Not a word do we hear of his parting with his sins and returning back by repentance.

Few left to the light of nature seem to have conceived the necessity of repentance, in order to obtain the divine favor.  For their sins, they must somehow, make atonement, and they would then be forgiven, though they continued to commit them!  Mankind have entertained different ideas of what was necessary to make atonement.  The more common idea hath been, that it was to be done by sacrifice; however they came by that idea.  It probably derived by tradition from the first family of our race.  But there seems to have been a general mistake respecting the design of sacrifice.  By those devoid of revelation, it hath not been considered as pointing to a divine sacrifice, but as having in itself an atoning virtue.  So it seems to have been viewed by this Moabitish prince.

Another mistake respecting sacrifices, which hath been common in the world, is this—­That their value depends on their cost to the offerer.  This was a mistake of Balak.  If common offerings, and the usual number of victims would not procure the divine favor and atone for his sins, he would offer more, and more costly ones—­thousands of rams, and ten thousands of rivers of oil!  Such a profusion of sacrifices, of the same kind, or partly so, with those offered by Israel, so many more they were able, coming out of the wilderness, to offer, he hoped would prevail to detach from them their God, and buy him so to be his friend!

But if not, if these were too little, he would sacrifice his offspring! Give his first born for his transgression—­the fruit of his body for the sin of his soul!  A sacrifice much more costly, much more painful, than that of all earthly treasure!  Surely such an offering must prevail!

Similar conclusions have not been very uncommon!  The homage offered up to God hath been estimated by its cost to the offerer!  A circumstance which adds nothing to its value.  The value of what is done for God depends on its conformity to his orders.  That its cost to the offerer enhances its value, in the divine estimation, supposes him to be pleased with the sufferings of his creatures, and delighted with their sorrows, than which, nothing is farther from truth.  “God grieveth not willingly—­Judgment is his strange work.”  Were it otherwise, the more reluctant the offerer, the more acceptable would be the offering:  But God loves a cheerful giver; yea, he is so pleased with this disposition, that he accepts and rewards it, where ability is wanting to carry it into action.  “If there be first a willing mind, it is accepted.” *

* 2 Corinthians viii. 12.