Bridges on Proverbs 14:29
 
 
Charles Bridges on Proverbs 14:29
 
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29.  He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly. {hasty...: Heb. short of spirit}
 
The world judge very lightly of a hasty spirit, except when it touches themselves. ‘It is a fit of passion, soon over and forgotten.’ But does God judge so? See how his word stamps the native rooted principle. It is “giving place to the devil;† grieving the Holy Spirit;”† contrary to the mind and example of Christ;† inconsistent with the profession of the Gospel;† degrading human nature;† a work of the flesh, that shuts out from heaven,† and condemns to hell.† Surely then to be slow to wrath — such a fruitful source of sin and misery — is a proof of great understanding. (Chapter 19:11; 20:3. James 3:17.) It is as if we felt our just dignity, and high obligations. But too often, instead of being slow to wrath, the spirit is hasty, and finds a short way to wrath. It is as tinder to every spark of provocation, and at one step hurries into the midst of wrath. There is often a sourness of spirit, that sits upon men, by which they are angry at they know not what; lighting into a flame at the most trifling matters, such as in cooler moments we shall be ashamed at having contended for. Terrible flames have arisen from these trifling sparks.† This is indeed exalting folly on an eminence to be seen by all. (Chapter 3:35.) Yet too often passion serves instead of law and reason, and this folly is deemed high-mindedness and proper spirit. Oh! it is a mercy to be delivered from the standard of this world, and to live, act, and judge by the standard of God and his word.
But let the children of God remember that a hasty spirit condemned the meekest of men. (Psalm 106:32, 33.) Never was folly more exalted, than by the fretful selfishness of a prophet of the LORD. (Jonah 4.) The gentlest spirit needs to be cast into a deep mold of lowliness and love for communion with God. (Isaiah 57:15. 1 John 4:16.) Who can plead inability to resist? Has not God given understanding to shew the temper; reason to govern it; his Word and Spirit to crucify it? Realize our obligations to sovereign grace, as the effective discipline for this baneful propensity. (James 1:18, 19.)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Footnote:
Ephesians 4:26, 27.
 
 
Ephesians 4:26, 27
26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 27 Neither give place to the devil.
 
 
Footnote:
Ib. verse 30.
 
 
Ephesians 4:30
30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
 
 
Footnote:
Matthew 11:29. Philippians 2:3-5. 1 Peter 2:23.
 
 
Matthew 11:29
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
 
Philippians 2:3-5
3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
 
1 Peter 2:23
23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: {himself: or, his cause}
 
 
Footnote:
Colossians 3:8, 12, 13.
 
 
Colossians 3:8, 12, 13
8 ¶ But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 12 ¶ Put on therefore, as God's elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering; 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. {quarrel: or, complaint}
 
 
Footnote:
Chapter 17:12; 25:8; 29:20.
 
 
Proverbs 17:12
12 ¶ Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.
 
 
Proverbs 25:8
8 ¶ Go not forth hastily to strive, lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof, when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame.
 
Proverbs 29:20
20 ¶ Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of him. {words: or, matters?}
 
 
Footnote:
Galatians 5:19-21.
 
 
Galatians 5:19-21
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
 
 
Footnote:
Matthew 5:22.
 
 
Matthew 5:22
22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. {Raca: that is, Vain fellow}
 
 
Proverbs 19:11
11 ¶ The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression. {discretion: or, prudence}
 
Proverbs 20:3
3 ¶ It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.
 
James 3:17
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. {partiality: or, wrangling}
 
 
Footnote:
See on verse 17.
 
 
Proverbs 14:17
17 ¶ He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.
 
 
Proverbs 3:35
35 The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools. {shall be...: Heb. exalteth the fools}
 
 
Psalm 106:32, 33
32 They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes: 33 Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips.
 
 
Jonah 4.
1 ¶ But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. 2 And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. 3 Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live. 4 Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry? {Doest...: or, Art thou greatly angry?} 5 ¶ So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city. 6 And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd. {gourd: or, palmcrist: Heb. Kikajon} {was...: Heb. rejoiced with great joy} 7 But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered. 8 And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live. {vehement: or, silent} 9 And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death. {Doest...: or, Art thou greatly angry?} {I do well...: or, I am greatly angry} 10 Then said the LORD, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: {had pity: or, spared} {came...: Heb. was the son of the night} 11 And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Isaiah 57:15
15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
 
1 John 4:16
16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
 
 
James 1:18, 19
18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. 19 ¶ Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: