The Day of Doom Stanzas 151-175 by Michael Wigglesworth

[ 151 ] You, sinful Crew, no other knew but you might be elect; Why did you then your selves condemn? why did you me reject? Where was your strife to gain that life which lasteth evermore? You never knock'd, yet say God Lock'd against you Heav'ns door. II Pet 1:10 Acts 13:46 Luke 13:24 [ 152 ] 'Twas vain task to knock, to ask, whilst life continued. Whoever sought heav'n as he ought, and seeking perished? The lowly meek who truly seek for Christ, and for Salvation, There's no Decree whereby such be ordain'd to Condemnation. Matt 7:7-8 Gal 5:22-23 [ 153 ] You argue then: But abject men, whom God resolves to spill, Cannot repent, nor their hearts rent; ne can they change their will. Not for his Can is any man adjudged unto Hell: But for his Will to do what's ill, and nilling to do well. John 3:19 [ 154 ] I often stood tend'ring my Blood to wash away your Guilt: And eke my Spright to frame you right, lest your Souls should be spilt. But you vile Race, rejected Grace, when Grace was freely proffer'd: No changed heart, no heav'nly part would you, when it was offer'd. John 5:40 [ 155 ] Who wilfully the Remedy, and means of life contemned, Cause have the same themselves to blame, if now they be condemned. You have your selves, you and none else, your selves have done to dy. You chose the way to your decay, and perisht wilfully. John 15:22-24 Heb 2:3 Isa 66:3-4 [ 156 ] These words appall and daunt them all; dismai'd, and all amort, Like stocks they stand at Christ's left-hand, and dare no more retort. Then were brought near with trembling fear, a number numberless Of blind Heathen, and bruitish men, that did Gods Laws transgress. [ 157 ] Whose wicked ways Christ open layes, and makes their sins appear, They making pleas their case to ease, if not themselves to clear. Thy written Word (say they) good Lord, we never did enjoy: We nor refus'd, nor it abus'd; Oh, do not us destroy! Heathen men plead want of the written Word. [ 158 ] You ne'r abus'd, nor yet refus'd my written Word, you plead, That's true (quoth he) therefore shall ye the less be punished. You shall not smart for any part of other mens offence, But for your own transgression receive due recompence. Matt 11:22 Luke 12:48 [ 159 ] But we were blind, say they, in mind, to dim was Natures Light, Our only guide, as hath been try'd to bring us to the sight Of our estate degenerate, and curst by Adam's Fall; How we were born and lay forlorn in bondage and in thrall. I Cor 1:21 And insufficiency of the Light of Nature. [ 160 ] We did not know a Christ till now, nor how faln man be saved, Else would we not, right well we wot, have so our selves behaved. We should have mourn'd, we should have turn'd from sin at they Reproof, And been more wise through thy advice, for our own Souls behoof. Matt 11:21 [ 161 ] But Natures Light shin'd not so bright to teach us the right way: We might have lov'd it, and well improv'd and yet have gone astray. The Judge most High makes this Reply, you ingorance pretend, Dimness of sight, and want of light your course Heav'nward to bend. They are answered. [ 162 ] How came your mind to be so blind? I once you knowledge gave, Clearness of sight, and judgment right; who did the same deprave? If to your cost you have it lost, and quite defac'd the same; Your own desert hath caus'd the smart, you ought not me to blame. Gen 1:27 Eccl 7:29 Hos 13:9 [ 163 ] Your selves into a pit of woe, your own transgression led: If I to none my Grace had shown, who had been injured? If to a few, and not to you, I shew'd a way of life, My Grace so free, you clearly see, gives you no ground of strife. Matt 11:25 compared with 20 & 15 [ 164 ] 'Tis vain to tell, you wot full well, if you in time had known Your Misery and Remedy, your actions had it shown. You, sinful Crew, have not been true unto the Light of Nature, Nor done the good you understood, nor owned your Creator. Rom 1:20-22 [ 165 ] He that the Light, because 'tis Light, hath used to despize, Would not the Light shining more bright, be likely for to prize. If you had lov'd, and well improv'd your knowledge and dim sight, Herein your pain had not been vain, your plagues had been more light. Rom 2:12, 15 Rom 2:12, 15 Matt 12:41 [ 166 ] Then to the Bar, all they drew near who dy'd in Infancy, And never had or good or bad effected pers'nally, But from the womb unto the tomb were straightway carried, (Or at the last e're they transgrest) who thus began to plead: Reprobate Infants plead for themselves Rev 20:12, 15 Compared with Rom 5:12, 14 & 9:11, 13 [ 167 ] If for our own transgression, or disobedience, We here did stand at thy left-hand just were the Recompence: But Adam's guilt our souls hath spilt, his fault is charg'd on ut; And that alone hath overthrown, and utterly undone us. Ezek 18:2 [ 168 ] Not we, but he, ate of the Tree, whose fruit was interdicted: Yet on us all of his sad Fall, the punishment's inflicted. How could we sin that had not been, or how is his sin our, Without consent, which to prevent, we never had a pow'r? [ 169 ] O great Creator, why was our Nature depraved and forlorn? Why so defil'd, and made so vild whilst we were yet unborn? If it be just, and needs we must transgressors reck'ned be, Thy Mercy, Lord, to us afford which sinners hath set free. Ps 51:3 [ 170 ] Behold we see Adam set free, and sav'd from his trespass, Whose sinful Fall hath spilt us all, and broguht us to this pass. Canst thou deny us once to try, or Grace to us to tender, When he finds grace before thy face, that was the chief offender? [ 171 ] Then ansered the Judge most dread, God doth such doom forbid, That men should dye eternally for what they never did. But what you call old Adam's Fall, and only his Trespass, You call amiss to call it his, both his and yours it was. Their Argument taken off. Ezek 18:20 Rom 5:12, 19 [ 172 ] He was design'd of all Mankind to be a publick Head, A common Root, whence all should shoot, and stood in all their stead. He stood and fell, did ill or well, not for himself alone, But for you all, who now his Fall, and trespass would disown. I Cor 15:48-49 [ 173 ] If he had stood, then all his brood has been established In Gods true love, never to move, nor once awry to tread: Then all his Race, my Father's Grace, should have enjoy'd for ever, And wicked Sprights by subtile sleights could them have harmed never. [ 174 ] Would you have griev'd to have receiv'd through Adam so much good, As had been your for evermore, if he at first had stood? Would you have said, we ne'r obey'd, nor did thy Laws regard; It ill befits with benefits, us, Lord, so to reward? [ 175 ] Since then to share in his welfare, you could have been content, You may with reason share in his treason, and in the punishment. Hence you were born in state forlorn, with Natures so depraved: Death was your due, because that you had thus your selves behaved. Rom 5:12 Ps 51:5 Gen 5:3

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The Day of Doom Stanzas 151-175

Michael Wigglesworth

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