from this that Samson's mother bare other the temple of Hercules at Tyre were two children after the birth of Samson. But remarkable pillars, one of refined gold, the the Hebrew use of the word brethren is eo other of emaragdus, some green stone like wide, applied to cousins, or members of the an emerald (ii. 44). But the account same house of fathers, or of the same tribe, given of a visit of Hercules to Egypt is still that it ie by no means a certain inference. more remarkable, as compared with the Here M,a brethren might mean the Danites history of the binding of Samson and the generally, and all the house of his father slaughter of the Philistines, as related in those who were more nearly related, as be- eh. xv. The following are the words of longing to the house of his father. His Herodotus:-" The Greeks say that when father was probably dead, and indeed the Hercules went down to Egypt, the Egyptians mention of his father's bwryilng-plaee, or surrounded him, and lecl him in a procession ~ather sepulchre, makes it certain that he to sacrifice him to Jupiter; that he kept was, so that Milton was in error in making quite still for a time, but that when they him alive. Zorah and Eshtaol. See above, were commencing the sacrifice at the altar" eh. xiii. 2, 25, note. And he judged Israel. (the first act of which was cutting off the See eh. xv. 20. The parallel between Samson hair) "he turned in self-defence, and by his and Hercules is in ma.ny respects very re- prowess slew them all." On which Herodo- markable, and has been drawn out by tus remarks, "How was it possible for him, Serdrius and others. '!'he supernatural being but one, and being only a man, to strength of each, the slavery to women slay many myriads 1" The prevalence of (" Quero non mille fer, quem non Sthenel- the worship of Hercules among the Phceni- lius hostis, Non potuit Mavors vincere, vicit cians, as, e. g., at Tyre and Thasos, a. Phceni- amor." Ovid), thetearingasunderofthelion, cia.n colony, and the close connection of the violent death of each, partly voluntary Egypt with Gaza, where the prowess of and partly forced, are all points of strong Samson was so well known, are points not general resemblance. But one of the most to be omitted in considering the probability remarkable is the connection of Hercules of some of the legends of Hercules being with two pillars. The "pillars of Hercules" drawn from the history of Samson. So also on each side the straits of Gibraltar, Mount is the title of the Phcenicia.n Hercules, the Abila and Mount Calpe, were said to have saviour or deliverer, as compared with eh. been rent asunder by the strength of Her- ii. 16, 18 ; xiii. 5. cules' arms, And Herodotus relates that in
HOMILETICS. Vere. 23-31.-The short-lived triumph. One of the severest trials to which the faith of the people of God is exposed, is that triumph of evil over good, and of the enemies of Christ over hie Church, which from time to time is permittod by God, and which in truth is one of the features of this disjointed age. The most signal and most awful triumph of the powers of darkness over the kingdom of light was when the only-begotten Son of God, Jesus our Lord, in the midst of his life of perfect goodness, and his service of perfect obedience to the will of his Father, was betrayed into the hands of sinners, and given up to suffer death upon the cross. When he hung in shame upon the cross, helpless and forsaken; when he bowed his head and gave up the ghost; when he was laid in the silent tomb, and the light of the righteous One was quenched in the darkness of the grave, then indeed the triumph of sin was at its height, and the hope of the servants of God was brought very low. But when on the third day the doors of that grave were burst open, and the prisoner of hope came forth in the power of an endless life, and he that was crucified ascended up to hec1ven, und sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high, from thenceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool, that brief triumph of the powers of darkness was turned into the far greater triumph of the kingdom of light; the enemies of, Christ were put to shame, the servants of Christ were enabled to rejoice, and the joyful hope was exceedingly revived and established, that in due time there will be a final deliverance from evil, and that the kingdom is God's, and the power and the glory for ever. In the light of the resurrection the Church looks forward with unmoved confidence to the time when the Son of man shall come in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, and shall take to himself his everlasting king-dom of righteousness, and reign with his ancients gloriously. But meanwhile the Church must expect many short-lived triumphs of evil oYcr good, and of darkness ovor light l'i6 THE BOOK OF JUDGES. [CH. XVI. 23-31.
Thc-re will b~ many occasions _on which the world will say, Let us rejoice, for our god bath delivered our enemy mto our hand. We may expect that many an isolated affair, or even a connected chain of events, will take that turn that the servants o! Christ will be put to shame, and ungodliness and irreligion will seem to have it all their own way. It may even come to p_ass. that the champions of the gospel shall Beem fit only to make sport for an unbehevmg and self-sufficient age. Nor is it the least part of the trial that some of these discomfitures are brought on by the errors and failures of the servants of God. The presumption and self-confidence the blindne~s and moral weakness, of some like ~amson; t~e intemperate, fiery spi~it of others like the_ Boan~r&'es ;_ the fear ~f m?-11 m others like Peter, and so on, provoke defeat by pu~mg rehg:10n !n.a false hght m thee.yes of t~ose who are always looldng out for occasions to brmg It mto contempt. But IB the midst of these trials of faith whether they t~k.e the form o~ pr!,vate discourage~_ents, or of public checks to th~ progress of religion, and public trmmphs of the spmt of ungodliness it is the Church's unfailing comfort to know that the triumphs of evil are short-lived' and the triumph of truth is eternal. Magna est veritas et prcevalet. We should ne~er forget for one moment that behind the passing cloud there is shining the unchanging sun. The faith and patience of the saints are indeed required, sometimes more, sometinies less, but are always required in this present age. The depression of the truth the insolent aggressions of the various forms of evil, the discomfiture for a time of the champions of the cause of Christ, and the temporary victories of Antichrist, are very painful episodes in the history of the world and of the Church. But the pages of Holy Scripture, and even the pages of the experience of centuries, continually testify that the triumphs of falsehood and evil are but for a moment, the victory of truth and righteousness will be for ever.