evil; he knew he lied; he knew he dissembled; yea, he knew that he made use of the name of God, of religion, good men, and good books, but as a stalking-horse, thereby the better to catch his game. In all this his

glorious pretence of religion, he was but a glorious painted hypocrite, and hypocrisy is the highest sin that a poor carnal wretch can attain unto; it is also a sin that most dareth God, and that also bringeth the greater damnation. Now was he a whited wall, now was he a painted sepulchre, now was he a grave that appeared not; For this poor, honest, godly damsel, little thought that both her peace, and comfort, and estate, and liberty, and person, and all, were going to her burial, when she was going to be married to Mr Badman; and yet so it was, she enjoyed herself but little afterwards; she was as if she was dead and buried to what she enjoyed before.

Atten. Certainly some wonderful judgment of God must attend and overtake such wicked men as these.

Wise. You may be sure that they shall have judgment to the full for all these things, when the day of judgment is come. But as for judgment upon them in this life, it doth not always come, no not upon those that are worthy thereof: "They that tempt God are delivered, and they that work wickedness are set up" But they are reserved to the day of wrath; and then for their wickedness, God will repay them to their faces: "The wick

ed 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 remain in the tomb" 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?

Wise. Yes; Hamor and Shechem, and all the men of their city, for attempting to make God and religion the stalking-horse 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. All manner of lying and dissembling is dreadful; but to make Gd 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; buthe 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 must, or must do worse; so he appointed them a time, and they came for their money, and he paid them down with her money, before her eyes, 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 fear it filled her with trouble enough; as I think such a beginning would have done one perhaps much stronger than she.

Wise. Trouble, ay, 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 be an advantage to others, that will 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.

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 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 cloaths, who cast them off, or leave them to others to wear; for his part he would be religious no longer.

Now therefore he had pulled off his vizard, and began to shew 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?

He drives good company from his wife. He goes to his whores.

Now, those good people that used to company with his wife, began to be amazed and discouraged; also he would frown and glut upon them, as if he abhorred the appearance of them; so that in a little time he drove all good company from her, and made her sit solitary by herself. He also began now to go out a-nights to those drabs who 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.

Now when he came home in this case, if his wife did but speak a word to him, about where he had been, and why he had abused himself, though her words were spoken in ever so much meekness and love, then she was whore, and bitch, and jade; and it was well if she missed his fingers and heels. Sometimes also he would bring his punks home to his house, and wo be to his wife when they were gone, if she did not entertain them with all varieties possible, and also carry it lovingly to them.

He seeks to force his wife from her religion.

Thus this good woman was made by Badman, her husband, to possess nothing but disappointments, as to all that he had promised her, or that she hoped to have at his hands. But that that added pressing weight to all her sorrow, was, that as he had cast away all religion himself, so he attempted, if possi ble, 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 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.

Now, she scarce durst go to an honest