natural history and philosophy so important and so interesting to us. Creation is every where a picture and elucidation of its Maker's conceptions, imaginations, reasonings, feelings, and will. The more we study its departments and individualities in this light, the more we shall know of him; and the more fully and truly we know him, the more we shall admire what we know and love what we admire. To explore nature without this associated idea, that it is his mind and thoughts which we are beholding in every part, is to forego the sublimest knowledge and sensibilities which are attainable by human nature. The God is in all his works as much as the man is in his literary compositions. Whatever the mind in any being discloses or displays discloses that mind to us. Intellect cannot, indeed, make itself known to intellect in any other way than by word or action. Vocal or written phrase, deeds, or operations, are necessary to make our thoughts and feelings perceptible or intelligible to each other, and those of our great Sovereign to us. He has chosen the medium of language whenever he has deemed it proper to have recourse to it; but he holds a constant communication with us by his creations and his providence, by his course of nature and by his direction of human history and life. It is for us to learn to read them as we ought, and to understand them like beings of an enlightened and enlarging comprehension. They cannot be so studied without expanding and enriching the mind which thus applies itself to know, feel, and appreciate them. For it is the perfect wisdom of Omnipotence that we shall be contemplating; and we all know and daily feel that we can at no time pursue any subject of thought without imbibing largely the ideas and feelings by which we are interested, and to which our attention is directed.(16) Thus the comprehensive study of (16) Cowper has truly said—

The just CREATOR condescends to write,

In beams of INEXTINGUISHABLE LIGHT,

His names of Wisdom, Goodness, Power, and Love,
On all that blooms below, or shines above;
To catch the wandering notice of mankind,
And teach the world, if not perversely blind,
His gracious attributes; and prove the share
His offspring hold in his paternal care.

Cowper, vol. 1, p. 148.

created nature becomes to us an oracle of enlightened theology, and will prepare the mind for better receiving and appreciating its specific and invaluable revelations.(17)

(17) As you may be desirous of knowing how the scriptures represent the condition of the animal kingdom, and the relations which their Ĉreator has chosen to maintain with them, I will briefly notice the principal allusions to them. They were subjected to the dominion of mankind as soon as created, Gen. i. 23; and vegetation was then assigned for their food, ver. 30. Pairs of these genera, which were to spread again upon the earth after the deluge, were preserved for that purpose, Gen. vi. 19; and when the human race were renewed, they were permitted to use animals for their food, Gen. ix. 3. But a distinction was afterwards interposed on this subject, and specified portions of each class were forbidden to be eaten, Lev. xi. Lambs, goats, and bullocks were selected for the sacrifices of divine worship, Exod. Levit. passim; but their figures were forbidden to be used as sacred images, Deut. iv. 16-18. Their qualities, power, and beauties are declared to have been specifically varied and given to them by God, Job xxxix.-xli. All receive their appointed food in due season from him, Psalm civ. 27, 29; cxlvii. 9; and are called upon to praise him, cxlviii. 10. The ravens were appointed to feed Elijah, 1 Kings xvii. 4. The locusts and destructive insects are represented to be his missioned instruments of punishment and discipline to man when he thinks proper so to send them, Joel i. 4; xxii. 25; Deut. xxviii, 38, 42. Kindness to animals was inculcated, Deut. xxii. 4; xxv. 4; Lev. xxii. 27, 28; Ex. xxxiii. 12; and cruelty reprobated, Deut. xxii. 6; Ex, xxiii. 19. In the final state of the world, the ferocious and the carnivorous will change their destructive appetites and passions for vegetable food and gentle and playful dispositions, Isaiah xi. 6-9; lxv. 25. Our Savior represents birds of the air as fed by our Divine Parent without any providing labor on their part, Matt. vi. 26; and declares: that the most insignificant of them does not perish unnoticed by the Creator, Matt, x. 29,

LETTER XX.

THE FORMATION OF MAN-THE PRINCIPLE AND PROCESS OF HIS BEING THE DIVINE IMAGE AND LIKENESS-NATURE OF HUMAN KNOWLEDGE MAN'S SELF-FORMATION, FREE AGENCY, AND FREE WILL.

THE creation of man is placed by the Mosaic narration immediately after the completion of the animal kingdom; and this is the period at which our natural reason would, on an impartial review of all the probabilities of the case, be inclined to suppose that his formation occurred in a world in which he is the pre-eminent creature, and of which he is the unquestionable sovereign. For, to suppose that vegetables existed for ages before animal life appeared, or that the brute classes occupied our globe for thousands of years before man was made, is not only unwarranted by the fossil phenomena when justly contemplated and reasoned upon, but is at variance with the most probable plan which a commanding intelligence would form on such a subject; as it also is with the apparent and declared purpose of the Creator in making it the residence of his human race. the earth had been framed for plants or animals only, they might have enjoyed it for any series of time however extended. But the coexistence and predominance of mankind upon it demonstrate that it was not made or meant to be a mere vegetable or animal world. Human beings have always been, as far as all tradition or history reaches, its most distinguished and predominating inhabitants. It has never been known to be without them; and if they have been in the unceasing occupation of it as far as any investigation of its events and memorials can ascend, it is reasonable to conclude that for them it was principally constructed. When inferior and superior existences are found together, the probability will always be that the sphere

If

which they occupy was formed for the grander beings rather than for the less, and not for the inferior only. If the coexistence of both were incompatible, then one must be omitted that the other may occur; but where all can be and are in harmonious coincidence, the exclusion of either may be safely discredited. It is therefore more likely that

man should have been in a habitable world from its commencement, than that vegetables should have been alone pervading it for centuries before animal life was called inte being to feed upon them, or that organized animals should have for any length of time been left in the possession of it before that more perfect creature appeared who was destined to be the lord and masterpiece of all-who alone can know and govern it-whose spirit allies him immediately to his Creator-whose capacity is fitted for unbounded and universal activity and knowledge-and whose unconfined improvability alone suits that immortal destiny which hope, desire, belief, reason, and divine authority, combine to assure him is awaiting his attainment. That the terrestrial surface should be sufficiently furnished with plants and the intended animals before man was introduced upon it, would best suit his welfare and necessities. But after these had

been created there was no need of delaying his formation; and it is therefore concurrent with the reasoned probabilities of the subject, that the creation of human kind should have immediately succeeded that of their animal fellowcreatures. Correspondently with this deduction Moses exhibits the Divine Author as resolving, before the sixth day ended, to form that order of beings to whose dominion he intended to subject the whole terrestrial globe.

The principles on which mankind are declared to have been formed are, that they should be the image and likeness of their Creator, and should be the lords and rulers of all animated nature.

"And ELOHIM said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth on the earth."(1)

(1) Gen. i. 26. "So Elohim created man in his own image. In the image of Elohim he created him. Male and female he created them.

"And Elohim blessed them, and said unto them, Be fruitful and multi-,

It was a superb destiny that man should be appointed to be the image and likeness of God; but it is emphatically here revealed to us that this was the object of his creation; and this fact and principle are repeatedly alluded to afterwards in both the Jewish and Christian scriptures. It is thereby made a prominent truth, and as such demands our most intellectual meditation. Let us consider by what process this sublime result was intended to be produced.

Man consists, like the animal classes, of a material body and of an immaterial principle of intellectual life. But he differs from them in this great and distinguishing peculiarity, that his mental principle is of a diviner nature, and is stated to have originated from the Deity himself. For, after mentioning his material formation from earthly elements, "the dust of the ground," the sacred record expressly adds, that his Creator "breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul."(2) He became a living soul, because this divine breath was breathed into his bodily frame. No difference of origin could be more distinctly marked. The regal Solomon has impressively signified his clear perception of it by these discriminating words:

"Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was;
and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it."
Eccl. xii. 7.

I will not enter into a metaphysical description of the nature of the human soul in this letter. We all see and feel its difference from the animal mind, and its great, unapproachable, and ever-increasing superiority. Its progressive, and as yet unlimited, improvability, is quite sufficient to distinguish it, permanently and specifically, from all other classes of life or mind that are known upon our earth. Its origin was the divine breath. It is therefore an emanation from the Divine Spirit, and in this sacred source of its existence its similitude to its Creator began. Its intellectual and moral powers and qualities may be as

ply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." 27, 28.

(2) Gen. ii. 7.