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12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?

'Another man's.' The word 'man's' is not in the original. It is, 'If ye have been unfaithful managers for another." It refers, doubtless, to God. The wealth of the world is his. It is committed to us as his stewards; and if, while intrusted with this, we are unfaithful, we cannot expect that he will confer on us the rewards of heaven. 'That which is your own.' The riches of heaven, which, if once given to us, may be considered as ours-that is, it will be permanent, fixed, and will not be taken away as if at the pleasure of another. The meaning of the whole parable is, therefore, thus expressed: If we do not use the things of this world as we ought-with honesty, truth, wisdom, and integrity we cannot have evidence of piety, and shall not be received into heaven. If we are true to that which is least, it is an evidence that we are the children of God, and he will commit to our trust that which is of infinite importance, even the eternal riches and glory of heaven.

13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

See Matt, vi. 24.

14 And the pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him. 15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men, is abomination in the sight of God.

"They derided him.' They ridiculed, or laughed at him. They were avaricious, and they ridiculed the doctrine that they ought to be benevolent with their property. 'Justify yourselves.' Attempt to appear just. That which is highly esteemed.' That is, mere external works, or actions performed merely to appear to be righteous. 'Is abomination." Is abominable, or hateful. There are many things esteemed among men which are not abomination in the sight of God; as truth, parental and filial affection, industry, &c. But many things, much sought and admired, are hateful in his sight. The love of wealth and show, ambition and pride, gay and splendid vices, and all the wickedness that men contrive to gild and to make appear like virtue, are abominable in the sight of God, and should be in the sight of men. Compare Luke xviii, 11-14. 1 Sam. xvi. 7.

16 The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.

See Matt. xi. 12-14. 'Every man.' Many men, or multitudes: meaning that it occupied general attention.

17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.

See Matt. v. 18.

18 Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.

See Matt. v. 32. These verses occur in Matthew in a different order, and it is not improbable that they were spoken by our Saviour at different times.

19There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

This narrative is to be considered as a parable, referring not to any particular case which had actually happened, but teaching that such cases might happen. The design of the parable was to impress all the truths he had just taught them more vividly on the mind, and to show the pharisees that with all their boasted righteousness, and external correctness of character, tney might be lost amidst all their wealth. Accordingly he speaks of no great fault in the rich man, no external degrading vice, no open breach of the law; but leaves us to infer, that the mere possession of wealth is dangerous to the soul; and that a man, surrounded with every temporal blessing, may perish for ever. 'Clothed in purple.' A purple robe or garment. This was an expensive as well as splendid colour, and was chiefly worn by princes, nobles, and those who were very wealthy. Compare Matt. xxvii. 28. "Fine linen.' This linen was chiefly produced of the flax that grew on the banks of the Nile, in Egypt. Prov. vii. 16. Ezek. xxvii. 7. It was peculiarly soft and white, and was so expensive that it could be worn only by princes, by priests, or by those who were very rich. Gen. xli. 42. 1 Chron. xv. 27. Ex. xxviii. 5. Fared sumptuously.' Feasted or lived in a splendid manner. 'Every day Not merely occasionally, but constantly. This was a mark of great wealth, and in the view of the world, an evidence of great happiness.

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20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate full of sores, 21 And de

siring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores.

6 Beggar.' Poor man. The original word does not mean beggar, but simply that he was poor. It should have been so translated to keep up the contrast with the rich man. 'Named Lazarus.' The word Lazarus is Hebrew, and means a man destitute of help, a needy, poor man. It is a name given, therefore, to denote his needy condition. Laid at his gate." At the door of the rich man, in order that he might obtain aid. "Full of sores.' Such as often are the accompaniments of poverty and want. These are designed to show how different was his condidition from that of the rich man. He was clothed in purple: the poor man was covered with sores. He fared sumptuously: the poor man was dependent even for the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table. The dogs came.' There was no provision made for the helpless poor in those days, and consequently they were often laid at the gates of the rich and in places of public resort for charity. See Acts iii. 2. The gospel has been the means of all the public charity for the needy, as it has of providing hospitals for those who are sick and afflicted. No pagan nation ever had an hospital or an alms-house for the needy, the aged, or the afflicted. Many heathen nations, as the Hindoos and the Sandwich Islanders, destroyed their aged people, and all left their poor to the miseries of public begging, and their sick to the care of their friends or to private charity,

22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: The rich man also died, and was buried;

'Was carried by the angels.' The Jews held the opinion that the spirits of the righteous were conveyed by angels to heaven at their death. Angels are ministering spirits sent forth to minister to those who are heirs of salvation, Heb. i. 14; and there is no more improbability in the supposition that they attend departing spirits to heaven, than that they attend them while on earth. Abraham's bosom,' The Jews had no doubt that Abraham was in paradise. To say that Lazarus was in his bosom was, therefore, the same as to say that he was admitted to heaven and made happy there. The Jews moreover boasted very much of being the friends of Abraham and his descendants, Matt. iii. 9. To be his friend was, in their view, the highest honour and happiness. Our Saviour, therefore, showed them that this poor and afflicted man might be raised to the highest happiness, while the rich, who prided themselves on their being descended from Abraham, might be cast away and lost for ever. 'Was buried.' This is not said of the poor man Funerals were, as they are now, often expensive,

splendid, and ostentatious. This is said of the rich man to show that he had every earthly honour, and all that the world deems happy and desirable.

23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

The word here translatea nell (Hades) means literally a dark, obscure place, the place where departed spirits go, but especially the place for wicked spirits. He lifted up his eyes.' A phrase in common use among the Hebrews, meaning he looked. Gen. xiii. 10; xviii. 2; xxxi. 10. Dan. viii. 3. Luke vi. 20. The use of the word here denotes that the sufferings of the wicked can be represented only by the extremest forms of human suffering. 'And seeth Abraham,' &c. What a contrast! Just now he was rolling in wealth, and the poor man was at his gate: he had no idea of these sufferings; now they have come upon him, and Lazarus is happy, received by angels, and for ever fixed in the paradise of God. It is more, perhaps, than we are authorized to infer that the wicked will see those who are in paradise. That they will know that they are there is certain. These circumstances mean that there will be a separation, and that the wicked in hell will be conscious that the righteous, though on earth they were poor or despised, will be in heaven.

24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

The Jews considered it a signal honour that Abraham was their father; that is, that they were descendants from him. Though this man was now in misery, yet he seems not to have abandoned the idea of his relation to the father of the faithful. The Jews supposed that departed spirits might know and converse with each other. Our Saviour speaks in conformity with that prevailing opinion; as it was not easy to convey ideas about the spiritual world without some such representation. 'Have mercy on me. Pity me. The rich man is not represented as calling on God. The mercy of God will be at an end when the soul is lost. Nor did he ask to be released from that place. Lost spirits know that their sufferings will have no end, and that it would be in vain to ask to escape the place of torment. Nor does he ask to

be admitted where Lazarus was. He had no desire to be in a holy place, and he well knew that there was no restoration to those who once sink down to hell. 'Send Lazarus.' Soon the poorest men on earth, if they are the friends of God, will have mercies which the rich, if unprepared to die, can never obtain. Dip the

tip,' &c. This was a small favour to ask, and it shows the greatness of his distress, when so small a thing would be considered a great relief. 'Cool my tongue.' The effect of great heat on the body is to produce thirst, almost insupportable thirst. So pain of any kind produces thirst. The sufferings of the rich man are, therefore, represented as producing burning thirst, so much so that even a drop of water would be refreshing to his tongue. And we can scarce form an idea of more distress and misery, than for this to be continued from one day to another without relief. I am tormented.' am in anguish, in insupportable distress. In this flame.' The lost are often represented as suffering in flames, because fire is an image of the severest pain that we know. See note, Mark ix. 44.

25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

'Son.' He was a descendant of Abraham, a Jew, and Abraham is represented as calling this thing to his remembrance. It would not lessen his sorrows to remember that he was a son of Abraham, and that he ought to have lived worthy of that relation to him. Remember." This is a cutting word in this place. One of the chief torments of hell will be the remembrance of what was enjoyed, and of what was done in this world. Nor will it be any mitigation of the suffering, to spend an eternity in which there will be nothing else to do day or night but to remember what was enjoyed, and what mignt have been, if the life had been right. Thy good things.' That is, property, splendour, honour. 'Evil things. Poverty, contempt, and affliction. But now,' &c. How changed the scene! How different the condition! It

probable that Lazarus had the most real happiness in the land of the living, for riches without the love of God can never confer happiness. But the comforts of the rich man are now gone for ever, and the joys of Lazarus have just commenced. One is to be comforted for ever, and the other to be tormented to all eternity. How much better, therefore, is poverty, with the friendship of God, than riches, with all that the world can bestow !

26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

The word translated 'gulf,' means chasm, or the broad, yawning space between two high objects, or two precipices. Fixed." Strengthened, made firm. It is so established that it will never be movable or passable. Which would pass.' This intimates that there will be a wish to leave that place of sorrow. Sinners

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