ABOUT MATTHEW HENRY
Matthew Henry was born at Broad Oak, Flintshire, in October 1662, into the godly home of Philip and Katharine Henry, less than two months after his father was ejected under the Act of Uniformity from ministry in the Church of England. He had one brother, John who died at the age of six, and four sisters, Sarah (the oldest), Katharine, Eleanor, and Ann (the youngest). When three years old it is said that he could read the Bible distinctly, and he early showed a strong passion for books. He was educated primarily by his father, with the assistance of tutors.
In 1680 his father took him, aged 18, to the academy of Thomas Doolittle at Hackney, where he studied for two years under Doolittle and Thomas Vincent, until persecution forced the academy to relocate. Henry moved to the estate of Bronington, Flintshire, which he inherited from his maternal grandfather, Daniel Matthews. The next time he returned to London it was to study law, and he was admitted to Gray’s Inn in 1685.
He continued his theological study in private, and began to preach in his father’s neighbourhood in 1686. He moved to Chester the following year, and was asked to become the local minister. The penalties against dissent having been somewhat relaxed, he was privately ordained a minister in London in 1687. Returning to Chester, he began his twenty-five-year ministry of the Presbyterian congregation there. That same year, he married Katherine Hardware of Bromborough, Cheshire; she died in childbirth (James Hamilton in his Life of Matthew Henry, 1847, says it was smallpox) in February 1689, at the age of 25.
The following year, Henry married Mary Warburton, with whom he had one son, Philip, and eight daughters, three of whom died in infancy. Henry saw much success in his Chester ministry – the number of communicants was eventually 350, and a meetinghouse was built for him in Crook Lane, opened in 1700, with a gallery added in 1706. As well as his congregational work, Henry held monthly services in surrounding villages and preached to prisoners in the castle.
He began work on his famous Commentary on the Whole Bible in 1704, completing it from Genesis to Acts by his death ten years later. Several of his fellow ministers compiled the remainder of the Commentary (Romans to Revelation) primarily from Henry’s own notes and writings. While still at Chester, Henry also completed his A Method for Prayer with Scripture Expressions proper to be used under each head (an edition of which, edited by O Palmer Robertson, is published by the Trust as A Way to Pray).
As his Commentary began to be published, Henry became increasingly well-known, and was eventually prevailed upon to move to Mare Street, Hackney in London in 1712. This gave him opportunities of preaching almost every day of the week, and sometimes two or three time on the same day. It was probably in this way that he accomplished most, for his Hackney congregation was not large. He found only a hundred communicants. It was not a lively period in the history of religion anywhere, and the London churches widely shared the spiritual torpor which soon after his decease transformed the Presbyterian chapel at Chester into a Unitarian meeting-house.
Revisiting Cheshire in 1714, on Monday, June 21, Henry set out on his return to London. He was engaged to preach at Nantwich on the way. At Tarporley, his horse threw him, but he denied that he had sustained any injury. Accordingly, he preached on Proverbs 31:18; but everyone noticed that he was not so lively as usual. He was short, and afterwards very heavy and sleepy; he was soon seized with apoplexy, and at eight on the following morning he fell asleep in the Lord. He was buried in the chancel of Trinity Church, Chester.
Sourc: banneroftruth.org/us/about/banner-authors/matthew-henry/
QUOTES BY MATTHEW HENRY
THAT WHICH DOES NOT COME IN YOUR TIME
"Cast not away your confidence because God defers his performances. That which does not come in your time, will be hastened in his time, which is always the more convenient season. God will work when he pleases, how he pleases, and by what means he pleases. He is not bound to keep our time, but he will perform his word, honour our faith, and reward them that diligently seek him."
- Matthew Henry (1662-1714) Nonconformist Minister, Writer
CAST NOT AWAY YOUR CONFIDENCE
"Cast not away your confidence because God defers his performances. That which does not come in your time, will be hastened in his time, which is always the more convenient season. God will work when he pleases, how he pleases, and by what means he pleases. He is not bound to keep our time, but he will perform his word, honour our faith, and reward them that diligently seek him."
- Matthew Henry (1662-1714) Nonconformist Minister, Writer
THOSE WHO DISOBEY THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD
"Those that disobey the commandments of God do so foolishly for themselves. Sin is folly, and sinners are the greatest fools."
- Matthew Henry (1662-1714) Nonconformist Minister, Writer
WE SHALL FOR THAT REASON LOVE HOME
"If therefore our houses be houses of the Lord, we shall for that reason love home, reckoning our daily devotion the sweetest of our daily delights; and our family-worship the most valuable of our family-comforts... A church in the house will be a good legacy, nay, it will be a good inheritance, to be left to your children after you."
- Matthew Henry (1662-1714) Nonconformist Minister, Writer
IT IS A GREAT DELUSION TO IMAGINE
"We are too apt to rest in a bare profession of faith, and to think that this will save us; it is a cheap and easy religion to say, "We believe in the articles of the Christian faith;" but it is a great delusion to imagine that this is enough to bring us to heaven."
- Matthew Henry (1662-1714) Nonconformist Minister, Writer
SOME PEOPLE DO NOT LIKE TO HEAR
"Some people do not like to hear much of repentance; but I think it is so necessary that if I should die in the pulpit, I would desire to die preaching repentance, and if out of the pulpit I would desire to die practicing it."
- Matthew Henry (1662-1714) Nonconformist Minister, Writer
GRACE IS THE FREE UNDESERVED FAVOR OF GOD
"Grace is the free, undeserved goodness and favor of God to mankind."
RESULTING IN GOOD TO US IN THE END
"What we count the ills of life are often blessings in disguise, resulting in good to us in the end. Though for the present not joyous but grievous, yet, if received in a right spirit, they work out fruits of righteousness for us at last."
- Matthew Henry (1662-1714) Nonconformist Minister, Writer
THOSE THAT ARE FARTHEST FROM GOD
"It is common for those that are farthest from God, to boast themselves most of their being near to the Church."
- Matthew Henry (1662-1714) Nonconformist Minister, Writer
THEY WORK OUT FRUITS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
"What we count the ills of life are often blessings in disguise, resulting in good to us in the end. Though for the present not joyous but grievous, yet, if received in a right spirit, they work out fruits of righteousness for us at last."
- Matthew Henry (1662-1714) Nonconformist Minister, Writer
COME, AND SEE THE VICTORIES OF THE CROSS
"Come, and see the victories of the cross. Christ's wounds are thy healings, His agonies thy repose, His conflicts thy conquests, His groans thy songs, His pains thine ease, His shame thy glory, His death thy life, His sufferings thy salvation."
- Matthew Henry (1662-1714) Nonconformist Minister, Writer
UNLESS WE CONSENT TO HIM AS OUR LORD
"All the grace contained in [the Bible] is owing to Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior; and, unless we consent to Him as our Lord we cannot expect any benefit by Him as our Savior."
- Matthew Henry (1662-1714) Nonconformist Minister, Writer
THAT WHICH IS WON ILLM WILL NEVER WEAR WELL
"That which is won ill, will never wear well, for there is a curse attends it which will waste it. The same corrupt dispositions which incline men to sinful ways of getting, will incline them to the like sinful ways of spending."
- Matthew Henry (1662-1714) Nonconformist Minister, Writer
CHRIST'S WOUNDS ARE THEY HEALINGS
"Come, and see the victories of the cross. Christ's wounds are thy healings, His agonies thy repose, His conflicts thy conquests, His groans thy songs, His pains thine ease, His shame thy glory, His death thy life, His sufferings thy salvation."
- Matthew Henry (1662-1714) Nonconformist Minister, Writer
IF I SHOULD DIE IN THE PULPIT
"Some people do not like to hear much of repentance; but I think it is so necessary that if I should die in the pulpit, I would desire to die preaching repentance, and if out of the pulpit I would desire to die practicing it."
- Matthew Henry (1662-1714) Nonconformist Minister, Writer
FRUITS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR US TO LAST
"What we count the ills of life are often blessings in disguise, resulting in good to us in the end. Though for the present not joyous but grievous, yet, if received in a right spirit, they work out fruits of righteousness for us at last."
- Matthew Henry (1662-1714) Nonconformist Minister, Writer
THE ANGER OF A MEEK MAN
"The anger of a meek man is like fire struck out of steel, hard to be got out, and when it is, soon gone."
- Matthew Henry (1662-1714) Nonconformist Minister, Writer
HIS SHAME THY GLORY
"Come, and see the victories of the cross. Christ's wounds are thy healings, His agonies thy repose, His conflicts thy conquests, His groans thy songs, His pains thine ease, His shame thy glory, His death thy life, His sufferings thy salvation."
- Matthew Henry (1662-1714) Nonconformist Minister, Writer
TO WAIT ON GOD IS TO LIVE
"To wait on God is to live a life of desire toward Him, delight in Him, dependence on Him, and devotedness to Him."
- Matthew Henry (1662-1714) Nonconformist Minister, Writer
THE JOY OF THE LORD
"The joy of the Lord will arm us against the assaults of our spiritual enemies and put our mouths out of taste for those pleasures with which the tempter baits his hooks."
- Matthew Henry (1662-1714) Nonconformist Minister, Writer
YOU MAY AS SOON FIND
"You may as soon find a living man who does not breathe, as a living Christian who does not pray."
- Matthew Henry (1662-1714) Nonconformist Minister, Writer
THE SOLEMNITIES OUR FASTING
"If the solemnities of our fasting, though frequent, long, and severe, do not serve to put an edge upon devout affections, to quicken prayer, to increase Godly sorrow, and to alter the temper of our minds, and the course of our lives, for the better, they do not at all answer the intention, and God will not accept them as performed to Him."
- Matthew Henry (1662-1714) Nonconformist Minister, Writer
THE BURDEN OF RICHES
"There is a burden of care in getting riches; fear in keeping them; temptation in using them; guilt in abusing them; sorrow in losing them; and a burden of account at last to be given concerning them."
- Matthew Henry (1662-1714) Nonconformist Minister, Writer
CHRIST DIED AND LEFT A WILL
"Christ died He left a will in which He gave His soul to His Father, His body to Joseph of Arimathea, His clothes to the soldiers, and His mother to John. But to His disciples, who had left all to follow Him, He left not silver or gold, but something far better - His PEACE!"
- Matthew Henry (1662-1714) Nonconformist Minister, Writer
GOD INTENDS GREAT MERCY
"When God intends great mercy for His people, the first thing He does is set them a-praying."
- Matthew Henry (1662-1714) Nonconformist Minister, Writer
WHATEVER WE HAVE IN OUR HANDS
“Whatever we have in our hands, our care must be to keep it out of our hearts, lest it come between us and Christ.” The world puts little stock in prayer and is filled with promises to make you rich and prosperous if you put yourself first. Mary Slessor knew that “the present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” (Rom 8:18).
- Matthew Henry (1662-1714) Nonconformist Minister, Writer
HE WILL KEEP COVENANT WITH THEM
"Those that set God always before them and walk before him with all their hearts, shall find him as good as his word and better; he will both keep covenant with them and show mercy to them."
- Matthew Henry (1662-1714) Nonconformist Minister, Writer
MATTHEW HENRY BOOKS BAND SERMONS
Matthew Henry Sermon List - PDF Books
- Henry, Matthew, 1662-1714: Commentary on the Whole Bible (HTML at apostolic-churches.net)
- Henry, Matthew, 1662-1714: Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible (multiple formats at CCEL)
- Henry, Matthew, 1662-1714: A Method for Prayer (based on 1710 edition, with modernized spelling, glossary, and added prayers; c2013), ed. by Steve Kindorf (multiple formats with commentary at mrmatthewhenry.com)
- Henry, Matthew, 1662-1714: A Method For Prayer: With Scripture Expressions, Proper to be Us'd Under Each Head (second edition, with additions; London: Printed for N. Cliff and D. Jackson, 1710)
- Henry, Matthew, 1662-1714: A Method For Prayer: With Scripture Expressions, Proper to be Used Under Each Head; With Directions for Daily Communion With God; Showing How to Begin, How to Spend, and How to Close Every Day with God; To Which is Now Added A Discourse Concerning Meekness and Quietness of Spirit (Glasgow: D. McKenzie, 1834) (multiple formats at archive.org)
Source: onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/lookupname?key=Henry%2C%20Matthew%2C%201662%2D1714
Photo Credit: reatchristianlibrary.blogspot.com/2009/04/matthew-henry-1662-1714-matthew-henry.html