our that he had for Mr. Henry, whom he called a friend that is nearer than a brother.

The next day being Lord's day, Mr. Owen of Oswestry preached a most excellent sermon in the morning, agreeable to that sad occasion, upon that pathetic farewell which Elisha gave to Elijah, 2 Kings ii. 12, "My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof, and he saw him no more; and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them."

In the afternon of that Sabbath, another sermon was preached by a near relation of Mr. Henry's on Heb. xi. 4, "And by it, he being dead yet speaketh."

Nor was it at home only but from abroad, that very honourable testimonies were given of him. Sir Henry Ashurst (whose great worth and usefulness the world hath been made to know, by some of the best pens of the age) besides the personal acquaintance he had with Mr. Henry, both at Borreatton and in London, had kept up a constant correspondence with him, by letter, for many years. Read the character he gave of him, in a letter to a near relation of Mr. Henry's,

upon the tidings of his death: "I need not tell you how sadly I received the doleful news of Mr. Henry's translation, who, I do think, lived the greatest example of sincere godliness, with prudence and sweetness of temper, of any I ever knew." And in another letter, not only proposing, but pressing the publication of an account of his life, he professes, he thought there was none like him in his day, at least of his acquaintance, which is known to be both of the largest and of the best: "And (says he) if Sir Fulk Grevil would have it inscribed upon his tombstone, that he was a friend to Sir Philip Sidney, I may well be pleased to have it told to the world, that I loved and honoured blessed Mr. Henry; a man of so much prudence, and withal so much sincerity, of so good a temper, so much a gentleman, and yet of such strict piety and devotedness to God, that I scarce ever knew his fellow."

Another worthy conformist, of his acquaintance, having occasion to mention him in a letter to a friend, calls him "The great, good, now glorious Mr. Henry, whose memory (says he) shall ever be precious, and even sacred to me."

Such as these were the honourable testimonies which all that knew him, and knew how to value true excellency, attended him with. It is part of the recompense of charity and moderation in this world, that it obtains a good report of all men. The kingdom of God (says the blessed apostle, Róm. xiv. 17, 18,) is not meat and drink, which were then the matters of doubtful disputation, "but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost; and he that in these things serveth Christ is not only acceptable to God, but approved of men;" as, on the contrary, they that judge will be judged, and with what measure we mete, it will be measured to us again. And this is the excellency of a good name, that it is out of the reach of death, and is not buried in the grave, but rather grows up from the grave.

It is not for nothing Solomon has joined this good name, which is better than precious ointment with the day of one's death, which upon that account is better than the day of one's birth, that it completes the character of those that finish their course well, and are faithful unto death; whereas a great name, like the names of the great ones of the earth,

is often withered and blemished by death. We read of those that "bear their shame when they go down to the pit, though they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living," Ezek. xxxii. 35.

At a meeting of the dissenting ministers of Cheshire at Knutsford, in May, 1696, (a few weeks before Mr. Henry died) it was agreed, that their next meeting should be at Chester (though inconvenient to many of them) upon condition that he would meet them there, and give them a sermon. It was with much difficulty that he was prevailed with to promise it, but his Master called for him before the time appointed came. Mr. Flavel of Devonshire died when he was under a like appointment. But happy they that are come to the "General assembly, and church of the first born, and to the spirits of just men made perfect."

As to his bodily presence, he was of a middle stature, his complexion not approaching to any extreme, of a very pleasant aspect, and an unusual mixture of gravity and sweetness in the air of his countenance, which was the true index of his mind. When some of his friends have solicited him to have his pic

ture drawn, he would put them off with this, that "the best picture of a minister is in the hearts of his people."

CHAPTER X.

A miscellaneous collection of some of his sayings, observations, counsels and comforts, out of his sermons, letters and discourses.

MR. Henry, through the excess of his modesty and self diffidence, never published any of his labours to the world, nor ever fitted or prepared any of them for the press; and yet none more valued the labours of others, or rejoiced more in them; nor have I heard any complain less of the multitude of good books, concerning which he often said, that store is no sore, and he was very forward to persuade others to publish; and always expressed a particular pleasure in reading the lives, actions, and sayings of eminent men, ancient and modern, which he thought the most useful and instructive kind of writings. He was also a very candid reader of books, not apt to pick quarrels, with what he read, especially when the design appeared to be honest, and