th of the body unto eternal life, a God who inquires
after their blood as a most precious thing. The Psalmist says:
"Precious in the sight of Jehovah is the death of his saints," Ps 116,
15.

161. This is the glory of the human race, obtained for it by the seed
of the woman which bruised the serpent's head. The case of Abel is the
first instance of such promise made to Adam and Eve, and God showed by
the same that the serpent did not harm Abel, although it caused his
murder. This was indeed an instance of the serpent's "bruising the
heel" of the woman's seed. But in the very attempt to bite, its own
head was crushed. For God, in answer to Abel's faith in the promised
seed, required the blood of the dead, and proved himself thereby to be
his God still. This is all proved by what follows.

V. 10. _And he said, What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother's
blood crieth unto me from the ground._

162. Cain's sin hath hitherto lain at the door. And the preceding
circumstances plainly show how hard he struggled to keep his sin
asleep. For being interrogated by his father concerning his brother
Abel and his whereabouts, he disclaimed knowledge of the matter, thus
adding to murder lying. This answer of Cain is sufficient evidence
that the above words were spoken by Adam in his own person, and not by
God in his divine Majesty. For Cain believed that the deed was hidden
from his father, as he was a mere man, while he could not have thought
this of the divine Majesty. Therefore, had God spoken to him in his
own person, he would have returned a different answer. But, as he
thought himself dealing with a human being only, Cain denied his deed
altogether, saying: "I know not. How numerous are the perils by which
a man may perish. He may have been destroyed by wild beasts; he may
have been drowned in some river; or he may have lost his life by some
other death."

163. Thus Cain thought that his father would think of any other cause
of death than the perpetration of murder. But Cain could not deceive
the Holy Spirit in Adam. Adam therefore, as God's representative,
arraigns him with the words, "What hast thou done?" As if he had said
"Why dost thou persist in denying the deed; be assured thou canst not
deceive God, who hath revealed to me all. Thou thinkest the blood of
thy brother is hidden by the earth. But it is not so absorbed and
concealed thereby as to prevent the blood crying aloud unto God." That
meant to awaken the sin