CAPG's Blog 

Either open or secret covetousness is at the root of all evils. It was that which cast Judas from his apostleship, and carried him on to the denial of his Master; and it ought to make all Christians very jealous of themselves, and of all their proceedings, especially where gain and money are in the case. For though he must have renounced all principles of honor, honesty, and justice, who steals and designedly wrongs his neighbor; yet there are so many disguised robberies and palliated injustices, that a man must have a very powerful influence of sincerity, truth, and virtue, to escape being drawn into these snares. For self-love is so very subtle and ingenious in finding out reasons favorable to what it desires, that without great caution, it insensibly leads men, under the cover of pretended right and justice, into a variey of frauds and oppressions. So that even those who have an abhorrence of all such proceedings in their neighbors, are but too often, through an affected partiality, carried beyond all that they have before condemned in others; and when their actions come more particularly to be looked into, are found to have done things which raise wonder in all sober men.

So that the lesson of this day comes to be the common concern of all, as far as they are entrusted with money affairs; as of the wife in regard to her husband; of children, to their parents; of stewards, and servants, to their masters; of lawyers, to their clients; of overseers and collectors, to the poor; and finally, of as many as have any sort of trust, in relation to what they have undertaken. There are none of these, but what are under a great tie of fidelity and justice, and are exposed to many temptations of transgressing their bounds. Here then, let him that thinks himself to stand, take heed lest he fall. Let all beg for a powerful assistance of grace to support them against the power of private interest; that so they may be able to give an account of their stewardship.