ESSAY I.

CAIN.

Scriptures-Dominion not given to man over man-First murder in first family-Lamech-Abimelech―The Sacrifice-Murder of Abel -Address of Deity-Omniscience of Deity-Life inviolable—Objection-Anecdote of Biron-Immutable distinctions—Strength of the argument-Reflections-First and last murder.

From beneath that rainbow

Life is not to be taken, even for life. arc, and from the ashes of martyred Abel, and from.the stamped forehead of Cain, is proclaimed to the magistrate and the criminal, to the murderer in his bloody purpose, and the judge in his fearful decision, 'Thou shalt not kill!' E. H. CHAPIN.

HAVING presented various facts and arguments from history and observation, we now approach the sacred volume; that volume which must decide all moral questions, and by which every system of Moral Philosophy is to be tried. Let us go then to its sacred pages, solemnly and reverently asking for light from Him who is the source of all moral and spiritual light; to Him who 'in the beginning created the heavens and the earth;' who said, 'Let us make man in our own image.'

Having finished our fair world and placed man ‘to replenish and subdue it, He saw it was very good.' And 'the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.'

Such was the work of creation. God gave man 'dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowls of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth,

and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.' But man has extended that dominion over his fellow-man, and marred the image of God. Instead of making the earth to bloom and bud, he has strewn its surface with dungeons and gibbets, and made it a vast charnel house! From the hour that Abel fell, to the present, man has imbrued his hands in the blood of his fellow-man.

Let us then turn back the page of history, and look into the first family that inhabited our fair world. What an interesting period! The first family! We need not go to the garden and witness their temptation and moral degradation, for our plan leads us to their subsequent history, as they walk forth, driven from Paradise, laden with guilt and sorrow. As we follow them in the mind's eye, how anxiously we desire that they may find rest and peace. But O! the mutability of all earthly things! For lo! a murder even by their first-born! A brother stricken down by the hand of a brother! What sorrow must have rent their hearts as they beheld the stiffened corse of Abel! What a scene! The first murder in the first family! Scarcely had the plough turned a furrow, ere the earth. drank in the blood of one of her sons! prospect of our race at that period! *

How dark the

How foul the

* Pursuing sacred history, we find Lamech, the father of Noah, was a murderer, and yet life was still held inviolable. And, in addition to this, he was the first bigamist; for we are told that Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, 'Hear my voice, ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech; for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt: if Cain shall be avenged seven-fold, truly Lamech seventy-and-seven-fold.'

Pursuing history still farther, we find that the punishment of death originated with Abimelech, Gen. xxvi. 11. To secure Isaac and his wife after their prevarication, in which he had said, 'She is my sister,'

deed! How cruel the motive!-'because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.' Here we see the foul demon, envy, not content with driving the first pair from Paradise, but even alluring their first-born from the path of virtue! How insinuating, how wily his arts! He even goes to the altar and sows there, with a sacrilegious hand, the seeds of discord!

How simple, how artless the account! 'And in process of time it came to pass that 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. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.' How early in the history of our race did passion triumph over reason! Behold the calmness of the Great Supreme, as he addresses the murderer! And the Lord said unto Cain, why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.' How calmly! how deliberately did Cain lift his murderous arm against his brother! And Cain talked with Abel his brother, and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and slew him.' Again Heaven speaks, and in the same calm tone! 'And the Lord said unto Cain, where is Abel thy brother?' What a question to a

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Abimelech, after stating what might have been the consequences, 'charged all his people, saying, he that toucheth this man or his wife, shall surely be put to death.'

brother! How direct! Now see how the demon leads on his miserable victim. Not content with murder, he drives him to falsehood and deception! There is a dreadful connection between the vices, and a beautiful connection between the virtues. He who ascends but a single step may reach the highest point in moral excellence. He who descends may reach the lowest depths of depravity! The history of man confirms this remark. It is a great moral truth of the utmost moment. How early was it revealed in the moral world! How little has it been heeded! It is inwoven in the very texture of things. And how inseparably connected are vice and wretchedness, and virtue and happiness!

Cain even imagines that he may deceive God himself! 'He said, I know not. Am I my brother's keeper?' How natural for him who has deceived himself, to think that he can deceive others, even the Great Searcher of hearts! But the same kind voice speaks. The Great Father does not forsake the murderer, though the murderer has forsaken him!

There is no solemn mockery of a trial. The sin is laid to his charge. What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.' There is indeed a voice in blood. The great, the solemn, the perpetual, the universal mandate has gone forth from the Great Legislator of the universe, 'Thou shalt not kill!' Blood doth indeed cry from the ground. The murderer may bury his victim deep, but there is an eye that sees him; there is one who has said of the wicked, 'Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down.' His eye is not dim that he cannot see, nor his ear heavy that he cannot

hear. And He who made man in his own image, will ever regard that image with tenderness and love. Life is sacred, inviolable; and he who destroys that life. will be held accountable. And yet how slowly does man learn this great truth! Earth's fairest scenes have been reddened with blood; her mountains have been stained with human gore, her valleys have been rivers of blood, and her streams have been polluted, and she has been a vast slaughter-house.*

There was no trial, we have said; there were no witnesses, no judge with his ermine robe, no gathering of spectators, no prison, no fetters forged for the culprit. No. The Great Lawgiver himself presided, and pronounced the sentence. And what a lesson of calmness! What mingling of mercy and justice! And what a beautiful example for legislation in all ages!

We have seen the deed; we have learned the motive, and now the sentence! 'And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand. When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength. A fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.' Life and liberty are both held sacred. The murderer might wander upon the earth. If he who had reddened its surface with a brother's blood should turn to it, it should not yield unto him its strength. And so it ever will be with the murderer. He may walk forth upon the earth, but briars and thorns will spring up in his path, and at every step his victim will ever be before him. No wonder Cain said,

*Dick has made an estimate in one of his works, that as many have been slain by human violence, as would fill eighteen worlds like our own!