Germs of Thought.

Analysis of Homily the Fiftieth.

"And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab. And God's anger was kindled because he went and the angel of the Lord stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him. And the ass saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way," &c.-Numb. xxii. 21—35.

SUBJECT:-Balaam and his Ass; or, Restraints from Sin.

THE Occasion of the event recorded in this passage is to be found in the state of Balaam's mind, consequent on the renewed invitation of the king of Moab. In the silence of night he had been allowed to modify the first part of the former unfavourable reply to Balak's embassy, but on a condition which rendered the permission unavailing for personal ends. He might go with the men, but not to curse. Since he could not do what Balak wished, his proper course was to refuse to accompany the princes. The tempting offers of wealth and honour, however, overpowered his languid. spiritual life, and in eager haste he rose early, " and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab," clearly with the hope and desire of cursing the people of the Lord. Because of this unhallowed disposition in going, "God's anger was kindled."

There seems an appropriateness in a worshipper of the true God-as Balaam evidently was, according to the light vouchsafed to primitive men-giving a token of the passing away of this earliest mode of Divine revelation, and of its connexion with another—as it were, the dying blessing of the Patriarchal to the Jewish economy. God intended it should be given,

and he would save Balaam from doing it in a wrong spirit. He has already used means to change his inclination, but without avail, and another instrumentality is to be employed. While on the journey, the ass of the prophet is made sensible to some object of terror near it, and past which it durst not go. It turns out of the path, brushes close against a wall, and at last lies down. It was not tricky nor vicious, and Balaam might have convinced himself that there was something special demanding his inquiries. In other circumstances, possibly, he would have thought such a concurrence of mishaps unlucky, and returned; but so set is he on the reward for cursing Israel, that not only his conscience, but his understanding too, is perverted, and he ill-treats and threatens his docile animal. A few words from the ass help to dispel the illusion which had settled on his mind. Then, when his understanding is cleared, and his heart is softened, his spiritual eye is opened, and he too becomes conscious of a heavenly messenger standing in his way.

The statement of "the dumb ass speaking with man's voice" may be sneered at. The sneer can be repaid; for it is nothing else than a sneer at wise means adapted to a sufficient end; and if that is to be sneered at, the paradise of fools is the only place where such sneerers will find things to applaud. God wanted Balaam to know that, whatever money or dignity might be lost, and of whatever displeasure he might be the object, he must bless Israel. Convince him of his want of foresight-that he cannot always judge best for himself; that if he goes forward it is not because he wills it, but because he is allowed; that the faculty and the materials of speech are not in his, but in God's, power; and he is then susceptible of the suggestions which will induce him to refuse his own and accept another's utterance. Can you work out a plan for a being, ruled by judging, and not by force, more effective than this speaking of the ass?

We must assign a prominent place to the opposing obstacle -the cause of the unwonted actings of the ass. There is to be especially noticed that it is a spiritual being, not of earthly

origin, and not under material laws. The mode in which the angel of the Lord speaks, in the 32nd and 35th verses, shows that he was the messenger of the covenant, who was with the Church in the wilderness, and whose manifestations point to that personality of the Divine nature who "took not on Him the nature of angels, but took on Him the seed of Abraham." Jesus Christ, in this character, was present to the soul of Balaam, wishing to mould and control it, to restrain from sin and form to obedience. By methods fit to the constitution bestowed on man, he would bend Balaam's will to accordance with his own; and by this channel the subject comes to be applicable to us. It is the history of a struggle. It is not a matter of mere curiosity, of passing and local interest; in it there is the symbol of the ceaseless operation of the Divine upon the human will, which to-day is being engaged upon you as it was upon Balaam. You are not spectators indifferent to the contest whose features are portrayed in this passage. Its processes may illustrate your position, and indicate the end of much that is felt and happens in this day of your lives upon earth. You have indicated the means which are constituted, by God, RESTRAINTS FROM SIN.

The frequent prosperity of the wicked has perplexed and saddened observant minds, and well-nigh induced them to believe that if the Divine government was not favourable to evil, it was indifferent. Why does it not always blast iniquitous projects? Why does it not put insurmountable obstacles in the way of the success of the ungodly? Out of the hidings of its power, could it not save a man like Balaam from acting out his evil wishes? The reason of its not doing so is, that such a course of proceeding would be pursued at the sacrifice of the higher principles of government involved in the human constitution. Men are gifted with the power to choose between good and evil. The obstacles placed in the path of the wrong-doer must be obstacles suited to moral beings. Were his eyes only to be opened, he would see how strong and how many such exist. He might not at once feel himself helpless and brought to a stand by them, but he would

perceive that they were warning him not to proceed. Various forms and characteristics assumed by these restraints are exhibited here. Let us notice

I. THE FORMS OF RESTRAINTS FROM SIN :

1. They appear in external appliances. The things that come upon men from without are not always just as the most prosperous wish them to be a power, beyond their shaping, prescribes the characters and the seasons of what affects them outwardly. The revealed word of God stands in the way of every member of our community as a hindrance to what is wrong, as a guide to good will to man, and obedience to the Lord, if it be only fairly consulted. When the heart is bent on some course, and you are delayed in fulfilling it; when a foot is crushed, or disease lays you aside; or when you build up your bliss upon friends or schemes, and the hopes you cherished are 66 as springs of water that fail;" open your eyes, and consider if this be not a messenger from God frowning on you, because of your departings from him. Pass over no outward check or annoyance without questioning as to whether it may not have been laid in the way to turn you from some unhallowed purpose. It may be a restraint from sin.

2. In addresses to the understanding. You have the faculty of comparing the past with the present, and forming a conclusion as to whether the latter is suitable to what occurred during the former. God's book and other agencies address themselves to you. The remembrance of some words of God, or the words of some man, overheard or directly spoken to you, may be the means of placing in light some dark feature of thought, or some evil action. They may rouse you to ask what ground there is, in your past or present relation to God, for adhering to those thoughts or doings; they may unfold some unnoticed or lightly treated claim, and appeal to your judgment whether those are the fulfilments of this; they may make more vivid the world whose positions and movements are the flowers and fruits of those that happen in this, and

make you pause to learn whether you are thinking and acting as you would like to remember, and feel the developments of, throughout eternity. In these surmisings and questionings, casting a shadow upon your purposes, and coming over you in lonely hours or the hurry of business-are there not addresses of God, aiming, through your understanding, to withhold you from sin?

3. In stirrings of conscience. When wishful to begin some kinds of actions, who has not become conscious of the presence of an uncalled-for and unwelcome interdict? Conscience would stay proceeding; or it may let you enter on your selfseeking path, apparently without a drawback; but it hath spoken to you as it did to Balaam, after you have gone on a part of your hurtful way. Its stirrings are graduated from that of an almost insuperable prohibition to the scarcely perceptible whisper of doubt. In one or other of those forms "the still, small voice" has made you stop to listen, and given intimation that each inward strife, and every selfreproach, is a God-stirred conscience restraining you from sin.

4. In excitements of the emotions. The perception of wrong as wrong, or of danger, suffices to quicken the soul to unusual sensitiveness. In darkness or loneliness the ear is opened, and the messenger of the Lord is heard threatening the mean and unkind and covetous man with returns similar to those he has shown. His heart may sorrow, and he may wish he could undo the action; or his released judgment may lead him to the unseen Lord whose laws he has broken, and alarm seize him, lest holiness and power should unite to give him the reward of his unrighteousness. Each pang of remorse, and each thrill of fear, have uttered, in different forms, "Keep back from sin."

II. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF RESTRAINTS FROM SIN :1. They are frequent. If means of affecting men's judgments, consciences, and emotions, in regard to God's views and wishes respecting sin, are involved and operative in such