4. If the master have one guise for abroad and another for home; that is, if his religion hangs by in his house as his cloak does, and he be seldom in it, except he be abroad, this young beginners will take notice of and stumble at. We say, hedges have eyes, and little pitchers have ears; and indeed, children make a greater inspection into the lives of fathers, masters, &c. than oft-times they are aware of: And therefore should masters be careful, else they may soon destroy good beginnings in their servants.

5. If the master be unconscionable in his dealing and trades with lying words: or if bad commodities be avouched to be good, or if he seeks after unreasonable gain, or the like his servant sees it, and it is enough to undo him. "Eli's sons being bad before the congregation, made men despise the sacrifices of the Lord."

Badman had all advantages to be good.

But these things, by the by; only they may serve for a hint to masters to take heed that they take not apprentices to destroy their souls. But young Badman had none of the hinderances; his father took care, and provided well for him, as to this: He had a good master; he wanted not good books, nor good instruction, nor good sermons, nor good amples, no nor good fellow servants neither! but all would not do.

Atten. It is a wonder that in such a family,

amidst so many spiritual helps, nothing should take hold of his heart! What! not good books, nor good instructions, nor good sermons, nor good examples, nor good fellow-servants, nor nothing do him good!

Wise. You talk he minded none of these things: nay, all these were abominable to him.

1. For good books, they might lie in his master's house till they rotted for him; he would not regard to look into them, but contrariwise, would get all the bad and abominable books that he could, as beastly romances, and books full of ribbaldry, even such as immediately tended to set all fleshly lusts on fire. True, he durst not be known to have any of these, to his master; therefore would he never let them be seen by him, but would keep them in close places, and peruse them at such times as yielded him fit opportunities thereto.

2. For good instructions, he liked, that, much as he liked good books; his care was to hear but little thereof, and to forget what he heard as soon as it was spoken: yea, I have heard some that knew him then, say, that one might evidently discern by the shew of his countenance and gestures, that good counsel was to him like little ease, even a continual torment to him; nor did he ever count himself at liberty, but when farthest off of wholesome words. He would hate them

that rebuked him, and count them his deadly enemies.

3. For good example, which was frequently set him by his master, both in religous and civil matters, these young Badman would laugh at, and would also make a by-word of them, when he came in place where he with safety could.

4. His master indeed would make him go with him to sermons, and that where he thought the best preachers were, but this ungodly young man, what shall I say, was (I think) a master of art in all mischief; he had these wicked ways to hinder himself of hearing, let the preacher thunder never so loud.

1. His way was, when come into the place of hearing, to sit down in some corner, and then to fall fast asleep.

How Badman used to behave bimself at ser

mons.

2. Or else to fix his adultrous eyes upon some beautiful object that was in the place, and so all sermon-while, therewith be feeding his fleshly lusts.

3, Or, if he could get near to some that he observed would fit his humour, he would be whispering, gigling, and playing with them, till such time as sermon was done.

Atten. Why ! he was grown to prodigious height of wickedness.

Wise. He was so : and that which aggravates all, was, this was his practice as soon as

he was come to his master, he was as ready at all these things, as if he had, before he came to his master, served an apprenticeship tolearn them.

Atten. There could not but be added (as you relate them) rebellion to his sin. Methinks it is as if he had said, I will not hear, I will not regard, I will not mind good, I will not mend, I will not turn, I will not be converted. Wise. You say true, and I know not to whom more fitly to compare him, than to that man, who, when I myself rebuked him for his wickedness, in this great huff, replied, What would the devil do for company, if it was not for such as I?

The desperate words of one H. S. who once was my companion.

Atten. Why, did you ever hear any man say so. Wise. Yes, that I did; and this young Badman was as like him as an egg is like an egg. Alas! the scripture makes mention of many that by their actions speak the same:

They say unto God, Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways." Again, "They refuse to hearken, and pull away their shoulder, and stop their ears: yea they make their hearts hard as an adamantstone, lest they should hear the law, and the words that the Lord of hosts hath sent." What are all these but such as Badman, and such as the young man but now mentioned? That young man was my play-fellow when I was solacing myself in my sins: I may make

mention of him to my shame; but he has a great many fellows.

Atten. Young Badman was like him indeed, and he trod his steps, as if his wickedness had been his very copy; I mean as to his desperateness: for had he not been a desperate one, he would never have made you such a reply, when you was rebuking of him for his sin. But when did you give him such a rebuke?

Wise. A while after God had parted him and I, by calling of me (as I hope) by his grace, still leaving him in his sins; and so far as I could ever gather, as he lived, so he died, even as Mr Badman did; but we will leave him, and return again to our discourse.

Atten. Ha! poor obstinate sinners! Do they think that God cannot be even with them?

Wise. I do not know what they think, but I know that God hath said, That as "he cried, and they would not hear, so they shall cry, and I will not hear, saith the Lord," Doubtless there is a time coming, when Mr Badman will cry for this.

Atten. But I wonder that he should be so expert in wickedness so soon! Alas, he was but a stripling; I suppose he was as yet, not twenty.

Wise. No, ner eighteen neither; but (as with Ishmael, and with the children that mocked the prophet) the seeds of sin did put forth themselves betimes in him.

Atten. Well, he was as wicked a young man as commonly one shall hear of.