471 / 514
SLRM.
XXVIII.)
A
LOVELY CARRIAGE,.
&C.
46:3
And. as he
never
loves to give offence
to any
man,
so
neither
is
he
presently
offended.
It
is
only
the more
peevish
and
feeble pieces
of
human
nature,
that
are
ready
to
take offence
at
trifles,
and
many
times they make
their
own
foolish
jealousies
a sufficient
ground
for
their
indignation.
We
cannot expect
to pass
through the
world,
and,find
every thing peaceful
and pleasant
in it.
All
men
wilt
not
be
of our
mind,
nor
agree to promote
our interest.
There are
savages in this wilderness, which
lies
in
our
way
to the heavenly
Canaan;
and
we
must sometimes
hear them
roar
against
us.
Divine
courage
will
enable
us to
walk
onward without
fear, and meekness
will
teach
is
to
pass by
without resenting. We should learn to
feel
many
a spark of
angry
fire
falling
upon
us from
the
tongues
of
others, and
yet our hearts
should
not
be
like
tinder ready
to
catch the
flame,
and
to
return
the blaze.
The
meek
Christian,
at
such
a
season,
possesses his
soul
in
patience,
as
good
David
did,
when
Shimei
sent
his
.
malice and
his
curses
after
him; The
saint
at
that
time
.
was
in an
humble temper,
and
said,
"Let
Shimei
curse,"
`.`
We should
not render evil
for
evil,
but
according
to
the
sacred direction
of
scripture, endeavour to overcome
evil
with
good,"
Rom.
xii.
21.
.
Anger
is
not utterly forbidden to the
Christian
;
yet
happy
is
he
that
has
the least occasion
for
it.
In Eph.
iv.
26.
the apostle
gives us
this
rule:
"
Be ye
angry,
and
sin
'net."
As
if
he would have said, when. the
affairs
of
life seem
to
require a
just
resentment
and anger, look
upon it
as
a
dangerous
moment, and watch against a sin-
ful excess.
Let
us
never
give
a
wild
loose
to our
wrath,
but
always hold
the reins
of government
with
a strong
hand, lest
it
break
out
into forbidden
mischief.
When
we
give
ourselves leave to
be
offended,
let
the anger
ap-
pear
to.
he
directed against
the
sin
of
the offender,
if
pos-
sible,
more than against
his
person.
Let our
anger
be
well-
timed,
both"
as
to the season and
the length
of
it.
The
seasons
of
it should
be
very
un-
common; a
Christian
should
seldom awaken
his
anger,
and the
continuance
of
it must
be
very
short.
"
Let not
the
sun
go
down
upon your wrath, nor
give,
place to
the
devil,"
Eph.
iv.
26, 27.
The
long:
sullen
resentment
which
is
practised
by
some persons,
carried
on
from,day
5