                        1,
                                 he



                                       earer

A   REFOR$&ED  SEMI-MONTtiLY  M A G A Z I N E



I N   THIS ISSUE


      M e d i t a t i o n :
         The Question of True Thanksgiving

      Editorial:
         Parochiaid and odr Philosophy of Education

      Sabbath Observance in the Business Community
         (see: All Around Us)

      Our Mission Activities




                                          Volume XL VIfNumber  5fDec. 1, I969


98                                                       THE STANDARD BEARER


                            CONTENTS:                                                              THE STANDARD BEARER
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       The Question of True Thanksgiving . . . . . . . . . .98 Editor-in-Chief: Prof.  H. C. Hoeksema
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                                                                          Herman Hanko, Rev. Robert C. Harbach, Rev. John A.  Hey%  Rw.   Jay
       Our Schools and Government Subsidy (11) . . . 101                  Kortering, Rev. George C. Lubbers, Rev. Marinus Schipper, Rev.  Gise J.
                                                                          Van  Baren, Rev. Herman Veldman, Rev. Bernard Woudenberg

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Meditation

                           The Question of True Thanksgiving
                                                             Rev. M. Schipper

                  "What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me? I will take the cup of
              salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. "                                                  Psalm 116:12, 13

      For all His benefits toward me!                                     benefits for the psalmist to enjoy. Nor does it mean
      This gives rise to, and is the occasion for the ques-               that if he was in possession of them that he would
tion: What shall I render unto the Lord?                                  neglect to mention them in his praise and thanksgiving.
      His benefits!                                                       But his viewpoint is wholly spiritual! And the benefits,
      Not does the psalmist have in mind material bene- without which there can be no other, are those of
fits! Nowhere in the Psalm is there any indication of salvation. This is the tone of the entire Psalm.
this. This cannot mean that there were no material                            "I love the Lord, because He hath heard my voice


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                                  99


and my supplications. Because He hath- inclined His ear        Thanksgiving!
unto me, therefore will call I upon Him as long as I           Not a national virtue! For thanksgiving is a fruit of
live . . . The sorrows of death compassed me, and the grace. And grace is never common!
pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and ' Indeed, the nation can and does celebrate what it
sorrow. Then called I upon the name of the Lord; o calls: Thanksgiving Day. The world can celebrate as it
Lord, I beseech Thee, deliver my soul. Gracious is the counts its treasures. It can and often does rejoice in the
Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. The material prosperity such as it is. And in this rejoicing it
Lord preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and He may often appear to be very religious. In their temples
helped me. Return unto thy rest, o my soul; for the where they meet to rejoice in the abundance of things
Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee. For Thou hast received, they can be and often are confronted with
delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, the question: What shall we do with our abundance?
and my feet from falling."                                   They can even be prevailed upon to make rich dona-
  Indeed, the central benefit around which all other tions to the less fortunate, in order that they may be
benefits revolve, is his deliverance from the lowest hell, able to read in daily papers how gracious they were.
from sin and misery; and deliverance unto the highest But the thanksgiving of the ungodly is an abomination
state of bliss and blessedness in eternal glory. In one unto the Lord. He is far from their prayers of thanks-
word, the benefit the psalmist by faith enjoyed was giving, and their offerings provoke Him to wrath. He
Christ and all the saving benefits attached to His great who searches the hearts, pronounces this sentence
work of salvation. And because he was the recipient of upon them: "The tender mercies of the wicked are
this central benefit, all other things are benefits too. cruel. "
For all things are made subservient unto his salvation.        Thanksgiving is very particular, because grace is par-
Not only  ~~prosperity,  but also adversity. Not only ticular! God bestows His grace only on the objects of
health, but also sickness. Not only joy, but also sor- His eternal love. And since thanksgiving is a fruit of
row. Not only light, but also darkness. All these' are grace, only the children of God give thanks, and they
benefits, because He makes all things work for good do it with great difficulty.
unto them that love Him, who are the called according          The children of God are thankful always - not only
to His purpose.                                              on  a.certain day; and they are thankful for all things,
  Benefits toward me!                                        not merely for abundance. They are thankful for the
  Benefits are those works or acts of God whereby He sweet, but also for the sour; for prosperity, but also for
intends to show His favour, His lovingkindness toward adversity; for fruitful, but also for barren years; for
the recipient of them. In the light of this definition, it health, but also for sickness. Were this not so, then in
should easily be perceived that only the child of God seasons of drought, adversity, and trouble, he would
can be the recipient. Not to the world of the wicked have occasion to murmur and rebel. But so it may
are benefits ever given. The wicked experience God's never be. He learns in whatsoever state he is, therein
acts, and they perish. The wicked are never the objects to be content, and to rejoice in the Lord His God
of His love. Upon the wicked His wrath abides, 0, Whose tender mercies fail not. But always with great
indeed, the Lord provides the world with all it pos- difficulty. For he knows his sins and unworthiness.
sesses; for they have nothing or it is from Him - but it     He has not merited the least of Jehovah's mercies.
is that they may be destroyed forever. Perfectly good And exactly because of this he asks the question: What
gifts He gives them, but never benefits. Nor should we shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits toward
conceive of it so that each child of God receives all of me?
the benefits alone. In the deep sense of the word all          It is the question concerning true thanksgiving!
things are for the church of God. With the apostle             What shall I render unto the Lord?
Paul (I Cor. 3 :21-23) we say: "For all things are yours;      But what does the psalmist mean? Does he have in
whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or mind to somehow reimburse the Lord for His good-
life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all ness? Is the psalmist reasoning thus: that whereas the
are yours; and ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's." Lord has been so gracious to him that now he would
Apart from the body of Christ, therefore, we have do something for the Lord in return? God forbid! Nay,
nothing. And it is God's good pleasure to dispense all rather, the question implies a negative answer. He
His lovingkindness upon His church.                          realizes that he is wholly impotent to bring anything to
  However, there is and must be a personal appropri- the Lord. How could finite man ever reward the In-
ation and acknowledgement of these benefits. This is finite? Is He not the All-Sufficient One in Himself?
what the psalmist is doing in the words of our text. What is there that could make Him richer or more
Standing as it were in the midst of all the redeemed glorious than He is? And what can the creatures be-
church, he exclaims: "all His benefits toward me."           stow on the Creator which He does not already pos-
  And this becomes the occasion for the question sess? Is there anything in the world that is not His?
concerning true thanksgiving!                                Reward the Lord? You? .I? Are not all the cattle on a


100                                              THE STANDARD BEARER


thousand hills, and all the gold and silver His? Nowhere           This is true thanksgiving!
is there anything that I could bring to Him that He                The only thanksgiving pleasing to God!
does not already claim as His own. What then?                      For you see, in that cup of salvation which the
  The answer to the question is: NOTHING!                        psalmist lifts up, and which each child of God should
  God-glorifying answer!                                         lift up, is revealed the God of his salvation in all the
  The sinner who thinks he can repay the Lord, does              work of His saving grace, saving us unto the uttermost.
not know Him! The sinner who is crushed, over-                   In that cup of salvation he sees the God of his salvation
whelmed by Jehovah's goodness, .knows he can bring               coming down to him in the Person of His Son and
nothing. He knows that his God has given him all these           uniting Himself to our nature, in order that in that
benefits in such a way that he could never give any- nature He could assume our guilt and pollution, so as
thing in return, in order that God alone would receive to remove it. In that cup he sees the Son of God in our
all the glory.                                                   nature and in our stead, hanging on the accursed tree,
       Is there no way then in which the child of God can under the vials of divine wrath, satisfying God's justice
give expression to the thanksgiving which overwhelms             for our sins. In that cup he sees his Saviour suffering,
his heart?                                                       dying, and rising again from the dead as a testimony of
       0, indeed, there is! Let the psalmist show you!           our justification. In that cup he sees the Captain of his
  I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the            salvation lifted up into the highest heavens to God's
name of the Lord!                                                right hand, where He receives power over all things to
  The cup of salvation!                                          overcome the devil and his hosts, and to apply His
  The cup is a figure of what is allotted to one, what salvation to our hearts. In that cup he sees the God of
one receives - whether good or bad. Scripture speaks his. salvation through the Spirit of Christ sanctifying
of the cup in several different ways: cup of blessing,           and delivering His own from sin's corruption, renewing
cup of iniquity, cup of wrath, etc. Here it is the cup of their hearts, and making them in principle new crea-
salvation, that is, the salvation allotted to me in God's tures, transforming them into the image of His Son. In
favour. Symbol of Jehovah's great deeds in effecting that cup of salvation he sees also all the graces of
our salvation.                                                   Christ as they have been made to dwell in his own
       That cup the psalmist resolves not only to take, but heart: love, joy, peace, and thanksgiving, etc. 0, yes,
to lift up! He will hold it high, as before the face of also thanksgiving. That, too, has the name of Jehovah
His God, and in the sight of all men. He would have it           his God attached to it. So that when he thanks God for
to be known what has made him to rejoice and for His great salvation and for all things, he is doing
which he is so thankful; namely, that all of Jehovah's nothing more than reflecting the name of the God of
benefits which flowed to him in such abundance came his salvation. It is never so that God saves us, and we
to him from the God of his salvation. All of these thank Him. But it is always so, that we must thank
benefits were with the divine intention to save him. He Him that we may thank Him; for also thanksgiving,
was lost in sin and misery, he was undone, and utterly `true thanksgiving, is the fruit of His saving grace.
unable to save himself. Jehovah delivered him from the             So, in the entire matter of our salvation, God, and
sorrows of death. Jehovah dried up all his tears, and God alone is the Author and the Finisher from begin-
kept his feet from falling. In Christ Jesus he now is ning to end, in order that His also may be all the praise
righteous before God, and counted worthy of eternal and thanksgiving.
life and glory.
       And lifting up the cup of salvation, he will call upon      What then shall the children of God render unto
the name of the Lord!                                            God for all His benefits toward them? Nothing! Abso-
       You see, the name of Jehovah is upon each benefit lutely nothing!
which is in the cup of salvation. As the psalmist lifts up         All they can do, yea, must do, and forever will do
the cup and beholds all the benefits of salvation it by His sovereign grace, is lift up the cup of salvation
contains, he sees also written upon each one the name which contains all the benefits of salvation meted out
of Jehovah his God. And seeing the name of Jehovah to them, and on which is emblazoned the name of
emblazoned on each benefit, he calls out that name.              Jehovah their God - and then call out so that all may
       He cannot keep this wonderful observation to him- hear it - the Name of Jehovah, their God.
self. He must call out loudly, so that all may hear him.           This is the thanksgiving that is pleasing to Him!



             Have you ordered your  copy  of  Therefore Have I Spoken?


                                                 THE STANDARD BEARER                                               101
                                                                          .


Editorial

              Our Schools and Government Subsidy (11)
                           PAROCHIAID AND OUR PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

                                                 ProJ: H, C. Hoeksema

   Parochiaid seems to be on its way to a trial in the       involves one in a denial of the very principles of educa-
 State of Michigan. A one billion dollar "School Re-         tion for the sake of which we have established our
 form Bill" has been passed by the state senate; and in      schools. There are not only the mechanics of govem-
this bill, which included many of the items recom- ment controls written into these parochiaid proposals;
mended by Michigan's Governor Milliken, is an item but there are also various built-in controls, limitations,
 calling for $25 million worth of parochiaid. It remains     stipulations, conditions, written into these proposals,
to be seen, of course, whether the house of represent-       concerning the kind of education which the state will
atives will also approve this bill. But predictions have subsidize. These latter stipulations not only imply, but
been that this, or a very similar bill, will be passed, and literally  `express  a philosophy of education which is
whatever form the final law will take, it will include       diametrically opposed to ours. And it is a foregone
some form of parochiaid. If and when the aid bill is         conclusion, therefore, that the moment we would ac-
passed, according to news reports, the state legislature cept parochiaid as it includes these stipulations, at that
itself will seek a State Supreme Court ruling on its moment we would fundamentally deny everything that
constitutionality. If the latter test is met, parochiaid our schools stand for.
 will be a reality in Michigan. It makes no essential          This I want to demonstrate in the present editorial.
 difference that the initial amount will be relatively       Parochiaid  - With Conditions
small, - only $25 million. The main question is that of        There are especially two conditions attached to paro-
the principle. Besides, if the principle is upheld in the    chiaid. These conditions are closely related. And both
legislature and in the courts, it may be expected that       of them strike at the very heart of covenantal educa-
the amount of aid will soon be increased; in fact, there     tion.
are some already who have openly claimed that non-             The first concerns the purpose of education Various
public schools are entitled to  total  government sup- parochiaid proposals have given expression to an al-
port, and should press for such financial equality with leged purpose of education in various ways. But all of
 the public schools. I report this development in order these expressions agree. House Bill 2424, which was
 to underscore the fact that sooner or later this parochi- before the last session of the Michigan legislature,
 aid issue will confront our schools in very concrete spoke of the "public good and the general welfare of
 fashion; and we should be ready to make our decision        the people of this state." Last year's report of the
 and give our answer. Moreover, that answer should be        Joint Legislative Committee on Aid to Non-Public
 "an answer concerning the reason of the hope that is in     Schools sought to justify parochiaid on similar grounds
us," I Peter 3: 15. To this end the  Standard Beaver and referred frequently to a "secular educational
 has been furnishing a detailed study of the entire purpose."
 subject of parochiaid.                                        Now these high-sounding phrases may seem to be
   We have seen in recent editorials that parochaid, in      rather vague, and even rather harmless, at first glance.
whatever form it has thus far been proposed, allows But that first glance is deceiving, probably because we
the- government in various ways to wrap the tentacles        ourselves sometimes do not think as antithetically as
 of state control around our schools. And we criticized      we ought to think. The language of public school
such state control and made the claim that our school authorities abounds in phrases of this kind. Without
societies may not permit it. The basis of this claim,you entering into the details of what may or may not be
will recall, does not lie in the fact that we prize          included in this "public good and general welfare" and
individual liberty over against the socialistic trend of this "secular educational purpose," let us note at once
government control. But it lies in the fact that we          that all such language points to a purpose of education
believe, on the basis of the Word of God, that educa- which is purely humanistic. According to this language,
tion of our covenant children is the prerogative and the purpose of education lies in man. Education is
duty and responsibility of the paven  ts, not of the state man-centered. It is this-worldly. It is without God and
and not of the parents and the state jointly.                His glory. It has nothing to do with the kingdom of
   Closely connected with the whole matter of control Christ. It has no purpose which is at all concerned
is the fact that parochiaid and the acceptance thereof with the world which is to come. It is as it states:


102                                             THE STANDARD BEARER


secular. That word "secular" comes from a word which correct, we should remember that the distinction made
means "a race, age, the world." It means: "of or by this language is a false distinction. Whether the
pertaining to the worldly or temporal as distinguished legislators are aware of this or not, we know that there
from the spiritual or eternal." The term rather cor- are no secular subjects in the curriculum of a Protes-
rectly describes the educational goal of the public tant Reformed school.  We  know that all the subjects
educational system. But remember at the same time are "religious." How, then, could we possibly accept
that education which is without God and without subsidy for the teaching of "non-religious" subjects in
Christ is in fact anti-God and anti-Christ. Such is the one of our schools? We should simply be accepting
nature of public education in our land; and the fact their false educational philosophy, according to which
that in recent years religion and the Bible have been our schools are  instittitions  in every respect like the
expressly prohibited has not really changed the nature public schools, except that in our schools there are also
of public education; it has only given formal and legal "religious" subjects taught.
expression to what was already a fact.                            Again, effort has been made in the bill just passed
   Nowit is this same "secular educational purpose" by the Michigan senate to prevent the expenditure of
which is one of the conditions attached to parochiaid. any parochiaid funds except upon such schools as have
To accept the latter is to accept the former. To allow been totally denuded of their distinctive character.
the state to give our schools subsidy is to allow the Foes of parochiaid intend to see to it that if private
state to declare the purpose of that subsidy, and thus schools want government subsidy, then they will be
to declare the purpose of education in our schools.             reduced as much as possible to the status of the public
   The second condition attached to parochiaid is in- school. And the reasoning makes sense from their
separably tied to the first. It concerns the subjects for point of view. In the first place, they do not want to
which the state would be willing to subsidize non- pay for any school but their own kind of school. And,
public schools.                                                 in the second place, once they have reduced private
   Sometimes these subjects are simply defined as schools to the level of the public school and stripped
those which serve a "secular educational purpose." the private schools of their distinctive character, there
Sometimes  they- are called "non-religious subjects." is absolutely no reason for private schools to exist any
Thus, according to news reports, the bill just passed by longer. Hence, a civil rights "rider" was attached to the
the Michigan senate provides $25 million to be used current bill, adding to it a ban against discrimination
toward the salaries of teachers in non-public schools on the basis of religion, creed, race, color, or national
who teach  Such non-religious subjects. Sometimes origin. Such a ban against discrimination on the basis
these subjects have been specified as including: math- of religion or creed would apply both to pupils and to
ematics, science, modern foreign languages, English, teachers. Imagine what kind of staff one of our schools
humanities, social sciences, physical education. Notice would have if our school boards in the hiring of
that this includes the entire curriculum of a school , teachers might not discriminate on the basis of religion
with the exception of courses such as Bible and Church or creed.
History.                                                          Once more, remember that these provisions are part
   The important fact to remember about these sub- of the whole parochiaid "deal." If you accept the
jects is the fact that they are classified as norm-religious    money, you accept the strings attached. And the
and that as such they serve a secular educational pur- strings attached involve one's entire philosophy of
pose.                                                           education.
   Now it has been argued that this condition and the           Unconditionally Unacceptable
distinction between religious and non-religious subjects          My evaluation of such conditional parochiaid may
which it makes is not really so harmful. The argument be very brief. There can be absolutely no question for
is that the purpose of this terminology is only to our schools about the fact that it is unacceptable.
distinguish between subjects which are directly of a              In the first place, it is unacceptable because it is
religious nature (such as Bible and Church History) and constitutionally impossible. I am referring now, of
subjects which are not directly of a religious nature (all course, not to the state or federal constitution, but to
the remaining subjects). To say the least, however, it is the constitution of our schools. If parochiaid were in
very doubtful whether this argument holds water. In every other respect acceptable, it would be unaccept-
the first place, last year's bill even provided for tests to able in respect to the principles of education involved
determine whether the "secular educational purposes" because the constitutions of our schools specifically
were being achieved in the teaching of so-called non- state what their basis and purpose is. The only aid we
religious subjects to the children of non-public schools. could accept would be aid whose avowed purposes
In the second place, I believe this argument presup- would be the purposes set forth in our school constitu-
poses too great a degree of ignorance as to the real tions.  The point is this: by accepting parochiaid as
issues on the part of legislators and educators. In the described above, we would in effect be changing the
third place, however, even if this argument is factually constitutions of our schools in an illegal manner. Still


                                             THE STANDARD BEARER                                                  103


more, we would be changing those constitutions in "secular purpose of education." 2) That we  kntiw of
respect to articles which are constitutionally unchange- no non-religious subjects in our schools. 3) That the
able.                                                        philosophy of education involved in parochiaid and
  In the second place, it is unacceptable because of that of our schools are totally divergent. 4) That there-
the very principles stated in the articles of the school fore for our schools the acceptance of parochiaid on
constitutions to which I referred above. Those articles the state's basis is in the nature of the case impossible.
se't forth the very principles of our system of educa- Conclusion
tion. They express the whole reason for which our
schools have been brought into existence. To deny              This brings to a close for the time being our edito-
them is to deny the right of our schools to exist. To rials on this subject. As the occasion requires, we will
deny them is to deny any necessity of our schools. report any important new developments to our
And if we do that, it will not do to play at having r e a d e r s .
separate schools. Then we should honestly close our            Yet I do not want to close on a negative note.
schools, dispose of our assets, and send our children t'o      The positive side of this whole discussion, briefly, is
the public schools, to be assailed by all the devils of as follows: 1) Let us highly esteem the fact that we
unbelief.                                                    may have separate, covenantal schools where we may,
  I need not belabor this point.                             in harmony with our God-given prerogative as parents,
  A simple comparison of the two articles concerning as well as in harmony with our calling and responsi-
the basis and purpose of our Adams St. Prot. Ref.            bility, train our children in a distinctive manner. And
Christian School will make this abundantly clear to let us - parents, boards, teachers - work at making a
anyone who can read. Here they are:                          separate, covental education for our children more and
  "Article I - Basis. This organization is based on the more of a reality. I cannot understand the attitude of
following principles:                                        Protestant Reformed people who deliberately  - for
  "A. The Bible is the infallibly inspired, written Word whatever may be the alleged reasons - turn their back
of God, the doctrine of which is contained in the on Protestant Reformed education in favor of the exist-
Three Forms of Unity, and as such forms the basis for ing, Christian schools or even, in some instances, the
administration, instruction, and discipline in the public schools. Taking all the short-comings of our
school.                                                      schools into account, the fact remains that in our
  "B. Our Sovereign, Triune, Covenant God has from schools we have something which we should esteem
eternity chosen and in time forms a people unto Him- highly and which we should thankfully use. 2) Let us
self, that they may stand in Covenant relationship to zealously support our schools, even to the point of sac-
Him and live to His praise in friendship and loving rifice; and let us count it a privilege that tie may do so.
service in all spheres of life, in the midst of a sinful After all, it is folly to expect that the world is going to
world.                                                       support our institutions for us, - whether that be the
  "C. The training of the Covenant child in the school worldly state or the world in any other form. This is
as well as in the home and in the church must serve to       totally unrealistic. The world supports its own. Let us
prepare him to follow his life-long calling to reveal the not be afraid to be separate. Let us not be afraid of the
glory of his God in a life lived from the principle of cost of being a separate people. Instead, let us count it
regeneration by grace.                                       a privilege. We know not how long it will be possible
  "Article II - Purpose. The purpose of this organiza- yet to have and to enjoy our separate position unmo-
tion is to provide a system of education maintaining lested. All indications are that the time is short. But let
and developing the principles sketched in Article I."        us labor while it is day; the night cometh, in which no
  From the above, it is-plain: 1) That we know of no man can work!


All Around Us
                             Church Tax Privileges Out?
          Sabbath Observance in the Business Community
                                                  Prof H. Hanko

,CHURCH TAX PRIVILEGES 0 UT?                                 traditional right to tax exemptions is being tested.
  In several courts throughout the land the church's Before the Supreme Court of the United States is a suit


104                                          THE STANDARD BEARER


brought by a New York lawyer questioning the open. But the large stores, the chains, the department
whole theory of tax exemption of church property. stores remained closed.
There is little personal stake in the case for the lawyer      This is apparently about to change.
bringing the suit. He owns a 22 by 29 foot plot of             It had been coming on for quite a while. Here and
ground on Staten Island valued at $100.00 and taxed there a larger store would announce Sunday shopping
at $5.24 per year. But he insists that this tax is too hours as well as week-day opening times. Some in the
much. His argument is that tax exemption for churches church fussed about it. But it all attracted little atten-
violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the tion.
Constitution because tax exemption for the churches            Now suddently the issue has come into the head-
increases his own taxes, puts money into the hands of lines. And it all happened because one large chain of
the churches and thereby establishes religion. If his stores, Meijer Inc., decided to open some of its stores
contention were supported by the Supreme Court, it on Sunday. Apparently many "church people"
would have a profound effect upon the nation's shopped at these stores because the ruckus created at
churches whose real estate holdings are estimated at the announcement of their ppening could be heard all
$102 billion.                                                over Western Michigan.
  While it is unlikely that the present tax exemption          The result has been that many church people have
status of churches will be changed, there is a problem banded together in order to force these stores to close
of another kind which has long plagued the  govem- once again. The weapon at their disposal is the boycott
ment. This problem has to do with businesses and real of these stores. Bumper stickers, ads, radio announce-
estate holdings owned by various church groups which ments, and pamphlets constantly urge upon us to do
bring oftentimes huge profits into the church, but our'shopping in stores that are closed on Sunday. And
which are also tax exempt under present law. It is this is done in the name of religion.
quite likely that this system will presently be changed.       There is something extremely distasteful to me
  California has already passed a law which requires about the whole controversy.
state corporation taxes to be paid on income from              I do not want to be misunderstood. There is a
businesses unrelated to church activities. All churches grievous sin involved in doing business on Sunday. This
and religious organizations must file an annual form is the desecration of the Lord's Day. It is a deliberate
with the state specifying their income.                      trampling down of God's sacred laws. It is a sin as great
  The United States House of Representatives has also in magnitude as the breaking of all or any of God's
passed a similar measure by a wide margin. The bill commandments. And those who open their stores and
includes the following particulars:                          do business on Sunday shall have to answer to a holy
  - People who make contributions to religious organ- God for their awful violation of His holy law.
izations can still deduct these contributions from their       But there is hypocrisy here, and one can smell it a
income tax.                                                  mile away. The hypocrisy is, of course, first of all, on
  - Foundations operated by religious groups are still `the side of Mr. Meijer. In an ad which appeared in the
exempt from tax.                                             local newspaper, Mr. Meijer wrote: "But the facts are
  - Businesses purchased by churches and leased back undeniable. Many people want the opportunity to
to private individuals will be required to pay taxes if shop on Sunday. And they express their desire in the
the bill becomes law.                                        strongest possible way, by shopping in great numbers
  - Any businesses owned and operated by religious at the many stores already open on Sunday. We cannot
groups will be required to pay the same tax as any deny them that right. If we expect to stay in business
corporation.                                                 we must serve people when they want to be served.
  Present day trends and re-interpretations of the That's our job. Please remember we must serve all the
meaning of the First Amendment suggest that the people of Western Michigan." This is a miserable just-
possibility is very real that the government will collect ification for Sunday opening. The whole ad is appar-
more and more money from religious groups.                   ently intended to convey the impression that the only
                                                             reason the stores of Meijer Inc. are opening is the noble
SABBATH OBSER VANCE IN THE BUSINESS                          desire to do service to the people of Western Michigan.
COMMUNITY                                                    The ad leads the impression that the management of
  Grand Rapids is probably unique among big cities in the stores has the obligation to give people some
the United States in that, for many years, most bus-         "right" which is inherently theirs. But the crass com-
iness places have remained closed on Sundays. For mercialism is so thinly disguised as to be almost funny.
many years, in many cities, stores remained open on            The trouble is that the hypocrisy is on both sides.
the Lord's Sabbath and conducted business as usual. For one thing, all Meijers. Stores are not open on
Grand Rapids has been one exception. Not as if all Sunday here in town, but have been open for many
stores remained closed on Sunday - there were always years in other cities in Michigan, such as Kalamazoo.
gas stations, restaurants, a few small "liquor stores" For another thing, while we are urged to shop at stores


                                             THE STANDARD BEARER                                                 105


closed on Sunday, many of these stores which are inward change of the heart? the true observance of
closed here in town are members of large chains which God's law from the heart?
are open in other cities, where there are not so many         There is altogether too much emphasis on this out-
people who object. Why are not protests raised against ward observance of the commandments today. To cite
all these stores? And why were not protests raised long but one pertinent example, it is ironic in the extreme
ago against Meijers for being open in Kalamazoo?            that these. same people who speak so loudly about
  But this is not all. Many stores which are closed on stores closing on Sunday nevertheless hail, as outstand-'
Sunday have stickers in their windows which read: ing Christians, various sports heroes in professional
"Out of respect for the Christian tradition, this store is football and baseball who, while they profess the
closed on Sunday." This in itself is not a very good Christian faith, play their games before huge paying
reason to be closed. If a store is only closed "out of crowds every Sunday of the year. Why are their actions
respect for the Christian tradition," whatever that may condoned?
mean, there is certainly no Sabbath observance in-            Does this mean that we need take no interest in the
volved in those who own, manage, or operate these whole matter? I think not. It is certainly legitimate for
stores. Their reasons for being closed are not God's the Christian to protest such Sabbath desecration. It is
reasons for demanding Sabbath observance.                   even legitimate to want stores closed in order that the
  Besides, many people who are creating a big fuss church of Christ may worship God in an atmosphere
about the new policy of Meijers are the same people conducive to worship. Paul urges upon Timothy, in a
who themselves think nothing of travelling on a summer different situation, to p!ay for those in authority that
or winter vacation on Sunday; who in some instances "we may live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness
are glued to their TV sets all Sunday afternoon to and honesty." And indeed, our concern is legitimate
watch professional football or other favorite programs, when we see the trend of the times towards more and
who themselves violate the Sabbath in many ways as more Sunday labor depriving the people of God of
evil as opening a store. It might be well to cast the their jobs and their livelihood.
beam out of our own eye before we try to remove a             .But any protest we make'must be on the basis of
mote from someone else's.                                   God's Word. It must be directed to the principle of the
  Does all this mean that we should passively sit by thing. It must be concerned with the true and full
and watch the Sabbath desecrateq? I do not think so. observance of the law of  : God and not some mere
I am not in favor particularly of the use of boycotts to    outward observance. It must be a protest made prop-
gain the point. This is the use of coercion - economic erly and not through the use of force. Probably such a
coercion; and this is an illegitimate weapon at best. protest will go unheeded. This is not the point. We
But, this is not really the point yet. The point is that    must not be tempted to use force because, as it is said,
economic coercion does little to bring about true Sab- these men understand only the language of the pocket-
bath observance. Supposing that the boycott works - book. Hurt them in the pocketbook and they will
something highly dubitable. In that case the stores will listen. Listen to what? Listen to a club over their
all be closed; but that will certainly not guarantee any heads? Listen to a plea for some "respect for the
wonderful change of -heart in those who operate their tradition of religion in the community?" They must
businesses. It will not guarantee Sabbath observance on listen to the Word of God. And if they will not do
the part of those now opening their stores. It all comes that,`tie must commit the matter into the hands ofour
down to the old question: are we interested in outward God Who has told us that all these things, and many
character reform, social change? or is our concern the more, will take place before the Lord comes back.


Come Ye Apart... And Rest A While

                      "The Abomination Of Deso-lation"
                                                    Rev. C. Hanko

  "The Abomination Of Desolation."                          the day when this Beast has served his purpose and'has
  Does liot the very name send the cold chills up and made full the measure of his iniquity, then to be cast
down your spine?                                            with the devil into the lake of fire and brimstone
  Scripture tells us of the coming of the Abominable where he will be tormented forever.
One, who is so foul, so detestable in the sight of God        In the meantime this Abominable One brings havoc,
that only God's forbearance causes Him to wait until complete desolation upon the earth. He can do nothing


106                                             THE STANDARD BEARER


else, for the curse of the Most High rests upon him. In fact that darkness always contradicts the Light. But
spite of his proud boasts, he actually wants nothing that  follows also from the fact that the world of
else in his hatred against God and his lust for all that is unbelief is in perfect agreement with this detestable
evil.                                                        thing in its hatred against God. The world delights in
       Prophets of old spoke of the abominations of the this  mofistrosity with its seven heads and ten horns,
heathen. They referred to the idols that the heathen who carries on his heads the name of blasphemy.
sought in their defiance of the living God. (Romans (Revelaiton 13.) She is deceived by his partner, the
1:2 l-23). `, ~:Even carnal Israel committed whoredoms second beast, who has the appearance of a lamb, the
with these abominations, digging themselves empty savior of the world, who brings peace, prosperity, and
cisterns, because they had forsaken the Fountain of an abundant life, yet who should be readily recognized
living waters. (Jeremiah 2: 13).                             by the fact that every time he opens his mouth he
       Daniel speaks of this Abomination in his prophecies, speaks the language of the devil in opposition to God.
even three times; once in chapter 9 :27, again in 11:3 1,      His strong appeal is in his great research, his vast
and again in 12: 11. Along with the coming of the knowledge, his amazing discoveries in the universe, his
Messiah, this detestable person will make his appear- mighty accomplishments through his great inventions.
ance. He will stand in the temple of God, will cause the He seems to be able to cure men's ills, to bring comfort
daily sacrifice to cease, and will spread destruction and security, luxury and pleasures, seemingly removing
until the entire sanctuary is made a desolation. In the the bitter consequences of sin in which all indulge so
end the church is saved; the desolate ones, who follow freely. Admiringly they ask: Who is like unto the
this deceiver, will perish with him.                         beast? Who can give us such an abundant life? Surely
   Daniel's first reference was to the antichrist of the not the God and the Christ of the Scriptures - Whose
old dispensation, who  .made his appearance shortly very names must be wiped out from the face of the
after the captivity, Antiochus Epiphanes, the Madman earth!
(as the name Epiphanes designates) who stood in the            But before God he is the MAN of sin, the culmin-
holy temple of Jehovah sacrificing swine's flesh on the ation of the sin of the ages.
altar and pouring .out the fat throughout the temple to        Pharaoh once proudly asked: "Who is Jehovah that
the horror and disgust of the Jews.                          I should obey his voice to let Israel go?" Only as he
   Jesus reminds His disciples that another Abomin- swirled to his death in the waters of the Red Sea did he
ation was still to come to destroy Jerusalem. He re- fully realize Who Jehovah is. Nebuchadnezzar's great
ferred to the Roman emperor who would lay both sin was pride in exalting himself above God. And he
Jerusalem and the temple in ashes. When his day came became like a beast of the field to remind him of what
the believers should escape to seek refuge wherever he actually was. The  Herods coveted the worship of
possible. For in Matthew 24: 15-l 8 Jesus tells His dis- men, and they perished in their evil corruption. Yet
ciples: "When ye therefore shall see the abomination their sin is no diffe?rent from the sin of the Rich Fool,
of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand whose only recorded sin was that he boasted: "Soul,
in the holy place, (whoso  readeth, let him understand!) thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take
Then let them which be in Judea flee into the moun- thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry." For the cardinal
tains . . . "                                                sin of mankind is the sin of unbeZieJ:  Jesus reminds us,
   But both Daniel and Jesus saw the ultimate fulfill- "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and
ment of their prophecy in that world power that must he that believeth not on the Son shall not see life; but
still arise, the Abhorrence that will stand where he has the wrath of God abideth on him." He is given over to
no business to stand, (see Mark 13: 14) polluting the his sin until the time when nothing is restrained from
sanctuary of the only true God. He will exalt himself him that he imagines to do. Genesis 11:6.
and sit on the throne ruling the nations of the earth as       That Abominable One is given over by God to make
if he WeYe God! What a presumption! Then the church desolation.
will sing Psalm 79 as she has never sung it before:            As I sit here typing I can hear the groan of creation.
   In Thy heritage the heathen                               No, I hear no chirp of the cricket, no hum of the bee,
                                                             no song of the birds. These are drowned out by the
       Now, 0 God, triumphant stand;
  They defile Thy holy temple,                               swishing of racing cars on the freeway, interspersed by
                                                             the rumble of heavy trucks. Every now,and then there
       They destroy Thy chosen land;                         is a deafening roar of a heavy transport plane struggling
   Ruthless, they have slain Thy servants,                   to gain altitude, while from somewhere comes the
       They have caused Thy saints to mourn,                 blare of a radio or a TV set.
   In the sight of all about us                                With my mind's eye I see the soil pollution, the
       We endure reproach and scorn.                         contamination of once crystal clear streams, the oil
  No, the world will never accept that name that God slick on the waters of the ocean, the yellowish, stink-
has given him. That follows quite naturally from ,the ing smog creeping in from the west, the dead orange


                                             THE STANDARD BEARER                                                107



groves making room for smoke belching factories, the the devastation of the vials mentioned in Revela-
junk yards heaped high with the crumpled and broken tion 19.
gods of vain man, the beer can strewn highways, the           Sin breeds sin, even unto death; for the soul that
billboards, painted signs of protest, the endless array of sins must die.
devastation that  wipes out all the beauty of creation.       Let the church of Jesus Christ take time out to read
  It is not hard to imagine the day when the church the signs of the times. Let her note that there is no
doors will be closed, the voice of the two witnesses will fellowship between God and Mammon, between light
be silenced, as they lie dead on the streets of Jeru- and darkness.
salem. Revelation 11.                                         And let her heed the call: "Come  ye. `out from
  The wrath of God is revealed from heaven also in among her, and be ye separate," saith your God.
that.                                                         And by all means keep on praying: "Come, Lord
  Man cannot help doing his share in bringing about Jesus, yea, come quickly."


From our Mission Committee

                                OUR MISSION ACTIVITIES
                                                 Rev. J. Kovteving

  The Mission Committee is one Synodical Committee another minister for the second three months. Our
that does not have the luxury of a year's time to do its    committee contacted Holland's Consistory and re-
work. Synod's decisions and directives have to be im-       quested the release of Rev. J. Heys for three months.
plemented immediately. Our monthly meetings have This was also graciously granted by the Holland Consis-
been long and arduous,  ati indication that God has tory. The Lord willing Rev. and Mrs. Lubbers will leave
given us work to do and that zeal for this work Nov. 4 for a three months stay in Jamaica, and this will
abounds.                                                    be immediately followed by Rev. and Mrs. Heys' pres-
  The committee consists of the following members, ence for the months of February through April. As
Revs. Heys, Kortering, Lubbers, Schipper, Van Baren,        committee and churches we are grateful that God has
Veldman, and the brethren J. Kalsbeek, D. Kooienga, laid it upon the  hearts of these brethren and their
H. Meulenberg, and G. Pipe. We voted to have Rev.           wives, their consistories and congregations, to give of
Schipper continue to lead us as our capable president themselves for the advance of the work of Christ in
and Rev. Van Baren to serve as our diligent secretary.      Jamaica. May our personal, daily prayers, our congre-
  The Synod of 1969 gave our committee a broad gational prayers on the Sabbath day, be prayers of
mandate to continue to work in Jamaica at our discre- intercession that God may sustain them in their work
tion. Since Rev. J. Heys has declined the call to be and bless it unto the glory of His name through the
missionary, we have considered different ways in which salvation of His Church.
our work can be intensified while First Church of             Looking forward to an extended stay on the part of
Grand Rapids, the calling church, extends the call to these missionary-pastors, our committee decided that
other ministers. It is our inmost desire and prayer that it would be in the interest of good business manage-
God may lay the call to full-time service in Jamaica' ment and  proper use of the Lord's money, that we
upon the heart of one of our ministers. In the  ,mean-      invest in certain items that are essential to the work.
time we must advance the cause of the gospel as best We have already leased a house in Montego Bay for 1
we can, believing that God will use it to further gather year, subject to renewal for another year. We author-
His people in Jamaica and strengthen those already ized the purchase of used furniture that can be secured
made part of the body of Christ.                            in Montego Bay and if necessary later on, resold to the
  In pursuing this goal, we requested the Southwest         seller, a dealer in real estate and new and used fumi-
Consistory to release Rev. Lubbers for.a period of five ture. We also authorized the purchase of a Ford,
months, in order that he might labor for this duration Cortina. Though it involves a larger investment, on the
in Jamaica. The Consistory of Southwest decided that long run it is much cheaper than renting an auto,
they would be willing to release their minister for this    especially for more than six months, In all these de-
period of time, but that if it were possible for another tails, the Lord has opened a way, and, we are confi-
minister to go for three months, they would prefer dent, will continue to do so in the future.
that Rev. Lubbers be released for three months and            The deacons of Southwest Church have completed a


108                                         THE STANDARD BEARER


clothing drive and during the week of October 12 have that this need persists. Either Rev. Lubbers or Heys
shipped via truck approximately three thousand will be able to tell you where they should be sent.
pounds of used clothing. This will travel "piggy-back"        The Mission Committee has decided to become in-
from Miami to Kingston, Jamaica and finally by rail to volved in another area outside the shores of our
Montego Bay. The adage, "Practice makes perfect" country, namely Indonesia.
applies to' our shipping used clothing. The shipment          As many of our readers know, the congregation of
will arrive there D.V. when Rev. and Mrs. Lubbers will Lynden, Washington under the enthusiastic leadership
be there, hence they can assist in cutting the red-tape of her pastor, Rev. B. Woudenberg has been engaged in
of duty free entrance and assist in the distribution. an active and interesting literature and tape distri-
Instead of wrapping all dresses in one box, ladies' hats bution program. Each week this little congregation
in another, &d men's suits in still another, a quantity advertises locally and encourages her members and all
of each was ljlaced in each large box and the names of interested people in the area to meet together for Bible
the different churches on the outside. Instead of Lucea discussion. These discussions center around a study
getting all ladies hats, hopefully they will get an assort- sheet prepared by Rev. Woudenberg and distributed
ment of clothing. Also in the gathering and sending of ahead of time. While this material is being discussed, it
this clothing, our people have shown the love for the is also recorded on tape and both the study sheets as
cause and with openness of heart sh?sed in this expres- well as a taped version of the meeting is made available
sion of mercy.                                              to anyone interested. These study sheets are sent all
  We would like to remind our readers that there are a over our country each week, totaling on an average of
number of different causes to which we can contribute one thousand in number, and the tapes of the study
financially. For the purpose of clarification and en- class number about thirty-six each week. This congre-
couragement to give, we enumerate the following. gation is to be commended for this zeal in reaching out
Synod requested all our churches to take up four with the witness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Besides
collections during the year 1970 for the church build- all this, the Sunday church service is broadcast over the
ing expenses. There is a good possibility that the legal local FM radio station on Sunday afternoon at 2:00
problems concerning clear deed of land and ownership p.m. and on the reverse side of the tapes containing the
of property can be ironed out soon and the congrega- study class discussion, there is recorded one of the
tions properly incorporated. Once this is done, prog- sermons preached on Sunday. Any of our readers inter-
ress can be made on building improvements. The ested in receiving this material may contact Rev. B.
money for these collections should be sent to our Woudenberg, 8541 Depot Rd., Lynden, Washington
Synodical Treasurer, Mr. C. Pastoor. There continues 98264 for information.
to be a real need for benevolence, the care of the poor.      By means of this witness, interest has been stimu-
This includes the support of widows, orphans, medical lated in different areas. Brian, Ohio is presently re-
expenses, and other ways. The money should be sent ceiving bulk mailings of the study sheets. Last winter,
to the diaconate of  fiudsonville Church, Mr. Gerald' Rev. Woudenberg conducted a study class each week in
Cnossen the treasurer. In addition to these, there are the Ladner, Canada area. Contact has been established
two other special funds. The first is for future students with some of the Primitive Baptists in the south. These
in Jamaica, who  .aspire to the ministry of the Word. sheets also found their way to a former missionary to
Synod decided to begin this fund and recommend it to Indonesia, Mr. Harold Gerring, who presently operates
our societies and different organizations. This is a Evangelical Scripture Mission, a business enterprise
long-term fund which is begun now, with a view to which prints, distributes, translates, and handles corres-
being available' as soon as such a student(s) will be pondence relating to gospel material sent to Indonesia.
selected. Money for this fund should be so designated         Mr. Gerring contacted the Lynden Consistory and
and sent to our  Synodical Treasurer,. Mr. C. Pastoor. requested that if at all possible, these study sheets of
Finally, there is the fund for travel expenses of Revs.. Rev. Woudenberg would serve as an excellent corres-
Frame, Elliott, and Ruddock. Requests for this cause pondence course for newly converted Moslems who
have been sent by our Jamacia sub-committee to all have been converted to the Reformed faith and were
our consistories and societies and will be handled by aspiring members of the Reformed Church of Indo-
them. This money should be sent. to Mr. H. Meulen- nesia. Mr. Gerring informed them that fifteen thousand
berg, who will process these requests on behalf of our copies of a 16 lesson booklet could be translated into
committee.                                                  the native tongue, printed, and distributed for the cost
  As a concluding note on Jamaica, we also would like of about $500.00, or thirty thousand copies for about
to make known the need for Psalters and Bibles. Mariy $850.00. By means-of an appeal to those who received
of the Psalters and Bibles sent in the past were used, the study sheets and other interested people, Lynden
and these do not last very long in the humid.climate.       was able to raise the money necessary for a first
Any of our churches or individuals that have extras or printing of fifteen thousand copies. Prior to this how-
desire to supply new ones, should be aware of the fact ever, they had requested our Mission Committee to


                                                THE STANDARD BEARER                                              109



furnish money for this work and support this cause. response they receive from this project, and this we
Synod did not have sufficient information on this will forward to our interested readers. We now have
project, so it was returned to our committee to investi- another cause that must be remembered in our prayers,
gate and come to some decision. This we did at our the distribution of the printed word to converted Mos-
October meeting; we decided to forward the $350.00 lems in Indonesia.
balance which is necessary for an initial printing of         As a concluding note, our readers who also listen to
thirty thousand copies.                                     the Reformed Witness Hour will hear, during the
  Two things are worthy of note in this decision. The month of January, an appeal to send in cards and
first is that this demonstrates a good and proper rela- letters indicating the station to which they listen. This
tionship between the local congregation and the Mis- will be in harmony with the decision  of Synod to
sion Committee. The zeal for witnessing and the drive conduct a letter month. On the basis of-the return to
for church extension must come from our people in this appeal, we will evaluate each  stazion and judge
the local congregation. When this prospers under the whether we should continue broadcasting on that sta-
blessing of God, the local congregation seeks the assis- tion or not. We urge our readers to participate in this
tance of the Mission Committee when this is needed, appeal.
and if a way is open for working intensely in a new           Once we determine the effectiveness of our radio
area, that can then be turned over to the Mission broadcast, we hope to decide on some new area out-
Committee whose work it is to regulate such mission side the immediate scope of our churches in which we
work. In the second place, we must give the fruits of can concentrate our witness and co-ordinate the wit-
this work over to God who controls the spread of the ness of the radio, printed page, and eventually the
gospel. Obviously, this is something new for our preaching of the Word.
churches. Even as radio broadcasting is directed by           May God bless our efforts at  home and abroad,
God to the hearers, so these printed correspondence whether we labor in the office of all believers or the
courses will go into this foreign land and be guided by special office of minister, elder, or deacon, that the
God to whomsoever He will. We have requested Church may be gathered  ..and God be praised as the
Lynden Consistory to keep us informed as to what God of our salvation.


In His Fear

                                 Sowing The Seed
                                                     (Concluded)

                                                  Rev. John A. Heys

  With this contribution to our department we plan to Porters Mt. that night and could not go that way with
bring this report, filed with the Mission Committee and the trunk open. The bundle squeezed in the back seat
read at the 1969 Synod, to a close.                         had to stay there; and since Mr. Feenstra was ill, there
  In the last installment we were reporting about the was still room for the three of us.
shipment of clothing which had been sent to the breth-        We had held a service Wednesday night and Rev.
ren and sisters in Jamaica and which we were to Ruddock explained to us that his truck driver had
supervise as to obtaining it from customs and distrib- disappointed him and did not show up because he had
uting to the churches. The report continues.                a bigger hauling job that day which would pay more.
  Thursday, Rev. Ruddock came with his truck driver           The service that Wednesday night was at' Sunder-
for his share of the clothing, but he was late, and we land, and we enjoyed it even though we were ridiculed
missed him. To make sure we went back in the after- and mocked by jroung  men at the bottom of the hill.
noon to the freight house and found that his little Our car was parked there in the vicinity of the origin
station wagon could not hold all the bundles. There of the mockery and blasphemy that came  upward to
still were two left, no, one was a wooden box of hats our ears. We were somewhat fearful of more flat tires,
and purses. We squeezed the bundle into the back seat btit our covenant  God  took care of us.  Two  flat  tires
of our compact and got the box in the trunk being there would mean that we would have to stay there all
forced to keep the lid open. Back at the villa we night. We were almost to the end of the road which ran
opened the box and spread the hats and purses on dead up against the mountain. Help could not be
papers on the floor of the trunk. For we had to go to       obtained until morning. You just do not find a gasoline


110                                             THE STANDARD BEARER


station around every corner in the Jamaican hills! And We had a very enjoyable hour in our group discussion,
Mr. Feenstra was at home very sick and alone with no this time on the parable of the  Publican and the
way at all for us to send him word. We experienced Pharisee. At night Rev. Heys preached on those words
again that "underneath are the Everlasting Arms."             of Paul, ". . . much more in my absence work out your
       Thursday night we did deliver the last of the cloth- own salvation . . :", Philippians 2: 12, 13.
ing. The Southeast deacons did an excellent job of              The parting was hard. All present one by one filed
packing, and the goods arrived in perfect condition. across the platform to shake our hands and to wish us
The brethren. and sisters expressed their great apprecia- God's blessing. We find it hard to believe that these
tion for the clothing. The service that Thursday night men (and this time it was men) of a different race and
was on Porters Mt. in a Baptist church building. The color, weeping as they came forward to such an extent
whole neighborhood was invited to attend. The Por- that they did not dare to say a word but only gripped
ters, after whom the mountain was named, were also your hand firmly and walked on, have not also grasped
there. There was good attention to the sermon on the Word of God  firmly in the truth which we
Rev. 22: 12, a text that Rev. Ruddock had requested preached. We left, sad at parting but wonderfully
for this service. And we do here wish to underscore the encouraged in soul that our labors were not in vain.
words of Rev. Frame and Rev. Elliott, "Some will They sang, "God be with you till we meet again." And
leave, but many will stay and do follow for the spir- we went down the hill with that ringing in our hearts,
itual bread." How else shall we explain that here on wondering whether that would ever be again in this
Porters Mt.,. where we have no church, but where Rev. life. We remember Dr. Schilder's words, "Saying fare-
Ruddock lives, his people from Fort William came for well is dying a little."
the service? They began to walk up the mountain from            Monday a goodly group was at the airport  - even
Ft. William at 4 P.M. and arrived at 7 P.M., a three from Reading and Islington - to see us off. It was a far
hour walk up, which meant also a three hour walk bigger group than last year. Safe journeys home were
down in the dark after the service.                           ours; and though the work is behind, our thoughts
       They did not come that night for shillings or ma- return to those with whom we worked every day; and
terial goods. Nor did the people from Hope Hill, who we present them in their  sp'iritual need to our
came by truck way across the island for that last churches, but above all to our covenant God Who gave
Sunday which we spent on the island. We gave them no us the privilege to serve in this field.
money for travel, gave no one any money for travel              Considering all the above it will become plain that
with the exception of the ministers when we sent them we had eight action-filled weeks. And if this is not
on an errand. We gave no money for group travel or for sufficient to show it, then the fact that our little
individuals to travel, unless it was to go to the doctor. compact had 3,620 miles more on it, when for the last
We gave them the Word. And they came back and time we parked it at the airport than when we picked
travelled great distances  for that Word.  They desire it up there, will indicate this fact. Phone service is of
money greatly for their buildings and for their needs; no consequence, even though we had one at the villa.
and they do need better buildings to meet the stan- So few people have one and so few establishments.
dards of the government, which  ,is a requirement, if You have to ride over to see and meet. Mail service on
their ministers are to be given the right to perform the the island is slow and poor. And with the exception of
marriage ceremony. We explained to them, and told that trip to Accompong in the cockpit country we
their ministers to explain to them, that we could give took no excursions or sightseeing tours.
nothing for these buildings until their properties were         In all, then, we attended 32 services and covered the
legally secured.                                              churches on the island as fully as possible. We met with
       Our last Sunday was memorable. The three of us most of the congregations on Sunday for our Bible
went to Lucea in the morning and were pleased to see discussion sessions; and this year stayed with the
these Hope Hill people there. At night groups from all people as much as possible and became better ac-
over the island were present. ,Rev. Heys took his cou- quainted with them. We found them to be a simple but
rage in the morning and preached a simplified version sincere people, having the same weaknesses of the flesh
of his lecture on "The Last Hour" preaching on I John that we have, but spiritually eager to hear what we
2: 18 where this expression appears. We were surprised have to say from God's Word.
at the contact that was made and was held throughout              Wishing you God's blessing and
the entire sermon. This congregation at Lucea does                fruit upon all your difficult
seem to be able to dig into the truth more deeply than            and important labours
some others. Instead of taking along a packed lunch we              we remain,
went back home for lunch since Mr. Feenstra wanted                                   Fraternally
to be at that farewell sermon at night if at all possible.                           The Emissaries of 1968
He really was not fit, but the spirit was willing, even                                  W.S. John A. Heys
though the flesh was weak; and he did go back with us.                                   W.S. Thys Feenstra


                                             THE STANDARD BEARER                                                 111



  And so ends the report of the emissaries of 1968. is quite late as far as our needs are concerned for
We do like to add a few lines of information. In our young men with education and ability to serve in the
own churches we are deeply concerned with the short- ministry. One redeeming feature, however, is the fact
age of ministers to serve our congregations. The matter that these Jamaicans have keen and quick minds. They
is even more critical in the Protestant Reformed have much to learn of the Reformed Faith because
Churches in Jamaica. Rev. Elliott is a man in his they were never taught it before. But they are quick to
sixties, and at the time of the  labours of 1968 was grasp the truth and to see its beauty. Rev. Elliott
serving eleven churches. Making a continuous circuit expressed it for them all, no doubt, when he told the
this means that each congregation can see him only emissaries of this year that after being taught these five
once in eleven weeks! And there are no Seminarians or points of Calvinism he can now see what he always
professors to occupy these other ten pulpits  - or for believed but could not see so clearly, namely, that
that matter as much as one of them! - but the elders nothing can separate us from the love of God.
take over. Rev. Frame is only a little younger and has        Indeed, so it must be! For these five points of
five churches to serve, which means that even if he Calvinism display the certain perseverance of the saints
kept up a circuit, his people would see him no more through all trial and tempest, because they declare a
than once a month. And so often it happens less than basic truth of the Word of God, namely,  God.every-
this. The same is true with Rev. Ruddock, who has five thing; man nothing! They present a  totally  depraved
churches, and is one year younger than Rev. Frame.         sinner whose election will have to be and is  zlncon-
  Add to this the fact that these ministers do not have ditional,   for their depravity, according to Ephesians
cars to drive from church to church and the fact that 2: 1, consists in this that they are dead in trespasses and
these churches are so scattered; and you can see that sin. On the other hand, these five points speak of a
travel between two churches on a Sunday is not the God Who elects and by this election limits the atone-
easiest thing, nor very apt to happen.                     ment achieved by Christ, and then  irresistibly  draws
  It becomes plain, then, that young men must be these by His grace. Of man they say that, being dead,
trained for the ministry in these churches. This is a he does nothing. Of God they say that ALL of our
must! It is encouraging to know that there are young salvation is of Him, through Him and unto Him. Then
men who desire to prepare for this work. But due to we can be sure that dead men are not only made alive
the past history of the island there are few who are but stay alive and persevere to the end. God is every-
prepared to receive any training before finishing the thing, also in that perseverance.
equivalent of a high school education. The Jamaican           We commend these brethren and sisters, whose color
government since their independence six years ago has and temperament complements ours in the body of
made tremendously large and rapid strides in building Christ, to God's grace and care, and to you in your
schools and of educating the youth of the land. But it prayers on their behalf.
                                                                       .-.e......     i..:        .


A Cloud of Witnesses

                                    The Revolt of Sheba
                                               Rev. B. Woudenberg

             And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of
          Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew a trumpet, and said, We have no part in David, neither have
          we inheritance in. the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, 0 Israel.
                                                                                              II Samuel 20:1"

  Nathan the prophet had told David after the death little squabble. The men of the tribe of Judah, after
of Uriah, "Now therefore the sword shall never depart first hesitating to give any indication of support to
from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and David at all, had suddenly turned under the requested
hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy encouragement of Zadok and Abiathar the priests to
wife." Little did David at that time realize how meet David with a rousing welcome at the ford of
painfully true, this would be. And it continued to be so Jordan. In fact, the whole ceremony of welcome all of
after he had returned to the throne of Jerusalem after the way from Jordan to Jerusalem was so completely
his fleeing from Absalom.                                  dominated by them that the rest of the tribes felt
  It began with what could only be considered a picky slighted. Judah had been the leading tribe in Absalom's


112                                          THE STANDARD BEARER


rebellion, it had been the last to urge his return, and This was the customary sign for the giving of an
yet it had received almost exclusive recognition in his important announcement or the starting of a campaign
restitution. Angered, the rest of the tribes sent a hot of one kind or another. When a crowd had gathered
message to David complaining, "Why have our breth- around, this is what he said, "We have no part in
ren the men of Judah stolen thee away, and have David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse:
brought the king, and his household, and all David's every man to his tents, 0 Israel." It spoke to the hearts
men with him, over Jordan?"                                of the people, for this was exactly how they felt.
  It was not, however, the king that gave the answer. Quickly the word spread through all of the nation and
Whether through the neglect of David or what, the soon there were  sizeable numbers of every tribe  but.
men of the tribe of Judah heard of the complaint and Judah which had turned from David and were claiming
immediately sent off a reply in the same unbrotherly allegiance to Sheba.
tone, "Because the king is near of kin to us: wherefore      David, when he heard of this new development, was
then be ye angry for this matter? Have we eaten at all agitated and even frightened. Hardly had one rebellion
of the king's cost? or hath he gi?en us any gift?"         been stomped out and there was another one in the
  Here was something which David's kingdom at this making. This time, however, he was not going to wait
point did not need and could not stand - an arrogant to give it time to grow and fester. Immediately he
claim of  superio.$ty,  by one tribe over against the called his new captain, Amasa, and instructed him,
others. Alrkady the' fe&ings ,q.,.f the eleven tribes were "Assemble me the men of Judah within three days,
smarting, and for Judah  now  %o claim that it had a and be thou here present."
right to special privileges and considerations because       As it was, however, Amasa was hardly an experi-
the king was of their kin was too much. Quickly the enced leader. He had served in the position of captain
wounded answer came back from the other tribes in for only a short time under Absalom and that quite
their own defense, "We have ten parts in the king, and unsuccessfully. The men under him were strange and
we have also more right in David than ye: why then suspicious; it had been so very shortly before that he
did ye despise us, that our advice should not be first had been fighting against them as a rebel and an
had in bringing back our king?" But the men of Judah enemy. And then besides, he was not particularly
felt themselves to be in the position of `power, and courageous. Delay as was followed by Absalom was
they were not about to share it with any others.           much more easily followed than quick and decisive
  It was a time when David surely should have stepped action. The result was that the three days which David
in and used some of his natural discretion. When had allowed, and more, had passed with nothing
before the eleven tribes had invited his return while as happening.
yet the tribe of Judah was unheard from, he had had          But David was impatient. His had always been the
the wisdom to wait and to see to it that Judah was way of quick and definite action. Delays such as this
encouraged, so that willingly he might be received back simply were not to his liking. And yet, he had just so
by the same nation. And now it was just the other way recently appointed Amasa to his position. It would
around: the men of Judah had drawn close to him hardly reflect well to discharge him immediately. The
while the other tribes felt alienated and distant. Just a result was that he decided to bypass him. He turned to
few words. of kindness and recognition was all that was a man whom he knew he could trust to lay out a
needed. But David Was growing old, and through all of prompt and powerful attack against an enemy,
the hardships of recent years, he had lost a great deal Abishai, Joab's brother. To him he said, "Now shall
of his former versatility. It was becoming so easy for Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did
him to draw back and let things go their own course in Absalom: Take thou thy lord's servants, and pursue
the h,ope that they would take care of themselves. And after him, lest he get him fenced cities, and escape us."
so he did here.                                              In his choice of Abishai David had been quite
  In fact, it might have even worked, had it not been correct as far as expecting decisive action. What he
for the fact that there was an opportunist waiting to -forgot was the closeness of that family and the
take advantage of his failure. It was a man named opportunity that this provided for Joab.
Sheba, of the tribe of Benjamin and possibly relation        As it was, David should have known better than to
to the family of Saul. He had no particular ability and think that a man of Joab's strength could be merely
there was no particular reason why he should ever be shunted aside after all of the years in which he had
granted any special recognition. But the possibility was ruled David's army. In fact, David himself was really
there to created trouble and he was unscrupulous not capable of getting along without him. Although at
enough to use it. The people felt forsaken and rejected times David disliked Joab's self-assured and determined
and  were open to any suggestion that might seem to manner, and at times he suffered under his presumptu-
restore  their `own feelings of importance and  self- ousness, as in the death of Absalom, he needed this
respect. It didn't matter who gave it.                     strength of a strong captain to maintain the power of
  Thus Sheba took to himself a trumpet and blew it. his kingdom. This was evident in the fact that so soon


                                              THE STAN DPrRD BEARER                                                113


 again he turned back from Amasa to Abishai.                after Joab, which most of them freely did.
   But the matter even went much deeper than that.            It  was  .not  ,long under the restored leadership of
 This rebuff had hit Joab where it hurt as nothing eise Joab that- the pursuit of Sheba was turned into a rout.
 could. All of his life had been spent in David's service, From city to city he fled with an ever dwindling army.
 and it had been a service of complete loyalty and I%e never had been much of a leader and with Joab
 dedicated throughout. Even the killing of Absalom had pursuing him few were willing to help. At last he took
 been more out of a consideration of David's own refuge in a walled city named Abel of  Bethmaabhah.
 well-being than anything else. His sudden rejection by Immediately  Joalj set a siege about the city and
 David, thus in favor of Amasa, had hit him in the one erected fortifications about it.
 tender spot which he had, his loyalty to his king and        It was while this was taking place that a woman of
 master. It was a blow from which he never fully the city called down. "Hear, hear; say, I pray you,
 recovered again so that he could never give himself as unto Joab, Come, near hither, that I may speak with
 completely to the king's service as he had before.         thee."
   Nevertheless, even at this he remained the strong          Quickly the message was brought to Joab and he
 character and determined fighter he had always been. approached as close as he safely could to hear what she
 Thus when Abishai his brother was called upon to lead had to say. Once the woman had ascertained that  ,it
 the army for his campaign he saw his opportunity. He was indeed Joab to whom she spp@,, `.`@~~  the words
 simply joined himself to Abishai's party. Moreover, of thine handmaid.  Theyi  .sver&  &ont to  @peak in old
 hardly had the army left Jerusalem when he singled time, saying, they sh&ll%irely  ask counsel at Abel: and
 out and approached Amasa. Just as he came close to so they ended the matter. I am one of them that are
 him he caused, as though accidentally, that his sword peaceable and faithful in Israel: thou seekest to
 should fall out at Amasa's feet. With his left hand he destroy a city and a mother in Israel:  -why wilt thou
 stooped to pick this up, and when he rose up he swallow up the inheritance of the Lord?" Evidently so
 extended his right hand to Amasa's face as though to small had Sheba's force become that his presence in
 grasp him in an embrace; and with a kiss, according to the city was hardly recognized as the cause for the
 the usual custom of intimate greeting, he politely attack of Joab. Actually, the people did not even know
 asked, "Art thou in health, my brother?" But his for sure why they were being besieged.
 intentions were quite different. With the left hand, he      But Joab was quick with an answer. He said; "Far be
 took the sword which he held and thrust it into it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or
 Amasa's heart so that he fell dead to the ground. It was destroy. The matter is not so: but a man of mount
 Joab's way of doing a thing, not greatly different from Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, hath lifted
 his slaying of Abner or even of Absalom, cold-blooded, up his hand against the king, even against David:
 perhaps, but quick, definite and final.                    deliver him only, and I will depart from the city."
   Neither was Joab ashamed of what he had done.              To this the woman answered Joab, "Behold, his
 Although he himself went on, he left one of his men head shall be thrown to thee over the wall." And so it
 standing by the body of Amasa to meet everyone who was that the revolt of Sheba was ended.
 came along with the challenge, "He that favoureth            As for Joab, with yet another victory to his credit,
 Joab, and he that is for David, let him go after Joab." he could not easily be dispensed with again. Neither
 As it was, however, the whole thing was too repulsive. did David want to try it once more. As much as Joab's
 Rather than hastening to join Joab in his regained harsh and often cruel ways were opposed to his own
 strength, they stood in stony and shocked amazement nature, through the years he had developed a reliance
unable to move. Realizing this, the servant of Joab upon him which could hardly be broken. With little
 soon shoved the body off into the ditch, covered it more ado, he merely allowed Joab to return to h@ old
 with a cloth, and merely urged the people to go on position.





      Behold He Cometh ($9.95) or Reformed Dogmatic* ($14.96)
                                                                                                      "
                      would make a worthwhile Christmas gift.


114                                                   THE STANDARD BEARER



Contending for the Faith

                                        THE.. DOCTRINE OF SIN
                                            THE THIRD PERIOD - 730-1517 A.d.
                                              PROTESTANT DOCTRINE OF SIN
                                                    ACCORDING TO CALVIN

                                                           Rev. H. Veldman

  Indeed, Calvin teaches emphatically that the deepest                 Wherefore, let men torture themselves as long as they
reason why the gospel is a savor of death unto death is                will with reasoning, the cause of the difference made
that the Lord does not attempt to save them. How                       - why God does not reveal His arm equally to all -
numerous are the passages in Calvin's Calvinism in                     lies hidden in  His own eternal decree. The whole of
which the reformer emphasizes the sovereignly partic-                  the Evangelist's argument amounts evidently to this:
ular character of the mercy of the Lord as bestowed                    that faith is a special gift, and that the wisdom of
upon the elect and withheld from the reprobate. It is                  Christ is too high and too deep to come within the
                                                                       compass of man's understanding. The unbelief of the
true that these passages appear in that part of Calvin's               world, therefore, ought not to astonish us, if even the
Calvinism which stresses Divine predestination, and to                 wisest and most acute of men fail to believe. Hence,
quote these passages at length would lead us too far                   unless we would elude the plain and confessed mean-
upstream, inasmuch as we are treating the doctrine of                  ing of the Evangelist, that few receive the Gospel, we
sin. Even so, however, to call attention to the teaching               must fully conclude that the cause is the will of God;
of Common Grace in the writings of Calvin and to the                   and that the outward sound of that Gospel strikes
teaching of Common Grace as set forth in the Three                     the ear in vain until God is pleased to touch by it the
Points of 1924 and surely repudiated by Calvin can be                  heart within.
of interest to our readers. Permit us, then, to quote                 In this connection, we may note that Calvin does
one more passage from Calvin's Calvinism. We could speak of a revealed and hidden will of God, and that
call attention to what Calvin has to say in his interpre- this revealed will wills the salvation of all who come
tation of Ezekiel 33: 11, Matt. 23:37 and I Tim. 2:4. under the preaching of the gospel. Yet, we must try to
But let this quotation suffice (incidentally, Calvin also understand Calvin here. It is striking that Calvin here is
treats at length a passage such as Romans 9), page 8 1:            opposing a certain Pighius, a defender of the free will,
         Now let us listen to the Evangelist John. He will be      exactly because Pighius teaches that God would save
       no ambiguous interpretei of this same passage of the        all though the preaching of the gospel. We read on page
       prophet Isaiah. "But though (says John) Jesus had           65 of Calvin's Calvinism:
       done so many miracles before them, yet they be-                   Now  P&huis  explains the solemn case thus: that
       lieved not on Him, that the saying of Esaias the                salvation is not due to any endeavour of ours, nor to
       prophet might be fulfilled which he spake, Lord, who            any works of ours, for  this  reason,  because  God
       hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm              freely  caZls   us to that salvation. He amuses himself
       of the Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not             with his opinions quite securely, imagining that he
       believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath                can by one word of his easily do away with the
       blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart," etc.             whole doctrine of the apostle at once. Whereas Paul's
       Now, most certainly John does not here give us to               conclusion is derived thus: because God elects those
       understand that the Jews were prevented from believ-            whom He saves by His own absolute good pleasure,
       ing by their sinfulness. For though this be quite true          and not from any difference of works in  their  lives
       in one sense, yet the cause of their not believing must         from the works and lives of others;  therefore,  "It is
       be traced to a far higher source. The secret and                not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but
       eternal purpose and counsel of God must be viewed               of God that showeth mercy;" thus making the whole
       as the original cause of their blindness and unbelief.          turn on the mercy of God alone. But Pighius thinks
       It perplexed, in no small degree, the ignorant and the          that he has made a clean escape when he talks about
       weak, when they heard that there was no place for               grace being extended to all, whereas it is due to no
       Christ among the people of God (for the Jews were               one.
       such). John explains the reason by showing that none          Moreover, on page 153 of this same book Calvin
       believes save those to whom it is given, and that there     writes that Pighius teaches the following:
       are few to whom God reveals His arm. This other                    After this, Pighius, like a wild beast escaped from
       prophecy concerning "the arm of the Lord," the                  his cage, rushes forth, bounding over all fences in his
       Evangelist weaves into his argument to prove the                way, uttering such sentiments as these: "The mercy
       same great truth. And his words have a momentous                of God is extended to every one, for God wishes all
       weight. He says,  `Therefore, they could not believe. "         men to be saved; and for that end He stands and


                                                    THE.STANDARD  BEARER                                                         115



    knocks at the door of our heart, desiring to enter.             He does not will the repentance of those whom He
    Therefore, those were elected before the foundation             externally calls, in such a manner as to affect all their
    of the world, by whom  He  foreknew  He should be               hearts. Nor should He on this account be charged
    received. But God hardens no one, excepting by His              with acting deceitfully; for, though His external call
    forebearance,  in`the same manner as too fond parents           only renders those who hear without obeying it inex-
    ruin their children by excessive indulgence.                    cusable, yet it is justly esteemed the testimony of
  We do well, to understand what Calvin writes about                God's grace, by which He reconciles men to Himself.
the revealed  ,will of God, to bear in mind that he is              Let us observe, therefore, the design of the prophet
opposing this teaching of Pighius. That God, in His                 in saying that God has no pleasure in the death of a
revealed will, wills the salvation of all, must always be           sinner; it is to assure the pious of God's readiness to
understood in connection with the external calling,                 pardon them immediately on their repentance, and
and this external calling always rests upon a condition.            to show the impious the aggravation of their sin in
Repeatedly Calvin declares that the hidden will of God              rejecting such great compassion and kindness of God.
                                                                    Repentance, therefore, will always be met by Divine
is the unchangeable origin of all things, and that God              mercy; but on whom repentance is bestowed, we are
did not merely permit the destruction of the ungodly                clearly taught by Ezekiel himself, as well as by all the
but that He willed it. And then Calvin means the                    prophets and apostles.
universal calling, when he treats God's revealed will;           Note, please, in the above quotation, how carefully
that this universal calling invites all men, without ex- Calvin maintains the unchangeable counsel of God, also
ception, to salvation; that this will of God must never in his explanation of Ezekiel 33 : 11, and that he em-
be explained as in any sense in conflict with God's phasizes the particular character of the call of God as it
hidden will, but that he invites all men upon a certain is directed to men through the preaching of the gospel.
condition, namely faith; and that the Lord witnesses to If the Lord would have all men to be saved, why, asks
all men that he who believes shall be saved. In other Calvin, does the Lord not provide all men with the
words, the Lord, when inviting all men to salvation opportunity of repentance by having His gospel
through the preaching of the gospel, calling all men preached to all men. And the reformer declares the
unto salvation, declares, sets forth the truth that He same thought in his explanation of I Tim. 2:4. Indeed,
saves only those who believe. This is plain from Cal- in this explanation of Ezek. 33: 11 Calvin identifies
vin's explanation of Ezek. 33: 11, according to lily God's revealed will with the external calling; that this
24,15:                                                         calling must be explained out of God's hidden will, and
          But as objections are frequently raised from some
    passages of Scripture, in which God seems to deny          that, in this external calling, which comes to all who
    that the destruction of the wicked is caused by His        hear the gospel without distinction, God does not will
    decree, but that, in opposition to His remonstrances,      the salvation of all, but merely proclaims what is
    they voluntarily bring ruin upon themselves,  - let us     pleasing to Him, namely that the repentant does not
    show by a brief explication that they are not at all       perish but is saved. Calvin teaches that it is God's
    inconsistent with the foregoing doctrine. A passage is     purpose to assure the pious of their salvation, and
    produced from Ezekiel, where God says, "I have no          never does Calvin teach that a certain favour of God
    pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the          goes out to the wicked in the preaching of the gospel.
    wicked turn from his way and live." If this is to be         Common Grace, as expressed in the Second Point,
    extended to all mankind, why does he not urge many         speaks of a restraint of sin by the Holy Spirit, within
    to repentance, whose minds are more flexible to            the life of the individual sinner. In contrast, Calvin
    obedience than those of others, who grow more and
    more  .callous  to his daily invitations? Among the        teaches in his Institutes that there is such a restraint of
    inhabitants of Ninevah and Sodom, Christ  Himself          God only in connection with his outward deeds, al-
    declares that His evangelical preaching and miracles       though we may add that the reformer speaks only very
    would have brought forth more fruit than in  Judea.        seldom of God's restraining power in relation to the
    How is it, then, if God will have all men to be saved,     sinner.
    that He opens not the gate of repentance to those            Point Three teaches that God, without renewing the
    miserable men who would be more ready to receive           heart, works in man by His Holy Spirit, enabling him
    the favour? Hence we perceive it to be a violent           to do good before God; the natural man does not
    perversion of the passage, if the will of God, men-        always perform that which is evil in the sight of the
    tioned by the prophet, be set in opposition to His         Lord. This conception is in violent conflict with all the
    eternal counsel, by which He has distinguished the         writings of Calvin. It would require too much space
    elect from the reprobate. Now, if we inquire the           and time to quote all the passages of Calvin relative
    genuine sense of the prophet, his only meaning is to
    inspire the penitent with hopes of pardon. And this is     this matter. We will have opportunity to call attention
    the sum, that it is beyond a doubt that God is ready       to a few of these passages in our following article, but we
    to pardon sinners immediately on their conversion.         may certainly declare at this time that the noted re-
    Therefore He wills not their death, inasmuch as He         former was surely not in sympathy with the view
    wills their repentance. But experience teaches, that       which sets forth the "good that sinners do."


116                                             THE STANDARD BEARER


From  Holy  Writ`

                                 The Book of Hebrews
                                                    Rev. G. Lubbers

THE NECESSITY THAT THE HEAVENLY THINGS through (dia) his own blood. No, he did not enter into
THEMSELVES BE PURIFIED  - continued (Hebrews                  the holy place  with  his blood, but by means of His
9123, 24)                                                     blood. Because of the suffering of death he is crowned
  The reason why the heavenly things themselves need with glory and honor! (Hebrews 2:9; 9 : 11, 12: Philip-
to be sanctified, and that, too, with better things than pians 2:8, 9 ff.) It is not so, that Christ's priestly work
mere sacrifices of goats and bullocks is clearly stated in began after his ascension, as was taught by Socinius.
the text. The Old Testament tabernacle and its  sacri- The atonement was accomplished on the Cross once
fices were mere "copies" of the real and heavenly.            and for all; the intercession is such that now he ever
They were mere means to show by representation what lives in the sanctuary to pray for us. (Hebrews  7:25 ;
the corresponding reality is!                                 Hebrews  9:28). Although, therefore, Christ's high
  These copies were sanctified by sacrifices of goats priestly task did not begin after his ascension, yet it
and bullocks on the annual day of atonement.                  has a very strong seal of God in it that his sacrifice was
  However, the heavenly things themselves also                the sacrifice which had the power to purify the heav-
needed to be purified. Truly, it is not easy to conceive enly temple itself. It is the real purification of the true,
of this rather mystical presentation of this heavenly the real temple of God. Were this not the case Christ
reality. We think of heaven as being pure and holy peu would not have been admitted into the most holy
se. Yes, the earth is in our conception the place where place of heaven!
sin reigned. And thus, in our thinking, we make it              This ought to sink deep into our souls! It must have
difficult to conceive of this matter. It ought to be required a better sacrifice than that of bullocks and
rather obvious, however, that the writer to the               goats. No earthly high priest ever entered into heaven
Hebrews is thinking, of heaven from the point of view itself to represent us. Who among mortals ever as-
of it being the place where a sinful people is to meet a      cended where the angels cover their faces, and where
holy God, and stand before His face. Heaven is God's the trishagion resounds day and night, and where the
throne and the earth is His footstool. And heaven is very cherubims cover their faces because of the glory!
here looked at from the view-point that it is where the But we see Jesus crowned with glory and honor. It was
throne of grace is. It is the place which was portrayed       for the suffering of death, tasting raw death at  Gol-
by the ark of the covenant, whereupon, on the great gotha! His sacrifice was the ticket to enter the heav-
day of atonement, the blood was sprinkled on the enly portals!
mercy-seat. Here justice and mercy kissed each other.           Now may all the saints sing: Hallelujah. He went to
And, where this blood is sprinkled, sin is removed, and       prepare a place for us in heaven itself; it will be our
there is a new and living way to God. From the                dwelling-place forever. And his very presence in heaven
view-point of the people to whom the Mediator repre- is the evidence that He is the better sacrifice, the Lamb
sents before the throne in heaven, heaven, and the very       of God who taketh away the sin of the world! What
center of the heaven, as the place where the saints           was a necessity of the justice of God has now become a
meet. God,' must be purified as a place where God reality. Justice and mercy have kissed each other. The
would have his rest with His people forever!                  justice of God is satisfied in the better sacrifice!
  These heavenly things, and heaven itself, the                  Only thus, when God's justice is satisfied, can the
dwelling-place of redeemed men and angels, must be            Christ appear before God for us.
cleansed with better sacrifices than these mere typical
sacrifices! It must be done by the one sacrifice of CHRIST'S PRESENT MANIFESTATION BEFORE
Christ on the Cross, now in the end of the ages!              GOD FOR US. (Hebrews 9:24b)
  And what is the confirmation and evidence, that               The truth taught here in Hebrews  9:24 b, is a tre-
there was a better sacrifice necessary than those of the mendous argument. It is also a great consolation for
Old Testament dispensation? The convincing evidence the sinner as he seeks the throne of grace. It is the
is in the fact that Christ, the anointed high priest after    truth which Paul denominates with the "yea, rather."
the order of Melchizedek, has entered into the very Yes, Christ died, "yea rather, who is even at the right
heavens itself. The fact of Christ's ascension from           hand of God, who intercedes for us." (Rom. 8:34) It is
Mount Olivet is the proof. He has passed through the          a further and greater benefit of the sufferings of Christ,
very heavens. He has entered into the holy place              and a sure indication that "God is for (huper) us." He is


                                                THE STANDARD BEARER                                                           117


for us in Christ! NOTHING shall separate us from the             The writer to the Hebrews draws a sharp contrast
love of God in Christ Jesus! There is condemnation in here.  He.- contrasts the difference between the one
respect to nothing in all the world . . . for us!              sacrifice brought once (hapax) and the sacrifices in the
  Now, right now, in distinction from the time before Old Testament which were many. (pollakis)  He is not
Christ's suffering on the Cross, Christ is shown in his merely stating a fact; rather he is arguing a certain
official capacity before the face of God. He is shown in point here. The point which he is making so very ably
his official ministry. Here we see Christ in his official is that all the former sacrifices were a rather endless
place to which he was exalted - greater than any priest repetition; an annual event of a rite and service which
of Aaron's house. He is in heaven in our behalf!               was self-perpetuating in that it never was able to
  Not all have conceived of this appearance of Christ cleanse from the guilt and power of sin! The O.T. high
before the face of God in our behalf in the same way.          priest came with the blood of one who was wholly
We do have here the general notion of the advocate other than the priest  (alliotrioo).   That priest did not
with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous one. and could not come with his own blood. Christ sacri-
(I John 2: 1 ff.)                                              ficed Himself! Through the eternal Spirit he offers up
  Modern theologians, who do not take the death of himself to God. But, and this is the point of argument,
Christ seriously (Socinians, c.s.) consider it enough to       Jesus did not come to offer up himself often! Had he
teach that Christ's intercession is nothing more than had to offer himself only once more, then it would
his continued intervention or agency in the salvation of prove that he would be in the same class with the
his people. The Lutherans, at least many of them, offerings of the Old Testament. We would need to see
insist that the intercession is vocalis (vocally) verbalis     the Cross erected many times from the foundation of
(verbally) and localis (locally). However, the Reformed the world. He would also need to have  died often.
theologians consider it enough to say: (1) Christ's There is no offering without death and the shedding
appearing before God in our behalf, as the sacrifice for of blood. Had God required Christ to die once more -
our sins as our high priest, is done on the ground of his then God would have said: the Lamb must be delivered
work; it is for this that we receive the remission of sins,    once more for the sins of the people! But in this case,
the Holy Ghost and all the needed good things of Christ would have had to suffer often!
salvation. (2) Due to Christ's appearance before God             But no! The suffering of the Son of God was in
for us we receive a defense against the sentence of the these last days. Four thousand years had gone by.
law, and the cruel charges of Satan, who is our great Many transgressions were committed under the first
adversary. (3) Before the face of God Christ offers covenant; yea, from the time of the fall of Adam and
himself as our surety, not only that the demands of Eve in Paradise. But all waited, waited! It must await
justice are met, but also that his people shall be obedi- this, the consummation of the ages, the fulness of
ent and faithful. (4) Christ presents the persons of times. Then the Son is born from a woman, and made
those who are redeemed, sanctifying our prayers and under the law! And then he comes. He is now mani-
all our services, rendering us acceptable to God, fested in his true worth and value. He stands manifest
through the savor of his merits. (Compare: Hodge's up to the present moment as the complete and only
Systematic Theology, Vol. II, p. 592; Hoeksema's Re- sacrifice for our sins. The verb in the Greek is perfect
formed Dogmatics, page 374. ff.; "Death Of The Son passive: pephanevootai. God has set him forth a pro-
Of God," page 114).                                            pitiation for our sins!
  Let it not be forgotten that Christ went to heaven             It is only "once" that Christ suffers!
with this expressed purpose, according to the text. He           The conclusion is that there is absolutely not any
must save us to the uttermost. All that he merited for reason left for Christ dying twice!
us in his death on the Cross must be applied to his              Christ came to abolish sin.  feis atheteesin  tees  ha-
exaltation at God's right hand, by means of his inter- mavtias). He did exactly that! He entirely set aside sin,
cession for us before the face of God!                         did away with  sin!  He abolished sin which had its
  This proves that his is the greater sacrifice than that inception in the heart of the Devil, the Father of the
brought by Aaron's priesthood on the typical day of lie. He abolished, nullified sin altogether as it had come
atonement. (Compare: Hebrews 7:27; 9:12,26, 28; into the world through the sin of man, Adam! Sin is
lO:lO, 12, 14; 13:12)                                          gone! It is no more. There is no more guilt of sin, and
                                                               the power of sin is broken. He came and destroyed the
THE "ONCE" OF THE SUFFERING OF CHRIST works of the devil  .at Calvary! The Cross need; nay,
(Hebrews 9:25, 26)                                             may never more be erected. Standing in the end of the
  Christ suffered for our sins, the just for the unjust, ages its towers over sin and death. What Christ died, he
only one time. It never will be repeated. God does not died once; what he lives, he lives unto God.
ask payment twice. Justice satisfied cannot be undone!
And Christ died at his own time for the ungodly. It                 Gift Idea? A gift subscription to The  Standard Bearer
was at the end of the ages!


118                                           THE STANDARD BEARER


The Strength of Youth

                             The Error of Situation Ethics
                                                  Rev. J. Kortering

  Proper criticism of another's position includes two the only foundation upon which a Christian can stand
things: an exposing of their error on the basis of the is the Word of God. The adherents to situation ethics
Word of God, and a positing of the truth which is pay lip service to the Bible, but in reality deny it. If we
demanded of us according to the Scriptures. These two cannot stand with them on the Bible, we have no
aspects of criticism are inseparably related, they form common ground whatsoever. Here then, we must real-
the two poles that attract attention. If we as covenant ize that our purpose is not to convince them, for then
youth are going to be completely polarized by the we would have to digress and first consider the more
Word of God, we must not only see how the world is fundamental question of the authority of the Scrip-
wrong, we must also know what it is to be right.            tures. We aim rather, to see for ourselves as covenant
       Our purpose in this article is to consider the negative young people, that situation ethics is incompatible
pole: we aim to consider how those who advocate and with the faith of one who truly believes the Word of
practice situation ethics are wrong on the basis of the God.
Scriptures. The Lord willing, we shall consider the           We stated before that one who denies the authority
positive aspect in our next article.                        of Scripture tries to construct a "theology" on the
  Having set forth the criteria of criticism, we at once foundation of Humanism and will inevitably end with
realize the difficulty we fact in exposing the error of a "morality" of the same nature. The structure of their
situation ethics. The difficulty is this, that we have no world-and-life-view is built upon the crumbling founda-
common basis upon which we can stand with them.             tion of Man.
  It is true that we could criticize this view from a         The basic criticism of situation ethics is that the
purely social point of view. This is done today by some advocates have a wrong view of God. This is not to say
leading anthropologists, sociologists, and even politi- that they differ on some "minor points", if that is
cians. They do not claim any allegiance whatever to conceivable when speaking of God; rather they deny
the Word of God, although most of them want to be the God of Revelation! Bishop Robinson makes this
known as Christians. Their criticism is not on a Scrip- plain in his book, Honest to God. Having ridiculed the
tural basis; rather they have problems from a social Biblical view of a Personal God, and having reduced
point of view. They openly admire the situational God to some abstract notion of "ground of being", he
approach to morals, yet they have problems with it. accuses those who teach that God is Personal and that
The main problem deals with the practical application all His dealings with Israel were in fact real historical
of this view of morals. They ask how  will this affect events through which He revealed Himself to them, as
society and man in his social enviro'nment. If it is true believing in an idol. Robinson accuses US of idolatry.
that  any  act is justifiable and good, provided it be "But I have a great deal of sympathy also with those
performed lovingly, how can there be order in society? who call themselves atheists. For the God they are
They wrestle, and correctly so, with the problem of tilting against, the God they honestly feel they cannot
community behavior, law enforcement, and controls believe in, is so often an image of God instead of God,
upon the citizen. If murder, adultery, stealing are law- a way of conceiving him which has become an idol,"
ful acts if done in love, who will judge this and who page 126.
will control the citizen who has no love? Will this not       Their rejection of the God revealed in the Scriptures
lead to chaos in society?                                   is the fruit of their acceptance of Humanism, which
  This criticism is, of course, correct. If anything is basically maintains that God exists for man and not
right because it is done in love and does not harm the man for God. The only reason the situationists even
neighbor, but helps him, and another thing is wrong want to talk about a god and hold to any idea of a god,
because it is done in hatred and hurts j the neighbor, is that they recognize that the presence of some divine
then the door is open for personal subjective ideas of being lends a new dimension to man's life. Without
love and good, hate and hurt. This is the autonomy of holding to some idea of a god, man is no different than
the individual in the extreme, and a destruction of any a beast. To make this possible they deny God's sov-
social order. .                                             ereignty and make Him lower than man. This is a
  Our critical approach however, is not social, but terrible sin. We do well to remind ourselves that God is
Scriptural. Here we find it difficult to present to the upon the throne and never is dependent upon man for
situationist any convincing criticism. The reason is that His existence; rather is man dependent upon God. The


                                           THE STANDARD BEARER                                                    319



words of Rom.  11:33-36 express this beautifully, "0 right not only, but also good. This may include steal-
the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowl- ing, murder, adultery, or whatever.
edge of God, how unsearchable are his judgments and           Here too, it is obvious that their conception of law
his ways past finding out! For who hath known the is based upon man, not God. This idea of law begins
mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counselor? Or and ends in the judgment of man and not in the
who hath first given to him and it shall be recom- judgment of God. God says only one thing, love; and
pensed unto him again? For of him and through him man has to determine for himself how he will carry out
and to him are all things, to whom be glory forever. this requirement.
Amen."                                                        This contradicts the Scriptural idea of law. God is
  Quite naturally, this wrong view of God leads to a our covenant Father, and as such He determines for
wrong conception of the law of God. According to the Himself on what basis He will conclude this covenant
situationists, the law of God is reduced to a simple life. The prelude to the pronouncement of the Ten
slogan, "Love, only love." They reject all ideas of God Commandments makes this plain, "I am the Lord thy
giving to man certain warnings concerning specific sins God." Then God spells out in complete detail (10
and certain demands concerning things that must be words) what He requires as the only basis upon which
done. According to them, nothing is wrong in itself, He will be our God and we will be His people. God's
and nothing is right in itself; it all depends upon the law is the sphere within which He is a God of divine
situation. If one is motivated by love, if one has a love and fellowship and,,.outside of which He is a God
purpose that is compatible with love, if one uses loving of wrath and punishment.
means, and if one produces consequences that are
loving, then any deed, no matter what it may be, is                                         (To be continued)




                                 BOOKl3EVIEWS


LATIN AMERICAN CHURCH GROWTH, by W.R. LIFE IN ONE'S STRIDE, by Kenneth  jlamilton;
Read, V.M. Monterroso and H.A. Johnson; Wm. B.             Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1969; 91 pp.,
Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1969; 421 pp., $8.95.             $1.45 (paper).
  This book is necessary reading for all who are inter-       A fairly well-balanced introduction to the life and
ested in or contemplating missionary work in South or thought of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German theologian
Central America. It contains a complete and exhaustive who died at the hands of the Nazis just before the end
survey of evangelical (Protestant) missions in that con- of World War II. Many writings on Bonhoeffer (and
tinent. It discusses the many problems, gains, and they have multiplied almost beyond number) seem to
difficulties of the work there against the background read too much into him; and many developments since
of excellent discussions of the social, political, eco- Bonhoeffer which are supposed to be rooted in Bon-
nomic and ecclesiastical problems of the area. The hoeffer's thought are outrageous impositions. The
value of the book is greatly enhanced by many graphs book tries to set the whole matter in balance and
covering all aspects of the work. The book is the result succeeds on the whole.
of several years of study.                                                                                       H.H.
  The book does not cover missionary work in the
Caribbean Islands and will be of little help in our
present work in Jamiaca. The weakness of the book is REPAID A HUNDREDFOLD, by Charles A. Leonard,
a discouraging and unBibhca1 preoccupation with nu- Sr.; Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1969; 363
merical growth.                                   `H.H. pp., $4.95.
                                                              Charles Leonard, for many years a missionary to
THE EARLY CHURCH, by Henry Chadwick; Wm. B.                mainland China before the Communist takeover, to
Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1968; 304 pp., $6.95.         Northern Manchuria, and Hawaii, tells pf his experi-
  This first volume of "The Pelican History of the         ences in this autobiography. Though extremely discon-
Church" covering the period from the apostles to John nected and skimpy on material which would help
of Damascus is a very readable and interesting descrip-    towards a study of,, missions, the book makes inter-
tion of this most important period in church history.      e s t i n g   r e a d i n g .
Recommended for schools and homes.                H.H.                                                           H.H.


120                                          THE STANDARD BEARER


                              Mews From  Our Churches

                                          Nov. 15,1969           Rev. and Mrs. G. Lubbers
                                                                 General Delivery
  Rev. R. Harbach, pastor of our Kalamazoo Church,               Montego Bay, Jamaica, W. I.
travelled to Hudsonville on Nov. 7 to speak at the              Air mail, at  1% a half ounce, takes 3 or 4 days.
League Meeting of the Grand Rapids area Prot. Ref. Surface mail, three weeks!
Churches. Under the theme "True Worship Defended,"                                     *  * *
he spoke particularly about those who claim to be               Speaking of sharing burdens, we find from Hudson-
"reforming" the liturgy by making it more relevant to ville's bulletin that Rev. H. Veldman will "lead the
the needs of today's church-goers. They rebel against evening classes of our Southwest Church on Wednes-
the sacraments (at least, the way we celebrate them), day" during the absence of their pastor. And, from
and against the pulpit (they want equal involvement), Southeast Church, we learn that on Nov. 16, in the
and even against the pews (they want to sit on the absence of Rev. M. Schipper, who has a classical
floor). But, as the speaker pointed out, their funda- appointment at Southwest, the "pulpit is scheduled to
mental error is that they want nothing of the mark of be supplied in the morning by Seminarian Wayne
the true church - the pure preaching of the Word.             Bakkering, and in the evening by Seminarian Marvin
  `.Z                     *  x  *                             Kamps".
  The annual convention of the teachers of Adams,                                      * * *
Hope, Covenant, and South Holland Prot. Ref. schools            According to an October bulletin of Isabel's Hope
was held on Nov. 6 and 7 at our new high school. They         Church, "it is that very pleasant time of the year when
attended a seminar concerning John Calvin's ideas our office-bearers meet with the congregation on fam-
about education, listened to a captivating speech ily visitation." What a beginning!
dealing with the teaching of literature, and participated                              *  * *
in an art workshop in which they had an opportunity             How about this from Lynden's bulletin? That
to demonstrate their ineptitude at sculpturing with church received a request for "Studies in Biblical Doc-
clay. In view of the fact that our teachers hold a trine" by one who had heard from "Dr. G.H. Girod of
separate  convention, the speech by Prof. H. C.               Grand Rapids . . . that you send your printed material
Hoeksema on "The Christian and Culture" certainly free to those who ask for it." The address of the writer
must have been something of a highlight. He pointed - Queensland, Australia! From Grand Rapids, to.
out that the world and all. that it contains is of signifi- Australia, to Lynden! Small world?
cance only in so far as it can serve the child of God as a                             *  * *
pilgrim  in this earth. May God give our teachers the
wisdom necessary to impart that kind of knowledge.              One last item. The public lecture held in Holland,
                                                              Mich. on Nov. 13 featured Rev. J. Heys, who spoke on
                          *  x *                              "The Measured Steps of the Coming Antichrist". The
       On Nov. 2 there was a farewell program at Hope building in which this lecture was held was none too
Church for Rev. G. Lubbers. According to area bulle- large, despite the fact that those who attended had to
tins, Southwest Church "has graciously consented to brave the first real area snowfall. Rev. Heys traced the
release their Pastor" for several' months, for work in progress of the Antichrist, beginning with his origin in
Jamaica. As pointed out by Rev. Schipper in the intro- hell, continuing with the development of the man of
ductory remarks at the program, this is no small thing, sin throughout the history of the world, till it reaches
since no congregation desires to see its minister gone its climax in "Satan's masterpiece," the Antichrist as
for that length of time  - especially during the busy pictured in Revelation 13. At that time, the deadly
time of the year. But, in his words "When God places wound inflicted at the Tower of Babel will be healed,
us on the spot, we don't ask how . .  ." The parting and the whole world will be united under the Anti-
words of Rev. Lubbers took the form of a request that christ and against the Church of God. But - his num-
our prayers, for which they feel such a deep need, ber is 666. Therein lies the comfort for God's people -
might accompany them. Rev. J. Heys, in the closing the steps of the Antichrist  are measured.  In God's
remarks, added a little to that. Speaking as a man who counsel, each step is determined  - as to time and
knows from experience, he impressed on the minds of extent. And, as the speaker pointed out, what's even
the audience how much letters are appreciated. That's more blessed is that He who measures the steps of the
understandable isn't it? Let's all, then, take that re- Antichrist, has also measured ours - each one, till we
quest seriously, since, by their own testimony, it serves reach that kingdom where we will see "God's master-
to lighten the load. The address -                            piece", face to face.                           D.R.D:


