The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-08-13

BROOKLYN. n. Y, Aug. 12.-Rev. DR..
TalnaRe, who is now abroad has
selected as the subject for to-day's
sermon through the press, the word
Suicide the text being Acis XVI q.
2s: He drew out his sword and would
have killed himself. supposing that
the prisoners had led But Paul
cried VITA a loud voice. saying, Do
myself no harm"
Here is a would be suicide arrested
in his deadly attempt He was
sheriff and according 20 the Roman
law a bail f himself must suffer the
Punishm ent due an escaped prisoner;
and if the prisoner breaking Jail was
sc ntenced to be endungeoned for three
or four years. then the sheriff must be
endungeoned for three or four years;
and if the prisoner breaking Jail was
10 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 gOvernm had
not had confidence IN bolts and bars
70 keep safe these two cIergymen,
g bout 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 min listers have run away. and
knowing that they were TO die for
preaching Christ, and realizing that
lie must therefore die. rather Than go
under the execu ton RS ak, on the
morrow and suffer public Disgrace,
resolves to precipitate his own de-
cease But before the sharp. keen,
glittering dagger Of the sheriff could
strike his heart one of the unloOsen ned
prisoners arrests The blade by the
command. DO myself no harm"
In olden time, and where Christi
anitv had not interfered with it
suicide was considered honorable and
n sign of courage Demosthenes
poisoned himself when told that Alex
ander's am bassador had demanded
the surrender of the Athenian orators
Isoerates killed himself rather than
surrender 10 Phillip of Macedon.
Cato. rather than submit to Julius
Cesar. took his own life. aud after
three times his wounds had been
dressed tore them open and persisted
Aithridates killed himself rather than
submit TO PomI ey, the eODoueror.
Hannibal destroyed his life by poison
from his ring, consid ering life uu-
b. ara BILE After the disaster Of Mos
W. Napoleon always carried with
linn a preparation of opium, and one
night his servant heard the ex-em-
peror arise. put something in a 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 stupor Of
the opiste
Times have changed and yet the
American conscience needs I o be toned
up on the subject of suicide Have
Won seen a paper in The last month
that did not announce the passage out
of life by ones Own behest? De
fanlters. alarmed al the idea of ex-
rosure. cut life pr ecipitately. Men
losing 1arre fortunes go out Of the
world bee. use they can not endure
earthly existence Frustrated affec-
ton. domestic infelicity. dyspeptic i'm
patience, anger. remorse. envy, jeal-
Cusy, destitution. misanthropy are
considered sufficient causes for ab-
sconding from this life by Paris green,
by laudanum. by beiladonna. by
Othello's dagger, by halter. by leap
from the atutment of a bridge, by
firearms More cases of -'felO de SCI
in the last two years of the worlds
existence. The evil is more and more
spreading.
A Tu1pit not long ago expressed
some doubt as to whether there was
anything wrong bout quitting this
life when it b~cnme disagreed bic. and
there are found in resrectable circles
people apol ogelic for the crime which
Paul in the text arrested shall
show you before / get through that
1 suicide is the worst OF all crimes and
I ] shall lift warn ing unmistakaOle-
But in the early art Of , his sermon 1
/ wish 10 ad nit that some of the best
/ Christians that have ever lived have
committed self obstruction. but always
! in dementia and not responsible I
have no mere doubt about their
eternal fel city than I have of the
! Christian who dies IN his bed in the
deliIium of typhoid fever. While the
shock OF The catastrophe is very great.
/ charge ali those who have had Chris
tan friends under cerebral u be rratiOn
( step of he boundaries of this life. to
have no dOu bt about their happiness
7 he dear Lord took them right out Of
4 their dazed and freDzied stale into
/ perfect safety. How Christ feels to-
ward the insane you may known from
/ the kind way he treated the demoniac
of Gadara and the child lunatie. and
/ the potency with which he flushed
the t~mpests either of sea or brain
/ Scotland, the land prolific of intel
ieetual giants had none grander than
/ Hugh Miller Great for science and
great for God He came Of the best
Highland blood, and he was a de-
scendant of Donald Roy men emf
nent for his piety and the rare gift Of
second-sixht Ills attachments. elm D.
ing up as he did from the quarry and