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employed in ploughing the ground; that treading out the corn was an employment in which his appetite would be strongly excited; and that the restraining him, even by the least cruel methods, from gratifying this appetite, in some degree, must have given him no common degree of uneasiness." Remind them, that the treading out of corn was a season of great enjoyment to man himself; that "the joy of harvest" is a proverbial expression in Scripture; and then you may appeal to themselves, and ask, Whether they think it probable, that the man who, at such a time, would not obey this humane and reasonable injunction, was likely, upon any other occasion, to feel his heart expand with genuine gratitude, or generosity, or laudable joy?

In a country like ours, in which agriculture, and manufactures, and commerce, have been carried to such extent; where the horse, almost alone, ploughs, and draws, and carries every thing, man included; the violations of humanity must be most frequent with regard to this noble and valuable animal. Though the most spirited, yet the most tractable and docile of quadrupeds; possessing more than the courage, without any of the ferocity of the lion; though contributing most to the profit and pleasure of his owner; though, if deprived of his services alone, Great Britain would still have made but a poor appearance, and never would have been what she has become; it is a melancholy reflection on the national character, that, of all animals, he has been most abused. Although I cannot quote any express passage of Sacred Writ, urging the duty of humanity to him, you can very easily explain to your Children some of the sin

gular and satisfactory reasons for this omission, at least in the Mosaic code. That their use was forbidden to the Jewish people, lest such commerce with Egypt (which was the native country of the best breeds, long before Arabia possessed any,) should lead to idolatry; lest that people might depend on a wellappointed cavalry, instead of the promised aid and peculiar protection of Jehovah; or lest they should be tempted to extend their dominion beyond the boundaries of the promised land, and so either obscure or defeat the prophecies relative to the Messiah. It will be seen, however, from what follows, that you can plead the cause of humanity to this animal, even from Scripture, and upon the highest grounds.

In many, if not in most of the Eastern countries, there is another animal, which stands in the same relation to them, as the horse now does to the nations of Europe. Though degenerated in this country to but a humble kinsman of the horse, whose principal inheritance is stripes and blows, while many young people especially, indulge in mocking the misery which themselves occasion; you may point out to your Children, in what a striking manner the Scriptures can redeem the subject of any such treatment, from idle ridicule or undue severity. It is indeed rather remarkable, that, in the only instance in which the Creator ever endowed an animal with the faculty of speech, it was to plead the cause of suffering humanity with the obdurate heart of man; and then, too, it was by an animal of this humble description. If, therefore, eloquence and pathos are alike required, to expose the hatefulness of cruelty, let the unprejudiced ear listen to the following expostulation :

"What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times? Am I not thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden, ever since I was thine, unto this day? Was I ever wont to do so unto thee ?"

The ferocity of conduct, far less justifiable than that of Balaam, which is daily occurring in this country, cannot then pass unobserved; while in ninetynine instances out of an hundred, the animal is beat, for having not only done nothing wrong, but, it may be, obliged, if not saved, his owner. In the great majority of cases, when the animal discovers any restiveness, you can explain to your Children, that it generally ought to be regarded by the rider, rather as a hint for observation on his part. So the humane and considerate rider regards it, and has often indeed felt much indebted to the animal's sagacity. Thus, in the present remarkable case, the animal was beat, as the angel of God sternly noticed, not less than three times, though in the very act of saving the rider's life! "Unless," said he, "unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive."*

* I have already noticed, that this animal, in Eastern countries, is of a far superior breed; and though it was declared, by the Mosaic code, to be unclean, and no one was permitted to taste of its flesh, yet was it the animal employed both by the regal and judicial authorities. Hence the magistrate and judge are spoken of as those who "rode on white asses," Judges v. 10. In those countries, though, when domesticated, he becomes gentle, and assumes a patience and submission more humble than his situation, in his natural state, or when unbroken, he is not only fleet and fierce, but formidable and untractable. It is, therefore, not unworthy of being pointed out to your Children, that it was such an animal, and in this unbroken state, that the Saviour, upon one remarkable occasion, deigned to use. He actually sent for it, and in so doing, desired that his disciples should remark, that this was a colt

On this subject, I notice only another passage of Scripture, which, however, I am the more disposed to do, from its being one of those, which I well remember my own Father quoting, again and again, with peculiar emphasis, to myself when young; dwelling occasionally on the four last words:

"Then said Jehovah (to Jonah), Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow ; which came up in a night, and perished in a night; and should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than six score thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle ?"

Here was a man, who had been sent by the Lord God of the Hebrews, as a kind of ambassador-extraordinary to the then metropolis of the world, and whose message had produced an amazing effect. His

"whereon yet never man sat." In all this there was something more than strict conformity to the law, and even to prophecy, Zech. ix. 9. The meekness and humility of the King of Zion were on that day no doubt conspicuous; but in riding into Jerusalem, amidst the acclamations of a multitude, and the branches of palm-trees, which were more than sufficient to render unruly even an animal accustomed to be used; see this unbroken creature, all the while, quiet, and tractable, and steady! If men will not allow the Divine Power to have been here exerted, they will surely confess, that precisely the same thing had never happened before, and that it has never since. Often, indeed, does the Author of Nature send us to the beasts of the field for instruction, Ps. xxxii. 8, 9. But what an implication was there in all this, to that untoward generation, whom neither judgment nor mercy could move to submission! The Messiah, however, it seems, would not leave his meaning only to be inferred; for it is perhaps not in general observed, it was when thus seated, upon this very animal, now so docile, that upon his coming near, and beholding the city, he wept over it, saying-" If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong to thy peace, but now they are hid from thine eyes!" Such were the melancholy effects of voluntary ignorance and obstinate perverseness,

conduct from the beginning, and his spirit in fretting himself as it were to death, does indeed appear most unreasonable, and even inhuman. But all along it should seem the Almighty had a design to accomplish upon him, as well as on the Ninevites; and with both he succeeded: while his patience with the instrument, and compassion for those to whom he was sent, are alike divine. Now, here humanity to the human species and the animal creation is pled, at the same moment, by him who " preserveth man and beast ;" and pled so triumphantly, that it seems as if Jonah, deeply criminal though he had been, was confounded, and silenced, and humbled. He answered not a word; and, with these expressions in his ear, was probably prepared to serve Jehovah in a very different spirit throughout his whole life.

If I have dwelt too long on this disposition of humanity, let the cruelties so notoriously sanctioned, even in Britain, be my apology. To humanize man after he has grown up-to change the lion into a lamb, is the prerogative of God; but to train up a Child in the way in which he should go, is the injunction of the same God, who will never withhold his blessing upon his own express precept. Let us then apply to the instituted fountain, from whence humanity alone can flow; and with regard to the whole of the inferior creation, let Parents especially bear in mind, that

"The sum is this-If man's convenience, health,

Or safety, interfere, his rights and claims

Are paramount, and must extinguish theirs.
Else, they are all the meanest things that are
As free to live, and to enjoy that life,

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