Williams, Ordination by presbyters seems to me more regular and conformable to Scripture, and more becoming one that disowns a prelatical power. That ordination by presbyters is though not the only valid yet the best, most scripturally regular, and, therefore, the most eligible, ordination. Henry was convinced that a plurality of presbyters constituted the best church leadership, but he was not persuaded it was the only church government taught in Scripture.
Having resolved his ordination dilemma, he wrote to some Presbyterian ministers in London who knew him well and asked them to ordain him. As he expressed who God is in his confession he showed the influence of the Westminster Standards on his thinking as he quoted from, without attribution, the Shorter Catechism , question 11, regarding providence. Why was he ordained privately? The history of Presbyterians in England was one of ups and downs generally associated with the thinking of the reigning ruler, whether monarch or lord protector.
It was a good idea always to be cautious when dissenting against the established church because rulers tend to readjust their thinking as politics ebb and flow. But the trouble was, bishops of the Church of England differed in their aggressiveness concerning enforcing edicts of the king and if they had room enough between the lines of text in an edict, they took full advantage of it by inserting their own interpretations and views.
So, not only did the Presbyterians have to deal with unpredictable monarchs, they faced the challenge of capricious prelates. Presbyterians did not know how things would work out regarding the Act of Indulgence and given their rocky history in England, it was wise to err towards caution.
Matthew Henry continued with the Chester congregation for twenty-five years during which time a church building was constructed. He was often sought to relocate and serve other pulpits, but it was not until that he accepted a call to the chapel in Hackney, London.
May 31, , Henry left for a visit to Chester to see his former congregation and friends. While on his return trip to London he became paralyzed, possibly caused by a stroke, and he had to stop in Nantwich. After just a bit over fifty years of life, Matthew Henry died June 22, He was buried in the church yard of Trinity Church, Church of England.
Henry was married twice. Before long, in January , a group of saints in Chester spurred on by rumours of greater religious freedom called the twenty five year old to be their pastor. Matthew headed first to London, where on 9 May he was ordained by six Presbyterian ministers, stating his convictions in language adapted from the Westminster Confession. His first sermon in his new charge was preached on Thursday 2 June The new pastor set to work systematically and warm-heartedly.
Each service included - alongside prayer and sung praises - both an exposition of the Scriptures and a sermon, and in this way the people were exposed repeatedly to the whole counsel of God from both Old and New Testaments. Under God's blessing, Matthew saw several new communicants joining the church every month, with thronged services. He married - despite her mother's initial opposition - a lady called Katherine Hardware in July , but his wife died of smallpox after eighteen months, leaving an infant daughter.
On 8 July he married again to Mary Warburton; their first two daughters both died in infancy. He preached widely and pastored effectively. His preaching was, in some ways, as methodical as his expounding. His first series was on the misery of the sinner, followed by one on conversion, then Christian conduct, then comforts for saints, with closing sermons to summarise the key points of the whole series.
His notes were careful, his language plain, his texts varied, his applications close and searching, his structures memorable and engaging. He was an energetic and earnest pulpit presence. During this period, Matthew also began to publish, beginning with polemical pamphlets and including a selection of psalms and hymns. His first major work was his father's biography, published in Philip died in On 12 November , Matthew started work on his written exposition of the Old Testament completed on 18 July , moving to the New Testament and reaching the end of Acts by 17 April The first volume was published in Share on twitter.
Share on linkedin. Share on pinterest. Share on email. Share on print. Buy Now. Used by permission. Shoebox Collection Week is Here! Plus Toggle navigation. Password Assistance. Email address. Share Tweet Save. Originally written in , Matthew Henry's six volume Complete Commentary provides an exhaustive look at every verse in the Bible.
Ruth 1 Ruth 2 Ruth 3 Ruth 4. Psalms
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