The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-01-26
THE STRONGEST MANS WEAK
MSS
The International Sunday school Lt--
son for January 81 il The Birth
or Sanison."-Judg. 1856, -. %.
CBy william r. Ellis.)

frank look AT the weakness Oh
the strongest men, Samson, is to-
days Sunday School lesson.
Back in the unsettled times of Is
raeI. more than a thousand years be-
fore the birth of Jesus, before ever
the people had a king, and the lead
ership was with judges. or cham
pions, or heroes, Samson was born.
Like so many other notable char
Acters, he was the child of yearning
and prayer and covenant. His par
ents had been long childless when
they received with joy the promise
Of son. In q spirit Of grateful eS-
altation, they dedicated the babe TO
q life apart, and made Tor him the
NaZirjtc VOWS, which later were TAX
Ell for John the Baptist. Ills head
should go unShayen, he should drink
no wine and touch naught unclean.
And the child grew, and Jehovah
blessed him. And the Spirit Of ,Ie-
hovah began to move him"
There WAS a great beginning. IN
heritance. natural gifts, spiritual en-
ducement-all were the lot OF this
youth Of his day was Samson. All
the elements Of greatness were his.
He had been made ready for great
service to his time. Thus far his
case runs parallel to that of most
Of our favored young men of today,
richly lowered in body, mind, for
tune and home. To them, as to Sam
son. the nation looks for leadership
and deliversInce. Some Of them,
alas, fail in quite the same fashion as
he.
The Man Who Missed His Chance.
Every mature person has maryell-
ID at the young men and women OF
promise VINO have not amounted to
anything. Every college has its stor-
tn 70 ~. o.
with high hopes, who have never met
cSpectations. They are the SamsOnS
lowered with giant capacities, which
they fail 70 use Alright.
Ali VINO follow baseball recall the
death last year IL rhetoric pitcher
who could not settle down to big rea
work. lie preferred To be bar
room hero, n wonder" on u small
team, 10 doing his days work on the
Famous nine Of which he was Tor 3
time u member. swiftly he slipped
down and down. until death ended
IN. tale of what might have been
u was the Samson story over again.
Samsons strength was not only
as' aap rh's Tes so 1Ss1
ness and Self-rclance. His prank:
reveal this. But these gifts were no
used in sober, mature and reasonable
fashion for HE benefit Of his people
sSdlHStn ipTcjeIItu IL ulclo petScldl ia
plot 10 a substantial achievement o
citizenship. lie had not that scns'
Of responsibility which marks tn
zeal leader.
':a"so" and Richard the Lion
Hearted
Later history developed Il brillia n
figure singularly akin to Samson
This was Kills Richard the Lion
Hearted, Of England. Both Glorie'
in deeds OF danger and derring dc
Neither seemed ever entirely to groN
up. a whimsical humor impelle
them to wild eScapades of adventur,
when they should instead have bee
soberly serving the welfare of thei
people. Neither was bad, and Their
we're noble traits in both; but The
failed TO use their gifts Alright. n
substantial achievement remained a
a memorial to either. PictureSuu
heroic figures they were, but no his
toriau can write thcm down aS sue
ceSSful.
The presence Of enemies never u
trghtcd hlithesomc Samson. II
lwelt amid the phiiistiEeS, the pow
erful invaders from the West who :
long oppressed Israel. In his da
the cnelpyS yoke was heavy on Il
peoples neck. IT was an hour for
hero, deliverer; and Samson VI
sent 10 DO the man. He, howeve
fieNo AOl isip b"Ah Sk'ptt ElItS tiiol " q
meant for service. Instead of organ
izing and leading the Jews again
the try1nts, lie provoked the latt,
ny his wild pranks. Not until II
losing hour did samson sober
serve his nation.
That is The condemnation that mu
be written over against his maine
against the name 81 every other gii
ID man who lives Tor himself alol
III u time when his country nee
hin--be failed 10 give his best 10 l
inc. Probably il Samson were
England today he would be either
professional football player or
aviator: no place in the trenches /
him.
The .;ibic's Practical Joker.
Samson Is best known 70 his pra
teal jokes. He is the buffoon of I
Bible. On his wa to court Ph
isune wife he slew lion with
bare ro',ds. Tate., as he passed