in the life of the individual also, the same great question
arises, whether he can be what he will, or will be what he must. From
this come all those articles on 'Nature and Circumstances,' 'Genius and
Labor,' with which college magazines are filled--endeavors of the young
mind to solve this most vital problem. Modern society has declared
itself on the side of necessity: while acknowledging man preeminently
free in his relations to others, it yet considers him as the bondslave
of motives. When God is the mere bondsman of necessity, and his religion
only the means of the greatest amount of happiness, surely his creature
must be in the same slavery. There are three great motives that sway
men--love for themselves, love to others, and love to God. The first of
these is measurable, the others immeasurable. In the first, given a
greater means of happiness, ten thousand dollars instead of nine
thousand, and the action follows in that direction as a matter of
necessity. But love of children, patriotism, benevolence, love of God
rise above this logical and mechanical, to the region of free and
incalculable volition.

Society, ignoring any such thing as soul, has declared that only the
measurable and necessary remains in man. Thence has arisen the science
of averages, pretending to foretell with mathematical certainty what a
man must do under given circumstances. Thence also has arisen this
maxim, so often quoted as final in all such questions, 'Every man has
his price.' Perhaps there is some ground too for this opinion. We have
before shown how, by division of labor, affection and volition have been
abstracted from life, while only a formal performance of duties by
others remains, and it would be strange if, under such _regime_, these
parts of the human nature should not become shrunken. But the soul is
not wholly gone yet; the world is mistaken--a little is left which
cannot be measured by dollars and cents, enough of benevolence yet to
make tolerable, enough of faith and love in the hearts of a few holy men
to keep the world from corruption.

Society was called by the Great Master a brotherhood. Even in heathen
times men were held by ties of kindred and country; now they acknowledge
practically no bond but that of interest. The word that is continually
in our mouths is 'framework of society,' 'social mechanism,' as though
it were impelled by a force from without, instead of being a living and
vital thing, moved and governed