more neceſſary, for People that were Infected, and near their End, and dilirious alſo, would run to thoſe Pits wrapt in Blankets, or Rugs, and throw themſelves in, and as they ſaid, bury themſelves: I cannot ſay, that the Officers ſuffered any willingly to lie there; bur I have heard, that in a great Pit in Finsbury, in the Pariſh of Cripplegate, it lying open then to the Fields; for it was not then wall'd about, came and threw themſelves in, and expired there, before they threw any Earth upon them; and that when they came to bury others, and found them there, they were quite dead, tho’ not cold.
This may ſerve a little to deſcribe the dreadful Condition of that Day, tho' it is impoſſible to ſay any Thing that is able to give a true Idea of it to thoſe who did not ſee it, other than this; that it was indeed very, very, very dreadful, and ſuch as no Tongue can expreſs.
I got Admittance into the Church-Yard by being acquainted with the Sexton, who attended, who tho' he did not refuſe me at all, yet earneſtly perſwaded me not to go; telling me very ſeriouſly, for he was a good religious and ſenſible Man, that it was indeed, their Buſineſs and Duty to venture, and to run all Hazards; and that in it they might hope to be preſerv'd; but that I had no apparent Call to it, but my own Curioſity, which he ſaid, he believ'd I would not pretend, was ſufficient to juſtify my running that Hazard. I told him I had been preſs'd in my Mind to go, and that perhaps it might be an Inſtructing Sight, that might not be without its Uſes. Nay, ſays the good Man, if you will venture upon that Score, 'Name of God go in; for depend upon it, ’twill be a Sermon to you, it may be, the beſt that ever you heard in your Life. 'Tis a ſpeaking Sight, ſays he, and has a Voice with it, and a loud one, to call us all to Repentance; and with that he opened the Door and ſaid, Go, if you will.
