suicide. Richard Baxter Self-murder
is but the devil's work, a flying from God to Satan, from him who
is the giver of life to him who was a murderer from the beginning.
To kill oneself is to shut the door of mercy upon oneself forever. John Flavell, There is more mercy
in Christ than sin in us. This keeps the tempted soul from
laying violent hands upon itself, for why should I hasten into
hell when I may flee to Christ? Richard Greenham, The devil suggests
that death is better than life, and that to rid oneself of life
is to be rid of woe. whereas he who kills himself
does cast both body and soul into everlasting destruction.
John Owen Despair drives the sinner to destroy himself, thinking
thereby to be rid of misery, when indeed he does but cast
himself into eternal misery. William Perkins To kill a man
is murder, to kill oneself is murder against oneself, which
is no less a sin before God. Arthur Pink. Self-destruction
is self-damnation. The suicide rushes unbidden and
crimson-handed into the presence of his judge. To die in rebellion
against God by one's own hand is to plunge both body and soul
into hell. Richard Sibbes. The least drop
of true grace is stronger than all the powers of hell and is
enough to keep the soul from self-destruction. Charles Spurgeon. Self-murder
is a dreadful crime. He who ends his life with his
own dagger does but leap from the fire into the flame. Suicide
does not end suffering, but begins it. It is not the end of trouble,
but the door into ten thousand times more sorrow. The result
of self-murder is to seal the soul's doom. To die impenitent
is fearful, but to die by one's own hands is to enter eternity
with crimsoned hands and despairing heart. The poor suicide dreams
of finding rest, but awakes in everlasting unrest. He sought
the grave, but found hell. To attempt to escape affliction
by suicide is to take up the far heavier affliction of eternal
anguish. Self-murder is that crime of
all crimes, the most sure of damnation, if a man commits it
willfully and in his sound mind. Thomas Watson Satan tempts to
self-murder, persuading the soul that thereby it shall be freed
from misery. but it is but to leap out of
the frying pan into the fire, from temporal torment into eternal
torment. Hope is the helmet that keeps
the Christian's head from the bullet of despair and self-murder. God Almighty, you know that no
murderer has eternal life in him. But as for the cowardly,
the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually
immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion
will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is
the second death.