Ohs. 1. That the devil enticeth his slaves to divers sins; as to the malice of Cain, so to the covetousness of Balaam.
Ohs. 2. That men are usually carried into errors by the bait of gain and worldly profit : 2 Peter ii. 3, ' Through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you ; ' that which is the ' root of other evils ' is often the root of heresies or sect-making. Souls are a precious commodity. Christ thought them worthy of his own blood, but seducers count them cheap ware ; for their own gain and worldly interests they care not how they betray souls ; yea, Christ himself is sold by them, as Judas ' purchased a field with the reward of iniquity,' Acts i. 18. Oh ! then beware of covetousness, it is a great snare : a covetous man the devil hath him upon the hip, and how far, or whither he will carry him, he cannot tell. Balaam had many good gifts ; God is said to have ' put words into his mouth,' Num. xxiii. 26 ; he asked counsel of the Lord, loath to go, yet covetousness by degrees wrought upon him.
Ohs. 3. From the word i^e^^ydrjaav, men sin with full bent of heart, and are carried out violently against all restraints of conscience ; as Balaam, notwithstanding tlie checks and disappointments which he met with in the way, ' the dumb ass forbidding the madness of the prophet,' 2 Peter ii. 16, yet was still hurried on by the violent impul- sions of his own lust and greedy desire of reward ; so the apostle speaketh of some that ' work uncleanness with greediness,' Eph. iv. 19. The motions of lust are rapid and violent ; we are in earnest when we do the devil's work : a stone runneth down hill with a swift motion, because of its propension and tendency that way. Oh ! when shall we learn to serve God as we have served Satan ? Our work is better, our wages better, and our Master best of all. When shall we pour out our hearts in prayer as we do in sin? In the business of religion we act v/ith a great deal of dividedness and partiality; our evil
Balaam cursed Israel for hire against Ms own conscience ; so did these pervert the truth.
272 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [VeR. 11.
works are mere!}' evil, but our good by no means can be purely good.
Ohs. 4. Again observe, that covetousness is a violent, headstrong lust ; you would think nncleanness is most violent, as having a rage and a passionateness in it ; it is so ; but covetousness is more strong, as engaging not only the lighter part of the affections, but the will itself : 1 Tim. vi. 19, ' He that will be rich,' &c. Fits of lust are ear- nest for the present, but this is the constant and moi'e deliberate bent of the heart towards that which is evil ; watch the more, thai your feet be not taken in this snare.
The last instance is, 'perished in the gainsaying of Korah. This is produced to note their factious practices. You have the story of him, Num. xvi. Being overcome with ambition he would take upon him the priesthood. He and his accomplices made head against Moses and Aaron, but he perished in the attempt ; and so will these likewise that rise up against magistracy and ministry, as surely as if it w-ere already accomplished ; and therefore, though they were not as then born, yet they are said to perish when Korah perished. From hence note : —
Ohs. 1. That ambition breedeth faction, hence Korah gainsaid; Diotrephes loveth the pre-eminence, and therefore troubled the church, 3 John 10. All stirs begin first in our own lusts ; men are discontented with their estate, would be higher, and therefore break rank. Lactantius observeth of the troubles of his age, thus — Fuerunt quidam nostroriim vel minus stahilitd fide, vel minus docti, vel minus cauti ; qui dissidium facerent unitaiis et ecclesiam dissiparent, sed ii quorum fides fuit luhrica, cum Deum nosse se et colere simidarent, augendis opihus et honori studentes, offectahant maximum sacerdotium, et a potiorihus victi, secedere cum suffragatorihits suis maluerunt quam eos ferre prcepositos, quihus concupiehant ante p^vctjjoni, d'C. {Lactant. de Vera Sapieniia, lib. iv. cap. 30.) It is an excellent thing to be contented w'ith our owm station ; Jesus Christ was c7i«c/aiisc7i/w : Isa. liii. 3, ' The leaving-oif of men,' or contented to be in the lowest rank. If God hath denied thee any condition in the world wdiich thou aflfectest, thou art not worthy of it, or it is not fit for thee, &c.
Ohs. 2. Observe, ambition, that carrieth men against ministry, carrieth them against magistracy also. Korah and his companions rose up against Moses and Aaron. The church and commonwealth are like the soul and the body ; the one fareth the better for the wel- fare of the other ; and seditious spirits wull brook no restraint ; let them alone in the church, and they will soon disturb the state also. But of this before, ver. 8.
Ohs. 3. Once more. The levelling humour is no new thing in the church of God ; their plea w^as, Num. xvi. 3, ' All the Lord's people are holy,' or saints, and why should any be set over them ? Let us beware, then, of that parity which some affect ; there must be rule and superiority, or all will come to nought. God made the world to con- sist of hills and valleys, and in church and state there must be gover- nors and governed, teachers and taught. It is Korah's sin to invade offices without a call, and to destroy that order which God hath esta- blished.