THE LITERARY MARVELS OF ST, LUKE. 



187 



to our Lord's faultlessness, have always been self-evident ; 

 and many doubtless have noticed the connection between the 

 dying words of Stephen and those of our Lord on the cross ; 

 but it is believed that the existence of the more than fifty 

 triphcations in Luke's two books, and their elaborate relations 

 to each other, have not hitherto been observed. 



On considering this subject, the thought naturally rises in 

 our minds : as the inspired EvangeHst must have bestowed 

 an immense amount of care and skill in the selection and arrange- 

 ment of the material at his disposal, it surely must be worth 

 while for all who love the Scriptures to study his Hterary methods 

 carefully. 



St. Luke's Intention in his Literary Arrangements. 



It cannot be that St. Luke has arranged his two books on 

 his elaborate plan with the intention of merely interesting his 

 readers, and inducing them to decipher his arrangements, so 

 that they might admire them when discovered. His object 

 certainly was far higher. 



Ruskin's w^ords about the writings of wise men in general 

 are very apphcable to those of the inspired Scriptural authors, 

 particularly of St. Luke. 



" Be sure," wrote Ruskin,* " that you go to the author to 

 get at his meaning, not to find yours, and judge it afterwards, 

 if you think yourself quahfied to do so ; but ascertain it first. 

 And be sure, also, if the author is worth anything, that you 

 will not get at his meaning all at once ; nay, that at his whole 

 meaning you will not for a long time arrive in any wise. Not 

 that he does not say what he means, and in strong words too ; but 

 he cannot say it all ; and what is more strange, will not, but 

 in a hidden way, and in parables, in order that he may be sure 

 you want it. I cannot quite see the reason of this, nor analyse 

 that cruel reticence in the breasts of wise men which makes 

 them always hide their deeper thought. They do not give 

 it you by way of help, but of reward ; and will make themselves 

 sure that you desire it before they allow you to reach it. 



" But it is the same with the physical type of wisdom, gold. 

 There seems, to you and me, no reason why the electric forces 

 of the earth should not carry whatever there is of gold within 

 it at once to the mountain tops, so that kings and people might 

 know that all the gold they could get was there ; and without 



* Sesame and Lilies, pp. 15, 16, Edition 1871. 



