A mirrour or looking-glasse both for saints and sinners held forth in about two thousand examples wherein is presented as Gods wonderful mercies to the one, so his severe judgments against the other collected out of the most classique authors both ancient and modern with some late examples observed by my self : whereunto are added the wonders of nature and the rare ... / by Sa. Clark ...

CHAP. LIV. Examples of Ingratitude, Unthankful∣nesse, Unkindenesse.

IT's a great sinne, 2 Tim. 3. 2. Prov. 17. 13.

Plagued by God, Prov. 17. 13.

Scriptural examples: Pharaohs butler, Gen. 40. 23. Laban to Jacob, Gen 31. 1. Pharaoh to Joseph, Exod. 1. 8. Act. 7. 18. Israelites to Moses, Exod. 17. 3. Corah and his companions, Num. 16. 3. Nabal to David, 1 Sam. 25. 14, 15. Hanun, 2 Sam. 10. 4. Joash to Jehoiadah, 2 Chron. 24. 21. Men of Keilah, 1 Sam. 23. 11. Saul to David, 1 Sam. 19. 4, 5. & 20. 30. & 24. 9, 10. & 26. 2, 8. David to Uriah, 2 Sam. 11. 15. The nine Lepers, Luk. 17. 18. The Jews, Act. 3. 14. Hezekiah, 2 Chron. 32. 25.

Other examples: Miltiades a brave Captain of the [ 1] Athenians, who had prosperously carried on their Wars for a great while together, at length miscarrying in one enterprize, he was accused to the people, and

himselfe lying sick of a dangerous wound in his thigh, some friends pleaded for him, minding the Athenians of the great services which he had done them, yet like ungrateful wretches they fined him fifty Talents, which Cymon his son payed for him to get him out of prison: shortly after which he died. Herodot.

Pythius, a mighty rich man royally entertained, and [ 2] feasted Xerxes, and all his huge Army consisting of above a million of men, and proffered him an huge summe of gold besides towards the charges of the War, after which Xerxes having pressed his five sons for the War, Pythius went to him, intreating him to release his eldest sonne to be a comfort, and support to his old age: But Xerxes being angry at his request, most ungratefully caused his son to be cut in two peeces, and laid in the way for his Army to march over. Herod.

Themistocles that had deserved so well of the Athe∣nians [ 3] by all those great victories that they had obtain∣ed under his conduct, was at last through the envie of his Citizens, in a most ungrateful manner banished the City, and forced to flie to his mortal enemy Artaxerxes King of Persia, with whom yet he found more favour then with his own Citizens. Diodor. Plut.

Themistocles used to say, that the Athenians dealt with [ 4] him when they were in danger, as men deale with a great oake, when a tempest comes they runne under it for shelter, but when the tempest is over, they most ungrate∣fully crop, and lop off the houghs of it. Justin.

Aristides the Just, that had done as much for the [ 5] Athenians as any man both in peace, and war, yet upon envy was banished by his ungrateful Citizens. Plut. See more of it in Envy.

Miltiades after his great victories requested of the [ 6]

Athenians that they would give him a laurel crowne as a reward for all his services; whereupon an ungrate∣ful person stood up, and said, O Miltiades, when thou fightest alone, and overcomest the Barbarians alone, then alone request a reward. Justin.

Cimon, a brave General of the Athenians, who by [ 7] his valour, and Policy had exceedingly advanced that Common-wealth, was at last by his ingrateful Citi∣zens driven into banishment. Plut.

See the example of Camillus in Revenge.

An army of ten thousand Greeks going with Cyrus [ 8] into Persia against Artaxerxes M. after the death of Cyrus, who was slaine in the battel, in despite of Artaxerxes, and all his huge Army, returned under the command of Xenophon, through all those vast Kingdomes, and countreys, in each of which they met with great Armies to oppose them, besides the in∣terposition of many great rivers, and difficulties of the wayes, and at last having passed through a thousand dangers, arrived in safety in their own countrey, where the Athenians instead of rewarding the Virtue, and Valour of Xenophon, most ungratefully banished him, under a pretence that he went to fight against the King of Persia. Plut.

Pausanias, a gallant General of the Lacedemonians [ 9] after all the service that he had done for his countrey, was upon trivial occasions, accused by the common people, and banished. Plut. See the Example of Alex∣ander M. in Anger.

Pub. Scipio Affricanus after all the great things [ 10] which he had done for his countrey was accused by the Tribunes of the people, for concealing some mo∣ney which belonged to the common treasury, where∣upon

he brought forth his book of accounts, and shewed it before all the people, saying, On this very day I overcame Carthage; Let us go to the Capitol, and give the gods thanks, and so he went into voluntary exile, and when he was ready to die, he desired his wife that his dead body might not be carried to Rome, saying, Tu ingrata patria, ne mortui quidem ossa habebis: Thou ungrateful Countrey, shalt not have so much as my dead bones. Plut.

Lepidus, Antonius, and Augustus having divided the [ 11] Romane Empire amongst themselves, agreed to pro∣scribe their enemies, amongst which number Cicero was accounted one by Antony, because he had freely written against his exorbitant courses: Augustus stood oft three dayes before he consented to his proscription, having received great favours from him, yet at last yielded: Cicero hearing of it, fled to Cajetta, and there taking ship intended to escape, but was often driven back with the windes, so that at last he said, Moriar in patria saepè serva••a; I will die in my countrey which I have often saved: yet when his servants heard that the murtherers approached they perforce put him into a Liter, and carried him away: but when the murtherers had overtaken him, he with an un∣daunted countenance put his head out of the Liter to receive the fatal stroake: and so had his head cut off by Popilius Lenas, whom a little before he had saved from the gallowes for murther. Plut.

When Tamerlane the Great had overcome, and [ 12] taken prisoner Bajazet the great Turk, he asked him, whether he had ever given God thanks for making him so great an Emperour? Bajazet ingenuously confessed that he had never so much as thought upon such a thing: To whom Tamerlane replied: That is was no wonder so ungrateful a man should be made a spectacle of misery:

For (saith he) you being blinde of one eye, and I lame of one leg, what worth was there in us, that God should set us over two such great Empires, to command so many men far more worthy then our selves? See his life in my se∣cond Part.

Lycurgus would make no Law against ingrati∣tude, [ 13] because he thought that no man would fall so far below Reason as not thankfully to acknowledge a benefit.

The Persians accounted this sin of ingratitude so hai∣nous, [ 14] that such as were found guilty of it were not suf∣fered to live.

Plato used to call Aristotle a Mule, which being not [ 15] satified with his mothers milke useth to kick her with his heeles, closely taxing him of ingratitude, for that when he had received almost all his learning from him, yet he set up a School, wherein he used to speak much against him. AElian.

Antonius Caracalla being made Emperour caused [ 16] many innocent men to be put to death, and amongst the rest Cilon, who had brought him up, and from whom he had received so many favours that former∣ly he used to call him Father. Dion.

Alexander M. most ungrateful in a feast slew [ 17] Clitus whose mother had been his nurce, and who a little before in a great battel had saved Alexanders life. Sab.

The Carthaginians who in the first Punick Warres [ 18] had been notably holpen by Xantippus the Lacedemo∣nian, and by whose assistance they had taken King Attalus prisoner, when they had done with him, pretending to carry him home into his Countrey, they most ungratefully drowned him by the way. Val. Max.

Octavius Augustus when he understood that a [ 19]

Senatour whom he dearly loved was much in debt, of his own accord he payed it all, which the Senatour hearing of, wrote only to him, At mihi nihil, But thou hast given me nothing: because all the money which he payed for him, went to others. Suet.

The Syracusians being freed from the Tyranny of [ 20] Dionysius by the extraordinary diligence▪ charges, and perill of Dion, shortly after most ungrate∣fully banished him out of their City, and a while after calling him home againe, they falsely accused him of treason and executed him. Fulgos.

In the last dayes perilous times shall come: For men shall be,—unthankful, unholy, &c.

2 Tim. 3. 1, 2.