these charges. For
     TAB.  TRIPLE   KNOWLBDGE-                                                                                            if you take the First Point in connection with its proof
              An Exposition of the Heidelberg Catechism . . . . . . . . . 55                                              from Scripture and from the Confessions, it is very
                  Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                        clear, as we have always maintained, that -the hea?t            I
     OF BOOKS-                                                                                                            uf the First Point is after all that the gospe!  is a well
              The  Minor  Prophets--Lange's  Comme~tnry  . . . . . . . . . . 58                                           -meaning o8er of salvation on. the part of God to all
             -  The  Art of  Praying  and Speaking in Public--by  H.  Lockyer . 58                                        that hear. It is not striking, ,then, that nbw we hear
     V A N   BOEXEN-                       .      _
              Moeder,  Zeg me eens . .  .--&or   Gera   Kruan+.d.  Berg                                                   the same aceu'sations, and that too from some in OLU
                     en D. K. Buli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58     own midst? To me it means that they no longer re-
              *De  Zege is hem  Beschorq-door  Ds. D.  Sikkel . .  58                                                     pudiate the First Point of 1924 together with all its
                 Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                         proof from the Confessions and from the `Scriptures.'
     OUR  DOCTRINE-                                                                                                       And, I am sorry to say, b& it is a fact nevektheless,
              G o d 's Providence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59        that I am convinced that in 1924 they would have a-
                 Rev. H. Veldman                                                                                          g&ed on this point no: with us,-but with our accusers.
              De  Vreedzamen Zaliggesproken .  .`. . . . . . . . . . . 63
                 Rev. G. Vos                                                                                              And so would the Liberated.
     IN  HIS  FEAR-                                                                                                           Besides, the accusation itself is characteristically
              Looking to the Future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65                                      Arminian: ex  zcnpue  lio?zem,-you  recognize the  lion
                 Rev. H. C. Hoeksema                                                                                      by it.s paw. Always the Arminians have accused Re-
     THE DAY OF  SHADOWS-                                                                                                 formed thelogiajns, whether they were infra- or supra-
              Absalom's   M u r d e r   o f   Amnon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67          lapsari&,  of denying the  ,responsibility  of man,  o-f
             Absalom Recalled . . . . . . . . . . ..I............................ 68
                 R e v :   G .   M .   Ophoff                                                                             making God .t.he author of sin, and .of being incapable
     F                                                                                                                    of preaching a full gospel..
      ROM HOLY WRIT-
              Exposition of I Peter  1:4,5 ..: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71                   But there is no truth in this accusation  whatso-   _
                 Rev. G. C. Lubbers                                                                                       ev'er.
     CONTNBUTION-                                                                                                             The same accusation can be lddged,  provided that
              Doctrinal in the Wrong Sense ..s . . . . . . #.a ..,,.............. 72                                      you nourish a wrong conception of the responsibility
                      J. H.  K0rterir.g  Holland,  Mich.                                                                  of man, against practically the whole line of Reformed
                                                                                                                          theology.- Thus, they say, if you maintain an uncon-


                                           T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                          53

   ditional and sovereign election, you deny the responsi-         with all our mind, and wi+h all our strength ; that we
   bility of man and cari proclaim the gospel only unto the        forsake the world, crucify mr old nature, and walk
   elect. Thus, they say again, if you maintain that man           in a, new and holy life. And if we sometimes through
   is conceived and born in sin, that he is guilty because         weakness fall into sin, we must not therefore despair
   of Adam's sin, and that lie is corrupt because of his           of God's mercy, nor continue in sin, sirice hap'-ism is a
   organic connection with the human race, you cannot              seal'and undoubted testimony that we have an eternal
   maintain the responsibility of man, neither is it of any        covenant of grace wilth. `God."
   use to preach the gospel t;o a simmer that is completely           The unconditional establishment of God's covenant
d e a d   i n   s i n . For how can you maintain individual        with 
   respqnsicbility if every man is dead in sin from his                     us bi no means ,destroys  the responsibility of
                                                                   man, but Tather make him responsible in the highest
   birth? The "same accusation is  loclged against Re-             sense of the word ; renders him not sovereignly free,
   formed theologians on the score of absolutely free              but free in the highest sense Jo which a creature can
   justification by faith. If a man is justified without           attain, that is,  free. to love God with all his heart
   any work on his part, so they claim, it makes abso-             and mind and soul and strength. It renders hini re-
   lutely no difference whether he sins or not: let  us  con-      sponsible, nof for God's part, responsible, not in re-            `"
   tinue in sin, that grace may abound. Hence, they                gard to the queS;tion whether or not. <God  will bestow
   make man sovereign in his own domain. Responsi-                 grace upon him, a question which theli. is dependent
  , bility to `them means -`that man `is sovereignly free.         upon a condition as a prerequisite which he must ful-
   And by maintaining the2 conception of the responsi-             fill, but responsible for his part of the covenant of
   bility of man they destroy the sovereignty of God.              God. And the relation between those two parts of the
           This position al&lay at the root of the adoption        covenant is certainly not that of mutual stipulations
   of the First Point in 1924. If the gospel is not a              and conditions. But it is such that the realization of
   well-meaning offer of salvation on the part of God to           our part-of the covenant is the fruit of the-part which
   all men, if in ,that sense there is no common grace,            (2od fulfills in us and -through us. And that there is
   it is impossible t6 preach the full gospel and to main-         such a second part of the covenant possible is only be-
   tain the responsibility of man over against that gas-           cause IGod realizes ,His covenan:' in us and through L&J
   pel.                                                            not .as dead stocks and blocks, but as rational, moral
           But once more, I say, there is no truth, in this ac-    creatures.
   cusat.ion,  provided you maintain the i?orrect  responsi-          Thus, in the church of Christ the gospel can be
   bility of man; And that correct conception iS .not that         preached. Thus in that church that gospel can ad-
   responsibility presupposes sovereign freedom and pre-           monish believers, and, in fact, can admonish all that
   supj?oses conditions which man must fulfill in order            hear and all that are under the histor'ical  dispensation
   to have, God grant His salvation to him, but that man           of the coienant to cleave to this one God, Father, Son,
    is respbnsible in his- position as a creature, that is,        and Holy ;Ghost;to  trust in Him and love Him with all
   always in a dependent position..                                our hearts, with all our souls, with all .-our mind, and
           This is the.position also which the Baptism Form        with all our strength. Thus in the covenant of God
   assumes. For surely, in that second paragraph of the            we are placed before the obligation riot of the law as
   Baptism Form which we just discussed, salvation is              an external code and demand, but of the law of love,         _
   presented as being solely of `God and ai unco&itional.          of the law of perfect freedom and of highest respon-
   A conditional promise, a promise which iS dependent             $b>lity. Thus in our.part of the covenant of <God  as
   on something which mati must fulfill as a prerequisite          the fruit of God's establishing His covenant with us,
   `is no prdmise, to our fathers. Otherwise they could            we are admonished td live from the principle of re-
   never have maintained the validity of `infant baptism.          generation, antithetically in the midst of the world,
    For infants are in no position to fulfill any conditions       and to forsake it. Thus in our pai% of .:the covenant
   whatsoever.                                                     as a fruit of God's part., we are admqnish&l to crucify
           Nevertheless, in the third paragraph, which speaks      our old nature, to mortify the members of the body,
    of our part in the covenant of God, they maintain very         and to live in sanctification of life. however,  all this
   clearly and very beautifully the responsibility of man.         is not a condition for (God's part of the covenant. For
    There they teach: "Wh+ereas  in all covenants, there           even if we fall into sin+ we may nevertheless cling to
   are  contained~  It.wo parts: therefore are we by  *God         l$e unconditional gos&l and the unconditional promise
 _ through baptism, admonished of, and obliged unto new            of God, as sealed and confirmed in holy baptism, that
   obedience, namely, that we. cleave to this one God,             we have an eternal covenant of grace with IGod.
   Father, Son, -and Holy Ghost; that we trust in him,                Such is the pure Reformed position.
   and love him with all our hearts, with all our souls,              And this bositidn tve must certainly maintain a> a


  54                                             T H E   STANDAR,D   B E A R E R

  Protestant Reformed Church, if we:-`would  maintain fathers meant to convey by `this &16use. For, first of
our identity.  !  :                 s._                                            all, the clause, "so are they again received unto grace
        `,There  is still more .regarding  the promise in the                      in Christ," can mean nothing else than that by God
  beautiful  ..Baptism  Form.                                                      they are received into the ,&ate  of grace in Christ, in
        In the part-that intY;oduces  the do&&e of 6nfan.t                         others words, that they are'actually partakers of that
  baptism, we read- as follows: .,:, ' .-.c                   ..-'  :              grace in Christ.
        "And although our young children `do not under-                                           But secondly, notice ~the comparison implied in the
  stand  atliese things,  w,e may not therefore exclude                            entire ,$ause : "as t.hey are without their knowledge
  them from baptism, for as they are without their                                 partakers of the condemnation in Adam, so are they
  knowledge partakers of, the condemnation in Adam, so                             again received unto grace in Christ."
  are they again received unto grace in `Christ`; as ,Gocl                                        What ddes it mean that they  ,are  `Without  their
  speaketh unto Abraham,. the `father of all the fai:h-                            knowledge partakers  oft the condemnation in Adam?
  ful, and therefore unto us and our children  (,Gen.                              Does it mean that when they grow up and accept this
  17:7), saying, `I will establish my covenant between                             condemnation in Adam and walk iti the way of that
  me and thee, .and thy seed after thee, in their gener-                           condemnation, they will be condemned in Adam? Of
ations,   fbr an everlasting  ctvenant   ;  #to  Abe a God  uito                   curse not. It means nothing else than that our li$tle
  thee, and to  thy seed after thee.' This also the A- infants are by nattire actually partakers of the con-
  postle Peter testifieth, with these wor'ds (Acts 2 :39) ,. demnation in Adam. I-t means; as the very first para-
  `For the promise is unto you, and to your children, ,and                         graph of the whole Baptism Form has. it, "that we with
  to all that are afar off, even as niany as the Lord our - our children are conceived and born in sin, and there-
  [God shall call.' Therefore God formerly commanded                               fore are children of wrath, in so much t.hat we cannot
  them to be circumcised, which was a seal df the cove-                            enter into the kingdom of God except we are. born
  nant, and of the' righteousness of faith ; and therefore                         again." Without  their knowledge our little children
  Christ also embkaced  them, laid his hands upon them are actually partakers bf the condemnation in Adam..
  and blessed them (Mark 10) ."                                          :
                                           .-                                      They  `dre actually partakers of the  guilt of Adam.
  . First of all, notice the clause,  "for as they are                             They are actually partakers of the corruption of our
  without .their knowledge, partakers of the condemna-                             nature in Adam. But if this is the case,  and. it is,
  tion in Adam, so are they again received unto grace                              then the comparison demands that so, without their
  in Christ."                                                                      knbwledge,  otir  little  -children  are received actually
        Let us first of ali examine the clau'se, "so are they                      into a state of grace, so that they are actual par-
  again received-unto grace. in Christ."                 _                         takers qf the. yi$teousness in Christ, anti so that they
                                                                                   a+e actual partakers of the application of-all the bles-
        To  be..  receiv'ed   untqigrace in  Chl*ist means, of                     sings $ salvatipn by the Holy Spirit'in Christ. It is
  course, `the promise. of salvation.                                              said in'the Baptism For'rd'fhat  all t.his. is without the
        The Liberated. want to inclucik all this in the mere                       kno$ledge of the little children. And; `if it is without
  objective bequest. They say that all the children of `?heir knowledge, it. stands to ?eason that it is uncon-
  the covenant- are received -unto grace in Chyist, head
  for head and soul for soul, jn the.promise.  -And that                           cli&onal: for without their knowledge they cannot ful-
                                                                                   fill, or even be aware of, any condition as prere*luisite
promise is  cotiditional.  And so, just as  Hey+s would                            which they must fulfill on their part.
  interpret this clause, infants are received unto grace
  in Christ if in the future they will accept the obli-                                                                                   H . H .
  gations of the covenant. But if they do  no', accept                               . . . . .
  these obligations, and if they reject this promise by
  their unbelief, they were nev&thel&s in their infancy                                            `  .-  `;:.`r  _
                                                                                                   -.  ._.
  received unto grace in Christ. God's promise is sin-                                                                      JEI-7
  cere, and sine&e  fey all. If ct.his. is not commoli grace,
  and- common grace too in the Arniinian sense, applied                                                       -
  to the sphere. of `the covenant, and if this is not the
  same as a" well-meaniizg offer of grace on the part- of                            My shepherd is the Lord Who knows my needs,
- God to all that are born under the historical disperisa-                                            L:$jhd  I-am  blest7
  tion of  ithe covenant,-in other' words, if `this is  .nof
  the same as the doctiine of th;e First .Point with its I$  c&t"stre&n$`in  pastures green, He leads
  proofs from the Confessions and from the Scriptures,                                                             And ~,$s . me rest.
  we cannot understand what th.ey do ,mean.                                          My soul He saves and for His own Name's sake
                                                                              ,
        "But &this certainly wars not the meani& which `the                          He guides my feet the paths of right to take..

                                                    .


                                        r H E ,cJ ff A N %.A Rjj. jlj E A R % a-                                    55
                                   -
                                                              viewpoint. Just as in a physical sense the heart is
   b.TH@ TRIPLE  KNOWLEDGE                                    the,  .center of our physical existence, the fountain
                                                           - when&e issues the blood that courses  <through our
                                                              veins, so in a spirit@ sense the heart is the center of
  An Exposition Of Then Heidelberg our entire life ; the spiritual, ethical direction of all
                       Catechism  ..  -  -                    our thinking and willing, of all `our desires and aspi-
                                                              rations, `of all `our thoughts and inclinations, is from
                         PART III-                            the heart. Not the thoughts and desires and aspi-
                                           .,.                -rations  .as such, from. a psychological point of view,
                  OF  TH'ANKFULNE.SS                          issue from the heart: for the soul is the seat of intel-
                                                              lect and'will. But it is the heart that gives to them
                 _       ~_ Lord'sDay                :.       their spiri#tual, ethical. direction, that is, the direction
      - -                     2                               either`tdward ,God or toward the devil; toward right-
             . The Old and the New Man ,(cont.)               eousness.or  unrighteousness, toward good or evil. If
                                                              the heart is good, all our thoughts and intents and             '
     It is not the person, which is a formal and psycho-      aspirations and  desir.es are `good in principle. But
 logical concept, but the heart of man, w.hich represents     if the heart is evil, all the issues of our life are evil1
 a spiritual, ethical concept, ttha t is regenerated.
     Scripture very frequently sp-eaks  of the heart, and         This is l&&y taught in Holy Writ.           --
 although in Scripture the terms spirit, soul and wtind           Thus the Lord teaches- us in Matt. 12:33-35, `"Ei-
 (rzou-s)  are sometimes interchanged, -yet in- general we- ther make the tree. good, and his fruit good ;. or else
 may. say that by heart! Scripture usually denotes that. make the tree Corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the
 spiritual, ethical center of man that in regeneration is     itr.ee  is known by `his fruit.  40  .generation of vipers,
 radically turned about.                                      how can ye, being evil, speak good things? For, out
     That it is the heart that is. regenerated is directly    of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A
 taught in Scripture. Thus we read in Jeremiah 31:31-         good man out of the good, treasure of the heart bring-
 34 concerning tile new covenant which (God will make         eth forth good, ,$hings : and an .evil man out of the
 with His people in the new dispensation : "Behold, the. evil itreasure bringeth+forth  evil things." And in Mat.
 days come, saith the %ord, that I will `make a new           15 :'17-20 the Lord Jesus'teaches His disciples as fol-
 covenant with the house of Judah :. Not' according to        lows : "Do ye not yet' .understand,  that whatsoever
 the covenant Ithat` made with their fathers in the'fday Z `entereth.  in at the mouth `goeth into the belly, and `is
 that I took them by the.hand  to bring them out of the       east out into the draught? But those things which
land of Egypt; which  .my covenant' they brake, al-           proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart;
 though I was an husband `unto them: saith Ithe Lord:         and they defile the man.  @or out of the heart pro-
 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with         teed .evil thoughts, murders, adulteries; fornications,
 the house of Israel ; After those days, saith the Lord,      theft's,  ' false witness, blasphemies : These are t-he
 I will put my law in their inward pa&s, and write it         things w,hich defile a man: but to eat with unwashen
 in their hearts ; and I will be their God, and they shall    hands defileth not a man."- Cf. Mk. 7.:21-23.
 be my people. And they shall teach no more every .; 7:. This is taught in  many"passages of Holy Writ.
 man his neighbor, and every maiz his brother, saying,        According..: to, Genesis 6 :5, the Lord God "saw that
 Know the Lord:  f,or they shall all know me, from            the, wickedness of man -was great in the earth:-and
 the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the       that every imagination of the thoughts of &is-heart
 Lord : for I will forgive their iniquity, and -1 will re- was only evil continually." ICf. Gen. 8 :21.. "-In Deut.
 member their sin no more." Cf. Heb.  8:8-12.  And            29 we read that the Lord  ,God made His covenant
 in -Ezekiel 36 : 25-27 we read : "Then will I sprinkle       with Israel and. with -their children, warning them
 clean, water upon you, and. ye shall.be clean : from all     "lest there should be among you man, or woman, or
 your filthiness, and from all your idols,-will I cleanse     family, or tribe, whose heart  turneth;.away  this day
 you. A new heart also will I give, you, and a new            from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of
 spirit will I put within .you,i and I will take away ,the    (these  nations ; lest- there should be among you a root
 stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give, you an       that beareth gall and wormwood ; And it come  to pass
 hear.t of flesh. And I will-put my Spirit within you,        when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless
 and cause you to walk in my statutes,. and ye` shall himself in his heart, saying, I, shall have peace though
 keep my judgments, and do them."                             I walk. in,the imagination of mine heart, to add drunk-'
     Now the heart, according to,.Bcripture, is the cen-      enness ,to thirst.`? In I Chronicles.we  read that David
ter of `QLW .entire existence -from `a spiritual, ethical     blessed the Lord before all the congregation of Israel;


                                         THti  STANbARE  B E A R E R

 after  they- had willingly offered their gifts for the            the principle of the regenerated heart the whole na-
 building of the temple, and he prays: "0 Lord God of              ture is affected, nevertheless it is only the heart that
 Abraham, Isaac and of Israel, our fathers, keep this is regenerated. And that regenerated heart affects
 forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart           the whole man. That heart is holy, and principally
 of thy people, and prepare  #their heart unto thee." the, whole new man is holy. The Christian is not. a
 29:19. Scripture speaks of a broken and contrite                  man that has two hearts, a wicked, `perverse heart
 heart, Ps.  34:18;  51.:17;  69:20;  147:3; of a clean            and a holy and upright heart. For though the Chris-
 heart, Ps. 51 :lO ; Prov. 20 :9 ; of a perfect heart, I Kgs.      tian feels sometime as if his heart is still unholy and
 8:61;  15:14; II  Kgs..20:3; I Chron.  12:38;  28:9;`29:          wicked, and loosely speaks of his wicked heart, prin-
 19; II Chron. 16:9; 19:9;.Ps. 101:2; of a pure heart,             cipally this is cot true. He ahas only one heart, and
 Ps,  73:l; Prov.  22:ll; Mt.  5:8; I Tim.  1:5;`11 Tim.           that heart is holy.      -
 2:22; I Pe.  1:22; of an understanding  hear+, I Kgs.                Now the new man is the ~regenerated- Christian
 3:9,12;  Ps.  49:3;  Prov,  2:i;  8:5;  14:33;  ,of an up-        as he lives in this present nature, with mind and will
 right heart, Ps.  -3,6:10;  94:15;  119:7; of a willing           and all his desires and aspirations, and that too in
heart, Ex. 35 :,5,29 ; II Cor. 9 :7; Eph. 6 :6; of a wise          the midst of the present world, which offers no contact
 heart, Prov.  2:lO; 10:8; 23:15; of a whole heart, Ps.            whatever with the principle of regenerated life, in
 86:12;  119:10,34,  58,  `69;  138:l. But on  the other           which, on the contrary, everything is against that
 hand, it also speaks of a heart that is bitter, Prov. 14:         regenerated Christian, for in that w'orld is.the  lust of
.' 10; of a double ,heart, Ps. 12 :2; of an erring heart,          the flesh, and the lust of the eyes and the pride of
 Ps. 95:lO; -Heb. 3:lO; of a fickle heart, I Kgs. 11:2-4;          life,-the new man, I say, is the person of-the regen-
 of a foolish heart, Prov. 22 :15 ; Rom. 1:21; of a heart          erated Christian as he lives from the principle of re-
 that is hardened, Ex; 4:21; 7:3; l-3,14, 22; 8 :15, 19, `generation, and that too according to the Word of <God.
 32;  9:7;  12:34,35;   lO:l,  20,27;  11:lO;  14:4,8;   -Deut.    For while the regenerated life has no contact with the
 15 :7, and many other places ; of a perverse heart,               present world, the Word of :God reveals -unto him a
 Ps.  101:4;  Prov:  11:20;  12:8;  17:20; of a proud              new world in Christ Jesus our Lord.
 heart, Prov.  21:4;  Obad.- 3; and of a wicked heart,                And what then is the old man?
 Deut.  15:9;  Prov,  6:18;  10:20;  26:23.'                          It. is ,the same person ,of the Christian as he still
     From all ithis it is very evident that according to           lives not from the principle of' the regenerated heart,
 Scripture the heart is the center of man's life from              but from his old nature. In Scripture this old nature
 the spiritual, ethical viewpoint. It follows tha&if the           of the Christian .is frequently called the flesh, as over
 heart of man is foolish, erring, fickle, perverse, and            against the spirit. Rom. -8 :1 : "There is therefore now
 wicked, all the issues of his life are such ; while, on           no. condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus,,
 the other hand, if the heart of a man is pure, upright,           who walk not after the flesh, ,but after the Spirit.`,'
 perfect, understanding, wise, and willing, all the is-            And again, in vs. 4: "That the righteousness of the
 sues of his life from a spiritual, ethical viewpoint are          law msight be fulfilled in 
 directed in the way of the precepts of the Llord our                                             us, who walk not after the
                                                                   flesh, but after the Spirit." That flesh is' carnally
 God.  `~                                                          minded, and,. is enmity against God, Rom. 8 :5-7 : "For
     This' heart is regenerated; In order to understand            they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the
 what is meant by the new and the old man in the                   flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of
 Christian, we must remember that it is specifically               th-e Spirit. For to be carnally minded is cleath ; but
 the heart,-  the center of man's life from a spiritual,           to be spiritually  msinded is' life  .and peace. Because
 ethical viewpoint,-that is regenerated. It i's' not.man's         the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not
 nature that is regenerated. For to :that nature belong            subject to the law of  <God,' neither indeed can be."
 both body and soul. On the contrary, the present na-              And again, in the same chapter, vss. 12,13 : "There-
. ture, the present body and SOLID,  belong to what the            fore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live
apostle Paul calls in II Cor. 4  :16 the outward  .man,            after the flesh-. For if,ye live after the flesh, ye shall
 which perishes, while the inward man is renewed day               die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the cleeds
 by day. The Christian still has  .his old body. And               of the body, ye shall live." And to q&e no more, in
 that body is earthy, `corrupt, and subject to death. It           Gal. 5 :16-24 we read : "This I say then, Walk in the
 will not be regenerated until the moment of `the resur?           Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the  I.ust of the flesh.
 rection. Neither is the principle of regeneration as              For the flesh lusteth against tthe Spirit, and the Spirit
 such in the soul, in the intellect -and in the will. Cer-         against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to
 tainly our present intellect and will are not heavenly,. the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye
 but earthy, Although,-of course, it is true that from             would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not un-
                                                       _-
                                                 -'


                                               T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                        57
                                     ._.---                                                   -'                                 -
   der the law. Now the  tiorks of the flesh are  mani:            is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
  fest, which are these : adultery, fornication, unclean-          I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is
  ness, lasciv,iousness,  idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, $ari-      pres&it  with me. For I delight in the law of God
   ante,  etiulations,  wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,        after the inward man: But I see an&her  law in my
   elivyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such           members, warring against the law of my mind, aild
   like : of the which I tell you, before, as I have also told     bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is
   you .in time pa& that they which do such things shall           in my members. 0  `wrekchecl  man that I am ! who
   not inherit the kingdom of ,God. But the fruit of the           shall deliver me from the body of .this death? I thank
   Spirit is love, joy, peace,  longsufsering,  gentleness,        God through Jesus Christ our  Lo.rd. So then with
  goodness, faith, meekness, temperance : against such             the mind I myself serve the law of God ; but with the
   there is no law. And they that 511% Christ's have cru-          flesh the.law of sin."
   cified the flesh with the affection; and lusts." More-             Epen from this language it is very apparent that
  over, this old nature is also called the body, -and the          it is the new man, regenerated  in Christ J&sus, that
   members of th,e body. In Ram. .6,:12 we read : "Let             is speaking.     And even  though the person of the
   not .sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye           ,Christian  still sins, he assumes. an @together new ancl
   should obey it in the lusts thereof." And in vs. 13 :           different attitude over .-against .sin ithan does the un-
   "Neither yield ye your members as instruments of                regenerated. It is tyue, he- still sins. But at the same.
   unrighteousness unto sin : but yield yourselves tinto           time, it' is also .evident that he haites the sin which he
   God, as those that are alive froti the dead, and your           cbmmits. And so it is true what the apostle Paul
  members as instruments of rigl&ousness  unto God." writes i4 II Cor. 5 :17 : "Therefore if any' man be in
., Flesh and body and members of the body the old na-              Christ, he is a new creature: old thicgs are passed
ture is denominated, not because sin is something ma-              away; bbehold, all things are become new."
  terial, or has its seat in the body, but because, in the                                                               H.H.
  first place, soul and body are inseparably connected;                 _
  and in the second place, because sin, manifests itself
   in lthe present `world through the deeds of the flesh
   and the deeds of the body. In this old nature the
   Christian is born. For by nature we are conceived                                     El  El  El  El  El
  and born in sin. Moreover, that old nature is very
   old indeed. It comes dotin in every individual from
   Adam and Eve in paradise. The result is that in that
  old nature, in ;that flesh, in that old body, there are
   deep ruts of sin, indelible habits of sinful inilinations,                 What shall the dying sinner do,               '
   of sinful desires, and sinful thoughts. And just as                        That seeks relief for  ali his woes?
   the -pr,esent  world in its lust of the flesh and the lust
   of the eyes. and the pride of  life is opposed to the                      Where. shall the guilty conscience find
  ,Christian as he is regenerated, opposed to the new                         Ease for the torment of the mind?
  man, so everyth,ing.  in the present world .iS in favor
   of the old man. The world, the devil; and our own                          How shall we get our c&&es forgiv'n;
   flesh, therefore, unite in opposition against the new                     .- Oli form our nature fit for heaven?
  man in            lChri&      _                                              Can souls, ,o'er all defiled with sin,
      And thus it happens that the new man, the per-                          Make their own pow'rs ancl passions blean?
   son of the believer as he lives from the regenerated
  heart, has a continual struggle. Of that struggle the
   apostle Paul speaks in R,om. 7 : 15, ff. : "For that which                  In vain we search, in vain we try,
   I do I allow not: for what I would, that I do not ; but                     Till Jesus brings, his gospel nigh ;
  &at I hate, that do I. If then I do that.which  I would                      `Tis there that pow? and glory dwell,
_ not, I consent unlto the law that it is good. Now then                       That save rebellious souls from hell.
 it is ti,o more I-that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
   For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth
  no  good thing: for  to will is present with me : but                        This is the pillar of our hope,
  how  $0 perform that  which is good I find not.  For                         That beaFs  our fainting spirits up ;
  the good that I would I do not: but the .evil which I                        We reamd the grace, we trust the wosd,
   would not, that I do. Now if I do that~1 would not, it                      And find salvation in the $.ord,


 58                                               T H E   STAN%ARD-  BEA-RER
                               -___--

                         `OF BOOKS                      _                  E;klder en eenvoudig en  pakkend schrijven kan. Het
                                                                           ttieede  deel is van een geloovige arts, die natuurlijk
THE MINOR PROPHETS, in Lange's Commentary on  the..Holy                    volkomen op de hoogte is met de. sexueele vragen,
  Scriptures. Published by Zondervan P,ublishing  House, Grand             waarover hij schrijft, en die ze beziet in het'licht der
  Rapids, Michigan. Price $3.95.                                           Skhrift en uit Bet oogpunt des geloofs. Ret eerste deel
 .This volume on the Minor Prqphets in Lange's                             behandelt sexueele vragen. van een meisje van haar
`Commentary  on the Holy  Scriptur_es  was originally                      prilste jeugd tot haar verlovingstijd en trouwdag; het
composed by several authors. It is prefacecl by a gen- tweede deel behandelt .dezelfde vragen uit het oogpunt
eral introduction to the prophets (which is very good)                     van een arts, en is niet alleen bestemd voor meisjes,
by Charles Elliott, professor of exegesis in' Chicago,                     maar ook voor jongens en jongemannen.
Illinois.           I                                                             Dit is ee'n zeer modi, praktisch, ~ Chrigtelijk boek,
    Without ent&ing into detailed criticism and evalu-                     dat we om zijn  clegelijken inhoucl en helderen stijl
ation of the work, I may say, in general, that like the                    gaarne  aan.beselen.  -  VJe  bevel& het ter lezing  aan,
other volumes of Lange's Commentary which I re-                            niet alleen aan moeders, die haar dochters willen in-
viewed in The Stan&ml Beayer,  it is characterized by                      lichten over sexueele vragen, maar in het algemeen aan
`thorough scholarship, sound exegesis, honest dealing                      ouders,  die bun kinderen willen onderwijzen, beide jon-
with the text, reverence `for Holy Scripture as the, gens en miesjes. Meer nog ; we bevelen dit boek ook
Word of God, and spiritual, practical application.                         ter  -1ezing  aan bij onze rijpere jeugd, die,  voorzoo-
    This does not. imply that I agree with every' detail                   vel: ze'althans Hollandsch kunnen lezen, het met vrucht
of the exegesis that is offered. I do not agree, e.g.,                     kuhnen lezen.            __ _
with Dr. Packard's exegesis .of Mal. 1:2-4. He, as                                Met sommige dingen kunnen we het niet eens .zijn.
many other interpreters of this passage and -of Rom.                       Zoo b.v. als Dr. Bult schrijft, dat de heidenen de wet
9:13, explains the verb hate as meaning to loz~e less.                     in hunne harten hebben geschreven, p. 129.
The entire passage is in conflict with such a meaning-                            Maar hartelijk aanbevolen.                   H;H.
less interpretation.
    However, I heartily recommend this volume; as                                                 -:-:-
others, to our readers.                                                      :
                                                              H.H.
                         -:.-.--::.-                                       DE ZEGE IS HEM  BESCH'OREN,  door  Us.  -Dirk Sikkel. J.  H.
THE ART  0.F PRAYING AND  SPEAi<ING   1'N PUBLIC by                         Kok, N.V., Kampen. Nederland. Prijs f 7.90.
 Herbert  Lockyer. Zondervan Publishing House, Grand  R&-                   Dit  bock is  czn preekenbundel. Een 34-tal  pree-
 pids,  Mimchigan.   Price  504.                                           ken  werd&  uitgezocht  en  verzanield van  clen  over-
    I do not agree wit.h many of the remarks by t.h'e                      leden  ds;Sikkel door E. G. Van Teylingen, ?r:Vollen-
author in his introductory chapter. That  the.common                       hoven,  en N. A.  Wedemeyer  Krol.
people heard our Lord ,gladly.  because He carried on                             We hebben deze preeken met  genot gelezen. Ze
the craft of carpenter, is not true. The emphasis on                       zijn  mettel'claad;  zooals  Vollenho<en in een  "Woorcl
the preaching by laymen without being sent by the                          Vooraf" ze kepschetst, pittig en  kort,  maar- ze zijn
church is false and unscriptural.                                          001~  meer." Jk zou ze  willen  kensehetsen  als volle,
    Nevertheless,. apart from these i*emarks,  I consider Bchriftuurlijke evangelieprediking,  met toepassing op
this a valuable and very practical little book- for all                    de concreete  toestanden van de gemeente van Amster-
who have had rio instruction in Horriiletics and Public. dam, die jaren door ds. Sikkel we?d bediend.
Speaking; and who,  n?verWeless,  desire to become                                Thema en verdeeling  zij'n ddorgaans analytisch.
some&hat efficient in speaking in public.                     H.H.    De  stijl is zeer helder ,  soms een  beetje  brokkelig
                                                                           door al te korte zinnen en paragrafen. Maar het boek
                                                                      is zeer gemakkelijk  te volgen.
                                    pJ                       .,-                  Hartelijk aafibevolen.                *      H.H.

                    V     A         N         B,OEKEN   `m
                               0                                                                -    : -    - :-
MOEDER, ZEG ME EENS . . . door Gera  Kraan-v.,d. Burg en
 IX K. Bult.  U.itgever-J.  H. Kok, Kampen, Nederland. Prijs
 f  6;90.                                                                          Let thoughtless thousands choose the road.
   Dit boek heeft een dubbel auteurschap, Het eerste                                 That leads the soul away from God;          -
deel is van Gera Kraan, ons,onbekend,  maar die. zich                              This happiness, dear Ltord, be mine,
                                                                      -
in dit boek ' kenmerkt  als een geloovige Christin, die                              To live and die entirely thine.

  . .


                                          I'H%  S           T    A       N     D     A     R     D       BEARER  .__-            59
                             -       -     -
                                                                         God is  inimanent  but  also transcendent. We should
    O U R   D O C T R I N E .                                            bear in mind that th,e,immanence  of the Lord does not
                                                                         mean that He is all things (pantheism) , but that He
                                                                         i.s in all things, that ,GOD, us God, is in all things, that
                                                                         God alone can be in all things and that He is in .a11
                  G o d 's   P r o v i d e n c e   -                     things exgctly because of His Divine transcendency.
                                                                         G,od's immanence implies that He, by -*His power and
                              (2)                                        Spirit, is in tiont&  in constant touch with and con-
  -': THE PR~~DENCE OF.GOD - PRES@V~TION                                 trol of all things, of every creature and every part of
We'  mud  urukrstiand God's  Immanqye   a&l  Tyans- ,that creature. - This, bf course, emphasizes, we under-
tendency.                                       -.                       stand, the transcendency of the Lord.
   The immanency of the Lord signifies that God is                            ,Gdd's providence is commonly defined as the Lord's -
in all things. This is taught us, for example, in Acts                   omnipresent and almighty power. This  Divin!  -OR-
17 :27-28 : "`That they should seek the Lord, if haply                   nipresent and .omnipo$ent power is again commonly
they might feel after Him, and -find Him, though He                      understood as. eonsisting of His immanence and trans-
be not far from every one of us:  For: in Him we tendency.                             The transcendency of Jehovah signifies
live, and. move, and have our being; as' certain also                    that He is above all- :thitigs. This, however, we must
of your own poets have said, For we are also His off-                    ngt understand in a local, geographical sense of the
spring." And, this immanepce  of the Lord. is surely                     word. ,God, then, is in the heavens or in heaven and
held before in a passage as Ps. 139 :2,3,5,-13:  `"Thou                  we are upon. earth.  The  aord, then, begins where
knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou un- the creature or world comes to an end. The  Lorcl,
derstandest my  thoukht afar off. Thou  compassest                       therefore, is transcendent, the highly exalted One in
my path and my lying down, and-art  acquainted with ' a local, geographical sense of the word. This con-
all my ways. Thou has beset me behind and befpre,                        ception, we readily understand, is- quite impossible.
and laid Thine hand upon me. Such is too wonder-                         The transcendency  qf the Lord emphasizes the truth
ful for me ; it is. high,, I cannot attain un;to it. Whi- that the living God is above all thing$ in an essential
ther shall I go from  .Thy Spirit? or whither shall sense of the word. The Lord is essentially, because of
1,flee from Thy presence? If I ascend                                    the very nature of His being and existence, the highly-
                                                      up into heaven,
Thou art  there... If I make my bed in hell, behold,                     exalted One, and can therefore never be con;Eained or
Thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning,                      comprehended by the cr,eature.  The creature is tem-
and dwell in the uttermost parts  qf the sea: Even                       poral and local ; the Lord is eteTna1  and sovereignly
there shall Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand                         free. -The creature is finite ; Jehovah is infinif;e. The
shall hold  in& If I say, Surely the darkness shall                      creature is ever dependent ; the- Lord. is absolutely in-
cover me;. even t.he night shall be light about me. Yea,                 dependent. Hence, God is +ss+tially "highly exalted
the darkness  .hideth not from Thee; but the night. above all khings, is not bound to oi b& any laws of
shineth as the day : the darkness and, the light are both hime or space.%  ,God cannot be placed into any-eiassifi-
aiike to- Thee. For Thou hast possessed my reins :                       cation with the creature and cannot be cbmp&red t$
Thou hast covered me in  iny mother's womb." The                         any creature. He  -is God and He alone.
transcendency ,of Jehovah emphasi`zes the truth that                          This also enables us to understand' that it is be-
the Lord is above all things. This truth is taught tis                   cause of thi! Lord's transcendency thaii He is immai-
in I Ki. 8 :27 : "`But will ,God indeed dwell on the- earth?             ent, in all things. I,t is only ,because He alone is God
behold, the heaven and the. heavens cannot contain that He, as God, can sustain every living creature, in
Thee; how much less this house that I have builded?" the heavens above, upon the eau"th beneath, `or in all
And this' same truth is also revealed to us, for &-                      the waters under the earth. _
ample, in Acts 17.:24-25: `5God that made the world
and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord,of hea-
ven and earth, dwelleth not. in temples made with                             The Divine preservation of all things is  ever?-
hands; Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as where taught in Holy W,rit. We read in Ps. 139 :7-10,
though I$e needed any thing, seeing He giveth to all                     "Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit? or whither shall
life, and breath, and all things."                                       I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven,
   However, it. is "well that we distinguish correctly                   Thou art there;.if I make my bed in hell, .behold,  Thou
between these two aspects (immanence and transcen-                       ar't there. If I take the wings of the morning, and
dency) of the pr,ovidence  of God. We must not view dwell in the ui%eFmost parts of the sea; Even there
these conceptions as c;ontPasts..  We must not say that shall Thy hand lead me, +nd Thy right hand shall hold


 ;6O                                    FH'EJ  ..S'TA'NDARD   BEARER  -
                           _     -~-
 me." In Matt. 10:29-30: "A.re not two sparr,ows  sold           "For we are labourers together with God : ye are (God's
 for a. farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the          husbandry, ye are God's building." The Dutch trans-
 ground without your  F&her.  But the very hairs of              lation of this te& reads: "Want wij zijn  ,Gods  mede-
 yqur head are all numbered." In Daniel 4 :35 we read :          arbeiders  ; Gods _ akkerwerk, (Gods  gebouw zij:t gij."
 "And all  thi? inhabitants  ,of the earth are reputed           And literally we read : "For we are labourers together
 as nothing; and He doeth accoiding to His will in the           of God." lOa the one hand, it should not escape our
 army of heaven, and among  ihe  inhsbitants  of the             attention that the apostle ,declares that the `Church of
 ear"th ; and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him,           the living ,God is God% husbandry, IGod's building, and
 What doest Thou?" And already quoted is the pas-                this surely implies that the Church of God is exclusive-
 sage of Acts 17 :25,28: "Neither is warshipped with             ly the work of the living cod. And, on the other hand,
 men's  hknds, as though He needed any thing,. seeing            the word "together" does not refer to the apostles and
 He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things'; For
-.                                                               the Lord, but to the apostles. They are ,co-labourers,
 m Him we live, and move, and have our being ; as cer-           labour together. And they are such co-labourers, not
 tain also of your own poets have said, For we `are              with Gpd, but of God. And that they are co-labourers
 also His offspriilg."           :                               of *God surely signifies that it is God Who causes and
        Divine preservation implies, in the first place, that    enables them to work together. Thirdly, Scripture cer-
 the Lord, by His almighty and omnipresent power,                tainly emphasizes the truth :that what we are we are
 continuously sustains and preserves all things. -,God's         by the grace`6f God. This hardly needs any elucida-
 Being sustains all other beings.           Everywhere all       tion at this time. Any conception as if  w,e in any-
 things are effected by God's almighty  power.   He is           sense. of word cooperate  .with the Lord, work with
 continuously in contact with every crea'ture, animate           Him, help Him, and that the. work of God in us is
 or inanimate., Every bird and its ability to sing and eyer dependent upon man's pau?t is surely foreign to
 fly, the horse and its swiftness and strength, the lion ,a11 the teachings of -Holy Writ. The doctrine of sove-
 and'its power to tear and destroy, man in all his speak- reign election, particular `atonement, utter depravity,
 ing and hearing atid seeing, in all his thoughts and            irresistiable effic&y of grace, perseverance of the saints
 deeds ; every living creature is continuously activated         certainly excludes any idea of human cooperation. In-
 and sustained by the alone living God. If the Lord              deed, the keynote of all of Holy Writ is surely and
 were to withdraws  His arm or hand the world ,would             beautifully given US in i (Car. 2 :24-31 and Eph. 1 :l-11.
 be reduced instantly `to nothingness.                                                               :
        Moreover, Divine preservation also implies that He          In .that first passage we read those beautiful words":
 continuously sustains every creature according to the           "But unto  theti which are called, both Jews and
 peculiar essence of each particular creature. We will           Greeks, Christ the power of God,-and the wisdom of
 have more to say about this when we discuss the ele-            God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser  ,t;han
 ment of cooperation (another aspect of the providence           men ; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
 of God). Only, we may declare already at this time              For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many
 that the providence of #God does not abc$ish or nullify         wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many'
-a creature's peculiar essence or being. #God preserves          noble, are called: But God hath chosen the  f.oolish
 the bird as bird, the horse as horse, the lion as lion,         things of the world to confound :the wise ;- and ,Go'd
 the tree and plant ai itree and plant, man as man.              hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound
                                                                 the things which are mighty; And base things'of the
          THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD - COOPE&ITION                    world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen,
                                                                 yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought
 The word, Licooperation'J,  cam be misleadkg.                   things that are: That no flesh should glory in his pre-
        The word itself means : to work along with, to help.     sence. But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, Who of
 This woul,d  suggest the thought that God and man co-           Gdd is made uqto us wisdom, and righteousness, alid
 operate, w,ork  together, <that man helps the Lord.             sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it
      This, we readily  understarid,  is surely impossible.      is written, He athat glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."
 Fi&t, we can hardly speak of the wicked world as co-            And in `that other beautiful passage we hear the Word
 operating with the Lord. The wicked world hates the             of <God as follows : "Paul, an apostle of Jesus IChrist by
 living God and surely has no intention of furthering            the will of ,God, to the' saints which are at Ephesus,
 the. Cause of the Lord and of His Son in any sense `of          and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace be to you,
 the word. This speaks for itself and needs no elucida-` and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord .
 Cion. Secondly, I pCor.=3 :9 can hardly be quoted as a          Jesus -Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our
 passage in suppbrt of such a cooperation on the part            Lord ,Jesus Chris'& Who hath blessed us with all spir-
 of ,th.e people of th.e alord. We read in that passage :        itual blessings in heavenly @aces in Christ : Accord--


                                            THE       STANDARD                BEARER                                         61

         ing as He hath chosen us in Him before the founda-          is true) but also through all the powers of sin and
         tion of the world, that we should be holy and without       darkness.
         blame- before Him in -love : Having predestinated us
         unto the adoption of.`ehildren  by Jesus <Christ to Him-            THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD - 'GOVERNMENT
         self, according to the good pleasure of His will, To
         She praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath       Ii% meamhg.           L
         made us accepted in the Beloved. In Whom we have            .     The word "government," as referring to the third
         redemption'through His blood, the forgiveness of sins,      element in the providence of God,' emphasizes  t.he
         according to the riches of His grace; Wherein He hath       thought that.  `God governs all things, controls and'
         abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence ; Hav-        leads and directs all things to. His own determinate
         ing made known unto us the mystery of His will,             end.
         sccording  to His good pleasure which He hath pur-               _ Time, and all the things contained in time, is like
         posed in Himself: That in the dispensation of the           unto a ship which is sailing  f,or a definite haven.
         fulness of times `He might gather together in one all -There is `a sovereignly Divinely willed and determined
         things in Christ., both which are in heaven, and which      end  pr goal for all things. In fact, there is but one
         are on earth.; .even in Him: In Whom also we have ob-       Divinely sovereignly willed goal. And that goal is the
         tained an inheritance, being predestinated according        Lord's glory of His Name as He will ultimately-realize
         to the purpose of Him Who worketh la11 things after         it in the new heavens and the new earth. God has wil-
         the counsel of His own will." And we could also refer       led the greatest glory of His Name (the greatest as
         the reader to Eph. 2:1-10.                                  He could conceive of it), and He realizes this goal an-
             Nevertheless, the word "cooperation" has been a-        tithetically along the lines of,-election and reprobation,
         dopted in Reformed `Theology and Dogmatics as an            of sin and- grace. That end all creatures must serve,
         element of the providence of c God and can be retained      either willingly and voluntarily or unwilling. ,God
         if correctly' understood.                                   is the one Supreme Captain, the only governing Po-
                                                                     tentate, the one and only living God Who does all His
     I t s   m e a n i n g .                                         good pleasure and Who directs this Ship of Time unto
             We do not expect at thismoment to enter into a          the eternal haven, the day when Jehovah shall attain,
         detailed exposition of this conception.  -This, the Lord    also publicly, unto ,the greatest glory of His Name.
         willing, w,e will do later.                                      This truth is surely Scriptural. All of Holy Writ
             We can say at this time, however, that "coopera-        presents to us this presentation. We will merely quote
         tion" views the'providence as it does not destroy but       Rom. 1136 : "For of Him, and through Him, and to
         maintains the human being and all rational beings           Him, are all things: to Whom be glory for ever. A-
         (angels and demons) as moral-ra:tional  beings. They        men."                               .
         "cooperate" in the sense that they serve and must
         serve, and that as moral-rational beings, the counsel       God's Providence  a%cl  "Commgn   Grace".
         and .will and purpose of the Lord. !G.od  preserves all          It is also in connection with the doctrine of the
         creatures, also man, in harmony with the peculiar           providence of the Lbord that we are confronted- with
         essence of their being. Hence, the providence of the        the erroneous teaching of "Common Grace". This
        .Lord  is such that.. also all the wicked powers of sin      fact surely need not surprise us. It is simply a fact
        and darkness must serve the purpose and will of the          t,hat the providence of the Lord deals exactly with
        Most High. Their moral-rational nature is not de-            God's control over all things and therefore also with
        stroyed or annulled. Man certainly functions accord-         the things of this present time. Rain and sunshine,                -
        ing to the lusts and desires of his own heart and mind.      health and sickness,. prosperity and adversity all de-
         He does, to be sure, be it in a limited sense ~of t,he      mand- our attention when- we deal with IGod's provi-
        word (no one would care to maintain that the devil           dential care over all things. And it is. particularly in
        can do as and what he pleases), as he wishes to do.          connection with Government that we would call atten-
        Nevertheless, however true it may be that man is a           tion to that which  t,he theory of "Common  (Grace"
        morlal-rational  being, that the providence of the Lord      would offer us. This theory would really.make  a se-          -
       does not destroy or ignore man's moral-rational- na- paration  between the various elements of God's pro-
        ture, that he is therefore responsible and accountable       vidence, especially between Preservation and Govern-
       for all his acts, he must cooperate, serve God's counsel      ment. Indeed, it does not deny either Preservation
        and purpose, be instrumental in the hands of God unto        nor  ,Government.  The advocates of Common Grace
        the Divine realization of His counsel and will. The          certainly .believe  that the Lord preserves and sustains
        Lord is constantly realizing His counsel and will; not' all things, and also that ,God directs things to.His own
        merely in spite of the devil and all his host (also this     determinate end or goal. Nevertheless, they make'*a


L


                                     THE;  sil'ANDARD  B%ARER
62

dualistic separation between the two.  0.n the one             must and do cooperate. And, with a view to that elid
hand, then, they believe in God's Government, that             the Lord sustains every creature according to its own
the Lord will create new heavens and a new earth and           peculiar nature. This Divine realization of His eter-
that He is dir,ecting  the affairs of this world `unto that    nal purpose occurs without a single mishap or  cle-
end. SLIP, on -the other hand, they also believe in a tour; from the beginning even unto the end. Nothing
certain Preservation which is viewed not in the light          retards the Llord. There is never a pause in this Di-
of God's determinate end, but as running parallel with         vine execution of .His cousel-  and will. All things, in-
it. (God, then, preserves through Common Grace this            cluding sin and all the powers of sin and darkness
earthly creation which otherwise, because of sin, would        serve this purpose of IGod as mor.al-rational creatu-res,
have become either a- chaos, or hell, or nothing,all           to be sure, but nevertheless as instruments in the
three possibilities are `mentioned. Through this De-           hands of the .alone'sovereign  God. Such is surely the
vine preservation the Lord is able to maintain His teaching of Holy Writ.- And this we must maintain.
"original creation idea," so that the world is able to                                                          IT. Veldman
function as the Lord had originally intended. This-
original purpose of God with resepect  to creation and
the development of all things under man is thereby
preserved. Unto that end God, first .in Paradise, by
means of His Common ,Grace  restrained the working                                    WEDDINlG  ANNIVERSARY
of sin and death in Adam; yea, -caused Adam to re- The Lord willing, our beloved parents
tain part .of hisoriginal righteousness, so that Adam                         MR. and>MRS. R. ROODA, nee De Boer
was not immediately destroyed. And, in the covenant will commemorate their 40th Wedding Armiversary  on Novem-
with Noah, the Lord enters' into a covenant fellowship         ber 15, 1952.
with the world-over aganst the devil, thereby restrain-          We, their children, extend to them our most sincere and
ing the devil in his evil intention, making this world heasty congratulations. <Together  with them, we thank our
livable, and thereby maintaining the original `crea-           Heavenly Father, Who has spared them for one another and
                                                               for us, and it is our sincere prayer that  the Lord may con-
tion idea. And, on the other hand, the Lord also car-          tinue to be  wi.th them during the remainder of their earthly
ries out His purpose of election and reprobation and           pilgrimage.
works unto the realization of His eternal and heaven-                                     Their grateful children:
ly Kingdom. The result, of this theory of "Common                                              Mr. and Mrs. Martin .Hoekstra
Grace" is that two spheres are created in this life, ex-                                       Mr. and Mrs. Jerry  Rooda
clusive of each other and running parallel. On the                                             Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Sporleader
                                                                                            - Mr. and Mrs. Theodore  Rooda  _.
one hand, there is the earthly sphere, maintained by                                           Mr. and' Mrs. Henbert  Van Wieren
God's common grace. In this earthly, worldly sphere                                              and six  grandchil.dren
t,he sinner does much good, and cooperation be.tween           7100 W. 95th  Place  .-
the children of light and those of darkness is pos-            Oak Lawn,  1llino.s
sible and even desirable. And, on the other hand,
there -is the spiritual sphere in which -only the people                               . -:- 1
.of IGod serve and please the Lord. On the one hand
God is simply maintaining His original creation idea ;
and on t*he other hand He is working with a view to                           Blest the man that fears Jehovah,
His eternal Kingdom of Heaven. Besides,  .we are,                             Walking ever in His ways;
furthermore, presented with a dualistic conception of
the living `God entering into covenant fellowship with                        By thy toil thou shalt-be prospered
the wicked world in order to frustrate and restrain the                       And be happy all thy~ days.
wicked purposes and designs of the Prince of the
powers of the air.                                                            Joyful children, sons and daughters,
                                                                              Shall about-thy table meet,
      Let us by all means maintain the Scriptural pre-                        Olive -plants, in strength and beauty,             _
sentation of the providence of God ! The providence
of God, -we have seen, is distinguished as: Preserva-                         Full of hope and promise sweet.               j
tion, Cooperation, ,Government.  And these three phases                       Thou shalt see God's kingdom prosper
or elements are one. From the. very outset God has              -
His purpose -before Him; This purpose He sets out                         All thy days, till life shall cease,
to fulfill; the realization of His eternal Kingdom in                         Thou shalt see thy children's children ;
                                                                                                      .
the way of sin and grace. Unto that end all things                   :        IOn Thy people, Lord, be peace.


                                               T H E   SFAl!?DARD  B E A R E R -                                        6      3

                                                                     EEN zijn. Er'is een hemelsche Goddelijke muziek en
              D e   Vreedzimen  Zali&es,mkm  -                       samenstemming.  in dat vreeselijke, doch ook-- lieflijke
                                                                     Ver@dndsl@ven in God.       Spreekt Gods Woord niet
                 %slig  zijn de vreedzamen; want  z;e zullen Gods
              kinderen   genaam.d   wgrden."-Matth:  5  :9           van Zij'n lied, dat zelfs in den nacht. bij ons zal zijn?
                                                                     SGod zingt.Zijn - verbcndslied  van ODbegrijpelijke lief-
       In de Bergride luister&  we naar de Wet van het               @e en vriendschap, in groote harmonie, van eeuwigheid
   Koninkrijk der hemelen, zooals dat Koninkrijk leeft in            tot eeuwigheid. ,O ja, mijne geliefde  vrienden, God is
   de harten Ryan Gods volk, en in beginsel ddbr hen be-             de volzalige God des Verbonds  in Zichzelven. Hij is de
   tracht wordt; Daarom begint de Heere Jezus met een God des vredes.
   oinderwerpelijke beschrijving van den onderdaan van
   dat Koninkrijk. Want dat zijn de zeven zeligsprekin-                                 - : - y e : : -
   gen. Die zeven zaligsprekingen  doen ons de onderdanen
   van het Koninkrijk der hemelen zien uit het oogpuqt                   En  dje  vrede  van_Zijn  eeuwig  verbond  heeft God
   van hun onderwerpelijke, geestelijke gest,alte.  Jezus            getoond,. geopenbaard in de schepping.         Toen die
   beschrijft hen ten voeten uit. Alle zeven zijn van toe-           schepping uit :Gods hand te voorschijn kwam was zij
   passing op alle kinderen ,Gods. Zij allen, meer of min-           harmonieus en lieflijk. Rustiglijk gaf elk creatuur
   der, wqrden gekenmerkt door de deugden die in die                 uiting aan dien vrede. Alles werkte  en sprak en zong
   zeven zaligsprekingen opgesomd  .-worden. Al Gods                 en kwinkeleerde samen  tot lof van den God des vredes.
   volk is in beginsel arm van geest ; treuren .over  hunne
   zonde ; zijn zachtmoedig; hongeren. en dorsten naa? de                E,n die vrede woonde in het hart van Adam en Eve.
   gerechtigheid ; zijti barmhartig en -rein van hart.               Er was nimmer eenige strijd of rebellie tegen God in
       En de sluitsteen in die beschrijving is mijn tekst  :         zijri diepste hart. Hij had God lief en kleefde Hem
   zij zijn vreedziam,  en zullen Gods kinderen genaamd              achterna. En  <Gods eigen Verbondsleven des vredes
   worden.  Daarin bestaat ook hun zaligheid.                        klopte `na in het hart van het ljronkjuwel der schep-
                                                                     ping, namelijk, den mensch die naaq Gods beeld ge-
                        ---..-::::                                   schapen was. Vrede is voor den mensch, dat Gods
                                                                     hart en dy menschen hart te zamen kloppen in on-
       Eerst is de vraag: wie zijn deze mensch&, en wat              uitsprekelijke  hartionie-  van liefde en vriendschap.         -
   onderscheidt hen? Er is verschil in de vertaling van                  Die vrede is verloren door de zonde. Adam verliet
   het woord,  dat' in het Hollandsch gebezigd wordt:                IGod en  kleefde  Satan achterna. En die God  yrlaat
  xreedzamen.       Ik kan eigenlijk niet  goed verstaan heefrt  smart op smart te vreezen. De goddeloozen zijn
   waarom   onze. vaders het oorspronkelijke woord zoo               als een voortgedrevene zee. Die kan niet  rusten en
   weergaven. Want in het  IGrieksch staat er:  vrede-               zijne. wateren  werpen slijk en modder op. De godde-
   makers.  En  er zijn ook  -geen andere lezingen in de .looien,  zegt mijn ,God, hebben gene vrede.
   handschriften die ons uit de, vroege  eeuwen nagelaten                En tech, in ,de goddelooze wereld,  wordt vaak van
   zijn.    Er staat eenvoudig : vredemakers, of: vrede-             vrede gesproken ; evenwel, ten onrechte. Als er iets
   w&kers.                                                           duidelijk  geworden  is in- de laatste jaren,  dan is het
       De eerste  vraag die oni een antwoord roept- is we1           we1 de Schriftuurlijke waarheid, dat de goddeloozen
   deze: wat is  eigenlijk vrede? En dan  openbaart  ons             genen v>ede hebben. Ze mogen zeggen, dat de wereld,
- de Heilige  !Sehrift,  dat  `God de God des vredes is.             zonder ,God; eenmaal tot den vrede zal komen ; ze mo-
   Vrede  is een deugd van God.- Als zoodanig is de vrede            gen hunne vredepaleizen bouwen ; ze mogen hungree:
   harmonie, samenwerking, volmaakte samenstetiming                  verbonden aangaah als volkeren onderling : het is alles
   in het Goddelijke Wezen. ;Ook is duidelijk,  dat als we           voos, ijdel, eigenlijk belachelijk. Hoe zou de wereld
   yragen  naar de beteekenis van de Goddelijke deugd                vrede kennen, waar hunne harten en lesens lijnrecht
   van vrede, we*rekenen. moeten met het eeuwige Ver-                tegen den IGod des vredes gekeerd zijn? ,Neen,  bij de
   bond, want beide in Numeri 25 :12 en Jesaja 54:lO                 goddelooaen vinden we geene vrede. We vinden bij
   wordt de vrede in: verbaid gezet met het verbon'd.  In            den natuurlijke mensch juist  hei tegenovergestelde :  de.          -
   beide plaatsen spreekt God van het  verbofid Mijns                oorlog, de rqbellie,  de opstand tegen God en Zijn Ge-
   vredes.  !God is de  ,God des vredes,  - afgedacht van            zalf de.
   eenig schepsel. En bedoelt het zekerlijk, dat God in                  ,Gods Woord beschrijft hun opstand. Luistert : "De
   Zijn eeuwig verbondsleven de  gro&st mogelijk  har-               Koningen der garde sltellen zich op, en de Vorsten be-
   monie geniet als Vader, Zoon en -Heilige Geest. Bij               raadslagen te zamen tegen den Heere en tegen Zijnen                 .
   persoonlijk onderscheiding in Gods  Wezen, is  er de              IGezalfde,  zeggende: Laat ons hunne banden verscheu-
   lieflijkste harmonie tussehen de drie Personen  die in            ren, en hunne touwen v-a& ons werpen." Psalm 2 :2 en 3.
   wil en  Wezen,  in deugd en eigenschappen absoluut                En gij weet het even goed al?. ik: men kan honderde

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

      teksten  vindeq gelijk deze. Laat mij U nog op  &n            gezo&t  in den Christus Gods. (God gaf Zijn Zo'on voor
      wi jzen. In Job  21:14 staat  .er van de goddeloozen          het leven der wereld, d.w.z., voor de wereld van Zijn
      "Nochtans zeggen zij  t,ot God: `Wijk van ons,  want          eeuwige geneugten. `God heefit  Zijn volk van eeuwig-
      aan de kennis Uyer wegen hebben wij geen `lust' ".            heid gekend in de kennis der  liegde, en hen  veror-
      Dat kayaketeriseert  het gansche leven der wereld in          dineerd tot onuitprekelijke  tialigheid,  doch langs en
      alle tijden en onder alle volkeren.                           door een weg, een diepen weg van zonde en genade.
            De gansche were!d is vervuld met wrevel, en dah         Al dat  volk gaf Hij  aan Zijn Zoon. Leest het maar
      zoo, dat die wrevel zich het eerst keert.  tegen God.         in Joh.  17:6. "Ik heb Uwen. naam geopenbaard den
            Is dat niet duidelijk?  Denkt dan  aan  bet tijdvak menschen -die IGij Mij uit de wereld `gegeven hebt.
      in de histoiie der tiereld toen ,God op aarde, in de ge-         Zij waren Uwe, en Gij hebt Mij hit dezelven gege-
      stalte  eens dienstkne&&,  on-der de menschen kwam.           ven, en zij hebben Uw woord bewaard."
      Zoo .spoedig  men Jezus Christus onderkende, keerden             Maar dat volk  -waken  ,opstandelingen,  en zij  ver-
      de goddeloozen  zich tegen  H:em. En zij  rustten  niet. dienden den  eeuiw'igen dood! Ja, dat is waar, maar
      totdat God in de  menschelijke  tiatuur aan het kruis         ik heb U  tech  zooeven gezegd, dat God van eeuwig-
      hing. Men bond den oorlog  aan met  (God in Jezus             heid gedachten des vredes gehad heeft ? Welnu, die
      Christus.  Alles  kgrde  zich  ,tegen Hem om Hem van          gedachten des eeuwigen vredes zijn uilt `Gods raad uit-
      de aarde te . verdelgen. Bi j Zi jn geboorte  . king .Hi j    getreden bij het komen van Jezus  Christus in de
      Op het randje der wereld: in een vuile beestenstal.           wereld. E,n Hij kw%m in de wereld, beladen met'al de
      In Nazareth Wilde men Hem van dat randj,e afwerpen            schuld der zonde van Pebellie en dpstand der uitver-
      en verpletteren op de rotsen.     En op Golgotha heeft korenen. En toen heeft God met Hem gehandeld als-
      men Hem van de aarde .verbannen, en zoo hing God              of Hij die opstandeling was, en Hem verworpen met
      tusschen hemel  en garde in den Zoon van Zijn eeuwig          een onuitsprekelijk groote verwerping. . In  B&n woorcl :
      welbehagen.                                       :           Hij moest den eeuwigen dood  als straf op die zonde
            0 ja, _de natuurlijke  menseh  is ken opstandeling, en dragen en wegdragen.
      den weg des  vredes heeft hij niet  gekeqd. Zie Rom.             En dat heeft Hij gedaan ook. En als  zooclatiig
      3  :17.                                                       is ,God in Christus de groote  Vredemaker. /
            En al naarmate dat we naarhet  einde der eeuwen            Met het foog, op den toorn Gods vanwege clen op-
      spoeden, wordt dit duidelijker. E&l ieder huivert en          stand der uitverkorenen, heeft  ,God  .die opstand als
      vree&  en beeft- vanwege de dingen. die aan `t komen          schuld weggedragen in het lijden van den  eeuwigen
      zijn. En de  Heilige   S&rift  spreekt immers van, die        dood van Christus, en zoo vrede gemaakt.
      dggen, wanneer`er oorloi en geruchten van oorlogen
-     op de aarde zullen zijn. Neen, de natuurlijken  mensch           Met het oog op onze vijandschap he!? Hij die ver-
      is geen vredemaker, doch een oproerling.                      nietigd  aan het kruis.  L,eest  bet  maar in het tweede
                                                                    hoofdstuk van den brief  aan de  Efeziers,  de verzen
                                                               I
                          -  :-  :--                                14 tot 17. Daar  staat: "Want Hij- is onze aede, die
                                                                    deze beiden Bbn. geqaakt heeft; en den middelmuur
            Evenwel, en dat is het Evangelie, dat ik prediken       des afscheidsels gcbroken hebbende, heeft Hij de vij-
      moet : God heeft van eeuwigheid gedachten ,des vrehes         anclschap in Zijn vleesch te niet gemaakt, namelijk de
      gehad. Dat is het eeuwig Evangelie.  Toen  ae  ,God-          wet der geboden in inzettingen bestaande, opdat Hij
      delijke deugd van vrede van de aarde verdween in de           die twee in Zifihzelven  tot &nen nieuwen men&h  zoude
      moedwillige ongehoorzaamheid van Adam,  toen heeft            scheppen, vrede makende, en opdat Hij die beiden met
      aGod een vrede geopenbaard die de hemelen tot in alle         `God in  &5n lichaam  zoude  verzoenq door het kruis,
      eeuwigheden zal do,en ruischen van ongekend geluk.            de  vijandschap  aan~ hetzelve gedood hebbende. En
      Dat is de vrede in,  bet bloed des kruises. Ziet ge,          komende, heeft Hij door het Evangelie vrede  verkon-
      God is  de eigenlijke en oorspronkelijke Vredemaker.          digd u die verre waart en dien die nabij waren."
      De duivel maakte het pronkjuweel  van Zijn schepping             En zoo kunnen we er iets van zien, dat onze Jezus
      tot een  opstandeling,  dtich God zeide tot Satan:  Ik        de Vredevorst genaamd  wordt.  God heeft gedacht
     zal vijandschap  z&ten  tusschen u en  tusschen deze ,aan ,Zijn vree-verbon_d, en dat denken  Gods werd ge-
      vrouw, en tusschen uw zaad & tussehen  haar zaad:             openbaard  aan  het  kruis van  Golgotha.  Toen is  ver-
      datzelve zal u den kop vermorzelen, en gij zult het de vuld geworden wat we zingen in de psalmen:  De ge-
      verzenen vermorzelen. -En zoo komt er we1 een eigen-          rechtigheid en de vrede zullen elkander kussen.
      aardige oorlog tusschen ,Gods volk en de slang, tiaar            En als die vrede Gods in onze harten nederdaalt
      die oorlog wor,dt vtiroorzaakt door den vrede die in het      door den Heiligen Geest en -bet ,Woord  van God, dan
      hart van Gods volk geplant wordt.                             worden  we beide vreedzaam en ook vredemakers. D&l.
            Hoe is dit alles zoo gekomen? Het antwoord poet         mak,en we vrede, kn met #God, Bn met onzen naaste, zoo:
                                                ..~


                                         THE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R   :                                        65 ,
                             -
veel in ons is. Dan jagen we den vrede na en rusten             binden tegen die oude rebeelie,  door in heiligmaking
niet totdat we bij ,God aankomen om als vriend en               t,e wandelen, en meer en meer de deugd van het vrede-
liefhebber Gods. eeuwiglijk te genieteti` van Zijn. vree- .maken te fopenbaren.
verbond.                                                        '  Doch het zal  alzoo niet  blijven gelukkig. In  begin-
                                                                se! proeven  we nu waar tie van. zingen :        Wat vree
                     -  ,z--.-.-  :--                           heeft elk die Uwe wet bemint; zij zul!en aan geen hin-
                                                                der,paal  zich stooten. Doch straks komt de vrede zoo-
                                                                als nooit te voren. Het  vjederijk komt. Dan zal  el
    Nu  moeten  we  echter  niet  denken;   dat' die  vreed-    vrede zijn op den ganschen `berg van Gods .h&iligheid.
eamen en die vrede-makers een soort Jorissen goed-                 En de vrede .der kinderen  zal groot zijn.
bloed zijn. 0 neen, want God immers zeide aan den                                                                G. Vos'
vroegen morgen van de wereld historie: Ik zal  vij-
andschap zetten tusschen u en deze vrouw. De kerk
is vijand van alles wat goddeloos is.
    Er staat zelfs van dit vreedzame volk, dat zij zeg-                             IFi `El  El  iI El
gin: Zou ik n%t haten die' U haten? Ik haat ze met
een volkomen ha&: tot vijanden zijn zij mij.
    Neen, maar zij zullen vrede maken door het bloed
van  Christus te verkondigen. Dat is het eenige mid-                    I N   i3IiiL  F E A R
de1 om tot vrede met IGod te geraken. Ze ztillen Chris-
tus beleven, zoodat anderen door hun wandel, als een
soort van prediking, getrokken  worden.                                      Looking To The future
    En die menschen zijn in dat hun doen zalig. Want
zij zullen  kinderen  Gods genaamd  worden.                                           ,CHAPTER   3
    Ne moet ge we1 verstaan, dat de wereld hun nooit                         ON TEACHER TRAINING
dien naam zullen geven. Dat ,is -dan ook niet de be-'
doeling van den t,ekst. Maar -God zal hun dien naam                The final question which conf,ronts  us in con&c-
geven. Als de vrede `Gods in onze harten woont, dan             tion with this subject is one of `a rather practical na-
zal vervuld worden  wat Paulus zegt in Romeinen 8:              ture,. namely: How can the goal of our own Protestant
dan getuigt `Gods .Geest met onzeli geest, dat we kin-          Reformed teacher training facilities be attained? How
deren ,Gods zijn.                                               can we arrive at the stage where we make an actual
    Wat een schoone naam:  kinderen  Gods! Wat `wil             beginning in training our  ,?yn teachers?
dat zeggen? Dit: dat we op Vader gelijken. De we-                  First of all, however, I wish to make a few intro-
reld die IGod niet kenti en die God haat, komt dat volk         ductory remarks in connection with this question. My
tegen en zegt: Zijt gij de beroerder Israels? Maar first remark is a repetition of a previous warning, that
God zegt tot dat volk: Ik zie Mijzelf in u, Mijn kind,          is: I have no stock answer for this question.        Nor
als in een Spiegel. -Want ziet ge, als ge wederohge-            will I lay claim to the possession of a panacea for all
boren yordt, en later, bekeerd, en in nieuwigheid `des          the problems connected iyith it. My main intention
levens waridelen gaat, dan woont `God in u. Dan stort           is to arouse an. interest in the cause in question, as
Hij in U yit Zijn Geest en dan wonen Zijn deugden,              well as to alert you and myself to the problems in-
Zijn mededeelbare  deugden,  in U. Dan gaat ge op Je- . volv@. And along that line I att.empt  to make a few
zus en op God lijken. _ Daarom noemden de wereld- observations and suggesticms.                    My second remark is.
lingen het volk  `Gods  Christenen.  Mew wandelde, en           that in my opinion. it is time that .we begin to take ac-
men sprak en men handelde als` Jezus Christus. Dat              tion toward the attainment of this  goal. Let the
is ook onze roeping.                                            groundwork be laid ; let study and discussion take
    Ne moet men  we1 verst&n,   dat dit alleen zoo is           place; and letthose who have an interest in Protestant
in beginsel. 10, er is nog zooveel van dien ouden op-` Reformed education not ,only agitate for this cause,
stand in ons overgebleven. En we hebben slechts een             but take so-me initial, concrete steps towar,d the reali-
zeer klein beginsel van de  nieuwe  gehoorzaamheid:             zation of this ideal. I do not mean that a normal              ~
Het geen we zoo gaarne' doen willen, -en dat is God             school must  imme&+tely  spring up. This is far too
gehoorzamen, dat vinden we zoo weinig.  Paulus                  big a thing for any hasty and precipitate action. Let               -'
klaagt : "Want hetgeen ik doe, dat ken ik niet; want            our actions be deliberate, understanding, well-calcu-
hetgeen ik wil, dat doe ik niet, m.aar hetgeen ik haat,         lated, and well-plarined. But the point is: let us be-
dat doe if.`."                                                  gin to act! And let us do 80 at once, l.est this whole
    En zoo warden we  geroepen  0312 den  strijd anti ta        problem of teach&-training, descend on us suddenly


  66                                     T'j=Jg+  S.!~ANDAR.D   BEARER                                  .      .
                                   A
  and with crushing weight, and f,orce us into hasty;           ate and lose its distinctive character unless our par-
  ill-planned, emergency measures.                              ents take steps' in the direction of- our own normal
        I will divide my- treatment of this question- into      school;, With .all- deference to our present schools and
  two parts, viz., organization and execution.                  teachers, although I believe that .a beginning has been
                                                                made, and although I `certainly believe and expect that
  Organiza*ion  -                                               a~ serious attempt is being made to give our children
        Since we have determined that, like our local- grade    Protestant Ref.ormed education, and althougn I cer-
  schools, any school organized in our midst  f.or  the* tainly have_in mind no instance of concrete error nor
  training  ,of teachers should be of parental origin'and       any overtly non-Protestant Reformed instruction,-
  be controlled and maintained by a society of parents,         nevertheless I am convinced, and would be convinced
  the question of the organization of such a society            if it were only for the logic of this argument, that we
  a r i s e s   f i r s t .                                     are actually far from the`full realization of the goal of
        In answer to this question I believe that in general    Protestant Reformed grade schools, for the simple
  such a society should not be local, but national, that is,    reason that we have no Protestant Reformed teacher
  open to all our Protestant Reformed parents. We               training facilities. And I say once more: unless we
 must not leave the establishment and organization of           get such facilities, I am afraid that we fight a losing
 such a normal school to any one of the present school          battle. Hence,. let our parents face their responsibil-
  boards or societies:         The problem of teachers and ity in this matter.
 teacher-training is `one that-affects all .our teachers,          Thirdly, I wish to underscore the need of action
 all our schools, all our children,-and all our parents.        on a national, denomination&wide level, for the very
 It is a problem of a  denomination-wid,e scope. And            obvious, practical reason that we are small to begin
. it therefore should be solved on `a denomination-wide         with, and that for such a large project as this we need
 scale. This rule should be observed, of course, pro:           all the strength and support that can be mustered out
 vided all are willing to cooperate.  IOtherwise, those         of our little group. At best we have only little more
 who are interested and willing to cooperate must go            than a thousand families to count on. And we need
 ahead, regardless of the cooperation of the rest. But          the support of all.
 of a lack of cooperation on this score I cannot                   As to the actual organization of such a society for
conceive.'                                                      `the establishment of a normal school, I can conceive
        In the second place, it may be emphasized that this     of two possible methods..         -
 is a matter for ,-all our parents, whether directly or`           `One method would be this, that our present.`soci-
 indirectly concerned with the proposed normal school.          eties and boards organize into a kind of super-society
 It must be evident that this whole matter of a normal          and super-board, which would then be responsible for
 school'is one that is- closely integrated with, the entire     the normal school. The boards, with the approval and
 movement for Protestant Reformed education. The support of their respective societies, would each be
 responsibility for `its establishment does certainly not       represented by one or two members on this super-
 rest with the relatively few parents whose sons .or            board, which would become the executive board of the
 daughters expect to prepare themselves for theJeach-           normal school. The members of the various school
 ing profession in our midst. Then the matter is hope-          societies would then also be members of a normal
 less, from a practical point `of view, entirely.  No,          school society automa tically.
 there is not a parent with children in any of our pre-            This would imply, of' course, that any Protestant
 sent schools who is not involved-not even so indjrect-         Reformed `school society, which might be organSed in
 ly as we might be inclined to think. If we~are to' hold the future would also be permitted to join the normal
 the line in'regard to distinctive, Protestant Reformed         school society.
 education, we must have trained Protestant Reformed
 teachers. ,That is simply a matter of undeniable log-             In favor of such an arrangement `would be its ob-
 ic. And that fact at once implies that it is the duty          vious ease of execution. We `already have several lo-
 of the very same parents upon whom devolves the re-            cal school societies. And these existent societies would
 sponsibility to give their children' Protestant Re-            provide the  maihinery for a normal school society,
 formed education to provide those children with guar-          provided they `were willing to pull in one direction.
 anteed Protestant. Reformed teachers,, and therefore            I `However, there are also some disadvantages, to my
 to provide their teachers with Protestant Reformed             mipd, which ,outweigh the advantage of ease. In the
 training. In fact, I do not hesitate to say that the           first place, I am afraid of boards; especially of super-
 whole cause of Protestant Reformed education will              boards, simply on general principles. Big, strong or-
 lose ground, instead of gaining it, will fast degener-         ganizations lead almost inevitably to dictatorial pow-


                                       T-H-E  `STANDARI' B E A R E R                                                 67
                                 -.
ers and to a silencing of the voice of the people, In
the church that is true, when synods arrogate to them-
selves the powers of local congregations. And it is                THE  DAY OF-SHADOWS'
true in government, when the federal government
takes to itself broad powers and becomes a monster
organization. Such is always the tendency,  and- it                    Absalom's Murder of  Amnon
would, be in this case also, very probably. Secondly,           Absalom thoughat. it wise to wait two full years be-
this arrangement would far remove the normal school           fore. avenging Tamar. That would make it appear
from direct contact `with the parents who support it.         that he had no ,intention  of laying violent .hands. on
And this would be unhealthy from every aspect. It             Amnon. According to ver. 23, he had an  est,ablish-
would result in a lack of interest and. zeal, and a lack      ment for the grazing and rearing of sheep in Baal-
of support. Any institution should have as much di-           hazor adjoining Ephraim approximately eight miles
rect contact with the hearts and minds of its consti-         from Jerusalem. It probably show,s-that all the sons
~cuency as possible. And thirdly, I can foresee that          of the king had landed possessions.' It being the sea-
such an arrangement would car.ry with it not only..all        son of sheepshearing, he planned a festival on his es-
kinds of organizational red;tape,  but also bring with        tate to. which he invited all the- king's sons including
it the possibility of and occasion for all kinds of inter-    Amnon. David,. too, was asked to .come. But the king
society quarrels and squabbles. Now, you may say,             refused. It would be too great an imposition on Ab-
Christians, and especially Christians of the same de-         salom's ,hospitaiity  should they all attend his festival.
nomination,. ought not to quarrel, but to live and~labor      And no-amount of urging on his part could cause Da-
together in brotherly love. That is granted. But vid to change his mind. Because he was planning to
this does not mean that they always do, nor does -it          slay  Amnon on the feast, he could not really have
mean that the occasion for differences-should be  plaCed      wanted his father to be present. That he neverthe-
on their path. How easily difficulties could arise .in        less pressed him is explained by the fact that he there-
this `case, for example, between larger and smaller           by thought to make it appear that his intentions were
societies. How easily it-he large societies could .insist     honorable and that he was not trying to create for
on larger represe-ntation  in the board,- and more in-        himself  an.  opport.unity  for slaying  Amnon.
fluence. How easily intersectional rivalries and jeal-
ousies could arise.                                              Thinking it safe to proceed, he now -besought his
    And therefore we favor rather an independent so-          father to consent to Amnon's going with them. But
ciety -on .the same, -denominationwide level, a society       the king was also unwilling that Amnon go with them.
`modeled after our present local societies, but existing      This is indicated by his question,. "why should he go
on a national level, and as to its organization inde-         With thee?" He was aware of Absalom's hatred. to Am-
pendent of the local societies. From this national non. But he continued to press David and so he final-
society a board could be elected, just as in the local        ly yielded. In wanting to slay Amnon,  Absalom was
societi-es.   .And from- this national society would have     activated by a desire to maintain the honor of his sis-
to come the funds for the establishment of the school,        ter. But he may have had still another motive. ham-
just as is the case with  the- local schools. By this         non was the firstborn and heir-apparent. With him
means the difficulties mentioned above could be avoid-        out of the way, he would be one step nearer .the throne.
ed. And .yet the aid and. moral support of the local `His ambition-and it was strong. For afterwards it
school boards and societies could be enlisted in organ-       led him into rebellion-must have welcomed this pre-
izing a nor'mal school society. After all, though they text for slaying  Amnon.
be organizationally separate,. they all would agree on           The plot had been well contrived. -The actual slay-
the need of our own teacher-training facili,ties. And         ing was to be done by the servants. When Amnon's
they could all serve in propagandizing, in furthering heart was merry with wine, Absalom would say,
the organization, and in enlisting the much-nee.ded           "Smite Amnon !" That was to be the sign. And they
support of the parents. Besides, the present societies        were. not to fear but to consider that it was he who
and.boards  could take the initial action in organizing       had commanded  :them. And his parting words to them
such a society, or in calling for its organization, even      were, ?Be courageous, and be valiant."
though afterwards the society itself would be inde-              The servants did as instructed. So was  Amnon
.pend&nt. They could serve in its conception and birth.       slain. Tidings came to, David that Absalom had slain
                                       H: C. Hoeksema         all the king's sons to `a man. David was overwhelmed.
                                                              He tore his garments and lay on the ear.th and all his
                                                              servants stood by with their clothes rent.
                                                                 The same crafty and sharp-sighted Jonadab, who


        68        `.                          THE  STANDARD  BEAkER

        had advised Amnon regarding-Tamar, seeing how the           certainly that the heart of David was once more set
        ,thing must be, corrected the report. His Lord must         upon Absalom in conscious paternal love.
        not suppose that they have slain all ithe king's sons.          Perceiving that David `yearned for Absalom Joab
        Amnon alone is dead. Absalom had made up his mind           decided to move the king to recall the banished son.
        two years ago to kill him. Soon the king's sons ar-         But that would. not be easy, however strong David's
        rive; and the assertion of ,Jonadab -is confirmed.          desire to have Absalom near him again. .There  pre-
          ' David mourned for Amnon every day. As to Ab-            sents itself to Joab's crafty mind- a way out. David
        salom, he fled to IGeshur,.`where he remained for'three     must be led to the ,desired resolution by the employ-
        y e a r s .                             G. M. Ophoff        ment of guile. -But why should Joab be taking a hand
                                                                    in the matter? Perhaps he?was activated by a genu-
                                   ISI..                            ine regard for David. But it is more likely that he
                                                                    thought to advance his own interests by ingratiating
                        . Absalom  Reokd                            himself with them.
           Absalom then was  /fled to Geshur. "And David               Joab's scheme for moving David to lay aside his
        mourned for his son (that is, for Amnon) every day." scruples against allowing Absalom to return was sin-
-       But when three years was gone by, he was comforted          gularly ingenious. It required for its execution a bold,
        concerning,his  son that he was dead." Time had heal-       shrewd and adroit woman, one gifted with a bright
        ed the wound that had been inflicted. And his heart         mind and capable ,by her fluency of speech to make an
        cried  f,or worthless Absalom, who was still a refugee, impression by words to be put into her mouth by Joab.
        in Geshur. His affection for this son was reassert-         She must also have a talent `for acting .the person and
        ing itself. Doubtless he would have recalled him at         character of another.
        .that moment, had he not been deterred by hissense  of         Joab knew-of such a woman, a resident of Tekoah,
       justice. For Absalom deserved banishment. He was             a place not far from Bethlehem. In the text she is
        a rebel, -a usurper, in that, in slaying Amnon,  he had     called wise. Fetching her thence, he has her put on
       `taken  the law in his own hands and this as infla,med       mourning apparel. She must also refrain from anoin-
        by sheer-malice and ambition. And so his crime was          ting her head and thus assume the character of `a wo-
        great, be it that Amnon had deserved to die.                man who has long mourned for her dead. Thus attir-
           Also  .David may have  .feared  the possible reper-      ed and with Joab's word in her mouth she goes to the
        cussions of his inviting Absalom to return to Jerusa-       king. Doing obeisance by inclining with her face on
        lem.  Doubttless  his- own family was against it, and       the ground, she says, "Save 0 king". "What is thy
        the people at large might say that he was making            trouble,," he asks. The woman speaks her lines:
        light of Absalom's crime. For Amnon's vile deed may            "Truly a widows am I. And dead is my husband.
       have been-hushed up for Tamar's sake, but not so Ab-         And thy handmaid had two sons, and they strove to-
        salom's fratricide. It had become generally known,          gether, the both of them, in the field. And there  w.as
        it may be assumed, so that in the eyes ,of the people he    none to deliver them, but ,the one smote'the  other and
      _- stood condemned as one who had lifted up his hand          slew him. And behold, the whole family is risen a-
        against a brother without a cause.                          gainst thy handmaid, and they say, Deliver him that
         But the text of the Scriptureslis not explicit here.       smote his brother, that we may kill him for the life
        It does not reveal the inner workings of David's mind.      of his brother whom he slew; and they will destroy
       It is even a question among commentators how verse           the heir also, so that they extinguish my coal that re-
       39 (of Chap. 13) should be read. But the verse :that         maineth, in order not to place to ,my husband neither
       follows it is clear. It reads, "Now Joab the son of          name nor remainder upon the face of .the earth."
       Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was upon or            . The woman, of course, is dealing in fiction. There
       towards Absalom." `There can be no doubt that here was not a word of truth in all that she said. No such
       the text speaks, of a kindly feeling of David toward         calamity had befallen her. Her story was a sheer in-
       Absalom, and not of a hostile feeling as d,oes perhaps       vention of Joab .calculated to ensnare, David. And
     the  pr,eceding  verse (13  :39), which some translate,        therefore it was so constructed as to reflect the sad
       "And David <the king held back from going forth af-m state or affairs in his own family, first the slaying of
       ter Absalom, for he had consoled himself for  Am-            Amnon by Absalom and second that David was being.
       non, that he was dead." But the objection to this ren- pressed by his family to forbear recalling Absalom.
       dering is that it reposes upon the unlikely assump-             The king's reply is somewhat indefinite. Says he
       .tion that David's wrath had almost immediately sub- to the woman,. `<Go to thy house and I will give corn--
       sided. What  is more, the translation disagrees with         mand concerning thee." But what kind of command ?
       the verse that follows (14 :l) , :the sense of -which is     Will he order an investigation and give a charge ac-


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                                             T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                            69

      cording to his findings? That must not happen. So            salom or pronounce his judgment regarding her case
      she proceeds to prompt him still further. Says she
                                >                                  corrupt. Her reasoning is premised on the view that
      to the king, "On me, my Lord the king be the ini&it,y        the two cases are the same and that on this account
      and upon my father's house and the king and his              Absalom is entitled to the same gracious consideration
      throne be innocent,"" that is, if it be sinful of him to that was given her son. The surprising boldness of
      deliver her son out of the hand of the avenger of blood.     the woman so to have ensnared the king. Doubtless
      Apparently the woman is poised on t,he brink of des-         she was sincere in this respect that she believed Ab-
      pair. The agony of soul she manages to feign is great.       salom's punishment unjust.           As time would reveal
      The king is moved. He says to her, "Whosoever saith          there were many in Israel who shared this belief.
      ,aught against thee, bring him to me, and he shall touch     Amnon's cruelty had been great. And David had ta-
      thee no more." This is somewhat clearer and more to          ken no action. Absalom had taken the law in his own-
      the point. But the woman can be satisfied only with hand. That is true. But it also could be argued that
      a definite promise  conifirmed by an oath. "I pray he had simply done his duty by Tamar as her nearest
      t.hee," is`now her entreaty, "let the king remember the      kinsman. The unpopularity of Absalom's exile may
      Lord,thy God," that is, swear by the name of the Lord        have been Joab's reason for taking a hand in the mat-
      "that thou wouldest not suffer the avenger of blood to       ter.
      destroy any more, lest they destroy my son." (Heb.                   But the woman has more to say to the king.
      Let. the king remember the Lord thy God from the a-                  "For surely we must die and are as water spilt
      venger's in,creasing  to destroy. . .) .    He speaks the    on the ground, which cannot be gathered again; but
      oath for which she asks, -"By the life of Jehovah if         God doth not take a soul ; but he devised means (think-
      fall a hair of thy son to the ground."                       eth thougths) t-hat his banished one be not expelled
         By the king's oath the murderer is saved from             from him."
      death for his paternal inheritance. Has the king done                ["But God doth not take away a .SOLI~ ;" The Eng-
      right? Israel's law provided. for six cities of refuge,      lish-A.V. translates here, "Neither doth (God respect
      three on each side of the Jordan, to which a man kil-        any person." But ,not so good. The other rendering
      ling another by accident might flee from the vengeance       agrees much better with the surrounding clauses of
      of. the kinsmen of the slain and be assured of a fair        the verse.1
      :trial and a place where he might reside without fear                ,This is a remarkable statement. There seems to
      of attack. But if the killing was premeditated the be wrapped up in it the essence of the whole Gospel of
      offender had to die. But in the hypothetical case that       Christ.
      had been imagined by Joab the killing .had been done                 There is this in the woman's words : Dying we must
      in the heat of passion. It was not premeditated. So          die, that is, we `must surely die. For we have trans-
      the woman said. `But neither could..it be called acci-       gressed. And once being dead, returned to the dust,
      dental. The law left it to the ,discretion  of the jud-      we can no more be restored to this life than water
      ges in Israel how to deal with all such cases. Deut.         spilt on the ground can be gathered. Banished are we
      19 :I-13; 4 :41-43; Num. 35 :9-25. David's error was         through dea.th from &God's sanctuary and from Canaan,
      t,hat he rendered judgment without first having arran- the land of the living, God's country. (Canaan was
      ged for a trial,-a thing that the law required.-             the heaven of the ,Old Testament church).
         The woman's purpose is to entrap the king It is                   But God does not (take  away a life, leave His people,
      the only object of her coming. From the favor already        the elect of  IGod, in the grave. But, however  ill-
      granted her she is sure ,of success. Having-begged and       deserving they may be, He has devised means, thought
      received permission to speak just once more, she con- thoughts, for recalling him (them) His banished one
      tinues` her discourse. "Wherefore then," she now says        (ones) from the prison house of this their death,
      :to the king, "hast thou thus contrived against the peo-     that never again they be expelled from Him. And by
      ple of God? For the king cloth speak this thing as :His counsel He leads them during all the time of their
      one who is guilty in that the king does not fetch home       earthly pilgrimage and thereupon takes them into glo-
      again his banished," meaning Absalom.                        ry. And they shall ever be with the Lord.
         If it is right that her son be`allowed to live-and                Is this in substance what the woman says to the
      her st,and is that it is. right-the king's treatment of      king? The form of her words allow us to say that it
     . Absalom is a perversion of justice, an evil doing,, a       is.
      crying shame and a sin against IGod's people, a trav-                But what to t,he woman's mind has this all to say
      esty on justice by which he disqualifies himself  .as        to David? Doubtless this : that he must show that the
      king. According to the woman, he thus finds himself          mind  of  `God  is  in  him  by  fetching  his  banished   one
      in a` straight betwixt two. Either` he must `recall Ab-      home.  Absalom must be  secalled,
                                                                   _-


        70                                  TH%  SPANbARD.   BEAiXER

              Doubtless she would have the king consider ,that (quietude of soul was great. If so, could there at once
        the Lord has shown-him this mercy in kind. Was not be in her mind the i&in-ation and the will 30 be oc-
        his sin great? A.nd was it not forgiven him and his          cupied with the troubles of another? It wasn't nat-
        l i f e   s p a r e d ?                                      ural. And wha:t  amazing audacity fo'r one .of her sta-
              But here the woman's argument is exceptionally tion to be taking to task Israel's king and `regarding
       weak. G&`s banished ones are the contrite of heart.           such an affair. And she a  w,oman.  It couldn't sim-
        And they are this because He fetches them home.              ply be. `The woman must be a tool of some person of
        But Absalqm was hard and impenitent.                         rank. That his thoughts turned to Joab was perhaps
              The woman now returns tp her own case as though because all along he had been urging the king to recall
       -it were the real-object of her coming from which for IAbsalom. 80 the king says to her, "Do  .not by any
        conscience sake she had &rayed  for a moment to'point        means  .hide from me the thing that I-I, thy  king-
        otit to him hiis fault.                                      am now asking thee." R,espectfully she replies; "Pray,
              She explains what it is that has driven her to         let my Lord the king speak." And so he puts to her
        trouble the king with such a personal affair. Her            the question, "Is not the hand of Joab wit'h thee in all
        kinsmeli have frightened her by demanding her son.; t h i s ? "
        "Now therefore that I am co&e to speak of this matter           There is no evidence in the text that the woman is
        unto.my  Lord the king is because the people have made frightened. She is._fiar  too .intelli&ent not to have for-
        me afraid." In her extremity her thoughts hXd turned         seen this moment and prepare for it. To passify his
        to the king. Sh.e must without fail appeal her case to       displeasure, she replies in the form of a compliment
        him. Might  she not prevail upon him  tto help her!          to his keenness of  discertimen't.  "As thy soul liveth
        "And thy handmaid said, I will by all means speak my lord :the king, if there is anything on the right or
        unto the king; it may be that the king will perform ithe left  !?rom all that my lord the king speaketh,"
      the request  of_.his handmaid." And the firm confi-            meaning that as he has surmized, so it is precisely.
        dence is hers tha'c, now that he has heard her case, he      "For thy servant Joab," she continues, "bade me, and
        will surely send deliverance.' "For `the king will he put all these words in the mouth of thine handmaid."
        hear, to deliver his handmaid ouit of the hand of the `This is proof from the wom&`s  own mouth that her
        man that would destroy me and my son together out            whole story was fictitious  and that she has been feign-
        of the inheritance of God." For she knows the king,, ing. And f:or what purpose? In the woman's own lan-
        is mindful of his virtues as king and judge. Even mwe, "to turn the face of the thing hath thy servant
        as an angel of God he is always determined to hear           Joab done this thing."
        both sides of the case, and being gifted wit,h uncommon         "To turn the face or form of the thing." "The
        wisdom and insighit, his judgments are always impar- thing" is David's- attitude toward Absalom. In order
        tial and true. And therefore she is certain that now,        to- change. #this attitude by bringing abtitit a reconcil-
        too, his word will be comforting (Heb.-will give rest). `i&ion hath Joab `done this, that is, sent the woman to
`.      "`Then thy handmaid said, The word of my lord +he            David with these words.
        king shall now be comforti$g  : for as .an angel. of `God       [The English A.V:translates here, "to f.etch about
        so is my lord the king to discern (Heb.-hear)  good          this  foym of  .speech   h&s  #thy servant Joab done this
        and bad." This was her confidence when she was still thing."' Bst not correctly.1
        in her place. And in this same confidence she now               The woman makes a final appeal to the king's wis-
        stands before him. She concludes her discourse with          dbm in order that he may be moved to make a decision
        a blessing upon the king. Being a magistrate of such -favorable- for Absalom. `1And my Lord is wise, ac-
        mental land spiritual excellencies, "the Lord thy God        cording to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all
        will be wit,h thee."                                         things that are in the ,ear,th.`r
              How much-she esteemed him! Her flattery was               Joab's artifice has its desired effect. The king com-
        purposeful. @he had made. it. difficult for him to re-       municates his decision to Joab in person and mandates
        fuse to fulfill her request,  seeing that she was expec- him to "go, therefore, bring the young man Absalom
        ting so much from his noble qualities. And her refer- back again." Joab  is elated. He bows himself with
        ence was a-lways to Absalom. It was his c&e that she         his fiace to the ground and. thanks the king in these
        was pleading under the cover of J6abfs literary fab-         words, "Today thy servant knoweth that I have found
        rication.                                                    grace in $hy sight, my lord, 10 `king, in that the king
              The king heard the woman out in silence. But he        hath fulfilled the request of his  gervant." What his
        wondered. Her abrupt shift from her .own affair to the       rear&i&  reveals is that he has often in the past re-
      ' case af Absalom s:truck him as strange. Taking her quested the king to do that very thing. So was Ab-
        at her word she was on the  &rink of ruin. Her dis-          salom brought back to Jerusalem,,          C$ M; Ophoff


                                       THE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                  71

                                                                  we  eiperience with our senses. Th,is "inheritance'!
FROM.BOLY  W R I T I shall be OLWS completely, it is .true, in the day of Christ.
                                                                   However, nbw alr.eady we more and more grow into
                                            -                      this inheritance-salvation; it is the real life that we
                                                                   live, and' wherein we rejoice with joy unspeakable
             Exposition sf  I Peter  1:4, 5  "                     and full of glory.
   In this pissage we- are told more about the grand                  The apostle tells us the following wonderful truths
and exalted "status 6u.o" of the Church of Jesus ,Christ-. c&cerning this "inheritance".
as she lives under .the-Spirit of sanctification.                     In .the first place he `tells us, that- this inheritance
   In our last essay on ,this Chapter we noticed the               is `Yeady t? be revealed in the last day."                                1
church stands and praises `God in the face of Jesus                   T.his inheritance is prepared.  From a legal view:
Christ, silice He has begotten her unto a lively hope              point it is all enacted. Th.e papers of our inheritance
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ `from the                 have keeeived  the seal of God's throne. The Kingdom
d e a d .                                                          ,of Christ stands and the-power of the Devil have been
   It is a fad, an accompZish&Z fact, that t,he church, ,outlawed forever.  The. Son of God very really has
believers in Christ are a new creation in Christ.                  been made both' Lord and Christ. And it must now be                  -
   In the verses 4 and 5 the Apostle tells us more a- assuredly made known unto Israel -Ihat the promise
bout this. The passage reads as follows:  ". .  .u%to              made unto the. fathers hath been fulfilled through
nn inheritance  inc_orruptible,  ani&  wnclefilqd, and that        Christ's resurrection unto us the children and' heirs.
fixleth, not awry, reserved in heaven for you, who by              Legally it is prepared. And the Testament-Document
6he power of God are guarckd dhrough faith ado sal-                of <God  calls for the end of time when the entire Tes-
vation ready to be revealed at the last time."                    .tame?nt  shall be executed forever for and in the elected
   Permit us to call your attention to the various im-             heirs of the Promise.
portant ,elements  in this passage.              -                    It is legally preparedlihis  "inheritance" !
   It is impontant, first of all, to notice, that Peter               But js is historically also prepared. We now live
says that we have been begotten again with a hope                  iii the end of .the ages, the-last hour. Presently the
which is evermore reaching out to t.he "inheritance".              very heavens shall be, rolled away and the n&w hea-
Wnat we look fsorward to is that we as heirs of the Pro- vens and new earth shall be brought forth in the great
mise may obtain the inheritance. The Bible simply Palingenesia (Regeneration). Confer Mat. 19 228. No
Iis replete- with information and glad tidings concern-            other dispensation of history can or need be before.
ing this "inheritance". Peter is not speaking of some-             I&$ Coming. The next great act of ,God `iii history is
thing new and unheard in  #God's Church. To speak to terminate it; it will be the harvest time.
of the "inheritance" is to speak the language of ,God's                                                              Ail things
                                                                   no+  in. creation stand on its tiptoes to receive this
people, and touches the very hope of Israel!                                                                                       c
                                                                  `grtiat' inheritance `of the saints.
   W,hy is that which awaits us and that unto which                                                       And the church sings,
we have beeI! begotteli  an "inheritance"?`                        Come, Lord Jesus,~ yea, come quickly, Amen!
   It is an inheritance because it is that;which God                  Legally and historically prepared.
has prepared for His elected sons and heirs simply                    Why not? ' Are not all #God's ways those of justice
and merely by Soveyeign grace. It is ours as sons of *hat lead through the holy place? The f'uncovering"
adoptibn and thus legally constituted heirs of God and             of the inhiritance in the last time is stl-ictest  justice.
joint&eirs with ,Christ. It is. our@s by reason of God's The heirs have a right to it as heirs.`, Upon this un-
testament, covenant that cannot. be broken.. For it                covering our eyes are riveted in the hope of receiving
-is- contimed and ratified in the blood and- death of that which if rightfully ours in C'hrist. For we have
IChrist and -affirmed by His resurrection.  _Through~ received -& heart to understand, a mind to perceive,
the death of the Testator it is ours ; and this Testator           eyes to see and  &ars to hear the wonders of God's
also became the Administrator of  &he same by the                  righteousness in Chkist. Old things have passed away
Spirit of Sanctification, We, therefore, now already and all things are .now new in .hope. Our feet stand
posseyss this "inheritance" in hope..  (                   . .     on the, solid ground of Christ; our faith and hope are
   It is an -inheritance.                                          anchored sure and stedfast within the vail.
   The heirs by electioli.and  adoption re'ceive  it. i               Peter also tells us concerning this "inheritance"
   Then too it is important to notice this "inheritance" that it is- irmwruptible, zmclefilab~e  and that it .fades
is not some vague ethereal isle of somewhere, but that .not  a w a y .
it i? a well defined possession, which is as real to the                                 (to be continued)
reborn child as is the tangible world about. us; which                                                         Geo. Lubbers
                                                                                              _


                             __~.~___~~                   .--.---__-                                                  _ -~ -- -
             72        --               ---        .,-    '  TH.E-ST"ANDARD  B E A R E R
                                 .-                                  `
                                                                       -.-d                                              - -                -
                                                                                 Y    vers. Such preach& properly applied sends the Be-
                      CQNTRIBU-I-IQNS                                                 lievers home with the conscious conviction that they
                                                                                      are in ,Ch&t reconciled to SGod,  by the fact that they
                      D~~C~RINAL  I N   T H E   WRON~G  StiNi~                        believe, have faith, which is wroLight upon and streng-
                                                          _                           thened, by the Holy Spirit in. their hearts. And the
                   IV: The PrGfessor co&inues.  Preach&g of the kle-                  unbeliever is left. expdsed tothe wrath bf God, by .the
                      ments III 1,2,`3, (as stated -in the previous is-               fact. .that in his own consciousness he kntiws~ ihat he
                       sue) f&m the keys that, opens the Kingdom to                   does not believe, he d&piqei Christ, and wants nothing
                      believers,  -.-and,  ,shuts the Kingdom to  -unbe-              of                     Him.                    .-
                      lievers.                                                          In this plain.teaching  of Rev.- Oph$ as -he w'rote `it
                      1. rG;d justified His People in His (?,ouniel  from             in his article, I fail  .to  `see any  @onnectioti with the
                             all eternity by choosing them in Chi& and                conditional theology that Rev. Kok tries to read into
                             imputing to them His satisfaction and right-             Rev. Ophoff's work, by quoting from hit at random in
                             eousness, thus opened to them the Kingdom.               his art,icle  published in Concordia Sept. llth, 1952.
                      2. *God open; to them the Kingdom through the                          As I see it, the mairi tenet of the Liberated Teach-
                             faculty of their minds. The preaching of                 ing is that faith is a condition. Around that tenet
                    I the Word, namely  appiying it  `.to- the,  indivi- the Liberated theoiogy of ~tke promise is built. Their
                             dtial, opens the Kingdom to the ,Child of God,           preaching is directed to the false notion that faith be-
                             by awakening in them the conscio&ness thru               ing a condition, faith is an action, something that, is
                             the Holy Spirit, that they are ,robed  -with             done, or, something'that must be performed, the pie-
                             the righteousness of Christ and sprinkled                requisite of which is action.- Hence the preaching is
                             o%ith His blood. -                                       dire@ted,  and the attempt made fo get this action&Yom
                      3. By this preaching the Kingdom deing opened                   its hearers. This conception cannot consistently be
                             to the Children of God, thru the- Spirit of- mailitained  without  b e i n g   Arminian.
                      ,Christ in their hearts, and they being  con-                          Our Theological Professors are teaching and have
                             scious'of  their justification in Christ, emerge         always taught the Reformed conception of; faith.
                             with a glorio& faith, -confidence and a cpn-             Faith is an instrument or bond. The means by which
                             scious conviction that to them the KingdoT               something is believed. Not an action but a -belief. A
       '                     is opened in Jesus Christ their Redeemer;                conviction`br living consciousness in. the soul that the
                   _ 4. Thru this saine preaching Christ shuts the                    righteousness of Christ is iniputed unto us. That we
e                            Kingdbm to unbelievers. To their own con-                are one With Christ iri His- suffering, death and re-
                             seiousness. And !being hardened through the              surrect&n, therefore justified and guiltless before God.
                             preaching of the Word, they rise in rebellion            This faith is nourished in the Children pf God, by the
                             and hatred against Christ, and in their con-             preaching of the gospel, when the gospel is preached
                             sciousness know that eternal desolation is `be-          as' to its true elements Seth forth ,by our Professors,
                             ing opened up to them.                                   as shown from the article above written by Rev. C$hoff
                   V. The Gospel, the Word, thus being applieh or ad-                 back in 1936.`
            .-        ministered to the flock we come fo the conelu-                         Preaching based on the doctrinally wrong notion
                      sion as embodied in Lord's .Day 31, III, 3, a/ 11               that faith is a condition: land direeked to the hearers
                      21. .The. preaching of the promise is thus a sa-                with the  jdea of getting action based  on- something
                    vor of life unto life for the penitent, the weak                  that must be  .performed,   .rather,  than applying the
                      and heavy laden `ones, the el.eet, and;-a savor                 gospel to-the hearers by the preachipg,  which the Holy
                      of death unto death for the ungodly, the repro- Spirit uses to- establish conf idence and conviction in
. .                   bate. And by this same preaching every man                      the hearts of God's Children that the curse of the law
                      judge his own heart. Whether he belongs to                      iS remobed.and  the rightequsn&s  of Christ belongs to'
                      the Believers or the. Unbelievers; by the fact;                 thein, is, "Doctrinal in the Wrong Sense".                    "
                      (if he believes) or' (if he believes not) .                                  .                                       J. H. Kortering
                   Now the main thrust of Rev. Ophoff's &$cle iS that                         D
            the gdspel must be preached as to its-three elements                                        :             *  *'  *  *
            shown under III, 1, 2, 3. The 2nd and 3rd elements
       being very importa& for these `open the Kingdom to
            the Believers .and shut the Kingdom to the Unbelie-


