Beddome on the Incarnation

Greyson Joralemon greyson_joralemon1, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

In his sermon on Luke 23:18 Betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss Beddome says

The title which Jesus here assumes in calling him self the Son of man may teach us the following things 1 That he is really and properly man as well as truly divine. In the assumption of our nature he was found in fashion as a man he took on him the seed of Abraham and was made in the likeness of sinful flesh. There were some in the early ages of the church who supposed that the body of Christ was only an aerial substance not flesh and blood but having the form and appearance of it imagining that it was incompatible with divinity to become really incarnate. Against this error the apostle John bears his testimony in the following words

The Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us. That which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the Word of Life for the Life was manifested and we have seen it and bear witness and shew unto you that eternal Life which was with the Father and was manifested unto us Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God And this is that spirit of antichrist whereof you have heard that it and even now already is it in the world  John 1:14; 1 John 1:1,2, 4: 2, 3

The doctrine of Christ's incarnation is of such importance that it is fundamental to the truth of the gospel and to every doctrine contained in it. For if Christ were not really a man he could not have made atonement for every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer. Hence when he cometh into the world he saith sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not but a body hast thou prepared me. If his incarnation were a fiction his death and resurrection and ascension would be a fiction also and the gospel would not be true. Then would our faith be vain and we are yet in our sins. Christ was really God and it was necessary that he should be so in order that he might satisfy divine justice; he was really man and it was equally necessary that he should be so in order that he might suffer. Hence it is that the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Hymn From that bright world

This is another hymn that touches slightly on the incarnation but quickly moves to the cross. It is No 55 and is headed Christ's humility.

From that bright world where seraphs join

In songs and services divine

Where streams of purest pleasure flow

Jesus descends and dwells below

2 No glittering gems his robes adorn

He meets with cruelty and scorn

He loads of guilt and sorrow bears

Is bathed in sweat and blood and tears

3 Exposed his people long had been

To sin and wrath and endless pain

But lo he dies to set them free

Oh could I say he died for me.

Hymn Stupendous was the love

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 via Wikimedia Commons

This hymn is 55 in the collection and is headed Incarnation and sufferings. Only the first verse is really about the incarnation. Beddome goes straight to the cross. Stupendous is a word found in another hymn we have mentioned. "His imperial throne" seems to be from Tate and Brady. The idea of Christ wading through a sea is in Jonathan Edwards (eg "The minister before the judgement seat of God" - But what are the labours of the most faithful and laborious of the ministers of the Gospel, and what is their self-denial in comparison of the labors and sufferings that Christ had gone through for souls, who has waded through a sea of blood and gone through a furnace of wrath for their salvation?)

1 STUPENDOUS was the love

Of God's eternal Son

Who left the blissful scenes above

And his imperial throne

2 He waded through a sea

Of overwhelming
wrath

That wretched sinners such as we

Might be redeemed from death

3 Expiring on the cross

He Satan's empire broke

Surprise and horror seized his foes

And hell's foundation shook

4 From him we grace receive

In him all good possess

And those who on his word believe

Shall reign with him in bliss

5 Hosanna to his name

Let heavenly hosts adore

But saints with pure seraphic flame

Should love and praise him more

Lecture notes in Bristol

In Bristol there are four books of lecture notes donated to the College by Beddome in 1794

1.  See
Reference number: G93A/Ze16
Creators:

• Beddome, Benjamin (1717-1795)

Person as subject:

• Foskett, Bernard (1685-1758)

Title: Notes on Pneumatology lectures ?poss by Bernard Foskett
Dates: c.1739- 1753
Description:
Card description: ‘BEDDOME, Benjamin | G93a Z e 16 Pneumatology. Ms. N.d. These may be Beddome’s notes on Foskett’s lectures. 180p [barcode: 14392]’
[Front board] coat of arms of ‘A: Gifford, D.D. of the museum’; pasted slip (printed): ‘LIBRARY Baptist College BRISTOL.’, overwritten in pink pen: ‘Z.e.16’
[fo. ir] [first hand:] B. Beddome Pneumatology [second hand:] may be his writing [stamp:] G 93[A written in pen],  [pencil:] 14392, [red ink:] Z.e.16 [pencil] by Bernard Foskett?
[fos. iv-iiv] [blank]
[fo. 1] Pneumatology | Introduction
[fos. 11v-13v] [blank]
[fos. 14r-18r] [begins in medias res]
[fo. 18r] OF TASTE
[fo. 21v; p. 48] Of Hearing Section 1^st
[fo. 29r] Of Touch. Sect: 1^st of Heat & Cold
[fo. 42v] Of Extension
[fo. 67v] Of the Culture of the Senses
[fo. 69r] Of the Senses of Brutes.
[fo. 70r] Of Memory.
[fo. 76r] Of the Imagination
[fo. 80r] Of Reflection
[fo. 80v] Of Taste
[fo. 85v] Of the operations the mind performs with regard to the Sources mentioned.
[fo. 86v] Of Dividing.
[fo. 88r] Of Compounding
[fo. 89r] Of Comparing
[fo. 89v] Of Moral Faculty
[text ends at base of fo. 90r in middle of sentence; fo. 90v blank; back board has ‘1/2’ written in pen]
Extent: 1 vol
Sources of information: Mark Burden

2. See
Reference number: G93A/Ze18
Creators:

• Beddome, Benjamin (1717-1795)

Person as subject:

• Eames, John (1686- 1744)

Title: Institutiones ethicae (John Eames, transcribed Benjamin Beddome?)
Dates: c.1737- 1794
Description:
‘This Manuscript written by the Rev^d. Benj. Beddome when a Pupil of the Rev^d. M^r Eames by whom it was composed was given by M^r Beddome to the Library belonging to the Educatⁿ. Society for educating Baptist Min^rs. in North Street Bristol. ~ 1794.’ [in pencil:] ‘The hymnes at the other end of the Book are the composition of M^r B. Beddome & many of them are inserted in the Evangelical Magazine of 1795 & following years.’
[fo. 1r] ‘Institutiones Ethicae; ex Autoribus praecipué notis transcriptae, ac in usum Juventutis Academicae in Compendium redactae. | Prolegomena De naturâ Ethices, ejusq; Partitione.’
[fo. 5r] ‘Institutiones Ethicae &c: Pars. I^ma:’
[fos. 12r-52r] ‘Pars. II^da’
[fos. 52v-35v rev.] Hymns.
Extent: 1 vol
Sources of information: Mark Burden

3. See
Reference number: G93A/Ze39
Creators:

• Beddome, Benjamin (1717-1795)

Person as subject:

• Foskett, Bernard (1685- 1758)
• Grove, Henry (1684- 1738)

Title: Notes on Pneumatology lectures by Henry Grove [previously thought to be by Bernard Foskett]
Dates: c.1707- 1738
Description:
Card description: FOSKETT, BERNARD G93a | Pneumatology. MS. n.d. | Presented by Benjamin Beddome in 1794, and reported to be in Foskett’s own hand. [barcode: 14414]’
[Front board] [red ink:] Z.e.39 [second hand in blank ink:] This Manuscript | written by | the Rev^d. Bernard Foskett | then Pastor of the Church | in Broadmead | & Tutor of | the Baptist Academy, | was given to the | Baptist Library | belonging to the Education | Society | by the Rev^d. Benj. Beddome | of | Bourton on the Water | 1794. [pencil:] 14414 [stamp:] G 93[A written in pen] [purple stamp, crossed through in black ink:] 88d
Contents [see back of volume]
[p. 1] The Introduction What a Spirit is three Kinds of Spirits making the Scale of Being & why We should consider our Souls
[p. 2] 3 Uses of Ignorance of our Selves
[p. 3] 4 Uses of the Knowledge of our Souls
[p. 4] 3 Uses of y^e Knowledge of Angels & one of the Knowledge of God
[p. 5] Of y^e Souls Existence & how We know it
[p. 7] Of the Essence of the Soul
[p. 9] 3 Reasons why Thinking is not the Essence of the Soul
[pp. 11, 20] M^r. Lock’s personal Identity consider’d
[pp. 12, 96] Of the Immateriality of the Soul
[p. 15] Of Thinking
[p. 16] Thinking essential it always thinks
[p. 23] Of Ideas, Sensation & Imagination
[p. 25] The Seat of Ideas in the Mind
[p. 29] The Nature of Ideas
[p. 31] The Original of Ideas
[p. 36] The Faculties of the Soul
[p. 37] Imagination beyond Sense in 3 Things
[p. 39] 3 Reasons for Memory being lodg’d in the Mind how distinguish’d from Imagination
[p. 41] What the Will is &c
[p. 46] Habits Intellectual & moral
[p. 48] Affections or Passions
[p. 51] Three Ranks of them
[p. 54] Benevolence & Malevolence
[p. 55] Complacence & Displicence [sic]
[p. 56] Desire & Aversion
[p. 57] Hope & Fear
[p. 58] Joy & Sorrow
[p. 60] Gratitude & Anger
[p. 62] Of the Ubiety of the Soul
[p. 65] Of the Union between Soul & Body
[p. 71] Of the Original of the Soul
[p. 75] Of the Immortality of the Soul
[p. 85] Of the Seperate [sic] State of the Soul
[p. 90] Is it in this State a pured naked Sp^t.?
[p. 93] Of the Apparition of Dep^td. Souls
[p. 94] Of Seperate [sic] Souls Converse w^th each other
[p. 107] Book 2^d Of Angels
[p. 111] Of the Distinction of Angels
[p. 116] Of Evil Angels
[p. 119] Of the Residence of evil Angels
[p. 123] Of Temptations Possessions &c
[p. 126] Of Apparitions of the Devil
[p. 129] Of Witches
[p. 136] Of God
[p. 141] A brief Demonstration of the Being & Attributes of God
Extent: 1 vol
Sources of information: Mark Burden

4. See
Reference number: G93A/Zh6
Creators:

• Beddome, Benjamin (1717-1795)

Person as subject:

• Foskett, Bernard (1685- 1758)
• Eames, John (1686- 1744)

Title: A brief introduction to Chronology (Bernard Foskett, transcribed Benjamin Beddome?); Institutiones Ethicae (John Eames, transcribed from Benjamin Beddome's MS?)
Dates: c.1740- 1740
Description:
[front board] ‘The Gift of the Rev^d. Benj. Beddome, to the Library in North Street, Bristol, belonging to the Baptist Education Society, 1794.’ Bookplate for the ‘LIBRARY, BAPTIST COLLEGE, BRISTOL.’
[fo. 2r] ‘A brief Introduction to Chronology’
[fo. 63r] ‘We proceed to y^e 2^d part of Xonology, which considers time in particular, & demonstrates y^e Certainty of ye Epocha’s or AEras made use of by Historians & Chronologers, as also explains y^e Calendars of several Nations.’
[fo. 78r] ‘Of the most celebrated Epocha’s, mention’d in sacred and profane History.’ Table.
[fos. 83r-89r] ‘Of Numerical Letters, Figures, &c.’
[fos. II.1r-II.4r] ‘M^r Eames’s Institutiones Ethicae copy’d from M^r Beddome’s MS.'
[fo. II.4v-end] Blank.
Extent: 1 vol
Sources of information: Simon Dixon, revised Mark Burden

Note (07/05/26) Derrick Homes says that on some of the unused leaves of these book Beddome has written hymns. One is a note for a Christmas Day hymn in 1782 "Angels in bright attire" which is No 44 in the hymn book

Hymns Following the Lord 170 171

These adjacent hymns cover similar ground. The opening line of 170 anticipates Gadsby's great 'What matchless condescension'. 'Stupendous love' is the phrase that begins Wesley's 'Stupendous love of God most high!'. The line 'That Christ should tabernacle here' reveals a knowledge of the Greek of John 1. The final line (And join the triumphs of the sky) is practically the same as one found in Hark! The herald angels sing.

The final verse of 171 is reminiscent of the closing verse of Watts' magnificent 'When I survey'.

170 Following the Lord

What wondrous condescending love,
That Jesus should for sinners die,
Should leave his throne of bliss above,
To bring rebellious creatures nigh !
Stupendous love beyond compare,
That Christ should tabernacle here.

2 By him my debts are all discharged,
And now my foes assault in vain;
My future hopes has he enlarged,
And told me I shall with him reign:
Then let me his dear name adore,
And strive to serve him more and more.

3 I now through fire and water too,
Would follow my redeeming Lord,
Assured his arm can help me through
And all sufficient strength afford:
To him then I will live and die,
And join the triumphs of the sky.

171 Following Hard after God
By every means, in every way,
My soul shall seek the Lord ;
At home, abroad, by night, by day,
Till he his grace afford.

2 Does he retire? I'll still pursue,
And mend my heavy pace,
Till with rejoicing eyes I view
His lovely, smiling face.

3 I with his people will attend,
Expecting him to see;
Jesus, my Saviour and my friend,
Oh come and visit me!

4 Were I of all the world possessed,
I would the whole resign,
If I might only once be blessed,
And say that thou art mine.