SERMON XIX.

HEBREWS XII. 2.

"6 LOOKING UNTO JESUS, THE

AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF OUR

FAITH."

THE book of God stands preeminent above every other, not merely for the importance of its lifegiving doctrines, but for the charm and interest of the manner in which they are conveyed. It may be compared to a house of "many mansions" each stored with its "chambers of imagery," and furnished with inexhaustible treasures of wisdom and knowledge, for such as humbly seek to explore them. Wonderful indeed is the condescension, which has thus stooped to compare spiritual things with temporal, and make the earthly the type of the heavenly! But it is no less gracious than wonderful. Sense is hereby rendered the handmaid of faith, and things seen, become the mirror which reflects those which are not seen.

To the casual hearer or reader of my text, it may not have occurred, that the passage selected for our present meditation, together with its preceding and subsequent context, is in the highest degree figurative. The source from whence the allusions are derived, has proved one of the most fertile in illustration to the writers of the New Testament, and is indeed, replete with the most spirit-striving associations. It may be well to premise, that the Hebrew Christians, to which this Epistle is addressed, were at this time labouring under severe persecution. Their confession of the name of Jesus, involved them in a great fight of afflictions, and these again, ministered strong temptations to "draw back" and apostatize. The object of the apostle is to confirm and strengthen, to animate and comfort them, and, as the best means to such an end, he bids them look to Jesus, "the author and finisher of our faith." There are two points suggested for our consideration by the passage.

I. THE ATTITUDE RECOMMENDED BY THE APOSTLE.

II. THE REASON ASSIGNED FOR THE DIRECTION.

I. The ATTITUDE is that of a racer-a competitor for the prize awarded to him who was the swiftest of foot at the ancient Olympic games. It has been already intimated, that the allusion is by no means a solitary one. On the contrary, there are many most important portions of the

New Testament, whose whole significance is to be traced to the same source. I trust, therefore, that a brief account, as brief at least as may be, of the customs alluded to, may not only conduce to the illustration of the text, but furnish a key for the better understanding of those kindred passages. The games already mentioned, constituted in fact, the most important part of the solemnities instituted and observed in religious commemoration of various heathen demigods. The Olympic exercises principally consisted in running, wrestling, and the chariot-race. It was indispensably necessary for the candidates previously to submit to a severe regimen. Thus the Apostle says, "Every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things." At their own houses, they prescribed to themselves a particular course of diet; and the laws required them when they had given in their names in order to be enrolled in the list of competitors, to resort to the immediate neighbourhood of the place where they were to contend, and reside there thirty days, before the solemnities commenced. Whilst there, the regimen and preparatory exercises were regulated by a number of illustrious persons, who were appointed every day to superintend them. This form of diet they authoritatively prescribed, and religiously inspected, that the combatants might acquit themselves in the conflict, in a manner worthy the Grecian name, worthy the solemnity of the occasion, and worthy those crowds of illustrious spec

tators by whom they would be surrounded. After this preparatory discipline, on the day appointed for the celebration, a herald called over their names, recited to them the laws of the games, encouraged them to exert all their powers, and expatiated on the blessings and advantages of victory. He then introduced the competitors into the stadium or course, and conducted them to the altar, where a solemn oath was exacted from them, that they would observe the strictest honour in the contest—or, in the terms of the Apostle," that they would strive lawfully." Afterwards, those who were to engage in the foot-race were brought to the barrier, along which they were arranged, and waited, in all the excess of ardour and impatience, for the signal. The cord being dropped, they all at once sprang forward, fired with the thirst for glory, conscious that the eyes of all assembled Greece were now upon them, and that the envied palm, if they won it, would secure them the highest honours, and immortalize their memory. It is natural to imagine with what rapidity they would urge their course, and, emulous of glory, stretch every nerve to reach the goal. Chaplets, composed of the sprigs of a wild olive, and branches of palm, were publicly placed on a tripod in the middle of the stadium, full in the view of the competitors, to inflame them with all the ardour of contention. Near the goal was erected a tribunal, on which sat the presidents of the solemnities— persons venerable for their years and character,

who were the sovereign arbiters and judges of these arduous contentions. They were almost invariably such as had been successful candidates in former years, and thus were qualified to be impartial witnesses of the respective merits and pretensions of each combatant, and with the strictest justice to confer the crown of victory.

Now then, brethren, apply this imperfect outline of the customs observed in those renowned solemnities, to the elucidation of the entire passage in connexion with our text. In allusion to that prodigious assembly, from all parts of the world, which was convened at Olympia, to be spectators of those celebrated games, the Apostle places the Christian combatant, as it were, in the midst of a most august and magnificent theatre, composed of all those great and illustrious characters whom, in the preceding chapter he had enumerated; the fancied presence of whom should fire him with a virtuous ambition, and animate him with unconquered ardour to "run the race that was set before" him. Wherefore, (he says,)" seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses" whose eyes are upon us, and who long to applaud and congratulate us upon our victory— "Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us;" in other words, let us throw off every impediment, (every care, and every lust) as did the competitors for the Olympic crown "and the sin" which would entangle and impede our steps, as would the long flowing garments of