The Holy Limbeck(1), Commentary 2
The firſt Martyr.
And Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to paſs when they were in the field, that Cain roſe up againſt Abel, and ſlew him,
Gen. 4.8.
ANd Cain talked with Abel his brother,] So did Eſau with his heart, when reſolved on the like fratricide, Gen. 27.41. Truſt not any brother that will ſupplant, Jer. 4.9. the honieſt tongue may have the ſtrongeſt poyſon of Aſps under it. Solomon diſſwades thee from going into thy brothers houſe in the day of thy calamity, Prov. 27.10. Envy not the wicked, yet familiarize not thy ſelf with them, for their heart ſtudieth deſtruction, and their lips talk of miſchief, Pro. 27.10.
And it came to paſs when they were in the field,] Solitary places are the Devils vaults, witneſs the Garden, when he beguil'd the firſt Adam, Gen. 3. witneſs the Wilderneſs, when he tempted the ſecond, Mat. 4.1. God ſaid betimes, It was not good for man to be alone, Gen. 2.18. Chaſte Joſeph knew it well, Gen. 39.11. And wo to him (ſaith the Preacher) that is alone, Eccles. 4.10. indeed the field is the proper place of blood for man to act the beaſt in; But he that formed the eye, ſhall he not ſee? Pſal. 49.9. yes; and the man of blood ſhall not live out half his days, Pſal. 55.23.
And Cain roſe up againſt Abel, and ſlew him.] Here the Serpents ſeed hath bruiſed the heel of the womans, Gen. 3.15. The ſeed of all true Religion ſlain from the beginning of the world. Innocent Abel! the firſt Martyr that ſuffered for Religion, and lively Type of Chriſt, of Chriſt the Prince of Martyrs; the heel of the bleſſed Seed bruiſed, a Type of what the Head himſelf ſhould ſuffer. Bloody Cain! the firſt Apoſtate after that firſt Evangelical Promiſe, the firſt builder of that ſpiritual City of the Wicked, the Seed of the Serpent, founded in his brothers blood; the true portraicture whereof is Myſtical Babylon or Rome, founded by Romulus, by the like example of fratricide, in the murther of his brother Remus, the Seat of the Beaſt and of the Whore (by whoſe Authority Chriſt himſelf was ſlain) ſince drunk with the blood of his Saints, and ſtill breathing out blood and ſlaughter to every Abel, that refuſing to communicate in her Spiritual Whoredoms, will not with her offer the earthly Sacrifice of Cain, the fruits of the ground, which hath nothing of Faith or the Spirit in them. Thus Goodneſs and Envy, like Rebecca's Twins, the one is never born without the other; If God hath more reſpect to Abels, then to his brothers Sacrifice, by his brother ſhall himſelf be Sacrificed: Goodneſs is ever accompanied with danger, and he indeed is onelyonly Martyr-proof, that dares be good. The wicked would be rather blinde, then ſee Religion thrive, or vertue flouriſh: had God loved Abel leſs, Cain would have loved him more; his favor with God, purchaſed his Brothers hate, ſo that he needed not to have ſlain Abel, whom he had murthered before, For whoſoever but hateth his brother, is a murtherer, 1 John 3.15. Both theſe Brethren did Sacrifice to the Lord, yet Cain muſt have Abels blood, for offering that in faith, which himſelf did with a falſe heart: How parallel doth this run to the Cains of this Age? who with the faithful once walked in the Houſe of God as Friends, yet now ſtile them Enemies to God for the ſervice of his Houſe; is not this to ſlay thy Brother? Nothing acutes the Spirit of a man to aſſay ſome deſperate deſign, as deſire of revenge; and he that's caught in this whirlwind, lives like the Salamander in the fire; 'twas deſire of revenge that hurld Charls the Sixth of France, incens'd againſt the Duke of Britain, into a Bedlam-Lunacy; diſcontent and emulation beget this paſſion; if ſin get not Priority of Honor from deſert, deſert ſhall have Priority of Fate. Cain here in reference to his Brother Abels death, deals with his Fathers Poſterity, in reſpect of Gods glory, as the rich Man in Quintilian did with his garden Flowers in reſpect of his Brothers profit, poyſon them all, becauſe his Neighbors Bees ſhould ſuck no more Hony from them; and hazards eternal life, onelyonly to abreviate his Brothers temporal, looking at him, as they in Lucians Rock of Honor, with an envyous eye, proud of his own ruine for anothers damage. Every other ſin hath ſome pleaſure in it, or admits excuſe, envy alone wants both. Angebat illum non proprium peccatum, ſed fratris proſperitas, ſaith Theodoret, 'twas his Brothers happineſs that gall'd him. Preſidents hereof Divine and Humane, we may flye and read; Jacob and Eſau, Saul and David, Rachel and Leah, Gen. 30.1. Joſeph and the Patriarchs. David alſo had a touch of this vice by his own confeſſion, in Pſalm 37. but all theſe ſyllable'd to a word, cannot ſpell Cain, curſed Cain, yet reprieved and life continued, even for the ſame cauſe that other Murtherers loſe it, that he might live a ſtigmatiz'd example in this unpeopled condition of the worlds non-age; branded, to the terror of all that ſhould afterward behold the ſpectacle; curſed from the earth, drunk with his Brothers blood, now ſpews out his own; baniſhed the preſence of God, to become the lively Image of the deadly ſtate of ſinners out of Chriſt; dead whileſt alive, a moving Sepulchre, the Devils Captive, damnations firſtborn, Hells heir, Heavens exile, and the Earths vagabond; his own fury a horror to himſelf, indeed Hells Compendium: O tremble then thou man of blood, whoſoever thou art, guilty of murther either by the Tongue or Sword! Tremble ye Perſecutors of the Saints of God, their blood ſhall never quench Hell, ſheath your malice yet; ſwell not againſt conviction of Conſcience, for in thoſe Orient days of Goſpel-light, it is not poſſible you can think to do God good ſervice by ſlaughtering the lambs of heaven. Remember, God is a Spirit Infinite, his very Eſſence proclaims what kinde of Worſhip he doth challenge and expect from his Creatural Image. Touch not any Cains blemiſhed Sacrifice; offer with righteous Abel, and if thou ſuffer with him, Amen: Welcome to the Marriage of the Lamb; thy blood ſhall from the Altar cry for Juſtice, not unequivalent to that on Cain, when he ſlew his brother, Gen. 4.8.