"Nature, and with and through him be Partakers "of the Bleffings and Glories of the Kingdom of "God. At prefent we see the whole Creation fub"ject to Vanity and Death, from which, like a Wo"man in Travail, it labours to be delivered, but has "not Strength to bring forth, nor can hope for De"liverance till that happy Day when the great Re"deemer fhall reftore whatever has been decayed, "fhall create new Heavens and a new Earth, where "Sin and Death can have no Place, where Evil can"not enter, but God fhall be All in All."

That the Brute-Creation are particularly interested in this great Event, is plainly and fully attested by many remarkable Prophecies of the Old Teftament. Thus, Ef. xi. 6, 7, 8, 9. speaking of the peaceful and glorious Reign of the Meffiah, illuftrates it in a particular Manner, by the Harmony that shall be reftored through the whole animal Creation. The Wolf alfo fhall dwell with the Lamb, and the Leopard fhall 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 fhall feed, their Young-ones fhall lie down together, and the Lion fhall eat Straw like the Ox. And the fucking Child fhall play on the Hole of the Afp, and the weaned Child fhall 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 IVaters cover the Sea. So again, Ch. Ixv. 25, The Wolf and the Lamb shall feed together, and the Lion fhall eat Straw like the Bullock, and Duft fhall be the Serpent's Meat; they fhall not hurt nor deftroy in all my holy Mountain, faith the Lord. The Prophet Hofea foretels the fame Thing, Ch. ii. 18. In

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that Day will I make a Covenant for them with the Beafts of the Field, and with the Fowls of Heaven, and with the Creeping-things of the Ground, who fhall lofe their Malignity, which was employed to fcourge and punish their rebellious Lord; all the Enmity of the Creatures fhall ceafe; the divided Properties, the difcordant Motions of the Elements fhall be intirely fwallowed up in univerfal Harmony, Peace, and Love. And the Glory of the Lord fhall endure for ever: The Lord fball rejoice in his Works. Pf. civ. 31.

Pardon me, Madam; the Nature of my Subject has infenfibly drawn me into a greater Length, more ferious Inquiries, and graver Conclufions than I at first intended; for which an indifferent Reader would expect an Apology, and which, to any body but yourfelf, I fhould think myself obliged to offer: But your inquifitive Genius, your rational Head, and benevolent Heart, I truft, will eafily excufe, if you cannot intirely approve a well-meant Attempt to vindicate the Wifdom of Providence in the Works of the Creation, and rescue fo great a Part of God's Creatures from the rude Cenfures of weak and ignorant Pretenders to Philofophy. If I have, in any degree, done justice to my Subject; if I have given you any Light and Satisfaction in this momentous Question, your Approbation will give me a Pleasure equal to the Regard I have for your Perfon, and the Efteem I have for your Judgment: But if the worst I fear fhould happen; fhould you think I have undertaken a defenceless Caufe, or betrayed it by an injudicious Management; fhould you even tell me, I have miftaken the State of the Queftion, or offered any thing weak or inconclufive in Defence of it, even there

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I fhould humbly hope for your Indulgence, that the Honefty of my Heart may atone for the Weakness of my Head; the Goodness of my Intention, for the Defects of my Understanding: For whatever Cause I may have given you to condemn my Sentiments, or defpife my Judgment, I fhall never give you any tọ fufpect my Sincerity, when I profess myself, with the highest Efteem and Regard,