begun. And once or twice he jested with her a little profanely, she thought, about her preparations, as she called them, for the

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plague. This grieved the young lady, and made her shed tears several times; and once she took the freedom to say, Dear brother, you jest at my preparations with too much reason, they being but very weak and imperfect: I pray God I may be able to prepare myself better against such a dreadful time, if ever it should come. But I beseech you, brother, to take care that own preparation be not a jest indeed, when such a time comes: and, if it should be so, how will you be able to stand it? for certainly nothing but a mind well prepared can be able to bear up. How shall our hearts endure, or our hands be strong in such a day as that?'

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It was in the very anguish of her mind that she said this to her brother, and not with any passion or displeasure at his ill usage of her but she did it with such seriousness, such gravity, and so many tears, that he was very much affected with it; asked her pardon; told her he would not jest with her any more upon that subject; that he was satisfied she was much better prepared than he was, and that she was in

the right; that he would for the future do all that lay in his power to encourage her preparations; that, though he had not received such impressions himself from his mother's discourse as she had, yet he was far from thinking her in the wrong; and that, should such a time come as their mother had talked of, he could not deny that she was much better prepared to stand it than he was; but that his dependence was, that God would spare them, and not bring such-a calamity upon them.

"This healed that little wound his loose way of talking had made, and his sister was pacified. She told him she was glad to find him more serious on a subject so weighty; that, as to the freedom he took with her, that was nothing; but that it grieved her so, that she could not bear it, to hear him speak slightingly of the most dreadful judgments of God, that were at that time abroad in the earth that, as she was entirely of her mother's opinion, that it would not be long before the plague broke out here, however he might censure and perhaps ridicule that thought as melancholy and vapourish; yet, as she was fully possessed with a belief of it, "it could not but very sorely afflict her, for his sake, to think how light

he made of it and that her satisfaction was now as great, in proportion, to see him abate of the levity with, which he had talked of these things.

It was not above a fortnight after this discourse, that the town had another alarm, and her brother was the person that brought her home, the news of it: for, about the 20th of April, the report was spread all over the town, that the plague had broken out again in St. Giles's parish, and that there was a whole family dead of it.

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The young lady was in her chamber one morning, when her brother, having been out about his affairs, came home in a very great concern; and, coming up to her door, said, sister, we are all undone.'

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done!' said his sister; what is the matter?' He could not speak again for a good while; but, as his sister was frighted, and pressed him again, repeating the words, What is the matter?' at last he cried out again, We are all undone, My mother and you were both in the right, the plague Is begun!' He appeared in the greatest. consternation, and his sister had much to do to keep him from swooning, His heart, as he, said afterwards, was sunk within him; his thoughts all in confusion; and the affairs

both of body and soul lay heavy upon him)His sister received the news he brought without any fright or surprise; but, with a calm mind, stood still a while, and as it were musing to bring herself to a settled frame,

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while her brother went on with his e

mations. At length, lifting up her eyes and hands, she said, It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good! and immediately she applied herself to relieve her brother, and get something for him to take to restore his spirits, comforting him with her words! as well as her actions.

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Is q bas "He was not so overwhelmed but that he could perceive, the surprising manner in which his sister, though so young, received the news; and how free she was from any oppression or sinking of her spirits: it did not discompose her so as to hinder her concern for him': and when he came a little to himself he said aloud, 50 sister, t you are happy, that took the early counsel of our dear mother! With what a different courage does a prepared mind receive the impressions of the most dreadful events, from one that, being careless and negligent N in these things, as I have been, entertains # the first thoughts about them not till they' are just upon him 0975 b6 BITC

Dear brother," said she, do not talk so of me my preparations are poor empty things I have no preparations but these few an imperfect repentance, and a humble resolution to cast myself upon infinite mercy!" and I hope you have gone beyond me in all these, for you have more knowledge, more years, more experience, and more faith too, than I have, or else it is but very weak."

• You are happy, child, let the judgment come when it will,' said her brother: but I have all my work to do. I have had more years and more knowledge, you say; and I must add that I have more work to do, more talents to account for, more misspent time to answer for ; and I have made no preparation for this surprising condition we are all likely to be in; you know I despised it all.i

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for bal She had besides this discourse enquired of him how things were, and how he understood that, as he said, the plague was begun. He gave her an account that there" had been two men buried in St. Giles's in the Fields: that it was true there were but two puts into the weekly bill, but that he was assured there were two or three houses" infected, and that five people were dead in'"' one, and seven in another; and that the