Prototypes, or, The primary precedent presidents out of the book of Genesis showing, the…Prototypes, or, The primarie precedent presidents out of the booke of Genesis shewing, the…

Now I pray you, hate and abhor envy, and learn to rejoice with them that rejoice, rather then torment your selves at them, and to be thankful to God for showing favour to your neighbours, rather then to fret in your selves. Indeed if we see wicked men prosper, we must beware of over-grieving, lest it make us fall to imitating: But to grieve at the prosperity of an Isaac, is to show, that one loveth not goodness, as a reward of which the Lord vouchsafeth that prosperity.

Now I pray you, hate and abhorre envy, and learne to rejoyce with them that rejoyce, rather then torment your selves at them, and to bee thankfull to God for shewing favour to your neighbours, rather then to fret in your selves. Indeed if we see wicked men prosper, wee must beware of over-grieving, lest it make us fall to imitating: But to grieve at the prosperity of an Isaac, is to shew, that one loveth not goodnesse, as a reward of which the Lord vouchsafeth that prosperity.

Now secondly, when they had entertained envy,¹ then they fall to injury; They stopped his Wells, and filled them with dust, viz. The Wells his Father had dug; Lo, a wickedness; to do injury to another, by hurting and hindering him, though ones self can reap no benefit by it. Indeed to do a neighbour hurt in body or goods without just cause (viz. punishing him for some fault by virtue of authority which God hath put into my hand) is a great sin, and against the plain Law that saith, Do as you would be done by, and that Commandment, Be innocent as Doves; but to hurt a man without any profit to himself, this is an high degree of wickedness, and proceeds from nothing else but envy, which is one of the worst kinds of malice. To advantage my self by another mans loss is most unjust, but to hinder another without any advantage to my self, this is a far more palpable and wilful injustice.

Now secondly, when they had entertained envy,¹ then they fall to injury; They stopped his Wels, and filled them with dust, viz. The Wells his Father had dugge; Loe, a wickednesse; to doe injury to another, by hurting and hindering him, though ones selfe can reape no benefit by it. Indeed to doe a neighbour hurt in body or goods without just cause (viz. punishing him for some fault by vertue of authority which God hath put into my hand) is a great sinne, and against the plaine Law that saith, Doe as you would be done by, and that Commandement, Bee innocent as Doves; but to hurt a man without any profit to himselfe, this is an high degree of wickednesse, and proceeds from nothing else but envy, which is one of the worst kindes of malice. To advantage my selfe by another mans losse is most unjust, but to hinder another without any advantage to my selfe, this is a farre more palpable and wilfull injustice.