Page:A Journal of the Plague Year (1722).djvu/293

 was enervated, and its Malignity ſpent, and let it proceed from whenceſoever it will, let the Philoſophers ſearch for Reaſons in Nature to account for it by, and labour as much as they will to leſſen the Debt they owe to their Maker; thoſe Phyſicians, who had the leaſt Share of Religion in them, were oblig’d to acknowledge that it was all ſupernataral, that it was extraordinary, and that no Account could be given of it.

If I ſhould ſay, that this is a viſible Summons to us all to Thankfulneſs, eſpecially we that were under the Terror of its Increaſe, perhaps it may be thought by ſome, after the Senſe of the thing was over, an officious canting of religious things, preaching a Sermon inſtead of writing a Hiſtory, making my ſelf a Teacher inſtead of giving my Obſervations of things; and this reſtrains me very much from going on here, as I might otherwiſe do: But if ten Leapers were healed; and but one return’d to give Thanks, I deſire to be as that one, and to be thankful for my ſelf. Nor will I deny, but there were Abundance of People who to all Appearance were very thankful at that time; for their Mouths were ſtop’d, even the Mouths of thoſe, whoſe Hearts were not extraordinary long affected with it: But the Impreſſion was ſo ſtrong at that time, that it could not be reſiſted, no not by the worſt of the People.

It was a common thing to meet People in the Street, that were Strangers, and that we knew nothing at all of, expreſſing their Surprize. Going one Day thro’ Aldgate, and a pretty many People being paſſing and repaſſing, there comes a Man out of the End of the Minories, and looking up a little. up the Street and down, he throws his Hands abroad, Lord, what an Alteration is here! Why, laſt Week I came along here, and hardly any Body