Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1915-04-30

That l might come even to his seat!
Behold L go forward
But he is not there,
And backward
But l cannot perceive him,
On the left hand, when he doth work.
That | cannot see him,
But he knoweth the way that l take;
But | cannot behold him,
He hideth himself on the right hand,
When he hath tried me
| shall come forth as gold,
And that is the way that he did
come forth This story has been
the inspiration of more notable works
of fiction than we can number.
Not only in this book of Job is a
splendid form of story telling but
also magnificent dramatic expression,
and a sterling philosophy of life in
poetic form. Added to these | find
that the best critics mention another
department of literature exemplif-
ed herein, one unknown in any other
of the worlds literatures, that of
prophecy which appears in Job as a
lirect and authoritative divine mes
sage.
l do not need nor have l time to
more than remind you of the beauti-
full stories of Ruth, of Esther, of
Deborah and of many others, all
masterpieces of their various au-
thors. l say of various authors be-
cause, as you know. there is now no
difference of opinion among tlhe
best students and critics as to that
matter, the greatest proof being the
absolute lack of unity in the parts
and the unquestionable marks of
changing times widely separated,
with their widely varying conditions
and the differing handiwork of the
| people representing these things by
the pictures they have drawn.
Of the poetry of the Old Tesla
ment l can only speak briefly and
vet how wonderful it is! The Psalms
perhaps the best known POLITICALLY
| considered, appear in some way in
much of our present day literature.
They are called the work of David
and yet are without doubt. a collec-
ton. For instance the ninetieth is
| supposed to have been written by
Moses near the close of his life and
is expressive of his bitter grief and
disappointment of which l have al
ready spoken, and. which he believed
a chastisement of God. He lived long
before David who, out of the fullness
| of his heart, it seems to me. must have
written the 91st to counterfeit the eff
Feet of the insistent dwelling of Moses
upon the wrath of God. Listen to
David:
He that dwelleth in the secret place
Of the most High shall abide under
the shadow of the Almighty.
l will say of the Lord. He is my
refuge and my fortress; my God; in
him will l trust. Surely he shall de-
liver thee from the snare of the fow-
ler, and from the noisome pestilenes
And farther on:
Because thou hast made the Lore
which is my refuge, even the most
High, thy a habitation.
No evil shall befall thee, neither
shall any plague come nigh thy dwell.
ing, for he shall give his angels charge
concerning thee in all thy WAYS.
They shall bear thee up in theil
hands. lest thou dash thy foot against
a stone. And so on.
Can anything be more beautiful ant
sublime in expression aside from it:
spiritual affirmation of the love o.
IGod for His children? 1t is one Of
the noblest poems of the world writes
Henry Van Dyke. and it is truly that
l have only touched the hem of thu
garment in which my subject is cloth
ed but | am sure you understand wha'
70. me is a truth, that the influence o.
1.-The Old Testament upon the litera
ture of the world is a CONSTANT,
!, strengthening factor. / have saiC
nothing of the language. of its i'm
agery sublime beyond compare, MOI
of Proverb. q collection from many
sources of pithily expressed wise say
ings. nor of the Wisdom books, Thu
result of deep meditation clothed il
forceful words that seem to have beer
chosen by an accomplished rhetorician
As thew have all been INTERPRETED il
the light of literary EXPRESSION. the.
have lost none of their power bu
rather gained a greater degree. Whel
we begin to realize this we do no
wonder that such writer's as Chaucer
Dante. Milton, Browning. Wordsworth
George Eliot, Charles Reade. Rober
' ,ouis Stevenson, and manv other
confess thei~ debt to what we know a
The Old Testament,
Finally in this most unsatisfactory,
Glance at my subject. let me repea
that viewed wholly from a l~iterar,