It's Not He Who Reads Most, But Meditates Most

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JOwen

Puritan Board Junior
Remember, it is not hasty reading, but seriously meditating upon holy and heavenly truths, that makes them prove sweet and profitable to the soul. It is not the bee's touching of the flowers that gathers honey, but her abiding for a time upon them, and drawing out the sweet. It is not he that reads most, but he that meditates most, that will prove the choicest, sweetest, wisest, and strongest Christian.

Know that it is not the knowing, the talking, nor the reading man, but the doing man, that at last will be found the happiest man: 'If you know these things, blessed and happy are you if you do them. Not every one that saith, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doth the will of my Father that is in heaven.' It was a good saying of Justin Martyr, 'Our religion consists not in speaking of the things, but in doing them.' Judas called Christ, Lord, Lord, and yet betrayed him, and is gone to his place; Ah! how many Judas's have we in these days that kiss Christ, and yet betray Christ; that in their words profess him, but in their works deny him; that bow their knee to him, and yet in their hearts despise him; that call him Jesus, and yet will not obey him for their Lord.

If it be not impressed upon your heart to practise what you read, to what end do you read? To increase your own condemnation? If your light and knowledge be not turned into practice, the more knowing you are, the more miserable you will be in the day of recompense; your light and knowledge will torment you more than all the devils in hell. Your knowledge will be that rod that will eternally lash you, and that scorpion that will for ever bite you, and that worm that will everlastingly gnaw you; therefore read, and labour to know, that you may do, or else you are undone forever. When Demosthenes was asked, What was the first part of an orator, what the second, what the third? he answered, Action: The same may I say, if any should ask me, what is the first, the second, the third part of a Christian? I must answer, Action, That man who reads that he may know, and labours to know that he may do, will have two heavens, a heaven of joy, peace and comfort on earth, and a heaven of glory and happiness after death.

Thomas Brooks, "Precious Remedies".
 
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