Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1917-02-21
.INF.LICTING SELF-INJURY
Sermon Delivered BY Rev. W. ]. Suckow, Sunday Morning
February 18th, 1917.
Te1t-"Do Thyself no Harm"-Acts 1928.

Paul and Silas were IN prison o.
Philippi. The prison was shaken Dy
an earthquake and the doors flew op-
en-. All the prisoners might nave
escaped. The jailor, whom the
authorities held responsible for these
prisoners, thinking they had escaped
was about to thrust his sword through
his own body. But they had not es-
caped; they were all there. So Paul
called to the jailor: DO thyself no
harm, we are all here"
Paul ID said to have called these
words with - loud voice. ! hope
that his voice will be still loud
enough to reach 10 here in Manches-
ter here this evening: for we need
this caution. We may not need 1t for
precisely the same reason for which
that tailor needed It; but we need It
for other reasons quite as much a. ne
did.
On the> face OF It this advise may
seem utterly needless and uncalled-
for. Who would be so foolish as to
harm himself? Yet who of US 10 there
that has not done and is not more or
less all the time doing that very thing?
why. II 1t were not for the harm we
jnfiict upon ourselves, life would run
on ball-bearings that We would
scarcely notice the few jolts we get
from the outside.
have an idea that you are not pre-
pared to agree with me. You think
that most Of the hurts you get in life
come from outside sources. You are
at this moment saying to yourself:
well, II / never suffered any injuries
except those which / infict upon my
self, / would have pretty comfort
able time
So you might. But that would not
prove that you were not injuring your
self. People often inflict the worst
sort Of harm upon themselves, and
have the most comfortable time Of
their lives while doing it. You say
you don't see 1t? Well it is my bust
ness to make you see it II I can. Here
i am going to make the first point in
my sermon and 1t is the big point.
II have time I shall have another
point, but that is not so important.
II you will remember this first point,
l care little what you do with the
SECOND. The first point is this:
1. You are the only person who can
by any possibility injure yourself.
Let me repeat that, you are the
only person who can by any posi-
bility injure yourself" The only real
injury you will ever get will come
from yourself.
I know that sounds radical and
sweeping and extravagant, and all
that. But let US see whether it is not
all true.
You have heard the proverb. Every
man il his own best friend" Well,
he isn't. Perhaps he ought to be, but
he isn't. In point Of fact, every man
IL his own worst enemy. The worst
enemy you will ever have is yourself. |
The greatest peril that will ever threat
en- you is yourself. The worst injury
which you will ever suffer will be in
Ilicted by yourself. The thing that
will finally down you, II you are ever
will be yourself.
You say: "Wait moment! Look at |
what others can do. Oh. ] know that
,thers can do all sorts Of things. They
IAN injure you in purse. They can
,urn your houses and barns and
heat you out of your money. They
AN injure you in reputation. They
an say all manner of evil against you
md get enough people to believe it so
hat you will have no standing in the
They can injure you In
,ody. They can bruise you, break
,ou, kill you. All these things have
,een done, and can be and probably
will be done again.
But does that mean injury to your
elf? What is yourself Who
re you. Your houses and barns are
lot yourself. Your money is not your
elf. Your reputation is not yourself.
even your body is not yourself. All
hese things are your possessions, but
,ou, yourself, are something distinct
Ind apart from them all.
Now men can infict great injury
lpon your possessions. They can des-
roy them. They can get them clean
lway from you, 50 that they are no
onger yours. But after the last ves-
ige Of them is gone, you yourself re-
main. You they cannot. touch. The
moment they come to the end Of
'our possessions, they come to the end
II their power, to injure.
In all the illimitable universe there
ire only two-only two-who can
ouch and injure you-God and your
'elf. God will not do it. II it is done
Il all, you do it yourself to yourself
For you are spirit. I do not know
vhat a spirit is. anymore than to say
hat spirit is being that exists,
links, feels, Wills, and knows that it