The Day of Doom; Or, A Poetical Description of the Great and Last Judgment: With Other PoemsWigglesworth, Michael
Religion
The Day of Doom; Or, A Poetical Description of the Great and Last Judgment: With Other Poems
Wigglesworth, Michael
Judgment Day -- Poetry
The author of the _Day of Doom_, belonging to the straitest sect of
Puritans, was, like many others of that sect, a man of generous feeling
toward his fellows. Rev. Dr. Peabody calls him "a man of the
beatitudes." Obedience to the supreme law gave a heavenly lustre to his
example and a sweet fragrance to his memory. The clergy of his day
possessed a deep religious earnestness and a fervent piety. They were
Bible students and men of prayer. Even many who consider them erroneous
in doctrine, are willing to allow that they were strict in morals; that,
if they were wrong in faith, they were right in life; that, if their
creed was opaque, their hearts were luminous; and that, if their vision
did not discern the additional light which the saintly Robinson had
prophesied was yet to break forth from God's Word, they sincerely
accepted the light they saw. They were patient, hopeful, humble,
believing, faithful. They stood on a higher plane than their successors,
and exercised a proportionally higher power over their hearers. Their
people revered them, were constant in attendance on their services, and
submitted gladly to their sway.
AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
I was born of Godly Parents, that feared yᵉ Lord greatly, even from
their youth, but in an ungodly Place, where yᵉ generality of yᵉ people
rather derided than imitated their piety; in a place where, to my
knowledge, their children had Learnt wickedness betimes; in a place
that was consumed with fire in a great part of it, after God had
brought them out of it. These godly parents of mine meeting with
opposition and persecution for Religion, because they went from their
own Parish church to hear yᵉ word and Receiv yᵉ Lords supper &c, took
up resolutions to pluck up their stakes and remove themselves to New
England: and accordingly they did so, Leaving dear Relations, friends
and acquaintance, their native Land, a new built house, a flourishing
Trade, to expose themselves to yᵉ hazzard of yᵉ seas, and to yᵉ
Distressing difficulties of a howling wilderness, that they might enjoy
Liberty of Conscience and Christ in his ordinances. And the Lord
brought them hither and Landed them at Charlstown, after many
difficulties and hazzards, and me along with them, being then a child
not full seven years old. After about 7 weeks stay at Charlstown, my
parents removed again by sea to New Haven in yᵉ month of October. In
our passage thither we were in great Danger by a storm which drove us
upon a Beach of sand where we lay beating til another Tide fetcht us
off; but God carried us to our port in safety. Winter approaching
we dwelt in a cellar partly under ground covered with earth the first
winter. But I remember that one great rain brake in upon us and drencht
me so in my bed, being asleep, that I fell sick upon it; but yᵉ Lord in
mercy spar'd my life and restored my health. When yᵉ next summer was
come I was sent to school to Mr. Ezekiel Cheever, who at that time
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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