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felf-denials; that we may have the better, ⚫ and more habitual Mastery over our Appetites; and be able to watch and refift more eafily, the first Motions of Sin, in which the whole ftrength of a Chriftian lies: For 'who is Master of himself, without a Miracle, if these are once confented to? Where'fore the Holy Pfalmift Cries out, after he had pray'd God, to cleanse him from fecret Sins, of Infirmity and Surprife; Keep back thy Servant from prefumptuous Sins; from Sins that flow from an ungovernable Will, against the preceeding Checks of his Confcience, tho' in never fo little Inftances: For fhou'd he at all give way to these, his Appetites would gain fuch Mastery, and his 'Will be so chain'd to them, (for Will and

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Appetite are very near a-kin; we hardly 'know the Line, that bounds and diftinguifhtheir Natures; only that Will is a kind of Spiritual Appetite; and Appetite a fort of corporeal Will that he cou'd not hope to be long innocent and free from the great Offence; that finishing Sin, which bringeth forth 'Death.

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The Meditation that here follows, is upon the fame Argument, the benefit of Self denial in things of leffer Moment, and that are indifferent in their own nature.

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'My Soul, you will be apt to say, This is an innocent Defire; why fhou'd I put my felf to the trouble of thwarting it? Were it un

lawful, I hope I fhou'd refuse it,how much Selfdenial foever it requir'd. God does not require

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us to make our Life uneasy, nor to render his Service irksome and unpleafant to us. He permits us to indulge our felves a modest freedom in innocent Things: And it is Superftition to think, he is pleas'd with the Sacrifice of Trifles. But fancy that thou hearest thy God thus fpeaking to Thee: My Child, I know 'that this is a great Snare; for it is not the Matter thou refufeft, that is weighed by me; but the A&t of Refufing: I refuse not • the Day of Small Things; don't Thou defpife them. But thou art farther advanc'd, as thou thinkeft; and wou'dft fain leave this Leffon, to Beginners. But he that advances, without laying a good Foundation, will be again 6 to begin. He that begins in the middle of · a Book of Mathematicks, because the beginning is full of plain and evident Axioms and Propofitions, that feem to be fo eafy, as to be of no ufe, will foon find the · want of these firft Ptinciples; and be glad, ' with fhame, to look back, on what he defpis'd before. So likewife, Thou, when thou findeft thy felf uncapable to conflict with thy Paffions, and to command thy Thoughts and Inclinations, wilt then, too late, confider thy Neglect, in not having train'd thy Mind by degrees to Self-denial. If thou gaineft not the Victory over thy felf in fmall Things, how wilt thou be a⚫ble to do it in greater? Set apart then to 6 thy self some time; and fay in this time, I will deny my felf in every thing I have a mind to; yet do it calmly, without Super

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ftition,

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ftition, without Anxiety. This thou wilt think perhaps, at firft, a ftrange Task: Thy inferior Part will repine, and make many Complaints, and thy Body be sick, at fuch fudden Checks and Contradictions. But mind none of thefe, My Son; finile at thy foolish fenfitive Part, for it does not understand that this is even for its eternal Benefit. 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 may'ft advance to consider, what 6 things of Moment thou hast a mind to; and there apply thy Difcipline, and teach thy Mind to obey; and in general, take this for a certain Rule, To fufpect thy felf in "whatever Thou haft a frong inclination to. "Here's the great Point of Self-Denial, to to deny our Thoughts, and turn them from Objects to which they incline, to others. Our Actions have fomething Grofs and Perceptible in them; but our Thoughts are Refin'd; not to be observ'd, 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 deС ny our felves in Actions, if we can't do it in Thoughts; nor to command our Paffions, if we can't 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,

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thefe, and us'd our felves to deny them ; to turn and wind them as we pleafe: We fhall cafily govern our Paffions too, and avoid any Actions we are prompted to by them. Why fhou'd it then feem hard to Thee, O my Soul, or a matter worthy to be once nam'd; to deny thy felf in Trivial < and indifferent Concerns, that thou may'ft gain the Maftery of thy Will in greater? If thou ftandeft in the prefence of a Prince, thou haft loft all thy Will in these things. If thou haft a mind, to fee any thing particularly in the Room; yet the Will Dyes C as foon as Born; fo much does a Prince's prefence awe thee. Is not thy Chamber, O . my Soul, the Prefence Chamber of Almighty God? (0 that 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 thy felf an indifferent thing thou haft a mind to, that thou may'ft with the greater Eafe and Chearfulness, give up thy felf to the Will of God.

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'Herein appears the admirable Wisdom of God. God faw that the Contempt of Outward things, of the Pleasures of Senfe, of Riches, and Glory, and the like, (which are the Baits, the Devil lays for us, and whereby he drowns many Souls in Perdition, was neceflary for Man, in order to his being reftord to Blifs; what course therefore did the Divine Wisdom take to • embit

embitter these things to Man; and make their Contraries, that is, Chastity, Poverty, Humility, Patience, and the Contempt of the World, Pleafing and Eafie? God himfelf came down from Heaven, and taking .. upon him the form of a Servant, did by his E own Example, make this Medicine, (fo neceflary to Sick Men, but withal, fo bitter and loathfome,) become fo pleafing, and delightful, that good Men now love Fafting, • more than worldly Men do Excess; Poverty more than Riches; and Mortification, more than fenfual Pleafures.

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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, Mortifi'd and Patient; so these Divine Graces, led him to all neceflary Acts of Devotion. I fhall therefore now confider, How he discharg'd the Duty of Prayer,both Publick and Private: How conftant and Devout a Guest he was, at the Lord's Table! How Religiously he obferv'd the Lord's-Day, and the Feasts and Fafts of the Church.

How he dif As to the Duty of Prayer, it was his concharged the ftant and daily Work, and moft delightful Duty of Pray- Entertainment; and he discharg'd 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 Thefe. His Practice from his Youth, was to begin the day with God, and confecrate to Him his earliest

Thoughts,

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