CHAP. VIII.
Of Envy and Sloth, with their Descrip∣tion and Cure.
I. THE Envious man is not only the first, but the greatest Plague to himself, He preys upon his own Bowels, before he meddles with his Neighbours Goods; and it is not in this, as in other Vices, where the Punishment follows the Sin, for here it goes before it, and yet keeps it company too, for they go hand in hand together. A Diabolical Affection! That another mans Happiness must be my Tor∣ment; and that which makes him fat, must make me lean. In other sins, we find only an opposition to this or that particular Ver∣tue: But Envy perverts the very nature of things, and professes open Enmity to all Goodness. First, to God himself, whose Nature it is (humanely speaking) to com∣municate all his Mercies and Blessings. Next, to the Saints and Angels, who re∣joyce in the Comforts of their Companions, as if they were their own. Thirdly, to Christian Charity, which bids us do good even to our Enemies. And lastly, to the Page 49 Law of Nature, which commands us to wish other people as happy as our selves. Envy is a kind of blear-ey'd Affection, it can∣not endure to look against the Light.
II. Satan indeed is envious, but it is a∣gainst Men, not his Fellow-Devils: Where∣as in our Envy, (worse than the Devils themselves) we fall foul one upon another: A sign of a mean and abject mind; for we envy nothing but what we think above us. He that would deliver himself from this Di∣stemper, must take his heart off from this transitory World, and fix it upon a better. The love of Eternity is the death of Envy. He that has set his heart upon Heaven, can ne∣ver envy any mans Enjoyments upon Earth. It were as if a Prince should envy a Cobler. He reckons the World, and all the Glories of it, not worth a serious thought. We have enough to do (a man would think) to strug∣gle with our own Afflictions, without vexing our selves at the prosperity of o∣thers. No man shall ever be Happy, so long as the sight of a Happier man than him∣self can make him miserable. If by envying the Wealth, the Abilities, the Dignity of our Neighbours, we could transfer all to our selves, it were something: But this is never to be done by Envy; by Love, in some measure, it may: For by loving what's good in another, we make it our own.
Page 59III. We may couple Envy and Sloth to∣gether; for they both agree in an abject Heaviness of Mind. The Envious mans Trouble is to see any body else happy; and the Slothful mans, to despair of being so himself: And none but pitiful Wretches are subject to either of these Passions. Sloth is the Vice of a languishing Spirit, that's wea∣ry of every thing that's good; and for fear of blocks and difficulties in the way, shrinks at the very thought of any Generous Enter∣prize. It will, and it will not. The Slug∣gard is various and unconstant; a burthen to himself, a trouble to others: He's perpe∣tually wishing himself out of the World, weary of his Life, and the Contriver of his own Misfortunes. He's like a Top, in con∣tinual Agitation; the Whip drives him a∣bout, but 'tis only round, not forward. He stops still at half-way, and goes through with nothing. All his Works are insipid, and (like warm Water) a Vomit both to God and man. This stupid Drowsiness must be shak'd off, and a generous Resolu∣tion taken up in the place of it, or we are undone for ever. As the Bird is made to fly, so is Man born to labour: And since Labour and Travel are our Portion, why should we not rather take pains to be happy, than to be miserable? Let us be never so lazy to Godward, the World will yet find us work enough to do. One man labours for Page 51 an Estate, another for a Title, or an Office; when half that trouble and diligence would secure us a blessed Eternity, and no body looks after it: But Vices and Vanities come to a better Market: The greater is our shame, to be so dull and careless in a mat∣ter of that Importance, as not to endure the Labour of one Moment, for an Eter∣nal Reward. There is nothing so hard, but Courage, with Gods Blessing, may o∣vercome. We fancy Difficulties, where there are none. Whatever the Mind im∣poses upon it self, it obtains. He that does what he can, does as much as he needs to do. God helps the willing.
