Pilgrim. That is something odd, there being then scarce any people; besides, how could they know Cain to be a murderer?

Adam. He was not ignorant that I had more children, or at least there was a probable expectation of more; and thus he concluded, that, soon or late, he should fall a sacrifice to their revenge. Then it is by divine appointment, natural for all murderers to be haunted by a fearful conscience, and much more he, as having set the first example of murder; and he could less expect the remission of his sin, God himself before having so graciously warned him, besides our daily affectionate talk to him about the turpitude and evil of sin, and the beauty and felicity of virtue; but he turned the deaf ear to all we said, and persisted in his wicked course. Therefore, son, on any enticement of sin, when you perceive the voice of God within yon, harden not your heart, but thankfully attend to the salutary whispering of your Creator, and strenuously oppose and suppress sin in its first impulses, that you fall not into Cain's misery; for the greater the light under which sin is committed, certainly the less pardonable. Tho' Cain is by no means to be commended for despairing, it may, however, be a lesson for you, Pilgrim. Did he place no trust in God?

Adam. He so far, as I said, turned to God, as to pray that he might not be killed; and God was pleased to assure him of it, by putting a mark upon him, that whosoever killed Cain should be punished seven-fold, Pilgrim. What became of his descendants? Were there any godly among them?

Adam. The greater part betook themselves to handicrafts, and were carpenters, masons, stone-cutters and the like; for, as I said before, Cain built a city, and there his descendants followed their several occupations. As for their duty towards God, justice, and benevolence among one another, their founder 1 fear left them to themselves. His son Enoch had also a son called Hirad. Hirad begat Methujael, and he had a son named Methusael, whose son Lamech was

the first who violated the ordinance of God, that one man should have but one wife; but he, contrary to the divine law, took unto himself two wives, Ada and Zilla. Ada bore him a son named Jabel, a very virtuous man, and particularly he was of such an humble and peaceable disposition, that sick of the pomp and pleasure of the town, he retired to a country life, dwelling in a cottage, and turning herdsman. He had also another son by Ada, called Jubal, who observing men frequently subject to melancholy, heaviness, and atrabilarious passions, invented musical instruments, to allay those disorders, and exhilarate their minds. By Zilla afterwards he had a son called Tubalcain; a most ingenious man for all kinds of work in gold, silver, iron, and other metals. To him, however, in no small measure, is owing the universal desire of riches, and delight in finery and show; for he had the astonishing art of extracting gold and silver from the earth, and working them into vessels, bracelets, and the like, so that every one's fancy was smitten with them, and they were esteemed as of great value; tho' this kind of metallic wealth consists more in the ima gination than its real nature. Lamech their father, in the impetuosity of his temper, committed a fact which occasioned terrible disasters in his family; but it would be too long to enter into a detail of them.

Pilgrim. I hope, father, to hear a better account of your son Seth's progeny.

Adam. Why, indeed, of them I can speak with some pleasure. When I was about two hundred and thirty-five years old, and Seth an hundred and five, he had a son whom he called Enos; and at this time, to my infinite joy, Seth and some others of my family began to preach in the name of God, showing forth his wonderful dealings with mankind, his wisdom, power, and goodness; and their discourses they confirmed by the piety of their lives.

Pilgrim. What need was there of preaching?--Was not God every where acknowledged? Did he no longer converse with men? Was not the creation of the world a sufficient display of his attributes?

Adam. Your question, son, is pertinent, and very well deserving of an answer: God indeed, had made known his name by his wonderful works, and the creation of the world was conspicuous to all. He also had not totally ceased speaking to men, particularly by visions; and, in general, he was constantly speaking to mankind, by his law written in their consciences; but this being common, it was no longer attended to; for the lineage of Cain, which was now of above an hundred years standing, had by their deflections so corrupted it, that the souls of men seemed to have lost also their perceptions, all sense of their real nature and dignity: their whole study, employment, and talk, turning entirely on eating and drinking, planting, building, trading, marrying, and other concerns of this bustling life; and the heart being, by the numberless superfluities which came into vogue, dulled and darkened, nay quite diverted from minding God's voice within them, not a few began to question whether there was any God at all; some had low notions of him; and some vilified his name, as if they would explode all reverence of him out of the world. Therefore was it, that my good son Seth's family, to suppress such impiety, openly preached the wonders of God, and in their words and actions testified of the glorions and everlasting name of the Lord.

Pilgrim. But Cain's progeny being so perverse and blind that they would not attend to the voice of God himself, what good effects could be expected from man's preaching?

Adam. You cannot but know, that like is most to be won by like. Do you not observe how children are more wrought on by one another than by their elders? So likewise, though God teaches more powerfully, and has a more evident testimony in the conscience, by the creation and continuance of the world, and the occurrences in it; yet the tongue of man sometimes makes more lively impressions, especially on those in whom a reflective observation of things is extinguished; and to those who to their obser

vation add a circumspect walk, preaching can do no harm. They rejoice to see the glory of God confirmed by farther testimonies. Besides, when the voice of man witnesses the same things as God witnesses by the creation, or makes known in any other manner, such a voice may be called a secondary voice of God, as produced by the motion of his Spirit. So that what God teaches inwardly in the conscience by the creation, or in any other way, visible or vocal, or men inspired by him, it is all one word and doctrine: yet has each its particular use, according to the temper or capacity it meets with. One way supports and promotes the other; and, together, they form a more impressive coalescence, tending to the same gracious end of man's growth in knowledge and holiness.

Pilgrim. I acknowledge the satisfaction you give me. But has God a name by which he can be called, that your children preached his name?

Adam. You must know, sơn, that God's name is expressive of his attributes; that to preach his name is to preach his attributes. He is called Almighty, Holy, Eternal, Gracious, and Just; because he is almighty, holy, eternal, gracious, and just. As his essence is, so is his name. Now according as his essence is profaned in man by sin, so far is his name debased and denied; and it is God's pleasure that his name be hallowed and glorified in man. Therefore, when we see it declining through the prevalence of sin, it becomes us to preach, and to exert all our talents in its vindication, that it may be restored to its due honour.

Pilgrim. Truly spoken, indeed, father. Please to go on with Seth's descendants.

Adam. I had reached my three hundred and twenty-fifth year, when Enos, being now ninety years of age, had a son named Kenan, who, when seventy years old, begat Mahalaleel: and he, in his sixtyfifth year had a son called Jered. At that time I was four hundred and sixty years old."

Pilgrim. Oh! father, what must you have gone through in such a course of time!

Adam. More, indeed, than would give me pleasure to tell you. I only relate some necessary particulars. Were I to give you an account of the births and marriages, likewise of the differences and broils, the various concerns which have passed through my hands, for, being the elder, it was common to come to me for advice; should I recount the great changes which have happened in the world, in the apparel, customs, and manners of men, in the very trees, wa ters, hills, rivers, all my inward and outward distresses and conflicts, I assure you, time would fail me. Pugrim. One thing more, father, I must ask you, Adam. Well, son?

Pilgrim. The descendants of Seth, did they continue also to preach, and to live accordingly?

Adam. Not one of them turned aside to evil, or was deterred from preaching, by any contumelious usage. They frequently used to be asking me about former times, and the works of God; and, for my part, I was glad to give them all the instruction I could.

Pilgrim, Did they, in any measure, reform Cain's descendants?

Adam. Alas! they only grew worse and worse. That Lamech, whom I just mentioned; it would astonish you to hear of his wickedness. Pilgrim. What was it then, father?

Adam. Oh! it is really too shocking!---Pilgrim. Yet would I willingly hear it, if it so please you.

Adam. Well, besides what I told you of his transgressing the law of wedlock, he was of a very quarrelsome choleric temper, and it appeared but too plainly, that the divine vengeance still hung over Cain's head, to retaliate the unnatural murder he had committed; and herein God always uses suitable instruments, Lạmech, harbouring a secret revenge against Cain, as the murderer of his brother, one day rose up against him and slew him; and immediately after killed an innocent young man; for wickedness, when once it gets head, is ever urging on to more mischief. How