The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-08-04

which our text Is taken, Is a catalogue OF the heroes ana
heroic deeds of faith. The author makes out a long list
of the famous names in the history of Gods people, and
declares to US that faith was the controlling motive IN the
lives of these men he recounts a long narrative OF bril-
liant achievements, and tells us that they were wrought by
faith. Now, the reason for putting forth such a narrative
of the accomplishments of faith seems to be this: The
author is writing to Jews He desires to tell them that the
faith in Christ with they now for the first time hear preached
everywhere, and so emphasized and insisted n,-that
this faith is no new thing, that it had been the active
power in all their past history and in the achievements OF
their f~orefathers. And SO, that he might commend to them
faith in Christ, he cites the great names, and the great
deeds of their ancestors, with which they were so familiar,
and of which they were SO proud. And so, in words that
must have touched the very heart Of Jewish patriotism and
love of the past, he tells them that it was because OF faith
that Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice than cam that
it was because of the same great power that Enoch was
translated, that he should not see death; and likewise
that it was by faith that Noah prepared the ark and became
the heir of the righteousness which is by faith. And so the
! narrative goes on, and there pass before us Abraham, tather
of the faithful, and Isaac and Jacob, and Moses-mlShty
men, founders and legislators of the nation, but mighty, as
the author of the epistle shows, through faith; until, car
ried away by the magnifcence and glory of the past, the
writer cries out that time would fail him to tell OF Gideon,
and Barak, and Samson of David, and Samuel, and the
,prophets;' who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought
righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths OF
lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge OF
the sword, out Of weakness were made strong, turned to
flight the armies of the aliens. What a magnificent appeal
to Jewish feeling and patriotism! It is an appeal. like that OF
DemOStheneS to the AthenlanS-'By the Immortal spirits Oh
your ancestors who died at Thermopyle-by those who
fought the sea-fght of Salamis. With what ~Consummate
art and skill is aith-faith in Christ-here presented to the
Iews not any new and strange thing, but the flower and
fruit of eighteen centuries of national life and character.
And then the writer, forgetting the glories Of the past, re-
calls in tender and gentle strain the sad and pathetic things
of the years that were gone, and shows that in these, too,
the power Of faith was exemplifed. 'Others had, ne tells
US, trial of cruel mockings and scourglngs, yea, OF bonds
and Imprisonment; they were stoned, and sawn asunder;
lo;,r Jac+;+,+a ,f1;c+ad +ornoanted IF whom the world
was not worthy-these all obtained a good report through
faith" Written then for Jews, the full force and power OF
this presentation of faith could be felt and appreciated
only by a lew.
r. 1t is in this connection then, in this presentation and
display of the ancient place and power of faith in the
world, and among the Jewish people, that our text occurs.
In it we are told that, Noah, being warned of God of things
not seen as yet, by faith prepared an ark, and saved his
house and SO condemned the world and became the heir
of the righteousness which is by faith" And so Noahs
faith had to do with things not seen. Being warned OF
God of things not seen as yet, he prepared an ark and
saved his house. And so it is always faith is opposed to
sight. 1t is the substance of things not seen. Now, this
might seem to be the weakness of faith. | take it that IN
this fact consists its chief value and reality. Faith says
that what we see is not all-that back and behind this
vision of the world that ever contronts us there is that
which eye hath not seen nor ear heard. Faith inspires
in US the belief that all the truth and beauty that we
see about us is but the shadow and symbol of a divine
y Essence and Reality. Surely, then, it is its chief glory that
it is opposed to sight-that it transcends sight. Bylt we
have apprehension of that which otherwise would be un-
known to us. Faith, then, because it takes hold of things
not seen, does broaden UNNECESSARILY, and add to our lives.
Without it, existence for any man would be meagre and
shallow and empty. We cannot, then, but pity the man
who rejects all faith because it has to do with that which
he cannot see. He is distinctly the loser who will accept
only what his various senses perceive while that other
who by faith catches a vision of an invisible God, whom
no man hath seen or can see, has that which alone dlgnl-
fes and transforms this commonplace world.
/. But again, Noahs faith while opposed to sight, having
to do with things not seen as yet, was not opposed to rea-
son. While Noah had never seen God, it was altogether
reasonable to him that there was a God, and that this God
should bring punishment upon sinners. And under the in
fuence of this reasonable belief he prepared an ark to the
saving of his house. And SO it is always Faith, while
opposed to sight, is never opposed to reason. We can
that which would contradict our reason. We can only be-
example, the existence of God is something that you can
never demonstrate or prove, and yet it is emlnently reason
able. The very exigencies and necessities of thought de-
mand it. You can form no concept of this universe
without a God as the Centre and Creator, in and behind it
all. Take away this thought, and the whole world becomes
an unsoved enigma, its various parts warning and conflict
ing with one another. And so in regard to the creation Of
the world. Every mark and characteristic of this world
leads US to believe that it has not existed always, that it
came into being at some point in past time, and that it
will not endure forever. And thus when we are asked to
: profess our belief in God the Father Almighty, Maker
of heaven and earth, we find ourselves already dis
posed to hold such a truth. 1t is then a thought
we'll worth keeping before us that faith does not contradict
reason. Some people seem to suppose that a Christian