Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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THE LEDGER: GAFFXEY. S. C.. DECEMBER Ifi, 1867. THE GIANT SAMSON. Hlb STRENGTH THE SUBJECT OF REV DR. TALMAGE'S SERMON. Panrtmrd Muscle nn«l Whnt It Can Ilo. The TrcurlioroiM nclilah and Her Work. Ram«on'a Misguided HtrengUi The Weak That Are Strong and That Are Weak. (Copyright, 1S97, by American Press Asso ciation.] Washington, Dec. 12.—Taking the exciting story of Samson's fall as a sug gestion, Dr. Talmnge in this discourse shows how giants in body and mind or soul ought to bo const crated to good and great purposes. His text is J udges xiv, 1, “And ifaniKOU went down to Tiui- nath. ” Thcro are two sides to the character of Samson. The one phase of his life, if followed into tho particulars, would ad minister to the grotesque and mirthful, but there is a phase of his character fraught with lessons of solemn and eter nal import. To these graver lessons we devote our sermon. This giant no doubt in sarly life gave evidences of what ho was to bo. It is almost always so. There were two Napoleons—tho boy Napo leon and tho man Napoleon—but both alike; two Howards—tho boy Howard and tho man Howard—but both alike; two Samsons—the boy Samson and tho man Samson—but both alike. This giant was no doubt the hero of the play ground. and nothing could stand before his exhibitions of youthful prowess. At 18 years of age he was betrothed to tho daughter of a Philistine. Going down toward Timnath, alien came upon him, and, although this young giant was weaponless, ho seized tho monster by the long mane and shook him as a hun gry hound shakes a March hare and xnado his bones crack and left him by the wayside bleeding under tho smiting of his Cst and tho grinding boft of his heel. There ho stands, looming up above other men, a mountain of liesh, his arms bunched with muscle that can lift (ho gate of a city, taking an attitude defiant of everything. His hair had never bec-n cut, and it rolled down in seven great plaits over his shoulders, adding to his bulk fierceness and terror. The Philis tines want to conquer him, and there fore they must find out where the secret of his strength lies. The Treacherous Delilah. There in a dissolute woman living in tho valley of Sorek of the name of De lilah. They appoint her the agent in tho case. The Philistines are secreted in the same building, and then Delilah goes to work and coaxea Bamson to tell what is the secret of his strength. “Well,” ho ' says, “if you should take seven green withes, such as they fasten wild fceastj with, and put them around me I shoul.l be perfectly powerless. ’' So she bin**.? him with tho seven green withes. Then she claps her hands and says, “They come—the Philistines!” And he walks out as though they werono impediment, i She coaxes him again and says, “Now 1 tell me tho secret of this great strength.” And he replies, “If you should take some ropes that havo never been used and tio me with them, I should be just like other men.” She ties him with the ropes, claps her hands and shouts, “They come — the Philistines!” Ho walks out as easily an ho did before— not a single obstruction. She coaxes him again, and ho says, w Now, if you should take these seven long plaits of hair and by this house loom weave them into a web, I could not get away. ” i o the houso loom is rolled up, and tho shuttle flies backward and forward, and the long plaits of hair are woven into a web. Then she claps her hands and says, “They come — the Philistines!” He walks out as easily as he did before, dragging a part of the loom with him. But after awhile she persuaded him to tell tho truth. He says, “If you should take a razor or shears and cut off this long hair, I should be powerless and In the hands of my enemies. ” Samson sleeps, and that she may not wake him np during tho process of shearing help is called in. You know that the barbers of the east have such a skillful way of manipulating tho head to this very day that instead of waking up a sleeping man they will put a man wide awake sound asleep. I hear tho blades of tho shears grinding against each other, and 1 see tho long locks falling off. The shears or razor accomplishes what green withes and new ropes and house loom could not do. Suddenly she claps her bauds and cays, “The Philistines bo upon thee, Samson!” Ho rouses up with a struggle, but his strength is all gone. Ho is in the hands of his enemies. Outglaoted by Low Passion. I hear tho groan of tho giant as they take his eyes out, and then I see him staggering on in his blindness, feeling his way as ho goes on toward Gaza. Tho prison door is open, and tho giant is thrust in. He sits down and puts his hand on the mill crank, which, with exhausting horizontal motion, goes day after day, week after week, month after mouth—work, work, work. Tho con sternation of tho world in captivity, his locks shorn, his eyes punctured, grind ing corn in Gaza. First of all behold in this giant of ^the text that physical power is not al ways an index of moral power. He was ^hugc man. The lion found it out, and •!, 000 men whom he slew found it t, yet he was the subject of petty re- ages and outgiauted by low passion, [am far from throwing any discredit VMo physical stamina. There are those seem to have great admiration for ry and sickliness of constitution, ever could see any glory in weak pa or sick headache. Whatever ef- iu our day is made to make tho [and women more robust shou.tl ie favor of every good citizen as |of every Christian. Gymnastics positively religious. )people sometimes ascribe to a aeart what they ought to as- slow liver. The body and the acb near neighbors that they each other's diseases. Those who never saw a side day, and who, like Hercules, show the giant in tho cradle, have more to answer for than those who are the Subjects of lifelong infirmities. He who can lift twice ns much as you can and walk twice as far and work twice as long will have a double account to meet in tbe judgment. How often is it that you do not find physical energy indie ativo of spiritual power! If a clear head is worth moro than one dizzy with perpetual vertigo, if muscles with the play of health in them are worth more than those drawn i up in chronic “rheumatics,” if an eye ! quick to catch passing objects is better • than one with viston dim and uncertain, j then God will require of us efficiency j just in proportion to what he has given us. Physical energy ought to have as j good digestion of truth as we have ca- ' parity to assimilate food. (Jur spiritual hearing ought to be as good as cur phys- ! leal hearing. Our spiritual taste ought to be as clear as cur tongue. Samsons in body, we ought to be giants in moral power. Tbe Tout Strength. But, while you find a great many men who realize that they ought to use their money aright and use their intelligence aright, how few men you find aware of the fact that they ought to use their physical organism aright! With every thump of the heart there is something saying, “Work, work!” And lest wo should complain that we have no tools to work with God gives us our bauds and feet, with every knuckle and with every joint and with every muscle, say ing to us, “Lay hold anddorometLiug. ” But how often it is that men with physical strength do not serve Christ! They are like a ship full manned and full rigged, capable of vast tonnage, able to endure all stress of weather, yet swinging idly at the docks, when these men ought to be crossing and recrossing the great ocean of human suffering and sin with God’s supplies of mercy. How often it is that physical strength is used in doing positive damage or in luxurious ease, when, with sleeves rolled up and bronzed bosom, fearless of the shafts of opposition, it ought to be laying hold with all its might and tugging away to lift up this sunken wreck of a world. It is a most shameless fact that much of the business of the church and of tho world must be done by those compara tively invalid, liicbard Baxter, by rea son of his diseases, all his days sitting in tho door of the tomb, yet writing more than 100 volumes and sending out an influence for God that will endure as long as the “faints' Everlasting Rest.” Edward Paysou, never knowing a well day, yet how he preached and how he wrote, helping thousands of dy ing souls like himself to "swim in a tea of glory!” And Robert M’Cheyne, a walking skeleton, yet you know what be did in Dundee and how he shook Scotland with zeal for God. Philip Dod dridge, advised by his friends, because of his illness, not to enter tho ministry, yet you know what ho did for the “rise and progress of religion” iu the church and in the w r orld. Wilberforce was told by his doctors that be could not live a fortnight, yet at that very time entering upon philan thropic enterprises that demanded tho greatest endurance and persistence. Robert Hal’ suffering excruciations, so that often in his pulpit while preaching bo would stop and lie down on a sofa, then getting up again to preach about heaven, until the glories of the celestial city dropped on tho multitude, doing more work perhaps than almost any well man in his day. Oh, how often it is that men with great physical endurance are not so great in moral and spiritual stature. While there are achievements for those who are bent all their days with sick ness—achievements of patience, achieve ments of Christian endurance—I call upon men of health today, men of mus cle, men of nerve, men of physical pow er, to devote themselves to the Lord. Giants in body, you ought to be giants in soul. Sainton’* Mtagnlded Strength. Behold also in the story of my text illustration of the damage that strength can do if it be misguided. It seems to me that this man spent a great deal of his time in doing evil—this Samson of my text. To pay a bet which he bad lost by guessing of his riddle he robs and kills 80 people. He was not only gigantic in strength, but gigantic in mischief, and a type of those men iu all ages of the world, who, powerful in body or mind or any faculty of social position or wealth,'^ have used their strength for iniquitous purposes. It is not the small, weak men of tho day who do tho damage. These small men who go swearing and loafing about your stores and shops and banking houses, assailing Christ and the Bible and the church—they do not do the damage. They have no influence. They are vermin that you crush with your foot. But it is tho giants of the day, the misguided giants, giants iu phys ical power, or giants in mental acu men, or giants in social position, or giants iu wealth, who do the damage. The men with sharp pens that stab re ligion and throw their poison all through our literature, tbe men who use the power of wealth to sanction in iquity and bribe justice and make truth and honor bow to their golden scepter. Misguided giants—look out for them. In tbe middle and latter part of the last century, no doubt, there were thousands of men in Paris and Edinburgh and London who hated God and blasphemed the name of the Almighty, but they did but little mischief—they were small men, insignificant men. Yet there were giants iu those days. Who can calculate the soul havoc of a Rousseau, going on with a very entbu- aiasm of iniquity, with fiery imagina tion seizing upon all the impulsive na tures of his day, or David Hume, who employed bis life as u spider employs its summer, iu spinning out silken webs to trap the unwary, or Voltaire, the moat learned man of his day, mar- ahaling a great host of skeptics and lead- J ing them out iu the dark land of infi delity, or Gibbon, who showed an un controllable grudge against religion in his historj* of t no of tho most fascinat ing periods of the world's existence, “The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire”—a bonk in which, witli all the spbudorsof his genius, he magnified tho errors of Christian dkciples. while, with a sparecness of notice that never can Ini forgiven he treated of the Chris tian heroes of whom tho world was not worthy? , A Crown on Kartli. Oh, men of stout physical health, men cf g-cat mental stature, men of high social position, men of grout power of any sort, I want you to understand your pow< r, and I want you to know that that power devoted to God will be a crown on earth, to you typical of a crown in heaven, but misguided, be draggled in sin, administrative of evil, God will thunder against you with his condemnation in the day when million aire and pauper, master and slave, king and subject, shall stand side by side in the judgment, and money bags and ju dicial ermine and royal robe shall bo riven with ths lightnings. Behold also how a giant may be slain! Delilah started the train of circum- slances that pulled down the temple of Dagon about Samson’s ears, and tens of thousands of giants have gone down to death and hell through the same im pure fascinations. It seems to me that it is high time that pulpit and platform and printing press speak out against the impurities of modern society. Fas tidiousness and prudery say: “Better net speak. You will rouse up adverse criticism, yon will make worse what you want to make better. Better deal in glittering generalities. Tho subject is too delicate for polite ears.” But there comes a voice from heaven overpower ing the mincing sentimentalities of tho day, saying, “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet and show my people their transgressions and tho house of Jacob their sins.” Tho trouble is that when people write or speak upon this theme they are apt to cover it up with tho graces cf belles lettres, so that the crime is made at tractive instead of repulsive. Lord By ron in “Don Juan” adorns this crime until it smiles like a May queen. Mich elet, the great French wiiter, covers it up with bewitching rhetoric until it glows like the rising sun, when it ought to bo made loathsome as a small pox hospital. There arc today influences abroad which if unresisted by tho pul pit and the printing press will turn our modern cities into Sodom and Gomor rah, fit only for the storm of fire ami brimstone that whelmed the cities of the plain. You who are seated in your Christian homes, compassed by moral and reli gious restraints, do not realize tho gulf of iniquity that bounds you on tho north and the south and the east and the west. While I speak there are tens of thousands of men and women going over the awful plunge of an impure life, and while I cry to God for mercy upon their souls I call upon you to mar shal in tho defense of your homes, your church and your nation. There is a ban queting hall that you have never hoard described. You know all about the feast of Abasuerus, where a thousand lords sat. You know all about Belshazzar's ca rousal, where the blood of the murdered king spurted into the faces of tbe ban queters. You may know of tho scene of riot and wassail when there was set be fore Esopus one dish of food that cost $400,000. But I speak now of a differ ent banqueting hall. Its roof is fretted with fire. Its floor is tessellated with fire. Its chalices are chafed with fire. Its song is a song of fire. Its walls are buttresses of fire. Solomon refers to it when he says, “Her guests are in tho depths of hell. ” Death the Invincible. Behold also in this giant of the text and in the giant cf our own century that great physical power must crumble and expire. Tbe Samson of the text long ago went away. He fought tbe lion. He fought the Philistines. He could fight anything, but death was too much for him. He may have required a longer grave and a broader grave, but the tomb nevertheless was his terminus. If, then, we are to bo compelled to go ont of this world, where are we to go? This body and soul must soon part. What shall be the destiny of the former I know—dust to dust But what shall be the destiny of the latter? Shall it rise into tbe companionship of the white robed, whoso sins Christ has slain, or will it go down among the unbelieving, who tr.ed to gain tbe world and save their souls, but were swindled out of both? Blessed be God, we have a cham pion ! He is so styled in the Bible—a champion who has conquered death and hell, and be is ready to fight all our battles from the first to tho lust. “Who is this that coincth from Edom with dyed garments from Bozrah, mighty to save?’’ If wo follow in tho wake of that champion death has no power and the grave no victory. The worst man trust ing in him shall have his dying pangs alleviated and his future illumined. In the light of this subject I want to call your attention to a fact which may not have been rightly considered by five men in all the world, and that is the fact that we must bo brought into judg ment for the employment of our physi cal organism. Shoulder, brain, hantf, foot—we must answer in judgment for the use wo have made of them. Have they been used for the elevation of so ciety or for its depression? In proportion as our arm is strong and our step elastic will our account at last bo intensified. Thousands of sermons arc preached to invalids. I preach this morning to stout men and healthful women. We must give to God an account for the right uso of this physical organism. Theso invalids havo comparatively little to account for perhaps. They could not lift 20 pounds. They could not walk half a mile without sitting down to rest. In preparation of this subject I havo said to myself. How shall I account to God in judgment for tho uso of a body which never knew one moment of real sickness? Rising up in judgment, standing beside men and women who : >?l ■< 3 on - , , . 1 :i’«(• the constant Simla of a torpid or eased liver, tue Kidneys bretk down ai.d fa.l nMoui-.t lx < oiacs eo creat as to po;,c i t ho . Mo;,) system lucludm* Uio ain .u.jr v.xf- ^ I'Tim? kidneys UiomM ives. The ro- /A?' \ * W' suit is a general su:';>' , .is»cn of t o _/ •£/• 'LX s* f ietloas of il.o urine t-ar.ng ergaus, thus leaving the ll^ua.s of the body to accumulate u i- t.l dropey Is established, then the 1 nl. lent becomes t Moron rh'y n vave that Is In the dutches of L .IGHTS CjSF.ASE. There Is out one way to control ~ and euro this disease at any stag.) of Its progress and that Is to bring to bear on a; ; roprlato restorative for the prostrated Wiineys; i* healing lr‘'uenee that will cauro th-ra to resume their blood cleansing and rr'.ne gathjnng functions. To establish th! renewal ot activity permanently, tho weight PREPARED GV ?;hKly flsti Bluets Da., s the Inactive liver must be removed nml that ergon stimu lated to 1 ho natural performance of l;s d.t’l"*' A remedy therefore to rw successful a <1 , i nm t exer- * * - ~ - ' “*'•**• *«* out u u. TTMl t cl£0 UeCloed curative power li holh 4 ie liv r and kidneys, umi me organs Involved with them. The valv.ab feature In i nte. - T. LOUIS MO. b dn ' prompt „ . „ % .o u -so an active yet yxniai l.ver stimulant nnO regu lator, it tho stomach it hna an important tonic e3eci, and , but n< t least, Is 1st -celleut bowel cleansing properties. r The combined el’ ■ r of t.ies? various restorative induenees i. t harmonious elTort on the Kct of eg tho vital organs to throw o'f d'.seared con d'tic ns. ThoHdMevsare.tr.- • rtMen- Od. and fcelrg assisted by the liver ?r bowels, rapidly extract the aoeumulated poisons in the blood, tho sromsch I- trn<d upand tho digestion improved so that rmt- cient food is assimilated for building npai.-v tho constitution and restor.n-g Eiren&ih aud vigor of body and brain. PRICE Cl .00 PER DOTTLE. SOLD 3Y ALL DKUQGISTS. ‘Cherokee Drug Co. Special Agents had only little physical cncrpy and yet cousuined that energy iu a conflagration of religious enthusiasm, how will wo feel abashed! Tho Woak That Are Strong. Oh, men of the strong arm and the stout heart, what use are you making of your physical forces? Will you be able to stand the test of that day when we must answer for tho uio of every talent, whether it were a physical ener gy or a mental acumen or a spiritual power? The day approaches, and I see one who in this world was an invalid, and as she stands before the throne of God to answer she says: “I was sick all my da3’s. I hud but very little strength, but 1 did ns well as I could iu being kind to those who were more sick and more suffering.” And Christ will say, “Well done, faithful servant.” And then a little child will stand be fore the throne, and she will say: “On earth I had a curvature of the spine, and I was very weak, and I was very sick, but I used to gather flowers out of the wildwood and bring them to my sick mother, and she was comforted when she saw the sweet flowers out of tho wildwood. I didn't do much, but I did something. ” And Christ shall say as he takes her up in his arms and kiss es her, “Well done, well done, faithful servant; enter thou into tho joy of thy Lord.” What, then, will be said to us —we to whom the Lord gave physical strength and continuous health? I said to an old Scotch minister, who was one of the best friends I ever had, “Doctor, did you ever know Robert Pol lock, the Scotch poet, who wrote ‘The Course of Time?'” “Oh, yes,” here- plied, “I knew him well. I was his classmate. ” And then the doctor went on to tell me how that the writing of “Tho Course of Time” exhausted the health of Robert Pollock, and he ex pired. It sems as if no man could have such a glimpse of the day for which other days were made as Robert Pollock had and long survive that glimpse. In tho description of that day ho says, among other things: Begin tho woo, yc woods, and tell It to tho dolofnl wind*. And doleful winds wail to the howling hills. And howling hills mourn to the dismal vales, And dismal vales sigh to the sorrowing brooks, And sorrowing brooks weep to tho weeping stream, And weeping stream awake tho groaning deep. Ye heavens, great archway of the universe, put sackcloth on, And, ocean, robe thyself in garb of widowhood And gather all thy waves into a groan and ut ter it Long, loud, deep, piercing, dolorous, immense. Tho occasion asks it—nature dies, and angels come to lay her in her grave. What Robert Pollock saw in prophet ic dream you and I will see in positive reality—tho judgment, the judgment! Are You Nervous? Mrs. C. C. Filler. 135£ South Fourth street, Colum- b u s, Ohio, writes to Dr. Hartman, of Columbus. O., as follows: • ‘For ten or fif teen years I v have sub ject to nervous dyspepsia. I ffould have spells of quivering in my stom ach, with smothering feelings. My nerves were terribly debilitated. I was suffering from what is called ner vous prostration. My stomach felt bloated, and I was constantly weak and trembling. I consulted several physicians who treated me without doing any good. I had almost given up in despair when I heard of Pe-ru- na. I found it an Immediate relief to all my dLf'freeable symptoms. It is the only mealc-lp* has^eyar been af any use to me.” Mrs. Lucie Waldie, Otsego Lake, Mich., Box 67, writes: “For three years I suffered with catarrhal dyspepsia. I wrote to you for advice and you told me to take your medicines. It has been ten months since I began to use your medicines and I am perfectly well. I think your medicines deserving much praise.” Send for Dr. Hartman’s latest book on “Winter Catarrh.” Address your letter to Columbus, Ohio Ask your druggist for a free Pe-ru- na Almanac for 1898. Everybody Bays So. Cascarets Candy Cathartic, the most won derful medical discovery of tho aye, pleas ant and retroahtng to the taste, art gently and |»ositlvely on kidneys, liver and bowels, cleansing tho entire system, dispel colds, euro heudnohe, fever, habitual constipation and bidousness. Please buy and try a box Of U. C. G to-day; 10, lift, W cent*, bold and guaranteed to cure by all druggists. We hell and guarantee Klee's Goose Great) Llnutm-ut no cure no nay Ohkhokrb Dkitu Co. Croup. Cold*. LaQrlppe and Soro Throat, cured by Goose Urease—no cure no pay. bul’HK Duuu Co. The Greatest Cure on Earth for Pain. Cures permanently Rheumatism, Neuralgia, Sciatica, Sprains, Cuts, Bruises, Scalds, Burns, Swellings, Backache or any other pain. SALVATION OIL is sold everywhere for 25 cts. Refusesubstitutes. Chew LANGE'S PLUGS. The Grent Tobacco Antidate.tCc. Dealers or mail.A.C.Me]fer & Co., Balto.,114. CANDY CATHARTIC CA 1 riAK 11C ^ CURE CONSTIPATION ALL DRUGGISTS m. Ooxiiin<r and you will want some toys for the children; some Fine Candies, Nuts, <&c., Pretty Dolls, and lots of other things that I will sell you cheap. See my line. I have the prettiest lot ot these goods in Cherokee county. Yours truly, O. A. OSBORNE, Blacksburg, - - - - S. C. fTw-w-w-w You Have Only Two More Weeks In Which to Take Advantage of the GREAT * COST * SALE - JV JT- GARROLL & CARPENTER’S. THE NATIONAL BANK OF GAFFNEY. CAPITAL $50,000.00 This bank respectfully solicits the accounts of individual firm* and corporations and will extend every reasonable accoraaiodr tion to those doing business with it. Call to see us if you wish to borrow money. F. G. Stacy, Prest, J. G. Wardlaw, Vice-Prest, D. C. Ross, Cashier. LIMESTONE * SPRINGS * LIME » WORKS, CARROLL St CO., Lessees. Manufacturers of BUILDING, * PLASTERING * AND * AGRICULTURAL * L1HR, And Dealers In Coal, Shingles, Lathes and Plaster Hair. Dynamite. Blasting Powder, Fuse and Dynamite Caps.