ON JEALOUSY AND ENVY. 40
the Father,thatin the honour and praiseof living,God may
be glorifiedin man ; as He Himself exhorts,and warns,and
promises to those who glorifyHim a reward in theirturn,
saying," Them that glorifyme I willglorify,and he who
despisethme shallbe despised."1For which glorification
the Lord, forming and preparingus,and the Son of God in
stilling* the likenessof God the Father,saysin His Gospel:
" Ye have heard that it hath been said,Thou shaltlovethy
neighbour,and hate thineenemy. But I say unto you, Love
your enemies,and pray for them which persecuteyou ; that
ye may be the childrenof your Father which is in heaven,
who maketh His sun to riseon the good and on the evil,and
sendeth rain upon the justand on the unjust."3 If itisa
source ofjoy and gloryto men to have childrenliketo them
selves— and itismore agreeabletohave begottenan offspring
then when theremaining4progeny respondstotheparentwith
like lineaments— how much greateris the gladnessin God
the Father,when any one is so spirituallyborn thatin his
actsand praisesthe divineeminence of race5 isannounced !
What a palm of righteousnessisit,what a crown, to be such
an one 6 as thatthe Lord shouldnot sayof you, " I have be
gotten and broughtup children,but theyhave despisedme !"7
Let Christratherapplaud you,and inviteyou to the reward,
saying," Come, ye blessedof my Father,receivethe kingdom
which ispreparedforyou from the beginningof theworld."*
16. The mind must be strengthened,belovedbrethren,by
these meditations.By exercisesof thiskind itmust be con
firmed againstallthe dartsof the devil. Let therebe the
divine reading in the hands,9the Lord's thoughts in the
mind ; let constantprayer never cease at all; let saving
labour persevere. Let us be always busied in spiritual
» 1 Sam.ii.30.
2 " And engenderinginthesonsofGod."— Oxforded.
8 Matt.v.43-45. 4Or," successive." 5 " Generositas."
6 Or, " thatoneshouldbe such;" or," thatthoushouldstbesuch."
7 Isa.i.2. *Matt.xxv.34.
9 Pamelins,fromfourcodices,reads," Lettherebe thedivinereading
beforetheeyes,goodworksinthehands."
CTP. — VOL. II. D