The Ant

Now see what the Bible tells the sluggard to do. It bids him go to the little ant, and "consider herways," that is, look on and see what she does. Have you ever watched the ants when they werebusy at work? It will give you very pleasant employment for half an hour on a summer's day. Insome places you may see small ant-hills scattered about, so close together that you can hardlystep without treading on them; and you may find other places where there are not so many, butwhere the hills are much larger. I have seen them so large that you could hardly step over one ofthem without touching it with your foot and breaking some part of it. And then how busy thelittle creatures are! Just kneel down on the grass beside them, and notice how they work! You will see one little fellow creeping along as fast as he can go, with a grain of sand in his mouth,perhaps as large as his head. He does not stop to rest, but when he has carried his grain to helpbuild the hill, away he goes for another. You may watch them all day and never see them idle atall.

You see why God tells the sluggard to go and look at the little ants: it is that when he sees themso busy, he may be ashamed of himself for being idle, and learn to be "wise," or diligent inwhatever he undertakes. I should not think he could help going to work, after he had looked atthem a little while. The ants seem to be very happy, and I think it is because they are so busy. God has put nobody in this world to be idle: even children have something to do. The inside ofan ant-hill is very curious, but it is not easy to examine it without destroying all the work that thelittle insects have taken so much pains to finish. There is a kind of ant in warm climates thatbuilds for itself hills as high as a man. They are not made of sand, but of a kind of clay; andhave a great many cells or apartments, and many winding passages leading from one part toanother. All this is done, as the Bible says, without "guide, overseer or ruler;" that is, they haveno one to direct them how to do it. God gives them skill just as he does to the honey-bees inbuilding the beautiful cells which you have so often admired; all His works are wonderful.

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