News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1892-04-14


&c 81 barfsnness instead of fertility
Thanks to God and the legislatures for
Arbor Day, which plants trees, trying to
atone for the ruthlessness which has de-
stroyed them. Yes, my text is in har-
mony with the condition of that country
on the morning of Palm Sunday. About
three million people have come to Jeru-
salem to attend the religious festivities.
Great newsI Jesus will enter Jerusalem
today. The sky is red with the morn
ing, and the people are flocking 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 a
turn in the road, where Jerusalem sud-
denly 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
sight seeing, when there suddenly arose
before our vision Jerusalem, the reli-
gious capital of all Christian ages. That
was the point of observation where my
text comes in. Alexander rode Buceph-
alus, Duke Ellie rode his famous Marche-
gay, Sir Henry Lawrence rode the nigh
mettled Conrad, Wellington rode his
proud Copenhagen, but the conqueror
of earth and heaven rides a colt, one
that had been tied at the roadside. 1t
was unbroken, and | have no doubt
fractions at the vociferation of the popu-
lace. An extemporized saddle made out
of the garments of the people was put
on the beast. While some people
gripped the bride of the colt, others
reverently waited upon Christ at the
mounting. The two professions of peo-
pie now become one-those who came
out of the city and those who came over
the hill. The orientals are more de-
monstrative than we of the western
world, their voices louder, their gesticu-
lations more violent, and the symbols
by which they express their emotions
more significant. The people who left
Phocea in the far east, wishing to make
impressive that they would never re-
turn, took a red hot ball of iron and
threw it into the sea and said they
would never return to Phocea until that
ball rose and hoated on the surface. Be
not surprised, therefore, at the demon
stration in the text. AS the colt with
its rider descends the slope of Olivet,
the palm trees lining the road are called
upon to render their contribution to the
scene of welcome and rejoicing. The
branches of these trees are high up, and
some must needs climb the trees and tear
off the leaves and throw them down,
and others make of these leaves an en-
erald pavement for the colt to tread ON.
THE PALM TYPICAL OF TRIUMPH.
Long before that morning the palm
tree had been typical of triumph. Herod-
otus and Strabo had thus described it.
Layard finds the palm leaf cut in the
walls of Nineveh with the same signifi-
canoe. In the Greek athletic games the
victors carried palms. l am very glad
that our Lord, who five days after had
thorns upon his brow, for little while,
at least, had palms strewn under his feet.
Oh, the glorious palm! Amarasinga, the
Hindoo scholar, calls it 'the king among
the grasses" Linnaus 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 hanging garden of them
One cluster counted by scientist con-
tanning 207, 900 blooms. Do you want
food? 1t is the chief diet of whole ma
tions. One palm in Chill will yield ninety
gallons of honey. In Polynesia it is the
chief food of the inhabitants. In India
there are multitudes of people dependent
upon it for sustenance. Do you want
cable to hold ships or cords to hold wild
beasts? 1t 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? Its nut
IS the chief preventive of disease and the
chief cure for vast populations. Do you
want houses? It's wood furnishes the
wall for the homes and its leaves thatch
them. Do you need a supply for the
pantry? 1t yields sugar and starch and
oil and sage and milk and salt and war
and vinegar and candles.
Oh, the paint. 1t has variety of en-
desHnents such as no other growth that
ever rooted the earth or kissed the heav-
ems. To the willow God says, stand
by the water courses and weep" To the
cedar he says, ''Gather the hurricanes
into your BOSOM" To the fig tree he
says, Bear fruit and put it within reach
of all the people" But to the palm tree
he says, BE garden and storehouse and
wardrobe and ropewalk and chandlery
and bread and banquet and manufac-
TOR md he fxr11a of xxybo f /
when | inspired David, my servant, to
say, The righteous shall flourish like
palm tree" Oh, 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 tree. If kind words are
wanted, they are ready to utter them.
If helpful deeds are needed, they are
ready to perform them. If plans of use
fulness are to be laid out, they are ready
to project them. If enterprises are to
be forwarded, they are ready to lift
them. People who say, "Yesl YesP'
when they are asked for assistance by
word or deed, instead of mo! MOI"
Most of the mysteries that bother others
do not bother me because | adjourn
them, but the mystery that really both
ers me is why God made so many Peo-
pie who amount to nothing so far as the
worlds betterment is concerned. They
stand in the way. They object. They
discuss hindrances. They suggest pos
sibilities of failure. Over the road of
life instead of pulling in the traces they
are lying back in the breechings. They
are the everlasting No. They are bram-
BILE trees; they are willows always
mourning, or wild cherry trees yielding
only the bitter, or crab apple trees pro-
ducing only the sour, while God would
have us all flourish like the palm tree
Planted in the Bible that tree always