which were enemies to Israel, and then he rose up and went back to his own country. Not long after Balaam was slain with the sword among other heathens whom the Israelites conquered and put to death; and the language in which the HOLY SPIRIT speaks of him through the Apostles S. Peter, and S. Jude, is most awful, leading us to believe, that in spite of all the warnings he had from God, and although he had so clearly seen and confessed GOD to be the One only all-powerful GOD, Balaam did not truly repent, but died in his sins, and in the solemn language of Scripture, "went to his own place."

Of Balaam, and such persons, who, after they have been shown how to serve GOD, persist in sin, and will not turn to Him, S. Peter says, "It had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them." We have known that "way of righteousness;" let us watch and pray that we do not wander out of it, and losing sight of God, be lost of Him.

The time was coming when Moses' work would be ended; and though he might not enter into the earthly Land of Promise, as a punishment for the human frailty which had displeased

his God, yet he would be permitted to enter into that better land, the heavenly Canaan.

The people were gathered together on the Egyptian side of Jordan, and there Moses made ready to leave them under other guidance. "I am an hundred and twenty years old this day," he said, speaking to his beloved people. "I can no more go out and come in: also the LORD hath said unto me, Thou shalt not go over this Jordan.”

But before leaving his children, the venerable leader repeated in their ears all the laws and commandments that GOD had sent to them through him, saying, "Hear, O Israel, the LORD our GoD is one LORD; and thou shalt love the LORD thy GOD with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words which I command thee, this day, shall be in thine heart; and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up; And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes; and thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates."

Moses went over the history of the Israelites'

wanderings since they left Egypt, to remind them of all the mercies GOD had shown them; and then he told them that he had to set before them a blessing and a curse. A blessing if they would obey the commandments of their GOD, and a curse if they turned aside from His ways. Then Moses caused the Levites to proclaim, with a very loud voice, the curse of GOD upon those who disobeyed His voice, ending with, "Cursed be he that confirmett not all the words of this law to do them." And at each sentence of the Law's curse, the people were to answer, AMEN; that is, we own that so it is, and that these sins are accursed of God.

Then was poured out the rich and full blessing of GOD upon His people, if they would keep His Law: "Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and when thou goest out. The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee

seven ways. The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; ... the LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto Himsell as He hath sworn unto thee; if thou shalt keep the commandment of the LORD thy GOD, and walk in His ways. And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the Name of the LORD, and they shall be afraid of thee."

Moreover, Moses bid the people to remember this Blessing and this curse hereafter, when they should be scattered among other nations, and he ended, saying: "This commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it and do it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it and do it? But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it. See . . I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore

choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live; that thou mayest love the LORD thy GOD, and that thou mayest obey His voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto Him for He is thy life, and the length of thy days that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them."

THE DEATH OF MOSES.

THE LORD was not going to leave His chosen people without a leader when He took Moses from them. He desired Moses to put Joshua in his place to lead and govern the people. "Joshua shall go over before thee, as the LORD hath said. . . Be strong and of a good courage, fear not nor be afraid; for the LORD thy God, it is He that doth go with thee: He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." Then Moses called Joshua, and in the sight of all the people he gave him the commission of GOD: "Be strong and of a good courage, for thou must go with this people unto the land which the LORD hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it.