1 Rom. viii. 35 — 39.
Balaam's second attempt to curse Israel. Numb, xxiii. 18 — 23. And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, BalaJc, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor : God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Behold, I have received commandment to bless; and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it. He hath not be- held iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them. God brought them out of Egypt: he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn. Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought?
THE distinct answers which God gave to Balaam are surely deserving of distinct consideration. The general scope of them indeed is the same; namely, that Israel should be blessed: but the terms in which that declaration was made, are diversified, and contain in them a great variety of important matter. We are astonished indeed that God would condescend to notice Balaam a second time, more especially as he had the impiety to approach him with divinations and enchantments a. But, for the sake of his Church and
a Numb. xxiv. 1.