Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-02-16
LESSONS OF IMPORT.
Or. TALMAGE ADVISES MEN OF GREAT
STRENGTH.
Physical Energy Not Indicative
of Spiritual Power - The Strong
Should Fight the Battles of the
Weak.
LCopyright. Louis Klopsch. ~. ]


Should Fight the Battles of the
Weak.
Copyright Louis Klopsch. 19cO.I
WASHINGTON. Feb. li.-In this dis
course DR.. Talmage sets forth the re-
sponsibiity of those who are strong
and well, as in a former discourse he
preached TO the disabled and "the shut
in;" text, Judges xiv, l, And Samson
went down to Timnath.'
There are two sides to the character
OF Samson. The one phase of his life,
IL followed into the particulars. would
administer to the grotesque and the
mirthful. but there is a phase of his
character fraught with lessons OF sol
cmn and eternal import. To these gray
er lessons we devote our sermon.
This giant no doubt i'm early life gave
evidences of what he was 20 be. 1t is
almost always SO. There were two Ma
poleons-thc boy Napoleon ana the
man Napolcon-bu both alike; two
uowards-tEe boy Howard aud the
man Howard but both alike; two
Samsons-th 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 youthful
prowess- At Is years of age he was
betrothed to the daughter of Philis-
tine. 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 n March hare and made his
bones crack and left him by the way
side 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 a city, taking an attitude
defiant of everything. His hair had
never been cut. and it rolled down in
seven great plaits over his shoulders,
adding to his bulk fierceness and ter
ror. The Philistines want 10 conquer
him. and therefore they must find out
where the secret of his strength lies.
There is an evil woman living in the
valley of Sorek by the name OF Delilah
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 10 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
i should be perfectly powerlcss." 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 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. l should be just like other men"
She ties him with ropes, claps her
hands and shouts, "They come-the
Philistines" He walks out as easily
rs he did bcforc-not a single obstruc-
ton. She coaXcs him again. and he
says. Now. II you should take these
seven long plats of hair and by this
house loom weave them into n 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 Philistinesv' He
walks out as easily as he did before,
dragging part OF the loom with him.
In the Enemies Hands.
But after awhile she persuades him
TO tell the truth. He says, "If you
should take razor or shears and cut
OF this long hair. | 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 |
shcaring. help Is called i'm. You know |
that the BARRIERS OF the east have such |
n skillful way OF manipulating the |
head 10 this very day that, instead of |
waking up n sleeping man, they will |
put man wide awake sound asleep. | /
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. Suddenly she claps her hands and
says, THE Phillstines be upon thee.
Samson? He rouscs up with a strug-
gle. but his strength is all gone He is
In the hands of his enemies.
hear the groan OF the giant as they
take his eyes out. and then | see him
staggering on in his blindness. feeling
his way as he goes OH 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 horizontal moton.
goes day after day, week after week,
month after month work. work. work.
The CONSERVATION OF the world In cap
tivity. his locks shorn, his eyes pune
tured. grinding corn in GAIA,
First or all. behold In this giant OF
the text that physical power is not al
ways an Index OF moral power. He
was huge man-th lion found il out
and the 5000 men whom he slew found
IL out; yet he was the subject OF petty
revenges and outgianted by low pas
sion. i am far from throwing any dis
credit upon physical stamina. There
are those who seem 10 have great ad.
niration for delicacy and sickness of
constitution. l never could see any
glory In weak nerves or sick headache.
Whatever effort in our day is made to
make the men and women more ro-
Dust should have the favor of every
good citizen as well as OF every Chris
uan- Gymnastics may be positively
religious.
Good people sometimes ascribe To n
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 diseases.
Ihose 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 subjects of
lifeiong infrrlities. He who can lift
twice as much as you can and walk
twice as far and work twice as long
VIII have double account to meet
N the Judgment
Type OF Power.
How often 1t is that you do not find ,
physical energy indicativr-of sni,ituoI ,