there are others here; it was because
they were tyrants, apostates, perjured wretches, wicked persecutors and
bloody deceitful men: a Charles on the throne, a Lauderdale in the
state, a M'Kinzie at the bar, a Jefferies on the bench, a Dalziel in the
army, and a Judas Sharp in the church, amongst others inrolled in the
annals of time, (and we may fear in eternity too) are terrible monuments
of this.--It is true, all this black group attained not the same
altitude of wickedness; but they all acted from the same principle, and
bended toward the same point, and that was to propagate Satan's kingdom,
and persecute the saints of the Most High, as far as their power,
station and office would allow; (although some of them were more humane
than others) yet they must all be brought to the same standard, seeing
divine sovereignty has ordered it so.

_6thly_, It is here hoped, that none of the offspring of those will be
offended at what is related of their ancestors, unless they approve of
their deeds; seeing no man can help the evil qualities of his
forefathers. A good Jehoshaphat begat a wicked Jehoram and a wicked
Ahaz, and Amnon begat a good Josiah. And though the Lord has declared
that he will visit the iniquities of the fathers upon the children, yet
he has also said, The son shall not die for the iniquity of his father;
if he turn from it, he shall live.--It is granted, that virtuous and
religious lives are necessary to be set before us for our example, and
why should not the contrary vices be eschewed by viewing a portrait of
the reverse qualities? for he who has said that the memory of the just
shall be blessed, has also said, that the memory of the wicked shall
rot; that is, they shall either sink into oblivion, or else in consuming
away shall become nauseous unto posterity, as says the prophet, _Their
everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten_.

_Lastly_, For the matter and method of the following examples, though
there be severals of them touched at in the lives of the Scots worthies
as connected with the subject, yet I have brought them unto this
composition, that the reader may view them all at once; and for the
method I have arranged them in, each example is as near the order of
time when they died as could be guessed, and as concise as possible,
being restricted to such narrow limits. As for the authority of the
authors from whom they are collected, (except a few relations as well
vouched as at present could