Ceasing from Man
W. H. Lewis, D. D. Isaiah 2:22 Cease you from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of ? I. CEASE YE FROM EXPECTING TOO GREAT PERFECTION IN MAN. Many are sadly mistaken on this point. They have higher ideas of the excellency of human nature than the Word of God warrants. It is sad that our experience of life should chill its generous sympathies, and that the heart should become cold and selfish as our knowledge of mankind increases. We ought so to live that the more we become acquainted with human wickedness, the more our compassionate feelings should be enlarged; and that person has a Christian spirit whose experience of man's depravity and love for man have increased in the same ratio. II. THE RULE OF OUR TEXT WILL APPLY ALSO TO CHRISTIANS. Cease from expecting perfection in them. 1. The Bible teaches us to regard a Christian as different from others only as the man recovering from disease differs from one who is still under its full power, not as one in perfect health and strength. 2. As Christians we may learn to cease from expecting too much from our fellow Christians. 3. We should cease, too, from making any fellow Christian our model, or measuring our faith by his faithfulness. 4. And let us cease from expecting too much from Christian friendship. Christ was forsaken by the twelve, and at St. Paul's first answer before the Roman emperor, no man stood with him, but all forsook him. III. CEASE YE FROM THE FEAR OF MAN is another appropriate application of the text. 1. The Word of God warns us against this. Who can say that he pursues just that path which conscience approves without being drawn aside by the fear of man? And how strong is the antidote to such a fear which the text presents! His breath is in his nostrils! 2. We should be careful, however, that our ceasing from man be not attended with evil feelings towards him. If a poor man is fearless in the presence of the rich because he scorns them, that is wrong. If we go forward in the path of duty, undeterred by the opinion of the world, because we are self-opinionated, and care nothing for any conclusions except our own, that is wrong. IV. CEASE YE FROM MAN AS A SOURCE OF HAPPINESS. We build our enjoyments on relatives and friends. We gather around us those who are worthy of our love; our hearts begin to knit with theirs, and we say, This is comfort, here is happiness. But one touch of death crumbles all to the dust, and leaves us to mourn over our disappointed expectations. (W. H. Lewis, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of? WEB: Stop trusting in man, whose breath is in his nostrils; for of what account is he?