The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1896-04-16
rHE SUNDAY SCHOOL.

The Rich MAN and Lasarus-Luks 10s
1881.
IArrangcd from Peloubet's Notes.l
GOLDEN TExr.-Ye cannot serve God and
10: 12
THE SECTION includes the whole chapter,
setting forth needed spiritual truth, in vari-
Gus forms. See also for the penalty Of sin.
Dan. 12:2;Matt. 8: 10-12; s: Is: :46; Rev.
d: n; and the permanence Of sin, Eccls
II: 3; Matt. rs: 48: Rev. "a: II; John 8: 36.
TrMp.-December, A. D. %, or early "a
January, A. D. 30. not long after last lesson.
PLAcE.-Perea, beyond Jordan. probably
near Bethabara.
LESSON NOTES.
PARABLE OF THE UNJUST STEWARD
VS.. 1-12. We cannot be wrong, says the
Cambridge Bible, if we seize as the
main lesson of the parable the one
which Christ Himself attached to 1t
Tvs. S-12), namely, the use of earthly
gifts, of wealth and opportunity for
heavenly and not for earthly aims The
Lord does not commend the unjust
stewards wrong doings, but his wis
dom and prudence. Most rogues would
have enacted more from their masters
debtors and decamped with the whole;
but this steward used his present op-
portunities to make friends and O place
for the future. Now, If this bad man
had SO much foresight, how much more
should the children of light SO use
their property and opportunities as to
prepare for their future life ". 81.
PARABLE OF Dives AND LAzARus.-
In this picture we see theworldly man at
his earthly BEST receiving and enjoy
ing the most that is possible for him,
and the godly man at his earthly
worst. The rich mans name is not
given, perhaps to show that in heav-
ems estimation it is not worth while
even to mention mans name simply
because he is rich, though among men
it is proclaimed by thousand trump
cts. The name Dives, often given to
him, is simply theLatin for "rich man."
The rich mans sin was not the mere
fact of his riches. His sin was selfish
worldliness, his utter neglect Of the
nobler and spiritual aims and blessings
of life. He was rich toward himself
and not toward God duke 12:2D. He
spent his wealth on himself. He made
a godly man, suffering in faith and
patience, is necessarily implied in the
fact that he went to Heaven, where only
godly persons can go. His mere pow
erty could not take him to Heaven, any
more than mere riches condemned the
rich man to hell.
There are some pictures (several In
~, o,,rroA couc Mo ,.c,,c Tlr<lS an nm.
structed that, when the spectator Is
thoroughly impressed with the scene
before him, a spring is touched. and the
picture turns on a pivot, and exposes on
it's reverse side that which completes
the intended impression This picture
is constructed on similar principles.
The festive Pharisee and the diseased
beggar filling the eye, the picture is in q
moment reversed, and the Pharisee is
seen dropped out of all comfort and
affluence, craving a drop of water as q
boon he has no means of procuring,
while Lazarus is lifted to q pinnacle Of
human sufficiency and glorified above
all earthly magnificence.
Let us now follow the dialogue be-
tween Dives and Abraham Tvs. 24-26).
Note in the first place that the request
itself Of the worldly man showed that
he was not epentant and did not
change his character. He did not ex-
press sorrow for his sins, he did not ask
forgiveness of God or man; he only
wanted TO escape from the conse-
quence of his sin.
Note, too, Abraham's gentle rejoin-
der: ''Son, remember that thou in thy
lifetime" etc. When the books are
opened in the Judgment day, MEM
ory and conscience will be volumes
among them. Whatever good the rioh
man has done in this world God hath
given him worldly good as his reward,
for it was done with worldly motives.
%. Only Heavenly motives havea Heav-
enly reward. And this accounts in
some measure for the prosperity Of the
wicked; they are receiving their good
things. Business morality has business
reward; worldly diligence has world
~ reward. On the other hand, the
righteous ever have mixture of evil;
and for that they receive "evil things; !"
but the evil is only temporary, not with
the whole heart; and so are their evil
things.
The reason drawn from the fitness
of things is followed by reason drawn
from the necessity of the case. There
is little use in imagining what God
would do if one in torment should re-
pent. He would forgive him, of course.
But they will not repent. They are
confirmed in evil. They wish to escape
from torment, so far as we know, not
from sin. This is the "great gulf fixed" b"
Another scene we have, the glance
back to earth. This brought the re-
quest that Lazarus be sent to testify
to Dives fathers house. Natural senti-
ments had not died out of him. But,
more than this, he may have dreaded
to have those with him whom he may
have misled, whose presence would
make his condemnation greater
''They have Moses and the prophets;
Let them hear them" "Nay, but if one
went unto them from the dead" Dives
insists, "they will repent" But even
90, he is told, they would resist the