lection;* an answer which shows how necessary it is for such of his readers as wish to be thorough critics, not to limit themselves to his Apparatus, but to seek out more extended and comprehensive repertories of criticism.† Bengel, however, has respectably answered the objections which Baumgarten made to his criticisms upon some passages in the Acts of the Apostles, in the Epistle to the Romans, and in the Epistle of St. James; and here his work contains a number of important additions.

"3. Tabula lectionum variantium N. T.; ( A Table of the various readings of the Greek Testament;') which is the most useful part of this Appendix. It is well known that the excellent author, when he published his Gnomon,' had changed his opinion of some readings; which was not to be wondered at. Here then we have his final judgment upon the whole.

"But notwithstanding all the defects which may be pointed out in this Apparatus,' it is a highly valuable compendium of criticism on the New Testament, for those who have not leisure or inclination to explore further in such a field of literature. We have always recommended it to students, and we do so still."

* It is true that only this general answer was given by Bengel in his Clavicula; but a particular refutation of such objections will be found at proper places in the revised text of his Apparatus Criticus.

+ Bengel was fully sensible of this, and acknowledged it even in the first edition of his Apparatus; at the same time he remarked, that a work presenting the whole apparatus of criticism in every minute particular, was not his object; though he wished such a work might exist.

CHAPTER IV.

HIS GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF EXPOSITION.

EXEGESIS was, more immediately than criticism, a part of his official business; and having to go through the New Testament with his pupils every two years, he conscientiously prepared expository remarks for each lecture. This led him necessarily into criticisms; which he laboured to reduce to a regular system for the press, before he published any thing exegetical; and though the latter was what his friends urged him first to send out, he waived it for the present, because he saw that the study of criticism was too little valued; though, as one of the departments of theological knowledge, it then needed cultivation more than the rest. He also considered, that as so many valuable comments had already appeared, no new expositor ought to come forward without well digested materials; whereas, for his own part, he should not be able to feel himself thus competently furnished, till after the persevering labour of a number of years. With these views he had been accumulating observations for above twenty years together, so that he could the more readily give forth, in due time, the fruit of very extensive researches. These may be considered as of two kinds, namely, general and special. His "Gnomon" upon the whole of the New Testament, and his German translation of the Greek Testament with its annotations, comprise his general researches; and those which we term special are found in his chronological and apocalyptical writings, and in his several defences of them. That his chronological and apocalyptical writings frequently run into one another, was because the fore-appointment of times as well as of events entered indispensably into Bengel's views. His first expository publications were some concise tracts on the Apocalypse, inserted in various theological journals; afterwards, in 1736, he published his "Harmony of the Gospels;" and in 1740,"An Exposition of the Revelation of St. John;" as specimens of more enlarged expositions promised to the public. His

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"Ordo Temporum" was published in 1741; his "Gnomon," in 1742; his "Cyclus," in 1745; his "Age of the World,” in 1746; his" Sixty Practical Addresses on the Apocalypse," in 1747; his 'Testimony of Truth," in 1748; the "German New Testament," in 1752; and the "Vindication of the Holy Scriptures,” in 1755. As we cannot thus notice his expository works in the order of their publication, without repetitions and interruptions, therefore, to bring the subjects as nearly as we can to that order, we shall notice first, his chronological and apocalyptical writings; and then such as relate to the New Testament generally. As introductory to both, we shall exhibit a few lineaments of his character as an expositor, by referring to remarks scattered in his writings, and particularly to his essay "On the right Way of handling Divine Subjects," which he prefixed to a volume of sermons by J. Chr. Storr, published in 1750, on the Liturgical Portions of the Apostolical Epistles.* In this essay, he draws a striking contrast between his own views of scriptural exegesis, and those of the Neologians; † and observes, "that the most important, best, and greatest thing that can befall us in this transitory world is, not the most eminent and permanent possession of science, talent, riches and power; much less the most plenary gratification of sense and appetite; but such grace and strength as will enable us to live faithfully, and meekly submissive to the holy and blessed will of God in Christ Jesus, so as to find ourselves in the way of attainment unto life everlasting. On the part of God, it is HIS WORD which is the means of substantiating this; and on our part it is FAITH; by the combination of which simple means we are brought into communion with God, and of course to endless happiness. Whatever, therefore, He tells and teaches us in his word, we are to suffer ourselves to be told and taught. Though there can be no doubt that our first parents were originally endued with the knowledge of God, of human nature, and of all creatures, and with ability to use this knowledge for their happiness, even then God gave them his word for the exercise of their faith. The patriarchs too, and the people of Israel, were led on by the word of God. It was for the assistance and support of faith, that He caused his word to be committed to writing by Moses, by prophets and apostles. During the sundry

* The essay was reprinted in the second edition of his German version of the New Testament; (p. 1000, &c.)

+ Compare his Letter (given above), addressed to a Young Civilian.

times in which these testimonies were committed to writing, God gave such witness of himself, by stupendous public miracles, and by glorious public manifestations of his power and presence, that no Israelite could entertain any doubt of the truth of such written testimonies. This confirmed assurance of Israel's faith was continued on to the faith of Christians; and thus He, who had named himself the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, was now called the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; whose manifestation in the flesh, and whose written testimonies of that manifestation, are confirmed and established by their accordance with all the Scriptures of the Old Testament; by his own exalted declaration; by incontrovertible witnesses who saw, heard, and wrote accounts of all; as well as by a multitude and variety of stupendous public miracles. The Scriptures, moreover, carry in themselves independent and convincing evidence of the truth, validity, and sufficiency of all the narratives, doctrines, promises, and threatenings they contain. Truth is its own witness, and exacts our assent. I recognise the hand-writing of a friend, without needing to be told who has written to me. We want not the stars, much less a torch, to show us the sun; it is only the blind that cannot see it.

"By the written WORD then, must every thing stand or fall. If the word of a fallible mortal is sometimes so much to be accounted of, what inestimable value must be attached by the Almighty himself to His own word, to all and every part of it; though the ruin of heaven and earth should be required to bring it to pass! It also possesses a supernatural efficacy. Sometimes it is beforehand with us; its power is felt, as it were, unawares, especially by persons who have never been familiar with it; it takes men captive, and kindles faith within them, before they have even thought what faith is, or considered whether they will believe, or why they should believe. This is a very different thing from conviction by moral, historical, or mathematical inference. Still we are bound to use the word of God as a means; worthily of itself, and suitably to the purposes for which it is given-namely, for our conviction and persuasion to believe and obey it. And in order to do so, we must inwardly reverence and attend to it; carefully investigate and prove all things; humble ourselves always more and more before God; receive the truth as truth, grace as grace, justification and salvation as in the highest degree desirable and welcome; yield obedience to the Divine will in every thing, to the best of our knowledge;

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earnestly and diligently call on the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for the aid of his Holy Spirit; seek to make his way known upon earth, and acceptable to others; not rest in fair and promising beginnings, but perpetually endeavour to grow in the grace and knowledge of God our Saviour. They who are thus disposed, will certainly have the heart established with grace. (John vii. 17; viii. 31, 32; Rom. xii. 2.) They, and they only, attain the true wisdom, fellowship with Christ Jesus, and communion with his saints; are sealed by his Holy Spirit of promise unto the day of redemption; and gain an earnest and foretaste of that fulness of joy which they shall possess at his right hand for evermore.

"It is of unspeakable advantage for all ranks and conditions to enjoy together public exercise of the word of God in their assemblies, and hereby to grow familiar with it. The simple text of Scripture ought, therefore, to be more diligently read in our churches. But there is likewise great advantage in scriptural exposition, and in experimental and practical applications of Scripture by preached sermons and printed works: whereas mere productions of the imagination, however ingenious-mere elaborate and elegant compositions-bold and daring inferencesswollen, forced, and fiery words, which after all have no vital warmth-such impertinences are any thing but to the purpose. When edification is made to consist in feeling that we admire fine invention, excellent reasoning, or beauty of language—which, alas! is all the edification which seems to belong to or to be sought after in many pulpit discourses, as they are called,—the whole amounts to nothing better than what St. Paul styles making the cross of Christ of none effect.' It is a destruction that wasteth at noon-day, in these reputedly enlightened times. "The Scriptures supply us with many precious things, over and above the fundamental truths of salvation. The books of the whole sacred canon, such as we now have them, were not handed down to us by chance or accident; neither are we to regard them only as a manual of sayings and examples, or as isolated relics of antiquity, from which no perfect whole, no comprehensive and finished plan, can be educed; but as a matchless, regular account of God's dealings with man through every age of the world, from the commencement to the end of time, even to the consummation of all things. They indicate together one beautiful, harmonious, and gloriously connected system. For though each scriptural book is in itself something entire, and