Beginning of the End - Ellen G. White

the works of obedience, faith "is dead" (James 2:22, 17). Anyone
who professes to know God "and does not keep His commandments,
is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (1 John 2:4).
When Cain saw that his offering was rejected, he was angry
that God did not accept his substitute in place of the sacrifice
divinely ordained, and he was angry with his brother for choosing to
obey God instead of joining in rebellion against Him.
God did not leave him to himself, but stooped to reason with
the man who had shown himself so unreasonable. "Why are you
angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will
you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door."
If he would trust to the merits of the promised Savior and obey
God's requirements, he would enjoy God's favor, but if he persisted
in unbelief and sin, he would have no ground to complain that he
was rejected by the Lord.
Instead of acknowledging his sin, Cain continued to complain
about the unfairness of God and to cherish jealousy and hatred of
Abel. In meekness, yet firmly, Abel defended the justice and
goodness of God. He pointed out Cain's error and tried to convince
him that the wrong was in himself. He pointed to the compassion of
God in sparing the life of their parents when He might have
punished them with instant death. He urged that God loved them or
He would not have given His Son, innocent and holy, to suffer the
penalty that they had earned. All this caused Cain's anger to burn the
hotter. Reason and conscience told him that Abel was right, but he
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