The excellency of holy courage in evil times by Jeremiah Burroughs

USE 6

ƲSE 6

The last Use that I will name from hence is this: The more ordinary and usual it is for any that have power in their hands to be thus wrathful, the more honourable it is, they should be able to cross their anger and their passion. It is a blessed thing for a Man or Woman in power, to think it is more Glory to use their power to cross their passion, than to use their power to revenge them that cross them. You think if you can make others to yield to you, that is a brave thing: but you that have power over others be convinced of this, that it is a greater honour to use your power to command your own passion by, than to use it to make others to yield to it.

The last Use that I wil name from hence is this: The more ordinary and usual it is for any that have power in their hands to be thus wrathful, the more honorable it is, they should be able to cross their anger and their passion. It is a blessed thing for a Man or Woman in power, to think it is more Glory to use their power to cross their passion, than to use their power to revenge them that cross them. You think if you can make others to yeild to you, that is a brave thing: but you that have power over others be convinced of this, that it is a greater honor to use your power to command your own passion by, than to use it to make others to yeild to it.

Phillip the second King of Spain, being intent about some great business in writing a Letter to the Pope, and requiring some hast, he sate up all night, and being done, his Secretary standing by, and being half asleep, he bade him throw some sand upon i, and he took the Standish, and poured Ink upon it: now though the King was crossed, yet he went away and put it up and made nothing of it. What a shame is it then for Christians to be so revengeful? And that Phillip being spoken ill of by one Cradon, some put him in mind to revenge himself on him,