Life and Death of Philip Henry, Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
Mr. Philip Henry's Birth, Parentage, early Piety, and Education at School.
HE was born at White-hall, in Westminster, on Wednesday August 24. 1631. being Bartholomew-day. I find usually in his Diary some pious Remark or other upon the Annual return of his Birth-day: As in one Year he Notes, that the Scripture mentions but two who observed their Birth-day with Feasting and Joy, and they were neither of them Copies to be Written after: viz. Pharaoh, Gen. 40. 20. and Herod, Mat. 14. 6. But (saith he) I rather observe it as a Day of Mourning and Humiliation, because shapen in Iniquity and conceived in Sin. And when he had compleated the Thirtieth Year of his Age, he noted this, So old and no older Alexander was when he had Conquered the great World, but (saith he) I have not yet subdued the little World my self. At his Thirty third Year he hath this Humble Reflection; A long time lived to small purpose, What shall I do to redeem it? And at another, I may Mourn as Caesar did when he Reflected upon Alexander's early Atchievements, that others younger than I am, have done much more 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, least instead of making it better, I should make it worse, and besides, every Year and Day spent on Earth is lost in Heaven. This last Note minds me of a Passage I have heard him tell of a Friend of his, who being grown into Years, was asked how old he was, and answer'd, On the wrong side of Fifty: Which (said Mr. Henry) he should not have said; for if he was going to Heaven, it was the right side of Fifty.
He always kept a Will by him ready made, and it was his Custom yearly, upon the return of his Birthday, to Review, and (if occasion were) to Renew and Alter it; For it is good to do that at a set time, which it is very good to do at some time. The Last Will he made bears Date, This 24th day of August, 1695. being, as he said, the day of the Year on which I was Born, 1631. and also the day of the Year on which by Law I Died, as did also near Two thousand Faithful Ministers of Iesus Christ, 1662. alluding to that Clause in the Act of Uniformity, which disposeth of the Places and Benefices of Ministers not Conforming, as if they were naturally Dead.
His Father's Name was Iohn Henry, the Son of Henry Williams of Brittons Ferry, betwixt Neath and Swansey in Glamorganshire. According to the old Welsh Custom (some say conformable to that of the ancient Hebrews, but now almost in all Places laid aside) the Father's Christian Name was the Sons Sirname. He had left his Native Country and his Father's House very Young, unprovided for by his Relations; but it pleased God to bless his Ingenuity and Industry, with a considerable Income afterwards, which enabled him to live Comfortably himself, to bring up his Children well, and to be kind to many of his Relations; but Publick Events making against him at his latter End, when he Dy'd he left little behind him for his Children, but God graciously took care of them. Providence brought this Mr. Iohn Henry when he was Young, to be the Earl of Pembroke'… Gentleman, whom he served many Years: The Earl coming to be Lord Chamberlain, preferred him to be the King's Servant: He was first made Keeper of the Orchard at White-hall, and afterwards Page of the Back Stairs to the King's Second Son, Iames Duke of York, which place obliged him to a Personal Attendance upon the Duke in his Chamber. He liv'd and dy'd a Courtier, a hearty Mourner for his Royal Master King Charles the First, whom he did not long survive. He continued, during all the War time in his House at White-Hall, though the Profits of his Places ceased: The King passing by his Door, under a Guard; to take Water, when he was going to Westminster, to that which they call'd his Tryal, enquir'd for his old Servant Mr. Iohn Henry, who was ready to pay his due respects to him, and pray'd God to Bless his Majesty, 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 Parish of St. Martins in the Fields, in Westminster. She was a vertuous pious Gentlewoman, and one that fear'd God above many: She was altogether dead to the Vanities and Pleasures of the Court, tho' she liv'd in the midst of them. She look'd well to the ways of her Houshold; Prayed with them daily, Catechized her Children, and taught them the good Knowledge of the Lord betimes. I have heard him speak of his Learning Mr. Perkins his Six Principles, when he was very Young; and he often mentioned with Thankfulness to God, his great Happiness in having such a Mother, who was to him as Lois and Eunice were to Timothy, acquainting him with the Scriptures from his Childhood: And there appearing in him early inclinations both to Learning and Piety, she devoted him in his tender Years to the Service of God, in the work of the Ministry. She Dyed of a Consumption March 6. 1645. leaving behind her only this Son and Five Daughters. A little before she Dyed she had this saying, My Head is in Heaven, and my Heart is in Heaven, it is but one step more, and I shall be there too.
His Susceptors in Baptism were Philip Earl of Pembroke (who gave him his Name, and was kind to him as long as he lived, as was also his Son Philip after him) Iames Earl of Carlile, and the Countess of Salsbury.
Prince Charles and the Duke of York being somewhat 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 House, and were wont to tell him what Preferment he should have at Court, as soon 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 loss of Two curious Pictures, which he gave him likewise, Arch-bishop Laud took a particular Kindness to him when he was a Child, because he would be very officious to attend at the Water-Gate (which was part of his Fathers Charge in White-hall) to let the Arch-Bishop through when he came late from Council, to cross the Water to Lambeth.
These Circumstances of his Childhood he would sometimes speak of among his Friends, not as glorying in them, but taking occasion from thence to bless God for his Deliverance from the Snares of the Court, in the midst of which it is so very hard to maintain a good Conscience and the Power of Religion, that it hath been said (though Blessed be God it is not a Rule without exception) Exeat ex aulâ qui velit esse pius. The breaking up and scattering of the Court, by the Calamities of 1641. as it dashed the expectations of his Court Preferments, so it prevented the danger of Court Entanglements: And though it was not, like Mofes's Choice of his own, when come to Years, to quit the Court; yet when he was come to Years he always expressed a great Satisfaction in his Removal from it, and blessed God who chose his Inheritance so much better for him.
Yet it may not be improper to observe here what was obvious as well as aimable to all who Convers'd with him; viz. that he had the most sweet and obliging air of Courtesie and Civility that could be; which some attributed in part to his early Education at Court. His Meen and Carriage was always so very decent and respectful, that it could not but win the Hearts of all he had to do with. Never was any Man further from that Rudeness and Morofeness which some Scholars, and too many that profess Religion, either wilfully affect, or carelesly allow themselves in, sometimes to the Reproach of their Profession. 'Tis one of the Laws of our Holy Religion, exemplifi'd in the Conversation of this good Man, to Honour all Men. Sanctify'd Civility is a great Ornament to Christianity. It was a saying he often us'd, Religion doth not destroy good Manners; and yet he was very far from any thing of Vanity in Apparel, or Formality of Compliment in Address, but his Conversarion was all Natural and easie to himself and others, and little appear'd in him, which a severe Critick could call Affected. This Temper of his tended very much to the adorning of the Doctrine of God our Saviour; and the general Transcript of such an excellent Copy, would do much towards the healing of those Wounds which Religion hath received in the House of her Friends by the contrary. But to return to his Story.—
The first Latin School he went to was at St. Martin's Church, under the teaching of one Mr. Bonner. Afterwards he was removed to Battersey, where one Mr. Wells was his School master. The grateful mention which in some of his Papers he makes of these that were the Guides and Instructors of his Childhood and Youth, brings to mind that French Proverb to this purpose: To Father, Teacher, and God All-sufficient, none can render Equivolent.
But in the Year 1643. when he was about Twelve Years old, he was admitted into Westminster-School, in the Fourth Form, under Mr. Thomas Vincent then Usher, whom he would often speak of, as a most able diligent School-master; and one who grieved so much at the Dulness and Non-proficiency of any of his Scholars, that falling into a Consumption, I have heard Mr. Henry say of him, that he even killed himself with false Latin.
A while after he was taken into the upper School, under Mr. Richard Busby (afterwards Dr. Busby) and in October, 1645. he was admitted King's Scholar, and was first of the Election, partly by his own Merit, and partly by the Interest of the Earl of Pembroke.
Here he profited greatly in School-Learning, and all his Days retained his Improvements therein to admiration. When he was in Years, he would readily in Discourse quote Passages out of the Classic Authors that were not common, and had them ad unguem, and yet rarely us'd any such things in his Preaching, (though sometimes (if very apposite) he inserted them in his Notes.) He was very ready and exact in the Greek Accents, the Quantities of Words, and all the several kinds of Latin Verse; and often pressed it upon young Scholars in the midst of their University Learning, not to forget their School-Authors.
Here and before his usual Recreation at vacant times, was either reading the printed accounts of Publick Occurrences, or attending the Courts at Westminster-hall, to hear the Trials and Arguments there, which I have heard him say, he hath often done to the loss of his Dinner, and oftner of his Play.
But Paulo major a canamus—Soon after those unhappy Wars begun, there was a daily Morning Lecture set up at the Abby-Church, between Six and eight of the Clock, and Preached by Seven worthy Members of the Assembly of Divines in Course, viz. Mr. Marshal, Mr. Palmer, Mr. Herl, Dr. Staunton, Mr. Nye, Mr. Whitaker, and Mr. Hill. It was the Request of his pious Mother to Mr. Busby, that he would give her Son leave to attend that Lecture daily, which he did, not abating any thing of his School-Exercise, in which he kept pace with the rest; but only dispensing with his absence for that Hour: And the Lord was pleas'd to make good Impressions on his Soul, by the Sermons he heard there. His Mother also took him with her every Thursday to Mr. Case's Lecture at St. Martins. On the Lord's Days he sat under the powerful Ministry of Mr. Stephen Marshal in the Morning at New Chappel, in the Afternoon at St. Margarets Westminster (which was their Parish Church) in the former place Mr. Marshal Preached long from Phil. 2. 5, 6, &c. in the latter from Ioh. 8. 36. of our Freedom by Christ. This Minister, and this Ministry, he would to his last, speak of with great Respect, and Thankfulness to God, as that by which he was through Grace, in the beginning of his Days begotten agāin to a lively hope. I have heard him speak of it, as the saying of some wise Men at that time, That if all the Presbyterians had been like Mr. Stephen Marshal, and all the Independents like Mr. Ieremiah Burroughs, and all the Episcopal Men like Arch-bishop Usher, the Breaches of the Church would soon have been heal'd. He also attended constantly upon the Monthly Fasts at St. Margarets, where the best and ablest Ministers of England Preached before the then House of Commons; and the Service of the Day was carried on with great strictness and Solemnity, from Eight in the Morning till Four in the Evening. It was his constant Practice from Eleven or Twelve Years old to write (as he could) all the Sermons he heard, which he kept very carefully, Transcribed many of them fair over after, and notwithstanding his many Removes, they are yet forthcoming.
At these monthly Fa…s, (as he himself hath Recorded it) he had often Sweet Meltings of Soul in Prayer, and Con…ession of Sin, (particularly once with special Remark, when Mr. William Bridg of Yarmouth Prayed) and many warm and lively Truths came home to his Heart, and he daily increased in that Wisdom and Knowledge which is to Salvation. Read his Reflections upon this, which he wrote many Years after: If ever any Child (saith he) such as I then was, between the Tenth and Fifteenth year of my Age, enjoy'd Line upon Line, Precept upon Precept, I did. And was it in vain? I trust not altogether in vain. My Soul rejoyceth and is glad at the remembrance of it; the word distilled as the Dew, and Dropt as the Rain: I lov'd it, and lov'd the Messengers of it, their very Feet were beautiful to me. And, Lord, what a Mercy was it, that at a time when the poor Countries were laid waste, when the noise of Drums and Trumpets, and the clattering of Arms was heard there, and the way to Sion Mourn'd, that then my Lot should be where there was Peace and Quietness, where the voice of the Turtle was heard, and there was great plenty of Gospel Opportunities! Bless the Lord, O my Soul, as long as I live, I will bless the Lord, I will praise my God while I have my Being. Had it been only the restraint that it laid upon me, whereby I was kept from the common Sins of other Children and Youths; such as Cursing, Swearing, Sabbath breaking and the like; I were bound to be very Thankful: But that it prevailed through Grace, effectually to bring me to God, How much am I indebted, and what shall I render!
Thus you see how the Dewes of Heaven sof…ned his Heart by degrees.—From these early Experiences of his own
1. He would blame those who laid so much stress on Peoples knowing the exact time of their Conversion, which he thought was with many not possible to do. Who can so soon be aware of the Day-break, or of the springing up of the Seed Sown? The Work of Grace is better known in its Effects than in its Causes.
He would sometimes illustrate this by that saying of the blind Man to the Pharisees, who were so Critical in Examining the Recovery of his Sight: This and 'tother I know not concerning it, but This one thing I know, that whereas I was Blind, now I see, Ioh. 9. 25.
2. He would bear his Testimony to the comfort and benefit of early Piety, and recommend it to all young People, as a good thing to bear the Yoke of the Lord Iesus in Youth. He would often witness against that wicked Proverb, A young Saint an old Devil, and would have it said rather, A young Saint, an old Angel. He observ'd it concerning Obadiah (and he was a Courtier) that he feared the Lord from his Youth, 1 King. 18. 12, and it is said of him, v. 3. that he feared the Lord greatly. Those that would come to fear God greatly, must learn to fear him from their Youth. No Man did his Duty so naturally as Timothy did (Phil. 2. 20.) who from a Child knew the Holy Scriptures: He would sometimes apply to this that common saying, He that would Thrive, must rise at Five; and in dealing with young People, how earnestly would he press this upon them. I tell you You cannot begin too soon to be Religious, but you may put it off too long. Manna must be gathered early, and he that is the first must have the first. He often inculcated Eccl. 12. 1. Remember thy Creator in the Days of thy Youth, in the Original, of thy choice.
I remember a passage of his in a Lecture Sermon, in the Year 1674. which much affected many; he was preaching on that Text, Matt. 11. 30. My Yoke is easie; and after many things insisted upon, to prove the Yoke of Christ an easie Yoke, he at last appealed to the Experiences of all that had drawn in that Yoke. Call now if there be any that will answer you, and to which of the Saints will you turn? turn to which you will, and they will all agree that they have found Wisdoms ways Pleasantness, and Christ's Commandments not grievous: and (saith he) I will here witness for one, who through Grace have in some poor measure been drawing in this Yoke, now above thirty Years, and I have found it an easie Yoke, and like my Choice too well to change.
3. He would also recommend it to the care of Parents, to bring their Children betimes to publick Ordinances. He would say, that they are capable sooner than we are aware, of receiving good by them. The Scripture takes Notice more than once of the little ones in the solemn Assemblies of the Faithful, Deut. 29. 11. Ezra 10. 1. Acts 21. 5. If we lay our Children by the Pool-side, who knows but the blessed Spirit may help them in and heal them. He us'd to apply that Scripture to this, Cant. 1. 8. Those that would have Communion with Christ must not only go forth by the Footsteps of the Flock, themselves, but feed their Kids too; their Children, or other young ones that are under their Charge, beside the Shephards Tents.
4. He would also recommend to young People the practise of Writing Sermons. He himself did it not only when he was young, but continued it constantly till within a few Years before he Dyed, when the decay of his Sight obliging him to the use of Spectacles, made Writing not so ready to him as it had been. He never wrote Short-hand, but had an excellent Art of taking the Substance of a Sermon in a very plain and legible hand, and with a great deal of ease. And the Sermons he wrote he kept by him, in such Method and Order, that by the help of Indexes, which he made to them, he could readily turn to almost any Sermon that ever he heard, where he noted the Preacher, Place, and Time; and this he call'd Hearing for the Time to come. He recommended this Practise to others, as a means to engage their Attention in Hearing, and to prevent drowsiness, and to help their Memories after Hearing, when they come either to meditate upon what they have heard themselves, or to Communicate it to others; and many have had reason to bless God for his Advice and Instructions herein: He would advise People sometimes to look over the Sermon-Notes that they had written, as a ready way to revive the good Impressions of the Truths they had heard, and would blame those who made waste Paper of them; for (saith he) the day is coming when you will either thank God for them, or heartily wish you had never written them.
But it is time we return to Westminster-School, where having begun to learn Christ we left him in the Successful pursuit of other Learning, under the Eye and Care of that great Master Dr. Busby; who, on the Account of his Pregnancy and Diligence took a particular kindness to him, call'd him his Child, and would sometimes tell him he should be his Heir; and there was no Love lost betwixt them. Dr. Busby was noted for a very severe School master, especially in the beginning of his time. But Mr. Henry would say sometimes, that as in so great a School there was need of a strict Discipline, so for his own part, of the Four Years he was in the School, he never felt the weight of his Hand but once, and then (saith he in some of the Remarks of his Youth which he wrote long after) I deserv'd it: For being Monitor of the Chamber, and according to the Duty of his Place, being sent out to seek one that play'd Truant; he found him out where he had hid himself, and at his earnest Request promised to make an excuse for him, and to say, he could not find him, which (saith he in a Penitential Reflexion upon it afterwards) I wickedly did. Next Morning the Truant coming under Examination, and being ask'd whether he saw the Monitor, said, yes, he did, at which Dr. Busby was much surprized, and turned his Eye upon the Monitor, with this word, foreign; (What thou my Son) and gave him Correction, and appointed him to make a penitential Copy of Latin Verses, which when he brought he gave him Six Pence, and receiv'd him into his Favour again.
Among the Mercies of God to him in his Youth (and he would say twere well if Parents would keep an Account of those for their Children, till they come to be capable of doing it for themselves, and then to set them upon the doing of it) he hath Recorded a remarkable Deliverance he had here at Westminster-School, which was this: It was Customary there among the studious Boys, for one or two or more to sit up the former part of the Night at Study, and when they went to Bed about Midnight to call others, and they others at two or three a Clock, as they desired. His Request was to be call'd at Twelve, and being awaked, desired his Candle might be lighted, which stuck to the Beds Head; but he dropt asleep again, and the Candle fell, and burnt part of the Bed and Bolster, e're he awaked; but through God's good Providence seasonable help came in, the Fire soon quenched, and he received no harm. This gave him occasion long after to say, It is of the Lord's Mercies that we are not Consumed.
When he was at Westminster-School he was employed by Dr. Busby, as some others of the most ingenious and industrious of his Scholars were, in their reading of the Greek Authors, to Collect, by his Direction, some Materials for that Excellent Greek Grammar, which the Doctor afterwards Publish'd.
But be the School never so agreeable, Youth is desirous to Commence Man by a Removal from it. This step he took in the Sixteenth Year of his Age. It was the antient Custom of Westminster-School, that all the King's Scholars who stood Candidates for an Election to the University, were to receive the Lord's Supper the Easter before, which he did with the rest, in St. Margarets Church at Easter, 1647. and he would often speak of the great pains which Dr. Busby took with his Scholars, that were to approach to that Solemn Ordinance, for several Weeks before, at stated times; with what skill and seriousness of Application, and manifest Concern for their Souls, … …ed to them the Nature of the Ordinance, and … the work they had to do in it, and instructed them what was to be done in Preparation for it, and this he made a Business of, appointing them their Religious Exercises, instead of their School Exercises. What Success this had through the Grace of God upon young Mr. Henry (to whom the Dr. had a particular Regard) read from his own Hand. There had been Treaties (saith he) before, between my Soul and Jesus Christ, with some weak Overtures towards him; but then, then I think it was that the Match was made, the Knot tied: Then I set my self in the strength of Divine Grace, about the great Work of self-Examination, in order to Repentance; and then I repented, that is, solemnly and seriously, with some poor meltings of Soul, I confessed my Sins before God, original and actual, Judging and Condemning my self for them; and casting away from me all my Transgressions, receiving Christ Jesus the Lord, as the Lord my Righteousness, and Devoting and Dedicating my whole self absolutely and Unreservedly to his Fear and Service. After which, coming to the Ordinance, there, there I received him indeed, and he became mine, I say mine. Bless the Lord, O my Soul.
Dr. Busby's Agency under God in this blessed work, he makes a very grateful mention of in divers of his Papers: The Lord recompense it (saith he) a Thousand fold into his bosome.
I have heard him tell how much he surprized the Doctor, the first time he waited upon him after he was turn'd out by the Act of Uniformity: For when the Doctor asked him, prithee (Child) what made thee a Nonconformist, truly Sir, saith Mr. Henry, you made me one, for you taught me those things that hindred me from Conforming.
Encouraged by this Experience, I have my self (saith he in one of his Papers) taken like pains with divers others at their first Admission to the Lord's Table, and have through Grace seen the comfortable Fruits of it, both in mine own Children and … to God be Glory.
Mr. Ieremy Dyke's Book Of the Sacrament, Since well abbreviated by Mr. Faldo.I have heard him say was of great use to him at that time, in his Preparation for that Ordinance.
Thus was this great Concern happily settled before his Lanching out into the World, which through Grace he had all his Days more or less the comfort of, in an even serenity of Mind, and a peaceful Expectation of the Glory to be Revealed.
May 17. 1647. he was chosen from Westminster-School to Christ's-Church in Oxford, jure loci, with Four others, of which he had the second place. At his Election he was very much Countenanced and Smiled upon by his God-father the Earl of Pembroke, who was one of the Electors.