The first thing of commission that is forbidden here is inward, and that is hasty and unadvised anger, rash wrath and unjust, as Math. 5. 22. Who ever (saith Christ) is angry with his brother unadvisedly, is culpable of judgement. Guilty of vengeance and wrath of God. Now not all anger but inconsiderate and hasty anger doth offend in this place. Now that is unadvised and sinful anger which either hindereth one from doing good to the person with whom he is angry, by praying for him, or kind admonishing him, or else when it is conceived without sufficient cause, or exceeding either in the time or the measure. As Paul, Let not the Sun go down upon your wrath, nor give place to the devil. That which was for the sudden and present passion is natural, but if it lie soaking and lingering, and sink in deeper into the heart, it grows then to be devilish; and so if ones anger be above that, that the quality of the fault requires, this is rash and comes not through the folly of the party with whom he is angry, but through his folly that is angry. Therefore we must look that we be never angry without a just cause. And then that we proportion our anger to the sin committed against God, not to the injury done to us; for that proceeds from pride, and is no better then revenge, and therefore must more be grieved at ⟨image 138⟩things breaking the first then the second table, and always that that doth most displease God, and is most odious to him must do the like to us. And yet let not the sun go down upon it neither, but let it quicken us to prayer for the person, and with a zeal of Gods glory. Now the means to keep us from this foolish passion of rash anger are these; first, often to meditate upon our own sin and vileness. As Titus 3. 2. he saith, Show all meekness to all men. I but might some say, I am of a very choleric and hot nature, that I cannot but be angry with them. But you your self were in times past disobedient. As if he had said, think of this a little, and consider how bad your self both have been, and are still, and that will cool your choler and make you more meek to others that offend, so that he that oftenest remembers his own sin will be most patient to an other, and none are more eager and passionate against the slips of others, then those that are most slack and negligent to examine their own great sins.
The first thing of commission that is forbidden heere is inward, and that is hastie and vnaduised anger, rash wrath and vniust, as Math. 5. 22. Who euer (saith Christ) is angrie with his brother vnaduisedly, is culpable of iudgement. Guiltie of vengeance and wrath of God. Now not all anger but inconsiderate and hastie anger doth offend in this place. Now that is vnaduised and sinfull anger which eyther hindreth one from doing good to the person with whom he is angrie, by praying for him, or kinde admonishing him, or else when it is conceiued without sufficient cause, or exceeding eyther in the time or the measure. As Paule, Let not the Sunne goe downe vpon your wrath, nor giue place to the diuell. That which was for the suddaine and present passion is naturall, but if it lie soking and lingring, and sinke in deeper into the heart, it growes then to be diuelish; and so if ones anger be aboue that, that the qualitie of the fault requires, this is rash and comes not through the folly of the partie with whom he is angrie, but through his folly that is angrie. Therefore we must looke that we be neuer angrie without a iust cause. And then that we proportion our anger to the sinne committed against God, not to the iniurie done to vs; for that proceeds from pride, and is no better then reuenge, and therefore must more be grieued at ⟨image 138⟩things breaking the first then the second table, and alwaies that that doth most displease God, and is most odious to him must doe the like to vs. And yet let not the sunne goe downe vpon it neither, but let it quicken vs to prayer for the person, and with a zeale of Gods glorie. Now the meanes to keepe vs from this foolish passion of rash anger are these; first, often to meditate vpon our owne sinne and vilenesse. As Titus 3. 2. he saith, Shew all meekenesse to all men. I but might some say, I am of a verie cholericke and hot nature, that I cannot but be angrie with them. But you your selfe were in times past disobedient. As if he had said, thinke of this a little, and consider how bad your selfe both haue beene, and are still, and that wil coole your choler and make you more meeke to others that offend, so that he that oftenest remembers his own sinne will be most patient to an other, and none are more eager and passionate against the slips of others, then those that are most slacke and negligent to examine their owne great sinnes.
