SERMON VII.

Upon the Character of Balaam.

Preached the fecond Sunday after Eafter.

NUM B. Xxiii. 19.

Let me die the Death of the Righteous, and let my laft End be like his.

T

HESE Words, taken alone, and SER M. without refpect to him who spoke VII. them, lead our Thoughts immediately to the different Ends of good and bad Men. For, though the Comparison is not exprefs'd, yet it is manifeftly implied; as is alfo the Preference of one of these Characters to the other in that laft Circumftance, Death. And, fince dying the Death of the Righteous or of the Wicked, neceffarily implies Men's being righteous or

SERM.wicked, i. e. having lived righteously or VII. wickedly; a Comparison of them in their

Lives alfo might come into Confideration from fuch a fingle View of the Words themfelves. But my prefent Defign is, to confider them with a particular Reference or Refpect to him who spoke them; which Reference, if you please to attend, you will fee. And if what fhall be offered to your Confideration at this Time, be thought a Difcourfe upon the whole Hiftory of this Man, rather than upon the particular Words I have read, this is of no Confequence: It is fufficient, if it afford Reflection of Ufe and Service to ourselves.

BUT, in order to avoid Cavils respecting this remarkable Relation in Scripture, either that Part of it which you have heard in the firft Leffon for the Day, or any other; let me juft obferve, that as this is not a Place for anfwering them, fo they no way affect the following Difcourfe; fince the Character there given is plainly a real one in Life, and fuch as there are Parallels to.

THE Occafion of Balaam's coming out of his own Country into the Land of Mcab, where he pronounced this folemn Prayer or Wifh, he himfelf relates in the

first Parable or prophetick Speech, of which SER M. it is the Conclufion. In which is a Cuftom VII. referr'd to, proper to be taken Notice of: That of devoting Enemies to Destruction, before the Entrance upon a War with them. This Custom appears to have prevailed over a great Part of the World; for we find it amongst the moft diftant Nations. The Romans had publick Officers, to whom it belonged as a ftated Part of their Office. But there was fomewhat more particular in the Cafe now before us; Balaam being looked upon as an extraordinary Perfon, whose Bleffing or Curfe was thought to be always effectual.

In order to engage the Readers Attention to this Paffage, the facred Hiftorian has enumerated the preparatory Circumstances, which are these. Balaam requires the King of Moab to build him feven Altars, and to prepare him the fame Number of Oxen and of Rams. The Sacrifice being over, he retires alone to a Solitude facred to thefe Occafions, there to wait the divine Inspiration or Answer, for which the foregoing Rites were the Preparation. And God met Balaam

I 4

*

Ver. 4. 5.

SERM. Balaam, and put a Word in his Mouth, upVII. on receiving which, he returns back to the

Altars; where was the King, who had all this while attended the Sacrifice, as appointed; he and all the Princes of Moab ftanding, big with Expectation of the Prophet's Reply. *And he took up his Parable and faid, Balak the King of Moab bath brought me from Aram, out of the Mountains of the Eaft; faying, come, Curfe me Jacob, and come, defy Ifrael. How fall I curfe, whom God hath not curfed? Or how fall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied? For from the top of the Rocks I fee him, and from the Hills I behold him: Lo, the People fhall dwell alone, and fhall not be the Nations. Who can count the Duft of Jacob, and the Number of the fourth Part of Ifrael? Let me die the Death of the Righteous, and let my laft End be like

reckoned

bis.

among

IT is neceffary, as you will fee in the Progrefs of this Difcourfe, particularly to obferve what he understood by Righteous. And he himself is introduced in the Book of Micab + explaining it; if by Righteous is

meant Good, as to be fure it is. Omy Peo- SERM, ple, remember now what Balak King of VII, Moab confulted, and what Balaam the Son of Bear anfwered him from Shittim unto Gilgal. From the mention of Shittim it is manifeft, that it is this very Story which is here referr'd to, though another Part of it, the Account of which is not now extant; as there are many Quotations in Scripture out of Books which are not come down to

us.

Remember what Balaam anfwered, that ye may know the Righteousness of the Lord, i. e. the Righteousness which God will accept. Balak demands, Wherewith Shall I come before the Lord, and bow mySelf before the high God? Shall I come before him with Burnt-Offerings, with Calves of a Year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams, or with ten thousands of Rivers of Oil? Shall I give my first-born for my Tranfgreffion, the Fruit of my Body for the Sin of my Soul? Balaam answers him, He hath fhewed thee, O Man, what is Good: And what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love Mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Here is a good Man expressly characterized, as diftinct from a dishonest, and a supersti