The New York herald., 1877-12-24
FIFTH AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH.
ssrHE THoUGHT-REvEALtNa CHILL" D"-sERMoN

ssrHE THoUGHT-REvEALINd CHILD SERMON
by REV. Dir. ARMITAGE.
The Rev. DR.. Armitage preached yesterday morn
ing an appropriate Christmas sermon on the subject
OF ssThe Revealing Child" He took his text
from Luke, H., "a, 35. in tho following words:--"Be-
hold child Is set for the fall and rising again Of
many in Israel, ana for sign that shall be spoken
against (yen, sword snail pc.cc through thy own soul
aiso) that tho thoughts of many hearts may bo re-
vealedn Ruskin calls attention to the fact said tho
reverend gentleman. that In Raphaol's great "Ma-
donna" figure calmly casts It's eyes up ana out
into tho OF measurelcss space as II Catherine,
Sixtus, Mary and the Child peeping through the
endless deep upon tho very .star shores Of hcavcn "
This wrapt absorption tells not only Of insT-
able love Tor joyful promises kept, but speaks
OF calm and solemn musings which wandered out INTO
the fields OF space, persuaded that no being under the
dome OF heaven could tell wherc the mystic sceno
should end. Their wonderful eyes arc muto inter-
prefers OF tho upheaval OF heart-thoughts within,
awakened by the coming OF the moro wonderful babe,
the great rcvealer OF heartthoughis IL would almost
appear immortal artist had seized upon tho
very transaction forth our context as the true
point in tho childhood OF Jesus at which to express
his greatest conceptions OF HIS high destiny. II
Raphael designed Simeon and Anna 10 act us proto.
types OF Sixtus and CatIarinc either IN person or
Character then he teaches thai the grcat process OF
revealing heari-thoughts was still in progress when
he completed his undying work progress OF which
you arc still the eye Witnesses
THE VIRGINS Burden.
When Simeon says, "Ihis child is set for sign
that shal be spoken against he means that He
should DO butt or mark, us q stone of stumbling
when man strikes IT, or as target when men huri
javcns or launch shafts at H. He predicts that this
dignation, that He shall be contradicted and de-
nounced as IN gnomnious lmpostor When he says
own % soy he Means to prcdc. that the o.hsg
shall share with tho child IN tho kecnest possible suf
iernss whch could penetrate her soul, as II
maternal sympa,hios joyful as her virgin
heart was thas day. thcre should come n
that spot, mystic bitterness should tear her bosom
as II pierced by keen spear and 30 ho brings Beth
lchm ana Calvary together strange that this fore
telling should contrc a personal aiiuson to herself
which she should wrap up IN her breast, 10 temper
with sorrow the bright hopes that cleaned around
her nrst Dorn And thcso things she "pondeTed
in her heart,' and, by tho declaration thai tho
means this babo Is 10 be the king OF thought by
whom all thought 10 be tested aud exposed. so that
should aud bring TO light tue thoughts Of
mems hearts the world Lad even seen them before.
All hidden things OF the human spirit were to be tried
in their temper and put to an iniaibe test and then
laid naked by that child
He was to open a window in every mans breast, by
which he should reveal his real character TO other
men, and thus the coming OF Gods only begotten Son
the world Gods criterion Tor trying The human
heart 10 the end OF time his binds Christ indssolu
bly, with tho destiny OF the world in all It's religious
hate love- in all conservation rejection, in
oil its holy alteration OF Jesus and its hcartess nl
deity, because He gives complexion to all It's radical
heart Thought This more than justiies Carlyle In
saying that Christ is subject of quite perennial In
lnLe character and It's significance Will demand
to be anew inquired into and anew made manifest.
CHRIST TENDERS SALVATION
Simeon, frs, says, shat Christ Gods salvation,
prepared before the face OF all peoples, light 10 the
benighted Gentea and the glory OF Israel Tncn he
adds that .'this child fcr the fall and rising OF
many in Israeli and for q sign that shall be spoken
against" leaving the inference that both Jews and
Gcntcs viii unite in speaking against Him, that the
thoughts OF many hearts IN 10th these great divisions
OF humanity, may be revealed The result would be
that VINO were great and ghty in Israel at that
time should "fal," and others, who were little and
obscure should ''rise, as II tho whole Jewish HER
archy ana all ihcir iuture wicked transac-
tious were passing III review before His pro-
apostolic fishermen and their lowly followers, the
other, body falling iuto iniamy and the other
into mmutability. And so the general sweep OF
his prophecy signifies tnat III the hcart OF that Dabo
hlddoL the most potent moral forces all the soul
possibilities that shou d trouble and agiato the
ing currents OF time, power more mighty than tho
OF Moses which parted the bOistcfous waters and
clcavcd out highway through the heart Of the
In word that babe was TO divide all man kind into
to make over tho taco Of that muto and
UNCONSCIOUS iniant-that little bundle Of unde
vclopcd vitalitics lying in his arms, which as yet
did not know its right arm from Its lett, which had
not yet spoken word on tho air OF this planet,
which could have made no temper sullen by act,
ana whose coming had yet, stirred the sunny sido
OF lie character the hug and KISS OF his mother
fc says the venerable man. He shall reveal the
thoughts OF all Dcarts. either IN their love or hate IN
their allegiance rebellion, IN his coronation
cution In HIS dety-nood, His malignant spurning
Without rank or position, or sword; unaided by n
senate, political dynasty, or geographical patrI-
mony, be should disturb all centres oil civilization.