The locust plague and its suppression / by Æneas Munro.

  • Munro, Aeneas.
Date:
[1899]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The locust plague and its suppression / by Æneas Munro. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    after the Flood. Man got dominion over the beasts, but at first it was exercised in love to attract them and not in anger to compel them. The time will again come when the former state will be restored. Isaiah (lxv.) is clear on this point. It is well to bear this in remembrance, inasmuch as there is a duty incumbent on us to provide for the cattle. There is such manifest loss of the vegetable crop that the loss on cattle is not at the time so much regarded, but it ought to be considered. 60. The Divine argument in saving a great city is beautiful, skilful, and complete as told in the Bible. No regard is had to kings, to nobles, or to marching armies; but to the 120,000 infants and the much cattle. God enters the houses, looks into the “cot” where the infant is asleep, counts the hands that play with the toys, and the feet that patter on the floor, and the sweet, frank, open faces where the light of innocence and simplicity still lingers, and where sin as yet has set no brand, and from this fine imagery He does not omit the “ much cattle ” ! The infants and cattle command His pity. These, then, were the most powerful intercessors with Heaven. We can picture them in all states and stages of life. “ Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings God perfects His praise ” and effects the city’s salvation. Is there not a lesson and a moral for our present use in this ? 61. Our instinct, reason, and duty prompt us to do all we can to provide for the animal creation under our charge, and to prevent their destruction. There is a beautiful chain mentioned in Scripture between the perfect man, ministering angels, men in general, infants, cattle, wild beasts, attendant creatures—a kind of Eden. Possibly a pledge— who can tell?—of that immortal world where there may be a scale or chain of life more vast and more varied than there is even in this world! 62. Modern observation confirms the Scripture narrative. —Everyone who has carefully observed what occurs in a visitation of locusts must admit the literal accuracy, at least so far as it goes, of all that is said on the subject in the Sacred Record. Their characteristics to-day exactly tally with the Bible accounts. I saw under my own eye not only a large vineyard loaded with young grapes, but whole fields of corn disappear as if by magic, and the hope of the husband- man vanish like smoke (Figs. 1 and 2). There remained not any green thing in the trees or in the herbs of the field. The labour of man and beast is taken and swept clean away by the locust. 63. Fatalistic objections combated.—Locusts have at one time or another devastated the largest part of the habitable world. History is full of this truth, so that, without any further words of mine, you must be satisfied that we at present are face to face with one of the greatest troubles that can afflict a country. It is hardly worth spending much effort in meeting the objections of those fatalists
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