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After this, she found herself in great Extremity of Pain, and in a Fever, and she finding an Excrescence or swelled Lump in her Flesh, the apprehending it to be the Plague (for the Pestilence raged at that time in London) said to me (she being tempted of Satan to that Doubt) Mr. Archibald, Is it possible that a Child of God can die of the Plague?
Said I, Lord forbid that ever ye put such a Thing in Question! Have ye not heard, that both in Scotland and in this Kingdom, God's dearest Children have been smitten unto Death with this Visitation? Said she, I never heard of any. Said I, Wo betide that Enemy Satan, who never rests to put such Things in your Head: He is but a Liar. Tell me, Madam, Do ye question whether Mary M'Konnel your Cousin was a Child of God? She now rests with her Lord, who, by this Visitation, took her to himself in as great Peace as in the gentlest Sickness, whereof ye were an Eye-witness.
Said she, I must confess she was a most dear Child of God. Said I, Call yourself then a Liar, and call Satan a Liar, who tempted you to believe a Lie. But for your further Satisfaction, it is concluded, that Hezakiah's Disease, Isa. xxxviii. 21. was the Plague; he had a Boy! to which a Lump of Figs was applied, and so he was cured: When God offered David his Choice of three Judgments, he wished rather for the Plague or Pestilence, nor for Sword or Famine, 2 Sam. xxiv. 13, 14, 15. I think David an elect Man, and a Child of God, would have been very loth to have made Choice of the Pestilence, if it be a Visitation laid only on the Wicked, and not on the Godly also. Away then with that foul Enemy, who has put such a Thought in either your Mouth or Heart, and question this no more.
At another Time, after a little Rest she had gotten in Sleep, she said, O! what Mercies I have gotten since I was born! And so she showed me a little Book, wherein the bad written a Catalogue of Mercies received, and of the particular Acts of God's Kindness to be in his Providences thro' her Life, But (said she) fee my Hypocrisy and Ingratitude: Are not
