SERMON V.

THE CHARACTER OF ABEL.

MATTHEW, XXIII, 35-Righteous Abel.

It is a solemn, and instructive employment to contemplate the righteous judgments of God against sin, and to observe its dire, and tragical effects. His "wrath has been revealed from heaven against all ungodliness, and unrighteousness of men." Bitter lamentations, and woes indescribable in their variety, and immeasureable in their amount; labor, and sorrow, disease and death proclaim the heavy displeasure of God against the children of disobedience.

The native fruits of sin evince its mischievous, and accursed nature. It is a disease which involves in itself pains, anguish, and calamity. It is an insanity which raves, rages, and wastes. It delights in misery, and in its delirious sport scatters firebrands, arrows, and death. The proof and illustration of these remarks stand prominent on every page of the history of man, and in all the dispensations of God to man as a sinner. Such only would have been the aspects presented in the condition of fallen man, had not mercy interposed. Their character, and condition would have been universally, and incurably corrupt, and miserable. In their relations to each other they would have been hateful, hating, and destroying one another: whilst the just displeasure of God would have visited with the merited curse, all, every where, and in all things. This has not been the fact, only with great mitigation. The government of the world, and the dispensations of providence have manifested much forbearance, benignity, and mercy. Of our fallen race many have been restored. There is a purpose of grace for this ruined world, and God is revealed as "the just God and the Saviour." Of this the

first promise gave a pledge and assurance: of it, Abel was an early and encouraging example. In disposition, conduct, and condition Cain exhibited the malignant operation, and mischievous effects of human depravity; and the wrath of God against the workers of iniquity. Abel in his faith, piety, penitence, and favorable acceptance with God was the pattern of all succeeding believers; and a practical illustration of the efficacy, and actual effects of restoring grace, and mercy. Thus He being dead, yet speaketh." He by his own example, and experience announces to the world the actual manifestation, and effectual exercise of divine mercy in the recovery of one of Adam's sinful race. He exemplifies the actual moral change which is made in the character of a restored sinner. He shows us the medium, the meritorious cause, and the instrumental means of that restoration. Mediation and sacrifice are God's appointed, and only way of bestowing salvation; and that salvation the sinner obtains by repentance toward God, and faith in "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." The author, the nature, and the way of salvation have ever been one, and the same as they now are. The faith, and the salvation of Abel were essentially the same with those of every believer in every age. The history of Abel leads us—

1st. To inquire into the nature, origin, and import of sacrifice; a special service in which we find him employed.

2ndly. To consider the indication which it furnishes of his religious views, and character.

3dly. To consider the favorable acceptance which he found with God, by which he was recognised as righteous; and

4thly. To consider him as the first victim of death, and the first martyr for righteousness' sake.

1st. We are to inquire into the origin, nature, and import of sacrifice; a special service in which we find him employed.

Of this, particular notice is taken by both Moses, and Paul. The former thus records it. "And Abel brought also, as an offering to the Lord of the firstlings of his flock, and of the fat thereof: and the Lord had respect unto Abel, and to his offering."

Paul writing to the Hebrews says, “By 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." As to the nature of sacrifices, in general, they are such things as are solemnly offered to God, to be, either in whole, or in part consumed in an appointed manner. The usual distinction is into bloody and unbloody. The offerings of Cain, and Abel, respectively, afford an example of each. Bloody sacrifices are those in which an animal is solemnly devoted to God, is killed, is either wholly, or partly consumed by fire upon an altar, and the blood sprinkled, as prescribed. Those sacrifices which were altogether consumed on the altar were called Holocausts. In the sin and trespass offerings as enjoined by the law of Moses part was consumed, and part remained for the Priests. In the peace offering also, part was reserved for the person who offered the sacrifice, to be eaten in company with his friends. In the ritual of these services, there were various circumstances to be attended to particularly. The most material of these were, that the person who offered the sacrifice must lay his hands on the head of the animal, by which he renounced all claim to it,-devoted it to God; and in the case of sin, and trespass offerings, he must make at the same time confession of his sins, and pray for forgiveness. It is evident from the nature of the service that it was intended as a means of procuring divine favour, and cultivating a friendly communion with God. It was introduced into the world after the commission of sin, and was obviously designed as an alleviation of its evils, and an emblem of the effectual remedy. The origin of sacrifice has been a subject of discordant opinions. Why it should have been so, I am unable to see. Its universality seems to assign to it an early, and common origin. The practice of sacrificing was early introduced, and universally spread among the increasing inhabitants of the earth. This, is a fact which cannot be reasonably disputed. The early accounts which we have of mankind, contained in the scriptures, and abundant facts, which have all the evidence which the general credit of history can give them, amply confirm it. This

fact can be well accounted for, only by supposing the divine institution of sacrifice, in virtue of which its obligation was felt; and usage immemorial has, in many instances extended the observance of it where even tradition has failed to report its divine appointment. The opinion of its early, and universal prevalence, without divine institution, is not credible; because there is not such obvious, and natural connection between the sacrifice of an animal, and the forgiveness of sins as to originate, much less to give an universal sanction to the practice. The acknowledgment, and worship of God, and the most affectionate thanksgivings to him for our lives, our safety, and all our enjoyments, seem to be a duty which reason dictates, and commands. But what dictate of nature, or deduction of reason could ever have taught us that to destroy the best of our fruits, or the best of our cattle would be a service acceptable to God? Goodness and mercy are the notions which we have of that infinite being,who then would have thought that putting an innocent, and inoffensive creature to torture, spilling its blood, and burning its flesh upon an altar would have been either a grateful sight, or an offering of a sweet smelling savor to the Most High? Reason, duly exercised, could never have devised such an expedient. The obvious conclusion then is that sacrifice was of divine institution at first, and for purposes worthy of the infinite wisdom, and goodness of God. It is true that the original institution of it is not expressly mentioned in the early history of mankind contained in the sacred scriptures: but, there are, however, many facts recorded which give us reasonable ground to infer that it was by divine appointment. Shortly after the introduction of moral evil by the sin of our first parents, there was a gracious promise made by the Father of mercies, which though not clearly understood in its full extent, yet served to alleviate the anxiety of conscious guilt, opened a door of hope, and prevented the horror of despair. The promise is that "the seed of the woman, should bruise the head of the serpent." This promise is recognised by all Christians as having reference to the mediation, and atonement of Jesus Christ. Moreover, we all know that a

variety of sacrifices was enjoined by divine authority under the Jewish dispensation, all of which had special reference to this great event. We also know, that long before this express institution of them, they had been introduced, and practised by the faithful, and no doubt by the same divine authority. Of this there is additional evidence in the fact that they were honored with special tokens of divine acceptance. That sacrifice was of divine origin, and appointment is rendered certain by the declaration of the apostle Paul, who affirms that Abel offered, an acceptable sacrifice" by faith." This must imply not only just notions of the perfections of God, but, a persuasion of the divine appointment of this service, for if faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God; faith is founded on that word, and relies on divine promise, or command: and Abel, in this case, was guided by the will of God, and his service was an act of obedience to a divine command. It still remains that we consider, more particularly, the import of this peculiar service. It was, as all special divine ordinances are, an exhibition, by sensible signs, of some important truth, to which piety has respect, and by which it is influenced, and encouraged. It corresponds in its design, and import to Baptism, and the Lord's supper. It was instituted with the same design, and on the same general principle; for example: Baptism implies an acknowledgment of human guilt, and depravity, with faith, and hope in that grace of Christ which saves from sin. Scripture does not teach, and no man can reasonably believe that the external application of water could cleanse from sin. Nothing less than gross ignorance can so regard the design of that ordinance. The obligation to observe it rests on the divine command; and its beneficial effect on those who use it depends on their intelligent, and pious use of it. In all such cases, they feel, and sincerely confess" I am guilty, and unclean by sin, and I desire, and expect deliverance from those evils only by the atoning blood of Jesus Christ; and the washing of regeneration bestowed through him." The believing soul does, and must thus feel, and secretly confess it to God: but, moreover He has seen fit to require, also, that the