OCR Text |
Show 296 EXPLANATIONS. ity to tl~e ~can~r cre~tnres also. LIFE is every"'·helf'l oNE .. . 1 ~c 1nfen?r antm:tl:s are_ only less advanced types of ~hat fOim of_bc1ng perfected 111 ourselves. Constituted a_s Its hea<~-w1th a peculiar psychical character and deshny by vtrtt!e of that po'ibon-_,ve are yet essentially con!lected wtth the h~mbler veh1cles of vitality and intelligence, and placed 1n moral relations towards them. Wo are b?und to r< ·spect the rights of animals as of our human associates. vY~ are bound to respect even their feelings. A ~1d frmn obeytng the~e moral laws, we shall reap as certain a harvest of benefit to ourselves as by obeying any code of law that ever was penned. The rule of force and of cruelty has hitherto prevailed in this department ot the \vorld' cconorny as between man and man· but the day of true knovdccl~e \vill bring a better rule' here also, ~n~ the .m.any good qualities of these patient and unre tstino- mtntsters of our convenience will yet be ackno\ Yledg d and ~':·elton by all with admiration and love. Is our O\Vn pos1t10n affi cted inj uriou~ly bv this view or can our relation to the universe ancl its .Author be presumed to be so? As~uredly not. Our character is now seen to. be ~ definite part of a y tem which is definite. ~he De1~y hun elf becmne a defined, in "' teact of a capriCIOU ·.bet nc-r. .P~\ver to tn~ke and to uphold remains his a. _be(ore, but 1 • InVC'~t~d vnth a ?haractcr of tranquillity alLog ~ther new-the htghcst attnbute \Ve can conceive in r.onne ·tion \Vilh po\ver. Viewing hi1n as the author of this _va _t s heme by the mer force of hi· will, and yet as th , tnd_t:pensably pre ·~ut su ·tain r of all; ·e in~ that the \~·hole 1 • constrnet .d t~pon a plan of ben vol nee and justice, \Ve ~ ·panel t) luftt r, mor (Ten ~rous and holy emotion:, a. w f 1 that. WP are ss ntial part of a system so gl' at and rood. Th pla e \Ye hold in companson is ln~rnble b )'OtHl_ a!l ·t:1tcment of, c.legr e; y tit is a ccrbun and tntelltfTtble plac .. \Vc know wh re \Ve stand, ~!ld have s?rnc : lJ.L'e aL·o of our chronc~logical place. I h_ y ar;o) (!f our e.·1 t~n ec occupy a space 1n that mi(Yhty s rt , dunner otn earli ·r portion of \Vhi ·h thi~ rlohc inc • the th atr ·of u·lori sand of sorrows numberless wa~ ~nould d into f l'tn. \ ritlll tie ·outd state, if w knew It th contPction betw ! ll th • birt'h of a hab . which saw the li 1rllt an honr aCT1) a11d the tim1; when the l •mcnts or our a tr l ystern h•ra 1 to rPsJlv• them:elvug into tho::w coiJntle ·::;orb., ot c of wlli h is 'Tau··, the "lagc of hi.· long 1\.IORAL RESULT . 29'7 23 |