Romans 12:19-21 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place to wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay… I. THE REVENGEFUL MAN IS OVERCOME BY VARIOUS EVILS, 1. By his passions, which subdue his reason. He becomes the author of slavery to himself, and is his own tyrant. 2. An angry man is not only enslaved by his passions, but he is frequently overcome by his adversary. Fury and rage generally defeat their own designs, by taking men wholly off their guard, and leaving them open to the attacks of their more wary opponents. 3. A revengeful passionate man is in danger of being overcome in a yet worse sense; he is in danger of being hurried into such crimes as will not only affect his peace and reputation at present, but will hazard his eternal happiness hereafter. II. SOME CONSIDERATIONS TO ENABLE MEN TO SUBDUE A REVENGEFUL TEMPER, AND TO PREVENT THE ILL EFFECTS OF IT. 1. He who finds himself naturally addicted to passion ought to guard perpetually against the first tendencies to resentment in his mind. 2. It will probably be of use to the persons for whose service this discourse is intended, to let them know the opinion of wise men concerning this spirit of revenge. And, in their sense, it is owing to a littleness of mind, while they who have studied human nature have observed that men of the weakest capacities are generally most liable to it. This is the concurring opinion both of ancient poets and philosophers; and hence it was, no doubt, that a great man observed, "that the vulgar wrote their injuries on marble, but their benefits on sand." It was also finely said by Cicero, that "Caesar forgot nothing but injuries"; and a distinguished person among the moderns, when his memory was appealed to for the support of an invidious story, replied, "he remembered to forget it." III. LET ME ENDEAVOUR TO EXHORT YOU TO STUDY AND BE RECONCILED TO YOUR OWN TRUE INTEREST. 1. Whenever you meet with anything shocking in the common behaviour of life, whenever you are alarmed by unpremeditated offences, remember your own frailties, remember your God, infinitely indulging to these frailties; and from these motives be forbearing, forgiving to others. 2. Happy is the man who can attain to this mastery of morality, and gain that command of passion and superiority of judgment which is necessary to carry him on sweetly through all the ruffles of human life. The possessor of such a temper may be said to have in him the virtue of the load-stone, he wins the affections of others to himself, draws them insensibly to his own point, and leads them, by degrees, into the same good-natured disposition he enjoys. 3. This amiable temper does not only conciliate the goodwill and esteem of men towards us, but peculiarly entitles us to the praise of being formed after the image of God. (J. Smedley, M.A.) Parallel Verses KJV: Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. |
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