Covetousness was the deacon's besetting sin; and, as it is a vice that may be pretty well concealed, with a little attention to appearances, it was the less likely to expose him to comments than almost any other sin.

But as he was old, his Covetousness was his strongest Passion, and poor I was soon left exposed to be the common Refuse of all the Rakes and Debauchees in Town.

But their covetousness was their ruin.

"Covetousness is idolatry"so St. Paul testifies; and a grosser or more debasing idolatry has never appeared on earth than the worship of material gain.

Wretched and thoughtless Creatures, in the only Place where Covetousness were a Virtue we turn Prodigals!

Again, Lancelot quite agreed with his uncle, that though covetousness might be idolatry, yet money-making could not be called covetousness; and that, on the whole, though making haste to be rich was denounced as a dangerous and ruinous temptation in St. Paul's times, that was not the slightest reason why it should be so now.