MORAL DUTY TO BE KIND 237 



pity on theni the more on this account, and instead 

 of aggravating, diminish as far as we can the neces- 

 sary evils of their lot. 



Our own sorrows should teach us to sympathize 

 with the distress of others. The kindness of God 

 to us in our low and lost estate should, in like man- 

 ner, induce us to have mercy on the creatures which, 

 without any blame of their own, are involved in 

 the consequences of our transgression. Man by 

 his superior intellectual qualities has assumed the 

 position of " Lord of earth," but the right to rule 

 is not the right to tyrannize. The notion that an- 

 imals were created only for the use of a man is a 

 weak and unwarrantable conceit. They were cre- 

 ated long before man, and would have been better 

 off if mankind had never been made. They were 

 the objects of God's creative love, and were made 

 to glorify Him the same as man, and to say that 

 man was given dominion or guardianship over them 

 to oppress and abuse them Avould be to reflect upon 

 the goodness and wisdom of the Creator. 



Power, like every other talent and blessing, was 

 given to man to be exercised in justice and mercy. 

 Though he claims the right to take the life of an- 

 imals it does not follow that it is lawful to inflict 



