The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-06-12

certainly ascertained who wrote this
epistle. From an early age the matter
has been in dispute. We may be sure
| however. that had it been essential
that the authorship be known, revela-
ton would not have left it in doubt.
| Nor can the date of the writing be
| exactly determined, though it seems
| to have been written while the temple
was still standing.
The book is unique in many respects
but most noticeably perhaps, in that
it interprets the ritual of the Old Test
ament as leading up to, and finding
it's complete fulfillment in Jesus
Christ. While most of the other
epistles teach that the new dispense
ton superseded the old, this one
shows how the old logically developed
into the new. 1t gives the spiritual
meaning to things that we sometimes
too lightly esteem. Is purpose is to
encourage and strengthen those to
whom it was written.
The Jewish Christians ,(for that is
what Hebrews means here,) who lived
in places where the non-Christian Jews
were in the majority, were beset with
many difficulties. Opposition, oppres-
sion, temptations and perpetual strug-
giles surround them. To be a faithful
Chrictian, meant TO be a hero. The
author would remind them of what
heroes had accomplished in the past,
as an incentive to faithfulness on
their part He intends for them to I'M
derstand that what others had done
they. themselves could do.
We have first, in the passage be-
fore us, a definition of what faith is.
Two aspects Of faith are presented,
first, as it relates to the future, and
second, as it relates the unseen. We
cannot have the frs without the last
though we may have the last without
the first. Let me illustrate what |
mean in this way: | am thoroughly
| convinced that there is a city north
east of here called Washington, where
| in is the capitol of the United States.
But | entertain no hope whatever. Of
| seeing it with my mortal eyes. There
| fore the element of assurance of
things hoped for is entirely wanting,
so for as | am concerned, in regard
to that matter So a lost soul may be
convinced of the glories of heaven,
and the everlasting beattitudes if
the redeemed and yet feel no thrill
of hope. But it is to those who hope
to enter into the glories of the unseen
world that the letter is addressed.
We look out on the world, and OBJ
| servation notes perpetual changes 60
ing on, and we are thereby convinced
that the material world had a begin
ming. Faith tells us that it was Gre
ated by God out of that which did not
exist before.
Then follows a long list of those
whose faith was distinguishing char
acteristic of their lives. Three of
these are omitte from the lesson
passage. Faith taught Abel to offer
a more excellent sacrifice than Cain
that is, it taught him how to approach
God. Enoch, by the same means was
taught how to live for God and Noah
was taught how to work for God The
same two elements entered into the
faith of all three of these men-that
is an assurance of the future blessing.
and also the reality of things unseen.
Then comes the great example of Abb
raham, whose faith shone so resplen-
dent on different occasions. that he is
called the father of the faithful"
Sarah is also mentioned, and then we
are told that these all died in faith"
not having received the promises" but !
greeting them from afar. awaited their
fulfillment, "for God had prepared for
them city"
Abraham Is again referred to, in the
up the son of his old age
even Isaac, in whom was bound I'D all
The hope of a future posterity. Faith
enabled Abraham to know that in
some way, God could break the bonds
Of death, and give him back his child
Isaac, and Jacob, and Joseph are all
referred to as having at one period in
their lives at least, been entirely dom
mated by the faith that Gods promises
are infallibly sure Then comes the
llustrious example of Moses. whose
ife Of faith is so clearly and so in
lellibly impressed upon the pages of
he revelation of Gods will to men.
he list of heroes is by no means ex-
austed, and other names are cited:
ut let it not be forgotten that in
very case cited, the faith of the in
vidual was made manifest by deeds.
The whole purpose of the citation
summed ND in these words; "There- | |