Billeder på siden
PDF
ePub

duct of religious people, we feel almost involuntarily led to say, "If this be love, where then, except in heaven, is it to be found." To this I reply, the apostle does not say that every man who pretends to this virtue acts thus ; nor does he say that every one who possesses it, acts thus in all instances, but that love itself does it. This is the way in which it acts, when allowed to exert its own energies; if it were suffered to have its full scope, and to bear sway in us without any check, this would be the invariable effect our not seeing, therefore, a perfect exemplification of this principle, is no proof that it does not possess these properties, but only that we are imperfectly under its influence. This branch of piety, like every other, may be possessed in various degrees; and, of course, it is only in proportion as we possess the disposition that we shall manifest its operations. This should prepare us to distinguish between the utter want and the weakness of love; a distinction necessary from our proneness to despondency in reference to ourselves, and to censoriousness in reference to our neighbours.

CHAPTER VI.

TITE MEEKNESS OF LOVE.

"Charity suffereth long-is not easily provoked."

1 CLASS these two together, because they bear a near affinity to each other. The word in the original translated "suffereth long," signifies "to have a long mind," to the end of whose patience, provocations cannot easily reach. It does not mean patience in reference to he afflictions which come from God, but to the injuries and provocations which come from man-perhaps the most correct idea which we can attach to it is, forbearance; a disposition which, under long continued offences, holds back anger, and is not hasty to punish or to revenge. Its kindred property, here classed with it, is nearly allied to it, "is not easily provoked," or "is not exasperated." The word signifies a violent emotion of the mind, a paroxysm of anger; so that the distinction between the two terms appears to be this,— the property intended by the latter seems to be the power of love to curb our wrath, and that intended by the former its ability to repress revenge.

There are three things which Christian love, in reference to the irascible passions, will prevent.

1. An irritable and petulant disposition. There is in some persous an excessive liability to be offended; a morbid sensibility, which is kindred to anger by the least possible injury, whether that injury be intentional or unintentional. They are all combustible, and ignite by a spark. A word, nay a look, is enough to inflame them. They are ever ready to quarrel with any, or every body; and remind us of what Cromwell said of John Lilburne, "that he was so quarrelsome, that if he could find nobody else to quarrel with, John would quarrel with Lilburne, and Lilburne with John." The whole soul seems one entire sensitiveness of offence. Instead of "suffering long," they do not suffer at all; and instead of not being easily provoked, they are provoked by anything, and sometimes by nothing. Love will prevent all this, and produce a disposition the very reverse. It is concerned for the happiness of others; and will not wantonly afflict them, and render them wretched, by such an exhibition of unlovely and unchristian temper. It will remove this diseased sensibility, and, without blunting the natural feelings, will calm this sinful excitability. Many things it will not see or hear-judging them quite beneath its dignity to notice; others it will pass by, as not of sufficient consequence to require explanation. It will keep a strict guard over its feelings, holding the reign with a tight hand. Its first business is with the disposition itself. This is important for us to notice; for if we indulge the feeling of anger, it will be impossible to smother the flame in our bosom; like the burning materials of a volcano, it will at length burst out in fiery eruptions. Here, then, is our first object: to gain that forbearance of disposition which does not allow itself to be irritated or soured; to acquire that command, not only over our words and actions, but over our emotions, which shall make us patient and tranquil amidst insults and injuries-which shall keep down the temperament of the soul, and preserve the greatest coolness. Irritability, I know, is in part a physical quality; but it is in our power, by God's help to calm`it. Love will make

us willing to think the best of those with whom we have to do; it will disarm us of that suspicion and mistrust, which make us regard every body as intending to injure us; will cause us to find out pleas for those who have done us harm, and when this is impossible, will lead us to pity their weakness or forgive their wickedness.

What an enemy to himself is an irritable man! He is a self-tormentor of the worst kind. He is scarcely ever at peace. His bosom is always in a state of tumult. To him the calm sunshine of the breast is unknown. A thousand petty vexations disturb his repose. Unhappy man, even though he so far succeed, as to restrain the agitations of his mind from bursting out into passion, yet has the burning sense of torment within. Regard to his own happiness, as well as to the happiness of others, calls upon him to cultivate that love, which shall allay the inflammatory state of his mind, and restore a soundness which will not be thus wounded by every touch.

2. The next thing which love prevents, is immoderate anger; that anger which the Apostle has described in the expression we are now elucidating, as amounting to a paroxysm of wrath; or which, in ordinary language, we call "being in a passion." It would be to oppose both reason and revelation, to assert that all anger is sin. 66 Be ye angry," saith the apostle, "and sin not.” "A violent suppression of the natural feelings is not, perhaps, the best expedient for obviating their injurious effects; and though nothing requires a more vigilant restraint than the emotion of anger, the uneasiness of which it is productive is, perhaps, best allayed by its natural and temperate expression; not to say that it is a wise provision in the economy of nature, for the expression of injury and the preservation of the peace and decorum of society." A wise and temperate expression of our displeasure against injuries or offences, is by no means incompatible with Christian love; this grace intending only to check those furious sallies of our wrath, which are tormenting to ourselves and injurious to those with whom we have to do. Sinful anger

is lamentably common, and is not sufficiently subdued among the professors of religion. In cases of offence, they are too often excited to criminal degrees of passion; their countenance is flushed, their brow lowers, their eye darts indignant flashes, and their tongue pours forth loud and stormy words of reviling accusations. To diminish and prevent this disposition, let us dwell much upon the evil consequences of it.

It disturbs our peace, and interrupts our happiness; and this is an evil about which we ought not to be indifferent. A passionate man cannot be a happy man; he is the victim of a temper, which, like a serpent, dwells in his bosom to sting and torment him.

It destroys the comfort of those with whom he has to do his children often bear the fury of the tempest; his wife has her cup of conjugal felicity embittered by the venom; his servants tremble as at the rage of a tyrant; and those with whom he transacts the business of this life, dread the gusts of his passion, by which they have often been rendered uncomfortable. He is a common disturber of the circle in which he moves.

It interrupts his enjoyment of religion, brings guilt upon his conscience, and unfits him for the season and the act of communion with God. A beautiful illustration of this part of the subject may be here introduced from one of the most striking of English writers :"Prayer is the peace of our spirit, the stillness of our thoughts, the evenness of recollection, the seat of meditation, the rest of our cares, and the calm of our tempest; prayer is the issue of a quiet mind, of untroubled thoughts; it is the daughter of charity, and the sister of meekness; and he that prays to God with an angry, that is, with a troubled and discomposed spirit, is like him that retires into a battle to meditate, and sets up his closet in the out-quarters of an army, and chooses a frontier garrison to be wise in. Anger is a perfect alienation of the mind from prayer, and, therefore, is contrary to that attention which presents our prayers in a right line to God. For so have I seen a lark rising from his bed of grass, and soaring upwards, singing

« ForrigeFortsæt »