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heigth of the Words: For none can have a Senfe in their Hearts, adequate to fuch Words as thefe, but it will put them into a Tranfport, which will either exprefs it felf in a Flood of Tears, or in Silence; and hinder them from readily going on ' with other Talk. There are other Ex• preffions which are the Language of our Hearts, immediately to God himself: And it is ill to use our felves to Speak or Write thefe, but when our Hearts indeed go a6 long with them, and have intercourse with God. But it is hard to fuppofe, when we use them too frequently, our Hearts can C always go along with them: And this gives Matter of Offence to good People, and is a Prejudice to our Selves: For if we use to speak fuch Words, as ought to be fpoke, only to God himself, without fpeaking them indeed to Him with our C Hearts, it will certainly. Indifpose our Hearts, to fpeak to him in those Words, when we wou'd. Because we shall get a way of speaking fuch things by roat, and not be able to difcern, when indeed we speak to God, and when we don't.

My Converfing with you, has put me upon fpeaking and writing more things of this fort, than I did before; except in my Clofet, or in my private Papers; in which I feldom allow'd my felf to use any Expreffion, but what proceeded immediately from my Heart; or to fay my God, instead of God; unless my Heart boil'd with a fulness Q 2

to Express it felf, in those Terms; fo that I truft, thofe Papers are the Tranfcript of my Heart. But I can't fay fo, of all I have writ to you: Indeed I can't tax my felf with any thing in particular, to the contrary: but having writ fo much I have a fear upon me, that fomething may have been faid rather to the Occasion, than from the prefent Senfe or Feeling of my Mind. Tho' I do not cenfure you for this Lan'guage, believing it to proceed from your Zeal, and the lively Senfe you have of God; C yet this Caution against it, will not be amifs in the Courfe of your Life.

C

It were eafie to add other Inftances of Mr. Bonnell's Piety, and to enlarge upon these : But I must proceed to confider him with refpect to the Duties we owe to our selves, and our Neighbour, as well as those we owe to God.

How he perAs to the Duties we owe to our felves, I form'd the Du- have fhew'd how he discharg'd fome of them ties we owe to by what I have said of his Humility and Meekcur felves. nefs, Mortification and Self-denial. These

being duties, which in many Instances of

Action, have an immediate Reference to our felves; as in others, they have to God and our Neighbour. But the general duty which we are to perform to our felves, and which comprehends all others under it, is a due Regulation and Government of our Passions, and Affections; and none cou'd keep a stricter watch over thefe than Mr. Bonnell did: He confider'd humane Nature with great Applica

Application and particularly how our Paffions Act within us, what Feeds and Inflames them; And how they are to be Check'd and Subdu'd, made Governable and Calm. Το this purpose he speaks in one place.

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Paffions of the Mind are like a Running Gout; It is the fame Morbific Matter, that fhews it felf, fometimes in the Knee, then in the Elbow; That caufes Giddinefs in the Head, Sickness in the Stomach, and Cholicks in the Bowels: It is the fame Morbific matter in the Soul, < (Irregular Paffions and Unmortify'd Affections) that fhews it felf, fometimes in Love, fometimes in Averfion; then in Envy, then in Ambition; fometimes it is Love of Efteem, fometimes of Beauty; fometimes of Riches and Grandure, and abundance of like Variety. Seldom above one of thefe is Predominant at a time, and then the Party is free from others; and all commonly is, as the Bodily Temper varies. Thefe come and go by Fits unaccountably; but while the Root of the Matter Lives in our Hearts, we are still under the Power of the Disease; which we nourish by things. that are Pleafing; as we do the Gout, or Scurvy, by Meats that please our Palate. We feldom contract or encrease these Diftempers, by eating of Rhubarb or Aloes; but by high Saufes and delicious Meats, We indulge our pleafing Paffions, and they bring us under the fmart of the more painful Ones. Ceafe to Defire (fays Seneca) and 0 3 "you

you will cease to fear. Who fhall deliver us from the Body of this Death? Thy Cross, O bleffed Saviour, is a fufficient Remedy to all: For who can allow themselves to 'Love, or be overmuch Pleas'd with their "Fellow-Creatures, who ftand under the 'fhadow of this direful Tree? Had not the Blessed Virgin, and the belov'd Difciple fomething elfe to think of, while they stood there, than gratifying their Minds in worldly Amours? But we are not always to stand there; it is not requir'd of us. Yes, while we are in this World, in which our Lord Suffer'd, we are always to be there, more or lefs; because we ८ are always to be free from the Slavery of thofe Affections, from which he dy'd to fet us free: And to be most there, when we find our felves in most danger of being pleas'd. For if we keep our felves from being pleas'd, God hath commanded Nature, to keep us from being dif pleas'd. If we mortify for his fake, those Affections which are pleafing to us, he will certainly deliver us from those, that only bring Torment. And they that are Chrift's, have Crucifi'd the Flesh, with its Affections and < Lufts.

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To the fame purpose, in another place he expreffes himself thus.

What a Round do Paffions make in our miferable Souls; we fight against a Defultory Enemy, which fhifts and changes as often as we agrefs it. As the Humours of

:the

Efq

; 199 C the Body circulate about, so Passions circulate with them. It is with us as with Perfons in a Rheumatism, when the Pain is in their fhoulders, they prepare their Applications, but before they can well apply them, the Pain is mov'd down to their Knees, and thence again to their hands, When we get free from Luft, the HuС mour fettles in our Heart and turns to Love; If we get refpit from this, it flyes into our Head and perplexes us with va. nity, conceit of our felves and Love of 'Esteem of others. Perhaps thence it turns to Pride and Souring; with the mixture of other Humours, becomes Anger, Pevishness, Envy, Revenge, or Malice, till at last it < comes back where it began. Thus while L we feck to apply Remedies to Passion, the

Humour Circulates, and the Passion Travels along with it, and starts up in a new Place, and in a new Guife.

O Lord, who hast Instructed us to strike at the Root of all, by a true Mortification of our felves, help me to watch the motions of this Subtle Enemy, and to declare War against it wherever it appears. Help me to give it no reft, as it gives me little. Strengthen my Will, that it may be proof to its folicitations in every fhape, faithful . to thy Love in all Encounters, and Victorious through thy Grace under all Oppo• fitions.

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If I converfe with Politicians and Men

of Bufiness, it makes ine worldly. If with O 4

• Men