Purport of our Saviour's Difcourfe, which is to defcribe the feveral Degrees of Tranfgreffion of the Sixth Commandment; the First of which is that Inward Anger, or Malice and Hatred against our Neighbour, from whence provoking Words and injurious Actions proceed; which is a Thing of quite another Nature from thofe inward Commotions, which proceed from a Spirit of Love to God and our Neighbour, which Occafion not only sharp Rebukes in Parents, Masters, Judges, and Magiftrates, but fometimes feverer Cenfures and Punishments. I add this fo much the rather, because there are feveral very ancient Copies of great Authority in which this Word ein, which we render without a Caufe, is not to be found; and which is more, two learned Fathers of the Church, St Jerom and St Austin, tell us how they examined into the Matter, and are of Opinion, that from being at first put in the Margin by Way of Expofition, it came afterwards to creep into the Text. For my Part I confefs I cannot help yielding a great Deference to these Ancient Copies and Fathers; and befides, I am fo far from thinking the Word neceffary in this Place, that I am of Opinion that being Angry with our Brother, as it is the Beginning of Malice or Hatred against him (and no otherwife can it be a Tranfgreffion of the Sixth Commandment) doth not fuit well with that Addition; for no Cause whatsoever is fufficient to justify fuch Sort of Anger. For let his Tranfgreffion be what it will, it should indeed ftir us up to Pity and Compaffion, Grief and Concern; but never to Hatred and Revenge, tho' we should happen to be in

fuch

fuch Stations wherein we are obliged to cenfure and punish him for the Tranfgreffion.

The Anger then here condemned, is that which proceeds from inward Hatred to our Neighbour; for this only can be a Breach of the Sixth Commandment. If we govern our Anger fo, as to raise only an Indignation against the Vice, with a Refolution to refcue the Perfon from it; or are grieved for the Dishonour done to Almighty God, with a Refolution by all honeft Ways to remove it, these are not this Anger with our Brother here prohibited; the One proceeding from Love to him; the Other from a Zeal for the Glory of God. Nor are the first Motions of Anger in the Heart, before they fix into Malice or Hatred, to be judged the Anger here prohibited; those first Motions belonging properly to the natural Paffion, not to the Vice of Anger; and being indeed not among the Things in our own Power; but when we let them tempt us to Malice and Hatred, then they grow vitious; but when they only ferve to warm and ftir us up to our Duty, and to be Incentives of Courage in well-doing, they are virtuous; and as the Apostle fays, we are angry and fin not, Eph. iv. 26. The Anger then our Saviour would here guard us against, is that Inward Hatred of our Neighbour, or Defire of Revenge, after we have, or think we have, been affronted or injured by him. This, when it is cherished and entertained, fettles into Rancour and Malice; and is a moft fruitful Source of all manner of Mischief. And therefore it concerns us especially to take Care of this first Beginning of the Breach of the Sixth Commandment. In order to the cautioning us against it, there are two Things which feem neceffary,

neceffary, in which I fhall employ the remaining Part of this Difcourfe; for I perceive I cannot now finish the whole Subject.

1. It is neceffary that we be duly fenfible of the evil of this Sort of Anger.

2. That we be directed to the proper Means of preventing and removing it.

I. As to the evil of it, let it be considered,

(1) That in our Saviour's Interpretation, it is the first Step towards the Sin of Murder. And in all Sin, it is both more eafy, and turns to much better Account, to watch the first Beginnings of it, than to stay till it has got a Head, and cannot fo eafily be conquered. When a Leak is first fprung in a Ship, the Mariners take Care to stop it; and when the firft Spark of Fire takes in the Chimney, we put it out as foon as we perceive it; for it may quickly be too late, if it be delayed till the House is all in a Flame. Juft fo it is with Anger; if it is not prevented or ftopt in the Beginning, it quickly grows ungovernable, and is followed with Abundance of Mischief.

(2) Let it be confidered what inward Difor ders this Anger with our Brother occafions to our felves; how it clouds the Judgment and Underftanding with fuch thick Fumes of Paffion, that it is not capable of difcerning Truth from Falfhood, or Right from Wrong; what a ftrong Byafs it gives to the Affections, that they cannot follow the Conduct of Reafon, if the Judgment could perceive it; how furiously it drives a Man upon inalicious wicked Defigns, such as drown all other good Thoughts, and indifpofe him for asking or taking good Counsel of God or Man. In short, as it utterly incapacitates us to take the Conduct

of

of our felves, fo nothing doth more effectually hinder our following the good Conduct of others.

(3) For let it be confidered in the Third Place, that there is no Paffion more inconfiftent with Society and good Government, than this is. In the Superiour Sort of Men, Rulers, Judges, and Magiftrates, there is no greater Enemy to that fair and equal impartial Juftice which their Office obliges them to administer to all Mankind; the least Tincture of Anger is enough to misguide them in their Judgment of Perfons or Things; the greatest Merit fhall then only occafion the greater Sufpicion and Jealoufie; the justest Cause shall then raise the greater Fury, if there be no handsome Pretext to give it against the Perfon with whom we are angry. Then in the Inferiour Sort of People, there is nothing more directly oppofite to all Government, or more inconfiftent with the Office of Magiftracy than this Vice. For whereas Magiftrates are by their Office to be the publick Avengers of all Injuries, this private Anger takes the Office of Vengeance out of their Hands, and executes itself, though of all other Tempers of Mind it is the most unqualified for it.

(4) Confider that this Anger mixed with Hatred is the most directly oppofite not only to this Sixth Commandment, but to the Love of our Neighbour in general; that is, to all the Duties of the Second Table of the Law; and by Confequence likewife to all the Duties of the Firft. 1 John iv. 20. If a Man Jay, I love God, and bateth his Brother, he is a Lyar: for he that loveth not his Brother whom he bath feen, how can be love God whom he hath not feen?

So

So much for the Evil of this Inward Anger againft, .or Hatred of our Brother.

In the laft Place, it is neceffary that we be directed to the proper Means for preventing and removing it. I fhall just name a few of the chief of them.

1. First then, If we would avoid Anger, let us avoid a weak, peevish, wafpish Difpofition. What is the Reason that what incenfes one, another is not in the least moved at it; that what will not provoke a ftout Mastiff, will exafperate a little Foift, and fet him a barking, till he's both uneafie to himself, and disturbs all the Company? Nothing, but that one Man has not that Firmnefs and Steadiness of Mind that another is Mafter of. As a Body full of Sores and Ulcers is galled with every the leaft Rub, or Touch, or Squeeze, which a found Body would not fo much as feel. Let us endeavour then after this found Conftitution of Mind; this inward Calm, and Tranquillity, and Conftancy, which is not easily ruffled and difcompofed with outward Provocations. And one of the best Arts to compafs it, is to keep a good Confcience, which always brings Serenity of Mind, and Stayedness of Spirit along with it. And next to a good Conscience, nothing perhaps contributes more to it than not to overload the Mind with diftracting Troubles and Cares, more than it can well go through with: And therefore that we fuit our Mind to our Fortune, not ambitiously struggling after higher Things than we find the divine Providence has cut out for us.

2. Let us confider this World as a Place full of Trouble; that so we may not be furprized, or think strange of any Disaster that happens to us in