Evening journal., 1908-04-13
MESSAGE OF
PALM SUNDAY
The Rev. George F. Mason
Points Out Significance
Of the Day

In First Presbyterian Church yesterday
the Rev George F. Mason preached on
"A Message of Palm Sunday taking his
text from Mark Ii: .: And they went
before. and they that followed cried. say
ing. Hosanna; blessed Is ne that coneth
in the name Of the Lord" Mr.. Mason
said in part:
"The Sunday before Easter br,ngs 20
us the story OF the first Palm sunday
Again we see in imagination that won
derful picture of Christ riding into
Jerusalem surrounded by the multi
tude. We see them spreading gar
ments and branches in the way. and
hear the echoing 'Hosannas.' The mul-
titude is composed of all classes Of
people, believers and unbelievers: de-
vout and sl1eptio; worshippers and
scoffers; priests. Romans and Phari-
sees. 1t is a representative crowd. We
may lilSen It to the world at large. or
to the Judgment Day Each person
Of that great crowd had choice of his
own attitude to Christ. Such a priv
ilege of choice comes to every man.
and there are days in which the neces-
sity Of choosing presses insistently
upon us.
Bishop Brooks likened the human
soul to a great city; with its mixture
of many elements, with its internal
|dissensions its complexity of life. and
its mingled attitudes to Christ Such
is the complexity of the soul. There
are elements Of all kinds. The soul.
like the city, Is not unanimous in its
acceptance or rejection of Christ. The
believer is constantly battling with
doubts, and the unbeliever with ten
dencies to faith.
Among the multitude which watch
ed Jesus ride into Jerusalem were
Roman soldiers, and others possessed
by power and materialism. They were
interested only in this present life.
They were governed by hard earthly
prudence. Life existed only in the
lower levels. They had no room for
faith or for God. Possibly this is the
most dangerous Of all the elements of
the soul. This being possessed by the
present world.
I'm that multitude there were many
who hated Christ. They were plotting
his death. He condemned the narrow
ness of their religion or the evil In
their lives, and they hated Him. Hate
- Hob HleIely al SluOllOAi Dul a moral
antagOnism.
'There are many slSeptfcs with a
sense Of their superiority. Such is the
quality Of our nature that we possess
elements of faith and of skepticism, |
impulses to good and habits of evil. |
One side struggling after God-likeness,
the other doubling both our motives
and experiences. One side reaching |
out after faith and striving to be faith
full. and the other asking: What's the |
useg An eternal warfare in the soul.
On one side God and good, and on the
other all the malevolent powers of
and of evil. and the soul is |
the great battle-ground, with heaven as J
the crown Of victory and hell the pun (
ishment for defeat
"The city Of the soul Is divided /
against itself Little children and
those who have been cured are crying
'Hosanna,' and disappointed men are
cursing under their breath, and Judas
Iscariot is plotting the overthrow Of
his Lord.
"Such a struggle cannot keep evenly
forever. There must come a
time of decision. on Friday after this
Palm Sunday, Jerusalem crucifisd the
Christ and round His cross there
the few faithful souls who
amidst the bitter disappointment still
continued to say 'Hosanna.'
How goes the battle Of the soul
What shall be the choice? The mo-
ment you trust Christ's forgiveness,
and give yourself to his service there
is victory for the good. He begins the
salvation for eternity and rgadually |
the city Of the soul, through the power
Of the reigning Christ comes into cap |
tivity and obedience. and Christ is all
in all"