no affection formed for eternity. Are there any who hear, me whose families through the grace of God are different; who can all kneel together before a common Father; who have all been washed by the blood of a common Saviour; and who anticipate a common heaven. Happy indeed are ye! Ye only know all the energy of friendship and affection, since in you they are strengthened by the common Spirit residing in you, and augmented by the fervours of united devotion. Are there any persons who like Abel, in viewing their nearest connexions, see them the enemies of God and goodness, and who weep when they consider the impassable gulf that must shortly separate them from those to whom they are united on earth? Your trial is severe, but it is not peculiar to you. The wounds of your soul are deeper because the arrows that pierce it are dipped in poison by the hand of those you love: but the pain of these wounds can be assuaged by the balm of Gilead; these tortured souls can be healed by the heavenly Physician. You tread in a path in which you may trace the footsteps of thousands who are in glory. The God who guided them can conduct you to that world where all tears shall be wiped from your eyes, where you shall be surrounded by none but the holy.

The difference of character in these two brethren was displayed in the first acts of worship which are mentioned in the scriptures. "In process of time," or, "at the end of days," probably on the sabbath day, they both came to present their offerings to the Lord. Behold in them a spectacle which is still constantly exhibited to us: still the unholy and the pious appear together before God, engage in the same religious exercises, and perform the same acts of outward devotion. We all, my brethren, externally

unite in offering up our supplications to the Lord, in singing his praises, and in listening to his word; but does not God, who tries our hearts, see among us more than one Cain whose sacrifice is not offered with holy dispositions? Are there none of us who “have drawn near to God with our lips, while our hearts have been far from him;" whose worship has been that of the body, and not of the soul? Let such formal worshippers see in Cain what is their character, and in what estimation the Lord holds that worship which is merely external.

Not only the dispositions of soul, but the offerings also of the two brethren were different. "Cain brought of the fruits of the ground a mincha to Jehovah, and Abel brought a mincha; he also brought of the firstlings of the flock and of the fattest of them. And Jehovah had respect to Abel and his mincha; but to Cain and his mincha he had no respect.' 99 In this manner the verses containing an account of this transaction should be translated,* and they then afford us the reason of the acceptance of the one and the rejection of the other. Cain presented the minchat or thank-offering of things inanimate, by which he acknowledged God to be his creator and preserver: this same offering was also presented by Abel. Nothing else would have been requisite had man continued in the state of innocence; to enjoy and to be grateful would have been all his duty: but he was now a polluted sinner, over whom the curses of a broken law impended, who was exposed to eternal death, and for whom there was no hope except in the grace of God through the promised Redeemer. Sensible of this, believing in Messiah who was to come,

*See Kennicott's Two Dissertations.

+ It consisted of fine flour, mingled with oil and frankincense. Lev. ii. VOL. I.

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and complying with the institutions of God, Abel offered up a bloody sacrifice, the firstlings of his flock, for a sin-offering; thereby acknowledging his guilt, his need of an atonement, and his faith in that Lamb of God slain in the counsels of the Father before the foundation of the world. Cain, feeling no sense of sin, nor of his need of a Saviour, scarcely believing in the promised Messiah, and despising the blessings of that new covenant which was ratified with his blood, withheld the victim intended to prefigure him. It is through the Redeemer alone that the services of sinners can be accepted by a Holy God. No wonder, then, that while he "testified of the gifts* of Abel," he rejected the sacrifice of the unhumbled and unbelieving Cain, who still clung to the covenant of works, and “going about to establish his own righteousness, would not submit to the righteousness of God, nor look to Christ as the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." (Rom. x. 3, 4.)

We are not informed in what manner the approbation of God was expressed; but from other parts of the scripture we may conclude that it was by consuming the sacrifice of Abel with fire from heaven; as in the case of Aaron when, after his consecration to the high-priesthood, he first offered for himself and the people; (Lev. ii. 24.) In that of Gideon when God showed that he had chosen him as the deliverer of Israel from the Midianites; (Judg. vi. 21.) In that of David when the pestilence ceased; (1 Chron. xxi. 26.) In that of Solomon at the dedication of the temple; (2 Chr. vii. 1.) and in that of Elijah when Jehovah displayed his superiority over Baal; (1 Kings xviii. 38.)

* Aogos, both the mincha and the sin-offering.

Let all the self-righteous look at Cain, and behold their character and their doom. The unregenerate, through ignorance, through enmity, and through pride, like him cling to the first covenant; are unwilling to submit to the self-abasing terms of the gospel, and in the character of helpless and polluted sinners to receive salvation as the free gift of God through Christ. So prone is fallen man to rely on that covenant which cannot profit him, that God expelled him from the garden lest he should still seek righteousness and life by that tree appointed as the seal of this covenant, and the sacrament of that life which it promised. But notwithstanding this, notwithstanding cherubim and a flaming sword were placed around it to cut off all our hopes, we still by nature seek righteousness by the works of the law; and when driven from this hold, we as foolishly endeavour to unite the two covenants together. My brethren, unless this temper of Cain, this pharisaical spirit be destroyed; unless we be brought to depend simply and entirely upon the Redeemer, we in vain hope for salvation.

What were the sentiments excited in the bosom of Cain, by the rejection of his sacrifice, and the acceptance of that of Abel? Was he not humbled in the dust at his unworthiness and guilt? Did he not diligently inquire into the cause of the rejection of his offering, that he might in future avoid it?Though his offering was not accepted, yet did he not rejoice at the proof given by the acceptance of his brother's, that God would receive the services of sinners when presented with proper dispositions? Was not his love and esteem for his brother increased by seeing the superior piety of Abel, and the favour which God bestowed upon him? No: "his eye

was evil because God was good." The graces and the privileges of Abel filled him with envy and discontent; and resentment against his brother and his God agitated his heart and imprinted their traces on his countenance. "He was very wroth and his countenance fell." How opposite is his conduct to that of a believer! There are times when the chris

tian has no tokens of acceptance, and no sensible comfort or joy in the discharge of duty; does he therefore with Cain quarrel with his Maker, and harbour resentment against those who are rejoicing in the assurance of their acceptance, and in the light of God's countenance? Does he with those guilty men described by Isaiah, say to the Almighty, "Wherefore have we fasted, and thou seest not?" (Is. lviii. 3.) Oh no! With diligence and humility he seeks what has interposed between him and God; with penitence he cries, "Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me;" with constancy he perseveres like the Canaanitish woman in the midst of her discouragements, or like Paul when he thrice besought the Lord before he was answered: he rests not from supplications, till he has obtained the blessing.

The Lord exercises towards Cain his patience and long suffering: instead of immediately punishing, he condescends to expostulate. He points out to Cain the unreasonableness of his anger: he exhorts him to subdue his resentment, and check his criminal passions: he declares that he also shall be accepted, if he exercise the same faith, humility, and sincerity, as Abel: that without repentance, his sin must expose him to punishment; and that Abel entertained a cordial affection for him, and in all temporal matters was still his inferior. "And the Lord said unto Cain, why art thou wroth, and why is thy