John Chamberlain, Bristol, to John Sutcliff, Olney, 24 October 1801.      

Bristol. Oct.r 24th 1801.

Dear Father,

         An opportunity of sending a few lines to you occurring, I embrace it. A Member of the Church at Blunham being now at Bristol, who I expect will return next week, & will take this to Newport, & send it thence to Olney.

         Since my return hither, I have been ill, & am now weak, tho’ much recovered. A cold & a slow fever have brought me low. I fear the cold was occasioned by sitting imprudently at my desk with the window open & without my coat a month since yesterday. After preaching the next Sabbath, I was very hoarse & more wearied than ever before in the good work. The hoarseness was soon gone but the cold has remain’d ever since. This with the fever have forced me to lay every thing aside for several days & render’d me incapable of doing much the past month. But blessed be God, I am much better, yet my breast is in such a state that I dare not sit long at writing. My spirits have been low at times, but I have much reason to be thankful that on the whole they have been no worse. I wish it were more evident that my affliction has been good for me & it gives me sorrow that it is not.

         It affords me great pleasure to find that the Lord is carrying on his work at Olney. O may his arm be more gloriously displayed. Doubtless you will rejoice, that he is also gathering in his elect at Bristol. The work seems going on among the young people at Broadmead. Last Thursday sennight. D.r Ryland baptized 17 persons. Sixteen of whom joined the church. Mr Edmond’s Son who is at our house was one. The day before, M.rs Skinner was baptized. Few knew of it till after wards. She has not joined the Baptist Church, but sits down with Mr Skinner in the Independent communion. It is reported that both M.r or Mrs Skinner have left M.r Hey, not approving of his controversy with Mr Biddulph. M.r S. is a very pious man, & one of the most generous in this city. May his life long be spared, & his usefulness greatly extended.

         M.r Hall of Cambridge is here, M.r Lowell & he having made an exchange. He preaches at Bridge street in the morning & at Broadmead in the evening   D.r Ryland & M.r Page preach for him in the afternoon. I am inform’d that Broadmead is crouded to hear him & that he preaches astonishing sermons, but on account of illness I have not yet heard him. Last Sabbath afternoon D.r R. preached a thanksgiving sermon on the pleasing return of peace & plenty, from Psalms the 147.th the 12.th or 14.th verses. He enlarged much on the manner in which christians should evidence their gratitude. One remark was “That as Merchants will be looking out for new resources of trade so Christians should enlarge their views respecting the propagation of the Gospel & multiply their endeavour to promote it. Now (said he) the destroyer Apollyon is chain’d, let the armies of Immanuel go forth, & spread abroad over the whole Earth.” O may we see it realized. I look over the vast regions of France with reviving hopes. Surely God will appear for his own cause & dispel the darkness that covereth the people, & confound the infidelity with which many are infatuated. O verily there is a loud call. “Come over & help us.” O may many hear it & obey its voice!  When I reflect on these things I long to be employed in the good work with all my might, & can hardly satisfy my self to remain as I am, but a moment’s consideration of my self restrains my anxiety, & almost makes me asham’d of my pretensions. O what am I that I should aspire to a work so important or glorious?  Let me wait & see what Jehovah hath appointed for me.

         I am much obliged to you, Dear Father, for what you said to me & for your advice, when I was at Olney. I cannot speak well of myself, but it often occasions much to me that I am not otherwise.  I trust that I am sincere in saying that nothing pierces my heart more than the thought of going to Bengal or to be the occasion of trouble & uneasiness to the dear Brethren there. What you intimated to me concerning my temper, had caused me many painful feelings before, & it has not been a little on my mind since. It has at times almost brought me to relinquish every thought of missionary services & of the ministry also. But I cannot rest here, perhaps it would be better if I could. But I am most composed & satisfied when I leave every thing as it is & wait the approaching conclusion. I am happiest when my expectations are low, or my will reclines on the divine pleasure. O that I had more of this experience!  blessed be God for any.

         Being ill & poorly so much of the time since my return, & having a library exercise to prepare I can give but little account of my proceedings. M.r Page has put me in another class, in which I read Virgil &c in the Collectanea majora. This is a fortunate circumstance with respect to learning Greek. For this class learn 3 or 4 Greek lessons a week while the other learns but one. I am pleased with Virgil have read his Eclogue’s & some of his Georgic’s, but expect to make the Greek my chief study for a time, that I may make some proficiency in it. If we had a French Tutor, I would begin the French immediately, but we have not & I cant afford to pay 2 guineas a year for one. In reading, I have attended to little but history. Read Grays Key to the Old Testament & thought it a good performance. Last week read Michaelis’s Introductory lectures on the New Testament found much information there tho’ I cant believe all he says. Have Perkins 2 vl Sermons in hand, but I can attend to divinity but very little & am sorry for it. Expect to read Campbell on the Gospels soon, but an Oration will require my alteration for a time. Some of the Brethren have agreed to study different sciences, have a lecture once a week prepared by one of them. I approve of their plan & wish them much success.  Was over at the French prison to day to see them once more before they depart. Their joy is very great in the prospect of returning home. Met with one Man, who has been in Bengal 6 years & can speak Bengallee. He spoke a little at my request & I could but rejoice to hear it.

         Thro mercy I am recovering my strength & hope soon to resume all the course of my studies. The prospect is pleasant, may the Lord prosper me & help me to glorify his Name. Please to remember me most affectionately to M.rs Sutcliff to Miss Johnston & to Brother Brown if he be at Olney. Shall esteem it a great favor to receive a line from you at any time. May the blessing of [illegible word] be with you to render you happy, & your labour prosperous.          

                                                               Most affectionately Yours

                                                                                      J Chamberlain.

Oct.r 26.th 1801

P.S. D.r Ryland desires his Love to you. The family is well.

Text: Timothy Whelan, Baptist Autographs in the John Rylands University Library of Manchester, 1741-1845 (Macon: Mercer UP, 2009), pp. 106-110 (annotated version); also Eng. MS. 387, fol. 21a, John Rylands University Library of Manchester. On the back page is written in Sutcliff’s hand, “Rec. Nov. 7. 1801. Ans. — 23. —.”  Chamberlain’s final note is dated 26 October. John Chamberlain (1777-1821) studied at Bristol Baptist College (1799-1802) before serving as a BMS missionary to India, 1803-21; Thomas Edmonds (1784-1860) was the son of John Edmonds, Baptist minister at Guilsborough, and would later serve as pastor at St. Andrew’s Street, Cambridge, 1812-31; William Skinner (d. 1834) was a Bristol banker and member of the Independent congregation at Broadmead; John Hey (1734-1815) was pastor of the Independent congregation at Castle Green, Bristol, 1789-1804; Thomas Tregenna Biddulph (1763-1838) was the evangelical vicar at St. James, Bristol; Robert Hall (1764-1831), at that time the celebrated Baptist minister at St. Andrew’s Street, Cambridge, was visiting Bristol in October 1801, having exchanged pulpits with Samuel Lowell (1759-1823), pastor of the Independent congregation at Bridge Street, 1799-1823; Henry Page (1781-1833) was the assistant pastor at Broadmead and secretary and tutor at Bristol Baptist College, 1802-17. Chamberlain regretted that so much of his time at Bristol was spent in literary studies, not divinity. One entry in his diary reads, “I am exceedingly liable to be carried away by the levity that surrounds me, and to which I am so inclined. I am convinced that true religion and levity are quite inconsistent with each other, and are, and ever will be, irreconcilable. Religion, if it has a prevailing influence on the mind, will be an antidote against a volatile and trifling disposition.” Concerning Chamberlain’s studies at Bristol, William Yates writes: “There have perhaps been few students in divinity, that have endeavoured more sedulously to improve time, to grow in grace, and to avoid the temptations attendant on a retired and collegiate life, than Mr. C. did; and yet we find him frequently lamenting over his failings in these things, particularly over his proneness to a light and trifling spirit: from which we may learn, that they are most sensible of their faults, who strive most against them, and that they are most conscious of their errors, who are most ardent in pressing toward perfection.” See Yates, Memoirs of Mr. John Chamberlain, 43.