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

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 Magistrates part, because the punishment of this sin is death.

Clark doth also in the same page make mention of two more, who as they were committing Adultery in London, were immediately struck dead with fire from Heaven, in the very Act. Their bodyes were so found, half burnt up, and sending out a most loathsom savour.

Atten. These are notable storyes indeed.

Wise. So they are, and I suppose they are as true as notable.

Atten. Well, but I wonder, if young Badmans Master knew him to be such a Wretch, that he would suffer him in his house.

Wise. They liked one another even as {60c} fire and water doe. Young Badmans wayes were odious to his Master, and his Masters wayes 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 abomination to the wicked. {60d}

The good mans wayes, Mr. Badman could not abide, nor could the good man abide the bad wayes of his base Apprentice. Yet would his Master, if he could, have kept him, and also have learnt him his trade.

Atten. If he could! why he might, if he would, might he not?

Wise. Alas, Badman ran away {61a} from him once and twice, and would not at all be ruled. So the next time he did run away from him, he did let him go indeed. For he gave him no occasion to run away, except it was by holding of him as much as he could (and that he could do but little) to good and honest rules of life. And had it been ones own case, one should have let him go. For what should a man do, that had either regard to his own Peace, his Childrens Good, or the preservation of the rest of his servants from evil, but let him go? Had he staid, the house of Correction had been most fit for him, but thither his Master was loth to send him, because of the love that he bore to his Father. An house of correction, I say, had been the fittest place for him, but his Master let him go.

Atten. He ran away you say, but whither did he run?

Wise. Why, to one of his own trade, {61b} and also like himself. Thus the wicked joyned hand in hand, and there he served out his time.

Atten. Then, sure, he had his hearts desire, when he was with one so like himself.

Wise. Yes. So he had, but God gave it him in his anger.

Atten. How do you mean?

Wise. I mean as before, that for a wicked man to be by the Providence of God, turned out of a good mans doors, into a wicked mans house to dwell, is a sign of the Anger of God. {61c} For God by this, and such Judgements, says thus to such an one: Thou wicked one, thou lovest not me, my wayes, nor my people; Thou castest my Law and good Counsel behinde thy back: Come, I will dispose of thee in my wrath; thou shalt be turned over to the ungodly, thou shalt be put to school to the Devil, I will leave thee to sink and swim in sin, till I shall visit thee with Death and Judgment. This was therefore another Judgment that did come upon this young Badman.

Atten. You have said the truth, for God by such a Judgment as this, in effect says so indeed; for he takes them out of the hand of the just, and binds them up in the hand of the wicked, and whither they then shall be carried, a man may easily imagin.

Wise. It is one of the saddest tokens of Gods anger that happens to such kind of persons: And that for several reasons. {62a}

1. Such an one, by this Judgment, is put out out of the way, and from under the means which ordinarily are made use of to do good to the soul. For a Family where Godliness is professed, and practised, is Gods Ordinance, the place which he has appointed to teach young ones the way and fear of God. {62b} Now to be put out of such a Family into a bad, a wicked one, as Mr. Badman was, must needs be in 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 wayes 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 Judgement.

3. Such places are the very haunts and Walks of the infernal Spirits, who are continually poysoning the Cogitations and Minds of one or other in such Families, that they may be able to poyson others. Therefore observe it, usually in wicked Families, some one, or two, are more arch for wickedness then are any other that are there. Now such are Satans Conduit-pipes; for by them he conveighs 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 travel with it, as doth a woman with Child, till they have brought it forth; Behold, he travelleth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falshood. {62c} Some men, as here is 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. {62d}

Atten. How {63a} 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?

Wise. It doth concern them indeed; and it doth also concern them {63b} that take Children into their Families, to take heed what Children they receive. For a man may soon by a Bad boy, be dammaged both in his Name, Estate, and Family, and also hindred in his Peace and peaceable pursuit after God and godliness; I say, by one such Vermin as a wicked and filthy Apprentice.

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

Wise. This second Master, was, as before I told you, bad enough, but yet he would often fall out {63c} with young Badman his Servant, and chide, yea and some times beat him too, for his naughty doings.

Atten. What! for all he was so bad himself! This is like the Proverb, The Devil corrects Vice.

Wise. I will assure you, ‘tis as I say. For you must know, that Badmans wayes suited not with his Masters gains. Could he have done as the Damsel that we read of Acts 16. {63d} did, to wit, fill his Masters 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 {63e} was for neglecting of his Masters business, for going to the Whore-house, for beguiling of his Master, for attempting to debauch his Daughters, and the like: No marvel then if they disagreed in these points. Not so much for that his Master had an antipathy against the fact it self, for he could do so when he was an Apprentice; but for that his servant by his sin made spoil of his Commodities, &c. and so damnified his Master.

Had (as I said before) young Badmans wickedness, had only a tendency to his Masters advantage; as could he have sworn, lied, cousened, cheated, and defrauded customers for his Master, (and indeed sometimes he did so) but had that been all that he had done, he had not had, no not a wry word from his Master: But this was not always Mr. Badmans way.

Atten. That was well brought in, even the Maid that we read of in the Acts, and the distinction was as clear betwixt the wickedness, and wickedness of servants.

Wise. Alas! men that are wicked themselves, yet greatly hate it in others, not simply because it is wickedness, but because it opposeth their interest. Do you think that that Maids master would have been troubled at the loss of her, if he had not lost, with her, his gain: No, I’le warrant you; she might have gone to the Devil for him: But when her master saw that the hope of his gain was gone, then, then he fell to persecuting Paul. {64a} But Mr. Badmans master did sometimes lose by Mr. Badmans sins, and then Badman and his master were at odds.

Atten. Alas poor Badman! Then it seems thou couldest not at all times please thy like.

Wise. No, he could not, and the reason I have told you.

Atten. But do not bad Masters condemn themselves in condemning the badness of their servants. {64b}

Wise. Yes; {64c} in that they condemn that in another which they either have, or do allow in themselves. And the time will come, when that very sentence that hath gone out of their own mouths against the sins of others, themselves living and taking pleasure in the same, shall return with violence upon their own pates. The Lord pronounced Judgment against Baasha, as for all his evils in general, so for this in special, because he was like the house of Jeroboam, and yet killed him. {64d} This is Mr. Badmans Masters case, he is like his man, and yet he beats him. He is like his man, and yet he rails at him for being bad.

Atten. But why did not young Badman run away from this Master, as he ran away from the other?

Wise. He did not. And if I be not mistaken, the reason {65a} why, was this. There was Godliness in the house of the first, and that young Badman could not endure. For fare, for lodging, for work, and time, he had better, and more by this Masters allowance, than ever he had by his last; but all this would not content, because Godliness was promoted there. He could not abide this praying,