Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1909-04-24
PEOPLES PULPIT.
The Rich Man In Hell; L.aza-
rus In Abraham's Bosom
Greatly Misunderstood Para
ble" Delivered In the Coliseum.
Toledo. 0.

y
and Lazarus in his bosom" Luke xvi. 23). I
ooO.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-s-s-s
to all the various parts OF the parable
and be reasonable. Scriptural and har-
monlous. Yet we have never seen any
lucid Interpretation except that which
we now present.
The rich man symbolIzes the Jewish
nation. For centuries that people were
Gods peculiar people. OF whom he
said. You only have known (recog-
nized) OF all the families OF the earth"
(Amos Ill. p.
st. Paul tells us that the Jews had
much advantage every way. chiefly
because that unto them were commit
ted the orac'es OF God" (Romans Ill. p.
These divine gifts. favors. blessings,
promises, are all symbolically repre-
scented In the rich mans condition.
First.--His clothing Of purple SYM
bolically represented royalty. That ma
ton God had organized as his king
dom, as we read. David sat on the
throne Of the kingdom OF the Lord"
and. again, Solomon sat on the throne
Of the kingdom of the Lord in the
room of his father David" Although
this kingly power was taken away
from them in the days Of the king
Zedekiah. nevertheless the scepter Of
authority remained with them. THE
sceptcr shall not depart from Judah
- until Shiloh come" Messiah was
therefore to come TO that nation, that
II might have the great honor Of being
his kingdom. the channel Of divine
blessing TO the world.
Second.-The fine linen symbollcally
represented righteousness. the right
eousness which by divine arrange
ment was reckoned to that holy ma
ton year by year continually" for
centuries. as result Of their atone
ment day sacrifices.
Third.-The sumptuous fare repre-
sented the gracious promises Of God
through the law and the prophets and
his covenants with that nation.
Lazarus. the poor beggar full OF
sores who ute of the crumbs, symbol
lied those gentiles who were outside
of the Jewish covenant aliens and
strangers from the commonwealth OF
Israel. They had not the health and
fine linen symbolical OF justification
and harmony with God. Their sores
and rags represented their degrade
ton, sin and alienation from divine
favor aud forgiveness. The eating OF
h.. hn oh n "a IN La
represented that under divine arrange
ment every promise aud favor really
belonged 10 the Jews and that every
blessing granted to the gentiles was
from lsrael's fullness. Such crumbs Of
comfort were the healing Of the cen
turion's daughter and the Cyro-Phoeni.
clan woman's daughter. When this
mother asked relief for her child Jesus
answered. 1T Is not meet to take the
cnildrens bread ami 10 Civ. il ~ the
dogs" Our Lord thus used an apho-
rism of that time and country under
which the Jews spoke Of all gentiles as
heather dogs The woman accepted
the answer without offense, knowing
that It was the Jewish sentiment In
general. but she replied. Yea. Lord.
yet the little dogs eat OF the crumbs
which fall from the children's table"
Here she applied the word deg to her.
self and other gentiles. and the favor
which she requested she called a
crumb from the Jewish table, follow
ing our Lords own suggestion In the
matter.
Fourth.-The dogs which licked Laz-
arus' sores represented gentiles in gen.
eral and that the class OF them repre-.
scented by Lazarus, anxious for n share
In divine mercy and grace. were COM
panions OF dogs. aliens. foreigners from
divine favor.
Bessar and Rich Man Die.
The death which came TO the rich
man and TO the beggar In the parable
represents n decided change as respects
divine favors and treatment ON the
part OF both parties. The rich man.
the Jewish nation. took sick. and the
dying process began from the time Of
our Lords crucihxion. As our Lord
declared. Behold. your house Is left
unto you desolate" (Matthew XIII. 3s).
For thirty -srven years the rich man.
the Jewish nation. gradually died TO all
Of the wonderful privileges and bless
ings which had been theirs as Gods
peculiar people. The death OF that ma
ton occurred In the year 20. when Jeru-
salem was destroyed by Titus army.
Never since have they had national
life. They have been dead and buried.
entombed In hades as a nation. Thank
God. the resurrection Of Israel to na.
tional life Is clearly foretold under the
new covenant at the second coming OF
Messiah In the glorious reign of the
spiritual kingdom. Behold. the days
come. saith the Lord. when will
make new covenant with the house
OF Israel and with the house of Ju-
dab" Jeremiah XXI. 81.
The death Of the beggar occurred