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‘A Double Delight’

Recovery from disease was an event of profound religious significance in early modern England, because it was thought to be ordained by God. This chapter investigates the perceived impact of bodily recovery on spiritual well-being, and asks how patients and their loved ones reacted to the belief that ultimately it was the Lord who had raised them from the sickbed. It shows that across the Protestant spectrum, experiences of recovery were shaped by what can be called the ‘art of recovery’, a set of moral duties and devotional practices derived from Scripture, which were supposed to be performed in the wake of illness. These included resisting sin, cultivating ‘holy affections’, and joining together in collective praise. When patients succeeded in these duties, the joy of recovery was greatly multiplied, since it signified that their souls as well as their bodies were better; but when they failed, the happiness was undermined.