Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-09-16

Last evening in the First Presby-
terian church, the Rev David 4. Cur
ningham. D. D., the pastor preached
ar Interesting and appropriate sermon
on the topic, THE Teachings CT Great
Crimes. He chose as his text: lisa. %;
81: "Tneir works are works of in
ioufty. and the act OF violence is in
their hands Their feet run to evil
and they make hate to shed innocent
blood"
The human heart has been "desper-
ately wicked ever since sin took pcs
session Of it. and frequently all along
the ages there have been sudden out
bursts of this wickedness in fearful
acts O. violence and in the shedding OF
innocent blood. From The day that
Game rose up in anger and slew his
brother Abel. until the present hour,
in all lands and under all forms of gov
eminent, there has Zen murder. ard
assassination. and crime in the world,
/, was 50 in the fines when Isaiah
lived and prophosed; it IS 20 now
the beginning Of the twentieth century.
And especially is there - cnyiou5,
malignant disposition N the hearts Of
many wicked men 20 strike at and
consDire against the lives of rulers and
those high in authority. 1t Is obvious,
too. that this evil sntrit is not con
fired to any ore nat on. We not
eGly see NANTES, tions Of it n auto
cratic Russia. and in lazy and other
foreign lands but Wo hive had pa niul
exhibitions Of ii In our own Am arican
republic Three times now in the
memory Of some of us tie bullet of
the assassin has taken the life of the
President of the United States. TIE
whole nation is shocked and nouns
to-day. because OF the treaeherous and
ccwardly deed Of a vile wicked man
which has deprived her of the useful
life of her honored and trusted chief
magistrate.
The frequent occurrence of great
crimes in our cities and country has
voice to all classes. as crime is com
mitted not only by the outcast and
neglected classes, but by the educated
and cultivated, none can put away the
moral lessons which such occurrences
are designed to teach Cod thus re-
iteretes the teaching of his word IN
his Providence, and hence such events,
deplorabe though they are, and in
sorae respects filter to be buried in
silence than dwelt upon, may be law
fully employed in enforcing the IN
structiOns and warnings Of the gosre.
OF Christ ! EEL therefore, as a min
lister Of Christ. at liberty and even
called upon to handle events of this
dreadful and admopitory character for
the instruction of my hearers; earnest
ly praying that whht is spoken may
tend in the ease Of every enc TO the
fulflllm:nt Of the prayer, Keep back
thy servant also from presunp uous
sins; let than not hare dominon over
me; then shall l be upright and
shall be innocent from the great trans
gression.'
The Bible has given us mcst Wv d
picture of the character and ways of
wicked men; hence they are thus de
scribed in the text: Thief works are
works of iniqulty and the act Of VIC
lenee is IN their hands. Their feet run
tc evil. and Trey make haste to shed
innocent blcoi"
Let us now, IN the light of this teEt
look at some of the teachings of great
crimes.
TIE history of grest crimes teaches
US the depravity of human nature.
This is frequently supposed to be a
stern and gloomy doctrine, one that
reflects unfairly on the dignity of our
species and involves libel upon hu-
Qanity. But | ask you to look at the
history of great crimes. and see if this
doctrine in all its featurss'be not con-
hrmed For who are the criminals
whose names excite horror, and who
ttehI Inc WI ia eiAhAlSS N%Nt1A s-AANAl
Are they not men of like PARSONS
with ourselves fashioned in the same
mould and stamped with the same
features? The first child that was ever
born into the world became murderer
and what vast multitudes have s'pce
equally dishonored the human family
What does this prove but the deprayity
OF all men by nature. their deep and
radical sinfulness, SO that it is not an
accidental thing but an inherent. not
On exceptional thing but universal
a curse that cleaves 70 all and pollutes
all in some more latent, in others
more prominent. but in all ready Ike
d yirulent disease, to burst forth and
tc work destruction and ruin. 1t is
worthy Of notice that Paul. in his
Epistle to the Romans, brings forward
murder" as prc~i of universal guilt
Their feet are swift to shed blood, de-
struction and misery are in their ways
ard the way of pcscp have thev nor