New Edition of Beddome Sermons

Particular Baptist Heritage Books has issued what appears to be a handsomely bound re-typeset volume of 67 Beddome sermons with a memoir. The old memoir appears to have been replaced with one by Professor David Luke. The contents and first sermon can be read in e-form at the PBHB site. See here. It is intended that all 225 extant sermons will be published in due time. One slightly jarring note is a reference in the preface to a digital colour portrait of Beddome. It is not clear what that might be.

I have had chance to read the memoir and it is very good - succinct, well informed and helpful.David Luke is a member of the faculty at the Irish Baptist Institute.

Boswell B Beddome

We have made one or two entries about the third Beddome son. In the Dissenting Academies database here we learn that somewhere around 1784 BBB studied at Bristol at his father's expense. His birth date being around 1763 he would have been in his twenties.

Beddome and Ryland

See here for this quotation

As a mentor Beddome "led him forward to the work of the ministry with the fostering hand of a wife and kind parent” (John Rippon, The Gentle Dismission of Saints from Earth to Heaven [London: Dilly, 1792], 37-38). As to their friendship, Beddome called Ryland his “dearest friend,” and the two kept in contact well after Ryland left Bourton-on-the-Water (Newman, Rylandiana, 137-39).

Beddome PhD

The PhD on Beddome by Jason Montgomery can be accessed here.

The Book is now out

See here for more details.

Sermon Outlines Rest of the NT

The Impotent Man Acts 3:1-11

The Persecutor Acts 9:4

God's Testimony to the Word of His Grace Acts 14:1-18

The Conversion of Lydia Acts 16:13

Saving Faith Acts 16:30-31

Stir About the Way Acts 19:23

Delay in Religion Acts 24:25

The Called of Jesus Christ Romans 1:6

The Witness of Conscience Romans 2:15

Salvation of Faith, that it Might be by Grace Romans 4:16

The Love of God Commended Romans 5:7-8

The Inward Conflict Romans 7:21-25

The Spirit of Bondage and Adoption Romans 8:15

The Christian Conqueror Romans 8:35-39

The Remnant Saved Romans 9:25-33

Unprofitable Public Worship 1 Corinthians 11:17-22

Christian Strength 1 Corinthians 16:13-14

Reconciliation to God 2 Corinthians 5:20

Godly Jealousy 2 Corinthians 11:1-6

Christian Perfection 2 Corinthians 13:9

Christ Manifested to the Soul Galatians 1:15-16

The Unity of True Believers Galatians 3:28

Bearing One Another's Burdens Galatians 6:2

The Danger of Self-Deception Galatians 6:7-8

The Christian Armour Ephesians 6:11

Rejoice Evermore 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Quench not the Spirit 1 Thessalonians 5:19

Despise not Prophesyings 1 Thessalonians 5:20

Hold Fast that Which is Good 1 Thessalonians 5:21

Prove All Things 1 Thessalonians 5:21

Avoiding the Appearance of Evil 1 Thessalonians 5:22

The Right Use of the Law 1 Timothy 1:8-10

On Hearing the Word 2 Timothy 2:7

Self.Love 2 Timothy 3:2-5

Foolish Questions Reproved Titus 3:9

Heirs of Promise Hebrews 6:17-20

Divine Forgiveness Hebrews 8:10-12

Attendance on Public Worship Hebrews 10:25

The Danger of Apostasy Hebrews 10:26-27

Follow Peace Hebrews 12:14

Holiness Hebrews 12:14

The Jewish and the Christian Altar Hebrews 13:10

Guilty of All James 2:10-13

The Connection Between Faith and Works James 2:14-26

Discontent and Envy James 5:9

Holiness 1 Peter 1:13-16

Peace with God 2 Peter 3:13-14

What is it to be a Doer of Righteousness 1 John 2:28-29

Spiritual Declensions Revelation 2:1-7

The Heavenly Stranger Received Revelation 3:20

Views of Death Revelation 6:7-8

The Godly - Their Work and Their Praises Revelation 19:1-8

Link

Beddome NT Sermon Outlines Gospels

Idleness Matthew 20:6
The Duty Of. an Entire Surrender to God Matthew 22:15-22
Compassion of Jesus Towards the Guilty Matthew 23:37-39
On the Destruction of the Temple Matthew 24:1
The Door was Sheer Rejection of the Wicked Matthew 25:10
Desirableness of Christ's Presence Matthew 28:20
Party Spirit Mark 9:38-40
All These have I Observed from My Youth Mark 10:17-22
The Difficulties of Salvation Mark 10:23-27
Can Ye Drink of the Cup that I Drink Of Mark 10:38
Pride of Ancestry Luke 3:8
Peter's Confession Luke 5:8
The Penitent Luke 7:36-50
Free Forgiveness Luke 7:41
On Rightly Seeking the Saviour Luke 8:19-21
Our Lord's Treatment of Erroneous Zeal Luke 9:51-56
Christ the Teacher of Prayer Luke 11:1
Christ's Superiority to Solomon Luke 11:31-32
Agreeing with the Adversary Luke 12:58-59
A Warning to Useless Lives Luke 13:6-9
Sinful Excuses Luke 14:16-24
On the Folly of Profession Without Forethought Luke 14:28-30
The Lepers Luke 17:11-19
Who, Then, Can be Saved Luke 18:18-30
Christ Weeping Over Sinners Luke 19:41-44
The Last Passover Luke 22:7-13
Treachery to Christ Luke 22:47-53
Christ Constrained to Abide Luke 24:13-35 Our Lord's Question
Luke 24:13-35 Nature, Evidences, and Necessity of Regeneration
John 3:7 The Influence of the Spirit John 6:60-65
Spiritual Convictions John 8:3-11
If Ye Believe not that I am He, Ye Shall Die in Your Sins John 8:21-24
The Important Question John 9:35-38
Love and Obedience John 14:13-14
Mutual Love John 16:26-27
Distinguishing Character of Christians John 17:16
The Mutual Glory of Christ and His People John 17:22-23
Characteristics of Christ's Disciples John 18:37
The Beloved Disciple John 19:25-27

Link

Beddome OT Sermon Outlines B

What Will Ye Do in the Day of Visitation Isaiah 10:3
The Gospel Trumpet Isaiah 27:13
The Fear of the Lord Isaiah 33:6
The Great Value of the Fear of the Lord Isaiah 33:6
The Blessedness of Heaven Isaiah 33:17
Efficacious Prayer Isaiah 37:4
The Compassion of Christ Isaiah 42:3-4
God's Promise to the Afflicted Church Isaiah 54:11-17
Delighting in God Isaiah 58:14
The Aged Sinner Isaiah 65:20
The Justice of Future Punishment Jeremiah 13:21
The Necessity of Holiness Jeremiah 13:27
Jeremiah's Prayer Jeremiah 15:15
Divine Wrath an Object of Fear Jeremiah 17:17
No Hurt from God Jeremiah 25:6
I Will Give Them One Heart Ezekiel 11:19-20
The Spiritual Wilderness Ezekiel 20:35
Acceptance with God Ezekiel 20:41
The Divine Discrimination Ezekiel 34:17-22
A Sin and its Punishment Hosea 4:17
Defective Repentance Hosea 7:16
The Knowledge of God Hosea 8:2
Encouragements to Hope Joel 2:14
The Influence of the Spirit Micah 2:7
Waiting on God Habakkuk 2:3
A Suggestive Question Zechariah 3:2
Christians a Wonder Zechariah 3:8-10
A Wise and Good Resolution Zechariah 8:23
The Sinner's Refuge Zechariah 9:12

Again check here for the outline links

Beddome OT Sermon Outlines A

Divine Guidance Exodus 13:21
The Mercy-Seat Exodus 25:17-22
The Greatness of God Deuteronomy 32:3
Strangers and Sojourners 1 Chronicles 29:15-16
The Consolations of God Job 15:11
The Language of Impiety Job 21:14
Suffering for Sin Psalm 38:5
Prayer for Prolongation of Life Psalm 39:13
The Christian's Pursuit Psalm 63:8
Spiritual Infirmities Psalm 77:10
Motives to Enlarged Prayer Psalm 81:10
The Christian's Prayer Psalm 109:21
Excellence of the Law Psalm 119:66
The Wonderful Character of God's Testimonies
Psalm 119:129 Self-Examination Psalm 139:23-24
Self-Examination Psalm 139:23-24
Isolation of Soul Psalm 142:4
Bring My Soul Out of Prison Psalm 142:7
Nearness to God Psalm 148:14
Honour and Humility Proverbs 18:12
Purity of Heart Proverbs 20:9
The Necessity of a Wise and Wholesome Discipline Proverbs 22:6
Covering Sins Proverbs 28:13
Neither Poverty nor Riches Proverbs 30:8
Man Knoweth not His Time Ecclesiastes 9:12

These sermons can be found in outline form by going here

Haykin on Beddome and the Bible

An anniversary piece on Beddome by Michael Haykin has appeared in the February Evangelical Times and can be accessed here.

Snooke Wall paper

Found here.

Object Type In Britain, paper printed with patterns has been used for decorating walls since the 16th century. By the later 19th century, wallpapers were widely used by all classes, in homes but also in public buildings.
 

Trading

Until the late 18th century, London was the centre of the wallpaper trade. Wallpapers manufactured in London were sold throughout the country, and exported to France and other parts of Continental Europe. From the 1750s English wallpapers were also sent out to America. In 1754 a Boston newspaper advertised 'Printed Paper for Rooms lately imported from London'. The pillar and arch style of wallpaper decoration was particularly popular in America. English wallpapers fell out of favour after the War of Independence (1776-1783), when America severed its political links with Britain, and American customers began to prefer French styles. At the same time an American wallpaper industry was being established.

Places

Pillar and arch pattern wallpapers were not widely used in Britain, but this unused piece was left over from the re-decoration in 1769 of the manor house at Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire. Similar patterns survive in a number of American houses. This particular design has been reproduced specifically for the refurbishment of an historic house museum - Gunston Hall, in Lorton, Virginia - where it has been hung in the entrance hall. In the 18th and 19th centuries most makers and sellers of paper-hangings (as wallpapers were then called) specified that the bold design of pillar and arch patterns were best suited to halls and stair-wells.

List of hymns

A list of hymns by Beddome can be accessed at Hymnary.org here

December 1784

Entries in Richard Hall's diary for December 1784 revealed here by Mike Rendell give a little insight into that month in Bourton on the Water. (In January 1784 Beddome's wife Elizabeth had died). 

Mike Rendell begins by saying that

On Tuesday 7th December 1784 Richard Hall noted that there was “snow last night, very Cold.” The following day saw the entry “Snow at night, hard Frost, very sharp. Snow in ye afternoon, wind high at night.” And so it continued for the rest of the week (“Snow lay, hard Frost …. very hard Frost, snow lay some more last night … a considerable deal of Snow.”).

He then gives us a copy of the diary for Monday December 13 until the end of the year

Monday December 13th

Snow still lay – Frozen hard -pretty fine day.

Tu. 14^th

Having obtained help of God … I am spared to see the return of my Wedding Day. Din’d at Mrs Snookes with Mr Beddome. Mr and Mrs Palmer came in the afternoon. Frost continued. A little more Snow. Cold.

W 15^th

Heard Mr Beddome at the lecture Isah 41.10 former part - mostly dull, a little snow, rather Thawed – Cold
Thu 16^th

Mr Mrs Peake, Mrs Snooks Maria din'd. On a Cod, etc, snow continued dull and cold.

Fri 17^th

Dined at Mrs Snookes with Mr & Mrs Peake on a Cod, etc. N+Much snow fall in the past nights. Hard frost. Pretty fine day. Cold.

S 18th

Dull, some snow in the afternoon. Not as cold as it was.

Sabt -19^th

Heard Mr Wilkins Acts 8.39 last Cl. Mr Beddome Isah 41.10 former part. Snow continued, mostly dull, cold.

Mo: 20^th

Hard Frost, fine day, very cold.

Tu: 21st

Mr Griffiths of Bath & Mr Snooke Breakfast with us. We din'd, etc. with him at Mrs Snookes. Frost continued, Snow still lay – snowed a little today. Very cold.

W 22^nd

Hard frost, fine day, very Cold.

Th 23^rd

Hard frost, very Cold pretty fine.

Saty 25th

Xmas Day. Heard Mr Wilkins Luke 2. 14^th. We din'd etc at Mrs Snookes. frost continued, dull a little, snow, Cold.

Sabt 26^th

Heard Mr Beddome Ezekl 12.2 & Mr Wilkins 2 Chron 34. v 3 former part. Dull, seems like(ly) a thaw, not quite so cold. frose at night or in ye night – a great fog alright.

Mo 27^th

Frost continued – dull, Cold, a very little snow.

Tu: 28^th

Din'd at Mrs Snookes with Wife. Mr Mrs Miss Beale. Mr Shaw. Miss Beddome. Mr B drank tea. Dull day, frost, very sharp wind – exceeding Cold.

Wednesday Decr 20th

Heard Mr Wilkins at the Lecture 2 Peter 3.18 dull day hard frost, very cold.

Thu. 30th

A great fall of Snow, the past night which lay thick. Dull day, foggy, not quite so sharp.

Fri. 31st

Through spareing mercy am preserved to the close of another year, through which much goodness and mercy have followed me but what little fruit – has been brought forth in the midst of many Favours and privileges how well is it God's thoughts are not as mine nor his ways as my ways. Mr Mrs Palmer, Mr Wilkins, Miss Beddome, Mrs Snooke, Maria – Din'd. Mr Beddome drank tea. dull day, cold, Snow still lay thick.

At the beginning of this year 1784 we had much Cold Weather, and snow, a late Spring, warm Summer with much Thunder and Lightning, a very fine Haymaking and Harvest … Snow upon the ground, which has been from the 8 of December and still continues.

The Lord has crowned the Year with his Goodness. 

William Snooke Portrait

This is the portrait of William Snooke previously shown at Mike Rendell's blog.

Pictures of the Past

The history of the church at Bourton on the Water "Pictures of the past" by a one time minister, Thomas Brooks, is now fully available on Google Books here. A quick search reveals several interesting items. These will follow - we hope.

18th Century Trinitarianism

An article here says

By and large the Trinitarianism of the Nicene Creed remained unchallenged until the eighteenth-century Enlightenment. Even during that most tumultuous of theological eras, the Reformation, this particular area of Christian belief did not come into general dispute, though there were a few, like Michael Servetus (1511–1553) in the sixteenth century, who rejected Trinitarianism for a unitarian perspective on the Godhead. In the rationalistic atmosphere of the eighteenth century, however, the doctrine was heavily attacked and ridiculed as illogical. During this period the English-speaking world saw the re-emergence of Arianism, the heresy of the fourth century which affirmed the creaturehood of Christ, as well as the rapid spread of Unitarianism. By the early nineteenth century the doctrine of the Trinity “had become an embarrassment, and the way was open to dismiss it as a philosophical construction by the early church.”
Orthodox response to this attack on what was rightly considered to be one of the foundational truths of Christianity was varied. In certain evangelical circles the doctrine was an essential part of catechetical instruction. In 1752 Benjamin Beddome (1717–95), the pastor of a Calvinistic Baptist work in Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire, drew up A Scriptural Exposition of the Baptist Catechism by Way of Question and Answer. This catechism basically reproduced the wording and substance of an earlier catechism written by the seventeenth-century Baptist Benjamin Keach (1640–1704), but added various sub-questions and answers to each of the questions in Keach’s catechism. The Scriptural Exposition proved to be fairly popular. There were two editions during Beddome’s lifetime, the second of which was widely used at the Bristol Baptist Academy, the sole British Baptist seminary for much of the eighteenth century. In the nineteenth century it was reprinted once in the British Isles and twice in the United States, the last printing being in 1849.
To the question, “How many persons are there in the Godhead?,” Keach’s catechism gave the answer, “There are three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one, the same in essence, equal in power and glory.” Beddome faithfully reproduces this question and answer, but then adds five paragraphs of questions and Scripture texts as a further delineation of the subject.
(1) In the opening paragraph he argues first for the triunity of God from such passages as Genesis 1:26, where we have the statement “Let us make man” (KJV), and the Comma Johanneum, as 1 John 5:7 in the KJV is known. The latter verse is an unfortunate choice since this text is undoubtedly spurious. Then, on the basis of Psalm 110:1 and John 14:26, Beddome affirms the distinct personhood of the Son and the Spirit respectively. This train of argument logically raises the question, “May it with any propriety then be said, that there are three Gods?” To this Beddome answers with a resounding, “No,” and in support of his answer he cites
Zechariah 14:9 (KJV): “There shall be one Lord, and his name one.”
(2) The next paragraph adduces texts where both the Son and the Holy Spirit are referred to as God. “Is the Son called God? Yes. Who is over all God blessed for evermore. (Romans 9:5). Is the Spirit called God? Yes. Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lye to the Holy Ghost, thou hast not lyed unto men but unto God. (Acts 5:3–4).” As we have noted above, there are a number of texts that Beddome could have cited as proof that the New Testament calls the Son “God.” With regard to the Spirit, though, apart from this passage from Acts there is no clear attribution of the title “God” to the person of the Spirit in the New Testament.
(3) The divine attributes and activities that the Spirit and the Son share with the Father and are the sole prerogative of a divine being are the subject of the third paragraph.
Is the Son eternal as well as the Father? Yes. Before Abraham was, I am, (John 8:58). Is the Spirit eternal? Yes. He is called the eternal Spirit, (Hebrews 9:14). Is the Son omnipresent? Yes. Where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I, (Matthew 18:20). Is the Spirit so too? Yes. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit, (Psalm 139:7) Is the Son omniscient? Yes. Thou knowest all things, (John 21:17). And is the Spirit so? Yes. He searcheth all things, (1 Corinthians 2:10). Is the work of creation ascribed to the Son? Yes. All things were made by him,(John 13). Is it also ascribed to the Spirit? Yes. The Spirit of God hath made me, (Job 33:4). And is creation a work peculiar to God? Yes. He that hath built all things is God, (Hebrews 3:4).
(4) The fourth paragraph seeks to prove the deity of the Son and the Spirit from the fact that both of them are the object of prayer in the Scriptures. To show this of the Son is relatively easy, and Beddome can refer to a passage like Acts 7:59 (KJV), where Stephen, the first martyr, prays, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” To find a text where the Spirit is actually the object of prayer is far more difficult. Beddome cites Revelation 1:4, where the “seven spirits,” which Beddome rightly understands to be a symbolic representation of the “one holy and eternal Spirit,” are included along with God the Father and Jesus Christ in a salutation to the seven churches in Asia Minor. As we have noted above, this passage clearly has significant Trinitarian import. But it does not really serve Beddome’s purpose, for a salutation is simply not equivalent to a prayer.
(5) The fifth and final paragraph gives further scriptural support for the fact that there is a plurality within the Godhead. “Are divine blessings derived from all three persons in the Godhead? Yes. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all (2 Corinthians 13:13). Have each of these their distinct province in the affair of man’s salvation? Yes. Thro’ him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father (Ephesians 2:18).”

Quotation Knowing Truth

I noticed this quote from Beddome here.

Prof Jim Renihan introduces it:

Is preaching important? Should ministers labour over the Word of God so that they proclaim it faithfully to their people? Benjamin Beddome, the well-loved pastor of the Baptist Church in Bourton-on-the-Water England for 55 years in the latter half of the 18th Century, preached a sermon from Luke 1:4 with this title: The Importance of Scripture Knowledge. In familiar style, the sermon had three main points, indicated as ‘observations’ on the doctrine of the text. The first observation is ‘that there are some things in which all real converts have been instructed ... by the Spirit of God’; the second ‘that the certain knowledge of these things may yet be wanting, and is to be obtained’; and the third ‘that this certainty of knowledge is very desirable.’ He then gives a sample of part of the third observation:
Certainty of knowledge tends to the improvement of our graces, the increase of our comfort, and our growing fruitfulness. The more knowledge the more holiness. ‘Sanctify them by thy truth,’ says Christ; ‘thy word is truth.’ The more knowledge, the more liberty, both with God and for God. ‘The truth shall make you free.’ The more knowledge, the more inward peace; the more understanding is enlightened in the truths of the gospel, the more firmly doth the soul rest itself upon God and Christ. ‘I know’ says the Apostle, ‘in whom I have believed.’ I can safely commit my eternal all into his hands, for I know that he is every way equal to his undertaking, and will faithfully discharge every trust reposed in him: in a word, the more extensive our knowledge is, the more universal will our obedience be. If the head be like the summer’s sun, full of light, the heart will not be like the winter’s earth, void of fruit; and, indeed, it is this that distinguishes between the knowledge of the hypocrite and the true believer; the one is barren and unfruitful, the other is animating and enlivening, assimilating and transforming: thus, when the Apostle prays for the Colossians, that they might be filled with all the knowledge of God’s will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; he adds, that ye might ‘walk worthy of God unto all pleasing.’Renihan says to preachers

Beddome is exactly right. Our people will grow in grace as they grow in knowledge. They may not be the most exciting things, but preaching and teaching are the best things. Brothers, devote yourself to them.

See a summary of the sermon on this blog here.