mouth"--and went away though he went sorrowing!

The same is the temper of too many others. We may do much which God
requires, may even go beyond and do much which he doth not require,
and yet be nothing in religion. There must be the spirit and temper of
true religion. There can be no commutation--Nothing will be accepted
as a substitute. _We must do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with
our God_, or have no part in him. Nothing without it will be accepted;
not even "giving the body to be burned."

People may also have a good speculative acquaintance with religion and
yet remain devoid of it. Such cases sometimes occur. Such an one
occurred in him who spake so well in our text. Balaam appears to have
had a perfect knowledge of the nature of religion; to have understood
what it was and wherein it consisted. He was sensible also of the
importance of being found at last to have lived under the influence of
it. Therefore when looking forward to the period of his dissolution
did he utter that earnest wish or prayer--"Let me die the death of
the righteous, and let my last end be like his." Yet he was not a good
man! his knowledge resided in his head: It never reached his heart.
"He loved the wages of unrighteousness;" lived and died under the
government of depravity and wickedness! He dared not indeed to go in
direct opposition to the letter of the divine command--dared not curse
Israel with his lips, though he longed to do it, and wished the curse
to fall upon them, while he was blessing them and forefilling their
future greatness. But he dared privately to advise Balak "to cast a
stumbling block before them"--To send among them the women of Moab,
and seduce them to uncleanness and idolatry, in order to bring the
curse of heaven upon them! His advice was followed and partly
succeeded! Not to procure a victory for Moab, but to bring the
judgments of God upon Israel; twenty four thousands of whom fell by
the pestilence which was sent to punish "their sin the matter of
Peor." And more tragical events would probably have followed, had not
Phinebas stood up and executed vengeance on some of the principal
offenders, and thus turned away the anger of the Lord from his
offending people.*

* Numbers xv. and xxi. 16.

* * * * *

Who can contemplate these things without astonishment! Who consider
the character and conduct of Balaam and not be amazed! That a man so
instructed respecting the divine character, the nature of relig