p. 25 | √READING by Jos. Clarke

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 24, 1867

√READING

By Jos. Clarke

The student reads law a few years, and straightway he becomes a disciple of Blackstone and Story; he is versed in legal forms and phrases, and law becomes a part of his organization.

Or he reads medicine, and shortly he is skilled in the art of healing; he assumes the air of a physician. He perseveres, and becoming an adept in the science, he learns to describe the symptoms of disease, and its causes, and ere long the study and practice of medicine becomes a part of his being; it is inwrought into his character.

So with the teacher, the artist, the mechanic; he reads much and deeply, and makes his business a constant study; it becomes his own, a part of himself; in fact, is his pride, his glory, if I may so speak. Such a man generally succeeds.

So with the Christian: if he reads much and faithfully those standard and classic authors, Moses and the prophets, and Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, Peter, James and Jude, and makes it his favorite pursuit, his great theme of life, you soon see the fruits of his labor.

There is no mistaking the well-read lawyer, the skillful physician, the ingenious mechanic, and the intelligent architect; so with the well-read Christian; his improvement is manifest to all.

But such is the blinding effect of the world, the flesh, and the Devil upon man, that unless this course of reading is continually kept up, his past knowledge of the Bible fades out, like the leaves of autumn. You need it fresh every day. As the food we ate yesterday can not strengthen us to-day, so the devotions of yesterday will not answer in lieu of neglected ones to-day.

You must come to the fountain of life for a fresh supply to-day. The manna of yesterday was good yesterday, but for to-day you need a fresh supply, which you must gather for yourself.

A very good suggestion was that of Bro. Canright of reading three chapters daily for six days, and five for the seventh. Thank you, Bro. Canright. Already have I tried the plan, and I find my heart is warming with love to God in consequence. This lukewarm state is dreadful; we forget, we neglect, we sin, we become cold, languid; sometimes we shudder at our state, and again gape and yawn, like one only half awake. But this plan is waking up our interest; and we would recommend from experience, the addition of some eight or ten pages daily of Spiritual Gifts, in connection with the chapters from the Bible, with meditation and prayer. I would suggest that Spiritual Gifts Vol. 3, be read with the corresponding subjects in the Old Testament.

What is there more soul-inspiring than the Bible, which interests you in God's wonderful works and ways, thousands of years ago? And his sentiments at this time, we find in the volumes of Spiritual Gifts and testimonies; and here is evidence that he is the same; they are one, from the same head and heart. Man as a hero, we lose sight of in these works. God is all and in all; man is a rebel on probation, with the offer of immortality if faithful, and the Bible gives us the history of these poor rebels (self-conceited heroes), a few of whom only acknowledged the fact, and transferred their allegiance to their rightful Lord. Of such, we have the story of their sufferings and penalties, also their victories, conquests and hopes.

Jos. Clarke.