The New York herald., 1877-11-19


with all the manhood him to do the universal Will
FIFTH AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH.
PAUL AN APOSTLE OF JESUS CHRIsT-sERMoa
by REV. DIR. ARMITAGE.
The Rev. Or. Armitage preached yesterday from the
text IL Cor L Let inquire said tho reverend gen.
teman, why Jesus Christ chose apostles at all Tho
answer TO this is very simple and apparent to all,
namely that any man OF large intelligence and deep
convicions who holds a Set OF vital truths, must in
tho nature OF things desire to see other minds and
lives pervaded and controlled by the same truths.
This will be pre-cnnently the case when no believes
that acceptance rejection Of those truths Will
be saving or ruinous In their results. This
aim natural, that from the ancient 20
modern times energetic and honest minds have cIus-
tered few pupils at thor leet 10 whom they
have carefully explained ali the fundamental princ-
pies OF their system, and then committed II to them
for propagation. Thus Socrates had his disciples at
Athens, while Plato and Aristotle nodded set OF
followers lott their impress many generations
The same has been true Of Luther Loyoa, the Wes.
lcys aud many others These not only proclaimed
their doctrines on the hilltop and IN the
market places, but they grouped about them
lew choice minds whose perceptions, sympathes and
constitutional peculiarf:ies specially lifted them 10
influence other minds, reproducing in tho OF
humanity what they were themselves Tho same
laws OF conden sation which cothe steam and electri-
city with power obtain markedly, II possible in
mind SO that the greater wisdom ana effectiveness
~ by copfdpg the spread great principles
TO lew choice minds Than 70 the inoohesve and in
considcrate multitude. Our Lord revered This prin-
ciple in nature, just as He rovered all us laws.
The unthinking would have seen great aduan-
tage the selection OF band oi angels,
chosen to give diffusion to the Gospel armed
in all the overpoweripg prerogatives and panopy OF
their high estate. But profoundly natural Lord
selected handful OF men OF ike passions with
who to bo first persuaded and then enlisted
ut the sacrifice Of Lille HIS Going to the side
OF an island lake he selected lew simple tongued.
speaking, commissioned them with success failure.
Did the result justify His wisdomS
While human ieebcncss was in marked contrast with
divine energy hcre, yet there was marked fitness In
the selection. Judged by our standards. they were
unit lor the work. but judging from the fact that he
weak things OF The world were chosen to confound
those that wero mighty" as the event proved, the
natural fitness Of tho means demonstrated q moro
than human foresight. Any learned man Of that
age, priest layTaan, chosen apostle.
would IN spite himself. have mixed up the
nns ph'cD ena Sasn. was 70 snn"an. with s
simplicity, and thwarted It's design from the nrst.
Hence Lord took unsophisticated and homely
minded who would utter His truth, unmixed with
their vagaries and the diseased religious cvili
zut,on OF their times. HIS own sensitive nature
their brusQueness, and their coarse contentious
and jangngs Jared upon His lofty motives
and tell0wsnIps when de mad been long alone with
God. Yet He felt that He could trust their
blunt honesty and unfalterng rustic hdelty Polish
OF manners was not what He needed, but hrmness
Of honor compact body OF eye witnesses ana
witnesses OF all that He had done and said. As
professionals their testimony would have been trivial
any point OF law or tradition, but as provncias full
Of common and mother w.t. there draw
buck 70 their superior rank as Witnesses to plain
sober matters OF TACT Then, their simplicity is
backed by absence Of all calculating
their selection II has been demanded why lie took
them all from the district Of Galee instead or tho
Wi oo land Why nearly all were fishermen instead OF
representing all social ranks that the Testimony
might bo both enlarged and impartial Instead OF this
there among them three pairs OF brothers.:
and from partners IN business, two relatives or His
own family, ana about halt dozen out Of tho twelve
| narrow selection. Let whether II is. An in
sidious designer would have taken tho opposite
| course. Conscious imposition would have made u
great shov OF cancor by selecting large variety Of
representatives, but the honesty OF Christ above
In his appointments Further you SEQ tho wis
dom Of Christ IN the use that lie made Of them alter
their choosing.
He did not mako then apostles at first, but merely
| disciples, pupiis learners. men taking hrst impress
sious iii tney should become ripe for fuller work.
| He first trained thcir judgment, tried their con-
| science, formed thor character and kept them
| Tor three years their calling the lake befoi Q
came for a formal induction into that Office.
SO that boats and nets, homes and friends were
by night OF prayer, as II to nerve and fortify both
them and himself for the future. His sermon on the
| ing, then He sent them, two by two, through the
| towns OF Israel Their first work was great botch
| They blundered In mstaking their Masters words
| some OF them obtuso, like Philip; some phIeg-
maiic. liko Thomas; some impulsivc ike Petor; somo
high tempered, ike John ana James, VINO wanted to
| call down fire from heaven to scorch the Samari-
tans; arrogant toward the null
tituoe, some clustering, some cowardly and some
| selfish, and wonder, Tor their whole jewish
training had only fitted them for tho expectation OF
political Messiah, which expectation tho basis OF
nearly all their mistakes. But after HIS death there
IL wonderful change IN them tor tho better. Their
whole humanity toned up to higher plane th
enthusiasm burst without u flicker and their Whole
powers consecrated as burnt offering. Aud yet
ut tho BEST honcsty compes the confession that they
were sadly rcmiss some things For example, the
very last word which Jesus spoke to them He began
to ascend to heaven from Mount Olivet as:-s.Yo
shall be my witnesses both In Jerusalem aud In all
Judea, Samaria, anu unto tho utmost part of the
earth" They therefore, understood That tho tolls Of
their apos,Ieship wcre 10 takc them beyond the
crainpcd confines OF Palestine to tho utmost part OF
the earth" The only limit to time, before they
made their field extensive with the world,
few days waiting, while He sojourned, TIL they were
..endued with power from on high" at PentecosI
But after that honor had boon put upon them they
dallied at Jerusalem month alter mOnlh and year
after year before they went the Gentle nations
at all.
ST. PATRICK'S CATHEDRAL.
THE MIRACULOUS GROWTH AND SPREAD OF
cHR1sTIA AN1rY-sERMoN BY FATHER FARLEY.