The St. Louis Republic., 1901-07-20
YOUNG PEOPLES SOCIETIES.
Topic, "a Strong Weak Man
Judges xvi, N-30.

young peoples societies tomorrow evening
IS "a Strong, Week Man," founded on
closing scenes in the life of Samson.
The Scene involved is a pitiable one and
Is calculated to arouse lines OF thought not
child of promise. and a Nazarite from his
birth. Two conditions We're imposed by the
Lord. one that he should never drink wine
or strong drink" and the other that no
razor should come upon his head" Early
in his life he was favored with special
manifestations Of the Spirit of the Lord,
perhuman strength. History records In
stances of the display of this strength, and
the last one recorded is in the lesson be-
fore US.
But Samson had his weak points as well
1s his strong points, and perhaps his weak
est point was in his indiscriminate love for
women. One of the first exhibitions re-
corded was in reference to a woman of
Timmath. one of the daughters Of the
ter 10 his parents. they demonstrated say
1ng: is there never daughter among the
daughters of thy brethren. or among all my
the epas, uncircumciSed @ @ Philistiness @ But I SAM NJ
son, like many another young man, paid
no attention to his parents advice nor to
the law of the Jewish nation in regard to
marriage. So he went on in the new rela-
tion. but it brought only sorrow and trouble
to him and to Israel. The woman proved
false to him and his people and betrayed
his interests to, her own people.
This betrayal was the beginning of the
moral and physical downfall of Samson. re-
snlting in the scenes of the lesson under
consideration. His next step downward was
In forming an enlangling alliance with an
other Philistine woman. named Delilah. So
anfatulated did he become with this woman
that he ultimately revealed to her the Sc
cret of his great strength. viz: His COM
pliance with the law of the Nazarite, not
drinking wine or any strong drink nor eat
Ing any uncean meat, nor having his head
shaved. So. as soon as Delilah had discov-
cred his secret, she cut his locks while he
fines took Sam Samson So 'a prisoner "i put Ae out % his
eyes and carried him away to GAIA. their
chief city. This city. and ifs great temple
OF the events of our lesson. Here they
brought Samson, that he might make sport
Tor the lords OF the Phitstines. But IN the
meantime II is said that Samson's hair be-
came grown. and. as he was in the house
Of Dagon, he implored the Lord to allow
his strength to come again to him that he
his two eyes, So he bowed himself upon
the two great pillars that supported the
said that ''the dead which he slew at hts
IN his life''
:. Such is the story of this strange. weird
the topic, we have here the picture of a
strong weak man. or. as II would better
be stated. weak strong man. One of the
that physical and moral strength are not al
ways commensurate. In point of fact, they
appear often in inverse ratio in any given
life. This was the case. not only with Sam
son, but with Saul, the first King of Israel
He was practically q giant In Israel being
from the shoulders upward taller than any
man In all Israel. But he was pigmy
from a moral standpoint. and utterly lack
ing in all those nobler traits of soul which
characterized David, his successor, one who
was of medium stature. Even Drawn and
brains are not always or even usually.
commensurate. It is well to give heed to
the best physical development possible, but
1t may be carried to extreme to the neglect
OF the moral and spiritual, or even mental.
Had Samson beer as strong mentally and
morally as he was physically. he would not
have ended his days In darkness and dis
grace.
Another lesson is that when a young man
or young woman turns aside from the
loving counsel Of godly parents and takes
his own; destiny IN his hands, and proceeds
upon basis that ignores the laws Of God
and man. they are pretty sure to end their
days In a prison-house OF sin. It Is still as
true az when the apostle first uttered 1t.
that "the wages of sin is DEATH "Be not
deceived: God fs not Knocked; for whatso-
ever a man eoweth that shall he also
reap" wine ana women" have been the
downfall OF the noblest sons of earth, and
there is no denying that the social evil''
ID undermining society to-day. Fear God
and keep his commandments, for this Is
the whole duty Of man."