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VOL. LXXXVIJ RICHMON
// A -a - w
"An Ulive Lea
The ancients venerated the olive as the noblest
of trees, and in poetic imagery they conferred
upon it the crown and sceptre of the arboreal
realm. From the beginning the affections of
mankind twined around it as something sentient
and almost human. No other tree is so often
mentioned in Scripture and classic literature;
it has been most intimately associated with the
history of the race and the progress of civilization,
its dark green leaves inseparably interwoven
with the sacred joys of home, and national
festivities, civic pom'p, literary triumph and
even the solemn rites of religion. At the Olympic
games a simple garland of olive conferred
upon the Greek an immortality of fame, its soft
j .Li? _i - * ->
j wuccu v-r-.uj<r?cu me -giory 01 eaxin s
brighteat crown. In the text we have only "an
olive leaf pluckt off," but
on its narrow margin and
velvety surface God's finger
pencilled in miniature
the prediction of profound
and important truths
which were more fully expounded
as the revelation
progressed, and stamped I eStCTClciy
indelibly upon the pages D 1
of the gospel. Let us then DOlina 1
bend reverently over this With el.d
little olive leaf pluckt off
onrl cfi*ivn +/\ ^onnrvViAr i fo I rif*ver
aymbf; ? Shall v
?. It signified the restoration
of peace between blight
God and the earth. HTU * C
In all ages the olive Heir il
branch has been the emblem
of peace. The origin Let them ?
of this beautiful symbol- p
ism is perhaps to be found v^cinnOl
in the fact that the olive Caod in L
is a tree of usually slow .
growth and most careful Dnly th
ffIn 01 To-day
the first effort of an enemy J
was to destroy all the olive
trees on account of thedr fcjVery Ciay
value. 1 The existence of I
olive trees, therefore, in a '
country indicated that the And, spite
land had long enjoyed pro- * 1
found and unbroken peace.
Ana pu
Hence it became the em- Take he
blem of peace. When nations
at war desired a ces
sation of hostilities, they
extended the olive branch. Upon the towering
shaft of the majestic monument at Yorktown,
erected "by our government to commemorate the
treaty of peace between England and America, a
great olive branch is sculptured above the reversed
arms and folded banners. When two individuals
have been alienated, if one seeks a resumption
of amicable relations, we say he tendered
the olive branch. So the olive leaf pluckt off by
ri I^VftlTHA H0 " fiw H/i- QSL/LS/f/
THTHPsou
D, NEW ORLEANS, ATLANTA, JANUA
f Pluckt Off" I
the gentle dove, borne to Noah in the Ark, was
an emblem of deep and blessed significance. It
was a pledge of reconciliation, an expression of
God's love, an assurance of divine care. What
inexnressihlv nrpp.icms m^Rsncp tr? tlmt lit+lo ?wvm_
pany tossed for weary months upon the boundless
deeps and listening to the roar of storms!
What joy thrilled their hearts as they gazed
upon that olive leaf pluckt off, read its meaning,
believed its promise! Peace, safety, guidance.
So more angry frown of heaven, no more rocking
on the rough and restless billows. Reconciliation
between God and man. And observe
this tender of the olive branch comes from Clod
himself, the offended Sovereign. It was the
first fruit of that great and inviolable treaty of
peace into which a few days later he entered
THE NEW YEAR.
Jt Jt Jk
now is a part of forever,^
up in a sheaf which God holds
days and sad days and bad dc
isit us more with their bloom
t,
illness of sunshine or sorrowful
jo, since we cannot retrieve thei
undo and cannot atone;
lis mercy, receive, forgive them
e new days are our own?
is ours, and to-day alone.
is a fresh beginning;
my soul, to the glad refrain;
5 of old sorrow and old sinning
izzles forecasted and possible p
i i i
;art with the day and begin aga
?SUSAN
with Noah at the .smoking altar when the rain- i
bow spanned the clearing skies. It wats a
prophecy of that far greater and more wonder- ]
ful treaty of peace, the everlasting covenant of <
redemption, into which he entered with Christ. J
The sweet cooing of the dove that brought this ?
olive leaf in the growing twilight was the pre- i
lude of the angels' song that on the first Christ,- i
mas morning thrilled the world: "Peace on 1
4
western Press-)yter/an
?al Presbyter/an <r
trern Presbyterian
RY I, -mu^ jfaj ?NO.-5A^ /
?NEW YEAR'S SERMON ON GEN. 8:11, BY
tr v v v paid n n
U T V I A JT~K M A\ J &/ JLS
Westminster Presbyterian Church, Richmond, Vs.
earth, good will to men." Was it not significant
then that the first tree, whose name is mentioned
in the Scriptures, should be the emblem of peace?
it shows that from the beginning God has been
holding out the olive branch to man. Though
sinned tagainst, forgotten and despised, sttfll
pleading for reconciliation, calling the wanderers
back, seeking to love and to save. He made
the murmuring trees of the forest whisper his
love, wrote his message on their leaves as well as
the leaves of the gospel.
What, was implied in this pledge?
in the Bible the olive tree is the type not only
of jR-ace, hut also of temporal and spiritual
blessing. Rising in its majestic and symmetrical
proportions it adorned the land like a crown of
glory, affording a fit ideal of grace and liar- ?
mony and inspiration Independently
of the grateful
shade which it furnished
so generously to the
home, it3 truit was used
an food; the oil extracted
from it served both as
medicine and a means of
illumination; the seven
. l . lamps of the golden cantlgnt,
die-stick in the Holy of
iyS which Holies were filled with
pure olive oil; it had a
place even amid the offerand
their ??? ?f thc altar; but ita
ni^hftSt umc rrv an/vint
kings and priests unto God.
. 1 ; When a monarch ascended
^ the throne to reign, or
when the High Priest enm
tered upon his sacred and
typical office, they were
anointed with oil 01 the
olive, and the fragrant
mixture used for this purpose
was forbidden to all
others. No wonder then
tiie olive was so loved and
honored; it symbolized evtry
temporal and religious
good, the rioh fruitage of
divine grace, the fatness of
God's 'House, the sweetJ
ness of his blessing, peace
am,
to the home, food to the
lips, light to the eyes, unfailing
help and healing to
C00LID6E. the Rn<i eternal
1 coronation beyond the veil
t>f blue, in the temple not made with
hands. Does not that little olive pluckt off
mean much? Oh. I wish we might understand
its meaning; I would it might
Mutter down into our path and reMt upon
>ur homes! I cannot extend to you a better or
swruwr wisii ior rne rvew rear 'jpw is my
prayer far y9U Mny God's own hand i 4t
he olive branch, may its holy p^mise .x?le
f 3 * ,