N01064:80
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.
III. If we compare Sin with other Evils we shall see that is the Worst and Greatest Evil that can be mentioned. There are Four things which men esteem as Evils, Sin is worse than any of them, or than all of them put together.
1. It is a greater Evil than Affliction. There is more of Evil in one sin, than in all the Afflictions in the world. For sin makes those over whom it reigns to be Evil. It makes the man to be an Evil man; Mat. 12. 35. An Evil man out of the Evil treasure of his Heart brings forth Evil things. Sinners are called by the Name of Evil: Psal. 5. 4. Neither shall Evil, that is the sinner dwell with thee. But Affliction does not make an Evil man. No man is the worse merely for his being Afflicted. He may be the most Afflicted, and yet the Best man in the ⟨p. 59⟩world. Holy Job was so. God gave him that Character, There is none like him on the Earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God and escheweth Evil, Job 1. 8. Yet was he the most Afflicted man on the Earth. JESUS CHRIST the Son of God was a man of sorrows. By reason of Afflictions His Visage was warred more than any mans, and His Form more than the sons of men. Yet never was there Man in the world to be compared with Him for Holiness & Good••s. And our Afflictions are some part of our Conformity to Christ. But sin does the contrary, it makes us unlike to Christ. In some cases it is a Duty to chose Affliction. Moses chose to suffer Affliction, rather than to enjoy the Plea•••es of sin. The case may be so cir••m•tanced with a man as that he must of necessity either sin or suffer: Then it his Duty to choose to suffer rather than to sin. When Job under his unparalleled Afflictions uttered some impatient words, Elihu reproved him, saying, Take heed, regard not Iniquity, for this thou hast chon rather than Affliction,