Of their silver and gold have they made them Idols

Of their silver and gold have they made them Idols.

See the ill success of it (so great an evil is it to do any thing and not call upon God) and all because God was not sought, whatever we do to satisfy our passions and lusts for our own ends without seeking God, we cannot think but very ill fruit will come of it. Though God suffered this Kingdom to prosper outwardly, yet woeful mischievous fruit did come upon the alteration of their Government without God; for this Kingdom these two hundred years continued in idolatrous worship, and it came upon this. We had need take heed to our hearts that we be upright, and seek God in setting up any new form of Government, lest though it be very specious to our eye, we may think that we are delivered from many yokes and burdens, yet such effects may come of it, that we may be brought hereby under many yokes and burdens. They cast off the house of David because of the burdens that were upon them, but yet they casting it off from them in a passionate way, now they have brought a greater yoke upon them, for now Jeroboam and his successors, he lays a very heavy yoke upon their very consciences, the yoke of Idolatry; it was a burden that before was upon their backs and shoulders, but now it comes to be a burden upon their consciences, and that is a great deal heavier than upon their backs and shoulders.

They have made them Idols of their silver and gold.] God does instance in this as indeed the ground of all for the setting up of false worship, and is the foundation and ground of all kind of mischief in a Common-wealth, they were content to contribute their silver and gold for their Idols, they had rather be without that than without their Idols: drossy vile spirits had rather be without God and Christ and his Ordinances, than without their silver and gold, let them have their silver and gold, and let God and Christ and His Ordinances go; yet these Idolaters say, Let us have our Idols and let our silver and gold go. Yes, they parted with their gold and silver to make them gods; but many of you keep your gold and silver and make them Gods too. The Sun (says Austin) is a more beautiful thing than your money, but it is not your god: that which brings in silver and gold to drossy carnal spirits, that they love; but if it brings not this in they care not for it whatever it be. Chrysostom has another expression: A covetous man (says he) is not delighted with the beauty of Heaven, nor with the motion of the Sun: why? because the Sun does not send forth golden beams into his house.