The Scripture directory for church-officers and people, or, A practical commentary upon the whole…

Thirdly, This sin of Envy, is a mother-sin, a fountain-sin. There is no wickedness in the world, but this sin will conceive it, and bring it forth: Through envy, they stoned Paul, through envy, they murdered Christ; all the persecutors of Christians, did burn with envy themselves, before they burnt the Martyrs at the stake. Hence Jam. 4.5. the Apostle allegeth that place, The spirit within us lusteth to envy, aiming at that, Gen. 6.5. The imagination of the thoughts of the heart are only evil, and that continually; Now he nameth not the general, but particularizeth in envy, as that which is the chief cause of many sins; For where envying and strife is, there is confusion, and every evil work Jam 3 16. Nay not only personal, private evils are in the womb of this, but all public miseries commonly begin from this spark of envy. A Commonwealth is made a field of blood, through the envy of ambitious men; the Church is cut in pieces like the Levites wife, through envy of ecclesiastical persons, insomuch that we may say, all Kingdoms and Churches in some respects, have died of this disease: this hath cut all the nerves, whereby any society is compacted together. Oh therefore pray we, that God would have out this incendiary, and Boutefeu from all Churches and States! The Devil is called the enemy, Mat. 13.15. and therefore the envious one, that came and sowed tares; so that all the tares of discord, dissensions and different opinions, are sowed by the envious one, that grudgeth at our peace and unity.

Thirdly, This sinne of Envy, is a mother-sinne, a fountaine-sinne. There is no wickedness in the world, but this sinne will conceive it, and bring it forth: Through envy, they stoned Paul, through envy, they murdered Christ; all the persecutors of Christians, did burn with envy themselves, before they burnt the Martyrs at the stake. Hence Jam. 4.5. the Apostle alledgeth that place, The spirit within us lusteth to envy, aiming at that, Gen. 6.5. The imagination of the thoughts of the heart are only evil, and that continually; Now he nameth not the general, but particularizeth in envy, as that which is the cheif cause of many sinnes; For where envying and strife is, there is confusion, and every evil work Jam 3 16. Nay not only personal, private evils are in the womb of this, but all publique miseries commonly begin from this spark of envy. A Commonwealth is made a field of bloud, through the envy of ambitious men; the Church is cut inpeices like the Levites wife, through envy of ecclesiastical persons, insomuch that we may say, all Kingdomes and Churches in some respects, have died of this disease: this hath cut all the nerves, whereby any society is compacted together. Oh therefore pray we, that God would have out this incendiary, and Boutefeu from all Churches and States! The Devil is called the enemy,