Among the attributes of God, although they are all equal, mercy shines with even more brilliancy than justice.
—Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616) Spanish Novelist
The greatest attribute of heaven is mercy.
—Francis Beaumont (1584–1616) English Elizabethan Dramatist
A sensible thanksgiving for mercies received is a mighty prayer in the Spirit of God. It prevails with Him unspeakably.
—John Bunyan (1628–88) English Puritan Writer, Preacher
Where Mercy, Love, and Pity dwell
There God is dwelling too.
—William Blake (1757–1827) English Poet, Painter, Printmaker
Take the gentle path.
—George Herbert (1593–1633) Welsh Anglican Poet, Orator, Clergyman
Lenity will operate with greater force, in some instances, than rigor.—It is, therefore, my first wish, to have my whole conduct distinguished by it.
—George Washington (1732–99) American Head of State, Military Leader
To sin because mercy abounds is the devil’s logic; he that sins because of God’s mercy, shall have judgment without mercy.—Mercy is not for them that sin and fear not, but for them that fear and sin not.
—Thomas J. Watson, Sr. (1874–1956) American Business Executive
To deserve mercy, practise mercy.
—The Talmud Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
As freely as the firmament embraces the world, or the sun pours forth impartially his beams, so mercy must encircle both friend and foe.
—Friedrich Schiller (1759–1805) German Poet, Dramatist
How would you be, if he, who is the top of judgment, should but judge you as you are?—O, think on that, and mercy then will breathe within your lips, like man new made.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Who will not mercy unto others show, how can he mercy ever hope to have?
—Edmund Spenser (1552–99) English Poet
We may imitate the Deity in all his moral attributes, but mercy is the only one in which we can pretend to equal him.—We cannot, indeed, give like God, but surely we may forgive like him.
—Laurence Sterne (1713–68) Irish Anglican Novelist, Clergyman
Mercy turns her back to the unmerciful.
—Francis Quarles (1592–1644) English Religious Poet
Offenders never pardon.
—Common Proverb
Mercifulness makes us equal to the gods.
—Claudian (c.370–c.404 CE) Roman Poet
The just is close to the people’s heart, but the merciful is close to the heart of God.
—Kahlil Gibran (1883–1931) Lebanese-born American Philosopher, Poet, Painter, Theologian, Sculptor
When a man has compassion for others, God has compassion for him.
—The Talmud Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith
Wilt thou draw near the nature of the gods? Draw near them then in being merciful; sweet mercy is nobility’s true badge.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
We are called to play the good Samaritan on life’s roadside; but that will be only an initial act. One day the whole Jericho road must be transformed so that men and women will not be beaten and robbed as they make their journey through life. True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it understands that an edifice that produces beggars needs restructuring.
—Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929–68) American Civil Rights Leader, Clergyman
Clemency is the support of justice.
—Russian Proverb
A merciful person is merciful to their animals.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
Nothing emboldens sin so much as mercy.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
A God all mercy is a God unjust.
—Edward Young (1683–1765) English Poet
In peace we can make many of them ignore good and evil entirely; in danger, the issue is forced upon them in a guise to which even we cannot blind them. There is here a cruel dilemma before us. If we promoted justice and charity among men, we should be playing directly into the Enemy’s hands; but if we guide them to the opposite behaviour, this sooner or later produces (for He permits it to produce) a war or a revolution, and the undisguisable issue of cowardice or courage awakes thousands of men from moral stupor. This, indeed, is probably one of the Enemy’s motives for creating a dangerous world-a world in which moral issues really come to the point. He sees as well as you do that courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point, which means, at the point of highest reality. A chastity or honesty, or mercy, which yields to danger will be chaste or honest or merciful only on conditions. Pilate was merciful till it became risky.
—C. S. Lewis (1898-1963) Irish-born British Academic, Author, Literary Scholar
We hand folks over to God’s mercy, and show none ourselves.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) (1819–80) English Novelist
By compassion we make others’ misery our own, and so, by relieving them, we relieve ourselves also.
—Thomas Browne (1605–82) English Author, Physician
Computers are like Old Testament gods; lots of rules and no mercy.
—Joseph Campbell (1904–87) American Mythologist, Writer, Lecturer
A gentleman has his eyes on all those present; he is tender toward the bashful, gentle toward the distant, and merciful toward the absent.
—Lawrence G. Lovasik
The greatest attribute of heaven is mercy;
And ’tis the crown of justice, and the glory …
—John Fletcher (1579–1625) English Playwright
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