124: THE MICROSCOPE AND ITS LESSONS. 



But if we go on at this rate we shall spend all our 

 time in the study of nothing but spiders. We have seen, 

 now, something of the spider's web in one " revelation ; " 

 let us conclude with a reminder of what is said about it 

 in the other. 



The spider is mentioned three times in the Bible: 

 first by Bildad (Job viii. 13 15), which, following the 

 original, reads thus : 



" Such are the ways of all that forget God ! 

 So perisheth the ways of the hypocrite ! 

 Thus shall his support rot away, 

 And the building of the spider be his reliance ; 

 And upon its building shall he lean, but it shall not stand." 



Then, secondly, by Isaiah (lix. 5), where the wicked are 

 described as " weaving the spider's web," building, that 

 is, upon something which the slightest disturbance will 

 destroy. And then, lastly, by Agur (Prov. xxx. 28), where 

 we are taught to blame ourselves for the consequence of 

 self-neglect, and our despising the worth of the things 

 that are small. 



By the first two references I am singularly reminded 

 of the truth of the Bible, in a remarkable instance of a 

 spider, whom its Divine Author employed as an instru- 

 ment of retribution ; an illustration not only of the two 

 texts above quoted, but another, namely, "Be sure your 

 sin will find you out " (Numb, xxxii. 23). 



A man who had a secret desire to get rid of his wife, 

 determined to destroy her with poison, which he intro- 

 duced into her food at one of their meals ; but not having 

 the courage to sit at the same table with her while she 

 swallowed the fatal meal, he left for a few minutes. In 

 the mean time a spider found its way on to the table, and 

 crawled upon the poisoned food; and the wife brushed 

 it away, not caring to eat that which the creature had 



