Subdue Anger

And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.
— Luke 16:14

Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; 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

Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
— Ecclesiastes 7:9

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

A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.
— Proverbs 15:18

The Second Means to Subdue Anger, is to Labor for Patience, by John Downame. The following contains Chapter Eight 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. VIII. The Second Means to Subdue Anger, is to Labor for Patience.

The second means to subdue anger, is to labor for the contrary virtue of patience and long suffering. And to this end we are first to consider that nothing happeneth unto us without God’s all-seeing providence, who if we be his children will dispose of everything for our good. Why therefore should we vex ourselves with anger, seeing God will turn the injuries of men into blessings? Let us rather when any wrong is offered us, which we cannot by just and lawful means avoid, say with our savior Christ, Joh. 18:11, should not I drink of the cup which my father hath provided for me? Should I be angry with the cup because the Physic is bitter? Or with the hand whereby it is conveyed unto me? My heavenly father correcteth me for my good and amendment, I will not therefore be angry with the rod wherewith I am beat, but rather look to the hand which inflicteth the chastisement, and I will say with David. Psal. 139:10. I am dumb and do not open my mouth because thou doest it. Otherwise I should commit as great folly as he who is angry with the staff wherewith he is beaten, and never regardeth the smiter, and show myself as mad as the dog, who looketh not to the caster, but wreaketh his anger by biting the stone. Secondly, we are to consider that the injuries which we have received are much less then by our sins we have deserved; for they are but light, or if not light yet momentary, but our sins have deserved infinite and eternal punishments. If therefore the Lord use these earthly rods to correct our sins, we are rather to admire his mercy then to be angry at so gentle chastisement; let us therefore look upon our sins and not upon our punishment, and so shall we patiently bear the injury offered, as sent from God, because in respect of him it is no injury; and not as it is inflicted by man, and be ready to follow the example of David, who when he was injuriously abused by Shimei, was not provoked by anger to take revenge, because he looked not upon Shimei, as being but the instrument, but upon God who was the author. 2 Sam. 16:10,11.

The third means to subdue anger by arming us with patience, is to call continually to remembrance the bitter passion and sufferings of Christ for our sins. For if we consider how patiently he endured scoffs and reproaches, railing and reviling, buffeting and scourging, yea death itself, and the anger of God more grievous than death, not for any demerit of his, but for our sakes; we may easily suffer such small injuries as are offered unto us by men, at our savior Christ’s request, seeing we have deserved far greater. As therefore those which were slung with the fiery serpents, were healed if they did look up to the brazen serpent, which was erected to this end: so if this fiery serpent of unjust anger have stung us, and the burning poison thereof hath inflamed us, let us cast the eyes of our souls upon the true brazen serpent our savior Christ, hanging upon the cross, and suffering the wrath of God due to our sins, and so the heat of our wrath and anger will soon be cured and cooled.

The fourth means to work patience and repel anger, is to consider the necessity hereof, for if the love of our brethren be not of more force to restrain us from revenge, then anger to provoke us thereunto, we can have no assurance that we are the Children of God, 1 Joh. 3:10. In this are the children of God known, and the children of the devil, whosoever doth not righteousness, is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. So verse 15. Whosoever hateth his brother is a man-slayer, and no man-slayer hath eternal life abiding in him.

But some will say, though I am rashly angry, yet may I love my brother. I answer with the Apostle. 1 Cor. 13:4,7, that love both suffereth long and suffereth all things: and therefore they want this love who will suffer nothing, and be provoked every minute; nay he saith expressly in the fifth verse, that love is not provoked to anger, that is, to rash and unjust anger; and therefore they are destitute of love who are so easily provoked.

Secondly, it is most necessary to subdue anger, because while we remain therein we can have no assurance that our prayers are acceptably heard of God; not only because we pray so to be forgiven as we forgive, and therefore if we retain our anger towards our brethren, we pray that God will retain his towards us; but also because our Savior expressly telleth us, That if we do not remit men their trespasses, our heavenly Father will not forgive us our sins. Matth. 6:15 And that with what measure we mete unto others, it shall be measured unto us again. Matth. 7:2. Let us remember the parable of the servant, who being forgiven ten thousand talents, and after exacting with all cruelty of his fellow servant a hundred pence, was cast into the prison of utter darkness. Matth. 18:23. Whereby thus much is understood, that if we will not forgive injuries to our brethren, seeing the Lord hath forgiven our infinite heinous sins, we shall be used like that merciless and cruel servant. And therefore let us follow the counsel of the Apostle Eph. 4:32. Be courteous one to another and tender hearted, freely forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake freely forgave you. And so much for the necessity of this duty.

The fifth means to arm us with patience against the assaults of anger, is that we propound unto ourselves the examples of others: for the looking upon green color is not more sovereign for those who are troubled with inflammation of the eyes, then the beholding of the clemency and patience of others, is for those whose hearts are inflamed with anger. First therefore, let us set before us the example of God himself, who is merciful, gracious, and slow to anger, as himself describeth himself, Exod. 34:6. And hereof the Prophet David tasted by often experience, and therefore he saith likewise, Psal. 103:8. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy, slow to anger and of great kindness. And as he is not easily provoked to anger, so being provoked his anger lasteth not long; for he will not always chide, nor keep his anger forever, as it is verse 9. Nay no sooner can we knock at the gate of his mercy, but he is ready to open, as he hath promised. Matth. 7:7. If therefore we would resemble our heavenly father, and so approve ourselves to be his children, we must learn to imitate his patience and long suffering.

Secondly, we are to propound unto us the example of our Savior Christ, the lively character and express image of his father, as he exhorteth us. Matth. 11:29. Learn of me for I am meek and lowly of heart, and you shall find rest to your souls. What this meekness was, Peter telleth us. 1 Peter 2:22. Though he were free from sin, and had no guile found in his mouth, yet when he was reviled, he reviled not again, and when he suffered he threatened not. Though in respect of his infinite power, he was able not only to have threatened, but also to have utterly destroyed his enemies. If therefore Christ was so mild and patient, who was free from sin, surely much more should we be (if it were possible) who by our sins have deserved the greatest injuries, yea, eternal death.

But if these examples be too high for our imitation, let us cast the eyes of our minds upon the patience and long suffering of our fellow brethren. As of Abraham, who when just cause of offense was offered by Lot and his shepherds, was rather content to part from his right, then he would have any discord and dissention. Gen. 13:8. Of Moses, who then was ready to pray for the people, when they were ready to stone him, Exod. 17:4,11. Of David who having revenge in his own hand, when he was provoked by the outrageous injuries of Shimei did notwithstanding contain himself, 2 Sam. 16:10, and of Stephen, who when the stones flew about his ears, prayed for his enemies that threw them at him, Acts 7:60.

Or if these examples will not move us to the love of mildness and patience, let us set before our eyes those men which are subject to the fury of anger, and so shall we easily discern in others what an ugly and brutish vice it is in our selves. One saith, that if an angry man would look himself in a glass in the midst of his fury, he would appear so horrible in his own sight, that it would be a notable means to work an hatred in his heart, of so deformed a vice; but for as much as angry men will hardly be brought to this while they continue in their rage, or if they could, they have somewhat relented already, and so the coppice of their countenance is changed; or though it were not, the fury of their affection so cloudeth the judgment of reason, that they think all things become them which they do in their passion: Let us therefore follow the example of the Spartans, who would cause their children to look upon their Helots and slaves when they were drunken, that they might be brought into detestation of so ugly a vice, when they beheld the beastliness thereof in others: So let us set before our eyes other men, while they be in their fury, and consider how it deformeth the body, and disableth the mind, the lamentable tragedies which it acteth, and follies which it committeth; and the ugly deformity, joined with brutish folly, must needs move us to hate so foul a vice.

The sixth means, is to abstain from multitude of business, because not only the mind is distracted and disturbed therewith, and so made a fit Inn for anger to lodge in, but also because in such abundance of business, some things of necessity will miscarry, and among such a multitude of Irons, some will burn, and so inflame the mind to anger.

The seventh means, is to avoid contentious controversies; for facilius est a certamine abstinere quam abducere, howsoever it be very easy to abstain from them before they are begun, yet after a man is entered into them, he cannot easily give them over. Because he thinketh that it will derogate from his wit and judgment, if he be forced to yield though it be to a truth: and besides men naturally desire to bring others to be of their opinion, and therefore they will use great earnestness to persuade, and oftentimes burst out into anger and fury, if they cannot obtain their desire.

The eighth means, to prevent anger, is to avoid the company of those who are angry and choleric: because men will easily be infected with their contagion. And this Solomon teacheth us. Prov. 22:24. Make no friendship with an angry man, neither go with the furious man, least thou learn his ways, and receive destruction to thy soul. And also because they are likely to be provoked by them, and to receive the heat of their flame. For as one stick of wood being set on fire, doth kindle that also which is next unto it: So one man being inflamed with anger, inflameth them also who are near about him, with his provocations.

Lastly, those who find themselves by nature prone to anger, are to labor, and as it were to vow with themselves, that they will contain their fury for one day, whatsoever occasion shall be offered, and after that another, and a third, and so by little and little they shall attain unto a habit of patience, and custom will alter nature.

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