Expository notes, with practical observations; towards the opening of the five first chapters of the first book of Moses called Genesis. Delivered by way of exposition in several lords-dayes exercises.: By Benjamin Needler, minister of the gospel at Margaret Moses Friday-Street, London.

Quest. 5. vers. 3,4.

Whether Cain, and Abel knew, that God was to be worshipped this way, viz. by offering up of sacrifices, by the light of Nature, or whether they had it by tradition from Adam?

Our adversaries of the Church of [Resp.] Rome contend, that they knew by the Light of Nature that God was to be wor∣shipped this way, and that they learned from their father onely some circumstanti∣als of worship.

The reasons they give for this their judg∣ment, are,

1. That the Heathens by the Light of Nature worshipped God this way.

2. That the Law of Nature doth ob∣lige us not onely to the worship of God; but to such a worship as might most fitly set forth the Majestie and dominion of God, and the subjection and homage of man, and this was best represented by sa∣crifices.

To both these answer may be made.

As for the first, though Heathens wor∣shipped

God by sacrifices, yet it re∣maines to be proved, that they knew this way of worship by the Light of Na∣ture.

As for the second, it doth not appeare (but by the intervention of a positive Law of God obliging thereunto) that the kil∣ling or sacrificing of a brute creature was the best way of worship to set forth Gods soveraignty, or our homage.

Therefore, as to the answer of this ques∣tion, we affirme that by the Light of Na∣ture we may know that God is to be wor∣shipped, and that with inward and outward worship, but deny that this kinde of wor∣ship is to be found out by the Light of Na∣ture.

The Orthodoxy of this perswasion will be cleared up, if we consider, that the killing or sacrificing of a beast did not please God any further then as it was a type of Christ; now the doctrine of Christ being such a mystery, as never yet hath been discovered by the Light of Nature, the same may be said concerning this way of worship that pointed thither∣ward.

So then Cain and Abel were instructed in this way of worship by their parents, A∣dam and Eve.

From the consideration of the whole we may note:

1. Outward performance of duties are gra∣cious evidence: Cain offers sacrifice, as well as Abel. They come unto thee, as the peo∣ple * 1.1 cometh, and they sit before thee as my peo∣ple, and they heare thy words, but they will not do them; for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetous∣nesse. As a statue hath all the parts of a man, head, and armes, and legs, and feet, but it wants an inward principle of life: so an Hypocrite hath all the outward parts and lineaments of a Christian, he prayes, and hears, and receives the Sacrament, but there wants an inward principle of grace: Be ye doers of the word, not hearers onely, deceiving your own soules. A Learned * 1.2 Author observes, that the word in the O∣riginall is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a terme of Art, and it implieth a sophisticall Argument, or syllogisme, which hath an appearance or probability of truth, but is false in mat∣ter or forme, and is put by the Apostle to imply those false discourses, that are in the Consciences of men, viz. They that heare the Word shall be saved; But I heare the Word; Therefore I shall be saved.

Therefore have a care of resting upon

holy duties, Satan still tempts us to be like unto God, to be Christs our selves, and Saviours our selves. The dove made use of its wings to flie to the Arke, but it trusted not in its wings, but in the Arke; We may make use of good duties to bring us to Christ, but we must not trust in our duties, but in Christ. A good work rested on, is as b••d as a sin commit∣ted.

Consider God is a Spirit, and he looks to the spirit. All the wayes of man are * 1.3 cleane in his own eyes, but the Lord weigh∣eth the spirits. A man may deceive his neighbour, yea, he may cheat himselfe, but God is not mocked. The Lord know∣eth our inside. The Lord tryes the spi∣rit, he turnes up the bottome of the bagge, as Josephs steward did, and then comes out all our Abominations, and wickednesses that have beene so long hid.

A man may miscarry, though he be employed in the highest duties and ser∣vices; * 1.4 Many will say unto me in that day, Have we not prophesied in thy Name, and in thy Name cast out Devils, &c? A man may have the gift to cast out Devils, and yet at last may be cast unto the Devil. A

Minister by his preaching may be in∣strumentall to save others, and yet not be saved himselfe. The shipwrights that built Noahs Arke, were drowned them∣selves.

2. Note here the duties of Parents to∣ward their children; Adam nurtured his children very well; for,

• 1. He provideth for them till they come to age.
• 2. Then he appoints them their callings, for one was an Husbandman, the other a shepherd.
• 3. He taught them the worship of the true God.

Adam should be a patterne to Parents in these particulars, and especially in that which is the greatest matter of all these, viz. instructing of their children in the true wor∣ship and service of God.

A Learned Author observes, that fur∣thering the salvation of our children, is a duty incumbent on parents in point of ju∣stice, from the parents they received the filement and misery of their nature, and therefore they owe them all possible help for their recovery. It is a piece of cruelty for a parent to suffer his children to lye in their blood; if we hurt but a stranger, yea,

though against our wills, we think it our duty to help to cure him.

It is worthy of our consideration, that the promise of a blessing to be continued to posterity is annexed to the second com∣mandment in the Decalogue, which is concerning the worship and service of God, God thereby intimating, what parents and others should principally apply them∣selves to have planted in their families, if they would have Gods blessing entailed upon their issue.

It is an idle conceit of many, that Re∣ligion, and godlinesse are not for children; surley most equall it is, as the first-fruits of other things, so the first-fruits of our yeares should go also to God. Ut primi∣tiae rerum, it á primitiae dierum. Greg.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Eze. 33. 31.
• * 1.2

  Jam. 1.22.
• * 1.3

  Prov. 16.2.
• * 1.4

  Mat. 7.22, 23.