able to his master, but thou, till thou art incapable of serving either God or man. O, thou beast, how much art thou worse than the horse that thou ridest on!

Atten. Truly, I think that his master served him right; for in doing as he did, he shewed him plainly, as he said, that he had not so much government of himself as his horse had of himself; and, consequently, that his beast did live more according to the law of his nature by far than did his man. But pray go on with what you have further to say.

Wise. Why, I say, that there are four things, which if they were well considered, would make drunkenness to be abhorred in the thoughts of the children of men.

1. It greatly tendeth to impoverish and beggar a man. "The drunkard," says Solomon, "shall come to poverty." Many that have begun the world with plenty, have gone out of it in rags, through drunkenness. Yea, many children that have been born to good estates, have yet been brought to a flail and a rake, through this beastly sin of their parents.

2. This sin of drunkenness, it bringeth upon the body, many, great, and incurable diseases, by which men do in little time come to their end, and none can help them. So, because they are overmuch wicked, therefore they die before their time.

3. Drunkenness is a sin that is oftentimes attended with abundance of other evils, "Who

hath wo? Who hath sorrow? Who hath contentions? Who hath babblings? Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine" they that go to seek mixt wine: that is, the drunkard.

4. By drunkenness men do oftentimes shorten their days; go out of the ale-house drunk, and break their necks before they come home. Instances not a few might be given of this, but this is so manifest, a man need say nothing.

Atten. But that which is worse than all is, it also prepares men for everlasting burnings.

Wise. Yea, and it so stupifies and besots the soul, that a man that is far gone in drunkenness, is hardly ever recovered to God. Tell me, when did you see an old drunkard converted? No, no, such an one will sleep till he dies, though he sleeps on the top of a mast let his dangers be never so great, and death and damnation never so near, he will not be awaked out of his sleep. So that if

a

man have any respect either to credit, health, life, or salvation, he will not, be a drunken man. But the truth is, where this sin gets the upper hand, men are, as I said before, so intoxicated and bewitched with the seeming pleasure and sweetness thereof, that they have neither heart nor mind to think of that which is better in itself, and would, if embraced, do them good.

Atten. You say that drunkenness tends to

poverty, yet some make themselves rich by drunken bargains.

Wise. I said so, because the word says so. And as to some mens getting thereby, that is indeed but rare and base; yea, and base will be the end of such gettings. The word of God is against such ways, and the curse of God will be the end of such doings. An inheritance may sometimes thus be hastily gotten at the beginning, but the end thereof shall not be blessed. Hark, what the prophet saith, "Wo to him that coveteth an evil covetousness, that he may set his nest on high;" whether he makes drunkenness, or ought else, the engine or decoy to get it: for that man doth but consult the shame of his own house, the spoiling of his family, and the damnation of his soul; for that which he getteth by working of iniquity, is but a getting by the devices of hell; therefore he can be no gainer neither for himself or family, that gains by an evil course. But this is one of the sins that Mr Badman was addicted to after he came acquainted with these three fellows, nor could all that his master could do break him off this beastly sin.

Atten. But where, since he was but an apprentice, could he get money to follow this practice; for drunkenness, as you have intimated, is a very costly sin.

Wise. His master paid for all. I told you before) as he learned of these three villains to be a beastly drunk

E

For (as

Badman's master's purse

paid for his drunkenness.

ard; so he learned of them to pilfer and steal from his master. Sometimes he would sell off his master's goods, but keep the money, that is, when he could: also sometimes he would beguile his master, by taking out of his cash-box; and when he could do neither of these, he would convey away of his master's wares, what he thought would be least missed, and send or carry them to such and such houses, where he knew they would be laid up to his use; and then appoint set times there, to meet and make merry with these fellows.

Atten. This was as bad, nay, I think, worse than the former; for by thus doing, he did not only run himself under the wrath of God, but has endangered the undoing of his master and his family.

Wise. Sins go not alone, but follow one the other as do the links of a chain; he that will be a drunkard, must have money, either of his own, or of some other man's; either of his father's, mother's, master's, or at the highway, or some way.

Atten. I fear that many an honest man is ur done by such kind of servants.

Wise. I am of the same mind with you, but this should make the dealer the more wary what kind of servants he keeps, and what kind of apprentices he takes. It should also teach him to look well to his shop himself; also to take a strict account of all things that are bought and sold by his servants.

The

master's neglect herein may embolden his servant to be bad, and may bring him too in short time to rags, and a morsel of bread.

Atten. I am afraid that there is much of this kind of pilfering among servants in these bad days of ours.

Wise. Now, while it is in

my mind, I will tell you a stoWhen I was in prison,

ry.

there came a woman to me that was under a great deal of trouble. So I asked her (she being a stranger to me) what she had to say to me. She said, She was afraid she should be damned. I asked her the cause of those fears. She told me, That she had some time since lived with a shopkeeper at Wellingborough, and had robbed his box in the shop several times of money, to the value of more than now I will say; and pray, says she, tell me what I shall do. I told her, I would have her go to her master, and make him satisfaction. She said, she was afraid; I asked her why? She said, she doubted he would hang her. I told her, that I would intercede for her life, and would make use of other friends too, to do the like; but she told me she durst not venture that. Well, said I, shall I send to your master, while you abide out of sight, and make your peace with him, before he sees you? and with that I asked her master's name. But all that she said in answer to this was, Pray let it alone till I come to you again. So away she went, and neither told me her master's name