The Republican journal., 1915-04-08
II PALM SUNDAY sEKMoN.
[Dsfsrred.l.

SEARspoRT. Palm Sunday, Mr.. Noel
hiney read as lessons, Zechariah IA and
Matthew 10 from the tenth verse. Luke
19:41-44 was the text chosen. Seated
upon young colt, Christ approaches Je-
rusalem. Silently He rides toward the
city. There is something in the very
dignity and sadness of the Master that
strangely moves those who travel with
Him. Suddenly as they descend the
Mount of Olives their pent feelings take
action, and spreading their clothes in the
way, they cry, BLESSED be the King
thai cometh in the name of the Lord,
Hosanna in the highest 1t is feast
day and vast multitudes fill the city.
Hearing that Jesus is coming. and sway
ed by every passing emotion, they has
ten toward the gate. Every moment the
crowd increases and the cry swells loud
er, "Hosanna in the highest" With
waving palm branches the procession ad-
vances. At last it seems as if the King
were coming into His own. But neither
the dev otion of the faithful few nor the
chanting of the tickle crowd moves the
Master, for His heart is heavy, and be-
holding the city, He weeps. Too late has
come the applause. He sees all that
must follow in the one short week of
life that remains. The glad hosannas
ring from threats that all too soon will
cry, Cruelty Him." Yet it is not for
this He weeps. Not in self-pity His
tears are falling; but for Jerusalem,
His loved city, with its masses still I'M
moved by words of council and warning.
They knew not the hour of their vista
ton, and while He yearns over them
with such depth of love and pity, He
sees clearly the awful doom toward
which their blindness is leading. How
our hearts are stirred at the grief of the
Easter as He sheds those tears of de-
feated purpose. Do we apply the SER
mon of those bitter tears? Suppose, to-
day, He were approaching our town,
outwardly fair and beautiful to the cas-
ual traveller, would not His eyes see
much that is sordid? Would He not be
grieved that so many are needless of the
call to Sabbath worship? Is there not
much in the hearts of those assembled
in His house that would grieve this
Friend? Our ideals and morals are not
all that He desires of followers. Surely
He must weep at our blindness and
waste of opportunity. The tears of
Christ are eloquent with love; He knows
the sorrows of all and would console, yet
He is rejected or served half-heartedly.
Love and pity for Jerusalem fill His
heart to overlooking, yet final judgment
follows. There had been many warn
ings, prophets hal plead and sorrowed
and God had spared the city many times.
Not single acts of sin, but continued re-
fusal wrought the desolation. How aw-
full the significance of the words, eff
thou hadst known" A few foresaw
the destruction and needing the warning
fled to safety. 1t was progressive sin
that brought about the doom that fol-
lowed the tears. Often in our youth we
cause our parents to shed tears of bitter
ness because of our blindness. To those
W no have ministered over US have come
hours of anguish at our failures and we
have grieved the blessed Master by our
rejection. Are not ours the sins of Je-
rusalem and are rot these tears held at
our account? The warning comes. In
all earnestness let US give heed.