stream of blessing flowed from his lips, revealing, not only the fate of
all the tribes around, even for a thousand years, but proclaiming the
Sceptre and Star that should rise out of Jacob to execute vengeance on
his foes. But finding himself unable to curse Israel, the miserable
prophet devised a surer means of harming them: he sent tempters among
them to cause them to corrupt themselves, and so effectual was this
invention, that the greater part of the tribe of Simeon were ensnared,
and a great plague was sent in chastisement. It was checked by the zeal
of the young priest, Phineas, under whose avenging hand so many of the
guilty tribe fell, that their numbers never recovered the blow. Then
after a prayer of atonement, a great battle was fought, and the wretched
Balaam was among the slain.

The forty years were over, Moses's time was come, and he gave his last
summing up of the Covenant, and sung his prophetic song. His authority
was to pass to his servant, the faithful spy, bearing the prophetic name
of Joshua; and he was led by God to the top of Mount Nebo, whence he
might see in its length and breadth, the pleasant land, the free hills,
the green valleys watered by streams, the wooded banks of Jordan, the
pale blue expanse of the Mediterranean joining with the sky to the west;
and to the north, the snowy hills of Hermon, which sent their rain and
dew on all the goodly mountain land. It had been the hope of that old
man's hundred and twenty years, and he looked forth on it with his eye
not dim, nor his natural force abated; but God had better things for him
in Heaven, and there upon the mountain top he died alone, and God buried
him in the sepulchre whereof no man knoweth. None was like to him in the
Old Covenant, who stood between God and the Israelites, but he left a
promise that a Prophet should be raised up like unto himself.