Democratic messenger., 1888-10-20
SELF-DESTRUCTION.
CAUSE or THE PRESENT EPIDEMIC
on SUICIDE.
The Rev. DIR. Taimage Says II Can Ise
Attributed Largely Co Infideiism and
Unbclief-some Suicides who
Were Undoubtedly True
Christians.

II and 12: "IIe drew out his sword and
would have killed himself, supposing that
the prisoners had been fed But Paul
cried out with a loud voice, saying DO
thyself no harm r" The sermon was as
follows:
Here Is a would.be suicide arrested In
his deadly attempt. lie was sheriff, and
according to the Roman law bailiff him.
self must suffer the punishment due an
escaped prisoner. and if the prisoner
breaking jail was sentenced TO be endun.
geoned for three or four years, then the
sheriff must be cndunge0ned for three or
four years, and II the prisoner breaking
Jail was to have suffered capital punish.
meni, the sheriff must suffer capital
punishment The sheriff had received
especial charge to keep u sharp lookout
for Paul and Silas. The government had
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
are free, and the sheriff walking out Of q
sound sleep and supposing these minis
tiers have run away, and knowing that
they were to die for preaching Christ, and
realizing that he must therefore die. rath'
er than go under the executioncr's axe on
the morrow and suffer public disgrace,
resolves to precipitate his own decease
But before the sharp, keen, glIttering dag
ger of the sheriff could strike his heart
one Of the unloosened prisoners arrests
the blade by the command: "Do thyscli
no harmr'
In oldcn time, and where Christianity
had not intcrfered with II suicide was
considered honorable and sign Of cour
age. Demosthencs prisoned himself when
told that Alexander's ambassador had
demanded the surrender Of the Athenian
orators. Isocra,es killed himself rather
than surrender TO Phillip Of Maccdon
Cato, rather than submit to Julius Caesar
took his own life, and amer three times
his wounds had bccn dressed tore then
open and perishcd. Mithridates killed
himself rather than submit to Pompcy
the conqucror. Hannibal destroyed his
life by poison from his ring, considering
life unbcarablc. I.ycurgur suicide
Brutus a suicide. After the disaster ol
Moscow Napoleon always carried with
him preparation of opium, and one
night his servant heard the cx.emperoI
arise, put something in glass and drink
il, and soon after the groans aroused all
the attendants, and il was only through
utmos, medical skill he was resusciiatcd
from the s,upor Of the opiatc.
Times have changed, and yet the Amer
lean conscience needs to bc toned up on
the
SUBJECT Or SUICIDE.
Have you seen paper in the last month
TIM, did mol announce the passage out ol
life by ones behcst! Dcfaultcrs, alarmed
at the idea of exposure. quit life prccipi'
lately. Men losing large fortunes so out
Of the world because they cannot endure
earthly existence. Frustrated affection,
domestic infclicily, dyspeptic impatience,
anger, rcmorsc, envy, jealousy. dcsiitu'
ton, misanlhropy are considered sufficient
causes for Astounding from this life by
Paris green, by laudanum, by bclladonna,
by othello's dagger, BY halter. by leap
from the abutment ola bridge, by firearms
More cases OF Jelo dc SO in the last two
years than any two years Of the worlds
existence, and more in the last month
than In any i2 months. The evil Is more
and more spreading.
A pulpit not long ago expressed some
doubt as to whether there was really any
thing wrong about quitting this life when
II became disagreeable, and there are
found in respectable circles people apollo
gc,lc for the crime which Paul in the text
arrested. l shall show you before l get
through that suicide Is the worst OF all
crimes, aud shall lift warning unmis'
taxable. But In the early part Of this
sermon wish to admit that some of the
best Christians that have ever lived have
committed selt-dcstruction, but always In
dcmcntia and not responsible. lhave no
more doubt about their eternal felicity
than have oi the Christian who died In
his bed In the delirium or typhoid fever.
While the shock of the catastrophe Is very
great, l charge all those who have had
Christian friends under cerebral abcrra-
ton step off the boundaries ofthis life to
have no doubt about their happiness. The
dear Lord took them right out OF their
dazed and frcnzied state into perfect safe
". How Christ feels toward the insane
you may know from the kind way lie
treated the demoniac Of Gadara and the
child lunatic. and the potency with which
lie hushcd ,empes,s either Of sea or brain
Az ISTEi.LEcTrAL GIANT.
Scotland. the land prolific OF intellectual
giants. had none grandcr than Hugh Mil
ler. Great for science aud great for God.
lie came Of the best Highland blood, and
was descendant Of Donald Roy, n man
eminent for piciy and the rare gin Of sec.
ond sight. Ills attainment. climbing up
as he did from the quarry and the wall OF
the s,one.mason drew forth the aslonishel
admiration Of Buckland and Murchlson,
the scientists. and DR. Chalmers, the theo.
logian aud held universities spell-bound
while he told them the story ~ what he
had seen Of God In the old red sandstone.
That man did more than any being that
ever lived lo show that the God Of the
hills Is the God Of the Bible. and he struck
his tuning fork on the rocks Of cromarty
until he brought geology and theology &C.
cordant In divine worship. Ills two books,
entitled Footprints Of the Creator" and
the Testimony ofthe Rocks, proclaimed
the banns ofan everlasting marriage be.