had called Cain, a word which in the Hebrew signifies gotten or acquired: and we read that when he was born, her exclamation was, "I have gotten a man from the Lord." It is very probable that she supposed she was now receiving the promised seed which was to bruise the serpent's head, for she had simply been told that such a seed should be given to her, and where there is faith in a promise, there will be the expectation of its fulfilment. And surely hath that promise to Eve been fulfilled. When the fulness of time "was come" then "God sent forth his son made of a woman," (Gal. iv. 4,) but many hundreds

of

years were first to pass, and alas! for Eve, this her first-born son was one of the seed of

the serpent. "And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground."

Both the brothers are partakers of the corrupt nature of their parents: of both we know it must be said that they were "shapen in iniquity and in sin did their mother conceive them." (Psalm li. 5.) We find, however, that both acknowledge God, both show by their conduct that they esteem themselves the creatures of God, and such as owe Him a service. Furthermore we find that they both approach Him by sacrifice both bring an offering to God. Abel

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brings of the firstlings of his flock, and of the fat thereof. "Cain brings of the fruit of the ground an offering to the Lord." Now the idea contained in an offering is clearly this: I am a creature dependent on Him who made me, desiring His favour, and owing Him my service; to Him therefore do I bring an offering as a representation of myself and of my service to Him: I desire Him to accept this sacrifice in token that He accepts me and service.

my

It is evident that in some way or other, God had revealed to man His will thus to be approached by him. How much light He had vouchsafed to him on the subject of sacrifice we have no means of knowing. A living victim slain, and offered in sacrifice, would have this meaning; "I confess that as a transgressor against thee my God, I deserve only death: look upon this victim slain in my stead, and accept my services as the services of one whose life Thou hast spared in mercy and free grace.

It may be that Abel having learnt that through a "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world," the way of access was made, and that looking to the promised seed, as to Him who was in some way or other to ensure his acceptance, he brought of the firstlings of his

flock to God. Whilst Cain, heedless alike of his need of an atonement, and of the promise which had been given, offered, without any question as to acceptance having ever been stirred in his mind, of that fruit, which by the labour of his hands he had succeeded in bringing forth from the earth.

But without exactly understanding how much of light was given to, or withheld from the first brothers, we find this passage in the Old Testament, is in a remarkable manner made plain and instructive to us by the New. In Genesis we are simply told, “And the Lord had respect unto Abel and his offering: but unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect." In the 11th chap. of the epistle to the Hebrews we read, "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 and by it he being dead, yet speaketh." Here then we have at once the reason given, why the offering of one brother was pleasing to God, whilst the offering of the other met with no acceptance in His sight. Abel offered IN FAITH: FAITH made his sacrifice more excellent than that of Cain. FAITH obtained for him a witness or testimony that he was accounted righteous by God: and the testi

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mony was this; God made it manifest that He accepted his gifts or offering.

Abel therefore was justified by faith; his faith was counted to him for righteousness, and being accounted righteous by God, he was in a position to offer Him an excellent or in other words, an acceptable offering.

Cain was without faith, he remained therefore a condemned, unrighteous man, and as such he could offer nothing to God but that which would be looked upon as partaking of the pollution of him who brought it in sacrifice. God as a holy God can accept no service from the hands of an unholy being, the offerer must first be made righteous, then can he offer a sacrifice acceptable to Him who thus accounts him righteous. Abel had been brought to the true knowledge of God; he believed in Him. He believed that He believed that "God is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." (Heb. xi. 6.) He believed that God would accept him, would put away his sins, and was willing to be gracious unto him; therefore he came to God in faith. Not in servile fear, not in proud self-righteousness, but with the love which must be produced in the heart by a belief in God as the God whose name is love.

We know not the precise way in which God

was pleased to declare His acceptance of Abel's offering whether by causing fire to come. down from heaven to consume it, or in some other manner equally decisive. This is plain, that in some way or other, it was made clear to the two brothers, whether their offerings were accepted or not: and Cain finding that to him and to his offering God had not respect, "was very wroth, and his countenance fell." Here is not the feeling of a son affectionately grieving that he has displeased a loving Father; it is the bitter enmity of one whose pride is offended, and anger stirred at finding himself an object of the displeasure of the Being he dreaded but could not love. Here are envy, hatred, and malice stirred up against him, whose deeds were pronounced to be righteous, whilst his own deeds were evil. We cannot conceive a more fearful, or miserable state of mind than that of the unhappy Cain, thus full of wroth against God Himself! The Lord condescends to remonstrate with Cain, and to ask him why it is that he is wrath, and why his countenance is fallen ?

The words which God further speaks to Cain, are difficult to understand, and their meaning has been variously given.

Without pretending to decide concerning these different meanings, we may take this as a