CONVERSATION EIGHTH. MAMMA. You are rather late, but I see I must not reproach you when you have brought me such a charming bouquet of wild flowers. CHARLES. Yes, Mamma, I could not resist stopping to gather them, many are so very pretty, and I know you are so fond of them. What a beautiful season spring is! MAMMA. Indeed it is, and seems particularly to direct our thoughts to "the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein.—He did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness." “He sendeth the springs *Acts XIV. 15. 17. into the valleys, which run among the hills. He watereth the hills from His chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of His works. He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth.” * At this season all nature seems to rejoice, which is beautifully expressed in a little hymn strongly impressed on my memory and affection, from my Mother having taught it to me when I was a little child. How cheerful along the gay mead The myrtles that shade the gay bowers, Trees, plants, cooling fruits, and sweet flowers *Psalm CIV. 10. 14. Shall man, the great master of all, Forbid it, fair Gratitude's call, Forbid it, Devotion and Love! The Lord who such wonders could raise, My soul shall be wrapped in my God!* Now, my dear little boy, we will return to the history of Balaam. CHARLES. I am to begin at the tenth verse of the twenty-fourth chapter of Numbers. "And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together:" MAMMA. This was apparently a passionate demonstration of Balak's vexation, and the displeasure he felt that Balaam's declarations concerning the Israelites should have been so contrary to what he intended. CHARLES. "And Balak said unto * Hymn of Eve in the Oratorio of Abel. Balaam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times. Therefore now flee thee to thy place: I thought to promote thee unto great honour; but, lo, the Lord hath kept thee back from honour." MAMMA. We cannot be surprised at Balak's indignation that the very method by which he hoped to have called down imprecations on his enemies should have been that by which God's approbation of them, and the large measure of their power and glory, should have been so expressly declared; and as he had no just idea of the greatness of God, or of the divine communications He was pleased to make to those inspired by Him, it was very natural that he should vehemently reproach Balaam, and point out to him what appeared to be the folly of his conduct, and tauntingly tell him that the God whom he professed to serve had prevented his receiving the worldly honours Balak had intended to bestow on him. CHARLES. " And Balaam said unto Balak, Spake I not also to thy messengers which thou sentest unto me, saying, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the Lord, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what the Lord saith, that will I speak ?" MAMMA. Balaam thus answers well. Happy would it have been for him if this reasoning, which he thus recalls to the king's recollection, had been deemed by himself a sufficient argument against attending the summons he knew to be in opposition to the divine will. But yet even this |