ment here, from his "The Ten Commandments" book. . . .
"Covetousness is a dangerous sin, as it checks all that is good. It is an enemy to grace; it damps good affections, as the earth puts out the fire. . . . 'Covetousness hinders the efficacy of the word preached.' In the parable, the thorns, which Christ expounded to be the cares of this life, choked the good seed, (Matt. 13:22). Many sermons lie dead and buried in earthly hearts. We preach to men to get their hearts in heaven; but where covetousness is predominant, it chains them to earth, and makes them like the woman which Satan had bowed to-
gether, that she could not lift up herself, (Luke 13:11).
"You may as well bid an elephant fly in the air, as a covetous man live by faith. We preach to men to give freely to Christ's poor; but covet-
ousness makes them like the man in the gospel, who had 'a withered hand,' (Mark 3:1). They have a withered hand, and cannot stretch it out to the poor. It is impossible to be earthly-minded and charitably-minded. Covetousness obstructs the efficacy of the word, and makes it prove abortive. They whose hearts are rooted in the earth, will be so far from profiting by the word, that they will be ready rather to de-
ride it. The Pharisees, who were covetous, 'derided [Christ],' (Luke 16:14)."
