The question which forms the heading of this paper is one of real weight and practical importance. There is much more involved in it than we might perhaps be disposed to admit. It is a common saying,
“Show me your company, and I will tell you what you are.” It may, with equal truth, be said,
“Show me your library and I will tell you where you are.”
Our reading may be taken, as a rule, as the great indicator of our moral, intellectual, and spiritual condition. Our books are our mental and spiritual pabulum the material on which the inner man feeds. Hence the seriousness of the entire question of Christian reading. Indeed, we may freely own to the reader of these lines that this subject has engrossed us much of late; and we feel constrained, in faithfulness to the Lord and to the souls of our readers, to offer a few words of admonition in reference to what we cannot but regard as a matter of real moment to all Christians.
We observe, with deep concern, a growing distaste for solid reading, especially among young Christians—though alas! it is not confined to them. Newspapers, religious novels, sensational tales, all sorts of poisonous and trashy literature are eagerly devoured, while volumes of most weighty and precious truth lie uncut and neglected on the bookshelf.
All this we consider most deplorable. We look upon it as a most alarming indication of a low spiritual condition. Indeed it is difficult to conceive how any one possessing a single spark of divine life can find pleasure in such defiling rubbish as one sees now-a-days, in the hands of many who occupy the very highest ground of Christian profession. The inspired apostle exhorts all Christians,
“As new-born babes, to desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby.” (1 Pet. 2:2).
How can we grow if we neglect the Word of God and devour newspapers and light worthless books? How is it possible for any Christian to be in a healthy condition of soul who can barely find a few hasty moments to run his eye over a verse or two of Scripture, but can give hours to light and desultory reading? We may depend upon it our reading proves, beyond question, what we are, and where we are. If our reading is light and frivolous, our state is the same. If our Christianity is of a solid and earnest type, it will be distinctly evidenced by our habitual and voluntary reading—the reading to which we turn for our recreation and refreshment. Some, perhaps, may say,
“We cannot be always reading the Bible and good books.”
We reply, and that with plain decision and emphasis, the new nature would never care to read anything else. Now the question is, whether do we wish to minister to the old nature or the new? If the latter, we may rest assured that newspapers and light literature are not the means to be used. It is utterly impossible that a truly spiritual, earnest Christian can find any enjoyment in such reading. It may be that a Christian engaged in business or in public official life, will have occasion, in connection with his business or his official duty, to refer to a newspaper; but this is another thing altogether from finding his actual enjoyment and recreation in such reading. He will not find the hidden manna or the old corn of the land of Canaan in the newspaper. He will not find Christ in the sensational novel. It is a poor low thing to hear a Christian say,
“How can we be always reading the Bible?” or, “What harm is there in reading a story book?”
All such questions afford melancholy evidence of the fact that the soul has got far away from Christ. This is what makes it so very serious. Spiritual decline must have set in and made alarming progress, ere a
Christian could thing of asking such questions. And hence there is little use in arguing about the right or the wrong of things. There is no ability to argue aright, no capacity to weigh evidence. The whole spiritual and moral condition is wrong. “There is death in the pot.” What is really needed is thorough restoration of soul. You must “bring meal,” or in other words, apply a divine remedy to meet the diseased state of the constitution.
(To be continued)