The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1842-12-30
ny JOHN G.. WHITTIER.

ny JOHN G. WHITTIER.
The suns Of eighteen centuries have shone,
Since tho Redeeiner walked with man and made
The fishers boat the cuvern's floor Of stone,
And mountain moss, pillow for his head;
And tic, who wandered with The pcasan, Jew,
And broke with pubicans the bread Of shame,
And drank, with blessings in Ills Father 8 name,
The water which Samaria's oulcasl drew,
Hath now His temples upon every shore,
Altar and shrine and priest, aud incense dim
Evermore rising, with low prayer und hymn,
From lips which press The temples marble floor,
On kiss tho gded sign of the dread Cross lie bore!
Yet as of old, when, menlily SIDING good"
He fed blind and selfish multitude,
And even the poor companions Of his lot
With their din earthly vision knew Him not
How i'll are His high teachings understood!
Where lie hath spoken Liberty, the priest
At his own altar binds the chain anew;
Where he hath hidden to Lies equal feast,
The starving many wait upon the few;
Where lie hath spoken Peace Ills name hath been
The loudest war cry Of conrendng men;
Priests, pale with visils, in His name have blessed
The unsheathed sv ord, aud laid the spear in rest
Wet the war-banner with their sacred wine,
And crossed its blazon with the holy sign;
Yea, in His name who babe the erring live,
And daily taught His lesson-to forsre.-
Twisted the cord and edged the murderous steel ;
And, with Ills words of mercy on their lips,
Hung gloating er the pncer burning grips,
And the grim horror Of the slraining wheel;
Fed the slow flame which gnawed the victims limb,
Who saw before his soaring eye.Jals swim
The image Of their Christ, in cruel zeal,
Thro' the black tormcnt-smoke, held mockingly
to him!
The blood which mingled with the desert sand,
And beaded with It's red and ghaslly dew
The vines and olives Of the Holy Land,
The shricking curses of The hunted Jew
The white sown bones of hereiics where'er
They sank beneath the Crnsade's holy spear
Goa's dark dungeons -Nla,a's sea-wnshcd cell.
Where with the hymns the ghoslly fathers sung
Mingled the groans by subtle torture wrung.
Heavens anthem blending with the shrek of Hell:
The mdnigh, Of BurlholOmGw--ihe stake
OF Smi,h6ed, and that thrice accused flame
Which Calvin kndled by Geneyas lake
New Englan1's scallold and the pricstly sheer
Which Knocked its victims in that hour of fear,
When guilt itself a human tear nigh, claim
Bear witness, o Thou wrongcd and merciiul One.
That Earlh's most hateful crimes have in tn, name
been done
Thank God! that have lived TO see the ,irao
When the great truth begins ut last TO find
An ul,erance liom the deep heart Of mankind,
Earnest and clear that ALL REvENGE CRIME!
That man is ho!ier than II crecd--ihu, all
Restraint upon him must cOasult his good,
Hopes sunshine lngcr on his prison wall,
And love LOOK in upon his solitude.
The beautiful lesson which our Saviour taught
Through long, do:k centuries, its way has wrought
Into the common mind and popular thought,
And words, 10 which by Gallilee's lake shore
The humble fishers listened with hushcd oar,
Have found an echo in the general heart,
And Of the public faith become living part,
Who shall arros, this lcndencyi-- back
The cells Of Venice and the bigol's rack'
Harden the sonening human hear, again,
TO cold indifference to 4 brothers paln'
! G most unhappy men, who, lurn'd away
From the mild sunshine of the Gospel day,
GrOpe in the shadows of Mans twilight time,
Wha. mean ye, that with ghou-liko zest ye brood
Ger those foul affairs streaming with warm blood,
Permitted in another nge and clime'
Why cite that law with which the bgnt Jew
Rcbuked the Pagan's mercy, when he knew
No evil in the Just One'-NhclelOre turn
10 dark aud cruel pasl'--Can yc not Learn
From the pure Teachers life, how mildly free
Is the grea, Gospel of I!umnnily'
The Fhmcn's knife is bloodcss, and no more
Mcxi,li's affairs soak with human gore,
No more the CHASTITY sacrifices smoke
Through the green arches of the Drud's oak;
And ye of mder filth, with your high claim
Orpropho,- ultcrancc in the Hottest nnmc,
VIII ye become the Druids of our tmr'
Set up your scalold -aIlars in our land,
And consccraors Of Laws darkest crimc,
Urge to its loathsonc work the langnan's hand!
Beware--lcs human nature reused at last,
From its peeled shoulder your incumbrancc cast,
And, sick to loalhlny Of your cry for blood,
Rank ye with those who led their victims rnund
The Cell's red altar and the Indians mound,
Abhorrod Of Earth aud Heaven III pagan BROTH
erhood