and it is to the laft degree abfurd and impious to imagine, that a dependent creature [A] could thus at pleasure thwart the designs and evade the will of his great Creator. Yet in their eagerness to get rid of prefent mifery, they lofe fight of distant objects, of the "whole" period of exiflence; and thinking themselves only born to live a while, to fuffer and to die, they forget their concern in that immortality into which they fo precipitately rush. For what if there fhould be a future ftate, how does fuicide affect felf-intereft under that prospect? This question feems already answered, in its having been proved to be an offence against God, both as our natural and moral Governor, and as He regards our actions done in society; and it will also be proved in the next Part to be efpecially repugnant to the principles and precepts of the Christian Revelation: and therefore, on the whole, it must be of effential detriment to our happiness hereafter. But it may be further urged here, that the self-murderer's future interefts are peculiarly hurt by the "manner" of his death. It was impetuous and rash, and committed, probably, in the height of despair on fome vicious disappointment. These are These are very unfavourable circumstances in which to quit this life, and enter on another. Such a fudden change would be truly undefirable, were we forced into it by the murderous hands of another: but how is all that is alarming in it increased and aggravated by being voluntary on our parts-by murdering ourfelves! To live in vicious habits is at all times hazardous with respect to our future concerns; to die in the fame is grievous, but to commit a fresh fin by the very mode of dying, is the height of abfurdity, folly, and wickedness. But viewing things in the most favourable light, and fuppofing that innocent fufferings alone have preyed on the fpirits, and introduced that dejection and melancholy, which is ever ready to harbour the most gloomy ideas, to dwell on the worst side of things, and to give them [A]" Or if thou covet death, as utmost end "Of mifery, fo thinking to evade "The penalty pronounced, doubt not but God "To make death in us live." ADAM's reply to EvE's advice of killing themfelves. Par. Loft, B. X. up as irretrievable, yet is it not a wretched refource to fly to fuicide for relief? Is it not seemingly to doubt the power of God, either to alleviate our forrows here, or to reward our patient endurance of them hereafter? Do we not in this cafe (however innocent before) become guilty aggreffors; and in order to shorten tranfitory affliction, run the hazard of plunging into eternal mifery? Thus does fuicide militate as much against self-intereft both here and hereafter, as it does against the authority of God, the good order of society, and the happiness of individuals. Since, therefore, no interefts are forwarded or fupported by its commiffion, but on the contrary "all" are hurt by it, and it is, moreover, the frequent effect and conclufion of a most vicious life, its guilt must needs be pronounced both special and enormous. But though the special guilt of fuicide has been separately established on the grounds of its offence against natural impulfe, againft God, Society, and Self, yet it must be confidered as receiving an high, additional aggravation, from combining together so many distinct causes of criminality. For if to fin against our nature be one fpecies or symptom of guilt; to rebel against the authority of God be another; to offend against the rules and good order of fociety another; to injure individuals and family another; to hurt our own effential interests another;-then the guilt of that action which is great in offending against any one of these feparately, must be magnified many degrees in tranfgreffing them all at once: but this is, generally speaking, done in the cafe of fuicide. It may likewise be observed, that its defenders are apt to confider it in one of these lights only, as it beft fuits their purpofe; fo that if they can prove a man to hold a life fo burdenfome to "himself," as to make him wish to get rid of it, they argue for the propriety of his fo doing on the grounds of self alone, without entering into other particulars relative to the other parts of his duty whereas it must first be proved, that he is under no obligation of living on other accounts, as well as merely on his own, before the innocence of his fuicide can be fully established. The fame fort of defenders are likewise apt to argue too generally from fome few inftances, which may appear pitiable, or not culpable in the extreme, to a more extenfive warrant of its practice than fuch partial examples can juftify. Suicide, like most other crimes, may be attended with circumftances, which will abate or aggravate the guilt of its commiffion. It is therefore neceffary to inquire, what particular duties, public or private, were deserted by this action? what claims of honesty, affection, or friendship, were defrauded? what degree of lofs or affliction was brought on a family? what reproach was liable to be caft on the calling or profeffion to which the self-murderer belonged? what peculiar infamy was merited by himfelf? what contempt might be thrown on morality, or what difcredit on religion, through his rafh end? fince these and many other incidental circumstances must all be weighed in the balance, before it can be decided with propriety and justice concerning the proportionate degree of guilt in any individual's fuicide. Some may be fo worn down through excefs of affliction and corporal mifery, they may appear to be fo ufelefs, and even burdenfome, to fociety and their families, and their cafes, upon the whole, may feem fo extraordinary, as to make them objects of as much pity as cenfure in their fuicide; from effecting which (if so inclined) nothing but the strongest sense of religion can deter them. But from a few such uncommon cafes no general conclufions can be drawn in its favour. For if it be once allowed, that a man under the preffure of a certain degree of mifery may relieve himself from it by fuicide, each individual inclined to commit it will eafily perfuade himself, through the instigation of disappointed paffions, or of melancholy and despair, that his cafe is amid the number of exceptions to the general cenfure. Thus would the idea of its toleration reach to every instance almost in which there is danger of its commiffion; fince every man must be allowed to be the best judge of his own feelings-and who could difpute with him their fufceptibility? There is no action then whofe general bad confequences ought to be more infifted on than thofe of fuicide; fince there is no action, whofe innocence being ever allowed in any cafe, would be more indifcriminately extended by the unhappy and miferable to include their own cafes. This may fuffice for an anfwer to that common and fpecious argument, "When I am become useless: "to fociety, a burden to my friends, and completely wretched in myself, is it "not my duty to exonerate the community from an heavy weight, to relieve : my affectionate relations from an expenfive charge, and to rescue myself from a continuation of pain and mifery, by the refuge of fuicide?" Answer but this in the affirmative, and it becomes an almoft general licence for every man to commit suicide at pleasure. For how many lead lives at all times useless (if · not pernicious) to fociety, and burdenfome to their friends! Add then but fome C fudden fudden reverse in their fortunes, fome attack of fevere illness or remorse of confcience, and they immediately fall under the above description; when, on these grounds of exemption from the general cenfure, there needs nothing but a little resolution in themselves to claim the indulgence and privilege of suicide. But anfwer this question in the negative, and if it be further urged, "How "then am I to fupport fuch a complication of mifery arifing from a sense of feeling for my friends as well as myfelf?" the reply is eafy; that having led a life hitherto ufelefs and burdenfome to others, your prefent fufferings should be considered as a means afforded you of opening your eyes to a conviction of what is right; and, fhould a recovery of health and strength and vigour of mind follow, of inclining your heart to make all the reparation in your power for the injuftice and iniquity of your former life. But fhould your diforders be irremediable, you might be enabled by a patient endurance of present sufferings, and a fubmiffive expectation of the ftroke of death, to wipe off a confiderable portion of future punishment. But if your previous life has been useful to mankind, honeft and benevolent in its principle, affectionate and attentive to the interefts of your friends and family, their affiduities will be readily and cheerfully contributed to give you all poffible relief under your prefent afflictions; and being free from the pangs of inward remorfe, the pure and folid comforts of religion adminifter fuch a portion of inward peace and ferenity, as wonderfully contributes to blunt the edge of pain and mifery, from the hope, the certainty, which the foul entertains, of extraordinary reward for the patient endurance [B] of unmerited fufferings. [B] Religion, when rightly managed, is in every fenfe a "perfugium miferis." END OF THE SECOND PART. PART GREAT ACCUMULATION BOTH OF THE GENERAL AND SPECIAL GUILT OF SUICIDE ON CHRISTIAN" PRINCIPLES. CHAP. I. No immediate prohibition of fuicide by name in the Bible, except it be implied in the fixth Commandment.—A general prohibition, "to do no murder," muft extend to a man's killing himself, as well as his neighbour; fince, in either cafe, when done without legal authority, it is murder.-Objection concerning the precepts of the Second Table respecting our duty to our neighbour only, anfwered.-These precepts were intended to provide for the general fecurity and happiness of our neighbour.—Actions, which primarily regard felf, may yet materially affect our neighbour's peace; of fuch fort is felf-murder; and therefore it may be forbidden here, as being injurious to our neighbour as well as ourselves.-Not fufficient that a killing be voluntary on the part of the perfon killed, in order to render it no offence against this precept.-General line of duty to our neighbour is, "to do as we would be done by, and to love him as ourselves."—If at liberty to kill ourfelves by this commandment, we may kill our neighbour alfo, whom we are not obliged to treat "better" than we treat ourselves; but fuch killing of our neighbour is prohibited in the first acknowledged fenfe of the precept, and therefore the other is restrained by it alfo.-Man made in the image of God, and therefore not to be murdered, either by himself or another.-We are at liberty, from our Saviour's own example, to extend the moral precepts of the Jewish Law under the Gospel Difpenfation; and from thence to conclude, that murder of every fort, whether of felf or another, is virtually prohibited under the fixth Commandment.-The whole 1 Scope |