150 - BATTLES OF THE BIBLE.

to everything that He requires, however unimportant it
may seem to us. When Samson told Delilah that the
losing of his hair only could weaken him, she saw that
it was the real truth. She called for the lords of the
Philistines, and told them to bring money'with them, for
this time she was sure that they would get their enemy.
They came ;—and while Samson was sleeping, a man
shaved his head. When Delilah called, “ The Philis-
tines be upon thee, Samson,” he awoke, and rose up, but
his strength was gone,—the Lord had departed from
him. The Philistines seized him, put out his eyes,
and took him to Gaza. There they bound him with
fetters of brass, and confined him in the prison, where
they made him grind corn in a hand-mill. This was
very hard work, and it was a common mode of punish-
ing offenders in those days, before wind-mills and water-
mills were invented.

Johnnie. Did they keep Samson long in the prison ?

Grandfather. We are not told the exact length of
time, but he was only freed from confinement by death.
The Philistines made a great feast to Dagon, their god.
This Dagon was a strange image, with a head like a
man, and a tail like a fish. Yet these ignorant Philis-
tines believed that this object which they worshipped
had given Samson into their hands. Their readiness to
give the honour of their success to their false god
teaches us to be more careful in ascribing the praise in
all things to our God,—the living and the true God. It
was a proud day for the Philistines when they assembled