The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-03-06

Rev. =. NJ. Gifin spoke last evening
from the parable OF the rich man ana
Lazarus, found in Luke Xvi:19.
In part, he said:
'ln this is q set of views carrying
from time over into eternity, most
exhibits stop at the tomb; this goes
far beyond. The characters belong to
our race. they indicate something or
our powers and prospects. There mas
been an attempt by some to turn away
this subject IRON personalities. Jesus
Christ was not simply painting Il PIC
ture lie was teaching lesson. II
loses its interest and influence II con-
sidered as applied To systems. In read
ing this chapter one feels that lne
characters We're drawn from lltc' Inc
light is strong, the contrasts are I'M
mcnse. The man robed in purple. the
most expensive of raiment, he tared
sumptuously every day.
There was Lazarus, the paupor. hc
had nothing. He had no mates save
the starving dogs of the Orient. Al
ready there was formed the chaSm
which mercy only could bridge. 1t uid
not and thereafter no one might cross
EEEEtl Ot In II L Nl<AANi ! -
Jesus did not mean to indicate the
moral status as distinguished by IN"
financial rating of the two men. lie
did not mean that the rich man is loot
and that the poor man becomes SAINT
What he meant was to fiN IN inc
thought of man the blasting erect ol
inhumanity. The theory that If man
has dollars he must be damned or II
he starvCS he must be saved, is not
the intention Of the parable. The rl'h
man might have been q bloated bond
holder. absorbed i'm himself and yet not
actively bad. one can think of I.azar-
us as foul in his soul as in his flesh,
If to be poor then means to be pious
then we know many poor people VINO
arr so spiteful and filed with hatred
and envy that they can be Eelther
companionahle i'm this world or else
Where. Jesus meant to convince these
silver-loving pharisees that their dot
lars had something to do with their
destinics.
Dives was probably not a bad man
as men go. lie was possibly no worse
than many persons in Scranton VINO
forget to be kind. He wasn't cruel, ne
was self-centred. He was not mon
ster and was not a minister. AS ne
srent he forgot the man at his gate.
1t is not necessary to give the ploW
with the bludgeon to be a murderer l
shuddcr when | read about those VINO
pass by on the other side.
DO not go home and think that be-
cause YOU have done no active wrong
YOU have avoided future wretcEednesS.
If is the not doing that starts eterna!
conditions. Dives not only forgot Laz-
arus but others, for in the world yon-
der he was alarmed for his brothers.
for whom he was probably un"oncerned
in life, and he blamed God for not
warning him.
NOT MERELY POOR.
| Lazarus seems to have been pious
and no. merely poor. He was belieV-
er and he went to his happy eternal
home. Both died, the man who wanted
to die. and the one who wanted to live
| TIE rich man wondered off into cheer
less misery.
Lazarus IS represented in the pic
! ture as the hOnored guest and thus the
contrast is continued. Many mourner'
for the rich, no coffin for the ethei
corpse thrown into the shallow rlt
Lazarus was escorted by an angel hos'
but now the surfeited one suffers. lie
seems to have taken his church mem
bership with him and asked that there
credentials be Eonored, but they wert
not. Bishop Browning says tersely
1T would have been worth while tC
say Father Abraham if somt
time before he had said Brother
! LaZaruS"'
HE was n sufferer but not peni
tent. 1t had lecn the idea that in th'
other world the partition between th'
two worlds is as thin as thread. Jesu:
SAYS emphatically here that this is no
so. but that the chasm is deep anC
wide.
1T has been said by some that :
personal application of this parable il
unlike the tender-hC arted teaching .
Jesus, but Indifference shows spiri
OF hate and mans loVelessness pre-
vents him from companionship Wit!
Him who is the persOnifcation of love
Jesus Christ has done everythin.
He can do to teach us to avoid a dread
fu! hereafter. The savants say tn
chasm has been briGged. They say on
can get in and then get out after earn
ing hell. I cannot read il in the Book
His picture in this parable has mad
clear that there is no change of cOndi
tions in the future life when once it i
| entered