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

But to return: It may not be amiss to set down the Causes to which he ascribes his loss of time when he came first to the University. One was, that he was Young, too Young, and understood not the day of his opportunities, which made him afterwards advise his ⟨p. 22⟩Friends not to thrust their Children forth too soon from School to the University, though they may seem ripe, in respect of Learning, till they have discretion to manage themselves; while they are Children, What can be expected but that they should mind childish things? Another was, that coming from Westminster School, his attainments in School-learning were beyond what generally others had that came from other Schools, so that he was tempered to think there was no need for him to study much, because it was so easy to him to keep pace with others, which, he saith, was the thing that Dr. Caldecott, Chaplain to the Ea• of Pembroke, and his great Friend warned him of at his coming to Oxford. Another was That, there were two sorts of Persons his Co-temporaries, some of the New Stamp, that came in by the Visitation, and were divers of them serious pious Young Men, but of small ability, comparatively, for Learning, and those for that reason he desired not to have much fellowship with. But there were others that were of the old Spirit and way, Enemies to the Parliament, and the Reformation they made; and these were the better Scholars, but generally not the better Men. With them for a while he struck in because of their Learning, and conversed most with them, but he soon found it a snare to him, and that it took him off from the Life of Religion, and Communion with God, Elanguescere mox cepit (saith he in his Latin Narrative of his younger years,) pristinae pietatis ardour, &c. But for ever praised be the Riches of God's free Grace (saith he in another Account) that he was pleased still to keep his hold of me; and not to let me alone when I was running from him, but set his hand again the second time, (as the expression is, Isa. 11. 11.) to snatch me as a brand out of the Fire. His Recovery from this snare he would ⟨p. 23⟩call a kind of Second Conversion; so much was he affected with the preventing Grace of God in it, and sensible of a double bond to be for ever thankful, as well as of an engagement to be watchful and humble. 'Twas a saying of his, He that stumbleth and doth not fall, ets ground by his stumble.