The Pulpit Commentary — Hebrews — Section 307

rncterietlca of falth are here laid down " to them than "the things that do appeRr." (Dolitzeoh); i.e. of faith in its most general It cannot be said that to accept such faith sonso-that of belief in such things, whether as _evidence is contrary to renson ; our not past, pr~sont, or future, as are not known dornlj\' so would be to put aside as meanin~ by experience, nnd cannot be logically nothmg the, dee~est, the most spirituo.l, the demonstrated. "Licet quidam dicant prre- most elevatmg lacult,ee of our mysterious dicro npostoli verba non esse fidei rletini- nature, by mea~s of which, no less than by tionem, quia dcfinitio indicat rei quidditntem our other faculties, we are conetUuted so as et essentiam, to.men si quis recte consideret, to apprehend the truth. And we may ob- omnia ex quibus fidee potest definiri in serve, lastly, that even to those who have prrodictn descriptione tanguntur, licet verba not themselves this "fulness of faith," its non ordinentur sub forma definitionie" very existence in others, including so many (St. Thomns Aquinas, 'Secunda Secundm,' of the great and goorl, may surely be ration- qu. 4, art. I), Fo.i th, in the general sense ally accepted as evidence of realities corre- indicated, is and has ever been, as the sponding to it. ohapter goes on to show, the very root and Ver. 2.-For_in this (i.e. faith, •v .,."t,,.?1) inspiring principle of all true religion. the elders obtamed a good report; literally. And be it observed that, if well grounded. were witnessed of; i.e. it was in respect of it is not irrational ; it would rather be irra- their faith, which inspired their deeds, that tional to disregard it, or suppose it opposed they were praised. (For a similar use of the to relLBon. Even in ordinary affairs of life, preposition •v, cf. I Cor. xi. 22, hra,vlurw ,v and in science too, men act, and must act, .,.ot,,.q,). Thus is introduced the illustrative to B great extent on faith; it is eesentinl review of Old Testament instances, the pur- for success, and certainly for all great pose of which has been explained above. 1t achievements-faith in the testimony and begins from the beginning, Abel being the authority of others whom we can trust, first example. Bat in the Old Testament faith in views and principles not yet veri- the account of the creation precedes that first fied by our own experience, faith in the recorded instance; and, therefore, it is in expected outcome of right proceeding, faith the first place fittingly referred to, the exist- with respect to a tholll!e.nd things which ence of an unseen creative power mentally we take on trust, and so make ventures, on perceived beyond things visible, being the the ground, not of positive proof, but of primary article-the very foundation-of more or lees assured conviction. • Religious ell religious faith ( cf. below, ver. 6). faith is the same principle, though exercised Ver. 3.-By faith we perceive that the in a higher sphere ; and it may be as well worlds have been framed by the word of grounded as any on which irreligious men God, so that the things which a.re seen (or, are acting daily. Various feelings and con- that which, is seen) have (or, has) not been siderations may conspire to induce it: the made of things whioh do appear. "By the very phenomena. of the visible universe, word of God ~ has reference to "and Go,l which, though themselves objects of sense, said," of Gen. i., which chapter enunciates speak to the soul of a Divinity beyond the primary article of all definite religious them; still more, conscience, recognized as faith, viz. the existence and operation of a Divine voice within us, and implying a God, llS the unseen Author of tl1e visible Power above us to whom we are responsible; universe. Even without a revelation to then all our strange yearnings after ideals declare this, faith's office is to apprehend it not yet realized, our innate sense that from observation of the phenomena them- 1·ighLeousnese ought to triumph over ini- selves; as is intimated in Rom. i. 20, where quity, e,ij in our disordered world it does even to the Greek " the invisible things of not yet ;-which things a.re in them,elves God from the creation of the world" are prophetic : aud, in addition to all this, said to be " clenrly seen, being understood the general human belief in Deity. And [voovl'eva : of. vooiiI'•" in the passage before when, further, a revelation has been given, ue] by the things that are mat.le, eve,, his its answering to our already felt needs and eternal power and Godheo.t.l." The drift of aspirations, to~ether with the usual con- both passages is the same, viz. this, nnt.l eit.lcratioue on which we give credence to no more--that faith recognizes an unseen testimony, induces faith in it also, and "power and Godhead" behiml, and account- in the things by it revealed ; nntural ing for, the seen, universe; Commentators, faith is thus confirmed, and faith in other who-takingµ-,} EiC cpa.,.,oµ,vwv as equivalent verities is borna in upon t!JO soul; which is to /;,c µ-,) cpa,vo,ulvwv, and hence seeking to f'urther itself confirmed by experience of the explain whllt is meant by "non-app,nent effects of en tertiiin ing- it. In some minds, thino-s "-perceive hern a reference either to as is woll known, l\llll these of the highest the formleos void (Gen. i. 2) out of which order, such foith may Rm01mt to certitu<le, the present cren~ion was evolve_d, or _to the ienuel'ing tile "things unseen" more real Platonic conctiption of eterunl ideas 1n the  TIIE EPISTLE TO 'l'HE 1-mnrmws. [en. x1. 1-40.