kept them from repentance, and then they would not have been saved. Besides, as mankind committed sin in the body, it is proper they should suffer in the body. But instead of eating of the tree of life in this world, we shall be permitted to live for ever in heaven, hereafter, if we are faithful and obedient.

Questions.---Which did God shew to man, unkindness or mercy, when he condemned them, in Adam, to eat bread in the sweat of their brow, till they should return to the dust from which they were taken? [Ans. Mercy.] What would they all have set their affections upon, if they had been admitted into Paradise? Ans. The things of this world.]` Would not that have made it the harder for them to die? [Ans. Yes.] What would they have forgotten if they had been suffered to live a life of happiness? [Ans. That they were sinners.] What would this have kept them from? [Ans. Repentance.] What would have happened if they had not had repentance? [Ans. They would not have been saved.] Is eternal life lost to mankind by their being kept from the tree of life? [Ans. No.] Where may they hope for everlasting life? [Ans. In heaven.] Must not all first suffer death? [Ans. Yes.] Will death be an evil if it leads us to everlasting happiness? [Ans. No.]

LESSON IV.

Read verse 1 to 17.

Explanation.---It appears from Eve's words, when her first son was born, that mankind were in favour with God notwithstanding they had sinned, for she considered the increase of the human kind as a blessing, which it would not have been if mankind had been under the condemnation of everlasting death. It farther appears from the account of Cain's conduct, that the Devil continued his temptation when mankind multiplied; and he seems to have begun his wicked works, by tempting Cain to disobey the Ordinance of God, and make an offering of his own chusing in the room of it. We find that God offered pardon to Cain, if he would repent and obey; from which we learn that the design of the offering which Abel offered, was to take away sin; it must, therefore, have been ordained of God, as a means of grace, and as a pledge, or token of God's pardon to sinners. It is said that Abel offered of the firstlings of his flock, that is, a lamb; and we

find that, under the Jewish law, the Paschal lamb was meant to represent the Redeemer of the world; from which we may judge that a lamb was appointed to be slain and offered as a sacrifice for sin, from the time mankind first became sinners. Cain's first offence, therefore, was disobeying the Ordinance of Ged, by bringing of the fruits of the ground instead of the firstlings ot his flock. Thus he slighted the means of grace, and became, in consequence of it, the slave of Satan, who led him on from sin to sin, till God was provoked to drive him away from his presence, that sacred spot where the Lord shewed forth his glory, and testified his acceptance of the ap-pointed offering, by sending fire from heaven to consume it.

Questions.---What did Eve say when her first son was born? [Ans. I have gotten a man from the Lord.] What did she name him? [Ars. Cain] What did she name her next son ? [Ans. Abel.] What employment did Cain follow? [Ans. He was a tiller of the ground.] What is meant by a tiller of the ground? [Ans. A husbandman.] What was Abel? [Ans. A keeper of sheep.] Does it not appear from these occupations that the earth stood in need of cultivation, and that the sheep required to be kept together? [Ans. Yes.] Were mankind allowed to eat flesh at that time? [Ans. No.] What could they want from sheep then? [Ans. Wool.] Did not they also want lambs for offering? [Ans. Yes.] What offering did Cain make to the Lord? 3. [Ans. Of the fruits of the ground.] What offering did Abel make? [Ans. Of the first-lings of his flock.] Whose offering was accepted? [Ans. Abel's.] Why was not Cain's accepted? [Ans. Because it was not the proper one.] What sin did Cain commit when he made an improper offering? [Ans. He disobeyed the ordinance of the Lord.] Did not the Lord, after this offence, promise to pardon his sin if he would do well? 6. [Ans. Yes.] What did the Lord tell him would lie at his door, or remain with Bim, if he did not make use of the means of grace? [Ans. Sin.] Did Cain repent and turn unto the Lord? [Ans. No.] Who do you suppose put it into his head to be angry with God, and to kill his innocent brother? [Ans. The Devil.] Did not the Devil suit his arts so the condition of Adam's sons, as he had done before in respect to Adam and Eve? [Ans. Yes.] Had he power to force Cain to sin? [Ans. No.] Could Cain hide any of his sins from the eye of God? 9. [Ans. No.] What did God condemn Cain to be? 11. [Ans. A fugitive and a vagabond on the earth.] Where was he driven from

13. [Ans. The presense of the Lord.] Was not the Lord visibly present in the place where Cain and Abel made their offerings? [Ans. Yes.] What did God do that Cain might live as a warning to others, instead of being put to death? 15. [Ans. Set a mark upon him.] Was it not a dreadful punishment to be driven from the presence of the Lord, and to lead a vagabond life, with all the terrors of a guilty conscience? [Ans. Yes.] As St. Paul says that God reckoned Abel as ighteous, where may we suppose he found his reward? [Ans. In heaven.] Where did Cain go to when he was driven from the presence of the Lord? 16. [Ans. To the land of Nod.] Who went with him? [Ans. His wife.]

Read verse 17 to the end.

Explanation.---The city which Cain is said to have built, was nothing more, we may imagine, than a few huts. He seems to have given up the occupation of a husbandman when the Lord cursed him from the earth. Among the descendants of Cain we do not find one good person mentioned, but there were several who were remarkable for their ingenious inventions. The father of such as dwell in tents, &c. signi fies the first inventors of tent-making, &c.

By the time Enos was born, which was 235 years after the creation of Adam, there were in all probabiliy thousands of men, women, and children in the world. The expression, then began men to call upon the naine of the Lord, is under stood to mean, that such persons as kept to the religion which was ordained of the Lord, joined together in public worship, and called themselves the people of the Lord; while Cain and his descendants forsook the worship of the Lord, and became idolaters.

As Abel was so good, and in such high favour with God, it is likely that Eve thought he was the promised seed, and her hopes seem to have revived at the birth of Seth; and indeed it was ordained of God, that the Saviour of the World should be of the race of Seth. By calling upon the name of the Lord, as men are said to have begun to do in the days of Enos, we are to understand that God had a Church upon earth; consisting of those who obeyed his Divine Ordinances; and that they were called the servants, or people, of the Lord.

Questions.---How long was it after the creation of Adam that Enos the son of Seth was born? [Ans. 235 years.]. Was there not a great number of men, women, and children, in that space of time? [Ans. Yes.] What are men said to have

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begun to do at this time? [Ans. To call upon the name of the Lord.] What is understood by this expression? [Ans. That such persons as kept to the true religion called themselves the people of the Lord.] Why did they so? [ns. To distinguish themselves from the wicked race of Cain.] What are the race of Cain supposed to have done? [Ans. To have forsaken the worship of God, and to have made idols.]

PRACTICAL INSTRUCTION.

Instruction.---The first thing we learn from this Lesson is, that God from the beginning required mankind to honour and worship him in his own appointed way, not according to their fancies; nothing can be a means of grace that has not been ordained of God as such. Abel's offering of the firstlings of his flock could not have taken away sin, if God had not ordained it as an outward and visible sign of the inward and spiritual grace, by which sinners through Divine mercy were made righteous. Under every dispensation there have been Divine Ordinances, and will be to the end of the world, for Christ has said his Church shall never be destroyed; therefore we may be certain the two Holy Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper will be continued till he comes again to judge mankind; and these are the Ordinances Christians are bound to obey; we should, then, take warning from Cain's punishment, and never suffer the Devil to tempt us to depart from God's Holy Ordinances, lest he cut off from his Church as Cain was, by being driven from the presence of the Lord, and deprive us of the means of grace.

Questions.---In what way should God be honoured and worshipped? [Ans. In his own appointed way.] As God appoints outward and visible signs as pledges of his mercy and grace, should we presume to make use of other signs? [Ans. No.] Should we neglect to make use of those which God has appointed [Ans. No.] What Holy Ordinances has God through Christ, ordained in the Christian Church? [Ans. Baptism and the Lord's Supper.] Should not those who call themselves Christians make use of both? [Ans. Yes.]

Instruction.---Another thing we should learn from this Lesson is, never to give way to anger; for the Devil will certainly take advantage of our doing so, and lead us into greater wickedness. Whenever we find anger rising in our minds, we should pray to God to give us grace to get the better of it. As we find that God sometimes gives ingenuity to bad men, in

order to make them useful in the world, we should resolve never to be proud in our skill in any art or science.

Questions---What was the first question which God put to Cain when he saw that he was wroth? 6. [Ans. Why art thou wroth?] If Cain had considered this properly, would he have kept his anger? [Ans. No.] Had Abel done him any injury by offering the proper offering? [Ans. No.] Miglit not Cain have offered the same, if he had chosen to do so? [Ans. Yes.] Would not God have accepted it from him? [Ans. Yes.] Had he any cause to be angry with God? [Ans. No.] Why did Cain hate Abel? [Ans. Because he was a better man than himself.] Might not he have been as good if he had tried? [Ans. Yes.] Would God have driven him from his presence if he had been righteous? [Ans. No.] Was Abel's death a mark of God's anger? [Ans. No.] Did not God, by avenging his death upon Cain, shew that he loved Abel? [Ans. Yes.] Which was the happiest, Cain, who lived under the anger of God; or Abel, who was slain, and taken to heaven? [Ans. Abel.] What should we do when we find anger in our minds? [Aus. Pray to God to give us his grace to get the better of it.] Are any of Cain's family mentioned as good people? [Ans. No.] Were any of them ingenious? [Ans. Yes.] What was the name of the son whom Eve considered as being given to her instead of Abel? [Ans. Seth.] What was the name of Seth's son? [Ans. Enos.] What did men begin to do in his days? [Ans. Call upon the name of the Lord.]

LESSON V.

Read the whole Lesson.

Explanation.---The generations of Adam signify the race of Man, which began in Adam and Eve, and has increased from generation to generation. Adam's son, Seth, being in his image, signifies, that he had the same nature as the first man after his fall. When Adamn came out of the hands of his maker, he was good and in the image of God, but before he had a son he had corrupted human nature, by committing sin and had brought death into the world; and had not God in his grace and mercy provided for the redemption of mankind, the whole race would have been subject to everlasting death in consequence of Adam's sin; but before there was any increase of mankind, God had provided for their redemption from everlasting death; therefore Seth, and all since Adam, have come