Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-10-06
SAMS0N'S LOST STRENGTH.
HIS MISFORTUNE DUE TO A CAD
WOMAN'S WllES.

1NIhs -AAANl "a
pounding the appropriate passages of
Scripture in the Brooklyn Tabernacle
this morning, the Rev. L. De Witt
Talmage, ID. d., gave out the hymn:
So let our lips and lives express
The holy gospel we profess;
So let our works and virtues shine
To prove the doctrine all divine.
The subject Of DR.. Talmagc's sermon
a THE shorn locks of Samson
He took for his text Judges xvi, 5:
"Entice him. and see wherein his
great strength licth, and by what
means we may prevail against him.
that we may bind him to alflict him ;
and we will give thee every one Of us
eleven hundred pieces Of silver The
sermon was rs follows:
TUE STRENGTH OF SAMSON.
One thousand pounds, or about five
thousand dollars Of our money. were
thus offered for the capture Of a giant.
II would take a skililul photographer
70 picture Samson as lie really was.
The most facile words ate not supple
enough 70 describe him. he was a
giant and a childi the cog,gcror'aud
the defeated; able % snap a lioa's Jaw,
and yet captured bv the sigl of a
maiden lie was ruler and slave; Il
comUlng.ing Of virtue aud vice, tho.
sublime and the ridiculous; sharp
enough - make "a good wddle, and
yet weak enough Ia be caught in the
most superficial strJtagrm; honest
enough 10 settle his debt. and yet out
rageousiy ruhbing some rOdy else 10
get the material 10 pay a.; a miracle
and a saoiling, q Growing glory and
a burning shame. TbFe he stands,
looming up above othe men. a noun
tain OF flesh; his arms punched with
muscle that can lift d C gate of a city;
taking an ATTITUDE 4 liant of armed
men and wild beast. His hair had
never been cut, and i rolled down in
eve great plaits over his shoulders,
adding TO his tierc5mess and terror.
The Philistines wait TO conquer him,
and therefore they must find out
where the secret of his strength lies.
There is a woman living in the val
ley 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 aud coaxes
Samson TO tell what is the secret of
his strength. well" he says. IF
you should take seven green withes,
such as they fasten wild beasts with,
and put them around me, | should be
perfectly powerless." So size binds
him with the seven green withcs.
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 replies.
IF you should take some ropes that
have never been used, and Tie me with
them. ] should be Just like other
men" She ties him with the ropes.
claps her hands and shouts. They
come-thc Philistinesl" He walks
out as easy as he did before-not a sin.
gle obstruction. She cuaXcs 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 rolled
up, andthe shuttle flies backward and
forward. and the long plaits of hair
are woven into a web. Then she
claps her hands, and says. They
come! the Pbilistines.'
He walks out as easily as lac did be-
fore, dragging a part of the loom with
him. But after awhile she persuadeS
him % tell the truth. He says; IF
you should take "A razor, orshclrs, and
cut of this long hair. / should bcpow-
erless. and in the hands of my enc.
mics Samson sleeps, and, that she
NAV not wake him up during the pro
cess Of shcaring. help is calledin in. You
know that the BARRIERS of the east have
such a skillful way of manipulating
the head, 10 this very day they will
put a man. wide awake, sound asleep.
Ihear the blades of the shears grind
ing against each other, and | see the
long locks falling off. 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 Philistines be upon
thee, Samsonl' He rouses up with a
struggle. but his strength is all gone.
He is in the hands Of his enemiesl |
hear the groan Of the giant as they
take his eyes out. aud then ! see him
staggering on ia his blindness. feeling
his WAY ~ lac UDps ON toward GAIA
The prison door is opened and the
giant Is thrust in. He sits down and
puts his hands on the mill crank,
which, with exhausting horizontal
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 eyes puncturcd, grinding corn in
GAIA. Ia a previous sermon ON this
character | learned some lessons, but
another class Of lessons are before US
now.
Learn first how very strong people
are sometimes coaxed into great imbe-
%cilities. Samson had mo- right 10 re.
veal the secret of his strength. Deli
labs first attempt 30 find out is a
failure. He says: Green withes will
bind me-" but It was a failure. Then
he says, "A new rope will hold me-
but that also was IA failure. Then he
nys, Weave my locks intoa web and
that will bind me, y yet that also was a
failure. But Ut last you see how she
coaxed il out Of him. Unimportant