* Ezekial x.x.xiii. 10.
That people continued in their sins and perished in them: But will any who read these messages, sent them of G.o.d, conceive their crimes, and the desolations which followed, when they had filled up the measure of their iniquity, to be pleasing to G.o.d, or the effect of divine order and influence?
Will those who read our Savior"s lamentations over Jerusalem, and the destruction soon after brought upon that city and nation, because "they did not know the time of their visitation," consider those events as pleasing to him? His predictions were verified--"their enemies cast a trench about them, compa.s.sed them round and kept them in on every side--laid their city even with the ground, and her children within her; not leaving one stone upon another--Zion was ploughed like a field"--vast numbers perished in the siege--many were crucified after the city was taken--the residue scattered among all nations, and the sword drawn out after them! The compa.s.sionate Redeemer called those sinners to repentance--warned them of the evils which they would bring on themselves, by refusing the grace which he offered them, and wept over them when filling up the measure of their guilt! But when they had been tried the appointed time, and continued obstinate, till the divine patience was exhausted, he entered into judgment with them and gave them according to their works.
Similar will be the event of persevering obstinacy in others. Man is placed here for trial--endowed with powers sufficient to render him a probationer; which implies capacity to use, or abuse his powers. The abuse is sin. The way of duty is made known, needed a.s.sistance conferred, the reasonableness of obedience shewn, and the injunction, "occupy; till I come," subjoined, but no compulsion is used. Thus circ.u.mstanced, it is referred to man to choose for himself.
G.o.d operates indeed on man; but only as on a free moral agent. Divine influences coincide with human liberty. Those who are willing and obedient find mercy. Over such the Savior rejoices, and their faith and love are rewarded with the rewards of grace. But those who neglect so great salvation, are left to perish in their sins.
That G.o.d can confidently do other than leave them to perish, is to us unknown. It may be impossible to renew them by repentance--beyond the power of Omnipotence to save them!
The conditions of salvation are fixed: No change can be made in them.
"The impenitent heart treasureth up wrath. He that believeth not shall be d.a.m.ned. If we do not believe, yet G.o.d abideth faithful; he cannot deny himself." The terms of acceptance with G.o.d are laid before us; the event depends on the choice we make. SUCH we conceive to be man"s situation here: Such the ground of the applications made to him in the gospel, and the promises and threatening annexed to the proposals therein contained. On another, supposition do they appear rational. On no other can we account for our Savior"s declaration that Sodom, had she enjoyed Capernaum"s advantages, would have remained till his day. *
* Matthew xi. 23.
Divine benevolence is great; but it will not secure salvation to gospel despisers: They "will wonder and perish." As the first covenant had conditions annexed to it, so hath the new covenant. To pretend that there are none--that man hath no concern to secure the divine favor, is to charge folly on G.o.d, in all the overtures which are made to man in the gospel.
Life and death are now set before us. We may be saved, or we may perish. Which will be our portion depends on the effect which the proposals of grace have upon us. Today if ye will hear G.o.d"s voice harden not your hearts. Behold now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation. Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. Beware lest you * destroy a soul for which Christ died; and lest you have occasion at last to take up that lamentation--"The harvest is past, the summer is ended and we are not saved."
* Romans xiv. 15.
SERMON XVIII.
Balak"s inquiries relative to the service of G.o.d, and Balaam"s answer, briefly considered.
Micah vi. 6, 7, 8.
"Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high G.o.d? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with, thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my first born for my transgression; the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?--He hath shewed thee, 0 man, what is good: And what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy G.o.d?"
As mankind are endowed with reason, and profess to be governed by it, their revolts from G.o.d are practical criminations of him: Therefore his expostulations with his people of old, when they forsook him and followed other G.o.ds--"What iniquity have your fathers found in me? O my people what have I done unto thee? And wherein have I wearied thee?
Testify against me." *
* Jeremiah ii. 5. Micah vi. 3.
Israel as a people were going away from G.o.d, and he condescended to reason with them, and show them their ingrat.i.tude and baseness. To this end, he reminded them of his past care of them, and kindness to them, as a nation, from the time of their deliverance from bondage in Egypt--"I brought thee out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee from the house of servants"--After just glancing at that deliverance, he pa.s.ses over the wonders wrought for them at the red sea, and in the wilderness, and their numerous rebellions, while he was leading them as a flock, and supplying their wants by a series of miracles, and enlarges on an event which took place on the borders of Canaan, the attempts made by Balak, the king of Moab, to prevail with him to leave his people and go over to him, and help him against them, and his faithfulness to Israel on that occasion--"O my people, remember now what Balak, king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam, the son of Beor answered him from s.h.i.ttim to Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the Lord." *
* Numbers xxii. &c.
Balak"s consultations, or inquiries, are contained in the two last verses of our text: Balaam"s answer in the third. In Balak"s inquiries we see the ideas which he entertained of G.o.d, and of the service which he supposed would be acceptable to Him, and engage, him to forsake his people, and deliver him from his fears on their account. Balaam"s answer corrects Balak"s mistakes, and discovers surprizingly just apprehensions of the true G.o.d, and true religion, though depravity prevailed, and caused him to counteract his convictions, by advising Balak to measures directly opposed to his sense of duty.
To open and explain this subject is the design of the following discourse.
It may be proper to premise that Israel did not make war either on Moab or Ammon. Those nations were descended from Lot, and Moses was forbidden to molest them in possession of the lands which G.o.d had given them. Moab might have had peace, and the friendship of Israel, but refused it, and joined the confederacy against them. When the tribes of Israel reached the borders of Moab, which lay in their way to Canaan, Balak and his people were intimidated by their numbers, and by their martial appearance. They did not therefore, sue for peace, but resolved to neglect no measures to subdue and conquer them.
It was an ancient custom among the heathen at their entrance on a war, to devote the enemy to destruction, and solicit their G.o.ds to forsake them. Balak thought this a matter of importance before he entered into a war with Israel. This ceremony was commonly performed by the priests, or ministers of religion. How this had been to Moab we are not informed; but on occasion before us, the affrighted sovereign of that people, sent to some distance for Balaam, a famous soothsayer or diviner, of whose prevalence with the powers above he had a high opinion, to be the agent in this business.
Balaam was really a remarkable person; few more so occur in history.
Few others had more knowledge of the true G.o.d, or juster ideas of the service which he requires of mankind. But his character will be developed in the sequel.
This renowned soothsayer refused at first to listen to the invitation of the king of Moab, a.s.signing a sufficient reason for his refusal --"The Lord refuseth to give me leave"--but when a second emba.s.sy arrived, more numerous and move honorable, and with the proffer of great honors and rewards, his ambition and covetousness were inflamed, and he resolved from that moment to secure them. The first seems to have been only a common emba.s.sy, and to have carried only the usual rewards of divination. We know what followed. Balaam sinned in asking a second time for liberty to go and curse Israel, when G.o.d had once refused him, and told him that they were blessed. He asked, however, and was in judgment permitted to go, but only to act agreeably to divine direction which would be given on the spot; but he went, determined to secure the wages of unrighteousness. Seeing his design, G.o.d met him in the way, and by a strange and miraculous communication and warning, made him afraid to curse his people, and even compelled him to bless them altogether. But to come to our subject,
I. We are to consider Balak"s inquiries.--_Wherewith shall I come before the Lord_?
Balak had so deep a sense of the danger which threatened him, that he was ready to bring the most costly sacrifices, if they would avail to render propitious the G.o.d who had wrought such wonders in Egypt and in the wilderness for the salvation of his people. He would offer all the cattle, and all the oil of his kingdom, _thousands of ram, and ten thousands of rivers of oil_! Yea, he would even offer his _first born_, the heir of his crown! Would not refute the dearest of his offspring to atone for his sin, and bring over the G.o.d of Israel to be his G.o.d, in the time of his distress!
Such were his proposals. We may observe in them several mistakes respecting the service of G.o.d, or the homage which is acceptable to him; mistakes not uncommon among men. As,
First a supposition that sins may be atoned and mankind allowed to continue in them, if they will come up to the price. The country of Moab abounded with flocks, particularly with sheep; * it abounded also with oil; and Balak supposed that the divine favor might be obtained by sacrifices of this kind--by a profusion of them--_thousands of ram, and ten thousands of rivers of oil_. He knew himself a sinner--he knew that he had taken part against the G.o.d of Israel; had served other G.o.ds, who were his rivals. But now he saw his need of the divine favor and he wished to purchase it--at any price, to purchase it. He was ready to pay for his sins; only waited to know the price, and he would make the payment!
* 2 Kings iii. 4.
Not a word do we hear of his parting with his sins and returning back by repentance.
Few left to the light of nature seem to have conceived the necessity of repentance, in order to obtain the divine favor. For their sins, they must somehow, make atonement, and they would then be forgiven, though they continued to commit them! Mankind have entertained different ideas of what was necessary to make atonement. The more common idea hath been, that it was to be done by sacrifice; however they came by that idea. It probably derived by tradition from the first family of our race. But there seems to have been a general mistake respecting the design of sacrifice. By those devoid of revelation, it hath not been considered as pointing to a divine sacrifice, but as having in _itself_ an atoning virtue. So it seems to have been viewed by this Moabitish prince.
Another mistake respecting sacrifices, which hath been common in the world, is this--That their value depends on their cost to the offerer.
This was a mistake of Balak. If common offerings, and the usual number of victims would not procure the divine favor and atone for his sins, he would offer more, and more costly ones--_thousands of rams, and ten thousands of rivers of oil_! Such a profusion of sacrifices, of the same kind, or partly so, with those offered by Israel, so many more they were able, coming out of the wilderness, to offer, he hoped would prevail to detach from them their G.o.d, and buy him so to be his friend!
But if not, if these were too little, he would sacrifice his offspring! _Give his first born for his transgression--the fruit of his body for the sin of his soul_! A sacrifice much more costly, much more painful, than that of all earthly treasure! Surely such an offering must prevail!
Similar conclusions have not been very uncommon! The homage offered up to G.o.d hath been estimated by its cost to the offerer! A circ.u.mstance which adds nothing to its value. The value of what is done for G.o.d depends on its conformity to his orders. That its cost to the offerer enhances its value, in the divine estimation, supposes him to be pleased with the sufferings of his creatures, and delighted with their sorrows, than which, nothing is farther from truth. "G.o.d grieveth not willingly--Judgment is his strange work." Were it otherwise, the more reluctant the offerer, the more acceptable would be the offering: But G.o.d loves a cheerful giver; yea, he is so pleased with this disposition, that he accepts and rewards it, where ability is wanting to carry it into action. "If there be first a willing mind, it is accepted." *
* 2 Corinthians viii. 12.
The sacrifices of old derived all their value from the sacrifice of Christ, to which they pointed. G.o.d had determined, when and how they would be offered. Additions to the number, or cost, added nothing to their value, but had a contrary effect, spoiled and rendered them unavailing. Human victims, the most costly, and therefore supposed by the heathen, to be the most efficacious, were so far from having power with G.o.d to draw down his blessing, that they most certainly drew his curse on all who offered them. This was one of the sins of the Canaanites, which above all others, availed to bring the divine judgments upon them. And when Israel fell into the same sin, it kindled the wrath of G.o.d against them to their destruction. This was the sin of Mana.s.seh, "which G.o.d would not pardon."
Balak first proposed other sacrifices--a profusion of them; but if they were not sufficient to atone for his sins and procure the friendship of Jehovah, seems to have thought that the sacrifice of his first born must avail!
Such were his blunders respecting the nature of that religion which would render him acceptable to the true G.o.d. He seems not once to have thought of repentance; or if he did, he made no offer of it--did not once propose "crucifying the flesh with its affections and l.u.s.ts." He chose rather to sacrifice all the treasures of his kingdom, and all the members of his family, than part with his sins and become holy in heart and life.
Such is the temper of depravity. The servants of sin are sooner persuaded to make any other sacrifice than that of their l.u.s.ts and corruptions. And many foolishly flatter themselves that other sacrifices will avail to procure the divine favor--that holiness of heart and life are not indispensibly requisite, but that something beside may be subst.i.tuted in its stead. Countless examples of this folly meet us in history, and even in the history only catholic church of Christ!
Thus did Balak mistake the nature of true religion, and consider it as consisting in that which was foreign, yea, repugnant to its nature.
Such were his proposals which he spread before Balaam, and of which he required his opinion. Let us hear then the answer of the Sage.
Balaam was better instructed: He appears to have understood the nature of true religion, and clearly points it out to Balak, though he neglected himself to conform to it. _He hath shewed thee, 0 man, what is good: And what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly, with thy G.o.d_?
There is scarcely a better definition of true religion to be found in the bible.
He _hath shewed thee, 0 man, what is good_.--From Balak"s inquiry we should be ready to conclude that he was ignorant of G.o.d and religion --that he supposed that G.o.d preferred sacrifice to justice and mercy --that sacrifice would supply their place and render them of no account. Balaam tells him that he had been better instructed; though we know not where, or how. _He hath shewed thee, what is good_; and he appeals to Balak whether this was not the case--_What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy_, &c.