The New York herald., 1873-12-01
SEVENTEENTH STREET METHODIST EPIS
C0PAL CHURCH

ssTne l.essoM Of the Recent Convictions
In Our COurts.n
The Rev. w. Il. Boole preached last evening In
the Seventeenth street Methodist Episcopal
church from the text, Job xxxvt 17-"But Thou
hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked" He
began his sermon by stating that this world is not
ruled by chance, and no mans destiny Is decided
by single throw OF the dice. There is an unalter-
able law innexible in Its demands irresistible In
Its results which governs everything. This law
obtains in the physical and the moral world.
whether men acknowledge 1t or not, and 1t holds
in the moral sphere just as irresistiby as 1t does
when 1T regulates the circllng OF the planets. In
the New Testament we find the same law
that was in force in the Garden OF Eden in these
words :-''Whatsoever man soweth that shall he
also reap" II man scatter handful OF rye In a
field be cannot expect wheat to sprout; and If he
SOW thistes he need not be surprised to see his
ground overrun with vile weeds There is the
Sse ns in law moral Mn hn Actions ana
ter are the seed; consequences and destiny
the harvest. No result comes by chance 10 mans
stances revolve. But no one Is compelled to act In
certain line; that would be the movement OF
for good Of evil when the bullet bullet ' Crashes
through heart we say the man VINO
fred the shot Is q murderer; but he was
about two Years M ago Killed his friend the ieud
coming from their mutual passion for a common
to take aim He was mSrderer when he i iet his
home to cross the threshold Of that woman, whose
house was above the portals OF hell. When man
fills the cup or his inlquity, when his breath is
Ike the taint Of 0 pestilence. God starts the
machinery that VIII bring the man to punishment.
ga OF his IOp powsr SAID ~ are
you going to do about it ~ Even then God was
casting Hts nets about him; for God has said,
s"s .s sna ssSdss as time COZ Ge AWAITS WAITS
the fruits OF their lnqalty and then He strikes He
applies the sickle Of His wrath when the evil has
grown up into . harvest the history. of this ma
tion Is an exhibition OF Divine Providence. We
have been greatly favored OF heaven, and yet In
the last Iew years we have demonstrated that we
facts leaving the nation and coming to the city or
New York, the first city OF the Continent. Its his
tory for Two or three years back Is appalling Il
dreadful tragedies. Murders commercial failures,
deialcatons and like crimes make up the dreary
list. We have seen the rise, and happily the over
throw, OF that clique OF ofcials known as the
''ring,n who banded together to punder the
next to an impossibility to secure the conviction
OF q rich criminal. sense OF terror fell upon the
city. 1t was not sale to ride after 10 P. NJ In the
Third avenue cars But thanks be to God tho
darkest hour Is just before day, and In the recent
action OF our courts Is seen the hand Of
Of ine cases OF Crime that have % made New YORK
notorious Take for instance that OF the young
Nan who Killed MS lathef 10 avenge real or
fancied wrong done to his mother. That youthful
murderer was an assassin at heart. No sudden
impulse brought about the deed. There must have
been q long period OF mental preparation before
lad OF such tender age could commit such o
crime. lilo had no fear OF God In his heart, and
honored not his father and mother. In his SEN
tence recognize the voice OF God, saying, 'eThe
time has Gomez The speaker then reviewed the
case OF Fisk and Stokes, drawing the same conclu-
sion OF Divine interference. In speaking
OF the Tweed sentence he sad that
he had no time to dwell upon the
life OF this INFAMOUS plundercr. lie was the mean
est thief ever found pecking away at the treasury
or any city. The great surprise is that for 80
allow municipal power to be welded by
such men. God permitted II as q punish
ment for indifference. AT one time there was
no politician 70 powerful as Tweed. But God
and brought his career TO close Due
credit must be given TO the press for their efforts
In bringing this about. Bnt. look at Tweed now IN
his island home, wearing the stripes and bars.
Does IL not teach the lesson that we should not
hasten TO be rich, and that we should not be aurcd
from virtue by the example OF the wicked.