tue, and her whole Life a Course, as it were, of Piety. The Ufe which we ought to make of it, is, to confider, That there is a Life to come after this, and a juft God, who will retribute to every one according to the Deeds done in the Body; and therefore, to reflect upon our past Course of Life we have led in the World; That our Time is fhort and uncertain; and that if we would efcape the Punishment of the Ungodly, and receive the Reward of the Righteous, which is the laying hold of eternal Life, we ought for the time to come, to turn to God by a speedy Repentance, ceafing to do evil, and learning to do well: To feek after God early, if happily he may be found of us, and lead fuch Lives for the future, as may be well pleafing in his Sight.

T

C

A.

RELATION

OF THE

APPARITION

OF

Mrs. VE A L.

HIS thing is fo rare in all its Circumstances, and on fo good Authority, that my Reading and Converfation has not given me any thing like it; It is fit to gratify the most ingenuous and serious Enquirer. Mrs. Bargrave is the Perfon to whom Mrs. Veal appeared after her Death; the is my intimate Friend, and I can avouch for her Reputation, for thefe laft fifteen or fixteen Years, on my own Knowledge, and I can confirm the good Character fhe had from her Youth, to the Time of my Acquaintance. Tho' fince this Relation, the is calumniated by fome People, that are Friends to the Brother of Mrs. Veal who appeared; who think the Relation

of

of this Appearance to be a Reflection, and endeavour what they can to blaft Mrs. Bargrave's Reputation; and to laugh the Story out of Countenance. But the Circumstances thereof, and the chearful Difpofition of Mrs. Bargrave, notwithstanding the ill Ufage of a very wicked Hufband, there is not yet the leaft Sign of Dejection in her Face; nor did I ever hear her let fall a defponding or murmuring Expreffion; nay, not when actually under her Hufband's Barbarity; which I have been witness to, and several other Perfons of undoubted Reputation.

Now you must know, that Mrs. Veal was a Maiden Gentlewoman of about thirty Years of Age, and for fome

which Cars laft paft, had been troubled with Fits;

A

which were perceived coming on her, by, her going off from her Difcourfe very abruptly, to fome Impertinence: She was maintained by an only Brother, and kept his House in Dover. She was a very pious Wo man, and her Brother a very fober Man to all Appear ance: But now he does all he can to null or quafh the Story. Mrs. Veal was intimately acquainted with Mrs. Bargrave from her Childhood. Mrs. Veal's Circumstances were then mean; her Father did not take care of his Children as he ought, fo that they were expofed to Hardships: And Mrs. Bargrave in thofe Days had as unkind a Father, tho' fhe wanted neither for Food nor Cloathing, whilft Mrs. Veal wanted for both Infomuch that the would often fay, Mrs. Bargrave, you are not only the beft, but the only Friend I have in the World; and no Circumftances of Life hall ever diffolve my Friendship. They would often condole each other's adverse Fortunes, and read together Drelincourt upon Death; and other good Books: And fo like two Chriftian Friends, they comforted each other under their Sorrow.

Some time after, Mr. Veal's Friends got him a Place in the Cuftom-Houfe at Dover, which occafioned Mrs. Veal by little and little, to fall off from her Intimacy with Mrs. Bargrave, tho' there was

never any fuch thing as a Quarrel; but an Indifferency came on by Degrees, till at laft Mrs. Bargrave had not feen her in two Years and a half; tho' above a twelve-Month of the time, Mrs. Bargrave had been absent from Dover, and this last half Year, has been in Canterbury about two Months of the time, dwelling in a House of her own. ayd

In this Houfe on the eighth of September,' viz., 1705. he was fitting alone in the Forenoon, thinking over her unfortunate Life, and arguing her felf into a due Refignation to Providence, tho her Condition feem'd hard. And, faid the, I have been provided for hitherto, and doubt not but I fhall be ftill; and am well fatisfied, that my Afflictions fhall end, when it is moft fit for me: And then took up her few-> ing-Work, which the had no fooner done, but the hears a knocking at the Door; fhe went to fee who it was there, and this proved to be Mrs. Veal, her old Friend, who was in a riding Habit: At that Moment of Time the Clock ftruck Twelve at Noon.

J

Madam, fays, Mrs. Bargrave, I am furpriz'd to See you, you have been fo long a Stranger; but told her, he was glad to fee her, and offered to falute her, which Mrs. Veal complied with, till their Lips almoft touched, and then Mrs. Veal drew her Hand cross her own Eyes, and faid, I am not very well, and fo waved it. She told Mrs. Bargrave the was going a Journey, and had a great Mind to fee her firft: But, fays Mrs. Bargrave, " "How came you to

take a Journey alone? I am amazed at it, be"caufe I know you have a fond Brother." O! fays Mrs. Veal, I gave my Brother the Slip, and came away, because I had fo great a defire to fee you before I took my Journey. So Mrs. Bargrave went in with her, into another Room within the first, and Mrs. Veal fat her down in an Elbow-Chair, in which Mrs. Bargrave was fitting when fhe heard Mrs. Veal Knock. Then, fays Mrs. Veal, "My dear Friend,

"I am

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*

"I am come to renew our old Friendship again, and beg your Pardon for my Breach of it, and if you can forgive me, you are the beft of Women. 66 O, fays Mrs. Bargrave, don't mention fuch a thing; "I have not had an uneafy Thought about it, I can 66 cafily forgive it. What did you think of me, faid 6 Mrs. Veal? Says Mrs. Bargrave, I thought you' CC were like the rest of the World, and that Pro"fperity had made you forget your felf and me. Then Mrs. Veal reminded Mrs. Bargrave of the many friendly Offices fhe did her in former Days, and much of the Converfation they had with each other in the times of their Adverfity; what Books they read, and what Comfort in particular they received from Drelincourt's Book of Death, which was the beft, the faid, on that Subject, ever wrote. She also mentioned Dr. Sherlock, and two Dutch Books which were tranflated, wrote upon Death and several others: But Drelincourt, the faid, had the clearest Notions of Death, and of the future State, of any who have handled that Subject. Then the afk'd Mrs. Bargrave, whether he had Drelincourt; The faid, Yes. Says Mrs. Veal, fetch it; and fo Mrs. Bargrave goes up Stairs, and brings it down. Says Mrs. Veal," Dear Mrs. Bargrave, if the Eyes of "our Faith were as open as the Eyes of our Bo"dy, we fhould fee Numbers of Angels about us "for our Guard. The Notions we have of Hea"ven now, are nothing like what it is, as Drelin66 court fays. Therefore be comforted under your "Afflictions, and believe, that the Almighty has a "particular Regard to you; and that your Af"flictions are Marks of God's Favour; and when "they have done the Business they are fent for, "they fhall be removed from you. And believe me, my dear Friend, believe what I fay to 66 you, One Minute of future Happiness will infi"nitely reward you for all your Sufferings. For I CC. can never believe (and claps her Hand upon

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her