Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1894-08-24
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINE'S SUM-
DAY SERMON.
Subject: "Suicide.'' -


loud voice. saying. Do thyself no harm. "
Acts xvi, 27, %.
Here Is would be suicide arrested in his
deadly attempt. He WIS sheriff. and ac-
c0rd!ng to ths Roman law Il bailin himself
must suffer the punisLE mt due an escaped
prisoner, and ii the prisoner breaking Jail
was sentenced to be endung"Oned for three
or four yea rs then the sheriff must be en-
dungeOned for three or four years, and il
the prisoner breaking Jail was to have suf-
feced capital punishment then the sheriff
must suffer capital punishment.
The sheriff had received especial charge
20 keep sharp lookout for Paul and SiaS.
The government had not had confidence in
bolts and bars 20 keep safe these two clergy
men. about whom there seemed to be some
thing strange and supernatural.
Sure enough, 10y miraculous power they
are free, and the sheriff. waking out of Il
sound sleep and supposing these minister's
have run away, and knowing they were TO
die for preaching Christ, and realizing that
he must therefore die, rather than go under
the eXecutiOnorS ak on the morrow and
suffer public disgrace resolves TO precp!t1te
his own deccase. But before the sharp,
keen, giitterinC tagger of tho sheriff could
strike his heart one of the un!OOS@ned
prisoners arrests the blade by the command,
"DO thy5elt no harm.
In oIden time, and whero Christianity
hal not interfcrei with it, suicide was con
-
DemOsthenes poisoned himself when told
that Al"xandcr's em5assadOr had demanded
the surrender of the Athenian orators.
lsocrates killed himself rather than sur
render to Philip OF Maccdon. Cato, rather
than submit to julius Caesar, took his own
life, and after three times mis- wounds had
been dressed tore them open and F2rishei.
Mlithridates killed himself rather than sub
nit tC POmpey. tho cOnquaror. Hannibal
destroyed his life by poison from his ring,
considering life unbearable. Lycurgus Il
suicide, BrutuS a suicide. After the disaster
of Moscow Napoleon always carried with
him a preparation of opium, and one night
his servant heard the pX-amperOr arise, put
something in a glass and drink it, and soon
after the grOanS arouse all the attendants,
and it was 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 lth that did not announce the
passage out of life by ones own behest?
Dcfauhers, alarmed at the idea of exposure,
quit life precipitately. Men losing large
fortunes 90 out Of the world because they
cannot endure earthly existence. Frustrat-
ed affection, domestic infelicity, dyspectic
lmptuenc9, anger, remorse, envy, jealousy,
restitution, miSanthrOpy, are considered
sufficient causes for absconding from this
lie by Paris green, by laudanum, by bella
donna, by OthellOs dagger, by halter, by
leap from the abutmcnt of a bridge, by fire.
arms. More cases of "ieIO de Sc" i'll the last
two years Ofthe worlds existence. The evil
Is more and more spreading.
y pulpit not long ago expressed some
doubt as to whether there was really any
thing wrong about quitting this life when it
became disaCreeable. and there are found in
respectable circles people apOlOgetic for the
crime which Paul il the text arrested. l
CHI le,i,
suicide is the worst Of all crimes, and I shall
lit Wacning unmistakabic But in the
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 dementia and not responsible.
have no more doubt about their eternal
felicity than I have of the Christian who
dies IL his bed in the Gelirium of typhoid
fever. While the shock of the catastrophe is
very gr6at, charge all those who have had
Christian friends under cerebral alteration
step off the boundaries of this life to have
no doubt their happiness. The dear Lord
took them right out of their dazed and fren-
zled state into perfect safety. How Christ
ieeiS toward the insane you may know from
the a.1I way he treated the demonac of
Gardafa Rnd the child lnnatic, and the po-
tcnry 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 sciencA and great for God. He
cane Of the best Highland blood, and he was
Il descendant OF Donald Roy. man eminent
fOr his piety and the rare gift of second
sight. His attainrnents, climbing up as he
did from the quarry and the wall of the
sJ2ce!nason, drew iOrth the astOnished ad-
II 'ca:'on OF Blekiand and MurchisOn, the
SCENT ists, and ~. Chalmers, the theologan
ald held universities spelbound while he
told Inem the story of what he had seen of
Col II the Oid lpd sandstone.
That man did more than any being that
ST"- lived 20 show that the God of the hills
Is the God OF the Bible, and he struck his
tIh!h% fork on the rocks of CrOmarty until
ne brought geology and theology accordant
in divine worship. His two books, entitled
''F0otprin1s Of The Creator and the "Testi-
mony ot the ROcks,' proclaimed the banns
OF an eFer!aStlH- 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 lis brain gave way, AMI he was
found dead vita revolver by his side, the
cruel instrument having had two bullets
ono tGr him and the other for the gunsmith
who, ut the corOner's inquest, was examin-
ing It and fell dead. Have you any doubt of
She beatlfcatioH OF Hugh Miller after his hot
brain had ceased thrObbing that winter night
in his study at Por; obelIo? 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 a Closer Walk With Gotr'
"What Various Hiudrances We Meet ~
''There Is Fountain Filled With Blool'-
William COwper, who shares with Isaac
Watts and Charles Wesley the chief honOrs
OF Christian hymnoOgy. In hypochonJria
he resolved to take his own life AMI role to
the river Thames, but found u 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 hymD
lust as memorable
Col moves in mysterious way
His wonders to perform.
He plants His footsteps i'll the sea
AEu rides upon storm.
Blni unbeIief is sure to err
And scan His work i'll vain.
God is His own interpreter,
And lie will make t plain.
While we make this mCrciful and righteous
allowance in regard 10 those who were
plunged into mental incoherpnce. I declare
that the man who in the use of his reason,
by his own act, snaps the bond between his
body and his soul goes straight into perdt-
ton. Shall prove il? Revelation xxi, 8,
"Murderers shall have their part in the lake
which hurneth with fire and birthstone :"
Revelation xii. Is, "WithOut are dogs and
sorcerers and whoremOngers and murder
ers." You do not believe the New Testa-
ment? Then perhaps you believe tho Ten
Commandments. Thou shalt not kill"
Do you say all these passages refer to the
taking of the life OF others? Then ask yOu
if you are not as RESP onshle for your own
life as for the life of others? God gave you
a special trust in your life. He made you
the custoi iian of your life as he made you the
custodian of no other life. He gave you as
weapons with which to defenl 1t two arms
10 strike back assailants. two eyes to watch
for invasion and a natural love of life which
ought ever to be on the alert. Assassination
OF others is n mild crime cOmDareI with the