^ Just as the modern conqueror of the air trusts to a power that surpasses human strength, so is it with the man who would rise above a purely mundane existence. "I can do all things
^ Marcus Dods, Christ and Man, 63.
474 THE RACE SET BEFORE US
through Christ which strengtheneth me," says St. Paul. He finds that the motor-power of the Spirit of God is sufficient to raise him far above the levels of the old life. Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of his faith, he finds that the frail craft of his life is borne aloft, and so strong is the unseen motor-force impelling it that it is no longer buffeted about by every wind of doctrine, but is carried steadily forward against the many gusts that threaten to upset its equilibrium.^
3. The joy of victory lies in front. The man bent upon reaching the Pole spends no pity on himself ; the martyr, bent upon establishing some new republic of virtue and truth, has neither the desire nor the instinct to recount his wounds. They move with a sort of ecstasy towards that goal which they have set before them. They know a solemn exaltation of spirit which makes them indifferent to wounds and death. It may almost be said that they scarcely feel what to another would be dreadful pain ; spirit has so far conquered sense that the very edge of pain is blunted. No one who reads the story of martyrdom can doubt that the martyr often reached a condition of sublime ecstasy, in which the ideal he loved had become so real to him that the real had almost ceased to be a part of himself. And it was so with Jesus. The joy set before Him was so real and vivid that He endured the cross and despised the shame — the tragic and the agonizing being swallowed up in the triumphant.
^ When I was at a public school, we used to have a great system of paper-chases, especially in the Easter term, when there was not quite so much football. I used to be very fond of running in these. They were generally rather long and tiring, and you needed to be in very good training for them. One custom we always had was, when we were a mile or two from the college, to form up in a line and race home ; and very hard and exhausting work it was. But I well remember one thing about those " runs in," as we called them, and that was how wonderfully you seemed to forget fatigue and exhaustion the moment the college towers came in sight. We saw our goal clear before us, and it seemed to put new life into us. It was a real help, just when we most wanted it. It helped one to keep going strongly and make a good finish.^
' M. G. Archibald, Sundays at the Eoyal Military College, 261. 2 F. S. Horan, A Call to Seamen, 128.
HEBREWS XII. I, 2 475
Why those fears ? behold, 'tis Jesus
Holds the helm and guides the ship;
Spread the sails, and catch the breezes Sent to waft us o'er the deep To the regions
Where the mourners cease to weep.
Could we stay when death was hov'ring,
Could we rest on such a shore ? No, the awful truth discov'ring.
We could linger there no more: We forsake it, Leaving all we loved before.
Though the shore we hope to land on
Only by report is known, Yet we freely all abandon
Led by that report alone: And with Jesus Through the trackless deep move on.
Eender'd safe by His protection.
We shall pass the wat'ry waste; Trusting to His wise direction,
We shall gain the port at last, And with wonder Think on toils and dangers past.
The Unchanging Christ.
m
Literature.
Barry (A.), Sermoiis Preached in TFestminsfer Abbey, 109. Duclden (F. H.), Christ and Christ's Religion, 29. Edwards (H.), The Spiritual Observatory, 38. Greer (D. H.), From Things to God, 14. Henson (H. H.), Westminster Sermons, 127. Hutton (W. H.), A Disciple's Religion, 227. Kingsley (C.)) All Saints' Day Sermons, 285. Kniglit (G. H.), Abiding Help for CJutmjing Days, 91. McFadyen (J. E.), TJioughtsfor Silent Hours, 13. Mackennal (A.), Christ's Healing Touch, 276. Maclaren (A.), Expositions : Hebrews, etc., 285.
„ „ Tlie Unchanging Christ, 1.
Meyer (F. B.), Tlie Way into the Holiest, 212. Kaleigh (A.), From Dawn to the Perfect Day, 361. Kyle (J. C), Tlie Christian Race, 179. Sampson (E. F.), Christ CJiurch Sermons, 236. Selbie (W. B.), Aspects of Christ, 225. Selby (T. G.), The Unheeding God, 365. Spurgeon (C. H.), New Park Street Pulpit, iv. (1859), No. 41.
„ „ Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, xv. (1869), No. 848.
Spiirr (F. C), Jesus Christ To-day, 1. Stone (S. J.), Parochial Sermons, 106. Thompson (J.), Words of Hope and Cheer, 81. Vince (C), The UncJianging Saviour, 1. Waller (C. H.), Silver Sockets, 69. British Congregationalist, Nov. 15, 1906 (J. H. Jowett). Christian Commonwealth, xxxi. (1911) 313 (R. J. Campbell). Christian World Pulpit, xxxv. 49 (J. Culross) ; xxxvi. 291 (A. Eowland) ;
Ix. 246 (G. Gladstone) ; Ixvii. 266 (H. W. Clark) ; Ixxiv. 246 (J. E.
Rattenbury) ; Ixxiv. 275 (A. E. Garvie) ; Ixxvii. 283 (R. C. Gillie) ;
Ixxxiii. 301 (J. S. Reece). Church Family Newspaper, Jan. 2, 1914 (F. B. Macnutt). Church of England Pulpit, liii. 122 (H. H. Henson). Homiletic Review, xxxix. 414 (J. I. Vance) ; Ixv. 411 (F. F. Shannon). Record, Oct. 16, 1908 (G. Nickson) ; Jan. 2l, 1911 (H. C. G. Moule). Sermon Yeour Book, ii. 161 (H. D. M. Spence).