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

"Next in the carrying it on, we must from ' time to time, lay the Plummet to the Work, and fee 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 Business indeed may be done by the by, in pursuing of God's, 'but God's Butinefs 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 it. They are the Dead flyes which corrupt this precious Perfume of the Sanctuary, and caufe 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. 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 In⚫stinct,

D 2

6

ftinct, they are like to have but a Dead force upon Souls.

It is with the Children of our Brains, as of our Bodies; if they are not fanctify'd in the Womb, they rarely come fanctify'd into the 'World. If we cannot fay, Lord, let me

have no Children, rather than that they 'fhould not be thine, we have little ground to affure our selves, that they will be his. Thus it is with the Iffue of our Minds. If they are Conceiv'd in the Spirit, God will bring them home to the Souls which he has 'Loved; there they will find the fame Spirit making way for them and closing in with them, as Tally anfwers to Tally, and they fhall effect the defired Good.

C But if it be faid does not David com

plain, I was shapen in Wickedness, and in Sin C hath my Mother Conceived me? Whence then can there be fuch a Holiness of ConC ception, if even fo Holy a Perfon as David 6 had it not in his? It is true, the most Pious 6 Parents have Humane frailties, and nothing 6 is perfect on Earth. Who can fay, he hath

made himself clean? Who can fay his In⚫tention is fo clear that the Eye of God can

difcern no spot in it? But this is not expect. ed by God from us, who knows whereof we are made. In this cafe he accepts the Defire of perfect fincerity, for perfect fincerity it felf. Humane nature is not free from mixture; But if this mixture be not so great as to darken the whole,and change the Colour or Property of it, that is, that the main in⚫ tent

tent fhou'd be for God's Service and Glory, 'he graciously overlooks it, and accepts it for perfect, more or lefs, according to the Degrees of this mixture. There will be fome ' little fallies of felf Complacency, fome little By Thoughts creeping in to glean among God's fheaves, but if they be curb'd as foon as Discover'd, and the Intention again fet right, the Work goes on orderly, and God accepts and approves it.

To conclude upon the whole. Can I ' think that any thing I do, will be able to do "good to Souls, unless God give it his Blessing? And will he Blefs any thing that is not done

wholly in his Fear, with an Eye continually looking up to him for his Guidance and Direction? Alas! How unhandy Creatures are we in God's Work, how apt to warp afide to worldly or felf Ends? It is not every for'wardness of our own to go on with his work, which we are to Efteem a call from him? The more forward we are many times, the more of felf Ends there is fecretly lurking in the Bottom of our Hearts: But if I find my self at any time filled with a fincere Zeal for God's Glory, and Pious AffectiC ons towards him, I may then go on with his Work, he calls me to it: But if I find at any time the Efteem of Men, and the Plea fure or good things of this World to have C a confiderable Relish or Guft in my Mind, and by confequence my Heart not fo tender( ly Affected towards God (as it will neceffarily follow) then let me not offer to put

my Hand to his Work, I fhall pollute it. And fo if my Bodily Temper unfits me, as • God gives me other Work to do, according to my Duty in my Station, then he calls me ' of from his Work by his Providence, and I must meekly fubmit to it, till he thinks fit C to give me leave to take it up again. He • thinks fit to put this Remora to it, this rub in my way, and knows well why; And I (if 'I reft fatisfy'd in it) fhall have the Pleasure and Glory another day, of knowing the reason too.

And even in the midst of all our Confufions and Dangers in this Kingdom in the Year 1689 Mr. B nnell's Defires of being Employ'd in the Immediate Service of God continu'd the fame as the following Prayer on his Birth Day, November the 14th 1689 will fufficiently fhew.

Thou haft granted me, O my Father, to be Born on that Day, in which thofe Words of thy Dear Son are appointed for the Lesson, . I came down from Heaven not to do my own Will, but the Will of him that fent me. As if 'Thou didst design me this in common with him, to be fent into the World in fome kind for thy Work, and on thy Errand : O that I may perform it in fome measure with that Delight and Faithfulness which he did. O Guide my way to it and affift me in it: And let the Bulinefs I have fo much long'd for, the fervice of Souls, be the Work of my Life and Joy of my Mind. Amen.

During the late King James's Reign, Mr. His Behavi Bonnell difcharg'd his Office himself: And tho' our in King he was one, whom the Party that then rul'd, James's Reign cou'd never hope to bring into their Interests; yet fo fully were they convinc'd of his Abilities and Faithfulness, that they never thought of removing him from his Employment: For fuch an openness and Sincerity fhin'd in all his Actions, fuch unfhaken Fidelity was his Rule and Guide, fo known an Enemy was he to Faction and Intrigue; that he was not only free from Blame, but even Sufpicion; and the Enemies of his Religion Reverenc'd his Perfon.

He wanted not his fhare of thofe Apprehenfions, which the state of these Kingdoms (and of Ireland in particular) rais'd in the Minds of all true Proteftants; He faw the Clouds gathering, and expected and prepar'd for a Storm: But the Effects which these threatning Dangers had upon him, were different from what they produc'd in the generality of Men. For, instead of being dismay'd at the profpect of them, instead of finking under a load of Fears, and defpairing of Deliverance, he confider'd the true end and great benefit of Judgments; and what need moft Churches have, of being awaken'd by Corrections, who are too apt to be corrupted by Profperity, and lull'd a fleep by a long courfe of Peace and Safety. Therefore Writing to his Friend Mr. Strype, in the Year 1686, he expreffes himself thus. The Army is already chang'd, and God knows what an Effect