Let your conversation he without covetousness, and he content with such things as ye have. Hebrews 13:5. For they that will be rich fall into temptation, and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in perdition and destruction; for the love of money is the root of all evil. 1 Timothy 6:9-10.
A covetous man is called an idolater, and has no part in the kingdom of God; but who believes that he is covetous? Now here you see that every one is actually covetous, who is not content with what he has. And what says the apostle of such as will be rich? They fall. Not only, it was possible for them to fall: no, they actually fall. O reader! be frightened, destroy the covetous desires of thy heart, and keep it disentangled from temporal things; for who knows how soon you must go out of this world and leave every thing behind. Away from it with thy heart, else death will be very hard. The Christian’s motto is, GOD AND ENOUGH; for he that has God, is content, and consequently always rich enough, even in poverty. And that must be a covetous man indeed, who has not enough, having God.
O Lord, make me so free by faith from the love of earthly things, that I may equally praise thee, whether thou be pleased to give me something or take it away from me; and that I may never covetously refuse that to others or to myself, what thou hast given and should be bestowed upon us.
The rich young man whom Jesus loved,
Should warn us to forbear:
His love of earthly treasure, proved
A fatal golden snare,