1.MIRANDA (the sister of Flavia) is a sober, reasonable Christian. As soon as she was mistress of her time and fortune, it was her first thought how she might best fulfil every thing that God required of her in the use of them, and make the best use of this short life. She depends upon the truth of what our blessed Lord hath said, that there is but one thing needful; and therefore makes her whole life but one continual labour after it. She has but one reason for doing, or not doing, for liking, or not liking any thing; and that is, the will of God. She is not so weak as to pretend to add, what is called the fine lady, to the true Christian; Miranda thinks too well, to be taken with the sound of such silly words. She has renounced the world, to follow Christ in the exercise of humility, charity, devotion, abstinence, and heavenly affections; and that is Miranda’s fine breeding.
Whilst she was under her mother, she was forced to live in ceremony, to sit up late at nights, to be in the folly of every fashion, to go loaded with finery to the holy sacrament, to be in every polite conversation, to hear prophaneness at the play-house, and wanton songs and love-intrigues at the opera, to dance at public places, that fops and rakes might admire the fineness of her shape, and the beauty of her motions. The remembrance of this way of life, makes her exceeding careful to maintain a contrary behaviour.
2. 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 for his sake. This makes her consider her fortune as the gift of God, that is to be used, as every thing is that belongs to God, for the wise and reasonable ends of a Christian life. Her fortune therefore is divided betwixt herself and several other poor people, and she has only her part of relief from it. She thinks it the same folly to indulge herself in needless expences, as to give to other people to spend in the same way; therefore, as she will not give a poor man money to go see a puppet shew; neither will she allow herself any to spend in the same manner, thinking it very proper to be as wise herself as she expects poor men should be. For is it a folly and a crime in a poor man, says Miranda, to waste what is given him in trifles, whilst he wants meat, drink, and cloaths? And is it less folly, or a less crime in me, to spend that money in silly diversions, which might be so much better spent in imitation of the divine goodness, in works of kindness to my fellow-creatures? If a poor man’s own necessities are a reason why he should not waste any of his money idly, surely the necessities of the poor, and the excellency of charity, is a much greater reason why no one should waste any of his money. For if he does so, he does not only, like the poor man, waste that which he wants himself; but that which is wanted for the most noble uses, and which Christ himself is ready to receive at his hands. And if we are angry at a poor man, when he throws away that which should buy his own bread, how must we appear in the sight of God, if we make a wanton idle use of that which would buy bread and cloaths for our hungry and naked brethren, who are as near and dear to God as we are, and fellow-heirs of the same glory? This is the spirit of Miranda: she is only one of a certain number of poor people that are relieved out of her fortune; and she only differs from them in the blessedness of giving.
3. If you was to see her, you would wonder what poor body it was, that was so surprizingly neat and clean. She has but one rule in her dress, to be always clean, and in the cheapest things. Every thing about her resembles the purity of her soul; and she is always clean without, because she is always pure within.
Every morning sees her early at her prayers. She rejoices in the beginning of every day, because it begins all her rules of holy living, and brings the fresh pleasure of repeating them. She is as 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; before the light is suffered to enter 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, comes too often to let any considerable part of time lie heavy upon her hands.
4. 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. There is scarce a poor family in the neighbourhood, but wears something or other that has had the labour of her hands. Her pious mind neither wants the amusement, nor can bear with the folly of idle impertinent work. When there is no useful or charitable work to be done, Miranda will work no more.
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 eats and drinks only for the sake of living, and with so regular an abstinence, that every meal is an exercise of self-denial. If Miranda was to run a race for her life, she would submit to a diet that was proper for it; but as the race which is set before her, is a race of holiness and heavenly affection, which she is to finish in a disordered body of earthly passions; so her every day diet has this one end, to make her body fitter for this spiritual race. She does not weigh her meat in a pair of scales; but she weighs it in a much better ballance: so much as gives a proper strength to her body, and renders it able and willing to obey the soul, to join in psalms and prayers, and lift up eyes and hands towards heaven with greater readiness, so much is Miranda’s meal. So that Miranda will never have her eyes swell with fatness, till she has changed her religion.
5. The holy scriptures, especially of the New Testament, are her daily study; these she reads with a watchful attention, constantly casting an eye upon herself, and trying herself by every doctrine that is there. When she has the New Testament in her hand, she supposes herself at the feet of our Saviour and his apostles; and makes every thing that she learns of them so many laws of her life. She receives their 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.
She thinks that the trying herself every day by the scripture, is the only way to be ready for her trial at the last day.