kers of that woe that belongs to him and to all his otip. ing. But we are further to note, that Cain was not only not a whit better; but far worse after the Sermon, he went as the Pfalmift fpeaks, Pfalm the fixty ninth, from one wickedness to another; he proceeded Note. from wrath to deadly hatred, and from hatred to murther, from peccatum in affectu to peccatum in effects, for the word that goeth out of Gods mouth, fhall not return to him void, but shall accomplish that which God will, and profper in the things whereto he fent it: It is like the rain that falleth down from heaven and watereth the earth, which though it Heb 6. bring not forth good corn, yet it caufeth thorns and thistles to spring up, Ifaiab the fifty fifth chapter and the tenth and eleventh veries: and to the Apostle faith, that the Gospel preached by him is not in vain, but is either odor vita ad vitam, or odor mortis ad mortem, the fecond to the Corinthians and the fecond chapter; and this effect it hath, not that it is the nature of Gods word to bring forth evill, but as the nature of water is to coals, and never to kindle unless it be in Example. lime, which is hot and kindled by means which naturally cooleth and quencheth all other things; fo where the nature of Gods word is to kill fione, if it be uttered to the wicked which perish, finne is made unreasonably finfull by the word, Romans the feventh chapter; and wicked men are the more hardened in their finne, when by the word they are reproved of finne: Hence it is, that men being reproved and checked of finne by the word, have proved more finfull As Abner being reproved by Isbofheth, was the worfe, in the Note. second of Samuel and the third chapter,fo Afa being reproved of the The worse by Prophet was the worle, in the second of the Chronicles and the fifteenth chapter.

reprchenfion,

For the pariculars of this verle, we must know, that Cain's finne is not a finne prefently committed, but that kinde of finne, which is plowed for: He goeth about and fetcheth a compafs, before he committeth the deed: He had already refolved to murther his Brother, if opportunity would serve, before he spake word to him: And as he that looketh after a woman, to lust after her, hath already committed adulterie in his heart, in the fifth chap:er of Matthew; lo Cain was already guilty of murther, though it were not actually commit Murther in ted; and fo it was with Fudas, fo foon as he had agreed with the heart, not Scribes and Pharifes to kill Chrift, he was guilty of murther before God, as if it were already done: All the while that he was compa&ting with them about his death, he was in that finne, as Chrift faith of him, Quod facis fac cito, Fohn the thireenth chapter, and the twenty feventh verfe; only Cain and Fudas wanted but opportunity, which fo foon as they had obtained, they committed their finne actually. The caufes of Cains proceeding to the committing of this a&, are fet down after diverse forts.

First, he seeketh a convenient place and opportunity, and maketh choyce of the field, because he would not be hindred in doing the murther; for he could not have any opportunitie at home; for 4dam and Eve being at hand, would have been ready to hinder him.

Fff

And

acted.

Note.

by filence.

And as he makes choyce of this place, not to be hindered; fo, in that after he denyed the fact, it appeareth, his defire was as well not to be discovered, as not to be hindred. Wherein we have to refpe&t first his great blindness, that could not fee the nature of finne for in that he fought fuch a place for the doing of it, as might be hid and unknown: It is strange he could not perceive it to be a work of darkness; his own confcience did condemn him, for he durst not be feen to doe that which he did, but in hypocrifie would seem not to be what he was; this was his way, and we must beware that we walk not in it. Again, it is ftrange that he was more afraid of Adam a mortall man, than of the omnipotent God, and was more fearfull, that Adam his Father, a mortall man, fhould see him, than that God who is able to grinde him in a morter, should behold his fact. Wherefore as finne is a bruitifh thing, perfwading against all reason, to fear man more than God, fo is it a dishonest thing; for that we will not be feen to commit finne, as a thing that standeth not with their credits, and therefore make choice of such places as are fitteft for the concealing thereof.

Secondly, he devife th how to draw Abel to that place, and what means to use, that Abel might goe confidently with him thither: To that end , though he have not now fpoken to him of a long time, yet he is content to speak kindly to him. The heathen man faith, that if a man will hate, he must doe it apertè, unless he will be worse than wilde beafts, for they violenly flic upon those things which they hate, but the Devill hath taught men to diffemDiffembled ha- ble their hatred, that they might be worse than beasts. Hatred tred difcovered commonly is difcerned by filence: one argument of that hatred and grudge which Fofephs bretheren bare to him, was not potuerunt alloqui illum, Genefis the thirty leventh chapter; and fo Abjolom having conceived hatred and difpleafure against Ammon, spake neither good nor ill to him, the second of Samuel and the thirteenth chapter, but as the Serpent when he most of all hated our firft Parents, would feem to be touched with fome commifferation of their eftate, Genefis the third chapter; Hath God indeed faid ye shall not eate? Nay, but he knoweth, &c. So he reacheth Cain to diffemble his hatred with fair 'words, which diffimulation is a fione, condemned not only of the heathen, but abhorred by the Saints of God: For when fuch a one as walks in the house of God with him as his friend and companion, fhould deceive him, then David had caufe to pray against such a one, Pfalm the fifty fifth; Let death feize upon him. Cain though he hated his brother and purpofed his death, yet to accomplish his purpurpose, he makes a fair femblance of love: So Abfolom being minded to murther Ammon, pretends great love to him; he muft needs have Ammon to the Sheep-fhearing, or elle all his coft is loft; But fhall not Ammon my brother come? the fecond of Samuel and the thirteenth chapter; this courfe took Foab with Amafa, the fecond of Samuel and the twentieth chapter; fo Fudas diffembled his malice with hail Mafter,and kissed him, John the twenty ninth: This fin

No

Example.

is abominable, yea, it containeth seven abominations, as the Wifeman tells us, Proverbs the twenty fixth chapter and the twenty fifth verse, and they that cloak hatred with love and flattering words, walk in the way of Cain. That which Cain spake with Abel when they were alone, as St. Ferome thinketh, was that he could Abel what God had faid to him, and what he had taught him: the Septuagint referres it to this verfe, that his words to him were camus ad agrum, whatsoever it was he faid it was abominable hypocrific.

cious,

Thirdly, we fee that Abel obeyed the voice of his elder brother, for that it was Gods will he should bear rule over him; fo he went thinking all had been well, for the beft natures are leaft fufpicious, The best naas we have an example in Gedaliah, who beleeved that Ifhmael had tures not fufpino purpose to hurt him, Feremiah the fourtieth chapter, for charity is not fufpicious, in the first to the Corinthians, and the thirteenth chapter, cfpecially Abel had little caufe to fufpe&t him that was come from a Sermon, and feemed to be a new man, fo that he spake Note, kindly to him that had not given him a good look along time. This change in Cain made Abel to goe with him, and being in the place appointed, Cain arose and flew him.

Touching the death of Abel, we are to obferve from the words, Degrees of First it was a violent death, for his life did not goe out of him, but Cains finne 10! as the word fignifieth, it was rent from him. Secondly, it was a bloody death, as the words of God to Cain fhew, The voice of thy Brothers blood which thou haft flain cryeth to me, verse the tenth. Thirdly, it was a fudden death, and therefore more grievous, because thereby not only the body is killed but the foul also, of fuch a party that is in ftate of finne, and hath not refpite graunted to repent

thereof.

In this act of Cain, we have to observe these things wherby his fin is aggravated: First, the finne which he committeth is murther, a finne the more grievous, for that it is the defacing of Gods Image, Genefis the ninth chapter. Secondly, his fact the more odious, for that the party murthered is one more weak than himself, for he was younger than gain, therefore it was a cowardly part to fet upon his inferiour; It is the thing which the Wife-man complaineth, Ecclefiaftes the eighth chapter, 1 faw one man bear rule over another, not for good: fo.the authority and fuperiorty which was committed to Cain, should have been for Abels good, but he abused it to the hurt of his younger brother. Thirdly, where God will not have any innocent blood shed, but facrifice muft be offered, Deuteronomie the twenty first chapter, Cain kills innocent Abel, which doth in a third degree aggravate his finne; for to fhed innocent blood is a thing that Pilate himself could not abide, and therefore washed his hands, declaing that he was clear from killing Chrift, Matthew the twenty feventh chapter and the twenty fourth verfe. Fourthly, he breaks the bond of nature, for the party murthered is his brother, and fo he becom meth any Romans the first chapter. Fiftly, he feares not to kill him though he know it will be to the great grief of Adam and Eve

Fif 2

his

Cloaked ha

tred under co-
lour of friend-
fhip.

Cain Patriarch

of the Godly.

righteous,

Martyr.

ved, hatred is

his Parents, wherein he deals worse than Efau, who would not utter his hatred against Facob till the dayes of mourning for his Father were paft, Genefis the twenty feventh chapter. Sixtly, it was not done ex ira impetu, but ex odii habitu; and against fuch the Prophet prayeth, be not mercifull to fuch as finne of malicious wickedness, Pfalm the fifty ninth. Seventhly, his hatred was not open, but cloaked and hidden under a fhew of love, which makes it more grievous. It was not mine enemie that did me this dishonour, for then I could have born it: It was not mine adverfary, that exalted himself against me, for I would have hid my felf; but it was thou my companion, my guid and familiar friend, therefore let death feiz upon him, Pfalm the fifty fifth and the twelfth, thirteenth and fifteenth veries. Eighthly, this finne is committed after Gods admonition, who had ufed all means to draw him to repentance. Ninthly, not only being admonished, but fecing his Father made an example of Gods wrath, whom he faw daily labouring and moyling in the earth for his disobedience to God. Tenthly, that which makes Cains finne out of reafon finfull, Romans the feventh, is the cause, not for any offence that Abel had committed, but for doing his duty in Gods fervice, as the Apostle noteth in the first epiftle of John, the third chapter and the twelfth verfe,Wherefore flew he him? because his own works were evil and his brothers good.

As before he was the Patriarch of all hypocrites, fo here Cain is of hypocrites, the Patriarch of all perfecuting Tyrants; for that he flew his brother and perfecutors for no other caufe but for well doing, and for this good facrifice whereby he pleafed God. And as Abel is faid to be the first of all righteous men, Matthew the twenty third chapter and the twenty Abel the first fifth verfe, fo here we fee him the first Martyr, wherein we see the works of the Devill, who is a matherer from the beginning, John the eighth chapter and the fourty fourth verfe, for he did not only murther our first Parents in Paradife, but he makes Cain a mucherer, Anger concei- firft of his own foul, by conceiving hatred against his brother and murther of the purpofing his death, and then by killing the body of his brother. As this is the effect of the Devill, fo he makes the finne of envy the means; of which finne the Wife-man faith, Proverbs the twenty feventh chapter and the fourth verfe, who can stand before envy there is no way but death with them that are envyed. The Bretheren of Fofeph were content with nothing but the death of their brother, but that two of them did withstand it, Genefis the thirty feventh chapter. It was envy that made the Scribes and Pharifees crucifie Of hatred pro- Chrift, Matthew the twenty feventh chapter. We fee how Cain proceeded against his brother, from envie to anger, from anger to hatred, and from it to murther: thefe degrees must be observed, that we may avoid them in our felves, because there is no man but may fall as well as Cain, except the grace of God doe stay him.

foul :

Envy the

meanes.

Examples.

eceds murther.

Note.

?

To conclude: It is a neceffary point, that we confider aright of of this matter; for the Prophet complaineth, in the fifty feventh chapter of Ifalah, and the first verle, The righteous perisheth, and no

man confidereth it: So it is a fault if we do not confider the death of righteous Abel. The Wifeman complaineth, in the feventh chapter of Ecclefiastes, and the feventeenth verfe, In the dayes of my vanity I have seen a good man punished in his juftice, and a wicked man continue longer in his malice. This was Abel's cafe: but when a man shall confider, that death was at the first inflicted upon finne, because it is the wages of fin, Romans the fixt chapter and the laft verfe; and that fin is the means by which death entred into the world, Romans the fift chapter; and yet that Abel a righteous man, is the first chat drank of this Cup, in the old Teftament, as John Baptift was in the new, it will make him fay, Hoc eft onus Fehova, as it is in the twenty third chapter of Feremiah, and the thirty fourth verle; and hic eft durus fermo, John the fixt chapter: The Apoftle faith, Godlineffe hath promises both in this life and the life to come, in the first epiftle to Timothie, the fourth chapter and the eighth verse; and among the promiles of this life long life is one, in the fixt chapter to the Ephefians, and the third verfe, which God promifeth to them that honour their Superiors. On the other fide God threatneth, that the blood thirsty and deceitfull man shall not live out half his dayes, Pfalm the fifty fift: And yet Cain lived long, and Abel a godly man dyed foon. Therefore, when we fee the righteous dye quickly, and the wicked live long, we must take heed we stumble not at Gods doings, but juftific God, and acknowledge that he is just and true, and every man a lyar, Pfalm the fifty first, Romans the third chapter. Therefore to make this point plain,it is truc,long life is promised as a bleifing of God; which he promiseth to the obfervers of his command; but withall we must know, there are certain causes, wherein this rule holdeth not true, that the dutifull and holy man shall live long in this world.

The exceptions are :

First, in respect of the parties themselves, to whom this bleffing is promised: It is with a Godly man, as with the fruit of trees; if after it is once ripe, it befuffered to continue on the trees, it will be rotten; fo it is with good men in this world: And therefore the Wifeman faith of Enoch, that because he lived amongst finners, God translated him, and he took him away, leaft wickedneffe should alter his understanding, and deceit beguile his minde, Sapi. the fourth chapter. In fuch a cafe it is not a benefit, but a detriment for a manto live long: And there is no man, but in fuch a refpe&t, will be content, that God fhall break promile with him.

Secondly, Another exception is in refpe&t of the punishment of finne: If a party that pleaseth God, should by living long become miferable, he would not think long life a bleffing; and therefore God in mercy took away good Fofiah, that he fhould not fee the miferies that were to come upon the Jews, by the captivitie, in the fecond booke of Chronicles, and the thirty fourth chapter, this favour he vouchsafed to that godly King, becaufe his heart melted at the hearing of the booke of the Lawe, and did not harden his heart as Cain.