PHI LOS 0 P H Y . - Classic Works of Apologetics Online

178 Anger_
nathn, when they find it dying away of itself. 'Ve
may remember that others have their passkns, their
prejudices, their favourite aims, their fears, their
cautions, their interests, their sudden imp'llses, their
varieties of apprehension, as well as we: we may
recollect what hath sometimes passed in our o\\'-n
minds, when we have got on the wrong side of a
quarrel, and imagine the same to be passing in our
adversary's mind now; when we become sensible of
our misbehaviour, u·hat pailiations 'we perceived in
it, and expected others to perceive : how we ,,'ere
-affected by the kindness, and felt the superiority of
a generous reception and ready forgiveness; how
persecution revived our spirits with our enmity, and
seemed to justify the conduct in ourselves, which
we before blamed. Add to this, the indecency ofextravagant
anger; how it renders us, whilst it
lasts, the scorn and sport of all about us, of which
it leaves us, when' it ceases, sensible and ashamed ;
the inconveniences, and irretrievable misconduct
into which our irascibility has sometimes betrayed
us ; the friendships it has lost us ; the distresses and
embarrassments in which we have been involved by
it; and the sore repent4flce \.qhich on one account
or other it alwav~ ~O~(S us.
But the re!1ection calcul~.ted above all others to allay
the haughtiness of temper which is ever finding
out provocations, and which renders anger so impetuous,
is that which the gospel proposes; namely, that
we ourselves are, or shortly shall be, supplial1t~ for
mercy and pardon at the judgment seat of God.
Imagine our secret sins disclosed and brought to
1ight ; imagine us thus humbled and exposed; trem.
bIing under. the hand of God; casting ourselves on
his compassion; crying out fo), mercy: imagine such
~ creature to talk of satisfaction and revenge; refusing
to be entreated, disdaining to forgive ; extreme
to mark and to resent what is done amiss; imagine