Baxter on Reading

Baxter also put together a guide to help judge the value of any book.

1. Could I spend this time no better?

Some of the most godly men I know of are (and were) voracious readers. Actually, it is hard to imagine a great preacher or a great theologian who was not also a great reader. So here Baxter is not downplaying the importance of reading, but merely suggesting that it is not a pre-eminent concern. It must not take priority over all other responsibilities. If I read while watching my elderly neighbor shovel snow from her driveway, I need to examine whether I have given reading undue importance.

2. Are there better books that would edify me more?

While reading is a wonderful way to spend time, it is merely a means to an end. It may be that there is a book I can read that will edify me more and prove more valuable. If in a lifetime I am going to read only one or two books on a certain subject, I should seek to make sure that they are the best books on that subject.

3. Are the lovers of such a book as this the greatest lovers of the Book of God and of a holy life?

This is a difficult question. I sometimes read books that are popular, but favored by those who do not hold high the Word of God. There are times when this is acceptable, I’m sure. However, when I do look at a book and consider reading it, it is worth thinking about who loves this book. This is one of the reasons we put endorsements on the back of a book; we can tell a lot about it simply by seeing who has give it a recommendation.

4. Does this book increase my love to the Word of God, kill my sin, and prepare me for the life to come?

In other words, does this book complement my reading of the Bible and help me live a life of godliness? Or does it pull me further from God and leave me with feelings of skepticism? While I do believe there is value in reading books for the purposes of research (for example, to understand what all those people found in The Shack), I need to prioritize good books that are loved by godly men and women. I need to focus the bulk of my attention on books that are truly good.

In all things, we must use discernment. As we read books we must continually search the Scriptures to “see if these things are so,” all the while praying to God for wisdom. Baxter’s advice is sound and we would do well to heed it, even (or perhaps especially) hundreds of years after it was written.