BALAAM'S WISH A SERMON Wherein the vanity of desires without endeavours in order to the obtaining the Death of the Upright and their last end is opened and applyed First occasionally Preached and now at the request of some Published By an unworthy Messenger of Christ Psal 37.37 Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace LONDON Printed by T. Leach for John Sims and are to be sold at his Shop near Gresham-Colledge-gate in Bishops-gate-street and at his Shop at swithins-alley-Swithins-Alley-end in Cornhill near the Royal-Exchange 1670. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE AND ELECT LADIES The Lady Anne Clinton The Lady Eleanora Holles AND The Lady Diana Holles The Author wisheth Grace and Peace Right Honourable IT is the Nature of the Blessed God not only to give great things bountifully but also to accept of small things graciously though he looks for the Gift yet he looks at the Heart hence we read in the Law that the handfull of Meal which the Poor man brought for an Oblation to God was as gratefull to God as the whole Burnt-offering of the Rich and in the first of Leviticus the Reach Nichoach or sweet savour of rest is added not only to the Rich mans Oxe but to the Poor mans Turtle Doves to shew that it is not so much how much as from what mind a Sacrifice is brought to Gods Altar Your Ladyships have already in your Nobleness and Liberality to me shewed your selves to be partakers of the Divine Nature and in accepting this poor Pepper-corn present will give a further testimony of your Likeness to his Eternal Majesty for your acceptation will evidence more the goodness of your Ladyships than the desert of this Discourse Such as it is I am humbly bold to offer it to you taking this publick opportunity to declare my thankfulness so far as I am able though not so far as I ought I bow my knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ begging for you the mercies of his Covenant and Kingdom The great God lift up the light of his reconciled face upon you granting you assurance of his Love and perseverance in his Truth in this World and a Crown of Glory in a better Life No more but my earnest request that I may obtain the favour and honour to be Your Ladyships Humblest Servant c. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER Christian Reader THou hast here the Copy of a Sermon which was first taken from the Preacher's mouth by the Pen of a ready Writer the Person who was at the pains of Transcribing of it by his earnest desire hath prevailed with the Author to Review it and to give him leave to Publish it Here is nothing added to the Discourse it self only some things in the Margin to which some passages in the Sermon have relation The Author declares he loâ—es not to be in Print and that these few leaves had never been suffered to come abroad had not more then ordinary Obligations to comply with the requests of some been laid upon him The Godly will not condemn the Work because the subject is so serious and profitable for what can be of greater moment or benefit than to teach men the Lesson of an holy upright life as that which paves the way to an happy and comfortable death or to describe the blessed advantagious death of the righteous as that which encourages to the gracious and heavenly life of the Godly The Wicked will not blame it much because it is so very short let him that is most displeased with it turn over but a few Pages and he will certainly find something that pleaseth him viz. the END The Author hath endeavoured to offend no man by this Tractate for it s his design so to speak write and live as first to please God as much as he can and then to displease man as little as he can If thou reapest any benefit by what is here set before thee give God the praise for who should have the Tribute of all Glory but he that bestows the Treasure of all Grace who should have the Fruit but he that planted the Tree Magnifie God for any good this Sermon shall do thee for every good gift and every perfect gift comes from above from the Father of Lights Farewell BALAAM'S WISH Numb XXIII Vers 10 The latter Part. Let me Dye the Death of the Righteous and let my last end be like his THis Chapter with the foregoing and following conteyneth the History of Balaam's Journey Sacrifices and Parables and in this Narrative there are two things wonderful and extraordinary recorded by the Man of God Moses the one whereby the passion the other whereby the covetousnes of Balaam the false Prophet was rebuked and restrained first his passion was restrained by Gods putting words into the mouth of his Ass 2 Pet. 2.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the dumb Ass speaking with mans voyce rebuked the madnes of the Prophet anger had put the man besides himself so the Greek word there used signifies and so it is in all other persons though Balaam were a wise man yet when his passion was up his reason was down Anger is that feaver of the soul Lacholere est comme une fievre chaude qui nous fait dire un infinite de choses ridicules nous fait entreprendre beaucoup de sottes actions dont neus nous repentons lors qu'elle est passee that makes the tongue talk idly 't is a short fury it puts the mind into a rage you may see how he frets and fumes and chafes and storms and as wise as he was had need to be admonished by an Ass 2ly His coveteousness was rebuked by Gods putting words into his own mouth and this was as great a wonder as the former for though at first with some kind of maiden blushes and shamefac'd modesty he excused himself from the work yet he loved the wages of unrighteousness in so much that in the 11 Verse of the Epistle of Jude Jude 11. he is called in the original the Balaam of Reward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man who had no other soul but gain so that he being such a person it was a great wonder God should so over-rule him as to make his tongue speak that which his heart did least love Prov. 16.1 thus the preparations of the heart are in man and the answer of the tongue is from the Lord So in that speech of Caiphas we read of T' is expedient saith he that one man should dye for the people and this said he not of himself but being High Priest that year John 11.51 he Prophecied that Jesus should dye for that Nation c. and so here the Lord put a word into Balaam's mouth saying return unto Balak and thus thou shalt speak Numb 23.5 behold how the Lord limits him and tyes him up to speak not his own words but the Lords Against the inclination of his
that are above as well as to mind the things that are above hence the Church prayeth in the Psalm Ps 67.1 God be mercifull to us and bless us and cause his face to shine upon us the Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and cause his face to shine with us that is his grace to accompany our endeavours Gods grace is to be desired and mans endeavour not to be spared Now this may be summed up in a few words here are the two reasons why they do not obtain though they do desire First They neglect the active obedience of a righteous life they neglect the performance of those duties that lead to this end Obedience though it be not the cause of Heaven yet it is the cawsey to it though it doth not merit yet it is the means when our wishes go without duty then they are lame and out of joynt there must be Faith Repentance Holiness Ordinances Obedience to the commands of God c. 't is by these we please God It s said of the Ninivites and God saw their works that they turned from their evil way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Seder Maamadoth ex tract Sabbath the Prophet saith not and God saw their Sackcloth and their Fasting but their works that they turned from their evil way Remember this He that made you without your assistance will not save you without your obedience and this obedience is to be universal not only to the easier duties but to the more difficult Some are easie as to believe we must be saved by an imputed righteousness to trust to another when we see our own imperfection these we are easily perswaded to but then to love our enemies to mortifie our corruptions to pull out our right eye and cut off our right hand these are hard sayings men will not go to the cost of universal active obedience and therefore wish and wish and do not obtain Secondly they decline the passive obedience of a righteous life and that makes them miscarry they would be willing to be saved by the Cross of Christ bit they are not willing to bear the Cross of Christ they would be willing to follow Christ to his Kingdom but they would not follow him to his Cross they would follow him into the Garden of pleasure but not to Golgotha the place of Souls they would be willing to eat bread with Christ at his Table but are loath to pledge him in his bitter Cup they would be glorified with his Glory but not be baptized with his Baptism There 's the great reason men do not attain Heaven they would be willing to dye the death of the righteous but are unwilling to dye the death for righteousness sake Alas Christians the Lord Jesus Christ will be your head but it is a head under a Crown of Thorns God will be your God as he was to Moses but he will appear to you in the burning Bush we must first enter into the sorrow of our Lord before we can enter into the joy of our Lord there are first those groans that are unutterable and then those joyes that are unspeakable He that hath not learned the lesson of the Cross has not learned his A. B. C. in Religion The Scriptures teach first a suffering with Christ and then a reigning with him Now there are few persons willing to suffer and therefore it is that so few get to Heaven Few think themselves to be graced as they in the Acts. Acts 5.41 when they are disgraced few that count themselves dignified when they are villified for Christ few that are convinced that though they lose all for Christ yet they shall lose nothing by him nay that though they lose all for him yet they may find it all again and more in him few that are like the antient Christians that were glad they had any thing to lose for Jesus Christ thus should it be with us all we must neither neglect the active nor decline the passive obedience of a righteous life if we would dye the death of the upright and have our last end like his Thus I have answered the two Questions let me now conclude in a few inferences from the premisses And first this shews us the wisdom and happiness of those that make choyce of a righteous life 'T is the best wisdom because they only take the right way to ensure a blessed death they have a prospect into futurity they consider what is coming and therefore provide for it And 't is their great happiness because they make sure of a heavenly reward after death therefore how strangely do we argue when we see a Worldling dandled upon the knees of prosperity we are prone to think surely this is one of the Favourites of Heaven the darling of providence surely God loveth that man he makes him so great and rich and on the other hand when we see the righteous afflicted in this World reproached threatned impoverished imprisoned banished martyred we are apt to judge surely this is not a person that God loves but it must be the end that must be regarded and then it will appear who is the happy man Psa 37.37 mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is Peace the happiness of life is to be esteemed of by the end and issue of it though the righteous mans way be affliction yet his end is peace that is an absence of all evil and the presence of all good the Hebrew word for Peace comes from a root which denotes perfection his end is perfection of happiness hence the Rabbin tells us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rab. Shimson Ben Cholpeta misna okatzim sub finem that the Holy blessed God finds not any vessel that will contain enough of blessing for Israel but the vessel of Peace according to that of the Psalmist Psa 29. ult the Lord shall bless his people with Peace indeed this is ALL therefore Balaam himfelf though a wretch and a reprobate wished himself no more happiness then the righteous should enjoy at death and in the other life If an unskilfull man should go to an exquisite Limner and see him draw the rude draught of a Picture he would wonder what he intended but if he would but stay till he had set to his ultimam manum his last hand and finished the piece he would see it to be excellent Thus it is with foolish men they look upon the rude draught of a Godly mans condition in this World and mis-judge it but if they had but patience to suspend their judgement till God had finished it they would find it excellent and worthy to be desired If a man had been present with God at his first dayes creation when God began to make the World when in the tohu vabohu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 1.2 in the indigested Chaos all things lay disorderly and confusedly jumbled together fire and water cold and heat
coveteous heart his tongue must speak usually out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh but here it was not so but from the irresistible hand of God that was upon him his mouth spake the Lord thy God would not hearken unto Balaam Deut. 23.5 but the Lord they God turned the curse into a blessing because the Lord thy God loved thee God would not hearken to Balaam but made Balaam hearken unto God and so tipp his tongue with blessings though he had a poisoned and envenomed heart Saul went to Damascus to perseeute and God converted him to be a Preacher and Balaam went to curse and God changed his words into a blessing in the former God changed the heart the latter God over-ruled the tongue The latter of these the speeches and parables of Balaam is the context which is the first of his four parables and indeed when we read this parable we may well say who could have expected so sweet a breath from so foul a stomack such heavenly notes from so hellish an instrument surely this is the finger of God And you may learn by the way from Gods over-ruling this Prophet That God can deal with them that deal with the Devil they which are most studyed in the black Arts of Hell must forget the language of that infernal pit and speak the dialect of Heaven Psal 118.23 when God will have them this is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes The text is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the last conclusion and winding up the first parable of Balaam shewing the blessed estate of Israel by his desiring no other condition for himself hereafter than that which they were to enjoy but enough for the contexture or weaving together of the text with the other parts of this History In the words themselves observe 1. Something 's generally and secretly implyed 2 Something 's particularly and openly expressed 1 Something 's implyed which are Two First That all those that are pertakers of humanity are subject to mortality the common law of death is of an imperial and impartial nature it layes hold on all without exception all without distinction bad and good righteous and unrighteous this Balaam lays down as a foundation that the righteous shall dye there is a death even to the righteous Even they that are freed from the sting of death are not delivered from the stroak of death they which are freed by it John 20.3.4 are not free from it our life like the race of the two Disciples is towards the sepulcher as soon as we come out of the grave of the womb we hasten to the womb of the grave we leave the place where we received life to enter into that where we shall find death there will be a morning in which we shall not live till evening or an evening in which we shall not live till morning this is true of all in generall so as to except none in particular the righteous not exempted nay we read the first man that ever dyed was righteous Abel the best at that time that lived was the first that dyed 2ly This is implyed that there is a great difference between the nature and consequents of death to the righteous and to the sinner there is not only a holy difference before death but a happy difference after death Therefore saith he let my last end be like his And indeed this is a very notable testimony of the immortality the soul and of future recompences from the mouth of a false Prophet these words shew that he held there was a reward after death to the just 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 R. Schelomoh Hammelâ—ch in Michlal Yophi in loc else why should he here desire to be in their state Man ceaseth not to be at death but his soul survives the body so that he insinuates thus much that though the righteous dye as well as the wicked yet the wicked dye not so well as the righteous the righteous are taken away from sinne the wicked in their sinne as to death it self there is no differenee but in their death there is a difference therefore as the Apostle in a like case They doe it to obteyn a corruptible Crown but we an incorruptible so they dye to be damned 1 Cor. 9.25 we to be saved Secondly here is something expressed and so the words are a passionate wish consisting of 2 parts the concomitant security and the consequent felicity of a righteous mans death First he wisheth the concomitant security in death Let me dye the death of the righteous or as it is in the primitive language Let my soul dye the Death of the upright 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let my soul dye the meaning of the dying of the soul is the parting of the soul from the body the phrase doth not import the dying of the rational soul which is incorruptible but the removing of it out of the mansion of the body when it is translated by death The death of the righteous the word Yashar is used in opposition to that which is warp'd bent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rectus or crooked Let my soul dye the Death of them that are upright and straight in their principles and practices and from this root it is you read that Israel is called Jesurun because of the sincerity and uprightness that should be in them Joh. 1.47 an Israelite indeed is one in whom is no guile such whose Lives are straight their Death is safe though they are tossed upon the waves yet they are brought into a good and safe harbour by death Death is the end of all humane misery and the beginning of all divine good to the upright the Sepulchre is a sanctuary and death it self a city of refuge to them therefore Let me dye the Death of the righteous for that death which to others is the King of Terrors to the upright is the King of Salem that is of peace the same red sea which was a grave to the Egyptians was a place through which the Israelites passed with safety and the same death which conveys the wicked to the belly of hell carries the godly into the bosom of Abraham Secondly he wisheth consequent felicity after death Let my last end be like his last end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word used in the Hebrew denotes sometimes posterity Dan. 11.4 and let my posterity be like unto his and to this the Septuagint had an eye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuag when they render the words let my seed become as the seed of these so Balaam in the former part of the wish desires happyness for himself in the latter for his Children this exposition is not contrary to the Hebrew nor to be contemned yet above seven times seventy translators may be produced who here leave the seventy interpreters and turn the word as we Extremum the last end the Arrears or after Payment
and the meaning is the Saints of God have not their portion in this world they have only a pension there 's a great deal of Arrears the people of God shall receive at their death So the same Hebrew word is used the end of that man is peace Psal 37.37 Prov. 24.20 Prov. 23.18.24.14 the last end the Arrears of that man So there is no Reward to the evill man he hath nothing to come in the other world but what he hath he hath here Vtinam post hujus vitae exitum felicitatem consequar his rectis repositam Jun. in loc but to the righteous there is an End the best is behind So Junius upon this place O that after my passage out of this life I might obteyn the happines that is laid up for these upright ones so that of Solomon Pro. 14.32 the wicked is driven away in his wickednes but the righteous hath hope in his death the meaning of the place may be either the righteous hath hope in the wicked mans death that is that things will be better when the wicked dye or else he hath hope in his own death because there is a reward to the righteous Psal 92.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And indeed the happines of the upright is not a flower that grows in the garden of this world the gold which enriches them is not fetched from natures mine it is at their last end they have their recompence so the Iews note from that of the Psalmist the Iust shall flourrish like the palm tree Il savio Salomone chiama nell ' Ecclesiaste prositto vant aggio d'uno parolache significa romanenteo varanzo percioche inquello che non rimane od advanza ma scorre ese consuma non c ' eguadagno hor le cose transitorâ—epasâ—ano sono beni che corrono e fuggono come se fossero alati per andarsene a volo the palm tree being a tall strait tree cast's its shade a great way off from the body of the tree so say they the giving of reward to the just is a great way off even in the world to come whatever is on this side eternity is fleeting and perishing it cannot be of any great moment because it is but for a moment that is of no great value that is but of a smal continuance therefore such a reward will not content a righteous man the Preacher when he speaks of profit or gain uses a word in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that imports something which remains or abides to teach that that which abides not is no true gain or profit now because the upright find not this here they stay for reward till their last end Turretin Homil. 3 Supra Luc. 12.5 6. c. But enough for the unfoulding the text Now considering together the Wish the Person wishing and the successe of his wishing we may gather this proposition worthy our observation To dye the Death and have the last end of the upright may be the Wish and desire of such as for their wickednes shall never obteyn it You see Balaam a false Prophet a Conjurer one that dealt with the Divel a reprobate one that is now fewel for unquentchable flames to burn upon to all eternity wished he might dye the Death of the upright Such being guilty of damnable hypocrisy may go loaden with all their wishes to hell Infernus plenus est bonis affectibus desideriis Paradisus antem bonis effectibus operibus Bosq Consol Desper t' is an expression of a learned in this no Papist that hell is full of good wishers but all the good workers they go to heaven The Scripture is full to this purpose such were they that said Lord Lord open to us yet depart from me ye workers of Iniquity such are all they whose works and wishes contradict one another or whose works run not paralel with their wishes Now such persons though they never so earnestly desire yet shall never obtein the death of the righteous and truly as the great God doth not judge acding to our wishes but our works so neither wise men our endeavours are the pulse by which we may learn the state and constitution of our wishes though there be but one pulse that runs through the whole body yet the Physitian feels it at the hand and so at the hand in our works we are chiefly to try wither our wishes are true and effectual Now to explain this there are 2 things would be looked into First why is the death and last end of the righteous desired by the wicked Secondly how comes it to passe that they do not obteyn it though they do desire it For the first of these why is the death and last end of the righteous desired by the wicked To answer this it proceedeth from the conviction of the happines that the godly enjoy in and after death that death finds and leaveth them in a good estate and lets them in to a better This is that that is rivited in the natures of all men they believe it is a great deal better with the godly at their death then it is with the ungodly there is in the worst of men a spark of conscience by the light of which they may read that its more safe to be in the estate of good men when death comes then in that of the wicked Conscience is a practical Preacher in the bosomes of men that much presses and applyes this doctrine if men did hearken to its instructions We need go no further to school than into our own hearts where this lesson is abundantly taught conscience being the school Mistriss which made that Atheist when he was asked which he liked best the licentious loose lives of the profane or the strict holy lives of the godly to answer cum illis mallem vivere cum his mori I had rather live with those and dye with these he had sayd better I would chose to live with them which I would be willing to dye with The godly then are in and by death made happy in the very apprehensions of the wicked In the following of which truth let us consider First the happy condition of the Saints in and by death positively 2ly relatively First positively now there are three things wicked men are convinced of that makes a godly mans death so much to be preferred and desired First a total cessation from suffering and therefore it is called a rest there remaineth a rest to the people of God Heb. 49. a Sabbatisme a keeping of a Sabbath death unto the Godly is a full stop and period to all the miseries of the present world after their painful walk there is a perfect rest in this world we labour for rest in that we rest from all our labours We were made by God and can never be happy till we are with God we came out of his hands and can neuer rest till wee are in his
vitae inopes sed prodigi and yet live as if their lives were too long O methinks there is enough in the death and last end of the righteous to perswade you to the way of the upright Be therefore adding working to your wishing remember that of Paul Gal. 6.7 8. Be not deceived God is not mocked according as a man soweth so shall he also reap He that sowes to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting The meaning of the Apostle is plainly this that there is a consonancy betwixt a mans life and death such as his sowing is such shall his reaping be Lastly to conclude the whole this may be the comfort of such as do live the life as well as desire to dye the death of the upright that choose the former part as well as the latter end of the righteous for as the wicked go from a temporal life to an eternal death Vita ad mortem sic impius vivit mors ad vitam sic pius moritur so the righteous go from a temporal death to an eternal life their death is both precious to God and advantageous to temselves The righteous may welcome death for death to a righteous man though it parts two near friends Soul and Body yet it unites two better friends the Soul and its Saviour to all Eternity The Scripture records concerning Moses in the last Chapter of Deuteronomy Deut. 34.5 that Moses the servant of the Lord dyed according to the word of the Lord the words in the Hebrew are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Moses dyed upon the mouth of the Lord The meaning is say the Jews l'Empereur paraph Jach in Dan. p. 258. Moses dyed kissing of God surely so it is with the Saints of God their Father gives them a kiss and so layes them down in the bed of the Grave therefore they that have lived righteously may at death smile themselves into a corpse for the body of a Godly man goes to his Lords bed and his soul to his Lords bosom the Grave is perfumed for his body and Heaven prepared for his soul I may say of righteousness as Solomon in a case not much differing Prov. 6.22 when thou goest it shall lead thee when thou sleepest it shall keep thee and when thou awakest it shall talk with thee that is according to the Gloss of the Rabbinical Interpreters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when thou goest it shall lead thee viz. in thy passage through this World when thou sleepest it shall keep thee viz. when thou lyest down in the Grave and when thou awakest it shall talk with thee viz. when thou art awakened at the glorious Resurrection Well then all ye that are upright in heart and life I bring you glad tydings of great joy Psal 58.11 Eccles 8.12 Verily there is a reward for the righteous and it shall be well with them that fear God that fear before him it shall be so well that none of you shall desire to have it better while the languid wishes of the wicked betray them to the pit of Perdition your holy and earnest endeavours shall deliver you into the Mansion of Glory 1 Cor. 15 ult your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord God is too good to suffer himself to be overcome in love Dieu est trop bon pour se laisser surmonter en amour it shall never be said there is more love in man to righteousness than there is love in God to the righteous Therefore comfort your selves with these words for you shall in this World certainly obtain a comfortable dissolution and in the other World a joyfull Resurrection You shall dye the death of the righteous and like unto his shall be your last END