stealeth a man,” &c., the SAME PRINCIPLE is wrought out in still stronger relief.  The crime to be punished with death was not the taking of property from its owner, but the doing violence to an immortal nature, blotting out a sacred distinction, making MEN “chattels.”  The incessant pains taken in the Old Testament to separate human beings from brutes and things, shows God’s regard for his own distinction.

“In the beginning” it was uttered in heaven, and proclaimed to the universe as it rose into being.  Creation was arrayed at the instant of its birth, to do it homage.  It paused in adoration while God ushered forth its crowning work.  Why that dread pause and that creating arm held back in mid career and that high conference in the godhead?  “Let us make man in OUR IMAGE after OUR LIKENESS, AND LET HIM HAVE DOMINION over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth.”  Then while every living thing, with land, and sea, and firmament, and marshalled worlds, waited to swell the shout of morning stars—­then “GOD CREATED MAN IN HIS OWN IMAGE; IN THE IMAGE OF GOD CREATED HE HIM.”  This solves the problem, IN THE IMAGE OF GOD, CREATED HE HIM.  Well might the sons of God shout, “Amen, alleluia”—­For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor.  Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet.”  Ps. viii. 5, 6.  The repetition of this distinction is frequent and solemn.  In Gen. i. 26-28, it is repeated in various forms.  In Gen. v. 1, we find it again, “IN THE LIKENESS OF GOD MADE HE MAN.”  In Gen. ix. 6, again.  After giving license to shed the blood of “every moving thing that liveth,” it is added, “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed, for IN THE IMAGE OF GOD MADE HE MAN.”  As though it had been said, “All these creatures are your property, designed for your use—­they have the likeness of earth, they perish with the using, and their spirits go downward; but this other being, MAN, has my own likeness:  “IN THE IMAGE OF GOD made I man;” “an intelligent, moral, immortal agent, invited to all that I can give and he can be.”  So in Lev. xxiv. 17, 18, 21, “He that killeth any MAN shall surely be put to death; and he that killeth a beast shall make it good, beast for beast; and he that killeth a man shall be put to death.”  So in Ps. viii. 5, 6, what an enumeration of particulars, each separating infinitely MEN from brutes and things! (1.) “Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels.” Slavery drags him down among brutes. (2.) “And hast crowned him with glory and honor.” Slavery tears off his crown, and puts on a yoke. (3.) “Thou madest him to have dominion OVER the works of thy hands.” Slavery breaks the sceptre, and casts him down among those works—­yea beneath them. (4.) “Thou hast put all things under his feet.” Slavery puts HIM under the feet of an “owner.”  Who, but an impious scorner, dares thus strive with his Maker, and mutilate HIS IMAGE, and blaspheme the Holy One, who saith, “Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of the least of these, ye did it unto ME.”