other things; he also shewed some kind of pity to her now, and would
ask her, What she would have? and with various kind of words put her
out of her talk; for when she see that she was not regarded, she fetcht
a deep sigh, and lay still. So he went down, and then she called for
her Children, and began to talk to them. And first she spake to those
that were rude, {151b} and told them the danger of dying before they
had grace in their hearts. She told them also, that Death might be
nearer them than they were aware of; and bid them look, when they went
through the Church-yard again, if there was not little graves there.
And, ah children, said she, will it not be dreadful to you, if we only
shall meet at the day of Judgment, and then part again, and never see
each other more? And with that she wept, the Children (also) wept; so
she held on her discourse: Children, said she, I am going from you, I
am going to Jesus Christ, and with him there is neither sorrow, nor
sighing, nor pain, nor tears, nor death. {151c} Thither would I have
you go also, but I can neither carry you, nor fetch you thither; but if
you shall turn from your sins to God, and shall beg mercy at his hands
by Jesus Christ, you shall follow me, and shall, when you dye, come to
the place where I am going, that blessed place of Rest: and then we
shall be for ever together, beholding the face of our Redeemer, to our
mutual and eternal joy. So she bid them remember the words of a dying
mother when she was cold in her grave, and themselves were hot in their
sins, if perhaps her words might put check to their vice, and that they
might remember and turn to God.
Then they all went down; but her {151d} Darling, to wit, the child that
she had most love for, because it followed her ways. So she addressed
her self to that. Come to me, said she, my sweet child, thou art the
child of my joy: I have lived to see thee a Servant of God; thou shalt
have eternal life. I, my sweet heart, shall goe before, and thou shalt
follow after; if thou shalt hold the beginning of thy confidence
stedfast to the end. {152a} When I am gone, do thou still remember my
words, love thy Bible, follow my Ministers, deny ungodliness still, and
if troublous times shall come, set an higher price upon Christ, his
Word and Wayes, and the testimony of a good conscience, than upon all
the world besides. Carry it kindly and dutifully to thy Father, but
choose none of his ways. If thou mayest, goe to service, choose that,
rather than to stay at home; but then be sure to choose a service where
thou mayest be helped forwards in the way to heaven; and that thou
mayest have such a service, speak to my Minister, he will help thee, if
possible, to such an one.
I would have thee also, my dear child, to love thy Brothers and
Sisters, but learn none of their naughty tricks. Have no fellowship
with the unfruitfull works of darkness, but rather reprove them. {152b}
Thou hast Grace, they have none: do thou therefore beautifie the way
of salvation before their eyes, by a godly life, and conformable
conversation to the revealed will of God, that thy Brothers and Sisters
may see and be the more pleased with the good wayes of the Lord.
If thou shalt live to marry, take heed of being served as I was; that
is, of being beguiled with fair words, and the flatteries of a lying
tongue. But first be sure of godliness. Yea, as sure as it is possible
for one to be in this world: trust not thine own eyes, nor thine own
Judgment; I mean as to that persons godliness that thou art invited to
marry. Ask counsel of good men, and do nothing therein, if he lives,
without my Ministers advice. I have also my self desired him to look
after thee. Thus she talked to her children, and gave them counsel, and
after she had talked to this a little longer, she kiss’d it, and bid it
go down.
Well, in short, her time drew on, and the day that she must die. So she
{152c} died with a soul full of Grace, an heart full of comfort, and by
her death ended a life full of trouble. Her husband made a Funerall for
her, perhaps because he was glad he was rid of her, but we will leave
that to be manifest at Judgment.
Atten. This Woman died well: And now we are talking of the dying of
Christians, I will tell you a story of one that died some time since
in our Town. The man was a godly old Puritan, for so the godly were
called in time past. This man after a long, and godly life, fell sick,
of the sickness, whereof he died. And as he lay drawing on, the woman
that looked to him thought she heard Musick, and that the sweetest that
ever she heard in her life, which also continued untill he gave up the
Ghost: [Picture: Take note symbol] now when his soul departed from
him, the Musick seemed to withdraw and to go further and further off
from the house, and so it went untill the sound was quite gone out of
hearing.
Wise. What do you think that might be?
Atten. For ought I know, the melodious Notes of Angels, that were sent
of God to fetch him to Heaven.
Wise. I cannot say but that God goes out of his Ordinary Road with us
poor mortals sometimes. I cannot say this of this woman, but yet she
had better musick in her heart than sounded in this womans ears.
Atten. I believe so; but pray tell me, did any of her other children
hearken to her words, so as to be bettered in their souls thereby?
Wise. One of them did, {153b} and became a very hopefull young man: but
for the rest I can say nothing.
Atten. And what did Badman do after his wife was dead?
Wise. Why even as he did before, he scarce mourned a fortnight for her,
and his mourning then was, I doubt, more in fashion than in heart.
Atten. Would he not sometimes talk of his Wife, when she was dead?
Wise. Yes, when the fit took him, and could commend her too extremely;
saying, she was a good, godly, vertuous woman. But this is not a thing
to be wondred at: It is common with wicked men, to hate Gods Servants
while alive, and to commend them when they are dead. So served the
Pharisees the Prophets: Those of the Prophets that were dead, they
commended; and those of them that were alive they condemned. {153c}
Atten. But did not Mr. Badman marry again quickly?
Wise. No, not a good while after: and when he was asked the reason,
he would make this slighty answer, Who would keep a Cow of their own,
that can have a quart of milk for a penny? {154a} Meaning, Who would be
at the charge to have a Wife, that can have a Whore when he listeth?
So villanous, so abominable did he continue after the death of his
wife. Yet at last there was one was too hard for him. For, getting of
him to her upon a time, and making of him sufficiently drunk, she was
so cunning as to get a promise of marriage of him, and so held him to
it, and forced him to marry her. {154b} And she, as the saying is, was
as good as he, {154c} at all his vile and ranting tricks: she had her
companions as well as he had his, and she would meet them too at the
Tavern and Ale-house, more commonly than he was aware of. To be plain,
she was a very Whore, and had as great resort came to her, where time
and place was appointed, as any of them all. Aie, and he smelt it too,
but could not tell how to help it. For if he began to talk, she could
lay in his dish the whores that she knew he haunted, and she could fit
him also with cursing and swearing, for she would give him Oath for
Oath, and Curse for Curse.
Atten. What kind of oaths would she have?
Wise. Why damn her, and sink her, and the like.
Atten. These are provoking things.
Wise. So they are: but God doth not altogether let such things goe
unpunished in this life. Something of this I have shewed you already,
and will here give you one or two Instances more.
There lived, saith one, {154d} in the year 1551. in a city of Savoy,
a man who was a monstrous Curser and Swearer, and though he was often
admonished and blamed for it, yet would he by no means mend his
manners. At length a great plague happening in the City, he withdrew
himself into a Garden, where being again admonished to give over his
wickedness, he hardned his heart more, Swearing, Blaspheming God, and
giving himself to the Devil: And immediately the Devil snatched him
up suddenly, his wife and kinswoman looking on, and carried him quite
away. The Magistrates advertised hereof, went to the place and examined
the Woman, who justified the truth of it.
Also at Oster in the Dutchy of Magalapole, (saith Mr. Clark) a wicked
Woman, used in her cursing to give herself body and soul to the Devil,
and being reproved for it, still continued the same; till (being at a
Wedding-Feast) the Devil came in person, and carried her up into the
Air, with most horrible outcries and roarings: And in that sort carried
her round about the Town, that the Inhabitants were ready to dye for
fear: And by and by he tore her in four pieces, leaving her four
quarters in four several high-wayes; and then brought her Bowels to the
Marriage-feast, and threw them upon the Table before the Maior of the
Town, saying, Behold, these dishes of meat belong to thee, whom the
like destruction waiteth for, if thou dost not amend thy wicked life.
Atten. Though God forbears to deal thus with all men that thus rend and
tare his Name, and that immediate Judgments do not overtake them; yet
he makes their lives by other Judgments bitter to them, does he not?
Wise. Yes, yes. And for proof, I need goe no further than to this
Badman and his wife; for their railing, and cursing, and swearing ended
not in words: They would fight and fly at each other, and that like
Cats and Dogs. But it must be looked upon as the hand and Judgment of
God upon him for his villany; he had an honest woman before, but she
would not serve his turn, and therefore God took her away, and gave
him one as bad as himself. Thus that measure that he meted to his
first wife, this last did mete to him again. And this is a punishment,
wherewith sometimes God will punish wicked men. So said Amos to
Amaziah: Thy wife shall be an Harlot in the City. {155} With this
last wife Mr. Badman lived a pretty while; but, as I told you before,
in a most sad and hellish manner. And now he would bewail his first
wifes death: not of love that he had to her Godliness, for that he
could never abide, but for that she used alwayes to keep home, whereas
this would goe abroad; his first wife was also honest, and true to
that Relation, but this last was a Whore of her Body: The first woman
loved to keep things together, but this last would whirl them about as
well as he: The first would be silent when he chid, and would take it
patiently when he abused her, but this would give him word for word,
blow for blow, curse for curse; so that now Mr. Badman had met with his
match: {156a} God had a mind to make him see the baseness of his own
life, in the wickedness of his wives. {156b} But all would not do with
Mr. Badman, he would be Mr. Badman still: This Judgment did not work
any reformation upon him, no, not to God nor man.
Atten. I warrant you that Mr. Badman thought when his wife was dead,
that next time he would match far better.
Wise. What he thought I cannot tell, but he could not hope for it in
this match. For here he knew himself to be catcht, he knew that he was
by this woman intangled, and would therefore have gone back again, but
could not. He knew her, I say, to be a Whore before, and therefore
could not promise himself a happy life with her. For he or she that
will not be true to their own soul, will neither be true to husband nor
wife. And he knew that she was not true to her own soul, and therefore
could not expect she should be true to him but Solomon says, An whore
is a deep pit, and Mr. Badman found it true. For when she had caught
him in her pit, she would never leave him till she had got him to
promise her Marriage; and when she had taken him so far, she forced him
to marry indeed. And after that, they lived that life that I have told
you.
Atten. But did not the neighbours take notice of this alteration that
Mr. Badman had made?
Wise. Yes; and many of his Neighbours, yea, many of those that were
carnal said, {156c} ’Tis a righteous Judgment of God upon him, for
his abusive carriage and language to his other wife: for they were
all convinced that she was a vertuous woman, and he, vile wretch, had
killed her, I will not say, with, but with the want of kindness.
Atten. And how long I pray did they live thus together?
Wise. Some fourteen or sixteen years, even untill (though she also
brought somthing with her) they had sinned all away, and parted as poor
as Howlets. {156d} And, in reason, how could it be otherwise? he would
have his way, and she would have hers; he among his companions, and she
among hers; he with his Whores, and she with her Rogues; and so they
brought their Noble to Nine-pence.
Atten. Pray of what disease did Mr. Badman die, for now I perceive we
are come up to his death?
Wise. I cannot so properly say that he died of one disease, {157a}
for there were many that had consented, and laid their heads together
to bring him to his end. He was dropsical, he was consumptive, he was
surfeited, was gouty, and, as some say, he had a tang of the Pox in his
bowels. Yet the Captain of all these men of death that came against him
to take him away, was the Consumption, for ’twas that that brought him
down to the grave.
Atten. Although I will not say, but the best men may die of a
consumption, a dropsie, or a surfeit; yea, that these may meet upon a
man to end him: yet I will say again, that many times these diseases
come through mans inordinate use of things. Much drinking brings
dropsies, consumptions, surfeits, and many other diseases; and I doubt,
that Mr. Badman’s death did come by his abuse of himself in the use
of lawfull and unlawfull things. I ground this my sentence upon that
report of his life that you at large have given me.
Wise. I think verily that you need not call back your sentence; for
’tis thought by many, that by his Cups and his Queans he brought
himself to this his destruction: he was not an old man when he dyed,
nor was he naturally very feeble, but strong, and of a healthy
complexion: Yet, as I said, he moultered away, and went, when he set a
going, rotten to his Grave. And that which made him stink when he was
dead, I mean, that made him stink in his Name and Fame, was, that he
died with a spice of the foul disease upon him: A man whose life was
full of sin, and whose death was without repentance.
Atten. These were blemishes sufficient to make him stink indeed.
Wise. They were so, and they did do it. No man could speak well of him
when he was gone. {157b} His Name rotted above ground, as his Carkass
rotted under. And this is according to the saying of the wise man: The
memory of the just is blessed, but the name of the wicked shall rot.
{157c}
This Text, in both the parts of it, was fulfilled upon him and the
woman that he married first. For her Name still did flourish, though
she had been dead almost seventeen years; but his began to stink and
rot, before he had been buried seventeen dayes.
Atten. That man that dieth with a life full of sin, and with an heart
void of repentance, although he should die of the most Golden disease
(if there were any that might be so called) I will warrant him his Name
shall stink, and that in Heaven and Earth.
Wise. You say true; and therefore doth the name of Cain, Pharaoh, Saul,
Judas, and the Pharisees, though dead thousands of years agoe, stink as
fresh in the nostrils of the world as if they were but newly dead.
Atten. I do fully acquiesce with you in this. But, Sir, since you have
charged him with dying impenitent, pray let me see how you will prove
it: {158a} not that I altogether doubt it, because you have affirmed
it, but yet I love to have proof for what men say in such weighty
matters.
Wise. When I said, he died without repentance, I meant, so far as those
that knew him, could judge, when they compared his Life, the Word, and
his Death together.
Atten. Well said, they went the right way to find out whether he had,
that is, did manifest that he had repentance or no. Now then shew me
how they did prove he had none?
Wise. So I will: And first, {158b} this was urged to prove it. He had
not in all the time of his sickness, a sight and sence of his sins, but
was as secure, and as much at quiet, as if he had never sinned in all
his life.
Atten. I must needs confess that this is a sign he had none. For how
can a man repent of that of which he hath neither sight nor sence? But
’tis strange that he had neither sight nor sence of sin now, when he
had such a sight and sence of his evil before: I mean when he was sick
before.
Wise. He was, as I said, as secure now, as if he had been as sinless as
an Angel; though all men knew what a sinner he was, for he carried his
Sins in his Forehead. His debauched Life was read and known of all men;
but his Reputation was read and known of no man; for, as I said, he had
none. And for ought I know, the reason he had no sence of his sins now,
was because he profited not by that sence that he had of them before.
He liked not to retain that knowledge of God then, that caused his sins
to come to remembrance: Therefore God gave him up now to a reprobate
mind, to hardness and stupidity of Spirit; and so was that Scripture
fulfilled upon him, He hath blinded their eyes. And that, Let their
eyes be darkned that they may not see. {159a} Oh! for a man to live
in sin, and to go out of the world without Repentance for it, is the
saddest Judgement that can overtake a man.
Atten. But, Sir, although both you and I have consented that {159b}
without a sight and sence of sin there can be no Repentance, yet that
is but our bare Say-so; let us therefore now see if by the Scripture we
can make it good.
Wise. That is easily done. The three thousand that were converted,
(Acts the second,) repented not, till they had sight and sence of their
sins: {159c} Paul repented not till he had sight and sence of his sins:
the Jailor repented not till he had sight and sence of his sins: nor
could they. For of what should a man repent? The Answer is, of Sin.
What is it to Repent of sin? The answer is, To be sorry for it, to turn
from it. {159d} But how can a man be sorry for it, that has neither
sight nor sence of it. David did, not only commit sins, but abode
impenitent for them, untill Nathan the Prophet was sent from God to
give him a sight and sence of them; {159e} and then, but not till then,
he indeed repented of them. Job, in order to his Repentance, cries unto
God, Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me. And again, That which I
see not teach thou me, I have born chastisement, I will not offend any
more: {159f} That is, not in what I know, for I will repent of it; nor
yet in what I know not, when thou shalt shew me it.
Also Ephraims Repentance was after he was turned to the sight and sence
of his sins, and after he was instructed about the evil of them. {159g}
Atten. These are good testimonies of this truth, and doe (if matter
of fact, with which Mr. Badman is charged, be true), prove indeed
that he did not repent, but as he lived, so he dyed in his sin: For
without Repentance a man is sure to dye in his sin; for they will lie
down in the dust with him, {160a} rise at the Judgement with him, hang
about his Neck like Cords and Chains when he standeth at the Barre
of Gods Tribunal, and goe with him too when he goes away from the
Judgment-seat, with a Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire,
prepared for the Devil and his Angels; and there shall fret and gnaw
his Conscience, because they will be to him a never-dying worm. {160b}
Wise. You say well, and I will add a word or two more to what I have
said: Repentance, as it is not produced without a sight and sence
of sin, so every sight and sence of sin cannot produce it: I mean,
every sight and sence of sin cannot {160c} produce that Repentance,
that is Repentance unto salvation; repentance never to be repented
of. For it is yet fresh before us, that Mr. Badman had a sight and
sence of sin, in that fit of sickness that he had before, but it dyed
without procuring any such godly fruit; as was manifest by his so
soon returning with the Dog to his Vomit. Many people think also that
Repentance stands in Confession of sin only, but they are very much
mistaken: For Repentance, as was said before, is a being sorry for, and
a turning from transgression to God by Jesus Christ. Now, if this be
true, that every sight and sence of sin will not produce Repentance,
then Repentance cannot be produced there where there is no sight and
sence of sin. That every sight and sence of sin will not produce
repentance, to wit, the godly repentance that we are speaking of, is
manifest in Cain, Pharaoh, Saul and Judas, who all of them had sence,
great sence of sin, but none of them repentance unto life.
Now I conclude, that Mr. Badman did die impenitent, and so a death most
miserable.
Atten. But pray now, before we conclude our discourse of Mr. Badman,
give me another proof of his dying in his sins.
Wise. Another proof is this. {160d} He did not desire a sight and
sence of sins, that he might have repentance for them. Did I say he
did not desire it, I will add, he greatly desired to remain in his
security: and that I shall prove by that which follows. First, he could
not endure that any man, now, should talk to him of his sinfull life,
and yet that was the way to beget a sight and sence of sin, and so of
repentance from it in his soul. But, I say, he could not endure such
discourse. Those men that did offer to talk unto him of his ill-spent
Life, they were as little welcome to him in the time of his last
sickness, as was Elijah when he went to meet with Ahab, as he went down
to take possession of Naboths Vineyard. Hast thou found me, said Ahab,
O mine enemy? {161a} So would Mr. Badman say in his heart to and of
those that thus did come to him, though indeed they came even of love,
to convince him of his evil life, that he might have repented thereof,
and have obtained mercy.
Atten. Did good men then goe to see him in his last sickness?
Wise. Yes: Those that were his first wifes acquaintance, they went to
see him, and to talk with, and to him, if perhaps he might now, at
last, bethink himself, and cry to God for mercy.
Atten. They did well to try now at last if they could save his soul
from Hell: But pray how can you tell that he did not care for the
company of such?
Wise. Because of the differing Carriage that he had for them, from
what he had when his old carnal companions came to see him: When his
old Campanions came to see him, he would stir up himself as much as he
could both by words and looks, to signifie they were welcome to him; he
would also talk with them freely, and look pleasantly upon them, though
the talk of such could be none other but such as David said, carnal men
would offer to him, when they came to visit him in his sickness: If
he comes to see me, says he, he speaketh vanity, his heart gathereth
iniquity to itself. {161b} But these kind of talks, I say, Mr. Badman
better brooked, than he did the company of better men.
But I will more particularly give you a Character {161c} of his
carriage to good men (and good talk) when they came to see him.
1. When they were come, he would seem to fail in his spirits at the
sight of them.
2. He would not care to answer them to any of those questions that they
would at times put to him, to feel what sence he had of sin, death,
Hell, and Judgment: But would either say nothing, or answer them by way
of evasion, or else by telling of them he was so weak and spent that he
could not speak much.
3. He would never shew forwardness to speak to, or talk with them, but
was glad when they held their tongues. He would ask them no question
about his state and another world, or how he should escape that
damnation that he had deserved.
4. He had got a haunt at last to bid his wife and keeper, when these
good people attempted to come to see him, to tell them that he was
asleep or inclining to sleep, or so weak for want thereof, that he
could not abyde any noyse. And so they would serve them time after
time, till at last they were discouraged from coming to see him any
more.
5. He was so hardned, now, in this time of his sickness, that he would
talk, when his companions came unto him, to the disparagement of those
good men (and of their good doctrine too) that of love did come to see
him, and that did labour to convert him.
6. When these good men went away from him, he would never say, Pray
when will you be pleased to come again, for I have a desire to more of
your company, and to hear more of your good instruction? No not a word
of that, but when they were going would scarce bid them drink, or say,
Thank you for your good company, and good instruction.
7. His talk in his sickness with his companions, would be of the World,
as Trades, Houses, Lands, great Men, great Titles, great places,
outward Prosperity, or outward Adversity, or some such carnal thing.
By all which I conclude, that he did not desire a sence and sight of
his sin, that he might repent and be saved.
Atten. It must needs be so as you say, if these things be true that you
have asserted of him. And I do the rather believe them, because I think
you dare not tell a lie of the dead.
Wise. I was one of them that went to him, and that beheld his carriage
and manner of way, and this is a true relation of it that I have given
you.
Atten. I am satisfied. But pray if you can, shew me now by the Word,
what sentence of God doth pass upon such men?