་

worldly things, and makes me impatient, till I may get more out of the way of them, by changing my employment and ftation in • the world. Yet the thought of this itself is damped, when I confider thefe two things: Firft, that bodily indifpofitions may make my head as unfit to attend on holy things, in the midft of the greateft leifure, and most facred employment, as worldly business does ⚫ now; and that even then, charity will oblige me to defcend to the worldly matters of my friends: orphans, widows, and diftreffed perfons must be affifted and relieved. Secondly, What fhall become of the rest of 'mankind; of my Chriftian brethren, who • remain under the fame circumstances in which I am now; and from which they cannot get free, though perhaps I may? • Muft not they go to heaven, nor have comfort on earth in the worship and fervice of 'God? God forbid! Why then should not I be content to bear my burden in life as well as they; and ftruggle with difficulties ⚫ in common with them? this is not the place of our enjoyment, but of our warfare; therefore I will humbly prepare myself to the combat, O my God: and when thou seeft me ready to go on to fight, in obedience to thy pleasure; thou wilt order for me what thou knoweft for the good and comfort of my foul.'

Thus you fee that all Mr. Bonnell's advances in the divine life, did not raife him

above the infirmities of humanity, and the incumbrances of flesh and blood. And this is matter of great peace to the pious but weak Christian, who labours under the fame difficul ties, and is apt to be too much dejected when affaulted by vain and worldly thoughts in prayer. For these are trials which will exercife the faith and patience of the greatest favourites of God; and from which only heaven will entirely fet us free. But then if we would have peace of mind under thefe disturbances, we must not only pray againft them with Mr. Bonnell's zeal, but endeavour, as he did, to prevent or remove them. And fome of the remedies which he prescribes for this disease, are these that follow.

6

The happiest means of gaining recollection when we pray, is to have nothing to do but to pray. It is fo hard to compofe our thoughts, which are apt to fly after every trifle; and to find innumerable things to take them off from their duty; that we muft go to work by art, and deal with them as we do with irrational creatures; fome of which (as hawks and horfes) we hoodwink, when we would keep them intent on particular matters. We must fhut all other bufineffes out from our minds at that time. • We must neither have any thing to do ourfelves, nor expose ourselves to be disturbed by others. We must not only enter into our closets, but fhut our doors about us. The great art to attain this happiness lies in faying,

H 4

faying, "I have nothing to do this half hour, but to wait on my God." For if < we determine ourfelves no time, but are in hafte to do fomething elfe, as foon as we have done our prayers, it is a great hazard if ever we are recollected. This is fpoken of the orderly courfe of our devotions, 'when we have nothing amifs in our bodies or minds. But if either care, trouble, or indifpofition, diftract our thoughts, and make them apt to ramble from our duty, there will be more pains ftill requifite: it is not enough to fet ourselves a certain time, but we muft lay afide so much at large, as will be neceffary to recite our devotions attentively. If when your mind is in a good frame, a quarter of an hour is fufficient for this: you are not to think much, if now you can be able to do it in a whole hour. That is, if you can recite your devotions fo in an hour, as to be able to attend to each article of them. For taking in the large intervals, in which (in fuch a cafe) your thoughts will be quite loft, and roving far away from the matter they are about, and in which time you pro• ceed nothing at all in your devotions; and • that many times you will be forced to re6 peat that fame fentence over and over again, before you will be able to acquit yourself of your duty, and attend to what you fay thrice your usual time, or more, may well be fuppofed to be spent ; and it is

6

• well

* well if you come off fo: From which we fee, that patience is a virtue as neceffary • fometimes in devotion as in afflictions; and the want of patience, does as often make < our devotions defective, as the want of recollection.

Another rule to prevent diftractions in · prayer, is to give no way to vain amuse• ments out of it. By vain amusements, I mean, thinking of things that never will be, or perhaps never can be; mere chimeras. It is a good maftery of our thoughts, to be able to reject thefe immediately, as foon • as we reflect that our minds are bufied about them: for, perhaps, our minds may 'be got a good way in them before we take notice of it. It is enough then, when we find it, to caft them out, and fay, " Away with this vain amufement: to what purpose this chimera? Why do I spend time and thought about it, who have fo many neceffary things to take up both ?”

6.

66

Again, in another place, he advifes thus.

If thou art troubled with unattentiveness, ← and wandering thoughts in prayer, confider whence they spring, and that will discover what they are. If they are fuch, as depend upon any affection or paffion of thy heart, which is not yet mortified as it fhould be:then, believe me, they are unclean birds, and pollute thy facrifice. If they spring from any thing that is thy burden, and which thou laboureft to fubdue; it is ftill a little better. Be not difcouraged, caft them

н б

them from thee calmly, beg pardon, and pursue thy duty. If they be the thoughts of bufinefs, in which thy affections are not concerned; only that thou art unhappily engaged in an over-multiplicity of affairs; rid thy hands by degrees, as faft as thou canft, that the waters may fettle, and thy thoughts be free to wait upon God. For this diverfion from his fervice is evil, but not to be helped till the business that feeds it be withdrawn.

Laftly, if the thoughts be only of indifferent matters and trifles, wandering on feveral things without coherence, to which ⚫ thou haft neither affection nor engagement: • rouse up and awaken thyfelf; put thy heart into the presence of God, and lie naked before his Majefty. For this is the fleepiness of the head, and the drow finefs of the fenfes. For as in fleep, our thoughts run incoherently to and fro; fo this is a degree of • fleep, and thy thoughts ramble proportionably to this degree: but check them, awaken them, and bemoan thyfelf, and fay: Pardon, O Lord, the behaviour of thy fervant, fo unfuitable to thy tremendous Majefty. Thy holy angels may juftly have indignation againft fuch a wretch as I am, that prefume to treat the adorable majefty of their Lord with fo little reverence and refpect: while they, who are fo much above me, fo high in eminency and honour, yet pay thy infinite Majefty infinitely more awful homage. Ah!

poor