EXEMPLARY INSTRUCTION. 211 



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 by 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 spi- 

 der, and propriety and dignity from various other 

 animals (Prov. xxx. 25 — 31). Thus too the Lord 

 afFectingly contrasts the brutish ingratitude 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 per- 

 petual change and decadence of all creatures. (Eocl. 

 i. 4—7). 



III. Spiritual parallelism by way of symbol or 

 analogy. 



This is a mode of treating natural objects very ex- 

 tensively adopted in the Sacred Word. Truths thus 

 presented find acceptance, where they would have 



