The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1898-07-21

THE following sermon bg Res I've
IaImaga is directed against the prevail
jag crime of suicide It is based on ths
text
DO tbErslf 40 aafm Aets zEt
Here is a WJu.d.be suicide ARRESTED
Ia bio deadly attempt He was sheriff
nud. according 10 the roman lass .
bailH himself must suffer the punish
meut due an escaped prisoner. aud i
the prisoner breaking jail was sen
fenced 10 be eHdungsouud for three oI
four years. then The sheriff must b,
endnnReeDed for three or four wears
and n the prisoner breaking ful wa.
10 have suffered capital punishment
then the sheriff must suffer capita.
punishment The sheriff had received
special charge 10 keep a sharp lookout
for Paul and SIIaa The g7yernmeuI
bad NOT much confidence ia bolts and
bars u keep safe these two rler
ggmeu. about whom there aeemrd o.
Dc something strange and "superuatur.
AL sure enough bg miraculous pow.
or. they art free lad tHe sheriff, raIa,
ing ont of a sound sleep. and suppas.
ing these ministers hay, ron away
aud knowniup that they we're 10 dig
Tor preaching Christ and REALIZING
| that DE must therefore die. rather chan
80 under tbs ryeoulIongrs uE on tine
morrow nna sHJaf public disgrace rr.
ay.gcs 10 p~raelHilate his own d~iecaap.
but before the sharp keen. gIIltering
| digger of tIa sheriff could striase his
heart. one of the H-nlooseuea prisoner,
arrest the blade bV the comment; aB8
tbvae|f no harm.
In oIdcB times, and where Chris.
tlnnily had not iulerfercd with 80, SUE
eide Nas considered honorable and IL
sign OF courage. bemosthturs poisoned
himself whep told That Alexander
ambassador bad demanded The surreH-
der Of the hthcuiau orators Isorrates
killed himself rather thun surrender 10
Philip Of Aaeeaon Cato, rather than
submit 10 Julius Caesar took his own
life and three times after his wounds
had been dressed tore them open and
persisted. Mithridntes killed himself
rutber than submit 20 PumpeY, the con-
queror Hannibal destroyed bis life
by poison from his ring, considering
life ~unbeoruble LYuurgus o suicide,
Hrutus d suicide After the disastUr Of
Moscow Napoleon always carried with
him a preparation OF poison, and one
night bis servant heard the ~eX-cmperOr
arise, and put something in q glass and
drink ii, and Don after the gronus
aroused all the attendants. and it was
only through utmost medical ststll That
he was reconstructed
Times have changed, and yet the
American conscience needs 20 be toned
mp on The subject Of suicide. Have you
seen @ paper Ia The last month that did
not announce The passage out Of life
bP ones own behest2 Defnulters,
alarmed OF The idea Of exposure, quit
life precipItately Men losing large
fortunes go ont Of the world because
they can not endure earthly existence.
Frustrated affection, domestic iufp-
LEFTY, dyspepttc tmpatleure, anger, re-
morse envy jealousy restitution, mis-.
uUthropE are considered sufficient
causes Tor a~bsennding from This life by
parls green 10y iaudanum, by bella
donua, by Othctlos dagger, by batter,
by leap from the nbHtment Of bridge,
by fire arms. More cases of falo do se
ia the lust two years than any two
years Of the worlds existence, and
more in the last mouth than Ia any
twelve months The evil Is more and
more spreading.
A pulpit not long ago expressed some
doubt as 10 whether there was really
anything wrong about quitting this
life when 70 became disagreeablc, and
there are found in respectable circles
people apologize for the crime
which Paul Ia the text arrest