Bridges on Proverbs 18:20-21
 
 
Charles Bridges on Proverbs 18:20-21
 
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20.  A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled. 21.  Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
 
Who would not be careful what seed he puts into a fruitful field when he knows that his harvest will be according to his seed? (Galatians 6:7, 8.) Here is not a field, but “a world” (James 3:6), to be cultivated, so that we may be satisfied with the fruit, and filled with the increase. What this fruit and increase may be, is a fearful alternative. The fruit of our lips — the power of our tongue — will be poisonous or wholesome, death or life. Evil words tend to death, good words to life — to the comfort of the speaker, as well as to the blessing of the hearer. There is no mean; nothing but extremes. It is either the worst of evils, or the best of blessings.
This is clearly manifested in public responsibilities. The testimony of witnesses, and the legal decision of the judge, fearfully shew that death or life is in the power of the tongue. Take even a more important field of illustration — the Ministry of the gospel — the doctrine of false and true teachers. Suppose the sinner's conscience to be awakened. Eagerly he longs for an answer to that immensely momentous question — “What must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30.) Let him be blinded to his own state; soothed with false remedies, or the true remedy concealed or obscured. Or let him be directed to the cross as the one object, compared with which all other objects are vanity and delusion — do not we see, that, according to the use of the tongue, death and life is in the power of it? Nay — in another, — perhaps a more solemn, apprehension of the great work, when all is simply and fully exhibited; when man's helplessness and Divine sufficiency — sin and the Savior — the ruin and the restoration — are clearly displayed; according as the message is rejected or welcomed, it becomes “a savour of death unto death, or of life unto life.” (2 Corinthians 2:16.) Thus again, death or life is in the power of the tongue.
In the common intercourse of life, also is the tongue “the fountain both of bitter waters and sweet;” as powerful to destroy as to edify; the poison, or antidote, as it may be used. ‘A man by using his tongue aright, in talking, exhorting, witnessing, counseling, may save; and, by abusing it in any of these ways, or any other, may destroy.’ Either way he will be filled with the fruit. The curse of destroying others will return upon himself. In administering a blessing to his neighbour, is own soul will be fed. (Chapter 11:25.) They that love it shall eat the fruit of it. It is, however, the habitual, not the occasional, use of this little member, that determines its fruit. A saint may “speak unadvisedly” — a sinner acceptably — “with his lips.” Neither would thus determine his true character.
Born as we are for eternity, no utterance of our tongue can be called trifling. A word, though light as air, scarcely marked, and soon forgotten, may rise up as a witness at the throne of judgment for death or for life eternal. (Matthew 12:37.) When I think of this awful power, shall I not — as Chrysostom warns ‘guard this little member more than the pupil of the eye’? Are not the sins of the tongue an overwhelming manifestation of the long-suffering of God? ‘Woe is me’ — exclaimed a man of God, — ‘for I am a man of unclean lips.’ Shall I not cry to my God, that he would restrain my tongue; yea, cry more earnestly, that he would consecrate it as a sacred gift, stamped with his image, that it might be my glory, not my shame; my organ of praise, my exercise of joy? In the inner man the heart is the main thing to be kept (Chapter 4:23); in the outer man the tongue (Chapter 21:23.) O my God! take them both into thine own keeping, under thine own discipline, as instruments for thy service and glory.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Galatians 6:7, 8
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
 
 
James 3:6
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. {course: Gr. wheel}
 
 
Footnote:
Verse 7. Psalm 50:20, 21. Matthew 5:22; 12:36. Jude 14, 15.
 

 
Proverbs 18:7
7 A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.
 
Psalm 50:20, 21
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.
 
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}
 
Matthew 12:36
36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
 
Jude 14, 15
14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, 15 ¶ To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Footnote:
Chapter 13:2. Compare Ecclesiasticus 28:18.
 

 
Proverbs 13:2
2 ¶ A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth: but the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence.
 
Compare
Ecclesiasticus 28:18
17 The stroke of the whip maketh marks in the flesh: but the stroke of the tongue breaketh the bones. 18 Many have fallen by the edge of the sword: but not so many as have fallen by the tongue.
 
 
Footnote:
Chapter 12:14; 13:2. Psalm 34:12, 13.
 

 
Proverbs 12:14
14 ¶ A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth: and the recompence of a man’s hands shall be rendered unto him.
 
Proverbs 13:2
2 ¶ A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth: but the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence.
 
Psalm 34:12, 13
12 What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? 13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
 
 
Acts 16:30
30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
 
 
2 Corinthians 2:16
16 To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?
 
 
Footnote:
Muffet in loco.
 
 
Proverbs 11:25
25 ¶ The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself. {liberal...: Heb. soul of blessing}
 
 
Matthew 12:37
37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
 
 
Footnote:
Homily 62 on Matt.
 
 
Footnote:
Isaiah 6:5.
 

 
Isaiah 6:5
5 ¶ Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. {undone: Heb. cut off}
 
 
Footnote:
Psalm 141:3.
 

 
Psalm 141:3.
3 Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.
 
 
Footnote:
Ib. 51:15.
 

 
Psalm 51:15
15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.
 
 
Footnote:
Ib. 57:7, 8.
 

 
Ib. 57:7, 8.
7 ¶ My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise. {fixed: or, prepared} 8 Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.
 
 
Proverbs 4:23
23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. {with...: Heb. above all keeping
 
 
Proverbs 21:23
23 ¶ Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.