     - VOLUME   x x x v                                           MARCH 1, 1959 - GRAND FL&s,  MICHIGAN                                                  NTJMBER 11


                                                                                                         High. Priest, he may enter the court of the palace: And
          -MEDITAilON                                                                                    thro?gh  his good oflices,  Peter may also enter.
1
                                                                                                            abut  the damsel which had'the charge of the gate looks at
                                                                                              il
                                                                                                         Peter and recognizes him. (John 18:17)
         HIS OWN RECEIVED HIM NOT                                                                           There are four versions'; when Peter is- connected with

            `But Peter followed Him afar 08' unto the high priest's                                      Jesus and His own :

            .palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the                                     "I know not what thou sayest !"
             end.
             Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came                                         "I know not, neither understand I what thou say&t."

             unto him, saying,. Thou also wast with  Jesus  of Galilee.                                     "I know Him not."
             But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what
                                                                                                            "I am not !"
             thou sayest.

             And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid                                          And then? The cock crew-for the first time : a fair warn-
             saw  him, and  said  unto them that were there, This fellow                                 ing is given to Peter. It should have' recalled to him the
             `was also with Jesus of Nazaretlx.
                                                                                                         word of Jesus : "Before the cock-crow twice thou shalt deny
             And again  he denied with an oath, I do not know the Man.
             And after  a while came  unto him they that-stood by, and                                   Me thrice."

             said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy                                       A little while later another maid recognizes him, and
             speech bewrayeth  thee.
             T h e n   b e g a n   h e   t o   c u r s e   a n d   t o   swear,  saying,  I knpw         speaks to those that were seated around the fire. But here
             not the Man. And immediately the cock crew.                                                 are Peter's answers :       _

             And,  Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto                                      "I do not know the Man."        -
             him,  Before the-  cock crow, thou shalt deny Me thrice.
             And                                                                                            ."Denied  it, again."
                     he went out and wept bitterly."                                                                                                              _
                                                                   MATT.  26:58,  69-75                     "Man, I am not !"
             ` I
              . . . . and the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter."                                          "He denied it, and said, I am not.`:
                                                                             LUKE  22:61a                   This second denial is accompanied with an oath, which
      This was a very black night for the Lamb of God !                                                  should not surprise us. When once you set your foot on the
      The events follow quickly the one after the other.                                                 path of falsehood and sin, you must needs grow-in wicked-
      There is the unspeakable anguish in the garden across                                              ness. The first time you steal a nickel, and suffer. But the
the brook Cedron. The sleeping disciples : there is to be no second time you steal a quarter, and the pain is not as severe.
human sympathy with Jesus.                      Then there is the betrayal of
                                                                                                            Here is also a difficulty of which the Higher Criticism has
Judas ; the binding of Jesus, and, in the palaces of Annas  and                                          made mountains. Matthew records that the second denial was
Caiaphas, the mockery, the beatings, the spitting on the Holy                                            occasioned by a maid. But the second answer in Luke is.: -
Face !                                                                                                   `iMan,  I am not !"
     The godless have their hour: they set Him at nought!                                                    Still, the answer is easy. The maid indeed introduced the
      And the Cross casts its shadow before.                                                             statement that Peter was one of Jesus' disciples,, but she
      But first the Lord is to drink one of the bitterest draughts                                       did not speak to him personally. She addressed those that
out of the cup of the wrath of God: one of His dearly be-                                                stood around. How natural that one of them took the dam-
loved disciples is to deny Him!                                                                          `sel's charge and say : Correct, he is one of them ! And Peter
      And it shall again be fulfilled : His own received Him not !                                       then addressed that .man, and said : Man, I am not !
                                      * * * *                                                       *       And the third time they recognize him there is `abundant

       Let us look at this denial on the part of the Rock: Peter.                                        evidence: Thy speech shows plainly that thou art' one of

      There are-three stages.                                                                            them: thou art, a Galilean!  And most of all: a kinsman of

      John and. Peter follow the sad procession as Jesus is                                              Malchus, whose ear Peter hewed off, is there, recognizes him,

brought first to Annas.                And since John was known .to the                                  and affirms : Thou art one of this ,Man's.disciples 1


 242                                            T H E   STANDA.RD   B E A R E R


                                                     .
    And Peter?                                                          Second, Peter stands there before those damsels and

        We shudder to continue the story : he began to curse and    maids and soldiers in the weakness and sinfulness of human

 to swear, saying, I KNOW NOT THE MAN!                              nature. And then you can expect anything. Watch how you

        He began to curse and to swear. What does this.mean?        act, and weep.

        To curse is that you call down God's damnation on your-         Yes, Christ called him the rock, but flesh and blood had
 self. By the way, that's the terrible way in which people          not revealed the name of Jesus, but the Holy Spirit.
 curse in the Netherlands. Not here in America. Here they               And finally, remember the devil, and Jesus' words. The
 ask that God may damn the other fellow. But in Holland             .devil  was greatly desirous to especially sift Peter like wheat.
 they pray that God may `damn themselves. And that is               Well, here you see Peter in the sieve of the devil.
 what Peter did. He said in effect : I may be damned by

 Jehovah if I know this Man.                                                                  * * * *

    To swear is worse.
                                                                      _ What are the reasons for this denial ?
    To swear is this : you call Jehovah down to earth along-
                                                                        The Reformed child of God asks: Why did God will that
 side of you in order to substantiate the truth of what you are
                                                                    this denial should take place
 s a y i n g .                                                                                       ? Where is the wisdom, of this
                                                                    terrible chapter ?
    And so in effect Peter said: Jehovah knows that I do not
know this Man.                                                          Here are the reasons: they are five.

   The denial is thrice complete.                                       First, Simon must go through a process where he may
    As far as Peter is concerned: nothing binds him anymore         bear the name Peter.

 to either Jesus or' the disciples of Jesus.                            He was altogether too self-confident. You all know his

    Who would not tremble, nay, shudder?                            boasting: I shall never be offended even though all these

                                                                    are. I will go to prison and to death for Thee ! I shall never
                            * * *.*'                                deny Thee !

                                                                       Do you remember how he also wanted to tread upon the
    Can you explain this strange behaviour of Peter?
    A little while ago he took a sword and tried to kill            water? Suppose he had. Suppose the Lord would have
                                                                    allowed him to walk on the water toward  Jesus, and with
Malchus. Personally, I think he meant it when he said that
                                                                    Him, 
he would go to death or to. prison, with Jesus.                           ba,ck  to the ship. I ask you: upon whom would the
                                                                    eyes of the disciples have rested in admiration, on Peter or
    Here are a few damsels, and a few soldiers who were at
                                                                    on Jesus 7 You know the answer. He was too proud and too
ease, without authority: and he is afraid!
    When no one knows the true name of Jesus, Peter calls           self-centered. He was glorious in his strength. Peter has to
                                                                    learn that apart from Christ he can do nothing.
Him: Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God! And
now ?                                                                   Second, the devil must have his hour. Jesus must suffer
    Let's try to explain it.                                        death in all its forms. Death is also separation of that which
    First, it had been a long and-a.weary  night, full of dis-      belongs together. And so the devil shall do his part to tear.
appointments. Christ acted like a slave in the foot-washing;        Peter away from Jesus. He tore all 12 away, and the fore-
He had prophesied that one would betray Him, another                most will deny Christ with swearing and curses. That's the
would deny Him, and all would be offended in Him ; He               devil's part too.

assured the disciples that He would be bound, spit -upon,              Third, all of the church, to the end of time, must have a

scourged and killed !                                               good warning. 0, I am glad that the story of Peter's denial

    Yes, it had been a very sad%ight. And in the garden             is there. I would plead with you : do not look down on Peter.
they slept for sorrow, so we read:                                  Peter is you! His denial is there that you may learn that you

    And disappointing too.      Thef , had expected that Jesus      must rest on the Rock of ages.

would be more than David and. Solomon combined. They                   Fourth, God must show His love and lovingkindness. Go,

expected Jesus to sit on the throne of David in an earthy           and look at one of the texts above this little meditation : "And

kingdom, and that the hated Romans would be defeated.               Jesus- turned and looked upon Peter !" Those words ought

    But nothing remained of their dreams.                           to be written in gold ; they should be engraved on pure

    Yes, Peter did take the sword and, as always, began, the        diamonds. Do you see that look ? I assure you that I can

fight against the soldiers of the hated Sanhedrin, but here is      see that look. I assure you that I have experienced that lov-

an important point : Jesus did not want to fight ! -,He  acted      ing, look of Jesus.

like a. little lamb. And they were offended. If Jesus had              Again, God must be able to give us a wonderful example

said : Come on ! Up and: at them ! They all would have fought "     of the kind of LOVE He has for all His children dear. Some

to the death for Jesus.- But ~that  was not the style of God!       say that Jesus. looked His stern disapproval. j Perish the

His style is the meek lamb, dumb before those who sheared           thought ! Oh no, but that look was wounded love.. The denial

q J-Jim. '                                                          of Peter must serve to give you and me this look .of Jesus. It

    And they were offended.                                         is heavenly in .quality. That look of Jesus from a face; bloody


                                                 T H E   ST.ANDARD   B E A R E R                                                                                                                                                                     243


and .weary,  with eternal death written upon it, is expressive

of God's own heart for you, my brother.                                                                   THE STANDARD  BEARER

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Rock is God, Triune!                                                                  Communications  relative  to contents  should be addressed  to
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jou  love Me 7                                                           G.V.          Entered as Second Class maker at Grand  Rapids, Michigan




                             Attention
                                                                                                                                  CONTENTS
. . Standing and Special Synodical Committees
                                                                                 MEDITATION  -
  Pursuant to Article VI`1 of the Synodical Rules, said                                   His       Own Received                         Him              Not . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..__............................  241

committees are herewith reminded that. :                                                            Rev.  G. Vos

    "1. The reports of all committees, special and standing,
                                                                                 EDITORIALS  -
shall be included in the Agenda, (deadline of' April 15) so                               About The Three                          Points  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
that all churches may be duly informed,                            -.                     Evolution,  Long  Periods  or Days  ___..,.....__._...........................  :.245
    "2. Standing committees may make supplemental reports                                           Rev.  H. Hoeksema

of matters arising after the deadline for the Agenda. Such
                                                                                 O
reports, however, shall be distributed in mimeographed form                       UR DOCTRINE  -
                                                                                          The Book                of Revelation  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .._....................................... 246
to all members of Synod at the opening session, and the                                             Rev.  H. Hoeksema
committee concerned shall be responsible for this."

                              G. VANDEN  BERG, Stated Clerk                      A CLOUD OF WITNESSES  -
                                                                                          Twin Brothers In Conflict  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .._. _...___...._._._._....  249

                                                                                                    Rev.  B. Woudenberg

                            IN MEMORIAM
                                                                                 FROM HOLY WRIT-
   It pleased  the  Lord to take unto  Himself our  beloved  husband,                     Exposition  `of. Matthew  24 and  25 (XIII)  . . . . .._......__.............  251
father,  grandfather  and  great-grandfather  on January  17, 1959,                                 Rev.  G. Lubbers
                         WILLIAM  KOOIENGA

at the. age  of 82 years  and  10 months.                                        IN HIS  FEAR -
   That God was his portion is our  great  consolation.                                   Provoking                One         Another.  . . . . . ..___.__  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
                                     Mrs.  Katherine  Kooienga'                                     Rev.  f. A. Heys
                                     Mr. and  Mrs.  Jake  Kooienga
                                     -Mr.  and  Mrs. Henry  Kooienga
                                     Mr. and Mrs.  Dick Kooienga                 FEATURE  ARTICLE  -
                                     Mr. and  Mrs.  Ed Kooienga                           The Inner  Man in Scripture  as in Ephesians                                                                          3: 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..255
                                     Mr. and  Mrs. Arie  Ponstein                                   Rev.  H. Hanko
                                     Mr. and Mrs.  Martin  Wustman
                                     Mr.  and  Mrs. John  Lanning                THE  VOICE OF OUR FATHERS  -
                                     Mr. and  Mrs. Wilbur  Kooienga                       The Canons of Dordrecht . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
                                     Mr. and  Mrs. Walter Walters
                                                                                                    Rev.  H. C. Hoeksema
                                     30 grandchildren
                                     41 great-grandchildren
Grand  Rapids,  Mich.                                                            DECENCY  ANLI ORDER-
                                                                                          Conclusion of the Report  . . . . . . ..___........_..............)  ,................_  I..259

                                                                                                    Rev.  G. Vanden Berg
                            IN MEMORIAM

   The Mary Martha  Circle of the  Southeast  Protestant  Reformed               ALL ARouNrJ  us -
Church  wishes  to express  its sincere  sympathy  to one of its members,                 Literary            Cavalcade - The Green  Pastures  . . .._._...  . . . .._.__........_  261
Mrs. W. Kooienga, in the  recent  death  of her  husband,                                           Rev.  M. Schipper
                     MR. WILLIAM  KOOIENGA

   "Father, I will that they  also,  whom  thou  hast given  me, be              NEWS     FROM OUR                    CH&ZHE~  . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..____....................  :.....................  264
with me where  I am;  that they may behold  my glory."  John  17:24.
                                                                                                    Mr.  J. M. Faber
                                  Miss D. Vander Vennen,  President
                                  Mrs. F. Ondersma,  Secretary


        244                                          T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEA'RER


                                                                                 "Moreover the promise of the gospel is, that whosoever
        II            E D I T 0 R I A L So                                     believeth in Christ -crucified, shall not perish  but have ever-
                                                                               lasting life. This promise, together with the command to

                                                                               repent and believe, ought to be declared and published to all
                         About The Three Points                                nations, and to all persons promiscuously and without distinc-
              The interest in the question of "common grace'" appears to
                                                                               tion, to whom God out of his good pleasure sends the gospel."
        be awakening in the Christian Reformed Church. This is
        evident from the article by Dr. Klooster which we are dis-                How the Synod of 1924 could possibly find the theory of
        cussing at present, but now again from an article in the               common grace in this article of the Canons is a mystery to
        Fedtvution  Messenger  by Prof. John Weidenaar.                        me. What it evidently tried to deduce from this article is
              The latter article we cannot discuss at present. We              that the preaching of the promise of the gospel is grace for
        promise Weidenaar that we will do so in the future, D.V.               all that hear. But; in the first place, this has nothing to do
              But there is one paragraph in this article which I wish to       with what is commonly known as the theory of common grace,
        quote now because it fits into the context of my present dis-          for this deals with the affairs of this present life, rain and
        cussion. Writes he :                                                   sunshine, etc., and not with the preaching of the gospel or
                                                                               the matter of salvation. And, secondly, the fact that, never-
              "It appears then that Common Grace is not based merely
                                                                               theless, the Synod quotes this article of the Canons in support
        on some remnants or leftovers concerning which the Canons
                                                                               of the First -Point, proves that they were not even thinking of
        of Dordt speak. That the Canons do not deal in detail with
                                                                               "common grace" but of saving grace, for that alone is declared
        Common Grace is evident and follows from the known fact
                                                                               by the promise of the gospel. Hence the Synod made saving
        that our fathers at that time were not facing the specific prob-
                                                                               grace common or general. And this is not` Reformed but
        lem of Common Grace in the sense in which Calvin and those
                                                                               Arminian.
        who followed him have developed this doctrine. The Canons
        do specifically reject the doctrine of Arminian notion of Com-            How could the Synod of Dordrecht -possibly teach that
        mon Grace which is miles removed from .what  the Reformed              the preaching of the promise of the gospel is common grace,
                                                                      I I
        thinkers and the Christian Reformed Church meant by Com-               that is, grace for all that hear, while in the negative part of
        mofl  Grace in 1924."                                                  the same chapter of the Canons it rejects the errors of those
              On this I wish to make two remarks.                              who "use the difference between meriting and appropriating,
                                                         _
              First of all, Weidenaar writes that the Canons "do not           to the end that they may instill into the minds of the im-
       deal in detail with Common Grace." I maintain that~ they               prudent and inexperienced that God, as far as he is concerned,
       never mention common grace at all except to condemn the                has been minded of applying to all equally the benefits gained
       very term. Let me quote just one instance. In Canons III,              by the death of Christ; but that while some obtain the par-
       IV. Rejection of Errors, 5, the fathers condemn the errors of          don of sin and eternal life and others do not, this difference
       those "Who teach: That the corrupt and natural man can so              depends on their own free will, .which  joins itself to the
       well use the common grace (by which they understand the                grace that is offered without exception, and that it is not
-.     light of nature), or the gifts still left him after the fall, that     dependent on the special grace of mercy, which God power-
       he can gradually gain by their good use a greater, viz., the           -fully works in them, that they rather than others should ap-
       evangelical or saving grace itself." -This is, clear is it not ? It    propriate unto themselves this grace. For these, while they
      is the Arminians  that call the light of nature or the gifts still      feign that they present this distinction in a sound sense, seek
       left to man after the fall "common grace." The fathers never           to instill into the people the destructive poison of the Pelagian
       do.                                                                    errors." II, B, 6.
              Secondly, it is not true that the "Three Points" of 1924            From this it is very plain that the Canons in II, 5 do not
       are miles removed from the Arminian notion of "common                  mean to teach that the promise of the gospel is grace for all
       grace."     As'I said befo.re,  and as I further will prove, the       that hear the preaching of the gospel, but that it is grace only
       Synod of 1924, exactly by trying to prove that the "Three              for those in whom God powerfully instills the gift of special
       Points" are based on the Reformed Confessions, fell into               mercy.
       Arminian error.                                                            To be sure the Canons, in the article .mentioned,  teach
              But all this is in parentheses. We will now continue our        that all that believe in Christ crucified shall have eternal life
       discussion.                                                            and are partakers of the promise of the gospel. But this
              The last time we quoted the Five Arminian articles that         surely is no "common grace" but very particular. For in the
       were formulated in 1610. And it is in opposition to these.             same chapter of the Canons, art. 8, they teach :

       that the well-known Canons were composed by the Synod of                   "For this was the sovereign counsel, and most gracious

       Dordrecht in 1618-19.                                                  will and purpose of God the Father, that the quickening and

              Although these Canons are based entirely on the doctrine        saving efficacy ,of the death of his Son should extend to all the

       of predestination and sovereign grace, yet the Synod of 1924           elect, for bestowing upon them alone the gift of justifying

       attempted to adduce quotations from these articles, in support         faith, thereby to bring them infallibly to salvation: that is, it

       of the "Three Points." It quoted first of all, Canons II, 5            was the will of God, that Christ by the blood of the cross,


                                              T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                245


whereby he confirmed the new covenant, should effectually                This means; too, that when God speaks it is there. When

redeem out of every people, tribe, nation, and language, all          God said: "let the waters under the heaven be gathered to-

those, and those only, who were from eternity chosen unto             gether," it did not take .millions  or even billions of years for

salvation, and given to him by the Father; that he should             the waters to be gathered into one place, but they obeyed the

confer upon them faith, which together with all the other             Word of God through Christ and in the Spirit immediately.

saving gifts of the Holy Spirit, he purchased for them by his         And the same is true of the appearance of the dry land. When

death ; should purge them from all sin, both original and             God said: "let the dry land appear" it was formed at once.

actual, whether committed before or after believing; and              Otherwise we must.imagine  that God spoke the same words

having faithfully preserved them even to the end, should at           for billions of years and that is nonsense. Just as in the

last bring them free from every spot and blemish to the en-           work of salvation we are regenerated by the Spirit and

joyment of glory in his own presence forever."                        through the efficacious calling by the living and abiding Word

    In. the light of all this, it ought to be very evident that       of God, and just as it does not take a long period of time to
                                                                      be thus regenerated but we are born of God immediately when
the Canons in II, 5, although they surely teach that the
preaching of the promise is promiscuous, do not intend to             God speaks, thus it is also in creation. When God called the
                                                                      waters under heaven were gathered together and the dry
teach that the preaching is common grace.
                                                             H.H.     land appeared at once. Hence, we also read repeatedly in the
                                                                      text r "and it was so." God spoke and it was so.

                                                                         As to what was created on this first part of the third day,

                                                                      we can be brief since we are chiefly interested in the question
             Evdution, Long Periods, or Days
                                                                      of periods or days. It is plain that, before the third day, the
    On the third day God created the dry land and the plants.         earth was still a sphere surrounded by water. Part of the

    Of this we read in Gen. 1:9-13  : "And God said, Let the          bottom of this shoreless ocean was lifted up so that millions

waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place,          of tons of water were thrown in their own place. How much

and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called            dry land was formed on that third day cannot be determined,

the dry~land  Earth ; and the gathering together of the waters        but' we have the impression that only a comparatively small

called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. And God                 continent was then created: the Lord gathered the waters

said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed,        into one place. Besides, in II Pe. 3 :4-7 we read of the .

and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed          scoffers that deny the second coming of the Lord and say:

is in itself upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth             "Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers

brought forth grass, herb yielding seed after his kind, and           fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the be-

the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his          ginning of the creation.`,    But the apostle contradicts these

kind: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and               sco,ffers and writes : "For this they are willingly ignorant of,

the morning were the third day."                                      that by the word of. God the heavens were of old, and the

    First of all, then, God formed the dry land. We must              earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby

remember that it was Elohim, the triune God, that created             the world that then was, being overflowed with water, per-

all things. And He did so by His Spirit and Word. For                 ished: But the heavens and the earth which are now, by the

from the beginning the Spirit brooded upon the face of the            same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the

waters thus quickening and giving light and life to all things.       day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." Also from

But this was done through the Word. For thus we read in               this passage, therefore, we receive the impression that the

John 1 :l-3 : "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word            original dry land, created on the*  third day, was a compar-

was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in                   atively small continent and that the rest of the continents

the beginning with God. All things were made by him: and              were formed at the time of the flood.

without him was not anything made that was made." More-                  But we still have to call your attention briefly to the
over, according to Scripture, this Logos or Word was not              creation of the plants which also took place.on  the.third day.
merely the second Person of the trinity, although He was              Concerning this we note the following :
too, but He was the Christ. For this is also clear from Scrip-
                                                                         1. That also the whole world of vegetation was brought
ture. Thus, for instance, we read in'Eph. 3 :14,  15 : "For this
                                                                      forth by the creative Word of God: "God said, Let the earth
cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus
                                                                      bring forth." The plants, therefore, did not come into exist-
Christ, of Whom the whole family in heaven and earth are
                                                                      ence through a long process of evolution nor in a long period
named."       All things in heaven and earth are. called and,
                                                                      of years, but immediately by the creative Word of God.        .
therefore,. receive their names or being through the Word

and that Word is Christ. This we must remember when we                   2. That God created them out of the earth to which they

read again and again in Gen. 1 that "God said,' or that ."He          belong, for God said, Let the earth bring forth. Also, this

called."     As it is in the work of salvation, thus it is also in    has nothing to do with the theory of evolution. According

creation.                                                             to the latter, somehow the earth contained the germ of every

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


  living creature. By a concurrence of natural causes these

  germs developed into the-lowest .forms  of the plant and from               I/;,       0 lj R D 0 C T .R I N E jl
  these lowest' forms the world of vegetation as we. know it                   I.
  today came into existence under the influence of natural
  causes from within and from without. Those who teach long                                  THE BOOK OF REVELATION

  periods instead of days make of these natural causes the                                                 P A R T   T W O
  providence of God, which is not creation but only a camou-

  flaged form of the theory of evolution. But we rather believe                                             CHAPTER VI
  the Word of God which informs us that by the Word of

  God the earth brought forth the various kinds of plants and                                              An Interlude

  that, too, immediately.
                                                                                                         Revelation 10 :l-7
      3. That by the. Word of God,`not  the seed, but the plants

  were created first and these brought forth their seed after                         And now note how comforting for such conditions is the

  their kind. This also is impossible, either on the basis of the             revelation of the powerful Lord in this passage. It assures

  theory of .evolution  or on the basis of long periods instead               us once more that the Lord is possessor and that He is the

  of days.                                                                    only Lord of all, and that in reality all things are subjected

                                                                              unto Him. When it should seem different, nevertheless it is
      4. That the creation narrative .mentions  only three large
                                                                              true that He only rules over all. He has His feet upon the
  species and emphasizes that they. all bring forth seed after
                                                                              earth and upon the sea, and all things are in subjection.
  their kind: the species are closed; there is no evolution from
                                                                              Nothing happens against His will. And Satan and hell and
  one species into another. Writes Keil:
                                                                              the wicked world cannot stir if He does not will them to
      "It indicates that the herbs "and trees sprang out of the               move: In the second place, it tells us that He rules as Judge,
  earth according to their kinds, ,and received, together with                and that all these things are directly realized through-Him.
  power to bear seed and fruit, the capacity to propagate and                 If it would seem to us that the kingdom-is remoter than ever
  multiply their own kind . . . Moreover, we must not picture                 and that iniquity -and trouble, yea, that the forces of hell
  the work of creation as consisting of the production of the                 prevail, never you fear, but fasten your eyes upon that mighty
I first tender germs which were gradually developed into                      Lord with pillars of fire. And then'you  may know that war
  herbs, shrubs, and trees; on the contrary, we must regard it                and famine and pestilence and tribulation come from Him
  as one element in the miracle of creation itself, that at the
                                                                              alone.      It tells you by the rainbow that in the midst of
  word of God not only-tender grasses, but herbs, shrubs, and
                                                                              mighty judgments He .will  not forget His covenant,. but
  trees, sprang out of the earth, each ripe for the formation of
                                                                              through it all realize it. And finally, in the midst of these
  blossom and the bearing of seed and fruit, without the neces-
                                                                              judgments and` tribulation your hearts go out with longing
  sity of waiting for years before the vegetation created was
                                                                              for the end of it all. And then you know that the hour is
  ready to blossom and bear fruit. .Even  as the earth was em-
                                                                              near. Fasten your eye upon that mighty figure of the Judge
  ployed as a medium in the creation of the plants, since it was..
                                                                              with His feet upon all the world and with His right hand                       `
  God who caused it to bring them forth, they were not the
                                                                              lifted to heaven, swearing by Him that liveth forever and
  product of the powers of nature, geaeratio  aequivoca  in the
                                                                              ever that there shall be no more delay. "Behold, I come, and
 ordinary sense of the word, but a work of divine omnipotence,
                                                                              come quickly." That above all is the message that comes to
  by which the trees came into existence before their seed, and
                                                                              us= from this revelation of the powerful Lord in the midst of
  their fruit was produced in full -development, without ex-
                                                                              judgments and tribulations. And therefore this vision fjught,
  panding gradually under the influence of sunshine and rain."
                                                                              in the first place, to dispel all the fears and doubts and .an-
      With this all, who believe that Gen. 1 is the Word of
                                                                              xieties of the people of God, no matter how things may
  God, must agree.                      I                             H.H.
                                                                              develop. But, in the second place, it ought to strike terror

                                                                              in the hearts of those that still love iniquity and with the

                                                                              world indulge in their sin. It may seem as if His coming

                                                                              is far off. Long may seem the delay. Nevertheless He comes
                               `OBITUARY
                                                                              quickly. And the times in which we live declare more than
     The Men's  Society  of Holland, Michigan, expresses,  in behalf  of      ever that He sware by Him that liveth forever that there shall
  its membership,  the&  heartfelt  sympathy  to a brother  member,  Mr.
                                                                              be no more delay.
  Albert Klomparens,  in the  recent  home-going  of his dear  brother,

                      MR. HENRY  KLOMPAREtiS
                                                                                                        Revelation 10 23-l  1
     May our brother be comforted by the deep and sweet words of

  the  Lord, when He said:  "Verily, verily,  I say unto  yod, He that                       8. And the  voice  which I heard  from heaven spake

  believeth on me hath  everlasting  life." John  6:47.                                      unto  me again;  and  said,  Go and  take  the  little  book

                                                    The Men's Society                        which is open in the  hand of the  angel  which standeth
                                                    Holland, Mich;                           upon the  sea and  upon the  earth.


                                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                   247


               9. And I went unto  the angel, and said unto him,               We cannot draw one line and say that all that is revealed in
               Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take i$           the b&k .tiuSt be taken in the symbolical sense, for then we
               and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it       become guilty of allegorizing and spiritualizing in the wrong
               shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.
                                                                               sense of the word. Nor c8n we say that all that is revealed
               10.    And  I took the little book out of the angel's harid,    in this book must be taken in the literal sense, for then we
               and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey:           arrive at absurdities and impossibilities. But we must let the
               and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.
                                                                               book itself decide whether anything is meant symbolically or
            . 11. And he said unto me, Thou `must  prophesy again              literally. And that is 21~0 the case with our present passage.
               before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and
                                                                               It is more than evident that this entire scene is not meant
               kings.
                                                                               in the literal sense of the word. Then, if that were the case,

    After all that was said in connection with the previous                    we would have to assume that there was actually a book in

 passage, this portion ought not to be difficult to understand                 the hand of the angel, pr&ed  in heaven, and that John actu-

 in its purpose and significance. You will remember that in                    ally, not in. the vision, approached the angel, took that little

 this entire chapter we have an interlude, a portion that has                  book out of his hand, and swallowed it. Of course, that is

 no immediate connection with the seven trumpets but.  that                    both an impossibility and an absurdity. An impossibility it

 has been thrown in for a certain definite purpose. The first                  is, for John could not swallow a book. And if it is maintained

 part of this chapter answered many of the questions that                      that this is a miraculous swallowing of the book and that

 might arise in the hearts of .the people of God in the midst of               with God all things are possible, we add that it is also an

 the judgments and tribulations that have already been re-                     absurdity. For books are not to be swallowed, but to be read.

 vealed in the first part of the book and that are still to be                 And one does not derive any benefit from swallowing a book,

 shown as the seventh angel shall blow his trumpet. In that                    but from appropriating its contents by reading it. Hence, it

 passage. we are assured that Christ holds the reins, and that                 needs no special indication to make us draw the conclusion

 although many tribulations may come upon the people of                        immediately that here we have symbolism, and not reality,,

 God, He shall nevertl$ess  come, and come quickly, and                        that John swallows the book in the vision, not apart from the

 establish His everlasting kingdom forever. And therefore,                     vision. And the question before us is : what is the meaning

 that first part of the..chapter  was full' of comfort for God's               of this symbolic scene ?

 people.                                                                          To determine this we must first of all answer the ques-

    One part of that portion connects itself immediately with                  tion: what is the meaning of the little book itself? What is
 the passage we are now called to discuss. I refer, of course,                 this little  book in the hand of the angel, which is swallowed
 to the little book that is in the hand of the angel that standeth             by John ? And then we wish to say at the outset that we do
 upon the earth and upon the sea. .That  little book we have as                not agree with those interpreters who maintain that this book
 yet not discussed. All -that we have said about it is the                     is the same as the one mentioned in chapter five, verse one,
 unique occurrence of the voice of the seven thunders, which                   namely, as the book with its seven seals. In support of this

 told us'that in that form John might not receive.the revela-                  cgntention  we mention, in the first place, that this is a little

 tion of the mystery of the kingdom of God. But our present                    book. The book'with its seven seals was simply a book. In

 passage informs us in what form he may receive it, and how                    the second place, we must remember that the book with its

 he must be a prophet in the midst of the world 01 the things                  seven seals was closed and sealed. This book, as it is ex-

 that are still to be revealed. If the first part of the chapter               pressly mentioned, was open. In the third place, as we have

 was for the comfort of the people of God and fixed their                      stated, that book was not merely a copy of the decree of God

 eyes upon the mighty King of kings, this part is for their in-                with a view to the bringing of the kingdom, but it was the

 struction .and warns them beforehand what they must do                        symbol of the decree itself. When that book is opened, and

 with the revelation which John receives of the future. For in                 seal after seal is loosed, the decree of God is realized. It

 ;he hand of the angel there is a little  book. That little book               cannot be maintained that this book is given to John in order

 must not merely be read and copied by the true prophet, but                   that he should swallow it. And finally, the book of the seven

 it must be eaten. And only after it has thus been appropriated                seals is the property and can be the possession only of the

 do we read that John is prepared to be a prophet and to                       Lamb that w+s+lain.  As we noticed in that connection, there

 prophesy again to many. peoples, and'nations, and tongues,                    was not one that was worthy to open the book and to receive

 and kings.                                                                    it.out of the hand of Him that sitteth upon the throne. Only

    Again I must call your attention to the fact which I have                  the Lamb could take it and break the seals. And therefore,
 mentioned more than once, namely, that the book pf Revela-                    it is simply out of the question that this could be the same
 tidn itself determines rather plainly whether anything  is to                 book. For here it, is offered to John, and he thoroughly ap-
be understood in the symbolical or in the literal sense of                     propriates the same.

 the word. Disregard of this truth has led. many interpreters                     But although this is true, it must also be maintained that

 of the book into paths of error. And therefore we must                        this little book stands closely related to that book of the

 maintain it and point to it whenever we have the opportunity.                 seven seals. In the first place, this might be surmised because

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


 also this book is found in the hand of the mighty angel, Who,       shall the kingdom come, and what will be the course of
 as we have explained, is no one else than the Lord                  history that will destroy the power and the kingdom of dark-
                                                           Jesus
 Christ Himself, the Lamb that was slain. And in. the                ness and establish the glorious kingdom of God and His

 second place, we notice that when John eats this little book,       Christ? Shall it be a gradual victory of the power of the

 the effect of it is that he must prophesy again before many         gospel ? Shall the influence of the gospel gradually spread, so.

 peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings. That other            that at the end, at the time of the close of history, all nations

 book decided the fate of the peoples and nations and tongues        shall have embraced the Christ at His coming? How shall

 and kings.- It was the decree itself regarding them, and that       these things be ? It is to those questions that in the succeed-

 with a view to the bringing of the kingdom of God. This             ing chapters John receives the answer. It is of these truths

 little book makes John a prophet with regard to many peoples        that he must prophesy also in the future in the midst of the

 and nations and tongues and kings. The conclusion is that           world. And it is for the prophesying of these things that a

this little book reveals to John something from the book .with       special preparation is required and symbolically pictured in

 its seven seals. It is a copy, .a partial copy, of that book, -a    the words of our passage.

 copy in human form, so that John and the church can under-                                                                                  H.H.

 stand it. And it is a partial copy, in the first place, because

 the full decree of God is infinite and cannot be completely

 revealed. Many things that are in the book of the seven                                   WEDDING  ANNIVERSARY

 seals naturally must remain a' mystery to us. But partial it            On February 6, 1959, our dear parents,
 is also, in the second place, because much that is contained                        MR.  AND  MRS.  BEN BLEYENBERG
 in the book of the seven seals has already been revealed to         celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary. We are thankful  to our
 John at this stage.    And therefore we would say that this         covenant God for all the blessings He has bestowed on them and
 little book, open in the hand of the angel, is the symbol of        on. us; and we pray  that if it be His good  pleasure  that they may
 all that John still has to prophesy. He did prophesy already        be graciously spared for one another and for us for many years to
                                                                     come.
 in the preceding portion. All that he has prophesied thus                                              Their  grateful children,
 far has been revealed and has already been discussed by us.                                                  Mr. and Mrs.  Tunis  Jansma
`. But according to verse eleven, he must prophesy again. Still                                               Mr. and  Mrs. John  Haverhals,  Jr:
 more is to be revealed to John and to the church. Of still                                                   Mr. and  Mrs. Peter  Rynders,  Jr.
                                                                                                              Mr. and Mrs. John  Hoksbergen
 more John is to be witness in the midst of the world. And                                                    Alvin D. Bleyenberg
 this entire book is the symbol of all that John still must wit-                                              5 grandchildren

 ness in regard to the future of the kingdom of God. And the
 scene that is pictured to us in the words of our passage shows                                   IN MEMORIAM
                                                                         The Consistory  of the  Protestant  Reformed Church  of Pella,
 how Johnmust  become prepared to be a prophet to the ut-
                                                                     Iowa, wishes  to express  its sincere  sympathy  to two of its members
 most: a prophet who not merely reveals things, who not              Elder A.' A. Van Weelden  in the  loss  of his wife  and Gysbert  Van
 merely informs the church and the world of some things with         Weelden  in the loss of his mother.  May the Lord  strengthen  th&m
 regard to the future, but who himself can be a living witness       in their  sorrow,  knowing that  all things  work  together  for good  to

 in the midst of a wicked world.                                     them  that love God.
                                                                                                           Cecil Van Der Molen, Vice  President
 - That this special preparation on the part of John was

 necessary at this stage will become evident if we consider              .                        IN MEMORIAM
 briefly what this book contains. What is its message? What              The Ladies' Society  of the  Hu.~  Protestant  Reformed Church here-
 are the tidings it brings to. the church and concerning the         with expresses  its sympathy  to a fellow  member and  her family,

 world ? As we shall understand, this little book contains the       Mrs.  Wm.  Kooiker,  in the  loss  of her  father

 message of the seventh trumpet. Six seals had already been                                          JOE  MULDER

 opened, and six trumpets had already been blown before..it              May-  the  Lord  comfort in His grace  in the knowledge  that  "the

 is deemed necessary that John receives this special prepara-        mercy of the  Lord is from everlasting  to everlasting  upon  them  that
 tion. All these six seals and six trumpets revealed ihe  process    fear  Him,"  Psalm  103:17a.
                                                                                                        Rev.  John  A. Heys,  President
 of history with a view to the completion of the kingdom of
                                                                                                        Mrs.  Harold Van Maanen,  Asst. Sec'y
 God. _ The$ revealed that the kingdom would come `and be

 completely realized, on the one hand, by the preaching of the
                                                                                                 IN MEMORI+M                     .~
 gospel to all nations, but on the other hand, also by means of
                                                                        `The Men's  ,Society  of the Kalam&oo.  Protestahi  `geformed  Church
 the judgments of war and famine and pestilence and various
                                                                     hkrewith  wish to express  their  sincere  sympathy  to one  of their  fellow
 visitations upon the world and upon the physical universe.          members,  Mr. J. Meninga,  in the  loss~of  his brother,
 One more trumpet is to be blown. And then, as the mighty                                       MR. H. MENINGA,
 angel haa sworn, the mystery of. God shall have been fulfilled.        May our covenant  Gqd comfOrt*and  sustain  him in his sorrdw.
 What is to be revealed to John in the future, therefore, is                                                    . Rev..  A. Mulder,  President
 the process of things with a view to their consummation. How                                    _ I           "Mr.  J. Van Dyke, Secretary


                                             T'HE' STANDARD   B E A R - E R                                                          249


                                                                       -He realized, of course, the importance of the decision which
 11 A CLOUD OF WITNESSES 11 he felt himself called to make. -The bestowal of the birthright
                                                                       within his family was much more important than it was in

                                                                       other -families. With him and with his seed was the cov-
                Twin Brothers In Conflict                              enant  of God established. From him and from his heir was

               "And the boys grew: and Ehau was a cunning hunter,      the salvation of God to be brought forth. This was much
            a man of the field: and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling    more important than mere earthly possessions and temporal
            in tents.                                                  dominion. It was spiritual and eternal. The question of
                And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his
                                                                       which son should receive this promise could not be a matter
            venison:  but Rebekah loved Jacob."-- GEN.  25~27,  28
                                                                       of indifference.
     Election and reprobation were implicit in the prophecy                                The birthright had to be given to the one
 which God gave to Rebekah before the birth of her twin                best qualified to maintain it. Nonetheless, Isaac felt himself
 sons. This cannot be questioned because it is clearly stated by       qualified and able to choose between his sons and to make
 Paul in Remans  9. The question nonetheless does arise                the proper bestowal.
                                                                                                                              .
 whether this implication of the prophecy was recognized by                Having, therefore, rejected the final determinative value
 Isaac and by his family.                                              of the revelation made to Rebekah, Isaac from the time of
                                                                       birth observed his sons very closely with a view to the choice
   Insofar as the prophecy related to the two sons .person-
                                                                       which he felt himself called to make. Very soon the distinc-
 ally, it stated, "and the elder shall serve the younger." Di-
 rectly stated in this prophecy are-  two thoughts. The first          tion between the two sons became apparent. They were by
 ,is that there would be a natural distinction between the two         no means identical twins, but as different as two brothers
 sons which were to be born. The one would be naturally the            could be. As a baby and a child Esau always was ruddy,
 greater because he would be .not only the elder .but also the         healthy, and active. In contrast `to him Jacob appeared frail,
 stronger and more mighty. The younger son in turn would               weak, and reticent.

 be naturally the lesser, weaker, and comparatively less power-            Moreover, as the children grew older and approached

 ful. The second teaching of this prophecy is that, in spite of        adulthood, the contrast increased and took on more impor-

 the,  natural superiority of the eldest, he would be subjected        tant aspects. Esau always stood on the fore. He was for-

 in service to the younger. To the minds of Isaac and Rebekah          ward. He was. brave. He was imaginative. In popular

 this could mean nothing other than that the right of in-              psychological terms, we would say that Esau was an ex-

 heritance which would ordinarily go to the oldest son was in          trovert. Always in the background- was Jacob, quiet, timid,

 this case to be given by God to the youngest. One of the              bungling, the introvert.    He tried to match and to surpass

 principal tenets of the birthright blessing in that day was           his brother. He was not beyond resorting to trickery and

 that the son who received it would become the successor of            subterfuge, but it only succeeded in putting Esau in a more

 his father as head and ruler of the family. Thus in effect            favorable light. In result. Jacob appeared a covetous, envious,

 what God revealed to Rebekah was that by His divine ap-               untrustworthy person. This difference in personality resulted

 pointment the birthright blessing" which ordinarily would fall        in the distinction of occupations which the brothers pursued.

 to the eldest son was. in this case given to the youngest. Thus       Esau took up the challenge of the field. He became a hunter.

it was that He caused that at birth the youngest son should            It was an occupation adapted to his strength, bravery, and

 grasp the heel of the eldest. He was the heel-holder, Jacob,          cunning.    It satisfied his craving for action, thrill, challenge

 the one who by divine appointment would supplant his eldest           and conquest. But Jacob remained quietly at home. It would

 brother and receive the birthright blessing. That birthright          have been futile and dangerous for him to attempt to match

 was assigned by God. It was not Isaac's to give according             the bravado of his brother. He didn't have what it took.

 to his discretion ; it was not Esau's to sell ; it was even be-       And furthermore, he had no interest in that sort of thing.

 fore birth given to Jacob by God.                                     He preferred the quiet and peace of his parents' home. He

    But for some reason this revelation was unacceptable to            was content to follow in the occupation of his father, to
 Isaac. Undoubtedly Rebekah had told him of it as well as              watch over the sheep, to spend his time meditating within the
 Esau and Jacob when they became older. It seems rather                peaceful solitude of the pasture.

 disappointing that the faith of Isaac should falter at this              Finally, there was the relationship which the sons held

 juncture, especially, after he had showed himself to be as            toward their father. We read that' Isaac ate of Esau's veni-

.strong  as he had been at previous occasions. One wonders             son. There might hardly seem to be anything very remark-

 what reason he gave for dismissing this clear revelation of           able about this; yet it implies a great deal. Esau in his roam-

 God. Did he question the accuracy of the report that Re-              ing hunts took a great many different kinds of delicate and

 bekah gave ? Did he feel that God `should have given a                delicious meats.. These he did not keep to himself, but after

 revelation such as that to him as head of the family and              preparing them he shared them with his father. One can well

 covenant father ? Whatever his reasoning, Isaac evidently.            imagine that those were enjoyable hours for Isaac. Coming

felt that it was yet his right to make the final determination         from his distant wanderings, Esau would show to his

 as to which of his sons should receive the birthright blessing.       father the trophies of the hunt. As together they feasted.


  250                                                 T H E   STAN.DARD   B E A R E R


on the venison, Esau would recount the tales of the woods                   Isaac was intending to give to Esau the birthright that had

  describing the thrill and excitement of the chase and of the              been before assigned to him by God, he was overwhelmed

  conquest. We-  need not be surprised that such meals were                 with a feeling of concern and despair. It had always been ,

  occasions of great pleasure for Isaac and resulted in a deep              an occasion of joy for him to hear his mother speak of the

  affection toward. Esau. In comparison Jacob was rather dull               revelation which had been given to her. When his father then

  company. The meats that he could offer were no different                  evidently ignored that Word of God, showing definite prefer-

  than what Isaac could himself easily procure. He had no                   ence  for Esau, it caused within him a sorrow close to despera-

  adventures to recount which could even begin to compare                   tion. He had- little influence with his father and saw little

  with Esau's. There just was nothing different or exciting                 hope of prevailing upon him to change his intention. Thus

  about him.                                                                when Esau came in from the field one `day tired and hungry

     .So .we read, "And Isaac loved Esau." This preference of               from a fruitless day of hunting to beg for food from Jacob,

 Isaac for Esau we have seen to be quite natural. The grievous              Jacob thought suddenly that the opportunity had come to

  part was, however, that because of his natural love Isaac                 right the intended wrong. He could not influence his father,

  began to reason that Esau ought to receive the birthright                 but Esau he might. He offered to buy the birthright from

  blessing. The mind of man very easily becomes a means                     Esau for bread and for the pottage he had brewed. To

  by which he finds excuses to fulfill his natural desires. Such            Esau the birthright had never seemed important anyway. He

  excuses were very readily available to Isaac. The covenant                was only too willing to sell just to satisfy his ravenous

  seed of, God are called to walk in hard and difficult ways ;              hunger.

 the strength of Esau was quite evident. The covenant seed                      It was a rather foolish little event, but nevertheless it

of..God have many and strong enemies; the bravery of Esau                   reflected two very important things. It revealed the heart of

  was known to all. Esau had all of thedesirable  characteristics :         Esau as being utterly disdainful of the birthright and the

  courage, boldness, confidence, and cleverness. To all appear-             covenant promise which it involved. It was foolish for

  ances he was the one best capable of establishing a nation                Jacob to perpetrate such an event. He might better have

  that would be truly great. Year by year the conviction grew               trusted in God. Yet it revealed the deep set love and desire

  that Esau should receive the birthright.                                  which he had to receive the promise assigned to him of God.

     In coming to this conclusion, however, there were. a few               Isaac heard of this event we know. He should have learned
  things that Isaac had to ignore. The first, conclusive in itself,         from it.
  was the revelation of God to Rebekah. That in the mind of                     It was Rebekah `who was more discerning in this matter.
  Isaac had in some way to be declared irrelevant. The second               We read, "But Rebekah loved Jacob." It is perhaps unlikely
  was the superficiality of Esau. With all of `Esau's seemingly             that this love of Rebekah was completely free from natural
 admirable characteristics, one thing was lacking, the spirit-              influences. J t
                                                                                            us as Isaac was attracted by the ambitious

  uality of a renewed heart. His -words and actions were                    nature of Esau, so Rebekah was partial to the quieter nature
 pleasing, but they studiously avoided all reference to God.                of Jacob. Nevertheless, we can not believe that this was the
  Esau lacked the love of God and faith, and "whatsoever is                 only, or even the principal,acause  of her love. She had re-
  not of faith is sin."         Sufficient was that to invalidate all of    ceived the revelation of God concerning the two children and
 h i s   r e a s o n i n g .                                                believed it with all her heart. From the very beginning she
     Furthermore, what Isaac failed to consider was the one                 understood that the birthright blessing belonged to Jacob by
 great superiority which Jacob had over Esau. We read,                      assignment from God. Believing this Word of God she was
  "And Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents." The trans-                able very early in the life of her children to distinguish the
 lation might better read, "And Jacob was an upright man."                  spirituality of Jacob in contrast to the carnality of Esau.
 Jacob was upright because he had a renewed heart filled                    Soon`she  understood that the rejection of Esau as the heir to
 with the love of God and love for the covenant of grace. Not               the covenant promise was based on a much deeper rejection
 that Jacob was without sin. We know from his later life                    of Esau personally. Although it had not been stated in that
 that he often walked in a way that was deceitful and wicked.               many words, she-discerned the implication of God's Word to
 It is not at all impossible that insofar as appearance was                 .be, "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated." Thus her
 concerned Jacob may often have. appeared less upright than                 love for Jacob was based in ,a true spiritual love for' the
 Esau. He loved the covenant and its promises. His thoughts                 revealed will of God.                                               B.W.

 during his quiet pastoral meditations were oft times on God

 and His revelations of grace. The spiritual truth that Esau
                                                                                                     IN. MEMORIAM
 studiously avoided, he studiously applied himself to learn.
                                                                               The Ladies' Sbciety  EuGce  of the  Southwest  Prot.  Ref. Church
 In spite of all his weaknesses he did excel. He believed God:              Egresses  herewith  its sympathy  to one  of its members, Mrs. Albert
 he hoped for the promised. seed ; he. loved the birthright as-
                                            .    "                          Talsma,  and her family, in the  sudden  death  of a son-in-law.
 signed to him by God.                                                         "He that  dwelleth in the  secret  place  of the  most High  shall

                                                                            abide under  the  Shadow  of the  Ahnighty."  Ps. 91:l.
     That this was true became evident in the matter of the
                                                                                                                   Rev.  M. Schipper,  President
 pottage. .,When  it became e.vident  to Jacob that his father                                                     Mrs..  B. Hafer, Secretaji


                                               T:HE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R ' E R                                             251


                                                                     We cannot see how on good exegetical considerations such
I/          FROM~HOL?   W R I T                              .I1     can be the meaning and intent of Jesus in this Parable.
                                                                     For in the Parable a distinction is made between the "talents"

                                                                     and the "ability" of the servants. The "talents," as `given to.

             Exposition of Matthew 24 and 25                         each "according the ability of each" ! (hekastoi kata teen idian

                                                                     dunamin). The term translated "ability" really is the wordy
                               X I I I
                                                                     in Greek from which our term dynuwzite  is derived. It refers

                                                                     not so much to might and strength as it does to innate
                        (Matthew 25 :14-30)
                                                                     ability ! Here we are reminded that the "justice of God re-
                                    b.                               quires that the same human nature, which hath sinned, should

       We shall notice `the following in this Parable of the         likewise make satisfaction for sin" ! (Question 16 of the

talents as to its several elements:                                  Heidelberg Catechism.) But Jesus goes a step farther here.

       First of all we should carefully notice the setting of the    The justice of God is such that he requires of each individual

Parable. We refer particularly to the setting wherein Jesus          only according to his ability in distinction from another

shows us the rehtionship  of the servants (bond-men) to              (human) individual !

their lord (master !). It is all in the control of the "lord"           And each receives a. talent or talents according to this

in the Parable. It is all his plan and his good-pleasure. .He        own ability. These talents, we believe, refer therefore to the

will go on a journey abroad. This will necessitate his ab-           scope of the mlling of each +tia?~. Each man is placed as

sence for a short while, or longer. The exact time of his            servant in the "lord's" domain. to use his "talents," his op-

absence is known only to him. Still, his interest in his affairs     portunities for the advancement of the master's interest. And

goes on, and that, too, on the staStzts quo of the servants being    each has a certain amount wherewith to labor (te woekeren) .

lzis servants, accountable to him 1 Always the slave is owned        The opportunities are commensurate to each man's ability.

by the master. He is not his own but belongs to this master,         There is a certain justice and wisdom of God manifested

his time, his energies, his all!                                     here.

       Secondly, we should not overlook the fact that the "lord"        And, let it be well understood, each man here labors with
in.the  Parable gives to these servants his substance. He gives      these ta,lents  as a sermnt.    "Servant" does not mean a hired
his substance to his very  own  sermnts! (tous  idiotis  doulous     servant, an employee, but refers to a slave, a bond-servant.
- in the Greek). In a very special sense they are his own.           Hence, it refers- to one who belongs with soul and body' to
And each of these servants has his own .peculiar  ability. The       his lord. Nothing is his own. All is. the lords.  Thus we
"lord" knows these abilities and reckons with them when he           read in the text: "delivered unto them his substance" and
gives to these his "talents" ! This shows the wisdom and also        "And coming I could have cla&ed  back (ekomisameen)
the righteousness of the "lord's" disposition in the giving of       mine own (the mine) with usury. The talents never became
the talents to each. He is indeed a wise, just and understand-       the possession of the bond-servants. Each moment they were
ing man! He does not expect more from each servant than              laboring with their lord's substance !

what his potential is. He gives each according to his ability.           Now we further notice in this Parable that there are not

And-he expects also of each according to, his ability in             ten servants who each receive an equal share of goods as in

return !                                                             the Parable of the "pounds" (See Luke 19:1-l-27).  There

       Such a man is this "lord" in the Parable!                     are but three servants that receive talents. And there is a

~ We now stand before the question as to what must be                distinction. The first receives five talents, the second two
understood concretely with the "talent." We know that a              talents and the last only one talent!

talent is a certain sum of money represented by a certain               What each does with this talent reveals and demonstrates

coin. Such was also a "pound." It will afford us little or no        his deepest and profoundest spiritual attitude toward his

positive value to inquire minutely into the exact amount of          master. This is either one of love, of "entering into the joy

the value of a talent in our American, money, nor into the           of his lord," or of one who is irked by the very thought of

exact value of a pound. It will not give us any data for the         him ! The good servant would ,make  his master happy. He

proper understanding of the mystery of the Kingdom set               thinks of him alone. The evil servant thinks only about him-

forth in this Parable of the Talents !                               self in aversion to his lord ! He really hates and despises

       `Hence, we will pass on to the question at hand?  what is     him! The one sings "With joy and gladness in my soul, I

the meaning of the "talent" in terms of the Kingdom of               hear the call to prayer . . ." and the other says "In His ways

h e a v e n   ?                                                      and precepts I have no delight" ! The good servants seek the

      And we wish to state here that we do not believe that          "things above" while the evil servant seeks the "things, be-
the "talent" here represents the "natural ability" of man in         low" !
relationship to God: Often these are identified and equated             Let us follow the Parable just a bit.

by those who would see in the "talents'! the natural gifts,             The servant who had received five talents went straight-

both bodily and intellectual endowments from our creator.            way and gained other five talents. Thus also the servant who

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


had received ,the two tdmts. But the servant who received           the continual entrance in conversion now, and presently in

one talent went and digged in the ground and "hid the               heaven the eternal rejoicing in the joy of Christ; His joy

talent" !                                                           our joy, his interest ours forever! That joy shall ,not be a

    Then comes the day of reckoning.                                static joy but it will be the joy of servants, existentially in

    What is here portrayed is in reality what will happen           the good sense of the. term! Shall we not reign over the
in the Day of Judgment when the Son of Man shall return             angels and sit in judgment!
in His Parousia ! It represents the dominion of the Lord of             This joy we now experience in our hearts as a "beginning
lords in that day. All men will then be revealed in their           of eternal joy, which eye hath not seen and ear hath not
deepest attitude. It will then be manifested whether they           heard and which bath never entered into the heart of man" !
are good or evil servants.                                          And that joy will be more than the b'eatic  vision of Roman
    When the servant who had,received  the five talents comes       Catholic theology ; it will be rejpicing  in God in the face
in that day he says "Lord, thou deliverest unto me five             of Jesus Christ, yet always meeting him as the Son of God
talents, lo, I have gained other five talents" ! This is a          in our nature. He is and remains-our Lord! And we remain
hundredfold! This is the full measure. It was not much              servants !
that this -servant had received. It was ,only five  talents !          A distinction and separation is made.
But it was enough to prove the worth of this servant. And               It is a righteous judgment!
it'brought out his approved character. He is faithjd! It is             The evil servant is depicted as very bad. He does what
not the greatness of his s&ess that is mentioned. It was            no sane person will do with a talent. A talent is money, and
the one element, the conditio  sine quo non, which must be          money is a medium of exchange! He puts it in the ground
found in a servant! It is faithfulness ! He was really a            and hides it. He does this intentionally. The Lord's talent
servant. He truly sought the interests of his lord. And to          must not be unto the Lord's joy! He cannot see anything
him it is said: Well ! This servant is bemdifatl  in grace! He      that is unto the increase of his Lord's. He hates. God and
is good (agathej and faithful. In his deepest and inmost            his neighbor.

heart he is such.                                                      He really casts the talent back to his Lord in indigna-

    The same is true of the servant who had received two,           tion. He says : here is your talent ! Just what I received !

talents !                                                           Besides, he makes some terrible accusations to his lord ! He

  To these it is said: Since thou art faithful over little, I       says: thou art a hard, severe man. I know thee! I have

will place thee over much. Such is the act of the man in the        this as an e&fiehential  knowledge. And he uses the proverb,

Parable. But such will surely be the act of the Son of Man,         "Thou reapest where thou didst not sow and gatherest where

and God in Him, in the day of Judgment. The question will           thou didst not scatter !"

.be  : are we good and faithful servants ? ! These two qualities       He ascribes injustice and hardness to his lord, yea, the

go hand in hand ; they belong together as root and fruit.           impossible !

Only when one is good can one be faithful! A good tree                _ Now that is exactly what man, natural man does with
cannot bring `forth evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bring forth      God in this life! And our flesh in which there dwells no
good fruits. By their fruits shall they be known! (Matthew          good, we "by nature!' ? (Rom. 7 :7-29.) Well, may we daily
7:15-20.) In that day there will be a distinction made be-          crucify our old nature and .walk in a new and holy life. It
tween those who received more .talents  according to their          is not said for nought that Job in his affliction did not
ability and those who received less. (The servants with five,       ascribe evil against God. Do we not read literally, "In all
two and one talents.) But there shall- be a sepamtion  made         this Job sinned not, nor charged foolishly," Job 1:22. This
between the evil servant .and  the good servants ! Both are         too is written for our admonition. (See former article.)
the righteous judgment of God!
                                                                       And this servant is judged by concession. Granted for
    The good and faithful servants skull  enter into the joy        the sake of argument that it is true, then yet another course
of their lord! On earth they already entered into this joy          should have been followed. This man knew the way. In the
by faith and hope.-: They had the first-fruits of the Spirit in     original we have the pluperfect tense.    Thou wast in a state
their hearts. The parable does not teach the doctrine of total      of knowledge concerning me in the past up to a given mo-
depravity and irresistible grace. It presupposes it. Here is        ment ! (heideis) It will be according to what a man knew.
the reward of grace. It is not out of merit. We are servants.       He that knows the way and walks it not shall be beaten with
When we have done all, we are still unprofitable servants.          many stripes !
And as such by grace we-here entered into the joy of the
                                                                       He is cast into hell. It is the opposite of the joy of the
Lord in that day in hope of his return, and shall be found
                                                                    Lord, and entering into it. It means : to forever be judged as
faithful and therefore, wa.tchfztl!  Thus we are as faithful in
                                                                    having been evil overagainst a righteous lord. No payment
our office and calling as the angels of God are in theirs !
                                                                    is made in hell. The Lord takes his own in justice!
And presently our "office and calling" will be pleasant and

not irksome "entering into the joy of our Lord" in heaven!             Thus shall the kingdom of heaven be in that day!

To our mind this means the first entrance by conversion and                                                                     G.L.


                                             T H E   S T A N D ' A R D   B E A R E R                                             253


                                                                     "But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith,'  I will
Ii            I N   H`IS  F E A R                               II provoke you to. jealousy by them ,that are no people, and
                                                                     by a foolish nation will I anger you," And "I say then,

                                                                     Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but
              Provoking One Another                                  rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles

      Among other things Webster says that to provoke is to          for to provoke them to jealousy."

"incite to, anger ; to incense." He says much more than that            But what we have in mind in the theme above is presented

about provoking; but because of this part of the meaning of          to us in the Scriptures as our calling. We q?Lzist provoke one

the word, it always tends to leave a bad taste in our mouths:        another; and we must not despise or run away from that

Therefore the above title, "Provoking One Another" also              provoking but appreciate it and be thankful for it. Paul

may provoke some of our readers before they continue and             writes to the Galatians in chapter .5 :26,  "Let us not be

give the matter more thought.                                        desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one

      That the word can be used in a more favourable sense           another."     Here a provoking is spoken of that must be con-

is indicated by the other things that Webster says about the         demned. But there is a calling which we have to provoke one

word provoke. He says that it means "to call forth, to sum-          another presented to us in Hebrews 10:24. We quote, "And

mon" It means "to excite (one) as to doing or feeling." It           let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good

means "to stir up." :                                                works."      That is the thing concerning which we would now

      Now in Scripture we come across this word many, many           pen down a few lines.

times and. with different shades of meaning. There are                  A literal translation of the noun- derived from the word

several words, both in the Old Testament and in the New              we find here in Hebrews 10 124 would be the strong word,

that are translated in our Bibles as provoke. There is, first        paroxysm. We say, "the strong word," because Webster

of all, a word that means to make angry. We find it in               defines a paroxysm as      "2. Any sudden, violent action or

Deuteronomy 4:25 and 9:18. We quote: `"\7Vhen  thou shalt            emotion ; a convulsion or fit." And he points out the-differ-

beget children and children's children, and ye shall have            ence between a paroxysm, spasm and convulsion thus, "A

remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and         paroxysm is a sudden and uncontrollable seizure or emotion

make a graven image, or the likeness of anything, and shall'         or activity and often suggests a recurrence ;, a spasm is a

do evil in the sight of the Lord thy God, to provoke Him             short-lived and abnormal fit of activity or emotion ; convul-

to anger." And again, "And I fell down before the Lord, as           sion suggests violent and often far-reaching agitation." It

at the first, forty days and forty nights: I did neither eat         might also be well. to point out that the Greek word comes

bread, or drink .,water, because of all your sins which ye           from the ,verb  which means to make sharp or to sharpen.

sinned in doing wickedly in the sight of the Lord, to provoke           You will note, however, that even when we consider the

Him to anger."        i                                              word in this very strong sense of a paroxysm, we do not rule

      We find another word in Psalm 78:40  where we read,            out the fact that it may refer to a very good activity. We can

"How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve          speak, and often we do, of a paroxysm of joy; and then we

Him in the desert!" Here the word means to make bitter               mean that one has suddenly been overcome with the eniotion

and is used as Webster presented it, as meaning to stir one          of joy and in that joy may even weep uncontrollably. The

up or excite to a feeling of displeasure, here called bitterness.    mother, who stands in anguish watching the tongues of fire

In Isaiah 114 we find the word in this statement, "Ah`sinful         dancing triumphantly in and out of the billowing smoke of

nation, a people laden with iniquities, a seed of evildoers,         her burning home wherein her child is trapped, will suddenly

children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord,           and uncontrollably weep, gripped by a paroxysm of joy when

they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they.          her child is delivered safely to her by the strong and brave'

have gone away backward."       The word here used means to          hand of a fireman who has dashed in and snatched the child

despise, to contemn.  But in I Chronicles 21 :l we find a            away from a certain death. It is a paroxysm of joy. Well,

word that means provoke in its root meaning .of persuading           that is the word which the' author of the epistle to the He-

or moving when we read, "And Satan stood up against Is-              brews uses in this verse when he admonishes us to "consider

rael, and provoked David to number Israel."                          one another to provoke unto'love  and to good works." That

      All these passages speak of provoking in the sense of          is quite different from the way we use the word when we

doing something. sinful. And they all except the last refer to       say, "You  provoke me."      We mean you irritate me. You

the sin of provoking God. It is, however, also used in               trouble me and excite in me an emotion of displeasure. And

regard to man, and both in the sense of exciting or moving           we may well bear in mind that even in the admonition to

to anger and to love. As an example of the former we find            provoke unto love and to good works there will be, of neces-

in Ephesians 6:4 the admonition to fathers, "And ye fathers          sity, also an emotion of displeasure when we provoke to love

provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in             and to good works. We say, of necessity, because man can

the nurture and admonition of the Lord." As an example               never be neutral. And. when he is provoked unto love and to

of the latter we find in Romans 10 :19 and 11 :ll these words,       good works, he will also:hate  all evil works. And he will be


254                                          T H E   S T A N D A R D   BE.ARER


irritated and often filled with great anger when you set out        the, author of this epistle in several ways and from various

.to provoke ,him unto love and to good works. We will say           viewpoints reminds these children of God of the superiority

something about that presently. But that mother, `who is            of Christ's kingdom, His sacrifice, His priesthood, the cov-

suddenly seized with the paroxysm of joy when her child is          enant promises in Him, and the new and living way which

safely clasped in her arms, does have this paroxysm exactly         we- have through His blood into the very presence of God

because she hated and dreaded so intensely. that destructive        behind the veil. Plainly he writes to believers, and then,

power of the fire and the terrible cruelty and robbery of death.    not to new converts who must still learn much of the truth of

       But in the admonition that we provoke unto love and to       the word of God, but those who did know and at one time

good works, it is evident that the action and emotion which         saw very clearly the truth as it is in Christ. These we can

we seek to stir up, unto which we must seek to incite and           consider to provoke unto love and.to  good works. All others

excite one another is good works and love. The flesh will be        will ,be provoked unto wrath and hot displeasure when you
                                                                                                              .
irritated and, often may say to the one who is seeking to in-       speak the truth to them and mention even their calling to

cite the spirit to *this love and to these good works, "YOU         walk in. love and to. do good works. The word of God is a

provoke me," but that is no reason why we ought to cease or         savour of death unto death as well as a savour of life unto

why the practice ought to be frowned upon as being evil.            life. Consider how often it was that those who heard Jesus'

Let us take note of the fact that the admonition is not simply      preaching were provoked unto wrath. The disciples at one

to provoke unto love and to good works. The author ex-              time felt the need of telling Jesus that the Pharisees were

horts us to "consider one another to provoke unto love and          provoked, Matt. 15 :12.  Indeed, they say that the Pharisees

to good works."      Very readily we will say to a brother or       were offended, but the idea is the same. They were moved,

sister in Christ, "Leave me alone. It is none of your business      excited, stirred up to wrath and to wicked works by these

what I do. You have enough watching your own life for love          words of Jesus. Jesus declares that Himself when He tells

to God and good works ; and this is between me and my God.          the disciples that as blind leaders of the blind they both shall

I know what I am doing. You just watch your own life and            fall into the ditch.

that of your family. I will take care of myself and my                  With the Church of God in mind, therefore, we write a

family." Or we are inclined to borrow from the wicked and           few lines concerning this calling that each and, every one of

bold speech of Cain and ask, "Am I my brother's keeper?             us has to consider to provoke one another unto love and to

Let him do his own self examination. Let him take heed to           good works. This is not simply the work of the office bearers

his own walk. What business is that of mine? Am I his               in the Church, although it `surely is their calling. It is not

keeper 7 Since when ?'                                              simply the duty of the one who is called to minister the word

       It stands to reason that when we are admonished to con-      of God to the flock, although he may not be remiss in this

sider one another to provoke unto love and to good works            work 4 and often is wrongly despised and hated for doing
that those whom we must consider to provoke are fellow              his work faithfully before God. Ezekiel 33 :l-9 is a solemn

Christians, brothers and sisters in the Lord. No one else           warning to him. But in Hebrews 10 :24  we have pointed out

can be provoked unto love and to good works. The im-                the calling of all the members of the Church to consider to

plication is in the text that these are elect, regenerated chil-    provoke unto love and to good works. And, the Lord willing,

dren of God. The author is. speaking to a very specific au-         we like to say. somewhat more about this next time.

dience. He writes to the Christian Hebrews. These are not                                                                            J.A.H.

simply the Hebrews according to the flesh. but those `who

have embraced the truth as, it is in Jesus Christ the only be-                            WEDDING  ANNIVERSARY

gotten Son of' God. They were, according to chapter 6, en-
                                                                        On  March  13, 1959,  the  Lord  willing, our  beloved  Parents  and
lightened, tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made par-          Grandparents,

takers of the Holy Ghost. They tasted the good word of
                                                                                     MR.  AND  MRS.  JAKE  VAN  DEN  TOP
God and the powers of the world to come. And the author
continues that he is persuaded that he writes to those who          will celebrate  their  40th wedding  anniversary.

have experienced all this not simply in an intellectual sense          We thank  our  Heavenly Father  with them,  for having kept  and
                                                                    sustained  them  together  through the  years.  Our  prayer  is that  the
but spiritually in their hearts by the power of the `Spirit of      Lord may grant  them  His peace all the remaining  days  of their
Christ, and that God will not forget their work and labour          pilgrimage.
of love which they showed toward His name in that they                                        Their grateful  children
                                                                                                 ' Mr. and  Mrs. Gerrit  J. Van Den  Top
ministered to the saints and do minister.                                                           Mr. and  Mrs.  William  Van Den  Top
   To be sure there was a problem amongst these Hebrew                                              Mr. and  Mrs. Albert Van Den Top
                                                                                                    Mr. and  Mrs. Andrew Van Den Top
Christians. There was a serious error that was making itself                                        Mr. and  Mrs. Minard  Van Den Top
manifest in their midst; and this epistle must needs be writ-.                                      Mr. and Mrs.  Pete  Van Den  Top
                                                                                                    Mr. and  Mrs.  Edwin Van Ginkel
ten to warn them. Although they believed in Christ and in                                           Mr.  and  Mrs. John  Van Den Top
His cross, they `had great difficulty in breaking away com-                                         Mr. and  Mrs. Elmer Van Den Top
                                                                                                   and 27 grandchildren
pletely from all the Old Testament types and shadows. And           Doon, Iowa.

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


       THE INNER MAN IN SCRIPTURE AS IN                                life-the life of the soul. His thoughts and desires, as well

                       EPHESIANS 3: 16                                 as the emotions that arose within him could come to out-
                                                                       ward expression in his use of the body as he busily went
      The passage which is referred to in the title of this article    about his work to glorify his God. He could speak and sing
   reads as follows: "For this cause I bow my knees unto the           God's praises as he was aroused to adoration. He could fight
   Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family           against evil as it also attacked the garden. He could eat of
  in heaven and earth are named, That he would grant you, ac-          the Tree of Life and turn his back to the Tree of the Knowl-
   cording to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with         edge of Good and Evil. And through his body the inward
   might by his Spirit in the inner man ; That Christ may              life of his soul thus came to expression.
   dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and
                                                                           In this nature and -through this nature .including  both
  grounded in love, May. be able to comprehend with all the
                                                                       body and soul was Adam's person. The subject of all his
  saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
                                                                       deeds, his thinking and willing, his doing and acting was his
  And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge,
                                                                       person.    No animal nor any other creature in all God's crea-
  that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." Ephe-
                                                                       tion was a person. Only*  man, created body and soul,. rational
  sians 3 :14-19.  - This same idea is referred to in several other
                                                                       and moral could be a person. And this person was the con-              -
  passages of Scripture. In Romans 7:22  we read, "For, I
                                                                       scious  subject of all that he did.
  delight in the law of God after the inward man" :. and in the
  following verse the apostle continues, "But I see another law           Besides this, Adam possessed a heart. This was the very
  in my members warring against the law of my mind, and                center of his life as he lived his earthly life in relation to God.
  bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my          The condition of Adam's heart determined that nature of the
  members."    In II Corinthians 4:16  there is found a distinc-       relationship which he sustained toward his Maker. His heart
 tion between the outward man and the inward man : "For                was perfect. And because his heart was at the very center
  which cause we faint not; but though our outward man                 and pith of all his existence, all that he did was perfect and
  perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day." In the            righteous in the sight of God. The person of Adam function:
  Old Testament there are similar references, although the in-         ing through the heart and then and thus through the soul and
  ward man is not directly mentioned. We find, e.g., in Psalm          body of this highest of all God's creatures did only that which
  51:6,  "Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts : and        was right and good with the full approval of God.

  in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom."                  Now this essential creation of man is not altered by sin.

      Man was originally created with. a. person and a nature.-        What does happen is that the heart of man is become. thor-
  To that nature with which man was created belongs his body           oughly corrupt and depraved. The heart is become polluted
  and soul, for God created him out of the dust of the earth           and desecrated, a wilderness spiritually, a barren and dry land
and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man             ethically. It is separated from God Who is the fountain of
  became a living soul. In this man which the-  Lord God crea-         all life and blessing. It is under the heavy hand of the curse
  ted, man's soul was the seat of all his inward life -the life        and God's wrath. It is dead and unable to function in any
  of his thinking, of his willing, of his emotions. He was cre-        way pleasing to God. It is pointed in the direction of hell
  ated as a man that could know the Lord his God with a mind           and seeks only those things which arise out of hell in the
  and intellect capable of comprehending spiritual truths and          mind and heart of the devii and his hosts of evil spirits. But
  seeing the revelation of God in the things that were made.           this depraved heart casts its long shadows on the whole
  He was a man that was capable of willing, the good and desir-        nature of man and corrupts it all. For this reason, man's
  ing it when he sought fellowship with the Lord God at the            mind becomes dark and black capable only of thinking the lie
  foot of the tree of life. He was a man who rejoiced in this          and standing only in contact with all that is of sin and cor-
  blessed and rich covenant fellowship, emotionally aroused to         ruption. Nothing good or true, nothing holy or heavenly, no
  praise and glorify his Maker through his knowledge `of Him           light of God can penetrate the dark labyrinths of this wicked
  because God's glory was displayed on every hand. Yet this            and depraved mind of man. He cannot even see the things
  inward life of the soul - this life of the mind and the will -       of the kingdom of heaven, and stands altogether apart from
  was not all the life of Adam, and could not possibly be. He          and in opposition to all that is holy and just and good.

.- had also a body. -He  was created with  a body in which were           Besides this, the will of man becomes totally perverse

  found eyes and ears, nose and mouth, fingers and arms, in            and obstinate in all that it does under the influence of this

  fact every part of his body with which he lived in the midst         corrupted heart. So depraved is the will that it cannot seek

  of the garden. This body was the means and instrument of             God, nor even have the faintest desire to seek God or the

  his life since he was called- to live it in the world. Through       things of God.. Such a will delights only in all kinds of un-

  the doors of his body, i.e., through senses, there passed into       righteousness and iniquity, having its pleasure in moral cor-

  his soul the knowledge of God as he contemplated the things          ruption and depravity, blaspheming God and mocking Him

  that were made. But this same body was for Adam also the             as it goes its own carnal way.

  instrument whereby he could give expression to his inward            -The body therefore also becomes the slave to sin and the


256                                          T H E   STAN'D,A'RD   B E A R E R


servant of a depraved soul. It is sthe instrument of unright-         nature of- man is not regenerated. This must wait until the

eousness. All the filth and corruption that lives within man's        final return of our Savior upon the clouds of the heavens.

heart and fills his mind and will pours out in a vile torrent         Certainly the soul is not made alive and new, nor is the body

in all that he does and speaks. In continual and complete OP-         made perfect. It is only the heart that is restored by this

position to God, man dances merrily the way to eternal dam-           altogether amazing wonder of grace which is comparable to

nation cursing God and his fellow man.                                creation in power and efficacy. But nevertheless the soul

       But now the question is, What is the inward man ? Some         does come under the' influence of this regenerated heart. The
commentators insist that the inward man is the life which             light and life that is implanted within us sends its rays of
goes on in the soul of man in-distinction from the life of the        strength throughout the soul of man. It influences his mind
body. They maintain that the inward man is present in                 and will and emotions to a certain extent. It is for this
every man be he elect or reprobate, converted or unconverted.         reason that Paul can speak of the transforming and renewing
Usually also they maintain that this inward man is not yet            of our minds in Romans 12 :l, and of the mind which serves
so bad. There is an element of good in him which is some-             the law of God in Romans 7:25.  This whole idea is very
what suppressed by the evils of the body, but which will come         beautifully expressed in the- Canons of Dordrecht, III and
to expression with sufficient effort and concentration. It may        IV, 11: "But when God accomplishes his good pleasure in
perhaps need a little help and even divine assistance, but it         the elect, or works in `them true conversion, he not only
will certainly be successful if only it is exercised often enough.    causes the gospel to be externally preached to them, and
This is obviously all wrong and is but an attempt to resurrect        powerfully illuminates their minds by his Holy Spirit, that
the ancient and oft condemned theory of Pelagius. And yet             they may rightly understand and discern the things of the-
it is the view that is readily and generally adopted today.           Spirit of God ; but by the -efficacy of the same regenerating
   The inward man is described in Scripture as being that             Spirit, pervades the inmost recesses of the man ; he opens
in us which is once again restored in such a way that it does         the closed, and softens the hardened heart, and circumcises
that which is pleasing in God's sight. It is that in us which         that which was uncircumcised, infuses new qualities into the
delights in the law of God. It is that which is renewed day           will, which though  heretofore dead, he quickens; from being
by day while the outward man perishes and decays. It is               evil, disobedient, and refractory, he renders it good, obedient,
that which has true spiritual wisdom and is strengthened with3        and pliable ; actuates and strengthens it, that like a good tree,
might by the Spirit of God in order that Christ may dwell             it may bring forth the fruits of good actions."

in!:our  hearts by faith, and that we may know the love of               Yet even this power in the heart of man comes to ex-

Christ and be filled with all the fulness  of God.                    pression through .the body of man as he begins at least to

   The inward man is first of all the regenerated heart. God          walk in the way of God's commandments and do that which

regenerates the hearts of his own elect people. He gives them         is pleasing in God's sight. Even the body comes under the

a new heart and creates within `them a clean and holy heart           influence and dominion of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. So also

in which can no longer be found any of the defilement and             Paul admonishes the church, "Neither yield ye your mem-

corruption of sin. This very center and pith of. man is re-           bers as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield

created and reformed by the almighty hand-of God through              yourselves unto God, .as those that are alive from the dead,

the Spirit of Jesus Christ so that instead of'it being dead, it       and your members as instruments of righteousness unto

is filled with the life of Christ; instead of it being twisted        God." Romans 6:13.

and distorted by sin, it is made holy and pure; instead of it            `But nevertheless, this old nature including both the soul
being the fountain of corruption and defilement, it is the            and the body is still depraved and corrupt. And it is this
source of all that is holy and good and sweet. Thus the in-           depraved and corrupt nature which is called in Scripture the
ward man. is the principle of regeneration planted in the             outward man, or the old man of sin, or the flesh. The nature
heart of the elect by the sovereign might of God through the          is not regenerated either. in the mind and will or the body.
power'of the cross and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. God          The ruts and groves of sin are still' present and deeply worn
creates the inward man, and He alone without even the will            through generations of sinning in the human race. And when
and knowledge of the elect sinner. This inward man is there-          the new principle of life tries to come to expression through
fore completely freed from the power of sin and renewed so            the old corrupt nature, the lines of life and holiness as they
entirely that it is impossible for it to sin any longer. Of this      proceed from the heart are still twisted and distorted by sin
perfect and holy inward man living in covenant fellowship of          so that after all we have only a small beginning of `the new'
life'with  God the apostle John speaks when he says, "Who-            obedience and even our best works are corrupted and polluted
soever is born of God doth not commit sin ; for his seed              by sin.
remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of
God." I John 3 :lO.                                                      .But the person of man functions through both the old
   Yet there is more to it than this. It is important. to re-         and the new man. It-is the subject of all that is holy and
member that as long. as we live .on this. earth, only the inward      good, but it is also the subject of all that is corrupt and bad.

heart of,nan  is regenerated- and made alive and new. The                                 (Continued  on page  263)


                                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                  257


                                                                             translation. We do so not on the ground that the -original
 II           The Voice of Our Fathers __                               II Latin is decisive in this instance, for it is not; but we do so
                                                                             on the ground that our translation is the only one that is in

                                                                             harmony with Scripture. The Word of God never speaks of
                    `The Canons of Dordrecht                                 God being reconciled to us, but as often as it speaks of rec-
               PART Two - EXPOSITION OF THE CAN,ONS
  ?                                                                          onciliation speaks of us as being reconciled to God. This is
                   . F
 &,JL:                    IFTH HEAD OF DOCTRINE                              an important difference. Even though rather commonly the
                OF THE PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS                            matter is presented as though reconciliation is two-sided, at-

                 Article `7. For in the first place, in these. falls he      complished by a third `party, the Mediator, so that .Christ
                 preserves in them the incorruptible seed of regeneration    reconciles God to us and.  us to God, we must insist that this
                 from perishing, or being totally lost; and again, by his
                 Word and Spirit, certainly and effectually renews them      is never the Scriptural presentation. God reconciles us unto
                 to repentance, to `a sincere and godly sorrow for their     Himself. Not God is reconciled, but we are reconciled. The
                 sins, that they may seek and obtain remission in the
                 blood of the Mediator, may again experience the faver       interruption of the experience of God's favor is not caused
                 of a reconciled God, through faith. adore his m.ercies,     by God, but by us, by our sin. Hence, there must be a
                 and henceforward more diligently work `out their own
                 salvation with  fear and trembling.                         change not on God's part but on our part. We must become

          The above translation is a bit too free, so that while it          reconciled to God. So much for the translation.
correctly gives the gist of the article, it does not accurately                  As far as the general thought of the article is concerned,
 express the relationships between the various clauses. We                   we may notice that it is. a continuation of the thought of
 call attention to the following corrections, most of which are              Article 6 and a further delineation of the truth which the
 in harmony also with the Dutch version: 1) The first                        fathers there began to set forth. This is also indicated by the
 clause is much more emphatic and also concise in the original,              introductory word "for."      We may probably connect this
 and should read: "For in the first place, in these falls he                 article directly with the very last part of Article 6, where we
 preserves in them this his own immortai seed; out of which                  read that God does not allow His elect -to proceed so far
 they are regenerated, lest it should perish or be cast out."                even in their grievous falls that "having been inwardly
 2) The second main thought- is accurately expressed in the                  deserted by the Holy Spirit they plunge themselves into
 above version, but it stands in `a cause-and-effect relation to             everlasting destruction."    Upon this follow in Article 7 two
 all the rest of the article. We could better render it as fol-              reasons. The first is that God in these falls preserves in them
 lows : "and again, through His Word and Spirit he certainly                 the incorruptible seed out of which they are regenerated, so
 and effectually renews them to repentance, in order that-they               that it cannot perish or be cast out. The second is that God
 should sincerely sorrow after God over the sins committed,                  by His.Word  and Spirit renews them unto repentance surely
 that they should through. faith, with a contrite heart, desire              and efficaciously. To these two reasons, therefore, we must
 and obtain forgiveness in the blood of the Mediator, that they              give our attention.

 should again feel God's.favor,  having been reconciled, that                   First of all, then, there is the truth that God preserves

 they' should through faith ,adore  his mercies, and that hence-             in His `people "this His own immortal seed, out of which

forth they should more diligently work out their own salva-                  they are regenerated." In this connection we may assume

 tion with fear and trembling." 3) We call special attention                 that the fathers had in mind especially two passages of Holy

 to the expression found in both the Dutch and the English                   Writ which are directly quoted in the Rejection of Errors,

 versions, "a reconciled God." This is rendered in the Dutch:                Articles 3 and-S:. The one passage, from which the language
 " . . . . God, die nu. met hen verzoend is." As indicated under             of this article is partially quoted, is I Peter 1 :23,  where we

 `i2" we would refer this term "reconciled" not to God;.but  to              read : "Being born again, not of (out of) corruptible seed,

 God's' people who are renewed unto repentance. This is;*,of                 but of (out of) incorruptible, by the word of God, which

 course, a radically different translation. It. means that we                liveth and abideth for ever." And the other passage is I

 .are reconciled to God, not God to us. It so happens that the               John' 3 :9 : "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin;

 question of translation in this case cannot be settled absolutely           for his-seed  remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he

 on the basis of the original Latin. The Latin would allow                   is born of God." This idea stands, of course, in close connec-

 both translations. It reads : "Deinde  per verbuwz  et Sfiiritzm            tion with the fact mentioned in the preceding article, namely,

 Suu.m,  .eos certo et ej?ca,citer  renovat ad poenitentiam,  ut             that the saints are never' totally and inwardly deserted by the

 . . . . gratia?E  Dei rechwiliati  iteruwz  se&iant."  The term             Holy Spirit. As far as their conscious life and manifestation

 reconciliati  can be taken as the masculine, genitive, singular,            are concerned, they may be far gone indeed. Temporarily

 modifying .Dei.. The; result then is' the translation of the                they may walk very stubbornly in their sin, refuse to confess

 accepted English'and Dutch versions; However, the same                      it and to repent, so that if we were to judge from their mani-

 term can be taken as the masculine, nominative, plural of the               festation at the time of that impenitence, we would come to

 perfect passive participle, modifying "they,:' the subject of               the conclusion that they are no children of God at all. Never-

 this clause.- The result then is: "that they, having been rec-              theless, God preserves His elect. No matter how far gone

 onciled, should again feel God's favor." We prefer the last                 they may appear' to be, in their inmost being they are not


2.58 -                                         T H E   .STANDARD  B E A R E R


deserted by the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of regeneration.           initially, and they can do nothing that can possibly destroy
The seed of God remaineth in them. That seed is the prin-               it and remove it once it has been implanted. There is no sin
ciple of regeneration that is implanted in the heart of every           that the children of God can and do perform that is so ter-
child of God out of God, through Christ, and in the Holy                rible that it can ever affect that seed of God that is in them.
 Spirit. That seed is the beginning of the new, spiritual life.         God preserves His people!

And now if we distinguish between that seed, that very es-                  But there is much more to this wonder of preservation.

 sential life-principle of regeneration, and its implanting, on         After all, the question still remains, even granting that this

the one hand, and regeneration in the wider sense, as the               inner principle, this seed, of the new life abides in the elect:

 unfolding of that seed and the development of that seed in             what causes them to come up out of their deep falls ? How is

the consciousness of the believer, on the other hand, remem-            it that a child of God can live in some sin for a while, stub-

 bering that the latter is out of the former through the effi-          bornly refuse to repent and to confess his sin, and that then,

 cacious calling, through the living and abiding Word of God,           all of- a sudden, he sees his sin, comes to repentance, is

that `is also -"preached  unto' you," then we may see what the          sorry, seeks forgiveness, and walks once more in the path of

 article means.    That seed itself, out of which the .whole  of the    sanctification ? Throughout that period of impenitence he re-

 conscious life of regeneration develops, can never perish out          mained principally a child of God. During that time God's

 of God's children ; no matter what changes the child of God            seed remained in him. Yet at one time that seed appears to

passes through in the "ups and downs" of sanctification, that           be slumbering, dormant, does not blossom out in the con-

 seed, that inner principle of the new life, always remains. In         scious life oij regeneration. And then suddenly that seed no

, the first place, that seed itself is incorruptible and, as the        more is dormant. The answer is: God also certainly and

 article itself has it, immortal. It cannot possibly be affected        efficaciously renews His people unto repentance. It is not

 by the power of sin and death. The seed of our first birth is          up to the sinning child of God to see to it that the seed of.

 corrupt and corruptible. It has in it the very principle of            regeneration blossoms out in his conscious life. Nor is this

 death. But the seed of our second birth, of the new birth,             conscious manifestation of the new life simply the effect of

 the birth from heaven, is incorruptible. It is not subject to          the preaching of the Word. This would be impossible. For

 corruption, and ,therefore  it is not subject to death. It is          such a child of God who walks temporarily in sin may be

 immortal. The reason is that it is the principle of the life of        constantly under the preaching of the Word and its ad-

 God in Christ. It is the seed, the sperm, of God in Christ.            monitions, but only at long last does he repent. No, aiso the

 Christ is incorruptible and immortal. He died as the prince            conscious life and activity of that seed of regeneration is

 of life once. But death could not hold Him because He is the           initiated strictly by God Himself. God does not only call

 resurrection and the life. And the life of the risen and glori-        His-,children  once out,  of darkness into His marvelous light.

 fied Son of God in the flesh is the life of the children of God.       He continually speaks the mighty Word of His calling. And

 The principle of their life is in the deepest sense of the word        He never forsakes the work of His own hands. It would be

 Christ, the Son of God incarnate. And therefore, the seed              utterly inconceivable that Gods would regenerate a man and

 that is implanted in the children of God is itself incorruptible       -preserve in him the seed of regeneration, and then not effica-

 and can never die. Nor can they lose that seed. For, in the            ciously call him to repentance. He surely and effect,u&y  re-

 second place, that seed of God remaineth in them. Once                 news unto repentance. The result of that effectual renewal

 having that seed of regeneration, the believer always con-             unto repentance is that the child of God actively repents and

 tinues to have that seed in his heart. It is not thus, that the        walks in sanctification. This result is stated in the article, and

 seed of regeneration is occasionally in us and occasionally            is five-fold. We need not go into detail in this connection,

 not in us. No, it continues in us without interruption, once it        for the language of the article speaks for itself. Besides, these

 has been implanted. "In the first place, in these falls he pre-        elements are mentioned in another connection later in the

 serves in them this his own immortal seed, .out pf which they          chapter. For the present: we want to emphasize two things :

 are regenerated, lest it should perish or be cast out." Notice         1) The order of this five-fold result as stated in the article

 again that the article speaks of the work of God. This is a            must be maintained, and that too, strictly. Thus; for example,

 distinctly divine work, absolutely free and unconditional.             there -is no desiring and obtaining of forgiveness in the

 This is the reason why the sins and falls of the children of           blood of the Mediator until there is first a sincere sorrow

 God do not precipitate them into everlasting destruction. The          after God over the sins committed. 2) This result is ooze,

 work of God cannot be initiated by them or by the fulfillment          with a five-fold aspect. Wherever through His Spirit and

 of any conditions on their part. And by the same token the             Word God effectually renews unto repentance, all five of

 work of God cannot be ended.and  destroyed by them or by               these aspects will result : a) sorrow' over the sins committed ;

 any action which they do or do not perform. That work of               b) the desire for and obtaining of forgiveness in the blood of

 the implanting of the principle of the new life is absolutely          Christ; c) the renewed experience of God's favor when we

 independent of them.       It is performed without their con-          are reconciled-to Him ; d) the adoring of His mercies ; e) a

 sciousness. In the work of regeneration they are passive. It           renewed diligence to work out our own salvation with fear

 is God's unaided work, They can do nothing to prevent it               a n d   t r e m b l i n g .                               H.C.H.


                                                  T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                  259


I/                                                                       the office bearers, namely, through an election under the
                 DECENCY and ORDER                                  II supervision of the office but from this it follows in the very
                                                                         least that the congregation loans the ecclesiastical power on

                                                                         those called.

                  The Conclusion of the Report                                  b) And in the event the office bearers would receive their

        B. If the majority of the consistory becomes worthy of           ecclesiastical power from the congregation, then it would also

discipline, no consistory remains to call a neighboring con-             follow from this that she. would be responsibly indebted to

sistory and with `that neighboring consistory to exercise dis-           the congregation. The Holy Scriptures, however, will know

cipline upon those that have made themselves worthy of it.'              nothing of it that the office bearers in this sense are to be

                                                                         ministers (servants) of the congregation.
        One can then expect no action from such a consistory and

also the congregation cannot take ecclesiastical action because                 c) Besides, the fact that consistory members are installed
she lacks ecclesiastical power.                                          in their office by an office bearer, that is, placed in their office
                                                                         .(D.K.O. Arts. 4, 22, 24) indicates that this power does not
      . Also a neighboring church cannot by -herself interfere in
                                                                         come from the congregation.       Or does the congregation first
the internal affairs of another local church. This is explicitly
                                                                         give this power to the one who installs and he then to the
forbidden in Article 84, D.K.O.
                                                                         installed consistory member ?      How much more acceptable

        Naturally only the Classis, under which such an unfaith-         is the presentation that Christ through His ecclesiastical

ful consistory resorts, as the nearest broader ecclesiastical            organ (the minister of the Word) lays His power on the

gathering, can administer the necessary discipline. If not all           elected office bearer in the way of installation in the office,

of the consistory members go along in the evil way, those                that is, makes him his bearer of power (machtsorgaan).

remaining can make the case pending with the_  Classis  or if                   d) Finally, the whole presentation of the proceeding,
all the consistory members go along, the members of the con-             holding the ecclesiastical power in the congregation as such,
gregation, by virtue of the oflice  of believers, can do this. In        lies wholly in the line of the popular doctrine of the people's
case also the members do not do this, the Classis  itself is             sovereignty. This doctrine is in conflict .with :
called to instigate action.
                                                                                1. The Divine rule here on earth as this again in its
       By the Classis  this case must finally be treated. For those      turn is grounded in the sovereignty of the Almighty. God
who make themselves unworthy of the office must be deposed               and also Christ as God can indeed administer their power by
from the office and only through the office can one be put.out           means of men but cannot deposit or transfer their power to.
of the office ; barring a few rare exceptions. _                         men who then possess .it without having to function as a

        C.. Where it' is alleged that a Classis  may not depose a        medium.       The way of ecclesiastical congregational sover-
consistory because this interferes. with the .rights  of the local       eignty is dangerous and it is an imperative necessity to
church and that this is the point of concern here, these objec-          protest against this spirit of the times.

tions must be kept in view:                                                     2. The revelation of Scripture according to which Christ

        1. The saying that the congregation as such must proceed         received His power from the Father, which He directed upon
to act whenever a consistory as a whole becomes worthy of                the apostles, which apostles in turn clothed the office bearers
discipline proceeds from the supposition that the o&e  of be-            in the local churches with power.

lievers is institutional in character and that it functions in-                 3. -Those who answer our question negatively `mean that

stitutionally as soon as under normal circumstances a con-               the .only just method to treat a consistory that becomes re-

sistory is negligent in the execution of its office.                     bellious in the last instance is that the congregation simply

                                                                         withdraws from such a~ consistory and that the classis in
        2.    This view is rooted principally in the thought that the
                                                                         conformity therewith must simply break off the fellowship
ecclesiastical power of Christ is deposited in the congregation
                                                                         with such an unworthy consistory.
as such and is. transferred by the congregation to the office

bearers. However against this arise objections of a serious                     (a) This procedure appears to be simple but proceeds

nature :                                                                 from the principles that are unacceptable and further, from

                                                                         our Church Order, Art. 72, serious objections arise against
       a) If indeed Christ has transferred His official power to
                                                                         it.
the congregation, then it follows from this that the congrega-

tion itself, principally speaking, without office bearers can                   (1) The idea of the resigning of obedience and breaking

and may exercise this power. For then she chooses office                 off of ecclesiastical fellowship rests on the supposition that if

bearers who exercise her power. Fact is, however, that the               the service of. the office is no more acknowledged, the- ofice

ecclesiastical power the office bearers exercise is given by             itself ceases to exist in the sphere it once served because it no

Christ directly to the office bearers and not through the                longer wishes to acknowledge its further functioning. This

medium of the congregation. The congregation indeed calls                position, however, cannot be maintained.
                                           . .


       i60                                            T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R


              (2) The correct view on this point is that wren  VVUU~  be            B. To declare the following:

       clothed with  the oflice through the o@e (what is commonly             `.    The :Synod,  having taken in study the report of the com-
       called installation) and even so also where it appears that            mittee of pre-advice as well as the report of the committee
       men become unworthy of the office, must be deposed from the            appointed by the Synod of 1924, declares:
       office throztglz  the office.    It is difficult to see why men              That, in agreement with the principles of. Church Order

       through an official, that is, action according to Church Order,        (Kerkrechtelijk) that form the basis of our Church Order,

       must be placed in the office (and that is proper is evident            a Classis  has the competency to `depose from office a con-

       from D.K.O. Arts. 4, 22, 24) and with unworthiness to                  sistory that makes itself unworthy.            :

       serve any longer must not likewise through an official, that                 This expression is based on the following considerations :

       is, an action according to Church Order, be deposed from                     .l. Christ is the King of His church. He administers that

       the office. (Art. 79, D.K.O. also mentions this principle.) If         kingship, also in the disciplinarian sense, through office

       it already speaks for itself that anyone's office ceases when          bearers. Also these office bearers, when apostatizing, stand

       it is simply no longer acknowledged by.the people, it would            nnder  the disciplinary power of Christ. And thus when-

       even more speak for itself that anyone would hold  the office          ever the majority .of a consistory apostatize or become re-

       as soon as it is acknowledged by the people (without installa-         bellious, Christ does not observe this. passively and stand

       tion). Yet of this our Church Order knows nothing and it               helpless overagainst it but demands that discipline be ad-
       is first then also a logically unwarrantable position.                 ministered in His Name ; in such a case suspension and if
                                                                                                                       `;
              (3) If men &knowledge that the office remains. even if          need be deposition.

       its functioning is no more acknowledged in the sphere where                  2. Since the believers, in the' quality (capacity) of be-

       it formerly was exercised, one comes to the strange position           lievers, have no competency by the Church Order to ad-

       that one becomes wholly unworthy of his office, his official           minister ecclesiastical discipline and cannot call a neigh;

       functions he sees no longer acknowledged by those who have             boring consistory under .A&.  79 D.KiO.  into action when

       chosen and installed him in office, but nevertheless he re-            the majority of a consistory become worthy of discipline,

       mains in this office and, therefore, takes it with him when            there is the demand that the Classis  under which such an.

       breaking off the ecclesiastical fellowship.      `.                    apostate consistory resorts proceeds to act, if necessary, to

              (b) Also on this viewpoint men become inconsistent and          the extent of deposition.

       unfaithful to the Church Order. Article 79 demands dis-                      3. Article 30 D.K:O.  points in that direction. The de-

       cipline and deposition of elders, deacons and ministers of the         position of a consistory cannot be finished in a minor gather-

      ,Word  whenever- they go astray and prescribes how this must            ing. Therefore, then the ecclesiastical federation must take

       be done. But now it is strange that when the %ajo??ity  of             action and a Classis  or Synod must take disciplinary action.

       consistory members become worthy of deposition and Article             These carL do this because they possess consistorial power;

       79 cannot be brought to apply, this majority must be dis-              they vvmst. do so for Christ's sake.           :

       ciplined and deposed not as. an eventual minority but it can                 4. bur  Church Order, Arts. 4, 22,. 24 deal with installa-
       simply be ignored. Must the office be taken from a minority            tion in office. This installation takes place through the office.
       through a deliberate and church orderly. act but not even so           And this installing in the office through the office brings with
       from a lizajorc'ty?                                                    it the setting out of oftice through the office also whenever

              4. `Finally, we give yet an answer to the thought that oztr     the majority of. a consistory becomes unfaithful.

       Chu.rck Order does not stipuhte  that a Classis  has the com-                5. Article 31 D.K.O. holds firmly that the decisions of
       petency to depose a consistory.                                        a broader gathering must be considered settled and binding.

        (a) Against this we note that it is an exceptional tase               The "UrLless  . . .:?. of this article cannot mean that one is not

       whenever a consistory in its majority or in all its members            bound to so observe these decisions whenever he cannot see

       makes itself worthy of deposition. And the explicit letter of          or acknowledge the Scripturalness of them. Such then. would

       a Church Order can, `in its very nature, not cover every               lead to unrestrained arbitrariness that would then yet be

       conceivable and possible case`but  only the most common.               sanctioned by our Church Order. Articles 30 and 31

              (b) Also it must not be forgotten that o'bbr  Ckztrch  Order    prescribe that the decisions of the foregoing matters that

       is no set of rules worked out dn every detail but a composi-           are brought to the broader gatherings shall be considered
       tion of general and guiding principles of ecclesiastical order         settled and binding and there shall be finished? These ar-

       that must be applied in concrete cases according to circum-            ticles then give a Classis  the .right  to depose an unfaithful

       stances as soon, as such cases. exist which, with so many              Consistory,

       wo,rds,  are not indicated in the Church Order.:                             6. Article 36 maintains the legal competency of the

              Your committee advises the Synod:          .. , `.              broader gatherings when it speaks of the "jzurisdiction,"  that
_
                                                                              is, authority (gezag, autoriteit) of these gatherings. Because
              A. To receive the report of the committee (agendum pp.
                                                                              they have received this .authority  from Christ and this au-
     125-162) .for information and to thank: the committee for
       the much work done, of which the report is witness.             '                           (Continued on page 263)             .


                                            T H E   S T A N D A R D .   B E A R E R                                              261


                                                                        The article .presents  ten different scenes in- Act'I. The
 II          A L L   AROUNb Us-                                     first scene is in the Sunday School where Mrs. Deshee reads
                                                                    from the Book of Genesis and the children.in  her class raise

                                                                    questions related and some unrelated to the passage read.
 Literary Cavalcade - The Green Pastwes.                            We pass over this without further comment.

       "Reverend, my daughter came home from school the                      Scene 2 is a fish fry. It is supposed to take place in

 other day with a magazine she asked me to read, especially         heaven.       An attendant opens the pearly gates to admit a

 one article in it. She has to use this paper in her class in       happy choir of angels on their way to the fish fry. They sing

 English literature in the Grand Rapids Christian High School       and march, they, of course, being negroes. The following

 where she attends. She herself was deeply shocked with its         conversation ensues :

 contents. And I confess I never read anything more sacri-              "Cook: Hu,rry  up, Cajey. This here fat's crying for more

 legious than that article to which she referred. If I can get      fish.

 the magazine long enough for you to read, I wish you                   Cajey : (enters with `fish. Camera follows him up to

 would."                                                            group) : We coming fast as we can. They got to be catched.

       With approximately these words a dear brother ap-            Can't say `C'rnon, little fish. C'mon and get fried,' can we ?

 proached me. Moreover, he saw to it that I did have op-                     (Camera pans with the Stout Angel as she crosses and

 portunity to peruse the magazine Literary Cavalmde. I              looks up. We see cherub on a cloud.)

 skimmed through the entire contents of the February 1959               Stout Angel: Now you heard me before, Leonetta. You

issue. of this paper, and with more carefulness read the            fly down here. You want to be put down in the sin book?

 article. referred to, namely, "The Green Pastures." What I         (To the Slender Angel who is passing by.) That baby must

 read moved me to pen these comments that others of our             got imp blood in her she so vexing. (Back top to the child.)

 readers, especially those Protestant Reformed, may be stirred      You want me to fly up there and slap you down? Now go on

 up to inquire of their children just what materials are being      and play with your cousins. [The cherub flies off. Back to

 used by the schools to which they commit their children for        Slender Angel.) I ain't seen you lately, Lily. How you been?

 their Christian education.                                             Slender Angel: I'm fine. I been visiting my Grandma.

       "The Green Pastures" is a drama written by Marc Con-         She's waiting on the welcome table over by the throne of

 nelly in 1929. Literary Cavabcade  presents the television         grace.

 version of it as it appeared in 1957 in "a slightly modified           Stout Angel: She always was pretty holy.

television version" by Hallmark Hall of Fame. And we are                Slender. Angel : Yes, ma'am..  I guess the Lord's took quite

 told that it "was so- enthusiastically received it is being re-    a fancy to her.

 peated on March 23 bver NBC, at 9 :30 p. m. E.S.T.                     Stout Angel : Well, that's natural. I declare your Grand-

       The drama "The  Green Pastures," according to the au-        ma's one of the finest lady angels I know.

 thor himself, "is an attempt to present certain aspects of a           Slender Angel: She claim you the best one she know.

 living religion in the terms of its believers. The religion is         Stout Angel: Well, when you come right down to it, I

 that of thousands of Negroes in the deep South. With terrific      reckon- we is all pretty near perfect.'

 spiritual hunger and great humility, many of them who could            Slender Angel : Why is that, Miss Jenny ?

 not even read adapted the contents of the Bible to the con-            Stout Angel : I suppose it's cause the Lord He don't allow

 sistencies of their everyday lives:                                us associating with the devil no more so that they can't be.

       `Unburdened by the differences of more educated theo-        no more sinning. Nowadays. if a lady wants a little con-

logians they accepted the Old Testament as a- chronicle of          stitutional she can fly till she wing-weary, without getting

 wonders which happened to people like themselves in vague          insulted. (An Archangel enters.) Good morning, Archangel;
but actual places, and rules of conduct, the true acceptance        (Others say good morning.)                                .- ,_

 of which will lead them to a tangible, three-dimensional               Archangel: Good morning, folks. I wonder can I in-

 Heaven. In this Heaven, if one has been born in a district         terrupt the fish fry and give out the ~Sunday  School cards.

 where fish frys are popular, the angels do have magnificent        (Cries of Certainly !' `My goodness, yes,' etc. The marching

fish frys through an eternity somewhat resembling a series          choir stops.) You can keep singing if you want to. ,Why

of -earthly holidays . . . The Lord may look like the Reverend      don't you sing `When the Saints Go Marching In'? I ain't

Mr. Dubois, as our Sunday School teacher speculates in the          heard that lately (The choir begins `When ..the Saints. Go

play, or he may resemble another believer's own grandfather.        Marching In,' rather softly, but does not. resume marching.

In any event, his face will be familiar to the one who has          The Archangel looks off- left.) All right, bring them here.

come for his reward . . ."                                              (A prim-looking woman teacher angel enters, shepherd-

       The article goes on to say, "For more about heavenly         ing boy and girl cherubs. The teacher carries beribboned

fish frys, after enjoying LC's excerpt, students are urged to       diplomas, which she gives to the Archangel. They line up in

see the Hallmark Hall of Fame production next month, or             front of the Archangel and receive the attention of the rest

obtain Marc Connelly's original in the library."                    of,.the  company. : The choir sings through the ceremony.)


262              --                            T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEARER-


       Archangel : Now then, cherubs, why is you here?               The cherub squeals with. delight and runs to his mother. God

       Children: Because we so good.                                 then speaks to the choir.)

       Archangel : That's right. Now who the big boss ?               .. God-i How you shouters getting on ?

       Children: Our dear Lord.                                              Choir Leader: We been marching and singing all morn-

  Archangel : That's right. When you all grow up what                ing.

you gonna be ?                                                               God: I heard you. You, getting better all the time. You

       Children: Holy Angels at the throne of grace.                 getting `as good as the one at the throne. Why don't you give

       Archangel : That's right. Now, you.passed  your examina-      us one of the old time jump-ups ?-

tions and ,it gives me great pleasure to hand out the cards for              Choir Leader : Anything you say, Lord. (To the choir.)

the whole class.                                                     `So High.' (The choir begins to sing `So High You Can't

       (Cherubs go to him and get diplomas. The choir sings          Get Over It.' They sing softly but do not march. Gabriel

loudly. The Angel Gabriel enters at top cloud. The choir             brings God a cup of custard. God sips. After the `second

stops.)                                                              sip, a look of displeasure comes.on  his face.)     ..

       Stout Angel : (To Slender Angel) : It's Gabriel !                     Gabriel : What's the matter, Lord ?

       (In a moment the heavenly company is all attention.)                  God (sipping again) : I ain't-  just sure yet. There's

       Gabriel (lifting his hand) : Gang way ! Gang way for          something about this custard. (Takes another sip.)

the Lord God Jehovah ! (There is a reverent hush and God                     Cajey : Ain't it all right, Lord ?
enters. He looks at the assemblage. He speaks in a rich bass                 God : It don't seem seasoned just right. You make it?
voice.)
                                                                             Cajey : Yes, Lord. I put everything in it like I always
       God : Have you been baptized ?
                                                                     do. It's supposed .to be perfect.
       Others (chanting) : Certainly, Lord.
                                                                             God : Yeah, I can taste the eggs'and  the cream and the
       God : Have you been baptized ?
                                                                     sugar. (Suddenly.) I, know what it is. It needs just a little
       Others : Certainly, Lord.
                                                                     bit more firmament.
       God (with the beginning of musical notation) : Have you
                                                                             Cajey : They's firmament in it, Lord.
been baptized ?
                                                                             God: Maybe, but it ain't enough.
       Others (now half singing) : Certainly, Lord. Certainly,
certainly, certainly, Lord.                                                  Cajey : It's all we had, Lord. They ain't a drop left in
       (They sing last two verses with equivalent part division.)    the jug.
       God (singing) : Do you bow mighty low?                                God: That's all right. I'll just rear back and pass a
       Others (singing) : Certainly, Lord.                           miracle.      (Choir stops singing.) Let there be some firma-
       God : Do you bow mighty low ?                                 ment ! And when I say let there be some firmament, I don't
       Others : Certainly, Lord. Certainly, certainly, certainly,    want just a little bitty dab of firmament `cause I'm sick and
L o r d .                                                            tired of running out of it when' we-need it ! Let there be a
       (As the last response ends, all heads are bowed. God          whole mess of firmament !"

looks at them for a moment, then lifts his hand.)                            So far the article and Scene 2. Scenes 7-10 are in my

       God: Let the fish fry proceed.                                judgment worse yet.         That such a magazine would be used

       (The Angels relax and resume their inaudible conversa-        in the public school which has no fixed principle of religious

tions. The activity around the tables is resumed. Some of            conviction and piety, is quite understandable. But how a

the choir members cross to the table and get sandwiches and          Christian School teacher will compel the student to read this

cups of boiling custard. Three or four of the, children group        kind of stuff is more than I can figure out. To me, it was as
themselves about God as he speaks with the Archangel. He,            revolting as it was to the young lady whose. copy I perused.

pets their heads, they hang to his coat tails, etc.)                     We are not primarily interested in the drama of Marc

   Archangel : Good morning, Lord.                                   Connelly. No doubt, he has given a rather vivid portrayal of

       God :- Good morning, Deacon. You looking pretty spry.         the mind of the illiterate southern negro which is just as

   Archangel: I can't complain. We just been giving our              --pagan as the idolatrous mind of the heathen who has never

cards to the children.                                               heard of the Bible. We are primarily critical of our Chris2

       God: That's good.                                             tian institutions of learning that will resort to this. type of

       (A small cherub, his feet braced against one of God's         literature as a means of instruction, and the teacher who most

shoes, is using God's coat tail as a trapeze.) -                     likely-believes that due to the common grace of God we have

       Cook: You leave go the Lord's coat, Herman. You hear          here a work of art which our covenant children should ap-

me?                                                                  preciate. With this I cannot at all agree. If this condition

   God: That's all right, sister. He just playing.                   persists, it begins to look like our Protestant Reformed chil-

   Cook: He playing too rough.                                       dren will soon have to have a Christian High School of their

       (God picks-up the cherub and spanks him good naturedly.       own.                                                       M.S.


                                           T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                     263


                                                                  now over all ,the sin which I. still commit; for, "I thank God
            -,TiiE  INNER  MAN IN SCRIPTURE  AS IN
                                                                  through Jesus Christ our Lord !"
                       EPHESIANS  3:16
      I_                                                             It is this inner man that is finally delivered when our old
                   (Continued from page 256)
                                                                  man decaying day by day is laid way in the grave and the
It is the. subject of the good deeds that arise in the heart,
                                                                  new man in Christ is snatched away by the angels to be
but it.is .also  the subject of the evil thoughts and desires
                                                                  carried into Abraham's bosom to rest .eternally  with God. It
which are.  still present within us. Nor do we dare to say
                                                                  must indeed wait for a time until also the outward man is
that we `do not sin, but that our nature sins. It will not do
                                                                  regenerated from the dust of death, for final perfection, but
to hold'out our natures at arm's length when we sin and say,
                                                                  then indeed the distinction will be no more between inner
"It is no more I that sin, but only this wicked flesh which I
                                                                  and`o.uter  man, for in body and soul we shall be perfect for-
must carry. about with me. I am perfect !"               .-
                                                                  ever more.                                                 H. Hanko
    To sum. it all up therefore, the new man is the person of

the elect.child  of God functioning through the regenerated

heart as this heart influences the mind and will and even

the body to do that which is good. The old man is that same                           DECENCY  AND ORDER
person functioning through his depraved nature, his darkened                         (Continued from page 260)
mind and will and his body which is still the instrument to       thority, because it is consistorial, is also disciplinarian, so
performall kinds of evil.                                         may and must Classes and Synods' demand obedience and
    It is, exactly this strange and yet very real phenomenon      proceed to discipline rebellion.
which makes the life of the believer such a bitter struggle          7. `On  the ground of Article 79 of the Church Order it
in all his,.earthly  sojourn. This is why Paul says in Romans     is established that unfaithful Consistory members should be
7 :15-23, "For that which I do I allow not : for what I would,    deposed from their office. If the minority of the consistory
that do' I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that     must be deposed, the consistory itself can then do this with
which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.        a neighboring consistory. If the majority of a consistory be-
Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in     come unfaithful, discipline must be administered just as
me. For, I. know that'in me (that is, in my flesh), dwelleth      much. And since Article 79 then cannot be invoked but the
no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how .to        principle, of that Article must be .maintained,  only a Classis
perform, that which is good I find not. For the good that I       or Synod can then take disciplinary action.
would 1, do not : but the evil which I would not, that I do.`
                                                                     8. The formula of subscription, "ztnder  the penalty in
Now if I `do that I would not, it is no more I that do it,
                                                                  case of refztsal  to be, by that very fact, suspended from OMY
but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a-law, that, when I
                                                                  office" prescribes disciplinary action whenever one becomes
would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the
                                                                  rebellious. And if the Formula of Subscription is effective
law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in
                                                                  for every subscriber, then it holds that not alone for the
my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bring-
                                                                  minority of a consistory, being unfaithful, but also for the
ing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my mem-
                                                                  majority. An ecclesiastical discipline, carried to the end,
bers." ,,
                                                                  over the majority of a consistory, is actually the deposition
    Thus our whole being while on this earth becomes the          of such a consistory.
battlefield` of the fiercest struggle imaginable. The spirit
                                                                     Our whole Church Order, therefore, proceeds frorn `the
wars against the flesh, and the flesh against the spirit, for
                                                                  principle that a Classis  has the competency to depose a con-
they are contrary to each other. And the fierce and bitter
                                                                  sistory  that is unfaithful from its office.
battle does not come to its end until we lay down our lives

in death. For although indeed it is true that I do that which                              Respectfully submitted,

is pleasing in God's sight according to the inner man, it is                                           Your Committee,

still true I that sin also and that I must confess with David,                                                    D. R. Drukker
"Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in                                                    M. M. Schans
thy sight." Or, again, "I have sinned greatly in that I have                                                      J. M. Ghysels
done: and now, I beseech thee, 0 Lord, take away the                                                              H. J. De- Vries
iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly."                                                         H. Moes
    And so the battle wages on growing hotter and hotter as                                                  G. Dekker
our weary life progresses. And in the agony of it all, as the                                                     A. J. Wibalda
struggle taxes our strength and all but makes us faint' we                                                        H. De Vries
cry out in bitter agony, "0, wretched man that I am! who                                                          B. H. Lindeman
shall deliver me from the body of this death ?"                                                                   P. VandenBerg
    Yet just because the new.  man, the inner man, is the

creation of our God, there is the victory principally even                                                                   G.V.D.B.


                                                            .'
     I.-.,.. .                                                             -_. _. - - , ,_. .~ - -- ._ c _ -
              264-.  . . .                                                 T&-E ,i TA N D'
                                                       .          .I. :

                                                                                                                     Feb. 16 the Holland Men's Society were guests at South
                  NEWS FROM OUR CliuiCHES.
                -:-                                                                                       West. Mr. B. Windemuller  of Holland gave an essay on
                                                                                                         "Jehovah's -Witnesses" on the after recess program.
                                   "& the saints sahtB thee                                     :21
                                                                           . . ." P-HIL.  4                             We note, with`approval, that, among others, Hope's and

                                                            F e b r u a r y   2 0 ,   1 9 5 9              Oak Lawn's bulletins announce that the offering received at
                                                                                                          the time of Communion is a "Thank offering," and announce
                  The Radio Committee rendered' a program Feb. 12 which'
                                                                                                          the purpose for which it is ,offered.  We hear that some people
              was a "Progress Report of 1959." The Committee president,
                                                                                                          think the offering is taken to defray communion expenses, but
              Mr. `George Yonker Sr. led in operiing.prayer,  and then in-
              troduced the master of ceremonies, Mr. Charles Kregel,                                      when everyone knows that it is designed to be a "thank
                                                                                                  who
             introduced the various participants in the order of the pro-                                 offering" it ought to bring such response that it should be the
                                                                                                          largest offering of the month.
             gram. Rev. R. Veldman, chairman of the Mission Cdmmit-
              tee told of the cooperation between his committee and that of                                  Kalamazoo's Y. P. Society had planned a toboggan party
              the Radio ; and. of the new station in the Virgin Islands, the                              to which the society of First Church was invited, but they
              latest venture of the Mission Committee. Miss Lubertha                                      were disappointed because they were unable to come.
              Bykerk, the corresponding sceretary, read some letters sent.                                   -Rev. Harbach's bulletin warns his people that Station
              in by people, not members of our churches; and Mr. Ken                                      W.P.U.G. (which carries our radio program) is considering
                                                                                                          the possibility of curtailing all the religious programs during
              Bylsmti  gave the financial report. The rest of the program
             consisted of numbers given by the various musicians who                                      the week. Fear rises that such curtailment would lead to the
             furnish the music on our radio broadcasts, including a male                                  barring of Sunday religious programs in the future, so
             octette'  from Hope which is a newcomer to our staff of                                      Lynden's church members are asked to join other Christians
             musicians. Solos, duos, and group singing utilized this op-                                  in the County-to write the station telling it of their preference
             portunity to render songs of .praise  worship. After the .pro-                               for religious programs at all times.
            gram the audience was invited to inspect the new $5,000.00                                               Oak Lawn cancelled the Y. P. Society meeting of Feb. 8
             equipment, and to have refreshments in the church parlors.                                   to join South Holland in a Singspiration. The proceeds were
                                                                                                          put into the "1959 Convention Fund" purse. A meeting was
     a.-     The weather and the bad driving was no deterrent to the good
             crowd gathered there, and we predict that next year the                                      called- Feb. 12th in the parsonage to complete the plans for
             committee will draw a still bigger audience.                                                 the convention. On the evening of the 13th the `58 and `59
                  The news from Edgerton: Serviceman John Brands re-                                      consistory members and their wives were entertained in the
             turned home after two years of army service, one year of                                     parsonage, and the subject, "The Signs of the Times" .was
             which was spent in Germany. Jan. 20 the Men's Society met                                    discussed.
             in combined meeting with that of Doon studying the first                                             After spending three Sundays in Redlands, Rev. and Mrs.
             chapter of Revelation, and after recess the program was                                      Van Baren  left for home Feb. 9. Back to his own congrega-
             furnished, by the visitors. Jan. 16 the "old" and the "new"                                  tion in Doon  who, during his absence, conducted one reading
             consistory members and their wives were entertained in the                                   service and one led by Rev. Heys each. Sunday.
             pa$sonage.          The congregation was happy to see their senior                                   Redlands  has nominated the following trio from which
             elder (he is S2) back. in the elder's pew-after recovering                                   to call a minister: Revs. G. Van Baren,  G. Vanden  Berg,
             fro-m..two  operations in the last three months.                                             and H. Veldman.
             _ . . . ..Rev.. _ Q+off. is, grateful for continued improvement and                              Rev. and Mrs. R. Veldman .were hosts to each of the
             also- for the-experience  of God's unfailing grace. First's con-                             societies as they came to inspect the new parsonage at 1543
             gregation was happy to learn that Rev. Hanko declined the                                    Cambridge. And on Wednesday, Feb. 3, all those who had
             call to Redlands:  Rev. Hoeksema and Rev. Hanko are                                          not previously had the opportunity were invited to pay them
             preaching a -series-. of Lenten sermons under the general                                    a visit ; thus all the members of the congregation might see
             them%:  ;`Christ  on Trial."      Yesterday, Mrs. Rottschafer, the                           the parsonage for which they had so generously given.
             second `oldest member of First Church, celebrated the 93rd                                         ,South  East and Creston's Y. P. Societies met in. combined
             anniversa.ry  -of her birthday 1 indeed, there are still "giants"                            meeting Sunday afternoon, Feb. 15. The portion. qf:yS.crip-
             in these.days  !                                                                             ture under discussion was, "When:-a wicked man dieth, his
                 SundayeFeb,.  &lthe  Holland Y: P. Soc'y was host to that                                expectation shall perish ; and the hope of the unjust man
             of Hudsonville. Rev. McCollam  led the Bible discussion                                      perisheth." Prov. 11 :7.
             from Acts.22,  and the Hudsonville society furnished the after                                   1 `From Edgerton  we learn that the new clerk is William
             recess program; --The Hope P.T.A. was privileged to view                                     Buys, and -the new treasurer is Henry Hendricks. The ad-
             pictures'ttiken  by .Miss  Borduin on her world cruise.                                      dress. of both is,, Edgerton, Minn.
                       _ _...
                Hull's Men's Society travelled to Doon to meet with the                                          Doon's newTclerk  is H. J. Blankespoor, George, Iowa;

             society there. All of the men, though not members, were in-                                  and new treasurer is Peter Vanden  :Top,  Rock Rapids, Iowa.
             vited to meet with them.                                                                        i .! `>         ..'
                                                                                                          . _ I .                   . . . `. see you in church.`       J.M.F.





I                                                                                                                                                                                 I


