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ordinary, such as all our wit and prudence can neither foresee nor avoid. Such was that extraordinary and surprising storm in November 1703, whereby many thousands were undone as to their estates, besides the many lives that were lost; and such also was the dreadful fire in London, whereby some that had great estates the one week, had scarce bread to eat the next: and in the time of war many are unavoidably losers. But these must not be reckoned the common and ordinary ways that make and keep men poor. We know, indeed, that by the divine providence, in the body of a common-wealth there must be both poor and rich, even as an human body cannot subsist without hands and feet to labour, and walk about to provide for the other members; so the rich being the belly, which devour all, yet do no part of the work; but the cause of every man's poverty is not one and the same; some are poor by condition; yet God raiseth up, as by a miracle, the children and posterity of these, oftentimes to possess the most eminent places either in church or commonwealth, as to become Archbishops, Bishops, Judges, Commanders-general in the field, Secretaries of State, Statesmen, and the like ; so that it proveth not always true which the poet says,
If poor thou art, then poor thou shalt remain;
Rich men alone do now rich gifts obtain.
Of this condition are the greatest number in every kingdom; others there are, who have possessedgreat estates, but these estates have not thriven or continued, being gotten by oppression, deceit, usury, and the like, which commonly lasteth not
