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Anger,
as fear and sorrow and other affections of averseness, hath only evil, in
truth, or appearance, for the object on which it worketh.
But whereas fear and sorrow, out of a kind of impotency, withdraw
the person fearing or sorrowing, from the evil feared or sorrowed for;
anger in strength, and stoutness, as being the strongest of all
affections, intends the driving away and dispelling of the evil [Scaliger];
at and against which it riseth. Which,
being also, as Chrysippus calls it, and experience confirms, a blind
thing; there is nothing so sacred and precious which it will spare; but
without difference it flieth, where the wings are not clipt, upon friends
as well as foes [Plutarch]; and upon unreasonable creatures, as well as
upon men. And so Xerxes in anger beat the sea, and threatened the
mountains, if they hindered his passage [Seneca]. Yea it will not spare the truth itself, if it be against its
purpose, Lev. xxiv.11-14: no, nor God neither, as we may see, not only in
furious blasphemers, or piercers of God, as the word imports, but even in
the prophet himself, who was angry even to the death at God, for sparing
Nineveh. Jonah iv.4-9. It is therefore rightly called a short fury, as differing
from plain madness in nothing, but time [Cato].
And, in truth, it is pity, that they, in whom it reigns, specially
pleasing themselves in its fits, are not chained up like madmen; or that
they have either riches or strength or authority or wit or anything else
to hurt with. It were good he
had no other thing in his power, who is not in his own power; as no angry
man is [Seneca].
If a wrathful man saw himself in a glass, when his fit is upon him; his
eyes burning, his lips fumbling, his face pale, his teeth gnashing, his
mouth foaming, and other parts of his body trembling, and shaking [Plate,
Seneca, Jerome]; or but some of these deformities; he would, and worthily,
loathe himself, and it may be amend things, for after, as some have done.
But if the same person saw the face of his soul, in the glass of
God's Word, and the deformities thereof, in God's sight, he would much
more abhor himself, and start aside, as terrified at the sight of so
hideous a monster. This rash
anger, whether causeless or immeasurable, where some cause is, hath always
evil in it, Matt. ii.16; though it be never so speedily repressed: upon
which if the sun be let go down, and that it lodge all night in the heart,
it becomes malice by the morning. Men
nourish it in pride, and because they will not give place to other men;
not considering, that in so doing, they give place to the devil, Eph.
iv.26, 27, and become like him in malice, wherein he exceeds himself.
This anger God so brands, as he scarce doth any created affection,
in forbidding the making of friendship with an angry man, and walking with
the furious, for fear of learning his ways, and getting a snare to the
soul. Prov. xxii.24. For though all affections becoming inordinate, are vicious,
and that God would have his servants watch diligently against the excesses
of sorrow, fear, joy, and the like; yet doth he never give warning of the
fellowship of such, as in whom they reign, for fear of learning them:
neither is there that danger of smiting by other passions, which is by
this.
If Solomon were a wise man and took not his marks amiss, who so oft, and
plainly sets out a fool by rash anger and wrath, there are many more fools
in the world, than go in the motley coats; and the same no small fools
neither; considering how many, specially of them who take a privilege from
their greatness, to give scope to their passions, either affect or give
way to inordinateness in this kind; as if otherwise they could not
sufficiently manifest their wisdom in discerning, and goodness in
disliking, and greatness in controlling things amiss in others.
But as vain-glorious men desire to show their authority in needless
commands; so do fools affect the showing of their wisdom, goodness, and
greatness, in needless anger.
The links whereof a chain may be made to tie up this fierce dog, that he
do not more hurt, than good in biting, and commit not a greater offence by
unadvisedness and excess, than the person hath done [Jerome], which he is
set upon; are specially these: First,
lowliness of mind, by which he that thinks not himself great, thinks no
great hurt done, if he be a little wronged: whereas, on the other side,
the high-minded conceives great indignation, that his understanding should
be opposed, his authority neglected, his will crossed, his credit
impeached, or anything said or done importing any undervaluation of his
presumed worth of himself. Christ
the Lord teacheth both by example and doctrine, that humility and meekness
are inseparable companions. Matt.
xi.29. A second,
consideration what is just with God, in regard of our sins, to bring upon
us, though by man's unjust provocations and injuries: and this was David's
remedy, when Shimei reviled him. A
third, true love to others, which is not easily nor excessively provoked
to anger, 1 Cor. xiii.5, at such as wrong us; but rather moves to pity
them, as the father wished Scapula, a great persecutor of the Christians,
that if he would not spare them, he should spare himself, who should have
the worst of it [Tertullian]. A
fourth, is a little delay and forbearance, either for the inward working
or outward uttering of anger, whilst we gather our wits about us; which he
that can bring himself to, will often by finding just cause of anger at
himself, forbear being angry at others.
And to this tended the counsel given unto Caesar, that he should
neither do, nor speak anything in anger, till he had said over the Greek
alphabet [Seneca]. A fifth
is, not to take liberty to be a little angry at trifles, for he that useth
himself to that, will not keep from extremity in great matters [Plutarch].
The last is to avoid occasions of provocation, whether persons or
things: which whilst angry folk, for the most part, affect, they gather
fuel for the fire, wherewith to burn themselves, hasten to discover their
own shame, and make way for the devil's temptations, unto which they give
way afterwards.
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