Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1897-12-13

THE GIANT SAMSON.
sIIS STRENGTH THE SUBJECT OF REV.
DR.. TALMAGE'S SERMON

The Treacherous DeIilah and Her Work.
Samson's Misguided Strength-The Weak
- That Are Strong and That Are Weak.
fCopyright. 1897 by American Press Assoc
ciation.l
WASHINGTON, Dec. 12.-Taking the
exciting story of Samson's fall as a 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
nath.'
There are two sides to the character
of Samson. The one phase of his life, if
followed into the particulars, would adj
minister to the grotesque and mirthful,
but there is a 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
and the man Howard-but both alike;
two Samsons- 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 proves. At
IS years of age he was betrothed to the
daughter of d Philistine. 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 q hun
cry hound shakes March hare and
made his bones crack and left him by
the waysido bleeding under the shifting
of his fist and the grinding heft of his
heel.
There he stands, looming up above
other men, mountain of flesh, his arms
punched with muscle that can lift the
gate of q city, taking an attitude defiant
of every thing. His hair had never been
cut, and it rolled down in seven great
plaits over his shoulders, adding to his
bulk fierceness and terror. The Philis-
tines want to conquer him, and there
fore they must find out where the secret
of his strength lies.
Tho TrcacEeros.s Delilsii.
There is q dissolute woman living in
the valley of Sorek of the name CT De-
lilah. They appoint her the agent in the
case The Philistines are secreted i'll the
same building, and then Delilah goes to
work and coaxes Samson to tell what is
the secret of his strength. "Well, he
says, elf you should take seven green
withes, such as they fasten wild beasts
with, ard 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 Philistinesr' And he walks
out as though they were DO impeachment.
She coaxes him again and says, "Now
tell me tho secret Of this great strength"
And he replies, tIf 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,
t'They como - the Philistinesr' 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 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 a
web. Then she olaps her hands and says,
f'They come - the -Philistines - 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, eff you
should take q razor or shears and cut off
this long hair, should be powerless 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 q skillful way of
manipulating the head to this very day
that instead of waking up a sleeping
man they will put 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, 1.-The Philistines be
upon thee, Samson 90 He rouses up with
a struggle, but his strength is all gone.
He is III the hands Of his enemies.
Outgianted by Low Passion.
hear the groan 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 III. He 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-work, work, work. The con-
Eternation Of the world in captivity, his
locks shorn, his eyes punctured, grind
ing corn in GAIA.
First of all behold III this giant Of
the text that physical power is not al