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I. WHAT IS COVETOUSNESS?

1. There is a good covetousness (1 Corinthians 12:31), as of grace and glory.

2. Sinful: to love the world inordinately.

(1) In the inordinate desire of riches — above God's glory and our own spiritual good.

(2) In the sinful acquiring them

(a)  As to matter — another's goods (1 Kings 21.).

(b)  As to manner and means — unjust (Proverbs 10:2; Proverbs 28:8).

(3) In the wrongful retaining them — not laying them out for the ends God has appointed.

II. WHAT IS IDOLATRY?

1. External.

2. Internal: worship given to what is not God (John 4:24).

III. How is COVETOUSNESS IDOLATRY?

1. In that

(1)  man admires riches (Romans 11:33).

(2)  Loves it (Matthew 22:37).

(3)  Desires it (Psalm 73:25).

(4)  Fears losing it (Matthew 10:28).

(5)  Trusts on (1 Timothy 6:17; Mark 10:23, 24).

(6)  Grieves for the loss of.

(7)  Rejoices in (Philippians 4:4).

(8)  Labours after (Matthew 6:33).

2. Objections.

(1) "I worship no images." Yes, of thine own fancy.

(2) "I do not fall down to them." But in thy soul, and that is the principal.

(3) "I offer no sheep or rams." But thyself. The Phoenicians and Carthaginians offered men, but yours is the greater sin. For they offered bodies not souls, others not themselves.

(4) "We do not look upon them as gods." You do in effect, because as the chiefest good. You know them to be no gods, and yet worship them as such.

IV. SIGNS.

1. Such as whose thoughts run more upon earth than heaven (Luke 12:22, 25, 29).

2. Whose joy and grief depend on out ward successes (Luke 12:19).

3. Who strive to be rich, but no matter how.

4. Whose desires increase with their estate.

5. Who grudge the time spent in Divine duty (Amos 8:5).

6. Whose hearts are upon the world, while their body is before God (Ezekiel 33:31).

7. Who do not improve the estates God has given them (Matthew 25:24-25).

V. USE. Avoid it. Consider —

1. How odious it is to God (Psalm 10:3).

2. How injurious to our neighbour.

3. Dangerous to us (1 John 2:15; 1 Timothy 6:10). It fills the heart with anxiety (1 Timothy 6:9-10) and will certainly keep us from heaven (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

4. Foolish in itself.

(1)  To act so much below ourselves.

(2)  To throw away our souls for vanity (Matthew 16:26).

(3)  To spend that little time on earth, wherein we should prepare for heaven.

(4)  To make oneself a slave for he knows not whom (Psalm 39:6; Ecclesiastes 4:8).

VI. MEANS.

1. Think much of the vanity of earth and the glory of heaven.

2. Act faith in the promises (Psalm 36:25; Hebrews 13:5).

3. Meditate on the universal providence of God, and His fatherly care (Luke 12:31, 32; Matthew 6:25, etc.).

4. Be much in prayer.

5. Often remember the text (1 John 5:21).

(Bp. Beveridge.)

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KJV: Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

WEB: Put to death therefore your members which are on the earth: sexual immorality, uncleanness, depraved passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry;