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SERMON XX.

EPHESIANS, iv. 26.

Be angry, and fin not.

T hath pleased the Almighty Creator

IT

to implant in the nature of man fundry kinds of paffions; in order both to ftir him up to action, and to make trial of his obedience. And truly without these busy principles within us, human life (as far as we are capable of judging) would be but an infipid ftate of being. For though they carry in them not only incitements to good works, but also temptations to fuch as are evil; yet

be

having reafon and religion to direct us in the due exercise of them, we may justly fatisfied with this our short probation, which is only to prepare us for that future blissful state, where shall be nothing but harmony and peace. — Indeed the laws of Chrift are fo piercing, and strike fo directly at the first motions of the heart, that they may feem in fome refpects defigned to eradicate the paffions out of our present frame and constitution. And undoubtedly they were intended to fupprefs every paffion, the object of which is unlawful; and to prevent every vicious tendency from harbouring in the mind: Because gratification being the end of all our defires, therefore to conceive and cherish fuch as are criminal, is virtually to be guilty of the actions to which they tend. In which sense our Bleffed Saviour accufeth him of adultery, who entertains any dishonourable inclinations towards the

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wife of another man; and him of murder, who is but angry with his brother without a cause. However it is very certain we are poffeffed of paffions for good purposes, seeing they are constituents of our nature, and were fo in the time of innocence. Neither is it the defign of the Chriftian Religion to eradicate our affections, but to restrain them within the bounds of justice, temperance and fobriety. The truth of this will appear more fully from confidering the particular inftance of Anger, which is the subject of my text; "Be angry, and fin not." In which words the Apostle must not be fuppofed to exhort men to anger, to which by reafon of their frailty they are but too prone; and which is ever attended with fome danger of lapfing into fin; Neither doth he abfolutely forbid them to be angry, as a thing in itself fimply finful; which, confidering it is unavoidable upon fome occafions,

had

had been an unreasonable injunction: But He may eafily be understood as giving a very prudent caution against unwarrantable and vicious anger, either as to the cause or degree of it; " Be angry, and fin not; let not the fun go down upon your wrath." For the more diftinct treating of which subject, I shall endeavour in the first place to point out to you in what cafes we may be angry, and yet not fin; and fecondly, what kinds and degrees of anger are to be avoided as finful.

1. Now anger is an emotion of fpirit, either juftifiable or otherwife, good or evil, according to it's caufe, it's temper, and it's end. If the provocation be just, the anger may be innocent and allowable; but fo far only as it is duly moderated and well intended. Few perfons are of fo calm a difpofition, as not to be in fome measure disturbed at the recep

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tion of an injury.

Neither is there any

thing fimply unlawful in this: No, nor in vifible acts of refentment, when conducted without breach of charity. We find St. Paul requiring with fome warmth the Magiftrates of Philippi, who contrary to the privilege of a Roman had beaten him openly uncondemned, and caft him into prifon, when they thought to have thruft him out privily, to come themfelves and fetch him out. In which cafe the anger of the perfon injured, and the fubmiffion of the Tyrants were both equally reasonable: Neither can we fuppofe a like inftance of refentment less warrantable in a private Christian, than this was in an Apoftle. But, by the way, it is worth obferving that He demanded no farther fatisfaction for fo fevere a treatment than the bare acknowledgment of his perfecutors; agreeably to that precept of his Divine Mafter, "If thy brother trefpafs against thee, rebuke him,

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