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a Character of Piety and unshaken Virtue, was what he wanted. And fuch an one in the Year 1688, he thought he had found; and had actually agreed with him about it, being not a little rejoic'd with the hopes of being foon treed from noife, and hurry, and world'ly Business; and having nothing to do,but take care of his own Soul, and do good to the Souls of Others. But the News of the late Revolution chang'd that Gentleman's Thoughts and broke Mr. Bonnell's Measures

His defires of entring into the Ministry, An Enemy to were of a very early Date; for I find that fe- Soliciting for veral Attempts were made by his Friends, du- Preferment. ring his Refidence in England, to procure him some settlement in the Church there; fome of which might have fucceeded, had he feconded his Friends Zeal. by any Endeavours of his own: But that he was fo far from doing, that he reckon'd it a great unhappiness to the Church, that Intereft and Application had any share in the difpofal of Spiritual Things. And when his Friend, Mr. Freeman, out of a fense of Mr. Bonnell's great Merit, and the Services he had done him, defign'd to have purchas'd the Advowfon of a Benefice, that he might present Mr. Bonnell to it; he himself was the only Person that oppos'd it, and fo disappointed the kind Intentions of his Friend. And 'tis probable that fome Endeavours of his Friends,for his Advantage, occafion'd the following Meditation, Written in the Year1 680, wherein we will fee what were his fentiments of foliciting for Employments in the Church;

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and what Motives he proposes to himself, why he fhou'd in all thofe Affairs, chearfully fubmit to the Will of God, and acquiefce in his Wisdom.

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'I have often thought it (Says he) a great 'misfortune of fome Men, whofe condition engages them in foliciting for Preferment and Places, which they often mifs; and an unhappy effect of fome Employments, particularly in Divinity. And I can't but pity fuch Men whofe Employments almost neceffarily engage them in fuch conflicts, as 'feem very uneafy to Flesh and Blood,and very apt to fhock a Chriftian Temper; For to what is one carried more violently, than to grudge and hate a Rival or Competitor? To speak Evil of him when occafion is offer'd, ⚫ and envy him if he fucceeds? And what Jealoufies, what Animofities, what Heart-Burnings, are commonly the effect of fuch Debates; are naturally apt (without much ftruggling with ones felf) to be produced by them? Yet this, O my Soul, will be 'made easy to Thee, if Thou dost all with ⚫ relation to God. If Thou counteft it Thy only Business in this World, to ferve God; ' and confidereft, that no fervice can be pleafing to him, that is not fubmiffive; For if I ferve God but as I will my felf, I can't fupс pofe it will be acceptable to him. Where'fore I will defire no Place, Preferment, nor Employment to please my self (especially in the Church, but indeed no where else) but to ferve God. If therefore I fail of any

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thing of this nature, for me to be diffatisfied, or envious, or angry, or the like, is as if ĺ 'fhou'd proffer my service to a Master, with 'great profeffions of Humility and Respect, 'to do fuch a piece of work, which he thinks fit to fet another Servant about, and I immediately fly out into the most unmannerly, and undutiful Expreffions, both against one and the other. I can't fay that God whol. ly cafts me out of his Service, for where ever I am in this World, I am in it: all I wait for, is, a change of Duties; and if God thinks not fit to employ me in that way, if indeed I principally defire to ferve him, as I profefs, I ought to be far from being difpleas'd.

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Fancy, O my Soul, that thou hearest thy God thus fpeaking to thee: My Son, 'tis but a little time you will stay in this World, no matter how you are Employ'd, fo you do it faithfully and well: The greater the Charge is, the greater Duty, and the greater 'Account will be expected: Since by all your Labour, you strive only to please me, you will do that more, by labouring according to my Will, where I fet you, than where you feek to place your felf. It will not be long before I fhall take you to my self; in the mean time, the highest thing you can do to procure my Favour, is to do your Duty where my Providence fhall place you. And "if other things fail which you defire, or aim at, count that I think not fit to remove you, and let it fatisfy you because it pleaseth me. 'Ah

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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 transform'd into the heaven" ly likeness of Thy Dear Son, Amen.

The following Meditation written when his Thoughts were more particularly fix'd upon the Ministry, fhews what were his fentiments of that facred Calling, and how necessary he Judg'd a fincere Intention to promote Gods. Glory and the good of Souls, to render us qualified for it, and ufeful in it. Here we may fee what Awful Thoughts that good Man had of that Great and Difficult Work, taking Care of the Souls of Men, and what a constant Eye all' who Design to be, or are engag'd in that fervice, ought to have to God in the Discharge of it, and how Watchful they fhould be against the Affaults of worldly Interest and Vanity.

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If we Defign, fays he, any work for the good of Souls, we must take care that it be undertaken by Gods permiffion and encouragement; for we are not always Competent Judges of what is proper to this End, in particular Cafes: Many things may feem to our fhallow Reafons to have a plausible tendency towards it, which God may not C Judge fitting: The Temple had not been fo fitting for God or his Churches Service, if Built by David's Hands. Therefore it is 'fit we should take his Advice and Direction

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(of his Word and Providence,) in his own 'Work, as to laying the Defign.

'Next in the carrying it on, we m ft from 'time to time, lay the lummet to the Work, ' and see that it fquares with a Right Inten'tion for God's Glory; that every Word be Impregnated with a Divine Spirit, and pure zeal for the service of Souls For how can 'that be likely to do good to Souls, which is

only intended to fhew our Parts, or get our 'felves Efteem? Our own Bufinefs indeed may be done by the by, in pursuing of God's, 'but God's Bufinefs will not be done by the by, in purfuing our own. All Humane Af'fections are unhallow'd in refpect of God's 'Work, and pollute it by being mixt with

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it. They are the Dead flyes which corrupt this precious Perfume of the Sanctuary, and cause it to fend forth an unpleafing Savour to . God. See that thou do all things according to the Pattern fhew'd thee in the Mount, faid God to Mofes when he was about his Sanctuary: We must look up to our Pattern, in doing God's Work, his Will and Direction. In that we are not allow'd to please our selves or follow our own Fancy and Invention. C How can any thing that we do of our felves be able to Benefit Souls? Alas it is as much .beyond our Power to benefit them, as it is to redeem them, fo we must let that alone for ever, unless the Strength of God goes along with our Weaknefs. One is the peculiar Work of God the Son, the other of God the Spirit. Unless our Words flow from his InD 2 ftinct,

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