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Of the Intermediate State of Blelled Souls.

A

SERMON

Preached at the

FUNERAL

O F

James Bonnell Efq;

IN

St. John's Church Dublin,
April 29. 1699.

BY

EDWARD Lord BISHOP O F

Killmore and Ardagb.

LONDON,

Printed and Sold by Jofeph Downing in Bartholomew-Clofe near Smithfield. 1707.

1

A N

ADVERTISEMENT

TOUCHING THIS

Sermon and its Subject.

THE

HE following Sermon was Drawn up and Preach'd in much hast; My Dear Friend's Death being a great Surprise to Me, who was then but just come up from my Home, into the City, and very full of Business, which had been as Unexpected as it was of Concern ment to me. From fuch haft and difcompofure it neceffarily came to pass, that I could neither do the numerous Congregation I was to Preach to, that Service; nor the Deceased, that Justice, which I willingly would have done to both. But having endeavoured what I could, in thofe Circumftances, and finding my poor Performance accepted; I could not deny a Copy of it (fuch as it was) to the importunity of fome, whofe Grief and Weakness fuffer'd them not to be Hearers: Nor do I think it Reasonable now, at the Inftance of the fame Perfons, to withstand the Publication of it; which is but a poor Duty

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to the Memory of one, whom I Lov'd fo highly, and knew fo well.

I am heartily glad to fee a more perfect Delineation of this great Example, from the hand of one, who had more time, and better Informations, than could then be obtain'd by me. And however fome may think, that both the Author of the foregoing Life, and my Self, have set our Deceafed Friend's Character above what there was real ground for; I must take the Liberty facredly to Proteft, that I think we have both hitherto, come short of his Intrinsic Worth.

Had I not had a very high Senfe thereof, I fhould not have chofen the Text I have made ufe of, for the Difcourfe at his Funeral: My Firft Subject would not have answered my Second: But I truly believed that if ever Soul on Earth, felt it felf United to that Glorious Company of the Spirits of Juft Men made perfect above, His Soul did. I had had for several Years,(as often as we could meet,) moft Intimate Converfation with him; and when we were diftant from one another, no lefs conftant Correspondence by Letters: And I must profefs I have often been warmed, and almoft Tranfported, even by his Letters, as well as his Difcourfe: Nor have I, among the many Acquaintances I have had, net with any of fo devout and heavenly a Spirit; one Perfon only excepted, who I hope is yet in the Land of the Living; and, I pray God, be long may be fo.

I can fcarce think there is any ferious unprejudiced Perfon, that, but in a Tolerable Degree, knew Mr. Bonnell, who must not fay, if he

ke

be true to his own sense of things, that His Converfation was in Heaven, in every (even the Strictest) Senfe of the Phrafe. He was truly a Citizen of the New Jerufalem. His Temper, his Difcourfe, (than which commonly there is nothing more fhews the Abundance of the Heart) His whole Life, and all his Actions; his way of Converfing in the World, and in a fort, his very Meen, befpoke him fuch. A fweet and unaffected Contempt of this World, appear'd in his Behaviour. As far as I have been able to See or Learn, in all the opportunities he had to enrich himself (which were not a few) Money neither ftuck to his Fingers, nor his Heart. He liv'd in the midst of much Bufinefs, (and the greatest part of it very troublefome) with a Mind full of compofedness; with Affections free from being Intangled by earthly concernments, or the fecret Witchcraft of Seen and Sublunary Goods

His Soul was above the Frowns of Great ones, as well as the Careffes of the Common fort Faithful to all, in what was their true Intereft. His fingular Prudence and Dexterity in managing that great and necessary (though most difficuls and commonly unwelcome) Office of Reproof, has been touched by the Hand I before mentioned. I could relate fome happy Inftances thereof, did not the Circumftances of fome Survivor make it Inconvenient.

I will add thereto, the mention of only one other Holy Art, which he was as Great a Mafter of, as any I have known. Let the Company wherein he was, be talking of whatsoever they bappened to fall on; He would without Affectation,

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