omnipotence, unbounded wisdom, and love divinethe redemption of the world by the blood of the Son of God. The greatness of the remedy indicates the depth of the disease.

The nature of man cannot be supposed to come forth from the hands of its glorious and gracious Former in the state in which it is at present; far be it from us to admit a thought so dishonourable to him who is glorious in holiness. He formed man after his own image: but that image is defaced. He made man upright but we have sought out many inventions. Nothing impure could come out of his hands: but we are now all as an unclean thing. It is true, amidst this wreck of human nature, there still remain some traces which bespeak its Author. Man has not lost all his original brightness: some faint rays break through the horrid gloom in which he is involved, and indicate his ancient splendour. But all the disorder which reigns within us, and the follies which constantly appear in our outward demeanor, arise from an impure original, a nature deeply depraved, as the streams which issue from a corrupted fountain. To this general source we may trace violent anger. But to be a little more particular:

- 1. A choleric habit of body seems to dispose some men to be always of froward humour, and perpetually hard to please this is their settled temper.-Their anger and resentment are ever ready to rise on the slightest occasion: they are angry with the work they

are performing, or the instrument in their hands, when they cannot succeed to their wish: they are often out of humour they know not why, and angry with they know not what; like Jonah, who was angry with the wind. The reverse of this character is the man who is slow to anger: such a one, says Solomon, is better than the mighty ; and he that ruleth his own spirit, than he that taketh a city.-The temperament of the body may have considerable influence in disposing us to irascibility, or to natural mildness, since the passions are not merely the operations of the mind: they are mental exertions, in conjunction with the ferments of the blood, and the commotions of animal nature. The passions are those powers in man which are of a mixed nature, and belong partly to the soul and partly to the body. When we see an object, for instance, that provokes our resentment, we not only feel some impression of mind, but some kind of commotion in our bodies, which we are not well able to explain : the animal spirits are agitated, the blood is thrown into a fermentation, the effects of which are very apparent to those who observe us, and cannot be concealed. Our brow; our eyes, our nostrils, our cheeks, our voice, all betray us on this occasion. Now since it is evident that our natural constitutions are very different, it must be allowed that some habits of body are more disposed to irascibility than others. Something like this, indeed, is very evident in brutes: among those of the same species, some are much more disposed to anger than others. And hence it is that we see among men an hereditary tendency to some pre

vailing passion. The hot and choleric propensity predominates in some families, and runs in the blood from father to son. This may be termed a natural cause, or spring of excessive anger.

2. Pride. A contentious spirit, inspiration assures us, originates in pride. Only by pride cometh contention. Proud and haughty scorner is he who dealeth in proud wrath. It is pride that makes men passionate. They cannot bear the least slight, or that which hath the appearance of it, because they think themselves of so much importance. We have a remarkable instance of this in Haman: he is enraged, filled with indignation, and breathes nothing but revenge. The life of an individual cannot suffice; the blood of a whole nation must be shed to cool his wrath, and lay his vengeance to sleep. What is the cause of this desolating decree? An individual fails to pay him that idolatrous obeisance of which he thought himself so worthy: but this was an act of obeisance to which Mordecai in his conscience could not submit. Who does not see that if it should be asked, What meaneth the heat of this great anger; the answer must be, it originates in pride? Pride keeps men in continual vexation, while the meek and lowly possess their souls in peace and patience. The proud man's character is so odious, that he meets with more affronts than other men; and indeed he has so good and so high an opinion of himself, that he considers those things as affronts of which an humble man would take no notice. He finds not that submission in his dependents, or re

spect from his equals, to which he thinks himself entitled: hence his life is made up of disquietude and distraction. Angry, resentful, malevolent passions torment his soul, haunt him like spectres, and rob him of repose. So just is the remark of the wisest of men: It is better to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.

It is pride that fills the world with so much animosity. We forget what we are, in the fulness of self-esteem. We claim attentions to which we are by no means entitled, and we are rigorous to offences as if we ourselves had never offended. If pride were subdued, passion would quickly subside. It is hard for a haughty man ever to forgive one who has caught him in a fault his resentment will hardly cool till he has regained the advantage he had lost, and provoked the other to do him equal wrong. He hates the man he has once offended.

3. Ignorance is frequently the cause of sinful anger.-A weak mind is easily kindled into resentment. A wise man may be angry when there is a sufficient cause for it, but his anger is restrained by prudence and discretion. It is therefore a necessary qualification in a Christian minister, that he be not soon angry. A fool's wrath is presently known; it rises and flames on the slightest provocation, it flashes in his countenance like lightning, and breaks out into such indecent expressions and behaviour as betray his weakness and folly. A prudent man covereth shame, by suppressing

his resentment, maintaining possession of himself, and keeping his mouth as with a bit and bridle. The man of ungoverned anger saith to every one that he is a fool. Nabal is his name, and folly is with him. He is jealous and suspicious, ready to catch at what he calls an affront, sudden in resenting it, and unguarded in expressing his resentment. Solomon therefore gives us this necessary caution: Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in the bosom of fools. The discretion of a man deferreth his anger: it disposes him to be cautious of giving ear to false accusers and slanderers of his neighbours, who, as Satan's instruments, would incense him against others without just grounds. A discreet man defers the admission of anger till he has thoroughly considered all the circumstances of what, at first sight, appears to be a provocation, till he has seen it in a just light, and weighed it in an even balance. Nor will such a one be over nice and critical in his resentment of what may be really deemed an offence against him: he knows that it is the glory of a wise man to pass over a transgression.

The bluster and noise of some men seem to indicate a consciousness of the narrowness of their own understandings. They feel their own ignorance and insufficiency, and appear determined to gain by their clamours, that regard of which they know themselves to be undeserving. How much are the servants and domestics of such men to be pitied! They are all the day long stunned with the bawlings, and terrified with the fury of one whom they cannot but be tempted t