2d. B. Nay, all the world almost, that have anywhere to go, are gone already. But have you thought of any place where to go? 1st. B. No, not I.

S. Why, brother, have you made no provision for the time of distress?

1st. B. No, not I, neither for soul nor body!-Here he sighed and wept but proceeded: Indeed, sister, you have been in the right all along, and my mother too. I have put this evil day off, and flattered myself it would never come. I have seen such things frequently in Italy, and after the first frights the distemper has vanished again. I was indeed alarmed when I came to you there in April, but I found there were some people, who I thought made worse of it than they needed to do; and I dropt all concern about it. Nor have I suffered any impressions to be made on me since.

S. I took it otherwise, brother, and I always thought it was another way; that you were fortified by your extraordinary

experiences of God's goodness, and your faith in him and that I knew was a good and justifiable foundation on which to be easy and settled in your mind.

1st. B. No, no: I am quite unprepared; and that with this aggravation, that I have neglected and slighted all the warnings of its approach and now it comes on like an overflowing flood, nothing can stand in its way; we shall see the city in a very little time more a mere general grave for all its inhabitants.

2d. B. Not all, I hope, brother.

1st. B. Truly I believe there will very few remain of those that stay here: they that fly in time may indeed be preserved.

2d. B. Well, brother, we are all to be directed by you: what shall we do?

1st. B. Do? I have nothing to say to you but this, Do not follow my dreadful example, to put off repentance and preparation upon a wild presumption of escaping the danger; or indeed of its being more favourable than it is likely to be: lose not

an hour, not a moment: I have lost all my time, and now, heaven is just! I not only have no time for it, but I have no temper for it when the danger is at the door there is no beginning the work; it is too late then.

2d. B. Compose your mind, brother, and look up to heaven for direction; and, if you think of going anywhere into the country for your safety, my sister and I will remain here to look to the house, and preserve things.

1st. B. No, brother, I will not go away for my own safety, and leave you exposed to the danger.

2d. B. I hope it may please God to preserve us; but if not, we are in the way of our duty, and may with the more cheerfulness cast ourselves into his arms.

1st. B. You talk very differently, brother, from your discourse a few months ago. 2d. B. I have had long experience of things since that; and particularly have felt the right He has to dispose of me and

all that belongs to me: it is my part to submit, it is his part to do whatsoever he pleases.

1st. B. I want such a spirit, brother : how did you get it?

2d. B. There is the dear instructor, that has been the healing angel to me.

S. I entreat you, brother, do not discourage yourself so; I have been capable of nothing, and have done nothing, neither can any of us do anything.

1st. B. Well, brother, you came in since I did, what do you hear of the main thing? what condition are we in?

2d. B. Worse and worse, the plague advances this way still, in a most surprising

manner.

1st. B. Well, what shall we do?

2d. B. I scarcely know what.

1st. B. In short, there is hardly any body left in the city, but in by-places, and where people either have had no time to go, as has been our case, or have resolved to stay.

2d. B. Let us see a little further, brother there are but very few dead in the city yet; I think not above fifty or sixty in all.

"This discourse being ended, the younger brother and sister began to consider that it would be their lot to stay in the city but, being very anxious for their elder brother, they resolved to persuade him to go away, chiefly with respect to the confusion they found he was in about his eternal state. In the mean time, as they kept up their daily conferences and their fasts as before, they were every day more and more encouraged and comforted, being fully given up to the disposing will of heaven, let it be which way it would, whether for life or death.

"But to bring them to this gradually, we must go back to another of their discourses on this subject in one of their retirements. The brother began the conference upon the subject of the last discourse thus.