The other cause of Anger, is Contempt, either real or supposed; and that is more provoking to those, who raised by Pro sperity, look with a distance of Mind upon others below them. Prosperity in any kind, swells Men with a vain opinion of their Worth and Dignity; and makes ⟨p. 22⟩them insolent and intolerable. There is a strange distemper of the Eyes in some Persons, wherever they look, their own Image visibly encounters them. The reason of it is assigned by an inquiring Philosopher, 'That the visive Faculty has not spirits and vigour to penetrate through the Air to see other things, and the Air as a Glass makes the reflection of their own Image. Thus one of a shallow and weak Understanding, is continually representing to himself his own conceited Excellencies. And Prosperity increases their esteem of themselves unmeasurably above their just value. 'Tis like a Concave Glass that breaks the Rays, and dilates the visive Angle; and by a natural Enchantment, makes an exorbitant Figure, a Dwarf to ⟨p. 23⟩appear a Giant. Now as Pride is the usual Concomitant of Prosperity, so there is no Passion so inseparable from Pride, and so proper to it, as Anger. By Pride 1comes Contention; 'tis the observation of the wisest Man, confirmed by universal Experience. Pride makes Men imperious and impatient, boisterous and stormy against all that offend them. Pride, Anger, and Revenge, like Serpents twine and wreath about one another. Pride interprets an Offence as an high Contempt, and raises Anger; and Anger provoked, takes proportionable revenge to the conceived Injury. We have a Tragical Instance of this recorded in Scripture. * Hazael 2when foretold by the mourning Prophet, that he would stain himself with the Innocent Blood of ⟨p. 24⟩the Israelites, slay their young Men with the Sword, and dash their Children, and rip up their Women with Child: He startled at it as an execrable Cruelty: And Hazael said, But what, is thy Servant a Dog that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, The Lord hath showed me, that thou shalt be King over Syria. When advanced to empire, he devested humanity. Pride armed with Power is furious at opposition; and the flaming Passion, like a frightful Comet, presages and produces terrible Effects. Thus 'tis evident how the Lusts of the Flesh are fomented by Prosperity.
The other cause of Anger, is Contempt, either real or suppos'd; and that is more provoking to those, who rais'd by Pro sperity, look with a distance of Mind upon others below them. Prosperity in any kind, swels Men with a vain opinion of their Worth and Dignity; and makes ⟨p. 22⟩them insolent and intolerable. There is a strange distemper of the Eyes in some Persons, whereever they look, their own Image visibly encounters them. The reason of it is assign'd by an inquiring Philosopher, 'That the visive Faculty has not spirits and vigour to penetrate through the Air to see other things, and the Air as a Glass makes the reflection of their own Image. Thus one of a shallow and weak Understanding, is continually representing to himself his own conceited Excellencies. And Prosperity increases their esteem of themselves unmeasurably above their just value. 'Tis like a Concave Glass that breaks the Rays, and dilates the visive Angle; and by a natural Inchantment, makes an exorbitant Figure, a Dwarf to ⟨p. 23⟩appear a Giant. Now as Pride is the usual Concomitant of Prosperity, so there is no Passion so inseparable from Pride, and so proper to it, as Anger. By Pride 1comes Contention; 'tis the observation of the wisest Man, confirm'd by universal Experience. Pride makes Men imperious and impatient, boisterous and stormy against all that offend them. Pride, Anger, and Revenge, like Serpents twine and wreath about one another. Pride interprets an Offence as an high Contempt, and raises Anger; and Anger provok'd, takes proportionable revenge to the conceived Injury. We have a Tragical Instance of this recorded in Scripture. * Hazael 2when foretold by the mourning Prophet, that he would stain himself with the Innocent Blood of ⟨p. 24⟩the Israelites, slay their young Men with the Sword, and dash their Children, and rip up their Women with Child: He startled at it as an execrable Cruelty: And Hazael said, But what, is thy Servant a Dog that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, The Lord hath shewed me, that thou shalt be King over Syria. When advanc'd to empire, he devested humanity. Pride armed with Power is furious at opposition; and the flaming Passion, like a frightful Comet, presages and produces terrible Effects. Thus 'tis evident how the Lusts of the Flesh are fomented by Prosperity.
- 1Prov. 13. 10.
- 22 Kings 8. 12, 13.
