eth his hand, and filleth all things living with plenteousness;" (PSALM cxlv. 16.) who giveth richly to enjoy, and hath commanded not to "muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn." (DEUT. xxv. 4.) It must, however, be administered with reason as well as with liberality, and not distributed either in such portions as may occasion surfeit and ill-health to the object, or waste of the provision: "Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost;" or rather, administer not in such por tions as to occasion fragments, is a rule to be observed at the meal of animals, no less than at the meal of man. It is, also, to be of such kind as is suitable to the animal, and is not with-held from others for whom it would be "It is not meet to take the

more proper: children's bread, and to cast it to the dogs," (MATT. xv. 26.) is a rule no less true in the letter, than in the spiritual application.

IV. On the article of rest, I have anticipated the chief of what I had to say, when speaking of the duty of rulers and magistrates to afford protection to the brute creation. The golden rule of placing ourselves in the situation of others, and asking ourselves, "Were I really in the place of this person, and he in mine, how should I wish him to behave to me?" is applicable, in its measure, likewise, to the brute creation; and, were every master to place himself in the situation of his servant, or his cattle, (his cattle, indeed, are his servants,) there would be little difficulty in determining his case: due interchanges of labour and rest would then be the portion of all under his care. But, if any be worked beyond their strength, or more than their proper time, or denied the whole of the Sabbath, then the day which God hath blessed to them, we change into a curse. I mentioned before the case of the Jews, in their neglect of

the Sabbath, and their retribution by the captivity in Babylon. The weekly Sabbath of this world is a type of the everlasting Sabbath of the next: may not the violation of the earthly Sabbath exclude the breaker from the rest of heaven? And, if, in the breach of the commandments, "he who shall offend in one point, is guilty of all," (JAMES ii. 10.) will not he who violates one article of that command be guilty of the whole? and he who suffers his own cattle to be worked, or encourages or connives at the working of the cattle of others, does he not stand before God, the guilty Sabbath-breaker?

Let us still remember, however, that "the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath," (MARK ii. 28.) and hath declared, that it "was made for and not man for the Sabbath." (MARK · ii. 27.) The cattle may be led to the water, (LUKE xiii. 15.) and, if any of them "fall

man,

into a pit," or meet with any accident on the Sabbath, we may "pull them out," or otherwise relieve them; (MATT. xii. 11.; LUKE XIV. 5.) and, therefore, in case of great necessity, the cattle may be made the instruments of mercy and of comfort to their master, man. But, in any such case, the Sabbath should not be lost to them altogether, but deferred merely to the morrow.

V. Next to food and rest comes the preservation of their health, and timely and proper assistance under accidents.

Animals living in what is called a state of nature, seeking their own proper food, and enjoying freely the open air and exercise, rarely suffer from disease; or, if they do, the same instinct which directs them to their food, leads them to their proper medicine also. It is animals taken from their state of nature by man,

and being improperly worked, or fed, or housed, or used, which chiefly suffer in their health; and, when this is the case, proper rest, medicine, and attendance, is due to them from their masters. The attention which has been paid to this subject of late years, and to the general convenience of animals, in some of those matters, in which we depart from a state of nature with them, deserves great commendation.

VI. These are our principal points of duty in our treatment of animals. And it is in this case, as in all others, that what is a man's duty is his real interest, would he but see it: no case can be mentioned in which a man's interest will not suffer by his failure in any of these points. A few general reflections shall conclude the subject.