The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1897-12-24
SANCTIFIED POWERS.
Dr.. Telmaee Draws Lessons From
the Story of Samson.
Physical Powers In the Service of the
Master-The Dedication OF God
Given Strength of Mind and
Body to Gods Service.

In the following sermon Rev. L. De-
Witt Talmage uses the story of Samson
as illustrating how the powers of phys
ical and intellectual giants, should be
dedicated TO good and great purposes.
The text was.
And Samson went down to Timnath-Judges,
xiv, l.
There are two sides to the character
of Samson. The one phase of his life,
if followed into the particulars, would
administer to the grotesQue and mirth-
fui; but there is a phase of his char
meter fraught with lessons of solemn
and eternal import. To these graver
lessons we devote our sermon. This
giant no doubt in early life gave evil
dence of what he was to be. 1t is al
most always so. There were two Ma
poieons-the boy Napoleon and the
man NapOleon-but both alike;
two Towards, the boy How
ard and the man Howard-but both
alike; two Samsons-the boy Samson
and the man SamsOn-but both alike.
This giant was no doubt the hero of
the playground, and nothing could
stand before his exhibitions of youth
full proves. At Is years of age he was
betrothed to the daughter of Philis-
tine. Going down toward Timnath, a
lion came upon him, and, although
this young giant was weapOnless, he
seized the monster by the long name
and shook him as a hungry hound
shakes a March hare, and made his
bones crack, and left him by the way
side bleeding under the shifting of his
fist and the grinding of his heel.
There he stands looming up above
other men, a mountain of flesh, his
arms punched with muscles that can
lift the gate of a city, taking an atti-
tude defiant of everything. His hair
had never been cut, and it rolled down
in seven great plaits over his shoulders,
adding to his bulk, fercenesS and ter
ror The Philistines want to cong uer
him, and therefore they must find out
where the secret of his strength lies
There is a dissolute woman living in
the Valley of Sorel by the name of
Delilah. They appoint her the agent
in the case. The Philistines are Sc
GREETED in the same building, and then
Delilah goes to work and cOaxes Sam
son 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, 1 should be per-
fectly powerless." So she binds him
with the seven green withes. Then
she claps her hands and says: They
come-the Philistinesw and he walks
as though they 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 l should be just
like other men," She ties him with
tue ropes, claps her hands, and shouts:
''They come-the Philstines." He walks
out as easily 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 a web, could not get away"
SO the house-loom is rolled up, and
the shuttle flies backward and for
ward, and the long plaits of hair are
woven into the web. Then she claps
her hands and says: They come-the
Philistinesr' lie 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 a razor or shears and cut
off this long hair l should be power
less and in the hands of my enemies"
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
a skillful way of manipulating the
head TO this very day that, instead of
waking up 4 sleeping man, they will
put a man wide awake sound asleep.
hear the blades of the shears grind
ing against each other, and l see the
long locks falling off. The shears or
razor accCmplishes what green withes
and new ropes and hOuse-lOom could
not do. Suddenly she claps her hands
and SAYS: The Philistiues oe upon
thee, Samson!7 He rouses up with
a struggle, but his strength is
all gone. He is in the hands
of his enemies.
hear the groans of the 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
GAIA. The prison door is open, and
the giant is thrust in. lie sits down
and puts his hand on the mill crank,
which, with exhausting horizontal
motion, goes day after day, week after
week, month after mOnth-wOrR,
work, work! The CONSERVATION of
the world in captivity, his locks shorn,
his eyes punctured, grinding corn in
GAIA!
First of all behold in this giant of
the text that physical power is not al
ways an index of moral power. He
was a huge mantle lion found it out;
and the 5000 men whom he slew found
it out; yet he was the subject of petty
revenges and out-gianted by low pas
sion. l am far from throwing discredit
upon physical stamina. There are
those who seem to have great admira-
ton for delicacy and sickness of con-
stitution. l never could see any glory
in weak nerves or sick headache.
Whatever effort in our day is made to
make weak men and women more ro-
bust should have the favor of every
good citizen as well as of every good
Christian. Gymnastics may be posi-
lively religious.
Good people sometimes ascribe to a
wicked heart what they ought to as
cribe to slow liver. The body and
the soul are such near neighbors that |
they often catch each others disease.
Those who never saw sick daY, and
who, like Hercules, show the giant in