not but be stirred at times by
wrath and impatience, especially when it receives evil for good; and
the devil is ever at hand kindling your anger and endeavoring to fan
into a blaze the wrath and ill humor between yourself and your
neighbor.

24. But right here, says the apostle, you should beware and not sin;
not give rein, nor yield to the impulse and promptings of wrath. That
you may indeed be moved, the apostle would say, I well know, and you
may fancy to have the best of reasons for exhibiting anger and
vengeance; but beware of doing what your wrath would have you do: and
if overcome by wrath and led to rashness, do not continue in it, do
not harbor it, but subdue and restrain it, the sooner the better; do
not suffer it to take root or to remain with you over night.

25. If followed, wrath will not suffer you to do a single right
thing, as James affirms (ch. 1, 20). It causes man to fall and sin
against God and his neighbor. Even the heathen have seen that wrath
gets the better of reason and is never the source of good counsel. In
line with this, we read that St. Ambrose reproved the emperor
Theodosius for having, while in a rage, caused the execution of many
persons in Thessalonica; and that he succeeded in having the emperor
issue a rescript to the effect that no one should be executed, even
on his imperial order and command, until a full month had passed by,
thus affording an opportunity to rescind the order if given in haste
and wrath.

26. Therefore the Psalm says: When wrath attacks and moves you, do
not at once give it leave to do its will. Therein you would certainly
commit sin. But go into your chamber, commune and take counsel with
yourself, pray the Lord's Prayer, repeat some good passages from
God's Word, curb yourself and confide in God; he will uphold your
rights.

27. It is this the apostle has in mind when saying: "Let not the sun
go down upon your wrath." A Christian must not entertain wrath; he
should instantly quench and stifle it. It is the part of the new man
to control anger, that the devil may not move him from his new-found
faith and make him lose what he has received. If he yields to these
instigations of his flesh, he thereby returns to the error and
condemnation in the old man and loses control of himself, following
his own desires. Then he adorns a lie with the appearance of truth,
claiming the right to be angry and take revenge; just as the world
does when it asserts: This fellow