Bridges on Proverbs 21:4
 
 
Charles Bridges on Proverbs 21:4
 
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4.  An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin. {An...: Heb. Haughtiness of eyes} {the plowing: or, the light}
 
Another stamp of abomination upon pride!† We cannot mistake the mind of God so continually declared. Yet so many shapes does this sin assume, that, until the Spirit of God shews a man to himself, he rejects the idea of any concern in it. Nay, he will be proud of his very pride, proud of a high spirit; counting a Christian mean and cowardly, who in the true spirit of the Gospel, yields up his right to a stronger hand.†
But not only the haughtiness, but even the natural actions — the plowing of the wicked — is sin. “This is an hard saying; who can hear it?” (John 6:60.) How can the plowing of the soil, in itself a duty (Genesis 3:19), become a sin? The motive determines the act. The most natural actions are inculcated for Christian ends.† They become therefore moral actions, good or bad according to their own motives. The man, who plows the soil, acknowledging God in his work, and seeking his strength and blessing — “does it acceptably to the glory of God.” It is essentially a religious action. But the wicked, who does the same work without any regard to God — for want [lack] of a godly end, his plowing is sin.† His idleness is sin against a plain command. (2 Thessalonians 3:10.) His industry is the sin of ungodliness, putting God out of his own world. The substance of his act is good. But the corrupt principle defiles the very best actions. (Titus 1:15.) “Every thought, every imagination, of the” natural “heart,” is unmixed “evil.” (Genesis 6:5.) If the fountain-head be bitter, how can the waters be pure? Sin indeed defiles every motive in the Christian's heart. But here it is the substance of sin. In the one case it is infirmity of walk in the straight path. In the other, it is an habitual walk in a crooked path. With the wicked — ‘his eating as well as his gluttony; his drinking as well as his drunkenness; his commerce, negotiation, and trafficking, as well as his covetousness, and inordinate love of the world, are all set down and reckoned by God for sins, and such sins as he must reckon for with God.’† Fearful indeed is his condition. Would that he could see it! Whether he prays,† or neglects to pray,† it is abomination. He cannot but sin; and yet he is fully accountable for his sin. To die, is to plunge into ruin.† To live in unregeneracy is even worse; it is daily “heaping up wrath against the day of wrath.” (Romans 2:5.) Ought he then to leave his duties undone? ‘The impotency of man must not prejudice God's authority, nor diminish his duty.’† What then ought he to do? Let him learn the absolute necessity of the vital change — “Ye must be born again.” (John 3:7.) The leper taints everything that he touches. But let him seek to the Great Physician, whose word is sovereign healing (Matthew 8:3), whose Divine blood cleanses from every spot. (1 John 1:7.) His nature once cleansed, his works will be clean. His thoughts and principles, all will be for the glory of God; all acceptable to God.†
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Footnote:
Chapter 3:34; 8:13; 16:5.
 
 
Proverbs 3:34
34 Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.
 
Proverbs 8:13
13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.
 
Proverbs 16:5
5 ¶ Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished. {unpunished: Heb. held innocent}
 
 
Footnote:
Matthew 5:39-41. 1 Corinthians 6:7.
 
 
Matthew 5:39-41
39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. 41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
 
1 Corinthians 6:7
7 Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?
 
 
John 6:60
60 ¶ Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
 
 
Genesis 3:19
19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
 
 
Footnote:
1 Corinthians 10:31. Colossians 3:17.
 
 
1 Corinthians 10:31
31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
 
Colossians 3:17
17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
 
 
Footnote:
‘Holy intention is to the actions of a man that, which the soul is to the body, or form to its matter, or the root to the tree, or the sun to the world, or the fountain to the river, or the base to a pillar. Without these, the body is a dead trunk, the matter is sluggish, the tree is a block, the world is darkness, the river is quickly dry, the pillar rushes into flatness and ruin, and the action is sinful, or unprofitable and vain.’ — Bp. Taylor's Holy Living, Chap. i. Sec. iii.
 
 
2 Thessalonians 3:10
10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.
 
 
Titus 1:15
15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
 
 
Genesis 6:5
5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. {every...: or, the whole imagination: the Hebrew word signifieth not only the imagination, but also the purposes and desires} {continually: Heb. every day}
 
 
Footnote:
Bp. Hopkins' Works, ii. 481.
 
 
Footnote:
Verse 27. Chapter 15:8. Isaiah 1:13.
 
 
Proverbs 21:27
27 ¶ The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination: how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind? {with...: Heb. in wickedness?}
 
Proverbs 15:8
8 ¶ The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.
 
Isaiah 1:13
13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. {iniquity: or, grief}
 
 
Footnote:
Psalm 10:4.
 
 
Psalm 10:4
4 The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. {God is...: or, all his thoughts are, There is no God}
 
 
Footnote:
Ib. 9:17. Matthew 25:41-46.
 
 
Psalm 9:17
17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.
 
Matthew 25:41-46
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
 
 
Romans 2:5
5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
 
 
Footnote:
Bp. Reynolds' Works, p. 94.
 
 
John 3:7
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
 
 
Matthew 8:3
3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
 
 
1 John 1:7
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
 
 
Footnote:
Titus 1:15, first clause. Many good commentators, following the old versions, adopt the marginal reading. (Compare 13:9; 24:20. Job 21:17.) But as the word is used in a similar sense, chapter 13:23, and as our version is well supported, and gives a most important meaning, we have been content to adhere to it. Bishop Patrick explains the ploughing in the figurative sense of dressing. But as the two first illustrations in the verse are literal, it seems more consonant to unity to take the third on the same ground — ‘What can they (the wicked) think, say, or do; even when they eat, play, fast, or pray, they are always under the guilt of sin, because all flows from an impure heart, and the bad tree cannot bring forth good fruit?’ Matthew 7:18. Cartwright in loco. ‘Whatsoever they devise, or whatsoever they do, inside and outside, the cloth and linings of their garments are all sin.’ Caryl on Job 4:8. ‘The wicked man hath a haughty look and a proud heart. Neither are his misdispositions only sinful. But those his very actions and endeavors, which in another man would be harmless, are in him no other than sin.’ — Bp. Hall. See also Scott in loco.
 
 
Titus 1:15
15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
 
Proverbs 13:9
9 ¶ The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out. {lamp: or, candle}
 
Proverbs 24:20
20 For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out. {candle: or, lamp}
 
Job 21:17
17 ¶ How oft is the candle of the wicked put out! and how oft cometh their destruction upon them! God distributeth sorrows in his anger. {candle: or, lamp}
 
Proverbs 13:23
23 ¶ Much food is in the tillage of the poor: but there is that is destroyed for want of judgment.
 
Job 4:8
8 Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.