plague, and to do this every day, or twice a
day, as in some places was done.

It is true the people showed an extraordinary zeal in these religious
exercises, and as the church-doors were always open, people would go
in single at all times, whether the minister was officiating or no,
and locking themselves into separate pews, would be praying to God with
great fervency and devotion.

Others assembled at meeting-houses, every one as their different
opinions in such things guided, but all were promiscuously the subject
of these men's drollery, especially at the beginning of the visitation.

It seems they had been checked for their open insulting religion in this
manner by several good people of every persuasion, and that, and the
violent raging of the infection, I suppose, was the occasion that they
had abated much of their rudeness for some time before, and were only
roused by the spirit of ribaldry and atheism at the clamour which was
made when the gentleman was first brought in there, and perhaps were
agitated by the same devil, when I took upon me to reprove them; though
I did it at first with all the calmness, temper, and good manners that
I could, which for a while they insulted me the more for thinking it
had been in fear of their resentment, though afterwards they found the
contrary.

I went home, indeed, grieved and afflicted in my mind at the abominable
wickedness of those men, not doubting, however, that they would be made
dreadful examples of God's justice; for I looked upon this dismal time
to be a particular season of Divine vengeance, and that God would on
this occasion single out the proper objects of His displeasure in a more
especial and remarkable manner than at another time; and that though
I did believe that many good people would, and did, fall in the common
calamity, and that it was no certain rule to judge of the eternal
state of any one by their being distinguished in such a time of general
destruction neither one way or other; yet, I say, it could not but seem
reasonable to believe that God would not think fit to spare by His mercy
such open declared enemies, that should insult His name and Being, defy
His vengeance, and mock at His worship and worshippers at such a time;
no, not though His mercy had thought fit to bear with and spare them at
other times; that this was a day of visitation, a day of God's anger,
and those words came into my thought, Jer. v. 9: 'Shall I not visit for
these th