Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1892-04-16
THE PALM BRANCHES.
SUBJECT OF DR.. TALMAGE's REGu-
LAR SUNDAY SERMON.

SUBJECT OF DR.. TALMAGE'S REGu-
LAR SUNDAY SERMON.
A Discourse Based on the Text, "Thcy
Took Branches of Palm Trecs and
Wont Forth to Meet Eim"-Tcxt, j ohI
xii. 10.
BROOKLYN. April lo.-This day is rec
ognized as Palm Sunday throughout the
world. and that fact gave direction to
DR.. Talmage's sermon. Among the
hymns sung was the hymn
Clad in rai,ncnt pure and white.
Victor palms in every hand
Text, John xii. 10, They 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 Jerusalemi
There are scarcely any palm trees in
central Palestine. Even the one that
was carefully guarded for many years
st Jericho has gone. went over the
very road by which Christ approached
Jerusalem. and there are plenty of olive
trees and liz 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 tho 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 hoatel down from some old time
palm grove, and are preserved from de-
cay by the salt which they received from
the Dead sea- Let woodmen spare the
trees of America. if they would not ruin
ously change the climate and bring TO
the soil barrcnness instead of fertility.
Thanks to God and the legislatures for
Arbor Day, which plants trees. trying to
atone for the ruthlessness which has de-
stroycd 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 news Jesus will enter Jerusalem
today The sky is red with the morn
ing, and the people are tlocking out to
the foot Of Olivct. 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 i'll Tho road, where Jerusalem sud-
denly bursts upon the vision.
We had ridden that day all tho 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, Dixie Ellie rode his famous Marche-
gay, Sir Henry Lawrence rode the high
melted Conrad. Wellington rode his
proud Copenhagen, but tho conqueror
of earth and heaven rides colt. one
that had been tied ut the roadside. 1t
was unbroken, and have no doubt
fractions at thevociferation of the popu-
lace. An extenporized saddle made out
of the garments of the people was put
Oh 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 ORIGINALS are more de-
monstrative than we of the western
world, their voices louder, their gcsticu-
lations more violent, and the symbols
by which they express their emotions
more significant. The people who left
Phocea in the far cast. wishing to make
impressive that they would never re-
turn, took red hot ball of iron and
threw it into the sea and said they
would never return to Phocea until that
ball rose AMI aoated 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.
tie 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 Ecen 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 signiti-
canoe. In the Greek athletic games the
victors carried palms. am very glad
that Our Lord, who five days after had
thorns upon lis brow, for little while
at least, had palms strewn under his feet
Oh, the glorious palm! Alnarasinga, the
Eindoo scholar, calls it 1.-The king among
the grasses" Linneus calls it 1.-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 q scientist con-
tanning cor, 1000 blooms. Do you want
foodY It is the chief diet of whole ma
lions. One palnin 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 sustcnance Do you want
cable to hold ships OF cords to hold wild
beasts? 1t is wound into ropes unbreak-
able. Do you, want articles of house
furniture? It is twisted into mats and
woven into baskets and shaped into
drinking cups and swung into ham
mocks? Do you want medicine? Its nut
is tie chief preventive of disease and the
chief cure for vast populations. Do you
1se1,n f1,n