Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-11-16
TALMAGE IN HIS PULPIT.
BRAWN AND MUSCLE THE SUB
JECT OF HIS SERMON.

BROOKLYN, n. Y, Nov. 15.-There was
an overlooking attendance at the Taber-
nacle this morning, aud the service was
intensely interesting throughout. Musi-
cal selections included an organ solo by
Prof. Henry Eyre Brown, namely, Sonata
No. l in d minor, by Guilmant. An i'm
pressive Characteristic of the vocal music
at DR.. Talmage's tabernacle is the sing
ing by the entire congregation. Six thou
sand voices blended, those ofmen, women
and children, make a noble chorus. The
opening hymn was:
Am a soldier Of the cross,
A follower OF the lamb"
DR.. Talmage expouuded the chapter in
the book Of Samuel where David is called
while watching sheep and anOinted king,
the preacher remarking that God always
calls busy people and never calls idlers,
and that there We're fishermen yawning
in the sun on the bank Of Galilec, too
lazy to move, and got no divine recognl-
ton, while the hOnors Of discipleship
came to those who were mending their
nets. The text was taken from Judges
xiv, L: And Samson went down TO Tim
nah" The subject OF the sermon was
"Brawn and Muscle" DR.. Talmage
said:
There are two sides to the character Of
samson. The one phase of his lite, if fol-
lowed into particulars, would administer
to the grOtesque and the mrthful; but
there is phase Of his character fraught
with lessons OF solemn and eternal import.
10 these Grayer lessons we devote this
discourse. This giant, no doubt, in early
life gave evidence Of what he was 10 be. Il
Is almost always so. There were 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-tne boy
Samson and the man Samson-but both
alike. This giant was 40 doubt the hero
OF the playground, land nothing could stand
before his exhibition OF youthful Prov
ess. At eighteen years of age he
was betrOthed to the daughter of a Philis-
tine. Going down towards Timnah a
hon came out upOn him. Although this
young giant was weapon iess he seized
the monster by the name and shook him
as hungry hound shakes a March hare,
and made its bones crack and left it by
the wayside bleeding, under the shifting
OF his list and the grinding of his heel.
Passing along after a while the same
place he turned into the thicket to see
the remains OF the monster he had slain.
| Under the hot climate all the per,shable
particles OF the lion had disappeared, and
under the rain and the sun the skeleton
| had been washed and bleacheduntil II was
as pure and as white as a vase of porce-
lain. 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 o! the thickets, pale
NINA in NufnFnfE in NJ
ding day Samson had prOpounded a rid.
dle-a riddle 80 foolish that it has been
regarded as a warning for those who,
without talent for facetiOusness, attempt
it. BY the Jreachery of his wife the rid
die was easily guessed by the Philistines.
and Samson in his indignation slew 80
people. Further to 0venge the wrong
done him, he sets on IRE 900
foxes, and these terrified creatures in
their alarm rush into the cOrn-shOcks and
vineyards until the whole land is ablaZe
with the desOlatiOn. Surrounded one day
by 300 men this giant picked up
a jawb0ue from the wayside and mows
down armed men as In a harvest field the
full-head grain tumbles under the swing
of the sickle.
There be stands, looming up above
other men, a mountain Of flesh: his arms
punched with muscle that can lift the gate
of city, taking an attitude defiant Of eY-
erything. His hair had never been cut
and it rolled down in seven great plaits
over mis- shoulders, adding TO his fierce
ness and terror. The Phiiistines want to
conquer him. and therefore they must
find out where the secret OF his strength
lays. There is a Giss0lute woman living
in the valley Of SOrek, by the name OF
Delilah. They appoint her the agent in
the case. The Phihstines are secreied in
the same building, and then Deliah goes
to work and c0aXes Samson to tell what
is the secret Of MS strength. "Well," be
says, ''if you should take seven green
wilhes, such as they fasten wild
beasts with, and put them around
me / should be perfectly pOwerless." So
she binds him WITH the eseven green withes.
Then she claps her hands and says: .They
cOme-tne Philisuncsn aud be walks out
as though there were no impedmeut.
She cOaXes him again, and says: "Now
tell me the secret of this great strengtn:0
and he replies: ar you should take some
ropes that have never been used. and tie
me with them, / should be just Ike other
men, She ties him with the ropes. claps
her hands, and shouts: "Ihey come-tBe
Phiistines!V He walks out as easily as
he did beiOre--not a single obstruction.
She coaxos him again, and he saws:
s'NOw n you should take these seven
long plaits Of hair, and by this
hOuse-lOOm weave them into
web, ] could not get away" So the
hOuse-loom is rolled up and the shuttle
flies backward and forward, and the long
plaits OF hair are woven into a web. Then
She claps her hands and says: "They
cor e-the PhilistinesW he walks out "a
easily as he did before, dragging a part of
the loom with him. But after while she
persuades him TO tell The truth. he says:
''If you should take a razor or shears and
cut OF this long hair, ] should be power
less aud In the hands Of my enemiesN
Samson sleeps, and that she may not
wake him up during the process Of shear
ing. help is called IN. You know that the
BARRIERS OF the East have such a skilliul
way Of manipulating the head to this very
day, that instead Of waking uD a sleep
ing man. they will put man, wide
awake. sound asleep. ! hear the blades
Of the shears grinding against each other.
and see the long locks falling of. The
shears or razor accOmplishes what green
withes and new ropes aud house-lOOm
could not do. suddenly she claps her
hands and says: "The Philistlnes be upon
thee. SamsOnw He rouses up with a
struggle, but his strength Is all gone. He
Is in the bands OF his enemies. / hear the
grOan Of the giant az they take bis eyes
out. and then / SEQ him staggering on In
his blindness, feeling his way as he goes
on towards GAIA. The prison door Is
open and the giant Is thrust In. He sits
down and pute his hands on the mill
crank, which, with eXhausting horizontal
motion. goes day after day. week after
week month after mOnth--WOrk, work,