the story of cain.

there is no more pitifully tragic story in all the world than that of cain, the fratricide. cain was the first son of adam and eve of whom the scriptures make specific mention. cain was a tiller of the soil. the riches of the earth were his, and the fulness thereof. with joyful heart, he might have plowed and tilled and garnered, and, at the last, ended a well-spent life in ease and comfort; with praise and thanksgiving, he might have worshipped god, acknowledging gifts already bestowed, and receiving daily more as he pursued his honest toil; with contented mind, he might have mingled with his brothers and sisters, and given unstintingly of his prosperous help in the establishing of man's dominion on earth. but cain was of a jealous and envious disposition. his mind was darkened with thoughts of avarice and greed and hatred of others who prospered in the new world.

the occupation of abel.

cain had a brother named abel. he was the second son of adam and eve mentioned by name in the scriptures. abel was a shepherd, a tender of flocks. abel prospered, too, in his occupation. true, abel was not so independent of his fellows as was his brother cain, the tiller of the soil. abel's calling produced him only meat to eat and wool to wear. he grew no fruits, nor grains, nor vegetables, nor other foods in variety produced by the soil. but abel was happy and contented. he was unselfish. he loved his brothers and sisters, {198} and rejoiced in their successes. he loved god. and as he tended his flocks, abel worshipped god who had placed his father and mother, and their children, upon the earth to subdue it.

the brothers' sacrifices.

one day cain and abel carried sacrifices to offer to the lord. cain brought grudgingly of the fruits of the field. abel brought of the firstlings of his flock and the fat thereof without thought of withholding anything from the lord. when the sacrifices were presented, "the lord had respect unto abel and to his offering: but unto cain and to his offering he had not respect." now, this difference was not because abel's offering was better or more desirable than cain's. the lord pays not respect to worldly things. the widow's mite is as acceptable to him as the rich man's millions, if offered in the spirit of truth. for it is the spirit in which a sacrifice is made that counts with the lord. and cain did not come in the spirit of love, and thanksgiving, and worship. he gave grudgingly. perhaps, even, he did not give of the best of his crops. therefore the lord did not accept his offering.

the anger of cain.

then, when he saw that his own offering was rejected, while abel's was accepted, cain became filled with anger, and his countenance fell. the lord in his mercy spoke to cain, and declared to him one of the great fundamental truths of life. "why art thou wroth?" asked the lord, "and why is thy countenance fallen? if thou doest well thou shalt be accepted. and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door, and satan desireth to have thee; and except thou shalt hearken unto my {199} commandments, i will deliver thee up, and it shall be unto thee according to his desire." but the anger and the envy of cain were not appeased.

the murder of abel.

not long thereafter, cain and abel were together in the field. cain had brooded over the incident of the offerings. his anger had waxed hot, till it was ready to burst into furious flame. satan had gained possession of his mind, had filled him with envy, and had inspired him to hate his brother. so, as he talked with his brother in the field, cain suddenly arose in ungovernable rage and struck his brother down and killed him. it was a day of horror in man's history. it was a day of blackness and blood. cain was a brother-murderer—a fratricide. and it had come about because he had yielded to anger and envy and hate. satan had gained possession utterly of his soul. therefore, cain was cursed by the lord and cast out from his presence. in the story of cain is illustrated wonderfully the truth of the saying of the wise man of israel: "wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?"

the lesson at home.

the story of cain is a story of long ago. but we all know many instances of the ugliness of anger in our own day. in every prison house in the world are confined men who have committed crime in fits of anger. "an angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression," said the man of wisdom. when a man is angry, he loses control of the good that is in him. he returns to the state of the beast. he speaks words of which afterward he is ashamed. he does things for which afterward he sorrows. anger is an {200} infernal poison, administered by the father of lies himself, which courses through the blood, makes the heart pound, and creates delirium in the mind. there are many ugly sights in the world; but there is perhaps none uglier, more repulsive, than a man furiously angry. therefore is it said, "make no friendship with an angry man and with a furious man thou shalt not go: lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul."

the power of the mind.

everyone knows how unpleasant is the company of a quarrelsome boy, or of a quarrelsome girl. the best of sport and the choicest of company can be spoiled by one angry countenance. the truth taught in the preceding lesson may here be emphasized. "as a man thinketh in his heart so is he." according to your habits of thought, you are agreeable or disagreeable. according to your habits of thought, you find quarrel in a straw, or peace and serenity in turmoil. according to your habits of thought you may become a strife-breeder or a peacemaker. "a wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth anger." and since it rests with yourself, is it not deplorable that you should follow in the footsteps of cain?

"the human will, that force unseen,

the offspring of a deathless soul,

can hew a way to any goal,

though walls of granite intervene."

as a boy wills to be pleasant and cheerful, or to be disagreeable and quarrelsome, so then will he be. we know now that we may all be masters of ourselves, and hewers of our own fates.

{201} all these things jesus taught plainly. said he, "ye have heard it said by them of old time, thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: but i say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

"therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and then rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee; leave then thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

"agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. verily i say unto thee, thou shalt by no means come out thence till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing."

jesus an example.

there is in history no finer example of serene calm and self-control than that manifested in the earth life of the savior of the world. when james and john, "the sons of thunder," asked permission to call down fire from heaven upon the samaritan village that had refused to entertain jesus, the lord rebuked them, saying, "ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. for the son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." and when during the days of trial and suffering, men insulted him and did him physical injury, jesus went like a lamb to the slaughter.

{202} the strength of self-control.

all examples and precepts, then, admonish us to acquire self-control, to be slow to anger, to banish hatred, and to eschew envy. "for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of god;" and "he that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city."

the references

moses 5:16-41. matt. 5:21-26.

prov. 27:4. luke 9:51-56.

prov. 29:22. james 1:20.

prov. 22:24. prov. 16:32.

prov. 15:18.

"angry words, oh let them never," s. s. song book.

the questions

1. what caused the downfall of cain?

2. what effect does anger have upon the mind?

3. why does not anger work for righteousness?

4. what do you think of a quarrelsome boy with a grouch?

5. what did jesus teach about anger?

6. how does self-control make for strength?