48 The parable of the rich man and Lazarus. SECT. CXXV. SECT. CXXV. Our Lord, to enforce the preceding admonition, delivers the parable of the rich glutton and Lazarus. Luke XVI. 19, to the end. LUKE XVI. 19. LUKE XVI. 19. rich man, which THAT HAT his hearers might be more effectually THERE was a certain dissuaded from addicting themselves to was clothed in purple Luke worldly pursuits and carnal pleasures, Jesus and fine linen, and XVI. 19. added another parable, which might have been fared sufficient to convince the covetous Pharisees of their madness in deriding what he had before said. And he addressed himself to them in words to this effect: There was a certain rich man who lived in the greatest elegance and pomp; for he wore robes of purple, and vests of fine li nen, and daily feasted in a very splendid and lux20 urious manner. And there was in the same place a certain poor man named Lazarus, a person indeed of eminent piety, but in the utmost indigence and distress; who being unable to labour, or so much as to walk, was laid down at his gate, to beg the rich man's charity; and all his body being full of sores and ulcers, he was a 21 most miserable spectacle: And, being almost famished with hunger, he earnestly desired to be fed, if it were but with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table; yea, he was in so exposed and abandoned a condition, that the very dogs came and licked his sores, which lay uncovered in the open air. a A certain poor man named Lazarus.] An exceeding proper name, which seems (as Lud. Cappellus observes) to be derived from, lo azer, and signifies a helpless person; an etymology on all accounts much more natural than that so generally followed, which derives it from Eliezar, God is my helper.-Some have imagined, from the name Lazarus, and the particular detail of circumstances, that this was an history, rather than a parable; but this must be a groundless supposition, as it is plain the incidents are parabolical. But this criticism of Lomeirus, who explains it as a mystical representation of the Jewish and Gentile church, is far more extravagant.-Dr. Lightfoot, and others, have shewn, that the Jews in their Gemara have a parable much to the same b But every day. a sumptuously 20 And there was certain beggar nam ed Lazarus, which was laid at his gate full of sores, 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: morcover, the dogs came and licked his sores. this were mentioned as an alleviation, or c Carried The difference between them when they died. died, and was carried poor 49 SECT. CXXV. 22 And it came to But so it was, that in a little time the pass that the beggar beggar, worn out with the load of so great a by the angels into A- calamity, died; and, being a favourite of hea-Luke braham's boson: the ven, notwithstanding all his distresses on earth, XVI. 22 rich man also died, and he was carried by angels into Abraham's bosom, was buried. 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried, and said, Father Aon me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger braham, have mercy water, and cool my the abode of happy spirits in a separate state: And calling out with the greatest earnestness 24 tongue; for I am tor mented in this flame. c Carried by angels into Abraham's bosom.] The Jews assign this office to angels (see Drusius in loc.) and, no doubt, with the utmost propriety, considering how suitable it is to their benevolent nature, and to the circumstances of a departed spirit. The Greeks (as Elsner. Observ. Vol. I. p. 255. and many others have observed) assign guides to the souls of the dead, to conduct them to their respective seats. It is strange any should render τον κόλπον τε Aspaas, Abraham's bower, or (with Jac. Cappellus) Abraham's haven. Our translation is in all respects much more just. It alludes to the way of representing the entertainments of heaven, by sharing a magnificent banquet with Abraham, and the other patriarchs, (compare Mat, viii. 11. and Luke xxii. 30.) And nothing can better describe the honour and happiness of Lazarus, who had lain in so wretched a condition before the glutton's gate, than telling us that he was placed next to Abra- d In the unseen world.] This seems gene- e Dip the tip of his finger in water, &c.] The 50 SECT. CXXV. Luke The rich man begs for a drop of water to cool his tongue. a moment; for I am so tormented in this flame, XVI. 24 soul. 25 25 But Abraham wise Lazarus evil But Abraham said, with awful and inflexible severity, Son, remember the former days when said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifethou and Lazarus were upon earth, that thou time receivedst thy didst then in thy life-time receive thy good things good things, and likewhich thou wast so foolish as to choose for thy things: but now he is portion, in the neglect of God and of thy soul; comforted, and thou and likewise Lazarus then received [his] evil are tormented. things, of which thou wast witness but now the scene is changed, so that he in his turn is comforted, and thou art justly tormented; and neither his joy, nor thine anguish, can admit of 26 any end or interruption. And besides all this, 26 And besides all as to the favour thou desirest from the hand of this, between us and Lazarus, it is a thing impossible to be granted; you there is a great for between us and you there is a great chasm fixed; they which would pass a vast unmeasurable void is interposed; so that from hence to you, they who would go from hence to you, if any they pass to us, that cannot; neither can should be so compassionate as to desire to help would come from thence. you, cannot; neither can they who are there come unto us; but we are still to continue at an unapproachable distance from each other. 27 gulph fixed: so that 27 Then he said, I pray est send him to my Then the rich man, as he perceived that his own case was irretrievable, said unto Abraham, There may however be a passage from you to the other world, as it is plain there is from thence to you; I beseech thee therefore, O Father, that thou wouldst please to send him to my father's house, on an errand of the utmost importance; 28 For I have there five brethren, thoughtless young creatures like myself, who are now revelling on those possessions which were once mine f and are likely ere long to fall into the same misery with this place of torment. me I earnestly entreat thee therefore that he may be sent to testify to them the reality and im The Hebrews drank their wine mingled portance 28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into thren also might know him on his appearing to them. I have five brethren, &c.] As no mention is made of any surviving wife and children, but his five brethren are described as living still together in his father's house, one would imagine that our Lord intended to represent this wretched creature as a young man, who (unhappily for himself, like many modern rakes,) coming early to the possession of his estate, soon broke his constitution by debauchery, and so left his riches to the younger children of the family, having no other heirs. & If Reflections on the case of the rich sinner and the poor saint. 29 Abraham saith 51 CXXV. portance of this invisible world, that they may be SECT. XVI. 23 But Abraham said in reply to him, Thou 29 unto him, They have knowest they have an excellent Divine revelation Moses and the prophets; let them hear in the writings of Moses and the prophets; let them but hearken to the warnings and instructions that are given by them, and they have means sufficient to secure them from that danger. them. 30 And he said, but if one went unto And when the poor tormented creature found 30 Nay, father Abraham, this also was objected to, he pleaded still in their them from the dead, behalf, and said, Nay, father Abraham, they will slight these as I foolishly did; but surely if one go to them from the dead, they cannot withstand so awful a messenger, but will undoubtedly repent, and reform their lives. they will repent. 31 And he said, un not Moses and the the dead. But Abraham put an end to the discourse, 31 to him, If they hear with an assurance of the fruitlessness of any such prophets, neither will extraordinary means for their conviction; and he they be persuaded, said to him, The evidences of the Divine revelathough one rose from tion are such, that if they hearken not to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded to a thorough repentance and reformation though one should arise from the dead to visit them. For though it might indeed alarm them for a time, the same prejudices and lusts which led them to despise those methods of instruction that God has given them, would also lead them ere long to slight and forget such an awful apparition as you desire they might see. IMPROVEMENT. Most evidently may we learn from this parable, that it is im- Ver. possible to know either love or hatred by any thing that is before 19--21 us under the sun; (Eccles. ix. 1.) Who that had seen the pomp and plenty of this rich sinner, and compared it with the indi If they hearken not to Moses, &c.] It is true, Moses no where expressly asserts a future state of rewards and punishments; yet the facts recorded by him strongly enforce the natural arguments in proof of it; and the prophets speak plainly of it in many places. See Psal. xvi. 9, 10, 11. xvii. 15. xxiii. 6. xlix. 14, 15. lxxiii. 17. & seq. Prov. xiv. 32. Eccles. iii. 17, 21. xi. 9. xii. 7, 13, 14. and Ezek. xviii, 19, 20, 21.-Bishop Atterbury has excellently shewn the justice of Abraham's assertion here, in his incomparable discourse VOL. VII. gence on this text. (See his Sermons, Vol. II. G 52 CXXV. Reflections on the case of the rich sinner and the poor saint. SECT. gence and misery of Lazarus, would have imagined that the latter had been the child, and the former the enemy, of God? But Luke let us judge nothing before the time; (1 Cor. iv. 5.) Our Lord XVI. 21 Jesus Christ shews us the period of all the prosperity of the wicked, and of all the calamities with which good men may be exercised. And what availed the luxuries of life, or the magnificence of burial, 23, 24 to a wretch tormented in flames? Surely the fierceness of those flames would be proportionable to the luxury in which he had formerly lived, and the sense of his torment be heightened by the delicacy he had once indulged. May God awaken those unhappy persons, whatever their rank in the present life may be, who place their happiness and glory in being clothed in purple and fine linen, and faring sumptuously every day! May they lift up their enchanted deluded eyes, and see that pointed sword of the Divine vengeance which is suspended over them by so weak a thread; and may they take this warning from one greater than Moses and the prophets, from one that came from the dead to enforce it, that they pass not into that place of torment! 22 Let poor afflicted saints take comfort in what has now been read, though they may be despised and slighted by men. The time will shortly come, when those angels who now descend in an invisible form to minister to them, will appear as their guard to convoy 23 them to the regions of glory. Abraham's bosom, will be opened to them, and the dainties of heaven be set before multitudes, who, perhaps, while on this side the grave, hardly knew how to pro cure even the necessaries of life. May we never view those seats of glory, as this wretched sensualist did, at an unapproachable distance! Let us think seriously of his deplorable circumstances, when he asked a drop of water 25 from the tip of Lazarus's finger, and yet was denied. Dreadful representation! yet made by Christ himself, who surely knew how to describe the case with the utmost propriety. Behold, O our souls, this son of Abraham, in that flaming prison, in all the restless agonies of torment and despair: and we may judge what dependance to place on a descent from pious ancestors, or a parti cipation of external privileges. 27, 28 We enquire not curiously into the motives which engaged him to request that so extraordinary a warning might be sent to his brethren; whether it might proceed from a remainder of natural affection, from a fear of meeting them in the same misery, or from a mixture of both. It is enough to observe how and upon 31 what principles it was denied, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead. Let none vainly excuse themselves from believing the evidence of the revelation God has given, on a pretence that if they saw |