The Life of the married Brother John Bentham, who was called Home on the 9th of August, 1772.
He has dictated the following concerning himself. I was born at Black Hay in Pudsey Township, 1713 and baptized in the Church of England. My mother, being poor and not able to care for me, I was put out by the family as a town’s apprentice to a Presbyterian. I had no mind to go on Sundays with any master to his place of worship, and having no concern on my mind about my salvation, I went nowhere. My master, observing this, told me I should be lost if I continued in the way I then was, and should go to a place of torment when I died. This had the effect upon me that I went to church, and then I thought my case was safe, but even this proved the occasion to hurtful entanglements, and also to my marrying unhappily, which was attended with many painful consequences. By this marriage, I had two daughters.
When Mr. Ingham began to preach in these parts I went to hear him, and the word had some effect upon me for some time, but alas, I soon got into my old wretched course again. Being one Sunday at Tong Church I was asked by the late Brother Jonathan Heartley to go with him to hear the Brethren at Bankhouse; at first I told him I would not, but he however prevailed upon me so to do, and I have abundant reason to thank my dear Saviour that He inclined me to go. What I there heard of the love of our Saviour melted my heart and had the effect upon me that I returned home in a very different mind to what I had before, being now determined to seek in earnest after the salvation of my Soul. Nor could I afterwards have rest or satisfaction till I found mercy and peace in Jesus Christ. Soon after this I was received into the Society, and on March 25th 1758 I was received into the Congregation, and the same year was admitted to the holy Communion and spent my time in a truly happy manner in sweet fellowship with my kind Lord and Redeemer. This was a most
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blessed season to my poor heart, and happy would it have been for me if I had remained in this connection with my Saviour. But turning aside from Him and not proving this grace rightly I gave opportunity to the enemy to blind my eyes again, to lay hold of me as his captive and to lead me according to his will, and thus was brought into most shameful and scandalous things to the unspeakable grief of the whole congregation, and still more to the grief and reproach of my merciful Saviour, and which was often wards attended, Lord, with much loss, distress and anguish to my own Soul as no one but myself can have a true conception of. I brought myself into hell torment indeed for I forfeited my place and privileges in the congregation and lost all sight and feeling of my Saviour and my sins lay so heavy upon me that I knew no possible way of living in this condition, all which misery was occasioned by the well-known circumstances of my second marriage. I and my wife, being both guilty and also both miserable and unhappy beyond description, we knew not what to do but to weep and cry to Jesus that if possible He might look on us in our deplorable condition and show mercy unto us. He was also entreated of us and had mercy upon such abominable sinners as we were, that we could believe and feel that He had pardoned our many and heinous transgressions. We then prayed the whole congregation to forgive us and receive us once more into her fellowship, and which in time was granted unto us to our abiding consolation. This was a grace which I shall thank my sweet Saviour for throughout my whole life and also in eternity. From this time I have been enabled to live under a bowing sense of my sweet Saviour’s love, and the blessings I have enjoyed in the Congregation have been highly prized by me; Yea even the least
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Crumb I enjoyed I received out of mercy as a favour I was undeserving of. I shall never be able to thank Him duly for what He has done for me poor unfaithful sinner, but shall eternally sing of his love and mercy and faithfulness.
So far out of his account.
Since his readmission to the congregation, he has spent his time as a sinner who had received grace, and acknowledged himself very undeserving of what he enjoyed. Some time ago his constitution began to break and he declined gradually, but was cheerful in his heart and confident to our Saviour and thus continued till he obtained permission to enter into the joy of his Lord.