mixing, as he wished to do, the worship of true and false gods.

"Here"

must mean, by what is said at the end of the foregoing chapter, on the high places dedicated to Baal. Only one altar at a time was built by the patriarchs, and only one was ordained by Moses for the various ceremonies of the Jewish worship.

CHARLES. Do you know why Balaam wished to have seven altars built, and to offer up seven oxen and seven rams, Mamma?

MAMMA. Probably, influenced by heathenish superstition, he fancied he could propitiate God's favour by the number of sacrifices he proposed to offer. The number seven was much observed by the Hebrews ; besides keeping the seventh day holy, in some of their ceremonies the priest was commanded to dip his finger in the blood

of the victim, and to sprinkle the blood seven times before the Lord, before the veil of the sanctuary. At the taking of Jericho, Joshua received the Divine command, that the city should be compassed by all the men of war for six days, seven priests bearing before the ark seven trumpets of rams horns; and on the seventh day they were to compass the city seven times, and the priests to blow with the trumpets.

We find also in the book of Job, that Eliphaz the Temanite was directed to offer seven bullocks and

seven rams.

And when David brought the ark of the covenant from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David or Zion, the Levites offered seven bullocks and seven rams.

It is probably from such passages

as these that seven has come to be considered superstitiously as a lucky number.

CHARLES. Mamma, what do people mean by talking of days and things being lucky or unlucky?

MAMMA. Indeed, my dear, it would be rather difficult to give you any real meaning; and if we consider seriously we must perceive that it is quite impossible that any days or things should be really lucky or unlucky; though such notions have been very generally received, especially amongst the weak and ignorant. In the early ages of Christianity, Friday might very naturally be held in horror, as having been the day on which our Saviour was crucified; and therefore no one would be willing to commence or perform any particular act on that day; and from thence it

might come to be thought unlucky so to do. But why meeting some particular animal, or some accidental circumstance occurring, should be fancied to have an influence on the success of any thing we undertake, I am quite unable to conceive. Still less can I understand how it is possible that persons believing in the power, wisdom, and goodness of the Almighty can for an instant suppose that by any act of theirs they can alter His decrees.

Let us now see what followed the preparation for sacrifice.

CHARLES. "And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram."

MAMMA. By the names of Balak and Balaam being thus joined together, we are to understand that Balak

I

presented the sacrifices, and Balaam performed the office of a priest, and offered them.

CHARLES. "And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go: peradventure the Lord will come to meet me: and whatsoever He showeth me I will tell thee. And he went to an high place."

MAMMA. The marginal note in our Bible gives the translation "he went solitary." At the conclusion of the sacrifice Balaam probably retired to some grove or other solitude kept sacred for such occasions, there to wait the divine inspiration or answer, for which the foregoing rites were a preparation.

CHARLES. "And God met Balaam : and he said unto Him,'

MAMMA. That is, Balaam said to

God.