had attending of it all the felicities of this life, and no bitterness,
shame, or disgrace mixed with it, yet one hour in Hell will spoil all.
O! this Hell, Hell-fire, Damnation in Hell, it is such an inconceivable
punishment, that were it but throughly believed, it would nip this sin,
with others, in the head. But here is the mischief, those that give
up themselves to these things, do so harden themselves in Unbelief
and Atheism about the things, the punishments that God hath threatned
to inflict upon the committers of them, that at last they arrive to,
almost, an absolute and firm belief that there is no Judgment to come
hereafter: Else they would not, they could not, no not attempt to
commit this sin, by such abominable language as some do.
[Picture: Take note symbol] I heard of one that should say to his Miss,
when he tempted her to the committing of this sin, If thou wilt venture
thy Body, I will venture my Soul. {58d} And I my self heard another
say, when he was tempting of a Maid to commit uncleanness with him,
(it was in Olivers dayes) That if she did prove with Child, he would
tell her how she might escape punishment, (and that was then somewhat
severe,) Say (saith he) when you come before the Judge, That you are
with Child by the Holy Ghost. [Picture: Take note symbol] I heard him
say thus, and it greatly afflicted me; I had a mind to have accused him
for it before some Magistrate; but he was a great man, and I was poor,
and young: so I let it alone, but it troubled me very much.
Atten. ’Twas the most horrible thing that ever I heard in my life. But
how far off are these men from that Spirit and Grace that dwelt in
Joseph!
Wise. Right; when Joseph’s Mistress tempted him, yea tempted him daily;
{59b} yea, she laid hold on him, and said with her Whores forehead,
Come lie with me, but he refused: He hearkned not to lie with her, or
to be with her. Mr. Badman would have taken the opportunity.
And a little to comment upon this of Joseph. {59c}
1. Here is a Miss, a great Miss, the Wife of the Captain of the Guard,
some beautiful Dame, I’le warrant you.
2. Here is a Miss won, and in her whorish Affections come over to
Joseph, without his speaking of a word.
3. Here is her unclean Desire made known; Come lie with me, said she.
4. Here was a fit opportunity. There was none of the men of the house
there within.
5. Joseph was a young man, full of strength, and therefore the more in
danger to be taken.
6. This was to him, a Temptation, from her, that lasted days.
7. And yet Joseph refused, 1. Her daily Temptation; 2. Her daily
Solicitation: 3. Her daily Provocation, heartily, violently and
constantly. For when she caught him by the Garment, saying, Lie with
me, he left his Garment in her hand, and gat him out. Ay, and although
contempt, treachery, slander, accusation, imprisonment, and danger
of death followed, (for an Whore careth not what mischief she does,
when she cannot have her end) yet Joseph will not defile himself, sin
against God, and hazard his own eternal salvation.
Atten. Blessed Joseph! I would thou hadst more fellows!
Wise. Mr. Badman has more fellows than Joseph, else there would not
be so many Whores as there are: For though I doubt not but that that
Sex is bad enough this way, yet I verify believe that many of them
are made Whores at first by the flatteries of Badmans fellows. Alas!
there is many a woman plunged into this sin at first even by promises
of Marriage. {60a} I say, by these promises they are flattered, yea,
forced into a consenting to these Villanies, and so being in, and
growing hardened in their hearts, they at last give themselves up, even
as wicked men do, to act this kind of wickedness with greediness. But
Joseph you see, was of another mind, for the Fear of God was in him.
I will, before I leave this, tell you here two notable storyes; and I
wish Mr. Badmans companions may hear of them. They are found in Clarks
Looking-glass for Sinners; and are these.
Mr. Cleaver (says Mr. Clark) reports of one whom he knew, that had
committed the act of Uncleanness, whereupon he fell into such horror of
Conscience that he hanged himself; leaving it thus written in a paper.
Indeed, (saith he) I acknowledge it to be utterly unlawful for a man to
kill himself, but I am bound to act the Magistrates part, because the
punishment of this sin is death. {60b}
Clark doth also in the same page make mention of two more, who as they
were committing Adultery in London, were immediately struck dead with
fire from Heaven, in the very Act. Their bodyes were so found, half
burnt up, and sending out a most loathsom savour.
Atten. These are notable storyes indeed.
Wise. So they are, and I suppose they are as true as notable.
Atten. Well, but I wonder, if young Badmans Master knew him to be such
a Wretch, that he would suffer him in his house.
Wise. They liked one another even as {60c} fire and water doe. Young
Badmans wayes were odious to his Master, and his Masters wayes were
such as young Badman could not endure. Thus in these two, was fulfilled
that saying of the Holy Ghost: An unjust man is an abomination to the
just, and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked.
{60d}
The good mans wayes, Mr. Badman could not abide, nor could the good man
abide the bad wayes of his base Apprentice. Yet would his Master, if he
could, have kept him, and also have learnt him his trade.
Atten. If he could! why he might, if he would, might he not?
Wise. Alas, Badman ran away {61a} from him once and twice, and would
not at all be ruled. So the next time he did run away from him, he did
let him go indeed. For he gave him no occasion to run away, except it
was by holding of him as much as he could (and that he could do but
little) to good and honest rules of life. And had it been ones own
case, one should have let him go. For what should a man do, that had
either regard to his own Peace, his Childrens Good, or the preservation
of the rest of his servants from evil, but let him go? Had he staid,
the house of Correction had been most fit for him, but thither his
Master was loth to send him, because of the love that he bore to his
Father. An house of correction, I say, had been the fittest place for
him, but his Master let him go.
Atten. He ran away you say, but whither did he run?
Wise. Why, to one of his own trade, {61b} and also like himself. Thus
the wicked joyned hand in hand, and there he served out his time.
Atten. Then, sure, he had his hearts desire, when he was with one so
like himself.
Wise. Yes. So he had, but God gave it him in his anger.
Atten. How do you mean?
Wise. I mean as before, that for a wicked man to be by the Providence
of God, turned out of a good mans doors, into a wicked mans house to
dwell, is a sign of the Anger of God. {61c} For God by this, and such
Judgements, says thus to such an one: Thou wicked one, thou lovest
not me, my wayes, nor my people; Thou castest my Law and good Counsel
behinde thy back: Come, I will dispose of thee in my wrath; thou shalt
be turned over to the ungodly, thou shalt be put to school to the
Devil, I will leave thee to sink and swim in sin, till I shall visit
thee with Death and Judgment. This was therefore another Judgment that
did come upon this young Badman.
Atten. You have said the truth, for God by such a Judgment as this, in
effect says so indeed; for he takes them out of the hand of the just,
and binds them up in the hand of the wicked, and whither they then
shall be carried, a man may easily imagin.
Wise. It is one of the saddest tokens of Gods anger that happens to
such kind of persons: And that for several reasons. {62a}
1. Such an one, by this Judgment, is put out out of the way, and from
under the means which ordinarily are made use of to do good to the
soul. For a Family where Godliness is professed, and practised, is Gods
Ordinance, the place which he has appointed to teach young ones the way
and fear of God. {62b} Now to be put out of such a Family into a bad, a
wicked one, as Mr. Badman was, must needs be in Judgment, and a sign of
the anger of God. For in ungodly Families men learn to forget God, to
hate goodness, and to estrange themselves from the wayes of those that
are good.
2. In Bad Families, they have continually fresh Examples, and also
incitements to evil, and fresh encouragements to it too. Yea moreover,
in such places evil is commended, praised, well-spoken of, and they
that do it, are applauded; and this, to be sure, is a drowning
Judgement.
3. Such places are the very haunts and Walks of the infernal Spirits,
who are continually poysoning the Cogitations and Minds of one or other
in such Families, that they may be able to poyson others. Therefore
observe it, usually in wicked Families, some one, or two, are more
arch for wickedness then are any other that are there. Now such are
Satans Conduit-pipes; for by them he conveighs of the spawn of Hell,
through their being crafty in wickedness, into the Ears and Souls of
their Companions. Yea, and when they have once conceived wickedness,
they travel with it, as doth a woman with Child, till they have brought
it forth; Behold, he travelleth with iniquity, and hath conceived
mischief, and brought forth falshood. {62c} Some men, as here is
intimated in the Text, and as was hinted also before, have a kind of
mystical, but hellish copulation with the Devil, who is the Father,
and their Soul the Mother of sin and wickedness; and they, so soon as
they have conceived by him, finish, by bringing forth sin, both it, and
their own damnation. {62d}
Atten. How {63a} much then doth it concern those Parents that love
their Children, to see, that if they go from them, they be put into
such Families as be good, that they may learn there betimes to eschew
evil, and to follow that which is good?
Wise. It doth concern them indeed; and it doth also concern them {63b}
that take Children into their Families, to take heed what Children they
receive. For a man may soon by a Bad boy, be dammaged both in his Name,
Estate, and Family, and also hindred in his Peace and peaceable pursuit
after God and godliness; I say, by one such Vermin as a wicked and
filthy Apprentice.
Atten. True, for one Sinner destroyeth much good, and a poor man is
better than a Lier. But many times a man cannot help it; for such as at
the beginning promise very fair, are by a little time proved to be very
Rogues, like young Badman.
Wise. That is true also, but when a man has done the best he can to
help it, he may with the more confidence expect the Blessing of God to
follow, or he shall have the more peace, if things go contrary to his
desire.
Atten. Well, but did Mr. Badman and his Master agree so well? I mean
his last Master, since they were Birds of a Feather, I mean, since they
were so well met for wickedness.
Wise. This second Master, was, as before I told you, bad enough, but
yet he would often fall out {63c} with young Badman his Servant, and
chide, yea and some times beat him too, for his naughty doings.
Atten. What! for all he was so bad himself! This is like the Proverb,
The Devil corrects Vice.
Wise. I will assure you, ’tis as I say. For you must know, that
Badmans wayes suited not with his Masters gains. Could he have done
as the Damsel that we read of Acts 16. {63d} did, to wit, fill his
Masters Purse with his badness, he had certainly been his White-boy,
but it was not so with young Badman; and therefore, though his Master
and he did suit well enough in the main, yet in this and that point
they differed. Young Badman {63e} was for neglecting of his Masters
business, for going to the Whore-house, for beguiling of his Master,
for attempting to debauch his Daughters, and the like: No marvel then
if they disagreed in these points. Not so much for that his Master had
an antipathy against the fact it self, for he could do so when he was
an Apprentice; but for that his servant by his sin made spoil of his
Commodities, &c. and so damnified his Master.
Had (as I said before) young Badmans wickedness, had only a tendency to
his Masters advantage; as could he have sworn, lied, cousened, cheated,
and defrauded customers for his Master, (and indeed sometimes he did
so) but had that been all that he had done, he had not had, no not a
wry word from his Master: But this was not always Mr. Badmans way.
Atten. That was well brought in, even the Maid that we read of in the
Acts, and the distinction was as clear betwixt the wickedness, and
wickedness of servants.
Wise. Alas! men that are wicked themselves, yet greatly hate it in
others, not simply because it is wickedness, but because it opposeth
their interest. Do you think that that Maids master would have been
troubled at the loss of her, if he had not lost, with her, his gain:
No, I’le warrant you; she might have gone to the Devil for him: But
when her master saw that the hope of his gain was gone, then, then he
fell to persecuting Paul. {64a} But Mr. Badmans master did sometimes
lose by Mr. Badmans sins, and then Badman and his master were at odds.
Atten. Alas poor Badman! Then it seems thou couldest not at all times
please thy like.
Wise. No, he could not, and the reason I have told you.
Atten. But do not bad Masters condemn themselves in condemning the
badness of their servants. {64b}
Wise. Yes; {64c} in that they condemn that in another which they either
have, or do allow in themselves. And the time will come, when that
very sentence that hath gone out of their own mouths against the sins
of others, themselves living and taking pleasure in the same, shall
return with violence upon their own pates. The Lord pronounced Judgment
against Baasha, as for all his evils in general, so for this in
special, because he was like the house of Jeroboam, and yet killed him.
{64d} This is Mr. Badmans Masters case, he is like his man, and yet he
beats him. He is like his man, and yet he rails at him for being bad.
Atten. But why did not young Badman run away from this Master, as he
ran away from the other?
Wise. He did not. And if I be not mistaken, the reason {65a} why, was
this. There was Godliness in the house of the first, and that young
Badman could not endure. For fare, for lodging, for work, and time, he
had better, and more by this Masters allowance, than ever he had by his
last; but all this would not content, because Godliness was promoted
there. He could not abide this praying, this reading of Scriptures, and
hearing, and repeating of Sermons: he could not abide to be told of his
transgressions in a sober and Godly manner.
Atten. There is a great deal in the Manner of reproof, wicked men both
can, and cannot abide to hear their transgressions spoken against.
Wise. There is a great deal of difference indeed. This last Master
of Mr. Badmans, would tell Mr. Badman of his sins in Mr. Badmans own
dialect; he would swear, and curse, and damn, when he told him of his
sins, and this he could bear better, {65b} than to be told of them
after a godly sort. Besides, that last Master would, when his passions
and rage was over, laugh at and make merry with the sins of his servant
Badman: And that would please young Badman well. Nothing offended
Badman but blows, and those he had but few of now, because he was
pretty well grown up. For the most part when his Master did rage and
swear, he would give him Oath for Oath, and Curse for Curse, at least
secretly, let him go on as long as he would.
Atten. This was hellish living.
Wise. ’Twas hellish living indeed: And a man might say, that with this
Master, young Badman compleated himself {65c} yet more and more in
wickedness, as well as in his trade: for by that he came out of his
time, what with his own inclination to sin, what with his acquaintance
with his three companions, and what with this last Master, and the
wickedness he saw in him; he became a sinner in grain. I think he had a
Bastard laid to his charge before he came out of his time.
Atten. Well, but it seems he did live to come out of his time, {66a}
but what did he then?
Wise. Why, he went home to his Father, and he like a loving and
tender-hearted Father received him into his house.
Atten. And how did he carry it there?
Wise. Why, the reason why he went home, {66b} was, for Money to set
up for himself, he staied but a little at home, but that little while
that he did stay, he refrained himself {66c} as well he could, and did
not so much discover himself to be base, for fear his Father should
take distaste, and so should refuse, or for a while forbear to give him
money.
Yet even then he would have his times, and companions, and the fill of
his lusts with them, but he used to blind all with this, he was glad
to see his old acquaintance, and they as glad to see him, and he could
not in civility but accomodate them with a bottle or two of Wine, or a
dozen or two of Drink.
Atten. And did the old man give him money to set up with?
Wise. Yes, above two hundred pounds.
Atten. Therein, I think, the old man was out. Had I been his Father, I
would have held him a little at staves-end, till I had had far better
proof of his manners to be good; (for I perceive that his Father did
know what a naughty boy he had been, both by what he used to do at
home, and because he changed a good Master for a bad, &c.) He should
not therefore have given him money so soon. What if he had pinched a
little, and gone to Journey-work for a time, that he might have known
what a penny was, by his earning of it? Then, in all probability, he
had known better how to have spent it: Yea, and by that time perhaps,
have better considered with himself, how to have lived in the world.
Ay, and who knows but he might have come to himself with the Prodigal,
and have asked God and his Father forgiveness for the villanies that he
had committed against them. {66d}
Wise. If his Father could also have blessed this manner of dealing to
him, and have made it effectual for the ends that you have propounded;
then I should have thought as you. But alas, alas, you talk as if
you never knew, or had at this present forgot what the bowels and
compassions of a Father are. Why did you not serve your own son so?
But ’tis evident enough, that we are better at giving good counsel to
others, than we are at taking good counsel our selves. {67a} But mine
honest neighbour, suppose that Mr. Badmans Father had done as you say,
and by so doing had driven his son to ill courses, what had he bettered
either himself or his son in so doing?
Atten. That’s true, but it doth not follow, that if the Father had done
as I said, the son would have done as you suppose. But if he had done
as you have supposed, what had he done worse than what he hath done
already? {67b}
Wise. He had done bad enough, that’s true. But suppose his Father
had given him no Money, and suppose that young Badman had taken a
pett thereat, and in an anger had gone beyond Sea, and his Father had
neither seen him, nor heard of him more. Or suppose that of a mad and
headstrong stomach he had gone to the High-way for money, and so had
brought himself to the Gallows, and his Father and Family to great
contempt, or if by so doing he had not brought himself to that end, yet
he had added to all his wickedness, such and such evils besides: And
what comfort could his Father have had in this?
Besides, when his Father had done for him what he could, with desire
to make him an honest man, he would then, whether his son had proved
honest or no, have laid down his head with far more peace, than if he
had taken your Counsel.
Atten. Nay I think I should not a been forward to have given advice
in the cause; but truly you have given me such an account of his
vilianies, that the hearing thereof has made me angry with him.
Wise. In an angry mood we may soon out-shoot our selves, but poor
wretch, as he is, he is gone to his place. But, as I said, when a good
Father hath done what he can for a bad Child, and that Child shall
prove never the better, he will lie down with far more peace, than if
through severity, he had driven him to inconveniencies.
I remember that I have heard of a good woman, that had (as this old
man) a bad and ungodly {68a} son, and she prayed for him, counselled
him, and carried it Motherly to him for several years together; but
still he remained bad. At last, upon a time, after she had been at
prayer, as she was wont, for his conversion, she comes to him, and
thus, or to this effect, begins again to admonish him. Son, said she,
Thou hast been and art a wicked Child, thou hast cost me many a prayer
and tear, and yet thou remainest wicked. Well, I have done my duty, I
have done what I can to save thee; now I am satisfied, that if I shall
see thee damned at the day of Judgment, I shall be so far off from
being grieved for thee, that I shall rejoyce to hear the sentence of
thy damnation at that day: And it converted him.
I tell you, that if Parents carry it lovingly towards their Children,
mixing their Mercies with loving Rebukes and their loving Rebukes with
Fatherly and Motherly Compassions, they are more likely to save their
Children, than by being churlish and severe toward them: but if they do
not save them, if their mercy doth them no good, yet it will greatly
ease them at the day of death, to consider; I have done by love as much
as I could, to save and deliver my child from Hell.
Atten. Well I yield. But pray let us return again to Mr. Badman: You
say, that his Father gave him a piece of money that he might set up for
himself.
Wise. Yes, his Father did give him a piece of money, and he did set
up, {68b} and almost as soon set down again: for he was not long set
up, but by his ill managing of his matters at home, together with
his extravagant expences abroad, he was got so far into debt, and
had so little in his shop to pay, that he was hard put to it to keep
himself out of prison. But when his Creditors understood that he was
about to marry, and in a fair way to get a rich Wife, they said among
themselves, We will not be hasty with him, if he gets a rich Wife he
will pay us all.
Atten. But how could he so quickly run out, for I perceive ’twas in
little time, by what you say?
Wise. ’Twas in little time indeed, I think he was not above two years
and a half in doing of it: but the reason {69a} is apparent; for he
being a wild young man, and now having the bridle loose before him, and
being wholly subjected to his lusts and vices, he gave himself up to
the way of his heart, and to the sight of his eye, forgetting that for
all these things God will bring him to Judgment; {69b} and he that doth
thus, you may be sure, shall not be able long to stand on his leggs.
Besides, he had now an addition of {69c} new companions; companions you
must think, most like himself in Manners, and so such that cared not
who sunk, if they themselves might swim. These would often be haunting
of him, and of his shop too when he was absent. They would commonly egg
him to the Ale-house, but yet make him Jack-pay-for-all; They would be
borrowing also money of him, but take no care to pay again, except it
was with more of their company, which also he liked very well; and so
his poverty came like one that travelleth, and his want like an armed
man.
But all the while they studied his temper; {69d} he loved to be
flattered, praised and commanded for Wit, Manhood, and Personage; and
this was like stroking him over the face. Thus they Collogued with him,
and got yet more and more into him, and so (like Horse-leaches) they
drew away that little that his father had given him, and brought him
quickly down, almost to dwell next dore to the begger.
Atten. Then was the saying of the wise man fulfilled, He that keepeth
company with harlots, and a companion of fools, shall be destroyed.
{69e}
Wise. Ay, and that too, A companion of riotous persons shameth his
father; {69f} For he, poor man, had both grief and shame, to see how
his son (now at his own hand) behaved himself in the enjoyment of those
good things, in and under the lawfull use of which he might have lived
to Gods glory, his own comfort, and credit among his neighbours. But
he that followeth vain persons, shall have poverty enough. {69g} The
way that he took, led him directly into this condition; for who can
expect other things of one that follows such courses? Besides, when he
was in his Shop, he could not abide to be doing; He was naturally given
to Idleness: He loved to live high, but his hands refused to labour;
and what else can the end of such an one be, but that which the wise
man saith? The Drunkard and the Glutton shall come to poverty, and
drowsiness shall cloath a man with rags. {70a}
Atten. But now, methinks, when he was brought thus low, he should have
considered the hand of God that was gone out against him, and should
have smote upon the breast, and have returned.
Wise. Consideration, good consideration was far from him, he was as
stout and proud now, as ever in all his life, and was as high too in
the pursuit of his sin, as when he was in the midst of his fulness;
only he went now {70b} like a tyred Jade, the Devil had rid him almost
off of his leggs.
Atten. Well, but what did he do when all was almost gone?
Wise. Two things were now his play. {70c} 1. He bore all in hand by
Swearing, and Cracking and Lying, that he was as well to pass, as he
was the first day he set up for himself, yea that he had rather got
than lost; and he had at his beck some of his Companions that would
swear to confirm it as fast as he.