.'' ^) if'f^jy--*^ •*-■¥■.*.,>. "^y Z^* .^,^ M( *« }•■ '^ *.f^ "^ N V\ * N ^t -^ OF THE Theological Seminary, PRINCETON, N. F. Case, ■— ^ ;*-r: Di-yisior - Shelf, ..^ '^. .' Seett^' i . Book, Ui>.. • f^/a ^c^/ c^ DEATH OF Mr Philip Henry,^ MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL NEAR WHITCHURCH, IN SHROPSHIRE. Who died June 24, 1696, in the Sixty-fifth year of his age. WITH dr bj^es's dedication. EDINBURGH: PRINTED Bry. RUTHVEN W SONS. 1797. ■/ TO ffiS MUCH HONOURED FRIEND, SIR HENRrJSHURST.Bsii'i. SIR, 'HE minifters'of the gofpel are, in the fcripture- language. Stars in the 'right hand of Chrift, to fignify their diffufi-ve Hght, and beneficial influences. As in the future ftate of the refurredion, fome Stars lliall dilFer from others in glory ; fo in the prefent ftate of the regdjieration, fome minifters are diftinguiflied from others^l^)^: a brighter eminence in their endow- ments, and a riiore powerful emanation of light in their preaching. Of this feled number was Mr Philip Hen- ry, in whom there was a union of thofe real excellen- cies of parts, learning, and divine graces, that figna- lized him among his brethren. This does evidently appear in the narrative of his life, drav/n by one very fit to do it : as having had entire knowledge of him, by long and intimate converfation ; and having, by his ho- ly inftruftions, and the impreffion of his example, been made partaker of the fame fanftifying Spirit. The de- fcribing the external adions of faints, without obferv- ing the holy principles and affedions from whence they derived their life and purity, is a defective and irregu- lar reprefentation of them. 'Tis as if an account were given of the riches and foecundity of the earth, from the flowers and fruits that grow upon it, without con- fidering the mines of precious metals contained in its bofom. Now only an inward chriftian that has felt the power of religion in his heart, can, from the re- flection upon himfelf, and his uncounterfeit experi- ence, difcover the operations of grace in the breaiis of ethers. Mr Henry was dedicated to the fervice of Chrifl by his mother in his tender age. His firft love and de- fires (when he was capable to make a judicious choice) were fet upon God. He entered early into the mini- flry, and confecrated all the powers of his foul, un- derftanding, memory, will, and affeftions, with his tim.e A 2 and iv 'The Dedication. and ftrengtli, to the fervice of Chrlft. And fuch was the grace and favour of God to him, that he loft no days in his fiourifhing age, by Satisfying the voluptu- ous appetites ; nor in his declining age by difeafes and infirmities, but inceflantly apphed himfelf to his fpirit- ual work. He was called to a private place in Wales, but his ihining worth could not be (haded in a corner. A confluence of people from other parts attended on his miniftry. Indeed the word of truth that dies in the mouths of the cold and carelefs, (for they are not all faints that ferve in the fanduary) had Hfe and fpi- rit in his preaching ; for it proceeded from a heart burning v»^ith zeal for the honour of Chrift and falva- tion of fouls. Accordingly he fuited his difcourfes to the wife and the weak ; and imitated the prophet, who contracted his ftature to the dead body of the widow's fon, applying his mouth to the mouth of the child, to infpire the breath of life into him. The poor and def- pifed were inflruded by him, with the fame compaf- fionate love and diligence as the rich, notwithftanding the civil diftinclion of perfons, which will fhortly van- ilh for ever ; for he confidered their fouls were of the fame precious and immortal value. In the adminif- tration of the Lord's, Supper, he expreft the juft tem- perament of iweetnefs and feverity : with melting com- paffion he invited all relenting and returning finners to come to Chrift, and receive their pardon fealed v/ith his blood : but he was fo jealous of the honour of Chrift, that he deterred, by the moft fearful confeOjUences, the rebellious that indulged their lufts, from coming to par- take of the feaft of the unfpotted Lamb. He was not allured by temporal advantage (which is the mark of a mercenary) to leave the firft place, where by the di- vine difpofai he was feated. When the fatal Bartholomew-day came, though he had fair hopes of preferment, by his attendance upon the King and Duke of York, in their early age, of which the remembrance might have been revived ; yet he was guided by a fuperior fpirit, and imitated the felf' The Dedication. v felf-denlal of Mofes (a duty little underflood, and lefs pradifed, by the earthly-minded) " rather choofing to *' fufler affli£lion with the people of God, than to en- " joy the good things of this world." As the light of heaven, when the air is ftormy and diflurbed, does not lofe the reditude of its ravs; fo his enlightened con- fcience did not bend in compliance with the terms or conformity, but he obeyed its fincere judgment. After his being expelled from the place of his pub- lick miniflry, his deportment was becoming a fon of peace. He refufed not communion with the church of England, in the ordinances of the gofpel, fo far as his confcience permitted. Yet he could not defert the duty of his office, to which he was, with facreJ folem- nity fet apart. He was faithful to improve opportuni- ties for ferving the intereft of fouls, notwilhitanding the feverities inflicted on him. And after the reiloring our freedom of preaching, he continued in the perform- ance of his delightful work, till death put a period to his labours. After this account of him as a minifter of Chrifl, I will glance upon his carriage as a chriftian. His con- verfation was fo holy and regular, fo free from taint, that he was unacculable by his enemies : they could only objefl: his nonconformity as a crime. But his vi- gilant and tender confcience difcovered the fpots of fm in himfelf, which fo affected his foul, that he defired repentance might accompany him to the gate of hea- ven: an excellent teiiimony of humility, the infeparable character of a faint. His love to God was fupreme, which was declared by his chofen hours cf communion, with him every day. The union of afiedions h na- turally productive of union in converliition. Accord- ingly our Saviour promifes, " He that loveth me, fhaii *' be loved of my Father ; and I will love him, and " will manifeft myfelf to him :'* and he repeats the promife, " If a mail love me, he. will keep my words : " and my Father will love him, and we will come to " him, and make our abode \v*h him." io his fpe- cial vi Ibe Dedication. cial and fmgular love to God, was joined a univerlal love to men : he did good to all according to his ability. His forgiving of injuries, that rare and dilFicult duty, was eminently confpicuous in the fharpeil: provocations. "When he could not excufe the ofi'ence, he would par- don the oflender, and drive to imitate the perfecl model of charity exprell in our fuffering Saviour, who, in the extremity of his fufferings, when refentments arc moit quick and fenfible, prayed for his cruel perfecutors. His filial truft in God was correfpondenc to God's fatherly providence to him. This was his fupport in times of trial, and maintained an equal temper in his mind, and tenor in his converfution. In fhort, he led a life of evangelical perfeQion, rnoft worthy to be hon- ourably preferved in the memory of future times. The following narrative of it, if read with an obferving eye, how initrudive and aft'etting will it be to minifters, and apt to transform them into his likenefs ! Thus, Sir, I have given a fliort viev/ of the life of that man, for whom you had fuch a high veneration and dear love. It argues a clearer fpirit and a diviner temper than is ufual in perfons of confpicuous quality, when holinefs is lb defpicably mean in the eflcem of carnal men, to value it above all titles and treafures, and the periihing pride of this world. I am perfwaded it will be very pleafmg to you, that your name and excellent Mr Henry's, ate joined in the fame papers. I am, SIR, Your very humble and faithful fervant, WILLIAM BATES. PRE^ FREFJGE. r~r"'HAT which we aim at In this undertaking, and which J. we would fet before us, at our entrance upon it is, not fo much to enibahn the memory of this good man (though that aHb is blcflcd) as to exhibit to the worldapnttern of that primitive chriftianity, which all that knew him well, obferved to be exemplified in him, while he liveH ; and when they faw the end of his converfation, as it were with one confent, defired a public and laftjng account of, or rather demanded it, as a juft debt owing to the world, by thofe into whofe hands his papers came, rs judging fuch an account likely to conduce much to the glory of God's grace, and to the edifi- cation of many, eipecially of thofe that were acquainted with him. He *vas one whom the Divine Providence did not call out (as neither did his own inclination lead him) to any very public fcene of action ; he was none of the forward men of the age, that make- themfelves talked of: the world fcarce knew that there v.'as fuch a man in it. But in his low and narrow fphere he was a burning and fliining light, and there- fore we think his pious example is the more adapted to gen- eral ufe, efpecially coniifting not in the extafies and raptures of zeal and devotion, which are looked upon rather as admi- rable than imjtable ; but in the long ferics of an even, regu- lar, prudent, and well-ordered converfation, which he had in the world, and in the ordinary bufinefs of it, with iimplicity and godly fincerity j not with flefhly wifdom, but by the grace of God. It hath been faid, that quiet and peaceable reigns, though they are the beft to live in, yet they are the worfi: to write pf, as yielding leaft variety of matter for the hiflorian's pen to work upon : but a quiet and peaceable life, in all godlinefs and honefty, being the fum and fubftance of prafticai chrifti- anity, the recommending of the example of fuch a life, in the common and familiar inftances of it ; together with the kind and gracious providences of God attending it, may be, if not as diverting to the curious, yet every whit as ufeful and in- ftrudive to the pious readers. If any fuggeft, that the defign of this attempt is to credit and advance a party, let them know, that Mr Henry was a man of no party, but true catholick chriftianity (not debauch- ed by bigotry, nor leavened by any private opinions or inter- (Efts) was his very temper and genius, Ac- viii Preface. According to the excellent and royal laws of this holy reli- gion, his life was led with a ftridl and confcienlious adherence to truth and equity ; a great tendernefs and inoffenfivenefs to all mar.lcind ; and a nwtrirty tindture of fincere piety and devctednefs to God : and according to thofe facred rules we fhall ender.vour, in juftice to him, as well as to our reader, to reprefent him in the following account ; and if any thing fhould drop from our pen, which might juftly give offence to any, (which we promlfe indullrioufly to avoid,) we defire it mfiy be looked upon as a falfe ftroke ; and fo far not truly rgpreicnt ng him, who was fo blamelefs and harmlefs, and without rebuke. Much of our materials for this, flrufture we have out of his own papers, (efpecially his diary,) for by them his pidlure may be drawn neareft to the life, and from thence we may take the trueft idea of him, and of the fpirit he was of. Thofc notes being intended for his own private ufe in the review, and never communicated to any perfon whatfoever ; and ap- pearing here (as they ought to do) in their own native drefs, the candid reader will excufe it, if fometimes the expreffion? fhould feem abrupt ; they are the genuine, unforced, an] un- ftudied breathings of a gracious foul ; and we hope will be rather the more acceptable to thofe, who, through grace, are confcious to themfelves of the fame devout and pious motions j for as in water face anfwers to face, fo doth one fandlified and renewed foul to another ; and (as Mr Baxter obfervesin his Preface to Mr Clark's Lives) God's graces are much the J'ame in all his holy ones ; and therefore we mufl: not think that fuch inftanres as thefe are extraordinary rarities ; but God hath in wonderful mercy raifed up many, by whofe gra- ces even this earth is perfumed and enlightened. But if one ftar be allowed to differ from another ftar in glory ; perhaps our reader will fay, when he hath gone through the follow- ing account, that Mr Henry may be ranked among thofe o£ the firft magnitude. AN S AN ACC OU NT OF T HE LIFE AND DEATH OF Mr PHILIP HENRT, %ic: ■ -^> ^;^^ ^ ^ C H A P. I. Mr Philip Henry's Birth, Parentage^ early Piety, and Education at School, HE was born at Whitehall, In Weflminfter, on Wednefday 24th Auguft 1631, being Bartho- lomew-day. I find ufually, in his diary, feme pious remark or other upon the annual return of his birth- day : as in one year he notes, that the Scripture mentions but two v/ho obferved their birth-day with feafting and joy, and they were neither of them co- pies to be written after, viz. Pharaoh, Gen. xl. 20. and Herod, Mat. xiv. 6. " But (faith he) I rather ob- " ferve it as a day of mourning and humiliation, be- *' caufe fhapen in iniquity, and conceived in fm." And when he had compleated the thirtieth year of his age, he noted this, " So old, and no older, Alex- " ander was when he had conquered the great world ; '.' but (faith he) I have not yet fubdued the little *' world, myfeif." At his thirty-third year he hath this humble refledlion ; " A long time lived to fmall " purpofe, What fhall I do to redeem it ?" And at another, " I may mourn as Csefar did whenhereflec- " ted upon Alexander's early atchievements, that *' (Jthers, younger than I am, have don? much more ■ A thaft 2 'the Life of Mr Philip Henry. than I have done for God, the God of my life." And (to mention no more) when he had lived forty-two years, he thus writes ; " I would be loth to live it " over again, left, inftead of making it better, I fhould " make it worfe ; and befides, every year, and day *' fpent on earth is loft in heaven.'* This laft note minds me of a paffage I have heard him tell of a friend of his, who being grown into years, was aiked how old he was, and anfwer'd, On the v/rong fide of fifty : which (faid Mr Henry) he fliould not have faid ; for if he was going to heaven, it was the right fide of fifty. He always kept a will by him ready made ; and it was his cuftom yearly, upon the return of his birth- day, to review, and (if occafion were) to renew and alter it : for it is good to do that at a fet time, which it is very good to do at fonie time. The laft will he made bears date, " This 24th day of Auguft 1695, ^' being the day of the year on which I was born *' 1 63 1, and alio the day of the year on which by law " I died, as did alfo near two thoufand faithful mini- *' fters of Jefus Chrift, 1662 ;'* alluding to that claufe in the Aft of Uniformity, which difpofeth of the places and benefices of minifters not conforming, as if they were naturally dead. His father's name was John Henry, the fon of Henry Williams of Britton's Ferry, betwixt Neath and Swanfey, in Glamorganftiire. According to the old Welfti cuftom, (fome fay conformable to that of the ancient Hebrews, but now almoft in all places laid afide,) the father's Chriftian name was the fon's fir- name. He had left his native country, and his father's houfe very young, unprovided for by his relations ; but it pleafed God to blefs his ingenuity and induftry with a confiderable income afterwards, which enabled him to live comfortably himfelf, to bring up his child- ren well, and to be kind to many of his relations ; but public events making againft him at his latter end, x^'hcn he died he left httle behind him for his children, but ^e Life of Mr Philip HenrV. ^ but God gracioufly took care of them. Providence brought this Mr John Henry, when he was young, to be the Earl of Pernbroke's gentleman, whom he ferved many years : the Earl, coming to be Lord Chamberlain, preferred him to be the King's fervant : he was firft made keeper of the orchard at Whitehall, and after- wards page of the back flairs to the King's fecond fon, James Duke of York, which place obliged him to a perfonal attendance upon the Duke in his chamber. He lived and died a courtier, a hearty mourner for his royal mafter King Charles the Firft, whom he did not long furvive. He continued, during all the war- time, in his houfe at Whitehall, though the profits of his places ceafed* The King pafTmg by his door, under a guard, to ^ake water, when he was going to Weftminiler, to that which they call'd his trial, in- quired for his old fervant, Mr John Henry, who was ready to pay his due refpefts to him, and prayed God to blefs his Majefly, and to deliver him out of the hands of his enemies, for which the guard had like to have been rough upon him. His mother was Mrs Magdalen Rochdale^ of the parifh of St Mar tins-in-the -Fields, in Weftminfter. She was a virtuous, pious gentlewoman, and one that feared God above many : fhe was altogether dead to the vanities and pleafures of the court, though fhe lived in the rhidfl of them. She looked well to the ways of her houfehold ; prayed with them daily, cate- chized her children, and taught them the good loiow- ledge of the Lord betimes. I have heard him fpeak of his learning Mr Perkins his fix principles when he w^as very young ; and he often mentioned, with thank- fulnefs to God, his great happinefs in having fuch a mother, who was to him as Lois and Eunice w'ere to Timothy, acquainting him with the fcriptures from his childhood ; and there appearing in him early inclinations both to learning and piety, foe devoted him in his ten- der years to the fervice of God in the work of the mi- niflry. She died of a confumption 6th ?*/Iarch 1645, A 2 leaving if 'the Life of Mr Philip Henry. leaving behind her only this fon and five daughters/ A little before fhe died, (he had this faying, " My " head is in heaven, and my heart is in heaven ; it is " but one flep more, and I fhall be there too.'* His fufceptors in baptifm were Philip Earl of Pem- broke (M^ho gave him his name, and was kind to him as long as he lived, as was alfo his fon Philip after him) James Earl of»CarliIle, and the Countefs of Salifbury. Prince Charles and the Duke of York being fome- what near of an age to him, he was in his childhood , very much an attendant upon them in their play, and they were often with him at his father's houfe, aiid were wont to tell him what preferment he fhould have^jJ^ at court, as foon as he was fit for it. He kept a book \ ^ to his dying day, which the Duke of York gave him : and I have heard him bewail the lofs of tv/o curious piftures, which he gave him likewife. Archbilhop Laud took a particular kindnefs to him when he was a child, becaufe he would be very officious to attend at t|j|e water-gate (which was part of his father's charge "Whitehall) to let the Archbifliop through when hi came late from council, to crofs the water to Lambeth.' Thefe circumftances of his childhood he would fome- times fpeak of among his friends, not as glorying in them, but taldng occafion from thence to blefs God for his deliverance from the fnares of the court, in the midft of which it is fo very hard to maintain a good confcience and the power of religion, that it hath been laid (though bleffed be God, it is not a rule without exception) Exeat ex aula qui velit ejfepius. The break- ing up and fcattering of the court, by the calamities of 1641, as it dailied the expectations of his court-prefer- ments, fo it prevented the danger of court- entangle- ments : and though it was not, like Mofes's, a choice of his own, when come to years, to quit the court ; yet when he was come to years, he always exprelTed a great fatisfadion in his removal from it, and bleffed God, who chofe his inheritance fo much the better for him. Yet The Life of Mr Philip Henry. ^ Yet it may not be improper to obferve here what Ti^as obvious, as well as amiable to all who convers'd with him ; viz. that he had the moft fweet and obli- ging air of courtefy and civihty that could be ; which fome attributed in part to his early education at court. His mien and carriage w^as always fo very decent and refpeftful, that it could not but win the hearts of all he had to do with. Never was any man further from that rudenefs and morofenefs which fome fcholars, and too many that profefs religion, either wdifully affecl, cr careleily allow themfeives in, fometim^es to the re- proach of their profeffion. 'Tis one of the laws of our holy rehgion, exemplified in the converfation of this good man, to honour all men, San(^ify'd civility is a great ornament to chriilianity. It was a faying he oftea ufed, " Religion doth not deflroy good manners ;'* and yet he was very far from any thing of vanit)^ in apparel, or formality of compliment in addrefs ; but his con- verfation was all natural and eafy to himfelf and others, and nothing appeared in him which even a fevere cri- tick pould juftly call affected. This temper of his ten- ded very much to the adorning of the doctrine of God our Saviour j and the general tranfcriptof fuch an ex- cellent copy would do much towards the healing of thofe wounds which religion had received in the houfe of her friends by the contrary. But to return to his flory : — The firfl Latin fchool he went to was at St Martins' church, under the teaching of a Mr Bonner. After- wards he was removed to Batterfey, where a Mr Wells was his fchool-mafter. The grateful mention which in fome of his papers he makes of thefe that: were the guides and inftrudors of his childhood and youth, brings to mind that French proverb to this pur- pofe : " To father, teacher, and God all-fufficient, " none can render equivalent." But in the year 1643, when he w^as about twelve years old, he was admitted into Weftminfler-fchooJ, in the fourth form, under Mr Thomas Vincent, then uflier. 6 ^e Life cf Mr Philip Henry. ulhel", whom he would often fpeak of, as a moft able* diligent fchool-mafter ; and one who grieved fo much at the dullnefsandnon-proficiency of any of his feholarsj that, failing into a confumption, I have heard Mr Henry fay of him, That he even killed himfeif with falfe Latin. A while after, he was taken into the upper fchool, under Mr Richard Bufby (afterwards Dr Bufby) and in October 1 645 he was admitted King's fcholar, and was firft of the eleftion, partly by his own merit, and partly by the interefl of the Earl of Pembroke. Here he profited greatly in fchool-learning, and all his days retained his improvements therein to ad- miration. When he was in years, he would readily, in difcourfe, quote palfages out of the clallick authors that were not common, and had them ad unguem^ and yet rarely us'd any fuch things in his preaching, (tho* Ibmetimes, if very appofite, he inferted them in his notes.) He was very ready and exa£t in the Greek accents, the quantities of words, and all the feveral kinds of Latin verfe ; and often preifed it upon young fcholars, in the midfl of their univerfity - learning, not to forget their fchool authors. Here and before, his ufual recreation at vacant times was, either reading the printed accounts of pub- lick occurrences, or attending the courts at Weftmin- fterhall, to hear the trials and arguments there, which I have heard him liiy, he hath often done to the lofs of his dinner, and oftner of his play. But paiilo majora canamus — Soon after thofe unhap* py wars begun, there was a daily morning - lefture fet up at the Abby-Church, between ftx and eight of the clock, and preached by feven worthy members of the Afiembly of Divines in courfe, ^7z. Mr Mar- Ihal, Mr Palmer, Mr Herl, Dr Staunton, Mr Nye, Mr "Whitaker, and Mr Hill. It was the requell of his pi- ous mother to Mr Bufby, that he would give her fon leave to attend that lefture daily ; which he did, not abating any thing of his fchool exercife, in which he keot Dace with the reft j but only difpenfmg with his ab- 'the Life of Mr Philip Henry. 7 abfence for that hour : and the Lord was pleafed to make good impreffions on his foul, by the fermons he heard there. His mother alfo took him with her every Thlirfday to Mr Cafe's lefture at St Martins. On the Lord's days he fat under the powerful minif- try of Mr Stephen Marfliall, in the morning, at New- Chapel ; in the afternoon at St Margarets, Welcmin- fler (which was their parifh church :) in the former place Mr Marfhall preached long from Phil. ii. 5, 6, ho., in the latter, from John viii. '^6, of cur freedom by Chrift. This minifler, and this miniftry, he would, to his laft, fpeak of with great refped:, and thankful-' nefs to God, as that by which he was, through grace^ in the beg-inning of his davs beci^otten a2;ain to a lively hope. I have heard him fpeak of it, as the faying of fome wife men at that time. That if all the Prefbyteri- ans had been like Mr Steven Marfliall, and all the In- dependents like Mr Jeremiah Burroughs, and all the Epifcopal men like Archbifiiop Uflier, the breaches of the church would foon have been heal'd. He alfo attended conflantly upon the monthly fails at St Mar- garets, where the bed and ablefl minifters of England preached before the then Hpufe of Commons ; and the fervice of the day was carried on with great ilrid- nefs and folemnity, form eight in the morning till four in the evening. It was his conftant practice, from eleven or twelve years old, to write (as he could) all the fermons he heard, which he kept very carefully, tranfcribed many of them fair over after, and notwith (landing his many removes, they are yet forthcoming. At thefe monthly falls (as he himfelf hath recorded it) he had often fweet meltings of foul in prayer, and confefiion of fm, (particularly once with fpecial re- mark, when Mr William Bridge of Yarmouth prayed) and many warm and lively truths came home to his heart, and he daily increafed in that wifdom and knovv'ledge which is to falvation. Read his ^refiec- tions upon this^ whiclv he wrote' many years after : " If 8 The Life of Mr Philip Henry. *' If ever any child (faith he) fuch as I then was, be- *' tween the tenth and fifteenth years of my age, *' enjoyM line upon line, precept upon precept, I " did. And was it in vain ? I trufl not altogether in " vain. My foul rejdiceth and is glad at the remem- " brance of it ; the word diftilled as the dew, and " dropt as the rain : I lov'd it and lov'd the meffen- '• gers of it ; their very feet were beautiful to me. *' And, Lord, what a mercy was it, that, at a timfe " when the poor countries were laid wafte, when the " noife of drums and trumpfets, 'and the clattering " of arms was heard there, and the way to Zion " mourn'd, that then my lot fhould be where there " was peace and quietnefs, where the voice evhere he had hid himfelf, and at his earneft requeft promifed to make an excufe for him, and to fay he could not find him ; which (faith he in a penitential refledion u-. pon it afterwatds) I wickedly did. Next morning the truant coming under examination, and being aflied whether he fa v/ the monitor, faid. Yes, he aid : atwhich Dr Bufby was much furprifed, and turned his eye u- pon the monitor, with thefe words, " what, thou my " fon P* and gave him correftion, and appointed him to make a penitential copy of Latin verfes, which when he brought he gave him fixpence, and received him into his favour again. Among the mercies of God to him in his youth (and he would fay 'twere well if parents would keep an account of thofe for their children, till they come to be capable of doing it f jr themfelves, and then to fet them upon the doing of it,) he hath recorded a re- markable deliverance he had here at Wefcminfter- B 2 fchcol^ 1 2 T^he Life of Mr Philip Henry. " fchool, which was this : It was cuflomary there, among the fludioiis boys, for one or two, or more, to fit up the former part of the night at Itudy, and when they w-ent to bed, about midnight to call others ; and they others at two or three a clock, as they defired. His requeil was to be called at twelvd| and being awaked, defired his candle might be lighted, which lluck to the bed's head ; but he dropt afleep again, and the candle fell, and burnt part of the bed and boifler ere he a- waked ; but, through God's good providence, feafon- able help came in, the fire foon quenched, and he re- ceived no harm. This gave him occafion long after to fay, "« It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not " confumed." When he was at Weftniinfter-fchool he vv^as em- ployed by Dr Buiby, as fome others of the moll in- genious and induitrious of his fcholars were, in their reading of the Greek authors, to collect, byhis direc- tion, fome materials for that excellent Gleek grammar which the Dodor afterwards pubhlhed. But be the fchool ever fo agreeable, youth is de- firous to commence man by a removal from it : this flep he took in the fixteenth year of his age. It was the ancient cuftom of Weftminiter-fchool, that all the King's fcholars who ftood candidates for an eledion to the Umverfity, were to receive the Lord's Supper the Eafter before, which he did with the reft, in St Margaret's church, at Eafter 1 647 ; and he would of- ten fpeak of the great pains which Dr Buft)y to.ok with his fcholars that were to approach to that folemn or- dinance, for feveral weeks before, at ftated times ; with what fkill and ferioufnefs of application, and manifeft concern for their fouls, he opened to them the nature of the ordinance, and of the work they had to do in it ; and inftrufted them what was to be done in pre- paration for it ; and this he made a bufinefs of, appoint- ing them the religious exercifes infteadof their fchool exercifes. What fuccefs this had, through the grace of God, upon young Mr Henry (to whom the dodor had ^the Life of Mr Philip Henry. i^^ had a particular regard) read from his own hand : There had been treaties (faith he) before,' between my foul and Jefus Chrift, with fome weak overtures towards him ; but then, then I think it was that the match was made, the knot tied : then I fet myfelf, in the ftrength of divine grace, about the great work of felf-examination, in order to repentance ; and then I repented ; that is, folemnly and ferioufly, with fome poor meltings of foul ; I confeifed my fins before God, original and a£tual, judging and condemning myfelf for them, and cafling away from, me all my tranfgreffions, receiving Chrift Jefus the Lord, as the Lord my righteoufnefs, and devoting and dedicating my whole felf abfolutely and unre- fervedly to his fear and fervice. After which, com- ing to the ordinance, there, there I received hira indeed, and he became mine, I fay mine. Blefs the Lord, O my foul 1'* Dr Bufby's agency, under God, in this blefled work, he makes a very grateful mention of, in divers of his papers ; " The Lord recompenfe it (faith he) a thou- " fand fold, into his bofom." I have heard him tell how much he furprifed the dodtor the firft time he waited upon him after he waS turned out by the A ^^ members of it, then, were the aforefaid Mr Porter, Mr Boughy of Hodnet, Mr Houghton of Prees, MrParfons of Wem, and Mr John Bi{by ; and afterwards Mr Maiden of Newport; Mr Binney of Ightfield, and Mr Steel of Han- mer (though in Flintfhire) were taken in to them, and a6led with them. This clafs, in twelve years time, pub- lickly ordained fixty-three miniflers. Mr Henry was very delirous to have been ordained at Worthenbury, -pUhe pr^zfente, which he thought moil agreeable to the intention, but the minifters were not willing to fet fuch a precedent : however, that was one thing which occafioned the delay, fo that he was not ordained till 16 Sept. 1657. The way and manner of his ordination was accor- ding to the known diredory of the affembly of divines, and the common ufage of the prefbyterians ; and yet he having left among his papers a particular account of that folemnity, and fome of the workings of his foul towards God in it, 1 hope it may be of fpnie ufe, both for 32 ^he Life of Mr Philip Hknry. for inftrudion and quickening to minifters, and for the information of fuch as are perhaps wholly flrangers to fuch a thing, to givefome account of the whole tranfac- tion. He made addreffes to the prefbytery, in order to his ordination, July 6. at Frees, when he fubmitted to trial ; and inquiry was made, in the firft plaqe, concerning his experience of the ^ork of grade in his heart ; in a.nfwer to which he gave a reafon of the hope that was in him, with meeknefs and fear ; that the fpirit of grace had been dealing with him when he was young, and he hoped had difcovered to him his need of Chrift, and had bowed his v/ill in fome meafure to clofe with him upon his own terms, &c. His (kill in the original langua- ges of the fcripture was then tried \ and he read and conftrued two verfes in the Hebrew Bible, and two in the Greek Teftament : he was then examined in logick and natural philofophy, next in divinity, what authors he had read, and what knowledge he had touching the mcaiation of Chrift, &c. And his Ikill in the fcripture was tried, by propounding to him a difficult text to give his fenfe of; a cafe ot confcience was alfo put to him to be refolved, and inquiry made into his acquaint- ance with church-hiftory. Laftly, a queftion was given him to provide a thefis upon againft next meeting, v/hich was this, An Providentia Divina extendatfe ad omnia f Aff. On this queftion he exhibited his thefis, Auguft 3. and defended it. Several of the minifters op- pofed, and Mr Porter moderated* He then produced two certificates, which he left with the regifter of the clafs, one from Oxford, fubfcribed by Dr VVilkinfon, Dv Langley, &c. the other from the neighbour mini- fcers, Mr bteel, Mr Fogg, &c. both teftifying of his \ converfation, &c. " The Lord forgive me (faith he in "" " his diary upon this) that it hath not been more *' exemplary as it ought for piety and induflry." Amen, Lord in Chrift. The day for ordination was appointed to be Sept. 16. at Frees, of which notice was given at Worthenbury by a paper, read ia the chnrch, and after- wards ^he Life of Mr Philip Hemry. 33 wards affixed to the church-door the Lord's day be- fore, fignifying alfo, " That if any one could produce " any juft exceptions againft the do6lrine or life of the " faid Mr Henry, or any fufficient reafon why he " might not be ordained, they fhould certify the fame ** to the claffis, or the fcribe, and it Ihould be heard " and confidered/' On the day of ordination there was a very great af* fembly gathered together. Mr Porter began the public work of the day with prayer, then Mr Parfons preach- ed on I Tim. i* i2« " I thank Chrifl Jefus, who hath '* enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting *' me into the miniftry." Putting men into the mini- ftry is the work of Jefus Chrift. After fermon, Mr Parfons, according to the ufual method, required of him a confefiion of his faith, which he made as fol- lows : " The ground and rule of my faith towards God, is ** the Scripture of the Old and New Teftament : I be- " lieve they were written by holy men, immediately *' infpired by the Holy Ghoil ; having found the effica-i " cy of them in fome meafure upon my own heart, "I believe they are further able to make me wife to " falvation. " Concerning God, I belieVe that he is, and that he ** is the rewarder of thofe that diligently feek him. " The trinity of perfons in the unity of the God-* ^' head, I receive and own as a truth, I admire and *' adore as a myflery \ though no man hath feen God " at any time, yet the only-begotten Son, v/hich is in " the bofom of the Father, he hath declared him, and *' what he hath declared concerning him, that I be- *' lieve. I believe that Godis a Spirit,, for the Son hath " faid, God is a Spirit. I believe that he hath life in " himfelf, and that he hath given to the Son to have " life in himfelf. I believe all things were made by " him, and without him was not any thing made that *' was made. I believe by his providence he preferves, " guides, and governs all the creatures, according to E " the 34 ^he Life of Mr Philip Henry. " the purpofe of his own will to his own glory ; for the " Father worketh hitherto, and the Son alfo worketh. " I believe he made man upright after his own *' image and likenefs, which image confided inknow- *' ledge, righteoufnefs, and true holinefs, but man by " fm loft \u " I believe we were all in the loins of our firft pa- " rents, and that they ftood and fell as publick perfons, " and upon that account juftly, without any colour of " wrong, we bear our fhare, both in the guilt of their " difobedience, and alfo the corruption of nature foU " lowing thereupon ; fo that we come into the \Vorld ^' children of wrath, and heirs of the curfe, one as " well as another ; enemies to God^ hating him, and *' hated of him : averfe to what is good, and prone to " all manner of evil. Though all are born in this con- " dition, yet there are fome that do not die in it. " I believe there is a Mediator, and there is but one " Mediator between God and men, the man Chrift " Jefus. Thofe whom the Father hath from everlafting " pitched his love upon, and given to Chrift, not be- " caufe of works or faith forefeen, but merely of his " free grace ; for thofe I believe Chrift was fent forth " into the world, made of a woman, made under the *' law ; for their fakes he fandified himfelf, and be- " came obedient to death, even the death of the crofs ; " wherefore God alfo highly exalted him ; and having ^' raifed him from the dead on the third dayj fet him " at his own right hand, where he ever lives, to make " interceffion for thofe for whom he fhed his blood. " All thefe eleft redeemed ones I believe are in due " time, fooner or later, in their hves, effeclually called, " waflied, fanclified, juftihed in the name of the Lord " Jefus, and by the Spirit of our God. " I believe the righteoufnefs of Chrift alone, appre- " hended by faith, is the matter of our juftification " before God ; and that no flefti can ft and in his fight " upon any other terms, for he is the Lord our Righ- " teoufnefs, and in him onlv the Father is well pleafedo I be« T^he Life of Mr Philip Henry. 35 " I believe the work of fandification, managed by the Spirit, who dwelleth in us, though in refped of parts it be complete, for the whole man is renew- ed ; yet in refped of degrees it is not fully perfed- ed till we come to glory ; and 1 believe all that are juftified fliall be glorified, for we are kept by the power of God, through faith unto falvation. " I believe the gathering in and building up of faints, is the fpecial end why pallors and teachers are appointed in the church : and that Jefus Chrift, according to his promife, will be \vith them, in that work, to the end of the world. " The two facraments of the New Teftament, bap, tifm and the Lord's fupper, I receive and own as figns and feals of the covenant of grace ; the former in- ftituted by our Lord Jefus, as a fign and feal of our engrafting into him, due, of right, to all the infants of believing parents, and but once to be admini- ftred ; the other inftituted by our Lord Jefus in the night wherein he was betrayed, to (hew forth his death, and to feal the benefits purchafed thereby to' his church and people, and to be often repeated. " When the body returns to the duft, I beUeve the foul returns to God that gave it ; and that imme- diately it receives from him the fentence, according to what hath been done in the flefh ; either. Come, inherit the kingdoni ;— or, Depart, accurfed, into everlafling fire. " I believe, beiides this, a day of general judgment in the end of the world, wherein we mull all ap- pear before the tribunal of Jefus Chrift ; and that our bodies, being raifed by an Almighty pow- er from the dull, fhall be united to the fame fouls again, and fliall partake with them in the fame con- dition, either of liappinefs or mifery, to all eternity. Thofe that have done good fhall come forth unto the refurreftion of life ; and thofe that have done evil, to the refurrection of damnation." This is the fum and fubilance of my faith, into E 2 which 35 The Life of Mr Philip Henry. which I was baptized, and in which, by the grace pf God, I will live and die. Mr Parfons then propofed certain queftions to him, according to the inftrudions in the diredory, to which he return'd anfwer as followeth : Queftion i. What are your ends in undertaking the ivori and calling of a mimjler ? Anfwer, As far as upon fearch and inquiry I can hitherto find, though there be that within me that would feek great things for myfelf (if indeed they were to be found in this calling) yet with my mind I feek them not. But the improvement of the talent which I have received in the fervice of the gofpel, for the glory of God, and the falvation of fouls, I hope is in my eye ; if there be any thing elfe, 1 own it not, I allow it not ; while fo many feek their own, it is my defire, and fliall be my endeavour, to feek the thiilgs of Jefus Chrift. Quefi:. 2. What are your purpofcsy as to diligence and in- dujiry in this calling ? Anjw. I do purpofe and refolve, by the help of God, to give myfelf wholly to thefe things ; to prayer, read- ing, meditation, inftant preaching in feafon and out of feafon, wherein I fhall very gladly fpend and be fpent, if by any ^ means I may both fave myfelf and them that hear me. And when at any time I fail herein, I defire God by his Spirit, and my chriftian friends, neigh- bours, and brethren, by feafonable reproof and ad- monition, to put me in mind of this engagem.ent now made in the prefence of this great congregation. Queft. 3. Do you mean to be 9iealous and faithful in the defence of truth and unity, again/l error and fchifm ? AnfuiK I believe what the Spirit hath foretold, that in the laft days perilous times fliall come, wherein men will not endure found dodlrine, but after their own lufls fhall heap unto themfelves teachers. 'Tis my refolution, by the grace of Chrift, to watch in all things ; to contend earnefUy for the faith, to hold fail the form of ^hc Life of Mr Philip Henry. 37 , " committing my foul, life, eftate, liberty, all to Him " who judgeth righteoufly." And on March 25, the day when that aft took place, he thus writes : " A fad day among poor minillers up " and down this nation ; who, by this aft of rellraint, " are forced to remove from among their friends, ac- " quaintance, and relations, and to fojourn among; " ftrangers, as it were in Mefech and in the tents of " Kedar. But there is a God who tells their wan- '• drings, and will put their tears, and the tears of their " wives and children into his bottle ; are they not in " his book ? The Lord be a little fanftuary to them, '* and a place of refuge from the ftorm, and from the *' tempefl ; and pity thofe places from which they are " ejefted. and come and dwell where they may not." He wilhed their removes might not be figurative of evil to thefe nations, as Ezekiel's were, Ezek. xii. i , 2, 3. This fevere difpenfation forced Mr Steel and his family from Hanmer, and fo he loft the comfort of his neigh- bourhood ; but withal it drew Mr Laurence from Buf- church to Whitchurch parifli, where he continued till he was driven thence too. Mr Henry's houfe at Broad- Oak was but four com- puted miles from the utnioft limits of Worthenbury parifh, but he got it meafured, and accounting 1760 yards to a mile {^according to the Statute 35 Eliz. cap. 6.) it was found to be juil five miles and threefcore yards, which one would think,might have been his fe- curity : but there were thofe near him who were ready to ftretch fuch laws to the utmofi: rigor, unlfer' pretence of conflruing them in favouV of the King, and there- fore would have it be underftood of computed miles. This obliged him for fome time to leave his family, and to fojourn amcngiiis friends, to whom he endeavoured, where-ever he came, to impart fome fpiritual gift. At lafthe ventured home; preiumiTig, among other things, that the warrant by which he was made colleftor o£ the roval aid, v/hile that continued, would fecure him, iiccording 5^^ Life of Mr Philip Henry. lor according to a provifo in the lafl: claufe of the act, which, when the gentlemen perceived, they difcharged him from that office before he had ferved out the time. He was mtich affe6;ed with it, that the burning of London happened fp foon after the non-conformi(l* were banifhed out of it. He thought it was in mercy to them that they were removed before that defolating judgment came, but that it fpoke aloud to our go- vernors, " Let my people go, that they may ferve " me ; and if ye will not, behold thus and thus will I *' do unto you.'* This was the Lord's voice crying in the city. In the beginning of the year 1 667, he removed with his family to Whitchurch, and dwelt there above a year, except that for one quarter of a year, about har- veft, he returned again to Broad-Oak. His remove to Whitchurch was partly to quiet his adverfaries, who were ready to quarrel with him upon the five-mile aft, and partly for the benefit of the fchool there for his children. There, in April following, he buried his eldefi fon, not quite fix years old, a child of extraordinary preg- nancy and forwardnefs in learning, and of a very to- wardly difpofition : his charadcr of this child is, . t'n^lerque aelaUm nil puerile fuit. This child, before" he was feizeJ wilh the ficknefs whereof he died, was much affected with fome verfes, which he met with in Mr White's Power of Godlinefs, faid to be found in the pocket of a hopeful young man, who died before he was twenty-four years old. Of his own accqfd he got them without book, and would be often rehearfing them, they were thefe : Not twice twelve years (he might Uy N :t half twelve years) full told, a wearied breath I have exclunged for a happv death. Shprt was my life j the longer is my refi:, God takes them fooneft whom he loveth bed. 102 ^he Life of Mr Philip Henry. He that is born to-day, and dies to-morrow, Lofes fome hours of joy, but months ot forrovv ; Other difeafes often come to gri. ve us, Death llrikcs but once, and that ftroke doth relivfve us. This was a great affliction to the tender parents ; Ik'Ir Henry writes upon it in the rclleftion, ^icquid amas cupias non placmjje minis. Many years after, he faid, he thought he did apply to himfelf at that time, but too fenfibly, that fcripture, Lam. iii. i. " I am the man that hath feen affiidion." And he would fay to his friends upon fuch occafions, " Lofers think they may have leave to fpeak, but thcv *' muiL have a care what they fay, left, fpeaking amils " to God's diflionour, they make work for repentance, " and fhed tears that muft be wept over again." He obfers'-ed concerning this child, that he. had always been very patient under rebuke?, " The remembrance of which (faith he) teacheth me now how to carry it under the rebukes of my heavenly Father." His pray- er under this providence was, " Shevv^ me. Lord, fnew me wherefore thou con tend eft with me ; have I over- boafted, over-lov'd, over-priz'd ?" A Lord's day in- tervening between the death and burial of the child, " I attended (faith he) on publick ordinances, though fad in fpirit, as Job, wh^, after all the evil tidings that were brought him,- whereof death of children was the laft and heavierl, yet fell down and worfliipped." And he v.-ouId often fay upon fuch occafions, that weeping muft not hinder fowlng. Upon the interment of the child, he writes, "Ivly dear child, now mine no lon- ger, was laid in the cold earth ; not loft, but fown to be raifcd again a glorious body, and I fiiall go to him, but he ihall not return to me." A fev/ days after, his dear friend Mr Lawrence (then nving in Whitchurch parifii) buried a daughter, that was grown up and very hopeful, and gave good evidence of a work of grace wrought upon h«r foul : How willing (faith he) may parents be to part with fuch when the Lord calls ; they The Life of Mr Philip Henry. 103 are not ajuijji but praemijji. And he hath this further remark, " The Lord hath made his poor fervants, that have been often companions in his work, now companions in tribulation, the very fame tribuiation 5 nie for my fin, him for his trial." While he liv'd at Whitchurch, he attended conftant- ly upon the pubhck miniftry, and there (as ever) he was careful to come to the beginning of the fervice, whi':h he attended upon with reverence and devotion; Handing all the time, even while the chapters were read. In the evening of the I^ord's day, he fpent fome liiiie in inltruding his family, to which a few of his friends and neighbours in the town would fometimes come in ; and it was a little gleam of opportunity, but very fiiort, for (as he notes) " He was offended at it, who fhould rather Iiave rejoiced, if by any means the work might be carried on in his people's fouls." He obferves in his diary this year, ho v.' zealous people had generally been for the obfervation of Lent a while ago, and how cold they are towards it now. The fame he notes of proceiiions in afcenfion-week ; for (faith he) what hath no good foundation will not hold up long : but in that which is duty, and of God, it is good to be zealoufiy aifefted always. In this year (I think) v/as the firft time that he ad- miniflred the Lord's Supper (very privately to be fure) after he was filenced by the ad of uniformity, and he did not do it without mature deliberation. A fear of fparation kept him from it fo long ; what induced him to it at lafl, I find thus under his ov/n hand : " I ara a minifter of Chrift, and as fuch 1 am obliged, Vtriute (fficii^ by ail means to endeavour the (;ood of fouls. Now here's a company of ferioua Chriilians, whofe lot I.; call to live in a parilh where there is one fet over them who preacheth the truth ; and they come to hear him, and join with him in other paits of worihip ; on- ly as to the Lord's Supper ; theyfcruple the lawfulnefs of thegeilure of kneeling ; and he tells them, his hands are tied, and he cannot adminiiter it unto them any other 104 l^e Life of Mr Philip Henry. other way ; wherefore they come to me, and tell me, they earneflly long for that ordinance ; and there is a competent number of them, and opportunity to par- take ; and how dare I deny this requell of theirs, with- out betraying my miniiterial truft, and incurring the guilt of a grievous omiffion." In February 1667-8, Mr Laurence and he were in- vited by fome of their friends to Betley in Staffordiliire, and (there being fome little pubUc connivance at chat time) with the confent of all concerned, they adventu- red to preach in the church, one in the morning, and the other in the afternoon of the Lord's day, very peace- ably and profitably. This adion of theirs was prefent- ly after reported in the lioufe of Commons by a mem- ber of Parliament, with thefe additions, that they tore the common-prayer book, trampled the furplice under r^heir feet, pull'd the minifter of the place out of the pulpit, &c. Reports which there was not the lead co- lour for. But that, with fome other fuch like falfe ftories, produced an addrefs of the Houfe of Commons to the King, to iiTue out a proclamation, for the put- ting of the laws in execution againft papifls and non- conformiilis, which was ifiued out accordingly ; though the King, at the opening of that feffion, a little before, had declared his defire, that fome courfe might be ta- ken to compofe the minds of his proteflant fubje£ls in matters of religion ; which had raifed the expe(^a- tions of fome, that there would be fpeedy enlargement; but Mr Henry had noted upon it, " We cannot ex- pect too little from man, nor too much from GOD.'* And here it may be very pertinent to obferve, how induftrious Mr Henry was at this time, when he and his friends fuffered fuch hard things from the govern- ment, to preferve and promote a good affection to the government notwIthRanding. It v/as commonly charg- ed at that time upon the non-conformills in general, efpecially from the pulpits, that they were all a fafli- ous and turbulent people, and, as was faid of old, Ezra iv. 16, " hurtful to Kings and provinces j" that their meetings Ibe Life of Mr Philip Henry. 105 meetings were for the fowing of fedition and difcon- tents, and the like ; and there is fome reafon to think, that one thing intended by the hardfliips put upon them was to drive them to this. There is a way oi making a wife man mad. But how peaceably they carried them- felves, is manifeft to God, and in the confciences of many. For an inftance of it, it will not be amifs to give fome account of a fermon which Mr Henry preached in fohie very private meetings, fuch as were called feditious convemicles, in the year 1669, when it was a day of treading down, and of perplexity ; it was on that text, Pfal. xxxv. 20. " Againft them that " are quiet in the land ;" whence (not to curry fa- vour with rulers, for whatever the fermon was, the very preaching of it, had it been known, muft have been feverely punifhed, but purely out of confcience towards God) he taught his friends this doctrine^ " That it is the character of the people of God, that! they are a quiet people in the land.'' " This quietnefs " he defcribed to be an orderly, peaceable fubjedion to governors and government in the Lord. We muft maintain a reverent efleem of them, and of their authority, in oppofition to defpifmg dominion, 2 Pet. ii. 10. ; we mult be meek under fevere com- mands, and burthenfome im»pofitions, not murmur- ing and complaining, as the Israelites againft Mofes an4 Aaron ; but take them up as our crofs in our " way, and bear them as we do foul weather. We " muft not fpeak evil of dignities, Jade, ver. 8. ; nor " revile the gods, Exod. xxii. 28. Paul checked him- " felf for this, Acts xxiii. 5. I did not confider it, if " I had, I would not have faid fo. We muir not tra- " duce their government as Abfalom did David's, 2 " Sam. XV. 3. Great care is to be taken, how we fpeak '' of the faults of any, efpecially of rulers, Ecci. x. " 20. — The people of God do make the word^of God " their rule, and by that they are taught, (i.) that '' magiftracy is God's ordinance, and magiltrates " God's mmiiters ; that bv Him kings reign, and the O ^ "' DOWLI-: ic6 T/^^ Z.j/'^o/' Mr Philip Henry. '' powers that be are ordained of him. (2.) That they, *' as well as others, are to have their dues, honour, '* and fear, and tribute. (3.) That their lawful com- " mands are to bp obey'd, and that readily and chear- " fully, Titus iii. i. (4.) That the penalties inflicted " for not obeying unlawful commands are patiently '* to be undergone. This is the rule, and as many " as walk according to this rule, peace fhall be upon *' them, and there can be no danger of their unpeace- " ablenefs. They are taught to pray for kings and all " in authority, i Tim. ii. 1,2.; and God forbid we " (hould do otherwife : yea, tho* they perfecute, Jer. *' xxix. 7. ; peaceable prayers befpeak a peaceable peo- " pie, Pfal. cix. 4. If fome profeffing religion have ** been unquiet, their unquietnefs hath given the lye to " their profeffion, Jude, ver. 8, 11, 12. Quietnefs is " our badge. Col. iii. 12.; 'twill be our ftrength, Ifa. " XXX. 7, 15. ; our rejoicing in the day of evil, Jer. " xviii. 18. ; it is pleafmgto God, i Tim. ii. 2, 3.; it " may work upon others, i Peter ii. 12, 13. The " means he prefcribed for the keeping of us quiet, " were to get our hearts fill'd with the knowledge and *' belief of thefe two things, i . That the kingdom of ^' Chrifh is not of this world, John xviii. 36. ; many " have thought otherwife, and it hath made them un- " quiet. 2. That the wrath of man worketh not the *' righteoufnefs of God, James i. 20. ; he needs not " our fin to bring to pafs his own counfei. We mufl *' mortify unquietnefs in the cailfes of it, James iv. i.; ^' we muft always remember the oath of God, EccK *' viii. 2. ; the oath of allegiance is an oath of quiet- " nefs : and we muft beware of the company and " converfe of thofe that are unquiet, Prov. xxii. 24, " 25. Tho' deceitful matters be devis'd, yet we muft *' be quiet ftill ; nay, be {o much the more quiet." I have been this large in gathering thefe hints out of that fermon, (which he took all occafions in other fermons to inculcate, as all his brethren likewife did) t-iiat if pollible it may be a convidion to the prefent ge- neration ; The Life of Mr Philip Henry. 107 deration ; or however, may be a witnefs in time to come, that the non-conformift minifters were not e- nemies to Caefar, nor troublers of the land ; nor their meetings any way tending to the diflurbance of the publick peace, but purely defign'd to help to repair the decays of Chriftian piety. All that knew Mr Henry, knew very well that his practice all his days was confonant to thefe his fettled principles. In May, 1668, he returned again with his family from Whitchurch to Broad-Oak, which, through the good hand of his God upon him, continued his fet- tled home, without any remove from it, till he was removed to his long home above twenty-eight years after. The edge of the five-mile aft began now a little to rebate, at lead in that country ; and he was de- firous to be more ufeful to the neighbours, among whom God had given him an eftate, than he could be at a diftance from them by relieving the poor, employing the labourers, and efpecially inilruding the ignorant,, and helping as many as he could to heaven. He made that fcripture his (landing rule, and wrote it in the be- ginning of his book of accounts, Prov. iii. 9, 10. " Honour the Lord with thy fubftance, &c." , And having fet apart a day of fecret prayer and humiliation, to beg of God a wife and underftanding heart, and to drop a tear (as he exprelleth it) over the fms of his predeceflbrs, formerly in that eftate, he laid out him- felf very much in doing good. He was very fervice* able upon all accounts in the neighbourhood, and tho* it took up a great deal of his time, and hindred him from his beloved ftudies, yet it might be faid of him, as the Bifhop of Sahsbury faith of Archbifiiop Tillotfon, in his fermon at his funeral, that he " chofe rather to " live to the good of others than to himfelf ; and " thought, that to do an aft: of charity, or even of *' tendernefs and kindnefs, was of more value both in " itfelf, and in the fight of God, than topurfue the O 2 " pompous io8 Ihe Life of Mr Philip Henry. " pompous parts of learning, how much foever his " own genius might lead him to it." , He was very ufeful in the com-mon concernments of the townfhip and country, in which he was a very pru- dent counfehor ; it was indeed a narrow fphcre of ac- tivity, but fuch as it wa&) to him as to Job xxix. 21, 22. " Men gav<= ear and waited, and kept filence «t his coimfel ; after his words they fpake not again ;" and n L my of the neighbours who refpeded iiim not as a rninifter, yet lov'd and honour'd him as a knowing, prudent, and humble neighbour. In the concernments of private families, he was very far from bufying him- feit, and further from feeking himfeif, but he was very much bufied. advifing many about their affairs, and the difpofal of themfeives and their children, arbitra- ting and compofmg differences among relations and neighbours, in which he had an excellent faculty, and often good fuccefs, inheriting the bieffing entail'd up- on the peace-makers. References have fometimes been made to him by rule of court, at the allizes, with conient of parties. He was very affable and eafv of accefs, and admirably patient in hearing every one*s complaint, which he would anfwer with fo much pru- dence and miidnefs, and give fuch apt advice, that ma- ny a time to confult with him, was to afk ccunfel at Abel, and fo to end the matter. He obferved in almofl all quarrels that happened, that there was a fault, on both fides ; and that generally they were aimofl in the fault that were molt forward and cla- morous in their complaints. One making her moan to him of a bad hufband (he had, that in this, and 'tother imlance was unkind ; and (Sir,) faith flie, after along complaiut which he patiently heard. What would you have me to d • now ? "Why truly (faith he) I would *•' have you go home and be a better wife to him, " and then you'll find that he will be a better hufband *-' to you." Jyabouring to perfuadc one to forgive an injury that had been done him ; he urged this, Are you not a Chriflian ?, Ihe Life of Mr Philip Henry. 109 Chrlflian ? and follow'd that argument fo clofe, that at laft he prevailed. He was ve/y induflrious, and oft fuccefsful, in per- fuading people to recede from their right, for peace fake ; and he would for that purpofe tell them Luther's ftory of the two goats, that met upon a narrow bridge over a deep water ; they could not go back, they duril not fight ; after a fhort parley, one of them lay down, and let the other go over him, and no harm done. He would likewife -relate Ibm.etimes a remarkable flory, worthy to be here inferted, concerning a good friend of his, Mr T. Y. cf Whitchurch, who in his youth was greatly wrong'd by an unjuft uncle of his, being an orphan ; his portion, which was 200/. was put into the hands of that uncle ; who, when he grew up, (huffled with him, and would give him but 40/. inftead of his 200/. and he had no way of recovering his right but by law ; but before he would engage in that, he was will- ing to advife with his minifler, who was the famous Dr Twifs of Newberry : the counfel he gave him (all things confidered) was for peace fake, and for the pre- venting of fm and fnares, and trouble, to take the 40/. rather than contend ; and, Thomas, (faith the Dodor) if thou doft fo, aflure thyfelf, that God will make it up to thee and thine, fome other way, and they that de- fraud thee will be the lofers by it at lail. lie did fo, und it pleafed God fo to blefs that httle which he be- gan the world with, that when he died in a good old age, he left his fon poiTefs'd of fom.e hundreds a year, and he that wrong'd him fell into decay. Many very pious worthy families in the country faid cf Mr Henry, that they had no friend like minded, who did naturally care for their ftate, and fo affedion- ately fympathize with them, and in whom their hearts could fafely trufl. He was alfo very -charitable to the poor, and was full of almfdeeds, M-hich he did (as it is faid of Tabitha, Acls chapter ix. 36.) not which he faid he v/ould do, cr which he put others on to do, but which 1 10 7 be Life of Mr Philip Henry. which he did himfelf, difperfmg abroad, and giv- ing to the poor, feeking and rejoicing in opportunities of that kind : and whenever he gave an alms for the body, he ufually gave with it a fpiritual alms, fome good word of counfel, reproof, inflrudion, or comfort, as there was occafion, and in accommodating thefe to the perfons he fpoke to, he had a great dexterity. He was very forward to lend money freely, to any of his poor neighbours that had occafion, and would fome- times fay, that in many cafes there was more charity in lending than in giving, becaufe it obliged the bor- rower both to honefty and indullry. When one of his neighbours, to whom he had lent three pound, faird, fo that he was never likely to fee a farthing of it, he writes thus upon it , " no twith (landing this, yet ftill I judge it my duty to lend," Luke xi. 35. Tho* what is lent in charity be not repaid, yet it is not loft. When thofe that had borrowed money of him paid him again, he ufually gave them back fome part, to encou- rage honefty. He judged the taking of moderate intereft for money lawful, where the borrower was in a way of gaining by it : but he would advife his friends that had money, rather to difpofe of it otherways, if they could. It mufl: not be forgotten, how pundual and exaft he was in all his accounts with tenants, workmen, &c. be- ing always careful to keep fuch things in black and white (as he us'd to fay) which is the fureft way to prevent miftakes, and a man*s wronging either himfelf or his neighbour ; fuch was his prudence, and fuch his patience and peaceablenefs, that of all the time he was at Broad-Oak, he never fued any, nor ever was fued, but was inftrumental to prevent many a vexatious law, fuit among his neighbours. He ufed to fay. There are four rules to be duly obferved in going to law; (i.) We muft not go to law for trifles, as he did who faid, he would rather fpend a hundred pound in law than lofe a pennyworth of his right. Matt. v. 3 9, 40, 41. (2.) We muft not be rafh and hafty in it, but try Ihe Life of Mr Philip Henry. hi try all other means poilible to compofe differences, wherein he that yields moft, as Abraham did to Lot, is the better man, and there is nothing loft by it in the end, I Cor. vi. i, i. (3.) We muft fee that it be without malice or defire of revenge. If the undoing of our brother, be the end of our going to law, as it is with many, 'tis certainly evil, and it fpeeds accordingly. (4.) It muft be with a difpofition to peace, whenever it may be had, and an ear open to all overtures of that kind. The two mottos proper for the great guns are applicable to this, Katto ultima Regutn and Sic quae- rwius tacem. 'Four rules he fometimes gave to be obferved in our converfe with men : Have communion with few, Be familiar with one ; Deal juft'y with all, Speak evil of none. He was noted for an extraordinary neat hufoand about his houfe and ground, which he would often fay, he could not endure to fee like the field of the llothful, and the vineyard of the man void of under- ftanding. And it was ftrange, how eafily one that bad been bred up utterly a ftranger to fuch things ; yet when God fo ordered his lot, acquainted himfelf with, and accommodated himfelf to the affairs of the country, making it the diverfion of his vacant hours, to over-fee his gardens and fields ; when he better un- derftood that known epode of Horace, " Beatus ills " qui procul negotiis,'* than he did when in his youth he made an in> enious tranflation of it. His care of this kind was an aft of charity to poor labourers whom he employed ; and it was a good example to his neigh- bours, as well as for the comfort of his family. His converfe likewife with thefe things was excellently im- proved, for fpiritual purpofes, by occafional medita- tions, hints of which there are often in his diary, as thofe that converfed with him had many in difcourfe : Inftancee 1 1 2 The Life of Mr Philip Henry. Inflances of this were eafy, but endlefs to give. He ufed to fay, that therefore many of the fcripture para- bles and fimilitudes are taken from the common actions of this life, that when our hands are employed about them, our hearts may the more eaiily pafs through them to divine and heavenly things. I have heard him often blame thofe, whofe irregular zeal in the pro- feflion of religion, makes them to neglefl: their worldly bufinefs, and let the houfe drop through ; the affairs of which the good man will order with difcretlon ; and he would tell fometimes of a religious woman, whofe fault it was, how flie was convinced of it, by means of an intelligent godly neighbour ; who coming into the houfe, and finding the good woman, far in the day, in her clofet, and the houfe fadly neglefted, chil- dren not tended, fervants not minded ; " What, faith he, is there no fear of God in this houfe ?" which much ftartled and affefted the good woman, that over-heard him. He would often fay, " Every thing is beautiful in its feafon ;" and that it is the wifdom of the pru- dent, fo to order the duties of their general callings as Chriftians, and thofe of their particular callings in the world, as that they may not clafh or interfere : I have heard it obferved from Eccl. vii. i6. That there may be over-doing in well-doing. 1 cannot omit one little palfage in his diary, becaufe it may be inilruclive : When he was once defired to be bound for one that had upon a parti-;:ular occafion been bound for him, he writes, Solomon faith "He " that hateth furetiifjip is fure ; but he faith alfo, he " that hath friends muit fhew himfelf friendly." But he ahvays cautioned thofe that became fureties. not to be bound for any more than they knew themf^lves a- ble to pay, nor for more than they would be v.iiling to pay, if the principal fail. His houfe at Broad Oak was by the road fide, which, though it had its inconveniences, yet (he would fay) pleafed him well, becaufe it gave his friends an oppor- tunity of calling on him the cftner, and gave him an opportunity 'The Life of Mr Philip Henry. 113 opportunity of being kind to flrangers, and fuch as were any way diflreired upon the road, to whom he was, upon ali occafions, cheerfully ready ; fully anfwer- ing the apolHe's charader of a bifhop, that he muft be of good behaviour, decent, affable, and obliging and given to hofpitality, iflim. iii. 2.; like Abraham, fitting at his tent-door, in queft of opportunities to do good. If he met with any poor near his houfe, and gave them alms in money, yet he would bid them go to his door befides, for relief there. He was very ten- der and compaifionate towards poor ftrangers and tra- vellers, though his charity and candor were often im- pofed upon by cheats and pretenders, whom he was not. apt to be fufpicious of; but v»^ould fc;y in the mod favourable fenfe, Thou knowefb not the heart of a flranger. If any alked his charity, whofe reprefenta- tion of their cafe he did not like, or who he thought did amifs to take that courfe, he would firil: give them an alms, and then mildly reprove them ; and labour to convince them that they were out of the way of duty, and that they could not expeft that God fliould blefs them in it'| and would not chide them, but rea- fon with them : And he would fay, if he ihould tell them of their faults, and not give them an alms, the reproof would look only like an excufe to deny his charity, and would be rejecled accordingly. In a word, his greatefl care about the things of this world was, hovif to do good with what he had, and to devife liberal things ; defiring to make no other ac- cefTion to his eftate, but only that bleffing which at- tends beneficence. He did firmly believe (and it fliould feem few do) that what is given ;o the poor is lent to the Lord, who will pay it again in kind or kindnefs ; and that religion and piety is furely the befl friend to outward profperity, and he found it fo ; for it pleafed God abundantly to blefs his habitation, and to make a hedge about him, and about ali that he had round a- bout : and tho' he did not delight himfelf in the abun- dance of wealth j yet, which is far better, he delight- P ed 1 14 The Life of Mr Philip Henry. ed himfelf in the abundance of peace, Pfal. xxxvii. 1 1 . All that he had and did obiervably profpered; fo that the country oftentimes took notice of it, and called his family, a family which the Lord had bleffed. And hio comforts of this kind were (as he ufed to pray they might be) oil to the wheels of his obedience, and in the ufe of thel'e things he ferved the Lord his God with joyfulnefs and gladnefs of heart, yet ilill mindful of and grieved for the afliidlion of Jbfeph. He would lay fometime?, when he was in the midlt of the comforts of this life,, as that good man : — All this, and heaven too ! furely then we ferve a good Mafler. Thus did the Lord blefs him, and make him a blefiing ; and this abundant grace through the thankfgiving of many, redoun:-£d to the glory of God. , Having given this general account of his circum- flances at Broad-Oak, we fliall now go on with his ftory, efpecially as to the exercife of his miniftry there, and thereabouts ; for that was the thing in which he was, and to which he chiefly gave himieif. After this fettle- ment at Brond-Oak, whenever there was preaching at Whitewell Chapel (as ufuiJly there was two Lord's days in the month) he conRantly attended there with his family, was ufually with the firft, and reverently joined in the public fervice ; he diligently wrote the fermons ; always (laid if the ordinance of baptifm was adminiftred, but not if there were a wedding, for he thought that a folemnity not proper for the Lord's day. He often djn'd the minifter that preach'd ; after din- ner he fung a pfalm, repeated the morning fermoi), and pray'd ; and then attended in like manner in the afternoon. In the ev.:ning he preach'd to his own fa- mily ; and perhaps two or three of his neighbours would drop in to him. On thofe Lord's days when there was no preaching at the Chapel, he fpent the whole day at home, and many an excellent fermon he preach'd, when there were prefent only four befides his own family (and perhaps not fo manyj according to the limitation of the conventicle ad. In ihcfe nar- row The Life of Mr Philip Henry. i i^ row private circumftances he preached over the former part of the Affembly's Catechifm, from divers texts; he alfo preached over pfahn cxvi. befides many particular occafional fubjecls. What a grief of heart it was to him, to be thus put under a bufliel, and confin'd to fuch a narrow fphere of uiefuinefs, read in his own words, wliich I fhall tran- fcribe out of an elegy he made (to give vent to his thoughts) upon the death of his worthy friend Mr Geo. Mainwaring, fometime minifler of Malpas, (who was filenced by the aCt of uniformity, and died Mar. 14. 1669-70.) wherein he thus bewails (fsehngiy enough) the like reflraints and confinements of his friend : His later years hefadlyfpenf, ^ Wrapt up injilcnce and reJJraint. A hurthenfuch as none do know. But they that do it under go ^ To have a fire Jhut up and pent Within the boxvels, and ?io vent ; To have gorged Breafls, and by a law^ Thofe that fain would ^ forbidden to draw. But his dumb Sabbaths here^ did prove Loud crying Sabbaths in heaven above. His tears, when he might fow no more^ Wai'ring what he had /own before. Soon after his fettlei^ent at Broad Oak, he took a young fcholar into the houfe with him ; partly to teach his fon, and partly to be a companion to himfeif to converfe with him, and to receive help and inftrudlion from him; and for many years he was feldora without one or other fuch ; who before their going to the Uni- verfity, or in the intervals of their attendance there, would be in his family, fitting under his iliadow. One . of the nrft he had vvith him, in the year 1668, (and af- ter) was Mr William Turner, born in the neighbour- hood; afterwards of Edmund Hall in Oxford, nov/ vicar of Walberron in SulTex. to whom the world is be- P 2 holden 1 16 The Life of Mr Philip Henry. holden for that elaborate hiftory of all religions which he publifhed in the year 1695, and from whom is ear- neftly expeQed the performance of that noble and ufe- ful projeft for the record of providences. Betwixt Mr Henry and him there was a moft entire and affedion- ate friendfhip ; and notwithftanding that diftance of place, and conftant and endearing correfpondence, kept up as long as Mr Henry liv'd. It was obferv'd that feveral young men who had fo- journ'd with him, and were very hopeful and likely to be ferviceable to their generations, dy'd foon after their removal from him, (I could inftance fix or fe- ven,) as if God had fent them to him to be prepared for another world, before they were call'd for out of this ; yet never any dy'd while they were with him. He had fo great a kindnefs for the univerfity, and valu'd fo much the mighty advantages of improvement there, that he advis'd all his friends who defign'd their children for fcholars, to fend them thither, for many years after the change, though he always counted up- on their conformity. But long experi'^nce altered his mind herein, and he chofe rather to keep his own fon at hame with him, and to give him what help he could there, in his education, than venture him into the fnares and temptations of the univerfity. It was alfo foon after this fettlement of his at Broad- Oak, that he contrafted an intimate frienddiip with that learned, and pious, and judicious gentleman Mr Hunt of Boreatton, (the fon of colonel Hunt of Salop) and with his excellent lady Frances, daughter of the right honourable the lord Paget. The acquaintance then begun betwixt Mr Henry and that worthy family con- tinued to his dying day, about thirty years. One Lord's day in a quarter he commonly fpent with them, be- fides other interviews ; and it was a conftant rejoicing to him to fee religion and the power of godlinefs up- permoft, in fuch ,a family as that, when net many mighty, not many noble are called ; and the branches of it branches of righteoufnefs, the planting of the I.ordr The Life of Mr Philip Henry. i 17 Lord. Divers of the honourable relations of that fa- mily contrafted a very great refpe£t for him, particu- larly the prefent lord Paget, his Majefcy's Ambaf- fador at the Ottoman court, and Sir Henry Ailiurft, whom we (hall have occafion afterwards to make men- tion of. In the time of trouble and diftrefs, by the conven- ticle aft, in 1670, he kept private and ftirr'd little a- broad, as loth to offend thofe that were in power, and judging it prudence to gather in his fails, when the florm was violent : He then obferv'd, as that which he was troubled at ; '' That there was a great deal of " precious time loft among profefTors, when they came *' together, in difcourfmg of their adventures to meet, " and their efcapes, which he feared tended more to *' fet up felf, than to give glory to God." Alfo in telling how they got together, and fuch a one preach- ed, but little enquiring what fpiritual benefit ancj ad- vantage was reaped by it ; and that we are apt to make the circumftances of our religious fervices, more the ■ matter of our difcourfe, than the fubftance of them. We fhall clofe this chapter with two remarks out of his diary, in the year 1671, which will fliew what manner of fpirit he was of, and what were his fenti- ments of things at that time. One is this, " All ac- " knowledge that there is at this day a number of fo- " ber, peaceable men, both minifters and others, a- " mong diffenters, but who either faith or doth any " tiling to oblige them ? who defireth or endeavour- " eth to open the door to let in fuch ? nay, do they *' not rather provoke them to run into the fame ex- *' travagancies with others by making no difference, " but laying load on them as if they were as bad as " the worft." 'Tis true, that about this time the lord keeper Bridgman and bifliop Wilkins, and the lord Chief Juftice Hale, were making fome overtures to- v/ards an accommodation with them ; but it is as true, that thofe overtures did but the more exafperated their adverfaries, (who were ready to account fuch moder- ate 1 1 8 Ihe Life of Mr Philip Henry. ate men the woril enemies the church of England ha^i,) and the event was, greater afts of fe verity. Another is this, " If all that hath been faid and *' written to prove that prelacy is antichriflian, and " that it is unlawful to join in the common -prayer, " had been efFeftually to perfwade bifhops to ftudy " and do the duty of church-rulers, in preaching and " feeding the flock, according to the word, and to *' perfwade people to be ferious in-v/ard, and fpiritiial " the in ufe of forms, it had been better with the " church of God in England, than it now is." Con- fonant to the fpirit of this remark, was that which he took all occafions to mention as his fettled princijole : " In thofe things wherein all the people of God are " agreed, 1 will fpend my zeal ; and wherein they " differ I will endeavour to walk according to the " light that God hath given me, and charitably be- " lieve that others do fo too.'* CHAP. VI. His liberty by the indulgence in the year 1 672, a?id thence/o?'wards to the year i68[. NOTWITHSTANDING the fevcre aci againft con- venticles, in the year 1670, yet the non-conform- ifts in London ventur'd to fet up meetings in 1671, and ware conniv'd at ; but in the country there V'/as little liberty taken till the King's declaration of March 15, 1671-2, gave countenance and encouragement to it. What v/ere the fecrct fprings which produced that declaration time difcovered ; however, it was to the poor diifenters as life from the dead, and gave them feme reviving in their bondage ; God gracioufly order- ing it fo, that the fpirit he had made might not fail before him. But fo precarious a liberty was it, that it fhould never be faid, thofe people v/ere hard to be pleafed, v/ho v/cre fo well pleafed with that, and thank- ed I'he Life of Mr Phtltp Henry. 119 ed God, who put fuch a thing into the King's heart. The tenor of that declaration was this : " In confider- ation of the inefficacy of rigor, tried for divers years, and to invite flrangers into the kingdom, ratifying the ellabhOiment in the church of England, it fufpends penal laws againff all non-conformiits and recufants, promifeth to licsnfe feparate places for meetings, lim- iting papift s only to private houfes." On this Mr Henry writes, " It is a thing diverfly refeii^ed, as mens interefls lead them ; the conform- ifts difpleafed, the prclbyterians glad, the indepen- dents very glad, the papills triumph. The danger is (faith he) left the allowing of fi:parate places help to overthrow our pariili-order, which God hath own'd, and to beget divifions and animofities among us, which no honeft heart but would rather fhould be healed. We are put hereby (faith he) into a tiilemma, either to turn independents -in prafliice,- or to ftrike in with the conformifts, or to fit down in former filence and fufferings (and filence he ac- counted one of the greateft fuiierings) till the Lord fliall open a more effeftuai door." That which (he faith) he then heartily wifhed for, was, " That thofe who were in place, would admit the fober non-conform- ifts to preach fometimes occafionally in their pul- pits ; by which means he thought prejudices would in time wear off on both fides, and they might mu- tually ftrengthen each other's hands againft the common enemy the papifts, who he forelaw would fifli belt in troubled v/aters." This he would chufe nuch rather than to keep a feparate meeting : but it could not be had ; no, not fo much as le:ive to preach n Whitewell-chapel when it was vacant, as it often vas, though 'twere three long miles from the parifh- church. He found that fome people, the more they are courted, the more coy they are ; however, the overtures he made to this purpofe, and the flow fteps he took towards the fetting up of a diflinfl: congrega- tion, yielded him fatisfadion aftcrv/ards in the reflec- tion, 1 20 7 he Life of Mr Philip Henry. tion, when he could fay, we would have been united, and they would not. 'Twas feveral weeks after the declaration came out, that he received a Hcenfe to preach, as Paul did, in his own houfe, and elfewhere, no man forbidding him. This was procurM for him by fome of his friends in London, without his privity, and came to him alto- gether unexpected. The ufe he m.ade of it was, that at his own houfe, what he did before to his own fami- ly, and in private, the doors being fhut for fear, he now did more publicly; threw his doors open, and wel- comed his neighbours to him, to partake of his fpiritu- al things. Only one fermon in the evening of the Lord's day, when there was preaching at Whiiewell- chapel, where he flill continued his attendance with his family and friends as ufual ; but when there was not, he fpent the whole day, at public time, in the fer- vices of the day, expofition of the fcriptures read, and preaching, with prayer and praife. This he did gratis, receiving nothing for his labours, either at home or a- broad, but the fatisfadion of doing good to fouls (which was his meat and drink) with the trouble and charge of giving entertainment to many of his friends, v/hich he did with much chearfulnefs ; and he would fay, he fometimes thought that the bread did even multiply in the breaking ; and he found that God did abundantly blefs his provilion, with that bleffing, which, as he ufed to fay, will make a Httle to go a great way. He was wont to obferve, for the encouragement of fuch as had meetings in !"heir houfes, (which fometimes drew upon them inconveniences) that the ark is a guefl that al- wavs pays well for its entertainment. And he noted, that when Chrift had borrowed Peter's boat to preach a fermon out of it, he prefently repaid him for the loan, with a great draught of fifhes, Luke v. 3, 4. Many thoughts of heart he had concerning this ufe he made of the liberty, not knowing what would be in the end hereof; but after ferious confideration, and many prayers, he faw his way very plain before him, and ^he Life of Mr Phili? Henry. i 2 r and adtlrefled himfelf with all diligence, to the improve- ment of tliis gale of opportunity, bonie had difmal apprehenfions of the iffue of it ; and that there would be an after-reckoning: but (faith he) let us mind our duty, and let God alone to order events, which are his work, not ours. It was a word upon the wheels, which he preached at that time for his own encouragement, and the en- couragement of his friends, from that fcripture, Eccl. xi. 4. " He that obferves the wind fliall not fow, and " he that regardeth the clouds fliall not reap." fhofe that are minded either to do good, or get good, mud not be frighted with feeming difficulties and difcourage- ments. Our v/ork is to fow and reap, to do good and get good ; and let us mind that, and let who will mind the winds and clouds. " A lion in the way, a lion in " the llreets ;" a very unlikely place (he would fay) for lions to be in ; and yet that ferves the Iluggard for gn excufe. While this liberty lafled, he was in labours more a- bundant ; many ledures he preached abroad in 6hrop- (hire, Chefhire, and Denbighfliire, laying out himfelf exceedingly for the good of fouls, fpending and being fpent in the work of the Lord. And of that neigh- bourhood and of that time it was faid, that " this and " that man was born again, then and there ;" and many there were who aiked the v/ay to Zion with their faces thitherwards, and were (not profelyted to a party, but) favingly brought home to Jefus Chrift. I mean this ; fuch as had been vain and worldly, and carelefs, and mindlefs of God and another world, became fober and ferious, and concern'd about their fouls, and a fu- ture ftate. This was the converfion of fouls, aimed at, and laboured after, and through grace not alto^;ether in vain. Whatever lectures were fet up in the country round, 'twas ftill dcfired that Mr Henry would begin them (which vvas thought no fmall encouragement' to thofe who were to carry them on) and very happy he was, both in the choice and management of his fubje£ts Q^ at 122 T^hc Life of Mr Philip Henry. at fuch opportunities, feeking to find out acceptable words. Take one fpecimen of his addrefs, when he began a lefture with a fermon on Heb- xii. 15. "I af- " fure you (faith he) and God is my witnefs, I am *' not come to preach, either fedition agalnfl; the peace '* of the ftate, or fchifm againft the peace of the church, *' by perfuading you to this or that opinion or party ; " but as a minifter of Chnfl, that hath received mer- '' cy from the Lord, to defire to be faithful, my er- *' rand is to exhort you to all poffible ferioufnefs, in *' the great buiinefs of your eternal falvation, accord- *' \vlz to my text, which, if the Lord will make as pron *' fitable to you, as it is material and of weight in it- *' felf, neither you nor 1 fnad have caufe to repent our " coming hither, and our being here to-day; looking '* diligently, left any ol you fail 01 the grace of God. " Ir it 'vere the lait fermon I were to preach, 1 did not *' know how ro take my ann better to do you good.** In doing 'f this work, he often faid, that he looked upon himfelf but as an aflillant to the parifli minifters, in promoting the common interefls of Chrift's king- dom, and the common falvation of precious fouls, by the explication and application of thofe great truths wherein we are all agreed. And he would compare the cafe to that in Hezekiah*s time, when the Levites helped the Priefls to Idll the facrifice, which was fome- thing of an irregularity; but the exigence of affairs calr led for it, the priefls being too few, and fome of them not fo careful as they fhould have been, to fan6Hfy themfelves, 2 Chr. xxix. 34.; and wherever he preach- ed, he ufually pray'd for the parifli minifter, and for a blefTmg upon his miniftry. He hath often faid how well pleas'd he was, when, after he had preached a lec- ture at Ofweftry, he went to vifit the minifter of the p ace, Mr Edwards, a worthy good man, and told him, he had been fowing a handful of feed among his peo- ple, and had this anfwer, '* That's well, the Lord prof- " per your feed and mine too, there's need enough of i' us both." And another worthy conformiil that came The Life of Mr Philip Henry. 123 came privately to hear him, but was reprimanded for it by his fuperiors, told him afterwards with tears, that his heart was with him. His heart was wonderfully enlarged in his work at this time, the fields were white unto the harvefl ; and he was bufy, and God did remarkably own him, fet- ting many feals to his miniftry, which much confirmed him in what he did. He hath this obfervable paflage in his diary, about this time, which he recorded for his after benefit (and the example of it may be inftruc- tive) " Remember, that if trouble fhould come hereaf- " ter, for what we do now in the ufe of prefent liberty, *' I neither fhrink from it, nor fmk under it ; for I do *' therein approve myfelf to God, and to my own con- " fcience, in truth and uprightnefs ; and the Lord *' whom I ferve, can, and will certainly both bear ms *' out, and bring me off with comfort in the end. I " fay, Remember, and forget it not, this 24th day of " March, 1672-3." 'Twas at the beginning of this liberty that the Socie- ty at Broad Oak did commence ; made up (befides their neighbou'-hood) of fome out of Whitchurch, and Whitchurch parifh, that had been Mr Porter's people, fome out of Hanmer parilh, that had been Mr Steel's, and fome out of the parifhes of Wem, Frees, and Ellif- mere; perfons generally of very moderate and fober principles, quiet and peaceable lives, and hearty well- wifhers to the King and Government ; and not rigid or,fchifmatical in their feparation, but willing to attend (though fometimes with difficulty and hazard) upou thofe adminiftrations which they found mofl lively and edifying, and mofl helpful to them, in the great bufi- nefs of working out their falvation. To this Society he would never call himfelf a paftor, nor was he will- ing that they fhould call him fo ; but a helper, and a minifter of Chrift for their good. He would fay, " That '* he look'd upon his family only as his charge, and " his preaching to others was but accidental, whom if " they came, he could no more turn av/ay than he 0^2 " could X24 1'he Life of Mr "Philip Heniry. " could a poor hungry man, that fhould come to his " door for an alms. And being a minifter of Jcfus *' Chrift, he thought himlelf bound to preach the gof- *' pel as he had opportunity." Ufually once a month he adminiflred the ordinance of the Lord's fupper. Some of his opportunities of that kind he fets a particular remark upon, as fweet fealing days, on which he found it good to draw near to God. When about the year's end there was a general ex- peftation of the, cancelling of the indulgence, he hath this note upon a precious fabbath and facrament day, as he calls it, " Perhaps this may he the laft; Father, thy " will be done : it is good for us to be at fuch uncer- " tain ties ; for now we receive our liberty from our *' Father frelh every day, which is befl and fweetefl " of all." On the. 3d of March, 1676-7, being Saturday night, the Town of Wrm in Shropfhire (about fix miles from him) was burnt down ; the church, market -houfe, and about one hundred and twenty-fix dwelling houfes, and one man, in little more than an hour's time, the wind being exceeding violent ; at which time Mr Henry was very helpful to his friends there, both for their fupport under, and their improvement of this fad providence. It was but about half a year before, that a threatning fire had broke out in that town, but did little hurt ; fome ferious people there, prefently after, celebrated a thankfgiving for their deliverance, in which Mr Henry imparted to them a fpiritual gift (Oft. 3. 1676.) from Zech. iii. 2. '' Is not this a brand plucked out of the " fire ?" in the clofe of that fermon, prefling them from the confideration of that remarkable deliverance, to perfonal reformation and amendment of life : that thofe who had been proud, covetous, paffionate, liars, fwtar- ers, drunkards, fabbath -breakers, would be fo no more; and urging Ezra. ix. 13, 14. he added, " It this provi- " dence have not this effect upon you, you may in " reafon expect another fire : for when God judgeth, " he *lhe Life of Mr Philip Hnry. r25 " he will overcome;" and minded them of Lev. xxvi. where 'tis fo often threatned agi-.inft thofe who walk contrary to God, that he would punifli them yet feven "times more. The remembrance of this could not but be aftedini^, when, in fo fliort a time after, the whole town was laid in ruins. The firfl; time he went thither after that calamity, a neiohbouring juflice having notice of it, fent to forbid him to preach, to his own grief as well as to the grief of many others, who came expec- ting. But (faith he in his diary) there was a vifible fermon before us, the ruins preaching that fm is an evil thing, and God a terrible God. However, a few days after, he got an opportunity of preaching to them a word in feafon, which fome will not forget, from Hof. vi. I. " Come, and let us return unto the Lord, " for he hath torn — And at the return of the year, when the tov/n v/as in the rebuilding, he gave them an- other very fuitable fermon, from Prov. iii, 33. "The ** curfe of the Lord is in the houfe of the wicked, but " he bleifeth the habitation of the juft." " Though it *' be rifing again (faith he in his diary) out of its allies, " yet the burning of it (hould not be forgotten, efpeci- " ally not the fm that kindled it." He oft prayed for them, that the fire might be a refining fire. Ii\the years 1677, ^^7*^? ^^^ ^^79? ^^ ^^'^ courfe of his miniflry at Broad Oak he preached over the Ten CommaHdments, and largely opened from other texts of fcripture the duties required, and fms forbidden, in each commandment- Fcr tho' none delighted more than he in preaching Chrift and gofpel grace; yet he knew that Chrill: came not to dedroy the law snd the prophets, but to fulfil ; and that, though through grace we ate noil under the law, as a covenant; yet we are under it as a rule, under th^ law to Chrift. He was very large and particular in preffing fecond table duties, as efTentiai to Chriftianity. " We have know^n " thofe (faith he) that have called preaching on fuch *' fubjeds good moral preaching ; but let them call it " as they will, 1 am fure it is neceifary and as much " now 126 l.he Life of Mr Philip Henry. '* novv'as ever." How earneftly would he prefs upc5n the people the necelTity of righteoufnefs and honefty, in their whole converfations. " A good Chriftian (he *' ufed to fay) will be a good hulband, and a good fa- *' ther, and a good mafter, and a good fubjeft, and a " good neighbour, and fo in other relations." How often would he urge to this purpofe, that it is the will and command of the great God, tlie charader of all the citizens of Zion, the beauty and ornament of oui^ Chriftian profelTion ; and the fureft way to thrive and profper in the world. " Honefty is the beft policy." He would fay, that thefe are things in which the chil- dren of this world are competent judges. They that know not what belongs to faith, and repentance, and prayer, yet know what belongs to the making of an honeft bargain : they are alfo parties concerned, and oftentimes are themfelves careful In thefe things ; and therefore thofe who profefs religion fiiould walk very circumJpeftly, that the name of God and his dodrine be not blv.fphemed, nor religion wounded through their fides. Thus he preached, and his conftant praftice was a comment upon it. One thing 1 remember he was more than ordinarily enlarged in the prefling of, which was upon the ninth commandment, to fpeak evil of no man, from Tit. iii. 2. If we can fay no good of perfons, we muft fay nothing of them. He gave it as a rule, *' Never to fpeak of any ones faults to others, till we " have firft fpoken of them to the ofTcnder himfelf." He was himfelf an eminent example of this rule. Some that have converfed much with him, have faid, that they never heard him fpeak evil of any body; nor could he bear to hear any fpoken evil of, but often drove a- way a backbiting tongue with an angry countenance. He was known to be as faithful a patron of oftenders before others, as he was a faithful reprover of them to themfelves. Whenever he preached of moral duties, he would always have fomething of Chrift in his fermon ; either his life, as the great pattern of the duty, or his love, aT: Ihe Life of Mr Philip Hnry. 127 as the great motive to it ; f/ his merit, as making atone- ment for the negleft of It. In the year i68:> lie preached over the doftrines of faith and repentance, from feveral texts of fcripture. He ufed to fay, that he had been told concerning the famous Mr Dod, that fome called him in fcorn, Faith and Repentance; becaufeheinfiftedfo much uponthofe two, in all his preaching. But (faith he) " if this be " to be vile, I will be yet more vile ;'* for faith and re- pentance are all in all in chriftianity. Concerning repentance he hath fometimes faid, " If " I were to die in the pulpit, I would defire to die " preaching repentance; as if I die out of the pulpit, '* I would defire to die pradifing repentance." And he had often this faying concerning repentance ; " He " that repents every day, for the fms of every day, ** when he comes to die, will have the fms but of one " day to repent of. Even reckonings make long " friends." That year, and 1681, he preached over the duties of hearing the word and prayer; of the former, from the parable of the four forts of ground; of the latter, from Luke xi. i. &c. when he preached over the Lord's pray- er, in above thirty excellent and elaborate difcourfes. He looked upon the Lord's prayer, to be not only a diredory or pattern for prayer, but (according to the advice of the aflembly of divines ) proper to be ufed as a form ; and accordingly he often ufed it both in pub- lic and in his family. And as he thought 'twas an er- ror on the one hand, to lay fo much llrefs upon it as fome do, who think no folemn prayer accepted, nor any folemn ordinance or adminiftration of worfhip com- pleat without it, and fo repeat it five or fix times, and perhaps oftener, at one meeting; {o he thought it an error on the other hand not to ufe it at all ; fmce it is a prayer, a compendious comprehenfive prayer, and may be of ufe to us, at lead as other fcripture prayers ; but he thought it a much greater error to be angry at thofe that do ufe it, to judge and cenfure them, and for no 128 ne Life of Mr Philip Henry. no other reafon to coil^eive ^iejudices ac^ainft them and their miniftry. " A greai lh;ait (faith he) poor mini- " flers are in, when fonie wiii iiot. hear them, if they " do not ufe the Lord's prayer, and others will not *' hear the n if they do: what is to be done in this cafe? *' we mult walk according to the light we have, and *' approve ourfelves to God, either in ufmg or not uf- " ing it, and wait for the day when God will mend " the matter, which 1 hope he will do in his own due « time." He was in the clofe of his expofition of the Lord's prayer, when a dark cloud wa- brought upon his af- femblies, and he was necelhtated to contrad his fails. CHAP. VIL l^he Rebukes he lav under at Broad Oak^ betwixt the years 1680, and 1687. IN the beginning of the year 168 1 in April and May, the country was greatly afflicted and threatned by an extreme drought ; there was no rain for feveral weeks, the grafs failed ; corn tliat was fown languiflied, and much that was intended to be fown, could not ; the like had not been known for many years : 'twas generally apprehended that a dearth would cnfue-efpeci- ally in that country, v/hich is for the moft part dry. And now it was time to feek the Lord, and (accord- ing to his own appointment,) to " afk of him rain in " the feafon thereof:" feveral ferious thinking people being together at the funeral of that worthy minilter of jefus Chrift, Mr Maiden ; it was there faid, how re- quifite it was that there fliould be fome time fet apart on purpofe for fading and prayer, in a folemn affem- bly upon this occafion. Thomas Millington of Weft- on in Hodnet pariili in Shroplhire, defired it might be at his houfe ; and Tuefday June 14. was the day pitch- ed upon. The connivance of authority was prefumed upon, ^be Life of Mr Philip Henry. 129 upon, becaufe no difturbance of meetings was heard of at London, or any where elfe. Mr Henry was de- fired to come and give his affiilance at that day's work. He afked upon what terms they flood with their neigh- bouring juftices, and it was anfwered, Well enough. The drought continuing in extremity, fome that had not ufed to come to fuch meetings, yet came thither upon the apprehenfion they had of the threatning judgment which the country was under. Mr Edward Bury of Bolas (well known by feveral ufeful books he hath publifhed) prayed, Mr Henry prayed and preach- ed on Pfal. Ixvi. 18. " If 1 regard iniquity in my heart, " the Lord will not hear me ;'* whence his dodtrine was, That iniquity regarded in the heart will certain- ly fpoil the fuccefs of prayer. When he was in the midft of his fermon clofely applying this truth Sir T. V. ©f Hodnet, and Mr M. of Ightfield, two juftices of the peace for Shropfhire, with feveral others of their retinue, came fuddenly upon them, difturbed them, fet guards upon the houfe-door, and came in them- felves, feverely rally'd all they knew reflected upon the late Honourable Houfe of Commons, and the vote they palled concerning the prefent unreafonablenefs of putting the laws in execution againft Proteftanr dif- fenters, as if in fo voting they had a£ied beyond their fphere, as they who did who took away the life of King Charles L They diverted themfelves with very abu- five and unbecoming talk ; fwearing, and curfmg, and reviling bitterly. Being told the occafion of the meet- ing was to fcek to turn away the anger of God from us in the prefent drought : 'twas anfwered, " Such meetings as thefe were the caufe of God's anger.'* — 7 While they were thus entertaining themfelves, their clerks took the names of thofe that were prefent, in all, about one hundred and fifty, and fo dJfmiffed them for the prefent. Mr Henry hath noted, in the account he kept of this event, that the Juftices came to this good work from the ale-houfe upon Prees-Heath, a- ^out two miles off j to which, and the bowling-green R adjoining. 130 The Life of Mr Philip Henry. adjoining, they, with other juftices, gentlemen, and clergymen, of the neighbourhood, had, long before, obliged themfelves to come every Tuefday, during the fummer time, under the penalty of twelve pence a time if they were abfent ; and there to fpend the day in drinking and bowling ; which is thought to be as di- rect a violation of the law of the land, viz. the flatute of 33 Henry Vlll. cap. 9. for debarring unlawful games, which was never yet repealed, as the meeting was of the flatute of 2 2d Car. II. and as much more to the difhonour of God, and the fcandal of the Chriftian profeffion ; as curfmg, and fwearing, and drunkennefs, is worfe than praying and fmging pfalms, and hearing the word of God It is fuppoled that the Juftices knew of the meeting before, and might have prevented it by the leaft intimation ; but they were willing to take the opportunity of making fport to themfelves, and trouble to their neighbours. After the feat done, they returned back to the alehcufe, and made themfelves and their companions merry with calling over the names they had taken, making their reflections as they faw caufe ; and recounting the par- ticulars of the exploit. There was one of the compa- ny, whofe wife happened to be prefent at the meeting, and her name taken among the reft ; with which up- braiding him, he anfwered, that flie had been better employed than he was, and if Mr Henry might be ad- mitted to preach in a church, he would go a great ma- ny miles to hear him. For which words he was forth- with expelled their company, and never more to fliew his face again at that bowling-green ; to which he re- plied. If they had fo ordered long ago, it had been a great deal the better for him and his fanwly. Two days after, they met again at Hodnet, where, upon the oath of two witnefles, who, as was fuppofed, were fent on purpofe to inform, they figned and fealed two re- cords of convidion. By one record they convifted the mafter of the houfe, and fined him L.20, and L.^ Ciore as conftable of the town that year, and with him ail ^be Life of Mr Philip Henry. i 3 1 all the perfons prefent whofe names they had taken, and fined them five {hillings a-piece, and iffued out warrants accordingly. By another record they con- vitled the two minifters, Mr Bury and Mr Henry. — The ad makes it only punifhable to preach or teach in any fuch conventicle ; and yet they fined Mr Bury L.20, though he only prayed, and did not fpeak one word in the way either of preaching cr teaching, not fo much as *' let us pray ;" however, they faid, pray- ing was teaching, and right or wrong he muft be fin- ed ; though his great piety, peaceablenef?, and ufeful- nefs, befides his deep poverty, one would think might have pleaded for him, againft fo palpable a piece of injuflice. They took L. 7 off from him, and laid it up- on others, as they faw caufe ; and for the remaining L. 13, he being utterly unable to pay it, they took from him, by diflrefs, the bed which he lay upon, with blanket and rug ; alfo another feather-bed, nineteen pair of fheets, mofi: of them new ; of which he could not prevail to have fo much as one pair returned for him to lye in ; alfo books to the value of L. 5, befides brafs and pewter. And though he was at this time perfedly innocent of that heinous crime of preaching and. teaching, with which he was charged, (for fo the record runs again and again, concerning Mr Henry and Mr Bury, ^Md ad tunc IS ibidem precauerunt, pradicaveriint ^ docuefunt.^ Yet he had no way to right himfelf, but by appealing to the Juilices them- felves in Quarter Seffions,who would be fure to affirm their own decree, (as the Juftices in Montgomeryfhire had done not long before, in a like cafe,) efpecially when it was to recover to themfelves treble cofls. So the good man fat down with his lofs, and " took joy- fully the fpoiling of his goods j knowing in himfelf, that he had in heaven a better, and a more enduring fubftance." But Mr Henry being the greateft criminal, and hav- ing done the mod mifchief,muil needs be animadvert- ed upon accordingly, and therefore he was fined L.40, R 2 the 132 The Life of Mr Philip HenrIT. the pretence of which was this :- — In the year 1-679, 0(5t. 15, Mr Kynafton of Oatly, a Juflice of Peace in Shropfhire, meeting him and fome others coming, as he fuppofed, from a conventicle, he was pleas'd to record their convidion, upon the notorious evidence and circumftance of the fa6t. The record was filed at Salop the next feffions after ; but no notice was ever fent of it, either to Mr Henry or the Juftices of Flint- fhire ; nor any profecution upon it, againil any of the parties charged, (the reafon of which, Mr Henry, in a narrative he wrote of this affair, fuppofeth to be not only the then favourable pofture of public affairs to- wards diffenters, but alfo the particular prudence and lenity of Mr Kynafton,) fb that having never fmarted for this, he could not be fuppofed to be deterred from the like offence ; nor if he were wronged in that firfl convidion, had he ever any opportunity of making his appeal. However, the Juflices being refolved he fhould h2.\e Jumnium Jus, thought that iirft record fufScient to give denomination to a fecond offence, and fo he came to be fined double. This convidion f according to the direftion of the aft,) they certified to the next adjoin- ing Juflices of Flintfhire, who had all along carried themfelves with great temper and moderation towards Mr Henry, a'nd had never given him any diflurbance; though if they had been fo minded, they had not wanted opportunities ; but they were now necefTitated to execute the fentences of the Shropfhire Juflices. — 'Twas much preffed upon him to pay the fine, which might prevent his own lofs, and the Juflices' trouble. But he was not willing to do it ; partly, becaufe he would give no encouragement to fuch profecutions, nor voluntarily reward the informers for that which he thought they fhould rather be punifhed for ; and partly becaufe he thought himfeLf wronged in the doubling of the fine. Whereupon his goods were diflrained upon, and carried away ; in the doing of which many paffages occurred which might be worth the noting, but that the repetition of them would per- haps l!he Life of Mr Philip Henry. 135 haps grate and give offence to fome. Let it therefore fufiice (waving the circumflances) to remember only that their warrant not giving them authority to break open doors, nor their watchfulnefs getting them an opportunity to enter the houfe, they carried away a- bout thirty-three cart load of goods without doors, corn cut upon the ground, hay, coals, &c. This made a great noife in the country, and raifed the indigna- tion of many againfl the decrees which prefcribed this grievoufnefs ; while Mr Henry bore it with his ufual evennefs and ferenity of mind, not at all moved or difturbed by it. He did not boafl of his fufferings, or make any great matter of them ; but would often fay, " Alas ! this is nothing to what others fuffer, nor ** to what we ourfelves may fuffer before we die."-— And yet he rejoiced and bleffed God that it was not for debt, or for evil-doing, that his goods were carried away. " And (faith he) while it is for well-doing that " we fuffer, they cannot harm us." Thus he writes in his diary upon it, " How oft have we faid that chan- " ges are at. the door ; but bleffed be God there is no " fting in this." He frequently expreffed the affurance he had, that Vv^hatever damage he fuftained, God is able to make it up again. And (as he ufed to fay,) " Though we may be lofers for Chrift, yet we fhall not *' be lofers by him in the end." He had often faid-, *' That his preaching was likely to do the moll good, " when it was fealed to by fuffering ; and if this be the " time, (faith he) welcome the will of God; even this " alfo fhali turn to the furtherance of the gofpel of *' Chrift :" Bene agere i^ juale pati vere Chriftianuin eft, ^ Soon after this was the affizes for Flintffiire held at lV|old, where Sir George Jeffries, afterwards Lord Chancellor, then Chief Jultice of Chefter, fat Judge. He did not, in private converfation, feem to applaud what was done in this matter, fo as was expected; whether out of a private piqiie againft fome that were active in it, or for what other reafon, is net known ; bur. 134 ^^^^ ^'7*^ ^f ^^^' Philip Henry. but It was faid, he pleafantly afked fome of the gen- tlemen, By what new law they preffed carts, as they paffed upon their occafions alopg the road, to carry away goods diflrained for a conventicle ? It was alfo faid, that he fpoke with fome refpect of Mr Henry j faying, he knew him and his charafter well, and that he was a great friend of his mother's, Mrs Jeffries of Atton near Wrexham, (a very pious, good woman,) and that fomctimes, at his mother's requefl, Mr Hen- ry had e5:amined him in his learning, when he was a fchool-boy, and had commended his proficiency. And it was much wondered at by many, that, of all the times Sir George Jeffries went to that circuit, (though 'tis well enough known what was his temper, and what the temper of that time,) yet he never fought any oc- cafion againft Mr Henry, nor took the occafions that were offered, nor countenanced any trouble intended him, though he was the only non-conformi(t in Flint- fhire. One paffage, I remember, not improp^.r to be mentioned ;- — there had been an agreement among fome minifters, fl think it began in the weft of Eng- land, where Mr Allen was) to fpend fome time, either in fecret or in their families, or both, between fix and. eight o'clock every Monday morning, in prayer, for the church of God, and for the land and nation, more fully and particularly than at other times, and to make that their fpecial errand at the throne of grace ; and to engage as many of their praying friends as they could, to the obiervance of it. This had been com- municated to Mr Henry by fome of his friends at London, and he pundually obferved it in his -own practice, 1 believe, for many years. He alfo mention- ed it to fome of his acquaintance, who did in like manner obferve it. It happened that one in Denbigh- Ihire, to whom he had communicated it, was fo well pleafed with it, that he wrote a letter of it to a friend of his at a diftance ; which letter happened into hands that perverted it, and made information upc^n it, a- gainft the writer and receiver of the letter, wno were bound ^he Life of Mr Philip Henry. i 35 bound over to the affizes, arid great fuTpicions Sir Geo. Jeffries had, that it was a branch of the Prefbyterian plot, and rallied the parties accufed feverely. It ap- peared, either by the letter, or by the confeffion of the parties, that they received the projeft from Mr Henry, which (it was greatly feared) would bring hiili into trouble ; but Sir George, to the admiration of many, let it fall, and never enquired further into it. It feems there are feme men, whofe ways fo pleafe the Lord, that he makes even their enemies to be at peace with them ; and there is nothing loll by truft- ing in God. Mr Hen];y, at the next affizes after he was diftraln- ed upon, was prefented by one of the high conftables, I. For keeping a conventicle at his houfe; and, 2. For faying. That the law for fuppreffing conventicles ought not to be obeyed, and that there was never a tittle of the word of God in it. As to this latter prefentment, 'twas altogether falfe. He had, indeed, in difcourfe with the high conftable, when he infifled fo much up- on the law, which required him to be fo rigorous in the profecution, objected, That all human laws were not to be obeyed, merely becaufe they were laws. But as to any fuch reflexions upon the law he fuffered by, he was far from it, and had prudence enough to keep filence at that time ; for it was an evil tinie when fo many were made offenders for a word. But thefe pre- fentments met with fo little countenance from Judge Jeffries, that Mr Henry only entered his appearance in the Prothonotary's office, and they were no more heard of ; wherein he acknowledged the hand of God, who turneth the hearts of the children of men as the rivulets of-water. As to what was taken from him by the diflrefs, they who took it made what markets they pleafed of it, paid thofe they employed, and what the remainder ^was is not known for certainty ; but it was faid, that the following fummer, about L 27 was paid to Sir T.V. of which, (and the rell that was levied in other places, - which, 13^ T^he Life of Mr Philip Henry. which amounted to a confiderable fum,) it was credi-. bly reported, (and I have not heard it contradifted,) that neither the king nor the poor had their ihare, (which by the acl is to be two-thirds) nor the inform- ers all theirs either ; but people faid, the Gentlemen had occafion for it all. But as they that had it were never the richer for it, fo he that loft it would often fay, that he found that God did fo abundantly blefs the remainder to him, that he was never the poorer j W'hich he would mention for the encouragement of his friends, not to baulk duty (as he ufed to exprefs itj fov fear of fufFering. In the fame year, 1681, happened a public difcouiffe at Ofweftry, betwixt the then biihop of St Afaph, (Dr William Lloyd, now bifhop of Coventry and Litch- field) and fome no^-conformift minifttrs, of which Mr Henry was one. The ftory, in fliort, is as foUoweth :— That learn- ed bifhop, at his firft coming to the diocefe of St i^faph, in his zeal for the eftabhihed church, fet him- felf with vigour to reduce dilTenters to it ; and that he mig^r do it with the cords of a man, he refolved, before ' he took any other methods, to reafon the matter with them, and to endeavour their conviction by difcourfe, in which he had a very great facility, both by his learning and temper. If there were any that declin- ed difcourfmg with him, he improved that againft them very much ; urging, (as he wrote afterwards to Mr Henry,) " That no man can pretend confcience " for not coming when he is required, to give an ac- " count of his religion to them that have authority " to demand it, by the laws under which he lives, and " to hear from their mouths what can be faid for the " eftabliihed religion. Thefe are things from which " confcience is fo far from exempting, that the great *' rule of confcience requires it, as an indifpenfible *' duty ; that vi'e fhould always be ready to give *' an account of the hope that is in us ; and that v.-e •' fhould liear them that are in Mofes* chair, &;c. and " there- ne Life of Mr Philip Henry. 137 " therefore thofe who refufed this, he would confider ** as men governed, not by confcience, but obftinacy.'* He piiblickly dilcourfed with the Quakers at Lan- viUin in Montgomery (hire ; their champion was Dr Lloyd a phyiician : one of the mofl confiderable non- conformift minifters in his diocefe was Mr James Owen of Ofweftry, then very young, but well known fince by his learned book, which he calls, A Plea for Scripture Ordination ; proving ordination by prefby- ters, without diocefan bilhops, to be valid, ( publifhed in the year 1694.) a point of controverfy which he was then obliged in his own defence to fearch into. Several difcourfes the bifhop had with him in private ; at laft his lordlhip was pleafed to appoint him, to give him the meeting in the town-hall of Ofweftry, on Tuefday, Sept. 27, 1681, there to give account by what right he exercifed the miniftry, not having epif- copal ordination. He directed him alfo to procure what other minifters he could to affift him, for he would be glad to hear what any of them had to fay for themfelves. The notice was very fliort, not above four or five days : fome whofe affiftance was deftred, apprehended it might do more hurt than good, and might be prejudicial to their own liberty, and there- fore declin'd it. It was not agreeable to Mr Henry's mild and modeft temper, to appear in fuch circum- ftances ; but he was loath to defert his friend Mr Owen, and fo with much importunity he wa* prevailed with to come to Ofweftry, at the time appointed ; and there came no other but he and Mr Jonathan Roberts of Denbighftiire, in the diocefe of Bangor, a plain man, of great integrity, and a very good fcholar. The bifnop came according to appointment, and brought with him for his afliftant the famous Mr Henry Dod- well : Mr Henry, who was utterly a ftranger to the biftiop, preffed hard to have had the difcourfe in pri- vate, before a felcd number, but it would not be grant- ad. He aifo delired his lordihip that it might not be expeded from him, being of another diocefe, to con- S cern 13? Ihe Life of Mr Philip Henry. cern himfelf in the difcourfc, but only as a hearer : *' Nay, Mr Henry, (faid the bifhop) it is not the con- cern of my diocefe alone, but it is the common caufe of religion, and therefore I exped you fliould intereft yourfelf in it more than as a hearer." His lordlhip was pleafed to promife, that nothing that Ihould be faid by way of argument fliouId be any way turned to the prejudice of the difputants, nor advantage taken of it to give them trouble. There were prefent divers of the clergy and gentry of the country, with the magiltrates of the town and a great number of people, which, if it could have been avoided, was not eafy to Mr Hen- ry, who never loved any thing that made a noife ; herein like his Mafler, who did not drive nor cry. The difcourfe began about two o'clock in the after- noon, and continued till betv/een feven and eight at night : much was faid pro and con^ touching the iden- tity of bifhops and prefbyters, the bifhoping and un- bifhoping of Timothy and Titus, the validity of pref- byterian ordination, &c. *Twas managed with a great deal of liberty, and not under the ftridt laws of difpu- tation, which made it hard to give any tolerable ac- count of the particulars of it. The arguments on both fides, may better be fetched from the books written on the fubjed, than from fuch a difcourfe. The biihop managed his part of the conference with a great deal of gravity, calmnefs, and evennefs of fpirit, and therein gave an excellent pattern to all that are in fuch ftations. Mr Henry's remark upon this bufmefs in his diary is this, " That whereas many reports went abroad far and near concerning it, every one pafling their judgment upon the refult of it as they Hood affected ; for my own part (faith he) upon re- flection, 1 find I have great reafon to be afhamed of my manifold infirmities and iinperfeiSlions ; and yet do blefs God, that feeing 1 could manage it no better, to do the truth more fervice, there was not more faid and done to its dilTervice ; to God be glory." But there were others, who faid that Mr Henry was an inftrumeut The Life of Mr Philip Henry. i 39 fiiRrument of glorifying God, and ferving the church in that affair, alniolt as much as in any thing that ever he did, except the preaching of the gofpel. And fome who were adverfaries to the caufe he plead- ed, thouo^h they were not convinced by his argu- ments, yet by his great meeknefs and humihty, and that truly Chriflian fpirit, which appeared fo evident- ly in the whole management, were brought to have a better opinion of him, and the way in which he walked. • I'he conference broke off a little abruptly ; the bifhop and Mr Henry being fomewhat clofe at an ar- gument, in the recapitulation of what had been dif- courfed of; Mr Jonathan Roberts whifpered to Mr Henry, " Pray let my lord have the laft word j'* which a juftice of peace upon the bench over-hearing, prefently replied, " You fay my lord iliall have the " laft word, but he fnall not, • for I will : we thank " God we have the fword of powei* in our own hands, ** and by the grace of God we will keep it, and it *' fliall not ruft, and I hope every lawful magiftrate *' will do as I do : and look to yourfelves. Gentlemen, '' by the grace of God I'll root you out of the coun- " try." To which a forward man in the crowd faid, *' Allien^ throw them down ftairs." This the bifhop heard with filence, but the Mayor of the town took order for their fafety. Two days after this difcourfe, the bifhop wrote a very obliging letter to Mr Henry, to fignify to him how very much he was pleafed with the good temper and fpirit that he found in him at Ofweftry, and that he looked upon him as one that intended well, but la- boured under prejudices ; and to defire further ac- quaintance and converfation with him ; particularly that he would come to him ftraitway to Wrexham ; and about three months after, he fent for him again to Chefter ; in both which interviews a great deal of dif- courfe, with much freedom, paffed between them in private, in which they feemed to ^de nothing more than candor and obhgingnefs, fliewing to each other S 2 all 1 40 Hhe Life of Mr Philip Henry. all meeknefs. I remember the bifliop was pleafed to fhew him his plan for the government of his diocefe, and the method he intended to take in church cenfures, which Mr Henry very well approved of ; but pleaiant- ly told his lordfhip, he hoped he would t \ke care that Juvenal's verfe fliould not be again verified, Dat 'veniam Corvis^ njexat cenfura Coiumhas. (Sat. ii.) which the bifhop fmil'd at, and told him he would take care it fliould not. His lordfhip obferving his true catholick charity and moderation, told him, that if he were in his diocefe, he did not queflion but that he fhould find out fome way to make him ufeful. But all his reafonings could not fatisfy Mr Henry's con- fcience of the lawfulnefs of being re-ordain'd and con- forming. The bifhop for fome years after, when he came that way, towards London, either call'd on Mr Henry at his houfe, or fent for him to him at Whit- church, and ftill with all outward expreffions of friend- ihip. The trouble which Mr Henry was in, about the meeting at AVefton, obliged him for a while to keep his fabbaths at home fomewhat private ; but in the year 1682 he took a greater liberty, and many flock- ed to him on Lord's days, through the kind conniv- ance of the neighbourir.g magiftrates : but in the year 168^, when the meetings were generally fuppreil throughout the kingdom, he was again necefTitated to contract his fails, and confine his labours more to his own family, and his friends that vifited him. He con- tinued his atfendance at Whitev/ell-chapel, as ufual j and v/hen he was abridged of his liberty, he often blef- fed God for his quietnefs. Once when one of the curates preached a bitter fermon againft the diffenters, on a Lord's day morning ; fome wondered that Mr Henry would py again in the afternoon, for the fecond part ; " But (faith he) if he do not know his duty, I ^-^ know mine j and I blefs God I can find honey in a " carcafe." In. The Life of Mr Philip Henry. 141 In this time of treading down, and of perplexity, he ftiried Httle abroad, being forced (as he ufed to ex- prefs it) to " throw the plough under the hedge ;*' but he preached conftantly at home without difturbance ; and often comforted himfelf with this, " When we can- *' not do what we would, if we do what we can, " God will accept of us : when w^e cannot keep open " fhop, w^e mud drive a fecret trade.'* And he would fay, " There is a mean, if we could hit it, between " fool-hard inefs and faint-heartednefs.'* While he had fome opportunity of being ufeful at home, he was a- fraid left he Ihould prejudice that by venturing abroad. One of his friends in London earneftly foliciting him to make a vifit thither in this time of reftraint in the country, he thus wrote to him ; " I Ihould be glad once more to kiff, my native Toil, though it were but with a kifs of valedii^lion ; but my indifpofednefs to travel, and the fmall profpect there is of doing good to countervail the pains, are my prevailing argu- ments againft it. I am here ('tis true) buried alive, but 1 am quiet in my grave, and have no mind to be a walking ghoft. We rejoice, and deftre to be thankful, that God hath given us a home, and con- tinued it to us, when fo many, better than w^e, have not where to lay their head, having no certain dwelling-place :" ('tv/as at the time cf the difper- on of the French proteftants. ) " Why they exiles, and not we ? they ilraneers in a ftranoe land, and not we r We mult not lay, we will die in our nelts; left God fay, nay : nor we will multiply our days as that bird, the Phcenix, (referring to Job xxix. 18.) left God fay. This night, kz. Our tinies and all our ways are at his difpofe, abfolutely and univerfal- ly, and it is very well they are fo." At the time of the Duke of Monmouth's defcent, and the infurreftion in the Weft,, in the year 1685, Mr Henry, as m.any others, (purfuant to a general or- der of the Lord Lieutenant, for fecuring all fufpecled perfonsj and particularly all nonconforniift minifiers,) was 142 The Life of Mr Philip Henry. was taken up by a warrant from the deputy Lieuten- ants, and fent under a guard to Chefler Caille, where he was about three weeks a clofe prifoner : he was lodged with fome gentlemen and miniilers that were fetched thither out of Lancafhire, who were all ftran- gers to him ; but he had great comfort in the acquaint- ance and fociety of many of them. He often fpake of this imprifonment, not as matter of complaint, but of thankfgiving, and bleifed God he was in nothing uneafy all the while. In a fermon to ni'S' family, the day after he came home, he largely and aifettionately recounted the mercies of that pro- vidence : as for inifance, " That his imprifonment was " for no caufe : 'tis guilt that makes a prifon. That " it was his fecurity iw a dangerous time. That he " had good company in his fufferings, who prayed " together, and read the Scriptures together, and dif- " courfed to their mutual edification.' That he had " health there; not fick, and in prifon; that he was " vifited^and prayed for by his friends. That he was " very chearful and eafy in his fpirit, many a tinie a- " fleep and quiet, when his adverfaries were diflurbed *' and unquiet. That his enlargement was fpeedy and " unfought for, and tliat it gave occafion to the magif- " trates who committed him, to give it under their " hands, that they had nothing in particular to lay to '" his charge; and efpecially that it was without a " fnare, which was the thing he feared more than any " thing elfe." It was a furprife to fome that vifited him in his im- prifonment, and were big with the expeftations of the ~l)uke of Monmouth's fuccefs, to hear him fay, " I " would not have you to flatter yourfelves with fuch " hopes, for God will not do his work for us in thefe "nations, by that man ; but our deliverance and fal- *■' vation will arife fome other way.'* It mure not be forgotten how ready he was, nay, how fladious and induftrious to ferve and oblige fuch as had been any way inftruments of trouble to him» as Ihe Life of Mr Philip Henry. 143 as far as it lay in his power, and he had any opportu- nity to do it ; fo well had he learned that great leffon of forgiving and loving enemies j of this it were eafy to give inllances. When a gentleman who had fometimes been an iii- flrument of trouble to him, had occafion to make ufe of his help to give him fome light into a caufe he had to be tried, Mr Henry was very ready to ferve him in it ; and though he might have declined it, and it was fomewhat againll his own interefl too, yet he appeared a wicnefs for him, which fo won upon the gentleman, that he was afterwards more friendly to him. Men- tioning in his diary the death of another gentleman in Shropfhire ; fie notes, that he was one that had been his profefled enemy ; " but (faith he) God knows 1 " have often prayed for him." Some have wondered to fee how courteoufly and friendly he would fpeak to fuch as had been any way injurious to him, when he met with them, being ^s in- dultrious to difcover his forgiving of wrongs, as fome are to difcover their refentments of them. It was faid of Archbifhop Cranmer, that the way to have him ones friend, was to do him a diflcindnefs ; and I am fure it might be faid of Mr Henry, that doing him a dif^ind- neis would not make him ones enemy. This minds me of an exemplary paifage concerning his worthy friend Mr Edward Lawrence, once going with fome of his fons, by the houfe of a gentleman that had been injurious to him, he gave a charge to his fons to this purpofe, that they fliould never think or fpeak amifs of that gentleman, for the fake of any thing he had done againft him ; but whenever they went by his houfe, fliould lift up their hearts ia prayer to God for him and his family. And who is he that will harm thofe, Vv^ho are thus followers of him that is good, in his goodnefs ? It is almoft the only temporal promife in the Nev/ Teftament, which is made to the meek. Mat. V. 5. That they fhall inherit the earth ; the me m- ing whereof Dr Hammond in his practical catechifm, take$ 144 *^^ -^^ of Mr Philip Henry. takes to be erpecially this, that In the ordinary dlfpen* fations of God's Providence, the moil mild and quiet people are moft free from difturbance. Thofe only have every man's hand againfl them, that have theirs againjtl every man. CHAP. VIII. ^he lajl Nine years of his Life in liberty and en- large me?it at Broad-Oak, from the year i6Sy. IT was in the latter end of the year 16S5, when the ftream run fo very ftrong againft the diflenters, that Mr Henry being in difcourfe with a very great man of the church of England, mentioned K. Charles's indulgence in 1672, as that which gave rife to his dat- ed preaching in. a feparate allembly; and added, If the prefent king James fliould in like manner give me leave, I would do the fame again : to which that great man replied, " Never expeft any fuch thing from him: " for take my v/ord for it, he hates you nonconfor- " mifts in his heart.? " Truly (faid Mr Henry) I " beheve it, and 1 think he doth not love you of the " church of England neither." It was thenlittle thought that the fame Right Reverend perfon who faid fo to him. fhould have the honour, as he had foon after, to be one of the feven bifhops committed to the Tower by king James ; as it was alfo far from any ones ex- pectation, that the fame kinjj^ James fliould fo quickly give liberty to the nonconformifls : but we live in a world, wherein we are to think nothing ftrange, nor be furprifcd at any turn of the wheel of nature, as 'tis called, James iii. 6. The meafures then taken by king Jameses Court and Council were foon laid open, not only to view, but to contempt, being in a iliort time, by the over- ruling Providence of God, broken and defeated: how- ever, the indulgence granted to diflenters in April 1687, The Life of Mr Philip Henry. i 45 1687, "^-^^-"^ needs be a reviving to thofe who for fo many years had lain buried in iilence and feftraint ; nor can any, who will allow themfelves the liberty of fuppofing the cafe their own, wonder that they ihould rejoice in it, though the defign of it being manifeft, thuy could not chufe but rejoice with trembiing. Mr Henry's fentiments of it were, " whatever mens ends *' are in it, I believe God's end in it is to do us good." There were many that faid, Surely the dilfenters will not embrace the hberty which is intended only for a fnare to them. Mr Henry read and confidered the letter of advice to the dilfenters at that juncture; but concluded, " Duty is ours, and events are God's." He remembred the experience he had had of the like in king Charles ^5 time, and that did good and no hurt; and why might not this do fo too? " All power is " for edification, not for deftrudion." Did Jeremiah fit fliil in the court of the prifon, becaufe he had his difcharge from the king of Babylon .? Nay, did not Paul, when he was perfecuted by his countrymen, for preaching the gofpel, appeal to Caefar, and find more kindnefs at Rome than he did at Jerufalem ? In fliort, . the principle of his converfation in the world being not lieflily wifdom, or policy, but the grace of God, and particularly the grace of fimplicity and godly fm- cerity, he was willing to make the belt of that which was, and to hope the befl of the defign and iffue of it. Doubtlefs it was intended to introduce popery ; but it is certain, that nothing could arm people againll po- pery more effectually than the plain and powerful preaching of the goipel ; and thus they who granted that liberty, were out-lhot in their own bow, which manifeftly appeared in the event and iffue. And as they did good fervice to the Prcteftant Religion among fcholars, who wa-ote fo many learned books againft po- pery at that time, for which we return them our belt thanks ; fo they did no lefs fervice among the com- mon people ,^who are the flrength and body of the na- tion) that preached fo many good fermons to arm their T hearers 146 The Life of Mr Philip Henry. hearers againft that ftrong delufion, which Mr Henry (as the refl of the nonconformlfls generally did) took all occafions to do. How often would he commend his hearers fas Dr Holland, Divinity profeffor in Ox- ford, was wont to do) " to the love of God, and the " hatred of Popery." Befides his preaching profeiTedly to difcover the er- rors and corruptions of the church of Rome (which he would have taken occafion to do more fully, had he feen thofe he preached to in any immediate dan- ger of the mfedion) there could not be a more ef/ec- tual antidote againft popery, than the inftrufting and confirming of people in ♦^he truth, as it is in Jefus ; and advancing the knowledge of and a value and venera- tion for the Holy Scriptures ; to which, how much Mr Henry in his place did contribute, all that knew him will bear record. He ufed to obferve, that the fall of Babylon lol lowed upon the free and open preach- ing of the everlafting gofpel. Rev. xiv, 6, 7. He ap- prehended this liberty likely to be of very Tnort con- tinuance, and to end in trouble ; and becaufe he could not fee now his not ufing of it would help to prevent the trouble ; but he did fee, that his vigorous improve- ment of it would help to prepare for the trouble, he fet himfelf, with all diligence, to make the bed ufc he could of this gleam, both at home and abroad, on Sab- bath-days and week-days, to his power ; yea, and be- yond his power. The great fubje£t of debate at this time in the na- tion, was, concerning the repeal of penal laws and teils. Mr Henry's thoughts were, as to the penal laws, that if thofe againft the diifenters were all repealed, he would rejoice in it, and be very thankful both to God and man ; for he would fometimes fay, without reflection upon any, he could not but look upon them as a national fm ; and as for thofe againft the Papiits, if our law-givers fee caufe to repeal them in a regular way, I will endeavour (faith he) to make the beft of it, and to fav, " The will of the Lord be done." When the Life of Mr Philip Henry. 147 When king James came his progrefs into that coun- try, in Scpteaiber 1687, to court the complements of the people, Mr Henry joined with feveral others, in and about Whitchurch, Naatwich, and W em, in an addrefs to him, which was prefcnted when he lay at Whitchurch ; the purport of which Was, not to facri- fice their Hvcs and fortunes to him and to his intereft, but only to return him thanks for the liberty they had, with a promife to demean thernfelves quietly in the ufe of it. Some time after, CommilTioners were fent abroad into the country, to enquire after the trouble that dif- fenters had fuflained by the penal laws ; and how the money that was levied upon them was difpofed of, lit- tle of it being found paid into the Exchequer : they fent to Mr Henry to have an account from him of his fufferings ; he returned anfwer by letter, that he had indeed been fined fome years before, for a conventicle, and diftrained upon, and his goods carried away ; which all the country knew, and to which he referred himfelf. But being required to give a particuiar ac- count of it upon oath ; though he faid he could be glad to fee fuch inltruments of trouble legally removed ; yet he declined giving any further information concern- ing it ; having (as he wrote to the Commifiioners) " long fince, from his heart, forgiven all the agents, " inftruments and occafions of it ; and having purpof- " ed never to fay any thing more of it." It was on Tuefday, June 14, 1681, that he was dif- turbed at Wefton in Shropfhire, when he was preach- ing on Pfal. Ixvi. 18. and on Tuefday, June 14, 16S7, that day fix years he preached there again without difturbance, finiihing what he was then prevented from delivering, concerning prayer, and going on to ver. 19, 20. " But verily God hath heard me— -blefled be " God"— -concenung the duty of thankfgiving. This feventh year of their filence and reftraint, proved, through God's wonderful good providence, the year of releafe. T 2 In 148 ne Life of Mr Philip Henry. In May, 1688, a new commiflion of the peace cams do\^n for the county of Flint, in which foy whofe in- tereft or procurement was not known) Mr Henry was nominated a Juilice of Peace for that county. It was no fmall furpriie to him, to receive a letter from the Clerk of the Peace, dire6ted to Philip Henry, hfq. acquainting him with it, and appointin:^ him when and whither, to come to be fworn. To which he returned anfwer, that he was very fenfible of his unworthinefs of ihe honour, and his unfitnefs for the office which he was nominated to, and therefore defired to be ex- cufed, and he was fo, and did what he could that it might not be fpoken of in the country. There were fome, who upon this occafion mihappily remembered, that a few years before, a reverend clergyman in Shropfhire told Mr Henry to his face, that he had done more mifchief in the country, than any man that ever came into it ; and that he himielf hoped fhortiy to be in the commiflion of peace, and then he vvould rid the country of him. But alas he was quite difap- pointed. Thus honour is like the fbadow, which flies from thofe that purfue it, and follows thofe that flee from it. For two years after this liberty began, Mr Henry flill continued his attendance, as ufual, at Whitewell- chapel, whenever there was preaching there ; and he preached at his ov/n houfe only when there was no fupply there, and in the evening of thofe days when there was. For doing thus he was greatly clamoured againfl:, by fome of the rigid feparatiflis, and called a diflembler, and one that halted between two, and the like. Thus (asjhe notes in his diary) one fide told him he was the author of all the mifchief in the coun- try, in drawing people from the church ; and the other fide told him, he was the author of all the mifchief, in drawing people to the church : and " which of ':'' thefe (laith he) fhali 1 feek to pleafe : Lord, neither, " but thyfelf alone, and my own ronfcience, and ^' while I can do that, I have enough.'* la The Life of Mr Philip Henry. 149 In a fermon at Whitewell-chapel, one Lord's day in the afLernoon, where he and his family, and many of his congregation were attending, much' was faid with fome keen reflections, to prove the diflenters fchii- maticks, and in a damnable (late : when he came im- mediately after to preach at his own houfe, before he began his fermon, he exprelTed himfcif to this purpofe; " Perhaps fome of you may exped now that I fliould " fay fomething in anfwer to what we have heard, by ** which we have been fo feverely charged ; but truly - " I have fomething elfe to do ;" and fo, without any further notice taken of it, went on to preach Jefus Chrift and him crucified. It was not vvithout fome fear and trembling that Mr Henry received the tidings of the Prince of Orange's landing, in November 1688, as being fomewhat irt the dark concerning the clearnefs of his call, and dreading what might be the confequence of it. He ufed to fay, " Give peace in our time, O Lord," was a prayer that he would heartily fet his Amen to. But when fecret things were brought to light, and a regu- lar courfe was taken to fill the vacant throne with fuch a King and fuch a Queen, none rejoiced in it more heartily than he did. He celebrated the nation- al thankfgiving for that great deliverance, with an ex- cellent fermon on that text, Rom. viii. 31. " What " fliall we then fay to thefe things ? If God be for us, " who can be againfl us ?" Soon after that happy fettlement, there were over- tures mace towards a comprehenfion of the moderate dillenters, v/ith the church of England ; which Mr Henry moft earneftly defired, and wiihed for, if it could be had upon any terms lefs than fmning againit his confcience ; for never was any more averfe to that which looked like a feparation than he was, if he could poffibly have helped it, Jalva confcientia. His prayers were conilant, and his endeavours, as he had oppor- tunity, that there might be fome healing methods found out and agreed upon. But it is well known what was the 150 ^he Life of Mr Philip Henry. the V''X cleri at that time, viz. That forafmuch as the oaths, iubfcriptions, and ceremonies were impofcd on- ly to keep out luch men, they would never confent to their removal, for the letting them in again. Noiunius le^es angha mutari^ was a faying perverted to this pur- pofe: and the fixed principle was, Better a fchifm with- out the church, than a faftion within it, &c. This was at that time publiflied and owned, as the fenfe of the clergy in convocation ; which temper and refolve, fo contrary to that which might have been expected, up- on that happy and glorious revolution, did a little alter his fentiments in that matter, and he faw himfelf per- fedlly driven from them. Defpairing therefore to fee an accommodation, he fet himfelf the more vigoroufly to improve the prefent liberty. In June 16^9, the ad: of indulgence palTed, which not only tolerated, but allow- ed the diffenters' meetings, and took them under the protedion of the government. Soon after which, though he never in the leaft changed his judgement, as to the lawfulnefs of joining in the common-prayer, but was flill ready to do it oc- cafionally, yet the minillers that preached at White- well-chapel, being often uncertain in their coming, which kept his meeting at Broad-Oak at like uncer- tainties, to the frequent difappointment of many of his hearers that came from far ; he was at laft prevailed with to preach at public time ever)' Lord's day, which he continued to do while he lived, much to his own fatisfaftion, and the fatisfadion of his friends. An emi- nent miniiler in Lancafhire, who did in like manner alter his praftice about that time, gave this for a rea- fon, '^ That he had been for twenty-feven years ftriv- " ing to pleafe a generation of men, who afrer ail *•' would not be pleafed, and therefore he would no *' longer endeavour it as he had done.'* It may be of ufe to give fome account how he man- aged his minifl trial work in the latter part of his time, wherein he had as fignal tokens of the prefence of God with him, as ever j enabling him ftill to bring forth fruit 1 be Life of Mr Philip Henry. 151 fruit in old age, and to renew his youth like the eagles. Though what he did he Hill did gratis, and would do fo, yet he was not willing to have any conftant aflid- ant, nor had he any ; fo much was he in his element, when he was about his Mailer's work : 'twas his meat and drink to do it. 1. As to his conftant Sabbath work, he was uni- form imd abundant in it. He began his morning fa- mily worlhip, on Lord's days, at eight o'clock, when he read and expounded pretty largtly, fung a pfalm and prayed ; and many ftrove to come time enough to join with him in that,fervice. He began in pubhcjuft at nine o'clock Winter and Summer. His meeting- place was an out-building of his own, near adjoining to his houfe, fitted up very decently and conveniently for the purpofe. He began with prayer, then he fung Pfal. c. without reading the line ; next he read and ex- pounded a chapter in the Old Teftametit in the morn- ing, and in the New Teftament in the afternoon. ' He looked upon the public reading of the fcriptures in re- ligious alTerablies to be an ordinance of God, and that it tended very much to the ediiication of people by that ordinance, to have what is read expounded to them. The bare reading of the word, he ufed to compare to the throwing of a net into the water ; but the expounding of it, is like the fpreading out of that net, which makes it the more likely to catch fiih ; efpeclally as he managed it with practical profitable obfervations. Some that have heard him read a chap- ter with this thought, how will he make fuch a chap- ter as this ufciul to us r have been furprized with fuch pertinent, ufeful inftruftions, as they have owned to be as much fc)r,^#ieir edification as any fermon. And commonly when he had expounded a chapter, he would defire them when they came home to read it over, and recollecl fome of thofe things that had been fpoken to them cut of it. In his expounding of the Old Teftament, he in Juf- trioufly fought for ibmething in it concerning Chrift, who 152 TJje Life of Mr Philip FIenry. who is the true treafure hid in the field, the true man- na hid in the dew of the Old Teftament. Take one inflance ; the lail Sabbath that ever he fpent with his children at Chefter, in the public morning worfhip, he read and expounded the lad chapter of the, book of Job : after he had gone through the chapter, and ob- ferved what he thoiight fit out of it, he expreffed him- felfto this purpofe: " When I have read a chapter *' in the Old Teftament, I ufe to enquire what there ** is in it that points at Chrlft, or is any way appli- " cable to C'hriil ; -here is in this chapter a great deal " of Job ; but is there nothing of Chrifl here ? Yes ; " you have heard of the patience of Job, and have *' in him feen the end of the Lord. This in Job is *' applicable to Chrifl, that after he had patiently ** gone through his fufferings, he was appointed an ," interceffor for his unkind friends, ver. 8." ' Go to * my fervant Job, and my fervant Job fhalKpray for you, ' for him will I accept.' " If any one hath an errand *' to' God, let him go to Jefus Chrift, and put it into '* his hand, for there is no acceptance to be hoped " for with God, but by him, who is his beloved Son ; " not only with v. hom he is well pleafed, but in whom " viz. with us in him : he hath made us accepted in " the beloved." After the expofition of the chapter he fung a pfalm, J^nd commonly chofe a pfalm fuitable to the chapter he had expounded ; and would briefly tell his hearers how they might fmg that pfalm with underftarxding, and what aiFedions of foul fhould be working towards God in the finging of it : his hints of that kind were of great ufe, and contributed much to the right per- formance of that lervice ; he often 41^, " The more " fmging of pfahns there is in our families and con- " gregations on Sabbath days, the more like they are " to heaven, and the more there is in them of the " everlafling Sabbath." He would fay fometimes, he loved to fmg whole pfalms, rather than pieces of pfalms. After The Life of Mr Philip Henry. 153 After the fermon in the morning, he fung the cxvii. ' Pfalm, without reading the line. He intermitted at noon about an hour and a half, and on facrament days not near fo long, in which time he took fomc little refrefhinent in his fcudy, mak- ing no folemn dinner ; yet many of his friends did par- take of his carnal, as well as of his fpiritual things, as thofe did that followed Chrift, of 'whom he was care- ful they (hould not faint by the way. The morning fermon was repeated, by a ready writer, to thofe that flaid in the meeting-place, as many did, and when that was done, he began the afternoi :»n';i exercife j in which he net only read and expounded a chapter, but catechifed the children, and expounded the catechifm briefly before fermon. Thus did he go fror^i Itren.^th to ftrength, and from duty to duty, on Sabbath-days ; running the ways of God's commandments wxh an enlarged heart. And the variety, and vivacity of his public fervices, made them exceeding pleafant to all that join'd with him, who never had caufe to complain of his being tedious. He ufed to fay, " Every minute " of Sabbath-time is precious, and none of it to be " loft ;" and that he fcarce thought the Lord's day well fpent, if he were not weary in body at night ; wearied with his work, but not weary of it, as he ufed to diftinguifli. He would fay fometimes to thofe a- bout him, when he had gone through the duties of a Sabbath ; " Well, if this be not the way to Heaven, " 1 do not know what is." In preffing people to number their days, he would efpecially exhort them to number their Sabbath-days, how many they have been, and how iU the;^-^ have been fpent ; how few 'tis like they may i^that they may be fpent better : and to help in the j^ount, he would fay, that " for every " twenty years of our lives, we enjoy above a thou- " fand Sabbaths," which muft all be accounted for in the day of reckoning. As to his conftant preaching, it was very fubftantial and elaborate, and greatly to edification. He ufed to U fay, 154 '^^^ Life, of Mr Philip Henry. fay, he could hot (larch m his preaching ; that is, he would not : as knowing where the lanp-uase and ex- preflicn is ftifF, and forced, and fine (as they call it) it doth not reach the greatell part of the hearers. When he grew old he would fay, fure he might now take a greater liberty to talk (as he called it) in the pulpit ; that is, to fpeak familiarly to people ; yet to the lall he abated not in his preparations for the pulpit, nor ever delivered any thing raw and undigefted ; much lefs any thing unbecoming the gravity and ferioufnefs of the work. If his preaching were talking, it were talking to the purpofe. His fermons were not com- mon place, but even when his fubjecls were the moil plain and trite, yet his management of them was ufu- ally peculiar and furprifmg. in thofe years, as former- ly, he kept for the mod part in a method for fabjects, and was very feldom above one Sabbath upon a text. And his conflant practice was, as it had been before, when he concluded a fubjed; that he had been a good while upon, he fpent one Sabbath in a brief rehcarfal of the marrow and fubftance of the many fermons he preached uoon it ; which he called the clenching of the nail, that it might be as a nail in a fure place. So- very indullricus v/as he, and no lefs ingenious in his endeavours, that his hearers might be " able, after " his deceafe, to have thefe things always in remem- " braace, 2 Pet. i. 15. and it is hoped, that by the blelTmg of God,- the effcddid not altogether difappcint his expedation. In the latter times of his miniilry, he would often contrive the hf'ads of his fermons to begin with the fame letter, or rather two and tv/o of a letter ; but he did not at all ittv\\ to ^ett or force it;, only if it fell in naturally and eafiljBJ^ thought it a good help to memory, and of ufe, oP^cIally to the younger iort. And he would fay, the chief reafon why he did it was, becaufe 'tis frequently obferve*! in the fcripture, particularly the book of Pfalms. AvA though it be not a f.\mionable ornament of difcoarfe, if it be a fcripture ornament, that is fuff.cient- to recommend it, The Life of Mr Philip Henry. 155 it,' at leaft to juPcify it againd the imputation of child- iflmcfs ; (Mr Porter of Whitchurch very much ufed ir, fo did Mr Maiden.) But the excellency of his fer- mons lay chiefly in the enlargements, which were al- ways very folid, grave, and judicious ; but in expref- fmg and marihalling his heads, he often condefcended below his own judgment, to help his htfarers* memo- ries. Some of his fubjedls (when he had fmillied themj he m' go through to preach a leclure, he faid, he comf(^« himfelf with two fcriptures ; one was 2 Tim. ii. 3^' Endure hard- " nefs as a good foldier 6f Jefus Chrid.'* . The other (becaufe he expofed and hazarded his health, for which Ibme blamed him) was 2 Sam. vi. 21. "It was before " the Lord." He took all occadons in his leftures abroad, to poflefs the minds of people with fober and moderate The Life of Mr Philip Henry. i6t moderate principles, and to ftir them up to the fericus regard ot thofe things wherein we are all agreed. " \V"e are not met here together (fa.id he once in an exhortation, with which he often began at his lec- ture) " becaufe we think ourfeives better than others, " but becaufe it is our defire to be better than we " are." He was very happy In the choice of his fubjedis for his week-day lectures. At one which was dated, he preached agalnft errors in general, from James i. 16. " Do not err, my beloved brethren 5" particularly from ilivers other fcriptures he Ihewed, that we mult not err, concerning God and Chrift, and the Spirit ; con- cerning fin and repentance, faith and good works,; concerning God's ordinances; concerning grace and peace, and afflictions and profperity, and the things of the life to come. At the monthly lectures he delivered at his own houfe, he chofe to preach upon the four lad things, ■death and judgment, heaven and hell, in many parti- culars, but commordy a new text for every fermon. When he had in many fermons finiilied the lirft of th.e four, one that ufed to hear him fometimes, enquiring of tiis progrefs in his fubjecis, aflvcd him if he had done with death ? meaning that fubject concerning death ; to which he pleafantly replied, '" No, I have not done " with him yet; I muil have another turn with him, " and he will give me a fall ; but I hope to have the *' victory at lait." He would fometimes remove the lectures in the country from one place to another, for the benefit of thofe that could not travel. Once hav- ing adjourned a ledture to a new place, he began it there with a ferrjjn on Acts xvii. 6. " Thefe men that " have turned tne world upfide down, are come hither " alfo ;'* in which he lliewed how falfe the charge is as they meant it ; for religion dodi not dilturb the peace of families or focietles, doth not caufe any difor- der or unquietnels, &c. And yet, that in another fcnfe there is a great truth in it; that when the gofpel comes X in 1 62 T"^^ Ly''^ o/' Mr Philip Henry. in power to any foul, it turns the world upfide down in that foul; fuch is the change it makes there. All this he did gratis, and without being burthen- fome to any ; nay, he was beft: pleafed, when at the places where he preached, nothing was got for his en- tertainment, but he came home (though fome miles) falling ; as in other places it was a trouble to him ta fee his friends careful about much fervincr, thou(]jh it was out of their refpe6L to him. Lajtiy^ As he was an excellent preacher himfelf, fo he was an exemplary hearer of the word, when others preached, though every way his inferiors ; fo reverent, ierious, and attentive, was he in hearing,^and fo obfer- vant of what was fpoken. 1 have heard him tell, that he knew one (and 1 fuppofe it was as Paul knew a man in Chrifl) who could truly fay, to the glory of God, that for forty years he had never flept at a fer-^ mon. He was diligent alfo to improve what he heard afterwards by meditations, repetition, prayer, and dif- courfe ; and he was a very great encourager of young minifters that were humble and ferious, though their* abilities and performances were but mean. He hath noted in his diary, (as that' which affected him,) this favinc: of a ffodlv man, a hearer of his, " I find it eafier " to go fix miles to hear a lermon, than to fpend one *' quarter of an hour in meditating and praying over " it in fc'jret (as 1 ihould) when 1 come home." As to tlie circumllances of his family in the lad pine years of his fife, tliey were fovnewhat different from what they had been ; but the lame candle of God which had fnined upon his tabernacle, continued ftill to do fo. In the years 16S7, and 1688, he married all his five children; the three elde((|in four months time, in the year 1687, and the other two in a year and a half art^r ; fo many fwarms (as he ufed to call them) (>iit of hi"? hive ; and all not only with his full conient, but to his abundant comfort and fatisfadlion. He would fay, he thought it the duty of parents to {tudy to Ok^iige their children in that allair. And thu* never "The Life of Mr VmiA? Henry. i6^' n*-\QV could children be more eafy and at reft in a faiiier s hoiife than his were, yet he would ibnietimes fav concerning them, as Naomi to Ruth, Ruth iii. i. " bhall I not leek reft for thee?'* Two advices he u- fed to give, both to his children and others, in their choice of that relation : One was, " Keep *\ ithin the " bonds of profefTion," fuch as one may charitably hope is from a good principle. The other w^as, " J.ook *' at fuitablenefs," in age, quality, education, temper, &:c. He ufed to obferve from Gen. ii. 1 8. "1 will make *' him a help meet for him ;" that where there is noc meetnefs,' there will not be much help. And he would commonly fay to his children, with reference to that choice, " Pleafe God, and pleafe yourfelves, and you " fhall never difpleafe me ;" and greatly blamed thofe parents, who conclude matches for their children, and do not alk counfel at their mouth. He never aimed at great things in the world for his children, but fought for them in the firll place the kingdom of God, and the righteoufnefs thereof. He ufed to mention fome- times the faying of a pious gentlewoman, that had ma- ny daughters : " The care of moil people, is how to *' get good hufbands for their daughters ; but my care *' is to fit my daughters to be good wives, and ^hen " let God provide for them." In this, as in other things, Mr Henry fteered by that principle ; That " a *' man's life confifteth not in the abundance of ths " things that he poifeiTeth." And it pleafed God fo to order it, that all his children were difpofed of, into circumftances very agreeable and comfortable, both for hfe and godlinefs. He was *greatly afFeded v/ith the goodnefs of God to him herein, without any fore- caft or contrivance of his own. " The country (faith " he in his diary) takes notice of it, and what then " fhall 1 render ?" Surely .this is a token for good. All his four daughters were married at Whitewell- chapel, and he preached a wedding fermon for eacli of them, in hj^ own family, after. He would often tell his friends, that thofe who defircj in the married con- X \ dition^ 164 *7^^ Life of Mr Philip Henry. dition, to live in the favour of God, mufl enter upon that condition in the fear of Gou. For it's an ill omen to Humble at the threfiiold : and an error in the firil conco6\:on, is feldom amended in the fecond. While he lived, he had much comfort in all his children and their yoke-fellows, and fomewhat the more, that by the Divine Providence, four of the five, ^families which branched out of his, were fettled in Chefter. His youngeH: daughter was married April 26, 168S, the fame day of the year (as he obferves in his diary) and the fame day of the week, and in the fame place that he was married to his dear wife, twenty-eight years before ; upon wliich this is his remark, " I can- " not defire for them, that thev ihould receive more " from God than Vv^e have received, in that rek-ion: " and condition ; but I would defire, and do defire, " that they may do more for God in it than we have " done.** His ufual compliment to his nev»'-married friends, was. Others wifli you all happinefs, 1 wilh you ail holinefs, and then there is no doubt but you wilt have all happinefs. When the marriage of the laft of his daughters was about to be concluded on, he thus writes ; " But is " Jofeph gone, and Simeon gone, and mufl Benjamin '' go alfo .'* we will not fay that all thefe things are " againft us, but for us r if we muft be thus in this " merciful way bereaved of our children, let us be be- *' reaved ; and God turn it for good to them, as \vc " knew he will, if thev love and fear his name.'* And Yvhen, fome time after fhe was married, he parted with her to the houfe of her hufband, he thus writes ; " We- '• have fent her away, not as Laban faid he would " have fent his daughters away, with mirth, and with " fongs, with tabret, and with harp, but with prayers. " ?nd tears, rmd hearty good wifhes :'* " And now *' (faith he in his diary) we are alone again, as we " were in our beginning ; God be better to us than " twenty children.'* Upon the fame occafion he thus writes ^he Life of Mr PhiliI' Henry. 165 writes to a dear relation ; " We are now left as we " were, one and one, and yet but one ; the Lord, I " truft, that has brought us thus far, will enable us " to finifh well ; and then all will be well, and not till " then.'* That which he often mentioned, as the matter of his great comfort that it was fo, and his defire that it might continue fo, was, the love and unity that was? among his children ; and that (as he writes) the tranf- planting of them into new relations, had not leflened that love, but rather increafed it ; for this he often gave thanks to the God of love ; noting from Job i. 4. That the childrens love to one another is the parents comfort and joy. In his lafl will and teftament, this is the prayer which he puts up for his children, " That " the Lord would build them up in holinefs, and con- " tinue them ftill in brotherly love, as a bundle of " arrows which cannot be broken." When his children were removed from him, he was a daily intercelTor at the throne of grace for them and their families. Still the burnt-offerings were offered according to the number of them all. He ufed to fay, ' " Surely the children of fo many prayers will not mif- " carry." Their particular circumftances of afflidion ' and danger, were fure to be mentioned by him with fuitable petitions. 1 he greateft afiliftion he faw in his family was the death of his dear daughter-in-law,' Catharine, theonly daughter of Samu^j Hardware, Efq. who, about a year and a half after Ihe was tranfplant- cd into Jiis family (to which Ihe was the greateft com- fort and ornament imaginable) died of the fmall pox in child-bed, upon the thankfgiving day for king Wil- liam's coming in. She died but a few weeks after Mr Henry had married the laft of his daughters, upon which marriage (he had faid, " Now we have a full " leafe, God only knows which life will drop firft.'* She comforted herfelf in the extremity of her iilnefs with this word, " Well, when I come to heaven, I *' fliali fee that I could not have been without this af- " fiiction.'* 1 66 Ihc Life of Mr Philip HiNRV. " flidlon." She had been for fome time before un- der fome fears as to her fpirituai ftate, but the clouds were through grace difpelled, and (he finifhed her courfe with joy, and a chearful expeftation of the glo- ry to be revealed. When fhe lay ill, Mr Henry (be- ing in fear not only for her that was ill, but for the reft of his children in Chefter, who had none of them paft the pikes of that perilous diftemper) wrote thus to his fon, on the evening of the Lord's day, " I have " juft done the public work of this day, wherein, be- *' fore many fcores of vvitnefles, many of wliom 1 dare *' fay, are no little concerned for you : 1 have abfo- " lutely, freely, and unrefervedly given you all up to *' the good will and pleafure of our heavenly Father, *' waiting what he will do with us, for good I am furc *' we have received, and fliall we not receive evil alfo? He preached at Chefter, upon occafion of that fad breach in his family, on Job x. 3. " Shew me where- " fore thou contendeft with me." When two of his children lay ill, and in perilous circumftances, after he had been wreftling with God in prayer for them, he wrote thus in his diary : " If " the Lord will be pleafed to grant me my requeft *' this time concerning my children, I will not fay as *' the beggars at our door ufe to do, I'll never aik any '' thing of him again j but, on the contrary, he ftiall • hear oftner from me than ever ; and I will love God ** the better, and love prayer the better, as long as I *' live." He ufed to fay, trades-men take it ill, if thofc that are in their books go to another ftiop : while we are fo much indebted to God for paft m.ercies, we are bound to attend him for further mercies. As he was an interceflbr for his children at the throne of grace, fo he was upon all occafions a remembrancer to them, both by word and letter, to quicken them to that which is good. How often did he inculcate this upon them ? *' Love one another, and the God of love " and peace will be with you. Do all you can, while *''. you are together, to help one another to heaven, that " you "thz Life of Mr Philip Hknry. 167 "' you may bs together there, for ever, and with the *' Lord." When the families of his children were in health and peace, the candle of God fliining upon their* tabernacles, he wrote thus to them, " 'Twas one of " Job's comforts in his profperity, that his children " loved one another, and feafted together : the fame " is ours in you, which God continue. But you will " not be offended, if we pray that you may none of " you curfe God in your hearts. Remember, the *' wheel is always in motion, and the fpoke that is up- *' permoll will be under, and therefore mix tremblings " always with your joy.*' He much rejoiced in the vifits of his children, and made that as other things, which, were the matter of his rejoicing, the matter of his thankfgiving. His ufual faying at parting, was, " This is not the world we are " to be together in, and 'tis well it is not ; but there " is fuch a world before us :** and his ufual prayer was, " that our next meeting might be either in heav- *' en, or further on in our way towards it." He had in eight years time twenty-four grand-chil- dren born, fome by each of his children ; concerning whom he would often blefs God, that they were all " the fealed ones of the God of heaven, and enrolled " araonoj his lambs." On the birth of his fecond grand child, at a troublefome time as to public affairs, he thus writes, " I have now feen my childrens chil- " dren, let me alfo fee peace upon Ifrael ; and then 1 ^ vvdil fay, Lord, now letteil thou thy fervant depart." Some were much affeded with it, when he baptized two of his grand -children together at Chefter, publick- ly, and preached on Gen. xxxiii. 5. " They are the " children which God hath gracioufly given thy fer- " vant." He obferved in what a favory, pious, gra- cious manner Jacob fpeaks. He had fpoken good fenfe if he had only faid, they are my children ; but then he had not fpoken like Jacob, Hke one that had fo lately feen the face of God. Though our fpeech be not always of grace, yet it mini be always with grace, grace 1 68 %'he Life of Mr Philip Henry. grace poured into the lips. There is a kind of lan- guage, the air of which fpeaks it the language of Ca- naan; chriftians (hould fpeak like chrifhians. It was not long after his children were married from him, but his houfe was filled again with the children of feveral of his friends, whom he was, by much im- portunity, perfuaded to take to table with him. All that knew him, thought it a thoufand pities, that fuch a mafter of a family fhould have but a fmall family, and fhould not have Uiany to fit down under his Ihadow. He was hrfl almoft necefTitated to it, by the death of his dear friend and kinfman, Mr Benyon of A ih, who left his (;hildren to his care. Some he took gratis, or for fmall confideration ; and when by reafon of the ad- vances of age he could not go about fo much as he had done, doing good, he laid out himfelf to do the mpre at home, ; He kept a teacher to attend their fchool learning ; and they had the benefit, not only of his infpedion in that, but (which was much more) his family-worfhip. Sabbath inflrudions, catechizing and daily converfe, in which his tongue was as choice fil- ver, and his lips fed many. Nothing but the hopes of doing fome good to the rifmg generation could have prevailed with him to take this trouble upon him. He would often fay, " We have a bufy houfe, but *' there is a rell remaining. We mull be doing fome- '' thing in the world while we are in it; but this fafh- " ion will not laft long, methinks I fee it pafTmg a- « way." Sometimes he had fuch with him as had gone through their courfe of Univerfity learning, at private academies, and dehred to fpend fome time in his fa- mily, before their entrance upon the minlftry ; that they might have the benefit, not only of his public and fa- mily inflruclions, but of his learned, pious converfe, in which, as he was throughly furnifhed, for every good word and work, fo he was very free and communica- tive. The great thing which he ufed to prefs upon thofe who intended the miniftry, was to fludy the fcrip- tures. "the Life of Mr Philip Henry. 169 tures, and make them familiar. Boyms texiuarius eft bonus tkebgits, M^as a maxim he often minded them of. For this purpofe he recommended to them the ftudy of the Hebrew, that they might be able to learch the fcriptures in the original. He alfo advifed them to the ufe of an interleaved Bible, wherein to hifert fuch expositions and obfervations as occur occafionally in fermons or other books ; which, he would fay, are more happy and confiderable fometimes, than thofe that are found in the profeiTed comnientators. When fome young men defired the happinefs of coming into his family, he would tell them, " You come to me as " Naaman did to Eliflia, expelling that I iliould do " this and t'other for you ; and alas, I can but fay as " he did, Go waih ir. Jordan; — Go, ftudy the fcriptures. " I profefs to teach no other learning but fcripture " learning.'* It was but a little before he died, that in reading Ifa. 1. he obferved from ver. 4. " The Lord " hath given me the tongue of the learned," &c. That the true learning of a gofpel minifter Confifis r \t in be- ing able to talk Latin fluently, and to difpi^e iu philo- fophy, but in being able to fpeak a word in feafon-to weary fouls. He that knows how to do that well, is a learned minifter. CHAP. IX. His Jicknejs, Death, and Burial. IN the dme of his health, he made death very fami- liar to himfelf by frequent and pleafmg thoughts and meditations of it; and endeavoured to make it fo to his friends, by fpeaking often of it. His letters and difcourfes had Itill fomething or other which fpoke his conftant expectations of death ; thus did he learn to die daily ; and it is hard to fay, whether it was more eafy to him to fpeak, or uneafy to his friends, to hear him fpeak of leaving the world. This minds me of a paffage I was told by a v/orthy Scotch minifter, Mr Y Patrick 170 The Life of Mr Fhilip Henry. Patrick Adair, that vifiting the famous Mr Durham of Glafgow, in his laft ficknels, which was long and Hng- ering -, he faid to him, " Sir, 1 hope you have fo let " all in order, that ycu have nothing elfe to do but " to die:" "I blefs God (faid Mr Durham) I have " not had that to do either thefe many years." Such is the comfort of dying daily, when we come to die indeed. Mr Henry's conflitution was but tender, and yet by the bleffing of God upon his great temperance, and care of his diet, and moderate exercife by walking in the air, he did for many years enjoy a good meafure of health, which he ufed to call *' The fugar that fweet- " ens all temporal mtrcies,*' for which therefore we ought to be very thankful, and of which we ought to be very careful. He had fometimes violent fits of the cholick, wh-ich would be very afflidive for the time, 'i'owards his latter end he was diftreffed fometimes with a pain, which his doOor thought might arife from a flone in his kidneys. Being once upon the recovery from an ill fit of that pain, he faid to one of his friends thataiked him how he did, " he hoped, by the grace of " God, he fhould now be able to give one blow more " to the devil's kingdom;" and often profefled, " he " did not defire to live a day longer than he might '* do God fome fervice." He faid to another, when he perceived himfelf recovering, " Well, I thought I " had been putting into the harbour, but find I mult " to fea again." He was fometimes fuddenly taken with fainting fits, which, when he recovered from, he v/ould fay, " Dy- " ing is but a httle more." When he was in the fixty-third year of his age, which is commonly called the Grand Climafteric, and hath been to many the dying year, and was fo to his father, he nunsbered the days of it, from Augull 24. 1693, to Auguit 24. 1694, when he finiflied it: and when he concluded it, he thus wrote in his diary: '* This day finifnetli my commonly dying year, which l " h^ve T^he Life of Mr Philip Henry. 171 *' have numbered the days of; and (hould now apply *' my heart more than ever to heavenly wifdom." He was much pleafed with that expreffion of our Englifh liturgy in the office of burial, and frequently ufed it ; *■' In the midft of life we are in death." The infirmities of age, when they grew upon him, did very little abate his vigour and livelinefs in preach- ing, but he feemed even to renew his youth as the eagles ; as thofe that are planted in the houfe of the Lord, who fcill bring forth fruit in old age ; not fo much to fliew. that they are upright, as to ihew that the Lord is upright, Pfal. xcii. 14, 15. But in his lat- ter years, travelling was very troublefome to him ; and he would fay, as Mr Dod ufed to do, that when he thought to fhake himfelf as at other times, he found his hair was cut ; his fenfe of this led him to preach an occafional fermon not long before he died, on John xxi. 18. *' When thou waft young, thou girdedft thy- " felf, ** &c. Another occafional fermon he preached when he was old, for his own comfort, and the com- fort of his aged friends, on Pfal. Ixxi. 17, i8. " O God, " thou haft taught me from my youth," he. He ob- ferved there, that it is a bleifed thing to be taught of God from our youth ; and thofe that have been taught of God from their youth, ought to declare his won- drous works all their days after. And thofe that have been taught of God from their youth, and have all their days declared his wondrous works, may comfort- ably expeft, that when they are old he will not forfake them. Chrifl is a mafter that doth not ufe to caft off his old fervants. For fome years before he died, he ufed to complain of an habitual wearinefs, contracted, he thought, by his {landing to preach, fometimes very uneafily, and in in- convenient places, immediately after riding. He would fay, Every minifter was not cut out for an itinerant ; and fometimes the manifeft attention and affe(3:ion of people in hearing, enlaced him both in length and fervency, fomewhat more than his ftrength could well Y 2 bear. 172 The Life of Mr Philip Henry. bear. It was not many months before he ditfd, that he wrote ihus to a dear relation, who inquired folici- toufly concerning- his health ; " I am always habitually " weary, and expe£t no other till 1 lye down in the " bed of fpices." And ('bleiled be God) fo the grave is to all the faints, fmce He lay in it who is the rofe of Sharon, and the lily of the vallies. When fome of his friends perfuaded-him to fpare himfelf, he would fay, *' Its time enough to reft when I am in me grave; " what were candles made for, but to burn." It doth not appear that he had any particular pre- fagesofhis death; but by many inilances there were of his aftual gracious expectation of it, fomewhat- more than ordinary fur fome time before. The laft vifit he made to his children in Chefter, was in July « 695, al- moft a year before he died, when he fpent a Lord's day there, and preached on the laft verfe of the epiftle to Philemon, " The grace of our Lord JefiiS Chrift be " with your fpirit" By grace he underftood not fo much the good will of God towards us, as the good work of God in us, called the grace of Chrilt, both becaufe he is the author and fuiifher of it, and becaufe he is the pattern and famplar of it. Now " the choi- *' ceft gift we can aik of God for our friend is, that " this grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift may be with *' their fpiiit.'"' This is the one thing needful, the bet- ter part, the root of the niatter, the whole of man, the principle thing, the more excellent way, a bleffing in- deed, and the thing that accompanies falvation. The grace of Chrift in the fpirit, enlightens and enlivens the fpirit, foftens and fubdues the fpirit, purifies and preferves the fpirit, greatens and guides the fpirit, fweet- ens and ftrengthcns the fpirit, and therefore v/hat can be n:iore defirable. A fpirit without the grace of Chrift* is a field without a fence, a fool without underftand- ing ; it is a horfe without a bridle, and a houfe with- out furniture ; it is a fliip without tackle, and a foldicr without armour ;■ it is a cloud without rain, and a car- cafe without a foul ; it is a tree without fruit, and a rraveller The Life o/" Mr Philip Henry. 173 traveller without a guide. How earneft therefore Ijiould we be in praying to God for grace, both for ourfelves and for our relations ! He had intended to preach upon that text, when he was at Chefter the year before, but was then prevented, by a particular fad occafion, which obhged him to a funeral fermon, divine Providence referving that benedi£i:ion (which his heart was much upon) for his valedidion. The Thurfday following being kept as a faft in his fon*s congregation at Chefter, he preached on Luke xix. 41. " He beheld the city, and wept over it;" which proved his farewell to the town, as the former was his farewell to his friends and relations in it. It was not many weeks before he died, that he wrote f bus ro Gtie of his children : '* We are well here, thanks ^' be to (J;)d, and are glad to hear that you and yours V' pre well alfo, God in m.ercy continue it : but why *' fhouiJ v.-ebe well always ? Do we deferve it? Arethere '* no mixtures in our obedience ? Are there any perfons " or families, at whofe door ficknefs and death never '* knocked ? Muft the earth be forfaken for us, or the " rock removed out of its place ? Is it not enough that " we be dealt with according to the manner of men, ** and that we have a promife, that it fhall end well, *' everlaflingly well ?" To another of his children, about the fame time, he writes, " We are fenfible that we decline apace, but " the befl of it is, that as time goes, eternity comes ; " and we are in good hope, through grace, that it will *' be a comfortable eternity.*' It was in April 1696, a few weeks before he died, that his fon's father-in-law, Robert Warburton, Efq ; was gathered to his grave in peace, in a good old age. Upon the. tidings of whofe death, Mr Henry wrote thus to his fon ; " Your fathers, where are they ? your " father-in-law gone, and your own father going ; but " " you have a God-father that Hvesfor ever." He was wont fometimes to fubfcribe his letters, vour ever-lov- ing, but not eVer-living father. It 174 ^^^ long fliall it be fo ? O " that '^he Life t)f Mr PmLip Henry. 199 ** that it might be otherv.'ife ! that our mercies might " be as oil to the wheels, to make us ib much the *' more adive and lively in our Mafter's work, efpeci- *' ally confidering how it is with our fellow fervunts ; " they empty and we fill, they Marah and we Naomi. *' There may a day come, when it may coll: dear, to " be honell, but after all, to fear God and keep his " commandments, is the w^hole of man. 1 therefore " commend it to you, and you to God, who is a fhisld ** and buckler to them that fear him. " We are well, but in daily expeO:ation of that *'' which we are born, and born again to, and that is '• trouble in this world, yet rejoicing in hope of the " glory of God, which we are reaching after, and " preiling towards, as we trull you are alio. Where " you are, you fee more of the glittering vanities of " this world in a day, than we here do in an age ; and " are you more and more in love with them, or dead " and dying to them ? I hope dead and dying to theni, " for they are poor things, and perifli in the uiing ; " make many worfe that enjoy them, l^utnone better. " What i^ tranflated Vexation of fpirit, Eccl. i. 2. may " be read, Feeding upon wind, liof. xii. i. and " can wind fatisfy ? the Lord prefer ve and, keep you " from all evil, the Lord preferve and keep your foul. "• We both fend you our love, and blefs you together, '• and apart, every day, in the name of the Lord. A- ^^ men and Amen. " Be fmcere, and humble, and choice m your com- •' pany, always either getting good or doing good, " gathering in or laying out. Remember to keep the " heart M'ith all dili of an eternal crown and kingdom, for a cup or two of ■ puddle water (fuch as all terrene pleafures in com- parifon are) makes a bargain, which no lefs a fpace than that which is everlafting will be fulticient to bewail The Life of Mr Philip Henry. 201 t* bewail and repent of. How much better Is it to lay up in itore now a good foundation for time to come, and to !ay hold on eternal Hfe ? doing thofe, works which we would be willing Ihould hereafter follow us, yet (liil making the bleifed Jefus our all in all. " The further progrefs you make in your fludies, you will find them the eafier ; 'tis fo with religion, the word is at nrll; It is like the pidure that frown- ed at firit entrance, but afterwards fmiles and looks pleafant. They that walk in fmful ways, meet with fome difficulties at firfl:, which cuflom conquers, and ihey become as nothing. 'Tis good accultoming^ ourfeives to that which is good. The more we do, the more we may do in religion. Your acquaint- ance ( I doubt not) increafeth abroad, and accord- ingly your watch muft be 5 for by that oftentimes, ere we are aware, we are enfnared. He that walk- eth with wife men fhall be wife. " The return of the Spring invites our thankfgiving for the mercy of it. The birds are fmging early and late, according to their capacity, the praifes of their Creator ; but man only, that hath moil caufe, finds fomething elfe to do. 'Tis redeeming love that is the mofl admirable love ; lefs than an eter- nity will not fuffice to adore it in. Lord, how is iti Lord, what is man ! as the Ifreams lead to the foun- tain, \q fhould all our mercies lead us to that. "We both of us fend you our moll aifedionate love and blefilng : bleffing ? that is, we pray and befeech the moft bieiTed God, even our own God, to give you his bleffing, for he only can command the bleiung ; and thofe whom he blefleth are bleifed indeed. Let us dill hear, to our comfort, that you walk in the truth, living above the things of the world, as dead to them. The Lord in mercy fit us for his will in the next providenc,e, public and perfonal, for time is always teeming* . • ^' Your improvement is our joy. Be fincere and feri- C c " tus. 202 7he Life cf Mr Philip Henrt. ** ous, cloathed with huip.illty, abounding aUva^'S m the work of the Lord ; and when you have done all, faying I am an unprofitable fervant. "* 'Twas the good advice of the moral philofopher, In your con- verfe with men, difiruji ; but i muft add, In every^ thing towards God, believe. Exped temptation and a fnare at every turn, and walk accordingly. We " have a good caufe, a vanquilhed enemy, a good fe- " cond, and extraordinary pay; for he that overcomes *'• needs not defire to be more happy than the fecond '' and third of the revelation fpeaks him to be. The " God of all mercy and grace compafs you about aK " v/ays w^irh his favour as with a fnield ! *' 1 would have you redeem time, for hearing the " v/ord in feafon, and out of feafon ; your other flu- " dies will profper never the worfe, efpecially if you " could return immediately from it to the clofet " again, with cooling divertifements by the way. " See your need of Chi-ill more and more, and live " upon him ; no life hke it, fo fweet, fo fafe. Chrifius ^' Vitus mihi in omnia. We cannot be difcharged from " tiie guilt of any evil v/e do, without his merit to fa- ** tisfy : we cannot move in the performance of any ** good required, without his Spirit and grace to affift " and enable for it ; and when v/e have done all, that " all is nothing, without his mediation and intercef- " fion to make it acceptable ; fo that every day, in eve- *' ry thing, he is all in all. Though you are at a dif- *' tance from us nov/, w^e rejoice in the good hope we " have through grace, of meetingagain in the land of *' the living, that is, en earth, if God fee good ; how- " ever in heaven, which is the true land of the truly '^' living, and is beft of all: The Lord God everlad-. *' ing be your fun and ihieid in ail your ways : fee time *' hailing away apace towards eternity, and the Judge " even at the door, and work accordingly, wherever you are, alone or in company ; be always eil;her do- ing or getting good, fowing or reaping. . As for me , I make no other reckoning, but that the time of my " depart- 7he Life of Mr PtiiLiP Henry. 203 cc departure is at hand, and what trouble I may meet " with before, I know not, the will of the Lord be " done : one of my chief cares is, that no iniquity of " mine may be laid up for you, which God grant for " his mercy's fake in Chrift Jefus. Amen. " Be careful of your health. Remen\ber the rule, *' Venienti occur} ere ; but efpecially negleCc not the *' main matter. The foul is the main ; if that do well, all's well. Worfhip God in the fpirit ; rejoice in Chrift Jefus, and have no confidence in the flefh. God be gracious unto thee, my fon : redeem time, efpecially for your foul: exped trouble in this world, " and prepare for it ; expeft happinefs in the other " world, and walk worthy of it, unto all plealing. •■* A good book is a good companion at any time, *' but efpecially a good God, who is always ready to *' hold communion with thcfe that defire and feek *' communion with him. Keep low and humble in *' your thoughts and opinion of yourfelf ; but aim high in your defires and expectations, even as high as the kingdom of heaven itfelf, and refoive to take up with nothing iliort of it. The Lord guide you in all your ways, and go in and out before you, *' and preferve you blamelefs to his heavenly king- « dom.'* Immediately after his fon was ordained to the work of the miniftry at London, in the year 1687, he thus wrote to him : " Are you now a minifter of Jefus *' Chrift-? hath he counted you faithful, putting you " into the miniftry ? then be faithful ; out of love to *' him feed his lambs; as a workman that needs not " to'be afhamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. I " hope what you experienced of the prefence of God ", with you in the fclemnity, hath left upon you a tru- *' ly indelible charader, and fuch imprellions, as neith- " er time nor any thing elfe ftiall be able to wear out, " Remember Pfalm Ixxi. 16. It is in the eye offenfe **^ a bad time to fet out in ; but in fowing and reaping, C c 2 " clouds 204 The Life of Mr Philip Henr^. *^' clouds and wind mufl not bfc heeded. 1 he work *' is both romforiable and honourable, and the re- " v/ard rich and fure : and if God be plcafed to give " opportunity and a heart, though there may be *' trouble attending it, *twill be eahly borne. If we '' fuffer with him we fhall atib feign with him. I am " and (hall be^ according to my duty and promife, ** earned: at the throne of grace on your behalf, tliat " the Lord will pour out upon you of his Holy Spirit, •• that what he calls you to. he would fit you for ; ef- pecially that he would take you off your own bot- tom, and lay you low in the fenfe of your own un- worthinefs, inability and infufficency, that you may " fay with the evangelical prophet, Wo is me, I am un- '* done! and with Jeremiah, I am a child ; and with " Paul, I am nothing. Where this is not, the main - *' thing is wanting ; for God refiils the proud, but *' gives grace to the humble. Now the Lord give *' you that grace to be humble ; and then, according ** to his promife, he will make you rich in everv other « ^race." ' It we're very eafy to tranfcribe many more fuch lines as thefe, out of his letters to his fon, but thefe ftall fuflice. We Ihall next gather up fome few paifages out of fome of his letters to a perfon of qualify in London, (fuch of the!r^ as are come to our hands, which are but few of many) the beginning of his correfpondence with that gentleman, (v/hich continued to his death, and was kept up monthly for a great while) was in th,e year 1686, and the following letter broke the ice : — Honoured Sir, " TT OPING you are by this time, as ycu intended, ho is " true and faithful, and never yet did, nor ever Vv'ill *' forfake the foul that feeks him. Though he be Al- '^ mighty, and can do every thing, yet this he cannot "^ do, he cannot deny himfelf, nor be v/orfe than his " word ; but what is his word ? Hath he promifed ^^ that there fhall be always a fafe and fpeedy delive- *' ry ? that there fliall be no Jabcz, no Benoni ? No^ ^ but if there be, he hath pro-mifed it fliall work to- " gethcr for good : hath prom.ifed, if he doth not '* fave from, he will fave through : if he call to go, *' even through the valley of the iliadow of deatli, (and •*' vvhat lefs is child-bearing r) he will be with you, D d " liis lA 210 "T/jc Life of Mr Philip Henry, " his rod and his flaff fliall comfort you, rind that'*s " well : therefore your faith mufl: be in thofe things " as the promife is, either fo or fo, and which v/ay fo- " ever it be, God is good and doth good. Thcre- " fore (my dear daughter) lift up the hands that " hang down, caft your burthen upon him, truft alfo " in him, and let your thoughts be eftablifhed. . We " are mindful of you in our daily prayers, but you " have a better Interceffor than we, who is heard al- " wavs.'* J To another of them., in the fame circumflance, he tlms Vv-rites ; " Your lail letter fpeaks you m a good '* frame ; v/hich rejoiced my heart, that you were fix- " ed, fixed waiting upon God; that youi* faith was " uppermoft, above your fears ; that you could fay, " Behold the handmaid of the Lord, let him do with '• me as feemeth good in his eyes. We are never fit- " ter for a mercy, nor is it more likely to be a mercy *' indeed, than when it is fo with us ; now the Lord '' keep it always in the imagination of the thoughts " of your heart. And he concludes, forget not i Tim. " ii. lad. When one of his daughters v/as fafely delivered, in a letter to another of them that was drawing near to that needful hour, he obferved, that when David faid, Pfal. cxvi. 12. What thai! I render? he prefentJy adds, ver. 13. " 1 will call upon the name of the Lord."' " As if (faith he) calling upon the name of the Lord '* for mercy for you, were one way of rendering un- " to the Lord, for the great benefit done to your lif- " ter." On cccafion of affliftion in th^jl fomiiie^y the fick- nefs or death of <:hiidren, or otherwife, he^v^ys wrote fome word in feafon. " In the furnace again ? (faith he>^ut a good friend " fits by, and it is only to take,^way more of tlie *' drofs. If lefs fire would do, ,we fiiouid not have it " fo much and fo often. O ^ faith totrult the Re- *' finer, and torei^rali to hi^ will and wifdom, and to " wait the Life of Mr Philip Henry. 2 1 1 '- wait the iffue.— for I have been young, and now " am old, hilt I never yet faw it in vain to feek God, " and to hope in. Him." At another time he thus writes : " Tough and knot- " ty blocks muft have more and more wedges ; our " heavenly Father, when he judgeth,will overcome. " We hear of the death of dear S. T. and chide our^ " felves for being fo often pleated with his little pret- " tyfarnions,Ieil we offended therein, by being too much " fo. No rival muft fit with Him in his throne, who " deferves all our love and joy, and hath too little of " it-". At another time, upon the death of another little one : " The dear little one (faith he) made but a fiiorc paffasre through this to another world, where it is to be for ever a living member of the great body, whereof Jefus Chrift is the ever-living head ; but for v/hich hope there were caufe for forrow indeed. If he that gives takes, and it is but his own, Vvhy fhould we fay, What doft thou ? At another time upon the like occafion ; "Our quiver of chiidrens children is not fo full, but God can foon -empty it : O for grace, grace at fuch a time, v/hich will do that that nature cannot. 'The God of all grace iiipply your need and ours, accor- ' ding to his riches in glory. The Lord is ftill train- ' ing you up in his good fchool ; and though no af- ' fiiction for the prefent bejoyous, but grievous, never- ' thelefs afterwards it yields well; your work is ' in every thing to bring your v/ill to the will of ' God." To one of his daughters concerning her little ones, he thus writes ; " 'Ihey are but bubbles : we have " many 'warnings to fit loofe ; the lefs we rely upon " theni in our joys and hopes, the more likely to have H them continued to us. Our God is a jealous God, " nor will he fuffer the creature to ufurp his throne ^'^ in our aifeftions." Upon the death of a little child but a few days old, D d 2 , ^e 2t2 The Life of Mr Fhili? Henry. he thus writes: " I'he tidings of the death of youY " little one were afBittim?^ to us, but the clay muft '- not fay to the potter. What doft thou ? If he that " took be the fame that gave, and what he gave and **' took was hij ov/n, by our own confent, it becoraes " us to fay, Blelfed be the Name of the Lord. I hope '' you have been learning to acknowledge God in all " events, and to take all as from his hand, who hath given us to know, I fay, to know f for Paul faith fo) that all things do work together, (not only fliall, but do) for our good, that we may be more and '' more partakers of his holinefs. He can make the *' two left as comfortable to you as ail the three, as *"' all your five could have been. However, if all the " cifterns were drawn dry while you have your foun- '• tain to go to, you are well ; you may alio by faith '^' look forward, and fay, it v/as a covenant-child, and ''' through mercy, v.e ihall fee it again in a better ^- world/' Upon the ficknefs of a dear child, he thus writes to the parent : " You- and we are taught to lay. It is *' the Lord ; upon his v.'ill muft we wait, and to it " muiL vre fubrnit in every thing ; not upon conftraint, " but of choice : not only becaufe he is the potter " and we the clay, and therefore in a way of fove- *' reignty he may do what he pleafeth with us and *' ours -y— but becaufe he is our Father, and will do " nothing hut what (hall be for good to us. The '' more you can be fatisfied in this, and the more *' willing to refign, the more likely to have. Be " ftrong therefore in the grace which is in Chrifl " Jefus ; it is given for fuch a time of need as this. *' 1 hope your fears and ours will be prevented, and " pray they may ; but thanks be to God, we know " the worlt of it, and that worft hath no harm in it, " while the better part is ours, which cannot be taken '' away from us." To one of his children in afflidion he writes thus; *' 'Tis a time oi trial with you, according to the will « of u T'/je Life of Mr Philip Henry. 215 of your and our heavenly Father. Though you fee *' not yet what he means by it, you fhall fee. He " means you good, and not hurt; he is fhewing you '* the vanity of all things under the fun, that your " happinefs lies not in them, but in himfelf only : " that they and we are paffing away, withering flow- " ers; that therefore we may learn to die to them, " and live above them, placing our hope and happi- " nefs in better things, trufting in Him alone who is " the rock of ages, v/ho fails not, neither can fail, nor " will fail thofe that fly to Him. I pray you, think " not a hard thought of him, no not one hard thought, " for he is good, and doth good in all he doth, and " therefore all ihall work for good : but then, as you " are called according to his purpofe (blefied be his " name for it) fo you muft love him, and love (you " know) thinks no evil, but puts the bed conftruftion " upon all that the perfon loved faith or doth, and " fo mufl you, though now for a feafon, if need be, " you are in heavinefs.'* At another time : '' Your times, and the times of *' yours, are in the Lord's good hand, whofe will is " his wifdom. 'Tis one thing (as we read and ob- " ferved this morning, out of Ezek. xxii.) to be put " into a furnace and left there as drofs to be confum- " ed ; and another thing to be put in as gold or filver " to be melted for ufe, and to have the refiner fet by. " You know whom you have believed, keep your " hold of the everlafting covenant : he is faithful that *' hath promifed. AVe pray for you, and we give " thanks for you daily, for the cup is mixed, there- " fore trud in the Lord for ever, and rejoice in the *' Lord always ; again I fay rejoice." To one of his fons-in-law that was a little engaged in building, he thus writes : " Be fure to take God " along with you in this, as in all your other affairs ; *' for except he build the houfe, they labour in vain *' that build it. Count upon troublefome occurrences '* in it, and keep the fpirit quiet within : and let not " God's 214 "I^oe Life of Mr Philip Henrv. *' God's time nor dues be entrenched upon, and then *' all will be well." 'Twas but a little before he died that he wrote thu?. to one of his children ; " We rejoice in God's good- " nefs to you, that your diftemper hath been a rod " Ihaken only, and not laid on. ' He is good, and '' doth good ; and fhould we not love him, and reft *' in our love to him ? He faith, he doth iii his to us, *' and rejoiceth over us with fmging, Zeph. iii. 1 7. " And have not we much more caufe ? What loveli- " nefs in us ? What not in him ? I pray let merecom- " mend him to your love : love him, love him with *' all the powers of your foul, and out of love to him *' pleafe him. He is pleafed with honeft endeavours to pleafe' him ; though, after all, in many things we " com'^tlhort, for we are not under the law, but un- grace.'* *' der To one of his children recovered from ficknefs he gives this hint : " Remember that a new life muit be *' a new life indeed : reprieves extraordinary call for " returns extraordinary." The lafl journey he made to London was in Auguft 1690; before he went, he fent this farewell letter to his fon at Chefter : " I am going forth this morning " towards the great city, not iincwing but it may be " Mount Nebo to me : therefore 1 fend you this as *' full of bleilings as it can hold, to yourfelf, -my daugh- *' ter your wife, all the reft of my daughters, their *^' hufbands, and all the little ones, together arid feve- " rally. If I could command the bleilings, I would ; ** but I pray to Him that hath and doth, and 1 truft " will. The Lord blefs you, and keep you, and lift " up the hght of his countenance upon you. As *' you have received, and you for your part preached *' Chrift Jefus the Lord, fo walk in him^ : keeping '* confcience always void of oifence, both towards *' God, and towards all men. Love your, mother, '* and be dutiful to her, and live in love and peace " ampng^ ■ The Life of Mr Philip Henry. 21 '' nmong yourfelves, and the God of love and peace " that hath been, will be with you. Amen.'* To one who defired his direftion for the attaining of the gift of prayer, he wrote the following letter of advice : " If you would be able in words and exprefiions of your own, without the help of a form, to offer up prayers to God, obferve thefe following rules of di- reftion, in the ufe whereof, by God's bleffing, you may in time attain thereunto. " I. You mud be throughly convinced, that where fuch a gift is, it is of great ufe to a chriltian ; both- very comfortable and very profitable, and therefore very denrable, and w^orth your ferious endeavours : ' this muit firft be, or eife ail that follo\'i'^ will fignify nothing^ : for it is as the wife man faith. Pro v. xviii. r. " Through denre a man having feparated himfelf, '' feeketh and intermeddleth with all wifdom ;" that " is, till we are brought in fome good meafure to deiire the end, we fhall never in good earned apply our- felves to the ufe of means for the obtaining of it. It is a gift that fits a perfon to be of ufe to others in the duty of prayer, according as there is occaiion, either in a family or in chiiftian communion. It is alfo of great advantage to ourfelves ; for how can any form, (though ever fo exad) be poffibly contrived, fo as to reach all the circumdances of my particular cafe, and yet it is nly duty, in every thing to make my re- queds know^n to God. " 2. As you fliould be perfwaded of the excellent ufe of it, where it is attained, fo alfo you diould believe, that where it is hot, it may be attained, and that with- out any great dilticulty. No doubt, but many are dif- couraged from endeavouring after it, by an opinion jhey have that it is to no purpofe ; they think it a thing fp far above their abilities, that they had as good fit dill and never attempt it : this is of very bad confe- quence, as in other matters of religion, fo particularly in 2 1 6 l^he Life (fMr Philip Henry. in this, and therefore watch againft this fuggeftioi?, and conclude, that (^though it may be harder to fonre than others) yet it is impolTible to none : nay, this wif- dom IS eafy to him that underflandeth, where means are ufed in the fear of God. " 3. You mufl: rightly underftand and confider who it is with whom you have to do in prayer, for your encouragement to come to Him, though in the midft of many infirmities and imperfedions. He is your Father, your loving, tender-hearted Father, who knows your trame, and remembers y^ou are but dufl j who is not extreme to mark what we do amifs, in man- ner and expreffion, where the heart is upright vviih him. You may judge a little concerning his love, by the difpofition that is in you towards your children, \vhen they come to alk things needful of you ; and believe him to be infinitely more merciful and com- paffionate, than the mod nierciful and companionate of fathers and mothers are or can be ; efpecially re- membering that we have an Advocate with the Father Jefus Chrift the righteous, who is the great High Pried of our profeflion, and whom he heareth always. " 4. You mufl: pray that you may pray; beg of God, the Father of lights, from whom every good and per- fect gift comes, to bellow this gift upon you. We lead, Luke xi. i. that one of the difciples came to Jefus Chrift upon this errand, " Lord, teach us to " pray," and he had his requeH granted prefently: go you to Him on the fame errand. You may plead the relation of a child, from that fcripture, Gal. iv. 6. " And becaufe you are fons, God hath fent forth the *^' Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, " Father :" and the promife alfo from that fcripture, Zech. xii. 10. "I will pour upon the houfe of David, '* and the inhabitants of Jerufalem, the fpirit of grace, *' and of fupplication j'* which two, relation and a prom.ife, if they be not fufficient to encourage your iaith and hope in this addrefs, what is, or can be ? 5. It is good, before you addrefs yourfelf to the du- i^be Life of Mr Philip Henry. 217 ty, to read a portion of holy fcripture, which will be of great ufe to furniih you both with matter and words for prayer, efpecially David's Pfaims., and Paul's E- piftles. The Holy Spirit hath provided for us a treafa- ry, or florehoufe, of what is fuitable for ail occafions, and where bc(|^ the wo^-d and the matter are his own, iind of his own framing, and inditing : if affedions be ftirring in us accordingly, we have great reafon to be- lieve he will accept of us. In divers places he hath himfelf put words into our mouths for the purpofe, as Hof. xiv. 2. " Take with you words.'* Matth. vi. 9. *' After this manner therefore pray ye,'* and often clfewhere. 6. There mufl: be fome acquaintance with our own hearts, with our fpiritual rtate and condition, our wants and ways, or elfe no good will be done in this matter. ' ris fenfe of need, hunger, tliirft, cold, nakednefs, that fupplies the poor beggar at your door with perti- nent expreffions and arguments, he needs not the help of any friend or book to furnifh him :. fo if we know ourfelves, and feel our condition, and fet God before us as ooir God, able and ready to help us, words will eafily follow wherewith to offer up our defires to him, who underilands the language even of figbs and tears, and groanings which -cannot be uttered, Rom. viii. 26. 7. It is of ufe in ftated prayer, ordinarily to obferve a method, according to the feveral parts of prayer, which are thefe four : 1. Compellation or adoration, which is the giving of due titles to God in our addrefTes to him, and there- in abfcribing to him the glory due unto his name. With this we are to begin our prayers, both for the working of a holy awe and dread upon our hearts to- wards him, on the account of his greatnefs and ma- jeity ; as alfo for the ftrengthening of our faith and hope in him, upon the account of his goodnefs aid mercy. 2. Confeflion 5 fin is to be confeffed in every prayer: E e original 2i8 'The Life of Mr Philip Henry. original fin as the root, fpring-head and fountain ; and adlual Tin as the fruit and ftream proceeding from it. Herein you muft not reil in generals, as the moft dc, but efpecially when you are in fecret before the Lord, you muft defcend to particulars, opening the whole v/ound, hiding nothing from him,^ ^£d aggravating the fault from the circumftances of it, JTOging and con- demning yourfelf for it in the fight of God ; and for your help herein, you muft acquaint yourfelf with the divine law, the precepts and prohibitions of it, efpecial- ly their extent and fpiritual nature, as the rule, and then bring your own thoughts, words, and adions to it daily, to be tried by it. 3. Petition, for fuch good things as God hath pro- tnifed, and you have need of, both concerning this life and that which is to come. As to the latter, you are to pray for mercy to pardon, and gface to help in time of need. As to the former, for bread to cat, and raiment to put on, and a heart to be therewith con- tented. You are to pray for others alfo, the church of God, the land of your nativity, magiftrates, minif- ters, relations, and friends, not forgetting the aftiidions of the affiided. 4. Thankfgiving, which fhould have a confiderable fhare in every prayer ; for our duty is, in every thing to give thanks for mercies received, public and per- fonal, which is the will of God in Chrift Jefus concern- ing us. This rule of method is not fo neceftary to be obferv- ed in prayer, as in no cafe to be varied from ; but it is certainly very ufeful and expedient, and a great help to young beginners in that duty. 8. My advice is, that you would delay no longer, but forthwith apply yourfelf, in the ftrength of Jefus Chrift, to this fweet and excellent way of praying ; and 1 dare fay, in a fliort time you will find, through the aids and fupplies of divine grace, what is at fir it hard and difficult, will by degrees be eafy and delight- fill. The promife is, that to him that hath, i. e. that had:. T^he Life of Mr Philip Henry. 2 1 9 hath, and ufeth what he hath, more fhall be given. Though you cannot do what you would, yet tail not to do what you can, wherein the Lord will accept of you, according to his everlafting covenant in Chrifl: Jefus, for v/e are not under the law, but under grace. CHAP. XI. Afhort Account offome of his Friefids, efpecially his brethren in the mini/iry, that died before him, "XTTE think ourfelves obliged to add this account out of his own papers, partly as an evidence of the great efteem he had of tlie gifts and graces of others to whom he delighted to do honour ; (an inftance of that humility which he was^n all refpeds a great ex- ample of;) and partly that we may preferve the re- membrance of fome in that country, whofe names ought not to be buried in oblivion. It is part of that honour which we owe to them that fear the Lord: to mention them with refpeO: when they are dead and gone, that we may contribute fomething to the fulfil- ling of the promife, that the righteous, and efpecially they who turn many to righteoufnefs, (hall be had ia everlafting remembrance. While their glorified fouls ihine as the ftars in the firmament of our Father, it is fit that their embalmed memories fliould in thefe low- er regions go forth as a lamp that burneth. I'he Jew- i(h rabbins read Prov. x. 7. as a precept, " Let the *' memory of the juft be bleifed." We will take them in the order wherein we find them in his diary, accord- ing to the time of their death, premifing only this note of his, occafioned by a particular inftance; " Such a " day I read the life of old Mr Bruen of Stapleford, *' in which I met with fome things that fhame me, " fome things that confirm me, and fome things that '^ quicken me." Blefled be God for that cloud of witneffes we are enconipaiTed about with. 2 50 The Life of Mr Philip Henry. Mr John Machin was buried at Newcalile, Sept. 8", 1664, a worthy inflrument in golpel work : laborious, faithful, and fuccefsful above his fellows ; taken away in the midft of his days ; the firft candle I have heard of put out by God, among th€ many hundreds put under a bufhel by men. [An accouny|||f his holy ex- emplary life was printed many years aMr, drawn up^ I think by Mr Newcome.] Mr Heath, late minifter of Alkmans church in Sa- lop, was buried May 28, 1666. He was of Chrift's College in Cambridge, where he was much valued for his great learning, efpecially in the Oriental tongues, in which he v/as one of the greateft maft ers of his age. He was employed to corred the byriac and Arabick of the Polyglot bible, which was fent down to him in fheets for that purpofe, for which biihop Walton gave him a copy. He read the liturgy till Auguft 24, 1662, and then was filenced, becaufe he could not come up tp the impofed terms of conformity. When the five- mile adt commenced, March 25, 1666, he removed to Wellington, and there within a few weeks died, and was buried. When he lay upon his death-bed, Mr Lawrence afked him what reflections he had upon his nonconformity ; " Truly (laid he) I would not but *' have done as I did for a thoufand worlds." He had great confidence, that God would provide for his wi- dow and children, according to promife. (The cha- radler Mr Baxter gives of him is, that he was moder-. ate, fedate, quiet, and religious.) Much about the fame time Mr York died in Salop, a holy good man, and well approved in the miniftry, who wafted his own candle in giving light to others, even after he was removed out of the candleftick. Lord I is this the meaning of Rev. xi. 12. concerning the witnefies ? Mr Thomes Porter, late minifter of W^hitchurch, died at Salop in a good old age, June 19, 1667 ; he was born in Northamptonfliire, bred in Cambiidge ; he w^as fettled minifter of Hanmer in Flintfliire, long before "^he Life of Mr Philip Henry. 221 before the wars, by the means of Sir John Ilanmer, the patron, who was a very worthy, pious gentleman, and a great promoter of religion in that parifh (but died in the midfl; of his days.) Here Mr Portei's mi- niflry was bleiled with wonderful acceptance and fuc- ■cefs, both in that and the neighbouring pariihes ; and a great harveft of fouls was there gathered in to Chrilt. After the wars were over (during the heat of which he was forced to withdraw) he procured Mr Steel for Hanmer, and he removed to Whitchurch, where he continued an inftrument of much good, till the king came in, and then he gave way to l)r Bernard, a wor- thy moderate man. He preached his farewell fermon at Whitchurch, Augufl 28, 1660, on Col. i. 24. and fpent the reft of his days in filence and affiiclion. He was exercifed long with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with flrong pain. If this be done to the green tree, what ihall be done to the dry? His dying counfel to the Lord's people was, to " ftick " to Chrift, and not to let him go, come life come « death." The worthy Colonel Thomas Hunt died at his hoiife in Shrewfbury, April 12, 1669, a true Nathaniel, an Ifraelite indeed, in whom was no guile : one that, like Caleb, followed the Lord fully in difficult trying times; he was a member of the long Parliament for Shrewf- bury, and very adive for God in his generation, a- bounding in good works, and his memory is blefied. I was going to Shrev/fbury upon an appointment of his, and by the way met the fad news of his death, which was fudden, but not furpriimg, to one that was always ready. He was twice at public ordinances the day before, being Lord's day, worfhipped God with his family in the evening, went to bed well as at other- times ; but about two or three o'clock in the morn- ing wak'd very ill, and before five fell afleep in the Lord. " Help, Loid, for the godly man ceafeth." Mr George Mainwaring a faithful minifter of Jefus Chrift, and i,ny v/orthy friend, died in a good old age, March 222 The Life of Mr PhIlip Henry. March 1.4. 1669-70, gathered as a fhock of corn ift nis fe.'ifon. He was born in Wrenbury parilh in Che- ihire, fupported at the Univ^erfity by Mr Cotton of Cumbermere, where he had the reputation of a good fchclar ; he was brought acquainted with the ways of religion by means of Mr Buckly his unfile, a ftrift pu- ritan. He v/as firft: chaplain to Sir Henry Delves, af- terwards re(3;or of Baddely, and chaplain to Sir Tho- mas Mainwarinc!:. After the wars he was removed to Ivlalpas, whence. he was ejeded upon the King's com- ing in. His converfation was exemplary, efpecially for plainnefs and integrity ; lie was eminent for ex- pounding fcripture. While he \^■as at Malpas, he con- Itantly gave all the milk which his dairy yielded on the Lord's day to the poor. Mr John Adams of Northwood, was buried at Ellef- mere, April 4, 1670, he was a faithful miniller of the gofpel. Mr Zechariah Thomas, my worthy friend, died of a ccnfumption at Nantwich, November 14, 1670, in the forty-firft year of his age. He was bred up for a iradefman in Suffolk, but always addicted to his book, and was ordained a miniiter after the King came in, and entertained curate at Tilfrock, under Dr. Bernard, but by reafcn of his nonconformity could not continue there long;. On the Monday before he died, he faid to thofe about him, that towards Wedncfday he Ihould take his leave of them, and did fo. He was buried at Adon, Mr Kirkes, vicar of Adon preached, and gave him a worthy charader (and fuch as he deferved) for "dprightnefs, humility, moderation, prayer, faithfulnefs in reproving, patience . under afliidion ; and in faying he was an ifraehte indeed without guide, he faid all. 1"he Lord make me a follower of him, and of all the reft, who through faith and patience inherit the pro- ICS Mr Jofhua Richardfon. my truly worthy friend and brother, died at Alkinton in Whitchurch parifh, Sep- tember J. 1671 : bleiled bie Gcd l^r his holy life and happy 7'/jg Life of Mr FmLi? IIeijp^y. 223 happy death. He was feveral years mmiftcr of Mid- dle in Shropfhire, and was turned out thence tor non- conformity. He \vas a holy, loving, ferious man. Dr Fowler preached his funeral fermon at Whitchurch, on Dan. xii. 3. highly praifing him (as he deferved) for wifdom, piety, ^ and peaceablenefs. Mr Samuel Hilderlham died near Bromlcham In Ap- ril 1674, the only fon of Mr Arthur Hilderfliara of Aih- by (whofe works praife him in the gates) fellow of Epi- anuel college in Cambridge, batchelor of divinity, 1623, fettled recStor of Weft-Felton in Shropfhire, in the year 1628, and continued there till filenced by the aft of uniformity. He was'one of the aifembly of di- vines ; a father to the fons of the prophets in and a- bout Shropfiiire. He was learned, loving, and charit- able, an excellent preacher, an eminent expofitor, and very much a gentleman ; he was about fourfcore years of age when he died. He ordered by his will this in- fcription upon his grave-llone : Samuel Hilderfliam, B* D. rector of Weit-Felton, in the county of Salop, 34 years, till Auguft 24, 1662. Mr Richard Sadler, my worthy friend and fellow- labourer, died at Whixal in Frees pariih, April — 1675. He was born irrWorceller : went, when young, with his father into New-England ; after the wars he return- ed into England ; was ordained at Whixal-chapel, May 16. 1648, and was removed thence to Ludlow. Be- ing turned out there upon the King's coming in, he fpent the reft of his days in privacy at Whixal: a man of great piety and moderation. Mr Rov/land Nevet died at his houfe near Ofweftry December 8. 1675, and was buried at Morton-chapel. I preached his funeral fermon at Swinny, on 2 Pet. i. 14. " Knowing that I muft fliortly put oft this my ta- " bernacle :" thence fliewing that the mlnifters of Chrift mud certainly and fhortly die. He was born in Hodnet parifn, jnno Dom. 1609, brought up at Shrewlbury fchool, was afterwards of Edmund-hall ia Oxford, commenced mafter of arts in the year 1634, he 224- T^he Life of Mr Philip Henry. he was epircopally ordained; and /inno 1635, he was prefented to the vkarage of Stanton hi Shronfliire, where he continued many years, with great fuccefs in his miniilry. While he was fmgle, he kept houfe, judj^ing that more for the furtherance of his work a- mong his peope, than to table. After the war here- moved to Ofweflry, where he laboured abundantly in the W'rk of the Lord ; and even after he was filenced for nonconformity, he continued among his people there to his dying day, doing v/hat he could, when he might not do what he would. He would fay. he thought mod of his converting work was done at Ofweflry, the firft feven years of his being there. He loved to .preach, and to hear others preach concerning the great things of religion. Redemption, Reconciliation, Re- generation, &c. for thefe (faid he) are the main matter. •When the plague was at Ofweftry, he continued with his people, and preached to them, and it was an op- portunity of doing much good. His converfation from his youth was not only blame- lefs, but holy and pious ; he was exemplary for family- religion, and great care and induftry in the education of his children. He was looked upon as congregation- al in judgement and practice, and was not fatisfied to join in the common prayer ; but he was free to com- municate with thofe that did. It was his judgement, _ that miniflers fnould be ordained by minifters ; and that a minifler is not only a miniiter of the particular congregation in which he labours. He greatly bewail- ed the divifions of the church, and the intemperate heats of fome of all perfuafions. He was exceeding kind and loving to his friends, very frequent in pious ejacu'ations to God. Being often diftempered in body, he would fay, he was never better than in the pulpit, and that it Wc.s " the beft place he could wifh to die *^' in." He often blelfed God for a fit of ficknefs which he had, which he faid he would not have been without for a world, the foundation of his comfort, and hope ©f heaven being laid then. When he was fometimes much The Lift of Mr Philip Henry. 225 much fpent with his labours, he would appeal to God, that, " Though he might be wearied in his fervice, he " would never be weary of it.'* His dying prayer for his children (after many fweet exhortations) was, " That the Mediator's blefling might be the portion of " every one of them :" adding, " I charge you all, fee " to it, that you meet me on the right hand of Chriil, " at the great day." A little before he died he had this expreffion, " Go forth, my Soul, go forth to meet " thy God;" adding by and by, "It is now done; " come, Lord Jefus, come quickly." One prefent fay- ing to him, that he was now going to receive his re- ward, he replied, " It is free grace/' [Mr Henry was* much importuned to print his fermon at Mr Nevet's funeral, with fome account of his life and death, which he was fomewhat inclined to do, but was difcouraged by the difficulties of the times, and it was never done. But fome materials he had for it, out of which we have collected thefe hints. 3 Mr Robert Fogg, my old dear friend, was buried at Afton near Nantwich, April 21. 1676, he died in a good old ag«, about eighty. He was minifLer of Ban- gor in Flintfliire, till after the King came in, and thence- forward to his death was a poor filent nonconformifl, but of a bold and zeaK)us fpirit. Giving good counfel to thofe about him a little before he died, he had this weighty faying among others, " AlTarc yourfelves, the " Spirit of God will be underling to no fin." Mr Andrev/ Parfons, fome tune minifter of Wem, died at London, October 1. 1684. He was born in Devonlliire, and was miniiter there fome years before the war ; being driven thence to London, he became well known to Mr Pym, who fent him down to Wem, when that town was garrifoned for the Parliament ; there he continued in the exercife of his miniflry, till the year 1660. He Uas an active, friendly, generous man, and a moving, affeding preacher. Mr Baxter, inhis life, part 3. page 94, coniinends him for a mo- derate man, and fpeaks of his being in trouble, for fe- F f ditious 226 The Life of Mr Philip Henry. ditious words fworn againft him, which were thefe : preaching from 2 Tim. iii 13. he faid, " The devil was " like a king, that courted the foul, and fpoke fair till '* he was gotten into the throne, and then played '* pranks." The witneffcs depofed contrary to the co- herence of his difcourfe, that he laid the king was like the devil. He was tried at Shrewfbury before my Lord Newport, Mr Serjeant Turner and others. May 28. 1662. It was alfo charged upon him, that he had faid, " Ihere was more fms committed now in England " in a month, than was heretofore in feven years ;" and *' That there had been more and better preaching in " England for twenty years paft, than was ever fmce '* the apoflles days." He had counfel aifigned him, who pleaded that the time limited by the ftatute in which he was indifted was expired : the Court yield- ed it was fo. allowing twenty-eight days to a month ; but they would underftand it of thirty days to a month, fo he was found guilty, and fined two hundred pounds, and ordered to be imprifoned till it fhould be paid. Mr Hugh Rogers, a worthy faithful minifler of Je- fus Chrift, turned out for nonconformity, from New- town in Montgomery fhire, was buried at Welfhpool, March 17, 1679-80, he v.as looked upon as congre- gational but his declared judgment was, " That mini- "^ flers ought to be ordained by minifters, and to give " themfelves wholly to that work ; and that none but " miniiters have aurhority to preach and govern in a *' conflituted church ; and that Chrifl's minifters are " his minifters in all places ; and that where the word *' of Chrift is preached, and his Sacraments adminif- '* tered, there is a true church." He was a man of excellent converfe, and whofe peculiar felicity lay in pleafant and edifying difcourfe. July 2d and 3d, 1680, thefe two days brought tid- ings of the death of Mr Haines, fome time minilLcr of Wem in Shropfhire, and fince at New-chapel in Welt- minfter ; and of Mr Richard Edwards minifler at Of- weftry, both worthy conformifts, pious, pea<:eable and good The Life of Mr Philip Henry. 227 good men, whom I hope, through grace, to meet fliort- ly in heaven. 1 he Lord raife up others in their room to be and do better. Mr Robert Bofier, my dear friend and kinfman, having juit compleated the twenty-third year of his age, died of a fever, September 13, 1680, at Mr Doo- little's houfe in Iflington, whither he was gone but a few weeks before for improvement in learning ; being formerly a commoner of Edmund-hall in Oxford, and fmce having fpent fome years in my family, and de- figned himfelf for the fervice of Chrill, in the work of the miniilry. He was a young man of pregnant parts, great indullry, and exemplary ferioufnefs and piety, and likely to be an eminent inftrument of good in his day. His friends and relations had promifed them- felves much comfort in him, but we know who " per- " formeth the thing that is appointed for us, and giv- " eth not account of any of his matters.'* Mr John Maiden, my dear and worthy friend, turn- ed out from Newport in Shropfhire for nonconform- ity, died at Alkington near Whitchurch, May 23, 1 68 1, a man of great learning, an excellent Hebrecian, and of exemplary piety, and a foiid preacher : as he lived fo he died, very low in his own eyes ; efteeming himfelf good for nothing, though really good for eve- ry thing, which was manifeftly a prejudice, both to his comfort, and to his ufefulnefs. He faid, he was far from repenting his being a fufferer againft conformity. The relicks of fo much leaning, piety, and humility, 1 have not feen this great while laid in a grave, but bleifed be God we had fuch a one fo long. Dr Jofliua Maddocks, a beloved Phyfician, our very dear friend and kinfman, died of a fever at Whit- church, in the midfl: of his days, July 27th, 1682, a very pious man, and efpecially eminent for meeknefs ; an excellent fcholar, and particularly learned in the mathematicks : he lived much defired, and died as much lamented. Mr Thomas Bridge, who had been redor of the F f 2 higher 228 The Life of Mr Philip Henry. higher re£tory of Malpas about fifty-feven years, being aged about eighty-two years, was buried at Malpas, Odob. 7, 1682. In his laft ficknefs, which was long, he had appointed Mr Green, one of the curates there, to preach his fuueral fermon on i Tim i. 16" How- *' beit, for this caufe 1 obtained mercy, that in me firft, " Jefus Chrift might Ih ew forth all long-fufiering :" and to fay nothing in his commendation, but to give a large account of his repentance upon his death-bed, &c. He was a taking, popular preacher, preaching of- ten and almofl to the laft. When old, he could read the fmalleft print without fpeftacles. Mr William Cook, an aged, painful, faithful mini- fler of Jeius Chrift in Chefter, finiflied his courfe with joy, July 4, 1684, in the midit of the cloudy and dark day. [fee Mr Baxter's character of him in his life, Part 3. page 98.] and an honourable account given of him by Mr Samuel Bold, of Steeple in Dcrfetiliire, in a large preface to his book of Man's grest duty. He was eminent for great induftry, both in public and pri- vate work ; great felf-deiiial, mortification, and con- tempt of the world, and a ftrict adherence to his prin- ciples in all the turns of the times. He was firft mini- fter at Wroxal in Vv^arwickfhire ; there he pubiillied two treatifes againft the Anabaptifts. From thence he was, by the advice of the London minifters, removed to Afliby in Leicefterfliire, whence he was turned out for refufmg the engagement, and afterward fettled in Chefter, where he was minifter of Michael's church, till he was outed by the aft of uniformity. He was an adive man for Sir George Booth, when he made that attempt to bring in the King, in 1659, for which he was brought up a prifoner to London, and continued long under confinement in Lambeth-houfe ; and had not the times turned had been tried for his life. Dur- ing the ufurpation, his frequent prayer was, " That ** God would pull down all ufurped power, and re- *' ftore the banifned to their right." After he was filenced by the Bartholomew ad, he continued to his death. l^he Life of Mr Philip Henry. 229 death in a paftoral relation to a fociety of many worthy eminent Chriftians in Chefter ; though during the heat of the five-mile aQ, he was forced to withdraw to Pud- dington in Wirral, where (as in Chefler, till King Charles's indulgence) he conftantly attended on the public mini dry, and he himfelf preached in the inter- vals. He would fay fometimcs to his friends, when he was in that retirement, that he thought " What lit- " tie peace and quietnefs there was in this world, " God's people enjoyed it in their corners." Soon after he was fuciiced, he was committed to the com- mon goal of Chefter for preaching in his own houfe, by the Mayor, at indigation of the then Bifliop Hall. Ke was very indefatigable in his miniflerial labours, in which he never fought the afiiilance of any other mi- nifler ; though while he had liberty he conftantly kept a public fafl in his congregation every month, as he did alfo a private fafl in his own clofet and family eve- ry week. He ufually fet apart one afternoon every week, to vifit the families of his congregation, and to catechife their children and fervants, and difcourfe with them perfonally about their fouls j his vifits were fliort and edifying (and he managed them as one that was a great hufband of his time) and he feldom or never parted without prayer. He was not free to join in the common-prayer, and bore his teftimony againft pre- lacy and the ceremonies with fomething of zeal ; but his great piety, integrity, mortification, and charity, recommended him to the refpefts even of many that differed from him. If any aiked his advice to any thing which might draw fuffering upon them, he would be very tender, and deiire them not to depend upon his judgement ; but fince it was a matter of fuffering, to be fully perfuaded in their own minds. He was a great fcholar, and a hard fludent to the laft, and was far from entangling himfelf in the alFairs of this life, not knowing ought he had , fave the bread that he did eat- In worldly matters he was not very converfable, but in difcourfe of the things of God, none 230 ^be Life of Mr Philip Henry. none mere free and affable, or more ready to do good. He lived and died a great example of flri6l and clofe walking with God, and a heavenly converfation ; and his memory is very precious with many. He died in the feventy-third year of his age. When he lay on his death-bed, an aged friend of his afiiing him if he had not comfort in rcfledion upon his labours in the work of God, he prefently replied, " I have nothing " to boaft of.'* He was buried in Michael's church in Chefler ; and though for fome time before he died, fuch was the heat of the perfecution, that be dur(t not fnew his face in the city, yet many confiderable perfons were very forward to do him honour at his death. Mr Jonathan Roberts of Llanvair in Denblghfliire, my dear and precious friend, and a faithful minifler of Chriit, died at Mr Titus Thomas's houfe in Weft- Fclton, and was buried there Sept. 26. 1084. A true Nathaniel, an Ifraelite indeed, for plaimiefs and inte- grity ; a filent fufferer for his nonconformity, for which he quitted a good living in Denbighfhire. He was a learned man, a Mailer of Arts of Oxford ; he died with comfort in his nonconformity, and with con- fidence of a return of mercy in God's due time. The fummer before he died, he had been at Oxford, Cam- bridge, and London, where he heard and faw that which much confirmed him in his diffent. Mr Zechariah Cawdrey, Miniiler of Bartomley in Chelhire, a learned and goClly divine, was buried De- cember 24. 1684. a conformiil, and formerly a great iufferer for the king, but in his later times much ma- ligned and reproached by fome people for his modera- tion towards dilTenters, for his book of preparation for martyrdom, and for his zeal in keeping up the month- ly lectures at Nantwich and Tarvin. But he is gone to the world of peace, and love, and everlafling praifes. Mr litus Thomas, minifler of the independent con- gregation in Salop, was buried at Felton, December 10, ^he Life of Mr Philip Kenry. 2 3 10, 1686. He was a worthy good man, an J not {q ftrait-hiced as fome others ; we were fix nonconfor- milt minifters there at the funeral, and the feventh dead in the midft of us, faying to us, " Therefore be " ve alfo ready." Mr John Cartwrlght, my worthy friend and brother, a faithful minilter of Jefus Chrift, was buried at Au- diem in Chelhire, Feb. 17. 1687-8. formerly minifter of Weft-Kerby in Wirral, afterwards chaplain to the pious Lady Wilbraham at Woodbey. ■- Mr Edward Gregg of Cheder, a worthy gentleman, and my dear friend, died July 9. 1689. ^^ ^ iever, in the midfl of his days. He was one that feared God above many, of a meek and quiet fpirit, and eminent- ly aftive and ufeful in his generation. The Lord is pulling our earthen props from under us, that we might lean upon, and truft in himfelf alone, and might learn to ceafe from man. Mr Daniel Benyon of Afli, my dear friend and Idnf- man, died June 2 1^. 1 690. a very ferious, pious gentle- man, and an ifraelite indeed, a true lover, and ready benefactor to all good men, efpecially good minillers. He told me a little before he died, God had made ufe of me (though mofl unworthy) as an inflrument of his converfion, for which I blefs his holy name. He had a long and lingering fickneis, which he bore with great patience. Mrs Crew of Ctkinton in Chefliire, an aged fervant of the Lord, was buried July 8. 1690. She kept her integrity, and abounded in works of piety and charity to the lait, and finilhed well ; to God be praife. Mrs Hunt of Shrewlbury, the relict of Colonel Hunt, another rare pattern of zealous piety, abounding charity, and em.inent ufefulnefs in her place, fmifhed' her courfe, October 23. 1690. after two days ficknefs. The reverend, and learned, and holy Mr Richard Baxter, died at London, December 8. 1691. aged feventy-fix, and one month ; as much vilified by fome, and magnified by others, as moll men that ever were ; bu 232 the Life of Mr Philip Henry. but it is a fmall thing to be judged of man's day. He was buried at Chrifh -church, London, with great ho- nour. Mr John Wood, my good friend, died September 1 9. 1 692. at Mitton in Shropfiiire, aged about leventy ; he was fometime fellow of Magdalen-College in Cam- bridge, where he was outed for nonconformity ; a learn- ed man, but wanted the faculty of communicating ; one that feared God, and walked in his integrity to the laft ; had no certain dwelling-place on earth, but I truil hath one in heaven. Hic tandem req'iiefcit, Mr Richard Steel, my old and dear friend, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and pa- tience of Jefus Chrift, died at London, {November 16. 1652. in the fixty-fourth year of his age. A man that had been greatly ufeful in his generation, both in the country and at London. Mr Thomas Gilbert died at Oxford, July 1 5. 1 694. formerly minifter of Edgmond in Shroplhire, aged eighty-three, a learned good man. Luke Lloyd, Efq; of the Bryn in Hanmer Parifli, my aged, worthy friend, finifiied his courfe with joy, March 31. 1695. being Lord's day. He was in the eighty-feventh year of his age, and had been married alm^ft fixtv-nine years to his pious wife (of the fame age) who ilill furvives him. He was the glory of our little congregation, the top-branch in all refpeds of cur fmall vine, and my friend indeed. When he made his will, under the fubfcription of his name he wrote. Job xix. 25, 26, 27. On which text of Scripture (I know that my Redeemer liveth, he.) Mr Henry, at the requeft of feme of his relations, preached a fermon at the licenced houfe near Hanm.er, fometime after his funeral ; in which fermon, he bore a very honourable teflimony to that worthy gentle- man, who (as he faith) went to heaven without a blot, held fall his integrity, and was lively and zealous in the Chriilian profeffion to the end of his days. He •was very exemplary for his love to the ordinances of God, The Life of Mr Philip Henry. 233 God, and his delight in attending on them, his living upon Chrift for ftrength and righteoufnefs, his great humility, and condefcending obliging carriage in all his converfe. He was a man of great courage and refolu- tion : and yet in prayer, tender and felf-abafmg, to ad- miration, often meking into tears in the confeilion of fin ; and his charity and moderation were known un- to all men. He lived and died a pattern of piety, and primitive Chriftianity, and ftill brought forth fruit in old age ; his vigor, both of body and mind, being wonderfully preferred to the laft ; and by the grace of God he fin- ifhed well, and his fun fet under no cloud. Such good men are intended to be to us, as the ftar that led the wife men to Chrift ; and as far as they do fo, we are to follow them. " Mark the perfect man, and be- " hold the upright, for the end of that man is peace." Mr Samuel Taylor, an aged minifter of Jefus Cnrift, and my true friend and fellow-labourer, died at Wem, June 26, 1695. He was turned out from Edftaifon- chapel near Wem, by the act of uniformity ; chufing rather to beg his bread than to wrong his confcience- He continued in Wem ever fince, and preached there as his ftrength and liberty would permit. He had his houfe burnt in the dreadful fire that was therein 1076, and had a child born that very night. He was a man of a very tender fpirit, humble and low in his own eyes, of approved integrity, and finiflied well. (Mr Henry preached his funeral fermon at Wem, on 2 Cor. iv. 7. " W^e have this treafure in earthen veifels.) September 21, 1695. ^ heard of the death of two holy, aged Bartholoiiievv-witneffes, Mr Richard Mayo of London, and Mr Henry Newccme of Manchefter, Pfal. xii. I. - Mr Edward Lawrence of London, my dear and worthy friend, and a faithful mjnifter and witnefs of the Lord Jefus, died November — '605, about the fe- ventieth year of his age ; born at Molton in Shropfliire, Gg " * of 234 ^'^^ ^it^ of Mr Philip Henry. of Magdalen-College in Cambridge, turned out from Bafchurch in Shropfliire by the act of uniformity in 1662, was driven from Whitchurch by the violent proiecution of the conventicle A6t, in 1670, when he removed to London, and there fpent the reft of his days. He had many children, but great afflidion in fome of them, which gave occafion to his book entitled, " Parents Gtoans over their wicked Children." It is a very high, but jufl character, which Mr Vincent harh given of him in his fermon at his funeral ; of which let me take leave to add fome few inftances that occur to us, which may be inftrudive, befides thofe which we have already mentioned occafionally. At his m.eals, he would often fpeak of ufmg God's creatures as his witnelfes that he is good ; and we can- not conceive how much good our God doth every mo- ment. An exprelTion of his great regard to juftice, was that common caution he gave his children, Trem- *' ble to borrow two pence ;" and of his meek- nefs and tendernefs this, " Make no man angry nor *' fad." He often faid, '* I adore the wifdom of God, " that hath not feen m.eet to trufl me with riches." When he faw little children playing in the ftreets, he would often hft up h]S heart in an ejacalatory prayer to God for them, calling them " the feed of the next *' generation." When his iriend chofe to ride the back way into town, he pleafantly checked him, tel- ling him, that his heart hath been often refreflied, when he hath looked out at the window and feen a good man go along the ilreets. He ufed to fay, that Cromwell did'more real prejudice to religion by his hy- pocrify, than king Charles the Second did, that never pretended to it. As alfo, that he feared the fms of the land more than the French. A friend of his in the country, writing to him not long before he died, defired his thoughts concerning the "The Life of Mr Philip Henry. 235 the differences among the London diflenters, to which he returned this anfwer : " 1 can fay little concerning " our divifions ; which, when fome men's judgments " and tempers are healed, will be alfo healed. But " when will that be ? They that have moft holinefs " are moft peaceable, and have moft comfort." M.S, 2^6 Epitaph on Mr Philip Henry. M. S. PHILIPPUS HENRY, De Broad -Oak, in Comitatu Flint, A. M. Sacri Minifler Evangelii ; Paflor olim Worthenburi- enfis ; In Aula Regia natus piis & honeftis Parentibus ; Scholas Weftmonafterienfis, indeq. ^dis ChriftiOxon. Alumnus Regius : Vir prifca Pietate & vere Chriftiana, Judicio fubado & limato, Memoria prseftanti, magno & foecundo Ingenio, ' Eruditione perpolita, fummo Animi Candore, Morum Venuftate Imprimis Speclabilis, & in Exemplum natus: Cui Sacra femper fua fides aliorumque Fama : Divini Numinis Cultor affiduus ; Divini Verbi Interpres exquifitiflimus ; Aliorum Affeftus movere non minus pollens, Quam luis moderari : Concionando pariter ac Vivendo palam exhibens Chrifti Legem & Exemplar Chriilum : Prudens peritufque rerum ; Lenis,. Pacificus, Hofpi- talis, Ad Pietatis omnia Charitatifque officia ufque paratus ; Suis Jucundus ; Omnibus Humanus ; Continuis Evangelii Laboribus fuccumbens Corpus, Nee tant^e jam par amplius Animse, In Dormitorium hie juxta pofitum, demifit, Jun. 240. Anno Dom. MDCXCVI, ^tatis LXV, Viro opt. multumque defiderato mcerens pofuit Gener ejus J. T. M. D. FINIS, ^ ^m%