You are aware; That Meekness does not propose to Destroy our ⟨p. 15⟩Anger, but only to Govern it. It may sometimes be not only Lawful, but also Needful, to be Angry. That most Consummate Pattern and Fountain of all Goodness, our SAVIOUR Himself, when he had some Sinful People about Him, we read, Mar. III. 5. He looked round about on them with Anger. Goodness it self may have Anger in it; Meekness it self may be Angry. But then, First; Meekness must Govern our Anger, as to the Reasons of it. You must be well-advised by Meekness, against that Weakness, of being, Angry without a Cause; Lest you be pleased no otherwise than,—you know how! Particularly; Be sure, To be Angry at a Good Thing; This cannot be Good. When the words of GOD in Sound Doctrines, or in Just Reproofs are brought unto us, 'tis a Wicked Thing to be Angry at them. A Wickedness exemplified by the Hearers of our […]; Act. VII. 54. When they heard these thing, they gnashed on ⟨p. 16⟩him with their Teeth. Nor is it any Better to be Angry at the Works of GOD, either in our own Adversity, or in the Prosperity of others, or suppose, the Accidents of the Weather disappointing of us. Jonah has the leaves of his Alcherva failing him; And now, Dost thou well to be Angry, Jonah? Hush; Do not say, Thou Dost! But then, I will go on with my Limitations, Take these Two; Be not Angry for Nothing; and, Be not Angry for Every Thing. Both of these are Exorbitances. Your Anger should not be for Nothing. If you are Angry you should be Able to give a sufficient, and a significant Account, why you are so! Not fret and fume for you know not what your selves: Nor upon a mere mistake, a mere Fancy, and ungrounded suspicion; some wrong Information. Over all your Anger, and all that you do or speak in your Anger be able to say with him; I Sam. XVII. 29. Is there not a Cause? Nor should ⟨p. 17⟩Anger be for Every Thing. What? For the Landing of every little Skiff, to set the Beacons on Fire? By no means. To be Angry, for every Trifle: Upon the breaking of a Glass, the spilling of a Cup, every little Blunder of a Servant, some small Disrespect shown to our Character, presently an uproar to be made in our Souls! By no means. About your Anger take that Advice; Jam. I. 19. Let every Man be slow to speak, slow to wrath.
You are aware; That Meekness does not propose to Destroy our ⟨p. 15⟩Anger, but only to Govern it. It may sometimes be not only Lawful, but also Needful, to be Angry. That most Consummate Pattern and Fountain of all Goodness, our SAVIOUR Himself, when he had some Sinful People about Him, we read, Mar. III. 5. He looked round about on them with Anger. Goodness it self may have Anger in it; Meekness it self may be Angry. But then, First; Meekness must Govern our Anger, as to the Reasons of it. You must be well-advised by Meekness, against that Weakness, of being, Angry without a Cause; Lest you be pleased no otherwise than,—you know how! Particularly; Be sure, To be Angry at a Good Thing; This cannot be Good. When the words of GOD in Sound Doctrines, or in Just Reproofs are brought unto us, 'tis a Wicked Thing to be Angry at them. A Wickedness exemplified by the Hearers of our 〈…〉; Act. VII. 54. When they heard these thing, they gnashed on ⟨p. 16⟩him with their Teeth. Nor is it any Better to be Angry at the Works of GOD, either in our own Adversity, or in the Prosperity of others, or suppose, the Accidents of the Weather disappointing of us. Jonah has the leaves of his Alcherva failing him; And now, Dost thou well to be Angry, Jonah? Hush; Do not say, Thou Dost! But then, I will go on with my Limitations, Take these Two; Be not Angry for Nothing; and, Be not Angry for Every Thing. Both of these are Exorbitances. Your Anger should not be for Nothing. If you are Angry you should be Able to give a sufficient, and a significant Account, why you are so! Not fret and fume for you know not what your selves: Nor upon a meer mistake, a meer Fancy, and ungrounded suspicion; some wrong Information. Over all your Anger, and all that you do or speak in your Anger be able to say with him; I Sam. XVII. 29. Is there not a Cause? Nor should ⟨p. 17⟩Anger be for Every Thing. What? For the Landing of every little Skiff, to set the Becons on Fire? By no means. To be Angry, for every Trifle: Upon the breaking of a Glass, the spilling of a Cup, every little Blunder of a Servant, some small Disrespect shown to our Character, presently an uprore to be made in our Souls! By no means. About your Anger take that Advice; Jam. I. 19
