Life and Death of Mr. Badman by John Bunyan (most life changing books TXT) 📕

There {40b} are some indeed that do train up their Children to swear, curse, lye and steal, and great is the misery of such poor Children whose hard hap it is to be ushered into the world by, and to be under the tuition too of such ungodly Parents. It had been better for such Parents, had they not begat them, and better for such Children had they not been born. O! methinks for a Father or a Mother to train up a Child in that very way that leadeth to Hell and Damnation, what thing so horrible! But Mr. Badman was not by his Parents so brought up.

Atten. But methinks, since this Young Badman would not be ruled at home, his Father should have tryed what good could have been done of him abroad, by putting him out to some man of his acquaintance, that he knew to be able to command him, and to keep him pretty hard to some employ: So should he, at least, have been prevented of time to do those wickednesses that could not be done without time to do them in.

Wise. Alas, his Father did so, {41a} he put him out betimes to one of his own Acquaintance, and entreated him of all love, that he would take care of Son, and keep him from extravagant wayes. His Trade also was honest and commodious; he had besides a full Employ therein, so that this young Badman had no vacant seasons nor idle hours yielded him by his Calling, therein to take opportunities to do Badly: but all was one to him, as he had begun to be vile in his Fathers house, even so he continued to be when he was in the house of his Master.

Atten. I have known some Children, who though they have been very Bad at home, yet have altered much when they have been put out abroad; especially when they have fallen into a Family, where the Governours thereof have made conscience of maintaining of the Worship and Service of God therein; but perhaps that might be wanting in Mr. Badmans Masters house.

Wise. Indeed some Children do greatly mend, when put under other mens Roofs; but, as I said, this naughty boy did not so; nor did his badness continue, because he wanted a Master that both could and did correct it: For his {41b} Master was a very good man, a very devout person; one that frequented the best Soul-means, that set up the Worship of God in his Family, and also that walked himself thereafter. He was also a man very meek and merciful, one that did never overdrive young Badman in business, nor that kept him at it at unseasonable hours.

Atten. Say you so! This is rare: I for my part can see but few that can parallel, in these things, with Mr. Badmans Master.

Wise. Nor I neither, (yet Mr. Badman had such an one;) for, for the most past, {42a} Masters are now a days such as mind nothing but their worldly concerns, and if Apprentices do but answer their commands therein, Soul and Religion may go whither they will. Yea, I much fear, that there have been many towardly Lads put out by their parents to such Masters, that have quite undone them as to the next world.

Atten. The more is the pity. But pray, now you have touched upon this subject, shew me how many wages a Master may be the ruin of his poor Apprentice.

Wise. Nay, I cannot tell you of all the wayes, yet some of them I will mention.

Suppose then that a towardly Lad be put to be an Apprentice with one that is reputed to be a Godly man, yet that Lad may be ruined many wayes; that is, if his Master be not circumspect in all things that respect both God and man, and that before his Apprentice.

1. If {42b} he be not moderate in the use of his Apprentice; if he drives him beyond his strength; if he holds him to work at unseasonable hours; if he will not allow him convenient time to read the Word, to Pray, &c. This is the way to destroy him; that is, in those tender begin[n]ings of good thoughts, and good beginnings about spiritual things.

2. If he suffers his house to be scattered with profane and wicked Books, such as stir up to lust, to wantonness, such as teach idle, wanton, lascivious discourse, and such as has a tendency to provoke to profane drollery and Jesting; and lastly, such as tend to corrupt, and pervert the Doctrine of Faith and Holiness. All these things will eat as doth a canker, and will quickly spoil, in Youth, &c. those good beginnings that may be putting forth themselves in them.

3. If there be a mixture of Servants, that is, if some very bad be in the same place, that’s a way also to undo such tender Lads; for they that are bad and sordid Servants, will be often (and they have an opportunity too, to be) distilling and fomenting of their profane and wicked words and tricks before them, and these will easily stick in the flesh and minds of Youth, to the corrupting of them.

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, {43a} Children make a greater inspection into the Lives of Fathers, Masters, &c. than oft-times they are aware of: And therefore should Masters be carefull, 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. Elies Sons being bad before the congregation, made Men despise the sacrifices of the Lord. {43b}

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 these hinderances; {43c} 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 Examples, no nor good fellow-Servants neither: but all would not doe.

Atten. ‘Tis 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 {43d} abominable to him.

1. For good Books, they might lie in his Masters house till they rotted for him, he would not regard to look into them; but, contrary-wise, would get all the bad and abominable Books that he could, as beastly Romances, and books full of Ribbauldry, 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 Instruction, 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 ‘twas 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 {44a} little-ease, even a continual torment to him; nor did he ever count himself at liberty, but when farthest off of wholsom 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 Religious and Civil matters; these, young Badman would laugh at, and would also make a byword 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 {44b} way was, when come into the place of hearing, to sit down in some corner, and then to fall fast asleep.

2. Or else to fix his adulterous eyes upon some beautifull Object that was in the place, and so all Sermon-while, therewith be feeding of his fleshly lusts.

3. Or, if he could get near to some that he had 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 a 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 Apprentiship 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 {45a} say true, and I know not to whom more fitly to compare him, {45b} than to that man, who when I my self 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.

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 Adamant-stone, lest they should hear the Law, and the words that the Lord of Host[s] hath sent. {45c} 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 my self 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: