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

And on March 25. the day when that Act took place, he thus writes. A sad day among poor Ministers up and down this Nation; who by this Act of Restraint are forced to remove from among their Friends, Acquaintance, and Relations, and to sojourn among strangers, as it were in Mesech, and in the Tents of Kedar. But there is a God who tells their wanderings, and will put their Tears, and the Tears of their Wives, and Children into his Bottle, are they not in his Book? The Lord be a little Sanctuary to them, and a place of Refuge, from the Storm, and from the Tempest, and pity those Places, from which they are ejected, and come and dwell where they may not.

And on March 25. the day when that Act took place, he thus writes. A sad day among poor Ministers up and down this Nation; who by this Act of Restraint are forced to remove from among their Friends, Acquaintance, and Relations, and to sojurn among strangers, as it were in Mesech, and in the Tents of Kedar. But there is a God who tells their wandrings, and will put their Tears, and the Tears of their Wives, and Children into his Bottle, are they not in his Book? The Lord be a little Sanctuary to them, and a place of Refuge, from the Storm, and from the Tempest, and pity those Places, from which they are ejected, and come and dwell where they may not.

He wished their Removes might not be figurative of Evil to these Nations, as Ezekiel's were, Ezek. 12. 1. 2. 3. This severe Dispensation forced Mr. Steel, and his Family from Hanmer, and so he lost the comfort of his Neighbourhood; but withal it drew Mr. Laurence from Baschurch to Whitchurch Parish, where he continued till he was driven thence too.

Mr. Henry's house at Broad O•k was but four reputed Miles from the utmost Limits of Worthenbury Parish, but he got it measured, and accounting 1760 Yards to a Mile (according to the Statute 35 Eliz. cap. 6.) it was found to be just five Miles and threescore Yards, which one would think might have been his Security: but there were those near him who were ready to stretch such Laws to the utmost rigour, under Pretence of construing them in Favour of the King, and therefore would have it to be understood of reputed Miles: this obliged him for some time to leave his Family, and to sojourn among his Friends, to whom he endeavoured wherever he came to impart some Spiritual Gift. At last he ventured home, presuming among other things, that the Warrant by which he was made Collector of the Royal Aid, while that continued, would secure him, according to a Promise in the last Clause of the Act, which when the Gentlemen perceived, they discharged him from that Office, before he had served out the Time.