READ GREAT BOOKS | AdventAI

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jan 23, 1896

READ GREAT BOOKS.

Cannon Farrar says, “Read great books; enrich your mind with noble sentiments.” The truly great books are good books, and no young person can afford to read any other than good books. The curse of thousands of young people of to-day is the reading of little books—books which are little because they contain small ideas of manhood, of citizenship, of society, of personal honor, of righteousness. There are many popular books which are interspersed with little flings at Christianity, with caricatures on personal piety, and with sly suggestions that the Bible is a book behind the times. Remember that the devil never advises any young person to read the really great books. He is too selfish to do this.

Remember, also, that the devil is greatly interested in books, and in that sort in which he is exceedingly anxious to have the young people interested. And forget not that when the adversary can not get the young people to read his little books, he prefers that they read small books, good so far as they go, instead of the great book full of solid thought on high subjects. Why?—Because the little books can not furnish strong mental discipline, can not develop large intellectual powers, can not rightly equip the mind for the best service for God and humanity. If Satan can not prevent a young person from becoming a Christian, his next best scheme is to try to have the young person remain as little and inefficient a Christian as possible. This is Satanic sharpness. Now, we all know that it is vastly easier to read a good little book than it is to read a good great one; but the very effort required in reading a great book—one far beyond our comprehension in some respects

—is invaluable as a mental discipline, to say nothing of the moral influence of the book upon us. And be sure to read the great Bible.—Young Men's Era.