Discourses Upon the Rich Man and Lazarus, Collection of sermons · Sermon 6
SERMON VI.
Luke xvi.xxv.
But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy Life-time, receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
THESE Words begins the Answer which Abraham made to the Rich Man's Request which is set down in the foregoing Verse; and this Answer consists of two Parts; the former Part of it tends to convince the Rich Man of the Equity of his request being denied, in this Verse; and the latter Part is to convince him likewise of the impossibility of its being fulfilled, in the Verse which follows. I shall first considerw hat relates to the Equity of the refusal in this Verse; But Abraham said, &c.
In which part of the Answer we have these four things, the Title of the Person spoken to, the serious Act which he is put upon, the subject Matter of that Act, and a reasonable Inference propos'd from thence. 1. The Title of the Person spoken to; [Son]. As the Rich Man had called Abraham Father; so here Abraham calls him Son, as being Lineally descended from him, and of his Seed according to the Flesh, or because this was a common and customary Term, which Superiours made use of in speaking to their Inferiors. So Joshua to Achan, My Son, Josh. 7.19. And Eli to the Man that came out of the Israelitish Army, 1 Sam. 4.16. Nor is there any more Affection express't hereby, than by the usual Compellation of Friend, a Name sometimes given to real Enemies; as by Christ to Judas, Mat. 26.50. And to him that had not the Wedding-Garment, c. 22.12. who was afterwards bound Hand and Foot and taken away, and cast into outer Darkness, v. 13. Names and Titles are poor dependances, and will do no kindness to those who are not as they are called, but rather serve to upbraid and shame them. Abraham's Children, that walk not in his Steps, will fall into the greater Condemnation; if he be their Father, it will be enquir'd, where is their Faith, and their Obedience, in Imitation of his? For otherwise, such a Relation will but make them the greater Sinners, and the more miserable. 2. The serious Act which he is put upon, [Remember]. That Faculty which is so little improv'd, and so much perverted now, will be exercised hereafter, to the increase of thier Sorrow; for they will have Everlasting Leisure in Hell to review their Folly and Madness, while they liv'd on Earth. Those things which they would not apply their Hearts to in this World, they will not be able to avoid thinking o fin the next; as Jacob when he first heard of his Son's Incest, seems to pass it over in Silence, Gen. 35.22. But when he came to Dye, recollects it, and pronounces a sharp Censure upon it, c. 49.4. Men have their Arts of forgetfulness while they live, which are impracticable after Death; for the Sins which God retains, will be certainly brought to the Sinner's own remembrance. 3. The Subject Matter of this Act; which is Twofold, partly concerning himself, and partly referring to the Beggar. (1.) Concerning Himself; [That thou in thy Life-time receivedst thy good things]. All the Effects of Divine Bounty, so far as they proceed from that Spring, are truly stiled good things, tho of a temporal Kind; and this is the common Language of the Scripture, Psalm 103.5. Jer. 5.25. They are really good in their Measure and Degree, and capable of serving very good Ends and Purposes, if they were not abus'd by our Corruption. But here they are emphatically term'd his good things, because in his Opinion and Esteem they were the best things; and because he took them for his share and chose them for his Inheritance; and because he manag'd and enjoy'd them, as if he were not the meer Steward of them, but had an uncontroulable and absolute Propriety in them. These Things the Rich Man was to remember, had been given him in his Life-time; he had worn out his acceptable Season already; Providence had indulg'd him during that space, in what his Soul desir'd, tho now an End was put to all those Fruitions. (2.) That which referr'd to the Leggar; [And likewise Lazarus evil things]. Afflictions and Sufferings are properly Evils, tho they Work for good; their Operations and Issues do not alter their Nature. Now the Lot which was appointed and assign'd to Lazarus, consisted mostly of such things; and the same Hand, by the guidance of unerring Wisdom, distributed both; that which was grateful to the one, and grievous to the other; for Evil is received at the Hands of God, as well as Good, Job 2.10. He disposes and dispenses to all, according as he sees fit. 4. A reasonable Inference propounded from hence; [But now he (i. e. Lazarus) is Comforted and thou art Tormented.] He that took his turn of Misery before, is now advanc't to a state of Happiness, and thou who hast taken thy turn of Happiness, art justly thrust down to a state of Misery; God hath recompenc't his Poverty with Riches in Glory, and he hath punisht thy Sensuality with Extremity of want. Thou couldst not expect, that thou shouldst be Happy, or he be Miserable, in both Worlds; but as he preferr'd the Delights of Heaven to the Pleasures of Sin, so he now possesses them, and as thou hast chosen the Pleasures of Sin, tho follow'd with the Torments of Hell, so now thou art righteously Sentenc'd to endure them.
Obs. The outward Blessings which are afforded to wicked Men on Earth, will be sadly remembred in Hell, and the Justice of God vindicated thereby. Here
First, Shew on what Terms these outward Blessings are afforded to wicked Men.
Secondly, Why they will be sadly remembred in Hell.
Thirdly, How the Justice of God is vindicated by this Means.
Fourthly, The ƲSE.
First, To shew, on what Terms these outward Blessings are afforded to wicked Men on Earth. Ans. In five things.
1. They are sometimes given in Consideration of some piece of Service done to God, or to his People. Bad Men may in some Cases perform Actions materially Good; tho nothing savingly profitable to themselves, yet things publickly useful and beneficial to others, and to the Interest of Christ in the World. Now tho God deserve all this, and a great deal more and better at their Hands, and is so much beforehand with them, hat they can challenge no requital, yet he does generally overpay them for their greater Encouragement. God hath his differing Rewards for differing Persons; Eternal recompences for the Good, and Temporal ones for the Bad. The Men of the Earth are as God's hired Servants; when they do any thing for him, they seldom do it for nought. We have a signal instance; Ezek. 29.18, 19, 20. Son of Man, Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon caused his Army to serve a great Service against Tyrus, yet had he no Wages, nor his Army for it; therefore behold I will give him the Land of Egypt, &c. Because they wrought for me, saith the Lord God.
2. They are given them as their Portion. David prays to be deliver'd from the Men of the World, who have their Portion in this Life, Psalm 17.14. i. e. Their whole Portion made up of the things of this Life. When God gives out all the Good that he ever designs to give to this or that Man, it is call'd his Portion, as when the Prodigal, upon the Division of his Father's Estate, took that Part of it which fell to him, Luke 15.12. So Abraham, when he gave all his Haereditary Possessions to Isaac, the promised Seed, in whose Veins the Blood of the Covenant ran, yet to the Sons of the Concubines which he had, he gave Gifts also, Gen. 25.5, 6. He did not send them away empty, but gave them what they were to expect from him, at once, during his own Life. Thus God deals with the Children of this World; tho he does not make them Joyntheirs with his own, who are Joynt-heirs with Christ, (typified by Isaac) yet he allows them for their present liberal Maintenance, as his Creatures and off-spring in general.
3. They are given them in Compliance with their own Desire and Choice. God answers them in the Joy of their Heart, Eccl. 5.20. He grants them according to what they wish, and suffers them to please themselves; he sets two Worlds before them, seen Things in Hand, and unseen Things in Hope; and because they incline to that which is Visible and Present (as of our selves we all should do) he lets them have it, and try how Happy they can be made by it. As when Samuel had told the People the manner of the King that should Reign over them, how Arbitrary and Tyrannical, and yet they would not be disswaded, but still insisted on being like the rest of the Nations, God says, Hearken to their Voice, and make them a King, 1 Sam. 8.22. Let it be to them, as they require and resolve that it shall be; set up that Form of Government among them, which they are so fond of, and when they come to smart under it, as I have forewarn'd them, they may thank themselves. So here; 'tis Men's Folly to ask Riches and Wealth (contrary to 2 Chron. 1.11.) and God yeilds to their Request.
4. They are given as Trials of their Fidelity. Worldly Men are very apt indeed to think themselves Lords, and call these things their own, as if not accountable to God himself; so Nabal proudly and churlishly speaks of his Bread, and his Water, and his Flesh, 1 Sam. 25.11. But when God speaks of such things, he changes the style, and alters the Property; I will take away my Corn, and my Wine, and recover my Wool and my Flax, &c. Hos. 2.9. He does not say Yours, but Mine. The Things of this World are strictly committed to their Trust, and they are truly oblig'd to be faithful in the unrighteous Mammon, v. 11. of this Chap. God knows very well that they will not be so, before he proves them; and therefore the Experiment is not made for his own Information (as Christ once put a Question to Philip, to prove him, when he himself knew what he would do, John 6.6.) But others do not know, nor they themselves, what Corruption is in them, till discover'd by such means.
5. They are given in Judgment to them, not in Mercy; as appears by the Event. They that will be Rich (and whom God permits to obtain their Will) fall into Temptation and a Snare, 1 Tim. 6.9. the infinitely Wise God foresees how hurtful and mischievous these things will be to their greedy Owners, before they compass them; and therefore 'tis an instance of his displeasure, that he does not prevent or disappoint them. Whatsoever God gives, without his Effectual Grace, for a due Improvement of it, and escape of the Temptations belonging to it, is certainly given in Anger, rather than in Love. Psalm 69.22. Let their Table become a Snare before them, &c. Do not we take that for a Curse upon the Sinner's Prosperity? And how can this Curse be avoided, where Grace is denied, as an Antidote against the sweet, but killing Poison? As Judas's Discipleship made way for his Treason (he could never have betrayed Christ, if he had not been so familiar with him) so their flourishing prepares for their Destruction.
Secondly, Why will outward Blessings enjoy'd on Earth, be sadly remember'd by wicked Men in Hell? Ans. The Reasons are very Evident; it must needs be so, because.
1. 'Tis a miserable things for a Man to have been Happy, and to out-live his Felicity. They who never possest any thing desirable, cannot so well feel the loss of it. To think of what we did enjoy, and are now condemn'd to a perpetual want of, is most tormenting. A Sinner that hath merrily spent his Day, will have melancholy reflections upon it, when Night comes. 'Tis dreadful to consider, that all his Pleasure is gone, and the Place where he took his fill of it, must know him no more. When David in his time of Banishment from the Sanctuary, remember'd that he had gone with the Multitude of Devout Worshippers to the House of God, it almost overwhelm'd him, Psalm 42.4. So Jerusalem remember'd in the Days of her Affliction and Misery, all her pleasant things which she had in the Days of Old, Lam. 1.7. So 'tis dismal for a Soul shut up in the Bottomless Pit, to remember from whence it hath fallen; how it hath been plunged from the Pinnacle of worldly Happiness into those Depths of irrecoverable Wo.
2. They will be stung with a Sence of their Folly, in over-valuing things so unserviceable to them at their greatest need. They now find, that the Riches which they magnified, and trusted in, Profit not in the Day of Wrath, Prov. 11.4. Their strong City is beaten down, and the high Wall in their own Conceit, (like those of Jericho) is now laid flat. They find, that their gallantry and greatness was no Security against the force of Infinite Vengeance; for they have fared, like Agag, the King of the Amalekites, who tho he came delicately, was hewn in Pieces, 1 Sam. 15.32, 33. What a Price did I set (will the once Wealthy Sinner say) upon my great Possessions, which stood all for sorry worthless Cyphers at the approach of Death and Judgment? What am I the better now for that which I madly thought to be my chiefest Good? What have I done in leaning on such weak and wretched Supports, which have all failed me, and are utterly withdrawn from Me? How blind was I to make Gold my Confidence, instead of God? Like the Idolaters that lay bold upon feeble Deities, which cannot bear them up, 2 Chron. 7.22.
3. The Thoughts of these things will be the more uneasie, in that they were bewitcht by them into a total forgetfulness of God, and of their main Concernments. these very things diverted and put them by from chusing the good Part, which would never have been taken away from them; these sensual Delights on Earth kept them from having any Conversation in Heaven. These broken Cisterns made them forsake the Living Fountain; this outward Plenty led them to be regardless of their inward Poverty. In minding and pursuing earthly Things, they neglected their Souls and all that was Spiritual; like Saul, and his Servant, who went about seeking his Father's Asses so long, till they almost lost themselves, 1 Sam. 9.5. Will not the remembrance of this be very perplexing? That for such Vanities and Trifles they should wast all their Time, and hazard their Eternity? How may they Curse the Day wherein they were made Rich, and when the Glory of their House was increased? If they had been poorer in this World, perhaps they might have been Richer towards God.
4. Conscience will be always reckoning up, and upbraiding them with, their particular sinful Abuses of these things. As God hath a Book of Remembrance written before him, (his own Omniscience being a perfect Register of all our Sins) so the Sinner himself hath a Book of remembrance too in his own Bosom; he carries it about with him now, (as Ʋriah did the Letter from David to Joab) but he reads it not; whereas in Hell it will be always open, and he continually poring in it. And how many numberless Abominations will he find recorded there? He threw away his Talents, he cared not how, so that he might but gratisie his Lust; he consulted no Rule, confin'd himself to no Measure, in his use of these Things; but Conscience all this while kept a strict and faithful Account, and and in the next World this account will be all call'd over, and spread like the Prophet's Roll, which was written within and without, Lamentation, and Mourning, and Wo, Ezek. 2.10.
5. The Devil, who hath been their successful Tempter by these things, will be also their Everlasting Troubler. Satan is most ready to accuse those now, whom he cannot prevailingly tempt; as Joseph's Mistress charg'd him falsly with the wickedness which she could by no means allure him to commit; but these Accusations can do no harm, tho they may give some Disturbance, till the Soul is clear'd from them by the Witness of the Spirit. The Case of the Damned is much otherwise; they lye open to the foulest Charges from this Accuser, and have no Advocate to defend them; Jesus Christ hath already Sentenc'd them, and their own Hearts reproach them on the very same Score; so that here the Devil hath an Advantage against them, which his Malice will be ever improving. If he will trouble Believers with lying Calumnies, how much more will he torment the Sinner, when he hath Truth on his side? The Prince of this World will industriously put them in mind, with what empty Toyes he charm'd them into Hell.
Thirdly, How is the Justice of God vindicated hereby? For God will be clear when he judgeth, and the Condemned shall be speechless. Ans. In this Case we may consider, That
1. These good Things which they receiv'd, were truly good in their Original, and in their Tendency, and became Evil to them, meerly by their own Means. They were good in their Original, as they came down from God, James 1.17. And good in their Tendency, as they would carry back a thankful Receiver unto God. They might have used them as steps to ascend to Heaven by, and ought to have done so. A delightful Paradise was an help to Adam in raising up his Heart to his glorious Creator, till Sin corrupted and deprav'd him. Souls should be drawn to God even with outward Mercies, as with Bands of Love, Hos. 11.4. 'Tis unnatural to be weaned from him by the Kindness which he shews to us; and yet if we were not so weaned, our good Things could do us no Prejudice, but would be doubly beneficial.
2. There was a distinguishing Providence in the giving of these things to them. All the Members of God's Family had not such large Supplies. Others more Righteous than themselves, received evil things at the same time, as we read in the Text. They sate at ease, while the Church of God was afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, Isa. 54.11. They had a smooth Passage thro the World, while many excellent Saints were dealt very roughly with, and encounter'd a great many Difficulties in their way. Providence was favourable to them, when it was more severe to better Men. And therefore if such Clemency hath harden'd them, when the Rigour of Adversity hath wrought contrary Effects upon others, their Demnation must needs be Just.
3. Their life time was a suffcient time of Tryal; they had these good things long enough to see, whether they would be better'd by them or not. They spent their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasure; so there can be no room for complaint, that they were snatcht out of their hands, before they had any opportunity of doing good with them, or of getting good from them. They liv'd under the exercise of God's patient forbearance, as well as extraordinary bounty. It was one of the posing Questions which Job put to his friends, concerning the prosperously wicked, Wherefore do they live and become old? Job 21.7. as if it were hard to reconcile it to the righteousness of God, that they are permitted so long a life; and therefore 'tis plain, that he cannot be impeacht for making their space and season of probation too short.
4. The Examples of suffering Saints were sufficient warnings to them, of what they must look for. God is never moved to destroy or afflict without a cause; Now, if there be a cause for his afflicting of good men in this World, there is much more cause for his destroying of bad men in the next. If Saints for lesser provocations (comparatively) receive Temporal Evils here, Sinners for their greater Indignities can expect no less than Eternal Evils hereafter. If they whom God hath chosen out of the World, be sorely chasten'd, the World out of which they are chosen, must conclude upon being finally condemned. The Rich Man might have read his own Doom in Lazarus his Beggary; that was a token manifest enough, if he had consider'd it, 1 Pet. 4.17. If Judgment first begin at us, what shall the End be of them that obey not the Gospel of God?
Fourthly, The ƲSE.
1. Information. 1. They that call the rich happy, are much mistaken, and give them a Character which they least deserve. In a little while we may ask them, as Paul did his Galatians, and they will not be able to Answer, Where is the Blessedness you spake of? Those cutting Words of Christ will speedily take Place; Luke 6.24. Wo to you that are Rich, for you have receiv'd your Consolation. Such a time is coming, wherein this will be verified in them; for the Consolations which they are now receiving, cannot be durable, Psalm 49.17, 18. When he dyeth, he shall carry nothing away, his Glory shall not descend after him; tho while he lived, he blessed his Soul, &c. 2. Those things will help to perpetuate a Man's Misery in Hell, which will not perpetuate his Name on Earth. His Remembrance soon decaies and perishes here, but his guilt is continually revived there; Eccl. 8.10. I saw the Wicked buried, who had come and gone from the Place of the Holy, and they were forgotten in the City where they had so done. It is spoken of ungodly Rulers, whose Memories, notwithstanding all their Grandeur and Magnisicence, rot in the Places where they lived; but yet their own Memory of the wickednesses they committed, remains with them after Death. 3. They that refuse to suffer Affliction with the People of God now, would be glad to change Lot's and Conditions with them at the last. Men that are most averse to the bearing of their present Crosses, would eagerly enough embrace a share in their Eternal Comforts; they would not go thro the Valley of Trouble with them, but when they enter into Peace, they will desire to follow their Steps. Every sinful Worldling will be as Sick of his own Portion in the End, as Babylon will be, when her Plagues come to be weigh'd and measur'd out in Proportion to her Ease, and Honour and Wealth, Rev. 18.7. How much she hath glorified her self, and lived deliciously, so much Torment and Sorrow give her.
2. Exhortation. 1. Let us employ our Memories in a due Manner, and to a good Purpose here, that they may not be the Instruments of our endless Disquiet afterwards. Remember your Ways, and be ashamed now, Ezek. 16.61. That you may not remember them and be tormented, when the End comes. Look back upon your vain Life, and lament it among God's Penitents, that you may never hear, nor have any concern in, the doleful Repetitions among the Devil's Prisoners. 2. Be not put off with the best things of this Life, you who have most of them. You need not to be, unless you will. God is not only able, but ready to give you much better things, if you desire them, and are unsatisfied without them. Do not take up with these, as your All; as if you were sent (as one says) like Swallows into the World, only to gather a few Sticks and Dirt for a Nest wherein to breed up your Young, and then fly away. God had a nobler design in Man's Creation, which 'tis our fault, that we come short of. 3. Be Content with your meaner State, you that meet with most Tribulation in the World. Keep it always in your Minds, that 'tis infinitely better to have your Hell, than your Heaven here. Think of things Present as Past, and of things Future as Present; for both will quickly be so. Learn to exercise the Patience of Hope in the midst of your greatest Distresses; and when God is giving you Tears to Drink in the largest quantity, still feed upon his Promise, Job 11.16. Thou shalt forget thy Misery, and remember it as Waters that pass away.