The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-09-13

murderers as He hung upon the cross.
And good Stephen, of whom you read in
the seventh chapter of the Acts, said,
when his enemies were stoning him to
death, Lord, lay not this sin to their
charge" Neither In Christ's heart, nor
in Stephens, was there any hatred to-
ward these cruel men, nor desire for re-
venge, though they condemned out-and-
out their wickedness.
(2) All anger is sinful which is cause
less-that is, unnecessary.
If you go into barnyard and wave a
red cloth before bull, he gets fercely
mad, and will rush upon you if he can.
Drag the same cloth along the floor
where little kitten happens to be, and
instead of getting angry like the bull, it
finds great fun in it, and pounces upon it
with delight.
AS much difference do we see in some
people over the same thing.
A word or an act which one turns off
in good humor, kitten-ike, another gets
mad and furious over, like the big, coarse
bull
Please read again what Christ says in
Matthew v: %, Whosoever shall be
angry with his brother, without cause,
shall be in danger of the judgment.
Is; Anger kept up too long is sinful.
Mary" said pious little boy to his
sister, who was one day in great pas
sion; Mary, look at the sun, it will soon
go down ; it will be out of sight. 1t is
going-it is gone! Let not the sun go
down upon your wrath" That is what
st. Paul says after the text.
Now let me give you some short and
simple rules for governing anger, so as
not to commit sin.
Two persons, husband and wife, were
both very passionate naturally.
Like match touching powder, one
word was enough to flash them into an
ger; yet by-and-by they came to live to-
gether very happily and peaceably, and
how? Because they made and kept this
simple rule, Never to be both angry at
the same time"
That is the first rule.
Second rule-Don't speak for while
when you are angry Julius Caesar, the
famous Roman General, was wont to re-
peat to himself the al habet before he
would open his lips when he felt passion
rising, and by that time it had either
passed away altogether or had greatly
moderated. If you speak when in a
strong passion you are sure to say too
much, or to put it too strongly and Sc
verely.
Third rule-Keep your health good, if
possible.
Ifyou are bilious, or if your stomach
is out of order, if you have lost sleep at
late parties, or by reading novels, &C.,
your nerves become unstrung, and you
are irritable, and then the merest trife
senough to make you fly into passion.
Mind your health, then, if you would
keep free from sinful anger
The fourth rule is a very important
one-prayer and effort.
Not prayer without effort, or effort
without prayer, but both together, and
both kept up. A little boy was born
with the very worst of tempers. From
babyhood he was noted for his dreadful
fits of passion.
Every one in the house tried to avoid
offending him, but in spite of all they
could do storm of rage would come
over him, and he would say and do des-
perate things.
But one day he heard some people
talking about being like Jesus, and fol-
lowing Jesus, and he was seized with a
strong desire to have the great God for
his Father, and Jesus for his friend, and
the Holy Spirit in his heart instead of
those stormy passions and evil feelings.
And so he went to Jesus in earnest pray
er and asked help, and then, day after
day, he strove against his own temper,
and by-and-by he succeeded.
The struggle was long and severe, but
he gained the victory after while and
he who was born with such a passionate
nature became, through prayer and eff
tort, one of the most agreeable of men.
But since all of us have in the past,
and all of us do commit sin through an
GER let us every day confess this our sin
to God, and seek to sin no more in this
particular way.
Be ye angry, and sin not. - Christian
Treasure.