HENRY

HENRY, Matthew, an eminent dissenting minister and author, was the son of the former, and was born

in the year 1662. He continued under his father's care till he was 18 years of age; in which time he became well skilled in the learned languages, especially in the Hebrew, which his father had rendered familiar to him from his childhood; and from first to last the study of the Scriptures was his most delightful employment. He completed his education in an academy kept at Ilkington by Mr Doolittle, and was afterwards entered in Gray's Inn for the study of the law; where he became well acquainted with the civil and municipal law of his own country, and from his application and great abilities it was thought he would have become very eminent in that profession. But at length, resolving to devote his life to the study of divinity, in 1685 he retired into the country, and was chosen pastor of a congregation at Chester, where he lived about 25 years, greatly esteemed and beloved by his people. He had several calls from London, which he constantly declined; but was at last prevailed upon to accept an unanimous invitation from a congregation at Hackney. He wrote, 1. Expositions of the Bible, in 5 vols. folio. 2. The life of Mr Philip Henry. 3. Directions for daily communion with God. 4. A method for prayer. 5. Four discourses against vice and immorality. 6. The communicant's companion. 7. Family hymns. 8. A scriptural catechism. And 9. A discourse concerning the nature of schism. He died of an apoplexy at Nantwich, when upon a journey, in 1714; and was interred at Trinity-church in Chester.