The Progress. (Shreveport, La.) 1892-1900, 1898-07-16

ly appointed to keep. 1t is treason to
natural law, and it is treason to God added
to ordinary murder.
70 show how God in the Bible looked
upon this crime point you to the rogues'
picture gallery i'll some parts of the Bible,
the pictures of the people who have COM
United this unnatural crime. Here is tho
hcadlcss trunk Of Saul on the walls Of
Bathshan Here is Il man who chased
little David-l0 feet in stature chasing 4.
Here is the man who consulted clairyoy
ant, witch Of Endor. Here is Il man who,
whipped in battle, instead of surrendcring
his sword with dignity, as many a man has
done, asks his servant to Stay him, and
when that servant declined then the giant
plants the hilt of his sword In the earth,
the sharp point sticking upward, and he
throws his body on it and eXpircs-tho
coward, the suicide Here is Ahitophcl,
the Machiavelli of oldcn times betraying
his best friend, David, In order that he
may become prime minister of Absalom,
and joining that fellow in his attempt at
parrcide. Not getting what he wanted by
change of politics he takes short cut out
Of disgmceful life into the suicides
eternity. There he is, the migrate.
Here is Abimclech, practically a sucidc.
He Is with an army, bombarding tower,
when woman in tho tower takes grind
stone from its place and drops 1t upon his
head, and with what life he has left in his
cracked skull he commands his armor
bearer, "Draw thy sword and STAY me,
lest men say a woman slew me" There
is his post norton photograph In the book
of Samuel.
But the hero of this group is Judas Is
CARROT. DR.. Dome says he was martyr,
and we have in our day apologists for him.
And what wonder, In this day when we
have book revealing Aaron Burr as q
pattern of virtue, and this day when we
uncover statue of George Sand as tho
benefactress of literature, and in this day
when there are betrayals of Christ on the
part of some Of his pretended apostles-a
betrayal 50 black it makes the infamy Of
Judas Iscariot white! Yet this man by
his own hand hung up for the execration
Of all ages, Judas 1scariot.
Increase of Self Murder.
All the good men and women Of the BIZ
BILE left to God the decision of their earthly
terminus, and they could have said with
Job, who had right to commit suicide II
any man ever had, what with his destroy
cd property and his body all ailame with
insutferable carbuncles and everything
gone from his home except the chief curse
Of it, pestiferous wife and four garrulous
people pelting him with comfortless talk
while he sits on heapof ashes scratching
his scabs with piece of broken pottery,
yet crying out in triumph, "All the days
of my appointed time will wait till my
change comes"
Notwithstanding the Bible is against
this evil and the aversion which It creates
by the loathsome and CHASTITY spectacle OF
those who have hurled themselves out Of
life, and Notwithstanding Christianity is
against it and the arguments and the USE
full lives and the illustrious deaths Of Its
disciples, it is fact alarmingly patent
that suicide is on the increase. What is
the causes I charge upon infidelity and
agnosticism this whole thing. If there be
no hereafter, or if that hereafter be bliss
full without reference to how we live and
how we die, why not move back the fold
ing doors between this world and the
next? And when our existence here be.
comes troublesome why not pass right
over into elysium2 Put this down among
your most solemn reflections. There has
never been a case Of suicide where the
operator was not either demented and
therefore irresponsible or an infidel.
challenge all the ages and challenge the
universe There never has been a case Of
self destruction while in full appreciation
of his Immortality and Of the fact that
that Immortality would be glorious OF
wretched according as he accepted Jesus
Christ or rejected him.
You say it is business trouble or you