that the expectation which obtained throughout the East, that a prince should arise out of Judea and rule the whole world, was occasioned very much by this prophecy. It is remarkable that the Eastern Magi no sooner saw the supernatural star, than they concluded that this Prince was born, and came immediately to Judea to inquire, Where is he that is born King of the Jews ? Yet where shall we find a baser character than Balaam's ? Having considerable knowledge of the true God, he still continued to use enchantments as a magician. He was so covetous that he " ran greedily after a reward," and preferred " the wages of unrighteousness " to every considera- tion, either of duty to God or of love to manb. His hypocrisy was conspicuous from first to last ; for in the midst of all his high professions of regard to the will and word of God, he laboured to the utmost to counteract the designs of God, and to reverse his decrees. More murderous purposes never were entertained in the heart of man ; for it was his most earnest desire to curse all the people of God, and to consign them over to destruction by the sword of their enemies. His last act especially was truly diabolical : when he found he could not prevail to destroy their bodies, he taught their enemies how to tempt them and to destroy their souls c. After comparing his character with his professions and attainments in divine know- ledge, what shall we say ? Shall we not tremble for ourselves, lest we should rest in a speculative knowledge of Christ, and fail, after all, of obtaining any saving interest in him ? We are elsewhere informed that we may have the gifts of prophecy, of tongues, and of a miraculous faith, and yet be only as sounding brass, or tinkling cymbals d. And our Lord assures us that many will in the last day plead the miraculous works that they have performed, but be dismissed with this humiliating answer, Depart from me, I never knew you e. Even Judas himself was not, in respect of gifts, behind the very chiefest Apostles. Let us then never value ourselves on any discoveries of divine truth, unless we have suitable affections and a correspondent practice.]
The prophecy itself is deserving of particular at- tention—
[In its primary sense it must be understood in reference to David. The immediate intention of Balaam was, to inform Balak " what the Israelites should do unto his people in the latter days." Accordingly he declares that one, like a star for brightness, should arise from among the Jews at a distant period, to sway the Jewish sceptre, and to destroy the king-
b Jude, ver. 11.2 Pet. ii. 15, 16. c Rev. ii. 14.
d 1 Cor. xiii. 1 — 3. e Matt. vii. 22, 23.