December 4

“If you wish not to be of an angry temper, do not feed the habit, throw nothing on it which will increase it; at first, keep quiet, and count the days on which you have not been angry. I used to be in a passion every day; now every second day; then every third; then every fourth. But if you have intermitted thirty days, make a sacrifice to God. For the habit at first begins to be weakened, and then is completely destroyed. When you can say, ‘I have not been vexed today, nor the day before, nor yet on any succeeding day during two or three months; but I took care when some exciting things happened,’ be assured that you are in a good way.”

EPICTETUS

“The difficult part of good temper consists in forbearance, and accommodation to the ill-humour of others.”

EMPSON

“He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that rules his spirit, better than he that takes a city.”

PROVERBS 16, 32

December 3

“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man works not the righteousness of God.”

St. JAMES i, 20

“The Christian will have to remember that one of the very first duties he owes to his neighbour is the thorough subjugation of his own temper. The sins of the temper produce the worst results at once in our neighbour and in ourselves. They have a peculiar power of thwarting and injuring God’s work in the world, and of giving pain to our fellow-creatures. They hurt more than anything the right working of the body of Christ.”

“Anger is not to be suppressed but by something as inward as itself, and more habitual.”

“Resolved: - When I am most conscious of provocation to ill-nature and anger, that I will strive most to feel and act good-naturedly.”
“Resolved: - Never to suffer the least motions of anger towards irrational beings.”

JON. EDWARDS