but every man may, and every good man does _love mercy_. To "feed the
hungry and clothe the naked," are acts of mercy, but not in the power
of all men. Some are, themselves wholly dependent on the mercy of
others for their own support.

Justice often restrains and sets bounds to the exercise of mercy. The
judge may be grieved for the malefactor, and wish that he could shew
mercy to him, but find himself obliged to condemn him and suffer
justice to take its course. The debts which a person hath contracted
may require all his goods, or all his necessities do not require. In
such cases he is under obligation to shut the hand of charity, even
against the proper objects of it. We have no right to defraud some,
that we may shew mercy to others. Justice is a prior duty. We are tied
up to the discharge of it--are bound to _do justly_; whereas it is
only required that we _love mercy_. The love of mercy will dispose us
to shew mercy, where we have ability to do it without violating
justice. Yea, it will cause us to do it with pleasure, rendering us
like God, who "delights in mercy."

Acts of mercy may proceed from other principles beside the love of
mercy, but these do not answer to the divine requirement. In the view
of him who sees the heart they are not characteristic of renovation,
or a heart right with God.

The third particular here mentioned as constituting the finishing part
of the good man's character, is humility--_that he walks humbly with,
his God_--that he is sensible of his imperfection, and of his need of
mercy from God. This always makes a part of the good man's character.

The good man, while he is just to all, and while kind and benevolent,