Now, for sixteen centuries and a half—from the Fall to the Flood—which we would style the age of conscience, or lawlessness, if you choose, succeeding generations gathered around the tree of responsibility, and eagerly ate of its fruit. The pre-Noachic world found it to be unto death; yet God, at the very commencement of the world's history, rejected the sacrifice of Cain. Why? Because he was a sinner? No; for a sinful world was loved by God (John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)). Cain wrought and toiled, and, as the result, gathered an offering beautiful in his own eyes, but the fruit thereof was plucked from the tree of responsibility, and Cain was rejected a plain and distinct testimony that his family and his world, on his ground, could find no acceptance with God.
Abel, on the contrary, offered to God the life of another, with the fat thereof, in token that his life, with its attached responsibility, was forfeited, and that life and acceptance with God were alone founded on the ONE who would put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself; in other words, that life and responsibility alone meet in Christ for the believer. For 1,656 years, human will was rampant, unchecked by law, civil government, or other outward curb; man was left to display himself. The tree bloomed, blossomed, and bore fruit—alas! what was produced was but corruption and violence (Gen. 6.)—the former was the evil God-ward; the latter was man-ward. The same evils are reproduced at the close-corruption is witnessed in the mystical Babylon, and violence in the Beast (Rev. 17.) "Hew the tree down" was the solemn sentence, but in doing so, once again God ordained life and safety, through the Ark, the remedy of His own providing.
What an intensely interesting record is furnished us, of this the first period of human history. The brief season of innocence is not history proper, that dates from the Fall. Can anything be produced like those five early chapters of Genesis—from 3.-7.—so graphic, so simple, so condensed! Why, it is the oldest narrative, the only narrative, and the divine account, moreover, of the old world's history—a world left to itself, to recover its balance if it could; a world without promises, without covenants, without civil government, without law; no miracles wrought, no special interference of God, but the prophetic testimonies of Enoch and Noah, the long-suffering of God, and the working of the Spirit of Christ, for at least 120 years. Surely the moral history of these times furnishes abundant material for answers to the three Divine questions: WHAT HAST THOU DONE ?—Sinned against God and man. WHERE ART THOU?—Away from God, and building up a world of pride and iniquity. WHAT ART THOU?—Lost, and rapidly and surely nearing judgment.
This period, then, commenced with the sacrifice of Abel, and closed with the typical teaching of the ark, while the testimony and walk of Enoch came in between. Most blessed God! Savior God, the provisions of Thy grace are the witnesses to Thy love—Thy love to Thy ruined creatures!