HEBREWS XI. 27 455
Yes, while on earth a thousand discords ring, Man's fitful uproar mingling with his toil, Still do thy sleepless ministers move on,
Their glorious tasks in silence perfecting; Still working, blaming still our vain turmoil, Labourers that shall not fail, when man is gone.^
1 Matthew Arnold.
The Race Set before Us.
457
Literature.
Archibald (M. G.), Sundays at the Royal Military College, 253.
Barrett (G. S.), Musings for Quiet Hours, 55.
Brooke (S. A.), Short Sermons, 166.
Brown (C), The Message of God, 272.
Church (R. W.), Village Sermons, ii. ,346.
Dale (R. W.), The Jewish Temple and the Christian Church, 242.
Davidson (A. B.), Waiting upon God, 305.
Dawson (VV. J.), The Reproach of Christ, 194.
Dods (M.), Christ and Man, 61.
Ewing (J. F.), The Unsearchable Riches of Christ, 203.
Fairweather (D.), Bound in the Spirit, 195,
Fiirst (A.), True Nobility of Character, 315.
Gregg (D.), Our Best Moods, 159.
Hamilton (J.), Faith in God, 262.
Home (C. S.), The Rod of Ages, 233.
Houchin (J. W.), The Vision of God, 92.
Ho watt (J. R.), A Year's Addresses to the Young, 41.
Hull (E. L.), Sermons, iii. 144.
Jenkins (E. E.), Life and Christ, 297.
Lidgett (J, S.), Apostolic Ministry/, 73.
Love (J. C), Talks to Children, 121.
Macfarlane (W. H.), Redemptive Service, 297.
Maclaren (A.), The Victor's Crowns, 93.
Morrison (G. H.), The Wings of the Morning, 319.
Parker (J.), 'The Gospel of Jesus Christ, 117.
Pearse (M. G), The Gospel for the Day, 18.
Ryle (J. C.), The Christian Race, 154.
Selby (T. G.), The Strenuous Gospel, 160.
Stephen (R.), Divine and Human Influence, ii. 191.
Christian Commonwealth, xxxi. (1911) 589 (R. J. Campbell).
Christian World Pulpit, xxxvi. 216 (M. Dods) ; xl. 353 (G. C. Morgan) ;
xlix. 325 (C. Gore); Ixxiii. 74 (L. Abbott); Ixxv. 216 (M. Dods);
Ixxxiv. 209 (A. F. W. Ingram). Gua/rdian, Ixviii. (1913) 1226 (A. F. W. Ingram). Presbyterian, Dec. 12, 1912 (J. Kelman).
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The Race Set before Us.
Therefore let us also, seeing we are compassed about with so great a clo of witnesses, lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising shame, and hath sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. — Heb. xii. i, 2.
1. Theee is no more brilliant turning of the flank of an opponent's position in all controversy than that which we have in the preceding chapter — the eleventh. Throughout the Epistle the writer is reasoning with converts from Judaism who were threatening to go back. Their old Jewish position had powerful prejudices in its favour, and powerful arguments too. The first tide of their Christian enthusiasm had abated, and the pressure of persecution for Christ's sake was telling against them, and driving them back to their old beliefs and positions. Point by point the writer reasoned the question out between the old religion and the new, showing in each particular how the new was better. There remained, however, one stronghold of the old creed which seemed impregnable. It had surely the great, the venerated, names of Jewish antiquity in its favour. " We have Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Isaiah on our side," they said. It was an immense matter for a Jew to be certain that he had the Fathers on his side. They surely lived and died within the Mosaic dispensation, under the covenant of works. It was good enough for them; they found satisfaction and inspiration in it. " No," says the writer ; " in heart these men belonged to us — not to the Judaists. These aU died in faith." Though they lived under the forms of the old economy, they wrought with the in- spiration of the new ; and he shows that it was so. He claims all the immense force of the argument from antiquity for himself and for Christianity, whereas the drift of these Hebrews was towards traditionahsm, sacerdotalism, externalism. Then he brings his
46o THE RACE SET BEFORE US
argument to a close with a powerful appeal to his readers to endure as their great fathers did ; and he directs their eyes to Jesus as at once the inspiration of faith and its most glorious example.
2. The figure that the writer employs is, of course, a reference to the famous Olympic games, with which all G-reek-spciiking people in his day, and for many generations before him, were perfectly familiar. No product of the Greek genius held a higher place in the interest and esteem of that remarkable people. To gain a prize in the athletic contests at Olympia was one of the most cherished ambitions of youth. There games were celebrated every fifth year, and all persons of Hellenic blood, no matter to what particular nationality they happened to belong or from what corner of the earth they came, were eligible to compete. They must have presented an inspiring spectacle, watched as they were by huge concourses of people assembled tier on tier around the great amphitheatre. Veterans of bygone similar occasions were given places of honour from which to view the achievements of a younger generation, and it must have been no small glory to the victors in the several events to receive the applause of the re- nowned athletes who had preceded them in the same arena. This is the idea that the writer of Hebrews seizes hold of to illustrate our spiritual experience. Earth, he says, is the arena wherein great things are being wrought out from age to age by the sons of God.