SECTION I. 537 opinion concerning the suicides in our day : The attribution of any honour to a self-murderer has but little reason or justice in it at any time, when it is thoroughly examined : And perhaps such abare supposition may administer too much fuel to so dread- ful a temptation, rather than quench the sparks of it. It isevident to me that the uneasy and impatient man has not courage enough to bear the arrows of adverse providence; he has not firmness of mind sufficient to stand the shock of sick- ness or pain ; or perhaps his heart has not resolution enough to endure the thoughts of poverty or contempt ; he is frighted at the sounds of reproach and infamy ; he turns his back and flies from the scene of battle, when poverty or shame stare him in the face : Or perhaps the mere imaginary terrors which himself has raised, put him td flight ; and because he cannot get far enough from them in this world, he throws himself headlong from the stage of life, and leaps into the world of spirits. Now, if there be any point of courage in this practice, it is an impious and diabolical one : It is a rushing into the presence of an almighty and dreadful God, to tell him face to face, that you have quitted the station he bath appointed you, that you have broken his commission, you have disobeyed his orders, and you expect his sentence for eternity. This is tremendous courage indeed ; and an outrageous fit of impious rashness. All the rest is mere weakness of mind ; it is egregious cowardice mingled with extreme folly. II. Consider the express prohibitions of murder in the word of God, and the frequent occasional and severe denun- ciations of God's wrath against murderers in various parts of scripture. The sixth command offers itself with bright evidence to his Service ; Exodus xx. 13. " Thou shalt not kill, or thou shalt do no murder," that is, thou shalt not take away the life of man. You will say, " I may have power and right to take away my own life, though I must not take away my neighbour's." I answer, First, The command is expressed in general terms, which include both ourselves and our neighbours : Now there is no sub- sequent limitation of it only to our neighbour either in the word of God, or in. the reason of things ; and who has given you authority to limit it ? The rest of the commands of the second table which are capable of being referred to ourselves, do as much exclude the saine practices against ourselves, as against our neighbours. I must not commit adultery with another person, nor must I defile fd myself with adultery. 1 must not bear false witness against niy neighbour, nor must I speak a false thing about or against my- tl
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=