Their warlike array and recent successes, have alarmed the apprehensions of Balak, king of Moab, as their prosperity and pros pects had excited his envy and jealousy Diffident of his strength, either to repel invasion, if attacked by so powerful an adversary, or to attack them first, and endeavour to obstruct their progress, he enters into an alliance with the people of Midian, for their mutual security and defence. And even then, still doubtful of the force of their united tion in aid of the sword, and dream of con- sure, or honour; and when engaged no argument is of weight sufficient to dissuade; no danger intimidates, no difficulty discourages. The understanding becomes the dupe of the passions, conscience is led hoodwinked by appetite, and the man is shamefully sunk in the brute. But the alarm must be louder than thunder, which awakens the thoughtless, the sensual, and the selfish to serious reflection; and it must be repeated every hour, else they will slumber and sleep again. Water has in its natural coldness a ten-arms, they agree to employ the arts of divinadency to congeal; and, once reduced to ice; has no principle in itself to recover from that torpid state. The cause of change must come from without. To dissolve and restore it to its liquid state, the sun must shine, the wind must blow; withdraw the action of air and fire, and it will gradually freeze again. In like manner, without any cause from without, the human body, by a principle of corruption within itself, must speedily dis- Balak and Moab had degenerated from the solve and be destroyed; and the human mind, faith of Lot, their forefather, and were sunk by a similar internal principle of moral cor-into idolatry; it is therefore no wonder to ruption, degenerates from depravity to depravity, till, lost to shame, fear, remorse, and at length, to feeling, men come to commit iniquity with greediness, and to glory in their shame. To preserve the body in life, there must be constant supplies of nourishment administered; and to preserve the soul in health, there must be "line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little." It is truly affecting to see men enlightened and persuaded, yet wedded to their lusts; clearly informed of the right path, but wilfully and deliberately persisting in error; hardening themselves against God, and yet thinking to prosper; acknowledging God in words, but in works denying him. see them of a jealous and hostile spirit towards Israel, their brother. A principle of religion, consisting in the fear and love of God, is the great bond of union among men; it strengthens the ties of natural affection, and even conciliates friendship between enemies: but irreligion, or what is worse, an erroneous principle of religion, turns men loose against each other, dissolves society, and fattens the earth with human blood. We cannot help recollecting, alas! that Abraham and Lot, the uncle and nephew, the progenitors of the two nations, were under the necessity of separating from each other, on account of their increasing wealth; and we see, many years after they were laid in the dust, the self-same cause, whetting the spirits and the swords of their posterity, and arining them for their mutual destruction. The whole world is a possession too scanty for avarice and ambition; the success of one seems to be a diminution of the happiness of another; and even the immense ocean is crimsoned with gore, that one may enjoy sole and sullen empire; as if that vast space The Israelitish nation was now in the last could not accommodate the operations of two year of their peregrination through the wil-tribes of ants on yonder molehill. Blessed derness; their civil and religious government were fully settled, and the theocracy finally established. They were now approaching the banks of the Jordan: and by their number, order, and discipline, striking terror into all the neighbouring nations. Two kings, Balaam is described in scripture by his their armies, and their people, have already parentage, his country, and profession. He fallen before their victorious arms; and no- was the son of Beor, or Bosor, the difference thing is left to oppose their progress to Ca- of which pronunciation is accounted for, from naan, but the river, the boundary itself of the the difference of dialect in the oriental lanpromised land. They pitch their camp qui- guages. The father exists to us only in his etly in the plains of Moab, expecting the sig-name, and in the history of his son: and nal from their divine leader and commander happy had it been for that son, to have left to pass over, conquer, and take possession. behind him nothing too but a mere name, These observations are all strikingly exemplified in the character and conduct of Balaam, of which we attempted to give you a general idea in the last Lecture, and to which were added some observations tending to elucidate his singular history. We are now to enter on the particular detail of it, as it is delivered in the sacred record. world, where envy and strife shall rage no more; where there is bread enough and to spare, room enough and to spare; where the felicity of every one is an accession of felicity to every one! instead of one loaded with infamy and detest- | licked up the water that was in the trench." ation. Pethor, the place of his residence, The ox, as he feeds calmly and stately along, was a city of Aram, or Mesopotamia, the employs his tongue only, and the grass perishvery country where Abraham himself was eth without pushing with the horn, or stampborn, and where he resided till his seventy- ing with the foot, actions that denote strength fifth year; the native country of Rebekah, and exertion, but by the easy motion of a soft the wife of Isaac; the country where Jacob and pliant film of flesh, he sweeps away all passed a great part of his youthful years; before him; thus easily and certainly, Balak where he married; where all his children, apprehends, was Israel advancing to his and except Benjamin, were born, and whence he his people's destruction. obtained the name of a Syrian. Pethor was situated on the river Euphrates, called the river, by way of eminence or distinction, it being the largest in the country; and thence, in many passages of scripture, styled the great river. The country adjacent, to a vast distance, being plain, it was .avourable to the observation of the heavenly bodies; and accordingly we find the science of astronomy was early cultivated there; and the pretended science of astrology, that is, the power of foretelling future events, from the appearances and supposed influence of the stars, was speedily grafted upon it. Pride, presumption, and a little knowledge, soon arrogated to themselves a power of controlling these great luminaries, which seem in perpetual motion to encompass our earth, and of suspending or altering their influences; and ignorance, superstition, and credulity easily admitted the insolent claim, and resorted to it. This was apparently the profession of Balaam, for in the book of Joshua he is expressly termed "the soothsayer." It was probably to his skill and power as an astrologer, that Balak had recourse for assistance against Israel, and when we come to his prophecy itself, we shall meet with some, and these not obscure allusions to that art. me."* The message put into the mouths of these ambassadors, is strongly expressive of terror and consternation. "There is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against The dreadful plagues inflicted on Egypt, in effecting Israel's deliverance, had been heard at the distance of Moab; and though forty years have elapsed, they are neither forgotten, nor have lost their impression. Fear ever magnifies its object; "they cover the face of the earth:" the word is, the eye or sight of the earth; their tents extend so far, that the earth and they seem to have one limit, and they are marshalled so close, that no ground can be seen. Another image, strongly expressive of the same passion, is that in the fourth verse. “Now will this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field." "Lick up," it is the same word which is used 1 Kings xvii. 38, to express the action of devouring fire. "Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and *Numb. xxii. 5. And how was this approaching plague to be resisted or averted? "Come now, therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people, for they are too mighty for me; peradventure I shall prevail that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land; for I wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed."+ We have here an assemblage of all the baser and more contemptible passions of the human mind, called forth, and led on by the predominant one of fear: a low grovelling superstition, expecting from magical spells, what ought to have been sought for from wisdom and valour: unprovoked violence and cruelty, in seeking the destruction of a people, who were dwelling peaceably by him, and who had given such strong and recent proof of their moderation, in submitting to a tedious and difficult march round the whole land of Edom, rather than offend an unkind brother. who had refused a passage through his land. which they could easily have cut with the sword; and unmanly, abject adulation of a vile wizard, whom he supposed capable of serving his turn. On the other hand, the two great leading passions of Balaam's soul, vanity and covetousness, were likely to be gratified to the full. How would his heart exult, to see a train of princes standing at his gate, and presents, worthy of kings to bestow, poured down at his feet! A prophet indeed, would have known from the beginning, that the application was nugatory, and that it must come to nothing; and an honest man would have rejected it with firmness, and persevered in that rejection. But we see his heart is won from the first moment, and all that follows is a wretched struggle between inclination and conscience, in which the former, at length, carries off the victory. He receives the messengers with great courtesy, and accommodates them in his house; for even a miser can be hospitable, if he be sure of gaining by it. Abraham's servant, followed by a camel loaded with the good things of Canaan, can easily force open the doors of such a man as Laban, or Balaam. He affects an air of great mystery; he cannot give his response immediately. Night, the season of incantation and dreams, must intervene; and, horrible to think, the great and dreadful name of Jehovah is interposed, to sanction and conceal the wicked purposes * 1 Kings xviii. 38. Numb. xii 6. of a heart hunting after its covetousness; | knew no more than he had a mind to comand he promises to report in the morning the municate to them, he delivers it in terms result of his consultation. How faithfully calculated only to stimulate the eagerness the report was made the sequel will show. of the king of Moab, by encouraging a hope It appears, on the face of the history, that that something might be extorted, by dint of God waited not for an application from Ba- importunity and perseverance; or that, perlaam, concerning this business, but whether haps, he might be allowed to do that at a in a dream, a vision, or by a voice, prevented distance, which he might not do by a nearer him, with an inquiry concerning the deputa- approach. The command was clear and full, tion from Moab. In many instances, Jehovah "Thou shalt not go with them;" but in the is represented as drawing information from mouth of Balaam it is mutilated and pervertmen's own mouths, of what evidently lay re-ed: "The Lord refuseth to give me leave to vealed to his all-seeing eye, and thus making go with you."* This satisfies Balak at once, their folly and wickedness to expose, reprove, that the prophet's good will was with him; and condemn themselves. "And God came that it was not from want of inclination unto Balaam, and said, What men are these that the messengers returned without him; with thee?"* This question must have put and, he justly concludes, that with such a the prophet into great agitation. Awful is proportion of the man on his side, it would the voice of the Eternal, at whatever season, not be difficult to make the rest to follow. in whatever form, and on whatever occasion it is heard! How awful then to a bad man, harbouring an ill design, shutting wilfully his own eyes, and yet flattering himself, and saying, Doth God see, and is there knowledge with the Most High? That he considered the very question as ominous, and fatal to the cause of his avarice and vainglory, is evident from the circumstantiality of his answer. It discovers a soul tremblingly alive to the voice of interest: it is minute and particular, as if, by a parade of words, he could deceive his Maker into an approbation of his purpose and desire. What then must have been his chagrin and disappointment, when a prohibition, so peremptory and positive, in a moment blasted all his prospects of gain and preferment! The father of lies himself will speak truth, when it makes for his purpose; and Satan will quote scripture, if he can but deceive by it; as in his temptation of our Saviour in the wilderness. But then there is always some material circumstance disguised, perverted, or suppressed: and thereby a different meaning is conveyed from what was intended. The word of God, then, is handled deceitfully, not only when it is wrested, and made to speak a language not its own, but when any part of the truth is purposely, artfully, and wilfully concealed: and he "who shuns to declare the whole counsel of God," is equally criminal with him who presumes to deliver, as the word of God, what wants the stamp of his authority. Balaam simply relates, that he is not permitted to go; not a syllable of the prohibition to curse Israel, nor of the reason assigned for that prohibition. "And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them, thou shalt not curse the people, for they are blessed." The applica- As the message lost much by the way betion had two objects in view, permission to tween God and the princes of Moab, from go into the land of Moab, and liberty to curse Balaam's manner of rehearsing it; so it loses the children of Israel, and both meet with a still more between Balaam and their master, flat denial. He must not accompany the from their mutilated and partial report: so ambassadors to him who sent them; neither that by the time it reaches Balak, an entirely must he, either at home, or abroad, in this different turn and meaning is given to it. place or in that, presume to curse, or in any The words of the oracle are, "Thou shalt not shape whatever to molest that people. And, go with them: thou shalt not curse the peoas if the sternness of interdiction had not | ple, for they are blessed :"+ rehearsed by Babeen sufficient, a reason is assigned, "for laam," the Lord refuseth to give me leave they are blessed." The commandments of to go with you :"* reported by the ambassaGod, in general, are so clear, that it is im-dors, "Balaam refuseth to come with us."‡ possible to misunderstand them; it is not ig-Thus, by the alteration of a few circumstannorance, but presumption, that ruins man- ces, even without a direct violation of truth, kind. by passing through a very few hands, a plain Balaam, however reluctant, must next proposition is made to contradict itself; and morning deliver an account of the night's if we add to the easiness of varying facts, by success; and we find he does it in a very varying phrases, and modes of expression; partial and imperfect manner. When he re-the difference, still more easily made, by the ported the message of Balak to God, having infinite diversity of tones, looks, and gesture, to do with the great Searcher of hearts, with we shall not be surprised to find, what fre hom disguise avails nothing, he is accurate quently happens, a man made to say diame and distinct; but in carrying back the an-trically the reverse of what he did say, and swer of God, having to do with men, who what he intended. Numb. xxii. 9. † Numb. xxii. 12. * Num. xxii. 13. Num. xxii. 12. Num. xxii. 14. ing to deceive the king of Moab's messengers into the expectation of a response more favourable to their united wishes. According ly, he courteously invites them to lodge with him that night also; if, peradventure, there might be obtained a reversal of the decree. Balak having received this answer as the propnet's, with great colour of reason, considers it as a mere artifice, employed with a view to raise his price and importance; and he hopes to conquer Balaam's reluctance, by assiduity, perseverance, presents, and flattery; for both good and bad inen judge of others by themselves: and apprized, it would appear, of Balaam's weak side, ambition, and avarice, he despatches a second embassy, consisting of a greater number of persons, and of still higher rank, with this weighty and importunate address: "Thus saith Balak, the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me: for I will promote thee unto very great honour, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: come, therefore, I pray t.ee, curse me this people."* How flattering all this to a worldly, selfish mind! Balak puts a chart blanche into his hands; leaves him to name his own terms. All the honour which a king could bestow, all the wealth of Moab is before him; the very things which his soul lusted after. Blessed Jesus, thou chief of the prophets, even the prince of this world, the chief of tempters, when he came, found nothing in thee! found no weak side, no vulnerable part. The kingdoms of this world, and the glory of them, dazzled not thine eyes: to the loudest calls of nature thou turnedst a deaf ear. The applause of men thou didst despise; thou soughtest not thine own glory, but the glory of Him that sent thee: thy" meat and drinkable embassy attends you. Your desire is to was to do the will of Him that sent thee." Balaam had now been at the summit of his wishes, but for a stern, pointed command of God; which, like a drawn sword, hung by a single hair over his head. Shocking dilemma! he is goaded on by desires as impetuous as ever took possession of a proud and covetous mind; he is bridled in by a prohibition, as decisive as words could make it. For a moment we are in hope that the good principle has got the ascendant, that the fear, if not the love of God is shed abroad in his heart. Who could speak better? "If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more." It is the very sentiment of chaste and virtuous Joseph, when solicited by temptation of a different sort. But here is the difference :-Joseph fled from temptation and overcame: Balaam tampered with it, and fell. Even the worst of men feel themselves under a necessity, for their interest's sake, to save appearances; and something must be said, at least, to still the clamours of conscience. Unhappy man! steady, himself, to his own base and wicked purpose, he is weak enough to entertain the hope, that the great, the unchangeable Jehovah may depart from his. Thus deceiving himself, it is no wonder to see him attempt And now the sable curtain is drawn, and Balaam is left alone, and no eye sees him but the all-seeing eye of God. Without waiting to be consulted, and the prophet, without doubt, was both afraid and ashamed to venture on this second rencounter, God again prevents him, and tacitly, though not directly, charges him with having invited this second application, in the face of a positive and decided answer. Balaam and Balak are both men of this world, and having one and the same spirit to govern them, they readily understand each other. Balaam evidently courts a second address; and Balak is not slow to pay it. Now, this is the very thing which gives so great and such just offence to a holy God-that two presumptuous, selfish wretches should presume to imagine, that the counsels of Heaven could be shaken, in compliance with their humour or interest. "And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do."* The word might have been rendered, "Seeing the men have come to call thee, Balaam, you have carried, thus far, your point. A more honour 66 gave go: you are unable to withstand the allure- Num. xxii. 20. † Psalm lxxxii. 11—14. Balaam flattered himself and the Moabites, | quicksighted as a covetous man pursuing his with hearing more from God; but, as the pu- gain? And yet, who so stupid and dull, as nishment of abusing the light he had, he hears the man whose eyes the god of this world less than before; and the vision is obscured hath blinded? Balaam is up betimes in the to the man who had wilfully shut his own morning, equipped for his journey, on his way eyes. He was formerly forbidden either to for the land of Moab. "For the children of go, or to curse. He is now, at his peril, al- this world are in their generation wiser than lowed to go: but should he be so rash as to the children of light."* And there, for the proceed on so slender a warrant, he is, at his present, we shall leave him, with this melanperil, warned to walk by the instructions choly, mortifying reflection-that a corrupted which should be given him. How easily men heart has infinitely greater power to pervert a believe, how promptly they obey, when the sound understanding and a well informed condoctrine tallies with their prejudices; when science, than an intelligent conscience and a the precept coincides with their inclinations a clear head have to reform and purify a coror their interest. Balaam is weak, I ought rupted heart. If God permit, we shall continue to have said, wicked enough, to imagine his the history next Lord's day. May grace and way perfectly clear. Having carried, as he wisdom be granted us to make a proper use thought, one essential point, all the rest, he of it; and to God's holy name be praise. Amen. presumes, will follow of course. Who so Luke xvi 8. HISTORY OF BALAAM. LECTURE LXIX. These are gone astray, following the way of Balaam, the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; but was rebuked for his iniquity; the dumb ass, speaking with man's voice, forbad the madness of the prophet.-2 PETER ii. 15, 16. THE ordinary powers of nature, if we con- | any degree of application, to the operations of sider them attentively, are no less wonderful his own mind; and to what, in the ordinary in themselves, and are not less a proof of the course of human affairs, is every hour presspower and wisdom of God, than those extra-ing upon his observation. ordinary gifts which have been bestowed, and those preternatural powers which have been exercised at particular seasons, and for special purposes; and which have excited the admiration and astonishment of one part of mankind, and the incredulity of another. That a company of illiterate men should suddenly, and without instruction or study, be endowed with the gift of readily speaking various languages, justly raises our wonder, and conveys to our minds a very lofty idea of that divine intelligence which can communicate such power unto men: but we overlook the wonder equally great, because it is continually occurring, of the common gift of speech, and the conveyance of thought by it; and the acquisition of language by means of letters and memory. That a dumb ass should speak with man's voice, and the dull ass reason, fills us with surprise, because the instance is singular and unparalleled; but the gradual increase of the human body, the imperceptible expansion of the powers of the human mind, puss for a thing of course; though the hand of God be conspicuous in the one case as in the other. Nothing is incredible to them who know the scriptures, and the power of God: nothing is incredible to him who attends, with In a crowded assembly, without the utterance of a single sound, by one glance of the eye, the inmost thoughts, the most secret emotions, shall, quick as lightning, be conveyed from soul to soul: and the stranger be unable to intermeddle with, to partake of the sorrow or the joy. Let the veil of night be spread ever so thick, and the use of sight suspended, as if the eye ball were extinguished, the vibration of a little film of flesh shail dissipate the gloom, and convey the accents of affection or of wo to the ear and the heart of sympathy. Place the diameter of the globe between my friend and me, by an art subtile as the magic spell, what I know and feel in the frozen regions of the north, shall flee on the swift wings of the wind, and touch his soul under the more clement sky of the opposite hemisphere. Knowing from experience all this to be true, history can record no fact, promise suspend before my eyes no future event too wonderful for me to believe. The omniscience, omnipotence, and infinite goodness of God once admitted, every difficulty vanishes. Is there any thing too hard for the Lord to perform? No: Then Sarah conceives a son at ninety years old; the dumb ass reproves the madness of his master; unlet |