The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-08-29
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIvINE'S SUN.
- DAY SERMON.
Subject: "Suicide."

TEXT: "He drew out his sword and would
have killed himself, supposing that the prls-
oners had been fed. But Paul cried with 9
loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm. :"
Acts xvi, q, %.
Here Is would be suicide arrested In his
deadly attempt. He was sheriff, and &C.
cording to the Roman law bailif himself
must suffer the punishment due an escaped
prisoner, and if the prisoner breaking jail
was sentenced to be endungeoned for three
or four years then the sheriff must be en-
dungeoned for three or four years, and II
the prisoner breaking Jail was to have SUI
Tered capital punishment then the sheriff
must suffer capital punishment.
The sheriff had received especial charge
to keep sharp lookout for Paul and Sir :;
The government had not had confidence ~
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 90 under
the executioner's ak on the morrow and
suffer public disgrace resolves to precipltate
his own decease. But before the sharp.
keen, glittering dagger OF the sheriff could
strike his heart 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 IT. suicide was con-
sidered honorable and a sign OF courage.
Demosthenes poisoned himself when told
that Alexanders ambassador had demanded
the surrender of the Athenian orators.
Isocrates killed himself rather than sur
render to Philip of Macedon. Cato, rather
than submit to julius Caesar, took his own
Life, and alter three times his wounds had
been dressed tore them open and perished-
Mithridates killed himself rather than sub
nit 10 Pompey. the conqueror. Hannibal
destroyed his life by poison from his ring,
considering life unbearable. Lycurgus q
suicide, Brutus suicide. After the disaster
of Moscow Napoleon always carried with
him q preparation Of opium, and one night
his servant heard the ex-emperor arise, put
something In q 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.
F! 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 month that did not announce the
Defaulters, alarmed at the idea OF exposure,
quit life precipitately. Men losing large
fortunes go out Of the world because they
cannot endure earthly existence. Frustrat-
ed affection, domestic infelicity, dyspectic
impatience, anger, remorse, envy, Jealousy,
destftutton, misanthropy, are considered
sufficient causes for absconding from this
life by Paris green, by laudanum, by BELLA
donna, by Othello's dagger, by halter, Dy
leap from the abutment OF bridge, by fire.
arms. More cases of"felo de Sc" In the last
two years ofthe worlds existence. The evil
Is more and more spreading.
4 pulpit not long ago expressed some
doubt as to whether there was really any
thing wrong about quitting this life when 1t
became disagreeable, and there are found In
respectable circles people apologetic for the
crime which Paul In the text arrested. I
shall show you before I get through that
suicide Is the worst of all crimes, ard shall
lift warning unmistakable. But N the
early part OF this sermon 7 wish to admit
that some of the best Christians that have
ever lived have committed self destruction,
but always in denentia and not responsible.
I have no more doubt about their eternal
felicity than I have of the Christian who
dies in his bed in the delirlum 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
teels toward the insane you may know from
the kind way he treated the demoniac OF
Gardsra 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
descendant Of Donald Roy, 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 ad-
miration OF Buckland and Murchison, the
scientists, and DR.. Chalmers, the theologian,
and held universities spellbound 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 10 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
|tFootprints 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, the
cruel instrument having had two bullets
one for him and the other for the gunsmith
who, at the coroner's inquest, was examin-
ing It and fell dead. Have you any doubt of
~ L.. - oh ~,,fSa d hos
brain had ceased throbblng THAI winter night
IN his study ut Portobello: Among the
mightiest of earth, among the mightiest OF
heaven.
No one ever doubled the piety Of William
Cowper, the author OF those three great
hymns, "Oh. For Closer Walk With God r'
"What Various Hindrances We Meet r'
s'There Is q 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
homo and that night threw himself upon his
own knife, but the blade broke, and then he
hanged himself to the ceiling, bur the rope
parted. No wonder that when God merci-
iulIy delivered him from that awful demen-
tia no sat down and wrote that other hymn
just as memorable:
God moves in mysterious way
His wonders TO perform.
Hc plants His footsteps in the sea
Ana rides upon the storm.
Blind unbeief Is sure err
Aud scan His work In vain.
God ia His own Interpreter.
And He will make It plaiE.
While we make this merciful and righteous
allowance in regard TO those who were
plunged into mental incoherence. 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 perii-
ton. Shall prove it2 Revelation XXI. 3,
p 'tMurderers shall have their part In tho lake
which hurneth with fire and birthstone !;