Spiritual PerfeClion. CHAP. !I. An•er ;, a Lu.ft of tht Flefb. No Pa/lion le[J <4pablt of Counfd. Direfliom to prevent its rt(e and .rugn . Mouves to e.xtmguijh tt. The Lujl of the Eyes, and. Pride of Li{t; 4re joug~ IVtth ~be. Lrt.Jls. of the !'lefb. Covetou{mjj· c~njider'd. ' Tis radJCa!ly in the 'lJn. derftandmz, ~rtnctpally m _the Wr/1, ~ertuai'J in the Aflrons. The love of it prod11ce~ many vicious Afj(fltom. ''/is diflovered m f!.ttlmg, /aving, and ujing An Ejlate. The d;ffiw!ty of curing Covt!OJt/ne/s, made evtdent from th~ Caujes of it; and the tm[ucce/s(ulne{s of Me4rJ in order to it. 'Tis the root o( all Evt!. E.xcl11dts from Heavm . 'Tu the moft unreafonable Pll//ion. The pre{t11t World c~nnot afford Perfdlioll or Satis{aflion to 1he Immortal Soul. The proper Meam to mortify Covttoufnifs. 2 • A N~~~~fef,"~~~erm~~eft ~~~e~::~!lea~~in~~~~ 1 ~:pfr~lf~t~~~f6: ~s ietfsd~:f:~~er~! ~t~. ;,~;p: Mind, and.caufes fuch a fie_rce agirarion of the Spirits, as when a Storm fills the Air !~t Xfo~.u:;:/t• with bl ack Clouds, and temble Flafhes of Lightning. It ofteo ·brea!<S forth fo fuddeo- Son, ' ' 1,. 1y~ rhar as fome acute Difeafes, if check'd at ~rft, becor:ne more violen~ '·there is no time for remedy., nor place for cure ; fo there ts fuch an Irrevocable prec1p1tancy of the Paffions, that the endeavour to reprefs their Fury, enrages them. 'Tis aftooilliing what enormous Exceif~s ami Mifchiefs are caufed by it! How many Houfes are mrned into Dens of Dragons , how many Kingdoms into Fields of Blood, by this fierce Paffion? To prevent its rife and reign, the nlofi neceffary Counfel is, if poffible, to quench the firft Sparks that appear, which are feeds pregnant with Fire. But if it be l<mdled do not feed the Fire by cxafperating Words. A prudent fileoce Will be more clfellual to end a Qg_arrel, than the mofi !harp and piercing reply that confounds the Adverlary. 'Julit# Ca{ar would never affault thole Enemies with Arms, whom he could fubdue by ld,m •lfi (!i ~:~g~~-to ~e:l 1~fs i~~~~o~rxil;e~~~ele u~i: i~i;felf~vi~~~~::!~i~~~:n;:Oe J;; ~ft~ ;~~~ ;,~::::;~1:;:; ~~~:;~h~ill rear himfelf. H<zekiah commanded his Counfellors not to fay a word to ;~:1:%;:;;;;, 2 . Try by gentle and .meek addre!fes to .compofe the ruffled Minds of thofe who are ' '"' fm• /><' provoked.. 'Tis the Obfervation of the Wifefi of Men, That • {oft An(wer b~eakJ the '""d'· BoneJ : 'Tis ufually fuccefsful to make fiubborn Spints compliant. Indeed lame are fo pervede in their Paffions, that the mildeft words wil1 inceof.: them; no fubmiffiGn, no fdtisfaC:tion will be accepted ; their Anger caufes monal and immortal Hatred. But thefe arc fo far from being Chriflians, they arc not Heathens; but devefied of all Hu· nunicy. l· If Anger has rufh'd into the bofom, that it may not refi there, cancel the remem. brance of the Provocation. The continual refleB:ing in the thoughts upon an Injury, hinde rs Reconciliation. The Art of Oblivion, if pratl:ic'd, would prevent thole , e · fenrme_ms that et crnjze Q_uarrcl~. For_this end_, _Jet_ us confider what may !t:ffen r!JC Of- Q.:wtfcrragri fence 10 our e{h:em : In pa,rttcular, 1f very InJUrious words are fpoken againft us by rabmn & pht~ f:~l ~n par~~~I~f~~: 'f~/t~~~r,P:~~!e2'r~~ b:~~:ene;;7,o!e~:~~o~~~ ~~~yp~,~~o,~~~: ?i!i:·:~~;:.: :~~fh :ig'~:~~~~d b~~~~t~~~d, Will regard them, but as words fpoke by a fick Mao 10 ~:-:::.,';•; N ow to make us careful to prevent or aUay this Paffion, it will be requilic-c to con ~ fide r the inclination and fway of our Natures; fame as foon take fire as dry thorns, a"nd retain it as k_notty wood. Now~ 'tis a fundamental Rule of Life, that our weakeft pare mult be guarded wit h the mofi Jea louly, and fortified with the firongefi defence: There we muft cxpe£1: the mofi dangerous and frequent atTaults of Satan : There he will dire£1: his Battery, and place his Scaling-ladders. Let therefore the following Confideracions fc:: ttle in ot.Jr Hearts. How becom_ing an under.ltanding C reature it is to defer Anger? For the Paffions are blind and brut1lli ; and without a fevere command of them, a Man forfe its his natural dignity. What is more unrcafon"ble, than for a Man deeply to wound himfelf, tha t he may have an imaginary fatisfaEtion in revenging: an Injury? Into wha[ a fi erce diiorder is the Body put by Anger? The Heart is inflamed, and the boiling Spirits fly up into the Head, the Eyes fpar.kle, the Mouth foams, and the other lymptoms of Madoefs follow. Inwa rdly, the angry Mao fulfers more Torments than the mofi cruel Enemy can Iofliet upon him. A Man of Underfianding is of a cool Spirit. It was
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