(1.) " It grieves the Spirit of God," Eph. iv. 30. banishes him from that breast in which it rages and tumultuates : God is the God of peace ; the presence and comforts of God are only enjoyed in a calm. It is a golden note one gives upon the forecited text, God doth not usually bless with peace of conscience, such as make no con- science of peace. (2.) It gives advantage to the devil, Eph. iv. 26, 27. Satan is an angry and discontented spirit, and finds no rest but in restless hearts ? he lives like the salamander, in fires of contention; he bestirs himself when the spirits are in a commotion ; sometimes he fills the heart with revengeful thoughts, sometimes he fills the lips, and inflames the tongue with indecent language ; even a meek Moses sometimes speaks unadvisedly with his lips. (3.) It dis-tunes the spirit for duty ; upon this account the apostle dissuades husbands and wives from jarring carriages and contentions, that their prayers be not hindered, 1 Pet. iii. 7. All acts of worship must be suitable to the object Qf worship ; but God is the God of peace, the God of love.
476 HOW TO KEEP THE HEART FKOM REVEXGEFUL MOTIONST.
(4.) To mention no more, it disparages the Christian religion. How would Plato and Pythagoras shame us, if they were now living ? Christ was a lamb for meekness, and doth it become his followers to be like lions ? O keep your hearts, or you will at once lose not only your own peace, but the credit of religion.
Means 4. Consider how sweet a thing- it is to a Christian Pj con- quer his corruptions, and carry away the spoils of them.
" He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty ; and he that " ruleth his spirit, than he that taketh a city," Prov. xvi. 32. Is there any content in venting a passion ? How much more in mortify- ing it ? When thou comest in a calm mood, or upon a death-bed to- review thy life, how comfortable then will it be to reflect upon the conquests thou hast got by the fear of God, over the evil propensions of thine own heart ! It was a memorable saying of Valentinian the emperor when he came to die : ' Amongst all my conquests (said he)- * there is but one that now comforts me ; and being asked what that ' was, he answered, I have overcome my worst enemy, mine own * -naughty heart.'
Means 5. Shame yourselves by setting hejbre you those eminent patterns that have been most excellent Jbr meekness.
Above all, compare your spirits with the Spirit of Christ : " Learn " of me (saith he,) for I am meek and lowly," Mat. xi. 29. Christ was meek and lowly, but I am proud and passionate ; it was the high commendation of Moses, Num. xii. 3. " Now the man Moses was " meek above all the men of the earth : and this was the man that " knew God to face." It is said of Calvin and Ursin, that they both were of choleric natures, but yet had so learned the meekness of Christ as not to utter one word, under the greatest provocation, un- beseeming religion. When I read the pretty stories of the very heathens that never had the advantages that we have, hoAv the Pytha- goreans, whatever feuds had been among them in the day, would hush all by sending to each other this message, The sun is almost set; and that of Plato to his scholar, / would beat thee if I wei'e not angry.
AVhen I read what lenity and tenderness Lycurgus shewed to an insolent fellow that had struck out one of his eyes, I am ashamed to see how much Christians are out-shot by heathens; who, by mere moral arguments and precepts, had thus meek ened their spirits, and conquered their passions. The dim light of nature could teach Se- neca to say, That anger will hurt a man more than the offence ; for there is a certain bound in the offence, but I know not how far mine anger will carry me. It is a shame that these men who came so far behind us in means and advantages, should so far out-strip us in meekness and patience.
Means 6. Lastly, Avoid all irritating occasions.
He that will not hear the clapper, must not pull the rope : " Grie- " vous words stir up anger," saith Solomon, Prov. xvi. 1. Do nofe only pray, and resolve against it, but get as far as you can out of the
HOW TO KEEP THE HEAllT FROM VIELDIKC TO SlV. 477
V ay of it, it is true spiritual valour, to run as fast, and as far as we can, out of sin's way: If you can but avoid anger in its first rise, there is no great fear of it afterwards ; for it is not with this sin as it is with other sins ; other sins grow to their full strength by degrees, their first motions are the weakest ; but this sin is born in its full strength, it is strongest at first ; withstand it then, and it falls before you. Thus learn to keep your hearts when provocations arise.
Season 9. The ninth season of exerting our greatest diligence, ' Is, ' the critical hour of temptation, wherein Satan lays close siege to the ' fort-royal of a Christian's heart, and often surprizes it for want of ' watchfulness : to keep the heart now, is no less a mercy than a duty; ' few Christians are so well skilled in detecting the fallacies, and ' retorting the arguments by which Satan uses to draw them to sin, as ' to come off safe in those encounters. " Watch and pray (saith ' " our Lord) lest ye enter into temptation,'' Mark xiv. 38.' Even an eminent David, and a wise Solomon, have smarted for their care- lessness, at such a time as this. The ninth case therefore shall be this, Case 9. How a Christian, when strongly solicited by the devil to sin, may keep his heart ^rom yielding- to the temptation.
Now there are six special arguments by which Satan subtilly in- sinuates and winds in the temptation ; in all which I shall offer thee some help for the keeping of thy heart ; and the first is this :
Argument 1. The first argument is drawn from the pleasure of sin : O (saith Satan) here is pleasure to be enjoyed : the temptation comes with a smiling countenance, and charming voice : what, art thou so phlegmatic and dull a soul, as not to feel the powerful charms of pleasure ? Who can with-hold himself from such delights ?
Now thine heart may be kept from the danger of this temptation, by retorting this argument of pleasure upon the tempter ; which is done two ways.