Of the Rich Man and Lazarus, Commentary on Luke · Chapter:verse 16:26
Verſe. 26
And beſides all this, between vsus and you there is a great gulfe, &c.
Heere wee hauehave the ſecond parte of Abrahams reply: wherein hee further ſheweth, how impoſſible it is that this Rich mans eſtate ſhould bee bettered, or bee other then it is: for, hee ſayth, betweene vsus, and you, &c. as if he had ſayd, God, by an euerlaſting ord nance and law hath barred the way from vsus in heauen to you in hell; betweene, there is a gulfe, or gaping pit, and no bridge ouer. And there is no hope of euer comming nearer then wee be. Further, if any would come from vsus to you, which is not to bee imagined they cannot; and as they cannot, ſo they neuer will. This is Abrahams meaning.
Where we learne that the ſtate of wicked men after this life is vnchangeable, and euer the ſame.Doct. They that are in hell can neuer come out; as they that are in heauen, can neuer come thence: and ſo wee ſee the impoſſibilitie of getting out of hell, being once in; for which it is called the deepe, Luk. 8.31; and of which Eſay ſpeaking ſayth, He hath made it deepe, Eſa. 30.33, and therefore deepe, becauſe the damned there are ſo caſt downe, that they neuer riſe, Pſal. 140.10. Chriſt ſayth of him, whom he ſent to the hels, Binde him hand and foot, Math. 22.13, as if he had ſayde; by ſtripping him of all meanes of defence, and wayes of eſcaping, let him goe and neuer returne. For they who are caſt with their hands and feet bound into ſuch a deepe, how can they come out? This was ſpoken of before vponupon the 23. verſe, the words, And beeing in hell in torments, &c. Doct. 2. there.
But is there no comming out of hell? Then take wee heede how wee come there? that is, Vſe, While wee are in the way of grace, let the deepe of hell call to deepe repentance, as if One deepe ſhould call to another, Pſal. 42.7. Here let vsus come ou… of our ſinnes by conuerſion to God, that hereafter we come not with our ſinnes, or in them to the place where is no comming out. If now wee humble our ſelues, wee ſhall bee exalted in due time, 1. Pet. 5.6: not caſt downe, as they who goe to hell, are; but exalted; for to bee exalted is, to aſcend vp; not to bee ſent into the deepe. One ſpeaking of the afflicted here for ſinne, ſayth truly; The deeper in hell, the higher in Heauen. His meaning is, the more men feele it here for ſinne, the further they are from it, and from ſinne, that caſteth into Hell for euer.
A reproofe of Origens error, Vſe. 2 which was, that after a time the ſoules which are in hell ſhall come out, and that at laſt, or after a thouſand yeares, the Deuils themſelues ſhall bee ſaued. Alſo the ſpeeches of harrowing hell, and of bringing ſoules out of Purgatory; that is, ſoules out of the fire of Hell, are lying ſpeeches: the faith and ſpeeches of Papiſts, and the current doctrine of the blind world of Chriſtendome, till within theſe hundred yeares: for they that are in Hell, neuer come out; and the eſtate in which we dye is conſtant, and the ſame for euer. Cain and Saul, and Iudas, and al reprobates, as they fell in their bodies, ſo they ſhal… riſe in them to iudgement: no better in perſon, nor in better manner.
A comfort to thoſe whoſe hope is in death, and whoſe death is peace at the laſt: Vſe. 3 for as they dye with much comfort, ſo they change not after death; but are much, and eternally comforted; their ſoules preſently; and ſoule and body after a while. In this hope they lay vp their fleſh, and in this ſure hope of a better, vnchangeable, eternal life; they lay vp, as in ſweet ſugar the hardeſt parts both of their life, and death here. They know that they ſo reſt in the hands of God, (whoſe wayes (as his gifts and calling) are all without repentance Rom. 1….29.) that they ſhall not bee remoued for euer. And this hath made many to paſſe through the very flames of fire to God with a ioyful calmneſſe. It made our godly fathers (as may be ſeene at large in the eleuenth to the Hebrewes) quietly and gladly to ſuffer much and great aduerſity; for they ſaw him that chā geth not, and looked for their abiding City, Heb. 13.15. And ſhould not, may not this, in as good aſſurance, and with like hope encourage vsus, as for a price, to ſet forth (as they did) to death? So to runne that wee may obtaine, 1. Cor. 9.24; So to fight, that wee may ouercome: 2. Tim. 4.8? And ſo to ſeeke Gods face of fauour here, that wee may continually ſee his face of glory in heauen, and euer bee with the Lord? Pſal. 17.15.
So much for Abrahams reply: This rich man is ſuppoſed to reioyne, as followeth.