Life and Death of Mr. Badman. John Bunyan
several felonious Actions; to all which he heartily confessed Guilty, and so was hanged with his Wife at the same time.
Atten. This is a remarkable Story indeed, and you think it is a true one.
Wise. It is not only remarkable, but pat to our purpose. This Thief, like Mr. Badman, began his Trade betimes; he began too where Mr. Badman began, even at robbing of Orchards, and other such things, which brought him, as you may perceive, from sin to sin, till at last it brought him to the publick shame of sin, which is the Gallows.
As for the truth of this Story, the Relator told me that he was at the same time himself in the Court, and stood within less than two yards of old Tod, when he heard him aloud to utter the words.
Atten. These two sins of lying and stealing were a bad sign of an evil end.
Wise. So they were, and yet Mr. Badman came not to his end like old Tod; Though I fear, to as bad, nay, worse than was that death of the Gallows, though less discerned by spectators; but more of that by and by. But you talk of these two sins as if these were all that Mr. Badman was addicted to in his Youth: Alas, alas, he swarmed with sins, even as a Begger does with Vermin, and that when he was but a Boy.
Atten. Why what other sins was he addicted to, I mean while he was but a Child?
Wise. You need not ask, to what other sins was he, but to what other sins was he not addicted, that is, of such as suited with his Age: for a man may safely say, that nothing that was vile came amiss to him; if he was but capable to do it. Indeed some sins there be that Childhood knows not how to be tampering with; but I speak of sins that he was capable of committing, of which I will nominate two or three more. And,
First, He could not endure the 31 Lords Day, because of the Holiness that did attend it; the beginning of that Day was to him as if he was going to Prison, (except he could get out from his Father and Mother, and lurk in by-holes among his Companions, untill holy Duties were over.) Reading the Scriptures, hearing Sermons, godly Conference, repeating of Sermons, and Prayer, were things that he could not away with; and therefore if his Father on such days, (as often he did, though sometimes notwithstanding his diligence, he would be sure to give him the slip) did keep him strictly to the observation of the day, he would plainly shew by all carriages that he was highly discontent therewith: he would sleep at Duties, would talk vainly with his Brothers, and as it were, think every godly opportunity seven times as long as it was, gruding till it was over.
Atten. This his abhorring of that day, was not, I think, for the sake of the day itself: for as it is a day, it is nothing else but as other days of the Week: But I suppose it were, think every godly as it was, grudging till it that day, was not, I think) as it is a day, it is nothing of the Week: But I suppose that the 32 reason of his loathing of it, was, for that God hath put sanctity and holiness upon it; also because it is the day above all the days of the week that ought to be spent in holy Devotion, in remembrance of our Lords Resurrection from the dead.
Wise. Yes, ’twas therefore, that he was such an enemy to it, even because more restraint was laid upon him on that day, from his own ways, than were possible should be laid upon him on all others.
Atten. Doth not God by instituting of a day unto holy Duties, make great proof how the hearts and inclinations of poor people do stand to Holiness of heart, and a Conversation in [h]oly duties?
Wise. 33 Yes doubtless; and a man shall shew his Heart and his Life what they are, more by one Lords-day, than by all the days of the week besides: And the reason is, because on the Lords-day there is a special restraint laid upon men as to Thoughts and Life, more than upon other days of the week besides. Also, men are enjoyned on that day to a stricter performance of holy Duties, and restraint of worldly business, than upon other days they are; wherefore, if their hearts incline not naturally to good, now they will shew it, now they will appear what they are. The Lords Day is a kind of an Emblem of the heavenly Sabbath above, and it makes manifest how the heart stands to the perpetuity of Holiness, more than to be found in a transient Duty, does.
On other days a man may be in and out of holy Duties, and all in a quarter of an hour; but now, the Lords Day is, as it were, a day that enjoyns to one perpetual Duty of Holiness: Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day, 34 (which by Christ is not abrogated, but changed, into the First of the week,) not as it was given in particular to the Jews, but as it was sanctified by him from the Beginning of the world; and therefore is a greater proof of the frame and temper of a mans heart, and does more make manifest to what he is inclined, than doth his other performance of Duties: Therefore God puts great difference between them that truly call (and walk in) this day as holy, and count it Honourable, 35 upon the account that now they have an opportunity to shew how they delight to honour him; 36 in that they have, not only an Hour, but a whole Day to shew it in: I say, he puts great difference between these, and that other sort that say, When will the Sabbath be gone, that we may be at our worldly business. 37 The first he calleth a Blessed man, but brandeth the other for an unsanctified worldling. And indeed, to delight ourselves in Gods service upon his Holy days, gives a better proof of a sanctified Nature, than to grudge at the coming, and to be weary of the holy duties of such dayes, as Mr. Badman did.
Atten. There may be something in what you say, for he that cannot abide to keep one day holy to God, to be sure he hath given a sufficient proof that he is an unsanctified man; and as such, what should he do in Heaven? that being the place where a perpetual Sabath is to be kept to God; 38 I say, to be kept for ever and ever. And for ought I know, one reason why one day in seven, hath been by our Lord set apart unto holy Duties for men, may be to give them conviction that there is enmity in the hearts of sinners to the God of Heaven, for he that hateth Holiness, hateth God himself. They pretend to love God, and yet love not a holy day, and yet love not to spend that day in one continued act of holiness to the Lord: They had as good say nothing as to call him Lord, Lord, and yet not doe the things that he says. And this Mr. Badman was such an one: he could not abide this day, nor any of the Duties of it. Indeed, when he could get from his Friends, and so 39 spend it in all manner of idleness and profaneness, then he would be pleased well enough: but what was this but a turning the day into night, or other than taking an opportunity at Gods forbidding, to follow our Callings, to solace and satisfie our lusts and delights of the flesh. I take the liberty to speak thus of Mr. Badman, upon a confidence of what you, Sir, have said of him, is true.
Wise. You needed not to have made that Apology for your censuring of Mr. Badman, for all that knew him, will confirm what you said of him to be true. He could not abide either that day, or any thing else that had the stamp or image of God upon it. Sin, sin, and to do the thing that was naught, was that which he delighted in, and that from a little Child.
Atten. I must say again, I am sorry to hear it, and that for his own sake, and also for the sake of his Relations, who must needs be broken to pieces with such doings as these: For, for these things sake comes the wrath of God upon the Children of disobedience: 40 and doubtless he must be gone to Hell, if he died without Repentance; and to beget a Child for Hell, is sad for Parents to think on.
Wise. Of his Dying, as I told you, I will give you a Relation anon, but now we are upon his Life, and upon the Manner of his Life in his Childhood, even of the sins that attended him then, some of which I have mentioned already; and indeed I have mentioned but some, for yet there are more to follow, and those not at all inferiour to what you have already heard.
Atten. Pray what were they?
Wise. Why he was greatly given, and that while a Lad, to grievous 41 Swearing and Cursing: yea, he then made no more of Swearing and Cursing, than I do of telling my fingers. Yea, he would do it without provocation thereto. He counted it a glory to Swear and Curse,
Badman could not abide the Lords Day.
Why Badman could not abide the Lords Day.
God proves the heart what it is, by instituting of the Lords day, and setting it apart to his service.
Gen. 2. 2. Exod. 31. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17. Mar. 16. 1. Acts 20. 7. 1 Cor. 16. 1, 2. Mar. 2. 27, 28. Revel. 1. 10.
Isa. 5. 8, 13.—Could not see where this fits in the text.—DP.
Chap. 56. 2.
Amos 8. 5.
Heb. 4. 9.
How Badman did use to spend the Lords Day.
Ephes. 5. 6.
Badman given to Swearing and Cursing.