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  • When Praying the Father, You are Not to Be Angry with a Brother.
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    Chapter XI.—When Praying the Father, You are Not to Be Angry with a Brother.

    That we may not be as far from the ears of God as we are from His precepts,8826

    8826 Oehler divides these two chapters as above. The generally adopted division unites this sentence to the preceding chapter, and begins the new chapter with, “The memory of His precepts;” and perhaps this is the preferable division.

    the memory of His precepts paves for our prayers a way unto heaven; of which precepts the chief is, that we go not up unto God’s altar8827

    8827 altare. [Heb. xiii. 10.]

    before we compose whatever of discord or offence we have contracted with our brethren.8828

    8828 Matt. v. 22, 23.

    For what sort of deed is it to approach the peace of God8829

    8829 Perhaps there may be an allusion to Phil. iv. 6, 7.

    without peace? the remission of debts8830

    8830 See chap. vii. above, and compare Matt. vi. 14, 15.

    while you retain them? How will he appease his Father who is angry with his brother, when from the beginning “all anger” is forbidden us?8831

    8831 “Ab initio” probably refers to the book of Genesis, the initium, or beginning of Scripture, to which he is about to refer. But see likewise Eph. iv. 31, Matt. v. 21, 22.  [Gen. iv. 6, 7.]

    For even Joseph, when dismissing his brethren for the purpose of fetching their father, said, “And be not angry in the way.”8832

    8832 Gen. xlv. 24: so the LXX.

    He warned us, to be sure, at that time (for elsewhere our Discipline is called “the Way”8833

    8833 See Acts ix. 2; xix. 9, 23, in the Greek.

    ), that when, set in “the way” of prayer, we go not unto “the Father” with anger. After that, the Lord, “amplifying the Law,”8834

    8834 See Matt. v. 17.

    openly adds the prohibition of anger against a brother to that of murder.8835

    8835 Matt. v. 21, 22.

    Not even by an evil word does He permit it to be vented.8836

    8836 Matt. v. 21, 22; 1 Pet. iii. 9, etc.

    Ever if we must be angry, our anger must not be maintained beyond sunset, as the apostle admonishes.8837

    8837 Eph. iv. 26.

    But how rash is it either to pass a day without prayer, while you refuse to make satisfaction to your brother; or else, by perseverance in anger, to lose your prayer?

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