Latest / Commentary on The Book of Genesis / 06 - Commentary on The Book of Genesis

Transcript

06 - Commentary on The Book of Genesis · Commentary on The Book of Genesis

0:00
Chapter four. In this chapter we have both the world and the Church in
0:04
a family, in a little family, in Adam's family, and a specimen
0:08
given of the character and state of both in after ages, nay, in
0:12
all ages to the end of time, as all mankind were represented in Adam,
0:18
so that great distinctions of mankind and to staints and sinners, godly and
0:22
wicked, the children of God and the children of the wicked one was here
0:25
represented in Cain and Abel, and an early instances given of the enmity which
0:30
was lately put between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent.
0:34
We have here numeral one the birth names and callings of canaan Abel Verses
0:39
one and two, Numeral two, their religion and different success in it Verses
0:45
three and four, and part of verse five, Numeral three. Cain's anger
0:50
at God and the reproof of him for that anger Verses five through seven.
0:55
Numeral four. Cain's murder of his brother and the process against him for that
0:59
murder, the murder committed verse eight, the proceedings against him number one,
1:04
his arraignment verse nine, former part number two, his plea verse nine latter
1:10
part number three, His conviction Verse ten number four, The sentence passed upon
1:15
him, Verses eleven and twelve, number five, His complaint against the sentence,
1:19
Verses thirteen and fourteen, number six, The ratification of the sentence,
1:25
Verse fifteen, number seven, The execution of the sentence, Verses fifteen and
1:30
sixteen, numeral five. The family and posterity of Cain, Verses seventeen to
1:36
twenty four, Numeral six. The birth of another son and grandson of Adam,
1:41
Verses twenty five and twenty six. Cain and Abel b. C.
1:46
Thirty eight seventy five. And Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived
1:49
and bear Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord,
1:53
and she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of
1:57
sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. Adam and Eve had
2:00
many sons and daughters Chapter five, verse four, But Cain and Abel seem
2:04
to have been the two eldest. Some think they were twins. And as
2:07
he saw on Jacob, the elder hated and the younger loved. Though God
2:12
had cast our first parents out of paradise, he did not write them childless,
2:15
but to show that He had other blessings in store for them, He
2:19
preserved to them the benefit of that first blessing of increase. Though they were
2:23
sinners, Nay, though they felt the humiliation and sorrow of penitence, they
2:27
did not write themselves comfortless, having the promise of a savior to support themselves
2:31
with. We have here numeral I the names of their two sons. Number
2:38
one Cain signifies possession. For Eve, when she bore him, said,
2:42
with joy, thankfulness, and great expectation, I have gotten a man from
2:46
the Lord. Observe. Children are God's gifts, and he must be acknowledged
2:50
in the building up of our families. It doubles and sanctifies our comfort in
2:53
them when we see them coming to us from the hand of God, who
2:57
will not forsake the works and gifts of his own hand. Though Eve bore
3:00
him with the sorrows that were the consequence of sin, yet she did not
3:04
lose the sense of the mercy in her pains. Comforts, though alloyed,
3:08
are more than we deserve, and therefore our complaints must not drown our thanksgivings.
3:13
Many suppose that Eve had a conceit that this son was the promised seed,
3:16
and that therefore she thus triumphed in him, As her words may be
3:21
read, I have gotten a man the Lord God man. If so,
3:25
she was wretchedly mistaken as Samuel when he said, surely the Lord's anointed is
3:30
before me. For Samuel sixteen six. When children are born, who can
3:35
foresee what they will prove? He that was thought to be a man the
3:38
Lord, or at least a man from the Lord, and for his service
3:43
as priest of the family, became an enemy to the Lord. The less
3:46
we expect from creatures, the more tolerable will disappointments be. Number two,
3:52
Abel signifies vanity. When she thought she had obtained the promised seed and Cain,
3:57
she was so taken up with that possession that another son was as vanity
4:00
to her. To those who have an interest in Christ and make him their
4:04
all other things are as nothing at all. It intimates likewise that the longer
4:10
we live in this world, the more we may see of the vanity of
4:13
it. What at first we are fond of as a possession, afterwards we
4:16
see cause to be dead to as a trifle. The name given to this
4:21
son is put upon the whole race Psalm thirty nine five. Every man is
4:28
at his best estate able vanity. Let us labor to see both ourselves and
4:32
others. So childhood and youth are vanity Numeral two. The employments of canaan
4:41
Abel observe Number one. They both had a calling. Though they were heirs
4:45
apparent to the world, their birth noble, and their possessions large. Yet
4:48
they were not brought up in idleness. God gave their father a calling,
4:53
even in innocency, and he gave them one note. It is the will
4:57
of God that we should, every one of us, have something to do
5:00
in this world. Parents ought to bring up their children to business. Give
5:03
them a Bible and a calling, said good mister Dodd, and God be
5:06
with them. Number two. Their employments were different, that they might trade
5:12
in exchange with one another as there was occasion. The members of the body
5:15
politic have need of one another, and mutual love is helped by mutual commerce.
5:20
Number three. Their employments belonged to the husbandman's calling, their father's profession.
5:26
A needful calling for the king himself is served of the field, but
5:30
a laborious calling which required constant care and attendance. It is now looked upon
5:34
as a mean calling. The poor of the land serve for vine dressers and
5:39
husbandmen Jeremiah fifty two sixteen. But the calling was far from being a dishonor
5:44
to them. Rather, they were an honor to it. Number four.
5:47
It should seem, by the order of the story, that Abel, though
5:50
the younger brother, yet entered first into his calling, and probably his example
5:56
drew in Cain. Number five. Abel chose that employer which most befriended contemplation
6:01
and devotion. For to these a pastoral life has been looked upon as being
6:06
peculiarly favorable. Moses and David kept sheep, and in their solitudes conversed with
6:13
God. Note that calling or condition of life is best for us, and
6:16
to be chosen by us, which is best for our souls, that which
6:20
least exposes us to sin and gives us most opportunity of serving and enjoying God.
6:27
And in process of time it came to pass that Cain brought of the
6:30
fruit of the ground and offering. Unto the Lord and Able, he also
6:33
brought of the first things of his flock, and of the fat thereof.
6:36
And the Lord had respect unto Able and to his offering, But unto Cain
6:41
and to his offering, he had not respect, And Cain was very wroth,
6:45
and his countenance fell. Here we have Numeral one the devotions of Cain
6:49
and Abel in process of time, when they had made some improvement in their
6:54
respective callings Hebrew, at the end of days, either at the end of
6:59
the year when they kept their feast of end Gathering, or perhaps an annual
7:02
fast in remembrance of the fall, or at the end of the days of
7:05
the week the seventh day, which was the Sabbath. At some set time,
7:10
Cain and Abel brought to Adam as the priest of the family, each
7:13
of them an offering to the Lord for the doing of which we have reason
7:15
to think there was a divine appointment given to Adam as a token of God's
7:19
favor to him and his thoughts of love towards him and his notwithstanding their apostasy,
7:25
God would thus try Adam's faith in the promise and his obedience to the
7:29
remedial law. He would thus settle a correspondence again between heaven and Earth,
7:33
and give shadows of good things to come. Observe here number one that the
7:38
religious worship of God is no novel invention, but an ancient institution. It
7:44
is that which was from the beginning first John one one. It is the
7:47
good old way Jeremiah sixth sixteen. The city of our God is indeed that
7:53
joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days. Isaiah twenty three seven.
7:58
Truth got the start of air and piety of profaneness. Number two. That
8:03
is a good thing for children to be well taught when they are young and
8:07
trained up betimes in religious services, that when they come to be capable of
8:11
acting for themselves, they may, of their own accord bring an offering to
8:16
God. In this nurture of the Lord, parents must bring up their children
8:20
Chapter eighteen, verse nineteen. Ephesians six, verse four, number three.
8:26
That we should every one of us honor God with what we have, according
8:28
as He has prospered us, according as their employments and possessions were, so
8:33
they brought their offering see First Corinthians sixteen one and two. Our merchandise and
8:39
our hire, whatever they are, must be holiness to the Lord Isaiah twenty
8:43
three eighteen. He must have his dues of it in works of piety and
8:48
charity, the support of religion, and the relief of the poor. Thus
8:52
we must now bring our offering with an upright heart and with such sacrifices,
8:56
God is well pleased. Number four, that hypocrites and eas evildoers may be
9:00
found going as far as the best of God's people in the external services of
9:03
religion. Cain brought an offering with Abel Nay. Cain's offering is mentioned first,
9:09
as if he were the more forward of the two. A hypocrite may
9:13
possibly hear as many sermons, say as many prayers, and give as much
9:16
alms as a good Christian, and yet for want of sincerity, come short
9:20
of acceptance with God. The pharisee and the publican went to the temple to
9:24
pray. Luke eighteen ten Numeral two. The different success of their devotions.
9:31
That which is to be aimed at in all acts of religion is God's acceptance.
9:35
We speed well if we attain this, but in vain do we worship
9:39
if we miss of it. Second Corinthians five nine. Perhaps to a standerby
9:45
the sacrifices of Cain and Abel would have seemed both alike. Good Adam accepted
9:50
them both. But God, who sees not as man sees, did not.
9:54
God had respect to Abel and to his offering, and showed his acceptance
9:58
of it, probably by fire. From herd heaven. But to Cain and
10:01
his offering, he had not respect. We are sure there was a good
10:05
reason for this difference. The governor of the world, though an absolute sovereign,
10:09
does not act arbitrarily in dispensing his smiles and frowns. Number one,
10:13
there is a difference in the characters of the person's offering. Cain was a
10:18
wicked man, led a bad life under the reigning power of the world in
10:20
the flesh, and therefore his sacrifice was an abomination to the Lord Proverbs fifteen
10:26
eight, a vain oblation Isaiah one thirteen. God had no respect to Cain
10:31
himself, and therefore no respect to his offering, as the manner of the
10:35
expression intimates. But Abel was a righteous man. He is called righteous Abel
10:39
Matthew twenty three thirty five. His heart was upright and his life was pious.
10:45
He was one of those whom God's countenance beholds Saw eleven seven, and
10:50
whose prayer is therefore his delight. Proverbs fifteen eight. God had respect to
10:54
him as a holy man, and therefore to his offering as a holy offering.
10:58
The tree must be good, else the fruit cannot be pleasing to the
11:01
heart. Searching God. Number two. There was a difference in the offerings
11:07
they brought. It is expressly said Hebrews eleven four. Abel's was a more
11:11
excellent sacrifice than Cain's either Subscript one. In the nature of it, Cain's
11:20
was only a sacrifice of acknowledgment offered to the creator. The meat offerings of
11:24
the fruit of the ground were no more and for aught. I know they
11:28
might be offered in innocency. But Abel brought a sacrifice of atonement, the
11:31
blood whereof was shed in order to remission, thereby owning himself a sinner,
11:35
deprecating God's wrath and imploring his favor in a mediator. Or Subscript two,
11:41
in the qualities of the offering, Cain brought of the fruit of the ground
11:46
anything that came next to hand, what he had not occasion for himself,
11:48
or what was not marketable. But Abel was curious in the choice of his
11:52
offering, not the lame, nor the lean, nor the refuse, but
11:56
the firstlings of the flock, the best he had, and the fat thereof
12:00
the best of those best. Hence, the Hebrew doctors give it for a
12:03
general rule that everything that is for the name of the good God must be
12:07
the goodliest and best. It is fit that he who is the first and
12:11
best should have the first and best of our times, strength and service.
12:16
Number Three. The great difference was this that Abel offered in faith and Cain
12:22
did not. There was a difference in the principle upon which they went.
12:24
Abel offered with an eye to God's will as his rule and God's glory as
12:28
his end, and in dependence upon the promise of redeemer. But Cain did
12:33
what he did only for company's sake or to save his credit, not in
12:37
faith, and so it turned into sin to him. Abel was a penitent
12:41
believer, like the publican that went away justified. Cain was unhumbled. His
12:45
confidence was within himself. He was like the pharisee who glorified himself, but
12:50
was not so much as justified before God. Numeral three Cain's displeasure at the
12:56
difference God made between his sacrifice and Abels. Cain was very wroth, which
13:01
presently appeared in his very looks. For his countenance fell, which bespeaks not
13:05
so much his grief and discontent as his malice and rage. His sullen,
13:09
churlish countenance and a down look betrayed his passionate resentments, he carried ill nature
13:15
in his face, and the show of his countenance witnessed against him. This
13:18
anger bespeaks number one, his enmity to God and the indignation he had conceived
13:24
against him for making such a difference between his offering and his brothers. He
13:28
should have been angry at himself for his own infidelity and hypocrisy by which he
13:33
had forfeited God's acceptance, and his countenance should have fallen in repentance and holy
13:37
shame as the publicans, who would not lift up so much as his eyes
13:41
to Heaven Luke, eighteen thirteen. But instead of this, he flies out
13:46
against God, as if he were partial and unfair in distributing his smiles and
13:50
frowns, and as if he had done him a deal of wrong. Note
13:54
it is a certain sign of an unhumbled heart to quarrel with those rebukes which
13:58
we have, by our own death sin brought upon ourselves. The foolishness of
14:03
man perverteth his way, and then to make bad worse, his heart fretteth
14:07
against the Lord Proverbs nineteen three. Number two, his envy of his brother,
14:13
who had the honor to be publicly owned. Though his brother had no
14:18
thought of having any slur put upon him, nor did now insult over him
14:22
to provoke him, yet he conceived a hatred of him as an enemy,
14:26
or which is equivalent a rival. Note subscript one. It is common for
14:31
those who have rendered themselves unworthy of God's favor by their presumptuous sins to have
14:35
indignation against those who are dignified and distinguished by it. The Pharisees walked in
14:39
this way of Cain, when they neither entered into the Kingdom of God themselves,
14:45
nor suffered those that were entering to go in Luke eleven fifty two.
14:50
Their eye is evil, because their master's eye and the eye of their fellow
14:52
servants are good. Sub Point two. Envy is a sin that commonly carries
14:58
with it both its own discovery in the paleness of the looks and its own
15:03
punishment in the rottenness of the bones. And the Lord said, unto Cain,
15:07
why art thou wroth? And why has thy countenance fallen? If thou
15:11
doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well,
15:16
sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire,
15:20
and thou shalt rule over him. God is here reasoning with Cain to convince
15:24
him of the sin and folly of his anger and discontent, and to bring
15:26
him into a good temper again, that further mischief might be prevented. It
15:31
is an instance of God's patience and condescending goodness that he should deal thus tenderly
15:37
with so bad a man in so bad an affair. He is not willing
15:41
that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Thus,
15:43
the father of the prodigal argued the case with the elder son Luke fifteen twenty
15:48
eight in following, and God with those Israelites who said the way of the
15:52
Lord is not equal Ezekiel eighteen twenty five, Numeral one. God puts kin
16:00
himself, upon entering into the cause of his discontent, and considering whether it
16:04
were indeed a just cause? Why has thy countenance fallen? Observe Number one,
16:11
that God takes notice of all our sinful passions and discontents. There is
16:15
not an angry look, an envious look, nor a fretful look that escapes
16:18
his observing eye. Number two, that most of our sinful hearts and disquietudes
16:23
would soon vanish before a strict and impartial inquiry into the cause of them.
16:29
Why am I wroth? Is there a real cause, a just cause,
16:32
a proportionable cause for it? Why am I so soon angry? Why so
16:37
very angry and so implacable? Numeral two. To reduce Cain to his right
16:42
mind again, it is here made evident to him number one that he had
16:47
no reason to be angry at God, for that he had proceeded according to
16:51
the settled and invariable rules of government suited to the state of probation. He
16:55
sets before men life and death, the blessing and the curse, and then
17:00
renders to them according to their works, and differences them according as they difference
17:04
to themselves, so shall their doom be. The rules are just, and
17:08
therefore his ways according to those rules must needs be equal, and he will
17:12
be justified when he speaks. Subscript one. God sets before Cain life and
17:18
a blessing. If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted, No
17:23
doubt thou shalt nay thou knowest thou shalt either. Sub Point one. If
17:29
thou hadst done well as thy brother did, thou shouldst have been accepted as
17:33
he was. God is no respector of persons, hates nothing that he had
17:37
made, denies his favor to none but those who have forfeited it, and
17:41
is an enemy to none, but those who by sin have made him their
17:45
enemy. So that if we come short of acceptance with him, we must
17:48
thank ourselves. The fault is wholly our own. If we had done our
17:52
duty, we should not have missed of his mercy. This will justify God
17:56
in the destruction of sinners, and will aggravate their ruin. There is not
18:00
a damned sinner in hell. But if he had done well as he might
18:03
have done, had been a glorious saint in heaven, every mouth will shortly
18:07
be stopped with this or sub point two. If now thou do well,
18:12
if thou repent of thy sin, reform thy heart and life, and bring
18:17
thy sacrifice in a better manner. If thou not only do that which is
18:21
good, but do it well, thou shalt yet be accepted. Thy sin
18:25
shall be pardoned, thy comfort and honor restored, and all shall be well.
18:29
See here the effect of a mediator's interposal between God and man. We
18:33
did not stand upon the footing of the First Covenant, which left no room
18:37
for repentance. But God had come upon new terms with us. Though we
18:41
have offended, If we repent in return, we shall find mercy. See
18:45
how early the Gospel was preached, and the benefit of it here offered even
18:48
to one of the chief sinners. Subscript two. He sets before him death
18:53
and a curse. But if not well, that is, seeing thou didst
18:59
not do well, didst not offer in faith and in a right manner,
19:03
Sin lies at the door. That is, sin was imputed to thee,
19:06
and thou wast frowned upon and rejected as a sinner. So high a charge
19:11
had not been laid at thy door, if thou hadst not brought it upon
19:14
thyself by not doing well, or as it is commonly taken, if now
19:18
thou wilt not do well, if thou persist in this wrath, and instead
19:22
of humbling thyself before God, harden thyself against him, sin lies at the
19:27
door, that is sub point one. Further sin, Now that anger is
19:33
in thy heart, murder is at the door. The way of sin is
19:37
down hill, and men go from bad to worse. Those who do not
19:41
sacrifice well but are careless and remiss in their devotion to God expose themselves to
19:45
the worst temptations, and perhaps the most scandalous sin lies at the door.
19:51
Those who do not keep God's ordinances are in danger of committing all abominations Leviticus
19:56
eighteen thirty or sub point the punishment of sin. So near akin are sin
20:03
and punishment that the same word in Hebrew signifies both. If sin be harbored
20:07
in the house, the curse waits at the door, like a bailiff,
20:11
ready to arrest the sinner whenever he looks out. It lies as if it
20:15
slept, But it lies at the door, where it will be soon awaked,
20:19
and then it will appear that the damnation slumbered, not sin, will
20:25
find thee out numbers thirty two twenty three. Yet some choose to understand this
20:30
also as an intimation of mercy. If thou doest not well sin, that
20:34
is, the sin offering lies at the door, and thou mayest take the
20:37
benefit of it. The same word signifies sin and a sacrifice for sin.
20:44
Though thou hast not done well, yet do not despair. The remedy is
20:48
at hand, The propitiation is not far to seek. Lay hold on it,
20:52
and the iniquity of thy holy things shall be forgiven thee Christ. The
20:56
great sin offering is said to stand at the door Revelation three. And those
21:02
well deserved to perish in their sins that will not go to the door for
21:04
an interest in the sin offering. All this considered, Cain had no reason
21:08
to be angry at God, but at himself. Only Number two, that
21:14
he had no reason to be angry at his brother. Unto THEE shall be
21:18
his desire. He shall continue his respect to THEE as an elder brother,
21:22
and thou, as the first born, shalt rule over him as much as
21:25
ever. God's acceptance of Abel's offering did not transfer the birthright to him which
21:30
Kin was jealous of, nor put upon him that excellency of dignity and of
21:34
power which is said to belong to it. Chapter forty nine, Verse three.
21:38
God did not so intend it, Abel did not so interpret it.
21:42
There was no danger of its being improved to Cain's prejudice. Why then,
21:47
should he be so much exasperated? Observe subscript one that the difference which God's
21:52
grace makes does not alter the distinctions which God's providence makes, but preserves them,
21:56
and obliges us to do the duty which results from them. Believing servants
22:02
must be obedient to unbelieving masters. Dominion is not founded in grace, nor
22:07
will religion warrant disloyalty or disrespect in any relation. Subscript two that the jealousies
22:14
which civil powers have sometimes conceived of the true worshipers of God as dangerous to
22:18
their government, enemies to Caesar, and hurtful to kings and provinces on which
22:22
suspicion persecutors have grounded their rage against them, are very unjust and unreasonable.
22:27
Whatever may be the case with some who call themselves Christians, it is certain
22:33
that Christians indeed are the best subjects and the quiet in the land. Their
22:37
desire is towards their governors, and these shall rule over them. And Cain
22:41
talked with Able his brother, and it came to pass, when they were
22:45
in the field, that Cain rose up against Able his brother, and slew
22:48
him. We have here the progress of Cain's anger, and the issue of
22:53
it enables murder, which may be considered two ways numeral one as Cain's sin
23:00
and a scarlet crimson sin. It was a sin of the first magnitude,
23:04
a sin against the light and law of nature in which the consciences, even
23:10
of bad men have startled at. See in it number one, the sad
23:14
effects of sin's entrance into the world and into the hearts of men. See
23:18
what a root of bitterness the crrup nature is which bears this gall and wormwood.
23:22
Adam's eating forbidden fruit seemed but a little sin, but it opened the
23:26
door to the greatest Number two, a fruit of the enmity, which is
23:30
in the seed of the serpent against the seed of the woman. As Abel
23:33
leads the van in the noble army of martyrs Matthew twenty three thirty five,
23:38
So Cain stands in the front of the ignoble army of persecutors Jude eleven.
23:45
So early did he that was after the flesh, persecute him, that was
23:48
after the spirit. And so it is now more or less Galatians four twenty
23:52
nine. And so it will be till the war shall end in the eternal
23:56
salvation of all the saints, and the eternal perdition of all that hate them.
24:00
Number three. See also what comes of envy, hatred, malice,
24:04
and all uncharitableness if they be indulged and cherished in the soul. They are
24:08
in danger of involving men in the horrid guilt of murder itself. Rash anger
24:14
is heart murder Matthew five, twenty one and twenty two. Much more is
24:18
malice. So he that hates his brother is already a murderer before God,
24:22
And if God leave him to himself, he wants nothing but an opportunity to
24:26
render him a murderer before the world. Many were the aggravations of Cain's sin.
24:32
Subscript on. It was his brother, his own brother that he murdered,
24:36
his own mother's son Psalm fifty twenty, whom he ought to have loved,
24:41
his younger brother, whom he ought to have protected. Subscript two.
24:45
He was a good brother, one who had never done him any wrong,
24:48
nor given him the least provocation in word or deed, but one whose desire
24:52
had been always towards him, and who had been, in all instances dutiful
24:57
and respectful to him. Script three. He had fair warning given him before
25:02
of this, God himself had told him what would come of it, Yet
25:06
he persisted in his barbarous design. Subscript four. It should seem that he
25:11
covered it with a show of friendship and kindness. He talked with Abel,
25:15
his brother freely and familiarly, lest Abel should suspect danger and keep out of
25:18
his reach. Thus Joe ab kissed Abner and then killed him. Thus Absalom
25:25
feasted his brother Amnon and then killed him. According to the Septuagint, a
25:29
Greek version of the Old Testament supposed to have been translated by seventy two Jews,
25:33
at the desire of Ptolemy Philadelphus above two hundred years before Christ, Cain
25:38
said to Abel, let us go into the field, if so we are
25:41
sure able. Did not understand it according to the modern sense, as a
25:45
challenge, else he would not have accepted it, but as a brotherly invitation
25:49
to go together to their work. The Chaldid paraphrast adds that Kin, when
25:55
they were in discourse in the field, maintained that there was no judgment to
25:59
come, no future state, no rewards and punishments in the other world,
26:03
and that when Abel spoke in defense of the truth, Cain took that occasion
26:06
to fall upon him. However, Subscript five, that which the scripture tells
26:11
us was the reason why he slew him, was a sufficient aggravation of the
26:15
murder it was because his own works were evil and his brother's righteous, so
26:19
that herein he showed himself to be of that wicked one one John three twelve,
26:25
a child of the devil, as being an enemy to all righteousness,
26:27
even in his own brother, And in this employed immediately by the destroyer Nay
26:33
Subscript six. In killing his brother, he directly struck at God himself.
26:38
For God's accepting Abel was the provocation pretended, and for this very reason he
26:44
hated Abel, because God loved him. Subscript seven. The murder of Abel
26:48
was the more inhuman because there were now so few men in the world to
26:52
replenish it. The life of a man is precious at any time, but
26:56
it was in a special manner precious now and could ill be spared Numeral two.
27:03
As Abel's suffering death reigned ever since Adam sinned, but we read not
27:07
of any taken captive by him till now. And now number one, the
27:11
first that dies is a saint, one that was accepted and beloved of God.
27:17
To show that though the promised was so far to destroy him, that
27:19
had the power of death, as to save believers from its sting, yet
27:23
still they should be exposed to its stroke. The first that went to the
27:27
grave went to heaven. God would secure to himself the first fruits, the
27:32
first born to the dead, the first that open the womb into another world.
27:36
Let this take off the terror of death that it was betimes the lot
27:38
of God's chosen, which alters the property of it. Nay, number two.
27:44
The first that dies is a martyr, and dies for his religion.
27:48
And of such it may more truly be said than of soldiers, that they
27:52
die on the bed of honor. Abel's death has not only no curse in
27:56
it, but it has a crown in it. So admirably well is the
28:00
property of death altered, that it is not only rendered innocent and inoffensive to
28:04
those that die in Christ, but honorable and glorious to those that die for
28:10
Him. Let us not think it strange concerning the fiery trial, nor shrink
28:14
if we be called to resist unto blood, for we know there is a
28:17
crown of life for all that are faithful unto death. End of Chapter four, Part one