Literary Greatness of the Bible

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 7314, 15 November 1933, Page 2

Literary Greatness of the Bible

GREATEST CLASSIC OF ALL THE AGES "The Classic Through the Ages” was the subject of an interesting address to tho Palmerston North Citizens’ Lunch Club yesterday by Mrs V. M. White, of the Longburn Missionary School. The speaker gave an excellent criticism of the great literary passages which the Scriptures contain. ’ “The classic of the ages’’ was the authorised version of the Bible, said Mrs White. As more literature it outshone the greatest English writers, while as a cultural asset it equalled anything given us by Greece or Rome. It had withstood all the trials with which literature was faced through tho ages. One of the highest reasons for studying the Bible as literature was that it gave a deeper appreciation of tho more spiritual significance of the Bible. This literary supremacy of the Bible was a fact recognised by many masters of English. Sir Arthur QuiilerCouch had said that when a nation attained to a literary perfection such as that of the Bible, its literature was woll assured. The Authorised Version set the Beal on a national style, and many authors, notably Bunyan, had derived their mastery of beautiful expression. from it. The language of the Bible had shaped the speech of all England. The Bible was in everything we heard, saw, or thought. Were every other book to perish, one surviving Bible would serve to illustrate tho poetic beauties of the languages. Many of the lyrics and songs in the Bible had never been surpassed. The old Hebrews had. literary genius; they thought in pictures and used ‘ ‘picture words” that left cold the more prosaic expressions of the modern day. Their poetic fervour and effective metaphor were unrivalled for tho expression of simple thoughts. When the ancient Israelites wanted to impress a truth they told a story, and the Book of Ruth was written in a beautiful and exquisite vein which no modern would attempt to imitate. Goethe had described it as the greatest idyll that had come to us. through tho ages of .tradition. It deserved to be, and indeed was, immortal. Such pieces were pure poetry, simple and charming. Hebrew poetry depended not on. rhyme or rhythm, but on parallelism, a simple but telling metaphor which was emphasised by repetition. The Book of Job was also poetry for 'the most part, and was Teally a great drama, with the suffering- of humanity for its theme. It embraced passages which only the greatest of poets could have written.

The crowning glory of the Bible, however, was the sayings of Christ, which ihad the simplicity of .all great things. Being a poet, his words painted pictures. He taught in similes and His parables were the world’s best short stories in form and beauty. Ho had reduced the greatest law of the universe to a paradox when He said: “Ho who gains his life shall lose it; ■he that loseth his life for Jlv sake shall find it.”

So we had these literary thoughts from the Bible, but its permanency had another reason in that human nature was unchanging, and the dramas of life had not changed to-day since

the days of Abraham. It was almost impossible to exaggerate the Bible’s influence on our race; from it was derived the Puritan influence w’hich had shaped England and America, and the inspiration of Milton and a host of succeeding authors, poets, orators, anil statesmen in England and throughout the world. It was still tho greatest heritage of the Anglo-Saxon race, and to-day continued as the world’s ‘‘best seller.” To enjoy real literary pleasure one could do no better than turn to the Bible. Visitors welcomed were Miss D, M« Rosendahl of Longburn and Mr L. R. Bryant (tSTclson). Mr «T. G. Crooks presided. Mr D. W. Low moved a vote of thanks to the speaker.