A Practical Commentary on the Epistle of Jude

what is there for those that shut their eyes against the light of the Gospel, surely to be ignorant now, is a greater sin, then we think of. 2. When we do not depend upon him, 'tis ungodliness: trust and dependence is the ground of all commerce between us and God; and the greatest homage and respect, which we yield to the Creator and first cause: now when men trust any creature rather ⟨p. 193⟩then God, their estates rather then God, they rob him of his peculiar Honour: That there is such a sin, appeareth by that Job 31. 34. If I had made gold my hope, or said to the fine gold thou art my confidence: If I rejoiced because my wealth is great, and my hand had gotten much, &c. Job to vindicate himself from Hypocrisy, reckoneth up the usual sins of Hypocrites, amongst the rest this is one, to make gold our confidence: men are apt to think it the staff of their lives, and the stay of their posterity, and so their trust being intercepted, their hearts are diverted from God: 'tis an usual sin though little thought of: the great danger of riches is by trusting in them, Mark 10. 23, 24. When men are entrenched within an estate, they think they are safe, secured against what ever shall happen, and so God is laid aside; let a man be entrenched within a promise, and yet he is full of fears and doubts; but wealth breedeth security, therefore covetousness is called Idolatry, Eph. 5. 3. and the covetous man an Idolater, Col. 3. 5. not so much because of his love of money as his trust in money; ^*the glutton loveth his belly, and the gratifications of the Appetite, yet he doth not trust in his belly cheer, he thinketh not to be protected by it, and therefore though he rob God of his love, yet he doth not as the covetous, rob God of his trust; we are all apt to make such an Idol of the creature: poor men if they had wealth, this were enough to make them happy, and therefore they trust in those which have it, which is Idolatry upon Idolatry: whence 'tis said,