Ambrose - Houston-Packer Collection BX5200 .A49 1674

:Book u. . 3· It is fuch an :lnger as mi!fes iri refpeCI: af cieafure; holy ange~ keeps, within compaCs, but lo doth not this, ner do I wonder, for· amongft all the affections or pallions of the mind , there is none rriore like to abound in meafure, than the pallion of anger, it is a fiery plllion, and fire, we know, is apt to exceed: how great a hie will one fpark kindle 1 · . . . 4 • It is fuch an anger as miffes in refped of the end ; holy anger hath right aims and ends, as the glory of God, and j;Ood of Souls : but what i• the end of this an– ger? what is it a pal!io?ate ~a~ ai~_s ."t? If I may anfwer for him, either ho a!ms •,t this, that he may fat1sfie a p1eVJih fp1nt, or he Jlms at tfus, that he may brmg o– thers under him, or he airr.s ,at this, that he m1y b: elleemed ofothers as fome-body in the world, or h~aims at this,,tha~ he may have his will another time: Thefearc: the chief ends ofa pal!ionate fpirit : But oh it is otherwife with a gracious fpirit! fit<:h a one may be angry fometimes, but it is not to farislie himfelf, liut to bring things into order, it is riot to 1fubjed others under him, but to bring all under God; it is not to appear fomc-body iti the W?rld, but that the glory of God may more •P,– pear; it is not t_o.ha_ve_ his will mor~ at another tirhe, but that. Gods will may be_ done on earth as 1t IS m heaven, it IS not that he may avenge hmlfelf, but that he may do good to others, never aiming more .at the parties good that he is angry withal, than at that very tiine when he is rnoi! angiy. Now you may fee what anj~er I inveigh againfr, and what anger it is which gives ploi:e to the devil, SECT. XIV. Of our i'mftling witlt Satan to o~ercomethis fin. IN refilling Saian, and this fin, do you wrelik thus.- . _ 1 • Be you humbled for wha_t hath been pall ; were yoll but humbled for fin in general, it would much ineeken your fpirits; but were you humbled fot this pmi– cular fin, in that your Jives formerly have been lo pievilh, and pettilh, and pal!i– onate, oh the good you might g•t by this humiliation! is not rlii> the way to mortitie. fin at the bean- ioot? as when weeds are moylloned at the root, then is the time to get them up, and not when all is dry: So when the heart is humbled for this fin at the root, when the heart is bedew~d with tears of repentance, and becomes foftancf f\cfi,y, which before was ftony and hard, then will this fin up, or be mortified with far more eafe. !lay this humiliation as the foundation of all other help,, many b:– ing convinc't tblt fuch or fuch a thing ought not to be done, they refolve prefently they will do Co r.n more, but they bottom riot their refolution upon humiliation, and fo all comes to nothing, but as the morning dew it quickly vanifh:eth. 0 begin here, repent of fins paft, ot former pettillinef> and pieviJhnefs offpirit, and upon thi• [bun– dation we may comfortably hope the bui!Jmg may lland, notwithftmding·the uin, and floods, and winds that may beat upon it. 2• Refolve, and renew your refolutions and covenants wi'th God frotR day to day : it may be you find that >Jaturally you are overcome w;th pallion, and therefore each morning think but thus with your [elves, I may meet with occafion! thi,rday to difquict my heart, I bave had experience, that thougb the day bath been fair in the morning, yet it bath been foul before. night; I fee I am R'eak;, I have fometimes promifed and covenanted ..itb God againft thisfin, hNt I have been overcome agai11 and again, I wiU now therefore ia the firengtb of Chrijl refolve that tl1i! day, whatfoever f•ll! out, I wiU bear it quietly, ani. ifI be wronged, 1wiU in['ie<d it the next ~ay, or tbe next opporiunily, only this day I wiU retain my quiet offPirit. wh; thus would yo" refolve, and renew you refolutions lrom day to day, who k!lows bur it mig~t gain upon your hearts toovcrc_ome pal!ion.? and 1fa httle were but done for the pretenr, yet would ir not be fo hard as now it is . to O\'Crcome it afterwards. ' PrO,IJ.!. 3. ~er an high price upon the quietaefs of your fpirit, better i! a drj_morfel, and quietncji thmw!th, then an houfi full of facrijim with ftrift. , There is as much .dilfe- 1 Pet.3-4: rence betWIXt qmetncls and !\rile, as betw1xt a ftormy , dark, tcmpefruous night, and a ca_!pl; fwc."t, S~~-fl)iny, . Summers day: Whe" the_ Apoille [peaks ofthe ornament ofam<tk.. and quutJPmt, he adds that zn the fight of God ttH ofgrearprice; other graces ·~~ precious with God, but a l!'e~k and quite fpirit is in tJ.e fi~hr of God of great pncd, IllS worth agreat deal, 1t 1sa Jewel of grc·at worth; Kings, and Princes, and Nubles'

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