The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1894-08-16
SERMON ON SUICIDE.
SIN OF SELF-SLAUGHTER.
A Discourse Brimful Of Common senss
and Religious Proof.

have killed himself, supposing that the pris-
oners had been fed. But Paul cried with
loud voice. saving, Do thyself no harm"
Acts XVII, ~, 2s.
Here is n would he suicide arrested In his
deadly attempt. He was sheriff, and ac-
cording to the Roman law n bailin himself
must suffer the punishment due an escaped
prisoner, and II the prisoner breaking jail
was sentenced TO bo endungeoned for three
or four years then tho sheriff must be en-
the prisoner breaking jail was to have SUI.
fered capital punishment then the sheriff
must suffer capital punishment.
The sheriff had received especial charge
TO keep 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 and 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 precipitato
| bis own decease. But before the sharp.
keen, glittering dagger OF tho sheriff could
| strike his heart one OF the unloosened
prisoners arrests the blade by the command,
do thyseli no harm"
|
had not interiered with II. suicide was con-
| ,tdered honorable and n sign OF courage.
| Oemosthencs poisoned himself when told
that Alexlnder's embnssador had demanded
Tho surrender OF the Athenian orators.
lsocrates killed himself rather than sur
tender 10 Philip OF Macedon. Cato. rather
Ihan submit 10 Julius C@sar, took his own
hfe, and after three times his wounds had
been dressed tore them open and perlshed.
| Hithridates killed himself rather than sub
nit tc Pompey. tho conqueror. Hannibal
Destroyed his life by poison IRON his ring,
considering liio unbearable. Lycurgus
suicide. Brutus suicide. After the disaster
u Moscow Napoleon always carried with
aim preparation OF opium, and one night
ais servant heard the ex-emperor arise, put
| iomething In glass and drink 1t, and soon
ifter the groans arouse all the attendants.
md II was only through utmost medical
kill ho was resuscitatod from the stupor OF
he opiate.
Times havo changed. and yet the Ameri-
'nn conscience needs 10 be toned upon tho
ubject OF suicide. Have you seen a paper
n tho last mo lth that did not announce the
passage out OF life by ones own behestp
Defaulters, alarmed at the idea OF exposure.
juit life precipitately. Men losing large
ortunes 20 out OF the world because they
;nnnot endure earthly existence. frustrat-
ld affection, domestic infellcity, dyspectic
I mpatience, anger, remorse, envy, Jealousy,
restitution, misanthropy, are considered
,ufficient causes for absconding IRON this
ife by Paris green, by laudanum, by BELLA
lonna, By Othellos dagger, by halter. by
cap from the abutment OF n bridge, by fire.
arms. More cases of"ielo de se' in the last
wo years oftho worlds existence. The evil
more and more spreading.
pulpit not long ago expressed some
ioubt rs to whether there was really any
hing wrong about quitting this life when II
| !. n Al. e.. l..
respectable circles people apologetic for the
lrime which Paul In the text arrested.
lhall show you before I get through that
Cuicide Is the worst OF all crimes. and shall
IN warning unmistqkable. But In the
rH part OF this sermon wI3sh to admit
hnt some OF the best Christians tshat have
,ver lived have committed self destluyuUn,
,ut always In denentia and not responsible.
have no more doubt about their eternal
eliclty than l have OF the Christian who
lies In his bed In the delirium OF typhoid
ever. While the shock OF the catastrophe is
yery great, | charge all those who have had
Christian friends under cerebral alteration
rep of the b b)undaries OF this life to have
40 doubt their happiness. The dear Lord
'ook thcm right out OF their dazed and fren-
tied state into perfect safety. How Christ
eels toward the insane you may know from
he kind way he treated tho demoniac of
iardara and the child lunatic, and the po-
ather OF sea or brain.
Scotland the land prolific OF intellectual
giants, had none grander than Hugh Miller,
great for science and great for God. Hs
.amc OF the best Highland blood, and he was
4 descendant OF Donald Roy, a man eminent
'or his plety and the rare gift of second
pight. His attainments, climbing up as he
lid from the quarry and the wall OF the
ronemason, drew forth the astonished aG-
niration OF Buckland and Murchson, the
scientists, and DR.. Chalmers, the theologlan,
md held universities spellbound while he
old them the story OF wnat he had seen OF
3od 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
luntng fork on the rocks of Cromarty until
ne brought geology and theology accordant
IN divine worship. His two books, entitled
Footprints OF the Creator" and the "Testi-
nony OF the Rocks" proclaimed the banns
of an everlasting marriage between genuine
science and revelation. Onthis 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 n revolver by his side, the
! cruel instrument having had two bullets
ono for him and the other for the gunsmith
| who, at the coroners inquest, was examin-
\ ing II and fell dead. Have YOU any doubt OF
brain bad ceased throbbng that winter night
| In his study ut Poriobello? 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 Col ~
"What Various Hindrances We Meet ~
"There Is 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 AMI ro 10 TO
the river Thames, but found man seated on
some goods at the very point from which he
expected to spring and rode back to his
home and thar 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-
tuliy delivered him from thar awful demen-
tia he sat down and wrote that other hymn
lust ms memorable;
| Got moves In mysterious way
| His wonders 10 perform.