Chap. 9 about Anger, Wrath, Malice,&'c, Ei hthly: flie.jealoufies and furmifings which fill us with chaffer as much as juft grounds : caufing us to make a bad confltuftion of a look, a (mile,&c. and fo to grow ho. aainf the innocent. be not light ingiving credit to reports , feeing the many practices which are ufed to abufe the credulous : Flatterers will fcek to infinuate them felves by accuuing the innocent. Tenthly, make the belt confiru6tion of every thing : If the party that bath wronged thee be a young man , impute it to his raflineffe , and want of experi- ence : If a Father ? let the remembrance offormer benefits mollifie thee to- wards him : Ifthey be perfons under the command of others ? it may be they have been forced to it : ifgood men? believe theyhad nowill tohurt thee: ifwick- ed ? itsno more then we expected from them. r I. Remove the °cations of anger: As Cotyr King of Thrace, when one brought him curious vetfels, but brittle, he commended their rare workman- ihip , yet prefently brake them , leaft ( being of an batty nature ) when his fervants by any accident brake them , he should be exceflively angry. Queft. But when anger bath feizedupon us, what means may we ufe to fup- plant it? cfAnfw. Firft, yeeldnot obedience to it : believe it not when it would pro- voke to revenge : In other paifions giving them liberty bringsCome ea!'e but anger, the more we giveway to it, the more it is enflamed. Secondly, remember that it's a diihoneft thing to revenge an injury , Prov. 12.16. and zo. 3. and i 6. 32. and Chews a short wir. Thirdly, donot multiplywords which are the fuel of anger : we may as well think to quench firewith wood, as anger with words. Fourthly, when angry, make Come delaybefore thou fpeakcft, or doeft any thing : Anger fmothered will languifh,but let out,will flame to further mifchief. Befides thou mayeft in a moment do that in thy anger that thou mayft repent of whileft thou liveft. Fifthly, get out of the company of fuch as have offended thee, as Jonathan did, i Sam. 20.34. Sixthly , Remember that daily thou finnef} often again(} God ; and there= fore thouhaft reafon to turn thine anger againft thy felf. Seventhly, confider whether thou purpofeftever , or never to lay afide thy anger. If ever ? it's better that thou fhould'ft prefently quench it with the water of the fpirit , then that it should burn out of it fclf. If ne- ver ? remember that thou nourifheft aviper in thy bofome that will eat out thy bowels. Eighthly , Confider how much precious time thou fpendeft about a bad matter , which being fo fhorc , and precious , fhould be better im- ployed. Ninthly, we thouldby earneft and hearty prayer beg the affiftance of Gods Spirit,whereby our affeelionsmaybe fo ruled, and fan6tified, that they may be ferviceable to Godsglory, the goodof ourbrethren, and the furtherance of our own falvation. TenthlyMeditate ontheunbounded mercy, of God, whofe verrues thou mutt imitate ifthoubeef} his childe ; God forgives that man that injureth thee much more then thou canfi : He forgives him infinite fins , and cant}not thou forgive him one offence ? and yet thou haft more reafon : for thou knowelt not his heart; it may be he meant better to thee then thou imagine(} : Thouart not acquaint- ed with the ftrengthof his tentation , which perhaps was fo violent as would have overthrown thee ; nor the reafon why God fuffers him to be overcome by it. Confider alfo that thy felf Rands in needofinfinite mercy for wafhing away L 3 thy 77 VIII. IX. X. XI. I. V. V' X.
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