Below are notes taken from a Commonplace book from the late 1730-early 1740s belonging originally to a Richard Ashwin (c. 1731) and then John Collett Ryland (1723-92), Baptist minister at Warwick and Northampton and popular educator and writer. The volume is non-foliated. The volume at some point came into the possession of Joshua Wilson, and then was donated to the Congregational Library by Wilson's wife, along with other papers concerning the J. C. Ryland and his son, John Ryland, Jr., and John Rippon. The materials below now reside in the Congregational Library, MS. I. h. 40.  Portions of these materials deserve to be transribed in full and offer new insights into Ryland's early ministerial education under Benjamin Beddome and his time at Bourton in the late 1730s and early 1740s. 

A second set of materials pertaining to John Collett Ryland can also be found in the Congregational Library, MS.  II. c. 5. In this collection are seven letters by Ryland pertaining to the education of John Sandys and Benjamin Hartley (see the calendar containing their letters under "Particular Baptist Fund"). Transcriptions of Ryland's letters can be found on this site under "Ryland, J.C." in "Baptist Letters." 

Front title reads “Richard Aishwin His Book 1731.”  On the inside cover someone wrote on 20 November 1829 from Bristol (apparently the last owner) that the book was an MS of John Ryland, and the signature appears to be “TW,” but it is not clear. [The Ashwins were members of the church at Bourton throughout the 18th c.  A James Ashwin signed the church call of Thomas Coles in 1801, shortly before he died at the age of 91.  He was probably Richard’s brother (see Thomas Brooks, Pictures of the Past: The History of the Baptist Church, Bourton-on-the-Water, 1891, p. 68).]  Under that is written in Ryland’s hand twice, “John Ryland N11 Blank book.”

On the next page we find in J. C. Ryland’s hand, “A Miscellaneous Collection of Varieties both Divine & Moral.   1741.” On the following page is this:

Remarks:

Some persons do not make a proper distinction between the Decree of Gods & the positive act.  Tis my opinion that God chose all his Elect in Christ from Eternity, but as to their real Justification I dare not affirm N:B the following Scriptures

  On the next page we find:

A Few Sentimts on Justification

Tis M.r Beddomes opinion a person is not Justified till he comes personally to believe on X.t he has a Simile from temp: things viz.

Suppose there was a criminal in prison under sentence of death.  The King says in councill that he will pardon this Crimminal Why this person is not pardoned Not till the king has sign’d & seal’d his pardon & sends it to this person & this Crimminal comes to the Bar & pleads this pardon with his Majesty then he is pardoned Indeed.  Likewise free’d & aqquited Consequently .. .

  On the next page, we find:

         3 marks to prove a True Christian –

1.st Loathing self Righteousness

2.nd To take Xt as the only & alone Satisfying treasure.

3.dly To close with X.ts yoke earnestly and wiithout any Exception’s.

Next we find another title page: “Jo/n Ryland His Booke 1736 Anno Domi”; also the words “freely,” “feelingly,” “fully,” and “brokenly” are written on the page.  Numerous pages here are devoted to Psalms and hymns with the musical transcription of the melodic line on a music score.  The first hymn is as follows:

Tis good with patience to attend;

and on the Lord Rely:

When other succours fail’d, to him;

I prayed he heard my cry.

What follows on the next page are the “tennor” [sic]  lines to the “40th,” to “Windsor,” and to the 100th.  These are followed by the tenor scores to Standish, Southwell, and Cambridge. 

Next is Psalm 50:

The Mighty God, and Lord of all,

Calls the whole, send to hear;

And summon all from East to West

Before Him to appear.

Psalm 96:

Let all the Earth their Voices raise

To Sing the choicest Psalm of Praise

Top sing and bless Gods Sacred Name

And all his Saving Works proclaim.

Psalm 47

O all ye people clap your hands

And make a joyfull noise;

With acclamations to your god [sic]

Declare your inward joys.

After these are more tenor scores to the 88th Psalm; the [“Aingles”?] hymn? tenor to the 47 Psalm.

Psalm 15

Lord, let me know that Happy man

Whome thou so well dost love

That he may praise thee hear below

And dwell wh thee above.

Then follows more tenor lines of the Lichfield psalm; Canterbury; and the 51st psalm.

Psalm 80

         O Lord attend unto my cry and sorrow

Psalm 81:

Praise him, to whome all pow’r belongs,

With joyful and triumphant songs;

Psalm 86:

Lord bow thine ear to my requests

tho’ pore and in the dust:

O save my Righteous soul; for, Lord,

in the[e] alone I trust.

Be merciful to me, O God,

and heare my mornfull voice

Dayly my soule to thee ascends

Oh make it to rejoyce.

Tenor lines to the 5th and 81st Psalm.

Next are the tenor and bass lines to the 30th Psalm, followed by the Counter to Windsor, Psalm 39; counter to Lichfield; counter to Aingles hymn; tenor to the 25 Psalm; tenor to the Lamentation; tenor and bass to the 140th Psalm.

Psalm 113:

1 Mercy and judgment, Lord, I’ll sing

That mercy, which has made me King

2 Shall wisely still direct my course

Thy perfect Law the guide I’ll make

of all my ways and none shall take

Example by me to be worse.

3 State reason and a private End

Serv’d by ill projects shall not bend

Thy Laws against ye Rule of Right

4 The man whose froward heart is press’d

Ungodly cousels [sic] to be suggest’d

Shall never be my Favourite.

[followed by the “tennor” line to the 113th Psalm.]

“Now there are five things Relating to Sin that Discriminate & mark ye state of the Person – The difference is discernable in our 1. abstinence from sin.  2.  Hatred of sin.  3.  Troubles about sin.  4.  Subjection to sin.  5.  Opposition of sin.’

Some more commonplaces follow:

True Grace

True Grace is willing to be tryed and nothing is more desirable to an upright soul than to know the truth of his own Condition. If therefore we shun the Trial & are loth to search our selves, or be searched by the Lord, our Condition is Suspicious and we can take Little comfort in it. –

On Hypocrisy

For a person to be afraid he is an Hypocrite is a good sign he is not.

Distinguish the presence from the predominance of hypocrisy & the Doubt is Resolved.  Hypocrisy is in ye best of S.ts But it reigns in none but Altogether Hypocrites

An Hymn:

Hail King of Glory clad in Robes of Light

Outshining all we here call bright

Hail lights divinest Galaxy

Hail express Image of Deity

Could now ye amorous [spouse?] thy [bedfellow?]

How would her wounds all blood [?]

“The Best Cure for a bad Memory: by M.r Flavel

Labour to retain the Word of God in thy Heart.  Labour to get an high esteem of it.  And an Experimental Feeling of i, and frequently meditate on it.  Psalms 119: 16. & 93 & 99.th verse.”

Some observations follow on Heb. 6. 10, taken on November 7 [174].2

Next appear some general observations:

“Tis observ’d of holy M.r Bradford that when he was confessing sin, he would never give over confessing until he had felt some brokenness of heart for that sin: and when praying for any Spiritual Mercy would never give over that suit, till he had got some Relish of that Mercy: Finis.”

“Well composed, advized, & deliberate Vows, are in some Cases, of excellent use to guard the Heart against some special Sin.  Job 31:1 – by this means, holy ones have Overawed themselves from Defilement by some special Heart Corruptions. – ”

Next are a series of sermon notes, most likely taken from sermons by Benjamin Beddome in 1741-42 at Bourton. 

Under notes on Prov. 8.17, Ryland adds: “Mr Beddome Said--we need not be afraid to come to Christ. tho’ in our Rags – We need not stay to Change our Garments as Joseph did when he came before Pharoah--There’s no occasion to make ourselves fit neither are we able   Before we come to Christ, come to X.t and he will make us fit.  Christs Love is from Everlasting Christ dy’d to show his own Love and to Purchase Ours – ”  He later adds, “Tho’ they Offend him yet he Covers their Sins with the Mantle of his Love But here we must note: That this Ought to Be no Encouragement to sin against God. – Will any Person be so absurd as to Break his Bones because he is sure to have them well set again.  Shall we sin that Grace may abound.  God forbid Who shall say any thing to the Charge of God’s Elect--it is God that Justifieth &c – ” . . . “Christ is Represented as being in the Midst of his People to show they are all alike to him As the Table in Sol.s Song Represented as a Round table they are all Alike to him &c . . .”

After the sermon notes on God’s love, we find these entries:  “M.r Wicksted’s Receipt for making fine Japan Ink,” and “Blacking, by M.r Wickstead.”

What follows are more sermon notes, most likely the first ever preached by Ryland. This section is fairly extensive and at some point deserves to be transcribed in full.

“On Jeremi. 3. 13. first p.t Nov. 7 [1742]

Confession of sin is a Duty as often inculcated as any in the Word of God –

1.  Enquire in w.t manner we must perform this Duty.

1.  Freely.  not of compulsion not like Cain or Pharoah. Baalam &c

2.  Feelingly.  with a due sense of the Infinite Evil of I.  see David, Ezra.  Peter &c Job. 40: 4 or as the prodigall & the publican

3.  Fully.  as the Client does the Lawyer his Case.  Or the Sick Man does his phisician--Sam. 2: 19. . .

4.  With a Holy Sorrow & brokenness of heart for it see Ezra 10 – See P.s Sorry for my sin says David – tis no easy matter to Confess sin aright”

 [Repeats words written on opening page of book, above]

Next sermon was on 21 November 1742, also from Jeremiah 3:13.

What follows was apparently designed to be notes from a 10 November 1742 Fast Day sermon by Beddome, but instead Ryland marked through it and proceeded with what he titles “2d Sermon April 3. 1743” taken from Matthew 1:21. 

After the sermon notes, appears a poem on Grace.  Then another set of sermon notes from Eph. 2:8, either preached or taken down from Beddome on 3 April 1743.  These notes are followed by more notes on the same verse from 10 April 1743, apparently the morning service.  He closes these notes (all these sermons are on Grace) with a hymn “When God on Sions sacred hill / The sure foundation lays . . .” Then follow sermons notes from the afternoon service on 10 April, taken again from Matt. 1: 21. This is followed by notes from Eccles. 9: 3, but not dated.  It too closes with a poem, “Sin is the frenzy of y.e Soul / And runs in all our veins . . .”

This is followed by more notes on Eph. 2: 8--”Thro. Faith explain the Nature of Faith.”

This is followed by “An Exposition” of a verse from Hosea-- “O! Israel return unto the Lord thy God – for thou hast fallen by thine Iniquity.”   Dated 20 April 1751, from Warwick. 

Next follows several blank pages, then a heading “Bristol March,” under which Ryland lists apparently the items needed for the march, including 2 whigs, 7 shirts, 9 stocks, 1 hat, 1 little Coat and Wai[st]coat, 1 Great Coat, 2 pairs of Breeches, 7 Pairs of Stockings, 1 pair of Boot Stockings, and 3 pair of Shoes.

Then follow some entries in Greek, then more music scores to various Psalms, and then “Pithy sentencs Being proper Maxims for a Christian.”

Nothing prevails more wth God than Importunity saith Buny.n

Religion is the chief Business of our Lives and prayer is the Life of our Religion – says M. Henry –

Above all Studies the study of ones own Heart is the Chief Study for a Christian.

Then follows an account for 7 November of various food stuffs, including sugar, bread, raisons, prunes, and tobacco. 

[Back page bears this title, “John Collett Ryland, His Booke Bourton May [20?]th 1737.”]