St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1871-03-24

Pr aached At the South Church, ST johns
bury, March 10, by Rev. L. o. Brastow.
that - rllis, him that spolk,th.-Iir, Il y.
If God should speak audibly, men
would stop AID listen. If lie should send
a warning cry through all these streets
and into all these homes, we Should sec
terror ON every face. God has spoken,
distinctly as with audible voice. We
ought to hear. Have we not souls Ii
i an atheism of heart and conscience not
to hear the voice of God. Let it be
heard in all these homes. Let Us hear it
in the more than wOntcd solemmity OF
this holy day. see that We turn not away
from Him that spc;tkcth from heaven.
God has brought Us as TO IN abyss OF
darkness that we may look down and be-
hold the possibilities Of the human soul.
1t is Il heavy burden upon the heart
| would gladly leave this thing to silence
but TO commit it easily 20 silence is to
commit it to forgetfulncss. We need to
hear what God says that the living may
lay it TO heart. Let Us by no means make
parade Of it let us pcrpctuatc only the
admonition, and secure the lesson OF
Providence. | am here TO speak the
truth, sorrowlully | am sure, with no I'M
becoming severity | hope, but with no
uncertain voice.
would Gladly pass the event itself and
hasten to lis moral lesson. But some
General consideration seems necessary.
and painful as Is the duty | must not
>hrinl, from it. Suicide may be re-
sponsiblc or an irresponsible act The
measure Of responsibility in any parlicu-
lar case we may not be able to determine.
1t is known only 10 God. But in so far
as it is Il responsible act, accomplished
understandingly and deliberately, with
out conclusive evidence OF mental alien
alton, it is, and has ever been accounted.
Il sin against God and Il crime against So
ciety. 50 much a crime is it, in the es-
innate OF society, that it has claimed the
right both TO anticipate it by most slrin-
gent preventive measures, and TO make
it Infamous by way of rcactionary rc.ri-
button. There is no civilized govern
ment that does not claim that right. The
crime as against society consists in the
fact that one has deprived it of life that
properly belonged to it life properly
subject 10 authority. We are not our
own even with respect TO our fellow
men We belong TO otheIs-wc are part
oil the public body. Society is more than
an aggregation Of separate individuals.
1t is Il political and moral unity. There
are personal rights, but they do not touch
authority over life. We have no more
right to take our life away from. society
by sclf-destruction, than society has tc
take it away from us, save for crime in
which we forfeit it.
There is further involved the fact that
suicide tends 10 cheaper the public csti-
mate OF human life, and thus to cndan,
ger the security of society. If suicide
were easily possible, murder would be-
come more easily possible 1t is by put
ting stress OF significance upon the value
OF human life that society secures for il
a certain sanctily, and thus protects Il.
self, and thus too the individual Mo -
Once break down the public sense of the
value and sanciity Of life, and we are de.
moralized with respect to the whole ques.
ton.
But IN the last statement, suicide i.
strictly crime against society because i
rs 4 Sin against God. Ii there were ne