and malignant spirit, which no offence however great can justify. For, as long as men have such opposite tempers and interests, it must needs be that offences come: but it is also necessary that these should be forgiven, if we would be at peace in our own minds, and live in concord with others around us.

For, while resentment is cherished in our breasts, a sullen cast of thought is thereby engendered, which banishes the benevolent and amiable affections; and engenders envy, hatred, and revenge, which are the basest passions of the human heart. The man who is a prey to them suffers the most exquisite mental anguish; and can never regain tranquillity of soul, till he be reconciled to his brother, and return to a habit of good agreement.-Besides, if every little injury should be pursued with vengeance, men would live in a state of endless contention; and society become a scene of bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and strife, which would put an end to all comfort and satisfaction in human life. Therefore, to prevent such pernicious consequences, we shall do well to act by the apostolic maxim; "not to let the sun go down upon our wrath," but as soon as the offender is sensible of his fault, our anger should give place to reconciliation. And even though some may be so obstinate as to persist in their machinations against us, yet it is our duty to forbear resentment; "for we must forgive men their trespasses, if we would have our heavenly father to forgive us our trespasses."

Having thus considered the nature of anger, and how far its indulgence is allowable, I proceed to describe,

II. The excesses to which this passion is liable, with their causes and consequences.

So violent and impetuous are the emotions of this irritable principle, that they are often excited by the most unjustifiable occasions. Many persons are of such a fretful disposition, that the least inconvenience to which they are exposed, affords cause of complaint against those who are subject to their caprice. They are equally displeased at the most trifling fault committed by the inadvertence

of their friends, as they would be at the perpetration of some heinous offence. This surely is an excess of sensibility which is altogether unwarrantable; since many things must occur to our observation, which though somewhat censurable, should be overlooked, if we would preserve our own equanimity, and live peaceably with all men.Another excess to which anger is liable, is when it is directed towards improper objects. It is only the vicious against whom we should express the language of displeasure. But instead of this, how often do the foibles and harmless levities of the young and the ignorant call forth an intemperate display of severe invective? How disproportioned are their apparent offences, to the opprobrious reproaches with which we stigmatize them? And with what caution should we vent our splenetic effusions, lest they should be taught to hate us for our unmerciful austerity? Let us therefore learn to distinguish betwixt objects who deserve our indignation, and those who do not; and reserve our censures only for the vicious and depraved; while we deal gently with the simple and undesigning. A third excess of anger is, that sullen humour which many persons indulge towards their friends for some disagreement that has ensued, in their mutual intercourse. Instigated by this temper, they contract a forbidding aspect and unsocial demeanour; forbear to speak to those who have offended them, unless it be to remind them of their fault; and take every opportunity of insinuating their sarcastic remarks, by artful inuendos, or direct implication. Such an unhappy turn of mind is frequently the portion of the discontented; and renders the condition of those connected with them truly deplorable. As this diabolical spirit is the bane of all social enjoyment, we should endeavour to be open and ingenuous in our intercourse with those who depend upon us for so great a part of their happiness; and by setting the cause of disagreement at rest, return to those amicable terms which are so becoming in persons who should be mutual helpers of each others' joy.

Some men again are apt to indulge excess of anger to such a degree, that they break out into the most intem

perate rage; when any accidental circumstance occurs, with which they are displeased. They cannot restrain their fury within reasonable bounds, but indicate by various external symptoms the agitation of their minds. They frown with indignant look, vociferate the most horrible expressions, and sometimes in the tumult of contending passions, lay violent hands on the person of the offender. Such commotion of soul is altogether unbecoming in a human being, who is endowed with reason to moderate the effervescence of those impetuous emotions, which proceed from an undue excitation of the animal spirits. It renders us ridiculous in the eyes of indifferent spectators, and odious to those who must suffer the effects of our resentment. If, then, we would not lose the dignity of our own character, nor the estimation of others, let us not be hasty in our spirit to be angry; let us express our disapprobation in a calm and decisive manner, which will have more effect to reclaim an offender, than the most boisterous expressions of wrath and indignation. Many people also are often angry at others, because they have not conducted an affair with which they were entrusted entirely in such a manner, and with such success as they expected; though no pains were wanting on their part to bring it to a fortunate issue. Unexpected accidents have perhaps frustrated their well-directed plans, and therefore they should not be blained for what could not be prevented. And yet we are so unreasonable as to impute to them the failure of our worldly schemes, when a thousand other causes have operated in disappointing our wishes. If we considered these things we would not go forth hastily to strive with one when he has done us no harm."But so apt are we to be angry without cause, that we will even conceive the most violent prejudices against our neighbours, because they entertain different opinions on subjects of a religious and political nature, and stigmatize them with the appellation of bigots or schismatics, when they will not be persuaded by the arguments we adduce, to adopt our sentiments. Such judgment of others is surely most illiberal; since they have reason to direct them as well as we, and perhaps may have

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been misled in their notions by early education, and subsequent instruction; and if they are mistaken, deserve our pity rather than our hatred.

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Again, some men are so easily offended, that they will disagree with others for dissimilarity of temper and disposition; and make no allowance for the peculiarity of their habits of thinking or acting, which may be different from their own. We often meet with persons who are more sedate than ourselves, and who cannot relish those amusements with which we are delighted; but it is surely unreasonable to be displeased with them on that account, as every man has his proper gift, one after this manner and another after that." Or, we may occasionally converse with persons who are lively and vivacious, while we are inclined to be serious and grave, which sometimes affords occasion for strife to the injudicious; though the least reflection might convince us, that all men have their own humours, and should be suffered to act in the manner most agreeable to themselves.-Moreover, we are often disposed to be angry, when others do not treat us with that respect which we claim as our due. They have perhaps failed in some punctilio of good-breeding, or utter ed some unguarded expressions, or paid little attention to our opinion; and therefore our displeasure is roused against them, and we regard them with sentiments of hatred and contempt. But we should remember, that mankind are not always on their guard; but are sometimes guilty of indiscretions, when they intended no harm; and that we should overlook, as unworthy of notice, any little foible in their behaviour, and impute it rather to inconsiderate rashness, than a desire to offend us. If we thus accustom ourselves to put the most favourable construction upon the conduct of others, our minds would be free from a great part of that uneasiness which embitters human life.-Finally, men are apt to indulge excessive degrees of anger, in their mutual transactions with one another, when they think themselves injured in their worldly interests. So selfish are many people in promoting their own advantage, and so disposed to believe that others will counteract it, that the least suspi

cion of their integrity is sufficient to raise an accusation of injustice and fraud, however ill-founded. This is accompanied with wrathful exclamations, and slanderous aspersions by the accuser against the person who is judged culpable. But, how uncharitable and unfair is it to im peach another, without evidence of his guilt? Perhaps a mere surmise of our own has induced us to entertain so unfavourable an opinion of his honesty; and yet this has the effect of wounding his feelings in the tenderest part, and may ruin his credit with the rest of mankind. These injurious insinuations, which we express in the heat of passion, may satiate our wrathful disposition; but they occasion no small uneasiness to him against whom they are directed for we thereby act the part of the madman, "who throws firebrands and arrows around him, and says am not I in sport?" If therefore we would not be hasty in our spirit to be angry, let us calmly consider the matter of dispute betwixt us and our brethren, and endeavour to maintain in all doubtful cases such self-command over our spirits, that we may investigate the truth, and settle our differences in an amicable manner.-It should be the constant care of every one who is addicted to anger, to prevent the emotions of it from gaining such an ascendancy over his mind, as to excite a desire of using opprobrious and insulting language: for this is a sure indication that he is no longer master of himself; and therefore should suspend farther altercation for the present, and wait till his mind has regained its composure, before he proceed to a final determination of the subject at issue. By this means he will both support his own dignity, and be prevented from maltreating his fellow-creatures.

We would be induced to abstain from all excess of anger, if we considered how trivial are its causes, and how pernicious its consequences. Some men are prone to it by their irritable feelings; and are as easily offended by the slightest inconvenience, as by the most intolerable injury. Women and children are naturally of a choleric disposition, which is easily roused by the least appearance of injury. Old people are generally peevish and fretful, from the relaxed state of their bodily constitution, and