The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1889-10-17
TA1MAGE'S SERMON.
The Brooklyn Divine Discourses
on Samson's Mistake.
Iow the Giant Was Tempted and Be
trayed by Delilah, the Philistine Wo-
man-Some of tho Ways in Which
Other Strong Men Get Their
Locks Shorn.

Judges xvi. 8: "Entice him, and see where
in his great strength lieth, and by what
means we may prevail against him, that we
NAV bind him to afflict him; and we Will
give thee every ore of US eleven hundred
pieces OF silver" The sermon was as fol-
lows:
One thousand pounds, or about live thou
sand dollars of our money, were thus offered
for the capture of d giant. 1t would take
skillful photographer to picture Samson as
he really was The most facial words are
not supple enough to describe him. He was
a giant and a child; the conQueror and the
defeated; able to snap the lions jaw, and
vet captured by the sight of maiden. he
was ruler and slave; a commingling OF Vir-
tue and vice, the sublime and the rldlcu-
lous; sharp enough to make good riddle,
and yet weak enough to be caught in the
most superficial stratagem; honest enough
to settle his debt, and yet outrageously rob-
bing somebody else to get the material to
pay It; miracle and scofing; crown
ing glory and burning shame. There he
stands, looming up above other men,
mountain Of flesh: his arms punched with
muscle that cae lift the gate of a city; TAX
ing an attitude defiant of armed men and
wild beasts. His hair had never been cut,
and it rolled down in several great plaits
over his shoulders. adding to his ierceness
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 Phillstlnes
are secreted in the same building. and then
l.1-l- n<.a ynC q M
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 she binds him
with the seven green withes. Then she
claps her hands and says: ''They come
the Phlistinesm and he walks out as though
there was No impeachment She coaxes him
>again, and says: Now tell me the secret
OF this great strength" and he replies: III
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 those seven
long ats Of hair and by this house loom
we them into web ! could not get
a. T." So the house loom is rolled up, and
shuttle flies backward and forward, and
lie long plaits of hair are woven into |eb.
Chen she claps her hands and says: 'They
come! the Philistines."
He walks out as easily as he did before,
dragging part of the loom with him. But
after while she persuades him to tell the
truth. He SAYS: "If you shouldeakea razor,
or shears, and cut off this long hair, tshould
be powerless. and in the hands OF my enc
mics" 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 skillful
way Of manipulating the head, to this very
day they will put man, wide awake, sound
asleep. hear the blades of the shears
grinding against each other, and see the
hong locks falling of. The shears, or razor
acco1.c&isbes what green withes, and new
ropes. and house loom could not do. Sud-
denly she claps her hands and says: "The
Philistines be upon thee, Samsonw He
rouses up with struggle, but his strength
is all gone! He is in the hands Of his enc
mics! hear the groan of the giant as they
take his eyes out, and then see him stag
gering on in his blindness, feeling his way,
as he goes on toward GAIA The prison door
is opened, and the giant is thrust in Hesits
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 con-
sternation of the world in captivity, his
locks shorn, his eyes punctured, grinding
corn in GAIA. In previous sermon on this
character learned some lessons, but an
other class of lessons are before US now.
Learn first how very strong people are
sometimes coaxed into great imbecilities.
Sampson had no right to reveal the secret of
his strength. Delilah's first attemptto find
out is failure. He says: ''Green wthes
will bind me-" but it was a. failure. Then
he says: "a new rope will hold me-" but
that also was failure. 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.
Unimportant actions in life that involve no
moral principle may without injury be sub
jected to ardent persuasicns. but us soon as
you have come to the line that separates
right from wrong, no inducement or blan-
dishment ought to make you step over It.
d
Christian household and taught sacredly to
observe the Sabbath. Sunday comes; you
want fresh air. Temptation says: Sunday
is Just like other days; now don't be higoted;
we will ride forth among the works of God;
the whole earth is His temple; We will not
90 into any designations; come. now, have
the carriage engaged and we will be back
soon enough to go to church in the evening;
4 al -
be no worse for a ride in the country; the
blossoms are out and they say every thing
is glorious swell will go to please YOU"
is the response. And out they 60 over the
street, conscience drowned in the clatter OF
the swift hoofs and the rush of the re.
sounding wheels. That tempted man may
have had moral character enough to break
the green withes of ten thousand Philstine
allurements, but he has been overcome by
ooaxing.
Two young men passing down the street
come opposite drinking saloon with red
lantern hung out from the door to light men
to perditior. "Let us 90 ill.," says one. mo
] WON'T" says the other; II never go to
such places" Now, you don't say you are
rs weak as that. Why, have been going
there for two years and it hasn't hurt me-
Come, come now be a man. If YOU can't
stand any ,uiug stronger, take little sner.
ry You need 10 see the world as il is. /
don't believe in intemperance any moro than
you. can stop drinking just when want
to. You shall GO Now, come right along"
Persuasion has conquered. Sapison yields
to the coaxing and there is carnival in hell
that night among the Philistnes and they
shout, 'Ha! ha! We've got him" Those
who have the kindest and most sympathetic
natures arc the most in danger. Your very