The portraiture of the image of God in man: In his three estates, of creation. Restauration. Glorification. Digested into two parts. The first containing, the image of God both in the body and soule of man, and immortality of both: with a description of the severall members of the body, and the two principall faculties of the soule, the understanding and the will; in which consisteth his knowledge, and liberty of his will. The second containing, the passions of man in the concupiscible and irascible part of the soule: his dominion ouer the creatures; also a description of his active and contemplative life; with his conjunct or married estate. Whereunto is annexed an explication of sundry naturall and morall observations for the clearing of divers Scriptures. All set downe by way of collation, and cleared by sundry distinctions, both out of the schoolemen, and moderne writers. The third edition, corrected and enlarged. By I. Weemse, of Lathocker in Scotland, preacher of Christs Gospel.

The remedies to cure the passion of anger.

That we may settle this passion of anger; First, we are to consider the persons of these whom we have offen∣ded: we must give place to wrath, and not intempestivè incendium extinguere, not to quench the fire unseasona∣bly, for then we rather increase the anger, when we goe about in time of griefe to pacifie them. So Iacob gave place to the anger of his brother Esau for a while, by the counsell of Rebecca. Seneca saith, Primam iram non audebimus oratione mulcere, surda est & timens, dabimus illi spacium, remedia in remissionibus morborum prosunt: that is, We goe not about to pacifie anger in the heate of it, wee give it leasure first to settle, wee cure not feavers in their height, but when they begin to remit.

Secondly, when others have offended us; that wee may quench our anger: First, Bee angry but sinne not, Ephes. 4.25. Anger and sinne are not two twins, yet they are very like other; as flattery is very like to friendship, and can be very hardly distinguished from it; for men oftentimes thinke themselves to bee angry for Gods cause, when as it is their owne particular that mooves them. The disciples called for fire from heaven upon the Samaritans, Luk. 9.54. one would have thought this to have beene holy anger and zeale that moved them for Gods glory, when as it was their own particular which moved them: so when the high Priest rent his cloathes Mat. 26.65. We must learne then to distinguish these two, else our anger will be but sinfull anger.

Thirdly, Let not the Sun goe downe upon thy wrath: Anger saith Salomon, Eccles. 7.9. rests in the bosome of fooles; it goeth to bed with them, riseth with them, continueth with them, and goeth oftentimes to the grave with them; the first day it may be easily cured; the second day more hardly; but the third day most hardly: A threefold cord cannot easily bee broken, Eccles. 4.12.

Fourthly, Let reason rule thine anger, and command it; we ride not first, and then bridle our horse, but first we bridle our horse and then ride: bee not first angry and then thinke to bridle thy anger with reason, for then thou wil deceive thy selfe; but let reason first rule, and then be angry.

Fiftly, Remember that thy prayers cannot bee heard unlesse thou be first reconciled to thy neighbour, Mat. 5 24. Leave thy gift at the Altar, and be reconciled to him. So, 1 Tim. 2.4. the Apostle willeth, that men lift up holy hands without wrath. So, 1 Pet. 3.7. the man and the wife must not jarre, that their prayers be not hin∣dred; so thou canst not heare the word with profit in an∣ger. Therefore the Apostle willeth us like new borne babes to drinke in the Word, 1 Pet. 2.2. so, wee cannot eat our passeover unlesse the leaven of malice and envy be cast out, 1 Cor. 5.8. Let us not celebrate the feast with the old leaven of malice.

Sixtly, remember Christs example; who when hee was reviled, reviled not againe, Mark 15.32. learne to spread thy injuries before the Lord as Ezekias did when Rabshekah railed against him, 2 King. 19.14.

Seventhly, Behold oftentimes the passion of Christ, and that will quench thine anger. The Israelites when they were stung with fiery serpents, Numb. 21. so soone as they lookt upon the brazen serpent, they were healed; so when wee are injured and wronged by our

enemies, if we behold the passion of Christ with faith, it will quench the sting of our enemies anger.

Anger hath nothing opposite to it, as the rest of the passions have, because it riseth of a present evill which we cannot shun. If it be present and wee may shun it, then there needes not a contrary passion. When the evill is not present, and joyned with difficulty if we may surmount it, then ariseth courage; if we cannot surmount it, then ariseth the contrary passion feare. If the evill be present and joyned with difficulty, then ariseth an∣ger, because we cannot shun it; for if we can shun it, there can be no passion there.

Object. But mildnesse seemeth contrary to anger.

Answ. Mildnesse is not a passion but a vertue which moderates it, and is not contrary to it.

So much of the image of God in man; in his know∣ledge, will and affections, wherein especially the image of God consists. Wee come to his outward image of God, which is his dominion over the crea∣tures.