_L_._'B_.V__ I_I.____ ~ ___ O_f~B_A_L_.~-~--M~· ____-___-_-__ 1 895 A! that as God had rdemed in his licence to goe, fo h• might pcrh~ps in his licenceto I curfe;and he faw ho\v this curfc migh~ bldl'e him with abundanceofwcalth:he rofe upearly therefore and fadled h1s Atfe. The mght feemed long to h1sfon•ardndfe. ~Qvctous men need neither clock nor bdl to awaken them , their defires.make them reftleffe. Oh that we could with as much eagerneffe fcek the true riehes, which onely can make us happy ) · . Werhat fee only the out.fide of B•t.am,may matvel,why he that permitted him ro goe, afterward oppofes his going; but God that faw his heart, perceived what corrupt afftdions carried him: he f.1w, that his covetous defires and wicked hot>Osi grew the llronger,thenearer he c. me to his end:AnAngel is therefore fent to w1th. hold the ha(ly Sorcerer.Our inward difpofition is the life ofour aCtions, according Is ~o rhar doth the God offpirits judge us,whilesmen cenfure according to ourexternal! motions. To goe at all when God had commanded ro llay,was pttfumpruous: bur to goe with a defire to curfe,made the act doubly finfull,and ferchr an Angel to refill ir.lt is oneofrhe worthy imployments ofgood Angels, ro make fecrer oppofirion to evilldefigns : Many a wicked atl ltave they hindered, without rho knowledge oftheagent.Itisall one withrhe Almighty to work by ipiritsand men; Iris therefore our glory to be rhus fer on work:To ftop the courfeofevil, eirher by diffwafion or violence,is an Angelicall fervice, • In whardanger arewicked men rhar have Gods Angelsrheiroppofires!The d<vil moved him ro goe,a good Angel refifls him. Ifan heavenly Spirit flandin the way ofa Sorc<rers fin,how much more ready are all rhofe fpiriruall pow·ers, ro llop rhe e mifcariages ofGods dear children!howofr had we fain yet more,ifrhefe guardians had riot upheld us,whether by removing occafions,or by cafting in good inllinCls~ as ourgood in~eavours areofr hindred by Saran,foare our evil! by good angels;elfe were not our prorettion equal! to our danger; andwe could neither ftand nor rife. It had been as eafie forrhe Angel to llrike B•I•<~»J,asto ftand in his way; and tO· have followed himin his ,llarring afide,as to ftop him in anarrow path:Bur everi the good Angels have their llints in their exteutions.God had fomewhat more to doe with the rongue of Bal•am,and therefore he will not have him flain, bur withllooo; and fo wirhllood,rhat he !hall paffe. It is nor fo much glory to God, to rake away wicked men, as to ufe their evil! to his ewn holy purpofes. How foone could the · Commander ofheaven and earth rid the world of l>ad members!B\Jr fo lhould he D lofe thepraifeofworking good by eviH inllrumenrs. It fufficerh thJt the Angels of God rdill their attions,while their perfons continue. Tlllt no man may marvel! ro feeBal.am have vilions from God,and utter prophecies from him; his very Alfe harh his eyes opened to fee the Angel!,which his Ma. (\er could not;& his mouth opened to fpeak more reafonably then hisMaller.There is no beall deferves fo much wonder,as rhis of Bal.um, whofc common fenfe is advanced above the reafon ofhis Rider;fo as for the time the Prophet is bruitifh, and rhe bean prophericall. Who can but nand amazed at the eye,at the tongue ofthis filly creature! For fa dull a fight;ir was much to fee a bodily objeCt, that were not roo apparent;bur ro fee that fpiritwhich his rider difcerned not,was far beyond n•- rore.To heare a voice come from that mouth, which was ufed only to bray,it was E llrange and uncouth; l>urro heare abeall, whofenature is nored for idcapacity, to our-reafon his Mallet, a profeffed Prophet, is in the vory height ofmiracles: Yet can no heart (lick at rhefe,rhat confider. rhedifpenfation ofrhe Almighty,in borh, Our eye could po more fee a beall, thed a beall can fee an Angel!, if he had not given rhis power to ir. How eafie is it for himrhar made rhe eye ofman and beall,ro dimme or enlighten ir at his pleafure! and if hispower can make the very ftones ro fpeak how much more a creatureoffenfe ~ That evil! fpirit fplke in the Serpent ro our?rn Parents ; Why is it more that a fpirit lhould fpeak in rhemouth ofa beaft ! howordinarily did the heathen receiverheir Oracles out of llones and rrees?do not ' we our fdves reach birds to fpeak rhofe fenrences they underlland nor!wemay w6der,we cannot dillrull,whenwecomparerhe aCtwirh theAurhor;which canas eafily create avoice without a body,asabody withoUt avoice.Who nowcan hereafter . plead
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