St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1903-06-27

wrong WHICH ne udu COIuMlGtcu Do
| an expression of a changed and
| cleansed heart. If it were merely q
matter of offering which made ap-
! proach to and acceptance with God
possible, then would the rich with
their gifts go in first into the King
dom of Heaven, and the widow and
her two mites would be left stand
ing at the door forgotten.
IATEIGHED commercially, there is
w no doubt that Gains offering
equaled or even exceeded in value and
in excellence that of his brother.
Weighed by God, Who looked behind
the offering to discover the attitude of
the heart towards Him, we find that He
could not have respect unto the offer
ing of Cain, but that Abel's offering
was worthy ct acceptance because
faith prompted it, faith suggested the
kind of offering. faith showed the way
to make the offering. Abel by faith
knew more Of the way Of approach to
God and acceptance with Him, in that
primeval day when yet the way of sal
walton was yelled in mystery, than does
many churchman to-day who rejoices
in the greater light and revelation Of
this Christian age, and to whom God
has given the perfect revelation of His
will in His written Word. Abel did not
have the theology of the nineteenth
century to help him out, but God
testifies Of him that he had faith, and
that faith taught him two things which
Cain was NOT willing to recognize.
First, it revealed to Him the absolute
righteousness of God, and, secondly.
it showed himself sinner, separated
from God. Faith then made it plain
to his heart that his offering must
meet these conditions. that his Offering
must satisfy Gods righteousness and
testify OF mans need. It was not
mere matter Of offering. It must
needs be fitting offering. And so we
find Abel taking lamb without spot
or blemish. We see him shed its limo.
cent blood. We behold him place it
upon the glowing Goals and watch the
fire and smoke rising as sweet smell
ing SAVIOR before the Lord. Why the
lamb, instead of the golden fruits of
the field? Why the shed blood instead
of the ripened grains and full rounded
and luscious product of vine and tree?
Why the smoking altar instead of the
heaps of glorious gifts from field and
orchard? All! need we ask such ques-
tions in this day OF the full revelation
o< mi inf mil
planatio OF what the lamb, the shed
blood, the smoking offering typifed?
Abel's Saith pointed towards the cross
on Calvary, and the salvation which
God was to accomplish for the lost
human race. Our faith looks back to
the cross and sees accomplished that
which Abel's faith taught him was
sometime, somehow, to be realized.
And so, ''by faith Abel offered unto
God more excellent sacrifice than
Cain, by which he obtained witness
that he wasrighteous." Righteous, not
by deed, but righteous by faith, or as
Gods Word puts it, '.the Righteousness
which is by faith"
DUT, youask, how came Abel to know
p that sacrifice was needed? How
came he to take the lamb? Go with me
back into the garden of Eden. The
guilty pair stand before God with their
clothing of foliage which they have
woven together for themselves. But
God does Lot suffer it thus, but makes
them coats of skin. God must provide
the covering for guilty men. And so
in the garden there sacrifice is made
as a testimony against sin and to point
the way of cleansing from sin. God has
lust said chat the consequence Of sin
shall be death, and here is death wit
messed by the slain animal from which
is taken the skin to cover their naked
ness. AS they wore those dresses OF
skin how they must have been per-
petual testimony to them of what
death was and suggested that God
would provide way of redemption for
them. Abel undoubtedly saw these
coats Of skin which the hand OF God
had made for his parents. He had
heard the story from their lips. He
had pondered in his heart the mys-
teries of which the sacrifice and the
coats of skin testified, and though
family perhaps yet most surely he
realized that approach to God and ac-
ceptance with Him was through the
medium Of the shed blood and the
burning sacrifice And from Abel
down through the long ages to the
thief hanging on the cross by the side
of the crucified Lord, the way of APP
proach to God and acceptance with
Him has been through the shedding of
innocent blood which was consummat-
ed in the death of the perfect man
Christ Jesus. Abel's faith revealed to
his heart that some day he would meet
his Redeemer in Paradise; the dying |
thief's ear of faith heard the words:
'.This day shalt thou be with Me in |
Paradise And since the plan of God
was wrought out on Calvary, the way
of approach to and acceptance, with |
Him is still by way Of the sacrifice
made once for all for sin in Christ |
Jesus. labe!, though dead. yet he
speaketh. Let the lesson of his offer
ing teach you, O soul! the way of APP
proach unto God, and the way of &C.
ceptance with Him.