Miranda does not divide her duty between God, her neighbour, and herself; but she considers all as due to God, and so does every thing in his name and for his sake. This makes her consider her fortune as the gift of God, that is to be used as is every thing that belongs to God, for the wise and reasonable ends of a christian and holy life: her fortune therefore is divided between herself and the poor, and she has only her reasonable part of relief from it. For she thinks it the same folly to indulge herself in needless, vain expences, as to give to other people to spend in the same way.
This is the spirit of Miranda, and thus she uses the gifts of God. If you was to see her, you would wonder who it was that was so surprizing and unaffectedly neat and clean; for every thing about her resembles the purity of her soul, and she is always clean without, because she always studies to be pure within.
Every morning sees her early at her prayers; she rejoices in the beginning of every day, because it begins all her pious rules of holy living, and brings the fresh pleasure of repeating them. She seems to be as a guardian angel to those that dwell about her, with her watchings and prayers blessing the place where she dwells, and making intercession with God for those that are asleep.
Her devotions have had some intervals, and she has had reason to think that God hath answered several of her private prayers, before the light hath entered into her sister’s room. Miranda does not know what it is to have a dull half-day; the returns of her hours of prayer, and her religious exercises, come too often to let any considerable part of time lie heavy upon her hands.
When you see her at work, you see the same wisdom that governs all her other actions; she is either doing something that is necessary for herself, or necessary for others, who want to be assisted. Her wise and pious mind neither wants the amusement, nor can bear with the folly of idle and impertinent work; she can admit of no such folly as this in the day, because she is to call herself to an account for all her actions in her secret retirement at night.
At her table she lives strictly by this rule of holy scripture, “whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” This makes her begin and end every meal, as she begins and ends every day, with acts of devotion: she does not indeed weigh her meat in a pair of scales, but she weighs it in a much better balance; so much as gives a proper strength to her body, and renders it able and willing to obey the soul, is Miranda’s meal.
The holy scriptures, especially of the New Testament, are her daily study. When she has this in her hand, she supposes herself at the feet of our Saviour and his apostles, and receives their sacred words with as much attention and reverence, as if she saw their persons, and knew that they were just come from heaven, on purpose to teach her the way that leads to it. Nor does she content herself barely with reading the scriptures; but in reading, constantly casts her eye upon herself, and tries herself by every doctrine that is there, because she thinks this is the only possible way to be ready for her trial at the last day.
Books also of devotion, and especially such as enter into the heart of religion, and describe the inward holiness of the christian life, have such a large place in her closet, that she is sometimes afraid that she lays out too much money in them, because she cannot forbear buying all the practical books of any note. But of all human writings, the lives of pious persons, and eminent saints, are her greatest delight. In these she searches as for hidden treasure, hoping to find some secret of holy living, some uncommon degree of piety, which she may make her own. By this means, Miranda has her head and heart stored with all the principles of wisdom and holiness, and if you are in her company, when she thinks proper to talk, you must be made wiser and better, whether you will or not.
To relate her charity, would be to relate the history of every day for twenty years past. She has set up near twenty poor tradesmen who had failed in their business, and saved as many from failing. She has educated several poor children, that were picked up in the streets, and put them in a way of honest employment. As soon as any labourer is confined at home with sickness, she sends to him, till he recovers, twice the value of his wages, that he may have one part to give to his family as usual, and the other to provide things convenient for his sickness.
If a family seems too large to be supported by the labour of those in it that can work, she pays their rent, and gives them something yearly towards their cloathing. By this means there are many poor families which live in a comfortable manner, and are from year to year blessing her in their prayers.