The Washington herald., 1909-06-05
A Roll Call of Heroes.

"A ANOAA N<cAA VI AANAONos
TIE international Sunday School Lesson FOR June
. is Heroes Of Faith" Hebrews. xiI-i0.
Somebody has characterized this as the
age OF faith. Superfcially. it seems an
age Of doubt Yet a deeper look into
our own times reveals everywhere the
spirit Of confidence in what cannot be
seen. The twentieth eentury's plans out
run all in exact computations that man
can make. We are tunneling our cities
and rivers, planning continental networks
Of railways, building confidently upon
trans-oceanic conditions that are vet 10
be developed, and plotting highways IN
the air. Modern commerce. which IS so
often remarked for it's "hard-headed-
ness" really possesses the eye OF faith.
For faith may not by any means be
limited 10 the realm Of the spirit Wher-
ever mems confidence Outreaches their
actual knowledge they are IN exercise
Of faith. Browning glimpsed the human
capacity for the exercise OF this high
quality when he cried, "a mans reach
must exceed his grasp. else what's a
heaven for2" In the olden day which
forms the theme Of these Sunday school
lessons 1t was faith In a message which
sent apostle Paul and his associates pio-
neering into heathendom with their mis-
sionary gospel II was a simple faith in
the present power and ultimate conquest
Of the risen Christ that fortified them
for all their ordeals and enterprises. That
same faith created the early Christian
Church Faith in Jesus made Him -'liY- /
ing. bright reality TO the rapidly in
creasing company OF first century people /
whose eyes had never looked upon Him. |
The apostle said. Whom having not /
seen we love" Seeing Is believing |
says the modern proverb. which is no
more true than most proverbs. Our own /
times, which accept the witness OF q 4
deeper sense than that Of material sight 4
and which attest the existence Of facul- /
ties truer than any Of the five senses /
so subject 20 Illusion, Is reader 10 de- 4
clare. Believing IS not seeing"
This letter 10 the Hebrews. with its /
thrilling roll call Of the heroes of faith. /
was written 10 one Of the early mission /
airy churches. possibly at Jerusalem. 4
possibly at Alexandra or at Rome. It's \
purpose was 70 quicken the faith Of the /
disciples who had come cut from Juda- I
ism. and 10 show them that Christ was 4
the fulfilling Of the law. Because the /
King James version bears under the
title Of this book the name OF the apostle Z
Paul, most people believe that the great
apostle was its author This Is far from
being a certainty. The weight Of critical .
research goes the other way The letter
was more probably written by Barnabas.
Pauls associate. although Luther, IN
agreement with other students. considers
ApOllOS 20 have been the writer Of IL.
Whatever the authorship. there Is no
doubt about the books right 10 a place
IN the New Testament Canon.
HOW PATH CONES
Moody once said In my hearing: For
a long time I prayed for faith, but It did
not come. Then I began 20 read my
Bible in pursuit Of faith. and I quickly
found it." Naturally, for the true word
declares. Faith comes by hearing. and
hearing by the word OF God" The per-
son who is concerned about his lack Of
faith may more prohtably dwell in these
great chapters Of the Book of the He
brews than spend nights agonizing in
prayer. for here. at the mouth Of many
witnesses. is the reality Of faith estab-
lished and its nature set forth.
Many persons are specUlatlng about
spiritualities trying. Ike the spider TO
SPIN "a lie A4lle OAL VI Al4NAI amer StAFt-Sr
when il is really by searching the Scrip
lures that spiritualities become realities.
For Iistessness Of belief. for a dimmed
zeal. for spiritless praying. the one rem
edy is 10 turn 10 the book which imparts
a knowledge of the divine will. The
faith-hlled disciple is the Bible-reading
disciple. The strong. spiritual and sue
cessful church is the church Of Bible
reading members
WHAT Is FA1TH2
The somewhat archaic expressions OF
old Foundations are an obstacle TO clear
thinking and 10 unclouded belief The
King James version. dear as are many
Of its peerless passages. has yet been a
hindrance 10 perfect understanding Of
the Scriptures. Ignorant persons long
rallied at revisiens OF the Bible, unwit-
tingl5 taking the position that it is the
English translation that Is inspired Now
adays the most practical as well as the /
most scholarly teachers are advocating /
for general use the latest and best YER !
sions. The Vatican has a commission Z
at work at the present time upon the I
revision Of the Vulgate OF ST. Jerome.
There Is an edition Of the Scriptures IN /
rather free and cOllOQuial translation Z
called the Twentieth Century New Tes-
lament" Its specific object IS 10 render
the original Greek into the language Of {
to-day. In many cases It gets close 10
the real meaning Of the writer where ,
the more cumbersome and stately Ian ,
guage OF the accepted TevisiOns is diff
cult Of comprehension. New light is shed
upon the meaning OF the writer OF the
letter to the Hebrews by these quota :
tions from this modern version:
Faith IS confidence in the realization I
Of ones hopes; It Is a conviction. record
ing things which are not yet visible and
IL was for such faith that the men OF
old were well spoken Of. 1t was
faith that enabled Abraham TO obey the
call that he received. and TO set out for 9
the place which he was afterward to s
obtain as his own; and he did so without I
knowing at the time where he was going. Z
II was faith that made him go TO the g
Promised Land-a stranger 10 a strange 4
cOuntry-and live there in tents with C
Isaac and Jacob who shared the Prom g
ised Land with him He WIS looking for p
the city with the sure foundations, whose y
architect and builder IS Cod. T
TT was faith that caused Moses, when +
he was grown up, 10 decline the title Of
Son Of a Daughter Of Pharaoh He pre-
ferred 10 share the hardships Of Gods q
people rather than have the short-lived r
enjoyment OF a sinful life. For he thought .
that the stigma which attaches to re .
Christ was Of greater value than the I.
OF Egypt, looking forward. as
he did. TO the reward awaiting him.
Faith caused him 20 leave Egypt. un
daunted by the kings anger, for he was
strengthened in his endurance by the
vision Of the invisible God"
Vision OF the fnyisfble'f-thaf rhraea ! Y