Horfes and Oxen, for whose fake, likewife, the Springs were fent into the vallies, being harneffed, yoked, bridled, or muzzled, must wait their Master's pleasure. Yet no pretence of trouble or inconvenience, no lame excufe of bufinefs, hurry, or forgetfulness can exempt the mafter from his bounden duty to give food to the hungry, and drink to the thirsty. Even Religion itself muft yield to the Laws of Mercy: and the most facred Seafons are profaned and mifemployed by the man who neglects to attend to the wants of his Cattle. When our Bleffed Saviour reproved the ruler of the Synagogue for his fuperftitious notions concerning the Sabbath, as if JESUS had broken the command 3 mandment by healing a diseased woman on the Sabbath Day, He puts this question to him;-Doth not each one of you on the Sabbath loofe his OX or his ASS from the Stall, and lead him away to WATERING? (Lu. xiii. 15.) In which question, our Lord takes it for granted that it was their duty to lead away their Cattle to Watering even on the Sabbath Day, the Day in which the Cattle were to do no manner of work. Now if to loose them from the Stall, and to lead them away to Watering was a duty on the Sabbath Day, or Day of Reft, it must be an indifpenfable duty to give them the refreshment of Water in the Days of Work, and toil, and fweat. And to borrow a text from the prophet Ifaiah, Ifaiah, (taking the words as I find them, without examining into their occafion or connexion,) a Bleffing attends this particular inftance of duty in leading them to the watering, whether to quench their thirst, or to cool their parched feet: BLESSED are Ye that Jow befide all WATERS, that fend forth thither the feet of the OX and the ASS. Ifa. xxxii. 20. It is recorded of REBECCA, the Sifter of Laban, (Gen. xxiv.) when she went to the well to fill her pitcher, and faw the Camels of Abraham, though the knew not whose Camels they were, fhe faid unto the fervant, that was with them, I will draw WATER for thy CAMELS until they have done done drinking. A very laborious. task for a young woman to undertake, (confidering that Camels are very large beafts that drink water in great abundance, which is to ferve them for long travel in dry deferts; and here were no fewer than ten of these great thirsty beafts to fatisfy ;) nevertheless fhe faid, I will draw for the CAMELS until they have done drinking, that is, till they have drank their fill. And fhe was as good as her word, for it is faid, (ver. 20.) he hafted and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw WATER, and drew for ALL his CAMELS*. And when her * What a contrast to the tenderness of Rebecca is the hardheartedness of our Sporting females, brother LABAN had invited the fervant to come to his houfe; before he gave any thing to the men to eat, it is expreffively faid (ver. 32.) that he UNGIRDED the CAMELS, and gave STRAW and PROVENDER for the CAMELS. A circumftance this of fmall importance, were it not an example written for our admoninition, and worthy our imitation. females, who can teftify their delight in the piercing groans of the dying and more delicate STAG. In minds fo abominably callous, Religion can have no place. Elfe I am perfuaded, that the pious ejaculation of the King of Ifrael muft make fome impreffion upon them, and cause them to relent, when the innocent and injured Brute is Taking to Soil, through the favage cruelty of thofe, in whofe fex Tendernefs fhould be Nature As the HART pant --- eth after the Water Brooks, So panteth my Soul after Thee, O GOD. Pfa. xlii. 1. The |