Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1888-11-01
"Blind unbelief 10 sure 10 err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And Ho will make II Dlain.

While we make this merciful and RICH
/ eous allowance in regard to those who wei
plunged into mental incoherence, declar
that that man who In the use of his reason
by his own act, snaps the bond between hi
body and his soul, goes straight into perd
ton. Shall prove itl Revelations xxi.
''Murderers shall have their part in tn
lake which burneth with fire and -imstone
Revelation xxi. Is, ''Without are dogs, anl
sorcerers, and whoremongers. and nun
derers." You do not believe the New Tes
tamenta Then, perhaps, you believe tn
ten commandments, "Thou shalt not kill.
Do you say all these passages refer to tn
taking of the life Of othersl Then ask yol
if you are not responsible for your own lif
as for the life of othersl God gave you spec
ial trust in your life. He made you the custo
dian of no other life He gave you as weap
ons with which to defend it, two arms Z
strike back assailants, two eyes 10 watcl
for invasion, and a natural love of lif'
which ought to be on the alert Assassina
ton of others is mild crime compared will
the assassination of yourself, because il
the latter case it is treachery to an especia
trust, it is the surrender of a castle yoi
were especially appointed TO keep, it i.
treason to a natural law, and it is treason tC
God added to ordinary murder.
To show how God in the Bill looked upon
this crime, point you to sle rogne's picture
gallery in some parts of the Bible, the
pictures of the people who have committed
this unnatural crime. Here is the headless
trunk of Saul on the walls of Bathshan.
Here is the man who chased little David
ten feet in stature chasing four Here is
the man who consulted clairvoyant Witch
of Endor. Here is a man, who, whipped in
battle, instead of surrendering his sword
with dignity as many man has done asks
his servant to Stay him, and when the serv-
ant declines then the giant plants the hilt
of the sword in the earth the sharp point
sticking upward and he throws his body on
it and expires, the coward. the suicide !
Here is Ahithopel, the .Iachi velli of olden
times, betraying his best friend David in
order that he may become prime minister
of Ab-alom, and ioinin. that fellow in his
attempt at parricide. Not getting what he
wanted by change Of politics he takes a
short cut out of a dsgraced life into the
suicides eternity. There he Is, the ngratel
Here is Abmelech practically suicide.
He is with an army b0m6arding tower,
when woman in the tower takes a grind
stone from its place and drops it upon his
head and with what life he has left in his
cracked skull he commands his armor- bearer:
"Draw thy sword and Stay me, lest men say
a woman slew me-" There is his post-mor-
tenn photograph in the book of Samuel But
the hero of this group is Judas Iscariot. DIR.
Dome says he was a martyr, and we have
in our day apologists for him. And what
wonder in this day when we have book
revealing Aaron Burr as pattern OF Virtue,
and in this day when we uncover statue
to George Sand as the bene factress Of litera-
ture, and In this day when there are betrayals
of Christ on the part Of some OF his pretend
ed apostles-a betrayal so black IL makes
the infamy of Judas Iscariot white Yet
this man by his own hand hung up for the
execration Of all the ages, Judas Iscariot.
All the good men and women Of the Bible
left TO God the decision OF their earthly ter
minus, and they could have said with Job,
who had right to commit suicide if any
man ever had-what with his destroyed
prosperity, and his body all aaame with in
carbuucles, aud everything gone
from his home except the chief curse Of it,
Destiferous wife, and four garrulous people
Delting him with comfor.less talk while he
sits on a heap of ashes scratching his scabs
With piece of broken pottery. yet crying
tut in triumph: Gan the DAYS OF my APP
pointed time will | wait till my change
,ome."
Notwithstanding, the Bible is against this |
vii. and the aversion which II creates by |
he loathsome and CHASTITY spectacle OF those |
Who have hurled themselves out of life. and |
Christianity is against it, 1
md the arguments and the useful lives and |
he illustrious deaths Of its disciples it is |
fact alarmingly patent shat suicide is on /
he increase.
What is the causel charge upon inf
elity and agnosticism this whole thing. II |
here be no hereafter be blissful without /
eference to how we live aud how we die, 4
Why not move back the folding doors be
ween this world and the NEXT And when
ur existence here becomes troublesome,
Why not pass right over 10 Elysiuml Put
his down among your most solemn refiec.
ions, and consider it after you go TO your
ONES: there has never been a case Of sui.
ide where the operator was not either de-
lented. and therefore irresponsible or an
lfidel. l challenge all the ages, and / chal-
snge the whole universe. There never has
cen case OF self-destruction while in full
ppreciation Of his immortality and Of the
act that that immortality would be glorious
r wretched according as he accepted Jesus
'hrist or rejected him.
You say it is business trouble, or you
ay it Is electrical currents, or it is this or
is that, or il is the other thing Why not
o clear back my friend. and acknowledge
hat in every case 1t is the abdication of rea-
1n or the teaching of infidelitv which prac-
cally says: IF you don't like this life get
ut Of it.. and you will land either in anuihi-
Ition, where there are no notes 70 pay, no
ersecutions to suffer, no gout to torment,
r you will land where there will be every
hing glorious and nothing TO pay for it.n
'tidelity always has been apologize for
After Tom Paine's "Age
Reason was published and widely read
lere was a marked increase Of self
aughter
A man in London hear Mr.. Owen deliver
Is intidel lecture on Socialism, and went
Dme, sat down, and wrote these words:
Jesus Christ is one of the weakest char
tiers in history, and the Bible is the great
4 possible deception and then shot him
If David Hume wrote these words: 1T
ould be no crime for me to divert the Nile
. the Danube from its natural bed. Where,
zen, can be the crime of my diyerting q