THE

THE BEE.

It is a great blessing to be able to read; and those children who have been taught to do so, have reason to be extremely thankful. They should, also, endeavour to teach others, as far as they have opportunity; that none may be shut out from the happiness and privilege of searching the Holy Scriptures for themselves, which is one of the greatest of all mercies: while, in many good books, they may find much of instruction and useful entertainment.

But, although we now often behold the delightful sight, of the children of the higher classes instructing the children of the poor, Sunday and other schools; or by their collections

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and subscriptions assisting the good work, that others are carrying on in this way-yet a great number remain without the benefit that books can impart, and know little or nothing of their several duties in life. This is the case with grown-up people too; and sometimes, when they are reproved for their indolence, or other bad habits, they will answer that they have no learning, and cannot be supposed to know as much as those who can read. A very bad excuse, certainly for are not there places of worship continually open on the Sabbath day, where the poorest and most ignorant may be made rich in faith, and wise unto salvation, through the Word of God, which is read there, and the teaching of faithful ministers ? And are there not schools for the especial instruction of grown persons? The poor Heathen may well complain of his ignorance; but, in a Christian land, it is shocking that any one should willingly remain in darkness while the light of truth shines, the gospel is preached, and God commands us to give heed to it.

There is another sort of instruction, however which the Lord is pleased to place so continually

before our eyes, that persons must be senseless indeed, if they do not learn a lesson from it. David and Solomon, and the other wise and holy men whose writings were inspired by the Holy Ghost, frequently take notice how the works of the Almighty are made to express both His and His will: they are held out to us, to power be studied, and pondered over in our hearts. David loved to consider the starry heavens, as we may perceive in the eighth Psalm; and in the 104th Psalm, we have a most beautiful view of this wonderful creation of the world by the hand of the Lord.

Solomon, in his admirable book of Proverbs, says, "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."

What we call nature, that is, the works of God in the creation, which he first brought from nothing, and still upholds and governs by his power, wisdom, and goodness, is like a large book of pictures, in which every one may read the meaning, without knowing a letter of the alphabet.

Among the sweet things contained in this

large book, let us make choice of a very little creature, and inquire what it is calculated to teach us. The bee is a small insect, without reason or knowledge, a fly that just lives and moves about for a while, and then perishes for ever; but the whole of its short life is a continued lesson to us; and we will consider how we may best make use of it.

The bee has a wonderful instinct. By instinct, we mean that feeling which inclines an animal to do what is right for its preservation or comfort, without its being able to understand why it ought to do so, and without being taught. How much more precious a thing is reason, which we are endowed with, than the finest instinct of animals! yet very few of us make half so good or constant a use of our reason, as the brutes do of their instinct. The Lord has been pleased to design, that the bee should furnish a great quantity of a very rich and wholesome nourishment, for its own and for our use. Honey is Honey is very frequently mentioned in Scripture; and of such value was it considered, that the distinguishing character of Canaan (the good land which God chose for his own people, Israel, and which is a

type of heaven itself) was, "A land flowing with milk and honey." Flowers, that so delight the eye by their lovely colours, and charm the smell by their fragrance, are the only materials from which the bee can form its store.

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In a wild state, the bees make their nest in the hollows of rocks and trees; and we may see them in the cavities of old walls and buildings; but those who keep bees, in order to make profit by their honey, put them into hives made of straw, for their habitation. Now, no sooner is the bee settled in the hive, than, without delay, it sets about fulfilling its work there. There is with the bee no loitering up and down; no resting at ease or basking in the sun-no, all is a scene of the most busy activity; and each one goes to work, as if the prosperity of the whole hive depended on its exertions, Alas! children, how few of you do this, when old enough to know for what purpose you are put into this great habitation, the world! How you love to idle away the precious hours; and make a thousand false and foolish excuses, for what you know to be sinful indolence! The little bee goes to work, to lay in a store of provision for the win