New-York tribune., 1896-01-13
THE FALL OF BILAAM.
AN INTERESTING SERMON BY THE REV.
DIR. HUTCHISON
SURRENDER TO CHRIST THE ONLY WAY TO SAL
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF PURPOSE ARE
NOT ENouGH-THE LESSON TAUGHT
BY THE PROPHETS GREED FOR

POWER AND WEALTH
In the First Presbyterian Church OF Arlington
yesterday morning the Rev. John Hutch!son de-
Ivered an interesting sermon the prophecies of
| Balaam, his fall and psychological experiences
while trying to serve the heather King Balak. In
the course of the sermon the speaker alluded to
| the prophecies of peculiar beauty and dignity
The orthodox position of the pastor the authen-
ticty OF the prophecies Is notable for the reason
! that he Is Of Union Seminary. and commonly sup
posed to be extremely liberal in his views o. the
! Old Testament. The text from II Peter H. 16
He was rebuked for his transgression; a
! dumb ass spake with a mans voice and stayed the
madness of the prophet" Dr. Hutchson said. in
part:
| The singular story OF Baaam. OF Beor
catches the fancy OF childhood and remains IN
memory to puzzle the reason OF maturity. Child
hood is docile, maturity is interrogative. The child
stops with What? The adult goes with How
and why is 1t so?' For the child the word Of the
teacher is sufficient authority, for such unique
narrative as that Of Balaams fall upon the the
differences OF authority lay the necessity and
duty of judging for himself. There is always open
the short and easy way Of escape; call 1t later
emendation.' piece OF Hebrew folklore ridiculous
| fancy. toss II aside and make an end. This
method of procedure has all the attraction Of
and air OF superior learning For the plain
| man. with little critical acumen scholarly ap-
paratus and little learning the wisest course s to
| the powers he has. looking for the guidance OF
| the Holy Spirit. who speaks in and by His OWN
| Word. We do not disparage scholarship. on the
| contrary, do the scholars do we compare
Scripture with Scripture and find that the old Tos-
lament is made plain in the New az Augustine has
so well said. We take the words Of Simon Peter
the key this puzzlng story. the key to the un-
derstandng of a great mans character and his
tory. a history full of contradiction and nconsis-
| tency."
After telling in an Interesting manner OF the ex-
-f1f.. IN, hic dagir n
| quire wealth and power. the speaker continued
| The answer to Balaams first prayer 10 positive
| NO and should have been hnality for him. But
4 second company comes. OF princes more honor
able and with promises more lavish And now
| methinks he doth protest too much II Balak
would give me his house filled with silver and gold
| cannot 60 beyond the word of the Lord my God
do either less more He repeats this protest
his three failures to persuade God by offerings
TO let him curse Israel 1t becomes evident. too,
from the command OF the angel that his protest is
halfhearted. What speak that thou shalt speak
| His protest was hollow.
His second prayer issues in permission 10 go
whore his heart has already gone. TIE angel de-
clares that his way was 'perverse.' headlong; he
was regarding iniquity in his heart hence the
strange TO his prayer; his heart was set on
the wealth. honor and power promised by Balak
| He asked for a stone and got It. God grants the
desires of the heart and sends leanness into the
soul He is already double minded man. unstable
| in all his ways.
"Now the angel OF the Lord withs,ands him IN
the way and he Is 'rebuked for his transgression;
! dumb ass spake with mans voice and stayed the
| madness Of the prophet God has not yet given
| him up
! Are We 10 be halted by the query, What about
the angel and the speaking ass? Some teachers say
this wes subjective-a trance or vision our eyes
! are on tho tragedy in Balaam's soul. AS 10 the
| story Simon Peter is lteralist: we dare be no
| less 4 man whom God had highly favored was
hurrying to ms d00m. 100 0n sia;e1 KAY All pr in vain TR
woe prepared for him that s,riveth with his Maker
mad; ne walks henceforih in his own SHADOW. with
h' back 10 the iisht he sees the 6ee'~r & o' p
Three times the angel stops him. three tmes are
sevg STN Cdd aaGS nn Isrne three times unwm lips sing
Israers praise and future glory from the toP Oh
God hath not cursed. whom none can number, ana n
ends with me cry Let m me & Ge ne ie dfah T. S %. tn ny
Of soul in torture; Again by the SIDE oi ms MI
ia Ifsgn ofns o ,9r on Iaraes there is o 9erTersy in
Jacob. The Lord his God Is with him, the shout o;
viii in Baiaam. seven al,ars more are raised ol
Peor he looked the gooliy tents OF Jacob and
Though he would serve Balak and win his re;
Of the Lord: a fourth time he speaks and tolls OF
the star that shall forth out OF Jacob. Of the
but not now; beholis Him but not nea.'
80 Eaaa, speaks Win dignity i5coT Eortthy my S ot
teaches Balak to seduce Israel from Jehovah. and
whom he had brought plague \ great man n
genius Il prophet. named wiki kings on lis death.
nevertheless. led TO MS death by the madness that
grows with the love OF the wages of unrighteou.-
ness Like Simon Magus. Balaam would make gain
% the gift OF God. and his wages pershed With
him - - -, -,
riddle plain: Il Is the key that turns Ali the WaidS
OF the lock Baaam was self-deceived. Protesting
faith. he madly craving wealth. HOnOr ana
power The man divided against himself fel Ike
| Lucfer never to rise again. The heart or such A
man is no more Gcccitful. no more dcsptrat'Iy
wicked than that OF the average man. the ia laaIn
story has It's duplicates around Us. perhaps In W.
! Thai latter God forbid Sof-deception is 80 easy
and natural 10 the who holds down the truth
| in unrighteousaess' We have more sure word or
prophecy than Talaam knew. II with less aD.lty We
sin against much more Hight shall we iaA INTO
/ less condemnation. Protestations OF purpose eN-
urcssons Of desire 10 neither less nor more IMAM
! The word Of the Lord our Goa are not enough lie
who keeps the Lords commands j. the true isc.pi'
For ~ il is clearly God or Mammon: II thus the
eve be single then the whole body viii be iied WIN
light There can be saner no safer thing ipr
MS in this year OF grace 1896 than absolute sufren-
der to the Christ, than the determination 70 seek
first and only the Kingdom, to say with faui' I"''
s.The bath OF duty is and single, straight as
a line OF light The path Of the just is not as the
way Of Balaam. for the path OF him that docth
Justly and loveth mercy and walketh humDy WIN
his God IL as the light Of the dawn that shineth
more and into the perfect day.