Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1892-04-16

xii. IL, "They took branches of palm
trees and went forth to meet him."
Following is the sermon:
How was that possible? How could
palm branches be cast in the way of
Christ as he approached Jerusalem?
There are scarcely any palm trees in
central Palestine. Even the one that
was carefully guarded for many years
at Jericho has gone. i went over the
very road by which Christ approached
Jerusalem and there are plenty of olive
and fig trees, but no palm trees rs 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
Jnfriendly to the palm tree. Jericho
once stood in seven miles of palm groves.
'Olivct was crowned with palms. The
Dead sea has on its banks the trunks OF
palm trees that fioated down from some
old time palm grove and are preserved
from decay by the salt which they re-
.ceived from the Dead sea. Yes, my
text is in harmony with the condition
of that country on the morning Of Palm
Sunday. About 100000 people have
come to Jerusalem to attend the relig-
ious festivities.
Great news! Jesus will enter Jerusa-
1um to-day. The sky is red with the
morning and the people are focking
out to the foot of Olivet and up and on
. over the southern 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 Jerico and had visited the
ruins of the house Of Mary and Martha
and Lazarus, aud were somewhat
weary of sight seeing, when there sud-
denly arose before our vision Jerusalem,
the religious capital of all Christian
ages. That was the point of observa-
ton where my text comes in. Alexander
rode Bucephalus, Duke Eli rode his
famous Marchegay, Sir Henry Lawrence
rode the high mettled Conrad, Yelling
ton rode his proud Copenhagen, but the
Conqueror of earth and Heaven rides q
colt, one that had been tied at the road
side. It was unbrol1en and I have no
. doubt fractions at the vociferation OF
the populace. An extemporized saddle
made out of the garments of the people
was put on the beast. While some peo-
pie gripped the bride of the colt others
reverently waited upon Christ at the
mounting. The two professions OF peo-
ple now become one-those who came
e out Of the city and those who came over
the hills. The Orientals are
more demonstrative than we of
the western world, their voices louder,
their gesticulations more violent and
the symbols by which they express their
emotions more significant. AS the colt
with it's rider descends the slope OF
.Olivet, the palm trees lining the road
ARE called upon to render their con-
tribution to the scene of welcome and
rejoicing.
Long before that morning the palm
tree had been typical of triumph.
Herodotus and Strabo had thus de-
ascribed it. Layard finds the palm leaf
cut in the walls of Nineveh with the
same significance. In the Greek athletic
games the victors carried palms. am
very glad that our Lord, who five days
after had thorns upon his brow, for a
little while, at least, had palms strewn
under his feet. o, the glorious palm!
.Amarasinga, the Hindoo scholar, calls II
''the king among the grasses" Lin
.neus calls it ''the prince of vegetation" "
Among all the trees that ever cast
shadow or yielded fruit or lifted their
arms toward Heaven, it has no equal
for multitudinous uses. Do you want
flowers? One palm tree will put forth a
hanging garden of them, one cluster
counted by a scientist containing
$4,000 blooms. Do you want food? 1t Is
the chief diet of whole nations. One
palm in Chilli will yield ninety gallons
of honey. In Polynesia it is the CHIEF
food Of the inhabitants. In India there
are multitudes of people dependent up
ON it for subsistence. Do you want
cable TO hold ships or cords to hold wild
beasts? It is wound into ropes unbreak-
able. Do you want articles of house
furniture? 1t is twisted into mats and
woven into baskets and shaped into
drinking cups and swung into ham
Knocks. Do you want medicine? lts
nut is the chief preventive Of disease
and the chief cure for vast populations
Do you want houses? Its wood fur
--nishes the wall for the homes and it
leaves thatch them Do You need a sup
ply for the pantry2 Ityields sugar and
starch and oil and sage and milk and
salt and wax and vinegar and candles
O, Lord God, give us more palm trees
men and women made for nothing but
to be useful; dispositions all ablOom
branches of influence laden with fruit
people good for everything, as the palm
q. -. al thar