Divine Conduct, or The Mystery of Providence

Nay, what is yet more wonderful, the Providence of God hath sometimes ordered the very malice of Satan, and wickedness of men, as an occasion of Eternal good to their souls. A very memorable Example whereof▪ I shall here give the Reader, faithfully re•••ing what not many years past •ell out in my own observation in this place, to the astonishment of many spectators.

In the year 1673. there came into this Port a Ship of Poole, in her return from Virginia; in which Ship was one of that place, a lusty young man of twenty three years of age, who was Chirurgeon ⟨p. 68⟩in the Ship. This person in the voyage fell into a deep melancholy, which the Devil greatly improved to serve his own design for the ruin of this poor man; however, it pleased the Lord to restrain him from any attempts upon his own life, until he arrived here. But shortly after his arrival, upon the Lords Day early in the morning (being in bed with his Brother) he took a knife prepared for that purpose, and cut his own throat, and withal leapt out of the bed, and though the wound was deep and large, yet thinking it might not soon enough dispatch his wretched life, desperately thrust it into his st.|mach, and so lay wallowing in his own blood, till his Brother awaking, made a cry for help: hereupon a Physician and a Chirurgeon coming in, found the wound in his Throat mortal; and all they could do at present, was only to stitch it and apply a plaster, with design, rather to enable him to speak for a little while, than with any expectation of cure; for before that, he breathed through the wound, and his voice was inarticulate.

In the year 1673. there came into this Port a Ship of Poole, in her return from Virgini•; in which Ship was one of that place, a lusty young man of twenty three years of age, who was Chirurgeon ⟨p. 68⟩