Man ashiv le-Yahoweh, or, A serious enquiry for a suitable return for continued life, in and after a time of great mortality, by a wasting plague (anno 1665) answered in XIII directions / by Tho. Doolitel.

To such whom the Lord hath kept alive in the time of so great Death by the Plague in the Land, espe∣cially in the City of London.

THe design of these lines, is neither to commend the Author, nor the Book, which in these few follow∣ing sheets is presented to your view; the former being as needless to them that know his Person, as the later to them that read his Directions; but I would commend the Subject (being so seasonable) to your perusal, and the Duties (being so necessary) to your Practice. It was the saying of

a Learned Divine, who had the honour of being made a Prisoner, as well as Minister of the Lord, That it was great pitty there were no more Prisoners of Jesus Christ, to write songs of his love: I will not say I could wish that more of our Citizens had in this late Dreadful Plague, remain∣ed in this, then Doleful place, which to the Countries seemed more formi∣dable than a Prison; but I believe that many of you whose Calling and Duty did tye your hands and feet, and shut you up in the City, have found such sweet experiences of the good∣ness and love of God, that they will be recorded; And —65. will be re∣membred by you with thankefulness so long as you live.

You have seen the Destroying An∣gel entering the City, and Death riding upon the Pale Horse Trium∣phant in the streets, Arrows flying, the

sword bathed, Garments rouling in blood, and this grim Conqueror breaking in upon Houses without re∣sistance, taking Captive, Men, Wo∣men and Children, and clapping them up in the Prison of the Grave, where they must remain fast bound in his chains of darkeness, untill the opening of the doors, by him who hath the keys of the Grave, who ha∣ving Conquered Death himself, will at his appearance loosen the Bonds of all Deaths prisoners, that they may stand before his Judgement Seat, to receive their Final Dooms. In the midst of which slaughter and Cap∣tivity, the Captain of your Salva∣tion hath stood by you, held his shield over you; set his mark upon you, and given you singular experience of his Power and Goodness in your preser∣vation. You have been in a storm, God hath shown you his wonders in

the Deep, and when so many Ships have been cast away before your eyes, and so many Persons have been devoured by the cruel Waters, and your selves inviron'd with waves on every side, yet the Lord hath kept you alive, like Jonah in the Belly of the Sea, or made a way for you to pass through, when so many not onely Egyptians, but Israelites have been drowned; you have been in the water, but the Lord hath been an Arke about you: You have been in the fire like the three Children, but the Son of God hath walked with you, and suppressed the violence of the fire, that it hath not prevailed over you; you have been like the Bush which Moses saw burning, but was not burn't, because God was in it. And when you look back upon those dark days, and black Bills of Mortality, where you have had account of so ma∣ny

thousands dying for so many weeks together: Do you not wonder at your strange escape? Do you not look up∣on your selves, as Brands pluckt out of the fire? And must you not ac∣knowledge it is the Lords mercy you are not consumed? You who have continued in the City in the time of the Plague, when such throngs of people have been crouding out of this world daily into another, have had singular advantages of looking into and preparing for Eternity, which few think of with fixed seriousness, till they be awakened by some dange∣rous sickness, whereby withal they are usually so weakened in body and spirit, that they are rendred un∣fit for such cogitations; but to be in such danger, whilst in so good health, and in such Leasure from encum∣bring employments, I doubt not but it hath effectually moved many of

you to soar a loft in your thoughts and Meditations, that you might take a view of the other Country, which the Scripture doth set forth, of the City which hath foundations, whose buil∣der and Maker is God. I believe the wicked have had dreadful ap∣prehensions of the burning lake, of the Ocean of Gods wrath, which every day they were ready to launch forth into, and that however some have been hardened, and are as bad, yea worse than before; yet I hope others have been so awakened with this dreadful Providence, that they have been effectually perswaded to Repen∣tance and Faith in Christ, who alone can deliver from the wrath which is to come; I believe that others have had deeper impressions of Eternity up∣on them, than ever they had in their lives, which the borders thereof, on which they have been walking have

given them so near & frequent a pro∣spect of; and I doubt not but all of you have made vows and promises to the Lord of a Holy conversation, of lea∣ving those sins your conscience at that time upbraided you withal, and dedi∣cating your lives to the Lord, if he would be pleased to spare your lives: Take heed of dropping asleep again after you have been awakned; of re∣turning again unto sin after it hath been imbittered; of forgetting or a∣busing Gods mercy after such a won∣derful preservation; retain the same thoughts of sins evil and the worlds vanity, of the worth of true Grace and Christs beauty; retain the im∣pressions you had of Eternity, when you were so near it in your apprehen∣sions; hath God laid obligations up∣on you by his preservations and deli∣verances? And have you laid obli∣gations upon your selves by your pur∣poses

and resolutions. Labor then to live up to your obligations, and if you be at a loss, what return to make to the Lord: You have by his Provi∣dence this little Book put into your hands to give you directions; re∣ceive them not as the bare counsel of man, but (so far as backt by the Scripture) as the Prescriptions of God, as if the Lord should speak to you from Heaven, and say, This is my will, these are your duties, and see that you perform them: Hereby you will both please the Lord, and re∣joyce the heart of the Author, and him who is

Your servant in the Lord Thomas Vincent.