.•. An E~~:pofttion upon the tet fuch confider what would become of them if God !hould be as flow to be reconCiled tO them as they are to t~eir Bretlii'en : Nay, he is infiniu:ly more wrong'd by you than you can be by them, and yef he fo far condefcends as firtt ro feek Reconciliation. And although he bein!iriiiely able by tbe leatt Exprellion of his Wrath and Power for C\'Ct to deftroy you, )'et herein God commanderh his Love unto vou that when you were Enemies1fe· Were reconciled unro him by the Dea th of his ·son) Certainly whofocver dotb but feriouily rdiea upon the Infinite Parience acd lo~orbe"ar: ance of God, if he bath any Sweetncfs diffus'd into his Soul by that Confideration if he bath any Confciern;e of imitating his Heavenly Father in that which is hi~ moll Adorable Attribute, if he hath any Care to afc:ertain unto himfelf the Pardon and Remillion of his own Olfences, will therein find a Powerful influence to fway him to the like Aili of Mercy and Fofgivenefs. • Thirdly, Another Rule is, beware of Prejudice againll thy Brother, for Prej udice ts a vety lll Interpreter of A£bons, and will be fure ro expound them in the Worft Senfe. S~ _not eafie to believe that thofe wh? offi?nd thee ~o it with Defigo, or that they defptie and undervalue thee; rather rhmk n any Thmg elfe than Contempt of thee: Believe that his Offences pr~ceed rather from his Folly and lndifcrerion, orrbat he is forced and necdfJtated to do tt, that others bave put him upon it. It they be thy Friends that wrong thee, fUppofe it ro be only a Fault ot their too great Fami~ liarity, and a mifgovern'd Intimacy. If they be fuch as are fubjea ro rhce, believe that fincc they know thou haft Po~er to cbaft i~e the~ they would not do it purpofe. ly to provoke thee. If they be Vrle and Sordrd Perlons, trouble not <hy fdf wi<b their AffrOnts, for thy Reputation is above them. Tbcs I fay. incline to believe it any Thing rather than a defign'd Abufe: For <hough a ftriU Jealoufic over our Reputation, and an AptncfS to think our felves wrong'd, feem to pwceed from Gene~ toufnefs, and a Senfe of Honour, yet indeed it proceeds only from BafCnefs,aod Weaknefs of Mind. Wbofoever accounts bimfelf defpifed by another is in a Seofe lefs than he, and confe!feth himfelf his Inferior. He is the Noble and Heroick-fpirired Perfon who is unfhaken with the Petty Affronts and Injuries of others, and bath fo much Stable Confidence in tbe Integrity of his AElionsJ that he cannot believe any can rea~ duce him or them; whereas to be angry at them doth but in a Sort jullifie Slanders . and will beget aBelief tbattbat is not altogether groundlefs where a th< thews himldf fo much concern'd. It is an Old Maxim of Prudence, Convitia fi irafcar~, agnita vi/mtur; fpreta, exolefcunt: If you ht angry •t R~t'fings )iou fum to acknowltdgt them, tf you contemn rbeJIJ thq vanijh. . Fourthly, Be not familiar with any Angry Perfon ; for as one Fire will kindle ana. ther fo it is likely that his Choler will kindle tbine, till both flame inro an inordinate · and ' extravagant Paffiqn. See the Direruon exprdly given Us, Prov. 22. 24, 25. Make no f:'riendfoip wi1b an .Angry ftlan, and wub a furiou.r A1an thou jhalt 1101 go, f&jltbou learn his Ways, tJnd gtt a Snare to thy Soul. Indeed there is no 1Uch Fcwel to ·wrath as Wrath ; and it is a very hard Maner ro refrain being angry wirh him who will cauflefly be angry with us. And as thou muft fhun the Company aod Acquaintance of Cholerick Perfons, fo likewi~ of Scoffers; for a ~coft and a Jeer is many Times more provoking than a Blow; and norbing will fooner kindle the Coals of Contention than a iiting Taunr; And therefore Solomon advifeth us, Prov. 22. IQ. Cafi out the Scorntr and Contention fha/1 go out, yea, Strife and &proach ]hall wife. Fifthly, It is very Good Counld, if thou feeleft any Motions of <his unruly Paffion begin to fiir in thine Heart, tha_t thou _arrefi it fOr fome ~ime before thou eirh~r fpeak or aft::. Let tbJs Mud have iome Ttme to fettle agam, 1hat Reafon m~y m the mean while recover its Throne, and direa: thee bow 10 govern thy fdf l1ke a Wife Man an~ aCbri!lian. Speak not whiltl thou art in the impetuous Hurries of thy ,. A,..ttB~Y Paffion; for it was well tai4 of • Plutarcb, That it i1good in a J:<(ver, but rwucl~ better ,»P ~dv 'Y in .Anger, to have the Tongut kept dean and fmooth. • Pur an ~nterval of T1me. be- ..-uftTZ tween thy Anger and thy Atl:ions; for thofe who aa m the VIOlence and Paroxifms ~f~.-o~fti of their Anger do either they know not what, or elfe what they may bave Reafon tY, orjl~ to repent of. And therefore Solomon tells us, rhat the Difcrerion of a .t11an deferrtth ~= ;;:.-bi1 Anger,Prov. J,. I r. and the Beginning of Strife ir ~~~ whtnont lettttlJ out Wattn, T~ l;.;:fil' Prov. I1· 14. At firfi when a Man cutterb the Bank of a River the Paifagc is but lit~ ~ 1-.tl:.r.r. tie and the Stream may be cafily ftopp•d; but by continual runnicg it will wear Plut.i\ aV:ay the Eanh, and widen the Gap, and whole Floollis and Currents will pt?Ur out lld~ 'd~ • whexc but fomc few Drops were intended. · SixtblJ,
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