oasis to many, though it might not he able to diffuse just its own verdure through the whole of Christendom.” The result of Bengel? s “ Sketch ” was gratifying. Zinz. gave no answer to it : gradually he modified many of his objectionable expressions ; and in course of time the Church of the Brethren gave in its adherence to the Augs- burg Confession.
Among Bengel’s lesser writings were, in 1721, Contributions for the u Life of Flacius Hymns for S. Urlsperger’s “ Instructions for the Sick;” Contributions to the Notes of the Berlenburg Bible; Notices of Gmelin ; u Christ’s manner of conversing with His disciples.” Amidst all his labours his feeling was, “ All I do, appears to me more and more poor and defective ; and it becomes the settled desire of my mind, entirely to sink into the free mercy of God.” One of his last works was his Preface’ to his son-in-law Burk’s Gnomon on the Twelve Minor Prophets. In it he remarks, u The Scriptures support the Church : the Church guards the Scriptures. When the Church flour- ishes, the Scriptures are had in honour ; and when the Church be- comes sickly, the Scriptures suffer by it. Whatever be the condition of the Church at any period, the Scriptures are treated accordingly.’
His correspondence with his friends is interesting. Marthius of Presburg candidly told him as to his Apocalyptic System, “ Periods thus defined have no effect in increasing my spiritual vigilance; they are either too obscure for me, or too remote. The cry in Matt, xxv. 6 arouses me more. Surely, my dear friend, your own pre- cious time may be far more advantageously employed in what is of greater certainty and importance. Let me also beg of you not to give your critical annotations too concisely, under the idea that your readers will take the trouble to think out all the meaning which you intend to convey in some two or three words.” Bengel replied, u What I have set down will partly, I think, turn out to be correct, and partly serve to prepare the way for further manifes- tation of the truth, when everything in Providence shall by and by be matured for that purpose. We ought not to pursue such in- quiries further than as the written word gives us data ; but is it not equally wrong to let any such data remain unexamined f ”
Bengel had twelve children born to him, half of whom died in infancy. His daughter, Sophia Elisabeth, married Dr Reuss, after- wards physician to the Duke of Wiirtemberg : Joanna Rosina mar- ried C. G. Williardts, counsellor to the Emperor Francis I. : Maria Barbara married Rev. P. D. Burk, afterwards Dean of Kirchheim : Catharine Margaret married Rev. E. F. Helwag, afterwards Dean of Goppingen. Victor, his eldest son, a student in medicine, sur- vived his father only seven years. The younger, Ernest, became Dean of Tubingen. He felt keenly the loss of those who died in infancy, but comforted himself with the thought, that u if a vacancy had been made in his family circle, another vacancy had been filled up in heaven.”