The truth being, that unless you keep yourselves
from the spirit of lying and of anger, and love truth and longsuffering,
you shall perish, for anger is blindness, and does not suffer one to see
the face of any man with truth, though it be a father or a mother, he
behaves towards them as enemies, though it be a brother, he knows him
not, though it be a prophet of the Lord, he disobeys him, though a
righteous man, he regards him not, though a friend, he does not
acknowledge him. For the spirit of anger encompasses him with the net of
deceit, and blinds his eyes, and through lying darkens his mind, and
gives him its own peculiar vision, wherewith he encompasses it with his
eyes, with hatred of heart, so as to be envious of his brother, for
anger is an evil thing, it troubles the soul itself and the body of the
angry man, it makes its own and over his soul it gets the mastery, and
it bestows upon the body power that it may work all iniquity and when
the body does all these things, the soul justifies what is done, since
it sees not aright.
He that is wrathful, if he be a mighty man, has a
threefold power in his anger, one by the help of his servants, and a
second by his wealth whereby he persuades and overcomes wrongfully, and
thirdly, having his own natural power he works thereby the evil and
though a wrathful man be weak, he has a power twofold of that which is
by nature, for wrath ever aids such men in lawlessness. This spirit goes
always with lying at the right hand of Satan, that with cruelty and
lying his works may be wrought, understand therefore, the power of wrath
and that it is vain. First of all it gives provocation by word, then by
deeds it strengthens him who is angry, and with sharp losses disturbs
his mind, and so stirs up with great wrath his soul. Therefore, when any
one speaks against you, be not moved to anger, and if any man praises
you as holy men, be not uplifted be not moved either to delight or to
disgust. First it pleases the hearing, and so makes the mind keen to
perceive the grounds for provocation and then being enraged, he thinks
that he is justly angry.
If you fall into any loss or
ruin, be not afflicted, for this very spirit makes a man desire that
which is perishable, in order that he may be enraged through the
affliction, so if you suffer loss voluntarily, or involuntarily, be not
vexed, for from vexation arises wrath with lying.
Part 7
God knows your limits
