Concluding Applications on Sober-Mindedness (1)

You see now what is expected from you that are young, and how justly it is expected, you see both from the Word of God; and now, shall I entreat you to make use of what I have said, to make it useful to yourselves, that this discourse may not be lost upon you?

First, Shall I desire you to examine yourselves, that you may know your own selves, and take heed of being mistaken in your judgment concerning yourselves? Can your hearts witness for you, that through the grace of God, by remembering yourselves and your Creator in the days of your youth, you are become in some measure sober-minded, and answer this beautiful character of young people? I hope I speak to many such; and the misery is, that those who most need these instructions and warnings, come least in the way of them; they will not hear them, will not read them, because they resolve they will not heed them, or be ruled by them. But to you that are sober-minded, I say, as Christ did to the faithful ones in Thyatira, “I will lay upon you no other burden, but that which you have already”; and I am sure you will agree to call it a light burden. Hold fast till Christ comes. Hold fast your integrity. Hold fast your sober-mindedness.

Some are more inclined to soberness in their natural temper than others are; to them these laws of sober-mindedness will be easier than to others; but to them that are not so, though it be more difficult, yet withal it is more necessary. Wisdom, grace, and consideration, are intended for the checking of disorders of the natural temper. But take heed lest you deceive yourselves, and be more forward than there is cause to rank yourselves among the sober-minded, and to think that you need not these admonitions. It is not a sober look that will serve, though that is graceful enough, if it be not affected and forced; but it is the sober mind that we are pressing earnestly upon you; examine that now, for God will examine that, and judge of you by it, when you shall find that “to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”

Secondly, Shall I desire you to exhort yourselves? so some read that which we translate, “exhort one another”; preach to your own hearts, preach over this sermon to them. Let all young people charge, admonish, and encourage themselves to be sober-minded.

Let those that have loose notions in religion and are fond of any suggestions, though never so absurd, which derogate from the authority and honor of the Scriptures and revealed religion, exhort themselves to be sober-minded and not to be carried about with every wind, nor carried away from the great principles of Christianity, by the craft of them who lie in wait to deceive, and bring them to downright atheism.

Let those that are drawn in, or are in danger of being drawn into the ruining sins of drunkenness or uncleanness, that have been so fatal to multitudes of young people, exhort themselves to be sober-minded, to sit down and consider seriously what will be in the end thereof, and how dreadful that destruction is which these vicious courses certainly lead to. Except you repent and reform, you must perish—must eternally perish—if the Word of God be true, you must. How miserable will your case be if you bring it to this dilemma, that either God must be false, or you must be damned?

Let those that spend their time in carnal mirth and sensual pleasures, whose business is nothing but sport and pastime, exhort themselves to be sober-minded, sometimes to be serious, and consider themselves; and try if they can make it as pleasant to themselves to think in earnest as it is now to talk in jest; for I am sure it will be abundantly more profitable.

Let young dealers in the world, that are entering into business, exhort themselves to be sober-minded—to set out under the conduct of religion and true wisdom—to love their business, to apply themselves and accommodate themselves to it. Let them learn betimes to take care, for nothing will be done to purpose without it;—to attend the work of their callings with diligence, and order the affairs of them with discretion—and in all their ways to acknowledge God; then are they likely to prosper and to have good success.

Let young professors of religion, that by the grace of God have escaped the corruption that is in the world, and given up their names to Jesus Christ, exhort themselves to be sober-minded in their profession. Let them take heed of conceitedness and spiritual pride, of confidence in themselves and their own judgment and ability; let them aim to be best, rather than to be greatest in the kingdom of God among men. Let them take heed of running into extremes, and of falling into bigotry and censoriousness; let them be sober in their opinions of truth and falsehood, good and evil, of others and of themselves; expecting that age and experience will rectify many of their present mistakes.

Let young scholars, whose genius leads them to books and learning, exhort themselves to be sober-minded; you soon find that you must be serious, must be much so, must learn to think, and to think closely, or you will never make anything of it. It is not enough to read, but you must study and digest what you read. But that is not all; in your pursuits of knowledge you must be sober, not exercising yourselves in things too high for you, nor boasting yourselves of your attainments. Be humble in the use of what you do know, using it for edification, not for ostentation; it is but a windy knowledge that puffeth up; that only is good for something that doth good (1 Cor. 8:1). Be humble likewise in your inquiries after what you would know; not coveting to be wise above what is written, or to intrude into those things which you have not seen, as many who are vainly puffed up with a fleshly mind, but be wise unto sobriety. Be willing to be in the dark about which God has not thought fit to reveal, and in doubt about that which he has not thought fit to determine.

“My souljblloweih hard after Thee:

Thy right hand upholdeth me.”

—Psalm 63:8

Hold Thou my hand; let me not feel alone
Through stress and trial safely bring Thine own.
Oh, let Thy sure, unchanging clasp impart
Unwavering trust unto my fainting heart.
Though courage jail me and my faith is small,
Be Thou my strength, my hope, my faith, my all.

Garret J. Moerdyk serves as elder in the Netherlands Reformed Congregation of Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Rev. Matthew Henry (1662-1714) pastored a Presbyterian congregation at Chester, England, for twenty-five years. He is best known and loved for his Bible commentary (1708-10). This series of articles is taken from his The Young Christian.

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