its fruit as near heaven as possible. You cannot keep the palm tree from growing upward. It is a common saying in the East that if you put weights upon it when it is growing it will only press upward all the harder. It can neither be kept down nor diverted from the straight, upward way. St. Gregory says that the bark binds the lower life as if straightened by innumerable afflictions, while the higher life spreads out its beautiful verdure and rich fruitage. Other trees have an inclination to branch out upon the upward way. The palm is striving straight heavenward. It has neither leisure nor taste for diversion upon the journey. It swerves neither to the right nor to the left. The winds do not bend it. The sun does not draw it from the perpendicular. It is constant in its uprightness. Thus it is a beautiful type of the Christian. He is continually growing heavenward and Godward. Trials like weights may be put upon him. But they do not keep him down; they only urge him to a larger effort. Winds of trial and subtle allurements of temptation are constantly present to divert his course from this upward growth. But he grows on in the same way of uprightness. As the palm tree bears its fruit just as near heaven as it can grow, so the fruitage of a true Christian life is seen in the highest characteristics of human life. Only God can see the best of a man, as only God really knows the worst of a man. The world sees mostly his hours of mediocrity. The nearer he gets to God the riper and richer will be the fruitage of his life.

IV. That leads to more definite thought of the fruitage and usefulness of the palm tree. This is, perhaps, the most easily impressed and most remarkable fact about it.

Whole books have been written about the multitudinous uses of the many parts of the palm tree. The

Arabs have 360 names and 360 uses for it.

Every part of it is valuable. It produces food, shelter, clothing, timber, fuel, building material, fences, walking canes, fibre, fans, paper, starch, sugar, oil, wax, wine, medicine, tonics, tannin, dyeing material, resin, ropes, rigging, sails, fishing lines, masts, and innumerable other things. From the fibrous webs all sorts of cordage are made. The leaves can be used in hundreds of ways after they are dried. In a green state, they are even edible when boiled. From the flowers sugar or syrup, in the East sometimes called honey, is extracted. The wood has many uses. The fruit is almost the only food of many people in the eastern lands. Even the

date stones are ground up into flour for the camels, and are very nourishing. Boats can be fitted up complete with masts, sails, cordage and everything, all from the palm tree. Palm oil supplies light to nearly all Africa, and is exported to this country and much of it used in toilet soaps. An intoxicating wine is made from the sap, which in an unfermented and uncorrupted condition is valuable for medicine and as a tonic. The farinaceous pith is full of nourishment. The palm tree is a heavy producer of fruit.

Some trees will produce an

nually 300 or 400 pounds.
to yield 600 pounds in a year.
ings for roofs and sides of houses, and for frame work,
fences, mats, baskets and bags.

Some trees have been known
The leaves form cover-

They represent so much of real value as well as beauty, that it is not strange that they are found so often in the court-yards of palaces and mosques. Did not the Psalmist have in mind the varied products of the palm tree when he said, "The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree." He was not thinking simply of the beauty of the tree, but of its manifold usefulness. How many thoughts come to our minds here as to fruit

bearing Christians, and Christian activity!

We think

of the fruits of the Spirit-love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Are we possessed of these fruits of the Spirit?

That suggests the blessed activities of the Christian life. The Christian must not simply be good; he must be good for something. Without torturing the analogy it would be easy to show how the varied excellences of the palm tree have their counterpart in the Christian life. He must feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, minister to the sick, and in every way carry out the beautiful activities of Christian service. Nor does this mean simply the giving of one's substance. It may be done by those who have very little substance to bestow. Kind words are as precious as kind deeds, when they are the true measure of our ability; not when they are the veilings of hypocritical selfishness. But kind deeds are costly in other ways than pecuniarily. They often demand personal sacrifice of time and comfort and ease that are valued far more than money. As the palm tree is fruitful and useful, perhaps far beyond all other trees, so the Christian ought to fill his life with blessed ministries toward those needing our help.

V. The palm tree is a symbol, too, of the evergreen life of the righteous. Through summer and winter alike the palm tree wears its beautiful crown of verdure; and it does this to old age. The life of the palm tree is not prolonged like that of many less useful trees, but the whole of its life is spent in doing good.

"We live in deeds, not years."

Our life counts not so much for the number of years spent upon earth as for what is accomplished by

it. We read that Methuselah lived 969 years; and that is absolutely all that we know about him. But his father Enoch, whose life seemed to end upon earth prematurely for that period of the world's history, left the record, "And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him." John the Baptist lived upon earth fewer years than Herod; but his life accomplished vastly more for humanity. Long life is a blessing only as it gives opportunities for a beneficent use of its years. The palm tree is fruitful as long as it lives. Unmoved by winter's rain or summer's heat, enjoying both in their season, but not showing any appreciable effects from the changes, the palm tree grows on. Under the quickening influence of rain the surrounding herbage puts on new life, only to die, perhaps, when the sun comes out with a fervent heat. The palm tree calmly grows on regardless of these changes. So the Christian in evergreen verdure should grow on until earthly life has fulfilled its mission.

The average fruit-bearing age of the palm tree is about one century; not a great age perhaps for a tree, but a great age for a tree that bears such splendid fruit. The Christian should live on in evergreen cheerfulness. Even-mindedness, equality of temper, self-restraint under provocation; these are admirable qualities for a Christian. They keep him young as the years roll on. Have you not seen some aged Christian whose heart is as young as a boy's? He is in full sympathy with youthful aspirations. His heart never grows old. The feet may totter, the eyes may grow dim, the hands may tremble, the hearing may become dull, and those who do not know him call him old and feeble. Those who know him best realize that he never can grow old; for his heart enjoys perennial youth. As old age comes on and the day fades into the evening, and the shadows are

lengthening, the spiritual powers ripen; for it is such a little step from earth to heaven. The pearly gate stands open, and the eye so dimmed that it fails to recognize old friends and comrades near at hand sees through earthly clouds and vapors, above stars and constellations, the throne of God and the face of the Master. "He brings forth fruit in old age; " fruit of faith and patience; and those last years of earthly life are a heavenly embassy to the weary, wandering hearts of men. Oh, that all of us, if long life shall be graciously given to us may, like the palm tree, have evergreen beauty of character, and keep on bringing forth fruit to the very close of our days on earth!

VI. Then naturally comes the thought of the palm tree as an emblem of victory. So the Jewish multitude regarded it when on that Palm Sunday or Monday so memorable in Christ's life they spread palm branches in the path that Christ was traveling. That was no new idea. It was inwrought into Hebrew history. In the books of the Maccabees we read constantly of the triumphant patriotic processions led by that heroic family, and always with palm branches in their hands. So firmly was this incorporated into Jewish life that the inspired apocalyptic writer, true to his origin, uttered it in the record of the vision which he saw of heaven. He writes, "After this I beheld, and lo, a great multitude which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands." The sacred writers were not mere amanuenses. They wrote as they felt and as they were trained, only guided by the Holy Spirit; and the experiences of their lives were recorded upon the inspired pages.

The palm tree means usefulness here; it means