Commentary on the Gospels and Acts, Commentary 3 · Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI.
Verse 1. A … rich man which had a Steward]
MAsters had need look well 1. To the chusing of their servants. (Salomon saw Jeroboam that he was industrious, and therefore without any respect at all to his Religion, he made him … over all the charge of the house of Joseph; but to his … disadvantage. …. King 11. 28. with chapt. 12. 3.) 2. To the using of them: Most men make no other use of their servants then they doe of their beasts: whiles they may have their bodyes to doe their service, they care not if their soules serve the Devill. Hence they so … prove false and ….
Verse 2. Give an account of thy stewardship]
… cum … putet, said Cato. Stewards should often account with their masters.
Verse 3. I cannot dig, &c.]
They that will get wisedome, must both dig and beg. Prov. 2. 3. 4.
Verse 6. Take thy bill]
The scope of this parable is, ut … charitate erga pauperes compensemus, saith Beza, that we expiate, as it were our prodigality by shewing mercy to the poore Dan, 4. 27.
Verse 8. And the Lord commended]
Gr. that Lord, viz. theforeign. Steward Lord, not the Lord Christ who relateth this …. … if we understand it of Christ (as the Syriack here doth) yet He herein no more approveth of this Stewards false-dealing, then he doth of the Vsurers trade …. 5. 27. or the theeves 1 Thess. 5. 2. Or the dancers Matth. 11. 17. or the Olympick games 1 Cor. 9. 24.
Because he had done wisely]
The worldlings wisedome serves him (as the Ostriches wings) to make him out-run others upon earth, and in earthly things; but helps him never a whit toward heaven.
Are in their generation wiser]
A swine that wanders can make better shift to get home to the trough, then a sheepe can to the fold. We have not received the spirit of this world 1 Cor. 2. 12. we cannot shift and plot as they can: but we have received a better thing. The fox is wise in his generation, the serpent subtile, so is the Devill too. When he was but young, he out-witted our … parents, 2 Cor. 11. 3.
Then the children of light]
As the Angels are called Angels of…. Adam. light 2 Cor. 11. 14. Gods children are the onelyonly earthly Angels, have a Goshen in their bosomes, can lay their hands on their hearts with dying Oecolampadius, and say, Hic sat lucis.
Verse 9. … unto your selves friends]
quibus officia … ….… apud …, …, & … is …. Testifie your faith by your workes that God of his free-grace may commend and … you.
Of the Mammon of …]
The next odious name to the Devill himselfe. This Mammon of iniquity, This wages of wickednesse is not gain, but losse.
They may receive you]
That is, that … the Angels, or … riches, or the poore may let you into heaven.
Verse 11. In the unrighteous … ]
or, the uncertaine, …, deceitfull wealth of this world, which yet most rich men trust in, as if simply the better or safer for their abundauce. Hence … derives Mammon from …, which signifieth to ….
Verse 12. In that which is another … ]
Riches are not properly ours, but Gods who hath entrusted us, and who doth usually agssine them to the wicked, those men of his hand, for their portion Psal. 17. 14. for all the heaven that they are ever to look for. Better things abide the Saints, who are here but forreiners, and must doe as they may.
Who shall give you that which is your owne]
Quod nec eripi nec Arist. …. lib.2. cap. 23.… potest. Aristotle relateth a law like this made by …, That he that used not another mans horse well, should … owne.foreign Naso ….
Verse 14. And they derided him]
Gr. They blew their noses at him in scorne and derision. They fleared and jeared when theyHorat. should have feared, and fled from the wrath to come.
Verse 15. For that which is highly esteemed &c.]
A thing that I see in the night may shine, and that shining proceed from nothing but rottennesse. There may be malum … in bona …, as in … Zeale. Two things make a good Christian, good actions and good aymes. And though a good ayme doth not make a bad action good (as in Vzzah) yet a bad ayme makes a good action badHos. 1. 4. (as in …, whose justice was approved, but his pollicy punished.)
Verse 19. There was a certaine rich man]
Not once named, as … was, though never so little esteemed of men. God knew him by name as he did Moses: when the rich mans name is written in the earth, rottes above-ground, is left for a reproach.foreign Verbum est …. Pasor.
Which was clothed in purple, &c.]
Gr. was commonly so cloathed. It was his every-dayes weare, as the word implyeth.
Verse 20. A certaine beggar named Lazarus]
Or Eleazar (as Tertullian and Prudentius call him) who having beene Abrahams faithfull servant, now resteth in his bosome.
Verse 21. And desiring to be fed with the crumbs]
Many poore folk have but prisoners pittances, which will neither keepe them alive, nor suffer them to dye.
The dogs came and licked his sores]
When Sabinus was put to death for whifpering against Seianus, his dog lay down by his dead body, brought to his mouth the bread that was cast to him: And … Sabinus was thrown into the river Tiber, the dog … ….after him, to keepe him up, that he might not sinke into the bottome.
Verse 22. Into Abrahams bosome]
A Metaphor from feasts say some: from fathers, say Others, who imbosome and hug their children when wearied with long running-about, or … met with a knock, and come crying unto them.
And was carried by the Angels]
Thorough the ayre, the Devils region, doe the Angels conduct the Saints at death: who may therefore call death as Jacob did the place where he met the Angels,Act. & Mon. fol. 1907. Mahanaim, Genes. 32. 2. For like as the …-man was let down with his bed thorough the tiling before Jesus, Luke 5. 18. so is every good soule taken up in an heavenly couch thorough the roofe of his house, and carried into Christs presence by these heavenly Courtiers.
And was …]
Possibly with as much noysome stench and hurry in the ayre, as at Cardinall Wolseyes buriall. A terrible example there is in the book of Martyrs, of one Christopher … an unmercifull Courtier, who suffering a poore Lazar to dye in a … by him, did afterwards perish himselfe in a ditch.
Verse 23. Being in torments]
Having punishment without pity, misery without mercy, sorrow without succour, crying without compassion, mischeife without measure, torments without end, and past imagination.
Verse 24. And coole my tongue]
In his tongue he was most tortured, quia plus lingua peccaverat, saith Cyprian. So Nestorius … exesa. Evagr. l. 1.the heretick had his tongue eaten up with worms. So Thomas Arundell Arch-bishop of Canterbury, and Steven Gardiner Bishop of Winchester, (two notorious persecutors) dyed with theirActs & Mon. fol. 1622. tongues thrust out big-swollen, and black with inflammation of their bodyes. A spectacle worthy to be noted of all such bloudy burning persecutors.
Verse 25. Sonne remember, &c.]
Sonne he calls him with respect either ad procreationem carnis, aut adaetatem, saith Piscator. But as it was but cold comfort to Dives in flames, that Abraham called him sonne; so those that have no more to shrowd themselves under, then a generall profession, shall find that an empty title yeelds but an empty comfort at last.
Receivedst thy good things]
Wicked men then have not only a … title, but a right before God to earthly things. It is their portion. Psal. 17. 14. And what Ananias had was his owne Act. 5. whiles he had it. God gave Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar for his paines at Tyre. It is hard to say, they are usurpers. They shall not (saith One) be called to an account at last day for possessing what they had, but for abusing that possession. As when the King gives a Traytour his life, he gives him meat and drink that may maintaine his life. So here God deales, not as that cr uell D' … did who starved some prisoners after he had given them quarter,Grimst. Hist. of Netherl. saying, Though I promised you your lives, I promised not to find you meat.
Verse 26. There is a great gulfe fixed]
viz. by the unmoveableforeign. and immutable decree of God, called mountaines of brasse…. …. Zech. 6. 1. from betweene which all effects and actions come forth as so many charets.
Verse 28. Lest they also come into this place]
This he wisheth, not for their good, but for his owne. For he knew that if they were damned, he should be double damned, because they were brought thither partly by his lewd and loose example.
Verse 29. Let them … them]
Hell is to be escaped by hearing the word read and preached. Joh. 5. 25. Esay 55. 3.
Verse 31. Though one rose from the dead]
As Lazarus did, and yet they listened as little to him as to Christ. Joh. 12. but sought to kill him also.