time a Deliverer, who fhould bruife the ferpent's head, and triumph over their malicious enemy. He then drove them out of the garden of Paradife, and fent them into a country towards the eaft, where they were obliged to dig and labour for their support, till at laft being worn out with old age and infirmities, they died.

We fin against God when we neglect to do what he has commanded, or when we do what he has forbidden: and we may judge of the hatred of God against fin, by the punishment inflicted upon Adam, and the express declaration of his holy word, The foul that finneth, fhall die: and the wages of fin is death. This death confisteth, not merely in the feparation of the foul from the body, but more efpecially in the feparation of the foul and body, when reunited, from the bleffed prefence of God. Fear not them who kill the body, but are not able to kill the foul: but rather fear him who is able to defroy both foul and body in hell. How great then is the guilt and folly of thofe, who make a mock at fin, and take pleasure in that which is fo offenfive to their Creator, and productive of fo much mifery! O, let us all confefs our offences at the footstool of a pure God, and with fincere dependence on the great

Mediator and Redeemer, who was but obfcurely revealed to Adam, but who in these our days hath been manifeft in the Aesh, and brought life and immortality to light; let us embrace the gracious terms of the new covenant: and refolve by the divine affiftance to cleanfe our hearts from the love of fin, to cherish an hatred and abhorrence of it, and to bring forth fruit unto holiness.

CAIN

CHAP. III.

CAIN AND ABEL.

AIN and Abel, the two firft fons of Adam and Eve (whofe family was gradually increafed) purfued very different employments. Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. Their tempers were as different as their occupations. Abel was a lover of righteoufnefs, and obedient to his parents; but Cain was obftinate and wicked, neither fearing God nor loving man. It was ufual, in the infancy of the world, to prefent oblations to God, the giver of every good gift; and when the brothers brought their offerings, Abel of the firfilings of his flock, and Cain of the fruit of the ground; the factifice of Abel, on account of his piety and goodness,

was more acceptable to God than the offering of Cain; and God bore Witness to his gifts, by fome visible token of his favour. The Lord alfo condefcended to reafon with Cain, and to affure him, that if he would be good and righteous, he and his offering fhould likewife be accepted. But, inftead of reforming his behaviour and temper, he grew worfe and worfe: he hated his brother more and more; and at length his malice and anger became fo violent, that he rofe up against Abel and flew him. He flattered himself that there was no witness of his guilt, and that no one would know it: but there is no fafety, except in innocence and virtue. Wherever we are, and whatever we do, we are under the immediate eye of God. The Almighty Judge was a fpectator of the crime, and afterwards expoftulated with him; Where is Abel thy brother? What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother's blood cryeth from the ground. He then pronounced judgment upon the murderer: in confequence of which Cain removed with his wife and children from his habitation; and having wandered from place to place, as a fugitive and a vagabond, at length fettled in the land of Nod. He however ftill carried the mark of his guilt along with him, He was vexed

with the horror of confcience within, and calamities without; and walked upon earth a woeful spectacle, labouring under the diftemper of a wounded spirit, which no medicine can cure.

Learn from the wickednefs and mifery of Cain, to correct and regulate your own life. Do not content yourfelf with the mere outward forms of devotion, but lift up your heart with your hands unto the Lord. Guard carefully against the firft approaches of hatred and malice, left they thould increase upon you by degrees, and hurry you into the moft fhocking exceffes. An angry man firreth up ftrife, and a furious man aboundeth in tranfgreffions.

Before
Chrift

CHAP. IV.

THE FLOOD.

GOD 3874. giving them another fon whom they called Seth.-Mofes, who wrote this account, has not given us the names of all the children of Adam; for he intended only to fet forth the creation, and fome remarkable events, and to point out the particular`· family from which the Saviour of the world was to arife. The defcendants of Seth were

OD was pleased to comfort Adam and Eve for the lofs of Abel, by

fo eminent for their piety and virtue, that they were called the fons of God; and one of them, Enoch, was fo beloved by the Almighty, that he was taken up into heaven, without fuffering the pains of death: but the family of Cain, being impious and corrupt, were called by way of diftinction, the fons and daughters of men.

After a long course of time, however, the defcendants of Seth alfo neglected the worfhip and service of the great Creator: and being allured by the beauty of the women, who were of the race of Cain, gave themfelves up to the indulgence of finful appetites. By degrees the human race was overfpread with fin; all flesh corrupted its way upon the earth, and every imagination of the heart was only evil continually. God was pleased to ufe various methods to bring them to repentance, and turn them from their evil ways: but they would not hear his voice; they trampled upon his mercies, and defpifed all his warnings; and grew worfe and worfe, more and more abandoned; till the time of punishment came, and the Almighty deftroyed the world of the ungodly by a flood of waters.

But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Noah was a just man, and walked with God: he was diligent in the discharge