the Constables to make distress on the people that he might have the Money or Goods and as I heard he hastened them much to do it Now while he was in the heat of his work as he stood one day by the Fire-side he had it should seem a mind to a Sop in the Pan for the Spit was then at the fire so he went to make him one but behold a Dog some say his own Dog took distaste at something and bit his Master by the Leg the which bite notwithstanding all the means that was used to cure him turned as was said to a Gangrene however that wound was his death and that a dreadful one too for my Relator said that he lay in such a condition by this bite as the beginning till his flesh rotted from off him before he went out of the world But what need I instance in particular persons when the Judgement of God against this kind of people was made manifest I think I may say if not in all yet in most of the Counties in England where such poor Creatures were But I would if it had been the will of God that neither I nor any body else could tell you more of these Stories True stories that are neither Lye nor Romance Atten. Well I also heard of both these my self and of more too as remarkable in their kind as these if I had any list to tell them but let us leave those that are behind to others or to the coming of Christ who then will justifie or condemn them as the merit of their work shall require or if they repented and found mercy I shall be glad when I know it for I wish not a curse to the Soul of mine Enemy Wise. There can be no pleasure in the telling of such stories though to hear of them may do us a pleasure They may put us in mind that there is a God that judgeth in the earth and that doth not alwayes forget nor deferre to hear the Crye of the destitute They also carry along with them both Caution and Counsel to those that are the survivers of such Let us tremble at the Judgements of God and be afraid of sinning against him and it shall be our protection It shall go well with them that fear God that fear before him Atten. Well Sir as you have intimated so I think we have in this place spoken enough about these kind of men if you please let us return again to Mr. Badman himself if you have any more to say of him Wise. More we have yet scarce throughly begun with Any thing that we have said All the particulars are in themselves so full of badness that we have rather only looked in them than indeed said any thing to them but we will pass them and proceed You have heard of the sins of his Youth of his Apprentiship and how he set up and married and what a life he hath led his wife and now I will tell you some more of his pranks He had the very knack of Knavery had he as I said before been bound to serve an Apprentiship to all these things he could not have been more cunning he could not have been more artificial at it Atten. Nor perhaps so artificially neither For as none can teach Goodness like to God himself so concerning Sin and Knavery none can teach a man it like the Devil to whom as I perceive Mr. Badman went to School from his Childhood to the end of his life But pray Sir make a beginning Wise. Well so I will You may remember that I told you what a condition he was in for Money before he did marry and how he got a rich Wife with whose Money he paid his debts Now when he had paid his debts he having some Moneys left he sets up again as briskly as ever keeps a great Shop drives a great Trade and runs again a great way into debt but now not into the debt of one or two but into the debt of many so that at last he came to owe some thousands and thus he went on a good while And to pursue his ends the better he began now to study to please all men and to suit himself to any company he could now be as they say as they that is if he listed and then he would list when he perceived that by so doing he might either make them his Customers or Creditors for his Commodities If he dealt with honest men as with some honest men he did then he would be as they talk as they seem to be sober as they talk of Justice and Religion as they and against Debauchery as they yea and would too seem to shew a dislike of them that said did or were otherwise than honest Again when he did light among those that were bad then he would be as they but yet more close and cautiously except he were sure of his company Then he would carry it openly be as they say Damn 'em and Sink 'em as they If they railed on Good men so could he if they railed on Religion so could he if they talked beastly vainly idlely so would he if they were for drinking swearing whoring or any the like Villanies so was he This was now the path he trod in and could do all artificially as any man alive And now he thought himself a perfect man he thought he was always a Boy till now What think you now of Mr. Badman Atten. Think why I think he was an Atheist For no man but an Atheist can do this I say it cannot be but that the man that is such as this Mr. Badman must be a rank and stinking Atheist for he that believes that there is either God or Devil Heaven or Hell or Death and Judgment after cannot doe as Mr. Badman did I mean if he could do these things without reluctancy and check of Conscience yea if he had not sorrow and remorse for such abominable sins as these Wise. Nay he was so far off from reluctancies and remorse of Conscience for these things that he counted them the excellency of his Attainments the quintessence of his Wit his rare and singular vertues such as but few besides himself could be the Masters of Therefore as for those that made boggle and stop at things and that could not in Conscience and for fear of Death and Judgement do such things as he he would call them Fools and Noddies and charge them for being frighted with the talk of unseen Bugbears and would encourage them if they would be men indeed to labour after the attainment of this his excellent art He would often-times please himself with the thoughts of what he could do in this matter saying within himself I can be religious and irreligious I can be any thing or nothing I can swear and speak against swearing I can lye and speak against lying I can drink wench be unclean and defraud and not be troubled for
p. 149. l. 15. for herhaps r. perhaps p. 162. l. 3 4. for diaâ—aâ—olical r. diâ—bolical p. 287. l. 9. for for r. so p. 304. for reputation r. repentance THE LIFE and DEATH OF Mr. BADMAN Presented to the World in a Familiar DIALOGUE Betwixt Mr. WISEMAN And Mr. ATTENTIVE Wiseman GOOD morrow my good Neighbour Mr. Attentive whither are you walking so early this morning methinks you look as if you were concerned about something more than ordinary Have you lost any of your Cattel or what is the matter Attentive Good Sir Good morrow to you I have not as yet lost ought but yet you give a right ghess of me for I am as you say concerned in my heart but 't is because of the badness of the times And Sir you as all our Neighbours know are a very observing man pray therefore what do you think of them Wise. Why I think as you say to wit that they are bad times and bad they will be untill men are better for they are bad men that make bad times if men therefore would mend so would the times 'T is a folly to look for good dayes so long as sin is so high and those that study its nourishment so many God bring it down and those that nourish it to Repentance and then my good Neighbour you will be concerned not as you are now Now you are concerned because times are so bad but then you will be so cause times are so good Now you are concerned so as to be perplexed but then you will be concerned so as to lift up your voice with shouting for I dare say could you see such dayes they would make you shout Atten. Ai so they would such times I have prayed for such times I have longed for but I fear they 'l be worse before they be better Wise. Make no Conclusions man for he that hath the hearts of men in his hand can change them from worse to better and so bad times into good God give long life to them that are good and especially to those of them that are capable of doing him service in the world The Ornament and Beauty of this lower World next to God and his Wonders are the men that spangle and shine in godliness Now as Mr. Wiseman said this he gave a great sigh Atten. Amen Amen But why good Sir do you sigh so deeply is it for ought else than that for the which as you have perceived I my self am concerned Wise. I am concerned with you for the badness of the times but that was not the cause of that sigh of the which as I see you take notice I sighed at the remembrance of the death of that man for whom the Bell tolled at our Town yesterday Atten. Why I trow Mr. Goodman your Neighbour is not dead Indeed I did hear that he had been sick Wise. No no it is not he Had it been he I could not but have been concerned but yet not as I am concerned now If he had died I should only have been concerned for that the world had lost a Light but the man that I am concerned for now was oue that never was good therefore such an one who is not dead only but damned He died that he might die he went from Life to Death and then from Death to Death from Death Natural to death Eternal And as he spake this the water stood in his eyes Atten. Indeed to goe from a death-bed to Hell is a fearful thing to think on But good Neighbour Wiseman he pleased to tell me who this man was and why you conclude him so miserable in his death Wise. Well if you can stay I will tell you who he was and why I conclude thus concerning him Atten. My leisure will admit me to stay and I am willing to hear you out And I pray God your discourse may take hold on my heart that I may be bettered thereby So they agreed to sit down under a tree Then Mr. Wiseman proceeded as followeth Wise. The man that I mean is one Mr. Badman he has lived in our Town a great while and now as I said he is dead But the reason of my being so concerned at his death is not for that he was at all related to me or for that any good conditions died with him for he was far from them but for that as I greatly fear he hath as was hinted before died two deaths at once Atten. I perceive what you mean by two deaths at once and to speak truth 't is a fearfull thing thus to have ground to think of any for although the death of 〈◊〉 ungodly and sinners is laid to heart but of few yet to die in such a state is more dreadful and fearful than any man can imagine Indeed if a man had no Soul if his state was not truely Immortal the matter would not be so much but for a man to be so disposed of by his Maker as to be appointed a sensible being for ever and for him too to fall into the hands of revenging Justice that will be always to the utmost extremity that his sin deserveth punisbing of him in the dismal dungeon of Hell this must needs be unutterably sad and lamentable Wise. There is no man I think that is sensible of the worth of one Soul but must when he hears of the death of unconverted men he stricken with sorrow and grief because as you said well that mans state is such that he has a sensible being for ever For 't is sense that makes punishment heavy But yet sense is not all that the Damned have they have sense and reason too so then as Sense receiveth punishment with sorrow because it feels and bleeds under the same so by Reason and the exercise thereof in the midst of torment all present Affliction is aggravated and that three manner of wayes 1. Reason will consider thus with himself For what am I thus tormented and will easily find 't is for nothing but that base and filthy thing Sin and now will Vexation be mixed with Punishment and that will greatly heighten the Affliction 2. Reason will consider thus with himself How long must this be my state And will soon return to himself this Answer This must be my state for ever and ever Now this will greatly increase the torment 3. Reason will consider thus with himself What have I lost more than present ease and quiet by my sins that I have committed And will quickly return himself this answer I have lost Communion with God Christ Saints and Angels and a share in Heaven and eternal Life And this also must needs greaten the misery of poor damned souls And this is the case of Mr. Badman Atten. I feel my heart even shake at the thoughts of coming into such a state Hell who knows that is yet alive what the torments of Hell are This word Hell gives a very dreadful sound Wise. 〈◊〉 so it does in the ears
of him that has a tender Conscience But if as you say and that truly the very Name of Hell is so dreadful what is the Place it self and what are the Punishments that are there inflicted and that without the least intermission upon the Souls of damned men for ever and ever Atten. Well but passing this my leisure will admit me to stay and therefore pray tell me what it is that makes you think that Mr. Badman is gone to Hell Wise. I will tell you But first do you know which of the Badmans I mean Atten. Why was there more of them thâ—n one Wise. O yes a great many both Brothers and Sisters and yet all of them the Children of a godly Parent the more a great deal is the pity Atten. Which of them therefore was it that died Wise. The eldest old in years and old in sin but the sinner that dies an hundred years old shall be accursed Atten. Well but what makes you think he is gone to Hell Wise. His wicked life and fearful death specially since the Manner of his death was so corresponding with his life Atten. Pray let me know the manner of his death if your self did perfectly know it Wise. I was there when he died But I desire not to see another such man while I live die in such sort as he did Atten. Pray therefore let me hear it Wise. You say you have leisure and can stay and therefore if you please we will discourse even orderly of him First we will begin with his Life and then proceed to his Death Because a relation of the first may the more affect you when you shall hear of the second Atten. Did you then so well know his Life Wise. I knew him of a Child I was a man when he was but a boy and I made special observation of him from first to last Atten. Pray then let me hear from you an account of his Life but be as brief as you can for I long to hear of the manner of his death Wise. I will endeavour to answer your desires and first I will tell you that from a Child he was very bad his very beginning was ominous and presaged that no good end was in likelyhood to follow thereupon There were several sins that he was given to when but a little one that manifested him to be notoriously infected with Orginal corruption for I dare say he learned none of them of his Father or Mother nor was he admitted to go much abroad among other Children that were vile to learn to sin of them Nay contrariwise if at any time he did get abroad amongst others he would be as the Inventer of bad words and an example in bad actions To them all he used to be as we say the Ring-leader and Master-sinner from a Childe Atten. This was a bad Beginning indeed and did demonstrate that he was as you say polluted very much polluted with Original Corruption For to speak my mind freely I do confess that it is mine opinion that Children come polluted with sin into the World and that oft-times the sins of their youth especially while they are very young are rather by vertue of Indwelling sin than by examples that are set before them by others Not but that they learn to sin by example too but Example is not the root but rather the Temptation unto wickedness The root is sin within for from within out of the heart of man proccedeth sin Wise. I am glad to hear that you are of this opinion and to confirm what you have said by a few hints from the Word Man in his birth is compared to an Ass an unclean Beast and to a wretched Infant in its blood besides all the first-born of old that were offered unto the Lord were to be redeemed at the age of a month and that was before they were sinners by imitation The Scripture also affirmeth that by the sin of one Judgement came upon all and renders this reason for that all have sinned nor is that Objection worth a rush That Christ by his death hath taken away Original Sin First Because it is Scriptureless Secondly Because it makes them incapable of Salvation by Christ for none but those that in their own Persons are sinners are to have Salvation by him Many other things might be added but between persons so well agreed as you and I are these may suffice at present but when an Antagonist comes to deal with us about this matter then we have for him often other strong Arguments if he be an Antagonist worth the taking notice of Atten. But as was hinted before he used to be the Ring-leading Sinner or the Master of mischief among other children yet these are but Generals pray therefore tell me in Particular which were the sins of his Childhood Wise. I will so When he was but a Child he was so addicted to Lying that his Parents scarce knew when to believe he spake true yea he would invent tell and stand to the Lyes that he invented and told and that with such an audacious face that one might even read in his very countenance the symptoms of an hard and desperate heart this way Atten. This was an ill beginning indeed and argueth that he began to harden himself in sin betimes For a lye cannot be knowingly told and stood in and I perceive that this was his manner of way in Lying but he must as it were force his own heart unto it Yea he must make his heart hard and bold to doe it Yea he must be arrived to an exceeding pitch of wickedness thus to doe since all this he did against that good education that before you seemed to hint he had from his Father and Mother Wise. The want of good Education as you have intimated is many times a cause why Children doe so easily so soon become bad especially when there is not only a want of that but bad Examples enough as the more is the pity there is in many Families by vertue of which poor Children are trained up in Sin and nursed therein for the Devil and Hell But it was otherwise with Mr. Badman for to my knowledge this his way of Lying was a great grief to his Parents for their hearts were much dejected at this beginning of their Son nor did there want Counsel and Correction from them to him if that would have made him better He wanted not to be told in my hearing and that over and over and over That all Lyars should have their part in the Lake that burns with fire and brimstone and that whosoever loveth and maketh a lye should not have any part in the new and heavenly Jerusalem But all availed nothing with him when a fit or an occasion to lie came upon him he would invent tell and stand to his Lie as steadfastly as if it had been the biggest of truths that he told and that
it Now I enjoy my self and am Master of mine own wayes and not they of me This I have attained with much study great care and more pains But this his talk should be only with himself to his wife who he knew durst not divulge it or among his Intimates to whom he knew he might say any thing Atten. Did I call him before an Atheist I may call him now a Devil or a man possessed with one if not with many I think that there cannot be found in every corner such an one as this True it is said of King Ahaz that he sinned more and more and of Ahab that he sold himself to work wickedness and of the men of Sodom that they were sinners exceedingly before the Lord. Wise. An Atheist he was no doubt if there be such a thing as an Atheist in the world but for all his brags of perfection and security in his wickedness I believe that at times God did let down fire from Heaven into his Conscience True I believe he would quickly put it out again and grow more desperate and wicked afterward but this also turned to his destruction as afterward you may hear But I am not of your mind to think that there are but few such in the world except you mean as to the Degree of wickedness unto which he had attained For otherwise no doubt there is abundance of such as he men of the same mind of the same principles and of the same conscience too to put them into practice Yea I believe that there are many that are endeavouring to attain to the same pitch of wickedness and all them are such as he in the Judgment of the Law nor will their want of hellish wit to attain thereto excuse them at the day of Judgment You know that in all Science some are more arch than some and so it is in the art as well as in the practice of wickedness some are two fold and some seven-fold more the children of Hell than others and yet all the children of Hell else they would all be Masters and none scholars in the school of wickedness But there must be Masters and there must be Learners Mr. Badman was a master in this art and therefore it follows that he must be an arch and chief one in that mystery Atten. You are in the right for I perceive that some men though they desire it cannot be so arch in the practice thereof as others but are as I suppose they call them fools and dunces to the rest their heads and capacities will not serve them to act and do so wickedly But Mr. Badman wanted not a wicked head to contrive as well as a wicked heart to do his wickedness Wise. True but yet I say such men shall at the day of Judgment be judged not only for what they are but also for what they would be For if the thought of foolishness is sin doubtless the desire of foolishness is more sin and if the desire be more the endeavour after it must needs be more and more He then that is not an artificial Atheist and Transgressor yet if he desires to be so if he endeavoureth to be so he shall be Judged and condemned to Hell for such an one For the Law Judgeth men as I said according to what they would be He that looketh upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart By the same rule he that would steal doth steal he that would cheat doth cheat he that would swear doth swear and he that would commit adultery doth do so For God Judgeth men according to the working of their minds and saith As he thinketh so is he That is so is he in his heart in his intentions in his desires in his endeavours and Gods Law I say lays hold of the desires intentions and endeavours even as it lays hold of the act of wickedness it self A man then that desires to be as bad as Mr. Badman and desires to be so wicked have many in their hearts though he never attains to that proficiency in wickedness as he shall yet be Judged for as bad a man as he because 't was in his desires to be such a wicked one Atten. Buâ— this height of wickedness in Mr. Badman will not yet out of my mind This hard desperate or what shall I call it diababolicall frame of heart was in him a foundation a groundwork to all acts and deeds that were evil Wise. The heart and the desperate wickedness of it is the foundation and ground-work of all Atheism professed and practicall spring both out of the heart yea and all manner of evils besides For they be not bad deeds that make a bad man but he is already a bad man that doth bad deeds A man must be wicked before he can do wickedness Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked 'T is an evil tree that bears evil fruit men gather no grapes of thorns the heart therefore must be evil before the man can do evil and good before the man doth good Atten. Now I see the reason why Mr. Badman was so base as to get a Wife by dissimulation and to abuse her so like a Villain when he had got her it was because he was before by a wicked heart prepared to act wickedness Wise. You may be sure of it for from within out of the heart of man proceedeth evil thoughts Adulteries Fornications Murders Thefts Coveteousness Wickedness Deceit Lasciviousness an evil Eye Blasphemy Pride Foolishness All these things come from within and defile a man And a man as his naughty mind inclines him makes use of these or any of these to gratifie his lust to promote his designs to revenge his malice to enrich or to wallow himself in the foolish pleasures and pastimes of this life And all these did Mr. Badman do even to the utmost if either opportunity or purse or perfidiousness would help him to the obtaining of his purpose Atten. Purse Why he could not but have Purse to do almost what he would having married a wife with so much money Wise. Hold you there some of Mr. Badmans sins were costly as his drinking and whoring and keeping other bad company though he was a man that had ways too many to get money as well as ways too many to spend it Atten. Had he then such a good Trade for all he was such a bad man or was his Calling so gainfull to him as alwayes to keep his Purses belly full though he was himself a great spender Wise. No It was not his Trade that did it though he had a pretty trade too He had another way to get Money and that by hatfulls and pocketfulls at a time Atten. Why I trow he was no High-way man was he Wise. I will be sparing in my speech as to that though some have muttered as if he could ride out now and
neither pay him what he owes him nor go on in a trade any longer Wise. I will answer you as well as I can And first to the first of your questions To wit What I find in the Word of God against such a practice as this of Mr. Badmans is Answ. The Word of God doth forbid this wickedness and to make it the more odious in our eyes it joyns it with Theft and Robbery Thou shalt not says God defraud thy neighbour nor rob him Thou shalt not defraud that is deceive or beguile Now thus to break is to defraud deceive and beguile which is as you see forbidden by the God of Heaven Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour nor rob him It is a kind of theft and robbery thus to defraud and beguile It is a wilely robbing of his shop and picking of his pocket a thing odious to Reason and Conscience and contrary to the Law of nature It is a designed piece of wickedness and therefore a double sin A man cannot do this great wickedness on a sudden and through a violent assault of Satan He that will commit this sin must have time to deliberate that by invention he may make it formidable and that with lies and high dissimulations He that commits this wickedness must first hatch it upon his bed beat his head about it and lay his plot strong So that to the compleating of such a wickedness there must be adjoyned many sins and they too must go hand in hand untill it be compleated But what saith the Scripture Let no man go beyond and defraud his Brother in any matter because the Lord is the avenger of all such But this kind of Breaking is a going beyond my Brother This is a compassing of him about that I may catch him in my net and as I said an art to rob my Brother and to pick his pocket and that with his consent Which doth not therefore mitigate but so much the more greaten and make odious the offence For men that are thus wilily abused cannot help themselves they are taken in a deceitfull net But God will here concern himself he will be the avenger he will be the avenger of all such either here or in another world And this the Apostle testifies again where he saith But he that doth wrong shall recieve for the wrong that he hath done and there is no respect of persons That is there is no man be he what he will if he will be guilty of this sin of going beyond of beguiling of and doing wrong to his Brother but God will call him to an account for it and will pay him with vengeance for it too for there is no respect for persons I might add that this sin of wronging of going beyond and defranding of my Neighbour it is like that first prank that the Devil plaid with our first Parents as the Altar that Vriah built for Ahaz was taken from the fashion of that that stood at Damascus to be the very pattern of it The Serpent beguiled me says Eve Mr. Badman beguiles his Creditors The Serpent beguiled Eve with lying promises of gain and so did Mr. Badman beguile his Creditors The Serpent said one thing and meant another when he beguiled Eve and so did Mr. Badman when he beguiled his Creditors That man therefore that doth thus deceive and beguile his neighbour imitateth the Devil he taketh his examples from him and not from God the Word or good men and this did Mr. Badman And now to your second question To wit What I would have a man do that is in his Creditors debt and that can neither pay him nor go on in a trade any longer Answ. First of all If this be his case and he knows it let him not run one penny further in his Creditors debt For that cannot be done with good conscience He that knowes he cannot pay and yet will run into debt does knowingly wrong and defraud his neighbour and falls under that sentence of the Word of God The wicked borroweth and payeth not again Yea worse he borrows though at the very same time he knows that he cannot pay again He doth also craftily take away what is his Neighbours That is therefore the first thing that I would propound to such Let him not run any further into his Creditors debt Secondly After this let him consider how and by what means he was brought into such a condition that he could not pay his just debts To wit whether it was by his own remisness in his Calling by living too high in Dyet or Apparel by lending too lavishingly that which was none of his own to his loss or whether by the immediate hand and Judgment of God If by searching he findes that this is come upon him through remisness in his Calling Extravagancies in his Family or the like let him labour for a sence of his sin and wickedness for he has sinned against the Lord First in his being slothfull in business and in not providing to wit of his own by the sweat of his brows or other honest ways for those of his own house And secondly in being lavishing in Dyet and Apparel in the Family or in lending to others that which was none of his own This cannot be done with good conscience it is both against reason and nature and therefore must be a sin against God I say therefore if thus this debtor hath done if ever he would live quietly in conscience and comfortably in his condition for the future let him humble himself before God and repent of this his wickedness For he that is slothfull in his work is brother to him that is a great waster To be slothfull and a waster too is to be as it were a double sinner But again as this man should enquire into these things so he should also into this How came I into this way of dealing in which I have now miscarried is it a way that my Parents brought me up in put me Apprentice to or that by providence I was first thrust into or is it a way into which I have twisted my self as not being contented with my first lot that by God and my Parents I was cast into This ought duly to be considered And if upon search a man shall find that he is out of the place and Calling into which he was put by his Parents or the Providence of God and has miscarried in a new way that through pride and dislike of his first state he has chose rather to embrace his miscarriage is his sin the fruit of his Pride and a token of the Judgment of God upon him for his leaving of his first state And for this he ought as for the former to be humble and penitent before the Lord. But if by search he finds that his poverty came by none of these if by honest search he finds it so and can
in his heart and actions I will be mine own chooser and that in mine own way whatever happens or follows thereupon Atten. You have said well in my mind But suppose now that Mr. Badman was here could he not object as to what you have said saying Go and teach your Brethren that are Professors this lesson for they as I am are guilty of Breaking yea I am apt to think of that which you call my Knavish way of breaking to wit of breaking before they have need to break But if not so yet they are guilty of neglect in their Calling of living higher both in Fare and Apparrel than their Trade or Income will maintain Besides that they do break all the world very well knowes and that they have the art to plead for a composition is very well known to men and that it is usual with them to bide their Linnen their Plate their Jewels and 't is to be thought sometimes Money and Goods besides is as common as four eggs a penny And thus they beguile men debauch their consciencies sin against their Profession and make 't is to be feared their lusts in all this and the fulfilling of them their end I say if Mr. Badman was here to object thus unto you what would be your reply Wise. What! Why I would say I hope no Good man no man of good conscience no man that either fearfeareth God regardeth the credit of Religion the peace of Gods people or the salvation of his own soul will do thus Professors such perhaps there may be and who upon earth can help it Jades there be of all colours If men will profess and make their profession a stalking-Horse to beguile their neighbours of their estates as Mr. Badman himself did when he beguiled her that now is with sorrow his wife who can help it The Churches of old were pestered with such and therefore no marvel if these perilous difficult times be so But mark how the Apostle words it Nay you do wrong and defraud and that your Brethren Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Be not deceived neither Fornicator nor Idolaters nor Adulterers nor Effeminate nor abusers of themselves with Mankind nor Thieves nor Covetous nor Drunkards nor Revilers nor Extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God None of these shall be saved in this state nor shall profession deliver them from the censure of the Godly when they shall be manifest such to be But their profession we cannot help How can we help it if men should ascribe to themselves the title of Holy ones Godly ones Zealous one Self-denying ones or any other such glorious title and while they thus call themselves they should be the veryest Rogues for all evil sin and villany imaginable who could help it True they are a scandal to Religion a grief to the honest hearted an offence to the world and a stumbling stone to the weak and these offences have come do come and will come do what all the world can but wo be to them through whom they come let such professors therefore be disowned by all true Christians and let them be reckoned among those base men of the world which by such actions they most resemble They are Mr. Badmans Kindred For they are a shame to Religion I say there slithy rob-Shop pick-pocket men they are a shame to Religion and religious men should be ashamed of them God puts such an one among the Fools of the world therefore let not Christians put them among those that are wise for heaven As the Partridge sitteth on eggs and hatcheth them not so he that getteth riches and not by right shall leave them in the midst of his dayes and at his end shall be a fool And the man under consideration is one of these and therefore must look to fall by this Judgment A professor and practice such villianies as these such an one is not worthy to bear that name any longer We may say to such as the Prophet spake to their like to wit to the rebellious that were in the house of Israel Goe ye serve every man his Idols If ye will not hearken to the Law and Testament of God to lead your lives thereafter but pollute Gods holy name no more with your Gifts and with your Idols Goe professors Goe leave off profession unless you will lead your lives according to your profession Better never profess than to make profession a stalking-horse to sin Deceit to the Devil and Hell The ground and rules of Religion allow not any such thing Receive us says the Apostle we have wronged no man we have corrupted no man we have defrauded no man Intimating that those that are guilty of wronging corrupting or defrauding of any should not be admitted to the fellowship of Saints no nor into the common catalogue of Brethren with them Nor can men with all their Rhetorick and Eloquent speaking pâ—ove themselves sit for the Kingdom of Heaven or men of good conscience on earth O that godly plea of Samuel Behold here I am says he witness against me before the Lord and before his Anointed whose Oxe have I taken or whose Ass have I taken or whom have I defrauded whom have I oppressed c This was to do like a man of good conscience indeed And in this his Appeal he was so Justified in the consciencies of the whole Congregation that they could not but with one voice as with one mouth break out joyntly and say Thou hast not defrauded us nor oppressed us A Professor and defraud away with him a Professor should not owe any man any thing but love A professor should provide things not of other mens but of his own of his own honest getting and that not onely in the sight of God but of all men that he may adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour in all things Atten. But suppose God should blow upon a Professor in his Estate and Calling and he should be run out before he is aware must he be accounted to be like Mr. Badman and lie under the same reproach as he Wise. No If he hath dutifully done what he could to avoid it It is possible for a Ship to sink at sea notwithstanding the most faithfull endeavour of the most skilful Pilot under Heaven And thus as I suppose it was with the Prophet that left his wife in debt to the hazarding the slavery of her children by the Creditors He was no profuse man nor one that was given to defraud for the Text says he feared God yet as I said he was run out more than she could pay If God would blow upon a man who can help it and he will do so sometimes because he will change dispensations with men and because he will trye their Graces Yea also because he will overthrow the wicked with his Judgments and all these things are
of his life that you at large have given me Wise. I think verily that you need not call back your sentence for 't is 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 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 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 lifâ— full of sin and with an heart void â—f 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 Pharoah Saul Judas and the Pharisees though dead thousands of years agoe sâ—ink 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 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 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 't is 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 why 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 Oh! for a man to live in sin and to goe 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 without a sight and sence of sin there can be do 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 Paul repented not till he had sight and sence of his sins the Jailor repented not till he had sight â—â—d sence of his sins nor could theâ— 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 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 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 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 Atten. These are good testimonies of this truth and doe if matter of fact with which Mr. Badman is charged bâ— 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 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 neâ—er-dying worm 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 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