A WORD FOR THE BRUTES by ALBERT STONE

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 5, 1878

A WORD FOR THE BRUTES.

By ALBERT STONE

Domestic animals have claims upon man, as creatures committed to his care, to be used for his benefit. In the order of Providence, these animals depend on the lords of creation for food, protection, and kind treatment. The cattle upon a thousand hills are the Lord’s, and every owner of a brute is God’s steward, with instruction, “Occupy till I come.” Then the account will be settled according to the law of God, and the testimony of angels who have been eye-witnesses.

The rights of animals are protected by the Bible, by legislative enactments, and by organized benevolent associations; yet abuse of animals by cruel treatment is a crying sin in the land. The poor, patient horse, whose faithful labor could not well be dispensed with, comes in for a large share of cruel treatment. To-day he draws the plow, breaking up the heavy sward; to-morrow he is driven, at tiresome speed, upon the road; next day, hitched up to the cushioned carriage he draws his master with wife and children to the house of God, waits quietly at the post, while his master enters the sanctuary to offer confession, prayer, and praise to the God of all comfort.

The next day he is placed before a load too heavy for his strength. Patiently he tugs away till he reaches the foot of the hill, and attempts to rise; but it is impossible. His repeated attempts are only failures. He is still urged with whip and voice to do a thing he cannot do. What next? Oh! the master’s patience has fled, and he balks; so does the horse, and there is a mutual alienation of affection. The whip is demolished, the stake from the fence is used up, and the man has yielded to insane madness.

He now disgorges his quid, seizes the noble animal with his teeth, biting his ear and nose. The poor horse, though better able to play at this game than his master, seems to despise such petty meanness and ignoble warfare, and patiently he bears the infliction without resistance. It has been the painful experience of the writer to witness scenes like the above.

Let humanity blush that such things can be.

Dear brethren, let us, who are of the day, walk circumspectly before the brutes; for in the day of Judgment they will speak, through recording angels, in tones of thunder, and a just God will avenge their wrongs.

ALBERT STONE.