The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-06-14

StrOuS duu rioquoAo oeA AANoA
large congregation at st. Andrew {
Lutheran Church yesterday morning
on ssThe Rich Mans Crime. His
text was:
'sInasmuch as ye did it not to one
Of the least of these, ye did it not to
Me. Me.'-Matthews, 25:45.
DIR. Sherer said:
Men are absorbed with curiosity to
know what follows death. Holy
Scripture does not often lift the veil
forsus. All the more closely should
we study, then, the Gospel lesson for
the day, which gives us glimpse OF
the laws Of the unknown world-ot
the laws which determine destiny.
First. there is the picture of rich
man, who lived like a king. His robe
was Of dazzling byssus, so precious,
Pliny says, that it was exchanged for
its weight in gold, and over this an
outer garment dyed with liquid OF
fabulous cost, drawn in scant drol S
from the purple-6sh. His table was
loaded with delicate food; day by day
he lived sin jovial splendor. : His
house was an Oriental palace.
At his open door they flung beg
gar. What contrast! The one
clothed in purple and linen. the other
covered with sores; the one feeding on
sumptuous fare, the other, like dog,
begging crumbs; the one tended by
servitors, the other tormented by
dogs.
8 But the rich man and the beggar
die. Death, the great leveller, comes to
each. Poet or peasant, beggar OF
king, they are all the same to him, to
this grinning monarch, who is no re-
specter Of persons. Lazarus, no
doubt, was cast into the potter 8 field,
with no burial. RutSof the rich man
the parable adds: "He was buried, :
calling before our eyes pictures OF
lavish funeral splendor, as they wrap
ped him in splendid shroud, and laid
him on a costly bier, and marched
with their train Of hired mourners to
his pompous tomb.
Lazarus? The name means 'eGod is
his help His name on earth had
seemed pitiful irony, but now. when
he most needs help, there is One to
assist him. he is carried by the
angels into paradise, which the;Jews
called ssAbrtaham's bosom The
child.like Luther comments, q should
also like to have my soul carried to
Heaven by such nursemaids,"
There had been contrast between
them on earth, but now the contrast
is still greater. Their lot is reversed;
.sDives" becomes the beggar. From
him who had once besought crumbs
from his hand he now begs drop OF
water. Bat his request is unreason-
able. The law and the prophets had
given him full warning that he must
choose between two; whether to seek
first temporal JOY or eternal joy, and
he had made deliberate choice: So
now the inexorable reminder: "Son,
remember that thou in thy lifetime
receivedst shy good things" he had
made his choice, and now to seek a
reversal Of his lot is without reason.
It is also an impossible request. for,
s'besides all this, between us and you
there is great gulf ixed, so that
they which would pass from hence to
you cannot; neither can they pass to
us, that would come from thence. :
What solemn words these to fall from
the lips Of the Son of God, who was
not only Love, but Truth! Then the
fellow complains; he has not had suf-
icient warning. God is not good
enough to men. He does not snf6-
ciently provide for their salvation.
They ought to have supernatural
warning Of these terrors. IF one
went unto them from the dead they
would repent. But never were truel
words thar the words Of Abraham s
reply: "If they hear not Moses and
the prophets, neither will they be
persuaded, though one rose from the
dead" Is it not true? God is will
ing enough to do all for men $ saliva
tion, but God does not do the useless
Perhaps consciously our Lord gave
the name Lazarus to this beggar Of
the parable, sothat men reading IL
might think of that other Lazarus
his friend, who did come back from
the dead, only to find men with self
blinded eyes, who determined not K
believe, but only to slay the Truth
.;went their way to the Pharisees ant
told them what things Jesus hat
IN