they owned him thereby as the "God of the world," 2 Cor. iv, 4.

He offered it (Tiolei) by faith. Now faith herein respects; the institution of the worship; and the heart or mind of the worshippers. He did it by faith, because he had respect in what he did to God's institution, which consists of a command and a promise; had he himself invented the service he could not have performed it in faith, which in its very nature respects a divine command and a promise; again, he did it in faith, and that he did it in the exercise of saving faith in God; for he did it not hypocritically, nor in a mere attendance to the outward duty; but it was kindled in his own heart by the Holy Spirit, before it was fired on the altar from heaven.

$4. "A better sacrifice than Cain;" a choicer, a more excellent sacrifice (xapa Káïv) than Cain; we observed before, that as to the matter of it, it was better, more valuable and precious than that of Cain; but this is not a sufficient cause of ascribing such an excellency and preference to it, as that, on account of it, Abel should obtain such acceptance with God, and receive a testimony from him; besides, the design of the apostle is to declare the efficacy and prevalency of faith, and not of

any special kind of sacrifices; wherefore, (di μs) for which, or whereby, in the next words, is to be referred to (TE) faith, and not to (voiav) sacrifice; this difference therefore was from his faith; and two things depended thereon; that his person was justified in the sight of God antecedently to his sacrifice; and, that on account thereof his sacrifice was acceptable, as is commonly observed from the order of the words; "the Lord had respect unto Abel and his offering;" but yet it is not so evident where the great difference lay; for Cain also, no doubt, brought his offering in faith;

for he believed the being of God, his omnipotent power in the creation of the world, as also his government of it with rewards and punishments; for all this he professed in the sacred offering that he brought unto the Lord; wherefore it is certain that the faith of Abel and Cain differed in their objects, and—in their special nature and acts.

1. Cain considered God only as a creator and preserver, whereon he offered the fruits of the earth, as an acknowledgment that all these things were made, preserved, and bestowed on man by him; but he had no regard to sin, or the way of deliverance from it revealed in the first promise; but the faith of Abel was fixed on God, not only as a creator, but as a redeemer also; as he who, in infinite wisdom and grace, had appointed the way of redemption by sacrifice and atonement intimated in the first promise; wherefore, his faith was accompanied with a sense of sin and guilt, with his lost condition by the fall, and a trust in the way of redemption and recovery which God had provided; which he testified in the kind of his sacrifice, which was by death and blood; in the one, owning the death which he himself by reason of sin was obnoxious to; and in the other, the way of atonement, which was to be blood-the blood of the promised seed.

2. They differed in their special nature and acts; for the faith of Abel was saving, justifying, a principle of holy obedience, an effect of the Holy Spirit in his mind and heart; but that of Cain was a naked barren assent to the truths before mentioned, which is usually described under the name of a common and temporary faith; which is evident from the event, in that God never accepted his person, nor his offering.

And these are the things that still make the hidden difference between the professors of the same faith and

worship in general, whereof God alone is the judge, approving some and rejecting others; so from the foundation of the world the church was signally warned, that the mere performance of the outward duties of divine worship is not the rule of the acceptance of men's persons with God; but a distinction is made from the inward principle whence those duties proceed; yet the world will not receive a warning to this very day. Nothing is an higher provocation to carnal minds, than that the same duties should be accepted in some and rejected in others, only because the persons of the and not of the other, are accepted. Many have no greater quarrel at religion, than that God had respect to Abel and his offerings, and not to Cain and his.

one,

§5. The first consequent of this faith in Abel is, that (di ñs) by which; that is, by which faith, (¿μaplupýtn) he was testified unto; he obtained witness; even from God himself. And this was so famous in the church, that he seems to be commonly called by that name, "the righteous Abel," Mat. xxiii, 35. A testimony is virtually contained; "God (saith he) testifying of his gifts;" referring to these words in Moses, "The Lord had respect unto Abel and his offering," he testified, in the approbation of his offering, that he had respect to his person; that is, he judged, esteemed, and accounted him righteous; for otherwise God is no respecter of persons; whomsoever God accepts, or respects, he testifieth him to be righteous, that is, to be justified and freely accepted with him: this Abel was by faith ante cedently to his offering; for he was not made righteous, he was not justified, by his sacrifice; but therein "shewed his faith by his works;" and God by accepting his works of obedience, justified him (as he did Abraham) by works declaratively; he declared him to be so, by giving testimony to his gifts.

By what way God gave this testimony is not expressed; most suppose that it was by causing fire to fall from heaven to kindle and consume his sacrifice on the altar; certain it is, that it was by some assured token and pledge, whereby his own faith was strengthened, and Cain provoked; for God did that with respect to him and his offering, which he did not towards Cain and his; whereby both of them knew how things stood between God and them. As Esau knew that Jacob had gotten the blessing, which made him resolve to kill him; so Cain knew that Abel and his offering were accepted with God, whereon he actually slew him. And here we have the prototype of the believing and persecuting church in all ages; of them that are born after the Spirit, and those that are born after the flesh only. Then that began which the apostle affirms still to continue; "He that was born after the flesh perscuted him that was born after the Spirit; even so it is now," Gal. iv, 29. This was the first visible acting of the enmity between the seed of the woman, and the seed of the serpent; for "Cain was of the wicked one, (the seed of the serpent) and slew his brother," 1 John iii, 12; and it was a pledge and a representation of the death of Christ himself from the same principle.

§6. And (di avlys) by it (faith) he being dead yet speaketh; the original word (λaλetai) being of a middle form, may be rendered either he speaketh, or he is spoken of; and accordingly is variously interpreted; for some take it for the good fame that Abel had in all generations; but it is not according to the mind of the apostle; for it is evident that he ascribes something peculiar to Abel, wherein others were not to be joined with him, but this of a good report is not so; but common to him with Noah, Abraham, and all the patriarchs; they were spoken of, and their praise celebrated in the

church, no less than Abel. The apostle plainly proceeds in representing the story concerning him, and what fell out after his death, as expressed by God himself; Gen. iv, 10, "The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground;" this is the speaking of Abel after his death, which is here intended, and this was peculiar to him; it is not affirmed of any one besides in scripture. Besides, the apostle interprets himself, Heb. xii, 24; where he directly ascribes this speaking to the "blood of Abel." And from this first instance, the apostle hath mightily confirmed his intention concerning the power and efficacy of faith, enabling men, with blessed success, to do and suffer according to the mind of God; and this example was of great force to convince the Hebrews, that if, indeed, they were true believers, as he supposed them to be, Heb. x, 39, faith would safely carry them through all the difficulties they had to conflict with in their profession, to the glory of God, and their own eternal salvation.

§7. (II.) Hence we may learn,

1. We are to serve God with the best we have; the best in our power; with the best of our spiritual abilities.

2. God approves not our duties, but where the principle of a living faith goes previously in their perform

ance.

3. Our persons must be first justified, before our works of obedience can be accepted with God; for by that acceptance he testifies that we are righteous.

4. Those whom God approves, must expect that the world will disapprove of them, and ruin them if it can.

5. When there is difference in the hearts of men, on account of faith, there will, for the most part, be unavoidable differences about outward worship,