V. The next, and most common part of covetousness is the unlawful desire of lawful things; especially of riches. Money is lawful, but the love of it is the root of all evil. So riches are lawful, but they that pursue them, fall into divers temptations, snares, and lusts; He calls them uncertain, to show their folly and danger, that set their hearts upon them. Covetousness is hateful to God; he hath denounced great judgments upon those that are guilty of it. God charged it on Israel of old, as one of the reasons of his judgments; "For the iniquity of his covetousness," saith God, "was I wroth and smote him." (Isai. lvii. 17.) In another place, "Every one is given to covetousness, and from the prophet to the priest, every one dealeth falsely;" (Jer. vi. 13;) "therefore will I give their wives unto others, and their fields to them that shall inherit them." (Ibid. viii. 10.) In another place God complained thus: "But thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness." (Chap. xxii. 17.) By Ezekiel, God renews and repeats his complaint against their covetousness: "And they come to thee as the people cometh, and sit before thee as my people: they hear thy words, but will not do them; with their mouths they show much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness." (Ezek. xxxiii. 31.) Therefore God, in the choice of magistrates, made it part of their qualification, to hate covetousness; foreseeing the mischief that would follow to that society or government where covetous men were in power; that self would bias them, and they would seek their own ends at the cost of the public. David desired, that his heart might not incline to covetousness, but to the testimonies of his God. (Psalm cxix. 36.) And the wise man expressly tells us, that "he that hateth covetousness shall prolong his days:" (Prov. xxviii. 16:) making a curse to follow it. And it is by Luke charged upon the Pharisees as a mark of their wickedness: and Christ, in that evangelist, bids his followers "Take heed and beware of covetousness:" (Luke, xii. 15:) and he giveth a reason for it that carrieth a most excellent instruction in it; for, saith he, "a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth:" (Mark, vii. 21, 22:) but he goeth further; he joins covetousness with adultery, murder, and blasphemy. No wonder then if the apostle Paul is so liberal in his censure of this evil: he placeth it with all unrighteousness, to the Romans; to the Ephesians he writeth the like, adding, "Let not covetousness be so much as named among you:" (Rom. i. 29; Eph. v. 3:) and bids the Colossians mortify their members; (Col. iii. 5;) and names several sins, as fornication, uncleanness, and such like, but ends with covetousness: which, saith he, is idolatry. And we know there is not a greater offence against God: nay, this very apostle calls "the love of money the root of all evil;" "which," said he, "whilst some have coveted after, they