An account of the life and death of Mr. Philip Henry, minister of the…

He also took pains with them, to lead them into the Understanding of it, and to persuade them to a free and cheerful Consent to it. And when they grew up, he made them all write it over severally with their own Hands, and very solemnly set their Names to it, which he told them he would keep by him, and it should be produced as a Testimony against them, in Case they should afterwards depart from God, and turn from following after him.

He also took pains with them, to lead them into the Understanding of it, and to perswade them to a free and cheerful Consent to it. And when they grew up, he made them all write it over severally with their own Hands, and very solemnly set their Names to it, which he told them he would keep by him, and it should be produced as a Testimony against them, in Case they should afterwards depart from God, and turn from following after him.

He was careful to bring his Children betimes (when they were about Sixteen Years of Age,) to the Ordinance of the Lord's Supper, to take the Covenant of God upon themselves, and to make their Dedication to God their own Act and Deed; and a great deal of pains he took with them, to prepare them for that great Ordinance, and so to transmit them into the State of adult Church-membership: And he would often blame Parents, who would think themselves undone if they had not their Children baptized, and yet took no care when they grew up and made a profession of the Christian Religion, to persuade them to the Lord's Supper. 'Tis true (he would say) Buds and Blossoms are not fruit but they give hopes of fruit, and Parents may and ⟨p. 91⟩should take hold of the good beginning of Grace which they see in their Children, by those to bind them so much the closer to, and lead them so much the faster in the way that is called Holy. By this solemn engagement the Door with stood half-open before, and invited the Thief, is shut and bolted against Temptation. And to those who pleaded that they were not fit, he would say, that the further they went into the World the less sit they would be. Qui non est bodie cras minus aptus erit. Not that Children should be compelled to it, nor those that are wilfully ignorant, untoward and perverse, admitted to it, but those Children that are hopeful and well inclined to the things of God, and appear to be concerned in other Duties, of Religion, when they begin to put away childish things, should be incited and encouraged and persuaded to this, that the matter may be brought to an Issue. Nay, but we will serve the Lord; Fast bind, fast find. Abundant Thanks-givings have been rendered to God by many of his Friends for his Advice and assistance herein.