to the striking pamble of the rich man and Lazarus. Upon the details of the story we do not tarry. It is an exquisitely powerful picture. 'fhe artist is here at his best. The rich man in his" purple and fine linen, faring sumptuously every day;" the poor man" laid at his gate, full of sores," and thankful for the crumbs that fall from the rid, man's table and for the attention of the dogs; then two death~, when lo! the positiom are reversed, and the poor man finds himself in the bosom of Abraham and with his good things all about him, while the rich man finds himself in utter poverty, in need of everything and sure of nothing. The picture closes, too, all hope for such a. selfish soul as the rich man proved himself to be. The following lessons a.re here taught us. I. EVERY ONE WITH MEANS HAS AMPLE OPPORTUNITY IN THIS LIFE OF BElliG GENE- ROUS. (Ver. 20.) The friends of the poor man laid him, or, a.s the word (•fJ•fl>-11-ro) may mean, "threw him down" at the rich man's gate.1 There could be no doubt about the rich man's opportunity; it was pressed upon his notice. And amid a.II the artificial separations which civilization makes between rich and poor, there is always some friendly hand to force opportunity upon us. "The poor we have with us always." They appear, do what we may, at the feast of life, and we cannot exclude them from our considerations. It requires an effort to be utterly ungenerous. Now, we ought to bless God that he has not left us with any excuse for bard-heartedness. He brings the world's needs to our very gates. He emphasizes opportunity. He gives us outflow for our generosities. He will not leave us in our hard-heartedness, but calls us evermore to nobler things. II. SELF-INDULGENCE MAKES PEOPLE ABSOLUTELY PITILESS. (Ver. 21.) Mosheirn, in a. suggestive discourse from this parable, reminds us at the outset of the words of Peter about "fleshly lusts warring against the soul."• It is wonderful how hard- hearted luxurious living can make people. The rich man in the parable can find in bis heart to pass out and in and never once to relieve his poor brother. The latter may have got crumbs from the rich man's table, but if he did, it was more likely by the servants' charity than by the master's orders. From the self-indulgent worldling he got no consideration. He is ignored, for the selfish soul bas become pitiless. When self is supreme, it can shut out a.11 consideration of others from one's thoughts. When they obtrude themselves or are obtruded upon our attention, we say, a.la.a! that they have no claim upon us, forgetting that they are our brothers. Against such hard- heartedness we should all be upon our guard. III. DEATH, IN DEPRIVING THE SELFISH SOUL OF HIS GOOD THINGS, LEAVES HIM NECES• BARILY IN TORMENT. (Vera. 22, 23.) Good living is a. most dangerous habit when it constitutes any man's all. A soul, to be confined to this tariff, is in danger of dying into utter want. The round of sensual indulgence goes on day after day, the appetites are gorged, and man sinks down into the animal pure and simple. Now, if the world beyond makes no provision for such gross indulgences; if it has no venison and cham- pagne; if the appetites a.re left without a larder and the famine of the senses has come;- what kind of life must the poor soul have? It needs no furnace of actual fire to secure his torment. The burning desire, within which nothing can quench, le;i.ves him of necessity in torment. If God has made no provision for the intemperate, for the gourmand, for the dissolute, in their environment beyond the grave, must not their lusts, denied satisfaction, bo perpetual torment? The tormeut of unsatisfied desire, the hunger of a self-centred spirit, must be terrible I IV. UNDELIEF IS INEXCUSADLE, AND MAY BE INVINCIBLE. (Vers. 27-31.) The selfish worldling had evidently been living without regard to a. future life. In his torment he realizes that bis five brethren are living the same heedless life. Lest, therefore, they should come and increase his torment, he asks that Lazarus be sent on a special mission to warn them about their doom. Now, it is plain that, with Moses and the prophets in their hands, they were without excuse. What, then, did Moses and the prophets teach? They do not teach with great distinctness the doctrine of a. future life. 'l'hey undoubtedly imply that doctrine. But the question is-Did the rich man or bis brethren need that doctrine to guard them against inhumanity of lire? Must I tremble before prospective torment ere I am convinced that I ought to be
1 Of. Bruce's • Parobolic Teaching of Christ,' p. SSS. 1 • Heilige Reden,' erster tbeil, e. 65, eto. 86 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. [on. xvn. 1-87.
generous and considerate? 1 Nay, do I not know by the law of conscicnco that such conduct as i~ in~mmau mu_st incur t~e curse of God? Even the pagans are inexcusable when they hve rnhnman lives. Des1des, we must not, with the rich man imacriue that a prescribed miracle may overbear all unbelief. Unbelief may be in~incible. No miracle may be strong enough to defeat self-will. May we all be kept from such a. hardened state ! V°. ABRAHAM, AS RE CHF.IlISHES LAZARUS IN THE OTIIF.R LIFE, BROWS US IIOW A nICH MAN MAY PERPETUATE ms KINDLY OFFICES AND lNFLUJ,;KcE. (Vers. 23-25.) It has been very properly observed that in Abraham we have a rich man in blessedness, as a. Fet-off to the otlwr rich man in torment. Abraham was very probably the richer of the two while in life, but he bad used his wealth for the good of his fellows. He had cherished the poor and needy. And so it is to good-hearted, faithful Abraham that the consolation of Lazarus is committed. Here the habits of helpfulness which the patriarch had cultivated upon earth find exercise in the better world. What a prospect is thus opened up to the large-hearted I Heaven will be full of opportunity for ministration. Those whose lot has been a hard one in this world will be taken to the bosom of the patriarchs ef God-those who have become "seniors" in his house of many mansions -and receive from them the compensation which God has in store for all who have learned to love him.-R. M. E.