Such is the character drawn by the Eastern soothsayer in the last verse of our text:  And it is the perfect character of a child of God, in this state of imperfection, trial, and improvement, where he is pressing on towards that perfection which he never attains till he “puts off the body, and is clothed on with his house which is from heaven.”  Then “the spirits of just men are made perfect,” and not till then.

“The spirits of just men”—­The words are expressive, plainly implying that none who allow themselves in injustice are the children of God —­that all the saints will eventually be found, to be “Israelites indeed in whom there is no guile.”

Thus did Balaam instruct Balak, or remind him of what God required.  Balak did not regard him.  He could not be persuaded to make such sacrifices as these.  He would give all the treasures of his kingdom, and even the fruit of his body, to procure the favor of God; but to sacrifice his corruptions, and put on the temper of a saint!—­These were hard requirements—­he must be excused!  Therefore did he dismiss his instructor, who hitherto had “spoken only the word which God had put into his mouth”—­and went away though he went sorrowing!

The same is the temper of too many others.  We may do much which God requires, may even go beyond and do much which he doth not require, and yet be nothing in religion.  There must be the spirit and temper of true religion.  There can be no commutation—­Nothing will be accepted as a substitute. We must do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God, or have no part in him.  Nothing without it will be accepted; not even “giving the body to be burned.”

People may also have a good speculative acquaintance with religion and yet remain devoid of it.  Such cases sometimes occur.  Such an one occurred in him who spake so well in our text.  Balaam appears to have had a perfect knowledge of the nature of religion; to have understood what it was and wherein it consisted.  He was sensible also of the importance of being found at last to have lived under the influence of it.  Therefore when looking forward to the period of his dissolution did he utter that earnest wish or prayer—­“Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his.”  Yet he was not a good man! his knowledge resided in his head:  It never reached his heart.  “He loved the wages of unrighteousness;” lived and died under the government of depravity and wickedness!  He dared not indeed to go in direct opposition to the letter of the divine command—­dared not curse Israel with his lips, though he longed to do it, and wished the curse to fall upon them, while he was blessing them and forefilling their future greatness.  But he dared privately to advise Balak “to cast a stumbling block before them”—­To send among them the women of Moab, and seduce them to uncleanness and idolatry, in order to bring the curse of heaven upon them!  His advice was followed