   VOLUME   XXIX                            FEBRUARY  15,  1953  - GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN                          ; N U M B E R .   10


                                                                        J@zus  zegt : Zoo iemand achter  Mij wil komen, die ver-
        M E D I T A T I O N                                             loochene zichzelven, .en neme zijn kruis, op, en volge
                                                                        Mij. :%Dus weer dezelfhde gedaehte : men ) zal niet de,
                                                                        aarde en de .zondeverkiezen,  maar alle die dingen witi
           De  Behoudenis  Des  Levens                                  len' verliezen; .om tech maar vat te mogen hebben' aan
                                                                        de =dingen die blijven' tot in `alle eeuwigheid. Vooral
                                                                        het:`tweede  lid van mijn tekst legt daar nadruk op, door
            "Want zoo wie zijn leven zd willen  behou,den,  die
          zal hetzelve verliezen;  naar   zo,o  &ie zijn  I&en  ver-    te, zeggen : Zeg. nu eens, dat . men `de geheele tegen-
          liezen   qa'l om mijnentwil, die zal hetzelve vinded' woordige wereld  ZQU kunnen  bemaehtigen,   wat zou
          Want wat baat  bet een  men,xh,  zoo hij degehede             men dan nog hebben ? ,OII zijn best een honderd jaar,
          wereld gewint, en lijdt schade  zijner ziel ? Of wat          en .dan? Dan komt de oordeelsdag en. de eeuwige  ver-
          zal een mensch geven tot lossing van zijne ziel?"             daemenis.    Daartegenover komt weer  de boodschap
                                                 -Matt.  15:25,26       van onzen'tekst in een. waarstihuwing  : Zoekt tech niet
   ,Onze tekst wordt oak gevonden in Lucas 17:33, en                    om : Uw aardsche leven te behouden, maar verliest
in Johannes 12:25, In Lucas staat once tekst mver-                      het, .om daartegenover vat te mogen hebben aan het
band met de gexhiedenis van Lot in Sodom, welke'ge;                     ware leven, het zalige leyen van ,Gpds Verbond.
schiedenis de Heere Jezus aanhaalt in` verband met
zi j,n waarschuwing `aangaande het einde .der we&d,                                            a  *  a  *
welke Hij beeindigt  door te zeggen : Gedenkt  aan de                    _ Het is duidelijk, dat de Heere Jezus het oog heeft
vrouw van Lot, en dan komt onze tekst, en hij word&,                    op' ons natuurlijk leven `hi& op aarde, bet leven, dat
ons gegeven als een reden or-n t&h niet de aarde en bet                 we bij onze  natuurlijke.  geboorte ontvingen, en dat
genieten van den zondk te verkiezen boven het goede                     ten einde loopt  bij onzen laatstensnik,  met alle aard-
dat blijven zal tot in der eeuwigheid toe. In ,Johannes                 s@e  banden en  betrekkingen.        En. dat leven is zoet
1!2:25  staat mijn tekst in verband met bet vragen  `der                voor  ens  dis  natuurlijk'.  men&hen.    En we'mogen  er
-@rieken om Jezus tech te mogen &en. Die vraag be-                      oak  we1 bij voegen dat zulk gevoelen  natuurlijk is.
woog Jezus om te spreken v&n Zijn sterven. Hij ziet                     Het is onnatuurlijk  om zelfmoord  te plegen. Evenwel,
in dat vragen van die Grieken eenvooruitgrijnen  naar                   Gods'Wdord en onze ondervinding leer& ens ook;dat
,de zaligheid die komen zal voor de Heidenen, en in ver-                dit `natuurlijke `leven zeer vuil en zondig is; Dat na-
band daarmede zegt Jezus van Zichzelve:  voorwaar tuurlijke leven ligt onder den vloek van God. En dat
zeg Ik u, indien het tarwegraan in~de aarde niet valt                   ervaren we van dag tot dag. ' Sindsdien we in Adam
en sterft, zoo blijft het al&%, maar ind.ien het sterft,                in arren moede onze vuisten balden tegen `God en bet
zoo brengt het veel vrueht voort. lOok hier hebt ge                     Hem aanzeiden, ,dat we niet wilden, dat Hij Koning
weer dezelfde gedaehte: Jezus verkoor het verliezen                     over ons zou zijn, is alles tegen ons, en overal hooren
van `Zyn leven tot ontvangen van de geheele wereld                      en ervaren we den vloek Gods. :  Stervende  zult `gij
van ,Gods welbehagen. En dan past de Heere die wet                      sterven, zeide :God, en zoo is het. Ions geheele leven
des Koninkrijks toe voor Zijne volgelingen, zooals-dat                  hier op aarde is een gestadige dood. We zijn gewillige
ook gevonden wordt in  mijn, tekst. En in de  `d&de                     slaven van den duivel en van de zonde die `woelt in ons
plaats, het verband van den `tekst in mijn teksthoofd-                  verstand en hart. En zoo zien we de vreeselijke  wereld
stuk wordt gevonden in liet voorgaande `vers, waar we                   der zondige menschenkinderen, een wereld waarvan
de vereischten van het discipelschap beluisteren, ala                   Jezus zegt dat zij gekarakteriseerd  wordt .door  de be-
                                                                                               i


218                                       THE  STANDAR-D  BE.ARER

geerlijkheid der oogen, de begeerlijkheid des-vleesches     eigen is vanaf den eersten schreeuw bij onze natuur-
en de. grootschheid des levens. Ons geheele natuur-         lijke geboorte. En daarom niet in den zin, dat een
lijke leven is verdorven en wordt steeds meer verdor- ,Christen ooit geneigd zou zijn om een einde te maken
ven; totdat de gruwelijke mensch der zonde in den           aan zijn natuurlijke bestaan, en alzoo zelfmoord be-:
Tempel (Gods  zal zitten,  en zeggen, dat hij God is. Dat drijven. Maar in den zin, dat de Christen beseft, dat
is het leven waar Jezus het over heeft in mijn tekst,       dit natuurlijke  leven zijn eigenlijke leven niet is. En,
in de eerste instantie. En nu zegt Jezus, dat zoo wie       in de tweede plaats, beseft Christen, dat dit zijn na-
dat leven behouden wil, hetzelve zal verliezen. Bij         tuurlijke leven vuil ,en zondig is; zoodat hij zich elken
den. eersten oogopslag zouden we zeggen.: Wel, wie id       dag schaamt voor zijn natuurlijke leven, en het dan
er .die zijn leven niet wensclit te behouden? Zelfmoord     ook gedurig voor SGod belijdt, en met den tollenaar
is  tech zonde? En we haasten ons om  te poneeren,          uitroept : 0 IGod, wees mij den zondaar ,genadig! En
dat in' zekeren zin we ons leven moeten behouden.           dat bedoelt Jezus als Hij zegt, dat men zijn leven zal
Zelfmoord is zonde. Maar let wel, Jezus bedoelt geen        verliezen, om hetzelve weer te vinden. Maar dan ver-
zelfmoord. Hij heeft het over onze geestelijk houding heerlijkt, geh.eiligd, vereeuwigd tot oneindige glorie
tegenover  ons'zondig  bestaan hier op aarde. Het is        voor Gods aangezicht. En soms .verliest  men zijn na-
zonde om onszelven en ons vuile zondige leven te wil-       tuurlijke leven, ook geheel  en al in .den meest.concre-
len handhaven tegenover ,God. dm dat leven te willen        ten zin des woords.  -Zooals b.v. in dagen van verrol-
ha.ndhaven ten koste van Gods eer en glorie. Om dat         ging, zooals Uwe en mijne vaderen bewezen hebben
leven `ce verdedigen al maakt bet ons waardig om tot        toen zij hun leven om Gods wil op den brandstapel
in alle eeuwigheid verdoemd te worden  door een recht-      lieten.  En dat eerste leven gaven ze om hetzelve ter-
vaardig God. Als we dat doen dan zullen we ons be- heerlijkt weer te ontvangen. En God alleen weet h:?-
staan tot in der eeuwigheid verliezen. Als we ons           velen van ons dat zullen hebben te doen in den da,g
vereenzelvigen met ons .doemwaardige bestaan voor           van den Antichrist die haastig aan `t komen is. En
God, dan komen we om, en zullen stervan, tot                zoo zien we wat Jezus bedoelt als Hij zegt, dat men
in de he1 toe, in den eeuwigen dood. .En dat komt van-      door het eene leven te verliezen een ander leven ont-
wege de aanbiddelijke deugd van #Gods onkreukbare vangt. En nu zegt Paulus in Coil. 3, dat dit nieuwe,
gerechtigheid. En het ,is openbaar; dat de natuurlijke      heerlijke leven, dat men gewinnen zal eigenlijk Chris-
mensch juist dit doet. De geheele wereld handhaaft          tus ,is., `Christus  die ons leven' is, zegt Paulus daar.
zichzelf tegenover (God.' Hoe meer God van den hemel        Daar zit veel in. Eerst, dat dit leven het leven is, dat
toornt over alle goddeloosheid en ongerechtigheid van (Christus zelf l&t in hart en ziel en al zijne geneug-
het leven der menschen, hoe meer men zijn vuist balt        ten. Dat is bet Icven, dat Jezus ontving bij Zijne ver-
in den haat tegen `God en Zijn gezalfde. Zoo was het        rijzenis in den hof van Jozef van Arimathea. In de
met Adam en Eva, en zoo is het gesteld met hunne            tweede plaats is het het leven van Christus, omdat Hij
kinderen. Men zal het  wagen met zichzelf, al  staat        het ver,diende  voor Zichzelf en voor al degenen die Hem
dan ook alles op `t spel. En als `Gods oordeelen op de      geschonken zijn van den Vader. En derdens is. het
aarde zijn in oorlogen, pestilentien, aardbevingen, en      het leven van Christus, want ge ontvangt het door
allerlei andere vreeselijke  dingen, dan belegt men ver-    Zijn Heiligen ,Geest  en Woord. En zooals we zooeven
gaderingen, neemt  men raad, gaat verbonden aan, eni.       al gezegd hebben in een ander verband, het is het le-
Maar Ben ding zal men nooit doen, en dat is, men zal        ven der  -wedergeboorte  en  der bekeering en des  ge-
nooit tot God gaan en zeggen: Heere, we geven ons           loofs en der heiligmaking,  dat nu in beginsel ons ge-
geheel en al over en werpen ons op Uwe barmhartig-          schonken is, en volmaakt zal worden  in. den dag van
heid. Men handhaaft zijn goddeloosheid en  godde-           Jezus Christus. Dat leven hetwelk behouden wordt
looze leven tot den laatsten snik. Dat is het leven dat     door het verlies van het zondige leven is hetzelfde als
verloren gaat.                                              wanneer de Heilige Schr.ift  spreekt van het eeuwige le-
                                                            ven. Het is het burgerschap van den  hemel, het is
                            *  *  *  *                      het verbondsleven van, God, het is het leven des vredes
       En                                                   van Gods vreeverbond. Het is het leven van Gods ge-
              11~1  het leven dat behouden werd.
  Dat leven openbaart zich allereerst als hatende het       rechtigheid, de gerechtigheid die volmaakt in Christus
leven, dat verloren  gaat. Het leven, dat behouden          woont, 266 volmaakt, dat de Sphrift tot driemalen Hem
wordt is het nieuwe, hemelsche, wederomgeborene le-         noemt: de  ,Heere  onze gerechtigheid. En dat leven
ven. Welnu, zoo spoedig dat nieuwe leven tot bewust-        maakt U tot krijgsknechten van Jezus vanuit het oog-
zijn komt in de bekee.ring,,  zoo spoedig begint ge ook     punt van den drie-voudigen vijand: Satan, de wereld
Uw natuurlijke leven te haten. Dat wil zeggen, het          en ons eigen zondige vleeseh. En vanuit het oogpunt
zondige leven, het vuile en goddelooze  leven dat ons       der nieuwe aarde en des nieuwen hemels maakt dat


                                        ,rQE  $,ijcA$jj,AQD,.   B&i~&jjlQ                                                                219

  leven  U` tot een pelgrim die met zijn staf en zijn        genad,ig, barmhartig, gaarne vergevend,. goedertieren.
  kroes als vreemdeling en bijwoner verkeert,  `doch die     Ik geef in ,die woorden een beschrijving van den Chris-
  verlangt en hunkert en dorst en hongert om dat leven       ten die dit leven der behoudenis in zich om draagt. Eri
  volmaakt te leven in het'nieuwe  Koninkrijk bij God in     zijn strekking is ook dierbaar, w&t dat leven springt
  Christus.                                                  op in U tot de Bron van hetzelve, en dat is God. Dan
        Dat is het l.even,- dat behouden wierd.              zingt gij : `t Hijgend  hert  der,  jacht ontkomen  ;
  ,                                                          schreeuwt niet sterker naar `t genot, van de frissche
                                                             waterstroomen, dan mijn z&l verlangt naar God. Ja,
                        -72  *  *  *                         mijn ziel dorst naar den Heer. (God des levens, ach,
                                                             wanneer zal ik naderen voor Uw `oogen,  in Uw Huis
        En nu nog wat over datzelfde leven vanuit het  uw  Naam  verhoogen!                                                 `.
  oogpunt van zijn dierbaarheid.                                      En zijn omvang is breed. Men  .mag  hogal  eens
        Die dierbaarheid zullen we zien op den  achter-      gaarne zeggen van den ,Christen en `van de Kerk van
  grond van de namelooze armoede van het leven dat           `Christus, dat  @j  engharti,g   zij.n. Och  arqe, hkt' is
  verloren ging.  _                                          juist andersom. Het leven van beneden,  van bet stof,
        Van die gedachte zegt Jezus : Want wat baat het      van de wereld is juist enghartig. Men is tevreden
  een mensch, zoo hij de geheele wereld gewint, en lijdt     met wat stof, wat geld, wat aarde en met veel zonde en
  schade zijner ziel? ,Of wat zal een mensch `geven tot      vuilheid. Hoe vreeselijk eng! Maar den Christen  is
 lossing van zijn ziel? In beide leden van dezen tekst       alles breed. Zijn hart en ziel omvangt hemel en aard&
 hebt ge eigenlijk dezelfde gedachte, doch uit twee ver-     met alle schepselen. Veel meerder nog: hij omvangt
 schillende oogpunten. In het eerste lid stelt de Heere      den oneindigen ;God in Jezus Christus, zijn Verlosser
 ons voor de gunstigste gesteldheid. Zeg nu, zegt .Je- ,, en Zaligmaker. En hij zal niet ru.sten  totdat hij aan-
 zus, dat een mensch hemel  en aarde werkelijk kon be-       ligt aan de rivier Gods in het nieuwe Koninkrijk. Wilt
 machtigeq en dat dat dan zijn leven mocht zijn. Alle        ge nu eens luisteren naar iemand die zijn natuurlijke
 nienschen, ,dieren,  engelen en duivelen waren dan van      leven verloor  6m het weer te vinden in oneindige mate?
 hem. Zou hij  d&door  gelukkig kunnen zijn? Zou             Luistert dan: Wien `heb ik nevens U in' den hemel?
 hij zijn ziel daarmede kunnen voeden? En zou hij            Nevens U lust mij ook niets op de aarde.
 door de geheele wereld te bezitten den Heere kunnen                                                                     G: vos.
 verzoenen? 10~ al die vragen `en meer andere is het                                                                              -..
 antwoord : Neen ! Al die rijkdom zou hem niets baten.
 Het zou hem zelfs nog ellendiger maken dan wanneer              -          ---1+1                                       .:.
 hij als een bedelaar rbnd,wandelde  op aarde voor zijn
 geschonken span des levens. Want hoe meer men van
 deze wereld ontvangt, hoe meer men het verzondigt.
 Als men een arme man die goddeloos is veel geld geeft,                               IN MEMORIAM
 dan gaat hij met dat geld zondigen. Het baat ens niet         (On the 23rd ,of January, 1953, it pleased the-Lord to transfer
 om veel te hebben van dit leven. En in het tweede lid from this earthly tabernacle into the realm of perfection  olur
 hebt ge dezelfde gedachte: Wat zal een mensch geven         beloved father, grandfather,  atid great-grandfather,
 tot lossing van zijn ziel? Zeg dat een goddeloos  at  the  aie  of  75  ye~F~oRGE  "  B"13RSMA
 mensch hemel en aarde bezat: zou God dien rijkdom
 aanvaarden tot losprijs van zijn zondige ziel? Neen           It is  ,a joy to us to. know that our father has  en'cered   into
 tech. Er is een eeuwige schuld vanwege h& zondigen          the eternal rest  ,of those  whose  only comfort in life and death
                                                             is in Jesus Christ their Saviour. May we, the children, also
 tegen de  Maj,esteit   (Gods, en zij eischt een eeuwige     strive to <enter into that rest.
 straf en dat is straflijden in d6 hel.. Dus er is geen                               The  Chiklren:
 dierbaarheid in het bezit vari aardsche, wereldsche din-                                Mr. and Mrs. Peter Clement
 gen op zichzelf. Mag men ze hebben in Gods gunst :                                      Mr. and  Mzs. Louis De Vries
 we1 en goed.  Want dan werken zij mede ten. goede.                                      Mr. #and Mrs. Andaew Boersma
 Doch op zichze!f, als de bezfitingen  vermeerderen ver-                                 Mr. and Mrs.  Herman Boersma
                                                                                         tir. and Mrs.  &George  Boersma
 meerderen ook `de zonden en de schulden tot verdoe-                                     M r .   B e r n a r d   Boersma
 menis.                                                                                  Mr. and Mrs. Henry Vander Wal
       Hoe geheel anders met het geestelijke, het eeuwige                                Mr. and Mrs. Richard Groenhout
 leven dat behouden w'lerd.. Dat is alreede zoo, als ge                                  Mr. and MIS.  Herbert. Den Hollander
 maar een klein beginsel er van hebt op deze door de                                       36 Grandchildren
                                                                                           12 Great-grandchildren
zonde gevloekte  aarde. Want zijn karakter is  goed,         &and &@ds, Ni&igan                                     ,


220                                                                      .THE  S'&DARD  B E A R E R

                                                                                                       _r

                       THE STANDARD  l$EARER                                                                                                    EDITOI?JA.L$
        Semi-monthly, except monthly in Juiy  and August
   Published by the Reformed Free Publishing  Association.
           Box 124, Station C., Grand Rapids 6, Michigan                                                                                                   ReorgatlizatiGyl
                     EDITbR   - Rev. Herman Hoeksema
                                                                                       "
   Communications relative to contents should be addressed                                                                                 In recent meetings of the staff of the  Sta?zcla&
   to Rev. H.  Hoeksema,   .1139 Franklin  St., S. E., Grand  "                                                                       Bearer it was decided to inj,ect some new blood both
    Rapids 7, Michigan.                                                                                                               into the editorial  staff  and. into the  cofitents of our
    All matter relative to subscription should be addressed
    to Mr. J.  Bouwman,  1350 Giddings Ave., S. E., Grand                                                                             magazine.  "
    Rapids 6, Michigan. Announcements and Obituaries must                                                                                   New rubrics were added. And for those new ru-
   be mailed to the  a.bove  address. and will, be published at a
   fee of $1.00 for each notice.                                                                                                      brics it was decided to add new members to the editor-
   Renewals:- Unless a definite request for discontinuance                                                                            ial stag-of the Standarcl  Beater.                   `.
   is received, it is assumed that the subscriber wi.shes  the                                                                              From the 1st of March our paper, the Ldrd til%lig,
   subscription to continue without the formality of  -8  ce-
   newal  order.                                                                                                                      will offer the following rubrics : .                       :.B:
                        Sub.scription  price: $4.00. per year                                          .,                                      1. Meditation,-Rev. G.  vies.          '
   Entered BS Second Class mail at Grand Rapids, Michigan.                                                                                     2. .Editorials,-Rev.  H. H.
                                                                                                             .:                                3.  Qur Doctrine,-Rev. H. H.
                                                                                                                                              4. The Day of Shadows,.-Rev.  G.`M. tOphoff
                                                                                                                                               5. Through the Ages,-I$ey,.,  G. M. Ophoff
                                                                  :                         .           .                                      6. In His Fear,-Rev. J. Heys
                                    CONTENTS                                                                                    ,             `7. From Holy Wri&Rev. `G. Lubbers
M EDITATION -                                                                 .                   I                                            8. The Voice of o@r Fathers,-Rev. H. C. Hock-
                                                                                                                                                                        . . .
       De Behoudenjs  Des Levens  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..,.' . . . . . . ..-. . . . . . 217                                 .'                                 : .             s e m a
           R e v .   ,G.  V o s                                                                                                                9. <Contending fyF-,$e Faith,-Rev.  H. Veldman
E D I T O R I A L S -                                                                                                                        10. Decency and ,@d&,--R&v.  G: Vanden Berg
       Reorganization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .220                              11. All Aromi&Us,__I$ev.  ,M. Schipper
       The Promise According to the Confessions  : . . . .  ., . . . . . . . . . . . . 221                                                                ; -7
       _ Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                                                   As to  t;he-titles  of these rubrics, by the  Voice of
THE  `&IPLH  `KNOWLBDGE-                                                                                                              our .Fathers is meant- our confessions. And the editor
       An Exposition of  th& Heidelberg Catechism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222                                             of that rubric will start by explaining the Canons of
           Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                                          :Dordrecht.  By Contend&g for the..Faith. we mean to
O F   BOOKS-                                                                                                                         `cover the history of doctrine. The title is based upon
       Christus in  Zijn Lijden-Dr. K.  Schilder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225                                              Philippians 1:27 : "Only let your,$eonversation- be as it
       Over de Laatste  Dingen,  Het Einde der Eeuwen-Dr. K.  Dijk.. 225
       Gereformeerde,  Wat  I'+?-Rer,   Toornrlief  and  Dr.  Westertnk  .  _. 226                                                    becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and
       De  Wedergeboort-Dr.   J.  ?.  De Groot.. . . . . . . . . . . . . .  .`. . 226                                                 see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs,
     ~ Het  Eigendom  des  Heeren--`Rev.   1.  G.  Feenstra   .`j. . . . . . . . . . .  / 226                                        `that ye stand fast in one spirit, with ome m&cl striving
       Principles of Personality Building for  ChrSan  `Pareits-   '  "
              c. B. Eary                                                                                                              together for the-faith of the gospel.", The history. of
                                  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
          Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                         t                  `doctrine, as is well known, is characterized,by  constant
                                                                                                                                      strife, by a continual battle for the truth. By the title
OUIC D O C T R I N E -
       God's Providence . . . . . . ;..: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ;. . . . . . . . .2.27                           -De'cency  and  QrcZer  we refer to the subject of Church
        R e v .   H .   V e l d m a n                                                                                                .Polity. And also this title is -based upon Scripture, i,n
                                                                                                                                     $1 .Cor. 14 :40 : "Let all things be done decently and in
IN HIS  FEAR-
       Journalistic Ethics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                230          : order." And seeing that hepceforth all tlie rubrics will
           R e v .   I-%  C.  H o e k s e m a   .:.                                                                                   have English .titles, we thqught it fitting to bring the
Tss  DAY OF  SHADOWS -                                                                                                                title of Periscope in harmony with the rest. Periscope,
       The Defeat of Ahithophel's Counsel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232                                         as you probably know, is a Greek title, meaning "view-
           Rev. G. M.  Ophoff-                          1                                                                             ing around". And insteid of this we have now cho-
FROM  HOLY  WFUT~                                                                                                                     sen "`All  around Us".
        Exposition of  I, Peter  1:8,9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  * . .                     237
           Rev. G. C. Lubbers-                                                                                                              These rubrics will  .fill the  Standurcl  Beayer  coti-
                                                                                                                                      pletely. This, however, does not mean that no room
PSRISCOPE-                                                                                                                           `will be provi,dedz-  for contributions. It is left to the
       The Age of the Eatth . . . . . . ,  :. . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
           Rev. -H. Hoeksema                                                                                             .           `dis'cretion  of the editojr to make such room. `Only, the
                                                                                                                               g &taFf decided  to.rqtiitid   cckitributsrs~  that  contribaitiotis


                                       T H E   STANDARD  B E A R E R                                                   221

 must not consist in long articles. They are limited,           with the Baptism Form that the children. of the cov-
 say, to from -three to five hundred words. The read-           enant were sanctified in Christ. It wasn't very long
 ers will kindly bear this in mind. [Of course, the ed-         before preachers began to change that clause, each in
 itor is at liberty to provide space occasionally, and as       his own. way. Some read that the children "may be
 an exception, for longer articles. But as a rule this          sanctified in `Christ." Others, that "they can be sanc-
 limitation will be strictly maintained.                        tified in Christ." ,Others,  that "probably they were
     Finally, it was also decided to drop the Holland           sanctified in Christ." .iOthers,  that "they ought to be.
 language, and to publish the entire Standard Bearer            santified in Christ." Still others, finally, "if they were
 in English, so that even the book reviews which oc-            sanctified in Christ."
 casionally appear in the Wta,n&,pd Bearer, as well as             Yet, the meaning of this- clause certainly cannot
 the meditations, will all be in the English language           be dubious, either in the' light of the rest of our con-
 from now on.                                                   fessions and Scripture, or in the light of the historical
   ' We hope that with ,God's blessing this will be an          origin of our Baptism Form.
 improvement ,in the Stan&& Bearer, and provide the              ' Heyns and the Liberated maintain that this clause
 reader with different and more interesting material.           has reference to a certain objective holiness or objec-
                                                      H.H.      tive sanctification that has nothing to do with regen-
                                                                eration and spiritual sanctification. It simply means
                  -::,:-                         r              that children are included in' the church and are sep-
    -  -.                                                       arated from the world, and in that sense they are
                                                                sanctified. But this is certainly not the meaning
    The Promise According to the Confessions                    which the fathers themselves, at the time when the
                                                                Baptism Form was .composed,  attached to the clause.
     There is still more in' our Baptism Form that              Biesterveld writes in "Het Gereformeerde Kerkboek"
 points to the fact that according to our fathers the           (I quote and translate) :
 promise in baptism was not for all~the-  children, head
 for head, but only for the elect, even though all the             "The Reformed people have always taught that the
 children. must receive the sign and seal of baptism ac-        sacraments, and therefore also baptism, are instituted
 cording to the rule that God establishes His covenant          for believers. Now the blessings of salvation, which
 in the line of. continued generations.                         are  sea1e.d  by baptism, both by the baptism of chil-
                                                                dren and of adults, are the, same. And these are re-
     We may omit the sentence that Vbaptism  is come in         generation and remission of sins. These blessings of
 the place of circumcision, therefore infants are to be         saivation are not bestowed upon them through bap-
 baptized as heirs of the kingdom of Gold; ctnd of his          tism, but they are already by faith in the possession
 q0vemwt.t."                                                    of him .who receives baptism properly. Thus the ex-
     ,But we wish to call attention to the first question       pression `sanctified in Christ' can mean nothing else
 of baptism: "Whether you acknowledge, that although            than a real being implanted into Christ, and there-
 our children are conceived and born in sin, and there-         fore being sanctified-in that real sense of the word."
 fore are subject to all miseries, yea; to condemnation            That Scripture knows of no other sanctification in
  itself; yet that they are sanctified in Christ, and there-    Christ than this real sanctification, which has its prin-
 fore, as members of his Church ought to be baptized?" ciple in regeneration, I hardly have to show. In I
     Especially to the clause, "they are sanctified in          ~Cor. I:2 the apostle writes: "Unto the church of God
 Christ," we wish to call your attention.                       which is at  <Corinth, to them that are sanctified in
     This clause has been the subject of discussion and         `Christ J'esus, &lied to be saints, with all that in every
 strife in the Reformed churches very frequently. Es-           place call upon the name of .Jesus Christ our Lord,
 pecially as the membership of the church increased             both theirs and ours.",.. In Phil 1: 1 the apostle writes :
 and discipline was more and more neglected, it stands          "Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ,
 to reason that this clause could not -be maintained in         to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi,
 its proper meaning. Everybody was baptized. And                with the bishops and deacons: [Grace  be unto you and
 it certainly was not possible to declare of all the chil-      peace, etc." Saints in Christ Jesus means, of course,
 dren that were baptized that they were sanctified in           the same thing as sanctified in'christ. SOther expres-
 Christ. There were many parents that did not walk              sions have evidently the same meaning. Thus, we read
 in the way of the covenant themselves, yet they were           in  I.Cor.  6:ll: "And such were `some of you: but ye
 never disciplined. The children were not instructed            are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified
 in the truth of the gospel and of the covenant. And            in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of
thus it became more and more impossible to confess              G o d . "


  222                                          T H E   S-T'.&NDARD~  B E A R E R
                                          -       -
      ,Certainly- this expression does not mean that our
  fathers taught that every baptized child:.was regener-
  ated'.and sanktified, nor- did they `teach a presumptive                         THE -TRIPLE KNOWLEDGE -
  regeneration in the sense that we. may presuppose that
  all the baptized children are regenerated, until, per-                         An Exposition Of The Heidelberg
  haps, when they come to years of discretion, the op-
  posite appears. .                                                                                  Catechism
      But it certainly means that the entire Baptism                                                     P A R T   I I I
  Form, in its doctrine, in its -confession, in its prayer,
  and in its thanksgiving, views `the church organically                                       O F  T H A N K F U L N E S S
  as the elect saints in Christ Jesus. The church con-
  fesses, prays,..and gives thanks for the believeTs  and                                            LORD 'S DAY 35
  their spiritual seed. And of course, this implies that                                     Q. 96. What doth God require in the second com-
  the promise is not for all, head for head `and soul for                                  mandment ?
                                                                                             A. That we in no wise represent God by images,
 soul, but  ollly for the eject, for the believers, for                                    nor worship him in ,any ot.her  way than he has com-
  them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus.                   _                            manded in his word.
                                                                   H.H.                      Q. 97. Are images then not at' all to be made?
                                                                                             A. God neither can, nor may be represented by
                                                                                           any means:  b:ut  a13 to creatures; though they may
                                                                                      .    be represented, yet God forbids to make, or have any
                                                                                           resemcblance  of them, either in  ,order to  wmhip
                                                                                           them or to :serve  God by them.
                                                                                             Q. 98. But may not images be  toleratad  in the
                                                                                           churches; as books to the laity?
                                                                                             A. No: for we must not pretend to be tiser than
                              IN MEMORIAM                                                  God, who will have his people taught, not by dumb
                                                                           t.              images, but by the lively preaching of his word.
    On Tuesday afternoon, Jarnuary  20, 1953, God in His infinite
  wisdom sud,denly  called unto Himself, our beloved  Eather,  grand-                                ,   CHAPTEP, 1
  father and great-grandfather
                             SAMUEL   D O U M A                                                       *GOD   Is  GLORIOUS
  at `the age of 78 years.                                                          The second commandment reads: "Thou shalt not
    ,Our loss is his gain. Of him we know that "Henceforth there                 make`unto  thyself any `graven image, nor the likeness
  is laid up for me a &own of righteousness, which the Lord, the                 of anything th$ is in heaven above, or in the earth
righteous judge, shall give me at that ,day': and not to me only,                beneath, or in the water under the earth. Thou shalt
  but unto $11 them also that love His appearing".-11  Tim. 4%                   not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them ; for I,
                        .         The .family:                                   the (Lord  thy God, am a Jealous God, visiting the in-
                                     Mr. ;L?ld Mrs. Geo. Douma
                                     Mr.-  and Mr,s.  Thomas Newhof              iquity of the fathers upon the children, unto the third
                                     Mii3.s  Theresa Douma                       and fourth generation of them that hate me, and show-
                                     Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Douma                      mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep
                                       Grandchildren an,d great-                 my commandments."
                                       grandchildren.
  Grand Rapids, Michigan                                                            The text in Deuteronomy 5 :8-10 is virtually the
                                                                                 same as in Exodus 20. In Deuteronomy 4:15-18 we
                                                                                 have what may be regarded as a commentary on this
                             -:-:-                                               second- commandment : "Take ye therefore good heed
                                                                                 unto yourselves: for ye saw.no manner of similitude
                                                                                 on the day that the Lord spake  unto  you in Horeb
                              IN .MEMORIAM                                       out of the midst of the fire : .Lest ye corrupt yourselves,
    The  -Consistory  of the First Prbtastant Reformed Church of                 and make you a ,graven. image, the similitude of any
  Grcvnd  Rapids, Michigan, hereby expresses its loss ,of a faithful             figure, the likeness of male or female, the likeness of
  krother  and fellow  Co.nsistory  member in' `cl~.  passing of                 any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any
                        M R .   0 .   V A N   BLLEN                              winged fowl that flieth in the air, the likeness of any
  on 3anuary 22, 1953.                                                           thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any
    -May our God abundantly comfort the bereaved by His W,ord                    fish that is in the waters beneath the earth."
. and  Spir? and powerfully  strength.en them  ih the hope of the
  sail&s,                                                                           The first and second commandments are, of course,
                                                                                 closely related. In fact, as we have said before, many
                                  The Consisfory,
                                        Rev. H. De Wolf, Pres.                   combine them and look up011  them as one command-
                                        Mr. G. H. Stadt, Clerk                   -ment. However, we believe that this is an error, and


                                        T H E -   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R .                                    223

   that there is a plain distinction between the two. The world and in part outside of that space in an endless-
   first commandment speaks of idolatry, the second of ly extended space. The fundamental error of such a
   image worship. And although it is certainly true that       presentation of the relation between God's imman-
  image worship and idolatry are closely re!ated,  so that     ence and His transcendence is evidently that we apply
   image worship is also idolatry,' yet the two are very       the concept space to God. And this is impossible.
   plainly to b,e distinguished. The first commandment Space itself is a creation. And !God is not merely ou%,
   answers the question: who is God? The second com-           side of our space: He is transcendent with relation to
   mandment is rather in its positive sense an answer to       the very essence of space, which means that- the idea
   the question: how is `God? The first commandment            of space is not applicable  $0 Him at all. He is the
   forbids to contrive or to put any imaginary God next        infinite iOn& Even as we may not conceive of the im-
   to dr instead of the true God. The second `command-         manence. of ,God as meaning that part of His Being
   ment emphasizes the truth that God is One, and that         which is within the scope of the universe, so we may
   there is no God beside Him.' The second command-            not think of. His .$ranscendence  as the infinite `exten-
   ment is based upon the truth that God is a Spirit land      sion in endless space  df His immanence. Even  `as
   is infinitely glorious.                                     His immanence signisfies that He is wholly, that is,
       From ttiis basic idea and positive notion we must       with His infinite Being in the universe, and .in every
   proceed in our interpretation of the second command-        part and relation and moment of the universe, so His.
   ment.                                                       transcendence implies that He is essentially, that is,
     That this is indeed the underlying principle of the       with His whole Essence, above the world and above
   second commandment is evident from the whole com-           all its moments and relations. IGod's transcendence,
   mandment itself, but also especially from the fact `therefore, does not mean that we merely think.of Hi.=
   that it is in this commandment that we are told that        as outside of the world.                               i'
   God is a jealous `God, which means tha_t He will not            The same is true with regard to ,God's  relation to
   allow the creature to trample His infinite glory under      the universe in time. We -are inclined to conceive of
. ' foot, and that He will not give His glory unto anothe?.    our time ati being only -2 part of all time, that is, of
      The infinite glory of God is expressed in what in        time infinitely extended both in the past .and in. the
   theology is known as His incommunicable attributes.         future. God's immanence then means that He is in
   God, to use a term which is peculiarly Barthjan, iS the     part in timce, in time extending from the alpha of ,Gen-
   "wholly other".    By this term Barth means espec-          esis 1 to the `omega of the day of Christ, while His
   ially to emphasize the transcendence of God. And al-        transcendence then signifies that  He also exists  iii
   though we cannot agree with Barth in his exclusive          time befor! the world was. But here again it must tie
   emphasis on IGod's transcendence but must also main-        r&iarked that time itself is a creature,  and%h&%
   tain His immanence in all things, yet it is very im-        may not be applied to God in any sense. H&$mm&&
   portant that the transcendence of God be emphasized.        ence does not mean that part of His Being is in time,
   In theology the term transcendence is used to denote        for He is th'e Immutable, but that with His whole Be-
   the supereminence .of God Above the creature, a su-         ing N-e .is Ijreserit iri every mdment of time ; while His
   pereminence which is not relative, but absolute. Just       transcendence den&s that He is .essenti&llfi,  that is,
   as God's immanence means that He is in the world,           with all His Being, exalted above &11 time and above
   and that He is related to the world, so (God's  trans-      every  moment  `of  t&e.  IGod is eternal. He  ,is the
   cendence signifies that in Himself He is infinitely ex-     infinite God. He is gloriqus in all His attributes. And
   alted above the world, that there is an impassable gulf     in His whole Being: and in all His attributes `He Ls
   between the world and His infinitely glorious Being.        transcendent. This resers to both the incommunicabti
  .He is God. He is Absolute. He transcends all the            and the communicable attributes of (God. It is t?ue,
   existence and all the relations of the creature.            no doubt, that when theolQgy  refierred  to  th8. t?.alis-
      What really is meant by the transcendence of `God ?      cendence of God, it had in mirid especially the incoti-
      It is, perhaps, not superfluous to warn against the      municable attributes. `This is no doubt also the id&
  false idea of transcendence that represents  ,God as out-    in the C%n$,fessio  Belgica Art. 1: "We believe with the
  side of the kosmos, outside of the world, iii distinc-       heart, and' confess with' the mouth, that there is one
  tion from His immanence, according to which He is            only simple and spiritual `Being, which we call ,G6d;
  in the universe; either from the viewpoint of space' or      and that he is eternal, incomprehensible, invisible, iti-
  of time. By terms such as these we only extend th@           mutable, infinite, almighty, perfectly wise, just, good,
  universe acl infin&wL and give (God a place in that ex-      and the overflowing fountain of all good." But  the
  tended universe. Applied to space, we then conceive          so-called incommunicable attributes cannot be se&&
  -of God as being in part within the limited space of, our    ated from the communicable. Or rather,' in God'th:e


   2     2         4                        THE  STANDARC  B E A R E R

   inconimunicable virtues, or perfectidns,  may be said                 $1~0 infinite in His holiness, wholly consecrated to
   to be attributes also of the communicable attributes.                 Himself; infinite in righteousness, His will always
   There are no attributes in (God which are eternal, in-                being in harmony with His infinitely perfect Being;
   comprehensiblej  invisible, infinite, almighty, while oth-            infinite ifi love, fDr as the Triun^e God Hte loves Him-
   er attributes are temporal,  compflehensible,  finite,                self in-infinite perfection. He is infinite in knowledge,
   etc. Also the virtues of His mind, will,`and power are                .in wisdom, in tyuth, in mercy, in grace.' In one word,
   characterized by the same infinitude and absoluteness                 He is infinite in all His perfections. And as such He
  as the incommunicable perfections. IGod's transcen-                    is infinitely glorious.
   dence, then, signifies that ,H&!.is absolutely superem-                  Closely related to this infinite glory of God, which
   inent in Himself, in all His perfections.; that He-is the             is the basic, principle of the second commandment, is
  absolute in distinction  fr%m `all existence ; the timeless            the truth that [Gqd is a Spirit, and as- such invisible.
   and spaceless One in distinction from ally limited be-                Image worship also tra?ples  under foot this spiritu-
   ing; the pure, Self-existent Being in distinction from                ality and the invisibility of God, and therefore is pro-
   all dependent existence ; the immutable One in distinc-               hibited in the second  commandm&t. That God is a
   tion from the ever-changing creature ; the one simple                 Spirit is taught in more than one way in. the Holy
  Being in distinction from all the multifariousness of                  Scriptuaes. Negatively this is expressed already in
   the universe. Though being very nlear us in His im-                   the second commandment, which implies, of course,
  manence, He is far above us in  His transcendence.                     that it is- impossible to make a visible image of the
   Though standing by an act of His own will in imme-                    spiritual God.    It is also expressed in Deut. 4  :12,
   diate relationship to all creation, He remairis  in Him-              "And the Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the
   self the absolute. Though being like us, He is the                    fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but ye saw no
  wholly  othe?.  He is God. He is infinitely glorious.                  similitude i only ye heard a voice." Cf. Deut. 4 :15-18,
  And this infinite glory of ,God is the basic principle                 23. That  ,God and His perfections are invisible is
  upon which the second commandment rests.                               also plainly taught .in Rom. 1:20, "For the invisible
        God's glory is the radiation of His infinite virtues             things of Him from the creation  -of the world are  '
 revealed unto us. God only is glorious. And what-                       clearly seen, being undlerstood  by the things that are
  ever glory there may ever be in the creature is only                   made, even his eternal power and godhead." And by
   the  glo_ry of God. His glory is the radiation of His                 implication also in Rom. 1:23, "And changed the glo-
  infinite perfections. His name. is Jehoirah; the I am,                 ry of the'uncorruptible God into an iinage made like
  the absolutely independent One, that exists in and by to corruptible ,man, and to birds, and  fourfooted
  Himself and has the ground of His existence in His                     beasts, .and creeping things." Besides, that God is a
  own Being. As such ,He is.- distinct from every crea-                  Spirit and invisible is also positively expressed in
  ture, and therefore infinitely glorious as >God. He is                 more than one. passage of Holy Writ. In John 4 :24
  the eternal *Ojne, Who is not limited by time, but from                tie read the well-known words:  God is a Spirit, and
  eternity to `eternity is and lives all that-He is in His               they that worship him must worship him in spirit
   infinite perfections. And He is in His eteinity dis-                  and iti truth." In John l.il8 : "No man hath seen (God
  tinct from the creature, and therefore absolutely glo-                 at any time ; ,the only begotten Son, which is in the
  rious. He is the omnipresept  zone, the immense, the                   bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." In Col.
   immeasurable God, that is not and cannot be compre-                   1:15 the apostle Paul writes : ."Who is the image of
  hended within the limitation of space. And as  :the                    the invisible God, the firstborn of  every creature."
   omnipr,esent  IOne He is distinct from ,the creature, and             And in., I Tim. 1: 17 : "Now unto the King eternal, im-
  therefore glorious in all His perfections. He is the mortal,  .invisible, the only wise God, be honor and
   unchangeable *God., with Whom there is no change or                   glory for ever -and ever. Amen." The same thought
   shadow of turning, Who is from `eternity to eternity .is expressed in I Tim. 6 :16 : "Who only hath immbr-
   the same. And -also in this attribute He is distinct                  tality, dwelling in the light which no man can ap-
   from every creature, and therefore infinitely glorious.               proach unto ; whom no man hath seen, nor. can see : to
   He is the omnipotent One, Who is in tile heavens and                  whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen."
   performs all His good pleasure. His is all the power,
   the power which He has in Himself and all the power                      Everywhere, therefore, the Scriptures emphasize
   that is in the creature. And as the omnipotent God                    the spirituality and invisibility Df IGod. This spiritu-
   He is absolutely distinct from the crceature,  and .there-            ality of God must of course be distinguished from the
   fore glorious. And thus it is with all the rest of the                personal subsistence in `God of the Third Person of
   attributes of God. For this infiniteness and eternity the Holy Trinity. When we say that God is a Spirit,
   applies not only to the so-called incommunicable at-                  we mean that His Essence is spiritual. Negatively
'  trkn,&ss,   b u t   &hQ   tQ  t h e   commueisable.  FQr  H e   iS    this  mean8 that  IGod is not material, like the visible
              .


                                     TH.E'  SIj[lAfi",i>Al!#&EAtiER                                                     225

 creation, and that therefore He is not add may not be
 r&presented as limited by form or extent. It means                                   OF         BOOKS                         '
 too that He is absolutely invisible, and in this respect
 even distinguished from the angels. Even though the CHRISTUS  IN  ZIiJN  LIJDEN  1(Christ  In  H6s Suffering), Dr.
                                                                 K. Schilder. Published by J. H.  Kok,  Kampen, The Nether-
 latter are invisible in relation to dir earthly and ma-         lands.  P,rice  f.  ,13.75.
 terial vision, they are not such absolutely. Positively           This workis already so well- known among us, both
 this spirituality of God is c1osel.y related t? His sim-      in its original language and its itranslation  into Eng-
 plicity. For that God is pure Spirit means that His           lish, that it hardly needs to be reviewed. I am sure
 perfections do not subsist in another substance, by           that several of our readers already have it in their
 which they are sustained and in which they rest. #God possession and read it. To those that do not have it
 is His attributes. With us this is quite different. All       and are not acquainted with it, I gladly recoltimend it.
7 our attkibutes  have their substratum in and are limi-       !L'he present volume, -which bears the subtitle "Chris-
 ted by the psychic, spiritual substance of which we           tus bij den uitgaang van Zijn lijden" (Christ at `the
 are made: And &en of the angels, though God madte             exit of His suffering), is the third and last part of
 them spirits, this is true. `They are created spiritual       the work. It is a work, I would say, that is, under
 substances, and all their virtues and powers are. root-       the influence of Holy Writ, struck from the poetic soul.
 ed in this created sub,stance.  But IGod is a pure and        of the now deceased author, full of lively and spiritual
 absolute Being. He is light and love and life. He is          imagination, but not always strong in exegesis, so
 wisdom and knowledge and understanding. He is jus- that sometimes we put a question mark behind some.
 tice and righteousness and holiness. He is grace and          of his interpretations.
 mercy and truth. He is absolute power and absolute                I deplore the fact that Dr. Schilder could not him-
 action. :God is a Spirit, and they .that worship Him          self revise this third volume, because he departed from
 must worship Him in spirit and in truth. He is the            the earthly house of this ,tabernacle  into the house of
 absolutely invisible (One, and therefore may riot alld        God, not made with hands, .etertial  in the .heavens.
 cannot be represented by  .mateyial images.        Even       But could not some friend of his, that lived close to
 when the Scriptur,es  teach us that we shall -see ,God,       him arid his way of thinking and of expressing him-
 this can never mean that we shall see Him as He is,           self, have revised the work for him? I-feel confident
 that is, in His Essence, without the medium of revela-        that he himself would have wished this. WAS it stands
 tion,. but that we shall see Him in the face of Jesus         now, there is, in some respects, a conflict between the
 Christ our Lord. In Himself He is the invisible, spi-         first two volumes and the last one. I have reference
 ritual Essence that is infinite and glorious in all His       t: the fact that in this last volume as it is now pub-
 perfections.                                                  lished Dr. ,Schilder still speaks, very freely and with
    This is the underlying principle of the se`cond  com-      hearty agreement, of "common grace." Similar pas-
 mandment.                                                     sages in the first two volumes he changed or deleted.
                                                               And I feel sure that he would have the same width the
    And this infinite glory of thhe invisible God is tram-     iast volume, had not the Lord taken him away. '
 pled under foot by those that make and worship ima-
 ges, whatever form these may assume. For "our God                 I gladly recommend this work w&h the above men-
 is in the heavens :' he hath done whatsoever he- hath         tioned  reservatioris.  -H.H.            .*
 pleased. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of         OtiR DE  LAATfSTE   DIN.GEN.   HEiT EINDE DER  EEUWEN
 men's hands.. They have mouths, but they speak not :            (The Last Things. The End of the Ages); Dr.  .I(. Dijk. Pub-
                                                                lished by J. H.  &ok, N.V.  Kampecl7,  The Netherlands. Price
 eyes have they, b.ut they see not: They have eairs, but        f. 6.90.
 they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not:              . This is the  second volume of  a trilogy.. In this
 They' have hands, but they handle not: feet have they         book Dr. Dijk treats the following subjects : The last
 but they `walk not: neither speak they through their          hour,  Millennitilism,  The Millennium, The future  af
 throat.    They that make them  arb like unto .them;          Israel, `The signs of the times, The great  apostacy,
 so is ,everyone  that trusteth in them." 3                    The antichrist, ,The church in the wilderness.
    The invisible God is a jealous GAd, Who will not               The author writ.es a- very clear style, so that the
 give His glory to another.                                    book is easy to read for anyone that is able to read
                                                  H.H.         the Holland language. The subject is always impor-
                                                          _    tant, and of course, especially in the days in which we
                                                               live. And Dr. Dijk is master of his subject, and, be-
                                                               sides, is well known among us as a Reformed writer.
                                                               He must have ndthing of chiliastic  excesses and vaga-
                                                               ries.                  ,I


 226                                         T H E   STA.ND'ARD  BEAh2E;R
                                _------
    The chapter on "The future of Israel" is important.                I agree with what the author writes about so-called
On ,the whole I agree with it, especially with the exe-            "sluimerende wedergeboorte" (slumbering regenera-
gesis of Rom. 11. Repeatedjy-I  exegeted and preached              tion) .
on this chapter, and my' final conclusion is virtually                 The style is clear.  Anyone that can  _1-ead Dutch
the same as that of Dr. .Dijk. See my."God's  Eternal              should be able to read this book. -H.H.
IGood Pleasure."
    I would have liked a little more about American                HET  -EIGENDOM  DES  HEE'REN  (The Lord's Property), by
Millennialism and  Dispensatioilalism.  -H.H.                        the Rev. J. G.  Feenztra.  Publisher J. H. Kok, N.V.  Kampe,n,
                                                                     The Netherlands. Price f. 5.95.
GERERORMEERDE,  WAT NU ? (Reformed People, What                        This is the second print of an expositibn of the Hei-
  Now?)  Rev. G. Toornvliet and Dr. H. J.  Westerink. Pub-         delberg catechism. The title of the book is, evidently,
 lished `by J. H. Kok, Dampen,  The Nethkilands. Price 1. 5.90.    derived from the answer #to the first question: "That I
    This boo&  is a continuation of a discussion in the            with .body and soul, both in life and death, am not my
Netherlands about  th,e conditions in the Reformed                 own, but belong unto my faithful Saviour, Jesus
churches  theye. The discussion was started  by, the               Christ."
book of Booy and Bouwman, `(Gereformeerden,  waar-                     The exposition is very clear.and  simple. It is. also
heen?" (Reformed people, whither ?) , it was con-                  very brief and .positive. It does no`t enter deeply into
tinued by the `book written by Dr. Zuidema and others              all kinds of controversial questions. If anyone is in-
?Gereformeerde.n,  waaroti?" (Reformed people, why?)               terested in a brief; and at the same time, good explana-
which was a sharp and condenning  criticism of the                 tion of the Heidelberg Catechism, he will do well to
book by Booy and Bouwman. And now we have the                      purchase this bookj  provided, of course, he can read
third book of the  serie,s  yhich contains a  criticsim            the Holland language. -H.H.
of both the former books, and.of?Cers,  at the same time,
sQme positive suggestions.                                         PRINCIPLES OF  ,PERSONALLTY  BUILDING  PO'R   CHRIS-
    This is not a book of any value for the American                 II"IAN  PARENTS, by C. B. Eavy. Published by the Zonder-
reader, unless he is very much interested in the pecu-               van Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Mich. Price $3.75.
4iar problems and conditions in the Reformed churches                  In a preface to his book, the author warns: "Per-
iri the Netherlands. One thing I will say: I did not               sonality, being most complex, may be viewed from
like the book of Booy and Bouwman, and the criticism               many angles. As the reader, follows through these
of their bdok in the present volume -is too favorable              pages, he will find t&e word used with various shades
and. sympathetic. -H.H.                                            of meaning, as is always the case in a treatise that
                                                                   makes frequent use of a term referring  tb something
                                                                   as complex as human personality." This is, no doubt,
DE  WEDlElRGEBOORTE  (Regeneration), Dr. J. D. De Groot,
  Published by J. H. Kok, N.V..  Kampen.
                                        -      The Netherlands.
                                              ,                    true.
  Price f.  9.715:                                                     When the author, however, refers to personality,
    This I  co&der  a  very--worthwhile  book, not be-             he would define it as "nqthing moTe.or  less than a per-
cause new thoughts are developed in it about regenera-             son in action, living as an individual, richly, fully; and"
tion but because it is thoroughly solid, Scriptural and            completely. or miserably and wretchedly, fun&ioning
Refo;*med.  . .                                                    as a member of society, well or poorly, being a bless-
    In it the author develops the truth of regeneration,           ing or a curse to his fellows, and bringing glory .or
first as having iLs eternal ground in the counsel of (God,         dishonor. to the name of his Creator." We would say :
and the historical ground in the redemptive work of                "living from the principle of sin or of regeneration,
the Son of God, in ,order then to turn to the Holy Spirit          in' disharmony or in harmony with the word of God."
as the author of r&generation. He further emphas-                      The book is written from a Christian viewpoint,
izes that regeneration is a real and principal change              and is, first of all, designed for Christian parents, al-
of the heart, and describes the different stages of re-            though it may very well serve many other purposes.
generation.                                                        Even the editor of "In  His Fear" `in our  Stan&&
    Interesting is what the author writes about Kohl-              Bearer, may well benefit from it.
brugge's conception of the  inc?rllation,  his  concep-                I have the impression that the author made a
tioll of the image of God, and of regeneration. I say              rather thorough situdy of his subject, and although I'
this is interesting, because in our country we occasion-           would not subscribe to every statement, I recommend
ally meet with certain Neo-Kohlbruggians that rat.her              it to the reader's study. When I say that I cannot
strongly emphasize the sam.e ideas. Also the author'%              subscribe to every statement, I refer to such as the
evaluation of the connection  between Kohlbrugge and               following: "Accep:tance  of Him as Saviour by faith re-
Barth is interesting and, in my estimation, correct.               sults in a new birth from incorruptible seed." -H.H.


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                    227

                                                             in mind that these laws of nature are nev,er to be sep-
     OvR'DOCTIiINE                                           arated from .Jehovah's constant control of all things.
                                                             To make this separatibn is deistic inasmuch as this
                                                             conception divorces- the Lord from His constant gov-
                      God's  Providence                      ernment of. the world and all the things that are
                                                             therein.
                               (10)                              Secondly, miracles are not to be regard,ed  as im-
    GOD'S PROVIDENCE AND THE  MIRAtCLE'                      mediate works of God. An immediate work of the
                                                             Lord, in distinction from a mediate work of God, re-
 Its Signfijica~ce                                           fers to a work of  #God which He performs without           -
                                                             means. The objection which was voiced against the
    In this concluding article on .the `Providence of God    distinction between natural and supernatural workS
 we wish to call. attention to the significance of the       of God can also be lodged against this distinction.
 miracle. We have already noticed th&t a common in-          What, in the final analysis, is not an immediate work
 terpretation of this phenomenon views it -as a super-       of the Lord? Does the Lord not do all things immed-
 natural work of  th,e Lord. Attention has also been iately? Is it not His almighty and omnipresent pow-
 called to the words which appear in Holy Writ to `de-       er which is constantly directing the world and all its
 signate these mighty works of our God. And we con-          a.ffairs? It is certainly true, is it not, that the Lord
 cluded  our previous article with the observation that      is constantly `in touch with the entire universe and
 the essential significance of the miracle is expressed      every part thereof. Never may the world' or any part
 by the word "sign". Before we-proceed with the dis-         of, the world be likened unto an alarm clock which,
) cussion of the true significance of the miracle, let us    having been wound, now proceeds to run of itself. All
 note first what it is not.                                  the works of the Lord are necessarily immediate, the
 What it is  no&                                             fruits of the Lord's direct operation.
    First, miracles must not be viewed as supernatu-             Thirdly, the miracles of .Holy Writ are not to be
ral works of the il'ord.  The qeestion, then, has been de'fined  as the unfathomable works of `God. The
asked whether a miracle is-a natural or supernatural         miracles, then, are those works of Jehovah which de-
work of the Lord.        One thing,  .however,  should be fy  all human understanding. Hqwever, this is surely
 plain: either everything is a natural work of the Lord      quite impossible. Strictly speaking, there is nothing
or everything is a supernatural work of God. The             we understand, and this also applies to the most or-
Lord  *is directly operative in all the works of His         dinary and common things. We follow the Lord in the
-hands. ,Of importance. in this connection is what we        course of His earthly sojourq and behold Him as He
read in Ps. 10'7:23-31 in which passage the most na- feeds the five thousand (not counting the women and
turai and ordinary things are called wonders or won- children) with but five loaves and two .fishes,  and are
derful works, and we quote: "They that go down to            amazed because of the tremendousness of`the miracle.
the sea. in ships, that do business in gr'eat waters ;       Moreover, our amazement increases when we notice at
These see the works of the Lord, and His wonders             the conclusion of `the miracle that the amount of bread
in  the deep. For He commandeth, and raiseth the             is greater than  .at its beginning. But it also defies
stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.             human understanding, does it not, how a seed can die
They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to           in the bosom of thk earth and bring forth fruit? We
the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.         follow the Saviour to the tomb of Lazarus and won-
They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man,        der because that disciple of the Lord has been dead
and are at their wit% end. Then they cry unto the            four days already.. And we look on in all astonish-
Lord in their trouble, and He bringeth them out of ment when, upon the word of the Christ, he who had
their- d&tresses. He maketh the storm  ~a calm, so that been dead four days steps forth from his rocky tomb.
the waves thereof are. still. Then are -they glad be- This we cannot  undeT.stand.  But we are also com-
cause they be qui,et;  so He bringeth them unto their        pletely at `a loss to understand the birth of a child.
desired haven. Oh that men would praise `the Lord            The only reason why the. latter does not excite our
for His goodness, and for His wonderful works $0 the         amazement is because we have grown accustomed to
children of men." End of quote. The distinction be-          these mighty works of the Lord. At the wedding in
tween the natural and supernatural works of the Lord         Cana of Galilee, the. Lord changes water into wine,'
is fundamentally deistic. The so-called laws of nature and we take note especially of the fact that, accord-
simply denote the Lord's orderly and constant control        ing, to the governor of the feast, the wine which Jesus
over the world and all th@gs, and we do well `to bear        had.made  was far super*ior  to that which had appear-


                                                                 --.        .
 2.2s                                     l?i-IE  S T A N D A R D   BPARER

 ed first at the feast. This, we say, is wonderful. And .pose of the coming of the Son of M,an and it revegls
 it is wonderful. But is this more wonderful than that         His g!,ory. Wateyi  we understand, serves to maintain
 work of God whereby H,e produces every year clusters          our  etirthly  existence. Hence, water in this miracle
 of grapes and thereby calls into `existence a fruit           may surely be considered as symbolic of the earthly.
 which can become wine? We look on in amazement                Wine, on the other hand, symbolises the heavenly.
when the Lord causes the deaf to hear and have be-             Wine not only rejoices. the heart, causes one to be
 come' altogether too accustomed to that wonder of the         happy and to rejoice, but it is something extra, above
 Lord whereby He causes every day children, to be              our  needs. Besides, wine is the product of what we
 born with the  marvellous  ability to hear. We think          have at the end 6f th& entire process of fermentation,
 it wonderful when the sun, upon the word of Joshua,           and it is the complete  product, cannot be developed
 st$nds still for twenty-four hours, and think nothing         anymore, is aged, perfected. Hence, wine symbolises
 of that wonderful phenpmenon of. the rising of the            the heavenly, the' highest and the .greatest  glory of
 sun every morning. 1.t really makes very little differ-       God's Name in the new heavens and upon the new
 ence, as far as the wonderful works of the Eord are           earth. This also'enables us to understand the signi-
-concerned,  whether the Lord does things in a way             ficance of this miracle.. T.his miracle speaks to us of
 which excites our attention or according to what we           the Christ, even as He, through His death and resur-
 call :the "laws of' nature." Whatever the Lord does           rection and as the exalted Lord, now in principle in
 is wonderful ; and the Lord does all things.                  our hearts and soon in the day of His coming .upon the
 John 2 :I 1 -is certainly `important.                         clouds of heaven, changes the earthly into the heaven-
                                                               ly, lifts His bride, the Church, and with her all things,
    We read in this text.: ""This beginning of miracles        out  of. this night of sin and death into the glory of
did Jesus in  Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth .His eternal and heavenly covenant. And inasmuch
 His glory; `and His disciples believed on Him." The           as this work of redemption is the mission of our Lord
 Holland translation reads was follotis : `"Dit ~ beginsel     Jesus Christ, Jesus performs this miracle first. All
 der teekenen heeft Jezus gedaan te Kana in ,Galilea,          subsequent miracles must be explained in the light of
 en  heeft Zijne heerlijkheid geopenbaard." Hence,             this work `of the Lord. And, this also enables us to
 this miracle is not merely the first, the beginning of        understand that the chief significance of miracles lies
 Jesus' miracles, but. also the principle out of which         in the fact that they are signs Or symbols.
 all subsequent miracles must be explained.           `This
 miracle is, therefore, a principle miracle, a sign which      il4iracles are  signs  of  the power  of  the  grace  of God.
 explains all subsequent signs,- and, miracles of our                   What must we understand by the concept: grace
 L&d.  ..                                                      of God? Grace has been commonly defined as `God's
    The Holland translation certainly gives us the true        unmerited favor which He bestows upon sinners. The
 interpretation of this passage. To be sure, the chang- grace of God, then, emphasizes the Lord's unmerited
 ing of water into wine 1 at Cana of Galilee was the           or undeserved goodness to men. We object to this de-
beginning of  ,Christ's miracles, His first  m-iracle.         finition of the word "grace." In the first place, iSt is
 However, why should Jesus begin with this particu- not difficult to understand how the theory of a com-
 lar miraae? We believe, -do we not, that nothing hap-         mon  .grace could be concluded from this definition.
 pens  .by chance? In fact, it is exactly characteristic       God, we, know, bestows various gifts upon the child-
 of the `apostle  .John  -to call attention to  appar,eptly    ren of men.        He bestows upon. man the ability to
 insigni,ficant  but very important details. It is John,       think and will, to eat and sleep ; He gives him food
 for example, who calls our attention to the fact that . and drink, sunshine and rain, health ..and all good
 this miracle at Cana of Galilee oc!ured the third-day,        things. Besides, all these gifts are surely undeserved.
 and `also that, when the soldier pierced the wound in         This none will dispute.       We can certainly not lay
 Jesus' side at the cross, blood and. water came forth.        claim to the least of the Lord's good things which He
 Why, then, should this apostle call our attention to          bestow.s   upori  us. We certainly do not have the right
 the importance of this mighty. work of our Saviou? ?          to anyone of them. Hence, the grace of God is corn-
 Is it merely to acqtiaint  us. with the fact that Christ      mon. The Lord  gives good.things to men. These good
 began His long series of mir%~les in Cana of Galilee?         things are undeserved. _ .4onclusion : the Lord is kitid
 We understand, I tini .sti&, +liat the-.Eord  Jesus :.per-    and favorably inclined to all men.,. The fallacy of this
,form&  this miracle  first  for' &v&Py  defini&.  reasoa;     reasonilig,is that it assumes what must be proved. It
 Indeed, the Holland translation of the text is' correct.      assumes that.;these good gifts are necessarily grace.
 This is not merely the first. miracle ; it 3s not merely      Now we nee'd not at this time enter into a detailed re-
 the `beginning of miracles ; it is the principle of           futation of this conception of common grace. This we
 mirac!es.  It expresses, fully and completely, the.pur-       have done .in the past, and partictilarly  -when discus-


                                       T     H     E          ST.ANDA-RD  BEARER                                    ii9

sing the attributes. of the Lord. But, is it not an            For He is Immanuel, God with us. ,Grace  is that pow-
amazing  $hing that, if the grace of the Lord were             er of the Lord even -as it breaks through our night of
common;&he  word. as such does .not appear on Holy             sin and darkness and death, and lifts the world of
Writ in that universal sense' of the word? The only            God's everlasting love into heavenly life and glory
passage which the late Dr. Hepp quoted in his bro-             and perfection. Hence, the Lord Jesus Christ &, sure-
ehure on Common Grace was Isaiah 26 :lO (and we                ly Himself the Wonder of grace because He is  .Im-
quote : "Let favor be..showed ithe wicked, yet will he         manuel,  (God with us. Christ is God,  united in the
not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness            second Person, out of the First -Person and through the
will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty         Third Person, with our flesh and blood. Ch,rist is God,
of the Lord"), and this  .passage certainly does not           even as He, in our human nature, stands in oulf relatioh
substantiate (the theory of Commoli IGrace. For grace          to the law. (Christ is God underneath our guilt and
to be shown to the wicked is surely not the same as            shame and death. IOur Saviour is Jehovah even as He
to be bestowed upon them, is it? Chfist, too, is shown,        Himself -ent,ers  intb .and breaks through our curse to
presented to the wicked in ithe gospel, i$ held up be-         appear in our world as the living God Who eHters  our
fore them.     This does  not necessarily  .mean that          sin and guilt ,and appears as bearing all our sin .and
Christ loves them and would save them. `The grace              guilt.
of the Lord which. is bestowed only. upon the people               That Christ is centTally ithe Wonder of grace im-
of the Lord is certainly shown, ex,hibited to others be-       plies, in the second place, that our Lord Jesus Christ
sides the elect. This does not necessaiily mean that           is Himself the realization of the grace of God upon
it is alLo given to them. But, how strange, is `it not,
that, if the grace of the Lord were common, it does            His people. He is this in the way of His death and re-
not .appear  in that universal sense in Holy Writ!             surrection and glorification. Indeed, He is the reali-
                                                               zation of our salvation already in His being Immanuel.
   iHowever,  -apart from this unfortunate connection          Christ's birth is surely the mystery of godliness and
with the theory of .Common Grace, we object to this            the key to our salvation. Seeing the living God undef-
definition. of grace (unmerited or undeserved favor)           neath our burden of sin and guilt and death and ap-
also for another reason. If the grace of the Lord be           pearing in our relation to tile law so that He places
.unmerited `favor what,  ,then, distinguishes it from          His everlasting "should&s" under the enormous bur-
mercy and compassion and longsuffering and good-               den of our guilt, we surely have no doubt, have we,
ness, etc..? Are they not all unmerited favors of -God?        as to the  ~question whether He  will be able to van-
Hence, to define the grace. of `God as the Lord's un-          quish the powers of hell and sin and death and merit
merited favor upon .men does not define the concept            life and glory everlasting  fo? us? Besides, Jesus  is
as such inasmuch as this definition is also applicable         .the realization of this grace of God in His suffering
*to all the virtues and blessings of the Lord which He         and death. He redeems His people out of all the power
bestows upon His people. That the grace of the Lord            of ithe devil, satisfied for them and in their stead the
is undeserved is not because of the fundamental sig-           awful justice and righteousness of God, merits for
nificance of the word but because of the sinner who            them life and glory everlasting, and lays the founda:
is the recipient of this goodness of the aord.                 tion for the eternal Tenewal of all things in heavenly
  The word : grace, means fundamentally : beauty, at-          perfection. Moreover, Christ is certainly this Won-
tractiveness. Much has been written on this subject            der of grace also in His ascension and. ilorification at
in the past. The grace of God is that. operation of the        the Father's right hand, He is not merely glorified
love of God by which the Lord delivers His people and          Himself, receiving all power .and horiom  and wisdom
`Church out of sin and darkness and ;this present curse        and glory, but He also receives as our Head the .life-
of the valley of the shadow of death into the life and         giving Sfiirit, the Spirit beyond measure, to bestow
`glory` of His eternal and heavenly covenant. It has           upon the elect the !ife and grace He merited for them.
`sovereignly pleased the Lord to call His peop1.e and          In His glorification our eternal alid heavenly life has
church and all things as they shall appear in glory            historically been realized. For His life is our -life,
Out of darkness  .into light, out of  death into life,  to     having been merited for us. And, our receiving of
erect :His eternal and heavenly tabernacle upon and            this life is surely assured by the exaltation of our hrd.
qut of the ruins bf sin and death. And the grace of            For the Church of God confesses that the Christ, Who
God is. that powel:  of ;the Jiving God whereby this am-       suffered and died for her, is now exalted at the rigl$
azing de1iveranc.e  is effected.                               hand of Divine power, is the King of kings' and the
   Christ Himself -is the Wonder .of 1Grac.e. He is ten-       Lord of lords, all things being subject unto Him.
trally the Wonder of Grace. This implies, in the .first           Thirdly, Christ is centrally the Wonder of grace
plac'e,  that Christ  .Himself is the Wonder of Grace.         because all miracles  poin$ to  Him, have been  per-


236                                        !j'-BE       S'L'ANj)Akj)      j$EAkEk

formed by Him, and have significance' only because of
Him.            He it is Who, as the Son of  IGod to become
flesh, performs the miracles throughout the Old Dis-                         I N   H I S   FEA-R.
pensation by His Spirit: Apart from Him the mira-
cles of- Holy Writ have no significance. AOf what im-
portailce would the passage through the Red Sea be if                                YJ ourna L- xstic Et hits
Christ were not our Red Sea, and of what importance
would the flood be except for the truth that in and be- I                The above ;topic describes a subject which pertains
cause of Christ the Sun of righteousness breaks                     to a life "in His fear", about which we desire to say
through the night of our sin and guilt and the judg-                B few words and to issue a warning to ou? readers.
ment of God? Without the Lord Jesus Christ the                           When we speak in this connection of "journalistic
miracles of Holy Writ simply have no meaning what-                  ethics", we refer not to the ethics *of individual writers
soever. And when He comes  int'b our world of sin                   and oontributors  to a paper or magazine. About this,
apd death He Himself performs many miracles, signs                  too, much could be written. He who appears in print
and symbols of the work of grace whereof He is the                  must observe the simple and plain rules of ethical be-
Divine realization.. Indeed, the. Lord Jesus Christ                 haviour which govern all bur life. But I refer rather
is Himself the Wonder of grace, God's power to lead                 to the moral  obiigation(s)  which devolve upon any
us out of sin and death into heavenly life arid glory.              society or organization which publishes a paper or
       Hence,  t&e miracles of Holy  Wri;t are therefore            magazine, and whi`ch devolve especially upon those
signs and symbols of the grace of (God in Christ Je-                clirectily responsible for the contents of such a pub-
sus. Whenever we behold the power of SGod breaking                  lication, the editors and the editorial staff. And &ore
through our accursed world (a' passage through the                  particularly do I have in mind the ethical code which
sea, water out of `a rock, sight out of blindness, etc.),           should govern a religi~ous periodical. And still more
.we see a symbol of that power of God whereby He ac-                particularly, I refer to our own religious periodicals.
complishes the same in the spiritual sense of the word.             That anyone or any group that breaks .out into print.
This .also explains the peculiar nature of the various              assumes a tremendous responsibility with respect to
diseases mentioned in Boly Writ: blindness, deafness,               the readers who will peruse thait which is published is
lameness, death, leprosy, etc. And this is particularly             self-evident.     Those who publish anything arrogate
applicable to `the time when the Lord Jesus was a-                  to themselves the position of leaders, of teachers, of
mong us. These sicknesses aye symbols of the dread-                 instructors. And they make use of one of the most
ful power of sin. We are spiritually blind, deaf, dumb,             powerful means ,of influencing men's minds, the print-
lame, unable to see and hear and speak and -walk.                   ed word. In some respects it is even more powerful
What a picture of the curse ,of God upon sin ! And,                 than the spoken word.
finally, through the miracle of Divine grace in Jesus                    `Often the aim, or  xhe claimed intention,-and
Christ our  .L,ord,  <God will erect out of this present            therefore, at  ,the same time, its moral obligtition,--
darkness and death new heavens and a new earth, unto                of a paper is proclaimed in its very name. Thus, for
the glory and praise of His everlasting grace in Je-                example, the name  Standard Bearer-  immediately tells
sus Christ, our Lord.                                               its readers that this is a paper which claims to bear the
                                                      H. Veldman    standard, the flag, of  lthe truth. The name  Bea.con
                                                                    Lights depicts that this magazine intends to focus the
                                                                    light-rays of God's Word upon various aspects of life
                                                                    for our Protestant Reformed Young People. And the
                                                                    name  Concor&a sets forth that this paper aims to
                                                                    foster concord, harmony, agreement, unity. Thus we
                                                                    find that the latter paper has also adopted a Scpiptural
                                                                    motto : "Behold, how good and pleasant for brethren
                                 TEACHER WANTED                     to d,well together in unity." Ps. 133 :l. When, there-
  The First Protestant Reformed School of Redlands                  fore, papers such-as these violate tlie announced very
California will be in heed of a teacher for the lower               spiritual aims presented in their respective. names,
grades-one through four.                                            they  becdme  guilty of a  gro,ss breach of journalistic
     Mail application to :                                          ethics, namely, deceit, false pretense. If the  Si&n-
                                                                    cla~22 Bearer, for example, prints on its own responsi-
                                         J o h n   Kimm
:..::..                                                             bility  I&e lie, under the flag of the truth, it is no
                                         P. 0. Box 581
           ,.,,,.  :  (. ---                                        longer actually the bearer of the standard, though it
                        . . :            Redlands, California       still  claims the name: it is guilty of one of the  ivorst


                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                        231

  forms of lying, deceit. If the Beacon Lights no lon-          and returil to the old pa,ths, real harmony woul,d  once
 ger focuses the light rays of God's Word, as maintain-         more reign. Until that happens, or until tie come to
  ed in  out  Pro.testant  Reformed Churches, upon the          a parting of ways, I am convinced that there will ne-
  path of our covenant youth's life, it is guilty of the        ver be harmony,  comorclia,  in  OUT churches again.
  same sin. And if Concorclin,  claiming to foster unity        There is no room in Protestant Reformed doctrine for
 and Christian brotherhood in our Protestant Reformed           cond+tions.
  circles, no longer does so, buit fosters discord in place         However, this latter claim w.e -can no longer di&
  of concord, it has fallen into the same error.                cuss with Conco&ia. They have closed their columns
     This breach of .ethics may be committed in more            to the condition debate. They refuse to discuss  the
 than one way. On the one hand, this may be done by matter publicly, the matter which  :they themselves
 openly publishing the lie, whether through the medium          publicly introduced. Until, of course, that cloture is
 of its regular ediltors, or through contributions which        removed, the fundamental ,issue is beyond discussion.
 are allowed in its columns without comment. On the Of course, the StancZa?~cl Beayel, true to its calling, is
 other hand, a paper may publish nei.ther  the truth nor        still open; and yet more true to its calling, it does and
 the lie on any given count, but mair$ain silence. This will bear the standard, and continue to maintain an
 is squally unethical. IOr still another form this breach       unconditional gospel, and will discuss it and deb$te it
 of ethics may assume, namely, that of opening its              with any and all. Y,ou may depend on -t&at.
 columns to one side in `any .controversy,  but closing            But let us view the matter from ConcorcZtis  view-
 them to t,hose who wish to reply.                              point. This matter of conditions was not only impor-
   Of this breach the Christian Reformed  Ea+z%er               tant ato us who opposed it, It was admittedly a mat-
 made itself guilty in 1923-24.                                 ter of extreme importance to those who maintained
     But in recent months one of our own papers, C&z-           conditions. Was it not claimed that conditions  con-
 cor&a,  has committed the same breach of journalistic          stituited  an indispensable element in a full-orbed gos-
 ethics in more than one form. This grieves me, be-             pel? If a man in good fai,th makes such a claim, and
 cause it is contrary to the fear of the Lord. And I            if a paper in the name of harmony allows such a
 do not like to see Protestant Reformed brethren walk           claim, what then is the obligation incumbent upon the
 contrary to the fear of the Lord. And therefore, I             claimant? Does the time ever arrive when he must
 shall try to point out the error and admonish them in -cease striving with all that is in him tp.convince those
 ,the love of Christ to ~forsake  it. But since from the who deny  t&at claim of their error? Might  Conco+
 very nature of the case I could not do this in Concor-         &a,  1 viewing the matter from their own  viewp?in$
 din's columns, I shall do it, quite properly, in my last       ever keep silence about -this indispensable element in
 article as editor of "In His Fear". For the references         a full-orbed gospel?  Would they not  be keeping sil-
 ,in this case you may turn to the editorial columns of         ence about the truth? And worse yet, would they not
Concordia for Oct. 9 and Dec. 18, 1,952.                        be committing a grass breach of Christian love by no
     I ask not merely our reade?s in general, but Con-          more attempting to convince ,the "erring" brethren?
 coz&a, to consider these undeniable facts.                        But  what has happened? First the Rev. Petter,
     In the first  plafe,  Conco&a,   ithrough one of  -i-ts    who championecl  conclitions, dropped .the matter. He
 regular departmental editors, the Rev. A. Petter, in           of all men should be busy even today trying to cool-
 the rubric, ironically, "Among Our Treasures," be-             vince our ministers and people, the entire readership
 gan to fbster  not concord, but discord, by presenting         of Concorc%in, th`at if they deny conditions, they deny
 a conditional theology, Indeed it was maintained that an important element of the gospel. But he has turn-
 only on the basis of "conditions" could the responsi-          ed his  atteiltion to  escha.tology,  rather than to this
 bility of man be maintained. And it tias claimed that          precious treasure of conditions. SOthers continued to
 if we failed to maintain conditions, we could not pro-         write about t,he matter for a time. But now the ban
 claim a "full-orbed gospel".  Beilig one of those who          has been imposed! No more of the  cond$ion  debate
 insist on an unconditional theology as of the very es-         is allowed in Concordin's columns.
 sence in our Pr0testan.t Reformed doct%ne (and I am               Concor&a has said. in effect: "Conditions are an
 only one among many who still rally `round that stan-          indispensable element in a full-orbed gospel. `But in
 dard !)    I claim that seeds of discord, not concord,         spite of the fact that there aye many who deny this,
 were sown by a paper which h.ad as its avowed inten-           and who therefore seriously err, we shall henceforth
 tion to  fositer  concor&a.  This is in my `opinion the        keep silence about it. We will not even mention it.
 fundamental breach of ethics which Concordia com-              We will- not even allow it &o tie discussed."
 mitted, And if only, which may God graciously grant,              Brethren, even on your basis, such action cati ne-
 these brethren would recant their conditional theology         ver foster harmony, concord. You-are not true to the


  2 3 2 .                            THb  STAN  DARti  lZ?EAR.E.R.

 name emblazoned on the front page of youl; paper.                               I
  If your original stand was wrong, acknowledge it. If
 iD is still right. today,. defend it. But silence is abso-           THE DAY  OF.SHA.DOW
 lutely wrong. For remember ! the goodness and Bless-
 ant!ness df brethren dwelling together in unity can be                The Defeat of Ahithophel's  Counsel
  experienced only upon the basis of the truth, and                                   (II Samuel 16 :15-17 :14)
 where there is truth too in the inward parts! Else-
 where there is no real harmony.                                   Leaving David and his followers to refresh them-
   However,  Concordia  .attempted  an explanation of           selves in the plain of Jordan, let `us return to Jeru-
 its tiction. And in that kxplanation too there are some        salem and observe the progress of the rebellion there.
 very wrong elements. F4rst of  all, while  it is true          In the meantime, .Absalom width Ahithophel and the
 that Concordia closed its columns to both'sides of the         whole band of his  adhenenis had removed from
 debate, it is not at all true that this was done impar-        Hebron to the Holy City. Coming to him, Hushai
 tially. Fact is, that this action took place before one        with feigned enthusiasm and with considerable gusto,
 of- those whose teachings and writings were attacked           it m:ay be imagined, uttered `his greeting :
and placed. in a wrong light was given  opportunitjr                May the king live ! May the king live!
 to defend  himself.  I refer to  Concor#u's refusal to            Such exuberant well-wishing could mean but one
 place ithe Rev. H. Hoeksema's reply to the Rev. Kok.           thing. Hushai was offering Absalom his allegiance.
 By no stretch of the imagination` can. this be called          The usurper was not a little surprised. He had not
  impartial.                              .,  :                 dared to count on the support of Hushai. For he
                                                                and David had always been close  friends. Besides,
  .More sinister, however, do I find one ,of the motiva-        the man stood high in integrity and fidelity. So
 tions for this action, that it is .psychologically  tiring     scarcely knowing what to make of this homage,
  and' that our people weari of this continued debate.          Absalom said to him, partly in good-natured welcome
 That  `?t is tiring, I do not deny. In fact, I  would go       and partly in suspicion:
 6ne step further, and `say that it -is also spiritiually          Is this thy  kinclness to thy friend? Why wentest
  tiring. ._ B&that tEis is a reason to break off a debate,     tl+ not with thy friend?
 `and reftisti  all discussion about an issue that is admit-
 tedly  ai$ important o&e, an issue that concerns the pure         Hushai was ready with his reply:
 preaching of the Word,-*hat  I deny. Supposing such               Nix,, but whom the Lord and this people, and all ~_
 an attitude were assumed all along the line, where             the men of Israel choose, his will I be, and with him
 would we end? Would there ever be any healthy con-             will I abide.         What is more, whom  shoulcl I serve?
 troversy? Would our people ever be instructed cona             Shou&l I not  s,erve  in.the presence of his son? As I
 cerning truth and error? Is  Concor&a's `obligation            have served.  Len  thy father's  pr-esenae, so will I be in
 to be' considered as this, that it `must fur&h at all          thy  pyiese\nce.
 times what is pleasing to the people, without regard              Hushai's argument is clear. The Lord has chosen
 to the question what is right or wr,ong, true or false?        Absalom. For the' voice of the people is the voice of
 If a minister would take that course in his pulpit,            God. In submission to God's will, he must now at-
  there would soon be no pure preaching of the Word             tach himself to him and-serve him as devotedly as he
 left.                                                          had formerly served the father, *which he is also re-
      And therefore I would admonish Concordict to &-           solved to do, readily and cheerfully, the more so, see-
 tract its action. Do not  hamper the freedom of the            ing that Absalom is a son of his dear friends, and
 press. Seek the truth without qualification or limita-         thus perpetrates the Davidic dynasty.
 tion. In such a course  you  will have the confidence          . Certainly, `God in -His wrath had sovereignly pre-
 of all our people. But if you continue in your present         destined Absalom to the dreadful doings to which he
 course, your paper does not merit any confidence. You          by his own free choice and in his wickedness had com-
 may have outward peace and harmony. But it will                mitted himself. tAnd accordingly, Absalom, as usur-
 be the peace of the grave. And your paper will lqse            per, was the product of a sovereign Providence. In
 .a11  vitali;ty:                                               this sense, he was chosen of the Lord. It is also true
                                       H; C. Hoeksema           that Hushai would be with Absalom, as he said, but
                                                                soley with- the purpose of wou;liing for his defeat.
                                                   I'              But Hushai's .words could also a'nd easily be taken
                      -I:---                                    to mean that, in the attempt to f?ee the land of David,
                                                                Absalom,.  as the Lord's,  anointed, and as the object
                                                                of. His favor and with His blessing, was. working a


                                               l'HE  S T A N D A R D   BEARER                                                233

work  of-~-the Lord and could look forward to being               came hard, he would forsake them to make his peace
established in his father's throne permanently. -And with his father.
the obvious meaning-of Hushai's saying that he would                 It is not hard to see what motivated Ahithophel.
be with Absalom, as ,he had been with his father, is              Without this encouragement the people would certain-
that he was purposed to be just as helpful to Absalom.            ly turn back from following Absalom after the first
    This, to be sure, is the sense that Absalom .gave             wild enthusiasm had subsided. When all was quiet
to Hushai's words. And so-they were music to his                  again, Absalom would be forgiven and David's wrath
ears. Hushai had spoken according to his heart. He                would descend on him, Ahithophel, especially on him
had sanctioned his insurrection, even he, in the belief           of all the leaders in the revolt.' This, he felt assured,
that Absalom was chosen of the'people and `therefore              would happen. For he was well aware of David's
of God Himself for that very purpose. And in that fondness for this prifligate son. Hence,. he must .see
belief he had identified himself with Absalom's cause.' to it that `it be made impossible for both David and
So thought Absalom. And so pleased was he with Absalom ever to want to become reconciled .to each
Hushai, so confident that he could, be trusted and re-            other.
lied on, that he not only received him into the rank                 I-t is also worthy of note that his  counsel..went
of his  .followers  but even included him among his               unchallenged. No  --one among Absalom's adherents
chief privy  counsellors.            Figuratively speaking, he    ventured to question its wisdom. For, as the text `in
took him to his' very bosom on the spot and without               this connection asserts, "the counsel of Ahithophel,
any further argument or questioning.                              which he counselled in those days, was as if a man
                                                                  had  senquired  at the oracle- of God: so was all the
    Already the insurrection would have been a com-               counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with
plete success had it not been for one thing. David                Absalom." Nor did anyone openly condemn the pro-
with a small army had escaped. How to proceed                     posed procedure on account of its abominableness.
against him, was now ;Absalom's problem, which he                 This alone condemned the whole movement as con-
laid first before Ahithophel and his colleagues-fellow            ceived in hell. For "by their fruits ye shall know
counsellors-not including Hushai.                                 them."
    Then said Absalom tie Ahkhophel, Give ye counsel                 The result was that the counsel was adopted and
among you what we shall do.                                       immediately put into execution.
 . Ahithophel, it is plain, had .already  given the mat-            So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top. of the
ter much thought. For there was present to his mind               h0us.e; amd Absalom went in um% his father's concu-
a well worked out plan, the first part of which he now            bines in the sight of all Israel.
l a i d   b e f o r e   A b s a l o m .   -                       So did Absalom take  po.ssession  of his-father's
    And Ahithophel said u&o A,bsalom, Go in u&o thy               harem in publib in fulfilment of Nathan's, prophecy :
father"`s  concubines, which he hath  left to keep  the           "Thus  saith. the Lord, Behold I will raise up evil
house, and all Israel shall hear that thog avt abhormd            against thee out of thine own house, and I `will take
of thy father: then shall the hands  of  all that are             thy wives before thine' eyes, and give ,them' unto thy
with thee be strengthened.                                        neighbor, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight
    This was wisdom. But it was wisdom "that des-                 of the sun." II Sam. 12:ll.                         .I:
cendeth not from above, but was earthly, natural,                    Let us take notice, "I will raise up . . . :I will take
devilish." Adding insult to injury, Absalom must                  thy wives . . . . " It was God's work, this `doing of
commit an offence so vile, so unspeakably insulting Absalom. For he is creature, who lives `and `moves
to David, as would render him permanently irrecon-                and has his being in God. Yet ,God'is not' the author
cilable toward his son. He must do a thing in plain               of sin. He is light and in Him the&? .is no darkness
sight of all the people that could only-be construed              at all; And so the sinfulness of the vile doing was
as a proclamation.of war to the bitter end. He must               solely out of Absalom. Yet. at the same time God sov-
do a thing that would cause the people to, conclude               ereignly  willsed it. But it was Absalom's own vile
that there could be ,no danger of his ever surren'der-            doing nevertheless: He was its willing subject as
ing as he would be well aware that.all  he could expect           God's free agent and on this account responsible. How
from the hand of the adversary was destruction. In a              true it is then that, as the Scriptures teach, God works
word; he must do a thing in public that would make                all things according to the counsel of His will. How
all to see that he .must be re,solved.  to pursue the course      true it is `that also this doing of the usurper was .a
on which he had set out to the death. The people                  stroke laid upon David by the Lord on account. of
would be mightily -encouraged.                  They would know his past sins.
that they need have no fear that, when the going be-                 But there was more to Ahithophel's plans: :.


                                                     /


 234                              THE'  STANbARb  *EAk%k
                             _--
        Moreover.Ahithophel  said unto Absalom. Let me ease the torment, of his conscience and to persuade
 now choose twelve thousand men, and I will arise and        himself  that  his  way  was  right   with  God.
 pursue after David this nig-ht: and I will come upon            As was just said, Ahithophel's counsel was wis-
 him while he 1:~ weary and weak handed, and will make       dam  of  a  natural  sort.     He  had  correctly  perceived
 him afraid: and all the people that are with him shall      what ought to be done in the pres.ent circumstances.
 flee; and I will smite the king only : and I will bring     This. was apparent to Absalom and all the elders of
 back all the people unto thee:  the man whom thou  Israel.
 aeekest (is) as if all returnad: so all the people shall        And the saying was' right in th,e eyes of Absalom
 be in peace.                                                and in the eyes of all the elders of Israel.
        With David out of the way, such is here the ar-          And yet, Absalom still had need of hearing Hush-
 gument, all his followers, loosing heart, would immed-      ai On the matter*
 iately lay `down ,their arms and hail Absalom king.             Then said Absalom, &all now Hushai the Archite
 There could be so little doubt about this that, such was    also, and let us hear li&e&se what he saith.
 Ahithophel's imagining, in the moment that David                Literally: And said Absalom (to Ahithophel) , Call
 fell by his sword, in that same moment it would be          thou by all means also Hush+, the Archite, indexed ev-
 as if all the fol1ower.s  had already returned to Absa-     en him, that we may hear what is in his mouth.
 lom and made their peace with him. This counsel,                Ahithophel was famed as a'counsellor. And  Ab-
 too, was superb wisdom of a natural, devilish sort.         salom doubted not the wisdom of his counsel. Yet he
 But it had one flaw. It took no account of (God. True,      was determined to hear also Hushai.            Perhaps the
 David was weary, he and his people with him. They           reason was his high regard for Hushai's person. A-
 had been underway perhaps from early dawn till deep         hithophel. was a traitor and a  scoundral. Absalom
 in the night. It was also true that' David was weak         must have really despised him in his heart. But Hush-
 handed. His army numbered at the mo.st  but fifteen         ai, as was said, stood high in integrity with all. They
 hundred men able to bear arms. As compared with             imagined that he had gone over to Absalom's side
 the size of the host that Ahithophel had- asked for,        from  Principle. Had he not expressed it as his con-
 it was but a handful. But even though this advice           vi&ion (so they thought) that Absalom was chosen
 had been followed, David would still have nothing to .of the Lord.
 fear. For  <God was on His side. The hosts of the              Be this as it may, Hushai was called and appeared.
 Lord were encamped about him. Hence, those that                .And when Hushai was come to Absalom, Absalom
 were for him were more than those that were against         spake unto him saying, AhithophSel  hath spoken after
 him. The Lord, who doeth wonders, would have saved          this manner: shall we do ctfter his saying (Heb. shall
his ill-deserving servant out of the hand of the adver-      we  (do his word) ?  If not, speak thou.
 sary. David could not perish.  .The -promises were             The first part:of Hushai's counsel is negative. Lit-
his. Hence,' rightly considered, Ahithophel's wisdom         erallY it reads as follows.
.was foolishness. It was foolishness with `God. Had             And said Hushai unto Absalom, Not good is the
 David stood in this faith just a .little more firmly at     counsel that Ahithophel counsels at this time.
the time, he would not `have taken recourse to- that            It was not like his former advice, which was good.
forbidden stratagem.       For was it not forbidden?         Hushai chose his words with care. He must not be
Might Hushai, as directed by David, direct to Absalom        critical, more. than was necessary, of Ahithophel's
a kind of speech calculated to impose upon him the           ability as counsellor.
delusion that his insurrection had the Lord's  sanc-            For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his
tion? Being at heart his enemy might he pose as his          men, that- mighty men they be, and that embittered
friend dedicated to his cause? It cannot be a  ques-         in spirit th.ey bee as a bear bereaved Df her whelps in
tion whether this was honest, for it is too obvious that     the field. And thy father is a m& of war, and not Gill
it wasn't. `The only question is whether it was right        he lo#dge with the people.
for David to. practice such dishonesty considering his          Behold now, he is hid in one of the ravhes or in
plight. There can be but one answer. And this  an-           one of the places. And it will come to pass when some
swer a negative.                                             of them be fallen at the first that all who hear will
    But this, of course, is not saying that ,Absalom  was    say, There is -a slaughter among the people that fol-
an innocent victim of Hushai's guile. That he could          iotvs  Absalam.
be deceived by Hushai's reasoning was only because              The "ravines" *were hiding places. The "places"
he was willingly ignorant of the true nature of his          were strong positions' difficult  of approach and from
doing. What he read into Hushai's sentences he had           where a surprise attack:.could  easily be launched a-
been` saying to himself all along in the vain effert to      gainst the adversary.


                                        T H E             STANDABD  .BEARER                                         235

    And h.e also that is valient, whose heart is as the            Here again H&hai did not believe what he said.
heart of a lion, shall utterly melt: for all Israel know-      His. conviction was that if this course be followed Ab-
eth that thy father is a m.ighty man, and valiant men          bsalom would come. to ruin. Yet, as inspired by his
they that be with him.                                         love of David, he must have spoken with glowing con-
    It was certain, such is the point to Hushai's rea-         viction. And as he had  receiv6d no revelation from
soning, that David and `his men were on the alert              Heaven that the IL,ol:d  would use his counsel to destroy
either as hid in one of the ravines of that region or          Absalom, he had `to rely on his judgment. .Viewed  on
as having betaken themselves to one or the other of            the surface it would spell certain disaster for David
the "places". For being an experienced and seasoned just as well as that of Ahithophel, even though it
soldier, David would know better than to abidme with           would give-David time to flee across the Jordan. What
,the people, the defenceless members of his company,           could David with a handful of soldiers hope to achieve
women and children, and old men disqualified for com-          against an army that foY' size was meant to be number-
bat by their age. Knowing that the adversary would             less "as the sand that is by  -the sea." What sense
not want to harm the "people", David had withdrawn             could there be in risking a battle with a force thus ov-
from them and wds poised for attack in another place:          er.whelming.    Yet the advice was good for two rea-
Absalom must consider, further, that David and his             sons.
men were famed for their courage in battle. How                    1)  IGod  .was purposed to defeat Absalom in the
dangerous they must then be in their present mood.             way  .that Hushai in his heart had conceived. The
They would fight with the ferocity of a wild beast in          sacred writer expresses the same idea this way: "For
the field  ,robb,ed   .of her young. Hence, following A-- the Lord had commanded to defeat the. good counsel
hithophel's advice would be fatal. For this was what           of Ahithophel, to the intent that the Lord might bring
would happen. Rushing forth with his men from his              evil upon Ab.salom." The text does not state that the
cavern or strong position, David would fall upon the           Lord had commanded Hushai or David to defeat that
enemy's advanced guard and cut it in pieces. The               counsel. Hushai had acted on his oivn. initiative as
rest of the  fourteely  thousand soldiers of Absalom           activated by his awardness of David's great peril. But
would, as a result, be seized  by a terror as that of a        the Lord had appointed, ordainecl,  -to defeat the good
panic. And they all would take to flight. Hearing              counsel of Ahithophel.
of it, the hearts of the bravest amdng the people of              2) The counsel of Hushai was good because it was
Israel in general would melt with fear. The will to            good judgment on the part of Hushai to. advise Ab-
continue the struggle would be gone. And thai would            salom not to attack David immediately but to wait
be the end as far as Absalom's cause was concerned.            until he had raised a large army. Good judgment
   IOf course, -Hushai' didn't believe a word of what          dictated that this could work to David's interest con-
he said. For he was  fille`d with profoundest respect          sidering all the circumstances. First, David would have
for Ahithophel's counsel. He was just as convinced             time to cross the Jordan and raise a sizable army
that it would have spelled disaster for David, it fol-         numbering several  ttiousands.  That David was suc-
lowed. Therefore he laid before Absalom a different            cessful in this -is clear from the text at 18:1, where
counsel.         '                                             it ,is stated that .David numbered the people that w&e
                                                               with him, and set captains of thousands and captains
   But I counsel that, by all means, (all Israel be gath-      of hundreds over them. It shows that no small ,por-
ersd unto thee from Dan unto Belersheba,  as the sand          tion of the people had remained .true to David and
that is by the sea for multitude, and that thy presence        that perhaps an&her  part, for the moment fallen a-
go in their midst. So shall we &me upoin him in one            way, had returned to' him. So Absalom's following
of the  placgs where he may be found; and we shall             was after all rather small. At any rate it was not
light upon him as fallefh the dew updn the ground:             large enough to make it possible for him to raise the
and not owe will be left of him anid of all. the men tihat     kind, of army that Hushai suggested. Also his ad-
a?Te with him not so much as one.                              vice that Absalom -go to battle in his own person was
   And if he be gathered into a city, then shall all           sound in" the sense just explained.
Israel carry ropes t6 that city, and we shall d?:Ey it            True, all depended on  whethey the Lord would
into the river, until there be not one -small stone fouflsd    bless David's arms. And that He would. Yet cer-
there.                                                         tainly this .did ndt free Hushai from the obligation to
   This has reference not only to the walls of the ci-         using his best judgment.  And.  hb:.dld  so. And his
ty but also to every dwelling in it. The whole city            counsel was good.                      .i;
must be drawg ,into the river, that is, the ditch, that           But the sacred text calls alio Ahithophel's counsel
surrounds it.                                                  good `(see above), meaning  tliat it  ~V;IS good in the

                                                     Y


236                                     T H E   ST-ANDARY  B E A R E R

sense that.it was to Absalom's interest that David be
attacked iinmediately.                                              F R   O'M  H O   L - Y   W   RI'I'
        And Adsalom and all-the wz,en of Israel saicl, The
counsel o)T Hushai tihe Archite is bett,er than the coun-
sel of Ahdhophel.                                                                Exposition of  I  Peter  l&,9
        Absalom deceived himself with the belief that his
instirr&tion- had the support of all the people                        IOnce more we return to .our exposition of the first
                                                       OF -near-    Epistle of Peter.
ly so. The idea of his going fokth to battle as head-                                    In doing so it is important to bear
ing an army thus formidible would appeal to his van-                in mind, that in these verses of the first Chapter of
ity,, And, it could also be expected that he would $ut              Peter our attention -is called to our new and exalted
his.-T$$dence in numbers and make  fle.sh his  arin.                Status Quo before God, our new relationship to God
But certainly  .the  ,plan was far inferior to  Ahitho-             by virtue of the death and resurrection of ,Jesus Christ.
                                                                    We have passed from death unto life in Him; a tran-
p@$s.                    . . .
                   ::                         :- _.                 sition has taken place whereby we have been taken
        And when Ahdhophel saw that his counsel was not. f.rom the power of darkness and set in the Kingdbm
done, he sacldlsd his ass, and arose, and gut -him home             of God's Son in the flesh, our Lord Jesus Christ.
to his ho)use, to his city, and gave charge conaerning
his house, and hanged himself, and cl&xl, and was bur-                 And by the virtue of this change wr0ugh.t by God
ied in the sepdchxe of his father.                                  objectively for us in the death and resurrection of
                                                                    Christ, and subjectively by His Spirit in our hearts,
        After his advice regarding the harem, he know that          we have now a living hope, which reaches out to the
he had permanently fallen from David's grace. Nei-                  final revelation of Jesus in the new creation in.the  ag-
ther could he any longer take pleasure in the service               es to come. In this hope we `rejoice; we are saved in
of Absalom. He was too convinced that his counsel hope. We rej,oice seeing from afar, even as Abraham,
was right. And he was a proud man. What then of                     the father of all believers, saw afar, and rejoiced. Old
honor and pleasure had life still in store for him? things `have, indeed, passed away ; all things are. be-
Nothing at all. So he gat him home .and hanged him-                 come new. The next great act of the wonder ,of `God's
self.                                                               grace is, that Christ comes upon the clouds of heaven
                                              G. M. Ophoff          $0 be revealed as the Lord of glory, and as the Heir
                                                                    ,of all things-together with His co-heirs, the redeemed
                                                                    saints.
                          -   :--I-.--.-                               Mighty perspectives we are shown  iri this first
                                                                    Chapter of I Peter.
                                                                       And wonderful  thingi Peter tells us concerning
                                                                    the deepest yearnings and aspirations of our redeem-
             0.' God, be merciful to me,                            ed souls.
               For men no mercy show;
             With constant warfare pressing me                         We read: "Whom having not seen ye love; on
            They seek my overthrow.                                 whom, thotigh now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye
                                                                    rejoice g-reatly with a jozj unspeakable ad, full of glo-
 .:.                                                                ry; receiving the enid of your faith, evern the salvation
           When foes invade, I  safely*rest,                        of your souls."
               Confiding in Th3; word ;
           I will not dread what man can do,                            In this  wond&ful  passage of  Holy Writ there is
               My `trust  .is in the Lord.                          discovered to o%r believing eyes the secret of the joy
                                                                    of the hoping Christian. We notice that mention is
             I take Thy vows upon me now,                           here made  .of a joy, of exceedingly great rejoicing,
               ,O God, Who savest me ;                              and that, too, in a world where the Christian must
             `The sacrifice of praise I bring                       suffer manifold trials and temptations. .And yet these
               In gratitude to Thee.                                temptations cannot dim the joy of the Christian. Then
                                                                    too mention. is made of 2 joy that is "full of glory".
             My feet from falling and my soul.                      It is world conquering joy. Pray, what may be its
             From death Thou hast restored,                         secret?
             And ever in the light of life                              We notice the `following concerning this remark-
               I walk before the Lord.                              able joy in the text.


                                          mm  STA~I~DA~ZD   BGARE:R                                                      -  23'7
                                                                                                        s

     In the first place, we notice that this joy can only            '  Listeti:  this joy is "unspeakable arid  fdll of
  be explained because of what `Christ Jesus is and                glory !"                                                     .
  means to us. All our joy is based upon and flows to               Words must needs fail to express this  joy.  .'  Tkie
us from Him. Apart from  Him we can do nothing; .word "unspeakable" indicates that., this joy is beyond*
  without Him we aanno,t rejoice in glad .triumph. `The            description. It is called the "fruit of the. Spirit".
  Apostle intimated in the  fo$egoing verses, that all             (IGal: 5) .Jesus  says repeatedly: I tell you these things,
  our attention is focused upon the revelation of the              that my joy may be in you;a@ that your joy may be
  Son of ,God in the final coming. Then we shall be glo-. full. John  16:24;  15:ll.  ,This joy is heaven's  gift;
  rified with Him, since we now suffer with Him f.or' gift of grace it is. The  j?salmist prays  from  out,of
  righ*teousness sake. Then shall the preciousness of              the depths: Restore unto me the joy of Thy salyat<en,
  our faith be to the praise and honor and glory of                and uphold me by Thy free Spirit. (Ps.  51)..  When
  God in Christ. 0, what a marvelous revelation that               the "free Spirit upholds us" then the  "jqy, of salva-
  will be when history is shown to be what it ,is, in the          tion'? is our portion. We will have-more to say Of this
  revelation of the righteous judgment of God. All                 presently. But this joy, although we can `speqk of, it,
  the tear.s  collected .in (God's  bottle ,of the saints shall    it nevertheless excels our words? The term "unspeak-
  then be correctly, publicly and irrefutably evaluated.           able" suggests immensity. Why? Because thib'is not
  The just shall, have their  recompence,  and wisdom              a joy which simply is. given us frqm .God, but it is a
  shall be justified of her children!                              joy: in which God gives Himself to us, .ak.d God is im-
                                                                   smense! The finite cannot comprehend the i-cfinite ; and
     But that is all "not yet". And what- is more we               finite words cannot utter' fully  infinite joy. Don't
  see nothing of it; in fact, we seem to behold the very           we sing `(God,.  my [God, my boundless jpy"? In "this
  opposite. The wicked seem to prosper, while the chas-            joy. we sing : "My God how wonderful .Thou art; Thy
  tisement of God's children is new every morning in               majesty how great". The entire psalmist of Scripture
  the never ending chain of manifold temptations and               only touches the hem of. this garment  and garlands
  trials.                                                          `of joy. Our  Gdd in Christ is immense,  .unspeakably
     And; yet, we rejoice with so great a joy.  -  -               rich in Divine depths. The mighty Augustine says:
                                                                   Our thoughts of ,Gbd `are richer than our words, but
     Says Peter "rejoicing with joy unspeakable and                God is greater than `both. .
  full of glory.`.'                                                    But we must proceed.
    we should bear in mind in atteapting- to under-                    This joy  is,also "full of glory".' The term in the
  stand these words, that "joy" is not at all to be con-           original Greek can also be translated "glorified up to
  fused with hilarious fun, and silly, empty pleasures.            the present moment".            L
  In all the laughter of the wicked their is not an infin-             That this joy is "glorified", full of glory. does tiot
- itesimal speck of joy  ; their laughter  is wearisome.           simply mean that it is we, the saints, who glorify
  The themes of their iongs and laughter always is the             (God. That is true in itself. But that is not the `entire
  tragic ; they feed upon the husks of life : `corn and            matter here referred  tq by the Apostle.  St means
  plenty they do not even beho!d. .Sitiging of the "sweet          too, and that first of all, that our joy is in its very na-
  mystery of life" they have never understood the "my%             ture full of the glory of God's grace in the saints. This
  tery of faith and godliness". They are God-less. Here            glory is an ever presetit-  reality now. The Clidrch on
  joy is unknown. IOnly weeping and woe.                           Sunday `morning is full of the glory of God ; so very
      But what is joy?                                             really this is true as it shall be true in ththe day when
                                                                   we shall rejqice in perfection before-the ireAt white
      It is the great salvation of God and the knowledge           throne. And this glory of God of which all meti "fall
  of fhe same as the wind of the Holy Spirit'.`blows up-           shdrt" by nature, is the very quality of the joy of the
  on the lyre of our souls ; it is the satisfatition of the        saints. What a glory of God in the joy of the dying
  heart, which can only be filled with the knowledge of            patriarchs, who see Christ's  .day. afar.  .Can human
  IGod, and by being partaker of the Divine nature. It             tongue express it fully.7 Thank God, it  cannot; 0  the.
  is .the joy which the Holy Spirit works in our hearts,           blessedness of serving such a'God, whose praises can
  while He testifies with our Spirit that we are the chil-         never fully be sung, and whose joys in the saints can
  dren of God and heirs of eternal life. It `is to taste           never. fully be  ,expressed   ; they are the  length  ,.&ad
  f,ellowship  with the ever blessed God ; to walk with            breadth, the height and depth of the love. of God,. aad
  Him and to dwell with Him and He ,with us in Christ              being filled with all the pleroma (fulness)  of. God,
  through the Spirit of sanctification.                            prepared for the saints..                      `.'  :  -:
      Have I told you now what tbia: joy is?                           But we do not yet see this God -in the &,ce .of .Je-


                                           I,.  _.
 .!238                                     T H;E $4 T a N i3 A,&--&? i3'% A $;$ ,k

  sus Christ; fact is, no one has ever seen .Jesus as `He            The morning beckons ; presently we shall see Him
  will  be  the Lord of glory over all things unto the             face to face in that reyelation  of Jesus Christ. `Then
  C h u r c h .                                                    we shall.receive  an eye to see, and an ear to hear, and
                                                                                                  .
          The immensity and glory of our "joy" cannot be           a mouth to sing the praises. ,of !God weariless in His
  explained from the present earthly senses of sight,              temple day aid .night. But, 0 wonder, it will still be
  touch, tasting and hearing. Peter tells us:  "Wshom              `rjoy. mispeakabie".,               It will .be then `ffull of glory" !
  having not seen ye love". This means that our lov- .The immensity of `G6'd will be greater than all the re-
  ing and adoring God with unspeakable joy needs an-               deemed saints and redeemed creation.
 othei explanation than that of mere physical sight of                    Here the- fount of joy does not go dry ; the foun-
  our Lord. ,Our connection with the living Lord, with tains  `bf living water flow forever; we shall drink
  our Covenant *God in Christ Jesus, is a different one            with Christ out of ,the bKook.  `God shall be the light
 than sight. It is the co&act, the living fellowship of            of the City,of God, the heavenly Jerusalem. For, be-
  faith. Says Peter "though now ye see Him not, yet                hold; He creates J&uialem a rejoicing, and her people
  believhg".                                                       a joy. God says : Arid .I will rejoice in Jerusalem; and
          What is faith?                                           joy in my pedple!
                                                                               __           ..                       ,G. C. Lubbers
          :ertainly we must say that this faith is the gift                     `.          -:
  of God,  tmhe creative gift of God. Faith is a gift of
  God in its inception in our hearts as well as in every
  activity of faith, and in all of its duration. And cer-
  tainly ,faith is Mystery. It is something which we on-                       To the hills  $ lift my eyes;
 .ly know because  ,God Himself tells us in His Word
  what it is, and gives us to taste it by the application                    Whence, shall  help. for me arise?
  and efficacious calling of the Spirit. By it we eat and           `.         From the Lord xliall come my aid,
 drink Christ. .                                                               Who the heaven. and earth has made.
                                                                               He will guide through dangers all,
          Its elements axle certainly a certain knowledge of                   Will not suffer thee to fall ;
  all that God has revealed in the Scriptures, but it is                     ,_ He  Who safe  Hj.s people keeps
  also a hearty and joyful confidence tthat all that Christ                    Shimbers  not and never sleeps.
has done on the Cross was in my behalf. Faith is
  joy, true joy in  ;G?d. Without this faith then is no                        Thy  proteetoy  iS  the Lord,
 joy possible. For all joy is in <God  through Christ to                       Shade for thee He will afford ;
 us and we  dnly receive that joy from God through                             Neither sun nor moon shall smite,
t h e   S p i r i t .                                                          Gbd .sh;;ilE~  guard by day and night.
  Also this faith is an unspeakable gift!                                      He will e%& keep thy soul,
                                                                              Wl&$%%iM harm He will control ;
          It is immense because it lays hold on the &men-                      I$%he'hotie atid by the way
  sity of the love of Christ that passeth knowledge.                           HL will keep thee day by day.
          Yes, unless we have this faith, the joys of salvation                                   - - - - I - : - - -
  are not ours. Unto this faith and trust we. are kept                                L.
 by the power of God tl+ough the preaching of the Go&
  pel and the use of the Sacraments. And here too. our                       My soul for Thy salvation faints,
 wondering gaze of faith sees deepest Mysteries of god-                         But still I hope.in Thee;
  liness. By faith we see God our God, our boundless                         I long. to see Thy promised help,
                                                                                When Thou' shalt comfort' me.
j o y s .                                                                       . .
                                                         .
      Finally, we must say of this faith that it is really                   .Thy statues I do not forget,
,-a. faith that reaches into Christ. We grow in know-                          `Though wasting grief I know;
 ledge and corifidence,  and in boundless joy. The more                      Thy  ser'+ants' days are few,  ,O  Lord;
 we grow `ih grace and knowledge, the more we see                             When wilt Thou judge my foe?
 $he wonder of faith. In  love and devotion we then  _
--cling. to `.Chris't, keep His comhnandments  which are                     Almost consumed; yet from Thy law'
 `nijt grievous. :And for the love that we then have for                        I have izot `turned a%ay ;
  Christ, resting upon Hi.s mighty labors, the time of                       In loving-kindness give- me strength,
 4ur sojourn, is not lqmg.        :,  _                                      That.:!:             `gay:     sti@      obey.


                                                                    _  $`&;,&.`.;  .**.    `.-<s'"I-  I-.       I  :  j.


                                       /  ;.d..i;   :.:    .1:-r  :-+:$          tt;  .:;.:2 ~, ..,r;.;-;J
                                        ,_L       .*-      :  .s                                                    :_-.
                                                                                                                       "C

                                                T H E S.T&NDARD  B'i&iRER                                                                                           239
                                  _--
                                                                                                              He further argues that these phenomena, rather
                                                                                               than proving anything in favor of a great age of the
       - j.E:jj&I   fj  C  (jp  E.  1.                                                         earth, point to some disaster that probably occurred
                                                                    -                -
       (/._..                                                                                  a comparatively recent past:
TI-IE  AGE  !$yp&   EARTH         .
         _ Z,,?' ;    ::    .,                                                                                        But the fossil elephants of the arctic are
   The problem of the age of the earth appears to a-                                                           wbjective  proofs `of a world `disaster which
waken new interest among scientists  .that confess to                                                          can be appreciated by even a child. G&010-
be -CBr+tians and to believe in the testimony of. Holy                                                         gists have long followed the wretched custom
Writ. Another question is whether, in their scienti-                                                           of giving a new name to every kind of `plant
fic research and in their attempt to solve the prob-                                                           or animal found in the fossil state, that is,'
lems of the age of the earth, they re+lly tak6 Scripture                                                       a name different from that of the living one,
into account or ignore it completely.,                                                                         no matter how closely the fossil may resem-
   Thus, recently I received a book. <in which :are of-                                                        ble the living. The fact that these fossil ele-
-fered different papers delivered at a conference of                                                          phants in  -the artic are called  mammoths
several such ,Christian scientists, discussing the age of                                                     tends greatly to disguise the fact that they
the  eaktb,   tiot only, but of the  tintike  kostios.  All                                                    are identical with the living Indian elephant
confesg'to believe the Bible. At the same time, how-                                                           Elephas  inclicus.  The textbooks sometimes
ever, they present the results of t&r investigations                                                           dwell on the fact that the ancient ones had a
entirely on the basis' of science and according to sci-                                                        fairly -good coat of hair, while the moderns
entific methods. They do not even .make an attempt                                                             have only scanty coverings. But many dogs                   _
to harmonize their scientific conclusions with :Scrip-                                                         and pigs and other mammals living in the
ture. The result is that, on the basis pf their research                                                       tropics are as hairless as are the elephants.
of others, they contilude that the earth iS millions of                                                        By far the most scientific `marks of identifi-
years old. Such a method is, to my mind not only                                                               cation in the case of land mammals is the
dangerous but also positively un-Christian.                                                                    pattern of the molar teeth ; and, judged on
                                                                                                              this method, the fossils of the artic are iden-
   Besides, even from a scientific. viewpoint such con-                                                        tica! with the living ones -in India and Mala-
clusions can by no me&s, bk considered established,                                                           ya:'
apart from the -evident fa$ that; they bl-in& ,us into                                                             In a subsequent article I plan to deal with
inevitable co$@ with the Word of cod:. .'                                    F.  ;,                            the change of ,@imate  indicated by the finding
   Recently, I read a couple of articles in Signs of the                                                       of  imcoupted  thousands of elephants away
Times  that are interesting. in this respect, and from                                                   " beybnh the Al%ic Circle. In this present pa-.
which I will  cfip a few paragraphs. Writes the  a,u-                                                          per we are considering in the light of avail- -.' "
thor, ,George M&ready Price :                                                                                  able facts how these ancient mammals per-  '
       In a previous article I. showed how e&ra-                                                               ished. Do the ice mummies of the artic have
    ordinary it' would `be ih modern : times for a                                                             anything to tell- us on this point?
     vel-tebrate,  land animal, .such as a horse or                                                           The author thinks they do. And he points to the
     a cow or tin elephant, to. be .buried and thus                                            following rather amazing facts :                                       .'
     prepared for fossilization intact, or with the
     bones together as in  .life. The same must                                                                    If aI1 intact skeleton of any large animal
     necessarily h,ave been true in the case of the                                                            in the fossil state is strong evidence of spee-: ;;,-;,
     ancient ginosaur. Hence every dino,saur skel-                                                             dy burial after death, so as to avoid the ines-        ::
     eton  founfl with a considerable part of the                                                             capable agents of disintegration, what Bre we
     skeleton intact o< in place would be evidence                                                             to say of elephants still in the flesh, that is,
     of uncommon conditions. It might not be                                                                   with all the soft,parts intact, or at lea& suf-
     proof that the an@al was buried alive, but it                                                             ficiently- well preserved to afford good eating
     would be evid,ence -thit"it was buried before                                                       for dogs and wolves?  .More than one  scienti-
     the body had been washed about very much.                                                                fit man has tried a slice of the meat and has
     In other words, if the creature was not en-                                                               pronounced it fairly good as elephant steaks                ..
     tombed alive, it mu& have been speedily bur-                                                    go.
     ied after death ; .and when large numbers                                                                      .It is sometimes .mistakenly thought tl&
     of such. exatiples  occtir3ogether in the same                                                            elephaiz:ts are  the only large animals thus
     general area, `we have good proof of abnor-                                                         - found embalmed in the frosty ice `and sedi-
     ma1 conditions,  '  :                                                                                     ments of the earth.  This is not true ; for


--------m
  2ao.                                                                                      -.__-
                                                  T H E   S T A N D A R D .   B E A R E R
                                        --_-.---
  . . .
   `-' _.
   `i  I.  : many other animals,. such  as bison and                                    "The world that thei was; being overflowed
   F  :;.`.%hinoceroses,   .also occur, though not in the                               with  water,  .perish&." 2 Peter  3:6. The
           prodigious numbers of the e!ephants.              '                         bukial of the fossils and the complete change .'
             :`:,S.ome
               .,         light on the problem may be had                              .in the earth's climate are only difFeren% as-
           when .we cqnsider the singularFbuoyancy  of                                 pe.cts of the same event; and the objective
           a dead elephant as compared with the dead                                   .proofs  of what then occurred can be  ex-
           body of any other mammal. All other land                                    .amined: and studied by all who wish to un-
           animals, so far as I know, always sink in the                              `. derstand God's ways of dealing with sin and                           - .'
           water .when  dead, though after a few days                                  sinners. Peter in this same epistle goes on'                               . .
           the gases generated. by decQmpo+tion  dis-                                  to declare that the next time God deals with
           tend the abdomen, and the body then rises to                                the world in judgment, it will be by fire in-.
           the surface. son' the contrary, an elephant's                               stead of water. Water effected only partial
           body floats from the first; African, travelers                              changes ; the results of the fire will be com-
           say that it has a buoyancy capable of sup-                                  plete and eternal.
           porting two or three men. `This may help-us                               I  am glad that there are. still Christian scientists
           to understand some of t)ie astonishing facts                          that refuse to. take for granted all the conclusions of
           regarding these arctic fossils;  thqugh of                       -unbelieving scientists, and who attempt to compare
           course it has nothing to do wi'ch solving- the '                      their scientific results with Holy Writ.
           chief problem: What was it that killed these                                                                                                H.H.
           animals. by` the tens of thousands, perhaps
           almost by the millions? IOne observer says
           he himgelf counted two thousand tusks ready
           for the market in one season, and this~ira,c@                                                   -
                                                                       '                                         ----IsI
                                                                                                                 '
           .in  fossil  .elephant tusks has been going on                                 `r';
           for ,many centuries. -                                 I
               `Is our intellectual honesty ,being offered a                                                          IN MEMORIAM
           bribe when we  a?e approached with off&s                                               ;  :
           t6 "explain" these facts according to. the.                             The following organiz.ations  of the First Pirotecstant keformed
                                                                                 Church of  Kalamazoo,.,Mi+gan  wish to express  thqir deepest
           theories of .Charles Lyell?               :=                     *sympathy to Miss  Jennie'Weassies,  and the Weessies family, in
      In a subsequent article, the same author ,argues                           the loss tif their' mother, 1
                                                                                                  ,  I
 that in. the comparatively recent past, the entire                                                          M R S .        JENNIE   WEESSIES
 earth enjoyed a rather modera& climate, even in the                        whom the Lord called, out of her suffering, unto Himself on
                                                                            January 28.
 regions within the artic circle. And for this he points
 to indubitable evidence : the elephants  mentjoned                                Her- confession :
                                                                                                          When I in righteousness at last
 above, fossil corals, reptiles that o&e lived in $l-i& arc-                                              Thy glorious face shall see,
 tic regions, .$lants and trees that were' found in `the                                             When all the weary night  5s past,
 lands around the North  Pole..  ,'                        - .                                      `And I awake with Thee
                                                                                                          To view the glories `that abide,
      Hoiy  -tbi:  exljlain this change in climate.? When,                                                Then, then I shall be satisfied. . . .
 years `ago, I pkeached  on Gen. 6-9, I. suggested that,                                                                         is comfort. for the bereaved.
 at the time of the flodd, the axis of the earth: was                                                                            Ladies' Aid
 tipped.at`an angle of twenty-three and a half :degrees.                                                                     Young People'6 Society
 At the titie, I- tl;bught that this was only my :.expla-                                                                        The Sunday School
 nation.. &t now `the -writer of these articles makes
 mention' df the` same interpretation ! #Only, he repu-
 diates th& idea. `Still, he also is of the opinion that
 the change .must have occurred. -at the time of the                                                                      `El
 flood.  `, And he- concludes : \  `J..  1  :"       4
               It seems almost certain that this -sudde%                                                                                                       /
              `.  /
           &ange in tl& earth's climate was part of the                                 Praise ye the Lord; all creatures, sing
           c&%ic `@an&e `which th&%ible  describes in                                   The praises of your God and King; :
           th$, sixth  tlj': the  ninth',%iipters  bf  `Genesis.  _         .           Let all that breathe, His praise proclaim
           The Al%%tle P,eter  tells it all in one senkence:                            And glorify His holy Name.                              _--                      .


