Againftfpiritual wickdnefje. 283 face, (wouldeff thou look wifhly on it) to make thee out of love with it. For firfl, this envying of others gifts, calls great contempt upon God, and that more wayes then one. Firft,when thou envieft the gifts of thy brethren,thou takeftopon thee to teach God,what he (hall give,and towhom ;as if the great God fhould take counfel or ask leave of thee before he difpen- feth his gifts, and dareft thou ftand to thy own envious thoughts with this interpretation ? Inch a one thou findeft Chrift itimtelf give, Mattio. 2o. 15. lr it not lawfsil for me to do what I will With my own ? as if Quill had Paid, what hath any to do to cavil at my difpofure ofwhat is not theirs but mine to give? Secondly, thou maligneft the goodneffe of God. It troubles thee, it feems, that God hath a heart to do good to any betides thy felfe: thy eye is evil becaufe his is good. Wouldeft not thou have God be good ? you had as good fpeak out and fay, you would not have him God, he can affoon ceafe to be God as to be good. Thirdly, thou art an enemy to the glory of God, .as thou de- facet that which fhould fet it forth. Everygift is a ray of di- vine excellency; and as all thebeams declare the glory of the Sunne, fo all the gifts God imparts declare the glory of God : Now envy labours to deface and fully the reprefentations of God ; it hath ever fomething to difparage the excellency ofan- other withal. God (hewed Miriam her fin by her /armament, (he went to befpatter Mores, that fhone fo eminently with the gifts and graces of God, and God fpits in her face, Numb. r2. yea, fills her all over with a noifome fcab. Doeft thou cordially wifhwell to the honour of God ? why then hangeft thou thy head, and doer not rather rejoyce to fee him ,glorified by the gifts ofothers ? Could a Heathen take it fo well, when himfelf was paled by, and others chofen to places of honour and go- vernment, that he laid, he was glad his City could finde fo ma- ny more worthy then hirnfelf and (hall a Chriftian repine that anyare found fit to honour God betides his:II-elf? Secondly, thou wrongeft thy brother, as thou finnett againft the lawof love, whichobligeth thee to rejoyce in his good as thy owne, yea, to prefer him in honour before thy fell. Thou canft not love and envy the fame perfon ; envy is as contrary to love, as the heftical feavoura fire in the body is to the kindly ®0 2 heat i. 2. 3 2.
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