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neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water. let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God; yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands." We here see the animal creation set almost on a footing with man, even in a moral point of view. Of the internal knowledge they possess, it is (as heretofore remarked) impossible for us to form any opinion whatever, from their lack of power to make communications. But we are led to think the general sense of Scripture places them in a far more consequential light than that in which we are commonly accustomed to hold them. And in the ensuing chapter, wherein God remonstrates with the peevish prophet, He himself puts the following question-" And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than six-score thousand persons, that cannot discern between their right-hand and their left-hand; and also much cattle?" Still continuing to give these creatures the same importance with which they had been invested in the preceding chapter. (Jonah iii. 6-8; iv. 11.)

Pursuing this research, we find similar predictions to those already recorded. "I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven and the fishes of the sea, and the stumbling-blocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the Lord. Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord: for the day of the Lord is at hand. The great day of the Lord is near." (Zephaniah i. 3, 7, 14.) The

dumb water and without life brought forth living creatures, fowls, and fishes, at the commandment of God." (2 Esdras vi. 48.) And He who commanded these thingsin to existence can as easily re-clothe instinct within a proper vehicle, wherein to pass a probationary state. In chapter viii. 29, we find the following petition: "Let it not be thy will to destroy them which have lived like beasts; but to look upon them that have clearly taught thy law. Take thou no indignation at them which are deemed worse than beasts. But love them that alway put their trust in thy righteousness and glory." And if God is called on to forgive them who have degraded reason, it may be inferred that He will forgive them that have acted without the application of choice. David, who was chosen out of the children of Israel, played with lions as with kids, and with bears as with lambs." (Eccles. xlvii. 3.) "The Lord will never leave off his mercy; neither shall any of his works perish." (22.)

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In the New Testament we find our divine Instructor propounding the animal creation as an example unto man. "Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?" (Matt. vi. 26.) We certainly are much better than the fowls-much higher in the scale of existence; but though we are of more value, it does not follow that the fowls are of no value at all. They are always represented as the objects of God's tender care, and it may be destined for far

VOL. III.

X

nobler purposes than that of supplying the wants of human kind. In the next chapter, he compares the internal state of false pretending prophets to that of ravening wolves-creatures who act as influenced by the great infernal leader. (vii. 15.) In chapter viii. 20, he draws a veil across all human glory by comparing his own forlorn estate to that of animals.. "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." And he who was more destitute than they -he who is so experimentally acquainted with the feeling of infirmities, will not, it may be presumed, forget the sufferings of the animal creation, and particularly those that were ordained to typify his own. "And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils," (on whom the prince of devils, in conjunction with his subordinate confederates, had exercised his malice, and drove into a most enraged and distracted state of mind, so that they may be justly styled, possessed with devils,) "coming out of the tombs," a resort well suited to their comfortless dejection and violent irritation, for they were "exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?" (The evil spirits communicated unto them a knowledge of the rank of him towards whom they were then approaching; infusing, also, in their agonized minds despair of

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mercy-a delusion frequently interwoven in the tortured imagination of wretched madmen by the author of their miseries.) "And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding. So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine." (If thou prevent us from further exercising our cruelty on the human species, allow us at least to practise it on those gross and offensive animals that are feeding in this country.) And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine." On a command being issued forth from him, whose mandates were irresistible, and they debarred from longer tormenting the wretched victims of their barbarous malice, they transferred the dreadful malady into the herd of swine; a communication not very discordant with the common laws of nature; as in the case of hydrophobia, and others that might be mentioned. "And, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters." The disorder operated upon them with the same virulence as it did on the miserable maniacs; and we cannot conceive that benevolence itself could suffer these noxious, though unoffending creatures, to suffer through Satan's cruelty, without any compensation. (viii. 28 -32.) We often find our divine Instructor drawing an analogy between the clean and the unclean of the animal creation; that is, those who have been yielded up unto the power of Satan— "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst.

of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." (x. 16.) And "are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows." (29, 31.) "Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; which indeed is the least of all seeds, but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof." (In this instance, though in parabolic form, describing the animal creation as sheltered by the gospel.)

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Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind." (xiii. 31, 32, 47.) "Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, and brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon." (xxi. 5-7.) His meekness at his birth had placed him on a level, in point of accommodation, with the animal creation. (Luke i. 7.) And in the foregoing instance, He graciously condescended to accept the service of the most stupid of them. And it is remarkable that the whole of the ass species are marked with a cross, though we pretend not to offer any supposition as to whether this badge was affixed on them subsequent to, and in consequence of, the

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