N01064:85
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.
We proceed to the Second Enquiry, viz. What Sin is it that is so Great an Evil?
For Answer. In the First place let me say, That Original Sin is the Greatest Sin. Sin is the Greatest Evil, and Original Sin is the worst of Sins. This is often in the Scripture by way of Emphasis, called Sin. It is the most Sinful Sin. It is impossible to call it by a worse Name than it self. Therefore the Apostle speaks, as in Rom. 7. 13. That Sin might appear Sin, working Death in me by that which is Good, that Sin by the Commandment might become exceeding Sinful. If men see another fall into some grievous Actual Sin, they esteem him a very Guilty person, and so he is. But their own Original Sin makes them more Guilty before God, than any Actual Sin. For there is in this Sin the most prodigious and astonishing Enmity against the Blessed God. It is an universal Contrariety to the Will of God in every thing. This Sin is always opposing what God would have to be done. The Flesh is Lusting against the Spirit, and those two are ⟨p. 65⟩contrary, Gal. 5. 17. The Carnal mind is Enmity against God, not subject to His Law, nor indeed can be, Rom, 8. 7. The Carnal Mind is not only Inimicous, but Enmity it self against God. This is that Sin which has filled the woeful Souls of men with hatred of God, Rom. 1. 30. The Truth is, (and a dreadful Truth it is) that Sinners have the greatest Enmity against God of any thing in the world. For they dislike nothing so much as Holiness. Hence as long as they continue in a state of Sin, they cannot but hate God, who is Holiness it self, more than any thing. This Sin is an Enemy to whatever God •pproveth of. And whatever God is against, this Sin is for it; and therefore for it because God is against it. That's the consideration from whence the Apostle infers the exceeding Sinfulness of this Sin. It takes occasion by the Commandment to provoke men to Sin. The Law which was given to prevent Sin, is through the horrible Corruption of Nature, an occasion of mens Sinning. If a Torrent of water a dammed up, it swells the higher. Such Torrent of Sin is Original Corruption.