The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-03-31
FIFTH AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH.

NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. BY REV. DIR. Ar
MITAGE.
The Rev. DR.. Armitago preached on angelic
illustrations TO Christ After Temptation" taking
his text from Matthew w.. ii-"Then the devil eav
eth him. and, behold angels an ministercd unto
him" what o group of living figures. said the
Doctor the text brings before The three re-
veal every order Of intelligent existence with
which we can hold fellowship--God and man In the
person Of Jesus; Satan. the representative Of all
unholincss among invisible spirits. and the angels
of God in spotess holiness. Wherein did the angels
of God minister TO Himg Tho evangelist Matthew,
throws light upon this question when he says that
Jesus, having tasted forty days and forty nights he
aftcrward hungcred. The first temptation thatsatan
piled him with that he would convert the stones
at his feet into bread. that thereby he might
satisfy his hunger. and the fair inference is
that the nrst form of angelical ministration to
him consisted in feeding his weak and worn
human body with sustaining bread. THE angels
came and ministercd unto him. acted a. His
servants, brought Him food and supplied His
wants. This was the angelic answer to the satanic
temptation. The word "diakpnco. rendered hcre
..ininistcrcd,' is the same word which is used in
MANY places in the New Testament to express the
sense " supplyin bodily wants. Even in the case
Of Christ and His apostles Luke viii, ~ speaks OF
certain women, among whom he mentions Mary
Maralalone Joanna, the wife of Chuza. Hcrods
steward. and susanna and many others, which minis
tered unto MIN OF tnclr suDstHnsc. MHrtna COM
planned that Mary her sister, had left her to
(nninister) alone. Likewise when ''thc twelve
planned OF their inability to leave "the word of God
and scrvc tnblcs" minister ut tablesl. they APP
pointed seven men attend to this daily ministr-
ton" of bread to the INDECENT widows And is there
anything unworthy or degrading in the Thought
that the bodily wants OF Christ should have been
met by bread ut the hands of angels any more than
that no should give bread to thousands OF fashing
receive IL in return from the hospitality of the
Family ut Bethany. Simon the Pharsee or the women
of aalilec? II Jesus were the Old Testament angel
OF tho covenant then he had eaten of cake baked
by Sarah In tho tnnt Of Abraham on the plains OF
Mamre. And having appeared hundreds OF years
before ~ an angel and been entertained unawarcs.
as the apostle puts II. there the slightest incon-
gruity now In receiving ANGELS food a tho hands
OF angels when they found him In fashion man?
ancient people In the wilderness OF Snai than the
provision which he made for them In their hunger
by sending down 'brcad from heaven" And could
Il be reckoned unworthy of God 60 send similar sup
plies at the hands OF Ills angels to the faint
ness and exhaustion of Ills only begotten Son?
ANGELIC MINISTRY To AND BODY.
II is equally reasonable that this angelic ministry
extended TO our Lords soul we'll to His body.
No psychological fact il better known than this that
the bodily powers become exhausted aud the
obtusc. all the spiritual perceptions become
acute. When the eye OF the body falls into dimness
the eye OF tho soul grows bright when the outward
ear becomes heavy the spiritual assumes its
most sensitive power. But this intensified soul
ability Ia the expended because of it's very
acutcncss. The expressions given by the cvangclists
as to the effect OF Christs fasting and temp
tation upon His body and svirit few,
but so far as they do cxpress this cffoct
they leave tho impression that He
hungry, weary and faint with the long and con-
dict, aud needed 10 be rcplenishcd, refreshed aud
strengthened In His whols mental and physical man