Food and physick for every householder & his family during the time of the plague very useful, both for the free and the infected, and necessary for all persons in what condition or quality soever : together with several prayers and meditations before, in, and after infection, very needful in all infectious and contagious times, and fit as well for the country as the city / published by T.D. for the publick good.

Meditation 1.

IT cannot chuse but be a grief unto a Christi∣an, to see how many murmur in this Visita∣tion; some fearing the Plague in their Persons, others in their Purses; some being loth to lose their Goods, others to leave the World, not fearing to say with despairing Cain, their Pu∣nishment is greater than they can bear; and thus do they undervalue Gods Mercy in his Ju∣stice, in whose Vial is not only Wine, but al∣so Oyl: Had he delivered us up to Famine, it would have been a Burthen farr more grievous; and had he delivered us up into the hands of our Enemies, as he hath done some Neigh∣bouring Nations, it had been likely, that our should not only have been banished from our Country, but that all hope should have been banished from us: How much better is it then, as David chose, to fall into the hand of God, than into the hands of Men; and to be visited with this Plague, than to be Plagued with our Enemies: The Lord give us grace to repent and amend, that he may cease to afflict us; and grant, that being once cleansed, we may sin no more, lest a worse Evil happen unto us.

Meditation 2.

IT is true indeed, that Sin was the first Cause of this Sickness; but as God doth not the Works of Mercy, so he doth not the Works of Justice, without a means. Our Sins were the Parents of this Pestilence, but it is a question, how God brought it in, there is no Man can ab∣solutely determine, but many may conjecture, And (I fear me) it was the want of Charity, and the neglect of the Poor, in this City, which partly caused this Infection; for how can it be otherwise, but that, where multitudes are pe∣stered together in a little room, and in it have but little comfort; as no Raggs, to cover their nakedness; no Linnen to shift them from filthi∣ness, it cannot chuse but cause them noysome∣ness, and by consequence Infection: If then the rich Men desire to leave to be miserable, let them learn to be merciful, and free the City from the multitudes of Poor.

Meditation 3.

IT is a strange thing, to see the difference of Men; and to consider, how the Seed of Andam, being composed of the same Matter, should so differ in Manners: For here you may

see one so timerous of Sickness, that he dares not goe to Church, for fear of Infection; being so full of base Cowardise, that he is fearful to gather a Rose, lest he should prick his Fingers; neglecting his Souls welfare, for fear of his Bo∣dies sickness; notwithstanding, he can trudge to Westminster, about Quarrels and Contentions. But on the contrary side, another so audacious and presumptuous, that he seemeth to challenge the Pestilence, and seeketh it at Playes, search∣eth it from one Tavern to another, as if he dared Gods Judgements to encounter with him; both of which are extreme Follies. We must part, viz. from our frail Life. I will therefore resolve, not so much to fear the Evil of Sick∣ness, as to commit the Evil of sin; neither so much Sin, as to seek out Sickness: The one is a sin against my Soul, to deprive it of the Food which is offered; and Tantalus like, to starve, it under the means: The other is a sin against my Body, to seek to impair the health of it; but howsoever, both of them against God: The one being Timidity, the other Timerity; the one Fear, the other Folly; the one shewing himself faint-hearted, the other fool-hardy.