Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-03-10
By MARION NH. HULL, M. D.

= lever when the newness has worn off
set forth in part of the epistle of the
Hebrews. Before we study the particu-
lar passage closely, let us get a view
or the letter itself from which the ex-
: tract is taken. The authorship of the
epistle to the Hebrews has been debated
for centuries. 1t has been attributed to
, Paul, to Apollos, and to Barnabas. The
weight of opinion has always been, and
! still is, that Paul was the author
! 1t was evidently written before the
| temple was destroyed on account of the
! references to the continuation of the
/ temple worship.
| Regardless of the author the purpose
is plain. There were Jewish Christians
! In Jerusalem, who were undergoing ter
! rifle persecution, until they had come
to that attitude of mind when they were
! saying, Whats the use?" They were
| In danger of relapsing into Judaism
| Their first love had grown cold; and
the persecution and pressure which was
being brought to bear upon them by
their former friends and possibly some
| members of their own families were so
great, they were confronting the danger
of spiritual eclipse. Summing up his
| whole message, the author says, he
steadfast. Christ is better than anything
| you have had before; don't quit; keep
OcAlGN1AS uIllh you IlIldLly realize your
hopes"
He shows them the superiority of
Christ over the prophets, over the
angels, over Moses, over Joshua, over
Aaron. He shows the superiority of the
new covenant which Christ made with
His blood over the old covenant, and
the superiority of the new service which
comes as the result of that covenant
over the old ritualistic service. in
other words. these were the foundation
stones of Judaism, and his argument
proves conclusively the superiority of
Christ over Judaism. Therefore, he
urges them to be faithful unto the end,
telling them that having gone thus far
they ought not to quit, but to have
faith and realize the blessings which
are to come. He then defines faith and
illustrates it from the lives of men and
women, famous in the past. Under the
I figure of the Roman race, he exhortS
them, with such a company of specta-
tors watching them, run with pa
thence, the race set before them, keeping
their eyes ever on Christ
1t is through faith alone that the
victory can be won, particularly in the
midst of persecution and in the dark
ness of trial So the author defines
faith as the assurance of things hoped
for the conviction of things not seen.
Faith is to revelation what vision is to
light. God has revealed certain things
to US; by faith we perceive them ana
give substance to them. We are assured
that they are so, because God reveals
them as such. We are convinced that
they are true; and thus faith makes
revelation real, practical, effectual.
without faith revelation amounts to
nothing. The world can be flooded with
h. orb
nothing TO the blind man because he has
no vision. BY means of vision man
perceives that light exists. Just so
faith is to revelation what vision Is
to light
God gives certain promises; by the
exercise of faith they are received, ana
in time are realized Just as man
will pay ready money for an estate IN
reversion, he gives up his ready money
because he is assured that at the proper
time the estate will revert to him, al
though he does not actually own 1t at
the time. The .lfe insurance business
Illustrates this in the same way.
s man paws his premiums from year
to wear because he believes that ne Is
assured that the thing hoped Ior' inc
no ,,nant of the policy, will he realized
Nv his heirs at his death. Faith gives
substance to the thing hoped for. 1t Is
the conviction of the thing not seen
Philip Doddridge once dehned halIh as
"such a reason and argument as ooln
conyinces the understanding, and caused
tha man TO act according to that con-
viction." go. !.
Some people think that faith. as II
lis snoken of in the Bible, is an efteml-
nate thing; an evidence of weakness
such an opinion is absurd; at least When
il is known that the Greek WORD whlch
& translated faith conveys the idea that
~ IS a conviction resulting from the
most profound reasoning and under-
standing. There can be no stronger word
used.
We have not the time nor space 10
illustrate in detail the many cases whlch
are cited in this line of heroes. rake
one: Gideon accomplished his wonoer-
fuI victory through that conviction
which resulted from his understanding
of the fact that God was powerful ana
had called him into a service, and would
fulfill His promise to be with him ana
overcome his enemies. He put That con-
yiction into action. Although ne was an
unknown and untried leader with only
400 men and pitchers and lamps yet ne
put to fight a vast host armed 10 the
teeth. Think each of these cases out LOT
Yourself and see how faith was out the
assurance OF HOpSu Iva
viction of things not seen. See now
reasonable it was and how necessary IL
ia that we utilize it that we may realize
the promises which God has made TO
MS of salvation from past sins or power
over present sins and of the glorious
reward which is laid up In the future
for those who live by faith.
The writer then urges these Jewish
CHRISTIANS who were about on the point
Of relapsing to look about them and see
how great a company of witnesses were
all aorund them men and women who
had realized the promises through ralth'
tn run the race. 1t is always an in
sniration to us to realize that we are
being watched. We are more careful.
However, we must not be handicapped
nv any undue encumbrances, and so we
must lay aside every weight. The run
ner strips off everything that would
hinder him in his race, so that ne may
not carry an extra ounce. There are
many things in our lives that are
weights, which prevent US from running
the Christian race to the best advan-
tsce. These things may not be wrong in
themselves, but If they hinder our race
thew should be laid aside. There are
certain amusements, certain social func-
tions, there are such noble things as
musical and literary accomplishments,
that may be weights to US. Whatever