Attempt > Volume 1 and Select writings

130
THE ATTEMPT
why do we not read hooks which interest us l Why not hooks which are suited to
our taste and capacities, and over which we have no inclination to become drowsy 1
“ Oh,” some one will say, “ because Sunday ought to he a day of humiliation, we ought
not to please ourselves on such a day.” But what possible good are we doing to
ourselves or our neighbours by pouring over hooks for which we have no sympathy 1
Our imaginary answerer may reply, “ It is our own fault that such hooks do not
interest us. We must subdue our hearts and train our tastes to them—they are
excellent hooks for Sunday reading.” Oh, there is the very reason of their dryness—
they are “ excellent for Sunday reading; ” hut we may trust their upholders not to
read a line of them on a week-day, when they feel at liberty to read anything else.
We are very careful to put no faith in forms; paintings, candles, and processions have
no place in our churches, hut where is the difference between the superstitious love of
these things and our reverential awe of a dry book 1 Indeed, the former things are
often great helps to,religious feelings, whereas we can see none in the latter.
I suppose that our readers are acquainted with the Bev. Dr Norman Macleod’s
well-known story illustrating this confusion of ideas. It is that of the poor woman
whose religious feelings received so rude a shock on discovering her son reading some
religious work, for which she had great respect, on a week-day. “ Oh,” says she,
“ Jamie, are ye no ashamed to be reading sic a gude book and this no the Sabbath ?”
A confusion of the same kind came under our notice some years ago, when the conscience
of a lady was severely tried by our reading in her hearing, on a Sunday, one of the Bev.
Dr Guthrie’s sermons on “ Ezekiel,” a hook which we had been reading during the
week. “ Surely,” said she, “ a hook in which you are interested on week-days is not
suitable for Sunday reading 1 ” Did she put her theory into practice ? Did she reserve
the Bible for Sundays, or did she consider it necessary to close it on that day that she
might profit by it on week-days 1
But let us be reasonable, and try to think a little on what is profitable reading for
Sunday. We say at once not that which puts us to sleep—that is very easily settled.
On the other hand, we can say as easily, that what dissipates the mind and sends our
thoughts wandering on scenes of gaiety and worldliness, is equally unfitted to occupy
us on Sundays. But between those two extremes lies a broad field, fruitful with food
which will strengthen the mind for the duties of the day. Our forefathers were
naturally led to read only dry books on Sundays, as a short time ago there were few
hooks of a serious sort which did not partake of the nature of dryness. Let us be
thankful that we at least are very differently situated. We need complain of no dryness
in the sermons offered to us for Sunday reading, possessing, as we do, those sweet