EXEMPLARY INSTRUCTION. 205 



AVlien this grand inquiry, this qiKSstio qucestionum, 

 is settled authoritatively by the Divine Oracles, the 

 creatures may again come in, and teach us, subordi- 

 nately, many useful lessons. We are thus brought to 

 the second method of instruction. 



II. Moral lessons conveyed hy examples. 



Thus the wisest of men sends the sluggard to the 

 ant, that his sloth may be reproved by the contempla- 

 tion of her diligence (Prov. vi. 6 — 8). Thus Agur 

 teaches foresight from the same insects, prudence 

 from the conies, order and combination from the 

 locust, assiduous persevering industry from the spider, 

 and propriety and dignity from various other animals 

 (Prov. XXX. 25 — 31). Thus too the Lord affectingly 

 contrasts the brutish ingTatitude of Israel to Himself 

 with the affection of the ox and the ass to their 

 master (Isa. i. 3) ; and their stupid ignorance of his 

 coming judgments with the instinctive foresight of 

 the migratory birds (Jer. viii. 7). After the same 

 manner the stubborn wilfulness of the unbroken 

 horse or mule is held up as a character to be avoided 

 by the people of God (Psalm xxxii. 9). By a process 

 of thought somewhat similar, the inspired Preacher 

 reads the stamp of vanity on earthly things, from the 

 perpetual change and decadence of all creatures. (Eccl. 

 i. 4—7.) 



III. Spiritual parallelism hy way of symhol or 



analogy. 

 This is a mode of treating natural objects very 

 extensively adopted in the Sacred Word. Truths 

 thus presented find acceptance where they would have 



