Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1880-10-11
RHETORIC OF THE SACRED
WRITER'S.

While each of the sacred writer's had
a rhetoric peculiarly his own the Holy
Spirit is marked by no particular rhe-
torical form of utterance and therefore
he can make use of all theirs. If he
has any individuality in this respect,
will some one tell US what it is? Now,
what is style in literary composition?
1t Is the characteristic method Of Sc
lecting words and putting sentences to-
gether, which stamps the authors pro-
auctions with the influences of his habits, |
his condition in society, his peculiar |
form of education, the circumstances
which tinge his views, his reasoning, !.
his experience. and which leave upon
his works the influences of his magma
ton and genius. These give you his
mental and MORAL physiogimy, and make
up his style. But God is free to act
With or without these fixed laws. He
has no habits, no education, no surround
ings, no experience. No circumstances
tinge his views, his reasonings, nor has
he any idiosyncrasies of speech, because
he has no mother tongue through which
he expresses his attributes of character,
nor does he leave his 6nger-mark of
native genius upon his literary fabrics.
1t is great fallacy, then. to suppose
that uniformity of verbal style must
have marked his authorship in the Bible
had he selected Its words. No. AS the
author of all styles he uses them all at
his pleasure, after first clothing his
servant with them as he will. He be-
slows all the powers of mental individ-
uality upon his instruments for writing
the Scriptures. and then uses their
forces as he will to express his own
mind by all their various powers and
habits. Take an illustration from his
forces in nature. In any given depart
ment of vegetable life, there may be
but one genus, but you can classify its
members into a thousand species. For
example, examine the family of dubious
roots. By the combined employment of
the same elements, heat, air, moisture,
electricity, light, all acting together
upon their organs, you have the tulip.
the hyacinth, the crocus, and the vast
family of lilies. These come in every
shape of cup, and shade of color, and
you can assign the difference to no
cause whatever, either of natural chem
istry or diligent culture. 1t is exclu-
sively attributable to the infinite variety
of styles which the mind of God devises
for the variety of flowers. And SO, in
the various books of the one Bible, his
mind is seen in the infinite variety of
| expression which dictates the wording
of every writer. One has pungently
said, There is as great difference
between Johns Gospel and the Book Of
Chronicles as between mans brain
/ and the hair of his head nevertheless,
the life of the body is as truly in the
hair as in the BRAIN | cannot tell
how the Spirit suggested words to the
sacred writer's, but | can tell this quite
as we'll as any other man can tell me
how he suggested their thoughts. And
If diversity of expression proves that
he did not choose their words, then
diversity of idea proves that he did
not dictate their thoughts; for their
thoughts vary quite as much as their
language. In each case, the one is fit
ted to the other with marvelousness
of design which shows the thought and
expression to rise in ole common source.
Ia fact, sometimes the same writer uses
entirely different styles IN his different
books. Note, for example, the wide
diversity between Johns Gospel. his
Epistles and the Apocalypse. His die
item in the Gospel is far higher than in
the Apocalypse, and indicates higher
liaerary culture than that which runs
through his Epistles. In the Gospel he
gives finished revelation of Christ il
the flesh, in the Apocalypse he reveals
him in the holy mount. This is an EN-.
4 blematic panorama of the entire pro
I phetic books. making each image q
watchword to some great truth, which
i hangs on the running thread of OLD
/ Testament beauty and strength. And
4 so the dress of the whole book is pecul
l lar, SO peculiar that some Interpreters
of note have seen in it the arbitrary
l outline Of the Roman or Greek drama
/ with its scenes, acts, prologue, epilogue