for his goodnesse and declare the wonders that he doth for the children of men And now I have waded thorow the three generall parts of the Text thus much onely for the literall signification the tropologicall is briefly this The Church of God is this ship tossed upon the Ocean tumbled upon the unconstant billows of this troublesome world labouring with the boysterous windes of opposition opposed with the enemies of Gods grace and her peace packt and poasted from haven to haven from countrey to countrey Sometimes she is carried downe to the deepe and nethermost Hell as in the times of Nero Maximilian Domitian and other Romane Emperours as also in the dayes of Queene Mary in England Sometimes againe she is lifted up into the heaven by an happy and blessed tranquillity as in the daies and times wherein we live and the Gospell flourisheth The holy Bible is her armorie and place of defence and t is like the Tower of David Cant. 4.4 In which are weapons shields and targets for a thousand I for ten thousand thousand valiant men The Law as her fore-castle to them that went before wherein was placed the chase-pieces and thundering Cannons of legall austerities discharged by her cunning marks-men the Prophets and Patriarks against the bulwarks of heresie and Babels of sinne in all ages The Gospell is now our armory and place of defence and herein also are variety of weapons which are not carnall but spirituall and mighty through God to throw downe strong holds 2 Cor. 10.4.5 Here is the Helmet of salvation the shield of faith and Breast plate of righteousnesse the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God Eph. 6.13 which will quench the fiery darts of the devill that like a roaring Lyon goes about seeking whom he may devoure In this shippe of our English Church sits the soveraigne Majestie of our Lord and King as supreame head and governour his Nobles Lords Iudges Councellors as representative pieces of his owne Majestie sit in the steerage of estate and to them is committed the helme of government His reverend Clergie of all degrees are each of them another Palenurus or all Pilots guiding you in the right and perfect way informing your judgements reforming your lives according to the card and compasse of Gods holy Word The many promises of mercy patternes of mercy precepts of mercy presidents of mercy are as so many favourable gales and windes to further us till we come to the end of our faith the salvation of our soules All men are embarked in this ship of the Church whose pretended voyage is to the Land of Canaan but not all alike Some as passengers receive neither wages nor content in this tedious and troublesome voyage who desire a quicke and speedy passage thorow this Baca of feares this Bochim of teares and with Saint Paul to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all Others as Marriners in their owne proper element know of no other happinesse ayme at no other felicity than what the sea of this world affordeth them The longer they stay the greater their pay they have their portion here in this life and in the other they receive onely the wages which is due unto them it were better they were without it for the wages of sinne due to the servants of sinne is death both of body and soule when the former receive onely the gift of God which is eternall life I had rather stand to his courtesie than engage him to payment Before we can arrive at our Canaan of felicity our Port and haven of heaven wee must all passe through the straits of the last judgement For wee must all appeare before his iudgment sent 2. Cor. 5.10 to stand to our triall at the universall inquisition and then arrive at our desired haven where for ever we shall spend our dayes in praysing the Lord for his goodnesse and in declaring his wonders to us the children of men Angels shall meet us with our Palmes our Robes our Crownes Arch-angels with triumphs and Carols of Coelestiall blisse and while we are thus singing of our praises to the King of glory the whole host and Quire of heaven shall say Amen But so much for the literall and historicall meaning of the words Pardon my willing errour of tediousnesse Polulogie is the common fault of travellers my desire was this day to pay my vows where I am most obliged and to whom and before whom and to erect this Sermon as a Pillar of thankfulnesse and an Altar of praise that like the Prayers and Almes of Cornelius might reach up to heaven I should be sorry it should proove a Babel to breede confusion eyther in your patience or your memory About this pillar are written these three things Dangers to draw us to awfulnes Mercies to draw us to thanfulnesse Duties to draw us to obedience And but three as being most portable for your memory easie for your judgement ready for your use Neyther is this Pillar of Prayse dedicated as was that Athenian Altar Acts 17.23 with this inscription Ignoto Deo to an unknowne God or Lord but to a Lord of mercy wisedome and power who knowes best when where and how to succour and relieve us Let this serve both for present use and future memory Thus if wee blesse God hee will blesse us Blessed therefore be the Lord God of Israel for hee hath visited and redeemed us his people Let them whom the Lord hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy praise the Lord Let them that are daily spectators of his wonders in the deepe praise the Lord when they are brought to the haven where they would be Let the house of Israel and the house of Aaron accord in these holy and religious services to publish his prayses And what ever others doe or doe not My soule praise thou the Lord and forget not all his benefits which saveth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with mercy and loving kindnesse The Lords holy name be blessed and praised from the rising of the Sunne to the going downe of the same and let all the people present say Amen So be it FINIS Errata Pag. 4. lin 24. reade lest 5. 16. Countries 7 20. praise and thankfulnesse 8. 21. my first 9. 2. what 11. 4. and. ibid. 6. aires 12. 3. if 13. 10. after danger reade Scilla and Charibdis little injured by the Poets in expression of it's danger 14. 17. spouts 16. 15. so should they 35. 10. the seas ibid. 24. this 41. 10. us to 42. 3. such ibid. 5. their ibid. 18. called 45. 17. the. 47. 19. the. ibid. 11. walking 48. 12. Those that ibid. 18. Caleb ibid. 23. best relish the. 50. 5. both 53. 15. that 55. 7. at 56. 15. beene vertuous LONDON Printed by Thomas Harper 1634.
Ionah that must bee throwne ouer boord if ever we meane that the tempests of vengeance shall cease or be bettered by calmes of mercy You that love your sinnes as Iudah loved Tamar Ge. 38.15 to enjoy your pleasures by them as Saul loved David to get honour by them Ge. 30.36 as Iacob loued Laban to get wealth and riches by them You must part with all in all or none at all One legge in the stocks will hold fast the whole body one sinne in the soule will hold fast both body and soule In vaine shall you praise God for his goodnesse if you displease him with the continuance and increase of sinne and wickednesse To what purpose will you offer to sing Psalmes of praise and thanksgiuing if the noyse of your sinnes drowne the noyse of your Psalmes as Drummes in the sacrifice of Molech did drowne the cry of the burning and tormented Infants or as the ringing of the Bels doth drowne the noyse of the clocke How dare ye professe a subjection and loyaltie to the King and Crowne of heauen if we nourish sinne in our bosomes and hearts a traytor both to him and us Eccles 5.1 Or offer the sacrifice of praise to please him when we offer the sacrifice of fooles to provoke him This is the high way to enrage him by whose power we are created by whose providence we are preserued to send worse judgements upon us then we have escaped Iud. 16.19 Such as with Sampson will sleepe in sinne as in the lappe of Dalilah let them beware their locks Iudg. 5.26 Such as with Siserah will short in this Iael's tent let them beware their liues If you will boyse sayle in all weathers who can deplore your shipwracke If you will runne from Niniveh to Tarshish Iona. 1.3 who will pitty you though you meet with a worse storme in your teeth than what you seeke to avoid Dâ—str Tr. So did Polydamas that sonne of Antenor to auoid a storme runne under a ruinous rocke that crusht him and killed him So did the wise of Lot escape the vengeance of Sodome Ge. 19.26 yet continuing in her sinne procured a worse and more peculiar to be turned into a pillar of salt And so shall all such as are not seasoned by her example but will wilfully split themselues upon the Rocke of their owne sinnes they are unworthy of my farther reproofe or your farther attention Such as will avoid both the sinne and danger must praise the Lord for his goodnesse And such as will give unto their heavenly Caesar his tributary due of praise must do it Mat. 22.21 by acknowledging him to bee a Lord So said Ieptha to the men of Gilead Iudg. 11.9 If I fight for you against the children of Ammon shall I not be your head As I say to all of you whose faces seeme to congratulate this day whose attentions seeme to entertaine this doctrine If he fight for us against our enemies and deliuer us shall not he be our Lord Yes Le ts first acknowledge him and secondly le ts apply him all the merits of his active and passiue obedience must be laid claime to by a peculiar and particular application so did Thomas who seemed to haue engrossed him to himselfe Ioh. 20.28 My Lord and my God Thirdly by obeying him as a Lord in mercy for feare we finde him to be a Lord in justice Those mine enemies that will not I shall rule over them Lu. 19.27 bring them hither that I may slay them Heb. 10 31. It s a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing Lord. Fourthly le ts praise him as the onely Lord of heaven and earth without a riuall For his glory hee will not giue unto another nor his praise to grauen Images God in the frontispiece of his royall Law provokes perswades his people Israel to haue or serue no other Gods but him because he and no other God but he Exod 20.1.2 had brought them out of the Land of Aegypt out of the house of bondage So let all such as the Lord hath redeemed out of the hands of the enemie praise him alone as their soveraigne Lord He that hath more than one God or one Lord hath neither God nor Lord. Alexander told Darius King of Persia Quin. Cur. offering to him halfe his kingdome that the Heaven had not two Sunnes neither should the Earth have two soveraignes One Alexander was enough for a world Val. Max. one Phoenix enough for an age Duos Alcibiades neque Attica neque Graecia tulit Nor Greece nor Athens brought forth two Alcibiades Sparta brought not forth two Lysanders nor the world two such Lords Let those fishermen that know no better sacrifice unto their nets or Neptune those husbandmen unto their dunghill or to Ceres for their corne others to Bacchus for their wines to Pallas for their oyles to Apollo for their wisedome to Minerva for their peace Let the Turks thank their Mahomet for protection the Persians go to their god Nergal for defence the Hamathensians to Asima for strength the Babylonians to Succobenoth for deliverance Ier. 1â— 13 For according to the number of their countries are the number of their gods Let them and all Atheists go to their false and foolish Dieties all Papists to their Saints but let us go unto the Lord our God Oh that men would therefore praise the Lord. Oh that they would either cease to bee men or being men would never cease to praise the Lord. Or yet if our tongues could be weary of the publication of his praises yet let them be employed in the proclamation of his wonders Text. And declare the wonders that he doth for c. We men are put upon the labour and taske of Angels To publish his praises and proclaime his wonders is the office and theame of the Hyerarchy of heaven who are ever singing their divine Carols of praise â—â—d rejoycing in the expression of his wonders Had I the tongue of men and Angels you the eares and wings of Cherubins wee could neither well enough nor soone enough extoll his praises or expresse his wonders Of both I may say as the Psalmist said before me Who can expresse the noble acts of the Lord Psal 106.2 or shew forth all his praise Yet since the royall hand of heaven vouchsafe not onely to require but requite our weake performances with acceptance As we have begun with his praises so let us go on a little also to declare the wonders that he doth for the children of men Duhartas 1. day The world 's a booke in Folio written all with Gods great works in letters capitall This world is a booke in Folio wherein are written the workes and wonders of Gods omnipotent hand the acts and monuments of our maker and preserver in his owne proper characters Not as Christ wrote when hee wrote in the dust that spirituall paradox Ioh. 8
A Free-VVill Offering OR A Pillar of Praise With a thankfull remembrance for the receit of mercies in a long voyage and happy arrivall First Preached in Fen-Church the 7 of September 1634. now published by the Author SAMVEL HINDE Exod. 17.14 Write this for a memoriall in a Booke and rehearse it in the eares of Ioshua LONDON Printed by THOMAS HARPER 1634. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL Sir WILLIAM COVRTEN Knight The Author dedicates both him selfe and labours SIR IF I were a Iudge instead of a Councellour it should be my charge instead of my advice to charge them that are rich in this world 1. Tim. 6.17 that they trust not in uncertaine riches but in the living God Nor could such a charge concerne any for ought I know more than your selfe on whom the God of blessing hath heap't such affluence and abundance as if both Sea and Land the Christian and the heathen world had conspired to empty themselues into your coffers and ware-houses He said it that will maintaine it To whom much is given Luk. 12.48 of them much shall be required Your engagements to the God of Heaven are neither common nor ordinary but as if singled out for blessings you have received a Benjamins portion above many others of your brethren Gen 43.34 I know the world knows that you hide not these talants in a napkin Lu. 19.20 thousands are bettered by their improvement your imployment The following Manuell or Enchiridion will onely advertise you not as if you wanted better discipline that amongst all other your transactions and transmutations you returne to the Caesar of heaven his tributary due of praise and thankfulnesse from whose liberall hand you have received such ample testifications of favour and beneficence This Pyramis of praise this new erected pillar serues for no other end Statuae Mercurii in competis triviis quae certis indiciis perplexo viateri iter ostendebant Aâ—l. Gel. but like the Statues of Mercury to direct every traveller and voyager or any else that are capable of mercies to the wayes of thankfulnesse and to divert them from the paths of that Satanicall sinne ingratitude What was once planted in your eares is now presented to your eyes favour it with acceptance reade it with diligence follow it with conscience and the God of mercy give unto you what blessings the booke can containe or the Author wish for this life or for a better It was no dishonour to the great Peere and Lord of Syriah 2. King 5.13 Naaman that he listened to the advice of his servants Solvit inops diti Craeso quod debuit Irus Owen Epigr. lib. un ep 62. Rich Croesus disdained not to receive a debt from poore Irus Accept you also of this my Free-will Offering which together with my selfe is justly devoted to your protection and patronage T was conceived in the wombe of the vast Ocean t is my First-borne which I can father on none but your selfe from whose influence next under God I received what I have or can present unto you The injury were too publicke if I should be too tedious Horat. Cum tot sustineas ac tanta negotia solus in publica commoda peccem si longo sermone morer tua tempora c. In briefe then I commit this to you and you to God wishing what happinesse or honour you do or can wish unto your selfe or successefull progenie health to your person blessing to your endeavours successe to your enterprises securitie to your body salvation to your soule So prayes he that doth proffer and promise obedience to your laudable Commands and injunctions SAMUEL HINDE The Author to the Reader REader in the perusall of the following leaves thou shalt have some tryall both of thy patience and judgement My absence from the Presse with some delinquency of the transcriber occasioned divers errours which either thy judgement may rectifie or thy patience dispence with I endeavoured to purge it from some which thou shalt finde amended in the closure of the booke Let thy ayme be directed to the matter not the words 't will bring God most honour thy selfe most benefit Thy faithfull friend and Monitor S. H. A PILLAR OF PRAISE PSAL. 107.23 They that goe downe to the Sea in ships and doe their businesse in great waters PSAL. 107.24 These men see the workes of the Lord and his wonders in the deepe c. ☞ PSAL. 107.30 Then are they glad ☜ Text. because they be at rest and so hee bringeth them to the haven where they would be PSAL. 107.31 Oh that men would therfore praise the Lord for his goodnesse and declare the wonders that hee doth for the children of men THe sonne of Iesse and sweet singer of Israel in the generall parts of this Psalme summons up divers sorts of debtors to the King of heauen to discharge their obligations and make their appearance in the Courts of the King of glory there to pay their vowes and his dues of praise and thankfulnesse Neither doth the Prophets summons concerne a few or is the tribute of our heauenly Caesar to bee leuied of the remnants and out-casts of Israel both are as large as the taxation of Augustus Luke 2.5 wherein all the world was taxed None that 's cloath'd with humane flesh can free themselues from these obligations except they can shuffle themselues out of the number of Prince or people trauellers by Land voyagers by Sea be they Sea men or Land men Sicke men or Sound men Free men or Bondslaues Rich or Poore Let their persons be whom they will their qualifications how they will their conditions what they will all are here wished and warned sent for and summoned to praise the Lord for his goodnesse and to declare the wonders that he c. But in these particular verses of this Psalme which I haue singled out from the rest like a Deere from the Heard the Prophet of God and the God of Prophets addresse themselves to such onely as goe downe into the Sea in ships Verse 23. and doe their businesse in great waters Those painefull voyagers as compasse their liuings and your liuings in the fearefull flouds and are daily spectators of his works and wonders in the deepe being brought to the haven where they would be are here excited to testifie their thankfulnesse by the performance of a double duty to praise the Lord for his goodnesse and declare the wonders that hee doth for the children of men This is the Prophets wish and Sea mans obligation O that men would therefore praise the Lord c. Brethren and beloved in the Lord I cannot exclude my selfe from the number of such whose obligations are infinite to the God of heaven for his favourable protection both by sea and land I dare not like those unthankfull Lepers smother the mercy of an omnipotent God and beneficent Saviour either in silence or ingratitude Luk 17.17 Let those other Lepers
we not delivered as a prey unto their teeth But by the honourable convoy of his mercy by the hand of his clemency are wee brought to the haven where we would be Oh that men would therefore c. Have you heard and read of Ionah embarked en wombed Ionah 1.17 and entombed in the entrals of that great Leviathan yet blessed with protection Even wee also have had the like menaces of windes and waves stormes and tempests to make us fit morsels for those living mountaines whose entrals and gorges would soone consume us to a gelly Ionah 2.10 But the mercies of the God of Ionah are not yet diminished for he hath brought us to the haven where we would be Oh c. Mat. 8. â—3 24 Lastly have you heard both of sinners and Saviour both in one ship covered with waves tossed with tempests he asleep they awake they fearefull he powerfull they as sufferers he as a commander both of them and what they feared The case was ours we have beene though not in eadem nave in the same ship yet in codem praedicamento Toto sonuerum aethere â—â—mbi Vir. in the same predicament And when we cride in our distresse he heard us when we went to awake him he arose and calm'd the waves stilled the windes stayed the spouts repelled the gusts rebuk't the stormes And by his mercy are we brought to the Haven where wee would be Oh that men would therefore c. He that neither slumbereth nor sleepeth was our aide and helper or if he have seem'd to sleepe t is as he expounds himselfe Cant. 5. Cant. 5.2 I sleepe but mine heart waketh He seemes to use sleepe but his heart waketh and himselfe is vigilant for our protection Once indeed aboue all other times he seem'd to us to sleep out a miserable and fearfull storme as if he had forsaken us as once his Father had forsaken him t is worthy the file and records of eternitie Mat. 27.46 In the mould of Genoa In Genoa the eight of Ianuarie last was such a storme and tempest as caused the Inhabitants to rake up the urnes and bring forth the ashes of the deceased Saint Iohn Baptist as a propitiatory sacrifice to calme the raging Sea I neither beleeve that they are or that they are of some vertue or that they have them if they were yet there all the he Saints and she Saints Angels Lords and Ladies of Heaven were sued unto for mercy and deliverance Mat. 8.27 In this never to bee forgotten misery we cryed unto the Lord our God who seemed to sleepe and be awakened and both the windes and sea they did obey him De profundis clamavi out of the depth did I cry unto the Lord. Abyssus abyssum invocat One depth calls on another a depth of our misery caused for a depth of his mercy he did neglect us but for a while for the greater manifestation of his mercie and increase of our services Oh that men would Psal 99 6. c. Moses Aaron and Samuel Noah Daniel and Iob those spirituall Courtiers and favourites of the King of heaven in their distresses cried unto the Lord and hee heard them and delivered them and his mercies are renewed to us everie morning and his compassions faile not Lam 3.22 Psal 86.1 He will have us know that when sinners bow their hearts he will bow and bend his eares to their prayers and supplications And that he desires not the death of a sinner but rather c. As I live saith God the Father as I dye saith God the Sonne I desire not nor delight not in the death of sinners no he is proner to mercy then to judgement He was longer in destroying one Citie I in threatning to destroy it than in building of the whole world Ionah 3.4 Exod. 20.11 Fortie dayes and Ninive shall be destroyed sixe dayes and the whole world was made the heaven earth the sea and all that therein is Well may he forget to be angry with us Psal 30.5 Psal 136.1 for the stormes of his anger endure but for a moment but he can never forget to be mercifull for the calmes of his mercy endures for ever So much for the two generals viz. the Dangers that provoke us to awfulnesse the Mercies that move us to thankfulnesse 3 General Duties to draw us to obedience the third follows which is duties to prouoke us to obedience And this obedience must reflect backe againe and be seene and shewed in the performance of a double dutie viz. The publication of his praises and proclamation of his wonders Text. Oh that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnesse and declare the wonders that he doth for the children of men This is all the Text will enjoyn or the Prophet looke for or the God of Text and Prophet require after the receit of his mercies to yeeld unto him his tribute of praises T is as much as he doth aske t is as little as we can give t is his due and our duty Of both which a word or two and there cannot much more remaine Hitherto we haue but numbred the turrets and bulwarks of this text as David wisht the spectators of Sion Psal 48.1 Psalme 48. and haue beene stayed in Atrio templi in the porch entrance and body of the Text. Now suffer me to leade you by the hand into the sanctuary of Sanctum sanctorum or holy of holyes He that will not lend an eare deserues not that euery Angell should moue a wing or descend the ladder or looke out of the windows of heaven to assist him either in his wants or wishes Gen. 28.12 The first piece of our obligation consists in the publication of his praises and to do this brings honour to God He that offereth me praise he honoureth me Psal 50.23 The second is the declaration of his wonders and he that doth not this draws a curse and propheticall anathema upon his owne head which waits for such as regard not the worke of the Lord nor the operation of his hands Psal 28.5.6 Oh that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnesse and declare c. Those that haue beene most deeply interest in humaine miseries and the receit of divine favours are called here to the performance of these holy seruices And they onely because there cannot be a greater argument of Gods praise and our duty then escape from danger and receit of mercy This truth is firmely built upon the pillars of the Text. The conquering Romans in all their honourable and glorious triumphs Hist Rom. suffered none to make any triumph to erect any Prophees or to enter into the Temple of honour where were Crowns Garlands Palms Lawrels Robes Aul. Gel. Rewards Emblemes but they must first passe the Temple of vertue where were Swords Iavelins Targets Lances Helmets and other instruments of warre by which they must purchase their
honour and passe to their Temples So reade we 2 Tim 2 5. Nemo coronabitur nisi qui Legitime certaverit Revel 7. Reade also our vision of that blessed Saint who were those that were watching with crownes on their heads Palmes in their hands Haleluiahs in their tongues adoration in their hearts long white robes on their shoulders emblemes both of honour and victory Hi sunt qui venerunt ex tribulatione These haue come out of tribulation and have washed their robes in the bloud of the Lambe Rev. 7.14 They are fittest to be Heralds of divine praises that haue beene the deepest interested in humane miseries Thus I haue long dranke of those waters that are more bitter than the waters of Marah more venemous than the waters of Nonacridis are fittest to receiue that double fauour that Ascha the wife of Othniel begged of Culel The springs aboue Iosh 19.15 the springs beneath blessings from heauen and blessings from earth They can but relish our bread and Mannah of heauen King 22 that haue long eaten and dranke such as Ahab threatened to Micaiah the bread of sorrow and water of affliction 1. King 22.27 They are most glad when they are brought to the haven Psal 107.25 whose soules have most melted and whose bodies have most suffered in the deepe and dangerous waters They are fittest for the calmes and favourable ayres of a mercifull God Hor. of the sonnes of Dia. Sunt quos Eâ—ea domuÌ„ reducet palma coelesiis Thy sons like heavenly wights do come with an Eâ—eon Garland home 1. Cor. 9.24 that have beene tost and tumbled upon the surges and billows of a mercilesse ocean In vaine should the actors in the Olympian games have professed either their skill or abilities if they had not sometimes returned like the sonnes of Diagoras with an Elcan palme and Garland In vaine should we runne if we should not sometimes get the Crowne In vaine should we wrestle if not sometimes get the mastery In vaine should wee bee cast downe into the deep if not sometimes raised up againe to the heaven and after long be brought to the haven where we would be And in vaine should wee bee brought to the haven where we would be if we should not praise the Lord for his goodnesse or declare c. Exod. 15.1 When God mercifully delivered Israel from the hand of Aegypt and Aegyptian bondage there followed a Song of praise Exod. 15. When Christ mercifully delivered his Israel from the Egypt of sin and iniquity Luk. 1.68 there followed a song of blessing Blessed be the Lord. Iudg. 5.12 Deborah after her victory and Siseraes ouerthrow may not sleepe out such a favour nor slumber out such a mercy But Deborah must awake and Baruke must arise to utter a song of triumph and victory Awake awake Exod. 17.14 Deborah Moses himselfe after his conquest and Amalecks ruine must write it in a booke for a memoriall and rehearse it in the eares of Iosuah Which he did and more hee erects an Altar enrowls the mercy thereon offers it with thanks hallowes it with sacrifice This priestly Prophet and Propheticke King David as he hath many Psalmes of prayer to expresse his misery So hath he many of praise and thanksgiuing for the receit of mercy witnesse those that he hath committed to the care of those chiefe Musitians to Ieduthun to Gittith to Neginoth to Sheminith and many more Besides these holy men of old neuer was there any age that wanted such as did yeeld ample and large testimony of their praise and thankfulnesse for the receit of blessings and benefits Caesar All Caesars actions ended in a triumph Antonius Pius erects his Pillar Antonius Pius Traian and Traian his about which are engrauen their victories and conquests they both stand firme in Rome to this day So should all men that God hath blessed with deliuerance and victory erect some pillar of thankfull remembrance and acknowledgement that succeeding ages may be stirred up to leaue the like monuments of praise in the like deliuerances and beholding our good works may glorifie our Father which is in heauen Mat. 5.16 So was Themistocles animated the performance of many a noble action Val. Max. by beholding the triumphs and trophies of Miltiades And Alexander seeing the victories and conquests of Achilles engraven on his Tombe was stirred up and provoked to an honourable emulation of the like valour and magnanimitie I and Caesar when he saw the tombe of Alexander in the Temple of Hercules in Spaine and about the walls of the Church the conquests of the world he wept to thinke how little he had done and how much Alexander In ea aetate qua iam terrarum orbem subegisset It was worthy of Caesars teares to consider if he had done nothing in the time and age wherein Alexander had conquered the world Right even so may we that will not be provoked by others patterns and examples to a demonstration of our gratitude be compelled to weepe with Caesar while we see how the lives and acts of meere moralists do shame us besides our owne None of us but have received favours of an higher nature than any of them But alas where are our erected pillars where are our Hecatombes where our holocausts where the pyramides of our praises where our smoking Altars our burning Incense our hallowed sacrifices our holy services Gen. 31.47 Tell me who with Laban hath erected a Iegar-saha dutha a Pillar of witnesse betweene God and him of Gods mercie and his thankfulnesse Who with Iacob hath built an Altar of acknowledgement and entituled it El-elhoim Israel Gen. 33.20 Exod 17.14 16. to shew that God is the God of Israel Who with Moses hath registred the fauours of his God and ruine of his enemies upon an Altar and called the name of it Iehovah Nissi Who with Ionah disgorged out of the bowels of the deepe hath erected his pillars of praise His one for Ionahs two which yet stand firme on the confines of Syriah and are called by the name of Ionahs Pillars or neare the place where the Fish set Ionah ashore Who with the holy woman hath powred out the oyntment of her best praises upon the head of her Saviour Mat. 26.7 Or with the woman that Christ cured of her bloudy issue hath left a double monument one of her own miserie another of her Saviours mercie Ioseph Eccl Hist as we reade she did in Ecclesiasticall Histories Who so is wise will ponder these things and seeke to make some benefit by these examples which I lay before you Psal 107. ult as Iacob laied his Rodde of greene poplar before the sheepe of Laban Gen. 30.37 when he layed speckled Rods they brought forth speckled Lambes but when hee layed fairer and white roddes they brought forth faire and white lambes I lay before you not speckled but fairer and candid examples of