Bridges on Proverbs 28:26
 
 
Charles Bridges on Proverbs 28:26
 
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26.  He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.
 
Contrast the sound and fruitful confidence just mentioned, with man's natural trust. Our confidence determines our state. (Matthew 7:24-27.) To trust an impostor, who has deceived us an hundred times, or a traitor, who has proved himself false to our most important interests, is surely to deserve the name of fool. This name therefore the Scriptures — “using great plainness of speech” — give to him that trusteth in his own heart. Well does Bishop Hall call it, ‘The great Impostor.’ For has it not been practicing a system of deceit upon us from the first moment of consciousness? Yes, verily, the traitor finds his home in our own bosom, prompting, in concert with our deadly enemy, the most elaborate efforts for self-destruction.
The wise man awfully illustrates his own Proverb. It must have been some bitter root of self-confidence, that prostrated his wondrous wisdom in the lowest degradation (1 Kings 11:1-8.) Peter also — how did he befool himself in his trust! Presuming upon “the willingness of the spirit,” and forgetting his Lord's most needful caution against “the weakness of the flesh;” though named a Rock, he fell as a reed before the first breath of temptation. Had not the everlasting arms been underneath, it would have been the fall of Judas into the depths of hell. An instructive lesson to shew us, that all dependence upon feelings, impulse, native strength, sincere purpose or conviction — is vain confidence. Sad experience has convinced us of this. Yet in the blindness of our folly, we are ever ready to trust again, if the Lord prevent not, to our ruin.
Truly, as good Bishop Wilson remarks — ‘there is no sin, which a man ought not to fear, or to think himself capable of committing, since we have in our corrupt will the seeds of every sin.’ None of us can safely presume that his heart may not hurry him into abominations that he cannot now contemplate without horror. (2 Kings 8:13-15.) If Eve in a state of innocence could believe a serpent before her Maker; if “the saint of the Lord” could worship the golden calf; if “the man after God's own heart” could wallow in adultery, murder, and deceit; if the wisest of men, and the warm-hearted disciple just referred to, could sink so low — what may not we do? Surely “all men are liars.” The best of men, when left to themselves, are mournful spectacles of weakness and instability.
Blessed be our God! our standing is not on the uncertainty of man's best purpose; but upon the faithful promise, the unchangeable will, the free grace, and almighty power of God; not therefore on ourselves, but on the Rock, on which the Church is immovably built. We value then a deep knowledge of our indwelling weakness and corruption. Painful and humbling as it is, it is establishing to our faith; and grounds us in the gospel far better than walking over the mere surface. This study of the heart strengthens the principle of that holy fear, which enables us to walk wisely, and thus delivers us from the evils of a self-confident state. Indeed in a path, where every step is strewed with snares, and beset with enemies, great need have we of the caution — “Walk circumspectly” — “looking on all sides” — “not as fools, but as wise.” A sound confidence is a proof of wisdom. Be willing that the Lord should disappoint us of the most plausible and inviting pleasure, into which we may have been drawn by the dictates of our own heart. Let it be a standing maxim in religion to cultivate self-distrust; never to suppose security where God warns us of danger, never to trust ourselves with our own keeping. We are too weak needlessly to expose ourselves to hazard. We cannot pray — “Lead us not into temptation” — when we are rushing headlong into it — or — “Deliver us from evil” — when we seem to invite its approach.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Matthew 7:24-27
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
 
 
Footnote:
Title of Sermon on Jeremiah 17:9. See Bunyan's Discourse between Christian and Ignorance.
 

 
Jeremiah 17:9
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
 
 
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 8:13-15
13 And Hazael said, But what, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, The LORD hath shewed me that thou shalt be king over Syria. 14 So he departed from Elisha, and came to his master; who said to him, What said Elisha to thee? And he answered, He told me that thou shouldest surely recover. 15 And it came to pass on the morrow, that he took a thick cloth, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died: and Hazael reigned in his stead.
 
 
Footnote:
Genesis 3:1-6.
 

 
Genesis 3:1-6
1 ¶ Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? {Yea...: Heb. Yea, because, etc.} 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 6 ¶ And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. {pleasant: Heb. a desire}
 
 
Footnote:
Exodus 32:2-5, with Psalm 106:16.
 

 
Exodus 32:2-5
2 And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. 3 And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. 4 And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 5 And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD.
 
with
Psalm 106:16
16 They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the LORD.
 
 
Footnote:
2 Samuel 11:4, 17.
 

 
2 Samuel 11:4, 17
4 And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house. {for she...: or, and when she had purified herself, etc, she returned}
17 And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell
some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also.
 
 
Footnote:
Ephesians 5:15. Compare chapter 3:5, 6.
 

 
Ephesians 5:15
15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
 
Compare
Proverbs 3:5, 6
5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
 
 
Footnote:
Matthew 6:13, with 26:41.
 

 
Matthew 6:13
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
 
with
Matthew 26:41
41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.