The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1889-01-04
REV. DR.. TALMMl..
THE BROOKLYN DIvINEs SUN.
DAY SERMON.
Subject: THE Present Epidemic of
Suicide"

TEXT; HE dreso out his sirord, and ,roulel
maze killed himself, supposiHg that the
prisoners had been fed But Paul crief
t0ith a loud Uoice, s1giIv: SO ailself no
harm" Acts xvi, 27-2S.
Here is a would-be suicide arrested in his
deadly attempt; He was a sheriff, and ac-
cording 70 the Eoman law, a bailiff himself
must suffer the punishment due an escaped
prisoner; and it the prisoner breaking Jail
was sentenced to be endungeonei for three
or four years, then the sheriff must be
endungeoned for three or four years: and if
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
LOCKOUT for Paul and Silas. The govern
mant 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, 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 axe on the morrow.
ana sulfer public disgrace, resolves to pre-
clpitate his own deeease. But before the
sharp, keeSs glittering dagger of the sheriff
could strike his heart, one OF the unloosened
prisoners arrests the blade by the command:
DO myself no harm"
In olden time, and where Christianity had
not lnterfered with it, suicide was considered
honorable and sign of courage Demos
thciaca f-Sisoued himself when told that Alex
anders ambassador had demanded the sur
render Of the Athenian orators lsocrates
killed himself rather than surrender to
Philip Of Macedon. Cato. rather than sub
Z .InlTmE rc11- LIZ.
and after three times his wounds had
Deen dressed tore them open and per-
lshod. Mithridates killed himself rather
than submit TO Pompey, the conqueror. Han
nbal destroyed his life by poison from his
ring. considering life unbearable Lycurgus
a suicide, Brutus suicide. After the disas-
ter OF Moscow, Napoleon always carried with
0lm 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 1t was only through utmost medical
skill he was Tesuscitated from the stupor OF
the opiate.
Times have changed, and yet the American
conscience needs to be toned up on the sub
lect OF suicide. Have you seen paper in the
last month that did not announce the passage
out of life by ones own behesti Defaulters,
alarmed at the idea of exposure, quit life
preclpitately. Men losing large fortunes 90
out Of the world because they cannot endure
earthly existence. Frustrated affection,
domestic infelicity, domestic impotence,
anger, remorse, envy, jealousy, destitution,
nisanthropy, are considered sufficient causes
for absconding from this life by Paris green,
by laudanum, by belladonna, by Othellos
dagger, by halter, by leap from the abut-
ment of bridge, by firearms. More cases
Of felo de Sc in the last two years than any
Two years of the worlds existence, and more
IN the last month than IN any twelve months.
The evil is more and more spreading.
a pulpit not long ago expressed some doubt
as to whether there was really anything
wrong about quitting this life when it became
dlsagreeable, and there are found III respect
able circles people apologize for the crime
which Paul in the text arrested | shall
show you before get through that suicide
IS the worst of all crimes. and / shall lift
warning unrnistakable But in the early part
or this sermon l wish to admit that some
Of the best Christians that have ever lived
have committed self-destuction, but always
IN dementia, and not responsible l have no
more doubt about their eternal felicity than
have Of the Christian who dies in his bed
N the delirium OF typhoid fever. While
the shock of the catastrophe is very great,
charge all those who have had Christ
an friends under eerebal alteration step
OFF the boundaries otsthis life. to have no
doubt about their ef1sThe dear Lord
'ook them right =. =, -,