But though the wisest men in all ages have labored
to publish this force, and every human heart is, sooner or later, more or
less, made to feel it, yet how little is actually applied to social ends!
True, it is the motive-power of all successful social machinery; but, as in
physics we have made the elements do only a little drudgery for us —
steam to take the place of a few horses, wind of a few oars, water of a few
cranks and hand-mills — as the mechanical forces have not yet been
generously and largely applied to make the physical world answer to the
ideal, so the power of love has been but meanly and sparingly applied, as
yet. It has patented only such machines as the almshouse, the hospital, and
the Bible Society, while its infinite wind is still blowing, and blowing down
these very structures too, from time to time. Still less are we accumulating
its power, and preparing to act with greater energy at a future time. Shall
we not contribute our shares to this enterprise, then?
H.D.T.
