them in true sincere prayer. Remember, dear children, that this little book might be your last call, as was the offer of Moses to the Moabites and Amorites, and it you do not regard it, and refuse to try to learn the fear of God, you may be suffered to die in your sins as they did.

The Israelites were now drawn into a grievous sin, through the means of some Midianitish women: they went with them and offered sacrifices to their idols, which the Lord Jehovah had so often forbidden, and for which they had suffered His severe punishment. Moses was commanded to hang up the principal offenders, and then the Lord sent a plague among them, that caused the death of twentyfour thousand of these sinners against their own souls. After the Lord had stopped the plague, He ordered Moses to number the people, and to fix their inheritance before they went into the promised land, and Moses found that of all those thousands who were numbered at Sinai, none were living except Joshua and Caleb, as the Lord had said, they having been promised to enter into that good land, as a reward for their faith.

CHAPTER XII.

BALAAM SMITING HIS ASS.

THE Israelites defeated the king of the Amorites, who had gathered all his people together to dispute their passing through his country. The king of Moab hearing this, was, with all his people, much afraid. He knew if the Amorites, who were more warlike and powerful than the Moabites, had not been able to make a stand before them, it was in vain for him and his people, to hope to do any thing against them in fighting.

At this time there was a man living in the land of the children of Ammon, who had (as in time past) prophesied in the name of the true God. He lived among wicked people, and he appears to have learned their evil ways, "loving the wages of unrighteousness." To Το this man, (whose name was Balaam,) Balak, the king of Moab sent. He complained to the prophet of the multitude and power of the Israelites, told him how vain it would be for him or his people to strive to resist them, and prayed Balaam to come and curse them in the name of the Lord.

The elders of Moab, who were sent by the king, took presents with them, and Balaam kept them with him that night, as, (bad man although he was,) he dared not go till he had waited to see what the Lord would speak to him. The Lord refused His consent to his going, and told him, "Thou shalt not curse this people, for they are blessed," Num. xxii. 12. Balaam told the elders of Moab, and sent them back to the king.

Balak, (having no other hope,) sent again other messengers, with very great promises of great honours and rewards, praying him to let nothing prevent his coming. Balaam, (who wished in his heart to go,) kept these messengers as he did the others, to see what "the Lord would say to him." God, who sees the secrets of all hearts, now left Balaam to follow his own will: He told him, if the men called for him, to go, but to beware what he said in His name, Balaam gladly saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.

It says in the Bible, the anger of the Lord was kindled against him, and he sent an angel to be an adversary, that is, an enemy to him. As he was riding along with his two servants, the ass turned aside and would not go along. She saw the Angel of the Lord, standing with a sword drawn in his hand, and turned away into the field, and all Balaam could do, the ass would not go in the road. Balaam now added to his sin of covetousness, very great

anger at his poor ass. He beat her and forced her into the road. The angel stood in a narrow part of the way, where there was no room to pass, and the ass being frightened at the sight of the angel, turned to the wall and crushed Balaam's foot.

Having passed there, they came to a still narrower place, where there was no place to turn "either to the right hand or to the left," and the poor ass fell down under Balaam. This made him so angry, that he beat his ass with his staff. Then the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and the poor creature asked, "What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?" Balaam answered, "Because thou hast mocked me." " would there was a sword in my hand, for then I would kill thee." The poor ass, whose tongue was thus gifted by God, asked if she had not been faithful "to him all his life," and if she had ever done so before.

Balaam's "eyes" were now "opened," and he saw the angel of the Lord with his sword drawn; and he bowed his head and fell on his face. The angel told him, that only for his ass turning out of the way, he should have slain him and saved her life. Balaam acknowledged he had sinned, and offered to turn back again the angel told him to go with the men who had come for him; but to be careful to speak only the words which the Lord would speak to him. He went on, and

the king of Moab built seven altars, in a place which Balaam showed him. There he offered sacrifices, and hoped that, may be, he might be permitted to curse the Israelites. The Lord met him, we are told, and words of blessing and great deliverances were put into his mouth by the Spirit of God. This made the king of Moab very angry. He took Ba

laam to another place, and built seven other altars, hoping to have his enemies cursed from thence. But he had the pain of hearing them blessed still more. In another place they built again seven altars, but with the same success. Balak now losing all hope, said in anger to Balaam, "I called thee to curse my enemies, and lo, thou hast blessed them altogether." "Flee now (said he) to thy place. I thought to promote thee to great honour, but the Lord hath kept thee back." Balaam truly told him, he dared not speak any thing but that which the Lord said. He then spake a remarkable prophecy, which is supposed to belong to Christ, the Messiah, as well as the complete victory of the Israelites over all their enemies. Not long after, we read, he was slain.

Moses was commanded by the Lord to avenge the snare which the Midianites had drawn them into, by slaying them all, as their iniquity was so great. Again the people disobeyed, and saved the women and children, and the cattle. Moses was much displeased, and inquired of the Lord what he should do