The poet has given us a powerful, eloquent and just picture of man's reckless disregard of this Divine Law:
****" ' Twas man himself
Brought Death into the world: and man himself
Gave keenness to his darts, quickened his pace,
And multiplied destruction on mankind.
With joy Ambition saw, and soon improved
The execrable deed. 'Twas not enough
By subtle fraud to snatch a single life:—
Puny impiety! Whole kingdoms fell
To sate the lust of power : more horrid still,
The foulest stain and scandal of our nature.
Became its boast. One murder made a villian;
Millions a hero. Warriors were privileged
To kill, and numbers sanctified the crime."'
But, to come again to the import of this commandment. What certainty have we, Christian Friends, that not to kill men is the only true and proper sense, morally speaking, in which it ought to be understood? It is certain they could not eat flesh without killing. You will observe that the language of the precept however is altogether indefinite. 'Thou shalt not kill'—what? Who has authority or presumption to limit this precept to killing men? Is it not recollected by my hearers that we are peremptorily enjoined "not to add to the law, nor yet diminish ought from it." May we not reasonably believe that its application was benevolently intended to reach the animal creation? "The cattle upon a thousand hills are mine," saith Jehovah, and not even a single sparrow falleth to the ground without the knowledge of your heavenly Father," Would not the principles of mercy, and the sympathies of the human heart lead our judgments to such a conclusion? For our own part, we believe most sincerely, that this law was engraven not only on the table of stone on Mount Sinai, but that the finger of God has written it also on our hearts; that there hence exists within us, whilst uncorrupted by the world, a repugnancy to killing animals, and also
