The New York herald., 1878-12-16
THE CRIMINAL CLASSES.

rs THERE HOPE FOR THEM?-THE SUBJECT Dis
cUssED BY REV. DIR. W. T. HATFIELD.
Rev. Dr. w. F. Hatfield spoke last evening, at the
Eighteenth Street Methodist Episcopal Church, be-
fore very large congregation, the text for his dis
course being, lis There Hope for the Criminal
Classes?' He read from Luke. xxxiii. 80 43.
containing account of the two maefactors who
crucied with Christ, and then said 1.-The daily
papers OF this city contained thrilling
count of the execution Of two in
Southern State for the supposed crime OF murder.
There was much to render the scene impressive-the
nature of the offence, the condemned declaring their
innocence, the refusal of the Governor to grant par
don, the sympathy Of the multitude All these
things had tendency to make these executions MEM
orable in the history of the place where they
CURED. But that scene, appalling as it must have
bcen is not to be compared to another witnessed by
large multitude hilltop within sight OF Jerusa-
lem nearly thousand years ago, when two thieves
were crucided with Christ. For living these men
had robbed and murdered people. They had chosen
this among ten thousand other professions and pur-
sued it eagerly pursue other callings. with
vain hope that they would never be detected. We
are told that in all targe cities and in our own city
are many who make it business to practise the art
OF pocket picking. bank robbing, forging
and other crimes for the sake of plum
der. This is their profession. and most
violators OF law. They were among the most aban-
doned characters to be found in Jerusalem This is
evident from the fact that they were cruci6ed and
crucifed with Christ For man suffered by cruci-
ixion unless guilty of most atrocious offence. And
in order to make the death OF Christ gnominious
possible, the vilest men who could be found were
made his companions in suffering upon the cross.
OF THE SOUL.
From this narrative we learn that the soul will
live after death. Jesus told the dying thief that he
should be with Him in Paradise the very day or his
crucifxion This declaration removes all doubt in
oard fo a herr lisDrpves the of
souls annihilation. The question has been raised
whether those who have been guilty OF the worst Of
crimes, whether the criminal classes may be
formed and whether such reformation is genuine.
We told that the best way to effect
educate them; to place before them q pure
example; to take noble character like WASH
ington Howard or Wilberforce and proclaim their
virtues to the living, that such example will effect
reformation. But these methods have utterly failed
to accomplish what has been desired. There is only
one method that has succeeded aud that is to
persuade the lost and undone to accept Christ
their Saviour. That this is the best and the only
method that has been cectual in the saving OF the
most hardened and abandoned. let those who
have been rescued from life OF crime
aud wickednesss speak: The Rev: Dr. Hat
whose profanity at time shocked his associates,
and who, if not criminal, was ready for any work
that debasing TO human character, and who was
led to change the of his Life by the very
Gospel he had openly condemned. Alluson
was also made to John Newton, who once
trod the deck of piratical cruiser and, coming
nearer to the well known Orville Gardner, who LETT
the prize ring engage in the work OF saving his
fellow men; also to Jerry McAuley, who. as he him-
self says, of the most notorious thieves in
the Fourth ward, but who is now ornament to the
cause of Christ II any discouragcda the prospect
of reforming the lower classes and that there is
trying to save them let them remember what has
been accomplished and go forward i'll the good work.
There are none so vile, abandoned as to be
beyond the power of the Gospel of Christ to
Let none who have fallen be disheartened. Ii Christ
could save the dying thief on the cross he
the most abandoned character and make that charac.
ter an ornament to society and the Church.