her alive. And Balaam said unto the angel of the Lord, I have sinned." (NUMB. xxii. 32-34.) Here we have the Almighty performing a miracle, in making the dumb beast to speak in remonstrance to the prophet, and the angel of the Lord also rebuking him. The prophet was convinced of his sin towards the beast, for he acknowledged it to the angel, and he instructed Balak, the king of Moab, afterwards, in his duty, as the prophet Micah tells us, saying to him: "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God." (vi. 8.)

7. The Book of Job, and the Book of Psalms, afford many passages of great interest, which set forth the power, and wisdom, and goodness of God, in the creation and provi<

dence over this part of his works. (JOB Xxxviii. to xli.; PSALM viii. 6-9.; xxxvi. 6.; l. 10, 11.; lxxxiv. 3.; civ. 10-31.; cxxxvi. 25.; cxlv. 9, 15, 6.; cxlvii. 9.; cxlviii. 7, 10, 12.; cl. 1, 6.)

8. In the twelfth chapter of the Book of Proverbs, at the tenth verse, Solomon declares, that "a righteous man regardeth the life of his beast, but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel." By the word life, we are not merely to consider existence, but all the means of subsistence and comfort; as in that saying of our Saviour, (given LUKE xii. 15.) “a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth." That is, his welfare, his happiness, does not consist in riches, but in various other matters; and, especially for man, he adds, "rather seek ye the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you." (Ver. 31.; MATT. vi. 33.) "But the tender

mercies of the wicked are cruel." That is, the seeming-kindnesses of cruel persons are not done from motives of humanity towards the beast, but are meant merely to make him subservient to his own self-interest, and which are, too often, signal instances of cruelty in the owner, and of suffering to the pampered beast.

9. When God had determined to destroy the great city of Nineveh, and sent the prophet Jonah to warn the inhabitants of their approaching destruction, one reason with him. for sparing the city was-besides that there were more than six score thousand persons that could not discern between their right hand and their left hand"-that there was, "also, much cattle." (JONAH iv. 11.) Well may we, indeed, exclaim with the Psalmist, "The Lord is good to ALL, and his tender mercy is over ALL HIS WORKS." (PSALM cxlv. 9.)

I have now gone through the principal passages in the Old Testament which relate to the brute creation, and the precepts given by God to man respecting them. The passages on this subject in the New Testament, I shall consider in my next discourse. In the mean time, I request you to view this subject in a light in which, perhaps, you have not before been used to contemplate it-as one of very great importance; and I shall now conclude with a few lines from the Christian poet, Cowper, who, speaking of the animal creation,

says,

-They are all-the meanest things that are

As free to live, and to enjoy that life,

As God was free to form them at the first,
Who, in his sov'reign wisdom, made them all.
Ye, therefore, who love mercy, teach your sons
To love it too. The spring-time of our years
Is soon dishonour'd and defil'd in most

By budding ills, that ask a prudent band

To check them. But, alas! none sooner shoots,

If unrestrain'd, into luxuriant growth,

Than cruelty, most dev'lish of them all.

Mercy to him that shows it, is the rule

And righteous limitation of its act,

By which Heav'n moves in pard'ning guilty man;
And he that shows none, being ripe in years,
And conscious of the outrage he commits,

Shall seek it, and not find it, in his turn.

TASK, b. vi. 1. 584-600.

END OF THE FIRST DISCOURSE.