The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1892-04-21
THE GLORIOUS PALM.
DR.. TALMAGE SPEAKS OF THE TYPE
OF CHRIST'S TRIUMPH.

Tho Entry Into Jerusals IN IA Lesson for
Arbor Day-Thank God for the Tro cs--
The Gospel of Self Sacrifice.
BROOKLYN, April 1O.-This day is
recognized as Palm Sunday throughout
the world. and that fact gave direction
TO DIR. Talmage's sermon. Among the
hymns sung was the hymn
Clad In raimcnt pure and white,
Victor palms in every hand
Text. John xii, 13, "Thcy took branches
OF palm trees and went forth to meet
him."
How was that possible? How could
palm branches be cast in the way Of
Christ as he approached Jerusalem?
There arc 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
Jerusalem, and there arc 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 cut
ting down OF the forests, which arc lcaiy
prayers for rain, the land las become
uniriendly to the palm tree. Jericho
once stood in seven miles ofpalm grove.
Olivet was crowned with palms. The
Dead sea has on its banks the trunks of
palm trees that tloatcd down from some
Old time palm grove and arc preserved
from decay by the salt which they re-
cclved from the Dead sea.
Let woodmcn spare the trees OF
America, II they would not ruinouslv
change the climate and bring to the soil
harrcnncss instead OF fertility. Thanks
to God and the legislatures for Arbor
Day, which plants trees, trying to atone
Tor the ruthlcssncss which has DESTROYED
them. Yes, my text is in harmony
with tho condition Ofthat country or 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 llocking out to the
loot OF Ollvet, and up and on over the
southern shoulder of the mountain, and
the procession coming out from the city
meets the procession cscorting Christ,
rs 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 tho house Of Mary and Martha and
Lazarus, and were somewhat weary OF
sight seeing, when there suddenly arose
before our vision Jerusalem, the rcliyi.
ous capital OF all Christian ages. That
was the point of observation where my
text comes IN. Alexander rode Blu
ccphalus, Duke Ehc rode his famous
Marchcgay, Sir Henry Lawrence rode
the high mcttlcd Conrad, Wellington
rode his proud Copenhagen. but the con.
queror OF earth and heaven rides a colt.
one that had been tied at the roadside.
1t was mbrokcn, and ! have no doubt
'ractlous at the voclleration of the pop
ulacc. An cXtcmporlzed saddle made
out OF tho garments OF the people was
put on the breast. While some people
grlped the bride of the colt, others rev.
ercntly waited upon Christ at the mount
Ing.
The two professions of people now
become Onc--thosc who came out of the
city and those who came over the hill .
Ihc OrlcntAls arc more dcmOnStralive
than we OF the western world, their
voices louder, their gcsticulatons more
violent and the symbols by which they
express their emotions more significant.
The people who left phocca, in the far
east, wishing to make impressive that
they would never return, took rcd hot
ball OF iron and threw it into the sea.
an4 said they would never return to
Fhocca until that ball rose and noatcd
on the surface. BE not surprised, there
lore, at the demonstration in the text.
AS tie colt with its rider dcscends
the slope OF Olivct, the palm trees lin
ing the road arc called upon TO render
their contribution to the scene Of well
come and rejoicing. The branches of
these trees are high up, and some must
needs climb the trees and tear of the
leaves and throw them down. and 9th
ers 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. Hero
dotus and Strabo had thus described it.
l1ayard finds the palm leaf cut in the
walls of Nineveh, with the same signi-
llcance. 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 little
while ut least had palms strcwn under
his icot. Oh, the glorious palm! Amar-
aslnga, the lIindoo scholar, calls it "thc
king among the grasses" l.inn;rus
calls it "thc prince of vegetation"
Among all the trees that ever cast a
shadow or yielded fruit Or lifted their
arms toward heaven, it has no equal for
multltudlnous uses. DO you want
flowers: One palm tree will put forth
hanging garden Of them, one cluster
counted by scientist containing POI.
600 blooms. DO YOU want food? 1t IS
the chief diet OF whole nations. One
palm in Chill will yield ninety gallons
OF honey. In Polynesia it is the chief
food OF the inhabitants. In India there
ara multitudes ofpcople dependt upon
1t for sustcnance.
Oh, Lord God, give us more palm
trees-men and women made for moth
ing but to be useful; dispositions all
abloom; branches OF influence laden with
fruit; people good for everything, as the
palm three. If kind words arc wanted
they are ready to utter them. If help