able to do it, the advancement which Balak had offered him, was tempted to try what might be the event, if he used some of the arts which the most learned nations held in the highest repute, and esteemed to be of the greatest efficacy." He tried, but found no enchantment against Jacob, nor any divination against Israel. What particular arts he used, or upon what rules of science he proceeded, I cannot say; for Moses has not told us. But if his building seven altars was, as I have supposed, one of his artifices ;* it will hint that he had copied after the Egyptian theology. For, as they worshipped at this time the lights of heaven; so they first imagined the seven days of the week to be under the respective influences of seven of these luminaries." The Chaldeans are thought to have come into this doctrine next after the Egyptians; other nations did not admit it so early." Belus, the son of Neptune, had obtained leave for himself and some Egyptian priests to make a settlement at Babylon about half a century before Balak

с

They imagined that oracles and prodigies might be proeured by these arts, sine Deo. See vol. ii. book ix.

a Vol. ii. b. ix.

Numb. xxiii. 23. * Και ταδε αλλα Αιγύπλιοισι εςι εξευρημεναι μεις τε και ημερη εκασία Sawy or so. Herodot. 1. 2, c. 82. Dio Cassius dicit, dispositionem dierum ad septem planetas inventum fuisse Ægyptiorum. Philastrius Brixiensis expresse asserit, Hermen de finivisse secundum septem stellas hominum generationem consistere. Vid. Marsh. Can. Chron. p. 448.

Clem. Alex. Stromat. lib. 1. d Marsham, ubi. sup.

sent for Balaam." Belus and his followers taught the Chaldeans their astronomy, and probably introduced this Egyptian notion of the influence of the seven ruling stars, which might now be the reigning doctrine in Balaam's time; and he not being a stranger to the learning of the age and country he lived in, might know enough of it to make a show before Balak of proceeding to his auguries by the rules of it. And if the sacrifices of Balak had been attended with any such circumstances as those, upon inspection of which the idolatrous prophets formed their divinations; I question not but Balaam had a disposition to take occasion to speak from them. But the providence of GoD seems not to have permitted him to have a possibility of being mistaken. If he would have cursed the Israelites, he must have done it, and at the same time have had a full sense that they were blessed, without any room for doubt or suspicion that it could

See vol. ii. b. viii.

Some critics have imagined, that Balaam built and offered upon seven altars, upon account of the states he offered for, being in number seven. The Moabites indeed were under one head, Balak being their king, but the Midianites were under elders; and it is conjectured, that they were divided into seven principalities: but this imagination is entirely groundless. The kings or heads of Midian. were five, not seven. Numb. xxxi. 8. and had the number of Balaam's altars been owing to the number of states he sacrificed for, he must have built not seven, but six only, five for the states of Midian, and one for the king of Moab.

be otherwise; and he was not hardy enough to be guilty of such an abandoned prostitution; but upon offering his third sacrifice he gave over. He went not as at other times to seek for enchantments. This place I think is not well rendered: the Hebrew words intimate to us, that he did not perform the ceremonies in walking or dancing round the altar, by which the idolaters endeavoured to procure vaticinations; but he set his face towards the wilderness, and lifting up his

Numb. xxiv. 1.

b One of the heathen rites made use of to procure suc. cess to their sacrifices, was their dancing or moving in set steps backwards and forwards, from side to side, round about their altars. This the priests of Baal did in order to procure fire from heaven in the days of Elijah, 1 Kings xviii. 26. And this ceremony Balaam seems to have performed at each of the preceding sacrifices; at his last sacrifice he gave over. Our translation of the words would induce one to imagine, that his going away from Balak to meet or invoke the LORD, was his going to seek enchantments, but the Hebrew text suggests no such thing. The Hebrew words are,

In Latin thus,

ולא הלך כפעם בפעם לקראת נחשים

Et non ambulavit secundum vicem in vice, &c. The Greeks afterwards performed these ambulations thus. First, they moved towards the west, turning from the east, singing a sacred hymn; then they returned from the west back to the east again; and such turns or vices as these, I imagine Balaam had practised at Balak's sacrifices before and round the altars.

eyes, he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to his tribes; and the Spirit of GoD came upon him, and he told Balak without reserve, all that God was pleased to reveal to him. Balak was provoked at what Balaam now delivered to him; for Balaam spake now in a higher strain than ever in favour of the Israelites; but as he had now omitted some ceremonies, which he had before used to give effect to his sacrifices, and had not gone aside, as he twice before had done, to meet or invoke Gon; Balak could see no cogent reason for his so speaking. Balaam indeed. prefaced what he delivered, with declaring them to be the words which he heard from Gon, when he saw the vision of the ALMIGHTY, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open. Certainly no such vision was ever seen by Balaam, whilst Balak was with him; so that this revelation was made to him when he was alone, probably before he had attended upon Balak's sacrifices; and now upon his giving over all further thoughts of amusing or gratifying Balak, GoD in spired him to recollect and deliver all that had been revealed to him. And Balak was so offended at his now speaking in so extraordinary a manner in favour of his enemies; because, to his apprehension, nothing had happened to cause his so doing. The prophet however proceeded and advertised him, what Israel should do to his people in after-ages." Balak paid but little regard to what he said, dismissed him with

Numb. xxiv. 2-9. "Numb. xxiv. 14-24.

* Ver. 10.

1 Ver. 4.

contempt, apprehending that he in no wise answered the character which had been given of him." Hereupon Balaam left him, and went to the Midianites, and formed a project to obtain their favour. He well knew that the prosperity of the Israelites depended upon their continuing to serve the living GoD; therefore he apprized the Midianites, that if they could seduce them to idolatry, they might then have hopes of prevailing against them. This was that counsel which Balaam gave the Midianites to cause the children of Israel to commit trespass against the LORD. And it is possible that he might amuse himself with the pertence of even a good view in it; for had it succeeded, and had the children of Israel been ruined by his scheme, why might he not have hoped, after so signal a success, to have had interest and influence enough over the Midianites to have, perhaps, brought them by degrees into the service of his own GoD, and so to have promoted both God's glory and his own advancement together. All this might look well in the eye of a politician; but much better had it been for Balaam to have lived at home at Pethor, than to be laying out these projects among the elders of Midian. Had there been any design of Providence to be carried on, by his coming out of private life; GoD both could and would have appointed events, which by natural steps would have raised him to that station, in which he intended he should be useful to the world. And if the

n Numb. xxiv. 11. P Numb. xxxi. 16.

• See Rev. ii. 14.