Would to God all here would make that
rule,--never to look into an evil book, a filthy ballad, a
nonsensical, frivolous story! Can a man take a snake into his bosom
and not be bitten?--can we play with fire and not be burnt?--can we
open our ears and eyes to the devil's message, whether of
covetousness, or filth, or folly, and not be haunted afterwards by
its wicked words, rising up in our thoughts like evil spirits,
between us and our pure and noble duty--our baptism-vows?
I might say much more about these things, and, by God's help, in
another sermon I will go on, and speak to you of the awful
importance of spoken words, of the sermons and the conversation to
which you listen, the awful importance of every word which comes out
of your own mouth. But I have spoken only of books this morning,
for this is the age of books, the time, one would think, of which
Daniel prophesied that many should run to and fro, and knowledge
should be increased. A flood of books, newspapers, writings of all
sorts, good and bad, is spreading over the whole land, and young and
old will read them. We cannot stop that--we ought not: it is God's
ordinance. It is more: it is God's grace and mercy, that we have a
free press in England--liberty for every man, that if he have any of
God's truth to tell he may tell it out boldly, in books or
otherwise.
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