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

Such as desired to be admitted to the Lord's Supper, he first discoursed with concerning their Spiritual State; and how the Case stood between God and their Souls, not only to examine them, but to instruct and teach them, and to encourage them as he saw occasion; gently leading those whom he discerned to be serious, though weak and timorous: He usually discoursed with them more than once, as finding Precept upon Precept, and Line upon Line necessary: but he did it with so much Mildness and Humility, and tenderness, and endeavour to make the best of every body, as did greatly affect and win upon many. He was herein like our Great Master, who can have compassion on the ignorant, and doth not despise the day of small things.

Such as desir'd to be admitted to the Lord's Supper, he first discoursed with concerning their Spiritual State; and how the Case stood between God and their Souls, not only to examine them, but to instruct and teach them, and to encourage them as he saw occasion; gently leading those whom he discern'd to be serious, though weak and timorous: He usually discoursed with them more than once, as finding Precept upon Precept, and Line upon Line necessary: but he did it with so much Mildness and Humility, and tenderness, and endeavour to make the best of every body, as did greatly affect and win upon many. He was herein like our Great Master, who can have compassion on the ignorant, and doth not despise the day of small things.

But his admission of young People, out of the rank of Catechumens into that of Communicants, had a peculiar solemnity in it. Such as he Catechized, when they grew up to some Years of discretion, if he observed them to be intelligent and serious, and to set their Faces Heaven-wards; he marked them out to be admitted to the Lord's Supper; and when he had a competent number of such, twelve or fifteen perhaps, or more; he ordered each of them to come to him severally, and discoursed with them of the things belonging to their Everlasting Peace; put it to their choice whom they would serve; and endeavoured to affect them with those things with which by their ⟨p. 180⟩Catechisms they had been made acquainted; drawing them with the Cords of a Man, and the bands of Love, into the way which is called Holy. For several Lord's days he Catechized them, particularly in Public, touching the Lord's Supper, and the Duty of Preparation for it, and their Baptismal Covenant, which in that Ordinance they were to take upon themselves, and to make their own Act and Deed. Often telling them upon such occasions, that they were not to oblige themselves to any more than what they were already obliged to by their Baptism, only to bind themselves faster to it. Then he appointed a day in the Week before the Ordinance; when in a solemn Assembly on purpose, he prayed for them, and preached a Sermon to them, proper to their Age and Circumstances; and so the following Sabbath they were all received together to the Lord's Supper. This he looked upon as the right Confirmation, or Transition into the State of adult Church membership. The more solemn our Covenanting with God is, the more deep and the more durable the impressions of it are likely to be. He hath Recorded it in his Diary, upon one of these occasions, as his Hearts desire and prayer for those who were thus admitted; That it might be as the day of their Espousals to the Lord Jesus, and that they might each of them have a Wedding Garment.