During their boyhood days Cain and Abel had seen their father bring offerings to the Lord, and as boys they had taken their part with their father and mother in the family worship; but when they were grown men each must do for himself what their father had done for them when they were young. So it came to pass that Cain and Abel brought their offerings to God, Cain bringing some of the fruits that he had raised, and Abel bringing the best of his flock. God was glad to accept the offerings of Abel because the spirit in which Abel brought his gift was one of love and joy. God can read the very thoughts of our hearts, and as he looked at Cain he saw envy and jealousy and hatred choking every good thing in his life, and because he was cherishing such evil thoughts, his offering could not be acceptable to the God of love. When Cain saw that his offering was not accepted he became very angry, he scowled and hung his head. Then the Lord said to Cain: “Why are you angry, and why is your countenance fallen? If you will do what is right, you will please me. If you do wrong, sin is like a wild beast crouching at your door, wishing to destroy you; but you can rule over it if you will.” See how tenderly the heavenly Father showed Cain his wrong, and tried to help him back into the right way. But Cain let sin, that is like a wild beast, stay at his door, and did not try to conquer it. After a while he said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out into the field,” and when they were in the field alone together, Cain in his envy and hatred of his brother rose up against him and killed him. Open your Bibles at the fourth chapter of Genesis and read with me verses 9 and 10. God told Cain that he would be from that day a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth. Cain answered, “My punishment is greater than I can bear, for I shall be driven away from thy face, and anyone who finds me will kill me.” But the Lord appointed a sign for Cain which would show people that they must not kill him, and Cain went away from his father’s house. Sin had ruined another life. As it had driven Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, so now it drove Cain away from his home, and left his father and mother in the greatest sorrow they had ever known. How dreadful envy, jealousy, and hatred are, and how much unhappiness they have brought into the world. Is there anything strong enough to conquer this sin which God said is like a wild beast? Yes, love is stronger than anything else in the world. Envy cannot even stay where love is. “God is love,” the Bible says, and he will help us to be loving and kind if we ask him. “Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not.” (Have this text repeated, and if the conditions are such that you can do so, close with a sentence prayer.) THE PUPIL’S BOOK FOR WORK AND STUDY