Bridges on Proverbs 25:26
 
 
Charles Bridges on Proverbs 25:26
 
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26.  A righteous man falling down before the wicked is as a troubled fountain, and a corrupt spring.
 
Eastern fountains and springs (where the rains are only periodical, and at long intervals) are of no common price. The injury of corrupting them is proportionate. The well is therefore a blessing or a curse, according to the purity or impurity of the waters. A righteous man in his proper character is “a well of life, a blessing in the midst of the land.” But if he fall down before the wicked by his inconsistent profession, the blessing becomes a curse, the fountain is troubled, and the spring corrupt. What a degradation was it to Abraham to fall down under the rebuke of an heathen king; to Peter, to yield to a servant-maid in denying his Lord! How did David's sin trouble the fountain, both to his family and his people! How did the idolatry of his wise son corrupt the spring through successive generations!
When a minister of Christ apostatizes from the faith (and mournfully frequent have been such spectacles) or compromises his principles from the fear of man, the springs and fountains of truth are fearfully corrupted. When a servant of God, of standing and influence, crouches and falls down under the wicked, the transparency of his profession is grievously tarnished. Satan thus makes more effective use of God's people than of his own. The gross wickedness of the ungodly passes in silence. But he makes the neighborhood ring with the failings of Christian professors. Godly consistency so grates upon the conscience of the world, that at any breach of it they clap their hands with Satanic joy; to see the Lord “wounded in the house of his friends.” (Zechariah 13:6.) Principles and practices are sanctioned, that wound our Divine Master. The consciences of the ungodly are lulled. “The lame,” instead of being “healed,” are “turned out of the way.” (Hebrews 12:13.) Thus ‘the scandalous falls of good men are like a bag of poison cast by Satan into the spring, from whence the whole town is supplied with water.’
Nor let this be considered as the responsibility only of eminent Christians. All are by profession “the salt of the earth, and the light of the world.” Let all therefore see to it, that “the salt does not lose its savor,” and that the candlestick gives its clear light. (Matthew 5:13-16.) None of us stand or act alone. “None of us” — be it well pondered — “liveth unto himself” (Romans 14:7.) The conduct of each has its measure of influence on the body. Each is the center of a circle more or less extended. Each is either a pure spring, or a troubled fountain. Lord! “cast the salt into the spring of the waters, that they may be healed.” (2 Kings 2:21, 22.)
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Footnote:
Genesis 26:18-22. Deuteronomy 8:7. Joshua 15:18, 19.
 

 
Genesis 26:18-22
18 And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them. 19 And Isaac's servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of springing water. {springing: Heb. living} 20 And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac's herdmen, saying, The water is ours: and he called the name of the well Esek; because they strove with him. {Esek: that is, Contention} 21 And they digged another well, and strove for that also: and he called the name of it Sitnah. {Sitnah: that is, Hatred} 22 And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for that they strove not: and he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said, For now the LORD hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land. {Rehoboth: that is Room}
 
Deuteronomy 8:7
7 For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills;
 
Joshua 15:18, 19
18 And it came to pass, as she came unto him, that she moved him to ask of her father a field: and she lighted off her ass; and Caleb said unto her, What wouldest thou? 19 Who answered, Give me a blessing; for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And he gave her the upper springs, and the nether springs.
 
 
Footnote:
See Ezekiel 32:2; 34:18.
 

 
Ezekiel 32:2
2 Son of man, take up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say unto him, Thou art like a young lion of the nations, and thou art as a whale in the seas: and thou camest forth with thy rivers, and troubledst the waters with thy feet, and fouledst their rivers. {whale: or, dragon}
 
Ezekiel 34:18
18 Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet?
 
 
Footnote:
Chapter 10:11. Genesis 12:3.
 

 
Proverbs 10:11
11 ¶ The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.
 
Genesis 12:3
3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
 
 
Footnote:
Falling down is to be taken in a moral sense (making a slip). Parkhurst.
 
 
Footnote:
Genesis 12:18-20. Compare 20:10; 26:10.
 

 
Genesis 12:18-20
18 And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? 19 Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way. 20 And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.
 
Compare
Genesis 20:10
10 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?
 
Genesis 26:10
10 And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us.
 
 
Footnote:
Matthew 26:69-72.
 

 
Matthew 26:69-72
69 ¶ Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. 70 But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. 71 And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. 72 And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man.
 
 
Footnote:
2 Samuel 11:2, with 13:11-14; 16:22.
 

 
2 Samuel 11:2
2 And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
 
with
2 Samuel 13:11-14
11 And when she had brought them unto him to eat, he took hold of her, and said unto her, Come lie with me, my sister. 12 And she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel: do not thou this folly. {force...: Heb. humble me} {no such...: Heb. it ought not so to be done} 13 And I, whither shall I cause my shame to go? and as for thee, thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the king; for he will not withhold me from thee. 14 Howbeit he would not hearken unto her voice: but, being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with her.
 
2 Samuel 16:22
22 So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went in unto his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.
 
 
Footnote:
Ib. 12:14.
 

 
2 Samuel 12:14
14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.
 
 
Footnote:
1 Kings 11:1-8. 2 Kings 23:13.
 

 
1 Kings 11:1-8
1 ¶ But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; {together...: or, beside} 2 Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. 3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. 4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. 5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. {Milcom: also called, Molech} 6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father. {went...: Heb. fulfilled not after} 7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. 8 And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.
 
2 Kings 23:13
13 And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile. {the mount...: that is, the mount of Olives}
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Footnote:
Philemon 24, with 2 Timothy 4:10.
 

 
Philemon 24,
24 Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellowlabourers.
 
with
2 Timothy 4:10
10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.
 
 
Footnote:
Galatians 2:11-14.
 

 
Galatians 2:11
11 ¶ But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. 12 For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. 13 And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. 14 But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?
 
 
Footnote:
2 Kings 18:5, 6, with 13-16. Contrast with these humbling instances of infirmity the great Confessor, who would not fall down before false Apostles — not even before a true Apostle. — Galatians 2:4, 5, 11.
 

 
2 Kings 18:5, 6
5 He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him. 6 For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses. {from...: Heb. from after him}
 
with
2 Kings 18:13-16
13 Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them. {Sennacherib: Heb. Sanherib} 14 And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, I have offended; return from me: that which thou puttest on me will I bear. And the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. 15 And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house. 16 At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria. {it: Heb. them}
 
Galatians 2:4, 5, 11
4 And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: 5 To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you. 11 ¶ But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.
 
 
Zechariah 13:6
6 And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.
 
 
Footnote:
Hebrews 12:13.
 

 
Hebrews 12:13
13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. {straight: or, even}
 
 
Footnote:
Flavel's Method of Grace. Sermon XXXV.
 
 
Matthew 5:13-16
13 ¶ Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. {a bushel: the word in the original signifieth a measure containing about a pint less than a peck} 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
 
 
Romans 14:7
7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
 
 
2 Kings 2:21, 22
21 And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land. 22 So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake.