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Like many of the old pagan priests, Balaam was doubtless an adept in the art of ventriloquism. That may have convinced the ambassadors and bulled the price of curses; for then, as now, it was no uncommon thing for the utterance of an ass to be mistaken for that of an oracle. Or some Doubting Thomas may have twisted the burro's tail.
Laban and Abimelech had such dreams, but no one would credit these heathens with the prophetic power. Whenever an angel is met in Scripture speaking or communicating with a person, it is always in a dream or vision. Examples are, Abraham and the three men, Jacob wrestling with the angel, Balaam and the ass, Joshua and the angel at Jericho; all these were in a dream or vision.
The truth is, Gabriella Trent, that I ought to be harnessin' Rosetty an' Balaam this minute, and be startin' for 'Boston." "Oh, Aunt Sally!" protested the ranch mistress, in real distress. "There, dearie, hush! Don't worry. I said 'I ought, I didn't say I was goin'. Seem's if I couldn't just tear myself away from Sobrante.
I am not prepared with any modern instances of intercourse with the animal and vegetable world, even to such a limited extent, for instance, as that of Balaam with his ass, or that of Achilles with his horses; but I suspect that there are an enormous number unrecorded. Speech, of course, is not necessary to such an intercourse.
By this action it can be seen how highly God prizes the honor or pious men, if He even sought to spare the honor of this villain. It is out of consideration to mankind, also, that God has closed the mouth of animals, for were they to speak, man could not well use them for his service, since the ass, the most stupid of all animals, when she spoke, confounded Balaam, the wisest of the wise.
Now these Midianites knowing there was one Balaam, who lived by Euphrates, and was the greatest of the prophets at that time, and one that was in friendship with them, sent some of their honorable princes along with the ambassadors of Balak, to entreat the prophet to come to them, that he might imprecate curses to the destruction of the Israelites.
So they soon settle for themselves what God has forbidden and what he has not; and their rule of life becomes this that whatsoever is safe and whatsoever is profitable is pretty sure to be right; and after that no wonder if, like Balaam, they indulge themselves in every sort of sin, provided only it is respectable, and does not hurt them in the world's eyes.
The scoundrel Balaam, too, should have made answer to God's question, "What men are these with thee?" by saying, "Lord of the world! Everything lies open before Thee, and nothing is hidden from Thee, why then dost Thou ask me?"
"It would be rather a Balaam and his ass affair, but, as Miss MacLean suggests, why not try it?" he asked. Margaret MacLean did not wait an instant longer. She turned to the House Surgeon. "Bring Bridget down, quickly." As he disappeared obediently through the door she faced the trustees, as she had faced them once before, on the day previous.
Once again the creature was lifted and slung so that he lay across Pedro's saddle a blurred, dingy, wet pulp. Vengeance had come and gone. The man and the horse were motionless. Around them, silence seemed to gather like a witness. "If you are dead," said the Virginian, "I am glad of it." He stood looking down at Balaam and Pedro, prone in the middle of the open tableland.
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