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fecuring their everlafting Peace; nay, as they die in the actual Breach of the Sixth Commandment, being at least intentionally, if not actually Murderers, there is room for the moft melancholly and ftrongest Prefumption of their eternal Miscarriage.

Leaving this Point however to that great Day when all Secrets will be laid open, we will go on to produce fome Inftances of the fatal Conféquences of tranfgreffing this Law; and of this we think we cannot have a more remarkable Example than that of David. We have already feen how very fcrupulous that good Man was upon this Head with refpect to Saul; and yet we find him afterwards fo much off his Guard; that having been betrayed into Adultery with Bathfbeba, in order to conceal one Crime by another, he is guilty of the barbarous and premeditated Murder of the innocent Uriah.

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But what was the Iffue of fuch enormous Wickednefs? Did he escape Punishment? Far from it; though the Lord, who faw the Sincerity of his Repentance was pleafed fo far to pardon him, as not to require his Life, yet did he vifit him with fuch heavy Judgments, as, to a good Man, were worfe than Death itself. First, his eldest Son Amnon luft's after his Sifter Tamar, and ravisheth her; for which her Brother Abfalom murders him two Years afterwards in cold Blood. Scarcely hath David overcome this Affliction, and restored Abfalom to Favour, when this unnatural Parricide, who was his Favourite, rebels against his Father, lies openly with his Concubines, in the Sight of all Ifrael, aud being defeated in Battle, is flain by Joab, contrary to the express Command of David, who doated on him: And tho' he did not live to fee the Death of Adonijah, another of his Sons, whom also he tenderly loved, yet as he knew of his treading in the Steps of Abfalom, and setting himself up for King, whereas the LORD had defigned the Crown for Solo

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mon, he had all the Reason in the World to apprehend that he likewife would die a violent Death. And now would not all thefe Afflictions, one upon the Heels of another, be more grievous to an indulgent Parent as David was, than even Death itfelf? Certainly they would; and yet fuch, we fee, were the heavy Inflictions of GOD upon that excellent Man for the Breach of this Law, though we aretold of him, that he was without Fault, except in the Matter of Uriah,

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But we have no need to go so far for Examples of the fatal Effects of violating this Commandment; fince our own Country, and our own Times, will furnish us but with too many, and fhew us how much in vain they flatter themselves, who hope to escape Punishment for fo crying a Sin, though they have no other Witnesses thereto, than the All-feeing Eye of Heaven; and of this the notorious Catherine Hayes, was a moft fhocking and remarkable Inftance.

This barbarous Woman, though bleffed with agood Husband, who did not fuffer her to want for any thing reafonable, was rot fatisfied therewith, because the had not all at her Difpofal to spend upon her Lufts, refolved deliberately to fend him out of the World, that the might then be at full Liberty to indulge herfelf without Reftraint with her wicked Paramours and Accomplices Billings and Wood, In order hereto, as if her Revenge would not have been compleat, unless fhe deftroyed his Soul as well as his Body, it was agreed between them first to make him drunk, and then knock out his Brains while fleeping.

Accordingly they did fo, having provoked the poor Man, by laying a Wager, to fwallow more Liquor than ufual, fo that he was quite ftupified, without any Remorse they dispatched him, unthinking

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of any Harm, and unapprehenfive of any Danger, in that wretched Condition. This done, in order to prevent a Discovery, thofe hardened Profligates feparate the Head from the lifelefs Carcafe, and mangle the Face in fuch a Manner, that it was next to an Impoffibility it should be known; not only fo, but they cut off the Legs, Arms, and Thighs, in order to their being more easily conveyed away, and watching their Opportunity, carry off the Limbs and Trunk unperceived, under Cover of the Night, to a Pond at fome Distance from their Lodging, and putting the Head into a Pail, lug it as far as the Wool-ftaple, and there throw it into the Thames from the Side of a Lighter, never more to rife in Judg ment against them, as they vainly imagined.

They now fuppofed themselves fecure from being detected in their Wickedness, but how grievously were they mistaken! First, the Head is brought to Light, and though hacked and disfigured to fuch a Degree, as fcarce to have any Part free from Cuts, after being expofed for fome Time to the public View upon a Pole in St. Margaret's Churchyard, is fufpected by one of Mr. Hayes's Acquaintance to be that unfortunate Man's. Soon after the Limbs and Body are found alfo, though at a quite contrary Part of the Town, and proved to belong to the fame Corpfe. The Woman and her Accomplices are hereupon apprehended, and the pretending he had fet out early in the Morning for the Country, where he had a fmall Eftate, to collect his Rents, Enquiry is there made after him, but no News of him to be heard: The People of the Houfe likewife, where the lodged, recollected that the Night before the Head was difcovered, they had heard People in Hayes's Room all Night, that they had gone feveral Times up and down Stairs, and opened and fhut the Street Door; add to this, that the Man had never been seen, either in Town or Country, face the Morning fhe faid he had left her. All

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thefe Circumstances concurring to prove he had been butchered, they were all three defervedly condemned and executed, fhe being burnt, and they hanged; Billings and Wood confeffing their Wickedness, and declaring the feveral fhocking Particulars relating to this black Scene, which fhewed the was a molt hardened Monster, and guilty not only of Murder, but Adultery, and Inceft.

The next Inftance we fhall produce of the fatal Confequences attendant upon the Commiffion of Murder, and the Improbability of escaping Punishment, however fecret Perfons may be in perpetrating fo nefarious a Deed, or however artful in their Defence if apprehended, fhall be that of the notorious Sarah Macolm. This hardened Offender was one of the Laundreffes belonging to the Temple, and used likewife, upon Occafion, to chair for fuch as wanted. Accordingly it unfortunately hap pened, by this Means, fhe became acquainted with the Circumstances of Mrs. Duncomb, an old Widow Gentlewoman, who lived in Chambers up four Pair of Stairs, together with an ancient Woman, formerly her Servant, but then fuperannuated, and a young Maiden of feventeen who did. her Work.

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This Sarah Malcolm then, by being frequently there, having obferved, and knowing the old Gentlewoman was very well to pafs, imagined it would be no difficult Matter to make herfelf Mistress of all her Effects by the Murder of these three unhappy Perfons. The old Gentlewoman, who was about fourscore, was Bedridden, her ancient Servant who was fixty, in a Manner hefplefs, and the young Maiden, who was not fo robuft as her felf, not capable of making much Refiftance, ef pecially if fet upon unawares. Accordingly this wretched Inftrument of Satan, without any Remorie, refolves upon perpetrating these three horrid

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Murders, which he effected but two eafily: This done, after having ranfacked the Chambers, and taken thence what he thought proper, to prevent all Sufpicion the fhut the Door, which went with a Spring-Lock after her, and contrived alfo by the Help of a String, to bolt it within Side.

She now fancied herself fecure from Detection, but was mightily deceived; the Divine Vengeance purfuing her, and infatuating her fo far, that tho' The had a fufficient Time, (no lefs than twentyfour Hours) to have conveyed every thing away that might have conduced to her Discovery, fhe had not the Power; nay, even after being queftioned concerning thefe Murders by one of her Mafters, and two Watchmen being ordered to take Care of her, though they were fo weak as to let her go, and take her Word for her coming again next Day, she was not able to ftir any farther than the Temple Gate, but remained there as if chained, (as indeed fhe was by the Hand of Providence) till fuch Things of Mrs. Duncomb's were found concealed by her in her Mafter's Chambers, as made it amount almoft to a Demonftration that she was guilty Hereupon fhe was fecured, and being carried before Sir Richard Brocas, was by him committed to Newgate; not long after which fhe was tried, condemned, and defervedly executed in the middle of Fleetfreet, oppofite to Mitre Court.

And fo hardened was this Criminal in her Wickedness, that the perfifted to the laft, in denying herfelf to be guilty of the Murders, which the would fain have faddled upon three innocent Perfons, who, by all Circumftances, appeared to be innocent, and were accordingly acquitted: But the acknowledged fhe was acceffary to the Robbery, because a Tankard, and Money of the old Gentlewoman's, being found upon her, were fufficient Proofs thereof, and would have rendered her do

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