N01064:138
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.
IV. The Time which remains is very uncertain. Therefore it is Wisdom to Redeem what is present, lest it be gone suddenly. No man knows how soon his Time may End. The wise man tells us, Man ⟨p. 107⟩knows not his Time, Eccle•. 9. 12. Whether he shall have any Time or no for the future he knows not. Indeed Hezekiah knew that he had Fifteen Years time to be on the Earth: But that was by an Extraordinary Revelation. There is not a particular man in the world that knows he has so long to live. Although' there are many that shall live a longer time than that, but it is not known who they are that shall do so. Who is there but may say as Isaac did, in Gen. 27. 2. I know not the day of my Death. Young men are apt to say, Isaac was an Old man, and might well think that he had not long to live, but we have a long time before us. It may be not. Is it not said, They Die in Youth, Job 36. 14. Most of those that come into the world, go out of it again before Old Age. Nor does any Young man know at what Age he shall Die; whether in his Youth, or in his Middle Age, or in his Old Age. For this reason it is Wisdom to be always Watching; that is to be always Redeeming the Time: Mark 13. 35, 36. Watch ye therefore, for you know not when the Master of the House cometh, at Evening, or at Midnight▪ or at the Cock-crowing, or in the Morning; lest coming suddenly He find you Sleeping. ⟨p. 108⟩The Children of men are always in danger of Death. The Water may Drown them; or the Fire may Burn them; or the Air may •oy•on them: For (as one observes) Every pore in the Body is a door at which Death may Enter in. It may be Death will come and put an End to thy Time without giving thee any warning by Sickness. And therefore it is Wisdom whilst men have Health, to improve the•• short Time in preparations for Eternity. A thousand Accidents not thought of may put an End to their time in one moment The Scripture tells of Seven and Twenty Thousand men, who lot their lives at once in a moment, by the falling of a Wall which crushed them to Death. A thing which they little dreamed of,