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are his glorious resurrection, with the ministration of angels, opening the prison gates, and his triumphal ascension with the whole quire of angels attending; promising at the same time to be mindful of his poor (but great) friends, whom he left here behind, in the midst of his and their enemies. Nor was he unmindful of them afterwards, like Pharaoh's butler: but when his martyr Stephen was overborne by the violence of his persecutors, he caused the heavens to open, to shew to this his beloved friend, that he beheld him in his conflict, and would immediately bring him to his own glory. Had he by angels taken him straight up to himself from the midst of their consistory, the scene would not have been greater to those heavenly spectators, than as he was pleased to manage it: for as we laugh at the rage which our enemies express against the dead bodies of our friends, so do the angels in heaven, at the rage of men against our living bodies here, being only a lump of clay and corruption, which must be sowed before it can be quickened, and put off mortality before it can be invested with glory.

"O poor-sighted mortals; that this scene does not appear to you with that grandeur as the loves of earthly princes, when to the blessed inhabitants of the other world it appears so heroic, and fills their thoughts with more affecting joy and wonder than all the earthly pomp could do ours: this noble scene of love, between our blessed Lord and his servants, from his first quitting his glory for their sakes, to the last act of love that shall appear on this earthly stage at the final consummation of all things.

How divinely great will these stories appear in the annals of eternity, to entertain that blessed society with, through never-ending days of bliss!"

I shall add but one meditation more upon his love to God; and that has a particular relation to God's laws and commandments; by which, with what goes before, the reader may judge of the sincerity and fervency of this his divine love, especially with respect to the adorable mystery of our redemption. Psal. cxix. 127. "I love thy commandments above gold and precious stones."

"The commandments of God are the rule of our life; the revelation of the holy will of God, the means of perfecting our nature, and making us ever happy. So passionately did David love them, that he had rather all the jewels of his crown should be lost, than one of them taken away. (Not one of them are to be spared, they are all adorable, all to be beloved.) Who would be content to lose one of his members, though not essential to his life? but the commandments of God are links of the chain of eternity, as much worth as heaven and immortality; who can but love that which is holy, just, and good? What true servant of God can but love every declaration of the will of his heavenly Father? Is it not condescension enough to captivate our hearts, that the Almighty should reveal his will to us? better heaven and earth should pass away, than one tittle of the law of God should be withdrawn. I love then every commandment of my God, even that which most contradicts my sinful and natural inclinations; and would not wish it to be taken out of the number,

for a thousand worlds. For I know the will of my God is holy, (his will is our sanctification) and I cannot be happy without being like him; nor can I be like him that is holy, if any part of this his law should be withdrawn. O Almighty God, give unto us the increase of thy grace; and that we may obtain that which thou dost promise, make us to love that which thou dost command, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

His humility.

Thus did Mr. Bonnell love God with all his heart and soul; and upon this foundation were all the other graces of Christianity strongly built but none took earlier and deeper root in his soul than humility: that virtue, so peculiar to Christianity, so becoming a creature and a sinner. How soon this grace took possession of his heart, appears from the account already given of his early piety; particularly his care to conceal his keeping fasting-days at the University: and afterwards increased and improved with his life; it being his constant study and prayer, to be like him whom he so dearly loved; and be lowly in heart as our Redeemer

was.

None could more industriously avoid all approaches to pride or vain glory; or whenever he was surprised into a secret complacency at esteem and praise, could be more humbled before God for it, and more bitterly bewail it. He always aggravated the fault in himself, represented it in its blackest dress, and was his own severest accuser. His private papers are full of arguments against pride, meditations upon the deformity of that sin, and devout prayers to be pro

tected from its assaults. Some of these I shall insert here, both to shew us how truly humble he was, and to engage us to follow his example.

"My yoke is easy, and my burthen light," Matt.

xi. 30.

His meditations

"Didst thou, O blessed Lord, feel so upon humility. many inconveniences, and endure such contradiction of sinners? didst thou come from heaven, to be a man of pain and sorrows? to be despised among thy friends, slandered and blasphemed by thy enemies, and not to have where to lay thy head? wert thou opposed in all thy endeavours to do good, and ill requited for many of thy mercies? couldest thou hear thyself called a friend of publicans and sinners, a glutton and wine-bibber, and a confederate with Beelzebub the prince of the devils? And yet couldst thou say, 'My yoke is easy and my burden is light.'. O what love was that to man, which made such great troubles and miseries seem light and easy! should it be said, how can this be? thou thyself givest us the reason; For I am meek and lowly in heart;' and it is this, in the midst of all troubles, that procures rest to my soul.' So then to be clothed with humility, is so far from being a burthen, that like our usual garments, it serves to defend us from the injuries of the air and weather; from piercing cold and scorching heat; from the cold of disdain and want, and the heat of injuries and persecutions.

"Hear then, O my soul, the charming language of thy kind Saviour! put on the clothes that he wore, humility and meekness; in which he found so much ease, and which will bring so much rest to thee. And

grant, O my dear Saviour, that I may groan to be clothed upon with thy robes; and out of love to thee, may think that work easy, which, by making me like thee, (in humility and meekness) will make all other things easy to me, and bring true and eternal rest to my soul. Amen."

To the same purpose does he argue with himself in another place, as follows:

"Lord, thou invitest me to come unto thee for ease; but is it not by becoming lowly in heart, as thou wert? but what means lowly in heart? surely there is a lowliness that is not in heart; an affected shew of humility before men, while pride may yet reign within. Outward fawning, affected complaisance, or submissiveness, is not that lowliness of heart which will give us ease; while at the same time, we may grow impatient at an affront, and not be able to bear an outrage. If our heart boil within us at an injury, and be put into a tumult by a slight or disrespect, it is plain that we have not ease, and consequently, have not learned to be lowly in heart.

"We find three correspondent expressions used by our blessed Saviour: Poor in heart, pure in heart, and lowly in heart.' All which must refer to the inward sentiments and affections of our minds, in opposition to the usual acceptation of these words: poor, pure, and lowly, when applied to outward things: and that in which they all seem to agree, is desire. Thus he is poor in heart, who desires not riches, whether he hath them or not; he is pure in heart, who desires not sensual pleasure, whether he is capable of it or not; and he is lowly in heart, who desires not honour,

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