The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-10-15
SUICIDE.
Rev. DR.. Talmage's Sunday Sermon.
Se.f-Immolation the Result of De-
mentia or InAdolity.
No Christian Man in His Senses
Ever Killed Himself.
Writers of Infidel Books Rospon-
sible for Many Suicides.
"ro Get Rid OF the Sorrows OF Earth Dc
Not Rush into Greater sor-
rowe" Said the
Preacher.

BEookLYN, n. Y, Oct l4.-At the Tab.
ernacle this morning the Rev. 7. Dewitt
Talmage, ID. d., took for his text Acts,
XIV, 22-2S 'Ho drew out his sword, and
would have killed himself, supposing that
the prisoners had been fed but Paul cried
with loud voice, saying, DO thyscli no
HARM ," The sermon was as follows:
Here is a would-bc suicide arrested In
his deadly attempt. lie was n sheriff, and,
according to the Roman law, baililr him.
self must suffer the punishment due an
escaped prisoner, aud II the prisoner break.
ing Jail was sentenced TO bc ondungconcd
for three or four years, then the sheriff
must be endungeoncd for three or four
years, and II the prisoner breaking Jail was
TO have suffered capital punishment, then
the sheriff must suler capital punishment.
The sheriff had received especial charge TO
keep a sharp lookout for Paul and Silas.
The government hal not had confidence
in bolts and bars to keep safe these two
clergymen, about whom there seemed to
be something strange and supernatural.
Sure enough, by miraculous power. they
were free, and the sheriff, waking out of a
sound sleep, and supposing these ministers
have run away, and knowing that they
were TO die for preaching Christ, and ~.
alizing that he must therefore die, rather
than 20 under the eXccutioncf's AK on the
morrow and suffer public disgrace, resolves
To preciptate his own dcccasc. But be-
fore the sharp, keen, gliticring dagger Of
the sheriff could strike his heart, one Of
the unlooscncd prisoners arrests the blade
10y the command: "DO thyscli no harm.
In olden time, aud where Christianity
had not lntcriercd with Il, suicide was con-
sdcrcd honorable and sign OF courage.
Demosthenes poisoned himself when told
that Alcxandcr's ambassador had de-
mandcd the surrender OF tho Athcnian
orators. lsocrtos killed himself rather
than surrender Ia, Philip OF Nlaccdon. Cato,
rather than submit to Julius Ciusar took
his own lie, and after three times his
wounds had been dfcss,l tore them open
and pcrlshcd. Althridates killed himself
rather than submit 10 fompcy, the con-
qucror. Hannibal destroyed his life by
INAHNh ANhA NNN ANNN"H NNAAHANfIlNI lllt Nln-
bcarnble. LycuigUs q suicide, llrutus n
suicide. After the disaster of Moscow,
Napoleon always carried with him pre-.
paration OF opium, aud one night his ser.
want heard the oN-Emperor arise. nut
something In glass aud drink IL, and soon
after the grulus aroused all the attendants
aud Il WIS only through utmost medical
skill lac was rcsuscllutcd FROM the stupOr Of
the opiatc.
Times haze changed, aud yet the Amer
lean conscience needs to be- toned up ON
the subject Of suicide. Have YOU seen a
paper in the last month that did not an.
uounCc the passage out II life by ones
own bchcsi2 Dciaullrrs. alarmed ut the
idea Of exposure, quit life prCCipitnicly.
Men losing large fortunes 90 out Of the
world because they cnhn0i endure earthly
existence. Frustrated affection, domestic
inlclicity, dyspcptic impalioncc, anger, ~
morse, envy, jealousy, dCsiitution, mi-an-
thfopy, are considered sufficient causes Tor
absconding from this lie boy PARIS green,
10y laudanum, 10y bclIadOnnl, 10y Othcilo's
dagger, by halter, 10y leap from the abut-
mcnt Of u bridge, by dWarms More eases
Of lclo A. so In the last two ycars than any
two ycam Ui the worlds existence, aud
more in The l.,t month than In any twelve
months. The evil Is more aud more
spreading
A pulpit not long rro expressed some
doubt ns 10 whether there was really any
thing wrong about quitting this life wncn
Il became disagreed e, aud there are
found IN respectable ..rclr- people apollo
gptic Tor the crime VIII ia Paul In the text
arrested. ! shall sh.w You before got
through that suicide the wort of all
crimes, and shall llla warning unmis.
taxable. But iu a.. early part of this
sermon ! wish to ado u that some Di the
best Christians that rivc ever lived have
committed suli-dcsiU ion, but always in
dcmcntIa, and not ro onsiblo. ! have no
moro doubt about iIcir eternal felicity
than ! have oi the Christian who dies in
his bed In the dclruum Ui typhoid iCycr.
While the shock Ul ii. catastrophe is very
great ! charge OH q &c Who have had
Christian friends undo ccfobnl alteration
step o.I lhc bouniaHc Of this life. to have
no doubt about thjr happ.uc. Tho
dear Lord took then right out ol their
dazcl and irenziul snic into perfect
safety. How Christ feels toward thc In
sane YOU may know from the kind way
Dec treated the dumOliur ol Gaiim aud
the child lunnlic, lHI tIc potency with
which be hufhcd '.ulgsu either ol sea or
brain.
Scotland the land prolific n iulollcc-
iuai giants, had none gmud.r than llugh
Miller Great iUf Htlpurr HHd great iDr
God. lie cnmo Of uIo best Highland
blood, and WIS o. dt.ulHnt Ol luuHld
Roy, a man eminent .bTplUiy and tho urr
gilt ol socondsigIt lis altaiumouH.
climbing mp as Il, d.dif1m Dee quar-, uud
the wall Ol the slDJrl, aHDU. drew lJuh fIc
lsionIshCl nlmiuiUi Ui LurkIluI aud
Murchison, the scientists, aud d. Chad.
mcrs, the thcOlogau and held uuIycui-
ties FpcIlb0und Wuil. be- told them the
story oi what hc bad seen Of God boz tie
. old red aandsl0nc
That man did mlrihnu amy being That
ever lived a. show llat ihu God ul thc
bills In the GOd oi iHr Ianl'. and ho struck
his tuning fork on .h' rocks pl trpn-
uiy until ho brought ECDuly and lhnyl ~
nrr1rdunl IN divine WDrlIp. His two
books. entitled "fuulnus0l iho Creator"
aud the "fc.limouy i 'Ir Rocks pro.
claimed the baum, u 900 everlasting mar
raer between gn1.u. science and rrVc'a.
/ ton. On this latter book hc io'lcd day
/ nud night through I0lU 1l nliurc mud love
/ 0i God. until lo ,Du 7 nUi sleep, nul hia
brain gave way. aul Ice wi' iuunh dead
" 10 revolver by H. ndr. iuu cruel iu.
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