XXXII.

THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS.

"There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: and there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; and in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead."

LUKE XVI. 19-31.

HETHER this passage is the description of a real case, or strictly a parable, is uncertain. Whichever it is, assuredly it is one of the most solemn lessons ever given by our Lord. The most careless can hardly hear or read it without some impression; for all must feel that, whether parable or not, there is deep and awful truth in it.

Here were two men, as different as possible almost in their circumstances. One was rich, living in ease,

plenty, and luxury, with great possessions, and enjoying them to the full; the other was as poor as the first was rich-not merely poor, but a beggar; yet not through his own fault, but because he was heavily afflicted-a poor suffering cripple. To make the difference still more striking, the two were brought close together. Far apart as they were in station and circumstances, yet they were near as to place. The beggar was laid at the rich man's gate. While the one was feasting within, the other was lying in want and suffering without. Yet we do not find him envying the rich man his utmost desire was to have some of his leavings, to be fed with the crumbs which fell from his table. Whether the poor man got his wish, we are not told there seems reason to fear he did not.

But the want and suffering of this life do not last for ever. At length death came to the poor man's relief. This is sometimes said of people, whether there is reason for a good hope about them or not: it is very often said untruly. But in the case of Lazarus, death really brought relief; for when he died he went to be happy, he "was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. That was a common way with the Jews of describing the place to which the souls of the righteous went after death. And so the poor sufferer was at rest: poor no longer, free now from pain and misery, safe and happy for ever.

But death comes to all, to rich as well as poor, to the gay and prosperous as well as to the suffering and afflicted. "The rich man also died." Perhaps Lazarus had wished to die; perhaps, as he lay in his misery, he had often humbly asked God to take him when he should see fit. But the rich man did not wish to die;

P

for death would rob him of all he had and all he loved. Yet he did die. He could not refuse that call, or hang back when that messenger came. "The rich man also died, and was buried."

"And was buried." Nothing is said about Lazarus's burial: it was but a poor one, no doubt. But the rich man was sure to have a grand funeral. We know the look of such a funeral in our own country: the hearse with its nodding plumes, the mourning carriages, the men in attendance, the long procession; people come to see such a burying, as to a grand sight. A funeral in that time and country was not quite like this; yet doubtless the rich man's burying was as grand in its way The corpse was richly laid out, the paid mourners were many, and made loud lamentations, and a great company followed the remains to the grave. There is something awful in this, when we think of what we are told next. There is always something awful in a great funeral, when we cannot have a good hope about him who is gone.

He was buried. But that was only his body; where was the soul? While the senseless corpse was being borne to the tomb, and the mourners lamented, and friends wept and bewailed, where was the soul, the part of him that could think and feel? "In hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments." How awful a change! This was the "rich man." This was he who had been "clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day." This was he who had been so prosperous, and in men's esteem doubtless so happy. Ah, little do men know what makes happiness. Even while they were living, Lazarus in his rags lying at the gate was more truly happy than the rich man

feasting within, for his thoughts were happier; and it is the state of the mind, not the outward circumstances, that chiefly makes happiness or misery. But now, when life was past with both, how happy was the poor beggar, how wretched was the rich man! He was the beggar now, and a beggar to no purpose. He who had enjoyed that sumptuous fare, must now beg for a drop of cold water, and beg in vain. He who had so long lived in every kind of comfort and luxury, must now be in torments, from which there could be no relief.

It must have added to his misery to see Lazarus happy, the poor miserable creature, whom he had so often observed at his gate, in Abraham's bosom, while he was in agony. How must past means and opportunities have risen to his memory! If Lazarus could reach that happy place, why might not he have got there too? Probably his learning and knowledge had been far greater than those of Lazarus; yet he was cast out, while Lazarus was taken in. Alas! though he could see Lazarus, it was "afar off." They were separated now more widely far than they had been in life. There was "a great gulf" between them, so that there was no passing from one to the other. Whether the rich man had ever given relief to Lazarus, we do not know; at least he had had the opportunity; but all such opportunities were now past on both sides. Lazarus could give the wretched man no help, not even a drop of water to cool his tongue. The one could not come near the other; for the great gulf was between them.

Why was there so great a difference between them now? Was it only because the rich man had in his

lifetime received his good things, that he was now tormented? And was it because Lazarus had received evil things, that he was now comforted? No. People sometimes talk as if, because they have many troubles in this life, they are sure to be happy in the life to come. But that is not true. Happiness and misery hereafter depend, not on being rich or poor now, but on the state of the heart towards God. The beggar might have been shut out from happiness, the rich man might have been taken to Abraham's bosom; for, alas! all the poor and miserable are not on the road to heaven; and, thanks be to God, many of the rich and great have found the true riches, and will be happy for ever hereafter. We are not expressly told the character of these two men, but are left to gather it from the story. The rich man, we may conclude, was worldly and selfindulgent, living in pleasure, not spending his substance as God's steward, and not making provision for eternity. The beggar, on the other hand, was doubtless a patient sufferer under the hand of God, bearing his trials meekly, trusting in God, and looking forward in humble hope to the time when God would take him to rest. In other words, the rich man was worldly and careless, the poor man was a true servant of God. This was why the one was carried to Abraham's bosom, the other to the place of torment.

But the rich man, unable to obtain relief for himself, now makes another request. He had left five brothers, men probably of the same character and way of life as himself. He thinks of them now, and trembles for their state. Now he knows too well the awful end to which such a life as theirs would lead them. reached the end,-there was no hope for him.

He had

But they