_THE necessity of divine grace, obligeth all Christians to a constant purity and holiness of conversation; wherein is shewn the great danger and impiety of reading vain and impertinent books._
I. I have shewn that the _necessity of divine grace_ is a mighty argument for an universal exactness of life and conversation. I come now to speak farther to that remarkable branch of it: _Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace to the hearers; and grieve not the Holy Spirit of_ God, _whereby ye are sealed to the day of redemption_. Now if we are to let no corrupt communication proceed out of our mouth, that we may not grieve _the holy Spirit of_ God; it follows that we are to deny ourselves the entertainment of _corrupt, impertinent_, and unedifying books. For if vain and idle words are not to proceed out of our mouths, we must be under the same necessity of not letting them come into our hearts.
II. If we would know what books are to be avoided as corrupt and grieving the Holy Spirit, we must look back to the rule of our communication; for as that communication is there said to be _corrupt_ that does not _edify and minister grace_ to the hearers; so must we look upon all those books as corrupt, which do not _edify_ and _minister grace_ to the readers. Now this book-entertainment is as certainly forbidden by the apostle, as cheating is forbidden by the _eighth_ commandment: for if I am not to say foolish and impertinent things myself, because such a communication _grieves_ the Holy Spirit of God; I am as certainly forbid the reading the corrupt and impertinent sayings of other people.
The books which mostly corrupt our hearts, and fill us with a spirit of folly, are such as almost all the world allow themselves to read; I mean books of _wit_ and _humour, romances, plays_, and other productions of the _poets_. Thus a _grave orthodox_ old gentleman, if he hears that his _niece_ is very good, and delights in reading, will fill her closet with volumes of _plays_ and _poems_ on _several occasions_, on purpose to encourage her to spend her time well. There is not perhaps a more surprising infatuation in the conduct of Christians, than this.
III. There is a proper time for every thing that is lawful to be done: now, can you tell when it is proper for a Christian to meditate upon these books?
There is a time when our hearts are more than ordinarily raised towards God; when we feel the joys and comforts of religion, and enjoy a peace that passes all understanding. Now I suppose reason will not allot this time for the diversion of such books.
There is a time, when either thro’ the neglect of duty, remorse of mind, worldly vexations, bodily tempers, or the absence of God’s Spirit, we sink into dejection and dulness, grow burthensome to ourselves, and can hardly think of any thing with satisfaction. Now if reason is to judge, this is of all times the most improper for such entertainment. For if there is any time more proper than another to think upon God, ’tis when we are _in heaviness_.
When we are _sick_ it is time to fly to the _physician_; when we are _weary_, it is a proper time to _rest_: now there is the same fitness in having recourse to God and religion, when we are under any dejection of mind. For it is not more the sole property of light to dispel darkness, than it is the sole property of religion to relieve all uneasiness. _Is any one afflicted_, says the apostle, _let him pray_. Now this we are to look upon, not only as a wise advice of something that is very good to be done; but as a strict command that leaves no choice of doing any thing in the stead of it.
It is as absolute a command as if he had said, _Hath any one sinned, let him repent_. For an application to God is as much the one thing to be done in the hour of trouble, as repentance is the one thing to be done in time of sin.
IV. You seem to make times of dulness the occasion of reading those books, by saying that you only read them to _divert_ your spirits. But that which you take to be a reason for reading them, is a strong objection against it. For it is never so improper to read those books, as when you want to have your spirits raised, or your mind made easy to itself. For it is the highest abuse you can put upon yourself, to look for ease and quiet in any thing, but in right apprehensions of God’s providence. And it is a sin against the _whole nature_ of religion, not to make it the whole measure and reason of all your peace and enjoyment in every occurrence of life.