s doctrine of the Gospel and help my neighbor? Mine is but a poor,
mean, uncouth, offensive love in comparison with the love that led
Christ to die for me and to redeem me from eternal death. If God's
supreme, unfathomable love fails to awaken the gratitude of the
world, what wonder if the world hates you for all your kindness? Why
will you bring down your fist and stamp your foot in anger at such
ingratitude? You are yourselves of that race for whom the Son of God
had to die. And even were you to die for the Gospel, your sacrifice
would be as nothing in comparison to the fact that God, for the sake
of the world, spared not his own Son but permitted the world to put
him to death."

7. But whence arises the world's hatred? John tells us in verse
twelve when he mentions the incident of Cain, who, he says, "was of
the evil one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him?
Because his works were evil, and his brother's righteous." An
excellent reason, indeed, for hating--the hater and murderer is evil
and the benefactor good! In civil and domestic affairs it is the
evil-doers and disobedient who incur displeasure and receive
punishment; and such reward is just. But whenever God has dealings
with the world, it shows what a rotten fruit it is by hating,
persecuting, and putting to death as evil-doers and impostors its
very benefactors. This trait it inherits, John tells us, from its
ancestor Cain, the great fratricide saint. He is a true picture of
the world of all times, and ever its spirit and fashion is patterned
after him.

8. When mother Eve, the dear, godly woman, bore her first son, she
declared in her joy and her hope of God's promise of the future seed
that should bruise the serpent's head: "I have gotten a man with the
help of Jehovah" (Gen 4, 1); and she named him Cain, which means
"obtained," as if she would say, "I have obtained the true treasure."
For she had not before seen a human being born; this was the first,
precious fruit of man. Over Cain she rejoiced, pronouncing herself
blessed. This son was trained in the hope that he should be a savior
of the future race, a comfort to his brothers and sisters with all
their offspring. Nor was he unaware of these proud hopes. Proudly he
lorded it over his brother, who in contrast had to bear the
ignominious name of Abel, meaning "nothing," or "vanity," as if
voicing the thought of the parents' hearts: "Alas! this one has no
future. Cain is the rightful heir to