III. Character of his Offering.— -The superiority of
ABEL
10
ABELARD
Abel's sacrifice is ascribed by the Apostle Paul to faith (Hcb. xi, 4). Faith implies a previous revelation : it comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. It is probable that there was some command of God, in reference to the rite of sacrifice, with which Abel complied, and which Cain disobeyed. The "more ex- cellent sacrifice" was the firstlings of his flock ; in the offering of which there was a confession that his own sins deserved death, and the expression of a desire to share in the benefits of the great atonement which, in the fulness of time, should be presented to God for the sins of man. By his faith he was accepted as "right- eous," that is, was justified. God testified, probably by some visible sign — the sending of fire from heaven to consume the victim (a token that justice had seized upon the sacrifice instead of the sinner) — that the gift was accepted. Cain had no faith : his offering was not indicative of this principle. Although it is doubt- ful whether we can render the clause in God's expos- tulation with him — "sin lieth at the door" — by the words, " a sin-offering lieth or croucheth at the door," that is, a sin-offering is easily procured, yet the sin of Cain is clearly pointed out; for though he was not a keeper of sheep, yet a victim whose blood could be shed as a typical propitiation could without difficulty have been procured and presented. The truths clearly taught in this important event are, confession of sin ; acknowledgment that the penalty of sin is death ; sub- mission to an appointed mode of expiation; the vica- rious offering of animal sacrifice, typical of the better sacrifice of the Seed of the woman ; the efficacy of faith in Christ's sacrifice to obtain pardon, and to admit the guilty into divine favor (Wesley, Notes on Heb. xi, 4). The difference between the two offerings is clear- ly and well put by Dr. Magee {On the Atonement, i, 58-61): "Abel, in firm reliance on the promise of God, and in obedience to his command, offered that sacrifice which had been enjoined as the religious ex- pression of his faith; while Cain, disregarding the gracious assurances which had been vouchsafed, or, at least, disdaining to adopt the prescribed method of manifesting his belief, possibly as not appearing to his reason to possess any efficacy or natural fitness, thought he had sufficiently acquitted himself of his duty in ac- knowledging the general superintendence of God, and expressing his gratitude to the supreme Benefactor, by presenting some of those good things which he thereby confessed to have been derived from His bounty. In short, Cain, the first-born of the fall, ex- hibits the first-fruits of his parents' disobedience, in the arrogance and self-sufficiency of reason, rejecting the aids of revelation, because they fell not within his ap- prehension of right, lie takes the first place in the annals of Deism, and displays, in his proud rejection of the ordinance of sacrifice, the same spirit which, in later days, has actuated his enlightened followers in re- jecting the sacrifice of Christ." See Sacrifice. There arc several references to Abel in the New Testament. Our Saviour designates him " righteous" (Matt, xxiii, 35 ; comp. 1 John, iii, 12). He ranks among the il- lustrious elders mentioned in Heb. xi. According to Heb. xii, 24, while the blood of sprinkling speaks for the remission of sins, the blood of Abel for vengeance :
the blood of Sprinkling speaks of mercy, the blood of Abel of the malice of the human heart. — Watson, In- stitutes, ii, 171, 1D1 ; Whatclv, Prototype*, V- 29; Home, 1 Death of Abel, Wbrks,1812, vol. iv: Hunter, Sacred Biography, p. 17 sq. ; Robinson, Script. Charac- ter*,\, Williams, Char.ofO. T. p. 12; Simeon, Works, xix, 371; Close, Genesis, p. 46; Nicnieyer, Charakt. ii, 87.
Abel, Thomas. See Able.
A'bel- (Heb. .!/»/'-, ~b^X, a name of several villages in Palestine, with additions in the case of (he more important, to distinguish them from one another (sec each in its alphabetical order). From a compar-
ison of the Arabic and Syriac, it appears to mean frsh grass ; and the places so named may be conceived to have been in peculiarly verdant situations (Gesenius, Thes. Heb. p. 14 ; see, however, other significations in Lengerke, Kenaan, i, 358; Hengstenberg, Pentat. ii, 201). See Abila.
In 1 Sam. vi, 18, it is used as an appellative, and probably signifies a, grassy plain. In this passage, however, perhaps we should read (as in the margin) "2X, stone, instead of 73X, Abel, or meadow, as the context (verses 14, 15) requires, and the Sept. and Syriac versions explain ; the awkward insertion of our translators, "the great [stone of] Abel," would thus be unnecessary.
In 2 Sam. xx, 14, 18, Abel stands alone for Abel- Beth-Maaciiaii (q. v.).
Abela. See Aeel-beth-maachah.
Abelard, Pierre [or Abaelard, Abaillard, Abelhardus], born at Le Pallet, or Palais, near Nantes, 1079, was a man of the most subtle genius, and the father of the so-called scholastic theology. In many respects he was far in advance of his age. After a very careful education, he spent part of his youth in the army, and then turned his attention to theological stud}', and had for his tutor in logic, at thirteen years of age, the celebrated Roscelin, of Compiegne. He left Palais before he was twenty j'ears of age, and went to Paris, where he became a pupil of William of Champeaux, a teacher of logic and philosophy of the highest reputation. At first the favorite disciple, by degrees Abelard became the rival, and finally the antagonist of Champeaux. To escape the persecution of his former master, Abelard, at the age of twenty- two, removed to Melon, and established himself there as a teacher, with great success. Thence he removed to Corbeil, where his labors seem to have injured his health ; and he sought repose and restoration by re- tirement to Palais, where he remained a few years, and then returned to Paris. The controversy was then renewed, and continued till Champeaux's schol- ars deserted him, and he retired to a monastery. Abelard, having paid a visit to his mother at Palais, found on his return to Paris in 1113 that Champeaux had been made Bishop of Chalons-sur-Marne. He now commenced the study of divinity under Anselm at Laon. Here also the pupil became the rival of his master, and Anselm at length had him expelled from Laon, when he returned to Paris, and established a school of divinity, which was still more numerously attended than his former schools had been. Guizot says, "In this celebrated school were trained one pope (Celestine II), nineteen cardinals, more than fifty bishops and archbishops, French, English, and German; and a much larger number of those men with whom popes, bishops, and cardinals had often to contend, such men as Arnold of Brescia, and many others. The number of pupils who used at that time to assemble round Abelard has been estimated at up- ward of 5000."