The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1907-05-10

NA0NSA W atlNN
him mad! Yes. the humiliation and
despair as he heard the clanking
chains and felt the brutal blows which
welded the heavy letters on hands and
limbs cut to the very depths of his
soul! But all that exeruciating ordeal
was as nothing now to the anguish Of
soul be endured as the accusing voice
Of conscience cried out in his heart
and condemned him. He, the Nazarite
TO God; he, the chosen one of God to
deliver and Judge Israel. he. the
mighty champion who had never
known defeat during all the 20 years
he had judged Israel. come at last to
this! Could It be possible?
He shook himself TO see II he were
awake, and 1t was not all a hideous
dream, bat the clank OF the chains
came as an answering voice. He lift.
ed his trembling hands TO the sight.
less eyes.
"0h, Godl" he cried, "how could |
have done this thing?" And in the
agony of his despair he beat upon his
breast until the ring of the rafting
chains echoed aud reechoed through
the prison house.
Like 4 food there swept across his
soul the memory of his wrongdoing
How he had allowed himself step by
step to be drawn into the power of
that wicked woman. How he had
sought his " ease and pleasure and
had forgotten his high calling and ob,
legation And, worse still, how he
had fallen SO low as to reveal the
sacred secrets of his God to the heart
Of a prolane and proiligate philistine
woman.
During these medItations, when 1t
seemed as though his very soul
would be crushed by the burden of his
guilt and his God had forsaken him
forever, there came into the prison
house a company of the lords of the
Phillstines, whose elation was mani.
tested as they looked down upon their
old enemy and tainted him with the
humiliation of his position and gloried
in his weakness, At last they tired
of this diversion and turned to go,
saying as they did so:
I'VE must needs offer a great sacri.
flee to our god, Dagon, for see how
he hath delivered into our hands our
enemy"
The words aroused Samson, and
long after they had departed he kept
repeating them over and over and
saying to himself:
Nay, It was not the god Dagon, but
my sin that brought me to this place.
Shall Dagon, indeed, receive the
glory" And he buried his head low
between his knees as he realized how
grieyously he had compromised the
cause Of his God. And even while he
was thus bowed there came whisper.
ing TO his soul that with his God there
was forgiveness and mercy.
"Oh, Cod" he cried, as he lifted
his sightless eyes toward heaven, "let
this thing come to pass that ! may yet
show that It is to God that victory be.
longeth! Let not these uncircum.
cised Philistines forget that the God
Of Israel and not the god Dagon rul.
eth"
From that moment something like
peace came to Samson, and as the
days came and went the ~repentant
heart of Samson reached out in faith
and took fresh hold upon the God to
whom his life had been consecrated,
Thus there grew up IN his heart a new
hope and confidence, and the old
thrill of his strength and power came
back to him.
At last the great day OF the feast
and sacrifice to Dagon, the god Of the
Philistines, arrived. Multitudes crowd.
ed into the great amphitheater, and
other thousands filed the roof over
looking the arena. Then came the
cry for Samson that he might make
sport for them, and while they waited
impatiently a messenger was dis.
patched to the prison house to fetch
him. What a shout that was rs they
the form Of their old enemy come
cropping into the arena before them!
How different from the old Samson
who had withstood the armies of the
Philistines and had, sisgle.handed,
thousands Of their strongest
men. There he was in their power,
to make sport for them, and
right royalty did they cheer his every
feat and shout in his ears:
Now doth our god Dagon find
pleasure in Samson, Now are we
avenged for all that Samson hath
lone unto u.s."
And while the tumult was at its
height, Samson turned TO the lad that
mad led him into the arena and said
Suffer me that | may fesl the pill.
whereupon the house s~tandeth,
hat | may lean upon them"
The shouting ceased as he reached
position between the two main pill.
ars which sustained the weight OF
he roof. Eagerly his hands CROPPED
ibout until they touched the great
wooden piers. All eyes we're turned
lpon him now In wonder to see what
lext he would do, and a breathless ex-
.oeetancy filled the place.
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