rather fear than covet : and, at best, they are only talents, of which he must soon give an awful account to God. If there- fore we are sensible how little improvement we have made of the talents already committed to us, we shall see at once how little reason we have to envy others their increased responsibility.]
2. It is extremely injurious both to ourselves and others —
[Nothing can be more destructive of a person's own hap- piness than to yield to this hateful passion. It causes him to derive pain from those things which ought to afford him pleasure ; and to have his enmity augmented by those very qualities which ought rather to conciliate his regard. It is justly declared to be " the rottenness of the bones c." It corrodes our inmost souls, so that we can enjoy no comfort whatever, while we are under its malignant influence. And there is nothing so spiteful, nothing so murderous, which we shall not both devise and execute, when we are subject to its power d. Behold Cain, when envying Abel the testimonies of God's approbation : behold Saul, when he heard David cele- brated as a greater warrior than himself: how downcast their looks ! what wrathful and vindictive purposes did they form ! how were they changed into incarnate fiends! Thus it was also with Joseph's brethren, who could be satisfied with no- thing but the utter destruction of the envied object.]
3. It renders us as unlike to God as possible —
[See how our God and Saviour acted towards us in our fallen state : instead of rejoicing in our misery, he sought to redeem us from it, and sacrificed his own happiness and glory to re-establish us in the state from which we had fallen. What a contrast to this does the envious person exhibit ! He repines at the happiness of others, whilst God is grieved at their misery: he seeks the destruction of others, whilst God labours for their welfare : he breaks through every restraint to effect their ruin, though with the loss of his own soul; whilst God takes upon him all the pains of hell, in order to exalt us to the blessedness of heaven. He is thus hostile to those who have never injured him, whilst God loads with his benefits those who have lived in a constant scene of rebellion against him. What can set the passion of envy in a more hateful light than this?]
4. It transforms us into the very image of the devil —
c Prov. xiv. 30. (1 Jam. iii. 16.