“Vita carnium sanitas cordis ; putredo ossium invidia.”
“A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.”
“A tranquil heart is life to the body, but envy rots the bones.”
“The life of the body is a heart at peace, but envy rots the bones.”
“A tranquil heart is the life of the flesh; But envy is the rottenness of the bones.”
Bones. As a sound heart preserves the rest of the body, so a good intention often excuses from mortal sin, when the error is not gross. But envy corrupts the works which seem good, and which cannot bear a strict examination. (St. Gregory, Mor. v. 34.) (Worthington) — Envy ruins the health. (Menan. ap. Gort.[Grotius?]) — Septuagint, “a too sensible heart is the,” &c. This is beautiful; but not quite conformable to the Hebrew.
Note, 1. It is folly to be credulous, to heed every flying report, to give ear to every man's story, though ever so improbable, to take things upon trust from common fame, to depend upon every man's profession of friendship and give credit to every one that will promise payment; those are simple who thus believe every word, forgetting that all men, in some sense, are liars in comparison with God, all whose words we are to believe with an implicit faith, for he cannot lie. 2. It is wisdom to be cautious: The prudent man will try before he trusts, will weigh both the credibility of the witness and the probability of the testimony, and then give judgment as the thing appears or suspend his judgment till it appears. Prove all things, and believe not every spirit.