Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1898-07-12
DOTHYSELF NO HARM
DR.. TAlMAGE TERMS SUICIDE THE
WORST OF ALL CRIMES.


rows.
Copyright, 1898, by American Press Asso-
ciation.l
WAsHINdToN, July 10.-This sermon
of DR.. Talmago which we send out to-
day seems startlingly appropriate to
this theme when so many are leaving
this life by their own hand, an evil
about which all reasonable people are
agreed; text, Acts xvi, IS, "Do thyself
no harm
Here is q would lie suicide arrested
i'll his deadly attempt. He was sheriff,
and, according to the Roman law, a
bailitf himSelf must suffer the punish.
ment due an escaped prisoner, and if
the prisoner breaking Jail was sulf.enced
to be endungeonod for three or four
years then the % riff mus. lie endun-
geored ipr three or four years, and if
the prisoner breaking jail was to have
suffered capital punishment then the
sheriff must suffer capital punishment.
The sheriff had received especial charge
to keep Il sharp lookout for Paul and
Silas The government had not much
confidence in bolts and bars to keep safe
these two clergymcn, about whom there
seemed to be something strange and sll-
pernatural. Sure enough, by miraculous
power they are free, and the sheriff,
waking out Of a sound sleep and sup
posing these ministers have run away
and knowing that they We're to die for
preaching Christ and realizing that he
must therefore die, rather than 20 un-
der the eXecutiOncr's AK on the morrow
and suffer public disgrace resolves to
precipitate his own deccase. But before
the sharp, keen, glittering dagger of
the sheriff could strike his heart one Of
the unlooscnod prisoners arrests the
blade by the commend, do thysolf no
harm"
In olden times and where Chris tianity
had not interferod with it suicide was
considered honorable and a sign of cour-
age. Iemosthcnes poisoned himself
when told that AleXandcr's cmbassador
had demanded the surrender Of the
Athenian orators. Isocrates killed him.
self rather than surrender to Philip Of
Macedon. Cato, rather than submit tC
Julius Caesar, took his own life, and
three times after his wounds had been
dressed tore them open and persisted.
Mithridates killed himself rather than
submit to Pompey, the conqueror. Han
nibal destroyed his life by poison from
his ring, considering life unbearablc.
Lycurgus, a suicide, Brutus a suicide
After the disaster Of Moscow Napoleon
always carried with him preparation
of poison, and one night his servant
heard the ex-emperor arise, put some
thing in glass and drink it, and sool
after the groans aroused all the attend
ants, and it was only through utmos
medical skill that he was resuscitated
Times have changed, and yet the Amer
lean conscience needs to be toned up o.
the subject of suicide. Have you seen ;
paper in the last month that did not an
nounce the passage out Of life by one
own behest? Defaulters, alarmed ut thu
idea of exposure, quit life precipltately
Men losing large fortunes go out OF tn
world because they cannot endure earth
" existence. Frustrated affection, do
mestic infolicity, dysneptic impatience
anger, remorse, envy, Jealousy dtatltu
ton, misanthropy, are considered suill
cient causes for Ascending from thl
life by paris green, by laudanum, b.
bolladonna, ly Othollo's dagger b,
halter, by leap from the abutment Of
bridge, by firearms More cases Of fell
dc SO in the last years than amy tW
wears Of tEo worlds existence and NOR
in the last month than in any /
months. The evil is more and NOR
spreading.
Worst OF Al Crimes.
A pulpit not long ago expressed som
doubt Is to whether there was real
ANYTHING wroMs aboat quitting tins III
when it became Gisa%rl,able, and thor
are found in Icspucta] lo cI1clts Poop
anoloretic for the crime which Paul
tho text arrested. shall show you b|
fore get through that suicide is tn
worst Of all crimes, and shall hit
warming unlnistul,ai le. EUt II the carr
mart Of this sermon wish to adiait til"
some Of the best Christians 'A&t nav
ever lived have committee III dos,rN'
t;ou. Int elvays in doIa ntll and IL
RESPONSIBLE. | Eayenolu"rvd"AhF "not
their eternal felicity than | have 81 III
Christian who dies in bis bed II the CO
lriun Ct tvI hold fever. While II
shorl, CT the catastrophe Is very great
! charge all those who lave '.ld 4!ii5' Id
f,io,ds rudcr cerebral atrIr@t4Ju sue
off rho boundaries Of this lIlt 10 ma
no doubt about their happiness ~
, ,1o,r 7 ,ortl took them night out q 'h@
la4od and frenzicd state into pefle'
safety. How Christ feels toward me II
o sane YOU may know 1rom ne way
F., treoted the Gcmouiac OF Gata:A ana u
c child Llnatic and th9 potency W.T.
{; which lie hushud tempCat' either O. ~
l. scotland, tho land prolific OF me
+ lectual giants, Lad none pral''er 'n@
{ Hugh Miller, great 1or science d" u,
Great for God. lie was IN cio' + III .
I, 1nhn's Presbyterian church. Iio can
!, If tho best highland blood ana was
a, aascon1ant Of Donald Roy, man en-
:, mont for pioty and the rare gliI ol ,.
:, ond sight. His attainmcntS' cl'ln1i' II
!, up as he did FROM the quarry QUAR- ta "hh II
yoll of the stonemaSon, are" ioi',' y
as4oriehcd admiration Of Bucklald al
:. Mnrchison, the scientists ana =
T. Chalmers, the theologian, and held III
q ',a1,,,ound while be told the
{, the story Of what he had seen on Uo ~,
80 ..The Old Red Sandstone l,'t 1'.'
IN '(.,,,, tl,n amy other being that CIV