Cain

Why did Cain fear, he who had killed his brother, when he said to God, My iniquity is greater than that I should deserve pardon?

Why was pardon to be denied to Cain, if the iniquity was not to be imputed?

Why did Lamech say to his wives, Because I have killed a young man in my bruising, sevenfold vengeance shall be given for Cain, but for Lamech seventy times seven?

I had this suspicion also being a Child, when I heard or read the History of Genesis: Where Cain goes forth: where he kills his brother when they were in the fields; doing it warily, like a thief, least it should be discovered by any: Where he flies, where he fears punishment for the death of his Brother: Lastly, where he marries a wife far from his Ancestors, and builds a City.

Did Cain fall sick when he slew his Brother?

The common opinion is, that the Gentiles sprung from the Jews which fell over to the Gentiles; as for example, That some sprung from Cain, who dishinherited himself: from the sons of Cham, whom Noe cursed: from the sons of Ismael, the Bastard: of the sons of wicked Esau; but every one ought to know, those sort of Jews were never accounted Strangers and Gentiles, but Jews, and brethren of the Jews; of which Moses is an eminent witness, where he speakes of those that were fit to be denizened amongst the Jews.

Thare the father of Abraham; and imagin the same of the sons of Cain and Cham, who departed, and were strangers from the Jews, as being notwithstanding of the same stock.

This they gain, that without choice, believing every thing, no body believes them in any thing; for where reason is absolutely weakened, there Faith is quite destroyed, especially in those things where there is a natural, rational, or historical connexion: such as are related in the first Chapter of Genesis, of the Creation of the first men, of the framing of Adam, and of the framing of Eve his Wife, as also of Cain and Abel, brothers: the chief heads of which I shall only touch here.

Adam knew his wise Eve, and she conceived and bare Cain her first-born, then Abel her younger son.

He gave his lands to till to Cain, and his sheep to keep to Abel.

Cain had his Patrimony and his grounds to till.

Cain was a Husbandman.

But if there was no artificer in those days beside Cain, certainly Cain was a very busybody.

Then, if of that Corn which he reaped, he made bread, then Cain too digged the quarry to make his Mill to grind; or, if they used no Mills in those days, Cain was carryed to those places where Knaves make their moan, in kneading of brown bread, and made himself a bake-house to bake his bread in.

Therefore Cain was a tiller, a harvest-man, and a baker: And Cain had all these arts alone, for the exercising of which so many artificers are required; which could not be found out but by long study and long experience.

For after that Cain had resolved upon that wicked deed which he was hatching, He said to his brother Abel, Let us go forth: And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother and slew him.

That Let us go forth shews, That Cain and Abel were either shut up within the inclosure of some Hamlet, or within the walls of some town.

Within what inclosure, or within what Town-walls was Cain afraid to be apprehended and to be carried to prison, if openly, and in the sight of the men of the Village, or of the Citizens, he had killed his brother?

That there was rewards for good deeds & punishment forbad deeds at that time, hence chiefly appears because God speaking to Cain, being angry, and his countenance fall'n, because Abel was in better esteeme than he, saith, Why art thou angry?

For it is well known in many places of the Holy Scripture, that judgement amongst the Eastern people used to be given in the gates: Yea, yet with them a gate is the same as a Court: For God told Cain, if he did evil, he should be carried before the Judges, who should punish him for his wickedness.

From what Robbers did Cain get a sword to draw his brothers bloud?

Whom did Cain fear after he knew that his slaying of his brother was blown abread?

That is to be understood the Holy Land, from which Cain was thrown out.

Neither did Cain in a strange Land think himself safe, being conscious of his crime▪ And lest we should think he feared the Judges of those times in vain, God provides for his safety.

Cain should have feared in vain, and God should in vain have set a mark upon him, that he should not be killed by any man, if those Lands whither Cain had fled had been destitute of people.

He tells us, that Cain flying to the Eastward of Eden, did not change for a better course of life; but that by force and rapine he increased his stock, Getting, says he, from all parts companious of his robbery and villany, and became their teacher in all wickedness.

The famous and learned Ismael Buillaldus that he had read something much to the same purpose in a Greek Manuscript in the Kings Library, translated out of the Hebrew Chronicle, which being rendered in Latine, sounds thus, And when Cain had craveled a great way, he came to a place called Cainan, and did all manner of wickedness, falling upon passengers in the way, robbing and slaying them, of whose spoils he got a great sum of mony.

Would not he rather have called those men the Grandchildren of Cain, if he had thought them to have been so?

But he only calls them Cains Fellowes, or his Companions, as Souldiers are called by their Officers & Commanders.

And against whom did Cain provide this band of wicked men?

Besides in this place of Genesis, which is the proper History of the Jews, no other Jews are said to be either born or made, but Adam, Eve, and Cain: and those Jews, of whm we doubt not.

Who then should be Cains wife, of whom we know he did beget Enoch, when he was to the East of Eden?

Certainly, if not of his Father Adams Family, who was the first Father of the Jews, which Cain was not able to do; because Adam had as yet begotten no daughters: He must marry a wife of the daughters of the Gentiles, who was sprung from the men of the first creation.

Cain comming to this East-quarter of Eden built a City, and called the name of it according to the name of his son, Enoch; to distinguish it from other Cities of the East of Eden: which had likewise their own names.

Adam then had no children, Abel was killed, Cain fled.

And Adam then being one hundred and thirty years old, begat Seth, whom so soon as Eve had born, Adam said, God has given me another seed for Abel whom Cain slew.

At which time Cain had married his Wife, and built his City.

But because in that time he neither begat sons not daughters, it is said after he had begotten Seth, God hath given me another seed for Abel, whom Cain killed; that is, Seth is come in the place of Abel, who is dead.

We have seen Cain a tiller of the ground, and Abel a keeper of sheep.

Abel slain by Cains when they were gone forth; slain in the field, to hide it from men, and the concourse of people.

We have seen Cain afrighted, for the slaughter of his brother; fearing the men of his own time; that is, his Judges: Flying from his own Countrey, and a Captain of Thieves in a strange Nation; marrying a Wife, building a City, nor a City without a name, but with such a name as was signal, from his first-born Enoch.

We have seen Cain banished from the house of his Father Adam, and the Family of God, a renegado to the remote and strange Gentiles.

The best known part of his case is Cain.

In Genesis 4, Cain fears that someone will kill him.

Whom did Cain fear after he knew that his slaying of his brother was blown abroad?

On the same page he reads Cain's flight "to the East of Eden" as a flight out of the Holy Land, into "the earth of the Gentiles".