her next son was the promised seed, though she had named him Abel, vanity or sorrow. And when again disappointed by his death, still clinging to the promise, she fixed upon another son, born when Adam was one hundred and thirty years old; or, according to the Septuagint, two hundred and thirty years old and called him Seth, that is, appointed or put: "For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel."1 Although heirs of all the world, the first children were not brought up in idleness. Cain was a tiller of the ground, and Abel was a keeper of sheep. They had also a religious training, and were taught to make offerings to the Lord. "In process of time," or at the end of days, at the end of the year or week, most probably on the Sabbath, "Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: but unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect." It is most likely "there came a fire out from before the Lord and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat "3 of Abel's sacrifice as was the case at special times with sacrifices which the Lord approved. Abel's sacrifice appears to have been in compliance with a custom or form of worship already established. Cain's offering of the fruit of his labors was rejected. How strange! Which of us would not prefer being presented with a basket of choice fruit or flowers, rather than have a lamb or a dove killed and burnt before us? It is common, however, for even earthly kings to dictate the way in which they are to be approached; thus we see the law of king Ahasuerus was, "That whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, ex1 Gen. iv. 25. 3 Levit. ix. 24; 1 Kings xviii. 38. 4 Levit. ix. 24; Judges vi. 21; 1 Kings xviii. 38; 1 Chron. xxi. 26. 2 Gen. iv. 3. 66 1 4 cept such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre that he may live." The King of kings in all times, has had an appointed way, in which only his rebellious subjects were to approach him. None were permitted to enter within the vail before the mercy-seat in the tabernacle, but Aaron the high priest; and he at fixed times only, and with appointed offerings, under penalty of death. The Kohathites, whose duty it was to carry the holy things, were thus warned: 'They shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die :"3 and God's command was, "The stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death." "Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD." "Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God." King Uzziah, in his pride, invaded the priest's office, and attempted to burn incense; while in the act, the Lord smote him with leprosy." Thanks be to God! we are now permitted, and even directed through the Lord Jesus Christ, to "come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Cain, it appears, did not believe the promise of God; nor in the necessity of an atonement for sin. In the pride of unbelief he offered the unitarian offering of his own productions or works: and his offering was rejected. Abel believed the promise for we are told, "By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts." He could not have offered it "by faith," unless he knew that God had appointed the sacrifice and would accept it. God has always declared his abhorrence of such worship as is taught by the precepts of men, without being instituted by Him and in accordance with his word. ' The history of the religions which have been on the earth has filled volumes: but in reality there have been but two religions; the followers of the Lord, and the followers of the Devil. Ever since the offerings of Cain and Abel, the descendants of Adam, in all places and in all ages, have been presenting offerings in religious worship. The seed of the woman, the line of patriarchs, prophets and martyrs, all the chosen people of God, whether Jew or Christian, have come to God with faith in the "Lamb that was slain," the Lord Jesus Christ while the seed of the serpent have, as constantly, been making offerings and sacrifices of every description, according to their own inventions; and have been as constantly rejected. And such has been the result even when they went through the outward forms of the sacrifices appointed by God. The Pharisees were very punctilious in observing all the precepts of the laws of Moses, even tything mint, anise and cummin; but instead of seeking to be saved by faith in the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, they hated him, and put him to death. They depended on their own works, and therefore they offered the sacrifice of Cain. Though children of Abraham, and members of the visible church, yet they were of the seed of the serpent; for our Lord said to them, " Ye are of your father the devil."3 We can easily tell of what seed we are: Do we offer unto God the offering of Cain, or the offering of Abel ? And here it is remarkable, that the Holy God, who is infinite in love, should have directed the killing and the offering in sacrifice of lambs and doves; the very emblems of innocence. Yet such was the fact and, from the Fall to 1 Isaiah xxix. 13; Matt. xv. 9. 2 1 John iii. 8, 10. John viii. 44; Rev. ii. 9. the advent of the Lord Jesus Christ, guilty man could approach God in no other way. It is also remarkable, that the God of infinite justice should have allowed the only being who ever lived on earth "holy, harmless and undefiled," to suffer, and to be put to a cruel death. Why was it? The sacrifices were one. Man had sinned: "the wages of sin is death:"1 "without shedding of blood there is no remis"2"thus it behooved Christ to suffer: "3 and He, "his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree."4 sion: The first deaths in the world were of animals; innocent animals slain by God himself, or according to his directions; slain in consequence of man's sin, and for man's benefit. They were the lambs offered in sacrifice, with whose skins God clothed Adam and Eve. Could they have looked on those sacrifices without being deeply moved on account of their sin? 1 Rom. vi. 23. 2 Heb. ix. 22; Lev. xvii. 11. 3 Luke xxiv. 46. CHAPTER XVII. 66 FIRST PERSECUTION CAIN BURIALS FIRST DEATH PENALTY. AIN was very wroth, and his countenance fell." Instead of seeking mercy, he dared to be angry with God; and to dispute his right to dictate how a sinner should come unto Him. The LORD bore with him; and "said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well shalt thou not be accepted?" What wonderful forbearance! what amazing condescension on the part of the great, the holy God, toward a rebel defying him! Instead of submitting to God, and seeking instruction from Abel, Cain talked with Abel, his brother." It was the first controversy, the first persecution for religious opinion. In his hatred of the truth, Cain, unable to strike down the Almighty, rose up against the child of God, "against Abel his brother, and slew him." "And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous." The wrath of the serpent, as has been the case often since, was thus instrumental in sending a redeemed soul the quicker to glory. The first of the seed of the promise died a martyr to his faith and as a witness for salvation by an atoning sacrifice; for it is expressly stated, that Abel "being dead yet speaketh." Since the death of Abel how many have been compelled to suffer and lay down their lives on account of their faith. Poor Adam and Eve! their first born, their "gotten," their noble, manly son, is a murderer; and what is worse, 1 Gen. iv. 5. 2 1 John, iii. 12. 3 Heb. xi. 4. |