Of peace and contentment of minde. By Peter Du Moulin the sonne. D.D.

CHAP. XIII. Of Envy.

HEre is one more of the Daughters of Pride, and therefore a grandchild of Ignorance and Selfe love. She is much like Hatred her elder Sister. In this they differ, that Hatred is bent a∣gainst the evill; and Envy, against the good. But to shew herselfe descended from Ignorance, she mistakes the false goods for the true; For no man will envy the Christian vertues of his neigh∣bours, nor the riches of his minde, but the goods of fortune w^ch often deserve rather to be called evils. Let a man grow in learning & holinesse, let him be a Saint upon earth, let him have Seraphi∣call raptures no man will envy him for it, but let

him once get favour at Court, let his degree and his rents be augmented, presently the arrowes of envy will be shot at him on all sides. Indeed great Oratours, great Warriours, and men emi∣nent in civill prudence are much envied by idle droanes; but if you looke to the ground of that envy, it is not the vertue and capacity of those brave men that begets it, but the fame and cre∣dit which they get thereby. Think not that Sa∣tan envieth God because he is good & wise, if he did he would endeavour to be so: He envieth God because he is Almighty, and because he is wor∣shiped by men and Angels, whereas himselfe would have all power in heaven and earth, and every knee to bow unto him. It is not vertue but the reward of vertue, that moveth envy. If it were in an envious mans power to distribute all the wealth, spirituall and temporall which is among men, he would not dispute to his enemies the possession of all the vertues, but he would keepe to himselfe all the rewards.

This is the cause of that disposition. When an envious man seeth others enjoy wealth, he fear∣eth there will not be enough left for him. But as for Vertue, he is sure that the plenty of it with others, will not hinder his owne possession of the like; So he doth not envy it. For nothing moveth envy but such things as have moved cu∣pidity before: Cupidity is for light & glittering stuffe, and envy keepes pace with cupidity.

Vertue is a substance too dark and solid for their turne. Learne we then to store ourselves with those goods, which provoke no envy, and which we may possesse, no body being the poorer by our riches.

Envy is a great enemy to tranquillity of the suol. It is the rottenness of the bones saith Solomon, Prov. 14.30. which is a pregnant character of a passing malignant and corroding passion. It hath two unnaturall effects, The one that an envious man is afflicted with the prosperity of others, the other that he punisheth himselfe.

The first effect is particular to Envy, and here∣in it doth not enter commons with any other Pas∣sion. The envious man is sick, because his neigh∣bour is well. He groweth leane, because another growes fat; he thinkes that he loseth all that another gets, and makes of his neighbours pros∣perity his adversity. He is directly opposite to Christian sympathy and the commandement of the Apostle, Rom. 12.15. Rejoyce with them that re∣joyce, and weepe with them that weepe, for he is weep∣ing with them that rejoyce, and rejoycing with them that weepe. Whereas the Apostle saith, that Charity is not envious, 1. Cor. 13.4. wee may invert the termes, and say that Enuy is not charitable: yea, of all vices it is most incompatible with charity. Envious men are the onely kind of men, to whom without forme of justice & without breach of cha∣rity wee may doe harme, since to doe them harme

wee need but doe good to their neighbours.

But it is needlesse to doe harme to an envious man, or wish him more harme then he doth to himselfe, vexing his mind and drying up his body by a continuall and just punishment. This is wise∣ly exprest in the CXII Psalme, where after the promise made to the just that his righteousnes endu∣reth for ever, and his horne shall be exalted with honoùr, the text addeth. The wicked shall see it and be grie∣ved, he shall gnash with his teeth, the desire of the wick∣ed shall perish. And it is very probable that in the outward darknes where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth, that burning fire and that gnaw∣ing and never-dying worme is Envy, biting the damned to the quick, while they are thinking of the glory and felicity of God, and how the Saints whom they have despised & opprest in the world are filled with joy and crowned with glory, while themselves are infamous and miserable. That comparison is a maine article of their misery,

The envious man cannot suffer as much as he deserveth, since he sets himselfe against God and all that God loveth, controuling His distribution of his goods. He that is grieved at the good he seeth, deserveth never to have any good, & it were pitty he should have any, if he can get no good but by his neighbours harme.

Besides the causes of envy which I observed before, there are two more that are great contri∣butours to that wicked vice. The one is want of

faith; for a man becomes envious because he be∣leeveth not that God hath enough in his store to doe good to him and others, or that God doth wisely to give him superiours or equals. Which unbelecfe makes him to murmure and fall out with God. Matth. 20.15. His eye is evill, because God is good.

The other cause is Idleness. It makes men envi∣ous, but it makes them poore before; for when they are growne poore through idlenes they look upon the wealth of their neighbours with envy. The soul of the sluggard desireth and hath nothing and the thing he desireth is his neighbours estate, w^ch he lookes upon with an evill eye. Hence warres, robberies, and piracies. For while diligent men grow rich by their industry, idle and envious men study onely to have strength on their side to rob the industrious, or at least to put a stop to their in∣crease.

This search of the causes of envy opens us the way to the remedies. Since all disorder in the appetite begins by errour in the understanding, wee must before all things heale our understand∣ing of that errour and ignorance which occasions envy, even that false opinion that the wealth and honour of the world make a man happy; whereas they are instruments of wickednes and misery unto weake souls; and to the strong, hinderances and seeds of care. They are the ropes wherewith Satan drawes men into perdition; For one that

useth them well, a thousand are corrupted and undone by them. And who would envy slaves and miserable persons?

Then wee must beate downe pride and the excessive love of ourselves, with the study of hu∣mility charity, and meekenes. Let nothing be done through strife or vaine glory, but in lowlines of mind let each esteeme other better then themselves. Looke not every man on his owne things, but every man also to the things of others, Phil. 2.3. If once wee can get an humble opinion of ourselves, and a charitable opinion of our neighbours, wee shall not be vex∣ed with envy seeing their prosperity, for we shall think that they deserve it better then we. In stead of an envious comparing of our neigh∣bours estates with ours, let us compare what we have received of God, with what wee de∣serve of him, and that will quell our pride and envy.

An especiall care must be taken to cut our de∣sire short, which is the next cause of envy. He that desireth little shall envy no body; For so little as he needs, he would not strip another to cloath himselfe.

If sometimes the luster of worldly advan∣cements dazle our eyes and breed in us some motions of envy, let us consider what those ad∣vancements cost them that have attained them, how much time, money, and labour they have spent, how many doors of great persons they be∣sieged,

how many frownes from their superi∣ours, how many justlings from their emulatours: Then, how many temptations, how many shifts were they put to, even to disguising of truth and wresting of justice. Let us think well whether we would have bought preferment at that rate, and that if we have it not, we did not spend for it what others did. We have not broken our sleep with cares, we have not bin many yeares totte∣ring betweene feare and hope: We have given no thankes for affronts. We have not courted a porter and a groome. We have not purchased with gifts a Clarkes favour. We have not turn∣ed the whole bent of our mind from the service of God to the service of the world. In a word if we have not the wares, we have not payd our money for it. And if we would not have spent so much about that advancement, we have no reason to envy them that have bought it so deare

The chiefe remedy against that fretting dis∣ease is, faith in the power goodnesse and wise∣dome of God, with an entire submission to his holy will. Why should we afflict ourselves for Gods gifts to others? Rom. 10.12. The same Lord over all, is rich unto all that call upon him. He hath enough to enrich us all. Let us not looke what he gives to others, but let us humbly aske him that which he knowes to bee fit for us, and thankfully receive what he giveth us, being

sure that all that he gives is good because it comes from his good hand. If we can truly say, with Davids faith, The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance, Psal. 16.5. how can we after that looke upon our neighbours portion with envy.

It is also an antidote against envy to be al∣wayes; well imployed for idlenesse makes a man to leave his busines to looke upon his neighbours worke, and doing nothing controule them that do well.

As for the envy which others beare to us, we have reason to rejoyce that our condition is such as deserves envy, at least in the opinion of others: It is true we must not referre ourselves to the opinion of others, but to our own selfe about the happinesse or unhappinesse of our condition; but because we are not sensible as we ought of Gods benefits towards us, and many times complaine when we should praise God, our neighbours en∣vy serveth to awake our sense of Gods mercies, and to move us to thankfullnesse.