WISE. Trouble, aye, you may be sure of it, but now it was too late to repent; she should have looked better to herself when being wary would have done her good; her harms may Now she reaps be an advantage to others that will the fruit of her learn to take heed thereby, but for herself, she must take what follows, even such a life now as Mr. Badman her husband will lead her, and that will be bad enough.

They that tempt God are delivered, and they that | fear it filled her with trouble enough, as I think work wickedness are set up.' Mal. iii. 15. But they such a beginning would have done one perhaps are reserved to the day of wrath; and much stronger than she. Expectation of judgment is for then, for their wickedness, God will such things. repay them to their faces. The wicked is reserved to the day of destruction; they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath. Who shall declare his way to his face? and who shall repay him what he hath done? Yet shall he be brought to the grave, and shall remain in the tomb.' Job xxi. 30-32. That is, ordinarily they escape God's hand in this life, save only a few examples are made, that others may be cautioned, and take warning thereby. But at the day of judgment they must be rebuked for their evil with the lashes of devouring fire.

ATTEN. Can you give me no examples of God's wrath upon men that have acted this tragical wicked deed of Mr. Badman.

such as have heretofore committed this

sin of Mr. Bad

man.

WISE. Yes; Hamor and Shechem, and all the An example of men of their city, for attempting to God's anger on make God and religion the stalkinghorse to get Jacob's daughters to wife, were together slain with the edge of the sword. A judgment of God upon them, no doubt, for their dissembling in that matter. Ge. xxxiv. 1. All manner of lying and dissembling is dreadful, but to make God and religion a disguise, therewith to blind thy dissimulation from others' eyes, is highly provoking to the Divine majesty. I knew one that dwelt not far off from our town, that got him a wife as Mr. Badman got his; but he did not enjoy her long; for one night as he was riding home from his companions, where he had been at a neighbouring town, his horse threw him to the ground, where he was found dead at break of day; frightfully and lamentably mangled with his fall, and besmeared with his own blood.

ATTEN. Well, but pray return again to Mr. Badman; how did he carry it to his wife, after he was married to her?

WISE. Nay, let us take things along as we go. He had not been married but a little while, but his creditors came upon him for their money. He deferred them a little while, but at last things were come to that point that pay he is married his must, or must do worse; so he apupon him, and pointed them a time, and they came his wife s por for their money, and he payed them

After Badman

creditors come

tion pays for

whores were

before his mar

riage.

that which his down with her money, before her eyes, feasted with for those goods that he had profusely spent among his whores long before, besides the portion that his father gave him, to the value of two hundred pounds. ATTEN. This beginning was bad, but what shall I say? It was like Mr. Badman himself. Poor woman! this was but a bad beginning for her; I

unadvisedness.

ATTEN. This beginning was bad, and yet I fear it was but the beginning of bad. WISE. You may be sure that it was but the beginning of badness, for other evils Now Badman has came on apace; as, for instance, it was but a little while after he was married, but he hangs his religion upon the hedge, or rather dealt with it as men deal with their old clothes, who cast them off, or leave them to others to wear; for his part he would be religious no longer.

got him a wie by religion, he hangs it by as a thing out of use, & entertains his old companions.

Now therefore he had pulled off his vizard, and began to show himself in his old shape, a base, wicked, debauched fellow; and now the poor woman saw that she was betrayed indeed, now also his old companions begin to flock about him, and to haunt his house and shop as formerly. And who with them but Mr. Badman? And who with him again but they?

Now those good people that used to company with his wife began to be amazed and discouraged, also he would frown and glout1 upon He drives good them as if he abhorred the appearance of them, so that in little time he drove all good company from her, and made her sit solitary by herself. He also began now He goes to his

company from his wife.

to go out a-nights to those drabs who whores. were his familiars before, with whom he would stay sometimes till midnight, and sometimes till almost morning, and then would come home as drunk as a swine: and this was the course of Mr. Badman.

also he would bring his punks home to his house, | it so to all her neighbours that, though many of and woe be to his wife when they were gone if she them were but carnal, yet they would not betray did not entertain them with all varieties possible, her, or tell of her going out to the Word if they and also carry it lovingly to them. Thus this saw it, but would rather endeavour to hide it from good woman was made by Badman, her husband, Mr. Badman himself. to possess nothing but disappointments as to all that he had promised her, or that she hoped to have at his hands.

Пle seeks to force

his wife from her religion.

But that that added pressing weight to all her sorrow was that, as he had cast away all religion himself, so he attempted, if possible, to make her do so too. He would not suffer her to go out to the preaching of the word of Christ, nor to the rest of his appointments, for the health and salvation of her He mocks at her soul. He would now taunt at and reflectingly speak of her preachers, and would receive, yea, raise scandals of them, to her very great grief and affliction.

preachers.

ATTEN. This carriage of his to her was enough to break her heart.

WISE. It was enough to do it indeed, yea, it did effectually do it. It killed her in time, yea, it was all the time a killing of her. She Her repentance would oftentimes, when she sat by and complaint. herself, thus mournfully bewail her condition :Woe is me that I sojourn in Meshech,' and 'that I dwell in the tents of Kedar! My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace.' O' what shall be given unto thee,' thou 'deceitful tongue?' or what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue?' Ps.cxx. I am a woman grieved in spirit, my husband has bought me and sold me for his lusts. Now she scarce durst go to an honest neigh- It was not me, but my money that he wanted; bour's house, or have a good book in her hand, O that he had had it, so I had had my liberty! especially when he had his companions in his This she said, not of contempt of his person, but house, or had got a little drink in his head. He of his conditions,1 and because she saw that, by his Ile mocks his would also, when he perceived that hypocritical tongue, he had brought her not only wife in her de- she was dejected, speak tauntingly almost to beggary, but robbed her of the Word of and mockingly to her in the presence God. of his companions, calling of her his religious wife, his demure dame, and the like, also he would make a sport of her among his wanton ones abroad.

jection.

He refuses to let

If she did ask him, as sometimes she would, to let her go out to a sermon, he would in a churlish manner reply, Keep at home, keep at home and look to your business, we cannot live her go out to by hearing of sermons. If she still good company. urged that he would let her go, then he would say to her, Go if you dare. He would also charged her with giving of what he had to her ministers, when, vile wretch, he had spent it on his vain companions before. This was the life that Mr. Badman's good wife lived, within few months after he had married her.

ATTEN. This was a disappointment indeed. WISE. A disappointment indeed, as ever I think poor woman had. One would think that the knave might a little let her have had her will since it was nothing but to be honest, and since she brought him so sweet, so lumping a portion-for she brought hundreds into his house-I say, one would think he should have let her had her own will a little, since she desired it only in the service and worship of God; but could she win him to grant her that? No, not a bit, if it would have saved her life. True, sometimes she would steal She gets out sometimes by out when he was from home, or on a journey, or among his drunken companions, but with all privacy imaginable; and, poor woman, this advantage she had she carried

stealth.

ATTEN. It is a deadly thing, I see, to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. If The evil of being this woman had had a good hus- unequally yoked together. band, how happily might they have lived together! Such an one would have prayed for her, taught her, and also would have encouraged her in the faith and ways of God; but now, poor creature, instead of this there is nothing but the quite contrary.

WISE. It is a deadly thing indeed, and therefore, by the Word of God, his people are forbid to be joined in marriage with them. Be ye not,' saith it, 'unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? and what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?' 2 Co. vi. 14-16. There can be no agreement where such matches are made; even God himself hath declared the contrary from the beginning of the world. I,' says he, will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed.' Ge. iii. 15. Therefore he saith in another place they can mix no better than iron and clay. Da ii. 43. I say they cannot agree, they cannot be one, and therefore they should be aware at first, and not lightly receive such into their affections. God has

in the school of Christ; not to hate the sinner, but the sin; 1 This is one of the hardest lessons a disciple has to learn especially under circumstances of such cruel deception.-(ED.)

often made such matches bitter, especially to his own. Such matches are, as God said of Eli's sons that were spared, to consume the eyes and to grieve the heart. O! the wailing and lamentation that they have made that have been thus yoked, especially if they were such as would be so yoked against their light and good counsel to the contrary. ATTEN. Alas! he deluded her with his tongue, and feigned reformation.

those godly

to marry.

they would ring such a peal in their ears about the unequality, unsuitableness, disadvantages, and disquietments, and sins that attend such marriages, that would make them beware as long as they live. But the bird in the air knows not the notes of the bird in the snare until she comes thither herself. Besides, to make up such marriages, Satan and carnal reason, and lust, or at least inconsiderateness, has the chiefest hand; and where these things bear sway, designs, though never so destructive, will go headlong on; and therefore I fear that but little warning will be taken by young girls at Mr. Badman's wife's affliction.

ATTEN. But are there no dissuasive arguments to lay before such, to prevent their future misery?

WISE. Yes there is the law of God, that forbiddeth marriage with unbelievers. These kind of marriages also are condemned even by irrational creatures. 1. It is forbidden by the law of God, both in the Old Testament and in the New. 1. In the Old. Thou shalt not 'make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.' De. vii. 3. 2. In the New Testament it is forbidden.

WISE. Well, well, she should have gone more Good counsel to warily to work. What if she had mads that are acquainted some of her best, most knowing, and godly friends therewith? What if she had engaged a godly minister or two to have talked with Mr. Badman? Also, what if she had laid wait round about him, to espy if he was not otherwise behind her back than he was before her face? And besides I verily thinksince in the multitude of cousellors there is safety —that if she had acquainted the congregation with it, and desired them to spend some time in prayer to God about it, and if she must have had him, to have received him as to his godliness upon the judgment of others, rather than her own-she knowing them to be godly and judicious and unbiassed men-sheBe ye not unequally yoked together with unbehad had more peace all her life after, than to trust to her own poor, raw, womanish judgment as she did. Love is blind, and will see nothing amiss where others may see a hundred faults. Therefore I say she should not have trusted to her own thoughts in the matter of his goodness.

As to his person, there she was fittest to judge, because she was to be the person pleased, but as to his godliness, there the Word was the fittest judge, and they that could best understand it, because God A caution to was therein to be pleased. I wish young maidens. that all young maidens will take heed of being beguiled with flattering words, with feigning and lying speeches, and take the best way to preserve themselves from being bought and sold by wicked men as she was, lest they repent with her, when, as to this, repentance will do them no good, but for their unadvisedness go sorrowing to their graves.

Let Mr. Bad

ATTEN. Well things are past with this poor woman and cannot be called back, let man's wife be others beware by her misfortunes, lest your example. they also fall into her distress. WISE. That is the thing that I say, let them take heed, lest for their unadvisedness they smart, as this poor woman has done. And ah! methinks, that they that yet are single persons, and that are tempted to marry to such as Mr. Badman, would, to inform and warn themselves in this matter before they entangle themselves, but go to some that already are in the snare, and ask them how it is with them, as to the suitable or unsuitableness of their marriage, and desire their advice. Surely

lievers,' let them marry to whom they will, only in the Lord.' 2 Co. vi. 14–16. 1Co. vii. 39.

that are

marry.

Here now is a prohibition, plainly forbidding the believer to marry with the unbe- Rules for those liever, therefore they should not do it. Again, these unwarrantable marriages are, as I may so say, condemned by irrational creatures, who will not couple but with their own sort. Will the sheep couple with a dog, the partridge with a crow, or the pheasant with an owl? No, they will strictly tie up themselves to those of their own sort only. Yea, it sets all the world a wondering, when they see or hear the contrary. Man only is most subject to wink at, and allow of these unlawful mixtures of men and women; because man only is a sinful beast, a sinful bird, therefore he, above all, will take upon him, by rebellious actions, to answer, or rather to oppose and violate the law of his God and Creator; nor shall these or other interrogatories, What fellowship? what concord? what agreement? what communion can there be in such marriages? be counted of weight or thought worth the answering by him,

But further, the dangers that such do commonly run themselves into, should be to others a dissuasive argument to stop them from doing the If you love your like: for besides the distresses of Mr. soal take heed. Badman's wife, many that have had very hopeful beginnings for heaven, have, by virtue of the mischiefs that have attended these unlawful marriages, miserably and fearfully miscarried. Soon after such marriages, conviction, the first step towards heaven, hath ceased; prayer, the next step towards

And this is one reason why God hath forbidden this kind of unequal marriages. For they,' saith he, meaning the ungodly, will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods; so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.' De. vii. 4. Now mark, there were some in Israel, that would notwithstanding this prohibition, venture to marry to the heathens and unbelievers. But what followed? They served their idols, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils. Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions; therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance.' Ps. cvi. 36-40. ATTEN. But let us return again to Mr. Badman; had he any children by his wife?

ly mother do strive for the children that God doth give them.

heaven, hath ceased; hungerings and thirstings | with respect to their parents, is this. Where the after salvation, another step towards the kingdom one of the parents is godly, and the other ungodly of heaven, hath ceased. In a word, such marriages and vile, though they can agree in begetting of chilhave estranged them from the Word, from their dren, yet they strive for their children How the ungodly godly and faithful friends, and have brought them when they are born. The godly parent father, and godagain into carnal company, among carnal friends, strives for the child, and by prayers, and also into carnal delights, where, and with counsel, and good examples, labours to whom, they have in conclusion both sinfully abode, make it holy in body and soul, and so and miserably perished. fit for the kingdom of heaven; but the ungodly would have it like himself, wicked, and base, and sinful; and so they both give instructions accordingly. Instructions did I say? yea, and examples too according to their minds. Thus the godly, as Hannah, is presenting her Samuel unto the Lord: but the ungodly, like them that went before them, are for offering their children to Moloch, to an idol, to sin, to the devil, and to hell. Thus one hearkeneth to the law of their mother and is preserved from destruction, but as for the other, as their fathers did, so do they. Thus did Mr. Badman and his wife part some of their children betwixt them; but as for the other three that were, as it were, mongrels, betwixt both, they were like unto those that you read of in Kings, they feared the Lord, but served their own idols. 2 Ki. xvii. had, as I said, their mother's notions, and I will add, profession too; but their father's lusts, and something of his life. Now their father did not like them, because they had their mother's tongue; and the mother did not like them because they had still their father's heart and life; nor were they indeed fit company for good or bad. The good would not trust them because they were bad, the bad would not trust them because they were good; namely, the good would not trust them because they were bad in their lives, and the bad would not trust them because they were good in their words. So they were forced with Esau to join in affinity with Ishmael; to wit, to look out a people that were hypocrites like themselves, and with them they matched, and lived, and died.

WISE. Yes, seven.

had by this good

woman.

ATTEN. I doubt they were but badly brought up. WISE. One of them loved its mother dearly, and Badman's chil- would constantly hearken to her voice. dren that he Now that child she had the opportunity to instruct in the principles of Christian religion, and it became a very gracious child. But that child Mr. Badman could not abide, he would seldom afford it a pleasant word, but would scowl and frown upon it, speak churlishly and doggedly to it, and though, as to nature, it was the most feeble of the seven, yet it oftenest felt the weight of its father's fingers. Three of his children did directly follow his steps, and began to be as vile as, in his youth, he was himself. The other that remained became a kind of mongrel1 professors, not so bad as their father, nor so good as their mother, but were betwixt them both. They had their mother's notions, and their father's actions, and were much like those that you read of in the book of Nehemiah; these children were half of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews' language, but according to the language of each people.' Ne. xiii. 24.

ATTEN. What you say in this matter is observable, and if I take not my mark amiss, it often happeneth after this manner where such unlawful marriages are contracted.

They

ATTEN. Poor woman, she could not but have much perplexity.

WISE. Yea, and poor children, that ever they were sent into the world as the fruit of the loins, and under the government of such a father as Mr. Badman.

ATTEN. You say right, for such children lie almost under all manner of disadvantages: but we must say nothing, because this also is the sovereign will of God.

WISE. We may not by any means object against God; yet we may talk of the advantages and disadvantages that children have by having for their

WISE. It sometimes doth so, and the reason, parents such as are either godly or the contrary.

Mixed, impure.

"Tis true, the cause is in the lurch

Between the right and mongrel church.'-Hudibras.-(ED.)

ATTEN. You say right, we may so, and pray now, since we are about it, speak something in brief unto it, that is, unto this: what advantage

those children have above others, that have for such godly ministers as she liked, but said, if she their parents such as indeed are godly?

ATTEN. You said a while ago that this Mr. Badman would not suffer his wife to go out to hear | stables.—(ED.)