Regarding us thus as objects of his favour, he delights to dwell amongst us, to abide with us, to manifest himself to us, and to " fill us with joy and peace in believing ;" so that he enables us to say with the Apostle, " Thanks be to God, who always causeth us to triumph in Christ Jesus ! " Truly, " the children of Zion are made joyful in their King," yea, they " ever shout for joy, because he defendeth them :" " they sing unto him for the excellent things which he hath done ; they cry out and shout, because great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of them C]
From the mention of what God hath done for his people, Balaam went on to declare,
III. The kindness he has yet in reserve for them —
The time was soon to come when all the surround- ing nations should be astonished at it —
f Eph. v. 27. Jude, ver. 24. s Ps. cx-xvi. 1, 2. and Isai. xii. 5, 6.
l2
[God had already " brought them out of Egypt, and given them, as it were, the strength of an unicorn." He had suffered no machinations of men or devils to prevail against them. He had fulfilled all his promises to them hitherto ; and the time was now nearly arrived, when he would accomplish them in their full extent. However formidable the opposition to them might be, " they should rise up like a lion to his prey, which lies not down till he has drunk the blood of the slain." In a word, such should be his marvellous interpositions in their favour, that all who beheld them should exclaim, " What hath God wrought ! "]
But it was a mere shadow of the kindness he has laid up for us —
[It is not from an Egyptian tyrant that we are delivered, but from sin and Satan, death and hell. Nor are we endued with strength against an earthly enemy, but against all the powers of darkness ; insomuch that " Satan himself shall be bruised under our feet shortly." Not only shall " the gates of hell never prevail against his Church" at large, but not against even the weakest of his people : both Christ and his Father are pledged, that " however weak the believer may be, none shall ever be able to pluck him out of their hands V The least of the flock have no more cause to fear than the greatest ; for " it is the Father's good pleasure to give, to the one as well as to the other, the possession of his kingdom1." The weakest shall be " strong in the Lord," yea, strong as a lion : he shall be " able to do all things" that are conducive to his welfare; and shall be " more than conqueror through Him that loved him." O what " a wonder is he unto many," even at this time ! and what a wonder will he be, both to himself and others, in the eternal world ! When the whole Israel of God shall be in possession of the heavenly land, how will each say, on a review of his own mercies in particular, as well as those vouchsafed to the whole collective body, " What hath God wrought ! " Truly, they will all be lost in wonder, love, and praise.]
Let none dismiss this subject from their minds without