[CentOS] Xdefaults file.

I am trying to get my xterm window under gnome to open with large fonts,
with light green foreground and dark green background. I have the
following .Xdefaults file contents:

$ cat .Xdefaults
! This is a comment ;-)

#ifdef COLOR
*customization: -color
#endif

!! Let's cast a wide net, for any app supporting these
! Blink instead of beeping
*visualBell: True
*scrollTtyOutput: False
*scrollKey: True


XTerm*saveLines: 1500
! Do not clear the screen after the program exits
XTerm*VT100*titeInhibit: true

! Enable soft cut and paste
XTerm*VT100.translations: #override \
: select-end(PRIMARY, CLIPBOARD, CUT_BUFFER0)


! Fix up xterm's keybindings
xterm*VT100.translations: #override \
<Key>BackSpace: string(0x7F) \n\
<Key>Insert: string(0x1b) string("[2~")\n\
<Key>Delete: string(0x1b) string("[3~")\n\
<Key>Home: string(0x1b) string("[1~")\n\
<Key>End: string(0x1b) string("[4~")\n\
<Key>Page_Up: string(0x1b) string("[5~")\n\
<Key>Page_Down: string(0x1b) string("[6~")\n\
<KeyPress>Prior: scroll-back(1,page)\n\
<KeyPress>Next: scroll-forw(1,page)

! Set xterm defaults
Xterm*background: darkgreen
Xterm*foreground: lightgreen

Xterm*font: 9x15


<--snip

At some point I had the colours displaying correctly but I could not get
the default font to change to large. In an attempt to get Xterm to use
the above file I ran the command:

$ xrdb ~/.Xdefaults

Now when xterm opens I have a black on white display with tiny fonts. I
have to use Xterm in a specific instance because the version of gnome
terminal that ships with CentOS-5 breaks vt102 emulation horribly. I have
already spent way too much time trying to get Xterm and Xdefaults to work
together as they should. I do not understand what it is that I am missing
or doing wrong. Can somebody please point out what is wrong with my
configuration?

I have already read, and reread, the man page.

Thanks,