It is a Queſtion of no great concern {or us to be reſolved about, whether this be an Hiſtiry, or Narrative of matter of Fact, or a Pa- rable. Thoſe that contend on cither fide have probable Arguments for their Opinion, and it may be they beſt judge, who determine it to be neither the one, nor the other, but a profitable diſcourſe, that hath in it ſomething of both. - Our chief concern 1s to confider what our Lord by it defigned to inſtruct us1n. And certainly thoſe do not judge amiſs, who think, that this diſcourſe hath a great reference to what went before, v. 9, 19. where our Saviour had been exhorting his hearers, to make themſelves Friends of the Mammon of Unrighteouj- ref, as alſo to the Phariſees deriding him for his Doctrine, v. 14. Our Lord by this diſcourſe letting them know the danger of Cove- tuſneſs and Uncharitab/enejs, and allo letting them know that what 5 highly eſteemed among$t Men, may be abomination in the fight of God. He telleth them there was a certain rich Man, who lived in great Plenty and Splendour, his cloathing was Purple and fine Linnen, that is exceeding coſtly, and ſplendid 3 his Fare or Diet, was delicate and ſunptuous, and that every day ; from whence may eafily be conclud- ed, That if he had an heart thereunto, he might have ſpared ſome- thing for the Poor. Nor were the objefs of his charity far off, There was a certain Bz2gar, whoſe Name was Lazarus, poor enough, for he was full of ſores, and would have been glad of the Offal of the Rich Mans Table 3 but the Dozs were more charitable than their Ma- fter; we read of nothing which the Rich Man gave him, but the Dogs cane and licked his fores, What was the cnd of this 2 The Begzar dicd, and he was by the Angels carried into the boſom of Abra- ham, that is, into Feaveri. Some will have the Phraſe ſignife, one of the chicfeft Manſions in Heaven. Abraham was the Father of
. Believers, and an hoſpitable Perſon while he lived upon the Earth, Lazarus is expretſcd to have been conveyed to him. There are ma- ny things diſcourſed by Men of Wit and Learning about this Abra- n&n's byjom, but the beſt center here, that by it is meant Heaven, and from hence two great points are proved. 1. That the Soul is ca- Þable of an exiſtence ſeparated from the By, and therefore is not, as lome Athieſts Dream, a meer affe&tion of that, and an accident, but 4 diſtin& ſpiritual ſubſiſtence. 2. That the F they depart from their Bodies, immediately paſs int9 an eternal ſtate of Bleſſedneſs.
23 And in hell he lift- up his eyes, being in tor- wry and feeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his olom.
24 And he cried and faid, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and ſend Lazarus, that he may dip the A of his finger in water and * cool my tongue; for 1 :1 Mtormented in this flame. = | \* Kat oy mh ef S'4, and in Hell. The World hath been filled. with Ciputes about the true ſignification of the Word ef Jyg, whicit 15 here tanflaed Hell, The moſt probably true notion of 17 ts 3, thatit f1g- nes the fate of the Dead, both of the dead Bod:, and ſoit oft=n fig- nricth the Grave, and of the departed Soul. A very Learned Man With, that if he raiſtaketh not, This is the only Text in Scripture, in "Ml by 1t 1s to be underſtood, the place of Torments. The Hebrew ore which 3s tranſlated by this, 'far more often ſignifying the place
Pls bots TH
0 * Vit
u Coal
Wal, 2
ouls of the Good, when
S LUKE.
thing, but many things which are highly eſteemed amongſt
Chap. XVI
died, than the place whither Sinners went ; but ». 24. Makes it ap. pear, that here it ſignifies Hell, properly ſo callcd, as it importetit the place of the Damned, We muſt underſtand our Saviour 1n this whole Naſumag to ſpeak to us hguratively, that by things which we underſtand, we r-ight comprehend ſpiritual things, Heaven and Hell are at too great a diſtance for Souls in each to diicourſe one with another ; neither have Souls any Eyes to lift up. We are by this taught, 1. That as the Souls of good Men when they |cave their Bodies, go into an Eſtate ofeternal Bliſs, where are Abrah um I, and Facob, and enjoy a felicity which we are not able to exrrefc. but is ſet out to us under the Notion of Abrabyun', b:/m, to let us know that it is a place of reſt, and Communion wit! Saints, and the ſame felicity which Abraham the Friend of God doth enjoy - 50 the Souls of wicked Men when they leave their Bodies, thall 80 intv 4 place of Torments, the greatnets of which being ſuch as we are not able to conceive, they are expreſſed to us under the Notion of beins tormented by Fire. 2. That it will be a great part of the mniſcry of Damned Souls, to underſtand thoſe to be in a ttate of happinet:
whom they in this Life have ſcorned, deſpiſed, and abuſed, and it 1em to thoſe hletfid
may be, have been Inſtruments to haſten tl 3+ That there will come a time when the proudeſt Sin-
Mantions. ners w1ll be glad of the help of the meaneft Saints, if they corid o- tain 1t. Father Abraham (faith the Rich Man) tend Lazurys, that Lazarus, whom, when alive, I ſuffered to lyc at my Gate full of Sores, and would not (relieve. 4. That the ſtate of the Dainned will be void of the leaſt degrees of Comfort and Satisf1&tion. The Rich Man defireth but a cooling of his Tongue, with ſo much WA. ter, as could be brought upon the tip of Lazr9 his finger. 5, This the Tongue is a Member, the abuſe of which will in another Life, lye wery heavy upon IoS$t Souls, 25 But Abraham ſaid, Son, * remember that thou + In thy life-time receivedſt thy good things, 2nd like- wiſe Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. |
26 And beſides 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-