NUMBERS XXII Balakfought to turne the favour of God from If- rad, and to bring his curfe upon them by Bataan; meaner. fo other nations are faid to uti, before they warred againft any people, to endeavour by prayers, facrifices and inchantments,to turne the favour of God from them. Before. the Heathen Romans bcfieged any Cide, their Niels called out the gcd, under whole tutelage the Chie was, and promifed him more ample honor or place a- mong them, Plin.nas.bifr.l.a8.c.2. The fame is alt.() teftified by others; and,the manner of doing it is recorded to be firlt with a fupplication to the gods,and that god Cpecially which had taken up- on him the defence of the city,that he would for - fake the people, Citie, places, Temples, and holy things; and having Eiricken a feare and forgetful - neffe in thit people and Citie, would come into Rome to accept ofthem,their places,Temples,ho- ly things,and Citie,and to be Provofl unto them, their people & fouldiers, vowing if fo he would do, to honor him with Temples & games. When thus they did, they offered alto facrifices,& loo- ked fordivination in theentrailes of beafts. And having thus calledout the gods, the Diftator or Emperor devoted (or curled) the enemies Citie and arm ie, that they might be filled with flight, feare, terror; and that whofoever of them caried armes againft their legions or armie, might both they, their countries, fields, cities, &c. be depri- ved of light from above, and reputed for devoted and confecrated,as any the greateft enemies who- foever,&c. Macrob:Saturnal.lib.3. cap.9. Hereupon their Poets, when countries were conquered, afcribed it to the departure of their gods from them; as in Virgil, Ana. 2. Excef re omnes, aditi,, arifque relish,, Dii quibus imperium hoc ffeterat. In which heathenifh opinions & pra&ifes, there may fome footfleps be feene of the ancient true Religion : for when God would deliver up Ieru- falem into the hands of the Chaldeans, he tint by a ligne to his Prophets, fignihed his departure from, & forfaking of his Temple that flood here- in,Ezek.to.1,4,18,19.& 11.22,23. When Caleb and Iofua would incourage the people to war a- gainft theCanaanites , they ufed this Argument, They are butbread fir ue,their Shadow (meaning God their defence) is departed from them , and Iehovab is with es, fiare them not, Numbers 14. 9. So when the Heathens caried Images and Idols with then in their armies (as the Philiflims did their gods, which David burnt with fire, t Chron. t 4. x 2.) they foolifhly imitated Gods people, who Come- times caried the Arke of his covenant (the token of his pretence) before them in their battels, i Sam. 4.3,4,-8. Numb. 14.44. bewhom lbws bleff{f] or, wham thou (halt bleffi, the Greeke tran- flateth it plurally, tbj whom thou Neff are bled; and they whom thou curl-eft , are curfed By this itap- peareth of how great reputation Salaam was a- mong men, as Simon Magus in Samaria was etlee- med The great po oer of God, Aft. 8. s o. But the Lord cloth curfe the bleufings , and blelfe the cur- fes of his owne Priefis and people, when they doe them amiffe, Mal. 2.2. Pfal. tog. 28. how much more when they are done bySoóthfayers and prophane. The curfe caw fbi ¡ball not come, Pro. 26. a. and if Balaam had turfed Ifrael without the Lord, it had no more prevailed than Goliabs words, who before he fought , curled David by bis gods, t Saps. 17.43. Verfe 7. divinations] that is, the wages or re- ward of divinations was in their hand ; the wages of rmrighteoufnefe as the Apof le calleth it, 2 Pet. 2.15. being for a wicked art, and to an unrighte- ous end ; fo Thargitm Inuit ban expoundeth it, The fruits of divination;fealed in ibex?. band., And thus Be forab, i.e. c god tidings is ufed for the reward of good tidings, in 2 Sam. 4.1o. In Ifael, when the heads judged for reward, the Priefts taught for hire, and the Prophets divined for money ; the Lord threat- neth that for their fake Zion fhould be ploughed, as afield, and Jerufalem become heaps, Mic.3. 11,12. Balamites fee their reward in this world in the hands of men, and that they follow; but the peo- ple of God walke by faith,not by fight; and their reward is in heaven hid with God, not in the hands of man, 2 Cor.5.7. Mat.5. n, î 2. Verfe 8. I will bring you word againej or, brill returneyou word; which the Greeke explaineth, I will anfweryou the things which the Lord fhall leak unto me. Hee would have thews lodge there that night,becaufebewould aske counfel of God,who ufed to fpeake to the Prophets by dreames and vifions of the night, Num. 12.6. Job 4.13. 8133. 14,15. Jen23.25.28. He confultethwith Jeho- vah the true Jod, whole Prophet he would feem to be, and calleth him his God, verfe 18. and be- caufe the buhueffe concerned the people of Jeho- vah, of him he was to enquire. But his promife to bring them word what Jehovah Paid, he per- formed not faithfully, as appeareth by compa- ring v. 13. with v. 12. the Frinces ofMoab] and allo of Midian, which are Isere to be underitood from v.7. where they were called Elders. Verfe 9. God came] to wit, by night, as in y. zo. which the Chaldee expoundeth, word came from bore tbe LORD. So God came toAbimelechina dreamt by night, Gen. 20. 3. and God came to Labatt the Syrian boa dreame by night , Gen. 31. 24. Some- times for his peoples fake, & fometitìies for their owne, God revealed his totinfels of old unto mat that were wicked,Gen.41.29. Dan.2.45 t 4.2 t, 22. So Rill he giveth gifts of knowledge and una derfianding in his Word,to men that are none of his, Mat.7.22,23. & 24.24. 2,Tim.3,8. the eye] the face, as ver.5. carp me them] the word ewle here, is another word in the original!, than that before ufed in v.6.but of the fame fignitication,as appeareth allo after in Nuns.23.7,8. Ic nteaneth a piercing or (hiking thorow with evil 1pecches, and fo is ufed for turfing or blafphemiug : fee th. notes on Levit. 24. I. be able to fight] or prevaile in fighting (or warring) againft them , as the word is Mid for prevailing, in Elay 7. i. fee be- fore on verfe 6. Here Balaam having to dçale with God that knoweth all tsings,would not corrupt their 143 7 g 9 .. 'aw-,.r. .te.
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