The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1901-06-06
THE ANTS WISDOM.
Useful Lessons We May Learn from
tho Little Insect.
Or. Talmags Draws A lnteresting
Sermon from . Realm Seldom
Utilised fer Neral sr Re-
nGi0us PuFDoses.

Vtilised fer Neral sP Re.
ngis.s Purposes.
Copyright 1891. by Louis Klepseh. N. =.
Washington, April 4
Washington, April 2s.-In this dis
course DR.. rslmags draws his illus
traSiSns from . yealm seldom nth
ised for moral and religious pur
poses; text Proverbs, vi, 6-s. 'G'
70 the ant, thou sluggard, consider
her ways and be wise, which. having
No guide. overseer or ruler, provideti
Aor meat in the summer aid gather
| eth her feod in the harvest"
The most Of Soiomon's writing.
As~s psrished. They have gone sut
sf existence as thoroughly as the q
hooks Of Pliny and most Of the books
Of Aeschylus and Euripides ant
Varro and Quintilian. Solomon.
Song and Eeclesiastes and Proverbs
preserved BY inspiration, are q small
part OF his voluminsus productions
He was . great scientist. One verse
in the Bible suggests that he was
botanist, q zoologist, an ornitholo.
gist, an iehthyologist and knew oil
about reptilia. ]. Kings iv., 80. "he
spake of trees, from the cedar tree
that is in Lebanon even unto the
hIssop that springeth cut of the
wall; he spake also Of beasts and OF
fowl and of creeping things and OF
fishes" Besides all these scientific
works, he composed 1900 proverbs
and zoos songs.
Although Solomon lived long be-
fore tho microscepe was constructed.
he was also an insectologist and
watched and describes the spider
build It's suspension bridge of silk
from tree to tree, calling IL the
spiders web, and he notices its skill
full foothold in climbing the smooth
wall Of the throneroem in Jerusalem,
saying: THE spider taketh hold
with her hands and 10 In kings pal
aces" But he Il especially interest
ed in the ant and reconmends It's
habits as worthy Of study and imi-
tatien, saying: ''Go 10 the ant. thou
slxggard, consider her ways and be
Wise, which, As-i.S no guide, over
seer or ruler. prosidsth her meat In
the summer and gathereth her food
In the harvest"
But IL was not until about 500 years
ags, when Jan 6wanmerdam. the son
Of An sPotheeary At Amstsrdam, HoE
land. began the study Of the ant I'M
der powerful lens that the fall force
Of 0olomonis Injunction was under
stood. The great Dutch scientist. in
his examinatioa Of The insect In my
text, discovered ~ great . display
Of the wisdom Of God in its anatomy
a. astronomers discover In the hesv.
ems, and was 20 absorbed and
wrought upon BY the wonders he dis
covered IN tAe ant and other insects
that body and mind gave way snd
he expired at - years Of age.
martyr Of tho great science Of M
sociology.
No enc but God could have fash
ioned tho insect spoken Of in the
text or given 1t such genius Of in
stinst, its wisdom for harvesting at
the right titne. its wonders Of anten-
nae. by which It gathers food, and Of
mandibles. which, instead Of the mo-
tien Of the human jaw up and down
IN Rssticstion, move from side TO-
side; It's nervous system. its en-
larSing dssrs IN het weather for
mers sweep Of breeze, its mode Of
attack and defense. closing the gate
~ night against bandit Invaders; its
Of the earth for human
It's social hfs. its repub-
lican government, with is consent
Of tie governed; It's maternal hdeli-
ties. thS habit Of these creatures Of
gathering new ard then under the
dsme Of the ant Ailssek, seemingly in
and then departing to
execute their different missions.
Bat Selemoa would not commend
all tie habits Of the ant, for some Of
them ere as bad ~ some Of the hab-
Is Ut the human race. Some Of these
small creatures are dsspersdoes and
murdersrs. New and then they mar
shsl themselves i4Gs hosts and march |
In straight line and come upon an en-
Of their eva race and de- !
strsy its occupants. except the
young. whom tkey carry into eaptiv.
lty. aad Il the srny esns back with
out any such eaptives they are not
permitted 70 enter but sre seat forth
to make mere successful conquest.
BolsnsA gives no esnmendstion to
sueh saAguiaayy behavior among in
scots any mere than he would have
commended sanguinary behavior
amsng men, These little creatures
have sometimes wrought fearful
damage, and they have undermined
town In New Granada, which in time
may drsp INTO the abyss they have
dug fer IL.
But what are che habits which SOL
omsn would snjoin when he says:
"Considsr her ways and be wise ?"
First Of all, providence, forethought,
Of coming necessities. I
Am sorry to say these qualities are
not Characteristic Of all ants. These
creatures Of God are divided jnto