what you do, is certainly a mark of a diffolute and unfpiritual mind, not ambitious of heavenly rewards, nor fenfible of spiritual 6 pleasures. To reveal thefe only to a fpiri'tual friend, may perhaps in some cases be neceffary; but if you would be perfect, subject them only to the eyes of God: he will be your fufficient councellor. For the advantages you may reap by revealing them to men, in any prudent inftructions or encouragements, will not countervail the hazard you undergo of felf-complacency, in the opinion another may have in your being devout, mortified, or charitable; and of lofing · your comfort; the greatest encouragement · you have to perfift in thofe charming duties, which wholly lose their sweetness, when you in any measure, fink into flesh and blood; your comfort, I fay, which wholly confifts in acquitting yourself in fecret, to • your heavenly Father, and approving your• felf to him.'

The other meditation is as follows:

We lofe,' fays he, fomething of fpiritual ftrength, (as Samfon did,) by difcovering fecret tranfactions between God and our fouls; for this gives our confcience a damp, fince it tends to magnify ourselves, and looks like boafting of fecret favours, which ⚫ is a means of leffening favours among men. If what I fpeak of this fort tends to magnify myself, as being a favourite of God, I cannot be too jealous of myself, because

our

our hearts are deceitful, and very treacherous; and fomething of fecret pride will be · apt to fteal in upon us, in fuch relations.

If I tell of raptures and elevations vouch'fafed to me in prayer; of ardent defires • after the holy communion, and longings for • heaven, and the like; I must be well made indeed, and ftrongly armed with the grace • of God within me, if I do all this, only for the edification of my neighbour, and to provoke him to praise God on my behalf, without any by-defign to recommend myself to his esteem.'

It is now time to confider Mr. Bonnell, with respect to other virtues befides humility: I fhall therefore conclude this part of his character with the following prayer.

6

While I walk the ftreets, let not my head • feem full of business; but what I delight in, and defire always: let head and heart be full of my Saviour. Take from me, O 6 my God, a haughty gait, a proud look, and fupercilious forehead. I confider how my Redeemer walked the ftreets of Jerufalem, how modeftly and plainly he was apparelled, how little he coveted to make a figure, how little to fee, or be feen, how meek and humble his behaviour was, how far from ftriving or quarrelling, or lifting up his voice in the streets. Let my deportment, O my God, be fuch as if I walked with thee then, for thou doft vouchsafe to walk with me now.'

One

His meeknefs.

One fo humble as Mr. Bonnell was, could hardly fail to be meek and patient; and such he was in a very high degree. Those who conversed with him, faw a fpirit of meekness and gentleness in his words, and actions, and behaviour: and it could hardly be otherwise, but that he who was fo lowly in his own eyes, muft re receive injuries from men, with great meeknefs; and corrections from God, with fubmiffion and patience. For he very juftly esteemed pride the parent of moft of our diforders, particularly of anger, impatience, and revenge. To this purpose he expreffes himself in the following meditation.

• I have a notion, that the fting of all af⚫fliction is pride; it is this gives a pungency to every grievance, and makes it pierce our ' heart. Others bruife, but do not wound us; they fit heavy on us without, but do not gnaw and fret us within. I am not, ⚫ perhaps afraid of lofing my eftate; but I am afraid of lofing my value and reputation in the world. I am not afraid of a low • condition, but I am afraid of contempt. I ' am not afraid of fickness and death, but I

am afraid of fcornful pity; I am not afraid * of a plague of war, or a famine; but I am afraid of an infulting enemy, and the tyranny of one that hates me. Upon this rea fon alfo it is true what David fays; " It is ◄ better to fall into the hands of God, than of 'man." For we have no difpute whether we

'fhould

fhould humble ourselves before God or no; but the difficulty of doing this to men, creates us all our uneafiness. If perfons are impoverished, or fick, or fuffer from heaven, they seem to have no religion, if they are not capable of confolation; but if they groan under the yoke of an imperious man, and are chained to him as his flaves, they must have the higheft top and perfection of religion to admit of comfort; fince the laft vice which religion has to difpoffefs and conquer is pride. Job felt all the blows of heaven with an unwounded foul; and the reafon is, because the ftrokes of • heaven drive us to humble ourselves before • God, dethrone pride, and calm the foul. But the perpetual gratings of an ill-natured, infulting man, whom you must every day • fee, and yet with dread and boiling of heart; this ftirs up our natural choler, foments and awakens pride, and renders our misery infupportable. It is the boilings of the choleric humours in our body, with which our foul is fo tenderly touched, and fo nearly fympathises; that is the fting of all affliction, and this is pride. This is the fatal ferment, that no confideration can allay. O Lord my God, grant that I may 6 purge out this old leaven, even the leaven ⚫ of pride and malice; and then whatsoever • afflictions, diseases or troubles, befal me, I fhall find peace: peace with myself, peace with men, and peace with thee; for the

yoke

yoke of my humble and meek Saviour, does indeed bring reft and peace to the foul. • Amen.'

In another place, he gives the following reafon, why most people refent injuries at the rate they do.

We ftomach,' fays he, injuries that we ⚫ think are done to us; we fling and throw under them: but it is not the injuftice done us, that we fo much refent; as that the pride of our hearts make us think ⚫ ourselves fo confiderable, that nobody ought to disturb our repose. Alas, if we lay it afide, we fhall fee reafon enough, why the juft providence of God should give conftant difturbance to our repose; and that we fhould not ftomach, nor be angry at it; but meekly, compofedly, and thankfully accept it.'

The fame reafon he affigns why so many are continually finding fault with the public management of affairs, as why they refent and ftomach injuries done to themfelves. To this purpose I find the following remark among his writings. "Neceffity feldom makes men mutiny fo much as pride. Because they are not honoured by being admitted to the counfels of others, therefore they dislike their measures, and endeavour to draw others after them. The meek and humble man is rarely a mutineer, he chooses rather to fuffer with others, than be clamorous by himself."

And