punishment would make thee forbear, yea, would make thee tremble, even then when thy lusts were powerful, to think what a punishment thou wast sure to sustain, so soon as the pleasure was over. But oh! the folly, the madness, the desperate madness that is in the hearts of Mr. Badman's friends, who in despite of the threatenings of an holy and sin-revenging God, and of the outcries and warnings of all good men; yea, that will in despite of the groans and torments of those that are now in hell for sin, (Luke xvi. 24, 28.) go on in a sinful course of life; yea, though every sin is also a step of descent down to that infernal cave. O how true is that saying of Solomon, "The heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in the heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead," Eccles. ix. 3. To the dead! that is to the dead in hell, to the damned dead; the place to which those that have died bad men are gone; and that those that live bad men are like to go to, when a little more sin, like stolen waters, hath been imbibed by their sinful souls.

That which has made me publish this book is,

1. For that wickedness like a flood is like to drown our English world: It begins already to be above the tops of the moun ains; it has almost swallowed up all; our youth, our middle age, old age, and all, are almost carried away of this flood. O debauchery, debauchery, what hast thou done in England! Thou hast corrupted our young men, hast made our old men beasts; thou hast deflowered our virgins, and hast made matrons bawds: Thou hast made our earth to reel to and fro like a drunkard, it is in danger to be removed like a cottage; yea, it is, because transgression is so heavy upon it, like to fall and rise no more," Isa. xxiv. 20.

O that I could mourn for England! and for the sins that are com mitted therein, even while I see, that without repentance the men of God's wrath are about to deal with us, each having his slaughtering weapon in his hand, Ezek. ix. 1, 2. Well, I have written, and by God's assistance shall pray that this flood may abate in England: and could I but see the tops of the mountains above it, I should think that these waters were abating.

2. It is the duty of those that can, to cry out against this deadly plague, yea, to lift up their voice as with a trumpet against it, that men may be awakened about it, fly from it, as from that which is the greatest of evils. Sin pulled angels out of heaven, pulls men down to hell, and overthroweth kingdoms. Who, that sees an house on fire, will not give the alarm to them that dwell therein? Who, that sees the land invaded, will not set the beacons on a flame? Who, that sees the devils, as roaring lions, continually devouring souls, will not make an outcry? But above all, when we see sin, sinful sin, swallowing up a nation, sinking of a nation, and bringing its inhabitants to temporal, spiritual, and eternal ruin, shall we not cry out, and say, "They are drunk, but not with wine, they stagger, but not with strong drink;" they are intoxicated with the deadly poison of sin, which will, if its malignity be not by wholesome means allayed, bring soul and body, and estate, and country, and all, to ruin and destruction,

3. In

3. In and by this my outcry, I shall deliver myself from the ruins of them that perish; for a man can do no more in this matter, I mean as man in my capacity, than to detect and condemn the wickedness, warn the evil doer of the judgment, and fly therefrom myself. But, O that I might not only deliver myself! Oh! that many would hear, and turn at this my cry, from sin! that they may be secured from the death and judgment that attend it.

Why I have handled the matter in this method, is best known to myself: And why I have concealed most of the names of the persons whose sins or punishments i here and there in this book make relation of, is,

1. For that neither the sins nor judgments were all alike open; the sins of some were commited, and the judgments executed for them only in a corner. Not to say that I could not learn some of their names; for could I, I should not have made them public, for this

reason.

2. Because I would not provoke those of their relations that survive them; I would not justly provoke them; and yet, as I think, I should, should I have entailed their punishment to their sins, and both to their names, and so have turned them into the world.

3. Nor would I lay them under disgrace and contempt, which would, as I think, unavoidably have happened unto them, had I withal inserted their names.

*

As Job says, "God has struck them as wicked men in the open sight of others," Job. xxiv. 26. So that I cannot conceive, since their sin and judgment were so conspicuous, that my admonishing the world thereof should turn to their detriment: For the publishing of these things, are, so far as relation is concerned, intended for remembrances; that they may also bethink themselves, repent, and turn to God, lest the judgments for their sins should prove hereditary. For the God of heaven hath threatened to visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, if they hate him, to the third and fourth generation, Exod. xx. 5.

Nebuchadnezzar's punishment for his pride being open, (for he was for his sin driven from his kingly dignity, and from among men too, to eat grass like an ox, and to company with the beasts) Daniel did not stick to tell Belshazzar his son to his face thereof; nor to publish it, that it might be read and remembered by the generations to come. The same may be said of Judas and Annanias, &c. for their sin and punishment were known to all the dwellers at Jerusa❤ lem, Acts, chapters 1, and 5

Nor is it a sign but of a desperate impenitence and hardness of heart, when the offspring or relations of th se who have fallen by open, fearful, and prodigious judgments, for their sin, shall overlook, forget, pass by, or take no notice of such high outgoings of God against

It is the duty of ministers to exhort sinners to repentance, but by no means to mention names, or otherwise particularize peroms, for by making invidious comparisons with particular objects would not only be odious, but it would also be doing an injury to the church of God.

against them and their house. Thus Daniel aggravates Belshazzar's crime, for that he hardened his heart in pride, though he knew that for that very sin and transgression, his father was brought down from his height, and made to be a companion for asses. "And thou hi son, O Belshazzar, (says he) hast not humbled thy heart, though thou knewest all this," Dan. v. A home reproof indeed, but home is most fit for an open and continued transgression.

Let those then that are the offspring or relations of such, who by their own sin, and the dreadful judgments of God, are made to become a sign, (Deut. xvi. 9, 10.) having been swept as dung from off the face of the earth, beware, lest when judgment knocks at their door, for their sins, as it did before at the door of their progenitors, it falls also with as heavy a stroke as on them that went before them. Lest, I say, they in that day, instead of finding mercy, find for their high, daring, and judgment-affronting sins, judgment without mercy.

To conclude: Let those that would not die Mr. Badman's death, take heed of Mr. Badman's way's; for his ways bring to his end: Wickedness will not deliver him that is given to it; though he should cloke all with a profession of religion.

If it was a transgression of old, for a man to wear a woman's ap parel, surely it is a transgression now for a sinner to wear a christian's profession for a cloak. Wolves in sheep's clothing swarm in England this day; wolves both as to doctrine, and as to practice too. Some men make a profession, I doubt, on purpose that they may twist themselves into a trade, and thence into an estate; yea, and if need be, into an estate knavishly, by the ruins of their neighbour. Let such take heed, for those that do such things have the greater damnation.

Christain, make they profession shine by a conversation according to the gospel; or else it thou wilt damnify religion, bring scandal to thy brethren, and give offence to the enemies; and it would be better that a mill-stone was hanged about thy neck, and that thou, as so adorned, was cast into the bottom of the sea, than so to do.

Christian, a profession according to the gospel is, in these days, a rare thing: seek then after it, put it on, and keep it without spot, and, (as becomes thee) white and clean, and thou shalt be a rare christian.

The prophecy of the last times is, that professing men (for so I understand the text) shall be many of them base, 2 Tim. ii. but continue thou in the things that thou hast learned, not of wanton men, nor of licentious times, but of the word and doctrine of God, that is, according to godliness, and thou shalt walk with Christ in white.

Now, God Almighty give his people grace, not to hate or malign sinners, nor yet to chuse any of their ways, but to keep themselves pure from the blood of all men, by speaking and doing according to that name, and those rules, that they profess to know and love, Jesus Christ's sake.

JOHN BUNYAN,

for

THE

LIFE AND DEATH

OF

MR. BADMAN.

Wiseman. GOOD

OOD morrow, my good neighbour, Mr. Attentive; whither are you walking so early this morning! Methinks you look as if you were concerned about something more than ordina ry. Have you lost any of your cattle? or what is the

matter?

Attentive. Good sir, good morrow to you, I have not as yet lost aught; but yet you give a right guess of me, for I am, as you say, concerned in my heart; but it is because of the badness of the times. And, sir, you, as all our neighbours know, are a very observing man; pray, therefore, what do you think of them?

Wise. Why, I think, as you say, to wit, that they are bad times, and bad they will be, until men are better: for they are bad men that make bad times; if men therefore would mend, so would the times. It is a folly to look for good days, so long as sin is so high, and those that study its nourishment so many. God bring it down, and those that nourish it, to repentance, and then my good neighbour you will be concerned, not as you are Now you are concerned because times are so bad; but then you will be so, because times are so good: now you are concerned so as to be preplexed, but then you will be concerned so as to lift up your voice with shouting; for I dare say, could you see such days, they would make you shout.

now.

A

Atten.

Atten. Aye, so they would; such times I have prayed for, such times I have longed for; but I fear they will be worse before they are better.

Wise. Make no conclusions man: for he that hath the hearts of men in his hand, can change them from worse to better, and so bad times into good. God give long life to them that are good, and especially to those of them that are capable of doing him service in the world. The ornament and beauty of this lower world, next to God and his wonders, are the men that spangle and shine in godliness.

Now as Mr. Wiseman said this, he gave a great sigh. Atten. Amen, amen. But why, good Sir, do you sigh so deeply? is it for ought else than that for the which as you have perceived, I myself am concerned?

Wise. I am concerned with you for the badness of the times; but that was not the cause of that sigh, of the which, as I see, you take notice. I sighed at the remembrance of the death of that man for whom the bell tolled at our town yesterday.

Atten. Why, I trow Mr. Goodman, your neighbour is not dead? Indeed I did hear that he had been sick. Wise. No, no, it is not he. Had it been he, I could not but have been concerned, but yet not as I am concerned now. If he had died, I should only have been concerned for that the world had lost a light: but the man that I am concerned for now, was one that never was good, therefore such a one, who is not dead only, but damned. He died that he might die, he went from life to death, and then from death to death, from death natural to death eternal. And as he spake this, the water stood in his eyes.

Atten. Indeed, to go from a death-bed to hell is a fearful thing to think on. But good neighbour Wiseman, be pleased to tell me who this man was, and why you conclude him so miserable in his death?

Wise. Well, if you can stop, I will tell you who he was, and why I conclude thus concerning him. Atten. My leisure will admit me to stay, and I am

willing