correct views of religion, and the revelations which he received, and was the honoured instrument of delivering to the Jewish church, and to the world in all succeeding ages, were not allowed to exert their sanctifying influence over him. He "loved the wages of unrighteousness;" covetousness had taken possession of his heart; and "the love of money, which is the root of all evil," in opposition to his better knowledge, the voice of conscience, and the solemn warnings of God himself, pushed him on to that deep hypocrisy, and those strange inconsistencies, of which his history furnishes so singular an exhibition.

But I proceed, as proposed, secondly, to trace more particularly Balaam's sin. The test of his character, and the cause of his ruin, was "the reward of divination" held out to him by Balak; and his fatal attempt, in violation of every moral and religious principle that opposed his wishes to possess it, developes his ruling propensity, and shows us the nature and aggravations of his sin.

1. We begin with Balak's first embassy to Balaam. Here is only what may be still seen in oriental countries, where manners slowly and seldom change: a selection of persons of rank and family, styled "Elders" and " Princes," heads of families and rulers, sent by the King to the Prophet, carrying with them gifts and presents, called by Moses "the reward of divination.” Their object is explained, which was to engage Balaam, the renowned soothsayer, or diviner, to go with them, and employ, according to heathen customs, his incantations against the children of Israel, now set down as conquerors in the plains of Moab; if "peradventure," said Balak, "I shall prevail, that I may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land." (xxii. 6.) Such were the messengers, and the purport of their message. How far Balaam is to be blamed for receiving these messengers into his house, and showing a willingness to comply with their request, is not so easy to determine. His conduct, however, is not to be tried by the standard of Christian revelation. He probably did not know the sacred character of the people against whom his aid was solicited; he might look on them merely as an invading army, actuated only by a rapacious ambition of conquest; for so it was represented unto him: "This company lick up all that is round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field." (xxii. 4.) The almost universal practice of the nations amongst whom he had always dwelt might have lulled his conscience asleep on the subject of "enchantments;" nor might he imagine that there was much harm in blending pagan rites with the ceremonies of a purer worship. Still, however, had Balaam availed himself of the light within his reach, the object of the embassy must have appeared to him of a very questionable character; nor is it any breach of charity, knowing as we do, from the pen of inspiration itself, his prevailing propensity, to suppose that even now the prospect of gain cast a shade over his judgment, and dictated his proceedings: the application of a little self-knowledge would have roused his godly

jealousy, and have made him feel that an offer of wealth, to be obtained by methods of doubtful morality, was a temptation from which he ought immediately to withdraw. This, however, he does not do, but entertains the messengers and their message, and exposes himself to temptation. There is one part of Balaam's conduct on this occasion not to be overlooked, which shows his deep sense of God's authority and the force of his conscience. Before he presumes to answer Balak's messengers he waits to know the will of the Almighty; and when he received the answer, "Thou shalt not go with them,” at the certain loss of his reward, and the risk of incurring Balak's anger and resentment, he sends them back, saying, "Get you inte your own land;" though the act itself, as appears from the reason he assigns to them, seems to do violence to the lingering inclination of his heart, "The Lord refuseth to give me leave to go with you.” (xxii. 13.)

2. Balak, dissatisfied at the failure of his first embassy, but unwilling to abandon his point, sends a second of higher rank, with richer presents, and larger offers of honour and preferment, than the former. He probably knew the Prophet's besetment, and acted on the maxim, "Every man has his price." Before this second temptation Balaam is subdued, the mask falls off, and the unsoundness of his principles is discovered. He again receives and entertains Balak's messengers, and again seeks counsel from God. Had any new feature appeared that required consideration? Were not the people the same? their circumstances unchanged? and God's regard for them unaltered? Was he not absolutely told, "Thou shalt not curse the people, for they are blessed?" Could he hope, by hypocritical prayers, to alter the purposes of Him who he knew was not "a man, that he should lie, or the son of man, that he should repent?" or to obtain from a God of holiness permission to gratify a sinful propensity? or, by reconsideration, find out a method of evading his duty, without wounding his conscience? A man of sterling integrity would have rejected the application with disdain; and, regardless of consequences, unhesitatingly dismissed the messengers without considering either their rank or station, or the riches they offered him. Balaam knew the

will of God; he knew, too, the steps that he himself ought to have taken; but his eager desire for the wages of unrighteousness turned him aside; he tempted God, and vexed his Holy Spirit. When men set their hearts on what they know to be evil, and resolutely pursue it, against the remonstrances of conscience, and the warnings of God's Spirit to the contrary, they are then left to be carried down by the current of their inclinations, and to complete their own ruin. Balaam rejected the counsel of God, and was suffered to take his own way; it is in this sense these expressions are to be understood: "If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them;" but his eager haste to gain his object makes him neglect the condition, "If the men come to

call thee;" for, in the morning, uncalled, he rises, saddles his ass, and enters on his disastrous journey.

3. It was now that "God's anger was kindled because he went." "An angel of the Lord stood in the way for an adversary against him ;" and, by the interposition of a miracle, " the dumb ass speaking with man's voice reproves the madness of the Prophet." "The speaking ass," says Bishop Newton, "has been the standing jest of every infidel brother." The Jews themselves have denied this extraordinary fact, or maintained that it happened only in a vision; (Maimonides, More Nevochim, part ii., chap. 4;) but the history contains no reason which countenances an allegorical interpretation. Whatever objections may be made to the construction of the animal's mouth, or the formation of its tongue and jaws, these present no difficulties to those who believe the Scriptures and the power of God. If the ass uttered words resembling the human speech, an adequate cause is assigned for the effect; for it is said, "The Lord opened the mouth of the ass;" (xxii. 28;) and no one who believes in the existence of God can deny his ability to do this. Nor is there more of a miracle in the fact of an animal, dumb by nature, being made to utter intelligible sounds, than in that of a superstitious and covetous soothsayer, such as Balaam was, being made to deliver sublime and magnificent prophecies. According to the account, the ass first discovers the angel; and, to avoid him, leaves the highway, crosses the fields, and goes into the path of the vineyards, which was enclosed by a wall on either hand. The angel appears again, and the terrified animal "thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall." The angel removes again to a narrow place where there was no passage on the right hand or on the left. The ass at the sight falls down under Balaam. The enraged Prophet for the third time smites her with his staff. Her mouth is then opened to expostulate with him on the unreasonableness and cruelty of his treatment of her; but his wrath is only augmented, till the Lord opens his eyes, and he sees "the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face." (xxii. 31.) But what effect has this miraculous interposition on Balaam? Is he cured of the love of money? Does he now abandon his iniquitous undertaking? No! His heart remains the same; his passion for wealth is undiminished; and his soul still cleaves to the riches which Balak had promised him. "If it displease thee," said he, "I will get me back again." Could he doubt it? Did he not know the mind of God before he entered on his journey? Had he not just now received a signal proof of the divine displeasure? But his covetousness prevails, and again he is left to pursue his sin under circumstances of aggravated guilt.

Neither could the solemn and awful transactions on the high places of Baal produce any salutary effect on Balaam's avaricious heart. The reiterated revelations of God's will concerning Israel, rendered, as we

may conclude, more impressive by the extraordinary prophetic visions with which they were accompanied, only tended to develope the unconquerable character of his fatal propensity, and more deeply to aggravate his sin. With unabated eagerness he again and again renews his attempt, till every hope of success fails, and he abandons his object in despair, declaring, in spite of himself, and to the dismay of the disappointed King, "Blessed is he that blesseth thee; and cursed is he that curseth thee." The eager, anxious trial had failed; and Balaam's hopes of wealth and promotion perished in its failure. Balak could no longer restrain his anger; but "smote his hands together" in indignation, and drove away the mortified Prophet without his reward. "I thought," said he, "to promote thee unto great honour; but, lo! the Lord hath kept thee back from honour." (xxiv. 10, 11.)

Should we here close our examination of Balaam's sin, we should leave out of sight one of its blackest features. Having failed by direct means to curse Israel, he resorts to another and unhappily more successful method of kindling God's displeasure against them. He knew that, whilst the people continued to serve the Lord, no evil could befall them; but if they could be brought to commit sin, punishment would immediately follow. He therefore instructed Balak to draw the Israelites to commit lewdness with the daughters of Moab, and to join in their idol-sacrifices; in consequence of which the Lord sent a plague which destroyed "twenty and four thousand." (xxv. 9.) Josephus narrates the transaction in detail; (see Antiq., book iv., c. 6., sec. 6;) and his account receives confirmation from Revelation ii. 14, where we read, "Balaam taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication;" compared with the history recorded by Moses, Numbers xxv.

Such was Balaam, and such his fatal sin! He was unquestionably one of the most extraordinary personages of antiquity, his character exhibiting the strangest compound of contradictory qualities. He knew and worshipped the Almighty Lord of heaven and earth; but did not hesitate to practise the superstitious observances of pagan rites: he was a divinely-inspired Prophet of unrivalled fame throughout the East; but he was willing to prostitute his talents, and serve as a soothsayer to please a heathen King, and to curse the people of God: he was the organ of pronouncing blessings on the children of Israel, and delivering the most magnificent prophecy concerning them; but he seeks to overturn the blessings he had uttered, and as far as possible thwart his own predictions, by teaching Balak to put a stumbling-block in Israel's way, over which they unhappily fell, and kindled the Almighty's displeasure against them: he wishes to die the death of a righteous man, and prays that his final portion may be with the saints; but with eternity full in his view, and all the infinite consequences hereafter of a life of sin and of holiness present to his thoughts,

in opposition to the admonitions of conscience and the warnings of God, he delivers himself up to a course of aggravated sin, which he knew must inevitably defeat his prayers and wishes. The love of money triumphed over Balaam, and was the direful cause of all his inconsistencies. In vain did his mouth obey,-his heart rebelled. He asks, consults, and tries again; and when he could not alter God's fidelity to his people, he attempts to overthrow their fidelity to him. Sin, dark and aggravated, marked his footsteps; and ruin, signal and awful, followed in the rear.

(To be concluded in our next.)

THE IMPORTANCE OF TIME.

To repent, to believe in Christ, to works proper to the season of this life. season is gone, and there is no place for them for ever. state wherein we die, we must continue to all eternity. after-game to be played in this case.

exercise piety and mercy, are When this life is past, the In the same

There is no

The doctrine of purgatory, taught in the Church of Rome, is a vile cheat that hath no foundation at all, either in Scripture, or in the belief of the primitive Church; yea, is plainly contrary to both. Wherefore, as we love our souls, let us not in the least depend upon it. Let us fix this as a most infallible conclusion, that if death seize upon us before we have repented with a true repentance, there is no hope, no redemption for us. Then neither our own prayers, nor the tears of others, will do us any good. All dirges and masses for our souls will then be insignificant. All the powers in heaven and earth cannot then help us. Nay, our blessed Saviour himself cannot save us; because be hath positively declared he will not.

!

O that this consideration might enter deeply into our hearts! And that it may do so, let us often direct our thoughts to those miserable souls that are now in chains of darkness, irrevocably lost and undone for ever. How do they curse their own folly, in neglecting those opportunities of salvation which we enjoy, and they once had, but are now for ever denied! How many worlds, were they in their power, would they give to be where we are; in the house of God, to hear the promises of salvation offered to them, and to call upon God for mercy How carefully would they frequent the prayers of the church! How fervent would they be in those prayers! How often would they be upon their bended knees in private prayer! How greedily would they embrace all opportunities of salvation when offered to them! every sacrament they could receive, every sermon they could hear! But, alas! their time is past, and they are excluded from the means of grace and salvation to all eternity. Now be assured that if thou dost not seasonably repent, and turn to God, thy case will shortly be the same with theirs; and thou shalt repent in hell for not repenting here.-Bull.