it had been said, could curse or bless people as he chose; so, as he feared the people of Israel would "devour all that was in his kingdom, even," to use his own words, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field," he sent to him; and this was his message, "Come, I pray thee, curse me this people, for they are too mighty for me, that we may smite them, and drive them out of the land; for I wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed."

But it was not as the king thought. The curses of a wicked man can never hurt those who trust in God.' When the great giant Goliath saw David, who was but a youth, "coming against him, with five smooth stones from the brook," and a sling, ❝he disdained him, and cursed him by his gods." And he said, he would tear him in pieces, and "give his flesh to the beasts of the field, and the fowls of the air." But David threw a stone, which beat in his forehead, and killed him; and he ran, and got on him, and pulled out the giant's sword, and cut off his head. And so it always will be:

G

the curse of a wicked man shall never hurt a servant of the living God.

To make this false prophet come and curse Israel, Balak sent him a present of money. "The love of money is the root of all evil." Judas sold Christ for thirty pieces of silver, and was, at last, cast into hell for his covetousness." What then

did he gain by it?

Balaam wanted to have this money; and he was very willing to curse God's people, that he might get it. So he bade the persons who were sent to him, to stay till the morning. He ought to have sent them away at once, telling them, that he would never be so wicked as to curse the servants of the Most High. If we do not resist sin at once, we are in great danger of falling into it, and of being ruined. We should never pause for an instant to ask the question, Shall I disobey the commandment of God? But we should say, with Joseph, "How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against him?”

3

In the night, God spoke to Balaam; of course,

he did not see him; "for no man hath seen God at any time;" but in the silence of the night he heard the voice of the Most High in his chamber, and it said, "Thou shalt not go to Balak; thou shalt not curse the people, for they are blessed."

So, when he rose in the morning, he told the servants of the king, that the Lord would not give him leave to go with them. But he did not tell them, that Israel was a people blessed by God, and that he would not let any one curse them. Wicked ministers never say all to the people which God has bid them.

Balak was so resolved that Balaam should curse the people, that he would not take the refusal : and he sent to him again by princes of a higher rank; and, no doubt, they took with them more money, and promised him greater honours; and his second message was more earnest than the first. "Let nothing," said he, " I pray thee, hinder thee from coming to me. For I will promote thee unto very great honour; and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me; come, therefore, I pray thee, curse

in

me this people!" Whatever gain may be offered us, if we feel as we ought, we shall refuse to go any way which is forbidden by the holy word of God.*

"If

And, at first, Balaam spoke very well. Balak," said he, "would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God." If we had heard him speak thus, we should have thought, that gold and silver were as nothing to him, and that the will of God was every thing but it was not so. Men must be judged now, as they will at the great day, by their actions, and not by their words."

This wicked prince wanted to go to Balak; and so he kept the messengers, as he did before, all night; to see if God would speak to him again, and let him go. As if God would change his mind, and curse those to-day whom he had yesterday blessed! Perhaps he asked God to give him leave to go; which was the same as begging leave to despise his commands, and to sin against him, And how shocking was all this!

And the Lord was not pleased with him; but to confound the idol gods of Moab, and to answer his own wise purposes, he suffered him to go. No wicked man can say, or do any thing, without the Lord's permission." And God told Balaam that it was at his peril, to say any thing which he should not bid him.

He was now so eager to go to Balak, that he rose up early, before the princes were stirring, and got ready for his journey. He also took two of his servants with him. It seems likely that the messengers set off before him, in haste, to carry the news of their success to their master.

God, who sees every thought, and at every moment, in every heart, saw that it was Balaam's desire to curse his Israel, and he was angry with him. And, lest he should forget his charge to him not to say any thing but what he bade him, he sent an angel with a drawn sword in his hand to stop him on his journey, and to repeat it. But Balaam's eyes were at first blinded, that he did not see him; this was the case with the eyes of Elisha's