The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1892-04-13
PALM SUNDAY.
Rev. DR.. Talmage breaches Ser
mon Appropriate to the Day.
self-sacrifice All That is Needed to Make
Mankind Happy on Earth-Blessings
within Reach Of All II They VIII
Only Grasp Them.

! The following discourse was delivered
by Rev. DIR. Talmage at the Brooklyn
tabernacle from the text, John xii, 1S,
'They took branches Of palm trees and
went forth 70 meet HIM"
How was that possible? How could
palm branches be cast in the way Of
Christ as he approached JerusalemP
There are scarcely any palm trees in
Central Palestine. Even the one that
was carefully guarded for many years at
Jericho has gone. l went over the very
road by which Christ approached Jerusa-
lem, and there are plenty of olive trees
and fig trees, but no palm trees that l
could see. You must remember that the
climate has changed. The palm tree
likes water, but by the cutting down of
the forests, which are leafy prayers for
rain, the land has become unfriendly
to the palm tree. Jericho stood in
seven miles of palm trees. Olivet was
crowned with palms. The Dead Sea has
on its banks the trunks of palm trees
that floated down from some old-time
palm grove and are preserved from de-
cay by the salt which they received from
the Dead Sea. Let woodmen spare the
trees of America, if they would not
ruinously change the climate and bring
to the soil barrenness, instead Of fertili-
ty. Thanks to God and the legislatures
for Arbor Day, which plants trees, try
ing to atone for the ruthlessness
which has destroyed them. Yes,
my text is in harmony with the
condition of that country on the morn
ing of Palm Sunday. About three mil
lion people have come to Jerusalem to
attend the religious festivities. Great
newsl Jesus will enter Jerusalem to-
day. The sky is red with the morning,
and the people are flocking to the foot
of 0livet, and up and on over the south
ern shoulder of the mountain, and the
procession coming out from the city
meets the procession escorting Christ,
as He comes toward the city. There is
turn in the road, where Jerusalem
suddenly bursts upon the vision. We
had ridden that day all the way from
Jericho, and had visited the ruins OF
the house of Mary and Martha and
Lazarus, and were somewhat weary OF
sightseeing, when there suddenly
arose before our vision Jerusalem, the
religious capital of all Christian ages.
That was the point of observation where
my text comes in. Alexander rode Blu
cephalus, Duke Ellie rode his famous
Marchegay, Sir Henry Lawrence rode
the high-mettled Conrad, yelling
ton rode his proud Copenhagen
but the conqueror of earth ano
heaven rides a colt, one that hat
been tied to the roadside. II was III
broken, and have no doubt fractions
at the vociferation Of the populace. Al
extemporized saddle made out Of thu
garments Of the people was put on thu
beast While some people gripped th'
bride of the colt, others reverentll
waited upon Christ at the mounting
The two professions Of people now be
come one-those who came out Of thu
city and those who came over the hill
The orientals are more demonstratiy'
than we of the western world, thei
voices louder, their gesticulations NOR,
violent, and the symbols by which the,
express their emotions more signifi
cant. The people who left Phocea II
the far east, wishing TO make impressiv,
that they would never return, took
red hot ball of iron and threw in int.
the sea, and said they would never re
turn 10 Phocea until that ball rose ant
hoated on the surface BE not sur
prised, therefore, at the demonstration
in the text. As the colt with its ride
descends the slope of Olivet, the pain
trees lining the road are called upon b
render their contribution TO the seen
of welcome and rejoicing. The branche
of these trees are high up, and som
must needs climb the trees and tear OF
the leaves and throw them down, an
and others make Of these leaves an EN-
erald pavement for the colt TO tread on
Long before that morning the pair
tree had been typical Of triumph. He
rodotus and Strabo had thus describe
L. Layard finds the palm leaf cut Il
the walls of Nineveh, with that sam
significance In the Greek athleti
games, the victors carried palms. al
very glad that our Lord, who five day
after had thorns on his brow, for lii
tie while, ut least, had palms strew
under His feet o, the glorious pain
Anarasinga, the Hindoo scholar, calls
''the king among the grasses" Linn@u
calls 1t ''the prince of vegetation.
Among all the trees that ever cast
shadow or yielded fruit or lifted thei
arms toward heaven, It has no equal fo
multitudinous uses. Do you want flow
ers? One palm tree will put forth
hanging garden of them, one cluste
counted by scientist containing 207
900 blossoms Do you want food? It
the chief diet of whole nations. On
palm in Chile will yield ninety gallon
Of honey. In Polynesia IL is the chic
food Of the inhabitants. In India ther
are multitudes Of people dependent NJ
ON II for susteuance. Do you want cabl
10 hold ships or cords TO hold viii
beasts? II is wound into ropes III
breakable. Do you want articles {
house furniture2 II is twisted into mat
and woven into baskets and shaped int
drinking cups and swung into han
moclss. Do you want medicine2 II
NUTS the chief preventive of diseas
and the chief cure for vast populations
Do you want houses2 It's wood fui
nishes the wall for the homes, and II
leaves thatch them. Do you need SUI
ply for the pantry? II yields sugar
and starch, and oil, and sago, and mill