3. The direction, or the manner of address; in three things — (1.) Go; (2.) Consider her ways ; (3.) Be wise.
[1.] For the first, ' Go ; ' as their fashion was to go to their doctors and teachers : 1 Kings xiv. 3, ' Go to the prophet, and he shall tell thee wliat shall become of the child.' In those days the party, if capable, did not send for the prophet, but went to him. So here, ' Go to the ant ; ' to shame the sluggard, as if he needed to perform that office to the ant which they showed to their eminent prophets. But when they come, what must they do ?
[2.] ' Consider her ways.' This doctor teacheth not by words, but by example ; and therefore the sluggard is not bidden to hear, but to see, and consider her ways ; that is, see the great diligence of this creature, and their marvellous order in passing to and fro ; not cross- ing one anothei', but if any be overlaboured, helping them, as your eye will easily inform you.
[3.] ' Be wise.' Be not a spectator only, but an improver ; not more learned, or able to discourse of these things, but more wise, to cure idleness and improvidence.
4. The lesson to be learned ; which is — (1.) Labour ; and (2.) Foresight.
[1.] Labour. In the hottest times they are most busy, and endure the trouble of it. Their industry is a pattern to us.
[2.] Their foresight. They do this in the ' summer and harvest.' They suffer not the opportunity to pass. As we are to labour if we would attain eternal life (Acts xxvi. 7, ' Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come '), so we are also to redeem the season : Eph. v. 16, ' Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.' Means, and mercies, and life itself, lie upon uncertainties.
SERMON UPON PROVERBS VI. 6-8. 5
5. The amplification of this provident industry of the ant ; and so it enforceth the lesson, 'Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler;' that is, the ant doth her duty by instinct, not as compelled thereunto by any that have power to check and control her. Naturalists tell us that the bees are a feminine monarchy, but the ants a democracy and commonwealth, where every one's natural industry prompts him to seek his own good, and the good of the whole.
But to the text. Three words are used ; she hath no ' guide ' to go before her and show her what to do ; no ' overseer ' to observe whether she doth it or no; no 'ruler' to punish her for idleness or miscarriage; yet she labours. All this is spoken to aggravate the sluggish improvi- dence of man. We have a guide, the Lord, who 'hath showed us what is good,' Micah vi. 8. We have an inspector ; God is our witness as well as our guide : Prov. xv. 3, ' The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.' We have a lord and ruler, to whom we must give an account : Rom. xiv. 12, ' Every one of us shall give an account of himself to God.' And shall we be idle and neglect our duty ?
From the whole you see —
1. The argument is a minore ad majus, from the less to the greater, to shame us. If the creatures that want reason do for their own pre- servation with such diligence make preparation for time to come, how much more inexcusable are we, who are endowed with reason, and can foresee the end, and chose the means, bound to provide for the futvu-e, and forecast and foresee for those things that belong to our future happiness ? And if we make not use of it to that end, we are highly culpable before God.
2. It is bound the more upon us, because this instinct of nature which prompts them to this is not their providence, but God's, who is the Creator of nature, and hath put this disposition into them. Now, hath not God put such a disposition and inclination into us much more? Surely man is made a nobler creature than the beasts, and is more fitted to his use and end ; for it is said, Job xxxv. 11, ' Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketli us wiser than the fowls of heaven.' Beasts have instinct, but men have the gift of reason and conscience bestowed upon them, and do not only understand their own duty, but may make wise collections from what God hath put into other beings.
3. That this is binding upon us, both as to the body and soul ; for we consist of both, and must make provision i'or the welfare of both.
[1.] That we should provide for our bodily welfare will be easily granted, and is agreeable enough with the context, which speaketh of the inconveniency of asking, and borrowing, and engaging others in suretyship ; and that we should rather by our diligence and providence live by our callings, that we may not need to borrow. This application maketh the context run on smoothly. Now though it may be presumed that in these things wherein common reason and sense iuviteth men to this diligence and providence, all should have a quick and tender car, yet some idle drones there are who live without a calling, and have nothing whereby to support themselves ; who are not only worse than the ant, that by labour layeth up for the time of want, but worse thau