N00657:21
A discourse concerning the uncertainty of the times of men, and the necessity of…
A discourse concerning the uncertainty of the times of men, and the necessity of being prepared for sudden changes & death. Delivered in a sermon preached at Cambridge in New England. Decemb. 6. 1696. On occasion of the sudden death of two scholars belonging to Harvard College. / By Increase Mather, president of that college. ; [Two lines from I Samuel]A discourse concerning the uncertainty of the times of men, and the necessity of being prepared for sudden changes & death. Delivered in a sermon preached at Cambridge in New England. Decemb. 6. 1696. On occasion of the sudden death of two scholars belonging to Harvard Colledge. / By Increase Mather, praesident of that colledge. ; [Two lines from I Samuel]
printed by B. Green for Samuel Phillips, 1697
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.
2. A man knows not what Changes shall attend him whilst in this World. Changes of Providence are in the Scripture called Times. It is said that the Acts of David, and the Times that went over him, and over Israel, and over all the Kingdoms of the Countries, were written by Samuel, and Nathan the Prophet, and in the Book of Gad the S•er, meaning the Changes of Providence which they were subject unto. 1 Chron. 29.30. A man knows not whether he shall see good or evil days for the Time to come: he knoweth what his past days have been; but does not know what they shall be for the time to come. It may be he is now in prosperity: he has Friends, Children, Relations, which he takes delight in, he has Health, an Estate, and Esteem in the World, he does not know that he shall have any of these ⟨p. 11⟩things for the future. Indeed, men in Prosperity are apt to think (as they would have it) that they shall always, or for a long time be so: but very often they find themselves greatly mistaken. The Psalmist confesseth that it was so with him. Psal. 30.6, 7. In my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved, Lord, by thy favour, thou hast made my Mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled. His Enemies were all subdued: his Mountain, that is his Kingdom, especially his Royal Palace in Mount Zion was become exceeding strong, that now he thought all dangers were over, but Absaloms unexpected Rebellion involved him and the whole Land in Trouble. The good People in Josiahs time promised themselves great happiness for many a year under the Government of such a King as he was. Lam. 4.20. Of whom we said under his shadow we shall Live. But his sudden Death made a sad Change in all the Public Affairs. A man knows not what Afflictions shall come upon him whilst on the earth. This is true concerning particular Persons: they may know in general, that Afflictions shall attend them in an evil Sinful World But what those Afflictions in particular shall be they know not. Thus the Apostle speaks, Act 20.22, 23. I go bound in Spirit to Jerusalem, no• knowing what things shall befall me there, save tha the holy Spirit witnesseth in every City, […], tha Bonds and Afflictions abide me. So that he kne