by Horatius Bonar, "Follow the Lamb" 1861
"They are more desirable than gold--yes, than much fine gold! Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them Your servant is warned. In keeping them there is great reward!" Psalm 19:10-11
The Christian has discovered one book truer and more precious than all the rest together. Let the Bible be to us the book of books—the one book in all the world whose every verse is wisdom. In studying it, be sure to take it for what it really is—the revelation of the thoughts of God, given us in the words of God. Knowing that we have divine thoughts embodied in divine words—we sit down to the study of the heavenly volume, assured that we shall find the perfection of wisdom in all of its teachings.
Let us read and re-read the Scriptures—meditating on them day and night.
They never grow old, they never lose their sap, they never run dry.
Though it is right and profitable to read other books, if they are true and good—yet beware of reading too many. Do not let man's book thrust God's book into a corner! Do not let commentaries smother the text—nor let the good, shut out the best.
Especially beware of light reading! Shun novels—they are the literary curse of the age! If you are a parent—keep novels out of the way of your children. Neither read them yourself, nor set an example of novel-reading to others. Do not let novels lie on your table, or be seen in your hand. The reading of the light novels of the day, has done deep injury to many:
vitiating their taste,
enervating their minds,
unfitting them for life's plain work,
eating out their love for the Bible,
teaching them a false morality, and
creating in the soul an unreal standard of truth, and beauty, and love.
Do not be too fond of the newspaper. Extract matter for thought and prayer out of all that you read.
Let your reading be always select—and whatever you read, begin with seeking God's blessing on it.
But see that your relish for the Bible is above every other enjoyment. The moment you begin to feel greater relish for any other book—lay it down until you have sought deliverance from such a snare, and obtained from the Holy Spirit a more intense relish, and a keener appetite for the Word of God!
"Your words were found, and I ate them. And Your Word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart!" Jeremiah 15:16