Angel told him, that it was he that stood in the way, and occafioned the Afs to turn afide; yet Balaam does not look upon his own ignorance of this circumftance as a juftification of his cruelty. It might alleviate his guilt in fome measure, but did not clear it. And though he apologizes for his conduct, by saying, I knew not that thou ftoodeft in the way, (which fhews that the fin referred to, was fmiting the Afs) yet the action itself being cruel, and the effect of paffion, he introduces his apology with the confeffion of guilt; and it amounts to this, -Though I knew not that thou ftoodeft in the way against me, yet I HAVE SINNED, in fmiting the ASS.

I wish this part of the facred history were more duly and gravely attended to, than I fear it is. It has been treated with contempt and ridicule; as abfurd in itself; and unworthy a place in holy writ. But, for my own part, I can fee nothing abfurd or ridiculous in fuppofing that the great Creator, with whom all things are poffible, and who thought it not beneath him to create the various orders of animals from the highest to the łoweft, fhould care for the meaneft of them. We Men, indeed, to shew how unworthy we are of our own dignity, are apt to defpife and infult the inferior animals, as below our notice or regard, nay, as objects of our contempt and malicioufnefs. But the

great GOD feeth not as man feeth; with Him nothing is contemptible. He faw every thing that he had made, and behold it was very good*. And as GOD IS LOVE †, the extent of his Love is the perfection of his Goodness. Where is the absurdity then, that a Meffenger from heaven, who was fent for reproof or direction to an obftinate and paffionate man, obferving him to offend against the law of mercy, fhould check and reprove him for his cruelty? The angel's Silence as to this particular, would indeed have been a matter of wonder; and we fhould from thence have inferred, that Cruelty to Brutes is no SIN, because an angel of mercy took

* Gen. i. 31.

† 1 John iv. 8, 16.

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no notice of it in Balaam. But as the angel's errand was a meffage of love and mercy unto Ifrael in the first defign of it, it was highly confiftent with the character of a meffenger of love and mercy, to keep them in view in his whole transaction, of which his gentle expoftulation to Balaam, as well as his forbearance in fparing him, are illuftrious proofs. I do not fay, that the Angel was fent on purpose to rebuke Balaam for this fin; it is plain he was not: for the Angel was prefent, and the Afs faw him, before her master fmote her the first time; but it difpleased the Angel fo much, that he withdrew himself for a feafon. He would have appeared the fecond time, but the fame caufe

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cause produced the fame effect. But now at the third time, the juft indignation of the heavenly meffenger was kindled at the foolish passion and cruelty of Balaam. He could no longer contain and yet, as if he deemed the man unworthy to hear his voice, he opens the mouth of the injured Afs, that she might plead her own cause with buman voice; and by the strangeness of the miracle convince her mafter of his folly and injuftice*. But when the miracle had no effect upon the infatuated man, then did the Angel exhibit himself in the pof

It pleafed GOD to open the mouth of the ASS in a complaint of the injuftice of her Mafter, to beat her for not going forward. JosEPHUS. Jew. Antiq. Book iv. ch. 5.

ture