Wise. You will say so, when you know all, Atten. All! I think here is great all; but if there is more behind pray let us hear it. Wise. Why, then I will tell you, that he had not been with his master much above a year and a half, but he

quaintance.

Badman's ac- came acquainted with three young villains (who here shall be nameless) that taught him to add to his sin, much of like kind; and he as aptly received their instructions. One of them was chiefly given to uncleanness, another to drunkenness, and the third to purloining, or stealing from his

master.

Atten. Alas! poor wretch, he was bad enough before; but these, I suppose made him much worse.

Wise. That they made him worse you may be sure of, for they taught him to be an arch, a chief one in all their ways.

Atten. It was an ill hap that he ever came acquainted with them.

Wise. You must rather word it thus. It

A sign of God's anger.

was the judgment of God that he did; that is, he came acquainted with them, through the anger of God. He had a good master, and before him a good father: By these he had good counsel given him for months and years together; but his heart was set upon mischief; he loved wickedness more than to do good, even

nti his iniquity came to be hateful; therefore, from the anger of God it was, that these companions of his, and he, did at last so acquaint together. Says Paul," They did not like to retain God in their knowledge ;" and what follows? "wherefore, God gave them over, or up to their own hearts lusts." And again, "As for such as turn aside to their own crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity." This therefore was God's hand upon him, that he might be destroyed, be damned; because he received not the love of the truth that he might be saved. He chose his delusions and deluders for him,' even the company of base men, of fools, that he might be destroyed.

Atten. I cannot but think indeed, that it is a great judgment of God for a man to be given up to the company of vile

men; for what are such but The devil's the devil's decoys, even those decoys. by whom he draws the simple in

to his net? A whoremaster, a drunkard, a thief, what are they but the devil's baits, by which he catcheth others?

Wise. You say right; but this young Badman was no simple one, if by simple you mean one uninstructed; for he had often good counsel given him; but, if by simple you mean him that is a fool as to the true knowledge of and faith in Christ, then he was a simple one indeed; for he chose death Father than life, and to live in continual op

position to God, rather than to be reconciled unto him according to that saying of the wise man, "The fools hated knowledge, and did not chuse the fear of the Lord:" And what judgment more dreadful can a fool be given up to, than to be delivered into the hands of such men, that have skill to do nothing but to ripen sin, and hasten its finishing unto damnation? And therefore men should be afraid of offending God, because he can in this manner punish them for their sins. I knew a man that once was, as I thought, hopefully awakened about his condition; yea, I knew two that were so awakened; but in time they began to draw back,

This was done at Bedford.

and to incline again to their lusts; wherefore God gave them up to the company of three or four men, that in less than three years time brought them roundly to the gallows, where they were hanged like dogs, because they refused to live like honest men.

Atten. But such men do not believe, that thus to be given up of God, is in judgment and anger; they rather take it to be their liberty, and do count it their happiness; they are glad that their cord is loosed, and that the reins are on their neck; they are glad that they may sin without controul, and that they may chuse such company as can make them more expert in an evil way.

Wise. Their judgment is therefore so much

the greater, because thereto is added blindness of mind, and hardness of heart in a wicked way. They are turned up to the way of death, but must not see to what place they are going: "They must go as the ox to the slaughter, and as the fool to the correction of the stocks, till a dart strike through their liver, not knowing that it is for their life." This, I say, makes their judgment double, they are given up of God, for a while to sport themselves with that which will assuredly "make them mourn at last, when their flesh and their body is consumed." These are those that Peter speaks of, that shall utterly perish in their own corruptions; these, I say, who count it pleasure to riot in the day-time, and that sport themselves with their own deceivings, are as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed.

Atten. Well, but I pray now concerning these three villains that were young Badman's companions: Tell me more particularly how he carried it then.

Wise. How he carried it! Why, he did as they. I intimated so much before, when I said, they made him an arch, a chief one in their ways.

First, he became a frequenter of taverns and tippling-houses, and would stay there until he was even as drunk as a beast. And if it was so,

Badman fre

quents taverns.

that he could not get out by day, he would,

be sure, get out by night. Yea, he became so common a drunkard at last, that he was taken notice of to be a drunkard even by all.

Atten. This was swinish, for drunkenness is so beastly a sin, a sin so much against nature, that I wonder that any that have but the appearance of men, can give up themselves to so beastly (yea worse than beastly) a thing. Wise. It is a

A story of a drunkard.

So

swinish vanity indeed. I will tell you another story. There was a gentleman that had a drunkard to be his groom, and coming home one night very much abused with beer, his master saw it. Well, (quoth his master within himself) I will let thee alone to-night, but to-morrow morning I will convince thee, that thou art worse than a beast, by the behaviour of my horse. when morning was come, he bids his man go and water his horse, and so he did; but coming up to his master, he commands him to water him again; so the fellow rid into the water a second time, but his master's horse would now drink no more, so the fellow came up and told his master. Then said his master, Thou drunken sot, thou art far worse than my horse; he will drink but to satisfy nature, but thou wilt drink to the abuse of nature; he will drink but to refresh himself, but thou to thy hurt and damage; he will drink, that he may be more service.