Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1894-08-17
REV. DR. TALMAGE.
fHE BROOKLYN DIvryE's SUM-
DAY SERMON.
Subject: "Suicide. +"

TIT 1He drew out his sword and would
have killed himself, supposing that the pris-
oners had been aei. But Paul cried with
loud voice. saying. Do thyself no harm.
Acts xvi, "a, 2s
Here Is n would he suicide arrested In his
deadly attempt He was sheriff, and ac-
coriing TO the Roman law a bailin himself
must suffer the punishment due an escaped
prisoner. md II the prisoner breaking jail
was sentenced to be endungconed for three
or four years then thu sheriff must be en-
dungeonsd for three or four years, and II
the prisoner breaking jail was to have SUI.
fered capital punishment then the sherin
must suffer capital punishment.
The sheriff had received especial charge
10 keep a sharp lookout for Paul and Silas.
The government had not had confidence In
bolts and bars to keep safe these two Clergy
men, about whom there seemed to be some
thing strange and supernatural.
Sure enough. by miraculous power they
are free, and the sheriff, waking out OF
sound sleep ahd supposing these ministers
have run away, and knowing they were TO
die for preaching Christ, and realizing that
he must therefore die, rather than go under
the executioner's ax on the morrow and
suffer public disgrace resolves to precipitate
his own decease But before the sharp.
strike his hear one OF the unloosened
prisoners arrests the blade by the command,
"Do thyseli no harm"
In olden time, and where Christianity
had not interfered with 1t. suicide was con-
sidored honorable and sign OF courage.
Demosthenes poisoned himself when told
that Alexander's ambassador had demanded
the surrender OF the Athenian orators.
socrates killed himself rather than sur
render TO Philip OF Macedon. Cato, rather
than submit TO Julius Cesar, took his own
life, and after three times his wounds had
been dressed tore them open and persisted.
Mithridates killed himself rather than sub
init TO Pompey. tho conqueror. Hannibal
destroyed his life BY poison from his ring,
considering life unbearable. Lycurgus u
suicide, Brutus suicide. After the disaster
OF Moscow Napoleon always carried with
him a preparation OF opium, and one night
his servant heard the eN-emperor arise. put
something In "a glass and drink 1t, and soon
after the groans arouse all the attendants,
and il VAS only through utmost medical
skill he was resuscitated from the stupor OF
the opiate.
Times have changed. and yet the Ameri-
can conscience needs TO be toned upon the
subject OF suicide. Have you seen paper
in the last mo nth that did not announce the
passage out OF life by ones own behest2
Defaulters alarmed at the idea of exposure,
quit life precipita.ey Men losing large
fortunes 90 out OF the world because they
cannot endure earthly existence. Frustrat-
ed affection, domestic infelicity, dyspectic
Impotence, anger, remorse, envy, Jealousy,
destitution, misanthropy, are considered
sufficient causes for abscondins from this
life by Paris green, by laudanum, by bella.
donna, by Othellos dagger 10y halter, by
n thA a I,t D1nn of hFt nv
arms. More cases ot"ieo de Sc" In the last
two years ofthe worlds existence. The evil
Is more and more spreading.
pulpit not long ago expressed some
doubt rs to whether there was really any
thing wrong about quitting this life when 1t
became disagreeable. and there are found in
respectable 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 a warning unmistakable But in tho
early part OF this sermon | wish to admit
that some OF the best Christians that have
ever lived have committed self destruction,
but always in denentia and not responsible.
/ have no more doubt about their eternal
felicity than | have Of the Christian who
dies In his bed In the delirium OF typhoid
fever. While the shock OF the catastrophe Is
very great, | charge all those who have had
Christian friends under cerebral alteration
step or the boundaries OF this life to have
no doubt their happiness. The dear Lord
took them right out OF their dazed and fren-
zied state into perfect safety. How Christ
feels toward the insane you may know from
the kind way he treated the demoniac OF
Gardara and the child lunatic, and the po-
tency with which he hushed the 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, and he was
n descendant of Donald Roy, a man eminent
for his piety and the rare gift Of second
sight His attachments, climbing up as he
did from the quarry and the wall OF tho
drew forth the astonistied ad-
miration OF Buck!and and MurchIson, the
scientists and DR.. Chalmers, the thcologian,
and held universities spellLound while he
told 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-
mony OF the Rocks" proclaimed the banns
OF an everlasting marriage between genuine
science and revelation. On this latter book
he toiled day and night, through love OF
nature 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
ono for him and the other for the gunsmith
who, a, the coroner's inquest, was examin-
ing II and fell dead. Have you any doubt OF
the Qualification OF Hugh Miller after his hot
brain had ceased throbblng that winter night
In his study Mt Porobello? Among the
mightiest OF earth, among the mightiest OF
heaven.
No one ever doubted the piety of William
Cowper, the author OF those three great
hymns, "Oh. For Closer Walk With God ~
"What Various Hindmnces We Meet ~
"There Is a Fountain Filled With Blood
William Cowper, who shares with Isaac
Watts and Charles Wesley the chief honors
OF Christian hymnology. In hypochondria
he resolved to take his own life and rode to
the river Thames, but found a 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 merci-
fully delivered him from that awful demen-
tia he sat down and wrote that other hymn
Just as memorable:
God moves in a mysterious way
Els wonders to perform.
He plants His footsteps I'm the sea
And rides upon tue storm.
Blind unbelief Ia sure TO err
And scan His work In vain.
God ia His own Interpreter.
And He will make II plain.
While we make this merciful and righteous
allowance In regard TO those who were