Whether it will not serve if I come sooner: and 2. How long it will be required that I make my stay there. Sir, I have more reason to beg your pardon for this latter trouble than the former.*] He still continued for some years in the Emeral family, where he laid out himself very much for the spiritual good of the family, even of the meanest of the servants, by catechising,† repeating the sermons, and personal instruction, and he had very much comfort in the countenance and conversation of the judge and his lady. Yet he complains sometimes in his diary of the snares and temptations that he found in his way there, especially because some of the branches of the family, who did not patrizare, were uneasy at his being there, which made him willing to remove to a house of his own; which, when Judge Puleston perceived, in the year 1657, out of his abundant and continued kindness to him, he did, at his own proper cost and charges, build him a very handsome house in Worthenbury, and settled it upon him by a lease, bearing date March 6, 1657, for threescore years, if he should so long continue minister at Worthenbury, and not accept of better preferment. He hath noted in his diary, that the very day that the workmen began the building of that house, Mr. Mainwaring, of Malpas, ‡ preached the lecture at Bangor, from Psalm cxxvii. 1. Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it. -There never was truth, saith he, more seasonable to any than this was to me. It was a word upon the wheels. He hath recorded it as his great care, that his affections might be kept loose from it, and that it might not encroach upon God's interest in his heart. When it was finished, he thus writes:-I do from my heart bless God, that no hurt or harm befel any of the workmen in the building of it. Thus was his maintenance settled at Worthenbury. In the year 1659, he was, by a writing of Judge Puleston's, collated, P. Henry. Orig. MS. Use catechising. Heretofore, catechising justled out preaching; now, preaching justles out catechising. Let the ship be ballasted with fundamental truths. Hearers will then not be so easily whirled about with every wind. Luther was called,—discipulus catechismi. Mr. Porter, 1659. From a MS. in P. Henry's handwriting. See Dr. Townson's Works, v 1, p. xix. ut supra, and Ormerod's Hist. of Cheshire, v. ii. p. 328, &c. Mr. Henry has the following notes on this passage :— The house; that is, the family. Build; that is, constitute, maintain, preserve, augment. If we would have God to build our houses, we must be careful to build God's house by caring for his worship, ordinances, interests. Hag. i. 9. ii. 18. 2 Sam. vii.-; to aim at his glory in our buildings, not at self, as Nebuchadnezzar, Dan. iv. 30;-to build in faith, relying upon the promises, Heb. xi. 9, 10;—in the fear of God, Exod. i. 21; in righteousness and honesty, Prov. x. 25; Hab. ii. 12.— We must fetch in God by prayer, and keep him there by family duties, Josh. xxiv. 15; Ps. ci. Orig. MS. "A word, fitly spoken, is like apples of gold in pictures of silver;" Prov. xxv. 11; or, as the Hebrew hath it,-"A word spoken upon his wheels;" that is, rightly ordered, placed, and circumstanced. Brooks's Arke for all God's Noahs, Ep. Ded. p. 1, duod. 1662, See, also, Jer. xviii. 3. nominated, and presented, to the church of Worthenbury; and, the powers that then were, having so appointed, he had an approbation thereof from the commissioners for approbation of publick preachers. Some little opposition was made to his settlement at Worthenbury by Mr. Fogg,* then Rector of Bangor, because he conceived it an intrenchment upon his right to Worthenbury, and thought it might prejudice his recovering of it by course of law. I only mention this for the sake of the note he hath upon it in his diary, which is this:-I do earnestly desire that the Judge may give Mr. Fogg all reasonable satisfaction, that there may be no appearance of wrong to him, or any other in this thing. And when Mr. Fogg insisted upon it, that he would have Mr. Henry give it under his hand, that he desired the consent of the said Mr. Fogg to be minister of Worthenbury; he yielded to do it for peace sake, and from thenceforward there was an intimate and entire friendship between Mr. Fogg and him. Being thus settled at Worthenbury, his next care was touching ordination to the work of the ministry, to which he would see his call very clear, before he solemnly devoted himself to it. And though afterwards in the reflection, especially when he was silenced, it was some trouble to him, that he had so long deferred to be ordained, (and he would often, from the consideration of that, press those who intended the ministry, not to put it off,) yet, as the times then were, there was something of a reason for it. The nearest acting class of presbytery, was in the Hundred of Bradford North, in Shropshire, wherein Mr. Porter, of Whitchurch, was the leading man, of whom Mr. Baxter+ gives so high a character in his Life, part 3, page 94, and who was one of those whom he recommended to the Lord Chancellor, as fit to be made a Bishop, part 2, page 283. This class was constituted by ordinance of parliament, in April, 1647; the members of it then, were the aforesaid Mr. Porter, Mr. Boughy, of Hodnet, Mr. Houghton, of Prees, Mr. Parsons, ‡ of Wem, and Mr. John Bisby; § and afterwards Mr. Malden, of Newport, Mr. Binney, of Ightfield, and Mr. Steel, of Hanmer, though in Flintshire, were taken in to them, and acted with them. This class in twelve years' time publickly ordained sixty-three ministers. Mr. Henry was very desirous to have been ordained at Worthenbury, plebe præsente, which he thought most agreeable to the intention, but the ministers See the Noncon. Mem. v. iii. p. 480, &c. + See Reliquiæ Baxterianæ, or, Mr. R. Baxter's Narrative of the most Memorable Passages of his Life and Times. Fol. 1696. See the Noncon. Mem. v. iii. p. 163. Minister of Edstaston, in Shropshire. Wood's Ath. Oxon. v. 4. p. 640, ut supra. Walker mentions him as a Prebend. of Pipa Minor, alias Prees. Suff, of the Clergy, Part II. p. 41. See the Noncon. Mem. v. 3. p. 149. were not willing to set such a precedent. However, that was one thing which occasioned the delay, so that he was not ordained till September 16, 1657. ཝ་ The way and manner of his ordination was according to the known directory of the Assembly of Divines, and the common usage of the Presbyterians; and yet, he having left among his papers a particular account of that solemnity, and some of the workings of his soul towards God in it; I hope it may be of some use both for instruction and quickening to ministers, and for the information of such as are perhaps wholly strangers to such a thing, to give some account of the whole transaction. He made addresses to the presbytery, in order to his ordination, July 6, at Prees, when he submitted to trial, and inquiry was made, in the first place, concerning his experience of the work of grace in his heart; in answer to which he gave a reason of the hope that was in him, with meekness and fear; that the spirit of grace had been dealing with him when he was young; and, he hoped, had discovered to him his need of Christ, and had bowed his will in some measure to close with him upon his own terms, &c. His skill in the original languages of the Scripture was then tried; and he read and construed two verses in the Hebrew Bible, and two in the Greek Testament. He was then examined in Logick and Natural Philosophy, next in Divinity, what authors he had read, and what knowledge he had, touching the mediation of Christ, &c. And his skill in the Scripture was tried, by propounding to him a difficult text to give his sense of; a case of conscience was also put to him to be resolved, an inquiry made into his acquaintance with church-history. Lastly, a question was given him to provide a thesis upon against next meeting, which was this; An Providentia Divina extendat se ad omnia? Aff. On this question he exhibited his thesis. August 3. and defended it. Several of the ministers opposed, and Mr. Porter moderated. He then produced two certificates, which he left with the register of the class, one from Oxford, subscribed by Dr. Wilkinson,* Dr. Langley,† &c. the other from the neighbour ministers, Mr. Steel, Mr. Fogg, &c. both testifying of his conversation, &c. "The Lord forgive me," saith he, in his diary upon this, "that it hath not been more exemplary, as it ought, for piety and industry. Amen, Lord in Christ." The day for ordination was appointed to be September 16, at Prees, of which notice was given at Worthenbury by a paper, read in the church, and afterwards affixed to the church door the Lord's day before, signifying also, "That, if any one could produce any just exceptions against the doctrine or life of the said Mr. Henry, or any sufficient reason why he might not be ordained, they should Nat. 1602; ob. June, 1675. Wood's Ath. Oxon. ut supra, v. 3. p. 1038. + Ob. Sept. 1679. Wood's Fasti, ut supra, v. 4, pp. 113. 157. A small village in the Hundred of North Bradford, Salop, five miles from Whitchurch, and about four from Wem. certify the same to the classis, or the scribe, and it should be heard and considered."* On the day of ordination there was a very great assembly gathered together. Mr. Porter began the publick work of the day with prayer, then Mr. Parsons preached on 1 Timothy, i. 12; I thank Christ Jesus, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry. Putting men into the ministry is the work of Jesus Christ. After sermon, Mr. Parsons, according to the usual method, required of him a confession of his faith, which he made as follows. 2 Pet. i. 21. 2 Tim. iii. 15. Heb. xi. 6. 1 John, v. 7. John, i. 18. John, iv. 24. John, i. 3. John, v. 17. Eccles. vii. 29. The ground and rule of my faith towards God, is the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament. I believe they were written by holy men, immediately inspired by the Holy Ghost; having found the efficacy of them, in some measure, upon my own heart, I believe they are further able to make me wise to salvation. Concerning God, I believe that he is, and that he is the Rewarder of those that diligently seek him. The Trinity of Persons in the Unity of the Godhead, I receive and own as a truth, I admire and adore as a mystery; though no man hath seen God at any time, yet the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him; and what he hath declared concerning him, that I believe. I believe that God is a Spirit, for the Son hath said, "God is a Spirit." I believe that he hath life in himself, and that he hath given to the Son to have life in himself. 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 preserves, guides, and governs, all the creatures, according to the purpose of his own will, to his own glory; for the Father worketh hitherto, and the Son also worketh. I believe he made man upright, after his own image and likeness, which image consisted in knowEphes. iv. 24. ledge, righteousness, and true holiness; but man, by sin, lost it. Coloss. iii. 10. Psalm li. 5. Ephes. ii. 3. Rom. vii. 18. I believe we were all in the loins of our first parents, and that they stood and fell as publick persons, and upon that account justly, without any colour of wrong, we bear our share, both in the guilt of their disobedience, and also the corruption of nature following thereupon; so that we came into the world children of wrath, and heirs of the curse, one, as well as another; enemies to God, hating him, and hated of Appendix, No. IV. him: averse to what is good, and prone to all manner of evil. Though all are born in this condition, yet Gen. vi. 5. there are some that do not die in it. 1 Tim. ii. 5. Rom. v. 11. Gal. iv. 4. John, xvii. 19. I believe there is a Mediator, and there is but one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus. Those whom the Father hath from everlasting Ephes. i. 4, 5. pitched his love upon, and given to Christ, not because of works or faith foreseen, but merely of his free grace; for those I believe Christ was sent forth into the world, made of a woman, made under the law; for their sakes he sanctified himself, and became obedient to death, even the death of the cross; wherefore God also highly exalted him; and having raised him from the dead on the third day, set him at his own right hand, where he ever lives to make intercession for those for whom he shed his blood. All these elect redeemed ones, I believe, are, in due time, sooner or later, in their lives, effectually called, washed, sanctified, justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. I believe the righteousness of Christ alone, apprehended by faith, is the matter of our justification before God; and that no flesh can stand in his sight upon any other terms, for he is the Lord our Righteousness, and in him only the Father is well pleased. I believe the work of sanctification, managed by the Spirit, who dwelleth in us, though, in respect of parts, it be complete, for the whole man is renewed; yet, in respect of degrees, it is not fully perfected till we come to glory; and I believe all that are justified shall be glorified; for we are kept by the power of God, through faith, unto salvation. I believe the gathering in, and building up, of saints, is the special end why pastors and teachers are appointed in the church; and that Jesus Christ, according to his promise, will be with them, in that work, to the end of the world. The two Sacraments of the New Testament, Baptism and the Lord's Supper, I receive and own as signs and seals of the covenant of grace; the former instituted by our Lord Jesus, as a sign and seal of our engrafting into him, due of right, to all the infants of believing parents, and but once to be administered; the other instituted by our Lord Jesus in the night wherein he was betrayed, to show forth his death, and to seal the benefits purchased thereby to his church and people, and to be often repeated. When the body returns to the dust, I believe the soul returns to God that gave it; and that imme Ꭰ Eph. i. 20, 21. Heb. vii. 25. John, xvii. 9. Rom. viii. 30. 1 Cor. vi. 11. Rom. v. 1. Ps. cxliii 2. Jer. xxiii. 6. G. Rom. xv. 16. Coloss. iii. 11. 1 Cor. xiii. 9, 10. 1 Peter, i. 5. Ephes. iv. 11. Matt. xxviii. 20. Rom. iv. 11. Matt. xxviii. 19. 1 Cor. xi. 26. Eccles. xii. 7. |