The Vanity of the Lives and Passions of Men, Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI.
Of the vanity of the paſsion of Wrath.
IN the former Ages of the World, They only were accounted generous, and of a maſculine courage, that could with patience endure all manner of injuries, and ſuffer with meekneſs all kinde of reproaches that were done or ſaid unto them, without being moved or diſtempered with this fiery paſſion of Wrath: as it may appear by theſe enſuing Inſtances that have been recorded by the Ancient Authors, in the praiſe and commendation of ſuch Princes and private men,See Plutarch in his Treariſe againſt Wrath. that have been endowed with this rare vertue of Fortitude. It is recorded that Antigonus King of Macedonia walking one evening thorow his Camp, heard ſome of his Souldiers to curſe him bitterly; but he with an admirable patience, without being moved or diſtempered, pray'd them lovingly to go a little further, that the King might not hear them.See Sueto mus in Auguſtus life. And the Emperour Auguſtus Caeſar, being earneſtly entreated by his Son-in-law Tiberius Nero, to puniſh ſeverely the Author of divers ſcandalous Libels that had been diſperſed through the Streets of Rome againſt him: Anſwered, without being moved with anger, That the greateſt correction he could inflict upon him, was to diſdain to take notice of his calumnies. And King Philip, Father to Alexander the Great,See Plutarch in Alexander, and in Demoſthenes lives. being entreated by one of his Courtiers to puniſh ſeverely an Athenian Orator that made him odious to the Greeks, by venting in his publike Declamations, bitter invectives againſt him: anſwered, without being diſtempered with wrath, It may be, ſaid he, I have not as yet done him any good, as I have done to many others that deſerved not ſo well as he; whereupon he ſent him a preſent of two Talents in Gold, that made this Nightingal to change his tune, & to exalt the Liberality and Heroical Vertues of the King as high as the Skie: And Philip being informed of it, told his Courtier, that he was a better Phyſitian then he, to cure the malignancy of evil-tongued men.See the French Hiſtory. And Lewis the Twelfth King of France, being perſwaded by ſome of his Peers to avenge himſelf of ſome affronts and injuries done unto him, by ſome great Officers of the Crown in the dayes of Charls the Tenth, his Predeceſſor, when he was onelyonly Duke of Orleans: anſwered with an admirable magnanimity of courage, That it was unſeemly for a King of France to revenge himſelf of the injuries done formerly to the Duke of Orleans. But in this decrepit Age of the World wherein we live, They only are reputed generous, and of a manly courage that are addicted to wrath, and apt to vindicate themſelves for the leaſt offence and injury which are done unto them, although it be done unwillingly. And this is one of the cauſes of all the Diviſions that reign in this Commonwealth. Give me leave therefore to enlarge my diſcourſe upon theſe particulars, to ſhew you the evil Nature, Proprieties, and Effects of this furious paſſion of Wrath.
1. Upon the definition of Wrath.
2. Upon the cauſes that move Wrath.
3. Upon the Nature and Proprieties of it.
4. Upon the evil and good Effects of the ſame.
5. Upon the Remedies of it.
The Moraliſts do vary in their Opinions, concerning the definition of this Paſſion; Senalt and others maintain it hath an oppoſite; but the Biſhop of Marſeilles, and Theophraſte Boujou Lord of Beaulien, in his Commentaries upon Ariſtoles Phyſicks maintains the contrary, to whoſe Works I refer the Reader for brevity ſake. To come to the definition it ſelf, Wrath, ſaith Boujou, Boujou, fol. 723.is a Paſsion intiſing men to vindicate themſelves for ſome injury received, or for having been hindred to attain to ſome good by them proſecuted and deſired. Wrath, ſaith Senault, Senault, pag. 405.is nothing elſe but a violent motion of the ſenſitive appetite, provoking men to ſeek revenge for ſome offence received. However it is the laſt paſſion incident to the iraſcible appetite; for I am of the Opinion of thoſe that maintain it hath no oppoſite; and is diſtinguſhed by theſe three names, Anger, Choler, and Wrath. Anger is as it were the infancy of it, Choler its adoleſcencie, and Wrath its virility or maturity, and the higheſt and ſuperlative degree of the diſtemper of this fiery and deſtructive paſſion of Wrath.
Secondly, The cauſes of Wrath are numerous; but I will reduce them to theſe four Heads.
1. To the Pride.
2. To the Impatiency.
3. To the indiſcretion.
4. To the over-credulity of men.
For the firſt; It was Pride that moved Simeon and Levi, to ſlay in their wrath under colour of Piety and Religion, Hamor and Shechem, and all the innocent Males of their City, becauſe of the diſhonor they conceived to have received by the rape of their ſiſter Dinah: but the reward of their wrath was this heavy curſe of their Father Jacob; Curſed be their anger, Gen. 34. v 25.497.for it was fierce: and their wrath, for it was cruel; I will divide them in Jacob, and ſcatter them in Iſrael. And it was Pride that moved Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon, to command in his fierce wrath that Shadrach, Meſhach and Abednego ſhould be caſt into a burning Furnace heated ſeven times more then it was wont to be, becauſe they had refuſed to obey his imperious command: viz. to worſhip the golden Image he had cauſed to be ſet up. But the reward of his unparalleld pride and wrath was this, that he was depoſed of his Empire, driven away from the company of men, and enforced to live amongſt the beaſts of the field, till he was humbled,Dan. 3.20. and 4.32. and did acknowledge that God was the King of Kings.
For the Second; The ambitious Impatiency of Joab moved him in his wrath to ſlay perfidiouſly Abner and Amaſa, that he might ſtill continue cheif General of the Armyes of the People of Iſrael: But the reward of his wrath and ambition was this, that king David at his dying hour charged Solomon his ſon that he ſhould not ſuffer Joabs hoary head to go down to the grave in peace.2 Sam. 27. & 20.10. And the natural impatiency of Charls Duke of Burgundy was by Cuſtom changed into ſuch an habit of wrath, that upon the ſmalleſt miſdemeanor of any of his ſervants, there was but a word and a blow: But the reward of his inconſiderate wrath was the cauſe he was betrayed and ſlayn at the rout of the Battle of Nancy by a Neapolitan Commander,See Philip de Commines in his life. to whom he had given a box on the ear.
For the Third; The indiſcretion of Clitus, and of Calliſthenes, two intimate freinds of Alexander, in their out-braiding ſpeeches,See Plutarch in Alexanders life. moved this Prince to ſuch a wrath that he ſlew them with his own hands. And the indiſcreet and unadviſed anſwer that Zeno gave to Dionyſius the Tyrant of Syracuſe, when he lovingly required he ſhould give unto him his two Daughters in marriage, viz. that he would rather ſee them carried to their graves, then they ſhould be married to ſuch a Tyrant;See Plutarch in his Morals. did kindle ſuch a wrath in the heart of Dionyſius, that he cauſed thoſe two innocent Ladyes to be ſlayn, and then invited their Father to their Funerals.
For the Fourth; The over-credulity of King Ahaſuerus in believing the falſe reports that Haman his Favorite made unto him againſt the Jews, kindled ſuch a wrath in his breſt,Eſth. 3.8. that he cauſed preſently a Decree to be paſſed for the utter deſtruction of all the Jews that were ſcattered throughout the hundred and ſeven and twenty Provinces of his Dominions. And the over-credulity of the good Emperor Theodoſius in believing the falſe reports of ſome of his Courtiers concerning an uprore and mutiny that had happened in the City of Theſſalonica, See the Eccleſiaſtical Hiſtories.did beget ſuch a wrath in this good Princes heart, that he inſtantly paſſed a Decree that all the Inhabitants of that City, both men, women and children ſhould be put to the ſword: But after this Decree had been put in execution, he was truly informed that very few had a hand in this mutiny: for which inconſiderate wrath of his he was much afflicted and penitent all the days of his life.
Thirdly, The Proprieties of Wrath are theſe: 1. It is of an ayrie & fiery quality, as proceeding, as I have ſaid before, of an overflowing of the gall, the ſeat of the yellow Choler; & therefore it muſt of neceſſity be fiery, ſith the cholerick humor is compared to the fiery Element; and daily experience doth ſhew, that bilious complexioned men are moſt addicted to Anger, Choler, and Wrath.The Proprieties of Wrath. It is alſo of an ayrie quality, becauſe the mixture of the bloud, which is compared to the Element of the Ayr, maketh the ſame as light and ſwift as the Ayr. 2. Wrath is of a ſpreading and dilative quality, for as a ſmall piece of Leven doth dilate it ſelf in a ſhort time thorow a great lump of dow, and make the ſame riſe and ſwell; ſo this cholerick humor mixt with the bloud, dilates it ſelf thorow all the parts of the body, and inflames them all with Anger and Wrath. 3. Wrath hath a changing or altering quality; for it changeth the coulor of the Face, ſets the eyes on fire, and makes the members of ſome mens bodies to tremble like a leaf. Again, in ſome other men, it will make their Face as white as a Clout, their Tongues to ſtammer, and their Eyes to roll in their Heads; all which ſymptoms and qualities do confirm the violent fury of this paſſion. And that is the reaſon why it is compared to the flaſhof Gun-powder, or to the overboyling of a Pot. 4. Wrath oppoſed and hindered to vent it ſelf, doth in time turn into an inveterate hatred, or at the beſt into a deep and incurable ſorrow; and ſometimes it induceth men to deſpair and to lay violent hands upon themſelves when they cannot be revenged to their mindes upon their enemies.
Fourthly, The evill effects of Wrath are as deſtructive as the proprieties of it are precipitate.The pernitious effects of Wrath. 1. The virulency of this paſſion is ſo pernicious that it blemiſheth the graces of Gods deareſt Children, and extinguiſheth all moral vertues in civil and moral men: Nay, it deprives them of reaſon and judgement, and makes them go aſtray from Juſtice and equity. King David was a man after Gods own heart; yet by the means of this paſſion he committed a great injuſtice, in ſuffering the falſe Accuſator Ziba to have half the land of the Innocent Mephiboſheth, as it appears by this unjuſt ſentence;2 Sam. 19. verſ. 27, 29. And the king ſayd unto him, why ſpeakeſt thou any more of this matter? I have ſaid, Thou and Ziba divide the Land. 2. Wrath begets contention and ſtrife betwixt the cheifeſt veſſels of grace; for it wrought ſuch a contention between S. Paul and Barnabas, that it made Paul to aſſociate himſelf with Silas; and Barnabas with Mark; and ſo divided one from the other theſe two famous Inſtruments of the propagation of the glory of God. 3. Wrath enticeth men to cruelty, and is often the cauſe of the ruine and deſolation of great and Populous Cities. The Emperor Frederick was ſo tranſported with wrath by an Affront done by the People of Milan to the Empreſſe his wife, that he cauſed his Army to ſack the City of Milan, and to put all the Inhabitants of it to the Sword,See the Fccleſiaſtical hiſtory. and afterwards to burn the ſame to the ground. And the Duke Charls of Burgundy moved to wrath by an injury done to himſelf by the Citizens of Dinan, See Philip de Commines.cauſed all the Inhabitants to be ſlain by the Sword, and the City to be burned to aſhes, & ſalt to be ſown in the fields of it, to make them for ever barren. 4. When men are tranſported with Wrath, they have no regard to Father, Mother nor Brethren.Gen. 4.8. Cain ſlew his Brother Abel; Nero his Mother; and Selymus poyſoned his Father, out of wrath proceeding from ambition: So that Wrath is the cauſe of much Blooſhed, and unparalleld Evils, Miſeries and Deſolations.
The good effects of Wrath are theſe.
1. It makes Cowards to become valiant;The good Effects of Wrath. for the greateſt Coward in the World being tranſported with Wrath, becomes as bold as a Lyon.
2. Wrath inciteth Chriſtians to a Godly Indignation, when they ſee the Worſhip and Glory of God abuſed; and this is the onelyonly commendable effect of Wrath: for the which, Phineas the Son of Eleazar, the Son of Aaron the high Prieſt, obtained this following Bleſſing of the Lord for having ſlain Zimri and Cozbi in his wrath, proceeding from a fervent Zeal to Gods glory; Wherefore the Lord ſaid, Behold I give unto him my Covenant of Peace; And he ſhall have it, Numb. 25.12, 13.and his Seed after him; even the Covenant of an everlaſting Preiſthood: becauſe he was zealous for his God, and made an attonement for the children of Iſrael.
3. The moderate Anger and Wrath of Parents towards their Children; and of Maſters towards their Servants, is oftentimes of great uſe to keep them in due obedience, and to make them more diligent in the performance of their duty.
4. The Wrath of God is of great uſe to bring Impenitent Sinners to repentance. For when they hear that his Wrath burns like fire, Pſal. 89.46.and that it is like a whirlwind which turneth upſide down the higheſt mountains, it makes them put their hands upon their breſts, and acknowledge with the penitent Publican, Luke 18.10.that they are not worthy to look up to heaven. And I am perſwaded, conſidering the perverſe inclinations of men, that more are converted by the apprehenſion of his Wrath, then by the gracious invitations of his Love are Promiſes; yet happy and bleſſed are they who are drawn near him by his incomprehenſible Love in Chriſt Jeſus towards them: and that fear more to diſpleaſe him out of a ſincere and filial Love unto him, then out of a ſervile apprehenſion of his Wrath.
To conclude, it appears by the Nature, Proprieties, and Effects of Wrath, that it is a paſſion above all others that men ſhould moſt endevor to ſubdue and keep ſubordinate to Reaſon. And to that end obſerve theſe enſuing Remedies that are to be uſed to hinder this ſtubborn Paſſion to obtain the Maſtery over Men.
Fifthly, The Remedies to curb and keep under ſubjection this ragefull and furious Paſſion of Wrath, may be reduced to theſe Four heads:
1.Four Remedies againſt the venom of Wrath. Humility.
2. Patience.
3. Prudence.
4. Charity.
For the Firſt; Humility is an excellent Remedy to aſſwage the fiery rage of Wrath;Prov. 15.1. For as Solomon ſaith, A ſoft Anſwer turneth away Wrath; but grievous words ſtir up Anger: And as fire goeth out of it ſelf if it be not nouriſhed by ſome Combuſtible matter: ſo Wrath will vaniſh into ſmoak, if it be not fomented and encreaſed by ill Language, or by inſolent Poſtures and Miſdemeanors. Abigail by her humble geſture, and gentle ſpeech, did ſuddenly pacify the fiery Wrath of David that had been kindled by the churliſhneſs of Nabal, 1 Sam. 25.22, 24.and prevented the execution of the raſh Decree that David had pronounced againſt Nabal and all his Family. Nay, Humility is ſo powerfull and acceptable to God, that it is able to appeaſe his Wrath, as it appears by Gods gracious and mercifull Carriage towards King David himſelf after the commiſſion of the two abhorred ſins of Adultery and Murder: for he had no ſooner acknowledged his ſin with an unfained Humility,2. Sam. 12.13. but God was pleaſed to pardon him the guilt, although he inflicted a heavy Puniſhment upon his Family for it.
For the Second; Patience is an approved Remedy to appeaſe the rage of Wrath: as it appears by the Counſel that Athenodorus gave to his Pupill Auguſtus Caeſar, whom he knew naturally addicted to Wrath. At the firſt motion of this Paſſion, ſaid he to him,See Sueton. in Auguſt. life. You muſt endevor to cruſh this Cockatrice in the ſhell: but if it cannot be, break the fury of it by Patience: And before you decree any thing in your Anger, count upon your fingers ends the four and twenty Letters of the Greek Alphabet: For by this ſmall intermiſſion of time your Reaſon and Judgement will come to it ſelf again, that hath been perverted by the fury of this Paſſion of Wrath. It is Recorded that Plato upon the Relation of an unpleaſant Meſſage was ſomething moved with Wrath: whereupon he roſe from his ſeat to fetch his ſtaff: But another Philoſopher ſeeing it, ſaid unto him, It is unſeemly for you Plato to be thus moved with Wrath as to fetch your ſtaff to beat a Meſſenger;See Plutarch. in his Mor. You are deceived, ſaid he: It was to burb and beat mine own Wrath that began to be Maſter over my Reaſon.
Thirdly; Prudence is a ſoveraign Remedy againſt Wrath: For Solomon ſaith, He that is ſlow to Wrath, Prov. 14.28.is of great underſtanding: but he that is haſty of ſpirit, exalteth folly. Whereby it appears, that ſuch as are apt to be tranſported with immoderate Wrath, are like fools or mad men: and that there is none truly wiſe but ſuch as can pacify their Wrath. And that was the reaſon why Socrates was judged by the Oracle of Apollo to be the wiſeſt man of all the Greeks,See Plutar in his Mor. in his Treatiſe againſt Wrath. becauſe he could not be moved to Wrath: for had not he been patient and prudent, he and his wife had lived like dogs and cats: but he with an admirable patience did bear with her Infirmities and waywardneſs. It is Recorded that Diogenes the Cynick being told that the Athenians jeered him for his ruſtical and uncivil deportments: let them jeer ſaith he, for they may doe it long enough before they can caſt me into a Paſſion of Wrath.
Fourthly; Charity is a moſt excellent Remedy againſt Wrath:1 Cor. 13.7. for as S. Paul ſaith, Charity beareth all things, beleiveth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things: ſo if men be endowed with this Superlative Grace of Charity, they will not be moved nor tranſported with Wrath againſt their Brethren: But the want of Charity one towards another is the Cauſe that men are filled with Malice, Envy and Wrath. For Charity ſuffereth long, and is kinde: Charity envyeth not, 1 Cor. 13.4, 5, 6.Charity vaunteth not it ſelf, is not puffed up, doth not behave it ſelf unſeemly, thinketh no evil: Rejoyceth not in iniquity, but rejoyceth in the truth. Theſe are the noble and gracious Effects of Charity; which S. Paul ſets out ſo fully and elegantly, to make men in love with Charity, as the cheifeſt of all Spiritual Graces, as it appears in the laſt Verſe of this Chapter, And now abideth Faith, 1 Cor. 13.13.Hope, Charity, theſe Three, but the greateſt of Theſe is Charity. Men therefore ſhould earneſtly endevor to obtain of God by fervent prayers this excellent Grace of Charity; For without it all other Graces are without life, and of no validity, as S. Paul doth witneſs the ſame from the beginning of this Chapter to the latter end. And I am verily perſwaded that the want of Charity is the cauſe of all the Diviſions and Contentions that reign in this Commonwealth, and why men are ſo apt to Vindication and Wrath; Which the Heathen Philoſophers did abhor and deteſt as the moſt ragefull and furious Paſſion of all others, fitter for brute and cruel beaſts, as Lyons and Tygers, then for Rational men, and ſpecially for Chriſtians, who have before their eys for a ſpecial Preſident the admirable Patience and unparalleld Meekneſs of our Bleſſed Saviour, to make them hate and deteſt Anger, Choler and Wrath; for the Lord (ſaith the Prophet Iſaiah) hath layd on him the iniquities of us all; Iſal. 53.6, 7.He was oppreſſed, and he was afflicted: yet he opened not his mouth. He is brought as a Lamb to the ſlaughter, and as a Sheep before her Shearer is dumb, ſo he opened not his mouth. The Event, Iſſue and Accompliſhment of this Propheſy is clearly expreſſed in the 27. Chapter of S. Matthew, where you may ſee how the Jews ſpit in his face, ſet a crown of thorns upon his head, put upon him a ſcarlet robe, and gave him a reed in his right hand, and in deriſion bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, ſaying, Mat. 27.28, 29, 30.Hail king of the Jews. And yet for all theſe injuries, ſhameful reproaches, and unparalleld ignominies, he never opened his mouth to give them a bad word: far from being poſſeſſed with the leaſt appearance or motion of Anger, Choler and Wrath. This Example ſhould induce Chriſtians to abhor and eſchew this vile Paſſion of Wrath more then the Contagious diſeaſe of the Plague. It appears then by this Diſcourſe, that Wrath is not only vanity, but an extream vexation of ſpirit.