4. "And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock, and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his-offering."
"But unto Cain and to his offering He had not respect. And Cain was very wroth and his countenance fell."
The question of lawlessness and faith, as exemplified in Cain and Abel, and presented in these scriptures before us, has very much occupied my thoughts at times, for the past three years.
And I desire to press home upon the heart and con-Science of every reader of these lines, the essential difference between these two things. And for this reason. That much that is called faith is simple lawlessness. Let us then dear reader for a few moments look carefully at the two things as now before us.
Lawlessness may be very devotional, very religious, yea, very zealous in religious works; even more zealous, and more religious, in what the world will acknowledge; than faith, and yet be lawlessness still. It is not the profession nor the outward expression that settles the question, but first of all, what is in the heart. Cain had all the outward expression, and who could have judged what was in his heart, but God; until it had its fullest expression in the murder of Abel. So far as zeal and devotedness is an expression, Cain 'excelled; he brought that which had cost him many a day of sweat and toil, and he was ahead of his brother in all this. He believed in God surely, or he would not have attempted- to bring an offering.
He recognized obligation, responsibility, and it may be dependence. Yea, he recognized a first place which belonged to God; for he brought of the " first fruit " and he was not slack nor indifferent in regard to all these things, the acknowledgment of God as Sovereign, Creator, and Upholder of all things; and but for what the Holy Ghost has been pleased to tell us since, we should have been at a loss to understand the real point of difference. But when the Holy Ghost in Heb. 11:44By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. (Hebrews 11:4), tell us, By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain,-the key is dropped which unlocks the whole subject.
It was not Abel's offering, which made his faith of the right kind, but it was his faith being right which expressed itself in an acceptable offering. Mark this dear reader, the right kind of faith will hare the right kind of expression, while a wrong kind of faith will have a wrong expression. It was not Cain's offering which spoiled his faith, but it was his faith which spoiled his offering. God could receive nothing at the hand of Cain, nor aught of his service, until he had taken a sinner's place. The sinoffering must proceed everything, when a sinner is in question. And the faith which ignores this can never be right in anything, that is, to say, Cain's honest sincerity, zeal, devotion, promptness, truthfulness, yea and religiousness could not avail anything while this one point was left out. With this as the 'starting point-like Abel-the heart of God is reached, and grace flows out. Like the almost bursting rock of Meribah it needs but the touch of faith with the hand in which is the sin-offering, obedient to the word of God, and the fountain of His love gushes forth. How refreshing is this thought.
Dear reader, Do you know this? Does your heart respond to it? And does your faith first of all bring you into God's presence with a sin offering, and does it give you a heart for God's way more than for your own, or man's way? With Abel's offering Abel could not be rejected. "And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out " said Jesus, and He is our sin-offering. In His name whosoever cometh to God by Him cannot be rejected, but is received in all the completeness of Christ's own acceptance with the Father. John 17:2323I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. (John 17:23),-"And hast loved them as Thou hast loved Me."
God's way was as clear and plain before Cain as before Abel. Why not? And yet he does not come in the same way that Abel does. And why? Let us suppose. He might have said in his heart (as many do now-a-days) I believe man is a free moral agent. God has given me a will, and reason by which to govern it, and I am to choose for myself. This is where my responsibility lies. To choose the right thing, is to honor the God given reason which I have, and how am I to know what is right, unless I use my own judgment? Now I don't believe as my brother Abel does. He is altogether too stiff (Calvinistic) for me. It does not stand to reason that God can be honored in taking the life of an innocent Lamb. My whole being revolts against such a way of worship, and such faith's doctrine. I can suit myself better, far better, as to doctrines, and in a way to worship. I am not going to pin my faith on any man's sleeve. [ And Satan standing-by, says: "You are right. You are my first-born son, I will risk the world in your hands."] And Cain gathers his first fruits, for he is going to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience.
But Hark! While I whisper it! Where is God? O, where is He? His face is hid; His ha& is turned; there is much than for Satan; but nothing for God. O, how terrible! This is lawlessness. Dear reader, where are you?
Cain's way, was not God's way. Neither could God accept what Cain had planned in his own deceitful heart. Cain's wisdom was not sufficient to invent a system, first to please himself, and then to please God. And Cain proved, what the Holy Ghost declares, 1 Cor. 3:1919For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. (1 Corinthians 3:19), "The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God." For it is written, " He taketh the wise in their own craftiness." And again, " The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise that they are vain."
God had given doctrine, and a way to worship, and it was not a question of choice, opinion nor conscience for Cain to settle, but simply, What is God's way. Faith knows nothing else. Faith settles first of all, What is God's way, God's choice, God's will. This settled first, and then everything else weighed in these balances. This is what it is, to "walk in the light as He is in the light," and then, "we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin."
Dear reader, may your heart and conscience take the place of faith henceforth. C. E. H.