laam, may be and often has been true of others; we have only to put in the place of the gift of prophecy any one of what we call God's natural gifts, or any thing that is merely a power, and we see the same thing frequently. Power, whether natural or acquired, whether of mind or of outward condition, is no warrant for our finding goodness united with it. Yet it is still power, and oftentimes it does God's work, and ministers greatly to the good of others, although it is not blessed to the eternal salvation of him who possesses it. There is indeed, a kind and a degree of wickedness which absolutely impairs the power; the worst of men are not and cannot be the wisest. And so, on the other hand, there is a degree of goodness which actually in some respects confers power; which enables an understanding not naturally strong to arrive at truth in matters of the greatest moment. But it is a mistake to suppose, either that those whose notions are the truest on points even of Christian truth should be men of the holiest lives, or that men of the holiest lives should see the truth most clearly on all points connected with Christianity. God gives His gifts or powers to men who sometimes possess but a small portion of the graces of His spirit; His grace is often to be seen in a very high measure, where His gifts have been bestowed scantily.

We understand this more easily with regard to

creatures.

the mere powers of the understanding; we can well conceive that he who understood all mysteries and all knowledge, might yet be without charity. But the Apostle carries it further, and supposes that a man might give all his goods to feed the poor, and yet be without charity. In other words, a man may lead a very useful life, and yet not be an heir of Christ's salvation. The powers of a man's understanding may be combined with so much activity, he may be able to do such various good, and feel such pleasure in the doing of it, as to be really of the greatest service to his fellowAnd yet there may be wanting in him that one principle which alone is Christian virtue or holiness, the desire to do Christ's will. Without this, moral usefulness is like intellectual power; both may minister largely to the good of others; both will perish in the using, and leave us with nothing that bespeaks our fitness for life eternal. And since the more wonderful gifts of the Holy Spirit have not been commonly given, there is a story told of one of the ablest and most learned writers who have lived since the Reformation, of a man who wrote a book in defence of Christianity, who studied the Scriptures deeply, and wrote long and mostly very good notes upon every part of them; it is told, I say, of this very man, that when he was on his death-bed, he exclaimed in bitter regret, "Alas! I have wasted my life in taking a

great deal of trouble to do what is a mere nothing." He calls his books, which he had written about the Bible, by no better name than a mere nothing. And why? Because he thought, that while he was writing or reading them, he was not labouring heartily for the glory of God, but for his own; because he thought that he had not been careful enough, to govern his own heart while he was employed about them; that he had not, like St. Paul, laboured to bring his body into subjection, lest that by any means when he had preached to others he should himself be a castaway. At the present day, indeed, we are willing enough to allow that religious employments do not of necessity improve the heart; that a man may know much divinity, and may preach well and eloquently, and yet may not be a true servant of Christ. Our mistake now is of a different kind; and we attach too high a value to what is called a useful life, to the being engaged in honest labour, whether of body or of mind, for the support of ourselves and our families. I would, indeed, that we all led an useful life, if I may so alter the words of the Apostle, but rather that we led an holy one; for though we speak with the tongues of men and of angels, though we had the gift of prophecy like Balaam, or though we gave all our goods to feed the poor, and marked every day of our lives with some useful action, yet all this would profit us nothing,

unless we had charity or love, the love of God first, and of man for Christ's sake. In Balaam's time, to be a prophet was accounted a certain sign of God's favour; and this opinion the Scripture takes pains to contradict, by showing us one who was a prophet, and whose life, notwithstanding, was disobedient to God, while his death was with the wicked. In our time, to be useful in our generation, and to be worthy members of society, are the things which most draw the regard of the people; and men should be reminded therefore, that these are not certainly the signs of a regenerate man, unless they are built upon those Christian principles which are given and strengthened in the heart by the Holy Spirit.

Balaam, it seems, was living in his own country when he received a message from Balak, the king of Moab, requesting him to come to him and curse the children of Israel. Knowing that Balaam was a prophet, he could not tell how great was his power; but he supposed that his blessings and his curses would be confirmed by God; and that therefore, if he could gain him over to his side, he would be a very useful friend to him against the Israelites. He sent, therefore, some of the elders of Moab to Balaam, with the rewards of divination in their hand in other words, he tried to bribe Balaam to say what he wanted; he wished to bribe him by money to speak in the name of God. Now

But

we are told that when Naaman, the Syrian, applied to the prophet Elisha, not to curse any one in the name of the Lord, but merely to cure him of his leprosy; and when he had been healed, and wished to offer some present in return for the great service he had received, that Elisha would take nothing of him at all: he did not like to make a gain of those wonderful gifts which God had given him for His own glory and the good of man. Balaam had no such scruples; he was willing to sell his gift of prophecy to any one that would buy it; he did not ask whether it was according to the will of God that he should curse Israel or no, but whether he should get any thing by it or no. Being of such a temper, he was not likely to consider very carefully how he might most please God; but was anxious to go with the men whom Balak had sent, when God told him that he should not go with them, nor curse the people, for they were blessed. This stopped him for a time; but Balak would not give up his purpose so easily. He sent other messengers of higher rank than before, promising him riches and honours in abundance, if he would but come to him. Balaam was again shaken; he wished greatly to gain the rewards that Balak had promised him, but he wished also to gain them without directly disobeying God. He hoped, it seems, to compound the matter: "If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot