And why was this? We shall find the answer by looking closer to the narrative in Genesis, and also to what is recorded of Cain and Abel in other parts of the Bible.

When Cain found his offering unaccepted, it is said— he was very wroth, and his countenance fell. 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.

We may gather from this that Cain was a man of an evil life-one who did not well. And so it is expressly affirmed of him by St. John in the text-Cain was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.

It was no arbitrary act, then, on the part of God, when He rejected Cain's offering. His was the offering of a wicked man—and being such, it must have been an abomination in the sight of the Holy Lord God.

But Abel's offering was the offering of a good man— "righteous Abel," as he is called-and therefore the offering that God loveth.

But more. If we look at their offerings we shall see other reasons why one should have been accepted before the other. Cain brought merely of the fruit of the field, but Abel brought an atoning sacrifice-he slew a lamb, the firstling of his flock. And in that sacrifice, it is thought, he anticipated one greater-he shewed forth from that early age, almost from the foundation of the world, Christ's death. He recognised his need of a Redeemer. He came before God, not trusting in his own.

righteousness, but leaning for acceptance on that one perfect offering which in due time the Son of God was to make for the sins of the whole world-the offering as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. By faith Abel offered unto God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained a witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts.

We see, then, again why Cain's offering was rejected, while Abel's was accepted. Abel approached God through faith in the appointed Mediator. He worshipped not in self-righteousness, but in self-distrustCain came before God, self-confident; trusting in his own works with no humiliation of heart-no inward sense of unworthiness-no hold laid by faith on One that is mighty.

And before we go on to mark the sequel of this history, let us pause and think how surely there exists still this distinction between the worshippers of the same God.

In every congregation there are those who worship in the spirit of Cain, and those who worship in the spirit of Abel.

Some there are stained, like Cain, in their life with evil, who yet approach God's mercy-seat without awe, and without humility; others there are, who, while like righteous. Abel, they are walking in the way of God's commandments, yet take to themselves no merit-make no boast of anything they have done-but place their hope of acceptance entirely in Christ's atoning sacrifice— a sacrifice they delight to commemorate on every opportunity, in the way He has appointed them.

And in which of these two classes are our names to be found? Examine yourselves, brethren: prove your own selves-If sin-sin known and persisted in-lieth

at your door, O be warned to remove it at once out of the way! No prayer-be sure of this-no prayer will God accept which comes up to Him from out of an unsanctified impenitent heart. It is required of us to wash our hands in innocency ere we go to God's altar. Nor is it an hard condition-for such washing a fountain has been opened, to which all may go-to which all are urged to go-the Blood of Jesus Christ-His most precious Blood, applied by faith, cleanseth us from all sin!

But I hasten on to speak of Cain's crime, after the rejection of his offering-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.

Observe in this, brethren, how one sin draws on another. Observe, too, that it was impiety, a neglect of God, a carelessness in His worship, which in Cain went before his cruelty towards his brother.

Had he loved God better he would never have murdered his brother.

And do we not find it always so? Does not the neglect of God sap the foundation of all human duty? Are not crimes of every hue traceable to this as to their source? "In my youth I forgot God-I broke his Sabbaths-I blasphemed His name-I mocked at religion-and so my heart was hardened-I was left with no defence against temptation—and now this misery is come upon me ”—I ask you-is not that a very common confession when a great crime has been done, and the convicted malefactor

is about to suffer-and does it not witness to what I have said, that the root of all sin lies in the neglect of God?

But again. We know in Cain's case what was the immediate cause which led to his great crime-Wherefore, asks the Apostle, wherefore slew he him? And he answers, Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.

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In other words it was envy that moved Cain to murder his brother envy at a goodness which he did not himself possess-which he did not perhaps care to possess but which he could not bear to see in another.

That was the spirit in Cain which stained him with bloodguiltiness.

And of all evil harmful spirits, that can enter in, and take possession of a man's heart, this of envy is the worst -and the one most to be guarded against-for it is the very spirit of Satan himself-the spirit that has always worked the greatest mischief, and led to the committal of the worst crimes.

The patriarchs, moved with envy-we read it in the Scripture sold Joseph their brother into Egypt: and it was because of envy that the Jews delivered up the Holy One to Pilate to be slain.

Guard we then, brethren, against this envious temper in ourselves. It is a determined case—a fixed and settled point in Holy Writ-that whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer-and no less certain is it that whosoever envieth will soon indulge in that other passion, soon come to hate his brother. Knowing this--knowing, too, that we are naturally inclined to this temper-aware, as we must be that the spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy-shall we

not pray to be preserved from it ? Shall we not put all earnestness in our response, when we say, in the words so familiar to our ears-"From envy, hatred, malice, and all uncharitableness, good Lord deliver us!"

But we must hasten on to what is recorded of Cain after the murder,-to his detection and punishment.

And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not-am I my brother's keeper? And He said, what hast thou done the voice of thy brother's blood calleth unto Me from the ground. 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 thee her strength: a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from Thy face I shall be hid: and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond upon earth; and it shall come to pass that every one that findeth me shall slay, And the Lord said unto him, Therefore, whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.

me.

How does this shew us that all things are naked and open to Him with whom we have to do!

None-so Cain thought-saw the fatal blow.-They two were alone in the field when he rose up against Abel his brother and slew him. But yet the secret was known, and the murderer did not escape punishment.

Nor does he ever escape. Blood, we say it proverbially, will out. In ways wonderful to us, and only