Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1896-04-23

ory Verses. rs. s6-GoIden Text, Luke
xvi, 13-Commentary BY the Rev ID. M.
stearns
lg. There was a certain rich man. "A
There - probably something dispense
tioual, something Of Jew and gentle, il
this, in the record in this lesson; but. mas
much a. the two preceding chapters treat
largely 81 mans treatment III the love "
God and man s natural blindness to his
eternal welfare eontrasted with Gods
abundant provision and desire FOR mans
welfare we will 50 consider it, As there
Is nothing in the record to indicate that
this is q parable / prefer to take it a. q
record "a facts of events which actually
transpired. This rich man makes us think
of the rich fool Of xii, 20, the rich idolater
of xviii, 25, ana the rich publican u xix,
2, and it would bc well to compare these
records. The rich man Of this lesson may
be called "Tnu Rich Skepticn
2J- "An nd there was q certain beggar."
As there IS nothing necessarily sinful in
being rich, for Abraham and David and
Y other good men were very rich. I'D there IL
nothing necessarily pious I'D being poor,
yet The words Of our Lord are, "How hard
u ly shall they that have riches enter into
the kingdom of Cod (chapter xviii 24).
Not many wise or mighty Or noble are
called q Cor. /, 2G-29), but God hath
chosen tho poor of this world, rich in faith
and heirs of the Kingdom which He hath
promised to them that love Him (Jas.
ii, 81.
\ 2l- "And desiring to be fod with The
Z crumbs which fell from the rich mans
table. " Things are often very uneyenly
divided lid this life. Some have more than
7 they can use while Others have not the
/ necessaries Of life, and dogs seem more
\ kind than men. 1t may have seemed a
charity tO allow tile beggar 10 lie at the
gate and receive the crumbs from the ia
bic, though the record does not say that
he received them, but only that ho desired
to. IL the rich man HAD only been true
child OF Abraham and as such mlnistered
To this poor one. what a different future
Y he would have had
% And it came to pass that the beg
gar died. The rich man also died " Ii
il appointed unto men once to die Heb.
tx, 27) and while I'D the past Enoch ana
Elijah bave been excused from keeping
this appointment and at the coming ui
Christ for His saints they will all be
caught up without dying, yet up to this
I
upon rich and poor high and low, with
out respect of persons. Thank God for the
ministering angels Heb. i, l4), who will
welcome Us If called TO leave the body and
bear or guide d. to the presence u the
Lord
% And in hell (hades) he lift up his
eyes, being in torments." To the believer
in Christ, whether rich or poor. ITO die
is gain, - To be with Christ is far better
(Phil. /, p, 2Sl but to the unbeliever to
die IL tO be I'D torment, not that of the
lake Of fire which comes after the resurrec-
ton Of the bodies Of the wicked at the
time "a the great white throne Judgment
tRev. Xxx, ll-I5l, but possibly that which
Is referred to in III Pet. H. I. Tho condi-
tion Of both believers and unbelievers be-
tween death and resurrection, while that
OF conscious happiness or misery, Il owl
IDENTIFY an intermediate state while waiting
for tho body.
"a iii am tormented in this flame I"
This word translated fame Is used
bus few times, and generally in reference
10 the ewes Of our Lord Jesus Christ, a. in
Rev. l. ~; ii, is; xix, 12. May it not
suggest that part Of the torment Of the lost
between death and resurrection consists Of
the memories ~ wasted lifc, laid bare
by these searching eyes and no possibility
of fOrgivenesss
20. "Son, remember" This confirms
the thought Of memory doing it, awful
work in hat dread interval. The rich man
could remember, and his memories were
anything but pleasant. The wasted life,
the opportunities forever gone, the vain
regrets the unavoidable doom. Wo need
none Of us tu have this experience, but
the only way ~ To remember now the Low
ing kindness Of the Lord and believing
His love 10 us receive Him as our Saviour
26. Between a. ana You there II d
great gulf fixed. TIC Scriptures no
where to3oh thorossibiity Of the salvation
Of Lost soul alter death. but, a. in this
verse, just lhr contrary. Because there
is wrath beware lest He take thee away
with His stroke, then great ransom can
not deliver tLee" (Job xxxyi ls). Neither
their silver nor their gold shall 10 able
to deliver them in the day of the Lords
wrath" (Zeph. !, 1SD.
27. 'Scnd Linn To my fathers house"
I do not remember another record in
Scripture Of PRAYER 70 departed saint,
ara n those whC pray to the dead and for
thu dead would remember The teaching OF
this lesson they might perhaps see the fol-
iy and sin Uf their conduct. III those who
pray tO Mary would think Of Mary's song,
Ny spirit hath rejoiced in God, my saw
iuur. they would see that Mary herself
needed to be saved like other sinners.
%. Testify unto them lest they also
come into this place Of torment" II he
had never been anxious for hi own souls
welfare while he lived Oh the earth, he
was now desirous for the welfare Of his
brethren. who were still there There are
evidently no skeptics after death They
all believe the hard facts then
90. They have Moses and the prophets.
Let them hear them" Hero we see the
cause W this mans lost condition. He,
too, had Moses ana the prophets while ho
lived on The earth, but he had evidently
despised them We have nj evidence that
he had been an openly wicked man. Per
haps hC was a very moral man and good
citizen, but he was am unbelieycr and in
different to God and His word, and apart
from God there Is no life.
80. If one went unto them from the
dead, they will repent" just VI ID many
talk even here. They SAY: No one has
ever come back TO tell rs about the here
after. How 10 we knows" They do not
seem t0 realize THAT by such thoughts and
lO) He has told Us in His word, and the
Son Of Gud has come down from heaven
to tell lis cf theso unseen realities and 10
deliver US from going Gown to the pit. II
We despise the written word, we also de-
sEise the living Word and X We despise
the Son We de~pise the Father
81. If they hear not Moses and the
prophets, neither will they be persuaded.
though one rose from The dead. This l.
conclusive testimony BY one who knows.
Our Lord Jesus told those facts, and He
knows al men and all that l. III man
John ii, "a 25l. All unbeiief Il simply
rebellion against God, and His love, and
His SON. The one thing ID 40 l. to believe
Sod and accept His Son, and do it quick
iy lesf II be too late.
/ the ghastly terror
Yvvvvv vvvvvvvvvvvvs