    VOLlJ&lE  XXXVII                        JUNE 1, 1961 - GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN                                 NUMEER  1 7


                                                                    And this man was a convicted murderer. Also, he sustains

             ME,DITATION                                         the judgment and condemnation. Just a minute ago he ad-
                                                                 mitted that before the whole world. And since then the

                                                                 whole world, wherever this Gospel is preached has heard

                        REMEMBER ME!                             his assent to the just condemnation of himself. He said:
                                                                 "And we indeed justly !"

                                                                    But I love him because he is tiy representative. Indeed,

                                                                 he is the representative of all God's elect people. We all are by

                                                                 nature murderers. Jesus said that whoever hates his brother
   Everyone mocked the Christ when He hung on the Cross.
                                                                 is a murderer. And I admit that matiy  times I have hated
   The people stood beholding-.
                                                                 where I should have loved my brother. Yes, we all are
   The rulers derided Him, but also with them, that is, the
                                                                 murderers.
people.
                                                                    But this murderer is a converted murderer. Thru the
   The soldiers mocked Him.
                                                                 ages the church has given him a beautiful name, he is called
   Even the written word meant to deride Him. The super-
                                                                 the penitent.
scription on the cross was meant as a taunt of the ruler, the
                                                                    That he is penitent is evident. The whole world knows
governor: This is the King  of the Jews! Imagine: a King
                                                                 that. .Penitence  begins by admitting our sin. And he has
on a Cross??!!
                                                                 done that in the prec`eding  verse. We indeed justly.
   Yes, and even a man who was in the same judgment with
                                                                    Moreover, he said to the other, mocking, murderer: Dost
Jesus mocked Him, saying, If Thou be the Christ, save Thy-
                                                                 thou not fear God? And that surely implies that he feared
self and us!
                                                                 God even though the other did not. The fear of God tias
   Everyone derided and mocked Jesus.
                                                                 implanted in his heart. And he showed it.
   But wait! There is one solitary exception: the other
                                                                    He is penitent. He is sorry for his sins.
murderer.

   He turns his tortured body toward the other murderer                                    * * * *

and after chiding him for mocking Jesus, he turns to Jesus
                                                                    But there is &ore.
2nd says : Lord, remember me when Thou comest  into Thy
                                                                     He does what nb one thinks of doing in this dreadful
Kingdom  !
                                                                 hour when the church and the world combine to crucify the
   Marvel of marvels !
                                                                 Saviour of the world: he is going to confess Him.
   There is one in the whole universe that believes in the
                                                                    He calls Him Lord!
crucified One !
                                                                    I do not know  how much this poor sinner knew of Christ's
   And he is a murderer.-
                                                                 Lordship. He is a little premature too. We know that God

                          * * * *                                made Jesus both Christ and Lord, but that was after, or,
                                                                 rather, at His glorification at the Father's right hand. But

   I love that murderer.                                         this man calls Him Lord when He hangs on the accursed

    No, not as a murderer. A murderer is an ugly person.         tree. Did I say too much when I cried out: Marvel of

He takes the life of his fellow. And that is horrible. There     Marvels ?

is only One who can do that, namely God, who killeth and            Lord is He Who has the regiment over the whole`uni-

maketh alive. He is the Great God who is, the Creator and        verse. I do not think that this murderer was present when

Sustainer of life. He speaks and there you are! He speaks        Jesus said : Yoti call Me Master and Lord : and ye say well ;

again and you stop breathing. You are dead.                      for so I am. No, I do not think that he heard those words.

   Man may not kill man:                                         It was not necessary: God must have told him later, later,


386                                          THE:STANDARD   B E A R E R


perhaps on the cross. Flesh and blood had not revealed it to             What a little prayer!

him. But you may be sure that he knew. His very little                   But, dear reader, what an immensity of blessedness is

speech carries conviction: Lord, remember me when Thou               asked for.

comest into Thy kingdom! What a little speech, but how                   In case Jesus would give him his petition he will have

fraught with beautiful conviction !`Jesus,  Thou art my Lord !       everything that is blessed and lovely. If Jesus remembers

       Oh, I am sure that God told him in his heart. He hung         him he is safe, safe for the little time he has, and surely for

in the light, in the dazzling light of the everlasting Go,spel.      all eternity.

And when you hang in the light, even though you hang on                  0, all we need, really need is to be remembered by God,

the cross, you  see clearly: you recognize God, and God's Son.       by Jesus.

                                                                         There is a hymn, but I do not know the correct reading

                             8 * + *                                 of all the stanzas. It must have been composed with an eye
                                                                     to this beautiful story, for there is a line: And when Thou

                                                                     sittest  on Thy throne: 0 Lord, remember me! It is the
       When Thou comest into Thy Kingdom!                            penitent murderer's song.
       How utterly marvelous ! This man is talking of a King-           It was a little prayer, but how dared he utter it?
dom while his addressee is hanging on the accursed tree ! If            Remember himh? A foul murderer?
anyone seemed to be far from dominion and royal majesty it               If a poll would have been taken at thk very spot, I am
surely was Jesus at this dreadful hour. Dominion ? He is             sure that the unanimous verdict would have been: No, he is
bound hand and feet, and what bonds ! He is r&ed to the              not worthy to be remembered by Jesus the King. Everyone,
tree! He cannot move.                                                both the church and the world had decreed that he was
       But this penitent knows : Jesus is on the way to His King-    worthy of death, and so he found himself on the cross.
dom of light and glory.                                                 Yes, and note the little detail, little but important: he
       How did he know? I do not know. Perhaps he was in-            voted for his own condemnation. Verse 40, and 41.
strutted  by a godfearing mother or father. Maybe he had                He was worthy of death, physical and eternal.
heard of the coming of Goel, of Shilo, of the Messiah. And              And now, remember him ? With all that it implies ?
now that God gave him life and light, perhaps all that knowl-           What are the implications ? This : he would be forgiven
edge was applied to his heart. But I do not know. Perhaps            all his sins. He would  be justified before God's tribunal. He
he had enough of the Word of God in that little wooden board         would receive the beauty of heaven and heaven's God in heart
above the tortured form of Jesus. You know, that board that          and soul -and body. He would be changed into a fit companion
read in three languages : This is Jesus the K?ng  of the Jews.       of the angels, of Christ and of God. He would receive all
Maybe that was enough. God needs very little to preach His           the happiness of heaven unto all eternity.
Gospel. He is the Almighty.                                             That, my friends, is contained in this little petition: re-
       But he knows.                                                 member me!
   Jesus, my Lord, Thou art on the way to inherit a glorious            Was it not presumptuous to pray for all that?
Kingdom !                                                                                         * * * 8
       Here on this cross, the cross that clearly reveals what
kind of man I have been and am, I feel the urge to confess              No, my brother. It was not.
Thee. Thou art the Lord of the Universe, and Thou art the               Jesus, the Crucified One, fits such penitent murderers.
King of -God's  Zion ! Thou art on the way to unspeakable              . That is exactly why He came on the cursed earth. It was
glory and honor. Yes, Lord, and Thou art also on the way             His mission to seek out and find all those murderers, thieves,
to wondrous dominion. All things testify now that Thou art           adulterers, idolaters and corrupters. No, not all. He came
bound, nailed, tortured, dying, but this is the way to the           and wrought salvation only for those evildoers that were
Kingdom !                                                            written in the book of life. But all those written in that book
   I know, Lord, that all appearances are against Thy hav-           deserve such terrible names as I wrote down. That is our
ing either Lordship or royal majesty, but I know that Thou           natural name.
art both Lord and King !                                                We thought this man presumptuous for asking for so
       Marvellous faith of the penitent !                            much blessedness, while we all know that he deserved so
                                                                     much cursedness. And no wonder. Instinctively we feel
                             * * 8 *                                 that it is not correct to reward the murderer with heaven.

                                                                       But we  must remember that Jesus came and willingly

   But Lord, my Lord and King, I have a little petition, a           stood in the place of all His beloved people who in history

very little petition : remember me ! When Thou art in Thy            became murderers, thieves, adulterers, idolaters and cor-

Kingdom, surrounded by honor and majesty ; when Thou art             rupters.

on the great throne, the great white throne in the heaven of            And God treated Jesus just as though He Himself had

heavens then, 0 Lord, remember me !                                  done all that abomination.

       Two words : remember me !                                        That is the everlasting Gospel.


                                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                                                                                                         387


        It is not in my text, but I better tell you anyhow. This

     man's little petition was heard.                                                             T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
        Remember you ? Yes, I will remember you. I have paid,                     Semi-monthly, except monthly during June, July.  and  August
                                                                                       Published by the REFORMED  FREE  
     I am now paying for your entrance into the same Kingdom                                                                                                    PUELISIBNG  ASSO~IATXON
                                                                                  P. 0. Box 881, Madison Square Station, Grand Rapids 7, Mich.
     toward which.1 journey.
                                                                                                         Editor - RPV. HERMAN HOEDEMA
        I will precede you by a few hours. But even today, this
                                                                                  Communications relative to contents should be addressed to
     very day, shalt thou be with Me in Paradise !                                               Rev. H. Hoeksema, 1139 Franklin St., S. E.,
        And it came to pass. Both Jesus and this murderer are                                                     Grand Rapids 7, Mich.

     now, while I write this, in God's Paradise.                                  All matters relative to subscriptions should be addressed to Mr.
                                                                                                 James Dykstra, 1326 W. Butler Ave., S. E.
         Some day we will see him there.                                                                       Grand Rapids 7, Michigan

         I .do not think-that we marvel so much that he was taken                 Announcements and Obituaries must be mailed to the above
     to that,beautiful  Kingdom of God.                                           address and wiII  be published at a fee of $2.00 for each notice.
         When the light of the Gospel shines in our hearts, dli&                  %:NEWAL:  Unless a definite request for discontinuance is re-
                                                                                  ceived it is assumed that the subscriber wishes the subscription
     covering all our terrible sins, we softly sing to oztrsekes:                        to continue without the formality of a renewal order.

     And when Thou sittest`  on Thy throne, 0 God, remember me !                                         Subscription price: $5.00 per year

         Trembling: 0 God, remember me !                                                 Seconcl Class postage paid at Grand Rapids, Michigan

                                                                     G. V.


                                                                                                                       C O N T E N T S
                                     -m

                                                                               MEDITATION -

                                                                                         Remember Me!              . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  ..___.........._...  385
                               Announcement                                                     Rev. G. Vos

         Anyone interested in writing for our Sunday School                    EDITORIALS -

     Paper, the "Our Guide," for the smalier children, contact the                       T h e Importance           of Christian Discipline . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..___.............. 388

     Editor, John Bos, 4238 Fuller Ave., S. E., Grand Rapids 8,                                 Rev. H. Hoeksema

     Michigan. We are in serious need of such a writer.                        OUR  D O C T R I N E -

                                    The Sunday School Association                 .      The Book of Revelation . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..__________................................                                                      390
                                                                                                 Rev. H. Hoeksema


                                                                               A CLOUD OF WITNESSES-
                                                                                         Judgment _ qd Deliverance.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .___.............. 391

                                                                                                 Rev. B. Woudenberg
                                 IN MEMORIAM

        The Consistory of the Protestant Reformed Church of Randolph,          FROM HOLY WRIT -
                                                                                         Exposition        of I Timothy... . _. . . . . . . . . .._._____..........  393
     Wis., hereby expresses its sincere sympathy to a sister, Mrs. Ray J.                        Rev. G. Lubbers
     Alsum,  and her family in the sudden death of her husband and

     father,                                                                   SPECIAL hTICLE-
                                 RAY J. ALSUM                                             An Evaluation of the Modem Educational Process . :.._____  395

         May the testimony of the Spirit of Christ through His Word im-                          Rev. R. C. Harbach

     part comfort and peace to her and her family.                             CONTENDING-FOR TRE FAZTH-
                                               Dewey Alsum,  Vice President               The Church and the Sacraments. . . ..___ 397

                                               Herman De Vries, Clerk                            Rev. H. Veldman


                                      -         -                              SPEClAL  ,bTICLE-
                                                                                          The Sovereignly Free Gift of Faith . . .._ 399

                                                                                                 Rev. C. Hanko

                                    IN MEMORIAM
                                                                               DECENCY AND ORDER-
         In the early morning of May 10 it pleased our heavenly Father                    Admission to the Lord's Table. __. __. ._ __._.  __ ._______ __. _.. . . ..401

     to suddenly take unto Himself our husband and father,                                       Rev. G. Vanden Berg

                               I  R A Y   J .   ALSUM                          ALL AROUND Us -

                                                                                          Double Standard of Morals. ___ . . . . . . . . . . 403
      at the age of 70 years. We mourn his loss, but are comforted with
                                                                                          A n Evangelical's             View of Predestination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :.... 403
     the thought that he now has the complete victory over sin, through                   The Evolution of Man.. __ ___ _.___.  .._ . . . . . . . 404
     Jesus Christ our Lord.                                                                      Rev. H. Hanko
                                               Mrs. Ray J. Alsum

                                               Mr. and Mrs. John Alsum         CONTRIBUTIONS -

                                               Mr. and Mrs. Ted Huizenga                  Report of Eastern Ladies' League _.._.................................... 406
                                               Mr. and Mrs. Henry Slager                         Miss Ruth H. Bylsma
                                                                                          Report of the Western Ladies' League . ..___.__________.................                                                                        407
                                               Mr. and Mrs. Ben De Young
                                                                                                 Mrs. E. Van Den Top
                                               Mr. and Mrs. Ted We&a
~
                                               12 grandchildren                NEWS  FROM OUR  cHvRCHES.......,........................................................40~
                                               1 great grandchild                                hlr. J. M. Faber

      Friesland, Wis., Randolph Prof. Ref. Church.


      388                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R - E R


                                                                          bestowed upon him, in reproof, suspension from the Lord's
                    ED!TORlAL.S                                           Supper, and repeated admonition, and the congregation shall
                                                                    I     be exhorted to speak to him and to pray for him. There shall
                                                                          be three such admonitions. In the first, the name of the sin-
              The Importance of Christian Discipline                      ner shall not be mentioned that he may be somewhat spared.

                                                                          In the second, with the advice of the classis,  his name shall
             We called your attention to the fact that, also according
                                                                          be mentioned. In the third, the congregation shall be in-
     to our Church Order, Christian Discipline is important as is
                                                                          formed, that (unless he repent) he will be excluded from the
     evident from the several articles it devotes to this subject. TO
                                                                          fellowship of the church, so that his excommunication, in
     five of these we already called your attention. But there are
                                                                          case he remains obstinate, may take place with the tacit ap-
      still others. Article 76 reads as follows:
                                                                          probation of the church. The interval between the admoni-
       "Such as obstinately reject the admonition of the con-             tions shall be left to the discretion of the consistory."
+    sistory, and likewise those who have committed a public or            '    We may ask: why must this lengthy process be followed,
     otherwise gross sin, shall be suspended from the Lord's Sup-         and why must all these admonitions be bestowed upon the
     per. And if he, having been suspended, after repeated ad-            sinner? The answer is that, before any member may be ex-
     monitions, shows no signs of repentancej  the consistory shall       communicated, it must become perfectly manifest that the
     at last proceed to the extreme remedy, namely, excommunica-          sinner is obstinate and impenitent. And in the deeper sense,
     tion, agreeably to the form adopted for that purpose accord-         the answer is that the motive of Christian discipline is, un-
     ing to the Word of God. But no one shall be excommunicated           like that of the sword-power, love, the love of God in Christ,
     except with the advice of the classis."'                             the love of the church, and the love of the sinner.
         Also this article emphatically speaks of especially two                Yet, even after the impenitent member has been excom-
     items : admonition and repentance.                                   municated and is, therefore, to be regarded as a heathen man
             As I have said before, there is, ultimately, only one sin    and a publican, the admonitions may and ought to be still
     that may or can lead to excommunication and that is the sin          continued. For in the Form of Excommunication, the con-
     of impenitence. One who does not repent `before God and              gregation is admonished as follows : "`Further we exhort you,
     man cannot receive forgiveness. But, on the .other  hand, if         beloved Christians, to keep no company with him, that he'
     the sinner repents he must be forgiven no matter how great           may be ashamed ; yet count him not as an enemy, but at all
     his sin may be or how often he sins. This is very evident            times admonish him as you would a brother."
     from the answer which the Lord Jesus gave to Peter. The                    This means, of course, that the members .of the congrega-
     latter, evidently, was of the opinion that there must be an          tion do not invite him into their homes, have no social
     end to compassion and forgiveness and, therefore, he asked           gatherings with him, and also that they do not shake hands
     the question : "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against         with him. But, on the other hand, they must not treat him as
     me, and I forgive him ? till seven times ?" It is plain from         a personal enemy, but by admonishing him treat him as they
     this question that the apostle considered himself rather gen-        would treat a brother.
     erous, and we might be of the same opinion. After all; ,if the             This is also .evident  from the prayer that, in the Form of
     brother repeatedly commits the same sin against us, must we          Excommunication, is sent up to God. We refer to the follow-
     not come to the conclusion that the case is hopeless and that,       ing passage : "grant us to avoid all pollution of the world,
      when we have forgiven him seven times and he again ex-              and those who are cut off from the communion of the church,
     presses repentance and asks for forgiveness, we may refuse ?         that we may not make ourselves guilty of their sins; and that
      But the Lord answers Peter: "I say not unto thee, Until             he who is excommunicated may become ashamed of his sins ;
     seven times : but, Until seventy times seven." And then Jesus        and since thou desirest not the death of the sinner, but that he
     finishes His answer by the parable of the king and his serv-         may repent and live, and the bosom of thy church is always
     ants, the meaning of which is clearly that, if God forgave us        open for those who turn away from their wickedness; we
      all our sins by blotting them out in the blood of the cross,        therefore humbly beseech thee, to kindle in our hearts a pious
     there can be no end of our forgiving one another.                    zeal, that we may labor with good Christian admonitions and
             Hence, there must be repeated admonition in order to         examples, to bring again this excommunicated person on the
     bring the sinner to repentance, and only when the impenitence        right way, together with all those, who, through unbelief and
     of the sinner has become clearly manifest can he be cast out         dissoluteness of life, go astray. Give thy blessing to our ad-
     as a heathen man and a publican.                                     monitions, that we may have reason thereby to rejoice again

             The same idea is expressed in Article 77 of the Church       in him, for whom we must now mourn . . ."

      Order :                                                                   Hence, it is evident that, even after someone has been

             "After suspension from the Lord's table, and subsequent      excommunicated, admonitions may and ought to be con-

     admonitions, and before proceeding to excommunication, the           tinued.

     obstinacy of the sinner shall be publicly made known to the                The Church Order also visualizes the possibility that an
     congregation, the offense be explained, together with the care       excommunicated person may repent and desire to return to





                                                                                                                                               I


                                           T%-IE  S T A N D A R D   l!.EARER                                                        389


the bosom of the church. The following provides for that              1924 gave what I consider a beautiful testimony' to the two

possibility :                                                         accused ministers. This testimo,ny  reads as follows: "On

    "Whenever anyone who has been excommunicated desires              the other hand, synod declares that these ministers in their
to become reconciled to the church in the way of repentance,          writings, according to their own repeated declarations, do not
it shall be announced to the congregation, either before the          intend or purpose anything else than to teach and maintain
celebration of the Lord's Supper, or at some other opportune          our Reformed doctrine, the doctrine of Scripture and the
time, in order that (in as far as no one can mention anything         Confessions; and it cannot be denied that they are Reformed
against him to the contrary) he may with profession of his            in respect to the fundamental truths as they are formulated
conversion be publicly reinstated:, according to the form for         in the Confessions even though it be with an inclination to
that purpose."                                                        one-sidedness."

    The possibility may be remote, but it `must be provided              Now, let it, for the sake of argument, be admitted that
for: all things are possible with God. And after all, it is           this "inclination to one-sidedness" is true (which it is not),
not the admonitions by the church or by the members of the            then I ask: when was it ever heard of that ministers who
church that cause any sinner to repent, but only God, even            "are Reformed in the fundamental truths as they are for-
through the admonitions by the church and its members,                mulated in the Confessions" were deposed from their office ?

Who can convert the sinner and bring him to repentance.                  I never heard of such a thing. At any rate it ought to

                                                                      be evident that the office-bearers that were deposed in 1924
                          * * * *                                     did not commit the public or gross sin mentioned in Article

                                                                      79 of the Church Order.
    We now come to the important subject of discipline over              Secondly, Article 79 clearly states that discipline over
office-bearers, ministers, elders, and deacons. To this the           ministers, elders, and deacons, i.e., their suspension or/and
Church Order devotes three articles.                                  deposition shall begin at the consistory with the presence of
    Article 79 reads as follows:                                      the consistory of the nearest church. Also this fundamental
    "When ministers of the Divine Word, elders or deacons,            rule of Reformed Church Polity was violated in 1924 by
have committed any public, gross sin, which is a disgrace to          both Classis  Grand Rapids East and Classis  West. It is
the church, or worthy of punishment by the authorities, the           true that Classis  Grand Rapids East was not as bold in its
elders and deacons shall immediately by preceding sentence            thoroughly hierarchical decisions as was Classis  Grand Rap-
of the consistory thereof and of the nearest church, be sus-          ids West, but there was no essential difference. Both cer-
pended or expelled from their office, but the ministers shall         tainly violated Article 79 of the Church Order which clearly
bnly be suspended. Whether these shall be entirely deposed            states that suspension of office-bearers belongs. not to the
from office, shall be subject to the judgment of the classis,         jurisdiction of the classis  but to that of the consistory in
with the addvice  of the delegates of the (particular) synod          connection with the consistory of a neighboring church. This
mentioned in article 11."                                             principle both classes entirely ignored.

    Let us notice here, in the first place, that this article does       Both deposed ministers and their consistories. In fact,
not speak of Christian discipline as such; i.e., of discipline        Classis  West deposed ministers, not only without any formal
that leads to excommunication, but merely of suspension and           complaint against them, but even without any formal suspen-
deposition from office. It, however, stands to reason, especially     sion from office. They were immediately deposed and that,
in the light of the fact that the article speaks of public gross      too, in a comparatively few days !
sins which are     "a disgrace to the church or worthy of                Talk about hierarchy !
punishment by the authorities" that, even after suspension                                                                         H.H.
and deposition from office, Christian discipline must still be

exercised upon those that have been suspended or deposed,

from office. If those deposed office-bearers do not repent

they must finally be excommunicated.
                                                                                                IN MEMORIAM
    Here we niust face the question: what gross sin did the

office-bearers that were deposed from office in 1924 commit?             The South-Lawn Choral Society of the South Holland and Oak

The answer is: none at all. They certainly did not commit             Lawn Protestant Reformed Churches wishes to e`xpress  its sympathy

the sin of preaching or teaching false doctrine or heresy             to two of its members, Mr. and Mrs. Fra&  Van Baren,  in the loss

which are mentioned in the Church Order, Article SO. It is            of Mr. Van Baren's mother,

true, the Synod of 1924 adopted the notorious Three Points                               MRS. GILBERT VAN BAREN,  Sr.

and with these the above named office-bearers did not and                "For we know that if our house of this tabernacle were dis-
could not agree. But, in the first place, we must not forget          solved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands,
that the Synod, no doubt intentionally, never decided to ad-          eternal in the heavens." II Corinthians 5:l.

vise discipline in spite of the fact that the committee of pre-                                               Ernest Medema, President

advice proposed so to Synod. And, secondly, the Synod of                                                      Ruth Poortenga, Secretary

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


                                                                      weapons.    d) The- camp of the saints and the beloved city,
11  O U R   D O C T R I N E                                     11    therefore, certainly represent the church and the people of
                                                                      God. And they represent the entire church, in the whole

                                                                      world and even in heaven. In the first place, the church, of
               THEBOOK  OF REVELATION                                 course, is centrally in heaven in Christ their Lord and
                           PART TWO                                   through faith reigns with Him. And they are actually in
              CNAPTE~~  XIX - Revelation 20:1-10                      heaven as far as the church triumphant, or the church glori-

  The Binding of Satan With a. Viezv  to Gog and Magog                fied, is concerned. In the second place, they are, notwith-
       For blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments !     standing their heavenly character, in part still in this world
And let us be of good cheer ! For our King is given us of             and are represented by the church visible on earth. And
Israel's God. He has all power in heaven and on earth. He             thirdly, in their widest representation in the world they are
has a Name above all names. The victory, therefore, is His,           known as Christendom, that is, nominal Christianity. It is
and ours through Him. "In the world ye shall have tribula-            especially Gog and n/Iagog  that look upon all Christendom,
tion. But- be of good cheer : I have overcome the world !"            no matter how apostate, as the beloved city, even as the
   We must add a few words yet about the rest of this sec-            heathen nations in the old dispensation considered ear.thly
tion. In verse 9 we read about the judgment of the nations :          Jerusalem to be the city of God, no matter how apostate and
"And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and com-               how wicked it had become.

passed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city : and           e) That the nations of Gog and Magog in compassing
fire  came down from God out of heaven, and devoured                  about and coming to battle against Christendom in its widest
them." We may note here: a) That in this verse the proph-             sense certainly intends to destroy "the beloved city," the
ecy contained in this section of Revelation changes again from        cause of Christ, and to make paganism supreme in the world.
direct prediction, as we had it in the preceding, into the form       In this they reveal their wickedness and become ripe for the
of the vision. In the vision John now beholds the nations             judgment. God nevertheless uses them to inflict His judg-
marching up from the ends of the earth against "the beloved           ments upon the antichristian world. Cf. Isaiah 105, ff.
city.`.' b) That in the vision "the camp of the saints" and           There we read : "0 Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the
"the beloved city" dare not to be allegorized. They are cer-          staff in their hand is mine indignation. I will send him
tainly Jerusalem and the people of God encamped round                 against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my
about it. Only, we must remember that this is true only of            wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take
the vision, and. that also. this part may not be read as if it        the. prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
were history literally foretold. c) That therefore they violate       Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so ;
all the rules of interpretation, who apply this prophecy in           but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few.
such a way that they find here a prediction that Jerusalem            For he- -saith, Are not my princes altogether kings ? Is not
(the earthly capital of earthly Canaan) shall be rebuilt, that        Calno  as Carchemish ? is not Hamath  as Ai-pad  ? is not Sa-
there Christ and His resurrected and glorified saints in their        maria as Damascus ? As my hand hath found the kingdoms
spiritual bodies shall live and reign a thousand years (the           of .the idols, and whose graven images did excel them of
millennium), and that after the millennium the nations of             Jerusalem and of Samaria:  Shall I not, as I have done unto
Gog and Magog shall actually gather for battle against these          Samaria  and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?
glorified saints and their Lord. This interpretation errs be-         Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hat11
cause: 1) It violates the apocalyptic character of the whole          performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jeru-
book of Revelation in general and of this passage in partic-          salem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of
ular, and reads it as if it were literal history, although it may     Assyria, and the glory of his high looks. For he saith, By
only be interpreted as a vision. 2) Because in the. whole New         the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom;
Testament Jerusalem as it exists after Christ's exaltation is         for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the
the church, the heavenly Jerusalem. Cf. Galatians 4 :26;              people, and have robbed their treasurers, and I have put
Hebrews 11:16 ; Hebrews 12 :22. And this is also true in              down the inhabitants like a valiant man: And my hand hath
particular of the book of Revelation. Cf. 3 :12; 21 :22. It is        found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth
quite in accord with this to explain "the beloved city" in            eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth ; and there
this passage as representing the same Jerusalem. 3) Because           was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or
"the first resurrection" is not bodily resurrection, but the          peeped. Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth
glorification of the saints with Christ after death. Cf. my           therewith ? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that
interpretation of verses 4 and 5. 4) Because of the absurdity         shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them
of the presentation of glorified saints in their incorruptible        that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it
and spiritual bodies with their, glorified Lord living in an          were no wood. Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts,
earthly, material city in a corruptible and corrupt world and         send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he
being actually attacked by earthly enemies with material              shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire."          H.H.


                                               T H E   S T A N D A R D - B E A R E R                                                391


                                                                         prosper, or in his weakness they would be weak. In that day

11 A CLOUD OF W.I.TNESSES  11 the firstborn child was the sign of strength and promise.
                                                                         There could be no greater threat to Egypt than that all of its

                                                                         firstborn would die. It was exactly under that threat that

                 Judgment and Delberance                                 night that every household in Egypt became silent.

                                                                            Meanwhile in Goshen  the activity continued. No one
            And it cause  to pass, tlmt a1t ,midnight  the Lord smote
      a.11 the firstborn in the land of Egypt . . .                      showed any intention of sleeping. As the night progressed
            And Pha~~aoh  arose up in the night, he and a.12 hip         the activities actually seemed to increase, or at least the
      servants, and all the Egyptians; and there wa.s  a great           feelings of the Israelites became more strongly charged with
      cry in IEgypt;  for there was not a house where there              anticipation. All remained fully dressed as though preparing
      was not one dead.                                                  for a journey. All portable possessions were carefully being
            And he called for Moses mad,  Aaron by night, aybd
                                                                         arranged and packed so that they might be carried away.
      mid, Rise up, and jet your forth f~oslz  am0,n.g  my people,
      both ye and the children. of Israel; and go, serve the             With reverence but with evident haste each family gathered
      Lord, as ye have said.                                             about the meal that centered in the flesh of the sacrificial
            Also take ~OUY flocks and your herds, as ye have said,       lamb. Israel anticipated too, even more strongly than the
      and be gone; and bless me also.             Exodus 12 :29-32       Egyptians, the final visitation of Jehovah upon the land. In

    The sun set that night on a land divided within itself.              them the fear of dreads  had given way to the spiritual fear of
There were the slaves of the land, Hebrews all, busily en-               reverent awe, filling their hearts with joy and hope. They
gaged in most unusual activities, the sacrificing of choice              had looked upon the shed blood of the lamb and believed the
young lambs, the painting of their door posts with blood, and            promise that was symbolized therein. At the sign of the
the preparation of the bodies of the sacrificed lambs into a             blood, the angel of Jehovah would pass over them. Even
unique meal with bitter herbs, and bread that had not been               more by the judgment of Egypt, they would be saved.

leavened.      The atmosphere over Goshen  was tinged with                  The hour was approaching midnight and Egypt was

feelings of deep reverence and wonderment, eager anticipa-               tossing in the sleepless silence of apprehension when sud-

tion and inner confidence and joy. There were the freemen of             denly as though at one moment there burst forth a great cry.

the land, the E,qptians  who looked on the activity of the               There were the moans of men and the painful sobs of women,

Hebrews with'haughty  contempt although none dared to in-                the wails of little children and even the bleat of animals in

terfere.     Stoically they went about their regular activities          distress. Quickly every household was -aroused to gather

while inwardly their hearts were gripped with qualms of                  around the bedside of its firstborn and to gaze helplessly on

apprehension. The fear of Jehovah hung over Egypt, and it                as the strength and hope of every family wreathed on a bed

divided the land in two.                                                 of pain. Even the household of Pharaoh was not spared.

  Gradually all activity began to cease among the Egyptians,             With fear gripping his heart, the king hastened to the cham-

and the lights were put out. They were determined not to                 ber of the young prince. There lay the child he had so care-

show any sign of concern. As usual they retired, but how                 fully groomed with a father's love to sit upon his throne,

few were able to find sleep. Had they not heard of the                   groaning with pain. There lay the pride and hope of the

warning of Moses, "Thus saith Jehovah, About midnight will               nation. There lay the joy of a father's love. And what could

I go out into the midst of Egypt: and all the first born of              Pharaoh do? He could send for the physicians of Egypt;

Egypt shall die" ? They had suffered so grievously already,              he could send for the magicians and priests ; but what were

could they doubt the ability of Jehovah to smite them again              they against the terrible power of Israel's God? Pharaoh

even unto all of the firstborn of the land?                              knew in his heart it was vain. What a fool Pharaoh had

    It is hard for us to understand the importance of the first-         been. What good was the great nation he ruled ? what good

born child in those ancient days. Today, of course, parents              were his-armies and riches ? what good was his endless battle

love their firstborn but not a great deal more than those that           of pride with Jehovah if his own son must perish in the end?

follow. It is because our society is individualistic, while then         The angel of Jehovah had passed through the land. The

it was almost completely centered in the family. The popula-             pestilence had followed in his wake. All of Egypt stood help-

tion of the world was much more sparse and the well-being                lessly by as all of its firstborn children breathed forth their

of the individual was dependent upon the family to which he              last breath in pain and died.

belonged. In these family units the firstborn child, especially           . A moment of silence and then the cries of pain from the

if a son, took on the greatest importance. The parents looked            dying were replaced with the wails of the mourners. There

upon the firstborn as the assurance that they would be cared             went up a great cry throughout all of Egypt. Seldomly has

for in their old age, their security and enduring strength,              the world known such extreme and great despair. Natural

the one through whom their name would endure. He was                     love had been deprived of the object in which it rejoiced.

named immediately as the heir. Each succeeding child soon                Here a father, there a brother, and there a -son  had been

learned that the oldest brother would be head of the family              loved and now was gone. Even the beasts of the field gazed

after the death of the father. In his strength they would                dumbly on-the carcasses of their dead. It was cause enough

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


for the great cry that went up. But there was even'more.  A      ready they were wearing  clothes suited for travel. They had

great and strong nation had been brought to ruin. Egypt          eaten the flesh of the sacrificial lamb for nourishment to bear

was renowned among the nations. Its armies were the              them forth in their journey.    Their possessions were packed

strongest, its wealth was the richest, its learning the pro-     ready for travel. Bread without leaven had be& baked. And,

foundest, its works the greatest of any civilization that had    more important than anything else, they had seen and trusted

ever been. It had learned to hold itself proudly aloof among     in the promise of God typified in the shed blood of the lamb.

all people. And now it was ruined. In a matter of months         In that faith they would go forth as conquerors. Quickly they

the whole of the land of Egypt had been laid desolate by         gathered for the journey.

nine different plagues in succession. But that had not been         For the Egyptians looking on in terror, this all was not
the worst. After each one of them, they had been able to         done quickly enough. Distraut with fear they could not wait
say like Ephraim in a later day, "The bricks are fallen down,    for Israel to depart. All of their firstborn were already dead,
but we will build with hewn stone, the sycamores  are cut        and might not the pestilence soon destroy them all ? They
down, but we will change them into cedars" (Is. 9 :lO). But      urged and pleaded with the Israelites to make haste, to be
now the tenth plague had struck, and what were they to           gone and not to wait. Hysterically they muttered to them-
say? All of the firstborn of Egypt, the strength and hope of     selves, "We be all as dead men," over and over again. The
the nation was dead, smitten by the God of Israel. It was        fearful dread of Jehovah was upon them and with utter im-
especially that which hurt. Had it been a mere chance hap-       patience they urged that Jehovah's will, which they had so
pening of circumstances, they might have stoically endured       long resisted, should now without delay be done. Israel sud-
it. Had it been another nation that had conquered them           denly found those who had ruled over them with cold-blooded
by reason of their greater might, they might have borne it.      tyranny, pleading with them through anxious tears. The
But now it was the God of the Hebrews whom they counted          Israelites, even as their God had commanded them, turned
as mere servants. It was Jehovah against whom they were          to their former taskmasters to demand payment for their
not able to raise so much as a sword. It was He whom they        labors in jewels of silver and gold. But even at this the
despised and hated above all others. It outraged the Egyp-       Egyptians did not balk. With reckless abandonment they
tians' pride, even as they groaned for the death that sur-       took all of their wealth and urged the Israelites on their way
rounded them on every side and trembled for fear of their        if only it would serve to hasten them. So after four hundred
own lives. The cries that went up that night in Egypt            and thirty years Israel returned out of Egypt leaving a land
formed perhaps the clearest figure this world shall ever see     smitteri and spoiled behind them. In the name of their God
of the cries that shall go up eternally from the pit of fire     they had conquered, and they traveled from Rameses to
that is called Hell.                                             Succoth.

       In the palace Pharaoh felt the piercing pain of defeat       Yet in departing one more ,warning  would God give to
more than anyone else. With his momentous pride, he had          His people, "Sanctify unto me," He said, "all the fii-stborn,
led the hateful rebellion against God. By each pronounce-        whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel,
ment of Jehovah, his heart had been made the harder until        both of man and of beast: it is mine." In the very hour of
now before the dead body of his son even he could not deny       victory, He would have no one of Israel forget to whom
the sovereign power of Israel's God. In utter terror and         their victory belonged. Had it `not been for the gracious
dismay, he had to bow. Only one wish remained in his heart,      promise of God, their firstborn too would have perished with
to be rid of his oppressor. In the desperation of terror, he     the Egyptians', and they too would all have been as dead
sent the message to Moses, "Rise up, and get you forth           men. Their victory was not due to any excellence of their
from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel ;       own but only to the sacrificial blood instituted by their God.
and go, serve Jehovah, as ye have said. Also take your           They in their victory belonged unto Him. They must needs
flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and         acknowledge this fact, and henceforth the strength and hope
bless me also."                                                  of their nation, all of the firstborn children, must be sanctified

       The perfect faithfulness of Jehovah God was beyond        unto Him. Thus would they ever confess that they were not

doubt to every Israelite when they heard this message re-        their own, they belonged to the faithful God who had saved

peated. For years it had appeared as if deliverance from the     them.
tyranny of Egypt was utterly impossible. It had seemed even                                                                  B.W.

more so when under one plague after another Pharaoh still

would not relent. But now even this most hardened of

wicked men had been made to bow. There was no resisting          Frbm  News From  Ow  Chwches  -

of the power of their God. It was a warning to all men               Now that we have celebrated Pentecost let us unitedly
every .where  of the futility of resisting Jehovah God, but a    look forward to the next event in the unfolding of the plan of
warning that wicked men will never take, until they like         our salvation - The Second Coming of our Lord upon the
Pharaoh are brought unto the pangs of Hell.                      clouds of heaven, and let us walk in the atmosphere of the

       Israel was ready for Pharaoh's relenting command. Al-     prayer of the Church, "Come  Lovd  Jesus, come quickly."


                                          T H E   ST,AND.ARD  /BEARER                                                         393


                                                                   the word of the Cross, that Christ Jesus came into the world
      F R O M   H0L.Y  W R I T                                     to save sinners.    He must preach the sovereignly free grace
                                                                   and mercy of God. This grace and mercy were exemplified

                                                                   in Paul in the highest degree.

                                                                      To underscore the urgency of it Paul reminds Timothy
                Exposition of I Timothy
                                                                   of the time of his entrance into the ministry as an evangelist.

                     (I Timothy 1:18,  19)                         Says he, "according to, the prophecies which went before on

                                                                   thee."    The construction here in the Greek is peculiarly
   We now come to Paul's concluding exhortation in this            Greek. The preposition "on (ep;  in Greek) thee" is that em-
section to Timothy. He will bind this exhortation to com-          ployed to express that "which one refers to in writing or
mand "some" not to teach a different doctrine upon. the            speaks of" (Thayer). Thus in Mark 9:12  Jesus says:
heart of son, Timothy. There is extreme urgency in this            " . . . and how it is written of the Sopt,  (epi) that he must
word of the Apostle.                                               suffer many things and ,be set at nought." Also in Romans
   Let us listen to it.                                            419 we read: "Cometh this blessedness upon the circum-
   The text itself reads as follows: "This charge I commit         cision  only or also upon the uncircumcision ?' The point
unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which          is that the blessedness of Abraham and of David in the for-
went before on thee, that by them thou mightest war a good         giveness of sins is concerning (epi) the heirs. See also Heb.
warfare, holding faith and a good conscience ; which some          7:13. Thus also here in this phrase under consideration
having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: of           in I Timothy 1:18.  They are the prophecies which were
whom is Hynienaeus and Alexander: whom I have de-                  spoken concerning Timothy. And they were spoken to and
livered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme."         concerning Timothy in the past, at the very beginning of
   It is noteworthy that Paul calls Timothy here a "son." In       Timothy's ministry. No doubt at the occasion of the laying
verse 2 of this chapter he calls him "my own son in the faith,"    on of hands, at Timothy's ordination such words of instruc-
and ,in II Tim. 2 :2 he calls him his "dearly beloved son."        tion, direction and prediction of hope in Timothy were ut-
This, of course, refers to spiritual sonship  of a teacher and     tered. Paul has not forgotten the occasion. Nor, for that
pupil relationship. Paul is here speaking to an evangelist in      matter, may Timothy ever forget. He must perform his
his capacity of Apostle of Christ. In it we see at once also       vows and make full proof of his ministry.
the relationship of Timothy as being under the apostolic au-          Timothy must conduct himself as a "man of God." Such
thority of Paul. Paul and Timothy are not equals in office         he is called in I Tim. 6 :12. There we read: "But thou, 0
as dre ministei's  in the church of Christ today as expressly      man of God, flee these things ; and follow after righteousness,
"stipulated" in Article 84 of the Chzztrch Order : No Minister     godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good
shall lord it over other Ministers, no Elder or Deacon over        fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art
other Elders and Deacons ! Timothy must give heed to him           called, and hast professed a good profession before many
who is an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of            witnesses. I give thee charge in the sight of God, who
God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ!                            quickeneth all things, and before Jesus Christ . . 1 that thou
   Hence, the "charge" which Timothy receives from Paul            keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, .until .the
is an official mandate. Paul gives his "this commandment"          appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ . . ."
as a "charge." The term "charge committed" we should not
                                                                      Paul here moves in the climate of Jude 3 where we read:
overlook. It is really a term taken from the banking world.
                                                                   "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to, write unto you of the
It means that Timothy is to regard it as a sacred "trust."
                                                                   common salvation, it was needful to write unto you, and ex-
He must keep it; none may take it from him. To it he must
                                                                   hort you that ye shoul,d  contend for the faith which was once
be faithful at all costs. It reminds us of the solemn word
                                                                   delivered unto the saints."
Paul recorded in II Tim. 4 :l-3, where we read : "I charge
thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who             Only when Timothy adheres to his "charge" which is
shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and            "entrusted" to him from Paul will he be able to make full
kingdom : Preach the word ; be instant in season, out of           proof of his ministry. Wherefore Paul, taking cognizance of
season: reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and         this fact, writes Timothy as he does, in order that Timothy
doctrine. For the time will come when they will ,not endure        may fight a good warfare. Emp`hatically  Timothy must fight
sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to       such a warfare "by them." Of. course Paul refers to the
themselves teachers having itch&g  ears; and they shall turn       entrusted commandment, the worcls  of the Cross in all their
their ears from the truth, and shall be turned to fables. But      implication.

watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an       It is imperative to notice that Paul speaks to Timothy

evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry."                      of a "warfare" which must be waged. Paul knows nothing of

   This is, indeed, a most solemn word of the apostle where-       this willy-nilly attitude of the enemies of the Cross, who,

by he binds upon the h&art of Timothy his bounclen duty.           under the false pretense of being lovers of peace and of the

   And the "trust" committed to Timothy is that he preach          truth, will not break a lance for the truth. There are such.


                                                                                                                                           .+.+`i
394                                              T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                  , -


They are the tolerant people. They are not narrow minded;                 here speaks to Timothy about maintaining a "good con-

broadmindedness            is their slogan. In the meantime they          science" he is referring not simply to Timothy's good con-

actually tolerate everything but the truth. Enemies of the                science as a believer, but, I believe, first of all to Timothy's

Cross of Christ they are. They do not want a battle, for in               having a good conscience as a preacher. Paul refers to this

this battle they will be slain by the Word, the sword of the              in Acts 23 :l, where Luke records the incident of Paul's ad-

Spirit. On the contrary, Paul tells Timothy to. use the Word              dressing the `Jewish leaders in Jerusalem. Says Paul, "ear-

as the sword of the Spirit.           He is called to the colors. He      nestly beholding the council, Men and brethren, I have lived

must deck himself not simply with a parading uniform, but                 in a good conscience before God until this day." It ought to

he must have his arsenal full of the implements of the                    be quite evident that Paul here does not boast in a sinless

spiritual warfare.                                                        life. He is too conscious that "he is sold under sin" and

            Well then, "son Timothy," be prepared unto the warfare.       that the "good  that he would do that he does not do; but

Let not "some" get by by teaching a different doctrine in the             that the evil that he would not do, that he does." See Rom. 7,

name of true doctrine. And every son, Timothy, in the                     Fact is, that Paul is speaking of his "good conscience" which

church of Jesus Christ, even in this very hour, maintain.                 is his having renounced Jewry and all its legalism and self-

what the fathers confess in Question and Answer 85 of the                 righteousness for the great task of serving Christ in the min-

Heidelberg Catechism, which Answer reads: "Thus when                      istry. Herein he has been faithful. He has walked in a

according to the command of Christ, those who under the                   good conscience in all his labors as Apostle of Jesus Christ.

name of Christians, maintain .doctGze.s  or prac&l  incon-                He has saved himself and those who heard him.

sistent therewith, (so unter dem christlichen Namen un-                      Thus it ought also to be with Timothy. He must keep

christliche Lehre oder  Wandet fiihren),  and will not, after             the "trust" committed to him. And he must make progress

having often been brotherly admonished, renounce their er-                in so doing. This Paul admonished him in chapter 3 :13-16:

rors and wicked course of life, are complained of to the                  "Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation. to

church ; and if they despise their admonition are by them                 doctrine. Neglect not that gift that is in thee by prophecy,

forbidden the use of the Sacraments ; whereby they are ex-                with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Meditate

cluded from the Christian church, and by God himself from                 upon these things ; give thyself wholly to them ; that thy

the kingdom of Christ . . ."          Such is the spiritual warfare of    profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto

the Church !                                                              doctrine ; continue in them : for in doing this thou shalt both

            Only thus in the warfare will one "have" the "faith" and      save thyself, and them that hear thee."

a "good conscience" !                                                        To drive home this point he cites by way of contrast what

            Now it should be evident that when Paul speaks here of        happened to some, and, particularly, to Hymenaeus and

the "faith" he is speaking not merely of faith in a subjective            Alexander. Timothy must learn and become wise from what

sense. He also refers to the fadth as to the body of truth                happens to those who "cast away" this word of the Gospel.

which is believed.                                                           D.V., we shall try to discuss that matter in a following

            It is. very well possible to have the "faith" in the sense    contribution on this section from Scripture.

of the body of truth and not walk in godliness. However, it                                                                                G.L.

is not possible to walk in godliness and in a good conscience

and deny the "faith." For what we confess in the "Twelve

Articles of Faith" are necessary for a Christian to believe.                                       IN MEMORIAM

     These are briefly all that `God has promised us in the holy             The Consistory of the Hope Prot. Ref. Church hereby expresses
gospel.                                                                   our heartfelt sympathy with Deacon John Dykstra and his family in
                                                                          the death of their
             Such is the faith. When once any article of these is
denied it is no longer possible to walk in a good conscience                                    INFANT DAUGHTER
and fight a good, that is, honorable warfare. Hence, buy                     "The Lord is righteous in all His ways, and holy in all His works.
the truth and sell it not.                                                The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call
                                                                          upon Him in truth." Ps. 145:17 and 18.
             Only thus too will a man have a good conscience. Only                                             Rev. H. Hanko, President
thus will the "end" of the commandment be realized in him.                                                     Mr. D. Meulenberg, Clerk

     For the end of the commandment is love out of a pure heart,

good conscience and faith unfeigned.                                                               IN MEMORIAM

             There is an interesting question in the Heidelberg Cate-        The Mr. and Mrs. Society of Hope Protestant Reformed Church
chism. It is this : "But why art thou called a Christian ?"               wishes to express its sincere sympathy to our fellow members, Mr.
                                                                          and Mrs. John J. Dykstra, in the loss of their
     And in the answer we read the following noteworthy words :
     `I                                                                                         INFANT DAUGHTER
           . . . . and also that with a free and good conscience I may
     fight against sin and Satan in this life ; and afterwards reign         "The Lord gave, and the Lord bath taken away, blessed be the
     with him eternally over all creatures."                              name of the Lord." Job 121.
                                                                                                               Rev. H. Hanko, President'
/            This. answer is indeed significant. However, when Paul                                            Mrs. D. Meulenberg, Secretary


                                          T H E   S T A N ' D A R D   B.EARER                                                    395


     AN EVALUATION OF THE MODERN                                    other training. For the truth should be conceived of as prior
             EDUCATIONAL PROCESS                                    to, the ground for and the meaning of all reality. Hence,
                                                                    seminary before college, and for the above reasons. The
   In the Beacon Lights magazine of November 1960 we                knowledge of God is first. Even man's, knowledge of God is
defended the proposition that in preparing for the ministry,        more fundamental than man's knowledge of the universe.
seminary should be attended before college. This was done           The latter depends upon the former. The latter has no mean-
on the basis of the presupposition that there is in the world       ing without the former. To know the facts and understand
really no Christian college ; at least, not in the strict, Re-      them, we must know the divinely given interpretation to
formed sense of the term, and that therefore the instruction        those facts. And to have that interpretation we must always
from such an institution lies primarily iri inculcating certain     be reinterpretative of God's interpretation.
facts, which in itself is insufficient, inasmuch as the facts of       What we have set forth is a Reformed principle of educaz
themselves do not declare the whole truth. Something in             tion. The principle must stand. There may be practical prob-
addition to the facts is needed. For the truth lies in the          lems which appear to contradict the principle. Nevertheless
interpretation of the facts. Mere facts, by themselves, without     the principle is not thereby vitiated. It remains. Perhaps
an interpretation mean nothing. However, if given the wrong         seminary need not come before college as long as Reformed
interpretation they are made to teach and represent a lie. For      principles of education are instilled before college is entered ;
example: it is a fact that 2 x 2 = 4. Now, what is the in-          and that is the case, to a degree, in the instruction of the
terpretation of that fact? One may say that 2 x 2 = 4 be-           Christian home, of the catechism classes and of the Christian
cause that is the way it is. It is because it is. Another may       schools. It would, to continue with the practical problem
say, No, it is not necessarily true that what is ought to be,       cited, be somewhat of an anticlimax to go from the theological
meiely  because it is. What is is what ought to be only if          and biblical language studies of seminary to begin four years
it can be shown to be the only thing that can be. Rather            of liberal arts study. It would be something of a let-down,
Deistic and fatalistic thought! It really means that 2 x 2 =        for example, to leave the pursuit of Reformed theolo,gy  to
4 whether br not God exists. But we would say that this             enter upon French 1 and Biology 1. Besides, the academic
fact must be understood in the light of God's interpretation        standards of the seminaries, of today presuppose a college
of it. Then we have the truth. This brings us to say that           education. The average high school graduate is therefore not
2 x 2 = 4 because God created this fact that way, because           equipped to enter seminary directly from the twelfth grade.
God is the God of numbers, the God of all the mathematical          Furthermore, the nature of college work is such that it costs
sciences ; He is the Holy Trinity, essentially One, yet, also       higher, and is more intricate and complex than seminary
ultimately, eternally Three.    He made this arithmetical fact      work. It would then be more practical to complete the more
what it is, and therefore that is the only way it can be!           complicated task first.
    By this illustration we mean to show that God is the
                                                                        The point is, in spite of problems, we must interpret all
Creator of all reality, except Himself, and has interpreted
                                                                    reality, or any part of the whole, according to God's inter-
all reality, including Himself, and that this interpretation of
                                                                    pretation in Scripture. But, according to Modernist prin-
all reality is found only in God's Word. What we are getting
                                                                    ciples of education, we should abandon the attempt to inter-
at is that knowledge of the facts may be imparted in so-called
                                                                    pret the whole of reality for the simple reason that we can
secular instruction, but Christian instruction must also im-
                                                                    have no complete knowledge of the universe, because, being
part knowledge of the truth, or interpretation of the facts.
                                                                    finite human beings, we cannot have absolute comprehension
For the truth, and the truth only, makes the facts under-
                                                                    in knowledge. But actually. we do not need absolute com-
standable, presents them as they are in relation to the Creator.
                                                                    prehension in knowledge. All we need is God's knowledge in
Not the facts were objectively first in the mind of God, but
                                                                    finite, limited foti. We need truth in limitation. We need
the truth was before .the  facts, and gives meaning, interpreta-
                                                                    not become God in order to have the truth. We simply need
tion, to the facts. The truth takes us back to and identifies
                                                                    God's knowledge, according to His revelation and our capac-
itself with the eternal counsel of God. But the facts came into
                                                                    ity, as our basis and starting-point. With this in mind, we
concrete existence with the creatiori;  which creation is itself
                                                                    shall begin to evaluate some of the rudiments of the Modern-
one of the most fundamental of facts. God created the whole
                                                                    ist educational process, especially as propounded by the John
universe, which remains an undeniable fact, as to its existence,
                                                                    Dewey philosophy (Modern Libmvy, 1939))  speaking on,
to this day. But God also interpreted His own universe, and
                                                                    "An Evaluation of the Modern Educational Process," and
therefore to have the truth concerning the universe we must
                                                                    considering
have God's interpretation of it. For He has interpreted all

things. which He has made, and so given meaning and l&r-                     I. Self-Activity in Education
pose to them. Apart from His interpretation it is not possible              II. Traditional vs. Progressive Education, and
to have the truth about any fact.                                         III. The Schools and Religion.
    Because these are true principles of Reformed thinking
we advocated that training in the Scriptures as the Word                According to this philosophy, the ultimate educational
of God should come before, with and as a background to all          ideal is the doctrine of learning by self activity.. Pupil "action


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 done under external' constraint or dictation . .       . -.has no    than educative. Also their weakness may be that they  set up
significance for the mind of him who performs it." Mere               authorities and array themselves with some tradition. Think
habitual action which has become "routine or mechanical,"             of the Romanist principle of authority, which is the church,
as well as action which the pupil performs because of out-            and the traditions of the church. For Romanist school
ward constraint from parent or teacher is not action where            teachers, the church and its body of traditions are of higher
an educative process is going on. For mere "routine action"           authority than the Word of God. For the church alone has
is not necessarily intelligent performance ; habitual action is       the authority to say what the Word of God means. But we
not necessarily right intellectual habit.                             hold the Reformed principle of authority, which is that the

       To this we must remark that the ultimate educational           Scripture is the source of authority, or rather God is the

ideal is not "self activity."    Man is, at best, would-be auton-     sole source of authority, and the Scripture is the only stand-
`omous, not actually so. For "In Him we live and are                  ard of that authority. The Scripture is a complete and self-

moved and have our being."         We must rather say that the        sufficient revelation of God and His will for the whole uni-
educational ideal is "The training of the child through the           verse of angels and men. It is to be believed on its own

impartation of knowledge, the knowledge of God's revelation           account, and interpreted in its own light, Scripture inter-

in creation as interpreted in the light of Scripture, so that         preting Scripture. The church is a source of authority only

the child may live in ,a11  the relationships of life as a citizen    in so far as it proclaims Scripture and exhibits the knowl-

of the kingdom of heaven." By the impartation of knowledge            edge of God. Its authority is only derivative, declarative and

is not meant the idea of pouring in, that is, learning by pas-        exhibitive. But the Word of God is our authority for in-

sive absorption. We would not have mere spoon feeding of              structing in righteousness. He commands. it. Otherwise we

the child so that he experiences no active participation in the       go forth without being sent, and labor without being called.

educative process.     We may therefore formally agree with               However, the Modernist criticism of our teaching on an
Dewey when he says that educative training is, development            authoritarian basis is that our teachers are like a carpenter

of curiosity, of suggestion, of habits of exploring and testing,      who builds always and only the same kind of a house of one

and such development which creates sensitiveness to ques-             fixed design without variation. It is impossible to learn from

tions which press for answers, and love of inquiry into the           such an instructor. His teaching causes his pupils to be

puzzling and unknown. The training should arouse fit sug-             emotionally suppressed and intellectually stunted. We can-

gestions, and control their succession in a developing and            not agree that this necessarily follows from the Reformed

accumulative order.     Educative training makes increasingly         authoritarian principle. We cannot believe that anyone who
clear the sense and force of every fact considered (p. 617).          believes' the Christian doctrine of creation, or the doctrine of

Therefore children should not be hushed up when they ask              the Trinity, or the doctrine of the absolute sovereignty of

questions ; nor should their investigative nature be regarded         God, and bases his instruction on that foundation is apt, +so

as a nuisance, nor their queries taken as too inconvenient to         facto, to be stereotyped and unoriginal. He of all educators
answer (p. 618). With this we concur, for the child is a              sees the vast possibilities for variation imbedded in God's

thinking, willing and active being who absorbs education con-         star-studded heavens and everywhere among the myriad

sciously, and actively participates in the educative process to       creatures of the world. .The  one so liable to be emotionally
which he has submitted.                                               inadequate and inexpressive, so intellectually limited, is the

    YOLI  can see from the ultimate aim of this educational           one who does not take the Bible into account as the Word of
ideal that it centers in man and in man's self activity. There        God, and does not learn, think and teach according to that
is no higher authority than man:  The authoritarian principle         fundamental principle of Calvinism, the sovereignty of God!

is rejected in favor of the autonomy of man. An authority                In order to develop this ultimate educational ideal of "self
imposed from above, especially from the Triune God, is                activity," it is not to be confused with the principle of absolute

regarded as the worst straitjacket in which man could be-             freedom. By the way, Dewey does not care for absolutism of

come trapped. The, Reformed principle of authority is                 any kind. But to show his aversion to absolute free will, he

especially a hindrance when introduced into the educational           refers to some schools of educational thought which regard

process.    Not that there is any difficulty in some antagonism       themselves as well advanced, teaching that we should create

of methods and results, or of some disparity between theory           an environment for the pupils in which they are surrounded

and practice. No, Dewey claims, it lies in uneducated habits          with all the necessary materials, tools and appliances needed

of teachers who set up authorities in Israel. They themselves         to learn and do. Then let these pupils "respond to these

are not authorities, and they know they will not be rec-              things according to their own desires." No suggestions of

ognized as such, "so they clothe themselves with some tradi--         any kind are to be made to them, as that would be an in-

tion as a mantle," and emphasize not so much what they                fringement upon their freedom. Do not indicate any purpose
say, but some lord who speaks through them,. that is, some            or plan; do not imply what is to be done, as that would
school of thought held to. Now it may be safely admitted              amount to an encroachment upon the pupils' ."sacred  intel-

that there are teachers who do not weed out their "un-                lectual individuality."    Dewey rejects -this method as stupid

educative habits," and so make their instruction more routine
                                                                                          (Conthed  on page 405)


                                          T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                 397


                                                                     or, that the said justified, by the good works which he per-
11
Contending For The Faith A[                                          forms through the grace of God and the merit of Jesus Christ,
                                                                     whose living member, he is, does not truly merit increase of

                                                                     grace, eternal life, and the attainment of that eternal life-

                                                                     if so be, however, that he depart in grace - and also an in-
           The Church and the Sacraments
                                                                     crease of glory: let him be anathema."

          THE TIME OF THE REFORMATION                                   The Roman Catholic doctrine of Justification really con-

                                                                     founds justification with sanctification. The sinner is prepared
                VIEWS ON THE CHURCH
                                                                     for justification by prevenient grace, and this without any
                  MATERIAL PRINCIPLE                                 merit on his part. This prevenient grace leads the sinner to

                           (continued)                               repentance, to a confidence and reliance on the grace of God

                                                                     in Christ, to the beginnings of a new life. So, Justification
      We will now proceed to conclude our presentation of the        really consists in the infusion of new virtues after the pol-
Romish doctrine of justification by works, as set forth in the       lution of. sin has been removed in baptism. After the ex-
Canons of the Council of Trent, in which articles that Church        pulsion of indwelling sin, the forgiveness of sin or the re-
anathemizes all those who do not agree with its doctrine that        moval of the guilt of sin necessarily follows. And after that
man is justified also by works.                                      the Christian advances from virtue to virtue, is able to per-
      Canons XXIV-XXVI : "If any one saith, that the justice         form meritorious works, and receives as a reward a greater
received is not preserved and also increased before God              measure of grace and a more perfect sanctification. The
through good works; but that the said works are merely               grace of justification can be lost, but can also be restored by
the fruits and signs of Justification obtained, but not a cause      the sacrament of penance.
of the increase thereof: let him be anathema. . . . If any one          Calvin's view of the relation between justification and
saith, that in every good work the just sins venially at least,      works is set forth by the reformer in his Institutes of the
or-which is more intolerable still- mortally, and con-               Christian Religion, and we will quote certain passages from
sequently deserves eternal punishments; and that for this            this work of the reformer of Geneva. In Book III, Chapter
cause only he is not damned, that God does not impute those          XI, XIII he writes: "But as many persons imagine right-
works unto damnation: let him be anathema . . . If any one           eousness to be composed of faith and works, let us also prove,
saith, that the just ought not, for their good works done in         before we proceed, that the righteousness of faith is so ex-
God, to expect and hope for an eternal recompense from               ceedingly different from that of works, that if one be estab-
God, through his mercy and the merit of Jesus Christ,. if            lished, the other must necessarily be subverted. The apostle
so be that they persevere to the end in well doing and in            says, `I count all things but dung, that I may win Christ, and
keeping the divine commandments : let him be anathema."              be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which
      Notice how the Romish Church maintains in these canons         is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ,
its doctrine of our being justified also by our good works. It       the righteousness which is of God by faith.' Here we see a
anathemizes those who maintain that our justification is not         comparison of two opposites, and an implication that his own
increased before God by our good works. It also anathemizes          righteousness must be forsaken by him who wishes to obtain
those who maintain every good work we perform is corrupt             the righteousness of Christ. Wherefore, in another place, he
and deserving of eternal punishment, and that the Lord does          states this to have been the cause of the ruin of the Jews,
not impute those works unto our damnation and that we are            that, `going-about to establish their own righteousness, they
therefore not damned. And it also maintains that they are            have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of
cursed who deny that the righteous may expect and hope for           God.' If, by establishing our own righteousness, we reject
an eternal recompense because of the good works they com-            the righteousness of God, then, in order to obtain the latter,
mit.                                                                 the former must doubtless be entirely renounced. He con-

      Canons XXX-XXXII : "If any one saith, that, after the          veys the same sentiment when he asserts that `boasting is

grace of Justification has been received, to every penitent          excluded. By what law.? `of works.? Nay; but by the law of

sinner the guilt is remitted, and the debt of eternal punish-        faith.' Whence it follows, that as long as there remains the

ment is blotted out in such wise that there remains not any          least particle of righteousness in our works, we retain some
debt of temporal punishment to be discharged either in this          cause for boasting.    But if faith excludes all boasting, the

world, or in the next in Purgatory, before the entrance to           righteousness of works can by no means be associated with
the kingdom of heaven can be opened (to him) : let him be            the righteousness of faith.    To this purpose he speaks so

anathema. . . . If any one saith, that the justified sins when       clearly in the fourth chapter to the Romans, as to leave no

he performs works with a view to an eternal recompense: let          room for cavil or evasion. `If Abraham (says he) were

him be anathema. . . . If any one saith, that the good works         ju&ied  by works, he hath whereof to glory.' He adds, `but'

of one that is justified are in such manner the gifts of God,        he hath `not' whereof to glory `before God.' It follows, there-

that they are not also the good merits of him that is justified ;    fore, that he was not justified by works. Then he advances


3    9    8                               T H E   S'JZANDARD   B E A R E R


another argument from two opposites. `To him that ,worketh           would explode such consummate impudence. We may there-

is the reward not. reckoned of grace, but of debt.' But right-       fore be assured, that when the power of justifying is denied

eousness is attributed to faith through grace. Therefore it is       to the law, the whole law is included."

not from the merit of works. Adieu, therefore, to the fanciful          Finally, very beautifully Calvin writes as follows, Book
notion of those who imagine a righteousness compounded of            III, Chapter XI, XVI : "The Scripture, when speaking of the
faith and works."                                                    righteousness of faith, leads us to something very different.

     And in Book III, Chapter XI, XIX, he writes as follows :        It teaches us, that being diverted from the contemplation of
"The reader will now discover, with what justice the sophists        our own works, we should regard nothing but the mercy of
of the present day cavil at our doctrine, when we say                God and the perfection of Christ. For it states this to be the
                                                         that cr,    order of justification; that from the beginning God deigns
man,  is jztstified  by faith only. That a man is justified b.y
faitlz,  they do not deny, because the Scripture so often de-        to embrace sinful man with his pure and gratuitous goodness,
clares it; but since it is nowhere expressly said to be by           contemplating nothing in him to excite mercy, but his misery
faith only, they cannot bear this addition to be made. But           (for God beholds him utterly destitute of all good works) ;
what reply will they give to these words of Paul where he            deriving from himself the motive for blessing him, that he
contends that `righteousness is not of faith unless it be gratu-     may affect the sinner himself with a sense of his supreme
itous ? How can any thing gratuitous consist with works ?            goodness, who, loving all confidence in his own works, rests
And by what cavils will they elude what he asserts in another        the whole of his salvation on the Divine mercy. This is the
place, that in the gospel `is the, righteousness of God re-          sentiment of faith, by which the sinner comes to the enjoy-
vealed ?' If righteousness is revealed in .the gospel, it is         ment of his salvation, when he knows from the doctrine of
certainly not a mutilated and partial, but a complete and            the gospel that he is, reconciled to God ; that having obtained
perfect one. The law, therefore, has no concern in it, And           remission of sins, he is justified by the intervention of the
respecting this exclusive particle, only, they rest on an eva-       righteousness of Christ ; and though regenerated by the Spirit
sion which is not false, but glaringly ridiculous. For does          of God, he thinks on everlasting righteousness reserved for
not he most completely attribute every thing to faith alone:         him, not in the good works to which he devotes himself, but
who denies every thing to works? What is the meaning of              solely in the righteousness of Christ. When all these things
these expressions of Paul ? `Righteousness is manifested             shall have been particularly examined, they will afford a
without the law, ' `justified freely by his grace,' `justified       perspicuous explication of our opinion. They will, however,
without the deeds of the law.' Here they have an ingenious           be better digested in a different order from that in which
subterfuge, which, though it is not of their own invention,          they have been proposed. But it is of little importance, pro-
but borrowed from Origen and some of the ancients, is never-         vided they are so connected with each other, that we may
theless very absurd. They pretend that the works excluded            have the whole subject rightly stated and well confirmed."

are the ceremonial works of the law, not the moral works.               In the above passage the reformer of Geneva very beauti-
They have made such a proficiency by their perpetual dis-            fully sets forth his conviction with respect to the relation in
putations, that they have forgotten the first elements of logic.     which righteousness stands to faith. And it is well that we
Do they suppose the apostle to have been insane, when he             bear this in mind. The activity of faith must receive all stress
adduced' these passages in proof of his doctrine ? `The man          and emphasis also in our Protestant Reformed preaching.
that doeth them shall live in them'; and Cursed is every one         This is Scriptural. If only we always bear in mind the
that continueth not in all things which are written in the           Scriptural significance of faith, that it is exclusively a gift of
book of the law to do them.' If they be in their sober senses,       God, always stands over against works in the Word of God.
they will not assert that life was promised to the observers         Faith never emphasizes what man can do but what he can-
of ceremonies, and the curse. denounced merely -on the trans-        not do; faith never appeals to anything in man, but always
gressors of them. If these places are to be understood of the        the perfect righteousness. of Jesus Christ. We are saved of
moral law, it is beyond a doubt, that moral works likewise are       grace and through faith. This is the only possible Divine way
excluded from the power to justify. To the same purpose are          of salvation ; it is the only conceivable way in which the
these arguments which he uses : `For by the law is the knowl-        living God can save the sinner and remain God and receive
edge of sin'; consequently not righteousness. `Because the           all praise and honour and glory.
law worketh wrath,' therefore not righteousness, consequently                                                                    H.V.
righteousness is not a reward of works, but is gratuitously

bestowed. Since we are justified by faith, boasting is ex-

cluded. If there had been a law given which could have

given life, verily righteousness should have been by-the law.
                                                                                The holy God hath said,
But the Scriptures hath concluded all under sin, that the
promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that                       All lands shall own My sway;
-believe. Let them idly pretend, if they dare, that these are                    My people shall My glory share,

applicable to ceremonies, not to morals; but even children                         The heathen shall obey.

D


                                            T H E S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                    399


  THE SOVEREIGNLY FREE GIFT OF FAITH                                 branches which bear fruit only in I?$m. And Paul. uses the
                                                                     example of a-body, so that Christ is the Head and His people
   Salvation belongeth unto the Lord` (Ps. 3 :S)  .                  are the individual members of the body, which live and are
   It is important for the church to maintain this funda-            active through the Head. And sometimes the figure of a
mental truth at all times, and especially in the face of all         Temple is used, in which Christ is the chief corner stone and
opposition. The precious truth of God's Word requires it,            His people are the individual stones that make up the
for "of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things"            structure. But whatever figure may be employed, the idea is
(Rom. 11:36). The honor of God's Name demands it. TO                 always that Christ and His people are one. Therefore when
maintain anything else is dishonoring to Him. For the God            Christ died, they died ; when Christ arose, they arose ; when
of all grace reveals Himself to His people as "the God of            He receives the `blessings of salvation from the Father, they
our salvation." And also our personal confidence and abid-           receive those blessings in Him and from Him.
ing assurance compel us to confess that we have experienced             3. Therefore Scripture also tells us, that we become
"the salvation of the Lord." "H,e  only is my Rock and my            partakers of Christ and all His benefits through that living
Salvation ; He is my Defence  ; I shall not be greatly moved"        bond of faith that God has established between Christ and LE.
(Ps. 62 2).                                                          We are engrafted into Christ by the Holy Spirit. This takes

   The whole work of salvation and every part of it in each          place at regeneration.. And as a result, we live out of Christ.

individual believer is a wonder of God. It is a work that only       We are new creatures. Our stubborn will is broken and made

the Almighty God of all grace can accomplish. Only His               submissive to the will of God. Our mind is enlightened, so

work is genuine, all works of men are counterfeit. Only His          that we know God as our God, the God of our salvation. We

work endures, all our "works" must crumble and fail. That            experience sorrow for sin that works repentance, and upon

also applies to our faith. It is true, that salvation is only by     confession of sin we are also assured of forgiveness. We

faith. As the recurring testimony of Scripture has it, "The          realize that Christ is our righteousness. And although sin

just shall live by faith."     But also that faith is a wonder of    still wars in our members, we are able to crucify the flesh and

grace.                                                               live a new and holy life before God. All this is performed in

    Faith is a gift of God.                                          us by the Spirit of Christ through faith. As Scripture itself
    For it is given unto us in behalf of Christ to believe on        expresses it, we believe into Christ, for we become partakers
Him (Phil. 1:29).                                                    of Christ and all His benefits through a living faith.
    Faith. What is it? We can best describe faith as. the               We can reach but one conclusion, namely, that faith is the
living bond that unites us to Christ. Just as the branches           gift of God. We do not believe first, in order to become
of the vines have an inner life-line that unites them to the         partakers of Christ's benefits. But we are partakers, and
root, so that they may draw their life and.  bear fruit from         therefore we can and do believe.

the root, so also the believer is united to Christ and lives            God furnishes the power of faith. Even in a newly born
out of Him by that living bond of faith. Or just as our homes        infant all the faculties are present at birth. Although he may
are furnished with electrical power that comes to us from            not be,aware  of them, and certainly does not know how to use
the power house through the power lines, so also our hearts          them, the faculties to see and hear and speak, the talents of
are enlightened from that central Power-House, Christ Jesus,         artist or technician are already given to him. He does not
by the steady flow of life through the power line of faith.          first see, and then receive the eyes to see. But the eyes, which
   Anyone can see that this is the plain teaching of the Scrip-      are indispensable to his seeing, are first given. In the spiritual
tures.                                                               child, the believer, the same holds true. God gives us the
    1. Scripture always tea&es  us that God has prepared             faculty of faith first, and thereby we come to conscious faith.
salvation for His people in Jesus Christ. The name Jesus                And God also furnishes the activity of faith. Even in our
means Savior, for He is come to save His people from their           natural existence it is true that, "In Him we live and move
sins. He makes bold to say:                                          and have our being." And the same thing holds true in our
    "I am the Bread of life."                                        spiritual life. God brings us to conscious faith and strength-
    "I am the Water of life."                                        ens that faith through His Word and by His Spirit. God
    "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life."                         creates knowledge of sin and sorrow for it, and we confess
    "I am the Resurrection and the Life.".                           our sins. Christ calls us to Him, and, calling, draws us, so

    Either He is the greatest impostor that ever lived, and          that we come. God assures us of forgiveness and we enjoy

those believing on Him are victims of the worst deception            the blessedness' of peace with God. God works in US both to
that has ever been perpetrated, or all that He says is true.         will and to do of His good pleasure, and therefore it is pos-

And we have the Word of God to vouch for it that all that            sible for us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.
He says is true.                                                     Faith is the gift of God.    "By grace are ye saved through

    2. Scripture also teaches that Christ and His people are         faith, and that not of yourselves : it is the gift of God : Not

one. In John 15,. Jesus uses the example of the vine and its         of works, lest .any  man should boast!' (Eph. 2`:8, 9).

branches.      He is the true vine, and His people are the               But even that does not express the full truth of Scripture.

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


For faith is a free gift of God, and that in a very real sense       in `all His works. We cannot even question that, for He is

of the word. To maintain the truth of Scripture and the              the God of all grace in Christ Jesus. But that goodness is

honor of God's Name, and to experience the blessed as-               especially evident in the fact that God's counsel must serve

surance of faith in our own lives, we must consistently con-         to `reveal the glory of His Name. That is sufficient reason

fess with God's Word, that faith is the sovereignly free gift        for all that God does. Therefore God can say: "This people

of God.                                                              have I formed for myself; they shall show fo,rth  my praise"

       The question always arises : To whom does God grant           (Isaiah 46 :21).  And on the other hand, it is equally true,

His gift of faith ? Does He grant it to those whom He deems          "For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same

most worthy of receiving it? Or does He grant it to those            purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power

who show a willingness to receive it? In one word, does it,          in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout the

after all, depend on puny and sinful man whether or not he           earth."     So that we must reach the same conclusion that

shall be saved ? If that is the case, then God is not a sovereign    Scripture reaches, "Therefore hath he mercy on whom he

God, but must depend upon our whims and our help. In that            will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth."

case, faith cannot be considered a free gift of God which ex-            All the Scriptures teach that the gift of faith is sovereignly

cludes all boasting of men and gives God all the glory. No,          free.

even more, if that were the case, no one would be saved, for             1. In the counsel of God, His Son, Jesus Christ, takes

we are unwilling and unable to do anything toward our salva-         the central place. Christ is the Firstborn of God. He is the

tion. But what is conclusive is the fact that Scripture teaches      Firstborn from the dead, the Firstborn among many brethren,

throughout that God is sovereign, also in the salvation of His       even the Firstborn of all creatures (Col. 1:14-20). God has

people.     "Known unto God are all his works from the be-           appointed Him to be the Head of His Church, which is His

ginning of the world" (Acts 15 :18).  Only as many as are            Body. God has macle  Him the Bridegroom, and has given to

ordained to eternal life believe (Acts 13 :48).                      Him the Church as His Bride. And as Head of His Church,

       God is the living God. He thinks as God. He wills and         He is Lord over all, for we shall live and .reign  with Him

plans as God. He has His divine purpose unto His own                 forever.

glory. He carries out His counsel as God. Always "accord-              2.     Moreover, God's people are saved solely in Christ. They

ing to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the           are chosen in Christ, as so many members of His Body, or,,

counsel of his own will" (Eph. 1 :ll).  We can express it in         if you will, as so many stones of His Temple. Just as in a

a few words by saying, God is the decreeing God.                     body there are a certain number of members so also the elect

       Concerning that decree we must remember :                     form a complete unity. And just as in a body every member

       1. That it is a living decree. An architect makes a blue      has its own place and purpose, so each elect is chosen unto

print of a house which he plans to build, but this is a mere         his own function in the body of Christ. There is no arbitrari-

lifeless plan on paper, which can be destroyed when the house        ness in God.

is finished. God's -decree  is His living will, His sovereign            But, you ask, how about the wicked who perish? The

good pleasure, which is always real and present before the           answer of Scripture is, that God is sovereign also in His

face of God, and in which He always delights.                        reprobation. Election implies reprobation, so that God has

       2. That decree is sovereign, even as God is sovereign.        determined to save His people through faith in Christ, and

The Lord God declares throughout all history, "My counsel            He also determines to destroy the wicked reprobate in their

shall stand, and I will do all my good pleasure" (Is. 46 :lO).       sins. Yet even so, these wicked serve for the salvation of the

       3. It is an eternal decree. God's,  plan did not gradually    church, just as chaff serves for the ripening of the wheat, or

take form and shape in the divine mind. Nor was it subject           as the scaffolding serves for the erection of a building. In

to revisions and improvements. The very thought is un-               spite of themselves, also the wicked must serve toward the

worthy of God. God is eternal. And therefore His knowledge           glory of God.

is eternal. And His will is likewise eternal. God knows,                 3. And thus faith is the sovereignly free gift of God. To

determines, and sees all things in an .eternal  present.    .'       the unbelieving Jews Jesus says that they do not believe,

       4. That counsel includes all things in history, even to       because  they are not of His sheep. But, on the other hand,
the minutest detail. No architect who plans a house can work         He lays down His life for His sheep (John 10:15). More-
out the details in advance with more complete accuracy than          over, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they
God does in His sovereign good pleasure: He can say: "I              follow me" (John 10 :27).
am God, and there is none else ; I am God, and there is none             A cold doctrine, you say? A doctrine that causes people
like me" (Isaiah 46 :9).                                             to become careless about their salvation ? That is not what
       5. It is also unchangeable. Since God's decree is eternal,    Scripture teaches us.
and since it is all-comprehensive, it also follows that it is            The Word .of  God speaks of the strong consolation of
unchangeable. For who hat11 ever resisted His will (Ram.             God's immutable counsel. See Hebrews. 6:17, 18.

9:19)?                                                                   Christ assures us that this truth gives us certainty of OUT

       6. And it is also good. God is good in all His ways and
                                                                                            (Contined on page 402)


                                           T H E   S T A N D A R D   BE.AR.E.R                                                      401

                                                                     Lords. Table unless he first shall have made profession of
11  D E C E N C Y   a n d   ORDEl?.,/l faith "and shall have submitted himself to the discipline of
                                                                     the church. This ruling was re-affirmed by the Synod of

                                                                     Dordrecht in 1578 in a slightly modified form and the Synod

                                                                     of Midclelburg  of 1581 rewrote it in the wording as we have

                                                                     it yet today in Article 61 of the Church Order. From this
            Admissioq  to the Lord's Tqble                           article it is evident that according to the Reformed position

                                                                     admission to the Table of the Lord is not free to' all. It is
    "No one shall be admitted to the Lord"s  Supper except           not a matter of individual choice but rather, the sacraments
those  who accoydhg  .to the wage of the chwch with whicla
                                                                     are placed by Christ in the charge of the of&e-bearers  of ,the
they unite tlaevtzselves  have  made a confession of the Reformed
relagion,  besides being reputed to be of a godly mfk, without       church. These office-bearers must guard not only the purity
which those who come from other churches shall nob  be ad-           of the Word that is preached but also the sanctity of the holy
mitted."                                    Article 61, D.R.O.       sacraments. Theirs is the task of keeping unworthy persons

   Articles 61 through 64 of the Church Order deal with              from desecrating the table of the Lord and if this high trust
various matters of a church governmental nature that are re-         is neglected .by allowing each individual to partake or not to
lated to the celebration of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper.      partake as he sees fit, the wrath of God is invited upon the
The Church Order does not discuss doctrinal questions re-            whole congregation (Lord's Day 30, Heidelberg Catechism).
lating to this sacrament. For the treatment of these we must         Only those may be admitted to the Supper who in confession
turn to our Confessions. Even the matters that are discussed         and life are in accord with the doctrines of the Christian faith
here do not intend to cover every conceivable situation where        as maintained by the church. If one repudiates the confes-
a problem of a church governmental nature arises in connec-          sion of the church and maintains heresy, he must be refused
tion with the sacrament. This may and frequently does hap-           the Lord's Supper. If one outwardly maintains the confession
pen and then a solution must be sought in the light of the           of the church but in his life conducts himself contrary to the
principles set forth in these articles even though the partic-       principles of Christian living set forth in that confession, he
ular situation is not directly covered.                              too must be kept from the Table of the Lord until he shows
   The sixty-first article then concerns itself with the ques-       amendment of life.

tion of who may and who may not be admitted to the Lord's               It is a cause of sorrow that many Reformed Churches in

Supper. Article sixty-two deals with matters of the proper           our day maintain this principle of closed covP~~~?zt~zion  only in

administration -of the sacrament. The next article stipulates        theory. If it is asked, "What is the position of the church in

the frequency with which this sacrament is to be celebrated          regard to this question ?" the answer will be given that the

and the sixty-fourth article speaks of the necessary ecclesias-      church is committed to the principle of closed communion.

tical supervision of the sacraments. To these matters-we must        That, after all, is too clearly inscribed in the Reformed Con-

direct our attention.                                                fessions to'be denied. But if the practice of the church is

   The most fundamental question of Article 61 concerns              observed the glaring inconsistency between confession and

the matter of open or closed communion. By the former is             practice becomes obvious.    Members of the church who are

meant that admission to the table of the Lord is left entirely       freely-admitted to the Table of the Lord may belong to the

to the individual. Anyone who desires may partake of the             Lodge, Secret Societies, Worldly Organizations of every hue

sacrament. There are no restrictions. One does not have to           and participate in activities that our Reformed fathers would

be a member of the particular church where the sacrament is          have condemned with no uncertain terms.

being celebrated, and, in fact, does not have to be a member            I have heard of ministers who, when confronted with this
of any church at all". No one is coerced to partake but neither      inconsistent and evil situation, being unable to justify it,
is anyone barred from this privilege. It is open to all, closed      merely argue on the basis of the utilitarian principle that
to no one. The one argument that is used in defense of this          discipline is no longer possible because if it were executed as
practice is that the Lord's Supper is not a Supper of any            it should be, from fifty to seventy-five percent of their con-
particular church but is the Supper of the LORD and, there-          gregations would leave and there would be no church left.
fore, no one may be excluded as long as he, by an act of his         These men are opportunists who use the church for self-
own voluntary choice, decides that he wishes to partake.             advantage and care not for the cause of the Lord Jesus
Virtually all of the present day modern churches operate on          Christ. I have heard of others who were confronted with
this principle. It is consistent with the prevalent heresies of      proven reports that their young people frequented the theatre
a Gospel joy all, a Christ for all, a. Salvation for a21 and (t,     and whose reply was that these young folks could not be cen-
Heaven for all.                                                      sured because that would be an infringement upon their
   For nearly four hundred years the Reformed Churches               Christian liberty. They are left to continue their evil walk
have stood opposed to this practice and have maintained the          and meanwhile allowed to freely partake of the Supper of
principle of closed com?+zunion  . Already in 1568 the Conven-       the Lord. Some years ago I spoke with an elder who was
tion of Wezel declared that no one shall be admitted to the          lamenting these situations in his church. He had just given

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


up his job or rather it was taken from him because he had re-        tively  easy to appeal to man's religious consciousness and

fused to become a member of a worldly labor union that was           gather into the church persons of all sorts and give them free

in control at the place he worked. I asked him why he was            access to the privileges of believers. That's man's way of build-

so inconsistent? How is it that you are not able to join with        ing the church but is not of the Lord Who has instituted

the members of that ungodly union at your place of work but          order and discipline in order that His church and sacraments

that you can be one with other members of the same union at          may be preserved according to the truth and in the highest

the Table of the Lord ? His reply was, "Ya, dominee, that's          possible purity.. "Except the Lord build the house, they labor

right," but to this day he continues to walk in the same evil        in vain who build it" (Psalm 127 :l ) . And again, "Now if

way. Two things are certain. First, the churches of Re-              any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious

formed persuasion are declining at an unbelievably rapid pace        stones, wood, hay, stubble ; every man's work shall be made

in our day. The principles of the Reformation have become            manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it shall be

virtually extinct. Secondly, "God.is not mocked," and even           revealed by fire ; and the fire shall try every man's work of

as it is true of the individual, so it is true of the church that    what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath

"As one sows they shall also reap, for he that soweth to his         built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work

flesh shall reap of the flesh corruption; but he that soweth to      shall be burned, he shall suffer loss ; but he himself shall be

the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." This axiom    saved; yet so as by fire" (I Cor. 3 :12-15).

of Holy Writ cannot be denied. It is found in Gal. 6 ~7,  8.             So our Church Order stipulates certain definite require-

       According to Scripture the practice of closed communion       ments which are to be met before one may be admitted to

is the only acceptable one. The Lord's Supper symbolizes the         the Lord's Supper. Article 61 speaks of those requirements

fellowship of God and His people on the basis of the sacrifice       for baptized members of the church and for those who come

and redemptive work of Christ Jesus. Only those who reveal           from other churches. The latter may include those who are

that they are partakers of that redemption by living from the        transferred as members from a sister congregation in the

principles of obedience unto the Word of God have the right          same denomination of churches or it may refer to those who

to that fellowship. This is the fundamental thought, ex- _           come from other churches of a different denomination. The

pressed both positively and negatively, in Revelation 22 :14         article itself does not specify which is meant.

and 15, "Blessed are they that do his commandments (R.V.                 The requirements for both are the same. First, they must
has `that have washed their robes') that they may have right         make a confession of the Reformed religion and, secondly,

to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into         they must be reputed to be of a godly walk. To these require-

the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers and whore-             ments we will have to direct attention the next time, D.V.

mongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever Ioveth                                                                  G.v.d.B.
and maketh a lie."     The latter have no place in the city of

God. They have no, right to the tree of life. They are to be

barred from the Table of the Lord and the church that re-

fuses to do this invokes the displeasure of God upon herself.                    THE SOVEREIGNLY FREE GIFT OF FAITH
This is to be determined, not by every individual for himself,
but by the elders who are ordained by Christ Himself to                                 (Continued from page 400)
"have oversight over the flock of God" (I Peter 5 :2). The           own salvation. For "All that the Father giveth unto me shall
church that enforces this principle may expect to be shunned         come to me: and him that cometh  to me I will in no wise
by those who seek the flesh and the things of the world iti          cast out" (John 6 :37). And again : "Ye have not chosen me,
preference to Christ. Those will not be attracted into her           but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go
fellowship. They will be given to understand the Biblical truth      and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that
that it is impossible to serve God and Mammon and since              whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may
this is what they attempt to do, they will seek affiliation with     give it you."
other churches that are more lenient and tolerant of worldli-            Paul tells us that this confidence spurs us on to fight the
ness. From without there will also be malicious calumnia-            battle of faith. For with him we say even triumphantly:
tions hurled at the church but this is nothing new in her            `iNay,  in all these things we are more than conquerors
experience. The Lord Himself forewarned that "men shall              through him that loved us."     For nothing "shall be able to
revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil      separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus
against you falsely for my sake." All of these things do not         our Lord."

essentially harm the church but to allow the desecration of              In holy adoration the saints of all ages have confessed:

the sacraments and the corrupting of the Word of God                 "Blessed is the man whom thou choosest,  and causest  to ap-

(which always go together) are the things that spell the             proach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts."

certain ruin of the church in this world.                                But most important of all is the solemn worship of faith:

       Needless to say, the practice of closed communion is for      "0 Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the

those very reasons also most difficult to maintain. It is rela-      e a r t h . "                                               C.H.


                                                T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                               403


                                                                               country entrusted to them becomes hopelessly mired in the
11    A L `L A R 0 U N D U S. ,/(                                              gross inconsistencies of which the author speaks. It is dif-
                                                                               ficult `to see `how this country can in any way be called

                                                                               Christian when these principles are obviously ignored. And

                                                                               indeed, in the final analysis, should America ever be suc-
DOUBLE STANDARD OF MORALS                                                      cessful in its struggle with Communism on the basis of its

      In a recent article in a Catholic Action Weekly entitled                 own standard of right and with the means which this country

Ozw  Szrnday Vi&or, an editor by the name of Father Ginder                     has chosen to employ, the victory will have a very hollow ring,

speaks of the double standard of morals' and truth in our                      for we will have destroyed all our own freedoms in the

modern world. He points out the fact that in effect our                        process.

country has accepted a double standard of truth and of morals                      The irony is that the Roman Catholic Church itself has

by which they measure our own deeds and the deeds of our                       often followed such a double standard of morals. Consider its

enemies. He points out that what we condemn in our ene-                        tenet that the end justifies the means which led to the

mies we approve among ourselves. Or what we condemn in                         butchering of thousands of people of God `throughout the ages

one man we approve in another.                                                 - rivers of the blood of the saints which can never be washed

      This he demonstrates with various examples. He points                    from the hands of that church.

out, in the first place, that all the facts of economics point to

the truth that the disastrous give-away programs in which                      AN EVANGELICAL'S VIEW OF PREDESTINATION
our government has engaged are sure to lead to bankruptcy.
                                                                                   In a recent issue of The 
But, in spite of this, the government not only continues these                                                       Standa?-d  Beaver we have had
                                                                               opportunity to discuss the position of evangelicals in the
programs, but increases them, each year pushing us closer to
                                                                               church world. We noticed at that time that evangelicals usu-
fiscal catastrophe. He. speaks of economists who say that `(our
                                                                               ally maintain the fundamental truths of Scripture such as
whole economy depends on the Give-away, that we have to go
                                                                               the Virgin Birth, the Atonement of Christ, the Resurrection
on making heavy machinery and trucks even if only to dump
                                                                               from the Dead, etc. But, while they maintain these funda-
them into the ocean-else hard times will return."
                                                                               mentals, they also are usually very Arminian with strong
      From this illustration he turns to various other aspects of
                                                                               emphasis on the general offer of the gospel, the invitation to
the cold war as fought by our country. He points out that
                                                                               come to Christ, the universal love of God, the free will of
the Central Intelligence Agency, which received most of the
                                                                               man, etc.
blame for the+iasco  in Cuba, foments rebellions, topples gov-
                                                                                   In recent issues of Christian&y 
ernments, parachutes agents behind enemy lines and engages                                                                  Toda,y,  there has been a
                                                                               rather lengthy column devoted to "Basic Christian Doctrines"
in all kinds of spy work. We are called to support this in
                                                                               written by various evangelical theologians thro,ughout  the
the name of patriotism, although when other countries en-
                                                                               world. Starting with the doctrine of the Trinity, in eight
gage in the same practices, we call it subversion.
                                                                               articles this ,series has progressed to the doctrine of predesti-
      We speak of the evils of plotting against legally elected
                                                                               nation: This article, appearing in the April 24 issue, and
governments ; but we are very reluctant to support legally
                                                                               written by William Childs Robinson, Professor of Ecclesias-
elected governments unless they agree with us. If they do                      tical History and Church Polity in Columbia Theological
not, we often try every which `way to bring another govern-
                                                                               Seminary, is a graphic illustration of the fact that an evan-
ment to power.
                                                                               gelical committed to Arminianism cannot possibly maintain
      Or consider the case of the Eichmann trials.
                                                                               the doctrine of predestiliation.  It is therefore of some im-
           While Eichmann killed only Jews, Khrushchev killed just             portance in gaining an insight into the thought of evangelical-
        as many without bothering to make any racial distinction. The
        one used gas, the other used mass starvation. The one is being        , ism.
        exhibited to the world in a glass cage, the other is being wined "         By way of introducing the doctrine, the author says:
        and dined in every capital of the world. Why? Evil for

        Eichmann, but not for Khrushchev?                                                  For Christian faith, predestination is a vision of the King in

      The author goes on to show how, although on the one                               the glory of his grace, and a warning against transposing the
                                                                                        revelation of the majesty of his mercy into any concatenated
hand our leaders are intent on showing to us the evils of                               scheme of human logic. It proclaims the freeness of God's
communistic Russia, in fact they are doing all they can to aid                          saving grace in Christ, without making of his will an ar-
                                                                                        bitrary fatalism. The ways of him who predestines are past
and abet the enemy in cultural exchanges, in promoting so-                        .I    our tracing out, and the mystery thereof bids us worship
cialism in the country, in refusing to discredit those in our                           where we cannot fathom.

own midst who are obviously sympathetic to the cause of                            After a few more general remarks concerning the views
Communism.                                                                     of Augustine and the use of the word "predestinate" in the
      There is much that is true in this brief article. The point              Bible, the author turns to the subject proper.

                                                                                   In connection with his statement that "Predestination is
is, a point which the author fails to mention, that there is an
objective standard of truth and right in God and in His law.                   the personal decision of the God `who elects," the author
When this objective standard of truth and right is ignored                     quite correctly maintains that it is God alone Who elects ; that
and men make laws out of expediency or personal gain, the                      this is true because God elects eternally; that God does this


                                              ` T H E   STA-NDARD  BEA.RER


for Himself and for His own name's sake; that God does                      -., +Reading this article, one comes to the definite conclusion

this by electing a people.                                                  that, on the one hand, the article is pretty good when it

   He however seems to confuse election with providence                     maintains the sovereign grace of God at crucial points. But,

when he says, somewhat impiously :                                          on the other hand, the article is vague and uncertain at these

        On the other hand, the sovereignty of God meant for Luther          same crucial points because it leaves the possibility open for
      and Calvin God in action here and now, His hand at the helm           conditional predestination, for an offer of the gospel, for a
     even in the most violent storm. God has not gone fishing, or
      golihrg,  or to an Ethiopian banquet. He is not asleep. He is         universal love of God. It seems to be the tactic of the Remon-
     not otiose (being at leisure, useless, without function, H.H.).        strants of the 16th century to speak the Reformed language
     He is activissimus  (most active, H.H. ). We are not following
                                                                            while denying the Reformed truth. No doubt, the main
     the Reformers when we treat God as an absentee deity. Their
      God was the God of Elijah.                                            reason for this vagueness and uncertainty is due to the fact

   In the second point, entitled "Predestination is in Jesus                that nowhere does the author maintain that a certain and
Christ," he emphasizes that apart from Christ election is im-               definite number of people are elected by God with a certainty
possible. He writes:                                                        and finality about their election which cannot be destroyed.
                                                                            For if the author had maintained this, he would also have
        According to Romans 8, we are predestined to be conformed
      to the image of His Son that He may be the firstborn among            had to maintain the decree of sovereign and free reprobation
      many brethren, and we know that God is for us by his not              which he nowhere mentions in the entire article. In neglect-
     withholding His own Son. According to Ephesians 1:3,  Christ
      is the ground and reason of the divine blessing, in 1:4 He is         ing this fundamental aspect of this important truth, the
      the meritorious cause of election, in verse 5 through His medi-       author simply is satisfied with a vague and indefinite election
      ation our adoption is realized, and in verse 6 the grace of
      God is revealed and bestowed. Salvation is the act of the             which could easily encompass the whole human race, but
      Holy God doing justice to His own righteousness at any cost           which is dependent upon man's acceptance of the gospel for
     to Himself. In Christ we have redemption through His blood
     -the forgiveness of sins through His giving of Himself for us.         its fulfillment.

   In concluding this section the author writes :                               It is precisely this vagueness and, as a matter of fact,
        When all is said and done, there remains the biblical picture       denial of reprobation, which characterizes evangelicalism.
      of God who chooses, God who elects, God who predestinates             And it is this denial which makes evangelicalism a travesty
      in Christ and for His sake saves a great host that no man can
     number including the last, the least, and the lowest of those          of the gospel of Jesus Christ. For, after all, predestination
     who take refuge under His wings; but He does not save those            is the heart of the gospel. Without both election and' reproba-
      who continue to love darkness rather than light because their         tion one soon loses all the truths of Scripture.
      deeds are evil, nor those for whom the preaching of the
      Gospel is a savor of death unto death, nor those who despise
     the riches of His goodness, longsuffering, and forbearance, and
      fail to consider that the goodness of God leads to repentance.        THE EVOLUTION OF MAN
     When the cities of His day rejected Jesus, He rejoiced in the              I have often wondered about the official position of the
     Father's sovereign discrimination and continued to sound forth
      His gracious invitation: "Come unto me, and find rest for             Roman Catholic Church with regard to the theory of evolu-
     your souls."                                                           tionism. It is evident, of course, that evolutionism, even in
   This is the only mention in the article of those who. are
                                                                            the Darwinian sense, is taught by Catholics throughout the
not saved. And while the author therefore studiously avoids
                                                                            world. But whether this was the official. position of the
any use or mention of reprobation, he comes close here to                   church was another question.
speaking of conditional election and conditional reprobation.
                                                                                This question was partially answered in a recent article in
   The last section deals with "Predestination is the election
                                                                            0.w .!Yl&nday L'&igor in an article entitled "The Evolution of
of free grace." In this section the author strongly argues for
                                                                            Man."     Already the sub-titles indicate what direction the
the truth that grace is given freely by God to "helpless, un-
                                                                            article will take. They read: "What Doctrine of Evolution
deserving, ill-deserving, hell-deserving sinners." He writes for
                                                                            can Catholics Entertain ?" and "The Origin of Man's Body
example :
                                                                            is Open to Scientific Investigation; His Soul is not."
        Grace is the heart and center of the Gospel. It is the
      expression of the electing love of God and the parent                    After discussing materialistic evolutionism and panthe-
                                                               of faith.
      It issues in the inward work of the Holy Spirit illuminating our      istic evolutionism, the author refers to a papal encyclical of
     hearts to appropriate the love of God revealed in Christ dyin,g        Pope Pius XII issued in 1950 in which the following points
     for the ungodly. It is this love reaching out to forgive the
      guilty. It is not that we loved Him but that He loved us and          were made :
      sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. It is the for-
      giveness which justifies the ungodly through the redemption                    (1) The fact of the spiritual soul of man must be taken for
      that is in Christ Jesus. It is the Father's welcome to the                  granted. (2) Otherwise, free discussion of the problem is al-
      prodigal which gives him a place in the family of Go'd  by                  lowed. (3) However, discussions should be carried on by ex-
     adoption and by regeneration.                                                perts, with due regard for pros and cons, and with a will to
                                                                                  submit to the Church. (4) No one should take the position that
   While the author emphasizes therefore the gracious char-                      human evolution is a completely certain and proven fact, and
acter of election, he says also on the other hand, "Thus grace                    that no difficulties in putting it together with Catholic belief
                                                                                  still exist.
is prevenient, it comes first, before any response by the sin-
                                                                                Then the author goes on to discuss the matter of the
ner." This almost implies that grace is given to all men who
                                                                            church's stand and,  its influence in the church as a whole.
hear the gospel in order that the response of the sinner may
                                                                            He writes':
be his own and on the basis of which he may be saved or
                                                                                     Developments in science (newer and fuller evidence for
damned. .                                                                         human evolution) and development in theology (especially in


                                              T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                   405


     the study of Sacred Scriptures), have urged many Catholic             freedom. What shall we say to this ? That it is impossible
     theologians to modify their first reserve about human evolution.      for a Fan  to be strictly his own man. Absolute freedom is an
        Indeed, there are many Catholic scholars who are using thg
     concept of evolution not only in a purely intellectual way, but       abstraction, `a figment. The railroad locomotive suddenly
     also as a source of greater knowledge of God's universe and a         burSting  out into absolute freedom thereby loses its freedom.
     source of greater love of God.
                                                                           It is truly free only while on the tracks. So true freedom for
        Evolution brings a dynamic element into our consideration
     of the universe. God, instead of immediately setting each             man exists when he conforms to the law of God. He loses
     creature into being and motion, started a great and  com-             his freedom when he goes off the straight track of God's law.
     plicated machinery going. This machinery produced plants,
     animals and man. But God, did not set his machinery going,            In God's service is perfect freedom. Within the law is the
      and then sit back, so to speak, with folded arms. No, each           perfect law of liberty. The outlaw is a slave!
      atom and animal, each galaxy and molecule, and man, are

     kept in being and enabled to act by the fact of God's co-                Still, although certain external authority is rejected, De-
      operation.                                                           wey would not have us believe that "all authority should be
        Man, the highest product of evolution, is not simply ap-
     pointed, as it were, to his position as representative of the uni-    rejected, but rather that there is need to search for a more
     verse before God. He grew out of the universe, and is cousin          effective source of authority" (p.658). For him, that source
     to it all, the inorganic, the organic, and (because he was given
     a spiritual soul) the angels. When Christ assumed human               of authority is to be found neither in the church, nor in God,
      nature, therefore, He did not simply take on the nature of           nor in Scripture. Where then ? He is not clear on this point.
     man as it was 2,000 years ago.
                                                                           Perhaps in the rationalistic principle of authority ? According
        Christ assumed that human nature which was the result and
     the crown and the glory of millions of years of evolution. He         to this, the human mind becomes the standard of all things.
   I also assumed a human nature which was destined to continue            The idea is "Whatever does not conform to my 2 x 0 brain
     to evolve as long as it existed.
        Christ took this human nature and raised it to the unbeliev-       does not exist !"     Man's thimble-brain stands in perfectly
     able heights of the supernatural-making man as near God               adequate judgment on all reality - history, science, religion,
     Himself as was possible, with man remaining a creature. Christ,
     therefore, assumed and supernaturalized an evolution which            Christianity or you-name-it. Dewey, however, does not seem
     included man as a biological being, a social being, and then a        to want rationalism for his basic educative principle, for
     supernatural being. And Christ will gather all the fruits of
     this evoltition  and His own Redemution in the areat  fiarvest        rationalism can be very imposing. He neither advocates ab-
     of man and the universe which He will present- to God the             solute "free thought," nor thought according to an imposed
     Father on the Day of the last Judgment. Evolution, in sum,
     adds its testimony to the fact that we have been made worthy          standard. What then ? He is somewhat vague : thought which
     (although all unworthy ourselves) to cooperate with Christ in         considers what has been done in the past (history? ex-
     the fullness of the Spirit, and of the Mystical Body.                 perience ? - RCH), hozef  it has been done (methodology?),
                                                          H. Hanko
                                                                           and thought which .decides  for itself z&y  it should continue

                                                                           to be done, or whether it should (p. 627). Apply this line
                                                                           of thought to the fourth commandment. Then this divine
AN EVALUATION OF THE MODERN EDUCATIONAL PROCESS                            good would be regarded as an evil ; first, because it is
                    (Con&ued  from  page 396)                              established by the fixed standard of God's law, and then,

(p. 623). It is stupid because it is impossible. Pupils cannot             also, after considering what has been done in the past it

start out on their own regardless of the experience of others.             would be found that the world's great, the world's majority

If they had the best stocked laboratory in the world, they                 never observed the Lord's Day. That we should consider

would use it only casually, spasmodically, and the results                 whether it should continue to be kept implies that man may

would be fatiguing and discouraging (p. 624). According to                 set aside this injunction whenever he assumes it to be

this stupid principle of absolute freedom of the individual,               practical. According to this thought, it may at any time be

the pupils actually should have no finished tools, but should              regarded as a foregone conclusion that the Sabbath no longer

start from "scratch," and learn to scratch out their own tools             should have a name and a place in our modern existence. To

from sticks and stones. We agree. The idea is like that of                 the Christian, this educative principle is destructive of all

pure Pelagianism gone crazy.                                               education. It seems that for Modernism, its principle is to

   No, Dewey does not like thought suggested by the impo-                  have no principle.
sition of some alien standard, i.e., some extraneous authority,                                                                   R.C.FE.
or some authoritarian principle, as that limits the intellectual                                  (To be continued)

horizon of the pupil to about eight degrees above his shoe-

tops (p. 626) ! Yet neither does he like the idea of absolute
                                                                                      Above the heavens, 0 God,
personal freedom. He does not believe there is such a thing,
                                                                                        And over all the earth
,nor can be. He reasons this way: if the pupil on his own
                                                                                      Let men exalt Thy glorious Name
initiative is to suggest to himself what to do, where does he
                                                                                        And tell Thy matchless worth.
get his suggestion ? According to this theory of self-rule, not

from the teacher! Then whence? From something or some-                                Stretch forth Thy mighty hand

body at home? from one on the street? from one of the more                              In answer to our prayer,

aggressive fellow-pupils ? or perhaps from the school sexton?                         And let Thy own beloved ones

Then he would not be really free, and would not develop his                             Thy great salvation share.

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


                                                                   to the temple and listen to her earnest and tear-filled cry to

                                                                   God as she cries out desperately for a son. We.hear her song

                                                                   when the Lord gave her Samuel, which was an echo of

                                                                   Mary's song, `My soul doth magnify the Lord.' We hear

           Report of Easi.ern  Ladies' League                      of Bathsheba, who helped to bring forth the promised line

       On the evening of April 20, 1961, the spring meeting of     of Jesus Christ. It was Bathsheba who insisted on Solomon's
the Ladies' League of Protestant Reformed Churches was             right to sit upon the throne.
held at Southeast Protestant Reformed Church. The meet-                "Travelling to the Northern Kingdom, to the widow of
ing began with the singing of our theme song, Psalter No.          Zarephath, who believed the word of the Lord, and)  Elijah
374, and Holland Psalm 25. Our League president, Mrs.              was taken into her dwelling during the famine. There were
Dirk Jonker, read Proverbs 31 :lO-31 and led us in prayer.         among the women of Israel, those who had moral, spiritual
A trio from First Church Priscilla Society sang. Our pres-         courage and integrity. At Hebron, we see Elizabeth, cousin
ident then introduced the speaker for the evening, Rev.            of Mary, whose heart filled with joy at the prospect of hav-
Herman Hanko, who spoke on "The Women of the Bible"                ing a son, while her husband, Zachariah, sat in, silence and
in part thus :                                                     unbelief. Then we go to Mary of Bethlehem and hear her
       "One of the surprising facts of the Scripture is that it    song of rejoicing that she of low estate may become the
often goes into great length to describe certain women and         mother of her .Lord.  So, in the New Testament Church, we
their lives, names and duties. It is a mistake to minimize the     find Lydia, Eunice, and Lois, women of great faith, who
importance of women in the church and in the affairs of the        gathered each Sabbath to hear the Word of the Lord. These
Kingdom of Heaven and in the affairs of the Covenant of            are but a few of the many illustrious women in the pages of
God.                                                               Scripture who were filled with moral, spiritual courage and
       "I would take you with me down a brief trip into the        integrity.

centuries of time on the dusty roads of Israel, to stop for a          "They `all have one thing in common. Scripture makes

moment at the homes of some of the women of Scripture to           mention of them in times of spiritual decline, when Israel as

listen to them speak and to observe some characteristics           a nation was in apostasy, moral and spiritual degeneracy,

which are common to them all, and which would define the           which was primarily the responsibility of the men. Sometimes

principles of Christian women throughout the world. We             it was a matter of turning to idolatry, spiritual indifference;

begin in the Plains of Mamre where Abraham lived with              when the people had no time or interest in things spiritual

Sarah, who in her old age, well beyond the time of child-          and heavenly. During those times primarily,-Go-d makes men-

bearing, was the mother of the Child of the Promise. We            tion of women whose names must be mentioned on the pages

find, Rebecca who was intent on seeing that Jacob, her favorite    of Scripture, and whose interest is in the line of the Cov-

son; get the `birthright blessing. We hear of Tamar,  the          enant of God. The homes of these simple women were the

harlot, who was more vitally interested in producing the           last lines of defense against worldly-mindedness and idolatry.

seed of- the Covenant than even Judah. To Egypt and                For that reason their names have been recorded for the ages.

Jochebed, the mother of Moses, who would dare to defy              That means that all of the emphasis for these women was on

Pharaoh. We visit the Judges, at a time when the people            the home. In the earliest history of the-patriarchs, the home

had adopted the customs and forms of worship of the people         was the only unit of society, at least in the line of the Cov-

of the land in which they were sojourning. They were drawn         enant, it was a school, state, a place of employment, church.

apart by bickering and jealousy and tended to be dissolved.        As the home goes, so goes society, because the home- is the
It seems but a matter of time before the people of Israel          fundamental unit of society. When moral and spiritual values

would lose their place in history. At Mt. Ephraim, Deborah         in the home disintegrate, society disintegrates. When the

carried the word of the Lord in her day; gave Barak the            home is strong and vigorous, society is strong and vigorous

courage to fight the hosts of Sisera. To Bethlehem and the         and full of vitality and energy. The determining factor is

Country of Moab, where we find Ruth, who declares that             always the home. The strength of the school is in the home.

the God of Naomi must be her God and the people of Naomi           The home is the strength of the church, to. a certain extent.

must be her people. God would preserve his people in the           Fathers are the head of the .home,  the prophet, the priest and

Promised Land. Finally, of the family at Zorah,  where we          the king in the home. The responsibility for the well-being
find Samson's father, a foolish man, who did not believe the       for the home is, before God, the responsibility of the father.

word of the angel, but it was his wife who had faith to be-        The strength of the home is still the mother's because, in the

lieve the messenger of God, that God would deliver them            first place, the mother is the one who is at home when the

from the hands of the oppressor. To Rama, to the home of           father is not. Her place, God puts there, and God gives her
Elkanah  and his two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. We listen         her calling there. It is the mother who is completely adapted
to the jeers of Peninnah as she mocked Hannah. Hannah's            to the calling of instructing the children, the mother is
husband could not understand her tears and longing saying,         equipped for that psychically, spiritually, intuitively. What

`Am I not better to thee than ten sons ?' We go with Hannah        the child learns at home will determine to a considerable ex-


                                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                            407


tent what kind of a member he will be of the Church of                            A bus&s  meeting was held in which minutes were read

Jesus Christ, because he is guided in that .home  at his                      by our secretary, Mrs. D.:Bleyenberg,  and a financial report

mother's side. The home becomes the bulwark of the preser-                    was given by our treasurer, Mrs. J. Blankespoore. Also, our

vatio,n  of the truth of God`s Covenant, and the mother be-                   new vice-president, Mrs. B. Woudenberg, and treasurer,

comes God's instrument to protect and maintain that truth                     Mrs. C. Klein, were"elected.  Psalter numbers, 7 and 88 were

in the hearts and minds of her children.                                      then sung while the collection was taken for the Reformed

     "`What is the calling of women if we take our example                    Witness Hour.

from the saintly women of theScripture?  To bring forth the                       Our speaker, Rev. Lubbers, was introduced. He spoke

seed of the Covenant. God's promise is that you are given                     on the topic, "Watchfulness for the Son of Man's Return,"

the privilege of bringing forth the Church, which He will                     based on Luke 21:36, "Watch ye therefore, and pray always,
regenerate, and to which. He will give faith. You prepare                     that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things
the child in those crucial years of its life for what kind of                 that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."

a citizen it will be, par&t, member of the Church. Wonder-                        The speaker divided the topic into these three parts : its
ful privilege than which there is no higher calling in all of                 implication, its discretion, and its incentive.
life. That is what struck us so forcibly about the mothers of
                                                                                  Watchfulness unto prayer means that we understan&  and
Scripture. We live in times of moral and spiritual degener-
                                                                              long to see the things which must come to pass which are
acy. How important it is that our homes remain unstamped
                                                                              foretold by Christ to His Church. This watchfulness is mani-
and unsullied by the times in which we live. We live beneath
                                                                              fested in praying. We must watch and pray that  we may by
the shadow of the Cross. You do a work that abides through
                                                                              His grace stand before the Son of Man at His coming. The
eternity, until eternity, `when other works are destroyed. If
                                                                              prayer of the Church is, "Come, Lord Jesus, Yea come
sometimes you grow discouraged, weary, and downhearted.
                                                                              quickly."
go a little while to the home of Ruth, listen again to the
beautiful song of Hannah, and be inspired and thrilled. with                      As the Church sees the fulfillment of all these things to-
your calling, the central fact of which is, that you and I and                wards the time of His coming she must use proper discre-
all "of us do our work with considerable imperfection. We                     tion or understanding of these things. The Church must
wonder how it can be successful. Our homes are built in                       understand: first, that all the birth pangs of the world really
the shadow of the Cross of Calvary. Strong-is the promise                     bring forth the birth of the c0min.g of the Son of Man ; sec-
of our God. In that strength, you can once again make your                    ondly, that the Church must prayerfully' carry on ; and,
homes the bastion of faith, the last line of defense,. strong and             thirdly, that there will be a time of great abomination, desola-
faithful by the strength of the promises of God. May God                      tion for the Church when she will find it practically impos-
grant that our homes are faithful homes, and may God grant                    sible to gather for public worship. Jesus gives the parable of
that there are mothers who are faithful mothers."                             the fig tree: when the leaves shoot forth, then we know that
                                                                              summer is nigh. In these times of great importance the
     During the singing of Psalter No. 215, a collection was
                                                                              Church looks about her and sees that summer or the time of
taken for our Hope and Adams Street Protestant Reformed
                                                                              the Son of Man's return is near.
Schools. The minutes of our Fall Meeting were read and
approved and the roll of our member Societies called, by                          Our incentive is that we, worthy by grace, may stand
our Secretary, Mrs. J. Kuiper. Miss Audrey Reitsma gave                       before the Son of Man crowned with His glory. This is
the Treasurer's report. Mrs. J. Oomkes of First Church                        that which motivates the Church to watch and pray for the
Eunice Society then gave us a reading entitled "Life Through                  Son of Man's return.

Death." The trio sang another number and our meeting was                          After the speech we were favored with a solo given by
closed with prayer by Mrs. P, Decker, President of First                      one of the Doon  ladies entitled "Under the Care of My God."
Church Priscilla Society. Refreshments and a social hour                      After this Rev. Kortering conducted the question hour. He
were enjoyed by all in the basement. Mrs. H. C. Hoeksema                      answered questions on: the relation of the Christian to fine
was the organist for the evening.                                             arts, Deuteronomy 33 :13, and the mother's place in the family

                                             Miss Ruth H. Bylsma, Reporter    altar.

                                                                                  Our president thanked our speakers and all those who

                                                                              took part in the program.
          Report of the Western Ladies' League
                                                                                  A special number, a poem, was given by one of the Hull
     The Western Ladies' League met in Edgerton,"Minne-                       ladies.
sota  on April 21, 1941, with the ladies of Edgerton  as our
                                                                                  We sang Psalter number 60 after which Rev. Lubbers
h    o    s    t    e    s    s    e    s    .
     The meeting was opened by singing Psalter numbers 29&                    closed with prayer.
our theme song, and 92. Opening prayer was offered by Rev.                        Refreshments were served by the Edgerton  ladies, our
J. Kortering. Our Scripture lesson, Luke 21 :5-38, was read                   hostesses, during which we enjoyed a social hour.

by our president, Mrs. W. Kooiker.                                                                         Mrs. E. Van Den Top, Reporter


                                                       - --. _~. -~.~ ---~--~--.  -.~ -~.~  _ -__ __-.

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


      ____....~.~.                                                       ing address is, `The Reformed Witness Hour, P.O. Box 8,
          NEWS FROM OUR CHURCHES                                         Grand Rapids 1, Mich.' "
                                                                            The  Covenant Committee (members of Hope Church)
II                    `All the saint.9  salute thee . . ." PHIL. 421     report that during the past two months their mailing list in-

                                                                         creased by 60, making the total distribution of their May
                                                     May 20, 1961        mailing to 420 copies. They have already mailed otit their

         Our Missionary now conducts Sunday morning services             sixth pamphlet entitled, "The'Sovereignty  Of God And Sin"

at Tripp, So. Dakota. The service is at 10!30,  following a              which is part of a series by Rev. H. Hanko  on the gene&l

9:30 Suriday  Schbol  session for all ages. Rev. Lubbers also            subject, "The Covenant With Adam." In their last news

conducts mid-week services there on Wednesday evenings,                  letter. they quote from letters received from Lansing, Ill.,

continuing his series of sermons on the Heidelberg Cate-                 Boaz, Ala., Havertown, Pa., and Smith Center, Kan.  Hope's

chism. The Missionary -has also announced two Thursday                   consistory studies all correspondence received by the Com-

evening services to be held in Scotland, S. Dak., on Majr  11            mittee.

and 18, with the first two questions and answers of the                     South Holland's consistory is considering holding evening
Catechism as sermon material. Other activity in this field,              services during July and August instead of afternoon serv-
sponsored by the Reformed Action Committee, is the dis-                  ices. .It seems that the auditorium gets quite war&  during
tribution of pamphlets in the area which also includes Menno             summer afternoons, and the congregation has earlier signified
and Kaylor,  So. Dakota.'                                                their desire for this change. Before going ahead with the

         The latest pamphlet, mentioned above, was entitled,             plan, the consistory gave opportunity to those who feel `that

"Every Tongue Shall Confess," wherein Rev. Kortering                     it would work a hardship upon their families to present their

examined the  idea of confessing "that Jesus. is Lord" (Phil.            objections at a May 17 consistory .meeting.

2 :l 1) under the headings, "I believe - a personal confes-                  It was in Hope's bulletin (April 30) that we discovered
sion, " "We believe -the confession of the church," "The                 the first announcement of the annual church Sunday School
historical occasion for confessions," "The rightful place of             picnic date- August 2 ! The second was in Oak Lawn's
confessions," and "The practical place of confessions." The              (May 12) which announced an invitation from the South
treatise closed with the following paragraph: "When the                  Holland Church to join them on IMemorial  Day,,at  Glenwood
Scripture lives in the hearts of believers, confessions are              Woods in their annual picnic.
championed, loved, and studied. The church is strengthened                  Dbd you  use the envelope for your c&t&t&n  to the
for her calling in the world by their use. When this militant            Yoztng  People's Convention in Loveland?
church will pass into the triumphant, the written confession
will have served its purpose  and our tongues will confess                  Hudsonville has begun their Summer Sunday School with
everlastingly that. Jesus Christ is Lord."                               a class-arranging session May 7.

                                                                            Did YOLL  know - that the Men's Chorus of First Church
         In one of the Oak Lawn's bulletins we found this arrest-
                                                                         travelled to South Holland, May 19, to render a concert in
ing announcement : "All the men and women of the congrega-
                                                                         the auditorium of the Calvary Reformed Church ? and, 
tion are invited by the Men's,  Soci&y  to meet at church to-                                                                       that
                                                                         Rev. G. Vanden  .&rg,  of Oak Lawn, lectured in Hudsonvilie
morrow evening at 7:30.  Rev.  Vanden  Berg will introduce
                                                                         May 19, the topic - "The Responsibility of Man" ? and, t1La.t
the subject, `Responsibility.' `Forsake not the assembling -of
                                                                         the Society for Secondary Protestant Reformed Education
ourselves together, as the manner of some  is' (:Heb.  10:25),
                                                                         met Monday evening, May 15, at our Southwest Church in
but use this opportunity to spend an evening in ,Christian
                                                                         Grand Rapids ?
fellowship about the Word of God in the exercise of the coin-
munion of saints."            Methinks  the text reference is a point        Because of the interest shown in the subject of "Go9 and
well taken because of those who think that some "assemblies"             Magog" in tlie discussions of the Oak Lawn's Men's' Society,
may be neglected with impunity.                                          an opportunity Cvas given all interested persons $0 hear a
                                                                         tape-recordlpg  of the R&. M. Schipper's  recent radio ser-
         From the Program Committee of the Refoi-med. Witness
                                                                         mon on that. topic. `?`he  recording was to be heard in tiie
Hour comes this contribution: "Rev. H. Ha&o; pastor of
                                                                         church on Sunday evening at 7 :30.
the Hope Protestant Reformed Church, will be the speaker
on the radio broadcasts to be heard the four Sundays in June.                May the unrest of the nations -wars and rumors of wars
His sermons are based on texts found in the First Epistle of             - which kindle interest in such subjects as The Last War by
Peter. The first message is entitled, "The Victory I$ Bap-               Gog and Magog, lead us into the contemplation of the sweet
tism,'        to be followed by sermons concerning `Jesus in             comfort tendered by our Lord as it is recorded for us in
Heaven,' `Casting Our Cares Upon God,' and `Resisting the                John 14:27,  "Let not- yo'ur  heart be troubled, neither let it
Devil.`, We urge you to listen to these inspiring radio mes-             be a$+aid."

sages. Written copies. can be obtained by request. The mail-                 . . . . see you in church.                          J.M.F.


