Wise. In an angry mood we may soon out-shoot our selves, but poor wretch, as he is, he is gone to his place. But, as I said, when a good Father hath done what he can for a bad Child, and that Child shall prove never the better, he will lie down with far more peace, than if through severity, he had driven him to inconveniencies. I remember that I have heard of a good woman, that had (as this old man) a bad and ungodly {68a} son, and she prayed for him, counselled him, and carried it Motherly to him for several years together; but still he remained bad. At last, upon a time, after she had been at 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 my duty, I have done what I can to save thee; now I am satisfied, that if I shall see thee damned at the day of Judgment, I shall be so far off from being grieved for thee, that I shall rejoyce to hear the sentence of thy damnation at that day: And it converted him. I tell you, that if Parents carry it lovingly towards their Children, mixing their Mercies with loving Rebukes and their loving Rebukes with Fatherly and Motherly Compassions, they are more likely to save their Children, than by being churlish and severe toward them: but if they do not save them, if their mercy doth them no good, yet it will greatly ease them at the day of death, to consider; I have done by love as much as I could, to save and deliver my child from Hell. Atten. Well I yield. But pray let us return again to Mr. Badman: You say, that his Father gave him a piece of money that he might set up for himself. Wise. Yes, his Father did give him a piece of money, and he did set up, {68b} and almost as soon set down again: for he was not long set up, but by his ill managing of his matters at home, together with his extravagant expences 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 Creditors understood that he was about to marry, and in a fair way to get a rich Wife, they said among themselves, We will not be hasty with him, if he gets a rich Wife he will pay us all. Atten. But how could he so quickly run out, for I perceive ’twas in little time, by what you say? Wise. ’Twas in little time indeed, I think he was not above two years and a half in doing of it: but the reason {69a} is apparent; for he being a wild young man, and now having the bridle loose before him, and being wholly subjected to his lusts and vices, he gave himself up to the way of his heart, and to the sight of his eye, forgetting that for all these things God will bring him to Judgment; {69b} and he that doth thus, you may be sure, shall not be able long to stand on his leggs.