pondency lies more in the spirit than in the expressions of the exordium; in the third and fourth, the expressions are nearly similar. These predictions are, in fact, classed in pairs. Thus the four inspired poems exhibit a general parallelism of construction and arrangement analogous to the specific and local parallelism of the clauses in which this artifice, peculiar to Hebrew poetry, occurs.

By the repetitions adopted by the prophetic bard, in the several introductions to his predictions, he each time confirms the truth of his previous statements; and yet, so little credulous was the heathen king, by whom he was employed to devote a whole people to destruction, that he either did not, or would not, believe what was thus solemnly delivered.

It appears hardly credible to a really pious mind, that Balaam, favoured as he was with a direct revelation from God himself, and seeing, as he must have done, how his own wicked designs were contravened by the infallible will of Him from whom no secrets are hid, and who is everlastingly dispensing good, should still have entertained designs directly obnoxious to his wrath, notwithstanding his many and great mercies. How grievously must the conscience of such a man have troubled him. He never could have said he certainly never could have felt, that repose of mind, expressed by a somewhat quaint, but nevertheless eloquent writer, of a much later age.*

Sir Thomas Browne.

"I thank God that (with joy I mention it) I was never afraid of hell, nor never grew pale at the description of that place: I have so fixed my contemplations on heaven, that I have almost forgot the idea of hell, and am afraid rather to lose the joys of the one, than endure the misery of the other-to be deprived of them is a perfect hell, and needs, methinks, no addition to complete our afflictions: that terrible term hath never detained me from sin, nor do I owe any good action to the name thereof. I fear God, yet am not afraid of him: his mercies make me ashamed of my sins, before his judgments afraid thereof. These are the forced and secondary methods of his wisdom, which he useth but as the last remedy and upon provocation; a course rather to deter the wicked, than incite the virtuous to his worship. I can hardly think there was ever any scared into heaven. They go the fairest way to heaven that would serve God without a hell. Other mercenaries that crouch unto him, in fear of hell, though they term themselves the servants, are indeed but the slaves of the Almighty.

"And, to be true, and speak my soul, when I survey the occurrences of my life, and call into account the finger of God, I can perceive nothing but an abyss and mass of mercies, either in general to mankind, or in particular to myself, and whether out of the prejudice of my affection, or an inverting and partial conceit of his mercies, I know not; but those which others term crosses, afflictions, judgments, misfortunes, to me, who inquire further into them than their

visible effects, they both appear, and in event have ever proved, the secret and dissembled favours of his affection. It is a singular piece of wisdom to apprehend truly and without passion the works of God; and so well to distinguish his justice and his mercy, as not to miscal those noble attributes: yet it is likewise an honest piece of logic, so to dispute and argue the proceedings of God, as to distinguish even his judgments into mercies. For God is merciful unto all, because better to the worst than the best deserve; and to say he punisheth none in this world, though it be a paradox, is no absurdity. To one that hath committed murder, if the judge should only ordain a fine, it were a madness to call this a punishment, and to repine at the sentence rather than admire the clemency of the judge. Thus, our offences being mortal, and deserving not only death, but damnation, if the goodness of God be content to traverse and pass them over with a loss, misfortune, or disease, what frenzy were it to term this a punishment, rather than an extremity of mercy, and to groan under the rod of his judgments, rather than admire the sceptre of his mercies! Therefore, to adore, honour, and admire him, is a debt of gratitude due from the obligation of our nature, states, and conditions; and with these thoughts, he that knows them best will not deny that I adore him. That I obtain heaven, and the bliss thereof, is accidental, and not the intended work of my devotion; it being a felicity I can neither think to deserve, nor scarce in modesty to expect. For those

two ends of us all, either as rewards or punishments, are mercifully ordained and disproportionably disposed unto our actions; the one being so far beyond our deserts, the other so infinitely below our demerits."*

Religio Medici, part. 1.

CHAPTER III.

Balaam's fourth prophecy, continued.

HAVING already explained the introduction of the third prophecy, which precisely, or very nearly so, corresponds with that of the one now to be examined, I shall proceed to the consideration of the prediction itself.

I shall see him, but not now:
I shall behold him, but not nigh.

In these two hemistichs, the parallelisms are not only strikingly obvious, but they are likewise singularly elegant and comprehensive, being at once gradational and constructive; a union of these forms not unfrequently occurring in the metrical portions of the Hebrew Scriptures. It will be seen that in the couplet just quoted the subjects of the verses are expressed in nearly equivalent terms, nevertheless that the parallel phrases in the last verse rise into greater force of meaning than those employed in the first; the immediate reference being to a more exalted object, the language consequently assumes a tone of greater elevation. Besides this, the structure of each hemistich, the euphonious collocation of the words, their relative position and emphasis, the elocutive