The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1900-02-16
A WORK FOR THEM.
Dr.. Talnage breaches on the Duties
Of the Strong.
Responsibilities Resting Upop Tbo..
Who Possess Physical Power 70
Do the Lords Norl-Th.
Value Of Health.
copyright, 1900, by Louis K!opscb 7
oghir

'asHi!ISt ION,
In this discourse DR.. TaInare GOT,
forth the responsibility of those who
are strong and well, as in a forme,
discourse he preached to the disabled
and the shut in" text. Judges. 14.t.
And Samson went down I 0 Timnatb ;,
There are two sides to the cborac,or
OF Samson. The one phase Of his life,
If followed into particulars, would adj
mlnlsterto the grotesque and the mirth-
1ul. But there is a phase of his char.
ncfer fraught with lessons Of solemn
ana 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 almost always so. There were
TWO Na~poleons-the boy Napoleon and
the mar Napo!eon-hut both alike; W
H~owards-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 playground,
and nothing could stand before his cy-
hlbitlons of youthful proves. At is
years of age he was betrothed 10 the
daughter of a philiStine. Going down
toward Ttmnoth. a 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 a 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
otller men, a mountain of flesh, his
arms punched with muscles that can
lift the gate of a city, taking an atti-
tude detan of everything. His hair
had never been cut, and it rolled down
IN several great plaits over his Shout
ders, adding to his bulk. fierceness and
terror. The Philistines want to oroue
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 Dclilah.
They appoint her the agent in the case.
The Philistines are secreted in the same
building, and then Dclilah goes to work
and coaNes Samson to tell what is the
secret of his strength. "Well," he saws,
"if you should take seven withes such
as they faster wild beasts with. and
put them around me. | should be per
fcctly powerless." So she binds him
with the seven green wilhes. Then she
claps her hands and says: "They come
the Philistines!" and he walks out
as though there were no impediment.
She coaXes him again, and says: ".Now
tell me the secret Of this great
strength" and 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 ,
tied him with the ropes, claps her hands
and shouts: "They romc-the Philis- .
%tines." He walks out as easily as he ,
did before-not a single obstruction. o.,
She coaXesh him again, and he "Now, ,
IT you should take these seven long J.
plaits Of hair and by this house loom =,
weave them into n web, | could not get /;
So the house loom is rolled g
up. and the shuttle flies backward and =,
forward, and the long plaits of hair are =
woven into a web. Then she clapS Ter .
hands and says: "They come-the 4
Philistines," He walks out as easily as s
he did before, dragging a part of the !,
loom with him. f
But after awhile she persuades him O.
to tell the truth. He says: "If YOU h
should take a razor or shears ana cut !.
of this long hair, should be power ."
less and in the hands of my enemies" r
sleeps. and that she may not 8,
him up during the process Of e1
help is called in. You know n
hat the BARRIERS of the east have such fc
skillful way of manipulating the head re
o this very day that instead of waking W
Up a Sleeping nan they will put a man
vide awake sound asleep. | hear the m,
'lades of the shears grinding against hi
ach other, and l see the long locks er
alling off. The shears or razor accom- st;
what green withes and new kn
opes and house loom could not do. wi
uddenly she claps her hands and says: of
The Philistines be upon thee, Sam be
on!' He rouses up with a struggle, ev
ut his strength is all gone. He is in wi
hands of his enemies. mi
l hear the groan of the giant as they sia
Ike his eyes out, and then | see him sid
.aggering on in his blindness. feeling me
is way as he goes on toward GAIA. no,
he pTson door is open, and the giant nil
Thrust in Ha cite I,,,, ,.J 800. n
on the mill crank, which with or
lhausting horizontal motion. goes day TO
ter day. week after week. month aft let
month-work, work. work. The fra
'nsternation OF the world in captivity. ror
S locks sborn, his eyes punctured. unit
'inding corn in GAIA. elet
First of all. behold in this giant of up
e text that physical W is not glo
ways an index Of moral power. He to
a huge man-the lion found it out. piti
ID the 5000 men whom he slew found abr
out; yet he was the subject Of petty pit
and o%utgianted by low pas our
m. | am far from throwing any dis moi
ndit upon physical stamina. There and
E those who seem to have great ad- of {
ration for delicacy and sickness of y
Institution. never could see any hon
Try in weak nerves or sick headache. gio,
1atever effort in our day j. made TO gull
Ike the men and women more robust mort
ould Gave the favor of every good the
izen as well as of every Christian. tens
mnastics may be positively religious. en- .
food people sometimes ascribe to a imp,
,ked heart whatthey ought to ascribe mere
a slow liver. The body and the soul mars
such near neighbors that they often your