The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-16
A SERMON ON SUICIDE,
DR.. G. Q. Brown Discusses This
Method Of Death IntelIi-
gently.
THIS CITYs BAD SHOWING
"Duty Requires That We Wait the
Summons, Nor Dare to Go Till
Heaven Calls"

DIR. c. o. Brown delivered an interesting
sermon on suicide at the First Congrega-
tlonal Church last night. He. introduced
his theme with a text from First Samuel,
81: w., saul took a sword and fell upon it."
"a royal suicide" said the doctor. THE
end of one who, having divine favor,
throne and vast opportunity, begins his
downfall by disobedience, at length creeps
forth to counsel with sorCeress, and ends
with taking his own life. The wounded
King, who once walked in the smile of
God and led armies TO victory, begs his
armor-b bearer to stab him, and when he is
refused falls on his own sword. 1t is sad
picture, which has too many that are like
It. With fearful and at times
daily repetition come the stories of those
who count their lives worthless and
throw them away.
"This crime is alarmingly on the increase.
In 1870 Massachusetts, had 81 suicides to
the million people. In fourteen years the
number more than doubled-164 to the
million. In Come cticut for the same
wears the number increased from 40 to IS
TO the million. In San Francisco during
the months of June, July and August we
That would be at the rate of 542 TO the
million, an average three times as great as
that OF Massachusetts in 1884.
The average of murders in our City IS
only equal to that of the country at large;
but the same cannot be said of suicides.
1.-The taking of ones life under the i'm
pulse of insanity is not suicide, although
1t Is sometimes improperly so called. Some
OF the best people who have ever lived. like
Hugh Miller. their brains on fire, self-con-
troll gone, reason i'll eclipse, have snuffed
out their own lives.
But it is time for some one to say that
the deliberate and intelligent taking of
ones own life is murder. Let the public
call the crime by its right name, and many
a poor soul who is dallying with the temp
tatlCn Will be saved. Men who
have lost their money esteem their brains
as OF no more use to them and turn
them out.
Lovers kill themselves because they
can't marry, and others because 10 their
regret they couldl Some kill themselves
because people talk about them, and others
because they are not of enough consequence
to be talked about. But OF all the despic-
able list he deserves the crown of infamy
who kills the girl who is sensible enough
TO refuse him and. then cheats the gallows
by blowing his own brains out There was
a time when suicide was esteemed honor
able.
"Mithridates and Hannibal both died by
their own hand rather than fall into the
hands OF Rome. Mark Antony refused to
survive his defeat, and Cleopatra put the
asp to her bosom rather than adorn the pro-
cession OF Octavius. But though Cicero
and Seneca defended the practice Aristotle
said in words that sound as If from mod
ern book of ethics, To die in order TO avoid
poverty or anything disagreeableis not the
r. Of hr-axr h11f of rH
But it remained for Christian teaching
to set the higher standard. DO thyself no
harm'-that authoritative voice from the
Philippin Jail has been heard the world
around. Thou shalt not kill is the solemn
mandate OF Sinai. Where has God said
that one may kill himself?
''If there are degrees in crime this is
the worst. 1t inficts on society an injury
against which it cannot guard and for
which there is no redress.
The suicides shot or poison-is that
the end of it?' Would God it were! But
there is his family. He robs them of the
protection which he is sworn to give. He
robs them of happiness. He blights the
home. He brands them with his infamy.
He compels them to go through life in fear
lest some one ask how he died.
Recently new voices have joined those of
Gibbon and Hume, Rousseau, Noltaire
and Madame de Stael in apologiZing for
and even advocating self-murder. But the
Christian with his mission of love and his
life of Immortality, has no business with
such a thought.
"Are there no circumstances then when
deliberate self-destruction is allowa BILE?
Never Has not God right to appoint
the discipline and fix the limits?
DUTY requires we calmly wait the summons,
Nor dare TO go till heaven gives permission.
whence comes this crime of suicide?
Not from the word which teaches the
sacredness of human life and guards it
with awful sanctions. Not from the book
which says, Thou shalt do no murder
Not from the company OF those who be-
lieye that things unseen are eternal Not
from those who know that the human soul
Is to live as long as God lives. 1t comes
from the teaching OF those who believe
that man and the brute have common
destiny.
1.-The remedy is the radiant hope of the
Gospel. For him who loves God there will
be another and brighter day.
"a young man came INTO this room sew
eral years ago was without money, and had
determined to kill himself. Something
said or sung gave him new hope. He
found help. The next day he found en-
pIoyment. Hope in God Is life-here and
hereafter. The infusion of an unselfsh
purpose gives new meaning and new
strength to life. Is the disheartened one
dlseased2 So was JOB, who said, All the
days of my appointed time will wait till
my change come Is he in prison? So
was Paul. Though he was ready to be
offered he didn't hasten matters by the
hand of suicide. Is he poor? So was his
Master, who had not where to lay his head.
away, then, with the darkness and de
SPAR. Away with the lie which says
there is no God, no hope, no heaven
Away to the hope which is in Christ and
that hope which springs immortal
wherever his sacred feet have trod."