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

Atten. That man that dieth with a life full of sin, and with an heart void of repentance, although he should die of the most Golden disease (if there were any that might be so called) I will warrant him his Name shall stink, and that in Heaven and Earth.

Wise. You say true; and therefore doth the name of Cain, Pharaoh, Saul, Judas, and the Pharisees, though dead thousands of years agoe, stink as fresh in the nostrils of the world as if they were but newly dead.

Atten. I do fully acquiesce with you in this. But, Sir, since you have charged him with dying impenitent, pray let me see how you will prove it: not that I altogether doubt it, because you have affirmed it, but yet I love to have proof for what men say in such weighty matters.

Wise. When I said, he died without repentance, I meant, so far as those that knew him, could judge, when they compared his Life, the Word, and his Death together.

Atten. Well said, they went the right way to find out whether he had, that is, did manifest that he had repentance or no. Now then shew me how they did prove he had none?

Wise. So I will: And first, {158b} this was urged to prove it. He had not in all the time of his sickness, a sight and sence of his sins, but was as secure, and as much at quiet, as if he had never sinned in all his life.

Atten. I must needs confess that this is a sign he had none. For how can a man repent of that of which he hath neither sight nor sence? But ‘tis strange that he had neither sight nor sence of sin now, when he had such a sight and sence of his evil before: I mean when he was sick before.

Wise. He was, as I said, as secure now, as if he had been as sinless as an Angel; though all men knew what a sinner he was, for he carried his Sins in his Forehead. His debauched Life was read and known of all men; but his Reputation was read and known of no man; for, as I said, he had none. And for ought I know, the reason he had no sence of his sins now, was because he profited not by that sence that he had of them before. He liked not to retain that knowledge of God then, that caused his sins to come to remembrance: Therefore God gave him up now to a reprobate mind, to hardness and stupidity of Spirit; and so was that Scripture fulfilled upon him, He hath blinded their eyes. And that, Let their eyes be darkned that they may not see. {159a} Oh! for a man to live in sin, and to go out of the world without Repentance for it, is the saddest Judgement that can overtake a man.

Atten. But, Sir, although both you and I have consented that {159b} without a sight and sence of sin there can be no Repentance, yet that is but our bare Say-so; let us therefore now see if by the Scripture we can make it good.

Wise. That is easily done. The three thousand that were converted, (Acts the second,) repented not, till they had sight and sence of their sins: {159c} Paul repented not till he had sight and sence of his sins: the Jailor repented not till he had sight and sence of his sins: nor could they. For of what should a man repent? The Answer is, of Sin. What is it to Repent of sin? The answer is, To be sorry for it, to turn from it. {159d} But how can a man be sorry for it, that has neither sight nor sence of it. David did, not only commit sins, but abode impenitent for them, untill Nathan the Prophet was sent from God to give him a sight and sence of them; {159e} and then, but not till then, he indeed repented of them. Job, in order to his Repentance, cries unto God, Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me. And again, That which I see not teach thou me, I have born chastisement, I will not offend any more: {159f} That is, not in what I know, for I will repent of it; nor yet in what I know not, when thou shalt shew me it.

Also Ephraims Repentance was after he was turned to the sight and sence of his sins, and after he was instructed about the evil of them. {159g}

Atten. These are good testimonies of this truth, and doe (if matter of fact, with which Mr. Badman is charged, be true), prove indeed that he did not repent, but as he lived, so he dyed in his sin: For without Repentance a man is sure to dye in his sin; for they will lie down in the dust with him, {160a} rise at the Judgement with him, hang about his Neck like Cords and Chains when he standeth at the Barre of Gods Tribunal, and goe with him too when he goes away from the Judgment-seat, with a Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels; and there shall fret and gnaw his Conscience, because they will be to him a never-dying worm. {160b}

Wise. You say well, and I will add a word or two more to what I have said: Repentance, as it is not produced without a sight and sence of sin, so every sight and sence of sin cannot produce it: I mean, every sight and sence of sin cannot {160c} produce that Repentance, that is Repentance unto salvation; repentance never to be repented of. For it is yet fresh before us, that Mr. Badman had a sight and sence of sin, in that fit of sickness that he had before, but it dyed without procuring any such godly fruit; as was manifest by his so soon returning with the Dog to his Vomit. Many people think also that Repentance stands in Confession of sin only, but they are very much mistaken: For Repentance, as was said before, is a being sorry for, and a turning from transgression to God by Jesus Christ. Now, if this be true, that every sight and sence of sin will not produce Repentance, then Repentance cannot be produced there where there is no sight and sence of sin. That every sight and sence of sin will not produce repentance, to wit, the godly repentance that we are speaking of, is manifest in Cain, Pharaoh, Saul and Judas, who all of them had sence, great sence of sin, but none of them repentance unto life.

Now I conclude, that Mr. Badman did die impenitent, and so a death most miserable.

Atten. But pray now, before we conclude our discourse of Mr. Badman, give me another proof of his dying in his sins.

Wise. Another proof is this. {160d} He did not desire a sight and sence of sins, that he might have repentance for them. Did I say he did not desire it, I will add, he greatly desired to remain in his security: and that I shall prove by that which follows. First, he could not endure that any man, now, should talk to him of his sinfull life, and yet that was the way to beget a sight and sence of sin, and so of repentance from it in his soul. But, I say, he could not endure such discourse. Those men that did offer to talk unto him of his ill-spent Life, they were as little welcome to him in the time of his last sickness, as was Elijah when he went to meet with Ahab, as he went down to take possession of Naboths Vineyard. Hast thou found me, said Ahab, O mine enemy? {161a} So would Mr. Badman say in his heart to and of those that thus did come to him, though indeed they came even of love, to convince him of his evil life, that he might have repented thereof, and have obtained mercy.

Atten. Did good men then goe to see him in his last sickness?

Wise. Yes: Those that were his first wifes acquaintance, they went to see him, and to talk with, and to him, if perhaps he might now, at last, bethink himself, and cry to God for mercy.

Atten. They did well to try now at last if they could save his soul from Hell: But pray how can you tell that he did not care for the company of such?

Wise. Because of the differing Carriage that he had for them, from what he had when his old carnal companions came to see him: When his old Campanions came to see him, he would stir up himself as much as he could both by words and looks, to signifie they were welcome to him; he would also talk with them freely, and look pleasantly upon them, though the talk of such could be none other but such as David said, carnal men would offer to him, when they came to visit him in his sickness: If he comes to see me, says he, he speaketh vanity, his heart gathereth iniquity to itself. {161b} But these kind of talks, I say, Mr. Badman better brooked, than he did the company of better men.

But I will more particularly give you a Character {161c} of his carriage to good men (and good talk) when they came to see him.

1. When they were come, he would seem to fail in his spirits at the sight of them.

2. He would not care to answer them to any of those questions that they would at times put to him, to feel what sence he had of sin, death, Hell, and Judgment: But would either say nothing, or answer them by way of evasion, or else by telling of them he was so weak and spent that he could not speak much.

3. He would never shew forwardness to speak to, or talk with them, but was glad when they held their tongues. He would ask them no question about his state and another world, or how he should escape that damnation that he had deserved.

4. He had got a haunt at last to bid his wife and keeper, when these good people attempted to come to see him, to tell them that he was asleep or inclining to sleep, or so weak for want thereof, that he could not abyde any noyse. And so they would serve them time after time, till at last they were discouraged from coming to see him any more.

5. He was so hardned, now, in this time of his sickness, that he would talk, when his companions came unto him, to the disparagement of those good men (and of their good doctrine too) that of love did come to see him, and that did labour to convert him.

6. When these good men went away from him, he would never say, Pray when will you be pleased to come again, for I have a desire to more of your company, and to hear more of your good instruction? No not a word of that, but when they were going would scarce bid them drink, or say, Thank you for your good company, and good instruction.

7. His talk in his sickness with his companions, would be of the World, as Trades, Houses, Lands, great Men, great Titles, great places, outward Prosperity, or outward Adversity, or some such carnal thing.