Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1903-04-06
TALMAGE
SERMON
BY Rev.
FRANK De WITT TALMAcE. DID,.
Pastor OF Jefferson Park Presby-
terrain Church, Chicago

|
cents a vivid picture of the triumphaI
entry OF Christ into Jerusalem amid
the acclamations OF the common peo-
pie. whose plaudits were 80 soon to
give way 10 execration. The text IL
John xii, Il, Took branches OF palm
trees and went forth TO meet him and
cried hosanna."
This Is Palm Sunday. In the ecclesi-
astical year IL is the day on which we
commemorate the strange scene on the
Judnan road which constituted the one
sole pageant OF our Lords life. IL Is
the day that ushers in holy week, the
beginning OF which saw him riding
into Jerusalem in triumph and the end
living I'm Joseph OF Arimathea's tomb.
This Is the time when the same surging |
crowds which, few days later, Will /
cry: Cruelty him! Cruelty himv' now |
make the JudRan hills echo and re-
echo with their exultant shouts OF |
"Hosanna TO the Son of David! Hosan-
ma to the Kingr'
Appropriate. also, Is my subject In
reference to the audience to which l
speak. know not of any class OF peo-
ple 10 whom the significant lessons or
Palm Sunday can be better applied
than TO ourselves. Christ among the
waving palms ought to have for US
GOSPEL teachings, as well as Christ In
pilates Judgment hall. Christ among
the vociferating multitudes should APP
neal TO us suggestively, as well as
Jesus carrying his cross, Jesus resur-
rected from the grave, Jesus appearing
unto his disciples after the crucihxion
ar Jesus ascending from Mount Onvet.
Palm Sunday emphasizes the truth
that n false and n selfish alteration or
Iesus Christ never results in tri-
umphant and a lasting worship. Why
did that great concourse or people,
which came forth to welcome Jesus
into the Davidic capital, soon turn upon
Christ and become his haunting execu-
TONERS? Why did they one day throw
under his feet the branches of palm,
which have always been the symbol OF
victory. and within a week be eager
10 mock his dying agonies upon Cal
vary? They were not welcoming Chrlst
"a their spiritual Saviour. They were
merely greeting him as n temporal
king. who would lead them on to ma
tional victories. as Napoleon did the
French. Frederick the Great the Prus-
slams. Alexander the Greeks, as Ram
eses III. the Egyptians or Saladin the
Saracens when he totally defeated the
crusaders near Tiberias and captured
their leader, Guy de Lusignan, in llSI
They were not welcoming II Messiah
for whom they must If necessary sunel
and die. but they were greeting one
whom they believed to be about Il
drive the Roman tyrants off the lie
brew soil: one who would restore thu
Solomonic grandeur, when the nationa
treasury would be full of gold. and tn
kings and the queens of the north, east
south and west would make pilgrim
ages to Jerusalem, as the queen
Sheba came, bringing her presents o
spices and precious stones. Thus, VINE
Christ allowed himself to be arreste
as n common criminal the rabble wan
ed to destroy him because they ma
cherished In their breasts the falls
hope of a temporal champion.
Do We worship SeIhshlyf
NV friends. is our faith in Jesus u
satisfactory? Are we. too. worshlplr
Christ from selfish and not from spi
itual motives? Do we attend the fas
ionable church In our neighborhoC
merely to win social prestige rath
than with the desire to fit us to he
the troubled and the lost? l once h;
n physician bluntly tell me that
Joined the church with the same pr
pose for which he joined the club
went to both places so that he could
brought into contact with people a.
win as many patients as he could.
wonder how many of us are kind
our friends solely from the selfish II
tive to make our friends kind TO
II Is possible to even feed the hung
with the most mercenary of deslr
Christ stated this when he said. "Nh
thou makest dinner or supper, c
not thy friends. nor thy brethren.
thy kinsmen. nor thy rich neighb
lest they also bid thee again and
ompense can be made thee. In OF
words. we should not make our Oh
tan engagements merely case
reciprocity you do so much for
and | will do so much for you.
when you make a gospel feast ask
young man TO your home who has
friends and Is alone in great C
Ask that young girl who has no cha
OF coming in touch with refined fl
lily circle unless you give her an inv
ton. Call the poor the MANNED.
lame and the blind and thou shalt
blessed, for they cannot recompe
thee" Are we. this Palm Sunday.
oring Christ with the unselfish
pose OF his disciples. who were acc
panying him from Bethany and
not only threw the palm branche
his way. but who were also read.
die for him. or are we worship
Jesus with the selfish alteration Of