John Trapp on Haggai 2:8

Verſe 8. The ſilver is mine, and the gold is mine, ſaith the Lord of Hoſts] Whereas the Jews might object, that it was not likely the ſecond Temple ſhould be more glorious then the firſt, ſith they wanted that wealth wherewith Solomon abounded: God anſwereth in like ſort, as once he did Moſes alledging the ſlowneſſe of his ſpeech, Who hath made muns mouth &c? ſo here, whoſe is the ſilver and the gold? Exo. 4.10.11. am not I the true Proprietary, and chief Lord of all? cannot I furniſh you out of my great purſe the earth and the fulneſſe thereof Pſal. 24.1?Terra eſt marſupium Demint. what is ſilver and gold, but white and red earth, the guts and garbage of the earth as one phraſeth it? things that I have no need of Pſal. 50.13? They lye furtheſt from heaven: the beſt of them are in Ophyr (perhaps the ſame with Peru) furtheſt from the church. Adam had them in the firſt Paradiſe Gen. 2.11, 12. in the ſecond, you ſhall not need them Iob. 26.2, 3. &c. In defect of other, I my ſelf will be your gold, and you ſhall have plenty of ſilver Iob 22.25.Rev. 1.12.13. Chriſt girt about the paps (that ſeate of love) with a golden girdle ſhall walk in the middeſt of his ſeven golden candleſticks, with a golden cenſer in his hand perfuming and preſenting the prayers of his people upon the golden Altar, Rev. 8.3. and meaſuring that city of pearle, his church, with a golden reed Rev. 21.15. Ribera and ſome others think that God, as of old he had ſtirred up Cyrus and Darius (both of them Heathens) to contribute to the building of the Temple, ſo afterwards he ſtirred up Herod a wealthy king, not long before Chriſt came, to beſtow abundance of coſt upon the ſame Temple; and that this was here fore-propheſied. But I ſhould rather incline to Calvin, who doubteth not but that the devill ſtirred up Herod to do as he did; that the Jews doting upon the ſplendour of that brave ſtructure (the diſciples did no leſſe Mat. 24.1, 2.) might ceaſe looking for Chriſt, or truſting in him. And who knowes (ſaith He) whether Herod himſelf might not have ſuch a fetch in his head. Howſoever the devil was in it, doubtleſſe, to take off their minds from the expectation of Chriſts coming, which was now at hand, by thoſe externall pompes: and to withdraw the ſpirits of the godly from the furniture and gayety of the ſpirituall Temple; We know how the diſciples (who leavened with the leaven of the Phariſees dreamt of an earthly kingdome) were taken with the beauty and bravery of Herods Temple, ſhewing the ſame to our Saviour, and fondly conceiting that by that goodly ſight he might be moved to moderate the ſeverity of that former ſentence of his, Behold your houſe is left unto you deſolate Mat. 23.38. with 24.1. But his thoughts were not as their thoughts. The bramble reckoned it a great matter to raigne over the trees: So did not the Vine and Olive. The Papiſts hold that God is delighted with golden and ſilver veſſels in the adminiſtration of the Euchariſt, and offended with the contrary. But the Primitive Chriſtians celebrated the ſacrament of the Lords ſupper in veſſels firſt of wood, and afterwards of glaſſe. That ſaying alſo of Ambroſe is well known, Aurum ſacramenta non quaerunt, nec auro placent, quae auro non emuntur. It was grown to a proverbe ſoon after Conſtantines time, Once we had golden Miniſters and woodden veſſels, now we have woodden Miniſters, and golden veſſels. Religion brought forth wealth: and the mother devoured the daughter.