Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-11
THE PALM BRANCHES.
A Lesson of Usefulness Drawn From
Canaan's Most Famous Tree.
II SYN B0LIZES SELF-SACRIFICE
Parents Strip Off leaves From Their
fbysiques For Children.
TALMAGE'S LATEST SUNDAY SERMON
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE prsPArcH.I

rsPEcIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPArcH.I
BROOKLYN, April 10-This dqy is recog
nized as Palm Sunday throughout the
world, and that fact gave direction to DR..
Talmage's sermon. Text: John xii, 13:
They took branches of palm trees and went
forth to meet him.
How was that possible? How could palm
branches he 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
Jerusalem. and there are plenty of olive
trees and fig trees, but no palm trees that
could see
lou 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 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
1lOatel down from some old-time palm grove
and are preserved from decay by the salt
which they received from the Dead Sea.
Let woodmen spare the trees of America,
ii they would not ruinously change the
climate and bring to the soil barrenness, in
stead of fertility. Thanks TO God and the
Legislatures for Arbor Day, which plants
trees, trying to atone for the ruthlessness
which has destroyed them.
Glad News for Old Jerusalem.
les, my text is in harmony with the con-
dition of that country the morning of
Palm Sunday. About 100000 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 ont 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 Jerusa-
lem Suddenly bursts upon the vision. We
had ridden that day all the way from Jeri-
cho. and had visited the ruins OF the house
OF Mary and Martha and Lazarus, and were
somewhat weary of sightseeing, when
ion 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 Marchegav. Sir Henry Law
renee rode the high-mettled Conrad, We'll
nn-tOn rode his proud Copenhagen, but the
coaQueror of earth and Heaven rides a colt,
one that had been tied at the roadside. 1t
was unbrokcn, and have no doubt ractious
at the vociteration of the populace. An eN-
tenOOriZcd saddle made out of the garments
Of the people was put on the beast. While
some of the people grirped the bride OF the
colt, others reverently waited upon Christ
at the mounting.
The two professions of people now be-
come one-thOse who came ont of the city
and those who came over the hill. The
OriCntals are more demonstrqtive than
oftrc Western world, their voices louder,
their geSticulations more violent, and the
symbols by which they express their emo
tiOns more significant.
Tho Pavement of Palm Branches.
As the colt with its rider descends the
slope OF Olivet, the palm trees lining the
road are called upon to render their contri-
button to the scene OF welcome ard rejoic-
ing. The branches of these trees are high
u D, and some must needs climb the trees
and tear of the leaves and throw them
down. and others make of these leaves an
emerald pavement for the colt to tread on.
Long before that morning the palm tree
had been typical of triumph. am very glad
that our Lord, who five days after had
thOrns upon His brow, Tor q little while, at
least, had palms strewn under His feet. Oh,
the glorious palm! Among all the trees that
ever cast shadow or yielded fruit or lifted
their arms toward heaven, it has no equal
Tor multitudinous uses.
DO YOU want flowers? One palm tree will
put forth a hanging garden of them. one
cluster counted by scientist containing
e07, 900 blooms Do you want food? 1t is the
chief diet Of whole nations. Do you want
cable TO hold ships or cords to hold wild
beasts" Il Is wound into ropes unbreak-
able. DO you want articles OF house furni-
tur"?, It is twisted into mats and woven into
baskets and shaped into drinking cups and
SUuu. into LammOcEs. DO you want medi-
cine? Its nut is the chief preventive of dis
ease and the chief cure for vast populations.
DO YOU want houses? Its wood furnishes the
wall for the homes, and its leaves thatch
them. DO you need a supply for the pantry?
It yields sugar and starch and oil and sago
and milk and salt and wax and vinegar and
candles.
Trees of tba Human Kind