470 DOCTanea óE THE PASSIONS. thing that comes in their way, and appear for a time, as - thcugla they were void of reason : And some persons, by au excessive indulgence of it, have grown distracted. If anger arising on some particular occasion, continue so long, as to he fixed androoted in the heart, and refuse all accom- modation or reconcillation, it is sometimes called rancour, and the attendant or effect of it is spite. When anger or resentment are perpetually ready to arise on every little occasion, this is a settled temper rather than apassion, and it has the name of peevishnessy: or a froward humour. If' the object of our anger be beneathus, :so that we count it . an indignity to suffer any thing from such a person, it gains the, name of indignation. We arealso fired with indignation against flagrant impiety toward God, or vile oppression and cruelty to- ward men, because these objects are highly unworthy of such impious, or such cruel treatment. All anger is by no means sinful; it was made for. "self defence, and it has many times a design to reclaim and recover the offender from sinand danger : But when it grows so violent against any person, as plainly exceeds all the rules of private self defence, and evidently seeks and contrives to bringevil upon another, without any design of benefit to the offender,it ís pro - erly termed revenge or vengeance. 'Phis is always criminal .in it private person : The laws of christianity forbid it utterly. And evenwhén a public ruler puts the vengeance of the law in execution, and takes away the life of a malefactor, for the good of the rest of the world, it shouldbe done without the passion of private anger ; he should rather exercise his own pity to the offender, even .when he condemns him to die, and makes him 'a sacrifice to the public vengeance. Anger, when rising, is prevented by a spirit of meekness and forbearance; and when raised, it is subdued by a spirit of forgiveness. Gratitude seems to stand in direct opposition to anger ; for it is made up of complacence and benevolence upon the occasion of good received from another. When a person has conferred any benefit uponus, and we have an inclinationupon that account to confer some benefit upon him, we call this gratitude. The reverse of this is ingratitude ; which is no passion, but a temper which inclines persons to neg- lect former benefits received, and make no acknowledgments or due returns of kindness. When it rises very 'hil;li, it returns evil for good, which is a most hateful and criminal temper and conduct: Yet this has no distinct name; for the languages of men have not yet found a harder naine than ungrateful. Gratitude is a gentle principle, andmakes little commotion in nature, besides a sensible pleasure when our benefactor is happy, and it excites our desires, contrivances, "and active en -'
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