The New York herald., 1877-12-10
FIFTH AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH.

Taking hts text from tho nineteenth verso OF the
third chapter of the Ephesiaas Dr. Armtage preached
an eloquent sermon At the morning service IN the
Filth Avenue Baptist Church. AT tho coming OF
Christ said he, tho paternal lovc Of God had fairly
dawned upon tho human mind. but tho world
was yet stranger to the true love of philanthropy.
Its revelations reserved the Son. II IL hard
to understand how tho pulse Of parental love could
beat in the fatLomless nature OF the uncmbodicd
Jehovah It is harder to conceive Of innnitc love taking
the form OF all that phanthropic when embodied IN
flesh ana surrounded by the chill OF human selfish.
ness. When parental love tho Father revealed IT,
self to intcllsenccs 0f heaven they seIzed
lanthroplst heaven was moved to It's centre The first
threw burnn rays around tho throne oil God, but
second lighted II with inexpressibe glory. The first
awakened music IN mans soul, but tho second
strung new chord on It's harp One was
yoarning Of the eternal heart tho other q
plan Of tho eternal mind-a covenant calling
Tor the Developments OF ages, and cternay removed
IRON all that IS sudden in burst OF sympathy, all
that Is lcke IN tho glow OF love- Gods love III the
abstract Is dark to though IL bc real to us yet IL
Is intangible. We comprehend II much as we realize
the scattered sheen o their iight diilused evenly
throughout the whole universe. But when wo SEQ 1t
bcaming out from Christs mcek eye II Is as II every
ray OF the noontde sun were blazing forth from that
mid orb. wo think OF Gods constitutional love
much do OF tho bouDdc expansc Of unex-
pored But His love poured into the bosom
o His son becomes 10 US immature ocean. IL has
been said that there Is no love but among angels,
but the contrary is presey tho truth, nunDcrlcss
examples show, us elsewhere Is deep tnat calleth
unto another dccp and indicates the mystery Of an
upsstishcd nature cntiro disregard Of outside
inside inequalities. fhe irlenus may be David or
Jonathan, Boswell and Johnson, Xavier and Loyola,
God aud Abraham, or Jesus ana Peter, but in
neither case they bound IN tho ties OF equality.
Tue spirit OF Fuke Greville illustrated true friend
ship nearly two hundred and nilv years ago he
directed these words inscribed upon his tomb "erc
hes inc trend OF Sir Phlp sy Incy" Tenderness on
tnc part aud deep honor tho other completed
the union even after death something ike the love OF
God t. Noses VINO, before aud after DEATH spckc TO
him ''iace TO Taco MS a man speaketh 10 iricnd''
But the love Of Christ Is greater than the love OF
friendship, great as u Is. Our Lord Himself defines
the PERFECTION OF love IN rlendsbip when Hc says,
"Greater love hath no man tnan tins, that man ,ay
down his life Tor his ricnus." THIS the height OF
reason, because the beginning OF love IS scli-dcni
the end oil love ~ seif-sacridce At rt thought
IL impossible Tor any being TO love another pet
ter than himself You would mink, therefore, that
It's higuest guido AID model would be icli-lovc.
and that there could not be such thing
as dislntcrestcd Ioyc But the sacrl1cial appears
in Cnrisls love; IL was not IA sentimental but "A
self gvinr even on lower plano that that when
his love gives itseif, this appears when the mother
gives herself for her chd or the patriot gives himself
Tor country. luL these lose their charm before
tnat love OF Christ for US, whicn iound US neither
'Just' nor good" but, While wc were yot "snners. "
died sca. Had Io died Tor holy creatures, Tor
HIS Trends, Ills love had been adorable; but the fac,
He died those OF wreiebed character, dnriLg
men whose dcpravty had forfeited AL right 10 pardon
anu deserved unnixed displcasurc-rendcrs his love
marvellous indeed.
GoD's LOVE ExEnrMriED rnx cnUciPxIoS.
And when you add 10 tns that The same men III
treated Him. insulicd His dignity, slgnted HIS author
ity abused Ills goodness ana rcquited all Has acts O
bengnity with cruelty 70 HIS person, Tie display OF
HIS love reaches tue uttcrmost innite. SO tar as sue
records OF tho world 10 they testify vi no one who vol
unfairly laid down ms lilo Tor an open enemy either
before Chrsts day or since; yet "who wo were yet
sinners Christ died Tor us !"
TINS - The thought that viii not allow US TO doubt
HIS love Tor US for a moment When wounds and
pans and death testify their Witness Is ovcrwhcim-
INK lhe mental image oi such u friend makes ms
name sacred forever. In HIN both the Holiness OF
man anu The genteness Of God win our hearts. In
ourselves We SEQ but soiing OF the soul ana quit oil
conscience. On HIS part VIC have enduring agony ana
patent love that never cooled, however sahiedtbat
never Turned away however resented, and tbat was
Just as changclcss as II was pitiul SG bound us 10
die o necessity, nut 10 Necessity bound HIM TO tender
US at all, much less Wy pungng INTO lie oi sorrow
ana death oi agony COuid he not have saved US IN
other ways, wtbout number or measure, but unknown
To usY Couid not Omnipotcpce have revealed The
sovereignty 0i grace Hs well as his eternal wisd0m
and power by saving US IN some other ways Most