Matthew Henry
His Life and Influence
Allan Harman
It is exactly 350 years since Matthew Henry was born. My edition of his world-famous Commentary on the whole Bible extends to six large volumes and was published 175 years ago. I have prized and read and quoted it for almost 60 years, but I knew little or nothing about Matthew Henry's life. Allan Harman has put the whole Christian world in his debt by researching and writing this excellent and fascinating biography of a man outstanding in scholarship, preaching, prayerfulness, godliness and faithful pastoring of the same church for twenty years. Here we learn of his home and of the great privilege of being a son of his pastor, mentor and model, Philip Henry ('He brought up his children in the fear of God, and with much tenderness', Matthew tells us). His life had many trials and sorrows personally, and he lived through a most difficult period of church history (his birth coincided with the year of the Great Ejection). But his was a life of extraordinary fruitfulness. I found the story enthralling and deeply encouraging, and I earnestly hope that the book will have the widest readership. I for one am heartily grateful to Allan Harman and Christian Focus for it.
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