10 Sermon Illustrations on Mercy

There is a story of one, that, falling asleep, dreamed that he was in a large field hedged in on all sides with thunder, lightning, hail-storms, and the like tempestuous weather; and that he saw certain houses afar off, and, making towards one of them, craved admittance till the storm were over. "What art thou?" said the master of the house. "I am such a one," says he, telling his name. "And I," says the master, "am called Justice: thou must not look for any comfort from me, but rather the contrary." At another house, he was answered, that there dwelt Truth, — one that he never loved, and must therefore expect no shelter there. Well, he goes to the third, the house of Peace; and there he finds the like entertainment. In the midst of this distraction, he lights upon the house of Mercy; and there humbly desiring entrance, was made welcome, and refreshed.

— Spencer

A drover in the West, on leaving home, promised to bring, on his return, a doll to his youngest child. Having finished his business, his usual way was to start early in the morning for home; but this time he was impressed to return, though the night had set in dark and stormy. When about six miles from home, he was startled by a cry like that of a child. He stopped and listened. He called, and it answered him. Cowardly feelings rose in his breast; for he thought that it was known that he carried a large sum of money about with him, and perhaps this was a plan to rob him. But the pitiful cry aroused his manly feelings; and, alighting from his horse, he followed in the darkness the sound of the voice. Soon he found a little dripping thing, that moaned and sobbed as he took it in his arms. He carried it to his home, where he found, to his surprise, that he had rescued his own child, who had wandered out on the prairie to meet her father.

Anthony behaved with such lenity towards those who had been engaged for Cassius, that he wrote to the Senate, requesting them to spare the shedding of blood; and requesting this honor to be allowed to his reign, that even under the misfortunes of a rebellion, none had lost their lives, except in the first heat of the tumult. "I wish," said he, "that I could even recall to life many of those who have been killed; for revenge in a prince hardly ever pleases, since even when just, it is considered as severe."

### 203. Humanity Rewarded.

When Nertobrigia was invested by Q. Cæcilius Metellus, the Roman proconsul, Rhetogenes, a chief lord of the place, came out and surrendered himself to the Romans. The inhabitants, enraged at his desertion, placed his wife and children, whom he had left behind, in the breach which the legionaries were to mount. The Roman general hearing of this, and finding that he could not attack the city without sacrificing them, abandoned a certain conquest, and raised the siege. No sooner was this act of humanity known through Tarraconian Spain, than the inhabitants of the revolted cities strove who should first submit to him; and thus was a whole country recovered by one humane act.

The city of Cajeta having rebelled against Alphonsus, was invested by that monarch with a powerful army. Being sorely distressed for want of provisions, the citizens put forth all their old men, women and children, and shut the gates upon them. The king's ministers advised his majesty not to permit them to pass, but to force them back into the city; by which means he would speedily become master of it. Alphonsus, however, had too humane a disposition to hearken to counsel, the policy of which rested on driving a helpless multitude into the jaws of famine. He suffered them to pass unmolested; and when afterwards reproached with the delay which this produced in the siege he feelingly said, "I had rather be the preserver of one innocent person, than be the master of a hundred Cajetas."

Alphonsus was not without the reward which such noble clemency merited. The citizens were so affected by it, that, repenting of their disloyalty, they soon afterwards yielded up the city to him of their own accord.