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trils the Breath of Life. If we turn to the fixth and feventh chapters, we find the words Breath of Life applied both to Brutes and to MEN. For when GOD declared to Noah (ch. vi. 17.) that he would bring a flood of Waters upon the Earth, to destroy all FLESH, wherein is the BREATH of LIFE, it appears throughout the feventh chapter, that the Brutes are included in the words FLESH, wherein is Breath of Life. And the Brutes that were faved, are described in the fame form of words (ch. vii. 14, 15.) They, Noah and his family, and Every Beaft-and all the Cattle-and every Creeping Thing - and every Fowl-and every Bird went in unto Noah into the Ark, two and

two

two of all FLESH, wherein is the BREATH of LIFE. And more particularly, more exprefly, and remarkably in verses 21, 22. All FLESH died, that moved upon the Earth, both of FOWL, and of CATTLE, and of BEAST, and of every CREEPING THING that creepeth upon the Earth, all in whofe NOSTRILS was the BREATH of LIFE, of all that was in the dry land*, died. The Brutes then have the Breath of Life in their Noftrils, as well as Men. The GOD that made the World and all things therein (faid St. Paul to the Athenians,

*The Limitation in this place, of all that were in the dry Land, intimates that the Fishes, though not in the dry Land, were Creatures in whofe Noftrils was the Breath of Life.

Acts xvii. 25.) giveth to all LIFE and BREATH. And when He taketh away their BREATH, they die, and return to their Duft, Pfa. civ. 29. And that which befalleth the Sons of Men, fays Solomon, (Ecclef. iii. 19.) befalleth Beafts; as the One dieth, fo dieth the Other; yea, they have all ONE BREATH; fo that a Man (in this refpect) hath no preeminence above a Beaft. All go unto one place; All are of the Duft; and All turn to Duft again. He then fubjoineth this very pertinent question, Who knoweth the Spirit of a MAN that goeth upward, and the Spirit of a BEAST that goeth downward ̧ to the Earth? As much as to fay, Who knoweth the difference (as to this World) between a man

and

and a beast? Or wherein has a Man any preeminence above a Beaft, except that a Man walketh erect*, and fo his Breath goeth upward, but a Beast walketh prone*, and fo his Breath goeth downward to the Earth? I confefs this comparison and this home question is very humiliating; but I defire it may be observed, that I quote the WORDS of Holy Scripture, which feems to represent Men and Brutes in their original conftitution as nothing more than BREATHING DUST.

But it is added in the Creation of Man, that MAN became a

* Pronaque cum fpectent animalia cætera

terram;

Os homini fublime dedit: cœlumque tueri Juffit, et erectos ad fidera tollere vultus.

OVID. Metam.

LIVING

LIVING SOUL.-* The Lord God formed MAN of the Duft of the Ground; and breathed into his Noftrils the Breath of Life, and MAN BECAME A LIVING SOUL. Now if Man became a Living Soul by God's breathing into his Noftrils the breath of Life; Every Creature, into whose Noftrils was breathed the Breath of Life, became a Living Soul likewife. But we have seen above that all the Creatures, who perifhed in the flood, were fuch in whofe Noftrils was the Breath of Life ; therefore, all those Creatures, whether Fowls, or Cattle, or Beafts, or Creeping Things, were LIVING SOULS; and confequently all of the fame kind, at this day, are LIV

* Gen. ii. 7.

+ vii. 22.

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