The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1914-01-12

Browning Class.
On Saturday afternoon at the High
school auditorium, Mrs. Maggie W..
Barry gave highly interesting and
instructive lecture on the Bible.
Mrs. Barry's scholarly interpreta-
tion of the Bible, regarded as a
piece of literature, has pointed out
new beauties to the class and will
help them to a clearer reading OF
the Book in the future.
She said, in part: In the study
of the Bible, there are three ways
to approach it-first, as a history,
when you would look up the authen-
ticity of the records and events;
second, for the purpose of getting
a system of theology, and third, it
may be read from the standpoint of
literature"
Mrs. Barry chose for the afternoon
to speak of the Bible from the stand
point of literature.
She spoke first of the form in
which it is written, since form is an
integral part of any literature, and
is important to the thorough under
standing of any piece of literature.
in approaching any book" she
continued, the reader is obligated
to approach the book with an open
mind and without any rreconceived
prejudice; he should be in sympa-
thy with the point of view of the
author, whether he accepts it or not.
Whether true or not, the Bible is
written from the point OF view that
it is a revelation from God. Tou
must read the book with an open
mind, which is within itself good
thing to cultivate and to hold to
as long as you live. When you close
up your mind it is the end of your
development. In choosing our books
we have to ask the question: Is 1t
worthy to read? First, has it stood
the test of time?' The test Of time
is the greatest test TO which art and
literature can be put. If it has
stood this test ! care not what 1t Is,
it is worth reading.
/ THE Bible is the oldest Book in
J the world; it has withstood the
storm of thirty centuries; it has
been hidden, BURIED, burned-every
effort has been made to do away
with it; people have been put to
death because they read it, but in
spite of this it has been translated
in two hundred languages There is
no spot on the globe where the Bible
is not found.
Another test of literature is this:
Has it in it the elements of truth
that is, universal truth, such as
the truth of God, the truth of he
universe or the truth of spirit
truths not dependent upon place oi
person.
There is something in us thai
responds to truth. The absolute i'm
partiality of the Bible is shown II
the fact that it makes no effort tt
cover up the sin of anyone.
"If Abraham sinned or Daniel sin
ned it gave an important record o
it.
Another test of literature is no
bility of thought-'feeling. No per
son, believe, has ever studied th'
Bible-no matter what purpose
prompted them-who has not felt al
impetus to more elevated type o
life and a higher plane of living
Another great rule of literatur
is unity-unity of form, of theme
or purpose, and of thought. Their
is marvellous unity in the B'o'-
The first three chapters of Gen
esis and the last three of Revela
tion are a perfect example Of IN
unity of beginning and end. Ever
book in the Bible. between. mark
step towards the Accomplishment
of its purpose.
1T was written by many peopl
Of different nationality and of dit
ferent civilizations, covering a pero
of fifteen hundred years, yet it is a
perfectly unified as Macauley's Essa
on Milton. Nothing but a super
human mind could have accomplish