, 1876-08-26
Pointing the Sluggard to the Ants
Example.
Tho King Of Israel Should 11ayo
Selected tho Bee.
Ills Limited Acquaintance with Nat
ural History.

|
women who clatmct tic eame child, WINS
very sllrcwA, lie possessed iargc groves, cx-
tr1lsiyc orchards, anil numerous gardens, so that
he must have known the names and the hA''tts
Of the panls and animals Tint lycl AMI ntlii-
t,lle I'll lis own territory. Those men who
wcr. his yu1,stHnt associates knew 50 little TINT
to them he scemc.l to know Egcat tlcnl.
Nearly nil knowledge III this world Is q mat
trr uf observation atsI experience either
Ut ourselves Or of others. Solomon wrote
few buols OH plants aN animals, but they
eul.ld llAye treated uf ilttlc else tI.an de-
scriptiun Of their outer fortts MIL their most
obvious l.ahts. 1lu ruuA ilnye known nothing
nj the peculiar structures II the different rlass-
es uf anin,ais. Probably lie recognized no ,ll'-
ference III structure or cctInomy Between the
yertcbrated ana THO nol,.vcrtebrntGd n1tals,
between the wasrn.blooheu and tle c1lI-bl0uttcd.
liz did mt perceive tint birtis were IN structure
analogous IL his Arabian hoFses, or that tile
.ist,cs of tic we're similar iii structitrc to tue
bErls Ut tnc ufr. llc surely llu no TING to us |
cuycr, or observe, that the lower aninlas lave
NIL tile adaptations that we lind fn man, but va
rfr, tu suit tie peculiar position which |
tie animal was to occnpy. ns gu nut
esuy s et!aysx e "4aessss hgasss cs
| could hu sec thu wants OF I'LL animal lni1catcu
| by Its structure.
No doubt l,c would hare been delighted
could he have perceived clearly the wisdom of
tile Creator III constructing such MI Immense
yarr,y Ut creatures, and all On tho sanie gc1,yr-
al ptan, and yet cacn lifted fur Hone pGciar
4luty, ind sumo particular condition of lite
1lad he been minutcy acquainted with tue veg
ctahe world, with tho regular series Of asruc-
lures III the fnrnl NJ leaves nnu ilawers,
i.e wo.lid tayc tNlsrn great fntcrest and would
l,aTc shown great rar,'cstness III looking stlll
more infinitely tnto the structure and functions
of the vegetables In his fields and forests llc
would hays Sec. tu thu posn q q n%srs
unity Of place and purpose, mud an Infinite i..isl'-
bcE If ways Of executing that plum aud Of ac-
cosnpl!sh!ng tint rurposc. ,
knowledge uf Nature. lle knew IN ant from
bee, because nn ant could not tly and Il bee
could. Had hc known moro Of those many ani-
days Of summer and tho cold days Of winter, lie
would nut haze selected the mt H
~ illustration of industry aud thrift.
lie wvnld have selected tle hon,Sy, ,Sy,,
bee, which stole no sweets from Its stores, like
the ant, but which gathers honey all the day
lruul every opening Hover. and then supports
not only lts own offspring but aupplies the pco-
ti,1s1ry. Tic bee has bccn noted for tts ilus-
: Try, Ingenuity, und charity fru1n remote nut
thliuity. rocts and nloralfsts have alluded to
ti,nn to ti,o INT. Possibly, soo.non touid nioro
caaIly look down upon creeping things than np
to tlose that rise III air aud search for thu sweet
Why did tic ling Of Israel consider the ways
. Of tho mt: its ways aro not ways Of plrasant-
ness. 1t oltcn nlakes its home in deep places
We see no great result Of It's industry. It goes
Of its rI,,uc of living. Its home Is dark. Prob
ably solomon knew only those llttlc ants tint
carried away his stores. They were industrious
s II ss XIII ot ow IL s'nsi" s ssf Ssft IT, s'sfs, Is
consider thu upliftcd ego rising on wings Of
Foor solo1uou. Ills one thousand domestic
alliances consumed hh talrnts and his tislc, 80
tliut he lad ito moro leisure to examine tue
0 works uf the Creator tha1i he had to obey Ills
t colnlnnndnlrnts and regard Ills statutes:
The thousand ties In Ills domestic circle must
- have afforded him frequent opportunities, uf
watching tho workings Of 80 extensive culier-
s tlon Of iiorAl machinery.
Goa Gaye ismi gfsat phys'ea en- aa ns. menta. H. "a.
y tulIar peopc.f Hc lad knowledge Il. Kings, ~,
]. Dl} exceeding much, and largc1cAs Of Heart
J. even Us the sands upon the aeashorc, and atlll
!, he suen.nty nalc Will tho King u Kings. Tic
r spoke 3,GDO proverbs; not thnt llc originated
:, them all, but he uttered them. i.
j. Solomon could not properly ask even the
# slusgard to follow tho example Of the ant. liz
furgut, ii lle ever knew TINT Mnn IL governed
ts renson. all uther animals BY Instinct, or an
t. Iatutivc tendency 10 epce!al eolirse of life In
~ choco for thu ant to be industrious and frugal
rs or to be lnzy a,1l wastcful. God SO made tht
mt tlIat il cor18 not vary from n given co.lrs'
u In orelcr' to acco!ipl;sh the. designs Of It
Cruator. II the King Ut 1srae! llau bccn ltttl
wiser, ,4c would hava sung, " How doth the bus.
bec Improve each sunny llour, and gather honr,
all t1le duy from every 0penlnE tiower." Her
IN Is industry, blessing ut!lcrs It should teach
~ " that W. ought not only to be industrious, but +
~ be charitable, atiu tu rrcase, 81 far M Nc ch
sc the sweet charities Of life In t4s community
Cd soiomon's life was full Of activities. Tie ha
no patir,,ce with tho inlolent. lle felt thu
In chief. lie dtt not say tnat tile devil ands nj.
at Chief for Idle nals tO do, nor did he affirm tia
~ idle pcup!c telnpt to .les, but he did state
atters .. as1 tat s!ota! t9 uatTts t a5f !"
ne ne further will not ploW because OF thu co!'
as ani. therefore, have nothing III harvest, and tn
way 1T the slo.hfnl y full of tIsorns. Oths
u.s. u.s. sweat, no sweet" ;" No mill, ~ NEAL IN
Inc suwiIlg, no l,nrysst,n No church, NJ .uill."
". W.. trov., VI. to ~ Il.e nuts beea'ns gat
NO NO CREATOR is tt'clr guide: lie inp'auteItn the
~. nature Irresistible fascc which Elsi'lcs thcl
!ul s"l i'll ull t!leIr ways. However numerous II
.us socyly ot ants they arc dlydfa to u cass'
o'' s@ne repair buildings sums collect foo son
VAT up"n tile t!uecn, uthcrs feed tho lnfant
res 'ot!lcrs arc tentnc]s ad defenders, But IN ra.
Tx department of The community arc guides o.
ri. rulers. SuppOse tl.cIr house has been ttnpart
nm by foc, Ills sulllicrs rctire aud the lahore
ivn appear. Here a,.d there VIZ nsny sec QUO u,
uss ~ i,,ther 1.l tialher ainongst liz laborefs b
never als tn llle work III repairing. lie plac
h''HsciI uear the wall, tltat liis laborers are
p4%E ls loSfs u % ~ M M5 sss 4 Sox y IND sty' snf
lifts Ills lead, ul,l strikes with his tusrcps upt
Val Tie wall, AMI lnAirs particular uolse to WIN
uf q! the labulers respond BY isi, Illc M ~,
thu hurry, nntt the laorcrs' hiss tncaus =. We "!
liza s We Will" aust At oars ull rc1oube their pl
lhio aud work with greater alay'lty than
,wn lote' BREAK uo"n ,, tmo n wa''s II, sr,.h : :
tn la!,orcrs. AZ sooa ~ quiet ia restored. t