What an attractive little piece of church history. A superb manuscript letter from the famous puritan commentator, Matthew Henry, to his father, one of the saintliest of the puritans himself. It is no wonder he raised such a warm, Christ-loving, devotionally rich son. And here is a letter announcing the gift of godliness to the next generation in the Henry family!
"Chester, April 12, 1691.
Honor'd Sir,
Having had the help of your prayers this comes to beg the help of your praises; about 8 o clock ye evening my dear wife, through God's goodness, was safely deliver'd of a daughter. Her pains began yester-morning, but she continued in them and went about all yesterday, they not being violent. They disturbed her much last night, but this morning she fell to it in good earnest and hath had a bad day; for four hours before she was deliver'd she was in very great extremity, insomuch that ye life either of mother or baby was despair'd of. But God hath deliver'd us from our fears, and she is now much better than she was expected, though ****** faintly. If you could contrive to be here next Thursday to admit my little one a member of the visible Church I should be glad; but I leave it to you, only I intreat you to stay with us as long as you can. I have promis'd to be at ********* on Tuesday and I think I shall perform if the Lord will. My affectionate duty to you & my dear mother, begging ye continuance of your prayers, & ye adoption of my new little one into **** The child is a very fine child, much bigger than any of us expected. My wife sends her duty to you with ye little strength she hath.
Yr ever dutiful son
MHenry"
Neatly mounted and in a very fine state of preservation with remains of original wax seal. An absolute gem.