ANGER.
O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.—Psalm vi. 1.
A wrathful man stirreth up strife; but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.—Proverbs, xv. 18.
Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.—Ecclesiastes, vii. 9.
Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath.—Ephesians, iv. 26.
The anger of the Lord? Oh, dreadful thought!
How can a creature frail as man endure
The tempest of His wrath? Ah, whither flee
To ’scape the punishment he well deserves?
Flee to the cross! the great atonement there
Will shield the sinner, if he supplicate
For pardon with repentance true and deep,
And faith that questions not. Then will the frown
Of anger pass from off the face of God,
Like a black tempest-cloud that hides the sun.
Anon.
The golden sun is going down,
Or melting in the west away:
Where are the clouds that seem’d to frown
So darkly on the rising day?
Molten is every gloomy fold,
In yonder sea of liquid gold.
The winds, at morn so rude and hoarse,
Make music for an angel’s ear;
The sun, beclouded in his course,
Beholds the heavens, at evening, clear,
And now doth with the tempest’s wreck
His glorious pavilion deck.
Lord, sure thy countenance is here;
Thy spirit all the vale informs:
Whatever, in this inward sphere,
Remains to tell of angry storms,
Oh! let it melt away, and leave
No cloud to darken life’s calm eve!
Joseph Gostick.
Angry words are likely spoken
In a rash and thoughtless hour;
Brightest links of life are broken,
By their deep insidious power.
Hearts inspired by warmest feeling,
Ne’er before by anger stirred,
Oft are rent past human healing,
By a single angry word.
Poison drops of care and sorrow,
Bitter poison drops are they,
Weaving for the coming morrow,
Saddest memories of to-day.
Angry words! oh, let them never
From thy tongue unbridled slip;
May the heart’s best impulse ever,
Check them ere they soil the lip.
Love is much too pure and holy,
Friendship is too sacred far,
For a moment’s reckless folly
Thus to desolate and mar.
Angry words are lightly spoken;
Bitterest thoughts are rashly stirred;
Brightest links of life are broken,
By a single angry word.
J. Middleton.
Angry looks can do no good,
And blows are dealt in blindness,
Words are better understood,
If spoken but in kindness.
Simple love far more hath wrought,
Although by childhood muttered,
Then all the battles ever fought,
Or oaths that men have uttered.
Foolish things are frowns and sneers,
Angry thoughts revealing;
Better far to drown in tears,
Harsh and angry feeling.
J. Burbridge.