scornful. Prov. xxiv. 9. The scorner is an abomination to men. Prov. xix. 29. Judgments are prepared for scorners. Prov. xvii. 5. Whoso mocketh the poor, reproacheth his Maker. Against malice and envy. Rom. xiii. 9. Love your neighbour as yourself. Eph. iv. 31. Let all bitterness, and wrath,—and evil-speaking, be put away from you, with all malice. 1 Cor. xiv. 20. In understanding be ye men, but in malice be ye children. 1 Pet. i. 22. Love one another with a pure heart fervently. 1 John iv. 20. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar. Job v. 2. Envy slayeth the silly one. Prov. xiv. 30. Envy is the rottenness of the bones. Gal. v. 26. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another; for hatred, wrath, strife, variance, envyings, &c. are all works of the flesh, v. 20, 21. Against excessive love of creatures. Mat. x. 37. He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me. 1 Cor. vii. 29, 30. The time is short: It remaineth therefore, that they that have wires, be as though they had none;—and they that buy, as though they possessed not. Col. iii. 2. Set your affections on things above, and not on things of the earth. 1 John ii. 15. Love not the world, neither the things which are in the world: If any love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Against immoderate and sinful fear. There is scarce any prohibition in all the bible, more frequently repeated, than "fear not." Isaiah's prophecy abounds with this caution. Chapter xli. 10. Fear not, I am with thee: Be not dismayed, I am thy God. Isa. li. 12, 13. I am he that comforteth you; who art thou that thou art afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man, that shall be made as grass, and forgettest the Lord thy Maker? Ps. xxvii. 1. The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? Luke xii. 4. Fear not them which kill the body, but after that can do no more. Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and he shall heart. Rev. xxi. 8. The fearful and unbelieving shall be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone. Ps. xxvii. 14. strengthen thy Against excessive sorrow. 1 Cor. vii. 30. Let those that weep, be as though they wept not. 2 Cor. vii. 10. Wordly sorrow worketh death. 1 Thess. iv. 13. Sorrow not for the dead, as others which have no hope. Prov. xv. 13. By sorrow of heart the spirit is broken. Phil. iv. 4. Rejoice always in the Lord, and again I say, rejoice. The book of Psalms, is so rich a treasure of divine supports and reliefs under those two disquieting passions of fear and sorrow, that there are few psalms without some of these consolations. And in the New Testament, Rom. viii, and Heb. xii. are chapters written for the comfort of suffering and afflicted christians. all men. Againt immoderate anger and revenge. Prov. xv. 1. A soft answer turneth away wrath; but grievous words stir up anger, Prov. xix. 11. The discretion of a man, deferreth his anger, and it is his glory to pass over a transgression. Prov. xxi. 24. Haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath. Prov. xii. 16. A fool's wrath is presently kindled, but a prudent man covereth shame. Prov. xiv. 29. He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding, but he that is hasty of spirit exalleth folly. Eccles. vii. 9. Anger resteth in the bosom of fools. Mat. xi. 29. Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart. Rom. xii. 18, 19. If it be possible as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves.-Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. Eph. iv. 26. Be angry and sin not: Let not the sun go down upon your wrath, neither give place to the devil. Colos. iii. 12, 13. Put on, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering, forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And particularly treasure up in your memory the divine characters of charity. I Cor. xiii. 4-7. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; envieth not, vaunteth not itself; is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth, or as it should be rendered, covereth all things, that is, all faults, believeth all things, and hopeth all things, that is, all good, and endureth all things, that is, all injuries and hardships for the sake of others. The tenth and last direction to regulate our passions about the things of earth, is to live much in the expectation of death, and in the view and hope of eternal things. Death and judgment, heaven and hell, are such graud and awful ideas, that where they are duly considered, they will make the things of this life appear so very little and inconsiderable, as to be scarce worthy of our hopes and fears, our desires and aversions, our wrath and resentments, our sorrows and joys. Such a steady prospect and expectation of things infinite and everlasting, will, by degrees, dissolve the force of visible and temporal things, and make them unable to raise any wild and unruly passions within us. Happy the soul that has a strong and lively faith of unseen worlds, of future terrors and glories: This will cure the vicious disorders of flesh and sense, appetite and passion: This will raise the spirit on the wings of devout affection, to the borders of paradise, and attemper the soul to the business and the joys of the blessed. |