N00854:738
The day of doom
The day of doom: or, A poetical description of the Great and Last Judgment. With a short discourse about eternity. / By Michael Wigglesworth, teacher of the church at Maldon, in N.E.
Boston: printed by B. Green for Benjamin Eliot, 1701
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
For what is Beauty, but a fading Flower? Or what is Pleasure, but the Devils bait, Whereby he catcheth whom he would devour, And multitudes of Souls doth ruinate?
And what are Friends but mortal men, as we? Whom Death from us may quickly separate; Or else their hearts may quite estranged be, And all their love be turned into hate.
And what are Riches to be doted on? Uncertain, sickle, and ensnaring things; They draw Mens Souls into Perdition, And when most needed, take them to their wings,
Ah foolish Man! that sets his heart upon Such empty Shadows, such wild Fowl as these, That being gotten will be quickly gone. And whilst they stay increase but his disease.
As in a Dropsy, drinking draughts begets, The more he drinks, the more he still requires, So on this World whoso affection sets, His Wealths increase increaseth his desires.