The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1902-11-28

GssssD In the lsteraatioual sssles
Tor November 80, lOO2-sa nsea.
Temperance Lesson.


Judges l6 -xl-31.)
q. Rut the Ihilistines took him ard put
su, his eyes. and brought him down 10
Gaza. and bound him with letters OF brass:
and he Did grind In the prison house.
q Howbeit the hair OF his head began to
grow again after he was shaven
=. Inen the lords OF the Philistlnes gath
cred them together for TO offer a great sac
rince unto Dagon. their god. and, to rejoice:
Tor they said, our god hath delivered Sam
son our enemy into our hand.
-. Ano when the people saw him, they
praised their god. for they said. Our god
natn delivered into our hands our enemy.
ano the destroyer OF our country. which
slew many OF us
2. Ana Il came TO pass, when their hearts
Were merry. that they said Call for Sam
soh, that he may make us sport. And
.hey called for samson out OF the prison
mouse; and he made them sport: and they
set MIN between the pillars.
o. And Samson said unto the lad that
nelc him by the hand, Suffer me that may
ieel the pillars whereupon the house stand
Elm, That may lean upon them.
- NOW the house was full OF men ard
women and all the ioros OF the Philistines
were there. and there were upon the roof
ABOUT three thousand men ard women, that
oehe!d while Samson made sport
= And Samson called unto the Lord.
arc said. Q Lord God. remember me. pray
'nee, ana strengthen me- pray thee. only
this once, God. that mag be at once
avenged OF the Philistines for my two eyes.
- Anc samson took hold OF the two mid
ole pillars upon which the house stood.
and on which 1t was borne UP. OF the one
with mis- right hand. and Of the other with
his left
~ And Samson said. Let me die with the
Philistines. And he bowed himself with
al his might. and the house fell upon the
.oros, anc upon all the people that were
therein. SO the dead which he slew at his
death were more than they which he slew
In his life
81 Then his brethren and all the house
OF his father came down. and took him. and
brought him up. and buried him between
Zorah and Eshtaol in the buryi ing place OF
Manoah. his father. And he judged Israel
twenty years.
GOLDEN TENT.-He that In slow to
anger 10 better than the mn liz hty, and
he that ruletb his spirit than he that
taketh n city.-Prov. 1852.
OUTLINE OF SCRIPTURE SECTION.
The judgeship Of Jephthah. Judges 10 :s-l2a
Inc Jucgeship OF Samson. Judges 1915
TIME-B. c. li6l-ll9o
PLACE-GIiead, Zorah. etc.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
With all his marvellous strength
Samson was weak man. He did not
rule his passions but was ruled by
them. He used his miraculous
strength TO little account. whereas he
might have accomplished the deliver
ance OF Israel. No one can be regard
ed as strong who weakly yields to his
appetites.
The story of Jephthah should be
read for the light it throws on these
wild centuries of border warfare that
preceded the establishment Of the
kingdom. Human sacrifices were not
unknown, as the VOW Of Jephthah and
the sacrifice OF his daughter show.
The bravery Of the girl and her touch
ing loyalty TO her father help to
modify the horror of the story
The story of Samson is tragedy,
which. in its essential points. is being
repeated in the lives of tempted men
and women to-day.
Samson's beginning was good. He
was the child Of cody parents, and de-
voted from birth to the service Of God
and His oppressed country. He was
carefully brought up, with the idea
that a great mission was to be his.
1924 ,eads. 'and the child grew. and
Jehovah blessed him.
Samson's possibilities were very
great. So far as natural endowment
and early training were concerned he
was wonderfully fitted to be Israers
delieverer. but. so far as we know, he
never seriously undertook the task.
Samson's weakness spoiled his
strength That was the trouble His
was. as ii we're, the power Of giant in
the hands Of a passionate boy.
1t matters not what his particular
temptation was. He yielded to ii, and
his life-story is a warning OF the use
lessness Of physical strength without
moral strength 70 back il up. II wssa
positive snare. for IL led him to think
he was strong strong enough 10 trife
with the Philistines as he trifled with
sin. He would have laughed at the
idea that the Philistines would ever
bore out his eyes--that they would
ever see him sitting on the floor in the
dark corner Of dungeon cell. grind
ing at a hand mill like a poor, weak
woman. Was he not Samson, the
strongest man in the country? And
so he trifed with temptation. He tried
to see how near he could come to the
edge Of Ne precipice without falling
over. Read 16:4-2O and see IL that does
not describe il. 81 will 90 out as at
other times. and shake myself free"
he said, after he had finally given up
every vestige Of allegiance 10 princi-
pleand religion. in breaking his Naza-
rite vow: but il was too late. He
woke 70 find himself deserted by the
strength in which he had trusted. be-
trayed by the woman who had tempt
ed him. and without God, whom he had
willfully forsaken. Our lesson to-day
tells the tragic end. and AT the same
time suggests one Of the grandest of
the gospel truths; when Samson, hu-
and fallen. returned TO God,
God returned 10 him. as he does to
every repentant sinner.
Is II safe to trihe with temptation?
Is II safe TO say, for instance. IL will
drink Just little, for can shake my
self free any time ] wil?" Are we
sure we are so strong. after all?
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