Cease ye from man— The prophet here subjoins an admonitory exhortation to the men of his own and of all times, to dissuade them from placing any confidence in man, however excellent in dignity, or great in power; as his life depends upon the air which he breathes through his nostrils; which being stopped, he is no more; and therefore, if you abstract from him the providence, the influx and grace of God, and consider him as left to himself, he is worthy of very little confidence and regard. See Psalms 146:3-4. Vitringa is of opinion, that the prophet here alludes immediately to the kings of Egypt; See chap. Isaiah 31:3. And he adds, that the mystical interpretation of the period from the 12th to the present verse, may refer to other days of the divine judgment; of which there are four peculiarly noted in scripture, as referring to the new oeconomy. First, The day of the subversion of the Jewish government: Secondly, The day of vengeance on the governors of the Roman empire, the persecutors of the church, in the time of Constantine: Thirdly, The future day of judgment hereafter to take place upon Antichrist and his crew; of which the prophets, and St. John in the Revelation particularly, have spoken; and, Fourthly, The day of general judgment. It is to the third day that he thinks the present period more immediately refers. See Revelation 16:14.
REFLECTIONS.—1st, We have here a glorious prophecy of the establishment of the kingdom and church of Christ in the last days, the days of the Messiah. The gospel is the last dispensation.
1. The mountain of the Lord's house, his church shall be established in the top of the mountains, in Christ, who is the head of all principalities and powers, and, with a superiority over all the kingdoms of the earth, shall be exalted above the hills; the antichristian powers, whether papal, pagan, or Mahometan, being subdued before it. Note, Whatever oppressions the church for a time may groan under, in the end the will see all her enemies at her feet.
2. All nations shall flow unto it; many out of all lands shall be incorporated into it, and, having tasted the blessedness of Christ's service, shall be zealously solicitous to propagate his holy religion, and to engage others to go with them. Many people shall go and say, Come ye along with us, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, his church, and to the house of the God of Jacob, the place he has chosen for his blest abode. And, as an argument to enforce their exhortation, they urge, and he will teach us of his ways, his holy, happy ways of grace, mercy, and peace; and we will walk in his paths, instructed by his word, and strengthened by his spirit. Note, (1.) The Gospel shall have a more glorious and universal spread than ever yet it has had. (2.) They who are Christ's people, are not only willing to follow him themselves, but are zealous to engage others to come and partake of the same blessing. (3.) None can teach us effectually, but God himself. Though the best means may be employed, unless he gives the increase, Paul plants and Apollos waters in vain. (4.) They who would go to the mount of God, must go up, in opposition to corrupt nature, and expect many difficulties in the ascent from the world and Satan; but every pain will be amply repaid, when we shall reach the summit. (5.) They who are taught of God, are obedient to his holy will; their knowledge has a sanctifying influence, engaging them to walk with and please God.
3. The means that God will employ for this purpose. Out of Zion shall go forth the law, or doctrine; the Gospel, the law of the Spirit of life: and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem, where the Incarnate Word appeared, and whence he sent forth his apostles to preach the Gospel unto every creature; which has already been done in a measure, and shall still more eminently be the case before the universal reign of Christ takes place in the world.
4. The blessing of Christ's government is declared. He shall judge among the nations, holding the reins of universal dominion, and ruling with the most consummate equity; and shall rebuke many people, convince and convert them from the error of their ways by his word and Spirit. Peace then will bless the earth, such as hath never yet been known: They shall beat their swords into plough-shares, and their spears into pruning-hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. In part we see this fulfilled; so far as the Gospel obtains power and influence on the heart, it leads us to follow peace with all men; but the state of perfect harmony here described remains yet to come, when Christ shall reign over his saints gloriously.
5. The Gentile church addresses the Jewish people, solicitous for their conversion: O house of Jacob, come ye, and join us in the worship and ordinances of the gospel; and let us walk in the light of the Lord, in the light of the Sun of Righteousness, the divine Redeemer, whose word is our bright guide through time unto eternity; and while by faith and love we cleave to him, and look up in prayer for continued support, he will lead us by his counsel, till he shall bring us to his glory.
2nd, We have a reason given for the divine conduct in the rejection of the Jews, and vocation of the Gentiles.
1. Their sins were great: they introduced the magic and sorceries of the east; imitated, in their arts of divination, the Philistines; and preferred the children of strangers to native Israelites. Though God had forbidden them to multiply riches, and chariots, and horses, to appear formidable to their neighbours, yet they anxiously laboured to procure these as their confidence, instead of god's promise and care. Though he had so awfully warned them against idols, they had filled their land with them; and high and low joined in the idolatrous service. This description suits the times in which the prophet spoke, better than their state after their return from Babylon. Some refer this to antichrist and his followers, who call themselves the people of God, but shew the marks of an apostate church. The juggles, tricks, and frauds of Romish priests are well known. They enrich themselves by masses, indulgences, &c. Full of idols; worshipping images of pretended saints, and of many who never existed; and all sunk in the same hateful idolatry: like priest, like people.
2. Their doom was heavy: God had forsaken them, and given them up to a reprobate mind. This was verified in the amazing desolations which the Romans brought upon the Jewish people, when the body of the nation was so terribly destroyed; and shall be more fully accomplished in the eternal ruin of all the impenitently wicked in the day of God.
3rdly, We have the desolations denounced, either upon the Jewish people, or upon the antichristian foes.
1. He bids them enter into the rock, as deriding their vain confidence, and shewing them how unable they will be to escape; when for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his Majesty, they should seek to hide their guilty heads. Note; (1.) At God's bar, the stoutest-hearted sinner will tremble. (2.) Vain will be every refuge in the day of judgment; no rock, no mountain can cover the guilty, when God ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
2. The pride of sinners shall then be laid low, the lofty looks shall sink into dejection and despair, and the haughtiness of the insolent lick the dust; and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day, in his judgments executed upon his enemies, and in his kingdom, which shall be fully established, and never more be disturbed by any antichristian foe. Note; Pride must come down; if we now fall not on our knees in humiliation, we must fall deep into hell under our sins.
3. The particulars of God's judgments upon the proud and lofty are mentioned. Though firm as mountains, and tall as cedars, they will be overturned; though guarded by the strongest fortresses, they cannot stand; all their confidence will fail them, and their glory vanish; their ships be destroyed, their pleasant pictures defaced, their idols abolished. The kings of the earth, and great men, and chief captains, who supported the beast, and the false prophet, and committed fornication with the great whore, will be ruined with her; their armadas, fitted out to war against the saints of God, will be dispersed and destroyed; their curious paintings of Madonas, saints, crucifixes, and the like idolatrous ornaments of their churches, will perish together, and their images, at which they paid their blind devotions, be for ever abolished.
4. The worshippers, convinced of the vanity of their idols, will renounce them, or, despairing of relief, in anger cast them to the moles and the bats, frighted with God's judgments, and flying to the clefts of the rocks for shelter. Note; (1.) Sooner or later the vanity of idols will appear; whether the grosser idolatry of images, or the more refined, yet equally abominable idolatry of inordinate affection placed on gold and silver, or any other creature; none of which will profit in a day of wrath. (2.) Many are driven from their outward sins, who never repent of them; either are so terrified, that conscience deters them; or the inconveniences and sufferings which they sustain withhold them; but still the unmortified love of them remains in their hearts.
5. The Prophet concludes with an exhortation to cease from man; either directed to the Jews, who relied on Egypt for help against the Babylonians; or to the followers of antichrist, who put such trust in the blasphemous pardons and indulgences issued from the papal chair; or in general to all, not to trust in man, even the greatest, for salvation, because he is a worm; for wherein is he to be accounted of? The Egyptians would help in vain, the great vaunts of the man who calls himself Christ's vicar, and God upon earth, are empty boasts of arrogance, and all human excellence nothing, and less than nothing, and vanity. Note; We cannot put too little trust in man, nor too great confidence in God. They who cease from the one, to live wholly upon the other, will find a rock instead of a reed.