men; it is therefore our glory to be thus set on work: to stop the course of evil, either by dissuasion or violence, is an angelical service.

In what danger are wicked men that have God's angels their opposites! The devil moved him to go; a good angel resists him. If a heavenly spirit stand in the way of a sorcerer's sin, how much more ready are all those spiritual powers, to stop the miscarriages of God's dear children! How often had we fallen yet more, if these guardians had not upheld us; whether by removing occasions, or by casting in good instincts! As our good endeavours are often hindered by Satan, so are our evil by good angels; else were not our protection equal to our danger, and we could neither stand nor rise.

It had been as easy for the angel to strike Balaam, as to stand in nis way; and to have followed him in his starting aside, as to stop him in a narrow path: but even the good angels have their stints in their executions. God had somewhat more to do with the tongue of Balaam, and therefore he will not have him slain, but withstood; and so withstood, that he shall pass. It is not so much glory to God, to take away wicked men, as to use their evil to his own holy purposes. How soon could the Commander of heaven and earth rid the world of bad members! But so should he lose the praise of working good by evil instruments. It sufficeth that the angels of God resist their actions, while their persons continue.

That no man may marvel to see Balaam have visions from God and utter prophecies from him, his very ass hath his eyes opened to see the angel, which his master could not, and his mouth opened to speak more reasonably than his master. There is no beast deserves so much wonder as this of Balaam, whose common sense is advanced above the reason of his rider; so as for the time the prophet is brutish, and the beast prophetical.. Who can but stand amazed at the eye, at the tongue of this silly creature? For so dull a sight, it was much to see a bodily object that were not too apparent, but to see that spirit which his rider discerned not was far beyond nature. To hear a voice come from that mouth, which was used only to bray, it was strange and uncouth; but to hear a beast, whose nature is noted for incapacity, to outreason his master, a professed prophet, is in the very height of miracles: yet can no heart stick at these, that considers the dispensation of the Almighty in both. Our eye could no more see a beast, than a beast can see an angel, if he had not given this power to it. How easy is it for him that made the eye of man and beast, to dim or enlighten it at his pleasure! and if his power can make the very stones to speak, how much more a creature of sense! That evil spirit spake in the serpent to our first parents; why is it more that a spirit should speak in the mouth of a beast? How ordinarily did the heathen receive their oracles out of stones and trees! Do not we ourselves teach birds to speak those sentences they understand not? We may wonder, we cannot distrust, when we compare the act with the Author; which can as easily create a voice without a body, as

a body without a voice. Who now can hereafter plead his simplicity and dulness of apprehending spiritual things, when he sees how God exalts the eyes of a beast, to see a spirit? Who can be proud of seeing visions, since an angel appeared to a beast? Neither was his skin better after it than others of his kind. Who can complain of his own rudeness and inability to reply in a good cause, when the very beast is enabled by God to convince his master? There is no mouth into which God cannot put words; and how often doth he choose the weak and unwise to confound the learned and mighty!

What had it been better for the ass to see the angel, if he had rushed still upon his sword? Evils were as good not seen, as not avoided; but now he declines the way, and saves his burthen. It were happy for perverse sinners, if they could learn of this beast, to run away from foreseen judgments. The revenging angel stands before us; and though we know we shall as sure die as sin, yet we have not the wit or grace to give back; though it be with the hurt of a foot to save the body; with the pain of the body to save the soul.

I see, what fury and stripes the impatient prophet bestows upon this poor beast, because he will not go on; yet if he had gone on, himself had perished. How often do we wish those things, the not obtaining whereof is mercy! We grudge to be staid in the way to death, and fly upon those which oppose our perdition.

I do not (as who would not expect) see Balaam's hair stand upright, nor himself alighting, and appalled at this monster of miracles; but, as if no new thing had happened, he returns words to the beast, full of anger, void of admiration; whether his trade of Sorcering had so inured him to receive voices from his familiars, in shape of beasts, that this event seemed not strange to him; or, whether his rage and covetousness had so transported him, that he had no leisure to observe the unnatural unusualness of the event. Some men make nothing of those things, which overcome others with horror and astonishment.

I hear the angel of God taking notice of the cruelty of Balaam to his beast: his first words to the unmerciful prophet are in expostulating of his wrong. We little think it, but God shall call us to an account for the unkind and cruel usages of his poor mute creatures. He hath made us lords, not tyrants; owners, not tormenters: he, that hath given us leave to kill them for our use, hath not given us leave to abuse them at our pleasure; they are so our drudges, that they are our fellows by creation. It was a sign the magician would easily wish to strike Israel with a curse, when he wished a sword to strike his harmless beast. It is ill falling into those hands, whom beasts find unmerciful.

Notwithstanding these rubs Balaam goes on, and is not afraid to ride on that beast, whose voice he had heard; and now, posts are sped to Balac with the news of so welcome a guest. He, that sent

VOL. I.

princes to fetch him, comes himself on the way to meet him: although he can say, Am not I able to promote thee? yet he gives this high respect to him as his better, from whom he expected the promotion of himself and his people. Oh the honour that hath been formerly done by heathens, to them that have borne but the face of prophets! I shame and grieve to compare the times and men: only, O God, be thou merciful to the contempt of thy ser

vants.

As if nothing needed but the presence of Balaam, the superstitious king (out of the joy of his hope) feasts his gods, his prophet, his princes; and on the morrow carries him up to the high places of his idol. Who can doubt whether Balaam were a false prophet, that sees him sacrificing in the mount of Baal? Had he been from the true God, he would rather have said, "Pull me down these altars of Baal," than "Build me here seven others." The very place convinces him of falshood and idolatry; and why seven altars? What needs all this pomp? When the true God never required but one at once, as himself is one; why doth the false prophet call for no less than seven? as if God stood upon numbers? as if the Almighty would have his power either divided or limited? Here is nothing but a glorious and magnificent pretence of devotion. It hath been ever seen, that the false worshippers of God have made more pompous shews, and fairer flourishes of their piety and religion, than the true.

Now when Balaam sees his seven bullocks and seven rams smoking upon his seven altars, he goes up higher into the mount. (as some counterfeit Moses), to receive the answer of God. But will God meet with a sorcerer? Will he make a prophet of a magician? O man, who shall prescribe God what instruments to use? he knows how to employ, not only saints and angels, but wicked men, beasts, devils, to his own glory: he, that put words. into the mouth of the ass, puts words into the mouth of Balaam: the words do but pass from him; they are not, polluted, because they are not his; as the trunk, through which a man speaks, is not more eloquent for the speech that is uttered through it. What a notable proclamation had the infidels wanted of God's favour to his people, if Balaam's tongue had not been used! How many shall once say, Lord, we have prophesied in thy name, that shall hear, Verily I know you not!

What madness is this in Balaam? He, that found himself constant in soliciting, thinks to find God not constant in denying; and, as if that infinite Deity were not the same everywhere, hopes to change success with places. Neither is that bold forehead ashamed to importune God again in that, wherein his own mouth had testified an assurance of denial. The reward was in one of his eyes, the revenging angel in the other: I know not whether, for the time, he more loved the bribe, or feared the angel. And whilst he is in this distraction, his tongue blesses against his heart, and his heart curses against his tongue. It angers him that he dare not

J

speak what he would; and now at last rather than lose his hopes, he resolves to speak worse than curses. The fear of God's judg ments in a worldly heart is at length overcome with the love of gain. Numb. xxii, xxïïî, xxiv.

OF PHINEAS.

BALAAM pretended a haste homeward; but he lingered so long that he left his bones in Midian. How justly did he perish with the sword of Israel, whose tongue had insensibly slain so many thousands of them! As it is usually said of the devil, that he goes away in a stench, so may it be truly said of this prophet of his : according to the fashion of all hypocrites, his words were good, his actions abominable: he would not curse, but he would advise, and his counsel is worse than a curse; for his curse had hurt none but himself, his counsel cost the blood of twenty-four thousand Is raelites.

He, that had heard God speak by Balaam, would not look for the devil in the same mouth; and if God himself had not witnessed against him, who could believe that the same tongue which uttered so divine prophecies, should utter so villanous and cursed advice? Hypocrisy gains this of men, that it may do evil unsuspected but now he, that heard what he spake in Balac's ear, hath bewrayed and condemned his counsel and himself.

This policy was fetched from the bottom of hell." It is not for lack of desire that I curse not Israel: thou dost not more wish their destruction, than I do thy wealth and honour; but so long as they hold firm with God, there is no sorcery against Jacob; withdraw God from them, and they shall fall alone, and curse themselves; draw them into sin, and thou shalt withdraw God from them. There is no sin more plausible than wantonness. One fornication shall draw in another, and both shall fetch the anger of God after them: send your fairest women into their tents, their sight shall draw them to lust, their lust to folly, their folly to idolatry; and now God shall curse them for thee, unasked." Where Balaam did speak well, there was never any prophet spake more divinely; where he spake ill, there was never any devil spake more desperately.

Ill counsel seldom succeedeth not good seed falls often out of the way, and roots not, but the tares never light amiss. This pro ject of the wicked magician was too prosperous. The daughters of Moab come into the tents of Israel, and have captived those whom the Amorites and Amalekites could not resist. Our first mother Eve bequeathed this dowry to her daughters, that they should be our helpers to sin: the weaker sex is the stronger in this conquest had the Moabites sent their subtlest counsellors, to persuade the Israelites to their idol sacrifices, they had been repelled with scorn; but now the beauty of their women is over-eloquent and successful. That which in the first world betrayed the sons of God, hath now ensnared God's people: it had been happy for

Israel, if Balaam had used any charms but these. As it is the use of God to fetch glory to himself out of the worst actions of Satan, so it is the guise of that evil one (through the just permission of the Almighty) to raise advantage to himself from the fairest pieces of the workmanship of God: no one means hath so much enriched hell, as beautiful faces.

All idols are abominable; but this of Baal-peor was, besides the superstition of it, beastly; neither did Baal ever put on a form of so much shame, as this; yet very Israelites are drawn to adore it. When lust hath blinded the eyes, it carries a man whither it lists; even beyond all differences of sin. A man besotted with filthy de sires is fit for any villany.

Sin is no less crafty than Satan himself: give him but room in the eye, and he will soon be possessed of body and soul. These Israelites first saw the faces of these Moabites and Midianites; then they grew to like their presence; from thence to take pleasure in their feasts: from their boards they are drawn to their beds, from their beds to their idols, and now they are joined to Baal-peor, and separated from God. Bodily fornication is the way to spiritual: if we have made idols of flesh, it is just to be given up to idols of wood and stones. If we have not grace to resist the beginnings of sin, where shall we stay? If our foot slip into the mouth of hell, it is a miracle to stop ere we come to the bottom.

Well might God be angry, to see his people go a whoring in this double fornication; neither doth he smother his wrath, but himself strikes with his plague, and bids Moses strike with the sword. He strikes the body, and bids Moses strike the head. It had been as easy for him to plague the rulers as the vulgar, and one would think these should be more properly reserved for his immediate hand; but these he leaves to the sword of human authority, that he might win awe to his own ordinances. As the sins of great men are exemplary, so are their punishments. Nothing procures so much credit to government, as strict and impartial executions of great and noble offenders. Those whom their sins have embased deserve no favour in the punishment. As God knows no honour, no royalty in matter of sin, no more may his deputies. Contrarily, connivance at the outrages of the mighty cuts the sinews of any state; neither doth any thing make good laws more contemptible, than the making difference of offenders; that small sacrileges should be punished, when great ones ride in triumph. If good ordinations turn once to spiders' webs, which are broken through by the bigger flies, no hand will fear to sweep them down.

God was angry; Moses and all good Israelites grieved; the heads hanged up; the people plagued: yet behold, one of the princes of Israel fears not to brave God and his ministers, in that sin which he sees so grievously revenged in others. I can never wonder enough at the impudence of this Israelite. Here is fornication, an odious crime, and that of an Israelite, whose name challenges holiness; yea, of a prince of Israel, whose practice is a rulé