West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1889-10-10
MODERN SAMSONS.
THEY ARE ooAxED INTO SIN
How DeiIlahs OF the Present Day Ply
Their Trade.

tN0U RfNN0ts aHQNFN1t MN LnuI Ir mUu
: him to o0iict him; and ue tvill give
thec euery one OF us eiersn hundred pieces of
si~irer."-Judges xvi, 8.
One thousand pounds or about Eve thou
sand dollars of our money, were thus offered
for the capture of n giant. 1t would take a
ek1nfu photographic to picture Samson as
no really was. The most facils words are
not supple enough TO describe hun. He was a
giant and a child; the ~conquoror and the de-
Heated, able 10 snap at n ions Jaw, and vet
captured by the sigh OF a maiden. He was
ruler and slave;a c~ommingling OF virtue and
vice, the sublime and the ridiculous; sharp
enough to make a good riddle and yet weak
enough TO be caught in the
most superficial stratagem honest
enough to settle his debt, and vet ont
rageously robbing somebody else 10 get the
,mAterlai TO pay 1t; a miracle and a soothing;
q BROWNING glory and a burning shame.
Ihere he stands, looming up above other
men, n mountain OF flesh; his arms punched
with muscle that can lift the gate of a city;
taxing an attitude defiant OF armed men and
wild beasts. His hair had never been cut.
and 1T rolled down in seven great plaits over
his shoulders, adding to his ferceness and
terror. The Philistines want TO conquer
him, and therefore they must find out where
the secret of his strength lies.
lhere lsa 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
lDehlah goes to work and coaxes Samson 10
tell what is the secret of his strength. ''Welln
he says, 'if you should take seven green
whites, such as they fasten wild beasts with,
and put them around me, I should be per-
sfectly powerless.n So she binds him with the
seven green withes. Then she claps her
hands and says: ''They come-the Philis-
unesF 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 replies: 'If you
shorid 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: 'VThev
Some-the Philistinesr' He walks out as
easy as he did before-not a single obstruc-
ZION she coaxes him again, and he says:
NOW, II you should take these seven long
plalts OF hair, and by this house loom weave
them into a web. I could not get awayD So
the house loom is rolled up, and the shuttle
nies BACKWARD and forward, and the long
Pl1ts OF haT are woven into a web. Then
she claps her hands, and says: ''They come
the Phllistinesr'
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. de says: IF you should take a razor
or shears, and cut off this long hair. l should
be ponyerless, and in the hands of nv enc
mics. Samson sleeps, and that she may not
wake MIN up during the process of shearine.
heip Is called in. You know that the BARRIERS
OF the East have such a skilfful way of imam
ipulating the head, TO this very day they will
put q man, wldeawake, sound asleep. 1hear
NIAN@A AAAAAuk dkAlnkI eHcn
other, and L see the long locks falling off.
Inc shears, or razor, accomplishes what green
whites and new ropes and house loom could
hot 10; suddenly she claps her hands and
says: The Philistines be upon thee. Sam
SOM he rouses up with a struggle. but his
strength is all gonel He is in the hands of
ms enemies! l hear the groan OF the giant
as they take his eyes out, and then l see him
staggering on in his blindness, feeling his
way as he goes on toward GAIA. The prison
door Is opened and the giant is thrust i'm. He
sits down and puts his hands on the mill
cIank "hIcn, with ~exhausting horizontal
motion, goes day after day, week after week.
month after ~month-work, work. work
Inc consternation of the world is captivity.
ms locks shorn, his eyes punctured, grinding
cprnn 1aza. In a previous sermon on this
enaracter L learned some lessons. but another
class OF lessons are before us now.
Learn hrst how very strong people ara
Sometlnes coexed into great imbecilities.
samson had no right 70 reveal the secret Of
ms strength. Dehlah's first attempt TO find
out IS q failure. He says: Green witheS
VIII bind me- but it was a failure. Then
ne says; "A new rope will hold me" but that
also was a failure. Then ne says: Weave
my locks into a web and that will bind me.D
yet that also was a failure. But at last Won
see now she coaxed it out him. Unimportant
actions in life that involve no moral princi-
ple may without injury be subjected to
ardent persuasionS, but as soon as YOU have
come TO the line that separates right from
wrong, no inducements or Establishment OUGHT
70 make you step over it. SuDDose a MAJ,
mas been brought up in a Christian house
hold and taught sacredly 10 observe
the Sabbath, Sunday comes: Won want
fresh air. Temptation saws: SUNDAY
IS just ike other days; now don't be
otg9eeI; We Wil ride forth among the works
OF Tod; the whole earth is His temple; we
VIII not 90 into any designations: come. now
4 nave the carriage engaged and we shall be
iback soon enough to go TO church in the
esehhSi don't yield to P~uritanic notions:
Won MIl Dn no Vv0r~ra FOR q ws1g - a.
cry the blossoms are out and they saw eyerv-
thlng Is looking glorious" ''Wel / will go
70 please you" IS the response. And ont
tney 90 over the street. conscience drowned
m me CHATTER ofthe swift hoofs and the rush
OF the ~resounding wheels. That temnfed
man may have had moral character er6,gL
70 break the green withes Of ten thouss9d
AnDlstine aiurements, but he has been over
come by coaxing.
Two young men passing down thie stroo.
ZANE opposite n drinking saloon with a rsd
sanVeTn hung out from the door to livbt men
- PefultlOn. let us 10 i'm saws one ssNo
n~on says the other; II never 20 to such
places NOW, you don't say vo, r a.
weak as that. Why, Ihave been going 49,
iof Two years and IL hasn't hurt me Conc
come now, bea man. If you can't stand
4nythlng stronger, take a little sherry. You
20 see the world as 10 Is. ] don't believe
m ~mtefnPerance any more than you. Lean
STOP drinHng just when / want 70 yoi
snail 60. Now, come right along Pers,asi1,
mas conquered Samson Yields to the c,avipg
hhd there is carnival in hell that pigbf
among the Philistiues and they shout. Ola
ma we've got him. Those who have the
Etnoest ami most sympathetic natures are
we most pa danger. Your very Disposition
70 please others viii De Tho varv tran tbcv
eet IN you were cold and harsh aud sevars
IN your nature you would not be tamuarei
YIN. PEOPLE never fOndle a hedgehog Tie
most continental Greeulander never kisse.
~ 4ceDeIB The warmth and susoeyGbJify
2L your nature viii encourage the eIrs5
LI9ugn strong ~ a giant. look out fgr
Oeluahs Eclssors. Samson. the etrouyest
dnR ~ ''1A
again, this narrative teaches uq tho uo,g.-
81 IN lH disposed woman. In the p5rfraf
gallery of Bible Queens We find ABIGAIL and
5'utn and Miriam and Fashd and Deborah
DuJ in TIE rOgues gallery OF a police station
you md Tire pictures u women ns well 81
men Dcilah's picture belongs ~ tae rorla.
Galiary, but sne had more power than Iii
Phihsta armed with sword and Spar Sine
could carry oG the iron gates Of safls9n'q reso.
luton ~ easily as DE sh1uldereI the e4fos ~
1aza. The force That bad killed the lion which
toneday plunged out fierce from the thIr.af
utterly succumbe ~ the sIken net which
Behlah Weaves for the giant. He who had