N01064:137
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.
The Scripture tells us, and the Experience of every Age proveth it, that men have but a short time to be on the Earth. The longest liver has but a short time of it, compared with Eternity. Yea, his Age is as nothing before the Eternal; as David confe••eth, Psal. 39. 5. Eternity is a Day that has no Sun-setting. It is (as one well Expresseth,) A Time that can never be Measured: A Sum that can never be Numbered. Let a man think of a Thousand Years, nay of Millions of Millions of Ages, all is nothing to Eternity. It is a Sea without either bottom or banks. Time is a spot on this side Eternity. And what a little of that spot is mans Life? All Time is but a Moment to Eternity, and mans ⟨p. 106⟩Life is but a Moment of Time. Besides, there are many who do not live so long as according to the ordinary course of Nature they might. Some that, God takes them out of the world betimes, because the world is not worthy of them. And there are many who by their Sins provoke the Lord to shorten their Days Because they have been wicked overmuch, they Die before their time. Solomon •ayes that the Days of the Wicked shall be shortened, Prov. 10. 27. David tells how much; more than half, Psal. 55. 23. They shall not live out half their Days. There are some Sins which have a Natural tendency to shorten life. Intemperance does so. Debauched persons seldom live long. It is said of the young. Adulterer, Prov. 7. 23. A dart strikes through his Liver. Oftentimes such Persons are struck with a Consumption of the Liver, which in a little time kills them. They that have been Prodigals of their Time, have no reason to expect God will trust them with it long.
The Scripture tells us, and the Experience of every Age proveth it, that men have but a short time to be on the Earth. The longest liver has but a short time of it, compared with Eternity. Yea, his Age is as nothing before the Eternal; as David confe••eth,