I do not fay, that we ought always immediately to believe every one, who profeffes concern, and makes fair promises. But we certainly ought to be careful, that paffion doth not keep us from believing what in itself is probable. Unless we are as ready to be reconciled, as we were to be provoked; and give as much credit, upon equal proof, to the penitence, as wè did to the crime; we are not in a reasonable and Chriftian temper. If therefore the evidences of any one's amendment be strong enough only to fufpend our bad opinion of him, we should fufpend our anger too: and as they grow fufficient to change it, we should change proportionably into kind behaviour, and due esteem. Indeed, fuppofing there be no amendment in him, though we cannot poffibly think well of him in that respect, yet we may in others; for there are strange mixtures in most people of faults and good qualities. Or, were we to think ever so ill of him upon the whole, and with ever fo much caufe, we fhould by no means be at liberty, even then, to cherish a conftant indignation at him boiling in our breafts: but our difapprobation of his character ought to be gentle and mild. For when anger, from being an occafional paflion for a time, degenerates into a fettled ftate of mind, it deferves a harfher name, that of rancour And though in fuch a state we may appear compofed, and may in reality feel no vehement emotions, this alone is far from proving us innocent. If ill will be the principle of our conduct towards any of our fellow-creatures; if We suppress their merit, undervalue their good actions, give a bad turn to fuch as are capable of a better, aggravate their failures, and do them all the harm that we fafely and quietly can; it is no alleviation, but the contrary, that we are able to do it without losing the command of ourselves. And there are some of so calm a malice, that they can plot and execute fuch mischief, as the moft paffionate man, in the very fit of his paffion, would recoil at; and yet preferve to others, and perhaps to their own minds, the fhew of being very good-tempered. But this deliberate filent hatred, as it is the deepest rooted and moft durable, fo it is the moft horrible depravity of all others, and the fartheft diftant from that fpirit of forgiveness, without which, we fhall not be forgiven. Let us therefore in malice be children; but in understanding, : let us not be overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good+. men * I Cor. xiv. 20. Rom. xii. 21. SER. THE due bounds of anger, with the common exceffes of them, have been defcribed in my two last discourses: and therefore I now proceed, II. To diffuade you from them, by fhewing you their bad effects; of which you cannot but have seen many al ready but still it will be needful to fet forth part of : them more distinctly, and add others to them. Some ill confequences of immoderate anger we feel immediately from the very workings of it within us. For the palfion, prone as we are to indulge it, is effentially uneafy. The goodness of God hath conftituted our inward frame in fuch a manner, that the kind affections are all attended with delight: but those emotions, which tend to give others pain, produce it first in ourselves, to restrain us from ever indulging them further than is neceffary. The lowest degree of displeasure, as the mere word implies, must be unpleafing prefents unwelcome thoughts and views of things to the mind, which more or less unfit it, fo long as they laft, for the chearful and easy enjoyment of life. But if it rife to any height, its agitations, are acutely miferable: they rack and tear our fouls; and, if they return frequently, confume our health and vigour : tho' indeed, were we ever so ftrong to bear them, there is no happiness in being able to support the renewal of torments. Then, befides this infeparable feeling, there must often, as it is very fit there fhould, be a fecond, for the time almoft intolerable, that of failing in the mifchief, to which our fury prompts us. And And yet fuccefs in it will only, after a fhort-lived inhuman transport, bring on a greater variety of dreadful sufferings. For there quickly fucceeds a ftate unfpeakably painful, of rage at ourselves instead of others; or at least of exhausted spirits, dejection at the remembrance of our wickednefs and folly; bitter, and, it may be, fruitless, anguish for the cruel things that we have faid or done. And the longer it is before we reflect thus, the more matter we hoard up to make reflection frightful, when it comes. Indeed one fingle confideration might be enough to prove anger a wretched condition; that our enemies are always endeavouring to put us into it: whom it is an innocent revenge to mortify, by resolving to disappoint them; and preserve ourfelves in a calm, whatever ftorms we fee around us. He who doth this, hath found the true secret, for paffing his days with comfort, and conducting his affairs happily. Such a one fees on all fides of him, and apprehends every thing just as it is: makes the moft of each favourable opportunity; and gives difadvantageous circumftances the beft turn of which they are capable. But paffion fo infatuates men, that they run directly upon evident ruin, without perceiving it: nor will they always avoid it, when they do perceive it. A wife man feareth, and departeth from evil: but a fool rageth, and is confident *. At best, they often lose a point of confequence by their warmth about a trifle; disoblige in a fit of peevishnefs their moft zealous friends, and fometimes turn them into the moft dangerous adverfaries. For paft intimacies furnish peculiar means of doing hurt for the future: and a brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city. Then, at the fame time that they provoke needlefs enmities, they give all their enemies needlefs advantages: often betraying their own designs, perpetually forwarding those of their oppofers. For while they rafhly prefs on upon others, they lay themselves open without defence, and verify the faying of the wife king: He that hath no rule over his own fpirit, is like a city that is broken down, and without walls. Nothing requires more coolness, than what ufually raises the most heat: meeting with unreasonable oppofition. They who cannot pafs by fmall injuries unnoticed, will rally draw down great ones upon their own heads. For anger VOL. I. U u Prov. xiv. 16. † Prov. xviii. 19. Prov. xxv. 28. on fuch occafions, however juft, ferves only to make bad people worse, and afford them handles for doing more effectually what they wish. Kindle not therefore the coals of a finner, left thou be burnt with the flame of his fire. Rife not up in anger at the prefence of an injurious perfon, left he lie in wait to intrap thee in thy words *. Another grievous disadvantage of a passionate temper is, that it hinders men from receiving advice. Not every one dares, and no one hath encouragement, to give it them. For they will feldom bear the intimation of an error in what they do, or an objection to what they propofe. Nay, too commonly, alledging reasons against a thing, increases their pofitiveness in favour of it. For anger joins the two unfitteft companions in the world, rashness and obftinacy. Or, if good counsel chances to be once followed, the fame impatience, which hath brought them into one difficulty, will foon bring them into another as bad. So that, to ufe Solomon's words, a man of great wrath fhall fuffer punishment: for if thou deliver him, yet thou muft do it again t. What ufually inflames our refentments is the defire of promoting our own schemes and interests. Now, on the contrary, this is the very inducement which should moderate and check them. For however triumphantly outrageous people may feem to bear down all before them for a time; yet it is ever the cool head that carries the point at last. Better is the end of a thing, than the beginning thereof; and the patient in fpirit is better than the proud in fpirit. Be not hafty in thy fpirit to be angry for anger refleth in the bofum of fools. But fuppofing perfons of this turn to have at heart, not their own private intereft, but public good; very often their heat will mislead them to do evil instead of it; and that moft dreadful evil. For the ftrong impreffion of being in the right, under which they act, inclines them to run greater lengths in what is wrong, than any thing elfe could. And thus the wrath of man worketh not, even when he may intend it, the righteousness of God §. Indeed were a design ever fo well chofen, and harmlessly carried on, yet few things are fo likely to hinder the fuccefs of it, as too great vehemence : which hath alfo this further inconvenience, that after they, whom Ecclus. viii. 10, 11. : + Prov. xix. 19. $ James i. 20. whom it animates, have spent their firft fire, they are the apteft of all others to flag and despair, and abandon their undertaking. But, befides that we thus embarrass and disappoint ourselves, we ought to reflect what fort of figure we make to others. Generally people endeavour to hide their frailties: but he that is hafty of Spirit proclaims his; and, as the scripture expreffes it, exalteth folly*. He aims at the appearance indeed of great importance and fuperiority: and would have it pafs for inward strength, that he exerts himself fo immoderately. But unreasonable paffions are no more a proof of healthy vigour in the foul, than fevers or convulfions are in the body. Every little accident affects and flutters an infirm conftitution; while those of a jufter make bear confiderable changes undisturbed. In the fame manner a rightly tempered mind repulfes even great affaults without effort, and remains unmoved; while the flightest trials put a weak one into remarkable agitations. Perfons of the tendereft frames, of the fmalleft experience and knowledge, of the lowest or the most impaired faculties, have ufually the leaft command of themfelves, when provoked. Nor doth the fudden fiercenefs, with which refentment inspires men, at all imply true bravery, though it may accidentally produce fome effects like it: for this even extremity of fear will do. Then further, exceffive anger is attended with all imaginable symptoms of weakness. For it makes the wifest people say and act the fillieft things that can be; and become quite ridiculous, whilst they aim to appear terrible: threatening what they dare not do, attempting what they cannot do, and what, when the mad fit is a little over, for the world they would not, if they could: expofing themselves by the moft wretched false reasonings; laying great ftrefs upon trifies, that will bear none at all; and, when one wild affertion is confuted, running inftantly to another to juftify their choler, and all in vain. So piteous is the figure that the paffionate make: and it is often a lafting shame, which the blustering affectation of false greatness brings upon them in a few moments. Composure is an effential part of true dignity: and an elevated foul is above taking notice of the impotent attacks, which a mean one fhews its meannefs by bufying itself to refent and return. |