42 
On the Euture Gristence of the Lower Animats. 
[The Editor is not prepared to endorse every sentiment contained in the 
following paper]. 
S several members of the Society have evinced an interest in 
the above subject, I venture to offer a few remarks upon it | 
to the readers of the Magazine. 
It appears to be taken for granted by the majority of persons 
that animals are to have no existence in a future state. Let us 
consider whether the popular prejudice is supported by the 
few passages in Holy Writ which bear upon the subject. It 
will probably be denied by none that the lower animals do not at 
present enjoy the happy lives which they enjoyed in Eden before 
the fall of man, and which, but for that sad event, they would 
still enjoy. The question, therefore, is, Will they ever be restored 
to that state of happiness? When God ‘‘ renews the face of the 
earth,”’ and ‘‘ the new heavens and the new earth’’ are formed, 
will the lower animals take part in its bliss ? 
Before we proceed to examine how this question is answered 
by Scripture, let us consider what was their state in Eden? 
or, in other words, how have they suffered as a consequence of 
the Fall? It is evident that they did not prey one upon another, 
as in that case perfect peace and contentment could not have 
reigned ; neither were they preyed upon by man, as it is not till 
after the Deluge that we read (Gen. ix. 3), that God gave Noah 
and his family permission to eat flesh, ‘‘ even as the green herb,” 
which had before sufficed as food for all living creatures (see 
Gen. i. 30). No doubt they had also a higher mental calibre 
than now. Theyseem to have been intended to yield a ready and 
willing obedience to man, just as man himself was to yield a ready 
and willing obedience to God. We read that before the creation 
of Eve, when Adam was the only human being in existence, he 
gave names to all cattle (Gen. ii. 20). Of what use was that 
unless they were all to answer to their names? And the same 
sentence continues, ‘‘ but for Adam there was not found an help 
