SERMON VIII.

FURTHER PROPHECIES OF BALAAM.

NUMBERS Xxiv. 5, 6.

How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel! As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river's side, as the trees of lign-aloes which the Lord hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters.

WE have already expounded two of those predictions of prosperity and power, with which Balaam, under the compulsory power of the Spirit of God, was made to bless the children of Israel, as they were lying encamped in the plains of Moab. I say the compulsory power of the Spirit of God, be cause it was in his heart to have done far otherwise. Such was in his case the spirit of prophecy.

It is not so in the gift of saving grace. The first operation of the Holy Ghost on the mind of man is to make him a willing subject of divine influence. It begins by removing his natural opposition to the will of God and the method of his salvation; it implants in him spiritual desires and holy purposes; it disposes him to approve of all the things which God has revealed and commanded, and infuses into him a love for the people of God, and a desire to do them good and to have his own portion among them. Thus instead of remaining under this influence an unwilling creature, all the while desiring otherwise, rebelling and doing despite to the Spirit, the grace of God by Christ prevents him that he may have a good will and works with him when he has that good will.' There is this most important difference between the mere gift of extraordinary powers, and the sanctifying communications of saving grace.

With these observations I proceed to consider the two remaining prophetical blessings which Balaam was compelled to pronounce upon the Israelites, as they are recorded in

this chapter. Perceiving from what had already passed that it was God's determined purpose to bless them, notwithstanding all his attempts to procure a contrary decision, he desisted from his enchantments, and seems as if he would have ceased from any further attempts against them. But he was overruled even in this particular. While he beheld them abiding in order in their tents, according to their tribes, the Spirit of God again came upon him, and constrained him to utter still more noble predictions.

This third prophecy opens with what appears to be a pompous description of his attainments in respect of prophetic visions. "Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said; he hath said which heard the words of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open.' These are the words of our common translation, and if they are correct, they certainly display the vanity of Balaam, and the complacency with which he prided himself in his gifts. But I must observe to you that it is generally

understood that the passage should rather be read thus." Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes were that hath said; he hath said which heard the words of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling, and his eyes were opened." If this be the right translation, the words probably refer to his inability to see his angel of the Lord which stood in the way, while the ass saw him, and to his falling down when the ass fell, and then perceiving the divine messenger. Whichever way we read, the import of the prophecy is not affected by it, nor yet the character of Balaam. For, alas for him, while his eyes were opened, his heart was shut against the word of God. Glorious indeed were the views that were vouchsafed to him, and the revelations which were made to him; but he derived no advantage from them to himself. His knowledge did not profit him, because his heart was not right with God. And no discernment of divine things, however obtained, will be beneficial to any man, unless it be accompanied with a bowing of the will to all that God would

have him to say and do, and a delight and joy of heart in the things which God commands, and in the people whom he honours.

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The prophecy being thus opened, Balaam delivers the whole of it in these words. "How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernables, O Israel! As the vallies are they spread forth, as gardens by the river's side, as the trees of lign-aloes which the Lord hath planted beside the waters. He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted. God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of a unicorn; he shail eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows. He couched, he lay down as a lion and as a great lion; who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee and cursed is he that curseth thee." In most beautiful imagery is the present position of the Israelites described, and their future glories predicted. Their increase in population, their power, their