A26780:239
An account of the life and death of Mr. Philip Henry, minister of the…
An account of the life and death of Mr. Philip Henry, minister of the gospel near Whitechurch in Shropshire, who died June 24, 1696, in the sixty fifth year of his ageAn account of the life and death of Mr. Philip Henry, minister of the gospel near Whitechurch in Shropshire, who dy'd June 24, 1696, in the sixty fifth year of his age
London: printed for Tho. Parkhurst, 1698
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
In November 1660. he took the Oath of Allegiance at Orton, before Sir Thomas Hanmer, and two other Justices, of which he hath left a Memorandum in his Diary, with this added, God so help me, as I purpose in my Heart to do accordingly: Nor could any more Conscientiously observe that Oath of God than he did, nor more sincerely promote the Ends of it.
That Year (according to an Agreement with some of his Brethren in the Ministry, who hoped thereby to oblige some People) he Preached upon Christmas-day. The Sabbath before it happened that the 23d Chapter of Leviticus (which treats entirely of the Jewish Feasts, called there the Feasts of the Lord) came in course to be Expounded, which gave him occasion to distinguish of Feasts into Divine and Ecclesiastical; the Divine Feasts that the Jews had were those there appointed; their Ecclesiastical Feasts were those of Purim and of Dedication: and in the Application of it he said, He knew no Divine Feast we have under the Gospel but the Lord's Day, intended for the Commemoration of the whole Mercy of our Redemption. And the most that could be said for Christmas was, that it is an Ecclesiastical Feast; and it is questionable with some, whether Church or State, though they might make a good Day, Esth. 9. 19. could make a Holy Day: Nevertheless, forasmuch as we find our Lord Jesus (Joh. 10. 22.) so far complying with the Church Feast of Dedication, as to take occasion from the Peoples coming together to Preach to them, he purposed to Preach upon Christmas-day, knowing it to be his Duty in Season and out of Season. He Preached on 1 Joh. 3. 8. For this purpose was ⟨p. 98⟩the Son of God manifested, that he might destroy the Works of the Devil. And he minded his People, that it is double dishonour to Jesus Christ, to practise the Works of the Devil, then when we keep a Feast in Memory of his Manifestation.