198 THE IMMORTALITY OF ANIMALS 



We cannot suppose that lower animals, the fair- 

 est and noblest of all God's creation, except man, 

 with bodies and powers capable of development 

 and possessed with affections and gratitude more 

 durable and faithful than man, are soulless. In the 

 mighty plan of the infinite mind a higher object 

 than that assigned inanimate matter, has been as- 

 signed animals and we believe that God in His 

 wisdom and justice has caused to dwell within 

 every living creature a soul whose duration of ex- 

 istence no limit can be assigned. Everything I 

 have learned of the Creator leads me to believe 

 that there must have been some other object in 

 view when He created animals. He did not intend 

 them to pass through this world in sorrow and suf- 

 fering with the end doom and annihilation. It 

 Avould be to say that God created all things and 

 then gave an eternity to the heavens, earth, and 

 man, but left the lower animals alone of all His 

 creation to be annihilated. 



Look at the little bird, that shakes its beautiful 

 plumage ; spreads abroad its wings ; soars joyously 

 aloft, and there floats in the blue heavens above us, 

 and sings its sweet song of praise to God who made 

 it. There is exquisite grace in the form of that 



