loved  the  wages  of  unrijrhteous-
ness;  16  But  was  rebuked  for
his  iniquity:  the  dumb  ass  speak-
ing with  man^s  voice  forbade  'the
madness  of  tlie  prophet.  17^  These
are  wells  without  water,  clouds
that  are  carried' with  a  tempest;  to
whom  the  mist  of  darkness  is  re-
served for  ever.  1§  For  when
'they  speak  great  swelling  toords
of  vanity,  they  allure  through  the

«Eccle8.7.25;  9.8:  Ho8.9.7;  Luke6.ll;  Acts

86. 11,34. — fJude  12. 13. ^  Jude  16. K  Acts

2.  40;  chap.  1,  4;  verse  20. 60r,/br  a  little,

or,  a  tohUet  as  soue  read.
and  for  the  sake  of  personal  gain,
ajgainst  the  known  wiU  of  Godj  he
sought  to  curse  IsraeL  Numbers  xzii,
V,  17.  He  was  a  fair  type  of  these
false  teachers,  who  used  the  gospel  for
the  gratification  of  their  avarice.  His
counsel  to  Balak  to  tempt  Israel  to
sin  does  not  seem  to  be  included  here.
Rebuked . . .  iniquity — Not,  we  think,
by  the  ass,  but  by  ttie  Angel  of  the
Lord,  an  Old  Testeunent  designation  of
Christ  himself,  who  said  to  him,  "  Thy
way  is  perverse  before  me,"  extorting
the  confession,  "  I  have  sinned,"  Num.
xzii,  32,  34.  An  additional  element
in  the  transaction  was,  the  speaking
of  the  dumb  ass  with  a  human  voice ;
but  the  madness  which  she  forbade
was  the  foolish  anger  which  led  Ba-
laam to  smite  her  with  a  staif,  and  to
wish  that  he  had  a  sword  with  which
he  might  kill  her.  Num.  xxii,  27,  29.
The  ass  showed  more  reason  than  did
either  Balaam  or  the  false  teachers.
St.  Peter,  as  against  all  sceptics,  holds
this  as  a  true  historical  event.
