George Herbert – born

ON THIS DATE 

George Herbert was born 4/3/1593, fifth son (10 children total) of Richard & Magdalen (Newport) Herbert at Black Hall in Montgomery, Wales.  Richard (who died when George was very young) was from an old & powerful Montgomeryshire family who’d lived there since the 13^th century.  Herbert went to Westminster School at 10 (12?) & earned this BA at 20 & MA at 23 both from Trinity College, Cambridge Univ.

He was appointed to some positions at Cambridge. In 1624,1625 he was elected to Parliament & knew King James I.  He married Jane Danvers (1629) & though no children are listed they provided a home for three orphaned nieces. The following year he took orders in the Church of England & he spent the rest of his short life as rector in Bemerton near Salisbury (about 75 miles west of London) where he helped rebuild the church with his own funds.  He died of tuberculosis 3/1/1633.  See Izaak Walton’s Memoir of Herbert.

His classic (worth reading) The Temple, was published that same year.  By 1680 it had 20 re-printings.  From the literary side Samuel T Coleridge wrote about his diction, “Nothing can be more pure, manly or unaffected.”  From the religious side Richard Baxter said, “Herbert speaks to God like one that really believeth a God, and whose business in the world is most with God.”  Herbert is thought to have influenced poet Henry Vaughan & he in turn influenced William Wordsworth.

Herbert quotes:

“His bark is worse than his bite.”

“He who cannot forgive breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass.”

“Be calm in arguing: for fierceness makes Error a fault, and truth discourtesy.”

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Godfrey Thring – born

ON THIS DATE 

Godfrey Thring was born 3/25/1823 at Alford, Somerset, England.  He was the son of the rector, John Gale Dalton Thring & Sarah née Jenkyns.  He was brother to Theodore Thring, Henry, Lord Thring associated with Parliament, Edward Thring, headmaster of Uppingham School, John Charles Thring master at Uppingham School & two sisters.

Godfrey was educated at Shrewsbury School &  Balliol College, Oxford (B A 1845).  He was ordained in the Church of England & served it until his death.  He died 9/13/1903 at Surrey, England. He wrote:

“Crown Him with many crowns,   The Lamb upon His throne.

Hark! How the heav’nly anthem drowns   All music but its own.

Awake, my soul, and sing   Of Him who died for thee,

And hail Him as thy matchless king   Through all eternity.”

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M (Martin) R (Ralph) DeHaan, MD, was born

ON THIS DATE 

M (Martin) R (Ralph) DeHaan, MD, was born 3/23/1891 in Zeeland, MI. He was the son of Reitze & Johanna Rozema DeHann emigrants from Netherlands. His parents were part of the Reformed Church and his father was a shoe maker. M R graduated from Zeeland high school (1908) & from University of Illinois College of Medicine, valedictorian (Chicago, 1914).

Not only did he get his MD in 1914, he got a “Mrs” that year as well, the former Priscilla Venhiuszen. He was pleased to be able (as a doctor) to deliver all four of their children. After being converted to Christ in 1921 (he had sensed his need of God at 12 but was not Born Again until after a serious illness when he promised God, “Spare my life & I’ll serve You”) he became a minister. Now he was privileged to perform the marriage ceremony for all four children – a real honor to any preacher-dad.

After returning to school (Western Theological Seminary) M R pastored more than one church. He was influenced to accept premillennialism by the Scofield Bible, Harry Ironside  *  (& others) straining his relationship with the Reformed but his rejection of infant baptism closed the door. Following this break he started that for which he is most remembered, Radio Bible Class (27 years). He died 12/13/1965.

* Being thankful for any good done, this post is not full approval of DeHaan, Scofield, or Ironsides.

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Edgar Stites – born

ON THIS DATE

Edgar P (Page) Stites was born 3/22/1836 at Cape May, NJ.  Though his immediate parents are not mentioned it is known that Stites was a direct descendent of John Howland, who arrived in “America” on a small ship called the Mayflower.  Stites served in the un-civil war, then became a pilot of a riverboat on the  Delaware.  He had a cousin who also wrote songs, Eliza Edmunds Stites Hewitt.

At some point this Methodist hymn writer turned frontier preacher/missionary.  His mission field was the Dakota Territory created 3/2/1861 & existing until 11/2/1889 when it was split to become North & South Dakota (they became states the same day).  He held membership in the First Methodist Church, Cape May, NJ, for some 60 yrs & attended the Methodist Assembly at Ocean Grove.  His death date was 1/9/1921.

Edgar Stites wrote “Beulah Land,” “At the Gold­en Land­ing,” “Just Ahead,” & “Trusting Jesus,” under the pseudonym “Edgar Page.”

 “Simply trusting every day, Trusting through a stormy way; Even when my faith is small, Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Refrain

“Trusting as the moments fly, Trusting as the days go by; Trusting Him whate’er befall, Trusting Jesus, that is all.”

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Bryan – born

ON THIS DATE 

William Jennings Bryan was born 3/19/1860, Salem, IL, to Silas Lillard & Mariah Elizabeth (Jennings) Bryan. Silas was a Scotch-Irish, Jacksonian Democrat serving the state senate & later as state circuit judge.  WJB was home schooled to age ten using the Bible & McGuffey Readers, then attended Whipple Academy, & Illinois College (valedictorian) & Union Law College, later part of Northwestern Univ. (Chicago).  Though he attended both a Methodist & a Baptist church in his youth he became a Presbyterian.    

While he prepared for his bar exam he taught high school. In this era he married Mary Elizabeth Baird (10/1/1884), who also became a lawyer (they had two children).  They soon moved to Lincoln, NE where Bryan began his life in politics being elected to the Fifty-second & Fifty-third Congresses (3/4/1891 & 3/3/1895).  He is said to have “electrified” the Democratic Convention (1896) with his speech “Cross of Gold” & was selected as their presidential nominee.  He also ran (unsuccessfully) in 1900 & 1908.

He was Secretary of State under Wilson serving 3/4/1913 – 6/9/1915.  Bryan true to his convictions resigned, disagreeing with Wilson going to war with Germany. Bryan’s defense of the Bible (Scope’s Monkey Trial) was not a show – he believed the Great Book.  Bryan College (Dayton, TN, site of the trial) was erected in his memory. NOTE: Don’t believe all you read about Bryan – his opposition to evolution was/is not popular & makes him a target for pseudo scientists (1Ti 6.20) as they worship “science.” 

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Alfred Edersheim – born

ON THIS DATE

Alfred Edersheim was born in Vienna, Austria, 3/7/1825, to Marcus & Stephanie (Beifuss) Edersheim. The home had culture, wealth and though both were of Jewish beliefs, English was spoken in the home & Alfred became fluint in it. He studied in the local gymnasium, studied the Talmud & Torah at a Hebrew school & attended the University of Austria.

About 1845 he moved to Pesth, Hungary & met John Duncan (& other Presbyterians) under whose influence he became a Christian.  In 1846 he married Mary Broomfield with whom he shared seven children. After a stay & studies in Scotland he entered the Presbyterian ministry & ministeried a year to the Jews & Germans at Jassy, Rumania.  It was at the Old Aberdeen Church (1848-1860) he wrote his History of the Jewish Nation from the Fall of Jerusalem to the reign of Constantine the Great.

Edersheim held other positions, changed to the Church of England, & spent two years (or so) as the university preacher at Oxford but today he is most appreciated as the author of The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah.  Declining health took him to Menton, France, where he died 3/16/1889.

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David Tsutada – born

ON THIS DATE

David Tsutada was born 3/6/1906, 2^nd son of Kenri Tsutada, a Japanese, Methodist dentist in Singapore. After finishing high school in Japan David studied law at Cambridge U. but believing he was to preach ended his studies in England, to attend a Bible College in Japan.  Before graduation the Bible college president selected a wife for him.  He & his Christian wife, Nobuko, were blessed with 5 children.

When Japan entered WWII there was a rise of nationalism.  David believed it would be wrong for him to erect a Japanese flag in front of his church & bow (relative to the Emperor & his palace), stating “only God in heaven is divine. We worship Him alone.”  David (with some 130 others) on 6/26/1942, was arrested for not observing this government regulation & imprisoned for a 2 yrs. 

After the war & his release (on probation) he build a church in Tokyo, named “Immanuel” because “You, O God, are with us, just as you were in the cell with me.”  His ministry reached out to the poor, on 21/10/1945 his church became an indigenous Holiness Denomination (Immanuel General Mission), reaching university students & farmers.  He became known as “John Wesley of Japan.”  He died 7/25/1971.

[ Personal note: I was in Wesley Biblical Seminary with a grandson, also named David Tsutada.] 

 

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