by with a generous difregard, or foftned by chriftian charity. I am fenfible how hard it is for an angry man to perfuade himself, that this, or that particular occafion (be it what it will) that moves him, has all its force and inflammation from his own pride, or exceffive tenderness of himself. The beart is deceitful above all things, and will frame a thousand excufes to fcreen its own corruption; but what else is it owing to, that men take fire fo prefently, if a piece of respect to them happen (with or without defign) to be omitted? If one whom they fancy to be an inferior (and whom will not a proud perfon think fo?) ftep before them, or place himself above them; if a word or two be dropt in conversation, that feems to reflect upon them; if all they fay be not entirely credited, or all their notions complied with, and all they do approved: How many contempts, tho' real perhaps, yet trifling, are refented, which ought much rather to be defpifed! And, which is worse, how angry will fome men be when they are told of their faults, tho' in a mild and prudent way, and only from a kind intention of reclaiming them. Now what are all these and other refentments of this kind, but the iffue of mens pride, and undue value of themfelves? Every body will allow it fo in another's cafe, how hardly foever he is brought to believe it in his own. And therefore anger upon fuch grounds must be irregular and unjustifiable. As to the matter of real and confiderable injuries, I do not fay 'tis altogether unlawful to be moved by them; but the lefs we are fo, the better: For there is nothing more infifted on in the chriftian religion, than patience and meekness, even on these occafions. The only anger that is without question warrantable (befide what I took notice of above, in the cafe of a juft authority infulted or contemned) is that which arifes from a good man's love of P 4

God,

God, and deteftation of fin. When he hears the holy name of God blafphemed or trifled with; his holy word prophaned; his being, his providence, or his truths denied; lewd language or indecent jefts delivered; or uncharitable reflections vented against an innocent neighbour; when he fees the divine laws trampled upon, religion fcandalized, debauchery and vice prevailing; then indeed he does well to be angry: His Lord and Mafter, upon whom he depends for his daily bread in this life, and his eternal happiness hereafter, is affronted; and who that has a fenfe of piety and gratitude can bear it? Sin we are not only allowed, but required to hate; and therefore, tho' we commiferate the finner, we may and must be angry at his fin. Thus much for the caufes of anger; let us now fee how it is to be governed, with respect to the measure or degree.

(2.) OUR fecond rule therefore must be this, that our anger be not greater than the offence deferves. We must carefully confine it within fuch bounds, that it may not exceed the merits of the caufe: For fo far as it exceeds them, fo far it is without cause; and therefore unreasonable and unchriftian. I confefs, there is no measuring out our resentments by grains and fcruples, in an exact proportion to every accident that excites them: But there must be fuch a general regulation, as that it fhall not be in the power of trifling and small offences to create in us a great uneafinefs; nor of any offence at all, to blow us up into forms and tempefts. Indeed, were we to judge of the importance of things by the weight they ordinarily make upon the fpring of men's paffions, it would be hard to fix upon any accident, how minute foever, that would be allowed to pass for a trifle. Nay, even those things that really are of moment, and will justify fome greater roughnefs, do so easily hurry us into extremes, that there

will need much grace, and much philosophy, and conftant watchfulness, to temper, and restrain our heat. Even zeal for God, when it degenerates into fierceness and fury, becomes unwarrantable; and how foever any perfonal provocation, or prigreat vate injury may be, there are degrees of anger, that are abfolutely, and at all times unlawful. Revenge is one of these (of which I fhall have occafion to fay more hereafter in another chapter) and the other is, what we properly enough, by way of emphafis, call paffion; which befide the apparent danger it brings to fuch as fall in our way, or are about us during that extravagancy, is alfo difgraceful to human nature; carries us out of our felves, to do and fay what fhamefully betrays our weaknefs, and renders us contemptible, instead of making us confiderable.

BUT farther,

(3.) ANOTHER rule whereby we ought to govern our anger is, That we are not to retain it longer than reafon requires. And it is retained longer than reafon requires, if it continue after the fault is acknowledged or amended, pardon afked, or due fatisfaction given or offered. Or fuppofing the offence was trivial, if it continue any longer, than while we are under the firft furprife; that is, if it continue after fuch time, wherein we might recollect our felves, and fo compofe and fettle our minds; there is nothing more contrary to Chriftianity, than to be implacable and morofe, even after juft caufe of anger; and fo our Saviour fuggefts in his answer to St. Peter's queftion, * Lord, how oft fhall my brother fin against me, and I forgive him? Till feven times? Fefus faith unto him, I fay not unto thee, Until feven times; but, until feventy times feven, viz. So often forgive him, as he repents of what

Mat. xyiii. 21, 22.

he

7

he hath done. And fo we learn from those other words, If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he tref pass against thee feven times in a day, and feven times in a day turn again to thee; faying, I repent, thou shalt forgive him. Where our Lord gives a fpecial caution, that our anger do not remain with us a day, an hour, nay, a minute longer than there is just reason for it, as knowing how dangerous a paffion it is; how apt to grow rankerous and inveterate; and how much advantage the great tempter hath against us. And this is that which St. Paul fuggefts, Be angry and fin not, let not the fun go down upon your wrath, neither give place to the devil.

II. THE fecond article in which our Saviour has improved the fixth commandment, is the extending it to reftrain all foornful and contemptuous reviling, and cenforious language. Thefe are indeed the effects of anger, which too generally fhews it felf this way; and therefore if anger, confidered only as an inward refentment, or as expreffed in certain over-acts, tho' fhort of thefe, must be reftrained and moderated by the rules given under the former head; there is no room to doubt, but that fuch exorbitant efforts of it, as we are now to speak of, must be yet more heinous in themselves, more deeply offenfive to God, and more carefully to be avoided by every Chriftian. The word Raca is used to fignify an empty, witlefs, or contemptible fellow; and the word fool does ufually represent to us in the Scripture language, a diffolute or wicked man. And fo I take the meaning of this part of the paragraph to be, that words of reproach and contempt, add very much to the guilt of finful anger. But flanderous reviling, as calling a man an impious wretch, † Luke xvii. 3, 4. + Eph. iv. 26.

and

and the like, is yet a more grievous offence, and will accordingly be punished. Harth words of any kind are to be very fparingly used, not without a great deal of caution and difcretion; where just authority corrects, and where it may serve the ends of virtue. But fuch harsh words as thefe muft never come from us, but under the stricteft regulations of temper, intention and truth. My meaning is, they are never to be the effects of paffion, never uttered maliciously to depreciate and expofe Men; and never apply'd without the moft fenfible and certain evidence. It is not the using of fuch words in any account whatsoever that is here forbidden, but when the use of them proceeds from caufeless or immoderate anger, and from principles of fpleen and malice. St. James makes ufe of the expreffion, *O vain man, which is no other than the English of Raca; and our Saviour himself speaking to the Scribes and Pharifees, Ye fools and blind; and frequently calls them hypocrites. From which we may certainly draw this conclufion, that when thofe whofe office and authority it is to reprove or to instruct, think fit to express themselves in fuch words, and do it out of a truly charitable intention, and in a calm and ferious manner; by reprefenting thus to the confciences of those they speak to, the folly and wickedness of a finful courfe; and fhewing them their own juft character, where fharpness may be likely to do good; 'tis no offence at all against this precept. But when it is done merely to expofe and ridicule, to vex and exafperate, to vent our anger, or to gratify our pride, it is a most unchriftian practice. But let us a little more particularly confider,

(1.) The fin of fcoffing and derifion, thofe arrows, as the Pfalmift calls them

even bitter words.

Mat. xxiii. 17, 19.

fmooth'd