N01064:89
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.
Several things may be mentioned, which Confirm the Truth before us.
1. The Holy God has Punished seemingly little Sins after a terrible manner Adams Sin in Eating the forbidden Fruit was indeed an heinous Transgression, yet Carnal Hearts are apt to think it was a small Offence. For him ⟨p. 69⟩to steal an Apple, or a Grape, or whatever the forbidden Fruit might be, was that any great Evil? It was. And as small an Evil as men imagine it to be, he & all his Children must Dye for that one Offence, although' but once committed. That one Sin as light as men make of it, has brought Death upon all the men in the world, Rom. 5. 12. And there are awful Instances Recorded in the Scripture, of Gods Punishing seemingly little Sins after a Dreadful manner. The man that gathered Sticks on the Sabbath Day, God commanded that he should be stoned to Death for it. Uzzah did but touch the Ark, and that with a Pious intention, yet because in so doing he transgressed the Law, he Dyed before the Lord. When the People in Bethshemeth did but look into the Ark, probably to see whether the Philistines in whose hands it had been, had taken nothing out of it, a small transgression men would think; but the Lord smote them with a great slaughter, that Fifty Thousand and Threescore and Ten men Dyed, so that the men of Bethshemeth Cried out, Who is able to stand before this Holy Lord God? 1 Sam. 6. 19. 20. ⟨p. 70⟩The Angels that Sinned, what was their sin? Was it not the entertaining a proud thought in their hearts, and for this no man knows how many millions of them were cast down to Hell, and are reserved in Everlasting Chains of Darkness, for the Judgment of the Great Day.
1. The Holy God has Punished seemingly little Sins after a terrible manner Adams Sin in Eating the forbidden Fruit was indeed an heinous Transgression, yet Carnal Hearts are apt to think it was a small Offence. For him