Bridges on Proverbs 26:12
 
 
Charles Bridges on Proverbs 26:12
 
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12.  Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.
 
Seest thou the man? God means to point at him. (Compare Chapter 22:29.) There is something to be learned from him. He castles himself up in his own conceit. He holds himself fit to be a standard: The false persuasion that he has gained wisdom utterly precludes him from gaining it. He thinks himself wise, because he knows not what it is to be wise. His wisdom is “science falsely so called.” For he has yet to learn the first lesson in the school — his own folly — a lesson not to be learned without severe exercise. The knowledge of the most intelligent is as nothing compared with his ignorance; and yet how strangely does the smallest quantum “puff up” (1 Corinthians 8:1), and fill a man full of himself! “Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.” There is more hope of the fool, who knows himself to be one. The natural fool has only one hindrance — his own ignorance. The conceited fool has two — ignorance and self-delusion. He has everything to unlearn (which is the hardest lesson in the school) before he can learn anything right. It shews some improvement when he becomes less positive.
It was our Lord's cutting reproof to the conceited Pharisees — “The publicans and harlots go into the kingdom of heaven before you.” (Matthew 21:31.) It was his charge against the Laodicean Church — “Because thou sayest — I am rich, and increased in goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not, that thou art wretched and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” The prodigal fool, running into all “the excesses of riot,” is more open to conviction, than the man who prides himself upon his decorous religion. To the profane and ungodly we must go. But to warn him, he conceives to be knocking at the wrong door. “God! I thank thee, that I am not as other men are” — is his heart's language before God. “Stand by; I am holier than thou” (Isaiah 65:5) — is his haughty rule with his fellow-sinners. Offer him light; — He “walks in the light of his own fire.” (Ib. 50:11.) Offer him life; — He is “alive” in his own eyes. (Romans 7.) Offer him food; — His “full soul loatheth the honey-comb”! (Chapter 27:7.)
Christian Professor! Dread an ill-grounded judgment of yourself. The more confident a man is in error, the more dangerous his state. Oh! beware of holding fast a delusion, which the word of God, closely applied, would quickly dispel. Suspect your spiritual state, at least till you have given it a most probing search. Is it not possible that you may be deceived; that there may be “a lie in your right hand;” that you may have been building upon the sand; and mistaken the shadow for the substance? Consider — it is a matter of infinite and everlasting moment — in which multitudes have been mistaken — in which it is easy to be mistaken — in which our hearts are very deceitful — in which a mistake, not rectified in time, will be ruin for eternity.
Lord! preserve me from this hopeless delusion. Pull down all my pride and fancied wisdom. Take the blindness from my eyes, that I may know what I am in thy sight. “Clothe me with humility” from the sole of the foot to the head.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Proverbs 22:29
29 ¶ Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men. {mean...: Heb. obscure men}
 
 
Footnote:
1 Corinthians 8:2. Galatians 6:3.
 

 
1 Corinthians 8:2
2 And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.
 
Galatians 6:3
3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
 
 
Footnote:
1 Timothy 6:20.
 

 
1 Timothy 6:20
20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: {science: Gr. knowledge}
 
 
1 Corinthians 8:1
1 ¶ Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.
 
 
Footnote:
Ib. 3:18. Compare chapter 3:7. Romans 12:3-16.
 

 
1 Corinthians 3:18
18 ¶ Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
 
Compare
Proverbs 3:7
7 ¶ Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
 
Romans 12:3-16
3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. {soberly: Gr. to sobriety} 4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. {giveth: or, imparteth} {with simplicity: or, liberally} 9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. 10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; {with...: or, in the love of the brethren} 11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; 12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; 13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. 14 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. 15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. 16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. {condescend...: or, be contented with mean things}
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Matthew 21:31
31 Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.
 
 
Footnote:
Revelation 3:17. Compare chapter 30:12.
 

 
Revelation 3:17
17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
 
Compare
Proverbs 30:12
12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.
 
 
Footnote:
Luke 15:11-18, with John 9:40, 41.
 

 
Luke 15:11-18
11 ¶ And he said, A certain man had two sons: 12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. 13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. 14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. 15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. 17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
 
with
John 9:40, 41
40 And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? 41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.
 
 
Footnote:
Luke 18:11. See Bunyan's Picture of Ignorance.
 

 
Luke 18:11
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
 
 
Isaiah 65:5
5 Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day. {nose: or, anger}
 
 
Isaiah 50:11
11 Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow.
 
 
Romans 7.
1 ¶ Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? 2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. 3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. 4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. 5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. {motions: Gr. passions} 6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. {that being...: or, being dead to that} 7 ¶ What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. {lust: or, concupiscence} 8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. 9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. 10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. 11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. 12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. 13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. 14 ¶ For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. {allow: Gr. know} 16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. 17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? {the body...: or, this body of death} 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Proverbs 27:7
7 ¶ The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet. {loatheth: Heb. treadeth under foot}