The Domestic Chaplain Author:Thomas Williams Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: IV. ABEL. And the Lord had respect to Abel and to his offering. Genesis, iv. 4. In connection with the text, there is the first statement that is .gi... more »ven in the Scriptures, respecting acts of worship that were rendered to God after sin and sorrow entered this world. These acts of worship were performed by the two first brothers of the human family- One of these brothers and his worship God accepted ; but he rejected the other brother. From the text it is now proposed, I. To consider the character of Abel. As he was born into the world, he was like other human beings. Yet, by the Lord Jesus Christ he is called " righteous Abel." And the apostle says, " By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts ; and by it he being dead yet speaketh." Abel possessed the peculiar and essential character of pious persons, without which no one can be approved and accepted of God. He believed what was true ; and he performed what was right. He had true faith and good works. 1. Abel believed divine truth. Would he have come before God and have worshiped him with acceptance, if he had not believed in his existence and perfections, his holiness and sovereignty ? in his knowledge, power, goodness, wisdom, justice, truth and grace ? Would he nave offered unto God a sacrifice from the firstlings of his flock, in reference to "the blood of the everlasting covenant," if he had not believed in the Mediator, who should, by his own death, lay a foundation for the forgiveness and salvation of sinners ? Would he have come unto God, through faith in the divine Redeemer of sinners, if he had not seen and known himself to be a sinful, guilty and lost creature ? In order to worship God withacceptan...« less