o nothing but divine wisdom and sovereignty. But there
have been as many instances of both kinds as may serve for a monitor
both to saints and sinners, to encourage the one and deter the other,
and _that others may hear and fear_. Again, there have been several of
these wicked enemies of God even in our own land, whose deaths have been
as remarkable as those now related, which have either not been recorded,
or else the records have been lost, and cannot now, after such a long
time elapsed, be retrieved[267]. And

_4thly_, This may be observed, That, though numbers in this black
catalogue have nothing different as to the taking away of the life
temporal, such as by heading, hanging, &c., from what has befallen
God's dear children and martyrs,--yet it is the cause of their death,
their disposition and frame at that time, must only cast the scale of
balance. Jesus as man, and the obstinate malefactor on the cross, are an
illustrating proof of this: for, while the one goes off the stage
triumphing in the justice of their cause under the sensible
manifestations of God's gracious presence, crying out, Farewel, friends
and relations, holy scriptures, duties, sun, moon, stars,--all created
enjoyments:--Welcome, death, scaffold, gibbet for precious Christ;
welcome eternity, glory, angels, spirits of just men made perfect;
welcome, Jesus Christ, Spirit of all grace, God the judge of all, and
life for evermore:--The other (although I do not meddle with their
eternal state, as being no-ways my province or prerogative to determine
upon) at least those I have here condescended upon, died either in a
senseless, secure, supine stupidity, or else belching out the most
fearful oaths, and imprecations against themselves or others, or worse,
if worse may be, roaring out in despair in the most dreadful horror of
an awakened conscience under the sense of God's wrath and fiery
indignation ready to be poured forth upon them for their former wicked
lives; which must be one of the most exquisite torments in this life, as
expressed by the poet,

----_Siculi non invenere Tyranni
Tormentum majus._----

Nay, some have had very wicked lives or actions in life, and yet through
the Lord's goodness have obtained mercy at last, though none of this
stamp to my knowledge, as far as could be discerned, are brought into
this category[268]. And

_5thly_, Let none think that I have dragged any in here, because they
were king, queen, or bishop; no,