his manner of instructing the Ephesians; "Be ye an gry and sin not;" Eph. iv. 26. which clearly implies, that a man may possibly be angry and not sin. When David heard of the rich man's having taken the poor man's ewe-lamb, though he had exceeding many flocks and herds of his own, his "anger was greatly kindled "against the man." That punishment is lawful, appears by the whole penal law of Moses; Deut, ch. xxv. as also by the declaration in the book of Genesis belonging to no set of men exclusively; "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man "shall his blood be shed." Gen. ix. 6. And by the Epistle to the Romans ch. xiii. That punishment may sometimes be inflicted by a private individual, will appear hereafter. Even the restrictions and limitations imposed upon anger in the Scriptures serve to shew, that it is not totally and essentially sinful. In the passage before quoted it is rather fierceness and cruelty than anger which is blamed. Gen. xlix. 7. The wise man advises to defer anger. Prov. xix. 11. The Christian is not to be angry without a cause. Matt. v. 22. He must not be easily "provoked." 1 Cor. xiii. 5. He must be "slow to wrath." James i. 19. A Christian Bishop must not be "soon angry." Titus i. 7. Every one must let his anger sink with the Sun. Eph. iv. 26. This is very different from a total condemnation and prohibition of the sentiment of anger. That species of anger which is called zeal, and is nearly allied to indignation, is commended in scripture. We have already mentioned that of Moses in a most trying situation. Exod. xxxii. 19. Phineas must have performed that act for which he is so much commended, with great warmth and energy. Numb. xxv. 7, 8, &c. The Psalmist has such acute feelings that he pines away. Psalm lxix. 9. St. Paul, though he confesses that the zeal of the Jews was defective with regard to knowledge, plainly commends zcal in general, by his manner of recording its existence. Rom. x. 2. He also mentions zeal as a good effect of reproof and consequent repentance, 2 Cor. vii. 11. in the Corinthians; and he tells the Galatians, generally, "it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing." Gal. iv. 18. 14. And as we have compared God's giving us anger, and indeed other malevolent sentiments, to a friend's giving a man a sword, and as a sword can only promote good by inflicting evil, and only continues to operate whilst evil continues; it may not be superfluous to produce a few passages in which the sword is spoken of as a good." The sword in general is called the "Sword of the "Lord," Jer. xlvii. 6. and the ungodly are said to be a sword of the Almighty, Psalm xvii. 13. compare Joel ii. 25. an instrument to inflict evil, for the sake of good.-Job says, Be ye afraid of the sword; for "wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword, that ye may know there is a judgment". Job xix. 29. 46 Our Saviour, at the last supper, tells his Apostles," that if any of them has no Sword, he must "sell his garment and buy one." Luke xxii. 36. And St. Paul tells the Roman Christians that they must be good subjects; for one reason, because the Magistrate "beareth not the sword in vain": Rom. xiii. 4. He also tells the converts at Ephesus, that in order to prepare themselves for the duties which they would have to fulfil, they must arm themselves with the word of God as with a sword; and he calls it "the Sword of the Spirit.' Eph. vi. 17-Heb. iv. 12. Whether we understand this use of the word of God perfectly or imperfectly, it must be analogous to the use of the sword. See Rev. i. 16. These passages tend to give credit to any instrument, which by means of evil, pro.. duces good upon the whole. Nothing can be urged against anger, which may not be urged against the sword. 66 15. This may suffice as to the good effects of anger, considered generally; especially as more expressions of scripture which might be introduced here, will occur under different heads. There are some effects of anger which are good to ་ the individual in whom that passion operates..-It excites and enable him to repel evil;-but I know not that we need expect here a precept of scripture: men are so ready to take fire on the mere appearance of injury, that those who wrote as occasion required, would always deem an injunction to be angry quite superfluous, or tending to counteract those exhortations, which they found it necessary to give for the due regulation of anger. Nay, even in a systematical writer of morals it would excite some degree of surprize to find this rule, when you are injured and oppressed fail not to be angry': Yet it is not the less true, that a human being would be maimed, as it were, and imperfect, if void of all kinds and degrees of anger. That the scriptures do not mean to hinder men from repelling evil by means of the sentiment of anger, may be inferred from their allowing the individual to punish. Indeed public punishment is generally sued for by the individual; but in some cases he is allowed in scripture to punish with his own hand. "If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall 66 no blood be shed for him". Exod. xxii. 2. Is it here more reasonable to suppose the master of the house, or his friends, to be excited and enabled to attack and destroy the housebreaker, by the impulse of anger, or to fight from the perfectly cold deductions of reason? In the Law of Moses there is a person called the avenger, or the "avenger of blood"; no magistrate, seemingly; probably some kinsman of the injured, best situated, and best qualified for avenging; of this person it is said, "The avenger of blood himself shall 66 slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall "slay him". Numb. xxxv. 19. What seems still more deliberate is, that though the avenger could not seize upon the guilty whilst he was in a city of refuge, yet the elders could take him from such city, and then their business was, not to deliver him up to the Magistrate, but to the avenger. Deut. xix. 12.-Numb. xxxv. 12. Those courts of justice which excuse a man when he does things through violence of passion, such as killing an adulteier, and resenting a sudden insult, though they would punish him for doing the same things in cool blood, take for granted the general sense of mankind in favour of passion, when excited in a virtuous breast. The Deity is described in Scripture as angry at the oppressor; is the person oppressed to be conceived as blamable if he be angry also? "Ye shall not afflict 66 any widow or fatherless child. If thou afflict them "in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely "hear their cry, and my wrath_shall wax hot ". and so forth. Exod. xxii. 22. &c. See also Zech. vii. 8. -14. God is also described as angry at his adversaries, or enemies. "According to their deeds, accord"ingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies". Isaiah lix. 18. 16. The Deity then will hear the cries of the oppressed are not these cries the language of passion ? if so, a few passages of Scripture where they are mentioned must be to our purpose. Elihu, in the book of Job, speaks of "the multitude of oppressions, that made the oppressed to cry". Job xxxv. 9. Of mighty and wicked men he says, that " they cause the cry of "the poor to come unto" God; and that God "hear"eth the cry of the afflicted". Job xxxiv. 28. Isaiah foretells that the Egyptians "shall cry unto the Lord because of the oppressors." Isaiah xix. 20. And St. James tells the rich, that the cries of injured labourers enter" into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth". James v. 4.-Here is nothing like disapprobation of these cries, nor therefore of the passion which gave them utterance. The wise man speaks of "the tears of such 66 as were oppressed"; Eccles. iv. 1. and sense of injury promotes tears as well as cries. Such expres sions, whether articulate or not, imply passion without power; and if they are approved, we may conclude, that, had there been power, it might have lawfully been exerted when set in motion by that passion. Violent contests by bodily strength, are always supported by anger: yet when they are mentioned in the Law of Moses, no particular blame is thrown upon them only it is settled how any damages arising from them shall be compensated. Exod. xxi. 18. Perhaps each contender is supposed to think himself in the right, and to act as on the defensive; and therefore no difference is made between the parties. 17. We have observed, in speaking of the good effects of anger, or resentment, as beneficial to the individual who is moved by it, that it enables him to maintain that authority, which is necessary for the public good. The scriptures express much the same. Authority over Children is necessary for the purpose of Education. "He that spareth his rod hateth his son". "Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy "soul spare for his crying. The rod and reproof give wisdom". Prov. xiii. 34.-xix. 18.—xxix. 15. I need not repeat the improbability of this discipline A being kept up without some feelings of anger. To the same purpose the Apostle to the Hebrews. "Whom "the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth." Heb. xii. 6.—We may add the saying addressed to St. John, as many as "I love, I rebuke and chasten". Rev. iii. 19. 66 66 66 66 Authority over Servants could scarcely be maintained without some emotion of resentment: the Law of Moses annexes a punishment to excess in the exercise of herile authority; but that of itself shews the lawfulness of correction inflicted by the Master, when not carried to excess. "If a man smite the eye of his servant, or "the eye of his maid, that it perish; he shall let him "go free for his eye's sake". Exod. xxi, 26. 27. and so of a tooth. But had he corrected him more moderately, no blame would have been supposed. A real fault in a servant has the nature of an injury, being contrary to agreements, express or tacit. 66 66 Our Lord says, "that servant which knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But "he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes". Luke xii. 47. 48. Here the lawfulness of correction, (which, as before, cannot be supposed to be executed without some angry emotions), is clearly taken for granted, as 66 |