The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-10-15
A SERMON ON SUICIDE.
sELF-DEsTRUCTION SHOWN TO BE-
ON THE INCREASE.

~AA~
and Agnosticlsm - No Unnatural
Road to the Sorrowless World.
BRooKLYN, Oct AT tho tabernacle this
morning the Rev. 7. Dewitt Talmage took
for his text Acts xvii, l3, IA. "He drew
out his sword and would have killed him
self, supposing that the prisoners had been
fed. But Paul cried with loud voice,
saying DO thyself no HARM" The SER
mon was as follows:
Here is would be suicide arrested in his
deadly attempt. He was sheriff, and ac-
cording to the Roman law, baflitf himself
must suffer tbs punishment due an escaped
prisoner; and il the prisoner breaking jail
was sentenced to be endungeoned for three
or four years, then the sheriff must be en-
dungeoned for three or four years; and it
the prisoner breaking Jail was to have
suffered capital punishment, then the sheriff
must suffer capital punishment. The sheriff
had received especial charge to keep a sharp
lookout for Paul and Silas. The govern
ment had not had confidence in bolts and
bars to keep safe thee two clergymen,
about whom there seemed to be something
strange and supernatural.
Sure enough, by mira ulous power. they
are 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
realizing that he must therefore die, rather
than go under the executioner's ak on the
morrow and suffer public disgrace, resolves
to precipitate his own decease. But before
the sharp, keen, glittering dagger of the
sheriff could strike his heart one of the un-
loosened prisoners arrests the blade by the
command "Do thyself no harm"
In olden time, and whore christianity had
not interfered with it, suicide was con-
sidered honorable and sign of courage.
Demosthenes poisoned himself when told
that Alexander's ambassador had demanded
the surrender of the Athenian orators.
Isocrates killed himself rather than sur
render to Philipof Macedon. Cato, rather
than Submit to julius Caesar, took his own
life, aud after three times his wounds had
been dressed tore them open and perished.
Mithridates killed himself rather than
submit TO Pompey the conqueror. Hanni-
bal destroyed his life by poison from his
ring, considering lie uubearable. Lycurgus
a suicide, Brutus suicide. After the disas-
ter of Moscow, Napoleon always carried
with him preparation of opium, and one
night his servant heard the ex-emperor
arise. put something in glass and drink it,
and soon after the groans aroused all the
attendants, and it was only through utmost
medical skill he was resuscitated from the
stupof of the oplate.
Times have changed, aud yet the Ameri-
can conscience needs to be toned up on the
subject Of suicide. Have you seen paper
in the last mouth that did not announce the
passage out of life by ones own behestl
Defaulters, alarmed at the idea of exposure,
quit life precipitately. Men losing large
fortunes 60 out of the world because they
cannot endure earthly existence. Frus-
trated affection, domestic infelicity, dys-
peptic impatience, anger, remorse, envy,
Jealousy, destitution, misanthropy, are con-
sldered sufficient causes for absconding from
this life by Paris green, by laudanum. by
belladonna, by Othello's dagger, by halter,
by leap from the abutment of bridge, by
firearms. More cases of feto de Sc in tho
last tno years than any two years of the
worlds existence, and more in the last
month than in any twelve months Tho
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
it became disagreeable, and there are found
in respectable circles people apologize for
the crime which Paul in the text arrested.
| snail show you before | get through t1at
suicide is the worst of all crimes, and 1
shall lift warming unmistakable. But in
the early part OF this sermon wish to ad-
nit that some of the best christians that
have ever lived have committed self
destruction, but always In dementia, and
not responsible. | have no more doubt
about their eternal felicity than have of
the christian who dies In his bed in the
Haiirinm nf fVnhOfd fauar Vbfia tho ohnor
Of the catastrophe is very great charge
all those who have had christian friends
under cerebral alteration step Off the
boundaries of this life, TO have no doubt
about their happiness. The dear Lord took
them right out of their dazed and frenzied
state into perfect safety. How Christ feels
toward the insane you may know from the
kind way he treated the demoniac of
Gadara and the child lunatic, and the po-
tency with which no hushed tempests either
of sea or brain.
Scotland the land prolific of intellectual
giants, had none grander than Hugh Miller.
Great for science and great for God. He
came Of the best Highland blood, aud was
a descendant OF Donald Roy a man emf
nent for piety AID the rare gift OF second
sight. His attainments, climbing up as he
did from the quarry and the wall of the
stone-mason, drew forth the astonished
admiration of Bucklaud and MIrchison,
the scientists, and DR.. Chalmers, the theo-
logian, and held universities spellbound
while he toll them the story of what he
had seen Of God in the old red sandstone.
That man did more than any being that
ever lived to 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 accordant
in divine WORSHIP. His two books, entitled
"Footprints OF the Creator" and the "Testi-
mouy OF the Rocks" proclaimed the banns
of AN everlasting marriage between genuine
science andTeveatlon. On this latter book
he toiled day aud night through love CT ma
ture and love of God, until he could not
sleep, and his brain gave way, and he was
found dead with revolver by his side, tho
cruel instrument having had two bullets
one for him and the other for the gunsmith
who at the coroners inquest was examining
Ii and fell dead. Have you any doubt OF
the beatihcation of Hugh Miller, after his
hot brain had ceased throbbing that winter
nignt in his study at Portobellol Among
the mightiest OF earth, among the mightiest
Of heaven.
No one doubted the piety of william
Cowper, the author OF those three rreat
hvmns, "Oh, for a closer walk with G,d.n
"What various hindrances we meets
There is fountain filled with blood "
William Cowper. who shares with Isaac
Watts and Charles Wesley the chief hcnors
OF christian hymnology. In bypochondria he
resolved TO take his own life, and rode to the
80, Tbatx.oo h.kF -~