N00151:8
The times of men are in the hand of God. Or A sermon occasioned…
The times of men are in the hand of God. Or A sermon occasioned by that awful providence which happened in Boston in New-England, the 4th day of the 3d month 1675. (when part of a vessel was blown up in the harbour, and nine men hurt, and three mortally wounded) wherein is showed how we should sanctify the dreadful name of God under such awful dispensations. / By Increase Mather, teacher to a Church of Christ. ; [Nine lines of Scripture texts]The times of men are in the hand of God. Or A sermon occasioned by that awfull providence which hapned in Boston in New-England, the 4th day of the 3d moneth 1675. (when part of a vessel was blown up in the harbour, and nine men hurt, and three mortally wounded) wherein is shewed how we should sanctifie the dreadfull name of God under such awfull dispensations. / By Increase Mather, teacher to a Church of Christ. ; [Nine lines of Scripture texts]
Boston: printed by John Foster, 1675
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
To the READER.
How unsearchable are the Judgments of God? how are his ways past finding out? Sometimes his awful hand falleth only upon the Righteous as to Temporal Judgments. Sometimes only upon the wicked, sometimes he doth cut off both together. And this to the end that man should find nothing after him, whom we cannot trace. his Judgments are a great deep. His way is in the Sea, his path is in the great waters, and his footsteps are not known. Nevertheless there is a day coming (and the Lord hasten that day) which is a day of Revelation, when the mystery of providence shall be opened in the sight and hearing of all the earth. In the mean time it becometh us, not to censure those that are made Examples of divine Severity; and yet with Humility and an Holy Fear to take notice of the solemn works of God, considering that it is said, they who regard not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hand shall be destroyed. The Lord expects that we should not suffer such tremendous Dispensations, as that which occasioned the Preaching of this Sermon, pass without deep and sorrowful observation. Even the men of Bethshemesh, when the Lord had smitten so many among them with a great slaughter Lamented and said who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? shall we be more stupid and senseless than they? when Uzza (though a good man) dyed by a sudden stroke of God upon him, David called the place Perez-uzzah and he was afraid of God that day. How many perez-uzzas may we speak of? Look in this Town, and in that Town, and in the other Town, and we may see ⟨image ?⟩Places that may bear the name of Perez-uzza. It will be good for us to keep alive in our Hearts, a reverential and filial fear of the infinite Majesty, who hath an absolute dominion over us and ours, and may do to us and with us, what he will and cannot do us wrong. And it will be good for us when our souls have in remembrance the wormwood and the gall, to be humbled for those sins which have provoked the Lord, to inflict such bitter strokes. Doubtless that sin of disregard to the word of God, is that which especially hath provoked the eyes of his glory. How many are there that give way to their own sloth, and set themselves to sleep at Sermons, albeit that is a sin which God sometime hath punished with sudden death, witness the awful example of Eutichus