Consider again, with regard to Balaam' 8 deathr- I. THAT HE Fl!:LL AT LAST WHERE HE HAD NO REASON TO APPREHEND DANGER, Israel had passed by these tribes of Midian, and Balaam no doubt believed that all present danger from them was over. Even so vengeance overtakes the wicked at the moment when he is least afraid, and when justice seems to have forgotten him. II. THAT HE FELL llY THE SWORD OF lsRAEL, i. 6, BY THE HA.ND OF THOSE WHO HAD BREN THE VICTIMS OF BIB GUILE. Even so it is a just thing with God that evil men and seducers should receive their punishment through those whom they have wronged. Ill. THAT BALAAM, THE ENCHANTER AND TEMPTER OF ISRAEL1 FELL WITHOUT A STRUGGLI!: WHEN THE PRINCES OF MIDIAN HAD BEEN BLAIN. Even 80 the tempter him- self, the arch-enemy of souls, will (as far as we are concerned) come utterly to an end as soon as we have overcome the allurements to sin which he uses against us (Rom. xvi. 20).
Consider again, with regard to the offering of the officers- I. THAT NOT ONE HAD FALLEN IN THE RANKS OF ISRAEL-a thing clearly beyond ex- pectation in any ordinary expedition. Even so there is no reason why an:r shou!J fall or fail in the warfare against fleshly lusts. For the promise of victory 1e not to all in general, or to the Church at large only, but to each soul in particular that will ~arnestly strive. And victory over sin implies eternal life (Ezek. xviii. 23 ; Amoe u. 9; Micah vii. 8; Mal. iii. 17; 1 Cor. x. 13, &c.). II. 'IH.A.T THE OFFICERS FELT THAT THIS IMMUNITY WAS DUE TO THE SPECIAL PRO- VIDENCE OF GoD. Even so that we escape from sin and death, that we come unhurt through so mu.ny perils to the soul, is not of our strength, but of God's aseistai1ce, Ot!. XXXI. 1-64.J 'l'iIE BOOk: OF ~UMBERS.
and to him all the glory is due (Isa. xl. 29; 2 Cor. xii. 9 ; Philip. iv. 13 ; 2 Tim. iv. 17, 18, &c.). Ill. THAT THEY OWED A GREAT DEBT OF GRATITUDE TO Gm FOB THE PRESERVATIO:ll OF THOSE WHO RAD BEEN COMMITTED TO THEIR CHARGE (literally, "in their hand"). Even so we ought to feel and to show great gratitude to God for the spiritual safety of such as are put in our charge, whether as children or otherwise. According to our responsibility for them, and our sorrow if they were lost, so should be our thank- fulness if the good hand of God be upon them to keep them in the way of life (Philip. i. 3 ; 1 These. i. 2, 3, &c.). IV. THAT THEY SHOWED THEIR GRATITUDE BY THE SPECIAL DEDICATION TO Goo's SERVICE OF THOSE PRECIOUS THINGS WITH WHICH THAT WARFARE HAD ENRICHED THEM. . Even so when we and ours come unscathed out of the temptations of the world and of the flesh, we may well dedicate to God in some special way all the costly gifts of knowledge, of sympathy, of spiritual power and freedom which come of temptation and trial bravely overcome. And note that the numbering of the men who had been to the war, and the offering of the golden spoil, may be interpreted of the last day. 1. That not one true soldier of Christ ~hall be missing then (John x. 28, 29; Philip. i. 6; Rev. vii. 3, 4 compared with xiv. 1). 2. That all the precious gifts yielded by human life amid strife and danger shall be brought into the holy city of God, to the glory of God (Rev. xxi. 24, 26). 3. That every one that overcometh shall be the better and the richer for his warfare against sin (see ver. 53).
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vere. 1-54.-The lion and his prey. In two of his prophecies Balaam had been compelled to speak of Israel as the lion (eh. xxiii. 24; xxiv. 9). We now behold, in the destruction of Midian, the rousing of the lion-spirit. Something of it had been seen already in the conduct of Phinehas (eh. xxv.), and now there is a manifestation on a larger scale in the achievement of these 12,000 men. I. TIIE COMPLETENESS OF THE DESTRUCTION. .All the males of Midian were sin.in, and the five kings are particularly mentioned ns being among them. The women and their little ones were taken captive. The whole of their property was turned into spoil, and how large that spoil was we learn from the latter part of the chapter. Their cities and goodly castles were all burnt. .And might not this seem destruction enough? Apparently not ; for we read that Moses was wroth because the women had been spared, and they, as well ns all the males of the little ones, had to be added to the slain. Thus the impression left upon us, and evidently intended to be left, is that of utter nnd merciless extermination. None were left to continue the mce of Midinn. II. T1rn INSPIRATION OF THIS DREADFUL BLOW WAS EVIDENTLY FROM Goo. It was undertaken at his command, and not only so, but laid on Moses as his last great service before his departure. "Old age hath yet his honour aud his toil ; Death closes all: but somethiug ere the end, Some work of noble note, may yet be done." Midian did not lie in the way of advancing Israel, as did the hosts of Sihon and Og. In one sense Israel had to turn out of its wny in order to inflict this blow. We need to keep distinctly before our minds that God gave special command nnd made special preparation for it. The motive of this net is not to be found in the vindictive spirit of a half-snvnge people. The wrongs which, by natural disposition, they would have burned to avenge were not such as those inflicted by Midian. In truth there is no occasion either for blame anywhere, or for attempt at palliation. We must read this dreadful record in a spirit of humble submission to the authority of God, who sees need for temporal destruction where we may fail to see it. III. That this blow came from God is mnde still clearer as we consider how ms POWER GAVE THE BLOW ITS EFFICACY. Observe how small a part of tlie whole army was reguired-about a fiftieth. There ia no mention of a selected company to engage 410 TBE BOOR OF NUMBERS. (cs. xxxr. 1-54,