28 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



They bold, for instance, that it were better for the sun and 

 moon to drop from heaven than that one soul should commit 

 a trivial sin, tell one wilful falsehood, although no one should 

 be harmed by it. In contrast to this, Mr. Lecky says, "The 

 time will doubtless come, when the man who lays the founda- 

 tion-stone of a manufacture, will be able to predict with assur- 

 ance in what proportion the drunkenness and the unchastity 

 of his city will be increased by his enterprise. Yet he will 

 still pursue that enterprise, and mankind will still pronounce 

 it to be good." .... Now, there is a great and hideous 

 discrepancy here ; one for which there is but one remedy. 

 Will society ever shape its conduct by the golden rule? 

 "Love one another," — not with word and tongue, but in deed 

 and truth, — says the Christ. But what force have these com- 

 mands upon society, as a whole? How far have they ever 

 permanently influenced the rulers, and the legislators, the 

 general politics, and the commerce of any country or of any 

 age? When have the favored classes — the cultured, the 

 intellectual, those rich by inheritance, and those preeminently 

 successful in trade — shown an unselfish spirit? Aud yet 

 society exists to secure the happiness, or, better, "the bless- 

 edness," of all. Ah ! we are reminded here of some verses 

 by a poor and suffering woman, — a child, rather, of sixteen 

 years, — a "crazy" poetess, who had looked, however, deep 

 into the heart of Christ, and then was frenzied by the cold 

 selfishness of his Christendom : — 



"They cry, 'He comes, — 

 The signs are sure : The mystic number is fulfilled, — 

 He comes.' 



We answer : O, that He would come. We want 

 The Christ ! We Avant a God to burn the truth 

 Afresh upon the forehead of the world ! 

 We want a Man to walk once more among 

 The wrangling Pharisees, to drive the beasts 

 And money-changers from the temple courts ; 

 To bring the Gospel back again, and prove 

 How all unlike the churches are to Christ ! 

 We want that Christ to tell again the ' saints ' 

 Their sins, — that they were sent to bless the poor, 

 And they have sold themselves unto the rich ; 

 That they were sent to preach the works of peace, 

 And they have filled the world with war of words , 

 That they were sent the messengers of love, 

 And they have driven love out of their creeds ; 

 That they were sent to teach men not to lie, 

 Nor tremble when their duty led to death. 



