and let it fatisfy you, because it pleaseth me. Ah Lord! perfect this important leffon in my heart, which I am beginning to learn, and thou to teach me; and change me more and more by the power of thy grace, till I • at last be transformed into the heavenly likenefs of thy dear Son. Amen.'

The following meditation, written when his thoughts were more particularly fixed upon the ministry, fhews what were his fentiments. of that facred calling, and how neceffary he judged a fincere intention to promote God's glory and the good of fouls, to render us qualified for it, and useful in it. Here we may fee what awful thoughts that good man had of that great and difficult work, taking care of the fouls of men, and what a conftant eye, all who defign to be, or are engaged in that fervice, ought to have to God in the dif charge of it, and how watchful they should be against the affaults of worldly interest and vanity.

If we defign,' fays he, any work for the good of fouls, we muft take care that it be undertaken by God's permiffion and encouragement for we are not always competent judges of what is proper to this end, in particular cafes: many things may feem, 6 to our fhallow reafons, to have a plaufible tendency towards it, which God may not judge fitting: the temple had not been fo fitting for God or his church's service, if built by David's hands. Therefore it is fit

we should take his advice and direction (of his word and providence,) in his own work, 6 as to laying the defign.

'Next in the carrying it on, we must from 'time to time lay the plummet to the work, and fee that it squares with a right intention for God's glory; that every word be impregnated with a divine fpirit, and pure zeal for the fervice of fouls. For how can that be likely to do good to fouls, which is only • intended to fhow our parts, or get ourselves efteem? our own bufinefs indeed may be done by the by, in purfuing of God's! but God's bufinefs will not be done by the by, in purfuing our own. All human affections are unhallowed in refpect of God's work, ' and pollute it by being mixed with it. They are the dead flies which corrupt this pre'cious perfume of the fanctuary, and cause it to fend forth an unpleafing favour to "God." See that thou do all things according to the pattern fhewed thee in the Mount," faid God to Mofes, when he was about his fanctuary we muft look up to our pattern, ' in doing God's work, his will and direction. 6 In that we are not allowed to pleafe ourfelves, or follow our own fancy and invention. How can any thing that we do of ourfelves, be able to benefit fouls? alas, it is as much beyond our power to benefit them, as it is to redeem them, fo we muft • let that alone for ever, unless the strength of • God goes along with our weakness. One

is the peculiar work of God the Son, the other of God the Spirit. Unless our words • flow from his inftinct, they are like to have · but a dead force upon fouls.

6

It is with the children of our brains, as of our bodies; if they are not fanctified in the womb, they rarely come fanctified into the ' world. If we cannot fay, Lord, let me have no children, rather than that they should not be thine, we have little ground to affure ⚫ ourselves that they will be his. Thus it is with the iffue of our minds. If they are conceived in the fpirit, God will bring them home to the fouls which he has loved; there they will find the fame fpirit making way for them, and clofing in with them, as tally ' answers to tally, and they fhall effect the • defired good.

But if it be faid, does not David complain, "I was shapen in wickedness, and in fin hath my mother conceived me;" when then can there be fuch a holiness of conception, if even fo holy a perfon as Da'vid had it not in his? it is true, the most pious parents have human frailties, and nothing is perfect on earth. Who can fay, he hath made himself clean? who can fay, his intention is fo clear, that the eye of God can difcern no fpot in it? but this is not expected by God from us, who knows whereof we are made. In this cafe he accepts the defire of perfect fincerity, for perfect fincerity itself. Human nature is not

• free

free from mixture; but if this mixture be not fo great as to darken the whole, and change the colour or property of it, that is, that the main intent fhould be for God's fervice and glory, he graciously overlooks it, and accepts it for perfect, more or less, according to the degrees of this mixture. There will be fome little fallies of felfcomplacency, fome little by thoughts creeping in, to glean among God's fheaves; but if they be curbed as foon as difcovered, and the intention again fet right, the ' work goes on orderly, and God accepts and approves it.

To conclude, upon the whole: Can I ⚫ think that any thing I do will be able to do good to fouls, unless God give it his blessing? and will he blefs any thing that is not • done wholly in his fear, with an eye continually looking up to him for his guidance and direction? alas! how unhandy creatures are we in God's work, how apt to · warp afide to worldly or felf-ends? It is not every forwardness of our own to go on • with his work, which we are to esteem a call from him: the more forward we are many times, the more of self-ends there is fecretly lurking in the bottom of our hearts: but if I find myself at any time filled with a fincere zeal for God's glory, and pious affections towards him, I may then go on with his work, he calls me to it: but if I find at any time the efteem of men, and the pleasure

pleasure or good things of this world, to have a confiderable relifh or guft in my • mind, and by confequence, my heart not fo • tenderly affected towards God, (as it will neceffarily follow) then let me not offer to put my hand to his work, I fhall pollute it. And fo if my bodily temper unfits me, ⚫ as God gives me other work to do, according to my duty in my ftation, then he calls me off from his work by his providence, • and I must meekly fubmit to it, till he thinks fit to give me leave to take it up again. He thinks fit to put this remora to it, this rub in my way, and knows well why; • and I (if I rest satisfied in it) fhall have the pleasure and glory another day, of knowing • the reason too.'

And even in the midft of all our confufions and dangers in this kingdom, in the year 1689, Mr. Bonnell's defires of being employed in the immediate fervice of God continued the fame, as the following prayer on his birthday, November the 14th, 1689, will fufficiently fhew.

Thou haft granted me, O my Father, to be born on that day, in which those words of thy dear Son are appointed for the leffon, "I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him that • fent me." As if thou didft defign me this in common with him, to be fent into the • world in fome kind for thy work, and on thy errand? O that I may perform it in

• fome