Ledeboerian Churches (2)

Ledeboer was a man of strong emotions, quite impulsive, and sometimes very straightforward in his preaching. His way of life gave deep impressions of sincerity and uprightness. People could feel that here was a man of God with a message from heaven. He was an example of self-denial, simplicity, devotion to his task, and of love to his Master. Many anecdotes are still known about his sometimes somewhat eccentric, but special, life. Well-known is the story of how Ledeboer awoke in the middle of the night and felt that he had to leave his parsonage for an unknown destination. He called his servant. They hitched the horse to the buggy and left town. After a few miles they saw many policemen on horses who asked where Rev. Ledeboer lived. Ledeboer gave them directions to the parsonage. The policemen, upon arriving there, found that their prey was gone. Ledeboer continued his journey, just letting the horse run without knowing where the Lord would take him. Suddenly the horse stopped before a house where some women of ill repute lived. Understandably, Ledeboer’s servant looked a little astonished when they stopped there. One of the women, however, was sick and had asked the Lord to send one of His servants before she would die. The Lord answered her request. There Ledeboer found a woman in true repentance, with a holy longing to confess her guilt, but also with her only hope on Him who receiveth sinners and eateth with them. Ledeboer concluded this unforgettable visit with a prayer and when he left the house the soul of this sinner left her body, adding to the number of those who praise God in glory and subtracting from those who are beggars on earth.

Once, when visiting a family and the daughter observed him quite curiously, he said to her, “Dear girl, have you ever seen yourself?—no, not in that mirror there, but in the mirror of God’s Word and law?” He once saw a woman in church who was dressed according to the latest fashion and admonished her from the pulpit that the truth was not penetrating her dress. We have to view these seemingly harsh or impolite expressions in the light of Ledeboer’s conviction that our life has to be simple, humble, and separate from the world. He knew that God hates all imitation or following of the customs of the world.

Ledeboer himself gave evidence that he lived as a pilgrim—not of this world, though being yet in this world. His humility and generosity were well-known. Although Ledeboer came from a wealthy family and didn’t have to be concerned with financial needs, he was very generous; he would have given away his own necessities in order to help the needy ones. He didn’t cling to his earthly possessions, but esteemed the riches of Christ of far more value than all the treasures of the world. At one time, standing in a field which he owned, he said to his servant, “For one kiss of Jesus’ mouth I can give away all this black soil.”

Ledeboer’s ecclesiastical course was individualistic. Although he attended a synodical meeting of the churches of the Secession in 1840, and they had considered him to be one of them for several years, he never sought any contact with them afterwards. Ledeboer expressed regret later that he by his own pride had sought some unity with them. He felt that he had not sought his strength in God, but in creatures.

Ledeboer also didn’t seek any affiliation with the Churches under the Cross. This was probably because of his disappointing experiences with the churches of the Secession regarding differences of opinion; for instance, concerning the Psalms they used the new rhyme instead of the old Psalms of Datheen.

Ledeboer, however, did not intend to establish another denomination. He had suffered under the breach of the church and hoped that God at His own time would restore the truth to the State Church and return to His people the place they had been forced to leave. Ledeboer had no desire to organize his own churches. Initially he just preached. He did not administer the sacrament of baptism or install consistories. This eventually became an impossible situation, for children had to be baptized and office-bearers had to be installed.

Before his death he even ordained one of his followers, P. van Dyke, in the ministry. After Ledeboer’s death Daniel Bakker from ’s-Gravenpolder was also ordained as a minister in the Ledeboerian churches.

In 1863 an end came to the labors of the travelling pastor of Benthuizen. This end, however, was not unexpected for Ledeboer. On Sunday, August 5, he preached in Leersum and celebrated the Lord’s Supper in the morning. His afternoon sermon was from Lord’s Day 31 of the Heidelberg Catechism. After his “amen” he spoke to the congregation: “I say farewell to you because we shall see one another no more until the judgment day of Christ.” The following Sunday he preached in Loenen aan de Vecht and at the end of his solemn sermon said: “Death is close to one of us, and it could very well be that it is I.” Soon afterward he became ill and within weeks departed to be with his Master forever, on October 21, 1863. His deathbed was a pulpit and all fear of death, the last enemy of the Church, was taken away. With holy longing and inexpressible joy, he said, “Praise the Lord. Hallelujah!” Now he may be where all God’s true servants and children will eternally serve Him with their Hallelujahs and where they may cast their crowns at the feet of the Master Servant.

Ledeboer never witnessed the sad separation which soon developed between van Dyke and Bakker, both servants of God, but with different emphases in their preaching. The former emphasized sanctification more; the latter, justification of the sinner before God. Although there was this difference in emphasis, both had learned from God that not a pious person, not a converted one, but an ungodly, condemnable sinner is justified freely. Both preached the truth; both feared the Lord. But the breach between them caused a split in the Ledeboerian churches; this in turn divided God’s people and weakened the strength of these young churches. However, not because of men, but in spite of them, God builds His church through all human imperfections and sins.

It has pleased the Lord to use others, such as Rev. Kersten and Rev. Beversluis, as restorers of the breaches, so that the Ledeboerian churches and the Churches under the Cross were united into one denomination, one in doctrine and practice, one in love for the sake of scriptural, experiential truth. The truth alone can really bind together: the truth of God’s sovereignty with maintenance of human responsibility; the truth of justification, not of a qualified, pious person, but of the ungodly, a justification so free that all human merits fall away. God is only honored in His own work. Nothing in us and all in Him—so the church travels to Jerusalem.

Have we learned, in a very painful, humiliating way, what that means: Nothing in me? Has that been revealed to us and do we wholeheartedly agree with—as a poor, needy sinner in ourselves—“All in Him?” Blessed are they who suffer shipwreck with all their efforts of self-improvement and who cannot come further in themselves than, “God, be merciful to me a sinner.” For

then alone will we understand and know what that means: All in Him, that dear Mediator, Jesus Christ. Such people will once do the same work and sing the same doxology as Ledeboer: “Praise the Lord, Hallelujah!” They will be exalted from the dust, their feet being placed upon a rock, and will sing a new song, even praises unto God. Then Luther and Calvin, van Dyke and Bakker, and the entire church will be one. They will be friends. They will praise Him and give Him all the honor for His work.

Rev. C. Vogelaar is pastor of the Ebenezer Netherlands Reformed Congregation of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey.

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