I went Home indeed, griev’d 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 look’d 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, tho’ 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 diſtinguiſh’d 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 Worſhipers, at ſuch a Time, no not tho’ 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 things, ſaith the Lord, and ſhall not my Soul be avenged of ſuch a Nation as this?
Theſe Things, I ſay, lay upon my Mind; and I went home very much griev’d and oppreſs’d with the Horror of theſe Mens Wickedneſs, and to think that any thing could be ſo vile, ſo hardened, and ſo notoriouſly wicked, as to inſult God and his Servants, and his Worſhip, in ſuch a Manner, and at ſuch a Time as this was; when he had, as it were, his Sword drawn in his Hand, on purpoſe to take Vengeance, not on them only, but on the whole Nation.
I had indeed, been in ſome Paſſion, at firſt, with them, tho’ it was really raiſed, not by any Affront they had offered me perſonally, but by the Horror their blaſpheming Tongues fill’d me with; however, I was doubtful in my Thoughts, whether the Reſentment I retain’d was not all upon my own private Ac- count,
