THE BOOK OF NATURE, &c. THE LESSON I. THE BEASTS HE ass bath very long ears, and yet he hath no sense of music, but brayeth with a frightful noise. He is obstinate and unruly, and will go his own way, even though he is severely beaten. The child, who will not be taught, is but little better; he hath no delight in learning, but talketh of his own folly, and disturbeth others with his noise. The dog barketh all the night long, and thinks it no trouble to rob honest people of their rest. The The fox is a cunning thief: and men when they do not fear God, are crafty and deceitful. The wolf is cruel and blood-thirsty. As he devoureth the lamb, so do bad men oppress and tear the innocent and helpless. The adder is a poisonous snake, and hath a forked doubled tongue: so do men speak lies, and utter slander against their neighbours, when the poison of asps is under their lips. The devil, who deceiveth with lies, and would destroy all mankind, is the old serpent, who brought death into the world by the venom of his bite. He would kill me, and all the children that are born, if God would let him; but Jesus Christ came to save us from his power, and to destroy the works of the devil. Lord, thou hast made me a man for thy service: O let me not dishonour thy work, by turning myself into the likeness, of some evil beast: Let me not be as the fox, who is a thief and a robber; let me never be cruel, as a wolf, to any of thy creatures: especially to my dear fellow-creatures, and my dearer fellow Christians; but let me be harmless as the lamb; quiet and submissive as the sheep; that so I may be fit to live, and be fed in thy pasture, under the good shepherd, Jesus Christ. It is far better to be the poorest of his flock, than to be proud and cruel, as the lion or the tiger, who go about seeking what they may de vour. THE QUESTIONS. Q. What is the child who will not learn? A. An ass, which is ignorant and unruly. Q. What are wicked men, who hurt and cheat others? A. They are wolves and foxes, and blood-thirsty lions. Q. What are ill-natured people, who trouble their neighbours, and rail at them? A. They are dogs who bark at every body. Q. But what are good and peaceable people? A. They are harmless sheep; and little children, under the grace of God, are innocent lambs. Q. But Q. But what are liars? A. They are snakes and vipers, with double tongues, and poison under their lips. Q. Who is the good shepherd? THE TEXTS. Prov. xxvi. 3. A bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool's back. See also Job xi. 12. Acts xx. 29. Grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Luke xiii. 32. Go tell that fox. as a lion in his He lieth in wait secretly, den to catch the poor. Psal. xxii. 16. Many dogs have compassed me about. Matt. x. 16. I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. Isa. xl. 11. He shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom. Mark x. 13, 16. And they brought young children to him, and he took them up in his arms. Matt. Matt. iii. 7. He said unto the Pharisees and Sadduces, O generation of vipers. Gen. iii. 14. And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Thou art cursed above every beast of the field. Rev. xii. 9. That old serpent called the Devil and Satan. LESSON II. THE EEL AND THE LARK. THE eel buries itself in the mud. What a poor nasty life it leads! the lark mounts up towards heaven and delights. itself with sweet music, to the praise of its great Creator. Who would not wish to lead the life of a lark? : But then, the lark can work as well as sing it is never idle: none of the good creatures of God, are permitted to live and do nothing. It flies about to feed itself; and when the earth is covered with frost and snow in the winter, it runs about upon the cold ground, and takes great pains to find a small living to keep it from starving. In the summer it makes its nest, and brings up its young. All |