The Russellville Democrat., 1889-10-10
TALMAGEE'S SERMON.
The Downfall of Samson and the
Causes that Led to 1t.
Tho Yielding TO Evil Influences Robbina
of Their Moral and Physical Strength
the Young Mon of Our Land
The Danger Signal

| against MIN, tnAt we may Dlnu MIN TO lfuiet
| him; and we will give thee every one OF us
| eleven hundred pieces of silver-Judges xvi, 8.
| One thousand pounds, or about FIVE
| thousand dollars Of our money, were
| thus offered for the capture of o giant.
1t would take skillful photographers to
| picture Samson as he really was. The
most facile words are not supple enough
to describe him. He was giant and a
child; the conqueror and the defeated; |;
able to snap lions jaw, and yet capt
ured by the sigh of a maiden. He was
ruler and slave; a commingling of virtue
and vice, the sublime and the ridiculous |;
sharp enough to make q good riddle, and
yet weak enough to be caught in the
most superficial stratagem; honest
enough to settle his debt. and yet out
rageously robbing somebody else to get
the material to pay it; miracle and a
scoffing; crowning glory and burning
shame. There he stands, looming up
above other men; mountain of flesh;
mis- arms punched with muscle that can
lift the gate of a city; taking an attitude
defiant OF armed men and wild beasts.
His hair had never been cut, and ii rolled
down in seven great plaits over his
shoulders, adding to his fiercenes SIS and
terror. The Philistines want to conquer
him. and therefore they must find out
where the secret of his strength lies.
There is woman living in the Valley
of Sorek by the name of Delilah. They
appoint her the agent in the case. The
Philistnes are secreted in the same
building, and then Delilah goes to work
and coaxes Samson to tell what is the
secret of his strength:
"Well," he says, "if you should take
e.
wild beasts with, and put them around
me, should be perfectly powerless."
So she binds him with the seven green
withes. Then she claps her hands, and
says: "They come - the Philistines 70
and he walks out as though there were
no impediment. 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-the
Philistines!" He walks out as easy 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 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 web. Then she claps her
hands and says: 'They come-the PHI
listines" He walks out as easily as he
did before, dragging a part of the loom
with him. But after awhile she per-
suades him to tell the truth. He says:
'1f you should take razor, or shears,
and cut off this long hair, l should be
powerless, and in the hands of my ene-
miles,"
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 skillful
way of manipulating the head to this
very day they will put a man, wide
awake, asleep. l 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. Suddenly she claps
Ger hands and says: "The Philistines be
lpon 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
L
ing on in his blindness. feeling his way
as he goes 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 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
eyes punctured, grinding corn in GAIA.
In a previous sermon on this character l
learned some lessons, but another class
Of lessons are before us now.
Learn first how very strong people are
sometimes coaxed into great imbecili-
lies. Samson had no right to reveal the
secret of his strength. Dolilah's first at
Tempt to find out is failure. He says;
Green witbes will bind me-" but itwas
failure. Then he says: "a new rope
will bind me-" but that also was fail
ure. Then he says: "Weave my locks
into a web and that will bind me-" yet
that also was failure. But at last you
see how she coaxed it out Of him. I'm
important actions in life that involve no
moral principle may without injury be
subjected to ardent persuasions, but as
soon as you have come to the line that
separates right from wrong, no induce
ment or blandishment ought to make you
step over it. Suppose a man has been
brought up in Christian household and
saeredly 10 observe the Sabbath. Sun
day comos; you want fresh air. Tempta-
ton says:
Sunday Is just like other days, now
don't be bigoted; we will ride forth
among the works Of God; the whole
earth is His temple; we will not go into
any dissipations; come, now, | have the
carriage engaged, and we shall be back
soon enough go TO church in the even
ing; don't yield to Puritanic notions;
you will be no worse for ride in the
country; the blossoms are out and they
say every thing is looking glorious"
"Well, / will go TO please YOU" is the
response. And out they go over the
street, conscience drowned in the clatter
OF the swift hoofs and the rush Of the
resounding wheels. That tempted man
may have had moral character enough
to break the green withes Of ten thousand
Philistine allurements, but he has been
overcome by coaxing.
Two young men passing down this
street come opposite drinking saloon,
with red lantern hing out from the
door to light men to perdition.
Let us go in" says one.
mo, WON'T" says the othor; II never
go to such places"
'.Now, you don't say you are as weak
Us that. Why, have been going there
for two years and it hasn't hurt me.
Come, come, now, be q man. If you can't
stand any thing stronger, take a little
sherry. You need 20 see the world as 1t
is. / don't believe in intemperanoe any
more than you. / can stop drinking just
when | want TO. You shall 60. Now,
come right along"
Persuasion had conquered. Samson
yields TO the coaxing and there is carni-
val In hell that night among the Philis-
tines. and they shout:
'fial hal We've got him"
Those who have the kindest and most
sympathetic natures are the most iu dam
49,. -