National Republican., 1877-04-23
WESTERN PREsBYrERIxS CHURc
Sermons by Rev. DIR. wills on Christian Par.
adoxse and Cain and Abel.

servn ons by Rev. DIR. Wills on Christian Par
sdoxss and Cain and Abel.
Rev. David Wills, D. D., pastor Of the West
ern Presbyterian Church, preached to . good su-
dlence yesterday morning. on "ohristian Para
doxes," tho text being Cor, vi: e,lo: "As un.
known, and yet we'll known; as dying, and behold,
We live; ~ chastened. and not killed; % sorrow.
ful, yet always rejoicing" &C. The speaker de-
fned paradox as q seeming, but not . real con-
tradlction, and then proceeded at considerable
length to show how each Of the declarations Of
the apostle In the text was literally truo as up.
piled to the Christian.
In the evening DR.. Wills gave the second OF
series Of discourses on the prominent characters
OF the Old Testament history, which are to be
continued on every Sunday evening through the
spring and summer months. The preacher stated
that he believed that history Is religion we'll as
philosophy, teaching by example, and that the
Bible charaoters Which have their counterpspes e G@
through all time. Tho subject OF the FIRST dis.
the original head and representative Of the race,
as the highest type OF manhood as II came from
The hand Of God. ana as fallen being bringing
The subject last evening was "Cain and Abel"
and the text, Heb. xi:t; "By faith Abel offered
BY which he obtained witness that he was right,
ssns 3SS q h' . rnd hI y
interspsrsed and irradiSted by iIiustrious es.
amples Of faith and good works. Unmixed good
and unmixed evil arc not the ordinary allotments
birth Of Gain and Abel, with the emotions eI.
cited by each In the mind Of their mother Eve.
or .'possession;' that Of l6sI, breath" or
vanity" which seems to indicate that Eve had
learned the vanity Of human hopes, and uttered
an obscure prophecy of the unhappy fate to be.
fall his devoted son. Their different pursuits
and the influence o. the same on their respective
The question why the sacrifice of oSS was ac.
cepted, while that Of the other was rejected, is
answered In part by the text, which states that
But further than this there was something in the
very nature and design OF Abel's sacrifice, apart
from the mere spirit Of the otIcrer, which rend.
lamb from the hock and sacrificed It at the altar
1t was typical Of "the Lamb slain from the fOun.
human redemption, from the beginning, Is based
upon the doctrine that "withoat the shedding Of
blood there is no remission" A than Offering
the symbols Of confession OF sin, as we'll as Of
gratitude for mercies. In all acceptable service.
bss Of thS and The
scribed, and the remorso Of q murderer was de-
picted In forcible language. Referring to the
him should xiii him." the question Sas spSS,es Ssess
asked II all men descended from Adam as a com.
mon head who was In the world to murder Uain9
. learned author to the effect that Il we suppose
that Adam and Eve had no other sons al this
time, say A. NJ. 1875 1t must bo allowed that they
hsd daughters who might have early married
with these two sons, from which INTERIM arriages
very numerous progeny might by this time
have descended. But besides this It Is quite
probable that Adam had moro sons whose names
are not recorded. With reference to the land OF
Nod, to which CaiD.fied, It was stated that Nod
means "vagabond," " hence, wherever the yaga.
bondtwent there was the land ofNod. CAin was the
founder Of tho nrst city, and his descendants
were distinguished for their brilliant achieve.
ments in arts and arms, but, by their wiokedness,
prepared the world tor a deluge of water.
Thrso practical lessons were deduced from
this interesting narrative: First, beware Of the
indulgence OF evil passions. "Lust, when II hath
conceived, bringoth forth sin, and sin, when IL
bath conceived, brlngeth forth death" "He
that hateth his brother IL o murderer" Second,
nothing Is Immortal but truth and goodness
Abel's history was brief and his circums stances
obscure; but he "beinB dead, yet speaketh." He
is still speaking to the world of the necessity Of
faith and the virtue Of the blood Of the Lamb
and the voice which comes forth from his early
tomb will utter these truths TO "the ast syllable
Of recorded time" And five Identity ourselves
with the cause Of truth and Righteousness we
shall live "when gems and monuments and
crowns have moldered down to dust" Third,
finally, faith In the blood OF the Lamb has been
There is no other name under heaven by which
the earnest cry. "Lord, l would believe" and
ends with the triumphant song, II know In
whom have believed"