The true Christians test, or, A discovery of the love and lovers of the world by Samuel Shaw ...

MEDITAT. LXXXVIII. Of Unmercifulness, and Merciless Wisdom.

THe Wisdom which is from above, is full of Mer∣cy; therefore that which is Cruel and Merciless, is Sensual, Worldly, and Devillish.

Mercifulness is an Attribute of God, wherein he seems to Glory; he makes it his Name, whereby he would be known and call'd: The Lord proclaimed the Name of the Lord, The Lord God, Merciful and Gra∣cious, Long-suffering, abundant in Goodness and Truth, keeping Mercy for Thousands, forgiving iniquity, trans∣gression, and sin, Exod. 34. 6, 7. Here are ten Phrases of like importance: And as for his Justice, it is one∣ly added in short, that he will by no means clear the guilty.

What Comparison can there be in Infinites? And yet the Psalmist exalting the Merciful nature of God, tells us that his Mercies are over all his Works; and else where, his Mercies are far above the Heavens.

Angels and Good Men are commended for this, The Angels watch for the good and safety of the Elect, and bear them up in their hands. Good men are Merciful, they Give, they Lend, they Pity, they Help and Heal, they do Good to Enemies, they Forgive, and Pray that God would do so too; Lord lay not this sin to their charge.

On the other hand, the nature of the Devil is cruel murderous; He was a Murderer from the beginning: and his eldest Son Cain imitated him exactly for Envy and Murder.

There is a great deal of cruelty in taking away the life of a man unjustly; in extream corrections, that do not reach the life; yea in the execution of a just sen∣tence

of death or punishment, there may be much cruelty in the Executioner or Spectators; according to that true saying of the Moralist, Ferus est qui fruitur paena.

In many other things there is much cruelty. There are not onely bloody Souldiers, cruel Gladiators and Assassinates; but cruel Masters to Servants, both in imposing of work, and withholding of maintenance: Cruel Landlords, that squeeze and grind their poor Te∣nants.

Cruel Patrons, that consume what their Clients have, in procuring for them what they want.

Cruel Physicians and Chirurgions, who maintain Diseases and prolong Sores; who take pleasure in the pain, and find their own health in the sickness of their Patients.

Cruel Magistrates, who govern their People with Scorpions instead of Scepters.

Cruel Ministers, that either starve or poyson the Souls of men.

Nay there are Cruel Friends: I expect it will be asked: How that can be? For ought I see, the greatest cruelties are practised under the notion of friendship. The oppressing Usurer would have you think, he be∣friends you, when he consumes you; that he supports you, when he supplants you; that he heals your dis∣ease, when he encreases it; that he secures you, when indeed he secures your Estate to himself: A kindness much like that of him who open'd our Mother Eve her eyes a little at present, but spoyl'd her sight for ever after.

Your oppressing Neighbour would be thought friendly, when he gives you the bitter pill of a dear bar∣gain, sugar'd with six months time for Payment.

This kind of Friendship is just like Hercules his dealing with Anteus in the story: you would have thought he had been lovingly hugging and embracing the Giant in his arms, when he was indeed choaking and strangling him.

They that have no compassion on the miserable, whether they be poor or sick, or sinful; much more they that trample upon those, whom God hath cast down, scorn them whom men have harm'd, and take away the garment of the naked from him, (as Eli∣phaz speaketh) are nothing of kin to God, nor God to them, nor shall ever be owned for his children, till Ostriches are found hatcht under the wings of Storks.

The Cruel Worldly Wisdom is that which is cun∣ning to invent torments.

Many Heathenish Tyrants of old have been famous for this hellish ingenuity.

And the Modern Papists have endeavoured to match them; as may appear to any that reads the story of the Persecutions in Picdmont, written by the ingenious and faithful Historian Sir Samuel Morland; and by the History of the Irish Rebellion.

The Holy History furnishes us with Examples of many whom the Devil (the great Proloctonus) has inspir'd with Cruel Wisdom.

Thus Cruelly wise was Achitophel aginst the life of good King David; and Haman and his Ac∣complices against the Jews.

What an hellish Device was that, to cut off such a mighty Nation, Man, Woman, and Child, by the edge of the Sword, and all for a little Un∣martialness found in one Male-content Melancholist amongst them.

The offering up of poor children to Molech was cruel and unmerciful: But the Wisdom of this cru∣elty appear'd in the loud beating of Drums, and other noises, made on purpose to secure their ears from any complaints that might affect them, and baracado up their hearts against all compassion. To burn the chil∣dren was cruelty, to drown their cry was cruel wisdom.

And do we not every day see what devices and shifts unmerciful men use, that they may not shew Mercy, and to prevent all occasions or temptations so to do; stopping their ears, shutting their doors, getting out of the way, pretending not to be at home, or not at leisure, when the poor would beg or borrow ought of them? The Comedian Plautus has well describ'd this churlish uncharitable wisdom in the person of Euclio; and the wise Solomon in his Prov. 3. 28. Go and come again to morrow.

Lord let me be rather accounted a pooor shiftless fool, than either be wise to do evil, or not to do good?