The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 60

Ver. 22.-Trmting in man. I. OUR BTRONG TEIIIPTATION. We a.re very strongly tempted to" put our trust in man," to "make flesh our a.rm;" for: 1. We see signs of strength in man. And that which is visible has most influence on our human nature, "If a man loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hat.h _not seen?" (~ J oh:n. iv. 2?)- In like ma.~ner ,ve far more readily trust the man who 1s ~fore us with VISlble signs of health, riches, power about him, than any unseen force which may really be more reliable. 2. Human affection invites trust in man. 'rhere are loving hearts a.round us, enclosing our spirits in the embrace of their affection ; it is natural to us to respond to their kindness, and to offer them the full confidence of our souls. We love those who love us; and whom we love we trust. 3. Confidence is often directly offered to us and urged upon us. Those who wish- perhaps for their own purposes-to secure our confidence in them know how to employ successful arts to win our assurance. They virtually say to us," '!'rust me, I will ensure your good. I will lead you in the path of honour, of enjoyment, of prosperity; " and it is all too likely that their blandishments or their importunity will prevail. 4. Trust in man is_ contagiou~. We fi1;1d our fellows on every hand, in every circle, leaning the whole weight of their well-bemg upon the arm of men, confiding wholly .in their.friends and neigh hours, risking everything on their integrity; and what others do we an, tempted to do also. The frosts ma.y have been very few and the ice may seem very thin, but many a.re skating on its surface, and we think that where they have gone we also may go with impunity. II. Ou11 WISDOM IN ITS PRESENCE. 1. We should never trust man absolutely. We are to" cease from man;" he is "not to be accounted of" in such way as to be worthy of our implicit trust. Of this we may assure ourselves if we will remember: (1) His liability to mistake. The cleverest, the most learned, the most thoughtful,. the most esteemed, are wrong in some things, are often found wrong in great and gravp things; there is no man whose judgment is always sound. (2) His spiritual insecurity. 'l'he man who is held in highest regard may be overtaken by a storm of temptation in which even he will make shipwreck. Men have fallen on whose security their companions counted with unbounded certainty. Before the friend whom we honour above all others, there ma'} prove to be a course which will end in spiritual declension, or even in moral degradation. The painful facts of life pierce our theories while they break our hearts. (3) His physical fragil,ity. "Man, whose breath is in his nostrils." Hale, strong, capable of noble work to-day, he may be brought down to utter weakness and incapacity to-morrow; nay, before the sun goes down he may have drawn the last breath of life! 2. We should trust the only One who is trustworthy-even him who is the "Truth," who is the "Holy One," who is the "Immortal One."-C. Ver. 3.-The attractions of the gospel Church. The earthly Jerusalem, which was thought of as a mountain surrounded by mountains, but superior to them all, is in the prophet's mind, and it gives form to his thought of the Gospel times-the setting up of the Christian Church, and the planting of the Cs.ristian religion in the world. ' Christi- anity shB.11 then be the "mountain of the Lord's house," or the "Lord's mountain house,'' exalted above all other religions, and made the rendezvous of all the spiritual seed of Abraham. "The prophet sees the Church permanently placed in a conspicuous position, so as to be a source ~f attractio!l to surr~unding nations. To expre~s t~is idea, be makes use of terms which are strictly applicable only to the local hab1tat1on of the Church under the old economy. Instead of saying, in modern phraseology, that the Church, as a society, shall become conspicuous and attract all nations, he represents the mountain upon which the temple stood as being raised and fixed above the other mountains, so as to be visible in all directions" (J. A. Alexander). T. K. Cheyne notices an " old belief in Eastern Asia that there was a mountain reaching from earth to heaven, on the sllIIlmit of wl,ich was the dwelling of the gods. The prophet is, perhaps, alluding to this belief, which he recognizes &R true in substance, though attached by the heathen to a wrong locality." The text may be illustrated by the custom_ of the Israelites to journey from all parts of the country for the yearly feasts. Keepmg thE: figure of the prophet, we observe- L THE GOSPEL CHURCH IS LIKE A MOUNTAIN. Illustrate from the conspicuous position of J e:rlll!alem, or of Sa.fed. A mountain rises up out of the plain; BO the gospel Church OH, 11, 1-22,] THE BOOK OF 'rHE PROPHET ISAIAH. 45