The Church In Earnest - Letters to the 7 Churches

how many have we known, whose piety has declined as their wealth increased; and even where religion has not totally disappeared, amidst accumulating opulence, it has retained only the form or shadow of what it once was. Multitudes in eternity will regard their money as their curse; so says the apostle, "They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition" (1 Timothy 6:9). Yes, it is the bag of gold that drags down the soul of rich men into the pit. The love of money is the cause of more souls being lost than any other in all Christendom.