Meditations vppon the mysteries of our holy faith with the practise of mental praier touching the same composed in Spanish by the R.F. Luys de la Puente ... ; and translated into English by F. Rich. Gibbons ...

The second Pointe.

SEcondly, I will consider the dammages and chasti∣zements of this vice; as well those it bringeth with

as those which God of his iustice addeth in this life, & in the life to come. First, anger destroieth the like∣nesse with God, whose workes are ful of greate trā∣quillitie: it disquieteth the conscience: it stoppeth the fountaine of Gods mercie; it strangleth the spirit of deuotion, and the consolations of the holy ghoste, who dwelleth, and reposeth in the humble, and meeke hearted: and flyeth from the wrathefull, in whome the euill spirite inhabiteth. For furious wrathe is a frenesye of the soule, a short madnesse, and a voluntary diuell that prossesseth the spirit with such visages, as the diuell maketh when hee possesseth the bodye

2 Besides this, as our Lorde is the God of venge∣ance hee exercizeth it with rigorous iustice against those that wrathfully reuenge themselues, by kil∣ling, or opressing their neighbours. For the which, sentence was giuen against the two first wrathfull homicides that were in the worlde, Cain, and La∣mech: that of Cain vengeance should bee taken se∣uen folde: and of Lamech that was not warned by Cain, seuenty times seuen: that is, a vengeance so compleate, that it comprehendeth all the kindes of torments that are in this life.

3 But aboue all, I will ponder what Christe our Lord, saide in his gospell against this vice: vvhoso∣euer is angry vvith his brother, shallbee in daunger of iudgement: And vvhosoeuer shall say to his brother, Raca; shallbee in daunger of a councell: and vvhosoeuer shall say, thou foole, shallbee guilty of hell fier. So that wrathe no sooner beginneth to gouerne the he∣arte, but the tribunall, and councell of the most sa∣cred trinitie beginneth to treate of vengeance; the rigour of the punishement increasing, as the sinne groweth greater. If anger remaineth but in the he∣arte, the punishement shall bee the lesser; if it issue out giuing open signes thereof, with scorne, or exte∣riour

gestures, vpon better aduise, the punishement shallbee the greater: but if it commeth to the vtte∣ring of grieuous, and iniurious wordes, and much more if it mounteth to an actuall reuenge, the sen∣tence of eternall fier is allready giuen against it: with the which in hell is ioyned the fier of wrathe itselfe, to bee a most cruell tourmentour of the soule: for that which there most tormenteth, is anger, impati∣ence, and rage. And allbeeit the fier of purgatorie, and of hell is all one, yet that is sufferable with pa∣tience, but this is insufferable with anger. And ther∣fore the wrathfull, and impatient haue two hells: one in this life by their small patience in temporall afflictions: and another afterward by their rage in the eternall. O most patient IESVS deliuer mee from vvrathe, and impatience, seeing there is no greater hell, then to liue subiected thereunto.

From these considerations, I will drawe two re∣solutions of very much importance for the perfect mortification of this vice. First, to auoide any mo∣tion of anger whatsoeuer, though it come couered with the cloke of iustice, and zeale, fearing leaste with the zeale of correcting, or chastizing other mens vices, I mingle an affection of my owne re∣uenge. The Second shallbee, speedily to represse whatsoeuer Passion of anger, before it increaseth: for at one Sparke (saieth the holy spirit) fyre is increased but in the beginning it is an easy thing to appease it: and appeased it shallbe, if I represse the wordes, and ēxteriour signes of anger, our Lord rewarding mee the mortification of that exteriour, by giuing mee victorie ouer the interiont.

Notes

• Ex D. Gre. li. 5 moral. c. 30. circa illud Iob. 5. Stultū interficit iracūdia.
• Ex D. Basil. hom. de Ira.
• Genes. 4.15. & 24
• Mat. 5.23.
• Colloquie
• Ex D. Aug. in Psalm. 149.
• Ex D. Dorothe•• serm. 8. Eccles. 11.34. Psalm. 38.2.