58. Envy

"Soundness of heart is the life of the flesh: but envy is the rottenness of the bones." (Prov. 14: 30.)

God, the Master of all, distributes according to his own wise judgment, the goods of this life, both interior and exterior.

Wealth, honor, health, beauty, talent, character—over all these, and similar gifts, he has an unlimited right.

How unjustly, therefore, yea, how arrogantly, do I act, when I envy any one of my fellow-men the advantages bestowed upon him by the Lord!

That mere desire which arises in even the best-regulated hearts at the sight of another's good luck,—that wish to enjoy a similar prosperity, — is not envy; it is a natural and pardonable emotion.

The fault begins only when the uneasiness of the heart begins; and it increases in proportion to the growth of the uneasy desire, which darkens the mind, poisons the heart, and manifests itself outwardly in evil words or deeds.

Truly, envy is an ignoble vice!

By the envy of the devil, death came into the world. (Wisd. 2: 24.) And, up to this day, all the evil which by God's permission, Satan causes in the world proceeds from the envy of that evil spirit. He cannot bear that beings of an inferior nature should inherit and occupy the seats of the fallen angels in heaven, and, as co-regents with God, set their victorious foot upon the neck of the rebels. And he does injury whenever, wherever, and however he can, even at the risk of thereby increasing his own torments.

O ignoble vice, which makes me resemble Satan!

I envy this one his talents, his quickness of comprehension, his penetration, his memory, his progress in his studies, and the praise which he thereby acquires. Another, I begrudge his birth, his wealth, his beauty, his favor with superiors, his prospects of a splendid future.

Perhaps, my envy even extends to advantages which a person has acquired or increased by his own exertions.

His piety, his modesty, his politeness, his affability, his sweetness, and suavity of manners, his diligence, his merit, his virtue, are as so many thorns in my flesh. I can hardly restrain my hatred; and the bitterness of my perverted heart is often betrayed by malicious looks, spiteful words, and offensive deeds.

O mean vice! Begotten of narrowness of heart and selfishness; its only aim is the personal pronoun I. Another must not enjoy an advantage which I do not possess. This is Envy.

O foolish vice! By envy, you acquire nothing. You labor rather, in a certain sense, at the destruction of what you have, by making yourself unworthy of possessing it any longer.

How easily you might call down God's vengeance upon your insatiable greed! He may say to you: Go then, ingrate, beggar in soul, in heart, in virtue, in honor, and gold,—go, tire yourself to death, grieve, fret, worry, consume yourself! I am the origin and fountain of every blessing; you no longer deserve my favors. Go, cursed be the earth in thy work (Gen. 3: 17); when thou shalt till it, it shall not yield to thee its fruit (Gen. 4: 12); and even thy spiritual soil, thy understanding and heart, shall bear the curse of barrenness. I will break the pride of your stubbornness; and I will make to you the heaven above as iron, and the earth as brass; your labor shall be spent in vain: the ground shall not bring forth her increase, nor the trees yield their fruit. (Lev. 26: 19, 20.)

O foolish vice! You waste time and strength, and yet you cannot overtake the good luck of your neighbor, which you view with envious eyes.

Why are you drawn together with grief? (Mich. 4: 9.) Soundness of heart is the life of the flesh, but envy is the rottenness of the bones. (Prov. 14: 30.)

O ruinous vice! It destroys our peace of soul, involves us in misery, awakens a cruel pleasure at the misfortunes of others, nourishes rash judgments, arouses suspicions, calls forth calumnies and animosities. It entangles in the narrow circle of petty aims, cripples the powers of thought and action, darkens the heart, awakens enmities, enkindles the desire of revenge, counsels the use of wretched measures, and only too often, has drawn the dagger, mixed the poison, and led to deeds of violence, rapine, and murder!

Behold how the young earth is reddened for the first time by blood! And it is—the blood of a brother!

Cain was exceedingly angry, because Abel's sacrifice was more pleasing to God than his own: and his countenance fell. And Cain said to Abel his brother: Let us go forth abroad. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and slew him. (Gen. 4: 5, 8.)

O infamous vice! The envy of the Pharisees fastened the God-Man to the cross. They did not know the time of their visitation; and, with eyes blinded by envy, they refused to recognize the Holy One, the Expectation of the ages, the Desired of all nations! Their envy divided for ever between them and their God. You are not my people, and I will not be yours. (Osee 1: 9.)

Thus, it is true, the eye of the envious is wicked; and he turneth away his face, and despiseth his own soul. (Ecclus. 14: 8.)

My dear young man, lock your heart against this low, contemptible vice.

All that you have, you have from God; and if you only make good use of it, it will be sufficient for gaining the end of your creation.

For that which you have not, you will not be held responsible. If God wished you to possess it, he would have given it to you, or would have opened to you ways for its acquisition. Would you desire to possess any gift or good that was opposed to God's will?

My friend, instead of wasting time with pernicious thoughts of envy, or embittering your life by sinful sorrow, rejoice in what you have, and derive all the profit possible from it. It is only for this, that you will be called to account.

The least gift received from God's hand with gratitude, and wisely employed, suffices to enrich us for eternity.

O, fly from envy, that venomous vice! Its poisonous breath blowing over the blooming fields of youth, destroys all their fresh beauty, even as the fierce sirocco blasts the beauties of nature. If you do not oppose its influence, it will soon be all over with the freshness of your heart, your simplicity, your cheerfulness, your present and future happiness.

And how will it be with you in after-life, when more important and decisive issues arise for you,—such as, position, influence, and fortune?