Connecticut western news., 1897-12-16
THE GIANT SAMSON.
HIS STRENGTH THE SUBJECT or REV. | DR. TAlMAGe'S SERMON.

sAncti6ed Muscle and What It Can Do- The Treacherous Delilah and Her Work. samson's Misguided Strength-The Weak TCopyright. 1S97 by American Press Asso-
 ciation.l
 WASHINGTON, Dec. 12.-Taking the exciting story of Samson s fall as sug- gestion, Dr. Talmage in this discourse shows how giants in body and mind or soul ought to be consecrated to good and great purposes. His text is Judges xiv, 1, And Samson went down to Tim hath. "
 There are two sides to the character of Samson. The one phase of his life, if followed into the particulars, would ad- minister to the grotesque and mirthful, but there is phase of his character fraught with lessons of solemn and eter- nal import. To these graver lessons we devote our sermon. This giant no doubt in early life gave evidences of what he was to be. It is almost always so. There were two Napoleons-the boy Napo- leon and the man Napoleon-but both alike; two Howards-the boy Howard
 
 two Samsons-the boy Samson and the man Samson-but both alike. This giant was no doubt the hero of the play ground, and nothing could stand before his exhibitions of youthful prowess. At IS years of age he was betrothed to the daughter of 8 Philistine. Going down toward Timnath, Q lion came upon him, and, although this young giant was weaponless, he seized the monster by the long mane and shook him as hun gry hound shakes March hare and made his bones crack and left him by the wayside bleeding under the smiting of his fist and the grinding heft of his heel.
 There he stands, looming up above other men, a mountain of flesh, his arms punched with muscle that can lift the gate of city, taking an attitude defiant of everything. His hair had never been cut, and 1t rolled down in seven great plAits over his shoulders, adding to his bulk fieroeness and terror. The Philis- tines want to conquer him, and there fore they must find out where the secret of his strength lies.
 Th0 TfoocnerOus DellRh.
 There is dissolute woman living in tho valley of Sorek of the name of De lilah. They appoint her the agent in the case. The Philistines 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, eff you should take seven green withes. such as they fasten wild beasts with, and put them around me I should be perfectly powerless. So she binds him with the seven green withes Then she claps her hands and says, "They come-the Philistinesi" And he walks out as though they were no impeachment. She ooaxes 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 mo with them, should be just like other men," She ties him with the ropes, claps her hands and shouts, "They come the Philistinesl'' He walks out as easily as he did before not 8 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 8 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 Philistinesr' He walks out as easily as he did before, dragging part of the loom with him.
 But after awhile she persuaded him to tell the truth. He says, If you should take razor or shears and cut off this long hair, I should be powerless and in the hands of my enemies" '" Samson sleeps, and that she may not wake him up during tho process of shearing help is called in. You know that the barbers of the east have such skillful way of manipulating the head to this very day that instead of waking up sleeping man they will put a man wide awake sound asleep. hear the blades of the shears grinding against each other, and I 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 her hands and says, "The Philistines be upon thee. Samsonp' He rouses up with struggle, but his strength is all gone. He is in the hands of his enemies.
 Outgianted by Low Passion.
 hear the groan of tho 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 Gaza. The prison door is open, and the giant is thrust in. He sits down and puts his hand on .ne 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, grind ing corn in Gaza.
 First of all behold in this giant of the text that physical power is not al ways an index of moral power. He was huge man. The lion found it out, and the 8, 900 men whom he slew found it out, yet he was the subject of petty re- venges and outgianted by low passion l am far from throwing any discredit upon physical stamina. There are those who seem to have great admiration for delicacy and sickliness of constitution. 1 never could see any glory in weak nerves or sick headache. Whatever ef- fort in our day is made to make the men and women more robust should have the favor of every good citizen as we'll as of every Christian. Gymnastics pay be positively religious.
 Good people sometimes asoribe to a wicked heart what they ought to as- oribe to slow liver. The body and the soul are such near neighbors that they nften catch each others diseases Those who never saw a sick day, and who like Hercules, show the giant in the cradle, have more to answer for thar those who are the subjects of lifelong infrmities. He who can lift twice a: much as you can and walk twice as fan and work twice as long will have g