The crying evil of both the Church and of the world!

(Thomas Reade, "The Desire of More")

"Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry." Colossians 3:5

"You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or covetous person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a covetous person is really an idolater who worships the things of this world." Ephesians 5:5

The love of money under every form, insinuates itself into every heart.

A day is fast approaching when it will be clearly seen whether Christ or Mammon has swayed our affections.

Covetousness, in the language of Scripture, is the desire of having more. If we are habitually desirous of riches, for their own sake, we are, in the estimation of God, covetous people, idolaters, the servants of mammon. Our station may be exalted; our profession of religion may be outwardly strict, but still our destruction is sure.

There are, perhaps, few sins which assume so plausible an appearance; and for which so many excuses are made as for that of covetousness. And hence it is that we have need to guard so much the citadel of the heart.

Covetousness, eating like a canker, upon the vitals of our religion-is the crying evil of both the Church and of the world!

What advantage did Lot's wife, Achan, Gehazi, Judas, and Ananias and Sapphira, gain by their desire for more? They reaped shame and death; and now stand as beacons in the Word of God to warn us against their soul-destroying sin!

"For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his soul?" Luke 9:25