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1. Some have said that the superiority of Abel's sacrifice consisted in this: that he brought the best to God. He brought the "firstlings of his flock," while, it is said, Cain did not bring the best products of the soil, it being simply stated that "Cain brought of the fruit of the ground," making no selection of the best. Abel was careful out of his flock to select the firstlings, while Cain was careless, and in the spirit of "anything will do," "brought of the fruit of the ground." Now, this looks very much like the invention of an explanation, and is far from satisfactory, for there is no statement to indicate that Cain did not bring as superior a production as the ground afforded, and there is nothing either in the narrative or elsewhere, which shows that the virtue of Abel's offering consisted in the fact that he brought "the firstlings of his flock." But while we must reject this as the true explanation, the view here brought before us is deeply suggestive of important practical lessons. We, doubtless, whether Cain did or not, frequently fail to offer God our best. The man of business immerses himself for six whole days out of every seven in exclusively worldly cares, and then on the Sabbath boasts that he gives to God its sacred hours, whereas prudential considerations render it advisable, and physical laws determine it necessary, that he should take one day's rest in seven. So in reality he gives to God the time that he cannot spare for the world. In the disposal of wealth, too, we sadly fail to think first of God. Men are prodigal of their wealth in providing splendid mansions for themselves, and fruitful fortunes for their families, and only think of giving God what is to spare after these selfish distributions are made.

2. Others affirm that the difficulty is to be solved by referring it to the difference of material used in the sacrifices offered. Abel's was flesh, and Cain's was fruit. In this view, Cain's was merely a eucharistic, while Abel's was an expiatory sacrifice: the former only a thank offering, the latter an offering for sin. We have failed to find scriptural support for this opinion. It seems to us that the advocates of this theory must, to make it tenable, prove at least three things. First, that there was that in a thank offering which was necessarily offensive to God. Secondly, it must be shown that Cain's employment was a dishonourable one, for if the fruit of the ground could not be acceptably offered, it must be because to till the ground was an illegitimate occupation. But this cannot be shown, for it was an employment to which God had Himself committed man only in the previous chapter, "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread." Thirdly, in order to make it believable that the bloodshedding of Abel's sacrifice was the ground of his acceptance, it must be shown that Abel had been made acquainted with the Divine regulation, "Without shedding of blood is no remission," whereas there is nothing either stated or implied to show that he had this knowledge, and it is not likely that God would accept Abel's sacrifice on the grounds of which Abel himself could know nothing.

3. The reason of Cain's defective and unacceptable sacrifice was to be found in Cain's defective and unacceptable character, and the cause of Abel's acceptable and pleasing offering was to be found in Abel's acceptable and pleasing person. It was his goodness that made his sacrifice "more excellent" than Cain's. This view seems adequate to account for the difference in Divine estimation, and it only remains to derive arguments in its support from the sources which are available for the purpose, and which, in their cumulative character, will be considered sufficiently conclusive. These are three in number.

(1) The general tendency of Scripture teaching shows that sacrifice is only acceptable to God when the person of the sacrificer is acceptable; that the offering is valueless unless the offerer be in true religious accord.

(2) Let us turn to the narrative itself, and we shall find its testimony to be to the same effect. And the record preserved in Genesis

4. supplies us with two sorts of evidence.(a) The terms of the statement which sets forth Abel's acceptance and Cain's rejection, are proof. From these it appears that their persons as well as their offerings are regarded, nay, that their persons are first regarded. "Unto Abel and to his offering He had respect." "Unto Cain and to his offering He had not respect." Obviously Abel's sacrifice pleased because Abel pleased; Cain's offering was unacceptable, because Cain's person was unacceptable.(b) The explanation offered to Cain is further proof. "And the Lord said unto Cain, 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." Here Cain's rejection is fully accounted for by God. Had he, like his brother, been a good man, his offering, like his brother's, would have been accepted. "If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?" What is this but a declaration that well-doing is the condition of acceptance? "If thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door."(3) It remains to adduce confirmatory evidence from New Testament writers. —

(a) The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews abundantly testifies in support of the view now presented. "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, and by it he being dead yet speaketh" (Genesis 11:4). The conclusion can be no other than that Abel's sacrifice was more excellent, because Abel was himself more excellent. He was righteous, and in sacrificing obtained witness of his righteousness. Cain was unrighteous, and therefore by his sacrifice could obtain no such witness as, on account of the rectitude of his character, was awarded to his brother.(b) The testimony of St. John may finally be quoted in confirmation of the view that the different moral character of the parties was the reason of the different estimation in which their sacrifices were respectively held. "Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother, and wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous." On the plan adopted in this particular instance, God ever proceeds. He is pleased to accept the offerings of righteousness: He refuses to recognize the sacrifices of sin. Let us first realize that rectitude of heart and life, without which all outward efforts at pleasing will be of no avail. And realizing this, we shall be prepared to offer our bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is our reasonable service. And this reasonable service of sacrifice is the old institution Christianized.

(W. Brooks.)

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KJV: 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:

WEB: Abel also brought some of the firstborn of his flock and of its fat. Yahweh respected Abel and his offering,