X I.

Self-Prefervation and are fo fudden and SER M. impetuous as often to prevent Deliberation: they are, in Truth, common to us with Children and the very Brutes; and therefore the Actions, immediately confequent upon and produced by them, come rather under a natural than a moral Denomination. An additional Proof however, that Anger. in itself is not finful. But ftill, on the most mature Deliberation, we must be justified in confulting our own Security, according to the Degrees of the impending Danger; and in Cafes of extreme Neceffity, that is, where no other poffible Means can be contrived for our Prefervation, we may repel Force by Force, and bring that Destruction on the Head of our Enemy which otherwife He would have brought upon Our's. Nor can this properly be called Revenge; for our principle Defign here is, not to inflict a deferved Injury, but, to guard against an Injury undeferved; and we would have chofen His Safety, had it been confiftent with our own, without proceeding to this fatal Extremity.

And here, confidering the daring and defperate Tempers of many wicked Men; the weak Impreffions they feel of any religious Principle, or Sentiment of Humanity; the fmall Dread they have of the extremeft Punishment that human Laws can inflict; and the many Opportunities they may find

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SBR M. of Secrecy to execute their villainous Pur pofes; we cannot but admire the good Providence of God, and be thankful to Him whofe Mercies are over all his Works, that fo few of us, in Comparison, are ever brought into these great Dangers. The Wicked watched against the Righteous, and Jeeketh Occafion to lay him: The Lord will not let him come into his Hand.

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2. How far foever the harsh Gratings of Anger may feem to be removed from the foft Motions of Benevolence; yet these fometimes, as Oil does to Steel, give an Edge to our Refentment; where it will be found not only innocent and excufable, but even commendable and generous. are we affected with an Historical Relation, a Theatrical Representation, or even a Poetical and feigned Defcription of Villainy under the Disguise of Friendship; helpless Innocence betrayed, difhonoured, or oppreffed; merciless Cruelty inflicted, and the like? Our Heart burns within us, full of Refentment and Indignation; Indignation; and our Tears force their Way. These Movements are deep-grounded in our Nature, and therefore irrefiftible: and if fuch be their Force in the Cafe of Fiction, or bare Narration, we cannot suppose it either is, or ought to be, diminished by Reality: and if they carry us fo far in Behalf of Others, they must be

allowed

allowed at least an equal Scope and Liberty SER M. in Behalf of Ourfelves.

Hence it appears, that Benevolence, difinterefted Benevolence, prefides in human Nature; and unites Mankind into a Society fo intimate; that, however diftant the feveral Members may be, one common Senfation, as it were, runs through the whole. And as in the Natural System of the World there are fome repelling Qualities, which yet must conspire to aid the grand Power of Attraction; fo even those Paffions which, confidered in a fimple View, have but an unfriendly and unfociable Afpect, are yet, in their general Comprehenfion, aiding and affifting to preferve inviolable the Bonds of the great Community.

3. Our Anger is apt to kindle at the Apprehenfion of a Slight, or an Affront; a Contempt or Reproach thrown upon us: on which Occafions, if the Apprehenfion be well-grounded, our Refentment, to a certain Degree, must be allowed to be excufeable; and fo not finful. Our Tamenefs in these Inftances would be conftrued into Stupidity, and be treated as fuch, by the pert and petulant. Peace and Honefty, and the Reputation of Honefty, are the greatest worldly Poffeffions that many Men have, or defire to have; and the Invaders of them, especially They who take a Pleafure in, or make a Sport of, depriving others

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XI.

SER M. of the Enjoyment of them by an unmannerly Behaviour, rude Infults, or provoking Language; may be, and ought to be treated with fuch Marks of Difapprobation and Difpleafure, as may be a fufficient Guard for us against the Affaults of thefe Trefpaffers nay, I do not know but a greater Indulgence may be allowed to our Refentment on thefe Occafions, where Human Laws have not allowed us the Privilege of their Affiftance and Protection.

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But it may be inquired, How is the Lawfulness of Anger, in all or any of the foregoing Inftances, confiftent with the Command given by our Saviour, not to refift Evil: but to fubdue our Nature to such a Degree of Paffiveness, as, if any one should fmite us on the Right Cheek, to turn to him the other alfo?

the

I anfwer, thefe Words admit of an Interpretation very confiftent with What has been advanced in Defence of lawful Anger. The Law of Retaliation was here Subject of our Saviour's Discourse, which either in it's original Intention did, or rather perhaps by the corrupt Gloffes of the Jewish Doctors was made to fignify a Repaying in Kind every bodily Injury a Man received; an Eye for an Eye, a Tooth for a Tooth. Accidental and undefigned Injuries were excepted out of this Law; and therefore we must consider the Injuries included in it to

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be Injuries ftrialy fpeaking: that is, accom- SER M. panied with Malice and Hatred. Accordingly, the Temper of the Aggreffor, in the Inftance before us, is apparently malicious; and this Temper Our Saviour condemns to fuch a Degree, as to command us rather to fubmit to fuch malicious Treatment doubly, than return it once. The greatest Indignities a Chriftian can fuffer will not juftify in him a Spirit of Malice and Revenge. He is to recompenfe no Man Evil for Evil -But there is a very diftin&t Medium between this, and confulting no Methods at all for his Redress even of the smallest Injuries; and that is, by endeavouring to obtain fuch Redress by innocent Means; which are plainly thefe; that, in bringing the Offender to Punishment, or to a Senfe of his Miscarriage, we take Care the Degrees of our Refentment do not exceed the Naturė of the Offence; and that we have a Regard, not only to cur own Good, but to that of the Public, and even to that of the Offender himself; without being acted by the leaft Mixture of Malice. And thus it is that a Parent refents and punishes Difobedience, or other Misbehaviour, in his Child; and yet retains for him at the fame Time the highest Degrees of Benevolence.

4. We may not only be angry without finning, in the Inftances alledged; as we fometimes may fin in not being angry. God,