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T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
hum an race as comprehended und er two heads. The fif teenth chapter pf first Corinthians will also fu rn ish in stru ction of a sim iliar character. In th e first man, we have sin, disobedience, and death. In th e Second man, we have righteousness, obedience, and life. As we derive a n atu re from th e former, so do we also from th e la tte r. No doubt, each n atu re will display in each specific case, its own peculiar energies; it will manifest, in each in dividual possessor thereof, its own peculiar powers. Now, as th e mode in which we derive a n atu re from th e first man is by b irth , so the mode in which we derive a n atu re from th e Second Man is by NEW b irth . Being born, we p artak e of the n atu re of th e form er; being “ born AGAIN,” we p arta k e of th e n atu re of the latter. P rom all th a t has been said, it follows, th a t Abel was not distinguished from his b ro th er Cain by any th ing n atu ral. The distinction between them was no t grounded upon augh t in th e ir n atu re or circumstances, for, as to these, “ th ere was no difference.” W hat therefo re, made the vast difference? The difference was not in themselves, in th e ir n atu re, or th e ir circum stances; it lay, entirely, in th e ir sacrifices.— C. H. M. V. 8. “And Cain talk ed w ith Abel h is b ro th er: and it came to pass w hen they w ere in th e field, th a t Cain rose up against Abel h is b ro th er, and slew him .” Thus has it ever been; th e Cains have persecuted and murdered the Abels. A t all times, man and his religion are th e same; faith and its religion are th e same: and wherever they have met, th ere has been conflict. However, it is well to see th a t Cain’s act of m urder was th e tru e consequence— th e proper fru it— of his false worship. H is foundation was bad, and th e sup erstructu re erected thereon was also bad.— C. H. M. A fter a while, God sent some children to Adam and Eve, which made them happy. Cain was the oldest and the first boy to be born into th is world. Abel, th e next boy, was his bro th er. T h eir fath e r told them w hat God had said about sin, and how aw ful it was, and they m u st believe God would one day send them a Saviour to die in th e ir place, so th e ir sins could be forgiven by God. But if they believed th a t, they m ust show it by offering the sacrifice of a lamb, when they came to ask God to forgive th e ir sins. Cain was a farm er, and Abel was a shepherd. When they came to pray for pardon for th e ir sins, Abel killed a little lamb, bringing it as a sacrifice, as God had said. Cain decided th a t his grain, fru its, and vegetables were ju st as good an offering as to kill a lamb. Then, too, he was proud of his farm products. When God saw the two sacrifices, and th a t Cain had not b rough t the rig h t kind, He listened to Abel’s prayer, b u t would not listen to Cain. Cain grew angry w ith God, and would not change his sacrifice, as God wished b u t found fau lt w ith Abel, because his was right. Cain became jealous of Abel, and began to h ate him ; one day, ou t in the field, he killed his b ro th er Abel. Cain did not know th a t God saw him do it, so when God said to him , “Where is thy b ro th e r? ” Cain said, “ I know not: am I my b ro th er’s keeper?” God said, “W hat have you done? Your b ro th er’s blood is crying to Me from th e ground. Now, you shall be punished for killing your brother, and even th e ground will not be so easy to farm for you, afte r th is, and you shall become a vagabond in th e earth .” (T h at is, a wan derer, w ith no place to call home.) i l ELEMENTARY K ate H. Hans
Contrast w ith Cain’s fam ily, th e course of th e Sethites (4 :2 6 ) “And to S eth , to h im a lso , th e r e w a s horn a son ; an d h e c a lle d h is n am e E n o s; th e n b e g a n m en to c a ll up on th e n am e o f th e Lord .” In th e Cainites th ere is no suggestion of God, of prayer or of worship. In th e Sethites, we find no reference to hum an progress, or to, any of th e accompanying develop ments of civilization,, It is well to note th e distinction as recorded in th e Word of God, between th e history of th e world and th e history of th e church. Worldly movements magnify men. The tendency and danger of fallen n atu re is the deification of man. The world is fam iliar w ith th e world’s g reat men, but knows little of God’s great, men. The age of man is lengthened in Seth’s line, b u t no men tion is made of th is in Cain’s line (Isa. 6 5 :20 ). The two lines are united in Ch. 6:1-8 : “An d it cam e to p a ss, w h en m en b e g an to m u ltip ly on th e fa c e o f th e ea rth , and d a u g h te rs w e r e ho rn u n to th em ; T h a t th e so n s o f God s a w th e d a u g h te rs o f m en th a t th e y w e r e fa ir ; and th e y to o k th em w iv e s o f a ll w h ic h th e y ch o se. Two men, and only two, are recorded in th e Old T estam ent as w alking w ith God— Enoch and Noah. Both had fellowship w ith God and are singled out as examples of th é possibilities of a life of separation, fellowship and service for God. Here is set before us th e development of sin in th e fam ily life. The “ ‘image of God” had been lost in the fall, so we are now told th a t Adam “ begat a son in his own like ness, afte r his own image” (cf; Genesis 5:1, 3 ). Note the expression “ afte r his own im age”— COMMENTS not afte r th e “ image of God.” Did PROM THE David have th is though t in mind COMMENTARIES when he said: “Behold, I was shapen V. V, Morgan in in iqu ity ; and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Psalm 51: 5) ’ ’’— Evans. V. 1. “I have gotten a m an from th e Lord.” .. She called th e child “Cain”— i. e “possession”— evidently thinking th a t in him would be fulfilled the prom ise to her seed. It is possible th a t th e literal rendering of her words, “ I have, gotten a man, even Jehovah,” suggests a more definite belief and knowledge th a n are w arranted. A t th e same timé, to render th e words, “ I have gotten a man w ith the help of th e Lord," seems unduly to weaken th e Hebrew phrase. Probably we are to understand some such rend er ing as “ I have gotten a man in relation to Jehovah,” point ing definitely to a conviction th a t somehow or other th is new-born son was related to the Divine prom ise and pur pose.jj-Thomas. Y. 4. “And th e Lord h ad respect un to Abel and to his offering.” We n atu rally ask why it was th a t God had respect to Abel and to his offering, and not to Cain and his? According to Heb. 11:4, th e explanation is to be found in the words, “ By faith Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice th an Cain.” F aith always presupposes a Divine revelation to which it is th e response, and in th e ligh t of th e New Testament in terp retation it would seem clear th a t one was an offering of faith, and th e o th er an offering w ith out faith. Is it not possible' and éven probable, th a t Abel’s sacrifice, involving death, was his response to an already existing revelation of God as to th is method of sacrifice? May we not see in the coats of skins (Gen. 3 :21) a h in t of the revelation of sacrifice through death as th e way of approach to God? This view at any ra te makes it in telligible why Abel can be said to have offered “ by faith ,’’ while, Cain offered a sacrifice which did no t involve death, and which was therefore, on th is in terp retation , not in accordance w ith th e Divine revelation.— Thomas. Y. 5. “B u t un to Cain and to h is offering h e h ad n o t respect.’.’. Nothing can be more im portant, in its way, th an a correct understanding of th e doctrine of fe d e ra l. head ship. If my read er will tu rn , for a moment, to Rom. 4:12- 21, he w ill find th a t th e inspired apostle looks a t th e whole
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