delivered, in an extafy, what was committed to them, unconscious of what they faid or did. In the profecution of the hiftory, we fhall find Balaam under both these kinds of infpiration; both awed by fear, and wrapt into the vifion of futurity; in a trance. I only make one obfervation more, for the clearing up of this remarkable story. It was a generally receiv ed opinion among the Gentile nations, that prophets, or diviners, had a power, by means of incantation, to inflict or to remove public calamities; that they understood the art of decoying from among their enemies, the tutelar deities who prefided over them; in confequence of which, they were eafily and certainly difcomfited. Homer makes the capture of Troy to depend on the removal of the facred image of Minerva from its refidence in the citadel of that metropolis: and Joshua himfelf, in the conqueft of Canaan, takes advantage of this vulgar prejudice, to encourage his men to proceed to victory; and to prevent the ill ef fects of the timid and terrifying report of his colleagues, respecting the strength of the country. "Rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not. It was accordingly ufual, on undertaking military expeditions, to nerve the arm, and to whet the fword of the foldier, by the tongue of the prieft, and the tremendous forms of religion. They attempted to make the gods parties to their quarrels, and devoted to perdition the nations against whom they waged war. An ancient author has tranfmitted to us the form of execration employed on fuch occa fions, which, on account of its relation to our subject, perhaps you will have the curiofity to hear. It is a perfect contrast to the bleffing which Balaam was obliged, reluctantly, to pronounce upon Ifrael. The priest destined to this awful employment, after prefenting the usual facrifice, advanced to the head of the ar * Numb. xiv. 9. my. my, and in the presence of the general and principal officers, pronounced aloud, words to this effect. “ Almighty Father of gods and men, or if thou wouldst rather be addreffed by the name of Jupiter, or if any other appellation be more grateful to thine ear; pour out, I conjure thee, upon this army," or "this city," according as the cafe required, "the spirit of terror and difmay deprive of the fight of their eyes, all those who fhall level ther blows at us, our legions or troops; fpread darkness over our enemies, over their cities, over their fields, over their armies. Look upon them as a thing accurfed: bring them under the hardest conditions that ever an enemy was conftrained to undergo. As for me, to deftruction I hereby devote them; my curfe I pour upon them, and take this prince, thefe captains, this people, to be witneffes of it." This ceremony being performed, and the foldiers infpirited by the fanctions of religion, they advanced to the combat, in confidence of fuccefs. It was for a purpose of this kind, that Balaam was now fent for by the confederated powers of Moab and Midian. How the latter of these two nations had been induced to join in fuch an embaffy, we are not informed. The middle forty years of his life, Mofes had spent among that people; had formed alliance with them, by marrying the daughter of Jethro, one of the princes of the country, with whom he maintained a moft friendly correfpondence, after he was raised to the command of the armies of Ifrael. He cannot, therefore, be fufpected of forming a hoftile defign against his ancient hofts and relations; and it was much more natural for them to form an alliance with a man of Mofes's well known wisdom and moderation, and with a people fo fenfibly favoured of Heaven as Ifrael was, than with a nation of idolaters, and a prince, who was reduced to employ the poor arts of incantation against his enemies. But, in many cafes it happens, that, aiming at an over-refined wifdom and poli *Macrob. Saturnal. lib. III. сар. IX. су, cy, men prove themselves fools. Jethro was proba→ bly by this time dead, and the Midianitish estate was governed by councils, very unlike those which would probably have been fuggefted by that wife and good man and a deputation of their princes joins thofe of Balak, in an application to Balaam, to strengthen their united forces, by laying Ifrael under a curfe. : It is melancholy to think that from the beginning to this day, men have been more eager to bring mifchief upon others, than to procure good to themfelves. Had these Midianites and Moabites affociated together to strengthen their borders, had they invited a prophet to come and confirm their bands of alliance, and encourage the hearts of their foldiery, by pronouncing a bleffing upon themfelves, they had not been reprehenfible; but fuch is the corruption and malignity of the human heart, that it not only takes pleasure in the evil that befals another, where our own interest is concerned, but in the very mischief that is wrought for mischief fake. The great evil is, men engage in tranfitory pursuits as if they were immortal; and had they the power, together with the incli nation, would profecute momentary offences with everlafting punishments. What is it to one nation that another great nation be utterly exterminated, provided a favourite fcheme of ambition, commerce or revenge be thereby promoted! When we hear a poor wretch, a common curfer and fwearer, on the most frivolous occafions, imprecating eternal damnation on his fellow-creature, we are filled with horror; and yet without surprise, we behold religious fects in their zeal, and mighty empires in their pride and fury, deliberately doing the fame thing. What principle fo important to individuals and to ftates, as a principle of true religion! It is a comforter in affliction, a counfellor in darkness and uncertainty, a refuge in danger and diftrefs, a fupport in death. What fo feductive and mischievous as an erroneous principle of this fort! "If the light that is in men be darknefs, how great is VOL. IV. N that 1 that darkness?" Falfe religion is a wandering fire of the night, hurrying men over a precipice; plunging them in the gulph-pretending to bring a tribute of glory to God by deftroying mankind. It is the fpirit of the great enemy of God and man, who is a liar and a murderer from the beginning. It is the periloufnefs of the times that has toffed Balaam into notice, and confequence, and infamy. In a quieter period, he had floated unnoticed on the furface, and filently increased the paltry gains of his black art, by playing on the credulity of filly women and children. But the old wizard has had the good fortune to attract the notice of princes, and has the opportunity of felling his magical fpells at his own price; and he fails not to make the most of his mark With the clue afforded us in fcripture, we will attempt in another Lecture, to follow the various turnings and windings of that profoundest, darkest, most intricate of all labyrinths, a carnal, covetous heart. We conclude the prefent with calling upon you: I. To remark and to revere the righteous judgment of God, in giving up to ftrong delufion thofe who feek and follow delufions. Every deliberate violation of God's law, every victory which a man gains over his own confcience, becomes his punishment, as it is his crime. Let not him who has wilfully deceived himfelf, in the first inftance, pretend to complain, that he has been hurried into miftakes which he never intended, but could not avoid. The firft wrong ftep was in his power, but not the fourth or the fifth. The man needed not, unless he chofe, to have fet himself a running down a fteep place; but, once in motion, it is not in his power to ftop when he would. If therefore he plunge into the flood beneath, the fault is in himself, not the laws of motion, which only carried on what his own will had begun. The man who has destroyed his faculties by excefs, must not charge his bad memory, his erroneous judgment, or the inconveniencies in which they have involved him, upon na ture, 1 ture, or the God of nature. No, they only establish the work of his own hands. fectly just that, "to him who hath fhould more be given, and from him who hath not, even that which he hath fhould be taken away.' II. Let us rejoice that we have a clear and "fure word of prophecy," to direct and affift us in every doubtful and difficult cafe ; and that "the teftimony of Jefus is the fpirit of prophecy." The gift of prophecy was not always a bleffing to the poffeffor; and, as the mere knowledge of future events, it would be the reverfe of a bleffing. In tender mercy and in loving kindness, God conceals futurity from men. But all that pertains to the acquifition of wisdom, and the attainment of happiness; all that affures us of life and immortality, and makes us meet for the enjoyment of it, the words of this prophecy fully unfold. "The righteousness of faith fpeaketh on this wife, Say not in thine heart, who fhall afcend into heaven? (that is, to bring Chrift down from above) or, who fhall defcend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Chrift again from the dead.) But what faith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith which we preach, That if thou fhalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jefus, and fhalt believe in thine heart that God hath raifed him from the dead, thou fhalt be faved."* To know but this, is more than to "speak with the tongues of men and of angels"-is more than to "have the gift of prophecy, and to understand all myfteries and all knowledge; and to have all faith, so as to be able to remove mountains." "Covet earnestly the best gifts ;" but rather cultivate the fruits of the Spirit, "love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance against fuch there is no law."t III. While we admire the wisdom and goodness of God, in counteracting the intention of wicked Balaam, and turning the curfe in his mouth into a bleffing, let N 2 us |