The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1900-04-14
TALMAGE
SERMON.

~
Subject; The Responsibility Of Those Who
Are Well and Strong-Physical Energy
Not Indicative of Spiritual Power
Fight the Battles of the Weak.
copyright 1sool
WARRINGTON, d. Gin this discourse DR..
Talmage sets forth the responsibility OF
those who are strong and we'll, as in q
former discourse he preached to the dis
| abled and "the shut In" text, Judges xiv.
/, "And Samson went down to Timnath."
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 mirtiful, 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 70 be. Il IS all
! most always so. There were two Napoleons
the boy Napoleon and tho man Napoleon
but both alike; two Howards-the boy
Howard and the man Howard-but both
| nike; two Samsons-the boy Samson and
the man Samson-bat both alike. This
| giant was no doubt tho hero OF the play
ground, and nothing could stand before
| his exhibition OF youthful proves. At
| the daughter OF Il Philistine. Going down
| toward Timnath, lion came out upon
| him, and, although this young giant was
| weaponless, he seized the monster by the
| long name and shook him rs q hungry
| hound shakes Il March hare and mado his
bones crack and left him by the wayside
| bleeding under the shifting OF his list and
| the grinding heft OF his heel.
| There he stands, looming up above other
| men, O 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 1t rolled
| down seven great plaits over his shoul-
| ders, adding to mis- bulk fierceness 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 d Gillian. They
appoint her the agent in the case The
| Philistines are secreted in tho Same build
ing, and then Delilah 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 mo
| should be perfectly powerless." So
| she binds him with the seven green withes.
| Then she claps her hands and says, "They
| come-the Pbilistines!" and he walks out
as though there were no impeachment. She
|
| the secret OF this great strength" And ne
replies, you should take some ropes that
| have never been used, and tie me with them
| I 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 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 n 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 wob. Then she claps her hands and
| says, "They come--the Philistinesi' He
walks out as easily as he did before, drag
ging part OF the loom with him.
| But after awhile she persuades him tc
| tell the truth. He says, "If you should
take razor or shears and cut Off this long
hair, I should be powerless and in the
| hands of my enemies" Samson sleeps. and
| that she may not wake him up dnr'
ing the process Of shearpg, hell
Is called in. You know that the barber:
| oil the East have such n skillful way
| of manipulating the head to this very day
that, instead Of waking up a sleeping man,
they will put a man wide awake sounC
asleep. I hear the blades of the shear:
grinding against each other, and see the
long locks falling off. The shears or razor
ascomplishes what green withes and new
| rbpes and house loom could not do. Sud
denly she claps her hands and says, 9Th,
Philistines be upon thee. Samson!" He
rouses up with struggle, but his strength
Is all gone. He is in the hands OF his en-
emies.
I hear the groan OF the gian. as they
| take his eyes out, and then l 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 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 daaai
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 ii out and the 5000 men
whom he slew found 1t out; yet he was the
subject OF petty reyenges 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 oil
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 wollp:
/ OF every Christian. Gymnastics may be
positively religious.
| Good people sometimes ascrbe to q
wicked heart what they ought to ascribe
TO slow liver. The body and soul are
such near nelghbors that they often catct
each others diseases. Those who never
saw sick day and who, like Hercules
show the giant in the cradle have more tc
I answer for than those who are the sub
| iects OF lifelong infirmities. He who car
i lit twice. as much as you can and wall
twice as far and work twice as long vii
have double account to meet In the Judg
ment.
Il How often It is that you do not fnt
i physical energy indicative OF spirltua
powerl III clear head Is worth more thai
one dizzy with perpetual vertigo, II muscle!
with the play OF health in them are wortl
moro than those drawn up in chroni,
"rheumatlcs," IL an eye quick to catcl
passing objects Is better than one with
vision dim and uncertain, then God vii
require OF US efficiency just in proportioi
to what He has given az. Physical energy
ought to be a type OF moral power. W.
ought to have rs good digestion OF truth "a
we have capacity to assimilate food. Gu
spiritual hearing ought TO be es good n
our physical hearing. Our spiritual TASTE
ought to be ms clear as our tongue. Sam
sons In body, we ought to be giants In mora
, power.
But while you find great many men VIII
realize that they ought to use their none,
Alright and use their intelligence Alright
how few men YOU find aware of the fac
that thew ought to use their physical or
u ganism Alright! With every thump OF tn
Laa~t ttara 10 uomothfnO aayinC. rWQrk