and let him have dominion over the fish of the fea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, fo God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him, male and female created he them. And God bleed them, and God faid unto them, be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and fubdue it ;* and have dominion over the fish of the fea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that movetb upon the earth.† And as a proof, that the animals could not be poffeffed of the fierce and rapacious qualities which they have at prefent, they came to Adam to receive their names; for it is faid, And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air, and brought them to Adam, to jee what be would call them: And whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was its name.‡ MARK, this was during the time while man had his maker's image upon him, which was righteoufnefs and true holinefs, and therefore was the common parent as it were, Over Subdue it. According to the common idea of this word it appears, as if the creatures were in a state of hostility with man in their first formaion, and that man had to conquer them, and obtain the mastery by force. But, the hebrew word, means no more than that man, as Lord of the creation, fhould maintain his authority over all the creation; both animate and inanimate, and as a proof that he now had that loving authority, all the animals came to him, as to their common parent, and governor to receive their names; there was no violence, no constraint, all was harmony and concord. Therefore the word means no more than if Jehovah had faid, I have put every thing in a loving and willing fubjection to thee. keep thou thy place, and exercife thou thy peaceful dominion over them. † Gen. i. 26, 27. Ibid ch. ii. 19. over every animal; and not having finned, there was no fcourge for fin; nothing hurtful, all was not only good, but very good, and as fuch was pleasing in the fight of the heavenly creator. 2. INDEED, his own body was free from either fickness or pain, fo that he felt nothing that was evil, nor did he fear evil, nor had he caufe-for all was pure within, and all was ferene without. O yes, Perfect, at firft, and bleft eftate, Man, in his Maker's image, fhone; : He liv'd-he liv'd to GoD alone; All was harmony, all was concord; and Man beheld a pleafing variety in the different forms and founds of the various creatures which the Almighty had brought into existence. The wolf did dwell with the lamb, and the leopard did lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion, and the fatling, together. The cow and the bear then did feed; and their young ones did lie down together; and the lion did eat straw, or grafs, like the ox. Violence and fpoil were not feen in the land; and cries and groans were not heard. No fuch thing was feen, as one creature devouring and gorging itfelf with another; nor was there any defire, for vegetables and fruits were the natural aliments of the creatures, and the crystal stream was their agreeable drink. 3. As nothing contrary to innocence had entered the animals, fo no poifonous or deftructive qualities had, as * Gen. i. 31. yet yet, penetrated the vegetables. They were all falutary to man and beaft: For, obferve, when God had formed the animals, he granted them this large charter:-Behold, I have given you every herb bearing feed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding feed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, thing which creepeth upon the earth wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat *. Here was the original grant to man and beast, and with this they were satisfied. and to every 4. BUT then every herb, plant, and fruit, was not only harmless, perfectly fo, but they were nourishing to every thing which had life; they were the immediate workmanfhip of God, and nothing that was pernicious, or destructive, could proceed from Him who is goodness itself, and whofe tender mercies are over all his works. No baneful juices, no corroding poifons were concealed in any thing which God had made; nay, and it is clear to me, that as there were nothing deftructive to the taste, so there was nothing offenfive to the touch. I believe the rose was without its thorn, and the honey without its fling: for as flings and poisons are fcourges for fin, fo they feem to have been its effects; as briers and thorns, and toil and fweat were entailed upon the human race, also child-bearing is accompanied with much pain and forrow for the fame reafon. In short, all was harmony and concord; no ficknefs, no death, forrow, or crying, had found their way into the world-but joy and felicity in every creature. wonder; for, No Now * Gen. i. 29, 30. Now Heaven in all her glory fhone, and roll'd By fowl, fish, beaft, was flown; was fwum, was walk'd MILTON. II. BUT what is the state of things now? The reverse of all that was before. Sin brought death into the world, and all our woe-changed the face and nature of things; for Man, having loft his Maker's image, he has loft the dominion which he had given him over the creatures; fo that many of them either fly from him, and fcorn his authority, or are ready to execute vengeance, as if they meant to revenge his rebellion against his maker upon him; and though, in continuance of time, he has found out the art of either deftroying, or fubje&ing many of them, yet he still acts but à fort of tyranny over them, and very often pays very dear, even his life, for his temerity; fo that there is no cordial subjection, no willing obedience 'tis all conftraint. It may not be amiss, just to touch upon what is faid upon the qualities of several creatures: The Lion is ufually ftiled the king of beafts, and is not reckoned to be fo cruel as fome others: nay, 'tis faid, he will not hurt a man, unless he is either very hungry or provoked; but ftill he is a rapacious animal, a beaft of prey; and, as fuch, he is daily devouring, quite contrary to his original conftitution, fo that he is a woeful inftance of a depravity having taken place. The The Tyger feems the next in order, and a most fierce and awful plague he is. His ftrength, as well as that of the Lion, is very furprizing; and though there are fome kind of animals which he is more fond of than others, yet he feldom fpares any which he can mafter, and even fuch of them as are brought up and down, for public curiofity, are obliged to be kept under strong confinement; fo that their keepers, who feed them daily, dare not trust themfelves in their power. The Leopard is nearly of the fame ftrength and difpofition of the Tyger, and is conftantly deftroying or devouring either man or beaft; and, therefore, a plague in the creation. The Bear, though not quite fo rapacious as the former, feeing he does not all always feed upon flesh, yet is dreadfully favage when the leaft provoked, and will purfue the object of his indignation with amazing perfeverance. The Hyena, though not so powerful as the former, yet is so ill-natured, and has partook fo deeply of the fall, that it is at war almoft with every thing which has life, and will fpare no animal which it can mafter; and even when taken very young, and treated ever fo kindly, yet can never be made, in any measure, fociable, but still retains its implacable temper to every thing about it. The Wolves are a dreadful plague in every country where they are; and as they generally inhabit in those parts which abound with deer, fheep and goats, and the like, which are their natural prey, they have, therefore, been the more troublesome to mankind; and though they have not the strength of those mentioned before, yet one of them will attack, and overcome, an armed man. But they generally |