Brief Exposition of Galatians and Ephesians, Exposition 2 · Chapter 4 · Verse and explication 26 – Verse and explication 27
Vers. 26. Be ye angry and sin not, let not the sun go down upon your wrath.
HE exhorteth them, next, to restrain and moderate their anger, forbidden in the sixth command. And, 1. he, as it were, giveth them way to be angry sometimes, and in some cases. 2. He disswadeth them from sinfull anger, or any unjust desire of revenge, which is, when anger is kindled rashly, Prov. 14. 17. for no cause, Matth. 5. 22. or a very light one, 1 Cor. 13. -5-. or when it exceedeth the just bounds, Gen. 49. 7. And, 3. if their anger at any time should exceed bounds, and turn to wrath, or bitternesse of spirit, he exhorteth them to suppresse it speedily, even before the Sun go down, not cherishing that ill, or for bearing themselves in it, for the space of one night. Doct. 1. Seing anger is a naturall affection, planted in our first parents at the first creation: yea, and also was found in Christ Himself, who was without sin, Mark 3. 5. therefore it is not in it self a sin, nor alwayes sinfull; but, as it is in its own nature indifferent, and becometh good or evil, according to the grounds, causes, objects and ends of it; So it is sometimes, and in some cases a necessary duty for a Christian to be angry, to wit, when anger floweth from zeal to Gods glory, Joh. 2. 15. with 17. and love to our brother, Prov. 13. 24. and when it is conceived upon just and weighty causes, such chiefly, as Gods dishonour, whether by our own sins, 2 Cor. 7. 11. or the sins of others, Exod. 32. 19. when it is incensed, not so much against the person of our brother, as against his sin, and therefore against that sin in our selves, as much as in others, Matth. 7. 5. when it doth not hinder other duties of love, which we owe to the person whom we are angry with, Exod. 32. 19. with 32. neither doth mar our accesse to God in prayer, 1 Tim. 2. 8. and when we go not without the compasse of our calling, by giving way to private revenge in the accomplishment of our anger, Luke 9. 54. 55. In those cases, anger is praiseworthy and commendable: for, the Apostle giveth way to anger, yea after a sort commandeth it, to wit, in those cases; be ye angry, saith he. 2. As there is an easie and ready passage from what is moderation in our naturall affections of joy, fear, grief, desire (and therefore lawfull and in some cases necessary) to what is excesse, (and therefore sinfull) Psal. 2. -11, So this doth chiefly hold in the affection of anger; it being most difficile to keep a measure, and not to exceed, by transgressing some one or other of the fore-mentioned limitations of just anger when it is once given way to: for, therefore doth he add this necessary caution, Be angry, but sin not. 3. As it is possible, even in the childe of God, for lawfull anger to degenerate in sinfull wrath, whereby the mind is imbittered, and accordingly rageth against the person of him who hath done the wrong; So, an implacable spirit, which cannot be worn out by length of time, is not so incident to any such: for, the Apostle supponeth they may have wrath; only they might not entertain it long, while he saith, Let not the sun go down upon your wrath. 4. The childe of God in his resisting sin, is not to sit down discouraged, nor give the back when sin prevaileth; but, having received a new recruit of strength from Christ, by the exercise of faith in prayer, 2 Cor. 12. 8. he is with renewed courage to set upon sin a-fresh, that so he may recover what was formerly lost: for, Paul enjoyneth, in case their anger should at any time exceed, to set against it without delay; Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.
Vers. 27. Neither give place to the devil:
HE giveth a reason of the former exhortation, set down by way of precept, to wit, that by giving way to excessive anger, and by persevering in it for any space of time, they should cast open doors to Sathan, the capital enemie of mans salvation, to enter their hearts, and to incite them by his uncessant suggestions to act some mischief. Doct. 1. As Sathan is dethroned and shut to the doors of the hearts of all such as are true believers; So, though he shall never reign again over them at his pleasure, Rom. 6. 14. Yet, he is daily watching, and searching out, if it were but the narrowest passage, and least opportuniy, whereby he may again re-enter his old possession, and exercise his former tyrannie: for, both those are implyed, while he saith, neither give place to the devil. 2. Where any known sin, especially excessive anger, is not only given way to, but also continued in, there doth Sathan get an open door to setle himself in the heart, and exercise his power, by inciting the person guilty to commit more of wickednesse and mischief: for, he sheweth, that by their persevering in wrath they would give place to the devil. 3. As Sathan doth not slip an offered opportunity of recovering his former interest in the heart; So where he gaineth any ground, though for never so short a space, he stirreth his time, and through Gods permission maketh fearfull havock, and a doolfull decay of the work of grace: for, while he holdeth this forth as an argument against their persevering in excessive anger, that thereby they should cast open doors for the devil to enter, it is implyed, that he would take place when it were given, and bestir his time in exciting them to act mischief, otherwise the argument should not be of such force; neither give place to the devil.