Democratic messenger., 1894-08-18
SELF DESTRUCTION.
"DO THYSELF NO HARM" SAYS THE
GREAT ABERNACIE PREACHER.

ohCNt iN0ChNHSIC FhCASI1Ch ,
He Admits That Good Christians Have At
tempted Self Destruction. but Always II
DementIa - Forcefui Words Against
Spreading EviI-A Cq,ristian's Death.
BROOKLYN, Aug. l2.-Rev. DIR. Tai
mage. who is now abroad, has selected
as the subject for today's sermon
through the press the word Suicide.
the text being Acts xvi. 81. 2s: HE
drew out his sword and would have
killed himself. supposing that the pris
oners had been fed But Paul cried
with loud voice. saying. Do thysclf nc
harm.
Here is would be suicide arrested in
his deadly attempt He was sheriff.
and according TO tho Roman law bail
in himself must suffer the punishment
due an escaped prisoner, and if the pris-
oner breaking Jail was sentenced to he
endungeoned for three or four years then
three or four years, and if the prisoner
breaking Jail was to have suffered capi-
tai punishment then the sheriff must
suffer capital punishment.
The sheriff had received especial
charge to keep a sharp lookout for Paul
and Silas. The government had not had
confidence in bolts and bars TO keep
safe these two clergymen. about whom
there seemed TO be something strange
and supernatural.
In Olden Times.
Sure enough, by miraculous power
they ere free. and the sheriff. waking
out of sound sleep and supposing these
ministers have run away, and knowing
that they were to die for preaching
Christ, and realizing that he must there
fore die, rather than go under the exc
cutioner's AK OH the morrow and suffer
public disgrace resolves to precipitate
his own decease. But before the sharp.
keen. glittering dagger of the sheriff
could strike his heart one Of the un-
loosened prisoners arrests the blade by
the command, ''Do thyself no harm.
In olden time, and where Christianity
had not interfered with it, suicide was
considered honorable and sign of cour
age. Demosthenes poisoned himself
when told that Alexander's ambassador
had demanded the surrender of the
Athenian orators. Isocrates killed HIM
self rather than surrender to Philip of
Macedon. Cato, rather than submit TO
Julius Caesar, took his own life. and
after three times his wounds had been
dressed tore them open and perished.
Mithridates killed himself rather than
submit to Pompcy, the conqueror. Han
nibal destroyed his life by poison from
his ring, considering life unbearable.
Lycurgus q suicide. Brutus n suicide.
After the disaster Of Moscow Napoleon
always carried with him preparation
of opium, and one night his servant
heard the ex-emperor arise. put some
thing in glass and drink it. and soon
after the groans arouse all the attend
ants, and it was only through utmost
medical skill he was resuscitated from
the stupor of the opiate.
The Crime Spreads.
Times have changed, and yet the
upon the subject Of suicide. Have you
seen a paper in the last month that did
not announce the passage out Of life by
ones own behest? Defaulters. alarmed
ut the idea Of exposure, quit life pre-
cipitately. Men losing large fortunes go
out Of the world because they cannot
endure earthly existence. Frustrated af-
fection, domestic infelicity. dyspeptic
impatience, anger, remorse, envy. jeal-
ousy. destitution. misanthropy. are con-
sidered sufficient causes for absconding
from this life by paris green. by lauda-
mum. by belladonna. by Othello's dag
ger. by halter. by leap from the abut-
ment Of n bridge, by firearms. More
cases of "felo de SO" in the last two
years Of tho worlds existence. 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 IL became disagreeable. and there
are found in respectable circles people
apologetic for the crime which Paul in
the text arrested. shall show you be-
fore get through that suicide is the
worse Of all crimes and shall lift a
warning unmistakable. But in the early
part of this sermon wish to admit that
some Of the best Christians that have
ever lived have committed self destruc-
tion. but always in dementia and not
responsible. Ihave no more doubt about
their eternal felicity than have of the
Christian who dies in his bed in the de-
lirium Of typhoid fever. While the
shock of the catastrophe is very great.
charge all those who have had Chris
tian friends under cerebral alteration
step off the boundaries of this life to
have no doubt about their happiness.
The dear Lord took them right out OF
their dazed and frenzied state into per-
feet safety. How Christ feels toward
the insane you may know from the kind
way he treated the demoniac of Gadara
and the child lunatic. and the potency
with which he hushed the tempests
either of sea or brain.
Hugh Miller and Cowper.
Scotland, the land prolific of intel
lectual giants. had none grander than
Hugh Miller. great for science and
great for God. He came of the best high
land blood. and he was descendant OF
Donald Roy. a man eminent for his
piety and the rare gift of second sight
His attainments. climbing up as he did
from the quarry and the wall of the
stonemason. drew forth the astonished
admiration of Buckland and Murchison.
the scientists. and DIR. Chalmers. the
theologian. and held universities spell.
bound while he told them the story oi
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 oi
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 wor.
.l>,,D He txro hnola auf,tlad ssEonf.