Divine Conduct, or The Mystery of Providence

Say not, The barbarous Nations in this excel you; that they possess the Mines of Silver and Gold, which it may be you think enough to salve all other inconveniences of life. Alas poor Creatures! better had it been for them, if their Country had brought forth Briers and Thorns instead of Gold, Silver, and precious stones; for this hath been the occasion of ruining all their other comforts in this world: this hath invited their cruel avaricious enemies among them, under whose servitude they groan, and dye without mercy: and thousands of them have chosen death rather than life, on the terms they enjoyed it. And why might not your lot have fallen there as well as where it is? Are not they made of the same clay, and endowed with as good a nature as your selves? O what a distinction hath Divine Mercy made, where Nature made none! Consider ungrateful man, thou mightest have fallen into some of those Regions, where a tainted ⟨p. 42⟩air frequently cloys the jaws of death, where the Inhabitants differ very little from the Beasts in the manner of their living: but God hath provided for thee, and given the poorest among us far better accommodations of life, than the greatest among them are ordinarily provided with. O what hath Providence done for you?

Say not, The barbarous Nations in this excel you; that they possess the Mines of Silver and Gold, which it may be you think enough to salve all other inconveniences of life. Alas poor Creatures! better had it been for them, if their Countrey had brought forth Bryers and Thorns instead of Gold, Silver, and precJous stones; for this hath been the occasion of ruining all their other comforts in this world: this hath invited their cruel avaritious enemies among them, under whose servitude they groan, and dye without mercy: and thousands of them have chosen death rather than life, on the terms they enjoyed it. And why might not your lot have fallen there as well as where it is? Are not they made of the same clay, and endowed with as good a nature as your selves? O what a distinction hath Divine Mercy made, where Nature made none! Consider ungrateful man, thou mightest have fallen into some of those Regions, where a tainted ⟨p. 42⟩air frequently cloyes the jaws of death, where the Inhabitants differ very little from the Beasts in the manner of their living: but God hath provided for thee, and given the poorest among us far better accommodations of life, than the greatest among them are ordinarily provided with. O what hath Providence done for you?