Advantages which the Brute Creation have over Man. Let us ration and respect which he requires of us. earnestly pray that we may, by Christ Jesus, become children of our heavenly Father; then shall we be naturally led to fulfil these duties which God requires of us. FEBRUARY XV. BODILY ADVANTAGES WHICH THE BRUTE CREATION HAVE OVER MAN. WHEN we carefully examine the bodies of brutes, we discover various advantages, which they have over us. First, their bodies are incontestably more compact, strong, and durable. The greater part of animals are capable of using their limbs as soon as they come into the world, of seeking their food, and of acting conformably to the instinct, with which the Creator has endued them. They are not subject to those cruel maladies, to which we are exposed, and by which our constitution is so often destroyed. And what a wonderful instinct, what sagacity, what address, do they manifest in their motions, and in the use of their senses! How delicate is their sense of smelling! How subtle and piercing is their sight! What agility and swiftness in the motions of animals, whether they run, or fly! If we consider the astonishing structure of their organs, the admirable make, the noble and majestic figure of some animals, it will be found, that, in regard to our bodies, we have few prerogatives; and that Advantages which the Brute Greation have over Man. they have a decided advantage over us in various respects. Some people complain of the lot of man; and are discontented, because God has not given him the swiftness of the fowls, the strength of the horse, the delicate smell of the dog, the penetrating sight of the eagle, and the agility of the stag. But it is only stupidity and ignorance which occasion such murmurs. If we knew the full worth of a rational soul, we should feel that we have the greatest advantages over other animals, notwithstanding their instinct and cunning. Why has the Creator given to irrational creatures prerogatives, which are peculiar to their bodies? Why has he endued them with so much strength, with such exquisite senses, and with so much agility and address in their different motions? Why has he endued them with such wonderful instincts, and given them so much sagacity, in procuring their nourishment? It can only be as a recompence to them instead of Reason, and other human faculties which they want, and with which we are favoured. By the use of our understanding we can preserve ourselves from many maladies, and guard against many dangers: we may, by observing a proper regimen, or by having recourse to medicine, cure the sickness and infirmities of our bodies, or, at least, relieve them. By our intellectual faculties we may procure and enjoy a multitude of conveniencies: intercourse with others, together with social life, contribute, in a thousand ways, to our wellbeing. Brutes are deprived of all these advantages, merely because they have not received the ines Advantages which the Brute Creation have over Men. timable gift of reason. These inferior creatures would have been too unhappy, had not the Creator granted them some recompence for that intelligence which they are denied. On this account, he has been, in some sort more liberal towards them than towards us, in the distribution of certain corporeal advantages. He has given them a construction, form, and senses, appropriate to their different wants. He has given them a variety of instincts, industry, and an admirable sagacity, by which they can distinguish what is salutary from what is noxious, defend themselves, procure their own nourishment, and provide for their various necessities; advantages, which we have not in the same degree, and without which we may be very well satisfied, seeing we have received privileges, of incomparably greater value. On this subject, we should admire the paternal care of a kind Providence towards men. It is for our sakes, that God has formed the brutes with such admirable art. That they might be capable of rendering us more effectual services, God has endued them with so much strength, agility, and industry; with so robust a body, and with such exquisite senses. We should soon be subject to all kinds of inconveniencies, and be deprived of a multitude of considerable advantages, relative to our support and occupations, if these animals, whose daily service is so necessary to us, had been formed with fewer corporeal advantages. Consider also, that the privileges which the brutes enjoy are limited to this present world; whereas we have been created for a better world, where our bo The Moon. dies, elevated to the highest degree of perfection, shall be freed from every kind of defect, and from all the wants to which they were subject here below. FEBRUARY XVI. THE MOON. a NEXT to the Sun, the Moon, of all the heavenly bodies, has the most salutary influence on our globe. And were it not in itself an object worthy of our attention, it would become such, at least, by the great advantages which it procures to our earth. A simple view of it, without the assistance of a telescope, will enable us to discover many phenomena in it. It is an opaque body, and the illuminated part is always turned towards the sun. The increase and decrease of its light are sufficient to convince us, that the Moon is round, dark body, which borrows its light from the sun. In twenty-four hours, this globe turns round our earth, and finishes its own revolution in about twenty-nine days and a half. But what the naked eye may discover in the Moon, is not to be compared to what may be discovered by telescopes and calculations. What obligations are we under to those enlightened men, who, to extend our knowledge, and to make the glory of the Creator more manifest to the eyes of men, have made inquiries and discoveries, which enable us to form more exalted notions of the heavenly bodies! By means of their laborious observations, we The Moon. know at present, that the Moon which appears so small to the naked eye, is nevertheless a body of considerable magnitude, considered in relation to the earth. Its diameter is 2364 miles, and is about fourteen times less than our globe. Although the Moon, of all the planets, is nearest to our earth, it is nevertheless at the distance of 240,000 miles. On the face of the Moon, many spots are discoverable by the naked eye. Some of these are pale and obscure; others more luminous, according as they reflect more or less light. The bright spots are probably high mountains, which reflect the solar light from their ridges, and the obscure spots are either deep vallies, fluid or transparent bodies, such as seas, which, conformably to their nature, absorb the greater part of the light, and reflect but a little. These discoveries, to which no solid objection can be made, prove, that the Moon is not so inconsiderable a body, as ignorant people imagine. The magnitude, the distance, and all that we know of this celestial globe, fusnish us, on the contrary, with a new proof of the unbounded wisdom and power of our Creator. But, can we suppose that a planet, so large as our Moon, was intended for no other purpose, but merely to enlighten our globe for a few nights? Could that body, which, according to all appearance, is similar to our earth, and which seems calculated to answer the same ends, be designed for no other purpose than to produce the flux and reflux of the sea; or, that it should procure some other advantages to the inhabitants of the earth, which are still unknown to us? Is |