PART IV
THE BIBLE IN LITERATURE
_For Lovers of Literature_
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"It is surely good that our youth, during the formative period, should have displayed to them, in a literary dress as brilliant as that of Greek literature, in lyrics which Pindar cannot surpass, in rhetoric as forcible as that of Demosthenes, or contemplative prose not inferior to Plato's--a people dominated by an utter passion for righteousness." --_Richard G. Moulton_.
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THE BIBLE IN LITERATURE
THE BIBLE'S PLACE IN LITERATURE
It may well be said that, like our English speech, our literature has drawn its material and its inspiration from many tongues and peoples. Its sources are world-wide. Its stream flows from innumerable springs and fountains. Some of them have been shallow and some have given up only the waters of bitterness, but many there are which keep the current broad and pure and deep. And of those fountains that ever pour out living water the most abounding is our English Bible.
So abundantly has our literature drawn from the Bible that a study of it is the very beginning of the knowledge of English writings. He alone can be called educated who knows this Book; for its _style_, its _substance_ and its _spirit_ are thoroughly woven into the thought and language of English-speaking people.
In the age of Elizabeth, when the Bible was translated, our English words were coming fresh coined to our language from the mint of life. New words were being made out of men's experiences. Such words brought the pictures and images of things and actions vividly to the mind as our abstract speech of to-day can never do. It was this living, concrete language which men like Tindale and Coverdale wrought into what became the King James Version; and with such mastery that to this day the Bible has no peer in the vigor, the directness, and the simplicity of its style. Then, too, in those days religious belief was often a matter of life and death. Many of the translators finally gave up their lives rather than to renounce their convictions, and it could only be that such men would give to the Bible a style that breathes always the noble dignity and earnestness of martyrs.
Thus he who would appraise our English writings must weigh whatever they possess of the earnestness, the simplicity, the vigor, the directness of the Bible. He must himself have mastered well that great source of English style.
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Then who shall measure the treasures of the Bible substance that our writers have poured into their books? The Bible has contributed their language, their plots, their incidents, their characters, their moral lessons, even their names. Words can no more than faintly suggest how full to overflowing of the Bible is our literature. An allusion from the Scriptures adorns almost every page of such writers as Browning and Ruskin. Five hundred Biblical allusions appear in the Ring and the Book alone. Thousands of them are scattered through Shakespeare and in their use the poet climbs perhaps oftenest to the heights of his genius. It has been said that no other passage in Shakespeare has the sublimity of that one patterned by the lover of Jessica from the Book of Job:--
[Footnote: Lorenzo thus addresses Jessica. (See page 157.)]
"Look how the floor of heaven Is thick inlaid with patines of bright gold; There's not the smallest orb which thou behold'st But in his motion like an angel sings."
Our masters of poetry and prose have thus become the Bible's messengers; but such also are the lesser writers and speakers of every day. The Bible words find a response that is universal; for Truth knows no chosen vessel but rather has chosen all. Story and lyric, epic and drama, alike carry onward the Bible's messages and continue to spread their truth among all people of the English tongue.
But perhaps most precious of all the Bible's contributions to our literature is the gift of its spirit. The creators of the best in English have shared that spirit in that their works have shared the Bible's lofty purposes. Who so earnestly preaches the living of a life as John Bunyan in Pilgrim's Progress? Who more resembles the Hebrew seer warning his people of their danger, than Lincoln, when with solemn prophecy he declares: "'A house divided against itself cannot stand.' I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free"? Carlyle calling the world to repentance, Dickens and Thackeray calling it to reform, Emerson pointing new heights for reason and faith and love, Browning proclaiming "The best is yet to be"--each in his own way seeks to bring in the Kingdom. And what is the spirit of the Bible, unless it be the spirit of a people seeking after God if haply they might find Him?
If we should study what has called out the best in men or letters in order that we may understand that best, how much more ought we to know the Bible for itself. The deep experiences of the soul are the {115} stuff of which literature is made; and in language whose appeal is alike to the wise and the simple this Book dramatizes the life of the soul. Though struggling much between right and wrong and falling often, the Old Testament heroes groped their way upward to better things, and established their belief in one God upon a firm foundation. Their story is the epic of the soul's struggle and victory; but it is also the revelation of humanity's past, the mirror of its present of progress and defeat, the prophecy of its triumphant future. The Psalms, in the words of Heine, collect within themselves "sunrise and sunset, birth and death, promise and fulfillment--the whole drama of humanity." Excepting only those of the New Testament literature, no authors of any land or time have seized upon truths so unchanging and so everlasting as the writers of Job and the books of the Prophets. Ignoring life's vanities, soaring far above the things that are temporal, these writings ever summon the minds of men to dwell upon things eternal.
Finally in the literature of the New Testament the victories of faith replace the victories of war; the groping instinct of survival is justified in the Demonstration of Immortality; the Cult of the Chosen People gives way to the Gospel of Universal Brotherhood; the Omnipotent Creator is revealed also the God of Love; the Deity of Retribution and Justice becomes a Father; Man, the Child.
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QUESTIONS BRINGING OUT THE BIBLE'S LITERARY VALUE
1. The Poetry of the Bible
What is the difference between the rhythm of Hebrew poetry and that of English poetry? 11 S.A.
What three forms does this rhythm take? 12 S.A.
In the words quoted from Jesus are any of these forms used? 13 S.A.
What is the richest part of Biblical poetry? 13 S.A.
Rhythm and Feeling
What form of rhythm illustrated on page 12 S.A. is used in the psalms:
The Righteous Man. 19 S.A.
A Morning Prayer. 20 S.A.
A Song of Deliverance. 26 S.A.
A Song in Time of Trouble. 61 S.A.
The Cry of the Needy. 98 S.A.
Idols of Silver and Gold. 136 S.A.
Our Father. 118 S.A.
A Pilgrim Song. 156 S.A.
What two qualities, necessary to Hebrew poetry, are found in Deborah's Song of Triumph? 54-59 T.J., 11 S.A.
What deep feeling prompted the Song of Judith? 105-107 T.J.
How can the "Song of Songs" be compared with the lyrical poetry of the Elizabethan period in England? 234-239 S.A.
The Psalms a Collection of Lyric Poetry
For what purpose was the Book of Psalms written? 17 S.A.
What is the leading theme of the Psalms? 17 S.A.
Mention some of the other themes. 17 S.A.
Name the Psalm in which every verse, it is said, contains a reference to the law of God. 505 S.A.
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In what way is Psalm 119 (143 S.A.) an alphabetic Psalm? 505 S.A.
Ruskin says that, among others, Psalms 1, 8, 15, 19, 23, 24, well studied and believed, are sufficient for all personal guidance. What principles of conduct are enjoined in:--
The Righteous Man. 19 S.A.
Little Lower than God. 22 S.A.
The Upright Man. 23 S.A.
Song of the Earth and Sky. 30 S.A.
The Good Shepherd. 35 S.A.
The Earth is the Lord's. 36 S.A.
Ruskin says that Psalm 72 contains many principles of just government. State in modern terms some of the principles of government enjoined in "The Righteous King". 88 S.A.
Ruskin says that Psalm 104 anticipates the triumphs of natural sciences. From the reading of the Psalm can you suggest those anticipated? Read note 503 S.A. 120 S.A.
Compare Manasseh's prayer, 320 T.J., with the Prayer of Repentance. 75 S.A.
Can you suggest an act of David to which this Psalm is probably related? 75 S.A.
Job a Dramatic Poem
What characteristic makes Job a dramatic poem? 180 S.A.
What is the distinction between Hebrew drama, as illustrated in Job, and the Greek and English drama? 180 S.A.
What is the central theme of the book of Job? 179 S.A.
What are the characters of the book of Job? 178 S.A.
Trace the dramatic climax in the messages brought to Job. 182 S.A.
Locate Job's two sublime statements of faith, often quoted. 194, 200 S.A.
What description of man, noted in literature, does Job give? 195 S.A.
What great question asked by Job is the theme of many poems, such as Tennyson's "In Memoriam"? 195 S.A.
Give the summary of the thought contained in the first cycle of speeches. 195 S.A.
Give the summary of the thought contained in the second cycle. 204 S.A.
Give the summary of the thought contained in the third cycle. 213 S.A.
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What does Elihu add to the thought of the poem? 221 S.A.
What reply does the book of Job give to the question, "Why do good people suffer?" 231 S.A.
The Apocalypse a Rhapsody
Dr. Richard G. Moulton calls the Apocalypse a rhapsody, or a fusion of all other styles of Hebrew writing. Can you discover evidences of the dramatic lyric and narrative styles used? 456-478 S.A.
The proper preparation for appreciating the Apocalypse, it is said, is the study of other Hebrew rhapsodies, in particular Isaiah and Zechariah. What similarity can you find in "Visions of the Heavenly City" and Isaiah's "Awake, O Zion"? 286 S.A.
What similarity can you find both of style and content in the Apocalypse, 456-478 S.A., and Zechariah's "Vision Rhapsody"? 401-407 S.A.
Hero Poems
What is the book of Jashar? 306, 426, 493 H. T.
2. The Oratory in the Bible
Compare the opening sentences of the speech on Mars Hill with those of Paul's sermon at Antioch; how, or in what characteristic, does the contrast show that Paul was a great speaker? 380, 407 L.J.
Senator Albert J. Beveridge says Paul's speech on Mars Hill has never been excelled in brevity of statement and in force of thought, and that in these regards it compares favorably with Lincoln's speech at Gettysburg. How does Paul gain his audience's attention? How does he compliment the Greeks in the course of his speech? What is the substance of his argument against paganism? What thoughts form the principal message of this speech? 407, 408 L.J.
It is said that Moses' speeches to the children of Israel during their wanderings in the wilderness are examples of fine oratory, sometimes producing upon the people all the effect of drama. In his speech on pages 271, 272 H.T., what do you think of his methods of swaying his audience as compared to the modern orator's?
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Daniel Webster's customary preparation for the delivery of an oration was to read Isaiah's magnificent address, "Comfort Ye My People." What oratorical beauties can you discover from a reading of this address? 284, 285 S.A.
3. Other Literary Forms Found in the Bible
What is the nature of the book of Ecclesiastes and the author's view of life? 242-246 S.A.
What is the nature of the book of Proverbs? 248 S.A.
Give the gist of the teachings of the Proverbs. 248 S.A.
Give in modern terms three principles of conduct taught in "Enter not into the Path of the Wicked" 255 S.A.
Wisdom Literature
Dr. Richard G. Moulton says there are three characteristic methods employed in stating the Proverbs: antithesis, comparison, and imagery. In the selection, "Praise of the Wise and Virtuous Woman," can you find examples of these three methods? 256 S.A.
The literary forms of the Proverbs are fourfold: the single couplet; clusters of couplets, where several independent sayings are gathered about a common theme; the epigram; and wisdom sonnets. Note these four forms. 501 G.B. 249-257 S.A.
Letters
In what literary form are the writings of Paul? 413 S.A.
What can be said of the style of Paul's letters? 413 S.A.
How did Paul's wide experience contribute to his writings? 414 S.A.
Varied Styles
What type of story common to-day is told by one of the brothers of Abimelech? 333 H.T.
Do you think Nathan's method of bringing David to repentance peculiarly effective? Give three literary devices used by Nathan in support of your opinion. 432 H.T.
What three stories in the Bible are recognized as among the most charming love stories in the world? 49 H.T. 60 T.J., 35 T.J.
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What is the circumstance of the only riddle in the Bible? 173 T.J.
What literary form did Jesus most often use in speaking to the people? 133 L.J.
4. The Literary Value of the Books of Prophecy
Isaiah
In what literary form are many of Isaiah's prophecies written? 277 S.A.
What qualities in Isaiah's poetry give it a high place in literature? 277 S.A.
Dr. Richard G. Moulton says that in Isaiah's poetry, men's thoughts are directed toward the great idea of a universal spiritual dominion. In "Comfort Ye My People," what passages do you think have this purpose? 284, 285 S.A.
Isaiah is said to be a master of satire and pathos, of proverb and parable, of simile and metaphor. In his sublime words, "The Triumph of the Man of Sorrows," can you find evidences of these literary forms? 288, 289 S.A.
Jeremiah
What was the theme of Jeremiah's prophecy? 297 S.A.
What symbolic use did Jeremiah make of the potter and his clay? 301 S.A.
Hosea
Through what personal experience was Hosea able to interpret the love of God? Can you discover in "The Longing of God for His Children" the strong feeling due to this experience? 365, 366 S.A.
Amos
Because of the circumstances of his early life Amos drew most of his figures from nature and agricultural occupations. How many such allusions can you find in the selections here given? 354-362 S.A.
Micah
In the prophecy of Micah appear probably the most striking words ever written predicting world peace. Locate them. 367-369 S.A.
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Nahum
In what regards do you consider the description of war in "The Doom of Nineveh" an adequate picture of modern day warfare? 387-391 S.A.
Habakkuk
Compare the theme of the prophecy of Habakkuk with the theme of the book of Job. 179, 392 S.A.
The prayer of Habakkuk is said to be a composition unrivaled for boldness of conception, sublimity of thought, and majesty of diction. After reading can you pick out passages that confirm this estimate of it? 393-396 S.A.
Haggai
What is said of the style of Haggai's writing? 397 S.A.
Zechariah
What is the meaning of the prophecy of Zechariah? 401 S.A.
5. The Bible-an Inspiration to Writers
Compare Victor Hugo's account of the Fall of Jericho with the Bible account. 293, 287-292 H. T.
Show how the wilderness journey of the children of Israel is traced out in the poem, "Lead Me On". 238 H.T.
How many of the twenty and more allusions to the Bible in Whittier's poem, "Palestine," can you pick out and explain? 15-17 H.T.
To what event of Israelitish history does the "Song of the Manna Gatherers" refer? 198 H.T. (196 H.T.)
Poems Inspired by the Bible
The following well-known poems were inspired by passages in the Old Testament. Bring out some of the beauty and power which the poets saw in these passages by comparing them with the poems.
The Finding of Moses. 134 H.T. (138 H.T.)
The Seventh Plague of Egypt. 162 H.T. (166 H.T.)
The Burial of Moses. 274 H.T. (272,273 H.T.)
Saul and David 395 H.T. (396 H.T.)
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Cave of Adullam. 437 H.T. (438 H.T.)
Ruth. 49 T.J. (35 T.J.)
Belshazzar. 211 T.J. (201-206 T.J.)
The Destruction of Sennacherib. 315 T.J. (271-276 S.A.)
Hymn by the Euphrates. 316 T.J. (346, 347 T.J.)
How does Dante, in his "Divine Comedy," use Psalm 114 (134, 135 S.A.)? 504 S.A.
What famous writer at the age of fifteen composed a hymn founded on Psalm 136 (162, 163 S.A.)? 506 S.A.
What Psalm has been most often translated into English verse? 35 S.A.
Name some poets who have translated the Shepherd Psalm into verse. 498 S.A.
Consider the passages descriptive of the relation of the Eastern shepherd to his sheep, on pages 200 and 201 L.J. and 285 S.A., and study the pictures, noting the inscription on back, on pages 210 and 288 G.B. What qualities had this relationship peculiar to the East? State the peculiar qualities of this relationship that make the figure of the shepherd used in the first three lines of Psalm 23 particularly appropriate as applied to God. 35 S.A.
Find the lines in Psalm 72 (88 S.A.) on which is based the tradition, evidenced by many poems, that the three Wise Men from the East were Kings. 501 S.A., 29, 41 L.J.
What lines of Psalm 80 (91 S.A.) underlie Elizabeth Barrett Browning's, "The Measure," stanza 2? 501 S.A.
What lines in Psalm 86 (98 S.A.) are beautifully used by Tennyson in the verse quoted from "Rizpah"? 502 S.A.
What lines in Psalm 87 (100 S.A.) furnished the motto for Augustine's great work, "The City of God"? 502 S.A.
What well-known tune derived its name from the number of the Psalm which was used with it? 116,503 S.A.
Story Suggested by the Bible
Can you name a popular modern story that has its inspiration in "The Wise Men"? 41 L.J.
Read the following stories from the volume, "The Life of Jesus," with your reading of Van Dyke's beautiful story, "The Other Wise Man," and note the interesting correspondence. Alternate Van Dyke's story with THE BIBLE STORY and read as follows:--
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_The Other Wise Man_
The Sign in the Sky By the Waters of Babylon
THE BIBLE STORY The Wise Men, 41 L.J.
_The Other Wise Man_ For the Sake of a Little Child
THE BIBLE STORY A Journey to the Land of the Pharaohs, 45 L.J.
_The Other Wise Man_ In the Hidden Way of Sorrow
THE BIBLE STORY The Crucifixion, 281 L.J.
_The Other Wise Man_ A Pearl of Great Price
Book Titles Taken from the Bible
The fact that many books of every style and content bear names taken from the Bible and develop themes suggested by the Bible is a tribute to the beauty and picturesqueness of Bible diction and indicates the extensive scope of its writings. What would you expect the theme of each of the following books to be, judging by the thought which the titles suggest?
"The Inside of the Cup" Winston Churchill
"The Fruit of the Tree" Edith Wharton
"All the Days of My Life" Margaret Sangster
"From My Youth Up" Amelia Barr
"Titus" Florence Morse Kingsley
"Following the Star" Florence Barclay
"Barabbas" Marie Corelli
"The Yoke" Elizabeth Miller
"The Wages of Sin" M. S. Harrison
"The Sins of the Father" Bertha M. Clay
"The Eternal City" Hall Caine
"A Voice in the Wilderness" Grace Livingston Hill Lutz
"The Thirteenth Commandment" Rupert Hughes
"The Hands of Esau" Margaret Deland
"A Certain Rich Man" William Allen White
"The Promised Land" Mary Antin
"Prince of the House of David" J. H. Ingraham
"The Far Country" Winston Churchill
"Unleavened Bread" Robert Grant
"Judas Iscariot" L. N. Andrew
"These Twain" Arnold Bennett
"The Good Shepherd" John Roland
"Prodigals and Sons" John Ayscough
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"The Lost Boy" Henry Van Dyke
"God's Remnants" Samuel Gordon
"The Foolish Virgin" Thomas Dixon
"The Heritage of Cain" Isabel Ostrander
"Behold the Woman" T. Everett Horre
"If Any Man Sin" H. A. Cody
"The Crown of Life" Gordon Arthur Smith
"The Clean Heart" A. S. M. Hutchinson
"The House of Bondage" Reginald Wright Kauffman
"The Mark of the Beast" Reginald Wright Kauffman
"The House of the Lord" J. E. Talmage
"Where the Laborers are Few" Margaret Deland
"The Old Adam" Arnold Bennett
(These are only a few of the many books that have drawn their titles from the Bible.)
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THE BIBLE'S GIFT TO OUR LANGUAGE
How often in listening to a speaker or in reading our everyday literature we find our imagination stirred by a forceful phrase taken from the Bible. If we know the part of the Bible from which the phrase comes it always throws a flood of light upon the message. But due to ignorance of the Bible, too many of us grope for the phrase's meaning.
Ignorance of the Bible a Handicap to the Student
In these days even high school and college graduates cannot explain the simplest Bible allusions. Charles Dudley Warner, writing in Harper's Magazine, says that a "boy or girl at college, in the presence of the works set forth for either to master, without a fair knowledge of the Bible, is an ignoramus, and is disadvantaged accordingly. For example, in Shakespeare there are quotations from fifty-four books of the Bible, thirty-one from Genesis alone; in Tennyson there are two hundred and one quotations or allusions from the Old Testament. Wholly apart from its religious or its ethical value, the Bible is the one book of which no intelligent person, who wishes to come into contact with the world of thought, and to share the ideas of the great minds of the Christian era, can afford to be ignorant."
Dramatic Terms Used by a Greek Scholar
The Bible indeed holds supremacy over all other sources of literary allusion in the addresses and writings of public men. The _Independent_ calls attention to a eulogy written by a prominent university professor in which were found, in an article of less than six pages, fourteen expressions from the Bible: "Every good word and work," "Fountain sealed," "Discernment of spirits," "Hid treasure," "Sinned with their lips," "Faith in his high calling," "Seeing him who is invisible," "Time would fail me," "Slept or slumbered," "Egyptian taskmaster," "Bloweth where it listeth," "Make a plain path," "Recompense of reward," and one direct quotation, "This is the way; walk ye in it." Against these fourteen cases is only one use of classical {126} phrases and one allusion each to Milton and Wordsworth. And Professor Gildersleeve is not known as a Bible scholar; he is past master of all our Grecians, and master also of a most delightful style. "He could have spattered his address over with Greek and Latin references and expressions without winking, so easy would it have been for him, but they could not have fitted into the serious purpose of plain and tender address as do the words of the two Testaments."
Superficial Knowledge of the Bible Prevalent
It makes no difference what a man's profession may be; whether he be a literary man, a lawyer, a teacher, or a clergyman, Bible words will unconsciously drop off his tongue, so familiar have the striking terms and phrases of the Bible become. And yet a mere superficial knowledge of the Book of books prevails to-day to such an extent that many grotesque mistakes and misquotations occur. London's leading newspaper solemnly affirmed one morning that if the Government of the day came to grief it would "fall, like the walls of Jericho, before the noise of empty pitchers." Can you discover the mistake in this simile? (287, 329 H.T.) A great lecturer on one occasion alluded to "Pharaoh and his hosts being overwhelmed in the Jordan." What two events are confused in this quotation? (184, 285 H.T.)
Whenever such an expression presents itself and is found to be vague or confusing, turn to the following list of allusions, which are those in most common use, and arranged alphabetically for easy reference. [Footnote: Note there are two lists of allusions, both alphabetically arranged.] Clear up the obscurity by reading the Bible passage that explains the doubtful phrase.
Each of these allusions has been used many times in common speech or in our great English writings, as illustrated by the many quotations that follow. A knowledge of the meaning and derivation of such phrases opens up a new world of interest and understanding and the ability to use them correctly infuses speech and writing alike with a new power of graphic expression.
How many of these allusions recall definitely a certain incident or story to your mind?
As strong as a spider's web. 190 S.A.
Ananias. 335 L.J.
Apples of gold in baskets of silver. 504 G.B.
Appeal unto Caesar. 452 L.J.
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Add a cubit to his stature. 106 G.B.
At their wits' end. 132 S.A.
All things to all men. 438 S.A.
As a lamb to the slaughter. 289 S.A.
As locusts for multitude, 319 H. T.
As a hart panteth after the water brooks. 61 S.A.
As sheep having no shepherd. 144 L.J.
As high as Haman. 73 T.J.
Balaam's ass. 259 H.T.
The beauty of holiness. 505 T.J.
Cast to the dogs. 172 L.J.
Clearer than the noonday. 193 S.A.
Carpenter of Nazareth. 50 L.J.
Cattle upon a thousand hills. 73 S.A.
City set on a hill. 106 L.J.
Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? 77 L.J.
Clothed and in his right mind. 139 L.J.
Cake not turned. 364 S.A.
Driving of Jehu. 160 T.J.
Doubting Thomas. 306 L.J.
The day of small things. 404 S.A.
Darkness which may be felt. 171 H. T.
Dan to Beer-sheba. 339, 342 H.T.
Doorkeeper in the house of God. 96 S.A.
Delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians. 143, 357 H.T.
Draught of fishes. 307 L.J.
Earth thy footstool. 343 L.J.
Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard. 502 T.J.
Ebenezer. 249 H.T.
Eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. 110 L.J.
Earn thy bread by the sweat of thy brow. 20 T.J.
The ewe lamb. 432 H.T.
Every good and perfect gift. 427 S.A.
Faith hath made thee whole. 140 L.J.
Fishers of men. 94 L.J.
Flight into Egypt. 45 L.J.
Faithful unto death 506 H.T. 461 S.A.
Flesh pots of Egypt. 192 H.T.
Friend of publicans and sinners. 154 L.J.
A far country. 203 L.J.
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth. 284 S.A.
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Gathered unto his fathers. 59 H. T.
Gallows fifty cubits high. 70 T.J.
The hills melted like wax. 502 T.J.
High calling. 504 H.T.
Half hath not been told. 481 H.T.
He that trod the sea. 148 L.J.
He that ruleth his spirit is better than he that taketh a city. 502 G.B.
His enemies shall lick the dust. 88 S.A.
Hearing of the ear. 231 S.A.
Ishmaelite. 395 H.T.
Job's comforters. 197 S.A.
Kill the fatted calf. 204 L.J.
Kick against the goad, kick against the pricks. 458 L.J.
Loaves and fishes. 147 L.J.
Love is strong as death. 239 S.A.
Leaven in the lump. 439 S.A.
Law of the Medes and Persians. 207 T.J.
Lift up your heads, O ye gates. 503 H.T.
Let another man praise thee. 504 G.B.
Let your speech be yea, yea; and nay, nay. 109 L.J.
Looking for a sign. 92 L.J.
Man of sorrows. 288 S.A.
Mighty in words and works. 341 L.J.
A merry heart is a good medicine. 503 G.B.
Mighty man of valor. 352 H.T.
More than conquerors. 508 H.T.
Man goeth to his long home. 245 S.A.
Macedonian cry. 396 L.J.
A mother in Israel. 54 T.J.
Man shall not live by bread alone. 70 L.J.
Manger lowly. 37 L.J.
Man wise in his own conceit. 504 G.B.
Man hasty in his words. 504 G.B.
My lines are fallen in pleasant places. 24 S.A.
Not slothful in business. 505 L.J.
Not by might, nor by power. 404 S.A.
Outer darkness. 246 L.J.
One having authority. 118 L.J.
Prophet without honor. 92 L.J.
Pride goeth before destruction. 502 G.B.
Philistines be upon thee. 177 T.J.
Passover. 173 H. T.
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Purple and fine linen. 257 S.A., 206 L.J.
Pitched his tent toward Sodom. 25 H.T.
Prince of demons. 171 L.J.
Pass by on the other side. 88 L.J.
Quit yourselves like men. 345, 505 H. T.
Rain on the just and the unjust. 110 L.J.
Rod of iron. 476 S.A.
Sounding brass and tinkling cymbal. 425 S.A.
Speak with the tongues of men and of angels. 425 S.A.
Salt of the earth. 106 L.J.
Stone which the builders rejected. 239 L.J., 141 S.A.
Sweeter than honey and the honeycomb. 31 S.A.
Sojourners in a strange land. 340 L.J.
Spirit descending as a dove. 69 L.J.
She hath done what she could. 230 L.J.
Sackcloth and ashes. 67 T.J.
A soft answer turneth away wrath. 502 G.B.
Sow the wind and reap the whirlwind. 365 S.A.
Sharper than a two-edged sword. 504 T.J.
Seat of the scornful. 19 S.A.
Shineth more and more unto the perfect day. 255 S.A.
Seed that fell on stony ground. 133 L.J.
Smite the Egyptian. 341 L.J.
Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. 264 L.J.
Son of perdition. 262 L.J.
The Sower. 133 L.J.
Take up thy bed and walk. 128, 167 L.J.
Tell it not in Gath. 426 H.T.
Tongues of fire. 325 L.J.
The twelve. 94 L.J.
Thirty pieces of silver. 248 L.J.
Tents of wickedness. 96 S.A.
The truth shall make you free. 194 L.J.
Turn the other cheek. 110 L.J.
Take up his cross. 504 H. T.
To thy tents, O Israel. 239 T.J.
They that go down to the sea in ships. 131 S.A.
Thine enemies thy footstool. 328 L.J.
To the ant, thou sluggard. 255 S.A.
The Lord will provide. 41 H.T.
Trees choosing a king. 333 H.T.
Unto the half of my kingdom. 154 L.J.
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The unjust steward. 204 L.J.
The upper room. 249 L.J.
Unprofitable servant. 246 L.J.
A very present help in trouble. 68 S.A.
Widow's mite. 243 L.J.
The wings of the wind. 26 S.A.
Wolf shall dwell with the lamb. 303 G.B.
Wiles of the devil. 506 H.T.
The way of all the earth. 451 H. T.
The wings of the morning. 164 S.A.
Without money and without price. 507 T.J.
Whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth, 502 T.J.
We shall reap, if we faint not. 506 L.J.
We piped unto you, and ye did not dance. 153 L.J.
Where moth and rust doth corrupt. 115 L.J.
Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. 379 S.A.
From reading these literary passages can you clearly explain the incident or story each Bible phrase suggests?
Aaron's Serpent. 152 H.T.
"And hence one master passion in the breast, Like Aaron's serpent, swallows up the rest." --_Pope, Essay on Man_.
Abraham's Bosom. 206 L.J.
"Sweet peace, conduct his soul to the bosom of good old Abraham." --_Shakespeare, Richard II 4:1_.
The Alabaster Box. 169 L.J.
"Thou wilt not let her wash thy dainty feet With such salt thing as tears or with rude hair Dry them." --_Lowell, A Legend of Brittany_.
The Angel's Song. 37 L.J.
"Blow, bugles of battle, the marches of peace, East, west, north and south let the long quarrel cease: Sing the song of great joy that the angels began, Sing of glory to God and of good will to man!" --_Whittier, A Christmas Carmen_.
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The Apple of His Eye. 25 S.A.
"Bestows on her too parsimonious lord, An infant for the apple of his eye." --_Browning, The Ring and the Book_.
As a Little Child. 188 L.J.
"Once said a Man--and wise was He-- Never shalt thou the heavens see, Save as a little child thou be." --_Sidney Lanier, The Symphony._
As Ye Sow, so shall Ye Reap. 423 S.A.
"Look before you ere you leap; For as you sow y' are like to reap." --_Butler, Hudibras_.
Babel. 32 T.J.
"In vain a fresher mould we seek, Can all the varied phrases tell What Babel's wandering children speak, How thrushes sing or lilacs smell?" --_Holmes, To My Readers_.
Barabbas. 276 L.J.
"Thou hand'st sweet Socrates his hemlock sour; Thou sav'st Barabbas in that hideous hour, And stabb'st the good." --_Sidney Lanier, Remonstrance_.
The Best till the Last. 78 L.J.
"Perhaps like him of Cana in Holy Writ Our Arthur kept his best until the last." --_Tennyson, The Holy Grail_.
Betrayed with a Kiss. 267 L.J.
"So Judas kiss'd his master, And cried, 'all hail!' whenas he meant, all harm." --_Shakespeare, III Henry VI 5:7_.
Bitter Waters 191 H.T.
"The Gospel has the only branch that sweetens waters of a bitter popular discontent." --_Anonymous_.
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Blood on the Lintel. 177 H. T.
"I do not suppose that your troops are to be beaten in actual conflict with the foe, or that they will be driven into the sea; but I am certain that many homes in England in which there now exists a fond hope that the distant one may return, many such homes may be rendered desolate when the next mail shall arrive. There is no one to sprinkle with blood the lintel and the two side posts of our doors, that the Angel of Death may spare and pass on." --_John Bright_.
Book of Life. 463 S.A.
"The Power . . . . May hear well pleased the language of the soul, And in His Book of Life the inmates poor enroll." --_Burns, The Cotter's Saturday Night_.
The Breastplate of Righteousness. 448 S.A.
"What stronger breastplate than a heart untainted!" --_Shakespeare, II Henry VI 3:2_.
Bricks without Straw. 150 H.T.
"For long years," writes Teufelsdrockh, "had the poor Hebrew, in this Egypt of an Auscultatorship, painfully toiled, baking bricks without stubble, before ever the question once struck him with entire force: For What?" --_Carlyle, Sartor Resartus, Book II, Chapter 5_.
The Broken Reed. 272 S.A.
"He (the genius) becomes obstinate in his errors, no less than in his virtues, and the arrows of his aims are blunted, as the reeds of his trust are broken." --_Ruskin, A Joy For Ever_.
The Burning Bush 142 H.T.
"In wonder-workings, or some bush aflame, Men look for God, and fancy him concealed, But in earth's common things he stands revealed, While grass and flowers and stars spell out his name." --_Minot J. Savage_.
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The Burning Fiery Furnace. 190 T.J.
"Be it floor or blood the path that's trod, All the same it leads to God. Be it furnace fire voluminous One like God's Son will walk with us." --_Christina G. Rossetti_.
By Their Fruits Ye shall Know Them. 109 G.B., 117 L.J.
"If the tree be known by the fruit and fruit by the tree." --_Shakespeare, I Henry IV 2:4_.
Carry Off the City's Gates. 176 T.J.
"Samson, master: . . . he carried the town gates on his back like a porter." --_Shakespeare, Love's Labour's Lost 1:2_.
Casting Lots for His Garments. 281 L.J.
"They are now casting lots, Ay, with that gesture quaint and cry uncouth, For the coat of One murdered an hour ago." --_Browning, The Ring and the Book_.
Cast Out of Eden. 21 T.J.
"What of Adam cast out of Eden? (Alas the hour) Lo! with care like a shadow shaken He tills the hard earth whence he was taken." --_Rossetti, Eden Bower_.
Cedars of Lebanon. 457 H.T.
"Feasted the woman wisest then, in halls of Lebanonian cedar." --_Tennyson, The Princess_.
The Chariot of Fire. 134 T.J.
"As he, whose wrongs The bears avenged, at its departure saw Elijah's chariot, when the steeds erect Raised their steep flight for heaven; his eyes, meanwhile, Straining pursued them, till the flame alone, Upsoaring like a misty speck, he kenned." --_Dante, Divine Comedy_.
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The Chosen People. 51 S.A.
"I shall be most happy indeed if I shall be an humble instrument in the hands of the Almighty, and of this, his almost chosen people, for perpetuating the object of that great struggle." --_Lincoln, Speech to the Senate of New Jersey_.
The Chosen Vessel. 372 L.J.
"He came who was the Holy Spirit's vessel; Barefoot and lean." --_Dante, Divine Comedy_.
A Cloud by Day and a Pillar of Fire by Night. 179 H.T.
"He is only a cloud and a smoke who was once a pillar of fire." --_Tennyson, Despair_.
A Cloud Like a Man's Hand. 122 T.J.
"And from that song-cloud shaped as a man's hand There comes the sound as of abundant rain." --_Rossetti, The House of Life_.
Cloud of Witnesses. 506 H. T.
"It is thus . . . that the Wise Man stands ever encompassed, and spiritually embraced, by a cloud of witnesses and brothers." --_Carlyle, Sartor Resartus, Book III, Chapter 7_.
Coat of Many Colors. 91 H.T.
"Not without meaning was the love of Israel to his chosen son expressed by the coat of many colors." --_Ruskin, The Stones of Venice_.
Confusion of Tongues. 325 L.J.
"There had been a confusion of tongues in the narrow streets for many days." --_Henry Van Dyke, The Other Wise Man_.
Consider the Lilies. 116 L.J.
"He who stills the raven's clam'rous nest And decks the lily fair in flow'ry pride, Would, in the way His wisdom sees the best, For them and for their little ones provide." --_Burns, The Cotter's Saturday Night_.
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The Cool of the Day. 19 T.J.
"At cool of day with God I walk My garden's grateful shade; I hear his voice among the trees, And I am not afraid." --_C. A. Mason_.
The Covenant of the Rainbow. 31 T.J.
"And bright as Noah saw it, yet For you the arching rainbow glows." --_Lowell, Ode_.
The Cross. 281 L.J.
"The lies that serve great parties well, While truths but give their Christ a cross." --_Sidney Lanier, To Beethoven_.
Crown of Thorns. 279 L.J.
"How was I worthy so divine a loss, Deepening my midnights, kindling all my morns? Why waste such precious wood to make my cross, Such far-sought roses for my crown of thorns?" --_Lowell, Das Ewig Weibliche_.
The Curse of Cain. 22 T.J.
"The curse of Cain Light on his head who pierced thy innocent breast, And seared the angel soul that was its guest." --_Shelley, Adonais_.
David's Harp 396 H.T., 152 G.B.
"Tune, to please a peasant's ear, The harp a king had loved to hear." --_Scott, The Lay of the Last Minstrel_.
Deep Calleth unto Deep. 61 S.A.
"Deep calling unto deep." --_Browning, The Ring and the Book_.
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Defrauded of His Birthright. 60 H.T.
"An American child who is allowed to grow up without a knowledge of the Bible is defrauded of his birthright." --_Youth's Companion_.
Den of Thieves. 237 L.J.
"What makes a church a den of thieves? A dean and chapter, and white sleeves." --_Butler, Hudibras_.
Devils in Swine. 139 L.J.
"Bass. If it please you to dine with us! Shy. Yes, to smell pork, to eat of the habitation which your prophet, the Nazarite, conjured the devil into." --_Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice 1:3_.
Do Men Gather Grapes of Thorns, or Figs of Thistles? 109 G.B.
"Conceits himself as God that he can make Figs out of thistles." --_Tennyson, The Last Tournament_.
Dust Thou Art, and unto Dust shalt Thou Return. 21 T.J.
"Dust to dust! but the pure spirit shall flow Back to the burning fountain whence it came." --_Shelley, Adonais_.
Earthly House. 452 S.A.
"All the angels that inhabit this temple of the body appear at the windows, and all the gnomes and vices also." --_Emerson, Essay on Love_.
Easier for a Camel to Go through the Eye of a Needle. 212 L.J.
"It is as hard to come as for a camel To thread through the postern of a needle's eye." --_Shakespeare, Richard II 5:5_.
Eat, Drink, and be Merry. 212 L.J.
"I built myself a lordly pleasure house, Wherein at ease for aye to dwell; I said, 'O soul, make merry and carouse, Dear soul, for all is well.'" --_Tennyson, The Palace of Art_.
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Eden. 19 T.J.
"He who is wearied of his village plain May roam the Edens of the world in vain." --_Holmes, Poetry_.
Egyptian Taskmaster. 137 H.T.
"Not a hard 'taskmaster,' ever on the watch to see that we are always at our brickmaking, but a Deliverer, who can bring us forth out of the 'land of bondage' and lead us through the wilderness of difficulty onward to the Promised Land." --_T. Campbell Finlayson_.
The Everlasting Hills. 394 S.A.
"Changeless march the stars above, Changeless morn succeeds to even; And the everlasting hills Changeless watch the changeless heaven." --_Kingsley, Saint's Tragedy_.
Faith and Works. 428 S.A.
"Wi' sappy unction, has he burkes The hopes O' men that trust in works." --_Stevenson, A Lowden Sabbath Morn_.
The Fall of Jericho. 287 H.T.
"Toppling down the walls of his own Jericho." --_Charles Lamb, Essays of Elia_.
Fallen among Thieves. 88 L.J.
"Certain only that he has been, and is, a Pilgrim and Traveler from a far Country; more or less footsore and travel-soiled; has parted with road companions; fallen among thieves," etc. --_Carlyle, Sartor Resartus, Book I, Chapter II_.
Fed by Ravens. 114 T.J.
"One was the Tishbite Whom the ravens fed." --_Tennyson, The Palace of Art_.
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Feet of Clay. 188 T.J.
"And judge all nature from her feet of clay." --_Tennyson, Merlin and Vivien_.
Fight the Good Fight. 503 H.T.
"Well hast thou fought The better fight, who single hast maintain'd Against revolted multitudes the cause Of truth, in word mightier than they in arms." --_Milton, Paradise Lost_.
The Finger of God. 158 H. T.
"She went first to the best adviser, God-- Whose finger unmistakably was felt In all this retribution of the past." --_Browning, The Ring and the Book_.
The Firmament Showeth His Handiwork. 30 S.A.
"The spacious firmament on high With all the blue ethereal sky And spangled heavens, a shining frame, Their Great Original proclaim." --_Joseph Addison_.
Gethsemane. 264 L.J.
"I am in the garden of Gethsemane now and my cup of bitterness is full and overflowing." --_Abraham Lincoln, Conversation with Judge Gillespie_.
Get Thee Behind Me, Satan. 178 L.J.
"Get thee behind me, Satan. Oft unfurled, Thy perilous wings can beat and break like lath Much mightiness of men to win thee praise." --_Rossetti, The House of Life_.
Gideon's Fleece. 324 H.T.
"His storms came near, but never touched us; contrary to Gideon's miracle, while all around were drenched, our fleece was dry." --_Charles Lamb, Essays of Elia_.
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God Save the King. 358 H.T.
"When, crowned with joy, the camps of England ring, A thousand voices shout, 'God save the King.'" --_Holmes, Poetry_.
The Golden Bowl. 246 S.A.
"Ah, broken is the golden bowl! the spirit flown forever! Let the bell toll!--A saintly soul floats on the Stygian river." --_Poe, Lenore_.
A Good Name Rather than Riches. 503 G.B.
"Who steals my purse, steals trash, But he that filches from me my good name Robs me of that which not enriches him And makes me poor indeed." --_Shakespeare, Othello 3:3_.
Good Samaritan, Priest, and Levite. 88 L.J.
"Grim-hearted world, that look'st with Levite eyes On those poor fallen by too much faith in man." --_Lowell, A Legend of Brittany_.
The Golden Calf. 204 H. T.
"We too, who mock at Israel's golden calf And scoff at Egypt's sacred scarabee, Would have our amulets to clasp and kiss." --_Holmes, Wind-Clouds and Star-Drifts_.
The Golden Rule. 115 L.J.
"The golden rule of Christ will bring the golden age to man." --_Frances Willard_.
Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. 42 L.J.
"'Tis not the weight of jewel or plate Or the fondle of silk and fur; 'Tis the spirit in which the gift is rich As the gifts of the wise men were; And we are not told whose gift was gold Or whose the gift of myrrh." --_Edmund Vance Cooke_.
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Golgotha. 281 L.J.
"Having seen thine evil doom In Golgotha and Khartoum." --_Stevenson, If This Were Faith_.
A Grain of Mustard Seed. 134 L.J., 201 G.B.
"World-renowned far-working Institution; like a grain of right mustard-seed once cast into the right soil, and now stretching out strong boughs to the four winds, for the birds of the air to lodge in." --_Carlyle, Sartor Resartus, Book II, Chapter 10_.
Grapes of Canaan. 243 H.T.
"Tis not the grapes of Canaan that repay But the high faith that failed not by the way." --_James R. Lowell_.
The Greatest of These is Love. 425 S.A.
"In faith and hope the world will disagree But all mankind's concern is charity: All must be false that thwart this one great end; And all of God, that bless mankind, or mend." --_Pope, Essay on Man_.
Hands of Esau. 62 H.T.
"A heart as rough as Esau's hand." --_Tennyson, Godiva_.
The Handwriting on the Wall 201, 211 T.J.
"Unhappy if we are but Half-men, in whom that divine handwriting has never blazed forth, all-subduing, in true sun-splendour." --_Carlyle, Sartor Resartus, Book II, Chapter 9_.
The Healing of the Nations. 478 S.A.
"O books, ye monuments of mind, concrete wisdom of the wisest; Sweet solaces of daily life, proofs and results of immortality; Trees yielding all fruits, whose leaves are for the healing of the nations." --_Tupper, Proverbial Philosophy of Reading_.
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Heap Coals of Fire upon His Head. 507 T.J., 504 G.B.
"The furnace-coals alike of public scorn, Private remorse, heaped glowing on his head." --_Browning, The Ring and the Book_.
Her Children Rise up and Call Her Blessed. 257 S.A.
"Her children shall rise up to bless her name, And wish her harmless length of days, The mighty mother of a mighty brood." --_Lowell, An Ode for the Fourth of July_.
He Who Runs may Read. 392 S.A.
"Perchance more careful whoso runs may read, Than erst when all, it seemed, could read who ran." --_Browning, The Ring and the Book_.
Herod of Jewry. 45 L.J.
"Let me have a child to whom Herod of Jewry may do homage." --_Shakespeare, Antony and Cleopatra, 1:2_.
High as Haman. 73 T.J.
"Will hang as high as Haman." --_Tennyson, The Foresters, Act IV, Scene 1_.
A Hoary Head is a Crown of Glory. 502 G.B.
"Honoured and even fair, Shines in the eye of the mind the crown of the silver hair." --_Stevenson, In Memoriam E. H_.
A House Divided Against Itself. 171 L.J.
"'A house divided against itself cannot stand.' I believe this Government cannot endure permanently, half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved--I do not expect the house to fall--but I do expect it will cease to be divided." --_Lincoln, Speech before the Illinois State Convention, June 16, 1858_.
House not Made with Hands. 506 L.J.
"His holy places may not be of stone, Nor made with hands, yet fairer far than aught By artist feigned or pious ardor reared, Fit altars for who guards inviolate God's chosen seat, the sacred form of man." --_Lowell, The Cathedral_.
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The House on the Sand. 118 L.J.
"Sudden change is a house on sand;" --_Tennyson, Becket, Act III, Scene 3_.
How are the Mighty Fallen. 426 H. T.
"How are the mighty fallen, Master Cranmer." --_Tennyson, Queen Mary, Act IV, Scene 2_.
I Go Whence I shall not Return. 192 S.A.
"The undiscovered country from whose bourn No traveler returns." --_Shakespeare, Hamlet_.
In Him We Live, and Move, and Have Our Being. 407 L.J.
"Shall not the heart which has received so much, trust the Power by which it lives?" --_Emerson, New England Reformers_.
In the Image of God. 17 T.J.
"In native worth and honor clad, With beauty, courage, strength adorned, Erect with front serene he stands, A man, the lord and king of nature all,-- The soul, the breath and image of his God." --_Haydn's Creation_.
In the Twinkling of an Eye. 451 S.A.
"In a moment, in the twinkle of an eye." --_Browning, The Ring and the Book_.
Jacob's Ladder. 68 H.T.
"A Jacob's ladder falls." --_Tennyson, Early Spring_.
Jonah's Gourd. 171 T.J.
"That day whereof we keep record, When near thy city-gates the Lord Sheltered His Jonah with a gourd." --_Rossetti, The Burden of Nineveh_.
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Joshua's Moon. 306 H.T.
"Joshua's moon in Ajalon." --_Tennyson, Locksley Hall_.
Joseph of Arimathea. 286 L.J.
"Arimathean Joseph." --_Tennyson, The Holy Grail_.
Jot or Tittle. 106 L.J.
. . . "Turn and see If, by one jot or tittle, I vary now!" --_Browning, The Ring and the Book_.
Joy Cometh in the Morning. 45 S.A.
"Wait for the morning:--it will come, indeed, As surely as the night hath given need." --_Riley_.
Judas. 253 L.J.
"There walks Judas, he who sold Yesterday his Lord for gold, Sold God's presence in his heart For a proud step in the mart." --_Lowell, The Ghost-Seer_.
King of Terrors. 199 S.A.
"Death gives us more than was in Eden lost, This king of terrors is the prince of peace." --_Young, Night Thoughts_.
A Lamp unto My Feet. 148 S.A.
"God shall be my hope, My stay, my guide and lantern to my feet." --_Shakespeare, II Henry VI 2:3_.
A Land Flowing with Milk and Honey. 144 H.T.
"A land of promise flowing with the milk And honey of delicious memories." --_Tennyson, The Lover's Tale_.
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The Last Trump. 451 S.A.
"So when the last and dreadful hour This crumbling pageant shall devour, The trumpet shall be heard on high The dead shall live, the living die, And Music shall untune the sky." --_Dryden, A Song for St. Cecilia's Day_.
Let not Thy Left Hand Know What Thy Right Hand Doeth. 111 L.J.
"Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth! Neither shalt thou prate even to thy own heart of 'those secrets known to all.'" --_Carlyle, Sartor Resartus. Book III, Chapter 3_.
A Light Hid under a Bushel. 106 L.J.
"How far that little candle throws his beams. So shines a good deed in a naughty world." --_Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice 5:1_.
Lips Touched with Coal from off the Altar. 265 S.A.
"Nor shall thy lips be touched with living fire, Who blow'st old altar-coals with sole desire To weld anew the spirit's broken chains." --_Lowell, Bibliolaters_.
A Little Child shall Lead Them. 303 G.B.
"She might have served a painter to portray That heavenly child which in the latter days Shall walk between the lion and the lamb." --_Rossetti, A Last Confession_.
The Little Foxes That Spoil the Vineyards. 236 S.A.
"O fox whose home is 'mid the tender grape--" --_Browning, The Ring and the Book_.
A Little Lower than the Angels. 22 S.A.
"What a piece of work is man! how noble in reason, how infinite in faculty, in form and moving how express and admirable, in action how like an angel." --_Shakespeare, Hamlet 2:2_.
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Locusts and Wild Honey. 65 L.J.
"In our wild Seer, shaggy, unkempt, like a Baptist living on locusts and wild honey, there is an untutored energy, a silent, as it were, unconscious strength, which, except in the higher walks of literature, must be rare." --_Carlyle, Sartor Resartus, Book I, Chapter 3_.
Lord, How Long. 470 S.A.
"O Lord, how long, how long be unavenged?" --_Browning, The Ring and the Book_.
The Lord is My Fortress. 106 S.A.
"God is our fortress." --_Shakespeare, I Henry VI 2:-1_.
The Lord Watch between Me and Thee when We are Absent One from Another. 75 H. T.
"Deal between thee and me." --_Shakespeare, Macbeth 4:3_.
Lot's Wife. 36 H.T.
"Stiff as Lot's wife." --_Tennyson, The Princess_.
Love, the Fulfilling of the Law. 416 S.A.
"Charity itself fulfills the law And who can sever love from charity?" --_Shakespeare, Love's Labour's Lost 4:3_.
Mammon of Unrighteousness. 205 L.J.
"Mammon is after him." --_Abraham Lincoln_.
A Man after His Own Heart. 362 H. T.
"O Saul, it shall be A Face like my face that receives thee; a Man like to me, Thou shalt love and be loved by, forever: a Hand like this hand Shall throw open the gates of new life to thee! See the Christ stand!" --_Browning, Saul_.
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Manna in the Wilderness 162 L.J., 192 H.T.
"As manna on my wilderness." --_Tennyson, Supposed Confessions_.
The Mantle of Elijah. 134 T.J.
"Tennyson rising in a heavenly chariot out of the temple of song, forgot to cast his mantle upon some waiting Elisha, but carried the divine garment into the realm beyond the clouds." --_Newell Dwight Hillis, Great Books as Life Teachers_.
The Mark of Cain. 23 T.J.
"He answered not but with a sudden hand Made bare his branded and ensanguined brow, Which was like Cain's or Christ's--oh! that it should be so!" --_Shelley, Adonais_.
Mess of Pottage. 60 H.T.
"A hungry imposter practising for a mess of pottage." --_Carlyle_.
The Money-Changers in the Temple. 237 L.J.
"Once more He may put forth his hand 'gainst such, as drive Their traffic in that sanctuary, whose walls With miracles and martyrdoms were built." --_Dante, Divine Comedy_.
More Precious than Rubies. 252 S.A.
"The drawing . . . is . . . a thing which I believe Gainsborough would have given one of his own pictures for--old-fashioned as red-tipped daisies are . . . and more precious than rubies." --_Ruskin, Academy Notes_.
The Mote and Beam. 110 L.J.
"You found his mote; the king your mote did see. But I a beam do find in each of three." --_Shakespeare, Love's Labour's Lost 4:3_.
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My Brother's Keeper. 22 T.J.
"If not in word only, but in face of truth, he undoes the deed of Cain and becomes truly his brother's keeper." --_Ruskin, The Schools of Art in Florence_.
My Cup Runneth Over. 35 S.A.
"Through this concession my full cup runs o'er." --_Browning, The Ring and the Book_.
My Name is Legion. 139 L.J.
"Does Legion still lurk in him, though repressed; or has he exorcised that Devil's Brood?" --_Carlyle, Sartor Resartus, Book II, Chapter 8_.
Noah's Ark. 24 T.J.
"Nobler is a limited command Given by the love of all your native land, Than a successive title, long and dark, Drawn from the mouldy rolls of Noah's ark." --_Dryden, Absalom and Achitophel_.
The Nobleman's Son. 92 L.J.
"We do not need Christ's visible presence to cope with the evils of our times any more than the father needed it for the cure of his boy." --_Wm. M. Taylor_.
Now through a Glass Darkly, then Face to Face. 425 S.A.
"I hope to see my Pilot face to face When I have crost the bar." --_Tennyson, Crossing the Bar_.
O Generation of Vipers. 65 L.J.
"Is love a generation of vipers?" --_Shakespeare, Troilus and Cressida 3:1_.
The Olive Leaf. 30 T.J.
"One final deluge to surprise the Ark Cradled and sleeping on its mountain-top: Their outbreak-signal--what but the dove's coo, Back with the olive in her bill for news Sorrow was over?" --_Browning, The Ring and the Book_.
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Out of the Mouth of Babes and Sucklings 22 S.A., 237 L.J.
"He that of greatest works is finisher Oft does them by the weakest minister: So holy writ in babes hath judgment shown." --_Shakespeare, All's Well That Ends Well 2:1_.
The Pale Horse. 470 S.A.
"Behind her Death, Close following pace for pace, not mounted yet On his pale horse." --_Milton, Paradise Lost_.
Parting of the Waters 184 H.T.
"All things are fitly cared for and the Lord Will watch as kindly o'er the exodus Of us his servants now, as in old time. We have no cloud or fire, and haply we May not pass dry-shod through the ocean stream; But, saved or lost, all things are in his hand." --_Lowell, A Glance Behind the Curtain_.
Peace, be Still. 136 L.J.
"There are prayers that will plead with the storm when it raves, And whisper 'Be still!' to the turbulent waves." --_Holmes, Farewell_.
The Peacemakers. 105 L.J.
"I perceived Near me as 'twere the waving of a wing, That fanned my face, and whispered: 'Blessed they, The peace-makers: they know not evil wrath." --_Dante, Divine Comedy_.
Pentecost. 325 L.J.
"Hereafter thou, fulfilling Pentecost Must learn to speak the tongues of all the world." --_Tennyson, Sir John Oldcastle_.
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Peter's Denial. 270 L.J.
"Treble denial of the tongue of flesh Like Peter's when he fell." --_Tennyson, Harold, Act III, Scene 1_.
Peter's Sheet. 354 L.J.
"White as the great white sheet that Peter saw in his vision, By the four corners let down and descending out of the heavens." --_Longfellow, Elizabeth_.
Pharaoh's Kine 104 H.T.
"If to be fat be to be hated then Pharaoh's lean kine are to be loved." --_Shakespeare, I Henry IV 2:3_.
Picking up the Fragments. 147 L.J.
"The immigrants that come to us ought to have plenty of bread to eat and enough fragments left over to be worth picking up, for while in the bread is the living, in the fragments is the life. To them America means economic fragments." --_Edward A. Steiner_.
Pillar of Salt. 36 H. T.
"One looks close for the glance forward in the eyes, which distinguishes such pillars from the pillars, not of flesh, but of salt, whose eyes are set backwards." --_Ruskin, The Cestus of Aglaia_.
The Poor Ye Have Always with You. 230 L.J.
"Yet Thy poor endure, And are with us yet." --_Swinburne, Christmas Antiphones_.
Possess the Land 244, 278 H. T.
"There is a loud call for courageous idealists and brave fighters to stand forth and summon other men to go forward and possess the land of a better social order. The giants of greed and the walls of difficulty cannot be allowed to shut us out nor to frighten us away." --_Charles Reynolds Brown_.
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The Potter's Clay 301 S.A.
"Enough to throw one's thoughts in heaps Of doubt and horror,--what to say Or think,--this awful secret sway, The potter's power over the clay! Of the same lump (it has been said). For honour and dishonour made, Two sister vessels." --_Rossetti, Jenny_.
The Precious Ointment 230, 169 L.J.
"One Mary bathes the blessed feet With ointment from her eyes, With spikenard one, and both are sweet, For both are sacrifice." --_Lowell, Godminster Chimes_.
Prince of Peace. 278 S.A.
"No trumpet-blast profaned The hour in which the Prince of Peace was born; No bloody streamlet stained Earth's silver rivers on that sacred morn." --_Bryant, Christmas in 1875_.
The Print of the Nails. 306 L.J.
"Thou also hast had the world's buffets and scorns, And to thy life were not denied The wounds in the hands and feet and side." --_Lowell, The Vision of Sir Launfal_.
The Prodigal's Portion. 203 L.J.
"What prodigal portion have I spent that I should stand to such penury?" --_Shakespeare, As You Like It 1:1_.
Prodigal Son. 203 L.J.
"Ready to meet the wanderer ere he reach The door he seeks, forgetful of his sin, Longing to clasp him in a father's arms, And seal his pardon with a pitying tear." --_Holmes, Wind-Clouds and Star-Drifts_.
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The Promised Land 268 H.T.
"With foretaste of the Land of Promise." --_Browning, The Ring and the Book_.
Put not Your Trust in Princes. 170 S.A.
"O, how wretched Is that poor man that hangs on princes' favors." --_Shakespeare, Henry VIII 3:2_.
Render unto Caesar the Things That are Caesar's. 240 L.J.
"A kindly rendering Of 'Render unto Caesar.'" --_Tennyson, Harold, Act III, Scene 2_.
Repent Ye. 65 L.J.
"Let us be diverted by none of those sophistical contrivances, . . . reversing the divine rule, and calling, not the sinners, but the righteous to repentance." --_Lincoln_.
Return Good for Evil. 416 S.A.
"With a piece of Scripture Tell them that God bids do good for evil." --_Shakespeare, Richard III 1:3_.
The Scarlet Thread in the Window 282 H.T.
"No Rahab thread, For blushing token of the spy's success." --_Browning, The Red Cotton Night-cap Country_.
A Serpent in Eden. 19 T.J.
"We are our own devils; we drive ourselves out of our Edens." --_Goethe_.
Shake Off the Dust That is under Your Feet. 143 L.J.
"So from my feet the dust Of the proud World I shook." --_Lowell, The Search_.
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The Sheep and the Goats. 246 L.J.
"Some great cause, God's new Messiah, offering each the bloom or blight, Parts the goats upon the left hand, and the sheep upon the right, And the choice goes by forever 'twixt that darkness and that light." --_Lowell, The Present Crisis_.
The Silver Cord. 246 S.A.
"And here's the silver cord which--what's our word? Depends from the gold bowl, which loosed (not "lost") Lets us from heaven to hell,--one chop we're loose!" --_Browning, The Ring and the Book_.
Slaughter of the Innocents. 45 L.J.
"Whiles the mad mothers with their howls confused, Do break the clouds, as did the wives of Jewry At Herod's bloody-hunting slaughtermen." --_Shakespeare, Henry V 3:3_.
Smite the Rock 247 H.T.
"That God would move And strike the hard, hard rock, and thence Sweet in their utmost bitterness, Would issue tears of penitence." --_Tennyson, Supposed Confessions_.
The Snare of the Fowler. 106 S.A.
"Twice it may be, or thrice, the fowler's aim; But in the sight of one whose plumes are full, In vain the net is spread, the arrow winged." --_Dante, Divine Comedy_.
Son of Man. 246 L.J.
"That claimest with a cunning face Those rights the true, true Son of man doth own By Love's authority." --_Sidney Lanier, Remonstrance_.
Sparks Which Fly Upward. 186 S.A.
"But the troubles which he is born to are as sparks which fly upward, not as flames burning to the nethermost Hell." --_Ruskin, Notes_.
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Star of Bethlehem. 41 L.J.
"Some astronomers believe that they have found the great star around which the whole universe of stars revolves: whether that be true or not, it is undoubtedly true that the Star of Bethlehem is the center of this world's spiritual astronomy." --_Theodore L. Cuyler_.
The Stars Fought in Their Courses. 58 T.J.
"Promptings from heaven and hell, as if the stars Fought in their courses for a fate to be." --_Browning, The Ring and the Book_.
A Still Small Voice. 124 T.J.
"A still small voice spake unto me." --_Tennyson, The Two Voices_.
The Stirring of the Waters. 167 L.J.
"To-day a golden pinion stirred The world's Bethesda pool, And I believed the song I heard Nor put my heart to school; And through the rainbows of the dream I saw the gates of Eden gleam." --_Alfred Noyes, The Hill Flower_.
The Stone Rolled Away. 297 L.J.
"Pitiless walls of gray, Gathered around us, a growing tomb From which it seemed not death or doom Could roll the stone away." --_Alfred Noyes, The Enchanted Island._
Tables of Stone 207,212 H.T.
"Heard the voice Of him who met the Highest in the mount, And brought them tables, graven with His hand." --_Holmes, Wind-Clouds and Star-Drifts_.
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The Talent Hid in the Earth. 245 L.J.
"When I consider how my light is spent Ere half my days in this dark world and wide, And that one talent which is death to hide Lodged with me useless, though my soul more bent To serve therewith my Maker, and present My true account, lest He returning chide." --_Milton, Sonnet to His Blindness_.
Temperate in All Things. 438 S.A.
"'Tis to thy rules, O Temperance, that we owe All pleasures that from health and strength can flow; Vigor of body, purity of mind, Unclouded reason, sentiment refined." --_Chandler_.
There the Wicked Cease from Troubling and the Weary are at Rest. 184 S.A.
"To lie within the light of God, as I lie upon your breast-- And the wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest." --_Tennyson, The May Queen_.
Threescore Years and Ten. 104 S.A.
"Worn to a thread by threescore years and ten." --_Browning The Ring and the Book_.
To Eat Husks. 203 L.J.
"You would think that I had a hundred and fifty tattered prodigals lately come from swine keeping, from eating draft and husks." --_Shakespeare, I Henry IV 4:2_.
To Everything There is a Season. 243 S.A.
"There is a time for all things." --_Shakespeare. Comedy of Errors 2:2_.
To Touch His Garments. 140 L.J.
"The world sits at the feet of Christ, Unknowing, blind and unconsoled. It yet shall touch his garment's fold And feel the heavenly alchemist Transform its very dust to gold." --_Anonymous_.
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Treading the Winepress. 476 S.A.
"But ye that have seen how the ages have shrunk from my rod, And how red is the winepress wherein at my bidding they trod." --_The Paradox_.
The Tree of Knowledge. 19 T.J.
"Of Man's first disobedience, and the fruit Of that forbidden tree, whose Mortal taste Brought death into the World and all our woe . . . Sing Heavenly Muse." --_Milton, Paradise Lost, Book I_.
Truth Endureth Forever. 139 S.A.
"It fortifies my soul to know That, though I perish, Truth is so: That, howsoe'er I stray and range, Whate'er I do Thou dost not change. I steadier step when I recall That, if I slip, Thou dost not fall." --_Arthur Hugh Clough, Ambarvalia_.
The Unknown God. 407 L.J.
"Greece, Egypt, Rome,--did any god Before whose feet men knelt unshod Deem that in this unblest abode Another scarce more unknown god Should house with him, from Nineveh?" --_Rossetti, The Burden of Nineveh_.
Unto Seventy Times Seven. 186 L.J.
"We poor ill-tempered mortals--must forgive, Though seven times sinning threescore times and ten." --_Holmes, Manhood_.
The Valley of the Shadow. 35 S.A.
"Drew to the valley Named of the shadow." --_Tennyson, Merlin and the Gleam_.
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Vine and Fig Tree 456 H.T., 369 S.A.
"You may see as thorough patriarchs as Abraham was any day, and as carefully visited by angels, sitting under their vine and fig tree." --_Ruskin, Notes_.
Voice Crying in the Wilderness. 65 L.J.
"In this bleak wilderness I hear A John the Baptist crying." --_Lowell, An Interview with Miles Standish_.
Walking on the Waters. 148 L.J.
"So Lycidas sunk low, but mounted high Through the dear might of Him that walked the waves." --_Milton, Lycidas, line 172_.
The Water of Life. 508 L.J.
"The natural thirst ne'er quenched but from the well Whereof the woman of Samaria craved." --_Dante, Divine Comedy_.
Weaver's Beam. 386 H.T.
"Then for her spear she might have a weaver's beam." --_Ruskin, Crown of Wild Olive_.
Weighed in the Balance. 206 T.J.
"Their errors have been weighed and found to have been dust in the balance." --_Shelley, A Defence of Poetry_.
We Spend Our Years as a Tale That is Told. 104 S.A.
"Ay! when life seems scattered apart, Darkens, ends as a tale that is told, One, we are one, O heart of my heart, One, still one, while the world grows old." --_Alfred Noyes, Unity_.
What is Man That Thou art Mindful of Him? 22 S.A.
"A man is but a little thing among the objects of nature, yet, by the moral quality radiating from his countenance, he may abolish all considerations of magnitude, and in his manners equal the majesty of the world." --_Emerson, Essay on Manners_.
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When the Morning Stars Sang Together. 222 S.A.
"Look how the floor of heaven Is thick inlaid with patines of bright gold; There's not the smallest orb which thou behold'st But in his motion like an angel sings." --_Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice 5:1_.
The Wind Fulfills His Word. 173 S.A.
"The snow, the vapour and the stormy wind fulfill his word." --_Ruskin, The Seven Lamps of Architecture_.
Wisdom, Crying in the Streets. 249 S.A.
"Wisdom cries out in the streets and no man regards it." --_Shakespeare, I Henry IV 1:2_.
Wisdom shall Die with You. 194 S.A.
"A man of superior sagacity may be pardoned for thinking with the friends of Job, that Wisdom will die with him." --_Ruskin_.
Wrestling Jacob. 80 H.T.
"Like that strange angel which of old, Until the breaking of the light Wrestled with wandering Israel." --_Tennyson, To--_.
Ye Cannot Serve God and Mammon. 205 L.J.
"We mean by war all that war ever meant, Destruction's ministers, Death's freemen, Lust's Exponents, daily like a blood-red dawn In flames and crimson seas we shall advance Against the ancient immaterial reign Of Spirit, and our watchword shall be still, Get thee behind me, God,--I follow Mammon." --_John Davidson, Mammon and His Message_.
Yoke of Bondage. 507 H. T.
"Judah was a captive by the waters of Babylon and the sons of Jacob were in bondage to our kings . . . from the remnant that dwells in Judea under the yoke of Rome neither star nor sceptre shall arise." --_Henry Van Dyke, The Other Wise Man_.
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Zeal That Consumes. 151 S.A.
"The zeal for truth and righteousness and goodness anywhere, in politics, or in literature, or in education, does not seize hold of men with the vigor which may be described, in the Bible phrase, as a zeal that eats one up." --_Samuel Valentine Cole_.
Zion 470 H.T.
"Why should we fly? Nay, why not rather stay And rear again our Zion's crumbled walls." --_Lowell, A Glance behind the Curtain_.
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