Page images
PDF
EPUB

Governours cou'd not defire a better Subject, nor our Church a better Member; submitting to her Authority, waiting upon her Service, and reverencing her Laws, and adorning all by a Heavenly Example.

And tho he always ftudy'd to be little known, yet fuch Excellencies cou'd not be hid; he was known and justly valu'd; he was honour'd by the Bad, and belov'd by the Good of every Perfwafion. He was regarded by the Great, and confulted by the Wife. A general Love attended him in his Life, and as general Sorrow waited on him to his Grave.

And now from the preceeding Account of Mr. Bonnell's Life and Character, I leave it to all Competent Judges to determine, if he was not a truly Great Man, according to all juft Notions of Greatness, which can never be feparated from Piety and Goodness? And whether many, who are reckon'd Heroes in the Records of Time, don't fall fhort of him, in many Inftances of Substantial Virtue. For wherein did their Greatness principally confift, but in raifing a Dust, and making a Noise in the World? In commanding Armies, and laying Countries waste? In committing Acts of Violence and Cruelty, and doing much Mifchief to Mankind? Whereas his Principles led him on to make All rejoyce, but None mourn; to do Men Good in their Valuable Concerns, in their Fortunes, their Bodies, but chiefly in their Souls. He fudy'd to tranfcribe in his Life,

alf

all the imitable Perfections of God; and to be truly Great by refembling, as much as poffible, that infinite Fountain of Greatness and Goodness.

And from the fame Account of Mr. Bonnell's Piety, and the several Instances given of his Virtues, we may fee how glorious Christianity appears, when it duly influences our Lives, and governs our Actions: when it fmooths our native Roughness, and foftens us into Love and good Nature, Humility and Meeknefs, Gentleness and Charity: When it enlightens the Head with exalted Thoughts of God, and warms the Heart with his Love and Fear: When it opens our Mouths in Prayers and Praises, our Hands to the Poor, and our Doors to Strangers: When it plants a firm Faith in the Soul, which is fruitful in producing all Graces and Virtues there: When it arms us with steady Justice and Truth, unfhaken Constancy, and invincible Patience: When it exalts us above the World; gives us juft Sentiments of its Vanity, and ftrong Defires after unfeen Delights: When it enlarges our Prospect beyond the Grave, and prefents the Spiritual World to our View, and fills us with enlivening Hopes of being for ever happy there: When thefe Hopes fo powerfully act upon our Souls, that we can be unconcern'd Spectators of human Greatnefs, and desire filently and calmly to pafs thro' this World: In a word, when Christianity makes us live, converfe and act here, as this great Example R

of

of Piety before us did: It is then, that it fhines with an irrefiftable Beauty, and ravishes all who attentively behold it, with its Charms,

Here

May we not likewife learn from what has been faid, of Mr. Bonnell's ftric Life, and conftant Discharge of every Religious Duty; that Religion is no impoffible Work, when we in earnest fet about it: And that the Difficulties of Piety, and Preffures of Temporal Affairs are no reasonable Excufe for neglecting the Duties of it. For here we have ¡an Inftance of One who reconcil'd a Life of Religion and Business together; who omitted no Office of Civil Life, nor A&t of Devotion; who liv'd in the midft of Temporal Affairs, yet had his Converfation in Heaven. we may fee what mistaken Notions they have, who think a Wilderness or a Cell the only Scenes of true Devotion: For what is that, but putting our Candle under a Bufhel, and not letting it fhine before Men? Whereas Mr. Bonnell, like Enoch, walked with God amidst the Throng of daily Bufinefs; the private Cares of a Family, and the confcientious Discharge of a weighty Employment. Let this then filence our Complaints of Religion, and turn them all against our felves, and make us own, that we want not Time to ferve God, but Zeal; and that we have not too much Bufinefs, but too little Grace.

And is it not for the Honour of the Reform'd Religion, that it can give fuch an Inftance (and bleffed be God, that many others

can

can be given likewife;) of all that ftri&t fevere Piety, which the Romanifts pretend to, as only to be found in their Religious Houses? Sure I am, that were the Lives of their most Celebrated Saints, compar'd with this Gentleman's Character, (If they can be call'd Lives, which are fo full of Fable,) a manifeft difference wou'd foon appear. Here all that Strictnefs in Reality, to which many of them were only Pretenders: But withal, a Piety, that was Rational and Sober; Prudent and Intelligible; Meek and Charitable; Useful to the World, and charming in it felf: A Piety, that was not clouded by Melancholy; nor disturb'd with Superstition, Enthufiafm, and other foolish Paffions: A Piety, that was not Supercilious and Proud; Cruel and Defigning: But was Temper'd with the Meekness and Lowlinefs of Chrift; and that Love and Joy, Peace, Long Suffering, Goodness and Faith, which are the Genuine Fruits of the Spirit of God.

Muft it not alfo, be matter of great Joy, to the Church of England; to fee all its Principles and Laws, fo truly Tranfcrib'd in the Life of one of its Excellent Sons? Here is all that generous Piety, that unbounded Charity and Love, which are fo Remarkable in our Church. Here is Religion in its Native Beauty, and most charming Dress; as it bears the greatest Refemblance to its Divine Founder; and has moft of God and Christ, and Heaven in it. And wou'd we behold a Church of England Man, who has

R 2

all

all the Accomplishments She can give him who has fully Imbib'd her Do&rine, and gives himself up to the Conduct of Her Laws; who joyns daily in her Devotions, and Receives the Holy Sacrament from her Hands; who partakes of her extenfive Charity, and is acted by her Primitive Spirit; who Honours her Laws, and lives up to her Pre. cepts: Confider Mr. Bonnell well, and it is He. This Church he Honour'd and Lov'd ; and Her Misfortunes he Bewail'd: He faw Her Constitution Primitive and Apoftolical; Her Doctrine, Pure; Her Service, Rational and Heavenly: But lamented that fo many, who call themselves by Her Name, fhou'd bring fo much Scandal upon Her, by their Immoral Lives. But what he cou'd not amend in others, he ftudy'd to prevent in himfelf: And effectually fhew'd to all who knew him, how Glorious our Church wou'd be, did all who own her Authority, come up to her Principles in their Lives.

And now at last, to come to a Conclusion, I wou'd defire every one, who confiders the Life of this Excellent Man, to ask themselves this ferious Queftion: Whether all things duly weigh'd; this World and the next; the fhortnefs of Life, and the Eternity to follow: They wou'd not rather Live and Die like Mr. Bonnell; enjoy the present Pleafures of his Virtues; and be Intitl❜d to their exceeding great Reward: Than act one of the moft Bufie Parts of Humane Life than poffefs whatever the most boundless

« PreviousContinue »