144 NUMBERS their fpeech , but fully related the meffage fetzt unto him : but in his anfwer to the Princes, hee dealeth otherwife, vcrfe 13. 12 Verfe is. not curfe] As the meffage had two branches, to goe, and to cnrfe ; fo God anfwereth unto, and torbiddethboth, adding a reafon, be- caufe they were bleff'ed. And as he forbade him to goe to any other p13c., fo he forbade him to curfe them in any place,oìwhere now he was. So that Salaam heremight Bow the whole will of God about this bufineffe, and needed not to en- quire what the Lord would fpeake unto him more, as he did in ver. r 9. And though Ifrael had often pròvokcd the Lord by their fins in the wil- derneffe, yet would hee not fuffer the wicked to curfe them,but made them heires of that blelfed- neffe which belongeth to thole whofe iniquities are forgiven, and who ffms are covered, Rom.4,6,7. are blejid] and therefore may not be curled of any ; for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance, Rom. I I. 29. And when Jacob the father of this people had got the blefftng of Ifaakunawares, E- fau could not get him to reverie it,but Ifaakfaid, I have blefd hine,yea and he fhall be bkfd,Gen.27z.33 neither could Balsam, with all his Altars andfa- crifices, procure. God to change,butwas himfelfe forced alto to bleffe them three times, Numbers' 24. Io. Wherefore they are after put in minde of this nereie, The L 0 RD thy God would not hear - keen unto Balsam, but the LORD thy God turned the curfe imo a bleffng tentò thee , becaufe the LORD thy God loved thee, Deut. 23. 5. 13 Verfe i3. Jehovah refufeetb to give me] the Chal- dee explaineth it, it pleafith not the L 0 RD ro fig= fieme;and in Greeke, God permittetb me not. Here Balsam telleth, them but the firft part of Gods fpeech, concealing the other, and the reafon which God gave, wherein the weight of the an- fwer lay. If hee had faithfully (hewed them the whole counfell of God, it might have flayed this evill enterprife, and cut of all occafion of further fending.But as a man loth to difpleafe,and loving the proffered gaine, he ufeth a faint and favoura- ble fpeech, as if bee fhould have Paid, I could be content and glad to gratifie the King herein, but God will not fitffer me at this time to goe, the fault is not mine, therefore! pray thee bave mee excufed. Thecontrary dune is fhewed inJer.23. 28. The Prophet that bath the dreame , let him tell the dreamer and he that bath my word , let /.lm fpeake my wordfaithfully , &c. and in the Apoflies praftife, who faith, 'haze not fbun ed to declare swop. all the counfell of God, A &. 20. 27. 14 Verfe 14. Balsam refttfeth to come] in Greeke, Ba- lsam will not come. Obferve Satans pra &ife againft Gods word , feeking to leffen the fame, and that by degrees from hand to hand,til either he bring it to nothing , or at leaft pervert it to a wrong purpofe. Balaaam told the Princes leffe thanGod Ipake to him ; and they relate to Balalfieffe than Balsam told them; that when the anfwer came to the King, it was not now the word of God, but of man: it was onely Balsam refutee& to come; as if God had not forbidden or hinderedthis aftion, but onely there wanted a will in the Prophet; there beingno word brought either ofthc Lords will touching his people,or of their bleffed eftate, as was ligtiified in v.12. Hereupon grew occafion for this mifchiefe to be further followed ; and Balsam was the fecond time folicited with firon- ger tentations than before, u.15,16,8tc. Verfe 15. moe, and more honourable] or greater and more honourable. Of the Hebrews, Sol. Iarcbi ga- thereth from Balsams words, to goe with you, v.13. that he being haughty and ofa proud fpirit, in finuated therby, as if with them he might not go, but with other greater then they he might : but this is uncertain.The holy Gholt (heweth rather, how Balaams words (as it was related) was fo far from rattling the King to leave offhis wickedpur- pofe,that it was as a whetftone to fbarpen it; and caufed him to attempt it a frefh with (Monger al- faults both in perlons and proffers. Vert 16. Be not betted] or, be not forbidden, or withheld,,; the Greeke tranliateth, I pray thee delay not (or flack/ not) to come unto me : which phrafe is ufed in Aft. 9.38. where the Difciples fend to Pe- ter, defiring him that be would not delay to come to them. It meaneth here, that Balsam neither of his owne will , nor by any other mean's would be flayed or hindered fromcomming. Verfe 17. Honouring I will honour thee] that is, I will furely and highly honour thee, which the Greek explaineth, 'will honourably honour thee. This offer, as it agreed with the nsajeftie of the King, fo with the ambition and covetoufneffe of the Prophet: and Satan fo caned the matter between them, as made moil for his advantage. By this bait he allured the woman to eat of the forbid- den fruit , promifing unto her opening of eyes, and likeneffe unto God,'Gen.3. and by it he ho- ped to have taken Chrift himfelfe, when he pro - mifed to give him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of'tbem,Mat.4.8,9.and now with it he pre- vaileth over Balsam, and bill Both over-Prophets of Balsams fpirit. I will doe] in Greeke, Twill doe unto thee. The Kings of the earth, if they may have their defines fulfilled,will honour their Pro- phets, and doe all that they fay. Thus the Pro. phets of Baal were fed at Ieeebe/s table, when the Prophets of the Lord were fed in caves,with bread and water, r King. 18. 13,19. and the witnel&s of Chrif prophefie in fackcloth, Rev. I 1.3. Wife 18. I cannot geebeyond] or, luny not tranf- grefu. The word fignifieth fometimes unability, whereby a man cannot' fometime unlawfulneffe, whereby one may not,and confequently will not doe a thing; as in Geu.34.14. and 43.32. and 44 26. Balaams fpeech here, feemeth to imply all; for as hec might not lawfully, being forbidden of God; fo neither could hee, being reftrained of God, who would not fuffer him to curfe Ifrael. But for Balsams will,it was corrupt,being in love with the wagesofunriibteoujnefe, I Pet.2.15. there- fore he fought of God that he might have done it, Nnm.23. 1,14. but the Lord would not heare him, Dent. 23.5." the mouth] that is, as the Gr. openeth it , the word in Ghaldee, the decree of she word 15 16 17 Ió
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