Whose hope shall be cut off
The same thing as before, expressed in different words, and
repeated for the certainty of it; signifying that it should be of
no manner of use, should be wholly lost, and issue in black
despair: the word has the signification of loathing, and is
differently rendered, either, "whom his hope shall loathe"
F5 or, "who shall loathe his hope"
F6; he shall fret and tease, and vex
himself that he should be such a fool to entertain such a vain
hope, or to place hope and confidence in such vain things,
finding himself most sadly disappointed:
and whose trust [shall be] a spider's web;
or "a spider's house" F7; and such its web is to it; having
made it, it encloses itself in it, and dwells securely: very
fitly is the hope and confidence of an hypocrite compared to a
spider's web, which is a very nice and curious piece of
workmanship, as are the outward works of righteousness, done by
hypocrites they are wrought out and set off to the best
advantage, to be seen of men; yet very slight and thin, and will
bear no weight; such are the best works of carnal professors;
they make a fine appearance, but have no substance, do not flow
from principles of grace, nor are done in the strength of Christ,
or to the glory of God; are but "splendida peccata", as one calls
them, and fall infinitely short of bearing the weight of the
salvation of the soul: as the spider's web is spun out of its own
bowels, so the works of such persons are wholly of themselves;
they are their own, done without the grace of God and spirit of
Christ; and such webs are not fit for garments, are too thin to
cover naked souls; insufficient to shelter from divine wrath and
vengeance; cannot bear the besom of justice, one stroke of which
will sweep them all away; and though they may think themselves
safe enclosed in them as in a house, they will find themselves in
the issue wretchedly mistaken; for there is no shelter, safety,
and security, in such cobwebs; there is none but in Christ and
his righteousness.