N01064:134
A discourse concerning earthquakes. Occasioned by the earthquakes which were in New-England, in the…
A discourse concerning earthquakes. Occasioned by the earthquakes which were in New-England, in the province of Massachusetts-Bay, June 16. and in Connecticut-Colony [sic], June 22. 1705. : Also, two sermons, showing, that sin is the greatest evil; and, that to redeem time is the greatest wisdom. / By Increase Mather.A discourse concerning earthquakes. Occasioned by the earthquakes which were in New-England, in the province of Massachusetts-Bay, June 16. and in Conecticot-Colony [sic], June 22. 1705. : Also, two sermons, shewing, that sin is the greatest evil; and, that to redeem time is the greatest wisdom. / By Increase Mather.
Boston: printed by Timothy Green for Benjamin Eliot, 1706
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
II. When Time is past and gone it can never be Recalled again. And therefore it is Wisdom to make a good improvement of the present Time. Yesterday will never be here again. Other things a man may loose and find them again. If •e has Silver or Gold or precious Jewels, •e may loose them and find them again. But there are Two precious things which if they be lost can never be recovered again, one is a Precious Soul, if that be lost it can never be recovered; and the other is Precious Time: There's no regaining that. Some have lost their Names and recovered them again. All innocent men that have done so shall recover them again, in the world to come if not in this world. Some have lost their Places & Dignity, & been restored to it again. As Pharaohs Cup-bearer after he had been a while degraded and imprisoned was exalted and restored to his place, and delivered the Cu• into the Kings hand after the former manner, Gen. 40 13. But the Time which a man has lost will never be restored to him again. For Death puts an End to his Time forever. As it is said with respect •nto the Roman Monarchy, as under its ••st head Antichrist, when the Time ⟨p. 102⟩allotted to him is once Expired, when the Seventh Trumpet shall sound, there shall be Time no longer, Rev. 10. 7. So it may be said concerning Men, when once Death has overtaken them, Time shall be no longer. For men do not Die; and after that Live again in this world. It is appointed for them Once to Die, and then they go hence and are no more. If a man Dye shall be Live again? No; He lieth down and riseth not until the Heavens be no more. As the Cloud is consumed and vanisheth away, so he that goes down to the Grave shall come up no more, he shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more for ever: The Eye that has seen him shall see him no more, Job 7. 8, 9, 10. No more! No more! No more! must he have Time allowed him on the Earth. If men after they have misspent all their Days, might live again, and have more Time allowed them, their Folly in not Redeeming the present Time would not be so great as now it is. But Temporal Life is not like the Sun, that sets & rieth again the next day. No: This Sun when once it is set rieth no more; but then the Days of Darkness are many, innumerable many.