436 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XL [SeR. XII.
the world began to taste the blood of martyrs, and ever since it is glutted with it.
2. Because Abel was the first person that was never in a possibility to be saved by any other way than that of faith. Adam had other means propounded to him at first in the covenant of works, and there- fore he is ])assed by, and Abel is fitly represented as the first evan- gelical believer.
3. After the fall, Moses speaks nothing notable of Adam. Though he Avas received to grace, yet God did not put that honour upon him which he did upon some of his posterity. And because of his great unthankfulness, he having received so much, therefore he is passed b}', and not propounded to the church as one of the glorious witnesses and examples of faith. Observe from hence the scandalous falls of God's children are of dangerous consequence. Though the wound be cured, yet there are some scars remain ; and though free grace makes them vessels of mercy, yet it doth not use and employ them as vessels of honour. There are more than probabilities of Adam's faith, yet it is cot famous in the church. The apostle beginneth with Abel.
4. Because Abel was a special type of Jesus Christ. He was a type of him in his temporal calling : Gen. iv. 2, ' Abel was a keeper of sheep.' TrpcoTOTTOi/xijv — tlio first slicpherd ; so Jesus Christ is dp^LTroifnjv — the chief shepherd of our souls ; Heb. xiii. 10, ' The great shepherd of the sheep.' And so also he was a type of him in his righteousness and innocency. It is notable that Abel is seldom spoken of in scripture^ but he is honoured with this appellation, ' righteous Abel.' Moses is spoken of for meekness, Phinehas for zeal, but Abel for righteousness: Mat. xxiii. 35, ' From the blood of righteous Abel,' &c. And this the apostle might intend in part when he saith in the text, ' By which he obtained witness that he was righteous ; ' that is, he is spoken of in the scriptures and in the church of God as righteous ; and herein he was a type of Christ: 1 John ii. 1, ' Jesus Christ the righteous.' Then again, in his death, Abel came to sacrifice, and solemnly to remember Christ, and that provoked Cain's envy. The offering of the lamb did not only signify the shedding of Christ's blood, but Abel himself is made a ty})e of the death of Jesus Christ. Abel is slain by the envy of Cain ; so was Jesus Christ by the envy of the priests and his maglignant Jewish brethren : Mat. xxvii. 18, ' He knew that for envy they had delivered him." Envy slew Abel and betrayed Christ. There was only this difference between the blood of Christ and the blood of Abel : the blood of Abel called to God for vengeance upon the murderer, and the blood of Christ for mercy even upon his persecutors — mercy for unthankful men. Therefore the apostle saith, Heb. xii. 24, the blood of Christ ' speaketh better things than the blood of Abel.' Abel's blood crieth thus to the Loi'd, Vengeance ! vengeance ! vengeance upon murderous Cain ! Christ's blood cries. Pardon ! pardon ! Father, be appeased, be merciful to these poor sinners ! Thus you see from the very cradle of the world there were pi-esignifications of Christ, not only in things, but in persons. The sacrifice and sacrificer both represented Christ, who was both priest and offering : Abel's lamb signified Christ, the 'Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world.' Now to show that God would not be appeased with any irrational offering, Abel himself was to be sacrificed, as well as his sacrifice ; Jesus Christ the priest himself
VeK. 4.J SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. 437
is to be slain. God did teach the old chnrch by persons as well as things, to signify not only the satisfaction of Christ, but the person of Christ, ' Who bv the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God,' Heb. ix. 14.
We have seen the reasons why the apostle beginneth with Abel ; let us hear what is said of him — ' By faith Abel ottered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain.'
In which words these things are considerable — (1.) Abel's action ; (2.) The consequents, or fruits of it.
1. Abel's action — He offered a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain. In that you have three circumstances —
[1.] The principle or root of it — Bi/ faith, [2. J The nature of it — He offered sacrifice.
[3.] The comparative excellency — irXeiova Ovaiav irapa Kdlv ; that is, He off'ered a better sacrifice than that which Cain off'eerd.
2. You have the consequents of the whole work ; they are two —
[1.] There is a testimony.
[2.] A special privilege.
(1.) A testimony, the inward testimony of his person — By it he obtained loitness that he loas righteoiis. The outward testimony of this performance — God testifying of his gift.
(2.) The special privilege by it — He, being dead, yet specdceth.
I shall begin with the explication of the necessary circumstances of Abel's action, and inquire — (1.) What was the occasion of this sacri- fice ? (2.) What was the warrant of this sacrifice? (3.) Wherein lies the excellency of it above that of Cain ? (4.) What kind of faith this is that the apostle intends, when he saith, ' By faith he oftered,' &c.