The Government of the Thoughts, Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. Arguments to be Considered, by way of Dissuasion against Envy.
THAT Envy hurteth the Invidious most, is apparent, that there is not a greater Torment invented by the worst of Tyrants: Nothing can be more unjust to others, nor nothing more just to themselves. The Serpent's Poyson infecteth not himself; but Envy proves fatal to them that embrace it: For as the Moth eateth the Garment which breeds it; and as the Rust consumes the Iron, so Envy preys upon the Mind that entertains it. It is more Miserable that can be expressed; for it is not only afflicted with its own Misfortune, but it is disquieted at others Exhiliration: Whatever is a Pleasure to others, is but a Torment to him. Another Man's Store, is the Envious Man's Want; another Man's Health, is his Sickness; and another Man's Praises, his reputed Dishonour.
2. OTHER Sins have some Remisness, Anger will waste it self in time: Hatred may be extinguished in the end, but Envy never ceaseth: Fierce Lyons are Tamed and become Tractable, but the Envious grow worse and worse. The more Christ did good to the Jews, curing their Sick, healing their Infirm, and bestowing the words of Eternal Life upon them, the more destructively did they Envy him. It is the Canker that blasteth Friendship: The corruption of Life and plague of Nature. It is the Devil's incentive to Rebellion, who when he could not in his Malice hurt God, assailed Man: For it instigated Cain to Murder his Brother Abel; and the Jews to Crucifie the Saviour of the World.
3. BESIDES, it hath irrational Effects: It would stop up the Fountains, and vail the Sun-beams: It regardeth neither bounds of natural Civility, or Religion. Rachel Envied her Sister, Gen. 31. Jacob's Sons their Brother Joseph, Gen. 37.11. The Jews, the very Preaching and Hearing the Gospel, Acts 13.45. It is the rottenness of the Bones, Prov. 14.30. It slayeth the Silly, Job 5.2. And lastly, it excludeth from Heaven; for what should Envy lay claim to so bless'd a Habitation; where there is nothing but love and rejoicing in each other's Happiness?
4. FURTHERMORE, it is a perverse Distemper of a diseased Mind, rendring the Envious his viewing of the good of others, as it were with sore Eyes grieved with seeing. It delighteth and triumpheth in Men's Miseries: As Flies feed themselves upon others Ulcers, so the Envious propose to themselves a pleasant Entertainment by Discoursing upon others Misfortunes and Afflictions: And to set a gloss upon their Hypocrisie, they will sometimes personate the Compassionate and Merciful, and like subtil Alchymists, pretend to Extract Pity, when indeed it is only to stretch their Malice to a larger Extent, by which means it might not be acquainted with any Limitations.
5. SOMETIMES Proteus like, they will pretendedly act on the Theatre of Justice; then will they seem zealous of Laws, and due Punishment of Delinquents, when indeed they do but pervert Judgment into Wormwood, and Kill or Rob by Authority, whom they durst not Assassinate or Assault by the Sword, or open Violence. Sometimes they will assume larget pretences of Sanctity, appearing like the Devil at Endor, in the Prophet Samuel's Mantle, performing some things externally good, whereby they may atchieve some greater Evil. Even so the false Apostles Preached Christ, of meer Envy to St. Paul, that they might add more affliction to his Bonds, Phil. 1.15, 16.
6. IT is at best but a fruit of the Flesh, Gal. 5.21. Meer Folly, Tit. 3.3. Devilish, Sensual, Earthly, St. James, 3.14, 15. A dangerous Signal of a Reprobate Mind, given up to Destruction, Rom. 1.28, 29. The most that Envy can acquire towards its own Satisfaction, is to Mourn when others Rejoice, and possibly to hurt Temporally, with its own external Destruction of Body and Soul. To define it further, It is no better than the Spirit of Satan reigning in the Envious.
7. THIS Mischief sometimes craftily steals on incautious good Men: As Joshua was Envied, for Moses's sake, Num. 11.28, 29. And the Psalmist confesseth, My feet, saith he, were almost gone, for I was Envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the Wicked, Psal. 73.2, 3. The Prophet Jeremiah and Habakkuk, were a little infected with this Contagion, which the Scripture as a Monitor, admonisheth all Men to beware of that Snare, which entrapped such good Men.
8. THE acts thereof are inconsistent with right Reason, if we respect the Supream Giver of that which stimulateth Envy; for how irrational a presumption is it in Man, to controll the providence of God? If Jacob's Eyes wax dim with Age, and would not permit his dear Joseph to alter the Imposition of his Hands, or to transpose the Blessing at his pleasure, how much less will the all-seeing God, permit the Envious Man to pervert his Hands? Next we must respect the quality of the Envied; Is he Evil whom thou Enviest? Then thy Compassion is summon'd to pity him, because his Sin represents him more Wretched than all the World can do. Is he Good? How guilty then must thou be in Envying his Felicity?