oul that you strive neither with God nor with
men by defending or excusing your sin. Rather do this: When you see
God point his spear at you, flee not from him; but, on the contrary,
flee to him with a humble confession of your sin, and with prayer for
his pardon. Then God will draw back his spear and spare you. But when,
by the denial and excuse of your sin, you flee farther and farther
from him, God will pursue you at close range with still greater
determination, and bring you to bay. Nothing, therefore, is better or
safer than to come with the confession of guilt. Thus it comes to pass
that God's victory becomes our victory through him.

132. But Cain and hypocrites in general do not this. God points his
spear at them, but they never humble themselves before him nor pray to
him for pardon. Nay, they rather point their spear at God, just as
Cain did on this occasion. Cain does not say, "Lord, I confess I have
killed my brother; forgive me." On the contrary, though being the
accused, he himself accuses God by replying, "Am I my brother's
keeper?" And what did he effect with his pride? His reply was
certainly equal to the confession that he cared naught for the divine
law, which says, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," Lev 19,
18. And again, "Do not unto another that which you would not have
another do unto you," Mt 7, 12. This law was not first written in the
Decalog; it was inscribed in the minds of all men. Cain acts directly
against this law, and shows that he not only cares nothing for it, but
absolutely despises it.

133. In this manner, Cain represents a man who is not merely wicked,
but who occupies such a height of wickedness as to combine hypocrisy
with bloodshed, and yet is so eager to maintain the appearance of
sanctity that he rather accuses God than concedes the justice of the
accusation against himself. And this is what all hypocrites do. They
blaspheme God and crucify his Son, and yet wish to appear righteous.
For after their sins of murder, blasphemy and the like their whole aim
is to seek means whereby to excuse and palliate the same. But the
result always is that they betray themselves and are condemned out of
their own mouths.

134. While Cain makes an effort to clear himself, he exhibits the
foulest stains. He thinks he made a most plausible excuse when he
said, "Am I my brother's keeper?" But this very excuse becomes his
most shameful accusation. The maxim of Hilary, that wickedness and