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UPON A NEST OF ANTS.

O my soul, lose not thyself, thy pains, thy precious time, as many do, in seeking that in the world which no man was ever yet able to find there content, satisfaction, and happiness; these are not sown in the furrows of thy field, and therefore are not to be found in full bags and barns. Content grows not in nature's garden, and those that seek happiness beneath the sun are mistaken; the enjoyment of God in glory is our complete happiness, and nothing else will give the soul content, let the world say what it will to the contrary: anxious cares, and fretting fears, and jealousies about earthly enjoyments, are so far from being the way to it, that they choke the word which is the means to attain it. The riches, honours and pleasures the world affords, bear no more proportion to true riches, true pleasures, and true honours, than painted fire on the wall to true fire, or a king upon a stage to a king upon the throne; they only bear an empty name and notion: those that pursue them will find their mistake, and that they were not worth their time, and pains, and care. But God and Christ, and heaven and glory, are worth our labour; we cannot buy this gold too dear.

O my God, this has been my folly, to hunt after these shadows, and neglect the race where a crown of glory was to be the prize, and my own soul lay at stake. I have laid out my money for that which is not bread, and my la

bour for that which satisfieth not, Isa. lv. 2. I have been one of these busy creatures, that have made a great and confused bustle in the world, to little purpose. Help me now to devote myself

UPON A NEST OF ANTS.

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to thy service, and give up not only my name, but my heart to Christ: then may I expect a better reward than the world hath given me, and better happiness than the creatures can afford.

Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them, Psa. xxxix. 6.

I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit, Eccl. i. 14.

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.-But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you, Matt. vi. 19-21, 33.

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Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light, Matt. xi. 28-30.

XII. UPON THE DILIGENCE OF THE ANTS.

UPON the former occasion, when I had, as before mentioned, disturbed the ants and put them into a confusion, I observed what would be the issue, and saw, when the present fear and amazement was a little over which put them into that disorder, they unanimously applied themselves to rectify what I had disordered with my foot, and to repair the breaches I had made in their stronghold, every one laying hold of something, and carrying it to the common heap.

The diligence and industry of these creatures brought to my mind the counsel of Solomon to the sluggard; and oh that I could speak it loud enough to myself and others that are guilty; " Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest,” Prov. vi. 6—8. Naturalists and others have written much of the contrivance of these insects, that they not only gather their store, but also draw it forth, say some, in the sun-shine, to dry it, and keep it from putrefaction. O man, how art thou degenerated, that wast made but a little lower than the angels, and wast endued with reason to rule these inferior creatures; and yet now must be sent to learn wisdom, not only from the ox

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and the ass, Isa. i. 3; not only from the stork, the turtle, the crane, and the swallow, Jer. viii. 7; but down to the lowest form, the smallest insects, the most despicable of all others: these, by an instinct of nature, gather their food in summer for winter; and shall man, who has reason with which to foresee danger, be careless? Alas, too many, as if they had forgotten that the Saviour had said, "One thing is needful," Luke x. 42, live carelessly, and take no account of futurity. They are like the foolish virgins, they seek not for oil till their lamps are out, and the bridegroom be come; or, like the wicked servant, bury their talents in a napkin.

O my soul, thou hast a lesson for thy instruction, an example for thy imitation; these little, yet diligent creatures justly reprove thee for sloth and negligence. Many of thy years are past, and little of thy work is done; thou hast been playing in the dust, and though called, neglected to come home to thy father's house; thou hast trifled out the morning, and now "the shadows of the evening are stretched out," Jer. vi. 4, and the day far spent. Beware of idleness; this will leave thee short of heaven: double thy diligence, and amend thy pace; "give diligence to make thy calling and election sure," 2 Pet. i. 10. Be diligent in God's work, that when the enemy comes to tempt, he may find thee well employed; when Christ comes to judge thee, he may not find thee idle; when death comes to call, thou mayest be ready; when the Bridegroom comes, thou mayest have oil in thy vessel, and a lamp ready trimmed in thy hand, and a

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wedding garment on thy back. Improve thy talents well, that Christ may say, "Well done,

good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord," Matt. xxv. 21. When others only wish for heaven, do thou work for it.

O my God, I have been one of these loitering truants, that am justly here reproved, and sent again to school to the meanest of thy creatures; their diligence shames my negligence. They have only an instinct of nature to guide them; I have reason, experience, Scripture, and example to stimulate me: they labour only for the body; I for the immortal soul: they for the meat which perisheth; I for that which endureth to eternal life: they for a winter; I for eternity: yet are they diligent, and I negligent: heaven and earth may stand amazed at my folly. Lord, pardon what is past, and incline my heart, for the time to come, to give diligence to make my calling and election sure. Let me so run, that I may obtain; so fight, that I may conquer; and be faithful to death, that I may receive the crown of life, 2 Pet. i. 10; 1 Cor. ix. 26; Rev. ii. 10.

The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer, Prov. xxx.

25.

This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, Phil. iii. 13, 14.

Laying up in store a good foundation against the time to come, 1 Tim. vi. 19.