their offerings were according to their occupations. One brought the firstfruits of the ground, and the other the firstling of his flock. And we may warrantably conclude that the one was a lamb, a type of him that was a Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. The other brought a sheaf of the harvest, which the scriptures allow to be a type of Jesus, the firstfruits of them that slept.

Now these two worshippers prefigured the publican and the pharisee in the gospel. They had but two foundations to build on, or but two footings to go upon: the one was the law broken by Adam; the other the promised woman's seed, held forth in the first volume of the book, who was to bruise the serpent's head. Abel, who had been informed by his parents how a divine person had stripped them of their fig-leaved dress, and clothed them with the skins of the sacrifices, and made this promise to them, believed the report of his parents, like Jacob, the figure of him, and therefore took his lamb, in the faith of the same pardon, and covering; and thus he plowed in hope, and, looking to the throne of grace and the cherubims placed in Eden's gate, he, in faith of the promised seed, offered his lamb, looking to him that was promised to bruise the serpent's head: and, as the serpent was to bruise Christ's heel by death, he judged that Satan would be destroyed; and, by the obedience of the promised seed, he expected all cleansing and covering, as well as his father. The Spirit, which wrought

faith in Abel, taught him where to look; for his work is, and ever was, to testify of Christ. In this faith he approached, and offered his lamb or kid. This was Abel's rule of life and worship; and "to Abel and to his offering God had respect.

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Cain, he comes with the sheaf of his firstfruits, trusting in the law, which his parents had broken; and expecting a right, on the footing of works, to the tree of life, from which his parents had been banished. This was a daring approach without looking to the cherubims, or to the flaming sword of justice, which God himself had placed there to keep the way of the tree of life, and teach them the way of mercy by the tree, and the need of a surety by the sword. But Cain went on, as Korah did after him, in the wilderness. The cherubims and mercy seat there were no more than a repetition of what was done in Eden. However, Korah went on as Cain did; and God couples them together, Jude xi. Cain paid no regard to the mercy seat, or to the cherubims; but, like a horse in the battle, he broke through all bounds, and ventured upon the bottom of a broken law, which his parents had violated, and expected a right to the tree of life on the footing of works, without any view to, or faith in, the promised seed. And what was the consequence? Why "to Cain and to his offering God had not respect;" while the fire fell from heaven, and consumed Abel's burnt-offering, as it did at

VOL. XV.

the decisive offering and humble prayer of Elijah, when Baal's prophets cried in vain for such an answer by fire. This Cain saw, and he was wroth, and his countenance fell. This dead work, on the footing of a broken law, God rejects as a deviation from the rule given to Adam and Eve, and practised by Abel; which he vindicates upon the rules of the everlasting gospel, saying, "Why art thou wroth, and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and, if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door." This was the first hint of that important truth; "Without faith it is impossible to please God." And thus from the womb of the morning God revealed the beauties of holiness. About this point Cain and Abel disputed. The one made God's will in the promise his rule of life, the other made the broken law his rule; and, the believer being too much in argument for the bond child, he, Cain, defended his rule with the fist of wickedness, and killed the believer, his brother, and the third part of the whole world at one blow. And the New Testament tells us that it was by faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, God testifying of his gifts; and, as for Cain, he is said to be of that wicked one the devil, who slew his brother, because his own works were evil and his brother's righteous.

Those, who were next to Cain in vindication of this doctrine, seem to be those mongrel pro

fessors who were called the sons of God, but fell in love with the daughters of Cain. These held in their head the discriminating doctrines of their fathers, but paid no regard to the rule of faith, being destitute of God's power; and extended their charity to those that were cursed of God. And this mixture of law and gospel, and the mixed marriages of professors, and reprobates, was productive of that wickedness which was great before the Lord. Against such wicked ones Enoch prophesied; who were determined to kill him, and sought after him for the slaughter; but they could not find him; he was not to be found, for God took him, and had translated him; "For before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God;" but, "Without faith it is impossible to please God."

Against these Noah, the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, was sent; who preached imputed righteousness, and a faith that overcomes the world for upwards of an hundred years. But they rejected his doctrines, and resisted the Spirit which spoke by him, till God said, "My Spirit shall not always strive with man," and soon after drowned them all.

The Israelites in the wilderness could see no rule to go by but the law; and, when God asked, How long will it be ere this people believe in me? it appeared a strange thing to them; for, they had no faith themselves, and they hated those who had; "They envied Moses in the camp,

and Aaron the saint of the Lord." The land of promise was expected as a reward of their partial obedience: but, when they came to understand that it was through faith they must subdue kingdoms, they in heart turned back to Egypt; and thus unbelief shut them out of the promised rest. God, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, "afterwards destroyed them that believed

not."

In Ezekiel's days, the false prophets burdened the just with the law as their only rule, and encouraged the wicked with the promise of life. They made the hearts of the righteous sad, whom God had not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, by promising him life.

In the apostles' days, the rabbies and rulers opposed the gospel, till they got out of favour with the people, and almost out of office and out of bread. And what must they do then? Why they must turn hypocrites. A great company of the priests were obedient to the faith. "Thou seest, brother Saul," saith James, "how many there are that believe, and they are all zealous of the law" of Moses. They made a tool of the Son of God to exalt his servant Moses. These Paul calls false brethren, unawares brought in to spy out our liberty that we have in Christ, that they might bring us into bondage. And, having found out that the apostles preached up deliverance from the galling yoke of precept, they set off into the ministry, intending to sap the very foun