TEXT: GEN. 14:21
''And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself''
The Devil covets, not silver and gold, but the souls of men; earthly glory and pomp do not take and move him in any way, for he has them in his hand to give to any who would fall down and worship him: Matt.4:8-9; money is nothing to hell, but means to buy souls for hell. The soul of man weighs much with God and satan. God gave His life for souls; satan would turn himself into anything and any being, to lure the souls of men. In the realm of the spirits, a single soul is more than hundred of thousands worlds. Satan can part with any thing for a single soul: he goes to and fro; ups and down; walking the length and breath of the whole universe, for one thing, 'seeking whom(soul) to devour. He fights none, whose business is not for the renovation, salvation or liberation of the souls of men from sin and hell. He is the king of Sodom, he desires that every man keeps his goods but not his soul. If prosperity would undo our souls, he hesitates not to give it us. This enemy of man's souls, fights no sermon that saves no soul. To him, nothing is worth his attention that is not soul-saving, soul-renovating and sin-mortifying. This poise or disposition of satan, shames many saints, who are all for what eyes can meet or see, the glory and pomp of this life. Shame to us that if satan would pray, it is for souls, not for silver and gold, as saints of this age are wont to! 'Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself' should be the longing of every true minister. Know this now and ever, that satan is more noble than you, if silver and gold are preferred to souls by you!