396 LIVES OF THE PURITANS. Lord is the death,of his saints.-He that toucheth the Lord's people, toucheth the apple of his eye.* He then told them he had no more to say for himself; only one word for the Lord, and thenhe had done : " Jesus Christ the Son of God, is King of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and of all the kingdoms of the world." He had no sooner spoken this, than he was silenced, and the judge immediately pronounced upon him the following sentence John James, thou hast " been here indicted, arraigned, and tried, as a false traitor of " his majesty, his crown and dignity, and hast put thyself upon " the trial of God and thy country, and the country hath found " thee guilty ; and therefore, John James, thou art to be " carried from hence to prison, and from thence to the place " of execution, and there to be hanged by the neck, and, being °' yet alive, to be cut down, and thy bowels to be taken out, " and to be burnt before thy face, (a fire being prepared,) and " thy head to be severed from thy body, and thy body to be " quartered, and thy head and body to be disposed of accord- " to the king's pleasure." This being clone, Mr. James had only time to say, " Blessed be God, that he whom man hath condemned God hath justified," and so was immediately carried to Newgate, where he was confined in adungeon. During his confinement in the dungeon, one of his friends visiting him, and weeping over him, he, with a smiling coun- tenance, said, " I beseech you, let me not see any of this, for all is well. I beseech you forbear such carriage, which will encourage the Lord's enemies. I pray you let me not see a sad countenance from any of you.' To others of his friends he said, " This poorweak body has often been near the gates of death, and now the Lord chooses to take it off in such a way as this. Oh ! blessed be God ! let him take it." He Spoke much of the goodness of God, who supported and comforted him under so great a trial ; and added, " I have got the start of my brethren, and am going to the place where the wicked cease from troubling, and where the weary are at rest.' God bath delivered me from all my fears. My good Lord hath helped me over two of my steps, and I have only one more to get over : I am goingto a place where my sins will trouble me no snore." Being asked how he did, he replied, " I bless God I amwell; never better in all my lite. No poor creature ever dreaded this condition more than I have done. I have been so much afraid of a prison; that I have trembled to think of it, and Jer. xxvi. 14, 15.-Psalsa cxvi. 15.-Zech. ii. 8.
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