Preface to the Memoirs of Mrs. Ann Hulton

The favourable reception given to the Memoirs of Mrs. Savage, has induced the compiler of that volume to give publicity to the following sheets. They contain a memorial of one of the same renowned family, and are calculated, with the Divine blessing, for general edification.

It may be necessary to state, that the manuscript was written by Mrs. Hulton’s brother, the Reverend Matthew Henry, for private circulation, accompanied with a Preface by the Reverend James Owen. Mr. Henry, though strongly urged, could not be prevailed on to publish the narrative: having printed the well-known Life of his father, Mr. Philip Henry, he, according to tradition, deemed any attempt to increase the notoriety of his family inconsistent with modesty. The manuscript has, therefore, hitherto remained in obscurity.

The following extracts from the preface by Mr. Owen, (who was Mrs. Hulton’s friend)

will not, it is hoped, be unacceptable to the reader.

“The picture exhibited in the following papers is for the instruction of the mind, and not the gratifying of the sight; — it is for imitation, not for ornament. It represents the hidden man of the heart, and not the outward countenance. It is the natural delineation of the new creature, not an artificial painting.

“It was drawn for the use only of some near relations who desire the memorial of those with whom they took sweet counsel together, and walked to the house of God in company.”

Mrs. Hulton, and her sister Mrs. Radford, died within a few weeks of each other, and within little more than a year of their eminent father, Mr. Philip Henry, whose most excellent Life has been lately made public. As a star of the first magnitude shines brighter by being attended with lesser lights originally kindled by its beams, so now by their natural relation and aspect they are happily formed into a glorious constellation.

The subsequent account, which for substance is extracted out of her own papers, is a signal instance of the advantage and blessing of a religious education. She was planted in a fruitful soil, and being daily watered with the dews of heaven grew up into a tree of righteousness, which the Lord hath greatly blessed, and soon transplanted into the Paradise of God. Her early acquaintance with the divine oracles made her wise unto salvation, directed her to repeat Mary’s choice, and to regulate her conversation by that sacred volume of which she had a complete exposition, of her own writing, taken from her judicious father’s mouth in the constant and unremitted course of his family worship.

I know not whether the children were more happy in having such parents, or the parents in having such children: they travailed of them in birth again till Christ was formed in them. What by their alternate instructions, prudent conduct, heavenly example, and powerful intercessions for them, they were the hap- liv instruments of their regeneration, and beheld, with holy delight, their spiritual offspring. Happy are those parents that have their quiver full of such arrows.

This short narrative may be of use both to

young people, — to engage them in early piety;

and to parents, — to encourage them to bring

up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; for faithful is he who hath promised that such as arc trained up in the way they should go, shall not depart from it.

There is no failure on God’s part in performing the promises, but the failure is on our part in the performance of duty. Let God be true, and every man a liar. If children miscarry, parents must charge themselves, either with the neglect of due instruction, or just correction, or with a defect of prudence in conduct, exactness in conversation, strictness in oversight of them — or a tender regard to their spiritual welfare in disposing them to worldly settlements.

Some one or more of these causes usually have an influence upon their degeneracy. It is sad that worldly considerations should sway so much with many (shall I call them Christian parents?) to expose their children to almost invincible temptations, by settling them in profane and prayerless families.

A seeming comfortable disposition in this world sways more with them than the everlasting concerns of their immortal souls.

They postpone their eternal welfare to the temporal conveniences of this present life. Ye fond parents, ye go a very preposterous way to work; you would make sure of the world for them, and hope for grace; whereas you should first seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness for them, and other things will be added to them. Let piety be the chief thing in your eye in the disposal of them, if you would have them do well for this world.

How many have I known, who, by overlooking religion, and grasping at secular advantage for their children, have to their sorrow, lived to see them ruined for this, and the other world. Their spiritual welfare was what they could not promise themselves, therefore the disappointment was less, but the prejudice infinitely greater: their temporal welfare, at which they principally aimed, issued in the greater disappointment; and though the prejudice be the less it is the more afflictive because more sensibly felt, and accompanied with the guilt of being accessary to their spiritual and eternal undoing.

Let me intreat you, tender parents, for the Lord’s sake, for your own sakes, and for your children’s sakes, when you put them to callings, to place them in such families as may improve them in the high and holy calling of a Christian.

And when you dispose of them in marriage, dispose of them to such meet helps as that they may draw equally in the yoke of Christ; and if you must needs make some disagreeable allowances, let it be in the smaller things of this world, and not in the greater things of religion, lleckon that child well portioned indeed who hath chosen God for its portion. An interest in the everlasting covenant is the best inheritance you can leave them. Riches are transient and uncertain things; and the abundance of them contributes more to the miseries of a future life, than to the happiness of this.

The more you covet of this woi’ld for your children, the more difficulties you perplex their salvation with, for the Divine Author of it assures us, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.

If you desire their present and future happiness, train them up in the ways of serious piety, and settle them in religious families; for “godliness hath the promise of the life which now is, and of that which is to come!!”

J. B. WILLIAMS.

Swan Hill, Shrewsbury,
Oct. 8, 1819.