CONCLUDING REFLECTIONS. 187 



impressed by the discourse of Him from whom all scripture de- 

 rives its authority, and all true religion its origin. The Re- 

 deemer of mankind reminds us, that his Heavenly Father takes 

 care to feed the ravens, and that the sparrows are not overlooked 

 in the universality of his providence ; which is sufficient to con- 

 vince us that we cannot, without offering a gross insult to the 

 Creator and Sovereign of the world, wantonly ill-treat any of his 

 creatures, all of which are objects of his parental solicitude. 



In the system of Nature, it is ordained, by an arrangement 

 for which reasons have already been assigned, that animals 

 should be conducive to the support of one another, and that all 

 of them should be subservient to the interests of man, or at 

 least subject to his reasonable will, although not to his wanton 

 cruelty. When, therefore, we are obliged to kill any of them for 

 our food, or to destroy for our safety such as are noxious, we 

 ought to despatch them expeditiously, and render the pang of 

 death as short and easy as possible. 



In contemplating the formation of the different animal beings 

 which browse the herb, or range the forest, which climb the tree, 

 or burrow in the earth, we see a perfect adaptation to the cir- 

 cumstances of their existence. Their instincts, also, exactly cor- 

 respond with their destination, and operate in a similar manner 

 in every individual of the same species. This uniformity of in- 

 stinct in each particular species of animals, which is so con- 

 spicuous in a thousand instances, merits, in an eminent degree, 

 the attention of the student of Nature ; as it exhibits the most 

 unequivocal proof of a regular design and determinate plan in 

 their formation, and evidently shows that the whole created sys- 

 tem is the production of an intelligent and all-powerful Being, 



"Who spake the word, 



And Nature moved complete." 



Whether all animals were purposely created for the use and 

 advantage of man, a theory which has long been doubted among 

 philosophers, and is now almost entirely exploded, we shall not 

 pretend to determine. When we consider their utility in furnish- 

 ing us with food and raiment, and numberless conveniences and 

 comforts, we cannot but suppose that this important purpose has 

 entered into the design of the Creator, and formed a part of his 

 universal plan. And this consideration, which forcibly impresses 

 itself on the mind, and which appears to be unquestionably just, 

 cannot fail of exalting our piety and gratitude, by exhibiting ex- 

 tensive beneficence, acting in concert with infinite wisdom and 

 power. 



Besides the subserviency of the animal creation to man, there 



