soul. "F,ven if I send," replied Abraham, the prophets (eh. xiii. 28). "All the just," " anrl L1izarue goes, they will not be per- o.e Mo.rcion gives it in hie recension of St. suaded." They would see him, listen to Luke. And while the Paradise-life for the him, perhaps, e.nd then, when the first feel- blessed dead is described a.a a holy communion ings of e.mazement e.nd feo.:r were dying of saints, there is evidently no correspond- away, would find some plausible reasons fo:r ing communion in the case of the unhapp11 disregarding the messenger and bis message. dead. The selfish rich mo.n finrls himsell Criticism would disease the e.ppee.ro.noe; it in an awful solitude. The suffering is would be disposed of by attributing it to rather represented by the image of the voicl; o.n be.llucine.tion, or others would suggest there o.re no external causes of po.in ap- that the visitant f:rom the other wo:rld had parently; hence hie longing to epeo.k o. word never been really dee.cl, and these plee.s would with Lazarus, to feel the touch of a friendly be readily taken up by others who oared not sympathizing hand, if only for o. moment, to examine the question for themselve11, o.nd to distract his burning remorseful thought~. eo life, careless, selfish, thoughtless, would There was nothing to live for there, nothing go on as it had done o.foretime. A striking to hope for, but he felt he must go on living example of what the Lord asserted through -hopele,s. As no special crime, no glaring the medium of the shade of Abraham took sin of lust or wanton excess or selfish place within o. few days from that time. ambition, is laid to the rich man'& charge, Another Lazarus did come baok age.in from o.nd yet when dead he is represented a.a the dead into the midst of that great lifting up bis eyes, being in torments, many, company of friends and mourners and jealous especially men belonging to those schools we.tchers of Jesus gathered round the sepul- which are genero.lly unfriendly to the re- chral cave of Bethany, and though some ligion of Jesus Christ, have endeavoured to true, faithful hearts welcomed the mighty show that the condemned was condemned sign with awful joy, still it served not to on account of his riches, while the saved touch the cold o.nd calculating spirit of was saved because of bis deep poverty. Phe.risee, scribe, o.nd Sadducee, thirsting Nor is this error alone common to the for the blood of the Master, whom they Tiibingen school, and to brilliant free-lances fee.red and be.ted, and whose word had in religious literature like M. Renan. Some summoned back the dead into their midst. such mistaken notion doubtless materially The mighty wonder wrought no change aided the rise and the popularity of tho there. One went unto them from the dead, mendicant orders, who played so important and yet their hard bee.rte only took counsel a part in the Christianity of the Midclle together how they might put Lazarus e.go.in Ages in so many lands. Bat the burden of to death. our thrilling parable emphatically is not And so the pe.rable and this particular " Woe to the rich I blessed are the poor ! " ' course of tenching co.me to e. close. Perhe.ps The crime of the life to which so awful a it is the deepest, the most soul-stirring of punishment we.a meted out o.s the guerdon, all the utterances of the Master. Expositors was selfish inhumanity, which Christ teaches for eighteen centuries have drawn out of us is the damning sin. (See his words in its clee.r, fathomless depths new and ever his g:reat picture of the final judgment, new truths. It is by no mee.ns yet ex- Matt. :xxv. 41-46.) Lo.zo.rus was no solitary he.usted. This voice from the other side individual; he was one of the many suffering of the veil charms and yet appals, it poor who abound in this world, e.nd to find terrifies and yet enthre.ls all e.ges, every whom the rich need not go fo.r from their class, ee.ch rank of men and women. There own gates. Lazo.rus represents here the o.re me.ny other important it.ems of special opportunity for the exercise of Dives's hu- tee.ching which he.ve been scarcely touched manity. Of this, and doubtless many like on in the notes above. Among the more opportunities, Dives cared not to o.vo.il him- interesting of these is the brief notice of self. He wo.s o.ppe.rently no ill-natured, the life which the blessed lead in Para- oruel mo.n, he was simply self-centred, dise. The happy dee.cl are represented as a delighting in soft living, generous wines, wide family circle. Abraham is pictured costly fare, sumptuous clothing, good society. with Le.ze.rus in his bosom. The ime.ge is He loved to be surrounded with applauding, taken from the we.y guests used to sit e.t a pleo.se.nt guests; but the Lazaruses of the banquet. John at the Last Supper occupied world, for him, might pine away o.nd die in a similar position with regnrd to the Mnster their nameless awful mi8ery. Professor Bruce, (John xiii. 23, 25) to that occupied by with great force, puts the following words Le.zarus with regard to Abrahe.m here. The into the beggar Le.zarus's mouth; these words two extremes of the socio.I soo.le o.re thus tell us with startling oleo.rness wlmt was represented o.s meeting in the.t blessed com- the sin of Divgs: "I wo.s laid at this man's pany on terms of the tenderest friendship. gate ; he knew me ; he could net pass from With these wore Iso.uo ullll J t1oob and o.11 his houso into the street without seeinit m7 70 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. [err. xvr. 1-31.
condilion, as a )0prous beggar, yet ltB a of vast wenlth. Then, too, in the lntter begg-ar I ·died." Dives here was 'endowed pnrt of the pArable, when tho immiuout richlv with nil the materials of human <ln.nger which the five brothers of the lost happ.iuess, but ho kept nll his happiness to Dives rim of being similu.l'ly lost, was <lis- himself, he took no trouble whntever to cussed, the danger is represented as spdng- diffuse hi9 joy and gladness, his bright and ing from their cnreless disre11:ard of the Lnw rua11y-coloured life among that great army and the prophets, and not from the foot of of weak, poor, woe-begone brothers and their being rich men. When Ezddel sought flisters who go far to make up the popula- for examples of the most righteous men tion of every fP'eat city. Th11t riches are that had ever lived, he chose, it must be not in tl,eruseh-cs II ground for exclusion remembered, as exemplars of mortals living from the blessed life is plainly shown by the fair, noble life loved of God, three men the position occupied by Abrabam in that distinguished for their rank nnd riches - happy family circle of the blessed. For Noa.h, Da.niel, e.nd Job (Ezek, xiv. 14, 20). Abraham, we J..71ow, was a sheik possessed