464 to day with a gloomy silence, and now and then venting itself in a spiteful word, or a sly reproach, is by no means becoming the name and spirit of a christian. This is giving place to the devil, and making room for him to Lodge in our hearts. This is as much contrary to meek- ness, as ashort and sudden fury is, and perhaps carries ih it a guilt more aggravated in the sight of God. Yet neither should our anger indulge itself in loud and noisy practices, nor fill the housewith a brawling sound. " It is better to dwell in a corner of the house- top, than to cohabit in a palace: with such a brawling companionof life, Prov. xxi. 9. And the wise man has repeated it again in the xxv. chapter, as a matter worthy of a double notice. St. Paul forbids this practice to the= Ephesians; Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil-speaking, be putaway from you, with all malice, Eph. iv. 31. Nor should our 'resentments carry us to any cruet practices. The word ofGod spends its curses upon such sort of anger; Gen. ,xlix. 7. " Cursed be the wrath of Simeon, for it was fierce, and the anger of Levi, for it 'was cruel." You know what mischiefs it hurried them into, even to foul treachery and murder, and the de- struction of a whole country. The grace ofmeekness is an enemy to all these practices, and a happy preservative from them. V. Patience is a lovely virtue. I amnot now speak- ing of that religious exercise of it, which consists in a humble submission to the providences of God, without repining at his hand, or sending up our murmurs against heaven ; but a patient conduct to our fellow-creatures, is the thing which I chiefly design here to recommend. When some persons stand in need of any of the ne- cessaries or conveniences of life, they must be supplied first, they ca.n brook no delay; let all the world stand by waiting till they are served ; and their anger is quickly kindled if their affairs are not dispatched in a moment. They make no allowances for the necessities or conveni- ences' of others; nor for the various accidents that attend human life, which may Stop the speed of the most dili- gent servant, and constrain him unwillingly' to delay his message or his work. But the patient christian considers all things ; desires but his share of the attendance of his cttRrSTtA*t rroxAr.r7v, ciz. rSEttM. X76V1(r.
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