before, to disengage his affections entirely from this world, and bring his mind to such an indifferency to it, that he might not be at all solicitous about his fate here, but still be ready and willing to remove upon the first summons. It was then his daily work to fortify his soul with a noble faith in God, with true Christian courage and bravery, and the firmest resolutions of sacrificing all, even life itself, to God and his duty, should he be called to it.

And that he was thus employed, the two following meditations, (among many others of the same kind, which might be here inserted) composed in the year 1687, will sufficiently shew.

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""The wicked," says he, "flies when no man pursueth, but the righteous is bold as a lion.' Grace reforms and changes nature: it makes the proud man humble; the furious man meek and patient; the luxurious man temperate and mortified: but can it also make a coward valiant? this seems to be so deeply rooted in our bodily frame, that without moulding us anew, it cannot admit of any alteration. And on the other hand, men that are naturally stout, though never so vicious, still retain their courage. How then shall we understand this sentence of the Wise Man? either. we must conceive it of wicked and righteous men, who have naturally equal degrees of courage; and then in case of terror, see who is the bravest man; or else we must take it in case of public calamities, when God visits; then the wicked tremble as a leaf, but the righteous is bold as a lion. Fear is a great sin in a good man; for why should he fear, who has the Lord of hosts for his shield, and most sure pro

tector?

His heart standeth fast and believeth in the Lord; his heart is established and will not shrink; he is not afraid of any evil tidings; nor of any terror or amazement. Though the earth be moved, and though the hills be carried into the midst of the sea, yet will he not fear.' These are the characters of the good man. Faith, that removes mountains, works this change also, and makes women and children outbrave death and tyrants in their cruelest forms. It is only want of faith, of believing in the Lord, that makes good men fear. Peter, who had ventured out where never man went before, when he saw the waves arise, was afraid. Our Saviour gives the reason, 'O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?' I believe that, Except the Lord keep the house, the watchman waketh but in vain;' I believe that God is my keeper in the way of my lawful calling and abode; if I fear, I either do not believe, or do not believe enough. If it be his will to give me up to the violence of evil men, wherefore should I fear his will? we fear only for something we are fond of: the good man has given up all his earthly concerns to God. If I am still afraid for any of these, and think this fear only an innocent and unavoidable infirmity of my nature, I mistake; for it is a certain proof that I am still fond of what I pretend to have given up to God; it is a contradiction to my profession, and a manifest sin. But if, as I said, it be the will of God, to give me up to the violence of evil men; my body, my goods, or my life; why should I be afraid of the will of God, which is full of goodness and kind intentions towards me? if it be not his will, I know all the

powers of earth and hell cannot hurt me. I will lay me down, therefore, in peace, and take my rest, for thou, O Lord, only makest me dwell in safety. I will repose myself under the shadow of thy divine pleasure, and in it will I find a sure retreat, though my body and all my earthly concerns be given up to violence."

The other meditation is as follows:

"In time of wealth and prosperity God requires us to watch and be sober; to keep the world at a distance from our affections; to live in it, but not to live to it; to be reasonably pleased with it, but not to doat on it. But there is a time when he requires us to be utterly estranged from it; when the dispute is not about enjoying it more or less, but about quitting it altogether. When we are to have the loins of our minds girt up,' as the Israelites had their bodies, the night they were to go out of Egypt; when we are to be as indifferent to life, or this world, as they were to the land they were leaving; when we are to put our lives into our hands, and not love them to death: and this time is, when such a case happens, as we find mentioned in Revelation xiii., when we have our choice to worship or die; no way to escape death, but by a sinful compliance; when none but they 'whose names are written in the book of life, and have ears to hear, of all that dwell upon the earth, shall refuse to worship the beast, or its image. When power is given to it, to fight against the saints, and to overcome them; then is the time for the patience and faith of the saints. This is the time when there is to be no parleying with the world; it must

not come into our thoughts; we must either resist bravely, and save our lives by losing them, or die for ever. We may observe more severe and lively expressed punishments denounced against such sinful compliance, than against all the immoralities and sins reproved in holy writ. Thus Rev. xiv. 9, 10, 11. ‘If any man worship the beast and his image, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture, in the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone, in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever; and they have no rest day and night :' and the reason is, because the temptation is greater to this than any other sin; and, therefore, it is balanced with greater terrors, to arm us against it. The dispute here is not about resisting some little temptation, from which we might hope to recover ourselves again, and repent; but about resisting a sin, that can never be repented of; about parting with life and all at once, or falling for ever. And on the other hand, as the terror is great; so God stands by, heartening his own soldiers, and encouraging them to quit the world resolutely, and die bravely. Ver 12, 13. Here is the patience of the saints, here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Blessed are the dead that die in (or for) the Lord, even so saith the Spirit, for they rest from their labours, and their works shall follow them. And they sing the song of Moses, and the song of the Lamb.' Chap. xv. 3. The triumphal

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song after the overthrow of Pharaoh, and the Lamb's triumphal song after his glorious resurrection, when he ceased from his labours, and all the sons of God shouted for joy."

By such exercises as these, Mr. Bonnell was very well fitted for whatever could befal him; and he took the true way to make dangers not only tolerable but easy, by flying to Him for succour, who can either give safety, or enable us to bear trouble; can remove the rod, or sweeten its pains. Nor was he less earnest in his prayers for the removal of those calamities he saw falling upon the church, than careful to fit himself to bear his own share of them. And we have reason to bless God, that he (among other religious persons) was then devoutly employed in fervent addresses to God for his church and our holy religion; since we may reasonably believe that their pious intercessions shortened our troubles, and preserved us under them. Such public blessings are the devout and religious, since to their prayers, even the wicked owe their peace and safety!

And how constant, how earnest his prayers in those days of trouble were, the following meditation will shew.

November, 1687.

"If it should please God to let this storm blow over us which now hangs so black, and turn his judgments into a blessing; I should not be capable of any comfort from such a happy day, if I should reflect that I had not performed my part in praying earnestly to God for such a blessing. They only that sow in tears shall reap in joy: if I have no part in that holy sowing, I