Chapter 6

I will tell you another story. [Picture: Take note symbol] An ancient man, one of mine acquaintance, a man of good credit in our Countrey, had a Mother that was a Midwife: who was mostly imployed in laying great persons. To this womans house, upon a time, comes a brave young Gallant on horseback, to fetch her to lay a young Lady. So she addresses herself to go with him; wherefore, he takes her up behind him, and away they ride in the night. Now they had not rid far, but the Gentleman litt off his horse, and taking the old Midwife in his arms from the horse, turned round with her several times, and then set her up again; then he got up, and away they went till they came at a stately house, into which he had her, and so into a Chamber where the young Lady was in her pains: He then bid the Midwife do her Office, and she demanded help, but he drew out his Sword and told her, if she did not make speed to do her Office without, she must look for nothing but death. Well, to be short, this old Midwife laid the young Lady, and a fine sweet Babe she had; Now there was made in a Room hard by, a very great Fire: so the Gentleman took up the Babe, went and drew the coals from the stock, cast the Child in, and covered it up, and there was an end of that. So when the Midwife had done her work, he paid her well for her pains, but shut her up in a dark room all day, and when night came, took her up behind him again, and carried her away, till she came almost at home; then he turned her round, and round, as he did before, and had her to her house, set her down, bid her Farewell, and away he went: And she could never tell who it was.

This Story the Midwifes son, who was a Minister, told me; and also protested that his mother told it him for a truth.

Atten. Murder doth often follow indeed, as that which is the fruit of this sin: but sometimes God brings even these Adulterers, and Adulteresses to shameful ends. [Picture: Take note symbol] I heard of one, (I think, a Doctor of Physick) and his Whore, who had had three or four Bastards betwixt them, and had murdered them all, but at last themselves were hanged for it, in or near to Colchester. It came out after this manner: The Whore was so afflicted in her conscience abort it, that she could not be quiet untill she had made it known: Thus God many times makes the actors of wickedness their own accusers, and brings them by their own tongues to condigne punishment for their own sins.

Wise. There has been many such instances, but we will let that pass. I was once in the presence of a Woman, a married woman, that lay sick of the sickness whereof she died; and being smitten in her conscience for the sin of Uncleanness, which she had often committed with other men, [Picture: Take note symbol] I heard her (as she lay upon her Bed) cry out thus: I am a Whore, and all my Children are Bastards: And I must go to Hell for my sin; and look, there stands the Devil at my beds feet to receive my Soul when I die.

Atten. These are sad storyes, tell no more of them now, but if you please shew me yet some other of the evil effects of this beastly sin.

Wise. This sin is such a snare to the Soul, that unless a miracle of Grace prevents, it unavoidably perishes in the enchanting and bewitching pleasures of it. This is manifest by these, and such like Texts.

The Adulteress will hunt for the precious life. Whoso committeth adultery with a woman, lacketh understanding, and he that doth it destroys his own soul. {57} An Whore is a deep ditch, and a strange woman is a narrow pit. Her house inclines to death, and her pathes unto the dead. None that go in unto her return again, neither take they hold of the path of life. She hath cast down many wounded; yea many strong men have been slain by her, her house is the way to Hell, going down to the Chambers of Death. {58a}

Atten. These are dreadful sayings, and do shew the dreadful state of those that are guilty of this sin.

Wise. Verily so they doe. But yet that which makes the whole more dreadful, is, That men are given up to this sin, because they are abhorred of God, and because abhorred, therefore they shall fall into the commission of it; and shall live there. The mouth (that is, the flattering Lips) of a strange woman is a deep pit, the abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein. {58b} Therefore it saith again of such, that they have none Inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God. {58c}

Atten. Put all together, and it is a dreadful thing to live and die in this transgression.

Wise. True. But suppose, that instead of all these Judgments, this sin 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?