Think of the 17th-century Puritans and you might imagine a pretty dour, humourless lot. They were the ones who were "right but ridiculous" in the famous spoof history textbook, 1066 And All That.
A real historian, Thomas Babington Macaulay, wrote of their disapproval of a long-standing – and very cruel – amusement of the time, saying: "The puritan hated bear baiting, not because it gave pain to the bear, but because it gave pleasure to the spectators." Mud sticks, and in spite of their enormous contribution to the spiritual life of the Church in England, that's how we tend to think of them.
Needless to say, it isn't true. The Puritans were much less censorious and much more fun than that. However, they did want a "pure" church, purged from moral laxity and theological innovations like bishops, which they didn't believe were found in the Bible, and when King Charles II, restored to the throne after the Civil Wars and Commonwealth period, required them to sign up to episcopacy and the Prayer Book in 1662, around 2,000 of them refused. They lost their livings and many had a very difficult time. It was also a tragedy for the Church of England, which lost many of its best and brightest ministers.
One of them was a certain Philip Henry, whose son Matthew (1662-1714) was born the same year. Matthew, who like his father was to become a Presbyterian minister, produced a famous commentary on the Bible. It has been recommended by some of the greatest evangelical preachers – George Whitefield read it through four times, the last time on his knees, and CH Spurgeon stated, "Every minister ought to read it entirely and carefully through once at least."
Matthew Henry's commentary was written before modern biblical scholarship got off the ground. But it is wise, pithy, spiritual and full of insight. He was able to write simply but clearly, often with memorable turns of phrase. His work is still challenging and relevant today.
1. "The woman was made of a rib out of the side of Adam; not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved."
2. "The true Christian hero will appear in the cause of Christ, not only when it is prevailing, but when it seems to be declining; (he) will be on the right side, though it be not the rising side."
3. "As if men did not die fast enough, they are ingenious at finding out ways to destroy one another."
4. "Outward losses drive good people to their prayers, but bad people to their curses."
5. "If you take a book into your hands, be it God's book, or any other useful good book, rely on God to make it profitable to you. Do not waste time reading unprofitable books. When you read, do so not out of vain curiosity but with love for God's kingdom, compassion for human beings, and the intent to turn what you learn into prayers and praises."
6. "Such is the corruption of nature that the bad are much more likely to debauch the good than the good to reform the bad."
7. "The greater the privileges we enjoy the greater is our danger if we do not improve them and live up to them."
8. "We may suppose that some of those that perished in the deluge had themselves assisted Noah, or were employed by him, in the building of the ark, and yet were not so wise as by repentance to secure themselves a place in it. Thus wicked ministers, though they may have been instrumental to help others to heaven, will themselves be thrust down to hell."
9. "As there is a world of wicked, malicious spirits that fight against Christ and his church, and all particular believers, so there is a world of holy, blessed spirits engaged and employed for them. In reference to our war with devils, we may take abundance of comfort from our communion with angels."
10. "Men despise that which is broken, but God will not. He despised the sacrifice of torn and broken beasts, but he will not despise that of a torn and broken heart. He will not overlook it; he will not refuse or reject it; though it make God no satisfaction for the wrong done him by sin, yet he does not despise it."
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