his character has been displayed in its true colours, in order that, by studying it with humility, and in the way of self-application, we may take warning, and gain spiritual wisdom, for ourselves. May the grace of the Holy Spirit be with us now, while we attempt to make a practical improvement of the subject!

Let us consider, in the first place, what appears on the surface of Balaam's character; and then notice some symptoms of the real state and disposition of his heart.

I. 1. Observe then, Balaam confessed the name of the Lord, and owned him as his God. The Lord my God:-that is the title by which he spoke of the Most High. And as far as language is concerned, even Abraham, the father of the faithful, could have done no more. Why then do we feel ourselves compelled to regard the characters of these two men as altogether different from each other? Because, in the case of the patriarch, but not in the case of Balaam,—such was the language of the life as well as of the lips. The Lord my God;-that was the confession of Abraham's journeyings when he went forth from his own country, not knowing whither he went, and that was the language of Moriah!

My Christian brethren, in what way do we call

the Lord our God? Is it only as Balaam did? Or is it after the manner of Abraham ?

What

2. But Balaam went further than this. was the answer which he returned when the second message from Balak was made known to him? "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." He professed therefore to pay great regard to the will of the Most High, and to act upon the maxim, 'We must obey God rather than men.' Nay, not only did he profess this principle of true religion, but, to a certain extent, he appears to have intended to act under its influence. His conscience would not suffer him to oppose God's will openly and knowingly; or, to say the very least, he wished to have the divine authority for his actions, if it could be obtained.

Are there any persons who suppose that Balaam must therefore have been a holy man,-one after God's own heart? Alas, let them remember how deceitful is man's heart; and how easy it is for themselves to be blind even to their own spiritual condition, unless they submit their hearts to the light of divine truth, in the practice of honest self-examination! All that we have seen in the case of Balaam may have place in your own experience and practice, and yet, at the same time, you may be far from the kingdom of God.

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3. Again ;-Balaam went further still in what may seem to be the habit and practice of godliness. He rendered actual obedience to God's word. What was the will of the Most High, as revealed to him on occasion of the first visit of the elders of Moab and Midian? God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people; for they are blessed." And what was the conduct of Balaam with reference to this announcement? "Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land; for the Lord refuseth to give me leave to go with you." Here then was an act of obedience to the divine command. And yet Balaam was neither sincere in God's service, nor acceptable in God's sight!

And now let us transfer all these good appearances to the circumstances of those who profess and call themselves Christians. You too, as Balaam did, take the Lord's name upon your lips, and subscribe yourselves as his. You make the confession of a right faith. You deny no doctrine of Scripture. You honour the Son even as you honour the Father; and, without any taint of heresy or error, you admit and acknowledge every article of the Christian faith. Besides this, you have regard to many of the divine prohibitions and threatenings against sin. Your conscience does

not suffer you to perform this or that act, because God has forbidden it. You see, perhaps, other men around you committing iniquity with greediness; but, for your own part, you dare not to transgress. And yet further. In many respects you render positive and active obedience to the divine command. God says, "Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy;" and here you are, on this day, in the assembly of his people, taking part in divine worship. God commands you to do good and to communicate; and you have done this. He enjoins you to be industrious in your worldly calling; and so you are.-And can it indeed be possible that, notwithstanding all this, you may be in God's sight, an impenitent, unconverted sinner ? Who shall dare to affirm that you are not a Christian in heart,—a faithful servant of the Lord? I answer, no one. Let not a mortal tongue dare to pronounce such a judgment upon your soul. "Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? To his own master he standeth or fall

eth." Let none say that you are not in very deed all that you profess to be. Let none have a right even to suspect it, without a violation of the great law of brotherly kindness and love. But, are you

satisfied with this? Is it enough

that you are blameless before men? Have carried religion

you

far enough,—or at least quite as far as you wish

to carry it, when you have established that title to a Christian name, which no man who has the fear of God in his own soul may venture to gainsay or oppose? If so, you are too easily contented! Remember that there is yet One who seeth not as man seeth, and that He is looking on your heart. Consider that, although man's tongue may be silenced or forced even to applaud, it yet remains for you to hear, at the last day, the voice of the archangel and the trump of God! Look into the faithful mirror of God's word; and seek honestly to discover what is your real state and character in the sight of heaven.

The history of Balaam may perhaps, by God's grace, assist you in making this discovery. The prophet had done, it may be, as much as you have. He had established a claim, quite as strong as yours, to the reputation of integrity and godliness. And yet he is described in our text, by the pen of inspiration, as "Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness,”—and whose heart, as is implied in the words which went before, was "exercised with covetous practices!" In one word, although Balaam rendered some partial and external obedience to the divine command, yet he did not obey God from the heart. The real bias of his inclinations and desires was