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

When he visited his Friends, how did he lay, out himself to do them good! Being asked once (where he made a visit) to Expound and Pray, which his Friends returned him thanks for; he thus writes upon it, They cannot thank me so much for my pains, but I thank them more, and my Lord God especially, for the Opportunity. Read his Conflict with himself at this time: I own my self a Minister of Christ, yet do nothing as a Minister; What will excuse me! Is it enough for me to say, Behold, I stand in the Market place, and no Man hath hired me: And he comforts himself with this Appeal, Lord thou knowest what will I have to thy Work, public or private, if I had a Call and Opportunity; and shall this willing mind be accepted? Surely this is a Melancholy Consideration, and lays a great deal of blame somewhere, that such a Man as Mr. Henry, so well qualified with Gifts and Graces for Ministerial Work, and in the prime of his time for usefulness; so Sound and Orthodox, so Humble and Modest, so Quiet and Peaceable, so Pious and Blameless, should be so industriously thrust out of the Vineyard, as a useless and unprofitable Servant, and laid aside as a despised broken Vessel, and a Vessel in which there was no pleasure. This is a Lamentation, and shall be for a Lamentation; especially since it was not his Case alone, but the Lot of so many Hundreds of the same Character.

When he visited his Friends, how did he lay, out himself to do them good! Being asked once (where he made a visit) to Expound and Pray, which his Friends return'd him thanks for; he thus writes upon it, They cannot thank me so much for my pains, but I thank them more, and my Lord God especially, for the Opportunity. Read his Conflict with himself at this time: I own my self a Minister of Christ, yet do nothing as a Minister; What will excuse me! Is it enough for me to say, Behold, I stand in the Market place, and no Man hath hired me: And he comforts himself with this Appeal, Lord thou knowest what will I have to thy Work, publick or private, if I had a Call and Opportunity; and shall this willing mind be accepted? Surely this is a Melancholy Consideration, and lays a great deal of blame somewhere, that such a Man as Mr. Henry, so well qualified with Gifts and Graces for Ministerial Work, and in the prime of his time for usefulness; so Sound and Orthodox, so Humble and Modest, so Quiet and Peaceable, so Pious and Blameless, should be so industriously thrust out of the Vineyard, as a useless and unprofitable Servant, and laid aside as a despised broken Vessel, and a Vessel in which there was no pleasure. This is a Lamentation, and shall be for a Lamentation; especially since it was not his Case alone, but the Lot of so many Hundreds of the same Character.