and believing spirit; Cain approaches the altar of God with a proud, selfish, wicked heart. And sad it is to observe, that the first disagreement in the world, the first human blood that was shed, arose from a religious cause, which is designed of God to be, and is in itself, the dearest bond of union among men.

An event now took place in Adam's family by which every former grief must have been renewed and embittered, and to his inexpressible mortification he finds himself a root of bitterness, of which all his branches must and do partake. Cain, incensed at the preference given to his brother's offering, burning with envy and resentment, embraced his opportunity, and finding himself alone with him in the field, puts Abel to death. Thus man becomes the executioner of the dreadful sentence of the divine law upon man-brother upon brother. What must have been the emotions of Adam's soul when this sad news was brought him! -to lose a son, a pious, promising son, almost an only one, prematurely, unexpectedly, by the hand of his own brother!-the one dead, the other worse than dead—a wretch unworthy to live! How would his own transgression again stare him in the face! How would he again accuse himself as the author of his own wretchedness and the propagator of woe on woe to his posterity! The empire of Satan over this miserable world would now seem confirmed, and the purpose of the divine grace would be apparently defeated. But God yet takes pity on fallen, guilty man, being mindful of his promise, and Seth is given to supply the loss of Abel-Seth, in whose line the promise runs, and of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ should come. And thus the divine interpositions always seasonably and suitably meet our necessities and wants.

Adam's own forfeited life is prolonged to many generations, and he lives to see his posterity increased to a great multitude, inventing and cultivating the arts which support, adorn, or comfort life. But the time approaches at last that he must die. Mercy flew as on the wings of a dove to his relief; justice walks

with slow and steady steps to his punishment. By himself sin had entered into the world, and death must inevitably follow and pass upon him and upon all men. He had seen the ghastly appearance of death in the person of his murdered son; he must now drink the bitter cup for himself: "And the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died."

This is the end of all men, and the living should lay it to heart. And thus at length decayed the fabric which God himself had reared-thus "the dust returned to the earth as it was, and the spirit to God who gave it." And thus must conclude the history of every life, though protracted to a thousand years, whether adorned with virtues or sullied with vice-whether passed with noise on the great theatre, or obscurely spent in the shade. To this complexion the wise and the beautiful, the brave and the good, as well as the simple and the homely, the timid and the vicious, must come at last. Here "the rich and the poor meet together;" here "the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest."

II.

NOAH.

ORE than fifteen hundred years had now rolled by since the first day when Adam and Eve stood upon the earth. During those years there was indeed enough to

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show that man had become a corrupt and fallen being. But still God bore long and patiently with him. He looked upon him with an eye of anger, but his anger was mixed with compassion. Like as a father pitieth his wayward child, so did God pity the sinner then as he does now. His Spirit strove with him. Again and again he called him to repentance, but no heed was given; the call was made in vain.

At length the cup became fuller and fuller, till it reached the very brim, and God could spare no longer. And then he determined by one awful stroke to destroy the world—that world which he had made so fair, but which man had stained and marred by sin. He determined to sweep off every family of man with one single exception.

And why that one exception? Amidst all the wickedness that prevailed, God's eye marked one who differed from the rest-a solitary grain of wheat amidst the worthless heap of chaff-a single sheep among the herd of goats-a faithful one amidst the many faithless.

This was Noah, who in the time of the world's greatest wickedness dared to serve the Lord. Oh how hard it must have been at such a time to stand out from the rest and live for God! It is

But to

easy to be on his side when there are many with us. stand alone when there is no friendly voice to cheer us on, no one on whom we can lean, no brother to support us by his example, then to declare plainly whose we are and whom we desire to serve, this does indeed require no small amount of grace.

What a blessed thought it is that the Lord has always had his servants in the world! In Cain's days there was a righteous Abel; afterward an Enoch, and then a Noah. Sometimes on a dark night, when no stars are seen and the lonely traveler loses his way, how welcome is the light that glitters from some solitary cottage by the roadside! So in the world's darkest time, when wickedness filled the earth, how blessed to know that there was one dwelling from which the light of God's truth shone forth! Such was the household of Noah. There alone was the Sabbath kept holy; there alone was the voice of prayer and praise heard; there alone was the family altar raised and sacrifice offered; there, in that dwelling, was the home of holiness and peace.

And now God honors Noah by making known to him his purpose concerning the fearful punishment that was hanging over the world. He tells him of the coming flood, and bids him prepare for it.

Observe, however, the goodness of God. He does not instantly send the flood, but he mercifully pauses before he strikes the blow. A long, long warning is given. A respite of a hundred and twenty years is granted to a world of sinners. Long did he sound the warning bell before he poured out his fury upon them.

How was this time spent? As for Noah, God had directed him to build an ark in which he and his family might be preserved, and he takes God at his word and instantly begins the work appointed him. St. Paul says, in Heb. xi., "Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house."

And the rest, what did they do? How did they employ the precious breathing-time so graciously allotted to them? Did the

thought of that awful visitation bring them on their knees? Was the cry heard through the length and breadth of the earth, Save, Lord, or we perish"? No; they slept on in carelessness and unconcern; they disbelieved the warning and treated it with

scorn.

Meanwhile, Noah was not merely concerned for his own safety —he had a heart to feel for others also. He went up and down among his fellow-men, entreating, imploring, beseeching them to turn to God. But he was as one that mocked unto them. His words were as an idle tale. Oh, there must have been deep earnestness in his preaching! And he showed, too, by his own example, that he himself believed in the truth of his errand. If ever a man longed to save others from perishing, it was he. Some listened with coldness, some rebuked him for pressing them so closely, some treated him with scoffs and insults.

But during these hundred and twenty years nothing could turn Noah from his purpose. He continued building and preaching. Plank after plank was added to the ark, till at length all was completed amidst the jeers and scoffs of the beholders.

So things went on, and the awful day gradually approached. The busy world was still occupied about its daily affairs: "They ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark." There were no signs in the heavens that foreboded the threatened storm. Day after day the morning dawned, and the evening closed in just as usual; day after day the sun shone brightly in the clear sky, or if the clouds gathered, they were soon dispersed again.

But at length the people looked up and saw the heavens growing dark and the sky becoming more and more leaden, and presently "the fountains of the great deep were broken up," and the very "windows of heaven were opened." Oh, would they not at that moment have given worlds had they believed Noah! But it was now too late; their day of grace was forever past. Thus was the Lord's vengeance poured out upon a guilty