Faith's Checkbook

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May 6

May 6
Cure for Envy
Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long. For surely there is
an end; and thine expectation shall not be cast off. (Proverbs 23:17-18)
When we see the wicked prosper we are apt to envy them. When we hear the noise of their mirth and
our own spirit is heavy, we half think that they have the best of it. This is foolish and sinful. If we knew
them better, and specially if we remembered their end, we should pity them.
The cure for envy lies in living under a constant sense of the divine presence, worshiping God and
communing with Him all the day long, however long the day may seem. True religion lifts the soul into
a higher region, where the judgment becomes more clear and the desires are more elevated. The
more of heaven there is in our lives, the less of earth we shall covet. The fear of God casts out envy
of men.
The deathblow of envy is a calm consideration of the future. The wealth and glory of the ungodly are
a vain show. This pompous appearance flashes out for an hour and then is extinguished. What is the
prosperous sinner the better for his prosperity when judgment overtakes him? As for the godly man,
his end is peace and blessedness, and none can rob him of his joy; wherefore, let him forgo envy and
be filled with sweet content.