S. Well, madam, and yet, for all that, it may be you thought as seriously of it when it came as they did.

M. Ay, son, but they that had thought seriously of it so long before had a great advantage of us, and were so much before us in their preparations.

S. They had so much more indeed to answer for if they were not better prepared.

M. I think, son, it should be rather said, we had so much the more to answer for if we were worse prepared.

S. But, madam, what can we do in the case as it stands now? every one ought to prepare for death whether there be a plague in the town or not: death comes in many other shapes than that of a pestilence.

M. That is true, child, and I do not speak against daily preparation for death: God forbid that I should: but, when an infection comes, child, death seems to come with more terrors about him, cuts down swifter, and we have less time to think of what is to follow.

S. Some reflect upon the severity of the judgment, on that very score; in that people are swept away with a stroke, and have scarce time to look up.

M. No, son, let none say so; for I affirm that God's mercies are so interspersed with his judgments, that we have abundant cause to acknowledge them, and ought to keep our eye upon them in this particular, namely, that God always gives people more time to prepare for death in the case of a plague than of an ordinary distemper.

S. How, madam? That cannot be, for in the plague people often die in twelve hours after they are taken; whereas in fevers and other distempers they generally lie as many days, or more.

M. Ay, son, but then you do not consider that the plague generally approaches a country by slow degrees, and you have many months' warning of it before it comes so that, if it swept all away in a day, there is no room to call it sudden, for every one had warning of it beforehand.

S. But people do not look on the judgment as particular, till it touches them personally, or points to them in a family capacity; that is to say, till it has gotten into the house.

M. That people do not take warning is their folly and fault; but that God gives them warning is their mercy, if they knew how to make use of it.

S. Every body is willing to hope he shall escape.

M. But every body ought to provide as if he were not to escape. Every soldier in the army hopes to escape being killed, but each soldier puts on his head-piece, that he may fare the better if he is hit.

S. We should prepare, no doubt: but to be apprehensive continually, as if we were sure to have the distemper, is even to fright ourselves into it. All physicians agree that we should keep our minds easy and calm; that the passions of fear and anger prepare the constitution to receive and nourish the infection; at least to dispirit and debilitate

us, so that we are not duly fortified to resist the enemy which we have to struggle with.

M. You greatly mistake the thing, child, and mistake my meaning: I am of the same mind, and say as the doctors do, though upon other grounds. The mind should be kept calm and unencumbered, that nature may be assisted to repulse the enemy that attacks her: but then I say, that nothing can animate and encourage the mind like a firm resignation to the will of God, and a comfortable hope that it shall be well with us beyond the present life. This is certainly the best preparation for the distemper.

S. I do not deny that we should be always preparing for death; but we should not be discouraging ourselves before it

comes.

M. What do you call discouraging yourselves? Preparation is the only way to avoid being discouraged.

S. You talk of preparation as if I was sure it would come upon me.

M. As soon as we have reason to be

satisfied that the distemper is begun, and is come among us, I think every one, as far as his preparations are concerned, should look upon himself as if absolutely smitten, as much as if he saw the tokens upon his flesh.

S. And is not that all phlegmatic and vapours, madam? Do not many, do you think, in the plague as well as in other distempers, fancy they have it, till they really bring it; and so have it because they fancied they should have it?

M. You forget what I said, son: I said as to our preparations.

S. You distinguish nicely, madam; but others will take it another way.

:

M. I distinguish clearly, son, though not so nicely as you represent. I say, as to our preparations we should do thus that is to say, we ought to prepare for death, as if we had the distemper just now upon us. And my reason is good: because I can assure you, when the body is exhausted and tortured with that distemper,