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His Behavi

fcience was concern'd, and always paid a great Regard to his Judgment.

And indeed fo well was the Character of his Excellencies confirm'd among us, fo generally was he Known, Efteem'd, and Lov'd in Ireland; fo Inoffenfive was his Life, fo free from Cenfure, or Blame; that I believe no Private Man was ever more Lamented. All Profeffions joyn'd in Teftifying their Concern at his Death. It was look'd upon as a general Lofs; and many who had never Perfonally known him, Bewail'd it.

If we confider Mr. Bonnell with respect to our to his fe-his feveral Relations, we fhall find him an veral Relati- excellent Pattern in every Duty, arifing from

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them. As he had been bleffed with Religious Parents, fo he ever acknowledg'd his Obligations to their Pious Care. They began betimes to form his Mind to Religion : And as their Endeavours were fo Blefs'd from Above, that they made him a fincere Servant to God; fo of Confequence, a Dutiful Son to themselves. Thus in one place he speaks of his Parents, fome Years before his Marriage.

My Chiefest Benefactress on Earth, is my 'Mother; She hath brought me to Heaven: And Blessed be the Memory of my Father, 'which hath Influenc'd my Life, I have no Children to Bequeath these Blessings to, let 'them Defcend upon all the Faithful Children of Abraham; and diffuse themselves the more, for not being confin'd to a Single Line, till after many Defcents, they fhall

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come at laft, to meet themselves at the 'great Day of Jubilee. O all ye that love God this is my Legacy! The Blessing De'fcended on me from my Father and Mother, 'I leave among you.

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If we confider Mr. Bonnell either as a Son Governors of the Church, or a Subject of the State he had all those Qualities, which, were they Univerfal, wou'd render our Church and Countrey Flourishing and Happy. He pur fu'd no Private Designs, had no Ambition to Gratifie, fell in with none of our Parties; and was not only free from Faction, but all Sufpition of it. He offer'd up his daily Prayers for all our Governours both Spiritual and Temporal; and was very rarely known to Condemn their Actions, or Censure their very Faults. And in all Cafes of Difficulty and Doubt, with Relation to Government, he ftill beg'd Direction from Above, That his Mind might be Inlighten'd, and his Confcience guided by the Divine Spirit; and that God wou'd Inftruit him, and all his true Servants to fudge Righteous Judgment.

If we confider him as a Husband, no Man wife ever exprefs'd more Tenderness and real Love. He ever found fome New Way to fhew his Kindness, fome Peculiar Methods of Obliging. In every Illness of his Wife's, he fenfibly fuffer'd with her; and when ever, in his Sickness, fhe gave him any Assistance, he always made Fresh and Kind Acknowledgments of her Care: And what was more, he Inftructed, he Affifted her for Heaven,

calling

Servants.

calling daily upon her, to join in Prayers and Praises to God with him

His Servants he treated with the fame Civility, as if they had ferv'd Him out of Good Will, and not for Maintenance and Reward. And when they were Sick, he behav'd himfelf to them, rather as a Father, than a Mafter; omitting no Expence, nor Care which were neceflary for their Recovery; And not only providing for their Bodies both in Health and Sickness, but being a Faithful Inftructor and Monitor to their Souls. And those who had been his Parents Servants, or Attended him in his Childhood, and at School, were ever after the Objects of his Charitable Kindness: He Supported them when in Want, and took Care of their Children, when they cou'd do nothing for them.

In a Word, all his Friends and Relations, all who defired, or any way needed his Help, he ftudy'd to Affift and Relieve; Treating them with the most obliging Civility; Comforting them, when in Affliction or Trouble; Reproving them, when in Sin; and Supplying them, when in Want: And all this without any other View or Defign, than the confcientious Difcharge of his own Duty, and that by all the Services he was able to do them, he might engage them in the Service of his Great Mafter, and make them his Fellow-Candidates for Heaven.

I have thus given a Faithful, tho' Imperfect Representation of Mr. Bonnell's Virtues, and am perfwaded that the Picture bears

fome

fome Refemblace to its Original, whatever its particular Defects may be; which are the Fewer; that fo much of it is the Work of his own masterly Hand. And no doubt the Whole will fufficiently convince us, That his Piety and Goodness were of a Strain very rarely to be met with; and that the more we make him our Rule and Pattern, both in Religious and Civil Life, the nearer we shall come to Perfection.

And now to give his Character in short.

Mr. Bonnell, like another Samuel, feems to have been confecrated to God from the Womb, and to have had his first Dawnings of Reafon inlightned by Grace. He made early and quick Improvements in Knowledge and Learning, greater in Religion and Piety. He began his Journey to Heaven in the Morning of Life, and remembred his Creator in the Days of his very Childhood. He had Noble and Generous Thoughts of God, join'd with the humbleft, lowest Thoughts of himself; and a most inflam'd Love to our Blessed Saviour. And by these Principles were his Life and Actions influenc'd and govern'd: For in God he plac'd his Confidence and Truft; to God he refign'd himfelf, his Concerns, and very Defires. With the lowest Humility he fubmitted to his Will, and with unparallel'd Patience bore his Corrections. In Silence he underwent Pain and Anguish, or, if he fpake, 'twas all Prayers and Praifes. His Devotions had their daily Returns with the Sun; nor was it more

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His Chara

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conftant in its Courfe, than They Prayer was the Entertainment of his Health, and Support of his Sickness, his greatest Delight and Joy. He faw clearly through the Vanity of Life, and wifely confider'd how fhortliv'd and unfatisfying all its Pleafures are; and therefore propos'd to himself a Nobler End; and by an active Faith, look'd beyond the Grave. There he faw Joys which can never fail; upon which he entirely fix'd his Heart, and all the Bent of his Defires; and continued conftant at every Duty, which might help him forward towards the happy Manfions of Eternal Pleasures.

In his Conversation, there was an easie Cheerfulness, mix'd with a Religious Gra-: vity, fomething that commanded and pleas'd at once: And in all his Actions, in his Meen and Behaviour there appear'd an humble Modefty, a Natural Opennefs and Sincerity: Nothing that was dark or defigning, affuming or vain, pofitive or Morofe; but all Plainnefs, Gentleness, Meekness. He labour'd with great Application, to bring his Paffions to a ready Submiffion, to the Dictates of Grace and Reafon; and by the hap py Methods he us'd, gain'd a mighty Conqueft over them. He fix'd them upon proper Objects, and kept them within narrow Bounds: Or, if he ever allowed them greater Liberty, it was when, warmed by an active Zeal, he endeavour'd the Advancement of Piety, and the Suppreffion of Vice.

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