# “He had seen the Lord, and yet he wants books!” by Charles Spurgeon

- Link: https://tollelege.net/2024/05/04/he-had-seen-the-lord-and-yet-he-wants-books-by-charles-spurgeon/
- Published: 2024-05-04T15:00:00-05:00
- Author: tollelege

_The cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, 
and the books, but especially the parchments_. —**2 Timothy 4:13**

“We will LOOK AT HIS BOOKS. We do not know what the books were about, and we can
only form some guess as to what the parchments were.

Paul had a few books which were left, perhaps wrapped up in the cloak, and Timothy
was to be careful to bring them. _Even an apostle must read. _

Some of our very ultra-Calvinistic brethren think that a minister who reads books
and studies his sermon must be a very deplorable specimen of a preacher. A man who
comes up into the pulpit, professes to take his text on the spot, and talks any 
quantity of nonsense, is the idol of many.

If he will speak without premeditation, or pretend to do so, and never produce what
they call a dish of dead men’s brains—oh! that is the preacher. How rebuked are 
they by the apostle!

He is inspired, and _yet he wants books_!

He has been preaching at least for thirty years, and _yet he wants books_!

He had seen the Lord, and _yet he wants books_!

He had had a wider experience than most men, and _yet he wants books_!

He had been caught up into the third heaven, and had heard things which it was unlawful
for a man to utter, _yet he wants books_!

He had written the major part of the New Testament, and _yet he wants books_!

The apostle says to Timothy and so he says to every preacher, “_Give thyself unto
reading_.” (**1 Timothy 4:13**)

The man who never reads will never be read; he who never quotes will never be quoted.

He who will not use the thoughts of other men’s brains, proves that he has no brains
of his own.

Brethren, what is true of ministers is true of all our people. _You need to read._

Renounce as much as you will all light literature, but study as much as possible
sound theological works, especially the Puritanic writers, and expositions of the
Bible.

We are quite persuaded that the very best way for you to be spending your leisure,
is to be either reading or praying. You may get much instruction from books which
afterwards you may use as a true weapon in your Lord and Master’s service.

Paul cries, “_Bring the books_”—join in the cry.

Our second remark is, that the apostle is not ashamed to confess that he does read.
He is writing to his young son Timothy.

Now, some old preachers never like to say a thing which will let the young ones 
into their secrets. They suppose they must put on a very dignified air, and make
a mystery of their sermonizing; but all this is alien from the spirit of truthfulness.

Paul wants books, and is not ashamed to tell Timothy that he does; and Timothy may
go and tell Tychicus and Titus if he likes—Paul does not care.

Paul herein is a picture of industry: He is in prison; he cannot preach: what will
he do? As he cannot preach, he will read.

As we read of the fishermen of old and their boats. The fishermen were gone out 
of them. What were they doing? Mending their nets.

So if providence has laid you upon a sick bed, and you cannot teach your class—if
you cannot be working for God in public, mend your nets by reading.

If one occupation is taken from you, take another, and let the books of the apostle
read you a lesson of industry. He says, “_Especially the parchments_.”

I think the books were Latin and Greek works, but that the parchments were Oriental;
and possibly they were the parchments of Holy Scripture; or as likely, they were
his own parchments, on which were written the originals of his letters which stand
in our Bible as the Epistles to the Ephesians, the Philippians, the Colossians, 
and so on.

Now, it must be “_Especially the parchments_” with all our reading; let it be especially
the Bible. Do you attach no weight to this advice?

This advice is more needed in England now than almost at any other time, for the
number of persons who read the Bible, I believe, is becoming smaller every day.

Persons read the views of their denominations as set forth in the periodicals; they
read the views of their leader as set forth in his sermons or his works, but the
Book, the good old Book, the divine fountain-head from which all revelation wells
up—this is too often left.

You may go to human puddles, until you forsake the clear crystal stream which flows
from the throne of God.

Read the books, by all manner of means, but especially the parchments.

Search human literature, if you will, but especially stand fast by that Book which
is infallible, the revelation of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”

–Charles H. Spurgeon, “[Paul—His Cloak and His Books](https://www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/sermons/paul-his-cloak-and-his-books/#flipbook/),”
in [_The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, vol. 9_](https://www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/sermons/paul-his-cloak-and-his-books/#flipbook/)(
London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1863), 668–669.

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