Bridges on Proverbs 12:2

Charles Bridges on Proverbs 12:2


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2. A good man obtaineth favour of the LORD: but a man of wicked devices will he condemn.

Goodness is “the fruit of the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:22.) The good man therefore is a man filled with the Spirit. He reflects the munificent goodness of God. (Matthew 5:44, 45.) He is not only the subject, but the almoner, of grace; not only “enriched” with all blessings for himself, but “unto all bountifulness” (2 Corinthians 9:11) for the service of his fellow-creatures. As a benefactor to mankind, he commands our devoted gratitude. But as a far richer reward (of grace indeed, not of debt) (Luke 17:10) he obtaineth favour of the LORD. (Isaiah 58:8-11. Nehemiah 13:14. 1 Peter 3:12.) What are all this world's treasures compared with it? (Psalm 4:6, 7.) Is it not the joy of our salvation; our soothing mercy (Ib. 119:76); our covering shield (Ib. 5:12); in the near prospect of eternity, our absorbing interest? (2 Corinthians 5:9, 10.) And if here, in a world of sin, it be “life, yea, better than life” (Psalm 63:3); what will be that unclouded sunshine; “the path of life;” “the fullness of joy in his heavenly presence; the pleasures at his right hand for evermore!” (Ib. 16:11.)

The contrast to the good man is — not the man — (which alas! may be a child of God) (2 Samuel 11:12-15) in whom wicked devices are found, but the man of these devices. He lives in them as his element; his mind is set upon them. He contrives them. He follows them as his course and delight. (Chapter 1:10-12; 6:18. Isaiah 32:6, 7.) Instead of favour, he “is condemned already.” (John 3:19, 20.) His sting of conscience and the curse of God is present condemnation. (Zechariah 5:3, 4. 1 Kings 12:25-30; 14:10.) And in the great day, the All-seeing Judge “shall be a swift witness against him!” (Malachi 3:5. Psalm 50:16-21.)

Galatians 5:22

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Matthew 5:44, 45

44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

2 Corinthians 9:11

11 Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. {bountifulness: or, liberality: Gr. simplicity}

Luke 17:10

10 So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

Isaiah 58:8-11

8 ¶ Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward. {be...: Heb. gather thee up} 9 Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; 10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: 11 And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. {drought: Heb. droughts} {fail: Heb. lie, or, deceive}

Nehemiah 13:14

14 Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof. {good...: Heb. kindnesses} {offices: or, observations}

1 Peter 3:12

12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. {against: Gr. upon}

Psalm 4:6, 7

6 ¶ There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. 7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.

Psalm 119:76

76 ¶ Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant. {for...: Heb. to comfort me}

Psalm 5:12

12 For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield. {compass: Heb. crown}

2 Corinthians 5:9, 10

9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. {labour: or, endeavour} 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Psalm 63:3

3 ¶ Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.

Psalm 16:11

11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

2 Samuel 11:12-15

12 And David said to Uriah, Tarry here to day also, and to morrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow. 13 And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house. 14 ¶ And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 15 And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die. {hottest: Heb. strong} {from him: Heb. from after him}

Proverbs 1:10-12

10 ¶ My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. 11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: 12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:

Proverbs 6:18

18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

Isaiah 32:6, 7

6 For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the LORD, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail. 7 The instruments also of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right. {the needy...: or, he speaketh against the poor in judgment}

John 3:19, 20

19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. {reproved: or, discovered}

Zechariah 5:3, 4

3 Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it. {every one that stealeth...: or, every one of this people that stealeth holdeth himself guiltless, as it doth} 4 I will bring it forth, saith the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.

1 Kings 12:25-30

25 ¶ Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel. 26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: 27 If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah. 28 Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 29 And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan. 30 And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.

1 Kings 14:10

10 Therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone.

Malachi 3:5

5 And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against the false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the sojourner from his right, and fear not me, saith Jehovah of hosts. 5 And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts. {oppress: or, defraud}

Psalm 50:16-21

16 ¶ But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth? 17 Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee. 18 When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers. {hast...: Heb. thy portion was with} 19 Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit. {givest: Heb. sendest} 20 Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother's son. 21 These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.