54 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



study and a professional career, may be found in spending one's 

 earlier years upon a farm. Nathan Dane, who was a lawyer of 

 some eminence in my native town, whose life was not in vain, 

 and whose death was justly lamented, always rejoiced that the 

 first twenty-one years of his life were spent in the occupation of 

 farming. There are others, yea, many others in professional 

 life, who rejoice with him. Their strength of body and of 

 moral principles, gahied in early life, aid greatly their success 

 and usefulness. 



I need not make any marked transition, in passing to a view 

 of the connection of agriculture as a pursuit, with religion. 

 Religion is the soul of morality, its fountain head. All our 

 conduct proceeds from our natural inclination, modified by our 

 judgment and determination, though not always affected by 

 such modification. Our inclination is powerfully acted upon 

 by external causes. There are no purer sources of influence 

 to lead us in the right direction, than those which bring us in 

 connection with God and his truth. By this truth, I mean all 

 truth, all science, of which He is the author. 



It is sometimes objected to the study of natural science, that 

 it leads to atheism. I cannot see who would be likely to raise 

 this objection, but those who have superficial views of the con- 

 nection of the Deity with his works. The student of science 

 discovers a chain of causes and effects, which is longer than he 

 can comprehend. His whole mental vision is measured by it ; 

 but still he sees not on what it hangs. In no class of investi- 

 gations are we so impressed with incomprehensible wisdom and 

 benevolence, as in those which relate to the structure of the 

 earth's crust, and to the properties of its vegetable products. 

 The geologist, the chemist and the botanist may search for ages, 

 and find that there is still an exhaustless mine of intellectual 

 wealth. The agriculturist, who is such in theory, will find that 

 his field of labor embraces a wider space than what is measured 

 by his few acres. The tendency of his study and work is not 

 to atheism and a gross materiality, but his conceptions of a real 

 living and active cause, wise and benevolent, are elevated, and 

 his highest admiration is called into happy exercise. 



Taking this in connection with those influences, the force of 

 which we have considered, we are led to see, that the student 

 and the Christian may unite with the husbandman. The char- 



