Bridges on Proverbs 24:3-6
 
 
Charles Bridges on Proverbs 24:3-6
 
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3.  Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: 4.  And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. 5.  A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength. {is strong: Heb. is in strength} {increaseth...: Heb. strengtheneth might} 6.  For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.
 
Why should we envy the prosperity of the wicked? Even if their house be built, it cannot be established, by iniquity. ‘It is only the snow-palace built in the winter, and melting away under the power of the summer's sun.’ “The wise woman buildeth her house” (Chapter 14:1) upon piety and prudence — a far more solid establishment. Let every chamber of the mind be enriched with these precious and pleasant endowments. Without them the man is without strength of character; the creature of accident, circumstance, or society, thinking and living upon the opinion of others. A general irresolution marks his insignificant course; the soul, when consecrated as God's house (2 Corinthians 6:16), is built on an enlightened understanding of divine truth: and every chamber is filled with the precious and pleasant riches of godliness. (2 Peter 1:2-4.) Heresy is restrained by conceding supreme authority to the Bible. The crude professor acts under feverish impulse, a sickly sentimentalist in religion. Instead of retaining a firm hold of truth, he imbibes with ease the most monstrous opinions. He is “carried about with divers and strange doctrines,” instead of exhibiting “the good things of an heart established with grace.” (Hebrews 13:9.) “Growth in” spiritual, as distinct from speculative “knowledge,” will always be accompanied with “growth in grace.” (2 Peter 3:18.)
And may we not observe, how God has laid the foundations of the spiritual house, shaped and framed the materials by his own divine wisdom, and filled all the chambers with his precious and pleasant riches? Delightful is the contemplation of the building, as it is rising, and as it will be, when it is finished. ‘Oh, the transcendent glory’ — exclaimed the heavenly Martyn — ‘of this temple of souls; lively stones, perfect in all its parts, the purchase and work of God!’
In passing from the universal Church to one section of it, we cannot but remark the wisdom and understanding with which our spiritual house is builded and established. It called for no common wisdom in such jarring times, and such imperfect light, to avoid extremes on both sides, and to frame a system, fraught with solid instruction, yet glowing with spiritual exercise; popular yet reverential; conducive to “prayer” alike “with the spirit and with the understanding.” (1 Corinthians 14:15.) Our Reformers were indeed wisely taught, while they cast away the superstition and idolatry of Rome, to apply her primitive treasures for godly use, and when needed, to purify them from their drossy alloy, and to mold the gold in evangelical purity. Truly the chambers of our house are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. And did the mass of our worshippers only imbibe the spirit of their house what a prevailing influence of godliness would spread over our land!
But we take another view of the high advantage of wisdom. A wise man is strong. Every view confirms Lord Bacon's far-famed aphorism — ‘Knowledge is power.’ The discovery of the mechanical forces, and the power of steam, has increased strength in an hundred-fold proportion to physical force. Intellectual knowledge, wisely applied, has immense moral ascendancy. It restrains the King from unadvised wars (Chapter 20:18); and, if forced into the field, instead of treading his perilous path alone, he ensures the safety of his kingdom by multitude of counselors. The man of spiritual knowledge is a giant in strength. He combines the power to draw the bow, with a steady hand and eye to guide the mark. Conscious ignorance is the first principle of knowledge. “I am but a little child” — said the wisest of men; and this humility of wisdom was the establishment of his kingdom. The Christian, “filled with wisdom and spiritual understanding,” is also “strengthened” in his warfare “with all might according to the glorious power of his God.” (Colossians 1:9, 11.) For “the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.” (Daniel 11:32.)
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Footnote:
Micah 3:10.
 

 
Micah 3:10
10 They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity. {blood: Heb. bloods}
 
 
Footnote:
Chapter 12:3. Jeremiah 22:13, 18. Amos 5:11.
 

 
Proverbs 12:3
3 ¶ A man shall not be established by wickedness: but the root of the righteous shall not be moved.
 
Jeremiah 22:13, 18
13 Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his neighbour's service without wages, and giveth him not for his work; 18 Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah; They shall not lament for him, saying, Ah my brother! or, Ah sister! they shall not lament for him, saying, Ah lord! or, Ah his glory!
 
Amos 5:11
11 Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them. {pleasant...: Heb. vineyards of desire}
 
 
Footnote:
Geier in loco.
 
 
Proverbs 14:1
1 ¶ Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.
 
 
2 Corinthians 6:16
16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
 
 
2 Peter 1:2-4
2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: {to: or, by} 4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
 
 
Hebrews 13:9
9 Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.
 
 
2 Peter 3:18
18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
 
 
Footnote:
Life, chapter iii.
 
 
1 Corinthians 14:15
15 ¶ What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.
 
 
Footnote:
Chapter 21:22. Ecclesiastes 7:19; 9:16.
 

 
Proverbs 21:22
22 ¶ A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, and casteth down the strength of the confidence thereof.
 
Ecclesiastes 7:19
19 Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city.
 
Ecclesiastes 9:16
16 Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
 
 
Proverbs 20:18
18 ¶ Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.
 
 
Footnote:
Chapter 11:14; 15:22.
 

 
Proverbs 11:14
14 ¶ Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.
 
Proverbs 15:22
22 ¶ Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.
 
 
Footnote:
1 Kings 3:7; 5:12; 10:23-29. 2 Chronicles 27:6.
 

 
1 Kings 3:7
7 And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.
 
1 Kings 5:12
12 And the LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him: and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they two made a league together.
 
1 Kings 10:23-29
23 So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom. 24 And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. {sought to: Heb. sought the face of} 25 And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year. 26 And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he bestowed in the cities for chariots, and with the king at Jerusalem. 27 And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycomore trees that are in the vale, for abundance. {made: Heb. gave} 28 And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king's merchants received the linen yarn at a price. {And Solomon...: Heb. And the going forth of the horses which was Solomon's} 29 And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and an horse for an hundred and fifty: and so for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, did they bring them out by their means. {by their...: Heb. by their hand}
 
2 Chronicles 27:6
6 So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God. {prepared: or, established}
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Colossians 1:9, 11
9 ¶ For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
 
 
Daniel 11:32
32 And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. {corrupt: or, cause to dissemble}