The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-06-20
LESSONS FROM THE PALM.
The Rev. George G. Wilding
breaches to the June Glass
Of the High School.
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE 4 USEFUL LIFE
Young Graduates Urged to Be
Like This aPrince Of the
Vegetable World"

I'LL - ~
baccalaureate sermon to the June class
Of the High School. He took for his text,
1.-The righteous shall flourish like the
palm tree Psalms 92:12. During the
course of his remarks, he said
There is a strong tendency in the ORR
entail mind to symbolism. They delight
in the use of figurative language. Christ,
the church, the Christian and the Chris
tian life are so presented to US in the
pages Of the Bible. In this unique psalm
the wicked are compared to grass, swift
and sudden of growth, and ephemeral and
transitory in character. While the right
eous are lfkened to the palm, slow and
progressive In Its growth, and firm, sta
BILE and enduring in It's character.
THE palm is a symbol of the Chris
tian because of its rare grace and beauty.
1t is tall, from sixty to one hundred feet
highs straight and symmetricak sends
up its growth in one bold column, with
out limbs or branches. The leaves are
tufted and feathery and remarkably
large. and they spring out of the summit
of the very trunk of the tree. They thus
form a leafy canopy of waving plumes-
The leaves are SO glossy the dust VIII
not cling to them. Linnaeus calls the
palm The prince of the vegetable world.
ssThere is grace and loneliness in every
genuine Christian life. Not simply OF
face or form. but of spirit, heart, soul
and life. 1t is the highest type OF beauty
That CLEANS out in temper, disposition,
character and conduct. It is beyond all
mere pink and white beauty.
sThe palm is the symbol of the Chris
tan life because of its utility or useful
ness. The Syrians give 1t 365 names-one
for every day Of the year. and claim that
it has that many lines of usefulness. The
fruit is used for food, medicine and .onics.
The stones and imperfect fruit are ground
into food for the camels. The great
etc. The web at the base of the
leaf is twined into cope and rigging for
vessels. The wood is used for building
purposes, and the refuse for fuel. And
the great tree furnishes a grateful shade
where no other tree grows.
THE Christian life is to be, above all
things, a useful life. Jesus said, 'Ye are
the salt of the earth The light of the
world Practical philanthropy and not
dreamy sentimentalism is 10 be our aim
on earth. And everybody in the world
has a claim on our love n help.
ssAs seen from below the trunk of the
palm is coarse and SHAGGY and far from
being attractive. But as seen from above
there are the fresh green crown and the
rich clusters of luscious fruit. AS seen
from the earth side, our lives may APP
pear unattractive and prosy. But fro1a
the Heaven point of view. His eye sees
but good motives and strong warnings
after the beautiful and pure.
"The palm is an evergreen. and is not
much affected by weather or season. Is
not unduly elated by sunshine. or greatly
discouraged by storms. So. the Christian
man is an evergreen in the desert of life.
In a large measure he is independent OF
the worlds smile and it's frowns. He
grows right on regardless Of both.
Outside interference does not affect
the growth of the youthful palm tree. II
twisted or Bonded, it simply puts forth
extra effort at growth to overcome this
interference. So the world may twi.
or tease, or sheer at, or persecute the real
man of God, and 1t becomes an impetus
to growth rather than a matter of dis
enlargement. The palm tree waving Its
fresh green leaves out on the fiery bosom
of the sterile desert. is a beautiful type
of life in the midst of death. 1t is the
Christian in the midst of worldliness,
n sin and vice, living a simple and
stainless life. while out of harmony with
all about him there is the life surrounded
by DEATH.
1.-THE symmetrical and graceful palm,
growing up out of the hot bosom of that
sandy desert, is a beautiful symbol of the
new life of grace and sweetness, taking
root in these depraved hearts of ours,
n growing forth to the honor and
glory of him who planted the tiny seed
within our being. The graceful leaf of
the palm is so glossy and pure and polish
ID. that the dust of the desert that fills
the air. win not stick to 1t, but falls to
the ground, leaving the great green leaf
fresh and clean. The youth. who walks
with God. may be kept unsullied as he
passes through the pollution of this life.
He may keep the divine lustre upon his
soul to the very end of life's journey. AL
though the palm tree grows out of the
sandy desert, 1t does not derive its life
from the desert. but from the springs,
that far below feed its roots. And its
life points to the source and secret of Its
vitality, and recommends the spring to
others. The Christian is in the world blu
not of 1t. His life is from the hidden
springs of grace which he commends to
others.
Other growths occur in the shadow OF
the palm. The lemon, orange. pomegranise
II grape grow in the milder ray and
protected from the fiercer direct rays OF
the sun. So, under the shadows of Chris
tianity there thrive the related growths
OF philosophy, science, literature and the
arts that could not well do without it,
The palm perpetuates In other growths,
When the old tree dies a dozen shoots
spring up from its feeble roots. and ii
lives in them. So the good man lives in
those he has Influenced, and those whom
they influence, and so on to the end OF
the world. In sense sthe term man is
immortal in two worlds.
1.-The palm is a symbol of the victory,
1t was so used In all of those Eastern
countries from time immemorial. The
Christian is the symbol of the Victory OF
Jesus, over the world, the flesh and the
n deepening with every passing day
The world yet will rome to recognize hel
rigiatful Lord"