Miranda, the sister of Flavia, is a sober and reasonable Christian. As soon as she was mistress of her time and fortune it was her first thought how she might best fulfill everything 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 she makes her whole life one continual labor after it. She has but one reason for doing or not doing, for liking or not liking, anything --and that is the call 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.

Miranda does not divide her duty among God, her neighbor, and herself. Rather, she considers all as due to God and so does everything in His name and for His sake. This makes her consider her fortune as the gift of God, to be used, as is everything that belongs to God, for the wise and reasonable ends of a Christian and holy life. She thinks it the same folly to indulge herself in needless, vain expenses as to give to other people to spend in the same way. If we are angry with a poor man and look upon him as a wretch when he throws away that which should buy his own bread, how must we appear in the sight of God if we make wanton use of that which should buy bread and clothes for the hungry and naked, who are as near and dear to God as we are? This is the spirit of Miranda, and thus she uses the gifts of God. She is only one of a number of poor people who are relieved out of her fortune and she differs from them only in the blessedness of giving.

Every morning sees her early at her prayers. She rejoices in the beginning of every day, because it begins her duties of holy living and brings the pleasure of repeating them. She seams to be as a guardian angel to those who dwell about her, and has heard several of her private prayers before the light is suffered to enter into her sister’s room.

When you’d see her at work you see the same wisdom that governs all her actions. She is doing something that is necessary either for herself or for others. When there is no wisdom to be observed in the employment of her hands, 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 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. If Miranda were to run a race for her life she would submit to a diet proper for it. But as the race, which is set before her is a race of holiness, purity, and heavenly affection, her everyday diet has only this one end: to make her body fitter for this spiritual race.

The Holy Scriptures, especially the New Testament, are her daily study. Then she reads with watchful attention, constantly casting an eye upon herself and testing herself by every doctrine that is there. When she has the New Testament in her hand she supposes herself at the feet of hour Saviour and his apostles.

She is sometimes afraid that she lays out too much money in books, because she cannot forbear buying all practical books of any note. Of all human writings the lives of devout persons and eminent saints are her greatest delight. In these she searches as for hidden treasure—hoping to find some secret of holy living which she may make her own. By this means Miranda has her head and her heart so stored with all the principles of wisdom and holiness that if you are in her company you must be made wiser and better.

To relate her charity would be to relate the history, of every day for twenty years. She has set up near twenty poor tradesmen who had failed in their business, and saved as many, from failing. She has educated several poor children and put them in an honest employment. As soon as a laborer is confined at home with sickness she sends him, till he recovers, twice the value of his wages, that he may have one part to give to his family as usual and the other to provide things convenient for his sickness.

If there is any poor man or woman who is more than ordinarily wicked Miranda has her eye upon him. She watches his time of need and adversity, and if she can discover that he is in any great affliction she gives him speedy relief. There is nothing in the character of Miranda more to be admired than this trait. For this tenderness of affection toward the lost abandoned sinners is the highest instance of a divine and God-like soul.

Miranda never lacks compassion, even to common beggars - especially toward those who are old or sick, or full of sores, or who want eyes or limbs. If a poor traveler tells her that he has neither strength nor food nor money left, she never tells him that she cannot relieve him because he may be a cheat or because she does not know him. But she relieves him because he is a stranger and unknown to her. Miranda considers that our Blessed Saviour and His apostles were kind to beggars—that they spoke comfortably to them, healed their diseases, and restored eyes and limbs to the lame and the blind. Miranda, therefore, never treats beggars with disregard and aversion, but she imitates the kindness of our Saviour and His apostles. Though she cannot, like them, work miracles for their relief, yet she relieves them with that power which she has.

"It may be," says Miranda, "that I may often give to those who do not deserve it, or who will make an ill use of my alms. But what then? Is not this the very method of divine goodness? Does not God make His sum to rise on the evil and on the good? Do I not beg of God to deal with me according to His own great goodness rather than according to my merit? Shall I, then, be so absurd as to withhold my charity from a poor brother because he may not deserve it? Shall I use a measure toward him which I pray God never to use toward me?

"You will perhaps say that by this means I encourage people to be beggars, but the Same thoughtless objection may be made against all kinds of charities, for they may encourage people to depend upon them. The same may be said against forgiving our enemies, for it may encourage people to do us hurt. The same may be said even against the goodness of God, that by pouring His blessings on the evil and on the good, on the just and on the unjust, evil and unjust men are encouraged in their wicked ways. But when the love of God dwells in you, when it has enlarged your heart and filled you with mercy and compassion, you will make no more such objections as these."

This is the spirit and this is the life of the devout Miranda.

If she lives ten years longer, she will have spent nearly sixty hundred pounds in charity, for that which she allows herself may fairly be reckoned among her alms.

When she dies, she must shine among the apostles and saints and

Martyrs. She must stand among the first servants of God, and be glorious among those who have fought the good fight and finished their course with joy.

Now this life of Miranda, which I heartily recommend for imitation, may seem contrary to the way and fashion of the world but is founded upon the plainest doctrines of Christianity. To live as she does is as truly consistent with the gospel of Christ as to be baptized. Her spirit is that which animated the saints of former ages --and it is because they lived as she does that we now celebrate their memories and praise God for their examples.

There is nothing whimsical, trifling, or unreasonable in her character, but everything there described is a right and proper instance of a solid and real piety. It is as easy to show that it is whimsical to go to church or to say your prayers as to show that it is whimsical to observe any of these rules of life. For all of Miranda’s rules of living unto God, of spending her time and fortune, of eating, working, dressing and conversing are as substantial parts of a reasonable and holy life as are devotion and prayer.

Now why is it that when you think of a saint or eminent servant of God you cannot imagine vanity of apparel? Is it not because it is inconsistent with such a right state of heart and such a true and exalted piety? And is not this, therefore, a demonstration that where such vanity is admitted, there a right state of heart and a true and exalted piety must needs be lacking? For as certainly as the Virgin Mary could not indulge herself or conform to the vanity of the world in dress and figure, so certain is it that none can indulge themselves in this vanity except those who lack her piety. Consequently, it must be acknowledged that all needless and expensive finery of dress is the effect of a self-centered heart --one that is not governed by the true spirit of religion.

Covetousness is not a crime because there is any harm in gold and silver, but because it reveals a foolish and unreasonable state of mind. In like manner, the expensive finery of dress is riot a crime because there is anything good or evil in clothes, but because the expensive ornaments of clothing show a foolish and unreasonable state of heart which abuses the purpose of clothing and turns the necessities of life into so many instances of pride and folly.

As in the matter of temperance there is no rule but the sobriety, that is according to the doctrines and spirit of our religion so in the matter of apparel there is no rule but such a right use of clothes as is strictly according to the doctrines and spirit of our religion. To pretend to make the way of the world out measure in these things is as weak and absurd as to make the Way of the world the measure of our sobriety, abstinence, or humility. It is a pretense that is exceedingly absurd in the months of Christians who are to be so far from conforming to the fashions of this life that to have overcome the world is made aft essential mark of Christianity.

If you would be a good Christian, there is but one way -- you must live wholly unto God. You must live according to the wisdom that comes from God. You must act according to right judgments of the nature and value of things. You must live in the exercise of holy and heavenly affections. And you must use all the gifts of God to His praise and glory.

Some persons, perhaps, who admire the purity and perfection of this life of Miranda may say: "How can it he proposed as a general example? Now can we who are married, or we who are under the general direction of our parents imitate such a life?"

It is answered, "Just as you may imitate the life of our Blessed Saviour and His apostles even though the circumstances of our Saviour’s life and the state and condition of His apostles were more different from yours than are those of Miranda. Their life, the purity and perfection of their behaviour is the common example that is proposed to all Christians. It is their spirit, therefore, their piety, their love of God that you are to imitate and not the particular form of their life.

Act under God as they did. Direct your common actions to that end which they did. Glorify your proper state with such love of God, such love for your neighbor, such humility and self-denial as they did.

If a man should deny himself such use of liquors as is lawful, if he should refrain from such expense in his drink as might be allowed without sin --if he should do this not only for the sake of a more pious self-denial, but that he might be able to relieve and refresh the helpless, poor, and sick –he might be said to do that which was highly suitable to the true spirit, though not absolutely required by the letter of the law of Christ.

Or, again, if another should abstain from the use of that which is lawful in dress, if he should be more frugal than the necessities of religion absolute require --if he should do this not only as a means of a better humility, but that he may be more able to clothe other people --he might be said to do that which is highly suitable to the true spirit, though not absolutely required by the letter of the law of Christ.

For if those who give a cup of cold water to a disciple of Christ shall not lose their reward, how dear must they be to Christ who often give themselves water that they may be able to give wine to the sick and languishing members of Christ’s body!

If, therefore, persons of either sex, moved by the life of Miranda and desirous of perfection, should unite themselves into little societies professing voluntary poverty, virginity, retirement, and devotion, living upon bare necessities that others might be relieved by their charities --or if they should practice the same manner of life in as high a degree as they could by themselves --such persons, so far from being chargeable with any superstition or blind devotion might be justly said to restore the piety that was the boast and glory of the Church when its greatest saints were alive.

If our Blessed Lord hath said, "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven: and come and follow Me," what wonder is it that there should be among Christians some such zealous followers of Christ, so intent upon Heavenly treasure and so desirous of perfection that they should renounce the enjoyment of their estates, choose a voluntary poverty, and practice love to the best of their ability?

"He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."

(William Law in A Serious Call to A Devout And Holy Life, one of the most influential books in my Christian life.)

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STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION

Dear Brother, I have never met you but I feel a witness of Holy Spirit bearing witness with my spirit that you are of years and I really enjoy it. I believe you are doing a good work for the Lord Jesus Christ. I do appreciate it. Thank you! --David Phillips, East Bend, No. Carolina

The Angelus has been mailed each month for the past 14 years. It is currently sent to pastors in over 1800 churches both in the United States and Canada, as well as in India, Singapore, Austria, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Brazil, Ghana West Africa, England, Scotland and Wales.

While I teach 35 black Baptist pastors in the Augusta Extension of the American Baptist Theological Seminary out of Nashville, Tennessee, I receive $180 per semester. Consequently, the financial burden rests upon the shoulders of the 15 adults who attend the Pilgrim’s Bible Church. Will you help us?