rather fear than covet: and, at best, they are only talents, of which he must soon give an awful account to God. If therefore 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 happiness 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." 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 powerd. Behold Cain, when envying Abel the testimonies of God's approbation: behold Saul, when he heard David celebrated 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 nothing 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

[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 augment 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 do."]

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 envy f?" 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 opprobrious 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 discern its workings therefore, we must watch the actings of our mind towards persons whose situation and circumstances nearly accord with our own. The principle is then most strongly operative, when there is a degree of rivalry or competition f Jam. iv. 5.

e John viii. 44.

existing. People do not like to be excelled in that line wherein they themselves affect distinction. The female that courts admiration, the tradesman that values himself upon the superiority of his goods, the scholar that is a candidate for fame, the statesman that is ambitious of honour, must consider how he feels, when he sees himself outstripped in his course; whether he would not be glad to hear that his successful competitor had failed in his expectations; whether his ear is not open to any thing that may reduce his rival to a level with himself; whether, in short, the fine coat and promised elevation of Joseph do not grieve him? Let persons be attentive to the motions of their hearts on such occasions as these, and they will find that this accursed principle is exceeding strong within them; and that they need to watch and pray against it continually, if they would gain the mastery over it in any measure.]

3. How it may be subdued?

[Doubtless many things might be prescribed which would conduce to this end. We content ourselves however with specifying only two. First, Let us endeavour to get a knowledge of our own vileness. When we have thoroughly learned that we deserve God's wrath and indignation, we shall account it a mercy that we are out of hell. We shall not then be

grieved at any preference shewn to others. We shall see that we have already far more than we deserve; and we shall be willing that others should enjoy what God has given them, when we see how mercifully he has dealt with us.

Next, Let us get our hearts filled with love to our fellowcreatures. We do not envy those whom we love the more we love any person, the more we rejoice in his advancement. The Apostle justly says, "Charity envieth not." Let us beg of God then to implant this better principle in our hearts. Then shall our selfish passions be mortified and subdued; and we shall be made like unto him, whose name is Loves.]

g 1 John iv. 8.

LI.

THE NEED OF FLEEING FROM SIN WITH ABHORRENCE.

Gen. xxxix. 9. How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?

THE grace of God is equally necessary for us in every situation of life; in adversity, to support us; and in prosperity, to keep us-We should have been

ready indeed to congratulate Joseph on his advancement in the house of Potiphar, as though his trials had been ended: but we see that, if his former path was strewed with thorns, his present station was slippery, and replete with danger-His history is well known, and need not be insisted on: suffice it to say, that when tempted by his mistress, and importuned from day to day to commit sin with her, he resisted her solicitations with unshaken constancy, and rejected her proposals with indignation and abhorrence-The reply, which through the grace of God he was enabled to make, leads us to observe that, I. Sin is no light evil

The world in general imagine sin to be of very little moment

[Sin universally prevails, and, except where it greatly interferes with the welfare of society, is countenanced and approved-The customs of the world sanction the practice of it to a certain extent in every one, whether male or female; though the greater latitude of indulgence is allowed to menThe very education that is given both to our sons and daughters, tends only to foster in them pride and vanity, wantonness and sensuality, worldliness and profaneness: let but these dispositions assume the names of ease, elegance, and gaiety, and they instantly lose all their malignant qualities; and, instead of exciting our abhorrence, endear to us the persons by whom they are indulged-Too many indeed will not submit to any restraints, but will even justify the grossest immoralities— They impose upon their excesses some specious appellation; they call drunkenness, conviviality; and whoredom, youthful indiscretion-Thus they commit sin without fear, persist in it without remorse, and even glory in their shame, when, through age and infirmity, they can no longer follow their former courses-]

But, if viewed aright, it will appear a dreadful evil

[Can that be light or venial which cast myriads of angels from their height of glory into the bottomless abyss of hell?Is that of trifling importance which in one moment ruined the whole race of man, and subjected them to an everlasting curse? -But if these effects be not sufficient to convince us, let us behold the Saviour in the garden of Gethsemane, or on the hill of Calvary: let us behold the Lord of glory bathed in blood, and expiring under the curse which our sins have

merited; and we shall instantly confess with Solomon, that they are "fools, who make a mock of sin"-]

Not however to insist on this general view of sin, we observe that,

II. Considered as an offence against God, its enormity is exceeding great

This is the particular light in which it struck the mind of Joseph-Though the iniquity to which he was tempted, would have been a defiling of his own body, and an irreparable injury to Potiphar his master, yet every other consideration seemed to be swallowed up in that of the offence it would give to God-Sin is levelled more immediately against God himself—It is,

1. A defiance of his authority

[God commands us to keep his law; and enforces his commands with the most awful and encouraging sanctions— But sin says, like Pharaoh, "Who is the Lord, that I should regard him? I know not the Lord, neither will I obey his voice b"-And is it a light matter for a servant thus to insult his master, a child his parent, a creature his Creator?-] 2. A denial of his justice

[God threatens that "the wicked shall not be unpunished" -But what does sin reply? It says like them of old, “God will not do good, neither will he do evil"-And shall it be thought a trifling matter to rob the Deity thus of his most essential perfections?-]

3. An abuse of his goodness

[It is altogether owing to the goodness of God that we are even capable of sinning against him-It is from him that we receive the bounties which administer to our excess, and the strength whereby we provoke the eyes of his glory-And can any thing be conceived more vile than to make his goodness to us the very means and occasion of insulting him to his face?-]

4. A rejection of his mercy

[God is continually calling us to accept of mercy through the Son of his love-But sin "tramples under foot the Son of God;" it even "crucifies him afresh, and puts him to an

a David viewed his sin in this light, Ps. li. 4.

b Exod. v. 2. See also Ps. xii. 4. and Jer. xliv. 16.

с

⚫ Zeph. i. 12.