But not so _Miranda_ (the sister of _Flavia_); she 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 how she might make the best and happiest 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 frequently falsely 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 night, to be in the folly of every fashion, and always visiting on _Sundays_; to go patched, and loaded with a burden of _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 is very grievous to her, and makes her exceeding careful to give evidences of her unfeigned repentance, by a contrary behaviour.
_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.