Old Books and Jesus and Prayer

I'm currently reading The Life of God in the Soul of Man by Henry Scougal.  This book, first published in 1868, is a balm to the soul.  The rich use of language, the careful yet uninhibited phrasings cause my mind to want more of the same----a breath of fresh air in a volume that in it's original form is quite possible falling apart, yellowed with age and dust.

Just read this paragraph on my Jesus and prayer:

"Another instance of his {Jesus'} love to God, was, his delight in conversing with him; which made him frequently retire from the world, and with the greatest devotion and pleasure spend whole nights in that heavenly exercise, though he had no sins to confess, and but few secular interests to pray for; which alas! are almost the only things that are wont to drive us to our devotions.  Nay, we may say his whoe life was a kind of prayer, a constant course of communion with God; if the sacrifice was not always offering, yet was the fire still kept alife: nor was ever the blessed Jesus surprised with that dullness or tepidity of spirit which we must many times wrestle with before we can be fit for the exercise of devotion"


It's true that it is more challenging to read the use of English language in the past, however it is not quite as daunting as one might think.  In fact, the experience of reading such can become more rather than less fulfilling, because in order to make our 21st century minds process such sentences and paragraphs, we must slow down our reading and savor the words.

A friend pointed out recently the forward of another "old book" that is also a balm, a salve to the soul.  The title is The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes.  Below is an excerpt from the publisher's forward to that volume:

“Our books may come to be seen where ourselves shall never be heard.  These may preach where the author cannot, and (which is more) when he is not.”  This prediction by one of the great Puritans has had many fulfillments....As Luther said, “Satan hates the use of pens,”.......Although the orginal volumes are worn with age, the truths found in them are as fresh as the new formats in which they are now appearing.”