The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-05-03

kingdom was removed in the days of zedekiah the declaration was made that
 it would afterward be restored, with Mes
 siah as king. The fine linen of the
 rich man represented the justification which God had granted to the Jewish na-
 ton alone thus far. It was a typical jus tification accomplished through the law covenant and its sacrifices for sin atone
 ment administered by a typical priest year by year.
 A harvesting of the Jewish people be- gan with our Lords ministry and lasted 40
 years It ended in the year A. D. 70, when
 the rich man, as a nation, died at the
 hands of Titus and the Roman army. Ma tonally, the rich man is buried, and will be nonresident until the due time, when the Lords blessings will return to the
 Jewish people, as explained by St. Paul l in Romans Ri, 25-35. But although ma
 tionally dead, the Jewish people have been 1 very much alive eve1 since, and have
 beer ostracised and tormented with fiery I trials.
 Although the nation of the Jews con l tains representatives of all the tribes, 1t 1 is specially represented in Judah and Ben 1 jamin; and hence these two tribes consti- tute the one rich man. The other 10 1 tribes. 'scattered abroad" would propor- l tionately represent the five brethren" mentioned in the parable. This thought is confirmed by the statement, They have
 Moses and the prophets, let them hear then.' None but the 12 tribes of Israel had Moses and the prophets.
 Lazarus in Abraham's Bosom Lazarus, the poor outcast, who was 1 longing for a share of the rich man s
 favor and privileges, represented a cer- | tain class of Gentiles, such as the Gen. | 4. Id I
 who had such faith in Jesus that he said,
 T am not worthy that thou shouldst
 come into my house, but speak the word
 and my servant shall be healed" Jesus
 declared that He had not found such faith
 as that amongst the Israelites.
 1 Of the same Lazarus class was the Syro-
 Phenician woman, who besought Jesus to l heal her daughter. Jesus answered. Tt
 is not proper that I should take the chill
 dren's bread and give it to dogs'--the 1 Genties-"dogs" being a familiar name | for all outside the pale of Judaism. The
 woman at once recognized the application and said, Yea, Lord, yet the dogs eat
 of the crumbs which fall from the chil- l dren's table" In answer to such faith
 Jesus granted her the desired crumb.
 Here, then, we see the Lazarus class,
 sin sick, covered with sores-because not l sharers in Israefs yearly sin atonement | sacrifices-hungTy, because all of the
 prominent of God primarily belonged to l Israel-the companions of dogs, who licked
 their sores. They were outside the gate
 of divine favor, this Illustrating the same | lesson-that they were "aliens, strangers and foreigners to the commonwealth of Israel" This Lazarus class, composed | chiefly of Gentiies, had as it's nucleus ''the outcasts of Israer'-the publicans
 and sinners, who heard the gospel mes sage gladly, but whom the scribes and l .t-t T put out of the synagogues.
 1 The parable pictures great change in l this Lazarus class-they died to the con l ditions wherein they then were. They l ceased to be the poor beggars, aliens and strangers, sin sick. weary and hungry. But Lazarus was not buried, as was the I rici man; he was carried by the angels l to the bosom of Abraham. The angels were the apostles and ministers of the sospel-specially St. Peter and St. Paul. | These declared to the Gentiles that where l as once they were aliens, strangers and ! fo, eigners to the commonwealth of Israeli they were now brought nigh" | through faith in the Lord Jesus, and the begetting of the Holy Spirit.
 | Abraham typified God the Father of | the faithful, and the carrying of Lazarus | to 'Abraham's bosom" symbolically said l that the outeasts of Israel and the worthy GeDtiles became children of God, children l of Abraham, who typifed God. Thus also wrote the apostle, ''Ye are brought nigh through the blood of Christi If ye be Christ,s then are ye Abraham's seed, | and heirs according to the promise.' that | "all the families of the earth shall be blessed" by this seed of Abraham. Thus I St. Paul wrote, Israel hath not obtained | that which he seeketh, but the elect ob- | teined it, and the rest were blinded" !" and wrath came upon that people to the uttermost."
 The Jew in his misery has beheld with jealous eye the favor of God toward those whom he despised. He has even | humbled himself to ask that relief might | be sent to him through Christian Gen. l tiles-eyen ''one drop of refreshment. But | no relief will be afforded until the end I of this age-until the Messanic kingdom
 shall be established; and then Israel (both
 dead and living) shall obtain mercy l through the elect.-Rom.. xxi, 31, 32