Michael Wigglesworth (1631—1705)

Reprobate Infants plead for themselves.

CLXVI.

Then to the Bar all they drew near
Who died in infancy,
And never had or good or bad
effected pers’nally;
But from the womb unto the tomb
were straightway carriéd,
(Or at the least ere they transgress’d)
who thus began to plead:

CLXVII.

“If for our own transgressi-on,
or disobedience.
We here did stand at thy left hand,
just were the Recompense;
But Adam’s guilt our souls hath spilt,
his fault is charg’d upon us;
And that alone hath overthrown
and utterly undone us.

CLXVIII.

“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 the pow’r?

CLXIX.

“O great Creator why was our Nature
depravéd and forlorn?
Why so defil’d, and made so vil’d,
whilst we were yet unborn?
If it be just, and needs we must
transgressors reckon’d be.
Thy Mercy, Lord, to us afford,
which sinners hath set free.

CLXX.

“Behold we see Adam set free,
and sav’d from his trespass,
Whose sinful Fall hath split us all,
and brought us to this pass.
Canst thou deny us once to try,
or Grace to us to tender,
When he finds grace before thy face,
who was the chief offender?“

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Michael Wigglesworth (1631—1705)

They are answered.

CLXI.

“But Nature’s light shin’d not so bright
to teach us the right way:
We might have lov’d it and well improv’d it,
and yet have gone astray.“
The Judge most High makes this Reply:
“You ignorance pretend.
Dimness of sight, and want of light,
your course Heav’nward to bend.

CLXII.

“How came your mind to be so blind?
I once you knowledge gave.
Clearness of sight and judgment light:
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.

CLXIII.

“Yourselves 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.

CLXIV.

“’Tis vain to tell, you wot fall 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 ownéd your Creator.

CLXV.

“He that the Light, because ’tis slight,
hath uséd to despise,
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.“

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;