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If a man be acute, and dexterous, and successful in his business,
he gets the ill-will of his neighbours.
What little comfort wise and useful men must expect to have in this world.
Let them behave themselves ever so cautiously, they cannot escape being envied; and who can stand before envy?
Those that excel in virtue will always be an eye-sore to those that exceed in vice, which should not discourage us from any
right work, but drive us to expect the praise of it, not from men, but from God, and not to count upon satisfaction and happiness
in the creature; for, if right works prove vanity and vexation of spirit, no works under the sun can
prove otherwise. But for every right work a man shall be accepted of his God, and then he needs not mind though he
be envied of his neighbour, only it may make him love the world the less. Though he takes a great deal of pains,
and goes through all travail, does not get his estate easily, but it costs him a great deal of hard labour, nor does
he get it dishonestly, he wrongs no man, defrauds no man, but by every right work, by applying himself to his own proper
business, and managing it by all the rules of equity and fair dealing, yet for this he is envied of his neighbour,
and the more for the reputation he has got by his honesty
Ecclesiastes 4:4 Again, I considered all travail, and every right
work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit. (What little conscience
most men have, that they will bear a grudge to a neighbour, give him an ill word and do him an ill turn, only because he is
more ingenious and industrious than themselves, and has more of the blessing of heaven. Cain envied Abel, Esau Jacob, and
Saul David, and all for their right works. This is downright diabolism.)
Proverbs 6:34 For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore
he will not spare in the day of vengeance. ("When discovered, thou hadst better meet a bear robbed of her whelps than
the injured husband, who, in the case of adultery, will be as severe an avenger of his own honour as, in the case of manslaughter,
of his brother's blood. If thou art not afraid of the wrath of God, yet be afraid of the rage of a man. Such jealousy
is; it is strong as death and cruel as the grave. In the day of vengeance, when the adulterer comes to
be tried for his life, the prosecutor will not spare any pains or cost in the prosecution, will not relent towards thee, as
he would perhaps towards one that had robbed him. He will not accept of any commutation, any composition; he will not regard
any ransom. Though thou offer to bribe him, and give him many gifts to pacify him, he will not rest content
with any thing less than the execution of the law. Thou must be stoned to death. If a man would give all the substance
of his house, it would atone for a theft, but not for adultery; in that case it would utterly be contemned. Stand in
awe therefore, and sin not; expose not thyself to all this misery for a moment's sordid pleasure, which will be bitterness
in the end."
Proverbs 27:3-4 3 A stone is heavy,
and the sand weighty; but a fool's wrath is heavier than them both. 4 Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous;
but who is able to stand before envy? (These two verses show the intolerable mischief, 1. Of ungoverned passion. The
wrath of a fool, who when he is provoked cares not what he says and does, is more grievous than a great stone or a load of
sand. It lies heavily upon himself. Those who have no command of their passions do themselves even sink under the load of
them. The wrath of a fool lies heavily upon those he is enraged at, to whom, in his fury, he will be in danger of doing some
mischief. It is therefore our wisdom not to give provocation to a fool, but, if he be in a passion, to get out of his way.
2. Of rooted malice, which is as much worse than the former as coals of juniper are worse than a fire of thorns. Wrath
(it is true) is cruel, and does many a barbarous thing, and anger is outrageous; but a secret enmity at the
person of another, an envy at his prosperity, and a desire of revenge for some injury or affront, are much more mischievous.
One may avoid a sudden heat, as David escaped Saul's javelin, but when it grows, as Saul's did, to a settled envy, there is
no standing before it; it will pursue; it will overtake. He that grieves at the good of another will be still contriving
to do him hurt, and will keep his anger for ever.)
Romans 13:13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting
and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. (Rioting and drunkenness must
be cast off: one would think it should follows, but, "Put on sobriety, temperance, chastity," the opposite virtues: no, "Put
on Christ, this includes all. Put on the righteousness of Christ for justification; be found in him as a man is found
in his clothes; put on the priestly garments of the elder brother, that in them you may obtain the blessing. Put on the spirit
and grace of Christ for sanctification; put on the new man; get the habit of grace confirmed, the acts of it quickened."
Jesus Christ is the best clothing for Christians to adorn themselves with, to arm themselves with; it is decent, distinguishing,
dignifying, and defending. Without Christ, we are naked, deformed; all other things are filthy rages, fig-leaves, a sorry
shelter. God has provided us coats of skins--large, strong, warm, and durable. By baptism we have in profession put on Christ.
Let us do it in truth and sincerity. The Lord Jesus Christ. "Put him on as Lord to rule you, as Jesus to save you,
and in both as Christ, anointed and appointed by the Father to this ruling saving work.")
Song of Solom 8:6 Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon
thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a
most vehement flame. ( "Let me have a place in thy heart, an interest in thy love." This is that which all those desire
above any thing that know how much their happiness is bound up in the love of Christ. )
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