N01064:155
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.
It is Great WISDOM To Redeem the TIME. › Consideration 2: CONSIDER II.
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 mispence of Precious Time will sooner or later cause sad Reflections of Conscience• It may be in this Life, by sorrowful Repentance. If God intends mercy to the Soul of him that has misspent his Time▪ the remembrance of it will be bitter to him. It was so with Ephraim; He […] on his thigh, and did bear the Reproach of his Youth, Jer. 31. 13. It was matter of sorrow and shame to him, to remember how he had misspent the Time of his Youth. It may be the remembrance of misspent Time will be a terror and a trouble on a Death-bed. It is reported concerning our Famous Prince Henry, that ⟨p. 125⟩a Young Noble man visiting him on his Death-bed, He said to him, Ah! Tom. How do I wish for those Hours again which I and thou have spent in vain Sports. A Famous Earl who dyed in Ireland, in the Year 1576. did on his Death-bed with great Penitence and hopes of Pardon, bewail1 his not having spent his Time so Religiously as he should have done. I could tell you of a very Holy Man, (Dr. Harris) who had for many Years spent his time well, and done great services for the Church of God, nevertheless, when he was near his Death, he professed that nothing troubled him so much as the loss of Precious Time, therefore (said he) Work, work apace. An Eminent Divine speaks of one whom he knew, the occasion of whose Conversion was, he heard one on a Death-bed Cry out, O Can you call Time again! O can you call Time again! I am undone to all Eternity, if you cannot call Time again. It may be when it will be too late the remembrance of Lost Time will be terrible. As Hagar when all the water in the Bottle was spent, lift up her voice and wept, Gen. 21. 16. So it will be with Sinners when they see all their time is spent, they will lift up ⟨p. 126⟩their voice and weep. They will do as Esau did, when he saw that he had lost his opportunity and was come too late for the Blessing, He Cried with a great and exceeding bitter Cry, and said, Bless me, every one also, O my Father, Gen. 27. 34. But then it was too late. If he had, come and Cried sooner, he would have got the Blessing. But thus it is with many poor Creatures, when their immortal Souls are gone out of their Bodies, and Eternity has faned its Iron Teeth upon them, they wail like Dragons, they mourn for the loss of Time with tears of Blood. O the roaring Lamentations which there are in Hell. They are always making that doleful Cry, Oh!