chards, and other such things, which brought him, as you may perceive, from sin to sin, till at last it brought him to the public shame of sin, which is the gallows.

As for the truth of this story, the relater told me that he was at the same time himself in the court, and stood within less than two yards of old Tod, when he heard him aloud to utter the words.

Atten. These two sins of lying and stealing were a bad sign of an evil end.

Wise, So they were; and yet Mr Badman came not to his end like Old Tod; though I fear to as bad, nay, worse than was that death of the gallows, though less discerned by spectators; but more of that by and by. But you talk of these two sins as if these were all that Mr Badman was addicted to in his youth; Alas, alas! he swarmed with sins, even as a beggar does with vermin, and that when he was but a boy.

Atten. Why, what other sins was he addicted to, I mean while he was but a child?

Wise. You need not ask to what other sins was he, but to what other sins was he not addicted; that is, of such as suited with his age; for a man may safely say, that nothing that was vile came amiss to him, if he was but capable to do it. Indeed some

sins there be, that childhood knows not how to be tampering with; but I speak of sins that he was capable of committing, of which I will nominate two or three more. And.

Badman could not abide the Lord'sday

First, he could not endure the Lord's day, because of the holiness that did attend it; the beginning of that day was to him as if he was going to prison, (except he could get out from his father and mother, and lurk in by-holes among his companions until holy duties were over.) Reading the scriptures, hearing sermons, godly conference, repeating of sermons and prayer, were things that he could not away with; and therefore if his father on such days (as often he did, though sometimes, notwithstanding his diligence, he would be sure to give him the slip) did keep him strictly to the observation of the day, he would plainly shew by all carriages, that he was highly discontent therewith! he would sleep at duties, would talk vainly with his brothers, and, as it were, think every godly opportunity seven times as long as it was, grudging till it was

over.

Atten. This his abhorring of that day, was not, I think, for the sake of the day itself; for as it is a day, it is nothing else but as other days of the week: But I suppose that the reason of his loathing of it was, for that God hath put sanctity and holiness upon it; also because it is the day above all the days of the week that ought to be spent in holy devotion, in remembrance of our Lord's resurrection from the dead.

Wise. Yes, it was therefore that he was

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such an enemy to it; even because more restraint was laid upon him on that day, from his own ways, than were possible should be laid upon him on all others.

God proves the heart by instituting of the Lord's day.

Atten. Doth not God by instituting of a day unto holy duties, make great proof how the hearts and inclinations of poor people do stand to holiness of heart, and a conver

sation in holy duties?

Wise. Yes, doubtless; and a man shall shew his heart and his life what they are, more by one Lord's day, than by all the days of the week besides: And the reason is, because on the Lord's day there is a special restraint laid upon man as to thoughts and life, more than upon other days of the week besides. Also, men are injoined on that day to a stricter performance of holy duties, and restraint of worldly business, than upon other days they are; wherefore, if their hearts incline not naturally to good, now they will shew it, now they will appear what they are. The Lord's day is a kind of an emblem of the heavenly sabbath above, and it makes manifest how the heart stands to the perpetuity of holiness, more than to be found in a transient duty does.

On other days a man may be in and out of holy duties, and aíl in a quarter of an hour; but now, the Lord's day is, as it were, a day that enjoins to one perpetual duty of holi

ness: "Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath-day, (which by Christ is not abrogated, but changed into the first of the week), not as it was given in particular to the Jews, but as it was sanctified by him from the beginning of the world: and therefore is a greater proof of the frame and temper of Badman's heart, and does more make manifest, to what he is inclined, than doth his other performance of duties: Therefore God puts great difference between them that truly call (and walk in) this day as holy, and count it honourable, upon the account that now they have an opportunity to shew how they delight to honour him; in that they have not only an hour, but a whole day to shew it in: I say, he puts great difference between these, and that other sort that say, "When will the sabbath be gone, that we may be at our worldly business?" The first he calleth a blessed man, but brandeth the other for an unsanctified worldling. And indeed, to delight ourselves in God's service upon his holy days, gives a better proof of a sanctified nature, than to grudge at the coming, and to be weary of the holy duties of such days, as Mr Badman did.

Atten. There may be something in what you say, for he that cannot abide to keep one day holy to God, to be sure he hath given a sufficient proof that he is an unsanctified man; and as such, what should he do in heaven? that being the place where a perpe

tual sabbath is to be kept to God; I say, to be kept for ever and ever. And for ought I know, one reason why one day in seven had been by our Lord set apart unto holy duties for men, may be to give them conviction that there is enmity in the hearts of sinners to the God of heaven; for he that hateth holiness, hateth God himself. They pretend to love God, and yet love not a holy day, and yet love not to spend that day in one continued act of holiness to the Lord: They had as good say nothing, as to call him Lord, Lord, and yet not do the things that he says. And this Mr Badman was such a one: he could not abide this day, nor any of the duties of it. Indeed, when he could. get from his friends, and so spend it in all manner of idleness and profane

How Badman did use to spend the Lord's day.

ness then he would be pleased well enough: but what was this, but turning the day into night, or other than taking an opportunity at God's forbidding to follow our callings, to solace and satisfy our lusts and delights of the flesh? I take the liberty to speak thus of Mr Badman, upon a confidence of what you, Sir, have said of him, is true.

Wise. You need not to have made that apology for your censuring of Mr Badman, for all that knew him, will confirm what you say of him to be true. He could not abide either that day, or any thing else that had the stamp