Page:A Journal of the Plague Year (1722).djvu/88

 They received all Reproof with the utmoſt Contempt, and made the greateſt Mockery that was poſible for them to do at me, giving me all the opprobrious inſolent Scoffs that they could think of for preaching to them, as they call'd it, which indeed, grieved me, rather than angred me; and I went away bleſſing God, however, in my Mind, that I had not ſpar'd them, tho' they had inſulted me ſo much.

They continued this wretched Courſe, three or four Day after this, continually mocking and jeering at all that ſhew'd themſelves religious, or ſerious, or that were any way touch'd with the Sence of the terrible Judgment of God upon us, and I was inform'd they flouted in the ſame Manner, at the good People, who, notwithſtanding the Contagion, met at the Church, faſted, and prayed to God to remove his Hand from them.

I ſay, they continued this dreadful Conrſe three or four Days, I think it was no more, when one of them, particularly he who ask'd the poor Gentleman what he did out of his Grave? was ſtruck from Heaven with the Plague, and died in a moſt deplorable Manner; and in a Word they were every one of them carried into the great Pit, which I have mentioned above, before it was quite fill'd up, which was not above a Fortnight or thereabout.

Theſe Men were guilty of many extravagances, ſuch as one would think, Human Nature ſhould have trembled at the Thoughts of, at ſuch a Time of general Terror, as was then upon us; and particularly ſcoffing and mocking at every thing which they happened to ſee, that was religious among the People, eſpecially at their thronging zealouſly to the Place of publick Worſhip, to implore Mercy from Heaven in ſuch a Time of Diſtreſs; and this Tavern, where they held their Club, being within View of the Church Door, they had the more particular Occaſion for their Atheiſtical profane Mirth.