Covetousness is a sin that wears a cloak; it cloaks itself under the name of frugality and good husbandry. It hath many pleas and excuses for itself—more than any other sin, as the providing for one's family. The more subtle the sin is, the less discernible.Body of Practical Divinity, 334
If we covet heaven more, we shall covet earth less. To those who stand on the top of the Alps, the great cities of Campania seem but as small villages; so if our hearts were more fixed upon the Jerusalem above, all worldly things would disappear, would diminish, and be as nothing in our eyes.
Covetousness may be defined to be a sinful desire of getting or keeping money or wealth inordinately.A Remedy against Covetousness,” in Four Godly and Learned Treatises, 30
Covetousness is an uncontentedness, or a desire of having much, arising from an uncontentedness with a man's condition. It is an uncontentedness with or a desire of having abundance out of a discontentedness with a man's present estate, though he might by lawful means mend or better it.
A covetous man is like a bee that gets into a barrel of honey, and there drowns itself. As a ferryman takes in so many passengers to increase his fare, that he sinks his boat; so a covetous man takes in so much gold to increase his estate, that he drowns himself in perdition.
A man is given to covetousness when he so sets his heart upon worldly things, that for the love of them, he will part with heavenly; for the 'wedge of gold,' he will part with the 'pearl of price.'The Ten Commandments, 175