Michael Wigglesworth (1631—1705)

Heathen men plead want of the Written Word.

CLVII.

Whose wicked ways Christ open lays,
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 ne’er refus’d, nor it abus’d;
Oh, do not us destroy!“

CLVIII.

“You ne’er abus’d, nor yet refus’d
my Written Word, you plead;
That’s true,” quoth he, “therefore shall ye
the less be punishéd.
You shall not smart for any part
of other men’s offense,
But for your own transgressi-on
receive due recompense.“

Insufficiency of the light of Nature.

CLIX.

“But we were blind,” say they, “in mind;
too dim was Nature’s Light,
Our only guide, as hath been tried,
to bring us to the sight
Of our estate degenerate,
and curs’d by Adam’s Fall;
How we were born and lay forlorn
in bondage and in thrall.

CLX.

“We did not know a Christ till now,
nor how fall’n men be savéd,
Else would we not, right well we wot,
have so ourselves behavéd.
We should have mourn’d, we should have turn’d
from sin at thy Reproof,
And been more wise through thy advice,
for our own soul’s behoof.

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Michael Wigglesworth (1631—1705)

CLIII.

You argue then: ’But abject men,
whom God resolves to spill,
Cannot repent, nor their hearts rent;
nor can they change their will.’
Not for his Can is any man
adjudgéd unto Hell,
But for his Will to do what’s ill,
and nilling to do well.

CLIV.

“I often stood tend’ring my Blood
to wash away your guilt,
And eke my Sprite to frame you right,
lest your Souls should be spilt.
But you, vile Race, rejected Grace,
when Grace was freely proffer’d,
No changéd heart, no heav’nly part
would you, when it was offer’ d.

CLV.

“Who willfully the remedy,
and means of life contemnéd.
Cause have the same themselves to blame,
if now they be condemnéd.
You have yourselves, you and none else,
to blame that you must die
You chose the way to your decay,
and perish’d willfully.“

CLVI.

These words appall and daunt them all,
dismay’d and all amort,
Like stocks that 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 brutish men,
that did God’s Law transgress;