This commandment, then, did not, even on the surface, confine itself to visible actions as did the preceding commandments. Even before Christ came and showed their spiritual sweep, men had a commandment that went beneath public-conduct and touched the very springs of action. It directly prohibited--not the wrong act, but the wicked desire that prompted the act. It forbade the evil thought, the unlawful wish. It sought to prevent--not only sin, but the desire to sin. In God's sight it is as wicked to set covetous eyes, as it is to lay thieving hands, upon anything that is not ours. And why? Because if the evil desire can be controlled, there will be no outbreak in conduct. Desires have been called "actions in the egg." The desire in the heart is the first step in the series that ends in action. Kill the evil desire, and you successfully avoid the ill results that would follow upon its hatching and development. Prevention is better than cure. We must not limit covetousness to the matter of money. The commandment is not thus limited; it reads, "Thou shalt not covet. . . anything. . . ." That word "anything" is what will condemn us. Though we do not join in the race for wealth, have we not sometimes a hungry longing for our neighbor's goodly lands--fine houses,--beautiful clothes,--brilliant reputation,--personal accomplishments,--easy circumstances,--comfortable surroundings? Have we not had the desire to increase our possessions or to change our lot in accordance with what we see in others? If so, we are guilty of having broken this law. GODS THOUGHTS ABOUT COVETOUSNESS. Let us examine a few of the Bible passages that bear down on this sin, and see what are God's thoughts about it. "_Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves,_ nor covetous, _nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God_." Notice that the covetous are named between thieves and drunkards. We lock up thieves, and have no mercy on them. We loathe drunkards, and consider them great sinners against the law of God as well as the law of the land. Yet there is far more said in the Bible against covetousness than against either stealing or drunkenness.