Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1900-02-16
REV. Or. TALMAGE.
THE EMINENT DIVINE'S SUNDAY
DISCOURSE.
Subject; The Responsibility OF Those Who
Are Well and Strong-Physical Energy
Not Indicative of Spiritual Power
Fight the Battles of the Weak.

SUBJECT: Ihe Responsibility OF those VINO
Are Well and Strong-Physicsl Energy
Not Indicative of Spiritual Power
Fight the Battles of the Weak.
copyright 1901
WASHINGTON, d. Gin this discourse DIR.
Talmage sets forth the responsibility OF
those who are strong and we'll, as in a
former discourse he preached to the dis
abled and "the shut in" text, Judges XIV,
/, "And Samson went down to Tlmnath."
There are two sides to the character Of
Samson. The one phase OF his life, IL fol-
lowed into the particulars, would admins
ter to the grotesque and the mirthful, but
there is a phase OF his character fraught
with lessons OF SOLEMN and eternal import.
To these graver lessons we devote our
sermon.
This giant no doubt in early life gave
evidences Of what he was to be. 1t Is al
most always so. There were two Napoleons
the boy Napoleon and the man Napoleon
but both alike; two Howards-the boy
Howard 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 play
ground, and nothing could stand before
his exhibition of youthful prowess. At
eighteen years of age he was betrothed to
the daughter Of Philistine. Going down
toward Timnath, q lion came out 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 March hare and made his
bones crack and left him by the wayside
bleeding under the shifting 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 seven great plaits over his shout
ders, adding to his bulk ferceness and ter
ror. The Philistines want to conquer him,
and therefore they must find out where
the secret Of his strength lies.
There Is an evil woman living in the val
ley Of Sorek by the name OF Delilan. They
APPOINT her the agent In the case. The
Philistines are secreted In the same build
ing, and then Delila1 goes to work and
coaxes Samson to tell what is the secret OF
his strength. "Well," he says, "lf you take
seven green withes such as they fasten
wild beasts with and put them around me
l should be perfectly powerless." So
she binds him with the seven green withes.
Then she claps her hands and says, "They
come-the Philistines!" and he walks out
as though there were no impeachment. She
coaxes him again and says, "Now, tell me
the secret Of this great strength" And he
replies, eff 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 ropes. claps her hands and shouts,
"They come-the Philistinesr' He walks
out as easily as he did before not a 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 for
ward, and the long plaits of hair are woven
says, "They come-the Philistines'' He
walks out as easily as he did before, drag
cling part of the loom with him.
But after awhile she persuades him to
tell the truth. He says, eff you should
take razor or shears and cut off this long
hair, 1 should be powerless and In the
hands of my enemies" Samson sleeps, and
that she may not wake him up dur.
ing the process Of shearing, help
oil the East have such skillful way
OF manipulating the head to this very day
that, instead Of waking upa sleeping man,
they will put q man wide awake sound
asleep. I hear the blades of the shears
grinding against each other, and l see the
long locks falling off. The shears or razor
accomplishes 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, SamsonP He
rouses up with struggle, but his strength
is all gone. He is in the hands Of his en-.
emies.
hear the groan OF the gian. 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 open, and the giant is thrust In.
He sits down and puts his hands on the
mill crank, which, with exhausting hort.
zontal motion, goes day after day, week
after week, month after month-work,
work, work! The CONSERVATION of the
world in captivity. his locks shorn, his
eyes punctured, grinding corn in Gazal
First of all, behold In this giant OF the
text that physical power Is not always an
index of moral power. He was huge man
the lion found 1t out and the 5000 men
whom he slew found it out; yet he was the
subject OF petty revenges and outgianted
by low passion. am far from throwing
any discredit upon physical stamina.
There are those who seem to have great
admiration for delicacy and sickness Of
constitution. never could see any glory
In weak nerves or sick headache. What
ever effort 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 may be
positively religious.
Good people sometimes ascribe to o
wicked heart what they ought to ascribe
toa slow liver. The body and soul are
such near neighbors that they often 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 than those who are the SUBJ
jects of lifelong inflrmities. He who can
lift twice as much as you can and walk
twice as fur and work twice as long will
have double account to meet In the judg.
ment.
How often 1t is that you do not fln6
physical energy indicative OF spiritua
powerl II clear head Is worth more thar
one dizzy with perpetual vertigo, II muscles
with the play OF health In them are worth
more than those drawn up in chronic
"rheumatics," II an eye quick to catch
passing objects is better than one with
vision dim and uncertain, then God will
require Of US efficiency just in proportion
to what He has given as. Physical energy
ought to be type of moral power. We
ought to have as good digestion OF truth az
we have capacity to assimilate food. Our
spiritual hearing ought to be as good az
our physical hearing. Our spiritual taste
ought to be as clear as our tongue. Sam.
sons In body, we ought to be giants In moral
power.
But while you find great many men who
realize that they ought to use their money
Alright and use their intelligence Alright,
how few men you find aware OF the fact
that they ought to use their physical or.
ganism arightl With every thump OF the