Contemplations. LIB. I. fcending?Odbou!d he(ifhecould)rejeaGods acceptation,and difpleafe his Moker, A to content a Brother? Was Cain ever the f.mher from ablc!fmg, becaufe his Brcrher obtainedmercy? Howproud and fooli!h is m•lice? which grows rhus mad for noorhercaufe, but becaufeGod, or Abet is nor leffegood; It harh beenanolland happy danger tobeholy;Indilferenraetionsmullbe careful! to avoyd otfencc·But J carenot what Devill or what C•in be angry that I doe good, or receive good. ' Therewas neverany nature without envy; Every man isborn a Cai11· hating that goodneffe in another, which he negletleth in himfelfe. Tbere was nev'er envy that was not bloudy;for ifit eate not anorhcrs heart, it wtll eate our owne: butunlefTe ir be rellrained, it wtll furely feed itfelfewith the blond ofothers, oft-times in acr, al- .waies in affection,And that God, which(mgood )acceptS the will for the deed, condemnes thewillforthedeed inevill. If there be •nevill heart, there will bee an cvill eye; andifboth rhefe, there will be an evil hand. How earlydidMartyrdome come into the world? the firfl mart that dyed, dyed for Religion; whodare meafureGods love by ourward events,when hefees wicked C41n (landing overbleeding A bel; whofe facrifice was firll accepted, andnow himfelfe isf~crificed; Death wasdenounced to man as a curfe; yet behoid, it firll lighrs upon aSaint: how foon was it altered by the mercy ofrhat jull handwhich inflicted it? If death had been evill, and life good,Cain had been Oaine, and A be/had furvived; now thpt itbegins with him that God loves, o De•tbwhereiJ th.Jfllng? Abet faies nothing,his blondcries: Every drop ofinoocent blond hath atongue, and is nor only vocall, bur importunate : whata noife then did the blond ofmySaviour make inHeaven?who was himfelre theShepheardand theSacrifice; riteMan c rhar wasoffered, and the God towhomit was offered; The Spirit that heard both, faies, It fpake better things then the blond of Abel. AbeiJ bloud called for revenge, his for mercy. Abelspleadedbisown innocency his rhe farisfallion for all rhe beleevingworld: Alielo procured C•im punilbmenr,his freed all repentant foulesfrom puni!hment;better things indeed,then theblond ofAbei.Berrer,and therefore that which Abets blond faid,was good: Iris good,thatGod fhould be avenged offlnners. Execution ofjullice uponoffenders,is no leffe good,then rewardsofgoodneffe. No fooner dorh Abets blond fpeake unto God, then God fpeaks to Cain; Thereis nowicked man to whom God fpeakes not, ifnot ro his eare, yet tohisheart: What fpeech waSEhis? Not an accuCition, but an inqurie; yet fuch an inqurieaswould inferre an accufarion.God Jovesrohavea Gnner accufebimfelfe, and rherefureharh D he fer hisDeputy in the brell ofman; neirherdoth God love this more then nature abhorres it: Cain anfwers fubbornly: The very nameof Abel wounds him no leffe, then his hand had wounded Abet; Confciences that arewithout remorfe, are nor vrirhour horror: wickedneffemakesmen defperate;the Murderer isangry with God as of late for accepting hisbrothers oblation, fo now for liflning ro his bloud_ And now he dares anfwer God with a queflion, Am I my brothers Keeptr? where he !houldhave laid,Am nor I my brothers murderer? Behold , he fcometh to keep whom he feared nor to kill:Goodduties are bafe and rroublefome to wicked mind~ whiles even violences ofevill are plealanr. Yer thismifcreanr, which neither had grace toavoid hisGnne,nor to confeffe it, now that he is convinced offinne, and corfed forir,how hehowlerh,hO\vheexclaimerh? he that cares norfortheallofhis E finne, fhall care for the fmart ofhis punifhmeur. Thedamned arewearyofrheir rormenrs,burin vain.How great amadneffe is it~o complaine too !are I He that would norkeep hisbrother, iscall our from the proteCtionofGod; he that feared not to kill hisbrother, feares now,rhat whofoever meets him will kill him. The troubled confcience projelteth fearefull things, and finne makes even cruell men cowardly: God&wirwasroomuchfavor forhimrodie: he therefore wilstharwhich Cain wils. Ct#n would live; Irisyeelded him, bur foracurfe: how often dorh God heare linnersinanger? He !ball live bani!bedfromGod,carryinghis hell in his bofome,and thebrandofGodsvengeanee in his fore-head: God rejefuhim, theEarth repines at him,men abhorte him;himfelfnow wi!bes thardearh which be feared, and no m~n dare pleafure himwithamurder;howhitteris the endoffin,yea,without end; fltll Cahl
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