The Yale expositor., 1916-03-09
LESSON FOR MARCH IL
HEROES AND MARTYRS OF FAITH.
LESSON TEXT-Heb. nj. -


There are two kinds of heroism for
which medals are awarded in this
country. Congress confers a medal
of honor for distinguished services
and extraordinary heroism in war.
The Carnegie hero fund in peace"
bestows medals and pecuniary recog-
milton for heroic deeds performed in
preserving and rescuing human life,
and the first medal thus issued was
given to a boy for rescuing another
boy from drowning.
!. Faith Defined, v. l. This is per-
haps the most quoted and succinct
definition we have of faith. What fol-
lows is but the illustration and APP
plication of the fact. Faith is an as
surance" Or. W. The ground of this
assurance and conviction is the word
of God. (See Rom. 10:1O. The only
sure ground for dynamic and intel.
ligent faith is Gods word: put to the
acid test of experience it never fails.
II. Faith Declared, w. 4, 5. Faith
had been declared and manifested by
many illustrations before the death of
Stephen:
(a) Abel, at the risk of his brothers.
anger, obeyed the unseen God and
earned his approval; his heroic, mar
tyred spirit still speaks to men ". A.
OBJ Enoch, the diligent seeker after
God, in a world of lawlessness lived
life well-pleasing to him through a
fost Iat In Inv
5, G..
(c) Noah (v.O, lonely man of faith
(Gen. 6:5), chose the unseen God and
preached righteousness rather than
avoid the ridicule of his neighbors.
Noah reckoning the invisible as tan.
gible, continued TO build his ark and
became blessing to the race.
I'D Abraham and Sarah (S-12). Not
knowing WHITTIER they went, by faith
these lonely pilgrims unerringly fol.
lowed an invisible God to an unseen
country; but a faith greater still led
them to dwell in the land and not
possess it ". 10). Their faith re-
deemed them from the mere emigrant
character They looked for a city.
which had foundations, whose builder
and maker is God"
(e) Moses (23-2S) showed his faith
by right choice. He weighed values
and had respect unto the recompense
of reward" His faith endured, as
seeing him who is invisible" Moses
saw by faith the "reproach of Christ,
that which Christ suffered for the re-
demption of the world, as being of
greater riches than the treasures OF
Egypt"
These, and others not mentioned,
are summarized by their having ac-
complished ten different things (32-
400. They performed great deeds OF
heroism (S2-34); they endured great
suffering and persecution $3.50. ALI
of this suffering was to issue in a
greater reward with the glory that
was to come (Rom. S:1S, II Cor. 4:17,
49,. All these men OF faith obtained
a good report"
III. Faith Demanded, ~: I, 2. The
Holy Spirit has given us this long list
of heroes as an exhortation to stir up
those living to the performance of
their duty. The roll call of triumphant
heroes is not yet completed. Al these
mentioned are witnesses, not nlook-
ers. These are they who have testi.
fed to God and to the truth of his
word In the light of this testimony
and on the same ground of their ties.
timony, we are to do several things:
1. To "lay aside every weight" No
runner carries any weight beyond that
which is needful. Some things are
burdens that are not necessarily sins.
Every such thing hinders our running
and should be laid aside.
2. 1.-THE sin that doth so easily beset
us" Literally, that wrap themselves
about us as an ill-ftting garment, and
which trip or impede the runners
progress. These sins mot SIM are
those little devil habits and practices
which must, for that reason, be laid
aside.
3. Run with patience the race set
before u.s." There must be steadfast-
ness and endurance IL church mem
bers were as faithful in following up
as the average business house is, we
would have less OF lapsed church mem
bers and fewer boys and girls who
drift away from the Sunday school.
4. Looking unto Jesus" This is the
keynote to this entire epistle and to
this category of heroes. He is our
"file-leader" and the perfector OF our
faith. Once we get our eyes or him
we will stumble and fall in the race.
For the Joy Literally equal fellow
ship with Cod set before him, he en-
dured the cross" (Phil. 1868. II we
would win the race, we must despise
the sin which lies in the path of abso-
lutte loyalty TO God.
The work of Jesus and the bestow-
ing OF the Holy Spirit who is always
with us, is the source, the author of
our faith.
There is far too much easy going
Christianity and too little self-sur-
raudar oY,d almost NJ ynrfvofgO,, l., 49,