THE SACRED AND PROFANE HISTORY OF THE WORLD CONNECTED. BOOK I. a WHATEVER may have been the opinions of philosophers, or the fables of poets, about the origin of mankind, we are sufficiently informed from history, that we are descended from two persons, Adam and Eve. They lived in the eastern parts of the world; their first children were Cain and Abel. Josephus mentions their having daughters, but does not say how many; what their names were, when they were born, or how they married. C Gen. i. 26. ii. 7, &c. Sanchoniatho begins mankind from two mortals, Protogonus and Eon; the other heathen writers are not so particular. Diodorus Siculus formed his account of the origin of mankind, not from history, but from what he thought to be the ancient philosophy. b Antiquit. lib. i. c. ii. p. 7. Some writers have imagined that Cain and Abel were twins, Cain and Abel grew men, but were of a different genius and disposition; Cain was an husbandman, Abel a shepherd: Abel was more virtuous than his brother, and when they brought their offerings, his sacrifice was accepted beyond Cain's; Cain hereupon took a private opportunity, and out of envy and malice killed him. And this was the first act of violence committed in the world; it proceeded from a principle, which many actions of the same sort have since proceeded from, a spirit of emulation, which being not duly managed, and made a spur to virtue, took an unhappy turn, and degenerated into malice and revenge. Soon after Cain had committed this wicked action, GoD appeared to him; but the examination and result of this affair will be best seen, if I add it in three or four particulars. 1. GOD had before both vindicated himself, and excused Abel, from having either of them given the least reason for this violent and unjust proceeding: GOD had indeed accepted Abel's offering beyond Cain's; but that was owing to Abel's being better than Cain's, and not to any partiality in GoD; for if Cain would have been as deserving, he should have been as well accepted. If thou dost well, said GoD but the account of their births, Gen. iv. 1, 2, contradicts this notion. Others have supposed, (see Selden de Jure Naturali et Gentium, lib. v. c. viii.) that Eve at each of their births brought forth a daughter, and that Cain married the daughter born with Abel, and Abel the daughter born with Cain but the trifling conceits of this sort that might be mentioned are innumerable. 3 d to him, shalt thou not ? i. e. thou shalt be accepted; but if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And as to Abel, he had not affected to slight Cain, or to set himself above him; Abel would always have been heartily disposed to pay him all respect; and Cain might have had all the superiority of an elder brother; for so God argued with him, unto thee shall be his desire, or will be, and thou shalt rule over him, i. e. thou mayest be his superior. The expositors seem to treat this as a very difficult passage, and there are several very wild and foreign senses put upon the words, unto thee shall be his desire. The true meaning of them is clear and easy, if we consider that there are two expressions in the Hebrew tongue to signify the readiness of one person. to serve or respect another. The one of them expresses an outward attendance, the other the inward temper or readiness of mind to pay respect or honour. aine el yad, or, our eyes are to his hand, is the one expression. pwn teshukah el, or, our desire is to him, is the other. Of the former we have an instance, Psalm cxxxiii. The eyes of servants are to the hand of their masters, and the eyes of a maiden are to the hand of her mistress, i. e. they stand ready with a vigilant observance to execute their orders. We meet the other expression in the place before us, in Gen. iii. 16, and it imports an inward d Gen. iv. 7. Dr. Lightfoot renders the word chatauh here, a sin-offering, as if GOD had reprehended Cain for not making a due atonement for his sins. See hereafter in B. ii. f Gen. iv. 7. Cain and Abel grew men, but were of a different genius and disposition; Cain was an husbandman, Abel a shepherd: Abel was more virtuous than his brother, and when they brought their offerings, his sacrifice was accepted beyond Cain's; Cain hereupon took a private opportunity, and out of envy and malice killed him. And this was the first act of violence committed in the world; it proceeded from a principle, which many actions of the same sort have since proceeded from, a spirit of emulation, which being not duly managed, and made a spur to virtue, took an unhappy turn, and degenerated into malice and revenge. Soon after Cain had committed this wicked action, GoD appeared to him; but the examination and result of this affair will be best seen, if I add it in three or four particulars. 1. GOD had before both vindicated himself, and excused Abel, from having either of them given the least reason for this violent and unjust proceeding: GOD had indeed accepted Abel's offering beyond Cain's; but that was owing to Abel's being better than Cain's, and not to any partiality in GoD; for if Cain would have been as deserving, he should have been as well accepted. If thou dost well, said God but the account of their births, Gen. iv. 1, 2, contradicts this notion. Others have supposed, (see Selden de Jure Naturali et Gentium, lib. v. c. viii.) that Eve at each of their births brought forth a daughter, and that Cain married the daughter born with Abel, and Abel the daughter born with Cain: but the trifling conceits of this sort that might be mentioned are innumerable. 3 d to him, shalt thou not ? i. e. thou shalt be accepted; but if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And as to Abel, he had not affected to slight Cain, or to set himself above him; Abel would always have been heartily disposed to pay him all respect; and Cain might have had all the superiority of an elder brother; for so God argued with him, unto thee shall be his desire, or will be, and thou shalt rule over him, i. e. thou mayest be his superior. The expositors seem to treat this as a very difficult passage, and there are several very wild and foreign senses put upon the words, unto thee shall be his desire. The true meaning of them is clear and easy, if we consider that there are two expressions in the Hebrew tongue to signify the readiness of one person. to serve or respect another. The one of them expresses an outward attendance, the other the inward temper or readiness of mind to pay respect or honour. - aine el yad, or, our eyes are to his hand, is the one expression. npwn teshukah el, or, our desire is to him, is the other. Of the former we have an instance, Psalm cxxxiii. The eyes of servants are to the hand of their masters, and the eyes of a maiden are to the hand of her mistress, i. e. they stand ready with a vigilant observance to execute their orders. We meet the other expression in the place before us, in Gen. iii. 16, and it imports an inward 4 Gen. iv. 7. • Dr. Lightfoot renders the word chatauh here, a sin-offering, as if God had reprehended Cain for not making a due atonement for his sins. See hereafter in B. ii. f Gen. iv. 7. |