Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1900-02-21
SERMON
Rev. DR.. CaInlae<

kV. w. CdImdG<s
Subject: Tho Responsibility OF Those Whs
| Are Well and StronE-Physiesl Energy
Not Indicative OF Spiritual Power
Fight tho battles OF the Weak.
| Copyright lsool
| WASHINGTON, D. C.-In this discourse Dr.
| Talmage sets forth the responsibility OF
| those who are strong and we'll, as In q
| abled and ''the shut In, >" text, Judges xiv.
I, And Samson went down to Timnath.' u
! There are two sides to the character o
Samson. The one phase OF his life, IL fol-
lowed into the particulars, would admins
/ ter to the grotesque and the mirtifui but
there Is a phase Of his character fraughi
| 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 20 be. 1t Is al
| most always so. There were two Napoleons
tho 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 betrothei to
the daughter OF d Philistine. Going down
toward Timnath. a lion came out upon
him, and, although this young giant was
long name and shook him as a hungry
hound shakes u 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 stnEds, looming up above other
men, q 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 shoul-
ders, adding to his bulk ferceness and ter
ror. The Philistines want to conquer him.
and therefore they must fin l out where
the secret OF his strength lies.
There is an evil woman livin in the val
ley Of Sorek by the name OF Delilan. They
appoint her the agent in the case. The
ing, and then DELLA goes to work and
coaxes Samson to tell what Is the secret OF
his strength. "Well." he says. 'if you take
seven green withes such as they fasten
wild beasts with and put them around me
should be perfectly powerless." So
she binds him with the seven green withes.
Then she claps her hands and says, 'rhey
come-the Philistines!" and he walks out
as though there were no impediment. She
coaxes him again and says, Nov, tell me
tO0 SECRET OI tutS HIoht s.EouStu. anu He
replies, "If 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 houts,
"They come-the Philistines!' He walks
out as easily as he did before--not a single
he says, Now. II you should take these
seven long plaits OF hair and by this house
loom weave them into o web, I could not
get away" So the house loom is rolled
mp, and the shuttle flies backward and for
card, and the Tong plaita OF hair are woven
into web. Then she claps her hands and
says, ''They come-the Philistinesl" He
walks out as easily as he did before, dra 8
cling part OF the loom with him.
But after awhile she persuadess him I.
tell the truth. He says. III you should
take a razor or shears and cut of this lon.
hair. I 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
| is called in. You know that the BARRIERS
Of manipulating the head to this very day
that, instead Of waking upa sleeping man, /,
| they will put II man wide awake sound
asleep. 1 hear the blades of the shear.
grinding against each other, aud see the
long locks falling of. The shears or razor
ropes and house loom could not do. Sud.
denly she claps her hands and says, "The
Philistines be upon thee, Samson!' He
rouses up with a 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 l see him stag
gerin8 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 horl-
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 Guzai
First of all, behold In this giant of the
text that physical power is not always an
index OF moral power. He was Il huge man
the lion found 1t out and the 5000 men
whom he slew found 1t out; yet he was the
subject OF petty revenges and outgianted
by low passion. 1 am far from throwing
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
Of every Christian. Gymnastics may be
positively religious.
Good people sometimes ascribe to a
wicked heart what they ought to ascribe
to q slow liver. The body and soul are
such near neighbors that they often catch
each others diseases. Those who never
saw . sick day and who. like Hercules,
show the giant In the cradle have more to
answer for than those who are the sub
jects of lifelong infrmities. He who can
twice as far and work twice as long will
have a double account to meet in the ia ig-
ment.
How often 1t is that you do not find
physical energy indicative OF spiritual
powerl II clear head is worth more than
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 as
We have capacity to assimilafe food. Our
spiritual hearing ought to be as good as
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 VIII.
realize that they ought to use their money
Alright and use their intelligence aright,
how few men you find aware OF the fact
that they ought to use their physical Or
ganism arightl With every thump Of the
heart there Is something saying: "Worki
Worki'' And lest we should com plain that
We have no tools to work with, God gives
us our hands and feet, with every knuckle
and with every joint and with every muscle
saying to US, Lay hold and do something"
But how often 1t is that men with physi-
cal strength do not serve Christi They are
like q ship full manned and fully rigged.
| capable Of vast tonnage, able to endure all
stress Of weather, yet swinging idly at .he