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that is to say, the Word of God. If His Word is not believed, the ease of men is hopeless. This is an important verse for those who discredit the Pentkteuch and deny the authority of Moses. Lazarus, is a t peace. Paradise is a place of comfort. He is forever separ ated from the distresses th a t attended his pilgrim journey, and forever sep arated unto eternal rest and happiness. PRACTICAL POINTS (1) In the day of wrath, riches will he found wanting. (2) A good name is worth more than much wealth. (3) Why tie yourself to earthly treas ures when heaven is your home? (4) What profit is there in profiteer ing when riches bring no rest? (5) Destinies are determined here and are eternal. (6) The identity of the individual in the other world is certified to by Jesus Himself. (7) Memory is active In''the next world and so is the accusing conscience. (8) The only recorded petition to a de parted sain t was an unanswered prayer. (9) The Lord sets His seal to the suffi ciency of the Scriptures. v. 19. There was a certain man. It is not said th a t this is a parable. It is related as an historical incident. We are introduced to a certain rich man. God did not think COMMENTS FROM him of sufficient MANY SOURCES i m p o r t a n c e Keith L. Brooks to mention his 'J' name. Rich men are not of as much consequence in God’s eyes as they are in ours.—Tor- rey. Jesus called him not an oppressor of the poor, nor a robber, nor a spoiler of orphans, a persecutor of widows. None of these, but what did He say? “A certain rich man”—and what was his crime? A Lazarus at his gate and lying unrelieved.—Augustine. Called by some Dives. Dives is simply the Latin for “a rich man.”—Camb. Bible. Fared sumptuously. A life of ban quets. The description generally might
well have applied to Herod Antipas (7:26; Mk. 6:14, 21).—F arrar. The rich man thought his wealth was his own to do with as he liked. It never occurred to him th a t he would have to give account of it to God. How did he incur such an awful and hopeless doom? By his flagrant breach of tru st in not using his wealth for the relief of those whose sufferings touched the divine* heart and to whom he should have been the messenger of Christ.—-Dale. Cer tain destruction awaits the worldly. Peace and joy await those who have laid up treasure in heaven.—Taylor. v. 20. Named Lazarus. Seems He not to have been reading from th a t book where He found the name of the poor man written but found not the name of the rich, for that book is the book of life?—Augustine. Laid a t his gate. God pushed opportunity right under the rich man’s nose and he did not use it.—Bennett. Thé rich man’s ignor ance of Lazarus was culpable. A man ought to know the sorrowà. of those who are in his path.—Vaughan. v. 21. Dogs licked his sores. In contrast with the inhumanity of men toward the beggar is set the pity of the dogs. They licked his sores as they licked their own.—Willcock. This en hances the rich man’s neglect. The fault of Dives was careless selfishness. —Camb. Bible. Desiring to be fed. It is implied that his appeals were not heeded. The story teaches the respons ibility of rich men not only for what they do hut for what they do not do with their wealth.—Speakers’ Com. v. 22. The beggar died. The beg gar died first, being taken from his sufferings. The other was given longer space for repentance. The beggar is carried by angels. In his life he had not a single friend and now suddenly not one but many angels wait upon him.—Luther. Carried by angels. The scornful’ rabbis who were listening would have declined to accompany a beggar’s funeral. The angels gladly escort his liberated spirit to the abodes of the blessed for he was a true child > of God.—Grossart. Abraham’s bosom. His spirit went to the happy side of hades where; the saints rested in bliss. —Horn. Com. To correct the notion th a t wealth as such excludes from hap piness hereafter or th a t poverty as such insures fruition of that happiness, it is sufficient to observe th a t the beggar - Lazarus is carried by angels into the bosom of the rich man Abraham who
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