How comes it to pass that cattle, sheep, deer, goats, horses, and all those species of animals that are not carnivorous, were not also changed by sin's metamorphosing power to become carnivorous also? I can see no reason why any partiality could take place, or why sin, if it affected any, why it should not equally affect all? From which it is evident to me, that the verse quoted signifies, that every herb of the field was given to be meat for every beast of the earth, and every creeping thing, which were destined and formed to feed on them, and to such only.

If we believe that God created, in the beginning, carnivorous animals, as lions, tigers, leopards, panthers, wolves and hyenas, with all fowls that live on flesh, and all fishes, with all the monsters of the fish and reptile kinds, which absolutely have nothing else but flesh for their subsistence-then it will follow, that a corresponding mode of teeth and claws are necessary to facilitate their grade in being. This is the proof they were made as they are in the beginning.

But if all animals were perfectly docile before the sin of Adam, then it will follow, that such as were carnivorous, and not fitted in their forms or constitutions to feed on herbs, must have existed in a starving condition, unless it is supposed a miracle was in continual effect for their support, till such time as the sin of man should give them licence to seize the delicious repast prepared for their appetites, teeth and claws-unless we suppose the animals on which they might prey would remain passive, and let themselves be devoured. Thus the tiger may be supposed walking deliberately

up, in all the grandeur and amiableness of his docile nature, to the equally docile stag, and gnaws him down, while not a muscle moves in opposition to the eater. This cannot be. But unless they would thus tamely submit to be devoured, they instantly depart from the character of their supposed docility. The face of the argument is, that the first attempt of any of these, to get their destined food, is a declaration of war: Hence, in reference to the world of animals, each stand on the defensive. If this is not so, then we have only to adopt the above opinion of docility, which is too inconsistent for belief.

If they were not created at first with all this preparation for a carnivorous mode of living, then, after man sinned, outsprang the teeth and claws of panthers and hyenas-outsprang the teeth of all the flesh-eaters of the deep-out grew the talons and beaks of eagles, and vultures-instantly the vast anaconda received his constringent bone-breaking power-instantly his mouth gaped to engulph the passing prey-at once all these threw themselves into postures of offence, as if they had eaten nothing from their creation till the sin of man; which must have been true respecting all carnivorous animals, if they were not so created in the beginning, with corresponding appetites, dispositions and powers.

We should reject it, therefore, and conclude that all Kinds of beasts are as they should be, and were at the beginning. With this view of them, we see a propriety in the mandate of heaven, when it was said to man, have dominion over the beasts, the fowls, the fishes, and

subject them to your controul for the purposes of your happiness while in this corporeal estate.

But as soon as he sinned, he lost this extraordinary controul of animals, and became exposed to their natural fury; or to those qualifications which are now called by us, in our weak and feeble state, furious or savage dispositions, which, in themselves considered, are as innocent as the turtle dove; and if man was still in his primitive state of holiness, would be as harmless as the song of the nightengale. It is man who is changed in his executive relation to animals-it is this circumstance which has so clothed the wild beasts of the wilderness with unapproachable terror-t is this that has given to many kinds of domesticated animals the appearance of what is called bad dispositions. But if we had the ancient dominion, these tempers of animals would cease to be known, with respect to man, as evils, and would be viewed as they are by angels, or those intelligences who are above a state of mortality. But man is fallen; consequently the very things appointed as the means of his happiness have become his afflictions in many instances. This rule is observable, even in the effects of the gospel; for it is a savour of life unto life, or of death unto death," according as it is believed or rejected.

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It is not possible for the mind to admit for a moment, { that there could arise any trouble to the man Adam, or to his posterity, if they had not sinned, from any im becility to govern and manage all kinds of animals with the utmost facility, in accordance with the dominion given at first. But it is evidently a natural evil, which

cannot be avoided at the present time, that the human race cannot without danger and much trouble, govern many kinds of beasts, which danger and trouble was not incident to man's pristine state; because we may not suppose the existence of any thing that could in any sense mar the perfect composure and happiness o man, till he had sinned. Sin, therefore, brought into being this kind of affliction, as well as all other kinds. If, then, such was the perfection of God's kingdom in Eden before sin entered there, then it will follow, that when the Messiah's kingdom shall have become definitely victorious-when the stone cut out of the mountain shall fill the whole earth-when righteousness shall cover the earth as the waters cover the whole face of the deep; then, and not till then, shall this evil, as well as all other evils, be destroyed from the whole face of the globe.

During this glorious Millennial rest, shall undoubtedly be accomplished the view Isaiah the prophet had of the peace and happiness of that day-a description of which we find in his eleventh chapter, from the sixth to the ninth verse inclusive. After having, from the commencement of the chapter, spoken of the glory, power, and wisdom of Christ, that he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked, the subject of his final and universal reign is then introduced by the following remarkable account: The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf, and the young lion, and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. And the

cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the suckling child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.

The whole of this quotation from Isaiah may be understood, in a spiritual sense, to signify, that from the commencement of a preached gospel until the Millennium, there shall be innumerable instances of the conversion of lion-like men, cruel sinners, ravening like the evening wolves for their prey; or as leopards, fierce and dreadful; or as bears, to devour and break in pieces; or as serpents, the asp and cockatrice, symbols of deceit and vengeful malice. These are often the trophies of gospel grace, who, by its power, become as lambs, or as little children, in point of humility and innocence.

But the quotation may be also literally understood, in application to the Millennium; for God will so protect man, and all that is his, during the Millennium, that though his flocks and herds, and little children, were to mingle with all the above named terrors of the wilderness; yet God, by the restoration of man to his ancient dominion over the animals, would not suffer any evil to befal him. Such will be the blessedness and security of Mount Zion when the Lord shall do this; when man shall again have, in virtue of the ancient grant his ancient rights restored, through Jesus Christ.