Can not proceed from any love of Self, For Self would suffer, when it knew their source; But as he acts from love of good as good, The Self is happy. When he ascertains That some have died in sin through his neglect, The Self is grieved, not that it was uncared, For care of Self would not allay the pain, But that a duty had not been performed; That good had been neglected, as a good. The gambler’s object may be highest good For Self, according to his estimate; The preacher seeks a good, but not for Self; When Self appears, the good to evil turns. Nor is the mystic selfish in his cave, Save that he buries talents in himself, That might avail for good to other men; But all his mind is bent on pleasing God, His only thought of Self is for its pain; And this he deems acceptable to Heaven. You can not judge by your analysis, But by what passes in the actor’s mind. One surely then could not be selfish termed, Who only lived to mortify the Self, Howe’er mistaken may his conduct be. Nor is the man, who gives his wealth away, If from right principles he gives. ’Tis true, He finds a pleasure in the deed when done, But if to gain that pleasure he has given, It turns to gall and wormwood in his grasp. If two men matches light, and know full well, If one is dropped, a house will be consumed, He is the most guilty that allows its fall. The miser, then, who knows he does a wrong, Is by that knowledge rendered criminal. “The quality of actions must be judged” From their intents, that often differ wide; The man who shoots his friend by accident Has no intent, and therefore does no wrong; But he who murders does a score of wrongs,-- A score of basest motives prompt the deed, All centred in the Self. The Christian’s work Must, from its very nature, have no Self, Or it becomes unchristian. Man can judge, Not from effect, but motives ascertained By inference, and experience. The law Is formed hereon, and modified by years. Time teaches men that punishment will stop, And only punishment, the spread of crime. Instinct and Nature’s order teaches you That pain must follow wrong. A man commits A crime; if left unpunished, he repeats; And others, seeing his security, Will do as he has done. So all mankind Would hasten on to lawlessness and ruin. But law, for real wrong inflicts a wrong, Which would be just did it no farther go; But it is proved expedient, inasmuch As it prevents continued crime. Then death By law can not be murder termed, since good In aim and end, without malicious thought. Thus good to many flows from wrong to one (If that may wrong be termed that takes the rights By conduct forfeited), who should receive, Though none reaped benefit. For many’s good, The law is made, yet never does a wrong