Van Harlingen, John M

Van Harlingen, John M.

a Reformed (Dutch) minister, nephew of the foregoing, was born at Sourland (now Harlingen), N. J., 1761; graduated from Queen's College in 1783; studied for the ministry with Dr. Livingston; was licensed by the Christian Synod of the Dutch Reformed Churches in 1786; and settled at Millstone and Six Mile Run, N.J., 1787-95. From this period he was without charge (1795-1812), probably on account of his inanimate pulpit delivery. He was a lover of books, and lived chiefly among them; a close student, learned in theology, instructive in conversation, but exceedingly retiring and reserved in manner, and very absent-minded. While he was without charge he preached frequently for neighboring ministers, but his chief work was a full translation of a celebrated Dutch work, Van der Kemp on the Heidelberg Catechism (a series of sermons, with a valuable historical introduction, in 2 vols. 8vo), Before the organization of the Theological Seminary at New Brunswick, he had instructed a number of young men at his residence in Hebrew and ecclesiastical history, with a view to the ministry. In June, 1812, he was called to the chair of Hebrew and ecclesiastical history in the hew seminary, and accepted the appointment of the General Synod to the Hebrew professorship, and gave temporary lessons in. history. In one year thereafter he died at Millstone, after a brief and severe illness, June 16, 1813. He was never married. His meditative spirit and devout piety, with his love of learning, and a sufficiency of this world's goods, enabled him to live much above the world, "using it as not abusing it," and devoting himself to his sacred studies. He preached both in Dutch and English, and was regarded, according to the standard of his time, as a proficient in Hebrew and a Christian scholar of eminent attainments. See Sprague, Annals of the Amer. Pulpit, vol. 9; Corwin, Manual of the Ref. Church in America, s.v. (W.J.R.T.)