Lament their fall, but look within,

And hasten to repent of sin:

Leave their deep guilt at mercy's throne,
And seek a Saviour for thine own.

PUBLIC WORSHIP.

In all ages of the world people have met together for the worship of God.

Behold this mound of earth and stone. Adam has raised it for an altar.

An altar is an elevated place

where religious of

ferings are made. The public worship of God is no new thing: it is the most ancient way, the way of the first family on earth.

"Ask for the old paths, where is the good

way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls." JER. 6:16.

The first offerings to God mentioned in Scripture, are those of Cain and Abel; but we may infer from the sacred narrative, that it was a customary observance of Adam and his family. What offering did Abel bring?

A lamb, or kid. It was slain, the blood poured upon the ground, and the whole animal, or the greater part of it, laid upon the altar and burnt. God was pleased with this offering, and accepted it.

How did God manifest his acceptance of Abel's offering? Probably by sending fire from heaven, like lightning, which kindled the wood and consumed the sacrifice.

What offering did Cain bring? Was it a sacrifice? Was it accepted of God?

Cain was a husbandman, and he brought a portion of his fruits, a sheaf of corn perchance, or a cluster of grapes, and laid them upon the altar; meaning thereby to testify his gratitude for the good things of this world. But God gave no sign that he accepted the oblation.

Why did Abel offer a lamb, and why was God pleased with a sacrifice in which blood was shed?

Because God had appointed this kind of sacrifice as a sacred ordinance, prefiguring the mode in which men were to be saved from their sins. We are to look upon it as a type of Christ, ordained to continue until he should come into the world and make the great atonement for sin.

Abel believed the promise, and showed his faith by offering the sacrifice which God had appointed. Cain offered an acknowledgment to the God of nature, for temporal blessings;

but he did not confess himself a sinner, nor see the necessity of a Saviour to avert from him the wrath of God. A sacrifice was to him an unmeaning ceremony-unmeaning, because he had not faith to see its divine import.

"Without the shedding of blood is no remission." HEB. 9:22.

"By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain." HEB. 11: 4. "Bring no more vain oblations." ISA. 1:13.

THE FIRST DEATII.

Cain was angry with his brother—Why?

"Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous." 1 JOHN, 3:12.

God accepted the sacrifice of Abel; therefore Cain envied and hated him. Anger, envy, and hatred, led to murder.

"And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper? And God said, What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground." GEN. 4:9, 10.

Bib. Prim.

"The heaven shall reveal his iniquity, and the earth shall rise up against him." JOB 20:27.

Of all earthly kings, who is to reign the longest, and to have the widest dominion?

Death.

Lo, Cain, the first-born child of mån-
The first man-slayer, Cain!

Earth tasted blood, and then began.
Death o'er the earth to reign.

Till Abel fell no death was known,
No tomb had e'er been made;

Since then, with graves profusely strown,
All earth is overlaid.

CHILDREN OF ADAM AND EVE.

How many sons had Adam?

Three, by name

Cain, Abel, Seth, are widely known to fame;
But more perchance a long succession fair,
Of sons and daughters cheered the lonely pair.
The Bible only runs its silver reed

Down through the lines that to the Saviour lead;
And nameless leaves the unnumbered multitude
That filled with life the world before the flood.