The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-06-12
Modern Commerce So often Condensed Really Possesses the Eye of Faith---- The sunday school lesson Is
 On .Heroes of FaitiA-'
RY WILLIAM T. ELLIs.

the age of faith. Superfciaily. 1t
 seems an age of doubt Yet deeper look into our own times reveals every where the spirit of confidence in what century's plans outrun all in exact computations that man can make. We are tunnoling our cities and rivers, planning continental networks of rail- ways, building confidently upon trans oceanic conditions that are yet to be developed. and plotting highways in the air. Modern commerce. which is so often remarked for its "hard-head- edness," really pvssas the eye of fafth. For faith may not by any means be limited to the realm of the spirit. Wherever 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. else what's a heaven for?" In the oi- den day which forms the theme of these Sunday-sch lessons it was faith in a Message which sent apostle Paul and his associates pioneering fn- to heathendom with their missionary gospel. It was a simple faith inb 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 "a livingg bright reality" to the rapidly increasing company of first century people whose eyes had never looked-uypn 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 a deeper sense than that of material sight. and which attest in the existence of facul- ties truer than any of the five senses so subject to illusion. is reader to de- clare, Believing is not seeing."
 This letter to the Hebrews. with its thrilling roll call of the heroes of faith was written to one of the early mis- sionary churches, possibly at Jerusa-' lem, possibly at Alexandria or at Rome. Its purpose was to quicken the faith, of the disciples who had come out from Judaism. and to show them that Christ was the fulfilling of the law. Because the King James Version bears under the title of this book the name of the apostle Paul most people believe that the great apostle was its author. This is far from being Q cer- tainty. The weight of critical re- search goes the other way. The let ter was more probably written by Barnabas, Paurs associate. although
  dents, considers Apoilos to have been the writer of 1t. Whatever the au- thdrship, there is no doubt about the books right to a place in the New Testament Canon.
 How Fait hComes.
 Moody once said in my hearing For a long time prayed for faith. but 1t did not come. Then began to read my Bible in pursuit of faith and I quickly found it." Naturally. A.- CN1aA comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" The person who is concerned about his lack of faith may more protfiably dwell in these great chapters of the Book of the Hebrebs than spend nights agonizing in prayer. for here. at the mouth of many witt nesses. Is the reality of faith estab- lished, and it's nature set forth.
 Many persons are speculating about spirituaiities. trying like the spider. to spin life line out of their inner se1vesa when 1t Is really by searching the Scriptures that spiritualities be- come realities. For listlessness of be- lief. for a dimmed zeal. for spiritless pdaying, the one remedy is t oturn to the Book which imparts a knowledge of the divine will. The faith-filled disciple Is the Bible-reading disciple. The strong. spiritual and successful church Is the church of Bible-reading members.
 What is Faith.
 The somewhat archaic expressions of old formulations are an obstacle to clear thinking and to unclouded belief. The King James Version. dear as are many of Its peerless passages, has yet been a hindranoe to perfect un- derstanding of the Scriptures Ignor- ant persons long railed at revisions of the Bible. unwittingly taking the position that 1t is English translation that is inspired. Nowadays the most practical as well as the most schollary teachers are advocating for general use the latest and best versions The Vatican has a commission at work at the present time upon the revision of the Vulgate of St. Jerome. There is an edition of the Scriptures in rather free and colloquiaI translation called the Twentieth Century New Testa- lment." Its specific object is to render of to-day. In many cases 1t gets close to the real meaning of the writ CT where the more cumbersome and stately language of the accepted re- visions is difficult of comprehension. New light is shed upon the meaning of the writer of the letter to the He- brews by these quotations from this modern version.
 Faith is confidence in the realiza- tion of ones hopes; 1t is a conviction, recording things which are not yet visible, and it was for such faith that the men of old were well spoken of .. .. .. It was faith that enabled Abra- ham to obey the Call that he received. and to set out for the place which he was afterwards to obtain as his own; and he did so without knowing at the time where he was going. It was faith that made him go to the Promts- ed Land-a stranger to a strange country and lA'e there in tents with Isaac and Jacob. who shared the Promised Land with him. He was looking for the City with the sure foundations, whose architect and builder is God
 Tt was faith that caused Moses when he was grown up. to decline the title of Son of a Daughter of Pharaoh He preferred to share the hardships of Gods people rather than have the short-lived enjoyment of a sinful life For he thought that the stigma which attaches to the Christ was of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, looking forward. as he did to the re- ward awaiting him. Faith caused him to leave Egypt, undaunted by the kings anger. for he was strengthen cd in his endurance by the vision of the invisible God"
 phrase defines faith. It is the inner spiritual light that makes plain what material faculties cannot preSiive. or material powers demonstrate. Within this realm lie all of life's things Modern VIsiOnnrIes.
 Missionary, does some one call the man of faith? Here struts the phy- sical scientist, who accepts nothing which cannot be proved In his lab oratory Ask him to define electrity. a n