The Witchcraft Delusion in New England: Its Rise, Progress, and Termination, (Vol. 1 of 3)Mather, Cotton
History
The Witchcraft Delusion in New England: Its Rise, Progress, and Termination, (Vol. 1 of 3)
Mather, Cotton
Witchcraft -- New England
_Corollary III._ What a Reasonable Thing then is it, that they whose
_Time_ is but _short_, should make as great _Use_ of their _Time_, as
ever they can! I pray, let us learn some _good_, even from the _wicked
One_ himself. It has been advised, _Be wise as Serpents:_ why, there
is a piece of _Wisdom_, whereto that old _Serpent_, the Devil himself,
may be our Moniter. When the Devil perceives his _Time_ is but _short_,
it puts him upon _Great Wrath_. But how should it be with _us_, when
we perceive that our _Time_ is but _short?_ why, it should put us upon
_Great Work_. The motive which makes the Devil to be more full of
_wrath;_ should make us more full of _warmth_, more full of _watch_,
and more full of _All Diligence to make our Vocation, and Election
sure_. Our _Pace_ in our Journey _Heaven-ward_, must be Quickened, if
our _space_ for that Journey be shortned, even as _Israel_ went further
the _two last_ years of their Journey _Canaan-ward_, than they did in
38 years before. The Apostle brings this, as a _spur_ to the Devotions
of Christians, in 1 _Cor._ 7. 29. _This I say, Brethren, the time is
short._ Even so, I _say_ this; some things I lay before you, which I do
only _think_, or _guess_, but here is a thing which I venture to _say_
with all the [33] freedom imaginable. You have now a _Time_ to _Get_
good, even a _Time_ to make sure of _Grace and Glory, and every good
thing_, by true Repentance: But, _This I say, the time is but short_.
You have now _Time_ to _Do_ good, even to _serve out your generation_,
as by the _Will_, so for the _Praise_ of God; but, _This I say, the
time is but short_. And what I say thus to _All_ People, I say to _Old_
People, with a peculiar Vehemency: Sirs, It cannot be long before your
_Time_ is out; there are but a few sands left in the glass of your
_Time:_ And it is of all things the saddest, for a man to say, _My time
is done, but my work undone!_ O then, _To work_ as fast as you can; and
of Soul-work, and Church-work, dispatch as much as ever you can. Say
to all _Hindrances_, as the gracious _Jeremiah Burroughs_[101] would
sometimes to _Visitants: You'll excuse me if I ask you to be short
with me, for my work is great, and my time is but short_. Methinks
every _time_ we hear a Clock, or see a Watch, we have an admonition
given us, that our _Time_ is upon the _wing_, and it will all be gone
within a little while. I remember I have read of a famous man, who
having a _Clock-watch_ long lying by him, out of Kilture in his Trunk,
it unaccountably struck Eleven just before he died. Why, there are many
of you, for whom I am to do that office this day: I am to tell you _You
are come to your_ Eleventh _hour;_ there is no more than a _twelfth
part_ at most, of your life yet behind. But if we neglect our business,
till our _short Time_ shall be reduced into _none_, then, _woe to us,
for the great wrath of God will send us down from whence there is no
Redemption_.
_Corollary IV._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account