Bengal

Few people have probably ever heard of Johann Albrecht Bengel.

John Albert Bengel was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, on June 24, 1687. He earned a M.A. and a D.D. degree at the Theological College of Tübingen, Germany. In 1713 he was promoted to the head-tutorship of a theological seminary at Denkendorf.

He was known for his biblical scholarship, particularly of the Greek New Testament. He produced a number of critical commentaries and a scholarly acclaimed version of the Greek New Testament, as well as a number of other books. He was also given to speculation about the end of the world in one of his important works entitled: Ordo Temporum,
He was no stranger to tragedy, having had twelve children born to him, half of whom died in infancy.

According to one biographer, on Thursday, November 2, 1752, having heard the words, "Thine I am," he laid his right hand upon his heart, to signify his full assent; and fell asleep in Jesus.

I have come to know him better through my rediscovery of a number of his scholarly works available for study on the internet. I have been using his commentary on the book of Ephesians to my great benefit as I have preached through that book this year. It is amazing that books almost 300 years old still bring great benefit today. I consider this another affirmation of the timelessness of the message of the Bible.

Today I post a number of quotes from a sketch of his life by A.B. Faucett:

“If my usual style has any peculiarity, it is that of omitting all needless words and things. Here I have somewhat imitated the ancients. Constant reading of the classics has given me quite a liking of their simplicity.”

Comment: The precursor of "K.I.S.S.?"

On solitude:

“Retirement secures me from too much of this world’s din. Thus I get leisure for building myself up in a recollected consciousness of God; without which we are liable to pass away our term of life we know not how.” “All I am and have, both in principle and practice, is to be summed up in this one expression— the Lord's property.”

On trials:

“If it be said to me, ‘ Surely you too, as one of God’s children, must have had your share of trial,’ I reply, My chief suffering was of a spiritual and secret kind. It came on slowly, and continued long. An unaccountable pang would surprise me at the thought of an approaching eternity : not that I had any perplexing dread of misery, though I was not able cheerfully to look forward to the happiness of a future state. God’s great design is at present not to delight us with pleasant experiences, but to exercise us as His faithful people. Let me, therefore, trust God for the pleasant things as realities laid up in reversion : for I know they will come in all their fulness by and by, with eternity. As little children give their sweetmeats to their parents to keep for them, so my pleasant things are safer in God’s keeping than in that of my own treacherous heart. Forgetting the past, and not taking thought for the morrow, I stand before God to-day as His daily pensioner.” 1 Kings xviii. 15.

On the examined life:

“Busy memory often gives me disquietude. If I have uttered an unbefitting word, or taken an unadvised step, though many years ago, the thing recurs to me, and by little and little gains within a troublesome ascendancy. But this makes me better acquainted with myself, and humbles me often into such submission to God, as to be willing that my most secret faults should be published by Him in the presence of all His creatures.”

There was one area of knowledge of which Bengal admitted his own inadequacy:

He said that if he desired the most perfect intimacy with real Christians on one account rather
than another, it was for the sake of learning how they manage in secret to keep up their communion with God.