SERMON VII.

THEY HAVE

2 PETER, ii. 15.

FORSAKEN THE RIGHT WAY,

AND GONE ASTRAY; FOLLOWING THE WAY OF BALAAM, THE SON OF BOSOR, WHO

LOVED THE WAGES OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.

ST. PETER, in this paffage, alludes to a very extraordinary man, and a very extraordinary story, the story of Balaam, which I have just been reading to you in the leffon of the day; and as it may, in fome parts, be apt to mislead you, I thought it not amifs to accompany it with an explanation.

In the following discourse, therefore, I shall first explain to you the character of Balaam; and

fhall

fhall then point out to you fuch uses as arife from the story of this fingular man.

BALAAM lived at that period of the Jewish hif tory, when the Ifraelites were taking poffeffion of the promised land. The Amorites, who had opposed their progrefs, had suffered a total defeat. A fecond battle had reduced the dominions of Bafan; and the victorious army, now encamped on the banks of Jordan, was preparing to enter the country of Moab.

Balak, the son of Zippor, was king of Moab at that time. This prince, terrified at the approach of fo numerous a hoft; which, as he expreffively phrased it, was like the ox, licking up the grafs of the field; and dreading to be involved in this general ruin, caft his despairing eyes around for affiftance. Human arms, he found, were vain. The victorious army marched under the conduct of fupernatural power. Laying afide therefore all defign of regular defence, he refolvedto oppose them with their own weapons; and to call fupernatural power to his affistance alfo.

In this defign who could ferve him like Balaam the fon of Beor-Balaam, the favoured prophet of thofe times, to whom all the nations around, in their difficulties had recourse.

This holy man lived at a distance from Moab, on the banks of the Euphrates, in the country of Mefopotamia *.

The distance however was no obftacle. Meffengers were immediately dispatched, with the rewards of divination in their hands, to bring the prophet to curfe Ifrael; and make them an eafy prey.

But the matter was not fo eafily accomplished. The prophet was forbidden by God, to have any hand in curfing a favoured people; and the mefsengers returned with difappointment to their king.

Balak, however, ftill perfifted.

Meffengers more honourable were fent to Balaam; and offers more proportioned to the fervice, were made. But Balaam's firm foul was proof against the lure of riches. If Balak, faid he, would give me his boufe full of filver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord, my God, to do less or more.

God however permitting him, he at length accompanied this honourable embaffy to the court of Balak. But here he perfevered in the fame noble and upright behaviour. Inftead of humouring the king's paffions, and curfing his enemies, he fupported the character of a great proDEUTERONOMY, xxiii. 4.

phet;

1

A

phet; and fpake boldly the truths, which had been delegated to him. And when the angry king, in the agony of keen disappointment, smiting his hands together, cried out, I called thee to curfe mine enemies; and lo thou hast blessed them thefe three times; ftill Balaam held the fame noble language; Spake I not unto thy messengers, faying, If Balak would give me his houfe full of filver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the Lord, to do either good or bad. And when the king, overcome with his perverseness, difmiffed him at length with threatenings, he retired with a dignity which became the character he had fupported.-All this was furely great and noble, and equal to any thing on record. admire the intrepidity of the man, his contempt of riches, and firmnefs in fupporting the prophetic character.

We

BUT alas! we have feen only the outfide of Balaam. Balaam, like many other men, had two characters; a public character, and a private one. What we have seen was only Balaam's public character that appearance which he was defirous to put on in the fight of men. Let us now examine him a little more clofely, and endeavour to fhew, what Balaam's real character was.

Balaam,

Balaam, though a prophet of the Lord, and endowed with extraordinary gifts, was certainly a very bad man.-St. Peter affures us he loved the wages of unrighteousness: notwithstanding his pretended contempt for riches. Why God made use of such an inftrument for a prophet, we can as little conceive, as why Christ made an apostle of Judas Iscariot. Good reafons, no doubt, there were for both, tho' we cannot discern them. However, these are points with which at present we have nothing to do. A bad man Balaam certainly was; and to those who knew him intimately, had undoubtedly given many instances of a bad heart, and corrupt practice.-Let us not however proceed on fuppofition against Balaam; but examine the feveral facts which lead to his detection.

Obferve; when Balak's meffengers first came to him, we are told, they brought with them the rewards of divination. What the rewards of divination were, we know not. It is probable however they were only an ordinary recompence -what he had often received from other people; and what had not the force of a temptation in his eye. Thus far then Balaam appears not to have fhewn any great eagerness to attend the call of Balak.