Com.6 Thegeneral Expofition ofthis Commandment. Chap. t. 40 k giveplace to the Devil; for hereby is way made for ftrife and debate ( the proper Ephec 4.27 James of the Devil ) as Saint -lames fpeaks. n 1'1. b For the order and dependenceof this Commandment upon the former, it is very exact. For, z. Fief, the fifth was concerning Parents, the beginners and Authors ofour lift, therefore no object cometh better to be treated on in the next place, than life it felf; which floweth as an effect from the former, and every man ought to prize and e- Íteem it both in himfelfand others. Ami as it ought'to follow the fifth, fo ought it to go before the reff ; for we mull firft have life and being before. we can partake of wedlockgoods, or good-name ; thefe do all depend upon life, and therefore the Corh- mandment for preferving of it ought to Rand before thefe. 2. The ground ofthe fifthCommandment was Self-conceit ; to reftrain that con- ceit which men have of their own excellency, whereby they aftume honour to them. felves, and areunwilling togive honour to whom it is due. Hence men are apt tohate thofe that arebetter and more honoured than .themfelves; for ómnis iniquitas menti- tur ftbi, all iniquitydeceives it felts and we may obferve that the .firft murder came Gen. 4.3, 8. from this, Cain hated his brother,becaufehe was accepted and preferred before him; and the Text faith plainly that he flew his brother, becaufe he was better than him- r John ;. ra: felf, for his brothersworks weregood, andbin own evil. So was ERrs's anger kindled a- Gen. 27. 45. gainf 7acob, becaufe ofhis prerogative of birth-right which he had bought,and for theblelfing which he fiolefrom Efate. The like was in the Patriarchsagainf 'ofeph: 37.4 fo that in both cafes ( had they not been prevented ) they had proceeded even to murder, when they hated them. All this, I fay, grows upon the conceit,that we are not honouredfo much, and others ( in our opinion ), are honoured more than they fhould be. Thus then we being thwarted and croffed.do as Ababdid,fall into anger andrevenge,and (to obtain our defines) into murder. And therefore in the placingof this Commandmentbefore thofe that follow, there is very good order obferved, It is true, as divers have well obferved,that SJµp-, the fervour offpirit or animofity, proceedeth fromavaNials, delire, and our affections are hencecalled 8vswh7e, vio- lent andearnef. We fee in natural things, fire, whole natural place is tobeabove, defireth to be there, and therefore it bath the quality oflightnefs given to it, where- by it is apt to afcend, and ifit be hindred in itscourt.; it hath another quality, viz. heat,to burn through and make way,whereby it will fearch,and by itsown Rrength feek to remove the impediment. Such a thing is in the foul ofman ; for God having given us light to know what we have to do, giveth alfo adelire to do it, and fo we make toward it, we go up; for therefore bath he given us that part of the mind which we call bat9vala, which is anfwerable to the lightnefsin the fire: and thenan= fwerable tocalor beat, he hath given us 8tttso» and by the zeal ofit we remove all im pediments in our courfe. z. Now the fill Rep or motive to Murder is Anger, which is viudez lepe con- eupifeentie the revengerof our delire impaired; this being not fatisfied, there natu- rally follows ebuUttio fanguinic, a boyling of the blond ; for wecommonly fay, when a man is croffed in that he delires, Hic blond rifeth, upon which follows Ipya, anger, and adelire ofremoving the impediment. But this we are tounderftand, that anger is not ofthe fame quality with force other affections as namely that of envy that doth found ill, alfoon as it is named, for it implyes a grief at the good of another, which is limply and altogether finful,asbeing directly contrary to the vertue of love: but anger is not limply evil in regard ofthe at or objed, but when itfails either in the caufe, or the quantity or meafure, then our Anger may be faulty. Be angry, faith Saint Paul, butfin not, So that there may be anger which is not finful: and when an- Ephef ger is a fin, often it cometh not in regard ofthe object, nor at any time in regard of the affection it fell, which is indifferent,but when we are angry either without caufe, or upona trivial and light occafron, or when upon a juft caufewe keep no meafure, but our anger is extream. To be moved with indignation, in Gods caufe , or for the publick good, is a vertue, and it is called Nemefrs, indignation ; as when a man doth fee a thing committed againft Gods glory, that ought not to be done , or a thing that ought to be done , not done to the glory of God , or the good of thq Church and Common-wealth : This is ira per zelum, a zealous anger, and is called E e e trd
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