SERM. XI. call in the Counfels of Reafon and Prudence; and to fue for the Succours of Grace.

All

this he may do, and ought to do: And if either through a wilful Omiffion of this, or in Spite of all the Remonftrances of Reafon and Confcience, He ftill perfeveres in the determined Refolution of executing His wicked Purposes; His Sin, thus heightened with every Circumftance of Prefumption, becomes exceeding finful.

But farther, Anger is yet finful when encouraged in our Thoughts to the Degree of Hatred. For though our Refentment, in this View, may not run fo high as to fuggeft any evil Designs of injuring a Man in His Perfon or Property; or though it fhould fpare, what it very feldom fpares, His Reputation; yet ftill it is apt to cherish an evil Difpofition towards Him. It inclines us to rejoice at the Misfortunes that befall Him; or at leaft to be unconconcerned for them: it reftrains many Acts of our Benevolence towards Him, when it would be equally our own Intereft to perform them: nay it may turn away our Eyes from Him in the Day of His extreme Adversity and Affliction.

Now

Now it is certain, there is no Man, who SERM. XI. retains the leaft Senfe of Humanity, but wishes to live in a good Understanding with all Mankind; abftracting from every Confideration, but the pleafing Reflection that naturally arises in the Mind from fuch a Situation. The Reafon of this we need not inquire at prefent: it is enough that every Man feels this focial Defire fso strong in His own Heart. Why then will any One chufe to practife fuch a ftrange Sort of Self-Denial as to rob His own Breaft of fuch pleasurable Emotions, for no Reason but to rob His Fellow-Creatures of the fame? This is not only hindering Good, or, what amounts to the fame, doing Evil, for Evil's Sake, (the Temper of the most accurfed Spirit) it is yet worfe; it is doing Evil to ourselves for the Sake of doing Evil to others. But, "Is it not a Pleasure

to us when we rejoice at the Misfortunes "of Others; and therefore are we not still "in the Poffeffion of Pleafure?" A Pleafure it is, but a Pleasure arifing from Paffion only: a Pleasure that will not endure the Teft of Reason, or the Survey of Reflection and therefore an unnatural, bruU 2

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tish,

What must

SERM.XI. tish, and favage Pleafure: All which is evident from this, that when Time has in Part obliterated, and at last totally effaced, the deformed Image of Hatred; we find a thoroughComplacency and Satisfaction at the Retreat and final Farewel of fo unwelcome a Guest. And this is ftill farther confirmed from the Joy that arifes on the Reconciliation of Perfons at Variance. tumultuous Tranfports, think we, have filled the Hearts of Jacob and Esau at their first Interview; when the Current of Brotherly Love had been fo long interrupted between them? Take the Account of it in the inimitable Simplicity of Scriptural Language: And JACOB lifted up His Eyes, and looked, and behold ESAU came, and JACOB-bowed Himself to the Ground Jeven Times, until He came near to His Brother and ES AU ran to meet Him, and embraced Him, and fell on His Neck, and kiffed Him: and they wept.

Were ever Revenge, Malice, or Hatred accompanied with fuch grateful Senfations, fuch kindly Overflowings of Joy and Gladnefs in the Heart? No: Benevolence, on fuch Occurrences, afferts the Right of fupreme

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preme Dominion in the Human Conftitu- SERM. XI. tion, and triumphs over all the Tribe of the unfocial Affections. We are convinced of our Folly in revolting from Her gentle Sway to be enflaved by Tyrants, and terrified by Monsters. This Conviction turns our Hearts; which again are softened by a Mixture of Shame and Repentance for our Fault and now, Joy pouring in upon them, the Joy of being reftored to the peaceful Poffeffion of ourselves, and replaced in the Affection of our Friends, excites those distressful, yet pleafing Agonies, which feek for Relief in the like diftressful and pleafing Flow of our Tears.

Do Men ever take Delight in being Witneffes of the Quarrels, Animofities, and Heart-Burnings among either Friends or Enemies? But, on fuch Occafions as these, when Tears teftify the Sincerity of mutual Affection of Hearts reconciled and united; who can so far reftrain his Joy, as not to rejoice with thofe that do rejoice; and, at the fame Time, to weep with those that weep?

Thus we find, whenever our Anger rifes fo high as to stop, or drive back, the Streams

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SERM. XI. Streams of Benevolence; it throws us into an uneafy, violent and convulfive State. And hence it appears, that the Command of loving our Enemies, which has been thought a hard Saying, and impoffible to be fulfilled, is really no more, when refolved into it's first Principles, than bidding us be at Peace with ourselves; which we cannot be, fo long as we continue at En- . mity with others. The Command is not less agreeable to the true Spirit of Morality, than it is to that Love and Charity, which breathes through all the Gospel.

And in Conformity to this, and the View that we have taken of the general Cafes of finful Anger; let me apply the Words of the Apostle, exhibiting the natural Gradations of it: Let all Bitterness, and Wrath, and Evil-fpeaking be put away from you, with all MaliceAs a general Motive to which I proceed, as I proposed in the

III. Third Place, to confider it's oppofite Virtue, Meekness.

This was a Virtue which our Blessed Saviour was pleafed in an efpecial Manner

to