^e AN . >-« Vffff/H ACCOUNT Of the Numbers that have died of the "Difiemper in the Throaty ■ * Within the Province of t. . . ■< - New-Hatng/hire, • With fomc Reflections thereon* July 26. 1^6. . %.*:■£?■ 1:1 ------»——-----—-------- ' y *? *f ' fo « ^ EC Hi ^ 'BO S T 0 N: Printed for Ehuztr Ruffel in Portfmouth __ m6. : jt^ r-i *■■ r- •- "1 £J t '" \ r""^ I....- ,3 ijc.i r;:;! jr-rrj*p.;-- -■r v-N- J > c "; ' { -^v >V| .V. >•.. J . . .4 TS r * ~>o ,J /-/1 z-. ./I An Account of the Numbers thac . have died of the Diftemper in the * 'Throaty within the Province of i New-Hampfhire. t —--------.-------------_-----*______i. i E in the Province of Nev-Hamp- {hire (with the neighbouring Places) have had frequent Occafion to re- peat that doleful Lamentation; Death is come up into our Windows to cut ffjfthe Chil- dren from without,----* And 'tis fit that the ,extra- ordinary Mortality which has been among us, Jhmld be ever remembered to our Humiliation •, in order to which a particular Account of the •fcdumbers that have died, in the feveral T'owns wichin this province, moftly the laft Winter, is here prefenrcd to the Publick. Tho* fome have died of fun dry Ages, yet the Car 'reareft part were under Ten Years ^of Ag§; and Providence having made fuch a remarkable Dif- Kndion, 1 thought it proper to take Notice ot jc i& the* following Account. • ^ * In Portfrtiouth, In the upper part of the Town have died, *~$ Under Ten about---------■---------4 ,* Two have died out of fundry Families, Four out? of one. Some Families have loft their only Child, and fome who had but two Children have loft both of "them. . In the lower part of the Town have died, Under Ten —^-— < - ^j. Between Ten and Twenty ----^_ 2. Above Forty ■ ■ __—— jt Two Families loft three, one of which loft all," who were buried at the lame time. One Family' loft four. . Jn that Part of Portfmouth 'call'd the Plain*, died^ ^ Under Ten —:---- —■----- —«----- 14V •»S7 Between Ten and Twenry ■ ____, 7, .; Above Torty - t. ■ ■ ■ \t Two Families loft four a-piece. In New-CafiU died, Under Ten-------. . u , —,—._ m At the Shoals have died, Under Seven ■ l, • Between Ten and Fifteen About Sixty One Family loft three, fix Families loft a-piece*. no Family loft all. In Rye have died, Under Ten —~— u .„, . Between Ten' and Fifteen ---- , Above Fifteen <—.------.—&-~ - 4 Two Families loft thtee, one of which loft al fefle Family loft four, and onejw, I 3 ) In (jretnland have died, Under Ten ■ ■ . —_ i?. Between Fifteen and Twenty - ^ 2. Between Twenry and Thirty------- 3. Two Families loft their only Child. In T^jwmgton have died,. Under Ten -^—— ■ _----- l£, Between Ten and Fifteen ——- ----. 4,. Between Fifteen and Twenty ■ I. One Family loft four, two loft threei one Of which loft all. , In Hampton, In the fir ft Parifli have died,. •.' ' Under Ten ■■ ■■ _ ---- — 37. Between Ten and Fifteen----------4. Between Fifteen- and Twenty ■---- 4.. Between Twenty and Thirty «------ '' 8. Above Thirty ———— — — ---- 1. Above Ninety «---.— «---- — -—~ I. A Woman, who had the manifeft Symptoms of the Diftemprr uprjn her. Five Families loft three out of each, one Family jlpft/aar, oneloft -five, within about a Fortnighr, the Eldeft dying firft, and then the nexc Eldsft, 'till the fifth died, and a fixth Child liv'd. Three Families loft their only. Child, In.the fecond parifl* of Hampton have died, Under Ten .about-—---------------160. Between Ten and Fifteen abouc — 2?. Between "Fifteen and Twenty ---- 1$. Above Twenty, the eldeft of which w<% nigh Forty —— —-------*- — i o. ; All. of thefe excep: a lmalJK umber died of the late faUl Diftemper. " ./ ttigh V4; Nigh Twenty Families loft all their Children, Twenty twoloft all their Sons, moft of them be- ing only Sons. One Family loft fevtnj (fix Children and a 'Prentice B.^y) Two Families loft fix a piece, Two Families lc{i five a-piece, Six Families loft four a piece j about fourteen Fa- ir) Hies loft three a-piece. .*Forty vine died in the Month of December. • iTis fuppos'd that more than a fixth part of the Number of Inhabitants in that Parifh have died ' within 13 Months. In Exeter have died, Under Ten — ■ ----- —.—__ ,^- Under Fifteen —.-------__------,3' Between Fifteen and Twenty----- <• Above Twenty — — •■ ■ ■ -----_ * Two Families loft each three, Two Families loft tich four, Two Families loft each five,- of which ohe loft-all,-and the other had one fpar'd. • The Diftemper came into Exeter the Beginning ol tAigufi, 173S; In Stratham have died, t Under Ten — —. -^- ,— __ .^ ,_ t^m t One Family loft four. In T^jtvmarket have died, Under Ten — — —-----. __ ,__ 20. Under Fifteen —. ■---- — ------- I# Above Thirty — — — — __ — x One Family loft five, Four Families loft all their Children, one oi them row, and the other one g-piece* In Kmgfton have died, Under Ten —•?— — -, __ ~~ \>q\ Between Between Ten and Fifteen* —__ —» '10, Between Fifteen and Twenty __ __ 2' : Above Twenty — — —■----__ j. Above Thirty — — — __ __ I. One Family that had four Children loft them all, another loft four out of fix.; Six Families loft three each, one of which had but three. i The Diftemper came into 'Kingfton the latter end of tJrfay, 1735. In Chefier Jiave died, Under.Ten — —• —. ' — —* 21. One Family loft three. In Dover have died^ ,„. Under Ten ------- .. -J n-j. Between Ten and Fifteen <---- — 5. Between Fifteen and Twenty ---- 3, Between Twenty and Thirty ---- 3. Sundry Families loft their only Child, and others that had but two loft them both. Five Fa- milies loft three Children a piece, one of which buried three in one Day. Two Families loft -.far, Hind one of them buried four in a Day. Cne Fa- mily loft fix Children, and four were buried ac pnee. This Diftemper began among them in October, In Durham have died, Under Ten about ———• ------- 79. Under Twenty about . ' ^ -.—-—. 1^, . Between Twenty and Thirty about — 6. Three Families loft/W Children a piece, ercn Of which loft all but one. Three Families left all. The Diftemper began among them in Stvtunbrr. . , CO In-the-LowerParifiiof Kittetj, a neighbour™ Town to sp-ortfmouth, in the other Province have died,-*-----■•----•"*- ■■" ' ■ " r' " 122. ]si-more than fix exceeded Fifteen Years, and not more than fix arriv'd to Fifteen Years. Triefj have died from June 173ft to the l6ch of Jufy 17*6". •*. According to the foregoing Accounts, have died, In Tortfmouih, • ——— ■ in NtvpcafiUi .---— • -------• ' Ac the Shoals, -------■ — ■ In Ifyr,------- ----- ----' --- -in Greenland, «--------- ----• --- In 'Nexcrngton, In Hampton, • * ——■ -- —■ In Exeter, including Ntxvmarker, ■— *— In, ^ttntbam, In Kingfion, In Chefier, In Dovtr, - In Durham, The whole Number iaj * The Diftemper began much later in moft ot t] /Towns than in the .reft. Since 1 receiv'd the Account jrom fome of tl Towns, the Diftemper has come mto fundry. mc Famii+e^i -and prov'd mortal to fome of thi Chilckent- »-"•■■* - I (foa41 here take Occafion to give fome referring to this awful Providence, which every judicious- Perfon may eafily enlarge upon in his own Thoughts. ' - • the grave h a Zand of Darknefs without any Or- them to a faithful Difcharge of their Duty towardf:'.* their Children, by fmcerely dedicating them to God, and by training them up in the Knowledge and Fear ,of God. This will be the way for them to have Comfort in their Children, whether Living or Dy- ing. • Elder ones fhould adore the Power and Patience of God in prolonging their frail and forfeited Lives \ fcod when they fee fo many younger and more Inno- cent than thenifelves, taken away in fuch an awful manner, they hive reafon to make hafie and not delay to keep God's Commandments, left He Ihould be pro- vok'd to inHift the like awful Judgment upon them : $nd fome of fundryAges having been taken away by this • woful Diftemper, it fhould fervefor the! i awakening of all-, for what has befallen others may; . alfo befil any of us. How awakening efpecially fhould the Death of Children be to their Parents ? When the firft-bom , of the Egyptians were fmitten, they faid, We be-all dead Men. Parents are ftrangely ftupid, if the Death of their Children does not put them xn mind of their * own Mortality. And it fhould caufe them to confi- * der wherein they may have offended God *, as the "Woman faid to the Mm of God, Art thou come to < call my'Sin to remembrance, and to flay my Son ? > But we are not to look upon the immediate fuffer- ersin this Calamity as greater Sinners than others: Our Saviour checks this cenforious Humour, Suppofe- ye that, thefe Galileans were Sinners above all the Gali*\ leans, becaufe they fuffcr d fuch Things ? I tell you, nay Jt \}u,t except ye repeat, ye fball all I ike wife perifh. And it muft be granted, that the Good are often j involv'd with the Bad in Publick Calamities ; but God>can and will make all things work together for 1 tfod'to thole particular Perfons that love his Name. k V We read of a hopeful Child in the Houfe of Jcremi bo am, that died when he was young, whereby he was; iaken away'from the £vil to came: When hopeful Children are taken away, we know not what Evil* may be coming} it concerns us fpeedily to acquaint cur' fslyes with>God and wake our Peace with Htm, and then Good JJjall come unto us. M-iny have bssn bereav'd of their only Child, anc$; others who have had more Children have been be- reav'd of them all *, but there is enough in QooV tq> «vake up all our Lofifes in the Creature •' And thofe'; xh|'t feek Him in good earneft (hill find Him (tettcf to''them, than ten Sons. Sundry have been raifed up from a very low eftatei for the Lord killcth and makcth alive t He bringeri} __J " " ~______________"11"_____' dowril T C » ) ionn tt the Grave- and bringeth %p, which may be .derftood either of the Diftio&ion He makes be* een fome and others \ He killeth fome, and maketh r keepeth others alive, that were attended with the me threatniog Symptoms, which muft be refolv'd Into,the Sovereign Pleafure of God 5 even fo Father^ iecaufe it feemed good in tkinc Eyes; or it may be un- derftood of the Change He makes in the fame Perfon§ whom He brings down to the Brink of the Grave, and taifes up when He pleafes. Our Eyes have beheld many fuch Inftances of the Wonder-Working Provi- dence of God. t \\ And the Diftemper that has prov'd mortal to fq many, and very grievous toothers, has- hitherto been efcap'd by many, or they have had it in a moderate Degree. Such diftinguifliing Favours call for great Jhankfulnefs. , . ' * . Let thofe Families whom God bas.mercifuJly fpar'd^ fo as not to make any Breach upon them,*»0f be high- minded, but jean, The difcnminating. Goodnefs o/F pod towards them fhould lead them to Repentance, and they are deeply objig'd.-If Iniquity be in theirs Wands-, to put it far away, and not tofqffer i/Vickednef\\': $0 dwell in their Tabernacles. :vi tyot been con fumed. : And it becomes us all as the Elect of God to put' ou 'BoTpelspf Msrcits towards ihofe forrowlul Parents^ 1______ than CiO :h4 ht to? that have loft fundry of their Children; and elpeci thofe that have been bereav'd of all, and weoughl prefent our fervent Requefts before the Throne ol Grace in their behalf, that as their Sorrows abound,/ the Divine Confdations may abound towards them and tho* they are ready to think as good Jacob once did, that theft things areagainfi them, we fhould prayj that they may be really for them, in the Iffae, that they may work for their fpiritual and everlaftinj Good. Tho* Days of Fatting and Prayer have been obfervl in the Beginning of this fatal Calamity, 'tis to fear'd they were not attended with a fuitable Refor* mation -, and therefore God has answer dm by terril things in Righteoufnefs. We have for fome Years been free from the Cali^ mity of War, but God has many Arrows of Judgment in his Quiver, and He can feni fucli Epidemical Dif4 eafes among us, as mall be more diftrefitng td"tlil Country in general, than any Wats that we have ever i experienced. «• • %* We we're Toftte Years ago vifired with a terrible "*Earthquake, which was a loud Call to Repentance, but * the good impreffions made bv that awful Providendf *•■ were foon worn off in moft Places; 'tis no wondet then thuGod proceeds to rea? inflictions of Jadg, ments, when We have forgotten the awful Warning H^ has given us thereof. J*' - ^v The Progrefs of the late Diftemper has been verj ftrange in its pitting from one Town to another afrer a confiierable fpace of Time, and in its lonj remaning in one part of a Town, before it has pafe\ into otker parts, and in its returning where it feem'c to be quite gone and the Fears ol it were blown over on theftf Accounts the Aft of Providence is the mon vifiMe in" fending it, and we are led to looTc* beyond natur.il Caofes to the Hind of God, to whom w ! C*3) kre cWefly concern'd to apply our felves, for the Re- jgnoval of this awful Calamity. fWe know not what the Defigns of Providence may be, but by what we hear of the fpreading of this Dif- jumper in other parts of the Country, it feems as if ytfte Lord were rifen up out of his holy Habitation and jpoming forth in this awful manner againft the whole (Continent. It therefore concerns all Places and Per- sons to prepare to meet the Lord in the way of his Judgments, by unfeigned Repentance and humble Supplication, that He may turn from the fiercenefs of hu Anger, The Lofs of fo many Children, whom if it had jfcleas'd God that they had liv'd, might have built up many Families, will be a great Prevention of the ^Growth and Increafe of the Country \ and ought k therefore to be lookt upon as a Frown of Providence [upon the Land in general, as well as a fore Affliction Jlto fhe Parents in particular. [T We fhould feriouAy enquire wherefore the Almigh- ky has thus contended with us ? We have Reafon to (hook upon the firange unufual Diftemper that has pre- cyail'd among us, as the Fruit of firange Sins. Have/} Jnot many ftratf&ly ntgle&ed the great Salvation rji JHave not many "Profeffors-of BkYigioto ftrangely con- ^tradi&ed their ProfefSon in their Lives ? Have not ti,many been ftrangely guilty of prophaning God's fa- cred Name and Sabbaths? Have not many People [ebeen Jtrangely addi&ed fome to one Vice and fome uto^nother ? To Pride, Envy, Malice, Evil fpeakiAg, JjFraud and Injuftice, Strife and Contention, Senfu- /ality & Intemperance, or to a worldly Spiri:, where- Aby they have been difpos'd to be flrangely grafping .after the World for the fake of their Children : Bnt |God by the late awful Providence, has fltew'd how vayi a thing it is for Parents to be inordinate in -their Dcfires and Endeavours, :o lay up for their \___: ; "i"_______i- _Chii.. Children, when they know not whether flielr Chi dren fhall live to enjoy what they have laid up f, *hem. ■.."■■ ■» ' . it co»cems.us all toftarck and try our Ways,' ant turhkmo the Lor*\ and diligently hearken to hi Voice, the Voice of his Rod a$ well as* Word, bne{ tb do.that which is right in his Sight, and tit gtve ear to his Commandments and keep all hit Statutes- w< may then expeft the like favour frottr Him, whici He prom«!d rofcfc *nc4entPeople \ ikoM$H none thofe Difeafes upon thee, which I have brought 1tpe)$ ti %g)ptiahs Mor J am iht M>rd that-hcattth thee. ■ Jj : .' . i .-,.;;:. ill,".- . r •..-.;. ,. « ; J T I ( if \ r, t '^-'•i% .*; ^0*> . m #W ^ gpp Ipf* ^ » > v> > »> > i < > > j> . > >• j» * > ^&k ^>____ IS?*. XL