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 religion,
and the consequences which will follow human conduct here, should dare
to set himself deliberately to evade the divine law, as wicked and
artful men do human laws, surprises and confounds us! Yet so it
certainly was in the case before us!

We are not left ignorant of the consequences: To him the "end of
those things was death," eternal death, for he died in rebellion
against God. And he seems to have anticipated the event; when speaking
of the divine being, the true God and Redeemer, he breaks out into
that language--"I shall see him, but not now; I shall behold him, but
not nigh."

We can form no judgment of a person's moral state by his speculative
knowledge of God and religion. Knowledge in divine things is
important; on many accounts it is so; but it does not ensure goodness
of heart, without which we cannot be saved; we may have "all