It teaches us how to spin and how to weave, how to hunt and how to
snare. And as one has expressed it, it has solved many a problem in
mathematics before Euclid was born. Look at the spider's web, and see
whether "any hand of man, with all the fine appliances of art, and
twenty years' apprenticeship to boot, could weave us such another."
Nay, if we think of the _water_-spider, which bottles up air, and takes
it under water to breathe with, it is not too much to say, that if
people had but "watched water-spiders as Robert Bruce watched the
cottage spider, diving-bells would have been discovered hundreds of
years ago, and people might have learnt how to go to the bottom of the
sea and save the treasures of wrecks."
The name of King Robert the Bruce suggests one special lesson. If all
history be true, the spider will always be known in Scotland as the
teacher of _perseverance_--
"If at first you don't succeed,
Try, try, try again."
Once, twice, thrice, nay, six times over the tiny creature, like a
swinging pendulum, had swung towards the opposite rafter in that little
cottage, but always without success; and the eyes of the defeated and
almost hopeless hero of Scotland watched its repeated struggles. But
however often it had failed, it was in no wise beaten nor discouraged;
but gathered up all its energies for another and more strenuous effort.
"England, Scotland, Spiderland expects every one to do his duty," and
with one supreme push it swung out and won at last. "Bravo!" exclaimed
the Bruce, as he recalled how he himself had been defeated six times,
and might read in the triumph of the spider the promise and pledge of
his own. Little did the cottage spider think how a mighty courage had
been rekindled by its tiny struggles, and how a brilliant page in
history would be opened by the memory of its splendid success. Yet so
it was. Great results have sometimes sprung from small causes, and the
champion of Scottish liberties arose from his pallet bed to deliver and
consolidate his kingdom.
And little do children in any age think how great an influence _they_
might wield, if only in devotion to what is right they would follow and
obey Christ's gospel. Many a tiny seed has grown into a great tree. And
Jesus Himself has said, "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou
hast perfected praise" (Matt. xxi. 16).
*The Fly.*
"Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a
stinking savour."--Eccles. x. 1.
Both of these terms, "apothecary" and "ointment," need to be explained.
In Hebrew they have no reference to anything _medical_, whether it be to
the person of a chemist or the contents of a chemist's shop. The
ointment means the various perfumes in use among the Jews--both in the
anointing of the living and in the embalming of the dead; and the
apothecary meant the perfumer who prepared and sold these perfumes,
whether as cosmetics for the toilet or as spices for the tomb.
If, therefore, the perfumes were carelessly stored or insecurely
protected, the flies managed to gain admittance, and the priceless
treasure became corrupted by the odour of their dead bodies. For "the
fly that sips treacle is lost in the sweets." And the lesson drawn by
the preacher is sufficiently telling, "So doth a little folly him that
is in reputation for wisdom." The man himself is the ointment, his
reputation is the perfume, the little folly is the dead fly, and his
disgrace is the stinking savour. Ah! little foxes spoil the vines, and
sometimes little follies lead to great sins. "It is very cold," said
the camel in an Eastern fable, "and I would be so thankful to you,
Mister Tailor, if you would only let me put my nose inside your door."
And the good man consented. But soon the camel had thrust in his head
as well as his nose, then his neck and his forefeet, and last of all his
whole body, which completely filled up the tailor's little shop. It was
no use now pleading that there was no room for both. The camel coolly
replied that in that case the tailor could go outside. It was the
beginning of the evil that wrought the mischief. It was allowing the
_nose_ that did it. "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump," just as
a tiny spark will kindle a great fire, or little snowflakes become a
dreaded avalanche. Let every young heart shun the least appearance of
evil. Dead flies corrupt the costly spikenard.
But the fly itself will repay attention from two points of view.