N01064:159
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.
Secondly. Be careful to allow a due Portion of Time for Religious Duties. The Seventh part of time is due to God by the ⟨p. 128⟩Law of Creation. The Sabbath Day should be spent in Religious Exercises, either in Public or in Private. For Persons to misspend their time on the Lords Day, is an heinous Sin. There is the Guilt of Sacrilege in it. But besides that, there are Religious Duties to be performed every Day; Psal. 145. 2. Every Day will I Bless thee. So should we read the Scriptures daily. That Convert spoken of in, Act. 8. 28. when he travelled abroad, would carry his Bible with him, and read in it as he sat in his Chariot. Say not we have not time for this. The Kings of Israel who because of the Public business lying upon them, had less time to spare than their ordinary Subjects, were nevertheless Enjoined to write out a part of the Bible with their own hands, and to read therein all the days of their Life, Deut. 17. 18 19. It is reported of the Emperor Theodosius, that he transcribed the whole New Testament with his own hand, and would be often perusing of it. And of a Prince in Transylvania, that he read over the whole Bible Twenty Seven times. The Lord Cromwell (that great Reformer in King Henry 8. his Days) as he trav•lled ⟨p. 129⟩a long Journey, got the whole New Testament by heart. Few Great men in these Days spend their time in Journeys so profitably. Dr. Gong would never go to Sleep before he had read Five Chapters in his Bible. This he began when he was a Young Student in the University of Cambridge, and held on in it, all his days. Some very Learned men that had been hard Students, have on Death-beds bewailed it, that they had read the Scriptures no more. So did Salmasius, professing that if he might live another Year, he would spend his Time chiefly in reading and meditating on the Holy Scriptures. Another Learned Man on his Death-bed said, He repented of all the Time pact of his Life, except that which he had spent in Communion with God, or in doing Good.