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My friend, the Rev. J. Whittemore, subsequently the projector, proprietor and editor of the Christian World, the Sunday School Times, the Baptist Messenger, etc. was ordained pastor of the first Baptist Chapel at Rushden, on June 14th, 1832, on the evening of which day I preached there to a very large congregation with great liberty and acceptance.

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I commenced the year 1839 at Rushden, very interesting prayer meetings being held in connexion with the Old Baptist Church in that village on New Year's Day. About a dozen Baptist Ministers were present.

The year 1840 was in some respects an unusually active and important one to me. I was again at Rushden on New Year's Day, to attend another series of prayer meetings about to be held there. Early in the morning of January 2nd I gave an address "On the Connexion of Christian Zeal with Christian Happiness." I shewed that earnestness, activity and benevolence each yields enjoyment to its possessor. The miser finds pleasure in counting his silver and gold, because in doing so he obeys the law of earnestness, the sportsman finds pleasure in the chase, because he therein obeys the law of activity, the philanthropist finds pleasure in acts of kindness, because he therein obeys the law of benevolence. The lack of larger measures of enjoyment in the Christian church arises from the deficiency of earnestness, activity or benevolence, and too often a deficiency of all the three, etc., etc.

p.79/80  On June 16th, I preached the anniversary sermon on behalf of the Baptist Chapel at Bozeat.

My Temperance work rapidly increased. In addition to the sermon at Mountsorrell (Leicestershire) already referred to, I had to preach or lecture on its behalf at Wellingborough, Northampton, Coventry, Rushden, Leicester, etc., etc. My lecture at Rushden was productive of signal and enduring good. For ten years previous I had somewhat frequently preached in that village, and lectured "On the Tides", "On the advantages of knowledge", etc., but in the beginning of December 1840, my friend the Rev. J. Whittemore, pastor of the Old Baptist Church at Rushden, wrote to me to say that he was very desirous to introduce the total abstinence movement into Rushden, and that as I stood well in the estimation of the friends there, he thought none could do it so effectively as I. He said he would leave the way of doing it wholly to my choice. I might either deliver a temperance lecture in his chapel, or preach a temperance sermon there, or preach a sermon on any other subject, and deliver a lecture afterwards. I answered that I should be happy to come, and that I thought the last-named of the three courses suggested was the more eligible one. I said I would (D.V.) come over on Thursday December 10th.

On the evening of that day a good congregation assembled in the Chapel. At the close of the service I said I wished to speak to them for a short time, certainly no more than half an hour on the Temperance question. If any did not wish to hear anything on that subject, or if any could not conveniently stay, I should be glad if they would leave before the commencement of my address, but that I should be still more glad if as many as possible would remain.

A few left, but a large number remained. I just simply stated my reasons for becoming a teetotaller, then closed without having exceeded the half hour. Left the pulpit with no expectation of hearing of any good resulting from my address. When Lo! to my surprize Mr. Whittemore came hurriedly into the vestry to me, and said "Have you the pledge book?" "No," I replied, "I did not anticipate that anyone would wish to sign the pledge." "O, write it down at once," he rejoined, "for several persons are waiting to sign it." I accordingly did so, and some who signed it that night have kept it unbroken through nearly thirty years. And although a principal landed proprietor of the parish had said, "Rushden is such a notoriously drunken place that it will be of no use for anyone to try to introduce teetotalism there," the cause has advanced so decidedly and steadily that there is no village in the county in which it has made greater progress. Some who, previous to December 1840, seemed to be well nigh hopelessly ruined in health, mind, soul and circumstances, have for nearly thirty years been reclaimed and honourable characters, but some of them prosperous tradesmen. I have received from them repeated and abundant expressions of gratitude for having introduced teetotalism into their midst, but to God be all the glory.