[Satan was once an angel of light, as happy as any that are now before the throne : but he kept not his first estate : he sinned; and thereby brought upon himself the wrath of Almighty God. It pleased God afterwards to form another order of beings, who were designed to fill up, as it were, the seats from which the fallen spirits had been driven. But this envious spirit strove to turn them from their allegiance. He knew well enough that he could not thereby mitigate his own misery : but he could not endure to see others happy, whilst he himself was miserable : yea, he was willing even to aug- ment his own guilt and misery, provided he might destroy the happiness of man. With the same view he afterwards strove to set God against his servant Job, in order that he might deprive that holy man of his integrity and bliss. In this mirror let the envious man behold himself, and he will discern every lineament of his own hateful image. Well did Jesus say of such persons, " Ye are of your father, the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will doe."]
By way of improving the subject, let us inquire,
1. Whence it is that persons are so unconscious of this principle within them ?
[It is not surely, because they have not this principle in their hearts ; for, " Hath the Scripture said in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envyf?" No : all are more or less actuated by it, till it has been conquered by divine grace. But it is confessedly a mean principle, and therefore men are averse to acknowledge its existence in them. It is also a principle easily concealed by specious coverings. Its effects are ascribed to just indignation against sin ; and the most eminent virtues of a person are blackened by the most oppro- brious names, in order to justify the resentment which it excites in the bosom. Other strong passions, as lust and anger, are more determinate in their actings, and therefore less capable of being hid from our own view ; but envy, like avarice, is of so doubtful a character, and admits of so many plausible excuses, that those who are most subject to it are unconscious of its existence and operation within them.]
2. How it may be discerned?
[Envy is not excited, except where the advancement or happiness of another appears within our own reach. To dis- cern its workings therefore, we must watch the actings of our mind towards persons wdiose situation and circumstances nearly accord with our own. The principle is then most strongly operative, when there is a degree of rivalry or competition
e John viii. 44. f Jam. iv. 5.