Just as God has told us there would be, there are now some people who think
they know better than to believe what His Word says about this, and who try
to think that there never was such a "wonderful animal" as man has grown to
be, and are not ashamed to talk of his "ape-like ancestors." But among all
the fossil-animals which the earth has kept so safely, I need hardly tell
you that not one specimen of an animal between a monkey and a man has
ever been found. As has been well said, those who speak in this way "have
to convert a four-handed ape into an erect man, a screaming baboon into
an articulating, speaking being; brutal instinct into reason, will,
conscience; a thing that perishes into that which believes in God, and
whose soul is immortal."
Mr. Frank Buckland, whose interesting books I hope you may one day read,
had a great many strange pets; among them a remarkably clever monkey. He
studied the habits of this monkey very carefully and describes some of
the things which it did by instinct--a sense which no one can understand,
given by God to guide those living creatures upon whom He has not bestowed
reason--and he also tells most amusing stories of the way in which it
imitated what it saw him do; but he found that this monkey never reasoned
about things, as even a very young child will.
It could use its own powerful head and hands to defend itself, if attacked;
but he never saw it make a weapon to use against its enemies.
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