May 24

By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. - Romans 5:12.

Taking mankind at large, it is supposed that one dies every second. How many have died during the last hour, during the last day, during the last week, and during the last year! Oh, the immensity of the aggregate of the dead since the Fall! But of all this number one died first; and there are several things pertaining to the first of our race who died worthy our attention. The first man that died, died young.

Had the course of nature been followed, Adam and Eve would have died before Abel; but Abel went first, as if in the very beginning God would prevent the presumption of those who reckon upon life because of their youth. There cannot be a more fallacious rule to go by. The very first person that ever died, died suddenly- without warning, without sickness, in the fullness of health and strength. It is true, his death was the effect of external violence; but we need not to be informed that we are perpetually exposed to accidents, and to the malice of wicked and invisible Spirits. A sudden death commonly excites surprise, but there is nothing really wonderful in it; the wonder is on the other side. And when we consider the structure of our body, the multiplicity of the delicate organs and vessels of which it consists, the brittleness of the human frame, the wonder is that we live a single day or a single hour.

There are sixty movements of the blood every minute, so that sixty times every minute the question is asked, “Shall I live or die?” The very first man that died was a good man, a man accepted of God, loved of God. It might seem strange that God should allow this; but it showed from the first that “no man knoweth love or hatred by all that is before him,” that there is no judging of the regards of God by external dispensations, and that all things come alike to all. “There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked.” It showed, also, that though death was the effect of the curse, it could be turned into a blessing; and the fact altogether looks favourably to the human race.

God would not suffer Satan to have the first fruits of death. The first man that entered the grave entered glory, and heaven was inhabited by a human being before hell was inhabited by one. The very first man that died was a martyr; not only was he religious, but he died for his religion. “Marvel not that the world hate you.” Yes, “if any man will live godly in Christ Jesus he shall suffer persecution.” We see how soon this wretched business commenced in the world. It is found in the family of Abraham, between Ishmael and Isaac, where he that was “after the flesh persecuted him that was after the Spirit.” But it was found much earlier.

We read that Cain killed his brother Abel, because his own works were evil and his brother’s righteous. He hated him because God loved him. It was “God testifying of his gifts,” and accepting his sacrifice, that was the only provocation of his resentment; and the “carnal mind is still enmity against God.”