wickedness, we may be regardless of him unto unrighteousness.

The three Characters therefore described in the above proverb are these. The Man, who fo hardneth his Bowels to the yearnings of compaffion, that, without the leaft emotion of pity, he can commit an act of cruelty to his Beaft, is a WICKED man. - The Man, who regardeth the happinefs of his Beaft, who fheweth mercy to it, by attending to all its wants and infirmities, and who endeavours to make it as eafy and as happy as its nature and condition will admit, is a RIGHTEOUS But the Man, who regardeth it NOT, who is carelefs and indifferent about it, though he

man.

may

may not be hardhearted and cruel to it, yet inasmuch as he regardeth it not, he is an UNRIGHTEOUS Man; for, The RIGHTEOUS Man REGARDETH the LIFE, the Defire, and the Happinefs of his BEAST.

If any (faith St. Paul in the epistle to Timothy before mentioned, and in the fame chapter in which he quotes from the Law of Mofes Thou shalt not muzzle the OX that treadeth out the ' Corn') If any, faith the Apostle, PROVIDE not for HIS OWN, and especially for thofe of HIS OWN HOUSE, be bath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. This fentence deferves the particular notice of Mafters of Families.

P

All

that

:

that are committed to the care and management of the Head of the houfe, whether children, fervants, cattle, or hireling, are parts of his family, as I fhewed before in my obfervation on the fourth commandment. They are all therefore of his own house and being fuch, it is the duty of the Head of the Houfe to provide, that is, to have providence over, to take care of, and attend to every member of the family within doors and without doors. It is no excuse in the mafter, if a beaft fuffers through the cruelty, or, through the neglect of his fervant. For if the beaft could speak, he would make his complaint to the mafter, as the proper person to take cognizance of the Injury; but as he

But if

And

cannot speak for himself, it is the mafter's duty to speak for him; and, unless he is worfe than an infidel, he will speak for him without being spoken to. he thinks any ONE in his fervice. beneath his notice, he is unworthy of the fervice of that One. if he never enquires or concerns himself about any of those that are committed to his care, or is negligent as to any of them, he cannot be faid to provide for those of his own houfe; he is negligent as to the great duty of Mercy on which the Gospel is founded; he therefore denieth the Faith, and is pronounced by the Apostle to be worfe than an infidel.

But the RIGHTEOUS Man REGARDETH the happiness even of his BEAST, and PROVIDETH for him, as for one of his own, and of his own houfe. It is not enough that his Beaft looks well, he enquires whether it fares well; for many times the moft cruel means are ufed (by vain and foolish fervants to please their as vain and foolish masters) to make the beast appear fleek, fhining, and of graceful carriage without, whilft the poor creature is rotten, and fuffers unutterable misery within. As he is Righteous, he is Merciful; and being merciful upon a righteous principle, he is ever merciful, and sheweth mercy to him in every respect. He MUZZLETH not the beast that treadeth