And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
— Luke 12:15
The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
— Psalm 103:8
Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; Eph 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
— Ephesians 5:1-2
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
— James 1:19-20
To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
— Revelation 3:21
The Remedies to Expel or Bridle Anger, by John Downame. The following contains Chapter Nine of his work, “The Corrective for Unjust Anger.” 1613.
He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
— Proverbs 16:32
CHAP. IX. The Remedies to Expel or Bridle Anger.
And so much for those means and remedies, whereby we may prevent and repel anger, before we fall into it. Now in the next place I will set down, how we are to behave ourselves after that anger hath made an entrance, and taken place in us. And this the Apostle teacheth us in the restraint: Let not the Sun go down on your wrath. That is, if through infirmity ye fall into unjust anger, yet continue not in it, but rather abandon this corrupt affection with all possible speed. So that our anger must not sleep with us, and after we awake, awake also; we must not use it like our garments, lay it aside overnight, with a purpose to take it again the next day: but rather we are to put it off like the old man, with full resolution never again to entertain or assume it, or like some polluted rags which are not worth the wearing. And this must we do not once or twice, but if every day with the Sun anger arise in our hearts, we are every day to dislodge and expel it, before the Sun going down. And as the night doth cool the heat which in the day time the Sun hath made, so must it also quench the flames of anger kindled in our hearts. And not without great reason he requireth that before night cometh we abandon anger, for otherwise we shall give place to the devil’s temptations, as he intimateth in the words following: for having exhorted us not to let the Sun go down on our wrath, he presently addeth, neither give place to the Devil. Noting thereby that they who do not only entertain anger in the day, but also lodge it in the night, do thereby lay themselves open to the fiery darts of Satan. For he continually goeth about like a roaring Lyon, seeking whom he may devour. And when he findeth such as have retained anger even in their beds, thinking them a fit pray, he approacheth and with his bellows of fury he more inflameth the fire of anger, till it blazeth out into furious revenge: he aggravateth the injury received, telling them that if they put up such an indignity, they will expose themselves to the like, or for suffering this, lose all their credit and reputation, by incurring the note of cowardice. And so having wrought in their hearts a full resolution to take revenge, in the next place he putteth into their heads the most fit means and opportunity of performing it with all rage and cruelty. And so often times it cometh to pass that when they arise, they put that in practice, which they have devised lying upon their pillow.
To prevent therefore so great an evil; if we cannot altogether repel anger, yet let us soon expel it. For though at the first it be but a small spark, yet if it be nourished it will quickly increase to a furious flame. As therefore when a house is newly set on fire, men labor earnestly, and with all speed to quench it, before it have taken hold of the main posts and great beams; otherwise it will be too late afterward, when it is increased to his full strength: so when our hearts are first set on fire with anger, we are presently to quench it with the water of the spirit, for after we are thoroughly enflamed, it will be too late to apply any remedy till the flame have spent itself.
But some will say, I fall into anger many times when I never mean it, and it hath overcome me before I am aware; how therefore should I prevent that which I do not foresee, or free myself from it, seeing it violently overruleth me?
To the first I answer, that if we carefully watch over ourselves, we shall easily perceive when we are inclining to anger: for as there are many signs which go before a storm, and many symptoms, which discover diseases before we fall into them: so we may easily discern in our selves many notes and signs, of this tempestuous storm and raging fever of the mind, unjust anger.
To the other I answer, that anger doth not presently as soon as it is entered into the heart over-rule us, before it be grown to greater strength then it hath at the first, for as the greatest fire hath but a small beginning, and when it is but begun, is easily quenched: so the most furious anger attaineth not to his full strength at the first entrance, but by little and little increaseth like a flame, by taking hold of new matter. And therefore howsoever after it hath wholly inflamed a man, it is most hardly quenched, yet in the beginning thereof, it is easily suppressed.
But let us see the means how we may subdue anger after it hath given the assault. The first means is by withdrawing the food from it, wherewith it is nourished: for as the greatest fire if new matter be not supplied will of itself go out: so the most furious anger will soon be mitigated, if it be not continually nourished with a new supply of matter.
The chief nourishment whereby anger is nourished and increased, is multiplying of words, for though the injury at the first be small, yet if either it be aggravated by him that suffereth it, or defended by him that offereth it, it incenseth men to great anger. Well therefore in this respect may words be said to be but wind; for as nothing sooner than wind causeth a small spark to burst out into a furious flame: so nothing sooner doth cause a small spark of anger increase to a raging flame of revenge, then the wind of words. We are not therefore to imagine with some, that we can disgorge our stomachs of anger by vomiting our spleen in bitter words; for they do not only in their own nature whet and sharpen our own affections, but also provoke the other, with whom we are offended to requite us with the like, and so to add new matter to the old flame. As well therefore may we think to quench the fire with wood, as anger with words, for as wood is the nourishment of the fire, so words are the nourishment of anger. Let us rather in our anger imitate the wise Socrates, who when he was most angry, used most modesty, mildness of speech, and lowness of voice, and so withdrawing the nourishment from the fire of anger, it will soon of itself be extinguished.
The second means to subdue anger, is to get out of the company of others, especially of them who have offended us, according to the example of Jonathan, 1 Sam. 20:34, who being justly provoked by his unjust and cruel father, rose from the table and departed, least by his fathers provocations, he might have done or said that which did not beseem him: whose practice if we would imitate, we shall not only appease our anger by removing out of our sight the object and cause thereof, and prevent further occasions of increasing it, but also cover our infirmities, which otherwise we should discover by the violence of the passion.
As therefore they who are vexed with the falling sickness, (if they cannot by their own ordinary remedies prevent their fit) will go out of the company of others, that falling secretly, they may have no witness of their deformity: so they who are not able to curb in their anger, with the rein of reason, were best to withdraw themselves, and to keep private, while their fit lasteth: that so they may hide the ugliness of their vice, which being seen doth often move their adversaries to scorn and laughter, and their friends to sorrow and pity. And this is made a note of a wise man by the wisest. Prov. 12:16. A fool in a day shall be known by his anger, but he that covereth his shame is wise.
The third means to vanquish anger, is for a while to bridle and restrain it from bursting out into present revenge. For if we resist it in the first encounter, we shall find the strength thereof much weakened, and this the wise Athenodorus knew well; who being to depart from Augustus, was requested by him that he would leave behind him some good instruction, for the well governing of his Empire: to whom he gave this counsel, that he should do nothing in his anger, before he had numbered on his fingers the letters of the Greek Alphabet. An example hereof we have in Socrates, who finding his anger incensed against his servant, deferred to take correction, saying: I would beat thee if I were not angry. And also in Plato, who being provoked to anger by some notable fault committed by his servant, took a cudgel into his hands, and held it over him a good space, as if he would have stricken; And being asked of his friend Speusippus, what he meant by such kind of action. O (said he) Exigo poenas ab homine iracundo. I take punishment of one who is angry: meaning of himself, by bridling his affection. If then the heathen could thus defer and curb in their unruly passions: who had only the small glimpse of natures light, and heathen Philosophy to direct them; let us be ashamed to come behind them, seeing we have not only that, but also the bright sun shine of the word of God to guide us.
And that we may the rather be moved to abstain from sudden and desperate resolutions when our anger is provoked, let us consider that we are in great danger to do those things in a moment, which we shall repent our whole life; for Ira brevis furor, Anger is a short madness. That in such shortness of time we cannot rightly examine the circumstances of the matter, which in such cases are most material, whereas veritatem dies aperiet, Truth is the daughter of time, and will bring all to light. Quicquid voles quale sit scire tempori trade. Nihil diligenter in fluctu cernitur. Whatsoever thou wouldest be perfectly informed of, commit it to time, for nothing is thoroughly known on the sudden. That it is a foul shame, first to be angry, and then to judge, first to take punishment, and then to examine the cause; that is to say, whether hath offended, he that taketh punishment, or he on whom it is inflicted: whereas in process of time the truth will appear, whether revenge may be more justly taken or omitted. And then if after due examination he inflict deserved punishment, it will be more effectual for the reformation of the offender, when he seeth that it doth rather proceed from true judgment, then from the spleen. As therefore Phocion said to the Athenians, when by hearing of Alexanders death, they were thereby moved to use more unbridled speeches, and insolent practices. O ye Athenians if Alexander be dead today, he will be dead tomorrow also; And therefore you may well defer these courses, till ye be fully informed in the truth: so may I say to the angry man: do not so hastily revenge thyself on thy inferiors, for if it be a fault today, it will be a fault tomorrow also: and as one saith, Potest poena dilata exigi, non potest exacta reuocari; punishment delayed may be inflicted, but being inflicted it cannot be recalled. Non peribit potestas ista si differetur. Sine id tempus veniat quo ipsi iubeamus. Thy power to punish being deferred is not lost: let it therefore so long be delayed, till thyself may command the punishment to be inflicted, and not thy passion of anger.
The fourth means to subdue anger is this: let the angry man think with himself whether he is purposed ever or never, to lay aside his anger. If ever, how much better were it that he should leave his anger, then that it should leave him? That he should vanquish it, then that it should be overcome of itself? That he should quench it with the water of the spirit, then that it should last until it burn out? For not only this but all other passions will in time tire themselves, and fall down with their own ruin. But if they purpose to live in perpetual enmity, let them consider that they nourish in themselves a Viper, which will fret out their own bowels. For who receiveth more vexation, grief and disquietness by anger then himself, who is subject to the passion? And what doth sooner cut off the thread of life, then the sharpness of fretting grief? Lastly, let him think with himself what good time he spendeth in a bad matter, which being so short and precious, should be more esteemed and better employed; as in seeking to get friends, and not to lose them, being gotten, by unjust anger, in pacifying and reconciling enemies, rather than exasperating them by offering new injuries; in performing the works of charity and Christianity, that so we may hear at the latter day that comfortable sentence: Come ye blessed and inherit the kingdom prepared for you: For I was an hungered and you gave me meat, &c. rather than in acting the works of the flesh, among which anger is numbered, Gal. 5:20, which who so commit shall not inherit the kingdom of God, but shall hear that fearful sentence, Go ye cursed into everlasting fire, which is prepared for the devil and his angels.
The last and chief means both to keep us from falling into anger, and to subdue it after it hath taken hold of us, is earnest and hearty prayer unto God, that he would vouchsafe us the gracious assistance of his holy spirit, whereby our affections may be so ruled and sanctified, that they being freed from natural corruption, may be made fit and serviceable for the setting forth of his glory, the good of our brethren, and the furthering of our own salvation. For it is only the water of the spirit, and the shield of faith, which is able to quench the fury of our passions; and prayer is a chief means to obtain these spiritual graces at God’s hands.
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