Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1892-04-22
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINE'S SUN
DAY SERMON.
Subject: The Glorious Palm"

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 | went over the
very road by which Christ approached Jer-
usalem and there are plenty of olive trees
and fig trees, but no palm trees that 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 be
come unfriendlV to the palm tree. jericho
once stood IN seven miles OF palm grove.
Olivet was crowned with palms. The Dead
Sea has on its banks the trunks of palm
trees that f1oated down from some oldtime
palm grove and are preserved from decay
by the salt which they received from the
Dead Sea.
Let woodmen spare the trees of America,
If they would not rulnOusly change the Gil
mate and bring to the soil barrenness instead
of fertility. Thanks to God and the legisla-
lures for Arbor Day, which plants trees, try
ing to atone for the ruthlessness which has
destroyed 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 Jerusalem to
attend the religious festivities. Great news!
Jesus will enter Jerusalem to-day. The sky
is red with the morning, and the people are
focking out to the foot of Olivet, and up
mountain, and the procession coming out
from the city meets the procession escortlng
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 religious capital of all Christian ages.
That was the point Of observation where my
text comes in. Alexander rode Bucephalus,
Duke Ellie rode his famous Merchegay, Sir
Henry Lawrence rode the high melted Con-
rad, 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 frac-
tious at the vociferation of the popuIace. An
extemporized saddle made ont of the gar
ments of the people was put on the beast.
While some people griped the bride Of the
colt, others reverently waited upon Christ at
the mountain.
The two professions of people now become
one-those who came out of the city and
those who came over the hill. 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. Tire people who left Phocea, in
the far east, wishing to make impressive
ball of iron and threw it into the sea, and
said they would never return to Phocea until
that ball rose nd fioated on the surface. Be
not surprised, therefore, at the demonstra-
ton in the text
AS the colt with its rider descenis the
slope of Olivet, the palm trees lining the
road are called upon to render their cOntri-
button to the scene of welcome and rejOic-
ing. The branches of these trees are high up,
and some must Deeds climb the trees and tear
off the leaves and throw them down, and
others make of these leaves an emerald pave
ment for the colt to trod on.
Long before that morning the palm tree
had been typical Of triumph. Herodotus and
Strabo had thus described it. Lsyard 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. On, the glorious palm! Amarasinga,
the Hindoo scholar, calls it 1.-The king among
the grasses" LlnnRus calls it 1.-The prince of
vegetation"
Among ali the trees that ever cast a
shadow or yielded fruit or lifted their arms
toward heaven, it has no equal for multi
tudnous uses. Do you want MOWERS? One
palm tree will put forth hanging garden
of them, one cluster counted by scientist
containing 207, 600 blooms. Do you want
food? 1t is the chief diet of the whole nations.
One palm in Chile will yield ninety gallons
of honey. In Polynesia it is the chief food
of the inhabitants. In India there are null
tituies of people dependent upon it for sus-
tenance.
Do you want cable to hold ships or cords
to hold wild beasts? 1t is wound into ropes
unbreakable. Do you want articles of house
furniture? 1t is twisted into mats and woven
into baskets and shaped into drinking cups
and swung into hammocks. Do you want
medicine? Its nut is the chief preventive of
disease and the chief cure for vast popula-
tions. Do you want houses? Its wood furn-
ishes the wall for the homes, and its leaves
thatch them. Do you need a supply for the
pantry? Ityields sugar and starch and oil
and sage and milk and salt and wax and
vinegar and candles.
Oh, the palm! 1t has a variety of endow-
ments, such as no other growth that ever
rooted the earth or kissed the heavens. To
the willow, God says STAND by the water
courses and weep" To the cedar He says,
Gather the hurricanes into your bosom"
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 man.
ufactory, and then be type of what meant
when inspired Davis, Ny 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 usefulness 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 "Yes! Yesm when they are asked for
assistance by word or deed, instead of 'No!
Nor
Most of the mysteries that bother others