LIFE OF REV. PHILIP HENRY.

THE subject of this memoir was born at Whitehall, in Westminster, on the 24th of August, 1631.

His father's name was John Henry, the son of Henry Williams, in Glamorganshire, Wales. According to an old custom in Wales, now nearly laid aside, the father's Christian name became the surname of the son. His mother was Mrs. Magdalen Rochdale of the parish of St. Martin's,-in-theFields. She was a woman of piety and discretion, and feared God above many. Though her husband had his employment about the court, being first one of the Earl of Pembroke's gentlemen, and afterwards page to the duke of York; yet she was altogether dead to the pleasures of the court, though

she lived in the midst of them.

She looked well to the ways of her household, prayed with them daily, catechized her children, and taught them the good knowledge of the Lord, betimes. Mr. Henry has been heard. to say, that he learned Mr. Perkin's "Six Principles," when he was very young; and he often mentioned with great thankfulness to God, his great happiness in having such a mother, who was to him as Lois and Eunice 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. This excellent woman died of a consumption, the 6th of March, 1645; leaving behind her, an only son, and five daughters. A little before she died, she said, "My head is in heaven and my heart is in heaven; and it is but one step more, and I shall be there also."

While a child, he was often the companion and playmate of the young princes, and they were often with him at his father's house; and they would frequently speak to him of the great preferment which they intended for

him, when he was fit for it. And he kept a book to his dying day, which was given to him by the Duke of York. Archbishop Laud also, took a particular liking to the boy, because he was very officious to attend at the water-gate, and let him through, when he returned late from council; for this was a part of his father's charge. But all his early prospects of court preferment, were blasted, by the breaking up of the court, in 1641; and when he was led at any time to speak of these matters, he was wont 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. And though it was not like Moses, a 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 a removal from it, and blessed God who chose his inheritance so much better for him, than he would have been likely to do for himself. It seems, however, that he derived some exterior advantages, from his early intercourse with the court; for it was observable to all who conversed with him, that he had a most sweet and obliging

air of courtesy; his mein and carriage were always so very decent and respectful, that it could not but win the hearts of all who were conversant with him. Never was any man further from that rudeness and moroseness, which some scholars, and too many that profess religion, either affect, or carelessly fall into, to the reproach of their profession. It was one of his rules to "honour all men." Sanctified civility is a great ornament to Christianity. It was with him a proverbial saying, "religion does not destroy good manners." Yet he was far from any thing of vanity in his apparel, or formality of compliment in his address. His conversation was all natural and easy to himself, and others, and nothing appeared in him, which ever a sincere critic could justly call affected. This temper of his, tended very much to the adorning the doctrine of God our Saviour; and the general imitation of such an example would do much towards the healing of those wounds which religion has received in the house of her friends, by a contrary conduct.

His first Latin teacher was, a Mr. Bonner, at St. Martin's church. Afterwards, he was removed to Battersea, where he had for his

instructor, a Mr. Wells. In his papers, frequent mention is found of his grateful recollections of the benefits derived from his teachers, which may suggest to us that weighty French proverb, "To father, teacher, and God all-sufficient, none can render equivalent."

In the year 1643, he was admitted into Westminster school, and was under the tuition of Mr. Thomas Vincent, then usher, of whom he always spoke in the highest terms of commendation, as a most able, diligent school-master. After a while, he was taken into the upper school, and was there under the instruction of the celebrated Richard Busby, afterwards Dr. Busby; and in 1645, he was admitted King's scholar, partly in consequence of merit, and partly through the favour of the Earl of Pembroke. Here his progress in classical learning was great, for which he retained his taste even to the latest period of his life.

When the civil war commenced, he attended frequently, a lecture set up in the Abbey church, between six and eight in the morning. The preachers were seven of the most distinguished members of the assembly of