The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1881-01-21

perceive the allusion to his own case,
until the words "Thou art the man"
taught him the picture of his life by this
parable.
May not the parable of the Rich Man
and Lazarus be a similtude of the relig-
ious systems of the nations of that dayf
| The great theme seems to be the love
| and mercy of God for lost and ruined
man. as the outcast Publicans and sin
ners drew near, and manifested an inter-
est to hear the Lord Jesus,the self right
eous Scribes and Pharisecs murinur and
accuse the Savior Of receiving sinners
and eating with them, (the Jews did not
! allow this. The Savior to expose this
their error, gives them the parable of the
lost sheep and the piece of silver, also
the more forcible one of the Prodigal
Son. Thus teaching those self righteous
Scribes and Phariseest that God was able
to save TO the uttermost. The great
theme through all the parallels seems to
be that God is holding forth the new
covenant of grace to all mankind.
| May not the Rich Man mean the
Jewish system of religion under the old
covenant? The "good things in his life
time, may these not have reference to
the exalted position of the Jews in the
past, in the days of the national purity,
while their ancestors preserved inviolate
legal covenant and were delight in the
eyes of the Lord, and were called His
chosen people, purple and fine linen are
as figurative as the Rich Man. Purple
represents riches, fine linen righteous
ness and purity. This is the regalia they
had under the old covenant. And may
not Lazarus, the poor beggar, represent
a national system of religion i'll the pa
gan idolatry OF the Gentiles. "The dogs"
a third system of religion or the teach
ers from Samaria of the Syrophenician
race heading up n temple dedicated TO
Jupiter an idol god. This was the tenn
pie of Mount Gerazim. Lazarus at the
gate of the Rich Man is II beautiful pic
ture, a complete representation OF the
deplorable condition of the Gentiles in
the past ages, who were strangers to the
covenants of promise and aliens to the
commonwealth of Israel and also with
out" "a covenant relation toy "God or"
ian valid religious hope) ''hope in the
world, by the old covenant excluded
from general co-mingling with the
seed of Abraham, having no other
means OF kowledge, than as it were the
crumbs that fell from the Jewish system
of religious instruction. But a change
takes place, the Savior is about to be re-
ceived by these idolatrous Gentiles. ale
came unto His own and His own re-
ceived Him not" ''but as many as re-
ccived Him to them gave He power to
become the Sons of God He tells
them plainly it will not avail them to
say they have Abraham to their father
for God is able raise up of these stones
(Gentles) seed unto Abraham. 'The
Stone (Jesus Christi which the builders
rejected has became the head of the cor
, ner. The Jews murmur because He re-
ceiveth sinners By the love He shows
, these poor heathens or outcasts he
, born King of the Jews. So they refuse
: to accept the sacrifice of the cross or the
= new and living covenant of grace. Laz-
arus did and was carried by Angels into
Abraham's bosom. (The poor Gentiles
r idolatrous system of religion died) and
Z he was was carried by angels (messen
gers of the glorious GospeD into Abra
l hams bosom (the light of the Gospel
h. under the new covenant.) In Jesus was
e life aud that life was the light of the
, world. IF we have accepted Jesus We
i have that light, and are the seed of Abra
$ ham and heirs according to the prom
e Use.
i The Rich Man also died. The relig
: ious system of the Jewish nation dice
= and was buried in Hades darkness un
l. der the veil still clinging to the old GOV
: enant, calling upon Father Abraham
II lifted up his eyes and sees Abra
e ham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom
h May he not now, (being in darkness a
h nationl see the Gentiles as people
II basking in the sunlight of the new ant
D licing covenant If in Christ then ar
we in Abraham's bosom being his heir
with our Elder Brother the First Fruits
according to the promise.
May not ''my Fathers house" be tn
house of Jacob, consisting of twelv
tribes? We take the Rich Man as fig
ure to represent the two tribes Juda
and Benjamin then by the same rule tn