The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-04-09
MR.. BEECHER ON MORALITY.
The Peace OF Christ-His Eternal Youth the
Sacrifice for Sinners.
BREAKING PILLARS OF FAITH.
Mr.. TaImages "Gude for Christian
Bulls and Bears"
FIFTH AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH

JESUS ETERNALLY YoUNG--sERMoN BY THE
REV. DIR. ARMIrAGE
The Rev. Thomas Armitage. d. D., pastor OF tho
Fifth Avenue Baptist Church, preached to very largo
congregation yesterday morning. His subject was
s.Jesus Eterpaly Young" and his text Heb l., T.
.Thou art the same, and thy years shall not fa" Dr.
Farrar and others, who have written the Life OF
Christ % said he, seem TO covet the ability TO draw
portrait OF our Lords personal appearance and half
lament their inability to do so. nasmuch as neither
description nor art has left the impression Of
His form. The only reliable picture which we can
draw OF our Lords body is by that law Of humanity
which traces a sembance between the radiant virtues
nj the inner man and their external expression in the
nhumau face divine" We know OF royal David, His
great ancestor, that when young he twas fair and
ruddy;', but whether his great Son inherited his
beauty we are left to conjecture. At any rate the
elaborate portratures of Lord which describe His
stature, gait complexion, features &c, are but apoc-
rypnaI and traditional None OF the evangclists say
word or give hint on the subject.
cHRIsT's UNIFORM PERSONAL vIGoR
There are certain other things, however, about
which they speak on which there be doubt as.
for example, His uniform personal vigor, as indicating
the total absence Of all personal ailment either from
illness or age They tell OF His constant exposure
by long fasting by perpetual journeyings, by inces
SAINT lapo-s in public speaking and miracle workings
His exposure to the elements the land and on the
sea- of His prostratons during the livelong night
in His acts OF devotion They never intimate that He
was SICK till violence done to His body in His last
sunerlngs, when they speak OF fantness IN carrying
His cross fever He hung upon 1t and cried, II
thirst The only case which bears contrary APP
pcarance this is the declaration OF Isaiah, as quoted
BY Matthew, saying, 'sHmself took our in1rmities
and bore our sickness" In this special statement II
is implied that He voluntarily took tho sickness" Of
the people in Capernaum only you would take
anOther
stook'' indrmities to bear them, exactly as He
took our SINS not TO absorb them into HIMSELF but
TO remove and destroy them. So, then, there is
the absence OF all Indication on the part OF the
evapgeists that Jesus ever endured sickness as we
do that HIS bodily frame weakened by natural
disease CT rendered inlrm by the roipg OF years.
First. then, have the healthy 'young child" who
could endure the exposure OF birth IN STABLE the
coarse .sswadding bands,' the hard manger cradle
and the fight foreign country III order to save His
lie In HIS boyhood at twelve, wo nnd Him as a
hardy Youth journeyng at the side OF HIS mother
and Joseph, from Gailee to Jerusalem distance OF
about seventy English miles he entered upon HIS
ministry in the full scope OF peasants strength at
age of thirty Throughout the three years oil HIS
public ministry there is not the slightest indication
that His bodily health or natural force aoaed put on
the contrary HIS power of physical endurance Is
presented wonderful. And to me IL has ever been
delightful thought that in working out my salvation
the molly Christ Jesus exhibited inherent weak
ness In the greatness OF His intellectual strength lie
was full mighty to reason; in greatness Of HIS
emotional strength he was ul powerful suffer-
greatness of His moral strength he was iull able 10
TO the uttermosL From the whole OF HIS career
the cradle TO the tomb, proves Him TO have been
s'the of God with power" bodily, mentally, NOR
ally divinely The idea which the Gospel leaves upon
the mind Is one perpetual freshness IN Christ and
not OF exhaustion oil inyioable strength aud not
Of weakness, OF unfadng youth and not OF age.
Although He has been seated upon HIS throne for more
than 1880 years the world never thinks OF Him az
changed.
cHRIsT's ETERNAL YOUTH.
At this point met by The all absorbing ques-
tion as to toe and secret OF Cnrsts eternal
youth. How is 1t that lie is The same and that bis
years will and do not isif All tina human must
change and grow old. The inspiring tire coos IN each
breast the flush pales each cheek. leaves Its
lines on every brow, the boar frost settles on the
locust chill creeps toward the heart and remulonsness
Wrinkles do not wither, decay does not waste, nor
change impair His identity. In the days OF His
Palestine life He climbed by well marked succession
OF steps to a definite maturity as the sun climbs from
sunrise TO sthe perfect day but, unlike that orb
with Him that mas been slow decline, gradual
descent, Tor His has not gone down, but poises
itself still at noontide without casting one shadow.
His youth earth was pensvc while others were
nav disinterested while others selfish Other
Youths were naughty, He meek; they spoke IN
advisedIy with their lips, He never polluted His The
heart OF young friend beat in HIS breast, angel nno
beamed HIS eye add more than angel anxiety
ishcu the doctors; HIS wonderful purity mortified the
boaest, ana HIS philanthropy made the best bene-
factors OF HIS blush Wherever the young Naza-
rene went He gladdened the world, carried cheer,
freshness and adorning with Him, breaking up its
monotony and shedding rays upon all ts path. And
why? Because HIS youth was essential, and not
merely stage in His existence; because II was IN
herent and not desired. Youth with Him was not a
force could be subornaed to the aggressions oil
age. As q son. He had rejoiced with the Father she
fore the world was" The fragrant, dewy, rich,
secret OF Chrsls eternal youth Is found in His
tive power Its IN The infinite spontaneous
ness OF His uncreatcd self. This must render His
eternal youth unaltered ana unaterable.