Democratic messenger., 1888-10-20

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No one doubted the plety Of William
Cowper, the author Of those three great
hymns, "Oh, for closer walk with God"
"What various hindrances we meet"
"Therc II fountain filed with blood"
William Cowper. who shares with Isaac
Watts and Charles Wesley the chief hon.
ors Of Christian hymnology. In hypochon.
dria he resolved to take his own life, and
rode to the river Thames, but found man
seated on some goods at the very point
from which he expected to spring, and
rode back to his home, and that night
threw himself upon his own knife, but the
blade broke, and then he hanged himself
to the ceiling, but the rope parted. No
wonder that when God mercifully deliv.
cred him from that awful dementia he sat
down and wrote that other hymn just as
memorable
God moves In mysterious way
HIS wonders 70 perform
He plants His footsteps In tho sea.
Aud rides upon the storm.
Blind unbeiIef 10 suro TO orr
And scan His work In vain;
God 10 His own interpreter,
And He will make Il plain.
While we make this mcrciful and right.
eous allowance In regard to those who
were plunged into mental incoherance, l
declare that that man who Is In the use OF
his reason, by his own act, snaps the bond
between his body and his soul goes
straight into periition. Shall I prove Il!
Revelation xxi. g.: "Mrrderers shall have
their part IN the lake which burneth with
fire and birthstone" Revelations xii,
IS: "Without are dogs, and sorccrers, and
whoremongcrs, and murderers." You do
not believe the New Testament! Then,
perhaps, you believe the Ten Command.
ments: "Thou shall not kill" DO you
say all these passages refer to the taking
Of the life Of others? Then ask you II
you are not as responsible for your own
life rs for the life Of others? God gave
you a special trust in your life. He made
you the custodian Of your life rs lie made
you the custodian Of no other life. He gave
you as weapons with which to defend two
arms to strike back assailants. two eyes to
watch for invasion. and n natural love Of
life which ought even to be ON the alert.
Assassination of Others Is mild crime
compared with the assassination OF your.
self, because In the latter case It Is treach.
cry to an especial trust, II Is the surren.
der Of castle you were especially ap-
pointed to keep. II is treason to natural
law and II Is treason to God added to or.
dinary murder.
| A RoGUEs' GALLERY.
To show how God In the Bible looked
upon this crime, point you to the rogucs'
picture gallery in some parts Of the Bible,
the pictures of the people who have com.
miticd that unnatural crime. Here Is the
hcadlcss trunk Of Saul on the walls Of
naihshan. Here Is the man who chased
little David-tcn feet In stature chasing
four Here is the man who consulted
chairvoyant, Witch Of Endor. Here Is IA
man who, whipped In battle, instead of
surrcndcring his sword with dignity, as
many man has done, asks his servant to
slay him; and when the servant declines,
then the giant plants the hilt Of the sword
In the earth, the sharp point sticking up.
ward. and he throws his body on Il and
expires, the coward, the suicide. Here Is
Ahithophcl, the Machiavelli OF oldcn
times, betraying his best friend, David, In
order tina, he may become prime minister
Of Absalom. and joining that fellow in his
attempt at parricide. Not getting what
he wanted by change Of politics. he takes
short cut out Of a disgraced life into the
suicides eternity. There he Is, the migrate!
Here is Abimclich, practically suicide.
lie is with an army bombardlng q tower
when n woman In the tower takes
grindstonc from It's place and drops Il
upon his head, and with what life he has
lef, In his cracked skull he commands his
armor.bearcr: Draw thy sword and
slay me. lest men say a waman slew mer'
There Is his poss.mortem photograph In
the book OF Samuel. but the hero Of this
group Is Judas Iscariot. DIR. Donne says
he was q marty. and we have In our day
apologists for him. And what wonder,
In this day when we have book reveal.
ing Aaron Burr rs pattern ofvirtue, and
In this day when we uncover statue 10
George Sand rs the benefactress Of litera.
ture, and In this day when there are be.
trayals Of Christ on the part Of some Of
his pretended apostles-a betrayal 50
black II makes the infamy OF Judas Iscar.
lot whitel Yet this man by his own hand
hung up for the execrat.on Of all the ages.
Judas Iscariot.
All the good men and women OF the
Bible leil God the decision OF their earthly
terminus. and they could have said with
Job. who had right to commit suicide II
any man ever had-what with his de.
siroyed property, and his body oil ahame
with insuferable carbuncles. and every
thing gone from his home except the
chief curse of II, q pestiferous wife and
four garrulous people peliing him with
comfortless talk while he sits on a heap
OF ashes scratching his scabs with q piece
OF broken pottery, yet crying out In tri.
umph: "All the days Of my appointed
time will wait I'LL my change comes!'
SUICIDE on THE INCREASE.
Notwithstanding the Bible Is against
this evil and the aversion which Il creates
by the loaihsome and CHASTITY spectacle Of
those who have hurled themselves out Of
life, and Notwithstanding Christianity Is
against Il, and the arguments and the
useful lives and iis illustrlous deaths Of
ils disciples. Il Is fact alarmingly patent
49, ...i.ll. l.. -. a. i.n.a..o