The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1891-03-26
CHURCH LOCALS
AND RELIGIOUS NOTES OF GENER.
AL INTEREST.
"DIED Abner as the fool ,dieth. >

"BEHoLD have played the fool
and erred exceedingly" Bible.
CALAIS. my brother r' "AIas my
brother" "Alas, my brother.l'
The literal meaning of the word
Samson, is strength. He was the
strong man. Standing in the midst
Of the men Of generations gone,
when the world was in a state of
adolesence--childhoo = intellectu-
ally, religiorsly, civllly, politically,
and in every other way, there are
men towering above all, as huge
noun tains overlooking all hills and
valleys. These are Gods object
lessons-pictures of things-that He
would have us learn from.
AMONG these is the Patriarch,
Abraham, the man of faith and the
friend Of God" Before him, is
Enoch, who walked with God"
and was translated, not tasting
death. In the son of Enoch,
"the Oldest man. In Abel the first
martyr and in Cain the first MUIR
dererer. In Isaac, the child of prom
Use and the father of kings. In
Moses, the w-giver and the man
OF meekness. In David, the wise
king and the man of obedience. In
Soloman the wisest man of all. and
in Samson the strongest man.
In the study of these pictures, we
learn great lessons and see Gods
hrst.principles of real life. We be-
hold great things combined with lit
tie things. just as in the child now
we see the prophecy of manhood, in
great things joined with little
things, so we understand Gods rev.
Citations to the world through these
men, who in all things, were but as
little children, and yet as giants re-
freshed with new wine, strong and
wise in great things.
The strength in, Samson, the wis
dom in Solomon, the meekness in
Moses, the faith in Abraham-all
the good in all these men, was from
God, just as all good aud no evil, is
from God to-day and has been from
the beginning. The good in all men
is the gift from above. The evil in
any one of these, or in any man, to-
day, is from below, in and of them
selves ''But every man is tempted
when he is drawn away of his own
lust, and enticed." "When lust
hath Conceived it bringeth forth sin;
and sin, when it is finished, bring.
eth forth DEATH"
And Sampson awoke out OF his
sleep, and said, | will go out, as at
other times before, and shake my
self. And he visit not that the
Lord was departed from him." He
had lost all power to resist evil and
did not know it. Samson's strength
physically answers to the spiritual
strength of God in men. AS the
strong man then lost his power to
defend himself against his combined
enemies, SO men now lose all spirit
ual power to resist evil. AS he
went down and out into darkness,
so men go down now and become
the sport and play things of demons.
He did not become thus power
less in one act. He lost his secret
by degrees. He fell in the fourth
temptation of his Delilah. These
Delilah's of to-day and of all days.
are the incarnated demons leading
men astray. All men are either
developed into strength and real
manhood, or TALL into shame and
disgraceful failure, through tempta-
ton and trial. Sampson had all of
strength, until by degrees, he reach
ed a moment Of weakness when he
yielded up his secret and went down
into blindness, wreck and ruin.
Sad, beyond measure, is the picture.
And yet, we have such pictures be-
fore us call the day long"
No man ever becomes a hopeless
drunkard filthy or unclean man
confirmed and shameless liar;
profane and hardened man; a COW
etous man, and lover of money; a
lover of pleasure more than a lover
OF God" a profigAte and disgrace
to his name and species; a neglector
and hater of Gods house and wor-
shipper, in one act, BY degrees he
reaches this woeful condition--be-
comes weakling and helpless Sam
son, step by step. Yielding now,
under the persuasion that he can
stop, at his own option, he finds
himself bound hand and foot and
goes down in disgrace and ruin.
Alas, my brother. Though little
before, Samson, whose strength is
limitless, now he is the hopeless
sport of demon appetite-of passion