Year: 1879

FIFTH AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH.
A COUNTRY WALK WITH CHRIST RIsEN--sER-


MON BY REV. DIR. ARMIrAGE.


The Rev. DR.. Armitage preached at the Fifth
Fifth avenue Baptiet Church Yesterday morning
from Mark xvi. l2-.'After that he appeared in an
other form to two of them, AZ they walked. going
into the country" This Sunday afternoon.
said the Doctor. On the preceding Friday the city
OF Jerusalem thrown into state of feversh ex-
element Jesus had been crucihed and His followers
flew in every direction from impending violence
On Saturday they remained in concealment and on
Sunday morning rumor reached them after an
other to the effect that He had risen from the dead
But these they could not credit. The little COM
pany, excited. out with alarm and grief be-
respondent The horrors Of the last three days
paralyzed them. and gloomy, sick at heart. two Of
them concluded that they had better retire from the
dangers of the city into the repose and soace OF the
country till something was determined as to pre-
sent facts and afuture course. These two. the
evangelist depicts vending their way through the
city gates climbing the path together slopes
about Jerusalem and making for the quiet village in
the uplands. Christ's presence may be found
near amid the mountains and harvest fields,
the various beauty of rural scenery valley and plain
brook and lake in the metropolitan
temple. Christ. the mysterious stranger. can join
Himself to their company, and move up and down
with them through the landscape. He did in the
days of His flesh The eternal hum OF the city is not
without its melody; but the silence of the country
Is perpetual hymn of praise The winds murmur-
ing through the trees make our hearts futter, and
the softer voice of the rill from the cleft rock
soothes us. because they soothed Him. A thousand
warblers in the bush, the screaming hawk and the
merry lark lift us up to Christ. because His
drank i'll their music The noise of stream and tree
leaf and breeze into dirge- like chant, which
binds the soul in all the pathos OF day dream
such influences fet on the spirits Of these two sad
pedestrians when Jesus, in another form drew
to walk and talk with them. They supposed that
they had lett a dead Christ behind them in the city,
and did not dream that. among the tolls OF the hus
bandman the droning of the bee and the hum of the
insect they could commune with their living Lord.
Christians to-day may leave the city like those
sad hearted travellers, full perplexity and dark
ness, neither able to discover their own blessings
nor to bless others.


FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT


This country meeting with their risen Lord
unexpected. 1t led them out OF darkness into light
as gently rs twilight leads to day. 1t opened to
them new truths silenced old fears ana specula-
tions and put them their feet as Christian be-
levers. They kept blundering on in their mistaken
eonjectures while the invisible One silently stole
Into their company. drew them out of their
doubts and brought them nearer to the truth at
every step. He made them tell Him that bitter dis
appoint tment. that their hopes were crushed and
that the story OF the open grave had bewildered
them most of all. He led them down to the very
bottom OF their grIefs and then. little by little lifted
them up again. They were half impatient that the
stranger should seem to be Ignorant of ali that
had taken place III Jerusalem till it became His
turn to chide them for being sluggish of
heart to grasp the whole burdensof prophecy. but





melted away doubt after doubt and His eoquence
had shortened the stretching miles when the
dertul traveller bid them good night. Then they
began TO beg for His longer company and 1T was not
till He discovered Himself by the table of the road
side cottage that the Object that country walk
mani ested. and rising up in the same hour they
turned to Jerusalem and found the eleven gathered
together and saying the Lord is risen indeed; and
they related what tuings done i'll the way and
how He became known to them in the breaking of
bread. Now, beloved, If your country walks shall
lead you TO talk with Jesus, and you should come





work. bid you Godspced in your summer rambles.