The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1885-12-17


The Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage, in recent |
sermon in Brooklyn Tabernacle, took
ssBrawn and Muscle" for his theme, taking |
for his text:
And Samson went down to Timnath.-
iJudges xiv, l..
There are two sides to the character of
Samson. The one phase of his life, if fol-
lowed into particulars, would administer
to the grotesque and the mirthful but there
is phase of his character fraught with
lessons of solemn and eternal import. To
these graver lessons we devote this dis
course. This giant, no doubt, in early life
gave evidence of what he was to be. 1t is
almost always SO. There We're two Ma
poleons-the boy Napoleon and the man
Napoleon-but both alike; two Howards--
the boy Howard and the man Howard
but both alike; two Samsons-the boy Sam
son and the man Samson-but both alike.
This giant was, no doubt, the hero of the
playground, and nothing could stand be-
fore his exhibitions of youthful prowess.
At eighteen years of age he was betrothed
to the daughter Of Philistine. Gcing down
toward Timnath lion came out upon him.
Although this young giant was weapon
less, he seized the monster by the
dong name and shook him as o hungry
hound shakes March hare, and made its
bones crack and left it by the wayside
bleeding under the shifting of his fist and
the grinding of his heel. Passing along,
after while, the same place, he turned
into the thicket to see the remains of the
L. 4 - ~ I. - Is
mate, all the perishable particles of the
dion had disappeared, and under the rain
and the sun the skeleton had been washed
and bleached until it was as. pure and as
white as a vase of porcelain. Into this
skeleton the bees had gathered their honey,
the sweetness of grass tops, the juice of
the pomegranate, the aroma of the wild
flowers which had stood in the gloom of
the thickets, pale nuns in natures convent.
On the wedding day Samson had pro-
pounded a riddle-a riddle so foolish that
it has been regarded as a warning for those
who, without talent for Righteousness, at
tempt it. By the treachery of his wife the
riddle was easily guessed by the Philistines,
and Samson, in his indignation, slew
thirty people. Further to avenge the
and these terrified creatures in their alarm
rush into the corn shocks and vineyards
until the whole land is ablaze with desola-
ton. Surrounded one day by 5000 men
this giant picked up a iawbone from the
wayside and mows down armed men, as
inthe harvest field the full-heaied grain
tumbles under the swing of the sickle.
There he stands looming up above other
men, mountain of aesh, his arm punched
with muscle that can lift the gate of Il
city, taking an attitude defiant of every
thing. His hair had never been cut, and
it rolled down in seven great plaits over
his. shoulder, adding to- his, ferceness and.
terror. The Philistines want to conquer
him, and, therefore, they must find out
where the secret of his strength LAYS.
There is a dissolute woman living in.the
Valley of Sorek by the name of Delilah.
They appoint her the agent in the case.
The Philistines are secreted in the same
building, and then Delilah goes to work
and coaxes Samson to tell what is the Sc
cret of his strength. "Well,n he SAYS, "if
you should take seven green withes, such
as they fasten wild beasts with, and put
them around me should be perfectly pow
erless." So she binds him with the seven
green withes Then she claps her hands
and says: "They come-the Philistines -
and he walks out as though there were no
impeachment. She coaxes him again, and
says: "Now tell me the secret of this
great strength" And he replieth: IF
you should take some ropes that have
never been used and tie me with them,
ho met O3t,
him with the ropes, claps her hands and
shouts: ''They come-the Philistines %
He walks out as easily as he did before
not single obstruction. She coaxes him
again, and he says: "Now if you should
take these seven long plaits of hair and by
this house-loom weave them into a web,
could not get away" So the house-loom
is rolledup and the shuttle flies backward
and forward and the long plaits of hair are
woven into aweb. Then she claps her
hands and says: "They come-the Phil
istines." He walks out as easily as he did
before, dragging a part of the loom with
him. But after awhile she persuades him
to tell the truth. He says: ''If you should
take razor or shears and cut off this long
hair, / should be powerless and i'm the
hands of my enemies" Samson sleeps,
and that she may not wake him up during
the process of shearing, help is called in.
You know that the BARRIERS of the East
have such skillfui way of manipulating
the head to this very day that instead of
waking up sleeping man, they viii put a
man, wide awake, sound asleep. hear
the blades of the shears grinding against
each other, and see the long locks falling
Off The shears or razor accomplishes
what green withes and new ropes
and house-loom could not do. Sud-
denly she elaps her hands and says: s'The
Philistines be upon thee, Samson?o He
rouses up with struggle, but his strength
is all gone. He is in the hands of his ene-
mics. hear the groan of the giant as
they take his eyes out, and then see him
staggering on in his blindness, feeling his
way as he goes toward GAIA The prison
door is open, and the giant is thrust in
He sits down and puts his hands on the
mill-crank, which, with exhausting hori-
sontal motion, goes day after day, week
after week, month after month-work,
work, work! The CONSERVATION of the
world in captivity, his locks shorn, his
orrac .1,.,oE,,rod ,r,.,,, lsx,er a,,.,,