Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 1.djvu/81

Rh, that they might trade and exchange with one another, as there was occasion. The members of the body politic have need one of another; and mutual love is helped by mutual commerce. 3. Their employments belonged to the husbandman's calling, their father's profession; a needful calling, for the king himself is served of the field, but a laborious calling, which required constant care and attendance: it is now looked upon as a mean calling, the poor of the land serve for vine-dressers, and husbandmen, Jer. 52. 16. But the calling was far from being a dishonour to them; rather, they might have been an honour to it. 4. It should seem, by the order of the story, that Abel, though the younger brother, yet entered first into his calling, and, probably, his example drew in Cain. 5. Abel chose that employment which most befriended contemplation and devotion, for, to these a pastoral life has been looked upon as being peculiarly favourable. Moses and David kept sheep, and in their solitudes conversed with God. Note, That calling and that condition of life are best for us, and to be chosen by us, which are best for our souls; that which least exposes us to sin, and gives us most opportunity of serving and enjoying God.

3. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the L. 4. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the L had respect unto Abel and to his offering: 5. But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

Here is,

1. The devotion of Cain and Abel. In process of time, when they had made some improvement in their respective callings, Heb. At the end of days, either at the end of the year, when they kept their feasts of in-gathering, or, perhaps, an annual fast in remembrance of the fall; or, at the end of the days of the week, the seventh day, which was the sabbath—at some set time, Cain and Abel brought to Adam, as the priest of the family, each of them an offering to the Lord; for the doing of which we have reason to think there was a divine appointment given to Adam, as a token of God's favour to him, and his thoughts of love toward him and his, notwithstanding their apostasy. God would thus try Adam's faith in the promise, and his obedience to the remedial law; he would thus settle a correspondence again between heaven and earth, and give shadows of good things to come. Observe here, 1. That the religious worship of God is no novel invention, but an ancient institution. It is that which was from the beginning, (1 John 1. 1.) it is the good old way, Jer. 6. 16. The city of our God is indeed that joyous city whose antiquity is of ancient days, Isa. 23. 7. Truth got the start of error, and piety of profaneness. 2. That it is a good thing for children to be well-taught when they are young, and trained up betimes in religious services, that when they become to be capable of acting for themselves, they may, of their own accord, bring an offering to God. In this nurture of the Lord parents must bring up their children, Eph. 6. 4. ch. 18. 19. 3. That we should every one of us honour God with what we have, according as he has prospered us. According as their employments and possessions were, so they brought their offering. See 1 Cor. 16. 1, 2. Our merchandise and our hire, whatever it is, must be holiness to the Lord, Isa. 23. 18. He must have his dues of it in works of piety and charity, the support of religion and the relief of the poor; thus we must now bring our offering with an upright heart; and with such sacrifices God is well-pleased. 4. That hypocrites and evil doers may be found going as far as the best of God's people in the external services of religion. Cain brought an offering with Abel; nay, Cain's offering is mentioned first, as if he were the more forward of the two. A hypocrite may, possibly, hear as many sermons, say as many prayers, and give as much alms, as a good christian; and yet, for want of sincerity, come short of acceptance with God. The Pharisee and Publican went to the temple to pray, Luke 18. 10.

II. The different success of their devotions. That which is to be aimed at in all acts of religion, is, God's acceptance; we speed well if we attain that, but in vain do we worship if we miss of that, 2 Cor. 5. 9. Perhaps to a stander-by, the sacrifices of Cain and Abel would have seemed both alike good. Adam accepted them both, but God did not, who sees not as man sees. God had respect to Abel and to his offering, and showed his acceptance of it, probably, by fire from heaven; but to Cain and to his offering he had not respect. We are sure there was a good reason for this difference; the Governor of the world, though an absolute sovereign, does not act arbitrarily in dispensing his smiles and frowns.

1. There was a difference in the characters of the persons offering. Cain was a wicked man, led a bad life, under the reigning power of the world and the flesh; and therefore his sacrifice was an abomination to the Lord, Prov. 15. 8, a vain oblation, Isa. 1. 13. God had no respect to Cain himself, and therefore no respect to his offering, as the manner of the expression intimates. But Abel was a righteous man, he is called righteous Abel, Matth. 23. 35, his heart was upright, and his life was pious; he was one of those whom God's countenance, beholds, Ps. 11. 7. and whose prayer is therefore his delight, Prov. 15. 8. God had respect to him as a holy man, and therefore to his offering as a holy offering. The tree must be good, else the fruit cannot be pleasing to the heart-searching God.

2. There was a difference in the offerings they brought. It is expressly said, Heb. 11. 4, Abel's was a more excellent sacrifice than Cain's: either, (1.) In the nature of it. Cain's was only a sacrifice of acknowledgement offered to the Creator; the meat-offerings of the fruit of the ground were no more, and, for aught I know, might have been offered in innocency: but Abel brought a sacrifice of atonement, the blood whereof was shed in order to remission; thereby owning himself a sinner, deprecating God's wrath, and imploring his favour in a Mediator; or, (2.) In the qualities of the offering. Cain brought of the fruit of the ground, any thing that came next to hand, what he had not occasion for himself, or what was not marketable; but Abel was curious in the choice of his offering; not the lame, or the lean, or the refuse, but the firstlings of the flock, the best he had, and the fat thereof, the best of those best. Hence the Hebrew doctors give it for a general rule, that every thing that is for the name of the good God, must be the goodliest and best. It is fit that he who is the first and best should have the first and best of our time, strength, and service.

3. The great difference was this, that Abel offered in faith, and Cain did not. There was a difference in the principle upon which they went. Abel offered with an eye to God's will as his rule, and God's glory as his end, and in dependence upon the promise of a Redeemer: but Cain did what he did, only for company's sake, or to save his credit, not in faith, and so it turned into sin to him. Abel was a penitent believer, like the Publican that went away justified: Cain was unhumbled; his confidence was