II. What instruction the pre-eminent acceptance of it conveys to us —
We are told that " by it, he being dead yet speak- eth." The whole record concerning it shews,
1. That man, how righteous soever he may be, needs a sacrifice —
[Abel is characterized by our blessed Lord himself as emi- nently righteous ; being designated by the name " righteous Abel^." And in our text it is said, that " God bore testimony to him as a righteous man." But did he on account of his distinguished piety not need an atonement ? or did he think himself entitled to approach his God in any other way than as a self-ruined sinner, that could be saved only through the blood of a vicarious sacrifice ? No ; it is remarkable that Cain, who was at heart a murderer, thought he might find acceptance with God without such a sacrifice; whilst " righteous Abel" dared not to hope for mercy in any other way than through the sa- crifice of Christ : and at this very hour none more deride the necessity of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and in his atoning blood, than those who are hostile in their hearts to all vital godliness. But, however moral any may have been, they are sinners before God, and must seek for mercy solely through the blood and righteousness of Christ: for an Apostle expressly tells us, that " without shedding of blood there is no remission of sins^." Let this then be remembered by us all : for it is by no means so deeply considered as it ought : there lurks in all of us a self-righteous disposition : we, no less than the Jews of old, are averse to " submit to the righteousness of God," and make the Lord Jesus Christ " a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence." But there is "no way to the Father but by him'," nor " any name under heaven but his whereby any man can be saved '^."1
2. That a sacrifice has been appointed of God for the sins of the whole world —
[It has been before shewn, that Abel's " faith" necessarily pre-supposes a divine institution as the object of his faith. And what was the sacrifice that was ordained of God ? Was it to the blood of bulls or goats that men were taught to look ? " The blood of bulls and of goats," as the Apostle tells us, " could never take away sins." That same person who was foretold to Adam as " the Seed of the woman who should bruise the serpent's head," was to effect that victory by having
g Matt, xxiii. 35. '' Heb. ix. 22.
i John xiv. G. ^ Acts iv. 12.
2318.] Abel's offering instructive to us. 375
his own heel first bruised', or, as Saint Paul expresses it, he was " through death to destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil"^ :" in a word, he was to " redeem us to God by his blood," and to be the propitiation not for our sins only, but also for the sins of the whole world. He it was who, both in Abel's sacrifice, and in all the sacrifices under the law, was shadowed forth ; and who is therefore called " the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world"." Before he came into the world, his sacrifice had a retrospective, as at the time of its being offered it had a prospective, efficacy for the salvation of all who trusted in it ; so thai, from the beginning to the end of time, he is the only Saviour of sinful man.]
3. That through that sacrifice all who beheve in it shall assuredly be saved —
[We are told that the record concerning Abraham's having his faith imputed to him for righteousness, " was not written for his sake alone, but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead°." And we may be perfectly sure, that the record concerning the efficacy of Abel's faith, and the testi- mony given to him from God respecting the acceptableness of his sacrifice, was not for his honour merely, but for our encouragement. It shews to us how pleasing in God's sight the humble Publican is in comparison of the self-applauding Pharisee, especially when he rests all his hopes of mercy on the atoning blood of Christ. It shews us, that God " will fill the hungry with good things, whilst the rich he will send empty away." In a word, it shews us, that " the blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse from all sin;" that " whosoever Cometh unto God by him shall in no wise be cast out ;" and that " all who believe in him shall be justified from all things." Thus, whilst it directs us to the blood of Christ as the ground of our hope, it assures us, that that " blood speaketh not only as much and as satisfactorily as the blood of Abel did, but far better things than that ever did or could speak?."]