West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1888-10-25
A COWARDLY ACT.
SERMON BY THE REV. TALMAoE.
Demeniia and Disbelief the Only
Causes of OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
tianity the Only Safeguard
Against M Crime.

ANAaAay aAO OnA ~
Against the Crime.
-
TEXT: he drcw out his stCord, and toouId
mare kiued himself: surprising TIA ne
prisoners had been fed But Paul cried
,cth a loud r%oice, s1ysny; 10 MySel( no
hdrbl.'p Acts xvi, 1928.
Here Is a would-be suicide arrested in his
deadly attempt He was n sheriff, and &C
cording TO the Roman law. a bailin himself
must Sutier the punishment due an escaped
prisoner; AM. IL tho prisoner breaking Jail
was sentenced TO be e~ndungeoned for three
or four years, then the sheriff must be
endungeoned for three or four years: and IL
the prisoner breaking jail was 10 have
sunered capital punishment, then the sheriff
must suffer capital punishment. The sheriff
lhad received especial charge to keep a sharp
lookout for Paul and Silas. Tie govern
ment had not had confidence in bolts and
bars TO keep safe these two clergymen, about
and supernatural.
Sure enough. by miraculous power, they
are free, and the sheriff, waking out OF a
sound sleep. and supposing these ministers
nave run away, and knowing that they we're
TO dig for preaching Christ, and realizing
that he must therefore die, rather than 20
under the exccutioner's axe on the morrow,
Sld suber public disgrace, resolves TO pre-
eipitate his own decense. But before the
sharp, keen, glittering dagger OF the sheriff
could Strike his heart, one OF tho unloosened
prisoners arrests the blade by the command.
- myself no HARM
IN olden time. and where Christianity had
not mterfered with IL, suicide was con .idered
honorable and a sign of courage. Demos
tnenes poisoned himself when told that Alex
anders ambassador had demanded the sur
temusr OF the Athenian orators. socrates
Killed himself rather than surrender 10
fhilip OF Macedon. Cato. rather than sub
init 10 Julius Caesar, took his own life
and after three time his wounds had
Zen h,essed tore them open and per-
tshed. Mithridates killed himself rather
than submit 10 Ponpey, the con1ueror. Han.
nibal destroyed hrs life by poison from his
stng, considering life unbearable. Lycurgus
suicide, Brutus n suicide. After the disas.
Yer OF MOSCOW, Napoleon always carried with
pm preparation of opium, and one night
MS servant heard the ex-Emperor arise, nut
something in a glass and drink il, and soon
after the groans aroused all the attendants.
and II was only through utmost medical
Skill he was resuscitated from the stunor of
the opiate.
Times have changed, and yet the American
conscience neeis TO be toned up on the sub
Ject OF suicide. Have you seen n paDar i'm the
last month that did rot announce the uassa0e
out OF life by ones own behestl Defaulters.
alarmed at the idea of exposure. Quit life
preclpitateiy. Men losing large fortunes 90
out Of the world because they cannot endure
earthly existence. Frustrated affection,
domestic fnfelicity, domestic impatience.
anger, remorse, envy, jealousy, destitution,
mlsanthropy, are considered sufficient causes
Tor ~absconding from this life by Paris green,
py laudanum, by be~lladonna, by Othello's
dagger, by halter, by leap from the abut-
ment OF a bridge, by firearms. More cases
OF felo de sc in the last two years than any
Two years OF the worlds existence, and more
IN the last month than in any twelve months.
The evils more and more spreading.
"A pulpit not long z espresso some doubt
as 10 whether there was really ANYTHING
wrong about quitting this life when it became
NlE0nEnnnIl nWH -
a1le circles people apologetic for the crime
which Paul in the text arrested. shall
show you before / get through TINT suicide
IS the worst of all crimes, and / shall lift a
warning unmlstakable; But in the early part
OF thls sermon / wish to admit that some
OF the best Christians that have ever lived
nave committed elf-destuction but always
Ia dementia, and not responsible. 1 have no
more doubt about their eternal felicity than
1 have OF the Christian who dies in bis bed
IN the delirium of typhoid fever. While
the shock OF the catastrophe Is very great
l charge all those who have had Christ,
ian friends under cerebal alteration step
OH the boundaries OF this life, to have no
doubt about their happiness. The dear Lord
TOOK them right out of their dazed and fren-
zied state into perfect safety. How Christ
ieels toward the insane you may know from
the kind way He treated the demoniac of Ga
darR and the child %lunatic, and the notenrv
with which he hushed tempests either OF sea
or brain.
Scotland, the Ian prolific of intellectual
giants, had none grander than HUGH Miller
Great for science and great for 3!o1 Tic
came OF the hest Highland blood, and was n
descendant of Donald Roy, a man eminent
TOT petty and the rare gift of second sight.
~ alIhlhhnents. climbing up as he did from,
tne quarry and the wall of the s-tonemason.
nrew forth the astonished admiration Of Buck,
Iand ana Murchison, the scientists. and DIR
Chalmers, the th%eOlogian. and held universi.
tee Spel pound While he told them the story
III what hn Ind CQnn ~ IaT s-.al e. 80.
sandstone. ~"
That man did more than any being that
syer lived t. show tina the God Of the Ruls Re
INC SOD OF The Bible, aud he struck lis tun-
ne Iork on the rocks OF Cromnrty until no
9rought geology and theology accordant I'M
aiylne worship. His two books. entitled
Footprints OF the Creator and the TEST.
mony OF The Rocks" proclaimed the banns of
an everlasting marriage between genu
me sclsnce ond revelation. on Thu
atter book he toiied day 0n1 night
through love OF nature and love of God
ahtil he could not steep, and his brain gave
way, and he was found lead with a revolver
by his side, the cruel instrument having had
Two buIets-one for him and the other for
the gunsmith who at the coroner's inquest
was examining It and fell dead. Have you
any doubt of the Qualification OF Hugh Miller.
after his hot brain had G ased throbb NJ thnt
winter night IN his study at Portobello!
Among the mightiest Of earth, among the
mt2htiest OF heaven.
No one doubted the piety Of William Cow
per, the author OF those three great hymns.
oh, for a closer walk with Cod 'tWhat
various h~indranccs we meet" "There is q
fountain filed with blood" William Co yper,
who shares with Isaac Watts aud Charles
Wesley the chief honors Of Christian hymn
ology. In hypochrondria he resolved to
Iase his own life, AMI rode 70 the river
Thames, but found n man seated on some
goods at the very point from which he OK.
pected TO spring, and rode back 60 his home.
and that night threw himself upon his own
knife, but the blade broke. and then he hanged
himself 70 the ceiling, but tho rope parted
No wonder that when Col Incredibly de.
hvered him from that awful dsmentia no eat
down and wrote that other hymn Just a.
memorable:
God moves in a mysterious way
uis wonders 10 perform.
lie plants Ills footsteps in The sea.
And rides upon the storm.
"Bllnd uubelief is sure 20 err
And scan His WORK Boz vain;
God De- fis own Interpreter.
And be viii make % piiin.
While we max this mcrciful and righteous
allowance In regard % those who were
plunged into mental indifference. j declare
mat That man WfO. I'm the ma 0f hfa rnarcr