"If thou does not well, a sin offering coucheth at the door of the tabernacle."

Cain was without excuse. Inasmuch as faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the

word of God, Abel must have "heard". Cain also would have heard likewise, and even if

he had misunderstood, the Lord graciously pointed out his error, and gave him full

opportunity for repentance and acceptance. Cain, Korah, and Balaam make up a terrible

trio that fitly prefigure the state of the things at the time of the end (Jude 11). The

hymnology of Cain's successors harps upon the string:--

"Something in my hand I bring",

while the language of faith is expressed by:--

"Nothing in my hand I bring,

Simply to Thy cross I cling."

We must not lose sight of the Epistle to the Hebrews, nor the fact that Abel is

mentioned as one of a series that sets forth the fact that the just shall live by faith. Abel's

example is given here as an encouragement to the Hebrews who were losing heart, were

in danger of drawing back, and to whom he writes at the close of Heb. 11::--

"For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye

be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against

sin" (Heb. 12: 3, 4).

The rock upon which faith rests is the blood of Christ, and that is the rock upon which

unbelief is broken to pieces. Our next study deals with Enoch, whose life and witness is

the complement of Abel's witness; this, however, we must reserve for another paper. A

principle of interpretation is supplied by Heb. 12: 24. Whatever is good in Abel is better

in Christ. Whatever will be found good in Enoch, or Noah, or Abraham, or the rest will

likewise be found better in Christ. He is the Perfecter of faith. In Him the whole

spectrum meets, all others are so many broken facets reflecting something only of His

ineffable perfection:--

"By faith Abel offered unto God more sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained

witness that he was righteous, God bearing witness of his gifts: and by it he being dead

yet speaketh" (Heb. 11: 4).

"The blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than Abel" (Heb. 12: 24).

#49.  Enoch,

or the faith that transfers (11: 5, 6).

pp. 106 - 111