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And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed amongst men, is abomination in the sight of God.

The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of GoD is preached, and every man presseth into it.

And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.

ANNOTATIONS AND REFLECTIONS.

-The design of this parable was, to shew that the things of this world should be so employed by us as to promote our eternal interests. By the children of this world, our LORD evidently meant those people who attend only to their worldly concerns without any regard to a future life; by the children of light, those who, walking by the light of divine revelation, look forward with hope to an eternal inheritance.

The children of this world, says our SAVIOUR, are in their generation, or according to their specific character, wiser than the children of light, for they make to themselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness, they employ the things of this world in such ways as are likely to secure the interests they havè in view; but the children of light are too apt to be negligent and careless in respect to the use of temporal blessings. The unjust steward took ad vantage of his stewardship before he gave up his ac counts, and engaged his Lord's debtors to admit him into their houses, as one who had a title to their kind. ness, by which he secured himself from labour and beggary. And his LORD, judging according to the principles of worldly-minded men, commended him because he had done wisely in respect to his worldly concerns.

Cur

Our SAVIOUR admonishes the children of light to take the unjust steward for an example in respect to his assiduity and forethought, in providing for his future welfare; but he tells them to make to themselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousnes, that when these fail they. may be received into everlasting habitations: and that they may know how to do this, he adds that they are to act the part of faithful stewards in respect to the things of this world, intrusted to them by their heavenly LORD; and to look beyond the grave for a recompence.. Though our LORD addressed this parable, and the subse quent discourse, to his disciples, he had certainly a view to the Pharisees, many of whom were rich and covet ous; such persons our LORD observed are not qualified to receive spiritual blessings; because they do not make a right use of temporal blessings; and they must not look for an eternal reward, unless they wean their affections from worldly things, and place them upon heavenly The Pharisees as usual, instead of receiving this exhortation with thankfulness, derided our LORD; on which he reproved them for their hypocrisy, and told them they were no longer to look upon the Jewish nation as the only people of GoD, because from the time of John the Baptist's preaching the kingdom of GOD was offered to all mankind; at the same time our LORD said the moral law would be enforced rather than destroyed.

treasures.

may be ob.

From our LORD's own mouth we learn, that though temporal things are not to be trusted to for eternal happiness, they may be made subservient to it. By a proper application of riches, the favour of God tained, and an entrance into everlasting habitations secured; but this can never be done by such means as the unjust steward employed to make friends for himself; therefore the children of light should never have

recourse

recourse to them, but, on the contrary, they should, according to their ability, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, comfort the sick, and relieve the prisoner, that. at the last day they may partake of the gracious invitation of the heavenly king, Come ye, blessed of my FATHER, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, Let us, then, behave ourselves like faithful stewards, in the management of those good things which our heavenly Master has intrusted to us; and we shall be happy in the reflection, that in proportion to our fidelity will be our eternal felicity; for GOD has graciously connected our interest with our duty.

SECTION LXXXIII.

THE PARABLE OF THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS.

From Luke, Chap. xvi.

THERE was a certain rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day. And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, who 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 Tich 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 kis 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

But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy life-time receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

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.

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.

ANNOTATIONS AND REFLECTIONS.

Having in the parable of the Prodigal Son described grace of the GOSPEL, our LORD in that of the rich man and Lazarus set before his hearers the wrath to

the

come.

"The general design of this parable is formed upon the doctrine of a future state, as it prevailed in the Jewish church at that time. It is addressed to the Pharisees, who believed the resurrection; and, therefore, our LORD did not on this occasion make use of arguments to prove the reality of a future state; but built upon it, as a truth believed and acknowledged by themselves." As the Jews entertained very erroneous

* See Dr. Stebbing' Sermons.

notions

notions on this head, we will not amuse ourselves with an examination of them; since we may be assured, that though our LORD here alluded to them, he did not mean to confirm them, but only to convey by this means practical instruction, adapted to the comprehension of those to whom it was addressed.

We may judge from the different portions allotted to the rich and the poor man in the other world, that they were of very different dispositions.

The rich man does not appear to have been deficient in charity, for Lazarus was fed with the superfluities of his table. It was no sin in him to wear purple and fine linen, nor to fare sumptuously, for he could well afford it; neither is it related, that he was guilty of fraud, oppression, or intemperance: yet we find he was, after death, condemned to a state of torment, whilst the poor beggar was exalted to heaven. (Abraham's bosom was an expression in use with the Jews, signifying the abode of happy spirits in a separate state.) From the request of the rich man that Lazarus might be sent to his brethren, and Abraham's answer, "remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things," we may infer, that his crimes were infidelity and unthankfulness to God for the bles ings so bountifully bestowed on him. We may likewise infer, that Lazarus had borne the evils of adversity with patient resignation to the divine will, trusting in God's mercy for future happiness, and practising all the duties which belong to a state of poverty. When the rich man was convinced, by fatal experience, of the certainty of another world, he lamented his folly; but the day of grace was past, and repentance would not alter his condition: he there. fore wished to inform his brethren of it, that they might be converted before it was too late.

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