A Caution to Young Men
T. Dale, M. A. 1 Timothy 5:22 Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep yourself pure. In the abstract, the text, brief as it is, contains a precept impossible to be fulfilled. For who does not know that in His judgment "God looks upon the heart"? and yet, who can say, "I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin"? The solution of the apparent difficulty lies upon the surface: we can do relatively what we cannot do absolutely; we can do in association with the grace of God what we cannot do without it. We then, accordingly, as ambassadors for Christ, say to each young man whom we address, as the apostle said to Timothy, "Keep thyself pure." Keep thyself, as one from the beginning separated and set apart for Christ, from everything which is inconsistent with the allegiance which thou must owe to Him; with the attachment which thou oughtest to feel for Him; with the attainment of those blessings which are the purchase of His blood, and which God will bestow on thee through Him alone. "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." Watch against the beginnings of evil. 1. "Keep thyself pure," then, young man, as to "doctrine" (for doctrine is the foundation of duty). 2. And not only let Holy Scripture stand first, but let it stand alone. Let it be received, not as "the word of man," but, as to doctrine, the teacher of truth alone. 3. Again, we say to the young man, "keep thyself pure" from error, by taking Scripture, in all that seems to require "reproof" or refutation, as a test. Whatever is repugnant to thy inherent and instinctive sense of right, whether to be denied as a principle, or to be deprecated as a practice, try it by its agreement or disagreement with God's Word. 4. Next, "keep thyself pure" in act, by taking the Word of God "for correction," or setting upright that which hath fallen down, restoring what hath been damaged or decayed through sin. And here the Word is a supreme, unerring standard of right and wrong; and "correction "is but another name for bringing into harmony or accordance with the Word. 5. "Keep thyself pure," by looking to the Word "for instruction in righteousness"; for instruction, which must extend itself throughout the whole of life, though life were protracted, as of old time, far beyond the narrow limits of threescore years and ten. 6. "Keep thyself pure," then, young man, but only by the grace of God in Christ. Once throw aside that buckler, and thou wilt become vulnerable by every weapon of the foe. Writ thou "keep thyself pure," or shall that impurity, which is now thy shame, become thy companion and thy curse throughout eternity? Writ thou be refined as the pure gold, or cast away as the "reprobate silver"? "Keep thyself pure," then, young man! because "thy breath is in thy nostrils"; because thy sun of life may go down ere it is yet high noon; and that purity of life is essential to the peace of death. But once more we add, "keep thyself pure" for the improvement — yes, and even for the true enjoyment of life. But by the observance of this salutary caution everything is gained, and nothing can be lost; time is rightly occupied, and talent profitably improved. Diligence in the practice of business, coupled with uprightness in its principles, rarely fails to prosper, even in a worldly view. (T. Dale, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure. WEB: Lay hands hastily on no one, neither be a participant in other men's sins. Keep yourself pure.