ails nothing before God.

20. In the text the nature of the world is portrayed for our
recognition. So to understand the world as to know what may be
expected from it is essential and valuable knowledge for the
Christian. Thus armed he will not be dismayed and become impatient of
suffering, nor permit its malice and ingratitude to mislead him to
hate and desire for revenge. He will keep his faith and love,
suffering the world to go its way if it refuse to hear his message.
The Christian should expect nothing better from the world than its
bitter persecution in return for his good works and love. The Church
of Christ on earth, let him remember, is never to have an easier lot.
He is not to judge according to show and appearance, thinking: "They
are the great throng, the wisest and cleverest people on earth; how
is it possible that they should all be in error and under
condemnation?"

21. It is necessarily true that discipline and peace are impossible
without the most excellent, exalted, erudite, clever people--royal,
princely, noble in achievement and honor. Cain is never plain and
lowly. He is always eminently clever, wise, holy and in every way
vastly Abel's superior. In fact, he must in himself represent all
desirable things, as his name indicates. And the same characteristic
is manifest in his children, who are ingenious in the invention of
every variety of art. Deplorable the fact that a man of Cain's
qualifications, born of godly parents and signally honored of God,
should display such hatred and inhumanity toward poor Abel merely
because of God's Word and Abel's faith.

22. Such knowledge is comforting to the godly little company of
Christians, who are confident they have God's favor and know it to be
the occasion of their persecution; they have no protection and succor
but are exposed to the same fate as Abel. If they fare better, they
may thank God for it. But they are ever to abide in love toward God,
whose love they have received and felt, and likewise toward men,
their enemies not excepted. This was Abel's way; could he have lived
again, he would have kept his brotherly love for his murderer,
forgiving him and even imploring God's forgiveness for him.

"We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love
the brethren."

LOVE MOVES CHRISTIANS.

23. To abide in love should be the motive for us Christians. John
contrasts it with the motive of the world in hating us--its
wickedness. The