The New York herald., 1877-10-22
FIFTH AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH.
RxHAUsTLEss TREASURES IN cHRIsTs WORDS

SERMON BY REV. DIR. ARMITAGE.
Rev. DR.. Armitago preached In tho Fifth Avenue
Baptist Chu:cn, taking his text from Matthew
xiii, 52-"Every scribe which Is instructed unto
tho kingdom of heaven Is like unto that
Is householder, which bringetn forth out OF
his treasure things now and old" scribe, said
the reverend gentleman, was one who wrote or tran
scribed and interpreted the Old Testament But the
term, applied to instructed In the Kingdom Of
heaven distinguished from the Old Testament, Is q
Christian teacher, and IS like to householder who
brings forth new and old out Of his treasure But If
tho child-liko and docile theoogan has truth
bring out OF tho Scriptures Christian or jewish, this
successful implies that, first of ALL he nds the
Bible full OF "new" truth In common with tho DID,
forms Of them beng in fact cxhaustlcss And this s
indeed, one Of the peculiar attributes OF Chrisrs
words namely-that they aro inexhaustible In their
wealth and IN their newncss. II Chrst's words con-
corning 'the kingdom OF heaven" wero separated
from His acts and history, recorded by tho evan
gclists, they would form q very small volume, which
could bo soon read.
Tho power OF seif-expansion in Chrst's words Is
marvellous No scribe lnds this power in any other
mans words, however profound his argument
elaborate his style, or grand his subject briet
scntence-oiten phrase, word or even syllabls-
proves itself to be such condensation OF prolific truth
scanty limits into disqusiion after dlsqusiton until
tho unfolding reminds you OF the stroke from tho
rod OF Moses which not only opened seam but
brought rushing Hoods from tho hecrt OF a rock His
words few that shrinks from the at
tompt TO study them, and vet pregnant with truth
that ho never ready to end the investigation. The
quantity OF His words Is brought within narrow
boundary, but tho quality tries mans highest capac
ties They do not MI a hugo library that Of
business needs u lifetime to read them. Tor this q
peasant can do in few hours But what array
Of columns Inc great minds OF tho world have
created In giving their conceptions oi them
The fact Is that each paragraph has con-
tanned Libraries and each sentence columns.
And these fresh Witnesses that His unprctcntous
words are tho strange archives In which are wrapt
up US in the rccesses of Intermiaable gold nine,
ali tho concerns both OF humanity and divinity 50
that tner exhaustion is the gigantic undertake ng aud
eternity. Put these thoughts 10 tho test lake tho
record OF any sentence winch Christ uttered aud try
The experiment OF exhaustng It, not by your own per-
sonal ingenuity and industry, but take The elaborate
amphcatons OF ali tho minds VINO busy themselves
with II and soc whether IN the protractcd exposition
you have reason conclude that its copiousuess has
been touched, not to say exhausted. 1t may appear
commonplace wLrd-but as your mind begins TO
grappe with II and 10 hapue It's interior and exterior It's
sense and bearings 1t grows upon you and becomes SO
prohc of suggestion and illustration that you ind II
next TO impossible TO embody all its elaborate scope
within the usual limits OF profitable DISCOURSE Is TINS
true OF Dante, CooLhc Shak kespcafc, Miion Locke or
Newtony care not how ciementaily they may nave
put them, could you make any OF hese ali together
text book because OF their power and proundIty TO
strong minds, hearts and hands which arc fed and
iorti cd by the words oi Chrlsiy
KEEPING THE WORD
For century alter century, nrst the pen and then
the press, have poured forth commentary, treatise,
paraprasc, essay and DISCOURSE the ussiuuous words
well Instructed, and yet they are bong multiplied
day more tnan ever the researches OF tho masters or
thought eonessing that tho great mne is yct uuex
pored HIS wofus multiply the mlicrials OF thought
while they th'nk growth keeping pace with nveslisa-
tion. beauty anu truth springng up where n seemed
death and mystery, and brilliant rays bursting iorlh
from passages where nothing has appeared DeIoro
dark sayings Sometimes VIC wish tuat Christ had
said more GU some subjects, ami yet man living
VIII claim that he has exhausted Que paragraph
which ie from His lips, whether II treat parable or
peiy, 0iprophecy or PROMISE Ol The Church earth
the Kingdom IN heaven need not speak oil instruc-
ton. warming, consolation, the God
gushbgs o humanity as Keeping HIS words niivo and
frcsl Sculpture, architecture the ueciphcrings OF
discovery IN every form. from Egypt Babylon Ninevch
ana Jerusaictl, are giving them new solutions. wnlc
prophecy, philosophy aud science arc Keeping them
ever new NY cucdating and Unfolding their my
These men condensed migniy truth into a sentence;
but ut once you grasp that truth. Ii Is 20 great
truth mat II ned their whole minds perfectly, and
hcnco there was no more room lor another an an-
other underneath IT, IN rich succession OF strata rc-
scmUliug the stupcnuous layers rock In geologic
formation. But each sentence OF Christ Is not only
SO Transparent that you catch It's rays at once ike
tho prism the nncy polished diamond but as In
Tue bosom OF The diamond there Is locked up u lake
of compressed lght which flashes out the point OF
each cutting 20, besides the surface OF ono
sentence the lips OF Christ It's centre pours out
an endless succession OF deep paradoxes aud unin-
truths which neither tho schoolman nor tho
mystic tho intuitvo the discursve, eau take IN,
By "a sort OF miracle one sentence multipes llsolf
into a multitude OF others Just the rod OF Aaron
wncn down swal owel up other rods rms power
which marks every combination Of them with now