Sighs from Hell, Scripture – Commentary
Luke the 16th. Verse 19. &c.
verse 19 THere was a certain rich man, which was cloathed in Purple, and fine linnen, and fared sumptuously every day.
verse 20 And there was a certain beggar, named Lazirus which was laid at his gate full of sores;
verse 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs, which fell from the rich mans Table: moreover the Dogs came and licked his sores.
verse 22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the Angels into Abrahams Bosome: the rich man also dyed, and was buried.
verse 23 And in Hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosome:
verse 24 And he cryed, 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.
verse 25 But Abraham said Son, remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evill things; but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
verse 26 And besides all this, between us and you, there is a great Gulf fixed, so that they which would passe from hence to you, cannot: neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
verse 27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore Father, that thou wouldest send him to my Fathers House.
verse 28 For I have five Brethren, that he may testifie unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
verse 29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the Prophets, l…t them hear them.
verse 30 And he said, Nay, Father Abraham; but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
verse 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be perswaded, though one rose from the dead.
Verse 19.
THis Scripture was not spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ, to shew you the state of two single persons onelyonly, (as some through their ignorance of the drift of Christ in his Parables, do dream) but to shew you the state of the godly and ungodly to the Worlds end; as is clear to him that is of an understanding heart. For he spake them to the end, that after Generations should take notice thereof, and fear, lest they also fell into the same condition.
Now, in my discourse upon these words, I shall not be tedious, but as briefly as I may, I shall pass through the several Verses, and lay you down some of the several truths contained therein: and the Lord grant that they may be profitable, and of great advantage to those that read them, or hear them read.
The 19 and 20 Verse also, I shall not spend much time upon, onel… give you three or four short hints, and so pass to the next Verses; for they are the words I do intend most especially to insist upon.
The 19▪ 20, and 2…, Verses …un thus, There was a … rich man▪ which was cloathed in Purple and s…e … and fared delici…sly … sumptuously everyday. And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his Gate full of force, &c.
1. If these Verses had been spoken by Jesus Christ, and no more all the World would have gone … to have cast a wrong interpretation on …, if Jesus had said onelyonly thus much, There was a certain rich man that fared sumptuously daily and a certain beggar laid at his Gate full of sores. The World would have made this conclusion of them, the rich man was the happy man. For at the first view, it doth represent such a thing. But take all together, (that is) read the whole Parable, and you shall find, that there is no man in a worse condition then he, as I shall clearly hold forth afterward.
2. Again, if a man would judge of men according to outward appearance, he shall oft… take his mark …miss. Here is a man to outward appearance, appears the only blessed man; bet…e… by half then the beggar, in as much as he is rich, the beggar poor; he is well cloathed, but peradventure the beggar is naked; he hath good food, but the beggar would be glad of Dogs meat (And he desired to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich mans Table;) the rich man fares well every day, but the beggar must be glad of a bit when he can get it. Oh! who would not be in the rich mans state? A wealthy man, sorts of new Suits, and dainty dishes every day: enough to make one, who minds nothing but his belly, and his back, and his lusts, to say, Oh that I were in that mans condition! Oh that I had about me, as that man had! Then I should live a life indeed; then should I have hearts ease good store; then I should live pleasantly, and might say to my soul, Soul, be of good chear, eat, drink and be merry, Luke 12. 19. thou hast every thing plenty, and art in a most blessed condition.
I say this might be, I, and is the conclusion with them that judge according to outward appearance. But if the whole Parable be well considered, you will see, Luke 16. 15. That that which is had in high estimation with men, is an abomination in the sight of God. And again, Joh. 16. 20, 21, 22. that condition that is the saddest condition, according to outward appearance, is oft times the most excellent; for the beggar had ten thousand degrees the best of it, though to outward appearance, his state was the saddest; from whence we shall observe thus much.
1. That those who judge according to outward appearance, do for the most part judge amiss. Joh. 7. 24.
2. That they who look upon their outward enjoyments to be tokens of Gods special grace unto them, are also deceived, Rev. 3. 17. For as it is here in the Parable, a man of wealth, and a child of the Devil may make but one person; or a man may have abundance of outward enjoyments, and yet be carryed by the devils into eternal burnings, Luke 12. 20. But this is the trap in which the Devil hath caught many thousands of poor souls, namely, by getting them to judg according to outward appearance, or according to Gods outward blessings.
Do but ask a poor carnal covetous wretch, how we should know a man to be in a happy estate; and he will answer, Those that God blesseth, and giveth abundance of this world unto; when for the most part they are they that are the cursed men. Alas, poor men! they are so ignorant, as to think, that because a man is increased in outward things, and that by a small stock, therefore God doth love that man with a special love, or else he would never do so much for him, never bless him so, and prosper the work of his hands. Ah poor soul! it is the rich man that goes to hell. And the rich man dyed, and in hell, mark, in hell, he lift up his eyes, &c.
Methinks to see how the great ones of the world will go st…n…ing up and down the streets sometimes, it makes me wonder. Surely they look upon themselves to be the only happy men, but it is because they judg according to outward appearance; they look upon themselves to be the only blessed men, when the Lord knows, the generality are left out of that blessed condition. Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called, 1 Cor. 1. 26. Ah! did they that do now so br…g, that no body dare scarce look on them, but believe this, it would make them hang down their heads, and cry, O give me a Lazarus's portion.
I might here enlarge very much, but I shall not; only thus much I shall say to you that have much of this World; Have a care that you have not your portion in this world; take heed that it be not said to you hereafter, when you would very willingly have heaven. Remember in your life time you had your good things, in your life time you had your portion, Psalm 17. 14.
And Friend, thou that seekest after this world, and desirest riches, let me ask this question, wouldest thou be content that God should put thee off with a portion in this life? Wouldest thou be glad to be kept out of heaven with a back well cloathed, and a belly well filled with the dainties of this world? Wouldest thou be glad to have all thy good things in thy life time, to have thy heaven to last no longer then while thou dost live in this world? Wouldest thou be willing to be deprived of eternal happiness and felicity? If you say no, then have a care of the world and thy sins; have a care of desiring to be a rich man, lest thy Table be made a snare unto thee, Psal. 69. 22. lest the wealth in this world do bar thee out of glory. For as the Apostle saith, They that will be rich do fall into temptation, and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtfull lusts, which drown men in perdition and destruction, 1 Tim. 6. 9. Thus much in general, but now more particularly.
These two men here spoken of (as I said) do hold forth to us the state of the godly and ungodly: the beggar holdeth forth the godly, and the rich man the ungodly. There was a certain rich man, &c.
But why are the ungodly held forth under the notion of a rich man?
1. Because Christ would not have them look too high, as I said before, but that those who have riches should have a care, that they be not all their portion, Jam. 1. 10, 11, 12. 1 Tim. 6. 17.
2. Because rich men are mostly able to the Devils temptations; are most ready to be puft up with pride, stoutness, cares of this world, in which things they spend most of their time, in lusts, drunkenness, wantonness, idleness, together with the other works of the flesh, For which things sake, the wrath of God commeth upon the children of disobedience, Col. 3. 6.
3. Because he would comfort the hearts of his own, which are most commonly of the poorer sort, But God hath chosen the poor, despised and base things of this world, 1 Cor. 1. 26. Should God have set the rich man in the blessed state, his children would have concluded, being poor, that they had no share in the life to come.
And again, had not God given such a discovery of the sad condition of those that are for the most part rich men; we should have had men conclude absolutely, that the rich are the blessed men. Nay, albeit the Lord himself doth so evidently declare, that the rich ones of the world are for the most part in the saddest condition, yet they through unbelief, or else presumption, do harden themselves, and seek for the glory of this world, as though the Lord Jesus Christ did not means as he said: or else that he will say more than shall assuredly come to pass: but let them know, that the Lord hath a time to fulfill that he had a time to declare, for the Scripture cannot be broken, Joh. 10. 35.
But again, the Lord by this word doth not mean those are ungodly, who are rich in the world, and no other, for then must all those that are poor, yet graceless and vain men be saved, and delivered from eternal vengeance; which would be contrary to the word of God, which saith, That together with the Kings of the earth, and the great men, and the chief Captains, and the mighty men, there are bondmen or servants, and slaves, that cry out at the appearance of the Almighty God, and his Son Jesus Christ to Judgment, Rev. 6. 15.
So that though Christ doth say, There was a certain rich man, yet you must understand he meaneth all the ungodly, rich or poor. Nay, if you will not understand it so now, you shall be made to understand it to be so meant at the day of Christs second comming, when all that are ungodly shall stand at the left hand of Christ with pale faces, and guilty Consciences, with the vials of the Almighties wrath ready to be powred out upon them. Thus much in brief touching the 19th verse. I might have observed other things from it, but now I forbear, having other things to speak of at this time.
Verse 20.
And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate full of sores.
THis verse doth chiefly hold forth these things. 1. That the Saints of God are a poor contemptible people. There was a certain beggar. If you understand the word beggar, to hold forth outward poverty, or scarcity in outward things, the Saints of the Lord, for they are for the most part, a poor, despised, contemptible people. But if you allegorize it, and interpret it thus, They are such as beg earnestly for heavenly food; this is also the spirit of the Children of God, and it may be, and is a truth in this sence, though not so naturally gathered from this Scripture.
2. That he was laid at his gate full of sores.] These words hold forth the distempers of believers, saying, He was full of sores; which may signify the many troubles, temptations, persecutions, and afflictions in body and spirit which they meet withal while they are in the world; but also the entertainment they find at the hands of those ungodly ones, who live upon the earth. Whereas it is said, He was laid at his gate full of sores. Mark, He was laid at his gate, not in his house, that was thought too good for him, But he was laid at his gate full of sores. From whence observe, That the ungodly world do not desire to entertain and receive the poor Saints of God into their houses. If they must needs be somewhere near unto them, yet they shall not come into their houses: shut them out of doors, if they will needs be near us, let them be at the gate. And he was laid at the gate full of sores. 2. Observe, that the world are not at all touched with the afflictions of Gods children, for all they are full of sores; a despised, afflicted, tempted, persecuted people, the world doth not pitty; no, but rather labour to aggravate their trouble, by shutting them out of doors; sink, or swim, what cares the world, they are resolved to disown them, they will give them no entertainment; if the lying in the streets will do them any good; if hard usage will do them any good; if to be disowned, rejected, and shut out of doors by the World will do them any good, they shall have enough of that, but otherwise no refreshment, no comfort from the World. And he was laid at his Gate full of sores.