What a beautiful and striking close is made in this verse to all that went before. If man be nothing, yea worse than nothing, so full of terror, and so exposed to fear, who would put any confidence in him? His life is but a vapour: his breath is in his nostrils. Cease, cease from him! Look unto Jesus.
REFLECTIONS
READER! look at the beauty and loveliness of the gospel church! Behold how, ages before it was established, the prophet set it forth. And see now how exactly the church of Jesus comes up to his description. In its great and almighty Author and Founder, behold how it is, and hath been established. And though in the present day, Zion seemeth, and doth indeed languish: yet Christ hath never been, nor ever will be, without a seed serving him, and a church where his name is blessed.
Ought not we to go up to this mountain of the Lord's house? Should not everyone be truly anxious to say with the church of old: Our feet shall stand in thy gate, O Jerusalem? Precious Lord Jesus! Do thou incline our souls to seek thee, our hearts to love thee, and our best affections to be fixed upon thee. And will thou not, O Lord, teach us of thy ways, and cause us to walk in thy paths? Reader! let us not close this sweet chapter, before we have first learned from it, under divine teaching, rightly to value man's nothingness, and the Lord's excellency. Precious Jesus! I would lie low in the dust before thee: convinced that I am nothing, and that I can merit nothing, mine eyes shall be up unto thee, Lord, for all I need, and for all I can require, for grace in this life, and glory in that which is to come. Lord, I would cease from man: I would cease from self: I would cease from everything in which might be supposed confidence. I pray thee, dear Lord, to give me confidence in thee. Oh for grace to sing that song, and feel its saving power on my heart: The Lord is my strength and my song, and thou art become my salvation!