The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1901-05-04
THE ANTS WISDOM.
Useful Lessons We May Learn from
the Little Insect.
DR.. Talmage Draws IN Interesting
sermon from . Realm seldom
Utilised for Moral or Re-
igious Purposes.
copyright, 1901. by Louis Klopsch n. VI
Washington. April Is.

course DIR. Talmage draws MS mus
trations from realm seldom util
lied for moral and religious pur
poses; text, Proverbs, vi, 6-S, III
to the ant, thou sluggard, consider
her ways and be wise, which, having
no guide, overseer or ruler, provideti
her meat in the summer and gather
eth her food in the harvest"
The most of Solomon's writings
have persisted. They have gone ou
OF existence as thoroughly as the y
books of Pliny and most of the books
OF Aeschylus and Euripides ane
Narro and Quintilian. Solomon
Song and Ecclcsiastes and Proverbs
preserved by inspiration, arc small
part of his voluminous productions
lie was great scientist. One verse
in the Bible suggests that he was a
botanist, zoologist, an ornitholo-
gist, an ichthyologist and knew all
about reptilia. /. Kings w., 80, lie
spake of trees, from the cedar tree
that Is in Lebanon even unto the
hyssop that springeth out OF the
wall; he spake also of beasts ana OF
fowl and of creeping things and OF
fishes" Besides all these scientific
works, he composed 5000 proverbs
and 1905 songs.
Although Solomon lived long be-
fore the microscope was constructed,
he was also an insectologist ana
watched and describes the spider
build it's suspension bridge OF SILK
from tree to tree, calling it the
spiders web, and he notices its skill
full foothold in climbing the smooth
wall of the throneroom in Jerusalem,
saying: "The spider taketh hold
with her hands and is in kings pal
aces" But he is especially interest
cd in the ant and recommends its
habits as worthy of study and iml-
tation, saying: go to the ant, thou
sluggard, consider her ways and be
wise, which, having no guide, over
seer or ruler, provideth her meat in
the summer and gathcrcth her food
in the harvest"
But it was not until about 300 years
ago, when Jan Swammerdam, the son
of an apothecary at Amsterdam, Hol-
land, began the study Of the ant UNI
der powerful lens that the full force
of Solomon's injunction was under
stood. The great Dutch scientist, in
his examination of the insect in my
text, discovered as great display
of the wisdom OF God i'm its anatomy
as astronomers discover i'm the heav-
ems, and was so absorbed and
1,x,t hn iG-
covered in the ant and other insects
that body and mind gave way, and
he expired ut AZ years of age, n
martyr of the great science of in
sociology.
No one but God could have fash
toned the insect spoken of in the
text or given it such genius Of in
stinct, it's wisdom for harvesting al
the right time, it's wonders of anten-
nae, by which it gathers food, and OF
mandiblcs, which. instead of the mo-
ton of the human jaw up and down
in mastication. move from side To
side; its nervous system. its en-.
larging doors in hot weather for
more sweep of breeze, its mode OF
attack and defense, closing the gate
at night against bandit INVADERS: its
publication of the earth for human
residence, its social life, it's repub
lican government, with its consent
- of the governed; its maternal fideli
ties, the habit OF these creatures oil
gathering now and then under Tho
dome of the ant hillock, seemingly in
consultation, and then departing tc
execute their different missions.
But Solomon would not commend
all the habits of the ant, for some oil
them are as bad as some of the hab
its of the human race. Some of these
small creatures are desperadoes and
murderers. Now and then they mar
shall themselves into hosts and march
in straight line and come upon an en-
campment of their own race and de
stroy its occupants, except the
young, whom they carry into captiv
ity, and IL the army come back with
ous any such cap.ives they are mo-
permitted to enter, but are sent forti
to make more successful conquest
Solomon gives no commentator tt
such sanguinary behavior among in
sects any more than he would hav,
commended sanguinary behavior
among men. These little creature.
have sometimes wrought fearful
damage, and they have undermined {
town in New Granada, which in tim,
may drop into the abyss they hay,
dug for IL.
But what are the habits which Sol
onion would enjoin when he saws,
Consider her ways and be wise .
First Of all, providence, forethought
anticipation of coming necessities.
am sorry to say these qualities ar,
not characteristic Of all ants. Thes,
creatures of God are divided into
f-anivorous and carnivorous. TIL,
latter are not frugal, but the forme,
are frugal. While the air is warn
and moving about is not hindered b,
ice or snowbank, they import theii
cargoes of food. They brin. in theil
caravan of provisions; they haul IL
their long train of wheat or corn OF
oats. The farmers are not NOR,
busy in July and August In reapine
their harvest than are the ants bus,
in July and August reaping theii
harvest They stack them away;
they pile them up. They question