axioms and propofitions, that feem to be fo eafy as to be of no ufe, will foon find the want of thefe firft principles; and be glad, • with fhame, to look back on what he defpifed before. So likewife thou, when thou findeft thy felf incapable to conflict with thy paffions, and to command thy thoughts and inclinations, wilt then too late confider thy neglect, in not having trained thy mind by degrees to felf-denial. If thou gaineft not the victory over thy felf in fmall things, how wilt thou be able to do it in greater? Set apart then to thyfelf fome time; and fay in this time, I will deny myfelf in every thing I have a mind to; yet do it calmly, without fuperftition, without anxiety. This thou wilt think, perhaps, at firft, a ftrange tafk thy inferior part will repine, and make many complaints, and thy body be fick, at fuch fudden checks and contradictions. But • mind none of thefe, my fon; fmile at thy foolish fenfitive part, for it does not underftand that this is even for its eternal be•nefit.

In a little time, this very denial will grow a pleasure, because it will have little of reluctance in it; and the pleasure of * triumphing over thy own inclinations, will • make the remaining trouble infenfible. Then ⚫ thou mayeft advance to confider, what things. of moment thou haft a mind to; and there apply thy difcipline, and teach thy mind to obey; and in general, take this for a certain

6. rules.

6.

rule, "To fufpect thyself in whatever thou haft a ftrong inclination to."

Here's the great point of felf-denial, to deny our thoughts, and turn them from objects to which they incline, to others. Our actions have fomething grofs and per-ceptible in them; but our thoughts are refined; not to be obferved but by nice application. This is the true fource; get the • mastery of these, and you command all the • reft. It is in vain to think to deny ourfelves in actions, if we cannot do it in thoughts; nor to command our paffions, if we cannot govern our thoughts. Paffion ' lives in the thoughts, and the effect of it is, ⚫ to engage and determine our thoughts; but, if we have an habitual command of thefe, and used ourselves to deny them, to turn and wind them as we please; we fhall eafily govern our paffions too, and avoid any actions we are prompted to by them. Why fhould it then feem hard to thee, O my foul, or a matter worthy to be once named d; to deny thy felf in trivial and indifferent concerns, that thou mayeft gain the mastery of thy will in greater? If thou ftandeft in the prefence of a prince, thou haft loft all thy will in thefe things. If thou haft a mind to fee any thing particularly in the room; yet the will dies as foon as born; fo much does a prince's prefence awe thee. Is not thy chamber, O my foul, the prefence-chamber of Almighty God? (O that G. 6 • thou

G

thou wert more fenfible, and more worthy • of fuch an honour !) and yet here can thy will live, fo much as to give thee the leaft 'fhock, when thou denieft thyfelf an indif'ferent thing thou haft a mind to, that thou mayeft, with the greater eafe and chearfulnefs, give up thy felf to the will of God.

'Herein appears the admirable wisdom of God. God faw that the contempt of outward things, of the pleasures of fenfe, of riches, and glory, and the like, (which are the baits the devil lays for us, and whereby he drowns many fouls in perdition,) was neceffary for man, in order to his being reftored to blifs; what courfe therefore did the Divine wisdom take to embitter these things to man; and make their contraries, that is, chastity, poverty, humility, patience, and the contempt of the world, pleafing and easy? God himself came down from 'heaven, and taking upon him the form of a fervant, did by his own example make • this medicine, (fo neceffary to fick men, but withal, fo bitter and loath fome,) become fo pleasing and delightful, that good • men now love fafting, more than worldly men do excefs; poverty, more than riches; and mortification, more than fenfual plea'fures.'

But as Mr. Bonnell had noble and exalted thoughts of God, and a flaming love to his Maker and Redeemer; as he was meek and lowly, mortified and patient: fo these divine

graces

graces led him to all neceffary acts of devotion. I fhall therefore now confider, how he difcharged the duty of prayer, both public and private; how conftant and devout a guest he was at the Lord's table: how religiously he obferved the Lord's-day, and the feafts and fafts of the church.

How he

difcharg

ed the duty of prayer.

As to the duty of prayer, it was his conftant and daily work, and moft delightful entertainment; and he discharged every part of it in fo exact and regular a way, that his private devotions were not omitted for the fake of the prayers of the church; nor did any conftancy at the former, make him neglect being daily at these. His practice from his youth, was to begin the day with God, and confecrate to him his earliest thoughts, and in this he perfevered all his life long; for the firft thing he did in the morning, was repeating pfalms proper for it, as the fixty-third, the latter part of the feventy-third, and others: and all his dreffing. and washing-time he repeated the 103, 116, and 145th pfalms. In this part of his devotions it was his defire that his wife fhould bear her part and when they were over, he at large offered up his own private prayers in his closet. The evening he confecrated to God, as well as the morning. His first exercife (as foon as he could get free from company) was repeating the Magnificat, and fome other hymns of praife; his wife in these still

joining

joining with him. Then he ufually retired into his clofet, and with great exactness examined the ftate of his foul; and by reading and meditation, put himself into a right temper for prayer; which was then performed in the fulleft and devouteft manner. And he concluded the day in the fame manner that he began it; repeating the fourth, and other pfalms, while he undreffed. And when ready to ftep into bed, he kneeled down and offered up a fhort prayer, and then lay down in. peace. This was his practice fo conftantly, that neither the coldness of the weather, nor any bodily indifpofition of wearinefs, madehim neglect it.

But it is from himself the reader must have the cleareft view of the regular conftancy of his private devotions: for writing to a religious friend, with whom he was very intimate, upon the fubject of private prayer, and the most advantageous way of difcharging, that duty, he thus delivers himself.

The firft and the laft of the May 1692. day, is to me effentially neceffary; and no other time

of the But I • will not fay fo of others; fince the condi• tion of fome is fuch, that they must take • other times, or can get none at all: ufe and cufton may make other times of the day as ufeful to them. But when I have done with the world, and before I begin with it, is the time when my mind is fitted for re

• day could fupply the want of thele.