The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-02-23
DUTY OF THE STRONG.
REV. Or. TAIMAGE BREACHES ON CON-
SEGRATED MUSCLE.
The Responsibilities Resting Upon
Those Who Possess Physical Power
to Do the Lords work-The Value
Of Health,

IL THIS discourse LIT. 1dImdSe seS
forth the responsibility of those who
are strong and well. as in a farmer dis
course he preached to the disabled and
the shut in" text, Judges xiv, land
Samson went down to Timnath."
There are two sides of the charac-
tee of Samson. The one phase of his
life. il followed into particulars, would
administer to the grotesQue and the
mirthful. But there is a phase of his
character fraught with lessons Of SOL
emR and eternal import To these
graVer lesson We devote our sermon.
This giant nc doubt in early life gave
evidences of what he was to be. 1t is
almost always SO. There were two Ma
poleons-the boy Napoleon and the
man N~apoleon-but both alike; two
Howards-the boy Howard n the
man Howard-but both alike; two
Samsons-the boy Samson and the
man Samson-but both alike. This gil
ant was no doubt the hero of the play
ground. and nothing could stand before
his exhibitions of youthful prowess. AT
16 years of age he was betrOthed to
the daughter of a Philistine. Going
down toward Timnath, a lion came out
upon him, and although this young gil
ant Was weapOnless he seized the mon
ster by the long name and shook him
as a hungry hound shakes a March
hare and made his bones crack and
left nina 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 of flesh, his
arms punched with muscle that can
lift the gate of a city, taking an attl-
tude defiant of everything. His hair
had never been cut, and it rolled down
in sever great plaits over his hou
ders, adding to his bulk, f~ierceness and
terror. 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
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 to tell
what is the secret of his strength.
We'll" he says, IF you should 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, They come-the Philistines!"
and he walks out as though there were
no impediment. She coaXes him again
no nmpediment. 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 n tie me with
them, i should be just like other men,
She ties him with the ropes, clasps her
hands and shouts, They come-the
Phnistines!" He walks out as easily as
he did before-not a single Obstruc-
ton She coaxes him again, and he says
Now, if you should take these seven
Ions plaits of hair and by this house
loom weave them into a web, l could
not get away" So the house loom is
rolled up, and the shuttle flies back
ward forward, n the long plaits
of hair are woven into a web. Then she
clasps her hands and says, They
come-the Ph~ilistines," He walks out
as easily as he did before, dragging a
part of the loom with him.
SHOW OF STRENGTH.
But after awhile she persuades him
to tell truth. He says, IF you should
AXE a razor or shears and cut off this
long hair, / should be powerless and In
the lands of my enemies Samson
sleeps, and that she may not wake him
up during the process of Shearlng help
is called in. You know that the BARRIERS
OF the east have such a 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
sound asleep. / hear the blades or the
shears grinding against each other land
I see the long locks falling off. The
shears or razor accompl1SheS Wnat
green withers and new ropes and house
loom could not do. Suddenly she clasps
her hands and says, THE Philistines
be upsn thee, Samson!" He rouses up
with a struggle, but his strength; is all
gene He is in the hands of his
enemies.
hear the groan of the giant as they
take his eyes out, and then 1 see him
staggering on in his blindness, feeling
his way as he goes on toward GAIA.
The prison door is open, and the giant
is thrust He sits down and puts his
hands on the mill crank, which with
e~xhausting horizontal motion goes day
after day, week after week. month af-
ter month-work, work, work! The
CONSERVATION of the world in eaptiVl-
ty, his locks shorn, his eyes punctured,
grinding corr in GaZat
First of all, behold in this giant OF
the text that physical power Is not al
ways an index of moral power. he
was a huge mantle lion found 1t out.
and the 5000 men whom he slew found
1t out; yet he was the subject of petty
and outgianted by low pas
sion- L am far from any ols-
credit upon physical stamina. There
arAfhose who seem to have great ad-
nirAion for delicacy and sickness OF
constr alton. l never could see any
glory fnAveak nerves or sick
Whatevef@sfort in our day is made to
make the men and women more ROBUST
should have the favor of every gooo
citizen as we'll as Of every Christian
Gymnastics may be positively relig-
lens.
aosd people sometimes ascribe TO a
wicked heart what they ought to as
critic TO q slow liver. The body and the
soul are such heal 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 subjects OF lifelong
1nfrmities. He who car lift twice as
nueh az you can and walk twice as
far, and work twice as long, will have
q dssble account to meet in the judg-
nent.
Hsv often II is that you do not find
yhysical energy indicative Of spiritual
power! II a clear head is worth more