old man give him mo

bove two hun

ecause he changed a good master for a bad, &c. He should not therefore have given him money so soon. What if he had pinched a little, and gone to journey-work for a time, that he might have known what a penny was, by his earning of it? Then, in all probability, he had known better how t

ew, or had at this present forgot what the bowels and compassions of a father are. Why, did you not serve your own son so? But it is evident enough that we are better at giving good counsel to others, than we are at tak

as I said, the son would have done as you suppose. But if he had done as

dstrong stomach, he had gone to the highway for money, and so had brought himself to the gallows, and his father and family to great contempt, or if by so doing he had not brought himself to that end, yet he had added to all his wickedness such and such evils besides; and wh

vice in the cause; but truly you have given me such an account of

t, as I said, when a good father hath done what he can for a bad child, and that child shall prove never the

prayer, as she was wont, for his conversion, she comes to him, and thus, or to this effect, begins again to admonish him. Son, said she, thou hast been and art a wicked child, thou hast cost me many a prayer and tear, and yet thou remainest wicked. Well, I have done

erly compassions, they are more likely to save their children, than by being churlish and severe towards them: but if they do not save them, if their mercy do

o Mr. Badman. You say, that his father gave him a p

gether with his extravagant expenses abroad, he was got so far into debt, and had so little in his shop to pay, that he was hard put to it to keep himself out of prison. But when his cr

ly run out, for I perceive it wa

egs. Besides he had now an addition of new companions; companions you must think most like himself in manners, and so such that cared not who sunk, if they themselves might swim. These would often be haunting of him, and of his shop too when he was absent. They would commonly egg[33] him to the alehouse, but yet make him jack-pay-for-all; they would also be borrowing money of him, but take no care to pay again, except it was with more of their company, which also he liked very well;

'He that keepeth company with harlots,' and 'a compa

his own comfort, and credit among his neighbours. 'But he that followeth after vain persons, shall have poverty enough' (Prov 28:19). The way that he took, led him directly into this condition; for who can expect other things of one that follows such courses? Besides, when he was in his shop, he could no

uld have considered the hand of God that was gone out against

r in all his life, and was as high too in the pursuit of his sin, as when he was in the midst o

at did he do when a

t he was as well to pass as he was the first day he set up for himself, yea that he had rather got t

edness, it was a sin to say

that that he will not do, that is lef