nd glorious
future before them. Some day or other they will come and afflict
Asshur, the great empire of the East, out of which Balaam probably
came; and afflict Eber too, the kingdom of the Jews, and they too
shall perish for ever.

Dimly he sees it, for it is very far away. But that it will come he
sees; and beyond that all is dark. He has said his say; he has
spoken the whole truth for once. Balak's house full of silver and
gold would not have bought him off and stopped his mouth when such
awful thoughts crowded on his mind. So he returns to his place--to
do what?

If he cannot earn Balak's gold by cursing Israel, he can do it by
giving him cunning and politic advice. He advises Balak to make
friends with the Israelites and mix them up with his people by
enticing them to the feasts of his idols, at which the women threw
themselves away in shameful profligacy, after the custom of the
heathens of these parts.

In the next chapter we read how Moses, and Phinehas, Aaron's
grandson, put down those filthy abominations with a high hand; and
how Balaam's detestable plot, instead of making peace, makes war;
and in chapter xxxi. you read the terrible destruction of the whole
nation of the Midianites, and among it this one short and terrible
hint: 'Balaam also, the son of Beor, they slew with the sword.'

But what may we learn from this ugly story?

Recollect what I said at first, that we should find Balaam too like
many people now-a-days; perhaps too like ourselves.

Too like indeed. For never were men more tempted to sin as Balaam
did than in these days, when religion is all the fashion, and pays a
man, and helps him on in life; when, indeed, a man cannot expect to
succeed without professing some sort of religion or other.

Thereby comes a terrible temptation to many men. I do not mean to
hypocrites, but to really well-meaning men. They like religion.
They wish to be good; they have the feeling of devotion. They pray,
they read their Bibles, they are attentive to services and to
sermons, and are more or less pious people. But soon--too soon--
they find that their piety is profitable. Their business increases.
Their credit increases. They are trusted and respected; their
advice is asked and taken. They gain power over their fellow-men.
What a fine thing it is, they think, to be pious!

Then creeps in the love of the world; the love of money, or power,
or admiration; and they begin to value religion be