The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-04-17
COvETOUSNESS.

covEToUsNEss.
How and why 1t L. Denounced by the
Bible-The Way to Conquer the Vile
Passion.
Ifone were to examine all the passages
In the Bible in which the term coretous-
ness occurs, he would be at no loss in
seeing that for some reason the Word of
God puts it in bad company. Paul. for
example, in specifying the gross sensu-
alities and depravities of the heather
world, places covetcusness in the list OF
fornication, righteousness, malignity
and murder. from. i, 29.) In his Epis-
tie to the Ephesians we find covetous-
ness connected with fornication, filtni-
ness and uncleanliness; and the covet-
Gus man is declared to be an idolater. OF
whom it is expressly said that he shall
not have ''any inheritance in the king
dom of Christ and of Cod" (Eph. Y,
1885, So, also, in the Epistle to the
Collossians, the Apostle defines covet-
BUSINESS to be one form of idolatry, and
speaks of it as among the things for
which the wrath of God cometh upon
the children Of disobedience. (Col. iii,
s. g. Our Saviour warned men to ''be-
ware Of covetousness,' reminding them
that "a mans life CONSISTENT not in the
abundance of the things which he pos
sesseth." luke xii, 49, These pas
sages, like many others Of similar inn
port, show what the God Of the Bible
thinks Of ccvetousness:
What, then, Is this covetOusness which
the Bible condemns and denounces? The
general answer is that it is purely selfish
passion, having its seat and life in, and
deriving its laws and impulses from an
abiding state of supreme selfishness.
1t is penetrated through and through,
from top to bottom, with this one prin-
ciple, without single element of any
kind to modify, mitigate or improve its
character. 1t begins with selfishness
and EMS with it, and knows nothing
else and cares for nothing else. 1t has
all the meanness, all the unreasonable
ness, all the iniquity and the enormity
Of such state of .he mind and heart.
Every thing in it at :ess 1sr.os back to
this one idea.
The specific form in which this sort of
selfshness manifests itself consists in
an inordinate love Of worldly property.
And inasmuch as what is called
''money" is the standard representative
ct worldly values, Paul speaks Of 1t rs
''the love Of money" and declares this
love to be 1.-The root of all evil, by which
he means that IT. is the prolific source Of
vast variety OF evils. II Tim. vi, 10. }
The love of money in the sense and
to the extent intended by the Apostle is
covetousness. Abiding to this passion
he says: but they that will he rich
fall into temptation and a snare, and in
to many foolish and hurtful lnsts which
drown men in destruction and perdi-
tion.' Il Tim. vi. 81 The covetous
man loves money not as final end, but
rather as the means by which he can
crafty other sinful passions. These
other passions are selfish, and with
money he can crafty them. He lives
for himself in his efforts to get money.
and then he lives for himself in spend
ing 1t. Self. and that only, is the DOM
inant principle with him. whether he
makes money or spends 1t. He is the
supreme center of his own existence,
and all else is subordinate. God is Of
no account in his plan OF life. Society
is secondary, and even those to whom he
is bound by the ties Of nature are Sec
ondary to himself. His one supreme
purpose is to serve himself, and he loves
money as the means to this end.
COvetOusness-mOre, perhaps, than
any other form of supreme selfishness
is . germinai iniquity, standing in such
relations to other iniquities as to be i'm
mensely prolific, not only In the mum
Der OF sins which it begets, but also in
their great variety. There il hardly
any end to sundry forms and acga1et u
deprayity that may be traced to the sin
| gle principle Of covetOusness. All sort:
Of roeanness, trickery, intrigue, double
dealing, deliberate and persistent lying,
cheating, frauds, stealing, robbery,
murder, and, indeed, almost al the
| wrongs, crimes and cruelties against
humanity and justice may. and often do
find their source in covet0usness. Pau
was sharp observer Of facts and things
as we'll as an inspired man; and, hence
speaking in general terms, he spoke
correctly, according to his own observa
ton and according to facts, when ht
said that 1.-The love Of money Is the roo
OF all evil" No one who looks at thi,
void as it is, and sees what this passion
has done among men, and what it ha
led men to do, will think Of raising an,
controversy with the Apostles state
ment, or impute to him any ex
travagance Of language. The fact, IS
is, could be adequately stated only /,
strong terms.
What then shall we do with this vii,
passion? The answer Is that we mus
cruelty it as passi0n. and bring the low,
of money within the limits Of reason
and sound Christian morality, whethe
in acquiring it or spending it. The evil i
not in the money itself, but In the inor
dinate and sinful love Of it. Any degre,
OF that love which leads one to sin, is /,
covetous love. This is . sure test Of 1T
character. Tho man who lies and de
ceives another as he means Of making
a good bargain for himself, loves none!
more than he can innocently love 1t. s,
he who has the means Of helping other
and shuts up his compositions agains
their wants, refusing to afford them an!
help when he can do it and ought to d,
it. has the covetous heart The employ
er who squeezes the wage-earner to tn,
very lowest possible rate, against jus
tice, and against the imperative neces
sites Of tho latter, is led by his covet
business to sin against God and man .
the same time. The love Of money mus