his Maker in the magnificent design which has eternally engaged the attention of the Infinite Mind, and which of all possible designs is the dearest to the Godhead; he differs altogether from this revealed intention of unfathomable wisdom; forms a petty, opposite, and selfish end of his own, and pursues it by determined and continued efforts to thwart, in this respect, the operations of Omnipotence.

In concluding our brief notice of omissions, we must refer to the cardinal graces of faith, hope, and charity. How these are violated by this vice, will be obvious on the very mention of the subject. We speak not here, indeed, of justifying faith, though the crime in question might be shown to stand at perfect variance with the character and tendency of such a faith; but we would simply ask, whether covetousness can anywise agree with that general trust in the faithfulness and providence of God, respecting the supply of our temporal necessities, which results from justifying faith, and which, even in poverty, confesses with adoring gratitude the riches of his goodness, nay, of his loving-kindness! This vice is a perpetual implication and reproach both of the truth and liberality of God. As to hope, its object is always real or apparent good. What revelation demonstrates to be infinitely worthy of our hopes, the man who loves the world entirely undervalues. Heaven has no charms for him, compared with those of the perishable property in which his happiness is quite bound up. Were heaven assimilated to this world, and could become the object of a carnal appreciation, he might love it with the same selfish attachment with which he loves earthly objects, and with which the wicked at the last day will desire it, to escape damnation; but hope-as a grace compounded of an influence of the Divine Spirit of love to God, and holiness, and heaven for the sake of God—is a perfect stranger to his heart, at least so far as this insidious vice has taken the occupation of it. And he who has ever felt that most pure and sublime of all the passions, love to God, must be convinced from his own experience how utterly incompatible it is with the polluting love of this world. But here the apostle John is most express: "If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." Thus the great commandment, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart," is left unheeded by the covetous; and the rightful Proprietor of all things is unjustly deprived of that which he prizes above every other offering which the world could

present. How, in the meanwhile, love in its character of social charity is disregarded, we have noticed in a foregoing part of this essay. Is it possible that men of this description can live the spiritual, the holy, the heavenly-minded life of which the essential principles are faith, hope, and charity?

VI. POSITIVE CRIMES TO WHICH IT LEADS.

BUT the evils of this vice lie not wholly in disobedient and obstinate inaction. They are also found in stirring crimes; crimes, too, some of which are gross violations of the laws and amenities of civil society, and all of them in perfect opposition to the principles and temper of the Divine life of Christians.

This great sin is not by metaphor, but in the express and literal sense, termed "idolatry;" a crime against which Almighty God has denounced his displeasure with extraordinary frequency and indignation. There are some, indeed, "whose god is their belly;" but even these are not so conspicuously marked out as objects of Divine vengeance; nor is this sensual species of the crime so frequently and palpably referred to by the inspired writers. The difference between the idolatry of the covetous, and that of false worshippers in Heathen lands, is rather circumstantial than essential; for, where is the difference between bowing down to gold in the shape of an image, and giving the best affections to it in the form of the royal coin, or as converted into property of any other kind? Is not the alienation of the heart from God, and the rivalry of his just and supreme dominion over it, the same in both cases? Does not the covetous dread the loss of his gold, as much as the devotee fears to incur the anger of his god? Is not his confidence in riches greater than his "trust in the Lord Jehovah, in whom is everlasting strength;" convinced, and acting on the conviction, that his life consists in the abundance of the things which he possesses? What is idolatry, if this be not? There is this difference, indeed, that the poor Heathen is a rude untutored savage, and the avaricious worshipper of gold in Christian countries is a man of cultivated habits, and enlightened, at least, by the speculative knowledge of the Christian religion. Our Lord, in illustrating this species of idolatry, with great beauty personifies riches by MAMMON. It ought to be observed, that nothing more emphatically stamps the character of any man with ingratitude to God than this same abominable worship of the creature. The very bounty of the

Divine hand, so liberally bestowed, with the view of leading the receiver to the Giver, is employed to dethrone him from the affections of the heart, and is erected in his place as the god of supreme and devoted homage.

Avarice not unfrequently produces, and at least always tends to produce, scandalous acts of injustice. Selfishness, which is its great under-current, will take care, if possible, to avoid the legal punishment which might consequently follow; but even the fear of punishment-for the fear of God and of disgrace is out of question with a sordid miser-cannot overcome his pressing thirst for money, and he runs the risk of consequences. Where such acts are not committed, there is still great injustice in withholding from God what he demands; and injustice of a certain kind must mingle with the apathy of him who, beholding his brother in distress, yet refuses to give him from his own abundance the necessary comfort,-for this he ought to do. What is read, "Do not your alms," some read, "Do not your righteousness, before men ;" because the Syriac words which signify "righteousness," or alms," both come from the Hebrew word to be just. And of Joseph it is said that, “being a just man,” that is, a merciful man, he was "not willing to make Mary a public example," but " was minded to put her away privily." Nay, the miser is absolutely unjust to himself, withholding that which is due to his own dependent nature, to his character and happiness.

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Akin to this injustice is the practice of lying for purposes of gain. To say nothing of direct and wilful falsehoods, the vast variety of obtrusive and evasive simulation practised in affairs of trade and commerce, even by multitudes who rank themselves as men of honourable character, is truly astonishing. The language in which goods are described is often shamefully inflated, and widely-removed from the character of a correct and conscientious statement; while by many nameless and deceptive circumstances, things are made to appear what in reality they are not, though not a single word perhaps is spoken which could be fairly termed "a direct falsehood;" and all with the pitiful intention of securing some despicable trifles loftily entitled "profit."

We have already mentioned pride as a twin stem with covetousness upon the great trunk of selfishness. But pride may be viewed as greatly heightened by the possession of riches in the man whose heart is fixed upon them from an undue estimation of

them, for he who lives a life of faith is not thus affected by his wealth. Nothing has been more obvious in all ages, than the truth that "riches make men proud :" It is equally the observation of the philosopher and of the peasant. Hence the high mutual resentments of the rich; and hence the trepidation with which they are frequently approached by the poor. The angry, haughty manner in which a man who has acquired property often speaks to his servants, and to his inferiors in general, as well as his fawning on those who are his equals or superiors in wealth, sufficiently evince and illustrate the correctness of the observation. It is also confirmed by the fact, that these proud characteristics are not uncommonly seen for the first time in a man upon his sudden elevation to property, and afterwards disappear should he be reduced to his original level. In connexion with this pride, there is often a merciless unkindness and cruelty to others. For pride, and anger, and especially the love of money, all concur to harden the heart against the sufferings of the necessitous. Hence the remark of Solomon: "The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender." "The poor useth entreaties, but the rich answereth roughly."

Such are the more palpable and leading features of this great and fearful, but insidious, evil. The more minute shades and fillings-up of the odious portrait would require more space in the canvass, and the hand of a master. But we must now turn our best and brief attention to the remedy.

VII. THE COVETOUS CONVICTED.

Ir must be manifest to all who have paid the least attention to this subject, that no true and perfect amendment can take place, until the guilty person be convicted of the crime; and that conviction of the sin we have been considering cannot be completely, if at all, effected but with extreme difficulty, such as probably does not attach to any other case of crime. A covetous man is not much disposed even to look at this unpleasant subject in an abstract and speculative light. He is less inclined to consider it with a view to self-examination, and to admit the possibility of his guilt. Still less is he willing to yield to the arguments by which the charge against him is supported. And, least of all, should he be silent from the force of truth, will he come to the sincere and firm purpose of abandoning his sin.

It may be of use in self-examination to inquire, "Who are

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most liable to fall into the sin of covetousness? and to which of the several species of this crime do we belong?"

Here, as in most other instances of character, the subject, though marked by a general denomination, seems naturally to fall into numerous varieties. This has already been referred to; but is particularly necessary to be kept in mind, if we would carefully avoid delusion in a course of self-inquiry. For he who is covetous in one of the least objectionable senses of the word, may, because he is not chargeable with the higher species of the crime, vainly conclude that he is not covetous at all. There is the dishonest miser, who never hesitates, if he can only avoid detection, to gain property by every unrighteous and dishonourable means within his reach. There is the just and equitable worldling, who makes no particular profession of religion, but who, while he renders to Cæsar the things which are Caesar's," supremely loves his money, and never makes the least pretension to render "to God the things which are God's." There is the miser, properly so called, who makes himself wretched by the extreme cares and privations connected with his love of gain. And there is, also, the bold professor of the Christian faith, who, equally disclaiming infidelity and immorality, declares his admiration of all holiness, and seems attentive to almost every duty of religion—except that of parting with a reasonable share of his property for pious and benevolent designs. He is no miser, nor does he refuse altogether to assist in promoting such good purposes. Still he loves money for its own sake, hoards it, is proud of it, indulges in the enjoyments which it procures, and is incessant in his anxious endeavours to increase it.

If in the next place it be asked, “Who are most liable to fall into this vice?" we may reply, that, in a large but very unusual sense of the term, mankind in general are covetous, and cleave unduly to the creature, and by this means incur some stain of idolatry. But, both in the scriptural and popular usage of the word, it applies emphatically to certain classes who are guilty in the manner we have attempted to describe. We are all, however, in some danger of yielding to the love of the world in the sense of proper covetousness. Yet some, from character and circumstances, are more particularly inclined to this vice. The distressing cares and anxieties of life, whether connected with absolute poverty, or with the desire to preserve appearances in respectable society where the means are not at all sufficient, tend