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 to learn 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 or his wickedness, in this great huff replied, What would the devil do for company if it was not for such as I?
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 G.o.d, Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways" (Job 21:14).
Again, "They refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears. Yea, they make their hearts" hard "as an adamant-stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent" (Zech 7:11,12). 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.d cannot be even with them?
WISE. I do not know what they think, but I know that G.o.d hath said, "That as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried and I would not hear, saith the Lord" (Zech 7:13). 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, nor eighteen either; but, as with Ishmael, and with the children that mocked the prophet, the seeds of sin did put forth themselves betimes in him (Gen 21:9,10; 2 Kings 2:23,24).
ATTEN. Well, he was as wicked a young man as commonly one shall hear of.
WISE. You will say so when you know all.
ATTEN. All, I think, here is a 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 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 was the judgment of G.o.d that he did, that is, he came acquainted with them through the anger of G.o.d. 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 until his iniquity came to be hateful, therefore, from the anger of G.o.d it was that these companions of his and he did at last so acquaint together. Says Paul, "They did not like to retain G.o.d in their knowledge"; and what follows?
wherefore "G.o.d gave them over," or up to their own hearts" l.u.s.ts (Rom 1:28). And again, "As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity" (Psa 125:5). This therefore was G.o.d"s hand upon him, that he might be destroyed, be d.a.m.ned, "because he received not the love of the truth that he might be saved" (2 Thess 2:10).
He chose his delusions and deluders for him, even the company of base men, of fools, that he might be destroyed (Prov 12:20).
ATTEN. I cannot but think indeed that it is a great judgment of G.o.d for a man to be given up to the company of vile men; for what are such but the devil"s decoys, even those by whom he draws the simple into his net? A wh.o.r.emaster, 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 rather than life, and to live in continual opposition to G.o.d, rather than to be reconciled unto him; according to that saying of the wise man, "The fools hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord" (Prov 1:29).
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 d.a.m.nation?
And, therefore, men should be afraid of offending G.o.d, because he can in this manner punish them for their sins. I knew a man that once was, as I though, hopefully awakened about his condition; yea, I knew two that were so awakened, but in time they began to draw back, and to incline again to their l.u.s.ts; wherefore, G.o.d 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 G.o.d 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 control, and that they may choose 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 a fool to the correction of the stocks, till a dart strike through his liver," not knowing "that it is for his life" (Prov 7:22,23). This, I say, makes their judgment double; they are given up of G.o.d for a while, to sport themselves with that which will a.s.suredly make them "mourn at the last, when their flesh and their body are consumed" (Prov 5:11). These are those that Peter speaks, 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" (2 Peter 2:12,13).
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,[25] 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 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 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. So, 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 rode into the water the 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 serviceable to his master, but thou till thou art incapable of serving either G.o.d 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 showed 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" (Prov 23:21). 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 (Eccl 7:17). 3.
Drunkenness is a sin that is oftentimes attended with abundance of other evils. "Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who hath contentions? Who hath babbling? Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine, they that go to seek mixed wine"; that is, the drunkard (Prov 23:29,30). 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 (1 Cor 6:10).
WISE. Yea, and it so stupefies and besots the soul, that a man that is far gone in drunkenness is hardly ever recovered to G.o.d.
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 d.a.m.nation never so near, he will not be awaked out of his sleep (Prov 23:34,35). 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 pleasures 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 said 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 men"s getting thereby, that is indeed but rare and base; yea, and base will be the end of such gettings. The Word of G.o.d is against such ways, and the curse of G.o.d 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, "Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness, that he may set his nest on high" (Hab 2:5,9-12,15). Whether he makes drunkenness, or ought else, the engine and decoy to get it; for that man doth but consult the shame of his own house, the spoiling of his family, and the d.a.m.nation of his soul; for that which he getteth by working of iniquity is but a getting by the devices of h.e.l.l; therefore he can be no gainer neither for himself or family, that gains by an evil course. But this was 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. For, as I told you before, as he learned of these three villains to be a beastly drunkard, 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 G.o.d, 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 undone 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 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 story. When I was in prison, there came a woman to me that was under a great deal of trouble.[26] 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 d.a.m.ned. 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 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 nor her own. This is about ten or twelve years since, and I never saw her again. I tell you this story for this cause; to confirm your fears that such kind of servants too many there be; and that G.o.d makes them sometimes like old Tod, of whom mention was made before, through the terrors that he lays upon them, to betray themselves.
I could tell you of another, that came to me with a like relation concerning herself, and the robbing of her mistress; but at this time let this suffice.