Worshipers of the golden calf!

(Thomas Brooks, "London's Lamentations" 1670)

There is a great deal of worldliness, and earthly-mindedness,
and covetousness among the professing Christians of our day.
They are worshipers of the golden calf! O sirs! the world is
all shadow and vanity. The world is like Jonah's gourd—a man
may sit under its shadow for a time, but it soon decays and dies.

The main reason why many professors dote upon the world,
is because they are not acquainted with a greater glory. If
the heart of man is not filled with God—it will be filled with
the world, the flesh and the devil.

The world may well be resembled to the fruit which undid us
all—which was fair to the sight, smooth in handling, sweet in
taste—but deadly in effect and operation!

O sirs! if you can gather grapes off thorns, and figs off
thistles, then go on, and dote upon the world still. All the
things of this world are vain things—they are vanity of
vanities, Eccles. 1:2. All in heaven count them vain, and
all in hell count them vain; pearls are but as pebbles
in their eyes. Lazarus in heaven is now rich enough,
and happy enough; and Dives in hell is now poor enough,
and miserable enough. He who makes the world his god
while he is in the world—what will he do for a god when
he goes out of this world?

Well, sirs, remember this—an inordinate love of the world
will eat out all a man's communion with God. A man cannot
look up to heaven and look down upon the earth—at the
same time.