A Satanic Trait That Was Implanted in the Heart of Man
By Mary Alice Hare Loper
THE first sin that ever darkened the universe of God was that of jealousy. Lucifer, the anointed cherub, occupying in heaven the exalted position next to Christ Himself, became jealous — jealous of the Son of God — and cherished this sinful trait of character until he lost his position, lost the blessed association of holy beings, and was banished from the courts of heaven.
But the sin of jealousy did not stop with the sad experience of Satan in heaven; for when he as lightning fell to this earth, he brought with him all his jealousy, and implanted this fiendish tendency in the heart of man, where it has lived and flourished from that time to this.
Jealousy wrought sad havoc in the first family of earth. Because God approved of right-doing in Abel, and disapproved of wrong-doing in Cain, Cain became jealous, and took the life of Abel — the first murder that blotted the pages of human history; the first example of its kind in all the universe. And could we but behold the lengthened list of murders caused by jealousy since that time, could we know the vast numbers of innocent victims to fiendish distrust, surely we would stand aghast before the awful spectacle.
Human Birds of Prey
"JEALOUSY is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame." S. of S. 8:6. Jealousy burns into the very vitals of human happiness, making of innocent people targets for the vilest thrusts. It paints in midnight colors the spotless reputation, maligns the character that is pure as snow, and places upon the black list of moral delinquents fair names which Heaven cherishes in the Lamb's book of life.
Hannah More apostrophizes thus:
"O jealousy,
Thou ugliest fiend of hell! Thy deadly venom
Preys on my vitals, turns the healthful hue
Of my fresh cheeks to haggard sallowness,
And drinks my spirit up."
Jealousy may be termed a symptom of a species of insanity for which the possessor should consider himself responsible. The example of the archfiend is never safe to follow. The soul who imitates Satan will fall, and will find himself in the demoralizing company of human birds of prey — vultures who love to feast upon dead carcasses of gossip, and relish that which is vile and loathsome.
Some neighborhoods possess inquisitive characters whose own legitimate work is left undone while they seek secretly to ascertain how others are prosecuting theirs. The old saying, "Eavesdroppers never hear any good of themselves," surely is not without foundation; for a person of that character is not likely to be a favorite in the community.
The Real Calamity Howlers
JEALOUSY is the twin sister of gossip. Both enjoy the same atmosphere, and subsist upon much the same diet. What one knows, the other loves to hear, while both exert themselves to be fully up to date, or indeed prophetic. And they are real calamity howlers, prophesying for others domestic troubles that will never come to pass. They have vivid imaginations, which make mountains of molehills, and crimes of mere indiscretions.
The church possesses many jealous members whose Christian experience is not such as to insure a prosperous and safe journey to the holy city. As yet, their hearts are centered in this world. They imagine that they should occupy places of prominence which have been accorded to others; and because of this, they are jealous of those holding the coveted offices, are disagreeable and unhappy. The jealous church member needs to have a new experience. He needs to be thoroughly converted, that he may possess the humbleness of a little child.
How beautiful it would be if every one would weave into the web of his everyday life the golden thread of divine love, "Let each esteem others better than themselves"! But how few, even of the professed followers of Christ, cheerfully step aside in the path of life to permit some one else to pass on the way to higher attainments! How much more natural to remain as a hindrance, cherishing the sentiment, I have not yet reached that height, and I do not want that other soul to reach it! Many refrain from encouraging and assisting others to reach higher altitudes of usefulness, seemingly for fear they themselves may become less prominent thereby. But the fact is, one never loses his own place on the ladder of success by reaching down to help some one in need of assistance. "There is always room at the top."
The Victim of a Morbid Imagination
JEALOUSY in the home kills the sacred plant of love, and brings in bitter estrangement between husband and wife, causing untold misery and the blighting of life's fondest hopes. Many divorces are the result of jealousy; and the myriads of ruined homes from this one cause, eternity alone will reveal.
If permitted to do so, jealousy will so permeate the entire being that one will be kept in a state of constant turmoil, and be the victim of a morbid imagination. The wife may come to believe that she is not loved as she should be loved; the husband may imagine that he is not honored as he should be honored. Each may consider the other lacking in due appreciation of superior excellence — truly a harrowing state of mind to cherish!
The husband who is jealous of his wife, and the wife who is jealous of her husband, would better leave imagination entirely out of the controversy. They would better look at things in a sensible way, and be careful not to cherish the spirit of evil surmising; for oh, how often —
"Trifles, light as air,
Are to the jealous, confirmations strong
As proofs of Holy Writ"!
Children should not be permitted to cultivate the habit of being jealous of one another. Parents should carefully guard this point, by being so impartial in their treatment of their children, that slumbering jealousy shall not be early brought to notice.
The sons of Jacob had a sad experience because of the older brothers' jealousy of Joseph. And many sons of other families since that time have been very unhappy because of jealousy, that "green-eyed monster" which, if allowed to cross the threshold of the home, is sure to become a disturber of the peace.
The Bible has a list of many sins of which humanity is guilty; and while there are heinous sins of the imagination, there is no such thing as an imaginary sin — no such thing as a person's being guilty simply because some other person imagines him to be so.
Worse than Poison Ivy
WEEDS are of the earth earthy, while flowers are of heavenly origin. But, sad to say, many a heart garden is as overgrown with weeds as was the vineyard of the slothful man described by Solomon in Prov. 24:30, 31.
I knew of a man, years ago, whose heart garden was so grown up to weeds of jealousy that he could scarcely see his wife present a neat appearance in the home without surmising that she was expecting to receive some man friend. The poor woman was exceedingly miserable. The husband also was wretched. Both filled untimely graves.
The poison from the weed of jealousy is much more virulent than that from poison ivy or poison oak, in that it may destroy the soul as well as the body. Yet many persons cultivate jealousy from as senseless a cause as that of the case above mentioned.
If a young man or a young woman is jealous of a prospective life companion, it is hazardous to presume that the marriage ceremony will eradicate this miserable trait of character, which seeks to heap blame upon one who is innocent. A person does well to remember that it is much better to part before marriage than after, and to beware of the person who is cherishing this phenomenal characteristic of evil.
There is such a thing as "godly jealousy," of which the apostle Paul makes mention. Every one should cultivate that jealousy which demands that the sincere affections of his heart be constantly given to Christ. And while the affections are centered in Christ, how easy it is to adjust the little differences that creep into everyday life!
When husband and wife are one in Christ, the eavesdropper, the gossiper, the scandal-monger, and all other human vultures, find such a starvation diet that they seek a different location, where there is more to satisfy their gruesome appetites.
Any method one can pursue that will aid and honor the gospel of Christ, any service one can render that will assist souls in keeping their affections placed upon Him, is surely commendable.
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee."
Could we but behold the lengthened list . . . since that time.
