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 verily believe that many of them are made whores at first by the flatteries of Badman's fellows. Alas, there is many a woman plunged into this sin at first even by the promises of marriage; I say, by these promises they are flattered, yea, forced into a consenting to these villains, 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 stories: and I wish Mr Badman's companions may hear of them. They are found in Clark's 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 magistrate's part, because the punishment of this sin is death.'

Clark doth also make mention of two more, who asthey were committing adultery in London, were immediately struck dead with fire from heaven in the very act. Their bodies were so found, half burnt up, and sending out a most loathsome savour.

Atten. These are notable stories indeed. Wise. So they are, and I suppose they are as true as notable.

Atten. Well, but I wonder if young Badman's master knew him to be such a wretch, that he would suffer him in his house.

Badman and

his master abhor one another.

Wise. They liked one another even as fire and water do. Young Badman's ways were odious to his master, and his master's ways 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 an abomination to the wicked."

The good man's ways Mr Badman could not abide, nor could the good man abide the bad ways of his base apprentice. Yet would

soul. For a family where godliness is professed and practised, is God's ordinance, the place which he has appointed to teach young ones the way and fear of God. Now to be put out of such a family, into a bad, a wicked one, as Mr Badman was, must needs be a 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 ways 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 judgment,

3. Such places are the very haunts and walks of the infernal spirits, who are continually poisoning the cogitations and minds of one or other in such families, that they may be able to poison others. Therefore observe it, usually in wicked families, some one, or two, are more arch for wickedness than are any other that are there. Now, such are Satan's conduit pipes; for by them he conveys 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 travail with it, as doth a woman with a child, till they have brought it forth: "Behold, he travaileth with

iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood." Some men, as here 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.

Atten. How 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?

It concerns parents to put their children into good families.

Masters should also be

ware what servants they

Wise. It doth concern them indeed; and it doth also concern them that take children into their families, to take heed what children they receive. For a man may soon, by a bad boy, be damaged both in his name, estate, and family, and also hindered in his peace and peaceable pursuit after God and godliness; I say, by one such vermin as a wicked and filthy apprentice.

entertain.

Atten. True, for one sinner destroyeth much good, and a poor man is better than a liar. 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.

Young Badman and his second master

Wise. This second master was, as before I told you, bad enough; but yet he would often fall out with young Badman his servant, and chide, yea and sometimes beat him too, for his naughty doings.

cannot agree.

Atten. What! for all he was so bad himself! This is like the proverb, The devil corrects vice.

Wise. I will assure you, it is as I say; for you must know that Badman's ways suited not with his masters gains. Could ye have done as the damsel that we read of Acts xvi. did, to wit, fill his master's 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 was for