fhould poffefs our Minds, to regard all these various Kinds of living fenfitive Beings, from the greatest to the least and meanest of them, as under the Inspection and Government of the univerfal Parent, and Lord of all!

The Government of Divine Providence, as exercised towards inferior fenfitive Beings, or the irrational Brute Animals, may be confidered either as more immediately respecting themselves and their own Benefit. As they are all of them, through the Goodness of Divine Providence, furnished with Organs and Appetites fuited to the different Kinds of Life for which they are designed; fo the very lowest and meaneft of them are in their Degree capable of an Happiness and Enjoyment, which is as truly fitted and accommodated to them, as higher Enjoyments are to Creatures of a higher Kind, and of more enlarged more enlarged Capacities and Powers. And even with regard to those of them that appear to be most minute and inconfiderable, and whofe Lives are of the shortest Duration, it must be confidered that their short Lives may be as well proportioned to them, as a much longer Life to Creatures of a greater Bulk. There may, for ought we know, be Creatures of fuch a Kind, that a Day may be to them a fufficient Time of Existence, and yield them as full Enjoyment

as

as their Natures are capable of. And the fhorter their Lives are, there is a more quick Succeffion of Individuals. And concerning the leaft of them it must be owned, that their vital Existence and Enjoyment, short as it may seem to be, is certainly better than Non-existence, or than an inanimate unperceptive Existence, deftitute of Life and Senfation.

With regard to all thofe Animals which we are beft acquainted with, the Care of Divine Providence over them manifeftly appeareth in the Provifion that is made for maintaining their fenfitive Life, for gratifying their Appetites, and for enabling them to attain to the End for which they are defigned. They are all carried by strong Inftincts to use the propereft Methods for preferving Life, and to fhun whatever is deftructive to it, to feek after and to take that Kind of Food which is most fuited to their Nature, to provide themselves convenient Habitations, to propagate their Kind, and to take Care of their young in the fitteft Manner, whilft that Care is neceffary, and no longer. These feveral Inftincts by which they are guided, and according to which they act wifely and steadily in certain Cafes, are not owing to any Contrivance or Reason of their own, but to the fuperior Wifdom and Power of him

that first formed them, and still governeth them, and exerciseth a constant Care over them. To this Care it is owing, that the feveral Species of them are ftill preserved and continued diftinct, and that a due Balance among them is maintained.

And as Reason and Observation, if duly attended to, lead us to acknowledge the conftant Care of Divine Providence towards the Brute Creatures, mere fenfitive Beings, fo it is very clearly and exprefly afferted in the facred Writings. We are there told, that God giveth to the Beaft his Food, and to the young Ravens which cry. Pfal. cxlvii. 9. The whole Brute Creation are reprefented as belonging to the Family of God, for whofe Suftenance he continually provideth. Thefe all wait upon thee, that thou mayeft give them their Meat in due Seafon. That thou giveft them, they gather: Thou openest thine Hand, they are filled with Good. It is added, Thou hideft thy Face, they are troubled; thou takeft away their Breath, they die, and return to their Duft. Thou fendeft forth thy Spirit, they are created; and thou reneweft the Face of the Earth. Pfal. civ. 27, 28, 29, 30. Among the Laws which God gave by Mofes, there are fome that prefcribe a kind Treatment even of the Brute Animals. And it is particularly as one Defign of the Appoint

ment

ment of the weekly Sabbath, that their Cattle might reft as well as themselves. Exod. xxiii. 12. God giveth it as a Reason for having Compaffion on Nineveh, that not only there were Sixfcore Thousand Perfons that could not difcern between their right Hand and their left, i. e. Infants; but that there was also much Cattle there. Jonah iv. II. And it is to fignify his Care even of the Brute Creation, that he is represented, after the Deluge as making Covenant not only with Men, but with every living Creature, of the Fowl, of the Cattle, and of every Beast of the Earth, that he would not any more fend a general Flood to destroy the Earth. Gen. ix. 10, 11. He ftill fo governeth the Earth and its Productions, that there is ordinarily fufficient Provifion made not only for Men but for the inferior Animals. He caufeth Grafs to grow for the Cattle, as well as Herb for the Service of Man. Pfal. civ. 14. O Lord, thou preferveft Man and Beaft, faith the devout Pfalmift, when celebrating God's univerfal Goodness and Benignity, Pfal. xxxvi. 6.

But no where is the Care of Divine Providence towards the Brute Creatures more strongly expreffed than by our Saviour in those remarkable Words, where fpeaking of fuch inconfiderable Creatures as the Sparrows, he faith, that not one of

them

them falleth to the Ground without our heavenly Father; or, as he elsewhere expreffeth it, Not one of them is forgotten be→ fore God. Luke xii. 6.

This Doctrine of our great heavenly Teacher deserveth special Notice. It hath indeed been cavilled against, as if it were a degrading the divine Majefty to represent him as concerning himself about fuch inconfiderable Things as thefe. And it is true, that, strictly speaking, the highest and most excellent of his Creatures may be faid to be beneath his Notice. Yet fince he hath thought fit to create fuch numberlefs Orders of Beings, it is no more unworthy of him to exercise a providential Care over them all from the highest to the meanest, than it was at firft to create them. But we are apt to form a very wrong Judgment in this Matter. Many of the Creatures which appear mean and inconfiderable to us, and unworthy of our Notice or Regard, are not really fo in themselves; and it is only owing to our Imperfection of Ignorance, that we are apt to defpife them. We are prone to measure all Things by the Relation they bear to us, and by their immediate Usefulness to us, or the Appearance they make to our Senses; which, though wifely accommodated for our Convenience, are not fitted for penetrating into VOL. I. F the.