Page:The Scourge - Volume 5.djvu/16
His criminal career*
distinguishing favours of Providence, and so regulate bis actions that they escape general reprobation. He should do more—he should be thankful for the good which is placed before him, and reflecting upon the vicissitudes of life, and the sad situation of thousands of his fellow creatures, denied those blessings which he shares, so conduct himself that when he lays down his bead upon the pillow of sleep, he may, in returning thanks to the Almighty disposer of worldly things, gratefully ejaculate,
" I thank thee, O Lord! that thou hast been pleased to throw thy protecting shield around my unworthy bead. I pray thee then, that thou wouldst be pleased to continue my heart in a right course, so that when called to give an account of my actions before thy heavenly throne, I may be found acceptable in thy sight.'* The facts we have before us will not admit of a hope that our present subject can offer up to the throne of divine grace any such prayer. His crimes are manifold— we trust and hope that his repentance and amendment may in some measure atone for the commission of them. " There is more joy over one sinner that repenteth than over ninety and nine just persons." Our respect for the cloth would have made the task which we have taken upon ourselves less severe and irksome had it been our fate to record the foul actions of a layman; but he has voluntarily dragged himself before the tribunal of insulted justice — the error belongs to his own conduct — the regret is wholly ours.
In taking a short view of his nefarious dealings — of his hypocritical conduct — and consequently of his total disregard to the dictates of honour, we shall in pity suppress some of the most prominent and wickedly marked actions which he has committed against the honour, the peace, arid the well-being of the community, and merely detail some of the later periods of his life, in which he so conspicuously betrayed that confidence which it should have been his pride and his study to maintain.