"The earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for
the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject
to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him that subjected it: Yet in
hope that the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage
of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the sons of God. For we know
that the whole creation groaneth, and travaileth in pain together until
now." Rom. 8:19-22.
1. Nothing is more sure, than that as "the Lord is loving to every man,"
so "his mercy is over all his works;" all that have sense, all that are
capable of pleasure or pain, of happiness or misery. In consequence of
this, "He openeth his hand, and filleth all things living with plenteousness.
He prepareth food for cattle," as well as "herbs for the children of men."
He provideth for the fowls of the air, "feeding the young ravens when they
cry unto him." "He sendeth the springs into the rivers, that run among
the hills, to give drink to every beast of the field," and that even "the
wild asses may quench their thirst." And, suitably to this, he directs
us to be tender of even the meaner creatures; to show mercy to these also.
"Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn:" -- A custom
which is observed in the eastern countries even to this day. And this is
by no means contradicted by St. Paul's question: "Doth God take care for
oxen?" Without doubt he does. We cannot deny it, without flatly contradicting
his word. The plain meaning of the Apostle is, Is this all that is implied
in the text? Hath it not a farther meaning? Does it not teach us, we are
to feed the bodies of those whom we desire to feed our souls? Meantime
it is certain, God "giveth grass for the cattle," as well as "herbs for
the use of men."
2. But how are these Scriptures reconcilable to the present state of
things? How are they consistent with what we daily see round about us,
in every part of the creation? If the Creator and Father of every living
thing is rich in mercy towards all; if he does not overlook or despise
any of the works of his own hands; if he wills even the meanest of them
to be happy, according to their degree; how comes it to pass, that such
a complication of evils oppresses, yea, overwhelms them? How is it that
misery of all kinds overspreads the face of the earth? This is a question
which has puzzled the wisest philosophers in all ages: And it cannot be
answered without having recourse to the oracles of God. But, taking these
for our guide we may inquire,
I. What was the original state of the brute creation?
II. In what state is it at present? And,
III. In what state will it be at the manifestation of the children
of God?
I. 1. We may inquire, in the First place, What was the original state
of the brute creation? And may we not learn this, even from the place which
was assigned them; namely, the garden of God? All the beasts of the field,
and all the fowls of the air, were with Adam in paradise. And there is
no question but their state was suited to their place: It was paradisiacal;
perfectly happy. Undoubtedly it bore a near resemblance to the state of
man himself. By taking, therefore, a short view of the one, we may conceive
the other. Now, "man was made in the image of God." But "God is a Spirit:"
So therefore was man. (Only that spirit, being designed to dwell on earth,
was lodged in an earthly tabernacle.) As such, he had an innate principle
of self-motion. And so, it seems, has every spirit in the universe; this
being the proper distinguishing difference between spirit and matter, which
is totally, essentially passive and inactive, as appears from a thousand
experiments. He was, after the likeness of his Creator, endued with understanding;
a capacity of apprehending whatever objects were brought before it, and
of judging concerning them. He was endued with a will, exerting itself
in various affections and passions: And, lastly, with liberty, or freedom
of choice; without which all the rest would have been in vain, and he would
have been no more capable of serving his Creator than a piece of earth
or marble; he would have been as incapable of vice or virtue, as any part
of the inanimate creation. In these, in the power of self-motion, understanding,
will, and liberty, the natural image of God consisted.
2. How far his power of self-motion then extended, it is impossible
for us to determine. It is probable, that he had a far higher degree both
of swiftness and strength, than any of his posterity ever had, and much
less any of the lower creatures. It is certain, he had such strength of
understanding as no man ever since had. His understanding was perfect in
its kind; capable of apprehending all things clearly, and judging concerning
them according to truth, without any mixture of error. His will had no
wrong bias of any sort; but all his passions and affections were regular,
Being steadily and uniformly guided by the dictates of his unerring understanding;
embracing nothing but good, and every good in proportion to its degree
of intrinsic goodness. His liberty likewise was wholly guided by his understanding:
He chose, or refused, according to its direction. Above all, (which was
his highest excellence, far more valuable than all the rest put together,)
he was a creature capable of God; capable of knowing, loving, and obeying
his Creator. And, in fact, he did know God, did unfeignedly love and uniformly
obey him. This was the supreme perfection of man; (as it is of all intelligent
beings;) the continually seeing, and loving, and obeying the Father of
the spirits of all flesh. From this right state and right use of all his
faculties, his happiness naturally flowed. In this the essence of his happiness
consisted; But it was increased by all the things that were round about
him. He saw, with unspeakable pleasure, the order, the beauty, the harmony,
of all the creatures; of all animated, all inanimate nature; the serenity
of the skies; the sun walking in brightness; the sweetly variegated clothing
of the earth; the trees, the fruits, the flowers,
And liquid lapse of murmuring streams.
Nor was this pleasure interrupted by evil of any kind. It had no alloy
of sorrow or pain, whether of body or mind. For while he was innocent he
was impassive; incapable of suffering. Nothing could stain his purity of
joy. And, to crown all, he was immortal.
3. To this creature, endued with all these excellent faculties, thus
qualified for his high charge, God said, "Have thou dominion over the fish
of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that
moveth upon the earth." (Gen. 1:28.) And so the Psalmist: "Thou madest
him to have dominion over the works of thy hands: Thou hast put all things
under his feet: All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field, the
fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through
the paths of the seas." (Psalm 8:6, &c.) So that man was God's vicegerent
upon earth, the prince and governor of this lower world; and all the blessings
of God flowed through him to the inferior creatures. Man was the channel
of conveyance between his Creator and the whole brute creation.
4. But what blessings were those that were then conveyed through man
to the lower creatures? What was the original state of the brute creatures,
when they were first created? This deserves a more attentive consideration
than has been usually given it. It is certain these, as well as man, had
an innate principle of self-motion; and that, at least, in as high a degree
as they enjoy it at this day. Again: They were endued with a degree of
understanding; not less than that they are possessed of now. They had also
a will, including various passions, which, likewise, they still enjoy:
And they had liberty, a power of choice; a degree of which is still found
in every living creature. Nor can we doubt but their understanding too
was, in the beginning, perfect in its kind. Their passions and affections
were regular, and their choice always guided by their understanding
5. What then is the barrier between men and brutes? the line which they
cannot pass? It was not reason. Set aside that ambiguous term: Exchange
it for the plain word, understanding: and who can deny that brutes have
this? We may as well deny that they have sight or hearing. But it is this:
Man is capable of God; the inferior creatures are not. We have no ground
to believe that they are, in any degree, capable of knowing, loving, or
obeying God. This is the specific difference between man and brute; the
great gulf which they cannot pass over. And as a loving obedience to God
was the perfection of man, so a loving obedience to man was the perfection
of brutes. And as long as they continued in this, they were happy after
their kind; happy in the right state and the right use of their respective
faculties. Yea, and so long they had some shadowy resemblance of even moral
goodness. For they had gratitude to man for benefits received, and a reverence
for him. They had likewise a kind of benevolence to each other, unmixed
with any contrary temper. How beautiful many of them were, we may conjecture
from that which still remains; and that not only in the noblest creatures,
but in those of the lowest order. And they were all surrounded, not only
with plenteous food, but with every thing that could give them pleasure;
pleasure unmixed with pain; for pain was not yet; it had not entered into
paradise. And they too were immortal: For "God made not death; neither
hath he pleasure in the death of any living."
6. How true then is that word, "God saw everything that he had made:
and behold it was very good!" But how far is this from being the present
case! In what a condition is the whole lower world! -- to say nothing of
inanimate nature, wherein all the elements seem to be out of course, and
by turns to fight against man. Since man rebelled against his Maker, in
what a state is all animated nature! Well might the Apostle say of this:
"The whole creation groaneth and travaileth together in pain until now."
This directly refers to the brute creation In what state this is at present
we are now to consider.
II. 1. As all the blessings of God in paradise flowed through man to
the inferior creatures; as man was the great channel of communication,
between the Creator and the whole brute creation; so when man made himself
incapable of transmitting those blessings, that communication was necessarily
cut off. The intercourse between God and the inferior creatures being stopped,
those blessings could no longer flow in upon them. And then it was that
"the creature," every creature, "was subjected to vanity," to sorrow, to
pain of every kind, to all manner of evils: Not, indeed, "willingly," not
by its own choice, not by any act or deed of its own; "but by reason of
Him that subjected it," by the wise permission of God, determining to draw
eternal good out of this temporary evil.
2. But in what respect was "the creature," every creature, then "made
subject to vanity?" What did the meaner creatures suffer, when man rebelled
against God? It is probable they sustained much loss, even in the lower
faculties; their vigour, strength, and swiftness. But undoubtedly they
suffered far more in their understanding; more than we can easily conceive.
Perhaps insects and worms had then as much understanding as the most intelligent
brutes have now: Whereas millions of creatures have, at present, little
more understanding than the earth on which they crawl, or the rock to which
they adhere. They suffered still more in their will, in their passions;
which were then variously distorted, and frequently set in flat opposition
to the little understanding that was left them. Their liberty, likewise,
was greatly impaired; yea, in many cases, totally destroyed. They are still
utterly enslaved to irrational appetites, which have the full dominion
over them. The very foundations of their nature are out of course; are
turned upside down. As man is deprived of his perfection, his loving obedience
to God; so brutes are deprived of their perfection, their loving obedience
to man. The far greater part of them flee from him; studiously avoid his
hated presence. The most of the rest set him at open defiance; yea, destroy
him, if it be in their power. A few only, those we commonly term domestic
animals, retain more or less of their original disposition, (through the
mercy of God,) love him still, and pay obedience to him.
3. Setting these few aside, how little shadow of good, of gratitude,
of benevolence, of any right temper, is now to be found in any part of
the brute creation! On the contrary, what savage fierceness, what unrelenting
cruelty; are invariably observed in thousands of creatures; yea, is inseparable
from their natures! Is it only the lion, the tiger, the wolf, among the
inhabitants of the forest and plains -- the shark, and a few more voracious
monsters, among the inhabitants of the waters, -- or the eagle, among birds,
-- that tears the flesh, sucks the blood, and crushes the bones of their
helpless fellow-creatures? Nay; the harmless fly, the laborious ant, the
painted butterfly, are treated in the same merciless manner, even by the
innocent songsters of the grove! The innumerable tribes of poor insects
are continually devoured by them. And whereas there is but a small number,
comparatively, of beasts of prey on the earth, it is quite otherwise in
the liquid element. There are but few inhabitants of the waters, whether
of the sea, or of the rivers, which do not devour whatsoever they can master:
Yea, they exceed herein all the beasts of the forest, and all the birds
of prey. For none of these have been ever observed to prey upon their own
species:
_Saevis inter se convenit ursis_:
Even savage bears will not each other tear.
But the water-savages swallow up all, even of their own kind, that are
smaller and weaker than themselves. Yea, such, at present, is the miserable
constitution of the world, to such vanity is it now subjected, that an
immense majority of creatures, perhaps a million to one, can no otherwise
preserve their own lives, than by destroying their fellow-creatures!
4. And is not the very form, the outward appearance, of many of the
creatures, as horrid as their dispositions? Where is the beauty which was
stamped upon them when they came first out of the hands of their Creator?
There is not the least trace of it left: So far from it, that they are
shocking to behold! Nay, they are not only terrible and grisly to look
upon, but deformed, and that to a high degree. Yet their features, ugly
as they are at best, are frequently made more deformed than usual, when
they are distorted by pain; which they cannot avoid, any more than the
wretched sons of men. Pain of various kinds, weakness, sickness, diseases
innumerable, come upon them; perhaps from within; perhaps from one another;
perhaps from the inclemency of seasons; from fire, hail, snow, or storm;
or from a thousand causes which they cannot foresee or prevent.
5. Thus, "as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin;
even so death passed upon all men;" and not on man only, but on those creatures
also that "did not sin after the similitude of Adam's transgression." And
not death alone came upon them, but all of its train of preparatory evils;
pain, and ten thousand sufferings. Nor these only, but likewise all those
irregular passions, all those unlovely tempers, (which in men are sins,
and even in the brutes are sources of misery,) "passed upon all" the inhabitants
of the earth; and remain in all, except the children of God.
6. During this season of vanity, not only the feebler creatures are
continually destroyed by the stronger; not only the strong are frequently
destroyed by those that are of equal strength; but both the one and the
other are exposed to the violence and cruelty of him that is now their
common enemy, -- man. And if his swiftness or strength is not equal to
theirs, yet his art more than supplies that defect. By this he eludes all
their force, how great soever it be; by this he defeats all their swiftness;
and, notwithstanding their various shifts and contrivances, discovers all
their retreats. He pursues them over the widest plains, and through the
thickest forests. He overtakes them in the fields of air, he finds them
out in the depths of the sea. Nor are the mild and friendly creatures who
still own his sway, and are duteous to his commands, secured thereby from
more than brutal violence; from outrage and abuse of various kinds. Is
the generous horse, that serves his master's necessity or pleasure with
unwearied diligence, -- is the faithful dog, that waits the motion of his
hand, or his eye, exempt from this? What returns for their long and faithful
service do many of these poor creatures find? And what a dreadful difference
is there, between What they suffer from their fellow-brutes, and what they
suffer from the tyrant man! The lion, the tiger, or the shark, gives them
pain from mere necessity, in order to prolong their own life; and puts
them out of their pain at once: But the human shark, without any such necessity,
torments them of his free choice; and perhaps continues their lingering
pain till, after months or years, death signs their release.
III. 1. But will "the creature," will even the brute creation, always
remain in this deplorable condition? God forbid that we should affirm this;
yea, or even entertain such a thought! While "the whole creation groaneth
together," (whether men attend or not,) their groans are not dispersed
in idle air, but enter into the ears of Him that made them. While his creatures
"travail together in pain," he knoweth all their pain, and is bringing
them nearer and nearer to the birth, which shall be accomplished in its
season. He seeth "the earnest expectation" wherewith the whole animated
creation "waiteth for" that final "manifestation of the sons of God;" in
which "they themselves also shall be delivered" (not by annihilation; annihilation
is not deliverance) "from the" present "bondage of corruption, into" a
measure of "the glorious liberty of the children of God."
2. Nothing can be more express: Away with vulgar prejudices, and let
the plain word of God take place. They "shall be delivered from the bondage
of corruption, into glorious liberty," -- even a measure, according as
they are capable, -- of "the liberty of the children of God."
A general view of this is given us in the twenty-first chapter of the
Revelation. When He that "sitteth on the great white throne" hath pronounced,
"Behold, I make all things new;" when the word is fulfilled, "The tabernacle
of God is with men, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall
be with them and be their God;" -- then the following blessing shall take
place (not only on the children of men; there is no such restriction in
the text; but) on every creature according to its capacity: "God shall
wipe away all tears from their eyes. And there shall be no more death,
neither sorrow, nor crying. Neither shall there be any more pain: For the
former things are passed away."
3. To descend to a few particulars: The whole brute creation will then,
undoubtedly, be restored, not only to the vigour, strength, and swiftness
which they had at their creation, but to a far higher degree of each than
they ever enjoyed. They will be restored, not only to that measure of understanding
which they had in paradise, but to a degree of it as much higher than that,
as the understanding of an elephant is beyond that of a worm. And whatever
affections they had in the garden of God, will be restored with vast increase;
being exalted and refined in a manner which we ourselves are not now able
to comprehend. The liberty they then had will be completely restored, and
they will be free in all their motions. They will be delivered from all
irregular appetites, from all unruly passions, from every disposition that
is either evil in itself, or has any tendency to evil. No rage will be
found in any creature, no fierceness, no cruelty, or thirst for blood.
So far from it that "the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall
lie down with the kid; the calf and the young lion together; and a little
child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall feed together; and the
lion shall eat straw like the ox. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all
my holy mountain." (Isaiah 11:6, &c.)
4. Thus, in that day, all the vanity to which they are now helplessly
subject will be abolished; they will suffer no more, either from within
or without; the days of their groaning are ended. At the same time, there
can be no reasonable doubt, but all the horridness of their appearance,
and all the deformity of their aspect, will vanish away, and be exchanged
for their primeval beauty. And with their beauty their happiness will return;
to which there can then be no obstruction. As there will be nothing within,
so there will be nothing without, to give them any uneasiness: No heat
or cold, no storm or tempest, but one perennial spring. In the new earth,
as well as in the new heavens, there will be nothing to give pain, but
everything that the wisdom and goodness of God can create to give happiness.
As a recompence for what they once suffered, while under the "bondage of
corruption," when God has "renewed the face of the earth," and their corruptible
body has put on incorruption, they shall enjoy happiness suited to their
state, without alloy, without interruption, and without end.
5. But though I doubt not that the Father of All has a tender regard
for even his lowest creatures, and that, in consequence of this, he will
make them large amends for all they suffer while under their present bondage;
yet I dare not affirm that he has an equal regard for them and for the
children of men. I do not believe that
He sees with equal eyes, as Lord of all,
A hero perish, or a sparrow fall.
By no means. This is exceeding pretty; but it is absolutely false. For
though
Mercy, with truth and endless grace,
O'er all his works doth reign,
Yet chiefly he delights to bless
His favourite creature, man.
God regards his meanest creatures much; but he regards man much more.
He does not equally regard a hero and a sparrow; the best of men and the
lowest of brutes. "How much more does your heavenly Father care for you!"
says He "who is in the bosom of his Father." Those who thus strain the
point, are clearly confuted by his question, "Are not ye much better than
they?" Let it suffice, that God regards everything that he hath made, in
its own order, and in proportion to that measure of his own image which
he has stamped upon it.
6. May I be permitted to mention here a conjecture concerning the brute
creation? What, if it should then please the all-wise, the all-gracious
Creator to raise them higher in the scale of beings? What, if it should
please him, when he makes us "equal to angels," to make them what we are
now, -- creatures capable of God; capable of knowing and loving and enjoying
the Author of their being? If it should be so, ought our eye to be evil
because he is good? However this be, he will certainly do what will be
most for his own glory.
7. If it be objected to all this, (as very probably it will,) "But of
what use will those creatures be in that future state?" I answer this by
another question, What use are they of now? If there be (as has commonly
been supposed) eight thousand species of insects, who is able to inform
us of what use seven thousand of them are? If there are four thousand species
of fishes, who can tell us of what use are more than three thousand of
them? If there are six hundred sorts of birds, who can tell of what use
five hundred of those species are? If there be four hundred sorts of beasts,
to what use do three hundred of them serve? Consider this; consider how
little we know of even the present designs of God; and then you will not
wonder that we know still less of what he designs to do in the new heavens
and the new earth.
8. "But what end does it answer to dwell upon this subject, which we
so imperfectly understand?" To consider so much as we do understand, so
much as God has been pleased to reveal to us, may answer that excellent
end -- to illustrate that mercy of God which "is over all his works." And
it may exceedingly confirm our belief that, much more, he "is loving to
every man." For how well may we urge our Lord's words, "Are not ye much
better than they?" If, then, the Lord takes such care of the fowls of the
air, and of the beasts of the field, shall he not much more take care of
you, creatures of a nobler order? If "the Lord will save," as the inspired
writer affirms, "both man and beast," in their several degrees, surely
"the children of men may put their trust under the shadow of his wings!"
9. May it not answer another end; namely, furnish us with a full answer
to a plausible objection against the justice of God, in suffering numberless
creatures that never had sinned to be so severely punished? They could
not sin, for they were not moral agents. Yet how severely do they suffer!
-- yea, many of them, beasts of burden in particular, almost the whole
time of their abode on earth; So that they can have no retribution here
below. But the objection vanishes away, if we consider that something better
remains after death for these poor creatures also; that these, likewise,
shall one day be delivered from this bondage of corruption, and shall then
receive an ample amends for all their present sufferings.
10. One more excellent end may undoubtedly be answered by the preceding
considerations. They may encourage us to imitate Him whose mercy is over
all his works. They may soften our hearts towards the meaner creatures,
knowing that the Lord careth for them. It may enlarge our hearts towards
those poor creatures, to reflect that, as vile as they appear in our eyes,
not one of them is forgotten in the sight of our Father which is in heaven.
Through all the vanity to which they are now subjected, let us look to
what God hath prepared for them. Yea, let us habituate ourselves to look
forward, beyond this present scene of bondage, to the happy time when they
will be delivered therefrom into the liberty of the children of God.
11. From what has been said, I cannot but draw one inference, which
no man of reason can deny. If it is this which distinguishes men from beasts,
-- that they are creatures capable of God, capable of knowing and loving
and enjoying him; then whoever is "without God in the world," whoever does
not know or love or enjoy God, and is not careful about the matter, does,
in effect, disclaim the nature of man, and degrade himself into a beast.
Let such vouchsafe a little attention to those remarkable words of Solomon:
"I said in my heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, -- They might
see that they themselves are beasts." (Eccles. 3:18.) These sons of men
are undoubtedly beasts; and that by their own act and deed; for they deliberately
and wilfully disclaim the sole characteristic of human nature. It is true,
they may have a share of reason; they have speech, and they walk erect;
but they have not the mark, the only mark, which totally separates man
from the brute creation. "That which befalleth beasts, the same thing befalleth
them." They are equally without God in the world; "so that a man" of this
kind "hath no pre-eminence above a beast."
12. So much more let all those who are of a nobler turn of mind assert
the distinguishing dignity of their nature. Let all who are of a more generous
spirit know and maintain their rank in the scale of beings. Rest not till
you enjoy the privilege of humanity -- the knowledge and love of God. Lift
up your heads, ye creatures capable of God! Lift up your hearts to the
Source of your being!
Know God, and teach your souls to know
The joys that from religion flow.
Give your hearts to Him who, together with ten thousand blessings, has
given you his Son, his only Son! Let your continual "fellowship be with
the Father, and with his Son, Jesus Christ!" Let God be in all your thoughts,
and ye will be men indeed. Let him be your God and your All, -- the desire
of your eyes, the joy of your heart, and your portion for ever.
[Edited by Sarah Anderson, student at Northwest Nazarene
College (Nampa, ID), with corrections by George Lyons for the Wesley Center
for Applied Theology.]
