Part 17 (1/2)

In pag. 148, he tells us also: That there was one at Salisbury, in the midst of his health drinking and carousing in a Tavern; and he drank a health to the Devil, saying, That if the Devil would not come and pledge him, he would not believe that there was either G.o.d or Devil. Whereupon his companions stricken with fear, hastened out of the room: and presently after, hearing a hideous noise, and smelling a stinking savour, the Vintner ran up into the chamber; and coming in, he missed his Guest, and found the window broken, the Iron barr in it bowed, and all b.l.o.o.d.y: But the man was never heard of afterwards.

Again, in pag. 149. he tells us of a Bailiff of Hedly: Who upon a Lords Day being drunk at Melford, got upon his horse, to ride through the streets, saying, That his horse would carry him to the Devil: and presently his horse threw him, and broke his neck. These things are worse than the breaking of Mr. Badmans Leg, and should be a caution to all of his friends that are living, lest they also fall by their sin into these sad Judgements of G.o.d.

But, as I said, Mr. Badman quickly forgot all, his conscience was choaked, before his legg was healed. And therefore, before he was well of the fruit of one sin, he tempts G.o.d to send another Judgment to seize upon him: And so he did quickly after. For not many months after his legg was well, he had a very dangerous fit of sickness, insomuch that now he began to think he must dye in very deed. {143a}

Atten. Well, and what did he think and do then?

Wise. He thought he must go to h.e.l.l; this I know, for he could not forbear but say so. {143b} To my best remembrance, he lay crying out all one night for fear, and at times he would so tremble, that he would make the very bed shake under him. {143c} But, Oh! how the thoughts of Death, of h.e.l.l-fire, and of eternal Judgment, did then wrack his conscience.

Fear might be seen in his face, and in his tossings to and fro: It might also be heard in his words, and be understood by his heavy groans. He would often cry, I am undone, I am undone; my vile life has undone me.

Atten. Then his former atheistical thoughts and principles, were too weak now to support him from the fears of eternal d.a.m.nation.

Wise. Aie! they were too weak indeed. They may serve to stifle conscience, when a man is in the midst of his prosperity, and to harden the heart against all good counsel when a man is left of G.o.d, and given up to his reprobate mind: {143d} But alas, atheistical thoughts, Notions and Opinions, must shrink and melt away, when G.o.d sends, yea comes with sickness to visit the soul of such a sinner for his sin. There was a man dwelt about 12 miles off from us, that had so trained up himself in his atheistical Notions, that at last he attempted to write a book against Jesus Christ, and against the divine Authority of the Scriptures. (But I think it was not printed:) Well, after many days G.o.d struck him with sickness, whereof he dyed. So, being sick, and musing upon his former doings, the Book that he had written came into his mind, and with it such a sence of his evil in writing of it, that it tore his Conscience as a Lyon would tare a Kid. He lay therefore upon his death-bed in sad case, {144a} and much affliction of conscience: some of my friends also went to see him; and as they were in his chamber one day, he hastily called for Pen Ink and Paper, which when it was given him, he took it and writ to this purpose. [Picture: Take note symbol] I, such an one, in such a Town, must goe to h.e.l.l-fire, for writing a Book against Jesus Christ, and against the Holy Scriptures: And would also have leaped out of the window of his house to have killed himself, but was by them prevented of that: so he dyed in his bed, such a death as it was. 'Twill be well if others take warning by him.

Atten. This is a remarkable story.

Wise. 'Tis as true as remarkable; I had it from them that I dare believe, who also themselves were eye and ear witnesses; and also that catcht him in their arms, and saved him when he would have leaped out of his chamber-window, to have destroyed himself.

Atten. Well, you have told me what were Mr. Badmans thoughts (now, being sick) of his condition; pray tell me also what he then did when he was sick?

Wise. Did! he did many things, which I am sure he never thought to have done, and which, to be sure, was not looked for of his wife and children.

In this fit of sickness, his Thoughts were quite altered about his wife; I say his Thoughts, so far as could be judged by his words and carriages to her. {144c} For now she was his good wife, his G.o.dly wife, his honest wife, his duck, and dear, and all. Now he told her, that she had the best of it, she having a good Life to stand by her, while his debaucheries and unG.o.dly Life did always stare him in the face. Now he told her, the counsel that she often gave him, was good; though he was so bad as not to take it.

Now he would hear her talk to him, and he would lie sighing by her while she so did. Now he would bid her pray for him, that he might be delivered from h.e.l.l. {145a}

He would also now consent, that some of her good Ministers might come to him to comfort him; and he would seem to shew them kindness when they came, for he would treat them kindly with words, and hearken diligently to what they said, only he did not care that they should talk much of his ill spent life, because his conscience was clogged with that already; he cared not now to see his old companions, the thoughts of them was a torment to him: and now he would speak kindly to that child of his that took after its mothers steps, though he could not at all abide it before.

He also desired the prayers of good people, that G.o.d of his mercy would spare him a little longer, promising that if G.o.d would but let him recover this once, what a new, what a penitent man he would be toward G.o.d, and what a loving husband he would be to his wife: what liberty he would give her, yea how he would goe with her himself to hear her Ministers, and how they should go hand in hand in the way to heaven together.

Atten. Here was a fine shew of things; I'le warrant you, his wife was glad for this.

Wise. His wife! Aie, and a many good people besides: it was noysed all over the Town, {145b} what a great change there was wrought upon Mr.

Badman; how sorry he was for his sins, how he began to love his wife, how he desired good men should pray to G.o.d to spare him; and what promises he now made to G.o.d in his sickness, that if ever he should raise him from his sick bed to health again, what a new penitent man he would be towards G.o.d, and what a loving husband to his good wife.

Well, ministers prayed, and good people rejoyced, thinking verily that they now had gotten a man from the Devil; nay, some of the weaker sort did not stick to say that G.o.d had began a work of Grace in his heart; and his wife, poor woman, {145c} you cannot think how apt she was to believe it so; she rejoyced, and she hoped as she would have it. But, alas!

alas! in little time things all proved otherwise.

After he had kept his Bed a while, his distemper began to abate, and he to feel himself better, so he in little time was so finely mended, that he could walk about the house, and also obtained a very fine stomach to his food: {146a} and now did his wife and her good friends stand gaping, to see Mr. Badman fulfill his promise of becoming new towards G.o.d, and loving to his wife: but the contrary only shewed it self. For so soon as ever he had hopes of mending, and found that his strength began to renew, his trouble began to goe off his heart, and he grew as great a stranger to his frights and fears, as if he had never had them.

But verily, I am apt to think, that one reason of his no more regarding, or remembring of his sick-bed fears, and of being no better for them, was, some words that the Doctor that supplied him with Physick said to him when he was mending. For as soon as Mr. Badman began to mend, the Doctor comes and sits him down by him in his house, and there fell into discourse with him about the nature of his disease; and among other things they talked of Badmans trouble, and how he would cry out, tremble, and express his fears of going to h.e.l.l when his sickness lay pretty hard upon him. To which the Doctor replyed: {146b} That those fears and Out-cries did arise from the height of his distemper, for that disease was often attended with lightness of the head, by reason the sick party could not sleep, and for that the vapours disturbed the brain: But you see Sir, quoth he, that so soon as you got sleep and betook your self to rest, you quickly mended, and your head settled, and so those frenzies left you.

And was it so indeed, thought Mr. Badman; was my troubles, only the effects of my distemper, and because ill vapours got up into my brain?

Then surely, since my Physician was my Saviour, my l.u.s.t again shall be my G.o.d. So he never minded Religion more, but betook him again to the world, his l.u.s.ts and wicked companions: And there was an end of Mr.

Badmans Conversion.

Atten. I thought, (as you told me of him) that this would be the result of the whole; for I discerned by your relating of things, that the true symptoms of conversion were wanting in him, and that those that appeared to be any thing like them, were only such as the reprobates may have.

Wise. You say right, for there wanted in him, when he was most sensible, a sence of the pollution of his Nature; he only had guilt for his sinful actions, the which Cain, and Pharaoh, and Saul, and Judas, those reprobates, have had before him. {147a}