MHCC 52: Why Was Eve Formed From Adam's Rib?

In the famous Commentary of Matthew Henry, we find a beautiful summary of why woman was created in the Garden of Eden from the rib of Adam rather than from the earth like Adam was. 

“ 4. That 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. Adam lost a rib, and without any diminution to his strength or comeliness (for, doubtless, the flesh was closed without a scar); but in lieu thereof he had a help meet for him, which abundantly made up his loss: what God takes away from his people he will, one way or other, restore with advantage. In this (as in many other things) Adam was a figure of him that was to come; for out of the side of Christ, the second Adam, his spouse the church was formed, when he slept the sleep, the deep sleep, of death upon the cross, in order to which his side was opened, and there came out blood and water, blood to purchase his church and water to purify it to himself. See Eph. v. 25, 26.” – Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary Upon the Whole Bible (1708-1710, 1991, 2006), p. 10 (Gen. 2.21)

This quote, often-repeated, highlights the companionship that God intended for husband and wife. As Henry no doubt would acknowledge, this understanding of the relationship between man and wife was not unique to him. As it turns out (here I wish to thank Adam Brink for highlighting this point) there is a long theological pedigree to this idea which predates Matthew Henry by centuries. In this blog post, I will provide citations to other theologians who have made this very point. This list may not be complete (allusions to this idea may be found in Augustine and earlier), but it shows a trajectory of thought which is historically intriguing, at least to this researcher, and each contribution along the way has its own particular and profound eloquence.

“Adam lost a rib, but he got a better thing instead of it, even a help meet for him. Thus God uses to deal with his children: they lose sometimes some of their creature-comforts; but then perhaps they get more of the Creator’s comforts, and that’s a blessed exchange. This bone was taken out of Adam’s side, fitly noting the woman’s place: not out of his head, to be above him; nor out of his feet, to be trampled on by him; nor from before him, as his better; nor from behind him, as his servant; -- but out of his side, to be equal with him; near his heart, for he owes her love; under his arm, for he owes her protection. Surely they forget from whence the woman was taken, that carry themselves haughtily and abusively towards their wives.” – Philip Henry (1631-1696), An Exposition…Upon the First Eleven Chapters of Genesis (1682, 1839), p. 56 (Gen. 2.21) * This commentary by Matthew Henry’s father was written by the hand of Matthew Henry in 1682.

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 “The woman was taken out of this part, not out of the higher or lower parts, to show that she is neither to be her husband’s mistress, to usurp authority over him, 1 Tim. ii.12; nor yet to be his slave, to be abused, despised, or trampled under his feet; but to be kindly treated, and used like a companion, with moderation, respect, and affection.” – Matthew Poole (1624-1679), “Annotations Upon the Holy Bible” (1683-1685), Vol. 1, p. 7 (Gen. 2.21). * “One fact is certain from internal evidence, that Mr. Henry wrote his Commentary on the Old and New Testaments, with the learned compilation of Poole, called Criticorum Synopsis, open before him; as, in all difficult passages, he has judiciously selected that opinion from the many presented in this work, which, upon the whole, seems to be most probable.” – Archibald Alexander, Preface to Matthew Henry’s Commentary

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“To honour marriage more yet, or rather to teach the married how to honour one another, it is said that the wife was made of the husband's rib, Gen. ii.22; not of his head, for Paul calleth the husband the wife's head, Ephes. v. 23; not of the foot, for he must not set her at his foot. The servant is appointed to serve, and the wife to help. If she must not match with the head, nor stoop at the foot, where shall he set her then? He must set her at his heart, therefore she which should lie in his bosom was made in his bosom, and should be as close to him as his rib, of which she was fashioned.” – Henry Smith (1560-1591), A Preparative to Marriage (1591), p. 8

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"It was right for the woman to be made from a rib of man. First, to signify the social union of man and woman, for the woman should neither "use authority over man," and so she was not made from his head; nor was it right for her to be subject to man's contempt as his slave, and so she was not made from his feet." -- Thomas Aquinas (c. 1225–1274), Summa Theologiae (1265–1274, 1485), Pars Prima, Quest. 92, Art. 3 * Thomas Aquinas wrote a commentary on Peter Lombard’s Sentences.

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“It is not good for man to be alone; let us make him a help like unto himself” – “‘like unto himself’ – this corresponds to equivalence. By this is indicated that the woman must be the equal of the man, or his companion, not under him and not above him. Also, the woman was made from man’s rib, not from the upper part or from the lower, but from the middle, that by it might be designated that woman must be man’s equal.” – Robert of Sorbon (1201-1274), De Matrimonio (Of Marriage) (c. 1260-1270) on Gen. 2.18

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“WHY WOMAN WAS FORMED FROM THE MAN’S SIDE AND NOT FROM SOME OTHER PART OF HIS BODY. But although woman was made from man for these reasons, nevertheless she was formed not from just any part of his body, but from his side, so that it should be shown that she was created for the partnership of love, lest, if perhaps she had been made from his head, she should be perceived as set over man in domination; or if from his feet, as if subject to him in servitude. Therefore, since she was made neither to dominate, nor to serve the man, but as his partner, she had to be produced neither from his head, nor from his feet, but from his side, so that he would know that she was to be placed beside himself whom he had learned had been taken from his side.” -- Peter Lombard (1100-1160), Libri Quatuor Sententiarum (Sentences) (c. 1150), Bk. 2, Distinction 18, Ch. 2 (see also 3.18.3; 4.28.3.2; 4.28.4) * Peter Lombard was a pupil of Hugh of St. Victor.

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“XXXV. Why woman was made from man, and why from the side.

But afterwards as a help to generation woman was made from man himself, since, if she had been made from another source, surely the beginning of all men would not have been one. Now she was made from the side of man that it might be shown that she was created for association in love, lest perhaps, if she had been made from the head, she would seem to be preferred to man unto damnation, or, if from the feet, to be subject unto slavery. Since, therefore, she was furnished to man neither as a mistress nor a handmaid but as a companion, she had to be produced neither from the head nor from the feet but from the side, in order that he might realize that she was to be placed beside him, whom he learned had been taken from his very side.” -- Hugh of St. Victor (c. 1096-1141), De Sacramentis (Sacraments of the Christian Faith) (c. 1134), Book I, Part VI, Sec. 35

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“[God took one] of the ribs. Why was the woman formed from a rib? For if she were formed from his foot or hand or some other part she would stand in shame before him. Another interpretation is that it shows the greatest love, for the rib is, after all, closest to the heart, as it is said: the rib is the guardian of the heart.” – Anonymous (Irish), Commemoratio Geneseos (8^th Century)

MHCC 51: Brown Bread and the Gospel

Matthew Henry on Isa. 30.19-20:

It was a common saying among the old Puritans, Brown bread and the gospel are good fare.

The Worthy Sayings of Old Mr. [John] Dod, p. 32:

Brown bread with the Gospel is good fare.

Old Mr. Dod's Sayings, p. 16:

Though we have things below, very rare / Yet brown bread with the Gospel is good fare.

Robert Leighton, Exposition of the Lord's Prayer, in Works, Vol. 4, p. 91:

Though he hath no more of the world but daily bread, and of the coarsest sort, he hath a continual feast within, as he that said, Brown bread and the gospel is good fare.

John Spencer, Things New and Old, Vol. 1, p. 20:

Brown bread and the Gospel (said Mr. [Richard] Greenham), is good cheer; and indeed, brown bread, and the blessing of God, is a rich banquet.

MHCC 50: Inspiration for Charles Wesley

Thomas Jackson, The Life of Charles Wesley, Vol. 2, pp. 200-202:

Few persons would think of going to the verbose Commentary of Matthew Henry for the elements of poetry; but the genius of Charles Wesley, like the fabled philosopher's stone, could turn everything to gold. Some of his eminently beautiful hymns, strange as it may appear, are poetic versions of Henry's expository notes. One specimen may be given. The Commentator, explaining the name of God, as it was given to Moses, and recorded in Exodus xxxiv. 6, 7, says, --

"(1.) He is merciful. This bespeaks his tender compassion, like that of a father to his children. This is put first, because it is the first wheel in all the instances of God's good-will to fallen man, whose misery makes him an object of pity, Judg. x. 16; Isa. lxiii. 9. Let us not then have either hard thoughts of God or hard hearts towards our brethren. (2.) He is gracious. This bespeaks both freeness and kindness; it intimates not only that he has a compassion to his creatures, but a complacency in them and in doing good to them, and this of his own good-will, and not for the sake of any thing in them. His mercy is grace, free grace; this teaches us to be not only pitiful, but courteous, 1 Pet. iii. 8. (3.) He is long-suffering. This is a branch of God's goodness which the wickedness of sinners gives occasion for; that of Israel had done so: they had tried his patience, and experienced it. He is long-suffering, that is, he is slow to anger, and delays the execution of his justice; he waits to be gracious, and lengthens out the offers of his mercy. (4.) He is abundant in goodness and truth. This bespeaks plentiful goodness, goodness abounding above our deserts, above our conception and expression. The springs of mercy are always full, the streams of mercy always flowing; there is mercy enough in God, enough for all, enough for each, enough for ever. It bespeaks promised goodness, goodness and truth put together, goodness engaged by promise, and his faithfulness pledged for the security of it. He not only does good, but by his promise he raises our expectation of it, and even binds himself to show mercy. (5.) He keepeth mercy for thousands. This denotes, [1.] Mercy extended to thousands of persons. When he gives to some, still he keeps for others, and is never exhausted; he has mercy enough for all the thousands of Israel, when they shall multiply as the sand. [2.] Mercy entailed upon thousands of generations, even those upon whom the ends of the world have come; nay, the line of it is drawn parallel with that of eternity itself. (6.) He for giveth iniquity, transgression, and sin. Pardoning mercy is specified, because in this divine grace is most magnified, and because in this divine grace is most magnified, and because it is this which opens the door to all other gifts of his divine grace, and because of this he had lately given a very pregnant proof. He forgives offences of all sorts—iniquity, transgression, and sin, multiplies his pardons; and with him is plenteous redemption."

The valuable sentiments thus expressed in humble prose Mr. Charles Wesley embodies in elegant and energetic verse. He sings in the full exercise of faith, and of adoring gratitude; and millions of hearts and voices still unite in the same hallowed strain: --

Merciful God, thyself proclaim
In this polluted breast;
Mercy is thy distinguish'd name,
Which suits a sinner best:
Our misery doth for pity call,
Our sin implores thy grace;
And thou art merciful to all
Our lost, apostate race.

Thy causeless, unexhausted love,
Unmerited and free,
Delights our evil to remove,
And help our misery:
Thou waitest to be gracious still,
Thou dost with sinners bear,
That saved we may thy goodness feel,
And all thy grace declare.

Thy goodness and thy truth to me,
To every soul, abound,
A vast, unfathomable sea,
Where all our thoughts are drown'd:
Its streams the whole creation reach,
So plenteous is the store,
Enough for all, enough for each,
Enough for evermore.

Faithful, O Lord, thy mercies are,
A rock that cannot move;
A thousand promises declare
Thy constancy of love:
Throughout the universe it reigns,
Unalterably sure;
And while the truth of God remains,
The goodness must endure.

Reserves of unexhausted grace
Are treasured up in thee,
For myriads of the fallen race,
For all mankind, and me.
The flowing stream continues full,
Till time its course hath run;
And while eternal ages roll
Thy mercy shall flow on.

Merciful God, long-suffering, kind,
To me thy name is show'd;
But sinners most exult to find,
Thou art a pardoning God.
Our sins in deed, and word, and thought,
Thou freely dost forgive;
For us thou by thy blood hast bought,
And died that I might live.

Erik Routley & Paul Akers Richardson, A Panorama of Christian Hymnody, p. 69:

71 A Charge to Keep I Have

A charge to keep I have,
a God to glorify,
a never-dying soul to save
and fit it for the sky;
to serve the present age,
my calling to fulfill:
O may it all my powers engage
to do my Master's will.

Arm me with jealous care
as in thy sight to live,
and O! thy servant, Lord, prepare
a strict account to give.
Help me to watch and pray,
and on thyself rely,
assured, if I my trust betray,
I shall for ever die.

Charles Wesley
Short Hymns on Select Passages of Scripture, 1762
based on Matthew Henry's Commentary, 1700, Leviticus 8:35:

We have every one of us a charge to keep, an eternal God to glorify, an immortal soul to provide for, needful duty to be done, our generation to serve; and it must be our daily care to keep this charge, for it is the charge of the Lord our Master, who will shortly call us to account about it, and it is at our utmost peril if we neglect it. Keep it, "that ye die not"; it is death, eternal death, to betray the truth we are charged with.

Charles Wesley, Preface to Short Hymns on Select Passages of Scripture:

God, having graciously laid His hand upon my body, and disabled me for the principal work o fthe ministry, has thereby given me an unexpected occasion of writing the following hymns. Many of the thoughts are borrowed from Mr. Henry's Comment, Dr. [Robert] Gell on the Pentateuch, and Bengelius [Johann Albrecht Bengel] on the New Testament.

MHCC 49: How Little We Know

Matthew Henry on Prov. 30.3:

Some suppose Agur to be asked, as Apollo's oracle was of old, Who was the wisest man? The answer is, He that is sensible of his own ignorance, especially in divine things. Hoc tantum scio, me nihil scire -- All that I know is that I know nothing.

Matthew Henry on Eccl. 1.17-18:

The more we know the more we see of our own ignorance....the more we know the more we see there is to be known...Let us not therefore be driven off from the pursuit of any useful knowledge, but put on patience to break through the sorrow of it; but let us despair of finding true happiness in this knowledge, and expect it only in the knowledge of God and the careful discharge of our duty to him.

MHCC 48: Matthew Henry's Guide to the Proverbs

Matthew Henry prepared this topical index to the Proverbs which is a helpful guide to navigate the wisdom of Solomon:

Twenty chapters of the book of Proverbs (beginning with ch. x. and ending with ch. xxix.), consisting mostly of entire sentences in each verse, could not well be reduced to proper heads, and the contents of them gathered; I have therefore here put the contents of all these chapters together, which perhaps may be of some use to those who desire to see at once all that is said of any one head in these chapters. Some of the verses, perhaps, I have not put under the same heads that another would have put them under, but the most of them fall (I hope) naturally enough to the places I have assigned them.

1. Of the comfort, or grief, parents have in their children, according as they are wise or foolish, godly or ungodly, ch. x. 1; xv. 20; xvii. 21, 25; xix. 13, 26; xxiii. 15, 16, 24, 25; xxvii. 11; xxix. 3.
2. Of the world's insufficiency, and religion's sufficiency, to make us happy (ch. x. 2, 3; xi. 4) and the preference to be therefore given to the gains of virtue above those of this world, ch. xv. 16, 17; xvi. 8, 16; xvii. 1; xix. 1; xxviii. 6, 11.
3. Of slothfulness and diligence, ch. x. 4, 26; xii. 11, 24, 27; xiii. 4, 23; xv. 19; xvi. 26; xviii. 9; xix. 15, 24; xx. 4, 13; xxi. 5, 25, 26; xxii. 13, 29; xxiv. 30-34; xxvi. 13-16; xxvii. 18, 23, 27; xxviii. 19. Particularly the improving or neglecting opportunities, ch. vi. 6; x. 5.
4. The happiness of the righteous, and the misery of the wicked, ch. x. 6, 9, 16, 24, 25, 27-30; xi. 3, 5-8, 18-21, 31; xii. 2, 3, 7, 13, 14, 21, 26, 28; xiii. 6, 9, 14, 15, 21, 22, 25; xiv. 11, 14, 19, 32; xv. 6, 8, 9, 24, 26, 29; xx. 7; xxi. 12, 15, 16, 18, 21; xxii. 12; xxviii. 10, 18; xxix. 6.
5. Of honour and dishonour, ch. x. 7; xii. 8, 9; xviii. 3; xxvi. 1; xxvii. 21. And of vain-glory, ch. xxv. 14, 27; xxvii. 2.
6. The wisdom of obedience, and folly of disobedience, ch. x. 8, 17; xii. 1, 15; xiii. 1, 13, 18; xv. 5, 10, 12, 31, 32; xix. 16; xxviii. 4, 7, 9.
7. Of mischievousness and usefulness, ch. x. 10, 23; xi. 9-11, 23, 27; xii. 5, 6, 12, 18, 20; xiii. 2; xiv. 22; xvi. 29, 30; xvii. 11; xxi. 10; xxiv. 8; xxvi. 23, 27.
8. The praise of wise and good discourse, and the hurt and shame of an ungoverned tongue, ch. x. 11, 13, 14, 20, 21, 31, 32; xi. 30; xiv. 3; xv. 2, 4, 7, 23, 28; xvi. 20, 23, 24; xvii. 7; xviii. 4, 7, 20, 21; xx. 15; xxi. 23; xxiii. 9; xxiv. 26; xxv. 11.
9. Of love and hatred, peaceableness and contention, ch. x. 12; xv. 17; xvii. 1, 9, 14, 19; xviii. 6, 17-19; xx. 3; xxv. 8; xxvi. 17, 21; xxix. 9.
10. Of the rich and poor, ch. x. 5, 22; xi. 28; xiii. 7, 8; xiv. 20, 24; xviii. 11, 23; xix. 1, 4, 7, 22; xxii. 2, 7; xxviii. 6, 11; xxix. 13.
11. Of lying, fraud, and dissimulation, and of truth and sincerity, ch. x. 18; xii. 17, 19, 22; xiii. 5; xvii. 4; xx. 14, 17; xxvi. 18, 19, 24-26, 28.
12. Of slandering, ch. x. 18; xvi. 27; xxv. 23.
13. Of talkativeness and silence, ch. x. 19; xi. 12; xii. 23; xiii. 3; xvii. 27, 28; xxix. 11, 20.
14. Of justice and injustice, ch. xi. 1; xiii. 16; xvi. 8, 11; xvii. 15, 26; xviii. 5; xx. 10, 23; xxii. 28; xxiii. 10, 11; xxix. 24.
15. Of pride and humility, ch. xi. 2; xiii. 10; xv. 25, 33; xvi. 5, 18, 19; xviii. 12; xxi. 4; xxv. 6, 7; xxviii. 25; xxix. 23.
16. Of despising and respecting others, ch. xi. 12; xiv. 21.
17. Of tale-bearing, ch. xi. 13; xvi. 28; xviii. 8; xx. 19; xxvi. 20, 22.
18. Of rashness and deliberation, ch. xi. 14; xv. 22; xviii. 13; xix. 2; xx. 5, 18; xxi. 29; xxii. 3; xxv. 8-10.
19. Of suretiship, ch. xi. 15; xvii. 18; xx. 16; xxii. 26, 27; xxvii. 13.
20. Of good and bad women, or wives, ch. xi. 16, 22; xii. 4; xiv. 1; xviii. 22; xix. 13, 14; xxi. 9, 19; xxv. 24; xxvii. 15, 16.
21. Of mercifulness and unmercifulness, ch. xi. 17; xii. 10; xiv. 21; xix. 17; xxi. 13.
22. Of charity to the poor, and uncharitableness, ch. xi. 24-26; xiv. 31; xvii. 5; xxii. 9, 16, 22, 23; xxviii. 27; xxix. 7.
23. Of covetousness and contentment, ch. xi. 29; xv. 16, 17, 27; xxiii. 4, 5.
24. Of anger and meekness, ch. xii. 16; xiv. 17, 29; xv. 1, 18; xvi. 32; xvii. 12, 26; xix. 11, 19; xxii. 24, 25; xxv. 15, 28; xxvi. 21; xxix. 22.
25. Of melancholy and cheerfulness, ch. xii. 25; xiv. 10, 13; xv. 13, 15; xvii. 22; xviii. 14; xxv. 20, 25.
26. Of hope and expectation, ch. xiii. 12, 19.
27. Of prudence and foolishness, ch. xiii. 16; xiv. 8, 18, 33; xv. 14, 21; xvi. 21, 22; xvii. 24; xviii. 2, 15; xxiv. 3-7; vii. 27; xxvi. 6-11; xxviii. 5.
28. Of treachery and fidelity, ch. xiii. 17; xxv. 13, 19.
29. Of good and bad company, ch. xiii. 20; xiv. 7; xxviii. 7; xxix. 3.
30. Of the education of children, ch. xiii. 24; xix. 18; xx. 11; xxii. 6, 15; xxiii. 12; xiv. 14; xxix. 15, 17.
31. Of the fear of the Lord, ch. xiv. 2, 26, 27; xv. 16, 33; xvi. 6; xix. 23; xxii. 4; xxiii. 17, 18.
32. Of true and false witness-bearing, ch. xiv. 5, 25; xix. 5, 9, 28; xxi. 28; xxiv. 28; xxv. 18.
33. Of scorners, ch. xiv. 6, 9; xxi. 24; xxii. 10; xxiv. 9; xxix. 9.
34. Of credulity and caution, ch. xiv. 15, 16; xxvii. 12.
35. Of kings and their subjects, ch. xiv. 28, 34, 35; xvi. 10, 12-15; xix. 6, 12; xx. 2, 8, 26, 28; xxii. 11; xxiv. 23-25; xxx. 2-5; xxviii. 2, 3, 15, 16; xxix. 5, 12, 14, 26.
36. Of envy, especially envying sinners, ch. xiv. 30; xxiii. 17, 18; xxiv. 1, 2, 19, 20; xxvii. 4.
37. Of God's omniscience, and his universal providence, ch. xv. 3, 11; xvi. 1, 4, 9, 33; xvii. 3; xix. 21; xx. 12, 24; xxi. 1, 30, 31; xxix. 26.
38. Of a good and ill name, ch. xv. 30; xxii. 1.
39. Of men's good opinion of themselves, ch. xiv. 12; xvi. 2, 25; xx. 6; xxi. 2; xxvi. 12; xxviii. 26.
40. Of devotion towards God, and dependence on him, ch. xvi. 3; xviii. 10; xxiii. 26; xxvii. 1; xxviii. 25; xxix. 25.
41. Of the happiness of God's favour, ch. xvi. 7; xxix. 26.
42. Excitements to get wisdom, ch. xvi. 16; xviii. 1; xix. 8, 20; xxii. 17-21; xxiii. 15, 16, 22-25; xxiv. 13, 14; xxvii. 11.
43. Cautions against temptations, ch. xvi. 17; xxix. 27.
44. Of old age and youth, ch. xvi. 31; xvii. 6; xx. 29.
45. Of servants, ch. xvii. 2; xix. 10; xxix. 19, 21.
46. Of bribery, ch. xvii. 8, 23; xviii. 16; xxi. 14; xxviii. 21.
47. Of reproof and correction, ch. xvii. 10; xix. 25, 29; xx. 30; xxi. 11; xxv. 12; xxvi. 3; xxvii. 5, 6, 22; xxviii. 23; xxix. 1.
48. Of ingratitude, ch. xvii. 13.
49. Of friendship, ch. xvii. 17; xviii. 24; xxvii. 9, 10, 14, 17.
50. Of sensual pleasures, ch. xxi. 17; xxiii. 1-3, 6-8, 19-21; xxvii. 7.
51. Of drunkenness, ch. xx. 1; xxiii. 23, 29-35.
52. Of the universal corruption of nature, ch. xx. 9.
53. Of flattery, ch. xx. 19; xxvi. 28; xxviii. 23; xxix. 5.
54. Of undutiful children, ch. xx. 20; xxviii. 24.
55. Of the short continuance of what is ill-gotten, ch. xx. 21; xxi. 6, 7; xxii. 8; xxviii. 8.
56. Of revenge, ch. xx. 22; xxiv. 17, 18, 29.
57. Of sacrilege, ch. xx. 25.
58. Of conscience, ch. xx. 27; xxvii. 19.
59. Of the preference of moral duties before ceremonial, ch. xv. 8; xxi. 3, 27.
60. Of prodigality and wastefulness, ch. xxi. 20.
61. The triumphs of wisdom and godliness, ch. xxi. 22; xxiv. 15, 16.
62. Of frowardness and tractableness, ch. xxii. 5.
63. Of uncleanness, ch. xxii. 14; xxiii. 27, 28.
64. Of fainting in affliction, ch. xxiv. 10.
65. Of helping the distressed, ch. xiv. 11, 12.
66. Of loyalty to the government, ch. xxiv. 21, 22.
67. Of forgiving enemies, ch. xxv. 21, 22.
68. Of causeless curse, ch. xxvi. 2.
69. Of answering fools, ch. xxvi. 4, 5.
70. Of unsettledness and unsatisfiedness, ch. xxvii. 8, 20.
71. Of cowardliness and courage, ch. xxviii. 1.
72. The people's interest in the character of their rulers, ch. xxviii. 12, 28; xxix. 2, 16; xi. 10, 11.
73. The benefit of repentance and holy fear, ch. xxviii. 13, 14.
74. The punishment of murder, ch. xxviii. 17.
75. Of hastening to be rich, ch. xxviii. 20, 22.
76. The enmity of the wicked against the godly, ch. xxix. 10, 27.
77. The necessity of the means of grace, ch. xxix. 18.

MHCC 47: A Verse May Find Him Who A Sermon Flies

Matthew Henry on Psalm 49.4:

A verse may find him who a sermon flies. Herbert.

George Herbert, The Temple:

The Church-porch.

Perirrhanterium

I

Thou, whose sweet youth and early hopes inhance
Thy rate and price, and mark thee for a treasure;
Harken unto a Verser, who may chance
Ryme thee to good, and make a bait of pleasure.
A verse may finde him, who a sermon flies,
And turn delight into a sacrifice.

Jonathan Mitchell, "On the Following Work, and It's Author," in Michael Wigglesworth, The Day of Doom, p. 13:

A Verse may find him who a Sermon flies,
Saith Herbert well. Great Truths to dress in Meeter;
Becomes a Preacher; who mens Souls doth prize,
That Truth in Sugar roll'd may taste the sweeter.
No Cost too great, no Care too curious is
To set forth Truth, and win mens Souls to bliss.

John Bunyan, "Scriptural Poems," in The Works of John Bunyan, Vol. 2, p. 390:

Would but those men whose genius lead them to't,
And who have time and parts wherewith to do't,
Employ their pens in such a task as this,
'T'would be a most delightsome exercise
Of profit to themselves and others too:
If what the learned Herbert says, holds true,
A verse may find him, who a sermon flies,
And turn delight into a sacrifice;

William Wordsworth, "Ecclesiastical Sonnets" in The Complete Poetical Works of William Wordsworth, p. 675:

A verse may catch a wandering Soul, that flies
Profounder Tracts, and by a blest surprise
Convert delight into a Sacrifice.

Winthrop Mackworth Praed, "The Chaunt of the Brazen Head," in The Poems of Winthrop Mackworth Praed, p. 162:

I think, whatever mortals crave,
With impotent endeavour, --
A wreath, a rank, a throne, a grave, --
The world goes round for ever:
I think that life is not too long;
And therefore I determine
That many people read a song
Who will not read a sermon.

MHCC 46: Preparation to Prayer

Matthew Henry on Psalm 5:

As meditation is the best preparative for prayer, so prayer is the best issue of meditation. Meditation and prayer should go together, Ps. xix. 14.

Daniel Featley, Ancilla Pietatis, or, The Hand-Maid to Private Devotion Being Instructions, Hymns, and Prayers, Containing the Duty of a Christian, pp. 10-11:

My heart is inditing of a good matter: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer, said the Kingly Prophet. And againe, My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned, then spake I with my tongue. If this sweet sing of Israel first pricked the notes in his heart before he began to sing them; If he who was inspired by the holy Ghost, framed his Prayers and Psalms of thanksgiving in his mind, before he delivered them by his tongue; ought not we, who are as far behind him in his gifts, as we are below him in condition much more meditate, before we utter any thing to the Lord? I speak not of pious ejaculations, which must needs be sudden, as their occasions are, and the motions of Gods Spirit within us; but of a set conceived prayer, wherein we ought not only well to ponder the matter, but even weigh (if we have time) every word in the ballance, that they be not found too light, and thereby our Prayers against sin, be turned into sin. Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God. Seneca observing how bold men made with God, and what strange petitions they blushed not to prefer unto him, gave this sage advise, So deal with men as if God saw thee, and so speak with God as if men heard thee.

MHCC 45: Matthew Henry's Counsel on Singing Psalms

An oft-overlooked aspect of Matthew Henry's commentary on the Psalms is the specific focus he puts on not only on their exposition, but also on how they might be sung with the most spiritual profit. As he encourages Christians to read, meditate and pray over the Psalms, he concludes his remarks on each psalm or section with an exhortation on how to sing God's word aright. The value of this has been appreciated in times past when his comments were published along with the 1650 Scottish Metrical Psalter, as I have noted here and here, but it is easy to pass over them in our day and miss the benefit of his wisdom. Therefore, I have collected his comments in this regard on the first eight psalms as an encouragement to note these exhortations when reading his commentary.

Psalm 1.1-3:

In singing these verses, being duly affected with the malignant and dangerous nature of sin, the transcendent excellencies of the divine law, and the power and efficacy of God's grace, from which our fruit is found, we must teach and admonish ourselves, and one another, to watch against sin and all approaches towards it, to converse much with the word of God, and abound in the fruit of righteousness; and, in praying over them, we must seek to God for his grace both to fortify us against every evil word and work and to furnish us for every good word and work.

Psalm 1.4-6:

In singing these verses, and praying over them, let us possess ourselves with a holy dread of the wicked man's portion, and deprecate it with a firm and lively expectation of the judgment to come, and stir up ourselves to prepare for it, and with a holy care to approve ourselves to God in every thing, entreating his favour with our whole hearts.

Psalm 2.1-9:

In singing this, and praying it over, we must give glory to Christ as the eternal Son of God and our rightful Lord, and must take comfort from this promise, and plead it with God, that the kingdom of Christ shall be enlarged and established and shall triumph over all opposition.

Psalm 2.10-12:

In singing this, and praying it over, we should have our hearts filled with a holy awe of God, but at the same time borne up with a cheerful confidence in Christ, in whose mediation we may comfort and encourage ourselves and one another. We are the circumcision, that rejoice in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 3.1-3:

In singing this, and praying it over, we should possess ourselves with an apprehension of the danger we are in from the multitude and malice of our spiritual enemies, who seek the ruin of our souls by driving us from our God, and we should concern ourselves in the distresses and dangers of the church of God, which is every where spoken again, every where fought against; but, in reference to both, we should encourage ourselves in our God, who owns and protects and will in due time crown his own interest both in the world and in the hearts of his people.

Psalm 3.4-8:

In singing this, and praying it over, we must own the satisfaction we have had in depending upon God and committing ourselves to him, and encourage ourselves, and one another to continue still hoping and quietly waiting for the salvation of the Lord.

Psalm 4.1-5:

In singing these verses we must preach to ourselves the doctrine of the provoking nature of sin, the lying vanity of the world, and the unspeakable happiness of God's people; and we must press upon ourselves the duties of fearing God, conversing with our own hearts, and offering spiritual sacrifices; and in praying over these verses we must beg of God grace thus to think and thus to do.

Psalm 4.6-8:

In singing these verses, and praying over them, let us, with a holy contempt of the wealth and pleasure of this world, as insufficient to make us happy, earnestly seek the favour of God and pleasingly solace ourselves in that favour; and, with a holy indifferency about the issue of all our worldly concerns, let us commit ourselves and all our affairs to the guidance and custody of the divine Providence, and be satisfied that all shall be made to work for good to us if we keep ourselves in the love of God.

Psalm 5.1-6:

In singing these verses, and praying them over, we must engage and stir up ourselves to the duty of prayer, and encourage ourselves in it, because we shall not seek the Lord in vain; and must express our detestation of sin, and our awful expectation of that day of Christ's appearing which will be the day of the perdition of ungodly men.

Psalm 5.7-12:

In singing these verses, and praying them over, we must by faith put ourselves under God's guidance and care, and then please ourselves with his mercy and grace and with the prospect of God's triumphs at last over all his enemies and his people's triumphs in him and in his salvation.

Psalm 6.1-7:

In singing this, and praying over it, we must give glory to God, as a God ready to hear prayer, must own his goodness to us in hearing our prayers, and must encourage ourselves to wait upon him and to trust in him in the greatest straits and difficulties.

Psalm 7.1-9:

As far as we have the testimony of an unbiased conscience for us that in any instance we are wronged and injuriously reflected on, we may, in singing these verses, lodge our appeal with the righteous God, and be assured that he will own our righteous cause, and will one day, in the last day at furthest, bring forth our integrity as the light.

Psalm 7.10-17:

In singing this psalm we must do as David here does (v. 17), praise the Lord according to his righteousness, that is, give him the glory of that gracious protection under which he takes his afflicted people and of that just vengeance with which he will pursue those that afflict them. Thus we must sing to the praise of the Lord most high, who, when his enemies deal proudly, shows that he is above them.

Psalm 8.1-2:

In singing this let us give God the glory of his great name, and of the great things he has done by the power of his gospel, in the chariot of which the exalted Redeemer rides forth conquering and to conquer, and ought to be attended, not only with our praises, but with our best wishes. Praise is perfected (that is, God is in the highest degree glorified) when strength is ordained out of the mouth of babes and sucklings.

Psalm 8.3-9:

In singing this and praying it over, though we must not forget to acknowledge, with suitable affections, God's common favours to mankind, particularly in the serviceableness of the inferior creatures to us, yet we must especially set ourselves to give glory to our Lord Jesus, by confessing that he is Lord, submitting to him as our Lord, and waiting till we see all things put under him and all his enemies made his footstool.

MHCC 44: When the Day Star Shines

Matthew Henry on Job 15.15:

The heavens are not clean in his sight. If the stars (says Mr. Caryl) have no light in the sight of the sun, what light has the sun in the sight of God!

Joseph Caryl on Job 15.15:

God is so clear-sighted, that the cleanest creatures are uncleane in his sight; the very cleannesses of the creature, is uncleannesse before him, much more compared to him. For if one creature may be so cleane, that another creature which is cleane may be sayd to have no cleannesse in comparison of it: Then surely God is so cleane, that the cleanest creatures have indeed no cleannesse in comparison of his. The Stars are very beautifull bodies, and full of light, yet the Sunne hath so much light, that it darkens all the Stars, and causeth them to disappeare, when it appeareth: Now if the Starres have no light in the sight of the Sunne, what light hath the Sunne in the sight of God? he that puts all the perfections that the creature hath into the creature, hath infinitely more perfection in himselfe: Those excellencies which are divided and scattered all the Creation over, are not onely contracted and manifested in God, but unconceiveably exceeded by him.

MHCC 43: Sweet Secret Communion

Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues (Ps. 31.20).

Having completed Matthew Henry's Commentary through the Book of Esther, and commenced my study of the Book of Job, I was struck, like Henry, by a quote from Desiderius Erasmus, which speaks to the sweetness of secret communion with the Lord.

Matthew Henry on the Preface to the Vol. 3 (Job-Song of Solomon):

I was much pleased with a passage I lately met with of Erasmus, that great scholar and celebrated wit, in an epistle dedicatory before his book De Ratione Concionandi, where, as one weary of the world and the hurry of it, he expresses an earnest desire to spend the rest of his days in secret communion with Jesus Christ, encouraged by his gracious invitation to those who labour and are heavy laden to come unto him for rest (Matt. xi. 28), and this alone is that which he thinks will yield him true satisfaction. I think his words worth transcribing, and such as deserve to be inserted among the testimonies of great men to serious godliness. Neque quisquam facilè credat quàm miserè animus jamdudum affectet ab his laboribus in tranquillam otium secedere, quodque superest vitæ (superest autem vix brevis palmus sive pugillus), solum cum eo solo colloqui, qui clamavit olim (nec hodiè mutat vocem suam), "Venite ad me, omnes qui laboratis et onerati estis, ego reficiam vos;" quandoquidem in tam turbulento, ne dicam furente, sæculo, in tot molestiis quas vel ipsa tempora publicè invehunt, vel privatim adfert oetas ac valetudo, nihil reperio in quo mens mea libentius conquiescat quàm in hoc arcano colloquio—No one will easily believe how anxiously, for a long time past, I have wished to retire from these labours into a scene of tranquility, and, during the remainder of life (dwindled, it is true, to the shortest span), to converse only with him who once cried (nor does he now retract), "Come unto me, all you that labour and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you," for in this turbulent, not to say furious, age, the many public sources of disquietude, connected with the infirmities of advancing age, leave no solace to my mind to be compared with this secret communion. In the pleasing contemplation of the divine beauty and benignity we hope to spend a blessed eternity, and therefore in this work it is good to spend as much as may be of our time.

MHCC 42: One-Year Status Update

One year ago, on January 1, 2010, I launched the Matthew Henry Commentary Challenge. It was aimed at encouraging Christians to take up his famous devotional commentary on the Bible and read through it, or as much as each person felt able to do so. After one year of reading, I am pausing to take stock of where I am and what has been gained.

As of July 1, 2010, I had read through Numbers 21. Now, as of December 31, 2010, I have read through 1 Chronicles 29. Progress has been slow but steady, and the pace of 1 or more chapters per day has worked for me, allowing me the opportunity to meditate upon that which I read. Each day's reading has given me food for thought, and I have grown in my understanding of God's Word. I have tried to pass along some bits of wisdom here and there, as well as some historical context, as I have had opportunity, but much that I read I am still digesting and aiming, by God's grace, to put into practice.

Of those who began the Challenge with me, some have discontinued the reading, while others have persevered, and others have picked up the commentary and read along according to their time and interest. I am thankful for all, because even reading a little Matthew Henry is, I am sure, a blessing to the reader. I am especially appreciative of all those who have posted Matthew Henry gems on the Facebook page to share with others. Most particularly, my friend Stefanie D. has been a real encouragement to us all in her diligent efforts and with respect to all the gems she has shared.

It's not too late. If you have an interest in reading along but find the prospect of reading it all overwhelming, simply pick it up and start where you like in 2011. Read as you can, and you too will be blessed.

I plan to keep reading as the Lord gives me the ability. Happy New Year (read here for New Year's thoughts from Matthew Henry and his father Philip), dear readers, and may the Lord bless each of you in the coming year and beyond.

MHCC 41: Fox, Lion and Dog

Matthew Henry on Judges 9:

It is an account of the usurpation and tyranny of Abimelech, who was base son to Gideon; so we must call him, and not more modishly his natural son: he was so unlike him....Of this meteor, this ignis fatuus of a prince, that was not a protector but a plague to his country, we may say, as once was said of a great tyrant, that he came in like a fox, ruled like a lion, and died like a dog. "For the transgression of a land, such are the princes thereof."

John Foxe, Acts and Monuments, Vol. 1, p. 503:

Wherefore this Boniface [VIII] was worthily called the eighth Nero; of whom it was rightly said, He came in like a fox, reigned like a lion, and died like a dog.

Boniface VIII, consigned by Dante to the lowest circle of hell in his Inferno, ascended to the papacy by the art of craft (according to legend he engineered the abdication of Pope Celestine V, whom he succeeded, by rigging a tube into his room and persuading him that voice of God was instructing him to resign; Celestine was later captured, and possibly assassinated by Boniface), authored the Unam sanctam, "one of the most extreme statements of Papal spiritual supremacy ever made" (stating that it "is absolutely necessary for salvation that every human creature be subject to the Roman pontiff"), fought with King Philip IV of France, was captured and released, suffering the indignity of Sciarrillo Colonna's famous "Slap" in the face, but shortly thereafter died insane, supposedly gnawing off his own fingers.

Andrew Stevenson, The History of the Church and State of Scotland, Vol. 1, p. 115:

Nigh about this same time the good archbishop [George] Abbot died, and was succeeded in the see of Canterbury by [William] Laud bishop of London, of whom it may be said, as of old it was said of Boniface, Intravit ut vulpes, regnavit ut leo, obiit ut canis, "He came in like a fox, he reigned like a lion, and died like a dog."

MHCC 40: The Quotable Matthew Henry

In 1982, William T. Summers published A Topical Index to Matthew Henry's A Commentary on the Whole Bible. Since then, it has been republished under the title The Quotable Matthew Henry. Henry was certainly one of the most quotable Puritans. His devotional commentary is both an expression of eloquence on his part and a synthesis of Puritan divinity, as is apparent from his own studies and quotations from other divines.

In the Preface, Summers writes:

At first I began reading through Matthew Henry's commentary purely for my own spiritual benefit, marking passages that were specially valuable for future reference. When I had been reading and meditating for some years (cf. Spurgeon's advice to his son: 'Read it all before you get married', and to his students: 'Read it in the first year of your ministry'), the thought occurred to me to collect the numerous pithy sayings under topical headings for help in the preparation of sermons....Here then indeed we have 'fruit from Matthew Henry'. As you read, remember his own words in a letter to Mr. Thoresby: 'Every page, Sir, is a child of prayer.'

If you have desired a topical arrangement of the best quotes from Matthew Henry's Commentary, this is what you are seeking. It is a thorough compilation of more than 3,000 sayings arranged under useful headings.

At the Matthew Henry Commentary Challenge Facebook page, we often post notable devotional remarks as we find them in his Commentary. Readers are warmly invited to come and share your own Matthew Henry "nuggets" on that page with us. His Commentary is a great storehouse of Puritan wisdom (we do well to remember that Henry died after completing his Commentary through the Book of Acts, and his continuators finished the work, based largely on his notes, yet in their own words), and, among other devotional compendiums based on his Commentary, this labor of Summers is a great help to those seeking to organize their thoughts around the themes that Henry enlarges upon. It adds to our appreciation of Henry's gift to us, and we are thankful for our "Quotable Matthew Henry."

MHCC 39: Till We Be Discharged

Matthew Henry on Josh 21.1-9:

So, though our heavenly Father's house above be ever so desirable (it is bishop Hall's allusion), yet must we stay on earth till our warfare be accomplished, wait for a due discharge, and not anticipate the time of our removal.

Joseph Hall, Contemplations on the Historical Passages of the Old and New Testaments 9.2, p. 104:

If heaven be never so sweet to us, yet may we not run from this earthly warfare, till our great Captain shall please to discharge us.

MHCC 38: Ambuscade

Gods and Generals:

Gen. Stonewall Jackson: Mr. Smith, are you aware that the Bible gives models of official battle reports?

Capt. James Power Smith: No, sir.

Jackson: Nevertheless, there are such. Consider the narrative of Joshua's battles with the Amalekites. It has clearness and modesty, brevity. And it traces the victory to the right source, the blessing of God.

Smith: Has it helped you with your reports, sir?
...
Jackson: Mr. Smith, you may continue writing the reports. Consult first and second Samuel...and first and second Kings. They will be of help to you.

Matthew Henry on the conquest of Ai by Joshua from Josh. 8.3-22:

We have here an account of the taking of Ai by stratagem. The stratagem here used, we are sure, was lawful and good; God himself appointed it, and we have no reason to think but that the like is lawful and good in other wars. Here was no league broken, no treaty of peace, that the advantage was gained; no, these are sacred things, and not to be jested with, nor used to serve a turn; truth, when once it is plighted, becomes a debt even to the enemy. But in this stratagem here was no untruth told; nothing was concealed but their own counsels, which no enemy ever pretended a right to be entrusted with; nothing was dissembled, nothing counterfeited but a retreat, which was no natural or necessary indication at all of their inability to maintain their onset, or of any design not to renew it. The enemy ought to have been upon their guard, and to have kept within the defence of their own walls. Common prudence, had they been governed by it, would have directed them not to venture on the pursuit of an army which they saw was so far superior to them in numbers, and leave their city unguarded; but (si populus vult decipi, decipiatur—if the people will be deceived, let them) if the Canaanites will be so easily imposed upon, and in pursuit of God's Israel will break through all the laws of policy and good management, the Israelites are not at all to be blamed for taking advantage of their fury and thoughtlessness; nor is it any way inconsistent with the character God is pleased to give of them, that they are children that will not lie.

MHCC 37: National Providences

Matthew Henry, Preface to his Commentary, Vol. 2:

That great man archbishop Tillotson (Vol. 1. Serm. 3. on Prov. xiv. 34) suggests that though, as to particular persons, the providences of God are promiscuously administered in this world, because there is another world of rewards and punishments for them, yet it is not so with nations as such, but national virtues are ordinarily rewarded with temporal blessings and national sins punished with temporal judgments, because, as he says, public bodies and communities of men, as such, can be rewarded and punished only in this world, for in the next they will all be dissolved.

John Tillotson, The Works of the Most Reverend John Tillotson, Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, Vol. 1 (Sermon 3 on Prov. 14.34), pp. 96-97:

Indeed as to particular persons, the providences of God are many times promiscuously administered in this world; so that no man can certainly conclude God's love or hatred to any person, by any thing that befals him in this life. But God does not deal thus with nations. Because publick bodies and communities of men, as such, can only be rewarded and punished in this world. For in the next, all those publick societies and combinations wherein men are now linked together under several governments, shall be dissolved. God will not then reward or punish nations, as nations; but every man shall then give an account of himself to God, and receive his own reward, and bear his own burthen. For although God account it no disparagement to his justice to let particular good men suffer in this world, and pass "through many tribulations into the kingdom of God," because there is another day coming which will be a more proper season of reward; yet in the usual course of his providence he recompenseth religious and virtuous nations with temporal blessings and prosperity. For which reason St. Austin tells us, that the mighty success and long prosperity of the Romans was a reward given them by God for their eminent justice and temperance, and other virtues. And on the other hand, God many times suffers the most grievous sins of particular persons to go unpunished in this world, because he knows that his justice will have another and better opportunity to meet and reckon with them. But the general and crying sins of a nation cannot hope to escape publick judgments, unless they be prevented by a general repentance. God may defer his judgments for a time, and give a people a longer space of repentance, he may stay till the iniquities of a nation be full, but sooner or later they have reason to expect his vengeance. And usually the longer punishment is delayed it is the heavier when it comes.

Now all this is very reasonable, because this world is the only season for national punishments. And indeed they are in a great degree necessary for the present vindication of the honour and majesty of the divine laws, and to give some check to the overflowing of wickendess. Publick judgments are the banks and shores upon which God breaks the insolency of sinners, and stays their proud waves. And though among men the multitude of offenders be many times a cause of impunity, because of the weakness of human governments, which are glad to spare where they are not strong enough to punish, yet in the government of God, things are quite otherwise. No combination of sinners is too hard for him, and the greater and more numerous the offenders are, the more his justice is concern'd to vindicate the affront. However God may pass by single sinners in this world, yet when a nation combines against him, "when hand joins in hand the wicked shall not go unpunished."

MHCC 36: Revised Matthew Henry Study Bible

The revised edition of the Matthew Henry Study Bible is expected to be available from Hendrickson in October 2010 (see the link for details). This is another way for students of the Word to benefit from the labors of Matthew Henry and participate in the Matthew Henry Commentary Challenge.

(HT: Benjamin Glaser)

MHCC 35: God's Garden

Matthew Henry on Deut. 32.7:

The reason given for the particular care God took for this people, so long before they were either born or thought of (as I may say), in our world, does yet more magnify the kindness, and make it obliging beyond expression (v. 9): For the Lord's portion is his people. All the world is his. He is owner and possessor of heaven and earth, but his church is his in a peculiar manner. It is his demesne, his vineyard, his garden enclosed. He has a particular delight in it: it is the beloved of his soul, in it he walks, he dwells, it is his rest for ever. He has a particular concern for it, keeps it as the apple of his eye. He has particular expectations from it, as a man has from his portion, has a much greater rent of honour, glory, and worship, from that distinguished remnant, than from all the world besides. That God should be his people's portion is easy to be accounted for, for he is their joy and felicity; but how they should be his portion, who neither needs them nor can be benefited by them, must be resolved into the wondrous condescensions of free grace. Even so, Father, because it seemed good in thy eyes so to call and to account them.

MHCC 34: Sing While You Work

Matthew Henry on Deut. 12.7, 12:

...work for God should be done with holy joy and cheerfulness.... See what a good Master we serve, who has made it our duty to sing at our work.

On Deut. 28.47-48:

God is a Master that will be served with gladness, and delights to hear us sing at our work.

From the preface to his commentary on the Psalms:

See what a good master we serve, and what pleasantness there is in wisdom's ways, when we are not only commanded to sing at our work, and have cause enough given us to do so, but have words also put in our mouths and songs prepared to our hands.

Matthew Henry, The Pleasure of Being Religious, in The Complete Works of Matthew Henry, Vol. 1, pp. 44, 49:

We may sing at our work, if our minds be by the Spirit of God brought to it, our hands strengthened for it, and our infirmities helped, Rom. viii. 26. and particularly our infirmities in prayer, that by it we may fetch in strength for every service, -- and strength for the day....We should not only be reconciled to our duty, as we ought to be to our greatest afflictions, and make the best of it, but we should rejoice in our duty, and sing at our work.

MHCC 33: Matthew Henry's Hair

In Matthew Henry's commentary, on the subject of appropriate hair length for men, one may naturally turn to 1 Corinthians 11 and read the comments of Henry's continuator, Simon Browne (1680-1732), on verses 13-15:

He enforces his argument from the natural covering provided for the woman (v. 13-15): "Judge in yourselves—consult your own reason, hearken to what nature suggests—is it comely for a woman to pray to God uncovered? Should there not be a distinction kept up between the sexes in wearing their hair, since nature has made one? Is it not a distinction which nature has kept up among all civilized nations? The woman's hair is a natural covering; to wear it long is a glory to her; but for a man to have long hair, or cherish it, is a token of softness and effeminacy." Note, It should be our concern, especially in Christian and religious assemblies, to make no breach upon the rules of natural decency.

Browne's emphasis on the distinction between the sexes with respect to hair length is consistent with what Henry has written elsewhere in the same commentary.

On Deut. 22.5, Henry writes:

The distinction of sexes by the apparel is to be kept up, for the preservation of our own and our neighbour's chastity, v. 5. Nature itself teaches that a difference be made between them in their hair (1 Cor. xi. 14), and by the same rule in their clothes, which therefore ought not to be confounded, either in ordinary wear or occasionally.

And on Ezek. 44.20, he writes:

Concerning their hair; in that they must avoid extremes on both hands (v. 20): They must not shave their heads, in imitation of the Gentile priests, and as the priests of the Romish church do; nor, on the other hand, must they suffer their locks to grow long, as the beaux, or that they might be thought Nazarites, when really they were not; but they must be grave and modest, must poll their heads and keep their hair short. If a man, especially a minister, wear long hair, it is not becoming (1 Cor. xi. 14); it is effeminate.

But are Henry's words consistent with the picture we have of him? J.B. Williams, in the preface to his Memoir of Matthew Henry wrote (pp. xv-xvi):

It is to be regretted that no verbal description of Mr. Henry's person has been preserved; and the more so, as the portrait which accompanied the Exposition, and which has been frequently copied, was not taken from a picture upon which full reliance can be placed. A pen and ink sketch only, the work of the engraver (Vertue), and now possessed by my excellent friend the Reverend Dr. Raffles, of Liverpool, is said to have been used upon that occasion.
...
On this account the engraving from an original picture, in my own possession, and now first published, will, it is hoped, be acceptable. The painting was executed when Mr. Henry was in his vigour at Chester; and is expressive of the animation and intelligence, for which he was pre-eminently distinguished. As it represents him in a wig, it must have been drawn subsequent to January 22, 1707-08.

We know that his father, Philip Henry, was strongly personally opposed to men wearing wigs. Matthew Henry's own memoir of his father records (p. 233) that:

He would never be persuaded to wear a perriwig or border, though he had but very little hair, and was like Elisha for a bald-head. He sometimes said, -- As long as I have three hairs of my own, I will never wear any body else's.

I have written before about the mixed views of Puritans towards male wigs, even noting the difference of opinion between Increase Mather and his son Cotton. Here we see Matthew's practice -- recall that he studied law and was around wigged jurists -- differed from his father's.

Yet, under his wig, Matthew's hair was cut as one would expect from his remarks above. His Diary for January 22, 1707-08, for instance, notes:

This day I was quite over-ruled by Brother H. and some of my friends, to cut off my hair, I having of late been very uneasy with coldness in my head, tooth-ache, and at present a deafness. I had purposed not to have done it, but feared, lest persisting in my refusal against the most earnest advice of my physician and friends, should arise from a secret pride in my own hair, and an affectation of singularity.

Although his wearing a wig is a distinct issue worthy of its own consideration, Henry was not personally inconsistent with respect to his writings and the length of his own hair.