more fenfual I am, the more wretchedly I fleep and forget myself, and all things but ⚫ thofe deluding phantoms about me, which I take for realities. When I look about me, and fee the fields adorned with flowers, and the trees with leaves, and fine houses built of lasting fabric, I pretend to reason, and fay, Are all thefe things nothing? It is 6 true, they are fomething, but nothing to thee. Alas, what is one generation of men, or thy fhorter fpan of life; God in his wifdom has provided these things for a • proportionable end, even for many generations and feries of inhabitants, which he has brought, and ftill defigns to bring into the world. We have but a life in them, and that very short and uncertain: we must leave them to our fucceffors, and be ac• countable for the ufe. They are things of • durable continuance; and what proportion do they bear to thy moment of time which thou haft to spend among them? None at

all, and fo they are nothing to thee. They are not made for thee, but for many fucceffions of mankind; thou art only to view ⚫ them, and pafs away. But have I then no property nor inheritance any where? Yes, look up and thou fhalt fee thy portion among the faints; the faints; lift up thy eyes to • Heaven, there is thy treasure laid up fecurely for thee, there is thy home, there thy being. • Look down on this world, and know affuredly that it is but a dream at beft; fee

6

if it has not all the properties of a dream: of all the riches which we hug, of all thepleasures we enjoy, we can carry no more out of it, than from a dream; the good man knows this, and therefore defpifes them; the finner is drowned in flumber, and there-'fore infatiably embraces them. And of allthe evils we fuffer, none can purfue us out of this world; we fhall awaken in our rofy • bed of blissful fecurity and reft, and find all the dreadful phantoms vanish with our mortal fleep. The good man knows this, and regards them not; ignorance oppreffes the finner, and therefore he lives in perpetualterror, and is overwhelmed with trouble; "O lift up thine eyes to the hills, from whence cometh thy help;" look up to the top of the rock, and behold thy bed of reft: long to awaken there, and be present with thy God, that the night may pass away, and the day of eternal happiness fhine upon • thee. This is not thy home, nor can all the malice of devils (thofe rulers of darknefs, and domineering tyrants of the night) keep thee here long among their terrors, and more dangerous allurements.

Keep thy felf awake, O my foul, in this thy dream; dare to look up to Heaven, and fay, There is my inheritance, my treasure, my home. Let neither terrors fright thee, · nor allurements charm thee, to think this world any thing, or forget thy native country. O my dear God, let down a ray

• of

of heavenly light, a beam of thy divine glory, and enlighten the dark corners of my heart, that with patience and forbearance I may spend the remainder of this ❝ mortal dream; and though feeing thee but as in a glafs and darkly, I may never forget my condition, or look upon this world as 'more than it is, (at least my fhare and fpan in it) till fhadows depart, and the light of glory arife full upon me; that fo with full • awakedness I may fee thee whom my foul loveth, even as thou art. And in the mean time, may think nothing too much to do, too hard to fuffer, or too dear to part with, for thy fake, and the hopes of thy love in my dear Saviour. Amen.'

Thus did he arm himself against all covetous fuggeftions, by proper arguments and devout prayers; and both had their due effect; for he was entirely fatisfied with his condition, and ever firmly relied upon Providence for his fupport and not only was he content with his own ftate, but that of others alfo ; unless of the poor and neceffitous, whom he ftudied to comfort and relieve. But the fin of envy found no room in his foul; and those who knew him beft can witness, how far he was from betraying any difcontent at the profperous condition of others; at their encreafing in fortune, honour, or fame. For he knew that the only happy, were the religious and the good: and their graces were

the

the subject of his praifes, but never the occafions of his envy.

His tempe

rance and purity.

In the duties of temperance and chastity, he was nicely ftrict, and religiously fevere, and kept the oppofite vices at the greateft diftance. He employed his time too ufefully at home, to allow any of it to those places, .which are the ufual scenes of intemperance and folly. He confidered that abstinence was one of the moft effectual inftruments of divine grace, to reftrain and fubdue our paffions and defires; and that it ought to be a Chriftian's great study and care, to govern and calm, not exafperate and inflame them. His converfation was nicely pure and modeft, and never fullied with an expreffion which could raise a foolish thought; but all was tranfacted according to the fevereft rules of decency and religion.

bours.

But that we may have as full How he and right a view of Mr. Bonnell as performed I can give, I fhall now confider the duties him with respect to others, and we owe to fhew what an example he was, in our neighthe great duties of juftice and charity, and other focial virtues. For it is the property of true religion, not only to make us pious towards God, fober and temperate ourselves, but useful to the world. It fecures our hands from violence and blood; our tongues from falfhood and lander; and our hearts from fraud and

cruelty;

cruelty; it renders us faithful in every trust; firm to every promife; fincere in all our profeffions; peaceable in our stations; charitable to the needy, and the most valuable members of fociety. Without these happy effects of religion, it is fuperftitious and false, hypocritical and vain. But Mr. Bonnell's piety, when examined by this, or any other teft, will appear to be true, genuine, and fincere.

None could be more exact in

He had

His justice and inte- every part of juftice. grity.. many opportunities of improving his fortune, and met with temptations, which few, but himself would have refifted. But though he difpatched all, who had bufinefs with him, in the most obliging manner, and with great readinefs; yet he never knew what gratuity or reward meant; confining his gains entirely to his falary, and never allowing the importunity or gratitude of any, to force pecuniary acknowledgment And when at one time, three upon him. pieces of broad gold, and a guinea or two at another, were left upon his table, by perfons whom he had highly obliged; he gave the money all away, among thofe who had formerly been officers in the Custom-House, and were then in want; and acquainted his friends with his reafons for being fo fcrupulous. He owned he had done fervices to many, in getting their business dispatched, which strictly deferved confiderable rewards;

• but