Soul Idolatry Excludes Men out of Heaven

Tim Keller spoke on idolatry this week, and he’s writing a book on the topic. He mentioned this sermon by David Clarkson (1621-1686) in his talk (MP3) a few days ago:

A covetous man is an idolater. Not only the covetous, but the immoral, are idolaters. For the apostle, who here makes covetousness to be idolatry, considers voluptuous people to be idolaters also, where he speaks of some who make their belly their God (Phil. 3:19). Indeed, every reigning lust is an idol – and every person in whom it reigns is an idolater. “The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life.” Pleasures, and riches, and honors are the carnal man’s trinity. These are the three great idols of worldly men, to which they prostrate their souls! And giving that to them which is due only to God, they hereby become guilty of idolatry. That this may be more evident–that covetousness, immorality, and other lusts are idolatry–let us consider what it is and the several kinds of it.

Idolatry is to give that honor and worship to ‘the creature’, which is due to the Creator alone. When this worship is communicated to other things, whatever they are, we thereby make them idols, and commit idolatry. Now this worship due to God alone, is not only given by the savage heathen to their stick and stones–and by papists to angels, saints and images–but also by carnal men to their lusts.

This old sermon is pure gold. Glad to find it.