“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the holy is understanding” (Prov. 9:1010The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. (Proverbs 9:10)). But the world has no “fear of God,” and while the religious man of the world will give the Lord his patronage, he fails to reverence His name, or fear Him with that fear begotten in the soul by the Lord Himself. The writings that are of a detrimental character to the truths of Scripture, Mary’s lament may be first applied; but may it not with equal force be written over the pages of the so-called “Religious” novel: “They have taken away my LORD.” This is serious, and if the young Christian will exercise a little diligence, he cannot fail to notice that the divine life within him resents the intrusion of all literature that intermingles the Lord’s name with its contents in an unbecoming way. The place of honor and respect, the glory and reverence due to Jesus Christ as Lord, should be zealously guarded by the young Christian.
The young Christian who is “begotten of God” has “received the Spirit from above,” and has within the finer, delicate instincts of the divine life; which will, if heeded, save him from many of the delusions of the attractive literature of the world.
The voices of the majority prevail to uphold this class of books as good reading. Some, yes, many will say, “But — recommended the books to me and I know they would not ask me to read anything that would not be good for me!” Yes, but — may or may not be a Christian. Refined, amiable, cultured he may be. Living an upright, respectable and religious life. None such will care to go with the true Christian whose enlightened conscience necessitates his parting company with the world. The Spirit taught and spiritual Christian will have to pursue his lonely way unaccompanied by all such. Now those of us who are Christians, must part company with popular favor and public opinion. Scripture testifies that that which is “highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God” (Luke 16:1515And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. (Luke 16:15)).
These books, taking so rapidly amongst the reading class are influenced by the “spirit of the age,” which is never in accord with the mind of God. Their titles and themes, appeal at once to the natural religious mind of man.
God has been pleased to give us in the past half century, a very great many valuable books by His “teachers,” and they are they of whom it can truly be said, “I have taught thee in the way of wisdom, I have led thee in the right paths” (Prov. 4:11-1311I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths. 12When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. 13Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life. (Proverbs 4:11‑13)). Such “instruction” we should be diligent to “take fast hold of” and “keep,” and we shall prove indeed to be “life” to our souls. An aged brother has said, “Reading is not everything; it is study that is necessary,” and we may add, to allow the truths of the Word to take hold of the mind from whence they pass on to be realized and acted upon by the soul. How grateful the young Christian should be whose elders are maintaining the truth in the spirit of a contrite and steadfast soul. They are able to direct the unestablished to the writings that honor the Word of God. The word sound as applied to the quality of doctrine, occurs a complete number (seven) of times in the two Epistles of Timothy and Titus. Do not fail to look for them, because they will guard your soul from the inroads of false teachings. Notice very carefully that in 1 Timothy 6:33If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; (1 Timothy 6:3) it speaks of “wholesome words,” and “doctrine which is according to godliness.” Five times in the New Testament we find “fables” spoken against. Four times in the books referred to above, and once in 2 Peter 1:1616For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. (2 Peter 1:16).
As regards reading matter, like so many other pursuits, most people do not like the Bible introduced where its presence would be embarrassing. Alas, this is true of many Christians! While they are not abashed to freely chat of the popular works of fiction. The Bible of all other books is supreme. The young person who chooses it as his special reading matter, can never by any means make a mistake. Its preservation from time immemorial renders it the grandest of books, even looked at from a literary standpoint only. But deeper far than this is the fact that it is the Revelation of God to and for us. To it, then, let us turn to discern therein the mind of the Lord as to what or what not we should read. The Christian who is zealous for his Lord’s interests, will plainly see portrayed in many verses of the Scriptures, what should be the nature of his reading matter. Every word of it is “pure.” Every “jot and title” of it is God inspired. Its precepts, doctrines and teachings present the principles of the noblest and highest morality possible. Its pages unfold in a divine way the glories and beauties of the “Man after God’s own heart” our Lord and our Saviour. For the “babe” in Christ it is the “sincere milk.” For the older Christian it is “strong meat.” When the unnumbered hosts of earth’s books are swept into oblivion, the Bible will be the only everlasting and enduring Book. Young Timothy, whom the Apostle Paul had found at Lystra(Acts 16:11Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek: (Acts 16:1)), had known the Scriptures from a child; and they were able to make him “wise” unto salvation “through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” Certainly, it is profitable to study well the Scriptures from earliest childhood; they should regulate the life in order that the man of God may be perfect. The Apostle had instructed Timothy in all manner of doctrine, and in a fatherly way exhorted him to “hold fast the form of sound words” (2 Tim. 1:1313Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 1:13)). He was to “continue in the things” which he had heard from the Apostle. He was to “study” to show himself an “approved” workman, that would have no need to be ashamed, and to be “approved” he must “shun profane and vain babblings” (2 Tim. 2:1616But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. (2 Timothy 2:16)), words that were no profit to the hearers.
How grateful we should be to God since He has preserved the Bible unsullied to this present hour — a time when its teachings were never more urgently needed by the saints of God. The young Christian who fails to make it his daily study, and to allow it to influence his life, will do so to the sorrowful injury of his own soul.
“Read the Bible to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. Read it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully.”
(Continued)