Chapter 10—Danger of Reading Fictitious and Infidel
Books
Every Christian, whether old or young, will be assailed by tempta-
tions; and our only safety is in carefully studying our duty, and then
doing it at any cost to ourselves. Everything has been done for us
to secure our salvation, and we must be not only willing but anxious
to learn the will of God, and do all things to His glory. This is the
Christian’s life work. He will not try to see how far he can venture
in the path of indifference and unbelief, and yet be called a child of
God; but he will study to see how closely he can imitate the life and
character of Christ.
Young friends, a knowledge of the Bible will help you to resist
temptation. If you have been in the habit of reading storybooks, will
you consider whether it is right to spend your time with these books,
which merely occupy your time and amuse you, but give you no mental
or moral strength? If you are reading them, and find that they create a
morbid craving for exciting novels, if they lead you to dislike the Bible,
and cast it aside, if they involve you in darkness and backsliding from
God,—if this is the influence they have over you, stop right where
you are. Do not pursue this course of reading until your imagination
is fired, and you become unfitted for the study of the Bible, and the
practical duties of real life.
Cheap works of fiction do not profit. They impart no real knowl-
edge; they inspire no great and good purpose; they kindle in the heart
no earnest desires for purity; they excite no soul hunger for righteous-
ness. On the contrary, they take time which should be given to the
practical duties of life and to the service of God,—time which should
be devoted to prayer, to visiting the sick, caring for the needy, and
educating yourself for a useful life. When you commence reading a
storybook, how frequently the imagination is so excited that you are
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betrayed into sin. You disobey your parents, and bring confusion into
the domestic circle by neglecting the simple duties devolving upon
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