The evening world., 1920-08-30
The LOUe Stories
of the Bible
By Rev. Thomas B. Gregory
lCopynght 1920. by The rree PdblishiuE 90.
rrhe New York Evening World.
No. I2-Samson ana Delilah.

No. I2-SdmsOn and DelilGh.
The celebrated De Quincy called
his famous essay on the old stage
coach "The Glory OF Notion" The
story Of Samson may appropriately be
called The Glory Of strength"
This Hebrew Hercules, mad ne
lived in our times, would nave made
Sandow look like the puniest Of
weddings
He slew lion as easily as an or
binary man might kill a mouse; ne
wrenched the great gates Of city
| from their hinges threw them across
/ ms back and carried them of as
! though they had been a couple OK
shingles; he slew a thousand OF the
Philistines with the jawbone Of an
ass, and as his last wonderful eX
+ plot pulled down a mighty temp
J upon himself and his enemies.
And yet this strongest OF men was
weaker than a baby when under the,
influence of the sorceress from the
/ Valley OF Sorek.
II ever man started out under
fine conditions that man was sam
son. His father and mother app ar
to have been excellent people and
they took extra pains to give sam
son the right kind of a start in life,
but Delilah spoiled all their we'll
meant plans-Just as has happened
with so many parents since the time
OF Manoah and his wife.
The story OF Samson and Delilah
Is the most graphic in the whole
Bible.
The Philistines were scared to
death of Samson, as well they might
have been, and knowing Of their
powerful enemys infatuation with
the charmer in the Valley Of Sorek.
they bribed her to make the attempt
to find out the secret of her lovers
terrible strength.
Like all professional adventuresses,
Delilah, caring nothing for her lover
beyond what she could make out OF
him, accepted the task of locating
the great secret. She met with no
success, however, at first, Samson
parrying all her rapier thrusts as
one after another she would deliver
them, but finally with consummate
art Of the professional siren, she
touched the strong man in the weak
spot. She said to him, in substance:
Now, Samson, you know how dearly
love YOU, and II you really love me,
tell me the secret Of your wondertul
strength. l am simply dying to
know, just for curiosity's sake"
Helpless in the coils Of the temp
tress, he completely failed to rousg
himself in defense of his manhood and
gave away the secret, and when for
the fourth time the cry arose Sam
son, the Philistines be upon theel" u
was all over with the strong man. He
was strong no more; the sorceress
had despoled him and he fell an easy
prey to his enemies.
He went the way 50 many strong
men have gone, so many of the Illus
trious of the sons OF men-Burns
Sheridan, Beranger, Byron and thou
sands of others of the elect of tbs
earth-a standing ILLUSTRATION OF the
truth of the saying that a good woman
is the grandest thing that God evei
made, and a bad woman the worst.
- And so, in the words Of DR.. JOSEPH
Parker, we may well ask. Who is thu
/. strong man? Is he the man whit
s passes through life with the battle-ax'
: OF Richard Occur de Lion? The chilC
; sees a man lift a great weight, and a
once he exclajms What a strong man
He would have been right had he said
: What a strong animal! Here are tive
: men under circumstances OF equa
{ provocation, the one man instantly
I resents the insult that has been in
) flicted upon him in a moment in
paroxysm of rage he smites his enemy
and men say, What a strong man
The other shows no sign of rage, bu
holds himself in perfect self-control
I Which of the two is really the stronj
s man? The strength of manhood is /,
: be judged by the depth and solidity o
! moral foundation.