Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1894-01-18

H, a-Commentary by the Kew IL h'
Stearns.
3 "And in process of time (at the end of
dt } it came TO pass that Cain brought of
the fruit of the ground an Offering unto the
Lord" 1t is probable that somewhere
near the cast of the garden of Eden, before
the presence of the Lord, manifest in the
flaming sword between the cherubim was
the place where they came to worship DE
hovah CEX. XIV, %; Ps. Xxx. |; NciN, y. 1t
may he that up to this time Adam had
been in the habit of offering sacrifice on
behalf of his children, as did job in later
days dob i. -. This offering of Cain may
have been the best he had, but it lacked the
essential element of blood, signfying a life
laid down. Compare chapter iii, 81, with
Lev. xvii, II; Heb tx, %.
!. And Abel, he also brought of the
frstlings Of his flock and Of the fat there
Of. And the Lord had respect unto Abel
and to his Offering" Here is obedience, for
it is written that by faith he did this deb
vi, A., and inGsmuch rs faith cometh by
hearing, and hearing by the Word of God
from. y, ~ there must have been some
command of God which Abel obeyed in
bringing this sacrifice. Ii is probable that
the Lord accepted Abel's Offering by send
Gideon, Manoah and Elijah, and at the
dedication o: the tabernacle and the tenn
pie (Iudg. vi, q; Mil, 10. 90; ] Kings xviii,
81, IS, 20; Lev. tx. p; II Chron. vii, y.
3. but unto Cain and to his offering He
had not respect. And Cain was very wroth,
and his countenance fell His Offering lay
unconsumcd; no fire fell upon it. 1t was
doubtless much more attractive than Abel'S
bloody sacrifice and was perhaps the finest
the earth produced. but it was of man and
not Of God. There was no confession of sin
and no need of atonement rccogniHcd-just
like those today who insist that if they do
the best they can God will accept them
&. And the Lord said unto Cain, Why
art thou wrothy And why is thy coun-
tenancc fallen?' Although Cain is will
fully wrong, yet the Lord coudescends TO
reason with him, and if possible win him
to the right way. lie is not willing hat
any should perish. and He seeks in every
possible way to lead sinners to accept the
ransom He has provided I'll Pet. iii, .; Job
XXXiii. "a 20, 30; lsa j, IS; ". l, p.
I. IF thou doest we'll halt thou not be
accepted? And if thou docst not well sin
!cth at he door, and unto thee shall be his
desire, and thou shalt rule over him" Be
ing the oldest son, the birthright was his
p,
ubedent. The word here translated sin
is the word in Leviticus and Numbers 81.
clten translated sin offering If Cain
would only confess his sin and offer Gods
appointed sn Offering, all would be we'll
God has but one appointed way, and where
hat is rejected there is no forgiveness
(Acts iy, y; | Cor. iii, III. All religions in
IN the world will como under that of Cain
IT Abel. Cain represents mans way and
Wll include all the ways of men. Abel
stands for GCtl's way, and it is but one and
very simple. JeaUs said, Il am the way
John xiv, q.
$. And Cain talked with Abel, his
brother, and it came to pass when they
were III the field that Cain rose up against
Abel, his brother, and slew him. Here
are the two seeds, the seed of the woman
ana the seed Of the serpent, for although
both could call Eve mother and Adam
father the one stands for the righteous
and the other for the wicked. All are not
children of God, Tor many religious people
who profess 10 worship God are all the
while children Of the devil (Johu viii, AZ.
Cain was OF the wicked one and slew his
brother cause his own works were evil
pnd his brother righteous.
I" and the Lord said unto Cain, Where
j., Abel. thy brother? And he said: | know
not. Am ! my brothers keeper How
sin hardcus and dcadcnS to- all that is good
and trUe Cain is proving himself Il good
child Of the devil, Tor he is now both muir
dercr and liar JJuhn viii, ~. Is it possible
that any OF Us are guilty in respect Of our
brethren in India @. China or Japan or
Africa? And a. the question presses upon
us concerning their salvation, do we feel iii
Cliucd 10 ask Am | nv brother Eppnrr,r