Bridges on Proverbs 27:9
 
 
Charles Bridges on Proverbs 27:9
 
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9.  Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel. {by...: Heb. from the counsel of the soul}
 
Most refreshing are ointment and perfume to the senses.† Not less so is the cordial of friendship to the soul.† Who does not feel the need of a brother's or sister's bosom, their hand, their heart? Cold indeed is social intercourse without individual sympathy. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend.” (Verse 5, 6.) But his very faithfulness alone would crush. His sweetness and tenderness soundly heal the wound. Sympathy is the balm of friendship. “My friend is to me as my own soul,”† the sharer of my joys and my sorrows.† How could I bear my sorrows alone? What ointment and perfume must have rejoiced the heart of the two bosom-friends “in the wood,” when their hearty counsel “strengthened each other's hand in God”!†
The heartiness of a friend's counsel constitutes its excellence. It is not official, or merely intelligent. It is the counsel of his soul. He puts himself in our case, and counsels, as he would wish to be counseled himself. Moses's heart was thus rejoiced by Jethro's counsel, relieving him from a heavy and needless burden. (Exodus 18:17-24.) Many cases of spiritual perplexity have been thus opened. When unable to see the needful consolation, a friend's counsel, like the angel of old, has pointed to the well of water near at hand for our support. (Genesis 21:17.) Often has the sympathy of a brother's experience cleared our path,† and turned the stumbling-block into a way-mark set up for our direction and encouragement. Ought we not then to “comfort” our fellow-sufferers “with the same comfort, wherewith we ourselves have been comforted of God”? (2 Corinthians 1:4.) ‘The Lord give us, as he did our Divine Master, the gift of “the tongue of the learned”!’ (Isaiah 50:4.) ‘Matchless teacher! that teachest more in one hour than man can do in a whole age! that we may be learned in real living Divinity, we sit down at thy feet! What I know not teach thou me.’†
But the real unction and blessing of this hearty counsel, will be in proportion as we are living in communion with our Lord. Then indeed will there be ointment and perfume to rejoice the heart. That beloved “name which is above every name” will be “as ointment poured forth,” and “the house will be filled with the odor of the ointment.” (John 12:3.)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Footnote:
Compare Psalm 133:2. Song of Solomon 1:3; 3:6; 4:10. John 12:3. Daniel 2:46.
 
 
Compare
Psalm 133:2
2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;
 
Song of Solomon 1:3
3 Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee.
 
Song of Solomon 3:6
6 ¶ Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant?
 
Song of Solomon 4:10
10 How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices!
 
John 12:3
3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.
 
Daniel 2:46
46 ¶ Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him.
 
 
Footnote:
Chapter 17:17. Compare Ecclesiasticus 6:14-16.
 
 
Proverbs 17:17
17 ¶ A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
 
Compare
Ecclesiasticus 6:14-16
14 A faithful friend is a strong defence: and he that hath found such an one hath found a treasure. 15 Nothing doth countervail a faithful friend, and his excellency is invaluable. 16 A faithful friend is the medicine of life; and they that fear the Lord shall find him.
 
 
Proverbs 27:5, 6
5 ¶ Open rebuke is better than secret love. 6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. {deceitful: or, earnest, or, frequent}
 
 
Footnote:
Deuteronomy 13:6. Philemon 12. Horace calls Virgil, — ‘Animae dimidium meae.’ — Carm. i. 3.
 
 
Deuteronomy 13:6
6 ¶ If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers;
 
Philemon 12
12 Whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels:
 
 
Footnote:
Romans 12:15. Job 2:11, 12; 42:11.
 
 
Romans 12:15
15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
 
Job 2:11, 12
11 ¶ Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him. 12 And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.
 
Job 42:11
11 Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold.
 
 
Footnote:
1 Samuel 18:1-3; 20:17. 2 Samuel 1:26, with 1 Samuel 23:16. Similar must have been the joy of Peter from his brother Andrew's counsel. John 1:40-42.
 
 
1 Samuel 18:1-3
1 ¶ And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2 And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house. 3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
 
1 Samuel 20:17
17 And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul. {because...: or, by his love toward him}
 
2 Samuel 1:26
26 I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.
 
with
1 Samuel 23:16
16 And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.
 
John 1:40-42
40 One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. {the Christ: or, the Anointed} 42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.
 
 
Exodus 18:17-24
17 And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good. 18 Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone. {Thou wilt...: Heb. Fading thou wilt fade} 19 Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God: 20 And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do. 21 Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: 22 And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee. 23 If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace. 24 So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said.
 
 
Genesis 21:17[-19].
17 And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. [18 Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation. 19 And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.]
 
 
Footnote:
Psalm 34:2; 66:16.
 
 
Psalm 34:2
2 My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
 
Psalm 66:16
16 Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.
 
 
2 Corinthians 1:4
4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
 
 
Isaiah 50:4
4 ¶ The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.
 
 
Footnote:
Leighton's Sermon on Job 34:31, 32.
 
 
Job 34:31, 32
31 ¶ Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more: 32 That which I see not teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.
 
 
John 12:3
3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.