November 19 — On the rich Man, and the poor Beggar. Luke xvi

Consider, first, the words of our Lord in the Gospel — “ There was a certain rich man,” saith he, “ who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and feasted sumptuously every day. And there w'as a certain beggar, named Lazarus, who lay at his gate, full of sores, desiring to be filled with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table; and no one did give him: moreover the dogs came, and licked his sores. And it came to pass that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom. And the rich man also died, and he was buried in hell. And lifting up his eyes, when he was in torments, he saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom; 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, to cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. And Abraham said to him. Son, remember that thou didst receive good things in thy life time, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is fixed a great chaos; so that they who would pass from& hence to you, cannot, nor from thence come hither, &/C. Sec here, my soul, a great difference in life — between the rich man, abounding in all that this world could give, and living in pleasures and delights — and the poor beggar, wanting even the necessaries of life, and languishing under a multitude of sores and ulcers; but look, and observe how quickly the scene i changed, and what a greater and eternal difference immediately succeeds after death, when the one is comforted with everlasting joy and happiness and the other plunged into the extremity of endless misery where he cannot even be allowed one drop of water to cool hi# tongue.

Consider, secondly, what it was that brought the rich man to this place of eternal wo; since here is no mention in the Gospel of any scandalous excesses that he was guilty of; no blasphemies, or perjuries, or profane swearing; no murders, no adulteries, or other impurities; no thefts, or rapines, or extortions; no slanders, or detractions, or lies; it is only said that he was clothed in purple and fine linen and feasted sumptuously every day; things in which, considering his state and condition, the world apprehends no sin. What, then, can we suppose to have been the occasion of his damnation? O, Christians, his sins were chiefly sins of omission of the service of God; he led an idle life; he loved his pleasures more than God; he made a god of his belly; he had no concern for the poor; so that he lived in a continual breach of the two great commandments, of loving God with his whole heart, and of loving his neighbour as himself; and certainly there needs no other sins to send any man to hell. See then, my soul, thou never flatter thyself with the imagination of thy being innocent; nor promise thyself any security, because thou art not guilty perhaps of the grosser sort of sins; whilst thou leadest an idle, unprofitable life, following the ways and maxims of worldlings, and loving the honours, riches, or Measures of the world better than God; for such a life as this can never bring any one to heaven; it is too remote from the narrow way that leads to life.

Consider, thirdly, in the case of the poor beggar, the happy fruits of patient suffering; of a true conformity, in all things, to the will of God; and of always keeping one’s self close to him, by recollection and divine love, in every place, occupation, or condition of life. For it was thus the poverty and the pains of Lazarus were sanctified, and made the seeds of his eternal happiness. O that all such Christians as share in any part of his suf ferings, were so wise and happy in their deportment under them, as to reap the like fruits for eternity, from their temporal evils I But O, it is the want of a lively faith of the great truths of God,- y delivered to us in the Scriptures; it is the want of a true sense of the goods and evils of eternity; it is the want of seriously thinking and considering; is too often the bane both of the rich and of the poor; for otherwise, as our Lord here informs us, these Scripture truths ought to influence us more powerfully towards the total change of our lives, than even if any person were to come from the dead to preach unto us.

Conclude to labour and pray for heavenly wisdom, to conduct thee in such manner, in the midst of the goods and evils of this transitory life, that both the one and the other may be made subservient to thy eternal happiness.