i' 'DireEfions againft Jinjitl Wrath. day? How many ra01 and finful a<tions> What villany bath notan·ger done> It bath flandered ·1 ed, reproachrd, t3.lfly accufc.d, and injured many a thoufand. It harh murdered, and ruined };u~i~~~ · Ciries and Sr~tes: lt ha_th made Parents ~ill th_eir Childun, ~nd Children di{honour their Pan:ms :1e:~ bath made Kmgs opprds and murder thm Subjeds, and Subj<ds rebell and murder Kings. Whar world of fin is committed by finful anger throughout all the wcrld ?How cndJefs would jr be to g· a you infianccs. David himfdf was once drawn by it to purpofc the murdering of <>ll rhe familylv~ N~.~bal. Its effd1J fl10uld make it odiour to us. 0 Dircli-9• 9·11· Dired-.9. And.itiJmuch theworfeinthat itfujferetb not a m:tn to fin alone bmftirreth others to do the lik!· Wrath kindleth wrath, as. fire kindleth tire. Its two to one, bur' when you a:~ angry you will n~ake other_s angry, ~r d_ifcontent, or troubled by your words or deeds. And you have not the power ot moderatmg them 10 tt, when you have done. You know r.ot what fin it m draw them to ! It is the Devils bellows to kindle mens corruptions, and fc:ts hearts and fami}i:: and Kingdoms in a Haine. / , , Diretl. IO· ~· 12• DireCt. IO· Objt!ve how unfit it makcth youfor a~ty holy duty; fer prayet, or medit~ti.,;t 0,. a1ry_ communio1t witb God. And that lhould be very unwelcome to a gracious foul, which makerh it .., m~hr_ to fpeak to God, ~r to be employed in his Wor01ip: If you fhou_ld g? to prayer or otherWor– fhtp m your bedlam paOJOn, may not God fay as the Kmg ol Gatb dtd ot David, Have I n"d of mad mm? Yea, 1t untitteth all the family, pr Church, or focicty where it comcth, for the Wor– fhip of God ? Is the family fit tor prayer , when wrath hath muddied and difiurbed Janq.H,I6. their minds? Yea, it dividcth Chrifiians and Churches, and caufnh confufian and every evil work. Dire[/. u. 9· I3· Direct. ll• It i1 a great dijhonour ta the gr.Jce ofGod, th.Jt a firvan.t of hiljhouldftuw the 11_ world that f.~ace is of nomo:e force and efficacy, th?t it c.tnuot tu!e a raging paffion, nor fo much M f k._etp aChrijlta;: fobcr ; that ~~ prffcffetb the {oul With no more pattence, nor fear of God, nor Governmtnf over it fc/f. 0 wrong not God thus by the difhonouring ol his Grace and Spirit. Dire{/. 12 , 9· 14· Dired. 12· ll is a fin again}! Confcience, jliU repwtrti of and difonmed by almofl aUwhen ObjcU. t. An[w. they come to thrmfelvtl again, and a meer preparation f~r after {arrow : That therefore which we fore·k._nowwe rnufl repent of afterwards, 01ould be prevented and avoided by men that choofe uot fl 1 arnc and farrow. 9· 15· Objetl:. ,, But (you'll fay ) I '•m of a haffy choleric~ naturt, and cannot help it. Anfw. That may jlrongly di{po[< you to anger, but cannot Nece!Jitate you to any thing that is finf1tl; Rea{o11 andWiUmay yet command and mafier paiiion, if they do their Office, And when you know }OUr difeafc and danger, you mull watch the m~re. ObjeU. 2· 9· r6. Objctl:. 2· Bttt tiJe provocati91t was fo great it would have angmd any one : .Who could cboofe? Anjw. ObjeU. 3• Anfw. Objell. 4• Anfrr. ObjeU. 5· Anfw. Anfw. It is your weaknefs that makes you think that any thing can be great enough to difcharge a ~ans reafon, and allow him to break the Laws of God. Thar would have b~cn fmaU or nothing to <\prepared mind, whjch you call fo greut; You !honld rather .fay, Gods MaJctly and dreadful· ndS is fo grcac, that I durfi not otfcnd him for any provocation. Had1 not God given you greater caufe to obey, than ma.n can bive you to fin ? · §. 17. ObjeCt. 3· But itis JOJUddrn tbat I bave no time of detiber.Jtim to prevent it. Anjiv. Have you not Reafim llill about you? And n\Ould it nor be as ready to rule, as paffion to rebel\. Stop pJiiion at tirf\, and take time of deliberation. 9· 1 S. Ob.JeCl. 4· But i1 ir but jhort, and I am forry fiJt it wbm I have dvnc. An[w•. But if it be evil, thej/J~~rtcjt is a tin, and to be avoided ; And when you know before hand thar you mull be forry after, why will you breed your own farrow I 9· I9• ·objed. 5· But thm ir none that wiU not be angry fometimc : no not the beft of you aU. Anfiv. The fin is never the beucr becaufe many commit it. And yet, if you live not where grace is a firaU£.er, you may ft:e that there arc many that will not be angry cafily, frequently, furioufly, nor mifs-behave themfelves in their anger by railicg, o' curfing) or fwcaring, or ill language, or doing wrong to any. • · 9· 20. Objetl:116. Doth not tbe Apollle fay, Be angry and fin >tot: let not tbe Sun go down upon your Objell. 6 • wrat1 1 • Ephef. 4· 26. My wrath i< down before the Sun: therefore I fin not. Anfw. The Apo!\1e never fa id that anger is never jinful, but when it lafieth after Sun-fetting: Dire{/. I· But entertain no fintul anger at all; but if j'oudo, yet quickly quench it, and continue not in ic: Be not an,ry without or be;•ond caufe: at1d when you are, yet fin not by uncharitablendS or any evil wordtor deeds, in your a11ger; nor continue under the jufiefi difpleafure, but hafien to be re– conciled and to fOrgive. Thefe Reafons improved may rule your Anger. DireCtions Pra{licaU agaiHj! jinful Anger. ~·I· DireCt. J, 1he principal help againfi jinfitl tmgtt, is in tbe right hahitu.zting of thefiml~ th.2t you live as under the Government ofGod, n:ith tbe fen[e of hi1 aHihority /till uprm y~ztr (Jearts~ a11dm tb: Jenfe ofthat mercy that bath forgiven you, and forbeareth you, and under the power ofhn!;ealtng and a}· fljling grace, and in tiJe life ofCharity to God andman. Such a Heart is continual_ly fort~hed, .. a~d ~r.· · ricth its prefervatives wi_thin it felf, as a wrathful men canieth his incentives fi1ll IJ'tthm ht?'l: 1hire is the main caufe of Wrath or Meeknefi• r
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