MAN IN HIS BEST STATE IS ALTOGETHER VANITY: TRUST CHRIST JESUS ALONE

"Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils; for wherein is he to be accounted?" -Isaiah 2:22 [KJV]

This precious text my dear Lord preached to my heart, day after day, upwards of twenty years ago; when it first pleased Him to make me happy in His love: though not then, yet I have seen abundant cause for it. That soul is in good health, that can say, I am sick of sin, sick of men, and sick of myself. The Lord is teaching us this lesson day after day: it is a hard one to flesh and blood. For we are naturally prone to look to, trust in, and depend upon an arm of flesh. 

But this is to depart, in heart, from the Lord: a curse is denounced upon this (see Jeremiah 17:5.) Consider, man’s breath is in his nostrils. The best of men are subjects of sin, and liable to the stroke of death: the breath that promises you to-day, ere to-morrow’s drawn, may be vanished into air, and all your hopes blasted: the arm of flesh, which to-day is strong and stretched forth in your service, tomorrow may be stiff in death, all your expectations buried in the grave of despair, and you left in disappointment and vexation. 

Whereof is man to be accounted? in his best estate he is altogether vanity. “Cease ye from man.”—Yea, from professors too. You are in danger of being hurt by them also: I have, and therefore speak from experience. Here is our danger; we are apt to think too high of ministers and professors. Even St. Paul cautions against this: “Lest any man think of me above that which he seeth me to be” (II Corinthians 12:6.) You entertain a very high opinion of such an one: perhaps you may soon see something in him you little expected. 

You are stumbled: you get into reasoning; he falls away from the hope of the gospel, (how many awful instances have I known, both of eminent ministers and great professors!) You are staggered: you know not what to think. Up comes Mr. Devil, with ‘Ah! you see it is all a delusion: give all up: follow the gospel no longer.’ But our Lord would have our hearts simply looking to Him; therefore, He bids us “cease from man.” He, He alone is the only precious Man we are never to cease from. In Him there is none occasion of stumbling: He is a perfect man. Fix your eye steadily upon Him: seek all your perfection in Him: look for all your comforts from Him. 

Cease from yourself: avoid all self-confidence: flee all self-complacency. Cease from self-righteous, vain-glorying, self-deceived liars, who say they are perfect, and have no sin in them. Ever look at, ever glory in that dear MAN, in Whom we are perfect; presented to the Father, holy, unblameable, and unreprovable in His sight (see Colossians 1:22.) 

 

We’re prone, alas! to trust in man, 

And from our God depart: 

Convince us of this foolish plan; 

Lord, take and keep our heart.

 

-preacher William Mason (1724-1797 A.D.)