N00657:52
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.
And now as I have spoken these things to all this Assembly, so let me apply them in a special manner to you the Scholars of this College, who are here present before the Lord. I am concerned in my Spirit for you. All of you are my Children: And do you think that I can see my Children Drowned, and not be troubled for it? God has come among you this last week, & lessened two of your number by a sad & awful Providence. Do you think these two were greater Sinners than any amongst you. No, no, they were bo•h of them hopeful youths. One of them (young Eyres) was an only Son, and a desirable dutiful Son, of a sweet amiable Temper, beloved by every body. He was observed to read the Scriptures constantly every day with great Alacrity. A sign that there was some good thing in him towards the God of Israel. As for the other (Maxwell) the Rebuke of Heaven in taking him away is the more solemn, in that his pious Relations sent him from far: to be Educated in this Nursery, ⟨p. 35⟩for Religion and good Literature. I took special notice of him; but could never observe any thing in him, but what was commendable, He was ingenious, and industrious, and I believe truly pious; had he lived, he was like to have been a choice Instrument of Service to the Church of God in his Time. And I am persuaded that his Soul is among the Angels of God. But if this be done to the green Tree, what shall be done to the Dry? This fatal blow looks ominously on the poor College. Considering some other circumstances; there is cause to fear l•st suddenly there will be no College in New England; and this as a sign that ere long there will be no Churches there. I know there is a blessed day to the visible Church not far off; but it is the Judgment of very Learned men, that in the Glorious Times promised to the Church on Earth, America will be Hell. And although there is a number of the Elect of God yet to be born here, I am verily afraid, that in process of Time, New-England will be the woefullest place in all America, as some other parts of the World once famous for Religion, are now the ••lefullest on the Earth, perfect Emblems and Pictures o• Hell. When you see this little Academy fallen to the ground (as now it is shaking and most like to fall) then know it is a terrible thing which God is about to bring upon this Land.